---

Kas was still busting out stupid comments and Thomas was still trying to ignore him when Amelia approached and took a seat next to them, saying hi and expressing her wish for tomorrow to come. Kas, ever obnoxious, chose to focus on the unimportant part of what she had said.

"Shit, not me Hayley Williams, I'd rather every day be carnival day rather than deal with sitting in a bitch ass classroom listening to some prick chat such and such about whatever."

Thomas just looked at Kas in disbelief for a second before turning to face Amelia.

"What's got you worried?"

"Well I prefer to be productive, I am trying to keep my life on the good side but today is pretty much the deciding day, and it doesn't really matter but the person that started all of this is back" She looked down quietly. She had never mentioned her father and she hardly talked about her mother. He has had a 7 year prison sentence and got released today. You could tell that her worry was more fear. She didn't know what to do if he came back. "Someone from my past is coming back, I now know why he left" she mumbled quietly and you could see that it was breaking down her walls of no emotion.

Thomas could tell whatever she was talking about had it's hooks in her deep. He had a few of those hooks himself, painful things from the past that were agonizing when they happened but slowly healed over the years, becoming less and less painful until they were knocked by people, places or situations and you were reminded of the pain all over again. He was a little lost for words, Amelia was more Kas' friend than his, but Kas was even more emotionally illiterate than he was. As if to prove the point of Thomas' inner dialogue Kas piped up.

"Shit girl, you want to talk about people leaving you're in the right place. We just left a city of nine million damn people to come to this fucking place. The land of the eighteen year old seniors and the fuckable principles."

Ignoring Kas and hoping Amelia would too Thomas quickly wracked his mind for something to say. Anything.

"People coming back into your life can be difficult. You going to be okay?"

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Thomas would never be good at this sort of thing, probably because he never got it himself... Now wasn't the time to analyse his own past again though.

"It was all his fault, I never want to see him again, He is stupid, mean, and he caused everything bad that ever happened to me" She said angrily. "I know he will find me and expect me to forgive him but I know him, he will go back to doing what he is doing and the cycle will happen all over again I can't deal with it" Her hidden fiery temper was coming out and you could see as she had never been this angry as tears clouded her chocolate brown eyes. "He will end up going back and my mother will go back to how she used to be and then it would all be on me again all because of him" she yelled. She was hitting next to where she was sitting over and over again in her anger.

What she said hit a nerve with Thomas. Made him remember how many times his mum had taken his father back before they finally broke up for the last time.

"That's sounds... Really fucked up. I'm sorry, but who will?" Thomas asked softly, surprised that Kas hadn't said anything. Maybe even he had gotten the hint now.

Amelia looked down as she got rid of her tears. "I have never told anyone what happened as I only found out the reason 2 days ago, it is a long story, my father, if he comes back he will ruin everything again, he will apologise but the next day he will do what he does and then some time he will go back where he was, my mother will go back to the way she was and I will have to do what I used to do" She looked at Kas. He would know that she meant that she would have to do everything again and her mother would going back to being an alcoholic. She bit her lip. "What he did and what happened scares me because I don't want it to happen to someone I know" she mumbled.

Thomas for some reason felt like he should take a step back from his role in the conversation. She was talking to Kas now, and for better or worse this was no longer his responsibility. Kas had befriended her, and it seemed he had somehow even earned her trust. This was on him.

Rubbing his jaw awkwardly Kas was even more lost than he would be in the classroom, this was definitely not his area of expertise, but she was looking at him.

"That shit won't happen again. Your mum learned her lesson, remember? People don't just backslide on stuff like that. Besides, it's been years, she might even not care about him anymore."

It was shit, even Kas knew it. Thomas on the other hand was proud. He'd tried. In an incredibly awkward situation, the type where defense mechanisms flourished he responded seriously, which was no small feat by any means for him. If the conversation wasn't so grim Thomas might have smiled.

Amelia nodded quietly. "I never told you about my father, I only found out what he did a few days ago but I knew where he was and now he is back." She had written in her diary which she accidentally dropped on that page as she looked down quietly. The diary was telling how her father had been in jail. It also said why she was there. "Even if my mother didn't go back to the way she was, I will always be caring for myself, you never go back after you know how to, there are some things you can never come back from" She mumbled. She held one more secret that no one in the whole world knew about her.

"That's true I guess, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing. Independence is what most of the people on this field are striving for. You've got it, you may not have gotten it in a nice way but it's yours now anyway. There's power in that." Kas spoke, in a very unusual way for him.

When Amelia dropped her diary both Thomas and Kas instinctively looked down at it. Thomas was able to read a sentence or so, finding out where her father had been. He'd guessed as much. Kas hadn't been able to read it in time, his mind too preoccupied with trying to magic up a way to make his friend feel better.

Amelia snatched up her diary. Her father had tried to drag her into it, she remembered now and he did but less than a week later he got arrested so she wasn't that deep into it and managed to get out but he would try to drag her into it again. "He is going to do what he tried to do before he left, drag me into it, make me do what he does, I don't want to but he will make me, I will end up just like him, a criminal, I don't want to end up in jail" She mumbled quietly. You couldn't tell what she was talking about as she looked down. She clutched her diary quietly and looked up at Kas.

"Trust me, you're not going to jail. Even if whatever it is got you arrested, no ones going to lock up a first time offender, especially a student in a tiny ass town like this. You're going to be okay, I'll try to help you in whatever way I can. Now come on, there's nothing we can do about this right now. Let's go find E.J and have some fun before we have to start those punk ass lessons tomorrow." Kas got to his feet, offering her a hand up.

Thomas smirked, that asshole could be cute.

Amelia took his hand and stood up before pulling away. She was smiling brightly. "Yeah lets go and find EJ" She giggled brightly and looked around and saw him and ran over to him. "EJ, EJ" She giggled and hugged him tightly. EJ was her boyfriend as they had got together in the summer holidays. "How was the end of your summer since last week because I was busy preparing this week for school, wanna hear a new song I wrote?" She giggled brightly. She was a girl who loved music and books so she wrote songs and stories. She sat next to EJ and waited for their response. "By the way I think Thomas and Kas are on their way over," she told him.

The sound of Abbie's voice initially made Clyde jump. Call it a natural reaction to a decade of wake up pranks and being scared around corners. But that was an aspect of life Clyde would never change. When he saw Abbie his whole world brightened up. Though he was not sure if she had realized it, Abbie had given Clyde a heart full of life and joy. As soon as she popped up beside him, Clyde smiled. And this smile was genuine. It was as sweet as honey and warm like the rising morning sun. In the brief moment Clyde had smiled, it was a moment where his barriers were broken revealing his true person underneath. Wanting only to care, to love, and to befriend those who would accept him. But then the moment faded away into the abyss giving in to his insecurities that rose from the deep. That stone hard exterior protected his soft core from the outside world. That stoic face returned.



"It does?" asked Clyde inquisitively.



Clyde thought about Abbie's words. A natural smile? Clyde tried the smile again, but the reaction of those behind Abbie made it clear it did not work. Clyde shrugged.



Sundance? He had never heard of her before. The prospect of meeting new people was not bad, but if they were females it made his stomach churn. The thought made his heart race and his knees weak. It brought up memories of an event in his childhood and it made him feel weak, vulnerable, uncomfortable, and sick. "Ah... I don't know 'em," he chuckled nervously.



"Let's do that. I'm starvin' and somethin' smells good out there."

She heard it; the sound. The deathly screech of the electronic alarm clock. She drearily came to. She felt an awareness, she knew she was awake, though she didn't want to be. An arm, controlled by instinct reached out and found the snooze button. Her eyes stood fast, clamped shut. She thought for a moment that she might recover, that she might just slip back into the comfort of a dream. She could feel the comfort of silence overcome her body, then...

Beep! Beep! Beep!

There was a sigh, a grunt, and a shuffling of blankets. Her eyes were open, and she was ever so reluctantly awake. Her mind was fuzzy, the last remnants of a dream being chased away by the realization that she was awake again. It was a nice dream, something about sitting in a big oak tree in meadow full of flowers, but the details are fading fast even as she tried to recall them. The sun peeked in her bedroom window, it's vibrant rays sending a glossy, gold sheen all around the room. Slowly standing up from the bed, Ebony rubbed her eyes and stretched, letting out a loud yawn. Today was her first first day of high school, and sure, she was very excited. That didn't mean that she enjoyed waking up at the crack of butt every morning.

After taking a quick shower, brushing her teeth, fluffing her hair and getting dressed, Ebony made her way to the kitchen. As usual, her Cousin had left earlier to go to his morning classes. Her Aunt, on the other hand, did not get off work for another three hours. When she opened the fridge, only to see a carton of eggs, a gallon of milk, and half of a loaf of bread. She reached for the eggs, but stopped mid-reach, opting for the milk and a slice of bread instead. "I'll just go grocery shopping after school," she said with a shrug. After she finished eating, she grabbed her camera and hung the strap of the camera around her neck. She'd decided to only bring her camera and a few pencils for the first day, only because she was sure that they would not have to do any work yet. She grabbed her house key and cell phone off the counter, opened the door, and, locking the door behind her, made her way towards school. Thankfully, they didn't live very far, so she could walk to and from without any trouble.

When Ebony arrived, she could see that she was late. The bleachers were almost full, and the principal droned on and on about the new school year. Standing at the front of the bleachers, she took a few shots of the principal, then of the students. Most of the Freshmen she'd recognized from middle school, even some of the upperclassmen she knew of because of her older cousin, who'd graduated the year before. Soon she was in her own little world, snapping pictures and looking over them. By the time she'd finished looking at her last few shots, the principal had started to dismiss groups of students by grade. Because she'd been standing down front, she decided to take the opportunity to head to the festival with the group of seniors. She took pictures of games and booths as she walked, only stopping to look them over. She wanted to capture and save as many memories of this day as she could. After all, it was their first first day of high school.

Once all the grade levels had been dismissed, Ebony turned around and made her way towards the freshmen. They'd already started to disperse, but many of them were still hanging by each other. On her way she noticed Poetry, waltzing as she drifted between the games. Ebony, a smile forming on her face, lifted the camera up to her eye, and snapped a picture. Letting the camera fall back in it's place, Ebony speed walked in Poetry's direction, determined to catch up. When she finally did, she reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, Poetry!"

---

Collab @RBYDark@Thane@carla6677

---

Only a few moments passed when EJ watched as the speech ended and the students were all parting ways to enjoy the carnival. He looked around to notice a few new faces but he wasn't looking for anyone in particular until hearing someone call out to him. A familiar voice but not that of his "boo", EJ looked in the direction of where the voice came from to notice Selene.

With a smirk displayed, he walked over to her, bumping into a few people, mostly that of Sophmores and came up shortly "Yo, Shades, what it is?" he said coming over to her to give her a hug. "What you up to?" he asked her

"Oh, well, you know how it is," Selene said as she returned his hug. "Big day today, doing my best to see who we've got. A lot of new people - you might be in luck." She pulled away from the hug and lowered her sunglasses, right eye closed in a wink. "Just remember, you'll probably be seeing everyone tomorrow too." Just a friendly reminder. She pushed her glasses back up. "By the way, can I grab you later as a spotter? I'm sure there'll be games and prizes - sure would like to win a stuffed tiger."

After releasing from the hug, EJ looked around and then back into Selene's eyes despite the shades she had on, long enough to see her winking. "Hehe...I know right. Just shoulda got here earlier. I ended up waking up late." he said. EJ usually went to bed very late at night. "But It's probably better that I'm late here than the first official day of school. You know, my grandma threatened me with an eggo waffle." he mentioned.

He nodded to the offer as a spotter for Selene "Yeah...I don't mind being your spotter. I might not be alone when you get me." he reminded her of his girlfriend who would more than likely be around by the time Selene would come back to him.

Selene tried to muffle a snicker at Ezera's brief story, but failed. It sounded like his grandmother - she'd met her before and... well, best to leave at that. No point taking sides. "It is, yes. You know, maybe tomorrow, we should see where the school library is - if only so you can arrive early and sleep until first period." Not entirely a serious suggestion, and she grinned at the thought.

Ah, yeah, the girlfriend. Selene didn't mind her, not at all, but she wasn't sure they'd actually ever met. Ezera seemed fond enough of her - Amelia, that was the name, right? Just with his love of nicknames, it hadn't come up too much. She was just Fire - a redhead, Selene thought. She nodded, though. "Well, as long as she's nice - maybe I can win all three of us something?" And hopefully she'd understand. She didn't really know how much EJ told Fire about, well, 'Shades'. But if EJ liked her-

"Tch....if I can even wake up in time to get here so I can sleep again..." EJ said sarcastically "And library huh? You know I don't really get into that reading stuff too much...I'll probbly be on my music while you're checking stuff out." EJ was not a bookworm but if his friends ever ask him for a favor to join them, he'd do it.

For response to Selene's response regarding Amelia, "Fire" which EJ called her, he chuckled "I'm sure she'll be nice.....damn...I hope she be nice. If not, I'll make sure she get off you. So...don't worry, I'll handle her." he retorts

"Well, was just thinking the library would be quiet at least. And semi-abandoned. Less likely things would go poorly if you fell asleep there." Selene shrugged, glancing at the older students leaving the area. From top of the school all the way back down to the bottom. The feeling hung over like a thundercloud. If she didn't need college for her eventual career, she doubted she'd attend. "I know I won't be bored there, at least." He was right, she wouldn't argue that.

She couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. "Thanks. It'd just be awful, crying on the first day of high school." She smiled at EJ. "So I really do appreciate it."

"I tell ya, you always lookin out for me." he said about how she'd suggest him going to the library to sleep. He did wonder though how the first year of highschool would go. What was ahead of them? Where he, Selene, Amelia, and their friend Kas would would be after this was all over. Selene could be considered a true friend to him since she was always good to talk to when EJ was going through something. He has told Amelia about her before but he didn't remember if the two met.

When Selene expressed her gratitude, EJ shrugged "Hey, you always look out for me, I'm going to do the same as well. I won't let anyone harm that pretty face of yours." the moment he said that, he heard Amelia's voice as she came over to him. The moment she came down to hug him, he hugged her back "Fire, what's up babe?" he said as she spoke to him and asked him a question about the summer.

"My summer was good but....you already know what made it worth while...." he said reminding Amelia of what they did over the summer. "And sure, you know I don't mind hearing your notes." When she spoke about Kas and Thomas, EJ looked around for them and then back at Selene. "Oh! Fire, have you ever met Selene? I call her Shades...I spoke to you about her before but wasn't sure you two met?"

Selene nodded and gave a short wave - normally, she preferred to shake hands, but it meant reaching over EJ, and that seemed less than ideal at the moment. "Pleasure to meet you. He seems very fond of you, you know."

Dazing off as she watched the groups of older kids herd off the bleachers and onto the activities that lay ahead of them, Wynona was startled slightly by the girl plopping next to her and speaking very cheerful for how early it in the morning it was. "Isn't this all so exciting?" she asked. "I'm Lily by the way! Lily Westburg! You?" Wynona turned, giving a gentle smile as she studied the girl's face. She was familiar, and when given the name to match, it clicked in her head quite quickly that the girls had been in classes together before in previous years. "Wynona Belvue." she responded, a cheerful tone to her voice. "It IS kind of exciting, isn't it?" she stuck her tongue out playfully, happy that someone was already making this day a lot less boring. "Weird that they have a carnival, but I guess it's better than sitting through the same lecture over and over again about what each teacher expects us to do this year. Though I'm guessing it's going to be like that tomorrow." A sound of slight disgust escaped from her painted lips as she shrugged, her hands yanking at the hem at the bottom of her sweater so it didn't crawl up her body too much.

"Do you want a piece of gum Lily?" Wynona asked, as she reached back into her pocket and grabbed her pack of gum. Taking a wrapped stick out, she handed it over to the girl. "I don't think your breath stinks or anything, I just know that I like to have something in my mouth when I'm a little anxious." she let out a small chuckle as she dropped the piece in the girl's hand.



"Freshman dismissed!" Principal Wheeler called as she dismissed the group of freshman that were left on the bleachers. Several teachers are manning the booths, giving out free food and having fun playing random carnival games. Most of the older students are using the time to catch up with their friends that they didn't get too much time with over the summer. A few kids are using the time to smoke behind the bleachers, and a few are talking to teachers. The carnival is to last until a normal half day of school: 12:00. Tomorrow normal school days will proceed from 7:00 am - 3:00 pm. Unknown to all students until they get home; their schedules will have been sent out reading the following:

ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤 𝕊𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕𝕦𝕝𝕖

1) Homeroom - Mrs. Wayne
2) Freshman English - Mr. Fridley
3) Freshman Science - Mr. Shmiddt
4) Lunch - Lunch Lady Sue
5) Freshman Math - Mrs. Kordos
6) Freshman Social Studies - Mrs. Ford
7) Choir/Band/Art - Mr & Mrs. Porter
8) Homeroom - Mrs. Wayne

As for now, enjoy the festivities the carnival has to offer, start your relationships that the school year will bring and make sure you don't stay up and out too late as the following day will be your first official day of your very first year of high school. Good luck.

Watching the upperclassman had some pretty good perks in Blake's eyes as they all waited to be released. For starters, he would get to see some rather unique people, ranging from seniors who didn't look the part to sophomores who appeared older than they actually were. He supposed he fit somewhere in that category, but that wasn't the only reason he was people watching at the moment... And that was due to how he admired how some of the upperclassmen looked, along with his own freshmen group. There was some beautiful women and handsome men throughout the school, each with their own story to tell, different personalities... It must be something truly special. Even if they themselves couldn't see that beauty in having a different or unique story, he was very intrigued when it came to such small talk.

Though, speaking of his own freshmen group, he decided he'd look around at his own class as the seniors were just getting dismissed. He spotted some familiar faces from previous years in middle school, though he doesn't recall the names of a lot of them. He was terrible when it came to names, but he always took note of someone's face and could recognize it if he ever saw them again. He supposed that was both a gift and a curse of his, but to him he was glad he could remember anything about his classmates. He even hoped that this year he'd be able to learn more about them too. Maybe even become friends with a lot of them too. In fact, he's already made some friends that are unique in their own right.

One of them that he spotted was Ebony Washington standing at the front of the bleachers, camera already in hand. He remembered the day that she first moved here that he begged his Aunt to go and see them. Since they both have an optimistic attitude and like others to be themselves, he believes that is the reason they clicked for a friendship. Unfortunately, he didn't get to stare at her for long, noticing that she left with the senior group... Most likely to take pictures. He didn't mind that, nor the wait to catch up to her, seeing as he was neglecting his watch on others.

So when the announcement came that the freshman were finally dismissed, Blake spent no time rushing towards the carnival. He was sure she couldn't have gotten that far as she was most likely busy snapping photos of the various booths and activities, the only problem sprung from the groups of people that blocked his search. Though, standing out of the crowd was one of his friends, Poetry. She was twirling and dancing between booths, having her own fun. A warm smile emerged upon his face as he proceeded to walk in her direction when someone else beat him to the punch, and it was none other than the one he was looking for. Fixing his jacket slightly, he approached the two after Ebony said hi, getting near enough that he was essentially right next to them now.

"Hey you two! Good to see ya."

Poetry was waltzing about in the ocean of laughter and squeals and chatter, not apart of it but also not without it. Moving her arms with her fingers as their lead, she hummed and murmured her happy tune. The halo of gold that flowed behind her head. She heard a cheerfully loud voice ring out with one of her names and she looked up with a smile, stilling in her dance. Her pale water eyes found Abbie-Star and the waif of a girl lifted up her hand in greeting. "And you are as beautiful as always, Abbie-Star!" she called back.

One of the special flowers in her field of friends. Her friend was speaking to a few boys, one tall grim-looking giant, the other a slender photographer. Both were beautiful paragons of youth in her eyes. One, tall and strong, like demi-gods from old mythology. The other agile and lean, with a dazzling smile, like a male siren. Two kinds of beauty orbiting Abbie. Poetry smiled in wonder, tilting her head to the side. Oh but the lucky were blessed and much beloved.

Her shoulder was tapped and she spun to look at the person who broke through her daydream clouds. "Ebony-Gold~!" her voice rang out with melodic happiness in the surprise, "You are here! It is a wonder to see you!" She hugged the beautiful girl, and held her at arm's length by her shoulders. "Was your summer well?" Looking over at the voice of warm syrup that was owned by Blake, she smiled at him as well, releasing Ebony-Gold.

"Blakey-Boy~" she practically sang, "It's downright groovy to see you~"



Oberon was doing as he always did: keeping to himself and gathering bits of stories on the others he would someday have to interact with. His dark eyes found someone he didn't have to observe too much. Abbie. And intense girl with high energy, who didn't like studying. What little he could do, he tried to do as her tutor. She waved at him and he raised his fingers and gave her a nod. She'd make his little job more difficult this year, wouldn't she? A small smile crossed his lips.

But soon enough she was talking to her friends, the photographer and the large boy with the withering smile. He stayed were he sat. It was too sunny today, he was too pale, his clothes too black, and so he sat. In the shade of shadows, dressed in cool darkness and shielded from the bright vibrant world that would have him come closer, like a moth, only to burn him up in the end. That bright world was too dangerous for him.

Leaned back on his perch he happened to turn his head. A girl had stopped, mid the constant flow of bodies, stopped and was staring at him. Her mouth moved and while he could hear the faint sound of her voice, but it was too short of her speaking for him to understand what was said. So he just stared back.

He watched and she looked and everything fell away. Sound hushed and the pulsing life that flowed around them faded. Timeless. A poet could say as much. But then she seemed to startle. And turned, taking the hand of the photographer and fleeing in a retreat. A fleeing sparrow who had stared too long into the eyes of a cat... Oberon smiled slowly, pressing fingertips to his pierced lips. Smart sparrow...

Kas and Thomas followed after Amelia quickly, the former spotting his friend and nodding at him. He spotted the other girl too, throwing her a cheeky grin.

“Yo dancing master, good to see you.” He addressed E.J, referring to one of his chosen martial arts. It was a pretty amazing fighting style. He turned back to the girl he didn’t know, smiling again. “What’s good honey? Sorry this has to be short, I gotta meet up with a couple people, it’s hopefully going to be a busy morning. I’ll see you dudes either later or tomorrow. Have a good one, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do... Meaning, don’t die.” He laughed, turning to Thomas. “Let’s go bitch, we got shit to do.”

They began leaving the bleachers just as the announcement that they actually could rang out.

“What you mean we? That shit is your deal.” Thomas spoke angrily, he didn’t mind occasionally being involved in crap like that, but not all the time. He’d had enough of it.

“For one, you owe me. For two, you’re my cousin and one of my few friends in this bitch ass place that you helped convince me to move to. Want me to walk around alone just offering random punks a link? You got an eye for this shit.”

“I don’t have an eye for anything, I just think. It’s not that difficult. In a small ass town like this everyone’s bored a lot, or are semi-workaholics, or are kids or teenagers who listen to hip and rap, so want to try some of the shit they’ve heard about. Or emo and goth kids, who’ve heard the same type of shit in their pop-punk and want to give it a go. Maybe they want a connection to outside of town or something, I don’t fucking know. Irrelevant. Point is, 70% of the people here would probably cop from you if they aren’t shook and have the money. Let’s start with the skater kids though, ya know, the type who listen to whatever the fuck the modern day equivalent of Green Day is.”

“The hell is Green Day? Hear that shit fucking with those punk-rock girls you used to like back in London? Dunno why you didn’t mess with girls in the ends, those chicks were wild.” Kas smiled nostalgically.

“Because a lot of the assholes from the ends thought them girls belonged to them since they’d hit it once or twice, and I didn’t like the idea of being one of those poor morons who got killed because they tried to hit up the wrong gal.”

“You sound kind of defensive cuz, and like a pussy. Still not bust a nut?” Kas smirked.

“Shut the fuck up man. How much stuff you bring?”

“Six eighths and eight tens. Figure we’ll charge $30 for the eighths and $15 for the tens. Overcharge a little bit, these kids can afford it anyway, and green is scarce in this town. Ain’t like London with three shottas every block.”

“Alright, sounds good.” Thomas spoke, stopping still and looking around on the edge of the carnival. He spotted all sorts of kids in all sorts of apparent clicks. A lot of them seemed to dress down considering the probable wealth of a lot of their families. Spotting a group of about eight kids dressed mostly in dark, somewhat baggy clothing close to the nearby treeline he watched them for a minute. A couple of them were wearing familiar band t-shirts, plus Doc Martens and Toms. He heard what he thought was a recent Panic! At the Disco song coming from one of their smartphones too. These dudes would work.

“Yo Kas, see them youts over there?” Thomas indicated, nodding in their direction. “They’re perfect.”

“You sure man? They don’t exactly look like they could afford it.”

“You’re not looking close enough. See those boots? They’re Doc Martens. They’re the non-hood Timberlands. Trust me, if those kids don’t have cash from sort sort of allowance I’ll give you that fifty dollars back.”

“Sounds good to me.” Kas smiled, walking towards them. Thomas stayed where he was, trying to blend in a little more. He didn’t have to be that closely associated. A few minutes later Kas returned, a grin on his face and holding a small bundle of notes.

“I fucking told you you have an eye for this cuzzy. They bought three eighths and four tens. Man is $150 richer already. Here, take this you beautiful minded prick.”

Thomas took the two $20 notes and slid them into his pocket. He’d need them, and putting it towards groceries for home or supplies for school instead of Kas’ expensive ass clothes wasn’t too much of a crime morally. Besides, it was just green. Fucking consequences were increased smiling and the giggles. At least that’s what he tried to tell himself.

“Sure cuz. C’mon, let’s go see who we can find.”

Allie laughed in a light-hearted sort of tone, Nicole had complimented her. Not a common thing to happen to her, honestly, "You're so sweet, you're not bad looking yourself." some light flirting was never a poor thing no? If Nicole was straight she hoped that she'd be let down easy at least. No big deal, might as well try and fit in, everyone seemed to be very relationship bound already, even the already dating ones.

She tried her best not to be too ridiculously close, physically, to this girl she had just met, didn't want to seem weird? Did she already seem weird? Allie was unsure but enjoyed the moment regardless, with her flirtation out there she tried not to dwell on it.

When the principal dismissed them off the bleachers, she sighed "This is silly." Allie scanned the carnival, looking around for anything even remotely interesting to her, Allie truthfully wished that she didn't come in at all today. Outside of Nicole, she doubted that she would make a lot of friends in South Dakota, especially this small town. Though she couldn't deny that it was pretty, probably what brought her father back every now and again. Just a visit to his hometown every now and then. Allie had been in the area once before, when her paternal grandparents died, but she was really young and didn't remember too much except for eating a nice breakfast in the diner that her mother now worked for. Allie looked over at Nicole, "Anything that you may want to do? All of this is just kind of lame and too much for me, personally, but I want to get to know you."

As if her own awkward manner of introduction and overthinking wasn't enough, now she was certain that a flash of red had spread across her cheeks. It was rather innocent - the remark about her appearance - and yet Nicole found herself focusing on it. Blushing about it. Struggling to come up with an appropriate response. Was it just harmless? Did it mean something else? How was it that something so simple, an introduction, was turning into something completely different. Not at all unwelcome or unwanted, of course, just...different. Different was good.

"You're just being nice," Nicoletta tried to play it off casually, but her blush and the gentle chuckles were making it impossible to be truly casual, "Not as cute as you." She regretted it almost as soon as she realized it had been said. Was this introductions? Was this...was this flirting? Allie no doubt thought she was weird, right? Had to. Nicoletta had no other option than to bashfully look away, clearing her throat with a bit of an akward cough. That she was new to...well...all of this was written on her face.

It was definitely welcome when the principal dismissed them to let the students go about their business at the carnival. Middle school didn't have anything like that - suppose all the budget went to the high school, then; and Nicoletta wasn't about to look a gift carnival in the mouth. Another unexpected occurance when Allie spoke again. She wanted...to get to know her? Did Nicole hear that incorrectly?

"We could...hit the ferris wheel?" Nicoletta threw the suggestion out there with a shrug of her shoulders, "That's supposed to be...uh...good for getting to know people, right? Cuz...like...I dunno, I wouldn't mind getting to know you, you know?"

Allie grinned with Nicole returning a compliment, "I appreciate it." she brushed some hair out of her face and was glad that she could get out there as easily as she could back in Florida. The weather was definitely nicer as it reached fall, in Florida there was "heat" and "chilly" as seasons. That's about it. The flirting was definitely helping her ease into living in Arrowsmith. She often wondered if her father was the same with her personality as a teenager. Kind of bubbly, kind of anxious, very flirty.

Allie honestly couldn't believe that there was a ferris wheel at the school, even just for a day. It was kind of dinky compared to something like the Orlando Eye back home, but that made it kind of funny when Nicole put the suggestion for some fun out there. "That sounds like fun!" Allie spoke, giggling in between her words, the ferris wheel was large enough that she may get a bit anxious but that'd be the most of it. Allie subconsciously grabbed Nicole's wrist and dragged her over to the line for the ferris wheel, when she made it there she turned around and looked at her, her eyes lingered down to her arm before she let go and blushed. "I'm sorry! It was just instictIdidn'tmeantobesoforceful." she ran over her words and took a second to breathe, but then she just kept apologizing profusely. They were at the front of the line before she stopped apologizing and the person who ran the ferris wheel told them to get on or get out of line.

Nicoletta was honestly stunned that Allie agreed rather immediately. Stunned, but glad as it meant that Allie wasn't completely turned away by the expressed awkwardness from Nicoletta. If anything, Nicole hoped that her words and little smiles might well work their way into endearing territory. Endearing was something Nicole could work with. Either way, for what was a terrifying act, making the first move, it was definitely working out well as far as the brunette was concerned.

It was working so well, in fact, that Nicole didn't even say anything when her wrist was grabbed and she was dragged along. Well, even if she wanted to say something (she didn't) she doubted if words would even form. They had just introduced themselves mere minutes ago and how a hand, a rather soft hand at that, was grabbing her wrist..was whisking her away and Nicoletta had to remember that they were headed to a ferris wheel lest her mind start to think they were off on some sort of...tryst. That would just be out of the question, surely. After all, they had just met and Nicoletta was sure that Allie was just being nice. Maybe Allie was just one of those people that liked to touch. Affectionate sorts. They existed.

When Allie let go, or rather when Allie realized what she had done, Nicoletta couldn't do anything but laugh softly, more of a playful sort of giggle than anything else. At least she wasn't the only one who had been made to blush today. "Don't worry, Allie," Nicole spoke, her voice gradually increasing to a more reasonable conversational volume rather than her awkward, nervous near-muttering tone. "I kinda liked almost holding hands," and another awkward response that put a stop to her giggles, "I mean...I...uh...should we...get...on?"

Wanting to salvage the opportunity, and because the worker working the ferris wheel was growing visibly annoyed, Nicoletta took Allie by the wrist and brought them the rest of the way, entering the ferris wheel carriage. In the confusion, Nicoletta forgot to release her hold on Allie's wrist even after she had sat down.

Allie had to be honest, even though she thought that the carnival was silly, she enjoyed learning more about Nicole and her quirks. As the ferris wheel came to a slow start, she asked some questions to Nicole. With a giggle, she spoke "So, Nicole. How long have you lived here? Personally, I just moved two weeks ago, but it was my father's hometown" Nicole's grip on Allie's wrist was comforting to her, and didn't bother to call her out on it.

"Two weeks? Where are you from and why move here of all places?" Nicole had to ask, shaking her head at the admission in disbelief. "Actually I'm a new arrival too. I used to live in Italy...only came here like...three years ago. Wouldn't have been my first choice...but it's not totally bad." Honestly Nicole hardly remembered much of Italy, but South Dakota hadn't yet felt like home...but she was still adapting.

"I lived in southwestern Florida before I moved here. This is my father's hometown and uh... He's dead, so we just wanted to get a new sort of scenery from where me and my mother had lived with him. Wherever we went all we saw was him.." she coughed and pulled her hand away from Nicole's, "It's not that bad so far." Allie added.

Nicole paused a moment, not wanting to get her words saying something that would lead to regret. "I'm uh...sorry to hear that," She replied, sincerity shining through, "It's not a bad place to live...probably less crazy than Florida but...that's not a bad thing, right? I'm sure there's something here that you'll find fun....like...I dunno...there's a mall...some parks...something for everyone." When in doubt, try to come off as funny, even if she wasn't, that was Nicole's way.

Allie sighed and smiled, " I like the serenity. It's not that quiet in the apartment I'm living in with my moher but it just has this feeling, yanno?. Uh, but yeah. There does seem to be a lot, for everyone and anyone and... I dunno. I like you though, you're super cute and kind and hanging out with you is already fun. I can come off as overbearing though, one of my finer traits," she joked. "Lots of craziness down there, there must be something in the water." The carriage started to lower to the bottom and let them off. Allie pulled the hood off her face and grinned, "So, what's next?"

Amelia Rashfree

---

---

Amelia smiled brightly at EJ and Selena as she blushed at what EJ hinted to. "Nice to meet you too, as you heard he calls me Fire, my name is Amelia but EJ likes to call me Fire, I won't use Shades as I don't like using nicknames because I like to be seen as a mature and formal person because that is what I have had to be since I was 7 because of my past which most people don't know about and anyone who does is lucky to know about," She waved back at her. "No I haven't met her and you are making me blush as I know what made it worth while and it is making me blush, nothing, everything is good, what about you? I will play you the song in the music room later unless you have anything else to do, if so then I can show you later or tommorow after school" She smiled to him brightly and hugged him again. Her head was on his shoulder and you could tell that she really cared for him. "By the way Selene, if I seem cold at times, sorry. I am not the best at talking to people since everything that has happened in the last few years. "See ya later, Kas, Thomas, I will stay here with EJ and Selene" She smiled to them and just held her boyfriend gently. She seemed really cheerful and her eyes were bright and she was humming quietly. She was humming a song that she wrote.

---

Tadhg looked around, and suddenly saw that Nathan, someone that he knew from the gym, sitting on the bleachers. He was feeling bored, and decided to go and speak with him. "I'm gonna go and talk to Nathan," he announced to his siblings.

"Nathan?" Conan piped up, "I'll come with,"

"You seem excited," Tadhg said to Conan,

"I-I just want someone to talk to other than you two for the next four years of my life," he lied, actually wanting to get to know Nathan, as he fancied him.

"Well, I guess I'll just do my own thing, then," Maeve said to her siblings with frustration.

Tadhg got up, and Conan got up too, trying not to look like a puppy going to its master. When they got to Nathan, Tadhg introduced himself, "Hi, Nathan, right? We've met you already, I'm Tadhg, and this is Conan, my brother."

Meanwhile, Maeve had seen Blake, a boy who had shown her and her siblings around when they moved in. She stood up, walking over, and began shouting out to him and the people who he was with, "Hey! Blake! It's me, Maeve!"

"Ebony-Gold!" Poetry's voice rang out with melodic happiness in the surprise, "You are here! It is a wonder to see you!" Ebony smiled and chuckled as the two hugged. Ebony wasn't much of a hugger, but she'd really missed Poetry over the Summer. It was also not a doubt that Poetry's happiness was infectious, which was one of the things that made her thoroughly enjoy her presence. When they pulled away, Poetry held Ebony at arm's length by her shoulders. "Was your summer well?" Ebony opened her mouth to tell her all about her week long stay in Brooklyn, but was suddenly interrupted by another voice.

"Hey you two! Good to see ya."

Standing not so far away was Blake Rooke, another good friend of theirs. As he approached, Ebony could feel her ears turn red and hot, which suddenly made her appreciate the large fro on her head that shielded them from view. "Blakey-Boy," Poetry practically sang, "It's downright groovy to see you!" Ebony chuckled at the girl's use of old lingo, another thing that made her incredibly unique. Turning to face the two, Ebony lifted her camera to her eye and snapped a picture. Looking at the photo, she saw that she'd caught Poetry mid-sentence, talking with a beatific expression on her face. She had been looking up at Blake, who was a few inches taller, smiling down at her. Putting her camera back, Ebony grinned cheerfully at her two friends.

"It's good to see you both," Ebony said. She was just about to ask them both about how their Summers went, when she was interrupted again.

"Hey! Blake! It's me, Maeve!"

Looking behind Blake, she saw a slim red head heading towards them. The first thing Ebony noticed about the girl was her style. Her outfit was adventurous, yet stylish at the same time. As she got closer, she could see that she was a few inches taller than Ebony. Her first instinct, of course, was to reach for her camera, but she paused mid-reach. She wasn't sure if the girl would like having her photo taken by a stranger.

"Blakey-Boy," Poetry practically sang, "It's downright groovy to see you!"
Blake laughed to himself for a short bit, happiness rising and swelling inside him as he stared down at her. As much as he wanted to hug her, he wasn't sure how she'd react and instead patted her on the back to signify he was happy to see her too. To think, two people he liked to hang out with were right here, and the day was only starting! Not to mention they were people who shared his attitude of not paying mind to what others think.

He glanced over at Ebony, noticing her putting away her camera after he heard what sounded like it being used. He grinned at the fact that he was most likely the subject of her art, along with Poetry too, or that she was taking photos of the carnival. For a small town, he had to admit that it was pretty great. "It's good to see you both." Ebony told them, to which Blake nodded in agreement. He wanted to say: of course, it's always a pleasure to see my friends.

However, another familiar voice rang out from behind him, shouting "Hey! Blake! It's me, Maeve!". He turned to face where the voice was coming from, recognizing the girl as one of the triplets he had shown around town. But regardless of that, it made him even more delighted to see another face who was eager to see him, and he walked over to her, giving her a small hug and saying
"Hey Maeve! It's great you're here! Are you used to the town yet?"





Nathan was rocking back and forth in his seat ever so slightly to the music coming through his headphones, biding his time and waiting for the rest of the freshmen to leave before he too would go and check out the carnival. Though, as the crowd began to shift, he noticed several figures coming in his direction, slightly tensing up under his hood when he realized whom it was. He remembered the guy from the community center, and even though he wasn't super muscular, Nathan had taken notice of the fact he had abs. It was an odd sensation that Nathaniel felt just considering it, and so he simply shrugged it off upon their arrival, turning to face them as Tadhg began to speak.

"Hi, Nathan, right? We've met you already, I'm Tadhg, and this is Conan, my brother." He said, to which Nathan stood up to meet the duo, seeing as they took the time to approach him. It also made him realize how he felt like a dwarf in comparison to them both, making him look up with a face that was attempting to hide his embarrassment and overall feeling of awkwardness, instead giving his general resting calm face. With one hand scratching the back of he neck, and the other in a pocket, he nodded at Tadhg.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm Nathan... Hey to you both again..." He paused for a bit, not sure what to say to them both. From what he remembered, they were both pretty good looking dudes, which made him wonder why they were taking the time to talk to someone like him who considered himself a nobody.
"Um... Was there something on your mind?" He said almost nonchalantly, masking his curiosity of them both while also getting straight to the point of why they were talking. If he had to compare brothers, he always considered Conan to look better than his brother, even if his brother seemed to be the one more curious about Nathan. Regardless, he knew he couldn't reveal that to these two, seeing as he really only knew them in a gym environment.

---

Selene's expression temporarily blanked as Amelia spoke - it was a lot of information to process, after all, and certainly some of it inspired questions. What had happened at 7? Then again, as she had pretty much said earlier to EJ, she wanted today to be a fun day, a day to get to meet her fellow classmates and begin to get to know them. It would be beyond rude to ask those questions, especially now, and especially to someone she had just met.

Instead, Selene let a smile cross her face and nodded. "That makes perfect sense to me. I hope you don't mind if I grab your boyfriend for a bit later today? Just to try to win some of the games. I'm not wrong in assuming they should be giving away stuffed animals too, right?" That seemed like a much better conversation to her.

Amelia smiled brightly to her. "Can I join in, I have never really done carnival games and I didn't have stuffed toys after a long time because what happened but lets forget that, I am not sure how to play and I would love to try but I don't want to seem stupid as I can't do it that well" She asked quietly and looked down. She hadn't had a proper childhood so that is why she missed out on a lot of this but her eyes showed that she didn't want to talk about that as she bit her lip quietly as her eyes focused on the ground as she crossed her arms. "It doesn't matter if you don't want me to join" she mumbled.

EJ just listened to his two favorite gals talking and thought for a moment "Well, Fire, nothing wrong with me expressin' how I feel about that moment we had during the summer but...eh.. and I don't mind you joining us if it's not a problem with Shades?" EJ shrugged. "Who knows....I might win something for both you." he responded "But...after we finish playing these games, what y'all wanna do afterwards? get snacks or somethin'? And I guess Thomas and Kas had to go do somethin'..." he responded.

"I won't object, no. I can't aim very well either, so I doubt we'll win anything on the first try." Selene mentally filed the information away. "I suppose it depends when we do the games - if we all went for the games first, we'll want to go on the rides before we buy snacks." She glanced between Amelia and Ezera. "Though if we buy snacks first, we may as well play for a while and then try the rides." She thought. "Just a couple of ideas. We have about four hours here, at least."

Amelia nodded quiety. "I don't know how to do the games, what about we do games, then rides then snacks, I think that is the best way to do it, It feels like everyone has played these games but me but I can try, I percived a carnival as very childish, I still kind of agree but I will try because I never got a chance when I was younger and even though it seems to be childish to me I am willing to give it a go and try to see the fun side of it if I can" She admitted quietly and she was more independent and mature than a lot of people because of her history.

EJ gently squeezed Amelia's hand to show her everything will be fine. He nodded about the ideas "Alright...games, the rides, the snacks. Y'all made it sound like you two would get sick if you ate first. But it's all fine to me though. I'll probably handle the games for both of you...i'm pretty good at them." He retorts. "Babes...there's nothing wrong with having a little fun at the carnivals. My grandparents love the carnival."

"I'll let you two choose where we start off. and thanks again, Shades for allowing more in our party." he finished.

"Oh, not a problem! A friend of yours is a friend of mine!" Selene couldn't help but giggle as she waved her hand dismissively. "Now, then-" Her expression grew serious. "Amelia, carnivals do look childish. They are aimed at kids. But let me tell you, they were invented by the most ingenious of scammers looking to get as much money as possible with as little effort as possible." Then back to smiling. "But if you know the tricks, it's easy to know what to avoid and even win a few games.

"Like..." She thought. "EJ, you remember the milk bottle trick, right? They stack the glass milk bottles and tell you to knock them over, but the bottles tend to be weighted. Aiming at the center might knock off the top bottle but won't knock down the bottom bottles - so you have to aim at their bases instead." The explanation sounded mildly practiced; apparently Amelia wasn't the first person she'd shared this with.

Amelia nodded quietly at them but looked concerned. "I hate scammers, I like to earn money in fair and honest ways, I know what it is like to need money a lot but you need to earn it fairly not scam it out of people like people in carnivals, I now hate them more because of the scammers. They are the worst people to me because scammers are almost like theives that use their brains but I will not say anything unless they get the better of us at all" She mumbled quietly and bit her lip and you could see anger in her eyes fueled by her past and the stories of the scammers at this place. "Sorry, I don't usually hate people but people who steal or scam to get money anger me more than anything else" You could she this struck a nerve deep inside her and she knew Ezera would know but Selene wouldn't as she doesn't know of her past but Ezera does as she told her and they are close and she tells him pretty much everything that goes on with her.

EJ's eyes widen once Selene explained the tricks of the trade with the background of the carnival. He knew the response Amelia would have and as soon as he turned, the look on her face told it all. He was right that she'd get mad. If he was to make a bet on the subject that he'd feel Amelia would get upset about, he'd be a millionaire by now. He knows most of her likes and dislikes and habits but he was still a little spotty on everything in Amelia's past, mostly because he forgot some of it.

He listened to the explanation to Amelia but nodded to the explanation of how to solve the bottle trick "I remember....the last time, you told me what to do and the carnie that was operating that game, got mad and banned us from his game because he figured it out. He claimed WE were cheating...." he smirked and turned to Amelia "But bae...don't worry about it, as long as me and Shades are teaming up on these games, we can probably win prizes at each of them. She has the intellect, observational, and strategic skills while I use my athleticism and accuracy to beat them at their own game. Don't let their scamming piss you off though." he responded.

Selene nodded - she'd missed a lot of the mumbled explanation, but not the anger. Probably tied to the other bits Amelia had already mentioned, to be perhaps discovered on a later day. Perhaps not. Instead, it was better to focus on EJ's words. She chuckled at the memory. Some people.

"You really shouldn't. Most just... aren't as easy as they make it look. Once you know the tricks, though, it's very simple to win. I suppose it's not any different than gambling, except you actually might get your prize at the end of the game." She chuckled. "But we'll win, at least three-quarters of the time." She paused. "Jacob's ladder is still a bit tough..." Ah, yes, the pivoting ladder. Less a matter of speed and strength, more a matter of balance and remembering not to climb it like a ladder.

She looked over Amelia. "You know what? If they have that one here, how'd you like to give it a try? That one's trick is climbing the ropes, not the rungs. We'll show you, don't worry." She gestured to Ezera.

Today was going to be a good, fun day. She was going to make sure of it.

Amelia smirked. "That I have heard of and it is the one I have tried, I know how you do it and it is the one that I am good at, lets try that one first and I will go first, lets see how that one goes" She smiled gently. She saw it and ran over to it, pulling them along and smirked as she waited for them to say for her to go or if they want to go first as she smiled brightly at them and then at the person running it but this was a fake smile. "I would like to have a go at this please it is the only carnival game I have done before and I want to try it again" She asked politely, getting out her money as she smirked at Selene and Ezera like she was going to handle this one as her eyes shone brightly.

Poetry heard the click of a camera as Blakey Boy patted her arm in his usual good nature. Looking over at Ebony-Gold, she had little surprise in finding that the camera she held was being put to use. With her and Blake-Boy as the subjects in the sun. With a bubbling laugh, her cheeks grew rosy and she pressed them slightly in her teaspoon sized shyness. Being the subject of a photo, any kind at all was fine, but the raw emotion that came from candid shots always seemed to speak more than those that were posed. So she glowed in the flattery of it.

Before beautiful Ebony-Gold could answer Poetry's inquiry, a throaty voice shouted up to Blake and she turned in curiosity at this new person. Well, new to Poetry's sights. She hadn't seen her before. But then again, there were always new people buzzing about that your eyes had seen before. It was just that the brain liked to forget them, as it forgot scenery; though it was all unique and beautiful, the brain was as cruel and practical as a Wall Street white-collar. It just loved to over look or pass by the small details of life.

"Oh, a new fluttering butterfly~" she hummed softly to herself, "Taking to the sweet summer sky~ She greets the Sun~ She must wish to speak of summertime fun~" The little tunes always sprouted up from time to time, but how could she not hum this one with such interesting and new inspiration? Tipping her head to the side with a warm smile in greeting, as if she hadn't sung at all, her silver-and-gold hair fell over one shoulder and her spring-water eyes glittered in curiosity.

"What it is, Butterfly?" she greeted in her funky way of saying 'what's up' to this new person she had never seen before, "You know our blazin' ace, Blakey Boy?" She beamed. "Haha~ Well, it's nice ta' meet ya'!"



Oberon leaned back further, almost fully stretching out in the shade, like a lazy large feline. His head fell back, that pale flesh that should be unmarred by tender youth instead forever marked with a wavering scrawl of black ink. The slightly shaky cursive tattoo was his newest 'gift' from his step-mother. What a generous woman... She always loved to give him little presents of pain, to satisfy that sick sadism her always say lurking in her leering eyes. The boy who was far to old for his age, let out a slow sigh.

Looking up he marveled at the lazy clouds. They seemed just like the other kids his age. Always cheerful, floating about in the endless blue sky, gilded by sunlight and forever out of reach. With a frown, he moved to sit up fully now. His eyes were two storms of dark shadows, making the shade that was draped over him seem as flimsy and sweet as the cotton candy they were ripping kids off with.

Getting up on his feet, the lanky and yet oddly graceful boy moved down those steel steps.



He stopped at the bottom and looked up. It was so bright out it hurt his eyes. Narrowing his eyes, he pushed his hands into his pockets. Very well. Might as well walk to get a closer look at everything. Otherwise showing up today would be for naught. Food was the best place to start. Perhaps he'd get peckish had be able to use the money he had gotten from help the old lady in the trailer park. He'd prefer getting new shoes, since the ones he was able to wear were made for winter, but food was necessary too. Though most days he had to skip a meal or two. Better to eat here and now, than get the scraps of whatever takeout would be left around the scrap of metal he was forced to call a home. Off to the food stalls then. He leisurely strolled through the mass towards the scent of over priced carnival food.

---

---

Caleb had been about to wave to Clyde before he promptly ran off. He cocked his head in confusion. That kid was a bit of an enigma, that much was for sure. Caleb was shy, sure, but Clyde was a whole other breed. Jake probably didn't help that issue either, if he was being honest. As much as Caleb loved his brother, he was rough around the edges, especially to those who he thought were "below" him socially. Shrugging, Caleb turned back to Indie, still grinning.

Standing up and following her down the stairs, he smirked as she mentioned the online quiz she took. "I don't know. You've always struck me as a closet Hufflepuff," he said, snapping a picture of a group of kids, seeing each other for the first time in months. His gaze was then directed over to the boy that Indiana had mentioned, standing in the shadows.

"I'm not sure," he said, his voice trailing off as he lifted his camera up and took a photo of the boy, before being pulled along by Indie, not unwillingly. He couldn't help the butterflies that took off in his stomach as her hand grabbed his, or how he observed the way the light caught her hair. No Caleb. Bad Caleb, he thought as he followed her down to the field.

"So, how was your summer?" he asked, snapping another picture of her as they reached the bottom of the bleachers, and began making their way towards one of the many booths. "Was it as exciting as usual?" he continued, grinning. Caleb had since grown used to the many adventures of Indiana Ryder. Hell, he'd even participated in some of them. Not the more wild ones, but the ones that involved tee-peeing some assholes house in the middle of the night. Aka, the most adventurous thing Caleb McKinnon has ever done.

---

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---

Jake was having the time of his life, he was certain of that. His charisma was on full display, for everyone to say. He moved from person to person, joking and chatting with everyone. Well, everyone whom he deemed "popular". Now that he'd spoken with most of the people in his social circle, he was talking with a few of the guys from his soccer time, along with some newbies they'd picked up, kids who'd be joining the high school team this year, but had come from different junior high schools.

The group was pooled around the bottom of the bleachers, joking around and rough housing, making sleazy comments about girls, and talking shit about the likes of Clyde Christopher Lee, and Abbie McGummfrey. Jake glanced up and spotted Caleb looking through the viewfinder of his camera, towing behind his friend Indie. And so did one of the newbies to the group. "Hey guys, look at the dumb ass with the camera over there! Probably just an easy way to check out chicks," the newbie, Kyle, said, laughing. "I mean, what a fucking perv, right?"

Silence feel over the group as Jake turned to face the kid who'd spoken up. Kyle as he went by, was short and stocky, a lot shorter than Jake. His dark brown hair was stuck up with more gel than was really necessary, and he reeked of AXE body spray. And right now, he was staring up at the stony face of Jacob McKinnon, realizing he'd made a very big mistake. "You're new here, so I'm going to let you off with a warning. He's off limits. Fucking with him, is like fucking with me. So don't let me hear about something like that happening again." With his point made, Jake and his group left the kid behind, his face a bit paler than it had been only moments before.

The younger twin led the group through the maze of booths, where they eventually found Cass Rowley, the one person on this planet that Lily probably legitimately hated. Also one of the many girls that Jake flirted with, mostly behind her back. "Hey Cass, stealing again? Would mommy or daddy approve?" he asked with a smirk and a wink.

---

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---

With a chipper grin, Lily unwrapped the piece of gum and popped it into her mouth. "I think we are going to be the best of friends Wynona" she said, standing up and brushing off some nonexistent dust from her lap. Smiling she linked her arm through Wynona's once the other girl had stood, and began leading her down to the carnival, practically skipping.

"So Wynona, what do you like to do?" Lily asked, grinning. Before her newfound friend could even answer though, Lily was speaking again. "I like to paint. And playing piano, and guitar and singing and dancing. You could say I really like music," she said grinning. "Well, I like hanging out with my boyfriend too, but between you and me, my guitar is a bit more fun," she said, giggling as if she'd just told Wynona a dirty little secret.

Lily had this way of doing that with anyone, making them feel as if they were the only person she cared about, as if everything Lily told them was a secret meant only for them. Lily knew about this, to some extent. Jake had told her plenty of times how much he loved it, but for the most part, she did it on accident. Her natural charisma just took control, not that it didn't help her out.

---

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"Hey, dipshit."

The rude awakening was met with a hard pillow to the chest, followed shortly by muffled grumbles.

"We're laaaaate, Kelsey. Get out of bed, shit, it's already seven and it's still a ten minute roll to school. Mom's gonna be pissed if she finds out we're late today."

Another pillow. Kris took both pillows and slammed them down onto the bed. She had tried to wake Kelsey up four times in the last twenty minutes, and she was not happy with being at late to their first day of high school. Knowing how quickly Kelsey got ready, they wouldn't get there until much closer to eight.

"Kelsey, I swear to god you get out of bed right now or I will drag your punk ass to school," Kris threatened, taking a pillow and throwing it down at Kelsey again. "I'll just strap you to your skateboard or something. I dunno."

Kelsey slowly raised her head from the pillow, giving Kris the sleepiest glare.

"You touch my skateboard, you're fucking dead."

---

Kris led the way on her roller blades, Kelsey following closely behind. It was already fifteen minutes to eight, and the two girls were just arriving to school. Hopefully with the carnival, nobody would really notice the two girls arriving almost an hour after they were supposed to.

The sisters snuck around to the back of the bleachers, staying out of sight until the freshmen were finished dispersing into the carnival.

Kris punched Kelsey in the shoulder. "We missed the first roll call. Wake up on time tomorrow," Kris said with a hint of bitterness. She wasn't too upset at her sister, as the day wasn't nearly as important as the start of classes the next day, but it was getting into the habit that mattered. Kelsey would probably be on time when classes started.

"Look, I bet we didn't even miss anything important. Chill out," Kelsey retorted, rubbing her arm where Kris punched her.

"Shut the fuck up over there. You're ruining the moment."

The girls looked over to the source of the new voice. Kelsey smirked; she knew exactly who this bitch was.

"Hey, you're Jess Grossman, right? Is it true you fucked three people at the same time?" Kelsey jabbed. She had heard rumors that a new girl was moving to town over the summer; as any honest gossip would, Kelsey did her due diligence and researched the living shit out of Jess. Most news websites weren't too helpful, but that's what Twitter was for. Jess' mentions were a gold mine for a natural gossip like Kelsey.

All she got was a roll of the eyes, followed by a puff of smoke from Jess' cigarette. She had no interest in entertaining this bullshit. She came back here after the freshmen were dismissed to hide for a quick smoke before dipping out. The three girls stood in silence for a moment, before Jess spoke up. "You two didn't miss shit, so get your heads out your asses, stop hiding behind these bleachers like fuckin' babies, and fuck off, already."

Predictably, Kelsey just couldn't resist throwing another punch. "Oooh, we're getting help from our new resident slut. Does that mean we're part of the in-crowd, now?"

Kris hid her face in her hands, before pulling Kelsey away by the forearm. "She's literally just trying to help us, Kels. Stop being such an asshole and let's go." Kelsey flashed one last smirk at Jess as they rounded the corner from behind the bleachers, as if to say that this was a war that was only just beginning. Kelsey didn't get to see, but Jess' only response was a slow shake of the head, met with yet another puff of smoke.

---

"Do you know anyone here, Kels?"

The shorter sister glanced around, scanning for familiar faces. "I... think so. It's hard to say."

"There's a lot of people."

"Yeah."

"Like. A lot of people."

"Yeah."

"What do we do? We just gonna carry this shit all day?" Kris motioned to her roller blades hanging from her backpack by the shoelaces, and the skateboard Kelsey was holding by the trucks.

"Hell yeah we are. I'm not getting our stuff stolen from us on day one. Hold onto that tight." Kelsey lifted her skateboard to eye level and squeezed the trucks for emphasis. She began to wander off into the carnival, completely lost in the maze of people, Kris following closely behind in her sister's shadow.

---

---

"Meeeeooooow!"

Lilac stirred slightly as she heard the loud sound come from from something on top of her chest. She then felt something flicking across her nose.

"Meeeeeeeeeooooooooooow!!" She heard again, this time louder and more drawn out, once again accompanied by the furry feeling of something brushing her face. Finally, she opened her eyes, and was greeted by the sight of a cat butt, whose tail was brushing against her face. "Meow!!!" the cat purred, turning around and rubbing it's face against Lilac's. It jumped off, though, as soon as Lilac made movements indicating she was getting up. She slid out of her blankets, before pulling her legs off the side so she was in a sitting position. She shot a glance at the clock on her wall, whose hour hand was on the 6 and whose minute hand was on the 3. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and hopped out of the bed. She walked a few steps to her dresser, opening each of the drawers and getting all the clothing she needed: a black T-shirt, blue jeans, plain white undergarments, white socks, and her favorite black hoodie. And then she went to the bathroom. She came out about fifteen minutes later in her clothes with her hair wet, ready for her first day of school. She went into the kitchen and found both her parents packing baked goods into boxes.

"Lilac, you're up!" her mother said, a big smile on her face. "Your father and I took the liberty of making some treats for you to sell at the carnival your school is having!" As she spoke, Lilac grabbed a chocolate chip muffin that was on one of the counters and bit into it. It was still warm.

"...Okay..." Lilac said, before taking another bite of the muffin. After a few more bites, there was nothing left but a little melted chocolate on her hands, which she proceeded to wipe onto her pants. Her father then hoisted up one of the boxes and exited the kitchen. Lilac picked up a box of her own and followed her father out of the bakery and to a white van, which already had a few boxes in the back of it. After a few more trips back and forth, Lilac's father declared that they had enough and slid into the driver's seat while Lilac took her place in the passenger's seat. They were about to leave when Mrs. Rider came running out of the bakery with a black backpack in her hand.

"Lilac, honey, you forgot your backpack!" she yelled as she ran up to the van. Lilac opened the window and grabbed it, giving her mother a quiet kiss on the cheek as a show of thanks. Lilac saw no reason to tell her mother that the only thing in the bag was her boxing gloves, so she remained silent. As she drove away in the van, Lilac heard her mother yell, " I love you!"

Within a few minutes, Lilac and her dad pulled into the school's parking lot. They made a few trips to their booth, carrying a few boxes at a time. By the time they were all done, it was 7:30. Her father gave her a quick peck on the forehead, before pulling a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket. "Don't forget to wear these. While your mother and I find your glare charming, the customers may not." he said. Lilac took the glasses, and her father gave her one last hug. "I love you." he said. He then turned to leave, and as he left, he made one last comment: "And don't kick your school year off with a fight, okay?" Then he was gone, and Lilac was all alone.

About 30 minutes later, Lilac heard, from on her stool in her family's booth (which had the bakery's name printed on a big sign in front of it), a loud voice, which delivered a speech. She assumed it was the principal or someone equally important, so she put on the sunglasses and put on a big smile, one which, at best, looked forced. Had it not been for the sunglasses, it would have also looked intimating at least. Though she could not see the person speaking, she could hear them, so when they started calling out names of grades, she began getting ready to start taking money and giving pastries.

Indiana's gaze slid over each booth they passed, mentally dismissing them one by one. Boring, boring, boring. Her lips pulled up in a small smirk as Caleb asked about her summer. In truth, it had been way more fun than it should have been. Instead of preparing for her first time at public school, she had gone to party after party with Will. The six weeks (?) had been a blur of alcohol and bad choices. She didn't remember much, but there was one night that was unlikely she could forget.

"It was great. We didn't really do anything too crazy, though." That was a lie, but Indie decided to play it cool. "Will and I went midnight skinny-dipping in Clover Lake one night, which was...fun." Her face softened for a moment at the memory; it had been one of the best nights of her life - hypothermia and all. She quickly replaced the sentimental bullshit with a mocking smile, however, taking a strand of her hair and running her fingers through it a few times.

"You should try it some time - you need the fun." Poking Caleb in the ribs, she added. "And how was yours? I bet it was boring without me there." Her gaze left his face to examine their surroundings once more, stopping to rest at the Jacobs ladder stall. After waiting for his reply, she threw a cheeky wink to Caleb before approaching the stall, arms folded and brows raised. Her eyes bore into the red-haired girl who was preparing to give it a go. She looked determined, to say the least, but the smile was plastered on her face like paint - it was there for the time being but just about anything could scrape it off.

"I'll let these amateurs go first." She announced, sounding extremely bored. She then lowered her voice low enough for only Caleb to hear. "I'm pretty sure I'm the world record holder for this shit. I competed in Dubai." She said it with such sincerity that one could almost believe her if it wasn't so ridiculous.