Realistic or Modern Westbrook

[Dede]

Neck Tie

‘Really? That’s so cool.’ Even though Ash’s story sounded a bit over the top, Neck Tie believed every word of it. The image of the tiny little West servants trying to squeeze a fat, slippery turkey into their rich-people oven was forever etched in his mind. ‘We don’t get to eat turkeys a lot. My mum thinks they’re too expensive, but my nan cooks them sometimes, for Christmas. . .’ He paused. ‘Well, once. . .’ He paused again. ‘Well, at least I thought it was a turkey. . .’

He thought Ash was being pretty friendly, and that helped clear a lot of the tension as well as put slight dimples on his face. That was at least until the doorbell rang and the dreaded figure of Jace waltzed across the room, completely blanking him as he went. This was going to be a long and cruel night.

Neck Tie didn’t know Ryder, other than that there was bad blood between him and Kanen. He had tried to stop Kanen from unleashing his wrath on Ryder once. Had he been successful, Ryder would have owed him his life. But instead he just got flung into a bunch of chairs, and his legacy was among the ants on the cold auditorium floor. Poor Ryder’s fate after that was unknown to him.

Could Kanen blame him for fraternising with the enemy? Well the dining table was way too big for just the five of them, and it would have been very awkward if it was just Neck Tie and the Wests, so it was a good thing that Ryder had also decided to partake in this nightmare. Not long after, the doorbell rang again, and Jace left for a second time to answer it. The more the merrier, Neck Tie thought. Anything to keep everyone’s attention away from him was welcome.

His eyes trailed back to the scene at hand. Hey, how come Ryder got a handshake when Neck Tie didn’t? All he got from Mr. West was a reluctant if not slightly dismissive glance. He figured the Wests didn’t like him that much after what happened at the musical, which was understandable. Jace must have told them all sorts of fibs about him behind his back. It wasn’t their fault that Beanie Boy was a dishonest coward who hid behind girls as well as a grade A twat womble.

At least Ash was being nicer to him than Jace ever— Oh, she just called her own mother a bitch. Okay then. Neck Tie scratched the tip of his nose awkwardly, and then the back of his ear. He’d never called anybody a bitch, and it was inconceivable for him that such an insult could be directed at one’s own MOTHER, but thankfully Ash was there to prove him wrong.

Once the matter was settled beyond any reasonable doubt that the Wests were an expensively dysfunctional family, they set to work on transferring the food from the kitchen to the dining table. Mr. West had enlisted him to the task of finishing up the turkey, and Neck Tie was eager to make himself somewhat useful. He picked up a spoon and began basting the bird religiously. ‘I’m not very good,’ he blushed at the undeserved compliment, ‘It’s just that there isn’t really any competition at my house. My dad, he can’t fry an egg if his life depended on it!’

Oh no, he was accidentally talking bad about his own dad to Mr. West. Even though he meant it as a joke, the last thing he wanted was for Mr. West to think his dad, who was now seeing his ex-wife, was a hopeless idiot.

‘I mean — he’s not that bad. . . He just hasn’t got that much time that’s all. He teaches a lot. He’s got many students at the university, so he’s always so busy and doesn’t come home till late. . .’

That somehow made it sound even worse.

‘I mean, sometimes he has to wait for Elise to finish teaching too. So they’re both home late, and they just go to straight to bed because they’re tired.’ Oh, NO. What has he done? Neck Tie panicked. ‘Uh. . . um, I think the turkey's ready, Mr. West!’

Winona a z u l a Maree

 

[Maree]

Belle Taylor

Mood: Concerned| Interacting with: Zach |Mentions: Drake
Dazzle Winona

Belle had never really done Thanksgiving. Maybe when her grandparents were around? But that was too long ago for her to remember. So she had no idea of what to expect. She had stayed up late trying to perfect Zach's favourite pie. It had taken a few attempts because she wanted it to be perfect. In the end, she had managed to make a damn good pie without the help of her chef. It was normal to take a dish, right? She was very far out of her comfort zone. Why had she agreed to do this again?

She had taken twice as long as the pie took to get ready. To say that she was nervous would be quite the understatement. What if Zach's moms hated her? Then they wouldn't be friends anymore- She stopped mid-stride and forced herself to breathe. There was no use panicking but she just couldn't help it. Was a cute dress and sneakers too much or too little? What did people usually wear to these things? Zach didn't make it sound like it was a formal occasion but still. How could she not worry? First impression were so important.

Before leaving Belle topped up the water for her roses. Drake had given them to her before they went on attempt two of their date, which had been lovely. They had spent a bit of time together since the incident at the hospital. He had forgiven her rather quickly after realising how she was still quite drunk when they were talking. After all, she had barely been able to keep herself standing a few minutes prior. But things with him were great. They got along really well and she always had fun when they were together.

It wasn't long until she was stood in front of his house. She hesitated for a moment before pressing the doorbell. The wait was excruciating. What if she had gone to the wrong house? Were they busy? Should she push the bell again? Maybe they didn't hear it. She pulled out her phone and shot Zach a quick message. A few very long seconds later her panicking was interrupted by someone opening the door. "Hey. I brought pie" she added, smiling shyly. She had never been that good at being confident around adults. They were scary.

code by Ri.a

 

[Dazzle]

Rae


Rae finished curling her hair, sighing as she looked at herself in the mirror. This was the first time in three years she would be celebrating Thanksgiving. She was extremely nervous to meet Chase's mom, she had barely met his siblings as it was. Even though Chase had assured her that she wasn't going to be the only girlfriend there, she still felt like she was intruding on his family's time.

Rae quickly unplugged the curler and walked by Madison's room knocking on the door. "Hey Mads, I'm leaving.." Rae wore a long sleeve red dress, and a pair of black flats. "Text me if you need anything." She could hear Madison playing his video games, she was sure he had his headphones on and was completely distracted from the holiday. Even so, she felt bad leaving him alone.

Rae wanted to drive herself just in case everything went badly, at least she would be able to escape on her own accord. But Chase had insisted, and she figured he wasn't going to take no for an answer. She made her way down the stairs and found her dad sitting in front of the TV watching the game. "Hey dad, I'm heading out. I'll be back later tonight." Rae smiled, hoping her father wouldn't ask much more. She hadn't told her dad about Chase yet, and didn't exactly think this was the time for him to find out.

"I don't get why you're leaving." He mumbled under his breathe. Rae swallowed, "I'm sorry that I don't want to sit around the house and spend the rest of my life wallowing in my own pitty." She knew her dad hurt and she missed her mom just as much as he did. But she knew her mom would never want her to spend the rest of her life locked up in the house, like her dad did.

Lucas didn't even turn away from the TV to face his daughter. "You don't even miss her. You wouldn't be leaving if you did." Rae noticed a few empty beer cans at his feet. At least now she knew why he was always locked away in his office. "Dad, mom loved the holidays, she would want us to celebrate, despite her absence." Rae tried to stay as calm as possible. "You're wrong." He responded without much else.

Rae made her way out the door shaking her head, holding back tears. She knew that it wasn't him talking, he was still hurting and she was trying hard to not let him hurt her.

She opened the door grateful to see that Chase had been pulling into her driveway at that moment. Smiling sweetly she made her way over to his car hopping in the passenger seat. "Hi" She leaned over giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. At least she could count on him to make the day a little bit better.

Rae fiddled with her fingers as he drove, she didn't know Westbrook that well, but she was almost sure that this was the longest way to get to the Vaughn's house. Considering this was practically the only place she would ever drive to.

She took a deep breath as they pulled up to his house, stepping out of the car she hoped that she was ready. Hoping that his mom would like him. Rae smiled over at Alaska giving her a small wave. Another women walked out from the kitchen, she could only figure this must of been their mother as she basically looked like an older version of Alaska. "Hi" Rae reached her hand out to shake her hand. "Nice to finally meet you Mrs. Vaughn." Rae smiled. Okay, this isn't that bad. She turned to face Chase briefly smiling a little nervously, before turning back to Mrs. Vaughn. "Thank you for having me."

a z u l a

Carter


Carter wasn't even sure what she was doing here, at Adriane's. The only time she had ever gone to Adriane's was that one time she had egged her parents' house, back when Mason and Adriane had started dating. But Mason told her Adriane was trying to make amends or some shit like that, she guessed that she might as well attempt to accept Adriane since it was better for Mason to have a co-parent. Even so she still didn't trust her.

Carter wore a black button up dress, and a pair of deep purple flats. She made her way up the porch, Mason seemed to be stuck in his own train of thought, smoking, what else was new. "You know those will kill you." She smirked leaning against the railing. "So this is new, celebrating thanksgiving and all." Making her way the rest of the way up the porch she stood next to him. "What's going on in that head of yours? Can't be much."

Winona​

 

[Soap]

Juliette

Juliette wasn't sure why she was going. Maybe she didn't want to be alone? Oh. Who cares. ThankGiving is overrated. It's not like she actually wanted to celebrate it. Like, whatsoever. What was the big deal about a family meal? Talking and laughing, and... it was just cheesy and stupid. But here she was, getting ready for thanksgiving which wasn't even her own, Ava invited her. It was almost surreal that they were friends again, but that was beside the point. Lonnie's family was always nice...

It shouldn't be too bad to see them again. They were probably the only family she didn't hate. What? It's not like WestBrook is known for their family oriented... well, family. Everyone's parents were either dead, AWOL, gay, or well, homophobic. So... you get the point. Eying herself in the mirror and adjusting her dress.

"You look... very pretty." Jules turned around to see Lupe and a genuine smile came across her face. "Thank you. Have you... heard from my parents?" She asked, and Lupe gave her a sympathetic look which made Juliette avert her gaze from the woman. "So... definitely not coming home anytime soon. Got it." Glancing over and giving her a slight smile. "I'm going to Ava's. You should go home to your family, one of us should enjoy ThanksGiving."

A little while later she was standing outside of Ava's house, jeez. Way too many memories here. Shaking her head free of thoughts and ringing the doorbell. It wasn't long until someone came to the door, greeting them with a small smile. "Happy... ThanksGiving." God, she hated this holiday.

Winona​

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Aaron​

At first, Aaron didn’t think much of the figure coming his way. Sure, there wasn’t much to do outside of your own home on Thanksgiving, but Aaron wasn’t one to judge. And besides, they’d only be near each other for a moment. Then he’d be on his own again. Of course, it couldn't be that simple. The person approaching him just had to be Drake.

A wave of anger crashed through Aaron, and he fought the urge to shake. Of course Aaron’s good mood had to be ruined. Of course. He bit his cheek, willing himself not to speed up or, worse still, slow down as the pair approached each other. Drake was on his phone- maybe they could just pass each other, Drake none the wiser. And then he could deal with him Monday, or, even better, never, though that was unlikely. He tried to ignore the whisper of melancholy he felt at the idea of never talking to Drake again. He'd known the guy a week- he should be over it.

Drake glanced up, and Aaron could barely keep himself from showing how unprepared for this conversation he was as his walking ground to a halt. As Drake looked him over, he couldn't help but feel this was a bit unfair. He might as well be naked; Drake just looked like himself, if a bit shittier than usual. Anger mixed with insecurity, and he fought the urge to fidget, not even tapping his thigh. At least he could bite at his cheek.

"Hey... Aaron?" Drake said, and Aaron would have rolled his eyes if he weren't committed to looking as unaffected as possible.

Drake had the nerve to not just approach Aaron, but start the conversation off like that, as if nothing had happened. Aaron again wanted to shake, but again he fought it, focusing on his breathing. He was taking too long to reply.

He meant to say hello, or hi, or something neutral, or at least something that was just mean, but instead, more hostile than he intended, he said, "I should kick your ass."

Winona​

 

[Soap]

Raven

It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't. Right? Right. Okay, so Raven's not stupid. Of course it seemed like a big deal. Did she look okay? Psh. Please. Of course she looked okay. She looked more than okay. But did she? An annoyed groan came from the brunette as she pulled the mirror down from the passenger seat and eyed every imperfection about herself. Raven wasn't insecure, she never was. Why the hell was she so nervous? It's just parents. Granted, no parents were ever fond of the rather blunt journalist. But not the point. She could be likable...

Her actions had caught Nancy's attention and she glanced over. "You look fine." She reassured her, things between her and Nancy had been... awkward? Raven isn't sure. But she's perfectly fine keeping her distance, that was until she needed a ride. "Yeah. Okay." Raven muttered to herself, hesitating before closing the mirror. Maybe she should... lifting a hand up to her nose ring. Fuck it. It's not like she needs it anyway. Just for tonight. Yeah.

Pocketing the small diamond in her bag, and noticed Nancy's weird look towards her. "What?" Raven snapped. So maybe things were a little more than just awkward between them. She wasn't mad at Nancy because she was leaving, how could she be mad? It's for her family. Blood is blood or whatever.

Pulling up to the expensive, huge, and... beautiful mansion. She looked down at her outfit again before sighing. She might've looked more... not herself for today. She just wasn't sure how tight her clothes could be this time around. "Hey, before you go in there. I needed to talk to-" Raven didn't let her finish as she stepped out of the car and closed the door. Giving her a wave goodbye. Shaking her head in disbelief as she knocked on the door, and taking a deep breath. What was probably only a few seconds, it felt like forever when the door finally opened, she genuinely smiled at the brunette in front of her. Suddenly her nervousness was swept away, eh. Who cares about parents?

"You... look amazing little bird."

a z u l a​

 

[Dazzle]

Zach/Marlo/Josephine


Zach felt bad for Belle, he never really had what most would consider a normal Thanksgiving. The house was full of his mom's closest friends, rather than any family. Josephine's parents had passed away a few years before, being an only child she didn't have any siblings to celebrate with. While Zach didn't know grandparents on Marlo's side, when Marlo ran away from home to have Zach her parents never forgave her for it. Zach loved his family's tradition, Theo and his family usually would join them along with many other gay parents and their kids. It was a huge potluck, where usually Zach and Theo would watch the game while everyone else got wine drunk.

Zach's moms had been hounding him all morning for more details about this Belle girl. "So how'd you meet her?" Josephine poured herself a glass of wine, Marlo had kicked her out of the kitchen for almost burning the turkey 6 years ago and she was never allowed to help with thanksgiving dinner again. "School mom, she's just a friend." He smirked him and Josephine were supposed to be setting up the drinks table, but she had gotten a little distracted by.. Well.. The wine.

"What do you even know about this girl?" Marlo had emerged from the kitchen. "Who am I inviting into my home?" She said with concern in her voice. Josephine walked over and wrapped an arm around Marlo's waist. "Oh honey, can't you let our boy just invite a girl over to Thanksgiving. I mean come on, she's just a high schooler. How bad could she be?" She smirked, squeezing her waist tilting her head up and giving her a quick kiss.

The three of them heard the doorbell ring and Josephine threw her wine down and booked it to the front door, throwing open the door she just found one of her friends and their kids. "Oh hey Carol! Welcome, let me help you with that." She took the tray from their hand and stepped to the side to let them in.

Zach had followed close behind Josephine, to attempt to save Belle from any interrogations. "You win this time." She narrowed her eyes at Zach pointing at him. "You will not hide her from me." She laughed making her way back to the table, taking another sip of her wine. "I'm not trying to hide her" He laughed, him and Belle weren't anything. He had barely just met the girl. This time the bell rang, and Josephine had been sucked into something by Marlo. Zach made his way to the door opening it to find Belle holding a pie. "Hey there." He smirked opening the door further. "So I'm going to apologize for my Moms in advance they're a bit... much?" Zach rubbed the back of his neck.

"Let me take that from you." He said reaching out to take the pie,"Come on in, follow me this way." He stepped aside letting Belle into the house, and walking into the kitchen to find his parents whisper arguing under their breath. "Uh... Mom, mother?" He cleared his throat. "This is Belle, my friend." He put emphasis on the friend part.

Josephine broke away from Marlo and ran over to Belle, "It's great to meet you!" She pulled the girl into a hug. "Let me know if I can get you anything, and welcome to our home." She smiled backing away from her, holding onto her wrists for a moment. "I'm Josephine, and that cranky old blonde in the corner is my beautiful wife Marlo." She nodded over to her wife in the corner, who was freaking out about everything not being perfect prior to Zach and Belle's entrance into the kitchen.

Maree​

 

[Winona]

Ava


She'd been busy schooling her cousins in the glorious art of video games. Ava had been taking them down one by one, and had put stupid little Christian in his place so now her cousin was seated on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at her. She just stuck her tongue out at him and turned around to keep playing. Hell, Ava could play most of these levels in her sleep. She'd even managed to lap one of her little cousins, which had caused her to start crying. All was fair in gaming.

And then Ava heard her mother greeting someone at the door and at first, Ava thought nothing about it until she heard her mother speak. "Oh, Jules! So lovely of you to come by!" Ava was throwing the controller at Christian -- it hit him in the eye -- and running for the door in just a matter of seconds to protect Jules from the embarrassment that was her mother, but Ava was too late. Her mother was pulling Jules into a forceful hug, then placing her hands on her shoulders to look at her. "Wow, you've grown up so much! I remember when you were little and you were in ballet with Ava. So sweet. And look at this dress, you look so gorgeous--"

"Hey Mom, shouldn't you be helping grandma or someone in the kitchen?" Ava asked, forcing a huge smile to her face as she wedged her way in-between her mother and Jules. Imagine a crazy cat lady, and that was Ava's mom. Huge ugly sweaters, constantly offering people food, and crocs. She was the queen of embarrassment, and Ava was all about making her mother go away, especially before her dad caught wind that Jules was here, too. "You know how they are with rearranging the... spoons."

But Ava's mother couldn't be deterred. "Oh Jules, do you know this Zach that Ava is always talking about?" and that right there was the last straw as Ava, eyes wide and cheeks bright red, turned her mother around and shoved her towards the kitchen. "No, no, no. Go sort the spoons or bathe a turkey. Whatever it is you do."

Once her mother was gone (and laughing at that), Ava returned to Jules, an awkward grin on her face. Not only was she already out of her comfort zone thanks to the stupid dress she was wearing, but now her mother also had to ruin things and start everything off awkwardly. "Uhh, so..." Ava said, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head. "We could go hide from my family in my room, or my cousins are playing video games in the living room... like whatever you want to do."

Soap

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

Drake


To be perfectly honest, he could barely remember what had happened last Friday. Most of it was a blur -- yelling, jumping over a table, bloody fists hitting him, then Belle, and then... black. So yeah, Drake knew that Aaron had reason to try and kick his ass, but he couldn't entirely remember what he'd said. Just that it had been shitty. But also, how would he be able to kick Drake's butt in a dress? Yes maybe that was the first thing that came into Drake's mind.

"I'm not going to deny that." Drake said with a shrug and held his arms out. "If you want to punch me, go ahead. I fucking deserve it, I mean..." he just shrugged once more, and dropped his arms back to his sides. Plus it wasn't like Aaron was the only one who would be beating him up over this. Although most of the bruises from Mason had faded, you could still see them along his cheeks and his nose, and his right was now a faded black eye. Couple that with his arms, and... Drake was a mess.

"Look I'm sorry for what I said. I really deeply regret it, so please forgive me and I know that apologizing doesn't really make up for anything that was said, but... I'm still sorry." What a shitty apology. This would be so much easier if he didn't feel sick, and if he could be just a little bit high. Everything was easier that way.

mikaluvkitties

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

Mason


"That's what I'm counting on." Mason responded to Carter with a smirk, then put the cigarette out in a nearby ash tray. No one else in Adriane's family really smoked except for her and Mason, and he knew that her parents had purchased these because they were tired of the cigarette butts everywhere. He sighed, leaning back against the railing and looked at Carter.

"I honestly have no idea anymore." He said, shrugging helplessly. "No fucking idea what I'm doing or where I'm going. Sometimes I just..." Mason hesitated, trying to think of how to word it. "I just want to drop everything and run. Start over fresh, where no one knows me or what I've done to fuck up, and where I don't have to worry about if Ari brushed her teeth or if my mother is coming home or if Drake is going to overdose and die. I just want to have normal high school problems, you know? Worry about what fucking college I'm getting into, scholarships, fucking stupid dating drama, my grades. Normal shit."

Mason just brushed it all off, though, instead just laughing and shaking his head. "Never mind. It's not a big deal. I'm glad you could come, though. Do you know if Kanen is coming, too?" Yeah, Carter and Kanen both hated Adriane, but at least he felt like Carter and Adriane could kind of exist in the same area without the word bitch being thrown around.

Dazzle​

 

[Maree]

Belle Taylor

Mood: Happy| Interacting with: Zach, Marlo, Josephine
Mentions: Dazzle

Belle was quite relieved to see Zach when the door opened. At least talking to his moms would be easier with him at her side. "The things I do for you Zachary" she teased, giving him a side hug as he took the pie from her. She chewed on her bottom lip a little. What did he mean by his moms were a bit much? Were they mean? Were they going to interrogate her? Why would he say that and then not go into detail? Jeez, he was impossible sometimes. Cute but very impossible.

She followed slightly behind Zach as he took her through his house. It was nice. The type of house that felt like home. Full of life and happy memories. Unlike the cold and empty mansion, she lived in. All it represented was wealth. Not love or family. It was a house, not a home. She paused for a minute to admire a baby picture on the wall. Was that a baby Zach? How cute. He looked like a ladies man even back then. She quickly caught up to Zach before she slipped too far behind him.

As he introduced her to his moms she smiled softly. "Such an emphasis on friend. Are you trying to tell me something?" she teased, elbowing him playfully. Even though she knew it wasn't directed at her. Were his mothers teasing him about her? Maybe she was the first girl friend he had brought to meet them. She didn't see why though they both seemed pretty lovely. Letting her intrude on their family holiday was so sweet.

"It's lovely to meet you too. Thank you for letting me intrude on your Thanksgiving" Belle said, hugging Josephine back without hesitation. Her hug was so comforting and... Motherly. She was slightly taken aback for a fraction of a second. She had never really experienced a hug like that before. Her mother wasn't much of a hugger. Which was weird because she was definitely a hugger.

When she was released she joined Zach's side again. "Why couldn't you inherit being a hugger?" she joked, raising her brow to him. Something told her that it was going to be a great day. Josephine's humour already seemed pretty close to her own. Was it bad that she was a little jealous of Zach? Sure she was richer but there were some things that wealth would never give you. "Is there anything you need help with?" she offered. Just because she was rich didn't mean that she didn't know how to cook or anything. It was just more convenient to have others do it.

code by Ri.a

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Aaron​

Wow, that had come out more affected than Aaron would have liked. He rolled his cheek between his teeth, and something about the way Drake shrugged made Aaron want to punch him. Drake could take it- Drake even gave him his blessings. But then he kept talking, and Aaron looked him over, even as he shrugged again. He really did look like shit.

As much as Aaron didn’t want to, he found himself empathizing with Drake. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked up at him, back to looking unflappable as usual. At some point, he’d stopped biting his cheek. When had that happened?

For a long moment, Aaron was silent, looking Drake over as he processed what had just happened. He’d gotten an apology. It was a shitty apology, but it was more than Aaron was used to from… well, anybody, really. Sure, his dad gave those shitty not-apologies, but this was an actual, real life apology. Aaron looked down. Maybe Drake wasn’t as awful as Aaron would like to believe. Still, the fact he had even thought to say that… Aaron fought the urge to tighten his hand into a fist.

“I forgive you,” he said. He let it sit for a few seconds. Then, fighting the reluctance inside him, he gave Drake a lightish smack, still hard enough to make a noise. “If you ever say that again, I really will kick your ass, and no amount of apologies will stop me. Understood?”

Winona​

 

[Winona]

Drake


Damn, Aaron could pack a... smack? It wasn't a full punch, but it had hurt all the same, and Drake was now rubbing the side of his face, nodding his head slowly while he listened to Aaron speak. "Alright. Fair enough. I deserved that, and I promise I won't ever speak to you like that again." He said, hesitating as he looked at Aaron for a moment, and finally pulled his hand away from his face.

"Do you wanna... hangout or something?" Drake asked. There wasn't much else to do, and as much as he liked Adriane's family, sitting around with them all day wasn't exactly his opinion on a great time. "I was thinking about heading back to my apartment to pick up some... stuff." Well, mainly whatever drugs Mason hadn't found

He could really imagine that Aaron would want to hangout with him after what had happened, but it would've been rude not to offer. And, well, maybe hanging out with him was better than walking around all alone.

mikaluvkitties​

 

[PenguinFox]

​

Ian sat at his dining room table, alone, staring at the wood. This was the first time in a long time that Thanksgiving wasn't a family holiday for him. His sister Sierra was off at college, and his mother who was a nurse was at work. His father decided that it would be better to not even bother with the whole holiday without the entire family and went out for the night, so there Ian sat; bored and alone. His eyes slowly scanned around the room as he processed his thoughts. He had absolutely nowhere to go. He didn't really have any friends, he barely even knew anyone. For the short time he's been in Westbrook he's been trying to keep his head down. It was hard for him to adjust to being the new kid and he wasn't quite ready to be himself.

Ian began to get a creeping claustrophobic feeling from these thoughts so he stood up. "Well no point in sitting around doing nothing." he said to himself. He went to his room, grabbed his skateboard and jacket and left his house, locking it behind him. He shivered for a moment, still not used to the climate. He set his board down and rode down the street, hoping the physical activity would keep him warm. Ian didn't have any idea where he was going; partly because he didn't have a destination, partly because he didn't know all the streets like he did back home- or what used to be his home. Westbrook was home now, which felt weird to him.

The cool air felt calming on Ian's face, but brutal to his fingers as they typed out a text to Sierra, which read 'Happy Thanksgiving, miss you sis'. Once the text was sent he flipped over to his music on his phone and played his usual skating playlist, which mostly consisted of skate punk. He wasn't using headphones, but he didn't think it would matter, after all it's Thanksgiving. Everyone is with friends and family. Everyone but him that is. When he finally looked up from his phone he had gone several blocks and was now a tad lost. With a shrug he continued on, turning the music up a little so he could get lost in it. Eventually he'd find his way back home.

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Casper​

Casper had spent the day watching his mother cook, trying to help where he could, even as his father chastised him. His father had been doing that a lot recently- even more than usual. Just this morning, he had commented on how Casper would be needing a trim through, running a hand through Casper’s admittedly tangled hair.

It was just so hard to remember to brush it, especially when he had things he’d rather be doing.

Of course, then there was the matter of the outfit he was wearing. It made him feel younger than he was, a boy unable to fill it out right. The blue button up shirt hung off his thin form loosely, and the sweater he’d tried throwing over it just made it look worse, though he guessed the navy complemented it nicely.

There was something else, of course, nagging at the back of his mind, about why this outfit made him so uncomfortable, something beyond the simple youthening effect it seemed to have. He chose to ignore it, even as it nibbled at him.

And then Aaron snuck out.

Casper wasn’t sure when that had happened- he had been taking the moment to sneak in some drawing time, while his mother was distracted by his father- and to be frank, he only even realized it had happened because at some point, his mother’s yelling turned to the fact that Aaron was still outside.

Chipper as ever, Robert had told him to go check on his sister, seemingly unbothered by Casper’s drawing, though Casper couldn’t help but nibble at his lip as he nodded. He recognized the tone his father was using- It was like he knew something the others didn’t.

Sure enough, as soon as he opened the door, he realized Aaron had dipped out. His lips stayed parted for a long moment, the door open as he stared out dumbly. Then, he turned around and went back inside, his eyes on the floor and voice mumbly as he explained to his parents Aaron wasn’t outside.

His father kept smiling, even as his mother’s movements began to slow.

“Casper,” he chided, “you know we can’t hear you when you mumble. Look at me.”

So Casper did, head still tilted down, as if he were the one that would be in trouble over this, and not Aaron. To be fair, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that he was right.

“Now, what did you say?”

“Aaron isn’t outside.”

His father just hummed, smile unwavering.

And that was when the fighting started. Casper couldn’t help but watch, mildly horrified, until, not too long in, his father dismissed him.

Eyes stinging, he grabbed his sketchbook and went upstairs, a bit bothered by just how easy it was for him to retreat.

He shut the door quietly, back to it, quickly sliding down as he tried to calm himself down from the edge of tears. He was okay. He was fine. This was stupid. This was so, so stupid. Why was he almost in tears? He was such a crybaby. Why did he cry so much? Why couldn’t he keep it inside like Aaron? He was supposed to be becoming a man, and instead he was just a child.

He curled up further, resting his head between his legs, still trying to breathe.

He needed a distraction.

He couldn’t draw like this, hands shaking with the effort of keeping tears in, but maybe… maybe he could type.

He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his phone and, with great effort, texted the only friend he really had.

‘Hi stu! How’s Thanksgiving? ’

Dede​

~`*`~​

Aaron​

Delight trickled through Aaron as Drake rubbed at his face. He kept that to himself, though, and simply nodded, face still neutral, satisfied with Drake’s promise. As Drake looked at Aaron, Aaron shifted his weight, crossing his arms, unable to forget the way he had looked him over, once again hyper aware of the breeze brushing against his legs.

Drake spoke, and he blinked, arms dropping slowly to his sides. As he kept speaking, Aaron looked to the ground. He was silent for a moment, biting his cheek as he thought.

On the one hand, Drake had done something that Aaron should have found unforgivable, and likely would have if he weren’t as desensitized to it. He should at least be cutting Drake out of his life.

But another part of him was lonely, and he knew, deep down, he’d rather be with Drake than by himself. He looked up.

“Okay,” he said, then paused, glancing past Drake for a moment before asking, looking to him, “What kind of stuff?”

Winona​

 

[a z u l a]

Alaska

Besides homecoming, Alaska had never really seen Raven dressed up before, and it was...wow. The brunette always looked drop-dead gorgeous, but Alaska had never noticed how soft her feature's were when she wasn't wearing thick eyeliner and wearing her nose ring. The brunette was so surprised she almost entirely missed the words coming out of her date's mouth, pulling her eyes up to meet Raven's gaze as she stepped aside to let her in.

"You look beautiful, should I be worried that you're looking so nice for my mother?" She joked, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips before taking her hand and leading her into the dining room where Chase and his girlfriend had just exited. It was hard to tell who was more nervous for Raven to meet her mother, especially with the long list of groundings Alaska had already accomplished this school year.

"Mom, this is Raven." The brunette introduced, placing her hand on the small of her back to remind her that she was still there. Viola appraised her daughter's date silently for a moment before finally shaking her hand, a not quite genuine smile forming on her red lips.

"It's nice to meet you. I hear you're a journalist for the school? How many of Alaska's suspensions have made it in the paper?" Viola joked, and while it wasn't exactly great, it was better than her mom immediately bringing up Raven's family situation or something equally as insensitive. Sometimes Mrs. Vaughn could be nice, and Alaska would take awkward conversation over out right insult any day.

"It's only been one." Alaska tried to joke, annoyed that her mother had brought it up already but glad that it was at least a dig at her and not her date. It probably didn't help that she'd just gotten into even more trouble for sneaking off to another state when she was grounded, but hindsight was 20/20.

Soap

Ryder

Ryder had barely been in the West house for five minutes before Elise had already insulted him. It took him a minute to recover from being called Ryan, and luckily Ash correct her mother before he had to. He wondered how Elise even knew about that whole incident, but it didn't matter because it was well behind them now.

"Right, Mrs. Summers." He was about to try and strike up an awkward conversation with Ash's mom when she cursed under her breath, earning a shocked look from everyone in the room. Ryder knew that Ash hated her mother, he'd been there the day she'd returned while they were on their college tour, but he'd never seen her stand up to the wretched woman and he never dreamed he would. It was hard to hold his smile back as Mr. West scolded his daughter, he wasn't sure what had happened to Ash while they'd been broken up, but he was glad she was finally sticking up for herself.

"Oh thank you Mr. West, but trust me I'm no chef." He joked, it was a miracle that the pie had turned out so well, usually his cooking looked a lot more like Mr. West's, but still on fire. It had taken both twins to properly put the pie together and ensure that it didn't burn to a crisp in the oven like their thank you cookies had.

"Sure, I can carry this stuff in." Ryder offered, handing Ash the pie so that he could carry the heavier pots into the dining room. It was incredibly awkward for everyone, at least it wasn't just him. As much as he liked ash's father, it hadn't exactly been his best idea ever to invite Elise to Thanksgiving dinner considering she was basically Satan incarnate, and he felt bad that she'd felt the need to bring little Neck Tie along to witness the dysfunction of it all.

"So, it's almost time for the annual ski trip." He said to Ash as they carried things from the kitchen, he'd been meaning to ask her if she was going but their break up had kind of gotten in the way of that. Ryder had gone every year so far, but there was no way he was going if Ash wasn't. He wanted to spend his whole winter break with her to make up for the time they'd lost over their stupid break up.

Winona

Chase

Chase could tell that Rae was nervous, she'd practically broken his hand with how hard she was holding it. It was safe to assume that today was going to be hard for her no matter what, she'd told him a few weeks ago about her mother and how they hadn't celebrated since. He could only hope that his own mother would be civil for at least today, he just wanted Rae to have one normal Thanksgiving.

"Of course, dear. Make yourself at home, dinner will be soon." Thankfully, his mom seemed to take a liking to Rae almost immediately, she'd usually already insulted his dates by now so at least they'd made it this far. It was hard for anyone not to like Rae, she was one of the sweetest people he'd ever met and he couldn't imagine anyone not getting along with his charming girlfriend, even apparently his judgmental mother. He'd have to thank Alaska for being gay later.

"Come on, we can hangout in here til dinner's ready." The jock gestured towards the living room, taking Rae's hand and leading her to sit on the couch. Though usually he watched the football game with his siblings, he was much more interested in his date.

"How are you feeling?" It was easy to see she was nervous, and it wasn't hard to guess it might have something to do with being here instead of with her own family. He couldn't imagine what it was like for her, he missed his father on the holiday's but it was nothing compared to knowing you'd never get to spend another holiday with your parent.

Dazzle​

 

[High5ives]

Daniel
After Kanen took off, Daniel left soon after. There wasn’t a chance in hell he was going to stay for dinner, not after his family so rude to his own brother. His mother especially. What kind of woman could look at her own son the way she had looked at Kanen? It was just cruel.
Daniel had spent a few minutes changing and finding car keys before he walked out the front door. Blue jeans and an old jacket didn’t do a lot to fight off the November, Danny wasn’t about to waste any time looking for his coat. He had to find Kanen, at least to make sure he wasn’t going to do something stupid.
As Daniel drove around Westbrook, he took notice of how quiet it all seemed. It seemed as though everyone was inside, enjoying dinner with the families, watching holiday specials on TV. Every neighborhood Daniel drove though could’ve been mistaken as abandoned if it weren’t for—
“Son of a bitch!” Daniel yelled, slamming in the breaks just before he ran over some kid on a skateboard jamming out to music.
Daniel practically scrambled out of the car. “Fuck man, I’m so sorry” he immediately began apologizing. “I just wasn’t paying attention, and everything was so quiet, and no one was out...” Daniel was rambling, he knew it. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “You good? I didn’t knick you or anything right?”

PenguinFox ​

 

[Winona]

Jace


His breath caught in his throat when the doorbell rang once again, and he opened the door, letting out an audible sigh of relief to see Theo. A little part of Jace had been worried that he wouldn't show up, and then he would have to face this awkward family dinner alone, with Stu. God, he kinda hated the little dude, and Jace had to wonder what he'd ever seen in him and why they had been friends in the first place. Although... well, being friends had been easier than being -- dare he say it? -- brothers. That had to be taking it a step too far, though. There was no way that the two would ever actually be brothers. Or step-brothers.

Before he could even greet Theo, however, the other boy was beckoning him to his car. Jace furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but headed out of the house, and followed Theo to his car. "What is this about?" He asked curiously as Theo opened the car, and then pulled out a guitar case. Jace's eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't hep but smile. "You didn't have to. Like... seriously, you didn't have to." He said with a little uncomfortable laugh as he took the guitar case. After all, Jace had plenty of other guitars. It was just that the one he'd lost had special sentimental value. It had been his first guitar.

Carefully, Jace undid the guitar case to look at it, and was expecting something that just looked like his old one, so when he saw the carefully painted little forest... Jace was speechless. He looked from the guitar, to Theo. "Did you do this?" He asked and without waiting for an answer, Jace grinned and threw his arm around Theo, pulling him into a tight hug. "Dude, this is the greatest present anyone has ever gotten me." Even better, maybe, than the navy blue beanie.

After a moment, Jace let go, blushing, and then he heard his mother calling from inside the house that it was time for dinner. Thank god. "We uh... we should probably get in there. Before my parents like, kill me for being late or... something." He said, clearing his throat awkwardly as he zipped the guitar back into its case and started inside.

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

Ash


She followed behind Ryder with the pie, and quickly held a finger up to her lips when he mentioned the ski trip. "Yeah, I'm going." Ash said -- she'd been looking forward to this for way too long. She usually went up with a couple friends over the holidays, or her family, but this year Ash had plans for like... everyone to go, although her parents didn't need to know that. "But my grandparents said I have to ask my mom for the key, and I plan on doing that today." As they had said, even though it was technically her grandparents' cabin, she needed to start "respecting" her mother and asking her permission.

Ash glanced over her shoulder as Jace and Theo came in, a guitar case in Jace's hand. "Serenading him already?" She teased, which just earned an angry look from her brother. "Grab the rest of the food and let's go." Ash said, leading the way into the main dining hall. It was huge, and even had a little bar. They typically never came in here, not even for parties. It used to be used for family reunions but that eventually fell away and now, usually, it was untouched. Hell, they hadn't actually used this room since Elise had left. Well... except for that one time that Ash and her ex-boyfriend turned the entire length of tables into a cool fort.

Once in the dining room, Ash watched as her other took a seat at one of the ends. It occurred to her that she could either sit next to Stu, or to her mother, so Ash was quick to take a seat next to Stu, with Ryder between herself and her dad, while Jace, her mother, and Theo sat on the other side. Ash smiled at the little freshman. "So I here you grew up on Sheep Street. Is that seriously a street?" She asked, grabbing a biscuit as she spoke. What? It didn't hurt to befriend him.

But her attention didn't stay on Stu for long before she looked across the table towards her mother, painting on a fake smile. "Mother, as you know, I usually like to take a few friends and head up to the cabin for winter break. And like, this is the first year that I'm old enough to not need adult supervision," -- she shot a look at her father and he just rolled his eyes -- "but my grandparents wanted me to ask you for permission, soo... please? Can we go up there?"

Elise had been dishing food out onto her plate, and continually glancing at Stu to make sure that he was alright and being well-behaved. It was a horror to her that Ash had stolen her seat next to Stu, but at least her daughter was trying to have some kind of relationship. "On one condition," she said slowly, placing the bowl that had been in her hands on the table. "You have to take both Jace and Stu."

"What?! Absolutely no-" Jace's refusal was cut off by a small yelp, and then a dirty look across the table at his sister. "Fine." He grumbled, sinking down in his chair.

a z u l a Maree Dede​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

It was just as well that the turkey was ready because things were getting really awkward between Mr. West and Neck Tie. The latter promptly fled the kitchen carrying with him the bowl of mashed potatoes, only to find himself being seated directly opposite Beanie Boy. Neck Tie strategically plopped the bowl between them, hoping out of desperation that it would be tall enough to block his view of Beanie Boy. But Jace’s ugly head was too thick and fat to be obscured by even the largest and most expensive bowl that the Wests owned.

Neck Tie was taken by surprise when Ash decided to occupy the seat beside him. Even Elise didn’t look too pleased about it as she was planning on sitting there. Neck Tie didn’t really know Ash that well, if at all. He felt bad that he’d sort of assumed she’d be as bad as her crummy brother, but it turns out she was actually quite nice, and he was starting to like her a lot. Uh, not like a crush of course. God no. But he thought he wouldn’t mind it if she became like his older step-sister.

Then Sheep Street was mentioned. Huh? No one’s asked him about Sheep Street, ever. He hadn’t heard that name in a long time, and with its mention the smell of soil and sheep and manure and all came back to him in a flash. ‘Oh. . . um, yeah. It’s real,’ he said with his usual smile, ‘There’s actual sheep, too, in my backyard.’ Neck Tie seemed to enjoy reminiscing about his hometown, but this was accompanied by a little tinge of sadness which he tried to hide.

‘The street is really small, and the houses too,’ Neck Tie said, ‘My house is really small, not like yours. Your house is amazing. I wish we had a pool, but me and my mates, we used to just swim in the river. There’s one that goes right behind the football field, where we practise. Uh. . . Soccer, I mean.’ Yes, soccer. He learnt that the hard way, didn’t he?

He was still in the middle of his story when Ash’s attention wavered toward her mother. Ash was saying something to her about wanting to go up to some cabin in the winter break. Neck Tie never got to do anything exciting like that before, and here was Ash saying she did it often and now even asking to go without her parents! Neck Tie sank a little, and his smile dipped. He didn’t know if he was feeling jealous or what. He knew it was wrong to feel this way, but a part of him secretly wished that his Dad was rich like the Wests, so they could have these cool winter holidays like the Wests did. He wished Dad didn’t have to work so hard all the time and could spend more time at home. He found himself glancing around the spacious dining room and comparing it to his own. If his little apartment wasn’t sad enough, his attic bedroom back on Sheep Street was probably more embarrassing still, and probably smaller than Mr. West’s cupboard, and none of it was fair because he knew Jace was a pillock and didn’t deserve any of it.

It was at that moment that his phone buzzed in his pocket. Neck Tie glimpsed at the message under the table.

Casper: ‘Hi stu! How’s Thanksgiving? ’

Casper’s message interrupted his sad thoughts. It even put a small smile on his face. He typed back quickly, worried that if he didn’t reply in time, Casper mightn’t get back to him at all.

Stu: ‘i’m in hell’

Stu: ‘you’re lucky you’re home’

Neck Tie thought he might wait for Casper’s response, but he couldn’t. He was desperate to keep the conversation going, and his only lifeline to the outside world intact.

Stu: ‘even the turkey looks sad..’

Stu: ‘like it died a horrible death’

He paused again, frustrated that his messages were taking some time to be delivered. He sighed and continued typing into the void.

Stu: ‘hbu?’

Stu: ‘everything OK’

Stu is typing a message. . .

A firm voice suddenly interrupted him. ‘Stu, put that away,’ Elise said. Clearly it was bad manners to play with your phone at the dining table. Did this boy have no manners? He reluctantly put the phone away, not managing to get his final message out to Casper, which would have read: ‘im worried about you n aaron’.

Now Neck Tie felt disconnected again, and kind of lonely. He felt bad that Elise had scolded him in front of everyone else, and that he was again made the centre of unwanted attention. Neck Tie was always doing something wrong, he seemed to have a knack for it. Even Ryder and Theo were having to witness his incompetence. So when the question arose whether he would go on this winter trip, he just couldn’t bear to disappoint Elise, or even Ash, further. He didn’t look any happier than Beanie Boy in agreeing to Elise’s terms, of course. Like Jace, he just never really had a say in the matter.

Then he lowered his head, and quietly struggled with the tough slice of turkey on his plate, trying to cut the meat up into more manageable morsels. Even though the turkey tasted like a damp sock, he stomached it because Mr. West had spent so long preparing the meal. Still, he needed the salt urgently. But the salt had to be sitting in front of Jace, and there was no way he was asking Jace for it. So Neck Tie reached across to grab it himself, but he misjudged this manoeuvre and ended up knocking Elise’s expensive glass of wine over. The red liquid splashed across the table toward Jace while the crystal glass itself lay shattered in worthless pieces. It was unlike him that no apology left his mouth. He just completely and utterly froze.

Winona a z u l a Maree mikaluvkitties

 

[Dazzle]

Carter


Carter elbowed him for the joke he made. She knew he was joking about cigarettes killing him, but still all the same she hated that he smoked. And they really would kill him one day, but she knew it wasn't the time for one of her rants on why cigarettes were bad for him and how he should quit for Ari. Blah blah blah. She tucked her hair behind her ear watching him, it was nothing knew that he wanted to get away from it all. Mason deserved to get away, but she also knew it wouldn't change everything. "I get it. I do, but all your feelings, your worries about everyone else." She took a deep breath turning around and leaning against the railing. "Those people you love, Ari, Drake, they won't disappear when you do.."

She dropped her head looking down at her feet letting her hair fall in front of her shoulders. "Mason, don't try to make it seem less than what it is." Carter ended it there, she didn't want to push the topic any further. Thanksgiving was supposed to be a time to be thankful for what you do have, and the people you were with. Not to cause rifts between friends. "He told me he was, but I think he was stopping by Daniel's before." She shrugged her shoulders walking towards Mason. "Ready to go in?"

Winona

Zach/Josephine/Marlo


Zach smirked at Belle when she caught on to the emphasis on friend. "You're the one who just went on a date with Drake." He whispered back. "You don't want these two asking all the questions." He nudged her back playfully. "They're a lot to handle" He smiled, noticing his mother Marlo had yet to say much.

Josephine smiled. "It's no intrusion at all, mingle there are plenty of people here to meet! Granted I think Zach is the only straight and of age one." She winked at Belle. Letting go of her arms.

"Mom!" He yelled, laughing lightly. "I am a hugger, you've gotten plenty of hugs. All you need to do is ask if you want more." He smirked as Belle took his side again.

Zach placed the pie down on the counter. "Look, Ma" He looked at Marlo who still hadn't moved from her spot. "Belle made our favorite, apple pie." He smiled, walking over to her.

Josephine walked back over to Marlo, "She seems like a sweet kid, come on your acting like a warden." She smirked wrapping two arms around Marlo's waist.

Marlo rolled her eyes at Josephine's comment. "Hi Belle, it's nice to meet you." She forced a smile dropping her arms. She always felt more comfortable within Josephine's arms. "How's westbrook treating you." Marlo wasn't much of a talker, being the exact opposite of Josephine. She wasn't as confident in herself, unlike her partner, and it took a lot from her to be able to trust someone she didn't know. "If you want you can help Zach set the table."

She wiggled out of Josephine's grasp walking over to the cabinet, pulling down a stack of plates. "We do buffet style here, so just place them at the end of the table, with the silverware." Marlo opened one of the drawers and pulled out a few handfuls of forks and knives handing them to the kids.

"See you're already putting them to work, warden." Josephine let the word fall off her tongue. Marlo just gave her a look, "She asked to help." Marlo smirked, Zach had her smile it was easy to see. They both had the same sarcastic flirty smile, the one that melted Josephine's heart. "You don't have to listen to her, you two can go hang out watch the game, or something." She wiggled her eyebrows, and Marlo smacked Josephine's upper arm. "Knock it off."

"We'll set the table, it will take two seconds." Zach laughed rolling his eyes nodding over at Belle as to say follow me. He picked up the plates and made his way back into the living room where they had a large fold up table set up. Placing the plates at the end of the table for everyone. Most of the food was still coming, or cooking. There were a few dishes already laid out.

Maree

Rae


Rae hadn't even realized how hard she had been squeezing Chase's hand, she quickly let go murmuring a quite sorry. Letting go of his hand and rubbed it against her leg. At least meeting Mrs. Vaughn hadn't gone badly, she could take a breath for a moment. Being with Chase was easy, she didn't really have to try to be someone she wasn't. Sure she still had her anxieties but she knew where she stood with him. She felt comfortable.

Rae rubbed her knees, and looked over at Chase. "I'm.. I'm okay." She smiled, everything thing that happened with her father before Chase picked her up had been rough. "Thank you for inviting me, I'm happy to be here." Rae scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I feel bad for leaving Mads at home." She knew he was happy playing video games, distracted from the day all together but with the way her father was acting, she didn't exactly know how he was going to react..

a z u l a ​

 

[Soap]

Raven

Raven let out a nervous laugh at the mention of her mother, "Funny." Smiling into the kiss, pulling away with a deep breath as they walked towards her mother, so... maybe she was actually trying here. So what? Giving a small smile to Rae in passing. Not that Raven's genuinely shocked, but it was clear to see why the Vaughns were attractive. Genetics. Obviously Raven was just lucky in her own department, she was definitely convinced she had gotten her looks from her grandmother and no-where near her mother.

Holding a hand out while she eyed the smile on Viola's face, Raven could spot a fake smile anywhere. Doesn't mean she couldn't place one herself, after all... It was Alaska's mother and not a bitchy baby mama this time. "Yes, I write for the school's paper." Her smile faded significantly when she threw insults towards Alaska. Maybe it was just a tease, but Raven didn't see it as funny. Recovering with another smile. First impressions was everything right? She wasn't a huge fan of Viola already.

Deciding to throw in a little appreciation for her date, Raven shrugged uncaringly. "None of the suspensions, but many of her wins on the hockey team. She's clearly the star on the team. Andrews who?" Maybe it might've been wrong to throw Sawyer under the bus there, but she wasn't here. And it wasn't like they were even friends anyway. Besides, that was Raven's truth. It... wasn't like she paid much attention to the blonde when there was someone else who caught her eye.

Curious about the woman in front of her, Raven decided to ask her own questions. "So, Mrs Vaughn. What do you do?" Realizing that maybe Mrs Vaughn was a 'Mrs' for a reason, and maybe she didn't do much in the first place. Not that Raven was judging in anyway.

a z u l a Dazzle
Juliette

Jules hadn't really seen Mrs Sanders in a really long time, she... got old. Well, bound to happen with age. Definitely would never happen with JJ though, of course not. The cheerleader was immune to silly things such as age. "Oh. It really isn't that big of a--" Her sentence was cut short by getting pulled into a hug, she stiffened instinctually, Juliette never 'hugged' people, and people were usually smart enough to never hug her. Yet, she found herself returning the warm hug.

Laughing slightly at the praise and compliments when Ava came running up. "Uh- um. Thank you." She was sure there was a major blush on her face due to embarrassment. It wasn't like Juliette didn't get fawned over, but there was just something about Mrs Sanders that was genuine. She really meant the compliments and... it meant a lot. She was probably the only mother figure she ever had in her life, well, besides her actual mother. But it's all in the details y'know? Who was there when you needed a bandaid? Point was, Juliette was fond of her.

Raising an eyebrow she glanced towards Ava at the mention of Zach. She didn't figure she'd actually tell her parents about any friends... or Zach was just a friend to her, right? Watching as Lonnie ushered off her mother. She shrugged, she could bring up the Zach thing later, maybe when Ava's less flustered and can answer without throwing it off topic. "Let's play a game or whatever. You like those things anyway."

Walking towards the couch and sitting down next to Ava's... cousin she was guessing. "Kay, give me a controller or something. I bet I could win." She grinned towards them both, with a raise of her eyebrow. Challenging them both. What? She was more than sure she could win at least a game or two.

Winona​

 

[PenguinFox]

​

Ian was completely lost in the sound of his music, his thoughts focused on the past. It was almost blissful, a sort of nostalgic reminiscing feeling. That is until he was harshly dragged back into reality by a near death experience. At least that's how he would describe this scenario in the future. In reality the driver of the car that was heading towards him noticed him in time and applied brakes in time. Even if they didn't, this wasn't the first time Ian had gotten absorbed in his thoughts and had to make a quick reaction. He instinctively jumped off his skateboard to the right, letting his board go right under the car.

There were two things that kept Ian from getting upset with this person; first this whole thing was mostly Ian's own fault. He was in the street, and he wasn't paying attention. Granted most people weren't on the roads, but that's no excuse to not be aware of your surroundings. The second thing that stopped him from getting mad was the driver himself. To say he was a good looking dude would be an understatement, add the fact that this guy was being responsible and getting out of his car to make sure Ian was okay and you had a recipe for an immediate tiny crush. Back in his old neighborhood most near accidents ended with the person driving off angry that some kid had the nerve to almost be hit by their car.

Ian gave this guy a reassuring smile. "Nah man, I'm all good. I wasn't paying attention either. I didn't expect anyone to actually be out here to be honest." he said as he looked around at the almost abandoned like neighborhood. "But, that's my bad." he added with a shrug. "I'm Ian." he held his hand out to shake. "Think I could get my board back though?" he asked with a smirk to the beautiful stranger whose car Ian's board was currently resting underneath. High5ives

 

[Winona]

Drake


He threw Aaron a grin, and was at least thankful that he wouldn't have to go home alone. Who knew what kind of mood his mother would be in? And if he had a friend, chances were she would be a little kinder to him. Plus it was Thanksgiving! Maybe that would also help... or just make things a whole lot worse. Either way, he was worried about seeing his mother after overdosing, and then hiding out at Adriane's. Drake knew that both things would just piss her off, and he wasn't excited for that.

Drake shrugged at Aaron's question as he started walking in the direction of his apartment, and the slums of the town. "Just, you know, extra clothes... maybe some stuff for Ari... uhh..." he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Maybe my drugs if Mason didn't throw them all out. Just, you know, the simple stuff. The weed."

To be fair, he didn't know how Aaron felt about the whole overdose thing -- or if he even cared, for that matter! Drake had overdosed, Drake had been in the hospital, and it felt like the only people who cared were Mason and Adriane. Sure, Kanen and Raven had babysat Ariana so Mason could be with him, but they had done that for Mason, not because they cared about Drake. And Maisie had messaged him on Twitter, but she hadn't even come to visit him. Not that he necessarily blamed her, Drake had been rather rude to her... And then Alaska hadn't he even messaged him after the whole thing, which kinda sucked, but he was sure she had more important things to worry about. Like that little trip she took to Boston that Drake had heard about through the grapevine, to find Kanen. And sure, Belle had visited him, but they had barely even talked, and Drake was convinced it was more for popularity or something.

See? These were just the reasons that convinced Drake he was better off dead, that he was just a simple waste of oxygen. He wasn't good at anything but kicking around balls, and that was only about fifty percent of the time, when he wasn't so depressed he couldn't move. Drake was just a burden -- like a tumor or a leech or something. He just sucked the life and energy and money or whatever from Mason and other people who needed it more, so why bother trying?

mikaluvkitties

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

Ava


"Right." Ava snorted as she followed Jules into the living room, and plopped back down on the ground next to one of her better cousins -- Faith, Christian's much better and less annoying twin sister. Ava picked up two controllers, tossing one to JJ and keeping the other for herself. "The name of the game is MarioKart. The rules are simple: kill or be killed." She stated in her best spooky voice. Her best mwahahaha type voice, with an evil grin on her face.

"Avalon, why do you always have to be so cryptic?" her very weird, and very annoying cousin, Christian, decided to ask from his seat beside JJ, which just earned a dirty look from Ava.

"Shut up, Christian." She said, rolling her eyes, and then started loading up the game. "Alright, look. We're doing teams. Jules and I will be on the same team, and Christian and Faith, you two can be on the same team with your weird... twin mind powers or whatever it is that you twins have these days." Avalon decided, as she started to select Bowser and one of his cars.

Before Christian could actually argue with her, Avalon had pressed the start button as soon as everyone's cars were selected, and the race was off... and Ava was almost immediately in the front.

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

Faith & Christian

Some people needed help -- and one of those people was their cousin, Ava. Faith had always noticed that whenever her parents were talking to Ava's parents, they would bring up how she was always playing some new video game. Her aunt and uncle would always laugh it off but after hanging up, Faith's parents would always sit her down and lecture her about how the devil was often worshiped in games along with evolution and whatever else, blah blah blah. Despite having been raised in the strong, strong religious household that she was had been, Faith had spent much of her time reading up on other things and at this point, believed nothing that came out of the pastor's mouth as she tried to keep herself from dozing off through Sunday service... or any of the other days that her parents forced her to head down there. She envied Ava, and how her parents never forced her to do anything.

Faith didn't pipe in on this argument between Ava and Christian -- why would she? She agreed with Ava, and also there was no point in arguing. And probably no point in playing against her cousin because no matter how bad JJ was, there was no way that Faith or Christian would have a chance to beat Ava as the game started.

Christian was... flustered, to say the least. Not only had the pretty cheerleader looking girl sat down next to him, but Ava proceeded to annoy him almost immediately. He was flushed a new shade of red, and barely even had time to select a character or anything as Ava pushed them to start the game. "Do you... ah... do you know how to play?" He asked Jules, glancing over at her as he sank farther into the couch, trying to keep his cool... somehow. Somewhat.

"I could like... show you if you want... and show you how to play. I'm pretty good." Okay, no, he wasn't, and that was proven as he flew off the edge of the track and had to be dragged back on. Gosh oh gosh, God help him. "Oh, I'm Christian." He held his out to JJ, then remembered that they were playing a video game and quickly returned his hand to the controller.

Soap​

 

[Maree]

Theodore Presley

Mood: Happy| Interacting with: West Thanksgiving members
Mentions: Winona Dede a z u l a

Theo was slightly taken aback by Jace's hug. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the hug. he did. It was more that Jace never seemed like the hugger type. He recovered rather quickly and hugged the smaller boy back. "Pffft like I was just going to give you a normal guitar. Have you met me?" he joked to distract from the blush on his cheeks. Why he had stayed up all night painting that little forest he wasn't sure. He had convinced himself that he would have done it for anyone. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that wasn't it. "I will have you know I have many hidden talents. If you're lucky I might just show you the rest." Did that sound flirty? Oh god, that kind of sounded like a flirt. He needed to say something else to distract from his previous words.

Saved by the bell, Elise shouted that it was time to eat. "Sounds like a plan" he added, following him into the house. Was his blush obvious? he checked out his face in the mirror and was relieved to see it was dying down. That was until Ash made a comment about Jace serenading him. Was it a joke? Had she seen what had just gone down? Not that anything had happened. They were just two straight dudes who were friends. They were just rather good friends. Nothing out of the ordinary had gone down. "Always great to see you too Ash" he laughed. He spotted Ryder and chuckled. "Do you want me to start dishing out the extra embarrassing stories out? Pretty sure I have a few Ryder would just love" he playfully threatened. Then gave Ryder the classic male 'sup' nod.

Why did the house smell kind of weird? Like things burning? Then again it was the Wests. If they were cooking it was more than likely that something would be burnt. "It's good to see you again Mr West," Theo said, shaking his hand before sitting down at the table. It felt like it had been forever since he had been in this house. Ash's parents had always been rather nice to him so he never minded spending time at the Wests. "How have you been Mrs Summers?" he asked, breaking out his charming smile. Unlike most of his friends, he was always well behaved around the parents. His mothers raised him to be polite and treat adults with respect. So more often then not they tended to like him. Unless they were Kate. But he personally didn't think she liked anyone.

Theo didn't really pay attention to the table conversation until the ski trip was brought up. It was always a lot of fun so of course, it piqued his interest. He almost dropped the bowl of salad he was passing when Elise said that Stu and Jace had to come. Jace coming was fine with him but Stu? Uhh, no thanks. He had tried to fight Jace and broke his guitar. So the child wasn't exactly on his list of favourite people. "It'll be fun to have you along this year" he smiled, playfully elbowing Jace. Did he intentionally leave Stu out of that statement? Definitely. Admittedly he had to stifle his laughter as the boy got told off for using his phone at the table. He wasn't exactly surprised that the child had no manners.

He had turned to Jace to ask him something when he heard the glass shatter it was too late to react. Most of the wine got on Jace but some of it splashed on him as well. He now had a rather large wine stain on the front of his white shirt. He frowned at the stain that he was never going to get out. It was his nicest shirt as well. This certainly didn't help his negative feelings towards the child. Who now looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Do you have any stain remover?" he asked Jace. It would probably be a good idea to take the shirt off and soak it. It was possible that he might be able to save it. "Is it possible to borrow one of your shirts Mr West? I doubt Jace's would fit me" he chucked, blotting the wine on his shirt with a napkin.

code by Ri.a

 

[A Little Cloud]

A L I C E

STATUS
Mood ~ Pleased
Interacting with ~ N/A
Mentions ~ N/A
The Esters were probably the only family in Westbrook that had no one coming over for Thanksgiving. It was always like that, for every holiday. Her grandparents were always sick (on both sides), Alice had no friends, and her parents didn't socialize that much.
So Alice found no reason taking the time to walk down the stairs and into the kitchen. She was engrossed in a new book, playing out the scenes in her head. She didn't notice when the grandfather clock in her room started chiming loudly, or even when her mother started yelling downstairs. She did, however, hear someone knocking quickly on her locked door. Alice jumped straight up out of her chair and dropped her book. She banged her head on the low ceiling and groaned.
Of course, her parents got better bedrooms with decent ceilings. She could've gotten the rooms below her level, but Alice's parents insisted on 'leaving them for the guests.' Yeah, sure. Like that would ever happen. The day that Alice got someone to come over to her house as a friend was the day that she would sprout wings. Her room wasn't terrible. Besides the low ceilings, she had a nice bed, and the most spacious closet in the house (she filled it with books). She also got a very beautiful view and a window seat. Alice was knocked out of her thoughts by more knocking, this time louder.
"What is it?!" She yelled. "Alice? Is that you?" Alice rolled her eyes. Her mother was always thinking that someone would sneak in and kidnap Alice, but her window was always locked. And no one could climb up the walls. "Who else would it be? I'm in here, mum. No need to worry." Alice opened the door. Her mother had one hand on her hip, the other pressed against the frame of the door. She smiled at Alice, who didn't return it. "You should come downstairs. Me and your father finished all the meals." Alice bit the inside of her cheek. "Just bring some up for me, ok?" She tried closing the door, but her mother stepped between the door and the wall. "Mum!" Alice's mother sighed. "Darling, you stay upstairs for every holiday I can think of. Why don't you come down and enjoy Thanksgiving with your family?" Alice shook her head. "Why go downstairs anyway? No one comes! And I'm at the climax of this story anyway."Alice's mother narrowed her eyes. "Whether you're reading a book or not, you are coming downstairs to eat with a Thanksgiving meal with your family. Your father and me spent several hours preparing this food, and this is how you treat us? Unacceptable." She stood back. "Now, come Alice. We don't want the food to be cold. "Alice nodded slowly, and set her book down on the nightstand. Whether she liked it or not, she had to obey the strict master of the house that was her mother.​

 

[Maree]

Belle Taylor

Mood: Happy| Interacting with: Zach, Marlo, Josephine
Mentions: Dazzle

Belle elbowed his side when he brought up her date with Drake. What did that have to do with anything? Well, two can play at that game. "You say that like you didn't hook up with that blonde girl at my party" she whispered back. She was teasing of course but that didn't mean it wasn't true. Zach was quite the girl magnet and she was pretty sure she found his shirt the next day.

"Why do I have to ask to receive more hugs? Also, that is such a lie. You do not give plenty of hugs I initiate the majority of them" she argued, poking him in the ticklish part of his side.

Belle was starting to see what Zach had meant when he warned her. His other mother, Marlo hadn't said a word to her. Was she going to stare her down like that all night? It made her feel even more nervous. It wasn't like she was Zach's girlfriend of anything. They were just friends and yet she was kind of being treated like the girlfriend. She chewed on her bottom lip as Zach went over to her followed by Josephine. After what felt like an eternity of standing there awkwardly she seemed to relax. When asked about Westbrook she laughed softly. "It's certainly more chaotic than I'm used to. But I've got this one to help me navigate it" she answered.

The more she watched Zach's family interact the more she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. The way the teased each other and showed their love made her heart ache. She wished that she had that kind of relationship with her mother. This was the reason why she didn't like Thanksgiving. It just reminded her of the family she didn't have. "It's no problem really. I like to be helpful" she said, taking the silverware and pushing her feelings down.

After following Zach into the living room she let out a sigh of relief once they were out of earshot. "I think your mom wants you to get a girlfriend" she mused, setting the silverware down. Her eyes scanned over the dishes on the table. Some were peculiar looking but she didn't comment. She wasn't that rude and snobby.

Once he was satisfied with how the table was set they sat down on a couch. "You sure you don't want to do or something" she smirked. Oh, his mother had given her some great material to use for teasing him. She made a mental note to ask about embarrassing Zach stories later. Knowing Zach his mother probably had many many stories.

Belle's eyes scanned the living room admiring the decorations. That was until her eyes fell on a photoshoot picture of a butt naked baby Zach. She looked at him then back at the photo before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Oh, that's amazing. Is that to size?" she teased, making herself laugh harder. Oh that picture made her day. No matter what happened coming to Zach's was worth it just for the picture.

code by Ri.a

 

[High5ives]

Daniel
“Oh thank fucking god.” Daniel exclaimed, letting out a long breath and running his hand through his hair. “You have no idea how much trouble I’d be in if my Step-dad found out I hit someone with his Porsche again. I swear, last time he was ready to send me off to Switzerland for the rest of my high-school career. Like damn, he was so mad, like it’s not even funny. This one time, he found out I was taking from the liquor cabinet...” Daniel stopped talking. He’d caught himself rambling, which wasn’t all that uncommon for him to do when he was anxious.

“I’m sorry, I’m going off like a Spitfire, huh?” He apologized, flashing a cheeky grin. “Name’s Daniel, or Danny, whatever you prefer really.” Daniel took Ian’s hand and shook it quickly.

When Ian asked for his board back, Daniel didn’t even hesitate to drop down onto his stomach, despite wearing a damn tuxedo. The Skateboard had managed to get itself stuck right under the center of the low-riding sports car. Danny struggles to reach it and dislodge it from the complicated machinery. When the board finally did come out from under the vehicle, it was accompanied by a bit of Daniel’s sleeve, which had ripped on a bolt on the undercarriage.

“Son of a bitch...” Daniel groaned, standing up looking at the gaping hole on his sleeve. His tux was filthy now, smeared with dirt and grime from the winter roads. Danny got over it quickly though, holding the skateboard out to Ian. “Well here is that, I guess.” He offered. “You haven’t by chance seen a silver Audi driving around town, have you? I’m kinda looking for my brother, he took off earlier.”

PenguinFox​