Realistic or Modern Ten Years Later

[DarkiusHeavenstein]

A tight group of friends lost contact after they graduated from highschool. Let's face it, it is not easy to keep into contact once you have started college and all your friends are at different places. Of course there might be some chats through facebook, skype and I don't know what all, but in the end life and school will get in the way and you simply forget. So now 10 years later, one of the friends decided to contact everyone and organize a small reunion. What ever happened to those highschool dreams? Did they all end up with the jobs they had wanted back then or did they found different interest? Who changed, or who didn't? Old loves, will they start again? Or will old arguments be continued? Let's find out.

 

[DarkiusHeavenstein]

Quinton

​

The fridge and the freezer were filled, the beds were made, the whole mansion was cleaned. At the bar was every kind of drink available and now he had said goodbye to the personnel. An old client of him, a woman he had defended in court against a murder charge, had given him this mansion as a thank you. At least he could use it whenever he wanted to, as long as he let her know in advance. He had never really used the offer until he had found his old Yearbook while cleaning out the closets. He had moved through the pages and memories had come back to mind, some pleasant, some not so pleasant. That is when he had gotten the idea of starting this little reunion. Ten years it had been, he didn’t know about the others, but he had pretty much lost contact with all of them after graduation. He had tried to stay in to contact with Dennis for a while longer, but college life had quickly gotten in the way.


He walked downstairs to the underground garage, that currently was only occupied by his Porsche. Not that he really was a fan of fast cars, but he just liked the way it looked and he had the money, so why not? There was enough room for 20 cars at least, and it was necessary if they all came. Only time would tell and he moved over to the alarm system on the door. His fingers quickly moved over the buttons, changing the current code to 2005. The year they had all graduated, the year things had went down the drain for some, and things couldn’t have been better for others. He approved the code change and walked out over the driveway to the gates that would provide entrance to the place. It curled around the front pool, giving a good view of the modern mansion that still had a cozy look. At the gate he repeated his action, again changing the code to that what he had said in the invitation.


He was on his way back to the house, when he could already hear the first car pull up. He hadn’t been a second too late with changing the code. He turned around, wondering who would be the early bird to arrive. Excitement once again filled him, together with nerves. What if it was him? He shook his head at himself, ten years later... and still he reacted like a high schooler to the idea of meeting his old crush again. Even though he had been rejected so harshly back then, the feelings had never faded. Not until after graduation at least. Not that it had held him back, after all there is not much you can do if someone doesn’t return your feelings than forgetting about it? Yet he had never forgotten about the soccer star, Mason Wenshall. No, he really had to stop thinking about it. It was probably someone else anyway.

Skygge

​

“Daddy, are you done yet?” A young girls voice asked. Even after five years, it was still weird being called daddy for the young male. He smiled as he looked over to his daughter, his hand ruffling up the dark strands for a moment. ”Almost, Gwendolyn. Could you hand me the sketch books?” he asked as he pointed over to the nightstand. He would never go anywhere without them. You just never knew when inspiration hit you. Besides he had been working on a design for a client and he just didn’t seem to get it right. Not that he thought he would have much time to sketch at the Mansion, but you never knew. The little one eagerly handed them over and he slipped them into a side pocket. Yup, he got everything for his weekly stay at Mercer Island.


He had honestly been surprised when he had received the invitation. And even more surprised by whom had signed it. It had never been a secret that despites sharing the same group of friends, Quinton couldn’t stand him. Then again he had not been the only one. Yet for that last part he had been responsible himself. Well, Quintons hatred was probably his own fault too. He had not been the most... innocent guy back in High School. The very opposite if he was honest, in all ways possible. He smiled to himself as he looked at his daughter after closing the suitcase. ”So, now I am all yours. What do you wanna do for the last hour?” He almost didn’t have the time to grab his suitcase as the five-year-old grabbed his hand and dragged him downstairs. He left the luggage at the door, otherwise he would probably end up forgetting it, before being set down in a chair.


His dark brown gaze quickly went over the table where several colors of nail polish stood ready. “Left hand” The girl commanded and he held out his hand, spreading his fingers. He had promised her to do whatever she wanted, since this would be the last day they would be together. At least for the upcoming week, luckily he could have arranged things with Samantha and Jonathan, her new boyfriend, since officially it had been his week. They had thrown over the schedule, so Gwen had spend the weekend here, he would drop her off before heading over to the Mansion. He watched how she applied the nail polish with utmost precision, the tip of her tongue caught between her lips as she worked on his second hand now. “Now you are all pretty to go meet your friends!” She exclaimed as she stepped back. He laughed as he waved his hands to let the nails dry, luckily it was quick dry polish. ”Thank you, Gwen. I am sure they will be dazzled by the pink” He pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek. ”Let’s go, otherwise I will be late for my reunion” Not that there was a time mentioned and not that anyone would be surprised by him arriving last, he wouldn’t even be surprised himself. The girl ran off to grab her stuff as he stood up, grabbing the keys from his Mustang on the way out, to load in his own luggage.

 

[Athens]

Mason

​

"Oh, look at you two standing side-by-side! One boy going to relieve memories and the other going to make memories!" Mason's sister, Rachel gushed snapping a picture of him and his son in their tuxes.


"I. Look. Ridiculous." Mason grumbled tugging grumpily on the tie restricting his breathing from tight his sister had tied it. Rachel slapped his hands away as he attempted to loosen the tie, and sent him a threatening glare. "Do it again, and I use another one and tie your hands behind your back in a constrictor knot." The 27's face formed into an irritated scowl directed at one frustrating woman in particular. Darn that stupid survivalist camp she went to when 16.





"I look more ridiculous than you." Oliver hissed quietly, gesturing to his now, slicked back hair thanks to his aunt. "What? It's not my fault Rachel is obsessed with Grease." He defended himself, putting his hands up in surrender. Oliver gave his dad a pleading look and Mason sighed, giving in. "Fine, but if your aunt asks, I told you to leave it be." He made sure Rachel wasn't looking before bending down and whispering quietly. "Okay here's what you do. Make sure that you tell your aunt the time you need to arrive at the prom, go directly to the bathroom before you have to leave, and un-do that disgrace of a hairstyle. My sister is the poster child for being on time. She would flip her shit if she made you even a minute late." It sounded like Mason was joking, but he was completely serious. His sister was a bit of a control freak. Her doctor stated that she didn't OCD, she just liked for situations to be under control and organised; total control freak. "Thanks, dad." "No problemo, kiddo." Mason grinned leaning Oliver into his shoulder and giving him a side hug. "Your aunt may not be the best hair stylist in the family when it comes to guys," They both glanced over towards Rachel who was looking through the photos she had taken on the three of their phones. "but she dressed you up pretty nice." Oliver snorted in response, choosing not to respond. "Okay, as much as I'd like to hang around. I've got a flight to catch, and Ollie's got a girl to woo." Oliver's face inflamed at the nickname and he huffed dramatically at his father. "Seriously dad?" He smiled cheekily in response. "Seriously, baby boy. Now go make Alyssa swoon with your killer dance moves!" Mason patted Oliver on the back before heading out the door, waving at his sister and his son as he headed to his taxi. The instant he was in the car, he began untying his the striped tie around his neck and yanked it off. Next, he unbuttoned his suit jacket and requested that the driver take him to the airport.

Raylene

​

Biting her lip had become an even more major problem since she received the letter from Quinton. Raylene's manager wasn't a big supporter of dropping everything to go hang out with people she hadn't seen in 10 years, but she stubbornly insisted that if he stopped her from seeing her high school friends, she was cancelling all her interviews. You don't mess with a desi woman when she wants to see the people closest to her. Her sister Loria was helping her pack her clothing for the journey. "You'll call right?" "Have I ever tried not to call?" Raylene retorted with a roll of her eyes.


Lori slapped her arms disapprovingly. "Don't roll your eyes, or they'll get stuck in your head." Raylene giggled, hitting Loria back. "I'm not a child Lori, I know that's not true. And I'll roll my eyes if I want to." Loria put down the shirt she was holding and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well miss, roll my eyes if I want to, you can pack your own clothes, then." Raylene's eye widened in shock and she quickly latched on to her sister's arm to keep her from leaving, not missing the smug grin on her face.


"I'm sorry, but please help me finish packing. My attention span isn't long enough to do this alone." Lori rolled her eyes, but sat back down to continue folding. "So are you going to be fine with... You know, Sky being there?"


Raylene didn't look up as she continued to fold, giving a light shrug. "I don't know, it's a bit complicated Lori. Skygge's not a bad guy, really. He's actually pretty funny. And he's apologized multiple times about what happened. Not to mention that he's got the most adorable little girl ever, and you can just tell he cares about her." She smiled sadly. "But it the whole being in the same room as him when seeing Winnie that might make things tense between us. It's just hard." She scrunched her nose up at her sister with a grin. "Annnd he still pisses me off at times."


Lori nodded, and didn't mention thing else about Skygge, but instead turned to a lighter matter joking about Raylene seeing her high school crush, Elliot.

 

[ItsStacysMom]

Winnie Keir

​

Winnie wrung her hands on her steering wheel. She was restless, irritable. It was the first time in a long time that she just wanted to get out of the car.


When Winnie got off the phone with Greg, she originally planned an even-paced, calm journey to wherever the Hell ‘Mercer Island’ was. It was something along the lines of: Pack Thursday night, get her beloved (however dusty) car ready on Friday Morning, and arrive at this reunion by Midday Saturday or Sunday. What she did not plan when she Googled wherever the Hell ‘Mercer Island’ really was, was a travel time of over 40 hours, across the whole terrain of the U.S. of A.. So what did she have to do instead? Shove all of her things into a large duffel, ring her used (but not used enough for a cross-country marathon) ‘68 Dodge Charger out, and be out of city traffic before noon of that same Thursday. Two whole days of traveling, cheap motels and way too many gas-stops to be acceptable... Winnie was still waiting for the mansion.


For the entirety of her trip, Winnie squirmed and sighed. A ‘68 Dodge Charger, while pretty for out-of-city commute, was a bit of a small car. With only two seats and enough trunk-space for a suitcase, cramming was the only option when Winnie was in a rush. Along with herself was Winnie’s extensive collection of bright colored pencils and markers, along with her sketchbook; safely buckled up in the passenger seat of the car. CD’s littered the dashboard, varying from Walk The Moon to Sigur Ros. Any classic car didn’t allow space for drinks, obviously, so Winnie was left with no choice but to hold the half-finished bottle of Ginger Ale between her legs. Even so, it was the best she had, and she loved the car nonetheless; it was a ‘gift’ from Uncle Al when she went to college, and when he said ‘gift,’ he meant ‘a piece of junk that he wheeled out from his roofless garage.’ For a Muscle Car, it really didn’t have all that much muscle.


So there Winnie was, knuckles turning white as she waited in an endless line of cars on a busy bridge. She had been driving for a good two days and had run out of good CD’s to listen to. She tapped her fingers, muttering to herself.


‘Oh but Winnie, why not take a plane? Oh but Winnie, why not frickin’ walk the distance?’ She huffed. The answer, of course, was always money, but with the gas prices there in Washington, she was beginning to wonder if a plane ticket would have been cheaper.


At last, Winnie felt the stability of hard ground against her tires, and took a breath. Mercer Island. Finally. Winnie took a triumphant swig of her Ginger Ale and grinned. The traffic was already beginning to thin out as lanes separated. Winnie glanced at the letter lying beside her, eager to stretch her legs. She read the address over again and bit her lip.


‘Great thing I’ve never been to Washington...’ She sighed, but knew that there was no point in stalling her time. The glass was always half-something... she might as well take whatever’s given. She switched her gear and started driving slow, looking left and right at street signs. She was only sure of one thing: when she got there, she was gonna need an Advil... and a drink, too.


This’d better be worth it.

 

[Queen MooMoo]

Shane Westfall

​

Shane had just woken up to sound of her blood boiling alarm as she usually does for work, except this time is wasn't for that reason. She was getting herself to sit up in bed because she was headed for Mercer Island, a city in King County, Washington. She'd never been there before and wouldn't have ever gone if it weren't for the invitation she had received. She didn't even bother packing the night before because she planned on getting up early enough, yet here she is struggling to get out of bed. She groaned and she stood up and walked to her bathroom. She had a rather large and beautiful home, as she did very well for herself after graduation. Putting her best foot forward and never looking back. Today, however, was different. She would be on a flight soon, heading backwards as she reunited with a group of her old friends from high school. Finally arriving in front of her bathroom mirror, she stood in front of the clean, marble sink for a moment with her head down and her eyes shut. She rinsed her faced with a cleanser and dried it up with a small towel for facial use only. Shane brushed her teeth, gargled Listerine, spit, gargled water, spit and looked into the mirror at herself for about 5 minutes. Letting out a sigh, she tousled her hair, not caring what it even looked like since it was short, and walked back to her bedroom.


She looked around the room and thought about how long she would stay. What clothes should she bring? Would it be hot over there? She doesn't normally wear shorts unless she's in her room alone. *BUZZ, BUZZ, BU-* She lifted her pillow, revealing her silver iPhone 6 in disguise with a black cover. Swiping revealed a conversation she thought it was too early to have.

Spoiler

huge mole girl

them

hey shane r u free this weekend? i want u [/FONT][/SIZE] ;) [FONT='Trebuchet MS'][SIZE=12px]

me

Nah, going on a business trip.

them

when will u be back???

me

Idk.

them

aww, i miss u. i call for another round when u get back ;*

Shane laughed it off. She was definitely not going to be reuniting with this one-nighter. She locked her phone before grabbing her suit case. Opening a few drawers at a time she began throwing her clothes around. She huffed in annoyance. She hated having to pick out clothes to wear during casual events, especially since she really only went on business trips. When she finally picked out enough clothing and extra, her phone buzzed again.

Spoiler

papabear♡♡

them

Hey there, babybear! All packed up?

me

Yes, sir. Wyd?

them

Not much, super bored with my agent, lol!

me

Lol. Gotta go though. I'll let you know when I land.

them

Okay, sugar pea, I love you bunches!

me

I love you more.

Shane called an Uber to her house and waited out front with her suitcase. As the car pulled up, she hopped in, putting her luggage in the back seat, and drove to the boxing class she enrolled in many years back. To her locker, she went and grabbed her things and changed. It was only 8 a.m. and her flight was leaving in an hour or so. She wanted to get a little bit of energy on the go as she sparred with her group for a little while. Only a half hour later did she wish them well before getting a ride from a fellow boxer. They joked and sang in the car until she finally got to the airport, waved goodbye and waited for her flight to be announced. When it was, she boarded it and fell right to sleep.

 

[tinaheartsdamian]

Lori D'Angelo

​

Lori had just checked and double checked everything that she needed to bring with her to Mercer Island. Duffel bag with clothes, check. Carry on and purse for those random, but needed items, check. She scanned her room one last time,concluding that she hadn't forgotten anything and turned around to pick up her bags and head out into the living room of her decent-sized house. "Oof." She bumped right into her fiance, Eric, who had already scooped up her bags for her. They smiled at each other lovingly as Eric turned to take Lori's bags to her car, a stunningly silver Camaro, and her dream car since she was a teenager. Lori followed Eric to her car and patiently waited for him to pack her stuff into the trunk. As he finished, her face dropped as she said, "I'm really going to miss you.." Eric immediately pulled her into a hug and simply whispered "I know, babe" as her rubbed her back lovingly. They both let go and Eric walked around to the drivers side to open the car door. Lori followed and gave him one last hug and kiss, before getting into her car, starting it, turning on the radio, and rolling the window down. She pulled out of the driveway and waved to Eric one last time through the open window before heading off to the airport.


...Flight 662 to Seattle is now boarding. Please have your boarding pass ready...


...Welcome to Seattle Tacoma International Airport...





Lori got into her rental car, the same model as her one back home, pulled out of the garage, and headed toward Mercer Island. After no more than 15 minutes, she got to the front gate of the house, punched in the code that was given on the invitation, and found some place to park. Lori got out of the car and made her way to the front door, knocking on it three times...

 

[Lost Valentine]

-| Natilie Winfield |-

​

Excitement, anxiety, and fright were just some of the things Natilie was feeling a day or two after recieving Quinton's invitation. How did he even remember her after all these years, they rarely spoke during high school and only shared occasional glances in the hall. Honestly, she didn't know if anyone remembered her. She was that weird, quite chick from the back of the room that barely let out a peep. But, oh how she had changed. She was no longer that sickly looking brunette that hung out with the gorgeous soccer star. No, she was a blonde social butterfly who had definitely come out of her comfort zone. She knew that her change was for the better, for herself and..well mainly herself. Her family liked the way she was now and so did she, but what if her classmates didn't?


Her hands were shaking as she packed her bags for the week long trip at Mercer Island, and her mind was racing with what felt like a million thoughts; what did everyone look like? Did they all look...old? Did she look old? How many of them would show up? Would Mason show up? Would Dennis and Ryan and Lori and Tommy? What would unfold? What drama could go down? She shook her head at the thought. "Everything's gonna be fine..you're gonna be fine." She told herself as she finished up with her bags. She jumped a little when she heard her husbands voice breaking her out of deep thought. "You got everything?" Markus asked from their master bedroom. Natilie smiled as she walked out of the closet, carrying a few more blouses and blazers for her to pack. "Yes, I think so." She laid them in the suitcase and zipped it up. "Are you sure? You don't sound too sure.." Markus furrowed his brow and fidgeted with his wedding ring. Natilie chuckled, "Yes, I'm sure." She put her hands on the suitcase and leaned forward, sighing. "You're acting like I'm going away for a month." Natilie turned around to look at him, "I'll be back in a week." Markus, too, sighed and stood up. "I'm sorry. I just..worry about you." He walked over to Natilie and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She frowned at his words, "Well don't. I'm fine now honey, I promise." She pulled away, "Besides, you should be worrying about how late I am for my flight." Markus's eyes grew wide and he rushed to pick up her bags while Natilie just laughed, "I'm only joking, but we should get moving. It takes off in 20 minutes." She walked out of the room and to the car where her husband put her suitcases away. He fastened his seatbelt and started the vehicle, driving down the road to the airport.


While Natilie was on the plane, she had her earbuds in and a book laying on her lap. She was blasting some music, tunes she haden't heard since senior year and the book was just another Nicholas Sparks that she had read countless times. But her attention wasn't on the pages of the story or the sound in her ears, but on the rapid thumping of her beating heart. Her nerves were fully present as the flight neared the end and the plane began to land. Her hands were shaking as they held her purse while she walked off the plane, looking for someone's card who read 'Winfield'. She eventually found the man and he lead her to her car, with her luggage already stored inside. The only thing left was to drive to the home where a few adventures would be had or maybe some nightmares created, but Natilie was beginning to feel excited once more when she could see the mansion in the distance.

~~~

​

Spoiler

 

-| Elliot Micheals |-

​

In the decent sized town just outside of Rockford, Illinois, a tired red-haired man sat in his old studio apartment. He had lived there for years now but to the eyes of an average joe, it would seem as if he just moved there, with boxes laid in various places around the house, layers of dust piled on top of them. It was a small apartment, and slightly run down but to the red-haired man, it was just enough. It was usually quiet in his room, or filled with the sound of a guitar, but today it was interrupted by the aggravated tone of the red-haired man's voice. "Alright, well ma, I don't know what to tell you." He was pacing back and forth in front of his bed, his phone pressed against his ear. "Okay..okay..you shou-..okay..well..m-..ma! Just ask Clayton about it, alright?" He raised his voice a little too loudly at the end. Rolling his eyes, he switched the phone to speaker. "Elliot! Your brothers on a business trip and your fathers no help." His mother pleaded with him, and he sighed, "I'll help you when I get back, I've got to catch my flight." "Okay..be careful." Elliot looked at the phone and hung up without a word.


He tossed the cell onto his messy bed, running his hands through his tangled hair. Between dealing with his mother and the anxiety of this surprise trip, his drinking had picked up a little. He was stressed and nervous, and his eyes were bloodshot. He took a swig from the metal flask he had placed in his suitcase. "That was supposed to be for the flight..", He thought when he tucked it back into the bag and zipped it up. He slid his phone and keys into his pocket and grabbed the luggage, along with his guitar case. He was going to be late and quite honestly, he hoped that he would be. He wasn't all too thrilled about this reunion that Quinny or Quinthin..Quinton..whoever the hell sent the invitation, had planned. He was going to see his old friends, people who were probably more successful than he would ever be. In high school, Elliot dreamed big; he dreamed of stardom and fame. He didn't want to arrive at the reunion as the washed up, drunk bum that he knew all too well. He wanted to show them that he made a name for himself, but Elliot unfortunatly was going to show up empty handed.


The plane ride was cold and Elliot was stuffed in the corner next to a fairly large man. He cringed at the foul smell that came from the stranger. Coach. Elliot hated flying coach. Well..not that he had flown any other way. He spent all the money of his most recent paycheck on this plane ticket, and he was praying to the god he didn't quite believe in that this trip was worth it. When he got out of the airport, he couldn't help but take a deep breath. "Sweet clean, fresh air..", He thought. He had his rolling suitcase and guitar in tow as he made his way to the parking garage, the place the gorgeous receptionist told him his car would be at. He found his rusty challenger in a spot all by itself. He smiled at the sight. He had shipped his car over here a short week ago after he got the letter. He was usually good with planning things, and at times like this he needed to be.


30 minutes later, Elliot found himself only a few miles from the mansion. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and looked down at his new bottle whisky. He picked it up quickly and took a long drink. If he was going to make it through the night, he was going to have to be pretty wasted. As he sat the bottle down, some of the liquid spilled into his black jeans. "Fuck.." He said under his breath. He tried to wipe it off, and not paying attention to the road, he swerved to the other lane. He looked up in time to swerve back out of the way of the on coming car, horns blaring as he did so. He flicked his middle finger up and threw it out the window at the angry driver.


Taking another swig from the bottle, Elliot approached the mansion gates. He punched in the code that was located on the invite and drove into the garage. He parked his car and noticed that there were already two here. His hands grew clammy. They were already here. Taking a few more deep breaths. He decided on waiting to go inside, maybe until a few more people showed up. Nervous and impatient, Elliot dug through the glove box of his car, searching for something. "Bingo." He said out loud. He held up the bottle of Tylenol and opened it up, tossing out two blue pilsl. He threw them in his mouth and drank them down with a bottle of water that he had to wash the drunk away. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth as well, and sat there a moment as he chewed it. "You'll be fine..you'll be okay..", He told himself, beginning to calm down. "Hurry up guys..where are you?" He said, looking out his window at the garage door, his nerves growing as the seconds went by.

~~~

​

 

[NessieAlways]

Dennis S. Ely

Cold Feet


"That's it I'm not going."

Dennis looked at himself through the Michelle's princess mirror, the only full length mirror in the entire house. Kakhi pants a button down blue plaid shirt neatly tucked in, a grey sweater vest, and his glasses. The same outfit he had worn the last time he'd seen his friends, or so the yearbook claimed. He felt ridiculous. Was he supposed to dress like he did back then? Was this reunion suppose to be a way for people to show off how successful they became? Dennis was disgusted. They probably just wanted to laugh in his face for being a single father barely getting by. Living from paycheck to paycheck having to upcycle his own clothes so Michelle had new outfits to wear to school. It was pathetic.

"You look weird."

The high pitched voice brought Dennis out of his thoughts.

"Are you going to a costume party? Can I go?"

Dennis let out a chuckle and walked over to Michelle and picked her up in his arms.

"No daddy isn't going to a costume party. This is how daddy used to dress when he was in school."

Michelle squinched up her face, "You looked dorky"

Again Dennis laughed and began speaking in a nasally voice making fun of his attire. She was right he was dorky. He tried to imagine what went on in his head that made him think it was okay to dress like that back then. He was completely dumbstruck not being able to come up with an answer. After several laughs, Dennis put Michelle down and headed back to his room to change into something more his style. A grey v-neck and a pair of jeans later, Dennis was back in front of the princess mirror feeling his confidence coming back and more himself.

"Better?"

"Tons better!"

"Are you ready to go with grandma?"

"Yup! Just need to put my shoes on."

"Great! I'll wait for you at the door."

"Got it!"

In just an hour, Dennis dropped off Michelle at his mom's house and hit the road. Destination: his old hometown. A slight hesitation lingered in the back of Dennis's mind wondering if this was a bad idea. He'd grown up so much during these last 10 years. Would seeing his old high school buddies make him go back to his old ways? Would he finally be able to stand up for himself? Dennis shook the thought out of his head hoping that they had also changed as much as he had and for the better.​

 

[shygirl3]

|Brooke Barton|

It was a beautiful day in Manhattan, and Brooke was staring out of her bedroom window at the city below. Central Park was always bustling and had the most magnificent view. Of course she got the bedroom with the view, after all it did have the bigger closet. It's not like her brother needed the large closet or anything. She turned and caught her reflection in the mirror, "Damn, I'm looking cute." she said to herself making a kissy face to her reflection. Brooke grabbed the tube of lip gloss and began touching up her makeup. She flashed a smile, perfect as usual. She glanced over to the pile of bags, she had probably packed more than she even intended on wearing. In her defense she couldn't choose which shoes to bring, so she packed them all.

"Brooke!" A voice called down the hallway.

"Come help me with my bags, Ryan!" she answered.

A few moments later, Ryan was in her doorway. He grabbed some bags and walked towards the door. "Dad sent the driver and has his private jet is ready at JFK to fly us to Seattle." he said carrying the bags downstairs. The bags were loaded and Brooke climbed into the chauffeured vehicle, plugging her headphones into her phone and listening to her music all the way to the airport. Brooke sighed as she got out of the car, taking her headphones out. She secretly wondered if it was even worth going to. It wasn't like she had many close friends or anything. The only person that ever mattered to her was her brother, Ryan, anyway. Well at one point she did have a slight crush on Mason, but it was made very clear that nothing would happen between them. Her thoughts began to drift, wondering how Mason was and if he was still as cute as he was in high school. She boarded her father's private jet, her brother following behind her. "I can't believe I'm letting you drag me to this stupid reunion. Everyone is just going to remember what a bitch I was and they probably won't even give me a chance to show how I've changed." she pouted a bit as the plane took off. She stared out the window, "what's even in Seattle anyway?" she asked.

The plane landed and another car had their bags loaded into it already as they walked out. The chauffeur smiled politely and held the door for them. Brooke got in the car and their journey began to this island in the middle of nowheresville. As the car slowed in front of the Mansion, Brooke's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe the mansion, "who did you say sent the invite again?" she asked curiously. "Quinton." he answered. Brook nodded, "I guess that makes sense. He was the nerdy type after all." she commented as the door was opened for her. She stepped out, looking at the house in awe. She inhaled deeply and coughed a little, "Ew, what is this?" she asked. Ryan rolled his eyes, "it's called fresh air." he commented.


|Ryan Barton|

Ryan was just bringing his packed bag out to the living room when he peaked out the window and saw the familiar car outside, waiting to take them to the airport. "Brooke!" Ryan yelled to tell her the car was here. He gave a slight eye roll hearing her response, but reluctantly walked in her direction. He wasn't exactly her doormat anymore, but Ryan still found it necessary to help her whenever she asked for help. They were twins after all. He grabbed some of her bags, carrying them for her. Ryan was super excited to see everyone from high school again. Part of the reason that he was excited was to catch up with everyone and the other reason was that he couldn't wait to get away from the guy who believe that Ryan isn't really straight and thinks they're still a couple. Ryan climbed into the car behind Brooke and just watched Manhattan pass hiim by as they headed towards the airport.

The flight in their parents' private jet was nice. He was more than excited to get away from New York City. He would have much lived in an area similar to Washington than New York. Everything was just so hectic in the city. He was a bit taken back too as the car pulled up in front of the fates. Part of Ryan thought that they had the wrong address, but then double checked the address and realized that they were indeed iin the right place an that Quinton must have been doing pretty well for himself. Ryan couldn't wait to see everyone...except one...the one that he has been awkward with ever since that one party. His mind drifted to Winnie and he felt a slight knot begin to form in his stomach. He shook the thought from his head. He couldn't wait to show them how he has taken a step out from his sister's shadow.

Ryan emerged from the car and smiled, also taking a deep breath. The air quality was not even nearly close to the fresh air here. Hearing, Brooke's question he rolled his eyes. "Seriously? It's called fresh air." He responded a bit sarcastically. "I know this may be a bit new to you since New York has far from fresh roads." Ryan began to walk towards the mansion, their driver managed to carry all their bags. He glanced at his sister, "Do you think everyone is still the same?" he asked curiously. Brooke gave a slight shrug, "probably." she added. Ryan just wanted to get this reunion started, while his sister just wanted this reunion to be over.​

 

[clarinetti]

James Sullivan


As he dragged himself towards his car, night bag in hand, James could not help but release a sigh of fatigue and once more question why he was bothering to make the strenuous journey to Washington. Not that the driving itself was half bad- once he got out of Chicago, the journey itself was fine, excluding the periods where he was stuck in highway construction. He was making good time considering he had no one to share the driving with, having made it into Butte, MT in two days and would make it to Mercer's Island before nightfall. It was even peaceful, passing by the landscapes of North Dakota and Montana with the radio keeping him company. No, it was the reunion itself which made the man slightly nervous, the thought of going through the ordeal of dealing with people whom he had thought he had left behind in the past, which left a small knot in his stomach.


There were a few people he was looking forward to seeing again of course. Dennis, it be good to be how he was doing, what his current lot was in life- he was always a smart kid, and James could only hope he finally got his confidence and was fulfilling all those goals he used to have. And there was Quinton, the one who had planned this whole thing to begin with... the letter had been unexpected, and yet not. In his own way, Quinton had been at times the glue which kept them together back in the day, so it made sense he would be the one to bring them back again. Yes, he was looking forward to catching up with Quinton.


At the same time, there were those who he frankly either was neutral towards or dreaded seeing again. Mason, for all their petty rivalries and such, he was one of those people that just got under his skin and exploited that, and it at one time had made James' blood boil. And while he liked to think that he himself had matured since then, he wasn't sure how well he would stand up to the boy and his nonsense. Not to mention Brooke... no, he just did not want to deal with her and all the unnecessary drama and trouble that would inevitably ensue. And while he still found himself concerned about Sky (Though he hated to admit it, he had a soft spot for that rebel), James just as well imagined that he would bring his fair share of trouble and mischief with him, which would be certainly too cumbersome for his liking.


Ultimately, he supposed that his mild anxiety was derived from all the uncertainty surrounding the ordeal. In high school, for reasons which still elude him, he had grown to know everyone to an extent and became attached to the group. Now, he wasn't sure what to expect, with all the time had passed, how everyone had changed, himself included... perhaps it would be a reminder of the more positive memories of his youth. Or else it would be an immensely awkward encounter which brings forgotten slights to life and just bringing him unneeded stress in playing the mediator... more likely than not, it will be a mix of the both among other things, he concedes silently.


"It'll only be a week or so..." he murmurs to himself as he makes his way onto the highway, the radio playing a slow ballad that sounds familiar but he can't quite recall the lyrics to. He would not know how things will be until he arrived, so there really wasn't a point in speculating until then. All he could do was continue to follow the road ahead as he passed through forests, fields, and mountains, bundles of clouds dotting the pale sky all the while.