[IC] Paramount

First Week

DAY 1 │ Saturday, Aug. 24th - Move in Day - Current Day.

DAY 2 │ Monday, Aug. 26th - Orientation Day (Assembly & Sports/Club Fair) - Not Completed.

DAY 3 │ Tuesday, Aug. 27th - First Day of Classes - Not Completed.

MOVE IN DAY!
^{Saturday, August 24, 2019.}

Weather forecast: To be added.

Here we will write a little about the current scene.

[Hey Im Jordan]

_{Starring: Evan Bishop
Time: 8 AM
Location: The Sitting Room of the Oaklands}

---

---

I’m Flying...
Flying away

Music was blasting from the headphones wrapped around his neck as Evan Bishop skateboarded up the long, winding (way too winding, if you asked him) driveway to Marble Heights Academy. Back in the day, he supposed it wasn’t this winding — in fact, it was probably a dirt path in the good years, but somewhere along the line (the Regan era, maybe the Nixon era), people decided long, winding driveways made you look more sophisticated. Marble Heights didn’t even need to look more sophisticated, it already looked bougie as all hell; a side effect of the constant donations from rich people and a pretty damn gaudy eye for interior design, but hey, money was money and if there was one way to show wealth, it was long and winding driveways lined with little bushes and trees.

Evan’s backpack was slung over his shoulder, his actual luggage had been sent ahead of him and was waiting for him in whatever godforsaken room he ended up in this year. Why did it change every year? Evan didn’t know the answer to that question, and he frankly felt like no one knew the answer to that question. It had been written in stone when the foundations were laid! Evan had read the rulebook more than a couple of times — it was required reading in the ‘Guidance Room,’ where the people sentenced to detention gathered. It was basically a basement, where they at least had a vending machine with some decent snackage.

It was a big day for Marble Heights Academy: Move-In Day. This was the day when all the old students found their way to their rooms, and all the new students realized the hellacious situation they were now permastuck in. Boarding school was a kind of weird concept, in Evan’s opinion. Taking a bunch of teenagers, and locking them up together in close quarters? Evan felt like the real unsung hero of MHA was the nurse — if she didn’t provide free condoms, then fuck, there woul probably be more than a few prom night dumpster babies on the grounds.

Evan clicked the volume down on his headphones as he rolled into the new High Rise dorms, and smelled the air. It smelled like… a fine fragrance of oud wood and dark vanilla… no, no wait. That was the Axe body spray he’d doused himself in before skating here (it was part of the deal with his parents: if he was going to go to stupid boarding school again, then he was going to skate from a nearby inn, and so he did) to try and hide the weed. Did it work? Yes. Was he going to attract any women? Probably no—

“Mr. Bishop.”

Evan immediately stopped in his tracks, jumping off of his skateboard and popping it into his hand by stomping on the tail end and then catching it as it flew up, mouthing to himself. Shit. This was not the person he wanted to talk to first thing in the new school year. “Hello, Satan. I thought I had more time.” He said, turning his head to face the owner of the voice. “Oh, Mrs. Whitaker. I’m sorry, based on your voice, I thought you were someone else.” He explained, grinning — mostly to himself, he realized, as the elderly woman did not return his smile; however, Evan knew Mrs. Whitaker well, and he didn’t think she was capable of smiling.

“No skateboarding in the buildings of my academy — new or old.”

“Actually, ma’am, you’ll find skateboarding is not outlawed in the new building. It’s not mentioned in the handbook, trust me. I read the fuc— the handbook like seven times just to make sure. It’s not there. No subsections, no paragraph B’s. Ain’t there.” Evan was somewhat smug as he spoke. He was feeling like he had a one up. What was she gonna do now? Make up a new rule on the spot? No way. There was nothing else to complain about! He had the jacket on — granted, he was missing a tie, and the undershirt wasn’t exactly right, but still. He was in the right —

“I don’t want to see your silly cartoon characters either, you should be wearing your proper uniform.”

Oh hell no. Evan was not about to take that shit. She was going after the shirt? “Hey! Goku is a Super Saiyan! And it is a Saturday. A Saturday. And I’m wearin’ the fuckin’ jacket, what else do you want from me, dude? It’s Saturday! I shouldn’t even be in the jacket. But here I am, wearin’ the jacket, and you know why that is? That’s because I put some respect on your name, but you’re wipin’ it away and spittin’ on mine. A Super Saiyan for fuck’s sake.” Evan let loose, and then he almost immediately regretted it as he caught the disgusted look Mrs. Whitaker was wearing. “What’s the damage?”

“Detention on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now get to your room and unpack your things.”

Evan turned to walk away, glancing over his shoulder and giving Mrs. Whitaker a parting grin, “be seein’ ya, Vicky.” He said, hoping to get in the last word as he took off, but he should have known it was a false hope.

“Tack Thursday onto that.”

Evan sighed, but nodded his head. Would the little man ever get a win? Fuck.

---

---

Like Evan, most Marble Heights Students are reporting to the new Oaklands dorm building, where they’ll be meeting their new roommates, and adjusting to their new space. Compared to last year, returning students will find their new rooms to be spacious, modern, and with more amenities than the building they stayed in last year — however, last year students only had one roommate, this year they have three.

Some degree of growing pains are to be expected, but Headmistress Whitaker and her staff hope the students will be happy with the arrangements. Students were given their room assignments with their yearly syllabus and schedule, though they have yet to be told their roommates. Some students will find themselves paired with old friends, and some with soon-to-be new friends — and others still with enemies new and old.

Welcome to Marble Heights Academy.

Oh, and contrary to what Mrs. Whitaker barked at Evan for, the Uniform is not required on the weekends!

[smarty0114]

_{Starring: Jamie and Katie Callaghan
Time: 8:15 AM
Location: The Quad - Room 505}

---

---

San Francisco in the fall was nothing like Beverly Hills, a blessing if you asked Jamie. The morning fog had receded, clutching at the sandy shores of the bay, but the chill in the air hadn’t petered out just yet. Jamie walked across the Marble Heights quad with a sureness in his step, lanky form cutting a line across the grass. In his arms were the entrails of his home library, the most important organs that made up his Frankenstein of a collection, the spines that he couldn’t live without. It was peaceful. Until it wasn’t.

“Hey, Loser!” Katie Callaghan’s voice carried across the mostly empty lawn, only attracting the attention of those lucky few who had yet to hear Katie Callaghan’s outdoor voice. She was clad in her favorite colors, black and red, a vintage leather jacket hanging off her slender frame. Jamie shook his head, glancing up at the sky as if to plead with whatever malicious deity had cursed him with a twin sister.

“Hello to you too,” Jamie said as Katie approached. She smiled and punched him in the arm, just hard enough to say, “I missed you.” “Thanks for that.”

“Anytime, Brother Dearest. How was the drive?” Katie asked, walking backwards infront of Jamie.

“Long. How’s it been here?” The twins had been separated the past two weeks, thanks to Marble Heights’ required RA training weeks, and Jamie’s late night arrival at his hotel last night.

“Oh, it’s been wonderful! You know how much I love gathering round the campfire and singing Kumbaya,” Katie said, sarcasm dripping from her tongue. Jamie laughed and rolled his eyes.

“You’re the one who wanted to be an RA. I told you there’d be some bullshit involved,” Jamie replied.

“Okay, yeah, but I just wanted to be like, the hot, cool RA. Not, learn leadership skills and how to make a bunch of introverts feel at home,” Katie said, letting out an exasperated groan just in case she hadn’t gotten her point across.

“How the fuck did you get past the interview?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Katie flashed her brother a grin. “I’m me!”

Jamie chuckled, hardly surprised by his sister’s antics. “Sounds about right.” Growing up with Katie, one got used to the way her charms beguiled authority figures and peers alike.

Katie spun around just in time to open the door to the new dorms, an effortless move that neither surprised Jamie, nor impressed him. Everything about his sister was effortless. “Welcome to the Oaklands Building. New, expensive, and definitely not a gigantic waste of money.”

“Careful who you say that to. I’ve heard our new home here is a very special donation,” Jamie said, looking around the lobby and taking in the luxury that surrounded them. He was no stranger to the finer things in life, but that didn’t mean he lacked an appreciation.

They rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, and Jamie couldn’t help but let his mind wander as Katie rambled on about the last two weeks she’d spent at Marble Heights. The phone in his pocket was like a lead brick, weighed down by all the responses he hadn’t received.

“Hey, earth to Jamie?” Katie said, snapping her fingers to get Jamie’s attention. He startled, and turned to look at her as the doors slid open. “What’s up with you? You’re acting weird. And not the usual, ‘I’m Jamie and I like to be smarter than everyone else and brood,’ sort of weird.”

Jamie sighed as he stepped into the hall, following the wall to Room 505, where he hoped he’d be the first arrival. “It’s nothing, just… bullshit.” Leaning up against the wall, he balanced the box in one hand while he fished around in his pocket for his wallet, before tossing it to Katie. Without hesitation, she produced his student ID, unlocking the door and leading the way into his new dorm.

“I think, what you just told me, is bullshit. I can play this game longer than you can Jay, c’mon.”

Jamie groaned, following her through the (thankfully) empty suite, into what would soon become his bedroom and setting his books on the floor. “It’s Cole,” Jamie finally said, turning to see Katie rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, that was obvious. Care to elaborate, or have you gone fully mute now?”

Jamie flopped down on his mattress, staring up at the ceiling. “It just feels, I don’t know, off. I texted him this morning to try and meet up, and he hasn’t said anything, and his responses the last few days have been super short, and I can’t shake this fucking feeling that I’m about to get dumped.” The words finally expelled, Jamie sunk into the mattress, and let out another sigh.

“Well, fuck him.” Katie walked over and shoved Jamie against the wall, laying down next to him and staring up at the white ceiling. “Boys suck.”

Jamie let out a laugh. “That they do. Any word from Scott?” he asked.

“Oh, we aren’t talking about that,” Katie said, smirking despite the twinge of pain those five letters brought to her. “This is your room, so we’re talking about your boy problems right now.”

Jamie laughed, and turned to face her, resting on his elbow and fixing her with what she liked to call his, “Journalist Stare.” “Y’know, you can be mad about it. I know you are.”

“I’m not mad about it!”

“Katie, you’re baseline is angry, so excuse me if I have trouble believing that,” Jamie said.

Katie rolled her eyes, and slipped off of the mattress, standing up and smoothing out the black denim of her jeans. “I dumped him first, so there’s nothing to be angry about. Sure, I thought we were gonna try the long distance thing this year, and like, sure, I don’t rightfully understand how he could dump me but it is fine. I’m zen.”

“I’m sure you are,” Jamie said, repressing a knowing smirk.

“Oh, fuck you,” Katie replied, adding a middle finger for good measure. “I’ve gotta go make my floor feel welcomed and all that jazz, but I’ll be back later,” Katie said, taking a glance at herself in Jamie’s mirror.

“Oh joy,” Jamie said, already looking for a place to begin his library. Katie gave him one last punch in the arm for a goodbye, before slipping out and upstairs, leaving him alone in his new dorm. He slipped The Great Gatsby under his desk, and did his best to ignore the fact that his phone was still textless.

[BrutalBx]

---

Avery’s Infinite Playlist: A Like Supreme - Samurai

---

“Motherfuck me in the ass with a chainsaw”

Her head felt like the inside of a batting cage as Avery Rockhold pulled her suitcases along the pristine floors of Marble Heights. In a short life ruled by bad decisions, her choice to party before the first day of a new school term was up there with some of her worst. Then again, Avery couldn’t resist a good show and El Chicano’s played one hell of a set, it was just a shame she only remembered the first half of it. Plus her new home for the seeable had a much stricter policy on the use of brain altering chemicals so she had to get some of it out of her system before she started. Would that stop Avery from trying to party? Absolutely not.

Looking every inch the rock and roll Queen she was, the flame haired vixen was dressed in a pair of daisy dukes which put the best legs in San Fran on show as they should be and a vintage Doors T-shirt straight outta 1969. She had covered her hungover eyes with some round sunglasses to hide from the peppered sunlight that kept breaking through the fog and had her earbuds playing Samurai turned up to eleven. A sane person wouldn’t have pounding rock music playing when they felt as deathly as Avery did but then again no one ever accused her of being of sound mind.

As annoying as the whole concept of boarding school was; there was a huge part of the Texan that was glad to be back in Fog City. In her previous visit to the school she had somehow managed to make herself a good group of friends she was looking forward to seeing. Her inherent curiously left her wondering what the likes of Del and Diana had been up to, though she could definitely hazard a guess. Hell she even missed Leo and his vain attempts to hit on her literally every morning. He would never stand a chance but there was no problem in holding on to the last breath of a dream was there?.

Based on the little slip of paper in her back pocket, Avery was going to be based in a room on the fifth floor of the swanky new dorm building in suite 509. She flung the cigarette hanging from her red painted lips into a nearby bin as she entered the Oakland building. Immediately she was struck by a wave of astonishment at the sheer amount of money that had been spent on the place. The lobby looked more like a damned five star hotel than a school dormitory. She made her way through to the elevator and punched floor five.

”Home sweet home, sugarplum”

Upon her arrival in her new home; Avery’s mouth immediately dropped; it was a good job she had gotten rid of that cigarette. This room made her one at home look like a shoebox. It looked as if she was the first one to arrive, a good thing no doubt meaning she could claim the best room for her own. Once she had found a room with a view, Avery set out to make it her own. First up was putting up her poster of the Hex Girls; her favourite Youtubers. Gwen was her idol and she was desperate to be like her but Stella was like nex level and one day she hoped she would notice her senpai.

After a few basic preparations, she headed into the main room once again to see who would be next to enter this brave new world.

[Wolfieh]

Location: Suite 204

”I’m Mr. Fisher Halloway,” he said, sliding into the back seat of the private car. ”Marble Heights Academy. They said we’re supposed to arrive at the Oaklands Dorm Building or something?” The boy leaned forward a bit, partly into the open window between the driver’s cab and the seating area. ”Uh...Do you know where that’s at?”

”Of course, sir,” the driver replied, somehow sounding tired of his passenger already.

“Yeah, right, obviously you would—I don’t, but you, well… You’re driving,” Fisk supplied, awed at how stupid he sounded. A hand came up to run through his hair before he stopped, glanced at it, and dropped it back to his side. “And I… I’m gonna sit down. Now.”

“That would be for the best, Sir,” the driver responded, already reaching for the switch to raise the screen between them.

Fisk watched it rise, slowly, and made a mental note to avoid antagonizing his new roommates as quickly as he’d evidently antagonized the chauffeur. Back in NYC, his friends found his occasional nervous ramblings to be almost endearing—but they’d had several years to find the rest of Fisk endearing too. Marble Heights would afford him no such time. He took a deep breath, letting it settle in his lungs, and banished the nervousness to the shaking tips of his fingers.

He’d calmed considerably by the time they pulled up alongside the tall, ornate building Fisk would now be living in. He gawked out the window at it as the chauffeur walked around, opening the door and looking thoroughly unimpressed at the whole situation. The young Halloway climbed out of the car, readjusting the gray cardigan he was wearing overtop a plain black button-up. He turned toward the driver, hazel eyes trailing down to the rather obvious open palm. Glancing up at the man’s face, he saw a single raised eyebrow and that stagnant, unamused expression.

He pulled out his wallet, teasing a fifty dollar bill out and holding it out toward the expectant chauffeur. After a second of stillness, he met the man’s eyes again only to watch the slow and deliberate glance down toward the single bill and back up, graying eyebrow inching incrementally higher. Fisk narrowed his eyes in bewilderment. “I wasn’t that bad.”

With an exhaustive and belligerent sigh, the driver folded his hand around the bill, tipped his hat condescendingly, and retreated to the driver’s side of the car. Engine growling to life behind him, Fisk pushed his way into the massive building lobby muttering, “Note to self: delete ‘cheap chauffeurs near me’ from my search history.”

He really hoped that it was a matter of the chauffeur, at least. Fisk didn’t want to contemplate the possibility that it was a “San Francisco” thing, or a him thing. Marble Heights Academy was an opportunity—he could make first impressions here, in a way he wasn’t able to back in New York City. Starting off by annoying everyone around him? Well, it wasn’t… ideal.

He stepped into one of the elevators, pushing the button for the second floor and resisting the urge to hum or foot-tap through the brief ascent. He stepped into the hallway, still shooting glances toward the fine décor as he counted to the second door on the right—Suite 204, his new home for the foreseeable future. Or the next semester, at least. They were practically the same thing.

Pushing the door open, he felt a spark of gratitude that his mother had insisted on sending all his things ahead this morning—and arranging the delivery personally. Given his own transportation, Fisk suspected he might’ve managed to lose all his luggage on the first day. And no doubt his mother would’ve called him a dumbass for it, too.

Rightfully so, perhaps.

[BrutalBx]

---

---

It wasn’t the end of the charter season but it was the end of Brodie’s.

He had done what he could with the time he had to get the boat ready for the next trip but of course that wasn’t good enough for the Captain of Motor Yacht Excalibur...AKA his father Monty Driver. To his old man’s credit, he had detoured his ship to the Bay in order for Brodie to disembark and make his way to his yearly home of Marble Heights. Not that the guests minded since it an extra day on a trip they’d already paid a great deal of money for.

The fog was thick around the Bay Area as it often was so Brodie thought it best to leave MY Excalibur via his personal sailing boat The Avalon Sky. It was a small, rustic little thing that he insisted be tethered to his fathers yacht whenever he joined them on charter as a deckhand. Father Driver didn’t particularly care to fight with his only child about it so he did as was asked. Luckily, Brodie’s job at the OCSC sailing school meant that he could moor his boat at a marina that was literally a two minute walk from his school.

As he sat in the bow of his little sailboat, packing the last of his clothing into a waterproof duffel bag, the young Australian couldn’t help but feel a sense of elation.

School was no fun and he could truly only count the amount of friends he had on one hand but that was his choice. The more friends he had the more chance there was for one or more of them to break his heart and he had spent a long long time trying to let go of all of his previous hurt. He didn’t need to be reminded of it again.

Still, since his first year attending up until now, Brodie thought of Marble Heights as an escape from reality. It was a world of beautiful sights and sounds and interesting histories and potential futures. It was a challenge but it was fun and he couldn’t wait to get back. He threw his singular bag of clothing into the cabin where his beloved surfboard already sat and turned to start loosening the knots that held his boat in place.

Glancing upwards towards the stern of MY Excalibur, a small part of Brodie hoped that his father would be standing there to say goodbye to him; instead there was only Robbo, the yacht's chef.

“We’ll miss you, Brode. I’ll keep a few beers in the esky for you”

”Laters Robbo, look after me ol’ fella eh?”With a final court nod; Brodie turned away from the larger boat and started up the engine on his own. The Avalon began to peel away into the fog leaving the charter yacht behind in its wake.

The closer the small vessel got towards the land, the clearer it became. The handsome sailor had no problems navigating weather like this; he was raised on the water and had experienced every kind of hazardous condition there was. He had dealt with storms, heat waves, blistering winds and of course the worst; drunken guests. The irony was not lost on Brodie in that he loved the water and everything it had to offer yet it was that exact thing that drove his family to the point where it was. The communication between his parents wasn’t there if it wasn’t about the business and as he had always been, Brodie was essentially alone. He didn’t bother trying to get their attention any more; it just wasn’t worth it.

Arriving at the marina with time to spare; the sailor boy docked his boat, slung his duffel on his back and tucked his surfboard under his arm; it was time today to start another year at Hogwarts...Marble Heights. He joined the sea of faces as they began the journey towards San Francisco’s elite boarding school. Some of the faces he recognised from previous years, others he did not. As a minimalist anyway, Brodie was shocked by the sheer amount of things people seemed to be bringing with them compared to himself. He literally had a handful of clothes and his board; some of these other kids looked like they were bringing an entire household with them. He’d been coming to this place for three years now and yet the sheer amount of privilege still took him aback sometimes.

Walking into the lobby of the Oakland building was like walking into some fancy hotel; it was gorgeous. Brodie was so taken aback by the aesthetic that he nearly cleaned out some freshmen with his surfboard as he turned in awe.

”Sorry mate”

He noted a few faces that he recognised as he moved around the new state of the art dormitory; the Callaghan siblings being two of the most obvious. Brodie had a few classes with Katie the previous year and immediately what stood out about her besides being beautiful was her sheer strength of will. She was forceful but not overbearing and didn’t take shit; it was quite refreshing. Jamie on the other hand was a year below so he didn’t know much of him, that said he did love reading the Golden Gate Gazette after his morning surf and yoga sessions. He also noted one Avery Rockhold making her way about the place; the saying “play with fire and you get burned” often sprung to mind when thoughts drifted the way of the Texan. She was wild, dangerous and most likely a little bit insane. She was a riot but not Brodie’s cup of tea that’s for sure.

The handsome sailor boy made his way to the elevator and up towards the second floor and two zero five. Once in the room, Brodie was taken aback by how hella fancy it was; it was obvious that the school had left no penny unspent. As he absorbed the energies of his new surroundings, he felt a dampness in his shirt. It seemed like there must’ve been some rain inside that fog after all. He peeled off his top and wondered if this place had a washing machine.

Simple pleasures and all that.

[Melissa]

♩♫♬♩♫♬♩♫♬♩♫♬♩♫♬♩♫♬♩♫♬♩♫♬

Topher Jones was by no means a morning person. Hell, if it weren’t for the fact that his Uber driver was blasting music so loud that his ears were ringing, he would have dozed off right there in the backseat as he made his way from the airport to Marble Heights Academy.

It hadn’t been a long trip to get to San Francisco- the flight was only a few hours long, but the curly haired boy’s especially early wake-up call was already having a dismal effect on his focus and disposition. His eyes still had sleep in them and he was groggy with exhaustion, having stayed up into the late hours of the night writing down lyrics and playing chords that he just couldn’t get out of his head. In fact, the melody Topher had recently created was also keeping him alert, the nuances of his chorus and bridge replaying in his mind as the car rolled through the gates of campus and towards the Oaklands dorm building.

The brunette was looking forward to being back at school for his Senior year. The summer months in his hometown had dragged on for far too long and his childhood home grew quite suffocating in those last few weeks before finally departing this morning. Toph had spent most of his time on break throwing himself into his craft, scooping ice cream to make some spare cash, and trying to keep himself busy while his parents were MIA. But with the negativity and emptiness of his home life far behind him, he could once again focus on things that made him happy: friends, music, and California living.

As the Uber stopped, signaling that they had reached their destination, Topher thanked the driver and gathered his things in the backseat before clamoring out of the SUV towards the trunk. He didn’t have too many personal effects with him- only a large rolling suitcase and a smaller carry on bag- but his trusty six string was the most important of them all. He threw the encased guitar over his shoulder before walking through the double doors of his new home for the next year, gazing at his bright and shiny surroundings in awe.

“Damn, nice place you got here.” The curly haired boy spoke to no one in particular, admiring how fancy and new the building was as opposed to to the older and shoddier accommodations where he had lived in years past… not that his previous dorm wasn’t nice- because it was extremely nice and Marble Heights was practically made of money- but this dorm made the old ones look cheap in comparison.

Checking his email again to make sure he was heading in the right direction, he walked over to the elevator and once it arrived pressed the button that would take him up to the eighth floor. Hopefully the view would be nice! The lift dinged as it quickly ascended and opened promptly, leaving Topher to scan the nearly identical doors for room 803. His tired gaze caused him to take a few extra moments than it normally would to search, but settled on the correct suite eventually. Tapping his ID card on the keypad which swiftly unlocked the latch, he pushed the door open with his foot revealing the apartment-like layout. Nodding his head, he claimed an empty room, noting that someone had already beat him to first dibs and was settled in- he’d have to meet them later.

The boy leaned his guitar gingerly against the wall before flopping down onto his mattress with a large sigh. Comfy! He let his eyes find their way to his window, revealing the lovely scenery of the campus below and the Bay in the background.

He could definitely get used to this.

[banjoanjo]

JAMES XIAO - Room 804, Marble Heights Dorm Building
Saturday, 8/24/2019 - 7:54am

---

“Listen.” James sighed. It sounded more like a tired growl. “I don’t like muscling my way to an agreement. Ain’t my style anymore, those days are behind me.”

His addressee remained condemningly silent.

“But I’m doing this for the family, yeah? Don’t matter how I feel about it. Whatever it takes.”

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing wiry, muscled forearms. Further down, the skin on his knuckles was rough and worn. Colorful band-aids adorned the fingers of his left hand. Seemed he was no stranger to ‘muscling’, as he put it.

“Nothin’ personal.”

Before him, the mound of frozen dumplings gave no plea, no call for mercy. So be it. James placed both hands on the lid and shoved.

It was a situation, see. Baba had surprised him before he left for the year, hefting a large, large container to the car. Grinned and instructed him to put it in the freezer as soon as he got to school.

“<<Half a day’s stock,>>” Mama had rolled her eyes, giving her son a tight hug, “<<I swear, he always goes too far.>>”

The stockpile would probably last him a week. Not that he doubted the cooking expertise of Marble Heights’ kitchen staff, but there was nothing like the taste of home. He’d eat every single piece, not a crumb wasted! Each morsel would be received gratefully and deliciously. Otherwise, the specter of his father’s disappointment would loom over him until his dying days.

The going away gift suited him just fine until he actually got to his dorm. It turns out that restaurant-grade bulk containers often didn’t lend themselves well to standard home freezers. Condensation dripped onto the benchtop as the August sun continued to rise. Realization twisted his expression. Instead of filling his new lodgings with a frozen but comfy slice of home, it was now a race against time.

It was damn lucky that he was a sculptor because he doubted anyone else would be walking around school with a bunch of plastic tofu boxes on hand. Sourced from the market down the street, their family had kept a pile of them in the pantry for as long as he could remember. A young James had learnt that they were good for storing his clay figures, little works in progress. And sometimes, like right now, you could even store food in them! But he wasn’t a gazillionaire prodigy (prology? progery?) like his classmates, he wasn’t made of reusable tofu boxes! He’d divvied up the pile as best he could between what containers he had available, but the mounds all peeked prominently over their respective rims. This called for step two: compress.

And so, on this fine August Saturday, at 7:57 in the goddamn morning, in his new home for the next eleven months, James Kaishen Xiao was muttering to balls of stiff dough and meat, all the while trying to compact them into containers that clearly were not humoring his efforts in the slightest.

"C’moooooooOOONNN!!!”

It was going to be an interesting year.

[smarty0114]

_{Starring: Alex Durand and Addison Helmsley
Time: 8:15 AM
Location: The Quad - Room 206}

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---

Smoke drifted out from between Alex Durand’s lips and floated up, dissipating as the ocean breeze brought the grey cloud into the air. Licking his lips, Alex dropped the end of his joint onto the pavement, crushing it under the heel of his shoe. Pedestrians passing by hardly gave him a second glance as he stepped off the wall, joining the school of fish as they swam to their tanks, to live out whatever miserable lives they’d been destined for.

Not Alex though. He wasn’t a fish, but a bird, flying high above his worries, headed for the aviary that loomed over the city. Marble Heights was waiting, and he’d have to arrive sooner or later.

His plane had landed in San Francisco only a few hours ago, but he’d sent his luggage ahead and got the driver his mom hired to drop him off a few blocks from his favorite ramen place in the city. If he was about to submit to nine months of psychological torture in the name of education, then god damn it he’d start it with a joint and some ramen.

This is how Alex found himself strolling into the Oaklands building at 8:30 in the morning, bobbing his head to the music pouring out of his Airpods and into his ears. Had he opted for a less musical walk to his room, he might’ve heard his name shouted from a few feet behind him, might’ve heard the slapping of expensive sneakers on the pavement, might’ve been prepared for Addison Helmsley to launch herself full force onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and sending his ramen to an early grave. “Fuck! My ramen,” Alex said, the dejection seeping out.

The disappointment on his face was quickly replaced with elation, as he turned around to face his assailant. “Addie!” Alex shouted, wrapping his friend into a hug. “You owe me a ramen by the way,” Alex said, pointing at the noodles on the ground to emphasize his point.

Addison looked stunning, per usual, glamorous, yet casual all at once. “Yeah, yeah, that’s what you get for trying to have the first smoke sesh of the year all by yourself. Selfish little goblin you,” Addie said, reaching up and ruffling Alex’s hair before slipping past him with what he figured was only the first of many bags. Alex followed behind her, ramen left in the past, Airpods slipped into his pocket.

“You seen Reyna yet?” Alex asked as he took in the Oaklands building, scanning for friendly faces.

“If I had, do you think I’d be here?” Addie teased. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned with where Lucy is?” That earned her a light shove from Alex, who was already forming a retort of his own.

“Says the one fawning all over Honey.”

“Oh shut up! I don’t ‘fawn’ over anyone,” Addie said, repaying the shove with a punch to the shoulder before jabbing the button to call the elevator.

“You’re right, you’re more of a stalker really.”

“Hanging out at the cafe is not stalking, Alex. It’s a public space.”

Alex chuckled and shook his head as they stepped into the elevator, and slapped the button for the second floor. “How was your summer? Enough for Queen Addison?” Alex asked, knowing very well what a Helmsley summer entailed.

“Nothing’s ever enough, but it was enjoyable. Missed everyone here though. What about you?”

“Eh, the usual. Worked at one of dad’s shops, went to visit Evan, skated, surfed, smoked.” Wyatt shrugged as the elevator slowed to a halt, and presented him to the second floor. “I’ll text you if I hear about plans?”

“Damn straight you will,” Addie said, before her face was hidden by the reflective metal of the elevator, and Alex began searching for his room. Halfway down the hall he found Room 206, and swiped his ID to get inside. He was sure he’d gotten an email about his roommates, but he’d never bothered checking. They’d either like him or they wouldn’t, he couldn’t really care less about that. He just hoped they weren’t boring as fuck.

[LovelyComplex]

_{Cole & Delaney Helmsley
@LovelyComplex & @Melissa Collaboration}
____________________________________________________________

The San Francisco skyline seemed to glisten in the mid-morning sun as the Helmsley siblings made their way up the coast for yet another year at Marble Heights Academy. Although their mother had insisted they take the jet to campus from their Beverly Hills abode, the two refused and opted to drive. They had sent the majority of their belongings ahead of them, which would be present upon their arrival at school, so all they needed to do was cruise from origin to destination.

Delaney sat in the passenger’s seat of Cole’s Black Dodge Challenger SRT Demon scrolling mindlessly on her phone as the engine hummed and music filled the rest of the silence that hung between them. Most of her feed was fellow classmates who had already gotten settled or were in the process of setting up in the brand new and shiny Oaklands high rise, which was making her more anxious about getting there and finding out who her suitemates would be. She wasn’t a fan of this random living situation bullshit, since she would have loved nothing more than to live with Addie, Annabelle, or Avery, but unfortunately for how much money they paid in tuition their requests weren’t taken into consideration. “Forging new friendships” her ass.

The brunette turned to her brother, who’s eyes were focused on the road. “Let’s place bets. How long will it take for my new roommates to get on my nerves? I’m gonna give it a week, but even that’s generous.” Delaney mused as she continued to watch her feed as they got off the highway.

“For you? I don’t think you’ll last a day,” Cole Helmsley took in the background noise of Go Flex by Post Malone, as his car breathed and ran on meditative bliss. The blacktop flow leading them to his final year at MHA and this, this drive? From Los Angeles to San Francisco was the beginning of the end for him. With purpose, the Helmsley heir smiled in the warmth of the sun ready to begin a new adventure at his home away from home.

Cole was aware after this year he would extensively work at his mother’s side to prepare for his birthright. He knew the responsibilities waiting for him after he grabbed his diploma and honestly? He was excited for that chapter. His mother would likely give him more time to ‘be young’ but to him, he lived free and happily for almost eighteen years. He didn’t want to waste anymore time and while he was young, he needed to make moves for him, for his family, and for their legacy. No time worth wasting. That’s why he did whatever he could to seek thrills and go wild before graduation.

He had the money and he made sure to use it. On the way, he found a sweet sense of freedom, he found lifelong friends, and he found honest love, even though that last one… he decided to let go. He knew he needed to let go. Now Cole was approaching the year he would transition from child to man. His boyfriend, while he adored him, and who was someone that matched him intellectually, could never be happy with him. Not truly.

Jamie would compare himself to the standards of the Helmsleys, which was not an easy obstacle. It could either make you or break you. Jamie would realize he could never be with someone who lives for a business. Someone forced to social climb, someone who has to topple the competition not as a choice but as an obligation, and someone who can’t give him constant time, energy, and attention. There needed to be a line of trust that Cole knew Jamie could not give, at least not right now.

Cole knew Jamie had his own ambitions and their ambitions wouldn’t align up. He had enough time to size Jamie up and saw something in him that he had in himself. A ruthless drive and a self-serving nature that would never accept being in the shadow of someone else. This didn’t mean Cole didn’t want a partner, but he knew that Jamie was not the one. It would be too messy and more effort than not to make it a possibility with higher probability. He needed someone that was helplessly in love with him and would compromise their future so they could work.

In Helmsley fashion, Cole made the decision for them both. To end things. To let Jamie Callaghan go because Cole refused to be the person to change Jamie’s future. Jamie had too much talent and potential, and perhaps this was his way of showing he cared, because he knew Jamie deserved better. He deserved the future he wanted and that just didn’t add up with Cole’s.

Breaking out of his train of thought, Cole glanced over to his sister and mischievously teased, “This is why I’m better than you. I’ve pulled some strings,” nodding his head to the music, he turned his gaze back to the road and disclosed, “It’s just me and Anna-banana this year. Perfect case scenario. No bullshit, no drama, just me and the best of us all.”

The girl tore her eyes away from her phone as her brother revealed his adjusted accommodations for the upcoming year. Here she was thinking that he’d be suffering the same fate as her, but of course, he had other plans- as always. “You’re kidding me.” Delaney’s face contorted into one of pure disbelief. “So you and Annabelle are going to be living like kings in a dorm made for four and you're throwing me to the dogs? Unbelievable…”

“You’ll be okay.”

She shook her head in disapproval, returning her gaze to her Instagram feed before voicing her next thought completely unfiltered. “‘Does Jamie know about this little plan of yours? I’m sure he’s thrilled- he’ll be able to stay over as many nights as he wants to and not need to worry about bothering your roommates.”

“I’m sure after today Jamie won’t care,” sighing to himself, Cole knew his sister would press on for details. She was nosy like that. Rather than waste either of their time and drawing out his response, he added, “I’m breaking up with him, Lainey.” Knowing Delaney, she would assume the worst of her brother, like he already found another piece of meat and was discarding Jamie like trash. This wasn’t the case and quite frankly, he didn’t need to explain himself to her, only for her to give him grief when she hasn’t held a long term relationship; her longest being three months. “No bullshit. No drama. No dating.”

The brunette raised an eyebrow, putting down her phone in order to give full attention to her brother and the situation. She was a little shocked, seeing as how Cole and Jamie had been going pretty hot and heavy since the spring, but if she were being truly honest with herself, the girl knew that her brother was focusing on the long haul as opposed to the short term. “And you waited until the first day of school to do this because?...” Delaney begged the question, wondering why if her brother knew where his intentions lay that he didn’t end things before the beginning of the semester.

There was never a right time to break up with someone. If Cole did it before the summer, Jamie had his family sure, but what other distractions? This was a new year full of new adventures and a new chapter to be written. More importantly though? Jamie had his newspaper club to keep him occupied and he had his friends. Sometimes friends were better than family, but if Jamie did need support from family, Katie wouldn’t be too far away. Just in the auditorium, being a goddamn diva.

Shrugging, Cole shifted to the right lane and unhesitantly answered, “Because I wasn’t ready to let him go. How about you? You haven’t told me anything interesting in a minute. The life of Delaney Helmsley isn’t this boring. You got fuck buddies? An eye sore? Someone you want to stab with a pencil?”

“Don’t you dare try and flip this on me, Coco.” Del accused boldly, her lips settling into a thin line as her brother attempted to deflect. He had a knack for avoiding problems and things weighing on his heart like the back of his hand, which made it difficult to get to the bottom of how he was truly feeling sometimes. But the brunette knew that if this was truly hurting him, he’d tell her, so she went along with his ploy and appeased him. “But since you asked…” Delaney took the free moment as they reached the topic to check her phone and see if she had any new messages, and when her notifications returned blank, she continued. “There is this one guy- the one I hooked up with at the end of last semester- but he is no eye sore or shockingly not someone I’d like to stab with a pencil.”

“So what you’re saying is you’re going to hook up with him again,” Clearly if this ‘one guy’ was worth bringing up in conversation, she was likely thinking about going for seconds, or thirds, or whatever number she was on. With Del, one could never truly know. She was a Helmsley and a teenager, so he had a hunch there was more to her life than she was willing to disclose. “And don’t call me that. You know I hate that.”

“I’m not saying anything!” Delaney blurted.

“Yeah, definitely going to fuck him again.”

“COLE!” The brunette reprimanded, dissolving into a somewhat anxious laugh. As much as she wanted to disclose to her brother about how she was feeling, this situation was a little bit… different. The guy in question wasn’t necessarily someone who her brother would approve of, nor someone who anyone would really give the thumbs up to. Lincoln Darby had a reputation, one that preceded him and definitely left a lasting impression. Even though he and Del weren’t anything serious as of the current moment, if her brother caught wind of the fact that she was getting involved with Marble Heights’ notorious bad boy, there would be no getting serious at all.

“What I’m trying to say is that I have no expectations and I am just going to see where it goes.”

“Huh.” This was a first for his sister. Raising an eyebrow, Cole pensively stared ahead, intentionally going silent. Whoever caught his sister’s eyes knew what they were doing. It was hard to catch a girl on fire, but maybe… she met her match. The thought of Del dating someone for a year or more did feel weird but if the lover was worth it, worth the fight, he wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of a Delaney tamer. Then again, her long list of past lovers were horrible and his faith was low.

Still, he wouldn’t press. He’d wait it out, maybe look into it himself. However, right now he didn’t care enough to do so. It didn’t seem too serious, yet. Plus, he had a lot on his plate, like to break up with the editor-in-chief of the GGG. Changing the subject, he gestured ahead of them, “Look.” They were on the side roads, heading near their school. From where they were, they could see the new high rise dorm buildings.

Thankful for the switch in topic, the corners of Delaney’s mouth turned up into a grin at the sight of campus looming in the distance. The drive from Los Angeles had been long and the girl was looking forward to finally being back at school and seeing her friends. Pulling out her phone and opening Snapchat, she clicked a picture and sent it to both Addie and Avery, indicating that the Helmsley siblings were nearly there. “Thank god.” She breathed, not referencing anything in particular, but just happy to have arrived.

The rest of the car ride music filled the silence between the siblings. Cole had turned up the music, returning to meditating before the inevitable task he needed to do. His sister went back to her phone and he enjoyed the ending of his joy ride. Going straight in front of the entrance, he pulled up to let his sister out without having to walk much to her destination. Before he let her walkaway, he studied her face and insisted, “Lainey,” he intensely locked his green-blue eyes with her brown, in an unnerving kind of way, “No bullshit. No drama. Whatever you don’t tell me, I will find out. I always do.”

Delaney smirked devilishly. Cole’s warning didn’t really phase her, as much as he tried to, so she simply batted her eyelashes in return. “Scout’s honor.” She playfully brought her index and middle finger to her temple, saluting like a child would with a sash of badges. “Have fun breaking Jamie’s heart, Coco.”

“You’re full of shit,” As he eased on the gas, he chuckled and teasingly retorted back, “Have fun with your roommates.” Right before he went out of sight, he winked at his adorable sister that he loved to hate and then went off to take care of business. Driving to the parking lot, behind the building, he dialed Jamie’s number. Putting his car in park, he listened to the callback ringtone, patiently humming to it, as he waited. Seemingly, Cole was relaxed.

The girl groaned as her brother’s car disappeared down the road, remembering again that she was about to meet her random roommates for the year who she may or may not kill on first glance. She exhaled audibly, “This is bullshit.” Delaney murmured, walking into the Oaklands building.

[BrutalBx]

---

---

“Here Lies George Darby”

“Died Aged 11”

That’s all the tombstone said. There was nothing on it that remotely gave anything away about the true person that his baby brother actually was. It didn’t say anything about the fact that he was a straight A student. It didn't say he was the Captain of his softball team and was well on his way to setting a county record for hitting home runs and it especially didn’t say that he was taken from the world by the cruel act of God they call a drunk driver. A fact here which infuriated Lincoln beyond incredible measure. His grip on the handlebars of his motorcycle was so tight; he could feel the friction of his skin against the worn rubber and the pain was in some way satisfying to him. It had been almost four years but the pain of losing Georgie hadn’t dulled.

It really didn’t take much for Lincoln to convince his foster parents to allow him to travel to Los Angeles before making his way to San Francisco for school. They had all but given up on trying to raise the boy the right away and just left him to do his own thing. All they did was provide him with an allowance and a roof over his head; trying to convince Link to do anything in return or out of gratitude was as much of a lost cause as they felt he was.

Most of his clothing and personal belongings had been sent ahead and were already in his room, which gave Lincoln the free time he desired to visit LA before school started and then ride there that morning. It was supposed to be a six hour journey so of course having not slept in around three days Link left just after midnight and had arrived much earlier than anticipated. With time to spare he simply rode around SF re-immersing himself in the surroundings he would call home for the next while. By check in time he locked his bike away in an undisclosed location off campus (because why would he leave such a beautiful piece of machinery in the hands of those idiots) and joined the wave of privileged youths as they headed into the jewel of the crown of education in dearest Frisco.

The chattering of voices crying words of longing and summer gone by were greatly annoying him; so Link dove off to one side for breather; resisting the incredible urge to start throwing people into the San Francisco Bay and watching them drown.

His was a summer in two halves. For the most part he was doing what he often did; sitting in his loft staring deep into the electric soul of the universe via one of his four computer screens. It was quite the set up actually but sadly whilst away Lincoln would have to settle for his phone, a tablet and a laptop. It wasn’t great but he could work with it; after all hacking wasn’t really that hard once you knew how to read the ones and zeros. The Kennedy’s were just glad he wasn’t getting into trouble like he so often did.

The other half was something different, something he hadn’t truly experienced before. It all started at the last party of the last semester. Lincoln never really made an attempt to go to MH parties unless he had something to gain from the experience. Sometimes it was financial, after all he was the go to for shady shit at this school and where better to con rich kids out of their monies than a party where they’re usually off of their faces. Other times he went simply for a fuck, that was it and that was the main reason he attended this particular shindig.

Then he saw her from across the room, drenched in neon light, her skin shimmering as she danced with some red headed girl. When their eyes locked through the crowd and a lightning bolt struck Link and he knew he just had to know her.

She said her name was Delaney and she smelled like cherries.

Once Lincoln had found his way to her through the revelry, it was a simple science. Together they rode a lightning bolt that night which took them to a higher level above the morons around them. He remembered every soft touch and kiss, every scratch, every breath they took between each other and then she was gone...and school was over. Thankfully, they had exchanged numbers and had taken the intervening time to get to know each other a little more. It left him intrigued as to what more there could be to Delaney Helmsley.

Perhaps that’s why a few days ago he got into the school system and changed the room assignments? Maybe he did it for shits and giggles. It didn’t really matter and Marble Heights definitely needed to up its security. All that really mattered was that Lincoln was sharing a room with Del. He wouldn’t tell her what he did, not yet. There was still too much to be done. He glanced down at his phone where a picture stolen from Del’s Instagram sat staring at him. He stroked the screen as if it were her silky cheek and was reminded of her scent of cherry.

After basking in his twisted thoughts for a few moments longer; Link made his way inside of the Oakland building and up towards his assigned room. As he had hoped, someone else had arrived before him. That aroma was unmistakable and a wry and rare smile crept up across his handsome face. He moved deeper into the suite and noticed his things piled up in the corner and a door slightly ajar on the other side of the room. There was rustling and movement so Lincoln stepped into the doorway and there she was; crouched over her bag. He would recognise her anywhere. He watched in silence for a moment, his dark eyes never leaving for perfect visage. Finally, after pushing his glasses further up his nose, he spoke.

”Well isn’t this a turn up?”

[Venus]

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Saturday, August 24, 2019

The magical ways in which time governs itself never cease to amaze me. One day, I’m a fourteen year-old girl, staring out at the different sceneries rolling past my car window and about to be separated from her family for the first time in pursuit of a new academic adventure. Three years later, and I’m taking my place in that same passenger seat, now seventeen years old and about to set off on the last leg of said academic adventure.

No matter how much time I dwell on it, I am yet to be sure of what my future holds. I’m of the opinion that seventeen is much too early to be forced to make such a transcendental decision. Some days, I dream of becoming the ballerina of a prestigious ballet company, and traveling the world as I showcase my talents. Other days, I see myself furthering my education by attending university, gaining the knowledge to eventually help shape the minds, bodies and techniques of a new generation of dancers in my own studio. And occasionally, I find myself disappearing into fantasies of caring for beautiful children alongside the love of my life _{(which may or may not share an eerie resemblance to one sailing instructor from a big island in the Pacific}. Although the path I shall take remains one big mystery, there is one fact that I am certain beyond belief about.

I want to live life to the fullest.

I want to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way, and embrace it wholeheartedly. I have spent so many years hiding behind my insecurities, the fear of failure and the unknown, that I know I have missed out on so many opportunities of self-discovery and self-growth. But that chapter of my life is slowly coming to a close. Never again will I shy away from listening to my heart, choose to ignore my gut feeling, or put others over myself. I will make my happiness my priority, and focus on myself and myself alone. I’ll let go of my fears and face any upcoming challenges with the same strength and iron will as that of the woman who raised me. And I’ll strive to always be on a permanent quest for bettering myself-- just like the man who helped shaped me.

The time for a new start is fast approaching, and I am eager to embark on this unpredictable journey.

The short brunette in the passenger seat stared in admiration at her neat, perfect golden cursive for a few seconds before gently closing and locking the large, hardcover vintage diary. She had finished her latest entry just as her father’s vehicle was crossing the iron gates of Marble Academy. The six hour drive had been mostly quiet and uneventful-- something Tatum cherished immensely considering the chaos that had surrounded her upbringing. Occasionally, she snuck a look in the direction of the front seats, and smiled to herself as she caught glimpses of tender affection between her once-feuding parents. A stolen kiss here, the holding of a hand there, and snippets of shared laughter and conversation in between. Secretly, it filled Tatum with happiness and a sense of peace. After so many years of turbulence and toxicity, it was refreshing to watch her parents learn to love each other in the ways they deserved. As naive as it sounded, she always hoped it would last a lifetime.

Eventually, the vehicle carrying the members of the Paxton family came to a stop in front of The Oaklands residential building. There was small conversation and tearful farewells exchanged, along with many reminders for Tatum to have fun safely, keep in touch, and to never forget how loved she was and how proud she made them. After one last hug and kiss to each of her parents, the young woman grabbed her belongings and set off on her way to her assigned room on the second floor of the building.

Although she’d grown up in a privileged position, it was hard for Tatum to not be taken aback by the sheer size and beauty of the new student building. The school had obviously injected no small amount of funds on the project, but they had been wise in their decision to do so. The spaciousness and comfort certainly made the whole boarding school experience all the more pleasant and inviting. And, Tae was sure, the students would certainly be thankful for the upgrades.

After a short elevator trip and a few steps Tatum reached room 205: her assigned new home for the school year. No sooner had she opened the door and began to take in her luxurious new living arrangements, when she came upon the sight of a shirtless Brodie Driver-Stewart standing right in the middle of her assigned dorm room.

Tae’s brown eyes widened to the size of saucers, and her jaw clenched up instantly. The girl’s breath caught in her throat, and there was no disguising the way she carefully etched every inch of his toned physique in her mind. She could feel her cheeks start to flush, blazing the same shade of scarlet as the blood currently rushing through her body.

Tatum didn't know how long she stood there, staring at her crush in disbelief while trying to process what was happening and the meaning behind it all. Until, finally, she somehow managed to regain her ability to speak just enough to croak out the softest and faintest “Hi”.

[KatKook]

---

"A surprise is in order."

---

——————————————————
_{Marble Heights Dorms}

The streets of San Francisco were busy, Diana sat in the passenger's seat of her step-father's SUV with her feet on the dash and her chair leaned back a little. She stared outside the window, staring as the people walked by while they were stopped at a red light. Her phone resting on her stomach and her air buds nestled comfortably in her ears. What she was listening to? Paramore. Of course it was Paramore.

"D." The voice of her step-dad spoke, Diana did not hear, and her head continued to bob lightly to the tunes playing in her ears. "Diana." Said the same voice, followed by a light shake from her step-dad's hand on her shoulder which quickly snapped her back into reality. She muted her phone and immediately turned to him.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking at her reflection in the man's sunglasses, she blinked and looked forward towards the street before looking back at the man.

"You're coming home during the break right?" He asked, Diana then thought for a second before winking at him followed by giving him a small shrug with her lips pursed. Her step-father then rolled his eyes and shook his head before going back to driving. Diana looked at her black boots on the dash and smiled, thinking of how much she was annoying him already.

The rest of the ride was quiet, and as soon as they arrived they got out of the car and Diana started reading the school email of what her room number was. She saw her weird reflection on the side of the car to see her disheveled hair from the static build against the car seat. She fixed her hair and looked down at her outfit, white buttoned shirt with the two buttons at the top opened, black leather jacket, black leather skirt, fishnets, black boots, and topped off with a black beret. All that black, maybe she was trying to prove something. She then walked to the back of the vehicle and leaned back to let the trunk open. She looked up to see three boxes, two luggage bags, her PC, and a guitar case. She looked at her step-father and watched him stack the boxes on top of one another and put down the two luggage bags on their wheels. He was an absolute champion when it comes to moving stuff around, Diana on the other hand grabbed the PC by the strap that wrapped around it for easy carrying and her guitar case before they started walking through the parking lot.

As they walked through the parking lot, she saw a blonde girl in a green hoodie, camera around her neck pulling out boxes from her vehicle, and the moment the two met eyes Diana winked at her and bit her lower lip a little. She then turned her attention back to where she was headed and made her way into the dorms, she walked in the elevator with her step-father who's face was basically hidden from the stack of boxes he was carrying and laughed as soon as hit the side of the elevator. They made it to 807 and she pushed open the door with her back, her step-father put down the boxes by the door and called Diana with his finger.

"What?" She asked, as she put down the stuff she was carrying and walked up to him. Her step-father then dangled the keys of the vehicle they were just in, in her face. Diana blinked and peaked pass the keys and looked him the eye, "You're serious?" She asked, she was happy but she wanted to make sure this was not a joke.

"Dead serious. You're eighteen now, do what you want." Said her step-father, after he handed her the keys and continued, "I'm taking a taxi to the airport, your mother and I will see you whenever you're back." With that he turned around and took a step before being stopped by a hug from Diana, her cheek nuzzling against his back.

"Thanks Pierce." the man smiled before giving her hands a quick pat, and replying with "No prob Morticia." Diana then pushed herself off him, "Hey! You know damn well I'm Envy." The man laughed and quickly gave Diana a quick pat on the side of her shoulder before walking off.

After the man had left, Diana looked around the room, a huge smile appeared on her face after realising that she was the first one there. She checked every bed room and chose the fourth one at the end, because it was close to the pantry. She shoved all her stuff in the room, not setting anything up since she was still pretty lazy to deal with that as of the moment. She jumped on the couch, put her feet up on the coffee table, one arm on the back of the couch as she waited for someone to arrive. Perhaps she could have a bite this early into the school year, and if no one was down, she was 90% sure, Serena and her could have a little fun when she gets here.

"Who shall it be?" She stated, her eyes locked on the door to see who it would be to join the Vampire in her domain.

---

[Sugar and Spite]

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

_Outfit

_{Location: Dorm room 805
Mood: Hopeful & Excited
Time: 8:00 AM
Interactions: N/A}

Returning to Marble Heights was something that Reyna had been looking forward to for the last month.

While she loved coming back home to spend the summer in Orlando, Marble Heights was also her home in some sort of strange way. She had friends there. Alex, Addie, and Cole - just to name a few. Then there was Topher - the cute, shaggy haired musician that she had been texting all summer. The two of them had had a class together last year and instantly hit it off, becoming quick friends. Talking to Topher had been something that she was shocked to find she liked so much, but yet here she was.

The prospect of making new friends this year was also exciting. There were new dorm rooms, and even more roommates. Reyna just hoped that her roommates weren’t bitchy or boring.

Aside from social interactions, the things that Reyna was looking forward to the most was the California scenery and the freedom of being away from her parents' influence. Reyna’s home life was great, and she’d never deny her love for her family - but she did believe that being away from them has allowed her to really become her own person.

Her cousin Tessa had spent the last week at the Rosales residence, celebrating Reyna’s father’s birthday. The fortunate timing had allowed the two girls to spend Reyna’s last few days shopping, eating, drinking, and spending time on the beach. The excitement from her last few days at home had been more than enough to help her get over the boringness of the flight to Marble Heights.

Once there, Reyna made her way up to her dorm. It was nice to see that the school had spared no expense when it came to building the new student housing. The paint was fresh, the elevator worked, and the lighting was amazing. Deciding that she would focus on unpacking later, Reyna headed to the kitchen to begin doing what she did best - cooking.

She had been lucky enough to sneak in cannabutter and brownie mix. In a few short moments, Reyna had found the required tools in order to make her breakfast of champions. Once the brownies were in the oven, Reyna went through the dorm room and opened up the windows, as well as turned on the ceiling fan.

Putting on some music, Reyna crossed her fingers that the weed brownies wouldn’t stink up the dorm. They usually didn’t, but every batch was different.

Beginning to hand her clothes up in her new temporary closet, Reyna looked forward to whatever this school year had to offer.

[KatKook]

---

"Stuff is heavy."

---

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_{Marble Heights Dorms}

A soft spoken acoustic track blasted in Finch's vehicle, her hand gripped tightly on the steering wheel, her camera resting on the passenger side dash as it recorded her driving, and her multiple boxes in the back of her car as she made her way to Marble Heights. Her elbow placed by the window as she rested her cheek on her knuckles. She yawned after awhile before she grabbed her ice coffee in the cup holder and stirred it by moving her hand in a circular motion before taking a swig to keep her awake. She looked on the rear view mirror to see if there was anyone behind her, but all she saw an empty road, and a pair of sunglasses nestled in her blonde hair.

"Still can't get over the whole new dorms thing." She let out, clearly speaking to herself but it was exposition for the camera, "My roommate is gonna hate me." She stated, shaking her head and laughing to herself nervously. "They're gonna see my post its and freak out, they're gonna see all my equipment and freak out, they're gonna hate that I'm gonna call them whenever I see a bug to deal with and... Freak out." She said, though as much as this sounds like bringing herself down, this is just to make sure she does not start faking things about herself.

Upon arrival, she parked and moved her hands off the steering wheel, she sighed and looked at the camera before looking out into the dorms, she swallowed her spit and took a deep breath.

"Well this is it, this is probably gonna be my only video for awhile until I get settled in, uhhh..." She then clapped her hands together and pointed to the door, "Catch y'all in a bit." with a click, she turned off the camera and hung it around her neck. She left her vehicle and stretched from the long drive before hobbling over to the back of the vehicle. She opened the trunk only to reveal stacks of boxes, and half of them are equipment. She sighed and stacked two boxes on top of each other before making her way inside, she then made her way in the elevator and into her room, there was smell of chocolate that filled the air; after she pushed the door open with her back, she peaked pass the boxes she was carrying to see someone in the kitchen already. She put down her boxes by one of the empty rooms and waved at the girl who appeared to be making brownies.

"Uh... Hi, I'm... Uh... Finch." She then awkwardly nodded and placed the camera on the table, pointing it at the entrance door and hitting record, she was setting up cinematic shots for her moving in video and that very clear. "I have more stuff... I'll fully introduce myself once I got everything here." Finch stated, she then went back downstairs and took another trip carrying more boxes, then went back down to grab a tripod which she just slung over her shoulders and a duffel bag. She then shoved all of her stuff in her room and gave herself a little pat on the back for getting all of the stuff up here without much hassle. She then awkwardly shuffled up to the tenant that had gotten here before her and looked at the brownies.

"I can have some of that when you're done right?" Little did Finch know, those brownies were not just regular ol' brownies, they were more of surprise.

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