[IC] REBOOT COMING SOON. INVITE ONLY.

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♫ I just keep elevating, no losses, just upgrading
My lessons, made blessings, I turned that into money ♫

♫ Thank God I never settled, this view is so much better
I’m chilling, I’m winning, like on another level ♫
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Next Stop: ??????

Currently located: Gearheads // Misfits, Las Vegas

The Gearheads & Company

The Misfits

The Others

Days of Thunder by The Midnight
Friday I'm in Love by The Cure
South by Paint the Silence

[LovelyComplex]

x x x x x

x “Rise and shine my pets! It’s your girl Gwen Ace’s Morgan here, and you’re listening to Aces Asylum. Well, what’s new? Let me count it out for you. There was a hot as all hell party down on a yacht last night, for all the seniors who graduated this year. At the stroke of midnight they were all erased from the school database. Takes the school, what? Almost two weeks to do this shit? Whatever, that's beside the point. Four years of drama disappeared at the tap of an enter key. Your girl got to join the twenty thousand leagues under the sea club – Hey Chrys, how you feeling babe? Little tired and wet? Mmm. ...but, the most noteworthy thing was a few missing faces I must say. The Gearheads declined, yes, I repeat declined their invite to the last banger of the century. Found out from the lover that they crashed at AJ-motherfucking-Tyler’s crib, all ready to go, for what you may ask? Word on the line is they’re heading somewhere in the mountains doing lord knows what. Same goes for the island of misfit toys, led by that Latin cat down in Santa Monica, Sami-boy. You know the dude. I hope both crews are listening. Can you hear me babies? You got some long days ahead of you. The road goes ever onwards and it’s full of twists and turns with a secret around every corner. This one goes out to you all. Drive it Like You Stole it and don’t look back or hells favorite harlot may come-a-calling. This is Days of Thunder by The Midnight, here, on Ace’s Asylum.” Written by BrutalBx, Edited by TootsiePop

False, Gwen. It was approaching noon and the Gearheads hadn't left Los Angeles yet. The only mountain that could be seen was the Hollywood Sign. Before they could gallivant together towards the great beyond, AJ had to drop his sister, Molly, and her best friend, Summer Aspen, off at this camp called Aces High, two hours away. So while yes, the majority of them did stay at his place, AJ-motherfucking-Tyler had an earlier morning in comparison to them. Lucky bastards. He left those he trusted, his family of friends, to their own devices, at his humble abode.

Hell, his parents didn't care. They were hardly home as is. His father was out, avoiding work and probably at a mod shop located at redacted, which was Mr. Tyler's hideout away from the high maintenance matriarch of the house. It be like that sometimes. His mother, on the other hand, had places to go, people to see, and couldn't bother taking the girls to camp. So of course, on the day AJ had planned to leave, he was forced to chauffeur his sister to summer camp. This bitch had her license and a restored and custom modified pink Cadillac, but no, all she ever did was bat her eyes to daddy, yap a lot to mommy, and AJ was screwed. Always forced to take her wherever she wanted because her ass was lazy.

Dumb.

_{▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Location | In-N-Out Burger
Time | 11:50 AM
Interacting with | Himself
and possibly his fellow Gearheads & Co near the end.
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That was so this morning, though. Now? Now, AJ was in the zone. His ass planted on one of the In-N-Out Burger tables outside, with his phone connected to the Bluetooth of his car, as he blared Aces' radio station (found on all her social media accounts). He needed good vibes. There was no time to think about Chris deciding his career was more important than him, that Yessi almost said 'fuck I can't go' because her car is limited to the amount of charging stations they might find, thanks Aleks for dragging her phat ass out, or worse, thinking about a preppy boy that was currently on a romantic getaway in Santorini, Greece.

Sigh.

His expression might've been distant, unfazed, his sunglasses hiding the emotion in his eyes, but his mind had already entered the dark place, his dark place, as he thought about the would've, could've, should'ves.

...If only he asked for closure rather than let that boy out of his sight to fall in love with another. What did he do exactly that made Jamie BREAK UP with him??! Was he fucking high? Is his skull so thick to cut things off with the best thing he's ever had? AJ taught Jamie everything he knows and he has no doubt Jamie does everything he learned to his rebound boyfriend behind closed doors. Without him, he wouldn't even know how to use his tongue!...

This. This was not good vibes at all. Grumbling to himself, AJ chomped on his double-double burger, while waiting for his crew to come out with their food. His internal feelings had already been triggered, and this song wasn't even depressing. He needed to do something to change the course of his thoughts.

...Unfortunately, to go ask for closure, answers, or a proper explanation, would be completely out of character. AJ had a swagger out of this world. On and off school grounds, he knew he was the shit. He was 'classy', bold, and did what he wanted. Then he met Jamie, fuck Jamie, and his front softened. Well, only for him.

Let's be real. After the break up, AJ was a mess and reacted poorly. Everything he did to his ex, and those that were close to his ex, was incredibly disrespectful. For example, kissing Jamie out of the blue in the hall, in front of his crush, now boyfriend, to cause a misunderstanding. Tongue deep, body pressed up against him, for the world to see, because Jamie WAS his.

Hey, it wasn't his fault Jamie was still into him and didn't push him away. Fucker needed to stop leading him on and giving him hope. To be honest? That made him feel good. The shattered and frightened look in both of their faces. Pure ecstasy. And yet, that moment was one of his biggest mistakes, and trust me, he has many. From that point on, Jamie realized he had to draw boundaries and push him away.

And he did...

Halfway through his burger, AJ placed it down on its wrapper and wiped his fingers on the napkin by his orange soda. His friends had spidey senses and would be out here slapping him silly if they saw him sulking. Shoving his phone in his left rear pocket, that was still attached to Bluetooth and playing the song, AJ stood up on the bench of the table, taking his drink with him. After a quick slurp, he bobbed his head to the beat and nonchalantly sang (with little to no regard to his surroundings):

"Love was a dream to have
Was a king-size bed
Was an escape plan
Was an open hand
Now it's a dog from hell
It's a dream you sell
It's an epitaph
It's photograph...."

He jumped off the bench and continued to sway and kick his legs to the song, because why the fuck not? Dancing was a good temporary fix to the creeping sadness that never seemed to leave him. Turning his heel, AJ gave a cheesy, goofy grin to see his friend(s) coming his way.

[BrutalBx]

---

---

Mom:
Wherever you are hijo, please be safe. Call me when you can? Te amo

Of course his mother was worried; Sami hadn’t been home in nearly three weeks. He’d been crashing in Val’s basement on a rather pleasant leather sofa her family had neglected to get rid of. He had spent last couple of days asking himself how he had found himself in such a situation and if he was truly honest with himself it didn’t take much to figure out; he could not stand his father.

It had started out like any other day really. Sami was on his way home from school, driving his beloved mustang. The plan for the day was simple, drop his stuff off, forcibly pick up Nate and then meet the crew at the beach for a little surfing. Then a damn dog ran out into the road. Of course he swerved to avoid it and his car was totalled by an oncoming truck. Sami was fine, he was made of tougher stuff but that didn’t really matter. Havana Alejandro was pissed at his only baby boy for destroying such an extravagant gift.

The tension between father and son had been building for years really. Hector had got himself into soon deep trouble back in Cuba so he ended up sending his family to the States for their own protection. Six years Sami went without a father and even when Hector did turn up, he never really had time for his boy. They really struggled together to find any even ground that they could share and bless his mother, she did everything she could to help but it just wasn’t enough to get them onto the same page. The resulting blowout was the worst they’d ever had and it ended with Sami head butting his dad square in the temple. He then quickly packed a bag and fled his home.

Due to this, Sami graduated in absentia but hey at least he graduated! It’s been a week since then and he and Val have been toying with the idea of just hitting that open road and leaving the plastic life of LA behind them. It was within that thought that Latino heat found another; they needed a ride. Hence his current predicament, a head under the hood of a stolen RV with a wrench in one hand and his phone in the other playing Ace’s Asylum. This thing was a piece of shit but it had character or at least he thought it did, it did come from his father's lot after all.

"Love was a dream to have
Was a king-size bed
Was an escape plan
Was an open hand
Now it's a dog from hell
It's a dream you sell
It's an epitaph
It's photograph...."

Singing along to whatever track Gwen was playing was a good way to get himself out of his own head. The food truck by the beach, it was the misfits meeting place, it had been for a many years and this actually might be the last time they ever met there. Life sucked; that needed to change and maybe stealing the crew from their lives and driving them into the great yonder could do that.

”Maldito pedazo de mierda”

[Plank Sinatra]

_{▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Location | In-N-Out Burger
Los Angeles Time | 11:50 AM / London Time | 6:50 PM / Moscow Time | 9:50 PM
Interacting with | AJ @TootsiePop / Yessi @Hoekage
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_{or, all that for a drop of açai}

_{Leksi
thought i mentioned it. i'm with the mates. seeing america for summer}

_{Mum
Wtf???!
why? !?
America 🤢🤢😂}

You said it, queen, thought Aleks Belikov.

_{Leksi
lol. told aj that. but everyone will need me}

_{Mum
is Yessi coming??}

"Hmmph."

Aleksandr Belikov looked to his right, staring daggers into the spoiled thot that had halved the free space he'd originally imagined having in his Elise. Even though the planning for their road trip had hardly been haphazard, it seemed like they were constantly running into issues that threatened to derail the whole thing. Chris was rendered unavailable, putting the work into his career - which apparently amounted to high crimes and misdemeanors in the eyes of AJ. AJ, who would fistfight a fucking school bus if he thought Jamie and his new boyfriend had once ridden it to a fourth grade field trip. Dumb, naive AJ and his dumb, perfect ass. And then there was that greatest of existential questions - is Yessi coming?? The answer was a complete crapshoot. She'd had her heart set on taking her Tesla across country with them, probably so she could trick herself into thinking she was a better racer than Aleks, Monica, or Ellie. Meanwhile, what would she be doing? Enjoying the open road? The sights and smells of America?

(Such as they are.)

Nope. She would be be using the Roadster's vaunted autopilot, cruising along with minimal direct involvement while she spent the whole trip on Snapchat. When that was the plan, he couldn't have given a fuck less. It meant he could put the Elise through its paces without any distractions. But it seemed that overnight, a dilemma had struck her - charging the damn thing. Suddenly, she was in an uproar, a tornado of high-pitched panicking and broken Spanish that was fretting over her entire availability. She had gotten so keyed up that she had even started to rip open her bags, unpacking things and repacking them as she waffled over whether she would be able to join the rest of their friends. For a while he had let her do it; he knew what she wanted him to ask, but he wasn't about to cave in. He only did so when it looked like she was going to fling herself from her Calabasas water slide to an early grave that he surrendered. At the time, he thought he was being a good best friend.

Now Aleks realized what a fucking imbecile he truly was. One morning into the trip - they hadn't even left the Los Angeles metropolitan area! - and what was she complaining about? They had gone to Starbucks that morning, and she wanted a sip of Aleks' Strawberry Açai Refresher. Even though she had a perfectly serviceable iced Blonde Americano. With her stupid coconut milk and everything. Coconut milk. Coconut water he could understand; it was the perfect hangover cure, but good luck explaining that to her. She wanted coconut milk. Oh, and cupholders. She was tired of holding her own fucking drink, and didn't know why Aleks' Lotus had no cupholders.

Because it was a Lotus Elise 260 Cup, a fucking British cruise missile, commemorating the 70th anniversary of Colin Chapman's original racecar of the future. Because it was a car he had been desired since he was five years old in London, watching them rip up the streets from the building-length glass window of his family's condo. Because it was his dream car, and Aleks Belikov didn't waste time dreaming of fucking cupholders.

Was Yessi coming??

Jesus Christ, was she ever. But to text his mom the affirmative - just to type out the letters 'Y,' 'E,' 'S' would have felt like a defeat. Instead, he parked the Lotus beside AJ's car and stepped out with his Refresher (considerably lighter, he noticed) in hand. He took a long, deep breath of the 'fresh' air and tilted his head back, eyes half-lidded and lazy, to offer his face to the California sun. He would actually miss the weather. He had never lived in a place with so much sun before. Once he had learned to keep his skin protected from it, he'd found himself growing fond of it.

He would miss the 3x3s, too. He had no idea what other regional burger chains there were in America, but the thought of them filled him with trepidation. Not quite as much trepidation as he felt when he took a single look at AJ, but it was there.

AJ.

He had his sunglasses on, and he sat alone atop one of the bench's. The combination meant his eyes were almost certainly clouded with thoughts of gossip columnists gone by and sex techniques that he'd heard described in excruciating detail that were probably being practiced in Greece as they spoke. Greece.

Have you ever been to Greece? The only thing they should be practicing is a route back to the airport, he'd tried telling AJ, but AJ had a habit of ignoring good advice about terrible boys. The mirror universe of Instagram was filling his head with sweet nothings and murder fantasies, and no amount of sage counsel communicated with a sexy foreign drawl would ever change AJ's mind. He'd learned to live with it, temper his expectations a little, and offer advice that was so manageable even an idiot would have to follow through.

"You have lettuce in your teeth," Aleks warned the idiot, sitting at the bench and rattling his near-empty Starbucks cup.

Baby steps.

[Stanifly]

K I M B E V E R I D G E

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Location | Misfits meeting place
Time | 11:50 AM
Interacting with | Sami @BrutalBx
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'This here the place?'

Kim glanced out the taxi window. With the sun climbing up to its throne at the sky's peak, the chatter of people milling around Santa Monica Pier was a soft murmur through the glass pane. Distant screams from Playland Arcade joined in, a sporadic accompaniment to the background noise.

'Yeah.' She handed over the cash for the fare. 'Thanks for the ride.'

Stepping out of the taxi, the noise of the pier hit her full on. She sighed, then slipped her hand into the pocket of her denim jacket, turning up the volume of her MP3. Snug in her ears were her earpieces and the strums of a ukulele drowned out the incomprehensible conversations of the people around her. Stepping round to the boot of the taxi, she retrieved her four-wheeled suitcase, then watched as the taxi drove off.

This wasn't quite where she was supposed to be, but Kim had wanted the opportunity to walk off what had happened this morning. Figured her mum would bring up her self-improvement shtick right before she left. Things had been going so well too! Her parents had been willing to let her go on this road trip - her mum wouldn't stop throwing in advice on what to bring and what to wear, and her dad kept warning her about dangers on the road. There hadn't been a single mention about her grades or school or the impending future that Kim wasn't at all thinking about.

Then Kim had stood by the door, said her goodbyes, and her mum did that sad smiling thing that she always did when she was about to say something that made Kim want to run into the woods, climb a tree, and never come back down.

'When you're out there experiencing what life has to offer, I hope you'll give some thought on what you're going to do in the coming months. You could've done better, but...well. We can't change what's passed. But you can do better, Kimberly. We know you can.'

Well, they knew wrong then. Kim heaved out a breath, pausing where she'd been walking on the pavement. She hadn't reacted with an outburst or anything, but leaving for a road trip that would last who knew how long after a tart, 'Okay mum.' wasn't exactly a good feeling.

'Are you tired of me yet?
I'm a little sick right now, but I swear,
When I'm ready I will fly us out of here.'

'Okay, yeah, no,' muttered Kim. No pathetic fallacy here right now, even if it was the music version. She took out her MP3 and switched to a 45-minute synthwave mix. Bless Odysseus - she wouldn't know where else to get her ideal chill music fix. Then she released her suitcase handle and clapped both hands to her cheeks.

Game face on. She wasn't here to mope about things she couldn't change. She was here to hang out with her friends who'd been with her through high school and enjoy all the things the road trip would bring. No mum, no dad, just her and the Misfits. 'Once I actually get to the place, anyway,' she thought, grabbing hold of her suitcase and continuing on. Fortunately, it wasn't long before a familiar food truck appeared, the logo of The Great American Fries_TM slapped on its backside in all its orange glory. Not far behind was a majestic RV, with a slightly less majestic Sami bent under its hood, singing as he apparently...worked on its engine? He had a wrench in his hand so Kim assumed he was doing something to the RV. She lugged her suitcase up by the RV's door, taking a moment to disentangle her earpiece - it kept catching on the shoulder strap of her travel sling bag - and lowered the volume of her music.

'Hey,' she said, not at all pleased that she managed to snag some time with Sami by herself. 'Guess I'm a little early, huh?' She looked around, as if the others would start appearing out of thin air. They didn't. 'Any update on when the others are arriving?'

[Vox]

_{Interactions | Sami @BrutalBX, Kim @Stanifly}

---

Baek Residence
323 AM

---

Warm orange light gently glowed as Jules checked his phone for the n'th time that night.

He was tired. There was only so long a person could stare at their ceiling, counting all the faint squiggles and dots that danced at the edge of their vision. And he was tired in the I've-been-up-for-19-hours sense too. But he'd been laying in bed for the past three hours and he knew he probably wasn't going to get any sleep any time soon.

Oh well.

He supposed he could repack everything again. The t-shirt design Memes had asked him for could use some touching up. And his portfolio could use some updating too now that he thought about it.

A soft sigh sounded from his lips as he sat up, pulled the blanket off, and swung his feet off the bed.

---

Santa Monica Beach
1151 AM

---

With round shades on, suitcase trailing behind him, and the best internal frame hiking backpack porn commissions could buy, Jules strut down the paths of the Santa Monica beach looking like he was ready to take on the whole world. His sister, who was walking behind him, was moving at a pace that people who didn't think they were on the set of a summer teen blockbuster movie would actually be walking at.

"Why do you do this to me Marsh," his sister finally asked.

"Sorry, I don't talk to peasants who can't afford their own tacos. Too busy being fabu," was his response.

Jules could feel Mimi rolling her eyes behind him, but he didn't care. He was, in his own words, being "fabu."

In any case, today was the day all the little Misfit toys of Santa Monica would finally set off on their cross-country road trip. The announcement of it had been a little bit sudden considering Sami had only given them a week's notice to prepare. Luckily, most of the Misfits came from Beverly Hills so money was no issue for them, and Jules had his own little nest egg saved up that he only dipped into when Mandy wanted to go for another retail therapy session; it was still enough to where he was sure he could comfortably pay for himself and maybe cover one or two of the others in a pinch. Of course it'd also depend if they'd be roughing it for a few days which honestly, Jules wouldn't have minded considering he'd have wanted probably tried to force everyone to at one point on the trip anyway. Otherwise, there really wasn't anything Jules needed to prepare since he already had everything he thought he would need for the trip.

More than the trip though, Jules was excited to finally see everyone again. Since they had all graduated, he thought that they'd all be able to spend more time with each other, live out the best summer they could before everyone inevitably started going their separate ways. Jules would still be relatively close since he was going to USC, but he knew Emilia had wanted to move down to USD, and Val was going back to Florida. It was supposed to be their last chance to make unforgettable memories but... nothing happened. There were no wild adventures. No events of the terrifying and death defying nature. Life seemed to go on like normal.

And then Sami happened.

Sami, Mr I-Can-Fix-It-All, sends one little fucking text and changed everything. Again.

Fucking Sami.

Annoyance continued to drag at his feet as he rounded the corner and saw the taco truck where the Misfits usually met up. Right behind that old, familiar, comforting vehicle that sold even tinier floury vehicles of pure meaty Mexican goodness Jules saw Kim walking up to someone hunched over the - wait is that Sami? Was that the RV? That janky pile of sheet metal on wheels was supposed to be their vehicle to a summer of pure, dumb, teenage fun?

... Fucking Sami.

Well. Nothing to do about it now.

Hiding all exasperation, annoyance, and a million other things behind a mask of unabashed confidence, Jules strode forward toward the pair and exclaimed "What's up bitches, y'all don't need to wait anymore, the party is here," stopping right in front the taco truck. He took a moment to place his order - al pastor and carne asada, obviously - before leaving Mimi with the task of doing everything else involved with it as he walked to the RV.

"Hey Kimmy," he said with a wink towards her, placing all his bags and items at the door.

"Sami," he said, much more curtly than intended. "Need any help."

[Grimoire Gaming]

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Location | In-N-Out Burger
Time | 12:00 PM
Interacting with | All present Gearheads & Co.
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Tires peeled against the asphalt as Chris sped his KTM Super Duke down Washington Avenue, away from his home. It wasn’t the nicest bike on the streets, but it was his. Back when the cycle was originally manufactured two years ago, it would have cost about as much as a mid tier sedan, but Chris bought her for only a few hundred bucks via Craigslist. The seller warned that she wasn’t pretty and she didn’t run, but she might be good for selling parts.

The seller was an idiot.

He was some trust fund baby who wrecked his bike and didn’t know his way around a wrench enough to fix it himself. Worse yet, he would rather spend his daddy’s hard-earned money buying a newer model rather than pay for repairs. One boy’s trash was another man’s treasure though, so you wouldn’t hear Chrysler complaining. He had big plans for his steal of a purchase, which included putting the skills he had been learning at trade school to good use. With a little elbow grease, love, and many late nights spent cursing in the garage when the parts he ordered didn’t work, Chris finally got the bike street ready the summer before his junior year. He even got it a new paint job, black and blood orange. With a few more months of tinkering, it was race ready. That was the best part, giving those rich kids a run for their money — quite literally — in a motorcycle that he didn’t put more than a few grand and a year’s worth of manual labor into.

One of those rich kids he was giving a run for his money, however, ended up being one of his best friends to date. AJ Tyler. They might have only known each other for just under two years, but they had become fast friends. The years didn’t matter… they just got each other, ya know? It helped that Chris didn’t go to that cesspool of a drama academy — BHHS. Between his best friend’s and his girlfriend’s stories about what went down in those halls, Chris was never more glad to be a delinquent from the darker side of the sunny city.

Speaking of AJ, Chris was speeding down the road towards the In-N-Out where he and all of Chris’ other gearhead friends were meeting up prior to their grand road trip. Chris would be lying if he didn’t say he was jealous. He was. But he had shit to do now that he somehow managed to snag a highschool diploma. Against all odds and whatnot. His moms would only put up with him skulking around the house for so long, he had to get a job and move out. Out… and hopefully in with his blonde bombshell of a girlfriend. He hadn’t popped that particular question yet, though. Plans in the making.

Not just hell’s favorite harlot, Gwennie. Chris thought to himself as he listened to his girl trail out before introducing the next song on her radio station. God, did she have a voice for radio. As smooth and sensual as melted chocolate on a fresh strawberry. A voice for radio, a face for heartbreak, and a body for porn — goddamn, he was lucky, even if he never let the world see that he thought that. The punk rock speedster shook his head as she publicly announced their recent nautical tryst and called him Chrys — not Chris — because she just loved to push that no-full-name envelope. She pushed the envelope because she knew Chris would let her, hell, she could bulldoze the whole damned post office if she wanted.

Chris pulled his bike into a compact parking spot at the fast food burger joint and killed the engine. He recognized a few of the parked cars. Inside, his friends awaited, including his best friend, whom he was most definitely in the doghouse with for having to sit out on the trip. Responsibilities, bro, responsibilities! The leather-clad biker ordered a double-double meal with fries and a lemonade before meeting up with his crew. He sat down in the booth next to Aleks and Yessi and across from AJ while he waited for his order.

“Sup, fuckers?” He addressed the trio nonchalantly before reaching to snag a fry from AJ’s tray. “What’s up with that face, you thinkin’ bout how you gonna miss me, baby?” Chris teased AJ before chomping down on a fry. Yeah, so he was pushing buttons a little, at least it might get his mind off of the twink, who was undoubtedly the real source of any distress masked behind that cheesy grin.

[CosmicComet]

_{Location | Home/In-N-Out Burger
Interacting with | Present Gearheads}

---

The startup of her Ducati Panigale V4 broke the silence of the Lee's family mansion as the bike's engine purred loudly as it slowly warmed up. Today wasn't just any ordinary day. Today was the start of their incredible road trip across the country as the Gearheads did their best to live their life to the fullest one more time with a bang, now that high school graduation was upon them. Her parents had been pretty nonchalant about the trip when she'd told them, but that was nothing surprising to her. They probably saw it as her having one last round of fun before she entered medical or law school, whichever she picked for herself. They allowed her that much freedom in her future choice of career at least.

They appeared to still be otherwise ignorant of her real feelings and intentions of their choice of career path to her, and she was more than content to let the status quo remain for now. There was no reason to wade in her a minefield when there was no reason just yet. Perhaps, after the trip, she would muster enough courage to either let her real thoughts be known, or just suck it up and pick her poison.

She had especially dressed in all black, in stark contrast to her perfectly styled blonde bob. The black padded leather motorcycle racing jacket was present, along with a pair of similarly-styled gloves , pants and boots. They complemented really well with her black carbon Ducati, and every biker knew that looking the part was one of the best parts of being a motorcycle owner, especially those with a racing variant. Wearing her helmet with such an ease that still kept her hair in perfect shape, Monica got onto her bike, gunned the throttle and sped off, leaving only the sound of her bike in her wake. She had a place to be, and that happened to be none other than a In-N-Out Burger joint picked out by AJ.

When it came to cuisines, the only thing she loved more than Japanese was the oh-so-sinful fast food. Yep, you got it right. Monica was a fast food lover, and obsessive one at that. Fortunately, she was blessed with a high metabolism rate, which allowed her body to burn just about all the excess weight she gained, which allowed her a slim figure that most girls would kill to have. Speeding through the streets of LA, the roar of her bike announced her arrival long before she even appeared into the parking lot of the burger joint.

All it took was one-two glance before she saw the familiar sight of AJ's ride with music blaring from its speakers. Cruising along, she found a suitable parking spot, and headed off towards the group at the benches. Cradling her helmet in her arms, she greeted them.

"Hello guys! How are we? Urgh. I'm starving. Time for a Double-Double!"

[Hoekage]

_{▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Location | Astor Castle, Kitchen
Time | 6:50 PM , 26 MAY 20xx
Interacting with | Parents / Ft. Juju @Vox
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Astraia should have known what was awaiting her that night.

First of all, her parents were never on the same damn coast, let alone in the state, at the same damn time. Really, to even imagine them in the same house together, AND to have planned a dinner for them all to share? Someone else HAD to have died…

Or maybe she was going to die.

To top off the fuckery of the night, they were having Paella, HOMEMADE paella. And do you know who was cooking it?

Ana Sofia Sanchez-fucking-Astor was whipping up some fresh Spanish cuisine like she was a reincarnation of fucking Santi Santamaria.

WHEN did she even learn to cook?!?

Do you know how long it had been since Yessi could remember the last time her mother made dinner? No, you don’t and she couldn’t remember either.

This was dangerous territory she was entering. She knew it but fate had other plans for her.

Just when she decided to turn around and make her silent exit back to Aleks’ house, her phone blared signaling the latest response from Jules, and the ushering of her impending doom, via the chorus of Queen Mariah Carey’s 2008 hit. yes we stan.

“Astraia? Come sit down, mi amore.”

Mierda There was no escaping now, with a defeated sigh Yessi met her fate, though not without keeping up the conversation with her favorite pretty boy (and directing all of her attention on him.)

Two Hoes in a Thotpod

“Astraia, we’ll be expecting an answer upon your return after the summer. Rember, Seoul or Milan.”

”What?”

_{▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
Location | In-N-Out, Still in LA
Time | 11:50 PM , 31 MAY 20xx
Interacting with | Papi @plank sinatra / & CO
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The past five days were a whirlwind of turmoil, between her parent’s surprise decision to move out of LA, her old fling BLOWING up her phone, and figuring out last minute she’d have to be a passenger on this road trip, Yessi was officially over it.

Not to mention this sudden idea that depriving herself of a necessary dietary component was putting a real damper on her mood.

The quick stop at Starbucks was much needed and greatly appreciated but Aleks’ attitude was not. Why was he so stingy with his drink? All she wanted was a damn sip, she’d gladly share her delicious Americano with him! Honestly, it was probably better than that drink he got anyways.

Seriously. Who goes to Starbucks and gets fucking juice?

Just a few sneaky sips later and without a moment’s hesitation, Yessi was jumping out of the Lotus’ passenger seat and smugly into the bustling burger joint. It didn’t take long for her grilled cheese and fries to come out, and for her to slide onto the bench across from the dumbass and right next to Aleks, who was rattling his stupid cup.

“There would be more in there if you would’ve just shared~”

Yessi couldn’t help that she was a brat, she didn’t raise herself. Blame her parents for creating this amazing monster.

“No estamos tontos. The road trip hasn’t even really started. Cheer up or Te voy a dar razones para llorar"

The warning was given in a near perfect imitation of the many times her tía had jumped on her ass when she was a kid. Though a quick toss of a french fry at AJ's dumb face was the Yessi way of assuring you she still tolerated liked you.

Chris' loving greeting was filled with all the things she absolutely adored about him...
"Awh, Chrissy-poo don't give AJ all of your attention, it'll make me jealous." she had an arm wrapped around his bicep and was pressing into him, whispering in just short of a growl, "Fix him before I get the nerve to demonstrate this roundhouse kick I've been practicing."

Yessi was back to her grilled cheese, green eyes shooting between the two besties expectantly as her second favorite asian beauty had entered onto the stage.

"Ah, finally some estrogen! Hurry up and get your food, gordita. I need to be saved from these... men."

Well... she never expected to hear those words come out of her mouth.

[spooner]

_{Location | Misfits meeting place
Time | 11:50 AM
Interacting with | The Misfits}

Even though Nathan had woken up a few hours ago he had been lying there for at least an hour looking up at the cracked ceiling of his basement bedroom. Today was the day that he and his friend had planned to leave town and travel across the country in a, according to Sami, luxury vehicle. That wasn’t really what was bothering the young man. No the feeling that was eating him up inside was guilt. Guilt because he had yet to tell his sister that he was planning on not coming back. So there he was still in bed chewing on the inside of his cheek rehearsing a dialogue in his head for the fifteenth time. With a frustrated grunt he threw of the covers and finally got out of bed. After a quick shower and finally getting dressed, Nate grabbed the two duffle bags he meticulously packed the night before and his backpack before heading upstairs.

At the kitchen table he found his sister eating breakfast with her back turned to him. Nathan paused in his tracks. He sighed before dropping his bags on the floor as noisily as possible to announce his presence. His sister didn’t move a muscle much less turn around. She was still pissed. A deep sigh left the boy as he rounded the table and took a seat across from Addison. “Hello…” he asked tilting his head almost laying his head flat on the table trying to make his sister look at him. But she just stared down in to her bowl of cereal without acknowledging his existence.

“Look… I know you are angry.” He started as he leant back in his chair staring out of the window. “But I just can’t… stay here anymore. I just can’t watch him walk around like a zombie and sit in his chair as he stares out into the void. I need to get out of this fucking city. I- I need to find out who the fuck I am! And I can’t do it holed up in this house.” he lamented. His head snapping back to attention at his sister standing up suddenly storming towards the sink throwing her bowl in it.

“Just shut up Nate…” she hissed and stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Getting up from the table felt much heavier after hearing the hurt in her voice. But he had people expecting him.

Stepping of the LA public transit always felt like a religious experience. Nathan shook his whole body as if to get rid of the grime from the bus. But that feeling was soon replaced with the warm familiar feeling he always got when he arrived at the Santa Monica beach. Checking his watch he saw that he was quite early. He decided he would take this opportunity to have one last alone time thinking session. So he dumped his bags at the edge of the beach and used them as backrest and sat down in the warm sand.

He spent some time snapping some pictures of the people surfing and playing at the beach, and cracking open his new journal he had gotten to document the trip. Making the first journal entry of many. Suddenly almost two hours had past.

Looking towards the food truck he spotted some of his friends beginning to arrive. With a smile he stood up brushing the sand from his jeans.

“Whats up guys?” he asked as he rounded the food truck giving his friends a small wave. He looked at the RV and let out a low whistle. “Wow… Sami you… uh really hit the jackpot here!” he commented slapping the side of the vehicle. Following his friends lead he put his bag in the door of the RV before sitting down on the floor.

“Hey Jules. Long time no see…” Nate shifted his eyes between his feet and his friend. It was more awkward then he had thought it would be. But since his friend had stopped coming around he had this sinking feeling it was something he had done and on top of that he also felt bad for not reaching out.

“Anyone heard from Em or…. Val?” he asked leaning back on his elbows surveying his friends with a smile.

[BleedingLover]

---

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ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ | AJ's Vehicle; In-N-Out Burger
ᴛɪᴍᴇ | 11:50 AM
ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ | The Gearheads & Co.}
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She enjoyed this.

Besides riding alongside with AJ, she enjoyed the silence that filled the air around them because that was what she needed right now. Well, that and this road trip with some people she has grown to know and like very much so. Amanda deserved this getaway after all of the emotional turmoil her parents had put her through. It was uncertain that things had come to the way that they are now but everything can’t be sunshine and rainbows, can it? She sighed softly to herself at the thought as her elbow was propped up on the door with her cheek inside of her palm. Shaded covered eyes peered out of the window at the scenery, knowing all too well that they were going to the In-N-Out Burger right now. A little smile crept between her lips as she could already taste that burger in her mouth, the fries and her favorite beverage, which is Sprite. Yes, she liked Sprite very much because of the lemon-lime taste that dissolves through her throat.

She had wished AJ would kick this car into overdrive so that she could enjoy the goodness that In-N-Out had to offer. Her shaded covered eyes did manage to glance over towards AJ but only briefly as he started to bitch about his sister. Amanda made her own comments but they were a bit subtle as she didn’t want to be mean and allowed AJ to express himself. Once they were done and the music was cranked up, her eyes found their way back to look out of the car window. Her eyes gleamed whenever she saw the restaurant in sight and a smile crept between her lips but quickly went away as her phone rang with that infamous ringtone that she picked out, only for her parents. Her phone was grasped into her hand but then a finger hit the side button to silence the ringtone then she dropped her phone back into her lap with a groan.

Amanda sighed softly to herself, running her fingers through her curly, brown locks of hair, letting them fall freely and rest whenever they fell at. AJ had finally turned into the parking lot and she shook her hand at him, which means for him not to even ask. She got out of the vehicle and strutted inside, already knowing all too well what she was going to get. She would’ve paid for AJ’s food, as well for him being there for her and accepting her along with her issues but now, she’d have to find another way to repay him. And everyone else, for that matter. She had no idea that the group would be so expecting of her and quite frankly, she was thankful that she had met them.

Once she gathered her food, she followed closely behind AJ, going over to the bench that he had picked out. Amanda sat across from him, as she finally took off her shades to reveal her dark brown hues and licked her lips as if her food was the prey. She took small bites out of her burger then reached to grab a few fries, stuffing them into her mouth and chewed. The weather was always perfect in LA and today was certainly not a disappointment within itself. Amanda grasped her cup full of Sprite and took a small sip before she went back to eating.

She could not help but feel AJ’s mood right now because she was also sulking. Maybe in a way, all of them needed this little road trip to get away from their problems, or dilemmas that are currently going on within their lives. The more she thought about it, that’s exactly what this trip was and she was more than okay with it. Her phone rang again and she rolled her eyes up to the sky, not really wanting to be bothered with them right now. Her phone then chimed three times back to back and finally, she just put it on silent and vibrate then slammed it back down onto the table.

Sigh.

She raised her hand up to rub her temples then eyed AJ, looking down at his half-finished burger before her own eyes stared down at hers, along with half full fry carton. Amanda just rolled everything up in the wrapper and stood up to toss it in the trash, even her unfinished Sprite but she did take a few more sips from it before she tossed it in the trash bin, as well. Amanda turned around to see AJ wasn’t sulking anymore and she smiled, relieved because that means she could also not sulk. She had walked back over to him and rested a hand upon his shoulder.


❝Glad to see you springing back to your natural self.❞ She spoke with a smile just before Aleks came over to make a notion that AJ had lettuce in his teeth. Of course, Amanda did turn her head to look, shaking her head and flicking her hand down towards Aleks. ❝Oh, you.❞ She remarked before she went back around the table to take her seat. Her eyes then flashed over to Chris, offering him a small wave as she sat there and giggled at him as he teased AJ. She shook her head then noticed Monica coming over, standing up and straightening her clothing out and grabbed her cell phone, which she stuffed back inside her crossbody purse.

❝I’ll come with you.❞ She said as she wandered over and stand beside Monica now, eyes flashed towards Yessi now, who she also offered a wave towards. ❝Hey, Yessi.❞ She spoke in a greeting tone that ended with a smile then turned her attention back towards Monica, nudging her with her elbow. ❝Better make this quick as Yessi says.❞ She giggled a bit then linked her arm with Monica’s.

❝I so need a dessert of some kind though.❞ She added in a groaning tone but to no one in particular but mostly herself. Her gaze bounced from person to person and another smile crept between her lips.

[NeoAJ]

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Location | Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, California
Time | 11:40 AM
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The sun was shining brightly over the beaches of Santa Monica. Too brightly for the driver of the white 1996 Volvo 850 that was puttering along at its own casual pace. As she continued along Colorado Avenue towards the pier, she muttered something in soft Swedish as she searched for a parking space. Content to give up on trying to find anything near the popular Ocean Front Walk, she pulled into a nearby McDonald's and slammed on the brakes, bringing the veteran vehicle to a stop in the shadow of the Golden Arches.

The senior citizen breathed a sigh of relief as the giant corporate logo did block enough of the sunlight to allow her
to get her bearings. As she adjusted the narrow sunglasses on her nose and shook her head of long hair that was now more platinum than blonde, she turned to the passenger she essentially chauffeuring off on this grand adventure. "That's enough for Gramma," she commented with the Swedish accent still somewhat present in her voice. "I don't need to fight with all the tourists just to be able to smell the seagull poop! I can do that from here!"

The younger woman riding shotgun shook her own blonde hair out and adjusted the aviator shades with the rose tint on the frame. Almost a mirror move of the driver. "It's fine, Gramma! I just appreciate you willing to drive me down to the pier at all! I mean, I know you'd rather I not leave on this trip."

"This is true," Gramma admitted. "But I also know you can't be moping around the house with your parents gone all day just feeling sad and angry for yourself! I did that enough with your mother for 20 years. So if my grandbaby thinks this is what she needs to help sort everything out, then I will not stop you." She looked back ahead towards the ocean. "But I will make you walk for it." She winked at her granddaughter.

"That's OK. I can work off the caramel mocha that I'm gonna buy cause you had to stop in front of the place where that is readily available," The young woman stuck her tongue out playfully. "Mom's gonna ask why I gained 20 pounds this summer, and I'll say, it all started at this moment. Because I strayed too close to the McCafe."

Gramma chuckled. "She thinks I spoil you enough as it is. One more log on that fire won't kill me." She pushed her sunglasses down, allowing her grey eyes to stare directly towards the blue eyes next to her. "Although if you ever want to come back home this summer, do not hesitate. I will drive to the airport to get you, and I know your father will too once he returns from his Scandinavian scouting trip. I know it may not feel like it some times, but they still love you, Emi."

Emilia Seger smiled warmly at her grandmother and nodded. "I know, Gramma. I know I am lucky. But like you said, I have to do this. For me, just to figure out myself. I mean, I want to know what to do. I'm a high school graduate now. I should have a plan. Maybe this will help me figure it out." She giggled. "Maybe I'll never want to leave LA again, and I just stay here next fall? Who can say?"

Another short laugh escaped the driver. "I wouldn't mind at all, dear." She leaned over and gave Emilia a big hug, the kind of hug that kept kids warm in the Minnesota winters. "Just look after yourself. And that Sami! Tell him not to get into so many fights! I'm not going to be there to patch him up now!"

Emilia giggled again. "I will tell him, Gramma! And I will keep you posted on all the adventures!" The teenager hopped out of the car, smoothing out the blue skirt that didn't really go with the black leather jacket she decided to buy for this trip and wore over a deep yellow cami, but she didn't care. Comfort over color scheme on the open road. Plus the jacket looked so ... rad, and it helped her necklace stand out.

She lugged one of her father's hockey duffel bags out of the back seat and slung it over her shoulders before adding her backpack to the load. The lone Seger child waved goodbye to her grandmother as the Volvo quickly peeled out of the parking lot, speeding back down Colorado.

Emilia looked at the restaurant doors she was certain she would fit through, even with her entire wardrobe slung on her back. "Hmmmmm, I can probably get drinks for the rest of the crew too. It's dollar days, how hard can it be?"

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Location | Misfits' meeting place, Santa Monica, California
Time | 11:55 AM
Interacting with | All the Misfits but Val
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Turned out, it was very hard. People were not appreciative of someone bringing an Everest's trek worth of gear into a tiny ordering area, and definitely not when that person decided that multiple McCafe specialties were necessary. Even more difficult was balancing seven drinks on those flimsy cardboard trays that they hand out and keeping the other bags in place on her shoulders. But Emilia was going to make it happen. For the crew. With her family's well-known grit and determination, she made her way towards the pier, knowing that the meeting spot wouldn't be terribly far away. She may not have been in with the group as long as some of the others, but she knew well enough where to be and when to be there.

Or so she thought. Everyone was pretty much already there by the time Emilia spotted Sami and ...... what appeared to be an old cruise missile converted into a vehicle? It was hard to tell exactly what it was that Sami had gotten a hold of. But he was there, and he was tinkering away on it. I'm sure it's a fine vehicle capable of tackling anything that might cross us on this voyage! It must be! Most of the others appeared to be there too, so everyone would get their drinks nice and cold.

"Hello everyone!" she shouted to the assembled masses, bright smile on her face even as the weight on her back had her struggling a little bit. But all those hikes with Jules were paying off for her endurance. "Sorry I'm late! Gramma didn't want to come all the way down here, so I had to walk from Colorado. But I brought drinks for everyone!"

She finally reached a nearby picnic table and quickly set the beverages down so she could dump the bags on the asphalt. "Whew! All right! Good to see you all! Here! I got a sweet tea for Jules with triple cream, and a creamless mocha frappe for Kim, and.... Emilia held up a large bright pink drink in her hand before realizing she didn't have a Florida girl to hand it to. "Oh shoot, where is Val? I knew I should have asked if she needed a ride... She took a long sip of her iced caramel mocha, scanning the beach to see if her friend was just on the horizon.

[Venus]

<sub>Take me, away from here
Everybody’s so fake
Everybody’s so fake, I swear
But I don't wanna go back there
Everybody’s so fake
Everybody act like they care
Everybody act like they care
Why the fuck do everybody act like they care?
I was dying and nobody was there
Please don't cry, baby: life ain't fair

I run away from my problems
I do the drugs when I want 'em
I ran away from my momma
Don't bother me with no drama</sub>

‘They always say to let the sea set you free… And I take that quote to heart.

These days, I spend more of my time in the sea rather than the land. So much so, that my family’s convinced I’m secretly a mermaid. I leave my home by dawn, spend my days conquering the crashing waves, and only come back after the sun bows out. By the end of the day, my toes and fingers are prunes, my dark locks are tousled into soft, salty waves, and my skin glows with the constant kisses from the rays of sunlight. In the ocean, my tears lace together with the saltwater, fading off into nothingness, with no curious witnesses to question the motives behind the pain. In the ocean, nobody asks me what’s wrong with me, why I cry so much when I’m alone, why I carry the weight of these hidden, stinging scars across my body when I’m a girl who has everything. But how can I even begin to explain the presence of these ghosts that haunt me so? How can I express that, lately, all I can dream about is the day a wave will knock me from my board and permanently wash me away? How will anyone understand that when I fall into the depths of the sea, I like testing just how far I’ll go to get rid of these pitiful feelings inside me? How could anyone not deem me insane when I stay underwater until my lungs start screaming for air, relishing in the pain of not breathing, praying that I’ll finally be brave enough to not save myself from drowning, _{drowning, drowning}…’

With a loud gasp, Valeria Drake’s small figure emerged from the depths of the Santa Monica beach. She’d been at the surfing game for hours now, killing the time it took Sami to fix the RV and for the rest of their friends to make their arrivals. Wrestling against the current, the girl swam around until she reached her surfboard, and in one swift motion hoisted herself back onto it. Using her arms as paddles, she slowly made her way back to the shore, only stopping when the water was shallow enough for her to walk. When her small feet touched the warm, light-colored sand, the long-haired girl looked around in search of her belongings, using her hand to cover her face from the rays of the California sunlight. It was only after a few seconds that Val was finally able to locate the bundle of items that had been patiently waiting for its owner. She put on the black and red plaid button-down blouse over her black bikini -without bothering to close it, because who the fuck does that?-, slid her feet into her red flip-flops and slipped on her Oakley sunglasses before she grabbed her beloved surfboard and made her back to the RV.

Upon first impressions, one would think that dragging around a surfboard of decent weight and considerable height for a long distance would be a match for the small Florida girl. But, see, Valeria Drake wasn’t just any small Florida girl: she was a fucking animal. The girl lifted 100 pounds at the gym like it was nothing, and ran circles around those who dared challenged her physical capabilities. So it wasn’t long before she was almost finished with the walk from the beach, down the pier and to the food truck -all without breaking a sweat.

A smile spread across her face when she noticed most of the gang was already at their spot, and only got wider when her brown eyes fell on a certain boy with the hazel eyes and the purest, kindest of smiles. The mere sight of that walking angel of sugar and sunshine made Val’s stupid heart go a mile a minute, filling her with this need to just sing and dance and cry and laugh and scream to the seven seas that he was nothing other than perfection in the form a man... Not that she would ever admit that, of course. Vanilla, sugary feelings weren’t Valeria’s strong suit, and she’d be damned before she ever confessed to Nate that she’d harbored a crush on him from the second he’d stepped foot on the halls of Beverly Hills High.

So she willed her dumb heart to steady itself instead, took a deep breath, and approached the group.

Coincidentally enough, the long-haired girl arrived just in time to hear Nathan’s last sentence, which made Val’s heart do a somersault inside her chest. “Awwww! Is little Natey concerned about the well-being of little ole’ me? How fucking cute!” Valeria teased Nate with a smug smile, taking the chance to flick some saltwater at his ridiculously attractive face before turning to greet the rest of her friends. “I’d hug each and every one of you beautiful jackasses, but I’m sopping wet. And the last thing I want is to ruin y’all’s outfits, so this kiss will have to do!” she announced, blowing a kiss and a wink in their general direction.

Letting out a playful laugh, she turned around to see Sammi still underneath the RV, looking like he was ready to take the damn thing back to the junkyard that he’d fished it from. “See, that right there is the reason why I’m not a gearhead,” the girl stated, jerking her head in Sami’s direction with a playful smirk. “I know jackshit about cars, and I don’t have the patience to deal with all the upkeep. I’d rather pull out my skateboard and just whoosh the fuck away to where I need to be.”

It was only then when Valeria noticed Emilia, who was holding the sweet nectar of the gods in one of her hands. The short girl's face lit up in an excited expression, and she let out a loud squeal. "Em, have I ever told you just how much of a perfect person you are?" Val told her friend, grabbing the drink from her hand and planting a big kiss on the blonde's cheek. "How about we ditch these guys to run off and get married somewhere? I promise I'll love you forever: cross my heart and hope to die."

[NeoAJ]

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Location | Misfits' meeting place, Santa Monica, California
Time | 11:57 AM
Interacting with | Val @Dirty Pretty Lies, Kim @Stanifly, Sami @BrutalBx
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Emilia didn't have to scan the horizon very long. Or at all. Valeria Drake was the type of girl to announce her presence long before anyone noticed she was there. She emerged from the beach area, still wet from the ocean surf she was no doubt cavorting in given the board in her hand.

It was at surf club that she first met the Florida girl. Emilia had no idea how to surf, and quickly proved that her above-average height was not going to help her in that regard, but watching Val tame those waves like nothing, it was almost like poetry on the water. It led to talking at the very least, and a friendship that many others would have deemed unlikely, given Val's abrasive punk nature and Em's Disney-esque kindness to all people. But it was a good contrast. At least Em thought so. Besides, she liked to think Val had a hidden sweet interior to herself. One that was partly expressed through the choice of beverage Emilia held in her hand.

The blonde smiled wider as she heard the squeal coming from her friend who had placed her board on the still-disabled RV. "Em, have I ever told you just how much of a perfect person you are?" If Emilia wasn't blushing before, she certainly was after the shorter girl planted a kiss on her cheek. "How about we ditch these guys to run off and get married somewhere? I promise I'll love you forever: cross my heart and hope to die."

For a split-second, Emilia's brain gave the proposal a serious thought. Maybe it was still because of the prom incident, but it honestly didn't seem that bad. There had to be a chapel somewhere nearby... Then Miss Seger snapped back into her own head. She was still blushing, and it almost translated into her response. "I...um, well you know, I totally would do that, Val. Like in a heartbeat." She looked over and found her center again in the other female in their group. The one who was always so calm and collected it seemed as though nothing could faze her. Again, something Emilia appreciated as a contrast to her own self. "But we can't leave Kim here by herself with the others! How would we live with ourselves?" She took another drink of her caramel mocha. "Nope. We are just gonna have to wait until we get to Salt Lake City, and can make it a three-way wedding. That's how it has to be!" She giggled at such a notion. She didn't even know if it was still a thing in Utah, but if it was, they probably weren't interested in legitimizing a polyamorous lesbian marriage. She sat down on top of the picnic table and looked over at the RV, it's owner still working underneath. "Speaking of getting to Salt Lake City, how's it going over there Sami? Will we be departing soon?"

[BrutalBx]

---

”Hey girl, Val’s in the water. The others should be arriving any minute” Sami responded to Kim. He didn’t remove his head from the RV just yet as he tinkered away. He wanted to make sure everything was in perfect condition, not that this shit heap was ever going to get there but he could get it close neighbor. The skills of high school shop class motherfucker. He loved Kim, she was a sweetheart. They didn’t talk a lot and they didn’t need to. Silence was the perfect conversation for these two dreamers.

The familiar sound of Jules voice was the next one to permeate Sami’s ears. Of course the high and mighty one would hate the idea of spending the summer in a monstrosity like this but Sami didn’t really care. He gave up on caring what people thought of him or his ideas a long time ago. He is just him, whoever that is. ”I’m good Jules, almost done anyway”

Sami waved his finger from beneath the hood of the tin coffin.”Do not mock me, Nathaniel or I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger” Of course he said this doubt his best Samuel L Jackson impression. I mean, they did share a name after all or surely his impression was spot on...right? ”This beautiful beast is as courtesy of my father dearest, just without him knowing” this certainly wasn’t the first time he had stolen from his father but of this trip planned out the way he hoped, it might be the last.

Emi’s voice caused Sam’s ears to perk up, as did is nose when he smelt the unmistakable aroma of coffee. ”Heya gorgeous” Sam wanted to poke his head out but he had to finish tinkering. Man loves tinker, it’s in their DNA. Val soon joined the group and straight away brought a smile to his face. ”Threeway wedding? Threeway honeymoon. Pics or it didn’t happen”

Hearing Emilia, Sami finally pulled his head from the roaming vehicle abyss and closed the hood with a smile. For the first time, the misfits as they had been dubbed could now properly see Mr Alejandro and for the first time see his black eye and burst lip. ”I’m done. Ladies, Gent and Jules whatever you are today, I give you the….erm, the misfit mobile? I don’t know”

[Plank Sinatra]

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Location | In-N-Out Burger
Los Angeles Time | 11:53 AM / London Time | 6:53 PM / Moscow Time | 9:53 PM
Interacting with | Fuck it, the Gearheads. / @Hoekage @CosmicComet @TootsiePop @GhostMami @BleedingLover
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Aleks liked the way the ice rattled in his cup. It made him imagine the sound Yessi would make if he lost patience and started choking her. His fingers, clutching the pliable rim of the plastic lid, released their hold on his empty drink; the Russian reached his arm around and trapped Yessi's neck in the crook of his right arm, pulling her away from Chris and closer to him in a one-armed chokehold. Or an embrace, if you thought he was feeling particularly affectionate towards Yessi. Aleks chose to think of the involuntary motion as a hybrid of the two. It kept the bitch contained for a moment, long enough for him to plant a quick kiss on the top of her head that he was certain she would complain about. He was pretty sure she'd just had her hair done; doubtless, she would start complaining that his evil Communist lips and fingertips would only fuck it up. Fine. He was sure one of his other assembled best friends would be happy to be his go-to kiss.

AJ could have used a firm making out with, frankly, in order to bring him back to the plane of reality they all inhabited and not the one he had journeyed to where they all harbored Jamie in their shadows. Knowing him, he would argue that any kiss planted on him wasn't as good as one he could have planted, but Aleks let that slide like the bullshit it was. AJ couldn't even tie a cherry stem with his tongue, let alone do it on beat to most songs below 120 bpm.

Like Aleks could.

The surly Russian boy leaned forward on the bench, resting his elbow on the edge of the table and cupping two fingers under his chin. His food sat underneath him, momentarily untouched. If he didn't start going in on it soon, Yessi and Chris would begin to repurpose and cannibalize his order, flinging half of it at AJ while polishing off the remainder by themselves. He was hungry, too. But it would be rude to start digging in like he was at a trough - and especially after there were new arrivals present. Monica and Manda were connected like chain links at the elbow, so the smile and brief wink he directed specifically at Monica was aimed at both of them. He waved at them with his fingers before finally letting Yessi go and beating her to the punch by grabbing a French fry.

"Hey," he said in a simple, general greeting to the new arrivals, raising the fry and lowering it from horizontal to vertical, then back, then forth. His next sentence was directed to Monica specifically: "Should've brought my bike instead. I still need the practice."

❝Glad to see you springing back to your natural self. Oh, you.❞

Aleks' mouth tightened in mock severity.

"I am not joking," the Russian insisted, though his soft drawl made the j- sound more pronounced and gave it a faintly pouty sound. "It is bugging me."

There was a faint beat of silence as he kept raising and lowering the French fry, closing an eye so that he could imagine its shape was framing his bratán's chin, then his jawline. Then his wrist bent forward so that he could flick the spud at AJ's face, just as Yessi had. Aleks' mouth tightened again, this time into a coquettish smile.

"I raised you to have better table manners, God damn it."

[Vox]

_{Interactions | Nate @spooner, Emilia @NeoAC, Sami @BrutalBX}

---

Santa Monica Beach
Afternoon

---

Jules couldn't help but feel annoyed and roll his eyes at how quickly Sami had brushed him off. The atmosphere significantly brightened however when Nate came onto the scene, though he was a bit confused by how awkwardly his friend had greeted him. As far as Jules could tell, the only thing that happened between them was that they just hadn't seen each other in a while which was no real reason to be awkward. Mentally shrugging and figuring he could always ask what was up later, he greeted Nate with a warm smile and said "Hey boo, it has been a while. But I mean, that just means this road trip is the perfect chance for us to catch back up again right? Not to mention we're gonna have our work totally cut out for us with recording it all. I mean, we are going on like, the most hella rad photo shoot of our lives after all."

Everything became even better when Emilia arrived with everyone's drinks, with Jules grabbing his knock-off milk tea and a "thanks Em." Val came rushing in after in her usual fashion. He laughed and waved off her kiss, quietly listening and sipping at his tea as the ladies started talking about their eloping plans. "Now hold on," he began to interject, "if it's a shotgun wedding you want Las Vegas is like - Jesus fucking Christ Sami."

Jules stared at Sami's battered face, shock registering on his own face for only a second before it was overtaken by a mixture of anger, fear, and worry as he also just realized what Sami had implied when the annoying Cubano told Nate about how the RV was lifted from his father without permission. "Jesus fucking Christ," he repeated, storming off towards his bag, "what the fuck did you do, have a streetfight with a lamp pole?" He knew Sami would never spill the tea on what had happened of course, but that only meant that his urge to spill all his tea on the idiot increased by a heck of a lot more than what it had been previously.

Retrieving a face towel from inside his backpack, he stomped up to the taco truck and asked for it to be filled with ice. Mimi tried to get him to explain what happened, but Jules was too furious to notice her properly and quickly stomped his way back to the group after retrieving his makeshift ice pack and paying for it. He momentarily entertained the thought of whacking it across Sami's face but settled instead with roughly shoving it into the idiot's chest. "And what the fuck did you mean when you said that the RV was from that sleazebag?"

[Stanifly]

K I M  B E V E R I D G E

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Location | Misfits meeting place
Interacting with | Emi @NeoAC, Val @Dirty Pretty Lies, Sami @BrutalBx
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She didn't have to wait long, it seemed. Almost as soon Sami finished speaking, the others came trickling in, one after the other. She nodded back at Jules, the corner of her lips quirking up at the nickname. Then came Nate, then Emi, then Val - emerging from the water like the soaking hot mess she was - and their little group was complete. Kim winked back at Val's air kiss, then watched with mild amusement at the banter between Emi and Val.

Setting down her messenger bag on top of her suitcase, Kim shook out her hair, then adjusted her denim jacket. The weather was perfect for a swim. A twinge of regret passed through her as she stared at the waves. Maybe she should take a page out of Val's book and come earlier - like dawn earlier - next time. Then she glanced over at Val and changed her mind. It was probably for the best that she wouldn't drip all over Sami's RV's flooring on her first time inside it.

Enough self-reflection. Her frappe was waiting. Walking over to the picnic table, Kim swiped her drink and as soon as the bittersweet slush hit her tastebuds, she closed her eyes. Coffee - the best kind of drug there was. Maybe she should've just straight-up gotten an espresso or an all-black coffee instead of a frappe. This was what she asked for, though, and it was just as good, so could she really complain?

'I don't know about your wedding plans, but I'm pretty much in love with this frappe.' She took another sip, then gestured the drink at Emi. 'Thanks Emi.'

Jules started to join in with a quip about Las Vegas, but at his sudden outburst, Kim twisted around, still drinking. Then she paused, pulling the drink away from her mouth.

It wasn't that surprising a sight. With Sami's temper and tendency to respond to certain problems with violence, they'd all seen him hurt at one point or another. As Jules whirled away in a hurricane of aggressive concern and returned with ice, Kim only raised an eyebrow at Sami.

She didn't say anything. What could she say? Questions like 'Are you okay?' or 'What happened?' were fruitless when it came to Sami - she already knew the answer would be some variation of, 'I'm fine, don't worry about it.' The guy clammed up tighter than a pickle jar when it came to his own problems.

Even so, expecting this particular band of friends not to worry was ridiculous, especially after all this time. She went back to drinking her frappe, but her reproving gaze lingered on him, awaiting his response. At the very least, they deserved an explanation about the fact that the vehicle was maybe probably almost definitely stolen.

Who knew? Maybe hell felt like freezing over today.

[Legion02]

M A T T B R O W N

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Location | In-N-Out Burger
Interacting with | The Gearheads || @Hoekage @CosmicComet @TootsiePop @GhostMami @BleedingLover @Plank Sinatra
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He was a liar.

That’s what Matt realized as he sat on the hood of his BMW, observing his cigarette like it was a stick of incense. In the past months he had only lied more. It started in autumn with the white lies. The little things you tell people for their own good. Then there were the silences he kept. Lies for the greater good. For friendship. Then there were his lies of omissions. He never told a soul just how shit he felt the last month. He just smiled and said he didn’t feel so good and that he ate something wrong. But there was always a smile so nobody dug deeper. He didn’t want them to dig deeper. Everyone had their own stuff to work through. Though recently he graduated to full-on, blatant lies. The one he sold AJ a week ago about why he couldn’t be at the party. He told him he had to be at some factory rave last night, tying up some loose ends.

All because he didn’t want to see her. Avoiding things had been his strong suit. Matt didn’t want any conflict or awkwardness. It made his life difficult. If he couldn’t solve the problem with a pill it wasn’t worth engaging. Of course, that always comes around. Even now he wasn’t sure if she was going to join them. He touched the phone in his pocket. At any point, he could call Matt and ask. That would raise suspicion though so that was out of the question. On the other hand he could just call and say he’s out. Take away the uncertainty of it all. No, he wanted to be on this trip. He needed to be on this trip.

So there was only one thing to do. As his cigarette burned down he tossed it away and said his goodbyes to the wonderful LA beaches. Minutes later he was tearing out of the parking lot and headed for the In-n-Out they’d all meet at. Of course, he had Gwen on the radio. What else would a literal former student of BHHS do at the end of the year? He smiled as she mentioned the Gearhead trip. Finally, the head gossiper heard about it. Then she said something about a Misfit trip too. Now that was an odd thing. Oh well, there was nothing to worry about. The gearheads would tear off into the sunset before the misfits left LA. The very thought summoned a bright smile as he enjoyed his trip.

It took him half an hour to reach the In-n-Out. He was late but that was his style. As he drove up the parking lot he downshifted a gear too low for what most would use and pushed the gas. His engine roared for a moment. Heralding his arrival before he quickly parked his car. Once he got out and while he lit a new cigarette he was quick to notice just how late he was. Almost every ride of the Gearheads was present.

“This is going to be good!” He exclaimed as he approached the group though he remained standing. Then he saw everyone eating, out ordering or stealing food from another. Damn, AJ had lettuce stuck in his teeth. “I’m MIA for one party and suddenly you all start acting out?” He said with a teasing smile before he took another drag of his cig.

[CosmicComet]

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_{Location | Home/In-N-Out Burger
Interacting with | Present Gearheads}

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As Monica had arrived into the vicinity of the Gearheads, the sight of Aleks having Yessi in what some might call a chokehold, but to her, it was nothing more than a loving embrace. He then kissed her on the top of her head she was sure they would all hear the complain about later. Monica herself wouldn’t. Complain, that is, about any form of kiss Aleks would give. The man was an absolute joy and delight to be with, and there was simply nothing he could do wrong in her eyes. Ok, maybe she was a little biased about things, but could you blame her? No one has ever stood by her as well as he had, especially since her split from the douchebag Martin. Of course, she hadn’t displayed such thoughts openly to Aleks, but she wasn’t going to deny the man anything. She was glad for any affection she could receive.

Mandy was quick to grab her phone as soon as she saw her approaching, and Monica grinned as she retrieved hers as well. It was mandatory selfie time. Putting her arms over the other girl, she held her arm out and took a selfie with own phone before taking one with hers. Amanda took a selfie with Monica as she smiled big and bright. This was their thing. This was also how they met and became friends. ❝Okay, one for my phone.❞ Amanda spoke with a smile while she grabbed her own cell phone and posed with Monica in a similar pose from just moments ago. She held her arm out and took a selfie then stood up and showed it to Monica before she placed her phone back into her crossbody purse. She eyed Aleks for the moment, shaking her head with a laugh before she turned back to glance at Monica.

Once the selfies were done with, she headed over to the counter with Mandy following alongside, mentioning her need for a dessert. Unlike her companion, desserts weren’t on Monica’s mind just yet. She was almost salivating at the thought of a Double Double, along with the fries that went along with it. She placed her order quickly, and beckoned for Mandy to order her dessert. ❝Come on, chop chop! We’re burning daylight here!❞ Amanda had ran up beside Monica after her beckoning towards her, standing beside her with a smile as she eyed the cashier and placed her order for a strawberry milkshake. ❝I got it, Monica.❞ She insisted with the flick of her hand towards Monica, which meant that she didn’t mind. She dug out her wallet and paid the cashier then waited for her change, which she happily accepted.

Monica was surprised by the gesture, but did not argue otherwise. If her friend was insisting on paying, she was going to let her. She simply smiled warmly at the thought. Amanda shoved Monica gently to the side so that they wouldn’t be in the way of the other customers that were waiting. She placed her wallet back inside her crossbody purse then eyed Monica. ❝I am so ready for this trip.❞

She muttered softly though the excitement could be heard in her tone, as well. ❝What about yourself?❞ She asked as she folded her arms over her chest and turned her body to fully face Monica now. ❝Oh I’m just as ready as you are! God knows that I really need this trip before whatever hell I need to go through soon that is medical school.❞ She did a cut throat gesture, and stuck out her tongue for emphasis. Amanda nodded her head toward Monica, shaking her head at the gestures she made. ❝I think we all do before we go onward with our separate lives.❞ She commented truthfully then turned to face the counter now. It took no more than a couple of minutes before their orders were ready, and Monica carried the tray filled their goodies to the table with the others. Amanda grabbed her shake with one swift motion off of the tray and got herself a straw, wasting no time taking a sip or five from it.The hungry girl was attacking her burger seconds after she got a seat and the tray hit the table.

She alternated between shoving fries into her mouth and taking bites of her burger. Her friends did say that she had the way of making anything she was eating looked delicious from her enthusiastic eating habits. It was truly a shame and a waste if you ask her that food companies here did not hire her for their commercials. Just think of all the people she could entice to come and eat their food!

As Matt arrived, late as usual, she stuck a hand out, waving before she resumed with date with food. As Monica gave her burger no choice to breathe, she walked past her to stand with everyone else but stood beside Matt. ❝Hey, Matt.❞

She greeted him quickly and with a brief smile before her lips went back to being wrapped around the straw, enjoying the taste of her shake at the moment. She was in tuned with the current conversations around her at the same time though.

[spooner]

_{Location | The floor of the RV
Time | 12:06 PM
Interacting with | The Misfits}

The young man just laughed loudly at Sami’s pulp fiction reenactment from under the hood of the RV. Nate lifted his camera and snapped a picture of his friend flipping him off with his head still hidden. “I guess it has character.” Nate mused looking around the inside of the vehicle. “It suits us!” he grinned.

It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders as Jules enthused about their upcoming trip and the time they would spend together. At least Jules wasn’t mad at him for some reason. Maybe he had been paranoid after all. He nodded at his good friend shaking his camera “You’re right! I’ve brought along a whole studio it feels like.” he said patting one of his duffle bags.

Nate’s smile widened as he saw his bubbly blonde friend struggling towards them precariously carrying a tray of drinks. “Thank you” he mouthed as he accepted his iced coffee from Emilia and took a sip of the ice cold liquid. “Wait…” he exclaimed shaking his plastic cup at her. “You walked all the way from Colorado? Em, why didn’t you call I could’ve come and met you and you know help you carry all that!” Nate shook his head chuckling shrugging his shoulders.

His smile turned into a thin line as Val walked over dripping wet. He rolled his eyes so hard he almost sprained them at her comment. “Watch it!” he grunted shielding his camera hanging around his neck as Val sprayed him with water from her hair. He frowned as he wiped his face dry with his shirt. There was something about the small girl that always got under his skin, he didn’t even know what to respond half of the time because he was so annoyed. So he settled with just sighing and going back to his position in the door of the RV.

“I think Kim could handle herself though… In fact I know it!” he winked at the brunette as he polished of his coffee.

A deep sigh left Nate as Sami revealed his busted face. “Wha…” he began but changed his mind. He knew that his hispanic friend wouldn’t want to talk about it. And besides Jules was fuzzing over Sami enough for all of them. Nate stood up dusting himself of and walked over to Jules and Sami. “Let it go Jules. It’s already done.” he commented as he put an arm around Sami “Great job dude! Let’s get this show on the road!”