Realistic or Modern DotC High

[McMajestic]

"No problem, Harvard." Sage got up himself, throwing his trash away before pulling out a fifty dollar bill and leaving it as a tip for James, and then heading to pay up front. He wished he could have left more. He knew James needed every cent he could get since he was saving up for college. After he paid he headed out to his car, opening the door for Korren once more before driving them off to the bowling alley. It was a short ride, slowed by only one red light. Once they got there, Sage looked around, breathing in the stench of weed and pot brownies. This most definitely was not Korren's scene. There were shady groups of teens inside and out, all in dark clothes with a joint between their lips. The building was rectangular and chipped away in some areas, revealing its age which was well over seventy. The building had been around ever since the start of the town, of course four years ago it had been a club instead of a bowling alley so the inside looked fresh. He led them inside, liking the way the black lights made his shoelaces and tee shirt glow as music played over the speakers, muffled by strikes and gutterballs. To his left was the notorious arcade, and to his right was a bar. Straight ahead, that's where the alleys were. "I hope you're ready to lose," he chuckled. "Once you get me in my bowling shoes I turn into a beast." He took her hand without thinking, leading her forward to pay for their lanes. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren smiled and followed him to the car. The ride was short, but enjoyable. They arrived at the bowling alley, which was notorious for potheads. She felt nervous when they entered, smelling the overwhelming amount of smoke in the air. For a small moment she coughed, but knew she would have to get use to the smell. She would have to shower when she got home to get rid of the smell, knowing that it would stick to her clothing as second hand smoke. Korren looked around to see the darker looking crowd of potheads, who barely looked in her direction, seemingly not noticing her. There was a lack of attention to her, which she liked. She chuckled at what he said and followed him to the counter to pay for their lanes.


There was a shorter girl that had been following them, noticing Sage coming in but with this prep girl, and it made her curious. She jogged after them, joint in hand. As soon as Sage and this other girl stood in line, she crept up from behind Sage. Korren took notice, but didn't say anything, merely letting go of his hand. Before she could do anything, she snuffed out her joint and put it in a nearby trashcan. Then, she wrapped her arms around his sides from behind him, pressing her head against his shoulders. In order to freak him out she would have whispered in his ear, but she was clearly too short for that. "There's the bitch of the hour. How's my Boy Toy doing?" She joked, her words sounding rather sly. Winsley paid no mind to Korren for now, though she knew it was out of place for this girl to be with one of the greasy poor kids. She kept herself pressed against Sage, chuckling all the while.


Korren felt slightly uncomfortable around this girl, and more so when the wave of cigarette smoke hit her in the face. She held back from coughing, and merely smiled kindly. They must have been a couple, or at least close friends.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage felt arms wrap around him and smirked, glancing down and taking notice of the nimble fingers around his waist. Winsley. His best friend in perhaps the entire universe. She had been there with a joint for him through everything, from bandaging up fists to letting him cry on her shoulder when he found out his sister had leukemia. One of the worst days of his life, and this little powerhouse of green hair and attitude had held his hand the whole way through. Wordlessly, Sage began to grind against her, his hands moving over hers to hold her in place before he abruptly spun around, pulling her into a noogie, effectively messing up the hair she practically bit people's fingers off for messing with. "Hey Darlin'," he cooed in perhaps the most mocking southern accent ever as he finally let her go, chuckling at the tangles he had produced.


For a moment he forgot about Korren, too caught up in his best friend to worry about the girl he barely knew. "Where's your boytoy's joint? I can't get a good buzz without one." He poked at her side playfully, before looking up at Korren, his smile only fading when he realized how odd this must seem to her. "Harvard, this is the woman I eloped with three months ago after we shot up a bank. Meet Winsley Flat-Ass Cutler," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Gives ten cent handjobs for a living and has a baby on the way. Oh wait, she's just been eating too many of those damn chips again," he joked, ruffling her hair up once more. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Winsley chuckled when he pulled her against him and began to grind up until he spun around. "Hey!" She still laughed, but grabbed his arms and bowed her head defensively. Only Sage was allowed to mess with her hair, but it still bothered her nonetheless. When he let her go, she smiled at him and landed a rough punch against his arm, wanting it to hurt. "Hey Sleeze." For a moment she just looked up at him smiling. "It's in my back pocket, but I'm not getting it for ya'." She pulled out a lighter from her front pocket and held it slack in her hand, smirking at him. When he mentioned his little friend, she turned her head to look at the girl. Korren Csholm, the girl who had the guts to break up with Bucky finally. She jabbed Sage in the stomach with her elbow when he mentioned the size of her butt, then left her hands on her hips. For a moment she looked back up at him, giving him a short glare before chuckling. She could never be mad at him for more than a minute. "Excuse me, that's 30 cents with a tax of tea. Can't just feed this baby, gotta to serve the queen." Of course she was joking, but she had a serious tone to her, and even pat her hand on her stomach for emphasis. "You done rambling, slut?" She looked back up at Sage, giving him a sly smirk with her brow arched quizzically. "I heard about ya', Korren. Heard my whore over here gave Bitchy the ol' 1-2 buckaroo to get that creep off ya'. You're pretty lucky." Winsley stuck by Sage's side, generally not one for polite greetings, and instead usually gets to the point. 


Korren smiled, feeling rather uncomfortable as they interacted with each other, now thinking that they truly were a couple. "It's nice to meet you, Winsley." She lent out her hand, but in return only was looked at with those intimidating blueish-green eyes. Even if Winsley smiled at her, she was quite uncouth about her actions. Winsley lightly pushed her hand away and nodded to Korren. "Please, call me Brit. Don't call me what Sleeze over here does though, only this fuckboy can call me those things." She winked at Korren, chuckling to herself.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage reached into Winsley's back pocket, pulling out a joint and lighting it, taking a long drag as she spoke. He smiled at Korren. "Lil Lottie here is actually my best friend," he assured Korren, deciding some honesty would be appreciated. "We've known each other ever since diaper days. Don't be frightened by her artistic green hair and faint smell of weed, though, she's harmless. My cute little flat-ass couldn't hurt a fly." He took another drag, before paying for two games and three people and looking back at Korren, clearing his throat to get serious. "I'm sure you think less of me now since I'm smoking a joint right in front of you, Harvard, but I have sympathy PMS for Winsley so I need something to take the edge off," he joked, before leading them over to their lane and going in search of a bowling ball that would work for him. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren nodded, mouthing an "oh" as he spoke, yet still kept a small smile. It was nice how close these two were. She smiled at them, appreciating the bond between them, since she never really had that bond before. It was only cordial interaction between her and other people, but never anything like what they were doing.


Winsley leaned against Sage, pulling out a joint for herself in lighting it before taking a drag, puffing out circles in the air. She chuckled when he said she was harmless, remembering times where she did beat people up pretty bad, especially in England, where she didn't take kindly to finding many friends there. The only bonus to her stay there was picking up her accent and given a unique tag name back in California, her home sweet home. "Unless you're fighting mah boy over here, then you're gonna have to get through me." Smoke puffed out of her mouth in her first words, and she chuckled at Sage's joke.


Korren, on the other hand, blushed and waved her hand towards him, denying that it made her think any less of him. To her it didn't really matter who smoked, since in almost all cliques there always was at least one smoker, and there was no exception with the popular kids. "No, no. I'm use to it. It's quite alright." She chuckled a little at his small joke towards his best friend, who laughed and took a drag on her joint. For a moment she held in the smoke, turning her head to Sage and blowing it in his face. "Girl's gotta bitch and moan at someone, Boy Toy." She chuckled, walking over to the bowling lane.


 Korren and Winsley sat across from each other at a table, with the former folding her hands in her lap neatly, and the latter leaning on the table with her joint in hand. People started to stare at Korren, knowing that she usually never came here, especially with someone like Winsley, who dressed mostly in black and wore a studded belt slackly over her hips. Today she was wearing the usual band t-shirt with a metal band not many knew of, the usual really. To kill the silence, Winsley looked at Korren in the eye with a rather sly smile. "So," She started, rather curious as to what happened between her and Bitchy. "You finally broke up with that loser, huh?" There was no means of intrusion, but she couldn't help but to be curious. Korren nodded, trying to be casual and nice to this girl, yet it was just difficult, especially if she was so up front about it. "Well, I knew that was a disaster waiting to happen, doll. I don't mean to be a bitch, but that asshole wasn't worth your time. I get you were bullied, but you just gotta stand up for yourself. Punch some people in the face, get rowdy. Have fun, take a little hit every now and then." Winsley shook her joint, gesturing the said 'hit'. Even if she didn't know Korren personally, her life in school was no unknown factor to her.


"And just so you know..." She leaned closer, looking around before speaking so it would just be between them. "I can see you like Sage, but if you do so much as lay a finger on his rep. I'll pound you out. Again, don't mean to be a bitch. Just gotta look out for my boy toy, ya feel?" Korren nodded slowly, feeling rather uncomfortable with this green haired close to her, yet she understood why she was being so protective. Popular people acted horrible towards those that could rarely even afford to buy their own lunch, much less go to college. After a moment Winsley leaned back with a smile, attempting to be nice, before taking another small drag on her joint.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage grabbed a ball heavy enough for him and took it back to the lanes, setting it on the rack. "Korren, love, come here," he said, his words back to that rough kindness he showed her. "You can go first since you are my guest of honor." Still he sounded more upbeat and a bit playful. Whenever he was around Winsley his tone deviated from bitterly serious to something fun. He couldn't help it. His friend always made him happier. She was his high. He walked over past Korren, grabbing a lighter ball for her before going back to the start of the lane. "Let's have some fun, okay? I wanna see your pretty smile. I know you got one in you." He winked, obviously already a bit looser from the hits he had taken, before handing her the ball and stepping back to let her roll it.


He laid back next to Winsley, resting his head in her lap and looking up at her. "Did you threaten Korren?" he cooed quietly. He had seen the way Winsley had leaned in so close. "You know I'm a big boy, right, Wins? It all just rolls off. I don't give a fuck what they say about me. I got you and Rose and you girls are all I need," he told her, taking a strand of her green hair and braiding it absently. "But you know, Harvard's pretty cute," he added in a whisper. "I wouldn't mind a study date or two with that fine piece of ass." He kept his words almost inaudible, so only Winsley would hear him, so only she would know his most secret thoughts- that yes, he had a crush on a popular girl claimed by none other than Bucky Cypress. Boy, was he messing with some scary shit. 


He took another drag of his joint, blowing little cheerios up towards the sky, smiling softly. "Gotta get a few more ounces of this for Rose. It really takes the edge off chemo for her." He was making a note to himself out loud. This was loud enough for Korren to hear if she wanted to. After all, it was no secret Rose had cancer, so there was no point to pretend it was. He closed his eyes, thinking about his big sis, wondering what she was doing in that hospital bed a few blocks away. He hoped she was resting, or making out with the male nurse that presided over her. She flirted with him constantly and so Sage wouldn't doubt it. His sister always got what she wanted. He glanced back to see what Korren had done for her turn, trying to ignore the thoughts of his sibling. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren looked up to see Sage back to their lane, and set his bowling ball on the rack. She stood up and went over as he called her up, blushing slightly at his gesture. Her eyes followed him as he moved around to grab a lighter ball before handing it to her. By his comment, she smiled, looking awkwardly down at the ball. "Okay." At this point her face was starting to get red, so she turned to face the lane. She hadn't bowled in weeks, but she did know what to do. With that she took a deep breath, poising one foot in front of the other almost like a ballet stance, and walked forward, swinging the ball behind her before swinging it in front and letting it roll. For a moment it worried her, swerving towards the gutter before straightening out and knocking out at least 5 pins. She smiled, and went back to grab her ball, waiting on the machine to bring it back to the rack before grabbing it again. She did the same as before, except this time she hit 4 pins, leaving one left. Korren shrugged, looking back at Sage with a smile, giggling. It felt good to be bowling with people who didn't really care how she acted or rather who she was. She could just be herself for the first time in a long time. For a moment she brushed her hair behind her ear, walking slowly back to the other two.


Winsley looked at him when he talked to this girl, smiling genuinely as he interacted with this girl. It seemed to make him happy, to be around this shy little bookworm. When he walked back, she took a drag from her joint again, blowing it out in puffs. She would have answered, but she didn't need to. "I know, I know. Just lookin' out for your square-lookin' ass." She paused when he started talking about the girl, turning her head to look at him. One arm went around his shoulder as she leaned her weight against her best friend. "Oh yea? Good luck gettin' through her parents and friends. I heard they're pretty uppity 'bout rats like us... unless you study with her at yours or my place." She wiggled her brow, smirking at him. It was always fun to talk smack with him, or plan things out for him. Usually she tried to help him out when she could, since her parents usually weren't home much anyway. Her father had decided to keep her and her mother in California while he went off being a hero for the country, doing what heroes do. Her mother had been working two jobs ever since he had left though, so she only saw her at least once a week at midnight. She took another drag, listening to what he had to say. "You can always bum off me, man. My dealer and I are pretty tight, he'll cut me some slack." Winsley winked, wanting to keep conversation light hearted, knowing that Rose was a sensitive topic and needed to be kept upbeat, other wise she would have to see him break down. It never made her feel okay when he was down in the dumps. She loved Rose dearly as well, since she was so sweet and overall optimistic. "Maybe she can do that make a wish thing, ask to screw the hottest nurse around." 


Korren listened as she was walking back, frowning slightly at the mention of Rose, knowing it must of been hard. She didn't really know what to say about any of it. It must have been hard to be put through that, but they both seemed to be taking it well. She smiled at Sage, glancing up at the screen to see who was next up, and it was him. "Your turn." Without really thinking she had been standing rather close, and lightly bumped his arm with her fist before folding her arms, smiling brightly. Perhaps it was the smoke getting to her, since she never was use to being stuck in such a haze of weed smoke, but she was starting to open up to him and be a little more friendly, since he deserved it. After all, he did punch the most popular kid in school and saved Korren from any kind of wrath from Bucky. Ever since she got to the bowling alley, she hadn't even checked her phone for messages, which was good on her part.


After Korren had done some cute little awkward gesture, Winsley sat up and pat Sage's back, waiting for him to stand up before slapping him on the butt with a smirk. "Go get it, tiger." She winked. Korren wasn't really sure what Winsley meant, but it was best that way. The less she knew right know, the more she could find out later.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage nodded once as Winsley spoke. "Yeah, that'd be good," he muttered when she mentioned her dealer. Rose had always been a great student and hard worker. She was normally against drugs but weed was her one exception. She knew if Sage was giving it to her then it was legit, and she'd only smoke it when it was just the two of them. She only ever got happier after a few drags, but once she sobered up Sage thought she got even more upset about everything. He chuckled all the same at the mention of his sister screwing a hot nurse. "She certainly has her eyes on one," he muttered, sucking in a drag before letting it fall out of his mouth in a cloud that dissipated the higher it rose. In a weird way, it reminded Sage of himself. It seemed the older he got the more he lost himself. He was just lucky he had Winsley to keep him grounded.


Sage looked up at Korren as she brushed against him, getting to his feet.  He offered her a warm smile and a thumbs up before Winsley smacked his ass. He turned back towards her, glaring playfully. "I'll get you back for that flat-ass," he said, starting for her before pausing as he watched an employee start to walk by. "Hold on a sec." Sage jogged up to him and asked for a favor before heading back. A few moments later the punk rock station started blaring through the speakers of the bowling alley. As he walked past Korren he winked at her, letting her know he had done that just for her, before heading over to the lane. He picked up his ball, swinging it about for a moment before finally releasing it with quite a nice technique. He knocked down eight pins and went to wait for his ball before managing to hit the other two down and get the spare. Sage began to dance around playfully, as if he had just won it all, doing silly moves to make both the girls laugh, cha-chaing over to Korren and spinning her around, laughing out loud- something nobody besides his family heard anymore. "Look at that, Harvard, I'm already beating you. Guess an A in physics doesn't mean you know the right trajectory for bowling, huh?" he joked, and spun her around again. He just liked to see the way her hair floated up and fell back down. It was pretty- she was pretty... he was staring.


He knew he was staring but he couldn't help it. God, she was pretty. A sort of half smile covered his face as he hummed along to the song that was playing over the speakers, a bit of his voice showing in that moment. He sang a few notes softly as he swayed to the beat, before snapping out of it. "Sorry, the joint is kicking in," he said before taking another drag. "Korren, you stay away from these little cancer sticks, okay? I know weed doesn't have any major health killers to it but you don't ever smoke one, don't ever pop pills, don't ever drink too much from the bottle. You're good, you know that? And we need some good people in this fucked up world. It's not me or Wins, so it's gotta be you." He then turned to his little she-devil. "Speaking of my Winnie, I believe it's your turn Honey Bear," he cooed playfully. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Winsley couldn't help but laugh out loud when he started for her, and eyed him down as he went over to the employee. She stood next to Korren and stuffed one hand in her pocket, while the other slackly held her cigarette. "You're pretty okay, Harvard. I like you." She smiled, lightly bumping her fist against the girl's arm. In return, Korren rubbed her arm, smiling at the girl. To make an impression with Sage's best friend certainly was a badge of honor considering she had threatened the poor girl not too long ago. 


There was a short pause in the music before punk rock began playing overhead. This filled her with joy, and she suddenly realized why Sage was talking to that employee. The thought of it made her smile, and when he looked over at her and winked, it was rather cute. She watched him bowl, and couldn't help but look him over, though quickly focused again on the task at hand, noticing he had already gotten a spare and was dancing around. Without a doubt she chuckled, blushing as he cha-chad over and spun her around. To admit, she had never in his life seen him portrayed as a happy go lucky guy, so this was quite a pleasant surprise for her. He had a laugh that filled in the gaps, but in a good way, and it was contagious. She couldn't help but laugh after he mentioned the scoring, being spun around again. "I'll figure it out, and you'll be sorry you said that." She blurted out, winking at him. Her face consumed with red and she looked down at the floor, faintly giggling. When she looked back up, she noticed he was looking at her, and began to smile again as he hummed to the tune. She shrugged at his apology, and nodded to his warning. Everything he said was all in good intention, though she has smoked a cigarette and drank alcohol before, of course though neither tasted good in the least bit to her. 


Winsley finished off her joint, licking her fingers and squeezing the end with them, burning herself slightly in the process, though it really didn't hurt as bad. She tossed the cigarette into the trash and smiled over her shoulder at Sage and Korren, swaying her hips as she walked by mockingly. Though as she walked, a familiar face caught her eye. It was her ex-boyfriend, and he was walking by, but didn't see her quite yet. He was rather clingy, and a lunatic, so each time he saw her he'd try to get back with her, so instead Winsley came up with a defense mechanism. She quickly walked up to Sage and pulled on his arm. "It's the loon again, dude. Quick, act like you wanna nail me." Without paying any mind to Korren, she quickly jumped into his arms, clinging her knees against his waist before initiating a deep kiss, holding his head in place all the while. She made it just so she could see the ex in her peripheral vision as he walked by, and continued to kiss Sage persistently until the boy was finally gone. From the corner of her vision she saw that he almost made his way over, but stopped at the sight of her kissing Sage. No one messed with Sage and Winsley, especially when they were in the same spot.


When the creep was finally gone, Winsley stopped kissing him and hopped down, brushing down her shirt and sighing. "Man, Sleeze. You're a terrible kisser." She joked, turning to Korren to make it worse, or make it better. "You can have him, Harvard. We only do that when creeps like loony over there try to get me. Keep his sorry ass." Winsley smirked, winking at Sage before walking back to sit down. Korren's face had been consumed with read, mimicking a tomato at that point. When they were kissing she couldn't help but look away, feeling slightly jealous of the way they interacted. What Winsley had said had slightly comforted her, but not really. 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage glanced at the guy who had practically been stalking Winsley ever since they broke up and caught her with ease in his arms, kissing her roughly, trying to act like he was on the verge of taking her right there in the bowling lane. One hand slid up under her shirt and the other rested on her butt. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the guy start to walk off after noticing the hot make out session and after he was gone Winsley hopped off. When she made the crack about him being a terrible kisser he rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I'm not the one that looks for any excuse to kiss me," he pointed out, before feeling his face redden a bit as Winsley all but told Korren to date him. He bit his lip, glaring at his friend. He knew she meant well, but he was a rat and Korren was a well groomed little mouse. They didn't work together and it wasn't like he was in love with her or anything. He had a crush on anything that looked good in a skirt and Korren was no exception. He took another drag of his joint, realizing it was about gone and reaching into Winsley's pocket quickly to grab another. He used the dying one to light it before flicking that one off into the distance and starting on his second. "Lil Lottie you better bowl or I'll throw a couple gutter balls for you," he joked.


Sage was deliberately not looking at Korren after what just happened. He didn't mind helping Winsley but those comments and the way Korren turned bright red didn't help. He finally glanced back at her. "Um..." um. Since when did he say 'um'? Sage felt flustered, and began searching his mind for something to say. "you cold?" Fuck, what was that? were in a weed-filled bowling alley! She doesn't even look cold? What the fuck are you doing Vixen?  He turned to Winsley to glare at her, blaming her for his sudden stupidity. "Actually scratch that, Harvard. Dumb question. I only feel cold because of the sympathy PMS," he lied, trying to get a jab at his friend in to make up for the nervous energy he spewed.


He moved to sit down, watching Winsley, deciding he'd rather curl up and die than look at Korren for longer than a few seconds. It was obvious he said irrational things but he just wasn't sure why. Most girls he had a crush on were so easy to seduce- most girls he liked were potheads from the trashy neighborhood he lived in. He sucked in a hit, before holding it for a few seconds, wanting it to really take effect before he slowly let it out, leaning back in his seat. "Fuck, I want some chips. Winsley get me some fucking chips," he called out, not really focusing on her but instead speaking into the distance and hoping she would just do what he asked. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Winsley rolled her eyes, giving a wink to his glare. It was clear she was messing with him, and saw definite tension between Korren and Sage. In the end she knew he would thank her, so she didn't stress much about it. There was an awkward silence between them, but Winsley didn't mind it. Silence was good to her sometimes, even though it did spike up her anxiety. After Sage grabbed a joint, she grabbed one as well, noticing that there was only one left in her pocket. So far she had smoked at least 4 of them, and would be currently working on her fifth. They always helped her relax, considering her struggle with anxiety disorder. Deep inside she was a social butterfly, and needed noise or something to do to keep the bad feelings away. She lit her joint and took a long drag, blowing it out in Sage's direction after he joked to her. "Alright, but you know I'll show you how it's done, mate."  Before she went up to bowl, she watched Sage for a moment. Just by how flustered he was acting, he definitely liked this girl, there was no doubt in her mind about it. She walked up and picked up a medium sized ball, leveling it to her face before chucking it hard down the lane. Since she practically lived in the bowling alley, she got a lot of practice by watching strategies and trying them out herself. As soon as the ball connected with the pins, all of them knocked over. A large X on her point board showed up, and she turned around and flipped her hair playfully as if it were nothing. "Beat that, Sleeze."


Korren looked up to notice Sage's obvious discomfort in the situation, and gave a friendly smile to him before going to sit down. When he asked her, she almost answered, but he beat her to it. She sat from across, him, glancing up every now and then to see how he was. It still seemed like he was on edge. For some reason she chuckled quietly to herself, glancing to the floor. She was nervous in the situation, but it was that good kind of nervous. There was a loud clatter of pins that pulled her attention, and she turned to see Winsley flaunting her victory proudly.


From his command to get chips, Winsley crossed over and pat his shoulder, quickly leaning down as she passed by so that only he could know what she was saying. "You'll thank me later." And from their she slowly walked off to the food bar, taking her time to get his chips on purpose. As she walked away, she popped in her ear buds, taking short drags on her joint as she was away from Sage, just to keep herself sane.


There was silence between the two, and Korren went to get her turn over with. There was much more focus set in this time, and she wanted to prove that she could use her smarts for bowling. For a moment she glanced back at Sage to see his face, giggling as she walked up to the lane before turning to grab her ball. She picked it up and set herself in position, eyeing the pins and calculating where the ball would go. If it hit head on, there would be a split, so she aimed the ball at an angle to the front pin. She took a deep breath, and took long strides before rolling the ball with force. Just as she calculated, it knocked over most the pins. Only one stood, but there was a pin that tumbled into it, tipping it over. With glee she jumped, laughing and reaching her hands in the air. She whirled around to look at Sage with a proud look in her eye. Her skirt fluffed up to spin with her movement as she spun, and her hair landed partially over her face. Korren brushed her hair over behind her ear, awkwardly giggling. 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage shook his head as Winsley got a strike. "Unbelievable," he muttered, more to himself than anything. She'd been spending way too much time at the bowling alley. He'd have to get her out of this place and into some fresh air soon. As she walked over to him and whispered in his ear his eyes widened slightly. He realized then it was a big mistake to ask Winsley to do something for him. She wouldn't be back for quite awhile, which bugged him slightly. How could she think he had a chance with Korren? Sage was a druggie about to flunk out of high school. His jeans were ripped and he always had on a leather jacket that only made him look scarier than he really was. Sage was not a good person, he just did good things every now and then. He hurt people, he cheated, he stole, he lied. He was just as bad as Bucky if the truth were to be known. He took another drag, trying to calm himself down as Winsley walked away and Korren got up to bowl.


When Korren glanced back at Sage, smiling so adorably, that cute little giggle coming out of her mouth, he couldn't help but to grin back. She was so pretty, she was so cute. He wanted a girl like her. A nice girl. A girl with no baggage and a good smile, but those types of girls barely tolerated him, let alone would like him back. Girls like Winsley were more his style, with their addictions and their problems and there scary ability to settle without realizing they were settling, like her last boyfriend. He wasn't worth her time but she had taken him in anyways. He took another hit, watching her bowl, chuckling as she celebrated her strike.


"Atta girl, Harvard, you might have some athletic bones in that hot body after all," he joked, but then froze. Fuck these joints. He thought. They always made him say dumb things. he took another quick drag. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a douche it just slips out," he said weakly, trying to use the joint to occupy the silence. It was already almost gone. He needed more. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren chuckled awkwardly, clutching her left arm with her right hand, pink crept on her cheeks. She was sort of use to being called obscene things from Bucky, but this wasn't too bad. It was a compliment to her, even if it was strangely worded. Immediately after he took another drag, though, he apologized. "It's okay." She spoke with a smile, walking over to set one seat away from him. Even if he seemed like a tough guy, there was something underneath that toughness that she saw in him. She crossed one leg over the other, glancing over to look in the direction of Winsley. At the moment she didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. The silence crept in again, but she was starting to get use to it. Short glances were sent over to Sage. She didn't know why, but something inside her attracted to her to him. Something told her to feel one way about it, and so she listened to that little voice. At one point she looked at her lap, smiling. She reflected back to the moment he knocked Bucky out, back to when he pulled her away and helped her. It was the action of it that left an imprint on her. No one ever tried to help her when Bucky hurt her, not even her own so called friends. All she was to him at the end of their relationship was just some token girl to drag around and try to get in to her pants. The thought of him though made her smile falter, and she was spacing out with her eyes turned to her lap. After moments of silence, she sighed and closed her eyes. "You know... no one has ever tried to help me like you did today." Her voice was mellow and serious. Why did she say this now? She didn't know, she just felt like she needed to say it. "People walk by me and would not say a word when he did stuff to me," There was a short pause, and she turned her head to smile at Sage. "so that's why I said thank you. I know I say it a lot to be polite, but that time, I meant it." After a beat, Korren glanced down at the empty seat between them. She wanted to fill the gap without knowing really why, but she didn't move. It was best to keep a distance, though inside her she begged her body to move closer, or have him move closer. Some sort of comfort would have been nice.


Shortly the awkwardness of the situation was cut short with the same old short green haired girl crossing over with two large trays of nacho chips and cheese, holding them out like a waitress. Between her teeth she held her joint, smiling brightly. She set the trays down on a nearby table and sat down, leaning her arm against the chair. "Dinner is served." She spoke with her best french accent, which failed horribly but it didn't matter. One boy trailed behind her and she turned her head to him with a smile. She turned back to Sage, winking. This was her first victim of the day for her little flirting game, and she rather wondered how long it would take for him to snap under pressure and fear Winsley's over baring personality. Out loud she talked to Sage, not even caring if the boy was there, since he wouldn't know what they were about to bet on. "Yo Sleeze, I bet a dozen joints for 1 hour." She smirked. The boy sat awkwardly down next to her with a questioning look on his face, but smiled awkwardly at Sage, being rather intimidated by him.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage grinned when she thanked him, looking at the empty space between them. He moved closer, leaning his ear towards her, pretending it was a bit hard to hear. He slowly moved closer until their knees tapped against one another's. "You know, I'm honestly not a very good person, Korren. I've done horrible things, I've done life changing things to people. But I've never made a girl feel bad and I've never made one cry and I never will. If you love someone you're supposed to take care of them, not treat them like shit. I have no respect for people like Bucky, because they can't even treat the people they're supposed to care about right. You better believe that if I was your boyfriend, I wouldn't fuck with you like he did. I was raised to be a gentlemen to my girl and there's nothing in the world that could make me stray from that. I may not be able to buy you all the shit Bucky probably did, but I wouldn't have bit the hell out of your neck either, unless you're into that." He shrugged easily.


It was then that Winsley came back with nachos and a boy. "I'll take that bet," he said, popping a chip in his mouth. "Hey, Lima bean, before you get too involved, you should know I made sweet love to Lottie right there on that bowling lane." Sage nodded towards it, staring at him seriously before bursting into laughter. "Nah, man, I'm kidding," he said at the notice of the uneasy look on his face. "It was actually lane 12." Sage smirked and popped another chip in his mouth. "But if you're into screamers, you know, go for it." He chewed thoughtfully, before taking another chip and offering it to Korren. "I'm totally lying," he whispered to her as he moved the chip towards her mouth. "Come on, love, try it. They make killer nachos here," he said a bit louder. He glanced at Winsley, smirking at her, wondering how her new boytoy would react to what Sage said. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren smiled and blushed as he moved closer, and their knees touched. It made her heart skip, and she didn't move away in the slightest. Instead, she scooted slightly closer, just barely but enough to be against him. Her face held that same old pink pigment, and she smiled at Sage. He spoke of him being a bad person, which she would have denied but she's had a fair share of bad people in her life, so she knew what he meant. Just by the mention of the hypothetical situation of him being her boyfriend, her face turned into a tomato, but she still held that awkward little smile. She shrugged at the mention of what Bucky did to her, not denying or confirming it. Korren didn't like it when someone hurt her, so hickeys weren't her think, but the neck kissing... she didn't really mind it. 


Winsley chuckled at his little joke, and pat her hand on the boy's shoulder as a little comfort thing. Of course though, the boy awkwardly chuckled and shifted in his seat, unsure of what to think about the two of these trouble makers. "Oh please, Sage, I would never screw with you." There was a pause, and she grinned deviously. "You'd have to buy me a fancy dinner first, and you know I'm not one for fancy." She grabbed a nacho and handed it to the boy behind her before standing up. "Since you ain't gonna bowl Sleeze I'll do it for you." She scoffed, walking past him while swaying her hips. With that she picked up a ball and readied to fail for Sage, and got a spare for her own points. The boy focused on her every move, clearly eyeing her physical features before looking back down at the table as he noticed Sage eyeing him down.


During the time that Winsley had been bowling, Korren was still sitting close to Sage, and gave a small laugh to his joke, unsure to whether he was serious or not. Clearly though by his confirmation he was lying, and she couldn't help but smile. When she looked over, he had a chip up in front of her mouth. Her eyes blurred for a moment, then focused on the chip. She gracefully took the chip and took a bite out of it, confirming what she thought of it by nodding slowly. "Mmm." Korren mumbled, covering her mouth with her hand before plopping the rest of it in her mouth, though she didn't speak when she chewed. It was when she was done with it that she smiled at Sage and reached over for a chip. "Your right once again," There was a short pause, and she decided to give him a nick name. She wasn't use to handing out nicknames, but she felt like by the look and actions that he made, this one would fit him. "Greaser." Although even after she said it, she looked over his face to see if it bothered him to be called that or not. If it did, she wouldn't say it ever again.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage looked at Korren thoughtfully as he listened to the nickname. "Greaser, huh? That's what you think of me?" He spoke in mock offense before his face broke out in a smile. "I like it, Harvard." Without thinking, he ruffed her, a little affectionate thing he normally did for Winsley. he didn't mind that she bowled for him. He would win even with the gutter ball. "Now if you'll excuse me," he added quietly. "I have to go scare Winsley's date off." Sage stood walking over to the guy and sitting next to him. He wrapped his arm around the guy's shoulders and leaned in close to his ear. "Alright kiddo. Here's the deal. My cute little slut is a hundred bucks an hour for escort services, every kiss is two hundred and if clothes come off it's an automatic grand. Lil Lottie isn't cheap. Look at her, I wouldn't be a good pimp if I let that body get screwed for free." He took a breath, smirking as he looked the guy dead in the eyes. "But I like you kid, so here's the deal. Five thousand, cash, right now, and you get her three days, no hidden fees." Sage glanced up at Winsley just as she finished her turn. "But if you don't pay I'll have to cut your fingers off, got it lima bean?" He didn't wait for an answer, just moved back over next to Korren. Without much thought, he wrapped his arm around her, leaning back in his seat and grinning at the guy. In truth, Sage didn't like him. If Winsley had found him in this bowling alley then the lima bean wasn't good enough for her. She needed a real man, not some sleazy drug addict. Sage wanted him gone fast, which was why he was pulling out the big guns today. Besides, he didn't need anybody else around to potentially ruin his one day getting to play Prince Ali with Miss Jasmine at his side. Another rat like that guy certainly would screw it up though.


Sage grabbed another nacho, crunching down on it hard as he looked up at the leader board. "It's your turn, Harvard. Bowl good for your Greaser boy, okay?" he said, winking at her. The smoke in the bowling alley had definitely started to go to his head, and combined with the joints he had already smoked he was really starting to loosen up. So much so that even as he said this, he didn't move his arm away from her. He liked the way she smelled. Like some preppy girl who showered with body wash instead of off brand soap. It reminded him of honeysuckle, something from his childhood he just couldn't forget so easily. After a long moment of just looking at her he finally moved his arm from her shoulders, before looking over at Winsley. "I want a joint," he said, reaching for more nachos. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

For a moment she was worried, about to immediately take it back and apologize, but he smiled, and that reassured her. She closed her eyes when he ruffled her hair, and smiled, watching him stand up and go over to that poor boy.


The guy looked at Sage with an awkward look in his eye, and when Sage leaned in he got nervous. As soon as Sage looked him dead in the eye, he gulped, taking him rather seriously. As soon as Sage walked off, the boy got up and walked off rather quickly before Winsley could even turn around. Just as Winsley turned from her turn, she frowned and groaned in annoyance. "Bloody 'ell. He was a funny one, too. Fell for my voice and everything." Soon though she couldn't help but smile. Of course Sage drove the boy off, it was his job, but it still annoyed her that she lost the bet. She pulled up a chair near the two love birds and sat with her legs spread, having the back of the chair face in their direction while she leaned her arms on the backing. 


Korren watched as Sage interacted with the boy, making him rather uncomfortable, ending with the poor kid leaving the scene with a reddened face. She would have asked what he said to the boy, but she didn't really want to know if it bothered the kid that badly. And so, she left it alone, smiling at Sage as he walked back and wrapped his arm around her. She felt protected when she was next to him, one of the most intimidating guys in the school. Korren looked up as he mentioned it being her turn, and in turn she smiled. There was a long pause when they looked at each other, and a flutter in her stomach jumped at how close she realized she was to him. After the moment came to a close he let go, and she looked down at her lap smiling before standing up. Quickly she walked over to the lane, eager to get her turn over with. There was a haze over, she sighed and was thrown out of focus. She picked up a ball and rolled it, and just as she thought it would hit something, it rolled off into the gutter. Instead of really caring or becoming competitive, she shrugged her shoulders and tried again. The second time around it did hit, knocking down 8 pins. She shrugged again and walked back over to Sage, noticing though that Winsley had begun to walk backwards at a medium pace. 


While Korren was off with her turn, Winsley watched her, chuckling when she got a gutter ball. "She likes you." She whispered, before looking at him with a raised eye brow. "I only have one left, Sleeze. I always get the last one. Fight me." Playfully she held up a backwards peace sign, knowing that it meant anything put peace. She knew that she had just risked a taunt against him, so she stood up, beginning to back off, ready to high-tail it away from him. With each step she grinned at him in each passing second. 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage watched as Korren walked up to the plate, smiling even as she rolled a gutter ball. When Winsley mentioned Korren liking him, though, he frowned. He didn't think it mattered if she liked him or not. The social hierarchy of high school would never allow their relationship, and while Sage wasn't one to care what others thought, Korren seemed to care quite a bit. If they dated it would only ruin her reputation and he didn't want that for her. Of course, a secret affair might be cute, but if Sage couldn't openly show his affection for her he didn't want to date her at all. Sage watched her hit the other eight pins down, smiling slightly. Maybe tonight he could blame it on his high and he could have a little fun with her. Winsley was pretty spot on with her liking radar so he didn't deny what she said. He only hoped he could have this one night with Korren. It would be a pleasant memory, if nothing else.


But then Winsley threw the cards down and demanded a fight, flashing him a peace sign. He rose an eyebrow, standing up. "Oh no you don't, Flat-ass!" he called, rushing her and throwing her over his shoulder and spinning around quickly, laughing to himself. "You give me that joint, young lady, or I'll have Rose do your makeup and hair next time you come over," he threatened, continuing to hold her over his shoulder. He turned so he could see Korren, and smiled, waving with his free hand. His grip loosened a bit as he looked at her, the beautiful prep who he was never meant to be- and yet he couldn't help but humor the idea. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Winsley began to turn and run but of course she was caught and thrown over his shoulder. She blurted out with laughter, slapping his back in defiance. "C'mon dude, not cool!" Even by her words she was still laughing her head off. She crossed her arms and just laid over his shoulder, huffing. "Alright, alright. But I'm only getting you 11 more now." Again, a reference to their bet. After a moment she smirked and uncrossed her arms, slapping his bum as hard as she could. "Open target!" She yelled out gleefully as a defense to her actions and cackled, though she knew that wouldn't save her. It was too tempting to mess with him like that, and it didn't matter to her what people thought of it. After a moment she just let her arms hang, waiting for him to put her down at that point.


Korren watched as he ran after her, spinning her around and causing a ruckus. It made her laugh, and she waved back at him shyly when he smiled at her. Slowly she sat down, placing her hands in her lap and watching them rough house. Of course, Winsley slapped him as to be expected. It was funny how they acted as siblings, yet were close enough that they could practically dating. The thought was strange to her, and she couldn't quite wrap her head around it. People usually were just friends and didn't lay a hand on each other, or dated and were practically all over one another. There was no in between. But here in front of her, that rule changed in a way. It was interesting to imagine that people could bond so quickly. Even Korren had started to feel at home with these two, even though she only knew them for a couple hours.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage huffed when she smacked his butt, and set her down, reaching into her back pocket and grabbing the joint and ruffling up her hair before lighting the joint up and taking a hit. He looked down at Winsley, smirking slightly as he blew the smoke out in her face. "Look here, Darlin', I know my ass is irresistible but lay off, would you. I got a pretty Harvard I'm trying to hit on and you're all over me," he joked. He was trying to be quiet, so Korren wouldn't here, but in his high state he was speaking too loud and so of course Korren would hear him. He hadn't realized that yet though, and so he walked over to the lane to bowl his turn, getting another strike with ease. Winsey and him were always down at the bowling alley together so of course he knew how to do it at this point, and after Winsley rolling a gutter ball he knew he had to pick himself back up.


He turned back around, taking another long drag as he looked between the girls. "I swear, if we had a bowling team at Dawn I'd be the president," he joked, walking over to snag a few more nachos, switching between munching on them and taking drags. He wished he had those eleven more joints now. He wanted to get high as a kite, but three would only do so much. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Winsley stuck her tongue out at him like a child when he out her down, combing her hands through her hair after he ruffled it up. She breathed in the smoke and blew it out back at him. From the looks of it he was starting to get high, so she didn't say anything when he spoke out loud, letting the evening roll on. She pat his chest twice, chuckling. "Alright, Sleeze. Watch it on the joints, though." It was out of character for her to say this, so it was a sort of jab to let him know he did something wrong without really telling him what it was. She was sure that he would figure it out, that is if he wasn't too high. Then, she went to sit down, picking up multiple nachos and stuffed them in her face. 


Korren smiled as she watched them, though blushed when she heard what he had said. She slowly sat down at the bench, her face completely red from hearing how bluntly he had laid out his intentions. It was made clear to her that he liked her, or at least was flirting her fun. She wanted it to be the former, but knowing from his personality that it was probably the latter. Even though the hierarchy had separated them, she was beginning to care less about that. People would be bullying her anyways if she kept going against what Bucky wanted, so she was screwed either way. Sage was right, what did it matter? Yet still in the back of her mind, she didn't know if she could handle that kind of torment. She decided she'd at least try to enjoy herself today, and allow Sage to contact her outside of school. For now she let go with what he said, and watched as he bowled, unable to do anything but smile and chuckled to what he said. 


Winsley crossed over at that point and crossed her arms, standing next to Korren. Of course she wanted to lean her arm on the girl, but her shoulder barely reached the same height as hers. As a plus, her head reached up to her shoulder, but still she would always be the shortest girl in the room. "Maybe we could call it the Sleeze and his strange friend choices." She chuckled at this, glancing over at Korren to see reaction, which was an awkward chuckle. "Tough crowd, eh?" Typically she said this as a joke, and it was obvious by her smile that she was only kidding. A buzz rang through Winsley's phone, and she got excited, causing her to giggle and cheer. "Wooo!" People only ever called her when they were possible clients, so she pulled out her flip phone and smiled at Sage, running out of the building as quickly as she could to take the call. This left Korren confused, and her arched her brow, glancing in the direction of the door, then at Sage.


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage hadn't thought much of Winsley's comment. He walked up to Korren as his friend walked away, looking down at her with a small smile. "Don't mind her, Harvard, she's just excited cause she might be getting some extra cash." He slung his arm around her shoulders, looking around. They were only halfway done with their game but the nachos were almost gone and he was getting bored. "Let's get out of here. Let me show you how the greasers play," he spoke using the best south side accent he could before allowing his joint to rest in between his lips. He almost offered her a hit until he remembered he had already lectured her about it, and honestly she was probably already a little high from the haze in the building.


He led them both out of the building, soaking up the fresh air as he glanced around for his mustang. "Hey Harvard," he began finally taking his arm away from her and leaning against the wall to wait for Winsley. "You ever think about your future? Well, look at you with the cute little Harvard pin, of course you do. I don't. I'm just thinking about tomorrow, you know? Just thinking about where the cheapest place to get gas is, if my sister's gonna live through the night, what homework I have to not do, how much cash I spent today." He took a long drag. Where was he going with this again? "Winsley says you like me, and that's okay and all, but you should know I don't think about a future because I don't have one." He finished off his third joint, before letting the small remains flutter to the ground. "I'm halfway through a mixtape though, that could bring in some bank if it sales. But I don't think you want a thug rapper boy for your prom date," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. A lot of people got giddy when they were high, and Sage did too, but he also got honest and real, and it was scary sometimes because he could get dark too. One time he had told Winsley all about what he thought his sister's death would be like after about fifteen joints. He remembered going into gruesome detail about it, and was sure he scared his friend quite a bit, but luckily he had only had three so far so he wasn't anywhere near the dark side yet. @FlameintheRoses

 

[FlameintheRoses]

Korren nodded, watching him as he walked up to her and smiled up at him, allowing his arm to be around her. After he spoke, she nodded her head in agreement, blushing slightly. Casually they strolled out of the building, and she finally got a breath of fresh air out of all of the smoke, though her senses were dulled down after being around the smoke so much. It was when he pulled his arm off that she completely paid attention. Soon his words started to get rather serious, and she began to frown, her brow arching in sympathy. She wanted to disagree so badly, but if she did she figured he'd just blow it off. He tried to lighten the mood, and she lent a tender smile, feeling rather terrible at that point. Here she was this rich kid who had everything, and didn't even think of how kids at the bottom felt, and the struggles that they went through. There was nothing she could say, because she truly didn't go through the struggles of life that he had probably faced every day. Instead she tried to lighten the mood, though returned to the topic of futures. "Honestly, I don't really know what I'm going to do. I want to go to Harvard... but I just don't know what I'll do from there." There was a long pause, and she looked at Sage with thoughtful eyes and smile. "Maybe I can help you with the future." In the back of her mind she thought of what he said about being a thug rapper, and she didn't necessarily believe him to be a thug. Korren looked down at her pin and smiled to herself, taking it off slowly. She held it in her hand for a moment, clutching it tightly, before reaching it up and pinning it to his jacket. Even if she didn't know what she was doing, she thought it was a nice gesture. There was silence, and she brushed her hair behind her ear, looking down at the ground as she spoke. "I have a few more of those at home." This was just so he wouldn't refuse it, this small gift that was a treasure to her. Before long, she heard foot steps patting the ground, and felt her being pulled close for a group hug, the breath being knocked out of her in surprise. Immediately her hands went up, and she looked down to see Winsley holding them both, a large grin covering from cheek to cheek.


Winsley had rounded the corner with a smile, clutching her phone in hand with the widest grin imaginable. She ran up to the two, wrapping her arms around the two of them for a group hug. As giddy as she was, she didn't care who she was hugging. She squeezed them tightly, probably squeezing the wind out of Korren but it didn't matter to her. This had been her first client in a week, and she was happy. "They asked me to paint the wall of a night club, and said I could put whatever I wanted! They're payin' big bucks!" Her voice was at a higher pitch, but she was overly excited. She shrieked like a giddy school girl and let go of the two of them, unable to contain her joy. "We're havin' pizza tonight, on me!" 


@McMajestic

 

[McMajestic]

Sage looked down at the pin as she placed it on his jacket, and smiled. "I'm not much for Harvard," he muttered, but he left it there anyways. It made him feel... smarter, he guessed, better equipped for the world. He almost felt like he could be successful thanks to her little gesture, and he was just about to voice his appreciation when he felt Winsley wrap them up in a warm hug. When she finally let go, though, Sage wasn't finished with his hug. "Lottie that's fantastic!" he cried out, picking her up off the ground and spinning her around. "My Lottie's going to be famous. Screw pizza, we're having lobster!" He finally set her down, kissing her cheek quickly as he grinned widely at her. "Now don't you forget about me when you're all famous and rich, you got that flat Ass?" he asked, only half joking. He knew as long as Winsley played her cards right she'd be successful. She just needed to lay off the damn joints and put her money towards more important things. @FlameintheRoses