Westbrook Season 2

[Elf_Ruler]

Brayden had watched as Colby had shoved one of masked figures and he knew he was going after Tatum; he could only hope that she wasn’t a complete wreck by this point. He already knew if she had alcohol she was drinking and if she didn’t well, she would’ve found some by this point. There was nothing he could do at this point but let Tatum get drunk. Chasing after her wouldn’t fix the problem and after having her summer secret blasted well, he figured maybe she needed the alcohol and Colby. Brayden as much as he loved Tatum didn’t have the patience to deal with her drunk. He shook his head towards Bella and gave her a small smile.

His attention was now fully on her, “I think Colby has it under control. I’m okay and Tatum. Tatum will be fine; she might be a mess for the weekend, but I can handle that later.” He shrugged a little. He was close with her, they had been friends their whole lives and right now he knew who Tatum needed and it wasn’t him. “Do you want to stay or go? I know this night was a bust for everyone but if you want, we can go out for milkshakes?” he was more uncertain if she would even want a milkshake. Most girls Brayden knew wouldn’t have touched a milkshake but maybe just maybe Bella would. Unless she was allergic to dairy and then he would just feel like a dick. He gave her hand a small squeeze. He was still worried a little for Tatum, but he wasn’t about to let that show. Not on his first date, if it was an actual date, with Bella. No matter what he felt bad that her night had also been ruined. No one was having a good time.

geminiy
--

Tatum was silent for a second her brain struggling to process the words, he wasn’t mad at her but she felt like he wasn’t being straightforward with her. She couldn’t quite tell if it was her gut or if she was just too drunk and was making shit up in her mind, she took the jacket from Colby, the second one he had given her, but this one she would give back. She covered herself up a little with it, mostly distracted by the zipper of it, but she needed to focus back on Colby. Everything was difficult right now and she couldn’t figure out what she wanted to say and instead she felt tears. Why the fuck was she crying? She didn’t do anything wrong, but she felt guilty and it was still eating at her while drunk. Why did everything have to be brought back up? She had started to feel more normal and less unhappy, but she still felt judgement.

She tried to keep herself from feeling tears and really she couldn’t fathom why she was crying except because of the alcohol, “I didn’t mean for it to happen. I really did like Caleb, but he left, he left and never made anything official. I felt lonely and Mason. Mason was there and as much as he’s not a great dude, he isn’t all bad. Everything was okay for a bit and then.” She shook her head. She hated how Mason had made her feel, “He made me feel like I was just an object, he just treated me like I was an object and no longer a person. It hurt and then I felt more shame and guilt.” She felt the world reeling around her as she spoke, and she felt her stomach rolling.

She closed her eyes, trying to get everything to stop spinning in her mind, “Kitten? I can’t go home like this. My dad will kill me.” She had never been this drunk when going home and she couldn’t let her dad see her. She never cried while drunk before and she wasn’t even sure Colby had understood half of what she had said. She knew her words had slurred and she had taken many pauses while speaking so she hadn’t been sure how much had made sense. Now she just had to hope he understood what she had said, and try to keep herself from puking.

0k_mang0

 

[0k_mang0]

sebastian

Tarik fin​

Sebastian was indifferent to any kind of “aura”. It wasn’t even enough to make him barely glance at the speaker. He already met Kanen, so other guys trying to act tough were nothing.

He made an irked tsk and shook his head. “Fuck you. You and your aunt don’t know shit,” he said and kept on walking. If it had been some sort of joke, he didn’t care and wasn’t he in a good mood for one. Seb hated stupid macho stuff like that, especially from his own race. He was a goddamn human, not an emotionless robot. So was his older brother and nobody had cared to consider it before it was too late.

He sent a text message to his Aunt Lucia to pick him up. Several seconds later, he got a reply from her saying she would be there, hopefully, in 30 minutes after finishing a crime scene as soon as she could. Of course, the station had to call her to investigate a crime scene at this hour. Sebastian knew Brayden offered to drive him home, too, but he didn’t want to make him ditch his date like that.

Huffing out an emotionally worn out sigh, Seb sat on a bench that was in front of the hotel, where he would be able to see his aunt arrive in the parking lot later. After what felt like forever, he finally undid his dark purple bowtie, letting it hang loosely around the white-collar. He also made sure to try moving away as far from the other guy in a puffer jacket. He knew what the stranger was smoking; the smell was obvious, and he wanted to be as far away from it as possible. If a security guard or patrol officer passed by and saw, Seb was certain he’d also get in trouble even if he wasn't smoking.

He wished he had his headphones or skateboard. He would've had an excuse for people not to bother him.

 

[Soap]

Juliette

Juliette had arrived to the dance late.

Yes, believe it or not. The queen was late. What kind of queen would she be if she wouldn't be able to accept her crown because she wasn't even there yet! The brunette had been all pretty and ready to go-- but Toby didn't even show up to the house! Her date. Was. Late. So, she had to leave by herself. She climbed into her convertible and drove herself to the dance, because there was no way she was going to be even later. Toby had this tendency to be sweet and sour and Juliette hated that combination. It made no sense! Look, if you say you're going to be there. You. Should. Be. There. It wasn't fair she had to show up dateless.

And on top of that, there was a tear in her dress from getting out of the car. This wouldn't of happened if Toby picked her up, but he clearly had other places to be. It's okay. It's okay. JJ can fix this. With a deep breath, she grabbed an emergency sewing kit in her purse. She kept it from the musical last year, it came in handy sometimes. And Juliette is so extremely happy she was forced to participate in that god forsaken play.

And finally, she walked into the place.

It was gorgeous.

She began to get impatient when there was no sign of Toby, and she hadn't expected them to announce the winners so early. But that's okay. She was ready. What she wasn't ready for, is for Alaska Vaughn to win instead of her. "Are you fucking kidding me? She left for months!" Her voice was drowned out of the terrible people that had the audacity to cheer for Mason and Alaska. Dear god. These people were idiots. Juliette isn't just being a sore loser. She doubted Mason or fucking Alaska wanted this as much as she did. It just wasn't fair.

Suddenly, everyone's attention was on the projectors and secrets started pouring. Juliette watched intently and it wasn't hard to piece together that the secrets were tied to the whole court. And her heart battered in her chest as every single one passed because her own wasn't next. And she already knew it was bad.

Bad, bad, bad.

Her mind racked her brain for every possible 'secret' it could be, did she call someone stupid a few too many times? Did that find out what happened that one time? Juliette was expecting every possibility except for the most obvious one. The sonogram to appear on the projector and her breath caught in her throat as the girl's shrill voice continued to torment her. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. None of this was. She avoided everyone's gaze, but it was hard when Beau decided to save the best for last. Fuck her. Juliette never had more rage in her body than ever, but it was as if every single thing she was feeling was just telling her to break down-- and she didn't want to. She didn't want to face it. To face them, to hear their apologies, to hear them calling her a whore because she messed up one time and it resulted in pregnancy, to hear them asking if she got an abortion so late in the pregnancy or she just got unlucky. Juliette pushed past everyone and avoided the obvious murmurs. She just needed to get out of here. To be alone.

Thankfully, she found a bathroom. But it was occupied by a single person.

"Get out." Her voice broke mid sentence, but she wasn't going to break down in front of a stranger. Who the hell was this girl anyway, did she even go to this school? The girl gave her a confused look and continued washing her hands. "Are you deaf? Get the fuck out. Go." This time her voice didn't crack, it was stern and strong despite the aching in her chest. The younger girl scurried out of the bathroom and Juliette turned the lock on the door, struggling to get her phone out from her bag. She scrolled through twitter. There was a bunch of direct messages, and everyone was calling Beau and Ezio out-- and Juliette did what she did best. She threatened them. But who was she to do that? JJ was just behind a screen. Hiding in a bathroom, too afraid to show her face to her peers because they knew.

Everyone did.

 

[Winona]

Ash

She wanted to calm down, but she couldn't.

Ash knew that she shouldn't even be upset about this whole thing. It was a stupid reaction because it's not like this was the first time that Wolves or anyone else had posted her private love life for the world to see. From her confession of sleeping with Ryder last year, to the random hookups, to the kiss with Ryder this year, and now to this, Ash's entire life had always been put on display for the world to see and look at and mock. She couldn't step even in a fraction out of line because the moment she did, someone was waiting to mock her. To jump down her throat and tease her. So she should be used to it at this point.

But she wasn't. Every time this happened, Ash cracked and split a little more. It felt like nothing else could break her -- not because Ash was strong, but because there was nothing left to break. She had cracked and crumbled and shattered until she was nothing but dust, but somehow it still managed to hurt.

Ash just wanted something to be hers. She wanted a moment in time that wasn't put on display for the world to see. Ash wanted to be like... like Sawyer or something. Someone that didn't have the world breathing down their neck, someone that everyone didn't know. Okay, so Sawyer was popular, so maybe that was a bad comparison. Ash just wanted to be forgettable.

Grace was comforting and familiar, and Ash couldn't help but smile a little at her joke. See? Grace was fine, and her boobs had been out on display! So why couldn't Ash face this whole thing with the same graceful dignity that her best friend was, or Ryder? Why did she have to be so weak that now her friend, on crutches and freshly out of a coma, was still the strong one?

Fuck, why were these people even still here. Ash had put Grace in a coma. Ash had forgotten Ryder and moved on. And yet they were both still here, unwilling to leave her side, and she hated it because she didn't want to hurt them anymore. But Ash... Ash just existed and hurt everyone around her, and she just wanted everyone to forget her. Because then they would be safe.

Grace pulled her into a hug, and Ash broke even more than she had before. She wrapped her arms around Grace, and squeezed her best friend, holding on like Grace was some kind of lifeline. Ash couldn't believe that she had ever survived without Grace or Ryder. Sure, Sebastian and Ian and even Tatum had been great friends for a while, but... none of them were here now, were they? Not that Ash was saying that they didn't have their own issues, and she understood why they weren't.

But Ryder and Grace didn't even seem to care about their own secrets. They had both dropped everything to make sure she was alright, and that broke Ash's heart. In a good way, kind of. It had been months since she had actually felt like she belonged, or felt loved, or comforted like this. And maybe it was because this wasn't the first time that Ash had been like this, crying into Grace while Ryder stood worriedly to the side. They always knew exactly what to do. They knew her better than she knew herself.

"No." For the first time in months, in the last year, Ash couldn't lie. She was breathing again, but she was still crying, and she couldn't stop and didn't know how to stop. And Ash wanted to leave, but she didn't even know where to go. Home was scary -- her mother would be pissed. She was lost, and confused, and scared.

"No I'm not okay."

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

Drake

When Maisie started talking again, Drake's pale gaze shifted over to her. This was a disaster. This... this was exactly why Drake hadn't wanted to tell anyone before Homecoming was over. He just wanted one last good memory of Westbrook before he had to leave with his father and his sister, but instead everyone was mad at him for keeping it a secret. And yeah, maybe keeping it a secret had been a really bad idea. But Drake... Drake hadn't wanted anyone to hurt.

This was for the best. He wasn't okay. He had never been okay. When Drake was born, he'd been one of those drug addicted babies. Opioids, which ironically had ended up being his drug of choice when he was eleven. Drake had never not been addicted to something -- he'd been fucked from birth, and thanks to... everything, he'd been sick. A lot. Which meant medications, and he remembered begging his mother for more, or faking illness to keep the pills coming. The painkillers.

Drake had never been clean.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to say to Maisie. He wasn't... god, he didn't want to leave her. But Drake would never get better here in Westbrook -- he just wouldn't, and fuck, he hated knowing that he was the biggest cause of stress in his brother's life. Drake had never done anything right, or for other people in his life. He was a selfish human being, kicking people to the curb or throwing them under the bus if it meant just getting to that next high. The adrenaline of a needle pressing into his skin, the anticipation of the high hitting as he swallowed a pill. Drake would do anything for those feelings, and he hated it.

"I'm not... Maisie, I lo--" he caught himself. Now wasn't the time for that, to throw something else into this complex situation. "Maisie I care about you. I like you a lot, and I don't... I don't want to give up on us. We could do long distance or something. I'll still visit for the holidays, and maybe I can move back next year. For my senior year."

Drake was hopeful, even if he was pretty sure that Maisie was going to turn and walk away from him, and never talk to him again. Drake was positive of that happening, and it terrified him, because in this fucked up life of his the one good thing that had stuck out had been Maisie. Like a beacon of light on a stormy night. She'd been the only one, other than Mason, that had encouraged him to quit. Fuck Maisie had given up smoking weed for him, to not tantalize him.

She was everything he needed, and wanted, and he had hurt her and it hurt.

Tears were blurring his vision, and he hated himself for being weak enough right now to actually cry.

"I'm not okay. I need help. I can't... I don't want to spend the rest of my life popping pills. I want to be better for myself and Mason and Ari and you." Drake just wanted them to be proud of him.

Fuck, Drake just wanted to like himself.

Soap​

 

[fin]

Tarik​

Tarik's eyes followed Sebastian as he continued walking past. He arched a brow at Sebastian's bluntness, so much talk from a boy so small compared to Tarik. The only thing stopping him from lunging at the boy were the other kids walking to and fro the hotel, not that he wanted to attack him anyways. "Damn, you've got no respect for aunties, huh?" He asked, but he didn't really care if Sebastian heard him or not. He was having too much fun knowing he'd got a reaction out of the kid from his first comment. He'd continue to pry, and see just how far Sebastian could act hardened and cold towards him before he eventually broke. Perhaps he'd even see him when he attended Westbrook High, now that would be a sight.

Tarik took another drag of the blunt, but it was ashing over quickly in the night. It wouldn't last much longer, and Tarik wasn't one to smoke more than maybe three in a day. This would be his last. He watched as Sebastian made the text, but wasn't focused too much on the contents. Tarik would linger between the cars, before eventually following Sebastian to his place on the bench.

He crept up behing Sebastian, and leaned against the side of the bench. Gracefully, he was something like a cat the way he settled against the wood. Tarik let out a small cloud of smoke, forming in front of him and spreading towards Sebastian as well. He wasn't aware of any officers, or authority in the area, not that he cared. But Sebastian's uneasiness on the bench only made him tighten his bag around his back, just in case.

Tarik could see the distraught in Sebastian's expression, laughable in his eyes. He just smirked, and raised the blunt in front of him. His eyes were set dead ahead, but Sebastian would know he was speaking to him. "Well, do you want a drag, or are you going to frown like that the whole night?" He asked bluntly. It was formality back where he was from, a genuine action. He hailed from somewhere where it wasn't unheard for students, and kids to use contraband. "Might as well tell me what's got you so pissed too. I saw you ordering a ride or somethin' and it like it's not coming anytime soon."

Location: Hotel Bench | Interactions: Sebastian, 0k_mang0 ​

 

[0k_mang0]

colby

Tatum Elf_Ruler​

His grip slowly tightened around the steering wheel. He wasn’t upset that she technically cheated on Caleb. Mason didn’t seem so different from the guys his mom had dated. Every boyfriend his mom had was just terrible and treated her like an object, too. Colby never wanted to make any girl feel like an object, and Tatum didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.

“I was lonely, too,” he started saying. Before steering the car out of the parking lot, he took out a plaid handkerchief from his pocket and placed it on his date’s lap for her to wipe off the tears. Yep, he was still Hanky Boy. “A few years ago, I had a secret affair with my neighbor who’s a little over 15 years older than me. She was my first girlfriend. She even taught me how to drive. We broke up last year because I was scared to be the reason she goes to jail if anyone found out about us. And shortly afterward, she moved away. I don’t know where she is now.”

He never told anyone this. Nobody in his life knew a single thing about his love life. Why tell someone he didn’t know very long? Well, Colby hoped it made her feel a little better. And keep her distracted because she looked like she’d puke out her flask at any moment. If anyone was going to expose his secrets, it would be himself.

“Here’s the real reason I moved back to Westbrook: my mom sent me back here because I was arrested for driving a stolen car with stolen diamonds and drugs hidden in the trunk.” It was a long story that he tried to condense as much as possible for the drive—he told lawyers and cops that he didn’t know the car was stolen or the items being there, but driving the stolen car was a lie. Besides street racing like a baby Dominic Torreto, Colby used to, uh, “repo” cars and certain parts for quick cash in California. Happens when making sketchy friends sometimes. After her job laid her off, Mom tried to become a pianist again while working a part-time job, but it wasn’t easy earning enough money on time for bills and keeping a roof over their heads. The only reason he wasn’t in jail? Only one guy was brave enough to confess that Colby was tricked into smuggling the stolen items to a location. The rest of his so-called friends tried to throw him under the bus.

At a stop on a red light, Colby reclined his head against the headrest and stared pensively at the car ceiling for a few seconds. “I think all that stress of me being arrested made my mom go back to rehab recently – her third stay in the last three years. I haven’t talked to her since leaving.” Yep, that’s what the phone call from the lock-in was about. Being part of the problem that made his own mother go to rehab was not a good feeling. Colby didn’t want to be a stressful burden to his mom. No good kid wanted to be.

“Another fact: I never knew about my dad’s criminal record until that shitty Wolf guy tweeted about it,” Colby admitted, in an indifferent tone. Though, his jaw clenched for a second before he explained why it bothered him so much: He grew up believing his dad wasn’t a screw up like him. His dad was supposed to be the perfect one, proof that Mom actually loved at least one non-schmuck in her life. Now everything Colby knew about him felt like one big lie. “You know what he died from? A DUI collision in Vegas, his fourth and last DUI. He almost took out a driver with him at that time, too. My family kept it a secret from me, told me it was just a car crash, a simple accident. But it wasn’t.”

He drove behind the back alley of Sleeping Hedgehog Cafe and opened one of the two storage unit doors to park the car next to his red dirt bike. After getting out first, he opened the passenger side door and waited for Tatum to get out, so he could lead her through the back door of the cafe building and up the stairwell to the second floor of his home. This was probably the first time Tatum visited his apartment at night. Obviously, he couldn’t take her home while drunk. Her marine dad would probably kill Colby, too.

 

[geminiy]

Jacqueline Dupont

Jackie had never been a daring girl. Sure, she often went against the norm and followed her own rules, but she never was one to make risky social moves. That was until that evening when she finally gave in and kissed Greyson. If it wasn't for the shirtless homecoming proposal, Jackie likely would have kissed him the day that she got her letter from MIT and the were wrestling in the gym. And although the girl seemed to carry herself with wisdom and experience, she was completely lacking in the whole romance department. That kiss hadn't just been her first kiss with Greyson, it had been her first real kiss ever. It had been kind of embarrassing to know that she was eighteen years old and had never had a boyfriend of any kind or had even kissed anyone but she always wanted to wait for the right person, a person that she could trust fully with her guarded heart. While she never knew what that would feel like, she was fairly certain that Greyson was it.

So when Greyson wanted to clarify on her feelings about him after their kiss, Jackie was taken back. Did she do something wrong? Had she not been clear enough? She had been fairly certain that kissing the boy would have been enough to drill it into his mind that yes, she did in fact romantically like him. But Jackie had never done anything like that before, never pursued someone. Maybe, just maybe, she was doing a horrible job of it.

"Well, um, I, uh..." Jackie pathetically stuttered, trying to find her words. Any ounce of confidence in her had been drained and there she stood in front of Greyson an absolute blubbering mess. That entire night had been a roller coaster of emotions. First she had gotten exposed for living in her car on Twitter. Then there was explaining the whole thing to Greyson who, thankfully, seemed rather understanding. And after their kiss, Jackie thought nothing else could go wrong, that maybe they were finally catching a break. But no, stupid Wolves had to come back for a second time. Jackie's head was spinning, the pressure inside her skull feeling like it was going to explode.

Breathe, Jackie.

"Yes." Jackie finally managed to say, though she realized that maybe a simple 'yes' wasn't enough. If he wanted to be sure, Jackie decided that she would make it crystal clear. " do like you back. I've liked you since you kept your promise and bought me cotton candy that day during the festival even though it was raining. I don't know if it is possible to like someone after one interaction, but I'm convinced I did. Every day since then, I think about you. When I see you, nothing else matters. You make me so happy. So yes, Greyson, I do like you back. I really do."

"And, should you need more proof..." Jackie continued, reaching up and placing her hand on his neck just below his jawline. Jackie kissed Greyson once more, this time with more confidence, more certainty. He hadn't pulled away the first time so she wasn't so scared. Jackie pulled away after a moment, looking Greyson straight in the eyes. "Well, I really hope that proves it."

| Greyson Soap |

Isabelle Dupont

Bella was not convinced that Brayden wasn't worried, or that he didn't want to go after Tatum. But she knew better than to push the subject. Bella knew that if it had been Jackie up there on blast, she would want nothing more than to go after her and make sure she was okay even if half of Westbrook was doing the same. Sure Brayden and Tatum were not siblings but given their closeness, she doubted that their relationship was any less important or meaningful.

"As long as you're sure, Brayden. Don't think you have to stay just for me." Bella repeated. She really didn't want to be the reason that he didn't go after Tatum. What kind of date would she be if she wasn't there to fully support her date? "But if you're sure you don't want to stay with me, I think its best if we get out of here. If the cops get called after that stunt, I so don't want to be caught in the crossfire. I've never had a run in with American cops before and I'd like to keep it that way. So yeah, milkshakes sounds fun! But only if we can get fries too, you can't get milkshakes without fries."

It was then that Bella spotted her brunette sister across the dance floor. A smirk crawled on to Bella's lips as she saw her lean upwards and kiss some blond guy, who was likely Greyson. "Finally," Bella sighed, nodding to the pair. "Every time I talk to Jack, she mentions him and then denies that she did, that is if blondie is Greyson that is. Its sort of sweet the first seven thousand times, though it kind of got old. I'm glad she finally went for it though, I was going to set them up if she didn't. Its nice to see her happy, she deserves it." Bella chuckled.

It had been one chaotic night and Bella decided to head over there and make sure Jackie was okay. Bella turned her attention back to Brayden. "Hey, I'm just going to let Jackie know we're leaving and to make sure she's alright. I haven't seen her since school and with the whole Wolves thing on Twitter, I just want to make sure she's okay. I'll be right back, promise!" Bella explained before kissing Brayden softly on the cheek and heading over to her sister.

Bella cleared her throat as she approached her sister and her date, her hands placed on her hips. "Look at you go, Jack. You're growing up so fast!" Bella teased. Jackie's head snapped over to look at her shorter sister and if looks could kill, Bella would have likely been slain right where she stood. It took every ounce of self control not to burst out laughing at the look that she was being shot.

"Votre rendez-vous est mignon, Jack. Je comprends parfaitement pourquoi tu ne te tairas pas à son sujet." She teased in French. Sure, she wanted to embarrass her sister but maybe saying "Your date is a cutie, Jack. I totally understand why you won't shut up about him" in words that he would understand was going a bit too far. No, there would be enough time for torment when she got home and called Jackie later.

"Oh tais-toi avant d'essuyer ce sourire narquois sur ton visage." Jackie snapped back. 'Oh shut up before I wipe that smirk off of your face.' Ah, a classic Jackie phrase.

Bella ignored her sister and turned her attention to the blond boy beside her. "So you must be Greyson. Pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Jackie's sister, Bella." She introduced politely, taking him in. It made her happy that Jackie didn't go after some massive dude that scared the living daylights out of her. At least this guy could very easily meet the business end of Bella's fists if he screwed her sister over, though she got the feeling that he had more respect than that.

"What do you need, Bella?" Jackie asked in a seemingly kind tone, though years of sisterly battles had made Bella understand that her tone was actually quite threatening. If they were home, Bella probably would have gotten a pillow whipped at her head or her entire body thrown onto the couch. Bella grabbed hold of Jackie's arm and pulled her aside, lowering her tone so that Greyson couldn't hear. Bella didn't know what Greyson knew about the whole homeless situation, if anything at all, and she didn't want to ruin her date like that.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay after the whole Wolves thing. I promise you when I find that jerk, or jerks, they're going to regret ever having done anything to you." Bella growled. Then her mind flickered back to the other reason why she had come over. "Also Brayden and I are going to get milkshakes. Just thought you should know."

For anyone listening on their conversation, the quick topic change likely would have confused them. But to Bella and Jackie, that's always how things went. With so much bad and so little good, they needed to mix it all together to keep it straight. They both spoke quickly when they spoke to each other, in a way that only two sisters who had been through so much together would speak.

"I'm okay. Greyson knows, he's been a big help. And no, you're not going after anyone. I can't afford to bail you out of jail again. Seriously, I'm low on funds. You'd have to befriend someone scary to survive jail. I've heard American prisons are scary and well you, you aren't exactly the most threatening person." Jackie teased. Bella stood there for a moment with her arms crossed tightly across her chest, staring at Jackie. If she wasn't telling the truth, Jackie would crack in seconds of the infamous Isabelle stare. But Jackie did not move, did not flinch. She was telling the truth.

"Very well then." Bella chirped with a nod of her head, her volume raising again so that others could hear her. "I'll let you get back to your date then. It was great meeting you, Greyson! Have fun, just not too much fun." Bella teased with a wink before turning tail and making her way back over to Brayden. Bella stopped in front of him, smiling up at the taller boy.

"Alright, I'm ready if you are." Bella said sweetly.

| Brayden Elf_Ruler | Jackie | Greyson Soap |​

 

[Elf_Ruler]

Brayden was glad that Bella agreed to go get milkshakes with him, and sure this hadn’t been an ideal first date, he was still going to try and salvage it. Of course, she was right about fries and milkshakes and he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at her enthusiasm for fries and a shake. He wasn’t going to say no to her cute face. He gave her hand another squeeze, “Tatum will be okay with Colby. She’s not great with many people at once. She has some anxieties about multiple people in her space. I’ll see her at home tomorrow. While I do some damage control for her. Fries and a milkshake sound amazing. Your wish is my command tonight.” He wasn’t about to make anything worse for her. Wolves had attacked not just the court but her sister, so he wasn’t about to add any other negative aspects to this night. His eyes had followed where Bella’s went, towards her sister and a blonde guy he hadn’t met. They looked cute together and it looked like Bella was happy too. He listened as she spoke about her sister and he could see the love that Bella held for Jackie. Sibling bonds were strong and as much as Tatum wasn’t his sister, he understood strong bonds. Not quite to the same extent but he understood. Jackie’s happiness was Bella’s and the same could be said for Jackie he assumed.

When Bella took her moment to go see her sister Brayden smiled at the kiss placed on his cheek. He wasn’t the mushy type, but he felt happy to get that small kiss. He didn’t need any more than that from Bella, they were still just getting to know each other. From the day on the bleachers until now, Brayden couldn’t have imagined all that would happen between the two of them. It was something he was really happy about and no matter where whatever they were led, he knew they would still be friends. Her return was quick, and Brayden nodded, “Of course. To milkshakes and fries.” He took Bella’s hand and led her out of the dance and towards the car. He was glad Tatum had been with Colby. The drive to the diner wasn’t a long one and once he parked, he went around to open Bella’s door. He was going to give her the full treat of a Brayden date.

He had gotten them a booth to sit at and smiled as he sat across from Bella, “I’m sorry this dance turned into a bust. I hope the milkshakes and fries make up for it.” When the waitress came around knew Bella had wanted fries and a shake and of course he was going to get an order of fries as well just to make sure they had enough. He was going to order a chocolate shake because that went best with fries. Overall, he was happy to just enjoy a small sweet moment with Bella.

geminiy
--

Tatum was concentrating on the words as Colby spoke, and each movement of the car had sent her body to spin more even though she was stationary. She let her head turn towards him as he spoke and as much as she wanted to respond, words were more difficult for her. She held the handkerchief the entire time he spoke and drove. It was hard for her to believe that Colby was with someone so much older, but at the same time she could see how Colby didn’t want to be with people his own age. Her brain though a jumbled mess was trying to connect all the pieces. His mother was an addict of some kind, and his father a drunk. Why was he even spending time with her? She knew in this moment that she wasn’t the person Colby should be with, but she liked him, she wanted to be with him no matter how selfish that made her. She had already been selfish when she lied to Caleb, when she fucked Mason, when she drank to take away the guilt. Tatum knew she was a selfish person.

She took many deep breaths to keep her stomach down, “Kitten, it’s not your fault.” Her words slurred the whole sentence. Colby was good, he had a past just like she had one. Each person had history and secrets they wanted to keep, and Tatum was too drunk to judge him anyways. If she even remembered all of the conversation. He was being open with her and she could feel a small bit of joy in her, and she hoped that after all of this Colby would still want to be around her.

When he pulled into the overhang and stopped the car Tatum still felt like they were moving. Getting out of the car was the biggest struggle for her. She left her shoes in his car and would deal with them later. The second she got up everything was moving up and down, and all around. She could feel her stomach ready to go. The second Colby had turned the key to the apartment and led Tatum to his room, she peaced out to the bathroom and went for the toilet. In that moment all she wanted to do was die. She wished she had a hair tie as her hair fell next her. It was in that moment that she felt her hair being held back, “I’m sorry.” She heaved out.

She really did feel bad, and now here she was with a boy she just met, and he was holding back her hair while she was drunk. Pathetic. She wasn’t sure how long she had been at the toilet before she had passed out from both exhaustion and just an empty stomach.

0k_mang0

 

[lion.]

Ronnie "Blue Nile" Kane​

“I’m going to have to bail on you Hazel Johannes,” Ronnie interluded in stunned silence, beginning to back away to the abyss of the party with empty pockets, “And you can take that to offense or not, but I won't be here to listen to you.”

The navy of his suit alloyed with the vortex of whirlpools swimming in his eyes would be the final gander the yellow-dressed, mocha-skinned date of his would get of him before the nearby crowd brindled him into middle monotones.

The night was half-gone, anesthetized, numb, and of dirty linen.

Overhead the heights of the ceiling, the host of the night, two-faced in glitter, made her piercing voice clangor loud and vivaciously clear. For the defensiveness of her creed, she consequently left the thirst-stricken audience pulsing in heartthrobs.

One mistake.

Tear open Ronnie Kane’s chest and you’d find that on the underside of a sickly pale rib cage lay no heart. Drugs bled it dry and money crumbled it to sand dust.

That is why he blamed his mind when he ended up two feet astern of the walkaway shadow of Raven. The world outside had a catch pattern of its own serenity. It tugged on the lustrous dark hair of the journalist, rifting at her dress even when her bowed knees pulled close to her as she sat alone on the rudiment stairs.

Alone.

People didn’t pair with nature as they wanted to, and it seemed to Ronnie that the sullen stars were deadpanned against the overpowering black, the parking lot feeting only a few shapes of humans.

Alone.

“I really hope you’re not boring holes into the ground,” Ronnie reverberated from behind her, “I don’t think it takes questions with your face twisted like that.” Blindly, under the impression of seeing her back arched over subtly in a distance of her own, Ronnie joined her.

Ronnie had never known how to say the right things, never knew the affairs of dealing with feelings. Distractions were always his way out, and with how her brown irises unearthed in rooted layers...

“You ever know what benefactors are?” Ronnie asked, robbing her of her own despair, “You writers are supposed to be exemplary in vocabulary.”

“Organized crime,” he described, his hand venturing to caress the edge of her jaw, “They pay for a cause.”

“And I consider myself a benefactor sometimes,” Ronnie continued in a soliloquy, lucently grinning with a white teeth,“Just the worst kind.” His eyes drifted to hers, then down to her red lips, and back up.

He only knew payment of comfort in one way.

“You should add that in your article about me, just like all the other details we discussed at a different hour of the lock in. You know-” His mouth dried, his thumb slowing to stroke over her tanned cheek as the first of their nights illustrated in his mind.

“What the hell-why am I still talking?” Blood rushing warm in the barred night, he turbulently leaned into her lips. Unlike most and all kisses, his lips were not light as the breeze, soft and yielding. Instead, his lips feverishly clashed against hers with an unrelenting fervor and jarred her back just enough till her head came to a rest against the edge of the railing.

“Keys are in my pocket,” he mischievously humored, breathing hoarse, before his lips returned.


Soap

 

[0k_mang0]

colby

Tatum Elf_Ruler​

“Oh bother,” he sighed, quoting a silly old bear, and followed Tatum to the square bathroom on the right. The second before Tatum began retching, Colby quickly pulled back her blonde hair away from her face and averted his eyes as his date spewed her stomach into the toilet bowl.

He gently patted her back with his free hand. “It’s okay, tater tot. Just let it all out.” He wasn’t sure how long they stayed in the bathroom. Occasionally, he had to flush the toilet for her so it didn’t overflow. During the short break in between puking, Colby retrieved a hair tie from the nearest drawer under the sink counter and tied Tatum’s hair back so he could visit the living room kitchen and get a cup of water for her to sip if she wanted it. He had long hair before, too. So yes, he had hair ties.

Did he mind doing all of this? Not really, it wasn’t the first time he had to do something like this. Eventually, Tatum passed out. After flushing the toilet one last time, Colby damped a small washcloth, cleaned her mouth and chin with it, and picked her up to carry her to his bed in the back of the rectangular room. He didn’t fix his bed the entire day, so he was able to spread the blanket up to her shoulders.

Whew. What a night, he thought exhaustingly while changing out of his Johnny Castle outfit to his large long-sleeve shirt and sweatpants. What, you thought this was his chance to take advantage? Ew, no. Colby was not like that. Tatum needed a rest from tonight, and he was going to let her have it.

Honestly, he wanted to sleep, too. Just look how late it was now. He climbed in his bed next to Tatum, and before turning off the bedside lamp, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, laid his head back on his pillow, and waited some time later for sleep to finish his day.

 

[a z u l a]

Alaska

Logically, she knew that beating up a freshmen in front of the principal was just asking to be expelled, but she was far past logical right now. By some miracle, Elise let the two girls go without even yelling, Alaska trailing beside her friend with her gaze down as she sniffled away tears. She only stopped when Sawyer did, solemnly looking up at Sawyer, knowing that she was an absolute mess right now.

After Sawyer's little pep talk, she couldn't help but offer her friend a little smile as she nodded back to her. Maybe Sawyer was right. This wasn't Alaska, she didn't cry, especially not in front of other people. Many things had brought Alaska down through the years, but she was a fighter and she wasn't going down without kicking and screaming. Beau had been merely a pawn in what seemed to be a much bigger plan, she only felt a little bad for beating up the poor little twerp. There was someone, or apparently many someones, who needed their asses kicked. Alaska could hold herself together purely out of vengeance.

"Sorry...you're right." Alaska spoke, her tone much firmer than the quivering mess she'd been just a minute ago. The brunette wiped the tears from her face, knowing her eyeliner was probably a mess by now but who cared at this point? Homecoming was pretty much ruined, so there was no point in staying here and crying in front of the whole school. Sawyer probably needed to get back to Grace, Stu was nowhere to be found, and Drake was busy with Maisie. That only left one person for Alaska to go find, but her date was already long gone.

"Thanks, Sawyer. Don't you have a cute little blonde waiting for you?" She teased, punching her friends arm lightly before turning back to look at the chaos that was the Westbrook Homecoming. At least her crown had somehow managed to stay on her head. It was honestly pretty ironic. The only thing Alaska was the queen of was disaster.

KingofAesir

Ryder

Watching Ash cling to Grace as if she was the only thing holding her together made Ryder's heart ache. The two small blondes had been his friends since...well as long as he could remember. Even if the two girls had always been closer to each other, he had still always adored them both. And even as his feelings for Ash grew into something more, Grace had supported them through all of their fuck-ups and failures. Ash and Grace were better to him than some members of his own family, the two girls deserved nothing but the world and yet they kept getting thrown horrible things they didn't deserve.

That was why Ryder was always so punchy. His friends were precious to him, and he would do anything to protect them. While Ryder had succeeded in beating up al of the bullies, he couldn't protect them from the emotional hurt. Every time he saw one of his friends cry it was like someone was twisting a knife into his chest. He loved Grace in the same way he loved Alaska, only Grace was a lot less annoying. He would do anything to protect his girls, and he loved Ash so much more than even that.

Ryder felt helpless, standing off to the side and watching the two girls comfort one another, so he moved forward to wrap his arms around both girls, squeezing them tight but making sure they could still breathe. He may or may not have accidentally crushed Grace one or two times before, and he was pretty sure Sawyer would kill him if he so much as moved a hair on her blonde head. So he stood there, silently holding his two favorite people in the whole world and hoping that the longer he held them the better they would feel.

Soap Winona​

 

[geminiy]

Isabelle Dupont

Bella was happy to be out of that hotel. The tension that had floated in the air had been thick enough to touch, dangerous enough to suffocate. The cool air was refreshing on her face and arms, though she regretted not bringing a jacket. She hadn't really thought about the weather when she had been sneaking out of the house hours earlier. Still, the feeling of the wind against her bare skin felt so relieving that she paused just outside of the doors and allowed herself a moment to breathe.

After they arrived at the diner, Bella giggled and thanked Brayden as he came around to the passenger door and opened it up for her. Bella never understood the whole 'open the door for your date' thing, it simply didn't make sense to her. But the gesture was sweet. Hell, Brayden could do just about anything and Bella would probably think it was kind.

The pair slid into a booth and Bella became entranced with the interior of the establishment. "So this is what an American diner is really like." Bella said whimsically, her eyes darting all around the room. Metal street signs and checkered patterns caught her eye first. The gentle music and the sizzle of burgers on a grill sung to her like music, the smell of something delicious wafting across her nose. "I must say, I think this is the first thing that the movies actually got right." She giggled with a smile.

Bella looked down at the menu, her eyes scanning the page. A French Vanilla milkshake? What, exactly, made the vanilla French? Questions aside, Bella decided to get one. After ordering their milkshakes and fries, Bella looked back across the table to Brayden. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him just sitting there. Even when he said the night had been a bust, he looked handsome. Wait. A bust?

"Brayden, this whole night may not have been the most flawless evening but I could hardly call it a bust." Bella said, reaching her hand out and taking his hand in hers. "What Wolves did was awful. But I don't think we should let it ruin what could be an amazing night. As you said, we can do damage control later. We deserve to at least have that, don't you think? And with the whole Wolves thing aside, I've had a really good night. I love spending time with you and this evening was no exception, even if it was at the dumpster fire of a homecoming."

Bella got up and moved benches so that she was sitting beside Brayden on the other side of the booth. Bella grabbed his hand and held it tightly in both of hers, resting her head on Brayden's shoulders. "I think, as far as first dates go, this has been the most eventful one in history." Bella sat up, looking at Brayden. They were close, close enough to feel his breath. "If this is a date, that is. I certainly wouldn't mind if it is." Bella teased, that signature gentle smile forming back on her lips.

| Brayden Elf_Ruler |​

 

[DrabberRogue]

Jace seemed to have a knack for dodging some of the worse aspects of Westbrook. He didn't really have any nasty relationship drama, it didn't seem like anyone was out to ruin his life, and the few people who attempted to bully him just weren't patient enough to put up with his shit. Hell, he'd even managed to make friends with a couple of them. He actually thought those two were pretty cool. Fun in that way only assholes could be. Sure he maybe had a few things bothering him. His grades were way lower than they could be, he was falling behind on some of the things he wanted to do, and... Well... Ash. But there was nothing catastrophic going on in his life. Whenever something horrible went down at Westbrook, it seemed like he was always out of the line of fire. Or, better yet, somewhere else entirely.

So it was that, while everyone else was upstairs getting their prom night ruined, Jace was down on the third floor. Walking down a nice smelling hotel hall with some pretty, mischievous girl. He didn't even know that the school's least favorite Brit had just opened a can full of dirty secrets. What he did know, however, was that little Ms. Ophelia was a tad naughtier than he'd initially figured. He let a quiet chuckle escape through his nose, shaking his head in amused disbelief. What was it with Westbrook and putting vodka in literally everything?

Maybe it had been Ophelia all along!

"So you're telling me I've been harboring a fugitive all this time?!" Jace exclaimed, feigning an aggressive tone in his voice. He couldn't quite keep the grin off his face though. How could he, with that expression looking up at him? Even if he wasn't totally cool with her having spiked the punch, which he was, he couldn't imagine anyone getting mad at that cute face.

welcome.the.miracle

 

[PenguinFox]

Dwyer arched his brow at his old friend and chuckled lightly. "Am I always a buzzkill...C'mon, you know the answer to that. No thank you, I will not be partaking. I'm not trying to lose my job just yet." he leaned against the tree and looked down at her, small smile resting on his face. "Are you sure it's your new friend that's jealous and not you?" Despite how he may come off Dwyer actually really enjoyed the teasing nature of his relationship with Morgan. Really that was most of his friend group to be honest. But each person got their own special brand of teasing. Ian was like his little brother and was treated as such, Morgan was wild and kept Dwyer on his toes and Sierra...Dwyer and Sierra had a different kind of teasing.

Morgan's next comment was met with an eye roll by Dwyer. "I'm not here to chase after girls, nor did I back in high school anyway. Again, trying to not lose my job. And yes, as the new guy I was drafted to chaperone homecoming dance. It'll be mind numbing but hey at least I get to dress up right? Always nice to break out the good suit." Dwyer watched Morgan stand up and appear to study him. "I know, hard to picture me in a suit right? C'mon, let's get you to class already." As the pair walked Dwyer agreed that he would drive Morgan to homecoming. Not as a date. He made that very clear. He was dropping her off as a friend.

~

The night of homecoming Dwyer picked up Morgan as promised and drove the two to the expensive hotel where it was being held. He was almost kind of jealous that he never got anything like this. It wasn't a very hard job chaperoning a dance like this. Just keep an eye out and stop any fights. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and average for a homecoming dance, until it wasn't.

Dwyer wasn't sure what to do at first, something was definitely wrong when the lights went out and he knew he should do something, but what? Thankfully at least everyone seemed calm, or at least no one was panicking. Then the voice started spilling secrets of the homecoming court. His eyes flicked to Ian as his secrets were spilled. The poor guy looked like he'd just been stabbed. The color was gone from his face and he was definitely in some kind of shock. Dwyer's fists clenched. He and Ian had been through a lot together and he loved him like a brother, someone doing something this cruel to him was beyond comprehension. If he were to ever get his hands on the culprit...

Another scan around the room and Dwyer caught Morgan's gaze. He mouthed to her to check up on Ian before he started pushing his way through the crowd. Someone was assuredly going after the person in the booth, but there were others at work here. Dwyer's cold gaze focused in on one of the masked people barring the exit. As he moved towards the figure he picked up momentum. Kids were actively moving out of the TA's way when they saw his face. It was stone like; cold and hard. Alex Dwyer was out for blood.

It wasn't long before the masked figure noticed the large man moving quickly towards him and, probably knowing what would happen once he reached them, they bolted. Dwyer lagged behind as he pushed his way through the sea of students but once he had made it through the throng he broke into a sprint. The person was smart, they knew better than to take the elevator, instead dashing for the stairwell. Dwyer made chase, cursing the suit he was wearing for slowing him down. In the stairwell both the person fleeing and the pursuer leapt down the stairs two or three at a time, the loud claps of their shoes echoing up and down the stairwell. The masked person was only about a floor ahead of Dwyer, but he needed to catch them. This was some kind of group operation, this person had to know something.

At the bottom of the stairwell the person barged out the door. Dwyer hesitated for a moment and looked over the railing at the roughly eight feet between him and the ground level. He took a step back and hopped over the railing, shoulder rolling to keep momentum and to lessen the fall. Once fully on his feet he continued his pursuit; leading him out into the street, but once outside he couldn't spot the masked person anywhere. They had gotten away, and he had not only failed Ian, but all the other kids who were effected. Some chaperone he was. Dwyer rubbed the shoulder he landed on and panted. "Fuck." He wasn't in as good a shape as he was when he enlisted. Head hung low he made his way back to the ballroom Luna_Marie

 

[0k_mang0]

sebastian

Tarik fin​

“Dude, you too blind to read signals?” Seb said firmly, coughing and waving away the smoke. God, he hated the smell.

He shot up on his feet, almost unintentionally elbowing the guy while getting off the bench, and stepped back about five feet away from him. He narrowed his eyes at the strangers. Did this jerk never learn how to respect personal space? “Get that shit away from me. I don’t want that in my system. Seriously, put it out before you get us both in trouble.”

Sebastian quickly glanced at the entrance of the hotel. He didn’t see any security guards, but he was sure one or two walked by the far corner of the building just now. Observing the guy in front of him cautiously, Seb could tell he wasn’t here for the homecoming dance. He looked about his age, but he didn’t recognize him from school. It didn’t make sense why a kid would be hanging out near an expensive hotel alone unless they were looking for an opportunity to do something shady.

When the guy tried to persuade him to talk about his issues, Seb rolled his eyes. If the guy hadn't acted like a douche bag earlier, he would've considered talking to him. But no, Seb didn't want to deal with someone like him. “Right, as if I’ll tell you anything. Look, just mind your own business and I won’t butt into yours unless you give me a reason to. I don't want any more problems tonight.

He turned around and began walking towards the hotel entrance to get back inside, where more people were gathered. On his way there, he sent a quick message to his aunt to again to, please, finish her work a little faster and pick him up soon because some weird guy wouldn't stop bothering him. He just wanted this night to end already.

 

[Elf_Ruler]

Brayden smiled at her reaction of the diner, it did look like the ones in very teen show, so Bella was right, the movies did get one thing right. He just watched as her face looked confused while she stared at the menu and he couldn’t help but let a small chuckle escape. He shook his head when she looked up at him, he was laughing at how cute she was. He felt like everything she did was cute, and he really appreciated everything about her, the fact that she cared about him even when he never felt like he had earned her concerns. He still accepted all of it and he was also concerned for her. A mutual understanding and bond built up between the two.

When she reached across the table for his hand he obliged and let his fingers intertwine with hers, letting his thumb rub small circles on her hand. She was too good for him, really, she was too good for anyone and deserved only the best. No matter how much Brayden was changing himself he still knew his past and he couldn’t stand that part of his past. But Bella, Bella made him feel like he wasn’t anything like his past and that made him feel like he was on cloud nine for that moment with her. “I’m glad you’ve been enjoying your night. I wanted to make sure you had a good dance, or at least I was trying.” He let out a small sigh. He wished he could’ve stopped all the craziness, but no one could have, and no one could have prepared for this night.

When she moved to sit next to him, he felt his heart rate pick up, Bella made him nervous even if he acted like she didn’t. She was direct and she knew what she wanted, he liked that most about her, she wasn’t afraid to be herself and be open. He was even more elated when she called it a date and let his head rest on hers for a moment, before he used his free hand to turn her head towards his, “I really like you Bella, and I hope you will let me take you on more dates.” He leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to hers, giving her a small but sweet kiss before he pulled away, “You have been the best date, I’ve had in a very long time.” And she really was.

geminiy

 

[Soap]

Raven

The voice she heard, was the last to be expected. The night at lock in was a one-time thing, and she assured him of that because of a certain someone she decided to get closer with. But everyone noticed how that went tonight. The brunette was quiet, glancing at him while he took a seat next to her. Quiet was unlike her, but yet it was who she was. Whenever Raven was bothered by something-- heavily bothered. She shut down. And everyone who knew Raven, knew that she wasn't ever one to stay silent. The girl to speak her mind, sweet and sultry. Brooding and mysterious wasn't one of the stereotypes she was given, not that she was one for those either.

Her eyes only met his as Ronnie's hand softly swept under her jaw. Raven allowed it-- she wanted the distraction. The brunette had a reason she didn't do relationships, and she failed time and time again to attempt to overthrow those reasons. But the more she tried the more she saw the truth. Raven didn't need one. She was okay alone and maybe that was because she knew she wouldn't truly be alone. People like Ronnie... they wanted nothing more or less than she did. Company, a warm body, an outlet to make themselves forget everything else for a little while.

Raven leaned in closer to Ronnie, glancing at his lips while he made comments to the article that would unlikely make the paper. Her benefactor made good points, she had no idea why he'd been rambling for so long. "I don't know." Her voice was hoarse and quiet, and those words barely lasted a full second on her lips until Ronnie replaced them with his own. The brunette returned the kiss with the same fervor and eagerness without a moments hesitation. Ronnie pulled away and Raven hardly gave him the chance to lean back in, pulling him by the hem of his jacket. Her hands roamed and searched for the keys he mentioned, whether he meant it humorously or not. She didn't want a pity kindergarten kiss at the bottom of the steps.

Raven didn't believe in the whole fairy tale shtick.

So naturally, she skipped to the end.

lion.​

 

[Soap]

Grace

It was weird that it hurt Grace. Anyone would feel bad for their best friend being upset. But she hadn't expected it. Ash always was okay even when she clearly wasn't. She expected an, 'I'm fine.' Or... 'It's stupid anyway, they all think less of me.' Which obviously wasn't true-- but it was Ash, it was like her to say those things, and then Grace would be yelling at her to actually confront her feelings. So when Ash said she wasn't okay, it was more than that.

She wasn't upset, or hurt. Ash was broken and Grace knew what that felt like, even if she hadn't experienced as much as Ash did or gone through the things she had. Her admitting she wasn't okay was supposed to be like a breath of relief, but it only made Grace more worried-- scared, even. Why was she afraid? "I know." Was it because she felt like things were going to get worse? Or was this finally the wake up call she needed. The blonde tightened her grip onto the smaller girl, and Ryder felt the need to join in.

Despite the sad circle around them, Grace couldn't help but smile a little at the gesture. After all the drama, arguments and mistakes... well, at least they were still alive and together. "And it's okay, I know it doesn't feel like it now, I know, but it will be." It's sad a seventeen year old had to say, 'at least they were alive.' It's high school and Grace now views life almost as an apocalypse. Fights, bullying, and drug abuse alike-- it's almost as if high school was as scary as prison.

"I promise."

Winona a z u l a​

 

[Winona]

Ash

She felt weak and small with Grace and Ryder hugging her. The three of them probably looked stupid, standing in the middle of a Homecoming dance that was cancelled with everyone running around. But at least for right now, no matter how weak she felt, Ash at least felt safe. Her breathing slowed, and eventually the tears stopped.

But like all good things, eventually the hug had to come to an end.

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

Ryder and Ash had said good bye to Grace while their friend headed off to find Sawyer. Heading outside the hotel had almost hurt worse than being inside, because they had to pass right by Sebastian, and the fact that she had hurt him twisted her heart. There wasn't anything she could even say to make this whole thing better, so instead she had squeezed Ryder's hand and walked past him without looking over. She had fucked up -- Ash knew that, and she didn't blame Sebastian for his reaction at all.

Almost worse than walking past Sebastian had been hearing Ryder's secrets, and now being alone with him. It hurt even more, and Ash didn't know what to say, but she knew that she needed to say something. Anything.

"I need a drink."

Okay, maybe not that, but Ash was starting to remember why she spent so much of last year drowning herself in a bottle. At least then she had some happiness, even if it was fake, and only temporary. Being numb to these kinds of things was nice since, you know, Ash couldn't remember the last time that she had been happy for one solid week. Or even a couple days.

She didn't know what else to say, so instead Ash said nothing until they got to the car, and she had closed her door. Ash still hadn't worked up the nerve to actually look at Ryder -- instead, her gaze was leveled on the floorboards of the car in front of her. She hated herself for this... this whole mess, and she hated herself for being so weak that it had broken her. Again.

"Are we going to fight?" Her voice broke the silence. Ash was used to fighting with Ryder, not having him just... accept it. This wasn't right. This didn't feel right. People didn't just forgive her. They did what Sebastian had done -- they yelled and left, or acted like Ian had on Twitter -- betrayed, because she hadn't said anything.

They didn't just say it was okay when it wasn't okay.

"Look if we're breaking up, just... let me know now. Okay? So I can go catch a ride with my mother."

Ash wouldn't blame him for breaking up with her. She wouldn't even be mad.

Everyone woke up and left her eventually. She was used to it.

a z u l a Mention: Soap​

 

[Dede]

Tom

‘Have you seen my sister? You know, blond, with the ponytail? Face like a puffer fish… Nobody?’ All he got were cold stares. Turns out a lot of people were just as eager to find Beau, so that they could kill her. What was the bounty on her head? Did they want her dead or alive?

Tom had thought about leaving her to her fate. That was always an alluring prospect. Why was he even looking for her? Shouldn't he be trying to dissociate himself from her as much as possible? He could never stand that dumb sister of his, maybe now she’d get her comeuppance. She was the Deedee to his Dexter’s laboratory, with the IQ of a cane toad. Tom was convinced Dad was having an affair with the neighbour when he had him, because there was no way he and Miss Congeniality here came out of the same gene pool.

Now he tracked his accident of a sister down to the car park, where she was being escorted and hustled like a common criminal into a car by the principal and another man. Christ, what happened to her face?

‘So, does she need to go to the hospital?’

No ambulance, though. What a pity. Just a boring old car.

The principal didn’t look all that pleased to see the boy in the wolf costume. Yes, he wasn’t Stu – guilty as charged. That other boy, nowhere to be seen, had practically begged him to take his place as the wolf. Although Tom objected to the idea of dressing up in anything other than a bow tie, he would never say no to a request made in earnest by his childhood crush, Stuart French.

In any case, he put up quite the show. Ten times, he reckoned, ten times a better wolf than Stu. 10/10 would wolf again. Tom clearly enhanced that whole party and was the most memorable part of the night. Well, second most memorable. And how did Westbrook choose to repay him? It tossed him off the stage -- what an ungrateful bunch. If he ever needed proof that life as Stu was difficult, this was it. If this was how Westbrook treated its own mascot, how would it treat everyone else?

Well, wherever they were taking Miss Honey Beau Beau, he was going with. Uninvited, Tom squeezed into the backseat to sit beside his sister. He did not bother with the seatbelt; the furry costume offered plentiful cushion should they crash. So yes, they should crash.

He didn’t say a word to Beau. She was a mess. The inquisition would have to wait until later, when they get home. If they get home.

He slammed the door on his own tail, so that by the time they got to wherever they were headed, the Westbrook Wolf would be rendered tailless once more. However, that was a small price to pay for a night so eventful and admittedly, well, kind of fun fun fun.

Winona

 

[geminiy]

Isabelle Dupont

Maybe her first dance in America hadn't gone exactly how she had imagined in her mind. So what there was no more than one dance, so what if some assholes attempted to ruin their night, so what if it had descended into absolute chaos before it had even begun? As odd as it sounded, Bella couldn't have asked for a more perfect night. She definitely could have gone without the secrets and the drama but when Brayden gently turned her head to face him and placed a soft kiss on her lips, none of it mattered.

Tomorrow, they could deal with the repercussions of that evening. Tomorrow, Brayden could soothe Tatum. Tomorrow, Bella could continue her fruitless search for somewhere for Jackie to stay. Tomorrow. But right then and there, it didn't matter. There was only them, together.

As the two pulled away, the warm blush returned to Bella's cheeks. It had been so long since Bella had kissed someone and she felt safe about it, like she wanted it to happen with her whole heart. It left her happy, left her wanting more. Brayden's next words only brought her more joy. She wasn't sure if she had ever been anyone's 'best date'. Hell, she wasn't entirely sure if she had been anyone's best anything. Even if she had been something important to someone, it didn't matter.

"Well, you're in luck Brayden." Bella giggled. "It just so happens that I like you too. And you are more than welcome to take me on as many dates as you want, as long as I can take you on some too." Bella leaned in for another kiss before resting her head back on his shoulder. "Thank you for an amazing evening Brayden. Its the best date I've ever been on with the best guy I've ever met."

| Brayden Elf_Ruler |​

 

[KingofAesir]

Sawyer
With that whole debacle taken care of, Sawyer had other matters to attend to. Alaska had assumed she would be running back to Grace and perhaps she would have if she hadn't seen her with Ash and Ryder. Sawyer could've sworn at every single person that she passed because none of them knew how to get out of her fucking way. But she refrained from letting them have it and simple resorted to shoving. As she was shoving her way through the crowd she spotted Grace. She was with Ash, good, Ryder was there too which she guessed was also good. Honestly, Sawyer never knew what the hell was going on with Ash and her many, many male...aquaintences? That wasn't the right word. Fuck it, whatever. The point was that she was glad Grace had found her. Sawyer smiled at them from in between confused and gossiping teenagers. That whole thing had targeted Grace too and her first thought was of Ash. She didn't know how someone could be as golden hearted as Grace Jackson. It was a miracle that she'd ever looked Sawyer's way. An angel on Earth. Sawyer still found herself starstruck by Grace. A familiar face passing by her vision pulled Sawyer put of her admiration and refocused her on her previous task. She had a brunette to find.

With one last glance in Grace's direction, Sawyer turned and headed after a hulking mass of a boy in the crowd. He was moving oddly fast and if Sawyer wasn't so tall, she probably would've lost him in the crowd. It also helped that he was in the brightest fucking purple suit jacket Sawyer had ever seen. When she finally caught up to him he was busy talking to a very familiar dark haired girl. Sawyer stopped dead in her tracks as realization hit her like a freight train. She didn't have time to run away before she was spotted and pined down by vicious green eyes that seemed to move like they were full of snakes. Those snakes provided the venom that dripped from her every movement as she stepped around Luke and made her way toward Sawyer. Natalie Portman looked a whole lot different than the last time Sawyer had seen her. The bedraggled and practically insane looking girl from all those months ago was gone, replaced by a sharp-edged woman who's every movement seemed to Sawyer like she was slithering. Though her body language was cold, harsh, her eyes were not. Her eyes burned firey hot like a swirling pool of magma, a stark contrast to the cool fluidity of her movements. To be brief, she looked a whole lot more put together.

"Sawyer. Long time no see." Natalie laughed, cackled really, and a hand found it's way onto Sawyer's shoulder with wickedly long red painted nails. Fake. Just like everything she was about to say. Sawyer didn't have time for this. She reached up and roughly removed Natalie's hand before she could say anything else. Natalie's sudden reappearance was the last of her concerns.

"Luke, have you seen JJ?" Sawyer completely ignored Natalie and found pride in the offended scoff that came from behind her. Luke was silent for a moment, blue eyes flicking between Sawyer and Natalie before he snapped out of whatever was holding his tongue.

"Uh, yeah, she kicked some chick out of the bathroom over there." Luke pointed and Sawyer waisted no time In taking off in the direction of his point. There was no doubt Natalie would make a reappearance at some point but, frankly, Sawyer wasn't the least bit concerned. There was a line at the bathroom. A very angry line. Sawyer muttered under her breath as she pushed her way to the front under a cacophony of complaints from loud-mouthed girls.

"Scram!" Sawyer waved them away and they begrudgingly shuffled off toward the other bathroom. With a heavy sigh, Sawyer turned and knocked softly on the door, "JJ? You had a line out here." Sawyer laughed quietly, "Can I...uh...can you let me in, please?"

Soap​

 

[geminiy]

Genevieve Johannes

Gen had simply been standing there, admiring the fine ladies and gentlemen when all hell broke loose on stage. One moment they were crowing their homecoming king and queen which Gen thought was completely stupid. The whole homecoming court thing was a rigged popularity contest where the cool kids got all the attention and the low kids on the totem pole went home feeling shitty about themselves, everyone knew that. Gen knew how hard it was to be outshone by someone more beautiful, more alluring. But Gen also knew how damn good it felt to be in the spotlight, how to flip through a magazine and see her own face on the pages.

So maybe she didn't feel bad about the kids that didn't win, they just hadn't worked hard enough for it.

Gen walked over to the crowd, looking at the pair on stage beside the over sized furry on stage. Was Westbrook asking to be a joke on Twitter with that mascot or did they seriously not know that there were a thousand other ways to make a wolf mascot look cool? As she got closer, Gen understood why they had won. The girl looked beautiful, her skin glistening under the beam of light shining upon her face, her brunette hair falling loosely in curls. Gen wouldn't have been surprised to see such a girl at one of her photo shoots. But she was nothing compared to the guy standing beside her. That signature smirk appeared on her lips as she took him in, head to toe and back up again.

Alaska Vaughn and Mason Rivera. Gen knew that she wouldn't forget that name any time soon.

The last thing Gen expected to happen at homecoming was complete anarchy. The entire ceremony was overtaken by somebody who, by the sounds of it, had watched way too much Pretty Little Liars. Westbrook, from what she could remember from when she was eleven, had always seemed like a dull place to her. Nothing ever happened when she was a kid, at least nothing interesting that she was involved in. The staleness of Westbrook was part of the reason that Gen didn't want to come back. But to be fair, nothing could top the runways she walked in Milan or the handsome strangers she played with in Athens or the after parties in secret bars in Paris. Oh Europe, how Gen loved that place. But this Wolves thing, now that was some excitement a girl of her style could get behind.

Chaos erupted and Gen simply sipped her drink, suddenly noticing that it had been spiked with something. Gen really didn't care. After so many alcoholic drinks in her lifetime, she was not someone that was easily drunk. Whoever was behind this Wolves character was a real piece of work, definitely some slimy preteen living in their parents' basement playing Fornite on headset and saying 'yo mama' jokes to random strangers on the internet. Gen rolled her eyes. They could at least gone after something fun, not something so personal. Secrets were fun and all but they were meant to be kept.

After the crowd began to simmer down, Gen resumed her scan of the crowd, her gaze falling upon the king himself. He looked upset, angry, lost. Almost heartbroken. Well, Gen may not be an A+ student in chemistry but she definitely had experience in healing broken hearts.

Gen watched as Mason left and waited a few minutes, casually polishing off her drink, before disposing of the cup and following after him. There he was, standing alone, waiting in front of the bronze elevator doors. Gen walked over to beside him, gently pressing the button with a manicured finger. She did not look at Mason, though the smirk still played on her glossed lips.

"I guess your night isn't going as planned. Is it, your Majesty?" Gen teased, her eyes still forward. "I mean, getting put on blast for sleeping around cannot be what you had in mind for the evening. Whoever has it out for you has surely taken their sweet time gathering evidence. I think it would have been more interesting if they had addressed your clear type over the sheer number of girls you got with. All blondes? Its a lie that they have more fun. They say variety is the spice of life, Mason. You should try it sometime."

Gen smoothed a piece of hair away from her face, giving her a clear view of the boy through her peripheral vision. Her earlier assessment had been correct. Mason was very clearly attractive. "I personally think that your little secret is pathetic. I don't think sleeping with people is anything to be ashamed of." Gen continued, finally look over at Mason. "After all, what's wrong with a little fun?"

Gen straightened her posture and looked back at the elevator doors. There was not another person in the hallway. "I'm Genevieve Johannes." She introduced. "So, what else has you down? I mean, I doubt that you sleeping around was a secret. Something else, or someone else, must have caused that scowl. The scowl which, by the way, does nothing for that handsome face of yours."

Ding!

The elevator doors open and Gen steps inside, turning around so that she was fully facing Mason for the first time. "Well, your Highness. Going up or going down?"

| Mason Winona |​

 

[Winona]

Mason

He was too easily distracted by a pretty face.

Mason had stormed out of the stupid Homecoming dance room. He had punched the button several times, finally slamming his fist into the wall and giving up. The elevator was slow. Way too fucking slow for him, and Mason found himself stepping back from the elevator doors. He was angry, he was hurt, he was... Mason didn't fucking know what he was. Just like that, in a single snap, Mason had lost the last things in his life that mattered. Drake was leaving him, and Raven...

Fuck it, Mason gave up. Raven deserved better than him. He was a fuck up, and it was dumb of him to think that he could ever be anything more. That he could actually fit the pieces of his fucked up self together to be even half the man she deserved. Fuck it, he wasn't even a fucking man. Mason was a fucked up, dumb, scared little boy.

The girl who came up was hot. You would have to be blind to not notice that, but Mason wasn't interested. Instead, he kept his amber gaze transfixed on the elevator doors. Waiting for them to open. Thinking about how badly he needed a cigarette and how the moment that he stepped out of this building, he was heading for the nearest gas station. A pack of fucking cigarettes... he still had his fake ID, so maybe some fucking alcohol, and Mason would do what the Riveras did best.

Drown in self-pity and substances.

But she was talking, and Mason had to turn his gaze to her. It would've been rude to not, right? When she called him majesty, he remembered the ridiculous crown still on his head. Mason pulled it off with one hand, and used his other hand to smooth his dark hair back down. Fucking Stu mussing it all up so now he looked fucking stupid. Without hesitation or a second thought, Mason tossed the stupid crown into a nearby trash can before shifting his gaze back to her.

Mason didn't speak. He didn't know why, but words were failing him. Fuck. Wolves had fucked him up more than he would like to admit -- because he was Mason fucking Rivera, and nothing was supposed to get under his skin. Mason was like cold hard steel or... something. Unmovable, unbreakable, and always cold to the touch. This girl was like... the opposite of that. Almost. She felt like fire, and Mason felt like interrupting her might cause her to ditch him and right now?

Well, Mason loved a good distraction.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her as the elevator doors finally slid open, and she glided through. Mason was fucked. She was flirting with him, right? Just like the girls had over the summer, and just like those girls, Mason was hooked. He couldn't walk away even if he wanted to, alright? Well, he could've, but Mason was incredibly weak.

Mason shrugged, stepping into the elevator after her. "Well I was going down," he started, glancing towards the elevator buttons. Mason reached over, pressing the ground floor button because okay, so, Mason was still getting the fuck out of this fucked up fancy rich ass fucking fucked hotel. Then he looked back at her, his eyes catching hers for a moment before they moved slowly down to look at her lips, and then took in the rest of her. And he was Mason, and when he was checking out a girl, he wasn't subtle.

"But now," his gaze moved back up to her eyes, and Mason moved closer to her. He didn't want to push his luck -- he still needed to feel out the situation, make sure that he wasn't picking up on these signals wrong. Mason had been whipped by Raven and before her, fucking Laurel, so he was a little rusty on the flirting thing. The signals.

"Think I'm going wherever you're going, doll face."

Okay, so Mason didn't know her name, and quite honestly? He didn't care to learn it.

geminiy​

 

[fin]

Tarik​

Tarik appeared unfazed when Sebastian waved the smoke away from the area. He had plenty experiences with the authorities in his short life, and his fear of them decreased each time he was sentenced with "community hours," or something soft due to his age. He'd never been caught for anything serious either, and if an officer were to approach the two, he'd just use the homecoming dance as an excuse. "Enjoying the night out with my peers, officer. I wanted to get loose." He imagined himself say. Tarik figured the Westbrook officers were nothing compared to those back home, he'd be completely okay.

"We're not going to get in trouble, hermano. Slow down." He called after Sebastian, but he was growing annoyed with the other boy, even if he didn't show it in his facial expression. Why'd a kid so young have to be so serious all the time? Loosen up for god's sake. He followed some distance after Sebastian though, and was eventually forced to toss the remaining of the blunt as the majority of it had already been smoked away.


He rolls his eyes once again at Sebastian's words. God, why'd I pick this boring loser to talk to, he thinks to himself. "Tonight? This is the last of your worries. I'm attending Westbrook High- with you. I'm going to be there with you every. Single. Day." His said in a slow tone, enunciating every word. He had the same loose gaze on the back of Sebastian's head, the one he once had when he was staring down at him from the trees. "We might as well get acquainted now," He paused slightly, as if missing something, before finishing the sentence. "I don't know your name. But think about it now. Would you rather be the friend or foe of a crazy, youth gangbanger?" He laughs almost maniacally at his own words, but Tarik forced himself stop at the sight of more and more students flooding out of the hotel. Looked like he wouldn't have to be worried about being spotted by any police soon.

"So what do you say? I haven't hurt you or anything. Merely introducing myself. I'm Tarik, and you?"

Location: Front of the Hotel | Interactions: Sebastian, 0k_mang0 ​