Realistic or Modern Westbrook

[Maree]

Belle

Oof. No, Leon wasn't mad at her. Mad didn't seem like a strong enough word to describe how upset he looked with her. She had certainly messed up this time. Belle looked away from him as he raised her voice. If only it was as easy as running into his arms and saying that she had missed him. Something told her that saying that she had missed him would only make things worse. But how could she not have? They had a history together. She also didn't think that she would ever see him again. They were far from the place they used to call home. Him turning up had shocked her to a point where she didn't know how to speak. "I know what I did" she murmured. It had been easy to not think about what she had done to get to Westbrook. But now that Leon was standing in front of her she couldn't help but feel guilty. Had she made the wrong decision by leaving it all behind? Was this a sign from God? No. That was just silly. "You don't need to apologize. It's the least I deserve." her fingers went to her purity ring, fiddling with it as she tried to keep her emotions grounded.

"Come on. We can talk in my room" she said, a weak smile playing on her lips. At least he didn't seem as mad now that he kinda yelled at her in front of everyone. Oh boy, she was going to have some questions to answer from her friends. She took hold of his wrist and lead him through the crowds of teenagers. It was strange to hold him again even if it was just his wrist. She justified it as not wanting him to get lost or snatched up by a thot. It wasn't like she was holding his hand. There was nothing wrong with using his wrist to guide him. They were almost in the clear when they passed two girls gossiping. "Isn't Belle supposed to be dating that drug addict? who's the new guy?" The blonde girl said a little too loudly. Seriously? she had thought that she would have a little more time to ease Leon into it. No such luck. At least her room was right there. So before he had the chance to question the girl she pulled him into her room.

Belle pinched the bridge of her nose. That probably made things ten times worse. Realising that she was still holding his wrist she quickly let go. "I'm not sure where to start," she said. The reason why she vanished? She was an idiot for not expecting this to happen. Leon could be stubborn. It was one of the things that she had loved about him. "I'm sorry for everything" she sighed, sitting down on the bed. Sorry that she did it or that she got caught? A bit of both.
Chappezi​

 

[Chappezi]

Leon O'Conner

Leon was surprised by her words, he was expecting her to yell back but she didn't. Maybe she did acknowledge his feelings, just obviously not at the time of her disappearance. He wondered if she had a good reason and why he didn't know about it at all, he thought he would be the one person she would at least tell. He thought they had something special, but now he was doubting it all. Negative thoughts entered his mind and he felt as if maybe she never truly cared at all. If she did why would she just leave him without any warning or any information other than a 'sorry' note. He kept a straight face the entire time, he didn't know how to feel. Feelings of anger, sadness, and confusion flooded his mind, but he couldn't choose one.

He jolted forward a bit in shock as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him along with her like a lost kid. "Oh, uh, okay yeah." He said nervously, he still wasn't ready. The drive took 10 hours to get here and he still didn't feel prepared to hear the answer to his questions. He heard a few girls gossiping about Belle on the way in and just wished people would mind their own business, but no that's just high school unfortunately. After being dragged into her room she finally let go of his wrist which he rubbed with his other hand after and noticed how she seemed stressed out. Biting his bottom lip he rubbed the back of his neck trying to think what to say. Was she really sorry for what she did? Does she even know how much it hurt him? Thoughts and more thoughts just kept swimming through his mind and he wish it would just stop, but his anxiety was at a maximum point. He sighed letting out a small breath and then sat down beside her on the bed. Peering up he looked at her and then dropped his head down to stare at the floor.

"I just...I just want to know why you didn't tell me? Or at least bring me with you, you know I would've came." He said keeping his gaze fixed on the floor, looking at her would give his expression away and he didn't like feeling so vulnerable. "I care about you, I really do Belle. You hurt me, but I'm just happy to see you." Looking up from his feet he looked over at Belle studying her expression.

Maree​

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Aaron & Casper​

To be honest, Aaron wasn’t quite a fan of parties. He prefered to keep to himself, and, if need be, expand that circle to a few others he knew he could trust. Of course, he still attended parties- free drinks, free drugs, and free food. No one could say no to that. As it was, he was currently sitting at a table, watching the crowd with his head perched on his hand, bored.

Beside him, Casper shifted. If there was anyone who liked parties less than Aaron, it was probably Casper. They were loud, and scary, but Casper had let himself be convinced that the pair could have a lot of fun at the party, but so far all they had done was sit away from the crowd, Aaron trying to say mean things about those that passed by to him.

It all made Casper extremely uncomfortable.

And then Aaron spotted Drake. Immediately, he straightened up, cursing himself as he did. It wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just Drake. Or- no, it wasn’t just Drake. It was a reprieve from the boredom, the frustration of trying to engage with Casper.

Casper straightened as well, trying to see what Aaron was looking at, looking between the crowd and his brother repeatedly.

When Casper saw it wasn’t a what but a who, his eyes widened. This was one of Aaron’s new friends, right? Casper recognized him vaguely, and the idea that this was who made his brother straighten up filled him with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify. As Drake spoke up, Casper looked down.

Aaron grinned, a rare display of emotion. “Of course. Sit down with us.” That was when it occurred to Aaron that he’d never introduced Drake to his twin. “This is Casper. He’s my twin.”

Winona​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

A dog?! Why didn’t he think of that? Neck Tie loved animals. If he had it his way, his house would be a zoo, and there would cats and dogs and donkeys and bunnies bouncing about the living room! Instead, it was just a tiny apartment, and he had had to make do with dead ants in his locker.

His grandparents had a dog when he was younger, named Benny, but he was run over by a milk truck. He cried and cried and they buried what was left of him under the apple tree behind Sheep Street. He didn’t drink milk again for months.

He got a bit sad thinking about Benji, but quickly buried his feelings. ‘I don’t think it’s silly at all,’ he said, with a smile. ‘I wish I could have a dog as well. I’ve never had one. . . or a cat. There was this old lady, down the street where I used to live. Mrs. Win. . . Winston, she had like ten cats. I used to water her garden for her, and bring her pet food from the corner shop. She was always watching the telly, and her cats would be sitting on her lap and her head and everything!’ Neck Tie liked cats, too, but he liked dogs a lot more, because he got scratched once by a stray cat he tried to pet. Rude.

A Little Cloud

 

[PenguinFox]

​

Sierra led the way on the search for Ian, weaving through the crowd with Nova in tow. "That sounds pretty rough, I'm sorry to hear that." she said offering the other brunette a genuinely sympathetic smile. "I'm honestly not surprised that Ian offered a hand. He does that kind of thing a lot. There was this one time we were at a park and there was this woman crying. No idea why. So he goes and gets a bouquet of flowers for her. Just walks right up and says 'Hey you look like you could use these' and walks away without another word. I think he just hates to see people upset or something." she gave a couple of other stories of Ian as they searched for the male in question. Eventually they stopped in the kitchen. "Well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere and where bound to see him if we stay in one place. Being idle isn't his style." As she spoke Sierra poured herself a drink, doing the same as Nova. The Evans sister gave the other girl a shrug as she did so. "Looks good to me." Right as she was about to take a sip a hand reached from behind her and took her cup. She spun around, ready to give the offender an earful until she saw who it was and grinned. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

​

After Kanen and Ian's chat the younger Evans sibling had received a quite angry text from his sister. Something about going off with barely a word, yada yada, irresponsible, blah blah, where are you, he didn't really read it. What he did do was ask Ash if the party could spare to have an extra person. When she said yes Ian only responded to Sierra with an address. He had no idea if she would actually make her way up here, but chances were she would. He knew his sister couldn't resist. She would inevitably tell their parents that she was coming to check on him, but in reality she would be enjoying herself here just as he was.

The rest of the day he spent mostly relaxing, making sure his bruise wasn't going to be anything more than that. Before he knew it it was Christmas Eve, and a party was to be had. He spent his first part of the evening going around mingling with people, meeting strangers, making jokes and generally having a good time. He never dallied in one place for long though. There was a few things he loved doing at parties and none of those things were happening so to Ian this party was more of a social gathering, and a bit boring to be honest. As he wandered he spotted a familiar face and grinned as he ducked down below some other peoples' heads. He didn't want to be seen just yet, he preferred to make an entrance. So he watched his sister and, was that Nova? Conveniently yes, it was. He watched the pair from a distance for a few minutes before they stopped in the kitchen and made drinks. He made his way over, swiftly maneuvering through the crowd and sneaking up behind his sister. He made eye contact with Nova and put a finger to his lips signaling her to not let on of his presence. He waited for the right moment to strike and as his big sister went to take a drink he quickly reached around and snatched the cup. In one swift motion he downed half of it before making a face as his sister greeted him. "Yep, that's me. Satan at your service." he said clearly not liking what he just put in his mouth. "That's not good. Here take this back." he shoved the cup back into his sibling's hands and give Nova a grin. "This is my sister, though it seems as though you two have met?" he looked between the two before his sister responded.

"Yes, your lovely friend was helping me find your dumbass." as Sierra said this she reached up and flicked Ian's forehead. "That's for running off again." she jokingly scolded him. As he rubbed his forehead the sister took the opportunity to then flick his chest. "-and that's for drinking my drink. Don't be a dick, especially in public." she grinned and gestured toward the hazel eyed girl beside them. "Sometimes I have to remind him of his manners." Sierra said addressing Nova now, to which Ian just rolled his eyes and laughed. txlos

 

[txlos]

​

Nova watched inquisitively was the siblings interacted with one another, an unconscious smile making home on her lips. She had always wondered what it would've been like to have someone to grow up with while mom and dad were at work, someone who really got it. Instead, she had put her time and energy into her music and making trouble... the tradeoff for being an only child. But Ian and Sierra looked like they really knew each other, like they could do just about anything and the other would be there for them. It was refreshing to see a family that seemed like a family. More so after the recent downfall of her own.

The thoughts were quickly dismissed as the brunette saw Sierra's attention directed towards her, saying something about her brother's manners. She chuckled and folded arms across her chest, tilting her head to the side as she looked at Ian. "I have a feeling you have to remind him of a lot," She teased, thinking back to earlier when the guy had literally asked for Kanen Fiaco to punch him, to which the action was soon regretted. Nonetheless, it wasn't anything for her to worry about. Not yet anyway. For now, the only thing Nova had to worry about was navigating party life, something that was only a faint memory to her. "How's your stomach by the way?" Hazel eyes flicked down to Ian's abdomen before meeting his eyes again, her voice low as to not cause any unwanted attention. She hadn't seen the boy since the incident and couldn't imagine the bruise that the tatted boy had branded on him.

PenguinFox

 

[A Little Cloud]

A L I C E
STATUS
Mood ~ Pleased
Interacting with ~ Neck Tie
Mentions ~ Dede
Alice lifted her head up from the ground, a bit happy that Neck Tie hadn't made fun of her. She tilted her head as he seemed like he was sinking into his thoughts, wondering what he was thinking about. Shaking her head, she turned away from him. "The cabin's also really nice..." She muttered to herself, turning her head to stare at the party group not too far away. Sometimes, Alice wished that she had decided from the beginning that she wanted to be social and that she might've been sitting in that group at the moment. But then, all the negatives of being popular came to mind, and she instantly regretted that she had thought about it. But still, Alice was a lonely girl.

She smiled back at Neck Tie when he seemed to be coming out of his mind, and nodded slowly as he told his story. She laughed when he mentioned Mrs. Winston's cats sitting all over her, and imagined a tiny house filled to the brim with all different types of cats. "That's...interesting. I wonder if the cats scratched her at all and if she noticed at all...." She trailed off, staring back at the Christmas tree.​

 

[PenguinFox]

​

Ian shrugged when Nova brought up his abdomen. He casually lifted up his shirt some to reveal a mosaic of purple and brown. "Not that bad I'd say." Sierra's eyes widened at the marks. "You are such a major idiot and you are going to get yourself killed if you keep getting into fights." the sister's tone still had a hint of playfulness to it but it was clearly also intended as a stern warning to her brother. Ian only grinned at his sister's reprimanding however. "You should see the other guy." After yet another eye roll his sister took another sip of her drink.

Ian felt a buzz in his pocket and pulled out his phone, his typical grin dropping fast. Worry immediately filled the sister's brown eyes as she inched a little closer to try and see what suddenly brought her brother's mood down. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and leaned heavily onto the counter. He poured himself some Jack and took a long sip, remaining silent for a long moment. "Well?" Sierra asked slowly. "What is it?" Ian's gaze locked onto Nova's hazel eyes. "They didn't get it..." he trailed off and took another long sip. "The producer decided against working with my- or I guess the band." his eyes dropped back down into his drink. "There's a story at the bottom of this bottle and I'm the pen." he muttered to himself. Sierra rested her hand on Ian's back and she looked to the other brunette. "Can you keep an eye on him for a moment? I'll be right back I promise." with that she rushed out of the room and made her way out of the party, back to her car. She had brought something for Ian as a surprise on Christmas. Sort of a gift, except it was already his, but he needed it now more. There were only a few things that could for sure bring a smile to his face and music was one of them. Reaching into her trunk she pulled out Ian's guitar; a Takamine EG569C FXC Thinline Acoustic-Electric.

While his sister was gone Ian spoke up. "Is it wrong that I'm kinda glad?" his eyes were almost pleading. "I hate being so conflicted on this." he pushed away from the counter and did a small pace away before spinning back around and facing Nova again. "I just want to break something or-" his jaw clenched. He was torn between anger, sadness, and relief. "-or drink it all away or-" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know." he sounded defeated. "Sorry for being kind of a bummer. Party foul right?" he offered up a half smile before going quiet again.

Sierra maneuvered her way back through the crowd carefully cradling the guitar. She got back to Ian and Nova and set the instrument down on the counter. Ian tried not to smile at the sight but couldn't hold it back, it was a small smile but it was definitely an improvement from a few moments before. "You brought my guitar?" he asked softly. "Well yeah, you forgot it and like I said, someone's gotta look out for you. I swear it's a wonder you survive without me. Now come on, play something!" she gave her brother a playful shove and he relented, picking it up. He looked from his sister to his friend. "I mean I do owe you a song don't I? Anything you'd like to hear, assuming I know it that is?" Sierra grinned, it had been a long time since she'd heard her brother sing, though she'd have to ask why it was that he was doing it in part for this girl he met two days ago. Yeah it was a party, and yeah he loved to show off, but it's not like he was center stage or anything. The whole party wasn't in the kitchen, this was basically a private performance for her and Nova. There must be something special about this hazel eyed girl. txlos

 

[Maree]

Belle

Belle chewed on her bottom lip. How was she supposed to explain what had been going through her head? He would never understand what it was like for her. Not unless he went through something similar. How were you supposed to describe sight to a blind man? In hindsight, she should have been more prepared to answer questions. At the very least thought through how she would explain things if she was caught. Instead, she was stuck without a clue as to what to do or say. Would it be too late to run? She could easily just steal JJ's car and drive off.

"That would be why. You would have wanted to come" she answered, looking over at him. Even when he wasn't looking at her she could see his pain. It made her heart hurt to physically see what she had done. There was no way to change things now. All she could do was deal with the consequences. "We both know your family wouldn't have allowed it. Move from a prestigious all-boys school to some shitty public school ten hours away? All for some girl you were dating? That never would have happened." Did she say the full reason or just give him part of the truth? Something that was easier to swallow than telling him all of it. "I loved you but I needed things to be nothing like they were. To move away for a fresh start. Somewhere different with people nothing like... Them" she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Talking wasn't easy. Running was. Not facing anything, that was better.

Belle once again looked into those dangerous brown eyes, feeling her breath catch in her throat. She forced himself to look away from him again. "Things aren't perfect here but it's what I need. Starting again and doing things differently" she said. He wasn't going to understand. How could he? It sounded completely insane. "Would the old me have fainted at some of the decisions I've made? Definitely. But that's how things have to be." Would dropping the Drake bomb make things worse or better? Oh dear. Well, it would probably be better if she got everything out at once. "Like dating someone who is addicted to drugs... But he's nice!" seriously Belle? Nice? That's all you can muster to describe your boyfriend? She closed her eyes tightly as she prepared for him to yell at her some more.
Chappezi​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

‘Yeah, I guess it is,’ he glanced around the cabin as Alice did. ‘It belongs to Ash’s grandparents. . . I think it used to be a resort, before it closed down,’ he told her. The Wests were super rich people and always had the coolest everything. But if Elise was seeing his Dad, and if Ash would be his half-sister, did that mean the cabin might one day be partly his?

He smiled, then stepped over to the fireplace which was next to the tree, and warmed his hands. He watched how the flames danced. ‘I think the reason she’s got so many cats was because she was lonely,’ he said, ‘Mr. Winston died even before I was born, and she never remarried. And she doesn’t have any children. That’s what she told me.’

Neck Tie felt lonely sometimes, but he probably would never feel lonely enough to get ten cats. At least, he hoped it would never come to that. He certainly wasn't lonely enough to join that noisy party which was going on as they spoke. ‘I. . . I don’t know who’s going to bring her pet food or water her garden now,’ he said with a hint of guilt. He’d completely forgotten that he never got a chance to tell Mrs. Winston that he was leaving for the States with his dad. It’s been months. What if she was still waiting for him to show up? What if all the flowers had died, or the cats had starved because of him?

‘One of them’s named Cupcake. She’s my favourite. She always sits on Mrs. Winston’s lap and purrs,' he said, 'She likes to roll over and have her belly stroked.'

A Little Cloud

 

[Winona]

Mason


He rolled his eyes. Raven could lie all she wanted about loving this whole working alone thing, but there was no doubt in his mind that she would much rather prefer if a strapping, handsome young man such as himself came over to keep her entertained instead. Okay... so maybe the last couple days had gone to his head, but damn, it felt great to be back.

"See and that's the problem! You do your best work alone, but you're supposed to be partying! Having fun! Enjoying yourself and letting loose!" Mason responded, with a little lopsided grin. "So you should come with me and we can party it up instead, especially if you're not... dating Alaska, that means..." he paused, looking down at her lips for a moment before his eyes returned to hers. "You're single and wow, what a blessing, because I'm also single."

"Right, uh..." For a moment, he looked away from Raven around the party, his eyes falling across a handful of the girls he'd spoken to so far, which was mainly just a handful of the cheerleaders. "Eh, they're not as interesting as you." He replied with a wink as he looked back at Raven, then held out his hand. "C'mon. Let's relax and have a good time, yeah?"

Soap

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

Drake


Perfect. With a grin, Drake slid into the seat next to Aaron, placing the little plastic shot cups down and also the bottle of vodka that he'd brought with. For a moment, his smile fell when he realized that he had two and there were three of them, but that was fine, and his smile was quick to return. "Nice to meet you, Casper."

Drake opened up the bottle of vodka, and filled both of the shot glasses, and slid them towards Aaron and Casper. "Here -- you two take the first shots." He said with an eager grin. "Chug, chug!" He said jokingly, with a little laugh. Obviously he was kidding -- they were shots, you didn't chug them. Plus, well, the faster they did shots, the better it would be.

"I say we drink this whole bottle tonight. Just the three of us." He was partially kidding, partially serious, as he took the bottle and sipped it straight from the top, wincing as the burn went down his throat.

mikaluvkitties​

 

[txlos]

​

Full circle wasn't something that happened often in the world, and yet here Nova was, roles reversed with Ian in front of her. She could see the sadness creeping up onto the boy's usual bright and sunny features, his shoulders sinking in defeat, the words uttered hopelessly from his mouth. But it was the conflict in his eyes that really pegged the brunette girl into place, feeling the need to do anything possible to help. Obviously, Sierra felt the same way as she stepped closer to her brother, Nova silenced by the sibling bond display in front of her. Nothing she could say could be more helpful than Ian's own sister, so she waited until left the kitchen to speak up. "No, it isn't wrong," She cooed, taking a small step towards Ian and placing a hand on his arm. "I understand completely. On one hand you're sad for your friends, but on another you're glad it wasn't something you had to live with. That's normal, Ian. Don't feel bad about that." The words rang in Nova's head and she was forced to suppress a scoff. Maybe one day she would take her own advice, but now wasn't the day. Instead, she gently reached for the bottle that the blonde boy was funneling from, grasping it in cold hands and setting it on the table. "Maybe we don't break anything... or drink until we puke."

Nova's smile was warm as she set the bottle down on granite counter tops, eyes wide and understanding. Ian seemed like the type that never wanted people to see him without a smile, the type that wanted to do everything possible to please otherwise without granting himself the same courtesy. On one hand, it was incredibly honorable of him, never wanting someone to go without a good time, but on the other.... what did that cost him? Having things pent up, held back, unable to allow the frown to fall onto his lips. It all seemed like a lot. Nova sure as well couldn't do it.

Before the brunette could scold the boy before her on apologizing for how he was feeling, Sierra reappeared with a gorgeous guitar in hand, the presence of the object lighting up Ian's face. It was a genuine smile, something that Nova knew he needed just about now. It wasn't until the mention of the IOU that Ian had written not a day earlier that she looked up in slight alarm, a flood of crimson rushing to her cheeks. "Oh uh," Hazel eyes flicked along the ground as if a set list was laid into the kitchen tile, though it didn't take long for Nova to lean herself back against the counter with a shrug of her shoulders. "How about you pick Mr. Ian?" The words were soft and a gentle grin accompanied them. "I think anything you sing is gonna be beautiful, so play me your best."

PenguinFox

 

[PenguinFox]

Nova's words comforted Ian some, he still felt like a terrible person, but not as bad. His mood was still soured by being this down, especially at a party of all places. He felt like it was his job to keep people smiling and laughing, especially at parties, but how could he do that if he couldn't even keep himself smiling? When Sierra brought in his guitar his darker thoughts began to drift away, replaced with songs and chords. He gently rubbed the frame with his right thumb before sliding his left index finger down the sixth string. His eyes were alight as though it were the first time beholding the instrument. The teenager reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, and from it a tortoise shell guitar pick. "Always carry one with me." he said with a grin. He hopped up onto the counter so he could sit while playing, gently letting the guitar rest on his lap as he listened to Nova.

Ian thought for several long moments. "Well...I don't know if I could play my best, I haven't played in a little bit so I'm a little rusty." he had been slacking on guitar, he'd been mostly focused on bass and his singing for the past few weeks. "I'll do something easy, then if you'd like I'll do something else. Consider it a warmup, and don't worry I won't count this as your IOU." he laughed lightly and gave the brunette a wink. "That will be fulfilled upon a song of your selection, so never let me forget it. But enough about that!" he looked down at the strings as he gently bit his pick to hold it, and gingerly put his left hand in place. His fingers slowly went through the positions of the chords he would need, one after the other. Then he went up each string to check if they were in tune. Once he was satisfied he took the pick from his mouth and began to strum.

The song Ian had chosen to play was Good Riddance by Green Day, one of the first songs he had learned when he started playing guitar. His guitar playing was shaky at first, lacking confidence from being rusty, but improved as the song went on. He still wasn't perfect, occasionally hitting a high E on accident, but it hardly affected the sound of the song. Where he really shined was his singing. His voice was smooth and completely confident, but held a certain amount of well placed emotion to it. As he played the last note he looked between Sierra and Nova with a hint of apprehension. "Give it to me straight, how'd I do?"

​

Sierra silently watched Nova and Ian interacting. She wasn't quite sure that the light in her brother's eyes was entirely from his guitar, and how did he already owe her a song? This new friend of Ian then said anything he would play would sound beautiful, which was nice of her to say, and sounded genuine, but some questions were starting to form in the elder sibling's head. Questions she would have to ask later, for now it was time to listen not speak. She closed her eyes and smiled as he played. She hadn't heard him play in a long time and had forgotten how good he was. There wasn't a doubt about it in Sierra's mind; the band didn't get the producer because they didn't have Ian.

When he finished he asked for feedback, typical of her brother to never think very highly of himself. Sierra opened her eyes, smile beaming. She was a proud sister for sure, even if that wasn't his best song. She remained silent however. Ian wasn't really asking his sister's opinion. He knew what she would say; either sarcastically say he sucked, or genuinely say she loved it. No Ian was merely making it seem like he was asking for both girls input, looking between the two, but the Evans sister knew better; he was truly only asking for Nova's opinion. Sierra's eyes moved to meet the other girls hazel ones, encouraging her to speak up first. The two people in front of Sierra may not know it, but it was clear to her. What Nova said would define her and Ian's friendship moving forward, and by extension her and Sierra's. She watched the other brunette intently, looking for any hint of her inner thoughts, a warm smile remaining on her own face all the while to not let her own thoughts show. txlos

 

[txlos]

​

Nova watched intently as the blonde boy before her settled into his seat on the counter, his fingers flicking back and forth on the guitar's neck, finding their way to various chords and pressing into the strings as if to solidify the pattern they were in. He seemed incredibly content there, even if he has previously stated his nerves, it was hard to see. In the few days the brunette had known the guy, this is where he looked most content, most at ease. He wasn't trying to make people smile, he wasn't trying to catch a laugh, he just looked... himself. Well, as much himself as Nova could dissect considering she had only known Ian for forty-eight hours. God, was it really that little of time? The thought swirled in Nova's mind, her head falling to the side a little as her gaze settled easily onto the boy before her. He was so... easy to be around, so easy to admire. It was odd for her, odd to feel so comfortable with a stranger. Maybe it was the connection through music, or the fact that their friendship started with a sobbing Nova and Ian who was just, well, there. Whatever it was, why question it?

It wasn't until Ian began singing that hazel eyes brightened, lifting to watch the boy's face. It was like hearing a new genre for the first time, holding her interest. Nova's eyes never broke from his face then, a gentle smile spilling onto timid lips as she leaned her figure against the counter opposite of Ian. His voice was smooth, flowing along each note like a leaf on the current, but it was more than his voice. It was his body language, the way his face seemed to soften, the way his jaw tensed and relaxed throughout the song, it was all so much to witness and yet, it was easily something that she could've watched over and over. So as the song came to an end, she couldn't help but feel the tiniest ounce of sadness. Though hopefully it wasn't the last time she would get to hear the man's sweet singing.

The question Ian asked after his musical genius was concluded almost made Nova laugh. Did he seriously not understand how talented he was? The brunette simply smiled up at him, a gentle yet beaming smile that reached her eyes. "I think any producer would be crazy not to have you," She nodded, holding her plastic red cup in both hands as a small flush of pink washed into her delicate complexion. If a producer didn't want Ian, Nova would have no problem listening to his playing and singing for as long as he allowed. Taking a sip of the cup's contents, Nova looked to Sierra, giving her a friendly smile before returning her eyes to Ian's. She couldn't imagine growing up with someone like him around, and the abundance of smiles that probably went right along with it.

PenguinFox

 

[Dazzle]

Carter had spent the entire day up on the mountain, coming back to the house she made her way upstairs for a quick shower. She had forgotten how sweaty snowboarding could be, the first ride was always the most exhausting. She ran her hands through her hair trying to dig through all of the wind knots she created on the slopes. Carter needed the quite morning to herself, she had way to much socialization on the car ride up and needed the time to herself. She had even ignored Belle's tweet looking for her, not that Belle had deserved it. But Carter was so over people that she needed the mountain and speed to take the edge off of her.

The warm water ran down her, refreshing her mind and body. All of her thoughts from the drive up to the resort erased, she felt ready to join everyone once again. Pulling on a loose top over a sports bra with a pair of sweats. She made her way downstairs, running her hand back through her hair tucking it behind her ear.

Man was Carter hungry, she loved the mountain but damn did she feel out of shape. Everyone was around partying, which she had intentions of joining but not on an empty stomach. Looking off to the side she saw Drake Aaron, and.. Well two Aaron's it looked like. If Carter was drunk she would think she was seeing double. Briefly she thought about stopping Drake, but realized it was a futile attempt and realistically it wasn't her problem. Carter thought, if Mason wasn't going to intervene she wasn't going to make it her problem.

She turned away, 'it wasn't her problem' she kept repeating to herself. Hearing singing coming from the kitchen, she hadn't expected to see Ian singing and playing guitar. She actually wasn't so surprised, he looked like a music kid. She hadn't really given him a chance to get to know him, "Damn Ian, you're not half bad." Carter smirked leaning against the threshold, but her attention quickly changed when she recognized a familiar brunette that she hadn't seen in a while"Nova? When did you get back?" Her eyes wide, Nova had sort of left without saying anything. And her and Carter hadn't ever been close, but they weren't enemies or anything like that she noticed when she left. Maybe not right away like others, but Nova was a good kid it seemed.

PenguinFox txlos​

 

[Chappezi]

Leon O'Conner​

It was silent for a few moments and he wondered what she was thinking about. A real answer or just a lie to not hurt his feelings, what would come out? Honestly, he didn't even want the truth because he knew it would hurt. Looking back up to her the answer started slipping away from her mouth. Leon felt mixed emotions rush through his head and millions of more questions poured in.

"I would've gone anyways, you know that. I would've done anything for you Belle. We were supposed to be in it together. What happened to that?" He said with a little bit of a temper slipping into the tone of his voice. It began to raise the more he spoke and he was now holding his fists in a ball grabbing the edges of the bed. "So your dating someone else now, it was just that easy eh?" He said throwing his head down and putting his face against his palms. "And drugs? Really? He's 'nice'? I must've really been nothing then to you."

Leon buried his face into his palms and then sprouted up from the bed. He began to pace around the room back and forth thinking before stopping in front of Belle. He felt betrayed, she left him only to find some other guy who addicted to drugs which made him feel pathetic. What happened to her? This wasn't the same Belle he left back home, but it was the Belle he was going to have to attend school with. She didn't even know, she thinks Leon just came to visit her all this way, but it was just on the way to his new home near the high school she attends. He was going to break the new to her. "Well I don't know what to say or think anymore Belle. I'm defeated...but you should know I just moved and will be going to school at Westbrook. Just a heads up."

Maree ​

 

[PenguinFox]

Sierra returned Nova's smile before facing Ian again. "Yeah you were alright." she said flatly, before she cracked and gave him a grin. "C'mon, that was great and deep down you know it. It's okay to call yourself talented if you are. It doesn't make you conceited." she gave him a playful shove as her eyes flicked back to the other girl. That word choice, and that smile, and that slight shading to her cheeks. All things that Sierra took in and mulled over in her head. Perhaps she was over-analyzing things, she was known to do that, but maybe she wasn't. Her mind led her to a couple of conclusions , but she held off on jumping to any of them. She would continue to observe for now.

Another girl appeared from the entryway and complemented Ian. Sierra figured it must be a friend of his so she gave her a friendly smile, and a small wave as an invitation to join the three. She seemed to also know Nova, so why not? The sister turned back to her brother."Well, since you said you'd play another song if we wanted, and we very much do want to-" Sierra looked to Nova for an agreement. "- what song are you going to do next?" she took a sip from her drink and then went about getting a glass of water for Ian. Her brother tilted his head back and forth a couple of times as he thought, swaying slightly. Sierra gave him the glass of water and took the mostly empty cup of Jack from beside him. "Water first. Alcohol will trash your voice." she poured what was left in the sink and stared Ian down until he drank some of the water.

Ian grinned at the response he received from the two, but looked down and away to hide the slight tint rising in his cheeks. He took a sip of his drink so he had a scapegoat in case he was caught. It was then he noticed Carter in the entryway. "Hey thanks." he flashed her an appreciative smile. "Maybe one day I'll be fully not bad." he joked. Alright it wasn't his best joke but sometimes he sacrificed quality for speed when it came to his wit. "Stay a while and listen. It might be the only free concert I ever give out." he invited, his typically grin on his face. It seemed he was now fully out of the state he was in a short while ago.

As usual his sister then began to helicopter him. She was right, also as usual, but it didn't make any less obnoxious. Ian made a show of drinking the water, including opening his mouth wide to show he swallowed it and giving his sister a 'happy now?' look. When she nodded he spoke up. "Well, there is one song that I've kinda wanted to play, but like...I've never practiced it or anything. Just heard it on the radio and thought it was cool. It's a couple of years old, but to be fair most of my musical tastes are like at least a decade old." he gave a shrug and grinned. "Pop-punk will never die, at least not to Ian Evans. Anyway the song Closer, by The Chainsmokers? You've definitely heard it." The younger sibling pulled out his phone and began searching. "Just got to figure out how..." he said, frowning slightly as he found some unfortunate results. "I don't have a capo on me..." he gently set his guitar to the side and hopped down off the counter.

Ian did a small pace before stopping and looking at the three women before him. "Duh, I can jury rig one." he said more to himself than to anyone else. "Sierra, I need a hair tie." he didn't wait for a response before rummaging through drawers until he found a fork. He set the fork on the counter and looked to everyone around him. "Nobody tell Ash I did this." and with that he pounded the fork until it was completely straight. He then took the hair tie his sister had pulled from her back pocket and made a makeshift capo on his guitar. "Perfect, at least it will have to do" he hopped back up on the counter and looked back at his phone. Once again his fingers moved up and down the strings as he memorized the chords. "Who knew it would just be three chords. Neat, this shouldn't be too hard." the teenager slowly strummed the chords a few times so he could get the hang of it and once he felt confident enough he looked to up. "This song does require multiple voices. Anyone mind doing me a huge favor?" his voice was almost pleading and it was clear he was excited for to try the song

Sierra shook her head at Ian's request. "Singing isn't my thing." That was a lie, she could sing, and she wasn't bad either. There were a couple times Ian's band had Sierra guest sing for a song or two, but this wasn't about her. She looked to the brunette next to her. "Do you think you could?" she hoped Ian's excitement was enough to sway Nova, it would be cool to hear a duet, especially if one of the possible conclusions Sierra had were true. "I know you can, but would you be willing to? I'd be super grateful. Like, owe you two songs level of grateful." Ian added, his tone reminiscent of a child asking for a toy, and saying whatever it takes to get it. txlos Dazzle

 

[txlos]

​

Hazel eyes grew wide as three pairs of encouraging gazes fell onto her, flicking her own gaze between them and looking for one that was maybe a little gentler. But no, all pairs seemed to be wanting the same thing. It had been a long time since Nova had sang in front of other people, and it wasn't something she took lightly. The brunette was incredibly critical of herself, of her arts, and the last person who had been allowed to full step through that door of hers was... well, was Jace. A pinch skipped her heartbeat at the thought, eyes flashing dim for only a moment. There was no way that was going to be her lasting memory of singing in front of people, not one of Jace, not one so... fresh. No, maybe this wouldn't be a bad idea. It was just the initial fear that she had to get over right? The fear that those outside of these three would hear, the fear of judgement and humility, the fear that her voice wouldn't compare to Ian's. Well, she knew it wouldn't compare to Ian's.

With a deep breath, Nova set her plastic red cup to the side, placing her palms flat against the counter opposite of Ian and hoisting herself to a seated position. She gave a slight nod, accompanied by a deep breath, before gesturing toward the blonde boy. "You owe me two songs," She parroted back to him with the smallest of smiles. Though the grin that stretched across Ian's lips at her agreement to a duet was unmatched and so worth the inner turmoil that was currently bubbling inside her chest. And so the music began, thanks to Ian's makeshift capo and melodic voice that seemed to sweep across the party, the energy shifting. It amazed Nova that someone could have such an effect on a room, that someone could encapsulate what it meant to be a musician in such a space. But this was Ian. The blonde had held her attention for the past few days, leaving Nova craving his history, his likes and dislikes, any knowledge he could gather to help break any mystery the boy held. Above all, she had found herself thinking less and less of Jace... all thanks to an almost stranger.

It wasn't until Nova's portion of the song was coming up that she snapped back to reality, her dreamy gaze being replaced by a shy glance down at nimble fingers flicking along the guitar. Nerves were beginning to settle, confidence building slowly but surely, because she knew this. If there was one thing that the brunette knew, it was singing. It was her passion, something she studied and practiced. And maybe for once, it was about time she took some pride in it. With a grin, Nova sang alongside Ian, looking up to his happy, boyish grin that seemed unfathomably contagious. Singing with him seemed... easy. He wasn't trying to overpower her or shadow her, even though in Nova's mind he totally could have. But in reality, Nova's voice was even and gracious, not one stutter or note out of place as she sang along to lyrics she knew all too well. It was only when the female solo came that her cheeks did flush slightly red, though her voice was projected and confident. Her expression didn't match it, but it didn't matter. Her eyes stayed in their pattern between Ian and his guitar, foot bouncing in rhythm as her thin frame swayed side to side with the music.

And it was possibly the most blissful Nova had felt in so long. Music was an escape, and sharing it with others made her feel accepted and wanted, even with this lot that she had just met or hardly knew. Even Carter, someone of total indifference, seemed comforting right now. Sierra seemed to like her well enough, and Ian... well, Nova didn't know, even now as she looked across at him. It didn't matter right now, nothing else did. Just the music.

PenguinFox Dazzle

 

[Dazzle]

The music was great, Nov and Ian had a lot of talent. But Carter was bored, there wasn't much for her to do. She had come downstairs to get food before intoxicating herself for the night. "You two make a great duet." She smirked pushing herself off the wall and over to the fridge. Her thoughts trailed, wondering what Mason had been up to today. She quickly shook the thoughts from her mind. Opening the fridge, realizing she had gone on vacation with a bunch of teenagers that didn't know how to shop for themselves. There was a few apples, and old takeout, along with a frozen pizza.

She shrugged even though the pizza had a note on it that said "do not eat" she figured who was really going to fight her on this. Plus Pizza was meant to be enjoyed. She tore open the box finding a pan to cook it on, tossing it into the the oven. She leaned back against the counter lifting herself up, watching as Ian strummed the guitar and Nova sung along like it was the easiest thing in the world. Carter wished that she could sing half as well as Nova did.

Carter picked up a solo cup filling it with vodka and tonic. She'd be eating soon, it would be fine. "So Nova, you didn't answer my question. When'd you get back?" Raising her cup to her lips, she opened her eyes wide. Turning to her side, she realized she hadn't met the other girl yet. "Carter" She reached out her hand. "I don't believe we've met"

PenguinFox txlos

Mads


Mads picked up a beer from the cooler, seeing the small freshman boy who happened to be his locker neighbor. Madison was still wondering when this kid would pick up his project from Mads' locker. The project had to be over due at this point hadn't it? Maybe Stu liked to get projects done far ahead of time. He saw the red head that he met the other day. "Hey Alice right?" He smiled sitting down beside the two. "Neck-Tie." He nodded with his giant smile on his face.

Mads looked up at the tree in front of him. "Did you guys do this?" He gestured to the tree in front of him, "It looks awesome." He leaned back on his hands behind him. "What have you guys been up to? Stu do you board?" Mads still hadn't made it out on the mountain, he had been drunk from the fist night of the trip. He felt like it wouldn't be safe for him to be out on the mountain without some sort of conscious mind.

Dede A Little Cloud​

 

[Dazzle]

Zach


Alright he felt kinda bad that he didn't rush to Belle's rescue at her first message. He knew what memories that school brought back, and all the trauma she had been through. Zach made his way down the mountain for one last ride. Feeling the way the board cut through the snow, the fresh powder made it that much better. He came to an abrupt stop as the snow flew up in front of him and the powder fell back down. Taking off his helmet he ran his hand through his sweaty hair spiking it back up.

He unclipped his board from his boots picking it up and tucking it under his arm, making his way inside. He stuck the board within the snowbank, slipping out of his boots as he walked through the door. He took a while to get all of his layers off, but soon enough he was making his way up towards Belle's room as he didn't see her anywhere downstairs.

Zach knocked before slowly opening the door and peaking his head in. "Hey. Everything alright in her?" He raised his eyebrows before opening the door the rest of the way and stepping in. He looked between the boy and Belle who was across the room. Zach made his way towards Belle, seeing that she looked a bit upset. But not in distress quite yet, he was here for her either way.

Maree Chappezi ​

 

[Dazzle]

Rae had a rather uneventful day, she couldn't convince herself to make her way out on the mountain not wanting to make a fool of herself out there. She wasn't a bad snowboarder but by no means was she any good. And the whole idea of snowboarding in front of the whole school gave her anxiety. Even if no one actually knew who she was.. She watched as the party raged on, everyone was getting drunk or high and she was just wondering why she had even bothered to come up here in the first place.

Rae was so deep in her own thoughts she didn't even see the blonde that she was about to bump into. With full force she knocked into her before catching herself so she didn't fall. "Oh my gosh. I am so sorry." She said quickly staring at the floor, she recognized her, Rae was pretty sure that she was one of the girls that she had gone dress shopping with for homecoming.

Homecoming had felt so long ago, so much had changed since that first week that her and Mads had moved there. "Grace right?" She looked down at her feet before back at Grace.

Soap ​

 

[A Little Cloud]

A L I C E
STATUS
Mood ~ A bit surprised
Interacting with ~ Necktie, Mads
Mentions ~ Dazzle Dede
Alice turned her head back to Neck Tie, listening and frowning a bit. It was sad that Mrs. Winston was alone with her cats, but animals could be comforting....right? But still, some people need some human interaction once in a while. She walked over to the fireplace, sat down next to him, and patted Neck Tie slowly on his back. "I'm sure Mrs. Winston will find someone to help her. Don't worry yourself." Alice put on a weak smile. "It's almost Christmas!" She turned to face the fireplace, lifting one hand up carefully to put it near the dancing flames. She had always been wary near fire, and this one was no exception.

She only raised her head up when she heard someone walked over and returned the smile. Alice nodded slowly when he mentioned the tree, looking back at the glittering masterpiece. She sighed, and looked away. "Nothing really...." She then turned to Neck Tie, awaiting his answer.​

 

[PenguinFox]

There was a moment of hesitation from Nova, that much was certain to Ian, but he was unsure of why. Possibly stage-fright, but that didn't really make sense, it was just the four of them, but he supposed it wasn't out of the question. After a moment though she nodded and Ian's grin couldn't be wider. He owed the girl two songs now, but that wasn't a debt he was unwilling to pay. Playing music was one of his favorite things to do, so could it really be considered a debt? Regardless it was time to play not think.

Ian began playing the three chord rhythm and closed his eyes, letting the music fill both the room and himself. Performing was where Ian was most comfortable and it showed; his smile was more subdued, but more confident. His body moved with the beat fluidly, and his eyes were alight with passion. This was where he belonged. Being an entertainer was what he was born to do, be it on a kitchen counter in a cabin on a mountain, or on a stage in front of thousands of fans, this was his home and it showed.

As the male voice of this duet Ian would be singing first. His voice smooth with a hint raspiness for effect. Grinning from ear to ear he looked between the three girls as he sang, always lingering on Nova longer than the rest. When it came to her verse his eyes remained on her, engrossed in her voice. It was sharp and clear. Neither of the two needed the other in this song. It was a duet though; the idea wasn't to carry the song with one voice, but for two to compliment each other. He cut the rasp from his voice and brought it to a more mellow and smooth tone. Her voice was a crystal glass, and his was the water inside, coming together where they needed. As they sang Ian noticed an all too familiar expression radiating from his partner. She was getting lost in the sound, same as he was. He wondered if music was as much an escape for her as it was for him.

The song came to a close and Ian's gaze still had yet to break from the brunette on the counter opposite him, eyes gently studying her. He was broken from this almost daze like state when Carter spoke up, saying they were a great duet. He looked down and away as a slight hint of pink rose to his face. "Thanks." he said as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. He took a sip of his water and watched the red haired girl go about making a frozen pizza, all the while trying to focus his thoughts.

​

Sierra listened to the two play, watching them intently. They were both incredibly talented and together they were almost magical. It was like they were meant to be together. Vocally that is. The direction of Ian's gaze wasn't something that went unnoticed by the sister and more and more she was leaning towards one particular conclusion. She crossed her arms casually as a small smirk rose to her face. When the pair finished their song she softly clapped for them. "That was amazing guys. You are both really talented." she looked to Nova then back to Ian, smirk returning as she faced her brother. His eyebrow arched. "What?" the elder sibling merely shrugged. "Nothing. Nothing at all." The smirk remained however, leaving Ian suspicious. Not suspicious enough to question her further though. She would tell him eventually, and if she was planning on trying to embarrass him well there wasn't much he could do to stop her anyway.

The other girl who had come in introduced herself to Sierra as Carter. "We have not met, I actually just got here. Sierra, pleasure to meet you." she gave the girl a warm smile as she shook her hand. "You know guys, as fun as it would be to just have Ian be a jukebox all night, wouldn't be more fun to do something? This is a party, how about a party game?" she suggested with a shrug. looking between the small group. Ian smiled as he hopped down from the counter. "I'm down for anything." he said offering Nova a hand down. She didn't need it considering the height, but Ian was raised to always at least offer help, that and his sister would kick his ass if he wasn't 'gentlemanly'. txlos Dazzle

 

[Maree]

Belle


Belle sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "You didn't mean nothing Leon. I just didn't expect- We were never meant to see each other again" she said, blinking back tears. Saying that aloud really did make her sound like a terrible person. So she didn't try to speak again as he paced back and forth. Taking all the blame was the best thing that she could do. She just had to keep reminding herself of that as she held back on defending her actions. This way he could go home and find a nice girl, never thinking of her again. At least that's what she thought would happen. Until she dropped a bomb on her. He had moved to Westbrook? Her head shot up and she stared up at him with wide eyes. No. No way this couldn't be happening. Why now? Why her. What kind of cruel prank was this? All that running and yet she had gotten nowhere.

"I-I" Belle started but didn't get to finish as someone knocked at the door. Please anyone but Drake. She prayed silently as the door opened revealing Zach. Oh, thank god. She smiled softly at him, visibly relieved that it wasn't anyone else. But that just brought her back to her current problem. Leon was staying in Westbrook. Was everything okay? Honestly Zach. Did things look okay? "Debatable," she said, not wanting to trigger Leon further with saying no. Because if he could hit her with a bomb like that then she might as well give him a dose of the cold hard truth. If he tried anything she had Zach to protect her now.

"Seeing as everything gets out in this town eventually. So you want the hard truth? fine. I could barely look at you" she said, standing up off her bed. There was no way she was going to be a scared little girl. She was going to speak her mind. That's what he came here for, right? "You never understood what I was going through. You weren't in that damn car Leon." she tried to keep her tone neutral but it was hard to keep her emotions from slipping through, anger, hurt. "Sometimes it felt like you didn't even try to understand. You just expected everything to go back to how things were before" she said, letting the tears she was holding back roll down her cheeks. "Every time I kissed you I thought of how the girls watched out the window the first time you kissed me under the willow tree" she sobbed softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "When I look at you I remember how we only met because of a dare from them." She wasn't sure if she was happy or embarrassed that Zach was witnessing this as well. "Every day I was in that town I wished I died in that car too. I wanted to die so badly it's surprising I'm standing here at all"
Dazzle Chappezi​

 

[txlos]

​

A fresh, joyful glow radiated from Nova's face as the song came to a close. It hadn't gone unnoticed, the soft gaze that Ian had locked onto her, and here and there, hazel eyes met jade greens just briefly enough. It wasn't difficult to see that the two held a similar feeling towards music, the way they both seemed to zone out, the world slipping into vignette with the melody of chords and voices being the only focus. It was refreshing, and somewhat comforting, knowing that the blonde boy in front of her was just as passionate as she was about their craft, this crazy dream of wanting to be professional musicians. For the longest time the brunette had convinced herself that Jace West was the only other man on earth who loved this as much as she did… but damn was she wrong. The naivety had caught up with her now, a subtle laugh slipping through a grin before this moment of mutual stillness and appreciation faded.

The sound of Sierra’s voice shook Nova from her dreamy state, cheeks flushing just a bit as the boy across from her broke their gaze first, following suit in giving her attention to his sister. Carter was smiling idly in the doorway by the time the brunette was able to shift her attention, not quite catching the quip she had made. Carter was intimidating, she held herself like she was worth more than the president, and in all honesty, she probably was. Nonetheless, Nova was happy to see Sierra smiling brightly up at the duet, giving a nod as a ‘thank you’ to the compliment given before taking Ian’s hand to fall down from the counter. It didn’t slip by unnoticed, the blonde boy seemed like a real gentlemen. And maybe a tingling shot into Nova’s stomach at the touch, but maybe it didn’t, and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t think too much of it just yet. Overthinking was an enemy that she knew well, and wasn’t one she cared to indulge in.

“A game could be fun,” Nova nodded, pushing a hand through her hair to move it from her face as she looked between the siblings. The party was full of life at this point, drunk teenagers mingling with those who were only slightly buzzed. The smell of alcohol was wafting in the air, just a hint of it’s strength contrasting with the vanilla scent that the cabin held, and it gave the brunette an idea.

Hazel eyes grew with excited, teeth slipping to bite at the corner of her lip before releasing it. “We could play a drinking game?” It wasn’t something that Nova would usually recommend, but hey, it was Christmas Eve! There wasn’t any harm in getting a little drunk, and for some reason unknown to her, she trusted that if she were to get too slammed, Ian and Sierra would probably take care of her, right? Carter... well, maybe. Eyes flicked back and forth from one sibling to the other, then to the redhead and back, waiting for feedback and hoping she didn’t sound like an absolute lunatic.

Talking to: PenguinFox Dazzle
Mentions: Winona