Melissa

Rosefell High.

Ellie Roberts || Rosefell High

_{(FC: Kaitlyn Dever | Dialogue: FACE75)}

Name

Eleanor Roberts

Nickames

Goes by Ellie, only her mother calls her Eleanor when she's angry.

Age

17

Gender

Female

Sexuality

Heterosexual

Relationship Status

Single

Label

Artist

School

Rosefell High

Appearance Details

• Hair: Brown | Wavy | Usually worn down and natural. She doesn’t fuss too much with it, but every so often she'll curl or straighten it for special occasions or just because she's in the mood.
• Eyes: Hazel
• Height: 5’2”
• Body Type: Ellie has a slim build and a petite frame. She's not athletic in the slightest (gym is the bane of her existence), so her arms and legs aren't all that muscular. However, her limbs and overall stature are complementary of her height and delicate facial features.
• Clothing Style: As her parents taught her from a young age, Ellie makes the most of the least and tends to thrift the majority of her clothing in order to not exhaust her limited wardrobe (and mostly save money). You’ll often find her at Savers and Salvation Army in Columbus as well as the Savers near where Liberty High used to be before they shut down, as the clothes are infinitely nicer over there. She doesn’t understand how people just get rid of designer clothes when they’re in perfect condition, but she benefits from it regardless! Her style is eclectic and vintage pieces mixed with upscale throwaways when she can find them.
• Makeup Wise: Always wears light and natural makeup at school but will put looks together to go with her outfits sometimes. If she ever wears lipstick, it's either nude or red.
• Scars, Tattoos and/or Piercings: Ellie only has her ears pierced, nothing more.

Personality Traits

It's hard to talk about Ellie's personality without first mentioning her artistic nature. A creative soul, the brunette thinks abstractly in color and sees in patterns and shapes. Whether it be through paint, music, or photography, Ellie's eye and ear when it comes to art is second to none. This talent is also quite telling of her imaginative mind. She's always envisioning new ideas and dreaming big dreams, bigger than Rosefell or Columbus, Ohio itself. The girl is incredibly passionate about her craft and her identity is heavily shaped by her artistic aspirations.

Other than her affinity to right-brained activities, Ellie is described by her friends as open, easy going and bubbly. You can always rely on her to be a sunny and bright spot on an otherwise gloomy day with her positive and cheery demeanor, and as she is unmistakably an extrovert, she will go out of her way to make an impact on others and show them that she cares. Kindhearted and loving, Ellie takes great pride and puts a heavy emphasis on showing and conveying her emotions to those that she holds close. Some might interpret it as her being sensitive, but it is simply how she expresses her feelings. It's not abnormal for her to remind her friends and loved ones every so often of how much she values having them in her life.

One of the negative things that come with being energetic is that Ellie can be inherently impulsive at times. She might jump to conclusions or say the wrong thing when she doesn't mean it (maybe even get herself into situations that aren't the best), but she always finds a unique way to think outside of the box and rewind in order to solve each predicament as they come her way.

Biography

Ellie's parents met at Rosefell High nearly 29 years ago. Although Jennifer was a sophomore and Michael was a senior getting ready to graduate, there was an unmistakable connection and chemistry between them that couldn't be ignored. They started dating, and shortly after they both graduated from Columbus State Community College a few years later, they got married and bought a house down the road from Jen's parents, settling down to start a family together. First came Gabriel, and then along came Ellie two years after.

For the first few years of the brunette's life, her mother stayed home with her and her brother while their father worked day shifts at the local Autobody shop. At night, they'd switch, and Ellie's mom would go to work at the local hospital as a nurse. This hand off wasn't by choice, but out of pure necessity, as money was quite tight in those beginning years. By the time that Ellie was 6, things were falling into place. Michael was working his way up the ranks at the shop and Jennifer was offered a position as the school nurse at Rosefell Elementary where the Roberts' children attended. For the first time, the Roberts' could enjoy their nights together as a family. They'd eat dinner together, play board games, run around outside, and read stories from old worn books. Her parents instilled creativity in their children, having them use their imaginations to make the most out of the least. Sticks from the woods were swords in their Pirate fights, pillows and blankets created castles fit for royalty, and a kiddie pool in their backyard was the ocean in their summer vacation paradise. Even though didn't have much, they were happy, and this time spent strengthened their bond.

A formative moment in Ellie's childhood was when she was roaming about the house as a toddler and stumbled across an old set of paints. The colors were what first grabbed her attention, but what really captivated her was the freedom she had to create something completely her own. It was a concept she didn't understand at the time, but looking back, it's clear that young Ellie liked to color outside the lines both metaphorically and literally. Although the back wall of the basement was ruined, the brunette had begun to forge her own path and set herself on a trajectory to where she is now as a budding artist.

Today, the Roberts' family is thriving. Ellie's father now owns the auto body shop (renamed Roberts' Auto Repair), her mother is still happily employed at the Elementary School, and her brother is off at Ohio State with plans to go to medical school. They still don't have everything, but they've certainly come a long way from where they first started. A junior at Rosefell, Ellie still has a while before graduating high school. However, knowing that college looms in the distance, she works two jobs in order to save up for tuition- on Tuesdays and Thursdays she runs an after school art program for middle schoolers, and on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, she works at the local diner waitressing. She still isn't entirely sure how she's going to fund her way through Art school, but plans on applying for every scholarship under the sun. However, for now, she's soaking up her last few years at Rosefell and is ready to take on whatever the future throws at her.

Family

Jennifer Roberts (Mother | 43 | FC: Robin Tunney)

The school nurse at Rosefell Elementary.

Michael Roberts (Father | 45 | FC: Ben Affleck)

Owner of Roberts' Auto Repair, a local autobody shop near Rosefell High.

Gabriel "Gabe" Roberts (Older Brother | 19 | FC: Cody Christian)

A student at The Ohio State University studying Biology on a Pre-Med track.

Misc.

• She drives an old Toyota Camry that was once her grandparents, but was given to her once they needed to get a new car. It was fixed up by her father, so it's in perfect condition under the hood, but it's certainly not glamorous on the outside. However, it gets her from place to place just fine!
• Ellie always carries a sketch book and pens with her wherever she goes. You never know when an idea is going to come to you!
• If you're looking for her, she can most likely be found either in the art room working on her next project or outside near the sports fields drawing flowers or playing music.

Halloween is my favorite holiday in general, but I love dressing up! Some of my favorites costumes from college include Power Rangers with a group friends (I was obvs Pink), Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy with my roommate, and a 60's housewife.

Project Untamed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.