[IC] [ Open ] Something Just C l i q u e d

[smilies]

***Setting: Rooftop, lunch room***

I was quick to convince my few typical friends that I was headed to the Dungeon Ruins to eat. The Dungeon Ruins- or, in other words, the local pizza place. It should be obvious that we need code names for anything and everything- after all, where's the fun in original names?

Despite my athletic un-inclination, it didn't take long for me to run upstairs to our meeting place, the school rooftop. By "our", I mean the Cliqueless. Ha. It's a shame I didn't come up with the name. It is a rather ingenious one at that. To my surprise, everyone's here today, instead of shucking and jivin' with their regular friends. Usually, one or two people will be off with their cliques. We have our excuses for why we can't sit with them every day--schoolwork, club activities, etc.--but if we neglect them every day, of course they'll get suspicious.

Don't get me wrong; I love my friends, and I love hanging out with them... But sometimes, it just gets so boring sitting around with a bunch of people who are all sort of the same. This rooftop is how we escape that. Though I'd never say it out loud, I'll admit to myself that it's great hanging out with everyone. Who is everyone? The rest of our not-so-clique-y clique. We've got myself, the Dork, a Popular, a Brain, a Goth, and a Jock. Or, as I like to say, Cool Kid, Braniac, Satanist, and our very own chauvinistic All-Star. Okay, so maybe she's not as chauvinistic as the stereotype defines, because, well, I did say "she." I used to think she was dumber than a box of rocks, but slowly, she's been working on proving me wrong. Kind of. But that's the whole point of the Cliqueless: to defeat the stereotypes. Overpower the status quo. Stick it to the man! If the social ladder counts as the man.

"Greetings, Earthlings. What might thy be consuming on this fine day?" I ask, leaning lazily on the school generator. I pull a sandwich out of my backpack, which I carry around with me all the time. I'm severely allergic to purses. Pikachu-shaped backpacks, on the other hand, are one of the few exceptions, though I prefer to stick with my Ol' Reliable, my classic weathered sling bag.

After swallowing a bite of my lunch, I remember a poster I saw today. "So," I say, "there's a dance coming up in a month, huh? Anyone gonna go to that?" I don't even try to hold back a snort at my own question. "Oh Lord. Dances? More of it, dresses? I don't do dresses. Or, ahem, dates. The Three Deadly D's." Before I could change my mind, the words tumbled out of my lips naturally. "Now that I think of it though, maybe a dance would be nice. Girl myself up a bit. Find a guy that likes me. Try that dangerous makeup stuff." There were a few seconds of silence before I continued. "Oh, I crack myself up!"

[Fabricant451]

Today's word of the day is mimesis.

Worst gift I ever got, that stupid word of the day calendar; as if anyone is actually going to use those million dollar words and somehow manage to not make it sound like you're showing off. I used to try using the words on the librarians, but it only takes one instance of them smiling while staring dead-eyed towards you to realize when effort is being wasted. I normally have a fine rapport with the librarians, I think they're just grateful that a student actually helps out and handles some of the more...social aspects of the position. I'm on a first name basis with them and it always makes me sigh when I connect that fact with the thought that these aging school employees are, in all seriousness, probably the closest things I have to friends.

Though I guess that isn't exactly true in a technical sense.

Much like the idiom, I find myself at a crossroads. If I had to self identify I'd fall under the title of a brain, a poindexter, any number of synonyms; and while my academic record is certainly impressive, impressive enough to land me on the honor roll every semester thus far, I'm somehow not smart enough to hang with the smartest of the bunch. The problem is that though I'm an almost straight-A student (why I need to take an art class of all things to graduate is beyond me, thanks for tanking my grade point average, Monet), I am not in honors courses. A very selective lot, those courses and students. Because of this I find myself qualifying myself as the smartest person among the normals. And though I've never said that aloud, it comes across in my actions and so woe is me, too dumb for the geniuses and too smart for the averages. It only takes a week of eating alone in the cafeteria to realize you don't want to do that.

And so I found my way to the roof.

I didn't want to eat in the library office, listening to gossip heard on daytime talk shows, and I could do without the whispers behind my back, so the roof was practically my only option outside of going out of school bounds. I guess I lucked out since I wasn't the only one who sought the roof. While the librarians might be my closest friends, the so-called Cliqueless -not my first choice for a name but it'll do - make a decent case for themselves. Not including myself there are four others, each from a different walk of life. It's easy to get along with someone when you're not feeling obligated to prove how much more intelligent you are.

Today, like most days, I find myself on the roof with the other members, enjoying my grandma's baked sugar cookie when the final member, Madame Dork herself. I'm only half listening to her, the succulent taste and texture of my dessert holds more of my attention. Some crumbs fall onto the book I was reading, it's about anatomy, I've got a test at the end of the week, and quickly I brush them off before they fall into the center crease.

"I went to a dance once," I respond, catching the barest amount of what was being brought up, "But technically it was a wedding and I had to dance with my cousin because I wasn't allowed to just sit at the table. I've sworn off dancing ever since. Nothing against it, I just don't think gyrating around in close proximity to someone with a reliance on overpriced colognes while distorted sounds bounce around in a room with terrible acoustics counts as dancing." I stop to take a breath. That was a full few sentences. They must be rubbing off on me. I take another bite of my cookie before swiping away the crumbs and following my thought with another, this time with a mouthful of cookie. "Plus, my only understanding of dance comes from old musicals my grandma likes, and I'm not comfortable attempting that level of mimesis."

Take that, you stupid calendar.

[Supreme Vampiric Evil]

I had wandered absently into the library during study hall that day. A few friends clad in black eyeliner, trenchcoats and chains followed idly chatting about last friday's episode of Dracula after a conversation we'd all been having about old vampire folklore.

Setting my sights on a familiar face, I walked over to the desk and called out "Izzy!" I was careful of course, not to betray my familiarity with the girl, as I lead the miscreant crew closer to her and posed my query.

"I was wondering if the library here had any books on..." I paused for the proper effect before cocking my head to the side like an inquisitive cat and then SLAMMING my palms down on the desk and intoning "the Occult?"

The other dark ones were highly amused at my display but I looked at Izzy for a bit too long indicating my seriousness. I wonder if she got why I did that...

* * * * *

But then came lunchtime and this bat left the belltower. I gave my compatriots some line about going to try and score with our english teacher and took off. A quick stop at my locker and I acquired my old working man's lunchbox. And then it was to the roof I went.

Once there, I went over to the haunt of the cliqueless, knelt down and removed four other cans of beer before cracking mine open and kicking back in the shade and awaiting the rest of my co-conspirators in rooftop lunching. I'd be sure to invite them all to some alcohol as they arrived.

As the dungeonmaster made her entrance and asked what we were eating I flatly smirked. "Beer. Want one?"

And then after she comented on going to a dance, which she'd be as likely to go to as I would, I came back with "I'll do your make up, Sarah."

Before I turned to Izzy and offered "I could take you to a dance that's kind of like that but it's got just as much black leather as corsets and dresses. It'll be fun."

[Savi]

I, Hanna Jacklin, am through with this school so far. I hadn't been here five minutes and I was bombarded with questions and expecting expressions from, what looked like, nerdy people. I am a lamb entering a school of wolves. Atleast it seems so! I closed my eyes as a small throbbing develops in my head. As I walked toward the administrations office to get my schedule, I was yet again bombarded. This time, it was a bunch of guys who had varsity jackets on. I rejected them politely, grabbed my schedule, and bolted for first hour.

All day, I was bombarded with questions! The strangest thing about the question is all about if I am this or that. Am I a straight A student? Am I an athlete? Do I like the color black and listen to screamo in my room with the lights off? I can't even answer them because all I think about is how rediculious they are! I tried to find a spot at lunch, but it looked like everyone was split into... cliques? It seemed a bit cliche, but it's the way the social system ran in this school.

I saw a few eyes set toward my clothing and I looked down. My clothing seemed to not meet the standard of anyone's clique. While I wore a turquoise top with a black leather jacket and black skinny jeans with combat boots; everyone else was in polos, varsity jackets, hand-me-downs, blouses, or black... everything. I caught a few judging eyes and I felt as if I was in a prostitute in a church. What's wrong with my style?

Anyway, as soon as I walked into the cafeteria; I felt eyes sneaking glances at me. I felt as if I was expected to choose who to sit with. I quickly smiled, turned, and walked out of the cafeteria. I ran, literally ran, toward a strange staircase. I don't even know how I got there, I just remember running. I looked behind me to see if anyone else noticed it, but no one was in the hallway. I made the "smart" decision to continue on my little journey. I made my way up the stairs.

Maybe I could be alone and not have to deal with people! That made me even more determined to get out of the stingy hallway and up toward an uninhabited area. I grinned as I made my way to the end of the stairs and to a door. I hoped, no prayed, that no one badgered me about joining their cult, I mean clique. I opened the door, a sense of relief washing over me as I went through the door. I had closed my eyes before I went through and shut the door with a refreshing slam.

I sighed in relief and slid down against the door. "Thank god" I whispered to myself. I wanted to hide from the world at that moment. All the questions swirled in my head and I continuously asked myself if this was going to be my entire highschool career. I opened my eyes to see a group of people on the roof. I slowly stood up and cleared my throat. "If you're looking for me to join your clique or something, then this is all a dream and you guys passed out in your last period."

[AgniSpirit]

"Raymond dear, have you practiced your violin today? It's only right that the first chair practices every, single day~"

"Son, don't you have an anatomy test coming up? Why aren't you studying yet?"

"Seung! You call that a butterfly stroke?! Thirty more laps, NOW!"

"Ray, what do you think should be the color theme of the dance be? Off white and indigo or pearl white and violet?"

"Raymond~"

"Son..."

"Seung!"

"Ray? Ray, are you listening?!"

I awoke with a start and sat up quickly, my heart racing a mile a minute. Damn, what a nightmare. School only started two months ago and I was already up to my eyes with shit to do. After letting out a large yawn, I scanned the rooftop to see what I had missed. Apparently a lot since I had remembered falling asleep right after Jake had offered me a beer. It was only the two of us then. Now there was five of us. Deciding that my thirst was more important than the chatter around me at the moment, I grabbed my forgotten beer and opened it. This truly had to be one of the perks about being part of the Cliqueless (not my first choice in names, but what the hell?). If I had been drinking beer in front of my other friends, they would have all thrown a fit. Contrary to popular belief, us Populars (ha, joke.) don't advocate drinking on school grounds. We're the elite; the chosen. We are the goody-two shoes who are the apples of all the teachers' eyes and thus, we must act accordingly in school. That doesn't mean we don't have the apparent right to make others feel worse about themselves. It's supposedly a constitutional right for us to put down others. And the bullied take it without question. It made me sick.

Taking a swig, I relished the taste of beer and rebellion as I glanced over my friends. A Know-it-All, an Idiot, a Loser and a Weirdo; that's how I used to see them. But after I walked in on them hanging out up here while I looked for a place to crash, I found out they were all more than what their stereotypes painted them as. Izzy is a certifiable genius and it's a shame she can't be in the honors classes. She would wipe the floor with everyone. Alena is a ball of energy who reminded me how to enjoy life again. Although Jake is rough around the edges, he is surprisingly good-hearted and thoughtful. And Sarah is passionate, even if it's just over her strange hobbies. At least she had something she enjoyed with every fiber of her being.

It was then that I picked up on the word 'dance' and physically shuddered as I remembered my previous dream. "Everyone in the Student Council won't shut up about that stupid thing." I stated in a frustrated tone. It wasn't that bad last year since I only had to set up the gym the day before. But now that I was a year older and proved how responsible I was, I had become the go to guy for approvals. It wasn't until I told them I had to study for my test that they finally left me alone, hence me being up here at the moment.

I glanced over to Jake when he mentioned the dances he went to with Izzy and smirked. "You should organize this year's dance then. It'll be a load off my shoulders." Before I could make another remark, I heard a slam and turned my attention to the door. There sat a red-haired girl, panting like she had been running a marathon. She looked kind of familiar. She then noticed us and said she was just a dream. I quickly rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't still asleep.

"Nope, I'm actually awake for once. She's real guys." I calmly announced to the rest of my friends.

[Supreme Vampiric Evil]

"If you're looking for me to join your clique or something, then this is all a dream and you guys passed out in your last period." Came the words of a stranger. An invader upon sacred territory. An interloper upon the ever so hush hush realm of the cliqueless.

Sound the alarm, folks. We've been found out!

I looked up imediately. I even stood up. Sure, I stumbled a little bit in a jack sparrow sort of way, but I caught myself.

It was astonishing, you see. Truly, a sight to behold. The tension was so thick I could taste it lingering sourly in the air. Here we were, secure and confident that no one would ever find out about our little gatherings. And lo and behold, what happens? We are discovered.

I stood there, spiked collar shining in the midday sun, just taking it all in. If this chick revealed us, we'd be through. It was utterly apocalyptic. And all eyes were indeed on her.

So I did what I do best. I grabbed another can offered to her and answered her with complete honesty.

"I'm just looking for a girlfriend, a new drummer, and some good people to drink with. Wanna beer?"

[Blazion]

Cheerleader, blonde, good grades and a winning smile all wrapped into one petite little package. Yes, Jenna was no doubt the poster girl for the All-American girl, a heartbreaker for more reason than one. Denying boys left and right with an explanation that she’s focusing on cheering and studying, the real reason hidden behind that sympathetic smile…

I really did miss her.

It was math class, that much I knew, because Mr. Hunter was at the front of the class berating our scores on last week’s test. He really sounded quite frustrated. Beyond that I honestly wasn’t paying attention, my textbook wasn’t even open in front of me. No, all my attention was spent looking out of the corner of my eye to the girl to the left of me, who never even once glanced my way. Then again I should’ve been used to that, considering she did the same thing the last few months in a very pointed attempt to not let anything slip about our relationship.

Yep, there was more than one reason Jenna denied the attention of the guys in our little clique, and as far as I knew I was the only one who knew. She was far less open about who she was than me, even if Ryan, my best friend of years, was the only other person who was aware of me being the same. Well, he was supposed to be the only one that knew; in truth it was probably the worst kept secret of the jocks. Imagine my surprise when Jenna had first approached me seeming to know of my little ‘secret’. Not that I should’ve been, it’s not as though I have ever hidden my appreciative glances that so often lined up with those of the male members’ of my team, and I’ve certainly never lied when asked.

Just no one ever bothers to ask.

“-two, Alena?” I couldn’t help but jump at suddenly being addressed in a very angry voice, only to curse – thankfully in my native tongue – as my knee hit the bottom of the desk hard enough to make the frame rattle. My face skin began to heat up at growing snickers around me as I fumbled to get myself together and meet the gaze of Mr. Hunter, who certainly wasn’t looking as amused as those around me.

“Seven,” A masculine voice whispered beside me, and fumbling for an answer I parroted it loudly to Mr. Hunter.

“Seven!” The class burst into laughter, the loudest being my supposedly best friend at my side, who was absolutely dying with laughter.

“Two… plus… two,” Ryan managed to wheeze out between laughs at my confused look. I immediately turned redder and met the increasingly angry look of Mr. Hunter. The only thing I could do was slump uselessly down my chair in a vain attempt to look smaller.

A glance over at Jenna showed her hiding her laughter behind her hand in some attempt to muffle it, blonde strands falling in her face as her shoulders shook. Mr. Hunter’s angry tirade continued, and my heart couldn’t help but ache.

---

“Oh come on, you’re not still angry about that are you?” A heavy hand clapped me on the back, one that would’ve sent a smaller person stumbling to their knees. All it did was make my features twist into a scowl as I gave Ryan a glare, the large quarterback grinning in return. “It was funny!”

"Tupoy,” I huffed in mock irritation and turned my nose up, in turn almost knocking a girl over who was at least a head shorter than me as I was no longer focused on looking where I was going. Before I could even apologize the black-clad girl hissed something under her breath and stomped off, leaving me looking after her with a slight frown. My attention was soon drawn back to Ryan as he continued, seeming to not even look where he was going as he plowed through people in the hallway. It wasn’t exactly hard – between the two of us it was a solid wall of muscle and mass.

“Aw, the Russian? Really? I bet that was an insult too, you giant jerk,” He guffawed at his own pun, and I felt a smile begin to twitch the corner of my lips upward before he focused on me once again, this time a more serious expression present. “Besides, you’ve been down the whole day. Where’s that bundle of energy? Where’s the smile? Wait – wait, I got it-“

“Ryan!” I couldn’t help but laugh as I ducked away from the broad hands reaching for my face, or more specifically my mouth in an attempt to forcefully make me smile. I swear, if there was a goofball clique he’d fit right in. Even now he just grinned right in return at having made me laugh.

“There we go, that wasn’t so hard now was it? Now come on, our table awaits,” The brunette gestured grandly to the cafeteria, but I stopped short seeing the flash of blonde hair going towards it.

“Ah, not today Ryan,” The quarterback raised a brow at my response, but I just gave a small shrug and dropped my voice, “Between you and me, I think I need some space.” I tilted my head and Ryan followed it to where I looked, just to make an ‘ahh’ of understanding.

“Want me to come with?”

“Nawh, go have fun Ryan,”

“Gotcha boss- oof!” He stumbled forward at the brutally hard clap to his back, and when he met my gaze I just smiled innocently in return. That’s what he gets for earlier. Finally he just laughed and waved me off as we parted ways. After that it didn’t take long for me to find my way to the now familiar staircase up to the roof, taking them two at a time as I ventured up.

As soon as the sun hit my face a broad grin crossed it, probably the biggest one I’ve had today. Maybe it was Ryan’s influence but combined with the perfect weather? It certainly lifted my spirits. The company wasn’t too bad either, even if I never expected to find myself in the presence of these people. I learned quickly that cliques never mixed, which was a shame. After all there was so much more to everyone than just one aspect! Maybe someday I’d even get the courage to ask Izzy for help with English – so far I hadn’t worked up the nerve. If she didn’t think I was an idiot before then she certainly would afterward. Hell, maybe some day they’d all get to share each other’s company outside this windy woof. I’m sure Srah could explain her ‘tabletop’ games in a way that wouldn’t puzzle me, maybe I’d even go swimming with Ray, or sacrifice puppies with Jake!

Okay, maybe that last one is a little exaggerated. Really, some of the rumors spread between each clique are vicious. It was rather worrisome.

“No thanks,” I waved off Jake’s offer of a beer to go right to the edge of the roof, or at least as close as I could get without wandering eyes seeing me. Why anyone would be looking to the roof I have no idea, but it was better safe than sorry. Feeling right at home I began to stretch my arms above my head, cracking my back in the process. Being cramped into too-small desks all day made me stiff.

It wasn’t long before everyone had congregated in our little hangout, a somewhat rare occasion. How often could we all be here after all? Usually I was absent quite a bit just on my own – practice was demanding. I finally turned around to look to my unusual compatriots, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jeans and tuning in to the conversation only to brighten visibly. I had to bite the inside of my cheek not to just burst into the conversation and completely domineer it with talking about how fun dances were. Well, aside from the awkward little aspect of dating in my respect. Then again Sarah seemed to be in the same boat.

“I could take you Sarah,” I mused out-loud, just to laugh and rub the back of my head. “I mean, I’m usually considered one of the guys anyway.” Ah yes, the usual half-hearted back-tracking of that certain aspect with a joke. ’Secret’ indeed.

I never did get an answer though, as a foreign girl basically stumbled into our little gathering. Well then.

Despite knowing it was rude I couldn’t help but run my eyes over the girl’s frame in that tense moment of silence after her first entrance, where she didn’t even seem to see us. Just leaned against the door and slid down. She certainly wasn’t bad looking, but there was probably more pressing matters at the moment. Of course then Jake took the lead and offered her a beer once she noticed them.

Yes, excellent idea. Friendship is what kept us from revealing each other after all! Though, maybe not with a beer…

“No beers needed, though!” My accent still tumbled through my words lightly, even as I practically leapt to this foreign addition’s side. My hand slapped onto her back reminiscent of Ryan’s earlier, heedless of my own strength. “You’re welcome to stay! Fresh air, good company, what more could one want, eh comrade?” The last word, stereotypical as it was, was added on as a small joke. When I first came to this country Ryan used to tease me with it it long before we became friends – and afterward he still did, but in a much friendlier way.

Really, why couldn’t everyone in this school be that way? Maybe with less headbutting though.

[Fabricant451]

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that Jake offered us beer, though I wasn't so sure drinking while both underage and on school property was a wie idea. We were still potentially able to be found out by a staff member and it'd be one thing to explain why we're up here. It'd be another to explain why some of us were sipping beer. I shook my head at the offer. I'm sure those who enjoy it have their reasons, but anything that is made via hydrolysis and fermentation doesn't sound all that appealing to me. I don't eat a lot of cheese for similar reasons. Out of those of us on the roof, Jake is the one that still makes me a bit uneasy. I'm more or less fine with the others, though I still zone out when Sarah goes on about her games. His little display in the library earlier certain;y didn't help matters, dramatic as it was. I'm sure he's...fine, but I'm just a bit guarded when there's someone who is into books on the occult. I think I'd like this whole goth thing more if they were into Baudelaire or something.

I don't dislike Jake at all, I don't dislike any of us, I'm just not sure what to think about him. I guess I just don't understand that whole culture, much as how I don't understand Alena's love of athletics; I even went to a hockey game once to try and understand the appeal, but I had trouble following the match. But, that's probably one of the reasons why we're all here, or at least why we all come back. To understand life outside of our bubbles.

"Black leather and corsets? Sounds less like a dance and more like a way to get dermatitis...errr...a rash." I swear it's a reflex, using those pretentious bigger words. As if these guys are going to be impressed that I know a fancy way to say 'skin rash'. Not even doctors use dermatitis with patients. "And that's not even touching on the uncomfortable aspect." Comfort was a weird thing, everyone is comfortable in something else. For me, comfort was the navy blue sweater and jeans I was wearing today. Comfort was my stringy brown hair not being all dolled up. Sometimes I wish I had worse eyesight, just so I could go the whole nine yards with the brainiac cliche and walk around with glasses. Either way, this was comfortable, this sweater. Which was lacking in leather. "So...no thanks on that front, Jake."

I finished my cookie and moved on to the actual main part of my lunch. Yes, I like eating dessert first. There's no rule about when to eat certain meals or part of meals, it's why some places sell breakfast all day. Some students bring sandwiches or beer, some buy cafeteria food, but out of the lunchbox I carry around in my plain blue backpack I pull out a mesclun salad, which is really just a fancy way of saying a salad with a bunch of different leaves.

Midway through eating an arugula leaf, the door to the roof opens and for a moment I fear that the jig is up and the staff has come to confiscate the alcohol. Instead it was a girl; I'd never seen her around but then I'm not exactly familiar with a lot of the students; I'm not Ray or something. Alena and Jake were instantly welcoming, which honestly surprised me in regards to Jake.

"You're quick to invite her to the festivities, Alena. I wasn't aware this little circle was looking to expand." I didn't want to be overly rude to this new girl, but I was hesitant on inviting her to join us. I'm only now coming around to being comfortable in being myself around the group now, the last thing I needed was a potential interloper. God, that sounds so mean. I swear I'm not mean. "Plus isn't one red head bad enough?"

I think about giving a smile to indicate my joke, but I hate the way my incisors look, big and weird looking, so I don't smile, I just let the comment hang there in the air while I eat more of my salad.

[smilies]

I could ramble about a thousand reasons why I didn't need a beer that day, but honestly, my next block was AP Physics, a class I wasn't doing all too well in. I needed to be able to focus. Put bluntly, I can't hold down a beer for my life. I learned that the hard way. Drinking away your problems isn't as easy as it's shown in the movies. I guess you could say the alcohol was effective in that my biggest concerns that night were trying to tie back my hair so I didn't get vomit in it.

I shake my head at Jake's offer, throwing my head back and giggling when he offered to do my makeup. There was no way in hell I'd let someone get that close to my face with one of those lethal eyelash rods or whatever, especially Jake. Of course I love the guy, but I'm pretty sure he can show off eyeliner better than I can.

Nobody in the gang really seems like the type to go to the dance, except for Ray, of course, and maybe Alena. Jake would probably rather be spray painting pentagrams on the back wall of the library. I can't imagine him in a tux, or suit, or whatever it was that guys wore to dances. Maybe some kind of antebellum, vampiric suit with one of those cliché, frilly collars at the neck? Izzy was just about as likely to wear a dress as I was. I can just imagine us stumbling around the cafeteria in those death traps pretty girls call high heels.

Alena and Ray might go. I'm sure Alena's jock friends will be pulling out the Trojans in their parents' limousines, but Alena had just broken up with her girlfriend, or maybe vice versa. I'm not exactly up to date on the social hubbub of Elton High. Yeah, I did say girlfriend. It was surprising enough that Alena was a fellow female as well as a state-ranked sports star. I guess she's not unlike her friends on the football team in that they're both hooking up with the cheerleaders. Okay, so that was a little mean, but Alena gets my sense of humor after all this time with the Cliqueless. Probably.

As the school's unofficial poster boy, Ray had to go to the dance. I can only imagine how many hours of sleep he's lost over the whole thing, as well as whatever other crazy school spirit activities he'd been forced to take on. I feel bad for the guy. At least the only thing I have to worry about is how good of a deal I can get on the Ghost Edition of the Black Rose Dragon trading card. He's swamped with the Student Council hounds, swimming, and, uh, whatever else it is that he does. Like a classic Asian, of course he plays the violin-- or is it piano? He's the opposite of a fob, though. Ray's got himself fully assimilated in the American culture, obviously enough.

I grinned at Alena's offer. That'd get a kick out of the Elton populace. The... whatever, female team captain going to the dance with a girl? Not just any girl, but that dorky freak? Alena was straightforward about her sexuality, but it wasn't exactly widely known yet. "You know guys, maybe it'd be a cool thing for us to go to the dance. It could be our big event: all of us in one conglomeration, together in public. I can already imagine the looks on their faces!" I mused thoughtfully, scenes of the dance already spinning in my head like a silent film. "Think about it. The Cliqueless finally make their point, take their stand, fulfill the dream that lies behind these backstage shenanigans--" I jump up onto the power box dramatically, pointing towards the sky meaninglessly. "To defeating the status quo!" I stare into the distance like they do in the movies, imagining a majestic theme playing in the backdrop, and then burst into a fit of chuckles.

It's only after my little monologue that I notice the red head standing at the rooftop entrance. "All right, who the hell spilled our location?" I exclaimed, sending a bewildered look towards the newcomer. Isn't it obvious that she'll ruin us? Clearly, the others didn't understand the severity of the situation. What happened to us was up to this newcomer, and I don't like my fate being held in the hands of anybody but myself. I frantically turned back to my four friends- if I could even call them that- admittedly relishing in the drama of the situation, drama that I was probably creating. The situation became worse in my eyes when I realized I didn't recognize her rather confused face.

"Guys, she's obviously a new kid! She doesn't understand how the system works. She might spill our location, or something worse, to whoever she manages to fit in with. It's about time for the fighting to start, though it seems pretty clear to me that she's a Gothie." I snuck another glance at her petite frame, obviously unequipped for the competitive sports at Elton. Maybe she was a Popular? She definitely wasn't as drastically punk as Jake, but the nose piercing might grant her access to his clique. Then again, this girl did have a nice sense of humor.

Izzy's redhead comment broke my train of thought; I couldn't help but crack a smirk. "Everybody knows how gingers are," I teased, forgetting about the girl for a moment.

[Savi]

I smirked, trying to hide my amusement. I looked at the sleepy guy with a little grin. "You could be dreaming about not dreaming. Though, that is also just theorized and you could be in a strange coma from lack of sleep." I saw the beer and I shook my head, not wanting to go near the bottle. Last time I drank, I ended up having my clothes taken by a drunk guy because I drunkenly decided to take a little swim. Instead, I said "thanks, but no thanks. Drinking and me just don't mix."

I couldn't help but feel as if this was sacred ground and they wanted me not to say a thing to the insanely cliche kids downstairs. I grinned at the redhead next to me, although the hit was pretty painful. "Thanks. I didn't mean to interupt... whatever this is, but those kids down there... man are they wolves! I felt like I was going to have to buy a bus and run them over! Though, going to jail doesn't seem fun..." I looked around and realized I was rambling. I felt my cheeks burn softly and I shook my head.

When I heard the little "redhead" quip, a smirk slowly came up and I looked at the girls who commented on it. "Well, you know what us redheads are..." I turned to the girl next to me and grinned mischeiviously before moving out of her reach and going up to the girl who made the first comment on redheads. I leaned up and whispered in her ear "we're crazy." I then kissed her on the cheek and laughed. I moved away from the poor girl and toward the girl talking about gingers. "Now, I'm not a ginger. There is a huge difference. Gingers have no soul, while redheads... oh we have soul. We just use it in a... unique way." I sighed and said "listen, I'm not gonna rat you guys out to the cliques down there, okay? I'm also not gonna join a clique, so don't ask. I just really need a place to hide. My old school was kinda like this. I know the rules of the trade."

I put my pointer finger to my lips and I winked. "I won't tell a soul if you don't rat me out."

[Supreme Vampiric Evil]

I was slightly dissapointed when the new girl refused my offering, but then some souls just don't give easily into temptation. That's why it's important to always be ready to assist someone on the road to damnation. If you can catch them at the right moment, they'll not only smile on the way to hell, but then they'll thank you for leading them there. I guess paradise is in the eye of the beholder.

I watched the girl's reactions with interest. This one was certainly a chaos facter. Kissing our nerd after walking away from the girl who was interested in her. It was impressive. But it was a stretch to say that I approved of her arrival. I'm just one of those curious cats who can't have many lives left by now.

"Sarah, I think you just invoked this one." I started as I cracked open the beer I was going to supply the newcomer with and set down the near empty can that I had been drinking. "Your passion filled speech coupled with your strong desire to defy convention has summoned forth just the kind of social deviant you'd like to become. Classic accidental magick I'd say."

I was gesturing and walking around the roof as I had given my assessment taking in everyone's reaction to this new arrival. Izzy had seemed apprehensive before she was kissed. Devil's advocate time? I think so.

I walked up to the new girl once more and inquired further. "How can we be sure that such a lost soul won't succumb to the temptation of having a community? The creatures of the night can be most welcoming. The dungeon crawlers are fiercly loyal to one another. The scholars have their pride, the brawlers have their fun. And then there are stars that so many people want to be for no good reason..."

"Suppose you crack. Humor me. Hypothetically. Suppose you join one of our ...extended families... Why would you then keep our secret?"

[AgniSpirit]

I raised an eyebrow when I saw how the new kid flawlessly integrated herself within our group. Sarah was right; the chick might most likely fit in with the Goths. Her sarcastic tone and jokes about violence wouldn't fly with his friends. It was then that both my eyebrows raised up when I saw her suddenly kiss Izzy on the cheek. Well now...

And then she said she wasn't going to join a clique and I couldn't help but give her a wry smirk. "You're going to have to pick a clique sooner or later if you want to survive in this school." I stated after Jake as I stood up, dusting the back of my jeans and navy-blue Polo shirt, "Even if you don't try and pick one out, you'll be pulled into a clique before you know it. Better to choose now than be forced into one later." I knew I had a bitter tone when I explained this but everyone in the Cliqueless already knew my standing when it came to the social hierarchy of this school. I hated cliques, especially the one I was a part of. When I was a freshman, I was suddenly pulled into the Popular pool thanks to my good looks and money. I had enjoyed the attention for the first five minutes but then quickly realized what came with the title of a popular. Pushing kids down, calling other people names, giving a member of our group the cold shoulder if they did something against our unofficial rules; a Popular kid walked a thin line between social groups and the minute you do something wrong, you're cut from the rest. And as tempting as it was to just jump ship, I couldn't take the risk. My social standing ensured I would get the best recommendations and connections to allow me to get into a good college.

So as much as I loved the idea of going to the school dance with my strange friends than my other ones, I couldn't risk it. It wasn't just social suicide but my entire future at stake. God forbid I didn't enter an Ivy League School. My parents would never let me live it down, no matter how much I hated it.

"Don't scare her now dude." I pointed out with a grin, clearly enjoying the start of his 'threat' before turning to the new girl, "But he does make an excellent point. We can't have you blabbing about this later on. Why don't we cut you a deal at least? You don't say anything and we'll keep you hidden as long as possible. Hell, we can try and prolong the inevitable as long as possible if that's what you want. I'm sure I can pull a few strings. What do you say?" I gave her a polite smile, but my eyes said otherwise. "I don't want to think what we'd have to do to you to keep this quiet." I'm pretty sure Jake was rubbing off on me the and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing...

[Blazion]

“Hey-“ A pout was quick to form on my face as the teasing broke out, even going as far as to give a mock hurt look towards the two other established girls of the group. Of course by then I was used to most of the group’s little quirks and rolled with it, though not nearly as well as this new girl apparently did. That one little mischievous grin cast my way got my eyebrow raising, though her next actions made me color.

Really, some girls had all the luck; first Izzy was the smartest person I know and then she got a kiss?! At this rate I’d have to ask her tips for more than just books.

“I totally have a soul,” I grumbled under my breath, but quickly discarded the line of thought as Jake and Ray launched into their questions, following Sarah’s line of thought it seemed. They were always awfully defensive of our group, and I wasn’t foolish enough to think it was just because of our friendship.It was the same reason why my playful asking Sarah out and any of us going to the dance as a group would never work out. And while I could agree with trying our best to help the new girl out, threats weren’t exactly my style. I was already a walking threat just from my intimidating stature, it wasn’t fun.

“Ah, don’t be so hard on her. Not everyone is bad,” I flashed a grin to the two men of our group as I crossed my arms. Perhaps they’d say I was naïve, too trusting, but being hostile to her would probably not help. From the way she interacted with us, almost naturally, she seemed like a good person. Maybe I just had a soft spot for other girls. “If she happens to choose one, well, we’ve kept the secret haven’t we?” Keeping the good natured grin on my face I stepped away from the door, only to lift my hand and give a small mock salute to the shorter girl.

“I’m Alena Rurik. Captain of the Hockey team, track star, all around best athlete in the school,” The playful tone was still set in my voice, followed of course by an exaggerated flex of my arm. “And totally still looking for a date for the upcoming dance.”

Okay, so maybe that was laying it on a bit thick.

[Fabricant451]

I kept my eyes off the new girl after having said my brief piece on the matter, certain that the others would voice similar concerns and queries. I doubted any of them would make a move to kick her out, it sort of went against what I assumed to be the point of why we were all here. After all, if we kicked out and shunned someone from out cliqueless existence, wouldn't that make us no different from the cliques, or a clique as well? Either way, I had no more opinions on the matter and was content to go about my business, eating my rabbit food and piping in with a bit of sardonic humor when the need called for it.

And the next thing I knew there was a whisper in my ears and a pair of lips on my cheek.

To put matters into perspective, not even my grandparents do that, none of my family does. We're a hugging family. It's not that I'm uncomfortable...not necessarily...okay, that's maybe stretching the truth.Uncomfortable isn't a synonym for shocked, but stunned is. Stunned. I was stunned, almost literally in fact. Sure, it wasn't a kiss you see the more...involved couples do behind the staircases or in the library stacks where they think we can't see them (oh, the stories I have about the library stacks) but it was still something personal. To me, anyway. I'm not a very physical person in any sense of the word, and here was this stranger who sauntered over and got very much inside my personal space all to play it for a laugh.

I'm almost certain my cheeks went as red as Alena's hair just from the sheer bravado on display.

After the cheek kiss I lifted my eyes towards Alena just in time to see her reaction. One thing I admired about Alena was how she handled her relationship and the preferences that that entailed. Given the culture present in the walls of this fine educational establishment it was probably for the best that she wasn't walking around doing public displays of affection, but just being able to casually mention to the new girl her lack of a date and earlier when she playfully flirted with Sarah - was that flirting, I'm not really sure - takes guts. I wonder which takes more guts, playing a sport like hockey or showing up to a dance with another female.

Regardless, as I saw the expression on Alena's face I couldn't help but grin. Yes, I was still quite shocked, shocked into silence even, but seeing the raised eyebrow and the subtle color change was worth it. If ever it was possible for a jock to be jealous of one lower on the social totem pole, this had to be it.

"Careful, Alena, I'm not sure the visitor picked up on your oh-so-subtle introduction." This time I smiled after the comment. Now it was funny, teasing. "At least you didn't bury the lead."

In an unprecedented gesture, I close my study material. Suddenly I'm a bit more interested in this lunch period.

"But for posterity's sake, I'm just going to go ahead and say that I was right about red heads."

That probably went without saying at this point.

[Savi]

A smirk lit my face and I couldn't help but feel a bit confident. I raised my pointer finger in the air as a sign of 'number 1'. "Number 1, I do not fit in a group. I'm not overly smart, I'm not an athlete, I'm not overly dorky, I'm not a Child of Darkness or whatever, and I'm sure as hell not going to be a fake person that only lives to do as I'm told. That is my reasoning behind not joining one of those stupid cliques that this school oh-so charishes. I'm only here to get out and go to college."

I sighed and put up a second finger. "Number 2! I could care less about ratting you guys out. In fact, you guys don't seem like a bother to me. Why make a fire when there wasn't even a flame? Threatening me, sir? That could make a spark. I'm also pretty sure I can kick your ass twenty ways without a single scratch." I meet the Popular guy's eyes with a fiery glare of my own. "Like I said before, Redheads are crazy." I smiled sweetly, but my eyes said otherwise.

I looked away from him and looked over at Alena. I couldn't help but feel flattered, even though I couldn't reciprocate the feelings. "I'm flattered, but I think I'm going to swing it alone." I was asked to go to this stupid dance all day, so I might as well make an appearance. I grinned at Alena. "I'm Hanna Jacklin, the newest addition to the Nope clique. Meaning, that's a nope to the bookies, the dorks, the nightlovers, the athletes, and the pretty boys."

I send the polo shirt a sly smirk before looking back at beer boy. "Now, if we're done classifying people by how they act and how they dress, why don't we take in the fact that I'm not a robot. I'm not going to be like everyone else. I'm going to be me and I'm going to be unique. Sue me if being a person instead of a drone is illegal, but I prefer to be the only person in my life that chooses where I go and what I do." I smiled at Alena kindly. "You're chill. I'll introduce you to some of my... prettier friends if you catch my drift." I gave her a 'I got you' wink.

I looked at the bookworm and grinned. "Sweetie, you don't choose the color. The color chooses you."

[AgniSpirit]

I looked over the girl quietly and let her words directed at me sink in. It was then that I realized I had balled up my fists in anger. And it wasn't because this girl was insulting me. No, it was what she had said about herself. That she could choose where to go and what to do with her life. It wasn't anger that was racing through me, but jealousy. I wanted that...

I immediately put a lid over that train of thought. It was an ugly place to go to and I had already dealt with those issues a long time ago. No need to be bringing it back up for everyone to see. Instead, I relaxed my hands and gave her a careless shrug. "Right, don't say I didn't warn you," I stated calmly, "I'm just trying to give you some advice. But if you want to be the anomaly, go right ahead. As long as you don't take us out along the way then I'm good." I could clearly sense her hostility towards me and thought it would be best to back track a little. If she was going to be spending more time with us, it would have been better to clear the air now when impressions were still fresh. So, giving her the best smile I could muster after pulling myself up from my almost nervous breakdown, I extended my hand to the girl I know knew as Hanna.

"By the way, I'm Ray. Ray Seung." I announced. Gazing up at her, I felt uneasy once more and began to rub the back of my neck with my other hand. It was one of my many nervous ticks. Though I grew out of most of them, this one didn't seem to let up. At least I tried to avoid nerve-wracking situations as much as possible. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to hang out with this new girl.

[Supreme Vampiric Evil]

Brilliant. She hasn't even had a drink and already wants to fight me. So much for hooking up. Still, maybe there's a chance that she plays the drums...

Even Ray seemed to think I meant some harm by my line of questioning. As if he doesn't know that I don't want to fight a chick. I might be an asshole. But I'm not a fuckin' asshole. I raise my eyebrow at the other male in our group before returning my attention to little miss spunky newcomer.

I genuinely sighed then. "Oh, c'mon. I haven't uttered a single threat. I'm just curious. Aren't the rest of you? I mean here we are casting our castes aside with these rooftop meetings, calling ourselves cliqueless, when the school is suddenly invaded by a..." I look into the new girls eyes, mirroring her own intensity as I describe her. " ferocious fox full of luciferean defiance..."

I then looked back at the others, each in turn, as I expressed what I thought was the most logical idea. "If we really wanna help the vixen cause a bit of chaos, we should help her flaunt the aspects of her personality that will disgust our own groups so much that they'll choose to porpusefully exclude her. Or at least give her a few pointers on it. Y'know? If she can be utterly unappealing to each of our groups, none of them will want her anymore and she can go about her days completely and utterly..."

Always pause for dramatic effect. It helps to drive your point home. "Cliqueless."

[Fabricant451]

Now it was my turn to raise the eyebrows. I did so, but being a bit uncoordinated the corners of my mouth curled upwards as well. Had I mirror I probably looked like someone doing a really poor impression of the comedy mask. My faux-incredulity was leveled at our resident duke of darkness and depression himself; a brief glance towards his general direction and then back to looking anywhere but at someone. The new girl had a name, Hanna. I wonder if she knows the etymology behind it; not that I'm saying people should follow what their names mean, hell my name means 'God's Promise' so how the hell does that work. I just find it ironic, internally, that for someone with a name meaning 'gracious' that as of yet she's been anything but. Especially if she has some sort of intention of hanging around up here.

But then again, other than Alena and now Ray in his own way, none of us have been particularly inviting. I have an excuse. I was studying at the time.

"I don't remember anyone saying anything about chaos." I speak, Jake's choice of words still swirling around inside my head, "And as far as flaunting goes, seems she's already got enough personality to 'disgust' people without our input. She said she is going to be unique, which means any input you or anyone might have seems a tad counter-intuitive. Unless, of course, you're using the royal we and meant that you want to help her because you have a thing for, what was it you said, oh, right, vixens, well then I'd understand." That probably came off as a bit catty and rude. That tends to happen when I'm just putting words to my thoughts. I was only mostly serious anyway.

I put the cap on my salad carrying tray before tossing it into my backpack, followed by my anatomy textbook. With a small grunt indicating movement, I got to my feet, brushing off dirt from my jeans.

"Here's an idea, let's not assume the worst about Hanna and assume she's going to run down the stairs shouting about this place like she was warning people about the British arriving. Yeah, yeah, the five of us really like this place, but unless you're all assuming she's lying about wanting to be unique, there's no reason to deny her entry.
We're not North Korea."

I'm never making political metaphors again.

[Savi]

A small smirk lit my face. I couldn't see me actually caring what people think, but I may need to apologize to Captain Shine over there. I sighed and said "listen, I'm not lookin' for a group of friends. I'm just lookin' for safety if needed. I don't want Captain Shine over there to pop a vessel and I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence. I can hide in the bathroom if I can't get rid of the little vultures."

I couldn't help the guilt that washed over me as I saw the nervousness on Ray's face. I looked back at the goth kid and said "I am no vixen. I'm just a girl who doesn't mind standing up for herself and having fun while doing it." I grinned sardonically as I let the words sink in. I looked over at Alena and smiled. "Thanks for everything, Alena; but I should go. I've caused enough trouble for one lunch. Besides, I've scared Ray, made Sir Darkness think I can't handle being in the lion's den, I've made the bookworm blush, and I've discovered you're little hideout. My work here is done."

I started my way back to the door, a bit of disappointment seeps into my heart and I felt like I did at my father's house: loneliness. It's not an uncommon feeling for me. I'm an unwanted personality anywhere I went. My brashness and outgoing actions created a bearer between me and the world. I don't mind. I'm not depressed about it and angry that no one likes me. It makes me want to be more brash and snarky. It makes me a unique entity, even if I am the only person with such views.

As I walked toward the exit of this hidden world, I thought about me and the cliques represented in the Cliqueless. I couldn't fit in the nerds. I'm not that smart, though I get straight As. I'm not a dork. I may like to be a dork every once in a while, but I don't see my sarcasm as a commedic outlet to the dorks. I don't see me fitting in with the goths. Sure, I may wear leather and I may be brash; but I'm not interested in what the goths like. I'm definitely not a Jock, even if I'm strong. I'm completely uncoordinated and small. The Populars... well, I just don't see it working out. I like to be myself, not what someone designs for me.

My briliant exit ended when I tripped on absolutely nothing and landed on my hands instead of my face. As I said, I'm extremely uncoordinated. My face was a bright blush as I stood back up. I cleared my throat as my blush had yet to fade and I mumbled, "well then... That was... um... graceful." My blush had yet to fade.

[Supreme Vampiric Evil]

"Izzy, you wound me. Right here" I say as I pat my chest where my heart is. "Besides, you don't think a cliqueless student will cause chaos? Think about it. Everyone in this school runs with a pack of similar kids. I mean, Ray is right. Anyone who goes here long enough will be absorbed eventually. They're like those star wars cyborgs that Sarah told me about. Resistance is futile."

But then before I could say more, the new girl gave us her own set of thoughts. And walked off. Or started to walk off. She tripped halfway and I couldn't stop myself from laughing a little bit.

But then I started to clap and sarcasticly quiped "Dude, she's gonna be a jock in no time."