[IC] I'm Still Here.

[Saz]

Holly Kate Blake

It was just coming into Autumn. It was starting get cold outdoors and the leaves were falling turning the floor into a sea of red and yellow. It had been the perfect Friday before the weekend ahead of them. It had been a day mostly of Art and English, both of which Holly loved. With her parents away for the weekend Holly had invited her friends around. Her parents had bought them some alcohol and she knew her friends would provide some too. It was going to be a good night for them to chill out in the ‘Hang Out’ room. Being an only child her parents had changed their basement into a ‘Hang Out’ room for Holly and her friends. Tonight as usual they would be in there, but her friends would be able to stay longer than the usual time of “no later than 3am”. Unless a sleepover had previously been arranged her parents had that rule in place. They were away on a two week vacation though, so Holly was under no restrictions for the next two weeks. She was looking forward to spending time with her friends.

After School Holly drove home with her best friend Jada and her boyfriend Brad. They were hanging out in the chill out room awaiting everyone else arriving. Holly was sitting on the sofa wearing a black crop-top with white skinny jeans with ripped knees and black wedge heels. She had just made up large cocktail jugs made of fruit juice, rum, vodka and some other alcohol. She was really looking forward to what was going to occur that night. She knew that everyone would have a great night. ‘Tonight’s gonna be a great night’ was blasting from the speakers attached to the computer in the corner of the room where Holly had set up a playlist for the night using her Spotify. Holly felt bad that she was with Brad. He had dated one of her friends who had passed away. It wasn’t really long after the breakup that Rosie had been gone until Holly had been with Brad, but that hadn’t been intended. It had just happened that way. Before long everyone would arrive and the night would begin. Holly stood up and poured some potato chips into a bowl. They would order a Chinese for dinner later. The good thing was Holly’s parents had left her a bank card with no limit on it for anything that she needed or wanted. Money wasn’t really an object for this family.

[MissCapnCrunch]

"Holly, are you sure you don't need any help? It kills me to watch you do everything without letting me lend a hand, or two, or even three when I'm in the mood." Jada's prominent voice called over the playing music. Her body was turned to the side, her dark almond eyes watching Holly as she dumped a bag of potato chips into a large plastic bowl. Jada was wearing a black and white polka dotted dress, a light pink cardigan covering her shoulders on the crisp day. Her shoes had been thrown next to her backpack on the floor the moment they had entered the house.

Jada had spent practically every day after school with Holly due to her father's work schedule at the high school. He wouldn't be home until late at night and since Jada didn't have her license it was either walking or spending time with her best friend. She always chose the later.

Gazing around the room, especially on the table of snacks and alcohol anyone could tell Holly's family was well off. That is where the two girls differed; their social class were complete opposites. Thankfully Holly was always on the giving end of the spectrum, and wasn't pretentious like some of the other girls attending their school.

Turning back around on the couch she looked at Brad with a slight smug. On one hand she was grateful Brad was clearly enamored with Holly, whilst on the other hand she was disgusted with the fact that he thought they should be together barely a couple weeks after the death of his girlfriend and their mutual friend; Rosie. "I see you're not up in arms to help either, Braaadley." Jada scoffed, scooting off the couch and joined Holly next to the snack table.

"How can I make your life easier right now honey?" she crooned, giving a big cheeky smile.

[Billsomething]

Jackson had one hand on the steering wheel and his other hanging out of his car's window as he drove towards Holly's house which was more of a mansion when compered to his parent's home/workshop, the drive going to take awhile so Jackson turned on the radio 'Build Me Up Buttercup by You, Me and Everybody' its one of Jackson's favorite song 'I wonder if Jada is going to be there' it might not be obvious to anyone, but Jackson had a crush on the ebony gal he would be lying if he said it was love at first sight no far from it.

Far from it actually Jackson actually found Jada to be really annoying when he first met her. But after he got to know her better, he began to like her then even later. but that enough about Jackson's love life for Jackson had arrived, so he turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car but instead of heading towards the front door, No instead he opened the backdoor of his car and grabbed a plastic bag that contained some DVDs from the backseat.

then he proceeded to head towards the door and rung the doorbell

[Sugar and Spite]

Christina "Chris" Asher

School was hectic, to say the least. A few nods to her friends while passing them in the halls, then off to Chemistry for the last class of the day. Torture, but at least it flew by pretty fast. With no soccer practice today, Christina would take the bus home, then she began the short walk to Holly's house. Wearing short denim shorts, a black and yellow Nirvanna and grey converse, her hair pulled up into a sloppy bun, the girl would pull her leather jacket over her shoulders. Then, she pulled out her phone, sticking in her earbuds, and hitting play on a song by My Chemical Romance. Holly would be playing pop music, not that Chris had a problem with that, but, she definitely prefered hers to her friends.

Stopping by the local convenience store she would buy no alcohol as Holly and the rest of them always already had that covered, but instead, grabbed several different snacks. Paying and then continuing about her way she would walk into the house, taking out her earbuds, stopping the music and giving a quick wave to Jada, Holly and Bradley. "Heya guys! What's up," she said, placing a few bags of chips and candies on the table before opening a bag of gummy worms for herself. "Chem sucked today.

---

---

Bradley "Brad" King

The ride to Holly's had been... nice. Not really, it was quiet and there was really nothing to talk about, but, at least they were now at the hang out. Music blaring out of the speakers, snacks all around, Brad could found sitting on the couch, his arms spread wide over the back of it and his left leg folded over the right in a leisurely position. He watched Holly place the snacks, Jada helping as she always did, then teasing him. "Oh come on Jay," he said. "I had a game yesterday. Besides," he said in a joking tone, "I get to help her in a lot of other ways." Brad laughed lightly at his own joke, a cocky grin now on his face.

In all reality, he would be happy if thing were the way they used to be, but, he also had to admit he was sort of happier with Rosie gone. He'd always had a thing for Holly, now he got the chance to be with her. And, they didn't have to follow Rosie around like a pack of lost puppies anymore. They were all free now. Of course they all worked together as a team now, in a way, but, you get the point. Chris walking in he would through a hand up in a wave. "Nothing much here. Waiting on the rest of you guys. Toss me a bag of those plain chips, would you?" Christina did so, Bradley catching them with ease and beginning to eat.

[Saz]

Holly Kate Blake

Holly smiled as she looked at everyone starting to hang out already. They knew just to let themselves in. She sighed as she sorted out the crisps and the cocktail jugs. Everything was perfect but she couldn't help but feel that something was going to go wrong tonight. She just had a gut feeling and she couldn't seem to shake it off. She smiled though "Thanks Jada, you seriously don't need to do anything though. Go and hang out with everyone." Holly said smiling at her friend. Jada had the kindest heart. Erin got bags of candy and poured them into bowls. She then phoned up Chinese and ordered different items that she knew everyone liked. Once that was done she put the cups for the cocktails onto the table ready for people to help themselves. She hoped that the group had a good night ahead of them. When everything was done Holly headed over and sat down on Brad's knee. She smiled wrapping her arms around him. "Jada, come chillout!" She called to her friend. Holly decided that she would help herself to a cup of cocktail once everyone arrived.

[Temporary]

School over, it was time to head to Holly's. As shit a day had it been, it would at least be a bit brighter thanks to tonight. Physics, chemistry and biology on the same day? You had to be kidding. Despite him actually liking chemistry, biology and physics were probably the worst subjects he could have. Well, other than Mandarin, but that wasn't today - thankfully. James jumped off the bus, walking in an almost bee line towards Holly's. He'd heard that there would be alcohol, which did seem intriguing, since he had never actually tried anything over than a small glass of whiskey his parents gave him. Other days he just passed on the booze; instead opting for a glass of fizzy or juice. Tonight would be different though, and he would almost definitely get drunk. He wasn't one to hold his liquor, that was for sure. Even if he had only had a small amount, it was only a year ago. He wondered what there would be. Cocktails, beer, saké, perhaps vodka, whiskey or something else he couldn't think of.

He approached the house, seeing Jackson was aleady there but clearly not going inside.
"Hey Jack. Not going inside today?" he asked, greeting the guy who was still stood at the door. James walked up, opened the door and called in a light, slightly deep but definitely not loud voice.
"Hey guys, I'm here and I bring the gift of Jack" he said, approaching the basement and heading down. Seeing that most of the people were already here, he looked a little overwhelmed in the face of them all. Chris, Bradley, Jada and Holly were all already inside, with some snacks and drinks already lined up. There were a lot of people, even for him; even though they were people that he spent the days with. Really, 4 people shouldn't have been an issue. At least it shouldn't have been, but James had had a bad history with people. So he stood in the room, looking a little bewildered even though he had been here before. Guess it's time to socialise, then. he thought, pulling out his phone to check the time. Staying put for a any period of time didn't really matter. He lived alone, in an apartment, sorting his own needs out. His parents were long gone, and he was left to deal with life as it came. Maybe that was for the best, but at least he had a good group of friends.

[Temporary]

Shit, why did it post twice?

[MissCapnCrunch]

"Oh come on Jay," Bradley retorted.

"I had a game yesterday. Besides, I get to help her in a lot of other ways."

Jada rolled her dark eyes, making a fake gagging noise loud enough for both him and Holly to hear. Though she wasn't one to shy away from the sexual humor, the thought of any of her friends doing the dirty made her uncomfortable. "Thanks Jada, you seriously don't need to do anything though. Go and hang out with everyone." Holly side commented, as Jada shook her head of curls back and forth. "Hell no! You know I can't just sit around and do nothing Holly." Jada exclaimed, grabbing some of the bags and emptying it into a bowl herself. She stuck her tongue out at Holly teasingly, not letting the girl have her way.

"Heya guys! What's up," the familiar voice of Chris appeared and Jada let out a boisterous greeting in return, "Hey girlie! Chemistry always blows." she grinned, grabbing the food that Chris had brought and proceeded to open it up and place it into various bowls. Jada was enjoying having something to do all the time, it was often hard for her to sit around and do nothing when something could be done. A trait she probably received from her father.

"Jada, come chillout!" Holly called. Jada put up her hand and shooed the girl's notion. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be there in a moment." Shoving a handful of chips in her mouth she then was greeted by another member of their posse; James. "Hey guys, I'm here and I bring the gift of Jack" he called, making his appearance in the basement shortly.

"Jack Daniels?" Jada teased, her mouth full of chips. Wiping her lips with the open palm of her soft caramel skin she leaned a bit sideways to peer up the basement steps. "I seeeee you Jackson." she called in a playful voice to the other boy who had lagged behind. Giving a smile to James. The two were polar opposites in the socializing department, but they still got along fairly well. "Go ahead and grab some food and go sit down and stuff." Jada notioned to the table of snacks, gently squeezing the boy's shoulder before scooting past him to go upstairs to greet Jackson personally.

Jada's petite body climbed the steps quickly, her socks pattering on the steps as she met face to face with Jackson at the door. She had been forming a crush on the odd ball for awhile now, but didn't dare let anyone else know about. "You're supposed to take the trash out, not in." Jada said bluntly, a bit of a smirk across her soft lips as she pointed at the plastic bag of dvd's he was carrying. "Come on down, everyone is waiting." she mentioned before turning back around and hopping down the stairs, making sure he got a good look at her assets as she did.

"NOW, it's a party!" the girl cheered, plopping down in one of the chairs that littered the basement.

[Billsomething]

@Vocab"Just finishing my smoke" he told the final arrival which was half true he was finishing his cancer-stick. But it was more of excuse for his failure of not realizing that the door was unlocked.

But Jackson let the embarrassing moment slide and followed James into the mansion and head towards the basement, when he reached it he held up the bag of DVDs and announced to crowd "I brought some DVDs" he then noticed Jada walking over to him "Hey Jada would you mind taking these for me?" He said handing her the aforementioned Bag@MissCapnCrunch

[Sugar and Spite]

Christina "Chris" Asher

"Oh Jada darling, or course it blows," Chris responded. There little group was starting to gather in. Everyone was there, well except for one person: Rosie. But, she would never be back. No reason to dwell on the past. This was now. But, just like when Rosie was alive, Christina was still socially awkward, no matter how hard she tried to hide it of force herself out of her own little shell. Chris continued to eat her gummy worms, getting herself some of the mixture that Holly made, before walking over to sit in the circular chair by the couch. She nodded towards Jackson's comment about the movies. The boy tended to have decent judgement on what was interesting as far as movies went, so Chris didn't really see no problem in it. James was here now, something that the girl seen as a plus. She didn't particularly know how she felt about the boy yet, but, he was quiet, like her, always keeping to herself. And that, was something that Chris could respect.

"Wish someone had brought Jack Daniels, she said, jokingly. Truth to be told, Chris had always been more of a whiskey or vodka girl than anything. Noticing that James was shying away as usual, she would try and include him in the group. "Over here, James. Nothing to worry about, Chris said, patting the chair beside of hers.

---

---

Bradley "Brad" King

Holly coming over to sit on his knee and wrapping her arms around him, Brad would return the embrace wrapping his arms around Hollys waist before pulling her in close and kissing her on the top of the head. He then proceeded to chuckle lightly at Jadas over exaggerated gagging noise. "Any plans for the night, laddies? I'm sure you have something in those cute little minds of yours," Brad said. It was true. Holly and Jada may have been almost exact opposites, but when the two go together, there was no telling what they could conjure up. So far they had a crap-ton of junk food and alchol, he had over heard Holly ordering the Chinese... everything seemed set and good to go. Except for this gut feeling that everything was going to go wrong. He shoved the thought aside. Everything was perfect. Nothing was going to happen.

[Saz]

Holly Kate Blake

Holly smiled "we're getting Chinese food and we'll have drinks. We've also got lots of horror movies to watch. We're all going to watch them and scare ourselves silly." Holly had bought all of the worlds scariest movies ready for the night. It was Halloween the next day so Holly had planned a night of scarefest activities. Jada and Holly had also bought a ouija board. Holly wasn't going to mention that yet though. She was really excited to chill out with her friends and then scare themselves silly later on. She knew that it would be a fun filled night.