Westbrook Season 2

[Winona]

Ash

She waited with bated breath until Raven said that she liked it, and even smiled at Ash. Her own face broke back into a smile, her breath exhaling rapidly. Part of her had been scared that Raven would make her take back the gift or something -- Ash knew the Rivera girl. She wasn't one for "charity," like many of the other... less than fortunate people at the high school. But Ash wasn't gifting her the laptop because of charity or something stupid like that. It was because Raven was always there.

As a friend.

"I... I know I didn't have to and like, maybe it's a little too much or something, but I..." Ash trailed off, her words failing her. She was actually flustered as she stood here next to Raven. "Sorry, I... it's been a crazy couple days." Ash offered her a smile, and then set the laptop down on a nearby desk before she turned back to Raven.

"Also I just-- I wanted-- I needed." Her words stumbled and cut off as she struggled to say what she wanted. Ash's gaze had moved to the ground for the moment, but then she looked back up at Raven. She was close to the girl, and her heartbeat started to quicken. How was Ash supposed to even bring up what had happened Saturday? "I just... Saturday, I wanted--"

Words were failing her. Badly.

So without thinking, Ash leaned up and pressed her lips against Raven's, one hand moving to the other girl's cheek as she did so. She kissed her for what felt like minutes, but was probably only seconds before breaking it off and stepping back, placing a couple inches of space back between the two girls.

"Thank you. I wanted to say thank you."

Soap​

 

[Soap]

Raven

Raven narrowed her eyes but let Ash take her time with her words. She expected... well, she wasn't sure what she was expecting. But Ash's lips on hers was a pleasant surprise. Look, whatever drama either of them had with other people didn't really matter here. It wasn't a secret that the brunette had somewhat of a big crush on the cheerleader. It was pretty easy for Raven to become that nerdy twelve year old girl who had a crush on her science partner.

Pulling away with a smile she tried to bite away, nibbling on her lip.

"You're welcome." She could've sworn her voice went up higher than Ash's, but she played it off as if nothing happened. Raven cleared her throat and hoped the blush on her cheeks settled before she opened her mouth to say something else and the ring on the phone interrupted her. A text from Mason reminded her that they were supposed to start 'moving' her in or whatever. "So... I actually have to go. But... I'll see you?" She took the present begun making her way out of the room, only stopping at the doorway. "Thanks Barbie." She meant it. Raven couldn't ask for a better gift.

"For the kiss I mean, I think that was worth a little more than this thing." With a last smile at the blonde, Raven exited the school.

Great, now it was time to move in with her... friend?

Winona​

 

[Winona]

Ash

She'd heard about Grace's near death experience from Jace, who had heard it from Stu. Stu, who had been here when Grace had almost passed away -- when it should've been Ash there, comforting her dying friend, but she could barely even stand in the hospital room without feeling overwhelming guilt and shame. And when others would come to visit, they would cast hateful glances her way that would leave Ash feeling even more hurt. More depressed. More like she wanted to just curl into a ball and disappear from this world. Or go to sleep. Endlessly. Forever.

"Hey, Grace."

Her voice cracked and broke as she stepped farther into the room, the sound of her shoes against the ground echoing off the cold white walls. It was so quiet, with only the rhythmic beeping of the machines keeping Grace company in this white brick prison.

Ash glanced over her shoulder -- no one was looking, so she stepped closer and closer until Ash was beside Grace, looking down at the face of her best friend. That face that she had seen every day, of every week, of every month, of every year since first grade when she'd first met Grace. Right then and there, when Ash had first introduced herself after standing up to someone bullying Grace, Ash knew that they would be inseparable. That nothing would break their friendship apart.

Well she hadn't been expecting this. An accident. Grace paying for Ash's endless mistakes.

It was all her fault. Ash wanted to be the one in Grace's bed, hooked up to machines, barely living. She deserved it, didn't she? To die? Ash hadn't done anything right in so long and maybe it would just be… better. Better if she was the one dying.

God, she'd give anything to be in that bed instead of Grace. Grace had floated through life, a picture perfect angel. She deserved to have that life that they'd always envisioned growing up. The beautiful wedding, falling in love, a family. That picture perfect, white picket fence life.

Ash reached down, her fingers brushing against Grace's fingers. She hesitated, glancing towards the doorway again, and then Ash carefully sat down in the little sliver of space beside Grace. She was gentle, slow, careful not to disrupt any of the machines keeping her friend alive as she laid down, her head turned to look over st Grace's face, her fingers intertwined with hers. There was no movement, no returning grip. Nothing. And that made tears start to build.

It was like she was sleeping. Just sleeping.

“Please don’t give up. Don’t go.” Her voice was a choked whisper, cracking and shaking as she tried to keep the tears back. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to be okay without you, alright? Just… don’t go. Please. It’s selfish, but I need you. Sawyer needs you. Your mom needs you. We all need you.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat, her blue eyes looking at every inch of her best friend’s sleeping face. Grace looked so peaceful -- like Sleeping Beauty. If only like Sleeping Beauty, it was easy to erase her curse.

“I feel so stupid.” Ash said quietly. Grace couldn’t hear her, but maybe telling someone what was going on would make her feel… something. Better. Maybe it would be a relief. “I broke up with Sean, right? And I feel so bad about it. It wasn’t anything he did. He was great -- amazing, even. Like, I stayed with him every night over the summer because of the nightmares. And it was great. I felt… safe. Comfortable. And I thought ‘Hey, maybe I’m finally over Ryder. Maybe now I can move on.’”

Her words caught in her throat, as she thought back to the first day of school. “And then I saw Ryder at school and he was with Nova and like, even though he was with her and I hadn’t seen him for almost a year, I…” she stopped for a moment, letting out a breathless sigh. “I knew I wasn’t over him. That’s so sad, isn’t it? That I had this amazing guy that I’ve never fought with and has always been there for me, but the instant I see Ryder I just… forget. All of that. I still love him.” Stupidly.

Her relationship with Ryder had never been secure, or safe. It had been a constant argument, and they had broken up at least twice in the short time that they’d been together. Their relationship had been heated, but Ash had loved every second of it, and she missed being able to call Ryder hers.

Ash wanted to tell her more, to keep talking, but it felt weird to keep going over her own issues even if Grace didn’t actually know what she was saying. Plus what else would she mention? How much she regretted sleeping with Kanen, or how she had kissed Raven and then started avoiding the brunette?

It wasn’t anything against either of them, it was just… Ash couldn’t talk to them about it. She wanted to pretend like nothing had happened between her and them, because nothing had. It was just sex. It was just a kiss.

Ash had almost brought it up to Ian, but it seemed… wrong. Uncomfortable. Even if he was her best friend, somehow it felt wrong to talk to him about who she had slept with. Plus he had done so much for her… Ash didn’t want to drag him down. Ruin him. Break him. Not like she had done with Grace.

“You’d get it.” She continued. “What I feel about Ryder, and why I can’t move on. When you look at Sawyer… I can tell that you aren’t over her. Keisha was just your rebound, wasn’t she? To try and move on, but Grace… it doesn’t work. You don’t move on. You just stay miserable and… I’m so sorry. For breaking you and Sawyer up. I didn’t.. I didn’t mean to do that, you know? Sawyer… she loves you.

“Like, granted, she punched me in the face and told me to go die, but she loves you. And… she kinda scares me, but she cares about you so much. You gotta wake up for her, okay? For Sawyer. She can’t.. She doesn’t have anyone else to fall back on if you don’t make it. So pull through for her, alright?”

Ash squeezed her hand, but there was still no response. It was just a cold reminder. “But if you can’t, if you can’t wake up for her, just… know that that’s okay, alright, Grace? It’ll be okay. As long as Sawyer doesn’t kill me first, I’ll be there for her.” Sawyer would definitely kill her first, but she wanted Grace to know that they would be fine. They would pull through for her, stay strong for her.

“I want you to wake up, but if you can’t, that’s okay. I still love you, Grace. I’ll always love you. You’re my best friend.”

Tears started to spill over now, dripping onto the pillow.

“Remember at Homecoming? Your first Homecoming -- freshman year. And you were so excited and you looked so pretty. Like a princess. You used to always want to pretend to be a princess, but finally you were. You were a princess. And remember how we ditched our dates? And we danced together to that one song. You were smiling so much, and it was… it was probably the best night of my life.”

Ash swallowed the lump in her throat and rolled over onto her side, closing her eyes. Her hands squeezed Grace’s hand harder.

“Do you remember the song? Portland Maine. I knew you really liked it, so I asked them to play it. For you. For us.”

She couldn’t stop the flow of tears now as she started to sing, ever so quietly, ever so gently, the lyrics to that song. Their song, in a way.

“See I'm just saving us some trouble somewhere down the line
This kind of town you just leave behind
And you don't know it yet, but you won't come back
And I ain't going nowhere and you know that…”

The words were whispered, shattered, shivering and hinging as her voice cracked and broke until Ash couldn’t keep singing.

“I’m so sorry, Grace. I love you.”

Soap​

 

[Twin Fantasy]

Shawn Orozco

"Shawn, sweetling," his mother beckoned, satin voice torn and raspy from the tears she had been weeping, "what's wrong?"

"I'm getting a job, mom, there's nothing wrong with it. Every kid my age has one." He was much taller than his mother. Could easily shove her out of the way, but she learned an art of deception. She was peaceful, but soon as Shawn took a breath in some wrong manner, the tears began to flow. "I can't live here forever."

"You could." She ran a hand down his face, one that he wanted to reject outright, kicking and screaming. He was silent. Compliant as a rag doll. "You could stay here as long as you want to, baby."

Shawn nearly threw up in his mouth.

"Don't call me baby," he snapped, "it's weird." His mother's mouth fell open in a woeful 'o' and began to twitch. Her lip trembled. His chest tightened. "Not- not like that, just, usually when I hear that it's a romantic thing, and you're my mom..." That seemed to calm her down a little. Her in her flowing robes, comparable to that of a maddened cultist. He pulled away before she could hug him. "I have to go out tonight."

"Go out?" She moaned. "Where? What about the animals?"

"They're your animals too." His mother whined, like she just got kicked.

"You don't need a job," her voice trembled, "you can always stay with me, I love you. Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Surely it's not important, stay here with me and your father, we can share a tab." Her tone was desperate. Shawn could think of a million things better than dropping acid with his mom. "I communed with my patron last night and he says you're on a dark path. He said, if it continues like this, you could die." On that final word, she broke out into tears, latching onto Shawn like a leech. "You're my only son! Please don't leave me!"

She was definitely on something.

Shawn wormed his way out of his mother's grip. Terrified to hurt her, like he was handling a butterfly.

"I'm not leaving, I'm just going out."

"You're getting a job so you can move out, aren't you?" She went rigid. She was small, but her stance struck Shawn's heart with terror, because she was absolutely right. "If you leave, I've got no choice but to die, and you know that! Do you want me to die, Shawn? Don't you love me?"

"Stop worrying so much! I just forgot something at school from the festival, and I'm not moving." The latter was a lie, but the former was true. He'd left his bag at school -- the one with his burner phone in it that he used to call Marty Arbuckle the day before. Thankfully, he'd written the directions on a sheet of paper, but he realized it when he went out to the laundromat. It also had a few measly handfuls of money in it that he'd like to have back, and some other personal belongings.

More than any of that, he had this disgusting, almost childish desire to return to high school. He'd peaked in high school, his best, most successful years. It was pathetic. He was pathetic, and maybe he longed for half a moment of glory. His boxing trophy still sat on his cabinet, largely untouched, out of fear that the filth he'd become would somehow tarnish the man he used to be. A champion. A high-school boxing champion. People had high expectations of him despite his odd persona. He's a queer, but damn can he throw a punch. Both artistic and athletic, Westbrook's very own.

Something had gone horribly, horribly wrong.

"Shawn?"

He turned from the door.

"Yeah?"

"Mommy loves you." Her expression was far-off, eyes reddened by copious amounts of marijuana. "Never forget that."

"I won't."

He went outside before his throat could tighten any further. He was so stressed, he felt like he might suffocate. Stop saying you love me, you never took care of me. You need me because you never do anything yourself. He felt tied down. Tethered. Spared from the confusing open space of freedom. His mother only loved him when he might leave.

The air was cool. As was the usual these days, Shawn was woefully under-dressed. He no longer had the motivation to take cute drag pics for Instagram, just for fun. Nowadays he only got fully dressed for big events, or jobs. He'd fallen, and so young. So young and so talented, with so much hope for the future. He couldn't manage to snag any scholarships, and there was no way he or his family could pay for college. And it was woefully apparent that, now that he was old enough to join the workforce, his parents had little intention of doing much. They somehow managed to do even less than before.

But somehow, despite all that pent-up rage inside him, he couldn't say 'no' to his mother.

Even though she'd been an awful mother, he knew she did love him, and it killed him inside. Her and dad were the only people who ever did.

Stop being a fucking downer, man, he told himself, there's a lock-in tonight, so you might see some friends. Somehow, that thought gave him an idea, one that was foolish, completely stupid, but that he liked. Once you go in to get your stuff, just linger around until after the doors lock. It'll be just like old times.

Old friends. Old digs. Old mistakes.

He adjusted his coat.

He'd get his bag, with his phone, the one with Marty Arbuckle's digits on it. And he'd stay for just a little too long. And he'd be able to, perhaps, time warp back to a time when he didn't have Marty Arbuckle's digits, he didn't know who that was, because he wasn't nearly disabled by a cocaine addiction. A time where he'd never touched anything harder than xanax, his glory days. When Shawn Orozco was Westbrook's best boxer, and not Westbrook's worst whore.

"I like that," he muttered, "I like that a lot."

Set alight with brand-new vigor, he picked up the pace in his heavy shoes.​

 

[TYPE]

A L E X - S H A R P
@sharpattack

dendygar || JAY - geminiy || RYAN
MENTION - Winona || DRAKE

Alex just looked at Jay, before nodding. "No man, it's cool. Do you have a picture?" He stepped forward, looking at the phone, before nodding, turning to Ryan. "Hey man, we are just going to check for his cousin. If you wanna join, that's cool, or stay here and practice. I am sure she is just here somewhere, yeah?" Nodding and Jay, he picked up his things, getting his bag. The sudden weight made him balk for a second, breathing out harshly.

"Classes will be starting soon. Why don't we split up, check around, see in the classes, and if we spot her, we just sent a ping on the phone, yeah?" He held up his own phone to jay, just to make sure. "She will be okay. We just have to find her." He looked back at Ryan, exchanging details quickly, his number and contact details. "Nice meeting you man. Keep on practicing. You are really good. I can tell." Smiling at both of them, he started limping from the room, turning his head both ways, before motioning for Jay to take one side of the halls, while he would take the other. "Cya around, Jay - Ryan-" Calling back into the music room.

As he walked down the hallway, his head peaking into many of the classrooms, spotting a few teachers, students and the like mingling about, he could not help but think this was a semi-futile thing to be doing. God. She was not that hard to spot out, but... there was just so many children. Walking past the computer room, he peeked inside, seeing a teacher and a student chatting. Not her. Continuing on, keeping the pace despite his breath, he reached the far side of the school. It was quiet here. More quiet at least. There was only one classroom left.

The pit in his stomach churned. Less so butterflies and more vampire bats clawing along the walls of his stomach. Drenched in bile, burning and biting up his throat.

Curiosity... it nearly killed him before.

What was he forgetting?

Taking out his phone, he sent a quick message to Jay and Ryan - [Not found her yet. At other side of school. Will turn around, check again]

He turned away from the class. His legs locked. He looked over his shoulder.

Why was the world in dutch tilt?

Before he knew what he was doing, he was meandering closer to the door.

It's just a door. Just a class. Just...

The tips of his fingers prickled and his heart raced in his throat. He could feel sweat atop his brow and he could feel his leg twitching.

Beat.

Beat.

He opened the door.

Nothing. Just an empty classroom.

He sighed out in relief, limping in, falling into one of the desks, his cane again clattering to the ground.

When the drops of moisture started to stain the wooden surface of the desk, he realized he was crying. Was it relief? Was it... surprise? Was it... regret. He was not sure. Did it matter? His emotions where such a massive fuckup as of late. It would make sense.

Why was he laughing?

God... was he crazy?

Was this all just... a dream?

Was he still there... in the dream?

Was he still sleeping?

No. It can't be. It... was too real. Too painful...

This school... was not making it better. Going from high to low like a fucking jumping castle. He needed stability. He was not getting it. Not as home. Not here. Not at work. Not when he was alone. Life dragged him every which way up and down this spiral... and it was tiring. Even just being friendly for what... ten minutes? It had been tiring. The thought of attending to Jay and his needs. And now another maybe. It was exhausting. And all of these... ominous feelings.... they...

what was he forgetting? DAMMIT!

CRACK!

There was a loud crash as his fist made contact with the top of the desk. It cracked. Gingerly raising a hand, seeing the skin broken, bleeding faintly. A numb throbbing moving up his arm. Fuck... where... where? Did... that come... from?

At least he knew he was awake.

Pain was good... then... As long as he hurt, he was alive.

Fuck. What was he thinking? Pain was good? Really? ALEX? Stop it. Stop thinking these things. You are making it worse. For everyone.

He needed a distraction. Fuck... just like Drake... He was just like he was. Just like everyone was.

NO. Stop it.

Quickly binding his hand, he got up, and started limping out of the class. He needed to find her. And then get to class.

Another text. [Still nothing]​

 

[geminiy]

Ryan Davies

He watched closely as Alex moved to the piano, his fingers dancing across the keys in a few warm up scales. An eyebrow was raised in curiosity as Ryan's eyes widened with excitement. He almost asked Alex if he played but stopped himself from asking such a stupid question. Of course he played piano, he was playing right then and there, and although Ryan couldn't tell if it was any good or not, he hoped that the music was as beautiful as he had hoped.

Ryan was a kid in a candy shop, a warmth of welcome beginning to pull him in. He had never known anyone else that really played music, short of a group of tone deaf middle schoolers that had a shitty out of tune garage band in his old town, and those were the last kinds of people he wanted to associate with. But these people, or at least Alex, seemed to know music. Unable to hear the tune, Ryan's gaze drifted down to Alex's fingers, watching as each of his fingers glided along the keys. Was he playing Ryan's song? He watched for a few moments, a soft smile parting his lips ever so slightly. Even after Alex changed the song from Ryan's jazz piece to a flowing piece of classical, he was still entranced by being with people like him.

His heart warmed even more when Alex turned to him and mentioned he would be interested in learning the song Ryan had been playing. No one, with the exception of Ryan himself, ever wanted to play a song that he wrote. Maybe when he sent the sheet music to Alex, he would throw in a different composer name, he didn't want to seem arrogant. Would he even be able to tell the difference between a Ryan Davies jazz piece and the jazz piece of some unknown musician? Probably not, hell sometimes Ryan can't tell the difference between a song he spent hours on from the next swinging jazz piece.

"I, um, I don't have it on me right now but I can totally send you a PDF version. I actually have..." Ryan stopped himself from continuing. He was about to say he had a version of the song that was a duet, the song part jazz and part classical, that he wrote with his father. No, he wouldn't want to play with Ryan, that's just nonsense.

The conversation continued, Ryan nodding to Alex's guess of Jay being a drum player. He had that edge to him that drummers always have, that touch of elegance hidden underneath the shadow cast by a gruff exterior. Drumming was incredibly hard for Ryan. The beats were fine but it is a little hard to keep the perfect timing that a drummer needs to have if one is constantly second guessing themselves because they're afraid they're off beat. At least the piano was typically a soloist instrument, so Ryan only had to let himself down.

His eyes lit up once again at Alex's question. "I started on piano when I was really young, about four or five. My dad is a musician so he taught me. I also play violin, cello, and the alto saxophone, but piano is always my favourite to play. There's just something so beautiful about it." Ryan caught himself once again from going on a tangent about the music he so loved to play. It wouldn't be until later that day that the sentences he had just spoken were the first few in a while that he didn't stutter or second guess his words.

Ryan was riding the wave of joy that the two guys were bringing him when an eerie atmosphere settled in the previously gleeful room. From the look of panic in Jay's warm eyes, something was very wrong. It was hard for Ryan to understand what he was saying, the thick accent that laced his voice changing the way his lips formed common words, but eventually Ryan understood after hearing Alex's response and looking at the photo on Jay's phone. Someone, a girl - his cousin, wasn't responding to texts. Anxiety sunk in Ryan's stomach, Jay's worry slowly seeping into Ryan's being.

"I'll help you look." Ryan said, exchanging his phone number with the two boys. "I'm, um, I'm sure she'll show up. We'll find her." He attempted to reassure.

He followed Alex out and threw on his headphones, deciding to take a look on the upper floor to see if she was there as Jay and Alex scoured the first floor. He searched high and low for the girl on Jay's phone with no luck. Maybe he wasn't the best person to be helping them look, Ryan was absolutely horrible with remembering faces and names, but he knew that he would recognize the girl if he saw her. Ryan assumed she would have stood out in the crowd, the dark head of hair and the tough aura being dead giveaways that it was her.

With a sigh, and with class about to start, Ryan pulled out his phone and sent a text to Alex and Jay.

Checked the second floor, she isn't up here as far as I can tell. Keep me posted : )

Ah yes, the handy dandy smiley face. Perhaps the only thing more awkward than in person Ryan is the bizarre online personality of Ryan, who is clearly the master of texting. Did people even use typed out emoticons anymore? Ryan honestly didn't know, he couldn't even remember the last time he had texted someone. His message stood true though, he really was worried about the whereabouts of this girl. Ryan couldn't place his finger on why, perhaps the look in Jay's eye set him off. Either way, he really hoped she'd be found soon.

| alex TYPE | jay dendygar |​

 

[geminiy]

Isabelle Dupont

A soft smile warmed up Bella's face as she took another sip of the warm coffee in her hands as Zander thanked her for returning his jacket. There he went, being a nice guy again, thanking her for returning his property. She waved a dismissive hand. "Please, I thank you for letting me borrow it in the first place."

For being one of the few people Bella had met at Westbrook in her short time of living in the city, she was quite happy to have met such a good person, someone just genuinely kind. At least she hoped he was as kind as she thought and not some slime ball that looked good on paper and absolutely horrible in practice, the kind of person that you could befriend and get close to only to find out that you had been being played the entire time. But she didn't feel that kind of vibe from Zander, and she was usually right on that front.

Bella began pulling out the books she needed as she listened to Zander, swinging her locker door shut, frowning when the door wouldn't latch. With a roll of her eyes, Bella turned and checked her shoulder into the door, the lock finally clicking in. Stupid door refused to close without a stupid amount of force. Bella turned back to Zander.

"At least he's okay, given all that happened. Guitar strings and broken bones can be mended. I don't know so much about that bruised ego but I'm sure it will get better with time." Bella giggled. The bell signalling the first class to begin rung overhead, causing Bella to jump slightly at the sudden noise.

"I should probably get to class now. Heaven forbid I be late for the exhilarating class that is algebra." Bella sighed. "Hopefully I'll see you at the lock-in?" She asked, walking backwards for a few steps towards her math class before waving goodbye and walking into the class.

When the lock-in finally rolled around, Bella was incredibly excited. Sure, she didn't really understand the whole thing behind sleeping in the school, being locked inside the building that almost everyone despised being in. But something about it seemed fun so Bella packed up a few of her belongings and made her way into the school.

| zander Winona | open​

 

[geminiy]

Jacqueline Dupont

For the first time in a long time, Jackie was actually kind of excited for a school function. It would be nice to sleep somewhere other than her car, sure, but she needed a mental break more than anything. She had just finished prepping for an AP physics class that had resulted in a few sleepless nights, many cups of coffee, and a lot of stress. She would also be starting her new job at the boating place the next week, meaning her schedule would probably get nice and busy again, just how Jackie liked it. Still, she decided that she needed a break and decided to go to the lock-in.

Jackie pulled her car into the parking lot and grabbed a few of her things before making her way inside the school. She wasn't entirely sure where to go so Jackie headed towards a few groups of students and set her things down. It was weird being in the school after hours, totally not something she would have done otherwise, but it had a feeling of entertainment. Did she think locking a bunch of teenagers in a building together overnight was a good idea? No. Was there definitely going to be some kind of drama? Most definitely. Was it going to be fun? Hell yeah.

| open |​

 

[mogy]

Dante Novello

​

In the few weeks she had been in Westbrook, Dante had been completely swamped with schoolwork, mostly because English was her second language and understanding things was hard, but also because she absolutely sucked at math. She needed to keep her grades up so she could show her parents that she really wasn't a bad student.

The past is the past, and it really isn't worth mentioning, which was exactly why Dante lived in the present. She didn't dwell on past events because she couldn't do anything about them. She also didn't think about the future, at least not about the far future, because thinking and fantasizing about things which could change in the matter of minutes weren't worth it.

According to Dante, there was nothing better than the present, and right now, in the present, Dante was driving Noah and Tom to school, even though it was already getting late. As it was explained to her by Noah and several others, Americans had this weird thing where students like slept in the school because it was supposed to be fun or whatever, and even though she didn't understand why it was fun or amusing to the Americans, she wanted to see if there would be any drama. If you knew Dante, you would know she loves her drama. Oh, and her coats too.

Unlike Noah who couldn't drive, both literally and in the sense of not being able to drive well, Dante could drive, both literally and in the sense of driving well. Italian roads were much harder to master, so Westbrook's roads were a piece of cake for the Italian girl.

Dante parked Noah's car in an empty parking slot, and got out after that. Cold air brushed against her skin, but she didn't shiver. It was getting colder, but Dante came prepared.

She was much warmer once she put on one of her coats, this one being a fluffy black coat which fit in well with the whole I-don't-care-about-this-thing-whatever-it-is look.

"Okay, little boy, let's go." Dante held her sleeping bag and a bag with essentials on one shoulder and left the other one empty. Very chic.

Interactions: Dede (Tom)​

 

[TheFool]

River

River sat on the side of his bed, phone in his hand. Trapped by it. His eyes scanning over unopened snapchats and spotify playlists and twitter feeds. An advertisement came up for male hair dye and he entertained the idea for but a single moment. “Do ya think I’d be as hot blonde?” He asked. “Or, like, a shade of brown or some shit.” He looked back at Zia. Her legs crossed and her head resting against one of the bed’s many pillows. Absorbed by her own mobile. She shrugged. He looked back at the advertisement and shook his head slightly. He threw his phone down on the black bed sheet and leaned over to grab his jeans. Quickly putting them back on, he hopped up. As his phone lay on the sheets, he bent down and opened it up again. Hitting on his spotify and pressing play on some Kendrick. As the music began, he shuffled over to his mirror. He felt his face. His fingers being scraped by the little stubbled hairs he’d neglected since Monday. “You should shave soon. I don’t like how it feels otherwise.” Zia said, still staring at her phone.
River rolled his eyes,
“Will get to it eventually, chill.” He looked at his dresser, which was littered with cans of spray, a few cards he hadn’t needed to use in a while, hair wax, bottles of protein supplements and a few thin-feels. He picked up one of the cans and raised his left arm. Spraying his pit. He then did the same with under his right arm.
“This lock-in thing’s gonna be so fuckin’ grim.”
He said, already fed up.
Zia mumbled in agreement.

He looked at her through his mirror. River’s brow furrowed.


It was his day to drive. The Porsche had been washed earlier, so it looked… fine. The car wash could have done a better job but it was Westbrook. He had yet to fully realise that he wasn’t back in Mas. Back in Black Mill. “Gimme two seconds.” He said as he got out of the driver’s seat and closed the door. The car now only contained three blonde girls. Zia and his sisters. He had parked at a gas station, just a few blocks away from the school. He casually jogged into the store. The little bell over the door ringing as he did. The store was empty apart from one cashier and an elderly woman browsing through fridges of frozen TV dinners. He worked his way over to a fridge on the opposite side of that one. This one filled with cans of cheap beer. Well, not cheap beer… but… cheap beer. That was all Westbrook seemed to have. Nothing expensive. Well made. He grabbed a pack of twelve and then brought it over to the sad looking cashier.
“This, please. And, uh, this too.” He said, picking a packet of spearmint gum from a small rack and placing it down on top of the pack of beer.
The cashier looked at him,
“How old are you?”
“Twenty two.”
He scoffed, “Yeah right, kid.”
“Hold on I got ID.” River said, rolling his eyes. He took out his wallet and flicked through it. Shit. He left his fake at home.
“I don’t actually…” He started to say.
“Give it up, kid. I can sell you the gum.”
River looked into the cashier’s eyes,
“How much you making right now?”
“Huh?”
“How much you making for this shift?” River stared down at him.
“... 11.45 an hour.”
“I’ll give ya like fuckin’ two hundred, excluding the price of the beer an’ gum. Just… let me have it.” Still holding the wallet, River handed the cashier the sleek black credit card.
There were a few moments of quiet.
The cashier looking more and more unsure.
“Just fucking give it to the kid, I gotta pay for these.” The woman said behind River. Holding several TV dinners in her hands.
The cashier shook his head and let out a sigh,
“Anything else?”


They arrived at the school soon after. River was already ready to put a bullet in his brain. He just knew that this would be the most excruciating thing, like, ever. “Here we go.” He announced, as he finished parking. Riona was the first to get out. Followed by Zia. Norah and him last. The school was still a sore sight. He adjusted his bag,
It feeling a bit heavier than usual because of the pack of beer. If it got confiscated off of him, he was ready to cause murder.
As they walked towards the school,
River saw a guy from the football team and gave him a polite nod. He thought his name was… Tony, or something? He’d been settling in well enough. It helped that Mason had generously given him the position of co-captain right off the back.
Soon to be the only captain.
Soon.
He put his arm around Z, as they walked towards the school. Gus and Fitz were already outside it. Probably dreading to head in. River didn’t blame them. He smiled at them as they got closer and closer. His classic dumb smile. The signature. “How we doin’ boys?”
He asked.
Putting his fist out and bumping it slightly against Gus’. While he awaited their response, he looked over at Norah. They hadn’t really talked much since they had that argument about… mom’s anniversary. It’d been a few days since that, but still. She was also quiet due to everything with Danny and, he suspected, Mason.
She caught him looking at her.
And he quickly shot his glance away.

Tonight wasn’t the night for this.

“Not ready for this shit.” He continued talking. His eyes back to Gus and Fitz. “Honestly, I rather fuckin’ die then be playing nerdy shit with these dorks.” Two freshmen walked past him and the group of Black Mill kids. Entering the school. His eyes trailed them. Dorks indeed.

“You bitches better be prepped.”
He added.
Winking cheekily at Gus. He slapped his schoolbag. The pack of beer making a deep echoey sound from inside it.



ailurophile
Braddington
Hypnos
BELIAL.



​

 

[Twin Fantasy]

Charlie McAllister

Why had he been singing all day?

Why, pray tell, before his doctor's appointment, was he wailing old tunes in the bathroom? None of the grunge-alt shit he usually touches? Well, okay, the one he settled on definitely was. A song by Field Medic called "uuu". (Pronounced "you, you, you" and not "oooh".) Because he felt like, somehow, the advice Ash gave him was just too easy, and he had to preface it with a romantic ballad. Obviously he wouldn't address it directly to Zander. Of course not. He'd pull him aside afterwards and smoothly ask, hey, you know who that song was for?

It was air-tight. Foolproof.

He packed up his guitar, though he probably wouldn't be playing it unless he could figure out how to fret with a broken arm. Then his shoes, and he was out, in a clean-pressed Beck t-shirt. (It had a donkey on the front with the word 'BECK', and 'ODELAY' on the back.) He packed a backpack full of clothes and necessities, and left, after sliding a sweater on. (A classic Nirvana hoodie that he'd bought on Amazon several years ago. It was still too big on him.) He didn't want his mother to drive him in, because that would spoil the mood beyond recognition. She'd probably bring Andy, which always made everything worse. Andy was like if Manny from those Diary of a Wimpy Kid books was real.

Besides, the walk wasn't too far.

He arrived, listening to a classic Blind Melon song, and feeling pretty alright with himself. That feeling was immediately crushed when he saw those rich kids gathered outside. Something about them just crushed his self-esteem. He tugged his hoodie over his head and scampered past them without looking back.

// OPEN //
// mentions Winona Braddington Hypnos TheFool BELIAL. //​

 

[Dede]

Tom

​

This was pleasant, coming to school without the constant threat of dying in a car crash. ‘I reckon you should drive us more often,’ Tom said, while playing with the clip of his seatbelt. For once he didn't have to help Noah watch the road.

He had done the calculations. 1 in 3 car crash deaths in America last year involved drunk drivers. That left a whopping 66.66% recurring to death by other causes, one of which was being a passenger in Noah’s car. Clearly the odds were not in his favour.

He shot a sly grin at Noah.

‘Maybe you’ll never be able to drive again, with your leg all messed up.’ Westbrook children would finally be able to out and play in the streets again. People could finally bring their dogs out for a walk without their leashes. ‘Not that you’ve ever been able to,’ he mumbled.

They'd gotten to the school in one piece. Even the reverse parking took only one attempt, rather than five, six, or Noah's personal record, twelve or something.

He reached over the seat and gave Noah a pat on the back as he climbed down from the car. Then he circled around and caught up with his new friend, Dante. Sucks for her that she had so much stuff to carry. Luckily, he didn't have his own sleeping bag to worry about, since Stu was bringing an extra one for him.

‘You’re from Rome, aren’t you? Were you there when it was sacked by the Gauls?’ He tried to keep apace with her but she did seem to be in a rush. Either that or Tom had short legs. ‘Did you know that the Romans invented the whoopee cushion?’

mogy

 

[mogy]

Dante Novello

​

Tom started spitting out random facts about Rome, and Dante wasn't a person who was particularly interested in such facts, especially not at the moment, but this little boy was just that, a little boy, and if random facts kept him from acting like little teenage boys usually acted, she would listen to him and try to spark the conversation further. He had an annoying British accent. Dante preferred the Irish accent a lot more, but the British accent was okay when it came from hot men, and this little boy wasn't a hot man. He wasn't even a man yet.

"Interesting." She commented, not really listening.

"I don't know any interesting UK facts." She admitted. She wasn't sad about it, though. Why would somebody be sad about not knowing facts about the country nobody really likes. "Go fish and chips, I guess."

She entered the school, and the lights in the hallways were on. She didn't like artificial light because it made her skin look more tanned than it actually was, and she really didn't like her tanned look if she wasn't in a bathing suit.

Interactions: Dede (Tom)​

 

[Hypnos]

Gus Windrift
​

He had totalled the Benz.

Gus had totalled the Benz.

Gus had totalled his brother’s car.

At some point over the last week and a half, not long after the twins had attended their first day at Westbrook, Gus Windrift had been in a bit of an accident. Nothing majorly scarring, nor had it been life threatening in nature, but it had still been rough enough to shake him. Enough to give him a few restless night.

Two in the morning was when it happened, and Gus had been on his way back from a little get-together of a few new buddies he'd made in his econ class. Only a little tipsy. At the time the space he had chosen had seemed a lot bigger. At the time the Benz had felt a lot smaller. At the time he'd remembered being very confident about his own driving. Of course, a few shots of Jäger could make anyone feel more adept. It wasn't exactly a good excuse.

In his own defence 'totalled' was a strong word for what had happened. In truth, it had been more like a scrape. A fairly significant scrape that had somehow both left a huge dent in the car’s bonnet and caused the engine to start hissing up a storm. But a scrape nonetheless.

It hadn’t been a good night.

Gus’d left five grand tucked away under the windshield of the car'd bashed into. He'd figured that would be enough to cover any damages he'd caused, and he wasn't about to leave a note incriminating himself in what had happened. It didn't need that kind of press right now.

He'd even been careful looking for a dashcam, when he'd made his getaway, praying that the car's engine would survive long enough to get it out of sight and out of mind, which luckily it did, dying finally only after Gus had managed to bring it safely into a temporary storage unit.

Fitz still didn’t know.

Gus’d told his brother that the Benz was back in Mass. That Geoffrey had taken it away for the weekend, to go and visit their father, which seemed to be a good enough excuse for him. At least until he could come up with a better one.


This wasn’t the first time Gus had lied about a car.

When he had been sixteen, and only barely allowed on the road, he’d driven his father’s Bentley into a ditch whilst taking a road trip down to Kuntucky.

A few months back, he’d badly scratched up the side of the Lexus during a weekend in the Berkshires.

Fitz didn’t know about any of that either.

Hiding his mistakes was a skill at which Gus had become remarkably adept at throughout his life, avoiding the meticulously scrutinising gaze of the Windrift patriach whenever he could manage it. Over the years, he'd become an expert at keeping his own failures under lock and key (an impressive feat considering how numerous they had become).

In the case of the Bentley, he’d brought a new car of the same make and model and prayed that his father wouldn’t notice.

With the Lexus, he’d spent an afternoon repainting the decal himself, and attaching a new door he’d brought from a shady guyCraigslist.

The Benz would be a challenge, a bigger challenge than those that had come before it, but a challenge that Gus was confident that he’d be able to overcome.

It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that Gus had opted to call shotgun, when it was time for the short drive down to the school lock-in, sitting guiltily in the passenger seat at Fitz took them carefully and slowly (and by God was it slow) down into the school parking lot.

It was going to be an awkward night.

Luckily, Gus had come prepared.

In his rucksack, he was carrying two plain bottles of clear liquid, bottles, that as far as anyone else was concerned, contained nothing but water. Next to that was a six pack of coke cans, and a few other odds and ends that promised to keep things lively if the night started to get a little too dull.

Because a highschool party without booze was like a car with no wheels: it might look neat, but there was no chance that it was going anywhere.

‘Pull up just over here, dude. You missed a fucking massive space.’ Gus was antsy. Gus was always antsy when someone else was behind the wheel. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about being in a car with a lack of control that made him uncomfortable. Perhaps that was a little ironic given the circumstances, but he couldn't help what he felt.

‘I’m getting out.’ The car wasn't even fully parked before the youngest of the Windrift's opened the door, knowing that considering his brother's pace he was unlikely to suffer any serious injury from getting out whilst the vehicle was still moving. 'You're gonna have to catch up. I'm not waiting for you.'

He stretched his legs, a big smile upon his lips as he eyed up the school: Westbrook. He didn't love it, but he didn't hate it either. Honestly, other than the size, and the price of admission, it wasn't even all that different from what Black Mill had been (save, of course, for the asbestos). School was school, but it was really the people that made a place special, and for the moment, Gus was content in the fact that he'd been getting along with his classmate for the most part. Things were going well, and he wasn't too worried about what was going to go down. Maybe lounging around playing video games wasn't exactly his thing, but there was nothing a couple of glasses of water couldn't make entertaining.

He spent some time just staring at the building from the outside, waiting for Fitz to finish sorting out the car and join him, though by the time his brother had gotten everything done to his satisfaction, other people were already beginning to trail in.

‘You looking forward to tonight?’ Gus turned to face his brother, though as he did so, he saw another group of familiar faces arriving in his sight line, so he didn't wait for his brother's response before pouncing on the new party.

‘Walshy! I thought you weren’t gonna come.’ He yelled out accusingly, following suit as River offered his customary greeting, bashing his fist against that of his friend. ‘Thought you’d have to be drugged off your tits to be caught at school after hours.’ He shot a shy smile to his sister, who clung to Walshy's arm, which was a relief, before offering a similar greeting to Norah, though she didn't seem to interested in returning the cheer. He would never understand her.

‘Don’t be such a downer, dude. It’s gonna be tons of fun, you just have to relax. Let off some tension.’ He made a mock show of breathing deeply in and out in faux-meditation. ‘And if that doesn’t help, then Dr. Gussy’s got something else that might cheer you up.' Following Walshy's example, he tapped a hand against his own bag, offering River a wink.

TheFool BELIAL. ailurophile Braddington

 

[Soap]

Maisie


Maisie was at her locker, per usual. She didn’t like hanging out in any of the rooms whenever she had a free period. Most of the people here didn’t linger in the hallway and would rather go hang out somewhere else. She wasn’t one of those people. They were all usually gathered in groups, laughing and talking amongst herself. After a whole year— Maisie was proud to say she had... around two whole friends. At least she had some, right? Definitely made it farther than she did before.

Suddenly Drake was next to her and it was hard to not smile at his perkiness. “Hey.” She glanced down onto the cat and her eyebrows rose in surprise— this was like, real right? For her? Her thoughts were confirmed by Drake actually asking her, and much to Maisie’s surprise she threw her arms around him for a hug. “It’s a yes. Obviously.” Pulling away and taking the small stuffed animal with a childish grin. ”This guy is adorable. I will cherish him forever.”

—

Was it weird to be nervous?

Maisie was going to be locked in the school all night. Tons of people in close quarters— oh god. She hoped she didn’t have to sleep next to one! The brunette was never going fall asleep at this rate. Why did she even sign up for it? “Okayokayokayokay.” The brunette took a deep breath as she exited Lewis’s car with a small duffel bag of overnight clothes. It couldn’t be that bad.

Could it? Okay, well. It shouldn’t be bad. Maisie heard there was going to be all sorts of snacks, games, activities to do. So surely most of that would be able to take her mind off of everything else. Besides, Maisie loved snacks, and... games.

Was it too late to back out now?

Winona (Drake)

Evie

Following after that highly depressing scene. Everything went back to normal. Evie went back to resuming her own duties as usual, Grace went back to sleeping, the random boy went back to doing whatever he was doing— and Sawyer was still annoying as ever. Today was actually a really good day! No IVs, medicines, or anything of the sort planned today. Evie could relax and pester someone today— unfortunately, Noah had gotten checked out of this beautiful hotel. Adriane was booked today with tests or whatever. So it was back to Sleeping Beauty for her.

She strolled into the room without warning and realized it might’ve been a little too late to leave now that the other blonde had noticed her. What was it with blondes? Did they just migrate to each other? Did they have no other true purpose in life? “Sorry.” Evie swayed there awkwardly. Who the heck was this chick though? Maybe she shouldn’t ask. That was rude wasn’t it?

Oh. Since when does she care being polite.

“So... who the hell are you?”

Winona (Ash)​

 

[dendygar]

Jay

The last few days had been rough. Really, really rough. English was a huge hurdle for him, and it was proving more and more difficult to communicate with others. But there were some that made his life easier and gave him the patience and grace that he so desperately needed. Mason, Alex, Ryan and his family that he was staying with, of course. Mason had told him about his friend Raven, she spoke Spanish too. He asked Tadita about Raven, and Tadita didn't say much. She hadn't said much since the accident. At least, that's what she was calling it. He was really, really worried about her, and no matter how many times he pressed her to seek medical treatment beyond gauze and neosporin, she would outright get angry and get really nervous.

That made him nervous. People started to come around the apartment more often, too. People that didn't really talk to him much and mostly stayed in his cousin's room. Aunt Rosa told him that they were her friends.. but they seemed awfully old to be her friends. He'd seen this before. Jay expressed his concern multiple times to Alex and Ryan as best he could, but he didn't dare tell anyone else. If he told his parents, they would flip. Everyone would flip. The apartment was dark a lot of the time, now. He spent more time at school because he could focus better there than at home. Football had become a salvation, he could work out his frustration in one of the most primal ways possible- tackling others to the ground and running his ass off. He'd proven himself to be an excellent player. He still had some learning to do- but once he did, he would be a powerhouse.

The car ride to school was filled with some conversation. Jay held two boxes in his lap. One was small and black, and the other was a lot bigger. They had been making conches all night before to give to the kids at school.. they'd made about.. 200. Tadita couldn't sleep, she said her head hurt too much, so might as well put that to use? He didn't get it. Pulling into the parking lot, Jay handed the black box to his cousin, and he held the latin sweet treats and made his way inside with his backpack. "You coming?" He asked in Spanish, pausing and looking at Dita over his shoulder.

"In a minute."

And with that, he turned and continued inside. He smiled at a lot of people he didn't know, mainly searching for people he knew. No Alex or Ryan.. He saw some of the boys from the football team, but they kind of seemed weary of him.. he kept wandering and moved to his locker, and just as he was about to give up hope, he saw Mason. His face lit up and he smiled and walked over. "Hey! How are you?" He asked in Spanish. "Thank God I found a familiar face. I was starting to worry."

Winona​

 

[Twin Fantasy]

May Gu

May loved stuff like this. Visits, hang-outs, pal-around-time. What better way to make friendships than by being stuck in a building together? It sounded a bit dreary when she put it that way, but it bore truth nonetheless. Something about being trapped just brings everybody together, and in this case they're all getting trapped of their own volition, so it removes any spooky traumatic aspects. She was gonna be playing some video games, so she'd been putting a bit of practice in before showing up.

She brought a full suitcase, though not a big one, because hey, a Boy Scout prepares. May is not a Boy Scout, but she can plan ahead like one. She ran past a gaggle of football kids, waving 'hi' as she passed, though they probably didn't notice. If only she could shout to them.

A small bench came into view where she sat down, half-waiting for her video game bros to show up and half-waiting for someone new to talk to. She was full of excitement, like a balloon with too much air. It seemed like everyone hated these school gatherings for one reason or another, which May didn't really understand. Elise was hardly a perfect principal, but it wasn't her fault that a large number of Westbrook events seemed to end in disaster. It wasn't really anyone's fault. The place just seemed to have a bad luck streak.

Hopefully nothing would go wrong today.​

 

[Winona]

Ash

She hadn't even noticed the weird girl that had entered at first. Instead, Ash's eyes were closed, and she was trying to stop herself from crying more. She didn't have a lot of time left here to sit with Grace -- she was leaving from here to go straight to the lock-in. Her backpack had been left at the door so she was ready to go whenever she got a text from Ian.

Obviously, Ash was going with Ian. It had only been about a week since she'd started sleeping at home again, and honestly, it felt weird to not wake up with her best friend. Err... one of her best friends. Sorry, Grace. Either way, Ash and Ian had agreed to at least spend all weekend together, every weekend, so of course she had to wait for him before going to the school.

Plus, well, being around large groups of people didn't exactly make her feel great these days. The only reason Ash was even going was because her mother was making her -- otherwise, she would've been very happy to just stay at home, and let everyone else enjoy themselves.

The girl at the door drew her out of her thoughts and Ash sat up, swinging her legs off the bed, but didn't let go of Grace's hand quite yet. This strange girl, bursting into Grace's room, even had the audacity to ask her who she was, despite her obviously being the intruder here. And fuck. Ash hadn't wanted anyone to see her cry.

"Ash." She said, and wiped at the tears in her eyes, drying them with the back of her hand. "Who are you?"

Soap​

 

[0k_mang0]

colby

Location:
mention: Raven Soap , Tatum Elf_Ruler​

Colby closed and locked his car door after taking out his duffle bag. This was his first school lock-in, one that wasn’t used for emergencies this time. Tatum reminded him about it while Colby was fixing her car battery problem the other day. The lock-in would be a good advantage for Colby to use, catch up on late assignments he hadn’t finished – well, actually, it was more like a personal project. He did have to finish something for shop class, but that was more like extra credit to make up for the last class assignment he’d failed to finish. The personal project was fixing a wooden katana sword for his Deadpool costume. How did it break? Too long (and possibly a tad violent) to explain.

His grandfather would be all right while he was away. The Sleeping Hedgehog Cafe job notice that Colby posted on Twitter worked pretty well. He heard a couple of people applied for the job, but hadn’t been able to meet them yet. He knew one of them was Raven, and from what he could tell, it seemed like she really needed it.

While opening his locker, Colby heard his phone ping with a new text message. He read it twice to make sure, and he frowned. Then he made a phone call, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was too close. A few seconds later, someone answered. “I wanna talk to her,” Colby said in a low tone, sticking close to his opened locker door to stay as inconspicuous as possible. “...what do you mean I can’t? I’m her son.”

All he heard were excuses. Lame excuses. Sympathy that hardly sounded sincere. After a minute or two, Colby ended the call. He almost wanted to kick his sleeping bag lying between his feet or punch the vending machine nearby. But no, neither of those inanimate objects did anything wrong to him. All he could do was sigh, try to forget and get back in a slightly better mood, and close his locker door. Perhaps a bit too roughly.

 

[dendygar]

Shay

Shay almost didn't go to the lock in. She would rather stay at home, or go get a massage, or see her girlfriend, anything else. Literally anything else. But she saw how twitter was popping, and she decided that maybe she should go if just for the sake of learning the dynamics of the different people there. Norah might be there too.. and maybe some of her hot friends? Not that she was bored of Alyssa.. not yet, anyway. She didn't even know that Alyssa had participated in the jumping, and didn't ask when her girlfriend's knuckles were bruised or how she'd gotten a taser. It wasn't her business and Alyssa led a very different lifestyle than her own, anyway.

Pulling up in her mustang, she parked away from the other cars because she didn't want to run the risk of a teenage dirtbag denting her car or scratching the paint. Walking side dressed in a pair of comfy- but chic- clothes, she adjusted the straps of her bag and looked around. She couldn't find the beautiful blonde hair of Norah.. but standing nearby was someone else. Someone really, really cute. Asian.

"Hey," Shay smiled and walked up to her, "... You look prepared for tonight. Big kudos, sis." She smiled and flashed her dazzling, perfectly straight teeth. "I'm Sha'nay Watson. What's your name?"

Twin Fantasy ​

 

[Elf_Ruler]

Tatum had enjoyed Theo even though she had still been unsure of her as whole, she wasn’t as awful as she was expecting, “His name is Sebastian. Don’t get your hopes up girl. He doesn’t date. Have a great rest of your day. Here’s my number and you have my Twitter.” Tatum waved her off and went to her classes. The day had gone by fast and Colby had even fixed her car. It had just been a dead battery. So, she was more than relieved it was an easy fix. Of course, she could rely on her father to pay for it so she wasn’t concerned about it. Honestly, spending time with Colby had been fun after how everything had been going for her. She was glad she had him as a friend. For the time being she felt like she could breathe around him and he wouldn’t judge. She couldn’t say that about most people and right now she needed a friend she didn’t feel like she had to walk on eggshells with.

When the day of the lock-in arrived, Tatum had pulled Brayden aside, “Hey, I’m sorry.” She started, “I’m really trying and I’m not perfect. I miss my best friend.” All he did was pull her into a hug and she was relieved, “I’m also taking your games.” She had collected his video games for the lock in so they could have something to do. She had made sure she had board games and video games. Her bag was packed with blankets for comfort, snacks because food was important and a thermos full of coffee. She wouldn’t survive without the coffee.

She had arrived a little early to school to set up the gym for games, so she was on her own for a few moments. She took a deep breath to calm herself, her anxiety had been creeping in more and more and she was trying to keep herself calm, she had been drinking less and less each day trying not to rely on it. She didn’t need her family finding out and she knew Brayden’s threat was a promise, so she had really been trying. Her body would remind her she wanted it and she would ignore the need, but she was distracting herself with setting up the projector and the gaming console.

Mention(s): 0k_mang0 TheFool
--

Cam only nodded at Milos he was asking the boy on a date, “Yeah a date.” He couldn’t help but feel like he had hit the jackpot with this boy. Milos was everything no one else was. He was beautiful, his smile was brighter than the sun, and everything about him was perfect. A perfection that couldn’t be expressed in words. Cam had been wanting nothing more than to get to know Milos, to date Milos, hell to even just get the chance to kiss him. But everything would come in due time. For now, Cam got his date and that was what mattered the most. It mattered more than any other thought or plans he had going on. Milos was what mattered to him right now. He didn’t want anyone else; he didn’t want to hang out or try to hang out with anyone else.

What did all of this mean? Cam wasn’t entirely sure but one thing he was certain of, he had nailed getting a date with one of the cutest boys at Westbrook. Everything else be damned Cam had done something he didn’t think he would be able to and that knowledge had gotten him through that day and even the rest of the school week. Nothing could break his spirit or even his hopes and dreams because he was floating on cloud nine for once.

Winona

 

[Soap]

Evie

Ash, Ash, Ash... nope. Not ringing any bells.

Had Sawyer mentioned her? No. At least nothing she remembered. Tears made her uncomfortable. This whole situation was uncomfortable but Evie was a master at disguising what she was feeling. "Fairy godmother, of course. It's like no one here gets that. Hmph." The small girl hopped on top of the counter to sit, keeping a weary eye on the hallway just in case someone decided to change their mind and track her down. "Are you her sister or something?" C'mon, there had to be a reason for the blonde. Right?

Doubtful.

She was likely wrong, but there wasn't a harm in asking.

"I haven't seen you around here before."

Granted, Evie fell asleep a bit early sometimes-- but that wasn't her fault. Besides that, the brunette would like to think she kept a good eye on her oh-so vulnerable neighbor. She knew most of them. Greyson, Kate, who in fact did not like her. Ha. She's funny. Sawyer, Jonathan. The nameless boy. She liked to think she knew them all pretty well.

Winona (Ash)​

 

[Soap]

Raven

Raven had to admit... it was nice to be around other people. Living in a car didn't exactly give you much company, but the brunette almost gotten used to the slience. It was hard to focus, or write with Drake rambling about his homecoming date over and over and over. But Raven didn't feel all that alone anymore so... that was a definite plus in her book. After a long, terrible night of movie marathons-- kids movies, mind you.

Ari wasn't even with them yet and with Drake and Mason that house was practically a daycare. Sorry boys. Now, it was time for lock-in. Raven didn't see the harm in not coming. She slept in worse conditions and this was her last year to make 'memories.' Or whatever teenage girls dwell on. She had time to be a kid, so why not use it? If she was truly going down the child at heart route. She needed snacks.

And not Swedish Fish. Gross. Stu.

She tried not to eavesdrop on Colby's conversation as she passed by. Raven's dollar certainly wasn't counterfeit-- at least she hopes not. If only for once the damn machine would take her money. Yes, okay. She and this vending machine have somewhat of a history and Raven would be damned if she didn't win at least once. So, maybe her senior year isn't all that on the memories. But at least she's trying. A locker slam made the girl flinch slightly and turn to see the cause. Something told her that conversation didn't go so well. "Something wrong, Mr. Sweetheart?" She asked, the words might've sounded teasing, but anyone who knew Raven knows that the brunette was usually genuine.

Unless it's someone she hated.

"If only you could hit this vending machine as hard as you slammed the locker."

0k_mang0
​

 

[PenguinFox]

The festival had gone basically the opposite as Parker planned and he absolutely hated that. When Parker Bates made plans he made sure they happened, and he was royally fucking pissed when they didn't. He hadn't wanted to get some alone time with Gia, or at least win her something because that was cute shit people did for each other when they liked each other right? Maybe give the blue haired girl the idea he was smitten so she would give it up. But all that was thrown out the window when some fuckwhistle set the stage on fire, cutting the festival short. Parker could definitely appreciate some arson once in a while but now? Fucking now?

So Parker ended up leaving with very little time with Gia. In addition to that apparently Tadita thought it'd be funny to fuck with him and give Gia a giant ass bear. She could barely even hold the damn thing. Way to make Parker look like a chump. In compensation Parker went out and bought a small stuffed fox, something Gia could actually hold. He had come up with some cutesy line about being disappointed in not being able to win her something cute because she deserved to get cute things. So he got her something instead. It was an A plus performance if Parker did say so himself.

All Monday Parker did his very best to avoid those stupid fucking Black Mills like the plague. Fuck them. Who the fuck do they think they are? Coming in like they own the fucking place and are better than everyone just because mommy and daddy always got them whatever their stupid spoiled kids desired. Unless one of the chicks wanted a fun night Parker wanted nothing to do with these new kids. He even extended a truce to Mason. Mason of all people, and that guy was a total tool. At least Mason worked hard though. That kid came from a poor upbringing and worked for everything. As much as Parker didn't care for him, he had to respect him for his work ethic.

Some time after school Parker got a message from Dita. At first he was confused, and honestly a little annoyed. He didn't want to come pick her up while she was high if he wasn't. Those feelings quickly dissipated and were replaced with concern. She was in serious trouble. It sounded like she had gotten jumped and got the shit seriously kicked out of her. Apparently she also brought in the help of that stupid Black Mill douche she was fucking. Were they fucking? Who gave a shit. Parker made his feelings clear to her. He would not be friends with that asshole. However he did give him an exact location for Dita, so as much he wanted to tell the guy to fuck off the least he could do was let him know if she was okay. Fuck.

Parker sped most of the way to the location River sent him, face resolute. Parker was never one to panic. His knuckles gripped the steering wheel so tight they were turning white, his teeth were grinding. He pulled up into the parking lot of a really shitty and run down liquor store. Fuck. This was a deal gone bad wasn't it? Dita needed a new fucking client base. Maybe those Black Mill kids could be good for something after all. They were rich, why not spend some money on a worthy cause? He jogged the rest of the way to the location of his friend to find her body lying there limply in what was starting to become a pool of blood. Fuck. His hands shook for a moment but he clenched his fists and steadied himself. He could handle this. He rushed over and assessed the damage. Head was bleeding, bruises everywhere, but no major visible damage like broken bones. He knelt down next to her. "Tad, I'm going to get you to the hospital, but I'm going to have to pick you up. It's going to really fucking hurt but you're going to viking through it, got it?" As carefully as he could he slipped his arms under her neck and knees and lifted her up. She wasn't very heavy but it was made a difficult task by Parker not wanting to hurt Tadita further. "Keep your eyes open understand me?" he ordered her as he carried her back to his car. This was definitely not how he envisioned this day going. dendygar Mentions: Elf_Ruler TheFool

 

[Winona]

Ash

"No, I'm just her friend."

The girl was curious, and Ash didn't particularly like that. She preferred to be... alone when she was visiting Grace. Alone with her thoughts, her feelings, without fearing that everyone around her was judging her. Here in Grace's room, she felt like she could be free. Vulnerable. Safe to break and crack, and face the fact that she was very much not fine. There was something about being near Grace, even while she was sleeping, that calmed Ash down. Made her feel like everything would be... fine.

Ash stood up from the bed, her fingers reluctantly letting go of Grace's before she headed towards the door, not really looking at Evie. "I usually visit late at night or early in the morning. When... other people aren't around." She explained. If Kate knew that Ash was still visiting Grace, she worried that Kate would tell the nurses to bar her from the room or... something. Or if she ran into Sawyer, that the other girl would kill her. Or Stu, and then they would just dissolve into a fight.

Ash didn't want any of that, and especially not here with her best friend.

"I was just about to leave, though. I have a school event to go to." Of course, it didn't feel right to be going to the event without Grace. All of the previous excitement she'd built up from challenging Greyson and Jackie over Twitter to a video game fight had dissolved the moment she had stepped into this room.

She couldn't keep doing this without Grace.

Well... she did have Ian, and the thought of him brought the trace of a smile to her face. She'd always have Ian, right? Then again, she'd always thought she would have Grace.

No, nothing could happen to Ian. If something did, Ash was positive that she wouldn't be able to stay strong. To pull through. He was the rock in their friendship, keeping Ash from drowning.

"Do you visit her often?" Ash asked as she picked her backup up, tossing it over one shoulder.

Soap​