Max rolled his eyes when he saw how fast James removed the glasses from their perch on his nose. “Why not just keep them on? Did they get thicker by the way? Ah man I’ve been fine; the family spent the summer in the Swedish archipelago at our summer house.” He said and hugged James back. He followed the direction that James was pointing in “Yeah, that’s fine!” Max said as he opened the door to throw his bags in to the room, he would unpack later.

He saw the letter that James was brandishing in his hands and sighed “Yeah I know I’ve been emailing with Acacia for weeks now, I’ve gone over the budget for it like a hundred times! The council keeps adding more and more things, then again it’s not like we don't have the funds for it though.” Max shrugged and nodded “Yeah let’s go!” he said as they walked out of the apartment.

---

Sunday

The first week rushed by real quick, planning and getting ready for the picnic kept all of the members of the student council busy for most of the day all week. This of course included Max which had been put in charge of all of the purchases needed for all the activities, which he found to be a nuisance and taking away from his reading time. Today was the most hectic day of them all since everything needed to be perfect Acacia wouldn’t have it any other way and Max was not one to go against her word? So he had spent the day setting up tables, putting together the dunk tank and making sure everything was paid for.

Finally Max had gotten to sit down after delegating the last of the chores to some of the junior members of the council. He was sitting at the food table which they had set up under a big oak tree, so that it could be kept cool in the shade. He had taken the opportunity to get some reading done of the book he had started “Charlotte Street” by Danny Wallace, Max had gotten in to reading books that was about ordinary life, and people with real troubles he found it fascinating.

Just as he was about to get to the end of the chapter he herd the rattling of trays, he looked up and saw Acacia coming down the lawn with trays of cupcakes in her hands. Max closed his book and put it back in his bag and threw it back against the oak tree, he stood up and rushed over to help her carry one of the trays. “Let me get that for you!” He said as they walked together towards the picnic table. He set the tray down and surveyed the spread “Wow Ace, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.” He said and raised his eyebrows in admiration and sat back down. The courtyard was starting to fill up with students some new some who had been here for a week like he had, he turned to face Acacia again “Hey, you know what would be fun? If we could get Principal Aldrin on the dunk tank! Do you think he’d do it?” He chuckled and stretched his limbs out which were tired from all the manual labor.

It couldn’t be a nicer day for a picnic. As usual, Celia got up, went for a jog, came back to the flat, swallowed a few savoured mouthfuls of wine, sat in her own shame for a while, brushed her teeth and then got ready for the rest of the day. Caelbury’s picnics were legendary; they were always the first social event of the school year, the first of many, and when she was younger, Celia had always adored them. Today, however, she wasn’t feeling it.

The sun that beat down on her was only going to aggravate the headache she could feel growing behind her temple and it would probably only get worse throughout the day. In her kitchen, was an empty vodka bottle and two empty wine bottles. Most days now were better and she could usually get through work without feeling the urge to guzzle a bottle of wine; she could wait until she got home. However, every now and then, there were days when everything came rushing back to her and it felt like her world was crashing all over again. It didn't make sense; it wasn't as if she'd had a bad first week back at the Academy.

Her first week back had been fairly pleasant; she’d found herself falling back into her old routines. There were a few trouble makers in her classes, but none that disturbed her too much or that she couldn't handle. She'd been pleasantly surprised at the enthusiasm of some of her old students to have her back and had realised what a good choice she had made in going back. However,it didn't half the personal pain she still felt. It just meant that she had to hide it better and exercise her ability to do so on a more regular basis.

Celia slipped out of her running clothes and into the shower, ran her hair through with shampoo and conditioner, used her favourite strawberry soap and then wrapped herself in her towel and made her way through into her bedroom.

“Good morning, Penny.” She absently tickled the puppy behind the ear. The dog’s eyes closed and she looked up at Celia, yawning before flopping down on the bed and resting her head. Celia lay down beside the dog, stroking her soft fur and staring at her ceiling. Penny was five years old; she'd been a Christmas present from her parents and was a substitute for the children she hadn't had the chance to have with her ex. Looking back, she thought she should probably be grateful for that. “You’re coming out with me today, bubby. Once I’ve found something to wear.”

When they arrived at the picnic spot, Celia climbed out of her small, yellow soft-top mini, tapping her leg. Penny jumped out of the car, walking around Celia’s long, tanned legs and sniffing the floor, getting her bearings. A faint and gentle breeze passed by her, ruffling the skirt of the pale pink dress that she was wearing. The neck of the dress was high and decorated with pink roses and she’d practically paired the dress with a pair of white converse.

Celia pushed forwards the front seat and grabbed the plate of sandwiches she’d brought with her, as well as the Penny’s favourite Frisbee. “Come on, baby.” She called the dog to follow her over to the rest of the people standing on the pretty and perfectly preened lawn. The sun shone down on her and Celia slid her sunglasses onto her face, deflecting the unpleasant glare.

"Would you please put some pants on? I feel weird having to ask you twice."

---

This was as informal as he would ever get.

"Why am I so pale?" Hayden mumbled, rubbing the side of his arms deliberately. He wore a loose fitting, grey tank top with an assortment of red and blue stripes, along with a pair of tan shorts that hung just a tad above his knees, and a pair of aviators to top it all off. There was nothing more he'd give to be walking around in a suit and tie, comfy Oxxfords with equally comfy and shiny Lobbs. The day, however, demanded he dress with as much skin showing as possible; he almost forgot the damn sunscreen and deodorant before angrily stomping out of his home. But, it was picnic day and it demanded much from him and he'd give it a bright smile and a happy attitude, if not to make the day go by faster, but to make it enjoyable for the students and teachers coming.

A pair of barking caught his attention, to which Hayden opened the trunk of his SUV to let out two overly ecstatic dogs and to gather the coolers of drinks and extra meats he brought. Slamming the door shut, he turned to watch a few familiar faces stroll by; he'd greet 'em all once he got his end of things set up. The dogs didn't wait, though, immediately spotting a familiar cat and chasing it all the way to the grassy fields their picnic was to be held at. It happened every year, so neither of the teachers noticed much aside from the usual groan.

Running a hand through his hair, Hayden pulled along the two ice filled coolers as he walked through the teacher's section of the parking lot. The sun was relentless and he could feel his skin already burning through the thick layer of sunscreen he had lathered on before leaving. He'd probably reeling tomorrow, waiting for the burn to go away and peel, leaving him with some unfortunately nasty days and no tan as proof of his pain. Nope, Hayden's skin absolutely refused to tan, unlike some of his siblings, which meant that he often hated the summer. It was a wonder why he ever moved to Florida after college, but Caelbury was different, especially with its harsh winters. He didn't mind those, since it meant warm days beside a fireplace with a cup of hot coco in his hand and a movie marathon. Hot summers only meant burned skin and inability to shed any more layers if the AC ever broke. The only good thing he ever got was some really delicious ice cream, which he could happily stuff his face with.

Upon arriving, though, he most of the student council there early, busy as bees doing everything they could to prepare and make this picnic fantastic. The smile that found its way onto his face immediately disappeared as his eyes found Acacia being accosted by none other than that WalkingBurger boy. Sighing, he moved near the two, setting the coolers down by the grill, closely watching Max. After carefully checking the contents of each cooler, he walked up to Max in particular, clearing his throat as his piercing blue eyes stared him down. They softened before turning toward Acacia, the smile immediately overcoming the scowl.

"'Caci," he said, wrapping his large arms around her, "You're doing a great job already. Don't forget to have fun, though."

Turning to Max, he simply nodded his head and uttered, "Max," before giving him a glare and walking back to the grill, where he set up station. His eyes always found their way to the side, as if trying to catch a glimpse of a certain figure, though he'd never admit that... ever, especially not with Acacia standing right there. Shaking his head, he made for one of Acacia's cupcakes, munching on it while he waited for the party to officially start before putting anything on the grill. He didn't feel like adding to the amount of heat he already felt at that particular moment.

---

"Okay. I want a copy on my desk by the end of the day or you will receive a full dessaggelation. "

---

Rolled up button up shirt, navy blue, slightly unbuttoned, a pair of jeans, and some regular sneakers was all that Flynn really needed that day. It wasn't much, but it was hot and he didn't quite feel like sweating in one of his suits that day. Flynn didn't necessarily have much of an opinion on the weather; it was nice outside, hot, but nice nonetheless and the breeze made it bearable. A pair of regular sunglasses sat above his head and in his hands he held two large containers filled with an assortment of cookies that he simply whipped up the other night. He reheated them in the oven to give it that soft, yet crispy taste and because he knew how good melted chocolate tasted.

Oedipus was already scurrying up a tree, Hayden's dogs barking loudly at him while he settled in a well hidden branch, obviously too good to interact with anyone but himself. Flynn could only roll his eyes as he advanced toward where Acacia's cupcakes where sat, taking off the tinfoil on both containers of cookies when he sat them down on the table. He noticed Hayden's distant gaze directed toward the parking lot; he'd not bother him about that, though it did amuse him, a smile readily on his features.

Social gathering and events designed for networking were a nightmare for him, mainly because he didn't, at all, want to interact and talk with others. He preferred either a day alone at home, or a quiet spot in the back simply observing the mingling occupants of a party. This was a meet 'n greet and most people expected the teachers to get all buddy-buddy with the students. That was a no go for Flynn. He didn't mind teachers who befriended their students, he just preferred to keep the relationship as distant and aloof as possible, while still being a good teacher and doing his job. Of course, no one really had to approach him if they didn't want to, but most of the students thought Flynn an enigma. Teenagers were curious by nature and rebellious, as well, meaning someone who generally made themselves off limits, but was also intriguing as an idea became the prime target for poking and prodding and finding out exactly why and how and what.

A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he meandered into the distance, away from the bustling student council kids as he found a nice spot to set up shop. It was close enough that he'd be considered 'involved', but far enough that he really wasn't, at all. Of course, with no one there, Flynn kinda stuck out with the way he sat, tall and imposing in the background. It wouldn't be like that for too long, but he couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable out in the open.

---

"I'd like to buy this man a drink."

---

Yup, nope, he didn't like this too much.

Saul Kirschenzweig wasn't a fan of social gatherings, though he was anything but an introvert. To be honest, he would have gladly smuggled in a cooler of his own filled to the brim with alcohol, but he'd have to do his best to be as happy and amicable as he possibly could. Well, maybe he kind of did already. He took a large swig of the flask of whiskey he'd brought with him, which he immediately shoved into his pocket the moment anyone else walked by. He'd just gotten out of his car, adorned in a white polo shirt and pair of shorts. Apparently, this year's theme was water park. He'd hate to get wet, but the heat was blistering and it wouldn't be a bad thing if he found his way into the school's indoor pool.

Thoughts aside, he hadn't quite brought anything—he severely burned his brownies the other night, to which he quietly lied down on his couch and sulked the rest of the night—but he did bring himself, which was technically as much as anyone could have asked of him. Kids weren't a problem for him, until they came in groves and then they were a problem. His hard demeanor only made for a tolerable classroom, anything else and it became just a little too much for him.

As he neared the picnic area, he spotted the many student council members adding their finishing touches to the picnic before it finally started. It looked like he was early, though there were a few teachers that nestled into their own spaces, Hayden at the grill and Flynn... somewhere—he swore he saw him exiting his car. Shaking his head, he waved to Acacia and Hayden and the boy next to him. Wallenburger? Something like that. He waved it off as he moved toward the grill, eyeing the cooler next to it before smiling brightly at Hayden.

"How's it?" he asked.

The other teacher looked a little lost, but immediately remedied that with a smile and an answer, "Great, great. It's good to see you, Saul. How was your summer?"

"Coulda been better," he mumbled, bending over to fiddle with the cooler at his feet, "What exactly is it you got here? Not alcohol, right?"

Hayden chuckled and shook his head in response, "Just some extra meat. There are drinks over there, though."

"But it's not alcohol," Saul stood again, frowning as his hand rubbed the back of his neck.

Hayden leaned over, smirking as he spoke in a hushed tone, "There's wine in that cooler I brought for the teachers. If you really want, you can pop it open and get you a glass, since no one's here yet. It was supposed to be for afterwards, but I can make an exception, for you."

His head tilted back slightly, his features twisting slightly as he beamed at Hayden. Saul patted his back and said loudly, "Atta boy, Hawthorne." He only got a snicker in response before he bounded off to down a quick glass of the alcoholic drink.

Turning toward Acacia, Hayden made a gesture with his hand and narrowed an eye, "Don't speak of this to anyone, alright?"

Over the last week, Vadimir felt happy to be back at school. The major problem he was having was with his roommate Cole. He hated his personality overall. Vladimir felt that Cole was cocky, anti-social with Vladimir, and seemed angry all of the time. Vladimir understood being angry all the time as he had an inner hatred for a lot of things. Although he understood angry, Vladimir could not get past the cockiness and anti-social attitude. "I swear he's almost as bad as Alice Profit. At least he hasn't insulted my music...yet." Vladimir developed a habit to play his guitar before going to bed. At the moment Vladimir was writing a song and wanted to finish it. To make matters worse, Vladimir was having his reoccurring nightmare about his father. Due to that, he was getting little to no sleep and ended up wandering around campus at night. Of course wandering past curfew was against school rules, but Vladimir didn't really care. "School hasn't started yet, and I doubt I'll get caught anyway." Vladimir reassured himself on those nights.

Vladimir's alarm went off late. He usually slept in on sunday's and wanted a little more, but he needed to get up. Vladimir pulled himself out of his bed and looked at his phone, which he left charging on his nightstand. "Sunday...." Vladimir thought and then remembered today was the day of the picnic. "Shit!" Vladimir said aloud. Forgetting to put on a new shirt from the one he wore to bed, Vladimir threw on a new pair of jeans. Checking that he had his keys, wallet, and phone, Vladimir yanked open the door and ran outside. He had promised Julie he would bring brownies to the picnic, but he completely forgot to buy some at the store. Vladimir hated to go back on his promises, so he needed to hurry in order to be on time for the picnic. Vladimir ran pass the elevator and shot out of the door into the stairwell. He took the steps two at a time and made it to the lobby. As Vladimir was running out of the dorm building, he accidentally knocked into somebody. "Sorry! I need brownies for the picnic" he called out with out looking back.

Vladimir ran to the nearby grocery store and searched the bakery aisle for brownies. He purchased the brownies and ran back to Caelbury. As he arrived to the center of campus he saw all the students and teachers on the field. Valdimir kept running, but out of the corner of his eye he saw a dog and side stepped it. Unfortunately he felt his body knock against another person. "Crap" Vladimir said in his strong accent as he fell on the grass. He heard a crunching noise. He knew immediatley he fell on top of the brownies he had just bought. "I am so sorry." Vladimir said standing up. "That was all my fault. I was in a rush and was not looking. I hope you can forgive me." He had no clue who he had bumped into, but it was..."an older woman...shit...is she a teacher? Has to be. Good thing I apologized and am not a rude dick." Vladimir told himself. The woman was wearing a pale pink dress and the dog he had just side stepped was running around her.

---

Alice had mixed feelings about her new Japanese roommate, Yuki. On one hand, she was likable, but on the other hand, something didn't add up with her. She gave Alice a bad feeling. Alice wanted to trust Yuki, but something told her that would be a horrible idea. Alice came to the conclusion Yuki couldn't be trusted. Alice needed to stay low and off her radar. "Don't tell her anything Alice. Keep to yourself, Alice. Everything will be fine." Of course, Alice knew that they might make good business partners if they got close. " I doubt that would happen though. Still some help would be nice." Alice knew she needed to be even more careful now. "Who knew drug dealing would be so fucking hard?! Alice told herself all week. Alice understood one thing, Yuki could be her acquaintance or her worst nightmare. "Fuck with me...You're a dead bitch...That should be my motto for school president

On Saturday, the day before the picnic, Alice had a spark of brilliance. "Pot brownies." she muttered looking at a box of Hershey brownie mix. Her roommate wasn't in the dorm at the moment, so Alice had at least a few hours to make them for the picnic. She sprung into action gathering all the materials she needed. Vegetable oil, 6 grams of pot, a grinder, a coffee filter, and two boxes hershey's brownie mix. Alice put all the marijuana in the coffee grinder she had bought the day before for the dorm and grinder the marijuana to a fine powder. Then she took a frying pan and spread the powder out evenly. She poured enough oil into the pan for two boxes of brownies. Then she let the oil simmer for an hour. After the oil was done the room smelt a bit like marijuana, so Alice got out an air freshener and cracked the window open a little. She needed to make sure the room was clean smelling. Once she was satisfied, Alice return to her baking. She prepared the two brownie mix boxes in one giant bowl and used the oil she just made as a replacement for the vegetable oil the recipe called for. When she was finished, Alice poured the bowl into two pans to bake them in. When the brownies finished. She cleaned all the pots and pans and placed the brownies in the fridge. "It's going to be a good day tomorrow."

Alice woke up and went through her daily routine. Shower, eat, brush teeth, and watch some TV. Finally it was time to go to the picnic. Alice went to the fridge and got all her brownies. Alice went down into the lobby and suddenly felt someone knock into her. Shirt got caught on the handle of the door and ripped a bit. "Sorry! I need brownies for the picnic" the voice said. "Wow!" Alice yelled recovering from the stumble. She was furious, he ripped her shirt! She noticed the boy who had run into her, the Russian student. "Wait...Brownies? She started to laugh. "This is definitely going to be a good day." Alice went back to her room and put a new shirt on.

In the center of campus, Alice placed her brownies down on the table where all the food was. She decided not to take one now, but instead wait until everyone takes some later. Alice flattened her skirt and sat down underneath the shade of a tree. She closed her eyes waiting for the fun to start.

Whenever one of his children turned eighteen, Christopher Herring gave them a car. Whatever they wanted, with their his approval.

Eliza had thought about rejecting the offer - there was nothing she loathed more than the degree to wich she relied on her parents - but it wouldn't have been smart. An expensive car would be good for her image, sure, and it was a luxury she wouldn't have come her inevitable separation from her father's good graces. So she took him up on it, and they went shopping.

She wasn't sure she'd ever spent that much time with her father in one sitting, before. It was painfully awkward at first; they had nothing to talk about. He didn't understand her, and she didn't care about him. Silent recognition of that fact permeated every moment they spent together. To compensate, Eliza did what she always did - she threw herself into her work. She read every auto magazine, she compared prices and packages and road tests. If she was going to have a car, she decided, she was at least going to have her say with it.

One evening, she sat at the kitchen table in the living room of her dad's NYC apartment, working on making a choice. It was an ostentatious place, and she wanted to hate herself, playing with numbers in the hundreds of thousands like they meant nothing, but she was enjoying it. When her father got home, to her immense surprise, he joined her. They stayed up late, going over all the mundanities of the purchase. It was banal, almost clerical work, but it was also Eliza's first real, valuable choice, so she loved it. Thinking about it now, it seemed laughable that spreadsheets about all weather packages constituted her first real moment of father-daughter bonding, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

In the end, she knew which cars were most comfortable, most efficent, most affordable, but decided that she didn't care. She wanted something that would stand out, something that would be hers. So they went to look at sports cars and convertibles, the kind of thing her brothers drove. She'd settled on a crimson red Jaguar F-type, a fifty-hundred-fifty-horsepower, V8 beast of a car that sounded like a cross between a jet plane and cheetah and at least as fast. It wasn't particularly comfortable, and there wasn't much space, but she loved it. It felt right.

So there she was, wearing sunglasses and a yellow sundress, racing down the highway as fast as she dared. Her hair whipped around behind her - it would be a mess by the time she got to Caelbury. The guttural cries of the engine as she shifted up and down told her she didn't care. She'd been looking forward to getting back to school. She'd felt bad about missing out on the week before classes, about pushing back her reunion with Acacia, but she couldn't bring herself to worry about any of it. When she pulled onto the rolling green campus, past the ancient brick-and-mortar buildings, she mostly just felt disappointed.

She rolled to a stop outside the administration building, about to go in and get her room key, when she had a realization. The welcome-back picnic had already started, she was sure, so why didn't she just go straight there? She'd make an entrance. And she'd see Acacia and the others more quickly. Unpacking could wait. Eliza threw the Jaguar back into drive, and started off again.

The picnic wasn't far away, and in a moment she could see all the little figures standing out on the wide lawn. Most of them were standing around, talking, but some of them were playing party games, and, yes, there was Acacia, standing behind a table piled high with cupcakes. She'd planned the whole event, and probably single-handedly at that. Eliza was unable to stop herself from grinning as she pulled up on the tarmac some feet away, honking her horn gently to draw some attention.

---

Carrying trays of cupcakes wasn't easy. So Acacia was grateful that Max rushed over to help her, and not just about him helping her with the trays. Max probably got a headache, dealing with the finances of the ever growing shopping list. Still, he had managed to make her outrageous ideas possible, including the dunk tank.

"Thanks Max!" She grinned at her friend as she carefully passed the tray over to him. With that tray off of her hands, she was able to pick up the pace and walk with more confidence, reaching the table in no time.

"Outdone myself?" She chuckled, "Nah, baking cupcakes aren't that hard. It just takes a while."

At Max's remark, the President turned her head towards the dunk tank that was covered by a large sheet. "Principal Aldrin? I think he's definitely the type to do that. And Ms. Kendrick. I'm definitely going to ask Ms. Honey about it, and force Hayden somehow."

"And you know what Max? You should do it too! It'll be fun--"

Acacia would've launched into a whole conversation to convince him, but she was interrupted by her brother. She couldn't help but giggle as Hayden did his typical-big-brother stare at Max. Poor Max, it's probably uncomfortable for him!

As he wrapped his arm around her, she squeeze his midsection with both arms. "I always have fun! Make sure not to eat all the cupcakes! I have some left over cake mix by the way, if you want it."

And tsk tsk tsk, Hayden offering alcohol already? It was still early. Acacia gave a dramatic roll of her eyes and a thumbs up towards her brother. Fine, she'd keep quiet. She expected something on return though, maybe a cookie.

Acacia was about to make a comment to Max, when she was once again interrupted, this time by car horn. Her head whipped around to see who it was, and she stared blankly at the car. Who's car was that? It wasn't one she recognized. Her eyes widened as she saw her best friend behind the wheel.

"Eliza!" She yelled, running over. While moving over, she forced her expression into a pouty one. "You didn't help out with the picnic! You're late! How dare you?!"

Eliza stepped out of the car, rolling her eyes to make a show of mock indignation. She smiled broadly at her friend, shutting the door behind her.

"I've been out with my new best friend," she said, gesturing at the car, "She's just so much prettier than you."

"Excuse me?!" Acacia gasped, exaggerating her shock by lifting a hand to cover her mouth. "You're replacing me because it's prettier? I thought I meant more to you Eliza! Fine, I'll find a prettier best friend." She puffed out her cheeks for effect.

Eliza tried to keep a straight face, but failed completely. She collapsed into a giggle and embraced her friend.

"You did all of this by your lonesome, didn't you? I think you baked every one of those cupcakes."

Without waiting for an answer, she turned back to the car, keeping her arm around Acacia's waist. "So - what do you think? I only picked it up yesterday!"

Acacia hugged Eliza tightly. It has been too long, she didn't see her for the entire summer!

She scrutinized the car with a critical look--not that she knew much about them. Cars never interested her, and even though she could take an engine apart and put it back together, the car itself wasn't her priority.

"You know that cars aren't my forte," she remarked, "But I like it! The color really suits you. And if it's your car, I'm sure you made sure that its a perfect fit for you, Eliza."

"I was gonna get a Mercedes or something," Eliza said. "But I couldn't bring myself not to go with this."

She surveyed the picnic again. "Is Wren back? And - how's our room? I haven't seen it yet."

"Wren? I haven't seen her yet, but I know she's here. Sh accepted her dorm key the other day." Acacia shrugged, there were so many people she had yet to see. "And you know that the dorms always look the same! It's fantastic as always though."

"I need her help; I've got to go dress shopping," Eliza said. "WE'VE got to go dress shopping."

She noticed Max and the vice principal, off at a distance, half-watching the two of them. "I'm not taking you away, am I?" She asked, waving at them and starting off in that direction.

=======================================================
...........................August Marco
=======================================================

August would say the first week was pretty uneventful.

The first few days, he tried very hard to avoid pissing his roommate off to terribly. He did, honestly. But after a while, his sickly sweet politeness was getting just about as annoying as his usual self, so he gave up. He annoyed Jacob so easily! For example, he apparently didn't approve when August threw globs of pudding out of the second-story window at unsuspecting students below. He tried to coax Jacob into joining him – it was so much fun! – but hadn't had much luck. He also didn't appreciate the little stunt where August turned off the hot water heater for all the boy's dorms. Hey, he liked cold showers. (He got a few death threats on his FaceBook page after that one.)

So far, so good. He'd only gotten caught with the pudding thing, because no one had any solid proof that is was actually him who turned of the water heater. He got sent to the office when his mistook a teacher as a student and pelted her with chocolate pudding. Whoops. But just once all week, that was pretty good!

Now it was Sunday. He had stocked up on a large variety of chips and stuffed them into his backpack to bring for the picnic. He wasn't very creative when it came to that kind of thing. But hey, everyone likes potato chips. Can't have a barbeque without them!

He had already been to the pool to swim laps that morning, so he headed over to the picnic dressed in gym shorts and his gray Caelbury Academy Swim Team t-shirt. His name was written in big black letters across the back of the shirt, just in case anyone didn't recognize the little devil. His brown hair was still damp and smelled like chlorine, and he had halfheartedly ran his finger through it to get the tangles out.

He walked across the parking lot toward the field in his bare feet. It looked like there was already a decent amount of people, both students and teachers. He scanned through the faces, recognizing a few. He noticed Acacia immediately and was about to call out to her, but thought better when he saw her brother standing nearby. Instead, he headed over to where he saw a bunch of other snack items and laid his bags of chips out neatly with the rest.

He noticed a few of the teachers had dogs running about, and automatically wanted to hug them all. He adored dogs. Just in case he needed one for a canine friend later, he stuck two or three crackers in his pocket before moving away from the snack table. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He skirted around a group of teachers and went to evaluate the large gathering of water guns.

---

=======================================================
...........................Adira Huston
=======================================================

[Coming soon]

Jacob had spent the first week at Caelbury trying to keep to himself. Until classes started, he could relax, play video games, and just not worry for once. It was nice. The picnic was soon, which he always enjoyed. However, this year was different. As the new CO, he would have to get dressed up in his uniform to greet new cadets and generally give the program a good impression. It was something he simultaneously looked forward to and dreaded. He knew he would mess something up, he just wasn't sure what it was yet. Saturday afternoon, he went out and bought a few bottles of soda as well as several bags of chex mix. Chex mix was the fuckin' bomb, and anybody who disagreed was either an idiot or had no soul.

Jolting up as his alarm started blaring, Jacob's arm shot out and slammed the silence button. "Eight AM, here we go baby." Pulling himself out of bed, he walked to the bathroom, showered, shaved very carefully, applied sunscreen, deodorant and antiperspirant, and made his way back to his room. He took his sweet time putting on the uniform, so much time in fact, that he wasn't dressed until nine. This was normal for him, really. One did not simply drag a razor across their face, throw on a Marine Corps Service Uniform, and call it plenty of work. No, unless you wanted to get chewed out, you had to make sure to get every last damned hair, and put that uniform on like a real marine would. Make sure it was clean and crisp, as well as devoid of excess wrinkles.

Yawning as he bit down into a pop tart, Jacob grabbed his pill bottle, stashing it in one of his uniform's many pockets. Nobody would notice if he quickly popped a pill, right? Not like anybody fucking ever does, so why am I worried? Besides, if anybody asks, it's my heart medication. They don't buy it, that's their problem, not mine. That's why I'm not joining the military, not the fact that I've tried to off myself half a dozen times. Stop. That was the past, it's not happening again. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his backpack, which contained everything he'd need for the day, including a fresh change of clothes, and left the room.

Stepping out of the dorm building, he pulled his Cover on and made his way to the picnic grounds, nodding politely at anybody who he recognized. Every step was calm and exact, every turn executed either at half-intervals of forty-five degrees or a perfect ninety degrees. When he reached the picnic grounds, the first thing he did was make a beeline for the Colonel and Mr Hawthorne. As he approached, he smiled and nodded gently at his two favorite teachers. "I hope you two have an excellent day. It's sure hot out...it's gonna get real rough later in the day, if you ask me. Hope y'all are prepared for it." Making his leave from them, he approached Acacia's table, smelling her cupcakes before noticing an unassuming tray of brownies at a nearby table. Grabbing a cupcake with a napkin, he made his way over to the brownie table and also took one of the chocolatey treats.

As he finished the cupcake, he took a deep smell of the brownie, coughing just a little bit. It was a bit odd-smelling, but it wasn't off-putting. Biting down into the brownie, Jacob smiled a little as the taste filled his mouth. "Ahhh...that's some good brownie. I ought to thank whoever made these!" When he made his way back to the table where he'd found them, nobody was directly watching over the brownies. Ahh damn. I was hoping I could get the recipe. Oh well. Deciding that now was as good a time as any to unload his snacks, he carefully swung the backpack around his arm, unzipping it and pulling the bags of chex mix out and pouring them into a few empty bowls, setting them up around the tables. When the bags were emptied out, he took his soda over to the refreshments table and placed the bottles with their plastic brethren, letting out a small sigh. Today was probably gonna be a looong day.

"Sticking out like sore thumb... More like being adventurous!

Well, this was it. This would be the first time Brenden would meet his students, well, at least the entirety of them anyways. At least it was in an informal setting, he would be so nervous if it wasn't.

Nerves. Not a good feeling.

Besides, he was at least kind of excited too. He would have a chance to meet everyone, and hopefully make a good first impression. Still, did he fit the part of the principal? Nope, nope, don't
think about it like that. You are the principal, whether everyone likes it or not. Besides, that vice principal, Hayden Hawthorne seemed like he knew what he was doing. He would consult him before making huge decisions and such. And you know, see if they can get to be at least friends. Brenden wouldn't mind getting to know Hayden better. N-no, there was no attraction! Shut up, Brenden most definitely did not feel that spark once their eyes--

No no no no no. Focus. Picnic. There is a picnic. Concentrate on that.

The past week had been busy for Brenden, with unpacking and getting settled. He was among the people who lived in that nearby apartment, and had to unpack enough to at least make it live-able. Alli and Hayden lived there too right? Would it be weird to invite--argh. Getting distracted again, stop!

No more distractions. He had to leave, like now. Brenden took one last look in the mirror, staring at his reflection one more time. After wearing suits for so long, wearing casual clothing felt strange. Too loose fitting, too normal. His gray T-shirt and navy athletic shorts combination looked good on him, but he had just gotten used to suits. It suited him more, he felt. (No pun intended) Still, he looked like a football player on a day off, so that was a plus. Put on his sunglasses, and he was set.

He was just about to step out of his apartment, before he realized he was about to forget the cornbread that he had baked. It was from a mix, but still. Better than nothing right? Hurrying back, he grabbed the plates and made his way out of the building, into his car.

Before he could drive off towards his destination, he unfolded the map that was in the glove compartment. After being here for a week, the new principal felt like he knew his way around at least a little bit, but it never hurt to double check. And the picnic took place at an area he hasn't gone to before.

After determining that he would not be lost--Caelbury was huge dammit, don't make fun of him if he does!--he drove off towards that direction, rolling down the window to cool himself down. The interior of the car was sizzling, and already, Brenden felt a bead of sweat fall down the nape of his neck. It was beautiful out, but it would also make it uncomfortable to stay out too long. Hopefully, there would be lots of shade.

Once Brenden arrived, he hesitated as he gazed upon everyone in the area. Most of them knew each other already, so how would be make his grand debut? Should he sprint around everyone, or jump out of a tree? Perhaps do a backflip... Nah, he can't do a backflip. He didn't want to break his neck yet.

After some mental debate, Brenden settled for the obvious, confidently walking towards where everyone was, with cornbread in one hand, and his other hand running through his hair.

Nailed it.

The week flew by quickly and soon enough, it was the day of the picnic. James didn't even try to make anything for the potluck, but he had a good reason. He wasn't the best cook, and that was putting it gently. Once, he had even managed to burn a pot of water that he was boiling. He didn't know how it happened, but it did. Whenever he cooked, everyone around him was instantly put into mortal danger, including himself. So, for the good of the general public, he decided the best course of action would be to not attempt cooking ever again. He did, however, bring along a tub of freshly made cookies from the bakery in town and some drinks. It wasn't much, but he had something else up his sleeve. James managed to sneak in bottles of beer over the course of three days. Nothing too alcoholic, of course, everyone getting completely wasted would only tip the teachers off. But the picnic was sort of a party, and a party just wasn't complete without some booze.

Thus, James began his work of transferring the beer into the multiple coolers scattered across the area, burying the bottles under piles of ice and soft drinks. He was suddenly reminded of the Metal Gear games he played as a kid, hiding behind corners and stuff like that. Except in this case, he was Solid Snake and the teachers were the roaming guards out to foil his plans. He didn't actually do any ninja-like maneuvers, but this was the closest he was gonna get. Once his task was complete, he dusted his hands off for a job well done. As long as no one found out and/or tattled on him, this was going to go great.

Heading over to where the picnic table was, James managed to make off with one or two of the cupcakes when no one was looking. He gave himself a brief once over to make sure there weren't any crumbs that would incriminate him of stealing any baked goods before the picnic even officially started. So far so good, his loose-fitting Black Flag tank top and board shorts seemed to be void of any evidence that he could see. But for good measure, since his eyesight probably shouldn't be trusted, he gave them another few swipes with his hand. Noticing someone, he had to squint a bit to actually see who it was. When it turned out to be Acacia, he was just about to call out a greeting, at least until he noticed her brother who was coincidentally also the Vice-Principal watching over her like a hawk. Max was there with Acacia, too. To be honest, James was actually pretty impressed that anyone even dared to strike up a conversation with Acacia when Hayden was around. He knew how over-protective the man could get.

Deciding that he was probably better off avoiding Acacia for the moment if he didn't fancy becoming the target of Mr. Hawthorne's wrath, he strolled over to one of the coolers, pulling out a beer and taking a long swig, though he quickly put it back before anything caught him doing so. Right after, James caught a glimpse of some brightly coloured objects in the distance, and decided to head over to investigate. When he got closer, he realised that the objects were actually many different sorts of water guns. He also noticed that August kid was there as well, probably planning one of his infamous pranks again.

"Hey, Marco! What're you up to this time, eh?"

---

Seth wasn't really an outdoorsy kind of person. The searing hot sun, the grass and dirt -- not a big fan. Which is probably something quite surprising, seeing as he was in the Scouts as a kid and he spent a good part of his time in high school at football practice. None of which was even his choice to make. Most of the time, his father had just signed him up for everything without so much as a warning beforehand. Seth didn't really like any of the stuff he had to join but when his father told him how proud he was of him, it was all worth it. But after years of doing what his father, not what he wanted, he had decided it was time for a change. So here he was, a Literature teacher at Caelbury Academy for the rich, gifted, or both. And more recently, none of the above.

A shout broke Seth out of his thoughts as a stray water balloon narrowly missed him. Another shout, this time an apology, and the culprit was nowhere to be seen. Deciding that actually moving around would render him a less susceptible target, he got up and headed for the picnic table where most people seemed to be gathered. Also, the other Literature teacher from Monday... Celia, he recalled was there as well. Since they were teaching the same subject, he assumed that they were going to be working pretty closely together. So there was no harm in getting to know her better. At least he didn't think there was. As long as he didn't horribly embarrass himself in front of everyone (which would traumatise him for life), it should be just fine. He had seen her around school a few times in the past week, but he didn't really get to have an actual conversation with her just yet.

As he approached, Seth looked around and noticed that most of the students and teachers were wearing clothes that were actually fitting for a hot summer day. He suddenly felt rather dowdy in his own outfit; a grey button-up, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, classic blue jeans, and a pair of "mandals". His sister had told him what they were called, but he didn't really see the difference from normal sandals. He supposed it was a fashion thing, which was definitely not something he was too well-versed in.

"Uh, hi." Seth started when he was in earshot. Eloquent as always, Seth, he thought to himself, inwardly facepalming, but pushed on, anyway.

"Hey, uh, Seth. From the teachers' lounge?" He reintroduced himself. From the teachers' lounge? Did you really just say that? Way to stick your foot in your mouth. Really, I mean it. It's amazing how you always manage to do that. Seth's internal monologues had to be one of his greatest flaws apart from the uncanny ability to immediately drift off into his thoughts if left alone for 10 seconds. Nevertheless, he continued.

"I just thought that maybe we should, you know, get to know each other a little better? Since we teach the same thing and all. And uh, do you need help with those?" Seth pointed to the plate of sandwiches in her hand.

Wren had to hand it to her PA; he had an efficient organizational system and an enviable eye for interior design. Her room had a regal look about it, with its lavish furnishings, all with ornate golden trims. The walls were lined with all of her favorite movie posters as well, all cased in custom-made embellished frames. She smiled at the sight and walked over to the most precious one in her collection, the one that had her mother staring fiercely ahead, poised like the freaking queen. It was the movie that made her mother a legend. She swelled in pride and zeal and determination all at once, as she always did whenever she thought about her mother, then moved on to inspect the rest of her room with a slight giddiness. Wren took a moment to familiarize herself with everything, looking over and sorting through her wardrobe, vanity, and bathroom, before rejoining her new roommate outside.

The rest of the week went by in a flash. Wren fell into routine almost immediately: up by 5:45, exercise, shower, skin regimen, painstakingly choose outfit, breakfast. If she still has some time to kill before she needs to head out, then she would do little acting exercises or reply to some fan tweets (reaching out to the fans was absolutely necessary!). Most of the day was then spent socializing, with Julie or her other friends, and every once in a while, she would have to touch base with her agent or her publicist.

… ★ …

Sunday arrived sooner than she expected, and although the day's festivities got her excited, the sweltering heat that was forecasted was less than ideal. She had to be extra careful under the sun— it was explicitly stated in one of her contracts, which meant she was actually obligated to follow—so constant application of sunscreen was imminent. The weather also severely limited her outfit selection, but Wren took as long to pick out her clothes as she normally would. She decided after careful deliberation to already don her bikini, a simple black set given to her after a photoshoot, and wore form-fitting denim short shorts and a loose pale pink tank top. Wren felt rather short without heels, but anything other than flats would only be an inconvenience today. She planned on enjoying as many activities as she could, and she'll be damned if she let shoes cost her some fun. There was no need for make-up as well, although she had incredibly effective waterproof ones. Finally, her hair was up in a purposely messy bun, with a few wavy strands framing her face elegantly.

Wren smiled at her reflection in approval and then applied the first of many layers of sunscreen. She was embarrassingly super pumped up for this picnic. Was she acting too much like a child? But you can run around with water guns and get a chance to dunk one of the teachers! It was the best way to start a potentially stressful year of school. Smiling again at the thought, Wren grabbed a pair of oversized sunglasses and finally set off.

"See you down there, Jules!" she called as she passed through the living room. "I have to check if the snow cone machine I rented got set up."

By the time she got to the picnic area, there were already quite a number of people there, student and teachers alike. She found that her snow cone machine was indeed set up next to the potluck table, so she was now free to socialize as she pleased. It hurt to admit that her eyes were instantly drawn to the British native hanging around the infamous prank master—because, seriously, what the hell was wrong with her?!—but she immediately looked away and scanned for someone else she could talk to. Mr. Hawthorne was off by the grill with her favorite no-nonsense Australian teacher, and although she hadn't a clue what they were talking about, Wren only had to follow the vice principal's gaze to find out where Acacia was. She giggled when it worked, and was content to find the girl in question dallying by the parking lot with none other than Eliza.

"Hey!" Wren said, already running toward the two older girls excitedly. She hadn't seen them in quite a while! In her haste to join them, unfortunately, she had crashed against a solid frame with a tuft of messy back hair. She barely stumbled from the impact, but in her attempt to save the cornbread she accidentally knocked from his hand, she slipped and fell with a thud.

"Sorry about that, Mr. Aldrin... or is it Principal Aldrin? Mr. Principal?" she laughed a little, clearly a bit disoriented from the fall. "I successfully saved your cornbread, though!"

---

It looked as if people where already coming out of the woodwork to join in on the festivities. Hayden could only beam his happiness, so far, minus the odd glare he shot at his sister; she was up to no good again, this year. Finally, though, he could start the grilling, even if he felt Saul's hard gaze directly on him as he slapped various meats and veggies on the grill.

"So, whaddya use to season 'em?" Saul finally spoke up, taking a draw of the beer he'd fished out of the cooler. Guess he wasn't feeling wine.

Hayden shook his head and turned to him, "Are you going to be one of those guys?"

"One of what?"

"Backseat grillers or cookers, whatever you want to call it. You didn't even bring food for the potluck," he said matter of fact, eyes drifting toward Acacia, but stopping midway to spot a very, very familiar face.

Saul followed his gaze as he stepped aside a tad, saying with a smile, "I've no idea what you're talking about. But, if you wanna go say hi to your boyfriend, I'll gladly take charge of those wonderful burgers." That earned him a very nasty glare.

The sizzling of the grill and the aroma of the delicious food was enough to shut Saul up, though he did give Jacob a mock salute as the boy passed by. "Such a stick-in-the-mud," he mumbled.

"He's the CO in your program, though," Hayden nonchalantly uttered, pressing down on a steak while he eyed the spot behind Saul again, "You don't like him?"

"I said he's a stick-in-the-mud," Saul retorted, "Not that I didn't like him. He's a good kid, but he needs to lighten up a bit. Do what kids do instead of acting like an adult all the damn time."

Apparently, someone had slammed right into their new principal. That was Hayden's cue: he set the tongs down and pushed Saul in front of the grill as he jogged over to the mini-group of people piling near a very, very nice car. Eliza's no doubt. Saul, on the other hand, looked slightly bewildered, but didn't question the man's methods and idly poked at the vegetables placed on the grill.

"There are definitely better ways of getting into someone's pants," he muttered, taking a long swig of his beer.

---

One hand outstretched and the other grabbing onto the plates of cornbread, Hayden hauled what looked to be Wren from the ground. Giving her a smile, he noticed the approaching duo who was largely known as a trio, maybe even a quad of girls—did Rayne associate herself that much with anyone but Acacia? He handed Brenden the cornbread in his musings and looked down at Wren. Though, other than that, he didn't quite know what to do and his eyes immediately locked onto Eliza who had given a large wave in the direction of the picnic. That wasn't quite important to his situation at the moment. Truth be told, he was probably just stalling and looked like an idiot standing there.

Why had he come over again?

He obviously noticed someone smacking into Celia prior, but hadn't really done much about it. That situation actually looked a tad painful. But, Celia looked like she had it under full control. This situation was oddly similar, but a lot less extreme; the cornbread was actually perfectly fine. So why was he there, staring down at the plate of food like he was trying to determine whether or not to stuff his face with it. He wasn't, but it damn well looked like it, the way he squinted his eyes and licked and bit his lower lip.

Then he looked up, straight into the Principal Aldrin's eyes. Nope. Yup. That was probably why.

Hayden gave a loud cough and snatched the cornbread from Brenden's hands, a little too roughly and a tad too desperately. Then, without waiting for a response from the other two, he immediately snorted out, "I'll set these by the rest of the food. Uh, they look delicious; you look deli—very good. Uh. You look nice... Wren. You look nice today, Wren. Fuck me, dammit." And then he turned around and made a bee-line to the table arranged with an assortment of food, probably leaving the two behind him in a cloud of dust and bewilderment. Acacia was probably clutching her side from the hilarity that ensued 'cause Saul certainly was.

With a hard glare, he shoved the man aside as he stared hard into the grill and its contents, flipping the burgers and hot dogs over and making sure the steaks were cooking fast enough. Though, he did look up once to shoot another glare in Saul's direction as he gave another comment.

"Prince charming over here, sweeping the maidens off their feet," he joked, downing his beer. It didn't stay down long as he cracked himself up, spraying the amber liquid off to the side, "Do you do that with every gorgeous fellow you meet? Take his shit and run? If that works—shit, what am I kidding? That wouldn't work on a fucking dog."

"I'm going to kill you," Hayden growled, "and then I'm gonna off myself. Ride off into the sunset and down a cliff. Hashtag Velma and fucking Louise."

"Oh, don't say hashtag. You're trying too hard."

“Hi, there.” Celia smiled as Seth walked over to her. She suppressed a laugh as he offered an awkward introduction. From the teachers' lounge? The corner of her mouth twitched up, but she managed to stop a full on grin from occurring.

“Yeah, the teachers’ lounge. Thats where I know you from." She joked, smiling. "As for getting to know eachother better, I think that’s a great idea; it seems only logical that we’ll be working quite closely. Anything specific you want to know about me?” He didn’t reply to her question, instead offering her help with the plate of assorted sandwiches that she was carrying.

“I was just on my way to set them down on the table, over there.” She gestured towards the table as Penny began sniffing around Seth’s feet. “Penny, leave him alone.” She laughed, leaning down to gently guide the dog away from him. “Sorry about that. She’s curious.”

It was at that moment that Celia felt the collision of someone hitting her back, sending the sandwiches cascading out of her arms. She turned around just in time to see someone hit the floor and land on top of what looked like a lot of chocolate. “Oh, my god.”

She bent down and helped him up. “Are you OK? I’m really sorry about that.” Their apologies overlapped and she paused, smiling as he ran off several variations of the same thing. She laughed once he’d finished.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m fine. I’m not too sure about your t-shirt, though.” She pointed at the Nirvana symbol, which was now less yellow and more brown; the packaging of the brownies had clearly not been up to the task of maintaining its shape beneath the weight of a full grown man.

She bent down and began clearing up the mess on the floor, pushing away Penny, who was attempting to eat the chocolate. “That’s not for you, Penelope. Here.” She launched one of the chicken sandwiches a little way away and Penny jumped on it, gleefully, laying down and munching her way through it, allowing her owner to continue the task of clean up.

After what seemed ages waiting in that corridor, Cole managed to convince himself that she wasnt there. Reluctantly, he shuffled out from that corridor, and back to his own, his whole body posture and confidence pretty much sliced in half with a metaphorical machete. From his room there were only two things he needed, his trainers, and his football. Picking the ball he stood what was seemingly sometime thinking. By the end of his thought process, he had left, and locked the room. He reassured his grip on the football, and turned, heading to the exit. Fragments of his thinking in his room kept niggling away at him. This school wasnt right for him, and he knew that the majority of people hated him. However, it wasnt like he could just 'leave' a school like this. He'd be mad.

He knew he had arrived when the familiar feel of the soft grass beneath his trainers was apparent. He took a breath of fresh air in, before bouncing the ball in front of him. This was what it was all about. Taking time to do the things you love. He kicked the ball in front of him and jogged over to where the majority of the people were. It was clear that nobody was going to talk to him. As a matter of fact, it sat in his mind that everyone was going out of their way to avoid him. Everyone who walked past him either completely blanked him, or looked in the other direction after making eye contact. He sighed, and flicked the ball up, doing a few keepy ups. After about 20, somebody else walked past him, once again going out of their way to avoid him. At that moment, every piece of bottled up anger he had accumulated over the past 3 years snapped. He flicked the ball up and booted it as hard as he could in a random direction before finding a nearby tree to sit under and listen to music and day dream.

---

The burning of rubber on the road screeched as the Lamborghini swung into the car park closest the picnic. "Crap, how am I this late?" Muttered Damien to himself. He pulled up and undid his seat belt as quickly as possible. Before straightened his shirt and trousers, before removing the key from the ignition. SMACK. A ball clattered to bonnet of his car and his heart was in his mouth. He forced the door open and ran around to the front, hands on head. There was no apparent damage and he breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes instantly squinted as he spun around searching for the culprit. The only person within range happened to Be Cole Grimoire. He marched over, ignoring anyone who greeted him, and bounced the ball in front of Cole, so it would land in his lap. "What do you think you're playing at Cole? for goodness sake come on, havent you got better things to be doing than destroying my baby?" He sighed and Cole shrugged. "Get up, and go socialize. I hear Acacia Hawthorne is teaching you to figure skate now eh? You'll have to tell me that story another day... GO." He gestured sarcastically to get up and go into the crowd.

Once Cole had left Damien sighed again, before making his own way into the crowd. He still had Cole's ball. He place it on the ground and took a few paces back, lining up the shot. He dink the ball aiming for Cole's back. The ball flew through the air, and just as he thought he had got it just right, Brendan moved in the way. "Im fired... Im fired.... Im fired..." He clasped his hands over his face as he couldnt bare to watch his career go down the drain. Thankfully, the ball whizzed past Brendan's cheek. He breathed another sigh of relief, and raised his hand in the air with a cheeky grin. "Sorry!" Incidentally, the shot was perfect and clattered Cole in the back, sending him bundling to the ground.

---

Once Cole had dusted himself down, he looked around. There had to be someone he could talk to. Acacia. It would be easy. Just talk about skating. She likes skating. He liked skating. What could go wrong? Famous last words they were. He approached slowly from a distance before announce himself by butting into the current conversation between her and another girl. He grinned and held a hand up. He had done a lot of work over the summer in terms of body figure and strength in order to do the lifts Acacia had been teaching him. It had really paid of and it was noticeable. "Hi Acacia, How was your Summer?" He paused with a little silence. "You look great!" He slapped himself around the face in his own imagination. Stupid. How could he be so stupid. Moron. You just scared her away fool.

Seth hadn't even realised the dog was there, only noticing him/her/it (he wasn't quite sure yet) when it started to circle his feet and sniff at him. Oh. My. God. It was a dog. He had to exercise every last bit of his considerable willpower to stop himself let out an audible 'awww'. The one thing he had most wanted as a kid was a pet dog. Unfortunately, he never did get one, his old man just wouldn't allow it. They did, however, have five cats; which made for quite a bit of chaos in their home. Sofas were scratched, and curtains were ripped to shreds. It was pretty crazy, but Seth's dad had been smitten with them. He was essentially the male equivalent of a crazy cat lady. He supposed he could get a dog in this point in his life if he wanted to, but he wasn't exactly the most responsible person in the world, and he didn't want to put the poor animal through an ordeal like that. Suddenly remembering that he was in a conversation, Seth quickly grounded himself back on Earth.

“Penny, leave him alone.” Ah, so it was female. At least, he thought it was. Penny was a girl's name, right? “Sorry about that. She’s curious.” Okay, hunch confirmed.

"No, no! It's fine. I love dogs!" He blurted out, making some sort of dismissive gesture with his hand. He was just about to suggest to Celia that she tried the iced hibiscus tea he had made for the picnic when a black-clad figure came hurtling towards her. Before he could even issue a warning, the damage had already been done and the aforementioned black-clad figure was collapsed on top of what seemed to be a plate of brownies. Welp, those were completely done for. A few stray ones had flown off to the side but most of it had been crushed under the weight of who he now recognized was Vladimir. He never did have any lessons with him, because he surely would've remembered. All he knew was his name and that he was some kind of guitar/math genius or something.

Turning his attention to Celia, Seth wondered what her reaction would be. Would she flip her shit and go absolutely insane? She didn't seem like the type but one could never be too sure with these kind of things. In the end, her response was decidedly understated. But that was understandable, seeing as no one, apart from the brownies, were actually hurt in the incident.

"Um." Seth gaped dumbly at the mess on the floor and on Vlad's shirt. Nirvana, huh? This kid has a good taste in music. It was a shame that the chocolate stains were probably never going to wash out. Somewhere in the background, Penny was running off after a sandwich. Today was definitely turning out to be interesting.

Deciding that he should probably keep his mouth shut for the moment if he didn't want to say anything stupid, Seth just crouched down and began helping out with cleaning up the mess of mayonnaise and chocolate on the ground.

"Live it up, drink it down, party hard!"

Fact: A party was never complete without pudding. Her chocolate pudding was a delight to eat, but it was rather disappointing. Alli much preferred her homemade chocolate pudding alcoholic shots... But as a teacher, she couldn't bring that to a school picnic! That would have to wait, until the teachers got together for a (tame) party. It's such a shame, really. Alli knew so many recipes that would get a person pleasantly drunk, but she loved this job and wouldn't risk getting fired.

Alli eventually became visible to the people already at the picnic, as she walked gracefully through the grass. Her outfit fluttered around her as a warm breeze blew past. Taking care not to dip her long hair in her pudding, she made a beeline towards the table that hosted all of the food, while looking curiously at the cloth-covered object. What was that? The Student Council had no doubt come up with another crazy idea.

Seeing everyone mingle brought a smile to her face. It felt so good to be back.

---

"Don't judge a book by it's cover."

It's about time.

Why should Yuki be forced to wait to make her fabulous debut at this school? She had waited a long time for a school gathering, because after all, Yuki should make her appearance when there were as many adoring people to be in awe of this Japanese superstar idol. I mean, look at her! Yuki freaking killed her outfit consisting of a fluttering pink skirt, and her cute, short-sleeved sweatshirt. Nobody would look better than her, this she was sure of. Who else would be born as naturally adorable as Yuki Sakurai? The people who got plastic surgery can try, but please.

As Yuki strutted towards the picnic area, she noticed people placing food onto a table. Oh right, potluck. Did she bring anything? No. Did she feel bad? Of course not, Yuki should be waited on hand and foot, not be bringing her fabulous food for these lame people. What? Of course she can cook! I mean, not well, but still. No, no. Shut up. She just thinks that her food is too good for everyone, that's all! Jeez, get your shit together.

She was the newbie at this school, and she only noticed her roommate, Alice, the only one she had met so far. Everyone else was a complete stranger... And excuse me, why weren't the bowing down to her, and begging for her autograph? Didn't these people know who she was?!

Oh right, probably not. They were Americans.

Oh my fucking God.

They're so ignorant.

Feeling disgruntled that her Japanese fame didn't get noticed, Yuki awkwardly hovered by a tree, pouting silently to herself.

---

"Well... That was awkward."

"Whoa!"

Wren's slender frame wasn't enough to send the tall principal sprawling, but his muscular one was enough to send Wren stumbling backwards, apparently.

"Oh jeez, I'm so... Sorry..." Brenden's voice trailed off as he noticed the girl that had ran into him.

Holy shit. It was Catherine Sinclair. It was her, the girl who was in his favorite movie. Brenden was momentarily stupefied, unable to form rational thought in the presence of such a star. What was someone like her doing here? Oh, oh right. She was one of his students. Oh god, she was his student. Wren went to his school. Whoa. HOw could he forget? Dammit Brenden, get your shit together! Would it be weird to ask a student for her autograph? Should he not?

Fortunately, Brenden was saved from making a complete total fool of himself when Hayden suddenly rushed over.

Great. Just great.

If Brenden didn't already look like an idiot after bumping into Wren--literally--he most definitely would now. Hayden had such nice form when he ran, did he know that? His speed was pretty impressive too, definitely athletic, probably worked out... Brenden almost forgot about the cornbread until Hayden shoved it into his hands, he had been busy staring at--

Stop.

Just stop.

How were you supposed to react, when Wren and Hayden, the two people that were capable of stunning Brenden into silence, both just suddenly appeared out of nowhere? Brenden wished he knew. Damn, where was his witty tongue right now? Brenden, quick, say something witty! Say something to break the ice!

"Uh..."

Smooth. Real smooth Brenden. Nice job. I'm sure that was witty, broke the ice, and didn't make you seem like an idiot at all. God, when Hayden's eyes met his, why did it immediately wipe his mind of every rational thought that he was capable of thinking? This wasn't good... Stop acting like an idiot, please Brenden. This is painful to experience. He's not an awkward guy, really! It's just something about being in the presence of one of his favorite actresses and that vice principal... Dude, he was so enthralled that he didn't notice the football that barely hit him.

He felt like slapping himself in the face when Hayden took off after snatching his cornbread. No, don't go! For another moment, Brenden stared after him in a mixture of confusion and--nope. Just stop. He just had to do something. But first...

Brenden finally managed to get his mind working again as he grinned at Wren. "Whatever you decide to call me is fine, Wren. By the way, can I talk to you later? I'd love it if you could tell me about that movie, "Silence". It's one of my favorites, but for now, if you'll excuse me..."

Taking off after Hayden, Brenden followed him, even as he racked his brain for something suitable to say to him, once he caught up.

"Hayden, wait!"

Goddammit.

---

"Nobody is perfect. That's why pencils have erasers."

Acacia's shouts of laughter could be heard. She was currently almost doubled over in laughter as she observed her brother's impulsive actions. Oh my god, Hayden, you are too funny! Despite being a man in his thirties, Hayden was acting exactly like a smitten teenage girl, discovering a crush for the first time. And he still denied the attraction? Come on bro, if you're going to deny it, make it at least a little less obvious!

Eliza was probably staring at her in confusion. Eliza hasn't met the Principal yet--that Acacia knew of anyway--and even if she did, she probably hasn't seen too much interaction between the principal and the vice principal. But to Acacia, it was blatantly obvious. She had never seen Hayden act that way around anyone, and it wasn't too hard for her to connect the dots once she saw the look in his eyes the first time he saw Mr. Aldrin. Seriously, love at first sight, just like the Disney movies that they watched--and sang--together.

Acacia wiped the tears from her eyes and swallowed her giggles when Cole approached them, making an effort to compose herself. She couldn't wipe the broad grin on her face though, probably looking like a complete idiot. "Hey Cole. My summer was you know, summer. How about yours?" Once she had blinked her tears of laughter away, she examined her friend thoroughly. She didn't miss the slightly panicked look in his eyes when he said she looked good. So, she gave a giggle and a reassuring smile.

"Thanks, you don't look half bad yourself! Have you been working out?"

It was at that moment, that Acacia witnessed Brenden chase down Hayden. Oh jeez, it was time for an intervention! She didn't want to see Hayden make a complete total fool out of himself again. Although it was hilarious, it was slightly painful to see as well. She felt the embarrassment that he most likely did, and she couldn't bear to feel it again. It was like that scene in a movie, where someone did something stupid and you felt ashamed for them. And even worse, this was her brother.

"Come on guys, let's go!" Acacia spontaneously grabbed the hands of Eliza and Cole, and quickly dragged them over to the dunk tank hidden under a large cloth. She quickly let go of their hands and jumped onto an empty picnic table.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please gather round, and give me your undivided attention!"

Once everyone gathered round, Acacia grinned, excited at what she was about to present to everyone. The students would already know what was going on, but she had purposely kept it a secret from the teachers.

"Thank you all for coming to our annual picnic, I hope that you're having fun so far! But be aware, the fun is only just starting. Because I have here..." With a dramatic sweep of her arm, Acacia whipped off the cloth covering the dunk tank, exposing it for everyone to see. "A DUNK TANK!!"

"Now the rules are simple! A person sits in the seat suspended above the water, and everyone else gets three chances to throw the ball at the target! Once the ball hits the target, the person in the seat falls into the water!!" Acacia was totally channeling the personality of a game show host right now, no question about it. "Teachers, students, you are all highly encouraged to both sit in the seat, and to do the dunking before I begin to force people!"

With a twinkle in her eyes, Acacia looked directly at the new Principal. "Mr. Aldrin... I would like to officially welcome you to the school, but I'm afraid that I can't do that until you've been properly initiated! And well..." She gestured towards the dunk tank with a smirk.

Brenden couldn't help laughing. First, he had been saved from striking up an awkward conversation about the reason he had chased after Hayden, and now, he was being asked to participate in being plunged into water. Well, fortunately for Acacia, he was up for that, and wouldn't need to be forced.

"Fine, fine..." He chuckled as he began moving towards the dunk tank. On his way there, he pulled off his shirt, exposing his bare upper body as he tossed the shirt carelessly to the side. He wanted a dry shirt to wear later. He also stripped off his shoes and socks before climbing onto the seat. "Are you satisfied, Ms President?" He asked with more laughter.

"YES!!" Acacia squealed happily, bouncing up and down. She retrieved a ball that she had prepared, and shouted to the crowd, "WHO WANTS TO DUNK THE PRINCIPAL?!"

Jacob was still standing by the table with the two-liter bottles on it when he noticed the principal and vice principal talking. No. What? NO. NO WAY. They weren't talking-even Jacob could see that. They were...starstruck! Who could blame them? Catherine freaking Sinclair had just bumped into them. Catherine. Sinclair. Like, holy shit. Holy. Shit. Holy shit holy shit holy shit it's Catherine fucking Sinclair and you're standing alone at a drink table watching the principal like a damned idiot do something. Taking a deep breath, he looked around nervously. As much as he wanted an excuse to go over there and talk, he-HE HAD AN EXCUSE! The fall! Yes, of course, his principal just got knocked into and one of his fellow students just tripped. He couldn't not make sure they were okay. That would be terrible.

Calmly making his way towards two of his favorite people in the world, Jacob was dying inside. Panic was overpowering every inch of his body and he's have been sweating like a beast if he hadn't so liberally applied his anti-antiperspirant this morning. As he came upon the group, Mr Hawthorne had already taken off, the principal chasing after. His eyes grew wide for a second before he blinked the terror away from his face. Great, his conversation buffers had just run off. Dammit all. And now he was alone with Wren oh fucking hell why did he have to be so awkward? Okay, Jacob. Moment of truth. Is this year gonna be decent or terrible? You can do this. The hospital prepared you for this, you can do this.

Jacob made a friendly smile at Wren, nodded his head gently, and stopped calmly near her, gesturing his head at the principal and vice principal. His mouth was feeling a little dry, but he chalked that up to dehydration. He'd have to grab a water bottle to combat the heat. "Look at those two. I got nothing against them, heck, I love Mr Hawthorne, but...they're just acting real silly, don't ya think?" Was that too informal? What was better? They were students at the same school, that was fine. BUT SHE'S CATHERINE FREAKING SINCLAIR YOU LITTLE SHIT YOU SHOULD BE WORSHIPING THE GROUND SHE WALKS ON! No. No, that was fine.

As Acacia revealed the dunk tank, Jacob looked down at himself. He wanted to be up there. It was a bit strange for him, really, but he wanted to try to get more open with people, after all. What better way than to-scars. Fuck. Could he...could he really expose his back to the world? There's...there's no way anybody would want to see that. Still...he had to try, right? Yeah...yeah, after principal Aldrin was done, he'd try. He'd get changed real quick, stuff his clothes into his bag, and get dunked. Yeah. Yeah, that would work. That's a plan, that's a good plan.

---

"Oi! Fill that with beer and I'll give it a go," Saul shouted, pointing at the newly revealed dunk tank, though he put his hand down and smacked Hayden on the back just as Brenden approached, "Actually, I think I'll go grab the good ol' doctor and throw him in there—"

"What about me?" Flynn scratched his head, Oedipus in his arms as he blinked in mild confusion.

"What the fuck? How long have you been standing there?"

"Just a few minutes."

"Don't do that shit; you're gonna give me a heart attack."

"I simply forgot you had a heart condition Mr. Kirschenzweig, I apologize. But, I don't think alcohol is permissible on school grounds."

"Don't change the subject, you bastard. If you do that again, I'm gonna knock your fucking teeth out."

"Is that your fifth beer already?"

"Why does it matter? This isn't an interrogation, is it? I don't need to fucking tell you shit,"

"I was simply asking. Your aggression seems to elevate when you continue to consume—"

"I'm not fucking angry. I can show you fucking angry, you dickhead."

"I didn't say you were angry."

"Well it sure sounded like it. Stop muddling your words, for fuck's sake; I can't understand a damn thing you're saying."

"I'm being as direct as I possibly can. You're drinking seems to be hazing over your cognitive processes if you can't deduce what I'm trying to tell you."

"Cognitive—what the fuck? Just—I don't need your shit, Flynn. I was going to ask you a simple question, but you fucking over-complicate this shit like it was a damn mathematical problem."

"I apologize, Mr. Kirschenzweig."

"I'm going to drown you," Saul mumbled, placing a hand behind the small of Flynn's back and ushering him forward.

"What?" Flynn arched a brow, looking down at Saul's hardening grip on his bottle and then at the scowl on his face.

"Nothing..."

The two immediately left after that, following Hayden's gaze toward the dunk tank, Oedipus having found his way up another tree, hissing at the occupant beneath it before disappearing up its multitude of branches.

"Drink the damn beer,"

"But, it's yours. Your germs are all—"

"Goddammit, Flynn. I swear, if you don't drink this fucking beer, I'm going to bash it over your damn skull you bloody fuck of a damn teacher."

---

---

That's what he was forgetting: a towel. Then again, Hayden hadn't quite expected Acacia to do something like this, but he should have at least suspected it. It was a hot day and what better way to cool off than to let students fling a ball at a small target in hopes of getting all their pre-school year frustration out on their teachers? Principal Aldrin, however, was one of the few among the new batch of employees and he had definitely made a great impression on most of the students. Why anyone would want to dunk him was beyond Hayden's comprehension. But, it did give him an excuse to ogle and gawk and stare and whatever could define what he was doing at that very moment. Before Flynn had arrived and left, Saul had patted him on the back sympathetically just as Brenden began his approach and just as he was beginning to look like a deer in headlights, of which the Australian giant of a man noticed.

Acacia, the great little sister she was, came to his rescue, though, setting up the perfect detour to help him avoid an extremely awkward situation. What the hell were they going to talk about? Cornbread and how he knew absolutely nothing about him, but would still gladly let that man do some very inappropriate things to him. Oh, those thoughts didn't help his situation out any. Hayden shook his head with a light blush, taking everything off the grill and setting them up perfectly on the table for anyone to grab. He didn't reset the grill, instead turning it off for the duration of this whole dunk tank fiasco in hopes of... well, he shouldn't really be thinking of that at the moment.

There had to be a batch of towels somewhere, though. Did Acacia really go to all that trouble bringing a damn dunk tank onto campus grounds, secretively he might add, to have totally forgotten about giving out towels to the people she put in the dunk tank? Smart girl, super smart girl, too smart for her own good. Forgetting something as menial as that shouldn't have surprised him much, but he couldn't help but smile to himself as he quickly ran into the school's pool showers where he knew the janitors had stocked fresh towels for the week. They ran those things through the cleaning regimen like nobody's business; he'd have to commend them on how extremely good at their job they were. His mother probably forced a few of the superintendents to hire a bunch of neat freaks and raise their pay for incentive. Yeah, that was the most likely the case, knowing her.

Arriving back in just a few minutes, he positioned himself behind the dunk tank to help the people out, whether or not Acacia gathered willing or forced participants. Well, there was a table set up behind it, but it was devoid of the amenities to help out those unfortunate souls who found themselves soaked. Taking up post beside the tank, he let himself stare a little too long into the crowd, spotting Saul with a very sinister smile and a death grip fiercely digging into a very uncomfortable looking Flynn's shoulder and side. Poor guy had unmistakably fallen into Saul's trap; no amount of backpedaling, pleading, or confusing would get him out of that situation. In his roaming, he caught sight of Acacia and that Cole boy, who he no doubt glared at for too long before catching Brenden and, again, stared at him for a little too long before he coughed, looked away, and waited for Acacia to escort her victim.

Julie’s week had been pretty rough, she had been scheduled at work almost every day and it had gotten kind of hard to hide why she had to go out of the apartment for longer periods of time from Wren. Even though it had only been a week the girls had gotten close, they actually had a lot of things to talk about and they got along really well. That’s why Julie found it hard to lie to Wren, especially since Julie was such a shoddy liar. But she had managed to get this weekend off, which was perfect because today was the annual picnic. Julie had decided to contribute to the potluck by making mini subs. They were just mini baguettes with salami and brie and veggies, nothing special but she enjoyed making something with the time she had.

She was making the finishing touches to the trays of subs when she heard her roommate calling from the living room, “Yeah sure I’ll be down in a sec!” Julie called back as she put down the last of the vegetarian ones which just had the brie in them, now that she was standing there looking at the two rather large sized trays it dawned on her how on earth will I bring these down? She shrugged and put her hair up in to a ponytail and dusted the breadcrumbs of her hands before she picked up the trays and began the decent from the apartment to the courtyard.

The walk downstairs wasn’t that bad, but the stairs did take quite some time since Julie had to look where she put her foot before every step so she wouldn’t fall over and break her neck. But the change from solid ground to soft grass put Julie’s balance of and she began to wobble, she steadied herself and stopped. Julie started to take larger and slower strides, to someone watching her she must have looked ridiculous but in her mind this help with the not falling over. She finally got to the food table and set down the trays with a deep sigh “I made it…” she whispered. She looked around and spotted some familiar faces, her gaze landed on Mr. Aldrin running after Mr. Hawethorne, which looked pretty odd and awkward even for Julie’s standards.

Then she saw from where they had come from and spotted Jacob standing next to Wren who also where watching the scene. Jacob looked like he’d seen a ghost standing next to Wren; Julie had gotten pretty used to the stares and the whisperings “No, no there she is! No not that girl but next to her!” or “Oh my god, to think that Catherine Sinclair had such ordinary friends!” was not uncommon on a daily basis. But she got why people got nervous around Wren, she is a movie star after all. “Hey guys, what was that all about?” Julie smiled as she approached them and pointing her thumb back at the grown men chasing one another. “How have you been Jacob, how was your summer?” She said and smiled at Jacob and squeezed his shoulder trying to make him feel less nervous.

Julie turned around as she heard Acacia welcome everyone, she smiled wide when the dunk tank was revealed, Julie had heard from Acacia that this was planned as a surprise for the teachers. She thought that a lot of students would take this as a chance of revenge for bad grades and that this could be really entertaining. Mostly she who of the teachers would get up there… like could you imagine if Mr. Zimmerman went up there? Julie cheered as Mr. Aldrin offered himself , “I wonder who’ll dunk him?” She asked her friends.

---

Max tensed up as Mr. Hawthorne walked past, he nodded “… Mr. Hawthorne!” he blurted. He blinked and shook his head before turning to Acacia and whispering “Why does your brother hate me?” he made a mock freaked out face and sat back down, even though the face was somewhat legit. As the brand new red sports car drove up and Acacia sprinted over to greet her best friend Max took this opportunity to take out his little notebook.

“August 24th, Sunday

So yeah, it happened again. I got the death stare from Hayden Hawthorne. In fact he’s still shooting them daggers at me right now, I can see it in the corner of my eyes. Then again I can’t be sure… I’m too afraid to look over and check! God, maybe if I never speak to Acacia again he’ll cross me off his kill list?”

He closed the little book and put it away again just as Acacia and Eliza were getting back to the table. Max smiled at Eliza “Well hello there, are you not a bit late? See we students who care came here last week.” Max chuckled as he gestured to Acacia and himself. He gave Cole a small wave as he came up to them, he looked over his shoulder to look at Mr. Hawthorne to see if he heard what Cole had said. This kid doesn’t know what he was getting himself in to if he was trying to put the moves on old Ace.

“So I see you got a new toy.” Max said to Eliza and nodding his head towards her new car, he smiled at her “It’s nice, suits you.” Just then Acacia started to move them over to the big reveal of the dunk tank. Max had spent most of the week trying to get this dunk tank to get here. Who knew that dunk tanks were so few and far between and not to mention expensive, but eventually it worked itself out. As Acacia stood on the table to explain to everyone how this would work Max shook his head and laughed, who would have thought that this soft spoken put together girl can turn in to this bundle of energy in just a drop of a hat when she needed to.

She even got his wish granted and got Principal Aldrin to volunteer to go first. Seeing as it was Max who wanted to get the principal up there it was only fair that it was he who dunked him it was also a good way to show that the student council was a group of fun people and not only “the rule bringers”.

“Hey Ace! I’ll do it!” Max said and walked forward with his hand raised in to the air. On the table in front of the dunk tank one of the student council “minions” had brought out a basket of balls to throw. Max picked one up and tossed it in his hands to get a feel of the ball. He looked at Mr. Aldrin and made an apologetic face and mouthed “I’m sorry”. He braced himself and threw the ball, it missed by just an inch. Max laughed “One more!” he said and picked another ball. He concentrated on the mark and aimed, this time the ball hit the red button and there was the splash!

Vladim continued to laugh. "I just realized I must have sounded very dumb. I kept apologizing by saying the exact same thing." The whole situation he found amusing. Vladimir looked down at his t-shirt when the woman pointed at his shirt. "Well that's just great. My favorite shirt ruined. I swear I'm going to have an aneurysm..." Vladimir paused...he laughed a little, "Aneurysm is a Nirvana song." He finished lamely. "I'm a huge fan so I've learned to play the majority of their songs on my guitar. Kurt Cobain is an idol to me...incase you were wondering. He was a bit disappointed. He knew that the stain wasn't going to wash out, which wasn't a huge deal as Vladimir just bought the shirt at a Wal-Mart

Vladimir saw the dog he side step attempting to eat the chocolate brownies he had just landed on. "That's a very adorable dog." Vladimir said bending down to clean up the mess he had made. He opened the plastic box the brownies came in which still had a few smashed brownies inside. He started to place the other brownies that fell on the ground in the box. When he finished Vladimir stood up with the box of brownies in his hand. Vladimir felt a bit awkward, he didn't know any of the teachers that were with him. "I just realized I haven't properly introduced myself to you two. I don't believe we have ever met. I only came last year half way through the year. My name is Vladimir Kalkovich. I am from Moscow, Russia as you probably can tell from the accent. I guess you can say I fit the stereotype of a Russian." Vladimir said. He usually introduced himself in a joking manner. Vladimir continued to list of stereotypes ranging from being a communist to only drinking vodka. Vladimir spoke sarcastically assuming that the teachers were intelligent enough to pick up sarcasm.

Vladimir looked up at the sound of a voice asking for the people at the picnic to follow. It of course was Acacia. Vladimir glanced back at Seth and Celia. "It was nice metting both of you, but I am going to see what all the commotion is about." Vladimir petted Penelope, "Very nice meeting you as well Penelope." While walking over to where the group was gathering, Vladimir threw out his brownies. Vladimir spotted some familiar faces in the crowd. He walked over to the three people he instantly recognized, Jacob, Wren, and Julie. Vladimir slid in between Jacob and Wren and put his arms around their shoulders. "Hello my friends!" Vladimir smiled. "Jacob I've been meaning to talk to you about airsoft war, but that can wait." He smiled at Jacob. "You look like Elvis Presley in that uniform Jacob. Let me teach you how to play guitar and women will be all over you." Vladimir then directed his gaze towards Julie, "Hello! I hope you're doing well."

Vladimir then shut up as Acacia was explaining the dunk tank. Vladimir wanted to go up there. Sure he had some pretty nasty scaring on his chest and back; the cause being the acts his father committed. It didn't bother him that much. Vladimir always told himself, "Physical marks heal." After the Principle got dunked maybe he'd go up. "Who do you think is going to try to dunk Mr. Aldrin?" Vladimir asked his friends.

---

Alice saw from a distance a boy eat one of her brownies. A few other people grabbed some and put them on their plates along with sandwiches and fruit. Alice giggled. She couldn't wait to see the chaos go down. Of course when the teachers found out the brownies were spiked, she would say she saw Vladimir Kalkovich place them on the table. Nobody would suspect her...at least not yet. Alice just then had a brilliant idea. She went to the table where all the food was and grabbed a brownie. Alice noticed a large group gathering around Acacia. From a distance, Alice saw a dunk tank be revealed from underneath a tarp. "How Childish..." Alice murmured to herself. Walking over to the large group she listened to Acacia's speech. "Who cares about a stupid dunk tank? Better yet who would do that? You'll get wet and....ugh people are just so stupid." Alice found a few people from her grade in the crowd. She stood next to them and ate the brownie in her hand. "Oh wow! These brownies the Russia kid brought in Junior year are really good!" She exclaimed a tad bit to loudly. "You have to try one. I haven't had anything this tasty in a long ass time." Alice was sure her voice reached the people behind her as well. "Good...I want you dumasses to know it was Vlad, who brought these. Now spread that rumor around my bitches."

Speaking of Vladimir, Alice saw him up ahead. He was chatting to Jacob, Wren and Julie. "Jacob", she remembered, "was the first to eat the brownies. Being in JROTC, this could get really interesting. He's so pathetic...Why the fuck is he in the program? How did he get in? He's not tough at all. God." Alice walked away from the crowd not wanting to get involved with these stupid games. She went back to the food table in which she grabbed a sandwich and a few her homemade brownies. She went back under her tree and started to eat her food.

Eliza gave Max a smile and a nod as he stepped forward, caught up in the excitement of the dunk tank. She stepped back cautiously, fading into the crowd of onlookers - Acacia seemed likely to try and press her into service. She'd just try to fade into the background, let everyone have their fun. Not that she didn't want attention to be on her, just the opposite, but this whole thing was too silly and garish for her taste. It wasn't the kind of image she wanted to project. If asked, she'd have to agree to take part (good thing she had swimsuits in the trunk of the Jaguar), but she certainly wasn't going to volunteer.

She scanned the other students in the vicinity - mostly faces she recognized, even if she couldn't place names with them - and the rest of the picnic. Alice Profit and some kid - Vladimir? Something foreign - were loitering around the dessert table, along with a few Eliza didn't recognize. That was fine. She wasn't going to take anything from there, anyway. Most everyone else was focused on the dunking booth, now that the principal had agreed to take part. Eliza felt an urge to leave, to spend some more quality time with her new car. A reunion overshadowed by party games wasn't quite what she'd been hoping for. She wanted to spend more time with Acacia, but her best friend was in full "glorious student body leader" mode so there was no chance of that.

Oh well. There were other people - in fact, there was Wren, just a few feet away and looking uncharacteristically disheveled. Were there crumbs of something on her shirt? Eliza shook her head, and sidled up beside her friend.

"Hey," she said, smiling, "When did you get here?"