[IC] REBOOT COMING SOON. INVITE ONLY.

[Venus]

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Nate stood a safe distance away from the group with his hands in his pockets, sneakers kicking at the dark gravel under his feet as he waited for Valeria to come back. He looked on as the small girl whispered something to Jules, with the slim, black-haired boy retracting back in response and exclaiming something ending in "...doms!?". Following this, they had some weird cat and mouse game with a string of silver packets, consisting of Jules egging on the visibly embarrassed Val and ultimately ending with the girl snatching the packets off his hands and hiding them in her back pocket.

As he watched it all go down from a distance, Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Bold of her…" he whispered and laughed softly to himself as Valeria made her way over to him.

"Alright, Nate: I'm ready to go now. Should we say goodbye before we head to the cabin?"

"Nah, I think they can figure out we went to bed." Nate answered with a smile before they turned away from the group and walked towards the small cluster of cabins stretching out in front of them. Without warning, the young man spun around towards Val with a mischievous expression in his face. "Just to clarify… those are condoms in your backpocket?" he asked with a grin.

If there was ever a time that Valeria wished that something tragic happened to her, it was right now: at this very moment, with Nate looking her right in the eyes and asking her if she had condoms in her pocket. A strike of lightning on top of her head, a tornado sucking her small figure into the air, a giant wave pulling her down to the bottom of the ocean, an earthquake that opened up the ground beneath her and swallowed her whole… Anything would have been better than the embarrassment she was facing right now.

She wasn't about to let it show, though. "Pffft, no," the short girl lied, keeping her eyes fixed on the cabins they were approaching and face as impassive as possible. "It’s some Asian candy that Jules gets me whenever his family brings him stuff from Korea. They come in a few different flavors. My favorite’s cherry, but they all taste fucking amazing."

"Oh… Sure," Nate played along. He admitted that he was slow at most social cues, but did Val really think he was that stupid? He had seen and used condoms before, and no one in their right mind would package candy like that-- Korean or not. "Hope they've got cherry, then-" he commented with a flick of his eyebrows as they continued towards cabin 4B, which the key indicated was the one they were going to share.

In swift motions, Nathan unlocked the door to the cabin with the help of his key, swung it open just enough for the two of them to walk in, closed and locked it behind them. It took a second for their eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness inside the cabin once the nightstand lamps were turned on, but it didn’t stop Val from dropping her things on top of the dingy desk in the corner of the surprisingly ample room. Yet the more she looked around the cabin, the more her brows furrowed together in confusion. There was something missing inside this room, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was only after a few more looks around the cabin that the reason behind the amount of space inside the room suddenly dawned on her.

Eyes wide with realization, Val turned to Nate. "Um… Nate? I don’t see a couch anywhere in this cabin..." she said in barely more than a whisper, afraid that if she spoke any louder the item would materialize out of thin air.

“Huh?” he exclaimed, looking around the room and realizing that the girl was right. There was certainly no couch anywhere inside the cabin: just a dusty old armchair where he had dumped all his stuff. “I could have sworn that was a couch...” he murmured as he walked further into the room. His low hum was back as he tried to figure out what to do or say. “I guess I can just sleep on the floor. Unless...” he paused as his eyes shifted from the bed, to Val, and back again.

Her heart did a somersault in her chest. She knew exactly what he was thinking. "I mean… I don't mind sharing…" she said in a small voice, looking down at the floor to hide the excitement and nervousness that was surely painted all over her face. "Do you?"

He shrugged and fell backwards onto the bed, putting his arms behind his head and making himself right at home. “I don’t mind,” he grinned up at her.

Val breathed out a sigh of relief she didn't even realize she was holding back and looked back at Nate. "Okay then," she squeaked, shifting in place. "Now that that’s settled, let me get a quick shower before we call it a night," she told the boy before busying herself with picking out the things she would need. With a bundle of fabric and personal care items in her arms, the brunette gave Nate a shaky half-smile before disappearing behind the bathroom door.

As the bathroom door closed, Nate sat up and leaned back on the headboard, staring up at the ceiling and trying to figure out how exactly they had gotten into this situation. To say that his relationship with Valeria Drake had always been somewhat tense is to put it lightly. She had always treated him like she was just an annoying bystander whenever the misfits hung out together. Insults were also frequently thrown around. But as she had said, it had been because she’d harbored a crush on him- like she was a little boy in kindergarten pulling the hair of the girl he liked.

The boy just shrugged at his thoughts and stood up to strip down to his boxers, making sure to fold his clothing carefully after each item was removed. As he put away his stuff he grabbed his notebook and got back onto the bed, cracking the book open and proceeding to scribble away.

On the opposite side of the door, Val was nothing short of a nervous wreck. She paced back and forth around the small space inside the bathroom, anxiously chewing her bottom lip. Her thumbs flew across her phone screen as she walked, typing and looking up on Google a plethora of questions such as “What To Do When You’re About To Hook Up With Your Crush”, “How To Please A Guy In Bed” and even “How To Be The Best He’s Ever Had In Bed”. What was highly likely to go down tonight was the climax of five long years of secretly wanting and not-so-patiently waiting for the right time to strike. There was so much at stake with her performance of the night: the weight on her shoulders never felt so heavy with the need to impress Nate in every way that mattered.

After a good twenty minutes of reading Cosmopolitan articles, showering and making sure her body was presentable, Valeria finally emerged from the bathroom, filling the room with steam and the scent of pineapple and coconut. She wore nothing but an oversized black Roxy T-shirt and (of all things) cherry-patterned PINK underwear, her feet in black flip-flops while her damp hair flowed freely down her back. Humming along to a Glass Animals song, Val made a beeline to where her belongings were, dumped the items on top of the suitcase, turned around… And heard herself gasp out loud at the sight of Nate in nothing but his underwear.

“What?” Nathan asked, looking up from his writing and at the brunette with a surprised face.

“N-nothing!” Val stammered in shock, her cheeks red as she shook her head and walked to the bed. “It’s just… Holy shit, you look so good...” she heard herself blurt out like the idiot she was while taking a seat on the mattress. Jesus Christ… Saying stupid shit like that, she didn’t know how the hell she would make it through this night alive.

Never one to blush, Nate could feel some heat rising in his face for the first time in a long while. “Oh. Uhm… Thanks.” he mumbled, closing his notebook, putting it aside on his bedside table and resting his hands in his lap. The silence in the room soon became palpable, with a strangely mute Val seemingly frozen on the spot and making Nate bite his lip out of sheer awkwardness. “So… Good night, I guess?” he said more as a question than anything else.

That seemed to bring Val back to reality. She shook her head as if to clear her head of distractions and gave Nate a small smile. “Good night,” she said softly, shutting off her bedside table’s lamp and crawling under the bed covers, lying face-up next to Nate on her side of the full-sized bed. The young man followed suit, turning off the lamp on his side of the bed and rolling over to his back again, facing right up as the girl beside him did.

There was a solid five minutes in which the only sounds in the cabin were the humming of the AC unit underneath the window, the chirping crickets outside, and the heavy breathing of the two young adults trying to fool themselves into thinking that nothing would happen between them. The air became thick with the rising tension, the electricity between them so heavy you could almost touch it. It all seemed to go on for hours: a battle to test the strength and duration of their self-restraint.

Finally, it was Valeria who broke the silence, deciding that enough was enough and taking the plunge once again. If it happened, then she’d do her best and enjoy the hell out of it all. If it didn’t, then she’d silently cry herself to sleep and cut her losses the next morning.

“Nate?” she called out in the dark, shifting her body to the side so she could properly face him.

“Mmmh?” the boy responded, turning his own body around so that he too laid on his side, facing her. “What?” he questioned again as he inched slightly closer to her.

She didn’t know if he was doing it on purpose or not, but his voice had suddenly taken on a husky edge- in the way that she’d never realized could drive her this crazy. Goosebumps covering her skin as she felt Nate’s warm breath on her lips, her body slightly shaking with the anticipation of what she would say next.

Val took in a deep breath, elevated a silent prayer to whatever deity would listen, and nervously uttered the words: “Do you want to-?”

Impulsively, Nate cut her off by leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. Maybe it was to get rid of the weird tension, or maybe he had secretly been wanting to do this for some time now. But now that he was lying in bed with Val and kissing her none of that mattered. At some point, the young man had shifted his body so that he was on top of her, with one arm on either side of the girl’s body. He reached up and pushed her hair out of her face, and eventually their bodies wrapped together in the now-passionate kiss.

It was only when they were both breathless that Nate finally pulled back, taking a moment to gaze into her eyes and survey her face while a small smile spread across his own.

“So… Do you still have those Korean candies?”

Val’s giggles filled the room, lacing together with Nate’s for a moment before fading into another deep kiss. And eventually, the sounds of the rest of the world were drowned out by Valeria and Nathan coming together as one.

[Bee]

---

_{Location | buttfuck nowhere
Interacting with | Aleks @Plank Sinatra
Mentions | AJ @TootsiePop}

---

Aleks was an interesting character. Ellie was expecting a brief backstory about how he got bored one day and accidentally learned how to do this, but no. Aleks had quite a story behind his ability with cards, and Ellie was nothing short of amazed. It wasn't just for his own entertainment, but to Ellie's understanding, it was to hustle a man out of his money and Ellie had nothing but respect for that. Hustling, no matter how scummy it was, took skill to pull off. Would she be mad if someone did it to her? Absolutely, but she had to respect it as well. A small smile grew on Ellie's face as Aleks finished up the story behind his cards.

"Dude. That's dope as fuck." Ellie exclaimed, giving him a light punch on the arm to show her affection. The Gearheads were a bunch she was incredibly glad to meet. They gave her life more purpose than it did previously. Before them, it was just floating around and looking forward to sitting in her car. But now, she looked forward to hanging out with her fellow Gearheads, getting rowdy with them and getting into all sorts of hijinks. That was why she was here, but Ellie also knew that those times were coming to an end very, very soon. Soon, everyone was going to be going on their separate ways. School was no longer around to bring them together, and everyone was going to branch off in their own lives. Some would definitely stay, but some would definitely go, and that terrified poor Ellie.

However, there was no use in worrying about those sort of things. Especially since she had other things to worry about, like the recent incident with AJ. "Oh yeah, dude. It's a mess." Ellie shrugged, glancing behind her shoulder to see if anyone would be joining them. "But what can we do? That's what happens when two fiery people get together. You're just gonna get more and more fire."

[LovelyComplex]

_{Collab with @BeastofDestiny
as Joseph Kable & Hugo the Hobo}

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Entering the Bellagio lobby, AJ Tyler took off his shades, latching it onto his top, and stared up at the Dale Chihuly Glass Sculpture. He had memories in this place when he was younger. Running around and causing mischief. His cousins practically lived in whichever MGM casino and resort they wanted to – any given day. The Bellagio, though? This was his aunt’s pride and joy. Something about the extreme luxury of this resort, with custom art, whirlpool tubs, and butlers, just spat pretentious.

Glancing at his Louis Moinet Meteoris watch, a gift from his mother, he noted to himself that it was approaching the time they should eat: Noon. Not everyone had an early start, but they all knew where they were meeting. As long as everyone got to the Bellagio between 11 to 11:30am, AJ would be satisfied. They would still have their afternoon and most of tomorrow to enjoy Sin City.

Once Sami entered the city, however, he had to take a detour. He chose to rent a car to take Kim to the airport. She had a family emergency and unfortunately couldn’t commit to this ‘successful’ road trip. It seemed even his group, the Gearheads, were getting smaller and smaller by the hour. It was only day two! Mandy left yesterday because she didn't feel wanted and sometime through the night, Parker and Monica sped off to who-the-hell-knows! No one even said goodbye. Or even told him what's up! Besides Kim. And she wasn't even part of his group. Misfits seemed to have more class, it seemed. Minus a certain woman. *cough*

Turning his head to look at the entrance, he saw a girl walk in, whose physique reminded him of his best friend. THAT woman.

...Would they make up? It was hard to pretend to not be mind fucked ever since he woke up and found out NEWS. Shaking his head, in annoyance, he brought his attention back to the front desk. She spent an entire night in his cabin. The first night she confesses, she sleeps with him. What a fucking slut. Okay, he had to stop thinking about these negative thoughts. In contrast, AJ ended up sleeping in his car because the two girls he invited in his tent caused him to overheat and he hated that feeling, so he let them snuggle up with one another and he enjoyed the coolness of the night. All his efforts with building a tent for nothing.

Why was he so bitter?

He needed to get better, not bitter.

Today was a new day! He was bitter two years ago and NOTHING has changed. It's time to move on. Be happy. Approaching the front desk, the young Fireball obnoxiously hit the bell numerous times and when the lady came to the front to speak kind words to this disruptive guest, she noticed who it was and grimaced. Shortly after, she was on the phone calling someone…

~

In a conference room, We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel was playing on maximum volume as the youngest Kable twin, Trent, swayed his feet to one of his favorite singers as he drew an ICE BREATHING DRAGON. He was nineteen now and still extremely young minded. 'Special' as his sister puts it. Yesterday, his older twin had told him that AJ would be visiting, which hasn’t happened in almost a year and a half! From what his cousin would say, he was busy with his friends and couldn’t drive four hours to see them. That’s okay. They visited him on Christmas anyways! “... Joe, McCarthy, Richard, Nixon, Studerbaker, Television, North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn, Monroe…”

“You OWE me, Joseph.” On one end of the conference table was Trent’s big sister, Sonya… she was twenty one… if he remembered correctly. “Those people signed that stupid contract. Now pay up motherfucker.”

“Rosenbergs, H-Bombs, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom, Brando, ‘The King and I’, and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’...”

Joseph Kable sat absentmindedly at the other end of the conference table, watching his rather entitled sister with listless eyes. A turkey club in hand he took another bite, slowly chewing as he watched his sister seethe and his brother.. Well he did whatever the hell he wanted. Joey didn’t normally mind, kid was entertaining in his own way and the fucker practically shared the same room with him until they were 10; Joey had gotten used to his quirks. Sonya… however was just a bitch looking for a little extra cash under the table when she didn’t have any ‘gigs’ available at ‘Big Tony’s’. Sure, she’d done a little extra business for him, gotten a few big wigs to sign a couple of contracts, ensure they’d be ‘VIP’, but this bitch was expecting him to pay out two days after she’d done it? Hell no…

Throwing a couple of chips in his mouth and swigging out the last of his coke, down to the annoying straw sucking at the end, he sighed in pleasure before placing the cup down. Grabbing one of the napkins on his end he started patting his mouth dry before wiping his hands in the cheap paper material. Sighing he started, “Listen sister,” Joey tossed the wad away, his hands coming together, “I get where you’re comin’ from, I see it, I hear it, I fuckin’ feel it. You know what I don’t sense though?” Pausing for dramatic effect, “I ain’t smellin’ it, fuck all even, you know what I mean right? That bacon, sizzlin’ in it’s fat, fuckin’ stinkin’ up the place, I. Ain’t. Smellin’ it.” Leaning back in his seat he folded his arms over, “I ain’t sayin’ I don’t appreciate your services or that I’m witholdin’ this debt I owe to ya, but baby, until I see Mr. Franklin and Jackson comin’ through those doors, you ain’t getting the 20% we agreed upon.”

“Oh? Then maybe Mr. Franklin and Jackson can kiss my phat ass. You know they won’t be agreeing to you, because you’re an ass. All they care about is this.” She grabbed her tits, for extra effect. Trent glanced up, shook his head, and then went back to shading his art and jamming to his song. They were always like this, even when they were kids. The only difference was the topics were mature and he barely understood what they were talking about over half the time!

“Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev, Rockefeller, Campanbella, Communist Bloc..”

Joey watched his sister’s vulgarity, an eye raised as she attempted to make her point, “You mean the fucker’s weren’t already kissin’ it? Don’t you think Georgie, Jeffrey and Abe might get a little jealous? Or was it Marcy? Honestly I can’t remember how many noses you’ve had jammed up your fuckin’ twat at this point.” Leaning forward on the table, “Don’t matter much either way, until the bills start rollin’ in, you ain’t seein’ a fuckin’ cent! If nothin’ else, consider your fuckin’ work to be on commission when it involves me.”

“We didn't start the fire. It was always burning, since the world's been turning!”

The siblings were interrupted by the landline ringing, “I’m going to get what I want. I always do.” She glared at the dick that was her younger brother. Not Trent. He was a good boy. JOSEPH. “I ain’t picking it up. Have fun babysitting.” And with that, Sonya stormed out. She had better things to do then spend her morning arguing, like steal his money anyways and have a good ol’ time with her girlfriends. Her parents were withholding her allowance for an 'undetermined' amount of time saying she has a shopping problem. They went out of their way to freeze her accounts. As if!

No longer singing to the song, the cutest Kable heavily sighed, “You made her angry.”

Sighing as she stormed off, he looked to his brother, a slightly sad look on his face, “You think I’m being hard on her bro?” Before Trent could answer though, Joey was back to his old demeanor and waved his hand dismissively, “Shut the fuck up Trent, she’s a cunt and deserved it.” Hand reaching for the phone he couldn’t help but keep up his tirade, _{“Fuckin’ money suckin’ bitch, I’ll hang her goddamn tits on the wall for Christ’s~”}, picking up the phone, Joseph asked in a rather annoyed tone, “What?!”

“Mr. Kable,” Karen, receptionist, miserable bitch, all wrapped up in one package, “Your ‘guests’ have arrived.” Even in the rather derisive tone his front of staff used, Joey was actually rather pleased, his cousin managed to arrive early. “Excellent! Make sure they’re well accommodated and have them sit tight, I’ll be right on down to greet ‘em.” The receptionist continued on, “Of course Mr. Kable, I would like to inform you however tha-” and without further interruption Joey quickly hung up. “Pack up your bags Trent, family is in town and it’s time to greet ‘em.” Standing up and adjusting his suit, he opened the door for Trent. As his brother began to walk out, Joey quickly slung his arm around his younger twin, “I think this is gonna be a weekend to remember, eh bro?”

“Uh, yeah. You bet.”

~

Back down at the lounge, AJ sprawled himself on one of the few seats left available and barked at his friends, and Misfit company, “Before my cousins get here, what do you guys want to do? I know I’m starving so that’s on the top of my list. We can chill for a bit, or walk the strip. Split in groups. I really don’t care. And I guess… the hobo is chillen with us still?” AJ was honestly baffled that Hugo was still with them, basking in their tense friendship and lust (fucking Val).

Hugo already had his guitar out again, strumming some light cords. Upon hearing the call from his young compatriot he responded with, “My name is Hugo, monsieur! Not ‘Hobo’ I know it can be quite difficult to call me by my correct name!” Hugo chortled, but in his mind, he was still trying to process what had happened. He woke up in the middle of a desert campsite amongst a group of young adults. Some seemed rather groggy, some seemed rather ashamed, and some seemed like they just wanted to get on with their day. All in all, Hugo had no recollection of the group he had spent the night with as he went through his journal, and yet some of them actually greeted him. He smiled in return, of course, as not to seem rude to the company he had slept amongst. After reviewing his journal while the rest dismantled their campsite, he found they were going in a direction that he was headed, so...why not tag along? Though some were confused, they seemed to allow Hugo to come into their fold and ride with them for whatever crazy journey they had ahead.

[BrutalBx]

Kim huffed when Emi finally let go. God, that may have lasted for only a couple minutes but it may as well have been an eternity. She rolled her shoulders, scooting an inch away from Emi as she launched into a conversation with AJ. Despite being disgruntled at Emi's unexpected contact moments before, her concern spiked as AJ lead her friend away. The Gearhead's presence didn't seem to be inciting anymore breakdowns, but Kim wasn't sure how long Emi's current weird emotional high would last.

She looked on as they left, then turned away, shaking her head. Emi would be fine.

'Their loss,' she said to Sami, shrugging. 'What kind of story you got in mind?'

Most everyone seemed to be off doing their own things, she'd noticed. The air seemed lighter, the atmosphere almost passing as cheery, even, as conversation filled the space, whispers and murmurs alike. Val seemed buzzed about something, chattering excitably with Jules. At least she didn't seem pissed anymore.

Her messenger bag hadn't stopped buzzing since she'd stuffed her phone in it. The near constant vibration was rather irritating; she placed her hand on the bag, making to shift it against the log she was sitting on, away from her side. Then she paused, considering.

The buzzing was constant. Someone was calling her, not sending texts one after the other. She sighed. Her fingers clenched, twisting the bag straps in their grip. The buzzing continued, disapproving.

'Ah, sorry, I've gotta take this call first.' The apologetic smile was easy to slip on, her fingers relaxing as she took out her phone, careful to point the screen towards herself. 'I'll be right back.'

It wasn't hard to slip away from the campfire, looking to all the world as if she was taking a call from a friend. Neutrality was an expression she'd mastered, exuding false flippancy in her movements. Perhaps a little too false - her steps felt too calm, her grip on her phone too lax. None of it synced up with her rapidly beating heart and her dry mouth.

The back of the cabins was dark, dimly lit by the starscape above and light peeking through the cabin windows. Someone had left the lights on.

Kim stared down at her phone, took a breath, then accepted the call.

'Hey, mum,' she said.

The response was immediate. 'Where are you, Kimberly? Why aren't you answering my texts?'

'Red Rock Canyon. Didn't I already text you that?'

'You're still there? Please don't tell me you're staying the night.'

'...'

'Kimberly.' A frustrated sigh. Then, a muttered, 'I knew this was a bad idea.' Kim tensed but before she could respond, her mum continued, louder. Firmer. 'Look, I know I let you go on this trip, but I was expecting you to be more responsible than this.'

'I'm not the one who crashed the RV, mum.'

'That too. I've got half a mind to talk to your friend about responsible driving-'

'Mum. Don't drag him into this. He drove fine, someone else crashed into us.'

'Drag him into this? You did that when you brought up this trip, Kimberly. I'm glad you're safe, but of all the places you could have stayed at, you chose Red Rock Canyon? Cabins in the middle of who knows where? What were you thinking?!'

'I was thinking we'd have a normal camping detour like normal teenagers do,' was what Kim wanted to say, but she held her tongue. She could point out how they were only getting anywhere because of the Gearheads in the first place, or how there really wasn't anything wrong with camping at Red Rock Canyon. She could argue that her mum was being irrational, angry for reasons that only existed in her own mind. She was safe, nothing bad had happened, and they were all fine.

She did not say any of these things.

'Well?'

What was she thinking? She hadn't been. Not really. They were all fine. With or without her. She'd come on this trip, expecting to find something in herself that didn't exist. There was nothing deeper to be found in Kimberly Beveridge, no layers to peel back, no hidden potential to dig out. She was what she was - an average teenager with no valid interests that could possibly carry her higher in life.

There was just no changing that.

'This trip really upsets you, doesn't it?' she said.

'Of course it does! My only daughter travelling so far away from home. Do you know how worried I get? Not to mention you're spending time you could be using to prepare for college. You should make the most of this time to grow your skills and plan for the future!'

Grow. What a joke.

'I'll...go home, then.'

'What?' Why did her mum sound surprised? The least she could do was act happy that her daughter was finally listening. 'Now? Are you sure?'

'I'll wait till we get to Las Vegas, then I'll book a flight. I-you're right. This trip wasn't a good idea. I'll be home soon enough.' Kim spoke with a calmness she didn't feel, her heart clenching in her chest. Somewhere in there, a voice told her that this was ridiculous - she'd already come so far, why was she turning back now? Their adventure had barely begun!

'And it can continue without me,' her mind responded. Its tone was droll, dispassionate, and its voice was what Kim listened to. 'There's nothing here for me and nothing I have to give.'

It only made sense.

'I'm glad you're finally listening to sense,' sighed her mum. 'Call me then, okay? Let me know when you're flying off.'

'I will,' said Kim, 'Bye.'

She ended the call without waiting for a response.

---

The rest of the evening passed with Kim on autopilot. She listened to Sami's story, engaged in the occasional conversation, and through it all, her calm, relaxed attitude itched at her like a mask that didn't fit. She never mentioned her leave; she didn't know how to. What was she supposed to say? 'Hey guys, I feel insecure about coming along on this trip so I'm turning a 180 and heading home'? They weren't exactly in Santa Monica any more. This wasn't something easily dismissed.

'Understatement of the year. This is your last trip with them, genius.'

Now, in bed, the news still lingered behind her lips, yet to leave. She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. This wasn't good. She couldn't just leave out of the blue tomorrow. The others would have questions and she wouldn't be able to answer them, not without spilling everything she'd worked to keep close to her chest all these years.

Could she sneak off? No, that wouldn't be fair to them. She huffed, turning onto her side. Someone had to know. She couldn't keep quiet about this forever, not if she was set on leaving. Her fingers brushed against hard plastic beside her pillow. She frowned, contemplating. Then she wrapped her fingers around her phone, got off the bed, and left the cabin.

The outside was no more darker than it had been earlier but without the light of the campfire and friendly conversation, the air felt colder. Kim leaned against the wall of Sami's cabin, next to its door.

It took a good five minutes of staring at Sami's contact name on her screen before she actually made a move. Shutting her eyes, she released a harsh exhale. Then, she typed.

you awake?

sorry to disturb. I'm outside. There's smtg I need to tell you.

if you're sleeping, don't respond.

Almost immediately after sending the last one, Kim resisted the urge to smack herself. 'Real smooth, Kim.'

It had been a long day, there had been fights, fucks and fungus (just where did those Mushrooms come from?) but Sami’s head was feeling a little clearer now than it had been all day. He had taken to a small cabin to end the night, he was lucky or unlucky enough to have a place all to himself for the evening. This worked out fine for him as it would leave him to plot and plan for their sojourn into the lions den of Las Vegas. This was going to be the make or break moment for their group, they had to win big in the city of sin or this whole thing would be for nothing. Exercising had always been a great way for Sam to get into his own head and sort through the nonsense that was his life. As the sweat poured down his semi naked self, he noted in the corner of his eye a light flashing. Pulling himself to his feet from his push up position, the Cubans wandered over to the little bed side table where he had left his phone and glanced down at a new message; it was from Kim. All of a sudden his clear mind was cloudy once more as a thousand thoughts ran through it. He quickly grabbed a small towel to wipe away the sweat and stepped out of the cabin door, into the cool desert moonlight and in front of his friend Kim.

”You want to leave, don’t you?”

Kim raised her eyebrows, not moving from where she leaned against the wall. Her gaze flicked down Sami's bare torso, then returned to his eyes. He looked tired, but it seemed to be more from exertion than exhaustion. In the dim light, Kim could hardly make out the bruising on his face or his expression. His tone seemed resigned.

In a moment of sudden self-consciousness, Kim was acutely aware of how she was alone with Sami. In the dark. She wished she'd thought to put on her denim jacket. With just her sleeveless wool top, she felt bare.

'That obvious, huh? How'd you guess?'

”You’re one of my best friends, I can tell when something isn’t right. Besides, this late in the day, it doesn’t take a genius to work out either you’re after a booty call or you have a major problem” Sami leaned back against the wall next to her and sighed. ”You know, I had this feeling, Kimmy that something just wasn’t clicking for you, pretty much ever since we left Santa Monica. I know I should’ve approached it sooner but with the accident and trying to salvage this trip that I completely neglected you and I’m sorry for that” the latin lover repented as he gazed out across the campsite. ”I don’t need to know details of you don’t want to share them. First thing tomorrow, we’ll rent a car and I’ll take you to the airport, it’ll be quicker than driving back”

'Don't be sorry,' said Kim, 'It's not your fault.'

She nodded to his suggestion. That would be that, then. She would leave and not look back. They would part ways, unsure of what the future held for them.

The wind blew gently. The chill of the night seeped into her skin. She suppressed a shiver, crossing her arms. The heat that had chaffed uncomfortably in the daytime had no place in night's cool blanket.

Part ways, huh?

The silence stretching out between them was beginning to teeter on the edge of vague discomfort. She opened her mouth, ready to admit to everything she'd kept inside from the moment she'd gotten to know him. The way her heart fluttered when his kind eyes saw her. The quiet moments she savoured when they could just be them and not think about anything else.

'I'll see you tomorrow, then,' she said. Then, 'Thanks.'

---

With all her practice, she thought it'd be easy. Acting like all was right with the world while her reality was all sorts of not. Easy peasy. Except this wasn't quite the same as all the other times. This was, most likely, the very last time she'd have the chance to put up this facade in front of this group of people. Her friends.

How strange that this should be her first time not wanting to pretend either.

The morning was hard. Whatever she said to Em, Val, Jules, Nate, or Umbra felt stiff and foreign leaving her mouth and any enquiries on her wellness she deflected with a dismissive shake of her head. She was acting oddly, she knew, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them all she was leaving. Telling them would mean explanations and she knew Val would drag it out of her if she wanted to. And explaining everything right before leaving? Laying herself bare, letting them see the nothing that she was and would forever be? She couldn't do that. If this was going to be her last memories of them, she wanted it to be of them happy, in their own little ways.

It didn't change the fact it still felt like she was walking on eggshells every minute.

When it was finally just her and Sami again, on the way to the airport, relief rode through her. She wasn't sure what exactly he'd told them, but she was certain he hadn't said that she was leaving. Had he? Who knew? The others sure hadn't acted differently.

'That's because it wouldn't matter if you were there or not.'

The ride to the airport was quiet. Comfortably so. It was...familiar. The comfortable atmosphere quelled the unease in her middle more than the lights of Vegas ever could. But it couldn't last forever. Soon, she found herself staring at the hustle and bustle of the airport, just ahead. The taxi's engine rumbled behind where she stood. Her grip tightened on her suitcase handle.

She turned to Sami, flashing a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

'I should tell him.'

She stuck her hand out. Fondness, the first genuine feeling she'd felt all morning, crawled into her chest.

'Till we meet again.'

”Go ride those silver wings. I’ll be seeing you soon, Kimi” Little did either know, Sami would never make it back after this trip.

[Venus]

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There was a new spring in Valeria's step as the shorter girl made her way down the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel. Her bright smile seemed to outshine the glitz and glamour of the room around her, and her cheeks were glowing with the remnants of last night's victory. In the words of one Selena Gomez: it was magical, lyrical, beautiful. The five years of waiting had definitely been worth it. And if she took into consideration how they’d had one last go at each other before meeting the rest of the group this morning, Val was confident that she’d made her best impression.

Nate’s eyes were wide as he entered the Bellagio next to Valeria their shoulders touching as they walked. He had never seen anything this extravagant in his life. His camera was plastered to his face his finger on the trigger clicking away. Finally Nathan turned the camera on Val, but the girl was too engulfed in her phone to notice. “What could possibly be more interesting than all of this?” he laughed as he took a final picture of the beautiful glass sculpture.

“Just gimme a sec. One of my cousins had an emergency and we’re giving her advice in the group chat, Val told Nate, her thumbs and eyes glued to the device in her hand.

A few holidays ago, the adults of the Diedrikson, Wallenberg and Drake families had conspired to give each and every one of the eleven children a cellphone as a Christmas gift. It was on that day that The Sisterhood was born: a group chat composed by the seven ladies in their generation, with each screen name inspired by a childhood cartoon that best fit their personalities. Valeria Drake was Ashley Spinelli: the short, tomboyish girl from Recess. Mads Diedrikson was Marie, the white-furred, prissy and spoiled kitten of the movie The Aristocats. Frankie Diedrikson was Daria Morgendorffer: the pessimistic, cynical, sharp-witted teen from the MTV animated series of the same name. Lottie Diedrikson was Sailor V: the athletic, friendly and resilient blonde of the Sailor Moon manga. McKayla Diedrikson was dubbed Squidward by her cousins, only because of her party-pooper attitude towards the chat name idea in the first place. And Ingrid and Astrid Wallenberg were, of course, Thing 1 and Thing 2: the hyperactive, inseparable twins from the Dr. Seuss books.

What had started out as a space to share dumb memes and annoy each other eventually became the place to go for all types of advice, and the best way to keep each other updated about the occurrences in each other's lives. That day, none of her cousins were having an emergency, or even asking for advice. Instead, it had been Valeria to summon the girls out of hiding so she could narrate the latest chapter in the teen drama that was her life recently.

Spinelliiiiiii 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙🏻: Avengers: assembleeeeeeee 📢🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

Daria 🧝🏻‍♀️🎨: Reporting for duty! 🤸

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: Wtf val?
Its fkn 9 on a Sat morning
Cant a hoe get some fkn sleep?

Marie 👸🏼😽: what's up, buttercup? 😽

Thing 2 🤸🏻‍♀️👭: Jesus Val ur such a lameo 🙄

Squidward 🙄😒: Ugh… now what?

Spinelliiiiiii 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙🏻: I GOT FUCKED!!!
😭🙌😭🙌😭🙌

Squidward 🙄😒: 100% gross, why are you telling us this?

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: OMG WHAT?! 😱😱😱

Thing 1 💃🏻👭: you for real?! 👀

Marie 👸🏼😽: holy shit
Go Val 🔥🔥🔥

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: YAY! 💃💃💃🙌🙌🙌

Thing 1 💃🏻👭: okay but WHO?!

Thing 2 🤸🏻‍♀️👭: Yeah, WHO?!

Spinelliiiiiii 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙🏻: N A T E mf MATTHEWS

Squidward 🙄😒: Oh. That’s why.

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: is that the hot Russian?

Daria 🧝🏻‍♀️🎨: No dude, it’s that photography kid that she never shuts up about! Not that I’ve been stalking his instagram or anything.

Marie 👸🏼😽: Kiki u whore
Leave the poor boy alone

Daria 🧝🏻‍♀️🎨: Hey… if the shoe fits. 🤷

Thing 2 🤸🏻‍♀️👭: So? How was it?

Squidward 🙄😒: No Astrid! Now she’s going to go into detail! I’m going to upchuck my breakfast burrito.

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: Yasssss mami choke on that fat thick burrito 💦😩

Squidward 🙄😒: Ew

Marie 👸🏼😽: Bet u wont say that when u choke on Gus 😏

Thing 1 💃🏻👭: EW MADS SHUT IT THATS MY FKN BROTHER 😖

Thing 2 🤸🏻‍♀️👭: Wow… and your cousin you blonde freak

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: This ain’t Alabama Mads

Spinelliiiiiii 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙🏻: OKAY BUT CAN WE GET BACK TO ME AGAIN

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: Yeah u sluts
Let Val tell us all about how Nate turned over her insides with the power of his thick fat burrito 🌯

Squidward 🙄😒: 🙄

Marie 👸🏼😽: 🍵

Spinelliiiiiii 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙🏻: Okay so
Fucking J basically totalled our RV yesterday when he ran us off the road 😒 more on that later cause i’m still pissed about it
So we had to separate and catch rides with the rest of his squad
We end up at this campsite near Vegas, and when we’re just chillin by a bonfire Daddy Nate asks me to go take some pics with him

Squidward 🙄😒: Daddy… gross.

Sailor V 🧞‍♀️🎾: shut up u virgin 😒
go on sweetie 🔥

Spinelliiiiiii 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙🏻: anyway, we take the pics, end up talking and whatevah
Then i just fucking go for it and kiss him
At first he pulls away like a lil bish and starts asking all these questions
But then he sorta gets it and tells me i can share the cabin he’s got cause i was stupid and forgot to get one for myself

Marie 👸🏼😽: ‘forgot’ she says. Sure Jan. I know what u wanted 😏😏😏

Spinelliiiiiii 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙🏻: So we do end up sharing the cabin
And not even ten minutes after we’re laying in bed staring at the ceiling he’s pretty much RIPPING MY CLOTHES OFF
And we just went at it 💦😩
And lemme tell u, all that shit i said about the big dick energy? I wasn’t kidding
Homeboy is S O L I D A F
😏😈🔥

Nathan shifted his attention from scribbling in his notebook to the fast tapping of Val’s fingers on the phone screen. He knew it wasn’t right but he had to know what was going on. A wide grin spread across the young man’s face as he caught the tail end of a long group chat he suspected was her girl group. He cleared his throat, “I wouldn’t say I was ripping them off… you helped some.” he laughed softly returning to his journal.

When Nate’s comment reached her ears, Val jumped in surprise, nearly dropping her phone into the nearby fountain. “Were you literally just reading my messages?” she asked him as the heat quickly rose to her face, cheeks burning red at the thought of Nate having read everything she’d just said in that chat.

A pang of guilt hit him in the stomach. “Yeah… yeah I was I’m sorry.” he bit his lower lip tapping his pen on his closed notebook. “I was just worried about your cousin.” he smiled at his lame attempt at a joke.

“Worried about my cousin?” Val repeated in disbelief, raising an eyebrow before scoffing. “You’re so full of shit,” she told him, chuckling and shoving him playfully.

“What does solid af mean?” he asked, hiding a laugh.

And when he asked that, the flush returned to Val’s face with a vengeance, and had the usually cool girl in a fit of nervous giggles. “You know what it means! It means that you weren’t, you know, small, in that aspect. That you weren’t disappointing.”

It was Nathan’s turn to blush now “Oh… thanks, I guess.” he shifted a little in his seat, and the two let the embarrassed silence fill the space between them. When AJ asked the group what they should do Nathan jumped at the chance to shift the conversation to something other than his solidness. “Oh yeah! Food! Great idea man!” he piped up.

“Agreed,” Val added eagerly. “I can feel my cheeks disappearing the longer I go without food.”

“Anything particularly good in here?” the taller boy smiled at the Gearhead.

[Plank Sinatra]

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Location | Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas Time | 11:32 AM / London Time | 7:32 PM / Moscow Time | 9:32 PM
Interacting with | AJ @TootsiePop / Val (mentioned) @Dirty Pretty Lies / Nate @spooner
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If they had been in Reno, or Salt Lake City, or even the weed-infested hive of Denver, Aleks would have snapped by now.

It was uncharacteristic for the roughneck nights of the oligarch's heir to appear on his face, but a combination of unfortunate events had conspired this morning to put actual circles underneath Aleks' eyes and a jittery, impatient energy into his fingers. Monica's departure the previous night had been something he had been forewarned of; her parents, forever pushy about her choice of undergrad degrees, had summoned her home for another one of the strict talks they loved to subject her to. AJ hadn't been warned, but that wasn't particularly shocking, either. In any event, it wasn't the end of the world - we'll meet up after Thailand, they had promised each other with a hug and kiss, and Monica had ridden off west again in the dead of night to confront the hydra of a demanding family unit.

Yessi had proven a more unpleasant surprise. This morning he had returned from his run (four miles in the desert, a rare treat that was up on the 'dumb fucking maneuvers' list between pissing onto an electric fence and dragging Beyonce online) to wake up his best friend with his typical candor in the face of her tequila-fueled benders and found her violently ill, curled up in the cabin she'd staked out and dependent on a bottle of pills to even stay conscious. He had wanted to stay with her once it became apparent that she was in no fit state to travel, but when she had finally managed to get a message out between the waves of side-wracking vomiting, he could make one coherent sentence out between the foreign curses and the groans of discomfort - you love Vegas, dumbass, go to Vegas. Only that directive, plus the thought of AJ alone on the road during this mess, managed to get him away from Yessi.

She promised she would catch up, and he believed her - maybe she would even bring a fucking car that could function in the heartland - but that didn't change the fact that the lonely Nevada drive without Yessi made him feel as though he'd lost something vital. Like he'd tried to hit the gas pedal only to realize he'd lost his fucking legs to a shark, or something. Only occasional speakerphone calls with AJ and his playlist filled the funeral-like silence inside Aleks' Lotus - and even the music lost its succor without fighting over music choices with Yessi. Listening to 7 Rings a million times was less endearing when it was him looping it instead of her.

Even AJ, Aleks' last and strongest bastion of brotherhood, had been a wreck. Aleks had taken up his normal role as AJ Tyler's shadow; even here in the lounge, Aleks was rooted firmly beside the Gearheads' ringleader, kicked back on the couch beside AJ with one hand around his shoulder and the fingers of the other holding his cigarette to his mouth. But it hadn't been an altogether pleasant experience.

AJ brooding over the end of his relationship was something he could deal with, but AJ brooding over the beginning of Val's was another animal entirely - and truthfully, the new power couple was starting to make a vein throb even in Aleks' temple. When his autopiloted brain had heard the cries the night before, it brought a wry smile to his face while he performed his card tricks, and he supposed he had even fallen into a sort of half-sleepy reverie to them. While AJ had been volatile, one wrong word away from an explosion until they were in the cars, Aleks had actually found Valeria's afterglow kind of adorable. When AJ had stopped to fix an angry glare on her, sweltering and furious in the California heat, the beleaguered Aleks - in the middle of trying to salvage Yessi's health and travel status - had been looming over his shoulder to fix his pint-sized friend with an exhausted smile and a mouthed Good for you.

But that had been in California. They were in Vegas now, and they were still fucking going on about it. He'd had great sex before, too, but sex was like a phone call with your parents. Too much of it too often would only make it a fucking chore - and none of your friends wanted to see it or hear a fucking word about it. Hearing coy dialogue about Nate's dick size like they were still fucking fifteen was almost enough to make him dig one of his cigarettes into each ear.

He had gone through a lot of cigarettes since leaving Yessi. He had even caught himself about to light up in his car - a survival instinct that overruled any of his normal rational thought - around the state line. He had switched to candy for a while after that, but by now he needed the smokes again. It wasn't the healthiest of breakfasts, especially not in regular intervals for four hours, but the fucking hobo they had somehow picked up for the ride seemed to live off the same diet and keep some measure of his roguish good looks. Aleks didn't even want to get started on that acquisition. Losing Yessi and gaining the hobo who had given her his stale-ass weed in the first place was like cutting off his arms and replacing them with fucking pool noodles.

At least they had AJ's cousins to look forward to. AJ seemed exhausted by the very idea of them, which was fair, but Aleks didn't mind. The small handful of occasions he'd met the Kables, they had always taken to him fairly easily. But even he was in no mood to deal with them on an empty stomach. The burrito boy was right. Aleks tilted his head up slightly, chin resting on the small hint of his lean chest that lay revealed by the two shirt buttons the Russian had undone.

"I want," Aleks took a long, deliberate drag off of his cigarette, which did nothing to help the cavernous feeling in his stomach and chest, "more burgers. Greatest American food. First round is on me."