Ivy tugged at her jacket sleeve for what felt like the hundredth time that day. It was a nervous habit. Ivy was never nervous; she was confident. But today was different. It was the first day of school, and the first time she had left the house in over a week. After all, it had been exactly 8 days since Dalton's death was announced and her entire world shattered right in front of her.
Her vision became a blur of yellow as tears welled up in her eyes while she gazed down at her outfit. It was her favorite set, and it only made sense to wear it to Dalton's memorial assembly. He always said yellow was her color. And red, too. Red was Dalton's favorite color, but her mother didn't let her leave the house in the red dress she had originally planned to wear. It wasn't "appropriate", she said. Ivy was too exhausted to argue.
She could hear Principal Liem's voice echoing from the stage on the other side of the curtains. During any other assembly, the crowd would have been alive with sidetracked laughter and chatter. Today it was dead silent.
"And please don't forget that we have guidance counselors on campus for any of you who are in need," The principal began to conclude his speech. "And now, please give your attention to a fellow student and someone very close to Dalton, senior class president, Ivy James."
Ivy had spoken in front of the school dozens of times. She was the student body president and the captain of the cheer team. But this time felt unlike any other time. People didn't look at her the same way anymore, with the same conflicted mix of fear, admiration, jealousy, and scorn. Now, it was just pity and awkwardness. She knew the second that she walked on stage that everyone just felt bad for her. She hated the thought.
The click of her heels split the eery silence like a warm knife through butter. No one uttered a word. Some people were crying. Some were looking at the ground blankly. Most just stared at Ivy's tired figure crossing the stage and gripping the microphone.
"Thank you all for coming," She wiped a tear from her eye and avoided eye contact with anyone from the crowd. She stared at a window at the top of the ceiling. It was dark and foggy outside, almost as if the weather reflected the hearts of everyone in the town. "Dalton would have been so pleased to know that he had a support system like this. All these people who loved him. And he loved all of you, too. It's hard to name a person who Dalton didn't love."
Ivy choked every time she said his name. She frantically wiped tears from her eyes and chin, but they kept flowing. Her legs wobbled and she felt lightheaded. But she continued on.
"My brother was the kindest, most warmhearted person I've ever known. Being with him was my definition of happiness. He was, to put it in the simplest terms, my soulmate. I would have killed for him." She paused, unsure if she had said the wrong thing or not. She was already bound to be a suspect in the murder case. There was a mix of suspicion in the pitiful faces of some of her peers. She was too heartbroken to care. "It breaks my heart to know that I'll never hear the front door opening in the wee hours of the morning to hear him leaving for one of his midnight walks. I'l never hear the muffled sound of his rock music coming from his bedroom door. I'll never rejoice at the sound of his car pulling into the driveway again, or race down the stairs to see him and tell him about my day. Every time I think about the way he laughs, or how his smile could light up a room, or the mere sound of his voice could make my day a million times better - I feel like I've lost him all over again. I've lost my best friend. And I've lost myself, too."
Ivy took a step back from the microphone as she felt the sobs traveling up her throat and begging to escape. All she wanted was to curl up in Dalton's arms and cry. It's funny how sometimes the only person you want is the only one you can't have. She continued through choked sobs, deciding to conclude the speech before she fainted or had a breakdown.
"If you know anything, about who did this, please, I'm begging you - tell the police. Do it for me, do it for my family, do it for Dalton's friends, and most of all, do it for Dalton. Help me make this right."
She brushed her hair out of her face and turned around and rushed back behind the auditorium curtains. Her vision was going black and her sobs were uncontrollable. Before she knew it, she was on the floor sobbing and holding herself in a fetal position. Someone wrapped their arms around her, but she wasn't sure who. Her thoughts were too jumbled to think too hard about it, and she continued to choke on her own tears on the auditorium floor.
And with that, the assembly was concluded, and students were dismissed to their classes.
"I don't wanna miss you like this. Come back, be here."
location: school auditorium | interactions/mentions: bixby
| outfit: x
"And please don't forget that we have guidance counselors on campus for any of you who are in need."
The principal's words sounded far away, echoing in the background of Rey's own thoughts. Eight days didn't seem fair enough time for her to mourn the closest thing she could say she had to a best friend. Sure they didn't know each other's ins and outs, but Dalton had been the one person Rey could count on to always be there for her, and she could say without a doubt that she would always be there for him. He was the first guy who had become friends with her without wanting anything more, and she couldn't say she would've wanted anything different. He didn't want to 'tame the crazy heartbreaker', after all he had had a girlfriend when she met him. Her vision blurred for the thousandth time that day, and she was glad she had thought to not put on any mascara. Sniffling quietly, she ran her finger along the edge of the polaroid photo in her hands. She had taken it down from her wall to carry with her that day, because her own surprised face and Dalton's ridiculous grin made her smile.
That day Dalton had stopped by Rey's house, and she had decided they were going to bake something. She didn't often bake, but her mother had just taught her how to make her 'world-class' chai tea cookies, and Rey wanted to show off her skills. While the cookies were baking, Rey had been minding her own business, eating the left over cookie batter when Dalton sprang on her and wrapped his arm around her neck, her camera in his other hand. The flash had gone off before Rey could react, creating her deer-in-the-headlights expression as it was in the photo before her. It was blurry and ridiculous, and she still had a bit of flour across her chin, but it was probably one of her most prized possessions, and she thought of it as the best photo in the world.
A new voice, different than the principal's, snapped Rey back to the present, and she tore her eyes away from the photo in her lap to gaze onto something that made her heart break almost as much; Ivy James. With her beautiful eyes watery and showing the same amount of devastation Rey felt, times a thousand.
"Thank you all for coming. Dalton would have been so pleased to know that he had a support system like this. All these people who loved him. And he loved all of you, too. It's hard to name a person who Dalton didn't love."
Ivy paused, and the distress in her voice, in her eyes, and in her very being that Rey could see so clearly tore at her like a knife. She'd only had small conversations here and there with the girl, being either too timid to say anything, or spending time with Dalton instead- or both, but she couldn't help but feel this girl had a piece of her heart. It was definitely crazy.
"My brother was the kindest, most warmhearted person I've ever known-" Rey could feel tears well up in her eyes again at Ivy's words, agreeing whole-heartedly,"-Being with him was my definition of happiness. He was, to put it in the simplest of terms, my soulmate. I would have killed for him."
Another pause, this one seeming more apprehensive than emotional.
"It breaks my heart to know that I'll never hear the front door opening in the wee hours of the morning to hear him leaving for one of his midnight walks. I'll never hear the muffled sound of his rock music coming from his bedroom door. I'll never..." Ivy hadn't stopped talking, but while it hadn't totally been by choice, Rey had stopped listening.
Her sadness overwhelmed her, and new tears fell over her raw cheeks and fell to her lap. Muffling her sobs with her jacket sleeve, she tried to sink back into the bleachers the best she could, didn't dare to look up from the photo she now held clutched in her left hand. It wasn't fair. None of it was.
Before Rey was prepared for, the staff concluded the assembly and dismissed the crowd of students. Some stood and hurried away from the auditorium as if it were on fire, some made their way slowly out- with the weight of the world seeming to weigh them down, and some sat frozen in their seats. Rey was one of the few still sitting, though unlike some of the faces around her, her motivation for this wasn't shock- it was denial. If she stood and left the auditorium that meant it was real. If she got to her next class and Dalton wasn't sitting exactly four seats ahead and one seat to the left from her, that meant it was real. Rey didn't want it to be real, she refused to let it be real.
the sound of the camera lens shuttering was the only thing that kept scully smith grounded in reality. the past eight days had been a blur for the secret southside princess; scully had spent her time searching for clues instead of dealing with her emotions and mourn the death of dalton james. the raven-haired teen arrived to school feeling number than usual, her backpack bouncing behind her rhythmically and her camera swinging from her neck. scully pushed her way through the crowd to her locker, shoving her bag into her messy locker. her fingertips tingled, itching for a smoke.
scully slammed the locker door louder than she intended, startling the few students that were standing near her. scully plastered an awkward smile, muttering a soft "sorry" while receiving disdained looks from her peer students. with a soft sight, the teen tried her best to ignore the burning sensation in her fingertips and headed towards the auditorium.
"and please don't forget that we have guidance counselors on campus for any of you who are in need."
scully sat in the far right corner, her feet pushing against the empty seat in front of her as she fiddled with the components of her camera. the silent yet deadly awkwardness fogged the room, her dark eyes studying the body language of the other students as the principal continued to speak, his voice sounding hollow and empty. dalton and scully weren't bffs, more acquaintances that met all those years ago. while she outgrew up her chubby cheeks and mismatched attire, dalton kept his boyish smile and constellation of freckles on his nose. scully gaze flickered upwards when she heard the steady clapping of heels walk across the stage, she shifted her position in her chair and straightened her back; scully and ivy may not have gotten along, but the least scully could do was give her some respect.
"he was, to put it in the simplest terms, my soulmate. i would have killed for him."
scully rose an eyebrow at the class president, wondering if it was an attempt to lift the mood with a terrible pun or a clue. the female crossed her lanky arms in front of her chest as she continued to listen. ivy's speech was bittersweet and endearing, her bright yellow outfit would've made a great focal point for a photo and gave a sense of 'heathers' nostalgia. ivy would've make the perfect heather macnamara if she didn't have the personality of regina george.
"do it for me, do it for my family, do it for dalton's friends, and most of all, do it for dalton. help me make this right."
scully chewed the inside of her right cheek, ivy's shaky voice sending a sharp chill down her spine. she watched as dalton's twin ran off behind the curtain, leaving half of the teachers to rush behind the curtain while the other half try to lead the student body out of the auditorium in an orderly fashion. scully stood up from her spot, standing on top her chair and taking a single snapshot of the chaos; the curtains dramatically flew up while the students moved at the same pace as a zombie heard. scully pulled her little black book and a pen from her pocket, flicking to a new page. her thumb, however, stopped at a page that was peeping out scully completely forgot about.
it was from the first time she met dalton, her first time interviewing someone who wasn't from the southside. the ink had turned a dull red from time ageing the cheap piece of lined paper and the question, what do sheep count when they can't sleep?, was still messily written across the top of the page. a smile trembled onto scully's pale lips as she came to a realisation.
It seemed like every second Haylee sat in that hard, plastic chair in the auditorium, she wanted to leave. She imagined herself getting up and bolting without anyone noticing or, more wildly, crawling in between people's feet to escape the stuffy atmosphere. It was suffocating. She expected someone around her to keel over and die themselves from the lack of clear oxygen. She wanted to scream, to kick out her feet and throw her fists around, to grab the boy's pressed shirt color beside her and shake him with it, but instead of doing any of that, she sighed, she checked her limited edition Neko-Chan watch she'd had for what had been going on years now, and she did nothing. Haylee had chosen a seat in the back of the auditorium, but it still wasn't the very back and getting up and leaving now would only cause people to look at her negatively anyway. Especially now that they had their very own murderer on the loose.
In all of her years, Haylee was certain she hadn't heard of a homicide occurring in their quiet little corner of the world. In a place where everything was perfect and peachy? Why, it was unheard of! But now, their favorite high school star wound up dead and discarded like rubbish. People liked to pretend they were strong, but really, they're all squishy and very killable when it gets down to the nitty gritty. It wasn't something Haylee herself really liked to think about. How easy it was to actually die... She shook her head quickly, dispelling the thought. No matter her thoughts, the idea that he was gone... No matter how much she hated him for turning his back on her... The hole that he left inside ached now and any hope she might have grasped onto that maybe just maybe he'd change his mind and ask for her forgiveness vanished when he turned up dead. It left her feeling bitter and foolish all over again. No, Dalton was never coming back to her. In fact, he was never coming back at all.
She leaned forward in her seat, her feet kicking in rhythm, just barely brushing the hard floor as Dalton's sister spoke at the podium. Everyone looked at the girl with pity. Haylee might have said it was satisfying to see one of those perfect people in shambles but even she had a heart and it went out to the girl who was falling to pieces on stage. And it was hard to watch. Instead of gathering everyone together like this in a place they didn't want to be, everyone should have been thinking about who killed the boy in the first place. Not that she thought it would be easy, like the criminal would be wearing black and white stripes and holding a bloody butchers knife. No, but that was the very reason everyone should be trying to find the killer, right? It could have been anyone. The mailman. One of the teachers. The girl sitting next to her, dabbing at her eyes to salvage her makeup. Or even Ivy James. Anyone was fair game. In any case, this place was about to get a whole lot more interesting.
When she next looked up, Haylee noticed Dalton's sister had left the stage and the principal had returned to make closing announcements and dismiss the student body. Now was her cue. As the students grew restless, she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. No sooner did the dismissal of the students leave his mouth did she jump up and push her way through the crowd to leave. Oxygen. Fresh air. Space. She needed it and she needed it right now.
In Haylee's haste to leave, she tripped over someone's foot who was standing just outside the large double doors and hit the ground with a smack. She whipped her head around, giving the girl a dark look but she only sneered.
"Watch where you're going, freak." She muttered.
Haylee reared up faster than her mind could process which meant she was probably about to do something she would soon regret. Her emotions were toiling and she wanted an outlet. Leaving her bag on the ground, she shoved the girl with a cry, using both arms and all of her strength. The girl stumbled, nearly falling over and turned a deathly glare on Haylee. The idea was to instigate the girl. Haylee didn't actually believe she could win a fight especially with someone a head and a half taller than her, but she wanted a distraction. She wanted to think about something else. Not the boy who turned her world upside down and left her reeling. Who she'd never get to see again, no matter how much she hated. Who she'd never hear about no matter how much she would say he disgusted her. Why were good friends so hard to come by.
It looked like the girl was going to turn away and Haylee wasn't having it. With tears streaking down her cheeks, she tried for another shove, but the girl caught her this time and returned the favor. Haylee hit the adjacent wall, smacking the back of her head against it. A small crowd had begun to gather, spurred on by the violence. The girl wasn't sure what to expect. It was clear she was in no mood to deal with Haylee's antics. Like a switch was flipped, all of the energy in her died. Without a word, she turned and walked quickly away before anyone else could see her crying or the state she was in. Why was she even crying in the first place?
A white hallway. A long, white hallway, covered in a sinister atmosphere with a penetrating coldness that the man couldn’t grasp it’s understanding. He inspected his eerie surroundings in search for something to lock his eyes on, to escape his awfully confused thoughts and to understand the obscured situation that he unwillingly found himself into. In the empty distance, muffled voices echoed through his attentive ears, gently becoming more comprehensive and he began to make out the frightening sentences. You left him to die, you were useless, you are utterly unreliable, he is dead because of you. A soft voice, deep back in his head echoed, muffled. His tired legs suddenly began to violently tremble when a consuming pitch-black cloud emerged from the white walls, sucking in everything they stepped on. He stood there, motionless, screaming at himself to move, but no matter how loud was his cracking voice, his traitorous legs betrayed him and remained unmoved. The dark cloud was rapidly approaching him, with his heart pushing herself to break away from his chest, his eyes surrendering and closing, accepting his fate that the clouds unknowingly bestowed upon him. A familiar voice called out, at first, muffed and low, but gradually growing louder and clearer, clearer and with a hollow gulp, he opened his eyes.
“Dad! Wake the fuck up.” Dale called out, his hands holding Jack’s shoulders, shaking him violently.
“I’m awake, I’m awake.” Jack yelled, pulling himself up from the sofa, covered in sweat. “What happened?” he asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
“You were shaking like crazy. You okay?” Dale asked worryingly, patting his father on the shoulder. “Let me get you a clean towel.” he rushed towards the bathroom, leaving Jack to gather his thoughts.
“Aren’t you supposed to be going to school?” he tossed his blanket aside and stood up, pulling up his sweaty blue t-shirt and wiped some sweat off his body.
“Still got time. Here.” Dale returned with a large towel, passing it fast to Jack. “I’m taking old Betty with me.”
Old Betty, as the two called her, was the Erickson’s shitty, rusty, almost falling apart pick-up truck. No one knows why they still willingly hold onto it, perhaps not even themselves don’t know the reason why. Jack blankly stared at Dale for a good minute until his son made a move, walking straight to the kitchen.
“I hope you aren’t picking Samantha with Old Betty. Spare yourself the embarrassment.” Jack said muffled, the towel concealing his words slightly.
“Why would I pick up Samantha? What you on about?” Dale asked puzzled, his eyebrow raised. “Dad, I swear, if you start again with finding a distraction or a replacement for Cindy, then you aren’t helping.” Dale tossed a 1l bottle of water towards his father, visibly angered now.
“Anything works, right? Something to get her off your mind.” Jack raised his hands, defensively.
“I’m off. Go take a shower or something. And good day at work.” Dale threw a punch at a slow pace.
He walked outside and got inside the rusty lick-up truck, attempting to roar the engine alive. Only.at the fifth attempt did the car shaked, coming back to life and Dale quickly drove off, heading towards the mourning, annoying school. A new school year was up and it arrived with a shock. The Church Point superstar, the golden boy, the ladies man, the most successful teenager from school, the perfect specimen and the most hated person from Dale’s miserable life. Everyone was mourning him, even those who barely knew him personally, like a horde of sheep or how Dale would say it, like a bunch of fucking butt-licking losers. It wasn’t rather crystal clear to him if others knew that he started to openly hate Dalton. Why wouldn't he furiously hate the guy? He beat him up at absolutely everything, there wasn’t anything Dale could possibly do to get close into defeating him, but that wasn’t the reason he hated the guy. Dale actually enjoyed having Dalton as an obstacle, something to remind me that I need to do better, he kept reminding himself. The unknown reason for this stupid hatred he beared for him came from Cindy’s one-sided crush on him and her suffering for not having Dalton accept her feelings. The guy attempted numerous times to tell.Cindy that he wasn’t interested, but she just didn’t get it. And when Dalton disappeared, Cindy went straight off into depression, no longer holding any social interaction with anyone, not even her parents. And when the horrible news hit the town, it cannon balled into Cindy so deep to the point that she threatened her parents that if they wouldn't move house immediately, she would do something her family would regret. It was a shock for her parents and for Dale as well. He wished that he could have been there for her, but she turned him down. It was pointless.
Dale’s brown irises stared blankly through the dirt-covered windshield of his old, rusty, terribly silver coloured pickup truck, shyly parked at the end of Beaumont parking lot. The troubled teenager wasted his precious time in his father’s vehicle, with the newest song he constantly found himself putting on repeat, Deadly Conversations by Slaves blasting through the ancient stereo speakers in a cheap, poor performance, giving the band a poor name thanks to the pickup truck’s shitty condition. He did not appear to be bothered by it in the slightest, instead, he carefully paid attention to the song’s lyrics, which gave him the dull impression that the song was completely written for him. Cindy’s disappearance from Church Point weighted heavily on his broken soul. With an unphysical painful groan, he killed the vehicle’s engine and violently opened the truck’s rusty door and ejected himself out of the truck, lazily sliding his black backpack on his shoulder and shut the door, locking it behind him. He did not bother one bit to attend the memorial and couldn't care less what others thought about his decision. Dalton was the reason why Cindy got hurt. Dalton was the reason for the Dalton crush-on effect, a term Dale himself invented, where pretty much every single girl in Church Point had a crush on him at one point or another in their lives. Could you blame them? Dale was sure that if he was a girl, in a parallel universe, he too might have been in love with him. But Dale lived in male Dale universe and the school was mourning Dalton and pointed fingers at Jack, for his so called failure to find and save the Church Point superstar, which angered Dale immeasurably.
His feet dragged him into the school’s courtyard and effortlessly scanning his silent surroundings, Dale picked a spot covered in shade and threw his backpack next to the spot he sat on. Pulling his smartphone out of his loose pockets, he quickly sent Zander, his childhood friend and best friend, a message asking him about his whereabouts before he laid down on the grass, using his arms as substitutes for a pillow and stared at the black clouds above him, asking himself when will the rain start. He didn’t feel like attending the memorial, he didn't feel like talking to anybody about Dalton, he didn't feel like socializing with anyone, he didn’t feel staying at school at all.
Declan kept his gaze down, eyes focused on his hands as the principal’s words washed over him. Frankly, he didn’t care about whether or not there were grief counselors on campus. A grief counselor wouldn’t bring Dalton back, would it?
Dalton.
Even thinking about him hurt, for a lot of reasons. He thought back to when he had last seen him, of the emotions that had been rolling through the air, the pain, the betrayal, the things he had said because of it… He felt terrible, and he wished he could pull the words out of the air, return them to his mouth, replace them with apologies and begging. But he couldn’t. Dalton was dead, and he was never coming back.
He had been too busy in his own head to hear the principal announce Ivy would be giving a speech until she was already up and speaking, jolting Declan back to reality. His head snapped up, and he listened to her intently, heart sinking lower and lower the longer she spoke.
He was definitely one of those in the crowd pitying her. He didn’t have a sibling, let alone a twin, but he imagined it must have been something wondrous, lifting both people up, and he had seen the way Dalton and Ivy had been when the pair was younger. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like for poor Ivy, to suddenly have that torn away from her.
He began to tear up, though he hastily wiped at his eyes, refusing to let someone see him cry, even if it made sense to do so. Dalton had been someone he was close to, after all. He had stuck to his side closely most days.
Declan hadn't even blinked, let alone budge when she mentioned she would have killed for Dalton. It was far from the most upsetting thing she had said in his presence, and hell, he would have, too. She began to list off things she would miss, and something about that hit him, deep in his soul, and resonated through him, causing shivers and goosebumps up and down his arms.
He guessed there were a lot of things he’d miss, too.
Declan wished he had anything he could go to the police with, but… he couldn’t. He had nothing. The thought made him panic. His heart raced as it hit him how out of control he truly was. Someone he had cared for deeply was dead, and there was nothing he could do. He watched Ivy rush off, and wished he could do the same. As if his wish had been granted, they were dismissed, and he rushed into the halls as quickly as he could, hands balled into fists as he tried to regain any feeling in them.
However, the hallway was just as bad. A crowd had built up, and he didn’t really give a shit why it was there. In fact, he was preparing to turn and go the other way just to get out until he saw Haylee.
Damn.
If it had been almost anyone else, he would have felt no guilt going the other way. But this was Haylee, and Haylee was his friend, so instead, he went after her, despite having to wade further into the slowly but surely flooding halls.
“Haylee?” he called after her, his heart attempting to beat out of his chest, “You alright?”
outfit: x
mood: broken
location: school
mentioned: bixby
interacting with: bixby
from behind the curtains, principal liem's voice was sharp and clear, and even though his speech lingered in the air while the student body grew uncomfortably silent, none of his words made any sense to skylar. as the blonde girl sat quietly at the back of the stage, hidden from the public's eye, she could only think about one thing, the same very thing she's been nonstop thinking about ever since about ten days ago, dalton. she remembered seeing him in her bed this morning. when they were together, she often snuck over to his place, although sometimes he would spend the night at her's. he usually woke her up with a kiss on the cheek, but somedays she would be the one to wake him by leaning over and resting her head on his broad shoulders. this morning, waking up from crying herself to sleep the night before, she rolled over, hoping it was just all a dream. skylar could still feel his presence next to her in her bed, and for a moment there, she saw him.
"wow, morning babe, looks like sleeping beauty slept well."
"d?" she asked, seeing his boyish grin and hearing his soft chuckle echo in her head. skylar reached out to stroke his face, but in a split second, he was gone. the image in her mind disappeared into thin air, and the tears from last night reappeared and streamed down her face. there was nothing there. it was only in her dreams.
"and now, please give your attention to a fellow student and someone very close to dalton, senior class president, ivy james."
skylar snapped out of her train of thought as the principal concluded his speech and introduced ivy. she now remembered how she somehow managed to get herself out of bed and ready for school. she remembered why she was really here. she knew she had to be at the memorial, but not just for dalton, for ivy too. she had to be strong for both of them. she had to do it, no matter how hard it was. dalton was strong for her, so she had to be strong for him in return. she sat still and silently, trying to hold all her emotions in as she listened to the speech.
"dalton would have been so pleased to know that he had a support system like this. all these people who loved him. and he loved all of you, too. it's hard to name a person who dalton didn't love."
she could feel her hands ball up into fists and her acrylic nails dig into her palms. she tried to push the thought of him out of the way, but it was still very visible in the back of her mind. she wanted to feel numb to the pain. it hurt every time she heard his name, but she couldn't cry anymore tears. she felt as if she was holding her breath and if her feelings were trapped inside of her.
somewhere along the line, skylar stopped listening to ivy's speech and tried to distract herself in an effort to prevent herself from breaking down by looking down at her hands and repeatedly twisting the ring on her finger. the ring was a promise ring, and ever since his disappearance, she has't taken off the ring or the locket he gave her.
"if you know anything, about who did this, please, i'm begging you - tell the police. do it for me, do it for my family, do it for dalton's friends, and most of all, do it for dalton. help me make this right."
slipping a piece of hair that was blocking her vision behind her ear, skylar looked up to see ivy stumble to the back of the stage. she immediately got up and rushed to meet her. as she ran toward her best friend to join her, she could hear her heels click on the ground followed by the sound of herself plopping down onto the floor next to her best friend as she wrapped her arms around her. she gasped seeing the tears pouring down her face like a waterfall. after finally seeing ivy looking so broken and vulnerable, skylar's heart broke, and she couldn't feel numb anymore. she couldn't bear to see her best friend in this state and on the floor sobbing like this. she felt her heart aching, and it was as if it was about to break into a million pieces.
she tried to do everything in her power to stay strong for ivy, but although she managed to hold it together and hold in all her tears during the speech, she finally let herself feel whatever she was feeling and express her emotions. tears began to fill her baby blue eyes and her memories came flooding back. a tear rolled down her cheek, and before she knew it, one by one they continued to fall, streaming down her face as she buried her face in ivy's shoulder, letting them flow freely. it seemed like all at once, all her memories of dalton came back into her mind. she thought that after 10 days straight of crying, she'd be done, but it wasn't over. she just wanted it all to be over. dalton and all the memories of going to the beach, nights under the stars, drives along highway 1, dinners at the diner, and secret trips with him will always be apart of skylar. the girl needed the cops to find the person out there who would do such a horrible thing to dalton and to put them away, serving them justice. that would give her closure and put her finally at peace.
the blonde, breathing heavily, looked down at ivy, not knowing what to say to comfort her best friend. she could just say that "it'd be okay", but she knew damn well that it wasn't true, and she couldn't lie to her like that. skye knew it wouldn't help. she tried to say something, but it was interrupted by her own sobs. nothing would come out. all skylar could do was feel sorry for her best friend, sorry for dalton, sorry for herself, and sorry for the world. she saw how fragile ivy looked, and she couldn't do anything about it but be there and support her. it must've been so difficult to have done what she had just done. she had to go up in front of all her peers to talk about her murdered twin brother while everyone stared at her, seeing dalton, as she broke down.
she was thankful that she was able to be backstage as a support system for ivy, but it was also for herself. she knew that she wasn't ready to see everyone's faces, be in the crowd without him, watch ivy slowly deteriorate throughout her speech, and be vulnerable in front of the whole school. the looks of pity ivy got must've been the worst, and she didn't want everyone to look at her like she was dalton's widow or something.
"dalton...would've been proud," she managed to say, choking on her own tears, trying to comfort her.
"c'mon, ive... we gotta... get to class," she said doing her best to swallow her tears.
she wanted to just sit there on the ground with her and stay there for the rest of time, but she knew they had to be somewhere. their families and the student body counted on them to uphold their reputation.
The echoes of the principal's shallow voice were dull and muffled in Samantha's ears as she stared glassy-eyed towards the podium. Frantically she brushed her index and middle fingers together to calm her nerves, turning her skin red. Dazed and confused, Samantha seemed unphased by her surroundings. All she could think of was Dalton James, and that he was gone...forever. That winning smile, his friendly personality; all gone. None of this seemed real, like a neverending nightmare for the past eight days.
"And please don't forget that we have guidance counselors on campus for any of you who are in need,"
What were guidance counselors going to do; bring back Dalton? Samantha refused to accept this, finding it hard to wrap her head around the thought. They weren't necessarily very close with each other, being at most good friends that occasionally talked. But, Sam was infatuated with the boy she considered her knight in shining armor. There was so much more she wanted to say, including how she honestly felt about him. Yet, those chances are gone now. Reeling the stress
The bitter memory of when she first discovered the news repeatedly played in her head, over, and over not wanting to leave. Witnessing that headline in the press followed by the gossip from her parents was overwhelming to bear. Both of her folks seemed clueless about helping Sam grieve, selfishly looking at the situation as either a benefit or burden. "This could be the largest case in my career!" Her mother cheered, while her father scowled disapprovingly. "Do you know how much negative press this could generate for Church Point?!" Samantha, on the other hand, drowned herself in tears sitting on the floor against her bedroom door every night. All of the anxiety and frustration led her to scratch the tops of her shoulders, leaving behind harsh scars.
Samantha snapped back to reality watching Ivy approach the podium. It was strange and heartbreaking to see her so distressed as she read her speech. Sam wasn't too fond of Ivy as they constantly butted heads, only appearing cordial in public to save face. Though, she couldn't imagine what Ivy was going through, to lose someone so close.
"If you know anything, about who did this, please, I'm begging you - tell the police. Do it for me, do it for my family, do it for Dalton's friends, and most of all, do it for Dalton. Help me make this right."
Those words hit Sam hard, feeling like the final nail in Dalton's coffin. The tears started to roll down Sam's cheeks, finding it difficult to stop. When everything came to a close, and the students were dismissed, Sam didn't know what to do with herself. Who could think of going to class after that emotional rollercoaster they were just put through? Getting up from her chair, Sam headed towards the hallways only to be halted by a large crowd that she didn't want to be part of. "So, the riots already started?" She mumbled sarcastically and annoyed.
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[/class][div class=container][div class=textbox] That morning, CiMarron Martin stayed in the shower a lot longer than usual, so long that her father grew concerned. She refused to let anyone see her hurt. She did not need anyone to see her cry. But it was her father and he knew something was up.
"You okay, Sea Monkey?" The nickname did bring a small smile on CiCi's face, but a memory also accompanied it. I'm okay, daddy. A falter.
"Is this about that Dalton boy?" No. A pause. I didn't even know him.
And that's where she ended it, turning around and hiding herself in her room. For the rest of the early morning, CiMarron avoided both her father and grandmother. Eating cereal in silence, putting her shoes on in silence, grabbing her bag in silence, and heading out the door in silence. Everything else after that seemed to move in clockwork. The Southsider didn't formulate her movements, her drive to the school, the walk to the auditorium, sitting down and facing the podium.
She paid little attention to what the principal was saying, only scoffing at every typical, scripted word that he said. Other than that, she was devoid of any emotion. She refused to let anyone see her hurt. She did not need anyone to see her cry. So the moment when Ivy James mentioned the appreciation of Dalton's universal love, CiMarron bolted. It was easy for her since she sat right next to the exit, no one would notice, she could easily just disappear.
They said that she could sit in the courtyard if she didn't want to sit in the auditorium, but she wanted neigher, she wanted to be alone. Her feet carried her to her bike, and she swiftly threw her leg over it. Quickly, it was revved up and on its way to anywhere that didn't remind her of him.
Anywhere.
Anywhere.
Anywhere.
Nowhere.
Every place she went reminded her of Dalton. Why did she have to have him embedded into her life so damn much? The relationship of CiMarron Martin and Dalton James didn't even fucking exist. At least to everyone else. She couldn't be seen reacting to his death like this. Her eyes began to tear up at the thoughts of him swarming through her mind and she had to stop driving or she would've been in another accident. Slowly, she dismounts her back and sits next to the quiet bike, a pack of cigarettes were in her hand. They were still full cause she promised to quit smoking. She promised Dalton, the only person she could possibly call a friend. And she was doing good. But these last two weeks had tempted her.
So here she was crying next to her bike with a pack of cigarettes in her trembling hands.
CiMarron Martin was at the edge and Dalton James had brought her there.
[div class=container3][div class=postbox1][div class=postbox2][div class=postbox3]citra dreaded school on a regular day. on a day like today? she'd rather die. unfortunately that wasn't an easily obtainable goal, so she slipped out of her room silently to refill her flask from her dad's tequila stash and hoped her father was already gone. a car ride with him today? enough to actually kill her.
no such luck, apparently.
"citra sudah terlambat Anda harus siap untuk pergi. hari ini adalah hari yang besar." he spoke his first tongue at home, as usual. it always sounded more stern to her. she hated it. especially when he yelled it from the front door as she tried to sneak out the back.
"saya tahu, saya tahu, saya siap untuk pergi." she found herself missing her sister, suddenly. kallisto had always known how to comfort her, and how to know when she was upset. despite the divide in their family to start, the two girls had bonded quickly, even with the older's disapproval of some of citra's hobbies. her father didn't even stop to think about the fact that maybe she was hurting from what had happened. the girl shook the thought off, tugging her beanie down on her ears further and tucking her flask into her purse.
she felt a movement at her legs and bent, her fingers coming through her cat's fur for a moment, "keep my bed warm, athena, okay? i'll be back before you know it and we'll just wallow in our eternal hatred of the world. don't break anything." with that, she pushed herself away from the back door and headed to the front door to leave with her father.
her earbuds went in and the song playing made her chest hurt. the last time she had hung out with dalton this was the song that was playing. they hadn't talked much, they had just listened to the music and enjoyed the fact that they had someone with them when the world was at its quietest. when they were at their lowest. they had sat on the beach that night. a week before he went missing. her chest hurt again.
she slid into a seat next to zander in the auditorium, and if she's honest, she dissociated her way through the whole thing. probably for the best, she wasn't a pretty crier. lord knows she's done enough crying at home, anyway. when the people started moving she slipped her flask to zander. "i feel like this is the perfect occasion to drink in school for." with a sad smile.
he'd been there for her for longer than anyone would have guessed, and she'd been there for him just as long. when it came down to it, she'd take a bullet for the boy sitting next to her, without any hesitation or remorse. "dad's tequila, so it's top notch. kallisto promised to bring me some gin when she comes home in a couple weeks."[/div][/div][/div][/div][div class=container2][div class=picbox][/div][div class=statsbox1][div class=statsbox2][div class=statsbox3]apparel: x
mood: lololololololol
location: auditorium
mentions: zander
tags: Foxagon
translations:
"citra sudah terlambat Anda harus siap untuk pergi. hari ini adalah hari yang besar." = "citra it's getting late you need to be ready to go. today is a big day."
"saya tahu, saya tahu, saya siap untuk pergi." = "i know, i know, i'm ready to go."
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Zander woke up to hushed voices outside of his door. He sat up, trying to distinguish the noises. They were familiar - his grandparents, he figured with a shake of his head - but they were thick with worry. He remained in bed for a moment more, curious as to what was prompting this odd behavior from them. Usually the house was empty in the morning - his grandfather heading early into the city for work, his grandmother out to whatever social event demanded her immediate attention. And Zander - plans for the summer were no longer his main prerogative as today was to be his first day back to school.
It was likely to be a dismal affair, considering the announcement that had been echoing in Zander's head, and probably the whole student body's, for days now. That Dalton James, baseball captain with a heart of gold - was dead. Zander squeezed his eyes shut, let his head fall back as if that would somehow rid his head of those miserly thoughts. Of course, the headboard was there to remind him of its presence, his head thunking against it hard enough for him to see stars.
Zander muttered an expletive as his vision swam for a couple of moments. He could make out the click of his door opening, rushed footsteps. And then his grandmothers hands, awkwardly feeling for the knob of pain on his scalp. The hands drew back and his vision cleared.
"Goodness, Vernon," murmured his grandmother, her pale, delicate fingers tinged with something Zander vaguely recognized as blood. "the boy's bleeding, get him some alcohol, a band-aid, something -"
His grandfather shook his head fiercely, pulling back a few of Zander's hairs roughly to examine the injury. "The boy is fine, some scarring here and there, a little blood, that's not going to kill him."
The word 'kill' seemed to throw an awkward lull into the conversation, his grandparents linking eyes, peering at Zander, then repeating the awkward cycle. Zander let the silence persist, after all it wasn't him who'd barged into a teenage boy's room in the morning. He sat up, slid his way out of the bed's covers, made to start across the room - "Zander," his grandmother's voice, her face so wrinkled she almost looked all of her 57 years. "we need... your grandfather and I think we should talk."
It was easy now for Zander to figure out just what they thought needed discussion. Just as the news had circulated the town it had made its way onto TV channels, it been whispered in his grandmother's social clubs, even forced its way into the city where his grandfather worked.
Finally broaching the subject seemed to give his grandmother the confidence she needed to continue. "Someone at your school died, this boy was on your baseball team, I-I talk to his mother, you were probably.. friends... we should talk about our feelings and-and.." her fingers gesticulated wildly as she tried to articulate her thoughts. Zander barely held back an eye-roll. "push our negative feelings into something else, get a suitable outlet for our emotions."
Zander pushed an agreeable smile to his lips even as he internally sank with dread. This wasn't exactly how he'd planned to start his day, rehashing his feelings with his grandparents. "Talk, huh?" he eyed the clock on the wall, pushed an expression of exaggerated concern to his lips. "I don't think I can you see, I'll be late to school if I stay any longer." he shrugged dully. "and you'll probably be late to.. whatever you've got going on this morning, so..."
"Zander," boomed his grandfathers low baritone of a voice. "your grandmother wants to talk, we'll talk. Screw being late to school."
"I don't think that would look too good, me missing the 'mandatory' assembly for a conversation we could've had like.." he counted out the days with his fingers since the announcement, feeling his lips tremble with the effort of that smile. "like eight days ago?"
Silence, and Zander took the moment to go.
..
Later. Zander would decide his grandparents' best attempts at concern for him were more amusing then anything else. The fact that they seemed to think he'd be so adversely affected by Dalton James' death was just a testament to how disconnected they were from his life. Yes, Dalton and him had been cool but there was no reason for them to have too discuss it. No reason for him to feel this weird mixture of misery and apprehension in his stomach, no need for him to dread turning into school.
So what if it wasn't just another day? So what if the guy had been on his baseball team? They hadn't been friends, and that was that.
He parked hurriedly, a sideways job that garnered him more then a couple of glances. He pushed opened the door to his car, slid out one foot after another.
He tried to feel nothing at all for the rest of that long walk to the auditorium.
Taking a seat, he pushed his fists into the pockets of his jacket, glanced around for a familiar face. His phone buzzed and Zander took it out to glance at it. It was Dale - where was he anyway? He couldn't make out the mess of dark hair in the crowd - inquiring on his whereabouts.
In the auditorium where you should be, he sent out quickly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he imagined where his friend was instead of here. He knew how affected the guy had been by the way the town was bashing his father for his not discovering Dalton James' killer as of yet.
He dropped his phone back in his pocket, jumped at a sudden motion to his side as Ivy James begin to speak. It was just Citra, Zander making to greet her before remembering the somber nature of this occasion. He quieted instinctively, keeping his eyes centered downward, as if that would somehow keep the misery in Ivy's voice from affecting him.
So it was a relief when Citra slid her flask towards him, his lips creasing up into a smile instinctively though it faltered when he saw the sadness leaking from Citra's expression. He didn't want her to feel like this, he didn't want to feel this emptiness pressing into his lungs. He hastily unscrewed it, tilted his head back to down a couple of sips. The warmth of the alcohol set in quickly, the sweetness filled his tongue.
"I could go for some gin," he smiled genuinely though it was tinged with darker undertones. "or maybe leaving school altogether, this much negativity isn't good for my skin,"
A passing girl shot him a mean look and Zander remembered that this kind of humor probably wasn't up to par with most people's tastes today. "Anyway. Once this crowd clears out, you down for some shakes from Mearle's? Class might be a little too depressing today. I mean at least for me."
[div class=container3][div class=postbox1][div class=postbox2][div class=postbox3]zander knew how to make citra's lips curl. "ooh, you're gonna get called to the guidance office if you keep it up. those sort of jokes don't sit well with," she looked around for affect before a whispered "northsiders" left her lips. she wasn't sure if the boy knew what dalton had meant to her, and she certainly wasn't sure if she wanted him to. honestly the whole situation was slowly making her mind fall apart.
"milkshakes?" she paused to deliberate, but once her eyes grazed across another familiar face in the crowd her answer was definite. scully. how long had it been since they had spoken? a pair of southside princesses who avoided the other like the plague. when citra first came to the school, after leaving her third, she made sure to make it clear that she wanted nothing to do with the girl. not after everything that happened.
looking at scully all she could see was brady. that summer day two years ago when the three of them were hanging out for the first time. scully had told citra that knew a great guy for her. after being friends most of their lives, citra trusted her. funny how that turned out, isn't it? the story was that citra was psycho, that she slashed his tires for no reason. scully hadn't been given a chance to react, citra ghosted her like an opera.
the pit in her stomach was getting deeper with every second in the building. "milkshakes sound perfect. let's go before one of us makes the wrong joke and i have to kick ass to save your hair."[/div][/div][/div][/div][div class=container2][div class=picbox][/div][div class=statsbox1][div class=statsbox2][div class=statsbox3]apparel: x
mood: lololololololol, but like, intensified?
location: auditorium
mentions: zander, scully
tags: Foxagonnymphadora.
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[div class=textbox] His thoughts smoothly drifted to the abyss of his dreams, taking a long, deep breath, his chest pushing forward, and his overall horrible mood improving miraculously as Dale finally found a little peace of mind, something he wanted to quickly grasp for a very long time in this never ending sea of anger and hatred that he unwillingly found himself into, swimming helplessly without a set course, without any trace of land, without any hope. His father wasn’t feeling well, reaching the point of overworking himself for the stupid hit case Church Point had. His eating habits drastically changed, forcing Jack to lose a lot of weight. His normal sleep schedule was completely ruined, he was feeling more and more tired with each passing dreadful day and Dale hated watching from afar, not being able to reach his father, simply just sitting on an empty bench, not doing anything to aid the desperate man. He had to immediately change that. Don’t interfere with my work Dale, this isn’t your business, this isn’t you, Jack’s voice loudly echoed deeply in his distressing skull. Was he really not the real Dale if he somehow managed to help his father? Of course he was, he was the closest thing to the real Dale than anyone else. Of course he would happily help his father. But he obviously couldn’t do it alone, it wasn’t enough. He clearly needed help, but not from his father or his deputies or any other adults. Adults were too busy with their lives, with their duties to their jobs and families, they are and were too busy to see what was really going on in their innocent children’s happy lives to actually know what has going wrong. He needed help from those who were close to Dalton. He needed help from those Dale did not want to talk to. He needed a social butterfly, someone that knew all the details of everyone, someone who was a friend to all, but to none.
His phone buzzed a few times, Dale losing his focus on the somewhat empty plan. He reached out for his phone from his pockets and had a look, checking out the message he received from Zander. In the auditorium where you should be, the message read, clear as the day. Zander was at the memorial, so it seemed. Dale couldn’t possibly wrap his head around that awful idea, of why Zander was actually there, bothering himself with such pathetic activities with others who pretended to know the poor guy like they were related to him, like they were family. Some surely were. But not all. Hopefully. But that’s fucking boring dude, come on, Dale texted Zander back, with a faint smile on his face, swiftly standing up and tossing his black backpack on his back and jogged in the direction of Beaumont’s parking lot, for his truck. He widely opened the rusty door and carefully threw his backpack on the passenger’s seat and got in, roaring the car to life. Of course, after four attempts. I’m heading to Mearle’s. Can’t stand anyone today, sobbing like losers on their periods, you have fun and whatever, he sent one last text to Zander before rapidly pulling out of the parking lot and driving away.
It didn’t took him long enough to reach the drive-in and not even that long to park his truck close to the entrance of Mearle’s. It was by far, his second place to hang about and fool around when he wasn’t feeling like studying and a great place to socialize with almost anyone who walked inside the drive-in. Stepping out of his truck, with his backpack hanging on his shoulder and a hopeful smile on his face, Dale rushed inside the building, greeting the employees respectfully. He ordered a simple coffee, no milk, not to sweet, not to bitter either and went into the corner on the right side from the entrance. He sat down and opened his backpack, his laptop now revealed to the world and set in front of him. He adjusted it carefully to his left, turning it on and placed a notepad and a pencil to his right. He scribbled a few names on the notepad, possible suspects, as he called them and strangely, he wrote down his own name as well, for whatever odd reason. His laptop finally booted up and he quickly opened a few search browsers and wrote down Dalton’s name. He opened everything related to his death in separate tabs and wrote down a few more notes on his paper. For someone who probably stumbled on Dale, he might have looked like a complete maniac the way he was so focused and energetic in what was he doing, but they were up for a shocking surprise when Dale stopped dead in his tracks and stared at his expressionless reflection through the laptop’s monitor. What the fuck am I doing, his mind asked. He was deeply focused on his thoughts that he did not hear the waitress call him out, informing him of his order. Nodding embarrassed to her and throwing a smile in for effect, he returned back to his monitor and read the first article about his death. With a sip of his coffee, Dale reached for Dalton’s sister FaceBook account and scrolled down her posts, looking for something. Why Ivy’s FaceBook page and not Dalton’s, his inner self asked. What would be the point of looking into the social page of a dead guy, when the majority of the posts there were fake people writing all about their ridiculous sadness and drama. Who would even kill Dalton? Well, Dale knew they were some that might’ve done it. And he hated to admit it, but he also included himself in that bracket.
The sound of Declan's voice snatched her from her depressing cycle of crying and hating herself for crying. She still didn't entirely get it herself and when her friend asked her if she was okay, she wasn't really even sure what the right answer would be. She rubbed the tears out of her eyes so fast, she probably smudged makeup down her face. Still over the years and through the pain, Haylee had learned that waterproof makeup was always the best. She pasted a big smile on her face and turned to face Declan before opening her mouth.
"Declan! What do you mean, you goof, of course I'm okay. Though maybe seeing all these people so bummed has had an effect on me. You know, like when someone yawns and you have to yawn too?"
For good effort she chuckled and scratched the back of her head in a signature 'totally casual' kind of way but she probably wouldn't have even bought her own lie. Still admitting the fact that Dalton's death did make her a bit sad despite how much she would proclaim up and down how much she hated him and didn't need him before, it was a hard pill to swallow. So instead of talking about her feelings, because since when was she good at that, she walked up to Declan and patted his arm lightly
"Are you okay though? I know you guys were kinda friends..."
Her smile shifter into something more gentle and concerned. As much as she would worry about her friend, a little part of her welcomed the shift in topic, or rather, subject. "You know what's good happy cheer-me-up food? Mearle's. I have a hankering for a milkshake. I'll buy you something if you go with me." She wiggled her eyebrows, a smirk returning to the surface. She wasn't entirely sure if he would want to go in the first place after all of that, but she wanted to offer anyway. Even if he didn't want to, she figured she'd probably head over anyway before going home. Eating was one of the best ways to get over sadness. She'd learned that as well over the years and if there was one thing she loved about how small she was, it was that she could pack away a lot of food and not get much bigger.
She decided that she wasn't going to break her promise. And she really couldn't smoke since the last time she checked Dalton had her lighter. He really didn't want her smoking. she chuckled at the thought. He really did want her to quit and she wasn't one to disappoint those that really mattered to her. Even if he was dead. So they sat on the empty lot as she drove away. After getting her shit together, she mounted her bike and made way back towards school. If her dad heard that she missed school, she'd be getting a mouthful.
When she pulled up to the school she first noticed Dale pulling out of the parking lot. Pulling out her phone she sends a text to Dale.
Ditching school? Who would've thought. Get me a burger.
She knew that he was heading there, that was basically the hang out of every teenager that lived here in Church Point. Yes, Dale was the sheriff's kid, but CiMarron like Jack, he kind of looked out for her when she was in the slammer for a day. After that every time she ran into him, which was mostly at the auto shop, she'd say hi. And Dale and her kind of became friends. Friends enough to be one of the three people that actually had her cell phone number.
She placed her phone back into her back pocket and then noticed a few looks from wandering, nosy teenagers. It wasn't necessarily alright to skip the memorial service, but it had to look like CiMarron didn't care. Cause she was that bitch. The bitch that didn't care, that didn't speak, that basically hated the whole population of Church Point - except for a selected few - and might as well be a member of the South Side gang. Despite the rumors of numerous different events from her killing someone to running a drug ring, CiMarron liked to be known as that bitch. It kept people away and everyone expected behavior where she didn't show up for a memorial.
CiMarron got off her bike on her own time and pulled out her purple bag from her storage compartment. Before she could put her matte, dark purple helmet into it's place, she saw the sleek black helmet that was sporting red letters which spelled out Dalton's name. It brought a small smile to her face as she remembered the first time he rode on her bike, he almost didn't because he refused to get on without a helmet. So she sped down to he nearest shop and bought him the black one, he later put his name on it. And after that he would join her on her bike when she had a day off. It slowed down a little recently, she never really found out why.
When someone passes and glances over at her, she quickly puts her helmet on top of his and slams the compartment closed. She stalks her way back up the cement stairs and yanks the door open, not bothering to open the door for anyone else. She walked down the hallway before Sam's lone figure caught her attention. She walked over and caught the last few words that left her lips.
High school at its finest. CiMarron murmured facing the girl that was slightly taller than her. She glanced over her features and when their eyes met she snapped them away. How're you?
Zander grinned at the mention of the guidance counselor. His eyes briefly ghosted over the teachers who remained standing near the stage, scanning for the mentioned lady who no doubt was going to be swamped with appointments this week. She'd likely be pleased as most of the kids on usual days gave her guidance office - infamous for its cheery stickers, pink-and-green walls, and depressing pamphlets - a wide berth.
At least someone was benefitting from all this sorrow.
From this distance, the teachers' faces, their distinguishing features, were indistinguishable. But all were pinched with sorrow, arms folded in a stance that would be more fitting at a funeral parlor then a school. But then again, Dalton's death made any such institutional changes, no matter how drastic, possible. Zander shook his head briefly, dispelling those negative thoughts for cheerier ones, of food and good moods - strawberry milkshakes served up with maybe a fry-basket or two, even a burger. Inwardly he salivated, his stomach giving a little grumble to remind him that he'd idiotically skipped breakfast.
And Citra - she still hadn't answered, her eyes far away.
Zander wondered, not for the first time, just what the girl's relationship with Dalton had been. He hadn't been completely blind to their shared interactions, the smiles that suggested at more then just a simple, in-the-moment association. The writer in him took those simple details and ran - could they have been a Romeo and Juliet type, whose forbidden love kept a wide distance between them. But their love was one that could branch any gap no matter the - Zander shook his head fiercely. This kind of speculation - Zander decided - was more trouble then it was worth. Would his knowing change anything?
His phone buzzed, and Zander pushed away thought for reality, reading over Dale's answering texts a couple of times before the words came through. He grinned a little, fingers shifting over the keys.
ig great minds think alike lol. me n citra r heading over, save us a seat?
Zander pushed the phone back into his pocket, interlocking his fingers as Citra vocalized her assent.
He strained his features dramatically. "We better hurry, I feel another bad joke coming on."
And begin the walk towards the side-exit. He slid through, holding the door open for Citra before making his way towards his usual parking spot. And there it was - the glorious jeep wrangler of all of his missions, the side-kick of all his escapes. It was unevenly parked between two spaces - a mistake from the morning he hadn't felt particularly inclined towards correcting. He unlocked it, slid in, and let the windows down all the way.
He left the radio under Citra's command - her taste in music wasn't too bad, was it?
"Let's go then," he pulled out of the space with a little speed then necessary and begin the drive towards Mearle's.
It became obvious to Declan fairly quickly that Haylee was not, in fact, okay. Not only had he seen her exit that crowd swiftly, but now he was also seeing her freshly smudged makeup. It could be worse, right? he thought to himself, Her mascara could be dripping all over her face or… whatever.
In all honesty, Declan was a bit confused as to why she was hurt. Didn’t she hate Dalton? Shouldn’t she be happy he was dead? Not crying? Then again, he remembered some of the things he had heard about their relationship, and he found himself doubting.
Then, of course, she was explaining, and Declan… couldn’t buy it. She did her signature ‘totally casual’ move, for goodness sakes. Was he gonna call her out on this? No. Of course not. She was his friend, and he didn’t want to like… scare her or something.
“Oh,” he said, trying to smile and keep his brow from furrowing, “Okay, as long as you’re good.” His heart continued to beat, and it felt like the walls were closing in around him as she continued to speak. He just wanted out of this building. Talking to Haylee wasn’t helping him at all- at least, not as much as he needed it to.
Of course, then she had to turn the question around. Of course. He chuckled, a hand moving up to his hair as he ran his hand through it. “Honestly? Not really.” He leaned a bit into the arm touch.
And then, she was offering him a way to get out of this god-forsaken building. Finally. It would mean he skipped class, but hey, he didn’t really mind. He nodded vigorously, already backing up and heading for the exit he had initially planned to utilize. “That sounds great. A milkshake... would be- excellent.” He took a couple deep breaths as he looked back at Haylee, trying his best to just breathe.