Realistic or Modern — 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 (ic)

[cadence]

you may now post! ♥

 

[cadence]

joey sat on the side of familiar olive green sheets, smelling like the all-too-familiar scent of lemon and peppermint. he didn't believe in essential oils but ashley was always so adamant that they worked; she'd drop them on her sheets and her clothes anytime she felt anxious - here lately, that was all the time. princess, joey would make fun of her too many times, joking about how she really isn't that much different from all of the hoity toity snobs that lived on the island. he could imagine most of the women rubbing oils and perfumes on their necks and wrists with dainty, manicured hands. as often as he joked about it though, he came to love the scent of lemon and peppermint. it was tangy and strong, the type of scent to make you feel more energized and alert. joey, however, only felt relaxed. probably because it was ashley's smell. he wondered if feeling safe because of a smell was a strange thing.

"take a picture, it'll last longer." ashley's voice from mere feet in front of him interrupted his thoughts and only then had he realized he'd zoned out. she glanced at him through the reflection of her mirror, the one that hung on her closet door and usually had positive affirmations scribbled in dry-erase marker. know your worth was today's message, written in bubbly letters with a buck-toothed smiley face drawn beside it. she was braiding her hair, brush tucked under her armpit and colorful hairbands around most of her fingers. joey could tell she was frustrated, because every now and then she would groan and undo her braids. he wasn't sure why she put so much work into braids that usually looked messy anyway, but he watched with admiration. "so, what were ya starin' at me for? trying to see through my clothes?" she lifted a suggestive brow as she turned around, braid in hand as she tied it off, a teasing smile on her lips.

not even moments after the words left her mouth, joey's nose shriveled up in disgust. "ew," he gibed, sticking his finger in his mouth in a mock gag. "first of all, gross." he spoke in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone but his brows were still raised in amusement. "second of all, i'm waiting for your slow ass to hurry so we can leave." he wasn't usually this impatient, but this was the last year he'd be able to celebrate the end-of-the-school-year kegger at the graveyard before he turned eighteen and real life started. he was usually the one to show up fashionably late, but this year, he wanted to soak up every moment he could. he had been dressed since last night, wearing the charcoal grey rash guard and tropical swimming trunks he showed up at ashley's door in.

"hey," she threw up her hands in feigned defense. "you can't rush perfection." she laughed when joey snorted, picking up her brush and throwing it at him. "shut up," she laughed as she did, rolling her eyes. she stepped away from the mirror the next moment, grabbing a white crocheted bathing suit cover up from her closet. she quickly threw it over the red myrtle beach tank top and black board shorts she wore, turning towards joey once again when she was all dressed. "i'm ready now," she said, voice far less amused than it had been moments ago. joey lifted a brow but decided not to read too much into a small change in tone. joey was off her bed and out the door just moments later. ashley hesitated when she reached her door. she inhaled shakily, briefly considering whether or not she should go to the party at all. but the next moment, she shut off the light, exhaled, and followed joey downstairs.

"we're headed out!" ashley shouted when they reached the basement exit, cupping her hands around her mouth so her parents could hear her from wherever they were in the house. "and we're taking faith!" ah, old faithful. she was an antique baby blue cadillac convertible that tony johnson had bought and repaired the year before. joey was obsessed with the car and practically begged to take it any chance they had. the last end-of-the-year kegger seemed like a worthy enough occasion. when her parents shouted their okays and i love yous, she grabbed the keys off of the key hook and tossed them to joey (who insisted he drive).

"faithful, you sexy thing, you," joey gushed, immediately making his way towards her. getting ready to leave was a breeze - a motion that the two had done so often it was almost second nature. they each grabbed their surf boards from the rack, placing them in the tight backseat the best they could manage with such little room. afterwards, joey slid into the drivers seat, starting the car and opening the garage as ashley strapped the boards down. the moment she came into contact with the leather passenger seat, she was pulling out her phone, connecting her phone to the bluetooth speaker tony had installed and pressing play on the playlist they had spent an entire week perfecting. it was filled back to back with songs they both knew by heart and deemed the right type of banger to play all summer. before they even made it out of the driveway, vampire weekend's unbelievable was blaring through the speakers and each of them were singing as loud as they could, hands moving out of rolled-down windows in a wave motion.

they had to turn off their music by the time the song had ended. living on such a small island, they heard the party before they could even see the graffiti-ed on sign that read mossley beach in bold, faded letters. "there's aiden," ashley giggled, pointing to her boyfriend as joey backed into a parking space. aiden was sitting on the roof of his car, waving at the two of them with both of his arms. he hopped off of the car as soon as the cadillac came to a stop, bounding across the street to meet the two of them. he hugged ashley the second he was in reach, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in circles as he planted a storm of kisses on her face.

"get a room," joey mumbled before pulling his surfboard out of the back, tucking it under his arm. "you two lovebirds do what you want but i," he paused, gesturing to himself with his free hand, "am going to par-tay. peace, losers." he threw up the peace sign before spinning on his heels, nearly hitting them both with his board. he knew the two would stick around the car for a bit, catch up before they decided to join the party. besides, he was itching for a drink. he quickly spotted the boardwalk tucked behind beachgrass almost as tall as his waist and ran over, ditching his flip flops near the boardwalk entrance with everyone else's.

the sight of the party brought a smile to his face. the beach was already crowded and everyone hadn’t even arrived yet. teenagers were scattered across the beach. some stood on the beach, dancing along to the music that pulsated through the air. some were in the water. some sat on the large pieces of driftwood that had been the main reason for the graveyard’s nickname - they looked like bones and skeletons. most people crowded the keg near the center of the beach, the place joey made a bee-line towards. he set his surfboard standing up in the sand and hobbled over to the keg the best he could in thick sand. keggers were the rare times both sides of the island could coexist in peace, but joey was fairly certain he couldn’t put up with most of those rich assholes unless he was at least tipsy.

he was quick to serve himself a filled-to-the-rim cup of beer when he finally reached the keg, squirting a fair amount directly into his mouth. once his cup was filled, he brought it to an unoccupied piece of driftwood. he watched the ocean as he sipped attentively at his drink, feeling ansty almost. he couldn’t wait to get in the water; to surf. a glance at his phone told him it was nearly eight o’clock. soon, the sun would set and his favorite time of any kegger would arrive. the best time to surf; when the bonfire started and everyone has pulled out their glow sticks. he let a pleased sigh escape his lips before taking another sip of his drink. days like these, he wished would last forever.

JOEY MORRISON

location: the graveyard
interactions: none, open

coded by weldherwings.

 

[Chimney Swift]

The Dangling Conversation

Max Berkowitz

° Location: 4 Maplewood Drive, Max's room
° Mentions:
° Interacts: Alone

For the first time in what felt like a decade, Max hadn't left the house at all today. His scuffed Timberland boots lay untouched by the corner of his dresser as he listlessly watched the sun set from the soft, high-end green office chair at his desk. He was bored; the kind of boredom that seems to fill your head with a dense fog of ennui. He had no work today at the bookshop, nowhere to go... he'd learned yesterday that some of the seniors from his school had thrown together some wild party at Mossley beach, but naturally Max felt (perhaps wrongly, as he was prone to) that he was persona non grata to that. He'd be no fun at a party, he thought to himself, especially considering he hardly had any friends, and of those he did, most wouldn't dare be seen at such an unruly event... well, except for one.

Max picked up a sketchbook from the top of a teetering stack, flipping through the filled-up pages until he came across a careful drawing of a girl with a beaming and carefree smile, messy braids in her long dark hair. In the drawing, she held in her arms a bundle of white yarrow flowers. To the Victorians, yarrow symbolized "lasting love". To Max, well... he thought the delicate blooms complimented the denim jacket he drew her in. He must have drawn this sometime this past fall, when the wastelands behind the trailer park are full of the tall yarrow.

_________________________________



Looking at this old sketch, he found himself thinking back to the last conversation he'd had with this girl. It was last night, and they'd been sitting on the swinging bench on the Rotherham Inn's porch as the sun lowered below the horizon, the last of the hummingbirds fluttered away, and the low glimmer of stars and fireflies took over.

She had reached over and lightly touched him on the shoulder. He caught her gaze and they had a slow pause of eye contact before she raised her eyebrows and signed tentatively, her hand movements small and slow: "...are you afraid to die?"

Max was caught off-guard by the question. "Why?"

"I don't know. It just feels like... at any moment It can just reach out and take you. And all of this--" she gestured widely, inviting Max to take in the dimly lit southern shoreline. "--is gone. Forever."

Max caught a glimpse of fear behind her brown eyes. Genuine fear; as if for a moment, she were staring into the eyes of Death itself. He nervously bit into his lower lip, feeling unsure whether to try and comfort his friend or ease her fears by changing the subject. He'd never seen her like this before, and to see her scared -- well, it scared him.

"Ashley," His hand gently coiled down from his cheek, indicating her trademark braids. This was the name sign he'd given to her when they met almost a year and a half ago, and it had stuck ever since."you aren't going to die."

"How can you know that? I could die any time. Tomorrow... or right now. You can't know... I just feel it creeping up on me."

"Stop it. You can't die just yet... you've got so much to live for. Like college, and all your friends, and getting stupid drunk at your party tomorrow--" They both laughed, the tense atmosphere thawed by the ridiculous idea of a drunk Ashley. "I'm just bummed out to miss it."

"oh, trust me, you're not missing out on anything."

Somehow, Max had been somewhat been hoping she'd nudge him to come along. This was where his feelings of being uninvited by default were sort of solidified. If Ashley didn't want him there, no one did. And even if Ashley didn't sign out that she didn't want him there, she didn't not either. And it stung a little. It wasn't like her. Normally she'd always be pushing him to get out more with her large and diverse friend group.

They talked for a few more minutes as the sky grew dark, and Max remembered feeling left cold, as Ashley curtly waved goodbye and headed back into the inn to finish her evening shift. Something had seemed a bit off about her that whole conversation. Even aside from her sudden and seemingly irrational worries about dying, she'd seemed... oddly distant, like she was trying to put up as much space between the two as possible. Skittish, like a prey animal.

Max found that concerning, but after all, she probably had a lot on her mind, so he forced himself to shake off his doubts as he walked back up the hill, and down the winding private roads to a wall covered in sunshine yellow jessamine vines. He smiled, pulling a small set of gardener's clippers from his pocket...

____________________________

Back to the present.

Ashley would be at that party right now, most likely. He wondered if she'd found the small bouquet of yellow blossoms he'd left by her door before he went home that night. He knew she would know who they were from-- he just hoped she'd know, on some level, what they meant. They were his post-graduation goodbye to her. After the summer, she'd be away at college, and after that, who knows where she would go and when they would see each other again? The jessamine, the state flower of South Carolina, was Max's way of saying wherever you go next, and even if you never come back… remember Rotherham's. Remember us.

Then, In all but an instant, an uncharacteristically sly thought crossed his mind: perhaps he could sneak by the graveyard beach and check out the party, just for a little bit; just to... no, no.

He'd just be an annoyance. These types of get-togethers simply weren't meant for him. Better to let her have fun with her other friends from her class... and her boyfriend... oh god, Aiden. Some people with a helpless crush would be bitter and jealous about a significant other, but how could anyone be bitter with Aiden? He had the personality of a golden retriever. In a wistful sort of way, Max was glad Ashley had Aiden. Every time he saw them together, they seemed like such a happy couple, straight out of some rom-com.

Looking back down at his sketch, he smiled wearily, folding it shut and sliding it back atop the pile. Somehow, reminiscing on their last talk had made him a little misty-eyed. Ashley really was leaving. Leaving Max behind for one more lonely year of high school. Maybe they'd never really talk again. Maybe she would never return to the island at all. That thought seemed to lodge like a stone in his throat.

With that heavy realization sinking in, he slowly got up to close his window curtains, throwing himself down on his bed and pulling his phone out of the pocket of his jeans, flicking on the screen-- no notifications, no texts.
Nothing.

He frowned, shoving his phone back in his pocket and lying on his back to gaze up at the ceiling, and the darkened paper lanterns hanging from it. And, though the memory of the light shining off Ashley's worry-filled eyes still floated repetitively through his mind, he let his uneasy thoughts go blank for a while. Better to force himself to take a break before any more stupid ideas came to head.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[ALittleRedLie]

Nina Pelletier
mood: calmed; pained | outfit: XX | locations: graveyard | interactions: open| mentions: cadence (Joey) (Ashley)

The warm breeze dancing around Nina was the only thing keeping her grounded as the pounding migraine continued to throb through the inside of her head despite her taking Motrin thirty minutes before. It has been going on since she dropped her parents off at the airport and she thought that attending the party would help her forget. But it wasn’t really helping and her mind kept going over the conversation she had with her parents and aunt, the former ultimately making a decision to send her to a college back in Canada. Her aunt was able to get her to stay on Rotherham’s Island for the summer, but Nina had already made the decision that she didn’t want to leave.

The troubled girl was pulled out of thoughts when someone asked her a question and confusion swarms on her face and she looks up to see a drink stretched out in front of her. “I’m sorry?” she asked, panic suddenly beginning to rise in her chest.

“I asked if you wanted a drink,” he said and she blinked, awkwardness beginning to grow in the situation. To put the poor boy out of his misery, she gives a soft smile before denying the drink. She felt nearly exposed as he gave her a reluctant smile and turned around to walk away. The constant reminders of her life before the island was suffocating her and she had to get away. Grabbing her cream colored bag, she starts to walk away from the circle of peers that she first decided to hide herself with.

Nina walked with her head down, focusing on the sand that was swallowing her feet with each step only raising it to say hello to a classmate or avoid running into someone. Her curls bounced against her cheeks as she moved and her earrings barely scraped against her neck. The sensory feelings that Nina was picking up were barely enough to distract her from the migraine that still danced around in her temples. It was almost crippling and all Nina wanted to do was go home and bury herself under her covers as the AC blew cool air through her darkened room. But at the beginning of the school year she promised Ashley that she would participate in all school sanctioned events. It wasn’t really what Nina wanted to do, especially with what happened back home, but that was just Ashley.

Eventually, Nina made it to the shore, the water tickling her feet as it danced in and out. She sinks down to the ground, a minimal space between herself and the water with her green tainted, black Doc Martens tucked under her body. Closing her eyes she focused on the light hum of chatter from behind her and to the lull of the ocean singing in front of her. The breeze blew gently against her skin, pushing her hair against her cheek and swaying the blue fabric of her dress away from her body. This was the first instance of peace she has had in over a week since finishing school and since her parents surprised her with their presence. Nina could feel her migraine receding finally and small smile grace her lips. She refused to have her summer doomed by the impending deadline that wold rip her from her mini paradise.

Nina’s body lingered on the beach a little bit longer before she finally stood up, slinging the strap of her small purse across her shoulder. As she started approaching where the other seniors were congregating she noticed the blue Cadillac that was parked near hers and she swept her eyes over to Ashley, who was lip-locked with Aiden. The behavior pushed a chuckle from between Nina’s red tinted lips and she decided to head over. She also noticed Joseph’s body weaving away from the couple, a surfboard in his arms and enjoyment on his face. The emergence of her friends allowed for her to finally get her minds off of everything else and she wasn’t going to take advantage of the time that she had with them.

 

[illegallyblonde]

ana belmonte.

click.
click.
click again.
ana clicked her pen once more before wearily setting it down. the glass menagerie laid open on the desk, eagerly awaiting her to finish her ap literary analysis.
ana took a likeness to tom wingfield, the southern belle's son and aspiring poet- trapped working at a shoe warehouse. tom's lack of both sleep and writing ideas inspires him to escape into the night at the local movie theater.
ana, too, felt trapped. day after day, she longed to escape her routine between school and helping her father with his business. like tom, her lack of sleep and burnt out from her schoolwork has left her longing. for one night, she longs to leave her desk and have fun- perhaps not the movies, but a trip to the beach for a bonfire?
like tom, she feels obligated to her family, yet burdened at the same time. the pressure of her parents weighs heavily on her- much like tom's mother and sister. ever since her falling out with ashley, her parents forbade ana to attend any out-of-school activities, including a little fun at the bonfires.
tonight was different. something hung heavy in the air, and ana felt compelled to stand up from the large desk and cross her bedroom. perhaps it was how she simply felt burnt out from nearly three hours of literary analysis of the glass menagerie, or maybe it was something else. something deadly.
♡
ana crossed her room, making her way over to the edge of her lavish bed, all plush white pillows and light washed wood. she sat down on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs over the side, and wound her hand up in the pristine white duvet cover, mussing up the entirely made bed.
suddenly, the memories of ashley came to her. she and ashley would have sleepovers nearly every night in middle school. ana always loved spending the night at ashley's house- no pressure from her parents, alone in ashley's bedroom. the late-night talks until the sun peaked through Ash's bright orange curtains. giggles and whispers. secrets.
ana rarely thought of ashley these days. ever since their little incident freshmen year, they hadn't spoken to one another. perhaps it was petty girl drama, but maybe not. their separation may have been inevitable. they were two vastly different people who just so happened to be friends because of their close families.
tonight she didn't feel animosity at the thought of ashley. rather, a pang of deep sadness and regret for losing a friend that she had loved so dearly. ana wasn't one to dwell on idle thoughts, so she pulled herself together and stood once more.
♡
ana found herself standing in the parlor, eyeing her father's glass of flor de cana- one of her father's favorite and most expensive rums. the condensation collected at the bottom of the glass, forming a wet ring on the marble side table. that would only be revealed if he were to lift the glass- which he does. his calloused hands gripped the straight and smooth edges of the glass, raising it to his lips. the cubes dance together, bumping ever so gently. the costly rum indicated to ana that mr. belmonte was in a particularly good mood today. expensive italian rums were for celebration. Her mother was off somewhere in the town this evening, spending her friday night with her equally as dull and wealthy friends spending money on things they don't need.
her father's feet were sensibly crossed, with a pair of reading glasses perched at the end of his nose, peering down at his laptop. he looked up.
"yes?"
ana blinked. what was she doing? oh, right.
"i wanted to ask you something."
mr. belmonte closed the screen and sat on the side table, folding his hands across his lap. It was uncommon for her to ask her father for something. what could she possibly want? was there anything she didn’t have?
"i was wondering...well, could I go to the bonfire tonight? please?"
her father's happy disposition quickly shifted into a displeased frown.
ana tried to recover, quickly spitting out, "It's just...it's the end of the year. i want to say goodbye to sunny."
"no," her father curtly responded.
"please, father. just this once."
her father didn't respond, merely glaring at her from under his half-moon glasses. he was mad now. it wasn't worth trying to convince him. she pivoted on her heel and went back upstairs when a wiry little man appeared from around the corner. ah, the coachman- mr. harris. an old, timid man with the looks of a weasel, but one of ana's closest companions. an annoyance to her father, but a good man and a loyal driver. he assisted her father in all business manners.
"sir, if i may interrupt. if it pleases you, i could accompany her."
these words perked her father up. he raised one bushy brow and peeled his glasses off of the end of his nose, setting the on top of the laptop.
ana forced a smile coming to her lips into a pursed line.
"i'll allow it if mr. harris stays with you the entire time."
"Of course, father," ana agreed.
"very well, then. i want you back no later than 10:30."
"yes, father. thank you, father."
off she went.
♡
it was nearly eight now. the sleek, black bentley peeled out of the drive and started toward the road. ana always found the scent of the interior of this car pleasing- all polished leather and pine. she tilted her head towards the dark tinted window, taking a glance at the smoky orange sky. ana was nervous. her father never let her out of the house for fun, let alone for a party. at this moment, she was grateful for her family friend, mr. harris. she concealed a smile coming to her lips. of course, it would be embarrassing to pull up with mr. Harris for company, but at least she was attending.
ana anxiously adjusted her billowy white blouse. not a swimsuit, but a more sensible option that she felt comfortable wearing. the car slowed to a stop just as they came up to the graveyard. it was somewhat dark, but down by the bay, she could see that light danced across the sand, filled with wriggling bodies rhythmically moving to the music. mr. harris killed the engine and turned to face ana in the backseat.
"go, have fun. i trust you won't make any bad decisions."
ana paled. "what about my father?"
"it'll be our little secret."
ana beamed, wrapped her arms around mr. harris's neck, and embraced him.
"thank you. thank you so much."
mr. harris returned her smile. "off you go now. i'll be back at 10:15."
ana took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. it quickly peeled away and sped off into the night. now she was alone. she stepped into the sand and made her way to the water.
when she arrived, the crowd was lively. the cliques were distinct. the affluent kids surrounded the keg, chattering loudly, while the kids from the other side of the island lingered by the spooky pieces of driftwood that littered the beach. ana took a glance at ashley, arms wrapped around her puppy dog boyfriend. she quickly tore her eyes away before ashley could notice, and attempted to find her golden-haired princess, sunny. promptly ana became enveloped by a group of girls maneuvering around each other to get a drink. she quickly gave up looking for sunny- but perhaps she would be able to spot another friend?
ana, too, went for a drink but opted for a sparkling water instead. she took a tiny sip, allowing the bubbles to fizzle in the back of her throat, breathing in the salty sea air, and soaking in the sun's last few remnants as it dipped below the horizon.

content/reminiscent • the graveyard • tags (none/open) • outfit

 

[Kidzait]

Skylar Socod

Location: Graveyard, Just offshore
Mood: Content
Interaction: Open

As the sun sank closer to being hidden by the trees, the island only seemed to buzz with activity. The ocean waves were a kaleidoscope of sunset reflected in the surf. The amorphous shadows being cast by the live oaks and palmetto trees stretched across the beach, sluggishly marching on to meet the sea. Already there were a small group of young adults scattering around the beach. Some were flinging sand behind them as they dug out the well used fire pit while others wandered in all directions in search of semi-dry driftwood.

Someday the scientific community will realize the natural phenomenon that is taking place on Rotherham's Island and will flock to study it. Several times a year, it is as if something gets in the air that tells all the young adults on the island to raid their parent's stash and call their dealers. No need for planning, they would all just gather at the beach lovingly named The Graveyard and have a bonfire party to celebrate whatever they feel is worth celebrating. The event this large fire and public display of drinking was in honor of those high school seniors who were about to be thrust into the real world.

As a pair of boys crouched around the small beginnings of the bonfire and others were dragging logs and armfuls of sticks into a rough pile, small groups could bee seen making their way up the beach from town. Almost everyone were dragging wagons or lugging backpacks full of party favors and equipment. It was already apparent that it was going to be a wild night.

Out past the breakers, a small group of teens on surfboards were soaking up the last rays of the sun and trying to catch a few more waves. Perched on a white and teal hybrid board sat Skylar was watching the shore from this small group, the shore vanishing behind each dark wave. He pushed his dripping brown hair from in front of his eyes and turned his board back to the open ocean. From the excited hoots from the other surfers ahead of him, Skylar assumed something big was coming.

Since he wasn't paying attention, Skylar had to duck dive below the large wave. A trio of surfers were quick enough to fall in front of the wave and Skylar could hear their excited shouts fading away. He smirked and paddled out to catch out with the others.

"He Sky! Done daydreaming?"A boy in light blue board shorts asked with a snort. Skylar wasn't even sure if he knew this kid's name but now he was going to make a point to forget it, "Got any big plans other than slinging drugs around the island?

"You know, the usual, Run through some backyards, hunt for pirate treasure or maybe visit your sister." Skylar said with a crooked smile. The boy smiled but it was obvious he was clinching his jaw. He was going through a dozen ways to snap back at Skylar in his head but said nothing. Couldn't piss off the dealer, not at a party.
"Come on Big Guy, lets surf"

As the last slivers of the sun vanished over the horizon, Skylar sloshed out of the surf with his board under his arm and walked towards the group of teenagers drinking around the now raging bonfire. He dropped his board off with the row leaning against the dunes and picked up his bag he stashed when he got there earlier. He pulled out his cigarette supplies and started rolling one for himself.

"Hey...Are you Skylar?" A voice belonging to a junior with a pastel polo flanked by two other juniors wearing pastel polos.
As an answer, Skylar lit the cigarette and nodded.
"Sweet. Can you sell us some joints?" They asked, looking around to make sure no one heard him say the word "Joint"
"sure....ten each" He replied, pulling out a little zip lock bag packed with pre-rolls.
"Nice! One each please." he said like he was at a Burger King.

After money and weed was exchanged, the boys scampered back to their friends to share their over priced spoils. Skylar slung his bag over his shoulder and wandered over to to one of the kegs to wait his turn to grab a drink.

 

[Lizy]

violet price.

Violet sat in the large chair in the corner of her room, reading a novel. It was something she had read time and time again but she found that each time was no less interesting than the first. Whenever she re-read a book, Violet found new details and hints about what was to come. She was the kind of person that liked to get as much information as possible out of something and reading books over and over again satisfied her need for knowledge.
As she came to the end of a chapter, she checked her watch. She gave a sigh when she saw the time. It was probably best to get ready for the end of the year bonfire that was happening tonight at The Graveyard. Violet wasn't a hundred precent sure why she was even bothering going. Maybe for one last hurrah. She'd never really been a party person though. How do you have one last hurrah if you never hurrahed in the first place? Maybe it was because, as much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she would miss Rotherham's Island when she went off to college. At least a little bit.
She grabbed her beloved camera of of her desk before heading downstairs. Her household was extremely quiet. To others it may be eerily so, especially for how large the house was, but to Violet it was normal. Tonight her father was working late, as per usual, and her mother was most likely passed out somewhere. No need for Violet to ask permission before going out, neither of them would even notice. Even if her mother did notice her absence, it wasn't like she'd remember the night. She grabbed the keys to her Mercedes and left the house.
As Violet pulled up to The Graveyard she could tell the party was already raging. She got out of her car but lingered at the edge of the beach for a moment, observing. She snapped a picture of the crowd before her before actually approaching the party. She glanced around the crowd to see if she could spot any friends. She spotted Ashley with her boyfriend, Aiden. Violet considered going over to say hello, but decided not to. She didn't really feel like interrupting their time together.
She walked around the party a bit, smirking at the few lightweights that were already tipsy. Someone, she couldn't quite recall who, offered her a drink but she declined. Violet typically avoided alcohol, she didn't want to end up like her mother. Besides, laughing at drunk people doing stupid things isn't as fun if you're drunk yourself.
After a while, Violet spotted someone she would consider a friend. She wasn't expecting Ana to be at this party, but it was a welcomed surprise. Violet knew that Ana's parents were strict and wouldn't approve of a her being at a wild bonfire like this. She raised an eyebrow as she spoke to her friend "Hey Ana. I didn't think your parents would let you come to this."

location: the graveyard • tags: ana ( illegallyblonde ) • outfit: x

 

[cadence]

there's nothing quite like a party to remind you of how alone you are. joey leaned back against the driftwood with a heavy sigh, swirling the last sip of beer around his cup. he could almost laugh at the irony of it. here he was surrounded by people, yet he still felt even more alone than usual. looking around at his peers, all laughing and talking among themselves, joey was faced with the harsh reality that not a single person there gave a fuck about him. sure, he had ashley, but even she —

no. he wasn't going to think like that. not at a party. parties were a time to let loose and have fun and, by god, if he had to get wasted to accomplish that, he would. fuck laughter, alcohol was the best medicine. he pushed himself off the driftwood with a groan, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. none of these people were his friends but he could count on a few of them for a good time. he realized that was especially true when he noticed skylar dealing joints to a group of snobs. a dimpled smile immediately replaced the sour stare he graced before and he finished off the last sip of beer in his cup, tossing the empty cup where he had just sat on the beach. he immediately made his way towards skylar, who was now waiting in the small line that had formed behind the keg.

when he was sure skylar saw him, he approached him with open arms and a shit-eating grin. "wassup, man?" he embraced the other in a quick bro-hug, slapping his back twice before pulling back, pouring himself yet another drink from the keg. skylar was one of the few people on the island joey actually liked. they weren't close, but joey liked that about him. they were both content with just fucking around. "saw you in the water a second ago. any good waves?" he spoke nonchalantly as he poured himself another cup of beer, briefly glancing towards skylar. his face, like his own, was illuminated by the bonfire roaring behind them.

with another cup of beer in hand, he threw his free arm around skylar's shoulders, guiding them both towards the fire. it was too hot for fire, he thought, but he enjoyed the idea of it nonetheless. these parties brought the island together in a way. both the poor and the wealthy, coexisting in peace for one perfect night. pushing aside his thoughts, he nudged skylar wish his elbow, lifting his drink as to propose a toast. "to graduating," he said, grinning. "didn't think i'd ever make it out of that shithole." he shook his head, laughing incredulously. "what do you plan on doing next?" people like them had to figure it out earlier than most. they couldn't just fall back on family money and coast through life without lifting a finger. "i,"he said, gesturing towards himself with his drink, "plan on getting far away from this fucking island."

JOEY MORRISON

location: the graveyard
interactions: skylar Kidzait

coded by weldherwings.

 

[Chimney Swift]

Quiet the Hands in my Head

Max Berkowitz

° Location: The Graveyard, at last
° Mentions: Ashley, Aiden, Violet
° Interacts: Ana illegallyblonde

Outfit ◇ Bicycle

A minute slowly dredged by --perhaps two, but no more-- and Max simply couldn't get the haunting image of Ashley out of his head, try as she might. She seemed so frightened and cold last night, and where was she now? Some chaotic party. Seems like a horrible place to leave a friend in need, a friend who just a night ago was convinced death was lurking just around the corner. And how ironic that she would be at that place that she always referred to using the sign for "cemetery": Mossley Beach, the sort of limbo between the wealthy and the trailer parks.

Max had been down there a couple of times, mostly to sketch the seaweed washed ashore, but he never understood its unusual moniker. The cemetery, the graveyard... weird. Ominous. Despite his valiant efforts, the thoughts from last night came flooding back, and once again he was longing to just swing by just to offer her some moral support, but did she even want him there? Did he want him there? Come on, he'd been over this already two minutes ago. He wasn't going anywhere, and that was that.

But he was also bored.
And lonely.
And a little worried. Okay, a lot worried.

He gritted his teeth, tugging at a lock of his overgrown chestnut hair. His conscience was doing that overthinking thing again, presenting him with all the different paths this situation could go down. It was too much to process, and before he fully realized what he was doing, he pulled his leather messenger bag out from under his desk and started packing it up with the bare essentials: Sketchpad and pencils, an eraser and inking pen, a bag of gummy bears in case anyone wanted to share, the copy of Arthur Miller's The Glass Menagerie that he was supposed to be reading for summer, and of course a flashlight. He drew in a shaky breath... he was going to this party.

With a nod of determination, he slid the strap over his shoulder. He went to grab his boots, was temporarily halted by the hands in his head signing out in not particularly polite terms how absolutely stupid this was, but he shook it off and laced up anyway. And with whatever chutzpah was left in him, he turned and headed out the door of his room, cockily sliding down the banister of the grand staircase and hitting the ground floor on both feet with a loud thud... that, by the vibrations, even he could tell wasn't particularly sneaky of him. Oh, dear.

His eyes darted back up the staircase, and sure enough his father's bedroom light was on. He hardly had time to think of an explanation before the man made an appearance, marching down the stairs with a look of suspicion already crossing his face. Max's father, Joel Berkowitz, was a small and slim man much like his son, but with a beard, and a face youthful for 47; only a few stray grey hairs and small wrinkles around his eyes giving away his age. He was still wearing the pinstriped button-down and khakis he wore under his doctor's coat. Must have just come back from his shift.

"Max, what was that?" Dr, Berkowitz signed single-handedly, his other hand resting impatiently on his hip.

"I... uh... slipped." Max's hands tremored almost incoherently. He hated lying: not because he wasn't good at it (though he most certainly wasn't), but because it hurt his personal code of morals. His conscience told him off every time, but nevertheless, he continued. "I've got to run and to close down, lock up the library-- I mean the bookstore. Anna just texted me she had to leave early."

The doctor looked unfazed, but nodded at his son's mediocre attempt at a lie. Hey, maybe the kid was finally having a little fun for once. He knew how he was at Max's age, and how his own boy must be having an even harder time fitting in at a mainstream school. He sincerely doubted Max was even capable of getting into any kind of serious trouble. He was nearly 17... should be responsible enough to know not to steal or smoke crack or whatever it was the kids were doing these days. "Alright, but don't be too long. You know how your grandmother worries."

Max couldn't help but grin ear-to-ear. "Thanks, dad!" He signed so quickly it was a single fluid motion, a raise of the eyebrows accentuating his enthusiasm, and off he scampered out the door.

If only Max could hear his father laughing to himself as the young teen raced out the door to the garage, maybe he wouldn't have been so confident.
__________________________

Max thought it a bit risky to be driving after dark, especially for him, so he instead went for a vintage-style green bicycle stood in the corner of the garage. Grabbing his helmet and throwing his lock in his bag with the rest of his belongings, he pedaled out of the drive and down the winding country road.

The whole way down to the beach, Max found himself haunted by the same bravado-shattering worries he'd had before he even left his room. It wasn't too late to turn back now, was it? He thought as he rode his bike down the path that rolled past the old caves. But deep down, he knew he'd committed to whatever he'd started, and he had to follow through. Just say hi to Ashley, make sure she's okay, and go. That was all he had to do.

He locked up his bike just beside the faded Mossley Beach sign, taking his helmet off and already feeling his chest begin to tighten. He could see the bonfire from off of the shoreline, elongating the ghostlike shadows of the boisterous teenage partygoers around it. The snarled oak skeletons, too, cast dark forms that stretched out to meet the rolling sea. So this was why this place was called the Graveyard....

And it was, by all accounts, not a good time or place to have a panic attack, so once again he cuffed the hands in his head as he timidly made his way into the small crowd, and internally told himself: 'this is fine. I don't have to stay, I just have to find Ashley. I just have to find--'

And there she was.

The flickering bonfire illuminated her pale form in an almost angelic orange glow, there in the arms of her equally eccentric boyfriend. She was, in a word, beautiful. Not in the way models are beautiful, but in the way wildflowers are beautiful. From her windswept braided hair to her crocheted cover-up, everything about her was asymmetrically wonderful.

But Max knew better, and decided to wait for her to have her moment before checking in. After all, she seemed her usual self, at least from a distance.

So instead he was left lost amidst the swarm of teens, desperately trying to look like he had a reason to be here.

That's when he spotted someone he honestly hadn't expected to be here at all: Ana, a bookstore regular and an overall smart and well-regarded girl, one of the upper crusts much like Max's maternal family. Her attention seemed occupied by Violet, another familiar face, but Max felt safe approaching the two. Neither were drinking or anything, which eased his conscience just enough to feel like he could hang with them for a bit.

He smiled nervously, waving to get Ana's attention first. "So, this is where you hang out after bookstore hours?" He signed out a bit slowly for her, indicating a timid attempt at a joking tone. He was truly awful at this, but falling short on social demands seemed to be his middle name these days.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[ALittleRedLie]

Nina Pelletier

Nina would always deny it, but deep down she knew the truth. She craved touch. She would constantly find herself glancing at Aiden and Ashley as the entwined themselves, feeling a bit of jealousy rising inside of her chest. In order to distract herself, she pulls out her phone, absentmindedly scrolling through her Instagram feed. She barely noticed the swarm of pictures of the current party filling her screen. Before putting her phone away again Nina texts her aunt, begging for her guardian to make an excuse to get her out of this social situation. Nina could not fathom how much she hated social gatherings, from high school dances to socialite parties at the Archers. Nina raises her head to the lovestruck couple again, and meets eye contact with Ashley before feigning a gag to mirror her distaste for their over affection. "I am going to find some type of refreshment. I need the ammunition to throw up when you couples around here get a little out of hand," despite the connotation behind her words, there was a smile evident on her face. She walks away from the couple after giving a wave and makes it closer to the fire, the heat blasting against her. All of a sudden her dress felt like too much clothing and she ventured away, looking for something to drink and cool her down.

After a water bottle rests within her grasp, Nina decides to spend her time observing her classmates. They were drinking, laughing, talking, taking pictures, being normal teenagers and for a moment Nina could feel content. This was one final night where they all didn't have to immediately expose themselves to the adult world, where the only troubles they had was related to being a teenager. Trailing her eyes over the crowd, she noticed Ana step out of a car. Nina couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. Ashley may have not noticed that Ana had arrived, (maybe she had), but the second they did, there would be some much unnecessary tension that would quickly arise and ruin the night. And no matter how much Nina loved Ashley, she moves away from within the proximity of the two. At that moment, Nina's phone chimes as she sees that her aunt finally answered and denied any type of scapegoat from the party prone to some type of disaster. Huffing out a sigh, she pockets her phone, not catching that it toppled to the ground. Nina continues moving throughout the crowd, catching small parts of conversations of those around her, only stopping when she hears the familiar voice of Joseph.

She overhears the conversation that was happening between Joseph and this other kid she didn't know. An accidental snicker leaves her throat as she listens to his urgency to leave. "Oh Joseph, of course you never thought you'd make it out. I'm not being mean, just pointing out the obvious" The remark escapes from between her red lips, a faint smile also present. Nina was a genuinely, nice person and didn't like antagonizing people, usually. But some of the people on the island, especially those that she went to school with, really threatened her beliefs. Especially Ana and Joey. Ana seemed like she thought she was better than everyone and Nina could play nice if she wanted to with the girl. That's what life was about, working with those that you wouldn't normally work with. But Joey was Joey. And no matter how many times she had to play nice for Ashley, he always found some way to mess with her. But Ashley wasn't supervising them now, so it wouldn't hurt to bully Joey a little bit. The small smirk on her face is accompanied by a challenging look in her eyes. Nina couldn't resist a little playful banter. She looks past Joey and glances at the guy next to him, her eyes reverting to a calmer display. "Hi, I'm Nina."

mood: content | outfit: XX | locations: graveyard | mentions: Ashley - Ana| interactions: cadence (Joey) Kidzait ​

 

[illegallyblonde]

STATUS. anxious
LOCATION. the graveyard
INTERACTIONS. max, violet
Chimney Swift Lizy
MENTIONS. nina
OUTFIT. here

✦ ANA BELMONTE ✦
​

ana was going to be sick.
not from the stench of alcohol that swirled and blended with the salty air.
ana felt hot all over.
her skin crawled.
a sinking feeling descended within her stomach. she rarely felt worried. was this worry? this dreaded feeling that she was doing something wrong?
well, technically she was. this was not her scene.
her chauffeur was waiting at the top of the rocks, parked neatly between other cars, waiting politely for her curfew to pick her up (when he should have accompanied her to the party). if her father found out that mr. harris was nowhere in sight? he would give her hell.
no, she wasn't worried that her father would find out.
not one bit.
not at all.
ana chewed on the inside of her bottom lip.
from her peripheral, she could spot a sauntering figure dressed in flowing blue fabric that swished around her ankles: nina. she was chatting with some kids that ana didn’t know.
of course she was.
ana had always thought of nina as too soft, taking too kindly to those on the other side of the island. oh well- if nina felt like tarnishing her reputation by association, so be it. ana was indifferent to the girl.
ana set her fizzing can of water on a worn, splintering wooden table next to the kegs. a surfboard propped up against it. the surface was littered with tipped over solo cups and spilled beer, a single hoop earring, a clutch coated in glimmering snake scales. was that one of those press-on nails? she tilted her eyes toward the waves, watching them wash over the shores and pull back out with the tide. the moon was nearly full tonight, casting its light down on the shimmering water. she imagined her anxiety as the waves, washing over her, covering her as though she was the cool, fine sand.
her attention was now turned away from the ocean and towards the figure approaching- finally! a familiar face: someone to rescue her from her continuous wave of anxious thoughts. the tide had begun to pull away from the sand, like the apprehension pulling away from her mind.
violet, ana's long-time friend since middle school, made her way over to where ana was standing. violet was the embodiment of a rainy afternoon- a bit cold, but always follows through when you need her most. as the rain brings to life the browning grass, violet rejuvinates and refreshes ana. perhaps it was because they were two very similar people- ana took refuge in violet's similarity. ana felt that many others at rotherham's high school could be entirely...fake, to put it nicely.
"hi, vi," ana said a little shakily. ana cleared the lump in the back of her throat.
"yeah, me neither." that much was true. maybe because it was the last party of the school year before all of ana's senior friends when their separate ways? or perhaps because her track record had been perfect since the incident?
she continued. "my dad made me bring mr. harris with me." ana pointed up to the top of the hill, the dark cadillac neatly parked diagonally.
"it'll turn into a pumpkin if i'm not back in an hour," ana laughed darkly. she hadn't been candid with her father about the party. if her parents found out about the drinks, the drugs, she would be close to dead. ana brushed a stray curl from her eyes.
"not really your scene either, no?" ana knew violet well enough to know that she wasn't necessarily a people person, and especially not one for a scene with alcohol. from the corner of her eye, she could see a waving hand. max- another kid that was unlikely to be at this sort of scene.
ana thought of max as a great relief. any time she was around him, she felt as though she was bathed in sunshine: happy and warm. he was a simple boy. she liked that she didn't know all of the bad parts of him- just the right parts. ana was afraid to get too close to him- that if she knew him too well, she wouldn't think of him as the life-loving, easy-going boy that she could count on to brighten her day, even if it was for a few moments passing at Anna's shop. even now, standing on the sandy beach, the salty air ruffling his hair, dressed in a dorky little fishing jacket. ana returned his wave with a short, small wave of her own; she kept the hand close to her chest. she couldn't help the grin coming to her lips. ana chuckled lightly.
"i know, right? just this once- my dad was feeling…" she signed slowly, but precisely. she tried to think of how to form the word, so instead, she gave up, shrugged her shoulders, and spoke.
"generous."

code by fudgecakez

 

[Kidzait]

Skylar Socod

Location: Graveyard, by the bonfire
Mood: Content
Interaction: Joey ( cadence ), Nina ( ALittleRedLie )

As the shadow of the island stretched out into the darkening sea, more and more teenagers congregated around the central point of the fire. The wind had died down to the point where it was safe to add more fuel to the pit. With the amount of wood gathered it was as if the group was anticipating the party lasting till dawn. Skylar scanned the crowd, not looking for anyone, just people watching. As expected, the groups were splitting into clumps of closer friends and having semi-private conversations in the dying light. It wasn't long till the bonfire was the only source of light.


Skylar nabbed one of the red cups being offered and started to walk away. He paused mid-step when he caught Joey's gaze and smiled. It was about time he saw someone he actually liked,
"wassup, man?" Joey asked, pulling him into a "hetero-embrace". Skylar considered Joey a friend, he was more like someone to text to see if they want to tag along. Their friendship wasn't quite at the point where they actually talked about stuff that mattered.
"saw you in the water a second ago. any good waves?" he asked, making Skylar feel a quick pang of guilt for not inviting him. Then again, if he didn't have his board...
"Eh. For the first ten minutes it was ok but the tide's pretty much out. We had to go way out past the shelf to get anything usable" He rambled back, "When did you get here? I'm surprised I missed you". As they walked away from the keg table chatting, Joey threw his arm around Sky's shoulders. His stomach flipped in that weird, brief way it always has with his guy friends, Guess we're just better friends than I thought he thought as he was steered them towards the fire.

Joey raised his glass in the universal gesture of, "This drink's-" "to graduating," he said, clicking their plastic cups together in their private toast, "didn't think i'd ever make it out of that shithole." Skylar chuckled. He was defiantly right about that. If it wasn't for a sudden strike of inspiration at the last month of the year, he wouldn't have graduated with his friends.
"you have no idea, dude. Longest 80% of my life I've ever had to deal with," He said, taking a swig of his drink to finish the toast.
"what do you plan on doing next?" Joey, like everyone else, asked before explaining that he wanted to ditch the island. A plan he shared with a lot of the trailer park graduates.
Skylar thought for a moment. He has been asked this exact question just like every other graduate in his class. He wasn't sure why he could never think of an actual answer.
"Not...I'm really not sure, man. Think I might save what I can and sell my boat so I can by a camper and travel ". He said carefully, almost as if he was improvising, "You know, get some last minute youth in before capitalism sinks it's hooks in".

Skylar opened his mouth to change the subject but the subject was hijacked completely when a laugh and an unfamiliar voice pipped up from their left,
"Oh Joseph, of course you never thought you'd make it out. I'm not being mean, just pointing out the obvious" a light skinned girl said antagonistically to Joey. He came to the fuzzy conclusion that they were friends somehow and Sky did not need to throw sand in her face. Sky pinched the cherry of the tip of his cigarette and kicked sand over the smoldering lump. He thinks he has seen her before hanging around that girl that Joey hangs around with the boyfriend that Sky wasn't a fan of. Ashley and... well, he was sure Ashley was at least one of their names.
While he was trying to put the pieces together, she seemed to notice him, "Hi, I'm Nina." she said, her demeanor suddenly very calm.
"UH...Hey. I'm Sky", he said with a smile and then addressed the two, "It's crazy that I'm still meeting people on this island. Just when you think you got everyone's name, you meet a random rich girl from your own graduating class". He smirked knowingly and flicked the remains of his cigarette into the bonfire. He leveled is gaze back to Nina, "So. Nina. What possessed you to associate with Joey?" he asked with a smile, nudging his friend playfully with his hip.

 

[Lizy]

violet price.

Violet let out a small laugh when Ana said that her father only let her come if Mr.Harris was with her. She looked up at the hill, trying to stifle her laughter. She hoped Ana wouldn't think the laugh was meant to come across as mean, and she didn't want do anything to make the girl even more nervous than her shaky voice suggested. Making the coachman come to a high school party? It sounded like something that came straight out of an absolutely terrible comedy movie. Her parents were crazy, but at least they weren't obsessed with her life. In fact, they were quite the opposite and Violet liked it that way.

"Well that's just awful. Now you can't do any of those hard drugs like you were planning to. I'm kidding," She remarked with a smirk. She laughed at Ana's joke then shook her head and ran her fingers through her messy hair as she considered the question directed at her. No, an end of the year party with a shit ton of completely wasted people wasn't exactly her scene. She had no specific reason for being here either. There was no friend she desperately wanted to say goodby to, no important legacy to leave behind. In all honesty, Violet hadn't done much with her high school career. Sure, she got good grades and took decent pictures, but she doubted that a quarter of the school even knew her name. That was something that she'd have to be alright with. No going back to change the past now.

"Yeah, well, can't a girl just have a good time?" she attempted a friendly laugh, but paused and scrunched her nose, as if smelling something bitter. That wasn't it. She chuckled, playing the response off as another one of her sarcastic remarks. "Nope. I'm here to get a few good pictures for my portfolio," that was kind of true, she supposed. She raised her camera and took a picture of the bonfire for extra emphasis.

Violet followed Ana's eyeline to spot Max, who was waving. She knew Max, mostly because their fathers worked together. He was pretty nice, and smart too, not like other kids that Violet took a strong disliking to. She'd picked up sign language because of her interactions with him, well that and having his mother as a teacher in elementary school. She smiled and nodded in greeting as he approached and began to sign to Ana.

location: the graveyard • tags: ana ( illegallyblonde ), max ( Chimney Swift ) • outfit: x

 

[cadence]

"travelling, eh? sounds fun, bro. what kinda places do you want to visit?" joey took a swig of beer from the arm that was still tossed over skylar's shoulders. "capitalism, that bitch." he said it with a laugh — carefree, like he wasn't bothered by it at all. he was, of course, but he had spent his entire life pitying himself for being born dirt-poor unlike most of the privileged asses he grew up around. now wasn't the time for that.

a moment later, he was shaking his head. "sucks that you might sell the boat, though. she's a beauty." he had many fond memories of time spent on his friend's boat. most of it consisted of the two of them getting high off their mind and fishing for dinner but it was fun nonetheless. if he had a choice, he'd stay on that boat, high, forever. he sighed, looking at the other with a side-glance. "i'd buy it from you if i could. i always wanted a boat. i almost had one but — fuck."

he turned his head at the sight of nina approaching them. after all, if you can't see them, they can't see you. right? honestly, joey just hoped she hadn't noticed him. he didn't mind nina most of the time. he even enjoyed the banter at times. this time, however, he was at a party. parties were all about good times and good vibes and nina pelletier was neither of those things. still, he put on his sweetest smile, eager to deal with her as soon as possible.

just stating the obvious, she had said. not being mean. joey snorted a laugh of disbelief. "bullshit." the fact that her words were true struck a nerve in him. yeah, he didn't think he'd ever get out of that shithole. he had grown up with just about everyone telling him he would never pass. his dad, his teachers, his peers. so he was feeling pretty damn proud of himself for doing the impossible. like hell he was going to let nina shit all over that feeling.

"fuck off, nina." he still bore that careless smirk but his tone clearly suggested that he was not in the mood for banter. "don't you have anything better to do? like, i don't know, get a fucking life?" he spat the last words out harsher than he intended, feeling his body tense up in anger. if she had been a guy, he might've decked her. he removed his arm from skylar's shoulder at that, stuffing both hands deep into the pockets of his swimming trunks. he turned towards him, opening his mouth to say let's go before nina was speaking to him instead.

he rolled his eyes at that point, raking his fingers through his hair. "can i have a smoke?" he asked skylar, opting to ignore nina instead. maybe if he hoped enough, she'd disappear. he took another sip of beer, cursing it for not working faster. he was right, after all. he couldn't stomach this party sober.

JOEY MORRISON

location: the graveyard
interactions: skylar Kidzait nina ALittleRedLie

coded by weldherwings.

 

[Chimney Swift]

Her, I worry about

Max Berkowitz

° Location: The Graveyard
° Mentions: Ashley
° Interacts: Violet Lizy , Ana @Interstellr

Outfit ◇ Bicycle

The girls welcomed Max, who, relievedly took a seat on the driftwood with them, watching Ana's response to his quippy little greeting: towards the end of her short sentence, she seemed to falter, her hands circling idly until she resorted to a spoken word. Max watched her lips closely, nodding along in curiosity. "G-e-n-e-r-o-u-s?" He fingerspelled for her, just to make sure he'd read her right, then offered a friendly correction, his dominant right hand starting at his chest in the open '8' position before sliding both hands twice down in a closed 'O', not dissimilar to the handshape used for the sign 'give'.

"Generous."

After this brief lesson, he continued: "so you aren't usually allowed in places like this?" He laughed in mild embarrassment, reminiscing on how he'd come to find himself in this situation. "I had to lie a little to get out here myself."

At this, he then glanced furtively back over his shoulder to where Ashley was, as if to judge how far away she was, then spoke up so he could be sure both Ana and Violet were following. By far not his favorite mode of communication, but he felt like he had to let them know why he, of all people, had come to such a place. Besides, it was getting dark, and harder to read hands and lips by the second, so he had to make do.

"Actually, I'm out here to check on... Ashley. She seemed, last night, sort of... out of herself? Sad? Not sad... scared."

Similarly to how Ana struggled to find signs, Max seemed to have some difficulty finding words. His speech had an odd cadence and pitch to it, and certain consonants seemed to slur. Still, considering he couldn't hear himself at all...

He wasn't quite sure how to best explain what Ashley had told him last night, or if he should tell them any of the details. Would Ashley want that conversation to stay between them? Probably.

"Her, I worry about."

Then he fell silent, nervously biting into his lower lip. Had he said too much? Or not enough? He remembered who he was talking to: Ana had an ongoing feud with Ashley, but he was pretty sure that Violet and Ashley were on friendly terms... and besides, they deserved an explanation as to why he dared show his face here. The three of them altogether were an odd bunch to be seen this far from the pristine wealthy neighborhoods. They formed a Breakfast Club-esque trio: the Dorky Plant Nerd, the Cold Loner, the Rich Princess. And the link between them all was the ever-present Ashley. Which was why, in part, he chose to divulge this information about why he came at all.

Yet still, he shrank back further, as if about to leave the group and run off. This was a bad idea; this whole thing was.

Back to signing, eyes cast to the ground as if talking to no one: "I'm sorry... I said too much. Forget it."

code by @fudgecakez

 

[ALittleRedLie]

Nina Pelletier

Joey's remarks cause for Nina's face to recoil in anger, but only for a second. She wasn't going to show him that he got to her, even though his words sounded truer than they had before. A guilty pang resonates within her gut, but she ignores it trying to prove to Joseph that he couldn't possibly hurt her. "No need to get your panties in a twist Joseph," she says a smile on her face but an annoyed look in her eyes. "And it's not like this town allows for much of a life," she adds in a whisper, forcing water down her throat, before taking notice of the guy next to Joseph.

" Tsk tsk tsk, Sky, not rich. And I don't go outside much, probably why you haven't seen me around." Nina fibbed, she wasn't one to flaunt her wealth that belonged more to her Aunt and parents than herself. It was harder to hide her wealth back in Canada, but on the island it was a little easier with people who didn't necessarily run her usual circles. And it also prevented from her name ending up in someone's search bar and her scandals being welcomed to someone's brain. Ashley only knew a little bit, and that was by accident. "And Joseph, we met through mutual friends." She shrugs, glancing to Joey for a quick second. "Usually Joseph and I have more... pleasant conversations than the one that is happening right now, but all my friends are occupied so I am not going to budge."

Temporarily a wave of awkwardness washes over them and Nina feels like her best course of action was walking away and letting herself become victim to Ashley and Aiden's affection. Being a third wheel however, was a lot worse than whatever was going on here. "So Skylar, how do you know Joseph, he's not nice sometimes." A slight pout appears on Nina's face, sensing how much Joey did not want her there was kind of like a fuel. The boy had gotten one over on her too many times, and despite Joey's discomfort and the slight guilty feeling within her gut, she had to get him back. So she shoots a a look with a raised eyebrow to Joey before smiling softly to Sky.

mood: content | outfit: XX | locations: graveyard | mentions: N/A| interactions: cadence (Joey) Kidzait ​

 

[illegallyblonde]

STATUS. unbothered
LOCATION. the graveyard
INTERACTIONS. max, violet
Chimney Swift Lizy
MENTIONS. nina, joey, skylar
OUTFIT. here

✦ ANA BELMONTE ✦​

“generous,” ana signed back, confirming her understanding of this new vocabulary word.

“scared? ashley? are you sure we’re talking about the same person? ashley’s not scared of anything. i wouldn’t read too much into it.” although ana spoke softly, she was concerned with max’s observations.

judging by his next words, she hesitated herself. max was a smart boy, and he didn’t seem like someone that would make assumptions.

“her, i worry about.”

ana was caught off guard by this. unlike max, ana wasn’t worried at all. she couldn’t care less. ana tried her best to be reassuring, but had a hard time supporting others when they needed it.

“don’t. i’m sure she’s just being dramatic. you know ashley- she just likes attention.” her words came out a bit colder than she had intended.

“don’t” was easier said than done. however, ana also knew that it wasn’t good to dwell on ill feelings. it gives you wrinkles. still, if make max was right, that would be odd. that’s not like ashley at all, at least, the ashley that ana had known.

although ana had no trouble understanding max’s words, she also knew that it could be a struggle for him to speak, and that he probably preferred speaking with his hands instead. it was growing darker by the second, the sun was practically set. the gathering was kicking up, and teenagers swarmed the bonfire for warmth, light, and a good time. ana decided that it would be best if their small group of three moved towards the flames to see each other better, and so that they would have an easier time signing to each other.

ana motioned towards both violet and max to follow her. she spun her heal in the cool sand and began striding towards the fire, tilting her head back to make sure they were following. ana situated herself close enough to the fire so that she wasn’t engulfed by the crowd of tipsy youths, rhythmically bumping into each other to the music.

from where she was facing, ana could see another small group begin to form on the other side of wall of blistering flames. nina, no doubt, that she had spotted earlier, with two boys that she didn’t know. no one of importance, she supposed, if she didn’t know them. ana couldn’t help but notice one of the boys- the one with the mussed hair who was passing cigarettes with the other. it seemed as though a heated conversation was diverging between nina and him. she couldn’t put her finger on it, but he seemed familiar.
ah, that’s right.
he was ashley’s friend. ana had never gotten the chance to know him when she was friends with ashley.
what was his name?
jonathan? jacob? she swore it started with a j.
it didn’t matter anyway. again, if they were anyone of importance, she would have known them. especially the other one, with the dripping hair that she may have seen surfing earlier.

after a moment that may have been a bit too long (ana secretly hoped that the trio hadn’t caught her staring), she turned her attention back towards her friends, violet and max. this time she spoke to both of them, her lips pursed but rational and unmoving.

she signed, “i thought a saw ashley when i got here. she didn’t seem scared. in fact, she seemed happy- all wrapped up in her new boy toy. aiden, right? whatever, my point is: if she really was scared or sad, i don’t think she would have turned up tonight.”

code by fudgecakez

 

[Kidzait]

Skylar Socod

Location: Graveyard, by the bonfire
Mood: Content
Interaction: Joey ( cadence ), Nina ( ALittleRedLie )

A shower of sparks ascended into the midnight blue sky when someone tossed another log on the dwindling fire. Soon the area flushed again with warmth and light, attracting the groups on the fringes of the party. Somewhere in the crowd, someone got a speaker system hooked up so a mix of genres were mixing in the air with the smoke. Sky's mind wandered to the occasion of the night . Skylar's thoughts turned to the fact that this might be the last time this group will be together. Everyone is moving on, the scene was almost enough to make someone tear up.

Not Sky though. Despite his half cocked plan he shared with Joey, he was going to make sure that once he left it would be the last time anyone saw him. Of course, he wouldn't tell his friends this, Sky was never very good at goodbyes. To most of his peers he was just someone to text for party supplies. The dichotomy of being a drug dealer in a small town. Everyone knows who you are, but no on calls you a friend.
This double edge seemed to not apply to the girl standing in front of them. Guess what she said was true, Maybe she just never went outside? At least, she never wandered onto the trailer side of the island.

"fuck off, Nina." Joey said, spitting venom at their new friend, "don't you have anything better to do? like, i don't know, get a fucking life?"

Sky raised one eyebrow and caught the flash of anger that possessed Nina's features.They aren't friends, I guess he thought. Sky assumed it was a friend of a friend that rubbed the wrong way. That much was obvious at least,
"No need to get your panties in a twist Joseph," she said coolly, Sky caught the fact that she called him by his full name, "And it's not like this town allows for much of a life."
The last part was said so softly, he was unsure if she said it or he thought it. Whoever said it knew the truth though. Sure, Sky was able to afford his lifestyle by slinging weed and other party drugs but he couldn't imagine trying to make a living like his dad. Working everyday at a job that tells you you're important but refuses to give you a raise. That was going to be all of the trailer park kids in a few years.

Sky snapped out of his negativity when Joey asked for a cigarette. Skylar patted his bare chest absentmindedly in search for his breast pocket, "Absolutely," He said, grateful that he had given Sky something to do with his hands. Sky dug through his rucksack until he found his smoking kit. He passed the pouch of rolling tobacco and papers over to Joey, "Remember, you gotta make your own," he said with a wink. Had rolled cigarettes weren't just a hipster aesthetic that he liked, it was a tactic to keep his peers from bumming smokes from him. Most people are turned away once they learn that Sky smokes unfiltered and don't even bother with the roll.

Sky stuck a joint between his lips and slung his bag back over his shoulder. He glanced between Nina and Joey, "You two done?" he asked, flicking his lighter and bringing it to the twisted tip of his joint, "It's cute and all but kinda kills the vibe of the night. After this you can go back to never seeing each other or cat fighting or whatever, just enjoy what we got", Sky shrugged and took a drag and exhaled the plume over his head. Sky never thought himself a diplomat but he tried when it was needed. It seemed that just being around Nina was agitating Joey like a cornered animal. Skylar took another drag hand held it this time, "You smoke?" he asked, offering the joint to Nina, "No pressure or anything. It's just a jazz cigarette after all". Sky's voice struggled as he tried to talk around the hit he was holding. He exhaled, covering his face to cough. He's been smoking the electric lettuce since grade 8 but he will still cough like it's his first time.

 

[Lizy]

violet price.

Violet watched as Max and Ana signed to each other about their struggles getting to the party. She didn't feel like pitching in, after all, she didn't have any struggles. She simply walked out the front door, no permission (or lying) needed. However, she became more attentive as Max spoke about Ashley. She bit her lip in thought as he explained that she seemed scared. Normally she wouldn't concern herself with other people's problems. But this was Ashley they were talking about. Ashley was different. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, but Ashley had this essence about her. She was a genuine person, and that made Violet care.

When they'd talked a few days back, Ashley seemed a bit off but Violet dismissed it. She'd just figured Ashley had had a rough day. She hated prying, so she'd let it go without any questions. But if she wasn't quite herself last night, as Max said, then there might be something wrong. She shook her head softly as Ana spoke. She wasn't too convinced with her words. Everyone had to be scared of something.

"No, no. She wasn't quite herself a couple days ago either," Violet spoke up, "I wonder if something happened." She tried her best not to sound too concerned, but she really was. This was unusual behavior for a person like Ashley, and now she wanted to know what was going on. She wasn't going to go talk to her about it in the middle of this party though, maybe she'd shoot her a text tomorrow. She raised her eyebrow at Ana's next response to Max's worries. She knew that Ana and Ashley had a falling out, but now wasn't really the time. Violet didn't want to start anything though, and Ana probably didn't mean anything by it, so she let it go.

It was starting to get dark out, so Violet barely noticed Max signing. She noticed how he didn't make eye contact though, so she wasn't sure if she should respond or not. But she also noticed how he distanced himself a bit before the statement. She didn't want him to feel like he wasn't welcome. "It's okay," she signed, making sure he could see her hands. Her attention was caught by Ana, who wanted them to follow her. She swiftly followed the girl as she lead them to a spot near the fire so they could see better. Smart.

Violet let out a near silent, unnoticeable sigh. While she disagreed with the Ana's prior comments, she wasn't wrong on this one. When spotted earlier, Ashley did seem content for the moment. Although it didn't mean nothing had happened to Ashley, at least nothing bad enough that she couldn't go out partying had happened. "True," she began signing, "If something's up it's probably not that serious. Don't worry about it right now. This is a party after all."

location: the graveyard • tags: ana ( illegallyblonde ), max ( Chimney Swift ) • outfit: x

 

[cadence]

a content smile sat on joey's lips when he saw the brief flash of anger across nina's face, glad his words had served their purpose. he could see the annoyed look in her eye, the way she forced a smile to pretend nothing phased her at all. they were the same in that sense.

don't get your panties in a twist, she said and joey, once again, snorted. "at least i'm wearing panties," he spat, leaning in closer. he was leaning back the next second, a smug smile on his lips. he was so determined to get under her skin that he'd do anything - say anything. "i seem to recall stumbling across some pictures where you weren't." as soon as the words left his mouth he knew he had gone too far, but he was in too deep to take it back now. besides, she deserved it. you mess with the bull, you get the horns. she was asking for it. maybe now she'd finally leave him alone.

his hands were shaking too much to roll a cigarette by the time skylar had placed the kit in his hands, so he grabbed a joint instead. "i can pay you back later," he mumbled, allowing the annoyance he felt to show in his tone without bothering to hide it this time. alcohol obviously wasn't going to be enough for this party anyway. he handed the kit back before lighting his own joint, immediately bringing it to his lips in hopes that the high would come sooner.

he couldn't help but laugh bitterly at skylar's words. enjoy what we got. currently he had a shaky hand, a now-empty cup of beer, and an annoying bitch intent on ruining his night. "whatever," he muttered, rolling his eyes before allowing his gaze to settle on nina. and he blew a plume of smoke directly into her face.

JOEY MORRISON

location: the graveyard
interactions: skylar Kidzait nina ALittleRedLie

coded by weldherwings.

 

[Chimney Swift]

Like moths to the flame

Max Berkowitz

° Location: The Graveyard
° Mentions: Joey, Sky, Nina
° Interacts: Violet Lizy , Ana illegallyblonde

Outfit ◇ Bicycle

Max intently watched Ana's response, his face blushing red and his eyes betraying a mix of emotions as he read as much as he could of her words: "...The same person? Ashley's not scared of anything... don't... being dramatic. You know Ashley- she just likes attention."
Max had to give it to Ana that this was sort of true of Ashley, at least normally, but he knew what he saw in her last night. Something was bothering Ashley, and somehow he just couldn't let that go. Something just seemed off, and it made his spine go cold.

He raised a hand to retort, but dropped it almost instantaneously. He had nothing really to say back. Luckily, Violet stepped in instead: "No, no. She wasn't quite herself... days ago .... something happened."

And just when he thought this couldn't get any more awkward or nerve-wracking, Ana gestured for the group to follow her and started off towards the bonfire.

Max hesitated for a moment, something which Violet seemed to catch when she knelt close to sign a quick reassurance to him. He was glad, naturally,
to be closer to the main light source but incredibly nervous being so close to the epicenter of the party, but nevertheless hurried after the group.

In a vain attempt to stay cool, he tried to just focus on simple things (a trick his father taught him ages ago): the beat of the music, the heat of the bonfire on his face, the shift of the sand his boots were stood on... and the people... all the people swarmed like moths to the flame.... alright, this mindfulness stuff wasn't helping.

Okay, he thought to himself, I don't know what I've gotten into, but I handle this. It's dumb and I should never have done it, but it's too late now...

Across the way, he could detect the tell-tale scent of a certain group of trailer park kids: weed. Max could pretty easily make out their faces through the flames, instantly recognizing Ashley's friends Joey and Sky, and another girl from their class who he also sort of knew from mutual run-ins with Ashley: Nina. Ashley and Joey, especially, were together almost as often as her and Aiden, so he knew them all-- at least sort of. Mostly just through Ashley. Man, that girl had a more diverse army of friends than any he'd ever known. Anyway, he had no desire to bother Nina and the boys right now, so he stuck with Ana and Violet. The two girls were really more his crowd. Glancing over to Ana, he caught her looking across at the other small group as well, before almost ashamedly turning back to their own clique, and now that they had enough light they were signing back and forth again: “i thought I saw ashley when i got here. she didn’t seem scared. in fact, she seemed happy- all wrapped up in her new boy toy. aiden, right? whatever, my point is: if she really was scared or sad, i don’t think she would have turned up tonight.”
Max nodded tenuously... Strangely though, he'd totally lost sight of Ashley herself in all this moving around with the crowd. He glanced around for her, but between the bonfire and the hazy swarm of other people she was nowhere to be found.

But once again, Ana had a point. The last time he'd had eyes on Ashley, she had seemed happily occupied with Aiden-- at least from a distance. Maybe he was being too clingy, and she really was fine... Violet summed it up thusly: "If something's up it's probably not that serious. Don't worry about it right now. This is a party after all." See, even Violet, who just minutes ago had seemed like she saw fear in Ashley too, was coming around.

"Right... a party" Max's hands moved as if on their own, his face drawn and pale and nondescript. He was starting to realize why people usually drank and smoked at parties. "She's fine. This is fine."

code by @fudgecakez

 

[ALittleRedLie]

Nina Pelletier

Nina listened to Sky as he fished in his pocket, fulfilling Joey's request. She went over his words about 'just enjoy what we got 'and her eyes softened from their defensive stance. Maybe he was right, maybe he wasn't. This was possibly the last time she'd see Joey, especially if he wanted to bolt from Rotherham's, so should she let their feud to rest or should she have the last word. She wasn't given much opportunity to have the last word in the past few years and she was tired of it.

Sky holds out a joint for Nina and she wasn't surprised that that was how Sky and Joey knew each other. She restrains from rolling her eyes, because Sky wasn't being as problematic like Joey. " It's not my type of drug," Nina denies, shaking her head slightly. She never did give time to a lot of the drugs the rich socialite teenagers were trying back home, but a sip of alcohol was Nina's weakness. Sure she'd toned down on the binging, but occasionally a glass of Crown was swimming between her lips. She was barely paying attention to the interaction between the two men before Joey steps close to her and spits out words that she never wanted to hear again. A look of shock erupts on her face as she gasps out the littlest "What?" Her eyes beginning to brim with tears. This very moment was the first time Nina felt so defenseless on the island, the first time she was vulnerable.

Panties. Pictures. Weren't.

Those were the only words Nina could repeatedly hear bin her ears as her heart dropped into her stomach. Questions swam in her head as she tried to repress the memory of when her nudes leaked, the day she walked into school and they seem to be plastered anywhere. She tried hiding that day for so long and no matter how hard she tried, here it was, laying out in front of her. The water bottle in her left hand almost slips out of her grip as the sound of the ocean muffled around her. Panties. Pictures. Weren't. The only things she could hear as she glanced into Joey's eyes, trying to figure out his motive, even if her mind wasn't completely focused.

How did Joey know? Why would he say that? Who did he tell?

But she didn't have time for that, she wasn't going to allow herself to cry in front of all these people, but more tears strolled down her cheeks. When a puff of smoke begins floating around her face and afro, anger washes over her, and before she can stop, her right hand raises with so much might that when it collides against Joey's cheek she can feel a bit of a sting resonating behind. "You are no different than all those people you look down on." With that Nina storms away, slamming her shoulder into Joey and down the beach, past Sky, past the fire, past Ashley. She tried hiding her face as more tears flooded her face and a sob broke its way out of her throat. When she made it far enough, she sat in the sand facing towards the ocean, wrapping her arms around her knees. Wanting some type of comfort from her Aunt, she digs through her purse for her phone just to find that it wasn't there which forces out a frustrated screech to join her crying. "Best day ever." Nina sets her head down on top of her arms and watches the waves of the water as waves of tears and silent sobs fill her aura.

mood: furious; upset | outfit: XX | locations: graveyard | mentions: N/A| interactions: cadence (Joey) Kidzait ​

 

[illegallyblonde]

STATUS. concerned
LOCATION. the graveyard
INTERACTIONS. max, violet, nina
Chimney Swift Lizy ALittleRedLie
MENTIONS. joey, skylar
OUTFIT. here

✦ ANA BELMONTE ✦​

it was growing nearer and nearer to 10:30. she would have to be home soon. it was a gift that ana had been able to go to the party in the first place- her dad had never done something so kind without payment. ana was almost convinced that there was some sort of catch when she got home.
tik tok, princess.
she didn’t want to leave- not yet, at least. although the conversation commencing between their odd bunch- max, violet, and herself- was a bit concerning, she was reminiscing freshman year.
freshman year was filled with long nights and dancing, sneaking into senior parties and playing “never have i ever.”
smoke-filled secrets.
kicking up sand on the beach.
holding her hair back from her own vomit.
all with her ex-best friend, ash.
ana felt happy to even be here. even though she didn’t expect anything interesting to happen, she was happy. she felt freer than she had in two years since the breakup since her parents forbade her from any more fun. ana knew her parents had her best interest at heart. they didn’t want their perfect daughter to stray from her carefully groomed path to yale.
but it still hurt.
---
“she’s fine. this is fine,” max replied, and although he used his hands, ana could tell by his face that he wasn’t so sure.
ana figured it would be best to just stop talking. her response seemed to have not made a good impression on her friend. she kept her thoughts to herself. violet seemed to have a similar, yet more gentle approach. appreciate the time that they had tonight before it was over.
ana decided to take violet’s advice as well. her ballgown was going to turn to rags soon.
they stood in a comfortable silence- at least, comfortable for ana. she preferred to keep talking to a minimum.
she turned to look back at the scene from the other side of the bonfire. she wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but she saw nina with those boys that were passing joints. she shook her head in disappointment.
oh, nina. don’t get yourself into too much trouble, ana thought.
all of a sudden, (her friend? acquaintance? ana wasn’t sure what to consider her) nina’s face shifted to what appeared to be pain. the tears would have been hard to spot from the distance, but the fire illuminated nina’s skin and ana could clearly see her cheeks sparkling from the tears.
and then nina hit him, and ana let out a weak “oh no.”
ana wasn’t typically an emotional person, but she couldn’t stand by and watch a fellow classmate in distress. at that moment, ana decided to make sure that nina was okay. if nina had been drinking and was upset, only bad things could come out of this.
it was more for ana’s sake that nina ended up okay.
she couldn't pass this up with a good conscience.
“hey, i’ll be right back. excuse me,” ana signed to max and violet, and then she was off.
ana didn’t look back to see if max or violet were following, but she was sure that they had seen it too. ana had noticed max watching the group from across the flames as well. she wasn’t opposed if either decided to come along as well. things may get a bit dicey with ana alone to comfort a crying girl.
once ana rounded the bonfire, she quickly lost sight of nina, though she figured nina would have left the crowd to be by herself. ana wound through the bustle of sweaty bodies and pushed her way out of the mass into open sea and sand. there was nina, crouched down on the shoreline, screeching in frustration. ana thought it best to give her a moment, and then approached her stiffly, standing next to the balled-up figure.
what do i say?
are you okay? no, that’s stupid. of course she’s not.
i saw what happened. no, not that either. i don’t even know what really happened.
“hey, nina,” ana said gently.

code by fudgecakez

 

[Kidzait]

Skylar Socod

Location: Graveyard, by the bonfire
Mood: Torn
Interaction: Joey ( cadence ), Nina ( ALittleRedLie )

" It's not my type of drug," Nina replied to the outstretched joint. Skylar shrugged and stuck the end back in his mouth, No biggie. I just think it's polite to offer" Sky replied, inwardly bummed his plan for defusing the situation failed, "you kinda struck me as a 'lines in the bathroom' kinda girl anyway." Sky fell silent, his joke obviously not landing. It was a little inappropriate to joke about coke though, it was a death sentence to be addicted on the island. Sky lost count how many time he was asked for that dangerous little drug but every time he stood firm. He could get it, the guy who he buys from always has a brick or two on his boat and it would sell in his community but Sky refused to sell drugs like that to his neighborhood. A steady supply to the island would destroy their community on both sides. He was just going to stick to the stuff that wouldn't ruin people's lives.

Skylar stood in silence as the two acquaintances bickered back and forth. It seemed playful until Joey shot back with, "at least i'm wearing panties,". Sky was unsure why he chose to lace his words with that much venom. Was he trying to shut her down for real?
"I seem to recall stumbling across some pictures where you weren't." he spat with crossed arms.
Sky raised an eyebrow and looked back at Nina, the gears in his head struggling to piece together what was happening.
What are you talking about dude? Nudes? Did you-

"Wait-" he said quickly, his inner monologue leaking into the conversation as it finally clicked. He bit his tongue before he could let anything else slip. The air was already thick with awkwardness and Skylar didn't need to add to it. Despite his slow start, He knew exactly what Joey was hinting at. Now that it was said, Sky recognized Nina from the lewd photos someone posted around the school. There was no way Sky was going to bring it up now but he actually had a copy somewhere in his house. He thought it was just some girl from a cam site, he didn't know it was someone he went to school with. He made a mental note to track that picture down and get rid of it.

This was a clear soft spot for Nina and Joey obviously knew what he was doing. Sky frowned but stayed silent. It wasn't like anything he could say would make the situation better. This wasn't his quarrel, even if he was being forced to watch it unfold. It seemed to be dying down anyway.

Then Joey blew smoke in her face.

And then she finally hit him.

Sky flinched when her hand made contact with an audible slap that caused a few people to look around in surprise. He made no effort to help his friend as Nina got in his face one last time,
"You are no different than all those people you look down on." she hissed.
Then she was gone, vanished into the crowd. Another fleeting interaction done and Sky would most likely never see her again.
Unless he found that picture, of course.

Sky glanced around, suddenly very self conscious about what just happened. From the look of it, no one seemed to be paying attention. Well, that's what he thought before he locked eyes with a
boy with brown hair across the fire. Max his name bubbled to the surface of his mind. He wasn't sure how long he had been watching them but he held his gaze. After a few awkward moments, Sky winked at him and looked away.

With crossed arms, Sky leveled his gaze at his friend. Joey seemed preoccupied by he joint in his mouth. Did you find the joint I buried in my tobacco? he wondered. Joey was good for it, it was just rare to see him with his own. Usually they share. Skylar didn't say anything, he just crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at his friend. Now that it was just them, Sky thought he was owed some kind of explanation.

 

[Lizy]

violet price.

Violet let out a quiet sigh after they let the topic of Ashley drop. When Max signed that everything was fine, she didn't quite believe him but went along with it. She didn't believe herself either. She was now feeling a bit concerned about Ashley but didn't want to bother her. The only thing she could do to calm her worries is ask Ashley about it directly, poking around other people's business just lead to trouble. She didn't want to bother her tonight though, not when she seemed to be having such a good time.

Violet on the other hand, wasn't feeling the party atmosphere as much as other people seemed to be. None of her small group did, actually. Violet wasn't sure what to do at these kinds of parties. She detested alcohol. It wasn't so much it's taste that bothered her, it was more what it made people do that made her avoid it. She didn't dance or let loose. Violet looked across the fire to where the rest of the group seemed to be observing. She spotted Skylar, who she'd bought from a couple times, but she wouldn't be smoking tonight. Not around Ana and most definitely not around Max. She also saw Joey and Nina. She knew both of them as well, from around school. She wouldn't consider any of those people her friends though.

She glanced down at her watch. It was starting to get late. Ana would probably go soon and she assumed Max wouldn't stay long either. She wondered what she'd do when they both left. Honestly, she'd probably go home too, there wasn't much for her to do here anyway. She looked back across the fire in time to see Nina slap Joey. Pretty hard form the looks of it. Well aware that Joey could be an impulsive jerk at times, she assumed that he did something to earn that smack in the face.

"Holy shit," Violet said softly. Nina ran off and Ana quickly excused herself, probably to go see if she was ok. She didn't know if they were friends, but that wasn't really any of Violet's business so she decided to hang back with Max. It was dark out and Nina and Ana were heading away from the bonfire, where it would be hard for Max to communicate. She wasn't about to leave Max here alone, this wasn't really his scene (although it wasn't her's either) and she didn't want any trouble to arise. "That was crazy," she signed.

Violet decided to pull out her camera to snap a few pictures of the scenes that were unfolding around her. That was the thing about parties. From afar they looked great, with glowing fires and people dancing and having fun, but once you got close it was a mess. Sure, a lot of people were having fun but there was a lot happening at once, which made for some interesting developments. Once she'd gotten a couple shots she turned back to Max. "Have you been to a party before?" she signed out. No- that was kind of stupid. Of course he'd been to a party before. "One of these crazy parties, I mean," she clarified.

location: the graveyard • tags: max ( Chimney Swift ) • outfit: x