[IC] Caelbury Academy

[Ex]

[]

[Stephanie96]

Celia smiled at Seth when he knelt down to help her with the sandwiches, glancing towards the teenager who introduced himself as Vladimir. He seemed to have overcome his flustered panicking and was now chatting away. She tried to catch what he was saying, but the accent mixed with the speed at which he was speaking made it impossible. She caught 'anurism', 'Moscow', the Russian part she'd already guessed but it was nice to have a pin pointed location.

"I'm Miss Honey, Vladimir, it's nice to meet you."

She'd barely got the sentence out when he was standing up, having cleared up the chocolate that was worth saving, and bid them farewell for now, making his way over to a student that Celia recognized from before she left; Acacia Hawthorne. She'd forgotten that she'd still be here. The last of the Hawthorne clan to pass through the halls. Celia had actually gone to school with Nick and Ella, Acacia's older siblings, the twins. She and Ella had never really gotten along, but she'd been quite well aquainted with Nick, because Charlie had. As the thought crossed her mind, Celia closed her eyes and cleared her throat. Why couldn't she get through a single day without him coming up?

[Chezka]

When she was on set this summer, she remembered endless boy talk with her fellow costar. Isn't he cute? Oh my god, he's freakin' gorgeous. And even he's so pretty I wanna cry. But when her friend had asked Wren what her type had been, she blanked on an answer. She thought she didn't have one. Her first crush had been the dorkiest Dexter look-alike (the one with the lab, not the serial killer), and then she got over him and pined for this Brazilian exchange student in her acting class. She seemed to be attracted to different sorts of people with no common denominator at all. But right then and there, as she looked at blue eyes that reminded her of clear skies, adorably unruly dark hair, and—excuse the drool—perfectly muscular frame, Wren knew she was wrong. She did have a type.

As Wren felt herself being pulled up by Mr. Hawthorne (when did he get here again?), she snapped out of her daze and gradually regained her bearings. Oh, right. She just fell, didn't she? It took her a while to properly comprehend that it was the vice principal helping her up and the principal she started daydreaming about. Her cheeks flushed slightly, then even more so when she realized she was still staring the incredibly off-limits new principal. She barely registered when Mr. Hawthorne spoke, although her ears picked up the compliment (shut up, that's not being shallow; she just liked having people appreciate all her hard work with her appearance). It didn't matter anyway, because she was pretty sure that wasn't actually directed at her. The VP was still looking at Principal Aldrin when said that, and damn, did she agree.

There was a very evident awkward tension between the three, which Wren would have found hilarious if it didn't involve her. The principal wasn't talking and she was starting to get secondhand embarrassment from the oldest Hawthorne son. She can't remember ever seeing him like this. Before she could even try to salvage the situation, he had already scurried off with the pan of cornbread in hand, leaving her and Principal Aldrin in stunned confusion.

Wren let out a slightly nervous laugh, feeling ashamed after it dawned on her that she'd just been blatantly checking her principal out. She was racking her brain for any possible topic of conversation that didn't begin with "you're really attractive," but she couldn't trust herself to speak. Luckily, he had spoken first and—oh. No way. Did he just…? Wren bit down on her lower lip to keep from smiling to widely like idiot. As if he wasn't already the closest thing to a Prince Charming, he just had to go and declare that one of the movies she starred in was a favorite of his. To Wren, that was one of the best compliment she could receive.

"I'd love to," Wren said, or at least she thinks she said it out loud. She was sort of in between fantasy and reality right now.

Principal Aldrin left then, chasing after Mr. Hawthorne, and she just felt herself waving idly. She already forgot what she what she was supposed to be doing, although she was vaguely aware it involved Eliza… or was Acacia? Still distracted, Wren just continued to stare blankly at where Principal Aldrin was running off to, and didn't snap out of it until she heard a semi-familiar voice coming from behind her. Caught offguard, she could feel herself jumping slightly, but she had somehow managed to make it seem like a casual hop to address whomever it was that had spoken.

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen this side of Mr. Hawthorne before." The corner of her lips tugged upwards, but instead of looking like the practiced, sweetly disarming smile she meant to do, it looked more like a giddy girlish one as her thoughts went back to the principal. Then as she fully comprehended who he was (Jacob Rockwell, Potential tutor #1), she made a mental note to find a seamless way to nonchalantly bring up math and possible tutelages.

"I see you've safely delivered your subs," she said, this time as Julie came to join their group. Wren welcomed her with a bigger grin. She and her roommate had gotten closer during the past week, past the point where she was comfortable enough to show Julie more of her unfiltered side, and she couldn't wait to tell her about her principal revelation. Vlad (Human Calculator, Potential tutor #2) came next, throwing a friendly arm around her and Jacob, and again she was reminded of her dire need of math help, but she stubbornly pushed away all school thoughts until it actually began tomorrow.

"Anyway, I'll tell you all about it later, Jules." she said, right as Acacia called for everyone's undivided attention. Wren was pleased. Let's just say, dunk tank + Principal Aldrin was probably Acacia's most brilliant idea yet. She allowed herself to stare (because everything was watching him anyway) up until Max got him out on his second try—thank you very much, Wallenburger.

Eliza approaching the little group that formed around them was definitely good timing, or she probably would have stared for far too long. Seeing Eliza made Wren aware of her appearance again—just like when in the presence of her mother, hoping it would make her proud, Wren liked being presentable when Eliza was around—and she had realized just how messy she must have looked. One hand had instinctively flown to her chest to dust off crumbs from her clothes while the other ran across her hair to take it out of its bun, all within a space of a second.

Pleased, she smiled back at the older girl. "I should ask you that; I haven't seen you all week! And is that an amazing new car I spy?"

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

Jacob nodded and offered a smile to Julie, pretending not to tense up when she touched his shoulder. It was only a little. Relax. How? I'm talking to two of the cutest girls in this school-Acacia probably rounding out the trio. God damn was he getting nervous. And his mouth was getting really dry. And why was he hungry all of a sudden, he'd eaten not too long ago. Huh. Weird. "Hey, my summer was..." You fucking...it's not her fault...not her fault...maybe she didn't know. "Uh...yeah. It was summer, alright. It was summer." Fuck. Wow, he was so nervous he was about to start sweating. If there was a merciful God, he would send someone right now.

God: 1. Nervousness: 0 Vladimir showed up, wrapping his arm around Jacob and Wren, a little to friendly-like. Jacob couldn't help but tense completely under the surprise and the contact. "Damnit Vlad, for a second there I thought I was about to get shot or something. It's good to see you, ya crazy drunk bastard. But guitar? Hell, might be worth a shot. But come on, the ladies already can't resist this." He couldn't help but laugh at his self-deprecating joke, though since this summer, he'd...had his reasons to be confident with that. "Listen man, I got a thousand and one things to tell you about summer when this is over and you are not going to expect a single one of 'em. But for now...let us enjoy the spectacle." He turned to watch the dunk tank as Max the Glorious managed to take down Principal Aldrin in a mere two throws. That settled it, he had to try.

Squirming his way from under Vladimir and Julie, he turned to them as he started walking away, acting casually for the first time. "I gotta try this. Give me five minutes and I'll be back. It's gonna be great!" He turned his back to them and ran off, his now-light backpack bouncing against his back with each step. All he had was a change of clothes, a bathing suit, and a towel in there at this point. Most of the space was used for the transportation of delectable goodies. Anyway, he made his way to the pool's locker room, thankfully close by, and changed into his solid blue swimming trunks. Nothing special, nor was his green towel. No designs marked them, no fancy patterns. Simplicity was fine sometimes.

As he'd gotten back, Jacob noticed a very wet Principal Hawthorne outside the dunk tank. He smiled, his towel still wrapped around his back and his uniform neatly put away in his backpack. Putting it on? Half an hour. Taking it off? Two, three minutes tops. Jacob was good at getting undressed, though it wasn't from an abundance of practice. He walked over to the dunk tank and took a glance at Acacia. "May I?'"

[Sixsmith]

It Really Is Pretty Damn Long

---

Remember how Brenden was super nervous in many different ways so far?

Well, he was feeling an entirely different kind of nerves right now. The pounding in his heart accelerated slightly as he was suspended above a tank of water, in which he would most likely fall into momentarily. The question was, who would be the one to do it? He didn't particularly know anyone yet, so fortunately, in Brenden's case it wouldn't be out of spite.

A person he hadn't met yet stepped forward to attempt to hit the target first. The principal could only manage a wry grin when the boy mouthed 'I'm sorry' to him. Well... It wasn't out of spite, right? At least he had that going for him. With wide eyes, Brenden observed the first ball soar through the air, his heartrate spiking up again. Nope, nope. It missed, just barely. Did he feel relieved, or disappointed? Who knew?

The second ball struck through, and Brenden barely managed to register that fact, before falling through the air for a short second, and crashing into the water with a mighty splash. Fortunately, he had the sense to hold his breath in that split second before falling into the water, but the cool temperature caused him to exhale sharply, bubbles bursting from his mouth. Spluttering and coughing, Brenden stood up in the water, swiping the water away from his eyes.

And there was Hayden, already at the edge with the towl pressed against his chest, slightly smirking as Brenden was plunged under the water. Leaning against the rim, he gave a larger smile and held an outstretched hand for Brenden to latch onto.

"You okay there?" he asked, getting the towel ready as he pulled the other to the edge and readied himself for the man's weight, "Careful, it's a bit slippery."

With another cough, Brenden grabbed Hayden's hand—apparently too disoriented to freak out for anything. Good for you dude!—which he used to aid him in climbing out of the tank. "Uh... Yeah, thanks."

So far so good. Hayden breathed deeply as he escorted Brenden toward the table. Gathering a few, he unfolded one and simply stared at Brenden, as if asking the other man what he should do. Blinking for a few moments, he coughed and moved forward, enveloping the other's head to dry his hair, roughly the other's head before stopping abruptly.

"I'm sure you can do this yourself," he paused, blushing slightly as he hesitated "Sorry."

Cursing to himself, he looked off to the side, trying to get a glimpse of Acacia as he mumbled to himself, "You're so weird, Hayden."

Now that the water was out of his eyes, Brenden caught sight of Hayden standing rather close, before the towel obstructed his view for a second. In that one second, Hayden had already moved away, mumbling an apology. It was that million dollar question again: Did he feel relieved or disappointed?

Accepting the towel, he rubbed the one still on his head to dry off his hair—he really hated that drippy feeling—and used it as an excuse to hide his face, which was probably blushing at this point.

At this point, Acacia was running towards them, until she saw Hayden approach Brenden. She hesitated a bit then, unsure whether to intervene or not. She hovered several feet away, with a questioning look directed at her brother asking, 'do you want me to ruin the moment?'

No, no, no. If he wanted this, he'd have to acknowledge the fact that acting the way he did was stupid and that he at least harbored some kind of feeling toward the man next to him. Turning around, as if answering Acacia's question, he grabbed a hold of Brenden's hand and abruptly stopped him, taking control of the towel as he walked around the other.

"That... looked fun, right?" he asked, furiously drying off Brenden as he threw the towel around his shoulder, "I don't think we really got to know each other; you didn't say much during our meeting last week. Well, I didn't either..." Hayden did his best to dry the other without looking as awkward as before and without getting too... what was the word? Intimate? Yeah, sure.

Walking back in front, he ran the towel through Brenden's hair one more time before setting it on the table. With his hand outstretched, he swallowed every bit of anxiety he held onto and spoke, "Hayden Hanse Hawthorne, it's nice to meet you."

Too many things were happening today, and now, his vice principal was drying him off. This was weird. Not bad, just really weird. His last vice principal was a 50 year old lady who looked like she ate too many lemons in her youth. This was... Nice? Yeah, it was.

"Well, coming to a school where everyone is super rich, somehow I couldn't think of anything to say!" Brenden replied, feeling his witty tongue come back to life again. He grasped Hayden's hand in his, while running his free one through his hair. "Brenden James Aldrin. Likewise."

"These kids will tell you otherwise," Hayden gripped his hand tightly, "but, money doesn't make a person. I don't know how many times I've told myself that—that doesn't matter, though, you'll find a lot of students here are very material. It's the ones who aren't that are really worth paying attenton to."

Coughing, he let go of the man's hand, his eyes traveling a little too low for him to be comfortable in such close contact for too long. Turning around he jogged back to the front to accost Acacia about Brenden's shirt, returning a few seconds later to shove it into his chest.

"I know I and the rest of the student body would love it if you walked around shirtless for the rest of the day," holy shit, did he just say that? "But, I think it'd benefit your image more if you didn't have most of the underage girls fawning over your... your, uh, muscles."

Any witty response that Brenden could've conjured up evaporated at that last remark. Stay cool Aldrin, just roll with it. You can do it. "Well... I guess it's nice to know that I'm still attractive to teenagers." He replied with a cheeky grin as he pulled on his shirt.

Meanwhile, Acacia was furiously biting her lip to prevent herself from laughing out loud. Seriously, these two should be in a sitcom or a soap opera. However, that wasn't important right now; she had bigger things to do. She stared at her brother, before mouthing 'You're next, lover boy', and pointed towards the dunk tank. And it was a shame that Hayden reminded Brenden about the existance of a shirt, even Acacia could appreciate Brenden's upper body.

Grinning from ear to ear, Saul immediately and accidentally pushed Acacia to the side, giving a thumbs up to Hayden. The man had indirectly saved his ass. In front of him, Saul had Flynn looking rather nervously around, silently begging Acacia to stop the drama teacher. Spinning him around, Saul quickly unbuttoned Flynn's shirt and hefted him onto the platform, his feet dangling in the water below.

"You just wait a second, lass," he pointed at Acacia and then stuck a thumb in Flynn's direction, who looked absolutely mortified, "I'm dunking his ass first.You'll get your chance."

A quiet whimper could be heard from behind him, Hayden having started staring at his sister. His future complaints were all but muffled when Saul's own yelling could be heard from the other side of the dunk tank.

"Where are the damn balls?" he growled, turning his attention to Max. Grabbing the last one out of his hand, he positioned himself far enough behind the makeshift line, pointed at Flynn with a sinister smile, and threw as hard as he could. In a matter of seconds, Saul was already running back behind the dunk tank, cackling at the now soaked Flynn shivering helplessly in the tiny can of a pool. The guy looked like a very, very upset cat, giant green eyes looking hopelessly into the crowd of people.

"There ya' go, honey," he shoved the balls into Acacia's hands before grabbing a towel, pulling Flynn out and roughly drying him directly behind Brenden and Hayden, "You wanna beer now?" Flynn couldn't get a word out as the towel engulfed every bit of him, Saul having somehow yanked his jeans off, ran to his car with his keys, and retrieved a pair of swimtrunks for the poor guy to run around in. He'd also somehow managed to slide it on the shivering Flynn and shed his last piece of soaked garments in a split second and without exposing any part of him. The talents of a Broadway actor: can get out of a three piece, tight tuxedo and replace it with an equally tight and flashy costume in a matter of seconds and without showing skin too. Flynn looked a little more disheveled and surprised at the feat than usual, and was blushing furiously as Saul continued to dry him off.

Hayden coughed, starting to inch backward as he cautiously looked at his sister. "I... uh, better go put some more stuff on the grill. I bet we already ran out of all those damn hot dogs and burgers and stuff," he quietly whimpered, attempting to make his escape.

To Acacia's credit, she had tried to save Mr. Zimmerman. The keyword here being: TRIED. She quickly jumped in front of the drama teacher, trying to come up with words. "Uh... Mr. Kirschenzweig, I believe some of the other students wanted a chance to be in the dunk tank first, and erm... Mr. Zimmerman doesn't look like he needs to cool down... Yet..." She trailed off as she realized that it was too late. With a wince, she gave an apologetic grimace toward Mr. Zimmerman.

It was, however, amusing to see the aloof Flynn Zimmerman fall into the dunk tank though, not that she'd ever admit it. Especially to the dunked teacher.

Despite the hilarious distraction that had occured, she didn't miss Hayden trying to escape his fate. She scampered over until she was in front of him, looking up at him with her adorable puppy dog eyes. After years of being the youngest in her large family, she perfected this technique in order to get her way on occasion. It had been effective when she used them on Max to convince him to use more money for her ideas.

"Come on Hayden. Pleeeeeaaaaaaase?"

God dammit, Acacia. Hayden glared down at his youngest sister; this was a contest in which they had effictively made a weekly thing. She would want something, he would deny it, and she'd turn around, her hair flipping in that perfect way of hers, cusp her hands slightly over a thigh, bend her shoulder slightly, let her hair fall to one side, and expose those giant baby blues of hers. Oh, and he forgot the slight pout she'd give with her lower lip.

It worked when he was a lot younger and when she was more adorable. The maids would scold him for giving her more ice cream than she needed and she'd wine about it later 'cause of a tummy ache. He always would remind her how it was her fault for pulling that damnable trick on him. But, as the years grew longer, and she grew older, it began to have less of an effect, mainly because he did his damn hardest to combat it, despite her getting much, much better at it.

This time was no different, but he couldn't help but notice that she was possibly gaining a foothold. If she noticed that she had the upper hand in the three individuals standing behind him, then she'd definitely force him into the dunk tank, prepared or not. Flynn would have objected to this, if he even had a choice in the matter, but the man never seemed to speak up on his behalf, unless the situation was dire. Abstaining from voting meant saying yes, in Acacia's eyes.

But, he was adamant about this, hands crossed over his chest as he continued the stare down. "It's. Not. Happening."

Acacia continued the wide eyed stare, willing forth tears from her eyes, and adding that little quiver to her bottom lip. Still, it was slightly frustrating that this didn't work as much as it used to. After blinking her blue eyes a few times, she abandoned the puppy dog look for a pout, her lower lip jutting out further than before. No matter, she still had a few more tricks up her sleeve. If she couldn't convince him on her own, she knew for a fact that there was a certain teacher or two that would most definitely help her.

But for now, she would forge on ahead. She tugged on Hayden's arm a few times until he leaned down to her height, this being the signal she wanted to whisper something to him. She had started using this when she was three, and learned what whispering was, and she continued using it, due to Hayden's height.

"So, I heard that Mr. Aldrin thinks that people who are spontaneous and daring are attractive... And if you don't do this, I'm totally going to flirt with all of the guys here."

Acacia could be a manipulative little devil at times. Even though she didn't realize that some of the guys at the picnic liked her, she would totally flirt with them if Hayden didn't give in.

"And you realize that if you do this," Hayden arched a brow as he spoke, "You're indirectly responsible for the murder of all the male students, thus making this a boarding school strictly for women? Right? And then you'd further my cause to have you abstain from anything in regards to sexuality, right? You don't know who you're messing with, Acacia." He grinned, knowing perfectly well that she did, in fact, know.

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "You're going to kill all the guys because I flirted with them. Kind of backwards, don't you think?" Fine. New tactic.

"Ms. Kendrick!!" Acacia shouted out to the history teacher. "I need your help over here!"

Alli was in the middle of munching a chip, but as soon as Acacia called for her, she ran over. "What's up Acacia?"

"Don't you think that Hayden should volunteer for the dunk tank?" Acacia questioned Alli, giving a sideways glance at her brother.

To this, Alli threw her head back in laughter. "Of course! Brenden and Flynn had their turn, it only makes sense for Hayden to have his. It would be horrible for him to be left out!"

See? Ms. Kendrick was a cool teacher, unlike her stubborn jerk of a brother. Now that she had one person on her side, Acacia turned to Brenden. "What about you Mr. Aldrin? Do you think that Hayden should get dunked?"

Brenden raised an eyebrow, not expecting to be brought into this little battle. He weighed his options for a moment. Did he want to see Hayden dunked? Yes. Did he want to see him shirtless? He didn't allow himself to answer that, but the answer was pretty obvious. With a grin, Brenden nodded his consent. "If the principal got dunked, than the vice principal is obligated to."

Two people on her side! Go Acacia! She was unsure to how the other two teachers would reply, but she would ask them anyway. "Mr. Kirschenzweig, Mr. Zimmerman, your thoughts?"

"Actually, I think it's technically up to hi—" Saul shoved the rest of his own beer down Flynn's throat in an attempt to shut him up. It worked, to say the least, though he had the other man bent over, coughing his guts out.

Saul patted Flynn on the back roughly, bringing his hand up to give Acacia a thumbs up. "No need to be a stickler, Hayden. Hell, Flynn even agreed to it."

"But, wait, you... you forced him."

"That aside, we both think you should be a good mate and get yer ass up there. Right, doctor?" Saul pulled Flynn up, his face flushed bright red, "Right... doctor?"

Nodding furiously, the younger gentleman attempted to retreat back to his picnic table, but was stopped by a rough tug at his waist, forced to sit back down beside Saul. He was visibly griefed and was possibly mentally throwing insults and curses at his makeshift kidnapper.

"I'm not doing this, Acacia, you can't force me," Hayden ignored the troubling instance behind him, returning his stalwart gaze back to his sister, arms still clenched over his chest.

Cue the wounded puppy look now. It was a variation of Acacia's puppy dog eyes, but it had a hurt expression now. The pout was more pronounced, tears were welling in her eyes again as she met his gaze unwaveringly. "Please? Please? I'll... I'll make you ice cream. Or do your laundry. Or uh... I'll do anything, okay?!"

Besides, it wasn't forcing him technically, if Acacia managed to change Hayden's mind. She doubted that she could physically force him into the dunk tank, anyway.

"Anything?" Hayden asked, arching a brow and smirking.

"Define anything..." That look scared Acacia. A lot.

"Okay, two things," he said, beaming at her as he held up two fingers, " One, you aren't allowed to date anyone until the school year is over and if I catch you, then you have to do something else of my choosing, as a form of punishment. Two, uh."

Hayden leaned closer, whispering now, "You find a way to get me a date with the principal. I don't care how; it is totally up to you."

Standing at full height, he outstretched his hand, "Deal, Acacia?"

Acacia bit her lip uncertainly. "Um... It's not like anyone will ask me out, but make the first one open for negotiation."

With a deep sigh, he placed a hand on her head, ruffling up her hair, "We'll see about that, Ms. Hawthorne. You find me a boy that I might like and I might reconsider." Feeling as if she played that out very well, especially the teacher part—he'd throw a glare at Saul later and possibly prohibit him from drinking any further. That should teach him to side with his little sister.

Groaning, Hayden eyed Brenden slightly, trying his best to smile as he positioned himself near the table. Sitting down, he slipped off his Converse and ankle socks and looked around. He'd forgotten to grab his sunscreen; he was going to look like a beet by the end of the day. Sighing, he turned his attention toward Saul, who had somehow retrieved another beer and kept Flynn in place, his arm wrapped tightly around the other man's shoulder. He might know where a bottle could be.

"Right behind ya, kiddo," Saul growled, catching his inquisitive stare and jutting out a thumb behind him. Hayden's gaze dropped, spotting the bottle where Saul had pointed.

"Well, who knows if it'll help or not," Hayden said, grinning at Brenden widely as he stripped off his tank top, folded it neatly, and placed it back on the table. Saul gave him one of those looks, but he brushed it aside. Squirting the sunscreen onto his palms he did his best to cover every inch of his torso, shoulders, arms, and stomach, and only stopped to look behind him. Spreading what little he had left onto his cheeks and nose, he looked over at Brenden.

Holding out the bottle of sunscreen, he smiled innocently and asked in an equally innocent tone, "Mind getting my back for me? I don't feel like forcing Acacia to peel the skin off the one place I can't reach, just yet. Or do I? No, I don't; could you please?" He tilted his head for the added effect, giant blue eyes staring directly at Principal Aldrin. This would be a wonderful time to have slightly longer hair, but it staid in place atop his head, though that innocent smile of his beamed right at Brenden.

"Seriously," Saul mumbled, looking at Flynn, "Either he acts like a fucking lunatic school girl around that guy, or some two-bit whore trying to get fucked into the next dimension. If he had done that to me—are you paying attention?"

Flynn groaned, nodding as he turned his head away from the crowd of students who was probably gawking at the display some few feet away from them. Or, maybe they were gawking at Flynn socializing, if anyone could even call it that.

"Then what was I saying, you bastard?"

"Hayden doesn't know how to properly convey his feelings, so he obliviously squanders any sense of cognition in hopes of possibly getting it right the first time. It's like gambling to him; he pulls the lever and hopes for the best. So far, he's acted like someone didn't know where up was, much less what socializing meant. Now, he's clearly attempting to gauge Mr. Aldrin's immediate attraction to him, which is at an all time high, judging from the situation currently happening in his pants. It's common knowledge that, when the object of your affection starts displaying mutual interest and possible need for consummation, that one becomes inadvertantly aroused. And if one is male, then their state of arousal becomes blatantly obvious. Observe."

"You could have just repeated what I said verbatim, you know?"

"I did."

"No, you did and then you added onto it a bunch of psychological and biological shit that I really could care less about—wait, are you saying Brenden has an erection?"

"Well, men make it quite obvious."

"How can you even from this far away?"

"He's pushing both his hands into his crotch to hide it. Looks innocent, until you notice the look on his face and the obvious strain in musculuture in his arms, as well as the fact that that's not a normal way to sit unless you're wearing a skirt."

"Oh... do I make it obvious?"

"I haven't seen you aroused in public before, but you're a guy, so probably."

"Are you implying that you have in private?"

"N-not... not at all, no. How did you get that from one sentence? I don't even..."

"Would you like to?"

"I've had one night stands before, Saul, I'd rather not experience getting up at two in the morning just to leave before you wake up. You realize that if you sleep with me, you're going to seek more than just a physical attachment; you're getting your fill of physical attachment already. The next logical step would be emotional and mental attachment."

"Is a simple no too much to ask for?"

"In this circumstance, yes."

"What? How?"

"You were asking whether or not you wanted to have sex with me. Initiate coitus. But your eyes gave it away. Your simple witty quip had underlying tones and intentions of courtship."

"I'm pretty sure I just meant that we should have sex. I was just kidding, anyway, shit."

"I think you're just in denial."

"In denial?"

"I rejected your advances, so you're playing it off as a simple joke, when in reality, you really did want to romp, and then some."

"..."

"Plus, I don't have sex on the first date. And I've been told I'm very high-maintenance."

"You just said you've had a one-night stand before."

"But, we both know you aren't just looking for a... what's the moniker? Fuck buddy?"

"I swear, I'm going to kill you."

"I doubt that."

Acacia could only groan in response as she fixed her hair. Glaring at her older brother, she muttered under her breath, "I'm getting a prom date, whether you like it or not. And you were never this strict over any of our other sisters... Why me?"

Crossing her arms with a pout, she stared at Hayden, making sure that he wasn't going to run away. But after observing his interaction with Brenden, her eyes widened and she fidgeted uncomfortably. And to make it worse, she just had to overhear Saul and Flynn's conversation.

"I need to go drown myself now..."

With that, she staggered over to the dunk tank to presumably jump in and never resurface again. Seeing her older brother and teacher act like that towards her school principal and hearing her two other teachers talk about sex, that was just weird. W-E-I-R-D. She grimaced as she seriously considered jumping into the tank. It made her super uncomfortable--was this the reason why Hayden was so protective?

And Jesus, if Hayden was making Acacia feel uncomfortable, imagine how Brenden must've felt. The VP was really throwing Brenden off, after acting like awkward strangers, well, this new move just got a lot more... Intimate and flirtatious. To be completely honest though, Brenden actually preferred this more. And not just because it was super attractive, because he was more familiar with how to react to it. It was much easier to deal with than the awkward silences that had occured in the past.

Well, easier to deal with, give or take. Not trusting his voice at the moment, Brenden simply offered a slight nod in response. How was he supposed to, being asked in that fashion? That look should be illegal.

Even if it was obvious that Brenden was slightly thrown off of his game, he made his best attempt to not show it. Casually raising an eyebrow and leaning even closer, he replied, "Well, we wouldn't want you or your sister to go through that process, would we?"

Before anything else could be said or done however, Alli Kendrick was whacking them all on the head gently with a wooden spoon--a clean, unused one, that would probably go unused for the remainder of the picnic. She placed her hands on her hips afterwards, looking at her four colleagues with a critical eye.

"Boys, boys, boys! Now that we've all established that you all want to get into each other's pants, please remember where we are: At a school picnic, filled with our students. Get a room after the picnic is over, none of us want to see this."

"Dammit, Alli," Hayden growled, "You try and get sunscreen on your back and tell me how easy that shit is. Just let him finish, dammit." That little butt face, ruining this for him. He dipped forward, brows furrowed and eyes glaring at an empty spot in front of him, all while he carefully rubbed the bruise forming on his head. It was hard to get Hayden to pout, but there he was, acting like a child with his lower lip jutting out, arms now interlocked over his chest after soothing the minor wound. His face was all scrunched up, nose wrinkled and lips twitching into a deep frown.

"God, dammit, Alli," Saul chimed in next, rubbing his head, "I was just joking with the man. Plus, the guy's his own damn chastity belt, for God's sake." Alli's little ordeal with the spoon only served to tighten Saul's grip on Flynn, making it near impossible for the guy to even put his button-up back on, lest he want to engulf Saul's entire arm in the process. Flynn simply complied to Alli's wishes and Saul's roughness, feeling the need to groan and complain about this picnic not ending fast enough.

Feeling as if Alli wouldn't let him have his way, Hayden got up, shed his cargo shorts to reveal a pair of grey boxer briefs—he didn't expect to get wet, so he hadn't packed a pair of trunks to wear. He'd find something to compensate, probably in the pool building nearby. Climbing up, still pouting like a child, he positioned himself on top of the board that kept him from the water below, his feet wading in the cool liquid as he gave a cold, hard stare at nothing in particular and simply awaited his fate.

"Getting sunscreen on my back is easy." Alli shrugged nonchalantly with a smirk. "I'm actually flexible."

Alli rolled her eyes at her older colleagues, all of them acting rather childish at the moment. "Saul, are you ever going to let Flynn go so you can get dunked?" If Flynn got dunked, then it seemed very likely that all of the teachers would get their turn, considering that Flynn seemed to be the one to avoid it at all costs. Yet even the Ethics and Philosophy teacher couldn't escape the dunk tank.

"I'm sure this bugger would love to drown me in there," Saul grinned, shaking Flynn slightly.

"You have no idea."

Did Brenden feel disappointed when Alli intervened, or relieved? And how many times has he asked himself that question so far? Three? Feeling like he'd been released from a lot of pressure, Brenden let out a quiet breath. Still, he had to silently thank Alli in his head, Hayden's pouty face was pretty cute, and something told him that he wouldn't have many chances to see that expression.

Hayden was kind enough to be waiting with a towel when Brenden had his turn, so he would return the favor. Grabbing a couple of clean towels, he walked over to the dunk tank, waiting for the vice principal to fall into the water. "Cheer up Hayden, it's not that bad."

Meanwhile, Acacia was a little bundle of energy, excited at the fact that she was able to convince her brother to participate. It was probably a once in a lifetime chance; she had to savor the moment. After all, she was giving up a year of dating for this...

"Hayden, any last words?" She called up with a huge grin on her face.

"I hate you all."

"In that case, I'm going to go ahead and assume that I don't need to do anything about the second half of our deal," Acacia giggled deviously as she tossed her ball up and down.

Gleefully, Acacia took careful aim at the target, and let the ball fly. Bulls-eye!

No air of surprise, no look of utter shock, Hayden just sank into the water, arms still crossed and that pout still strong on his face. It wasn't much, actually, he simply stood after plummeting into the water and turned toward Brenden as he ran a hand through his soaked hair. It probably would have been better if Alli hadn't intervened. That butt face.

Leaning over the side he did his best to smile and hold out his hand, though the smile only turned into a bigger pout. "Mind helping me out?" he asked, "The water's a bit chilly."

"You're no fun..." Acacia groaned with a pout of her own. "And oh! I totally forgot!" She sprinted away, then returned momentarily with something in her hand. She pressed it into Brenden's hand as she stuck her tongue out at Hayden. Then, she turned away from the duo to do other things.

Turning to Jacob with a broad grin, she gestured towards the dunk tank. "Be my guest!"

Brenden grasped Hayden's hand firmly within his own to assist him. "See, it wasn't that bad, was it?"

He glanced at what Acacia handed him moments prior in confusion. A pair of swimming trunks? Why would Acacia give him those?

Taking his hand graciously, Hayden swung himself over the edge and landed onto the grass with a soft thud, looking down at what Brenden was holding. All he could give at that moment was a blank stare and then his gaze fell downward.

"She couldn't have given that to me beforehand?" he grumbled looking up at Brenden and noticing the towels. With a sigh he grabbed one and ran it through his hair, peering out from under it to watch Brenden closely. Pulling the towel off, he moved past the dunk tank and behind the crowd where people wouldn't stare at him being awkward again, giving Jacob a thumbs up as he walked.

Hayden turned around, scrubbing the water from his ears. This was now or never. Now... or never. Well, maybe not never, but it would be awhile before he'd felt this burst of confidence.

"Say, uh... what are you doing this weekend?"

"I don't have any plans, I was just thinking that I would try to finish unpacking." Brenden replied after a brief pause. Hey, his reply didn't make him sound like a complete idiot! Good job Brenden! You didn't mess this up.

"Oh?" Hayden mouthed, arching a brow, "This picnic won't take all day; I'm sure I can help unpack afterwards. If... if that's okay with you."

"T-that'd be great actually." Brenden, you can do it. I believe in you! Don't sound like an idiot, whatever you do. "I don't know how or why I have so much stuff, and I'm not even halfway done."

"Then it's settled," he finalized the deal with a large smile, running his hand through his hair to fix it, relieved that, even slightly wet, it would cooperate with him.

Holding his hand out, he waited for Brenden to shake on it, "You live right across from me right? I'll just let my dogs in and be right over, then. Uh.... you don't happen to have any dinner plans, though, would you? I can... I can cook, uh... never mind—I'll figure it out later."

Brenden grasped Hayden's hand and at that moment, he felt his confidence return. "Actually I don't... And since you know your way around this area, I was wondering if you could show me some good restaurants around here."

"Then it's a date... uh... it's a..." Hayden paused for a moment, eyes slightly widening, "Um. I'll... I'll see you then." No, wait, shit. He had the rest of the picnic and practically the whole day. Why'd he say that? Well, why the fuck not? Just call it what it was.

"No, it's a date," Hayden reaffirmed his confidence with a curt nod, letting go of Brenden's hand as he dried himself further and ran off to change in his car. He came back moments later in the blue swim trunks, quietly cursing at the ground. He'd forgotten how hot the blacktop was, and so he had to practically hop-run straight to his SUV and back, adorned in the swimming trunks and an extra grey t-shirt. Blisters were already forming at the base of his feet as he made his way to one of the picnic tables, silently holding his foot in agony.

So far, the day was going absolutely perfect, minus a few hiccups here and there.

[Bird]

========================================================================================
♦ Adira Huston ♦
========================================================================================

'Seriously, when did all the male teachers at Caelbury become homos?'

Adira had arrived at the picnic a little late. She had a handful of students she had to scare into submission before she was able to head over, and by time she arrived, teachers and students alike were enjoying the perks of a dunk tank. Say, that actually kind of looked like fun. If she just imagined there were hungry piranha in the water... No, stop that. Anyway, the male teachers were flirting with one another worse then any horny teenager she'd ever seen. They were adults, they had their right to do as they pleased, but if she had seen any students laying it on that heavy she would have ripped them up and down. (Did they think they were discrete? Men.)

She laughed as each teacher was dumped. It really was extremely satisfying. The thought crossed her mind that cheery little Acacia would try and convince Adira to get in the tank, but she wasn't real concerned. It would probably be fun, just to act like a moron with the rest of them. She smiled and shook her head, her ponytail bobbing. She had dressed expecting to get wet, and wore a simple outfit of denim shorts and a black tee shirt over her bikini. She was actually pretty excited when she heard about the water gun fight the students were planning. Come on, what better way to show her tactical dominance then pawning a bunch of her students at their own game? She have to team up with some of the kids from the paintball club, and then they could annihilate the competition together.

---

========================================================================================
♦ August Marco ♦
========================================================================================

As excited as he had been for the picnic, as more and more people poured in, August realized he just wasn't quite himself. Normally, he loved being around people. He loved to joke and fool around, play stupid jokes with his friends..... But today, he just couldn't get into it. Maybe he was just tired. Yeah, probably. He'd feel better after he ate.

Over by the water guns, James approached. “Oh, hey, James. I'm trying to decide if I want to get in trouble or not.” He said with a cheeky grin. “I brought food coloring – hey, don't divulge my secrets – to put in the water guns. But I already kinda used that trick with the pool, so I don't think I'll do that. Plus, some of the girls might come after me if I stain their clothes.”

As he spoke, he glanced around. A few people stood off by themselves still, as if they didn't quite fit in. A few of them looked around his age, but he wasn't really in the mood to go and meet them. He noticed one girl in particular – she was kinda cute, a little Japanese girl, who looked slightly annoyed whenever someone passed without greeting her. August had never seen her before, so this s probably her first year. He didn't make any huge effort to welcome her, but when she glanced his way he smiled and waved in a friendly way.

“Anyway, I'm gonna go watch them dunk teachers for now.” He said to James, putting the water gun he had been playing with back in the pile.

He brushed his messy hair back out of his eyes for like the tenth time as he walked over to the crowd gathered around the dunk tank. He really did need to get it cut again. He said hi to a few people he knew as he migrated close enough to see what was going on. Whoa, had they gotten Mr. Zimmerman in the tank? Man, he looked like a drowned cat! The Principle and VP also both went into the water. When the next person got on, August kind of did a double take.

No way. Is that.... Jacob?!

August laughed as his new roommate climbed into the tank. There he was, goody-two-shoed, top-of-the-class, stay-out-of-my-freaking-way-Marco, Jacob, sacrificing himself to the mercy of the icy cold water below his seat. And guess who was gonna dunk him?

He pushed through a the rest of the gathering students and found Acacia in front of the tank. It would actually be the first time he'd gotten to see her since he was back on campus. “Acacia! Can I dump Jacob?” He said it with that devilish, charming smile of his. He accepted the balls and turned to give Jacob the same look. He met his roommates eyes, stuck out his tongue teasingly, and threw the first ball. Number one missed, a little far to the left. Number two missed again, opposite side this time. But number three was perfect, hitting the target smack in the center. The seat dumped it's victim into the tank of water below, and a few people cheered when they saw the splash.

He was into it now!

[spooner]

The ceiling had three cracks which was the only flaw that this otherwise pristine room, in this perfect apartment that Caelbury had been kind enough to hand out. What was not pristine was the man lying in the bed, Liam had been awake for an hour but he had not moved since. He has been staring at the ceiling and contemplating if he really should get up and go to this picnic he already was late for. He raised his hands up to his face and rubbed hard before he slowly rose from his covers. Liam swung his legs over the bed and rested his head in his hands. He had been haunted by the same dreams of Molly this night as he had been for the most part of a year.

Liam sluggishly walked over to his “closet” which consisted of two moving boxes marked clothing. He sighed as he opened one of the boxes and started to dig through it, Liam resurfaced with a light blue short sleeved button-down shirt and a pair of brown cargo shorts. When he had gotten dressed he looked at his reflection in the mirror that stood leaning against the wall opposite his bed. Looking back was someone who needed a shave and maybe a haircut, but to be honest e couldn’t be bothered.

Walking out of his bedroom he heard the television going with Sunday morning cartoons and his son Nathan sitting cross legged on the floor, with a bowl of cereal next to him. “Hey there buddy… sleep alright?” Liam said as he made himself a cup of coffee , Nathan turned his head to look at his father “I guess.” He said and turned his little head back towards the cartoons. “So, I need to go to this thing for work today buddy, which means that you’ll have to stay at Mrs. Fern across the hall for a little while.” The only reply he got from his son was a deep sigh.

After a quick breakfast they were out the door and across the hall, “But dad, please I don’t want to stay at Mrs. Fern!” Nathan whined, Liam put on a smile “I know buddy but it’s just for a couple of hours and…” “But it smells like a litter box and she always pinches me!” Nathan interrupted, Liam felt one of his migraines creeping on “Why can’t I just stay at home I can take care of myself!”

“ENOUGH NATE!” Liam snapped

“Just do as I tell you.” He knocked on the door and it opened at once which was a sign that Mrs. Fern had been listening and had heard the whole thing, she smiled at Liam and then at Nathan. “Come in sweetheart, I have some nice fruit for you at the table” Mrs. Fern said and patted Nathan on the head, the small boy just slouched and walked in. Liam sighed and rubbed his eyes “Thank you once again Mrs. Fern, I’ll be back in a few hours.” The little old lady smiled and patted him on the shoulder before she closed the door.

Liam walked downstairs with even more of a headache than he had before, getting out in to the blaring sun did not help him out. As soon as he got in the car he opened the glove compartment and grabbed the bottle of painkillers that rolled out, he popped two pills and dry swallowed them. He turned the key and began the ride over to his new work place.

As he arrived the picnic was already in full swing, and the crowd seemed to be centered around some sort of dunk tank. Liam sighed as he stepped out of his car with the bag of assorted fruit juices he had bought on the way over, he might be depressed but he still cared for the kids wellbeing… no added sugar. He started to walk towards the table with all of the refreshments, he tried to smile and nod at the students he passed but it felt kind of awkward as he didn’t know anyone yet. So to them he must just look like an unkempt man that didn’t belong here. He ran his free hand through his unruly hair to try to make it look somewhat presentable.

When he had set down the juices in the cooler with the other drinks he straightened up and looked around. He had met most of his new colleagues but he still didn’t know anyone yet, Liam recognized the principal standing around in a towel. He walked over and put on a smile “Hello there Principal Aldrin, this is really nice! Thanks again for giving me this chance!” Liam said and made a gesture with his arm knocking over a cup of water spraying water over the blond woman standing behind them. Liam turned around “Oh crap! I’m really sorry!” he pleaded. Great! You’ve been here for 10 seconds and you’ve already dumped water on someone! Liam thought as he scrambled to get some napkins to try to pat Alli dry. “Allison right? I’m Liam, we met at the staff meeting last week.” He smiled apologetically as he handed her more napkins.

[Phloem]

James looked distinctly kicked puppy-ish when August walked off. This was the first time where August didn't have anything up his sleeve, and it was kind of disappointing, to be honest. He was actually looking forward to -- to put it bluntly: fucking shit up with him. But then again, it probably wasn't the best idea to get himself into detention before school had even officially started, his record was already bad enough. Though his hesitation quickly dissolved when he spotted an impressive looking super soaker out of the corner of his eye. Reaching over to grab it, the plastic water gun surprisingly heavy in his hands, he then filled it all the way up with the nearby water supply. He didn't add any food colouring to the water, though. He wasn't about to put himself into debt for the rest of his life for ruining someone's Versace merchandise or whatever. Checking to make sure that the plastic gun was "locked and loaded", a mischevious grin spread on his face. Now to look for some unsuspecting victims.

Strolling through the area, James kept an eye out for his first target. He strode over to a terrace sort of area near the school building, water gun swinging at his side with the arrogant nonchalance associated with pirates after the successful capture of a trade vessel. Which was kind of a shitty metaphor, but he didn't really care and he had finally watched that Captain Phillips movie a few days ago. (It was a damn good movie, that's for sure.) On the elevated platform, he scanned the area for any potential victims. Even with his horrendous eyesight, he could still see blurry blobs whom he assumed were people getting dropped into a silo filled with water. So that was the dunk tank. He hadn't even noticed it until now, they must've moved it in while he was busy squirreling away bottles of beer in the coolers everywhere.

And then, James spotted her (or him, he couldn't really tell. He assumed it was a girl since she was wearing something pink but you never really know, these days.), his first victim. Whoever it was, they were standing near a tree not really doing anything. Using his Sherlock Holmes-esque deducting skills, he figured out that since they were keeping to themselves, it was either someone new to the school or one of the more introverted students here. Anyone who was alone had ought to be an easy target, right? Tightening his grip on the neon green water gun, he started to move towards the figure.

As he got closer, the figure gradually got clearer and James saw that it was indeed, a girl. He vaguely noticed that she seemed to be Japanese? Although he couldn't be a hundred percent sure, her facial features were just a blurry mess through his eyes. Stopping just a few feet shy of the girl, he held the water gun up, poised to shoot. He also made sure to stay a little ways behind her, so that she wouldn't even see it coming until it was too late. Finally, he squeezed the trigger. A jet of water shot out from the muzzle at the end of the gun's barrel, hitting the mark and soaking through the back of the girl's sweatshirt. Despite the fact that he couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of him, it was pretty hard to miss a target that was standing still.

"Sorry about that! I didn't see you there." Which was probably the biggest lie told in the history of mankind. Despite himself, a toothy grin must've leaked out of him. "You new here?"

---

Holding onto a plate of partially destroyed sandwiches, Seth couldn't do anything but stare dumbly as Vladimir chattered away. Usually, Seth was fine with accents, but at the speed he was talking, plus the fact that he was a little out of sorts today, he coudn't understand a single thing he was saying. And before he knew it, the Russian kid ran off again, right after he cleaned up the mess of chocolate, just as quickly as he appeared. Briefly watching him, he saw that he made his way over to another student; Acacia Hawthorne, was it? If he remembered correctly, she was the sister of the vice-principal. Plus, the Hawthornes were probably the closest to royalty you could come to in this country. So, all in all, a pretty big deal.

His gaze flickered over to where Celia was beside him, seeing that she had her eyes closed. Blinking, Seth kept quiet for a few seconds, she was obviously having a "moment" or something like that. When he finally couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer, he quickly set the plate of sandwiches down and fetched the tupperware jug he had brought that was filled to the brim with iced hibiscus tea, pouring some of the red liquid into a small plastic cup. Having been sitting in the sun for a good hour, most of the ice in it had already melted, diluting the drink. But he was sure it was still good, just a bit watered down, that's all. Making his way back to where Celia was, he finally broke the awkward silence.

"You okay? You kind of spaced out for a minute there." Seth asked, his voice tinged with some concern. Remembering the cup he had in his hand, he suddenly held it out as an offering. "Here. You should try some. I made it myself. It calms your nerves... I think. I don't know."

[Sixsmith]

---

Oh no.

Oooooh no.

"No, no, no, no, no."

It was all gone. Burned to ashes. Everything was ruined. Why?!

Jaycen gripped his head, looking at the mess in the oven, a fire extinguisher currently used and on its side by his feet. Why was he so incompetent? Was cooking a few pies that hard? He wasn't even a bad cook and yet he managed to forget all about it as he rushed to get everything ready for the picnic. And now, there he was with his hands ripping out parts of his hair, staring at the pie he was supposed to be bringing an hour ago. An hour ago. He was already late. Oh, how could he be so stupid. Now he was just wasting time. That... thing in the oven was beyond saving, but Jaycen's look of disbelief said otherwise. If he didn't bring that thing, then what was he going to bring? Wasn't he obligated? Or maybe he could grab something from the store nearby. He was late already, so why add another hour onto that, right?

Grabbing his keys he simply left everything where it was, not bothering to clean up his mess for lack of time. He'd probably get pulled over speeding and the damn store was just a few minutes away, too. Oh, it wasn't time to think about safety when you were in a rush.

Adorned in a simple get up, a pair of jeans and a logo t-shirt with a cute chibi Iron Man on the front and a very thin, half-sleeve cardigan—no time to look stylish to day. He'd simply ran a hand through his hair and it, more or less, set atop his head like it usually did. With his time and the casualness of the picnic, Jaycen had done just about the minimal amount of work, especially with the fiasco in his kitchen. Some dough, cherry innards, and some of that fire extinguisher fuzz were splayed across his entire body, a streak of powder and a hand mark on his nose and cheek, as well as that same substance falling from the part of his hair he ran his hand through. Jaycen was worse for wear and visibly rushed.

The lady behind the counter didn't say a word, simply gave him a coy nod and a smirk when she sized him up. Jaycen snatched the bag of donuts from her hand and ran back to his truck, making a bee-line for Caelbury. On his way there, he was certain he broke about half the state road laws, but his carelessness was kind of justified. Plus, no one else was on the road at that time. Not many people did much on Sundays and he was probably among the last people to arrive at the picnic, sliding haphazardly into one of the only parking spots in the back row and clambering out with the boxes of donuts in his hands. It obvious he hadn't made them, but he'd make up an excuse for later. It would be a shame the new kids wouldn't be able to taste his famous cherry pie. Last year, the moment he had set that down on the food table, he only had to turn around for it to completely vanish. He'd have to come up with an excuse to bring some later and have the lunch ladies serve it.

But, there he was, in all his hurried and hazardous glory. The donuts were set and opened for everyone to grab and he'd finally been able to relax on one of the shaded benches, simply scouting the area for anyone he knew. He knew most of the teachers, though he didn't recognize a few new faces. Of course, he was looking for one person in particular and it wasn't Saul coming over with two bottles of beer in his hands. Actually, wait... no, he passed him. Wonder why he was in such a hurry.

Oh, never mind that. There she was.

Jaycen jumped up and jogged over toward his favorite person in the whole wide world, totally forgetting that she was already talking to some one. He interjected just as the new guy outstretched his napkin filled hand. Disregarding her now soaked form, the hulk of a man fully engulfed her figure in a suffocating hug, spinning with a giant smile on his face. Setting her back down he bent on her level, dough and cherry splattered face a little too close to hers.

"Alli Cat," he exclaimed, "Why didn't we hang out more this summer?!" He was disregarding the fact that they, in fact, did pretty much see each other every other day to do something stupid or fun or even just spent a day lazying about having a movie marathon.

"I need your honest to god opinion, Cat," he went on, giving Liam a sidelong glance, "I wanted to adopt this puppy I found in the pound. The lady said she was a golden-lab mix, if that was even possible, but I don't know if I'm... responsible enough. I figured I'd just ask you."

Finally, though, he fully noticed the new teacher beside him and outstretched his hand, grasping the man's napkin filled one, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jaycen Pierce. I didn't attend the meeting last week 'cause I had a busy week speaking with a few of my agents, but I really wish I had come. Nice to see a new face around here."

[Lilacs]

"Excuse me, what?"

Alli knew that she would most likely get wet. Acacia probably had a secret agenda to make everyone at the picnic soaked. Just look at all the water balloons and water guns! She even brought over a dunk tank for crying out loud. Frankly, the history teacher was surprised that there wasn't a sprinkler or a pool or something. Alli was thankful that she wasn't wearing white, even if black absorbed heat. She had almost put on a white shirt though, that would've been bad. Even though most of the male teachers were homosexual, the students probably weren't. Alli didn't need her top to be see through because it got wet. Again, that would be very, very bad.

Maybe it was the fact that her black outfit absorbed heat, or the fact that she had observed many people becoming victims of the dunk tank, but Alli became more aware of the rising temperature. She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she felt a breeze, albeit a warm one. The hem of her dress ruffled and fluttered, as she looked upon the students having fun with a small smile of her own. The dunk tank was an idea that even the party girl wouldn't have come up with, but it definitely looked like it was effective!

She wasn't sweating yet, but Alli was just about to fan herself when she felt cold water splash upon her. She jumped up into the air with a surprised yelp, as the cold water seeped through her clothing. Cold! The wet portion of the fabric clung to her skin, outlining her lithe frame.

"Oh it's fine," Alli dismissed Liam's apology with a wave and a chuckle. "I'm sure that I would've gotten wet sooner or later, and thankfully, it's just water. It'll dry out soon, especially because it's so hot out!"

"Nice to see you again Liam, just Alli is fi--AH!"

At that moment, Jaycen came barreling into the fray, lifting her up and crushing her to him. The former cheerleader let out a giddy peal of laughter as he spun her, holding on for dear life, even though she knew that he wouldn't drop her. It took her a moment or two to regain balance after he set her down though the spinning made her a tiny bit dizzy!

"I know, I know, I know Jay Pup, it's been far too long since last time!" She giggled, poking Jaycen's forehead. "It's been a whole 17 hours!" Alli wasn't sure of the actual number of hours that have passed since their last meeting, but it was something like that. She had popped by his place last night, just to inform him that she thought that they should go play paintball. These things were important, and couldn't just be communicated over a text!

"Oh?" Alli raised her eyebrow at Jay's question. "The puppy wants a pet puppy? Hmm... A golden-lab mix does sound adorable." A small smile appeared as she imagined Jaycen with a puppy. "If you really want a puppy, you could get one! You might be a little spacey sometimes, but I think that you won't forget to take care of the puppy. And I'll always be around to help if you need a hand!"

When Jaycen turned to address Liam, Alli suddenly remembered that she was wet still. She had her bathing suit on underneath, maybe she should just take it off...?

---

"Beware the siren's call."

Don't look so pissed off Yuki, you'll scare everyone away. That being said, who was she supposed to talk to? She didn't know anyone but her roommate, who would probably be high sooner or later. There were some brownies on her plate, and Yuki had smelled some traces of marijuana in their dorm. Ew. Couldn't Alice at least find some other place to bake pot brownies? The smell lingered, and even a minute amount was irritating to Yuki. She didn't want to smell bad at all.

When August flashed a smile towards her, Yuki returned it with a radiant one of her own. He was kind of cute, for an American, anyway. It was a look that you didn't see much in Japan. There were a lot of natural blondes here, that was a strange sight to see. Yuki arrived in America only a little while before, and she was still getting used to everything. Like, what were they doing with that large container of water, and dropping people into them? She believed that she had seen similar things on TV--she wasn't involved of course, even when she was on that program--but what was it doing here? This is what Americans considered partying? Weird.

When a cold stream hit Yuki, she let out a cry of surprise, whipping around to see what happened. And what did she see? A boy smirking at her, holding a large water gun in his hands.

Son of a--

"Uh... Yeah, it's fine?" Yuki replied with a tilt of her head. Bull. Shit. There was no fucking way that he wouldn't see her, he was only a few meters away. Why the fuck would you do that?! You ruined Yuki's sweatshirt... Okay, maybe it's not that expensive, but it's adorable, okay? How are you going to compensate for that?

Regardless, the Japanese idol put on her winning TV smile as she replied, "Yeah, I'm new here. This is my first time in America, actually. Nice to meet you, I'm Sakurai Yukiko. I go by Yuki though." You goddamn son of a bitch, it wasn't nice to meet you, especially since you shot her with a water gun. Yuki didn't like that grin on his face, it reminded her of someone she really didn't want to think about. Ugh. Fuck you. Stop making Yuki think about that person. And she only went by Yuki because people wouldn't be able to pronounce her name. How hard is it, to pronounce her name? Fucking Americans.

She didn't display any of her inner irritation though, she simply looked excited to be here. For now, Yuki was emitting her "shy girl" aura. This was her first day, she wouldn't charge in with her outgoing persona. She would let people come to her, and allow them to show her around to reinforce the idea that she's innocent and to implement the 'damsel-in-distress' image of herself.

Damsel in distress. Hah. Yuki could handle herself. But the others didn't need to know that.

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

What was going on? Just. What the hell were the teachers doing? He got near the dunk tank just in time to see the principal and vice principal drying each other off. That....that was enough to weird him out. These were grown men. Grown men who could dry themselves off. But no, NO, that wasn't the end of it. They were drying each other awkwardly. REALLY, REALLY awkwardly. If it wasn't obvious enough, everybody else's reactions only served to confirm it. Jesus, Mr Hawthorne, keep it in your damn pants. I mean, you too? He'd already known that Colonel Kirschenzweig was...of an alternate sexuality, but the man was a celebrity. His life wasn't very private, though he was never open enough about it for the Marines to care. He kept his sexuality to himself while he'd served, obviously. If he hadn't, well...he wouldn't have served. Don't Ask Don't Tell wasn't around any more, but it had for most of the time he was serving.

No. No, oh come on, not you too Colonel. Jacob heard more than he needed to of the Colonel and Flynn's conversation...what the hell was wrong with his teachers?! Did they not see the student standing clearly in their midst?! Apparently not. Whatever. Coughing, Jacob climbed up into the tank when Acacia gave him the go-ahead. His backpack and towel were by the table that Mr Hawthorne and Principal Aldrin were near, exposing his body to the world. Ugh...he hated this. He didn't prepare for this, and his navel wasn't shaved. He was just lucky he had muscles and not a gut. He wasn't sculpted like a god, but his four upper abdominal muscles were plainly visible to anybody watching. There was a small trail of hair going from the aforementioned place to under his bathing suit and he couldn't help but blush, but at least they couldn't see his back. That would be a damned war crime for anybody to have to see.

When August stepped up to the proverbial plate, Jacob shrugged. Fuckin' figures it'd be that little...just get it over with dammit. Suddenly, he was much, much less excited about the dunk tank. Yes, it was totally personal. Jacob's life with August was...problematic at best. His roommate had already gotten involved in his usual shenanigans, and almost dragged Jacob down with him when they got yelled at.

One, and a miss. Two, and a second miss. Jacob almost started to pray...then he was in the water. "AHH!" He called out as his body hit the water. He involuntarily shivered at the coldness before turning around and climbing out of the dunk tank. He made it as quick as possible, lest anybody see his scars. He didn't even get them from some horrible or badass reason, like being abused or getting hurt in a hunting accident or something like that. Nope, it was a boring and uninteresting story that only served to show that Jacob was absurdly hard to kill. Whatever. He got out and made his way over to his towel quickly, running it across his body and covering himself with it. There. Done. Even that little bit of fun got screwed up. And for some reason, he was hungry. Really...REALLY fucking hungry. What? Why was he so hungry? Whatever, Mr Hawthorne cooked steak. I'm just gonna eat that. Now. Damn I'm hungry.

Making his way over to the steak, back in his shoes and socks with his towel draped over his torso, he grabbed some steak and a drink of water. Making his way back to his backpack, he cursed when he realized he'd have to fish for his pills inside his uniform. Dammit Rockwell, you done fucked up now. Pray nobody asks what you're doing...

[Ex]

"Yeah," Eliza grinned at Wren. "It's kind of the reason I'm late. I know how that sounds, but - it took me forever to decide."

"Trust me, I know how it can be," Wren said, smiling as she took a better look at the eye-catching crimson vehicle. She knew nothing about cars, but even she can appreciate how nice Eliza's looked. "My brothers took weeks to decide on their first car."

She looked Wren up and down. It was probably wrong of her to have judged about the crumbs, but in the back of her mind, she always felt a little bit of jealousy when it came to Wren. Eliza had scored pretty high in the genetic lottery, but she knew she didn't match up. Wren was one of those people who just looked amazing no matter what she did. It wasn't her hair or face or body - it was just her. How she carried herself, the way she smiled and laughed and spoke. She always seemed so comfortable in her own skin, so natural. Eliza wanted to hate it, but couldn't. It wasn't her fault.

"But it's not like things have changed," she said. "Unless I missed anything good?"

Turning her attention back to the older girl, Wren felt her smile widen. It really had been too long. Whenever things got incredibly hectic during the summer, she found herself missing Acacia, who could have calmed her down instantly with just two words, and Eliza, who could always distract and relax her with her fashion talk. She loved her brothers a lot, but there were days when you just needed a sister, and the two of them was as close as she could get to having one.

"No, it was an unusually quiet week," she said. Wren pointed at the dunk tank, just as August successfully dunked Jacob, pointedly ignoring the principal and the VP getting cozy all the while "This is probably the most exciting it's been."

"Really?" Eliza shrugged. "I mean, I guess I don't feel so guilty then. Nothing fun happened?"

"Not for me, anyway," Wren said. "Although I did meet a couple of pretty interesting new students. So how have you been? I didn't get to see you all summer!"

"I've been... I've been good," Eliza said. She didn't sound like she wanted to talk about it. "Who're the new kids worth knowing?"

Wren picked up on her hesitation, but she knew better than to pry. Instead, she continued on happily and brushed it off. Her smile had faltered slightly in worry, but only for a second. "There's this really sweet Japanese freshman, Yuki. I've only talked to her a few times, but she seemed really nice."

"More international students? Is she a genius, or rich, or what?"

"Rich, I think. Her dad has something to do with phones. There's also Jack, who was kind of intimidating. Nothing you can't handle, though," Wren said, winking playfully.

Eliza gave a small laugh. "I think I prefer intimidating. It's probably a character flaw." She looked up towards the dunk tank, and Acacia still running the show.

"She's gonna try and get me up there, I just know it."

A mischievous glint sparkled in Wren's eyes. She knew Eliza was against the idea, but everyone would be so surprised to see her do it. "That's a good idea! You should go. It'll be more exciting than when Mr. Hawthorne did it."

"Wouldn't that be a fucking sight," Eliza said. "I'm not sure I like any of the reasons people might have for wanting me up there."

Actually, she rather did. Guys thought she was hot; that was good. Friends thought she was too icy, too formal. This would help with that. Enemies - okay, adversaries, it was only high school, after all - would just want to see her look dumb, and that was what she was afraid of. She wasn't sure which was worse, being demeaned, or being ignored. She liked being the center of attention, and usually, she pined for it. Something about this was just too exposing.

"If Acacia asks, I'll have to, I guess," she said. "Good thing my bathing suits are all in the trunk."

Wren nodded and smiled, taking that as a 'yes.' Acacia was definitely going to ask, so there was no going back. She wouldn't normally push Eliza like this, especially when she risked making her upset, but she thought a little spontaneity would do her good. At the very least, it could change other students' minds. The ones who unfairly pegged Eliza as frigid. Eliza probably didn't care, but Wren didn't like it when people complained about her.

"It's freakin' hot anyway. A little dip would be refreshing."

"Getting back on the highway would be refreshing," Eliza said. She sighed, looking up to see Acacia gesturing her over. "Told you," she said.

She stepped forward, then turned back to her friend. "Hey, we should hang out tonight. I've got some - you know." She mimed drinking with her left hand.

"Sounds good," Wren laughed. "Try to have some fun up there."

Acacia was impatient, and Eliza was taking too long! With a sigh, she abandoned her post at the dunk tank to run over to her best friend. "Eliza!"

Eliza shot her a smile. "Enjoying the adoration of the masses?"

"What adoration?" Acacia giggled, looping her arm through Eliza's. "All the glory is going to the people getting dunked!"

"Glory?" Eliza asked. "Don't know if I'd go that far."

"True, true. But it's exciting, isn't it? A dunk tank." Acacia glanced over her shoulder before shooting a sly look at Eliza. "And Eliza, since you weren't here last week to help out, I think it's only fair for you to... You know!"

"Offer myself as tribute?" Eliza said. "Can I possibly avoid it? At least let me change first. I don't want to get this wet."

"You don't have to if you really don't want to, I suppose." Acacia replied with a slight pout, "But yeah! Go get changed, you'll have the eyes of all the guys on you."

"I'll be right back, I promise. I know the swarms have to feed." Eliza disentangled herself from her friend, and hurried off in the direction of her car. She extracted her luggage and sifted through it for a bathing suit - not a difficult task, she packed meticulously. She disappeared into a poolside changing room and re-emerged a few minutes later, wearing a pastel orange halter top bikini with toggles on the bottom and gold sandals. Her hair was up and pulled away from her face.

"You're lucky I love you so," she said to Acacia, stowing her previous outfit in the trunk of the Jaguar. "What do I do, just go up there?"

"I know!" Acacia grinned broadly. "You look gorgeous as always, by the way." She gazed at her friend with slight envy, convinced that she would never be able to pull off a bikini like Eliza could.

"Yup, just go up there, and see who wants you to fall into the water!"

"Nobody wants it more than you, Aca," Eliza said. Acacia led her over to the tank. Eliza stared at the ladder leading up its side, and felt her stomach clench a little bit. She needed to focus on something, on someone, or this was going to be intolerable.

She scanned the crowd. There was that Swedish guy, what was his name? Max. She looked at him.

He was a nice guy. Not that they'd talked or anything, but they were in student council together, and she had a good sense about these things. He never made her feel like she owed him anything, always polite, with that weird serenity that probably had something to do with how foreign he was. And he was hot. Yeah. He'd do. She could focus on him, forget Acacia, forget the crowd. She could just do it for him. Then it wouldn't matter how she looked.

"Hey," she called him over, smiling widely. "Wanna help me up?"

[Stephanie96]

.

[Stephanie96]

Celia glanced up as Seth offered her the plastic cup. She hadn't even realised he'd moved; she'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts. Brushing off her knees and straightening her dress, she got to her feet. Penny was laying down, her tongue lolling out of her mouth in a dopey way. Celia took the cup from Seth with a smile.

"Sorry. Guess I didn't sleep too well last night, thats all." She began to wonder over towards the table of food and drinks with him. Picking up a small plastic bowl, she filled it with water and set it on the floor, calling Penny over to drink from it. "So, how are you enjoying being back at work?"

Around her, Celia noted that more and more of the students and staff were walking past, soaked from head to toe. No doubt, they'd become victims of Acacia's dunk tank. The girl was forever coming up with clever and amusing ways for people to enjoy themselves and, on this particular scorcher of a day, Celia thought that the dunk tank was probably a fantastic idea. That did not, however, mean that she was going to volunteer. She could see by the way Hayden and the new Principal, who had introduced himself formally as Brenden, were patting each other down, (that in itself was actually a little strange, especially as the tension between them was so obvious, and she could see a few of the students throwing them strange glances), that Acacia was slowly, but certainly, working her way around the staff.

"How long, do you think, before we have to get dunked?"

She hadn't really brought any spare clothes for the dunk tank, but it was a hot enough day that she would probably dry off soon enough. She could deal with the uncomfortability of wearing damp clothes for a short while. And the excuses were pointless; Acacia would talk her into it, either way.

---

Victoria Hawthorne woke up to a horrendous pounding in the back of her skull. This wasn't a feeling that she was unfamiliar with and, groaning, she pulled the soft quilt on top of her over her head. She could still hear the music from last night and taste the vodka on her tongue. She knew that the moment she opened her eyes, the sunlight would assault her retinas and she'd only retreat beneath her covers again. So, what was the point of even getting up? She'd get up later, when she had to get ready for the party tonight. She didn't know who's it was, or where it would be, but there obviously would be one. This was New York. There was always a party.

Last nights party wasn't anything spectacular, but it was a party and Tori would never miss a party because, no matter how lame, her mere presence could always spice it up. Somewhere, her phone rang. Groaning, Tori sat up and yawned, throwing back her quilt. How had she even gotten back to her appartment last night? She couldn't remember getting a taxi, nor saying goodbye to any of her friends. That was probably Alexis calling her. It was either early enough that Lex hadn't been to bed yet, or late enough that Tori had slept through most of the day.

Her bare feet hit the floor and immediately, she got it tangled up in a pile of fabric that felt like the fake snakeskin dress she'd been weearing the night before. Stumbling slightly, she grabbed the bedpost to keep herself upright. How she had changed from her dress and into her oversized 'I♥NY' t-shirt, she didn't know. The night was a blurry and sketchy mess. The phone was still ringing but she couldn't see it in her bedroom. She skid her way across the solid wood flooring and into the lounge of the appartment.

Tori spotted her phone on the sofa and stumbled towards it. She tripped over one of her heels from last night and landed on her knees in front of the couch. Cursing softly to herself, Tori tossed her hair back and picked up the phone. "Hello?" She managed to croak.

"Victoria?" A deep and rumbling voice spoke. Tori's eyes shot open.

"No..."

"I'm holding the morning paper." Her father told her. "There's a picture of you on the front of it. Do you know what you're doing?"

She could hear the strictness and disappointment in his voice. Standing up and moving into the kitchen, she flipped the kettle on before answering. She had a feeling coffee was in order.

"Uh...Charity work?" It wasn't like she never did charity work. She just knew that wasn't what she was on the front page for.

"I suppose, in a way, it's charitable to take off your clothes. For the young males in your audience, anyway."

Damn. Her dad had to see that, didn't he. Please tell me they blurred it out, please tell me they blurred it out...

"Luckily, they blurred out any unsavoury details. However, I'm sure the image is imprinted on the minds of all of the young men who were in attendance."

Tori felt the blush creep up her cheeks. It was all she could do to not hang up the phone. Words were evading her and so she simply kept quiet, her fingers picking at the slightly frayed hem of her t-shirt, pulling it down to her knees, trying to cover up. As if that would do any good, in an empty apartment. She should have done it last night. Gosh, they must have been some juicy pictures for them to make todays headline.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Victoria."

"I know, daddy. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." She lied.

"You're right." He said. Tori frowned. Usually, those kinds of claims were met with disdain and disbelief. Her father sounded pretty convinced. Tori had a feeling he had something up his sleeve and, whatever it was, she probably wasn't going to like it. "Your mother and I have decided," Nothing. Her mother never chipped into conversations regarding her second youngest. She couldn't care less. "That it's best to keep you out of the limelight for a while. We fear that we gave you too much freedom, too soon. You're becoming wild and unruly, you need to be reigned in. You, Victoria, are going back to school."

"WHAT!?

---

And that was how Victoria Hawthorne found herself driving back to the school she'd happily left, with a cracking hangover and a headache that made her want to rip out her own eyes. She didn't hate the place; on the contrary, she had a hell of a lot of happy memories of it. But none of them included any kind of work; intellectual or otherwise. She'd planned to be done with school a year ago, when she left.

As the school loomed in front of her, she sighed and drove through the gates and around to where the picnic was being held. Parking her green, custom made Aston Martin Vanquish, she climbed out of her car, locking it behind her, and made her way across the gravel, her shoes crunching on the stones beneath her feet. Chewing her gum, she blew a bubble as she surveyed the scene through her sunglasses, which were helping her sore head a little. Her hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, as she casually tossed it behind her. She was glad she was wearing the shorts and tshirt combo she was (pictured above), because it was hot; (The weather, and the outfit). She folded her arms and leaned her weight to one hip, taking up a confident and casual pose as she looked around. Spotting her baby sister, Tori gave a whistle and called across the grounds, turning a few heads as she did so.

"Hey, kid."

[spooner]

As Principal Aldrin splashed down in to the tank Max pumped his fist up in the air and cheered with the crowd. Just as fast as he went down he surfaced and there was Mr. Hawthorne… drying him off. It was a weird sight looking at a grown man being dried of by another grown man, is there a bit of sexual tension there or am I crazy? Max thought to himself as he walked back through the crowd after the drama teacher grabbed the basket of balls from him. Max sighed when he finally reached the shade of the big oak tree, he figured he now had represented the student council enough for him not to be that peppy for some time so he sat back down and fished his book back up and started get in to his reading again.

Now and again the crowd cheered and another person got dunked, and then finally after some coaxing from Acacia Mr. Hawthorne reluctantly stripped and climbed up there. Now this Max couldn’t miss out on, so he lowered his book just enough so that he could see the action but not enough so that it was obvious that he was staring. When he hit the water Max felt some weird sensation of satisfaction, where it came from he didn’t know.

Max leaned back on to the trunk of the big tree and went back to his reading as the dunking kept going. When Max got into his reading not much could get him out of it, not even the splashes and cheering that went on in the background. But just as he was about to finish the chapter he was on he heard a voice cut through the crowds noise. Max looked up and saw her stand there next to the dunk tank smiling at him, Eliza. He stood up and dusted of his shorts before he went over to the dunk tank.

“Sure thing!” Max said with a wry smile, “How did she bully you in to this then?” He said nodding his head over at Acacia.

"She's persuasive," Eliza said, noncommittal.

Max bent down and put one arm behind Eliza’s knees and the other arm behind her lower back, he lifted her up in to his arms and hoisted her up on to the dunk tank. She looked down at him with a grateful smile and gave him a little wave. Max leaned against the side of the tank and looked up at Eliza “Good luck then.” He said and tapped the side of the tank and walked over to the table with the towels and leaned on the table. He smiled at Eliza and gave her a wink and a thumbs up.

---

Julie rolled her eyes as Max stepped forward to dunk the principal, she seemed to be doing this a lot lately getting annoyed at guys at this school. She shrugged it off as the guys must just be more annoying this year. “Tell me about what by the way? Julie gave Wren a quizzical look and then followed her friend’s gaze which landed on the now wet Mr. Aldrin. What did she mean? Julie thought as Eliza walked over she turned back to face Wren and saw that she had begun to fuss over her clothing and hair. Julie looked up at Eliza who was a few inches taller than her and she understood why Wren all of the sudden became all fuzzy over the way she looked, she was really intimidating. Julie pushed some flyaway hair out of her face and smiled at her.

As the girls started talking about their summer, Julie stayed back and decided to check on her sub trays. She lazily walked over to the food table and started to fix with the now half full trays. “So Jules, have you set up everything for arrival week?” Julie turned around slowly, there stood one of Julies least favorite people in the world Veronica van Buren the president of the International Committee.

“Why hello to you to Veronica…” Julie sighed “Of course I did, we start tomorrow… you do know that right?” she looked at Veronica with a questioning look. “Hah! Of course I do… I am the president after all!” Veronica said as she shifted uncomfortably, Yeah by sheer nepotism! Julie thought as she sat down. Veronica picked up one of Julies subs and dropped it back down on the tray making a few of them fall on the ground. “Oops… sorry” she uttered before she returned to her gaggle of friends standing a few feet away.

“Yeah I bet.” Julie muttered as she bent down to pick them up. A small yelp rang through the noise of the crowd. Julie straightened up and looked around for who screamed, she saw Yuki the new foreign student partially soaked and beside her James stood beside her with a super-soaker in his hands. Julie threw away the subs that she had picked up and started to walk over to them. “Hey! Yuki, is he bothering you?” She said with a concerned voice then she turned to James “Why do you have to be such a skeez?” Julie said with a roll of her eyes “Where’s your new glasses, maybe they can help you aim better.” She scoffed.

---

Liam rubbed the back of his head as he stood there with a hand full of napkins and a pit of shame in his stomach. Just as he was about to ask Alli how long she’d been teaching at Caelbury something came barreling in to sight. At first Liam thought it was someone trying to tackle her to the ground but then he realized that the man who had come running had Alli in a deep hug so he calmed down. Liam tried to look as pleasant as he could, but on the inside he was cowering. Being this social was kind of unusual for him right now, but he didn’t want to be labeled as the weird new teacher so he put on a smile that unfortunately did not reach his eyes and his slight frown did not really make it more convincing.

He sat there at the edge of the table watching the two old friends talk and hug. Then the man who had come running in to the scene turned to Liam and introduced himself as Jaycen Pierce. “It’s very nice to meet you Jaycen, I’m sure we’ll have more time to get to know each other as the year goes on.” Liam said as he shook Jaycen’s hand with his napkin filled hand. “I’m sorry, Liam Matthews” he said and set down the crumpled up napkins on the table, he reached up and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“So correct me if I’m wrong, but are you the same Jaycen Pierce who played for the Saints?” Liam said with a genuine smile. Liam was a big football fan, but he had been out of the loop for some time now. “Leave it to Caelbury to have a pro-footballer as a P.E teacher, which I’m just guessing that you teach of course.” He said blinking in the bright sun light that was beginning to trigger his migraine. “Putting a fair amount of pressure on me to perform.” Liam let out a small chuckle.

[Phloem]

"Yeah, sorry again about your shirt. My eyesight isn't all there." James apologised again, though it was pretty obvious that he wasn't being serious about it, due to the huge smirk currently plastered on his face. He could get honestly get used to this; shooting people in the back with a water gun, but poor, blind James, whose vision is so horribly impaired that it couldn't possibly have been his fault. But it still sucked to have myopia this severe. Was it going to get to a point where it'd be considered a disability? Would he get handicapped parking privileges? Then again, he'd probably get arrested if he even tried driving without his glasses on. Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. She didn't seem to be all too bothered by the fact that he'd just soaked the entire back of her sweatshirt, which was a little weird. But maybe she was just a really nice person?

" Nice to meet you, I'm Sakurai Yukiko. I go by Yuki though." Ah, so she was Japanese, then.

"I'm James. James McNamara." He introduced himself, voice laced with the sharp strokes of a Scouse accent. When he first came to the US, people had a really hard time getting it. But so far, she seemed to be able to follow quite well. Better than most people, at least. But that was probably because he'd been trying to bleed it out. Rough words slowly smoothing themselves out into something that was a bit blander. Letting his smirk morph into an endearingly lopsided grin, he stuck his free hand out for Yuki to shake. "A pleasure to meet you as well."

"Anyway, what're doing by yourself? Hanging around this old tree isn't the most fun, is it? C'mon, get a drink or something, at least. Enjoy yourself a bit, yeah?"

James went over to one of the coolers, lifting open the lid and pulling out a can of what seemed to be orange soda. Prying the tab open, the aluminium can let out a faint hissing noise as gas escaped from the narrow opening. Handing the now open can over to Yuki, he momentarily glanced over at the dunk tank. And lo and behold, the principal and vice-principal were busy drying each other off. They weren't even trying to be subtle about it and James almost let out a snort of laughter at the sight. Before he could stare any longer, he shifted his gaze back to Yuki. "Wanna check out the dunk tank? It seems like that's where all the fun is."

---

Seth nodded at her response, deciding that it'd probably be best not to question further. He didn't want to seem too pushy. After all, they've only known each other for what; fifteen minutes tops? What right did he have to start poking into her personal matters? Plus, he'd probably only make things worse. At this, the memory of the time when he tried to mediate a fight between two students came into mind. It was probably one of the most embarrassing things that had ever happened to him. How was he gonna play therapist if he couldn't even talk down a couple of angry, hormonal teenagers? Running a hand through dark curls, he watched as Penny bounded over to drink from the bowl of water set on the ground. "Well, we're not really working right now, are we?"

Glancing at the dunk tank, the water began to look more and more inviting, the more time he spent under the scorching sun. Why did he think wearing jeans would be a good idea? He actually brought along some spare clothes in his car for such an occasion, but he didn't want to just go and change right now with no reason whatsoever. Seth realised that it was inevitable that they were going to get dunked, it was only a matter of time. He had half a mind to volunteer, but decided against it in the end. The temporary respite from the heat probably wouldn't be worth it, in the end. Filling up another plastic cup with hibiscus tea, he took a sip from it. Though he nearly spat it out in surprise when he heard a cry some distance away. Turning to the source of the noise, he spotted one of the new students. A few meters away, another student was holding a water gun. Putting two and two together, he realised there wasn't anything to worry about. Just kids being kids, that's all. What could possibly go wrong?

Turning his attention back to Celia, he let out a slight chuckle at her question. "Soon, probably. Not many people left. Though in this weather, I honestly wouldn't mind."

[Lilacs]

"Stranger than you dreamt it, can you even dare to look?"

Yuki shrugged out of her sweatshirt to reveal her purple tank top underneath. Gripping the wet sweatshirt in her arms, she twisted it to wring the water out. Some water splashed down into the grass below, and Yuki slipped it over her shoulders again. "It's just water, it'll dry out!" She smiled shyly over at Julie before shrugging. "I'm fine, it's not that big of a deal anyway." Besides for the fact that it's all wrinkly D:< And slightly damp. Ugh. It's uncomfortable and cold. It feels like she's wearing a wet paper towel!

She grasped James' outstretched hand within her own to give the firm handshake that she had learned to give to make a good first impression. Make eye contact, smile. He was pretty cute... Something about that smirk made Yuki want to rip it off of his face though. And throw it to the ground before she stomped the shit out of it. It reminded her too much of... No, no, no, no, no. Stop it Yuki, don't go there. Shhhhhhhh, calm down.

"Well... I don't really know anyone, so it's kind of hard to go up to the crowd..." She murmured quietly, glancing at the two in front of her, then the crowd, before looking down at her shoes. "And I'm not that good at English, so I'm really nervous."

Bravo Yuki, bravo! You're an amazing actress! You didn't get that role in the move for nothing, after all. Pure talent, right there! Let's here it for actress Yuki Sakurai! (Cue fan screams) What other amazing, outgoing girl with no need for any insecurities can pull off a shy girl act? No one! Haha! Besides, Yuki's English is pretty good. She studied hard in Japan so she could maybe someday land an international role.

The idol accepted the orange soda from James gratefully. She happened to be getting thirsty, and orange also happened to be one of her favorites. And it was about time that someone started paying attention to her wants and needs! Good job James, you get a gold star :D She took a sip of the fizzy citrus juice. Mmmm, nice and cold.

"The...Dunk tank?" Yuki asked uncertainly, "You mean that weird thing over there? What's the point of it? Is it scary?"

[Sixsmith]

---

Two bottles of beer in hand, who cared what brand, and a bright smile on his face, Saul felt fantastic and it was in due part to the buzz that numbed the back of his head. Sitting on a nearby bench, he slid one beer in front of him, looking at the blank expression on his equally tall friend, the glaze of his eyes evident as he stared quietly into the parking lot. Flynn's cat had somehow managed to slip past the spray of water and barking dogs to find his way into his owner's arms. After Saul had released him and he'd finally found his quiet spot again, he'd haphazardly thrown on is button up and messed with his still wet hair. He looked messy, tousled and so unlike his usual refined and reserved self; Flynn looked a lot more approachable and less rigid, simply after being manhandled for a good thirty or so minutes, but his eyes still held that icy and aloof gaze and his expression still remained vague and thoughtful.

Turning his attention onto the other male, an ecstatic, ever smiling mountain of a man, Flynn's frown showed and immediately deepened as his eyes caught the alcohol being shoved in front of him. He made no move to grab it and simple let his gaze return to the parking lot. The sudden rejection was effective in wiping away the smile on Saul's face, but he made no move to get up and simply took a long draw of his drink and crossed his arms on the table. Leaning forward, he bore his stare into the other man, waiting for him to say something.

"What?" Flynn breathed, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Is it your personal goal to make everyone think that you're a pompous ass?" Saul retorted, furrowing his brows.

Flynn was silent for a moment, turning his full attention back toward Saul. With an arched eyebrow, he simply repeated, "What?"

"I think you very well heard me."

"I just don't appreciate being forced into situations I had no intention of being in, around, or anywhere near," Flynn said, gaze hardening, "and then being forced to entertain the idea of making friendly afterwards. Is that pompous of me?"

"W-well..."

"Excuse me," Flynn frowned, grabbing the offered beer and leaving.

"Shit."

---

---

A fan?

Ah, wow, it felt like a lifetime since he was back in the stadium, or at summer camp getting reconditioned and pretty much remodeled for the coming season. The pang in his heart hurt, like a part of himself had somehow gone missing. It was only two years and he'd all but forgotten about pro-football, the league, everything and possibly for the better. It wasn't good to get bogged down on something that was no longer yours or could no longer be yours; he had to live in the present and the present was good. He was satisfied, happy even with what he was doing and it was evident in the radiance exuding from his expression.

Jaycen smiled and nodded, glad to hear he had a fan.

"Yeah, it was a great run," he said, still smiling, "Hey, Caelbury picks the best from the lot, right? And I'm not talking about myself either."

His eyes roamed to the side, catching a glimpse of a certain drama teacher attempting to chase down what looked like a cat and his owner, shouting something incoherent from so far away, but both men were so tall that it was hard to miss either of them seemingly blazing a trail through the party. It brought out a quiet puff from the back of his throat, but it didn't seem all that problematic. His eyes soon fell to the assortment of foods on the table, mainly the delicious meats that had gathered on the side. Excusing himself quickly, he grabbed a plate, a few burgers, some condiments, and was back between Alli and Liam, idly munching on the burger he'd assembled.

"So," he said, mouth full as he took a big gulp and wiped his mouth, "What's with the long face, bud? Oh, that reminds me: Alli, we should go do the dunk tank. I bet some boys would love to see their gorgeous history teacher soaked to the bone on such a hot summer afternoon."

Turning his head toward Liam, he offered the man a slight jerk of his head, directing him toward the dunk tank in a slight beckon, "And I think it's about time to haze the new kid on the block, eh? I see from the look on Hayden's face, someone managed to get Mr. Aldrin all wet and shirtless, so that's one down. Hayden got me to see Magic Mike with him—I swear, it was like I wasn't even there. You shoulda seen his face afterwards, Alli, redder than his whole body after an entire day out on a beach without sunscreen."

The thought sent a shiver through Jaycen, as he set his plate down, suddenly deciding he was no longer hunger and more excited about the idea of a dunk tank.

"That was like... oh, I forgot, but I'd still just met him. I didn't realize he burned instead of tanned. Forced me to peel the dead skin off the next day," he explained, scowling as he turned around as he held his arm out for Alli, assuming they'd walk there together, "Enough of that, though. We should head over before the line gets too long and before any of the male teachers get any ideas."

That's when he noticed the next of Acacia's victims. "On second though, Alli, I think you should sit this one out. Eliza's enough to get the boys drooling; if you went up right after, they'd swarm the two of you. Unless, of course... one of us forces you to do it. I wonder who that'd be..."

[MULTI_MEDIA_MAN]

Thankfully, Jacob managed to retrieve his pill and swallow it without incident. It normally wasn't a big deal to take the damn thing; he ate alone the majority of the time. It was quicker and easier for him, though that wasn't the reason why. The reason was because he had literally one actual friend in this place. By luck, he had a few friendly acquaintances, but nobody he'd normally associate with beyond what was appropriate or required. He didn't dislike those people, oh no, he just...didn't try. Why get attached when he was going to vanish in less than a year anyway, right? He'd already gotten the whole "losing your closest friends in an emotional wreck" stage of high school...he just did it a full year earlier than most people did.

For some reason, Jacob started laughing at the thought. He was pretty lonely, but...why was that funny? Whatever, the steak was good. Steak...mmmm, steak is always good. Unless you burn it.

Jacob's laughter continued when he saw the next victim of the dunk tank: Eliza Herring. Wow. That...was unexpected. Not how she looked- Eliza was like most of the girls in this school- a decent looker. Nah, what surprised him was that she was actually subjecting herself to the torment of the dunk tank. The fool. What he saw next was...well, it wasn't surprising. Eliza and Max, flirting even more openly and obviously than the teachers had (Somehow that feat had proven itself possible) while everybody watched. Shit, if he were a raunchy poet, he could think of a dozen lines already about how Eliza was getting...soaked...

But he wasn't a poet, and he honestly didn't particularly care for what his moral opposites did with themselves. Shrugging as he turned back to his steak, Jacob consumed the slab of meat with renewed vigor, not even realizing that his towel had fallen off and revealed his scar-ridden back to the world. He was feeling way too damn good to notice...as odd as that was. It was hot as hell, nothing particularly good had happened, and he was pretty bored. But at the same time, he couldn't help but keep a goofy-ass smile plastered on his face while he ate. Weeeiiirrrd.

[Stephanie96]

"Well, no, but I meant, did you enjoy the first week?"

Smiling at his comment about the dunk tank, Celia nodded. He was right; it was hot, and the sun was only getting higher in the sky as they headed towards midday. Being dropped into that tub of cool water would probably be a godsend. The only problem was her lack of spare clothes. Watching the dunk tank, she watched with surprise as Eliza Herring climbed up. She had to admit - she wouldn't have expected that, but watched, amusedly, as the girl slid (not so) gracefully into the water.

"This," She held up the red plastic cup, "Is delicious, by the way."

She had to hold back a laugh when she saw the shock on his face, and the way he almost spat out his tea all over her, because a few kids behind them were playing with waterguns. "You ok, there? Little flinchy?" She laughed, softly. "I don't think theres any way that were not going to get wet today, do you? Its inevitable." Raising her eyebrows, she sipped the last bit of her tea.