Realistic or Modern DotC High

[FlameintheRoses]

It's the year 2018 in Newport Beach, California, there is a high school by the name of Dawn High. Hierarchy swarms the school depending on social class and popularity. The principle and founder of this rather opinionated school is Mrs. Victoria Cypress, a woman of high economic status. The school was started 11 years ago, and stands to this day, cultivated with teenage life. 


As for the hierarchy, many teenagers in the school are high to middle class students, but there is a good portion of low class students that roam the school. People who participate in after school activities, hold a role in known friend groups, and are generally known by the public. As usual, jocks and popular girls are known, as are the intelligent and successful students. For the rest of the students, well... let's say, they are the peasants in the broken kingdom of hormones and hate. In order to be respected, one must prove themselves to be more than a civilian.


'


The setting starts at 10am, when the students are walking to their third class of the day. There are 5 minutes between each bell. At the first ring, students pour out of classes and into the hallways, making their way through to their lockers and separate classes. People push on through the crowds, some knocking over others, while some walk quickly past as to avoid the commotion. Most of the popular groups were preparing for a party, hosted at non other than Chloe Water's house, or rather, mansion. They were known for throwing such parties, and information was given out only to those thought to be worthy of going. Of course, this was the typical party that consisted of no parent super vision, containing alcohol, drugs, and so on, whatever entertained the youth. Adults had no clue of such a party, but of course they wouldn't ever find out, unless of course a teenager who told on the party-goers had a death wish.


@McMajestic 

 

[McMajestic]

Bucky Cypress was perhaps the most popular guy in school. He owned the hallways- literally- and had everyone eating out of the palm of his hands. He didn't think much of it as he strutted down the white and red checkered tiling towards his target. Everyone said yes to him because they all knew if they didn't, he could end their little lives. The social hierarchy of Dawn High had always been critical to the students squishing around the halls, scurrying to class, struggling to get a good word in for themselves. There were only two people in the school who didn't have to worry about being in Bucky's good graces. One of them was Bucky himself, and the other was Chloe Waters, the only girl at this school who could get the high quality drugs at her party instead of the fake shit that showed up everywhere else. Of course, there was a third spot open, but ever since Korren found the nerve to break up with him, he hadn't been able to fill it. 


He paused by her locker, before shoving it closed. "Hey, Babe, wanna be my plus one at Chloe's party, tonight?"  He obviously hadn't accepted the break up. In fact, he refused to acknowledge it. "We can get drunk, get high, have a little fun," he cooed. "Just take a break from your Algebra homework for one night, huh?" he suggested mockingly, taking her hands in his to make sure he had her attention. Many passersby who had heard of the breakup were quite confused by this moment in the hallway. Whispers began to erupt and quite a few girls glared. Everybody wanted Bucky, because if they had him, they had scholarships, and grants, and money, and a cute boy on their arm. Nobody wanted to see him with Korren- nobody wanted to see him with anybody but themselves.


---


Sage Vixen had only just gotten to school. He had slept in past his first alarm, then his second, and then all of first period. After waking up and realizing how late he was, he had shrugged off the idea of getting to school on time and had picked up some breakfast on his way, effectively blowing off second period as well. When he got to school he pulled out his breakfast sandwich, taking a bite out of it as he walked down the halls, not caring much for anyone or anything. School was perhaps the least important thing on his mind. Ever since his sister had been diagnosed with Leukemia he had stopped caring, stopped comprehending, stop coming. He just wanted to be with her, but the attendance office wouldn't stop harping on him, and so finally he decided he'd better get his ass out of bed and do something about it. 


Of course, it was easier said than done, and he was sure he looked like death himself as he walked down the halls. People would glance and whisper at him, but certainly not in the same positive way they'd glance and whisper about Bucky or Chloe. Sage was somewhat of an outcast, and had been ever since his sister stopped coming to skill. She was his key in, and she had been so popular, but now she was gone, and so was his chain connecting him to everyone, and so nobody remembered him. He popped the collar of his leather jacket and kept walking, just hoping to get to third period on time. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

There stood one of the most popular girl's in school Korren Csholm, at her locker. She had been meticulously sorting through her stuff, making sure that things in her locker were all in order. Pictures of her and Bucky had been ripped out and plucked away as she cleaned out all of the trash memories he gave her. It was going to happen eventually, their break up was inevitable, yet people would have never even guessed. A pale skinned girl with long red locks, naturally adorable in her own way, with one of the most popular and respected jocks in the school. What could have possibly gone wrong there, right? Wrong.


Korren had been pulling out books from her locker, jumping when it suddenly was slammed shut. She held the books close to her heart, turning to see Bucky. As he talked, she shook her head, putting her books into her back pack and turning to face him. Just before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand and had her attention. Whispers showered across the hallway as passerby's watched their every move. She looked at him, pulling her hand away. "No, Bucky. We're through." Her words sounded flustered, and she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I am not going to another one of your trash parties, especially with you." This time she commanded, looking him dead in the eye with a serious tone to her voice. There had not been many times she spoke in this school, but when she did, people listened... all except for Chloe and Bucky.


Korren nervously pulled at the edge of her gray plaid skirt, which hung down above her knees. She was wearing that, and a white blouse with an academic button pinned near the collar, one that contained the symbols for Harvard, the one school she so desperately wanted to get into, and by senior year she was sure by her perfect attendance and outstanding work she would go just there, with the help of her parent's funding. Each day she always tried to change her style or seem as professional as can be. Her nerves had spiked. People were stopping and staring at them, and the hallway went practically silent. Absolutely no one ever stood up to Bucky Cypress, not unless they had a death wish or were incompetent. 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Bucky hesitated at Korren's tone, before smirking. "Feisty. Almost as feisty as when I fucked you under the bleachers," he spoke loud, intent on embarrassing her for publicly saying 'no' to him. Even louder whispers erupted, and Bucky pushed her back against the lockers gently. "Come on, Kori, they talk shit about you all day, or you can just say yes and I'll shut them up," he promised in his own whisper, his lips brushing against her ear. His hand slipped under her shirt as he pinned her against the lockers so she couldn't move, his lips moving away from her ear, down to her neck. He knew she loved this and so he'd make her moan in the hallway if that's what it took. He heard the sound of a phone camera clicking, and snickered as he nibbled on her neck, intent on leaving a hickey, to mark her as his whether she wanted to be or not.


Sage had just turned down the hallway towards his Physics class when he paused, noticing a crowd, hearing Bucky's name as well as Korren's. He didn't keep up with the popular kids, but he was aware of their recent break up, which made him curious. What could he say? He was bitter, of course, but still human, and humans were always drawn to things they didn't understand. Sage didn't really have to push through the crowd. He had a reputation for beating the shit out of people who got in his way, and so the seas simply parted, allowing him to witness the sexual assault. He huffed, looking around. People were recording and clicking pictures, but no one was trying to help Korren. He rolled his eyes at the stupidity of his own peers, before dropping his backpack. As he walked up to Bbucky and Korren, even more cameras came out. "Hey Bitchy," he hissed, Bucky turned just in time for Sage's fist to connect with his face. The stunned senior dropped to the ground, but Sage paid no mind to him, instead looking to Korren. "You okay?" he asked, glancing down at Bucky asthe poor popular kid tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren's face went white when he announced this, and her face flushed at what he had said, which was a complete lie. She was pushed against the lockers, and she trembled. Her hands scrambled to try and remove his hands from her. His lips had pressed against his ear, and her face went completely red. At this point he was taunting her and feeling her up, all the while people stood idly by and did nothing to stop him. She pushed at his chest trying to get him off of her, biting her lip as he nibbled at her neck. "Bucky stop..." Korren pleaded, just wanting it to be over. Her eyes squeezed shut as he kept on, whimpering quietly. What he was doing she did like, but she didn't want to like it at all. After a little bit it began to hurt, to leave bruising. She whimpered, struggling harder.


It was when she heard another voice that she opened her eyes, watching as Bucky was knocked down to the ground. She looked up in shock, noticing that it was Sage, the trouble-kid, the one that was actually brave enough to stand up for himself. Slowly she nodded, turned to grab her back pack and desperately scrambling out to leave. She averted her eyes from everyone, completely embarrassed by what went down. Just as she reached the edge of the crowd, people looked at her and mumbled to themselves about her, not letting her through. When she turned her back to them, they all called out and taunted her. "Whore!" "Slut!" "Stupid little bitch."  "Skank." "Trash!" All these taunts and more crude ones called out to her, all aimed at her. Some people threw wads of paper at her, and she shrank back, tears welling in her eyes. She marched to the crowd, beginning to pushing past people to get to the bathroom, which across the hall, beyond the sea of taunting and abuse. Of course most people pushed back at her though, ending up pushing her down back into the circle. They wanted to see drama, as if this were some silly game to them. 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage glanced towards Korren as she started off, before looking back to Bucky, who was just now standing. "Stay the fuck down," Sage hissed, punching him once more. Bucky stumbled back into the lockers, coughing weakly as blood splattered onto the floor, spewing out of his broken nose. For the first time in perhaps his entire four years at high school, Bucky looked truly, genuinely pissed. He was out for blood, and he launched himself at Sage as if he was some sort of beast after its prey. Sage yelped as they both fell to the ground, rolling to claim the top spot, the advantage point. Bucky got a few hits in, but it wasn't long before Sage placed one calculated knee to the groin, effectively weakening Bucky long enough to start pounding him. It was only after his fifth punch that two football players snapped out of it and yanked Sage off kicking and shoving. Although once he was on his feet he was calm. 


He brushed the football players off, and noticed Korren was still stuck in the circle. "Hey! Get to class!" he snapped, and maybe it was because they all saw what he did to Bucky's face, but the crowd dispersed rather quickly. Sage huffed, walking over to Korren as the two football players worked to help Bucky, who insisted he was fine as he struggled to stand. Sage grabbed Korren's arm roughly, yanking her up and starting to drag her off. "Come on, let's get out of here," he muttered, looking around for somewhere they could hide. He didn't really know Korren, but he knew she needed privacy. After a moment, he found a girl's bathroom, and pulled them both inside, leaning heavily against the door for a moment as he called out to make sure no one else was in there, before looking back at Korren. "Okay, I'm going to ask again, and you're going to be honest. Are you okay?" @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren looked up when the fight was over with after hearing all of the commotion, pushing herself up with tears in her eyes. Everything was a blur in her eyes with the tears welling in them until there wasn't room for them, and they fell down her cheeks. People mumbled and took pictures up until Sage snapped at them, then dispersed without second thoughts. She looked back at Bucky, who was starting to stand up. With one last look at him, she was dragged off by the arm. For a moment she stumbled, following Sage blindly until they were in the bathroom. She staggered, and leaned against the wall in the bathroom, closing her eyes. It was when he spoke that she looked at him. More tears fell from her eyes, and she didn't know what to say to this boy. She barely knew him after all, and only knew of what people said about him in the hallways. People warned her to stay away from him, and yet here he was, seeming more caring than people perceived him to be. Just as she opened her mouth, she began to crumble. She wanted to lie and say she was okay, but tears streamed down her cheeks and a sob fell from her mouth. Korren covered her eyes, muffling herself in the process. "No." She managed to choke the words out. Slowly she crumpled and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, her skirt fanning over her legs. People would bully her, Bucky would hurt her the next time he saw her, and she would be stuck at the very bottom of the food chain again. No one would let this slide from her. "I should have just said yes." She whimpered out, clothing her face with her knees, which were pulled up to her chest now. Korren would be destroyed for that little rumor he let out, since everyone believed everything that Bucky said.

 

[McMajestic]

Sage watched her crumble, sighing to himself as he kneeled down in front of the poor girl who was one more word away from breaking down into a vegetable. "Bullshit," he snapped, his hands gently resting against her cheeks, contrasting vastly with his harsh tone. He tilted her head up to face him carefully, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. "Listen to me, Korren. I don't care what the fuck you did or what the fuck Bucky is capable of, you never submit to halfbaked bastards like him, you hear me? Who cares what he thinks? Who cares what anybody thinks? This is high school. Nothing matters after you graduate. This world isn't real. Stop fucking crying over it." He got to his feet, moving over to the sink and wetting a paper towel before heading back over to her, gently cleaning her face off to make the tear stains less noticeable. He didn't really feel bad for this girl, because she dated Bucky in the first place. She allowed herself to fall into his popularity trap, but after seeing what Bucky had done to her after their break up, he was angry. He had always hated Bucky, and now he only had more reason to.


As he finished cleaning off her face, he moved to her neck, scowling at the bite marks indented in her flesh. Okay, so maybe now he did feel a bit bad for Korren, and he got into a quiet argument with himself about whether or not he should try to cheer up. The longer he looked at her and debated, though, the more she reminded him of his sister the first time she had gotten the results back, and so he couldn't help but want to help relieve Korren of some of her stress. "let's get out of here, okay? I'll get you a chocolate shake. Does that sound good?" he asked, his harsh demeanor softening at the mention of something to drink. "Maybe lunch, too. A burger, some fries, maybe chicken nuggets?" Sage knew he could sound cruel and while his demeanor most definitely came off that way a moment ago, he wasn't a total jerk, and he did want to give Korren something to cheer her up, to remind her life wasn't all bad- even if it was for him. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

She looked up when he called her out, gasping to steady herself as she was confused by how he addressed her. It shocked her how close she was, put she listened to him. Korren was completely surprised by this boy. At one moment he was snapping at her, and the other he was comforting her. She blinked a few times, closing her tired eyes and leaning her head against the white tiled wall. Before long she opened them, looking at Sage, who was still too close. She sniffled, taking deep breaths and calming herself down before slowly standing. He offered for them to get out, to leave the school and get something to eat. At the thought of it she hesitated, thinking first of her studies. Speaking of studies, her backpack was probably being kicked around in the hallway, so she couldn't necessarily get to her next class without being prepared. She brushed her hand over her skirt, sighing. It was a hard choice between her studies and personal life, since her future always came first before everything. But this time... this time she had to put them to the side for once, or else the whole school would be out to get her. There was silence for a good minute, and she looked at him in the eye. "That would be appreciated." She lent her hand out for him to shake. It may have seemed odd, but she didn't want to be so close to him any more, not since what happened with Bucky. "I don't think we should be out too long, though. I don't want to get behind on classwork." She spoke quietly, genuinely worried about what would happen if she skipped class. Since she was never one to break any rules, it scared her into thinking that her teachers would notice her gone, and give her low grades... "Maybe only 20 minutes." She said sternly, moving over to the door to open it, and glanced back for a moment. By now people would be in their class, at least most people anyway, and they wouldn't be noticed if they left, but it still scared her. She gripped the handle, but before she opened it, she spoke up one last time. "...Thank you, back there, for uhm... defending me." Once that was said and out of the way, she slowly opened the door, peaking her head out before walking out into the hallway, glancing back inside the bathroom, knowing that she needed Sage to lead. Just down the hallway was her backpack, which she could grab on her way out and possibly do some work while they talked, so at least missing some school would not be a total loss to her grades.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage didn't bother to shake her hand when she offered, shrugging it off and instead following her out the door. "Don't thank me," he muttered, pushing past her absently. His own backpack was on the ground, and he first swung his own over his shoulder before picking hers up and piling on the work. "I just don't let the pussies that run this school walk all over me. And you shouldn't either. Get some guts, kid, if you think this is rough wait till you get a taste of the real world." Wait till you get a taste of your family dying and you not being able to do anything about it. He kept on walking, moving forward towards the exit. Once he got there he paused at the door. There was his car, in its assigned parking spot in the front. A black Boss mustang waxed to perfection. God, he loved his car. It was the only stable thing in his life. His parents were in out with extra work to pay the bills, his sister was in and out of the hospital, but at least his car was always waiting for him. He opened the door, holding it for Korren, before leading her to his car. He opened the passenger side for her before heading over to the driver's side, dropping their backpacks in the trunk on the way and closing it, so that they wouldn't be able to get to them, before sliding into the driver's seat. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren watched as he pushed past her, wanting to argue but thinking against it. She was going to grab her own backpack, but he got to it first. Her focus shifted to around the school, feeling as though all eyes were on her, even if there was no one around. Nothing was worth saying to her if it held no purpose or meaning. Once they got to the door, she entered out and followed him to his car. It was a really nice car, she had to give him that. She stepped into the passenger seat, hearing a thump in the drunk from their backpacks, which caused her to sigh. So she wasn't getting work done today, now was she? Unless putting things in his trunk was just convenient, but he could have easily put it in the backseat. It was nothing too important, though, so she didn't stress about it. She pulled up her phone, checking quick messages. There was one that was rather recent, and it was from Bucky. It said something about a surprise, but she didn't open the message. She was too broken up over what happened to deal with him right now. Korren pulled the passenger door shut, pulled her seat belt over and clicked it shut, and looked around the car as Sage entered the driver's seat. "It's a nice car." She spoke out, complimenting the style of it mainly to break the silence.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage glanced at her and smirked. "Yeah, Lola here is my baby. I took good care of her and she runs like a god." He started the mustang up, revving the engine, sighing and sinking into the leather seats at the sound, before laying off the gas pedal. He wasn't much for showing off because he knew he could damage her if he did so, but every now and then he really liked to hear her roar. "You control the radio, okay? Listen to whatever you want, I don't care. I like it all," he said simply, before shifting to reverse and backing out of his parking spot. He thought for a moment, before looking over at her, this stranger of a girl he had picked up to take care of, but really she was no stranger at all. She was Korren- infamous girlfriend of Bucky Cypress. Beautiful, smart, talented, everything Sage could never have. He bit his lip, thinking for a moment. "You know, the school talks about you so of course I've heard shit. I've heard good shit, too. I think you need to get you a guy better than Bucky, someone who can protect you from that son of a bitch since you can't protect yourself. You don't deserve those bruises on your neck, love. Especially not from trash like him," Sage added, before pulling out and driving off, not speaking another word the entire trip. He finally pulled into a burger and shake place, parking up front but hesitating slightly. He worked at this joint. This was his gig- a run-down fast food place open 24/7. He wondered if Korren would realize he wasn't rich and turn out to be just like all the rest of the popular kids, and maybe she'd be just as bad and he'd realize he shouldn't have ever offered her help in the first place, but he shrugged that thought off and got out of the car, closing the door behind him before walking over to open her door for her. High school didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, after all, so who cared what anyone thought? @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren smiled at him as he talked, happy that he actually seemed to enjoy talking to her. It was strange, two separate people from different roles in their school came together and... what was the word? Hung out? It was a strange term, but it was the only one that seemed to be fitting.The engine revved up loudly, which made her slightly jump, but laughed a little. "Well, Lola is very nice." She nodded when he mentioned the radio, and she reached for the scroll wheel, tuning through radio stations. Most people knew of her as a piano focus music kind of girl, with slow keys and soft melodies intertwined together for the perfect study session. Yet sometimes when she was completely alone, she secretly liked to play pop punk bands and rock bands from the early 2000's. In a way it made her feel like her own little rebel in her world of rules and concentration on school. No one knew this of her except for her, and maybe her parents.


She tuned the radio to a punk station, making up an excuse so that he wouldn't say anything about it to others. "There's nothing on, this sounds okay." Korren never really shared her true colors with anyone, so she never really knew what it was ,like to let it out and just be herself, since at her school she had to live up to the "smart, peaceful, talented" label that was tagged on to her when she became popular through Bucky. In a way she hated being popular, since people knew her, but she practically didn't know anyone who would say hi or ask her about recent drama, even though she didn't know the person at all. By his words, she nodded, but shrugged in the end. "I'm really not that important." Of course, she didn't mean she didn't deserve better than Bucky, but people did exaggerate her sometimes, whether it be for the good or bad. There was silence between them as old 2000's punk rock played on the radio. Occasionally she would very quietly tap her fingers to the beat if she knew a song, but do it minimally.


It was when they had finally stopped that she looked around at their destination. It was a quaint little burger place that was a fast food restaurant. She got out of the car, looking at it with such... happiness. Each time she went out with her set friend group they always trashed on this cute little place, but she on the other hand was quite interested in a small-town atmosphere, though she never really got to witness it herself. There was smoke from one of the workers having a smoke break, and she gave the man a kind smile, folding her hands in front of her. "I've always wanted to come here." She breathed out, but immediately tried to cover up. "Please don't tell anyone I said that." It wasn't that she didn't want people to know she liked smaller shops... but if they knew she shopped in cheaper areas, they would send her down to be a peasant just like everyone else, the one nerd that jocks harassed every day. She did not want to go back to that position in her life, especially now that Bucky seemed out for blood, whether it be for hers or Sage's blood it didn't matter. If Bucky wanted someone stuff and mounted on a wall, someone was willing to do it for him, and even decorate and prepare the victim for their social doom. It was strange how awful of a person he could be, and she never understood how she ended up with him. When they were in a relationship he seemed very loving and patient with her, until he started craving something that Korren was not willing to participate in.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage had rose an eyebrow as the station was changed to a punk rock station. Sure, she made an excuse to cover it up, but she had flipped so quickly to that station, as if she knew it well. Sage smirked to himself, keeping in mind her taste in music in mind. It seemed Korren was full of surprises though, as she mentioned how she liked small town places like this, but she was quick to tell Sage not to tell anyone. "My opinion doesn't matter to anyone, Korren," he muttered, nodding once at the guy standing outside smoking. He was new so Sage couldn't quite remember his name yet, but he was also nice so he'd eventually learn it.


As they headed inside, Sage nodded once towards his boss, Lenny, who gestured towards a booth in the back by a window. Sage took menus off the counter and led the two of them over there, sitting down and resting one menu in front of Korren while he began to peek through his own.  He already knew the menu quite well, but he still liked to look over, just to figure out what he wanted. He glanced once at Korren before looking back down, wondering why she cared so much about her reputation. He thought about asking, but it wasn't his job to pry. He wasn't her friend by any means, he was just trying to take her mind off Bucky- and any moral human being would do the same. "You can get what you want. I'll put it on my tab," he finally said, not wanting her to feel limited to the cheap stuff only. The pricier items tended to be more filling anyways so they worth the price.  @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren followed him inside, chuckling nervously at his statement. It was sad but was mostly true, outcasts were only seen as that label, and no one payed any mind to what they thought, though Korren payed every bit of mind to them. It made her feel so out of place in the popularity bubble, but it wasn't like she had any choice to become popular once it was announced that she was dating Bucky. At the time she was okay with it though, because no one picked on her after she was given that title. She looked through the menu once she sat across from him, looking through the menu to find something that she would like to eat. A lot of the things on the menu seemed homely, and nice to eat. It was difficult to make her choice. When he mentioned paying for her food, she almost protested, but remembered she didn't have her wallet with her. She always left her wallet at home unless she was going to dinner with someone or going out with friends, and this gesture was rather unexpected so she didn't come prepared like she always did. "Okay." She said quietly as her focus was returned to the menu, seeing a rather appetizing meal. There were mainly burgers and shakes, but she liked the fries appetizer the most. She usually ate rather healthy at her house and anywhere else, but now she could make an exception with a burger place. The prices weren't nearly as expensive as she thought they would be, but they probably were more expensive to Sage depending on his income. Immediately she felt bad, deciding that whatever she would get, she would pay back to him in full. 


There was an awkward silence, something she was not use to. There always was either obnoxious chatter, music, or some kind of noise in her life no matter where she went, so it was new to her to be in such a quiet area. In a way she liked it, but she wasn't really use to it, so she decided to break the lack of noise with minor chatter. She didn't know what to say, though. It wasn't usually her that talked first. People always talked for her, and she would either agree, disagree, or move on. "So..." There was a pause before she could find the words, and she put the menu down for now to look at him when she spoke, thinking that it would make it easier. It didn't. She hadn't really truly looked fully at him until now. He had a rather focused look to him, a stern face and deep brown eyes. Immediately she regret her decision and looked away with a hint of pink in her cheeks, tapping her fingers on the table. "Uh... do you come here often?" Way to go. That sounded awful, too late now I guess. 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage had paused from skimming the menu at the mention of 'so'. He rose an eyebrow at her, waiting for a continuation but instead noticed the way she blushed. That confused him quite a bit. Was he intimidating or something? Was she embarrassed to be around him? He continued to look at her, waiting for a question of some sort while trying not to show how flustered he felt by her reaction to just looking at him. Most people didn't blush when they saw him- they just scowled or cowered. This was new, and he wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. Finally the question came, and Sage snorted at it, unable to contain himself. "I work here," he said simply, before looking back at the menu for a moment as he fell silent, not intending on continuing the conversation. Sage wasn't much of a talker. However, he set his menu down when he realized she had asked the question to avoid silence. Popular people weren't used to relaxing in the quiet, he supposed. "I'm not much for conversation. If you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have a pack of dogs at my feet 24/7." This was a dig at Bucky, who always had a couple of his football buddies hanging around him for back up. "But if we're going to talk, you might as well tell me what the hell happened between you and Bucky. I've heard all kinds of rumors but I'd like to know what's actually going on there," he said. Sage didn't get gossip in the same lunch room schedule it came about. He used to get it from his sister, but now she didn't go to school, and most of his friends had already graduated so he didn't have very many people on the inside. Korren, however, was so far in Sage was surprised he was within reaching distance of her, so he guessed he should take advantage of the opportunity and learn about the relationship the school claimed was the 'Romeo and Juliet' of the century. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren's face went red at his answer, automatically realizing what she asked was a dumb question. She turned her head down to the table, looking at her fingers as they tapped slowly, her heart raced in embarrassment. The only time she looked back up when he began to talk, seeing through what she was trying to do. He made a jab at Bucky, which made her feel rather awkward. He wanted to then know about their relationship, and her heart dropped. No one had ever truly asked her what had been going on. People usually got their sources from Bucky, who tended to twist the truth a lot. "Well..." Her throat clamped up for a moment, and she gulped as to get rid of the knot in her throat. "He didn't always use to be... bad." She kept her eyes on her fingers, taking deep breaths in between her words. What in the world was she doing? Here she was in this situation, talking to Sage as if she'd known him for more than a month and was friends with him. It was weird, but she felt like she could trust him, but not all the way. "He was good to me, up until he started getting drunk, and..." She trailed off, not wanting to remember what he did to her when he was in his drunken rages. Occassionally she would come to school with bruising on her, and she would brush it off as falling down the steps or knocking into something and being extremely clumsy. If she didn't say anything, than Bucky would throw out some sort of lie and people would eat it up as if it were a sacred truth. Korren cleared her throat to avoid the awkward silence. "He cheated on me, so we're over." She said it as if it were plain and simple, but of course it was way more complicated than just that.


Before anyone else could say anything, a tall waiter came over to the table holding a note pad, chewing on a toothpick. He smiled at Korren, and nodded in Sage's general direction. "What can I get for you, doll?"  The boy was around the age of 18, clearly a senior, and took notice to Korren being there. Not many popular people came to this shop, especially the higher ups, so it was a surprise to see her there, especially with Sage Vixen. Everyone knew about the break up between Korren and Bucky, so the waiter acted a little more friendly, although only did it playfully. 


Korren told him her order, looking down at the menu and pointing at each one she spoke off. He avidly wrote down her order, and nodded. "And the usual, I'm guessing?" The boy turned to Sage, moving his toothpick to the other side of his mouth as he spoke with a smile, giving occasional glances back at Korren. This made her blush, and look down at the table nervously.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage processed her words, feeling a bit of frustration pour over him. Sage was not dumb by any means despite what his report card showed, and he read between the lines quite easily, opening his mouth to say something, but before he could respond, one of Sage's coworkers came up. His nametag read James but everyone in the back called him Fry ever since he burned a whole batch and practically set the kitchen on fire. Sage nodded once as he asked about the usual. James glanced back at Korren and then to Sage, a question in his eyes. Sage slightly shook his head. No, they weren't together, and no, they never would be. James continued on with his grin as he headed off, and Sage let them fall into silence for a moment, before looking up at Korren. "That little bitch is gonna get the shit beat out of him," he grumbled. "No self respecting human being would hit a girl- Wait, all those bruises you got last year, they were him? Oh fuck, I'm going to kill him. I can't believe my sister had a crush on that bastard." Sage scowled, shaking his head lost in disbelief. 


All too soon, though, he had to cover up his frustration as James came back with an appetizer that was half fried pickles and half seasoned fries. Sage always got it as part of his usual. In the middle was ranch to dip everything in. James smiled, setting their drinks in front of them. "Two shakes, I put some extra whip cream on them. Tip big," he joked, his hand clapping against Sage's shoulder jokingly before he headed off again. Sage chuckled, taking a sip of his shake. Now all that was left was the actual mean which would take about ten minutes. "You should never let someone hit you, Korren. You know how to punch? Oh fuck it, I'm gonna show you. My dad always told me not to start a fight but I better damn well finish it and I'm going to show you how to live up to that in case that demon tries anything again," he decided, not even thinking twice. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren kept her eyes on the table when Sage was acting pissed, and to his question she shrank, completely embarrassed at this point. At the mention of his sister she felt horrible, understanding that Rose had been gone from school for a while for having leukemia. The news always spread like a wildfire to the school, so of course she knew of it. She looked up with James came back around with Sage's food, and hers, which was cheesy fries and a chocolate shake that was topped with extra whipped cream. Korren faked a smile, nodding in his direction. "Thank you." Gladly she grabbed her shake, taking a long sip from her shake as he spoke. It tasted very good, and she hadn't had a shake in a while so it was refreshing. He was going to teach her how to punch, which was nice but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to defend herself anyway. Why did any of this matter to him in the first place, though? It wasn't like they knew each other as friends, so there was never a connection between them. Occasionally she would see him in the hallway, though not that often, since she was usually dragged off with Bucky to talk to him, go watch him practice football, or he would beg her constantly to go to parties with him, using any means of persuasion, whatever he decided was best. Now that she looked back at the past, he was extremely manipulative with her at the time, and probably still would be to this day. 


Before she could answer Sage, her phone began buzzing. It was a call from Bucky, so she just let it ring. Once it was done ringing though, he spammed her phone with texts. 


See you later, got a surprise, babe.


Read. 10:32


Babe


cmon, u know i was kidding


It's just a party, it'll be fun. 


I know ur seeing this, pick up.


Read. 10:55


She put her phone down, understanding what he meant by his last text. It was a warning, and she was starting to get scared. "Take me back to school. I need to get to class." Korren looked at Sage as she demanded this, and it was noticeable that she was afraid. She didn't want to deal with Bucky's wrath, because he would not let it go until he got what he wanted.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage watched as her phone distracted her. There was an obvious shift in Korren then. Of course she had been upset about Sage being mad- even if it wasn't directed at her, but after her phone went off a few times it was more than just that kind of embarrassment. It was fear. "Korren, let me see your phone," he said gently holding his hand out to her. He wouldn't threaten her or even attempt to take it, but he wanted to see it, to see what Bucky was saying. "Let me help you." He couldn't explain why, but he genuinely wanted to take care of Korren. Maybe it was because of how much she reminded him of Rose, who was older than him and yet so much more naive. Korren was young- yet, still she seemed naive. They were similar. They'd get along just fine. Maybe he'd take her to see Rose sometime, but for now he needed to make sure Bucky wasn't threatening her- and if he was, well he would put him in his place.  @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren looked at him for a moment, looking down at her phone to ponder whether she should or shouldn't. His hand was outstretched, gesturing that he wanted to see it. She looked back up at him, and nodded, slowly unlocking her phone and opening the conversation with Bucky, handing it over to Sage when it was open to what she was so jumpy about. Once it was handed over, she let out a shaky breath and picked up her shake, taking a long sip from it, nibbling on occasional cheesy fries. She knew he would not react well, and all she wanted to do was just go back to class and let it all blow over. In a perfect world she could call the cops on Bucky, have a restraining order against him and make sure he didn't step foot near her, or else he would be dealing with the law. But of course, she'd have to convince her parents that he was a bad person, and her parents being naive to the situation thought nothing of him. They thought he was a straight A student and a perfect boyfriend, and that's how he chose to display himself whenever he came over to her house for dinners or movie nights. Always he would be on his best behavior for them. Plus, his mother was extremely rich and persuasive, and always was on her boy's side no matter how crazy the story. He was a spoiled brat, and he even knew that. 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage read through the texts before passing her phone over. "Here's what we're gonna do," he began, taking a sip of his shake as he thought out his words. "We're going to enjoy our lunch and these awesome shakes and you are not going to let him scare you, okay? I'm not going to let that douchebag hurt you anymore, okay? It's not right and I know life isn't fair but that doesn't mean everyone deserves to be treated bad." He took another drink from his shake. "After this, you have two choices. I can take you to the bowling alley down the street and we can skip the right way, or I can take you home and you can get some rest because you need it and you definitely deserve it after today's bullshit." He continued to drink his shake, watching Korren and waiting for a response. He was sure he sounded controlling but it wasn't that he was trying to hurt her in any way, he just wanted to help her because nobody should have to live in fear of Bucky or Chloe or any of the other popular kids that pretended to own the school, and everyone needed someone to give them a little shove in the healthy direction, right? That's all Sage was doing- trying to push Korren towards a healthier life. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren looked up at him, nodding to his words. He was right, and she was thankful that he was actually cared enough to help her. There was a pause before she could answer as she sipped her shake, trying to think of her studies. They needed to be done, and she would drop down to a 3.5 gpa if she didn't do it, or at least that's how she thought about it. Clearly though either way she was not going back to school. If she went back home, Bucky would probably find out and come after, so she decided it was best to go bowling with him. The only place nearby was the local bowling place that was rather cheap and tacky, where smokers were known to go, as well as couples who went on dates. She tapped her fingers, chewing on a couple fries until she finally decided. It would be worth a risk to go bowling, rather than have to deal with Bucky at her own home. Her parents were just as naive as her, and if not more so.


"Bowling alley it is." She spoke quietly, lending a gentle smile to Sage. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to skip one day? The school always knew her as an avid student so she could easily pull it off as being sick.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage smiled when Korren made the decision he hadn't expected her to. Just as she decided, James came and set their food down. "Enjoy!" he said brightly before heading off to go wait more tables while Sage pulled his plate closer to himself and dug in. When he was about halfway done he spoke up again. "You're really surprising me tonight, Harvard. Punk music, small town dining, and a seedy bowling alley extravaganza? Seems like you're already one of the bad kids." He winked at her and chuckled, before continuing on his food. He slowed down slightly, to match Korren's pace. He didn't want to finish early and make her feel rushed. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren shrugged her shoulders, eating at a normal pace. It was strange for her to be given a nickname, but she kind of liked it. The sheer idea of a nickname gave her an identity outside of being the popular nice girl, Korren Csholm, girlfriend of Bucky. Clearly that title was shattering, as were people's views of her.


The food really was good, and it wasn't healthy but it wasn't going to do anything to her body anyways. At one point she looked up at him while eating, a smile creeping on her lips. This could have been a start of a friend ship, or just a good acquaintance-ship, whatever Sage really thought of it. Although he did seem nice, and she wanted to be able to talk to him more. During school it would probably be harder to talk to him, so she decided she would give him her number later on, at least before she got home, anyway. She kept her gaze down at her food, or closed her eyes when she ate.


At the paying counter, some workers eyed the two, raising eyebrows and joking in whispers among themselves. The roughest poor boy in school with one of the most popular rich goody-two-shoes, that would be a twist in the school. 


When she was done eating, she organized her trash in a neat little stack and went to throw away any excess napkins, as to clean up mostly for the workers there as a polite gesture. She walked back to the table and sat back down with a smile. "Thank you for the meal." It was a kind gesture, and she hoped he would receive it well. Whenever she could, she would pay him back. It was the least she could do for all of his help.


@McMajestic