Melissa

Rosefell High.

Alright, I’m caving.

Aiden Howard || Male || Liberty High Student || FC: Rudy Pankow || 2D7DD2
Ellie Roberts || Female || Rosefell High Student || FC: Kaitlyn Dever || FACE75

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

_{Mentions: Summer @Danvers, Calypso @canaryrose, Alayna @Qia , and Isolde @Blizz}

Within a few minutes of being in her new room, Maggie had already made excellent headway in getting settled. She had sorted her personal effects on the side table, made a small home for the few books on top of her dresser, and hid some shoes under her bed. Her suitcase lay open on her bed, half of the clothes already having found their way into the closet, and the rest folded and organized in piles. She wasn’t a heavy packer, but the blonde had brought plenty of outfit options due to the unknown nature of the coven house when not there for official business. She didn’t know if the elders dressed up every day, or if that was just a solstice or gathering kind of thing, so it was better to overdress then not. She was so focused on color coding and separating her tops that she didn’t hear Summer walk in until she spoke, inquiring why she was on her own whilst everyone else socialized.

Uncharacteristically, Maggie clapped back in an unexpected way. “I could ask you the same thing…” The blonde raised an eyebrow, commenting on the fact that she was also alone and unsure whether Summer was judging her or attempting to initiate small talk. Settling for the latter and giving the redhead the benefit of the doubt, she quickly changed her tone. “I just wanted to get a head start on unpacking and selfishly pick out the best bed in the room for myself before Calypso and Alayna got the chance.” The bookworm added in a laugh, taking another shirt out of her suitcase, folding it once more, and putting it in the proper pile. “You had the right idea about showering though- I feel so gross after sleeping outside last night, so I’ll probably do the same.”

It ended up that leaving the door open was a good idea after all as Isolde appeared in the doorway to ask the ordering of the rooms. Maggie wanted to be approachable and hoped that her fellow witches would feel comfortable enough to pop their head in whenever they pleased. With a friendly smile, the blonde assisted. “You’re one room off- it’s directly next to this one. Even numbers are on one side of the hall, odds are on the other.” Many trips up to the coven house as a child had proven useful, as Maggie knew the whereabouts of each room pretty well for someone who didn’t live there year-round. “I don’t think we got the chance to introduce ourselves last night. I’m Maggie, and this is Summer.” The blonde motioned to herself as well as the redhead. “You’re from another coven, right? In the mountains?”

The Sisters of the Dying Branch

_{Mentions: Charlie @KaijuBaragon, Calypso @canaryrose, Alayna @Qia}

By the time that dawn creeped over the silhouette of the tree line, Maggie had already been awake for almost an hour. Her fellow witches hadn’t stirred from their slumber yet, but the blonde’s eyes refused to close after she had opened them to the gentle, yet unknown sounds of the wood. Since she was kid, the girl had never been completely okay with spending the night anywhere other than her home. Call it anxiety or homesickness, but the fact was that she was very much out of her comfort zone. So, when she couldn’t get back to sleep, Maggie just lay in her sleeping bag thinking and over thinking. Did she make the right choice by coming here to spend the summer with strangers and peers? Only time would tell.

As soon as the Earth was kind enough to provide natural light, the blonde clamored out of her makeshift bed and rolled it up nicely, grabbed her things, and walked back over to the coven house. Propping herself on the porch swing like she had the day prior, she flipped open her book and read until it was an acceptable hour. Every now and again she would look back over to the campsite to see if anyone else had awoken, maybe someone she could talk to while they waited for the Elders to fetch them for breakfast. But the one person who did wake up, a certain redhead, fled into the woods for a stroll, leaving Maggie to her own devices until the rest of the group decided to show signs of life.

8AM finally came around, and when Sister Lark exited the house to gather the campers, the blonde walked inside and helped herself to the breakfast that she had smelled wafting out of the open windows. She stopped in the hallway as she passed by to review the roommates list that had been pinned to the bulletin board and luckily, she had been paired with Calypso and Alayna. Maggie was excited to get the chance to reconnect with her old friend- she had tried last night, but the evening got away from them due to the… altercation, but things should be smoother now that they were underneath one roof with the Elders. As for Alayna, the girl seemed easy enough to get along with, so she hoped that their room wouldn’t have any real issues.

Maggie watched as the other witchlings finally filed in, commenting on the list and filling their bellies with the delicious food that had been prepared. The blonde, after cleaning her plate, decided to walk up the stairs in order to unpack her things and get the first pick of beds in the room. However, instead of closing the door, in an uncharacteristic move by the quiet bookworm she decided to keep it open so that any passerby could pop their head in. Hopefully, that would start this summer off on the right foot.

Project Untamed

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You, me, bathroom now”

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

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meadow University

_{Featuring Nolan Murphy @Melissa and Theodore Bonfamille @Metanoia}
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After excusing himself abruptly, Nolan found himself leaning up against the bar with a glass of whiskey in hand that held a single round ice cube. As he sipped on his poison of choice, he tried to fight his emotions from getting the better of him, Bas’ wink replaying over and over in his head. Was it something that the football player had said earlier that started it? One of his mannerisms or choice of words that was telling enough for Bas to figure it out? In any case, Nolan was on high alert, taking note of every breath and every glance.

Finishing the drink and promptly ordering another, the boy made the executive decision to head back to his friends before they had the chance to grow suspicious. Swirling the new sustenance in his hand, he began to saunter back to the corner table where his boozy and belligerent teammates sat blissfully unaware of the dilemma he was currently facing, but stopped as he noticed Theo sitting at one of the tables. As a kid, Nolan remembered numerous days running around campus with the Bonfamille triplets, young and naive without a care in the world. Things had certainly changed since then, but that didn’t mean that the football player couldn’t be social.

The dark haired boy offered the redhead a smile as he approached. “Party of one this evening?” He asked, noticing that Theo was sitting alone amongst pulled out and shuffled chairs at the table, meaning that previously people had been sitting there.

Theo had been so deep in his own thoughts over the impulsive text messages he sent Mac’s way, wondering how or if she would respond, wondering if she even saw them, that he didn’t notice Nolan pull up a seat at the secluded table he was sitting at. He offered his old friend a casual shrug and a smile. ”Not anymore it’s not,” he mused, grunting through a chuckle as he adjusted himself in his seat. “So what’s going on man? Figured you’d be huddled over there with your brothers in arms.” He glanced at the football players who were still as rambunctious as they were since Theo arrived with Connor and the others.

“I was,” Nolan started to reply, watching as Theo looked over at his teammates who were doing god knows what. “But I’ve been with them for almost six hours straight now and I needed a break.” The tall boy laughed as he took another sip of his drink, setting the glass down on the table and crossing a leg casually over the other. “Where are your other thirds? I thought I saw Maddie over here… did she leave already?”

“Six hours?” Theo let out an extended, slow and low whistle to announce his surprise at the man’s comment. “That’s six more than I could stand -- no offense. You’re the only one from that team who isn’t insufferable.” Theo was known for his honesty, though Bas was always the one who had some tact, which speaking of, Theo hadn’t thought of them for a bit. He did a quick search for them and noticed that at least one of them was gone. “I don’t know man. Bas isn’t anywhere in sight and I don’t see Mads. Guess they ditched me,” He laughed, “which is exactly what I did to them at the bash. Might as well be karma giving me a firm kick in the ass for being a shit brother.”

The dark haired boy nodded, a smirk crossing his features. “You get used to it after a while- you also learn how to tune them out when they get annoying as fuck.” As much as he loved his teammates and as much as they were his brothers, he could agree with Theo that they sometimes could be quite unbearable. But Nolan froze as Bas’ name came up in conversation. Did Theo see the wink? The football player tried to shake off the nerves that coursed through his veins and simply shrugged.

“I think one of the bars in town is doing welcome back specials, wouldn’t be surprised if they stopped by.” At the Bonfamille boy’s statement regarding the bash, Nolan couldn’t help but assure him that it was not the case. “I doubt you’re a shit brother- everyone has to have gotten over the fight. Sometimes things just get out of control. How’s your hand?”

“I appreciate that.” Maybe it was how close to his emotions he was tonight or just the right moment, but Theo did appreciate Nolan’s comments. Or maybe he was still reeling from the emotional performance his brother gave earlier and how it was unofficially dedicated to him. Maybe Theodore needed that and what Nolan said was just reaffirming that maybe he wasn’t as bad as he thought he was. “The hand doesn’t hurt as much as it did. More of an annoyance than anything else. I’m more interested in finding out who the leak was, if I’m being honest.” Theo thought back to what Connor’s professor/friend let slip up. “Especially after what Connor told me.” He said as he took a slow, tension-building sip from his beer glass.

But Theo’s vague statement piqued Nolan's interest. The football player’s future was almost jeopardized due to the probation that the junior class was subjected to, AND If the redhead had any leads about who leaked the video, he certainly wanted to know. Casually, he probed for more. “What did Connor tell you?”

Theo grunted as he leaned forward, gesturing Nolan to do the same. “So get this: Connor’s programming professor, Anderson, was hitting the sauce a little too hard and implied someone from our year might be behind the leak.” The good thing about being isolated from most of the chatter and hollering in the bar menat that Theo didn’t have to keep his voice too low, but he made sure to speak loud enough so Nolan could hear every word. “Crazy, right?”

Eyebrows raised, the dark haired boy took in the information that Theo gave him. Someone from their own year had ratted them out? How did that even make any sense? The great bash was a rite of passage, the biggest and most anticipated event of the year. And with only two left for the Junior class (well, now one), why would anyone want to ruin that for them? Nolan shook his head. “That’s bullshit, if it really was someone from our year, they’re going to have hell to pay.” The boy took another small sip of his drink, nursing it to make it last just a little bit longer. “Well… who wasn’t at the bash? I would only assume that if they leaked the video, they probably didn’t go.”

He shrugged. “I honestly wouldn’t know. I was too busy chilling with Connor and giving Cassian Lee some tender loving with my fist to keep track.” That produced a subtle grin on the young man’s face and he chuckled as he remembered the look on Cass’ face when Theo got one over him, regardless how limited it lasted. “Truth be told, man, I don’t even know if anyone keeps track of the invites. This year's Bash was so kept under wraps, nobody tied to last years knows anything.” There was a bit of worry and possible frustration in Theo’s voice. “I mean, that’s a lot of people to keep track of. And it’s not like the bash is everybody’s scene, ya know?”

A laugh escaped Nolan’s lips as he nodded in agreement- it was a well known fact that the Bash planning was top secret in order to not let the administration figure it out. He tried to think on the top of his head who didn’t attend the bash that he knew of, but it was difficult considering he wasn’t even there himself. At least he had an alibi that he was at Football practice. “So we then know two things about the person… they’re our year and they were in the know enough to be aware of what happened, possibly not even having attended the Bash. In any case, the only logical explanation, in my opinion, is that they had to be tied to either you or Cassian in some way and be frustrated enough to leak the video.”

“Okay Sherlock Holmes,” Theo laughed, taking a slow sip from his glass. “But let’s say you’re right and they are connected to the two idiots in the video--” Theo had to laugh at himself before everyone else could, “--who do we got on that list?” Theo wasn’t an easy person to get along with. He honestly had more enemies than friends, so trying to reduce the list was proving to be difficult. “Well, I know we can knock off Bas and Mads off that list. Conner and Shi, too. Not only would they never do anything like that, they want to see this person get what’s coming to them as badly as we do…” He looked at Nolan, “well, probably not as much as you do but still, it’s up there.”

“Theo, you don’t understand,” Nolan started, unsure of whether it was a good idea to bring it up, but the redhead seemed like a safe enough confidant for this information. “You can’t say anything because no one knows, but I have Med school riding on this. Probation could screw me royally and bar me from getting accepted. I don’t know why the hell this person leaked the video, but my future could be ruined because of it, and I wasn’t even at the Bash.”

Well, Theo didn’t expect that to come from Nolan’s lips. He had always pegged the football coach’s son and star quarterback as someone who always wanted to do the whole nine yards. There had never been a moment in all the time Theo knew him that he was actually here for something else entirely. But thinking back, Nolan had always been exceptional at the science-related classes they shared. So it’s not like it should be a total shock, but alas, here was uncharacteristically-silent Theo being a mute because he didn’t know what to say.

“Damn Nolan. Okay, so it’s no wonder you’re so anxious to get to the bottom of this.” Theo rubbed the back of his head and let out a somewhat slow breath. “Alright, we’ll figure this out man. There is no way your going to be fucked out of a medical degree because some stupid bastard decided to play with things they don’t understand. I’m with you on this.” Theo put his fist out in front of Nolan as if wanting him to pound it.

Nolan was thankful that Theo was on his side, and bumped his fist in appreciation. Although he did not expect to tell anyone, especially a Bonfamille, his secret, it felt good for someone else to know and support him. “Thanks, dude.” He tipped back his glass, finishing the rest of his drink in one fell swoop. “I’m gonna make sure the person who did this will get what’s coming to them, you just wait and see.”

Project Untamed

_{Mentions: Sam @HaleyTheRandom}

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

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

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

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

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

“Looks like we both got what we wanted.”

Project Untamed

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

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

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

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

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

Griffin Pierce.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Project Untamed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You look so hot tonight.”

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

Project Untamed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Cheers?”

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

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

Killing it? Absolutely not.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At least she was self aware?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yeah, of course! That sounds cool."

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

Project Untamed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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