Realistic or Modern Westbrook

[Dede]

Tom

‘Yes, really,’ said Tom. ‘I’m telling you mate. Them nuggets. They’re evil. I’ve seen a clip of how they’re made. . . it’s disgusting.’

Tom munched away at the cookie and, as Casper was unwittingly stooped down checking the cupboards, he dusted his hands on the back of that boy's jacket acting like he was giving him an encouraging pat on the back. What? No way he was getting chocolate on his own tidy clothes.

Suddenly there was a noise from outside, and Tom recoiled.

‘Wait-- Did you hear that?’

He pulled Casper again by the collar of his shirt and trailed him behind the counter. Their backs pounded against the stainless surface behind them and it made a rattling noise. Yes. It was just like that kitchen scene from Jurassic Park. Tom was expecting velociraptors to come clawing through the door at any moment.

‘Somebody’s outside,’ he announced.

He waited wondering why the noise had stopped, but he was too afraid to go and check it out by himself.

‘Um. . . mate, go check the hallway. Quick! I'll grab the rest of the food,' he said, straightening his bowtie.

mikaluvkitties

 

[DrabberRogue]

Jace

Okay so maybe this was a mistake. Jace winced as the British boy's voice rumbled back at him through his headphones, Happy Meal's mic clearly too close to his face. He definitely hadn't signed up to be the target of this kid's emotional baggage. He was there though, and there was no getting out of the situation now. Well, there was, but he'd have to be a total dick to take that option. So Jace listened, his brow furrowing and the smirk fading from his expression. A mix of annoyance and mild concern warring for control of his features. His icy blue eyes shifted past his computer to the window while someone he barely knew vented about problems he didn't really understand. How hard was it to just speak up, or just ditch the assholes to go find someone else?

There was something he did get though. Just wanting to have fun. So Jace actually did have a few words rising to the surface as the other boy trailed off into sobs. He took a few seconds to process everything that had just been said, watching the noticeably calmer snowstorm outside, before finally taking in a breath to respond. "Well... For starters, I think you should find a new team." He began, subconsciously putting on a small smile. As if he were trying to give advice in person. "We both should, those guys are dicks. You outta ditch those guys and-"

Suddenly he was interrupted by someone else's voice ringing out from the background. The little girl delightedly calling out to her 'daddy' who had apparently just returned home, or something, followed by the supposed 'daddy' swearing loudly. Great parenting. What Jace was more interested in though was the name that the older voice had called out beforehand. Raven? Now there was a name that always caught his attention. Terrible situation aside, how cool was it that some guy he met online was babysitting for another girl named Raven?

Although she didn't sound British, which was kind of weird, and he could hear the girl's voice very clearly. It sounded like she'd stormed up to the computer and was now standing right next to Happy Meal, shouting at him. Oh well, not like it was uncommon for people to move both ways across the pond. Although her voice did sound kind of familiar...

The whole thing was horribly timed though. Like seriously, as if the British guy breaking down wasn't bad enough, it sounded like the situation on the other end was a lot worse than he'd thought. So against his usual policy of not engaging when shit hit the fan, Jace decided to offer a little input. Hopefully try to lessen the severity of whatever storm Happy Meal was about to catch. That's what teammates were for, right?
"Well, on the bright side her computer still works." He chimed, not knowing his voice would come out through the speakers as well as the other boy's headphones. "Whatever happened to it, she can probably still move her stuff onto another one. Or something."

Dede Winona Soap

 

[KingofAesir]

Sawyer
​

If everything else Grace had said had been a punch then this was a bullet through her heart. Sawyer went quiet and her posture slumped considerably. Came to tell her she was moving on. Trying to move. Came to rip Sawyer's heart right out of her chest. Truth be told, if Grace actually did try to rip her heart out Sawyer wouldn't stop her. She couldn't stop her. Grace's words hit Sawyer like a freight train. Sawyer didn't want to be done. Sawyer wasn't done. She didn't want to be some nuisance in Grace's head while she flaunted off with whoever. She didn't want to be the person Grace thought about years from now and could only remember one or two things. She didn't want to be a memory. She couldn't be a memory because she felt like Grace would always be far more than a memory to her. If she were fatalistic she might say she'd never love anyone else quite the same way. Maybe she was fatalistic.


"I can't do that." Sawyer's words had lost all their fire, "You know I can't do that. I'm sorry." Except she wasn't sorry. Sawyer wasn't sorry in the slightest bit. If all she had to do too keep Grace from forgetting her was keep showing up everywhere, then that was what she was going to do. It was selfish and cruel but she didn't care. Let her be selfish, it wasn't like it was doing much good anyway. Her being selfish was the reason they were in here arguing right now. But if she wasn't she might never speak to Grace again and she didn't want that. Yelling was better than nothing at all. Hearing Grace's voice was better than silence. Anger was better than heartbreak.


"I've tried. There's no use. I love you, please...please I can't-I can't do this anymore I-" A stray tear managed to push it's way out of Sawyer's eye, she reached up and quickly wiped it away. This was pitiful. She was sitting here begging like a dog, and Grace just looked like she wanted out.


"You know what, fuck this. Just...I don't know. Go find your new girlfriend or whatever. I'm done. Have your damn freedom, Grace. I'll leave you alone."

Soap

 

[Soap]

Grace

Of course she couldn't because Grace couldn't either, she just wished Sawyer didn't care about her, she wished Sawyer hated her for how she hurt her, ending their relationship, pretending that she didn't even exist in the first place; it'd hurt anyone. Sawyer was just too stubborn to see what Grace was doing, she was trying to push her away. Maybe being rude to her was the only way she'd get that. If she was being honest Grace didn't know what the hell she was doing in the first place.

Everything she said just seemed to make her try harder.

Averting her gaze from hers, Grace didn't want to see her cry, or listen to her, her pleads, that she loved her, Sawyer just needed to be quiet and not mention anything, literally nothing. Grace just needed to see her. That's all. Maybe it wasn't about moving on, maybe it was just about... closure. She needed to see her for another time to get over her. Y’know for like... a ‘last‘ time or something. It wasn't fair, okay? It needed to be over.

Grace didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say. Sawyer had said she'd leave her alone and as much as that hurt, it's what both of them needed. She turned the doorknob and moved to walk out.

KingofAesir​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

​

Neck Tie sniffled while he heard AceOfRoses out, nodding weakly to his advice. It embarrassed him that he'd just poured his heart out to a stranger over the Internet. The whole thing was so pathetic from top to bottom, and no one knew this more than Neck Tie himself. Yet he couldn’t help it. He felt like he had to tell someone, and there was no one else to talk to right now other than Ari, who happened to be two years old.

So he told AceOfRoses all his problems, assured in the knowledge that his secrets were safe with him because he didn’t know where he went to school and all that.

Suddenly he heard a noise, and spinning around in the chair he met with the gaping expressions on Mason's face. When did he even come in? Neck Tie’s face paled. His heart slipped out of gear. He felt a lump in his throat. He was in so much trouble.

Ari wanted her dad so Neck Tie lowered her gently, and she climbed off and went over to hug Mason. Meanwhile Neck Tie absorbed the sights around him and let it all sink in. The kitchen now looked ten times worse than even he remembered, with Mason standing there and the threat of a nugget-related death looming over his whole existence.

So it looked bad. Raven arrived, too, and she was in shock over the desecration of her laptop. But he can explain. . . right? OK, no he can’t. What? They weren’t supposed to be home until much later. He thought he had time to tidy up the mess. He thought he'd be able to mop up the juice and put the fridge back together at least.

Neck Tie pulled the headset which he had put back on off his ears mid-conversation and stood there guiltily. He stared first at his toes. Now the inquisition had begun as to why there was toilet tissue all over the house.

‘I’m. . . I’m sorry,’ he mumbled while searching Mason’s and Raven’s eyes for forgiveness, knowing he'd let them down. ‘. . . It was an accident.’

Well, it was mostly Ari who was the accident. But he couldn’t just throw a little child under the bus like that!

'I'm gonna clean it all up--'

He spun around and assessed the mess one more time. Where was he even going to start?

‘No. . . I’m not crying,’ he said, quickly banishing the tears from his eyes with his sleeves. Definitely not crying.

Soap DrabberRogue Winona

 

[Winona]

Mason


Holy fuck, was the little bastard really fucking crying now?

"Stop your fucking sobbing. You look like a fucking--" It was then that Mason recalled the little girl beside him, and no matter how much he might want to cuss out Stu, he couldn't.

And then, Raven's computer started talking, with just made him even more cross. With Ari clinging to his hand, Mason crossed the room until he stood over the laptop. Never mind. He couldn't avoid cussing, not when everyone in the world was pissing him off this much. It took Mason a moment to realize that Stu was talking to him through those ridiculous headphones, so Mason took them off of Stu's head, putting the little microphone bit up to his mouth.

"Now listen here, why don't you mind your own fucking business? You're probably some old creep preying on little weaklings like Stu here, and I'm not fucking putting up with it. Mind yourself and just sit in your basement eating your fucking pizza rolls and letting your mother wipe your own ass or whatever it is losers like you do. You probably spy on fucking girls or maybe little boys like Stu. Guys like you make me sick."

Mason tossed the headset onto the table beside the laptop, and then turned his angry gaze onto Stu, sitting there in front of him, looking so meek and small like a child.

What. The. Fuck.

"What the fuck happened and why the fuck are you crying?" Was it to make them feel pity for him, so maybe Mason and Raven would go easier on him? No... Stu wasn't smart enough for that.

While waiting for an answer, Mason crouched down, letting Ari wrap her arms around his neck. "Hey, do you want to go hangout with Raven for a bit while daddy figures out why Stu is so sad?"

"Are you bullying Stu?"

"What?" Mason asked, puzzled by the question, and Ari's rather angry looking expression.

"Stu was crying because someone is bullying him.""

Okay, well that answered that.

Soap Dede DrabberRogue​

 

[Winona]

Ash


Oh you had to be fucking kidding.

Her breath caught in her throat when Kanen moved towards Sean, fully expecting him to punch her new-not-new boyfriend, but instead he made his way towards Sebastian. And then everything felt like it happened at once. A chair went flying towards Sebastian, but at least he avoided it, and then was that a fucking cop?

Half of Ash wished that the cop had actually shot Kanen and knocked his ass to the ground, but instead the taser was being pointed and... well, Ash really didn't want this situation to get any worse. She grabbed Kanen's outershirt and jacket, then pushed past Sean, making her way over to the ticking time bomb.

"Sorry, Officer. That won't be necessary. He'll be leaving." Ash pushed herself between Kanen and the cop, glaring up at Kanen. She shoved the shirts into his chest, and then shoved him backwards with all of her might.

What a great fucking day.

High5ives 0k_mang0 @whoever​

 

[Soap]

Raven

It was an... accident? What? How could this be anywhere near an accident, how could someone let it become this bad. Clearly Stu wasn't a fourteen year old boy, he was five. It was clear from his tears. "Yeah, that's right. You will clean it all up." Raven opened her mouth to say more before she was cut off by the computer suddenly speaking, the voice seemed familiar but she couldn't quite place it. Who was he to get involved in this situation? "Hey, why don't you mind your own--" Mason seemed more upset than she was apparently and he went off on the stranger, and Raven moved her attention to Ari. "Don't pay attention to your dad, he's just talking to a telemarketer, those guys deserve all the bad words."

This was a literal mess, she had a crying child, a disaster of a house, Mason yelling at some random dude.

She really didn't want to deal with any of this.

She sighed in defeat when Ari had brought up bullying. Well, great. Now she felt bad. She didn't know Stu enough to try and pry the information out of him, nor did she feel like hugging anyone today. "Okay, y'know what? Why don't you two talk this through, we're gonna go visit Abuela." Raven picked Ari up and reached into Mason's pocket for the keys with a smile. "Say bye." Ari's small hands touched her father's face for an acceptable goodbye and Raven followed her actions, slapping Mason gently onto the face. "I expect this to be clean when I come back. All of it." A last glare was sent to Stu, but... it was less scary. She knew what it was like to be bullied when she was a kid, it wasn't much fun, so, whatever, hopefully Mason can help him sort that out.

Eh, he'll be okay.

Winona Dede







​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

As much as he was trying to hold back his tears, Mason yelling just made it worse. Ever since Mason saved him in the bathroom, Stu had looked up to him almost like an older brother, following him everywhere and coming over to Raven’s place after school. He’d thought the guy would be more understanding knowing what he’d just been through but it wasn’t to be.

Mason was angry. He was very angry, and so was Raven.

Who was he kidding? It wasn’t like Mason ever truly cared about him. Maybe he bought the computer game for him out of pity. More likely it was just to shut him up, so that he could go out with that girl Sam and not be bothered or followed everywhere by a no-good little runt.

None of this should have surprised him. Stu knew he was alone in the world, of course he did. He had always known it, and the more Mason scolded him the harder the truth hit him. It made him sick to his stomach. He was worthless, and none of his friendships had ever been mutual. Kanen. Jace. Casper. One by one they had cast him aside. Even all the girls. This was just the latest in a never-ending series of disappointments. But why did it have to hurt so much?

He just stood there sobbing as Mason turned and unleashed his anger on his gamer pal. Gradually his legs gave way and he slumped onto the floor, and he sat there like a miserable idiot in a pool of juice that Ari had left for him with remarkable foresight. So now his trousers were all soggy, and so were his eyes and cheeks with tears which he no longer bothered to wipe, because he knew he'd already gone past the point of no return.

He squeezed his eyes shut as Mason tossed his headset away and it clattered on the countertop. Now Raven had picked Ari up, and he mustered the strength to wave at her, even if she wasn’t waving at him. And he watched her leave with sadness in his eyes, because he had enjoyed babysitting her regardless of the trouble she had caused him. For a moment, she reminded him of the time he watched over his own baby brothers. He always took good care of them.

Now silence filled the room, and he was sitting on the floor with Mason crouched in front of him.

‘. . .You can beat me up if you want,’ he finally blubbered, although refusing to meet the older boy's eyes. ‘I don’t care. . . I'm not afraid of you. I said. . . I said I was sorry.’

Winona Soap DrabberRogue

 

[Winona]

Mason


He watched as Raven took Ari and walked out. "Thank you," he said, a faint smile on his face for just a moment when Raven lightly smacked him, and then left. Ari had already gone to meet Raven's grandma before, and he knew how much her grandma meant to her, so Mason was more than happy for Raven to take Ari to see her whenever.

Mason waited until they were gone to turn back to Stu, rolling his eyes at his heinous joke. "Please, don't humor yourself. I know you're scared of me." He stood back up, holding his hand out to Stu before pulling the smaller boy to his feet. Growing up, Mason had been bullied a lot -- actually, the most when he was right about Stu's age. Of course, Mason and Stu had different ways of dealing with being bullied. Stu hid himself away with videogames, and Mason had... done drugs and knocked a girl up.

To each their own.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and walked into the living room, waiting a moment for Stu to follow before he continued in and flopped down onto one of the couches.

"Kid, why the hell didn't you tell me what all was going on?" Mason asked. Okay, so it was actually easy to know why. "What even is going on with you? Who is bullying you?"

Dede Soap​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

He flinched when Mason offered his hand, accepting it slowly, half trusting, half distrusting the older boy who once sent him flying across a football pitch.

Reluctantly he followed Mason into the living room, where there wasn’t a mess for a change. The younger boy was dripping apple juice as he went. He was considerate enough not to sit his damp self on Raven’s sofa. Instead he went and stood awkwardly by the coffee table as Mason began interrogating him.

‘I lied. . .’ the boy stammered eventually. ‘I didn’t fall. But-- but you can’t ever tell anybody. Please, Mason. . . You have to promise.’

Stu sighed. He had just begun to calm himself a bit. He looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes as he began fumbling for his next point.

‘Aaron,’ he said. ‘He attacked me, because Casper kissed me and I let him. So he didn’t want us to hang out anymore. I was just washing my hands. . . He slammed me into the sink, and then he kicked me when I was down. I don’t know how many times. . . I thought he was going to kill me.’

Winona

 

[Winona]

Mason


His hands curled into his fists in his pockets, but Mason tried to keep himself looking as calm as possible while Stu talked. Of fucking course it was fucking Aaron. Mason had never liked that little street rat. He was the kind of kid that was nothing but fucking trouble, and Mason had hated him from the first day Drake had become his friend.

"You need to learn how to fucking punch a kid. Aaron's a fucking girl. How did you get beat up by a fucking girl?" Mason shook his head. It was stupid to ask. This was Stu, after all.

"Okay look, I won't fucking say anything, but can't I just fuck him up for you a little bit? Throw his head into a fucking sink?" Hey, if Aaron wanted to be a boy, then fuck. Mason would treat him like a boy.

Dede​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

Stu shook his head at what Mason said, which made him feel that many times worse. The guy had a knack for making him miserable. Who knew?

‘It wasn’t like that. . .’ Stu said. ‘I mean, I wasn’t gonna punch a girl, was I?’

Of course he wasn’t going to, because he was a gentleman. A proper English gentleman.

He scoffed a little, somehow finding humour in his own misery.

'Plus. . . it doesn't much matter now.'

Obviously things were done a little differently across the pond, and Westbrook violence had never discriminated the sexes, but no way Stu was going to sign off on Mason going after Aaron. Girl or not -- two wrongs didn’t make a right. He knew this.

‘Please, Mason. I don’t want you to do anything.' He sighed. 'I just. . . I just don’t know what to do. I don't want Casper to get hurt, that's all. Aaron's always making him do things he doesn't wanna do. At the Christmas party, him and Drake, they were making Casper drink till he was sick. I had to drag him out of there. I thought he was gonna end up in hospital like me.’

Winona

 

[Winona]

Mason


Fuck. This little nugget-loving British fucker was too god damn good for his own fucking well-being.

"Fine," Mason grumbled, pulling his hands out of his pockets and crossing his arms over his chest with a cross expression. "You think Aaron would turn on Casper if shit happened?" Fuck, the kid was probably right. Fuck. Mason hated not being able to do the thing he did best, which was simply think with his fists.

His hardened expression softened after a moment, a huge sigh filling his lungs. "Look, I won't do any shit now. But don't let yourself get pushed around so much, yeah? You're a strong fucking kid, so just... push yourself, alright? You've survived all the fucking bullshit that was thrown at you this year, so just stand up for yourself. Don't be afraid to tell people what's happening."

Fuck, though. He really wanted to bash that kid's head in.

Dede​

 

[0k_mang0]

sebastian (and aunt lucia)

Location: school
Ash Winona , Sean PenguinFox , Kanen High5ives , and a few others I can't remember right now​

Lucia Torres glanced at the blonde girl that intervene and then at her nephew Sebastian, who had tripped while dodging the chair earlier. Slowly, she lowered her Taser gun but kept her fingers tensed around it in case the tattooed guy decided to make an impulsive move.

“Seb, drop the pan and get your bag,” Lucia said. Pushing himself up on his feet, Sebastian glanced at the saucepan as if he’d just remembered it was in his hand when his aunt mentioned it, and carefully set it down in the sink behind him. The metal handle left a deep outlined on his palm, a result from unknowingly holding it with a vice-like grip – he’d been prepared to club Kanen with the pan as if his life depended on it. In a way, it kind of did, since the jerk had threatened to send him to the hospital.

“The blizzard’s calmed down,” Lucia addressed the others. “I think you kids should start going home now. Or at least leave the building – especially you. You leave the room first.” She threw a sharp stern glare at the aggressor, Kanen.

After Sebastian picked up his backpack, his aunt walked over to him, gently placed her free hand on his shoulder, (without putting away her Taser, because like hell she’d let her guard down if Mr. Inkster was still hanging around) and asked in a concerned whisper if he was okay. Sebastian nodded and muttered a yeah.

He looked at Ash one last time, gave her a subtle farewell wave, and mouthed “Sorry” to her before quietly following his aunt out of the room.

 

[KingofAesir]

Sawyer

​

Sawyer regretted telling Grace that the second it left her mouth. She didn't want her to leave. She definitely couldn't leave her alone. It would be impossible for Sawyer to just...pretend like she never existed. That would tear her apart. So when Grace moved to open the door Sawyer was quick to slide in front of her before she could walk out. She reached back and closed the door behind her, even going in so far as to lock it. This was the longest they'd talked since the ski trip and Sawyer wasn't done. She wasn't ready to just let Grace walk out of her life like that. No fucking way.

"Nevermind, I lied." Sawyer spoke. They were too close now Sawyer could feel Grace's breath on her face and it made her involuntary shiver, "I can't leave you alone. I don't want to leave you alone." Her heart was beating out of her chest and her breaths were hard, "I-just.....stay." Sawyer knew that was a lot to ask. She knew that there was a slim to nothing chance that Grace would actually stay. But what else was she supposed to do? All she wanted was to just talk to her. Sawyer missed Grace like more than she'd ever missed anything. She missed her laugh and her smile, her touch, her kiss. Sawyer shivered again except this time it wasn't because of Grace's breath.

"Please. Can we just pretend. Just for a second." Sawyer pleaded, "I miss you."

Soap

 

[Soap]

Grace

She wasn’t surprised the way the door shut in the of her, Sawyer wasn’t going to give up that quickly and Grace knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, yet it was still so unexpected and she couldn’t figure out if that’s what made her heart start battering against her chest or if it was just the familiar memories that washed through her head as Sawyer came closer. Can’t she stay? Can’t Grace just... stay? What’s the worst that can happen? “I... can’t.” It came out more as a whisper. Her head had caught up with her but it didn’t matter because they were still at a standstill.

Everything seemed to be getting more complicated by the minute and Grace’s thoughts started doing what she didn’t want them to. She was actually considering just throwing away everything that happened if it meant having her back. Neither of them are blind, Sawyer knows she’s still in love with her and that’s the whole reason she was here right now, Grace would be out the door but besides Sawyer she was still being kept here. She felt as though she’d always be trapped under her, never having a way out and that small voice in the back of her head isn’t sure she wants out in the first place.

It was like the more Sawyer did, the more she loved her. A relationship is supposed to end when it ends, two months should’ve been long enough to get over her but she couldn’t, she couldn’t just forget. Grace’s gaze fell everywhere onto Sawyer but her eyes.

“I hate you.”

Her words were soft and quiet, and they were full of emotion despite it being something she thought she’d never say to her. But it was true; she hated her.

Grace hated Sawyer because she made her fall in love and she couldn’t get out of it no matter how she tries.

KingofAesir


​

 

[KingofAesir]

Sawyer
​

Sawyer sucked in a breath. Her heart felt like it just wanted to wither up and die. Grace wasn't mad anymore, that she could tell, but that only made her words sting more. Grace wasn't mad so when that 'I hate you' left her lips, Sawyer swore she could've just gave up right there. But, for some reason, everything Grace said just seemed to push her harder. Everytime she said something that would've made anyone else give up, Sawyer just tried harder. Maybe that wasn't good for her it probably wasn't goo for either of them, but she didn't care. She didn't care because goddamnit she didn't want anyone else. No matter how much Grace might think she could have any girl she wanted. She didn't want any other girl but the one standing in front of her right now, and that's how she gathered up the strength to lean even closer to Grace's face with pleading eyes.


"Do you?" Sawyer was really banking right now that Grace wouldn't just say it again. She didn't think she could hear it again. Sawyer's hand brushed against Grace's as she shifted, pushing herself off the door. Now even closer, she whispered her next words, "Do you?" This time they were a little more desperate, whiny even, hoping against hope that that wasn't true. Sawyer didn't think that she could take it if Grace actually hated her. There was a nagging part of her head that kept telling her to just let her go, but there was an overwhelming majority of the opposite. Grace didn't hate her. At least not so much that she couldn't stand her, or she wouldn't even be here in the first place. Sawyer knew Grace didn't hate her like that and that's the only reason she kept pressing her. That's the only reason she was still here.

Soap

 

[Soap]

Grace
Grace wasn’t sure if she could muster up the energy to repeat herself, those words had made an impact on her almost as much as it did Sawyer. Her eyes landing on their hands brushing, it felt like electricity from such a small touch. But everything with Sawyer was, it always was. It wasn’t sweet and quick with her, Grace remembered every bit of passion from every small touch, kiss, and here she was; yearning for that chance again. Grace nodded ever so slightly as those memories perforated through her mind suddenly making it hard to focus on anything else but Sawyer.

She took the smallest step towards her, only now gazing into her dark eyes. Her breathing became labored and she couldn’t think of anything else but Sawyer now. The more she tried to rid her, the worst it’d gotten. Her answer was yes, she did hate Sawyer. Grace thought even as she didn’t waste anymore time and closed the small distance between them. She missed the familiarity of her lips, feeling the sharp edges of her jawline with her hands.
Grace just missed her.

It would’ve been easier to say, it would’ve hurt less than ‘I hate you.’ But admitting to loving her would break them both. Grace was okay with pretending for a little while. Without breaking contact Grace walked forward, pushing Sawyer backwards and against the door were they previously stood; she knew this was a bad idea, she knew it’d mess with her even more and yet she couldn’t pull away. Grace could never pull away from Sawyer, but right now she didn’t have to worry about it. Grace gave into her emotions and just for once, she wants to enjoy it. — and she was enjoying it.

KingofAesir​

 

[KingofAesir]

Sawyer​

Of everything that could've happened, Sawuer was not expecting Grace to kiss her. Sawyer's eyes widened to the size of sauce pans as Grace leaned into her but it only took a moment for her to recover. Her eyes slid shut and her hands found their way around Grace's waist with an easy familiarity. It was simple with Grace. Oh so simple to just let her heart take control. Sawyer's hands might've been a little too roam-y as they explored around the familiar feeling of Grace. Her thumb slipped under Grace's shirt and came in contact with skin and she pushed back against Grace.


Everything became more fervent and Sawyer's hands came in full contact with the skin under Grace's shirt as she back pedaled her toward a desk. Once Grace's back came in contact with said desk, Sawyer lifted her up onto it. The broke apart for a moment and all Sawyer had time to say before the were kissing again, was "Jesus". Sawyer was suddenly so glad that she'd locked the door and she lifted Grace's shirt up over her head. Her heart was freaking the hell out and she couldn't blame it. She knew this was a bad idea, but she didn't want to stop. She couldn't stop. Sawyer shivered again for the third time since they were in this classroom as her own shirt dissapeared and the cold, stale air of the lab hit her skin. It wasn't cold for long though, Grace's own roaming hands made up for the cold and warmed her up pretty damn well. As more and more clothing articles seemed to just take themselves off Sawyer found herself smiling against Grace's mouth. This was definitely more than a little first grade peck. Definitely more than she'd seen Grace doing earlier and all her worries about that seemed to just float away.


You know what?


Suck it, Keisha.


[FADE TO BLACK BOIS]

Soap

 

[Winona]

Prom night.

For some, it was the single most important night of the year. After all, prom was the highlight of everyone's year. It was the single night that everyone got to forget about all of the stresses of the school year -- and wow, did this year have quite a few of those. It would probably be easier to explain what hadn't gone wrong, and who hadn't ended up in the hospital.

Anyway, with Tatum in charge of the prom committee, the gym looked beautiful. Although most schools typically had their proms at different facilities, Westbrook kept theirs nice and local at their gym. After all, after the horrible smell of sweat was dissipated, the room was spacious and with Tatum's decorating abilities, it looked absolutely amazing.

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

Drake had had plans to arrive early, but then he'd received a text from a certain cheerleader. It had caught him by surprise -- he hadn't spoken with her seriously in years, pretty much after she'd made it very clear that she wouldn't sleep with Mason. They'd actually started talking again shortly after Valentine's Day, and it had been nice. Drake hadn't seriously talked to her since... well, even before she'd refused Mason's advances. When he had been little, Mason and him had been placed with her family for foster care for a bit.

It was like regaining a sister, so he wasn't even nervous as he walked up the steps to the big doors of her house. Drake pressed the doorbell and then stepped back, waiting for it to open.

When it did, he couldn't help but smile when he saw her standing before him in her dress. Drake let out a whistle, eyeing her as he squeezed past her into her house. "Damn, girl. You're looking hot. Sean's a lucky guy."



A soft blush reddened her cheeks. "Drake, please. Can we just... get this over with?" Ash's teeth gently dug into her bottom lip. She wasn't even fully ready yet -- Ash had been waiting for Grace to show up, although she did have her dress on. It was mostly because she had slipped the red fabric over her frame and then spent what felt like forever staring into the mirror, sucking in her gut and staring at her bare arms, and questioning why the hell she was even trying today.

That was when she'd sent the text to Drake. It had been quick and yeah, she'd regretted sending it at first. But now he was here, and Ash was just ready to get this over with.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." Drake said, opening up his jacket to reveal an inside pocket. What? It had been his father's old jacket, before he'd left. It was still battered up a bit, and was a tad too big on Drake, but he couldn't afford something new. And inside his jacket pocket was a bottle of pills. He pulled it out, twisting off the lid and dropping a couple into his hand. "Here -- this'll give you the kick you want." Drake said, passing them to Ash in exchange for a wad of cash.

Ash was about to thank him, when the footsteps of her older brother sounded down the hallway. In a panic, Ash quickly threw the pills in her mouth, swallowing them dry while Drake shoved the cash in his pocket and then closed his jacket shut, smiling at Jace as the older blonde rounded the corner, with his shoulders hunched up.



Jace had... no idea why he was even going to this. Well, okay, he did. He loved music, and he wanted to see what they would be playing. Maybe there would even be a live band. Of course, Jace had greatly overestimated had much time it would take to get ready, and now here he was standing awkwardly in the living room, in a suit with a yellow bowtie and a brand new, trusty, even better yellow beanie atop his head. Okay, so maybe he looked a little stupid, but whatever.

He was graduating and getting the hell out of this town, and the hell away from Nova.

"Jace! You look so hot. I'd bang you." Drake said, which caused Jace's cheeks to turn a dark red hue. "Do you have a date?"

"Uhh... no." Jace mumbled. Hell, he wasn't any better off now than he'd been when the school year had started. High school absolutely sucked -- that was officially his decision.

"Sweet." Drake grinned. "Neither do I. Can I hitch a ride?"

Jace agreed, and after saying goodbye to his little sister, the two of them headed out and drove the short way to school. They were... excruciatingly early, although Drake didn't seem to mind. Jace followed after the younger, spunkier boy as they headed into the gym and when they stepped through, Jace had to pause for a moment.

Wow.



Drake looked around at the directions. He was rather pleased with what they had come up with, and the pride was evident on his face. He'd made sure to come early and make sure that all of the snacks were appropriately placed, and all of the decorations were appropriately aligned. What? He was a small bit of a perfectionist.

And... maybe if he threw himself into this, he wouldn't think about Aaron or Maisie.

Of course, his relapse into drugs had helped with that a lot. Speaking of which... he excused himself from Jace and headed towards the bathroom. Drake would need a little bit of a pick-me-up before the actual dance started. And as he headed back there, he sent a quick text to Mason, wishing him luck with his date.



Mason released a string of cusses as he slammed on his brakes, glaring crossly at the car just in front of him. What a dumbass mother fucker. He was still grumbling to himself when his phone went off. A quick glance let him know that it was Drake. Well, right now Mason was focused on the road, but he figured he could send his brother a quick text back.

Mason had gotten dressed and... that was it. Nothing fancy for him. It was the same suit he'd had forever -- like his little brother, he couldn't spend more money on a new outfit for every occasion, so instead here he was. And now, he was driving through the stupid snow to go and get those weird ass flower things for Sam and himself.

Fucking prom.

Driving through the snow for a little longer, he finally pulled into the driveway. Mason walked inside, waiting in line until it was his turn. He decided to reply to his brother then, but instead somehow ended up sending a message to some girl he'd never even talked to before on Twitter. Fuck this phone situation. Fucking hell.



Ava felt uncomfortable. She stood in her dress in front of the mirror, her hands balled into fists by her sides. It was black, and then faded to red, while ending just above her knees. Despite everything, yeah, Ava absolutely hated long dresses. Even if, ironically, she hated showing off her legs. Look, Ava wasn't about to explain this.

Her phone rang, and she was hoping for it to be a message from JJ... but instead was disappointed to see it was from some other dude. She sighed, tossing her phone back onto the bed. Sure, her and JJ were making... some strides towards being normal, but Ava didn't think they'd ever truly get there again.

The rose and the "sorry" letter had meant a lot to her, and Ava really wanted to make it up to JJ tonight. But... she was going with Sawyer to prom instead, so Ava was just going to be on the sidelines once more.

High school sucked.

"Ava! Come down here! We want to get some pictures of you!"

Ava rolled her eyes, but complied, grabbing her phone and heading down the stairs. And while she was on her way down, her mom didn't miss the chance for a picture.



Click!

The flash left Keisha momentarily blind, and she found herself blinking slowly for a moment to try and be able to... well, see again. "Please tell me that's the last of pictures."

"Oh, honey. I'm so proud of you." Keisha's mom stepped forward, a faint smile on her face as she started messing with her daughter's hair. She was trying to fix it or something, and Keisha was quick to try and dodge away... but then relaxed and let her mom go ahead and fix her hair. Whatever. It made her happy. Whatever.

"I can't wait for you all to meet Grace." Her eyes lit up as she looked from her mother to her grandparents. "I really, really like her. She's so sweet and pretty and did I--"

"It's just a phase, sweetie." Her grandma chuckled. "Just wait until you're a little older. You'll find a really nice boy to take care of you, and then you'll forget all about this Grace."

"Mother." Her mom snapped, narrowing her eyes at Keisha's grandma for a moment before she looked back at her daughter, pulling her into her arms. "I can't wait to meet her, love."

And Keisha couldn't wait to meet Grace at prom.​

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Aaron​

Aaron was late.

As he approached the door, attempting to keep himself reigned in and failing, it was all Aaron could think about. This was his first real outing with Maisie- Not a date. The thought that he was late for his first date in his entire life was too much to bear.- and he was late.

So maybe, if he were a bit off center, a bit too telling, a bit too forward, it could be forgiven.

He wanted to take a pause, to gather himself and push down how he felt, but he couldn't, not when he was already late, and it was his father's fault, and he couldn't quite shake the feeling that his father had planned this, even though he knew that no, his father hadn't, he was just a selfish, selfish man who couldn't get out of the house in a reasonable amount of time to save his soul, and even if that weren't the case he was waiting in the car now and he was watching Aaron and he would see Aaron pause and that would be a win, wouldn't it? He couldn't allow that.

He couldn't.

He rose his hand to the door and knocked, carefully clasping the box in his hand as he tried not to sweat.

Soap​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

Yes, prom night.

‘Kill me now,’ Stu mumbled to himself as he dragged himself across to his wardrobe.

Dad in his infinite wisdom had picked out a nice-looking suit for him, and of course, his signature neck tie. ‘Now you look like a dapper young gentleman,’ he said. Now where had he heard that one before?

Yes, yes, prom night. That one night of the year when Westbrook couldn’t make fun of him wearing his tie. They’d just have to find something else to laugh at... namely the fact that he was going to be alone.

Alone at prom. Without a girl.

‘This America thing really isn’t working out, Dad,’ he said.

‘Shh. You complain too much.’

‘Why do I have to go?’

‘You’re doing it again.’

‘I’m just gonna be alone. I’ll be sulking in a corner.’

‘You’ll be alone, too, if you didn’t go – possibly forever.’

‘Thanks, Dad.’

‘Come on, grab your things. Elise is already waiting in the car.’

Yes. Dad was coming with him. Apparently he had to go see Mrs. Nona for God knows what. So effectively he was going to prom alone and getting dropped off there by his dad. It was a good thing this boy didn’t have a reputation to lose.

 

[Elf_Ruler]

The day had finally arrived prom and Tatum had spent the last couple months planning for it. Picking out a dress getting it tailored to fit her and picking out the perfect shoes. She had also been in charge of planning out exactly what the gym would look like. It had been an exhausting time and she had been at Westbrook the night before trying to make sure everything was perfect. It was still early, so she had quickly rushed over hair in a giant bun to do the final touches on the decorations and make sure each streamer was in the right place. Of course, this was a task she had decided to do on her own before getting ready. Her parents were still sleeping which was good for Tay as she grabbed the keys to the car and left for Westbrook. The gym was beautiful as she quickly placed the last decorations around the door. She stared at her work in admiration she had worked for hard for everyone to make sure this would be an amazing prom. Before she knew it the time had passed and she had to hurry in order to have time to be prom ready.
It was nice that she also had a date even though she hadn’t expected one but while working on banners and posters her and Caleb had grown closer and had become better friends. Becoming friends with him and meeting him on Valentine’s had been the best thing to happen to Tatum. His company had put her at ease during the stresses of prom planning and then one day out of the blue he asked her. As friends of course, much to her dismay but she excitedly said yes and now the day had arrived.
Once everything was finished Tatum made her way back home to stare at her dress in awe. She was excited for the prom theme and her dress was beautiful and made her feel like she was special and maybe Caleb would also see her the way she wanted him to. Though, she didn’t want to ruin what they had so of course she had stayed silent about how she felt and just kept agreeing when he said they were just friends. As Tatum slid on her dress, she couldn’t help but feel beautiful and she didn’t feel alone in the world for just a moment. Her mother had come in to check on her and cooed, “My baby is growing up so fast. You look beautiful.” Her makeup was next, and she knew that would take time, but Caleb had agreed to pick her up and her whole heart was giddy with excitement. He asked her! Maybe she had a shot with him. Her stomach was full of butterflies.

Spoiler: Dress

Mention(s): Soap

 

[Soap]

Caleb

Caleb never imagined he'd be going to a school sanctioned dance again after his breakup with Serena. But this time around it actually seemed like it'd be fun! Especially with Tatum, he'd took her up on that offer and texted her later that day, ever since then the two have grown into a duo, and... Caleb was happy. Tatum felt like a light that he almost needed in his life after everything that's been going on at home. She was a welcome distraction and a good shot at happiness. Well, as friends of course. There's no way a girl like that would actually like him.

Not after Serena's friends spread those rumors about him being a two-timer. Though, he gets it... Caleb wouldn't want to date him either let alone expecting someone else to.

Friends would do. He could handle that if it meant spending more time with her. A few thuds fell onto the door in front of him as he knocked, grasping the flowers tighter and he fumbled with the corsage in those little plastic things, he really should've left at least one of them in the car. Panic filled him when the plastic box fell to the ground and his eyes widened, adjusting his jacket and quickly picking up the box right as the door opened. Seeming out of breath as he greeted who could only guess what Tatum's father.

"Uh, Hi Sir." That's what he's supposed to say right? Caleb extended a hand before he realized that he didn't have any free hands to do so, balancing the corsage on his other arm as he reached out for an awkward handshake. "Caleb. --Uh, O'Connell." It was no secret at the O'Connells owned BestBooks, the bookstore near downtown, while as small as it was, it was kinda popular. "Nice to meet you, Is... Tatum ready?"

Elf_Ruler

Grace

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Kate asked, earning an eye roll from her daughter who was seated at the vanity, focusing on her makeup. "I'll be fine. Ash and I are going together." Despite her mother's newly distaste of her best friend, she seemed to be okay with Grace and Ash going together as 'friends.' Ever since her breakup with Sawyer, Kate had considered Grace's 'phase' to be over. She just wasn't ready to introduce her to Keisha yet, she didn't want to go through all of that again unless she knew what she had what Keisha was real.

Because-- well, of course it had to be. They weren't anything exclusively yet, but they'd spent some time together. Only making Grace feel even worse about her encounter with Sawyer those months ago. But she considered it to be closure. That's all it was; as much as it hurt, that was their goodbye. Even though they see each other almost all the time in school, that's just lingered awkwardly heated eye-contact. It didn't have to mean anything more than that. Keisha was amazing and Grace didn't want to hurt her. "Enjoy the weird... party thing you're going to." Grace told her mother, it was some kind of business party for her new firm she'd signed with a little over a week ago.

Besides her own breakup, Kate seemed to be okay with her own too. David was merely another one of her mother's heartbreaks and as bad as she felt... well, she couldn't do much but be there for her, so... she did. "I will. Take many pictures. Love you." Kate exited Grace's room as the blonde only now focused onto the dress she didn't change into yet-- It had a tear. Ash wasn't here yet thankfully so... maybe Grace had enough time to fix it.

After all, how was Grace Jackson going to miss prom? It was prom. Even though she was a little peeved about Tatum taking lead, well, a little more than peeved. Grace had been basically breathing down her back making sure everything was double-- triple checked even. Thankfully, Tatum didn't seem upset about it and Grace was happy to help. Besides, Tatum they did a good job. There was no way she was going to miss tonight. Even if she didn't get to wear this dress, there had to be something she could do...

High5ives

Raven

It'd been a month since her grandmother passed away and Raven isn't sure how she feels about it. It hurt when it happened. She didn't cry, she wasn't angry, she didn't say or feel much of anything for first few days, staying holed up in her room much to the concern of little Ari, but she needed time to grieve. She's not even sure if she's done grieving. That numb feeling still hasn't subsided yet she can only hope it will. Thankfully, it was a peaceful thing, they say she couldn't of felt any pain. Raven just wishes she was there to hold her hand like she did whenever she felt sick. She shook her head free of those thoughts; she was going to enjoy this night. She had to. "Can I come?" The small jumbled words made Raven smile, glancing down at the girl who was holding her hand.

"I'm afraid not, kid. Only big people allowed. Besides, you'll be with your mom. She's... fun." Raven didn't really think so, but then again, why would she talk about Adriane and what kind terrible influence she probably was when her own mother was a disaster. She didn't have a problem dropping off Ari, it gave her sometime to spend time with her before-- well, that's not important right now. She's just glad that Adriane wasn't attending prom or else she probably would've done it herself, after what happened-- there's no way Raven would put any trust in babysitters, jeez. That was a whole disaster.

This was prom, y'know, like a last... hurrah of the year or something. She's not sure, but hey, it seemed like a big deal and who was she not to grace everyone with her presence? "What if I wanna have fun with you though?" Her words made Raven frown and oddly enough, a pang in her heart at Ari's words. She wasn't sure what exactly to say to that, she wasn't her mother, and Raven can only hope she doesn't mention that in front of Adriane. "Hey, look there's mom." Raven pointed towards the window where she saw a streak of red hair in order to distract the child. Walking towards the house as the door opened.

"Here's her stuff for tonight, and... here's some kind of toy." Handing off both, playing it off as if it made no big deal to her, but it was the dumb Spiderman toy she'd bought for her, a toy that which Ari seemed completely done with, but she still wanted her to keep hold of it, who knows what could happen?

"Thanks." For... taking care of your child? Raven didn't know what else to say to her.

Winona
Maisie

The next two months went by mostly the way it usually had by now, however, she and Drake hadn't spent a lot of time together much to her dismay. Even if she liked Aaron, she still cared about Drake, a lot. Maisie adjusted her dress, did she look okay? This was like... her and Aaron's first big thing. Well, this was her first big thing with anyone if she's being honest, but she's nervous. Like... really nervous. She never thought this day would come, a sense of normalcy, feeling as though someone actually liked her, it... it was incredible. "Hey, look at you, you look great." Lewis said, earning a genuine smile from Maisie. Lewis became the only source of family she's ever had.

This was the only foster home that wasn't so... bad. Y'know? She cared for him, he cared for her. Lewis was a good guy. He was like the father she never had. "Thank you, kind sir." She teased. Silence lingered around them before she ran forward and tackled him into a hug. -- Maisie didn't like being touched, but... she could settle for a hug. He deserved it.

She wouldn't know where'd she be today without him. A knock at the door startled the two and she ran forward to get it. Lewis answered, sizing the boy up for a moment. "So you're Aaron, huh?" His badge shined proudly onto his shirt as he glared him down. "Eh, I'm just kiddin. You two have fun." With a last smile Maisie walked out, closing the front door behind them. "Hi. Um... You look... really nice." He did, and Maisie was all the more excited to have her first slow dance with him.

"So! Uh, you ready?"

mikaluvkitties
Juliette

Two months in a pregnancy was... difficult to hide. It was, but it wasn't like she was like... super fat or anything, or showing, or... whatever okay, JJ stuck to dark and baggy clothes and no one else batted an eye. However, Grace had started putting her on the sidelines much to Juliette dismay, she even tried talking to Sawyer about it, maybe she could talk to her? Okay, well they didn't talk anymore but that didn't matter. Juliette wasn't a child! Even though there was one growing inside of her, she was almost positive cheer routines wouldn't hurt either of them. Anyway, it's safe to say that JJ has been in a pissy mood these past few months.

Juliette stepped out of the Uber, for some reason Sawyer kept going on and on about her father taking photos or something stupid, so she just listened. Photos weren't a common thing in her household for any parties or such unless it was like an actual photoshoot they took every few years for the picture that hung on top of the stairs. JJ hated that stupid photo and she was just waiting for it to fall and shatter-- any day now. She glanced at her phone, it was as if she was almost waiting for a message from Ava. Did she get the letter? She hoped so.

Or maybe she got it and decided she hated her. Whatever the case was, hopefully they'd have enough time to talk at prom tonight. Maybe they could fix things? How was Juliette going to have a baby and keep it a secret? So, yeah. She hadn't thought through all the details yet, but a baby wasn't popping out anytime soon so she had nothing to worry about right now... until she gets really, and she means really fat. The brunette knocked on the door only to reveal Mr. Andrews not even a second later. "Oh! Hi?" Juliette shuffled inside and glanced around for Sawyer.

"I'm Jules." She introduced herself to the rather homeless looking man Sawyer had for father. Jules? Really? Ava has really been on her mind too much.

KingofAesir​