[IC] Project Untamed

[Sugar and Spite]

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The Universe had a funny way of doing things. Spin the bottle was just another tool to drive Sam up the wall. It seemed as if everyone's spin kept landing on his best friend Leo. From Erica to Cassie, Sam was more than sure that all he would hear about later was how this game had worked wonders to boost Leo’s ever growing ego. Not to mention the display that he and Billie put on…. Leo Brooks - the ladies man.

The only reason Sam was playing this game was for Alexis’s. Well, that and because there wasn’t much more to do at this party other than dance. Sam couldn’t dance to save his life.

Luckily, spin the bottle had proven to be the right choice. While there were a few awkward kisses and heated exchanges, the game had also provided them all with a few good laughs to be mixed in with the taunts and jokes. A little stunned over Sav and Nick’s spat, Sam was quickly brought back to reality when Alexis reached for the bottle.

With a nice spin, Sam sat and prayed that the bottle didn’t land on Leo again. While he didn’t one-hundred percent care who the bottle landed on, there was always something super weird about your best friend kissing your crush. Sam would prefer to avoid that.

As the bottle slowed down, it was starting to look like Alexis might have to spin again. In those last final moments the bottle had just enough speed left to land right on him.

Wait. What? Did that just--

Part of Sam was jumping up and down for joy. The other half of him was panicking. He had asked Alexis for a kiss, was gracefully turned down and now this!? If Lexi wanted to re-spin, Sam would have completely understood. Instead, she turned to face him with a smile. That was a good sign but ---

As soon as their lips connected, Sam's mind went completely blank. While he would have happily settled for a peck, Alexis had a different idea. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he reached his hand up to cradle her neck. Her lips were even softer than he imagined, and still faintly tasted of vodka and orange juice. After they had pulled away from each other, Sam let his eyes rest on hers as a small smile played on his lips.

When someone had nugged Alexis’s shoulder and broke her out of her daze, they did the exact same to Sam. Quietly clearing his throat, Sam returned to his cross legged position and put his hands in his lap as he anxiously awaited his turn. Still on a euphoric high from the kiss with Lexi, Sam didn’t half care who his spin landed on.

Not until it landed on his Best-Bro-For-Life Leo, that is.

As laughs and teasing ’oooooohh’s echoed around the room, Sam rolled his eyes.

”Let’s get this shit over with.”

Standing up, he did the best that he could in order to hide the feeling of pure disgust rising inside him. Watching Leo waltz over with a cocky grin did nothing to help that.

Sam had only ever looked to Leo as a friend and nothing more. This truly was a ‘like kissing your brother moment’. At least he could now have factual evidence when he told girls that Leo was a horrible kisser.

Once Leo and Sam met in the middle of the circle Sam gave Leo a light peck on the lips. He knew that if he tried to kiss his friend on the cheek or someone else, his classmates would just force him to play the game properly.

Leo was not one to go around and kiss guys- it was a well known fact that he was the straightest guy on this campus. So when Sam landed on him, the dark haired boy was not exactly looking forward to locking lips with his best friend. He tried to keep on his macho and confident facade, but as their mouths touched, Leo couldn’t help but pull away faster than lightning, fake gagging for added dramatic effect.

Clapping his friend on the shoulder, Sam gave Leo a stern look. ”I love you bro, but let’s never do this again.”

[BrutalBx]

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Like a cold December wind brushing against their porcelain skin; Meadow could feel an intense aura permeating off of those sat within the inner circle of the spin the bottle game. It was like watching a telenovela or a CW show; the drama was palpable and there had been barely any words spoken. They had wrapped their arms around Talya and Cassie but this contact of chakra’s was fleeting as the blonde soon excused herself to the bathroom following a kiss with the Alpha called Brooks. Something like a raindrop in a pool that swelled in their mind made Meadow want to chase her. Perhaps common sense or sense for danger convinced them otherwise.

It became obvious that the drink they craved was not coming from the players of this particular party game and that was fine; what they had going on was a bit more important than their pursuit of further inebriation; such was life. Meadow placed all ten of their fingertips on their forehead; feeling every atom of the world against their body and loving every second of it. Then there was a touch of darkness after Nicholas and Savannah shared their kiss; Meadow’s baby blues fell upon the scene and although to most Nicholas would seem to be in the wrong, she was drawn to that which pulses from the boy in the glasses; who was the true villain in this story? Nicholas or Tane.

The current vibe running through their veins felt like death by a thousand bee stings. As much as the wholesome content of Alexis, Sam and even Leo did it’s best to wash away that sour feeling in Meadow’s body; it failed. They took a step back from the group, grabbing a bottle from a table on the side and walking deeper into the room. That dark feeling sat in their stomach and began to feel like it was spreading further into their body. It took them to a different place; a place they did not recognise but filled them with absolute dread.

---

”PENELOPE!!”

The door slammed shut behind him as he stormed the girls room like a bull in a china shop. “Je t'ai prévenu de passer du temps avec cette racaille, Violet. Tu sais ce qui se passe maintenant, je t'ai prévenu Penelope” He unhooked his belt and unthreaded it from the thousand dollar slacks.

”Papa, s'il te plait! Nous n'avons rien fait. Nous étions juste au mauvais endroit au mauvais moment! Tu dois me croire” Penny sat on the far corner of her bed, curled up into as tight of a ball as she possibly could with her bag against the two corners of the wall; the only light in the room a small desk light. Perhaps tonight would be different; perhaps tonight was just a threat. He couldn’t prove she had done anything because she hadn’t; she and her friend had only happened upon the scene by chance; they didn’t start the fire. ”Papa..”

It wasn’t different, within seconds he had grabbed her foot and pulled her harshly from the bed and onto the floor. The white cotton dress she had been wearing had been torn off and was now hanging out of the open window. He pinned both of her arms with his feet; wrapping the fine leather belt around his knuckles. ”Ma petite fille. Ma parfaite petite rêverie. Aucune de mes filles”

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Meadow stumbled across the room to a nearby table and climbed on top to survey the room. ”Shway” They span around in place, their skirt twirling around like a stunning veil; the world melting away around them leaving only the music. The liquid fire began to sear Meadow’s throat as they downed probably more than they should. It was a poison to push out the other poison that had seeped into their veins from being around that game. The venom was running deep.

Even in the state they were in; Meadow was a sight to behold, graceful, exquisite beauty in a whirlwind of color. Beware the gypsy dreamer.

[Venus]

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Ka Hoʻolālā
Ka Hoʻolālā

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Spin the bottle.

It was a game as old as time, and the perfect excuse for inebriated teens to fondle each other and practice that earth thing called kissing to help them prepare for a future of heartbreak and romance. Tane sat like royalty, eyeing his subjects with his dark gaze falling upon those around him as they began to spin the aforementioned bottle and started locking lips and interweaving bodies.

The Polynesian Prince grinned as he watched the chaos begin to bubble from beneath the surface and into the ether around him: confidence, swagger, love and jealousy all were becoming apparent with each spin of the glass. This was a game of combinations; Erica and Leo, Cassie and Leo, TJ and Griffin, Sol and Savannah-- now this was a pair that intrigued him. If for nothing else, Sol was tonight's prey. He had all but made that decision before the pair had left the gym earlier that evening. She was safe-- he could explain to the world how the pair had ended up together with very little fanfare. Soleil was ridiculously attractive, and any person with a working pair of eyes could see that and she and Tane spent a lot of time together. So two and two make four, and the pair of them doing bad things for a good time was obvious. It wouldn’t lessen the aura that the boy had built around himself these many months at San Agustin. If anything, it would increase it. Yet he was still that: a boy. And as much as he would preach otherwise the sight of Sol and Savannah kissing was exciting to him.

Despite the teenage chemical reaction going on within his superior brain, Tane began to allow his mind to turn like a chess master: to try and piece together all these things going on around him and figure out how he could use them all to his advantage in the future. Inebriation was a hell of a thing; to lose one’s inhibitions and give yourself up to the base human desire that rules your very soul. It was a powerful tool to possess the deepest desire of your enemy. Tane sat watching ever so closely gathering the specifics of his classmates' reaction, hoarding all the intel on those in the circle. Would he use it? Perhaps. Many in the group he liked, and it would only be for self preservation that he would bite their fucking legs off and let them drown in the Atlantic. Meadow-- now there was an X-Factor. Tane did not know all that much about them, which he did not like. He watched as they wrapped their arms around Talya and Cassie with a smirk. There was a being of pure chaos; one to watch out for for sure. The lords of the bottle had yet to grace Tane with a kiss but he knew his time would come soon enough. It was all a part of the plan: his plan. Damn flawless it was.

Then came Nicholas and Savannah and the man they called Alitane could do nothing to control the smirk on his face as Sav ripped Little Nicky a new one. Theirs was a rivalry based on superiority; and for as long as it had been going on, it had always just been two of them against one another. But here, in front of everyone, Nick was projecting his true nature. And any one of their classmates who could remember his behaviour in the morning could be a potential ally-- Sav in particular. Game on, Nicky.

After spending her time watching everybody else get lucky (or, in Leo and Samuel's case unlucky), it was finally time for Soleil to leave her fate up to chance in the hands of a spinning bottle. Outwardly smiling with confidence but internally shaking with worry, the dark-haired girl took a deep breath, grabbed the bottle, and gave it a hard spin.

With bated breath, Shady and the rest of the players watched the glass bottle spinning rapidly on the floor, slowing down little by little until the neck of it came to stop on… Alitane Fifita.

Although Soleil was happy that the bottle hadn't landed one one of her bros (kissing Leo would’ve been like something out of a horror movie), an inexplicable wave of nerves threatened to swallow her whole. How come she'd been perfectly fine with kissing Talya and Savannah, but the prospect of kissing Tane had her racing heart's beat pounding loudly on her ears? Whatever the reason, she refused to show any weakness to both her randomly chosen partner and the rest of the partygoers. With a cocky smile, Shady rose from the ground and took position in front of her Polynesian friend.

"I hope you bring out the big guns, T, because Sav and Tal set the bar pretty high up there…" she teased with a wink, letting out a small chuckle.

”The big guns? My love, I’m a damn AK-47. They don’t come much bigger than me.”

Tane could not have planned this any better even if he had tried. There was a great dichotomy in that he was a man who believed in making his own way, that every decision matters, and every move played should be thought out in advance. Yet he was also spiritual, and believed in a higher power’s guiding hand. On this night of nights, he had chosen Soleil Jameson as his target, and fate had guided the bottle in her hand to fall on him. Maybe the big guy upstairs was on his side-- or perhaps it was the one downstairs? Either way, he was about to kiss Shady girl and blow her fucking mind.

Tane brushed a strand of her midnight hair from her face, allowing his thumb to trail along her painted lips. He inched closer, allowing his nose to graze hers with their faces becoming close enough for the pair to share their next few breaths. He gently cupped her top lip with his and rested his left hand on the back of her head, pulling her into a deeper kiss. Tane was in full control of Sol’s body as he pulled her tight form to his and held her pressed against his chest. As their heartbeats merged and the passion increased, he could feel the extent of his power over her in every inch of his body. She was his to move as he pleased and she pleased him very much. His mouth left hers and caressed her neck, his hand moving down her spine like a soft feather.

If the kisses with Savannah and Talya had been amazing, there was nothing that could have prepared Sol for what was currently happening between her and Tane. It had started out innocently enough: by getting a strand of hair sweetly brushed away from her face. The gesture brought a small smile to the girl’s mouth-- a brief moment of tranquility. Of course, that would be the last calm instant she would have for a while. When Tane's thumb grazed her lips, a shiver ran down her spine, causing the hairs on her body to stand on end. When he began to approach her so closely their bodies touched, her breathing deepened with anticipation, hot breaths of liquor and mint coming together and evaporating to the atmosphere. And when his lips finally collided with hers, the world around them simply disappeared.

At once, a hunger unlike anything she'd experienced before took over Soleil-- and it showed in the way she wrapped both arms around him and surrendered to their kiss. No matter how closely she held Tane or how passionately she kissed him, somehow it didn't seem like enough. She craved him badly, desperately, as if she was drowning in an ocean of desire and he was the air her lungs were so frantically trying to reach.

Shady didn't know how long they stood there; arms around each other, lips locked, tongues seductively dancing with one another. Until Tane's mouth shifted its attention from her lips and to her neck, with that light, teasing touch of his fingertips on the exposed skin of her spine. The dark-haired girl couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped her mouth, or how her eyes were closed shut to completely focus on every second of this moment. Everything was going more than fine, until…

“My eyes… oh my god, my eyes. Make it stop.” A certain dark haired lion blurted out, trying to regain control over his gag reflex as he watched Sol and Tane basically have sex in the middle of the circle. Just as their classmates had done minutes earlier when he showed Billie how passionate he was, Leo interjected and tried to get them off of each other for his own sake. “Please get a room. Like now.”

And that's how you killed the moment.

The second she heard Leo's voice, Sol's eyes flew open, and she flinched away from Tane's body as if it had shocked her. Fuming, she turned her head towards the young man so quickly it was a miracle her neck didn't snap.

"Yo, can you just shut the fuck up?!" she burst out, glaring at her friend (or was it ex-friend? It was still undecided). But when she looked around and saw the way the rest of their classmates were looking at her and Tane-- a strange combination of curiosity, intrigue and amusement--, it dawned on Shady just where she was, what she had been doing, and in front of who she had done it.

Well shit…

"Excuse me, T, but I need a second…" Sol croaked before hurrying away in the direction of the bathroom.

[Melissa]

_{Starring Erica Monet and Tyler Jane Morrissey
A @Smarty0114 and @Melissa Collaboration}

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Tyler Jane thought she had the stomach to stand spin the bottle. The game was harmless, fun even- she was enjoying watching the random and kismet matches. Well, she was enjoying it until Nicholas proceeded to makeout with Savannah when he landed on her, forgoing every bit of common sense on this planet. She watched his every movement- the way his hand caressed her cheek delicately, his body touching hers, their lips moving aflame. The redhead couldn’t read how Savannah felt about this, but she assumed the worst, given that this is what the blonde wanted from the start. Even though the wounds had been patched up, they were still fresh and cut open once more- Tyler Jane joined the bleeding hearts club as hers dropped into the pit of her stomach.

Men were pigs. Scum of the earth. Gum on the bottom of a shoe. They couldn’t be trusted, and certainly couldn’t be believed in. Tyler Jane had tolerated Griffin for the sake of her friend’s crush, but he ended up being a douche like the rest of the bunch. Nicholas seemed like a good egg, but had cruel intentions and deep down, she feared he had no real desire in pursuing anything with her.

The kiss seemed to last forever, and when it ended, all havoc broke loose much to her surprise. Savannah, as it turned out, was true to her word and had no interest in Nicholas’ advances. She yawned after their lips separated, and if Tyler Jane hadn’t been on edge about the situation, she would’ve laughed. But the dark haired boy of her desires certainly did not appreciate the sentiment in the same way and went off on the blonde, citing her previous interest and now lackluster interaction. The fire behind his eyes turned into words that compared the two of them; to him, Savannah was nowhere near as special as Tyler Jane.

As soon as her name was mentioned, the redhead felt eyes burning onto her skin, everyone seeming to glance over at her as a natural response to the commotion in the center of the circle. Heat graced her cheeks, unsure of how to react to this less than appealing attention. Sentences flew out of Savannah’s mouth in retort- sarcastic, unfiltered, and raw sass flowed into Nicholas’ ears as she read him the riot act. Tyler Jane was shocked at the pure confidence, but would have to thank her friend later for having her back.

But for now, the dancer had seen enough. She had seen more in the last 5 minutes than she ever wanted to see. Not only was she perplexed about where she truly stood with Nicholas, but she couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the way he treated her friend. As she started to look away, her eyes met with his as he searched for an answer or an emotion in her eyes. Tyler Jane held the contact for a second too long before shifting her gaze elsewhere. Finding Erica across the circle, the redhead stood up quickly and ushered her away from the circle as Mr. Grey walked off towards the makeshift bar.

“You, me, bathroom now”

Tyler Jane pulled her friend forcefully by the hand towards her dorm room down the hall instead of the public bathroom, giving the girl no choice in the matter, and directed them both inside before slamming the door behind them and quickly flipping the lock. The redhead pressed her back against the door and let herself slide down until she was sitting on the ground, head falling into her hands. The hammer was about to drop and Tyler Jane was going to release it.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

Erica’s usually stoney features melted into concern. She crouched down to get eye level with TJ, promptly lost her balance, and tipped over to land sitting down. Jesus, she’d had a lot, hadn’t she? Ignoring her less than graceful maneuver, Erica focused on TJ. “Tee, please, don’t waste good alcohol on Nick Grey,” Erica said. Even drunk, it was easy for Erica to see what had TJ in distress. “Boys are not worth that kind of trouble.”

In as much distress as she was in, the drunken redhead couldn’t help but dissolve into a small laugh as Erica tumbled onto the ground. Regaining her composure with a sigh and remembering why she was nauseated, she continued. “He’s so confusing… all men are confusing. You think you’ve got them right where you want them and they throw you a reverse Uno card.” Tyler Jane mused, running a hand through her straightened mane. Desiring to clear the air before dropping a bomb on her, the redhead referenced her spin in the game to Erica. “I’m sorry I had to kiss Griffin - it was gross and I only did it to make Nicholas jealous. And it didn’t even work! Now what am I supposed to do?”

“It’s fine, we’re not…” Erica cut her own sentence short with another roll of her eyes, and an added sigh of exasperation. She wasn’t about to start talking about Griffin right now, not when TJ was obviously concerned with other things. “Doesn’t matter. Say the word and we can go back in there and toss our drinks in his face. One for each eye, bam, bam,” Erica said, punctuating her threat by throwing her hands forward in rapid succession, an effort to get another laugh out of her friend.

Erica’s attempts to make Tyler Jane laugh again were successful- something about being drunk made the girl’s emotions change in the blink of an eye. One moment she was angry, the next she could be happy again. But the giggle that escaped the redhead’s lips faded fast. “I don’t think throwing drinks in Nicholas’ face will solve anything.” She stated, pausing before continuing and hesitant about what she was going to say next. “I just don’t understand how one minute we can be nearly kissing in front of the dorms, and the next I’m nothing to him.” TJ looked at Erica earnestly “As much as you don’t like him, you’d be completely honest with me about him, right?”

The redhead asked the question almost as if she were asking permission to spill what she had heard- she knew that Erica would always be honest with her and promote her best interests, but she needed to hear it again before crushing the girl’s hopes of some type of connection with Griffin.

“Of course!” Erica said, the widening of her eyes highlighting the sincerity of her words. “Boys are just… dumb. They don’t know what they want,” she said, perhaps a little too aware of the irony that this was coming from her. The truth was, no one at this school knew what they wanted. Least of all, her. “Honestly, I do think he’s into you. I just don’t know if his primitive little brain can get out of his dick.”

“Okay, well speaking of primitive brains…” Tyler Jane segued, taking a breath before continuing. “I heard something through the grapevine that I think you deserve to know.” The redhead brushed a piece of hair out of her face, hoping for another moment to stall. “Griffin and Leo were apparently talking before spin the bottle and Griffin said to him that he thought you were desperate. I know that Griffin and I aren’t usually on the best terms, but this has nothing to do with that, and I’m just letting you know cause you’re my best friend and you don’t deserve to be spoken about like that.” She might have rambled on (50% due to alcohol and 50% due to nerves), but at least she got it out and off her chest.

TJ’s words singed themselves into her brain, a hot iron branding her memories with the sudden flipping of her stomach and the unfamiliar ache in her heart. If what TJ said was true, and she had no reason to believe otherwise, Griffin had cut to her core, in a cruel and unnecessary way. Was that dance just a joke for him?

Erica expected a fire in her belly, a rage that would carry her fist down the hall into Griffin’s face, but instead, she felt something more akin to emptiness. He’d seen right through her, past the confident mask she wore so well that it even fooled her sometimes, to the lonely little girl inside. She was desperate, for admiration and success and love. She needed it all so badly, desperation was the only word that fit.

“Wow,” Erica said, pursing her lips so that she could keep herself together. Her breath came slow, her stomach sank low, and she struggled to hold back tears, fighting the burning in her eyes until it faded back. She wasn’t going to waste good makeup on Griffin Pierce. She gulped and sighed, so very much over everything at this stupid school. “Well, guess I was right. Boys fucking suck.”

Although a little dizzy, Tyler Jane used every muscle in her body to move towards Erica and wrap her in a hug. “We don’t need them.” Even if she may have doubted that statement in her mind, the girl’s voice rang strong, clear and unwavering as she comforted her friend. “Boys are overrated anyway- Savannah had the right idea to ditch Ni- I mean men- to go and dance with Tayla.” Releasing Erica from her arms, the redhead leaned back against the door before summoning all of her strength and standing up (probably a little too quickly as all the blood rushed to her head). “We can’t sit here any longer and let them ruin our night. This is our party, remember? We make the rules.”

Erica nodded. “You’re right.” The brunette stood up, using the wall as support, and brushed herself off once she was standing up straight. She popped her head into TJ’s bathroom to get a glance at her reflection. Happy with what she saw, she plastered on a soft smile, and linked arms with TJ. “Time to go show them what they’re missing.”

The redhead grinned widely at her friend as they departed her room and strutted back towards the party, heads held high. Tyler Jane brought them back over to the circle where the game of spin the bottle was happening and unlinked their arms before marching right to the center and pressing her heeled foot on top of the glass bottle to stop it in its tracks. She clearly had other plans. “Alright, I think we’ve all had enough of that game for one evening. Let’s spice things up a little bit more… 7 minutes in heaven. Who cares to go first?”

[Sugar and Spite]

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Catching a seat beside her best friend Cassie, Billie had convinced one of her classmates to go fetch her a cup of vodka cran. Sitting there with her legs crossed, Billie watched the events of spin the bottle unfold. Watching as friends, enemies and potential lovers smashed faces caused her to laugh, oooh and ahh at all of the right moments. This game was beginning to get spicy, and the tension in the room could be felt as it hit a steady rise.

Watching as Leo became a popular target, Billie sat there as a mix of emotions washed over her. Jealousy was an obvious one. While they were nothing more than fuck buddies, Billie knew she had to have some territory over Leo. Rather he felt the same, she didn’t know.Then there was the fact that nothing between them was official, so she had zero say in what he did unless it was with or to her. Fortunately for quite a few people in the room, that was which logic played out best in her head.

As Cassie kissed Leo, Billie couldn’t help but to stop drinking her drink mid sip. Leo was being a perfect gentleman and Cassie was ---

Is she blushing?! In a HAPPY ENJOYABLE WAY?!

Stifling the sound of her choking on her drink, Billie had finally gotten her answer to a long unanswered question. She had noticed at certain times here and there the kind of looks that Cassie gave her not-boyfriend. Not giving it a second thought, Billie now knew that her suspicions had been correct.

She had to stop things with Leo. What they had couldn’t go on in any longer. Her friendship with Cassie was more important than any boy, and she couldn’t stand by while willingly hurting her friend.

The way Leo kissed her had not made the decision easy.

Billie had met Leo with the same amount of passion that he had given her when she took her spin.

Crawling over to the much taller boy, Billie climbed on his lap and straddled his waist. Sitting on his lap, Billie was just tall enough so that they were on the same eye level. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Billie gave him a long, slow, super steamy kiss. She let the kiss continue for as long as she could, unwrapping her arms so that she could hold his face in her hands. Once the crowd had gotten loud, Billie broke off the kiss and let her eyes linger on his for a moment.

Hopping up and grabbing her cup, Billie cleared her throat.

”I’m going to go get some more to drink.”

[AlteredTundra]

_{A @metanoia & @Melissa Collaboration
Featuring A Fool & A Wise Blonde}
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It was evident in the swiftness of Nicholas’ actions that he didn’t want nor care to see his sister straddle Leo like he was the latest teen heartthrob. He hated the visual of them, in any respect, together. It not only brought him to a state where he was nearly puking but the fact they both were into it, even to someone blind as a bat, Nicholas had no doubt in his observant mind there was something between them. From the way they kissed, as much as he wished he didn’t look back at the circle when he found himself three-shots into a desire to block out the sounds of cheer and support he heard form those within the circle, he knew this was more than just embracing the unpredictability of that stupid game.

And he hated it because he was someone who should’ve been the star of this game. Nicholas had the sex appeal of someone twice his age. He kept his body in peak condition (for someone his age), he knew he turned heads, and the way certain people couldn’t keep their eyes off of him, he knew that he was on their minds a lot, too. Despite all of this, however, between Tyler Jane playing his own game (and doing better at it than him, at that) and getting cockblocked by Sol, who might he add probably didn’t want to be at this stupid party in the first place (yeah thanks Tane), the fact that Leo, of all people, had the spotlight shined on him when he didn’t deserve it. It almost made Nicholas revert to his worse impulses.

Meanwhile, another couple of shots of whatever cocktail was nearby entered his system, a seething glare sent towards Leo in the process.

Somehow Nicholas lost some time. Between giving Leo the equivalent of the bird and a few extra rounds of the mystery meat equivalent of alcohol and he heard Tyler Jane announce the second game was on its way. He smiled -- well, smirked really -- at that announcement. “Seven minutes in heaven?” He repeated back to himself, a shot glass touching his lips. He didn’t drink or sip it, though; he merely brought his gaze on Tyler Jane, fixating on her for a slow, dramatic moment. Somewhere in the part of his chest where his heart was, he thought maybe he should quit the poor attempt of a Game of Thrones-worthy attempt at being cruel and just take his desired ginger by her slender arm, take her into the nearest closet, and have his way with her ...in whatever version of real life their minds had allowed them to imagine.

But, if he did that, would Nicholas truly be the petty person that he had always been? Absolutely not. He needed a victim -- a patsy, really. Sadly, the pickings were slim. Savannah knew his games and in her current state, if he was so much in her area code, she might literally bite his dick off. “As tempting as that might be, no, definitely not her.”

Nicholas scanned the room and saw another blonde. She was a lot friendlier than Savannah was at the moment and, if Nicholas was being honest with himself right now, twice as attractive. “She’ll do just nicely.”

He strutted his way across the room, budding between Sam and Alexis, making it obvious who he was interested in talking to. “My apologies, Alexis.” His tone, though clearly influenced by his recent intake of alcoholic content, had a soothing texture to it, almost as though Nicholas had decided to turn on the charm. He took the blonde’s hand. He remembered how easily swayed she was. Despite how things ended between them, he remembered what he needed to get his desired results in a timely manner. “I cannot believe it took me so long to notice you were here.” He allowed himself to frown for her benefit. “Allow me to make it up to you. Would you, if it pleases you, Alexis, join me in this closet for seven minutes?” He asked, keeping a soothing tone.

Alexis had been enjoying herself as she sat there next to Sam. He was just as bewildered by the kiss they shared as she had been- the passion they both felt evident- which was endearing and sweet. Afterward, she had propped herself even closer to him, almost hearing his heartbeat pounding from a few inches away. From what it looked like, they were cozy. Well, she was cozy until Nicholas decided to grace them (or so he thought) with his presence. A chill in the air almost could be felt, and the blonde couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

There was a point a few months ago when the mere sight of the dark-haired boy made her go weak in the knees. He had a way about him that was intoxicating, but now, all she felt around him was sober (even though at the moment, she was getting drunker by the minute). Alexis desperately wanted to roll her eyes- what did Nicholas want to do with her after he ended things? But, it was only seven minutes, and it was a game- she could swing that. “If it pleases me?” She joked, and then her lips settled into a small forced smile. “Sure, lead the way.” The blonde looked back at Sam and whispered quietly in his ear loud enough for him only to hear. “I’ll find you after, I promise.”

As the two walked over to the closet, Alexis felt numb. She didn’t want anything to do with Nicholas anymore, and she had thought he was the same way… so why had he asked her to go with her in the first place? She was dumb, but she wasn’t completely stupid. It was clear that he wanted something, and was scheming in some way. As the door shut behind them she sighed deeply. “So… here we are.”

They had found themselves with more room than Nicholas had thought they would but it was still tight. He reached over him to find some kind of light switch. After a few moments, he grabbed what felt like a hanging string. He tugged on it and a clicking noise went off, illuminating the dark closet with some semblance of light. “That’s better,” he muttered, finding his eyes adjusting to the new-found light and reacquainting himself with her face. Those gentle features, the soft skin he had fond memories touching, and her hair. Nicholas had always preferred blondes (though TJ was the only exception). He didn’t know why but the way their hair shined in the light and how the paleness of their skin complimented well with it, that was an aesthetic that did everything right for Nicholas Grey.

“God, you are as stunning up close as I remember.” In his attempt to kill the awkward silence, he caressed her arm, sliding it up in an almost gentle stroking motion, his gaze fixated on the blonde.

Alexis squinted as the light flooded the closet, a moment necessary for her eyes to come into focus before settling on Nicholas. As he spoke sensually, his hand making contact with her skin, she was transported back to the first night they spent together- the way he looked at her, teased her, and the passion with which he kissed her fresh in her mind. But that was then, and this was now. She didn’t move an inch, but instead of feeding the fire, three words escaped her lips instead.

“How is she?”

Of the list of things he thought she was going to say, a vague question like that wasn’t even in the top one-hundred. “She who?” He repeated back, puzzled.

The blonde sighed, brushing a piece of hair out of her face as she slipped her arm away from his grasp. “You know- her.” Alexis stated, “The girl you said that you were interested in when you ended things.”

“Oh. That’s who you meant.” Nicholas’ voice fell flat all of a sudden as he expelled out a sigh. “Well, you might be ecstatic to know that she’s currently not talking to me at the moment.” He let out another sigh, though this one had a mixture of disappointment and regret attached to it.

Alexis could tell by the tone of the boy’s voice that he was clearly in a debacle, and it didn’t take an Einstein to know that. “Oh, I see…” Gently, she pried for more. “And why do you think that is?” The blonde asked, knowing how debonair and confident the boy usually was and how this must not be a result of that. Nicholas had the ability to sweep a girl off her feet- Alexis was well aware as she had been one of them before- so she knew it wasn’t because he wasn’t forward enough.

Nicholas shrugged as he leaned against the wall behind him, hands sinking into his pocket. “I’m not even sure there is a why. Maybe I was wrong about her.” He knew that wasn’t the truth but, the more he thought about it, maybe it was and he had been wrong about Tyler Jane all this time. Who is to say where the truth resides and where the lie is?

The blonde gave the dark-haired boy a knowing look. After spending so much time with him at the beginning of the year, she knew it couldn’t be nothing. There had to be something that Nicholas was doing that caused the girl of his desires not to talk to him. Even after they had gone their separate ways, Alexis was often still tempted to speak with him, but she always stopped herself in order to not get into a sticky situation. He had this way about him that drew people to him, not push them away. “I highly doubt that’s true.” Alexis replied, leaning against the wall of the closet. “What did you do, Nicholas?”

“What makes you think I did anything?” The question lingered and Nicholas looked at Alexis. It would only take a few short moments before he exhaled in a somewhat defeated way. “Alright, fine, there might have been one too many emotional games played that made her snap or whatever have you. But it’s not like I’m the only guilty party here. Tyler Jane did the same thing. I’ll even go as far as to say that she did it slightly better than I did.” Just the thought of that made the hairs on his arms stand up with anger.

“Tyler Jane, huh…” Alexis nodded, gritting her teeth in order to hold back any emotions she was feeling at the mention of her. Up until this point, she had only heard rumors and seen signs, but this was the first time that Nicholas had spoken her name, uttered the person who he decided to toss the blonde aside for. And she had to admit, she could see why the boy was interested in her. Silky hair, pretty face, slender frame, long limbs. But, what was more amusing was that she seemed to have him wrapped around her little finger… the redhead just didn’t realize it yet. “Emotional games are truly your strong suit, aren’t they Nicky.” Alexis forced a small smile before continuing. “Why though? Why are you playing games with her if you already know what you want?”

He found it strange that on a list of three people, Alexis had found a way to render Nicholas speechless and not in the usual ways she did. Mr. Hale and Billie were the only ones in his life that had ever gotten him to think about anyone that wasn’t him nor what he wanted on a superficial level. They had been the only ones to get through to him, yet here was Alexis surprising him in ways he didn’t think were possible. It both brought a smile to his face and bothered him. On some level, he wished this Alexis had been present back when she held his interest in that way, but at the same time, she was bringing him back to the conversation he had with Kaleb.

“You know, you’re not the first person to say that.” His admission was followed by a laugh. ”But, I honestly don’t know why. I guess because I like to see what reactions I’ll get,” Nicholas shrugged and chuckled as he looked down somewhat.

The blonde could see the wheels turning in the boy’s head. Her simple questions clearly struck a nerve, and she wondered if anyone had ever been so plain and straight with him instead of beating around the bush with metaphors. Alexis wasn’t smart enough to use big fancy words. She couldn’t cite poetry by memory or recall quotes from famous books that could direct someone’s path. What she did have though was her heart, and even if it broke her up again inside to tell Nicholas what she tried to express to him a few months back, she forged onward and gave her last tidbit of advice to the boy.

“Isn’t what you feel for her enough?”

Her question produced a sharp chuckle. “What I feel?” He repeated back, partially dumbfounded at how Alexis thought it was that simple. He couldn’t tell if that was sarcasm or if she truly believed what she was saying. “I’m not saying it wouldn’t be enough. I’m sure anything I say would work, but I haven’t even the faintest of ideas on how to tell her...these things, especially not after how royally I probably screwed things up.” Regret hung to his words like it was the only thing keeping it from falling into despair. “Do you really think it’s a simple matter of me telling Tyler Jane just how crazy she drives me?”

Alexis frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. “I told you how I felt, didn’t I?” The blonde delicately stated, deciding to sit down on the ground of the closet and leaning her back against the wall, looking up at Nicholas. “I said to you that night that I wanted to be something more. I put all my cards out on the table, and you said no.” The girl recalled the evening they had spent together in the dark-haired boy’s room, lying in between the sheets and talking for hours. He was easy to talk to- a bit dramatic, but he always had something good to say. But when Alexis brought up their little relationship, nothing good came out of his mouth.

“I picked myself up, got dressed, and I left knowing that I said everything I could have. And then I moved on. It’s not that hard to be honest with someone, and if you don’t try that’s your own fault.” The blonde picked a piece of dust and fluff off of her outfit, tapping her feet together out of instinct.

As he listened to Alexis, hearing her speak with an insight that was refreshing to see, he couldn’t help but think back to that night. How he had disregarded her in the worst of ways. Looking back, there was a lot he did wrong and not just with her. He made a myriad of poor choices both in how he acted and how he treated people. It was rare for him to entertain the concept of being wrong, but it was rarer still that he could admit it to himself. Nicholas was wrong to play games with these girls’ hearts.

Sliding down so he was more at an eye level with Alexis, he flashed a gentle smile at her. It came from a place of gratitude. “Alexis, I don’t know what to say. I guess, really, is thank you.” His voice was low and it exposed him to a feeling he never thought he’d experience: being vulnerable.

Well, those were words she never thought she’d hear Nicholas Grey say. Him thanking her for being honest? Revolutionary. The girl put her shock aside to offer him a small smirk in return, “You know, I should be thanking you. If you hadn’t ended things, I wouldn’t have kissed Sam tonight and that sure was something.”

Nicholas laughed when she mentioned Sam. “Well, you’re welcome, I guess.” He didn’t know what else to say other than that. “Wait, did you say you kissed him?” Nicholas asked, feeling he might’ve misheard her.

“I did say that,” Alexis proudly replied, letting a hand drift up to her hair to twirl a strand around her finger. Thinking about Sam gave her a feeling that she never got when she used to think about Nicholas. Sam made her feel giddy, happy, excited. There was something about him that was comforting as if he truly saw her for what she was.

Shaking out of her quick little daydream, the girl prepped her exit, “Speaking of, I should get back to him. Don’t want Sam to think I was in here for too long with you, Mr. Casanova. After all, you do have quite the reputation that precedes you.” With a quick sigh, the blonde stood up quickly, dizzily taking an extra step to the side and offered Nicholas a hand. “So, what are you going to do now?”

He grunted somewhat as he stood up. “Assuming Tyler Jane can stomach the sight of my face for more than five seconds, I might just do what you and a couple of others have advised me to do.” He laughed through a half-grin. He didn’t know that someone like him would actually feel optimistic for something so foreign to him as telling the truth for once. It frightened him to the point where his bandaged hand was shaking, though he managed to get a handle on it. “Then let’s get back to the party. I hope we both can celebrate tomorrow -- in public, of course.” That little tease resulted in a laugh to escape his lips. Nicholas just couldn’t help it.

Alexis tried her best to hold back a giggle, but couldn’t stop it as she opened the door to the closet, music from the party loudly revealing itself as they were forced back into reality. The blonde propped the door open and looked back at Nicholas, “I hope so too” she stated, before disappearing back into the crowd.

[BrutalBx]

---

---

It was a game and it was a damn good game. Tane watched as Soleil hurried away from the kissing circle and off into the crowd of drunken youths. This did nothing to sour Alitane’s mood; he knew how good that kiss was and by the look on the dark haired beauty’s face before she went to the bathroom, so did she. With Spin the Bottle now over, the islander got up from his seat and bowed to the group.

”As always, a pleasure my dear friends. Someone call me when the next game starts” As he began to move away from the gathered group, his chocolate coloured eyes moved leftwards to the creature dancing on a nearby table. Truly they were a vision of beauty to behold but an absolute space case. ”You okay up there, Meadow? Do you need anything?”

Meadow looked down at him as they swayed to the music like a witch in floral print. His was a dangerous mind but they wondered if his heart was the same. ”If you’re offering handsome, I’ll take a Baileys and a dance partner.” Their eyes moved around the room, desperately searching for anything to latch onto, anything that would make this night a touch more bearable but alas, Meadow had resigned to the self inflicted thinking that on this dear eve, they were fated to dance alone. Once Tane had returned with their drink, they kissed his forehead and sent him on his merry way, no doubt with cruel intent in his dark, dark mind.

How right they were; as after a few more drinks the future president of the universe heard the call for seven minutes in heaven and a deadly grin crossed his chiselled jaw. As he watched Nicholas and Alexis head into the closet, a devilish thought began to form in his brilliant mind. Tane made his way through the crowded party to the brightest star in the room: TJ. Seven minutes later, as soon as Nicholas emerged from his time with the bubbly blonde, the Prince made his move. Eyes locked on Nick, he moved his lips to Tyler Jane’s ear. ”TJ, love how about we head into the closet?”

After emerging from her dorm room with Erica by her side, Tyler Jane’s approach to the whole evening had drastically shifted. This was her time to shine- to have fun and drink until the bottles were empty. This was her night. She had already wasted precious time on Nicholas and she wasn’t about to let the rest of the party get away from her. But as he disappeared with Alexis into the closet as soon as she announced the next game, the redhead felt that familiar tightness in her chest. What was it about him that drove her crazy?

Seven minutes felt like forever and every second was longer than the last. Tyler Jane was consumed by her thoughts, eyes staring blankly at the closet door that the two had escaped into, desperately waiting for it to open and be over with. It wasn’t until Tane appeared next to her that she let her gaze falter. This could be good… this could be very good. Not only was he a welcome distraction, Nicholas seemed to have a distaste for his Polynesian classmate. A perfect match. “Lead the way, Ted.” She joked, alluding to a previous comment regarding his resemblance to a certain cold hearted killer.

Tane took the girls soft hand and led her through the party towards the closet, passing by Nicholas with a simple smirk and raise of his eyebrows to notify his rival that the game was on. With the click of a lock, the two teens were now trapped together in the tiny room; drunk, together and pissed off at a certain human being named Nicholas Grey.

How their feud started, Tane couldn’t really remember but that didn’t matter. He couldn’t lie, he held a certain level of respect for Nick; the two boys were very similar in a lot of ways and in another life maybe they could’ve been friends but that’s not where they were. Here and now they were in a game of human chess; a sword fight between to master bladesman and the longer it carried on, the more likely or was that one of them would stab for the jugular.

If Alitane was to make Nicholas bleed, Tyler Jane was the perfect weapon of choice. The chemistry between her and Nick had been instant, palpable and recognisable from move in day. The way they danced around each other with grace; it was a stunning show to behold. Yet he had wronged her. He had made this amazing and breathtakingly beautiful girl sad and like the old saying goes “Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned”. Nicholas had made TJ, Tane’s perfect partner in crime. His machinations were complex and thoughtful and he had to consider his next moves in the game carefully. As mad at Nick as she might be, Tane would not force Tyler to participate. What happens next was solely on her. If she wanted to go dark then he would do that; if she wanted to just fool around in the closet for seven minutes, he would do that too. But if she wanted to really play the game; then it was her turn to roll the dice.

”So…” he began ”What sort of game are we playing here TJ?”

The redhead didn’t make eye contact with anyone as she and Tane made their way over to the closet. She knew who they passed by on the way, but she didn’t care. As the door was opened and the two disappeared (well, she stumbled) inside, Tyler Jane unexpectedly caught the lingering scent of Nicholas’ cologne, as he had only been in there a few moments prior. She knew the smell from their close encounter earlier in the week and had almost memorized the notes of it by now. “Honestly, I don’t even know what move to make at this point.” TJ knew that Tane wasn’t stupid, and he clearly had seen what she was trying to pull. “I thought we both would have conceded by now- I’m drunk, he’s drunk, I look damn good in this outfit. But, no. He’s keeping things going and it’s pissing me off.”

Tane couldn’t help himself, as she spoke of how good she looked in her outfit he had to agree, giving her the once over with his dark eyes. On any other night, she would be someone he would enjoy the company of but not tonight, tonight someone else was his end game. ”It’s all a work, TJ” Leaning back against the wall, Alitane places both hands in his expensive pant pockets. ”People like Nick; the only thing they care about is the attention. He’s desperate for you to notice him but he doesn’t want you to notice anything else. It’s all about the spotlight. Beyond that; who is he really? A pretty boy with a way with words. Once he has you, the thrill for him is over. If you don’t want to play his game anymore then it’s time you force him to play yours. You’re a Queen; Tyler Jane. Make him bend the knee”

The girl couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m trying to play my own game- kissing Griffin was disgusting but I did it anyway and he didn’t even bat an eye at it.” Tyler Jane explained, meeting Tane’s gaze once more. “Nicholas Grey will bend his knee for no one, most certainly not me. To you, I may have a crown, but to him I might as well be the court jester.” The redhead shrugged, running a hand through her hair. “As a guy, if you were interested in someone, what would kill you to see and make you get your act together? I’m all out of ideas.”

His mind lingered on her words for a moment; Tane hadn’t ever felt the way she described. He stroked his jaw lightly as he thought about what he would do given different circumstances. ”Honestly? Men are simple creatures, we fear the unknown. Shroud yourself in a little mystery. Take tonight, for example. Right now you are in a closet with Nicholas Grey’s worst enemy. Can you imagine what is going through his mind right now? What he thinks we must be doing here? He watched you with Griffin, he knew how fake that was. In here, well he doesn't know what’s going on in here and in his mind, you’re untouchable and I’m...well I’m the devil. What you do is use this intrigue to your advantage and drive him crazy. Control a man’s mind, his heart is yours”

The well dressed boy had a point. Behind closed doors, Nicholas had no idea whether or not the two of them were going at it quick and dirty or not, and she could definitely use that to her advantage. If Tyler Jane was anxious about her dark haired suitor sitting in the closet for 7 minutes with the offending blonde, she couldn’t even imagine how he was reacting knowing that she was in here with Tane of all people. “Mystery… I can do that.” The wheels began turning in the redhead’s mind. “Well he’s not stupid, so what’s going to convince him that things went down in here? No offense, but I’m not in the mood for a hot and heavy makeout session right now…”

”None taken. I know if circumstances were different…” As he began to do the maths on how to fuck with Nick Grey, Tane’s smile lit up the room almost as bright as TJ’s fiery hair. ”Sentiment and hard evidence” Lifting up his wrist, Alitane pulled on the string of his leather cuff and allowed it to fall loose. He then proceeded to tie it on to Tyler Jane’s own arm. ”It’s no secret that I never take this off, even he knows that. For you to be wearing it, it must mean something happened in here between us” It was a cold fact, for the Island teen to give TJ his bracelet, which he had had for as long as he could remember, he must truly like her or just hate Nicholas. ”Outside of that door, when we’re in class or just around campus, make it a point to stop and talk or whisper in each other’s ears, regardless if he’s around and even if it’s just to say Hey. To make this seem real, our whole world has to believe it”

Tyler Jane lifted up her wrist as soon as Tane had finished tying on the bracelet and inspected the cuff delicately. It was clearly something that he valued, otherwise he wouldn’t have suggested it as a mechanism of revenge. The redhead looked back up at him after listening to the rest of his plot, “I promise I won’t lose this. The plan sounds like it could work in my favor, and I appreciate you helping me out, but why are you doing this? What are you getting out of it?” TJ asked, not truly realizing the depth of hatred that the two boys had for each other. Tane sure was going to great lengths to make Nicholas suffer. “Also,” She added in, “The only problem I could foresee is Sol murdering me in my sleep.” The chemistry between the Polynesian prince and her raven haired classmate was not lost on Tyler Jane.

”It’s quite simple really. I get to prove a little something to myself that’s all. And if a sweet thing like you gets what she wants, then it’s a win win for us both” With the mention of Soleil, he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. ”Let me worry about Sol. She’ll be on board once I speak to her. Besides, it’s not like we’re talking about making out all over school, just a hint of closeness that’s arisen from nowhere. It’ll be fine, trust me” Tane was well aware of the time they had left in their secret closet lair and knew it was time for decisions to be made. ”We’ve got about a minute left love. You sure you wanna do this?”

The redhead hesitated for a second. Was this going too far? Would this come back to bite her in the ass later? But in her drunken state with no inhibitions, she couldn’t help but nod her head vigorously in response and worry about the consequences later. She had said it to Erica only a while ago that she wasn’t going to let Nicholas ruin things for her and this would prove her point further. “I’m in.” Tyler Jane stated with a smirk.

In the next few moments, she prepared herself to leave the closet in a way that would only allude to the point of the party game- she tousled her long red mane slightly and brushed the corner of her lip with her thumb to let the lipstick smear just the right amount to make it seem like they were up to things in their time locked away. Tyler Jane stopped short of the door and looked back at Tane. “Thank you.” She stated simply, before giving him a quick peck on the cheek in gratitude.

”No. Thank you” He responded before opening the door of the closet. He allowed her to leave first, tapping her on the backside as she did. He had to make it look real after all. Tane grinned widely like the Cheshire Cat of story past as they exited into the crowded room of students. He found Nicholas face amongst their number. He had made his move and his eyes glanced upon the long legged form of Tyler Jane once more.

The redhead fixed her hair and lipstick as soon as she was in plain sight. She exaggerated her movements in a way to make it seem hurried or rushed, as if she was quickly trying to cover up evidence. With one last look at Tane, she sent a wink his way before making her way over to the makeshift bar for another drink. The damage had been done. 1 point for Tyler Jane.

”And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty.
And it stayed its hand from killing.
And from that day, it was as one dead”

[NeoAJ]

---

To say that the adventures with the bottle were a mixed bag was completely apt. The second that Savannah returned to her spot after Nicholas tried to jam his tongue down her throat, she downed a huge portion of the remainder of her Hpnotiq to get the taste out of her mouth. Luckily, she wasn't called upon to offer any more kisses this evening, although Talya not landing on Sav was disappointing. You would think fuckin' karma would pay me back for that whole Nicholas bullshit. I guess Sol used that up. She did feel a twinge of regret with Sol now knowing what the boxer was capable of, but it was clear with her efforts from Tane that there was something else that had her attention. Something that Savannah definitely couldn't offer.

So when TJ announced a gear shift to seven minutes in heaven, that's when Savannah's mind started going into overdrive trying to figure out exactly what the hell she was going to get out of this contrivance. Savannah had spent more than seven minutes in heaven before, so the prospect of limiting herself to such a time frame was almost juvenile. However, maybe that was what she needed to actually get Talya to the point of potentially getting to know her better. There was the scavenger hunt. There was the dance floor. It was clear there was something there. So what was the plan? This wasn't Payout's first rodeo, but somehow this felt like the stakes were higher. She felt this way with Alexis, and yet it wasn't at this level. It was weird.

It was clear TJ knew what the stakes were. It looked like her and Tane had a right romp. Maybe it was supposed to be revenge for Nicholas getting insanely cute with spin the bottle. Savannah still felt a tinge of regret about that. Not from the action, but from the fact that she didn't give in and slap that stupid smirk off that asshole's face. It would have made her point even better. But, she held back for some reason, and maybe that was why the party was still going. And TJ held the keys.

As the redhead returned to the bar area, the pink-blonde accompanied her to give some support in the face of the others. However, it was really to grease the wheels of what she wanted to accomplish. "Hey, I'm fuckin' proud of you, girl," Savannah told Tyler Jane. "You showed no fuckin' mercy in there, and that's the fuckin' girl I know. So... we are just claimin' who we want, right? Because, I'll be real, I think it's best I take Talya in there and make sure she don't have to be so shy next time she's coming up to me, you know? So that's gonna happen."

---

[Sugar and Spite]

_{Featuring Soleil Jameson @Venus}
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As Talya watched each of her classmates take their turn spinning the bottle, she sat there quietly observing everything. Erica and Leo handled their kiss way better than she would have expected. Leo kissing Billie had turned into soft core porn. Griffin kissed Savannah. Sam and Alexis seemed to have an interesting chemistry and to top it all off - Savannah and Sol one upped Leo and Billie by a long shot.

To say that Talya felt a little jealous was an understatement. That didn’t mean she was about to lash out about it though. Besides - while she hated to sound like a teenage boy - it was fun to watch. Not to mention Savannah’s flirtatious comment at the end. As she shot Sav a small smile, Talya did the best that she could to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks. Any doubt that Talya had about Savannah’s sexuality before was now erased.

After the display that the two girls put on, it was now Nicholas Grey’s turn to spin. And as fate would have it - bam. The bottle had landed on Savannah again. Rolling her eyes, Talya continued to watch as a quickly heated argument erupted between the two of them.

”I suggest you watch your fucking mouth when speaking to a lady, Grey,” she growled at him.

Soon after the altercation, Nicholas stormed off, leaving Talya to break the awkward silence by taking her turn. Giving it a hard spin, she was naturally gunning for Sav.

Instead what she got was cat-like eyes, perfect eyebrows, angular features and hair to die for.

The last thing Soleil had expected after the kiss with Savannah was that she would be picked again, much less so soon after the fact. And if that wasn’t enough of a shock, then seeing Talya Burnley at the other side of the bottle definitely was. By now, the dark-haired girl let out an amused laugh. What were the odds of her being the one to consistently get chosen to kiss those of her same sex? Not that it mattered, anyway. She would definitely take Sav and Talya every day over people who had been with half the San Agustin population, like Leo or Nicholas-- gag.

Soleil Jameson wasn’t someone Tal would consider herself to have a crush on. Not that Sol wasn’t crush worthy, of course. Talya had just never quite felt that way. Meeting the other girl's eyes with her own, Talya got up and quickly crossed the circle before sitting down on her knees in front of Sol.

”Well, Sol. Looks like you’re about to be even more lucky,” she said with a small laugh.

Cupping Sol’s face in her hand as she leaned forward, Talya started out by placing a gentle kiss on Sol. As their classmates cheered around them, Talya’s daring side started to peak through as they egged her on.

The kiss with Talya was just as enjoyable as the one with Savannah had been. The soft, femenine lips were quite pleasant to feel, and that surprising kick of spice just starting to come out was certainly enough to keep Shady interested. Just as she’d done with her friend, Sol tangled her fingers in the other girl’s hair, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. If they were going to do this, they would do it right.

As Sol met Talya's enthusiasm with her own, Talya proceeded to take things up another notch. With her hands holding each side of Sol's face, Talya turned up the heat by adding a little tongue in the mix as she leaned even closer.

The tongue was an unexpected but enjoyable addition to the kiss, and it definitely caught her attention. Yet as much as Sol liked it, there was a nagging, distracting feeling tugging at her gut. She thought about it for a few seconds before it finally hit her: the way Talya and Savannah had been dancing earlier. There was a very noticeable chemistry between them, and the blonde-and-pink haired girl looked at the brunette the same way Sol assumed she used to look at Theo. The last thing she wanted was to jeopardize any happenings or hurt anyone’s feelings, so she decided it was best to call it quits before things got any more heated.

Slowly but surely, Sol began to pull away. And when she did, she leaned into Talya’s ear, making sure her hair covered her face before whispering in the other girl’s ear: “As fucking fantastic as that was, I think there’s someone else more deserving of your heated kisses than me. Go get her...” she advised her with a wink and a gentle elbow to the ribs.

When the kiss eventually ended, Talya quietly cleared her throat as she scrambled for something to say. Luckily, Sol was the first one to speak. As Sol’s breath sent shivers down Talya’s spine, a small chuckle escaped from her lips.

”You’re right,” she answered, biting down on her bottom lip. ”Thanks.”

With TJ’s announcement of Seven Minutes In Heaven, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Standing up as fast as she could, Talya began to scan the crowd for the interesting flash of pink hair.

Sol had earned herself some strange respect tonight.

[Sugar and Spite]

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The realization of how Cassie felt about Leo had hit Billie like a ton of bricks.

Here she was constantly telling Cas about just how great Leo was. His hair, his smile, the way he smelled and how he could easily lift her up. How his corny jokes were enjoyable once you got past the general `what the fuck`. Then there were his abs, and the way his muscles flexed when he worked out. The way his voice got all husky when he was sleepy, and how when he held her ---

”Fucking ew, Grey.” Shaking her head in visible disgust, Billie grabbed the nearest bottle of beer she could find before twisting the top open and taking a big drink. She was on a mission. The way that her best friend looked at Billie’s not-so-actual-boyfriend left no room for question.

Finding Leo was easy. All you had to do was look for the tallest, almost buffest person in the room and follow the sounds of a deep, dorky laugh.

Walking up and grabbing him by the hand, Billie looked up at Leo with a bright smile.

”So. TJ just announced Seven Minutes In Heaven and I was thinking maaayybbeee we could finish what we starded?”

[Sugar and Spite]

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______________________________________________

Once Sam had finally gotten over the shock of kissing Alexis, Nicholas Grey came and stole her away. While Sam didn’t really mind it, it did sort of throw a wrench into things.

In all honesty, Sam was having a great time sitting there with Lexi’s head on his shoulder. There was this sort of warm feeling from his head to his toes, and for the first time at San Agustin, Samuel could finally say that he was enjoying himself.

Maybe Sav, TJ, and Erica had a good idea about throwing the party after all.

When TJ announced Seven Minutes In Heaven, Sam got up from where he was still sitting as he embarked on a quest to get even more drunk. He had to talk with Lex about their kiss. She had told him no just seconds before the game. Asking and making things awkward now would be better than not knowing and making things awkward for even longer. He was going to have to be way more drunk for that conversation.

Posting up against the drink table, Sam mixed himself another screwdriver.

[AlteredTundra]

_{A @metanoia & @Melissa Collab
Featuring Nicholas & Tyler Jane}
____________________________________________________________________________________

Time had passed, and the party was beginning to simmer out in the early hours of the morning. The music kept playing, but some students lay unconscious on couches, some had retired to their dorms, and all of the alcohol was decimated. Amongst the wreckage and havoc, there was a small group that was still milking the evening for all it was worth. In the center of it all was a certain redhead who had found an elevated surface, a table to be exact, and stood up there dancing like no one was watching. But the thing is, everyone was watching who was left to see such a sight.

Drunk Tyler Jane was almost a better dancer while intoxicated, only because she wasn’t thinking, only feeling. The music pulsating through her veins, no reflection staring back to keep the girl in line, she was a force and was free to do as she pleased. And the group (admittedly half of them her male classmates) egged her on. Especially in the way that she was dancing- it was clear that she knew she looked good and she let every sexual fiber of her being show. Long gone were her anxious thoughts- she was only focused on the moment and how much fun she was having. The girl wanted the night to last forever, as she could only describe her intoxicated state as euphoric.

And as Nicholas, one of the few who had surprisingly maintained their consciousness, watched Tyler Jane make a fool of herself, clearly drunk, clearly unaware of how idiotic she was acting on top of that table. Despite how much Nicholas liked seeing her strut her stuff, which was all of the time, he preferred it when she had her usual grace and didn’t swing her legs so sloppily.

Nicholas had been sitting on the couch, watching her with limited patience but ten minutes of her doing the same routine became painful to watch, so he decided to finally do something about it. “All right, Tyler Jane, that’s enough! Get down before you hurt yourself!” He spoke in an elevated tone. He needed to so her careless shouts didn’t overtake his demand.

Blissfully, the redhead continued to dance on the table to the gleeful cheers of her classmates. It was almost like being at a concert where she was the star, radiant and effortless and free. But when a Grey thundercloud made itself apparent and tried to rain on her parade, Tyler Jane decided she wasn’t having any of it. Who was Nicholas to tell her what to do after ignoring her all night? “Somebody’s not having a good time~” The girl teased, continuing to move her body for all that it was worth. ”You can’t make me get down from here. Besides, I’m having waaaay too much fun.” Her intoxication was evident in her voice as she dragged out her vowels and mustered a playful tone.

“I can see that.”

Nicholas rolled his eyes, mentally reminding himself that he wasn’t doing this to be a debbie downer. He didn’t want to see her get hurt. He knew she was one wrong slip from breaking those legs that were, in all honesty, the highlight of her current moment of stupidity. And in that same foolish moment, TJ had done the one thing that Nicholas hated more than a lack of manners: she challenged him.

So in a moment of timing being key, Nicholas had waited for Tyler Jane to turn her back to him and he tugged on the black mesh she had on, making sure he had a firm grasp and pulled her his way. When she would fall into him, he secured her on his right arm. That same arm would bend to secure her against his shoulder and he flipped her over so her stomach was pressed against it. His other arm came and held her as still as can be in order to keep her from falling, though he couldn’t prevent his hand from grabbing a few inches south of her firm butt. The temptation was strong but he showed enough willpower to even impress himself.

“Act like a child and you’ll get treated like one!” He stated with a heavy sigh.

It all happened so quickly- one moment Tyler Jane was dancing and laughing, and the next she was nearly upside down and sideways, thrown over Nicholas’ shoulder. How did he do that? His grip was strong as she tried to make an escape from his clutches, but it was no use. It was clear that the boy was not going to let her get away that easy. “I am not a child!” The redhead exclaimed in resistance, but then proceeded to whine. “Put me down, Nicholas!”

“Jesus, stop moving!” Nicholas might’ve been fit enough to hold her in his arms, but with her constant efforts to break free, it was easier thought than done.

His arms were starting to tremble and he knew if he didn’t do something, she might hurt herself even worse than if she had fallen from the table. So Nicholas took a few steps towards the couch, but with each step came nearly twice the struggle. He turned around with the intent to sit down and let her fall naturally out of his arms.

Gravity had other intentions.

Nicholas tripped over literally nothing, falling longways on the couch, ass and back slamming against it. And with this, came the position he never thought he’d be in, but Tyler Jane had fallen on top of him. Everything hurt, but in a moment of his own temptation, he smirked. “Good news is you’re not being carried. Other good news? You’re probably in a position you dreamt of, huh?” Yep. He just couldn’t resist.

Once again, Tyler Jane found herself being moved against her will as the two tumbled onto the couch, one on top of the other. Much to her own surprise, the drunk girl laughed in response, an intoxicated and brainless giggle. The redhead lifted up her head to look at Nicholas- there was truth to the fact that she had dreamed of this before, but he didn’t have to know that right now. Instead, she gave him a complete non sequitur. “I didn’t think you could handle me- guess I was right.” She blew a rogue piece of hair out of her face before dissolving into another drunken laugh, enunciating each vowel differently in her sentence.

Nicholas stared at her, dumbfounded and utterly confused. “Uh, what?” He asked, feeling it was the only thing he could do at this moment.

“I said,” She started, gazing down at him and pausing to collect her thoughts. “You can’t handle me. You’ve ignored me allll night and now you’re trying to swoop in at the fifth hour? Doesn’t work like that.” Tyler Jane somehow maneuvered her way off of Nicholas, grasping onto his arms for support as she planted her wobbly feet on the ground, trying to gain her balance as she stood up- kind of like a baby giraffe learning to walk for the first time. “You couldn’t handle the fact that I was dancing on that table and other people were watching, could you?”

He expelled a frustrated breath, rubbing his temples with his right hand. “You mean all of ten people who are barely conscious?” He gestured his hand at those who were too drunk to even speak for themselves, grunts filling the silence like an unorganized symphony of drunkenness. “Seriously, if this is the treatment I get for caring about your well-being, then fine, I’ll just let you make a fool of yourself.” He knew Alexis said honesty was key, but he had to wonder if this was what she meant.

Tyler Jane furrowed her eyebrows, “Care? Like you really care.” She replied incredulously, unknowingly waving her arm which held Tane’s bracelet around in emphasis. If he thought this was “caring”, he had another thing coming for him. If alcohol did anything, it eliminated any filter the girl had. “Fuck, I don’t think you care about anyone other than yourself sometimes.” The redhead piped, running her now mobile hand through her locks to straighten them out.

Usually, words didn’t often affect Nicholas. He wasn’t the type to let them get to him- Billie Jean was the sensitive twin. He knew he was cruel to Tyler Jane and did some damage, but he never expected that to leave her lips, even if she was drunk off her ass. “Fine, if you think you know me so well, what am I thinking right now?” He asked, his voice sharp.

The drunken girl rolled her eyes, another small laugh escaping her lips. “You’re thinking,” She began, repeating herself absentmindedly, “You’re thinking about how you truly don’t give a fuck about me. You could care less what I do or who I’m with or what I say, it doesn’t bother you. All that’s on your mind is the fucking bimbo you dragged into the closet, or Savannah, or any other girl on this campus but me.” Tyler Jane raised the volume of her voice as she started to back away from him (mostly stumble, but better walking this time). “And I’ve had it.”

“I see.”

In situations like the one unfolding before him, being such a perceptive person wasn’t the blessing it had been in the past. The problem with Nicholas was he caught onto what most overlooked or blamed on certain traits. He knew Tyler Jane better than most (save for her best friends). He noticed things about her like how dancing gave her a calm nothing else could. He knew that she always was her best whenever she was sitting with Savannah and Erica. Nicholas knew these things because he paid special attention to those he cared for deeply.

And that’s why her words cut deeper than a finely-sharpened blade. They slid through his skin like it was butter, slicing up his insides and, for the first time, truly hurting him. If that was her intention, then consider the mission completed.

But at the moment she walked away, Nicholas brought himself out of the momentary despair as he heard Alexis’ words fight back against TJ’s lethal words. And in that instant, he stood up and grabbed her wrist with a firm enough grip to get her attention. “You’ve said your piece. Now it’s time you let me talk and tell you how wrong you are.”

The redhead shook her head, a little more loosely than she normally would, letting her locks swing around like a bobblehead. She craved Nicholas’s touch and yet she tried to pull her wrist away to no avail. “You had your chances to talk, all of tonight and all this past week.” Tyler Jane stated, “But you didn’t, so why should I listen to you now?”

Nicholas hated it but what she said was the absolute truth. She shouldn’t give him the chance, but all the same, Nicholas needed her to let him say what he knew in his heart just had to be said. “Because I’m not going anywhere. And I want to make things right, TJ. No games, no half-truths or anything,” Nicholas pleaded to her.

“Well, I’m going somewhere,” Tyler Jane pointed towards her dorm room with her cuff adorned wrist. “You may want to make things right, but I don’t want to hear it. So I’m going to bed.” Now it truly was the alcohol talking as the redhead finally released herself from Nicholas’ grasp and started to walk towards her room, tripping over her own feet in the process but not completely hitting the ground.

“Jesus Christ,” Nicholas shook his head and sighed, briskly walking to TJ’s side, helping her up. “If you really insist on this, at least let me escort you to your dorm so you don’t harm that perfect face of yours?” He offered, this time holding out his hand.

She laughed drunkenly again as he quickly came to her aid… what happened to the whole being a graceful dancer thing when sober? Guess booze really decided to throw that out the window. “Sure, fine, you can- ooh, you have soft hands.” Tyler Jane blurted mid-sentence as she laced her fingers in his, but still was able to give him enough approval to help her back to her room. She paused for a moment trying to process the situation- them holding hands, him looking after her, but there was only one question at the moment in time that popped into her head.

“So you really think my face is perfect?”

[BrutalBx]

---

---

Eternity had slipped by and Meadow could no longer discern what time it was. They could remember bits and pieces of the evening but most of it had become nothing but a blur in their mind's eye. The last they could really remember was dancing on the table but now, a million stardust moments later, they found themselves sitting crossed legged on the floor staring at the very same table where a graceful red haired siren danced a dance of temptation and inebriation in their stead. Meadow was entranced as they watched TJ move to the music. They could tune out the wolf whistles and loud ritual chanting of their Neanderthal classmates and just enjoy the rhythmic movement. With the arrival of Nicholas Grey, the show was over and the growing disconnect between Meadow and the world around them was expanding further.

Since day one at San Agustin; Meadow had been true to themselves, been honest with themselves and as yet had not found a pack or a herd to belong to. This didn’t bother them to start but as those early days became more and more, they wondered whether a group to love even existed. People were drawn to each other here in a way that was almost supernatural. Reactions were chemical, powerful and uncontrollable. Yet amongst the explosions of teenage decadence stood Meadow Mayflower alone in the fire. Scanning the swiftly emptying room as students paired off or wandered into the night on jelly legs, the flower child felt even more isolated than ever. Downing the last of their drink, Meadow thought it best that they took their leave also; the welcoming aura of this party had evaporated; replaced by something else, something a little more intangible.

Meadow found themselves back in their own dorm, staring out of the window and into the garden below. It was a beautiful night out there with clear starry skies and a big bright moon illuminating the blades of grass below. Lighting a candle for the Goddess; Meadow stripped off their party clothes and placed themselves in the combined lights of the moon and the fire on the floor; allowing the burning essences around them to clear their clouded booze addled mind. There was a clarity to be had in the silence of ones own castle and Meadow was having that clarity right now. All of their molecules and every fibre of their being felt tainted and poisoned, not from the alcohol but from something else; something at that party made them feel... unclean. Pulling an oversized t/shirt from under their bed, Meadow slipped it over their naked form before picking up the lit candle and hurrying out of the dorm.

The Wiccan found themself down in the courtyard, staring up at a large looming oak tree; the perfect place to cleanse. First they placed the candle and down before they dropped down to their knees and began to pray to the Goddess silently, offering respect and love to the creator. Meadow began to dig their hands into the dirt and pull clumps of mud from the earth before rubbing it into their bare skin. Mother Nature would help force whatever darkness that had sealed into Meadows pores out of their body and send it back to where it came. Once happily mudbound; they leaned against the tree with the candle held close to their chest and the dulcet tones of Stevie Nicks playing in their mind.

Bliss.

[Melissa]

_{@metanoia & @Melissa
The continuation of Nicholas & Tyler Jane's evening...}
____________________________________________________________________________________

Between his spats with Leo and Griffin, the always entertaining and frustrating drama caused by Billie Jean’s temper, and somehow being dragged into Leo’s drama, Nicholas wasn’t a stranger to unfortunate circumstances. He always knew how to improvise when he needed to. That was something he thought he excelled at. Of the two, he was the twin who used his brain more.

So why was it, as the smart one, did he find himself maintaining his composure as a drunk Tyler Jane dragged her feet -- which he wasn’t sure if that was all she could do physically or if she was doing it to trigger his nerves. Regardless which it was, consider his nerves triggered.

“Just remember that you’re the patient one.” Nicholas repeated to himself as a sort of mantra.

Now maybe Nicholas was being overdramatic. Billie often reminded he got high strung for no logical reason. And it’s not like Tyler Jane’s dorm was that far from where the party was at. She was on the first floor and not even at the end of the hall. Her room was in the middle, but her consistent moving was making it almost not worth it, but Nicholas just couldn’t leave her, not when it was TJ and especially not in her current state.

But finally, they reached her dorm and Nicholas, thankfully, had secured her keys before she got too draggy. As he put the keys into the doorknob, Tyler Jane began to move again. “Tyler Jane, can you stop that! I just gotta--TJ, I mean it!” It was obvious Nicholas’ frustration was building.

The redhead, almost more intoxicated by the minute, was indignant about being independent at this moment in time. Sure, Nicholas “accompanied” her on her way back to her dorm much to her drunken dismay, but Tyler Jane was a strong woman and was more than capable of making it to her room herself. Or so she thought.

That’s why as soon as the boy tried to unlock her door, she reached out and tried to grasp the keys he was holding- her keys. How and when did he get those? Depth perception was at an all time low, so she shifted her body and stuck her hands out in the general direction of where his arm was and made a sad attempt to snag them. “You don’t know how to do it, give them to me,” Tyler Jane lazily stated, a small little alcohol induced smile relaxing the features on her face.

“No!” Nicholas flat-out denied her request. “You’ll probably stab yourself in the gut if you tried it in your condition.” As he spoke, he went for attempt number two, purposely positioning himself in front of the keyhole so she couldn’t stop him this time.

She rolled her eyes, a laugh escaping her lips. “Noooo I won’t.” Tyler Jane let each syllable of the words she spoke ring out, too careless to enunciate and make them crisp. Something about alcohol made the world feel like it was in slow motion... The redheads lips pouted as she looked up at Nicholas through her eyelashes, eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know why you’re doing this-I’m fineee I pinky promise.” She lifted up her right arm and with her wrist slacked, raised her little pinky finger and offered it to him in childlike fashion.

He expelled a defeated sigh. There was no way he could allow himself to deny her the keys now — not after she gave him the pout, at least. “Fine,” he said, handing her the keys as carefully as he could.

Tyler Jane gleefully reached out to get the keys, missing the first time but grasping them successfully the next, and moved her body to be directly in front of the lock on her door. The closer she was to the keyhole, the easier it would be. Her first attempt landed her key directly to the right of where it should have been, the second attempt brought her to the left, and the third just wasn’t even remotely close. But, she persisted, and nearly a minute later, the drunk redhead lined it up perfectly, key easily sliding into the lock, and her door clicked open. Ta-da! With a triumphant smile, Tyler Jane looked back at Nicholas, sticking her tongue out at him playfully before walking into her room “See! I told you I could do it.”

Watching her unsuccessfully get the key inside the knob three times in a row was, at the very least, the visual equivalent of rusty cat nails on a blackboard that went decades without a proper cleaning. And the fact she had a sense of pride on her face after finally doing it was...endearing to see. Despite her current drunk state, NIcholas was impressed that her resiliency remained intact (albeit without her usual grace). Still, he was genuinely proud of her.

As he clapped for the girl and smiled, he followed her suit, taking in the fact he was in her room. He wished the reason that got him to this point wasn’t because of her inability to know left from right and she wasn’t so utterly done with him, but such was life. He wasn’t going to sit on the regrets. He just wanted to make sure she got to bed without hitting her head along the way.

Nicholas closed the door behind him and took in the sights. It was only after scanning her room did it really don on him just what kind of person TJ was. He remembered hearing somewhere about how a person’s room was like getting a glimpse into their soul. He had always watched her from afar, spying on her almost when she was dancing or just noticing her without getting to know her enough, but seeing how clean her room was and a plant in the corner and all of the pillows, Nicholas was just now realizing that he didn’t truly know her. He had no idea she liked plants or that she needed that many pillows.

As he was lost in his own thoughts, his priorities were realigned when he heard a loud thud and Tyler Jane whine. So he went to her side and found her face-first on her floor. As he was about to ask what happened, he noticed a pointe shoe underneath her foot. “TJ, are you okay?” He asked her, concerned and a hand outstretched for her to grab onto.

For a dancer, Tyler Jane was an awfully clumsy drunk. “I was soooo close to my bed and then that stupid fucking pointe shoe had to come out of nowhere!” She explained, muffled slightly by the cushioned rug she had tumbled down onto. It was true- one moment she was standing up and the next the shoe had magically appeared and blocked her path. Pressing her palms onto the ground, the girl slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position, taking Nicholas’ hand that he so generously offered. He sure was being nice to her as she made a complete idiot of herself… so much so that she had seemed to momentarily forget how angry and frustrated she was with him to begin with.

Continuing on her path, the redhead flopped down onto her bed, legs sprawled out as she landed on the massive pile of pillows. She had the comfiest bed in all of San Agustin, or so she liked to think. Tyler Jane could have just fallen asleep like that, but the (fleeting) sober voice in the back of the girls’ mind reminded her that she was still wearing shoes, still in her party clothes, and had all of her makeup on. With a grumble, she spoke, unsure if Nicholas would understand her dilemma. “Fuuuuck, I can’t go to sleep yet.”

“Is it because you still have all of that makeup on?” He ventured a guess. With as much time as he spent around girls in general, he felt it was the only thing she could be referring to.

Another groan, “Yessss, if I don’t take it all off I’ll get ugly pimples. And my shoes are still on.” The redhead wiggled her toes inside her black heels, trying to see if they would just miraculously fall off, but sadly they did not. With all of the energy she had left, Tyler Jane sat up and looked at Nicholas as he stood there, almost amused. “You don’t have to stay, you know, I’m sure you have other things to do or other people to be with…”

A light chuckle escaped through his lips as he watched TJ fail in wiggling her shoes off her feet and he gently waved away her question. He took a seat at the edge of the bed, lifting her leg up with one hand securing the back of her ankle and used his other to slide off her shoe. “Everyone I want to be with is in this room,” he confessed with a smile, repeating the same act with her other foot.

“Yeah right,” She shrugged off his statement as her feet were freed from the uncomfortable shoes she had been wearing, highly doubting that was the case. “That can't be true- there has to be someone else who you’d rather be with right now.”

“Nope!” He reaffirmed his previous statement firmly and stood up. “Now where do you keep your make-up removal kit?” He asked, looking at Tyler Jane.

The redhead didn’t fully process the fact he was helping her, so without questioning it, the girl pointed to her desk turned vanity in the corner of the room. “Second drawer on the right, it’s a blue box that has makeup wipes in it.” When realization hit a few seconds later, the girl protested, “You better not go snooping in my stuff though Nicholas Grey.” Tyler Jane warned, another drunken laugh slipping from her lips seconds later.

He lightly scowled at her insinuation and promptly made the conscious decision to not respond. He went to the desk and looked back at her, almost as if taunting her as he purposely went for the first drawer on her right. “First one you said?” His hand proceeded to open it.

“Noooo, I said the second one, you’re not listening.” Tyler Jane whined.

It was probably cruel of him but he couldn’t resist having his fun. Regardless, he didn’t want to push his luck so he grabbed the wipes from the second drawer and raised it up to prove she was wrong. “See! I’m listening!”

Nicholas walked back to her bed and took a seat on the edge, but he was understandably a lot closer to her face than he was earlier. He set the kit on a space on the bed beside them and opened it up. “So which does what?” He asked like a deer in headlights. As far as experiences went, this was the first time he found himself in a position where he was helping someone take off their makeup.

The redhead couldn’t help but laugh again, finding Nicholas’ naive-ness about the intricacies of makeup removal somewhat endearing. Tyler Jane wrapped one hand around the container, popping it open to reveal a pack of makeup wipes, some q-tips, cotton rounds, and a few hair elastics. “It’s not that complicated, silly.” She expressed, tying back her long red hair with the band and then opening the package to take out a makeup wipe. Muscle memory did most of the work as she moved the towelette around her face and the makeup she was wearing seemed to disappear magically, revealing her fair skin and freckles underneath. The entire evening vanished from her features. After a minute or so, the girl tossed the now used wipe towards the trash bin next to her bed, thinking she was good to go. “Did I miss a spot?” She asked Nicholas, as normally she would have done this in front of a mirror to check her handiwork.

And in a surprising and welcoming-to-see turn of events, she had gotten it all. The same red-headed girl who had failed to walk on her own and had terrible hand-eye coordination with a key (of all things), had managed to wipe away the thickest layers of her makeup. Another shocking thing? She was even more stunning now than she was with it on. Or maybe it was Nicholas’ own feelings making him see her. Either way, he just smiled at her, confirming with a nod. “It does appear you got all of it.” To confirm himself of this, Nicholas placed his left hand on her cheek and gently caressed it.

Tyler Jane smiled- a genuine one, not just alcohol induced, as he gazed into her eyes. The Grey boy always had a unique way of giving her butterflies even when he didn’t intend to, and feeling his touch on her cheek did just that. But, the redhead remembered in that moment that she was supposed to be mad at him. He had played games with her all night, avoided her at all costs and made her jealous in the worst of ways… but then again, she had done the same, almost tenfold. A laugh escaped her lips, the drunk kind, and the girl’s eyes squinted as she spoke, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Without hesitation, Nicholas said, “Because I was a fool and an idiot. Because it took me seeing you kiss Griffin and me almost doing something I knew I was going to regret to realize that I’ve played with your heart long enough.” As he spoke, his heart was pounding so hard that it was like a wild stampede was happening inside him.

There was nothing quite as sobering as the boy of the redhead’s desires calling out his mistakes, and Tyler Jane heard him loud and clear through her drunken fog. She had not expected him to do so in a million years- he was Nicholas Grey for crying out loud, his reputation preceded him and the girl knew that it was rare for him to take ownership of his faults. Instead of immediately caving, TJ smirked and pressed on, “You’re not wrong,” she replied with a small giggle.

He let out a soft chuckle. “I’m trying to be a better person. And, you know, part of that is being honest.” Ah yes, honesty -- the one girl that he could never tame.

The redhead sighed, letting her neck relax and loosen, tilting her head further into Nicholas’ palm. “Being honest is good. I like honesty.” The girl drunkenly mused, picking that word out of the bunch to focus on, and for good reason. Tyler Jane’s lips curved upwards as she began to speak again, in the spirit of honesty and being blunt. “And if I’m being honest, it’s your fault that I’m this drunk.” The girl laughed, hoping that Nicholas would see the comment not as blame, but as explanation to her current state.

“My fault?” He said promptly, “how is this my fault? Weren’t you the one who put the alcohol in your system?” He asked, laughing and looking at her with a somewhat dismayed expression.

Closing her eyes, Tyler Jane let out another intoxicated laugh. The worst thing about being drunk was getting the spins, and that’s what happened to the redhead as soon as she took her eyes off of Nicholas. It felt like she was on a merry go round or doing pirouettes even though she was sitting completely still. “You tried to make me jealous, and it worked too well, and I drank everything in sight to deal with it…” The girl trailed off, mind growing foggy once more as she explained the reasoning behind her previous statement. And then, a complete non-sequitur. “Is the room spinning or is it just me?”

Nicholas laughed at her completely different topic change. “Someone’s feeling the effects of her booze binge, isn’t she?” He teased her, showing a rare lighthearted side.

“Noooo, don’t laugh at me.” She whined, forcing her lids to open and look at Nicholas once more. Tyler Jane paused as she gazed into his blue eyes, completely getting lost in them. She didn’t realize she was complimenting him until the words practically fell out of her mouth. “You have nice eyes.” A sigh, reflecting on her complete inability to hold her tongue and the truth to his previous statement. “Fine, I guess I am suffering the consequences of my actions. Remind me next time not to drink as a coping mechanism.”

“Next time?” The fact she had said that was both interesting and amusing to him. “So you see us being alone like this again, huh?”

Tyler Jane gave him a look, the look. The look that said it all without saying anything, the one that asked if he was serious, the one that said ‘we would have already found our way here if you hadn’t been a player’. But instead of elaborating, she only muttered three words. “If you’re lucky.”

It was unlike him to hesitate, especially when he noticed certain hints being thrown out there, but Nicholas did and he didn’t know why. No, that wasn’t completely accurate. He knew exactly why he hadn’t done anything and it was the same reason he had played with her instead of being truthful with her. It was the same reason why whenever he felt real feelings, he reverted to old habits. But her eyes and the way they were locked on him made Nicholas smile (of all things).

As he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, for a few seconds, he felt such a raw surge of adrenaline course through his body like it was on fire. It was exhilarating and terrifying and a completely new experience for him. And in the middle of a breath, regardless of what everything in him wanted, he rebelled and pulled back slowly, just looking at Tyler Jane and her perfect face.

Tyler Jane would be lying if she said she wasn’t expecting this to happen, but she certainly was surprised in the moment when Nicholas kissed her. It definitely wasn’t how she had pictured it happening in the beginning of the evening when she tried to plan for the perfect night, but then again everything that could have gone wrong tonight did. Their first interaction was sour, they tried to one up each other the entire party, and she was drunker than a sailor. But something about the way it felt when their lips connected was electric and raw and it was exactly how it needed to be. She wanted to bring him closer, but as soon as she reached for him, he pulled away, his lips disappearing from hers. The redhead paused, taking a breath before stating the obvious with a smirk. “That was… whoa.”

Still reeling from the electricity of the kiss, Nicholas had to take a moment for himself which had him take a few slow breaths. As he did, he couldn’t stop thinking about how much he wanted to continue kissing her lips. It wasn’t like how he had kissed others in the past but maybe that was because TJ wasn’t like the others. She wasn’t someone like Dwayne who he knew was attracted to him and used that to have a good night nor was it like Alexis or any of the other countless girls who had made their way into his bed. Tyler Jane had always stood out above the rest.

But that wasn’t why he hesitated. He wanted to take her right now but just the thought of that made him feel guilty because he didn’t want to take advantage of her in the drunken state she currently found herself in. “So, is the room still spinning?” He asked, knowing he needed to say something.

Not thinking that was what he was going to say, the redhead couldn’t help but dissolve into another giggle, nodding her head. “Yes,” Tyler Jane replied, “Yes, it is. No kiss will be able to fix that, unfortunately.”

Nicholas was somewhere between disappointed and relieved when she said that. “I think this is the universe’s way of saying it’s bedtime.”

The redhead sighed, but silently acknowledged the fact he was probably right. Only minutes earlier she was practically pushing him away, but now, she didn’t want him to leave. They had finally found some semblance of resolution, an indicator that they were finally on the same page, but of course her drunkenness very well had to ruin what could have been a very interesting evening. Go figure. Tyler Jane pouted, leaning back and relaxing into her mountain of pillows. “I’m going to have the worst hangover in the world tomorrow, aren’t I.”

“You might, but with hangovers comes hangover cures and I happen to know that the best cure to any head pain is the greasiest burger you’ll ever eat.” He would say as he pulled Tyler Jane’s covers over her, stopping just above her chest. “So when you’re conscious and if you still remember, give me a call and I’ll get you the biggest one I can find.” He leaned over and tenderly kissed her on the forehead.

The drunk redhead smirked, eyes seeming to close out of instinct as the cozy sheets were wrapped around her. The giddy feeling in her chest still hadn’t gone away, but her brain knew that she was going to need as much rest as possible to sleep this incoming hangover off. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Nicholas couldn’t help but smile down at Tyler Jane as her words faded into silence. She looked so peaceful in how she slept. It was like the entire hour of her dancing on tables and wiggling around in his arms as he carried her felt like a distant nightmare. And maybe that’s because it was.

As he allowed himself to watch her peacefully sleep, eyes gazing at her fondly, he carefully left, leaving her dorm as quietly as he could. He had no idea if she was a heavy or a light sleeper, so he didn’t want to risk it. After the night she had -- most of which was his fault -- Tyler Jane deserved to have as much rest as she could. Lord knew the hangover she was going to have in the morning would be a killer.

He pressed his uninjured hand against the closed door and smiled. “Rest well,” he said and left, taking the scenic route to his dorm. It felt like one of those nights where he wanted to just be with his thoughts.