Realistic or Modern Westbrook

[Soap]

Grace

Grace wasn’t paying too much attention and sort of zoned out a bit as Keisha told her not to worry about the whole tutoring thing, she simply nodded and gave her a small smile which soon faded. If it wasn’t about tutoring why was Keisha here in the first place? Surely she had better things to do than to talk to her, out of all people.

Popular? Maybe, yes. Interesting? Definitely not. Grace didn’t quite understand Keisha’s interest in her.

Tuning back in at her words. Oh! She wanted to hang out, that’s sweet. See, that made so much more sense now. If there was anything Grace needed, it was definitely more friends.

Especially more so now that her mother was trying to get rid of those too. “Yeah! Definitely, a movie or something?” She smiled brightly at the pretty brunette. Yes, Grace thought she was pretty. But she didn’t need to know that, totally uncalled for. “Actually, whatever you wanna do. It’s been a while since I actually did something with a friend.”

Winona​

 

[Winona]

Mason


So whatever the fuck Sean had been doing for the first half of the school year was obviously something bad. Or at least something he really didn't want to talk about. Okay, whatever, Mason could respect that. But what he couldn't respect was Sean coming here and destroying his chances of asking Sam out! Who the hell did this kind of thing, anyway?

Mason and Sean ended up stepping out of the little dining room into the kitchen. Mason figured they could grab a few drinks and some Kit Kats to keep Stu occupied for the night, but now the question came around to how to dispose of Sean in a non-murderous way. "So Sean, why the hell did you even come here?" He asked bluntly, opening up Raven's fridge to grab out a few Cokes that he had bought and brought here, thank you very much. Mason tossed one in Sean's direction, then leaned back against the counter with his.

"Are you into Sam or something? Because dude, I'm trying to get her alone and take her on like... a fucking date or something." Alright, maybe date was too strong of a word now that he spoke it out. Mason popped the top of his can of pop, and took a sip from it before continuing. "Not like, an official date. Like a friend date. You know what I'm talking about. When you're trying to get to know a girl."

"Anyway, I don't like competition." Mason leveled his gaze at Sean. "So just tell me right now if you're fucking interested and I'll mind my own business." More or less, anyway.

Mason wasn't in the business of spending time on a girl, just to find out they had eyes for someone else, or that someone else was trying just as hard. He'd done that whole song and dance over fucking June at the beginning of the year, and there was no way that Mason could bring himself to face that kind of heartbreak again.

PenguinFox Dede Gomenesigh​

 

[Winona]

Jace


Oh no oh no oh no oh no.

This was beyond an uncomfortable situation to be in.

"I-I mean, I uh... umm..." Jace's stutter came slamming back, and all he wanted to do was crawl into his gray beanie like a turtle and not come out. What the heck was he even supposed to say? "S-she... I mean... Nova, y-you can just... keep it." He finally stuttered out, and then his face turned bright red. He hadn't meant it like... oh no.

"I-I... like, you know... temporarily. Until she gets a different shirt to change into. O-or... if you want to change into the hoodie and give me... my shirt back... now, that's... fine." Oh god, help him before he died from embarrassment throughout this conversation, as his gaze darted nervously between Nova and Ian. One of them were bound to punch him at some point.

"I mean, you c-could just... give me the shirt now... I know you don't have a problem taking your shirt off for guys." That was supposed to be meant as a joke, and a jab at that time she did just that -- took her shirt off for Ryder. For his bleeding bloody very dead looking face, of course. God. At this point, Jace would just have left Ryder bleeding there alone.

"Oh, n-no. I-I didn't..." Fuck.

txlos PenguinFox​

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

Neck Tie was just getting excited for the game, which had just finished loading, when Sam said she didn’t want to play. ‘Oh. . . okay,’ he stammered. ‘That’s— that’s all right.’ Maybe she just didn’t feel like playing a video game anymore. He shouldn’t make her play it if she didn’t want to. After all, it was just a game. . . It wasn’t that big of a deal who played and who didn’t, right?

Then why did it feel so bad? Why was he hurting so much inside?

Neck Tie mustered a small smile and gently pushed the other controller onto the tabletop. Then he turned and faced the small laptop screen, and reluctantly pressed some buttons.

He remembered how Sam said she liked football. Who knew why suddenly she didn’t like it so much anymore. She didn’t seem all that interested when he tried to talk to her about his team and all that. Actually, the girl looked ready to take off. He was convinced she was just offering to stay and watch the game out of politeness to him.

There had to be a reason why he could never hang out with a girl — any girl. Sam wouldn’t be the first to react this way to him — she wouldn’t be the last. Neck Tie figured he must have done or said something wrong, but he didn’t know what. Or was he just not nice or attractive or mature enough? Was it the video with him and the petunias that went viral? . . . Was it his nose?

‘Really. . . it’s fine,’ the boy smiled again slightly. ‘I think I’ll, um. . . I’ll practise with the computer for now.’

So he started playing the game alone, even though his mind wasn’t really in it anymore. Occasionally he looked behind his shoulders to try to see what the others were doing. Then he looked back at the game and figured how big of a loser he was sitting there playing FIFA in a stranger’s house like a friendless nobody. Did Mason buy him the game out of pity?

Winona Gomenesigh PenguinFox

 

[Gomenesigh]

Samantha Gilly

interactions: Dede

Mentions: Winona PenguinFox

Oh no. Sam internally groaned. She hadn’t meant to hurt the boy, but he was clearly upset that she didn’t want to play. She regretted ever bringing up her interest in the sport. She let out a small sigh and took a step back, trying to think of a way to remedy the situation. She really did feel bad and as much as she had been giving Mason shit, she wasn’t one to be that fake. She couldn’t sit there and feign a smile while being interested in a game she couldn’t care less about. She wished she had just been upfront from the start. At least maybe then the boys wouldn’t have wandered off and left her in this mess she created. She watched on almost helplessly as the boy turned to play the game alone. She bit at her lip for a moment before sighing again.

“Stu, it’s not you, okay? I just don’t like video games like that. Or soccer for that matter. I like to play soccer. Like actually go outside and play on a field or in a backyard. You know? I really just wanted to watch you guys play and have fun.”

She patted Stu on the arm lightly and smiled. She really hadn’t meant to make him upset and didn’t really know how to fix it. She wasn’t good at this kind of stuff at all. She awkwardly retracted her hand and looked behind her. Maybe one of the other two could cheer him up, but she had no idea where they’d gone off to.

coding by cychotic

 

[mogy]

Noah

​

Like before, Noah read Ana’s note as she wrote it, already being used to ‘talking’ like this. As she turned down his offer for giving her his jacket, she shivered again, making Noah conflicted once again.

Another note followed right after, this one a question. Unfortunately, it was a question even Noah himself didn’t have an exact answer to. He felt the already-cold breeze become even colder and even he, in his 25 layers of clothing felt a bit chilly. That was when Noah had decided enough was enough.

“Don’t be silly, you will literally freeze out here.” He said, standing up and taking off his whatever-material jacket he was wearing. To him it didn’t really make a difference, but to the girl, it would have made a huge one.

He put the black jacket around the girl, in the most not-creepy way he could, but lets face it, whenever a guy puts his jacket around a girl it is almost certainly is so he could get something from her later, which is definitely not what Noah was going for.

Hoping she didn’t think he was a creep, Noah sat down on the cold bench once again and started to explain: “Like I said, I don’t know why, but you seem familiar, and well, there is always a chance of making a new friend when you meet new people. That said, I am not very well situated when it comes to the friends department at the moment, and you seemed like a nice person, so I decided to give it a shot.” Noah smiled before adding, ”I hope you don’t mind.”

Interactions: Gomenesigh (Ana)​

 

[Direct Timing]

Mr. Xie laughed at the lady who had spoken to him. "You have no idea what you are talking about crazy lady!" Mr. Xie got up and left the room. Most of the parents didn't understand where he was coming from. Some seemed to though, but most didn't. It didn't matter anyway, he was only responsible for Vanden. He was a good kid most of the time, but Vanden needed a little discipline now and then. Mr. Xie made his way to the gym where he had left his son and looked for him through the doorway as the other kids played. There was no sign of him. "Find your own way home." Mr. Xie said walking away.

Vanden was having a really good winning streak on disabling the bomb. "Terrorists ain't got shit on me son." He shouted and then happened to look up at the clock. 3:00PM
"Crap..." Vanden got up. He knew his dad would probably be looking for him. He ran over to the gym and didn't see his dad. He looked back down the hallway and saw the back of his dad. "Dad!" Vanden said running over to him.

Mr. Xie turned his head. "You better hurry if you want a ride home."

Vanden caught up to his dad without saying anything. On the way home Vanden's thoughts turned to Anabelle. He wondered if she ever read his note and would she want to be around him anymore? Probably she read it. Vanden told himself. He hoped she had read it. He wanted to be her friend, he wanted to help her, however he could.

The next day at school was relatively uneventful for him. Vanden kept his eyes open for Anabelle as he walked the hallways of the school. Even during lunch time he had searched for her. At one point he thought he saw her heading outside but after reaching the doors the girl was gone. He thought about where her locker might be, but he didn't know where it was. Shit. Vanden went and sack back down in the school cafeteria and took out his notebook and a pen. He wrote for a while and when he finished he carefully tore the note out and folded it. He stuffed it in his Letterman jacket and put his notebook and pen away. If he saw Anabelle he could hand the note off to her if she didn't want to talk to him. It seemed lately girls were giving him the cold shoulder. Ash had said that people change. Was he changing too? People were complicated and so were relationships. But even with that, it was important to Vanden to have friends. He was pretty sure Ash wouldn't talk to him again but surely Anabelle would.





Mentions: 0k_mang0 Gomenesigh Winona

 

[Gomenesigh]

Anabelle Price

interactions: mogy

Mentions: Direct Timing

Ana hadn’t expected Noah to actually give her the jacket. So when it happened, she was surprised to say the least. She wasn’t ungrateful, though. Heat lingered on the inside of the jacket and the extra layer immediately helped. She used her free hand to hold the two sides of the jacket together, to keep as much of the cold air off as possible.

Thank you…I really appreciate it.

Silence settled between them for a moment as the boy sat back down. Friends. The word almost visibly made her uncomfortable. She was no good at friends either. She hadn’t had any for years. Why did he want to be friends with her? He didn’t know anything about her apart from her name. So, why then? She was certainly nothing special. The one person she had gotten to know at least a little bit since she moved there had been hurt and she had been nothing but a burden. She didn’t want to do the same thing to Noah. Plus, they would be moving soon. Was there really a point in getting a friend for such a short time and then never being able to talk to them again? She really didn’t know. Even so, she was lonely. She had been alone for so long, devoid of friends and any kind of caring family that she often yearned for something, anything. She twisted her pen in her hand again, something that was becoming more and more of a habit.

I’m not…good at friends. I don’t want to be a burden to you.

The words felt awkward even as she wrote them, but she didn’t have any other kind of response. While it would be nice to have a friend, she wasn’t going to risk hurting someone else.

coding by cychotic

 

[Direct Timing]

It was noisy in the cafeteria. Girls were laughing, boys were yelling. He hadn't ever really noticed how loud it was in here with all the echoing off of the walls which seemingly amplified everyone's voices. Vanden got up from the table and left the cafeteria going outside. The cold outside air hit his face with sobriety and his eyes came to rest on two figures sitting on a bench. Anabelle. And there was that other kid from gym yesterday when Vanden and Ash were talking. Vanden frowned at him and then looked to Anabelle and his face changed to a smile. He saw that she was wearing a different jacket. It might be the other guys. "Still borrowing jackets?" Vanden asked and he moved to sit next to her. He brushed some snow off of the bench and sat rather close, so close that his side was touching Anabelle's side. "So, who's your new friend here?" Vanden asked looking over at the other guy. He thought Ash had said his name in the gym but he couldn't quit remember. Vanden was doing his best not to feel jealous, but the feeling was gnawing at him inside.

He was going to have to get Anabelle away from this guy. Get her alone. Vanden really wanted to talk with her. Take her back to his house. That way he could keep an eye on her and know that she was safe. Only he could protect her from the world. And he would.

Interactions: Gomenesigh mogy

 

[0k_mang0]

sebastianLocation: cafe
Interacting: Ash Winona​

“Ash. Cool name,” Sebastian remarked with a small smile. “Part of me wants to make a Pokemon joke, but I think it’ll be kinda lame.” This was a nice change, having an actual one-to-one conversation during slow workdays. Most customers would just order and go. Two weeks ago, Sebastian thought one customer had tried to interact with him, but then realized the guy was only talking through a Bluetooth earpiece. (He was surprised some people still used them.)

When Ash asked about why he never had crepes, he answered, “Well, as I said, it’s about time, which I don’t always have enough of. These are just things I’m dealing with, crepes and cavities, and I know they’re minor things. I could come up with, like, a dozen more important, real-world social, moral or political issues, but I’ve been told it’s not a good way to make friends.”

Clearing a countertop spot of a few mugs just two seats away, Sebastian quietly sighed solemnly, as if almost disappointed at himself that he didn’t know how to make friends the right way—not that he actually cared. Because, as far as he knew, people tended to be socially finicky, and he didn’t want to deal with that.

“As endearing as high school BFFs may sound, realistically not all friendships last forever. The meaningless ones don’t last, anyway. Whoever said ‘friends are forever’ probably meant to make high school life feel less like hell or less boring. It’s not like we live in a teen movie, even though some of them are fun.” Sebastian made a cappuccino with honey and nutmeg while saying his response. After pouring the steamed milk foam, he gave the drink to a neatly dressed elderly man who sat near one end of the bar counter; the elderly man smiled warmly and mumbled a thank-you, and Sebastian returned a nod before going back to the espresso machine, which was stationed in front of Ash.

“I don’t mean to sound nonchalant,” Sebastian stated, swiftly cleaning up his area, “You know, stuff happens, and people drift apart over time. Or they let themselves drift apart, without trying to work things out. That’s life, like Frank Sinatra’s song, but not the end of the world. I might not be the best person to talk about friendships, being one of the outcasts and all. What do you think, Ash? Please, distract me from the bagpipes.”

 

[mogy]

Noah

​

“No problem!” Noah exclaimed, a bit too loud. He looked around, and thankfully there weren’t many people around. The ones that were outside didn’t hear Noah yelling so they weren’t looking at him. His eyes were, once again, back on Ana. It was obvious that she had been cold because there was a sign of relief on her face, most certainly from not being cold.

Soon enough, the ‘talking’ between the two stopped for a second or two, and Noah’s gaze was now on the snow-covered grass not too far from the two sitting on the bench. He would usually look into something and wouldn’t even be aware that he was staring. A habit he was desperate to lose.

What shifted him out of his space gaze was the sound of Ana’s pen on her notebook. He immediately looked at the paper.

“A burden!?” He exclaimed, this time meaning it with the loudness that came with it. He was just so surprised that somebody would think they were a burden to him. That was just impossible! Noah was usually the burden to others, not the other way around. He was a special burden to people, especially people like Mason.

“Not at all!” He continued, but before he could say another word, somebody else had joined the conversation. The guy from yesterday, Vanden or something like that.

Interactions: Gomenesigh (Ana)
Mentions: Direct Timing (Vanden)​

 

[Gomenesigh]

Anabelle Price

interactions: Direct Timing mogy

The conversation between the two wasn’t going so well. Neither of them seemed to be that great at this kind of conversation and they often found themselves with silence building up between them. Even if Noah said she wouldn’t be a burden, she knew it wasn’t true. She was more or less convinced he was saying that just to be nice. If he ever really found out about her, he wouldn’t say those types of things. It wasn’t long until they were joined by someone else. She kept her head down and didn’t immediately recognize who it was, but when she heard the voice, she stiffened. While she enjoyed being around Vanden, she had been dreading seeing him again. She knew he wouldn’t just let go what he had seen in the gym and her face didn’t look any better than yesterday. She felt guilty about the jacket now. The last time she had borrowed one, she had kept it for a week and Vanden was a reminder of it. It was his jacket. She sheepishly shrugged out of the jacket and handed it back to Noah. The warmth had helped but she would be okay without it.

She flinched away from Vanden as he sat down, mostly to protect her injured side. Everything that had happened over the weekend still left marks all over her body. Her cheeks flushed as their sides touched and she couldn’t help but duck her head more. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was so embarrassed. Maybe because she was sitting in between two boys and both of them were paying attention to her to some degree. That was something that had never happened before. It also didn’t help that Vanden was still so close. At least he was warm. It felt weird that she was acting as a kind of go between between them.

This is Noah. I just met him.

Should she tell Vanden that they both thought the other was familiar? No. She decided that was probably a dumb idea. How do you explain that kind of thing but not have any real answers to go along with it? She decided not to say anything until they figured out who the other was, if they ever even figured it out.

This is Vanden. He’s a friend.

Once she had shown her first note to Vanden, she quickly scratched it out and wrote the second note to show Noah. It felt strange calling Vanden a friend. They barely knew each other, had barely spend any time together, but what else could he be? After all they had been through together, they were more than just acquaintances. As if on cue, her elbow and and ankle started throbbing. The cold deadened a lot of the pain, but it was enough to worry her. The buses were gone at that point, so she would have to walk home and with Vanden there, she wasn’t even sure if that was a possibility.

coding by cychotic

 

[DrabberRogue]

It was a fine time for Scarlet Rose to have returned home from her work overseas. Some poor young man, Westbrook's signature Brit according to her son, had apparently been beaten up. Perhaps just one event might've slipped relatively under the radar, but apparently it was just the latest in a long history of violence at Westbrook High. To be honest though, Scarlet normally wouldn't haven't taken much interest in the parent teacher conference. She was a very busy woman and the meeting cut into her schedule. Besides, the cavalier way Jace talked about the situation spoke volumes about how much it affected him. That is to say not at all. She wouldn't have bothered showing up had it not been for for a friend of hers insisting that she attend.

Margaret Harper had been her friend for several years now, ever since both of their children had been in middle school. They'd met at a boy's basketball game, back when Jace was still involved in school sports, and had a pleasant conversation while Margaret's daughter was off watching the game with her friends. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jace and Serena had already been friends for some time. A fact that inevitably led the two mothers to develop a cordial relationship. Even when their kids fell out of touch in the following years they continued to maintain contact. Occasionally attending the same events or meeting up for lunch.

Scarlet of course fully supported the parents' protest, so there wasn't that much harm in showing up to show that support directly if Margaret wanted her to. It was the least she could do. So that's why she was striding in the door alongside both of the Harpers, phone in hand and laptop in a backpack hanging from her shoulder. The parent teacher meeting did cut into her schedule after all and it wasn't the only conference she had to attend. A bluetooth speaker sat plainly visible in her left ear, playing hold music while she waited for the conference call to start. Luckily she might actually be able to socialize a bit before she had to excuse herself. First, though, she had to find a place to set up her computer...


Margaret was glad Scarlet had agreed to come to the meeting. Westbrook's parents really needed to come together on the issue. The violence had perpetuated for too long, and it was making a terrible environment for her daughter. Not to mention that disaster of a play the school had hosted. Honestly, what had Nona expected just leaving children to flail about by themselves? She was lucky her daughter wasn't interested in school plays. To think she could've accidentally gotten high from one of those brownies!

It wasn't long before the other woman went off by herself, casting a polite smile at Margaret as she wandered over to a table in the corner. By a power outlet. Ms Harper certainly didn't envy her old friend's career. Sure she didn't get all the money and opportunities that came with it, but at the same time she could focus on what mattered. Namely her wonderful husband, her perfect daughter, and their entirely sufficient household. Although she certainly wouldn't complain if the latter were a little larger.


Unfortunately the parent teacher conference didn't go off quite the way Margaret and her husband Mike had hoped it would. The discussion with Principle Nona quickly broke down, leading to arguments and pointed fingers in more directions than she'd expected. Scarlet had even been forced to leave the room so her work colleagues wouldn't hear the uproar on her side of the phone. Although the two of them had initially been quite vocal in joining the criticisms of Nona and the way she ran her school, Mike a little more so than his wife, even they were a bit overwhelmed by it all. Especially when Mr. Xie spoke up about his own disciplinary methods. Mike had always been a bit of a hard-ass when their daughter misbehaved, but even he was taken aback by the man's comments. What kind of parent beat their own child until they bled? A Chinese one apparently. Damn authoritarian.

Granted, Mr. Xie did have a point. Principle Nona wasn't the only one responsible for the appalling atmosphere of her school. Serena certainly wasn't part of the problem, as far as he knew. It was the same set of students every time. Most of whose parents were rather infamous for being petty brats in their own right. Not that he ever vocalized his thoughts on the matter. How someone else raised their kids wasn't his business. So Mike's mouth stayed shut for the rest of the meeting, listening while the disastrous conference ground to its end. He didn't have anything more to say.


Wednesday
Jace was glad he'd managed to get out of going to school on Tuesday. From what he'd heard, apparently the only thing Westbrook had lined up for the kids was a game of flag tag. Now don't get him wrong, Jace loved tag and all its variations, but it sounded like the game had just kinda fallen apart not too long after starting. Not going to school meant he got to avoid that disappointment. Instead he'd managed to convince Serena to skip the whole event with him. Not that she needed much convincing, he got the feeling that girl would've tried to stay home of her own volition anyways. The two of them had spent a little time just wandering the town, reminiscing about their middle school days, before Serena dragged him off to the park so they could play basketball. Yes, basketball in the cold. It was awesome. After that they headed back to Jace's house, having lunch and watching movies until it got dark. Well, less watching movies and more playing a movie in the background while Jace tried to get her into a video game. Alas he just ended up playing through the thing while Serena watched, chatting with her the whole time. It would've been more fun to watch her try to figure it out.

It had almost been kind of like a date...

It wasn't though, obviously. They were just old friends taking a day to catch up. Not that he would mind getting a shot with the ever stunning Serena Harper, but It just didn't really seem like that sort of thing would ever happen. Speaking of pretty girls though, Jace's phone felt heavy in his pocket as he strode into the cafe. He'd just wanted to grab an espresso, but just walking into the place reminded him of that girl. Tatum, right? She seemed kind of fun when they'd first met less than a week ago. The girl even gave him her number. Maybe he ought to text her or something, she might give him something to do once he'd gotten his coffee-

Jace stopped in his tracks when he saw who was sitting at the bar. That blonde hair, while similar to that of other blondes, could only belong to one girl. Ash. In the past he'd always been happy to see the cheerleader, but as of late she'd started to seem less and less like the angel he used to see her as. They'd started interacting less, so he was completely out of the loop on why she often seemed to look tired and disheveled. Now the sight of her made him hesitate. Did he really want to approach a bar she was sitting at?

What the hell, might as well take a shot at it. Right? He could always leave if the encounter got unpleasant. Starting his feet up again, he strode right up to the bar, sitting down one seat away from Ash. Just so there was one empty seat to separate them. "Hey Ash!" The boy chimed in greeting, a crooked smile appearing on his face. For a moment he studied her expression, trying to read her mood, before shifting his piercing blue gaze to the bartender. They seemed to already be in conversation, so he decided not to interject with anything else. At least until the bartender got his order. He did still want an espresso after all.

Winona 0k_mang0

 

[PenguinFox]

Tallulah nodded at Jackson. "Yep, more than ready!" she said with a wide grin. She moved to the passenger side of his car. "I love going to new places, especially with my camera...though I typically always have one with me." she said getting in. The entire drive to this mystery location Lulu had her camera out, occasionally snapping a picture out the window. The only time her focus was pulled from the outside world whizzing by was when she received a text from Sam.

No worries! I'm not too into that kind of thing anyway, but glad you had fun! Can't wait to hang out with you again!

She sent a quick reply and refocused her attention back as they pulled up to an abandoned warehouse. "Is this the place?" she asked, a small excited smile resting on her face. She wasn't sure what she was expecting exactly but this was definitely a surprise. Jackson hadn't been kidding this was definitely a place she hadn't seen before. She took a couple of pictures of the eerie and empty outside of the building while thinking how it would look black and white. Then turned to her companion to see what they would do next. Daniel Reaving Mention: Gomenesigh

Sean raised an eyebrow in surprise at Mason and let out a small chuckle. "Y'know, that's something I always respected about you Mason. Not one to beat around the bush." he caught the can tossed to him and gave the other male a nod of appreciation. "I only just met Sam yesterday, so no I'm not trying to steal her or anything. Though if you wanted her alone, inviting other people probably wasn't the best decision." his voice dropped in volume in case the other two were listening. Taking a sip from his drink he continued. "As to why I'm here, I had nothing else to really do. It seemed like you were extending a sort of invitation to be friends, something that I could use after being away for so long. Seems some people have changed and no longer want to hang out anymore; so I jumped at the chance to improve a relationship that was already somewhat established. Though perhaps I misjudged your actions?" he was trying his best to not sound accusatory of Mason, as he wasn't. He was only explaining his side and what he perceived. If he was wrong then he was wrong, and it was no fault of Mason's.

"If you want me to leave, I'll leave. All you have to do is say so. Though..." Sean's gaze shifted to the other room where Stu and Sam were. "That kid might be more difficult to get out then me. Especially in a gentle manner." The Wood's boy looked back to his old teammate. "How are you going to take care of that without being a dick?" He was at least going to make sure that that Stu kid wasn't going to be crushed. He seemed easily excitable, and easily deflated. If Mason was just going to kick him out, which would be a terrible first impression to a 'friend date', Sean would have to step up and take the kid with him. Perhaps he could help him with some work on a car? It all depended on how smart the Rivera boy wanted to play this. Winona Gomenesigh Dede

 

[txlos]

​

Well... it was probably the last thing that Nova had wanted to hear coming out of Jace's mouth. Furthermore, it was the last thing she wanted to hear come out of Jace's mouth while in front of Ian. But most of all, it was the last thing that the auburn haired girl would have expected to come out of the blonde boy. His tone had been so casual, how he said it as if it was normal of Nova to just take her clothes off for guys, and like yeah, she did that one time because Ryder was literally bleeding from the face but she had a sports bra on so why did it matter?! This, this was precisely why she hadn't wanted any interaction. Why she had begun to isolate herself, staying holed up in her room with her own jumbled feelings. But instead here she was, standing in a bleak school hallway with her current boyfriend and ex-boyfriend, both appearing to be heavily judging her with wide eyes that felt as though they were staining her skin. And all she wanted was out.

"It was one time," The statement was void of any emotion, low in an almost whisper, though Nova's hazel eyes betrayed her in the slightest as a well of water began to threaten to spill. Still, hazels stayed locked with the West boy's blues. It wouldn't happen, she wouldn't let it, at least not in front of the two blondes that were blocking her in. She could feel it now, her skin growing hot with embarrassment, her fingers beginning to tap alongside her thigh, and more than anything the petite girl just wanted to duck and run. Not that that would solve anything, but fuck, it would help. Her eyes paced between Jace and Ian for only a moment as her brain rattled itself for a solution, though it only came up with one.

And thank god for sports bras.

Without another word, the Washington native let the green flannel button up fall off of her shoulders before slinging it over her bookbag that hung low at her side. Hasty hands then found the bottom of Jace's shirt and gripped before pulling it swiftly over her head, in this hallway of students all bustling for the door. Some looks were thrown her way, but at this point, Nova couldn't find a reason to care. Well aware that she had sprayed the smallest amount of lavender perfume on herself this morning, leaving the t-shirt with traces of the smell, Nova laid the shirt over Jace's shoulder, slipped her flannel shirt back on, wrapped it close around her mid section and headed for the door. She tried to appear as if the interaction didn't bother her. Once again, it failed. She couldn't hide the amount of hurt that she felt like Ian could, Nova was an open book through and through. Her cheeks burned red, her lips pressed into a thin line, her figure was flexed in every way possible in an attempt to stop the shaking. And maybe it was the cold winter air, but more than likely it was the sheer willpower that Nova was mustering to not breakdown in tears. Though that willpower didn't last long as she headed for her burgundy truck. It felt like it was miles away as the sharp wind blew into her, but the boys behind her felt like they were half way across the world.

And at this point, she didn't know if that was a good or bad feeling.

Winona PenguinFox

 

[PenguinFox]

Possible Trigger Warning in Blurred Text

Ian watched as Jace stumbled over his words. He felt a little bad for him. Sure this was awkward for all three of them, but apparently it was the most awkward for him. That or he naturally was awkward. Then Jace said something that made all of Ian's thoughts stop short. He didn't really have anything against Jace before but now there might just be something. Did he just imply Nova was a slut? If he was upset that Nova and Ian were together fine, whatever, but go after the guy that 'stole' your girl, not the one you supposedly cared about! The thought of punching the ex in the face crossed Ian's mind but he knew he was just angry in the moment. It would solve nothing, and probably even make his life even worse.

Green eyes shifted to Nova as she stated she only did it one time. That was definitely something that the couple would have to talk about at some point, but right now it didn't matter, especially seeing how uncomfortable it seemed to make her. The Evans boy's heart ached for his girlfriend. When she removed the shirt green eyes widened in the slightest but Ian remained silent. What exactly was he supposed to say to that? Soon she was storming off, leaving Ian staring after her, unsure of what to do for a long moment. He turned back to Jace and narrowed his eyes at him. "Dude, what the fuck?" he said before whipping around to go after Nova. He tried to catch up to her but by the time he got outside she was already in her truck and leaving.

"Damn it." Ian muttered as he sat down on the curb. He was starting to feel sick to his stomach. It might have been the blood he'd been swallowing for the past few minutes, but it also might be the crushing loneliness he was now feeling. His parents were never home, his sister was at college, Ash wouldn't talk to him, and now the last person he had left was gone and didn't seem like she wanted to talk to him either. He was completely alone. He hadn't felt like this since when he first arrived in Westbrook. He tried to tell himself that this was all in his head but it really felt like he was destined to have nobody. He stood up and spit some blood into the snow before walking home.

Once home he slammed the door closed and locked it. No one was home as he had predicted so he went to the bathroom and tore off his shirt. He glared at his burning shoulders in the mirror, thinking about all the reasons him being alone was entirely his fault. His teeth were grinding and hot tears filled his eyes, refusing to actually fall. He pulled out his phone and stared at it. He needed to talk to someone but there was no one he could talk to. For what felt like an hour he scrolled up and down his contacts looking for someone he could call. Every time he saw Nova's name he paused and hovered over the call button, but every time he ended up continuing to scroll.

Ian's gaze moved back up into the mirror, back to his shoulders. He felt a rush of emotions as he stared at the self-inflicted scars. Anger, sadness, fear. He felt like additions were almost inevitable. As much as he wanted to add a couple more though his mind kept going back to when he showed Nova. The look on her face. How would she feel if she saw new ones? Ian screamed in frustration and slapped a small vase of flowers off the sink counter and onto the floor below, shattering it. Leaving the mess he went into his room. As he walked in he caught his reflection in the mirror hanging on the back of his door. Feeling disgusted with himself he punched the mirror as hard as he could so he wouldn't have to look at himself. Glass fell to his floor and his hand was covered in dozens of tiny cuts that immediately started bleeding. Good. This is what he deserved. They weren't as deep as his shoulder's cuts but they caused enough physical pain to match his inner pain. They could also be easily explained as an accident. The teenager nodded to himself, satisfied, then went and got some paper towel to stop him from bleeding on the floor. Upon returning to his room he kicked the glass shards into his closet to take care of later. He then sat on the floor and pulled out his phone. He felt so numb now, which he supposed was better than how he was just feeling. Saying screw it he finally hit the call button that sat next to 'Nova < 3'. After several long rings it went to voicemail. Ian sighed and hung up. He should have figured as much. His eyes then rested on another contact he contacted frequently. Well, not frequently anymore, but his phone hadn't registered that yet. It was his ex, Caroline. His hastily wrapped hand hesitated next to her call button. Would she answer? Did she even want to talk to him anymore? She had disappeared after all. But they had been each other's first love hadn't they? Surely she'd pick up if he called her? The Evans boy's head swam with questions as he sat there motionless. He couldn't handle it if he knew for sure he had also lost Caroline from his life. That was something he would rather keep an unknown. txlos Winona

 

[Winona]

Milos


"Dang," he joked. "Stuck with you again." He laughed as they headed outside into the cold. It was easy to spot Dani's nasty old car in the parking lot -- the thing was probably older than Milos' grandparents, but it ran, and he didn't have a vehicle of his own. So they were forced to stick to Dani's dinosaur taking them around. Well, until it inevitably stopped running, which Milos thought was going to be every day as they would make their way around town, obviously causing havoc.

He only removed his arm once they were at the rust tank, and hopped into his familiar spot in the passenger seat. Milos smiled and thanked Dani when she passed him his drink, although he never had the heart to tell her that he disliked the taste of caramel macchiatos. They had basically become like a symbol of their friendship or something. Milos and Dani had been getting these basically since they met, and it wasn't horrible. So he continued to get them, for her.

Once at her house, Milos gave her a small salute, and then headed into her living room with drink in hand. He set it down on a coaster, mind you -- he wasn't some uncultured heathen. Milos then flopped down on the couch, grabbing the remote on his way down, and started scrolling through Netflix for the movie in mind. "Hey, sure you don't want to watch like... Barbie's Life in the Dreamhouse? Totally seems like your style." He called into the kitchen, jokingly, of course.

txlos​

 

[Daniel Reaving]

Jackson
Jackson couldn’t help but chuckle a little as he climbed in and buckled up. Turning the old muscle over it’s engine roared to life before he drove away with Lulah in tow. He had to admit that he expected a little more conversation on the way over but he couldn’t complain. This was a way for him to repay lulah so he was happy with it. Glancing over to her as they pulled up to the old wearhouse. “yup this is it. One of my little pieces of paradise in this town. Now ya gotta promise not to tell anyone alright?”

He asked in a somewhat playful yet still serious tone to her as he smirked at her before turning the car off and hopping out. Closing the door behind him he walked up to the judge wearhouse doors, pulling out a key he slipped it into the lock and it clicked. Unhooking it and letting the heavy chains fall to the floor he glanced back at Lula. “Ready?” He asked softly as he opened the door into the dark wearhouse just enough for them to fit in before closing it behind them.

The inside was damn near pitch black so Jackson gently took one of Lulahs hands in his to guid her. “Sorry the light switch is over here. Just don’t let go of my hand alright.” He informed her as they took a few steps before the thud of Jackson’s head hitting the breaker switch for the lights rang out along with a groan before the movie style thwang of flipping the switch. Instantly the lights hanging from the room illumanted To quite an interesting room. It was massive and rather well Lit. The walls lay covered in all sorts of different works of art. Beautiful, unique. Jackson couldn’t help but admire the work. In the center sat a few beat up old couches and an actual good looking tv, like a little living room. Glancing to Lulah a slightly hesitant look slipped onto his face as he waited to find out her approval. “So uhhh.... what do you think?” He asked as he looked from her to the hundreds of different paintings along the walls

Spoiler: A few of the works

PenguinFox​

 

[Winona]

Ash


"Yeah, the Pokemon jokes are kind of overdone." Ash admitted with a roll of her eyes. At least when high school had rolled around, Pokemon in general had become a less popular thing. Which meant that there were a lot less jokes than when she'd be in elementary school. Yeah, Ash had ended up in the principal's office a few times when she got sick of the jokes.

Okay, this guy was... outrageously deep, almost. "I think you have a pretty dark view on friendships and... life, but I also think t's incredibly realistic." Maybe a little painfully so. Although, at the same time... yeah, it was making Ash think probably a bit too much. "Like, yeah, probably not going to talk to them or be friends with them forever... but... I guess at least I'll still have memories with them forever? It's gonna be lonely being all alone all the time, Sebastian. You should give me your Twitter user and we can hangout."

She wasn't able to push for Sebastian's contact information much longer before Jace approached, taking a seat... near her. Yes, she noticed the seat between them, and for a moment her smile faltered. It felt like everyone these days was just out of reach, but she tried to think too much into it. Jace had been one of the many people that she had fallen out of contact with following her fight with Grace, and her breakup with Ryder. Just one of the many, many casualties at this point.

"Hey, Jace. I haven't seen you around lately. How have you been?" But then she remembered the conversation she'd been having with Sebastian, and certainly didn't want to end. "This is Sebastian. He serves drinks and wisdom."

DrabberRogue 0k_mang0​

 

[Elf_Ruler]

Tatum had stayed at the school longer then she normally would have but she had needed a moment to collect herself and figure out what she was doing with herself. She had collected her books from her locker and her well hidden flask and stuffed it into the inside of her jacket, she had been trying to drink less but sometimes that was easier said than done. She made sure no one was around and that the cameras located around the school wouldn't catch her before she took a swig of her flask and continued her way through the halls. It was late and all the buses were gone. She knew the walk home for her wouldn't be long but it would be cold. As she made her way into the cold she saw two males one she recognized from the ski lodge and one she kind of recognized but not well. There was also a girl and at this point talking with someone or at least trying to was better than talking with no one. Plus it was cold and the girl looked a little conflicted...scared? Tatum couldn't quite tell the emotion but whatever it was she figured she would go over and maybe try and offer a friendly smile and female camaraderie.

She approached the three people her hands tucked deep in her pockets as her feet crunched the ground just a little. She was close when she finally gave a small introduction, "Hey, everyone. Everything over here going okay?" the concern laced in her tone as she spoke. What she wouldn't give for another drink just to warm her and relax her a little more but for now she would just have to rely on herself and her actual charm. She moved closer in the direction of the girl but still kept a safe distance in case any one of them shooed her away. All she could do was hope that they wouldn't at this point. Granted she was probably a surprise for all of them because most other students had already left the grounds of the school.

Interaction(s): Gomenesigh (Anabelle), Direct Timing (Vanden), mogy (Noah)

 

[Winona]

Mason


All he could really do was roll his eyes at Sean's outrageous question. And then he realized that he couldn't be a dick without looking bad in front of Sam, although as he peered back to where the two were at, Mason could practically feel the awkward tension coming from in there. All he wanted to do was groan, or bang his head against the fridge, or kick everyone out and give this a fresh start tomorrow. But nope, Mason had dragged himself into this mess, and now he had to face it.

He looked at Sean, a mixture of annoyance and readiness on his face. "I'm not." He replied then, with an extra Coke, his own, and a couple Kit Kats in hand, Mason headed back into the dining room. Mason threw a smile on his face, acting as if he couldn't feel the tension that was in the air. "Hey, little dude." He stopped next to Stu at the computer, putting down the snacks. "I remembered how much you loved Kit Kats, so I grabbed a couple for you." He glanced at Sam, an eyebrow raised questioningly, then pulled out the chair that she was supposed to be occupying, and took a seat next to Stu. "Let me guess. You're just as good on the computer as in person?"

"Well," Mason scoffed, picking up the extra controller. "You haven't seen how good I am." He cast a wicked glance in Sam's direction, before he continued. "I've been told I am very good with my hands." Yes, there was no way that Mason could leave Stu looking like this and go on a date with Sam, or try to even pursue anything with her.

Bros before hoes, right?

"Yo, Sean, Sam, you two don't have to hangout if you don't want. I know how much it sucks to get your ass handed to you by a freshie," he said with a wink towards Sam, easily implying she'd lost the first game. "I'll see ya guys tomorrow, yeah?"

Dede​

 

[0k_mang0]

sebastian

Location: cafe
Interacting: Ash Winona , Jace DrabberRogue​

“I guess my perspective’s kinda bleak,” Sebastian agreed. “My cousin told I should lighten up last week. And she turned four a few months ago.”

When she asked him for his Twitter user, he felt a little taken aback. He didn’t want to admit being alone all the time was getting, well, lonely; he never expected anyone to actually care if he was. He thought he would get used to it after his old friends practically ditched him a year ago. They thought he would join his last high school’s basketball team after 8th grade, but when he didn’t, they pretended he never existed, hardly tried to understand what he’d been going through since his older brother’s death, and, from an unintentional eavesdrop, they assumed Sebastian would just bounce right back to his old self after almost getting himself killed. Then the rest of his class barely noticed he was there anymore, and he just became wary towards everyone around him.

He started saying, “I would, but I don’t have an account,” when a random guy sat nearby Ash. He suddenly didn’t feel somewhat outgoing as moments ago, now that a third person joined in; he was just another barista in the background again. One barstool seat away isn’t exactly far enough to not be noticed and/or not potentially eavesdrop. It was clear to Sebastian that Jace wanted to talk to Ash, and he would cut in the moment Sebastian makes his drink.

After Ash introduced him, Sebastian greeted her friend with a nod. He wanted to say he wasn’t really wise, just a sardonic guy trying to deal with life, but decided to just accept the small flattery.

“Anything I can get for you?” Sebastian asked Jace.

 

[Direct Timing]

"No, no, I didn't mean you had to give the coat back." Vanden said watching Anabelle hand the coat to Noah. "Keep it on Anabelle. Aren't you cold?" He read her note and smiled. "Oh yeah, Noah. You were in the gym yesterday. Cool." Vanden was quiet for a moment as an awkward silence fell over the group. Then he looked at Anabelle. "So, you two know each other how?" Vanden asked and then looked at Noah arching a brow. He was just asking, it seemed kind of strange that Anabelle was suddenly talking to someone new. But no sooner had he asked the question a girl came outside and approached them. He looked up at her and she looked familiar but he couldn't quite place her face.

"Hi, yeah, everything is just great..." Vanden looked at Anabelle and placed his arm around her shoulder. "Isn't it Anabelle?" He pulled her close to him and smiled. He looked back up at the blond girl. "Have a seat. We were all just hanging out. Oh, I'm Vanden. This beautiful girl next to me is Anabelle, and that guy is Noah." Vanden said nodding towards the boy opposite him. "You look familiar?" Vanden said looking back up at the blond girl.

Interactions: Gomenesigh mogy Elf_Ruler

 

[DrabberRogue]

A bemused eyebrow quirked up on Jace's forehead. Wisdom? That was kind of an odd way to introduce the barista. Kind of interesting though, so he rolled with it. "Wisdom, huh?" The boy tilted his head, lending a mischievous air to his already crooked smile. "Would I have to pay for that too?" He asked in a tone that wasn't nearly as joking as his demeanor. That question wouldn't hang in the air too long though. He needed caffeine after all, so he quickly followed it up with an actual request. "Anyways, could I get an espresso?"

Once he'd placed his order Jace then indeed turned back to Ash, again studying her expression as he drew in breath for a response. She certainly looked cheerful enough. Although it kind of seemed like the girl wasn't entirely happy when he took a seat at the bar. Was she just being polite or something?

Okay, no, now he was reading too much into things. That was stupid. Just get the words out Jace, stop worrying so much about the details. Honestly, he spends one day with Serena and he's already trying to be the next Sherlock. "I've been doin' pretty good! Got into a new game, caught up with Serena-" Shit, he just name dropped another girl. Whatever, just finish the sentence. "-and my Mom's back in town. So I don't have to deal with my own cooking for a little while." Jace wrapped up his sentence with a chuckle, still smiling at the cheerleader. Really he didn't care all that much about his own life report though, despite all the unnecessary detail he'd provided.

"Um... How about you?" Jace's exuberant voice took on a slightly softer tone as he quickly turned the topic back on Ash. That was what interested him, at least for the moment. Even if he'd become less enthusiastic about interacting with the girl over the past few months, she was still... Well... Ash.

Winona 0k_mang0

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

Oh no. Despite his best efforts to act normal, Sam had noticed that something was on his mind, and she’d reached out and patted him on the arm. Neck Tie flinched a little at her cold touch. This had gotten real awkward.

‘Oh— it’s alright,’ he reassured the girl, smiling slightly. ‘I get it. Real football is much more fun. . . I kinda prefer that too. But FIFA’s cool, too.’

He didn’t really buy her excuse though, and as clueless as Neck Tie was about most things, he knew a girl’s rejection when he saw one. At least Sam was polite about it: she didn’t straight up and tell him that she didn’t want to hang out with him.

His eyes fell back onto the screen, where the match was starting. He didn’t know if Sam was staying or going, but it would have been equally awkward either way, and there was little either of them could do to rescue the situation.

Thankfully, Mason arrived. With KitKats.

At this point, Neck Tie couldn’t believe how nice Mason was being to him. First buying him the game, then bringing his favourite snacks, and now joining him for a game. Alright, what was he missing here? What was the catch? Did Mason even know how to play *real* football?

But Neck Tie didn’t doubt his old enemy for long, passing him a smile and a small chuckle, and secretly concluding that Mason really was the coolest guy in Westbrook. No contest.

‘Hmm, so how about if I lose, I’ll. . . I’ll never eat KitKats again. Like ever,’ he said. ‘But if I win, uhh. . .you have to let me hang around with you for. . . mmmm. . . two weeks!!’ Well, Neck Tie was pretty darn confident he’d win, and he was having no luck with girls anyway, so he might as well annoy Mason. Plus, it was only fair that he got his revenge after what the older kid put him through at the start of the year. ‘Shake on it?’ He reached out a hand, and Sam and Sean were his witnesses.

Winona Gomenesigh PenguinFox