Yellow Curtains - Chapter One - Wanda Maximoff Series
Summary: Wanda Maximoff's senior year at Novi Grad School is duly planned for her. She has good friends, good grades, and a good system to hide who she really is. Or, the one based on Evak from the Norway Skam series, where Wanda is queer and tries to survive the last year without anyone knowing about it.
Warnings: (+18), general warnings about language and violence, legal drug use, mentions of underage drinking, high school, internalized homophobia and discovery of sexuality, explicit mentions of mental disorders (bipolarity and depression), dysfunctional family, making out, and eventual smut.
A/N-> The first series is here! It will have 10 chapters, is finished (I'll leave the posts scheduled for posting, so expect quick, daily updates), and will cover the main topics from the season of the show. Wanda likes girls, but I didn't specify if she doesn't like boys (I left that up to you to choose). The pov is Wanda's, since she is the protagonist. Every comment is important, I hope you like this story!
Skamverse | Series | General Masterlist | AO3 | Wattpad
--//--
Chapter One - The Stark Party
Sobota, 21:24 (Saturday, 09:24 p.m)
Loud music pounded around the entire commode to the outside, probably too much to alarm the neighbors, but none of the teenagers, dancing, drinking, and making out seemed to mind.
Wanda struggled to balance her two drinking glasses among the crowd, making her way to the bathroom from which she had exited a few moments ago.
"Open the door! It's me!" She shouted at the wood and received only laughter in return. Rolling her eyes, she tried to knock with her elbow, but she didn't need to, the door opened and she almost fell in. "Thanks, asshole."
Pietro chuckled, rolling his eyes and making room for his sister to enter. In the bathroom, there were two others besides them, and it was to the redheaded girl that Wanda handed the glass.
"You took your time." Pietro commented closing the door and waiting for Wanda to take a free place in the dry tub with the others.
"That's because it's crowded as hell out there." She retorted half annoyed. "Stark invited over almost the whole town."
"Typical." Natasha sneered before taking a sip. A soft grunt of satisfaction came out. "Damn, this is great. What did you put in here?"
Wanda shrugged, tasting hers. "Shit, it really is good. I guess I'm a natural."
The group chuckled, and the brunette retracted her feet so that the twin could sit in the tub next to her.
"Well, I have something more interesting than alcohol, ladies." It was Clint who announced, groping something in his jacket pocket that made the others celebrate. Wanda forced a smile, finishing her glass as Pietro grabbed the small bag of pot from his friend.
"How much did you pay for that?" The taller one asked. Clint laughed dryly, taking the weed back with a tug.
"A lot more than Daddy's allowance, preppie." He teased, receiving a roll of eyes from the twin and a gentle nudge from Nat.
"Hey, be nice." Warned the redhead, to which Clint chuckled casually.
It didn't take long for them to wrap a cigarette, but Wanda didn't smoke. She never does. And typically, her cell phone vibrated while Pietro was taking a long drag, and she took her attention from this to the screen.
“Vertraue von ganzem Herzen auf den Herrn und stütze dich nicht auf deinen eigenen Verstand. Erkenne ihn auf all deinen Wegen an, und er wird deine Pfade gerade machen.”
(Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.)
Without answering her father's message, Wanda locked the cell phone again and put it in her pocket. Natasha noticed her tense posture immediately.
"Hey, you two can sleep over." She declares. "Because of the time, but whenever you need"
Wanda smiled at her, ignoring the familiar feeling on the tip of her stomach that she feels when Natasha stares at her so affectionately. She knows she shouldn't feel that way about her best friend, even if Nat likes girls, because Nat doesn't like her that way, and she needs to understand that.
It doesn't help that Natasha is very cute and nice all the time.
"Thanks, Romanoff, but I'll try to sleep over at some girl's house tonight." Pietro retorts smugly, getting a high laugh from Clint, who shoots him a high five.
"That girl from state? The blonde one?" Barton begins, getting a hum of confirmation from the other boy. "Why haven't you talked to her yet?"
Wanda chuckles. "Because he chickens out." Teases the girl, getting giggles from her friends. The brother blushes a little but disguises it.
"That's a tactic!" He defends himself. "You have to show that you're not interested, and then boom! They fall for you."
Natasha makes a mocking face, but Clint seems interested. Pietro begins to explain his brilliant plan to seduce Crystal Amaquelin, one of his schoolmates, but Wanda is not interested. Luckily, the conversation is interrupted when the door opens again, for a moment all the noise from the party fills the commode before Jen closes the door.
"Hey, troublemakers." She greets an evidently drunk greeting by the way she speaks and stumbles slightly, leaning on the door she had just closed. "You're missing all the fun."
"Not at all, you're the one missing out on all the fun in listening to Pietro convince himself that he can get a girl." Natasha teases causing some laughter.
"Come on! I'm positive she's into me!" The twin defends himself.
Jen raises an eyebrow. "Who?"
"Crystalia, from the stateside people. A pretty blonde who hangs out with some bikers." Nat answers for the boy. "Tell him he's completely delusional."
The group laughs, and Pietro gets a little sulky. "Really, Piete, I'm sorry, but she's way too pretty for you." Jen teases getting in on the joke.
Pietro stands up. "You guys don't know anything! I'll prove I'm right." He declares walking out of the bathroom.
Clint wastes no time in getting up as well, muttering "I don't want to miss this one." as he follows his friend out of the bathroom.
As soon as it's just the girls around, Jennifer is muttering in satisfaction. "I'm glad they left, I need to pee." She declared getting a giggle from the others.
As Jen practically ran to the toilet, Wanda noticed that Clint dropped the weed on the floor of the tub and grabbed the package - shaking it at eye level to Nat, who sighed.
"Keep it with you, until loverboys come back." She says, and Wanda nods as she puts the weed away in her jacket pocket.
When the sound of Jen's pee sounds, the girls fall into laughing.
"For the love of god, Walters? What's that? Niagara Falls?" Wanda mocks between chuckles, which Jen follows up on before clarifying:
"Hey, smarty-pants, I just came, I need to avoid an infection."
Wanda stopped laughing half-heartedly, but Natasha exclaimed excitedly. "What? With who?"
"I don't know, it was some friend of Tony's." Jen retorted as she cleaned herself up and put her pants back on. "All I know is that he's really hot! And he wanted to eat me out before he used his dick, so bonus points."
Natasha widens her eyes in surprise. "What, but Sokovian guys don't go down on girls! Are you sure he's Tony's friend? Maybe he's a New Yorker..."
"I have no idea, all I know is that I came twice. I almost regret not giving him my number."
"Why didn't you, Walters? You look like you had a good time." Natasha teases causing the other to laugh. Neither of them notices Wanda turning her brother's beer can over with the conversation.
"I did! But why stay with just one boy when I can have several? Did you see how many hot friends Stark brought to this party? No way I'm sticking with just one. I blew this one off, and I'm going to hide out here for a while until he forgets about me."
"You are so mean." Nat jokes, making room for Jen to sit in the tub next to them.
Once she is comfortable, Jen's attention falls on Wanda.
"What about you two? Haven't you been with anyone tonight yet?"
Wanda wants to get away. Out of the country if possible. It doesn't improve that Natasha answers first.
"Well, I wish." Says the redhead. "Carol came with company, and when I tried to flirt with Maria, she said she wasn't going to be used as a consolation prize."
"Shit, what a burn." Jen mutters, and Nat nods with a forced smile.
"Yeah, she has a point." Continues the redhead. "I tried to ask James to dance so he's been a total jerk ever since he and Steve argued and I don't have the slightest patience to deal with it right now."
Jen nods in understanding, and Wanda knows she is next. She tries to remain calm. "What about you, Maximoff? Hasn't anyone caught your eye yet?"
Wanda thinks about lying out of instinct, it is inevitable. She doesn't want to deal with the questions, or the answers herself.
She tries, "Nah, not really." looking down, and the girls don't believe her one bit.
"Come on, there's like, three hundred guys here tonight." Jen insists. "And surprisingly, they're all hot."
"True." Natasha agrees with a laugh. "Don't you have anyone you like? Maybe, not a boy...?"
Wanda clears her throat, and the lie forms as a trillion images of the last few interactions she's had with boys over the past few months flash through her head.
"There's a boy." She retorts as best she can. "Tall. I don't know if he goes to our school, but I've seen him with Tony several times."
"Shit, Stark only hangs out with soccer jocks, can you be more specific?" Jen questions with a chuckle.
Wanda makes a soft grimace, running her hand over her face. "Hmm... he's really tall. More than all the others. I don't think he's a jock, I've never seen him in his team clothes. He has blond hair and light eyes. He's... handsome."
"Oh, I know who he is! His name is Vision, not Tony's friend, Wands. He's his brother." Natasha declares surprising Wanda completely.
Great. Fucking excellent. Wanda thinks wryly, as she watches her lie unfold in Natasha commenting on Tony's older brother who was studying in England and came to live (read take care of the younger one with irresponsible tendencies) in Sokovia, until Tony graduates and takes over the family business alongside him.
With Natasha, who was very close to Tony, the story of Wanda's fake crush on Vision had not the slightest chance of remaining a secret.
"What an unusual name, is he some kind of hippie?" Jen asks, getting a laugh from Nat.
"No, but his mother is." Answers the redhead. "He and Tony have different moms, you know? Vision's mother is a European artist who kicked Howard's ass. Then he met Maria, Tony's mother, and now they're the couple from a margarine commercial with a few billion extra dollars."
"Cool." Jen comments with a laugh. "But hey, maybe you can arrange something between Vision and Wanda?"
"Totally, I'll find Tony!
"Girls, no need..." Wanda tries, but the girls are already getting up excitedly - pulling her along out of the bathroom and back into the party.
The place seems to have suddenly become noisier. Jen disappears as she is greeted by other people, and when Natasha lets go of Wanda's wrist to talk to Tony Stark at the drinks table, the brunette sneaks away.
Suddenly, the music stops, followed by a chorus of dissatisfaction from the surrounding teenagers.
"Who owns this place?" An adult voice announces, and Wanda looks past the crowd to see some police officers entering the place.
Tony Stark, only a few meters away, grumbles but raises his hand. And just as the cops start pushing people to get to him, she remembers the weed in her pocket.
It's probably the most adrenaline rush she's ever felt - Sneaking around drunk teenagers, trying not to look so suspicious while looking for an alternative exit from Tony Stark's fancy apartment.
She manages, through the kitchen area, to get to a balcony.
And Wanda is wrong. There is another person there, wearing a mask that covers much of their face in addition to a hood. She would have screamed in fright, but she is pressed against a wall, and the stranger forces a hand over her mouth. This is definitely the biggest adrenaline of her life.
"Fuck, you scared the shit out of me! I thought it was the police!" You gasp in a nervous laugh, letting go of her at the same speed you held her. Wanda stood in shock, and you, looked beyond the door, before you began to curse softly. "Shit, they're searching the whole place. Are you friends with Stark? Barnes'? Hey?"
"I-I yeah-" Wanda babbles, and she almost hyperventilates when you get too close again, but it's only to put on her face the same mask you are wearing - which you pull out of the pocket of your jacket. Once it's fitted, she knows you're smiling by the little mark in your eyes.
"Well, our idiot friends are in trouble, but the event is not going to stop happening. Come on, I can give you a ride." You declare, pulling her hand gently for her to come with you.
And Wanda goes, her heart racing inside her chest and her palms sweating, completely confused about the whole thing.
You know the place better than she does, it's clear. You must really be Tony's friend because you know where the keys that open the back door are, and you lead the way through the emergency exit.
And when you two are outside the building, meters away from the police cars at the entrance, you stop next to a motorcycle.
"They changed the address last minute. I went up to warn Stark, but someone called the police." You explained as if Wanda had any idea what you were talking about. "A bunch of people has already gone on ahead. Come on, before we miss the party."
"W-we're already at the party." She mutters uncertainly, and you laugh, thinking it was a joke. You hold out the one helmet to her, and Wanda swallows dryly.
"Come on, pretty girl, we don't have all night." You say as you shake the item lightly, and Wanda thinks she is accepting it to hide the blush from your watchful eyes.
It's a strange ride. She has no idea who you are, and the whole way she holds your waist tightly. Wanda forbids herself to notice that you smell good, or that your hands are soft on hers when you help her down.
A warehouse yard is where you take her. And it is not empty. Most people wear masks like the two of you, but for those who don't, Wanda immediately recognizes them as some of her schoolmates and neighbors.
"Remember to keep the mask on." That's the last thing you say to her before you go inside.
Wanda would have followed you around all night, but Carol Danvers recognizes her and comes to approach her.
"My god, Maximoff? I didn't know you were hanging out with the Avengers!"
"I-I-"
"Guys, come here and meet my friend! It's Wanda Maximoff!" Carol didn't wait for an explanation. She smelled like beer, too.
Wanda was dragged into a group of people she didn't know, but who were all very friendly.
They handed her a small can of paint, and when the conversation ceased, she realized what was happening. Those young people were graffiti all around, but not just anything, they were protesters. She swallowed dryly. If only her father could see her now.
"There's a space for you over there, Maximoff." Carol guided, a hand on her back.
An impressed laugh came from Wanda's lips as soon as the first jet of ink hit the metal. She didn't know what she was going to write, but just the rebellious act impressed her.
She began to test a few scribbles, and before she knew it, the night was turning into day.
–//–
Nedelja, 13:20 (Saturday, 1:20 pm)
Wanda grunted in bed, her head pounding. She tried to open her eyes a few times, and when she finally did, she sighed into the bright light of the room.
It was a real battle to find aspirin, but as soon as her hangover was decently disguised, she left the room.
By coincidence, her twin was leaving his own bedroom ahead of her at the same moment and laughed as soon as he looked at her.
"Someone had fun last night." He sneered in a low voice, signaling to Wanda that their mother was around. The girl grunted.
"Shut up." She complained closing the door. "I can say the same for you. Where did you go after the police showed up?"
He laughed indignantly. "I was at the party! Unlike you, who's gone AWOL!" Accused the twin, crossing his arms. "Where did you go? You can't tell me you slept at some dude's house..."
"Utihni! (shut up)!" Wanda asks, looking down the hallway in desperation. But all she can hear is the soft sound of the radio coming from the kitchen. "I was with some friends."
Pietro looks at her suspiciously. "I am your friend. And I know the others, and I was with Nat, Clint, and Jen, so who were you out with, huh?"
"Pietro, how about minding your own business?" Wanda retorts impatiently. "I'm not watching you! You're all dressed up, I'm not going out asking where you're going and with whom!"
Pietro rolls his eyes. "I'm taking Crystal out for ice cream because she agreed to go out with me yesterday. Which you would have known if you hadn't disappeared."
"Whatever." She mumbles annoyed. "Don't rat me out to Mom!" Wanda urges, but before she leaves for the kitchen, Pietro holds her arm.
"Where's Clint's weed? He's asking me."
Wanda rolls her eyes. "It's in my room, be discreet for the love of god." She retorted, tugging her arm back and heading to the kitchen.
Her mother is humming the song from the radio, and Wanda sighs lightly as she enters.
"dobro jutro, mama (good morning, mama)." She greets and expected a scolding, but Natalya turns her face and smiles gently at her.
"Wanda, sweetie, good morning." Says the older woman. "Would you like to help me cut the carrots?"
It's an invitation to talk, Wanda knows. She knows her mother like the back of her hand and loves every aspect of her deeply. She nods and moves closer, and Natalya makes room at the sink for Wanda to stand beside her.
Wanda wants to avoid a scolding, so she is the first to speak.
"Sorry for sleeping out." She murmurs, glancing out of the corner of her eye at her mother who continues to chop vegetables. "Sorry for not warning you, and for coming in the morning."
Natalya gives her a gentle bump with her shoulders, smiling at her before nodding down. "Looks like you did more than just that." Says the woman, and Wanda looks in the same direction, choking softly when she notices the ink marks on her fingers. She immediately retrieves them, walking past her mother to go to the sink.
"kurac! (fuck)" she curses softly as she washes the spray paint off, but Natalya listens and giggles.
"Language, dear."
"Sorry." Wanda mumbles annoyed. "Really, I'm just... I'm sorry. Don't be mad."
Natalya chuckles again, leaving the vegetables to grab a cloth that she offers for Wanda to wipe her hands on.
"I'm not." She assures meekly. "I trust you, Wanda. And in my youth, I had my adventures, too." She comments with a smile, moving around to make the food. "I just hope you used protection."
Wanda chokes in surprise, her face heating up. "I-I wasn't-!"
"It's okay if you were, you know? You're seventeen and at this age-"
"Mama!" Wanda cuts in embarrassed. "I wasn't having sex!"
Natalya raises her hands as a sign of peace, a smile playing on her lips. "It's okay, honey." She says, moving close again to pick up the pans. "I just figured that since Pietro is dating, you would also be looking for someone..."
"I'm not." Wanda insists, crossing her arms. "All the boys in my school are disgusting."
Natalya laughs, nodding in understanding. "And there aren't any boys outside the school? Maybe some from the synagogue?"
Wanda looks away. "I don't even go there anymore." She mutters, and Natalya sighs lightly. She leaves a pot on the fire, before moving closer to kiss Wanda's hair.
"You'll find the right person at the right time, sladko dekle." Her mother whispers. "But now it's time to cut carrots." Wanda smiles at the joke and steps aside to obey the request.
Pietro doesn't take long to appear, and after muttering quick goodbyes, he leaves the house. Wanda is finishing the carrots when Natalya asks about the girl he is taking out.
"Your father would be happy if she were Jewish." Natalya comments casually, her attention on the pots. Wanda hums, not quite knowing what to say about that. "Did you know that we got engaged at the same age as you now? It was his grandfather who arranged the wedding. I wore such a beautiful dress..."
Wanda's cell phone vibrated taking her attention away from the conversation, and she wiped her hands to see the notification. It was Pietro.
"I didn't find the weed, bratec. Give it back to me by Monday or Clint will want it in cash. I can't save your ass about this, I spent all my money on the hut."
Wanda bit her tongue, blocking the cell phone. She mumbled excuse me to her mother before she left for her room.
Pietro was right, the weed was nowhere to be found. Wanda grunted in frustration.
Good, really. Where was she going to get the money to pay Clint at the beginning of the month? Great timing.
"Honey, come here!" Natalya called from the kitchen, and Wanda threw some of the mess she made around before leaving the room again.
She hesitated when she heard a male voice that she knew well coming from the kitchen.
"She's here Erik, make it quick, we were just going to have lunch." Natalya says to the screen tablet where the video call takes place just as Wanda enters the kitchen. The man sighs slightly.
"And Pietro, isn't he going to lunch with you two?" He questioned, and neither Natalya nor Wanda answered. "Okay, whatever. Let your kids do whatever they want, as always. Hey, Wanda, good afternoon."
The brunette exchanged a quick glance with her mother before focusing on the defined image of her father. What would it hurt to have a bad wifi signal. "What do you want?"
Erik chuckled humorlessly. "Gott, is that any way to talk to your father?" He retorts, not expecting an answer. "I've sent you several messages, why haven't you replied?"
"I have nothing to say to you."
Erik rolls his eyes. "Oh, yes, I forgot that your business with me is all about money, isn't it young girl?"
Natalya sighs. "Erik, please-"
"No, she has to hear the truth, for once!" He insists angrily. "You think you can ignore me like I'm some kind of anybody? I'm her goddamn father! I never turned my back on any financial help and now you treat me like an inconvenience. She hasn't even been showing up for her prayers anymore, making a mockery of her responsibilities-"
"I can't do this again, Mama, I'm sorry." Wanda cuts off the argument, ignoring the protests to turn her back on her parents and leave the kitchen.
She hears her mother whisper a few angry words to her father but doesn't take in much. She goes back to her room and throws herself on the bed, suddenly feeling very much like going back to sleep, preferably all day.
But her cell phone vibrates, and Wanda ignores her body's protest to go back to sleep to look at it.
It is an Instagram notification of something Carol sends her. A post from the local Novi Grad newspaper about graffiti on garbage trucks driving around town this morning. The images circulate through several pages.
She adjusts herself on the bed with an impressed sigh and looks at some of the hundreds of comments ranging from people applauding the act to condemning it. She also ends up stalking a few people but hasn't seen enough of the face of her mystery ride to find their Instagram.
With a sigh, Wanda lays back down on the bed and blocks her cell phone. She allows herself to remember the feel of the soft touch in her hands, or the body pressing hers against the wall. Her face burns as she squeezes her thighs together instinctively.
This is new. Wanda is not sure she likes it.
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