Sitting there listening to Henderson drone on - which to be honest, his speeches were never the worst, but that oxy was really taking effect and if he wasn't gonna be loopy, he was definitely going to fall down the drowsy route. Pulling out his phone he began to surf insta, snap, twitter and reddit - his normal go-tos; and since he was at it, might as well post a little something something for his "followers". He had to laugh out loud at that thought, as if he had some kind of following. It was mainly the Knights and the Saints. Of course with the few exceptions here and there.


"Ffffffuck..." he grumbled as he stood up, stretching his long ass limbs as everyone began exiting the auditorium, heading to their designated classes. Kicking off the new year as dutiful cows to slaughter. He shook his head, taking inventory of his choices for the day.

"It's not like shit is gonna get done today..." he tried to reason with himself as to whether or not he was going to skip or join in on the rest of his fellow inmates. "However, I'm probably gonna crash soon and I didn't bring the mom-mobile to pass out in..."

Regardless of the options he was weighing under his breath, his feet moved of their own accord and dragged him to his first class, English. It was filling up quite quickly, despite others loitering in the halls, waiting until the last minute before dashing to their classes once the warning bell would sound. Instead of heading in the room, he waited outside the door, just leaning against the wall. He took notice of his friends and their interactions. People watching was one of the best things to do while in high school, might as well utilize the close proximity.

Daze looked to be in a huff about something, Jules didn't seem like she was in a much better mood. 'Probably something to do with one another,' he thought with a sigh. Ah, the joys of siblings. As he thought more about it, he shook himself clear of idle watching everyone so that he could duck into his homeroom in order to avoid catching his brother's gaze and having him pester him about his shiner.

As he made it into the room, he took to the back of the class, squeezing into those tiny contraptions of fake wood and metal - this shit was gonna totally fuck with his growth - if he had anymore to grow. Waiting for the rest of the class to arrive, and the teacher too for that matter, Lance took to laying his head down on his crossed arms that rested on the desk top. He had a feeling that the day was going to drag on, in the worst way possible.

For the rest of the ride to school Tiffany had started to daydream, her mind often wandering like it did- a lost puppy. She remembered her father's words describing her as "Just the creative type." and "Thankfully she was good looking." Things like that stuck with a girl. It was one thing for the kids at school to say it, but your own father? She wondered if she'd ever live up to her older sister's stardom or if she'd always have the middle child syndrome.

Scarfing down her hashbrown she made note to be proud of herself that she hadn't spilled a single crumb, at least on herself. Melissa's car however would definitely have essense of grease lingering for the rest of the day. The girls found themselves eventually at school and at the ever so enlightening assembly that they attended every year without fail. It wasn't until they mentioned the new change of plan for classes that Tiffany had something to say (surprisingly enough!)

"That's bullshit!" she mentioned to no one in particular, the people around here easily able to hear. She had been counting on getting as many art classes done this year so she could go into fashion design at college if she could manage to get into one. Thankfully they hadn't been completely cancelled but knowing that she would have to supply all her own tools might be enough reason for her parents to suggest she doing something more reasonable with her life.

Art didn't pay the bills after all.

The assembly had left an impact on everyone as the grumbles and venting could be heard as the student body cleared away. Tiffany, a pout across her lips said goodbye to her best friends even though she knew they would be having time together in not too long from now. Off the bat, the very start to her day was Algebra 2. The senior hated math, science, english- and well, most things that caused her to overthink but math was especially difficult for Tiffany.

Entering the classroom a familiar face brought a grin. "Alex! Tiffany exclaimed, walking over to the young boy that she had grown to call a friend ever since his arrival at their school. She wondered if he would notice her hair cut she had gotten over the summer or that she had to change part of her outfit due to the slipperiness of butter.

"Did you have a nice summer? Can I sit next to you in class?" she yammered off questions, waiting for a response.

The rest of school life had gone pretty much the way Jordan had planned it. He had been made head of the drama club; Which at this point was practically guaranteed anyway. Wasn't like someone else in the senior year was going to stand against him. This was supposed to be his coronation however, the dawn of a bright new era for King Ross. Sadly the coronation had gone bust because Stewart Henderson had sold the crown to buy helmets for the knights of the realm. What kind of person sells a Kings crown?

As if things couldn't actually get worse, his hopes at finding out first week gossip was turning out to be fruitless. He had noticed a few new seniors, and was trying his damn hardest to talk to them and get them onboard. Everytime he tried however someone would bjtt in and pull them away. He was only trying to make new friends. The only silver lining was this lake party. Perhaps it was going to be the tipping point. Teens and alcohol was an interesting combination for sure and people always slipped up. All he had to do was remain vigilant and perhaps the gossip column of the newspaper would have something juicy to publish over the weekend.

He had decided, for better or for worse, to walk to the party. It was a trek from his house, but with enough music and the odd twitter break, time just melted away. His mother and father were either out themselves or busy with their work so Jordan was left to be responsible himself. While Jordan needed to act like a socialite in order to gather people's trust, not to mention to practice his wide range of acting skills; he was legitimately scared about this party. The only other party he had been to was last year, and that was a night he most certainly wasn't going to forget… And not in a good way. The idea of spending more time around alcohol and being socially pressured into drinking filled the usually confidant male with dread. It was one of those 'oh shit, here we go again' moments where Jordan was being really conscious over what he was doing, or more specifically, Drinking.

Ontop of that he was slightly concerned about turning up at all. Officially he had never been asked to go to the party. All week he watched as various seniors talked to each other, inviting and planning together. Not once did someone even bring it up with him. Now the invite was for everyone. It was just the way the invite got spread. But Jordan couldn't help but feel slightly unwelcome. Still, everyone would be too drunk after 10 minutes to even notice Jordan at all.

Walking up to the lakeside, it seemed that the bonfire had already been lit and the music had been set up. Not many people though. Walking upto the bonfire, Jordan smiled and waved to people who looked at him, not bothering to say anything. Eventually though he found his way back to the entrance of the party where he sat on an old tree stump looking at his phone, discreetly people watching as he did. He wanted to see who turned up and the kind of mood they were in.

>>Lets do this party right, goddammit!<<

The rest of his days at school for the week was rather uneventful. Teachers passed out syllabuses, talked about expectations, rules, and goals or whatever. Typical first week shit. Classes were just as boring. Sure, he has friends in his classes, but Rich, despite his shortcomings if you can call them that, actually pays attention in class. At least for the most part. Blame it on the Asian parents.

All the while all he was thinking of was JK Moore's candy shop. No not like that you sick bastard. Her business. Oh god, no, wait. Her...goods? Fuck, there is no rescuing this. Anyways. All Rich was thinking about during class was getting in touch... with JK, the party that weekend, and what other shenanigans him and his friends will inevitably get into for the rest of the year. He had received a message from Aria about using the sound system in his car to supply the music to their little lakeside shindig, and of course he agreed. After all, what is a party if there isn't good music? Aria mentioned having a playlist ready, but Rich still made a list in case Aria's music choice wasn't fitting for whatever reason. And also for when the night inevitably gets late and people starts to get more and more sufficiently 'lubricated' and have thoughts of more...explicit activities.

His outfit of the evening was...eccentric, to say the least. All white everything, shades at night, gold plated chain. A typical Rich look. On his drive over towards the lake, he had a bottle of mysterious liquid sitting in one of the cup holder in the front seat. The contents of which one has to taste to find out.

Arriving by the lakeside, Rich did not immediately spot anyone he readily recognized or wants to immediately strike up a conversation with. He parked his car somewhere around the main gathering area so that the music can be heard throughout the party. He turned his lights off to not take away from the burning wood aesthetic. He noted the presence of one Jordan Ross. "Awww shit, here we go again" was the first thought that slipped in and out of his mind. Wherever there is a large gathering of people, one can always count on the presence of Jordan. The gossip queen of Rosefell.

Taking out his phone, he clicked open the Knight's group message. -I'm the first one here, again. Where are the rest of ya'sssss? and yo, is Missy coming? I just think it would be a good place to start something you know?- Sending the message, Rich tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and took a sip from the bottle. Following a small cringe caused by the contents of the bottle, Rich idly scrolled social media and reddit to pass the time while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive.

During his very first week, Hendrik really had to get used to Rosefell High. Especially the amount of other students in the classroom. The chaos was really getting used to. He did however look forward to the weekend, at friday night there was supposed to be a party at a nearby lake and saterday were sport team tryouts, something he was looking forward to aswell.

In the very first week Hendrik wanted to plan an appointment with his counciller. He just wanted to talk about fitting in and the likes, however he decided to put it on a hold till after this weekend. Since the party and tryouts maybe would take care of it, or atleast Hendrik hoped it would.

Finally the friday evening had come, Hendrik made sure to make his dinner something carb heavy, so he would have a good layer for the drinks. It ended up becoming Pasta, with garlic cream sauce, some thin sliced bacon and champignons. He then went out for a quick jog, to clear his mind from the troubles at his home before actually getting ready.

His clothing was rather neat, especially for a highschool student. He went for a white blouse, with some dark blue jeans underneath. He also decided to pack a towel, since being at a lake and all, and knowing himself. There would be a chance he would go for a dip. After this was all done, Hendrik left his home, not even saying goodbye to his parents. He despised their selfishness, their lack of love and all in all their general behaviour. Looking from the outside, Hendrik may look like he has a happy family, but he actually never does talk about them.

Once at the place where the party was supposed to be, Hendrik's eyes fell upon a large bonfire. It seemed thats where he was supposed to go. Once he actually had arrived, there were a few familiair faces, but as Hendrik was new, none he really knew. He decided to grab a drink, and just take a seat at the bonfire.

First class, scanning the room, and the young man was ready to turn heel and walk home. Not so much because he didn’t agree with the people in his class, albeit, a few tolerables he recognized from Junior year. And not even because of the teacher, whom he had last year for Algebra 1, but moreso because centered on the white board in the boldest black known to the world of dry-erase markers, sat three of the worst words a first-day student wanted to see...

“You’ve got to be kidd-”

“Alex!”

Before his mumbled protest could be completed, the immediate voice of Tiffany could be heard right behind him, cutting through whatever ambient sounds we there.

“Hey Tiff.” Alex turned with a grin and a subtle wave. “Yeah, Summer was okay, and of course you can sit by me.” He answered the other two questions, looking around, not finding a seat yet, but eventually pointing to one near the far side of the room. “I guess those’ll do.” He shrugged, and walked over to sit. “Oh, and nice haircut by the way.” He smirked, putting his book bag down and pulling out a spiral notebook.

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed with a text message, which was from Lana:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I would ditch first period
To spend some time with you.

There aren’t many moments that Alex could claim to have smiled from ear to ear, but receiving a call or text message from Alana Kingsley was definitely one of those. His mind immediately went into an almost dreamy reverie, thinking about spending time away from class and his favourite girl wrapped in his arms. But, before he knew it, a good dose of reality knocked him upside the head.

“Fuckin’ pop quiz” He grumbled, knowing he couldn’t miss something like that, especially not on his first day. He dreaded the response back, knowing that skipping class was certainly not what Lana would ever do, so this was something special for sure. But his fingers started typing, reluctantly, nonetheless.

First day pop quiz in Jenner’s class. I’m so sorry, babe :(

And so the contents of that text message set the tone for the rest of first period, and what could be considered a dark cloud loomed over him. He hoped for a meet up during lunch, or any other time for remainder of the week, but it was simply not in the cards. They both had other engagements that kept them at arm's length, only passing in the halls, or a quick hug and a peck on the lips when no one was looking. Shit happened to people all the time, that was for sure, but it always seemed to be when it involved him and the love of his life.

---

Friday afternoon, and most people were talking about the lake party. Well, those who were aware of it, or that cared enough to even acknowledge it. Alex wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t a party person in the least, and would rather not insert himself into a crowd full of drunk and high peers. But, as luck would have it -or so it seemed- Lana said she would be attending the party only if he would be there.
She is about the only reason he would be there.

---

Alex allowed a sigh to slip through his lips as he parked and saw the huge bonfire. Maybe he needed a scene like this after a rough school and work week, perhaps this was just good timing, who knows? He supposed, though, that most people would be involved enough with their friend groups that he’d simply fade away. But, this was also important to Lana. While she wasn’t a social butterfly, she had plenty of friends who were, and missing such a grand soiree as the “Lake Party”, Alana Kingsley would probably never be allowed to live that one down.

Grabbing the camera from the passenger seat and spotting Jordan sitting on an old tree stump, he walked down the narrow path a little ways and stopped a few feet from the other. “Hey man, how goes social media life?” He said with a snicker, pretty convinced that the dude was blasting out some spastic content even as they spoke.

Alex pulled his phone from his pocket just to make sure he didn't miss a call or text from Lana, but nothing yet. He hoped she would be there soon.

On the afternoon before the party at the lake house, Steph spent a few hours getting ready - she left her hair down but curled the ends, and put on more makeup than strictly necessary, picking a sparkly pale blush-pink eyeshadow to match her romper. She wore pretty gold bangles around her wrists (with hoop earrings to match), and chose a pair of strappy gold sandals to complete the ensemble.

Of course, with Steph being Steph, it was almost like, federally required that she post a mirror shot of our outfit on Snapchat and Instagram before the party. Once that was done, she grabbed her car keys. As usual, Steph would be the designated driver, mostly because she 1) didn’t really like drinking that much, and 2) had a minivan (which, for all that the other Thorns made fun of her for, was actually super convenient for nights like these where drunk people would need a way to get home).

“I’m leaving, Mom!” she yelled as she pounded down the stairs, passing her brother on her way out. Kevin would not be going to the party, because he would rather play League at home than get plastered. And also, he was an underclassmen.

The infamous mom van was parked in the driveway. It was a 1999 Honda Odyssey with eight seats (including the driver’s seat), an AC system that would probably only last another few months or so, and a sliding door on the right that somehow stopped working like, when Steph was twelve. All in all, the car was older than Steph herself...and probably would not pass inspection, next year.

But because it was either this or no car at all, Steph made do. Even though there were sparkly My Little Pony stickers on some of the side windows.

She hopped into the driver’s seat and got ready to go, quickly pulling up the Thorns group chat and tapping out a message:


Then, she pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of Melissa’s house, sending the group chat another text when she arrived.

Melissa had received the first text but hadn't quite checked her phone for the second. The giant cooler she was lugging around saw to that. The container was a steal of a deal though, in that she paid nothing for it after her mom lifted it from the Walmart dumpsters. The draining spigot was obliterated, but that was nothing that some hastily repurposed silly putty didn't fix. Plus the sparkly pink really gave the solid blue a nice touch. The ice would be held in place long enough to keep the vast selection of Breezers cool while Melissa and her fellow Thorns systematically went through them. And she worked wayyy too hard on acquiring the alcohol to drink it warm.

After she pushed the monstrous cooler into a spot towards the door, she straightened up and checked herself in the mirror. While a lake party demanded a focus on comfort over couture clothing, Melissa had done very well to make herself up to shine on both counts. Her sweater dress would catch eyes and keep her warm well into the deceptively chill September night. The leggings showed off her well-toned lower body, and the fleece lining would serve the same purpose as her top. Her shoes… were just sneakers, but she wasn't busting out premium pumps at a nature party. That was a suicide mission. Her makeup was on point though, with the eyeliner contoured to highlight the splash of red her shadow contained. The dangling necklace and sparkling bracelets would glimmer in the light of the fire. She did damn good.

Now she just needed to get this chariot of nectar into the chariot of never… getting a passing grade from life or a mechanic. There would be time to work on that in the godawful minivan.

"So why can't I go to this party?" Melissa let out a sigh as her sister chimed in from her spot on the couch.

"Because you're not a senior and you're 15, Zoey," the elder Elliott replied.

"So?"

"So this isn't fucking Arkansas where the drinking age is 11 and I will be damned if I have to explain to Mom why you're face down in a pile of multi-colored puke on Sunday and then pregnant on Christmas!" Melissa huffed. "So unless you want to help me carry this, shut up and stay put. Besides, I need you to be my cover in case I don't come home and Mom starts asking questions. If she asks, I am-"

"Having a sleepover in Steph's backyard with root beers all around. Which is why you need the cooler. Sure. You owe me for this though."

"You are repaid every day with the honor of being my sister. Now be a good sibling and at least hold the door for me while I kick this thing towards the rust heap." Melissa dashed a quick text off to Steph.

Help me. This thing is so heavy!!!

Zoey got up and obliged her sister's wish for an open door. "How did you even get that much Bacardi anyway?"

"Don't worry about it. Love you. Later," Melissa mimicked an air kiss as she lugged the beastly bottle bin out towards the minivan.

When Steph got Melissa’s text, she immediately hopped out of the car and headed over to where her friend was struggling with the cooler. “Hey!” she greeted cheerfully, and together, the two of them managed to wrestle the cooler into the trunk of her minivan.

Once that was taken care of, Steph got back into the car, and Melissa slid into the passenger seat. Steph quickly sent Cami a text, because Cami’s house was on the way to Tiff’s - cami, we’ll be there in a few! - then pulled out of Melissa’s driveway. When they arrived a few minutes later, Steph quickly shot off another text message to let Cami know that they were there.

“I know I don’t say this very often, because it is definitely not the case very often,” Melissa started as the two waited for Cami, “but I am actually glad you have the minivan for nights like tonight.”

Steph giggled. “As long as it doesn’t end up pushed into the lake by the end of the night,” she answered.

“No promises,” Melissa confirmed. “It’s still hot girl summer after all. Anything can happen. Including giving this van the burial at lake it deserves… But probably it’ll be fine.”

Camila felt a tad guilty about lying to her father. Not long after she came home from school today, he left for his weekend-long business trip. She had known about the lake party throughout the week and was on the fence about not going, but the two people who convinced her other wise, well one was sitting right next to her and the other was co-hosting the party with someone by the name of JK Moore. The reason she felt guilty was due to how she told her father that she would be hanging with Ludvig and didn’t even mention the party to him.

She sighed nervously, looking over her outfit for the party, which consisted of a black spaghetti-strap top, jean shorts, a beige jacket (in the event it got chilly at the party), and to top it off, Camila had a floral bandana that she tied over her head. “Well, how do I look?” She asked Ludvig who was doing the same thing for his own outfit.

Ludvig who had been distractedly browsing one of Camila’s magazines. “Huh?” he asked looking up from the glossy pages his concentration had been on the list ‘10 ways to spot a cheater’. “Oh... you know I will always be a fan of what you choose! Except for your affinity of animal print.” he joked eyeing the leopard print skirt still in the ‘maybe’ pile.

He threw the magazine on top of her bed and stood up walking over to his friend looking at her reflection in the mirror. “You need to relax dude… your dad will never find out.” Ludvig sighed “I mean we don’t have to go you know… we can actually stay here and hang out… I don’t care either way. I’ve faced Aria’s rage before… I can take it.” he smiled over her shoulder resting his chin on it.

That was one option she had considered. The guilt alone was enough to put the idea in her head and with Ludvig’s suggestion, it remained a possibility. She wouldn’t be missing out on much, right? Even if people were going to be disappointed, which by people, that really meant the Thorns. Ever since her brief talk with Melissa, there has been a sort of consistent, if not sudden, friendship with them. They were high on her joining the cheer squad and she obviously was all for it. Of course, she knew they might be disappointed if she chose to skip out, but maybe it would be for the--

Camila was brought out of her internal struggles as she heard her phone go off. As she opened it up, the notif was from the Thorns group chat. She must have dazed off longer than she thought because, even though the message stated they were on their way, that was from a few minutes ago. And, of course, as all things seemed to be rushed for her right now, both Camila and Ludvig heard the sound of a honk from outside.

“Oh, I guess in a few really meant in a few,” she noted, shaking her head. She walked back into her room and took a peak out her window, seeing a minivan parked in front with Melissa and Steph in the front seats. “Crap, they’re already here!?” She gasped. “Well, I guess it’s too late to bow out now.” She sighed slightly, grabbing her handbag as they quickly made their way out the door.

"Woah Steph… Nice ride!” Ludvig exclaimed as the pair walked out towards the girls in the car. “I feel very… safe” he joked scratching one of the pony stickers as he stepped into the cavernous vehicle.

Cami took a seat next to Ludvig. “Sorry, I hope it’s okay Ludvig rides with us. We were hanging since we got out of school today and time escaped me,” she said to Melissa and Steph as she settled into her seat, finding it to be surprisingly comfortable.

Melissa shrugged. “If he’s willing to actually ride in this rustbucket without needing to transport enough alcoholic drinks to blackout Akron, he can go ahead. I guess.”

Steph twisted around in her seat to wave hi. “Oh, stop it,” she said in response to Ludvig’s joke, laughing. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t be driving this, either.”

Once Cami and Ludvig were settled in, Steph began backing the car out of Cami’s driveway. “I like your outfit, Cami!” she said, peering up into the rearview mirror. “And can someone tell Tiff that we’re on the way?”

“Thank you, Steph!” The red-haired girl smiled at Steph and pulled out her phone, bringing up the group chat. ”Hey Tiff! We’re on our way!” She hit send and leaned back into the seat, getting as comfortable as she could.

It wasn’t long before they pulled up at Tiff’s house, and after she got in, Steph directed the minivan in the direction of the lake. As usual, she was relying on Melissa to help her navigate, because she was absolute shit with directions.

As soon as everyone was nestled into the van and conversations faded into gradual silence, the drive to the party was, for the most part, quiet. Cami and Ludvig talked some, Tiff chimed in only in a way that she could, and all the while Steph and Mel were talking about something as well. With all of the murmured whispers, it was mostly just everyone doing their own thing until the sight of the towering bonfire came into view.

It was at that moment that lips stopped moving and eyes simultaneously went to the front as a parking spot as close to the lake without it being in the way nor too far to carry the cooler came to the driver’s attention.

Eyes still remained on the bonfire. It wasn’t that Cami was a stranger to them but this was probably the biggest she seen, so it took her a moment to take it all in before she snapped out of it. The music was a familiar sound. The last time she heard music among some growing crowds was the farewell bash her SI friends threw her back in late July. The feeling she found herself overcome with was like a mixture of longing for her New York friends and a genuine sparkle of joy at the prospect of rekindling with ones she had left here (present company excluded).

“Hey Lud, let’s go see if we can find Aria..” A moment of temporary forgetfulness came over her as she glanced at Steph and Melissa. “Oh sorry, did you want us to help with the cooler?” She asked the two girls. Her father had always taught her to be as considerate as she could, so she always made sure that she was.

Once Steph had parked the car, she turned off the ignition and took off her seatbelt. “That would be great, thanks!” Steph chirped as she opened the trunk. Together, all of them managed to get the cooler out, and Steph thanked Cami and Ludvig again. Then, she turned around to admire the bonfire again - she was so ready for the party!!!

>>Lets do this party right, goddammit!<<

Casually waiting for the Knights, or those who were coming to the party anyways, to reply, Rich sipped on the mysterious liquid from the bottle while scanning around the gathering crowd. He started to notice more and more familiar faces. Good. Good. Let the party begin. Its their first big get together of the year. Anyone of any importance would be there.

Off in the distance, he hears a familiar voice. Turning slowly, he sees a human embodiment of a Wack Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tubeman TM. Oh wait. Its same. Never mind. Rich chuckles as he hopped off the hood of his car and made his approach. Responding in kind. "Sam! Sam! Saaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmm!!!" He said, chuckling. "Wassup girl. How are you?" He said as he goes in for a hug. "Where is the rest of the damn crew? I swear if it's just us, I'm cussing each and every last one of them out." He said, absentmindedly.

Not really waiting for Sam to respond, Rich started scanning the crowd again. Off in the distance, he spots Alex chatting with Jordan. Odd, but who is he to judge. Minty, off being her secluded self. Lana joined them. Which was interesting to say the least since Rich does not expect Lana to be much of a party-goer. Though... If he had to guess. There is someone here she wants to see. But, for the time being, he will leave the gossiping to Jordan. Morgan was here as well. She, for maybe some not so obvious reasons, immediately approached JK. If there is a was a party, it isn't done right unless JK Moore is there. Or so Rich thought. Finally, Rich spots an approaching vehicle.

A rather decrepit minivan. A mobile deathtrap so to speak. That can only mean Steph, and very possibly the rest of the Thorns, would be attending.

"Hey, Sam" Rich said in a lowered voice. "What do you know about Melissa? Melissa Elliot. What is her deal? Got any inside scoop, so to speak?"

---

Jordan was engrossed with his phone. Staring down at the device as he was currently in the process of flicking through his digital notepad looking at all the gossip that he had collected over the week. His little network of snitches and informants had gathered some nice little bits of info… Enough to start writing about at least.

Earlier in the week he had discovered that he had been out in charge of a gossip column of the school paper. An attempt by Henderson to try and keep the school paper relevant. The opportunity was far too good to pass up. Being allowed to gossip to his hearts content, and not get in trouble. Of course his identity had been kept hidden. Didn't want to have to bear the consequences of his actions. That's just bad journalism.

He was pulled from his daydreaming fantasy of total control of the school by the voice of Alex. Jordan wasn't stupid. He noticed the snicker. Who did Alex think he was? Snickering at Jordan. His photos wouldn't be half as good without Jordan gracing them. Still. He had to at least entertain the idea of responding back.

"Oh you know it is the norm. Just looking around, cross referencing information. Fun stuff."

Jordan was just about to speak once more and try and probe Alex with a few questions regarding his mood. Perhaps he was snickering from a bad mood rather than just being with Jordan. However he was brutally and savagely interrupted by the Brutus Maximilllous Arseholius Ricky. Jordan furrowed his brow in both annoyance and frustration. He wasn't even acknowledged. Not even a mention, stare or nod. Jordan knew the male disliked him, going as far as to public threaten him on twitter, which constituted as evidence by the way?

Fine. If that was the way Pricky Ricky was going to play then, Jordan could do the same to. Getting up from the stump he began to walk away before making a snide comment "Talk to him while still can. He will be going to prison soon enough." Before anyone could even shoot back a proper rebuttal, Jordan had left the scene. His eyes now began to wander. As they wandered he noticed the new guy Hendrik hitting by the bonfire and having a drink.

Perfect. Jordan thought. Hendrik was new and that meant he could make friends before anyone else got near him. He would finally have his senior spy. Someone to keep an eye on Melissa and the Bitches. Walking up towards the male confidently, Jordan sat down next to the bonfire, right next to Hendrik.

"Hey you are the new guy right? Transferred from some place?"

Hendrik was just chilling at the bonfire, sort of trying to mingle with the other students who had recently arrived at the bonfire. Even if he was the odd one out, it would not hold him from speaking up if he felt like it. After a few minutes had passed, Hendrik seemed to notice a slightly younger male approach him. This felt sort of odd, why would someone approach him like that.

“I most certainly am, and most certainly did transfer in from some place. I used to live a few states south of here. In a small town. However please call me Hendrik, new guy gets old after a week. Good to meet you.”

Hendrik would sort of hold out his hand so Jordan could shake it and Jordan very quickly accepted it. A handshake at a lakeside party though… Very formal.

"Well I am Jordan. Tell me a little about yourself? What sort of things do you like and what kind of life do you want here at Rosefell?" Every word Jordan spoke was just purely pandering. For all intents and purposes he looked engaged and as if he was listening, but in reality he was just talking to get Hendrik on side.

Hendrik was slightly smiling, it was slim and sort of hard to see, but it was there. He let out a slight chuckle at the speed with which Jordan shook his hand.

”I like sport, or physical activity in any kind and money. I honestly hope to find someone with at least a little athletic capability, who can challenge me in any kind of sports. Furthermore I just want to graduate and move on with my life. What about you? You strike me as a less.. Physically active person”

"Physically active?" Jordan scoffed in amusement. So another jock. The school didn't need another one of those. Henderson was already bending over to accommodate the current set. He didn't need another leech feeding off drama funds. "If that is the kinda thing you are looking for… Rosefell may disappoint you. But no. I am a drama person myself. But if a hobbyist writer too given my parents. My speciality around here is information. I know everything about everyone. Even the things they don't want me to know. Just bear that in mind" The final mark was both a boast and a threat rolled into one. A kind of; I am the best kind of friend to have, worst kind of enemy to have vibe.

Hendrik just gave a slight nod.
”Mmmh. I understand, so just out of curiosity. Is this the first bit of information gathering on me then? And have you had people actually interested in the new guy. Cause lets be honest, you’re probably the only one knowing my name” Hendrik had this kind of pokerface, with a faint glimmer in the eyes. Perhaps from the bonfire nearby.

"Bit to early to try gathering information yet." Jordan replied, brushing his hand through his hair. "Besides, everyone always wants to know about the new guy. I thought I would you know, come and say hello before you know, people started talking about me. You know what jealous girls can be like."

”Pft.. Jealous girls keeping you away from me? I’ll take that as a compliment myself. And so far you seem like a good guy. People talking about others doesn’t really bother me, I’ll make up my own mind without really caring what others say. Courtesy of wanting to go on yourself early.”

"You say that, but you have no idea what Rosefell can be like. Reputation matters here, and knowledge is power. Speaking of which, if you ever come across any information that might be viewed as 'juicy' or 'gossip' do let me know. Working for me can have its perks you know." Jordan chimed with a bright, perfectly orchestrated smile. If you didn't know he was an actor, you could have been fooled into thinking he was an innocent schoolboy.

”To get something from me means you’ll have to offer something yourself. I’m busy enough with my own work as it is, so don’t expect anything for free. “

Jordan visibly scoffed at his words. Well, this was new. Someone asking for payment. In all his years that he had done work like this, he hadn't even been asked. Working for Jordan was supposed to be its own reward.