[IC] Project Untamed

[Sugar and Spite]

Once inside of the dorm room, Talya quickly propped herself up next to the table with a bottle of beer in hand. She helped pay for the party, so she might as well enjoy it and all of the things that it had to offer.

While sipping on her drink, Talya took the opportunity to scan the room and take note of who all had shown up. There was Savannah, Erica, and Tyler Jane of course. Then came in Nicholas, Griffin, Bradley, Leo and finally Wesley. Talya couldn't help but watch as Griffin and Erica danced near by. The bass of the music softly thudding under their feet as they swayed along to the beat....

His smile.

Her hair.

His jawline.

Her hips.

Oh, the curses of bisexuality.

Talya rolled her eyes in frustration as she tossed the beer bottle in the trash, tearing her eyes away from the dancers. The truth was that Talya had a handful of people that she fount attractive at San Agustin. Nothing set in stone or serious - just enough feelings to make her stare and be awkward. At least that was the case in most of her crushes. Only one person made Talya dare to think twice, and gods knew she was going to have to drink something a lot stronger than a beer to approach that person.

Grabbing a bottle of vodka and cranberry juice, Talya mixed the two of them together in a plastic cup before downing half of the concoction. Maybe that was enough liquid courage to help her out. Maybe it wasn't. There was only one way to find out.

Running her left hand through her hair, and keeping her drink in her right hand, Talya made her way across the room to where Savannah, TJ, and Nicholas stood talking.

"Sorry to inturupt -" No she wasn't - "but I was wondering... Savannah, would you like to dance?"

[NeoAJ]

---

*SPLOOSH*

As another ping pong ball found the bottom of a glass on the opposite end of the table from where she stood, Savannah tried to remain as humble as she could. There was no reason for her to be sinking shots like this. Tyler Jane was supposed to be giving the lesson, not taking it! But taking it she was. Sav was trying to at least keep up with TJ, given the aim of the game was to get both combatants drunk, and the easy-drinking taste of the Hpnotiq was helping with that at least.

However, Savannah was already starting to feel somewhat woozy. Shoot... is my tolerance that bad...? In her thoughts, it had been... never since she had anything stronger than a Breezer, but still it didn't make sense. In reality, the months of detox in preparation for her entry into San Agustin had done enough to eliminate most of Payout's ability to handle her booze, but she couldn't be aware of that yet.

"Sorry, TJ. Guess I'm just a natural at this!" she offered as she took another swig from her blue bottle in an effort to steady the ship. "But I think I'm ready to take on some of those other boys coming in here!"

There was just one boy she wasn't truly prepared to take on yet. Unfortunately for Savannah, that boy was the one heading to the table in all his floral-patterned glory. Nicholas Grey. Of course. Although his bandaged-up hand bore some questions. The hell did he do to himself? Guess he's not coming over to play the pong, that's for sure...

“Evening girls. I have to admit: the place looks great. Although, nowhere nearly as good as you two do.”

Wha-what? Did he just say that? He had to be just saying that, right? Savannah brushed some strands of blonde-pink hair behind her right ear. I mean, I haven't even done anything. I've just been in here since getting back from the gas station, and TJ did so much effort to look that good, and... Nooooooo... he can't really mean that. But still, I mean, it's nice I guess. To get a compliment from a guy like that. The Texan looked over at TJ though, aware that she didn't want to flood the bridge so soon after the water had passed underneath it.

Tyler Jane, however, was paying Nicholas no mind. She tapped one of the spectators to take a celeb shot and unfortunately, he must have been one of Griffin's teammates on the basketball team, because he hit nothing but plastic. That sound snapped Savannah out of her temporary daze. "Awww, the fuck? That's a cheap shot, Tee!" Savannah complained as the curse words started to filter into her speech the more alcohol she consumed. Still, she dutifully took another shot from her kind blue bottle. "I get dibs on Griffin then if his ass shows up over here!"

Still TJ was intent on confronting the target, and Savannah was torn between trying to press the advantage she didn't know she had, and to stick up alongside her friend. "Oh, hi Nicholas. Nice of you to join us... fashionably late I see.” Tyler Jane has made her choice. She was playing coy. Well, Savannah could as well...

...if she wanted to. She shook her head slightly. This was Nicholas Grey in front of her. Already complementing her minimal efforts to get ready for this shindig. Still looking like a snack even if he was walking wounded. But was he that tempting of a snack? Before, he was looking like a Blizzard, now it was just a snow cone. And snowcones weren't worth the effort once you got past that first juicy stage...

So Savannah turned and looked at the boy and decided to stand her ground with the redhead. "Yeah, fuck, I mean, you come any later all the alcohol was going to be drank up! What, are we not worth your time?" She motioned to herself and TJ but her finger pointed at her friend far longer than it did at herself. "Typical fuckin' dude. You know-"

"Sorry to inturupt - but I was wondering... Savannah, would you like to dance?"

To get Payout to cut a potential rant off full stop took a heck of a move, but Talya, out of nowhere, came in with the stunner. Savannah let out a weak gasp at the offer as she had to pause.

Holy shit, is Talya... The Texan's eyes looked her scavenger hunt teammate over. Drink in hand, that long dark hair smoothed perfectly in place, that outfit just hitting all the right buttons. Payout was a sucker for that tank top and jacket combo. It just worked for her. Huh... why am I thinkin' I shouldn't do this? I mean, Nicholas is right there... Don't I... She looked between the two dark-haired options in front of her and the more she stared, the more she couldn't believe this was an actual choice. Ah fuck that heteronormative shit. Stick that bull up that Sunday school teacher's ass. This is happening now. See where it goes. Any thoughts of trying to best her friend for the guy's attention were long gone now that the true hypnotic presence of Savannah's evening had revealed herself.

Savannah smiled from ear to ear as she looked over at Nicholas and TJ before turning back to Talya. "You know what, Tal? That sounds like a lovely idea. Just give me one sec, sugar." Savannah turned back to the table and lined up the last of Tyler Jane's cups that remained untouched. With one eye closed, her arm cocked back and let loose a laser shot that was destined to end up plinking in off the back up the target and into the liquid. "Couldn't let TJ off the hook for callin' that celeb shot to try and save her ass! Anyway, someone else can run the table for a bit. Maybe we'll be back for the tag-team titles."

She dusted off her hands and presented the right one to Talya. "Lead the way to the dance floor, darlin'," she commanded as ceded her position. It was time to sink some different shots.

---

[AlteredTundra]

_{Interactions — Tyler Jane // Savannah // Talya
Mentions — @Melissa @NeoAJ @HaleyTheRandom}

Nicholas Grey had always been one to test the deep end without getting his feet wet. He wasn’t one to tread lightly nor think too far ahead when it came to how his actions might misfire. Honestly, it never occurred to him that he would miss his shot. Whether that was trying his luck in getting out of an exam by faking being sick or having the gall to call out certain people for the problematic trends he started, he was always one to take risks when his gut feeling directed into the light of success. It almost always went according to plan.

Keyword: Almost.

And this was such a case when he decided to jump headfirst into giraffe and gazelle-infested waters without a safety line. He gave them both a compliment. Despite what came after, Nicholas didn’t have any regrets nor was what he said a lie. He really did think both TJ and Savannah looked hot tonight.

But, as the events unfolded before his eyes, Nicholas heard Mr. Hale’s sternly-worded advice replay in his head like a broken record, like it was the fucking gospel of the good book he never bothered to read: maybe try a little honesty with her and quit all of these games.

The problem was Nicholas didn’t know how to be honest with her. His default setting had always been to play games and have his fun. Maybe Hale is right. Maybe I don’t have anything to lose.

Of course, try telling TJ that because she had the audacity to make some shallow comment about some dude’s arm, like he held a candle to Nicholas Grey. He was a nobody. A non-important spec of dirt in the riveting oasis that was the man wearing the blue floral-patterned shirt.

Keep calm. She’s probably doing this on purpose.

And maybe that’s why Nicholas was getting excited all of a sudden. He always would do the same thing to, well anyone, but getting his own medicine thrown back at him was a sensation he didn’t know he liked or not. At the least, it showed that this was going to be an interesting night.

“Oh, hi Nicholas. Nice of you to join us... fashionably late I see.”

Took you long enough. He gave the redhead a sweet smile. “The hero always makes their appearance at the last minute.” And despite what everyone thought of him, he was the hero of his story, and sooner or later, TJ would become his heroine. Of course, that dependent solely on who would give this game up first.

“So this isn’t quite the privat--”

"Sorry to interrupt but I was wondering... Savannah, would you like to dance?”

If there was anything he didn’t like more than not being acknowledged, it was being interrupted. And of course, Talya Burnley was the source of the latter. And this time it was to ask Savannah to dance. If he wasn’t furious at the tall brunette, he might think it’s sweet. Maybe he still thought it was, but he was much too irritated to admit that -- even to himself. Thankfully, when they left and they whisked each other off to the dancefloor, that gave both Nicholas and TJ some breathing room. Although, whether that meant anything would actually happen in the immediate future remained to be seen.

He had to find a way to keep his composure, so he snagged one of the untouched solo cups of beer and gobbled nearly half of it down in record time. It tasted like ass but it was effective. “So how long has that been a thing?” Nicholas asked TJ, gesturing towards Savannah and Talya.

[BrutalBx]

Featuring: Tane Fifita and Soleil Jameson @Venus
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How much tail did JFK get?

It was an age old question oft asked about the 35th President of ye olde United States. As the future president of this great country, Tane Fifita wondered whether or not he would surpass the once supreme leader. This party on the first floor would be a good place to start his quest to beat the greats for sure. It would also serve many other different purposes; networking with other politically minded students (if there were any); getting his face and name known to other students, practice for the future campaign trail, finding out the glorious secret to those fancy little cocktail sausages….

That was, of course, if he could convince Soleil to attend-- and she was stubborn… Le shock…

The Queen of Kings was hitting the strike pads he was manning quite hard. She very obviously had some pent up frustrations she was dealing with, most likely to do with Leo or some other guy. Tane had been in the middle of his second workout of the day when the dark haired beauty came into the fitness center and demanded to join him. He learned a while ago not to try and argue with the broad-shouldered jungle girl.

"Left jab. Right cross. Left uppercut. Go.” He called out. "Other than your aversion to men, Sol, I need you to give me one valid reason as to why you do not want to go to this party.”

"First of all, I do not have an aversion to men," Sol interjected defensively, using all of her strength to follow the combination Tane had just given her. "If anything, it's a temporary aversion to one male in particular. And second, I just don't want to go to that stupid party. I see no fun in getting shitfaced and making dumb decisions that'll be regretted tomorrow morning. Now, if that's your kinda scene: be my guest. But don't expect me to go and watch everyone make fools of themselves."

“Surely that’s more of a reason to go?” Tane changed his stance slightly to allow for a more distance between him and Sol. “Imagine the power you can have over people just by being present when they make those mistakes. The sheer control you can have just by knowing something: that’s real enticing. Combination jabs right, left, left, right cross.” The island boy moved his pads higher for her to stretch out before continuing. “Think of Leo out of his mind. That guy will cause himself no end of embarrassment and you can be there to witness it in all its majesty and will be able to lord it over him for a long time, girl.”

As tempting as was the possibility of watching Leo make a complete fool of himself (or even see his ego take a hit-- wouldn't that be a treat?), it certainly wasn’t enough to sway the boxer girl’s mindset. "Knowing me, my sorry ass would step up to help him instead of letting him learn his lesson the hard way..." she grumbled, swinging and punching pads per Tane's instructions. "And I don't need information to blackmail anyone around here. The power of physical intimidation does wonders. One right hook to the ribs, and bitches end up singing like songbirds."

Tane took a step back and lowered the strike pads. "Break.” He stripped their pads off of his hands and made his way over to a nearby bench to grab some water, while Sol broke her fighting stance and took a seat on said bench. “Physicality isn’t always enough, babe. Body and mind working in unison: that’s where the essence of pure control lies. He took a swig from his bottle and offered it to the dark haired beauty, who gratefully accepted it and took a long, refreshing sip. “Personally, I think you’re being a bit of a coward. You present yourself as this big, bad Queen above all-- I don’t see that. Right now, you’re just a little girl scared of a bit of confrontation. Suck it up. Find that power inside yourself, get your ass to that party, and prove to me that you’re not afraid.”

Coward.

The taunting word seemed to ring loudly across the room, echoing cruelly on Soleil's ears. Coward certainly wasn’t a word people would ever use to describe her; what with the way she carried herself, the way she fought, how she stood her ground and took on any challenge head-on. And yet, as much as she hated to admit it: Tane wasn’t wrong, and neither was Leo when they’d had that fight earlier (although he hadn’t exactly used the word). Sure: there was no denying that Sol was a beast when it came to physical confrontations. But when it came to matters of emotion and the heart, the prospect of vulnerability and letting her guard down turned her legs to jelly, and she avoided them like the plague.

So: was Sol a coward? Yes.

Was she going to own up to it? Hell No.

"What the fuck did you just say to me?" she questioned, raising an inquisitive eyebrow in Tane's direction as if daring him to reconsider what he’d just said.

“You heard me. Prove me wrong.” Anger was a prime motivator, and Tane knew from his prior interactions with Soleil that pissing her off would be a fantastic way to cajole her into attending the party. It was simple mathematics. The more ingredients in the pot, the better the flavour-- and the budding politician wanted to taste everything that this school had to offer: the good, or the bad, or the in between. It was all part of his philosophy. He grabbed a towel and tossed it over to her. “Cool off, put on your nicest dress and meet me in twenty.”

That familiar feeling of deep-rooted anger bubbling underneath her skin made its return with a vengeance. The girl’s hands balled up into fists while her toned body tensed up as if posing itself for a fight. But as much as Sol wanted to jump up from the bench and use her fists to make Tane regret his choice of words, somewhere inside her quick-tempered mind there was still enough rationale to keep her somewhat grounded. She used that small glimmer of reason to keep herself anchored away from unleashing her fury on a friend.

“You’ll regret this,” Soleil eventually growled, arched eyebrows knitted together in a scowl as she took the red boxing gloves off her hands and wiped the sweat off her face with the towel the boy had tossed her. “I’ll make you eat your fucking words, Alitane. Just fucking watch me,” she declared, rolling the towel it into a ball and flnging it at his face before rising to her feet and stomping towards the exit. But when she had reached the door, Shady turned around for a split second. "And for the record: I'm not wearing a fucking dress," she spat before flipping him off and slamming the door.

A smile crept upon his handsome features as he watched her leave. In this human game of chess, all the pieces mattered and Soleil was a very important piece to play.

A short while later, Tane had headed off to his room after drying the sweat off of his massive 6’1 frame. As expected, his homestead was littered with inspirational posters from his favourite politicians, authors, activists and philosophers. There were books scattered everywhere, dumbbells and the wrappers of some tasty energy bars. How blessed must Tane’s roommate have been to put up with his organised chaos. He climbed into shower to soothe his burning muscles. As the steam rose up around him, the boy imagined himself in a hot spring somewhere in feudal Japan, listening to the flutes of the geishas and allowing all of his problems to wash away. His palette would be cleansed, ready to be stained by the events of the party. Soon after, Tane found himself on the first floor, dressed in an immaculately pressed grey suit with his glasses nearly framing his chiselled face.

Meanwhile, up in her second floor bedroom Soleil was letting out a litany of curses as she put on the finishing touches on her simple makeup look. As it often happens when one gets lazy and puts off laundry day for weeks, the young woman was left with a very small selection of potential outfit choices for the party. Most of the remaining clean clothing items were athletic wear that, in normal circumstances, she would be more than happy to throw on and waltz out the door. But gym clothes were probably what Tane expected her to wear-- and she was on a mission to prove him wrong for the rest of the night. So instead of her usual sweats and t-shirt, Sol wore a form-fitting, burgundy velvet dress, paired with silver stud earrings and a pair of low-top white Converse sneakers.

With one last glance at the reflection in the full-length mirror and a resigned sigh, Sol left the safety of her bedroom and made her way downstairs, where Tane was already waiting for her

“Let's get in there, babe.” he said as soon as he was within earshot, grinning at his friend. And with his arm around the waist of the smug, bomb-looking Sol, the two friends made their entrance to the godforsaken party.

I’ll show you who’s a fucking coward…

[Melissa]

_{Mentions: Savannah @NeoAJ, Nicholas @metanoia, and Talya @HaleyTheRandom}

Tyler Jane couldn’t help but smirk as she tipped the cup in her hand as well as her head back until the rest of the drink was finished. As she threw the solo into the trash, she winked at the blonde “Call it a cheap shot all you want, Sav. I just know what I need to do in order to get what I want.” The redhead explained the motive behind her action; a bit of a double entendre for the moment at hand never hurt anyone.

It was the alcohol that was doing something to her- she was confident while sober, but the booze just enhanced her natural self assurance. The redhead didn’t want to walk on eggshells around Nicholas and she didn’t need to. As much as she liked him, and as much as she craved being with him, a boy was not going to waltz in and try to ruin her night with little games. Considering everything that had occurred, Tyler was a little bit worried about how Savannah would react to Nicholas’ advances, but mentally sighed in relief when she didn’t take the bait. This was the Savannah she knew- the one who stood up for her and was always on her side. It was clear that a boy was not going to come in between the two again- if Nicholas didn’t understand where they stood, it was obvious now that they were calling him out. A united force against bullshit, if you will.

Tyler Jane watched intently as Nicholas’ eyes met hers and he began to reply to the two of them. He may have been smiling on the outside, but she could for sure tell he was annoyed, maybe a little jealous. Nonetheless she had him exactly where she wanted him. Even if he said he was the hero in his own narrative, she didn’t know yet if he was the hero in hers. That was for them both to figure out later on.

And then Talya walked up and asked Savannah to dance, which completely caught the redhead off guard.

It wasn’t a bad thing- it was far from a bad thing- but deep down, Tyler Jane was extremely confused. She saw the way that the blonde’s eyes lit up as the darker haired girl approached and it did not appear to be platonic in the slightest. Had Savannah always felt this way? In their late night conversations, she had never mentioned being attracted to girls. Did she not trust her friends enough to confide in them? Yes, they may have only known each other for a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things, but she would have hoped that the blonde could trust them. Maybe Erica already knew and she was the odd man out? So many questions swirled in Tyler's mind that she didn’t even care that Savannah had just won the game of pong.

Nicholas’ smooth voice flowed, and it was not the question she was expecting to hear in the slightest. Of course, the minute the two of them are left alone, he decides to ask about Savannah instead of herself. With a feigned careless shrug, the redhead moved away from the table and towards the boy, her shoulder just grazing his, and gazed out onto the dance floor where the two girls had disappeared to. “I doubt not for very long considering Monday’s events…” Tyler Jane’s voice faltered, and her facial expression demonstrated she just had recalled something, turning back to look at Nicholas before continuing.

“Oh that’s right, Monday. You remember that? When we were out there,” She nodded her head towards the window where the front of the building stood “And got a little caught up in whatever that was.” The girl exchanged the sweet smile he had given her moments ago and mimicked Nicholas’ actions from earlier that week, letting her fingers trail up his arm as a little reminder. As she did so, she realized that this was probably the first time she had ever touched him.

But as quickly as the contact happened, she pulled her hand away and gave him a raised eyebrow. “But, what do I know- that was Monday, today is Friday. Things change. And like you were about to say before you were so rudely interrupted...this party isn’t all that private, now is it.” Tyler Jane spoke matter of factly, alluding to something else the boy had said during their interaction on Monday about privacy and getting another chance.

“I think it’s time for another drink.” The girl gestured to the makeshift bar set up in the center of the room and the lack of cup in her hand at the current moment. Alcohol seemed to be the only right answer.

[Grimoire Gaming]

_{A @GhostMami & @smarty0114 Collaboration
Featuring Wesley Slater & Bradley Barron}
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Bradley’s head swiveled from Griffin’s receding form to Wes, back and forth, the extra basketball band still clutched in his hand. The pounding of the music was disorienting, and the liquor in his stomach wasn’t helping. He shouldn’t have come tonight. This was all about to go horribly wrong. He looked down at his empty cup, nerves swarming in his gut. Seize the day, seize the day, seizethedayseizethedayseizethday. The mantra blended together in his head until it was just a jumble of words, and Wes was standing in front of him, cute and slightly disheveled, but still, just right.

He did his best to grin and cover up the turmoil inside, reaching out to hand the band to Wes. “Griff wanted me to give you this,” Bradley said, holding up his own wrist to show off his matching one. “Don’t ask why, something about good luck,” He said, omitting the fact that the luck had been more for Brad’s sake than Wesley’s. “I’m guessing the booze run went well, considering this is a success,” Bradley said, nodding his head to the beat of the music and looking everywhere except Wes’ eyes.

Wesley took the bracelet and looked at it quizzically, turning it over in his hand. Something about it made him smile… probably the fact that this was exactly the kind of trinket he would pilfer from someone’s room if he saw it just laying around. A little happy memory to stow away in his growing stash of them. “Well, we could actually use this bit of luck soon, so it’s good timing.” Wesley was referring, of course, to the genius plan he had come up with in his pre-party nap dreams. Before Wes could reveal his fantastic plan to Bradley, he was distracted by the mention of the booze cruise. “Yeah, it was totally awesome! Sav and Erica are way more meddlesome than they look, cheeky little criminals, they are. Although… I think I made Erica mad at me by pretending to be her boyfriend in front of the cashier…” Wes mused with a bummed out shrug.

Confusion flashed across Brad’s face at the last bit. Did that have something to do with Erica and Griff’s dance earlier? Maybe that had been happening under his nose for longer than he’d realized. “Erica’s usually mad about something.” He didn’t want to dwell on how the thought of Wes and Erica dating hollowed him out and filled him back up with longing, a longing that seemed to steal all the words he wanted to say. He needed another drink.

“What’s the luck for?” Bradley asked, trying to steer his way back into safe, calm waters. Pranks, if that’s what Wes was referring to, had become their own language, the bonding that had brought them so close. Even if he couldn’t find the words right now, he could always talk about a way to stick it to the powers the be.

“Oh right!” Wesley exclaimed, gesturing with his drink excitably, sloshing it a bit in doing so. “If the narcolepsy is good for anything, it’s for the flashes of genius I get while I’m sleeping. SERIOUSLY, I almost slept through the party for this shit.” Wes stopped to lick the drips off the side of his cup and take a hefty gulp of his drink before he spilled more of the precious nectar in his excitement. “Anyywayyy, you know how we’ve been trying to figure out how to smuggle in spray paint?” Wes waited for confirmation before continuing.

The smile that spread across his face was pure instinct, brought on by Wes’ own excitement. It was infectious. He’d always felt like he was always meant to be looking at the canvas, capturing the colorful people of the world while he moved on in black and white. With Wes… every laugh showered him in the rarest pigments, and for a moment the monotone shades of gray faded. “Of course, it’s gonna be the best vandalism this place has ever seen,” Bradley said, spirits lifting as he spoke.

“Damn straight it will be.” Wes said and went to tap red solo cups in cheers with B-rad, only to find that his cup runneth empty. “Whoa, you ain’t got nothing in your cup, we gotta fix that first, c’mon.” He ushered his friend through the crowd of fellow students and over to the makeshift bar. “So here’s the thing…” Wes began, a crooked smirk complimenting the single eyebrow that raised as he revealed his plan. “What if we didn’t have to smuggle anything in at all?” Wes waited again, letting the dramatic suspense build.

Clear liquid, indistinguishable from water except for the tell tale thickness of liquor, filled Bradley’s cup, followed by a generous amount of sugary red juice. He nodded as Wes’ words fought through the haze of his mind and burst into the light of understanding, signalled by a drawn out, “Ohhhhhhhhhhh!” Bradley took a gulp of his drink, thankful for the new influx of alcohol, before continuing. “Wes, you’re a fucking genius! I could kiss you right now!” Oh. He hadn’t meant to say that last part. He hastily covered his mouth with his cup, taking another gulp as embarrassment and drunkenness turned his face redder and redder.

“Exactly!” Wesley exclaimed with a giggle and polished off the rest of the mixed drink in his own cup. He thought of Brad’s statement as nothing more than the shared excitement of the moment and began to mix himself another drink. The effects of the rum were already buzzing within him, making his blood feel warm and heavy. “There’s already spray paint here, in the school. No smuggling of contraband needed. There’s loads of it in the technology department, dude, we just gotta go get it.” The mischievous glint in Wesley’s eyes was nothing short of devilish as he smirked above the rim of his solo cup.

“We can go tonight, while everyone's here. If security should be concerned with anything, it’s this,” Bradley said, laughing softly. His eyes ran over Wesley’s frame then quickly glanced away. “Has Griff seemed off to you?” Bradley added, nerves pushing him further and further away from the conversation he needed to be having right now. The band around his wrist seemed to burn, as if trying to remind him of the promise he’d made.

“Griff’s always been a bit of an odd duck… but, yeah, he’s been pretty weird since getting out of the hospital.” Wesley shrugged, taking a sip of his freshly mixed rum and coke. “Maybe he’s still feeling a little off, musta been one helluva flu. And I guess it’s going around too, a couple of other kids got it, even Theo, and he’s tough as a bear.” Bringing the topic back to the mission at hand, Wesley pointed at Bradley with the index finger of the hand holding his cup. “But rewinding it back, you, my friend, are the real genius here! Tonight is the perfect night to go through with the heist! Both our friends AND the security should be distracted, it’s fucking perfect. It’s the most opportune moment, we have to seize it!” Wesley grabbed a small, almost flask-sized handle of vodka that he could easily stash away in his pocket from the counter. “What'd ya say? We head out now, with drinks for the road?” Wes smirked and shook the bottle for emphasis, causing the vodka to slosh back and forth inside.

Bradley grinned, and finished off his drink, certain he’d need the courage. It would just be him and Wes, doing what they did best; wreaking havoc. He could do this. “Hard to argue with that.” He looked around, cautious of any watchful eyes, pilfered his own miniature bottle, and slipped into the crowd. Just before they were cut off, Brad’s hand clutched Wesley’s tugging him along and out into the considerably cooler air of the dorm hallway. He let out a sigh of relief, and gestured towards the exit, glad to be free of the oppressive heat of the party. “Lead the way, partner in crime.”

Wesley snickered as Bradley tugged the pair of them out into the hallway. He had the small bottle of vodka in his pocket, but his plastic cup was still in his hand. A portion of the brown cocktail sloshed out of it, leaving a nice solid stain in the hallway to remember this night by later. “Shit!” He remarked, more so upset about the lost alcohol than the stained carpet, and ran along with Brad towards the exit. Time to break into the school and steal some property in order to vandalize some property. With the booze run already under his belt, how many more crimes could Wesley fit into one single friday? Only time would tell…

[Melissa]

Featuring: Pierce & Brooks
_{@TootsiePop & @Melissa}
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Leo had made himself at home at the party, even if he wasn’t invited in the first place, and currently found himself leaned against one of the walls near the entrance of the common room. There, he was surrounded by a few of the girls from his classes, all of them laughing along with him as they bantered. It was no secret that the boy was a smooth operator, but tonight especially in spite, he wanted everyone to be reminded how he was running the show around here.

As he chatted with them, a charming smile plastered on his face, in the back of his mind he wondered where Sol was and what she was doing this evening. Probably moping somewhere. It was pretty evident that she wasn’t going to show up, so it made him a little more at ease knowing he wouldn’t have to rehash what went down earlier. Besides, he was drunk already and that would just fuel the fire- an alcohol induced rage never ended well, that was for sure.

But a figure in his peripheral vision took Leo out of his own thoughts as Griffin booked it towards the exit. Deciding to stop him, he shifted to the left to intercept and block his path. “Leaving so soon, Pierce? The party just started!” The boy exclaimed, gesturing around to the revelry occurring around them. He placed a friendly hand on Griffin’s shoulder, grasping it firmly. “I saw you dancing with Erica… how’d you swing that?”

Grinding his teeth, Griffin gave an equally pleasant smile to his friend, who was now the obstacle in his way. Before he could dodge the arrogant jock’s advances, his demand for Griffin to be part of the revelry where everyone chose to indulge and forget where they actually were, Leo brought up Erica. Internally, Griffin felt the urge to roll his eyes, knowing exactly why Leo felt so inclined to mention her. It was no surprise to anyone that Leo tallied up his fucks and wanted to devour every girl at this school just so he could say ‘yeah, I tapped that’.

Visibly, Griffin was simply looking in the gestured direction and hiding all those ill feelings behind a mask. Human nature was such a strange thing and when Griffin was around Leo, he played his part and pretended to be someone just like him. A front he wore to stay in the Pride, to keep an eye on the apex predators at their school, regardless if it tested his patience from time to time.

Not wanting Erica to notice that he and Leo were staring at her, Griffin started walking around the room, people watching with his buddy, who was attached to him by the shoulder, “What? You haven’t?” A sly grin curled up on Griffin’s face. Clearly, he was proud that there was something he did that Leo hadn’t. “She might not seem like it, but she’s desperate, bro.”

Leo rolled his eyes at Griffin’s snide remark, frustration evident on his face. “No, I haven’t. Certainly have tried, but for reasons I can’t comprehend, she refuses to entertain the idea.” If the dark haired boy liked anything, it was a good chase. It was easy to woo a woman with loose morals; someone who was already interested in his advances. But what was arguably much more rewarding and fun was winning over someone who wasn’t a shoe in from the get go. Leo liked a confident and strong woman, but most of the time, those were not the types of girls that showed interest in him.

What shocked Leo was the second statement his friend made… desperate? Erica did not come off as that in the slightest. “Seriously? I don’t believe that, bro.” If she was truly desperate, the two of them would definitely have done it by now.

“Guess you’re too much of a pussy boy,” Griffin gave his oh-so-familiar nonchalant shrug.

Leo stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned to face Griffin, almost giving the boy a moment to apologize like he should have. Voice low, almost dangerous sounding, he spoke as soon as he made eye contact. “....what did you just call me?”

There it was. The anger that Griffin saw not only within Leo, but in Sol too. Something that was more than just human anger. A pinch of unnatural aggressiveness, as if you entered the wrong territory and brought out an uncontrollable animal, hard to tame. With quick ease, Griffin slipped out of Leo’s grip and crossed his arms, unfazed and unbothered. While Leo was a flooding river, Griffin was an ice cold lake. “You heard what I said. Don’t agree with me? Prove me wrong.” If Leo wanted to fight, Griffin wouldn’t back down, but he would never apologize for talking in Leo’s language.

There was one thing that the boy hated more than anything and it was being told he couldn’t do something. Taunt him all you want, make fun of him, Leo wouldn’t care. But what he did care about, was his reputation. He had values and an image to uphold. “Are you really going to go there, Pierce? I don’t think it’s such a good idea-” Before the dark haired boy could get another word in edgewise, the person he least expected to show up decided to stroll into the party. Sol

Leo saw red. He saw redder than red as she walked in with her new arm candy, Tane. Raising an eyebrow, the boy tried to control the anger that had festered so suddenly inside him. What a fucking hypocrite. One minute she was crying about Theo, and the next she was walking in with another guy after calling Leo selfish for taking one too many partners and blabbing about it. “I can’t fucking believe this shit.”

With a slight glance over, Griffin was quick to read the room and shook his head. He hated having to take the higher ground because Leo had pent up aggression, didn’t know how to control his emotions, and might’ve had a fallout with Sol. “You need to chill, Brooks.” When the angry lion did not react immediately, Griffin grumbled and added, “Look, I was joking, okay. Now, have another drink and make this party your bitch.”

It took the boy a moment to realize that he was truly seething, breath heavy and fire apparent in his lungs. With a controlling breath as his friend told him to “chill” (which he didn’t appreciate in the slightest but forgave only to put on a good face) Leo calmed down just a tad. “You may have been joking, but that was a challenge more than a laugh.” He stated, raising an eyebrow in Griffin’s direction. He wasn’t pleased, but decided to take the boy’s advice for better or for worse.

Still in a rage, he put a hand on the shoulder of someone passing by and snatched the drink they were holding, tilting his head back and chugging it much to their protest. When the cup was empty, he tossed it over his shoulder carelessly, the victim sulking away without another word. Leo’s eyes were still on Sol and Tane, a cold glare. “I had the drink… now to make this party my bitch.” He searched around for an opportunity to seize control of a situation, any situation, in order to assert his dominance and reclaim his title. That opportunity was in the form of the lithe redhead in the center of the room who began to speak loudly, a slight drunken twinge in her voice.

“Spin the bottle and 7 minutes in heaven starts now! If you want to get lucky tonight, come join either one of the games next to the pong tables…”

Leo smirked- this was where the fun would begin. He gripped Griffin’s shoulder and nodded towards where people were walking to. “If I were a pussy, I wouldn’t be going to play spin the bottle.” He quickly looked over to Sol to see if she was going to walk over with Tane before darting his eye contact back to the boy next to him. “And if you’re not a pussy either, you’ll play too.”

Although he needed to leave, because time was of the essence, Griffin couldn’t help but chuckle. Maybe, he could allow himself to be young and dumb for a little bit longer. Being slightly off schedule wouldn’t be a big deal, right? Before responding, he searched for the one person he actually did want to kiss and grinned, “You’re on.”

[Melissa]

_{Alexis Levinthal and Samuel Costigan
@Melissa and @HaleyTheRandom}

Alexis downed her first drink quickly- almost too quickly for a first time drinker. The whiskey became sweeter the closer she got to the bottom of the cup and it was harder to taste the vodka as it was further masked by the lemonade. The blonde placed the empty solo on the kitchen island that she was leaning against and found herself perusing her options for her next concoction. She was so focused that she didn’t notice the person that appeared next to her until he started talking within earshot.

“Sam! You’re here!” She exclaimed excitedly, grinning widely at the boy. The two of them had class together on Tuesdays and Thursdays and often ran into each other on campus, but Alexis hadn’t gotten the chance to hang out with him much other than that. “Isn’t this great? Nothing fun ever happens around here and now we’re at a real party!”

There had always been something about the way that Alexis smiled when she said hi to Sam that made Sam feel a little warm and fuzzy on the inside. Of course he couldn’t explain it or where it came from, but it was there.

"Dude, I know right?! I don’t really remember going to anything like this back home.” His smile fading as he fell into a brief moment of confusion, Sam shifted his attention back to the conversation. "I actually think this might be my first party. Whiiiich now that I say it sounds pretty lame.”

The blonde’s eyes lit up, “Your first party? Well then we have to make it extra fun for you!” Alexis replied. In her own mind, she had been to many parties back home. A social butterfly, she often found herself at gatherings such as this. Although that wasn’t truthfully the case, she didn’t need to know that.

The girl motioned to the various beverages lined up neatly behind her. There was vodka, tequila, whiskey… you name it, it was there. “You should definitely have something to drink! I just copied someone else’s and it tasted pretty good. I wouldn’t know what to have otherwise- I’m too indecisive and there are so many options.”

"Ah man… I don’t even know the first thing about alcohol.” Eyes wide as he scanned the table, the realization that this was the most alcohol he had ever been around outside of a store hit him like a ton of bricks. Here he was during what was supposed to be some of the best years of his life, and he had hardly experienced anything compared to those around him. That was perfectly fine, however, because that was about to change tonight.

Reaching for the vodka, he began to explain what he was doing to Alexis. Probably wouldn’t impress her, but at least the conversation wouldn’t completely die.

"So I’ve heard a few people talk about a screwdriver before, so I’m thinking maybe we should try that.” Reaching across the table again, Sam grabbed the orange juice and two cups. Filling them both with equal parts orange juice and vodka, he passed one of the cups to his friend while keeping the other for himself. Holding up his cup, Sam smiled once again.

"Cheers?”

“Ooh, a screwdriver. That sounds complicated.” Alexis stated, watching Sam as he played bartender. She paid attention as he mixed up the drink, and graciously grinned as he handed the full cup to her. “Cheers!” The blonde tapped her cup to his before taking a sip. “This is good! Wow, Sam, first party and you’re already killing it.” She told him with a small laugh.

Alexis looked around at everything that was going on around them. Some people were dancing, other people were chatting like they were, and others were playing drinking games. The party was in full swing and she was just happy to be there in the first place. “Now, who do you think is going to get the most drunk first.” She turned back to Sam as she asked her question, casually leaning against the kitchen island. “My money is on Bradley. It’s always the quiet ones.”

Killing it? Absolutely not.

While Sam loved orange juice, he wasn’t quite sure if it was the best combination to go with the vodka. It wasn’t bad by any means, but surely there was something better out there, right? Sipping on his drink, Sam propped himself up against the drink table. "Ah man… I don’t know. My bet is kind of on Leo. Maybe Erica? I don’t really have that much experience with drunk people,” he said, laughing. "So why did you decide to come here tonight?”

The blonde smiled- there was something endearing about the boy’s honesty and his overall demeanor. “I mean… I live right down the hall so it would have been kind of pointless to try and ignore the party from my dorm room.” Alexis laughed. As one of the few people at this party who actually lived on the first floor, she couldn’t have imagined staying holed up in bed while everyone else was enjoying the booze and the music. “But mostly because it sounded like so much fun!” She took another sip of her drink before asking the same question of him. “And what about you? What’s a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?”

Taking another drink, the young man crossed his arms as he continued to observe what was going on around him. "Honestly? I just kinda wanted to know what a party was like. And even though I already know everyone here, I sorta wanted to get to know people better. Plus nothing interesting ever happens here, so.”

“I mean, if there was a party to attend, this is the one!” The girl excitedly replied, as if their social calendars were full of plans and this was the event of the season. Noticing her tone, she corrected herself. “Well, it’s the only one, but nevermind that.” Alexis replied, watching Sam as he took in everything around them. He had nice eyes…

Snapping back into reality, she replied to the latter of his statement “It doesn’t feel like we’ve only been here for two months. Some days it feels like we’ve been here for years, and other days just fly by,” The blonde stopped mid sentence, hoping that made sense. “I still haven’t met everyone either, and there are some people that I’d like to get to know better.” She held her drink up to her lips and before taking a sip, offered Sam a gentle smile.

Downing the rest of his drink, Sam began to feel just a little tipsy. Well, at least what he could only think was tipsy. His face felt a little warm, and his legs just a little bit more unsteady than usual. Most importantly, Sam felt more at ease.

"Sometimes I wonder why the scouts came and talked to my parents, ya know? Like why would a place like this offer a scholarship to a foster kid like me. It doesn’t really ever make that much sense to me, but what I do know is that I’m glad to be here. Memories and education and all that.”

As people made their way to the dance floor and others played beer pong, Sam began to wonder if he shouldn’t invite Alexis along to do something. But then again, what would he offer up? He couldn’t dance, he barely knew what ping pong was, and to top it all off, he was a nervous drunken mess around her.

"How did you wind up here anyway? Like the school, I mean.”

“Well I think we can both agree that I did not get a scholarship…” Alexis giggled as she drank more, nearing the bottom of the cup. It was no secret to anyone on campus that she was not known for her intelligence, that was for sure. “My grades are shit, so coming here was the only way that I was guaranteed of getting into college. I’m kind of dumb if you haven’t noticed.”

At least she was self aware?

“But you should be proud to have gotten a scholarship to be here! They didn’t pick just anyone, you know.” She placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder reassuringly. Though she lacked in brains, it was made up in heart. “They only picked people who were special… you are special.”

A loud laugh escaping his lips, Sam shook his head. Nothing about him was special, but he would keep that fact to himself. It was best not to kill the mood.

"You're not dumb, Lexi," he told her, giving the blonde a sympathetic and reassuring look. "I… think I might be just a little drunk? I don't know. I'm just taking the night to experience new things. And uh… one of the things that I haven't experienced that I've wanted to for a really long time… would it be okay if I kissed you?"

Oh yeah. Great. Smooth. Super smooth. She'll love that.

A blush pricked on the blonde’s cheeks at Sam’s question. It was a very forward move, one that she guessed he probably wouldn’t make while sober. But Alexis liked Sam, as in truly liked him in more than a friend way, and didn’t want to risk ruining it if he didn’t mean what he said while drunk. On the one hand, someone once told her that drunk minds speak sober thoughts. But on the other hand, her dad used to say that after men get what they want, they leave, and she didn’t want Sam to just up and go after getting a kiss from her.

So she did probably the first smart thing she had done in a while and chose both.

Alexis looked at Sam with a genuine smile and gently placed a soft kiss on his cheek. It was enough to show that she was interested, but not enough for him to regret his decision in the morning to have asked her. “It’s okay, I’m a little drunk too. That screwdriver was strong.” She laughed before looking around once more at everyone else in attendance at the party.

A kiss on the cheek wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly good either. His worst worry had been confirmed - she thought he was saying this because he was drunk. He would have to prove to her that that wasn't true later. He couldn't worry about it right now. His cheeks beginning to feel warm, Sam stuck his hands in his pockets as he cleared his throat.

"So yeah. Anyway. Do you maybe wanna dance or play beer pong or something?"

The blonde noticed the tiniest tinge of pink on Sam’s cheek where her lips had been moments before and couldn’t help but smile. She was about to say that they could go and play a game or two of beer pong and then continue to chat, but a familiar redhead calling out that they were going to start playing some other games caught Alexis’ attention instead. The girl motioned towards where people were gathering in the corner, “Why don’t we go and see what’s going on over there? Sounds like they’re going to start a game of spin the bottle, which could be fun.”

Spin the bottle? Sam had done worse. He didn't really know how he felt about letting his fate being decided by a bottle, but there were worse things in life. Sitting down his empty cup on the table, Sam did his best to magnify his enthusiasm.

"Yeah, of course! That sounds cool."

Alexis grinned widely before slamming back the rest of her drink, taking Sam’s hand in hers and pulling him towards where the games were about to begin. She weaved around people dancing and standing around before arriving in the corner of the common room where a circle had formed. Once there, the blonde let go of her grasp on Sam’s hand and sat down in an empty spot on the ground. She patted the space next to her, “This will be great!”

[BrutalBx]

---

Location: The Party

---

ka pāʻani nui - The Great Game

All the pieces mattered and they were all here by the looks of things. Tane’s midnight eyes scanned the room, registering the faces and bodies of those in attendance of the festivities on the first floor. It didn’t take long for the boy to work our who was drunk and who was not, to see where his classmates fell on the Van Wilder scale of party people and party hacks. As his eyes slipped over to the raven haired temptress under his left arm, he could sense the slight dread in her. Watching her eyes frantically search for the he who must not be named was a sight to behold. Tane had clocked Leo as soon as the pair had walked through the door and a subtle smirk crossed his endless jawline. He moved his hand down Soleil’s back and rested it on her ample rear before whispering in her ear; ”Follow my lead and just relax. Why don’t you go say hi to the Pride and I’ll go get us some drinks?”

Let the game begin

The Hawaiian Superman made his way over to the mountain of solo cups that had amassed on a nearby table and took two from the pile for him and Sol. It was time to pick their respective poisons for the evening. From what Tane knew of most alcohols, there was no clear way of predicting how someone’s body would react to the one or another type. This would be an interesting experiment for sure, he could feed the Queen of Kings the high grade tequila to his left and she could be fine but perhaps the cheap as chips beer to his right could screw her beyond belief. ‘‘Twas one of life’s greatest conundrums...how did he get Soleil Jameson so fucked up that she would forget all her problems? He finally settled on a strong whiskey for himself as it seemed the most Machiavellian of all the drinks on display and for Sol he went with a little clever and made up a Moscow Mule; a test of his nonexistent but totally believable bar tending skills. Fuck you Tom Cruise.

Like the deep water predator he was, Tane surveyed the room from afar taking in the glorious set of visions that were the female student body. It almost seemed like an entry requirement that San Agustin Academy’s pupils had to be ridiculously attractive. His dark eyes drifted to Talya and Savannah as they danced the night away. Sav’s legs for days, Talya’s big blue eyes….they were entranced with each other. Truly it was a sight to behold watching there two majestic creatures in their home environment. TJ glanced in his direction, was she looking at him? No she looked passed him towards the booze. He couldn’t blame her, it was an enticing looking table. Still, he did love a redhead. There were so many more but they weren’t tonight’s prey; another time perhaps.

Tane locked his gaze into Soleil across the room and downed the drink in his hand. The problem with believers, is they’ll let anyone in the door and the problem with deceivers is all the bodies buried under the floorboards. What were his intentions for the raven haired temptress? He wasn’t exactly sure yet, he’d let the night fall where it may. There were plenty of girls here to join him in his dark games but she was his tonight, whose to say she would be tomorrow? There would be no regrets tonight, only learning.

He made his way behind Sol and placed the drink in her hand. ”Here you go m’lady. I’m gonna go play some games, care to join me?” The budding politician popped a kiss on her cheek before he made his way over to the gathering circle for spin the bottle and took his seat.

”I’m in”

[AlteredTundra]

_{Interactions — Tyler Jane // Tane
Mentions — @Melissa @BrutalBx}

The party had barely gotten started and already Nicholas was starting to feel like he always did when bad things weren’t far from happening. That familiar sensation surging through his body, the thoughts he had that often set him back several steps -- basically everything that Kaleb had advised him to not do. He felt all of it and, yet, he was the most amused he’d been in quite some time. Amused in the sense that Tyler Jane had directly addressed that “almost” moment they had.

“I remember,” he muttered, curling those satisfied lips into a smile.

Indeed, thinking to that moment in how every time he thought she’d back away, Tyler Jane proved him wrong that not only could she hang at his level, but convinced him that he wasn’t raising the bar enough for her. So, of course, he went further than he ever had with her (or anyone for that matter). They had gotten so close that Nicholas could still hear the way her heartbeat accelerated when they were inches apart. He had the clearest memory of how the slightest movement might’ve disrupted the moment.

Nicholas remembered a lot of things and especially recalled how they were so close in exploring their connection on an intimate level. That Godforsaken door creaked open a moment too soon and now, as he could only watch her direct her attention to everyone around them, announcing some games were going to be happening soon, he let out a sigh that quickly shaped itself into a sly smile.

“Only time will tell who we get lucky with.” Playing the games he invented, Nicholas made sure for TJ to hear that as he took a seat among those who chose the poison of Spin the Bottle. It might’ve been childish and simplistic in its origin, but with a bit of lady luck shining on you, Nicholas knew this was the primo spot for maximum fun.

And he was all smiles until he spotted Tane sit across from him. Nicholas wasn't sure if it was his ability to immediately irritate him the minute he walked in his general direction or how, for a party meant for casual enjoyment, he chose to glam it up with a suit, but that wasn't what bothered him most. No, it was Tane's entire attitude. His whole existence reminded Nicholas of a faint, though still very foggy, memory of...someone. He couldn't describe it but it was like Nicholas saw someone that seemed familiar to him.

"Hey, Tane," he spoke up, making sure Tane heard him. "Ted Bundy called! He wants his suit back."

[smarty0114]

_{Featuring: A guest appearance by self proclaimed sex god Leo Brooks
Location: The Party}

---

The room was spinning, and the shot she’d just taken certainly wasn’t helping. How could Griffin Pierce of all people, send her into such a tail spin. She was Erica Fucking Monet, boys weren’t supposed to shake her to the core like this. It was beginning to dawn on her that she didn’t know herself quite as well as she thought she did. This mask she wore was just that; a way to hide the weakness that brewed inside, not just from the outside world, but from herself as well. She wasn’t strong and determined, she was just as prone to devolving into the giggling schoolgirl as everyone else.

Why did he have to say that shit, send butterflies fluttering through her? This wasn’t part of her plan. She sighed, pouring herself another mixed drink, as if more alcohol would put the turmoil she was feeling to rest. She turned around, saw Talya and Sav dancing together, far more closely than she would’ve expected. That was interesting. Over at beer pong, Nicholas and TJ were still playing their game, and she caught Bradley and Wes slipping out the entrance. Everyone had someone. Why couldn’t she let herself be the same?

The last pair that caught her eye were Griff and Leo, on the edge of the party. She looked away as quickly as she could, as if the sight of them had burned her. It had in a way. Leo was everything she hated at this school, and Griff was much of the same. Seeing them together only highlighted it. There was something different about him though. Unlike Leo, parts of his arrogance were deserved. Audacious yes, but overestimated, not at all.

TJ’s rally cry drew her from the depths of her thoughts. The liquor had clouded her thoughts, and while she would’ve found both games childish earlier today, alcohol and conflicting emotions mixed a cocktail of reckless abandon. She strutted over to the group, cup in hand, perhaps just a bit excited that Griffin and Leo were doing the same.

“If no ones got the balls to go, I guess I will,” Erica said as she took a seat across from the boy who’d begun to overtake her thoughts. Slender fingers danced along the empty glass bottle in the middle of the circle, and a twist of her delicate wrist sent it spinning. As it slowed, a hush fell over the circle, and Erica realized she was holding her breath. For a moment, it seemed like it’s course was set to end at Griffin’s feet, but inertia betrayed her, and sent it one further. She glanced up into the dark, hungry eyes of Leo Brooks.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, I want a respin!” she shouted. She had no qualms about making her displeasure public knowledge, even if she doubted that she’d be able to get out of this one.

Leo couldn’t help but smile devilishly at Erica. He was getting exactly what he had wanted, and the best part about it was that he didn’t even need to seduce her for a kiss. He was getting one pro bono! A heart laugh escaped his lips, “That’s not how the game works, sweetheart.” He replied to her with a subtle shrug.

Rolling her eyes, Erica sighed in exasperation, before crawling across the gap between them. “You better fucking enjoy it, it’s the last time it ever happens,” she said. She didn’t dare look at Griffin, as much as she wanted to. Instead, with all the confidence she was so masterful at displaying, Erica placed both hands on the side of Leo’s face and pulled him to her, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that was more passionate than anyone there had expected. Say whatever you wanted about Erica, if she was going to do something, she’d do it right.

Say what you would about Leo, when his lips were up against hers, she realized why girls found him so attractive. He was pretty good at this. Wait, ew. The realization that she was almost enjoying this pushed her back, a bored look painted on her face, as if Leo had been average, at best.

The dark haired boy leaned into the kiss, resisting the temptation to grab the back of Erica’s neck and pull her closer. He had always wondered what it would be like when their lips met and now he was finally getting to experience it first hand. Leo didn’t expect it to be so intense and lustful… maybe the girl was desperate like his friend had pointed out only a few minutes previous. As they pulled away, he couldn’t help but smirk as if he had just won.

“Alright, next bitches!” she called out, sliding back to her spot without a second glance at Leo or Griff. Maybe she’d been trying to get the latter’s attention. Maybe she was just trying to prove something to herself. Whatever it was, she could only hope that fate led Griffin’s bottle to her.

[AlteredTundra]

_{A @metanoia // @HaleyTheRandom Collaboration
Featuring the Dynamic Duo of Stargazer & Picasso}
______________________________________________☆______________________________________________

For as long as the party came into its full swing and those who went in before she had mingled, Cassie stood off in the corner, hiding behind the ferns that were placed in a weird position off to the right. She desperately wanted to go in, but barging in wasn’t in good manners and she had always tried to adhere to some sense of proper etiquette. That and where she stood, she had the perfect vantage point to snap some opportune pictures of those actually enjoying the party and everything it had. She saw TJ and her friends enjoying a game of beer pong and how Nicholas wasted very little time indulging in what seemed like a like-minded, master of opportunity act as he approached them.

Raising her camera, she noticed Savannah being especially stationary. In the past, when she would be lurking behind a tree or a wall, Savannah was always so graceful but she was also kind of active. Or maybe it was Cassie always moving that made it seem like that. “No, that’s not--"

"Boo!"

The tiny blonde found herself jumping at least a foot into the air, knocking over one of the fern plants, the clay pot it held the fern in falling over and smashing. The sound it sent off was thankfully muffled by the music playing from inside the party, but what couldn’t be muffled was the feeling that Cassie had when she jumped for joy a moment later as she saw Billie. She immediately hugged her bestie for dear life. Literally.

"What are we waiting for? Go in!"

“I was waiting for you!” Cassie nudged her friend, holding onto her arm with a wide smile that would light up any dark room. And then her eyes fell onto Billie’s outfit. It was no secret that Cassie had a wandering eye and she had no problem admitting when her best friend that lit up her world was looking so good tonight. “Love the outfit, Beej!”

”But are you sure it’s okay for tonight though? I mean, back home I would have done the full face of makeup and a tight little dress and ---” With a sigh, Billie waved her free hand dismissively. ”You’re right. I look amazing. And so do you!” she said, playfully tapping her friend on the nose with her index finger. ”Now tell me love. What all have you noticed going on so far?”

She giggled when her nose was booped and hummed thoughtfully, trying to recall everything. “Wellll, the party got into full swing. People have danced, Leo roared proudly and just roared like he always did. But the most notable thing I noticed, well outside that Tane and Sol arrived, looking a little more extra than usual--” She was referring to Tane, of course, “--your brother went straight for TJ and her friend, Sav.” Cassie was more than aware about how Billie felt about Nicholas’ whole obsession with Tyler Jane. Well, she was certain Nicholas wouldn’t call it that, but both of them knew it was a light obsession at least. “And that’s basically everything I’ve been able to spot so far.”

Raising her eyebrows in a form of surprised approval, Billie was glad to hear that Sol had arrived. What she wasn’t glad to hear was that Nick had beelined for little miss ballerina. ”I don’t see why he’s so obsessed with her,” she scoffed. ”Like seriously. It’s fucking disgusting. He knows he could have literally almost anyone that he wants and he wants to be with that…. That… thing. I can’t. I literally fucking cannot.” Arms crossed, brows nit, Billie glared at TJ through the window. ”On the bright side, they don’t know I’m coming to their little party.” Her expression lighting up, Billie turned back to her friend as a wicked smile spread across her face. Now let’s go make some people regret everything.”

With a smile and one action of hooking her arm with Billie’s, the two girls waltzed into the party — albeit uncharacteristically silent.

Snooping from afar had been one thing for Cassie. It was the sort of delightful thrill she often experienced whenever she had caught some of her friends with people she didn’t think they liked to be seen with. And perhaps the moments photographed were meant to be private. It’s not like Cassie would ever divulge them intentionally. She cherished those moments because it allowed her to see them for how they truly were: vulnerable, exposed, real.

A lot like how Cassie felt right now after being pulled from her comfort zone from behind the ferns.

But she wasn’t going to say that. At least, she would embrace her new surroundings as openly as Billie was.

“So what do you think? I feel it has a nice energy about it,” Cassie noted, looking around. “I mean, as far as private-not-so-private parties are concerned.”

Nose upturned ever so slightly in disgust, Billie tried to keep the ever-growing need to grimace from appearing on her face. "It's okay, I guess. At least they managed to score booze."

Another thoughtful glance around the room, Billie shrugged her shoulders. "So what do you wanna do first?"

“Hmm...” Cassie hummed thoughtfully. It wasn’t until she spotted the unoccupied drinks table did a lightbulb appear above the tiny blonde’s head, which was followed by a single clap. “We should get some drinks!” Without warning, she tugged on Billie’s hand, jerking her in the direction of the table. In the span of about five seconds, not only were they standing in front of it, Cassie poured them two solo cups full of whatever alcohol was on the table. “There! Now, uh, what should we toast to?” Again, she hummed.

As her body was pulled forward, Billie's feet did their best to catch up. She had no idea what Stargazer had just poured into their cups, but it was alcohol so it didn't really matter anyway. "I say that we toast to us. Our friendship. Our good looks. Our charm. And last but not least, our ability to turn heads no matter where we are." A shining smile on her face, Billie raised her cup up high. "To us," she shouted a little too loudly. "And to all tonight has to offer!"

She found herself giggling past the point of control when Billie’s voice did little to hinder their position away from those dancing. She was confident that, by now, those who were supposed to be here, had to have noticed the girls helping themselves to the drinks. “Well, so much for blending in.” In a rather ‘fuck it’ moment, Cassie raised her glass high up too, clinking the plastic cup against her bestie’s.

“Spin the bottle and 7 minutes in heaven starts now! If you want to get lucky tonight, come join either one of the games next to the pong tables…”

“Oh! That sounds like a blast” Cassie’s delightfully curious voice, and by extension, eyes, found their way over where she saw the party host and her bestie’s twin. “What’cha thinking?” Curious Cassie asked, sipping the rest of her drink as her eyes kept a fixated gaze on Billie.

”Mmmm…. We could do spin the bottle… but seven minutes in heaven would mean we could make out with people. But if we do good enough at spin the bottle then there could be more making out later… let’s do that, fuck it.”

Ask anyone who knew her, multiple-choice was not Cassie Lucasta’s strongest subject. Every time there was a test or anything that had her choosing more than one thing at the same time, she froze right then and there; and even now she is sweating on the inside. But she didn’t want to alert Billie to this sudden development, so she gave her one and only Picasso a bright, I’m-actually-sweating-balls smile. With her hand tightly clasped her ride or die’s hand and took a seat at the area by the closet, where she the forming circle for spin the bottle was at.

“I have a good feeling about this!” She was lying but Cassie was, if nothing else, an optimistic person.

With a wide grin, Billie took her seat beside Cassie. ”Oh this is going to be great! Especially since I have zero idea how to play this.”

Cassie giggled, nudging Billie’s shoulder. “It’s like you said!” She looked at her, brandishing a slightly more confident smile. “You get to kiss someone And I bet there’s gotta be one here that you want the bottle to land on.” As she spoke, the blonde couldn’t stop her wandering mind, which also was often paired with her curious eyes, from fixating on that one person she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about. Every butterfly that has been released from the cocoon since she spotted them were flapping their wings away, hoping that mating season was nearing.

”Maybe,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. ”Maybe not. Guess we’ll just have to find out.”

And that was the last thing either of them said as they took their spot at the top of the circle, seeing all of their friends and some not so friendly gather around. Nicholas made a crack at Tane, which he probably didn't appreciate. Cassie didn't know and she saw that Billie was too in her zone to notice, either. All Cassie could do is wonder what could happen if she took a slight chance. "Oh my! I'll go!"

Cassie was rarely ever one to take initiative like this. Being one who was always on the sidelines, always snapping photos of people in situations like this. Whether it was Tyler Jane dancing until her artistic heart was content in the art studio, Dwayne enjoying a relaxing night in the common area, or that one time she saw Nicholas weak at his feet for Frankie, she never put herself in such a position where eyes were on her.

But as Cassie Lucasta bent over since her small frame didn't allow her to secure the bottle in her tiny hand, she gave it a spin and watched as the pendulum had swung back and forth. Every moment passing brought her closer and closer to cycles of heavy breathing. It really wasn't until it stopped and her eyes had slowly trailed up, she was breathing abnormally and her heart rate increased when she came into Leo's gaze. Every part of her that could tremble did, rendering the usually quick-to-speak Cassie into a frozen statue that wanted to move but nothing but nerves of glass existed.

Oh god! It actually landed on him. It really did!

[Sugar and Spite]

Holy shit! She said yes! I did that shit.

Doing her best to keep her composure, Talya got rid of the smile on her face just as quickly as it came. She had to play this cool. If she got to excited she could blow it and that was the very last thing she wanted.

Grabbing the other girls hand, Talya led Savannah to the section of the dorm that had been designated as the dance floor. They had barely just found their groove to the beat when TJ announced the game. Seeing how Savannah's eyes lit up in curiosity, Talya quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the circle.

"Dude come on! Let's go make fun of people's awkwardness."

[Melissa]

_{Mentions: Cassie, Nicholas @metanoia and Billie @HaleyTheRandom}

Leo Brooks is the kind of guy that takes advantage of every opportunity to kiss someone. It’s just the kind of horny fuck that he is. So, when his favorite redhead announced that they’d be playing spin the bottle, he couldn’t resist the temptation to join in on the fun. As an added bonus, he got Griffin to play, which made things even more entertaining.

The game had already started out better than he had initially hoped- he finally got to plant one on Erica! And she did not disappoint. Why that girl was so stubborn and refused to accept his advances sooner was beyond him- she clearly enjoyed their kiss, so why didn’t she let him do it sooner? After that firework of a kiss, Leo wasn’t expecting to get spun on so soon, but was pleasantly surprised when the bottle faced in his direction only a few turns after. The spinner in question? Cassie Lucasta. The dark haired boy didn’t know too much about her, only that she was best friends with Billie. He let his eyes wander over her face and body as everyone in the circle laughed and whispered in anticipation. She looked shyer, but was cute… in his experience shy girls were always the freakiest, so that was definitely a positive thing.

With a flirtatious smile, Leo made his way across the circle towards the blonde without any hesitation. Always the gentleman, he brushed a piece of stray hair out of Cassie’s face before leaning in and pressing his lips firmly to hers. If there was anything Leo was excellent at, it was kissing. He clearly had enough practice to become an expert, and often made his partners go weak in the knees due to his… skills. Cassie’s lips were soft and tasted faintly of cherries. A good thing- he liked when girls wore flavored chapstick. He lifted his palm and caressed her cheek as he deepened the kiss. This was spin the bottle after all, and he had to put on a good show.

After another moment or two (or three) Leo parted his lips from hers and sat back on his heels. Man, he was good. With one last look, he winked at Cassie before moving back to his part of the circle. Deciding he wasn’t exactly finished yet, he glanced around at the rest of the group before grasping onto the bottle. “Let’s keep this going- my turn.” With a firm twist of his wrist, the empty glass was sent spinning. He might have spun it even a little too hard, as it took awhile for it to slow down. One second it was on Tyler Jane (which would’ve been another big win) the next it was on Sol (gross), and it almost even landed on Cassie again, and Leo would’ve loved nothing more than to go for round two. But, the bottle finally came to a careful stop in front of his beloved Billie. Score!

A devilish smirk appeared on the dark haired boy’s face as realization hit- this was going to be fun.

“Watch and learn folks- Nicholas, close your eyes.”

Leo approached Billie slowly, almost as if he were a predator sizing up his prey. But he already knew her well- in fact, he knew her body like the back of his hand and as if two of them were the only two people in the room, he placed soft kisses up her neck and jawline before meeting his lips with hers. It was passionate and raw, and definitely a little too much for the childish game, but the boy didn’t care. The dark haired vixen just did something to him that couldn’t be stopped or controlled. Perhaps kissing her made him think about their many nights together where she drove him mad with lust. He moved his mouth away from Billie’s after much protest from everyone telling them to “get a room” and brushed his lips up against her ear, speaking soft enough only for her to hear.

“You look so hot tonight.”

With that and one last nibble of her ear, Leo moved back to his spot on the other side of the circle with a dramatic sigh, pleased with himself and how he had handled the situation at hand.

[Melissa]

_{Mentions: Nicholas @metanoia, Tane @BrutalBx and Erica @smarty0114
Featuring: Griffin and The New Girl @TootsiePop}

“Only time will tell who we get lucky with.”

Was that a promise or a threat? Nicholas’ words rang clearly in Tyler Jane’s head as she kneeled in an empty spot of the circle. It was true- time would tell if they would find a resolution to their interesting dynamic. Or if it would just remain luck and lust filled as it currently was. As he poked fun at Tane’s outfit, the redhead piped up in unexpected fashion. “I think the suit looks great. I appreciate a man who puts effort in…” Her tipsy demeanor had caused her voice to speed up just a little bit and a permanent smile remained on her lips as she offered the dressed up boy a grin before raising an eyebrow at Nicholas. If he wanted this to stay a game, a game it would remain.

Although it was not the true game of the evening, Tyler Jane watched intently as spin the bottle began. She paid attention as others went before her- Erica kissing Leo of all people was incredibly entertaining to the drunk redhead. And then he proceeded to kiss two more people and practically make-out with Billie in front of everyone. But then all of the eyes fell on her, and Tyler Jane knew it was her turn to go.

Reaching forward, she took the bottle in her hand and twisted, sending the glass container swirling. The girl held her breath as her fate was decided right before her eyes. She obviously hoped that it would land on Nicholas, which she knew would solve the debacle they were currently in and cut the sexual tension with a knife. But the glass continued to spin for what felt like a millennia before slowing and coming to a stop. The redhead nervously let her eyes connect the dots from the bottle’s now stationary position up to the person that it was pointing at.

Griffin Pierce.

God fucking dammit Tyler Jane thought to herself, using her best poker face in order to not to reveal the sour emotions she felt towards the spin. Out of all the people she could have landed on, of course the bottle decided it would be funny to pick arguably her least favorite person on campus. She would have taken Leo over Griffin, but unfortunately she was not given that choice between the devil and the deep blue sea.

But, deep down, she realized this could be a good thing. Nicholas and Griffin weren’t usually on the best terms… maybe this would knock some sense into him! Perhaps it would piss him off that she was kissing one of his enemies, maybe even make him jealous.

The redhead didn’t say anything, and instead motioned with her index finger, beckoning Griffin towards her with a flirtatious grin. Their negative interaction prior to the party now a thing of the past, Tyler Jane pulled him close and kissed him tenderly, almost as if she actually wanted to. The way their lips moved was like a symphony, together with a crescendo and a natural fade. The girl convincingly made it look like she was enjoying it, hoping Nicholas was watching the expression on her face closely.

Griffin rolled his eyes when their lips touched, reading TJ like a children’s book. At least they both had something to gain from this. As she passionately, lovingly, pressed her lips against his, he couldn’t help but smirk. His eyes deeply gazed into her’s, extremely amused. While it looked intimate to the crowd, it felt more intimidating to the person he was looking at. How still and unwavering his glare was. Not once did he acknowledge Erica. No, his complete and utter attention was on Tyler Jane and he entertained her in playing this game of jealousy by running his dominant hand through her red locks, pressing her face even deeper to his lips.

After a few long moments Tyler Jane parted her lips from Griffin’s and leaned back with a smirk. A couple of the people in the circle hooted and hollered in response to the kiss, which added more fuel to the fire.

“Alright, who’s next? I’ll be riiiight back, I’m getting another drink.” Tyler Jane announced to no one in particular before standing up and heading towards the kitchen island to refill her now empty cup. As soon as her back was turned she wiped off her lips both literally and metaphorically. Gross. She had lost track of what drink this was… maybe it was her fifth? Or seventh? Or tenth? Numbers didn’t matter now- all she knew was that she felt great (aside from having to make out with Griffin in front of everyone). Once at the makeshift bar, she selected a friendly looking bottle of vodka and began mixing up another concoction for herself.

“I’m impressed you went through with that.” A brunette wearing a floral, summer dress chimed in, making her presence known to the hostess, as she held a red cup in her hand. She stood there leaned up against the wall by the drink table, watching the games from afar. “I would’ve slapped him instead after hearing what he said about your bestie.” She scoffed in believable annoyance. “The nerve, I tell you.”

Tyler Jane, albeit a bit startled, looked up at the girl with a quizzical glance. At first the redhead didn’t think the girl was speaking to her, maybe that was due to her drunken stupor, but after noticing how intense her eye contact was, she put two and two together. “I’m sorry?” She asked, confused as to what the girl was referring to. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Oh, figures.” The kind yet strange girl sighed in response. “I guess it isn’t my place then to tell you about some stupid boy talk. I just feel bad for Erica… I wouldn’t want my friend going anywhere near a douchebag like Pierce.”

The redhead knit her brows together. She already didn’t like Griffin and knew that for certain, but was willing to put that aside if her friend was infatuated with the boy. But, if there was something else at play here and it had to do with her Erica, she needed to keep her friend’s best interest in mind. “What did he say?” Tyler Jane solemnly asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Taking a leisure sip of her drink, the girl shook her head, visibly upset with the knowledge she held, “He…” she hesitated wondering if it was right to bring someone into a private conversation two boys had, but deep down she knew this was the right thing to do, “... he told literally the worst person ever that Erica was desperate. Leo out of all people! Do you know what he’d do thinking that? I can’t imagine.”

Tyler Jane’s jaw unhinged, pure shock gracing her delicate features. Griffin said Erica was… desperate? That didn’t even make any sense! Why he would have come to this conclusion, she didn’t know, but if Leo was part of it, that could only mean bad things coming Erica’s way. The redhead was right to stick with her gut that the boy was bad news, and in that moment she had never hated Griffin Pierce more.

“That piece of shit- I will end him. No one says bad things about my best friend and gets away with it.” She turned to storm off back to the circle, but looked back at the mystery girl, who she only now realized she didn’t recognize. “Thank you… um, I’m sorry I don’t know your name, but enjoy the party.” Frazzled, she returned to her seat, mulling over the disturbing and angering news she had just heard as the game continued on.

[BrutalBx]

---

Introducing: Meadow
Featuring; Tane
Mentions: Nicholas @metanoia, Tyler Jane @Melissa, Violet @TootsiePop

---

One could assume by looking at them that the person they called Meadow was just like any other seventeen year old girl at a party. To look upon the visage is to be struck upon by beauty personified. Short dirty blonde hair wracked up in slight curls, big blue eyes staring longingly out of the window at the moon, the chaos around hidden by veils of innocence and inebriation. Then there was the body; adorned in nothing but a white bralet which perfectly cupped her chest and her long silky legs barely covered by a thin flowing floral skirt. Wrists adorned with beads and bracelets; it was easy to assume that this bohemian was just like any other girl at this party; one would be wrong in that assumption.This wasn’t a girl at all. For all intents and purposes, in body and dress sense and in demeanour, Meadow was a girl but in their heart and mind and soul; they just didn’t believe in the label. They were Meadow, lover of men and women and everything in between. They were simply a child of the earth.

Meadow had forgotten how long they had been at the party; it could’ve been five minutes or five hours they weren’t really sure. After an eternity or a second, they broke their gaze away from the bright moon in the sky and dropped it to their left arm where in a slightly more refined chicken scratch the phrase ”Someday: sometime, forever and almost always” had been inscribed. All Meadow knew was that they had run out of sticky notes and needed to steal some more from their next class. The meaning behind the words they had etched onto their skin was unknown at this time, even to them but the world had a way of solving unsolved mysteries; if not then they had the ghost of Robert Stack on YouTube that could probably help out.

Spinning of their barefooted heel, Meadow scanned the room and was immediately enamoured by the beauty that flowed throughout. Not only was it decorated stunningly but the faces and bodies of their classmates through rye whiskey and ginger lenses were to die for. Meadow could in their not so right mind pick any one of them to share their bed for the evening. As their eyes fell upon a young man dressed in an immaculate suit and glasses, he winked before taking off the finely pressed jacket and hanging it on a nearby chair. In that moment they questioned two things; did he really need those glasses? And where did he get that sick tattoo on his arm?

Tane rolled up his sleeves as a smile that would make a rattlesnake weep crossed his lips ”The man may have killed over thirty women but you can’t deny he had a fine taste in apparel, Nicky” Nicholas was like a bad rash that Tane just couldn’t shake. He had no qualms with admitting that Nick was his rival in multiple departments. Their looks and intelligence were by far much higher compared to some of their compatriots. If everyone around them was playing checkers, Tane and Nick were playing chess and neither took any prisoners in any game; tonight of course would be no different. As Tyler Jane made her comment, the Polynesian prince knew exactly what game the redhead was playing and he had no problem letting her have her fun; especially at Nicholas’ expense. ”Well thank you kindly, my love. You’re looking ravishing yourself tonight”

It was a weird feeling; enjoying other people’s drama but Meadow liked that feeling as it was always fleeting. Like most emotions, it didn’t last long before being replaced but such was life. Some days were good, sometimes they weren’t so good but they are forever and they remember that; almost always. Finally a face that brought through an old feeling; Violet. What that feeling was Meadow had no answer but whenever she was around, Vi made the manic dream person feel a little less manic. They did not want to ruin her night though, they knew sometimes that Vi needed her space so with a simple blow of a kiss, Meadow acknowledged their friend before plunging head into the aura surrounding the spin the bottle game.

”Well hello there sailors; might I kindly ask one of you to go get me another drink I’m pretty sure my legs have stopped walking and by the goddess you’re all too pretty”

[AlteredTundra]

_{Mentions // Leo @Melissa ☆ Billie @HaleyTheRandom}

When lips met lips, her cherry scent was overpowered by whatever Leo Brooks’ flavor of the day was. And it was hard for her not to let him take full control of a situation that Cassie hadn’t the time to think about, hadn't the time to process that her spin landed on Leo Brooks.

She knew how it must’ve looked. She was the weird girl with the camera. She was the person, if she was ever discovered, watching others through the lens of her camera as they lived out moments in their confined life at San Agustin. And that was something she never had a problem with. She adored watching those moments when they were unsuspecting and truly themselves. It was something rare and especially for those who might hide certain aspects of their true personality from those closest to them. But never did Cassie envision a scenario where one of the most observed would ever press his lips against hers like it was imagined in those nights she spent alone in her dorm.

When it happened, time slowed down. Froze. Every bone that could tremble did when she felt his passion. A whimper of sorts had been muted when his hand caressed her cheek, relaxing every part of her body - inside and out. And when it was over and he had moved on to his turn, again, Cassie’s mind had fled to a place not of this realm, only thinking about Leo’s lips and how she yearned to feel them again. In all of the what-if scenarios she played out, if she ever got the chance, she would do more than just let him take charge. Cassie would allow herself the benefit of alerting him to just how deep she felt for him and how much she admired his jawline.

Instead, when Cassie returned to Planet Party, she was petrified when Leo turn had landed him on her best friend and watching them kiss crushed her. She knew it was a game, but that didn’t matter.

To avoid making a scene, especially not to make it obvious that his kiss had done more to her than it should to anyone, Cassie made a bullshit excuse. Something to allow her the freedom to crawl into the nearest bathroom and let nature run its course. “B.R.B., gotta pee!” She would announce in the middle of Billie and Leo’s kiss, ignoring most of everyone and she made the quickest beeline for the bathroom, locking herself in it.

The running water from the faucet, whether or not it did her any good, had allowed Cassie to think in peace. Something about the running water hitting the sink reminded her of something that she once found relaxing. Something about it brought her to the image of a spa, which, of course, was strange because she had no memory of ever being at such a place. Nevertheless, it calmed her down enough to keep her from going over the edge. But it wasn't enough to quell the bizarre feeling deep in the pit of her stomach.

“Am I...jealous?”

[NeoAJ]

---

---

secret awakenings

_{A @Venus & @NeoAJ Collaboration
Featuring Soleil Jameson & Savannah Payton}

---

---

Some people spend their entire lives wondering what it's like to be free. Free from the outside world's judging stares. Free from the tyrannies of an unfair system pressing down on their every move. Free from their own mind's perpetual doubts and worries. People will chase any matter of things to try and find that kind of freedom. That feeling of knowing that nothing in the world could possibly weigh you down. That every cell in your body is being buoyed by some unseen exception to the laws of gravity, lifting you, keeping you from possibly falling back into the clutches of the everyday trappings of life.

That's what Savannah was feeling right now. Maybe it was the half-bottle of Hpnotiq she had already downed in addition to the other random shots done among her closest friends. Maybe it was the rush of victory from the pong table. Maybe it was just the way the light flickered and danced whenever she caught a glimpse of those blue pools across from her. But as soon as the world was reduced to just her, Talya and the rhythm of the music, nothing else seemed to matter at the moment. Not Nicholas, or TJ, or Griffin or classes or anyone. Savannah had chased this feeling on the track for days on end and there were times when it felt like she was free, but this? This was flying. This was surreal. This was free.

This... this is amazing... All this time... I was chasing the wrong thing... This feels so natural... so right... is this what I wanted all along? Just to feel this? And I could have had it... If I just let go sooner... I needed Talya to find it... Fuck, she's a special girl... I wonder... no... I know... I want more... I want more of this feeling...

But again it was fleeting. TJ had other plans for the evening, and it was clear that she knew which direction she wanted things to go.

“Spin the bottle and 7 minutes in heaven starts now! If you want to get lucky tonight, come join either one of the games next to the pong tables…”

Maybe that was the sign Savannah was looking for. TJ had her back even when she didn't know it. Savannah looked over at Talya, unsure if she wanted to abandon the dance floor for an arbitrary chance at having the excuse to push things further. Besides, wasn't spin the bottle for like middle schoolers? Or was she starting to overthink things again?

Talya didn't give her the opportunity to get too worked up about it. The brunette took Savvy by the hand and guided her on. "Dude come on! Let's go make fun of people's awkwardness."

Savannah giggled. Talya had come up with a way to play to her attitude about the whole thing in general, anyway. She took another swig from her blue bottle and nodded, "Hey, I'm down for a good laugh. Let's go."

The two made their way to the growing circle. Savannah sat down beside Erica and Talya followed suit beside her. One of the Corona bottles sat in the middle, the arbiter of the evening's entertainment. As Savannah looked back at her dance partner, noting how intently Talya was staring at the bottle, those eyes laser focused, she started to plan things out. All right, this is nothing. Gotta basically just spin the bottle so it almost goes in a full circle. It's like pong, but sideways. And I can do the pong. Fuckin' right I can do the pong. I can do this. This is kid's shit. Hope you're ready, Tal."

Things at the party were progressing a lot faster than Soleil had imagined or expected. She hadn’t walked through the door five minutes when Tane was excusing himself to fetch them a drink, coming back with them and encouraging her to parktake in Spin The Bottle, all the while grabbing her ass, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear (and successfully riling Sol up in ways she hadn’t expected to since Teddy was gone). Seeing as the majority of the classmates she knew would be playing, it would be foolish of her not to. So after chugging half of the drink in her hand, Shady took a seat right across from Tane, arriving just in time to watch the spinning bottle come to a stop on Leo’s towering frame.

As the glass started turning on the tiles of the common room, it was clear there was a bit of sick humor at play with the whims of the neck. Erica, bold as she ever was, maybe even more so under the influence, spun first. The pulls of gravity landed her spin on Leo Fucking Brooks. Savannah was pretty sure that was his middle name. Anyway, watching Erica try to stomach the eventual kiss she got from the so-called King of San Agustin did get a giggle out of Savvy. "I am so fuckin' sorry you had to go through with that, Erica," she offered upon her friend's return to the circle. "I think I would have just taken the option of puking without that kind of help."

"Those are the rules," Erica muttered, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at the absurdity of this game.

Of course, the bottle seemed to have taken a shine to Leo. Cassie Lucasta-- When did she get here? Literally fuckin' everyone was invited to this thing... grabbed it next and also landed on the worst person possible. Cassie, however, seemed to enjoy it more than Erica did. Leo, feeling emboldened, spun and drew... Billie Grey. Fuck. Guess that plan failed. Leo went in and started full-on making out with the other Grey sibling to the point of almost succeeding in making Savannah puke. She held it down though and joined in the chorus calling for the two to rein things in. "Hey, if I wanted to watch porn in here, I'd put videos on the fuckin' TV! Simmer down!" Eventually they did. Thankfully.

From her position, Soleil watched with disgust as her best friend shared a surprisingly intense kiss with Erica Monet of all people, only for the bottle to be spun again and land on the smug fucker once more. How is it that nobody wanted this son of a bitch here in the first place, and now he’s swapping saliva with half of the school’s female population? she couldn’t help herself but think while Leo wooed another poor, mindless sap with his lips. And as if watching him make out with two girls back to back wasn’t enough, Leo decided to go for the kill when he took his turn and went at it again, this time with Nick’s sister Billie. At this point, there was no disguising the way Sol audibly gagged and looked away from the softcore porn currently in development in front of everyone’s eyes. She was grateful for the many protestors around her who seemed to be just as sick of it as she was, because thanks to their pleading the casanova finally took a long-deserved break.

Up next were Griffin and, to Sol’s amusement, Tyler Jane. She had half-expected for one of them to bow out or even request a respin, considering the history of disdain between them. But much to her surprise, the blond and the redhead faced the challenge head-on, putting on a very convincing show for all the spectators to see. When they were finished, the smiling Shady let out a wolf-whistle of appreciation. Well done, you two.

TJ stepped up and the bottle did what Savannah couldn't on the beer pong table: find Griffin Pierce and get him to sink a shot. It was... weird. Seeing two friends kiss is like... seeing an aunt and uncle kiss. She looked over at Erica for some level of agreement, but that was not the expression on Erica's face. It was best to leave that untouched for now. Tyler Jane finally broke away from Griffin and retreated to the drink island. Savannah hadn't visited that island in a while, her new blue friend providing everything she needed at this point. But someone had to go. The other two members of the hosting party had taken their spins. It made sense for her to go next.

"All right, I'll go. But if this fucker lands on Leo, I'm smashing it's broken ass out on the pavement," she announced as she leaned in and grabbed the bottle. All right. Gentle spin, one or two turns, hope this lands on Talya. She twisted her wrist and flicked, letting fate determine whether or not she would get that easy in.

However, it was not to be. There was too much force on it. Bottles weighed more than ping-pong balls. And by the time it ceased to move, it pointed not at Miss Burnley, but instead at Soleil Jameson. There were some predictable hoots and hollers from the male members at the party. Obviously their tiny brains still went ballistic over the thought of two women kissing. Fuckin' animals. Still, there were worse targets. At least Sol was a friend. A gym friend, but still a friend. It wasn't like the thought of kissing her hadn't crossed her mind before being reminded that Sol reacted to sudden unexpected movements with solid right jabs to the face. But still, any danger was long since erased. Savannah was more than ready. Plus, it didn't land on a dude. That was a win right there. The thought of kissing a dude right now sounded repugnant.

Savannah leaned forward, beckoning Sol to join her with her finger. "All right, Shady," she said with a sultry confidence that was becoming more dominant as her Hpnotiq bottle was being emptied. "If you think you're fuckin' woman enough to handle this, come get it."

To say that Sol had been shocked was an understatement. Less than a minute ago, she’d been cackling and enjoying being a spectator witn front row seats to all the drama going down around her. And now there was a bottle pointing straight at her, with a very willing female friend calling out to her on the other side and a crowd of onlookers thirsty for the first girl-on-girl kiss of the evening.

"If you think you're fuckin' woman enough to handle this, come get it."

So that’s how it was going to be, huh?

If there was anything the dark-haired girl enjoyed, it was defiance and a challenge.

“Don’t say you didn’t fucking ask for it,” Shady warned her friend with a Cheshire cat smile before leaning forward, tangling her fingers on Sav’s blonde and pink hair and pulling the girl into a deep kiss.

Admittedly, even in this state, Savannah was surprised Sol went for it as full-on as she did. It really shouldn’t have been. They were always competitive in the gym, it made for some challenging days on the treadmill. Still, the way Shady went at her. It felt… familiar?

Savannah couldn’t explain it. There was no way that she had kissed Sol before. But there was an image in her mind. Of a woman with caramel skin and hair like the darkest forest. Someone who could reign her in despite her wildest impulses. Savannah couldn’t place it. She should remember something so forceful, so bold, so… in-control. But, it was something she had been missing for a while.

A part of her wished this wasn’t just for the bottle’s sake, but she knew the way Sol got down. So this was likely going to be it. This was a lip-locking duel to the end.

And Savannah was going to win.

She ran her hand through Sol’s long, dark brown hair, pulling her closer as Sav pressed the lips that tasted faintly of tropical fruit against Sol’s own. The Jameson girl may have gotten the best of her on the weights, but here? This was Payout’s turf. This was a different kind of cardio. And she ran like a goddamn cheetah here. She pushed the advantage, sliding the bottle out from underneath them as she was intent to lock lips as long as Shady was game.

There was something familiar about the feeling of Savannah’s soft, feminine lips passionately clashing against her own, and the way she pulled her closer to intensify their kiss. Suddenly, a long-forgotten memory broke through and to the forefront of Soleil’s mind.

It was a cool midnight in early August, with a full moon in sight and the stars shining brightly on a cloudless sky. She was fifteen years old, sitting at the edge of a dock overlooking the lake of her favorite summer camp. Another girl sat closely beside her: with caramel-colored skin and shiny, curly hair framing a beautiful, heart-shaped face with luscious pink lips, chocolate brown eyes, and a cute button nose. Shantelle, her name was Shantelle. There was silence in their vicinity, mostly interrupted by the chirping of crickets hiding in the grass and the symphony of the nocturnal animals in the forest around them.

The two girls had their feet dipped inside the lake, giggling and exchanging hushed stories while holding hands with their fingers intertwined. All of a sudden, there was a moment of stillness between them: where their eyes had met and their souls yearned for each other. In the blink of an eye, Soleil and Shantelle were rushing forward and wrapping their slender arms around one another as their lips met in a kiss that started out slow, shy, gentle and sweet. But with every second, there was a deep-seated hunger for each other that grew and grew-- like a craving they couldn’t resist. Their kiss became deeper, more heated, and their hands began to paw at each other with a sense of urgency. The exchange between them gradually intensified, like a small flame slowly growing into a blazing forest fire. And with the evening sky and the forest as their witnesses, Shantelle and Soleil lovingly came together as one.

Back in the present, a breathless Soleil pulled away from Savannah. She stared at her friend for a few long seconds before breaking into a wide, triumphant grin. “We fucking killed it, bruh!” she hollered, lightly punching Sav in the shoulder and raising her closed fist in her direction for a fist bump.

Savannah had won! Sol had pulled away first! So why did it feel like a loss? She slowly opened her eyes, as if trying to will Sol back to their central spot on the common-room floor, but the brunette was in the same spot she was. Hovering, waiting, unsure how to proceed. However, that feeling for Shady was very short-lived. As her workout partner offered a light lovetap to the shoulder and a fistbump, Savannah followed up with a smirk and a shrug. “Bitch, was there ever any doubt? Excellent work, you!” She returned Sol’s fistbump with emphasis and then turned to the gathered crowd. “Are you fuckers not entertained?!?”

Savannah returned the bottle to its central position and moved back to her spot. As she settled, she looked over at her dance partner. "Don't you worry, Tal.” she said with all the assurance of a San Antonio streetwalker. ”I'm saving my fastball for later."

[AlteredTundra]

_{A @metanoia & @NeoAJ Collaboration
Featuring Mr. Unlucky & The Payed Piper}

---

Under normal circumstances, Nicholas might say he was having a good time. The times of playing spin the bottle might not be so clear to him when he thought about it, but the feelings of nostalgia were present in the giggles and prevalent feelings of entertainment enhanced his own enjoyment from it.

The games were fun. Leo knew how to play it well. The boy was a gamemaster and he had all of the cheat codes in how to effectively make even the most unlikely of people fall breathless. It wasn’t present in Erica who retained much of her fire when her kiss with the King Alpha ended, but poor Cassie wasn’t so lucky. She wasn’t the only one who observed everyone. Both she and Nicholas watched others and he knew there was something between her and Leo. The latter wasn’t aware of it, but the way she perked up when his spin landed on her and how she trembled when their steamy kiss ended, it was clear the blonde hadn’t been honest with even herself about how deep her thirst for Leo’s everything ran. But if Nicholas could see it, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume everyone else would too -- Leo included.

And as she excused herself, Nicholas chuckled mostly to himself. He didn’t know whether to maybe excuse himself and go comfort her or not, but before he could, his eyes followed the bottle. And as it stopped, his reaction was the polar opposite of Leo and generally everyone else.

Visible disgust. Absolutely vile, atrocious disgust became Nicholas’ face for the next minute. He didn’t want to watch it nor did he want to even imagine that, of all people, Leo Brooks would find a predatory home on his sister’s lips. The part inside him that was Billie’s go to response nearly took over. His older brother instincts wanted to rip Leo off of his sister and pound the life out of him, showing him what happens when the swan is cornered.

But Nicholas remembered this was a party. Nicholas remembered that it was all fun and games. Yeah until my sister gets involved. That one reminder had allowed the boy to calm his growing ire and turn away. The least he could do was not have the cursed sight of his best friend (probably debatable but friends were hard to come by these days) and Leo lock lips like a couple of sex-starved animals.

When it ended and Nicholas’ faith in the big guy upstairs was restored, it was Tyler Jane’s turn to spin. He wouldn’t say he had hopes it would land on him because he would never allow himself to appear that desperate, but at the same time, he felt like one of those animals who were deprived of their most primal instincts. He would be lying if, should the bottle land on him, that he wouldn’t give Tyler Jane a kiss she’ll never forget, both in his technique and how forward he might go.

As it twirled around, Nicholas felt every weight on his shoulder raise up, the tension releasing itself as he prepared to lean forward. But this was only to crush him all over again when it landed on Griffin Pierce, of all people. Immediately, his eyes shot sharp dagger-like glares at both of them, but specifically at Tyler Jane. If she thought he didn’t notice what she was doing, then she clearly didn’t know him at all. But that wasn’t the only thing that was getting under his skin. Her kiss with Griffin aside, it was the way she had been behaving all night long. Not that he was innocent, but there had been times where she went two steps beyond teasing him or making him reach out instead of her being the one to. It was frustrating past the point of acceptable and her kiss with Griffin was just another example of this.

And when it ended and she excused herself, he remained and watched the steamy and rather intriguing kiss that Sol and Savannah shared. It acts as a palette cleanser to the bitter note that TJ and Griff left. He found it enticing enough to have an idea. It would require mostly luck and hoped the big guy upstairs was looking out for him because Nicholas needed some of his magic in order to make it happen. Maybe it was going to be cruel but, honestly, Nicholas was in that kind of mood.

“I suppose it’s my turn.” He smiled as he leaned forward and reached for the bottle. He gripped it tightly, twisting his wrist and giving it a rough spin. It swerved on the floor and almost bumped into someone but about five inches away from them, it finally stopped. And by the literal grace of God, Nicholas met Savannah’s eyes with a smirk with one of them purposely giving Tyler Jame a quick look.

He rose up from his seated position and crawled closer to Sav, who sat across from him in the gathered circle. He wanted to be close to her enough so he could prep not only her for what was about to happen but also for himself. Nicholas was a tender and affectionate lover, regardless of the circumstances. He brought his left hand up to caress her right cheek. He first twisted his wrist so that the outside of his hand was facing Sav and felt the softness of her skin against his. It was a bit drawn out compared to others, but Nicholas was something of a magician in foreplay and if this was really going to work, he needed to put in the extra effort.

As their gaze lingered, Nicholas leaned close to her, bringing his lips close to her ear and whispered, “I do hope you saved enough energy for me, Savvy.”

Sober Savannah would have been doing cartwheels at how the bottle spin had landed. This would have been the culmination of many prayers and lit candles to get a shot at kissing Nicholas Grey. She would have swooned at the words in her ear like one of those middle-aged moms at a Justin Bieber concert.

Sober Savannah wasn’t home right now.

Instead, Payout almost shuddered from the feeling of Nicholas’ hand on her cheek. Compared to Sol’s rough foraging through her hair, this felt like an attempt at coercion. Like she was expected to just bend the knee at this gesture of romanticism from a man. Payout didn’t play that.

She let out a deep breath that she didn’t know was being held and looked the Robin Hood that managed to land this bottle shot in the eye.“Just make this quick, Romeo,” she told him matter-of-factly.

“Quick?” He repeated back as though disappointed. The entirety of the makeshift plan he mapped out in his head was reliant on the reaction that he normally received when his hand gently caressed the cheek and he whispered into the ear. It was his signature move, but more importantly, the usual reaction would have done wonders for his real plan to make TJ jealous.

Maybe Nicholas pushed his luck too far. Or maybe he went about it the wrong way. Something in her eyes and how...bored she was, produced something of a delayed reaction on his part. He wasn’t usually like this but Nicholas understood. Sol had ruined his usual plays; in a sense, Nicholas was cockblocked by Shady.

“I normally don’t do it quickly, but there’s no choice, I suppose.” With a sigh, Nicholas didn’t allow time to elapse so Sav could get a response in. He grabbed both sides of her face, looking her into both of her eyes with a daunting stare only he could produce. It was the kind of stare that always let the other person know they were the only one who mattered for however long the fixated gaze lasted.

And then he went head-first into her lips, commanding them, seizing them for himself. His passion couldn’t be contained and after a few seconds, Nicholas felt the need to claim more. He pressed against her body as the skin under their shirts touched. The grip around her face tightened as though he was pinching her skin (just enough to enhance the experience). Nicholas was getting lost in it all, forgetting that there were other people in the room, forgetting that it was meant to be a game, forgetting that he had Tyler Jane watching him. The only person on his mind was Savannah Payton. She consumed him like he was her. What Nicholas hadn’t realized was that he was craving more and that was a dangerous point.

So he slowly pulled away, a deep breath of desperation and forced restraint leaving his lips.

There was a brief moment in which it seemed like Nicholas may have succeeded in his attempt to sway Savannah from still visualizing how Soleil or Talya would have tackled this moment. To be fair, she already had real-world data on Sol. And she had to give Nicholas credit. He attacked with gusto. He looked at her as if she was the only woman left in the world.

However, after their lips parted, the events of the day caught up with her, and she couldn’t stop a yawn from escaping her lips.

“Hah… sorry, Nicholas. No, that was great, dude,” she offered, trying to help him save face, but it was clear from her tone she didn’t mean it. “Still, way behind Sol though.”

Nicholas refused to believe she was sincere. Even Dwayne was more receptive to his advances long before Nicholas ever made the first move. Whatever game that Savannah was playing was not only uninteresting but it was, quite frankly, getting on his nerves. “I don’t understand you, Payton. You were all over me last week. You even risked that friendship you hold dear to catch my attention. And finally, when I give you it in its entirety, you brush it off like I’m yesterday’s trash?” It was clear Nicholas was offended and he had every right to be. “Maybe I was wrong about you and there was nothing unique about you, at least, nowhere as special as Tyler Jane is.” His voice was maybe just a little louder than intended, but at this point, Nicholas had lost all interest in caring.

A snort could be heard. Savannah rarely let herself get to that point, but the alcohol made it clear that any filter on herself was long gone. She wanted to slap the shit out of this cocky asshole, but she steadied herself for now. It wouldn’t have the effect that was necessary. “Well, I think a lot of people were wrong about you, bucko,” she started. “You aren’t worth a friendship like the one I have,” she motioned to TJ as she stated that fact. “You aren’t worth the time I spent playing this game, and you aren’t worth the 20 cents of gum I’m going to need to get the taste of you out of my mouth. I don’t know who the fuck you think I am, but you are fucking nothing to me. And if you fuckin’ dare think you’re something you are not, I will fuckin’ swiftly remind you of who you are. Comprende, fuckwit?”

As he looked at her, Nicholas couldn’t help himself but feel pity for Savannah. Pity that she didn’t get to experience him before Sol ruined him for her. Pity that she needed to be buzzed up to finally be interesting. Pity that not even on her best day would she ever compare to Tyler Jane. Nicholas knew it and, if everyone looked behind the surface, they would see it too. She wasn’t interesting. She wasn’t special. She wasn’t worth ruining her entire career.

And when he was able to be content with that, he let out a sigh, glancing over at TJ. Has it worked? Did Nicholas get what he wanted from this? Or did he set himself back again? Honestly, he didn’t know whether or not his plan worked. One thing was for sure, though. Savannah Payton was officially off the list forever.

“It’s too bad. If you were this outspoken all the time, maybe things would be different.” Nicholas allowed himself the benefit of her face one last time before he excused himself from the circle.

“Do I care?”

Her words fell on selectively-deaf ears. Nicholas didn't need to deal with her right now. The only thing he needed was space and an unspecified amount of shots. And maybe, after he was slightly more buzzed than he was right now, would he have the tolerance to deal with literally everything -- and everyone -- else.

[Melissa]

_{Mentions: Sam @HaleyTheRandom}

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Alexis was enjoying watching the game unfold in front of her- spin the bottle was fun! Everyone seemed to be getting into it too, which helped make it more exciting.

What was most fascinating was that Savannah had the balls to stick it to Nicholas after their kiss. Maybe it was mostly alcohol fueled, but she still thought it was badass. Although not the brightest, the blonde easily picked up on the fact that there was more than meets the eye when it came to the situation. She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the predicament Nicholas had found himself in and the girl was almost thankful that he had denied her earlier on in the semester so that she didn’t have to deal with his schtick.

Not acknowledging the awkward scene that had just occurred, Alexis reached out to grab the bottle and admired it before gracefully flipping her wrist and sending it spinning in the middle of the circle. Her guess was as good as anyones what order they were going in, so she just decided it was her turn since she really wanted to go. When else do you get the chance to kiss someone random? The girl’s eyes lit up as it swirled, mesmerizingly catching the lights hung up around the room as it decided who her suitor would be. It slowed and nearly landed on herself, but eventually came to a stop in front of the person directly next to her. With a smile, Alexis looked up at Sam. “Guess you’re going to get that kiss after all.”

Without any hesitation and ever so gently, the blonde leaned in towards the dark haired boy, grazing his lips with hers before connecting them. Fireworks went off in her head as she deepened the kiss, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the moment they were currently sharing. Only a few minutes earlier when they stood in the kitchen she didn’t want to come on too strong, but now was the opportune moment to show him that she was truly interested in exploring something with him. Her hand drifted up to cup his face, his sharp jawline pressing into her palm, and as she moved her lips away she kept her hand there and opened her eyes. Alexis took in Sam’s features from up close, letting the edges of her mouth curve up into a smirk as they stayed there like that for a moment.

It took someone nudging the blonde’s shoulder for her to be brought back to reality, the person wanting the bottle for someone else to go and not hold the game up. It was almost like the two were in their own little world before they got interrupted, one where things were perfect. Or maybe that was just the alcohol making the room kind of blurry. A small laugh escaped her lips and she handed it off to them before whispering to Sam only loud enough for him to hear.

“Looks like we both got what we wanted.”