[IC] CANCELLED.

[Hey Im Jordan]

| Shots | The Rockafeller Skank | Speakerbox | Hard In Da Paint |
^{[ Soundtrack ]}

| P A R T Y B E G I N S | 8 PM, doors open @ 7

| W H E R E | El Jefe's Beach House. This is how the ELITE throws a banger.

| W H O ' S I N V I T E D | All the cool kids on the block, that ain't H.O.T. or part of the Candy Shop.
They want access? They can try to convince someone to be their plus one and maybe we'll let you in.
Doesn't feel great, does it?

| A T T I R E | Whatever the fuck you want. This is a rager. You'll sweat. You'll get wet. You'll be high as a kite and blitzed out of your mind. You've been warned.

| F O O D | We got booze. We got food. We got GLOW SHIT. Come one, come all to the most LEGENDARY party of the year.

_{Collab with: @Bee @Dirty Pretty Lies @Silent Observer}

Damian should have been emotional, not Henry; but this situation? It just brought a tear to his eye. He couldn’t help it! A brand new Elite (and Henry himself, as a consultant) gathered to bring an end to his tyrannical sister, and her bitchy friends. They’d spent damn near the entire day getting the beachhouse, and now Henry (the consultant) had only one step left for preparations. He had nametags to hand out, and he’d made them shirts! What? He was very happy with the safety deposit.

Having gathered all of the Elite V 2.O (the O, Henry decided, stood for Outrageous): Damian, Owen, Soleil, Trevor, and Lawrence, into the kitchen, Henry prepared to give them the speech of the fucking ages. This may have had the Elite’s name all over it, but this party was Henry’s expertise. After all, he was the consultant. “Friends, Owen, girl I’ve met like twice before in my entire life, let me tell you a story. ‘Bout three weeks ago, Damian comes to me and he asks me to be a part of the Elite. He got it in his head that he was gonna turn the school around and become a true king — not a fake one like he’s been for the past year and a half. And yeah, dude, fake one. Ain’t no king I never heard of gone around doin’ jack shit while some crazy hoes go up and be crazy. Anyway, I look you dead in the eyes and what did I say?” Henry leaned forward, pointing at Damian as if he were gonna let him speak, before he quickly began to continue. “I said I don’t wanna be a part of no boy band. So I’m not a member of the Elite. We reached an agreement. Cuz I stumped ol’ Damian over there, I confused him. He stopped, he stepped back, and he tried again. He said ‘...what if you’re just a consultant?’ because apparently he can’t throw a banger like your BOY can. I said ‘you can’t afford me.’ Dude said ‘name your price.’ So, I did. And by god did he deliver, it was the sweetest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Henry paused for a moment, seemingly relishing in the limelight and the moment, Damian looked to either side of himself, at the others, shaking his head.

“I told you that if I helped a throw a party, then you have to go out of your way to make sure Hailey and the bitch brigade aren’t invited. And you did just that. Let me tell you something, let me tell you right now that seeing my sister and her friends freak the FUCK OUT and act like their worlds were coming down around them… that was the sweetest thing I have ever seen in my life. It was sugary sweet, it was like someone had taken my tongue and placed on my tongue a sugar cube and I just closed my eyes and felt it melt. Sugary sweet. Just like that.” Henry turned around and reached inside one of the many bags he’d brought, withdrawing a bottle. He sat it down on the table in front of the Elite, and grabbed shot glasses. “Today, lads... This is a bottle of Bombay Sapphire Revelation. Two hundred thousand dollars, I stole it from my mom for you. Today, we toast.” He poured them all a drink and slid one in front of each of them. “Today, we toast to a party… to a celebration of the new year. To a celebration of a year where,” at this point, Henry raised his glass, “the Elite, and the consultant, show the entire world that anyone can stand up the H.O.T. girls, to the Candies, to anyone and say that, quite simply… ya all can’t fuck with us.” With that, Henry tipped his glass back.

Smacking his lips after drinking his glass, Damian stared at his friend — the consultant — and waited for the smooth burn to subside. That was… good alcohol, for damn sure. Finally, he let out a breath, and spoke, “You’re a weird guy, Henry. A weird motherfucker.”

“HEY, motherfucker. I ain’t WEIRD. I’m fucking rich as fuck. That makes me eccentric.”

Soleil Jameson had been a quiet spectator of the events, the corners of her mouth turned up into an amused smirk. A mere week before, she had just made her high school dreams come true by being inducted into the Elite. Not just that, but she’d made clique history by being the first female in the all-boy group. It was a hell of a feeling, and the raven-haired teen would be lying if she said there wasn't a new spring in her step whenever she walked through the halls alongside the boys.

It was party day, and the young woman had been busy all day with preparations. Sol had been in charge of snack duty and making her famous ‘Shady Sun Punch’, and she had done just that. After all the work was finished, El Jefe had called the crew over for a short meeting. However, it was Henry who spoke, giving the group a speech Sol was sure he felt very proud of. She’d shot discreet questioning glances at Owen during most of it, but for the most part she'd kept a straight face. She drank when the others did, but she’d been silent for far too long.

“Eccentric… That's a nice way to put it.” Shady mused at Henry’s comment, giving him a joking once over before turning to the others. “I’ve gotta admit, it feels fucking good to hang around with you guys. Been a hell of a week. I'm pretty sure being the only one that doesn't want Damian’s dick helped a lot with my being here, though.” she said jokingly, shooting the bearded boy a playful wink.

It was true, though. From the moment she'd stepped into Beverly Hills High, it was obvious that Damian O’Connor was the object of desire of everyone and their mother. He is attractive and talented, yes. And yet… Shady never took the bait. She'd always treated him as the rest of the boys: nothing more, nothing less. To her, he was just another one in the crowd. She was almost certain that this was a key factor in her current Elite member status.

“Hey, Henry, can I have a refill?” she asked The Consultant, waving the empty shot glass at the baby-faced boy. “This shit is good.”

Lawrence Townsend, football extrordinaire of BHHS, was once again chillin with his boys (and girl): Damian, Owen, Soleil, and Trevor. At this given moment, Lawrence was sitting in a seat, snacking on a small bag of chips. Big dog always needed to eat, such was the life of Lawrence. Compared to Soleil over there, he didn’t do much. There was too much at stake with him moving around so much.

Listening to his boy talk his talk, he was agreeing with pretty much everything he said. It was practically gospel, as a matter of fact. But, that drink that Damian was in possession of… Lawrence had his eye on it, for sure. It was fucking lit. His boy knew what exactly what Lawrence wanted, and he was very grateful for the fact that they seemed to be on the same page a lot of the time.

Taking the drink and sipping from it, he relished in the burn and sighed. ”Fuck man. This shit is smacks.” It wasn’t the smoothest of drinks, but whatever, it gave him a buzz. That was all he needed in his alcohol. “I need to get myself a bottle of this one of these days…”

“Just pull a me and mooch off of Henry’s bottle. I'm not about to spend my own money when someone else can do it for me.”

Not really a drinker of heavy liquor, Trevor was the last to take his shot among the group of friends. After doing so, he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, and politely avoided making a face. Yeah, he didn’t really like it all that much. Whether or not the bottle was worth the cost of a ranch house in the country, it didn’t taste that great? Perhaps he just did not have a tongue for gin. He was a simple man, who took pleasure in simple things — a shot of irish whiskey, some ice cold brews from a cooler, or draft, if he was feeling fancy — he didn’t need much.

“So, uh, are we ready for people to start showing up?” Trevor asked, flipping his now-empty glass upside down, and setting it on the table. He turned his hungry eyes to Lawrence’s bag of chips. Trevor was a big lad, and a boy’s gotta eat. Not only that, but his dad was providing the grub for this fiesta, and Remy’s cooking was good enough to bring tears to your eye, no joke. “Is the food here?”

Henry looked at his watch, then up at Trevor. “Yeah, it should be here in like two minutes. Ari’s bringin’ it, don’t trip. She just had to babysit the boys for me.” Henry refilled the glasses as requested, and then just sat the bottle down on the table, gesturing for them to have the time of their lives. “I’ll be right back.” With that, the Consultant walked away.

Soleil took her refilled shot glass and immediately drank the liquor as she tilted her head back. The burning sensation in the back of her throat was more than welcome. If things happened to go the way she thought they could, she would need a few more of those to get through the night.

Taking advantage of Henry’s absence, she took an additional two shots. She knew her bros wouldn't judge her.

In a flash, The Consultant was back; this time, he was armed with a cardboard box, which he dumped out in front of them, revealing a bunch of black t-shirts that said ‘Elite’ on the back. “These are for y’all. So you enjoy these shirts, cost me like forty bucks. Of my own money. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah.” Henry took a step back, stepping up onto the coffee table and pointing at the group. “Now, I’m not Lawrence’s sister. What that means is I’m not going to suck your dicks. But I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do! Go on! Ask me! Ask what I’m gonna do!” Henry paused and waited a few seconds, before Damian cautiously raised a hand.

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna make everyone else suck your dicks. Now you put those shirts on. She gonna be here any minute with the munchies. Ari’s not suckin’ any dicks so don’t get no ideas you fuckers. OR EATING PUSSY. DO NOT SEXUALIZE MY — er, I mean THE — ARI.” Henry pumped his fist in the air to signify the end of his speech.

“What if there are no dicks to suck?” Shady called out, pointing at the smooth surface in the front of her shorts. “What happens then?”

“What you mean, dude? Don’t you know? You an Elite now, bruh, that comes with an honorary dick.”

Soleil grinned. “Good to know. I'll have fun trying to explain that to-” she trailed off, suddenly realizing what she had been about to say. “Everyone else.”

Ariana, the best girl that she was, had finally picked up the food for Henry’s shindig. The dearest boy had let her have the keys to the Maserati, which came in quite handy for picking up the food. Benedict and Arnold were back at Ari’s place hanging out in the little fort that she had built for them in her room. The order was quite massive, actually. Thank goodness she was driving, she really didn’t feel like taking her little red wagon and wheeling it up all the way to where Henry asked her to drop it off.

Backing the car into the garage, she was hoping that someone would come and help her out and help her set up this stuff. For the love of god, all this food was too much for the tiny Korean girl to carry. Once the backup camera was screaming at her to stop, she put the car in P and turned off the engine. Pressing a button, the trunk popped open, and then she laid on the horn. Multiple times, as a matter of fact, to get someone to come help.

“WE’RE COMING, FUCK. That’d be the food, yo. Go get it. I’m gonna get high again, since Ari just blew my shit with that honking crap…”

Trevor, ever the gentleman, was the first among the crew to get up when the honking started. Not before pulling on his new shirt, it was too dope not to wear it immediately. “I got it.”

---

Our story begins twenty-seven minutes after the food is retrieved from the Maserati, and laid out for the partygoers, at 7:00 PM sharp. The flyers, text messages, instagram posts, and snapchat stories all said ‘8:00,’ but Henry knows damn well they’re showing up before then. He’s already behind the bar, preparing a few different drinks so that he wasn’t that behind when the going got tough.

Let the games begin.

[Venus]

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line

---

---

The moon was on its way tonight.

And Soleil knew it was bound to be as stunning as always. It had been a while since she’d last seen it, and every time they were apart for an extended period of time, it always seemed to shine extra brightly upon its return. After they’d helped Ariana organize the snacks for the party, the members of The Elite had been given the green light to be free to do as they pleased. Shady had chosen to silently ‘stand guard’ next to Owen, using the excuse of keeping him company for her own hidden reasons. The truth was, she wanted to have a clear view of the parking lot to make sure she was present to see when the moon made its much awaited arrival.

The first time Shady saw the moon, back in her sophomore year, the connection had been instant. The raven-haired teen had been smoking a blunt by the side of beach, taking a breather from the raging back to school party happening at Henry Green’s place at a few minutes distance. It was then when the moon had approached her, riled in by the scent of cannabis. The two had shared the blunt and dysfunctional family stories, a strong bond slowly being built. With every second that passed by, the tension that had pulled them together grew, up until the point it could no longer be contained or denied. By the end of the night, all hesitation had been abandoned, and they’d ended up in each other’s arms.

And from that night on, Soleil and the moon became lovers.

Their liaison was kept in secrecy, as to not disrupt the order of their universe. But every few days, unbeknownst to the world, they met, and loved each other until their spirits gave way. They were addicted- not just to each other, but to the way they felt whenever they were together. Yet every night, after all was said and done, Soleil lied awake, trying to put a name to just what these exact feelings were. There was no use in denying that they were nonexistent. With the moon, Shady felt she could show a side of her no one else had even seen. She felt her personality soften, becoming fragile, vulnerable, and hopelessly enamoured all at the same time. In all honesty, she enjoyed the warmth the moon brought to her abrasive nature. It was a much needed breath of fresh air.

Yet there was always the nagging worry of opening up too much. If anything else, Soleil was deadly afraid of confronting her feelings and exposing herself to possible heartbreak. She’d seen how in love Owen had been with Beatrix, and how that love had meant nothing but pain for him in the end. She’d seen how her mother’s love for her father had caused her so much suffering, and how broken she’d felt after the two had decided it was too toxic to go on. But then she remembered of how her mother had decided to give herself a chance with Jason, and how much happiness they’d brought each other ever since. In the end, the conflicting perspectives had caused Soleil to turn a blind eye to her feelings towards the moon, and to simply avoid to put a name to was going on between them. It had been that way for a year and a half.

What was a little more time being safe just the way they were?

In the present day, a familiar vehicle was pulling into an empty spot of Henry’s parking lot. Shady’s mouth instantly curled up in a smile, and she unconsciously caressed the small space behind her right ear, where a recently inked black moon tattoo could be seen. The waiting was over. The long-awaited moment would to a close.

The moon had finally arrived.

[Klaykid]

Isaac Michael Woods

Location: Woods' Residence - El Jefe Beach House
_{Mentioned: @Universorum (Owen Lyon) | @Dirty Pretty Lies (Martha Radley)}

---

---

Scene Theme

The text said 8:00 PM. So that's when Isaac decided he will appear. It was rude to show up too late or too early for a party. Hell, he was lucky enough to receive an invitation from Owen Lyon. Yet, he had his second thoughts. To be surrounded at that party with so many pretty faces made him self conscious. But he promised himself he would be a better man. He promised himself he would be more confident. That, and he desperately begged Martha Radley to come too. He was not sure if she had received an invitation as well, but it did not hurt to try. If there was one person Isaac could go to advice for, it was Martha. She was upfront with him, never rude, and always told him the truth. Or at least he believed she did. Having two friends (really, he only had two friends) there would be the exact boost of confidence he needed.

Isaac went to his little sister's room and peeked through the crack in the door. Eliza busied herself with whatever her little five year old mind was focused on. Slowly, but surely, he opened the door and crept across her bedroom like a lion stalking its prey. His footsteps silent on the carpet, arms held wide open, hands poised to snatch up his prey. She never saw it coming. In one swing he scooped her up in his arms and held her in the air.

“Got you!” he roared.

Eliza was certainly frightened at first, but upon hearing her brother's voice, her shrieks quickly turned to laughter as Isaac spun around with his sister in his arms. Eliza, with crayons still in hand, playfully threw them at Isaac's face hitting him in the eye.

“Motherfu-ull of love,” hollered Isaac. He had to be careful to not curse in front of his baby sister. But take a scarlet crayon to the right eye and see how well you fare. The answer is not well at all.

Isaac set his sister down upon her bed and nursed his right eye while keeping a fake smile plastered on his face.

“Say, Eliza, big brother's goin' to a friend's place soon. I wont be too long. Don't give mom no trouble, yeah?”

Eliza nodded her head and saluted Isaac, a little habit she picked up from watching men salute their father. Isaac could have melted right then and there from how adorable his sister was.

“Please don't ever grow up.”

The Party
_{Scene Theme}

It was a sound everyone knew. The roar of his engine that barraged through the air, a sound that forced its way into everyone's ears like the war cries of a thousand charging warriors. The engine shut off and the headlights died down until it gave way to the colorful lights surrounding the party. With a swift movement of his boot, he hit the kickstand and stood up from his motorcycle. His sharp eyes scanned the parking lot until he set his sights on the beach house. And hot damn it was an impressive piece of architecture.

“Nice place.”

Isaac took a deep breath and tried to relax his nerves, but his shoulders remained stiff, his face contorted into a menacing scowl, and his hands kept shaking. So he balled them into fists and stuffed his hands into his pockets. As he walked towards the beach house, the other attendees noticed him. How could you not? He stood 6'4 with a body of a boxer, his muscles sculpted into a form perfect for the sport. His black hair was combed back giving him a greaser look, and his eyes fixated into an unintentionally angered squint. His swagger was unlike many others, a walk with brutishness embodied in every stride, and his boots echoed with each step that he took along the cobbled pathway. Wherever he moved, everyone in his path parted like the Red Sea when Moses led the Israelites from the Egyptians.

But it was something Isaac was used to. Being so tall, he tended to miss people shorter than him, and on occasion he would accidentally bump into them. His clumsy nature was no help at all. In fact, a poor gal was about to learn first hand what most would call the “Isaac Woods Experience”. Isaac had noticed a beautiful set of flowers growing along the path. Specifically, Gaillardia aristata, a member of the sunflower family native to North America! As the boy admired the flowers, he bumped into a girl who had not noticed his presence. He instinctively pulled his hands from his pockets and grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling forwards. But then his fear caught the best of him.

His immediately let go and his hands began to shake, so he balled them into fists to keep people from noticing. His face contorted back into a scowl as he concentrated on maintaining a level of cool, a level he utterly failed at reaching.

“Are you okay? I'm so fuckin' sorry,” is what he wanted to say. But his mouth stuttered and he completely mixed up everything. So really, what came out of his mouth was...

“Are you fuckin' sorry?”

The girl froze in terror and immediately backed away. Everyone stared at Isaac with disgusted looks, but none dared to say anything to the boy.

“That... could have went better...”

[Melissa]

---

---

Savannah sat pensively at her vanity in a silky blue robe, putting the finishing touches on her makeup and judging her reflection in the mirror. Time was ticking, and she was technically supposed to be on her way by now, but she couldn't bring herself to stand up and walk out the door. Her outfit was picked and laid neatly on her white duvet; the sequined café colored romper, the pair of nude strappy heels, and the tassel earrings awaited Sav, but still, she remained frozen in her chair. Tonight was her debut in a sense. The entire BHHS student body would be at the party, and it was her job to try and make the best impression that she could. She already had gotten along well with most of the people at school, but in the back of her mind, she worried it was all too good to be true. All she longed for was for people to accept and like her, and she always feared that the opposite was the case. Her brain felt clouded with thoughts as she coated her lips in red liquid lipstick.

A small knock on her door pulled her briefly out of her thoughts. "Come in!" she yelled, hoping whoever was on the other side of the wood could hear her. In walked her father's fiancé, Deana, carrying two glasses of champagne and a smile brighter than the north star. She and Sav had bonded a lot since her moving in. They went on shopping dates (with her father's credit card of course), had movie nights, and got their nails done together every three weeks. It was nice for Sav to have a motherly figure out here in California.

"I thought we could toast to the new year before you left for your big party, but don't tell your dad. You know how he feels about you drinking alcohol in the house." Sav's soon to be step-mom handed her a flute and sat down on the edge of her bed. "What do you want to toast to?"

"How about..." Sav thought for a second. With all of the amazing things happening in her life right now- her modeling career, her new life in Beverly Hills, great new friends- the girl didn't know what else she could want. What was it that she so desired in the new year? "Let's toast to health, happiness, and to hoping that I somehow pass Calculus." Clinking glasses with a laugh the two sipped their champagne. "Thanks, Dee, that was really thoughtful." Finishing her drink, she set it down on her vanity. "I won't be back too late after midnight, I know dad wanted me to-"

"Oh, forget what he said. Stay out as long as you want and have fun with your friends. High school is some of the best years of your life and you shouldn't be missing out on any of it." Taking Sav's empty champagne flute in her hand, Deana started walking towards the door. Before disappearing into the hallway, she turned back to Sav, shocked to see her still sitting there. "Now, get your ass out of that chair and finish getting ready. You have a party to get to." Sighing, Savvy finally arose for her cushioned chair and moved towards her bed, slipping on her outfit and her shoes. She knew tonight was going to be incredible, but she needed to not get so in her head about it. Sav needed to let her hair down and have a good time, both figuratively and literally, as she pulled her bright red mane out of its ponytail, letting her soft curls cascade over her shoulders.

Deciding she needed to loosen up a bit more, Sav reached under her bed to her alcohol stash, pulling out a bottle of vodka, a double shot glass, and a small thing of cranberry juice. Taking a deep breath as she measured the shot exactly, she tossed it back, letting the liquid burn down her throat, followed by the sweetness of the cranberry. That was the first of many shots she'd be taking that night. Noticing the time, she grabbed her phone and her keys, running out the door and not looking back.

Savannah took an Uber to the party, not wanting to task anyone, especially her dad, with driving her. As they rounded the corner, the beach house came into view, and a small gasp escaped the redhead's lips. Even though she had been in Beverly Hills for months, she would never get used the size of the homes that lined the streets; they made the houses in Hico look like shacks and sheds in comparison."You can just pull over here, thanks." Sav pointed to the curb outside of the house and gave her thanks to the driver before stepping out of the car.

Well, this was it. Savannah took a deep breath before walking up the driveway and towards the entrance, where she could hear the music pounding before she had even stepped foot in the house. Walking up and opening the door, she was stunned as the interior of the house was more ornate and extravagant than the outside. Looking around, students flooded every inch of the house. Some had turned around to acknowledge her entrance and others just continued to dance and have fun with their friends. Friends. The mere thought reminded her, where was Martha? Pulling out her phone and texting her, Savannah wondered when she'd arrive. Until then, the redhead grabbed a drink and roamed around the party, until she found a group of people she somewhat knew and attempted to woo them with her southern charm. Speaking in her slight southern drawl, she tried to start a conversation, "Hey Y'all, how's it going?"

---

_{Mention: @Dirty Pretty Lies}

[Avanhelsing]

Nathan Wagner: The Lost Prince

Location: The Jenny Marie & El Jefe Beach
Interacting with: Issac (Talking to) @Klaykid Owen Lyon (mention) and Henry (mention)@Universorum

---

---

The Jenny Marie
Theme Song

Strange flight, the body
Held at a threshold
And never quite freed
Or quite revealed—
One wing taut with wind,
One wing concealed
Until the wind grows calm
And it shimmers in a shadow-world,
The shape of a sail, yet softer—
The drifting boat
A bird half in air,
Half in water.

There was something magical in being all by yourself out on the sea listening to the songs of the ocean around. The waves against the boat’s hull were like the bass of a drum while the sleek hull moved through like a hot knife through butter. The sea birds screamed along with the song while they danced and wheeled in the waves. There was something almost magical being all alone in a sail boat with just yourself and the sea. That was Nate loved this boat so much. It was, in his eyes, the very definition of freedom. Some people searched for release from the world at the bottom of a bottle, with drugs, or sex to dull the pain. Some people, like Nate’s brother, used all three and more to quiet the anger that they all felt. Nate, however, only needed this boat and being alone at the sea. This was as addicting to Nate as drugs were to some people. The smell of the sea spray was better than any single drug on the Earth. It made him feel more alive than he had felt in a very long time.

Ever since his Grandmother had taken him out to the ocean for the first time, Nate had always loved the water. Sailing was a challenge between man and nature. If done properly, man could have dominion over the powerful element. That kind of control was something that Nate loved more than anything booze. Being out here gave him the largest amount of control in his life. Out here on the sea, his parents couldn’t try to control him with the plan. Out here, he didn’t have to deal with the specter of his brother’s addictions haunting him like a ghost. This boat was the closest thing he had to a castle against all of the pain around him. He still had to pretend that everything alright in his life. The gossips would have a field day if anyone found out how messed the Wagner’s really were. The family had an image that had been carefully cultivated and now Nate had to pick up his brother’s slack. After Lucas’ meltdown from all of the stress in Los Angeles, it was Nate’s job to keep that image going. He would have to go exactly where his parents wanted him to go and talk to whomever they approved of. There were very few places that Nate could truly be alone and the boat was the best one he could use. Everything bothering him just melted away when he was out on the sea. It was just Nate and the ocean around him. Nothing calmed him like tying knots or moving with the wind. The only issue was that he had no one to share this with and that was an issue that he was going to deal with later. For now, Nathan Wagner was happy being alone with just his thoughts. It felt like the whole world was watching his every step. His parents obsessed over his every friend and relationship. He had to be with the “right” crowd of people as fit his station as a Wagner. Someday the family company would be his and that carried its own stresses. Every move had to be planned out like a life sized version of chess. The whole world had an idea as to who Nathan Wagner was supposed to be while Nate had no idea who he was. Some people saw him as just a blonde jock and being full of himself. Others saw a spoiled rich boy who was born with three silver spoons in his mouth. No one ever seemed to take the time to meet the real Nate Wagner. Nate had been wearing his masks for so long, he didn’t even know who this real Nate Wagner would even be.

Nate’s phone alarm started chirping and that broke the sea’s spell over him. The land was calling back to him and Nate had to heed that call. He could not stay out by himself for ever and he had an image to keep. As Nate brought the boat about towards the dock, he started singing to himself one of the sea shanties his Irish grandmother had taught him. Nate truly didn’t care that he was singing to himself. His grandmother had taught him that sea shanties had been a way for a crew to move faster while doing different tasks on the large merchant ships of the 17th century. Nate thought of them as a way to help when he was all alone on the boat. Though that he had never sung in front of anyone, Nate liked to think that he had a decent singer despite his lack of training.

“ What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
Early in the morning?
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Early in the morning”

The song was a little silly but it always made him feel better about the world around him. He could ignore the fact that Father wanted him at another one of his election fundraisers or ignore how Mother wanted him as a prop for another of her luncheons. An outwardly perfect son like Nate was a valuable commodity for any family wanting to gain political capital. He was a card too valuable not to use. If his father wanted to get elected to the State Legislature, he would have to play every card possible while down playing the more awful ones. That meant that his “perfect” son and wife would have to parade around the town with him. Nate’s mother was fine with this but Nate hated the very idea of hiding who they were. His parents had increased the distance between Lucas and the family. The drug addicted older son would ruin the image of the perfect American family. So they barely mentioned his existence at all which was the worst part of this whole thing. Nate was still trying to figure out a way to get his older brother back in his life despite how his parents acted around him. Nate pulled the yacht onto the mansion’s dock with trained actions. He pulled up the dock throwing the mooring ropes to catch the dock as pulled up. With a deft hand, Nate secured his boat before hopping onto the worn dock walking towards thefamily mansion. He had to quickly change his clothes or he was going to be late for the party and that would never happen.

Tonight all he had to focus on was the party. Nate was not the largest fan of parties but his school image required that he go to as many of them as possible. This party also was a reason to get out of the Mansion and any reason was a good reason in Nate’s book. His parents were off at some party of their own while Nate got ready for the night ahead. He had no idea what was going to happen to night but he was hoping it would be interesting tonight at least. Nate was not the best at his fashion sense but he liked to think he looked good in his clothes. It was simple but it showed off his physique which was what Nate was after right now. He had to look his best if he wanted to feel his best.

The Party

Nate had his loves and one of them was his car. His Grandfather had bought the self-driving Lamborghini for his grandson since one could not sail a sailboat down Interstate 405. Nate was not the best driver in the world, so the self-driving car was a godsend. It could do all the work for him while Nate just relaxed on the way to the party. That meant that he had to shift his way of acting back to how he acted at school. He was not the same happy go lucky guy that he was when he was sailing. He was friendly but he had to hide his true feelings for the sake of The Plan. Being a social outcast was not in his parent’s plans for their remaining son. So Nate went to parties like this for their sake more than his own. He loved to plan parties but the whole idea of getting wasted scared him more than he could say. He saw how the constant partying had destroyed his brother and he would not have that happen to him. He could still occasionally drink but that usually was limited to a single beer or something. He never got completely wrecked unless he got punched in the face and that happened with worryingly regularity.

Nate’s car pulled up into one of the far parking spots in the beach house parking lot. He didn’t want his car to get blocked in if he needed to leave in a hurry. Anything was possible tonight and not everything was good. As Nate walked towards where Owen was standing like an angry statue guarding the way in.
“Owen. Good to see you out here, my dude. ”
Nate said as he gave him a nod as he walked by. He knew that there was a set list of people who were allowed but of course he was on the list. There definitely were perks going to the 365 Combat Club and this was one of them. The other was to deal with his deep seated anger towards his life without getting thrown into jail or worse. It also got him into a few different parties by being affiliated with someone like Owen. The guy had taught Nate how to fight and he respected him for that.

Nate moved through the people already there like shadow. Where some people cut through crowds like a bull in a china shop, Nate preferred to move with the crowd while also moving with purpose. He eventually got to the bar giving the bartender a nod. He didn’t really know who this guy was but he had seen Owen talking to him. So he imagined that the guy was connected to Owen’s group of friends. He nodded towards the bartender for a beer since it was the only thing he pretended to drink. The entire night he would be just holding the drink.
As he wandered around the party clutching his beer, he noticed a rather tall young man ( Isaac (@Klaykid] )collide with a girl near the path. He seemed to be rather angry but something about him made Nate want to at least say hello. He walked up as he could hear the young man mumble something about it not going well. Nate had no idea what could have gone better but he chose to walk up towards him.
“ It is never easy to talk at one of these things. I remember at my first real party like this, I collided with the drinks table and got drenched in a hundred different liquids. Trust me, friend, it can go a lot worse than colliding with someone. “

Nate said as he offered the man his already forgotten beer. He wasn’t going to drink it and it appeared that this guy could most certainly use a beer.
”I am going to guess just by looking at you that you box. I mean I’ve been punched in the face by people your size. Pretty rare to see people around here who look like they know how to fight and I always like to meet fellow fighters. I’ve always wanted to learn how to box better” Nate said seemingly unaffected by the guy’s aura of menace. Nate was used to dealing with different kinds of people so he was not going to run away from this guy. It was clear that Nate was genuine while he talked to the other guy.

“Oh, I’m Nate by the way.” He said as he still offered the completely full beer. Nate loved to talk to interesting people and this guy seemed interesting to say the least. There were some people who were quite basic but this guy seemed to be a bit different. He most certainly was not Nate’s type but that didn’t mean he couldn’t talk to him. Nate liked to know many different people as possible.

[Hey Im Jordan]

<sup>Collab with @Bee @melissahart

outfits: Lauren | Ophelia | Brynn</sup>

Okay, even if she wasn’t technically invited to the party, Ophelia Brycen wouldn’t be, well, herself if she didn’t go about her business as if she were invited to the party! So, as was the standard for her and her Candyland girls were holed up in her massive room in the upper floor of the mega mansion she called home, doing the fun part: makeup and clothes. At least she could finally relax! It was stressful being her. Candyland was easy to handle; it was her better halves that were a challenge. Hailey and Trixie hadn’t been the same since the ‘Owen experiment’ as Lia dubbed it in her head and her journal and to her fellow conspirators, Brynn and Lauren.

It made being the cream filling of the Hailey and Trixie Oreo a right fucking pain in the ass. Even now, Ophelia was having to nerf her own evening because of Trixie. She had pledged to her mom (not her birth mom, but whatever, she knew Belle better than Noli), and her auntie Jules that she’d stay STONE COLD SOBER and make sure Trixie didn’t get into any trouble.

Wew lad.

“I think I should wear black, to represent how depressed I am that I can’t drink,” Ophelia stated, poking her head out of her closet to check on her friends. “What do you guys think, my lovelies?”

Brynn was perched on the end of Ophelia’s bed, gazing at her reflection in a makeup mirror. She had just finished applying her mascara since the rest of her look took nearly forty-five minutes to put together. She needed to look absolutely perfect for the party. How else did she expect to get a New Years kiss? Looking up to meet Lia’s eyes, she smiled. “Sounds like a brilliant idea, but I’m going to warn you now that everyone else will probably be wearing some variation of black, so it, unfortunately, won’t be too original…” Her words trailed off, remembering that she was also wearing black tonight. “See what I mean? I guess we’re all mourning with you.” Brynn continued, pointing down to her own ensemble.

Lauren was chilling on the other side of Ophelia’s room applying her own makeup. Jabbing at her eyelid with the eyeliner pencil was such a tedious task that required the highest level of concentration that was only achieved by Lauren Townsend. But, the task would pay off in the form of literally the best wing in all of BHHS. Everything else was taken care of except the eyeliner. Eyeliner was the most important part of Lauren’s look. Literally. “Yeah we’ll be doing the mourning since we’re gonna be slaying in these outfits.” Lauren turned around to Ophelia and Brynn and winked. “Slay, queens!

“Yeah…. you’re right!” Lia decided, ducking back into the closet. The door shut behind her, and a few moments later, Ophelia reemerged, now fully dressed in her dress of choice for the night, smoothing out a few creases. “I can’t believe we weren’t invited. Who does Damian think he is, anyway? You can’t not invite US to a party. You should have talked to him, Lauren, he likes you.”

Hearing the notion of Damian liking her, she burst into laughter, almost turning red as she said so. “Damian liking me? Stop, my guts hurt already!” Lauren had to stand up to gather herself, taking a hand and fanning her face to make sure the tears went away, “There’s more of a chance of him being in love with my brother than him liking me. Those two are never without each other’s dick in their mouths.”

Brynn smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder to look over at Lauren. “Yeah, I mean if I hadn’t already had sex with both of them, I totally would’ve thought they were a power couple. But, I have, so there goes that.” She joked, a laugh escaping from her lips. “Still, it doesn’t make sense we weren’t invited to the party. We are the party.”

“That’s what I’m saying! We’re the fun part. ESPECIALLY US. We’re the eye candy! IT’S IN THE NAME. Fuckin’ boys, I swear… Whatever, I’m sure this is Henry’s doing somehow. He’ll do whatever he can to make Hailey unhappy. Little does he know, Hailey’s greatest secret is that she’s always unhappy. Just kidding. Maybe.” Ophelia rolled her eyes and looked around the room, before she finally located what she was searching for: purse. Purse was life. She walked across the room and grabbed the purse, sitting down on the bed. “It’s a real shame Henry hates us. All I want in life is for him to date that cute girl that’s always hanging off of him… Make an honest man out of him.” She was looking down now, digging through the purse and making sure she had the ESSENTIALS.

”Henry? That one guy with all those girls and guy around his finger? Lauren asked curiously, turning around in her chair so that she was on her knees like a child. “Hmph. I wonder how he got all of those fucking girls. Especially that one Korean girl.” The fully dressed girl looked at her bestie Ophelia and was taken aback by just how much she slayed. If she wasn’t a Candy she would’ve died right there on the spot. “Oh my god, Ophelia. You. Look. Amazing.”
“You are an absolute goddess Lia. We are going to knock ‘em dead tonight.” Brynn grinned brightly, pulling out her phone and standing up from her seat. Going on to Snapchat, she turned to her friends. In her world, if it wasn’t on Snapchat, it certainly didn’t happen. “Alright ladies, pile in, this has got to go on my story. BHHS doesn’t know what’s about to hit them.”

Like a trained model, Ophelia’s face immediately curled into the perfect, game winning smile, and then after the picture, she morphed back to normal. “Hopefully we actually get into this party? They can’t be serious about not inviting us. It’s a dare. A bluff. Right?” She shook her head dismissively, brushing her shoulder off as if to get rid of some dirt, then rolled her eyes. “Anyway… I guess we should go hook up with the H and the T in my life, huh? And MarMar! Where is he anyway? It’s bad luck to not have all the girls together…”

As Brynn pulled out her phone, Lauren darted over and busted into a clearly rehearsed, but astonishing smile. After the pic was taken, she stopped smiling and went back to normal much like her best friend Ophelia. “They’re just stupid. Saving the best for last. Clearly.” Lauren winked at Ophelia to reassure her. “You’re gonna fucking slay, Queen.”
“Well, of course, that’s what I do. It’s in my blood! Question. Do we want to drive ourselves, or twiddle our thumbs until Hailey gets here and her Butler can drive us?” Ophelia questioned her friends, peering up from the phone she was already tapping text messages out on. “It doesn’t matter to ME since I gotta be all SOBER anyway…”
“Well, I haven’t started drinking yet, and the longer we have here, the more shots of tequila I can take…” Brynn slipped her hand into her purse, fishing for her flask, which she pulled out with ease. “Besides, we need to make an entrance at this party, and the more of us there are, the more powerful it’ll be.” She concluded, taking a swig of her alcohol like it was water.

Watching Brynn take a swig out of her flask had tempted Lauren. She gave into her vices and took the flask from Brynn. “Don’t mind if I do!” The twin also took a swig out of it, the burn not bothering her at all. “Good shit, Brynn.”

Brynn smirked, “It was the best I found in my liquor cabinet, so I obviously had to bring it for the most important occasion of the year.” Taking the flask back, she took another swig before pulling out her phone and opening up the Candie’s group chat. “I’m going to text Marshall and let him know what the plan is.” With a mischievous glint in her eye, Brynn turned to the other Candies. “Hold on tight, ladies, cause tonight’s going to be a wild ride.”

"Huh? I'm already texting Marshall, no worries." As if on cue, once Ophelia spoke, both of her girls's phones buzzed with a text:

Gumdrop, gumdrop~ We're ready! I'm p sure the plan is for all of us to get a ride from Hailey and arrive as a unit, to protest this exclusion peacefully.
Yeah.
Peacefully.

Ophelia dropped her phone into her purse and sighed softly, running a hand through her hair. Peacefully... Ugh, this is a bad plan. But she would never speak ill of Hailey's decisions. Quickly putting the smile back on her face, Ophelia looked up at her crew and clasped her hands together, "Let's go! Hailey should be here soon."

[Avanhelsing]

JJ Stone: The Cowboy

Location: Prewitt Mansion & El Jefe Beach
Interacting with: Owen Lyon (Mentioned) / Matthew Archer @Kitty (Talking to)

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Theme Song

Joshua Jeremiah Stone was in the zone right now. Whenever he got in a bad mood, JJ’s preferred method of dealing with his issues was to wail on a punching bag. It was the easiest way to deal with his issues since talking about his problems was most certainly not something that JJ Stone ever did. He had a tough guy football player image to uphold. Tough guys did not sit around crying about their feelings with other guys. He was not allowed to cry or deal with these feelings in any other way besides acting angry and hitting things. This whole still bothered after the month he had been in Beverly Hills. He still felt like he didn’t belong in a place like this. JJ was a stranger in this strange land. It was as if Beverly Hills was its own country compared to Texas. The 1,436.0 miles between Dallas might as well have been 1,436.0 lightyears between them. Los Angeles was a bizarre place with their own rules and customs. Every word had a double meaning and there were knives ready to be jabbed into one’s back with every second. It was exhausting to try and understand these strange people. That was why JJ stayed mostly with the football players. They were the only people in this place that he understood. Football seemed to be a universal sport which was the only reason that JJ had not run away back to Texas. If he went back to Texas, he would feel happy again. He had no reason to stay in this horrible place for him. So, for now he spent his time wailing on this punching bag. It felt good to get his anger out in a rather healthy way. There probably were more healthy ways than getting bruises on one’s hands. JJ liked to think that his bruises made him look so much better. There was something nice about a guy who looked like he had gone a few rounds, but he was crazy like that. JJ never really cared for extreme shows of wealth or think that his stepfather could do anything good but this gym was quite excellent in his eyes. It had everything that a young man could need to feel like he was getting a good workout. JJ spent more time in the mansion gym than in his own room. There was something wrong him for thinking like that, but JJ stayed there to stay away from his family.

JJ stopped wailing on the punching bag after his phone played a small riff of “Deep in the Heart of Texas. It was a little stereotypical of the Texan to play a song like that, but he thought it was funny. He couldn’t just mope around the house or hide in the gym. The text was for a party thrown by one of the football players and his bros. He knew a few of them and they honestly were the only people that JJ could stand for the most part in that school. He never got the feeling that he was a pity friend with them. So many people were friends with the new kid just because he was interesting for a few minutes. Then they loved the hot new commodity and the Texan seemed to be a hot commodity if only for a hot second. JJ walked down towards his room using his shirt to wipe the sweat off his body. JJ always liked the smell of sweat so he was not going to shower it all off before the party.

As he walked down the hallway he noticed the High King of Snobbery, his stepfather, sitting on the couch reading something. JJ didn’t even look at him while he walked on by. He rarely, if ever, talked to the older man. Prewitt was the one who had ruined his entire life and thus JJ didn’t want to talk to him at all. JJ moved through the house like a ghost since he had promised his mother not to cause a scene with her new husband anymore. So, JJ followed his promise by completely ignoring the man. It was cruel since Prewitt had never done anything that warranted this reaction from JJ. That didn’t stop JJ from hating him just for existing. If it wasn’t for the investment banker, JJ would still be back in Dallas where he belonged. Money was not the most important thing in the world. All that glittered was not gold, even though JJ had no idea what that phrase really meant. JJ was only hoping that there was a chance he would enjoy the party since he really needed a distraction from his world right now. JJ pulled on a simple denim button up shirt along with his favorite pair of dark jeans. The whole outfit screamed that he was not really trying with his clothes but at least it showed off his body. JJ ran out the door for his taxi since he didn’t want to use any of the Snob’s cars since that would always come back to bite him.

The Party

JJ looked around like he had just walked into some sort of fairytale land as he looked at the party. He never did get used to all of this wealth around him. He still didn’t like the world around him but at least he would enjoy the people. Beverly Hills was the land of the rich and famous. That meant that everyone looked like they belonged on a runway somewhere. His eyes wandered even though he felt an odd amount of shame for looking at the guys. His mother had always ragged on “them homos” whenever she got drunk. She would have killed JJ if she knew that he was part of her least favorite group of people. Tonight, was a night for JJ to just let go and be the real him. He wasn’t going to flirt like a Wildman, but he could at least try to talk to different guys.

JJ walked past the guy at the door and recognized him from around the school. He seemed to be part of some group of guys. JJ tried to keep his head down from the cliques so he didn’t know who this guy was. He gave the guy a nod as he walked into the party proper. Everything felt like it was some sort of magic. JJ was looking around clutching a beer that he still had no idea how he had gotten. After taking a sip from his beer his eyes eventually set on an older looking guy in a light blue shirt. JJ wouldn’t have noticed him except for the shirt and a little voice in the back of his head telling him to go talk to him. For some reason, JJ headed the little voice and walked towards the guy. JJ moved with that confidence that his father had taught him all those years ago. He was confident but not arrogant in the way he moved. JJ gave the guy a smile that lit up his entire face with his megawatt grin. As he walked towards the guy, JJ managed to grab another beer not knowing if the guy was a drinker. Most people rarely turned down a free beer and JJ hoped that this guy wouldn’t be the exception to that rule.

“ Howdy there. I don’t think we’ve ever met. I’m a pretty sure I would remember that. Guessing then that you are new? Oh and would you like a beer?” JJ asked to break the ice with the guy. He offered the other unopened beer towards the guy whilst keeping that same smile plastered on his face. His accent still made him sound like he was down home in Texas. It added a bit of charm to way it made his voice sound honeyed and slow like a lazy river. The accent always seemed to be a hit since Texans were quite rare in the heart of Beverly Hills.

“ Oh and where are my manners. Ma would tan red me for being so rude. Joshua Jeremiah Stone, at your service sir. My friends call me JJ though. My full name is such a mouthful.” JJ added letting his drawl extended the words. “ And who are you? If you do not mind me asking.” JJ asked clearly interested in learning more about the other guy. There was something about him that JJ just couldn’t shake as being interesting. It was as if he needed to know more about this guy.

@Kitty

[LovelyComplex]

│ Hailey's Outfit │ Trixie's Outfit │
^{Collab with @Universorum}

Family.

What is the proper definition? People that share the same blood? Imagine. Together, on the same tree, extended on different branches, but still rooted in the soil as one. Or.... is family defined by where one’s loyalty lies? The meaning of such a simple word wasn’t as clear nowadays for Beatrix Kingsley. When you’ve invested so much time and soul into one person, when you’ve sacrificed and comprised bits and pieces of yourself until you no longer felt your own, when your world had taken the shape of a human being, and everything felt like home. Wasn’t that suppose to be her definition of family?

With a snap of someone’s finger, in this case, her own, everything changed. Her reality changed.

Shattered glass is what her heart had turned to, but perhaps it was self inflicted? She didn’t know anymore. What was right, what was wrong…

All she knew was: everything hurt.

Everything hurt so fucking much and all she could do was put on a false pretense. Be the strong girl her family believed her to be. Be okay. Was she okay? No. No, she wasn’t. Actually, she hated herself. She hated herself so much because she wasn’t good enough. She would never be good enough. All this validation she sought out from other people, and for what? To belong?

He didn’t want her. He got bored of her and it was entirely her fault. She failed him as a girlfriend and then she failed him as a friend, for letting her anger get the best of her and ‘getting back’ at him because it would ‘make her feel better’.

Isn’t that right, Hailey?

Having been dazed, staring out the limousine window, the T in HOT steadily turned her head to look at her cousin, Hailey Green. Someone she would like to believe she understood, someone that was her family, someone she loved unconditionally. A raven beaut with a serpent tongue like her mother, Evelyn, that felt inclined to take after her other mother, an unfathomable creature, Alyssa, that seemed to always need power. Such strong personalities to grow up to and watch. But luckily, to balance it all, she had (and still has) a father as dedicated and loving as an emperor penguin.

Hailey wasn’t a tyrant. She was a control freak and yet, even with that knowledge, Trixie couldn’t come to believe her cousin would hurt her. If anything, she was protecting her, right? Then why did she feel like she would never recover from the heartbreak?

“Yes, Trixie?” Hailey asked, looking across at her cousin. Hailey leaned forward slightly and gave a small gesture with her hand for Trixie to speak up. She only half-believed it would work. Ever since the less than clean and less than simple breakup with that scumbag Owen Lyon — the boy’d had the nerve to demand Hailey be nice to someone, for God’s sake — Trixie hadn’t been herself. In fact, she’d been almost wraith like. It was depressing.

But, Hailey was dedicated, if nothing else. She wouldn’t just abandon Trixie, or throw her aside like some other people in her life had done. Hailey had played a small part in the breakup process, but if Trixie was that brutal, then there had been SOMETHING wrong that Hailey hadn’t even picked up on. She’d done a good thing! Yet, Trixie remained a shell of the woman she once was. It was depressing.

Hailey dismissed Trixie’s silence, and turned her body, reaching toward the center seat, and pulling it down to reveal a small fridge. She opened it and withdrew a plate of fudge. “Here. I made this. Eat one. It’s chocolate. Chocolate will make you happy.” Hailey explained, holding the plate out to Trixie. “From what I understand, he’s going to be there. So you’ll need your strength.”

Waving the sweets away, Trixie gave a half-hearted smile, “I’ll pass. I ate enough at home.” Truth be told, she ate hardly anything today. Maybe some grapes and a granola, but she hadn’t eaten a decent meal in a while and for those who knew her well, it was starting to show. Thinking back, two months ago, when she chose her fate, something came over her that had never happened before. An irrational anger that caused her entire body to react. Blood rage and shaking muscles. She’s heard stories about her mother’s anger but never saw it first hand… looks like she experienced it instead. Turning her ring around her finger, the brunette met her gaze with her cousin’s dark stare and rolled her eyes, “You know, I’m fully aware of that. He IS an Elite.” Folding her hands on her lap, she calmly continued, “I can handle it. Plus, it isn’t like I’ll be alone. You’ll be there.”

Fine. Turn down the candy. More for Hailey. Hailey unwrapped the fudge and put a piece into her mouth, quietly chewing it while listening to Trixie talk. “Yes. An Elite. I don’t like the Elite. An outdated concept, that’s going to cause issues with the way I like things. Unfortunate. And I know you can handle it; I’m more worried about Ophelia and her friends… after all, they feel quite strongly about love and adultery and whatnot.” She put another piece into her mouth, “You’re daft for not eating this, by the way. But, I digress. Unfortunately for us, we’ll have to rely on Lia to talk our way into this. The Elite, love them or hate them, are a unit; they wouldn’t let you in if you were bleeding out. And they hate me. Lia is cute and has a… way with words. I’m fairly sure she, of all people, can talk a group of teenaged boys into letting us into their party. Even if one of said boys is my brother…” Hailey shook her head and swallowed down the chunk of chocolate, putting the plate back into its home and readjusting the sheet.

“We should have a good time. It is the New Year after all. New Year, new me… you know how that goes.” Poorly. The answer was poorly.

“Well, duh. I was planning on it.” False. if Trixie had it her way, nothing Ophelia did would work, everyone would give up, and she could go back home and sleep. Trixie didn’t want to be out right now but being in her position, she was obligated to make an appearance. Lia nearly begged her to not go to a family party because Damian’s party was going to be the biggest bash of the year. The HOT girls absolutely HAD to go.

‘New Year, new me’.

“Oh, we’re almost there.”

Hailey glanced out the window and nodded as they pulled up to the Lyon residence and their driver, Butler, brought the car to a stop. The door slid open automatically, and the Candyland piled in. “Sterlings or Marshall?”

Without looking up from her phone, Ophelia chirped, “Sterlings. Gumdrop is taking forever. Selena is bringing a Sean, whoever that is. Good for her, finally getting a man.”

Greeting Ophelia with a kiss on the cheek, Trixie chuckled in amusement, “Not always a good thing.” Ophelia responded by smiling and biting at her bottom lip slightly. Despite the joy she showed on the outside, Lia was still questioning if any of this was a good idea…

[Klaykid]

Isaac Michael Woods

Location: El Jefe Beach House
_{Mentioned: @Universorum (Owen Lyon) | @Dirty Pretty Lies (Martha Radley)
Spoken To: @Avanhelsing (Nathan Wagner)}

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Well, things may be off to a rough start, but Isaac had not caused a massive social disaster yet. He rubbed his temples and focused on the task ahead. This party was not for having fun, well it was, but for Isaac it served as a method to increase his amount of friends. And yet, the party felt so lonely. Sure, there were so many bodies here, many voices that swirled in the air creating a vortex of life. But Isaac was an outsider. A foreigner in a world completely alien to him. In times of need, it's best to call on a friend. Specifically, texting a friend.

Martha, there is an event going on at the El Jefe Beach House. I'd like to see you here.

No, that's too formal. And nobody calls party's “events” anyway. That's super weird.

Hey Martha, there's a party going on at the El Jefe Beach House. You should stop by.

Stop by? What? Is she casually picking up ice cream at the gas station? Try again.

Marthaaa-

Nope.

Whaddup biaatch-

Negative. You know, in these cases honesty is the best policy. Speak from the heart.

There's a party at the El Jefe. It's pretty cool so far, lot's of people, drinks, things like that. To be honest, it's kinda scary too. I think you should come by if you can. Heck, you might have fun too!

Send.

Isaac moved through the parking lot until he reached the entrance to the house. There, his friend Owen stood like a guard, silently gate keeping the entrance to paradise on Earth. But beside him was someone with an intimidating look to her. Soul-le-eel.... Solee... Sol... Uh... Soleil Jameson. The first female member of the Elite. He did not know her personally, but it was her looks that terrified him. Her sharp smoky eyes staring through his soul as if the wall he put up was nothing but glass. Dark raven hair beautifully contrasting against her blemish free skin like a noir vixen. She was death incarnate. What should Isaac do? Stay outside like a weirdo? No, he needed to be confident. Courage!

The boy moved through the two, Owen and Soleil, like a beast with its knuckles dragging against the ground.

“Sup,” he spoke.

And as soon as he made it in the clear, Isaac breathed a sigh of relief. That had went better than expected! He will have to congratulate himself later.

“It is never easy to talk at one of these things. I remember at my first real party like this, I collided with the drinks table and got drenched in a hundred different liquids. Trust me, friend, it can go a lot worse than colliding with someone."

Nathan Wagner. Isaac swore he saw the guy before at the 365 Combat Club. A guy in impeccable physique. Isaac will have to ask for tips later. The boy accepted the beer from Wagner and took a sip. His mouth immediately contorted into a visage of disgust. Beer was not his thing. But by God he will finish it like a man! Mama didn't raise no quitter.

“I am going to guess just by looking at you that you box. I mean I’ve been punched in the face by people your size. Pretty rare to see people around here who look like they know how to fight and I always like to meet fellow fighters. I’ve always wanted to learn how to box better.”

There was a gleam in Isaac's eyes. A potential friend. That would make three! Just one more than the previous number!

“Oh! You're a fighter too!” said Isaac excitedly. “I'm just an amateur when it comes to fightin', but I'd love to spar with ya' sometime.”

Isaac held out his hand for Nathan to shake with a genuine smile plastered on his face.

“Pleasure to meet ya', Nate. Isaac.”

Things are looking up.

[smarty0114]

Location: The Callaghan Residence -> Selena's House
Interacting with: | Selena | Marshall (Mentioned) @Silent Observer|

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_{Jamie's Outfit}

---

A party was being thrown. And Jamie Callaghan didn't have an invite. This was, strange, to say the least. Everybody knew that Jamie loved to party. After he'd come out he'd thrown a fucking amazing rager for the school. And this is how he's repaid. He looked in his bedroom mirror and shook his head. He was peeved.

Of course, he could only blame himself for this one. The Elite were throwing the party, and at the moment, he was very publicly a HOT girl lackey. Not that he had much of a choice. Sure he didn't love Hailey, she was a control freak, but he knew that she had the power. And so he followed. Not to mention, if he wanted to take over the paper from Trixie, he'd have to be her friend. So, since junior year had begun, he'd been getting closer and closer to the It Girls. It helped that he was already close with Selena and Marshall, and he and Trixie were on good terms. He'd begun hanging around more and more, and clearly it had showed, because now people were associating him with them. Wild.

But it would all be worth it in the end. If he played his cards right, Trixie would fall from grace quicker than he could say caviar. And he'd step in. He felt a little bad about it. He truly didn't have anything against Trixie. Just, that she was an easy target. Well, the easiest. For now, he'd bide his time, and let Ophelia talk them into the party. It wasn't the end of the world. Plus, Marshall would be there. He didn't mind that at all.

Just as Jamie was finishing putting on his shoes, Katie barged into his room, grinning. "Where are you off to big brother?" she asked, smirking. "Katie, we go to the same school, you know exactly where I'm going," he replied, giving himself a final once over in the mirror. Katie grinned. "From what I heard, you weren't invited. Too deep in all that It Girl drama to make the cut?" Katie teased, following Jamie out of his room and downstairs. "Fuck off Katie!" he shouted, slamming the front door behind him. His parents were gone with the twins for the next few days, at a karate tournament with the twins. He and Katie had both plead the "too much school stuff" card, and had been granted the house. Thank God.

Jamie pulled up to Selena's house fifteen minutes later, the first one to arrive from the looks of it. The Sterling residence was massive, but it hardly awed him. He'd grown up in luxury. It would take a lot to make him gawk. He got out of his car, not even bothering to lock it, and strutted up to the front door. He was one of the few kids in the Hills who drove his own car. Most kids had a driver, but Jamie liked to be behind the wheel, both metaphorically and literally. He took a deep breath. He was nervous, he always was before entering the lions den that was the It Girls. Luckily, Selena wasn't a total raging bitch, and so he felt...somewhat secure around her. Not totally safe, but who was totally safe in high school? He rang the doorbell and a housekeeper let him in, one who he recognized but couldn't remember.

The teenager led himself to Selena's room, having been over more than enough to know the way. Even in a house as big as the Sterlings', Jamie could find his way. A gift, truly. He knocked on her bedroom door lightly before pushing it open. "Knock knock, the second token gay has arrived," Jamie said, smirking.

[Ejected]

_{Location: Home → El Jefe's Beach House
Interacting with: Mentions Jerome @Sovi3t}

_{"Honey, I'm too glam to give a damn."}

---

_{I know it well, rock Prada over Chanel
H-Class ho with the H. Bendel}

---

The flyer on some random chick's Instagram page said that the festivities began at eight o'clock, so that was the time that Chanel was going to arrive. She was never one to show up early, not wanting to have to sit around and wait for her friends to show up, but she also didn't want to arrive too late and miss out on the first few hours of what she hoped would be a bangin' party. In the mean time, the young woman stood in front of the bathroom sink, a blunt in one hand and a makeup brush in the other as she peered into the mirror and carefully put on her face. She didn't do much, sticking to the basic foundation, eyebrows, and lashes routine she normally did on the weekends. If she was going to turn up that night, she was going to turn the fuck up. In other words, she didn't want to risk her face melting while she dances around and takes a blunt or two to the face. Her outfit was on a hanger, which hung on the back of the bathroom door. She didn't plan on actually getting dressed until about five minutes before it was time to leave.

Instead, after she finished her makeup, she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Despite being well past six o'clock, Chanel's mother had yet to come home; she was more than likely at the bar, like she was every other night after work. Therefore, the house was silent, nothing but the sound of Chanel's feet slapping the tile floor filling the air. Without hesitation, she pulled open one of the kitchen cabinets, otherwise known as the liquor cabinet, and grabbed the nearest bottle of Hennessy Black. In a few minutes, she'd filled a glass with the alcohol, ice, and coca-cola. She'd finished her second glass within five minutes, and decided that was to be her only drink of choice for the night. Henny was smooth, and definitely enough for her to catch a buzz. Chanel had never been a big drinker, anyways, preferring to blaze up instead and hating the taste of most alcoholic beverages more than she hated knock-off purses.

Driving herself to the party was out of the question; she knew that by the end of the night she'd be too fucked up to even think about getting behind the wheel. So, fast forward an hour later, and Chanel was fully clothed and sitting in the back seat of an Uber, her purse containing not only a baggie full of cones she'd rolled herself, but also a small flask full of the stuff that she didn't plan on sharing. The drive was silent for the most part, the young woman simply scrolling through her social media accounts to pass the time. She told the nice man to drop her off a few houses away so that he could avoid getting caught up in the sea of fancy cars. "Thanks a bunch, man," she said to him before closing the car door and beginning her walk to the front door of the extravagant beach house. When she reached the door, she simply nodded to both Owen and Sol before stepping inside, a wide grin on her face. The music was loud, and the atmosphere was electrifying.

Chanel walked into the party dancing to whatever song that was playing; she didn't know the name of it, nor who it was by, but it had a real nice groove. As she surveyed the room, she spotted a bunch of familiar faces from school, but none of them belonged to the few people she was searching for. The young woman danced her way through the crowd of people that were talking and dancing about, yelling out "Yo, What's up?" to a few people who greeted her along the way. She soon made her way to a corner of the room, and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. "Where the hell you at?" she muttered under her breath as she sent a quick text to Jerome before tucking her phone back into her bag and grabbing the flask that lay next to it. She took a quick swig of the dark liquor before returning to the floor, dancing with whoever happened to be nearby.

---

[Legion02]

Elodie Couture

Location: Elodie's home -> The Party
Interacting with: No one

---

---

It was a weird day all around for Elodie. She started it like any other. By sleeping until 11 because for once she had no obligations. Being new in a school had its perks. Though Elodie sometimes wished some of her friends could have come with her. But then, in the afternoon, she suddenly got a bunch of calls and text messages wishing her a happy new year. It was only then that she realized that it was already midnight in France. Time worked strange. But still, she spent most of her afternoon chatting, texting and snapping in bright daylight, while most of her friends were partying. Inevitably twelve o'clock rang on the other side of the world and her friends, each one she helped getting their crush, send the iconic 'kissing on New Year's Eve'-snap. It warmed her heart, though it also gave her a pang of envy. Still, she kept chatting and snapping along. Right until she realized it was getting dark outside and she had a New Year's party to attend herself.

She rushed to her bedroom, observed her walk-in closet and realizing she seriously under packed. Sure she has some cute blouses but she could arrive in just a cute blouse. No, she wanted something that would draw attention. Something that would give her attention. She kept rabbling through her clothes. Hoping to find something. Or several things. She didn’t care, she just wanted everything right. Something that screamed 'wear me' for a beach party. For half an hour she walked up and down her wardrobe. Every time doubting her previous choices. After half an hour of frustration and rethinking herself, she just walked out of her closest and dropped down on her bed. How could she have nothing good to wear? But then it struck her. She wasn't thinking the right terms. She was still thinking as if she was in France. She was looking for that modest but alluring look. This was California! That just wouldn't do! Once again she dove into her closet, this time almost immediately finding the clothes she had in mind. Eventually, she chose for a simple, low cut, pink top and light blue, short shorts. Underneath she’d just wear her bright red bikini. It felt more than just a little endearing. If not downright indecent. But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. And so far, the only beach parties she ever saw, were those in movies. The entire outfit was tied down with some white heels and a brown, leather jacket.

Nearing the party

Her car was leisurely riding over the LA roads towards its destination. Some people seemed to prefer sitting at the steering wheel themselves. But not Elodie. She found it a waste of time. Sitting in the backseat, being driven calmed her mind a little. As she looked outside, watching the streetlights pass her by in a predictable, droning fashion, and with the soft music carrying her thoughts away, she inevitably began to daydream in all directions. First, she was thinking about the invite. For a split second, she wanted to believe that someone had already taken a liking to her. Of course, that thought was crushed by the little voice in the back of her head. It was a lot more logical to say that it was just blasted across the school. Still, there was that faint glimmer of hope. Elodie was excited, that was for sure. This would be the first time she would go to a real, LA, private, beach party! And she wasn't even in LA for a week! But at the same time, she felt a little anxious going alone. In the end, she just hoped she would make a friend. She really wanted a friend. Then that same, familiar voice in the back of her head popped up, telling her she didn't have to go. She could go back home. Yet right then her car rang. The sound chased away the little voice and alarmed Elodie that she was nearly at her destination. "No turning back now," she said to herself as she took a random bottle of liqueur and took a shot straight from the bottle. "All or nothing."

She stepped out of her car and it drove on to park itself. Whatever drink she took, it seemed to be helping. A warm feeling spread through her chest and she felt her muscles relax. She still took out her phone and brought up the invitation. In case someone would ask for it. Sure enough, there was a guy at the door. It looked like most people just entered, but Elodie reckoned she'd get asked to show her invitation. Because she was so new and well, frankly unknown. But much to her surprise, he just let her pass. Inside the party was already well on its way. With people talking, drinking and dancing. Taking a deep breath, Elodie realized she needed to feel a bit more relaxed and walked up towards the bar, immediately yelling: "Bonjour!" Before clasping a hand over her mouth. After she quickly recollected herself and shook her head slightly in shame, she tried again: "Sorry! I mean, hi! I would like a mocktail." She really had no idea what kind of mocktails they had.

[Juniper]

LEE KELSEY

Location: Santos Mansion - El Jefe's Beach Mansion
Interacting with: Talking to Coco (@Ejected). Mentioning Damian (@Universorum)

---

---

“Would you suck in Liesl?” Rebeka Santos impatiently lamented as she struggled to zip up a tawny-colored bodycon dress on her already irritated daughter.
Lee absolutely despised it when she heard her full name come out of any person’s mouth- especially her mother's. Her parents had honeymooned in Salzburg, Austria and while taking the Sound of Music Tour, they stupidly vowed to let their first daughter bear the name Liesl. And so they kept true to it. Liesl hated it so much almost since the moment she could form words, she created a nickname for herself. “Lee” wasn’t exactly captivating but for her peace of mind, it suited her personality so much better.
“You really should start cutting back on all your snacks. I barely managed to zip it up.” She took a few steps back and thoroughly examined her to see if Lee met her impossibly high standards of beautiful.
You should have not gotten me a dress that is made to fit a twelve-year old girl.
Lee examined herself in the mirror. Was she gaining weight? She furrowed her just-waxed eyebrows, dispersing the thought out of her mind. No, of course not.. She was tall, lithe but had curves all in the right places – well, what society would call right places. “A little too curvy for the catwalk,” her mother would mention at least once a week.
“I should have never mentioned the party to you.” Lee murmured quietly under her minty breath.
“Mom, go get a glass a wine downstairs and just chill. I’ll finish getting dressed, okay? You are way too stressed.” She determinedly met her mother’s gaze, silently communicating that she is not going to back down. Lee gently pushed her out of the room as a million words flooded out of her mouth in protest to her daughter’s spontaneous decision.
“If you don’t let me get dressed, I swear I won’t go to the party at all.” And with that, she promptly closed the door and made sure it was locked.
Immediately, she slipped out of the bodycon and looked for the article of clothing she originally had in mind. Out of her closet came out a silk shift dress with a very scooped low back. Intentionally chosen to match the verdant color in her eyes, she knew it complimented her the shape of her body and intentionally exposed her bronzed long legs.
Rebeka had hired a celebrity hair stylist and a makeup artist to makeover Lee but refrained from hiring a clothes stylist to not further infuriate her. Her hair was perfectly done up with beachy waves the hung precisely to frame her heart-shaped face and her olive eyes impeccably smoked with deep earthly tones.
Grabbing a matching clutch, she slid her phone in there and lip gloss to retouch if needed. She got her pair of Jimmy Choo sequin-embroidered heels. Her phone vibrated and she assumed it was the Uber driver letting her know they arrived. She had to go.
She managed to slipped out through a side door to avoid any confrontations with her mom, thankful to have left unseen.

---

THE PARTY

---

Heading towards the entrance, her orbs widened slightly at the realization at the amount of people at this mansion. For a split-second she considered chasing down her uber driver to take her home.
“Woman up, Lee.” She muttered to herself, mustering strength she didn't know she had.
Straightening her back and her head suddenly looking forward, the North Carolina-raised young lady stepped through the doors. Letting her gaze skim her surroundings, she thought to herself: So, this is El Jefe’s a.k.a. Damian’s beach mansion. She caught a glimpse of Damian faraway and quickly diverted her gaze. Not knowing him at all and being fairly new to the school, she was careful to not assume things about the head of the Elite except for the inevitable, that he was undeniably very attractive.
Enough about focusing on people she didn’t know, she suddenly remembered one of the reasons she came to this party, that Coco would be here. She never wanted to go to a party where she didn’t know anyone and for this reason, she was immensely relieved that she would have someone to converse with. Catching a flash of orange in the midst of the crowd of socialites, she wisely mazed her way to Chanel who was dancing away.
Her glossed lips immediately formed into a warm smile as she approached her friend.
“Having fun?” she inquired cheerfully, even though she already knew the answer.

[Sovi3t]

Location: Kingston Apartment -> El Jefe Beach House
Interacting with: Chanel @Ejected

---

---

Jerome was fast asleep when his phone glowed up. His IMessages showed Chanel was asking him where he was at. As soon as he read the message, he looked at the time. Fucking hell, nap was longer then I thought it would be thought Jerome as he rubbed his eyes. He got up the couch and headed straight to the shower. After a brisk shower, he put on a long sleeve Champion shirt with a BHHS high varsity jacket. His number “45” was written on the side of the varsity jacket with the name “Kingston” on the back. He also wore a set of black jeans, made by True Religion. He walked towards his bedroom near to the dresser to examine the various jewelry items on display. The first item he placed on was an gold Cuban-link chain. Then he placed on a simple yet effective Citizen watch on his left wrist before finally finishing off his get up by spraying an Armani cologne all over his body. Before exiting, Jerome opened a drawer in his dresser and pulled out the false bottom. In their he grabbed a small baggie of pre-rolled blunts and slotted a few in his pocket. Finally, he went towards his fridge in the kitchen. In the kitchen he grabbed two small bottles of liquor, one of Rum and one of Gin. He grabbed his set of car keys and a Supreme Zippo lighter before departing the apartment.

Had work, Uncle wanted me to help a customer, coming soon. Jerome texted Chanel as he walked towards the Black Porsche, which was recently cleaned and ready for the night out. He got into the driver seat of the car before looking around a moment, checking for any cops or anything out of the ordinary. Common procedure for a guy of his caliber driving in a nice car like this he’d thought, plus considering the shit that was about to go down tonight at the party? He didn’t wanna’ be the reason for it to fuck up due to a unwanted invitee.

The Porsche roared down the highway before taking the scenic route to the Beach House, the party by the looks of it was getting hotter by the moment. Cars lined the streets as the Porsche slowly looked for parking. He shook his head before he did a 3 point turn. Guy doesn’t got any grass, so he wouldn’t mind me parking on the property instead of the street. Jerome thought as the car slowly reversed onto the space beside the driveway. Jerome got out of the car and locked it twice before he whipped out his IPhone, he took a quick snapchat video of all the cars and the exterior of the house before doing a quick selfie of himself. Whatcha’ saying ya’ll, we out here in the beach life. Jerome said, before hiding his phone inside of his pocket.

Jerome then unscrewed the bottle of Gin in his bottle and downed it quickly before tossing it aimlessly on the driveway. He walked into the house and looked around at the ever-raging party scene. He nodded to himself before he spotted a familiar face, Chanel in one of the corners of the house. Jerome headed that way. Whatcha’ saying girl. Sorry about the late timing and shit, man’s gotta’ grind ya’ feel?

[Taytay]

---

The Sun's Nocturne

_{Kay's Clothes}

---

Have you heard the story of Icarus? He was a prisoner, who fought for his freedom but ultimately ended up dying at will for the sun. As Kayeb stepped into his car and began the trek to the "bash of the year" as Henry has called it, he could only assume that he must have been sharing the same feelings as Icarus as he flew higher and higher towards the sun. The excitement, the passion, the fear, but most of all: the overwhelming joy of being free. After all, Kay had felt nothing but imprisoned by his own mind during his time away from his sun.

His mother decided that the "family" needed to bond and take a trip to Paris. It was ridiculous of course: their family was broken and far beyond repair. Kay had spent the trip getting money from his parents to "amuse himself" while trying his hardest to avoid his brothers. It was his first time in the French capital, and instead of going to the pretty places that attracted people like moths to a flame, he went to the dark areas that scare the weak and attract the brave. These were the places that reminded him of his Sun: the one that would either burn him and cause the plunge of his death or embrace him in her warmth and finally love him.

During his entire Pairs trip, he could only reflect on their entire relationship- if they could even call it that. They had met by chance a year and a half before and quickly clicked over one of Kayleb's favorite things: weed. Their connection was instantaneous, and the sparks that flew between them ignited a new universe: one that only the two of them shared. She was one of the main highlights of his entire sophomore year. Every time they met, it was a tornado of heated passion that soon grew to become a hurricane of scorching love.

Kayleb and his Sun had decided to keep their relationship a secret, fearful of how their newfound passion would affect their social status. Despite that, they grew stronger and closer. Kay was flying free behind the sun, following as close as possible without getting burned.

He did have fears, though. What if the sun burned him beyond repair? What if he gave it too much of himself and was left with nothing?

But for every fear, there were three reasons why he should continue his flight and put even more of himself into the brightest star of all: she brightened his day, twinkled in his night, and danced in his dreams.

When his trip to the City of Lights ended, Kayleb was left with an overwhelming longing for his sun. It was so powerful that he nearly willed the plane to travel faster. The short phone calls and flittering snaps where no longer enough to sate his hunger, and even now, he was flying down the road to the party. He would finally get to see his sun. To bathe in her glow, and hopefully not get burned in the process. This even then she had already burned him, marked her name into his abdomen and arm for all time.

When he arrived at Damian's house, Kay grew excited. He could see the glow of his sun shining in the distance, and before he knew it, he was face to face with her. He stood there staring for a moment with hope in his eyes, wanting to take flight and find his way back along her path again.

[Avanhelsing]

---

Terry@Avanhelsing & Eugene@Taytay
_{Location: Mckinney House -> to Party}

---

Terry had been daydreaming in his room when the text had chirped on his phone. His face had lit up when he saw the invite to the party. Terry knew a few people going to the party and he needed to get out of the house more than anything. The constant stress of the holidays caused him to need this party. Parties held such great promise for him. The only issue, of course, was Eugene. Terry wanted to go more than anything, but he knew that Eugene would never want to go. That was an issue since his plan required him to drag Eugene with him wherever he went. Terry pulled on a bright blue polo shirt and black board shorts. It was his usual outfit for parties since it showed off all his assets since his brain was not one of them. Terry sighed as he walked up towards Eugene’s room and knocked on the door with purpose.

“Oi! Jay! Get your party clothes on! We’re leaving for Damian’s party in 20 minutes!” Terry said as if Eugene coming to the party was already a foregone conclusion. Terry was going to make Eugene would come if he had to drag him by the nose. Terry knew that the use of the Jay nickname would get a rise out of Eugene, but it was always a laugh to try and get reactions from him. Terry figured that Eugene just needed to go to a party and all of his issues would be solved like magic. Terry just wanted his brother to be happy and that meant going to parties. At least that was how Terry felt about “fixing” his brother. Terry kept knocking on the door until he got the desired reaction from his older brother. The only answer that Terry was going to take was Eugene giving in and going to the party together.

Eugene was a simple creature, one layered in endless teachings of poets, philosophers, writers, brilliant people in general. SO why can’t anyone understand him? His parent, his brother, his friends, no one seem to get that EUGENE DOES NOT DO PARTIES!! Any form of gathering that is hosted by his peers was bound to end up a cesspool of sex, drugs, and the night would end with Eugene carrying Terry’s drunk ass home. It was not something he intended to do with his final night of break, and if anyone thinks that some magical text sent from the god himself (Damian) is gonna change that...well they are just wrong. As the ping of his phone came in (his usually dry phone) he already knew what it was, who it was from and what it contained, and this caused him to look at the device as if it were some creature from a Stephen King book.

When Terry began to knock on Eugene’s door, he rolled his eyes so hard that he could have seen into the future. It was honestly funny how well he could predict the actions of others especially his rock of a brother. Most thought Terry was the better twin but what they did not know was that the boy got to high school because of Eugene. Whatever though, now it was time to beat the lug back with a stick, so with a cool steeled calm Eugene got up from his bed and opened the door…surprise its Terry with your prize of a shitty party.

”No.” He said with a stern face while pushing up his glasses.

Terry had expected his brother to come out his room with a stick to beat some sense into him. He knew that Eugene didn’t want to come but that didn’t phase Terry. He was used to his brother’s brand of glares. They stopped having the desired effect a few months ago after their parents went on a world trip “to find themselves”. Terry didn’t care about his parent’s marital spats right now. His brother was all he cared right now and as usual, Eugene was being a wet blanket for his fun. Terry still refused to take that answer.

“Funny… That didn’t sound ‘Yes of course, Terry my super intelligent brother! I am so glad that you are here to help me! My brother is the best for helping me get laid.’ ” Terry said in a rather terrible attempt to mimic how Eugene talked. It was clear that Terry was not good at mimicking people. It sounded more like a generic nerd voice instead of how Eugene talked.

“ Come on, Eugene. I am not dragging you to hell. It is a party and I want to show off my older brother.” Terry added to try and play the family card. He had no idea if any of this was working at all. He just knew that he wanted to get Eugene to go with him since Terry worried about his brother locking himself away from the rest of the world. That was not healthy and going to parties was healthy in Terry’s eyes.

If Eugene rolled his eyes any harder they were sure to come out, Terry was looking like a puppy barking up a very large tree and so far the tree was not budging. Their relationship was different now, and Terry was going to have to learn that soon. Eugene did show a sign of hesitation during his brother's pleas, what could go wrong? Eugene had nothing to lose, but there was still his mind shooting off signs of caution, telling him he needed to lean back and close the door. ”Your right it’s not hell, it’s worse and I refuse to get grinded on by some drunken idiot. I refuse to end up babysitting you all night. I refuse to get laid by some half dicked teenage boy.” he said cooly, and with every word, he poked at Terry’s chest and then turned around and walked back into his room.

Terry was as usual oblivious to the fact that this didn't work AT ALL. Terry would have a better chance of sitting in a lawn chair ordering the tides not to come in. He would control the tides before he got Eugene to come with him. It did appear that whatever he was doing was working ever so slowly. So that meant that he had the green light to keep pestering Eugene to come with him. “There you go with the whole getting laid by some weakling or something. I have great taste in guys and ladies if you want it that way. I can handle myself at parties since the car can just drive me home. I want to go out there and let the world see my brother as more than a shut-in. I mean I know a few guys on the wrestling who most certainly are not half dicked.” Terry said as he invited himself inside. He looked at his brother straight in the eyes and gave him a smirk. “Please come with me, Eugene. I want us to spend more time together and this is a great way to do that.” Terry said as he laid the supposed charisma on thick. “You can wear whatever you want if you come and I promise I won’t lock you in a bedroom with a naked neanderthal like me unless you want it.” Terry added quickly to try and get what he wanted. This was his first major party like this so he wanted his brother with him. Terry would have never said it out loud but it was obvious just by looking at him.

Eugene gave Terry a blank stare, one that soon morphed into remorse. He was a man of his word and the oldest (whether not Terry would admit it), so look at his brother stand here and plead did strike a chord with him. Their entire relationship was fucked because of past mistakes, parental guidance and a lack of communication. But here was Terry trying his hardest to make things good between them and Eugene felt like a fool for not taking the opportunity to bridge their gap (even if it was a little), they made a promise to get back to a healthy state and so far there has been little improvement. Fuck it, what’s the worst that could happen. He turned around and faced Terry with slanted eyes and a cautious stance.

”I will wear what I want, I will not put anything inside my body that I do not consent too, I do not want to speak to any males that you recommend, understand?” Eugene said and then began to pick out an appropriate outfit for the night. Eugene would not show it, not even let it fill his eyes, but he was...anxious? Yeah, that is it, not fear, not the feeling of trepidation and whatever it is, he was not going to sweat it.

”Also for the record, I am not a shut-in just because I choose to abstain from your activities, now get out you know I don’t change I front of others.

Terry didn’t care about their past since he could not change it. He did, however, care about how he and Eugen would eventually go on. He wanted their future to be so much better than their past had been. That meant he would drag his brother all the way to the beach if he had. He had to keep his promise to himself. He had promised that he would have a better relationship with his brother. That was his only goal right now despite how terrible that sounded. The worry in his eyes vanished as quickly as it had come when Eugene promised that he would come to him so long as Terry kept to his promises. Terry nodded his head before he answered him.

”Do you really think I would have one of my buds assault you, Eugene? I am not that kind of guy at all. I promise I will not throw shirtless wrestlers at you. I am not that tacky. Even if that was my plan...” He added the last part in a very quiet voice. Terry didn’t leave the room when he was told to but he did turn around so his back was to Eugene. ” I am literally the only person you can change in front of without it being weird. I at least need to see what you are wearing beforehand. I do not want you wearing ten layers of clothes tonight. Oh and definitely wear shorts since we look good in shorts. Gotta show off the family legs.” Terry said like that was common knowledge.

Eugene scowled as he watched his brother turn around but not leave. He hated the closeness that Terry assumed they had, Eugene was not...comfortable with his body at this point in this life and sometimes he appreciates Terry, but can just use the space. As he got ready he tried to dress as well as possible for the night to come. Show some legs, that is ridiculous I don’t need “more legs.”

---

If Terry was even more excited, he would be literally shaking the car like an earthquake. His leg kept shaking with excitement as the car drove itself towards the party. Terry had set the car to auto drive them to the party since he wanted to talk more with his brother. Terry had no idea how Eugene was going to act at the party. It was not as if Eugene was some innocent waif who needed to be protected. Terry still wanted to protect his brother like he had been doing for years now. Terry still saw it as his job to keep Eugene safe, but he figured his brother could handle himself. He looked out the window as the car he bought Eugene drove itself towards the beach. Terry had never really understood cars but one of his buddies had told him to buy this one for his brother.

”So what are you planning for tonight? I mean are you going to get completely wrecked? Why do I see you standing on a table half naked.” Terry said laughing at the image of his brother getting wasted. His brother was a lot of things but a drunken lush was not one of them “ I mean this could be a lot of fun for you...I mean we could just get wasted together...I mean the car will still get us home and I promise not to bring any floozy home tonight.” Terry rambled as he kept his eyes on his brother. Terry was still praying that Eugene would stay for the entire party since it would not help his social prospects if he just flaked on one of the largest parties of the year.

The entire car ride Eugene could feel his brothers bouncing leg, and the bouncing was matching his heartbeat. Eugene did not know what to expect, or what might happen. All he wanted was to go out enjoy his time with Terry and then come back home safe and sound. Eugene thought about all the movies, snaps, television shows, and pictures he had seen about parties like this and it caused him to shudder. He knew that drinking was a mandatory thing, but surely Terry would not make him dance? He was willing to go, and bond with his brother, but anything extra was too much. In his mind, Eugene was coming to terms with all the things he would be exposed to in one night and this caused him swallow hard.

At the sound of Terry’s voice, Eugene jumped and turned to him. He looked at Terry sheepishly and the rolled his eyes at his brothers hopes for the events of the nights. ”I will not be getting ‘wrecked’ at all, maybe a few drinks and then that is all. Someone needs to be able to get us through the door after this party is over, and my clothes will be staying on thank you.” Eugene said as nicely as possible. He loved his brother, honestly, so to see him trying so hard...well Eugene could feel his love in waves. ”Let's just focus on have a good time tonight. Alright?

It was clear just by looking at Terry that he clearly cared about his brother. He would not be dragging his brother to this Party unless he cared about him. He smiled to himself as he heard Eugene keep listing what he wanted to do tonight. “Getting wrecked is half the fun. I mean stumbling into the house drunk singing is the best way to end a party. I mean we do have a car that can do just about everything for us. I am not going to try and make you strip your clothes off though I still think you need show those great McKinney genes. Losing my shirt always seems to get me exactly what I want.” Terry mused as the car pulled up to their destination. It appeared that the Twins were fashionably late which was always the best time to arrive.

As soon as the car pulled to a stop, Terry jumped out of the car and looked around the area. It appeared that everything was already in full swing. Terry turned to look at Eugene with a smug smile. “ Alright, Jay! Have fun out there! If you need me for anything, I will be…. Honestly, I have no idea where I will be but yell if you need me. You are gonna have so much fun!” Terry yelled as he disappeared into the crowd. He trusted that his older brother would be able to take care of himself. Eugene had all the brains in the family and that meant he would be alright. Terry just felt a warm feeling in his chest knowing that his brother was finally going out in public with him. Things were finally going Terry’s way for the first time in a long while.

”Wait you-”Idiot.. Eugene let out with a huff as he and his brother practically teleported into the house. Things were loud, it was warm, too many people, and the only reason he was here just up and vanished. Now all he could do was attempt to find a spot and stick to it, he had no desire to ‘socialize’ at that moment. He began to slowly walk through the entrance and make his way around the house, bumping into some person but continuing his trek until he reached the bar area. Eugene was starting to feel his nerves calm as he took in his new environment (the uncomfortable look still on his face), and for the first time in his life, he uttered some words that he never thought he would.

”I need a drink."

[Grimoire Gaming]

_{Location: Sterling Residence | | | Collab with @Universorum & @smarty0114
Ambience}

Soft music played through the sound system built into the walls of Selena Sterling’s lavish bedroom. The lavender-hued space was decorated in rich modern style, perfectly tailored to the teen girl’s feminine tastes. Most days, the shining California sun beamed through sheer purple curtains, highlighting the white and silver accents throughout the room in a way that breathed in an aura of purity and peace. This was the princess’s sanctuary, her place of rest. This was where Selena retired every night after the tiresome days that she spent training to be one of the next monarchs of Beverly Hills High.

Dressed in a silky pink robe, and seated on a cushioned chair in front of her vanity, Selena swirled a fluffy brush into a pan of shimmery white powder. This was her latest experimentation. The young entrepreneur had crafted her own blend of highlighter using a mixture of starch, titanium dioxide, silk powder, and an extra few dashes of silver mica — for the signature Sterling Sparkle. Having already blended out her smokey eyes and defined her contour, Selena brushed on a generous amount of shimmering highlight across the tops of her cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, and her cupid’s bow.

The blonde turned her face from side to side slowly, and then tilted her chin up, admiring her artistry from every angle in the flattering glow of the ring light set behind her mirror. Selena decided that her cheeks could use a little more highlight — there was never enough shimmer with a nickname like “Sparkles”. Having completed her face and eyes, Selena leaned in to put on the actual finishing touch — a velvety coating of Christian Dior’s Rouge Dior Couture in shade # 844 trafalgar. Just as she was about to press the cherry red stick to her parted lips, she jumped at the sudden sound of an alarm clock. The screeching noise even cut through the music that she was listening to.

What the hell?! Selena thought before speaking aloud to the AI programmed in her section of the palatial house. “Lucius, pause.” The AI, which was, in fact, named after the Harry Potter character, responded to her command by silencing the music. Selena inherited a love of the magical films from her mother, but she hardly told anyone about that. “Lucius, what is the time?”

"It is precisely 6:40 PM, Miss Sterling." The AI responded in a regal british accent.

Good. She wasn’t losing her mind. Now, the real question was, why was an alarm clock going off at this time of day — or should she say, this time of evening? Selena set down the tube of lipstick, stood up from her chair, and tightened the tie on the front of her robe before marching out of the room. The silky pink fabric swept across her upper thighs as she took long, rapid strides down the hall towards her twin brother’s room. Knock, knock, knock. Selena swiftly and loudly knocked thrice on the door.

“Sean!” She called through the wooden barrier.

The plain room behind the closed door housed Sean, Selena’s twin brother. He was laying face down in the pillow, and though the alarm had been beeping for nearly a minute now, he hadn't moved. He was awake, and his eyes were open, but the will to stand up was yet to come to him. When he heard Selena call his name, though, he knew there would be no stopping it — she’d probably kick the door down if he didn’t respond.

He reached a hand down to his phone, connected to the wireless network of the house, and dismissed the alarm. Then, he placed a hand by his head and pushed up, freeing himself from the pillow. Sean gazed down at the payload of his nap: a huge drool spot on his pillow, then wiped his lips with the back of his hand. He stood up and walked over to the door, opening it and staring at Selena with a huge yawn as he rubbed one of his eyes with his palm. “What? I’m up. I’m ready. You said we’re leaving at like 7, didn’t you?” Sean wasn’t ready for anything, let alone a party. He was dressed in a pair of black sweatpants, and a white long sleeve t-shirt, with his hair disheveled and dried drool on his lips. Wait, a party? He couldn’t believe he was being dragged to a party… but, whatever. Selena tended to get what she wanted.

The blonde, whose tresses were currently still tied in a messy bun atop her head, deadpanned at her twin. He was SLEEPING?! They had to be ready in just over a half hour. The limo would be arriving to pick them both up, where they would sit alongside the royalty of Beverly Hills High, and Sean Sterling was wearing SWEATPANTS. Selena’s next words were spoken with sharp precision, her blue eyes blown wide in judgement.

“What... are… you… doing?”

“Obviously, I was resting before the party. Since we’re gonna be staying up so late, I wanted to pre-nap. I slept in my party clothes. I’m ready, Sparkles. Look, I got on pants I don’t really like, so if they get ruined it’s not a loss, and a white t-shirt… so… people can… uhm, sign it with sharpies.” Flawless. Normally he was smarter than this, but all the sleeping must have begun catching up with him. Sean shifted his weight slightly, waiting for his sister’s response.

“Ahem…” Selena cleared her throat and pondered what she would say next very, very carefully. The thing is, she really loved her brother. Loved him to pieces. And he has been gone for the majority of the past six years. Now he was back home, rather unexpectedly, and under very mysterious (she assumed untold) circumstances. Selena couldn’t be more pleased to have him back, and to reintroduce him to all of his old friends and classmates, most of whom wouldn’t even recognize him now that he was grown. But… Seany wasn’t the same boy that left the Sterling residence back in 5th grade. Hell, Sean wasn’t the same boy that was home for the holidays. Something awful happened a few days ago, and Selena wanted to help make it better — that’s why she thought bringing him to this party in the first place would cheer him up!

“Seany. You should at least take a shower. I’ll pick out something nice for you and you can just wear that. Easy peasy!” When he didn’t look immediately convinced by her words, her face softened with a hint of sadness. She tried again. “Please? This is the first time I get to show off my brother to the school in years! You don’t want their first-err-second impression of you to be sweatpants, do you?”

Truth was, Sean couldn’t care less if their first, second, or third impressions were of him in sweatpants. However, he would relent, for Selena’s sake. He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his eye with his palm again. “Okay, I can take a shower. We might be late though.” Sean was addicted to standing in the shower. Years showering in lukewarm — at best — water really made you appreciate when you had hot water with strong water pressure. Ugh.

Sean bent down and kissed his sister on the cheek, before heading down the hallway two more doors and disappearing into the shower. This wouldn’t be too bad, maybe they’d even leave early. If he was lucky, anyway!

Whilst her brother was away, hopefully washing off some of the residual depression that seemed to be clinging to his soul, Selena set about doing what she said that she would. Poking around in his closet, which had very few pieces, she picked out an outfit that she deemed party appropriate and laid it on his bed. It’s not like there were that many options to choose from. After doing that, she rushed back over to her room to continue her own personal coiffing.

Selena pulled out her hair tie and quickly pressed a few loose curls into her locks using a hair straightener. She pulled her tresses back up into a more carefully styled, purposefully messy bun. With a few flicks of her wrist, Selena pulled pieces out of the bun to frame her face — finishing off the perfect beach party hairstyle, in her opinion. She finally got around to putting on that red lipstick she intended to wear as well. The preppy IT girl-in-training was now half-dressed in a black leather mini skirt — she’d gotten the memo from Ophie and the candygirls to wear black — and a strapless bikini top, when she heard an unexpected voice from outside her bedroom door.

“Knock knock, the second token gay has arrived," The voice said through the door, before it was pushed open to reveal Jamie standing in the entryway.

Jamie walked in and took a seat on the edge of Selena’s large bed, taking in her outfit and smiling. “Okay I know I said I wasn’t gonna come buuuuuut, I decided I needed to get out. Plus, I’m still pissed that those meatheads thought they could snub us like that,” Jamie said. “Also, I would’ve done the all black thing except, this shirt is way hotter, and when the gay’s are this few and far between, I’ve gotta put a little extra work to get the closeted ones out and about. Sidenote, you look great!”

Jamie let relief flood his head for a moment. When navigating the social minefield of high school, every conversation that went smoothly was a big win, and he’d consider that as smooth as ever. He’d never been socially awkward, but still, he knew how this school worked. You say the wrong thing and someone holds it against you for the next six months.

“Black is sexy. Plus, I know for sure that one very uncloseted gay is following the impromptu dress code.” Selena smiled teasingly at the sandy-haired boy. She spun around and grabbed her shirt off of the display mannequin that she often put together her outfits on — it was matched perfectly to her measurements. The girl carefully pulled the black blouse over her head, avoiding messing her hair up, and turned her head over her shoulder to speak to Jamie. “And thank you, you look fantastic as well. Could you do me a solid and zip?”

Jamie smirked and rolled his eyes playfully at Selena’s mention of Marshall, his face flushing red. He and Marshall were two of the handful of gays at BHHS, and so it made sense that they gravitated towards each other. They flirted a lot, but that was that. Jamie was much too busy for a relationship. Well, at least that’s what he told people.

He zipped up her blouse and spun around towards the door. “Alright, please tell me you have some food in this palace, I need to eat something to make sure I don’t end up white girl wasted in front of all the Elite” Jamie said, heading out the door and into the hall, taking a second to admire the architecture inside the house. God, I love living around rich people Jamie thought, grinning.

As Jamie stood there in the hallway, one of the many doors clicked and the knob spun slowly, before it swung open, and out stepped Selena’s brother, who stood with only a towel around his waist, water still dripping down from his hair. “Oh, hi. I’m Sean, Selena’s… twin.” The boy stepped closer to Jamie, offering a wave with his left hand, while his right (dominant) hand held his towel. “I’m kind of new here, I guess.”

Jamie would love to say he kept his cool. But that would be a lie. Here he was, standing and waiting for his friend in the hall, when a nearly naked, beautiful, beautiful boy comes out, dripping water like a literal wet dream. Oh God, you are cruel.

Jamie stood there, mouth struggling to formulate all the things his brain was shooting out, as he very clearly looked over this boy, shook to the very core. Why had Selena never mentioned that she had a hot twin brother? Why was he meeting him half naked? Why was he not saying anything? All these thoughts raced through Jamie’s head, and still, he acted like he’d suddenly gone mute.

Either not noticing or not caring that Jamie had gone mute, Sean stuck out his dominant hand for a handshake. In doing so, he let go of the towel wrapped around his waist — and it fell to the ground without a care. Sean, seemingly unfazed by this, waited for his handshake to be accepted.

This wasn’t happening. Nope. Nope. Nope. This boy, Selena’s brother, was naked, in front of him, like, completely nude. When the fuck did my life become a porno! Jamie thought.

Suddenly, a wave of confidence overcame the scrawny boy. Jamie Callaghan, stop stammering like a virgin and shake this guy's fucking hand! Jamie thought, before he earnestly shot his hand out and grabbed Sean’s, giving it a firm, probably too firm, shake and nodding as if he hadn’t totally seen the Sterling Family Jewels on full display. “I’m Jamie, uh, Jamie Callaghan. I’m a, er, friend of, uh, Selena’s” Jamie managed to eek out, his mind definitely not focused on this boys face.

As if on cue, Selena stepped out of her room after Jamie. She had a small clutch with the essentials in it tucked under her arm, and she was looking down to adjust her shoes. When she looked up from her feet, let’s just say she didn’t expect to see what her eyes were about to witness. “O-oh. Oh my god! What are you doing, Sean?”

Her phone vibrated within the clutch. With an exasperated huff, she checked the screen. Ophelia had texted her, saying they were only a few seconds away. “Please put some clothes on, our ride is almost here. Jamie, you’re coming with, right?” She asked, her fingers poised above the screen to respond and say that she had yet another plus one to add to the limo ride.

Jamie silently thanked God for his intervention and nodded at Selena’s question. “Yeah, yep, for suuuuuure,” Jamie said, gulping. He made a mental note to ask Selena about her brother’s preferences at some point tonight because he’d be damned if he was going to miss out on that.

Sean looked at his sister and squinted for a second, before realizing. He reached down and picked the towel up, “Oh, sorry. It doesn’t… I’m not used to that being a big deal,” He mumbled, before hurrying off into his room to put on the outfit chosen for him by his sister.

“So sorry about that.” Selena quickly apologized on behalf of her brother once he was out of earshot. “He’s been a little… different lately. He’s not usually like that, I don’t think.” She explained and then realized that she didn’t even really know if that was the truth. Maybe he was like this? Truth be told, she didn’t know what she knew about her twin brother anymore

“No, it’s fine. Um, quick question, do you know, y’know, if your brother likes, er, boys? Just, y’know, asking for a friend.” Jamie asked, blushing profusely.

Selena raised her brow, the pretty little blonde arch taunting the boy. “Oh, for a friend, huh? He went to an all boys school in Switzerland where they apparently don’t make a big deal of being completely stark naked. So… yes, to answer your question. But not just boys, as far as I know.” Selena’s phone buzzed once more, cutting her off. It was Skittles again.

Skittles: im not usually so short with u but if u dont hurry up hailey might stab me somehow with fudge. time is of the essence baby girl

“Looks like it was time to leave about two minutes ago. C’mon dearie.” Sel hooked her arm into Jamie’s elbow to walk outside together and called for her brother as they walked. “Let’s go, Seany. Meet us out front A.S.A.P.”

[Filthy Mudblood]

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_{Location: Mockridge Mansion ↠ the party
Interactions: Briefly talking to Elodie {@Legion02}}

The beauty of living in a ridiculously large house in Beverly Hills is the guarantee that you will almost certainly not be barged in on due to the fact that no one can actually be bothered making the needlessly long trip up to your room. Hence was the reason why Delilah's speakers were blasting out Michael Jackson as she strut her fuckin' stuff in the middle of her room without a care in the world.

"You better run, you better do what you can
Don't want to see no blood, don't be a macho man
You want to be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you want to be bad"

Oh fuck, now it was time for the chorus. Delly put on a performance even MJ would envy - her arms flourishing dramatically, her feet sliding across her carpet and her lips mouthing the words with so much enthusiasm that she almost dislocated her jaw. By now, she had completely forgotten that she should, in fact, be getting ready for the first and possibly the greatest party of the year - and she probably would've kept on forgetting if it wasn't for the alarm that went off on her phone. It told her that she had an hour 'till 7, the time that the party would not-so-officially start.

This was when the nerves kicked in. She felt her stomach flutter as she turned the music down to a suitable volume and glanced down at the outfit she had chosen. As always, the Elite had been somewhat vague when it came to the dress code, so she had opted for a simple black dress that she thought would look nice. Maybe.

There. It was on. And she looked shit. Her thighs were too big for this kind of dress; and her shoulders, too. Ugh, her arms! Her eyes were just travelling down to find something else wrong with herself when she let out a deep sigh and closed them, clearing her mind and counting to ten.

"There is no magic cure."

And when she opened them again, it was better. Not perfect, but better. She could hear Gerard, her second therapist, telling her that perfection wasn't something she needed and wasn't something that she would ever obtain. The butterflies hadn't disappeared, but the excitement was back. This would be her first proper chance to integrate herself back into the community, and she wasn't about to miss it.

Delly spent a while browsing through her snapchat - mainly to put off tackling her hair - and couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy towards the group of girls she saw getting ready together. Just over a year ago, she would've been doing the same with perhaps some of her fellow dancers, or even some of the pretty girls in school; but now she was stuck on her own. It wasn't all bad. She didn't have to wait for anyone, for starters, and there was no need to keep up shallow, vapid conversations that so many of the girls she knew tended to have these days.

It didn't take long for her to realise that doing something with her hair would be decidedly less depressing than watching everyone else have fun together, so the curling tongs were switched on and the hair brush dragged through her tangled locks. Pros of bleaching your hair within an inch of its life? It looked edgy as fuck. Cons? It left your hair frazzled as fuck. Oh well. That didn't stop her from abusing it further, but it did make her take the time to spray some expensive protection spray that her mom had bought her before curling it into lazy waves.

Getting out of the house was another task altogether. The second she stepped into the foyer looking all nice and dolled up, her mother descended - demanding to know where she was going, who she would be with and how long for. Fortunately, Delly had planned ahead of time for this interrogation, so the twenty minutes she spent trying to explain to her mom that going to this party was a good thing didn't make her late for her 8 o'clock arrival time. What she had not planned ahead of time, however, was how she was going to get there. There was no way that she was going to be dropped off by either of her parents - as if her social life wasn't dead enough already. There was always she option of an Uber, but she despised small talk and felt weird sitting in a car with strangers. It seemed to be her only option, though, so she was just pulling out her phone to call for one when what was meant to be a playful nudge on the shoulder almost sent her flying.

"Jesus, Daniel! I'm not one of your punching bags." It took her a second to gather what her older brother was waving in her face, and she sighed in relief when she recognised his car keys.

"Calm down, sunshine. I'll give you a ride up."

Delilah's relief was soon replaced by dread, however, when she recalled that it had taken Daniel six attempts at his driving test before he passed, and that was only after a few phone calls from their father threatening to sue the company for wasting their time. Oh well, seat belts save lives.

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By the time they arrived at the beach house, Delly's nerves had tripled and she was chewing on her lip ravenously. She was so worked up that she hadn't even cared that Daniel's driving probably should've got them killed. In fact, she probably would've preferred a trip to A&E rather than having to face this party alone. It wasn't until the engine stopped that she dared to glance over at her brother, who's face seemed to be holding an uncharacteristically compassionate expression.

"You don't have to go, you know. I can just take you home if you want. We can stay up and binge-watch Westworld or something instead." Of course, they both knew that she did have to go. It was either this, or another year of solitude.

"Nah, it's fine. I'll be fine. If it goes to shit, I'll call you." Delilah managed a weak smile as Daniel ruffled her hair, climbing out of the car with a shakey breath.

"Don't get too wasted!" She heard him shout out of the window as he pulled away, leaving her alone in front of this stupid mansion and stupid party filled with stupid people. Fluffing her hair one last time, she took off the sunglasses that she had adorned for all of five minutes and hooked them onto the front of her dress. She longed for a smoke, or anything that would settle the butterflies in her stomach that was somehow worse than the pangs of hunger she had grown so used to, but stopped herself from thinking about it. She wanted to stop smoking - what smoker didn't? But she doubted that it would happen anytime soon.

"Fuck it."

Before she could look like any more of an idiot just standing there and staring at the house, she entered it with another wave of people. Immediately, she recognised two of the Elite standing at the door - Owen and Soleil - keeping watch, it seemed, for anyone not welcome. Everyone knew that the HOT girls and the Candies had been pretty much banned from this party, and it had been a source of relief for a lot of the people - including Delilah. The last thing she wanted was those stunningly gorgeous, judging eyes analysing her every move. She just wanted to have fun.

And to do that she needed a drink. Getting to the bar was a task, and she found herself murmuring non-stop apologies as she gently pushed past people the whole way there. She recognised a few people clustered around the bar, a few of them looking as uncomfortable as she probably did, but she hung back from starting a conversation with any of them. She didn't want to think about it, but she had seen the stolen glances aimed her way and heard the whispered words of 'sick', 'thin', and 'anorexic'. It was something that she had already grown used to, however it hurt all the same. She was distracted from her self pity for a second as a head of blonde hair appeared next to her at the bar, a bright voice chirping out french to anyone that was listening. A smirk lifted Delilah's features as she watched the strange French girl clap a hand over her mouth before asking for a mocktail, and she couldn't help but speak up - the girl was clearly in unfamiliar territory, so what's wrong with helping her out a bit?

"Don't let anyone touch that drink once you get it if you want to stay sober, 'kay?"

She didn't give the girl time to reply or even to see if she understood as she left the bar, deciding that fancy cocktails were not for her. At least, not tonight. Grabbing a cup of who-knows-what from a nearby table, she began to weave her way in and out of people with a tad more confidence than before. Taking a hefty swig of what seemed to be beer (a drink she despised) and grimacing slightly, she made her way back outside to where it was somewhat quieter and found a place leaning against a wall just outside the house. Well, she wouldn't be going out of her way to talk to anyone until she was at least somewhat drunk, so may as well make a start.