[IC] Rosefell High.

[KZOMBI3]

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

Insta Post

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

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

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

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

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

[NeoAJ]

_{A @NeoAJ and @Altered Tundra collab}

---

As she took her seat amidst the students with Ludvig next to her, like everyone else who were in attendance (or at least those who were in the Junior and Senior classes), Camila tried to feign interest in what the principal was saying. She might’ve zoned here and there, talked with Ludvig about some things, but for the most part, she was silenced by those next to her who actually had an interest in what the assembly was about. So, whether the auburn-haired girl wanted to or not, she tuned in.

Within the first couple of minutes, she echoed the displeasure some of the students around her had in -- well, everything. From the funding for the arts not being there and the lack of funding in general, it seemed that she had picked the perfect year to return. Little to no funding for the arts, more but not by much funding for football, and a casual mention for the tryouts? Not mention that weird inclusion of a different version of Home Ec.

“Wonderful.”

As the students were effectively dismissed, Camila bid her best friend adieu as she wanted to do something before heading off to class. She couldn’t help but stick on the Home Ec bit. It was a strange addition among the many changes. Granted she wasn’t around during the past two years, but it still made something in her twist the wrong way.

“What exactly--” Camila was interrupted mid-thought as she bumped into someone. “--I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Camila offered the blonde she had bumped into her sincere apology.

The sudden jolt to her backside knocked Melissa out of her Henderson-induced stupor. The assembly was a snore, no new news given that it was known that the school had fuck all for money. The confirmation of cheerleading tryouts was good, at least it was something to look forward to. The Home Ec announcement was weird. So everyone in the school was going to have to learn how to cook? Melissa could cook. She could make all the frozen dinners and mac and cheese she needed. At least that’s what she was thinking of when she got tackled from behind.

OK, it wasn’t a tackle, but it still was unwelcome. The person tried to explain and apologize, as well they should, but it was still unacceptable. How dare they not see the Queen of Rosefell in front of them? She turned around to give her a piece of her mind, but suddenly stopped when she saw who was doing their best Canadian impression.

They were familiar, but foreign at the same time. Then Melissa remembered what Steph was talking about on the drive to school. “Cami DeLuca, is that you? You really back on the Bus?”

She looked at the blonde girl for a few short moments. She was older but there was something familiar about her. It was as though Camila had seen her before. “Yeah, it’s me,” Cami nodded, trying to figure it out where she had met this girl. She couldn’t shake it but something about the way she presented herself gave her an air of familiarity. “Do I know you from somewhere?” She asked.

Melissa was pleased with herself, and pleased with Steph, since her info had paid off and she confirmed that her former gymnastics teammate had indeed returned. However, she wasn’t too pleased that the same memory wasn’t embedded with Cami. She almost felt hurt! Granted she wasn’t the commanding presence then that she was now, but still. This was worse than getting bumped into.

“Cami, it’s Melissa. Melissa Elliott?” she identified. “We were friends before you moved away? We had gymnastics together?”

“oh..Oh!” The realization of who was standing in front of her hit her like a swift punch in the gut. The blonde hair, the queen energy, and beauty to make supermodels jealous. Of course, it was Mel. “I feel terrible for not realizing that was you. You’re looking good, Mel!” She complimented the girl in the middle of her second apology.

“Well, I always look good,” she confirmed. “But, you know that. I guess I can forgive you for the whole ‘not recognizing me’ thing. I mean, it’s been what, four years since you left? If Steph hadn’t told me you were in town again, I guess I wouldn’t have recognized you either!” She laughed to punctuate the remark and let Cami know that it was fine and a third apology wouldn’t be necessary. “Anyway, how long have you been back? Must be weird seeing all the old landmarks again, right? Except the Wendy’s on East Mound, tragic news about that fire…”

Cami had forgotten just how much of a talker Melissa was. When she started, she didn’t stop until she was finished. Cami being Cami, though, she waited until she was done. That was the polite thing to do. “It’s been three, actually,” Cami clarified, correcting Mel’s previous statement about how long she was gone. “I’ve been back two weeks, so I haven’t been able to catch up with anyone but Ludvig,” she sighed with regret. “What have you been up to since I’ve been gone?” She asked her.

“Well, I run this place now,” Melissa stated matter-of-factly. “I am the queen of this school. You know, as someone who is the head cheerleader should be. But yeah, things have been going well. I think this is going to be the best year of high school yet. Especially now that you’re back!” She went to hug Cami. “Girl, you need to join up with the squad! You would be a perfect fit with me and Steph and Tiff!”

On that suggestion - that out of nowhere, out of the blue suggestion - Camila jerked out of the hug, staring blankly into her blue eyes as if she was seeking for any further explanation. It was one thing catching up with her old gymnastics friends, but it was something else entirely to suggest that she not only join the cheer squad but also her group of friends. “I don’t think I would be such a good fit. Do they even know me?” Camila asked, waves of uncertainty coming over her, though she would be lying to herself if she wasn’t the least bit curious.

Melissa blinked for a couple seconds, as if uncertain as to how there wasn’t an instant acceptance of her offer. She quickly composed herself though, brushing off her top as if she had to straighten it out as her top priority. “Well you know Steph for sure, right? Steph Wang? She was in gymnastics with us? She follows you on gram? Me and her are still besties, although that’s not good enough to get me into her ugly-ass minivan. Tiff… I don’t know if you would remember Tiff if you don’t remember Steph. She’s great though. She’s like a lovable puppy. Sometimes we even play fetch with her. But this would be perfect! We’ve been running this school as a trio, just imagine what we can do if we link up again? It'll be just like old times! Only, you know, we can drive and stuff.”

As Melissa spoke, she went through her insta for a quick moment, looking for Steph Wang among her followers. She didn’t have as many as most did but she had accumulated roughly around two thousand, though most of them were from model agencies and trolls/fake accounts. When she finally found Steph, again it hit her like a hammer to the head. “Oh right! Steph!” The name had finally clicked with the face.

Camila pocketed her phone and flashed Mel a gleaming smile now that she knew who she was referring to. She was on her way to make yet another apology, but when Mel mentioned about old times, she had a flash of memories. Gymnastics back when she had lived in Columbus before moving, things were as good as they could be. She had Ludvig and her gymnastic friends. Even though she cherished her time in S.I., there had always been something special about the place she grew up and the friends she made.

“Well, I was thinking about trying for the cheer squad. Figure I could put my gymnastics talents to use somehow,” she admitted with a laugh. “And Tiff sounds like a doll. Like someone you must protect from the scum of the earth.”

“Absolutely. I mean if anyone was to hurt Tiff, I would slash them eight new mouths,” Melissa confirmed. “She is a sweet, innocent bean. But I mean, you don’t have to try for the cheer squad, girl.” She winked. “You’re talking to the freaking Julianne Hough of the team. Like I got the magic X. You’re in as long as you want it and actually show up for the tryouts. You can literally just twirl a finger and I got you, cause you still got connections here, Cami. You can get off the Bus, but the Bus remembers you.” Melissa was going for that Game of Thrones vibe, but much like the final season, it likely fell flat on its face.

Camila laughed at her last comment. “You might have the H.B.I.C. energy, but you still have that corny sense of humor that always made me smile back in the day.” Cami could remember it fondly. Melissa making jokes that usually fell flat, but when practices and drills were tough, that was one of the few things that brightened up her days back then -- well, that and baconators every other Fridays at Wendy’s.

“The privilege of being a friend,” Melissa smiled as she seemed to have tapped enough nostalgia to convince Cami that she was being real. Or maybe Cami was tapping into the younger self that Mel thought she had done a good job of burying during her rise to the top of the food chain at Rosefell. Revertigo was real and it was dangerous. “Just don’t spread the word, I’m the head cheerleader, not the class clown. I have a certain reputation to uphold. But,” she put her hand on Cami’s shoulder, “that reputation means that you’re gonna be a queen here, Cami. I know it’s not New York, but it’s definitely got its perks. For example, we are gonna be well stocked for that lake party on Friday night. As a Thorn, you get access to the goods. While all the fools are drinking cheap Keystone Lights, we will have a cooler flush with the nectar of the gods, Bacardi Breezers. Orange, Lime and Cranberry. None of that Pineapple sludge, and I will be happy to share the fine beverages with my dear amigo.”

“This party you’re talking about,” Camila began, “would that be the same party that Aria is hosting?” She asked Melissa.

“I believe she is handling the hosting duties,” Melissa nodded. “She’s good at it. It’s her thing.”

“Duly noted!” Cami made sure to mentally note that about Aria. If she was to be a future queen of whatever, she would definitely need to know the powers that be and what sort of powers they possessed. “How crazy do parties here get?” She asked with curiosity in her eyes.

“Honestly, it depends,” Mel admitted. “They can be pretty tame, but given this is the first party of the school year, it will be a shitshow. I know JK will be there, and she puts the ‘High’ in Ohio. So, I mean, I don’t know if that is more your thing, but that is an option. But I’d say there will be crazy enough that there will be a drunken football player jousting tournament at this one. I can tell you who to put your money on.”

“If they are anything like the ones back in Staten, then I’m sure the place to be is far away from their stupidity,” she bluntly said, laughing. “Unless the jocks here happen to be shockingly tame?”

“Not a chance. They are all pretty stupid.” Melissa had confirmed this fact up close. “But we will have vehicles parked far away from the clashes. And if necessary, we can sacrifice Steph’s minivan.”

“There are no losers in that scenario,” Camila shrugged, showing no love for the atrocity that was the minivan.

Melissa giggled. “I know, right?” Cami was already fitting back in like a glove. It was like she had never left. “Anyway, I have to head to American History, but if you want to give me your number, I would be much happier to fill you in on the history you missed out on while I am forced to endure that snorefest. I mean, seriously, I know the country is screwed. What’s the point of learning more about the past? Melissa had her phone out at this point. It was amazing she had went this long without it being immediately accessible.

“We were screwed since 2016,” Camila cackled, handing Melissa her phone as she took the blonde’s. One selfie and contact creation later, Camila was in Mel’s contacts and Mel was in hers. “And done!” She flashed Mel a smile. “If you get bored during class, feel free to slide into my DMs.”

"I can guarantee that will happen very quickly in American History," Melissa confirmed. "Anyway, talk soon!" With a twinkle of her fingers, Melissa bid her reacquainted friend adieu. There would be plenty of time to get Cami up to speed on the goings on with the school and the plans that the Thorns had for the upcoming year. For now, there was lip service to be paid. Mr. Watney probably would go on and on about wars and junk for the first month. It was time to see if the syllabus would confirm that.

[MissCapnCrunch]

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

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

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

Art didn't pay the bills after all.

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

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

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

[Venus]

Like most of her classmates, Jenna was not paying attention to Henderson or the assembly. The young woman was completely tuning out the principal and everything else happening around her with the trusty help of her old iphone: white earphones on her ears blasting the Global Top 50 playlist and catching up on the happenings of Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. It was during her scrolling of that last app where she came across Morgan Sinclair’s latest post, and her stomach immediately filled up with butterflies. Although she’d spent most of her free time between (or, more accurately, under) Mikey or Lance, there was no denying that JK’s thoughts often drifted to the events of earlier that summer.

Morgan and Jenna had been best friends since the third grade, grown up with a bond so close that they felt like sisters to each other. But things had changed from sisterhood to sexual attraction after the duo shared a drunken kiss at the end of the semester party last May. The young women had found themselves thinking long and hard about the kiss, brushing it off as consequences of peer pressure and drinking too much. They decided to confirm this theory a few nights later at Jenna’s place, and what started as a test kiss ended with one of the most passionate encounters both girls had ever had in their lives. From that point on, their bond had changed, but they had chosen to ignore the issue for fear of ultimately ending their friendship. Jenna hoped that maybe the summer spent apart would help them clear their head and figure things out. But so far, all that had happened was that she was missing Morgan like crazy.

Lost in her thoughts, she failed to realize the assembly was over and they had been dismissed. As she was gathering her belongings to trudge to first period, her phone vibrated in her hand, and a text message from Rich popped up on her screen. Smirking, Jen unlocked the device and quickly typed up a reply:

‘Yes, sir! JK’s Sweets is officially open for business!’

Two rows from where JK sat, Alana had been her nerdy little self, paying close attention to what was being said. When Principal Henderson thanked them for ‘choosing’ Rosefell, the short girl couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t ‘chosen’ the school: it was simply one she attended out of convenience. But hey, she’d let the older man think whatever made him happy. While the news of the reduction in budget definitely disappointed her, she sure as hell wasn’t surprised. Rosefell was one of the worst funded schools in their district, as they were hoping to slowly financially suffocate it enough to justify the eventual plans of closing it down. Still, it didn’t make her feel any less saddened that the students had to pay the price for the bureaucracy.

Then came the notice of the Home Ec and the Baby Project, and Lani was (as opposed to the rest of the class) actually excited for it. Cooking, cleaning and babysitting experience with infants were skills she had learned long ago, so it was looking like this would be the easiest class in her schedule.

Finally, they were dismissed, and her friends and classmates quickly went on their merry way to their respective homeroom classrooms. But instead of following suit, there was something Alana needed to take care of first.

With her hands slightly trembling with nerves and anticipation, the brunette pulled out her phone and quickly typed up a text message to a very special person:

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

Smiling to herself, Lana hit ‘Send’ and eagerly awaited his response. The Alana everyone knew would never dream of doing anything against the rules. But it was senior year, after all! If there was ever a time to get a little risky, it was now, and Alex Bellamy was the perfect person worth being rebellious for.

[Sugar and Spite]

Last Friday Night || Gen Why || Megatron || Wow

If you had ever watched any TV series about teenagers in high school - you would know that parties were a common thing during the teenage years. For the kids at Rosefell it was a matter of getting enough money together to get the things to even through the party. Luckily enough for the juniors and seniors that had been invited, their hostess was gracious enough to spend her own money for the party.

One could easily spot the massive bonfire surrounded by a few logs and chairs for people to sit on. There was the glorious booze table to the right lined with juices and liquors. The snack and party favors were located on a separate table right beside of it. Packs of hot dogs and marshmallows could be found if one wished to cook them in the fire. Otherwise there were bags of chips, grilled hamburgers, and tons of JK Moore's famous edibles to be had. Beer pong had been set up a little ways from the bonfire closer to the lake. Rich had been kind enough to let Aria borrow the stereo system in his car for the night so that she could blue tooth her chosen Spotify playlist to it. People were more than welcome to bring their own things to the party if the wanted - just so long as it wasn't something ridiculous.

All in all, the students of Rosefell high hoped that this would be a night to remember.

[Hedgehawk]

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

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

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

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

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

[Infinite Cosmos]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[twannyman]

Hendrik

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

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

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

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

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

[Hellion]

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

POP QUIZ TODAY!

“You’ve got to be kidd-”

“Alex!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

---

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

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

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

[AlteredTundra]

Ricky had spent the majority of the first week trying to tell himself all of it was worth it; that the time spent wasn’t just pointless. He did this so he didn’t skip during the first week, but that didn’t work because not even two days in, Ricky was basically absent from school from second period -- his free period for those who didn’t know -- and this eventually caught up to him. He knew he was fucked for several reasons. These reasons were irrelevant only because when he came in front of his house and saw his aunt’s department-issued car still parked in front of their house on Franklin Avenue at a time when he knew she was supposed to be out patrolling or doing some police work.

As soon as he opened the door and closed it behind him, a Dr. Pepper can in his hand and casually sipping it, right off the bat he saw a certain someone sitting in the recliner chair in the front room as if she was waiting for him. He sipped the soda once more and sighed. He belched as only one could when they have just consumed half of a can of Dr. Pepper and he took a seat.

“Oh hey, Mona. What are you doing home? Aren’t you supposed to be protecting us from killers and rapists?“ He casually joked, chuckling at his own wit.

The older redheaded woman sighed. She was still in her officer uniform and she did not look happy. “Yes, I would love to be out there doing my job, but hard to protect and serve the people out there when my nephew is already causing me trouble in here.”

Ricky didn’t look up at her. “Oh no. Do I have a cousin somewhere my useless parents forgot to tell me about?” Ricky, again, joked, making light of a potentially dire situation for him.

Suddenly, he heard her hand slam on the table next to the recliner she was sitting in, causing the lamp on it to fall over. “This isn’t a game, Patrick!” Her voice echoed loudly within the thin, white walls that barely had anything on them. “Henderson called me, saying you failed to show up for any of your classes today.”

“Oh no, not Henderson. Anyone but Mr.Henderson!” Ricky feigned a distressed tone and then returned to his unphased state a moment later. “He doesn’t scare me,” he stated, sipping his soda.

“Patrick Hunter Quinn!” She shouted, causing him to perk up and look at her with slanted eyes. “You can’t be doing this. I’m not sure if you ever realized this but skipping school causes people to look our way and when certain people pay attention to us, this living situation you and I have might be compromised. So I need you to meet me halfway.”

Truth be told, Ricky wasn’t sure what a few partial days skipped would do. It’s not like social services were going to come knocking on his door because he skipped some classes and, of all times, during the first week. Even if he had missed some important lessons, he didn’t think much of it because, again, it was only the first week. Nothing important happens during the first week.

“And another thing--” Ramona noticed Ricky wasn’t paying attention to her, so she slammed her hand on the arm of the couch he was sitting on. “Ricky!” She shouted, again forcing him to glance her way.

“Aunt Ramona!” he said her name in a cheeky tone and greeted her with a cheeky grin.

“We have to be on the same--”

As she spoke, Ramona was about to repeat herself, but then she heard her radio go off.

“We’ve got shots fired on the corner of Redwood and Langley,” Dispatch said.

A smile came to his face as he realized where this call would place her. Redwood and Langley were about seven miles south of where they lived, but more importantly, it would place her in a busy situation and save him from her nagging. “You better get that, Auntie.” Ricky teased her (much to her annoyance).

She sighed. “Copy that, Dispatch. 23 en route to location, over.”

“Roger that, 23.”

Though he was happy to be free of her consistent whining, watching Ramona get ready to leave, Ricky couldn’t help but feel worried. It wasn’t like him to show emotion, but no matter how big of a pain in his ass she was, she was the closest thing he had to a parent. It was clear that as he stood when she did, there was a show of respect and compassion for the older woman.

“Say, Aunt Mona..” Ricky spoke up just as she had one foot out the door.

She paused and glanced back at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before long. Just,” she paused, smiling at him. “Just don’t get too wild at that party, all right?”

As Ricky nodded, Ramona was soon out the door, sirens going off as they became less and less close by.

About an hour later when Ricky’s uber arrived, he got a ride to the lakefront, which took a good while and allowed him the time to think. While he had a lot on his mind, the one thing -- well, a person more like -- that came to mind was, in fact, his aunt. She had practically raised him since he was a little boy. She stepped up where nobody else would. She got a job she probably hated but did it to support him. And how did he thank her? By being a burden.

From the time he was an edgy preteen to, well now, Ricky gave her nothing but grief and trouble. Sometimes he wondered why she put up with him and didn’t toss him back into the foster system. It sure as hell would be a lot easier on her and maybe she could get her life back and enjoy what little remained of her young life. Maybe she could finally get married or do something other than worry about him.

“Yeah, like I’m not worried about her right now,” Ricky murmured, seeing the party come into view.

He said his farewells to his Uber driver and found himself at the party, though he stood a good distance away.

Ricky wasn’t exactly dressed for a lakefront party. Honestly? He wore the same thing that he usually wore. He had his leather jacket, a dark-colored tank, a pair of denim jean shorts that came to his mid-shin, and dirty shoes. He might be one for the party scene but Ricky never dressed to impress nor was he someone who would sacrifice his ideals just to look fashionable.

After a few moments of remaining away, Ricky decided to join the party, regardless of how reluctant he was about it. His legs carried him to the lakeside and closer to where the vertical bonfire and music was more ‘in your face’. He glanced around, trying to see if anyone was around but there wasn’t much to choose from. Henderson’s little bitch photographer, Alex was chit-chatting away with another little bitch and, well that was pretty much it.

“Man this is lame,” Ricky groaned.

He considered what to do. He could just as easily stay where he was at, enjoy the music, and stay away from bitch center, or he could have some fun with the paparazzi to entertain himself until Jenna or someone else caught his attention. And he considered other options that weren’t even directly tied to that.

Soon, as his legs started carrying him in a specific direction, his decision was made clear.

Ricky smiled at Alex and ignored Jordan. “So, Alex, how does it feel to have a direct line to Henderson’s vapid asshole?” He asked the photographer, again ignoring Jordan, which was easy for him to do because he couldn’t stand the little gossip queen.

[Sugar and Spite]

_Outfit
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

Aria had been planning the lake party well before school had started with the help of her friend Jenna. The manager at the dinner where she worked was nice enough to let her borrow some fold out tables to set the party favors on for the night, though she would have to return them undamaged, of course. It was nice to see everything finally coming together as the sun began to go down.

Rich's car speakers were working damn near perfectly as people started to arrive. While she smiled, nodded, and waved to the familiar faces that walked through the trees, Aria was only looking for one face in particular - Cami. Had her invite been to sudden? To welcoming? Was Aria wrong to assume that since Lud was coming, Cami would as well? Due to Cami showing up or not, Aria had tried to plan the perfect outfit. Not to slutty, but just enough skin. Dark high waisted denim shorts, a loose white tank top, black cardigan and a black two-piece bathing suit underneath it all.

She was currently at the drink table mixing herself a screwdriver, swaying to the beat of the music as she did so. Tonight was either going to be amazing, or very very horrible. Only time would tell which, but at hopefully she wouldn't make to much of a fool out of herself.

[Sugar and Spite]

Outfit
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

Morgan hadn’t spent that much time getting prepared for tonight's party. To be truthful, she rushed through her smaller assignments for this weekend so that she could get a decent amount of time for her Twitch stream this afternoon. She had killed enough angry ten year olds and trash talked enough middle age men until she was in a good mood. Taking a shower around six that evening, she wouldn’t realize how late it was until she had blow dried her hair. (Having thick, curly hair, it took forever to dry.)

”Fuck,” she exclaimed, eyes widening as she quickly did the math in her head. Fifteen minutes to get ready, another thirty minutes to get to the lake - she would arrive right on time at eight.

Browsing around in her closet, she finally decided on a loose Nike air force cut off crop top, a pair of Nike tempo running shorts, and white converse. While she didn’t plan on swimming, Morgan put on a white bikini underneath her clothing.

The drive to the lake felt short due to her excitement. She was glad for the opportunity to get to hang out with Jenna again. Between homework, doing her streams, and baby sitting, she hadn’t really had time for much social interaction. She just hoped that her friend would forgive her for her absence.

[spooner]

“So how was the start of your last year at that godawful school?” Minty’s big brother Iwan asked from behind her computer screen. The siblings made sure to stay in contact even now that Iwan had gone off to college. Without sticking together they would both perish under the pressure that their parents put on them.

It was a good thing Minty had her back to the laptop or Iwan would have seen her roll her eyes which he hates. “It’s hell! But whatever it’ll be over soon right?” Aramintah drawled as she spread the oil paint with her pallet knife over the canvas she was working on. “And besides it’s not like my grade from freaking Rosefell will get me anywhere…” she continued.

Her brother let out a small laugh “Don’t be so sure little sister. You never know when you might need them.” he paused. Minty knew where this was going and was bracing for Iwan’s inevitable words. “So… Uhm… Have you thought about… any colleges?”, there it was.

Minty spun around in her chair staring straight into the laptop’s camera “Dude you know I haven’t… Did mom ask you to ask again? God Iwan… really?” she huffed looking at his embarrassed face on the screen. “I thought you were on my side!” she exclaimed.

“Minty! Of course, I am… But you know how mom gets.” Iwan defended himself.

The dark-haired girl just grunted and went back to her painting. “Whatever… I need to get ready for this lake thing anyway. I’ll talk to you later.” she said wiping her hands lazily on a wet cloth. Her hands were stained from the paints no matter how much she rubbed them and after a few seconds she gave up.

“Alright bye sis…” Iwan sighed and logged off.

Slapping the laptop shut Minty walked over to her small closet and picked out an outfit for the night. A few minutes of sprucing up and she was out of the house. As she rode her bike she could feel the irritation from her and Iwan’s conversation ebb away and as she got closer to the lake she could hear the music and the murmur of voices, that got her excited.

She locked her bike against a tree fishing out her phone as she did so. Her thumbs tapping away absentmindedly as she walked slowly towards the party. She sent her two best friends each a text message to let her know she was there:

_{TO: Lana}

_{TO: Eli}

When she had sent them Aramintah took a lap trying to see if she knew anyone that where there already… she didn’t. She grabbed a wine cooler from the refreshments table as she headed to a small jetty where she sat down looking at the calm lake.

[Bee]

---

It was party o'clock, and there was nobody less excited to go than Samantha Queen! Knowing how parties at Rosefell High were, she was probably just going to find whatever Knights were there and stick with them. The only problem was there was only one or two Knights attending tonight, and both of those people were probably going to preoccupied with other people. Still, she had to attend. As much as she wanted to sit back and stream tonight, she figured going to the party would help her stream grow by spreading even more word. Sacrifice a night of streaming in hopes that she'll continue to network more. Lose some, win more. That was the only way she even remotely justified this.

Pulling up to the lake, Samantha stepped out of her car, wearing a gray crewneck sweater and light wash white shorts and white converse. It was going to be a chilly night considering they were right next to the water. Hopefully there was a fire or something because a bitch gets cold! Walking up to the party, she could see a crowd clamoring and a few people she recognized. Good. She was at the right party and not some creepy stoner cult party. Flashing some smiles at some people who made eye contact with her, Samantha went straight for the punch. She wasn't about to start this party without some sort of refreshment, as well as some sort of thing she can sip on whenever she was having a conversation.

On her way to the punch bowl, she spotted a rather familiar face. Was that... Richard Brian? Great! There was someone she could latch onto and use as a catalyst to socialize and network. "Rich! Rich!" Somehow, he wasn't hearing her, at least that was what she thought, "RIIIIIIICH!" She yelled, waving her hand to grab his attention.

[ayzrules]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hey melissa im omw!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

"So?"

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

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

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

Help me. This thing is so heavy!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Sugar and Spite]

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

Eli wasn't really looking forward to the party after fighting his brothers for use of the bathroom all afternoon. He was literally ready to drown himself in the bathtub by the time he was able to take a shower. Then there was the matter of having to do a quick load of laundry in order to have something to wear tonight. Eli preferred to just buy new clothes instead of having to wash, dry, fold and put away what he already owned. Sadly, he was to broke to buy a new outfit every day.

Managing to not acquire a headache, Eli made his way to the lake via Uber. Once in the car, he saw Mintys message. As usual, her text made him smile as he sent her a message of her own, reassuring his friend that he wasn't going to bail. After paying and rating his driver for the night, Eli stepped out of the vehicle to notice the huge fire through the trees. It would be a miracle if the kids didn't get the cops called on them tonight for some weird fire law alone.

Looking around at his fellow party goers, Eli was thankful to see that he wasn't under-dressed in a simple white t-shirt and navy blue knee length swimming trunks. It took him a second to spot Minty, but as soon as he did, he quickly made his way over to his friend.

"Minty, my love!" the young man exclaimed as he gave her a hug. "No sign of Lana yet, I take it?"

[Venus]

I'm sorry if I seem uninterested
Or I'm not listenin' or I'm indifferent
Truly, I ain't got no business here
But since my friends are here
I just came to kick it but really
I would rather be at home all by myself not in this room
With people who don't even care about my well being
I don't dance, don't ask, I don't need a boyfriend
So you can go back, please enjoy your party
I'll be here, somewhere in the corner under clouds of marijuana
With this boy who's hollering I can hardly hear
Over this music I don't listen to and I don't wanna get with you
So tell my friends that I'll be over here

Oh, here. Oh, here.
I ask myself: what am I doing here?
Oh, here. Oh, here.
And I can't wait till we can break up outta here
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

The initial excitement Alana had felt over the beginning of senior year had faded rather quickly- and not in the academic department. Her attempt at having some alone time with Alex on the first day of school had been a bust, and for the rest of the week they’d only spent about less than five minutes a day in each other’s company. Whenever she had time to stop and really think, she began to entertain the possibility that maybe things between her and Alex weren’t really meant to be after all. No matter how hard they tried, there was always some prior commitment, unforeseen circumstance, or jam-packed schedule getting in their way. Of course, this was just the Negative Nancy side of her coming out to play mind games. At the end of the day, no matter how badly the odds were stacked against them, Lana knew she would try her best to make things work with her beloved.

Adding insult to injury, Aramintah had been insisting they all attend the lakeside party that Friday, knowing fully well it wasn’t her Alana’s scene. But after thinking about it for a second, she realized it was the perfect opportunity to spend some much needed time with Alex (even if they did have to sneak around the party too). And after some convincing and promises to make it up to him, the young man had agreed to go.

So that Friday, after working her shift at the diner, coming home to scour through her closet for the perfect outfit and getting ready, Alana took an Uber to the lakeside location. She made sure to text Alex an apology for being late and a notification that she was on the way, and not even five minutes later she arrived at her destination. Her blue eyes quickly scanned the premises as soon as she arrived, looking for the culprits behind her attendance. She’d first noticed the usual suspects: the thorns, Rich, JK, Aria… Finally, her eyes fell on the other two thirds of LaME, and she wasted no time in sprinting over to their side.

“Why do you guys make me do this?” Alana whined to Minty and Eli, pouting and visibly uncomfortable with being present at this party. But when she spotted Alex in the distance, looking more handsome than ever under the light of the flames, her annoyance vanished into thin air. Looking around to make sure nobody was looking, Lana offered her secret boyfriend a discreet wink before turning back to her friends.

[Venus]

While Alana Kingsley had been caught up in her self-pity party, Jenna Moore had been keeping busy. Between the rapid sales of her special pastries, her job at the pizzeria and the party planning alongside Aria, the week had flown by. To kick off the first social event of the semester, Jen had chosen to wear a beige halter crop top, high-waisted black shorts, black tights and her trusty pair of black hi-top converse sneakers. To close everything off, she’d paired her look with the gold medallion necklace her mom had given her for her last birthday and the pink heart earrings she’d scored at a secondhand store that summer. Because of Aria’s request to bring as much of her product as she could he’d spent less time than she’d wanted on her makeup.

Although the attendees began to make their appearances after eight, Jenna had arrived at the party long before it was scheduled to start. Between her and Aria, they had transformed the empty space into one appropriate for a party: setting up the tables, snacks, drinks, and activities. The bonfire had been lit as soon as the sun had gone down, and when Rich arrived with his car stereo, the preparations had been completed.

The curvy girl had been making the rounds around the party when she spotted a familiar head of curly hair walking around the area. Before she could talk herself out of it, Jenna had rushed over to her and wrapped her arms around Morgan from behind. “Hey, babe,” JK greeted the dark-skinned girl, planting a kiss on her neck before letting her go with a grin. “Been a while, huh?”

[Infinite Cosmos]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Hedgehawk]

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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