Westbrook Season 2

[dendygar]

Tadita

When Kanen had dumped her in the parking lot of an old liquor store next to a church, she could hardly even remember what the fuck he had said to her. She had been dragged by under her arms and tossed into the back since the native girl couldn't even sit upright without slumping forward and smearing blood onto the seats. He drove her around for a while, talking at her more than to her. Something about the cops, about her boss finding out she was in his car.. Tadita wasn't really receptive. She couldn't have given less of a shit, and his words sounded like garbled nonsense. She didn't care about him getting off probation. She didn't care that he had to sell whatever he had to fucking sell. She especially didn't care that he threatened to beat the shit out of her every time she didn't do what he said. Tadita Redmoon could not give less of a shit, as far as she was concerned, she was a dead woman walking.

But the tone shifted when he brought up Jay. Tadita sharpened her focus and told him to fuck off, that he didn't have shit against Jay. But Kanen was right. Jay was easy to frame- coming from a drug-war laden country with a visa and familial gang ties in Mexico? One thing could get ICE knocking on the apartment door and taking him away in cuffs. As if that wasn't scary enough, Kanen then brought her mom into it. How the fuck does he know about my mom? Her mind raced, her head screaming from pain as well as her stomach. Rosa Redmoon was an illegal alien and she had been for almost twenty years. Living tax free on unemployment. Fuck. Fuck. Fucking fuck. Tadita didn't agree to do Kanen's dirty work, but he didn't give her a choice. Next thing she knew, she was on the cracked pavement, and she was texting from her newly shattered phone Parker and River. Everything hurt so much worse now. Her head hurt the most, and she didn't remember what she was texting them seconds after she sent the messages. The world was darkening again, and she rolled onto her side to prevent herself from choking on blood or spit, and the world fell away again.

Next thing she knew, she was in Parker's arms. Her brown eyes couldn't focus, her cheek busted open and blood crusting around her mouth. His blue eyes were almost angelic, his voice like thunder. Typically she wouldn't have had this train of thought- Parker was her goofy dumbass idiot best friend. Not some sort of savior. Her hand dangled limply as he carried her to his car. "No, you can't," Tadita slurred and forced herself upright in his passenger's seat. "You can't take me to the hospital. You can't, I can't afford it, I don't have insurance, I'm fine," She told him over and over, even yelling at him and getting into a small argument at a red light about what to do. But it slowly seemed like she was coming around again. "I can stitch myself up, this isn't the first time this has happened." I didn't lose any teeth this time. After quite a while of convincing and Parker staying at her place for a few hours to make sure she didn't fucking die, she kicked him out and began the slow process of trying to fix herself.

Her gums didn't need stitches from being kicked in the face. That was a party bonus. Her cheek needed stitches, she had scraped up her knees and elbows pretty bad- but not enough to warrant a needle and thread. Her head had a gigantic bump on the side, just above her ear, and she had a pretty gnarly black eye. Over the next several days, some of the bruising faded, but most stayed. She had a large bandage over her cheek to keep it from getting infected, and she only wore long sleeves and pants with no tears (she loved torn jeans) to avoid people seeing the extent of the damage. The bump on her head almost entirely went away, but that's when the issues began.

Tadita Redmoon began to have a headache that would not go away. THC shockingly made it worse. Light? Fuck light. She had to shield her eyes from the lights in class with her hands. Music that was just a little bit too loud sent her into a frenzy. The scariest part were the bits and fragments of memory loss.

Like the kind she was having in the Westbrook Highschool parking lot. She looked down at the box with her homecoming proposal inside. Who the fuck is this for? What was I going to say? She could see his face in her mind, deep eyes and hazelnut hair, so tall she had to crane her head back to see. Laken? Waters? Was his last name Waters? Jay had walked inside by then. River. A soft sigh of relief washed over her, her large dark eyes closing. She couldn't remember whatever cheesy line she was going to say, but at least she remembered his name. She turned and locked her car up, clenching her fist at the horn beeping, wanting to suddenly scream in rage at the sound. Her head hurt so badly right then that she could openly weep. In public. Alone in the parking lot.

The gym was easy to find, and inside she saw a blonde girl whom she'd grown kinda close to over twitter. For a second, her head stopped screaming. "Hey," The busted and blue girl called out, picking up her pace slightly with mild excitement. "You're a lot prettier in person, you know."

Elf_Ruler MENTIONED: PenguinFox TheFool High5ives​

 

[Twin Fantasy]

May Gu

May hadn't expected to be approached by anyone other than her Gamer Crew(TM), but she was approached. By a really pretty girl, no less. She'd never seen her before, online or otherwise. Or maybe she just hadn't been paying attention? Regardless, May quickly withdrew her notepad from the front of her suitcase, not wanting to test the possibility that Sha'Nay might not understand sign language. (If she did, then well, that'd be a treat and a half.) The first page was her formal greeting.

'I'm May Gu!
I'm a mute so this is how I talk to people unless they know ASL.
It's nice to meet you.'

At the very bottom was a drawing of a cat. May had never owned a cat, because her mom was allergic, but she did think they were pretty swell animals. Really, there weren't many animals she disliked. Mosquitoes, maybe. Plus every pet hamster she'd ever met had an attitude problem.

Anyway, she held her message up just long enough to be read.

// dendygar //​

 

[dendygar]

Shay

As she got out her notebook, Shay smiled even wider and signed, "I'm probably rusty, I haven't used sign language since middle school." In middle school where she went, the options for language learning were two years of Spanish, French, German or ASL. In high school only one credit was required. Shay chose ASL simply because she had a deaf cousin that she'd met once. "It's nice to meet you too."

This girl was adorable. Definitely needed a style upgrade, some contour tips.. she was really nice, too. Shay rose her brows down at the cat. Shay hated cats- she hated all animals, really. Her little sister loved dogs and cats, so they naturally had one of each at home. Shay made sure to avoid them and the responsibilities of owning one at all costs.

Twin Fantasy​

 

[Soap]

Evie

That made sense, Evie had never seen her because she's either been asleep, or running away from one of the many poor, poor sad doctors. While she might've been the slightest disspointed Ash was going to leave, she wasn't about to beg to make her stay-- that's weird and stupid. She's not that desperate to find out more about her. But she seemed way more interesting than Sawyer so, Evie already liked her. "Most of the time. I don't really have much else to do around here." It was weird to the girl that she only just now starting visiting Grace. Grace had been here a little longer than she has, well, this visit anyway. But there was just something about voicing all these things to someone else other than yourself.

Adriane was nice to talk to, but Grace didn't really have any opinions. She couldn't agree or disagree with her and maybe Evie liked it that way.

Her gaze fell on her backpack and remembered where she said she was headed off to. Evie couldn't help but feel jealous. High school. That's kinda cool if she's being honest. Sure, she has the whole 'too cool for school' vibe going on, but being surronded by people your age? It was definitely something Evie wanted. Man, hospitals sucked. She was supposed to be a freshman this year. "Why are you sorry?"

She overheard the last of Ash's words as she walked in, and she couldn't help but be the least bit curious. Evie was always about all about questions. You couldn't expect her to not ask.

"You said you were sorry, ... why?"

Winona​

 

[0k_mang0]

colby

Raven Soap​

Colby turned toward the voice directed at him. “Oh, hey. Kissing Booth Girl.” Raven, he knew her name. This was probably the second time they spoke to each other outside of classes. Colby was usually, surprisingly, quiet during his class periods.

“Hitting food with aggression goes against my nature,” he quipped halfheartedly. “It’s just… personal stuff. Nothing serious, it’ll be fine. I think.” His small smile may have been slightly forced, but Colby was glad that Raven appeared. Talking to a partially familiar face would help keep his mind away from his frustrating phone call.

“Anyway,” he said without giving her a chance to ask about his own issues, trying to sound as lighthearted as possible, “did you apply for the job in the best local cafe in Westbrook? Twelve per hour plus tips – pretty good deal. And there’s the employee discount, so you can get as many macarons as you want since you enjoyed it the last time.” The second he finished the sentence, Colby wondered if the last few words had been an unintentional suggestive innuendo. And he bit his lips when it dawned on him that it was very possible. Sometimes he couldn't help himself. "I, uh, didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry."

sebastian

mention: Toby PenguinFox​

“If something happens, you call or text me, Seb. Okay?”

“I know…”

“And make sure to change into clean underwear the next day—”

“I know, Lucia! I’ll do that, promise.” Sebastian huffed out an exasperated sigh, his eyes bore on the school building emerging in the windshield’s view. Yesterday, Seb gave in and told his aunt the truth about the bruises and black eye, which was completely healed now, after she threatened to ground him for a month if he continued lying. Lucia Torres was a persistent detective. Sebastian didn't give her the whole truth, but it was still believable; he half-lied that he was randomly assaulted by two random guys that he unintentionally pissed off. He really couldn’t recall their physical appearances since it had happened at night and the lights were too dim. He might remember their voices, but it wasn’t enough for his cop aunt to find them.

Instead of grounding him for lying, she forced him to join the school lock-in. At least she reminded him to take the pepper spray can, in case the lock-in turned into another Valentine’s Day blizzard incident. And he heard his friends would be there, too, and play video games with other students. Not too bad, he guessed.

Sebastian gave his aunt a quick hug before exiting the car and entering the school. While walking past outside the gym, he caught another basketball tryout flyer on the wall. Once again, he stopped and stared at it, reminding him of the offer Toby made on Twitter. Sebastian had been trying to avoid the junior since then. It still made no sense. Tryouts were almost over, and he was sure he’d missed the first or second scrimmage session. So, why was a guy like Toby interested in a nobody that never showed up?

 

[TYPE]

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

OPEN.
MENTION : geminiy - Ryan || dendygar - Jay || The groups standing around

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..."Dammit Dr Chance, the girl is dead. She has been for ten minutes!...
..."Quiet Nurse Pain, I thought when you were shot by the mafia I did a one handed experimental pig heart transplant, not a amputation!"...
..."Mercy is dead. Accept it and move on. Then you can love me instead! Because I have always loved-"...
..."No. If I don't save her... I don't deserve either of you. But if I do, my - non pig heart, is hers"...
..."You are a fool Dr Chance. She is a LESBIAN! She will never love you!"...
..."I am a medical professional, Nurse Pain. I will find a way. With Science!"...

His mother was watching her shows. Laying across her chair, wearing little more than a sleeping gown, the exhaustion hanging off her much like the thin whisps of smoke hanging around her... coming from the tip of her sixth cigarette. Her eyes looked like glass. Like a fish in a bowl, no longer tended to. Waiting for the water to become stale... to suffocate...

"ALEX!"

"Sorry father. I was distracted by mom's show. It's... riveting.."
"It's shit." .... "Of course father."
"Why do you need to be there?" .... "The whole school is doing it."
"I won't entertain this just because of some popularity crap" .... "Never. It is just expected."

"Your homework?" Alex handed over a document, his homework done. Two days ahead of required.
"I don't understand this. Is it accurate?" .... "It is quite simple. If you look here-"
"Simple? You a smartass? You saying I am stupid?" .... "Never... father."

His father's eyes flicked to the wall. Then back to him. Alex followed the movement. The clock. It was already late.

"What is this about a band? I checked your phone earlier. Also, seems that Twitt-" .... "Those are my EMAILS! They are priva-"
"SHUT UP!" .... "Yes... father."

"As long as you live under this roof, what you think you own is mine. Your bed. Your shoes. Your attention. Your time. All of it." .... " Yes... father."
"You can't work another shift? Seems like a perfectly good night to work a few more hours." .... "I worked this afternoo-"
"Where is the pay?" .... "Here. Father."

His father stayed quiet for a bit, as if waiting for something.

"So... Why can't you work? Spit it out." .... "My boss said I can't work more shifts. At least not today. You can call hi-"
"I know I can."

The call was excruciating, as he spoke with the manager. Hearing only his father's side, he did not know what the man was saying. Was he contradicting Alex? Fuck... he could not have another bruise. Falling was only so useful a distraction... Jay... Ryan... they were gonna figure it out. They were already suspicious over the fact that Alex never spoke to them outside of school. Work. Studying. He was not... what was he supposed to...

"...Of course. Thanks for your time." His father put the cracked phone down in front of Alex. Just within range. He could take it. He was going to have to beg for it. He cleared his throat, motioning to the phone.

"I will... for something going wrong, maybe. I need my-"

"SO this band. I don't think it is a good idea. You area already so busy. You will tell your friends... no." .... "But I-" .... "No, Alex." .... "Yes. Father."

His father relented for a few seconds.

"Something can go wrong? Maybe it would be best if you just stay home then-" .... "No! It's okay. Nothing will happen."

His father's eyes moved to the wall again.

"I don't want your car parked at that school. Bunch of hooligans. And crime. If you want to go... you will need to take the bus. The last one that way is in an hour." .... "Of course father. So... I can go?" Don't hope. Don't let the hope enter your voice.

"Yes. Unless your mother has a problem with it?" .... "Mom?"... nothing... How would his father interpret that?

"Because of our fight this morning, I was late for work. Had to park my car beneath the trees and not the roof. Birds shit all over the thing. It's a mess." .... Alex looked back at the wall. Biting into his cheek. "If I wash it, can I go?" His father looked to the clock on the wall again, the faintest smirk on his face.

"Maybe."

----------------------------------------------------------

Rushing down the metal stairwell, almost falling a few times, struggling into the parking lot with a bucket and some soap, a wet rag and little else, he set to work scraping the dried bird shit off the car. In his mind he tried to keep track of time. Ten minutes to get to the bus. Ten... five? Minutes to dress. Another ten with his father inspecting the car... fuck. fuck.

Just stay home. Just... stay home. Don't go.

He felt his knee buckle. Fuck. Fuck Fuck... Working at this pace... he was not gonna be able to walk by the end of this. Work faster, and can't walk to the bus? Work slower, and miss the bus and don't go anyway. His breathing increased. His frustration. Biting down on his teeth he felt a sob rise in his chest, balling up the rag and throwing it at the car.

"Unhappy?" Shocked out of his internal conflict, he looked up, seeing his father leaning over the railing two stories up, looking down into the parking lot where he worked. "No... No... I am okay. Just... stubborn bird shit..." Feeling the man's eyes on him, he continued to work. It was well after an hour before he was done. He had missed the bus. He could not even stop now. He needed to finish anyway.
------------------------------------------

He could not go on. He could not...

Fuck. His knees... Leaning against a wall, Alex slid down. The dirty sidewalk beneath him reeked of god knows what. A few pedestrians passed, looking down at him with justified disgust. Pulling his knees up against his chest, biting down into the loose fabric of his jeans as he closed his eyes. His whole body ached. And then his shoulders shook as another sob escaped him.

He wanted to scream. Loudly. Loud enough for the world to hear him.

The week in school had been... difficult. Jay and Ryan... they were good for him. He knew that. They were amazing. All smiles and chuckles... How was he going to tell them? Fuck... His head hit back against the wall.

A man walked past, and reached over, handing him a ten. Alex watched as he walked away, his eyes wide. Quickly grabbing his phone, he opened the UBER app. He... He should walk. God.. this was wasteful... His legs twinged, the pain radiating past his guilt. So... very.. persuasive.

Just... a bit of happiness? I need it. I need... it.

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By the time he got to school, people were everywhere. He got out of the car, tipping the guy the rest of the note, before hobbling over. So many people. Fuck... why did he... come. Clearing his throat, clearing his eyes of tears and taking a deep breath. Now... to find...

There was the Blackmill kids. They stood out like a sore tack, most of them barely looking like they wanted to be here. The groups of buzzing bees that tended to stay close as if they were a fucking episode of the Kardashians... or whatever. Deciding to slink past them, barely able to move, he made his way to the front doors. Jay was probably with the jocks. He was not sure if Ryan was coming. Maybe he could just slip away to the music room for a bit. Pulling his jacket closer, he continued on into the halls.​

 

[Winona]

Ash

She froze at the doorway, her fingers digging into the wooden frame of the doorway as Evie spoke. Her words were like daggers stabbing into Ash, keeping her stuck in the doorway of Grace's room. Fuck. This was why Ash was always so afraid to visit Grace -- because when she did, things like this happened. People asked questions. Figured the truth out. And then they judged her. And... Ash was tired of being judged for every little thing she did, for having her mistakes constantly slap her in the face.

"It's my fault. That she's in the coma."

And then Ash's fingers let go of the frame of the door and she was out the door, heart pounding, tears building, struggling to keep the pain down and a smile on her face.

-------------------

Ash ended up meeting Ian at the school -- although it took her a while to get there, thanks to her fear of cars. Or buses. So, she had walked the whole way from the hospital to the school, her thoughts playing over that conversation with the girl at the hospital. The girl whose name Ash still absolutely didn't know -- she'd just called herself Grace's "fairy godmother." The whole situation, the whole conversation, had made her uneasy, but she tried to stay positive. Tried to forget it.

Her smile returned easily when she saw Ian waiting outside of the school for her. Ash's pace picked up until she had caught up to him, and instantly threw her arms around Ian. Most of the anxiety and bad emotions that had stolen her attention before faded the instant she was with her best friend. Ian was familiar. Reassuring.

"Happy birthday." She said, pulling away from the hug after a moment, but taking Ian's hand as she did. "Kinda sucks that you have to spend your birthday at school, but I promise that this will be the best birthday you have ever had." Okay, so maybe she shouldn't have been promising something like that, but Ash did want his day to be good.

"Also, I got you a gift, but I'll give it to you later." Ash wanted it to be special, and she was still worried that the gift wouldn't be enough. What if he didn't like it or something?

Soap PenguinFox​

 

[Dede]

Tom

​

‘Ew, yuck,’ Tom scrunched up his face at the mention of fish and chips, aka. heart attack in a box. There was no love lost between him and his motherland’s greasy national dish. ‘You shouldn't eat deep fried foods like that,’ he said. ’They could increase your risk of dying early by like 10%, or something or rather, and give you all kinds of nasty diseases.’

Dante was short on facts? Well, don’t fret!

‘... Right then, I’ve got one. Did you know that British soldiers during the D-Day landings identified each other on the beaches by yelling ‘Fish!’?’

As Tom was relating this very significant piece of history, a random freshman even smaller than he was walking down the hallway toward them, and Tom turned at the unsuspecting boy sharply, yelling ‘FISH!’ in his face.

The boy jumped back in terror before scurrying away.

‘See?‘ Tom said. ‘A bloody Jerry, he was.’

With a giggle Tom followed Dante toward the gym, fiddling with his bowtie as he went.

‘Do you like sunbathing then? I bet you do. Did you know that turtles also like to sunbathe? But they probably won’t get skin cancer, whereas you might. I read somewhere that tens of thousands of people get diagnosed with skin cancer everyday. Mostly on account of being exposed to UV radiation. I'd be worried if I were you.’

mogy

 

[mogy]

Dante Novello

​

Even though Dante didn't have any interesting facts about countries, it seemed that Tom had more than enough, enough to just spit one out every minute and still not be over with them by the time morning came. Dante wasn't gonna judge. She liked coats just as much as this little kid loved his uninteresting facts about uninteresting things like the UK or Italy or whatever. Back home in Italy she had a whole closet filled with just coats, and while that might be considered a little bit obsessive, she didn't care because coats were life.

Thinking about coats again, she didn't pay much attention to what the little kid was saying until she heard him yell 'fish' into some random kid's face. It was probably some random thing British teens did to other teens, but she was just surprised to have this calm kid yell like that. She never heard him yell, and even though this wasn't an angry yell, it was a yell nonetheless.

Before she got a chance to say anything, the kid continued talking about sunbathing and turtles and cancer. Wow, he really knew how to ruin a night.

"Did anybody ever tell you you talk too much?" She asked, entering the gym.

Interactions: Dede (Tom)​

 

[Twin Fantasy]

May Gu

Well, how convenient! It wasn't often May ran into someone who knew ASL. It was always a nice little surprise, like opening a big box and finding out it's actually two smaller things instead of just one really big thing. She tucked away her notepad, making sure to go relatively slow in case Shay was behind. No point in talking, or signing, too fast -- nobody's in a rush here! It's a day for calmness and relaxation.

Hopefully.

'Are you here for the lock-in?' She paused a moment. 'I'm very excited for it.' Then gave a thumbs-up to punctuate, her face seeming to radiate an incredible joy so rarely ever associated with Westbrook or its people. Most people seemed to relate Westbrook to existential dread.

She wondered why.

// dendygar //​

 

[dendygar]

Shay

Shay seemed to relax a little when May made sure to sign more slowly, not feeling as though she had to rush to get anything out or be overly perfect with her signing. She didn't know how many other kids at Westbrook knew ASL.. she doubted most of the kids knew any. It gave her a one-up of sorts, and she straightened up as she gave herself a little pat on the back.

"Yeah, I'm here for the lock-in."

She looked around at all of the people talking and standing around, and she was glad that she wasn't standing by herself and looking like a confused, lonely loser. "I'm excited too, never been to one of these."

Her eyes searched for Norah's blonde hair.

Twin Fantasy​

 

[Twin Fantasy]

(TW: Abuse)

Pixie West

"Babe." Marty had stood in front of the door to their trailer, effectively blocking it. Pixie stamped her foot in frustration. "'m just worried."

"Ain't nothin' gonna happen! 'sides, I can handle myself!" She tried to shove past him. "I'm gonna join the football team and ain't nobody gonna fuck with me!"

"No you ain't!" He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down onto the couch, an act which, while not painful, was relatively startling. "You gonna go into a locker room with a bunch'a high-school boys? Rich high school boys? You ain't shit to them. They will tear you open and take whatever the fuck they want." Marty had obviously been hitting the speed a little too hard, or maybe it was something else. He was rowdy. "You ain't their business. You ain't none but my business."

"They ain't gonna do nothin'! Why would I get changed in the boy's locker?"

Marty tried to grip onto Pixie's hair, only to realize she'd cut it far, far too short.

"Because that's how these fuckers see you. They see you as a li'l boy. I'm yer man, I know better." His face was so close, she could smell the cigarette ash on his breath, and it almost steamed like the puff of a dragon.

"Please jus' lemme go to the lock-in, I promise, I ain't gonna do it with nobody."

Seeming to have slowed from his outburst, Marty backed up a bit.

"I'll be callin' you while yer there. If'n you don't pick up, I'll make ya wish yer paw took ya to Jesus camp."

"Understood." She shuddered as Marty finally withdrew, returning outside without another word. He'd been working on his car or something. Pixie took a moment to catch her breath, feeling like she'd just been approached by the reaper himself. With shaking hands, she grabbed the backpack she'd stuffed full of various necessities and staggered out without a second word.

She must have biked faster than ever before in her life. She could've won the Tour de France driving like that. But eventually she calmed down, felt a little bit sorry for lashing out at Marty like she had. He was looking out for her, and that was okay.

Eventually she reached school, stopping her bike and locking it against a signpost. People were gathering outside, none of them folks she knew, but all of whom might be worth meeting. A few fine cuts of beef here and there. (Not that she'd ever cheat on her boyfriend after a conversation like THAT.) Her mood had improved significantly, and she was ready to party, or do some equivalent to partying.

// OPEN //​

 

[Dede]

Tom

Did anyone ever tell you you talk too much?

Tom shrugged.

‘I know things,’ he said. ‘Besides, talking is good for your health. If you talk a lot, you’ll live much longer, than if you didn’t talk at all. It’s true.’

He nearly walked into the gym door as it swung back in full force at him, but he didn’t, because he wasn’t Stu.

‘And besides, besides,‘ he said, ‘I like turtles.’

Then another loser-kid was walking toward them. ‘FISH!’ Tom cried out. ‘CUSTARD!’ came the reply.

Yep. He British.

‘Want some?’ Stu held out his huge bag of Swedish fish and offered them to Tom and the girl next to him. He had spent the last hour wandering the aisles of a Walmart, accumulating all kinds of snacks into his basket. With proper rationing, he might be able to feed the whole school till morning. But Tom had dibs, and he could take as much Swedish fish as he liked.

‘What are they?’

Tom reached into the bag and took a Swedish fish and scrutinised it thoroughly, holding it close to his eye, pinching here and there. Then he nibbled on the tail and decided that it tasted disgusting.

‘No thanks,’ he said. Instead, he peeked into Stu’s other bag which that boy was trailing by his side. ‘I’ll have a KitKat, though.’

When Stu handed him the KitKat, their hands accidentally touched, and Tom melted a little inside.

‘D… did you bring my sleeping bag?’

‘O—oh, yeah,’ Stu replied. Obviously he didn’t forget to bring a second sleeping bag for Tom, and he wasn’t about to have to give Tom his own sleeping bag, pretending that he had another one lying around somewhere else. Obviously.

‘It’s… it’s over there. Come on,’ Stu said and waved the two to follow him.

mogy

 

[Winona]

Mason

He had been...

Reluctant to come, to say the very least. Not only was Mason turning down hours at work and the beautiful tips that came with it, but he was willingly asking to be left in a school full of people that would probably much rather see him dead. The only reason that he had agreed to come was for Drake, who'd basically begged him to attend. Drake had been abnormally clingy the last week or so, which was just pissing Mason off. Sure, he loved his brother, but he didn't need to spend every waking minute with his brother to know that.

Mason had managed to split away from Drake once he actually entered the school building, watching as his little brother took off to go and find Maisie. There was a lopsided grin on his face as he watched him -- it always made Mason happy to see his brother, well, also happy. And then he'd kept walking, heading to his locker.

He was in the middle of popping his locker open to drop off the homework he'd finished (yeah, believe it or not, Mason was actually trying to get a good grade this year) when Jay walked up, and started speaking to him. Mason glanced over at him, but didn't say anything for a moment as he dropped the papers off and closed the locker door.

Okay, so, yes, Mason had promised Tadita that he knew how to speak Spanish. And he wasn't lying! He just couldn't speak it super well. He'd mostly spoken it when he was younger, when his mother's family would stop by to visit -- none of them could speak English, so Mason had had to learn. However, after they'd stopped coming around, Spanish usage in their house had fallen almost completely out of disuse. When his mother was super intoxicated, angry, or upset, she would often resort back to it.

Mason knew helpful phrases like "Fuck you," "bastard," and how to say several different drugs.

What he didn't know super well was basic conversation skills.

It took him a moment to play over Jay's words, and figure out how to talk back. Although he was rusty, he was still understandable. "Bored and tired," Mason responded, running a hand over his face as he spoke. "How are you?" His words were clipped, lacking the fluency of a native Spanish speaker but hey, he was understandable.

Mason started walking, heading towards the gym where everything seemed to be going down. "What are you going to do tonight? Video games?"

dendygar​

 

[Elf_Ruler]

Tatum had still been setting things up when she heard footsteps enter the gym, it was when she heard the voice she smiled for a moment. She looked towards the girl and she looked like she had been through a rough spot. No one had outright called her pretty in quite some time, she had gotten used to being called other names that she almost forgot what a compliment was but Tadita had given her one, “Thanks, what happened?” she questioned the bruised girl. She had never really seen anyone that bruised up or beaten down before. Besides Brayden a few years ago when he got in a fight with some girl’s boyfriend for being a dick. But Tatum had never seen a girl in such a condition it had thrown her off for a second. Of course, she didn’t want to be rude either, “I don’t mean to pry, I’m just making sure you’re okay. I uh, have games set up for the competition, not that I'm a great gamer.” Tatum didn’t need to anger any other person right now she was on thin ice with a lot of people at Westbrook. Most importantly she had been on thin ice with Ash and she missed the other blonde, she missed having friends and she missed being able to have people to just have fun with.

Tatum hoped this video game thing would bring lots of people together plus she felt bad that Ian was having his birthday at school once she found out so of course she was hoping the video game competition made it easier. She kept her attention on the girl in front of her. She didn’t necessarily want to show any pity for the girl she could assume Tadita wasn’t a girl who wanted pity, so she was trying to keep her face from showing too many emotions or thoughts for the time being.

dendygar

 

[dendygar]

Jay

Even if Mason didn't know conversational Spanish as well as he did, he was still able to get his point across just fine, and Jay was delighted and so much more comfortable around people who could speak his language- even if it was just a little bit. His english was already improving, seeing as his two closest friends were English speakers and were helping him to learn the language. Tadita was helping a lot at home, too. Jay listened to American music more and more too.

He had his hands on the straps of his backpack as they walked down the hall. His hawk-like eyes watched Mason's, which were quite similar in their sharpness. "Bored? Why bored? Would you like a concha? it might help you wake up." He offered some of the chocolate and vanilla conchas in the five stacked boxes he was carrying. He could hardly see over them, to be honest, but they weren't hard to carry. It was weird being at school so late in the night with a drastically smaller student body.

But hey, Jay wasn't complaining.

"I'm doing okay. The boss at Alex Sharp's work called me back for an interview, I'm pretty excited. But I'm starting to realize that the life of American students is a lot to juggle." Jay chuckled, but didn't stop smiling. He always seemed to be happy. "Video games?" he frowned and shook his head. "I would like to play, but I have no idea how. We didn't.. have those in Colombia or Mexico. Tadita doesn't have any, either."

Winona [MENTIONED: TYPE geminiy ]
-



Tadita

Tatum was right in assuming that Tadita didn't want any pity. It was humiliating enough to have gotten jumped and all of her shit stolen, let alone having to go to school in this condition and have people constantly whispering about her and asking her if she was okay. It fucking pissed her off. Even worse was having to explain herself at the DMV about having to get a new license, explain to the bank that she needed a new card, and all while doing it behind her mom's back. Her mom hadn't even asked her what happened when she came home the way she did. Tadita's mom stopped asking and worrying a while ago, knowing that Tadita always came out of it okay, and there was no point in asking because Tadita wouldn't tell her. But.. even some concern would have made her feel better.

Tadita smiled a bit weakly, putting down the simple black box on the ground next to her backpack. Her lip had been split pretty badly, so she tried not to smile too wide even though she was really happy to see Tatum. "I got jumped." She shrugged halfheartedly, as if it wasn't a big deal. "The shit happens, I got jumped over the summer too." But then she'd actually won and it wasn't against five people. "You should see the other guys." Tadita joked, but there was some deeply rooted pain behind her deep brown eyes. She was humiliated, her pride broken.

Quickly moving the topic to something other than herself, she began to look over the video game setup. "This is dope as fuck. Where did you get all this?" She asked and crouched down, eyeing the WiiU with fascination. "What does this thing do? It looks like a PSP." Dita commented, her long black hair loose and swaying around her knees as she crouched.

Elf_Ruler​

 

[Winona]

Zander

Inner peace.

That's what Zander was trying to find or... something. Find his zen, his calm, before the school was full of a bunch of mangy teenagers fighting and pushing each other around. He liked being alone in the art room, allowing himself time to relax, sit back, and sketch. His finger smudged against the paper, spreading out the led. He paused, pencil in hand, looking it over before he went back to work. Careful flicks of the wrist, small strokes, little lines that added up to something beautiful.

Inner pea--

His phone buzzed on the table, startling Zander out of his thoughts and causing him to leave a long, dark line across his sketch. His jaw dropped, staring at the mistake, the dark streak across his once okay drawing now ruined. Destroyed.

He looked at his phone, expecting it to be Toby, only to find JJ messaging him.

JJ was asking questions. Too many questions. She was like a shark that smelled blood in the water, on the hunt for why Toby hadn't yet asked her to the Homecoming Dance. It was ridiculous! Dates were ridiculous. Plus if you were already dating why did someone even have to ask? You knew they were going to, and you knew you would say yes.

Zander's fingers and lungs still hurt from helping his brother prepare for JJ's stupid proposal whatever earlier. And now she even had to drag him into this. A couple was between two people -- two people. Zander did not sign up to be part of a throuple. He did not intend to third wheel his brother and his girlfriend forever.

With a roll of his eyes, Zander finally told her where she was, and then set back to working on his drawing. Trying to find inner peace, that inner sense of calm, because a hurricane hit the room.

Soap​

 

[geminiy]

Ryan Davies

Ryan really hadn't wanted to go to the lock-in, the whole idea just sounded like a horrible time for the introverted boy. He had been swamped by the missed schoolwork, a result from joining the Westbrook High students later in the fall, and this weekend was really his first weekend off. All Ryan really wanted to do was get some proper sleep, eat a proper meal, and work on his music. There was absolutely nothing he wanted more. However, Ryan's parents had a completely different idea of how his weekend was going to go.

"The lock-in seems like it will be fun!" They said. "You're new, it will help you make friends!" They said.

He really didn't want to listen to them, he wanted to ignore their advice that sounded more like begging in his ears. When was the last time he had gone to a school function? Four or five years ago? His illness kept him hospital bound for a long time and afterwords, he was far too humiliated to show his face in public. Why would he want to go to a place full of kids that he was 100% sure hated him? Plus, Ryan wasn't exactly the best at making friends. People were varying degrees of intimidating, and constantly reading lips was tiring.

As much as he protested, Ryan knew they were right. How could he expect things to be any better if he didn't at least try to put himself out there. If the entire night was horrible, Ryan would have some reason not to attend the next event. He needed to try.

Ryan packed his things, including a copy of the solo jazz piece he was playing when he met Alex and Jay and a copy of the jazz and classical duet that he had mentioned to Alex should he happen to be attending, and biked to the school. Ryan really hoping one or both of the guys he had met were going, at least then he wouldn't feel so alone. Plus, they were nice people, and Ryan wanted to know if poor worried Jay ever found his cousin.

After locking up his bike, Ryan made his way to the gym and dropped off his things in the gym, seeing as everyone seemed to be setting up there, and then made his way to the music room, the two copies of the sheet music underneath his arm. He walked into the music room, sighing as he found it empty. It was peaceful being alone. Maybe he wouldn't make a total fool out of himself this time. Ryan sat down at the piano, lodging the sheet music on the stand and angled his phone on the stand so that he could see the door in the reflection of the black screen. He really didn't want to get snuck up on again.

| open |​

 

[mogy]

Dante Novello

​

Dante watched the situation unfold before her eyes. Little boy found another British boy by yelling fish, and the British boy offered him candy. Sure, this situation wouldn't be anything special if it wasn't the first time she noticed some actual emotion from the little boy. She lived with him, and she even had a theory that he was a simulation because he could like play chess in his head and do things like math. Not having emotions supported her theory. When the taller little boy gave little boy the chocolate bar, little boy looked exactly like Noah when he would be served by a hot waiter in a restaurant — in love. She knew that gay boys fell in love quickly, which might or might have not been a stereotype, but however it was, the little boy was gay, and Dante shipped little boy and taller little boy.

When the taller little boy moved away from the two, trying to find a sleeping bag or something, Dante leaned towards little boy and whispered. "You like him, don't you?" She made sure she was being quiet enough so the taller little boy couldn't hear her.

"Can't judge you, he's kind of cute, in a weird British way. Like sure, I like my men tall and muscular and he isn't that tall or muscular. He is actually quite scrawny and he also doesn't seem like a smart person, but I think he is a good soul, and if that is what makes your engine purr, you should go for it." She continued. Dante might not have known a lot about facts about Britain or Italy, but when it came to love, she knew what to talk about and she could go on for days.

Interactions: Dede (Tom, Stu)​

 

[Soap]

Raven

Raven decided not to pry. Colby was one of the very few people who seemed laid-back in this small town, why not respect the boy's privacy? Maybe she didn't believe in 'treat people how you want to be treated.' With prying, and maybe she probably should. But then again, if journalism was something she wanted to pursue, Raven had to throw all that out the window. Good thing she wasn't anything special yet.

A grin came to her face, raising an eyebrow towards the brown haired boy. "Mean it what way?" Oh, she knew exactly what he meant. But there's nothing wrong with pretending a bit. It's all in good fun. The girl had to admit she was the least bit nervous, she needed a job-- and she needed it bad. There was no way she was going to live at Mason's place and not contribute to rent, food and whatever else. "I'm just waiting on a call back. Put in a good word for me, will you?" Raven knew it was all up to the store's owner and not Colby himself, but a little nudge from his grandson couldn't hurt. Right?

"Say, I'd be working in close quarters with you, wouldn't I?

What?

... it's all in good fun.

0k_mang0

Juliette

Heels clicked against the white tiles.

Louder, and louder towards the art room until the brunette barged in, walking towards the boy's desk and placing both hands on top of the table. Disrupting his little drawing session. "Zander, my... friend." Ew. No, Juliette wasn't exactly keen on her boyfriend's brother. And they were definitely not friends, especially since he pulled that little stunt on her father's car. How stupid could you be? Whatever.

None of that mattered.

Juliette was here for one reason and one reason only.

"What's Toby's plan? Surely you know it," She paused for a moment before continuing almost immediately. "I need to be prepared and make sure I look presentable at the time." What? It was true. Homecoming was only two weeks away! She needed time to find a dress that matched his tie, and surprise, surprise, there wouldn't be a dress if she didn't have a damn date. She cocked her head to one side, clearly impatient without the information.

"I'm waiting."

Winona


​

 

[TheFool]

River

Gussy always spoke his language. Vodka, perf.
“Think I got a real bad cold, doc.” He replied to him, jokingly.
He had opened Gus’ bag to see what exactly it contained. Vodka. That, combined with his pack of cans, would be killer. Could easily turn a boring night into a good one. He needed a good night. This week had been all stress and no play. Even hanging out with Z wasn’t helping, in fact it was probably making things worse. They fooled around the other night, and it was hands down… the worst blowjob River had ever received. Not on her part, no. It was just that he wasn’t too enthused about this relationship. He felt bad for what he did. And he wanted to make it up to her. But, River wished he could make it up to her in a way that meant them not getting back together.
He zipped the bag back up,
Concealing the alcohol.
“Let’s bounce.”


Suddenly,
It was Monday night again, but for a moment. As they walked into the school - he reminisced. Monday night. Right after practice. The sun set faster than usual. A sign of the coming winter. He had received a text from Parker,


“She’ll live.
Thanks for the help.”


He rolled his eyes at the message. What a fucknut. This Parker guy had been a hassle. He hadn’t said a word to the guy in person and yet he was just - ugh. It made River pissed. Pissed at Parker. Pissed at Westbrook. When he got home, he took the porsche. Took it to the hospital. Assuming Westbrook only had one hospital. That’s what Google had told him anyway. Google never lied. He walked through the hospital’s automatic doors, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hoodie. He approached the reception desk -
Smiling thinly.
“Can I help you, sir?” The woman at the desk asked, wearing purple coloured scrubs. Her hair was in a high braid. Her face was a stern looking one.
“Yeah, uh…”
He stopped. Thought.
“I’d like to pay off a medical bill or… something. Wanted to know how I’d go about doin’ that like.” He told her. She looked him up and down, judging him. And for what? What was there to judge? “What’s the name?”
She asked him. Placing her fingers on the keyboard in front of her.
“It’s not me actually… it’s, um, Tadita?”
The woman started typing.
“Tadita Lunaroja?” He continued. Then spelling her surname out. That’s how it was spelt on her Facebook page. “She, uh, came in today at some point. So don’t know if you guys have her bills all ready to go or… however it works like. But, just wanted to -”
She stopped typing,
“We don’t have anyone here by that name, sir.”
He blinked.
Taken aback by the woman’s words.
What?
“Huh?” Was the only sound he made.
“Are you sure you have the spelling right?” She asked.
River nodded,
“Yeah.”
“Well, we don’t have a patient under that name registered.”
“Possible you guys just haven’t registered her yet...or?”
“We register people as soon as admitted.”
“Aight.” He said, biting his lip softly. “Thanks.” He turned away and walked out. Hands still in his pockets. Confused.


“Babe, I’m going to go to the bathroom.”
A voice told him.
It was, of course, Z. He snapped out of his daydreaming. She clung to him still. “I’ll meet you guys in the gym.”
He nodded,
“Sure you won’t get lost?” He asked her with a teasing grin.
“Very sure.”
She perked up, on her tippy toes, and kissed him lightly. He shut his eyes as she did. It was a brief kiss and then she was gone. And he moved on. To the gym. Following closely behind Gus and his brother and Norah and Riona.

He caught up with them just as they entered the gym. Opening its doors to reveal, well, something that looked right off of the fucking Sleepover Club. Some Disney channel bullshit. He felt his eyes reaching for the back of his head. Begging to be rolled.
“Fuck me.”
River whispered softly under his breath.
Fuck him indeed.

They found a spot, unclaimed by the nerds and the dweebs. River put his bag down softly. Stretching his arms and letting loose a big yawn. “You got a mixer, right?” He asked Gus. Referring to the contents of his bag. He only saw the vodka, but -
The vodka was all there really was too see.
He’d drink it straight if need be.
Though the others might detest that idea a bit too much. He looked at Gus, putting his arms down from their stretching. “Say we find a classroom and just… get fuckin’ smashed while these fruits play Smash Bros.”
He spied a blonde girl across the way. One he’d seen around a bit. He looked her up and down. Nice. “Maybe invite a few girls for you an’ Fitzy.”

For you and Fitzy.

He picked his bag back up and put his arm through one strap. The cans rattling a bit. No adult was around to hear though. Thankfully. He looked at Norah,
“You in?”
She had been too quiet. Usually she didn’t fucking shut up. “Unless ya wanna chill here with the kiddos.” He shook his bag.
Rattling it more.
He was smiling at her, but she wasn’t sharing that smile. “What’s up?” He asked her. Low key knowing what was up. “Are you on your rag or something?” He continued, coldly. His voice was a bit quieter so the twins and Riona would not hear.

“You’ve haven’t talked all day like.”



ailurophile
Braddington
Hypnos
BELIAL.



​

 

[TheFool]

Theo

She locked her car door and shoved the keys into her trouser pocket. Though said pocket was already almost full - holding a couple of crumpled receipts and a lip balm. She shoved it in, still. There was nothing more sexist than the size of a woman’s pockets. Her school bag was front-facing. So she could easily zip and unzip it without taking it off of her back. In her bag were some notebooks, a sleeping bag, a bottle of pinot grigio ( wrapped up in her sleeping bag ) and the present she had bought for Ian. As a thank you for Thursday. And, it was also his birthday. Which surprised her. Perfect timing and all that jazz. Her shoes clicked softly against the parking lot’s asphalt,
She spotted him.
With… Ash, was it? Yeah. It was.

“Hey gang!”
She called out to them. They seemed deep in conversation, but she needed a familiar face to cling to for a bit. This lock in thing seemed… well, she wasn’t the most looking forward to it. So, she hated to interrupt but they just had to deal with it.
“How’s things? And happy birthday again!” She said, approaching them. Her lips forming a sweet smile. Her eyes shifting softly between the two of them, but lingering lightly on the boy. Ian. “Mind if I walk with you guys? I honestly still am so… like… no idea where everything is in this place.” She continued, ending her words with a giggle.

“I have something as well.”
She looked solely at Ian now. Quickly unzipping her bag. “Like I said on the ol’ twitter. Just a small thing - no big deal. For Thursday. You honestly have like no idea how much I appreciated it! I’ve been wanting to master the drums for…”
She stopped.
And made a funny face.
“Too long a time now.”
Her hand reached into the bag and pulled it out. His present. His birthday present, technically. “I didn’t wrap it, sorry.” She smiled.
Handing it over to him in its bag.
He looked into it.
“It’s, um, a starter bundle. Like, I know you’re not a starter but… this is like a professional starter bundle. Kit.” She watched as Ian took it out of the bag. Examining the set. “There’s like loads of drumsticks. Hickory wood. Maple. Hornbeam wood too. And some made out of bamboo as well, I think. All of the sticks have like… really cool crafted handles. There’s also some drum brushes and stuff as well.”

She bit her lip.
Awaiting his response.

“I hope it’s not like… too much. Or weird or anything. I just wanted to say thank you in a way more than words.”
Theo smiled. She meant that. Ian being so earnest to teach her how to play the drums had been the first real sort of act of kindness she’d gotten from any of the Westbrookians. And she wanted to show how much she…

How much she appreciated his kindness.



PenguinFox
Winona



​

 

[dendygar]

Tadita

Tadita and Tatum were standing around and talking, joking and laughing with one another as if they had been friends for years. People came in and out of the gym, dropping their things off and either hanging around in their cliques or leaving again to wander the halls. Tadita stood near the equipment with her arms crossed, the black box near her feet, not out of sight. She didn't pay any attention to who was coming in and who was leaving.. until she heard a familiar voice. Fuck me. River. She turned her head slightly and spotted him, feeling her palms start to sweat and her heart began to race. Her eyes went to his hair, and just like that, his name went flying out of her brain, slipping through her fingers like tinsel from a Christmas tree. Why am I thinking about Christmas? I need to do this now before I fucking forget. Dita looked at Tatum and some color had drained out of her face, her endless migraine slamming harder and harder into her eyes, ears and base of her neck. Like a SWAT team trying to kick in a door.

"I'm uh, I'm gonna go ask him. Like. Right now." Tadita said to her blonde friend, seemingly much more nervous. She bent down and picked up the black box, already on the verge of tears. Why was she so nervous? I've done this before. I've got this. But deep, deep down.. she knew that she didn't, and she knew that this was going to blow up in her face. Because River Walsh was in an entirely different league, River Walsh had girls more societally pretty than her fawning over him every day. And River fawned over those girls. Openly. I should just stop. I should throw this fucking thing away and not go. "Wish me luck."

Dita flashed a shy smile at Tatum, before turning and walking towards River and his clique. Stop. Stop moving your feet, turn around, and go back to Tatum. She was always the intimidating one asking people to homecoming.. not the other way around. Moving across the gym, Tadita's bruised complexion was a bit washed out from the lights that hadn't been dimmed yet. "Erm," Tadita began and could feel her hands shaking. River. August. Fitz. Her eyes found Norah's face for a second, and she could have sworn she flatlined. Norah was so fucking beautiful and clever and witty- but she couldn't remember her fucking name. What was River's last name again? Which one was Gus and who was Fitz? "Can I talk to you?" Tadita asked quietly, seeming to be building up a wall around herself each passing second. Like a turtle retreating into it's shell, a rabbit fleeing from foaming hunting dogs back into it's den.

"Like. Alone?" She clenched the box a bit tighter and finally looked up at River's face. One of her eyes was rimmed a blackish-purplish, the skin surrounding an almost sickly yellow and green. Her lip had a tear in it, a large padded bandage over one of her soft cheeks. The hands holding the box were scraped up, deep bruises over the tendons and small fragile bones of her carpals. She was scared, but hid it behind a mask hand crafted from years of repressing emotions and false confidence. Only another person who had done the same could see that brand of fear. Could smell it, even.

Tadita smelled like sage, like weed, like.. lavender. Like the earth. The very earth she felt crumbling away from her the longer she waited for him to answer. "Please?"

TheFool {MENTIONED: Elf_Ruler @Saboona}​

 

[BELIAL.]

Norah Walsh
location: WHS, leaving gym mention: TheFool @Black Mill ​

For the most part she'd been fine. It wasn't the end of the world that she'd spent the most awkward thirty minutes of her life in that room with Mason. He washed her clothes. Normally she wouldn't lower-class people doing chores for her, especially laundry, but it was awful that it was him. They said nothing between the two of them and she was certain that she didn't want to see his face ever again. She had been bummed that their little fun observatory thing probably wouldn't happen, because it had been since her mom died that she'd been to one. It wasn't like there was a specific reason why she hadn't visited one in that long, but any chance was as good to get back in her old swing of things. But that was just about totally out the window.

Then there was Danny. He had disappeared, just about going AWOL in the last week. She wasn't sure if she had done something truly awful to him to warrant his long-term silence, but he was gone. He hadn't even showed up for school. Suffice to say Norah was worried about him.

It kept her off her rocker, a bit more irritable than usual. She found tears in her eyes when she went to her room at night, overwhelmed by the prospect that she'd never get to reconcile things with him. She'd been a bitch to him, but it was all her bravado and emotions talking. Her heart was wounded that he'd cheated on her, especially with a Windrift, but she wouldn't have expected to take it this far. To scold him every time he was online, to glare at him every second he was near her.

She wished she could chill the fuck out, but the anger kept her raw.

This lock-in was no help either. She knew that River and the boys were going to drink, and try to be as shitty as possible. She was fervently against alcohol, in any form-- especially after Mom.

Yet, part of her ventured on the idea of letting go. She was so uptight, so often. She was so concerned with herself, so often. It was tiring. Perhaps it was some element of Westbrook catapulting her into some new abyss, she did not know.

She kept to herself, except to roll her eyes and grovel back, during the ride to the school. She kept her arms crossed, holding her belonging, and made her way begrudgingly into the school. Why on earth was this a thing, anyway? Black Mill had sleepovers, but it was renting out an entire Hilton Hotel. Not camping out like squatters in the very place most of them despised.

They made their way into the gym and she bee-lined to some spot away from everyone. By the time things got on the up she'd probably make her way out, hiding in some dark hall to whine some more. On her phone maybe.

God, why did she care so much about all of this?

“You in?”

Norah looked up, seeing River look down at her. Her mouth opened to grumble out a half-willing yes, to just ignore every reservation she had in her body... but she knew better. Mom wouldn't be proud of her for stooping so low. Norah shook her head, sticking her thumb nail in her mouth and chewing on the acrylic nail. The five year anniversary was coming up shortly anyway. Tomorrow. She figured she was the only one thinking about it.

It explained her behaviour.

“What’s up? Are you on your rag or something? You’ve haven’t talked all day like," River said and Norah glared up at him. She was ready to spit some venom out, but the words choked in her mouth. She scoffed instead, rolling her eyes and standing up.

"No. Fuck off," she hissed. Tadita came up and Norah exchanged her glance for a brief moment, but she didn't give any sort of emotional response. Norah grabbed her phone and huffed, storming off and out of the gym.

 

[TheFool]

River

He stood there looking like a bit of a buffoon.
Norah always knew how to make an exit as dramatic as fucking dramatic got. He shook his head as she swore at him. “Norah -”
He tried talking.
But she was having none of it. None of it, whatsoever. Storming off.

Storming past...

River’s heart sunk a little when he saw her. Tadita. She looked - She wasn't… Fuck. She looked bad. Not as in like she looked ugly or anything, she just looked -
He was a bit shocked at first. He knew something had happened and that she was hurt or something but he didn’t know it was this bad. He swallowed,
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
He spoke. His tongue pushing against his cheek. Not sure of what to do next. He shrugged and turned back to look at Gus. “Be back in a sec’.”
He said.
Eyeing him.
His gaze turned towards Fitz, as well. He knew it looked sketch. Sketch as fuck. He was thankful Zia hadn’t gotten here yet. A part of him hoped she had, like, fallen down the fucking toilet. Unable to get up and out for another ten minutes or so. Giving him time.
Time for Dita.

He started walking away. Tadita following him. They pushed through double blue doors, which led out to the hallway that led to the locker rooms. It was dimly lit. And empty. River stopped by a notice board and turned,
Looking at Dita.
He leant back against the wall next to the board.


“I…”


He couldn’t think of what to say.


Fuck.


“I, uh, came to the hospital. To try see if you were… alright.” Apparently she wasn’t. He couldn’t get over it. The bruising. Who the fuck did this to her? “But, you weren’t there. Receptionist said they didn’t have you registered or whatever.”
He bit his lip.
Avoiding her gaze.
“So I left.”

“Meant to text or whatever but…” They had talked on twitter since. But not about this. About… other things. Shit that had got him stressed.

He stared at a poster.
A poster with a little painted quarterback on it. A cutely drawn cheerleader on his shoulders. He looked at Dita,
“What’d you wanna talk about?”



ailurophile
Braddington
Hypnos
dendygar
BELIAL.



​