[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180211/96bbf165318b2e80a5884d492354595a.png[/img]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180211/c532e43357a7c16855b30acc638fb4db.png[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Hvpgy3Y.gif[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/A7nsrrI.gif[/img] 
[sub][color=#8c92ac][b]Collab Featuring:[/b] [color=536878]Lucky[/color] [@Lovely Complex], [color=fffacd][b]Roz[/b] [@Fabricant451][/color][/color][/sub]
[color=#8c92ac][sub][b]Location:[/b] Homeroom → A smoking and makeout hot spot, under the stairway 

(Mentions of a tiny [i][color=FFD2C1]someone[/color][/i] [@Kitty])[/sub][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/3jLaw07.png?1[/img][/center]
[indent]Just another Monday morning at Beverly. In the back, leaning against the wall, Lucky Cross, the notorious bad boy of the school, rolled his red die on his right knuckles. He observed the students in silence, while partly staying aware of the girl sitting by the door scrolling through what he’d assume was her creation. [b]The Weekend Warrior[/b]. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. Her expression was as giddy as a stoner ordering McDonald’s, as to be expected with everything that transpired that night. 

Lucky was fortunate to say he witnessed the growth of the site. The ups and downs for his friend, Roz. Her labor of building something out of nothing. It took time for people to take the content of the site seriously, but with faith and appeasing the general public with words like [i]YOU WON’T BELIEVE[/i], she did it, and he was her witness. 

Freshmen year he made a personal pact with himself. He would walk alongside her until told otherwise. She gave him a friend when he needed someone the most and he gave her [i]security[/i]. Call it a coincidental meeting of like-minded minds, or two troubled teens not willing to open up to trust fund babies. Regardless of their roots, they built a system, and this system hasn’t failed them yet. 

His hazel and honey eyes that were once resting on the board trailed to an innocent face he was growing fond of looking at, though he wouldn’t admit that outloud. An eyebrow rose when he noticed her hair out of sorts, but it was her soulful eyes and the crease of her lovely brow that made her pain evident to him. An understated beauty that drew him in like a wolf was drawn to a careless shepherd's flock. She sat there amongst her friends, attempting to finish what he’d assume was forgotten homework.

How long had he been staring?

Not long enough.

Unfortunately, his moment of admiration was ripped back to reality when Roz raced out of the room. He’d have to find a time later to talk to his lamb or, which would be preferable, she would seek him out. She did have his number, after all. 

That would be absolutely delightful.  

Exiting the room, right when Trixie decided to make her grand entrance, her body shuddering when their shoulders skimmed each other’s as he left and she entered, Lucky placed his die in his pant’s pocket and strided down the hall whistling [i]Don’t Worry Be Happy[/i] by Bobby McFerrin. With precise timing, his whistling came to a stop and he found himself leaned against a wall once more, his arms crossed, staring at his friend sitting on the ground, under the stairwell. [color=536878][b]“I don’t see you celebrating. Wasn’t this your best work yet?”[/b][/color] His quizzical gaze examined her on the ground and after a short period of silence, he decided to walk to the wall she was resting on and slide down to the ground, sitting beside her -- to talk to her on the same level. [color=536878][b]“Do I need to fetch you some food?”[/b][/color] Hey, she could be hangry. Why else would her mood take a drastic turn? 

Roz Norcross really needed a cigarette. That thought was in her head and it bothered her tremendously, mainly for the simple fact that she didn’t smoke. But it was about the only thing that seemed like it would make sense, given the whirlwind that had swept her up this morning. It all started so well. People were looking at Henry and his ilk with a bit of apprehension and confusion, and it was clearly getting to the targets of the currently highest clicked on article on the entire site. In any other situation it would’ve been cause for celebration, the culmination of effort finally paying off. 

And then she had to call that fucking phone number. 

She was hoping the voice would be recognizable, but that had been wishful thinking on her part; and now here she was on the floor, slowly tilting her head against the back of the stairwell. If she had gone any faster or harder with it, she’d probably be causing permanent head trauma. Which might not have been so bad. Fortunately, her bit of mild self torture was interrupted by about the only familiar face she cared to see. Lucky was a rare one, someone Roz got on with well. Her partner in cyber crime - or libel - and his brand of chaos was perfectly meshed with her own. She sowed it with the written word, he did it with his actions. And together they ruled the school. In some corner of her mind, anyway.

[color=fffacd][b]“Food might make it worse. Let me ask you, what do you know about brunch?”[/b][/color] An odd question, but Roz didn’t give Lucky time to answer before she was elaborating. [color=fffacd][b]"Don’t know if you saw, but the new post had a generous donation, and I’m talkin’ you and I going on a weekend bender and still having enough to call rides home type of generous. Thought it was a mistake, it wasn’t. Whoever left it wants to meet me Wednesday. For fuckin’ brunch. Who the fuck eats brunch?”[/b][/color]

Roz again knocked her head against the stairwell, mercifully it was only one bump before she stopped, turning back to Lucky. [color=fffacd][b]“What do you think, worth going or nah?”[/b][/color]

A tiny [i]distraction[/i] had kept the rebel from keeping tabs on the article. The simple reactions of the student body, from their expressions to their whispers, were enough for him to get a good read on her article’s success. He carefully listened and watched her at a side glance. While she talked, he cooly dug into his jacket and grabbed his flask, offering it to her by placing it on the ground in front of them (never one to carry cigs but always one to have a drink and pills on him),  [color=536878][b]“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t go.”[/b][/color] 

Tilting his head towards her, he gave a smug smirk,  [color=536878][b]“Plus. You and brunch? Ha. [i]Hilarious[/i]. Sucks I can’t be there to watch.”[/b][/color] He didn’t want her to think too heavily on this matter, clouding the good that has come today, but he knew this would consume her mind until it was properly dealt with. Roz was admirable in that aspect. One of the most ambitious people he’s ever met.  

All jokes aside though. He cracked his fingers one by one while speaking his mind,  [color=536878][b]“There’s no doubt whoever ‘donated’ the cash is someone who’s pleased with the repercussions of your article. Process of elimination, it’s someone who can drop cash without hesitation. That doesn’t limit our options, but if we think of what your article can potentially do to the school and probably already has, we’re dealing with a person who has a motive.”[/b][/color] Shifting his body so that he was at an angle to face her more, he added,  [color=536878][b]“You want my honest opinion, Roz? I don’t think you like the feeling of doing someone else’s dirty work. This person [i]wants[/i] to meet you. You’d be jeopardizing everything [i]not[/i] knowing. What if this person bought the domain to your blog? Then what?”[/b][/color]  

[color=fffacd][b]“Then I’d move the site so fast I wouldn’t have time to archive shit.”[/b][/color] Roz shuddered at the thought, the internet was practically the last place left where she didn't’ feel the long arm of greed - and even then it was always behind the scenes just waiting for an opportunity. 

There was no hesitation when the flask was set on the ground. Roz snatched it right up and took a hearty swig. It wasn’t even ten in the morning and already she was drinking; she was going to be such a stable adult. The bitter taste of alcohol didn’t do much for nerves but it at least helped when it came to calming down. Lucky was making sense, he always did, it’s what made him effective at being a partner in mischief. Roz set the flask back down. Ever reliable, Lucky was. 

[color=fffacd][b]“I’m mildly less pissed now. If I was a better person I’d go just to refund their little donation, but I’m not above using some one-percenter’s spending cash. We all gotta eat.”[/b][/color] Ever the altruist. She was trying to keep a cool head about this whole thing, but it was clear from her whole demeanour that this was getting to her; this anonymous donation was like rain on a wedding day and ants running around the picnic blanket. But it was also kind of like Woodward and Bernstein. Something suspicious. A lead. 

[color=fffacd][b]“You know me, Lucky, I didn’t even want to put ads on the damn page until I got the first few bills from the domain. You’re right. I think I need to go. And I’m bringing a camera. I’ll bring you some cantaloupe or something.”[/b][/color] She was better, able to laugh dryly at her own remark, but the mystery benefactor would weigh on her until Wednesday. [color=fffacd][b]“Well that’s been my morning. Hasn’t been all bad, though. You get a look at Henry? First time I’ve seen him crack open a book. But how’s your stuff? Anything come of your daring scrap on the beach? Woulda written about it, but I’ve got a bit of bias.”[/b][/color]

[color=536878][b]“Better things happened that night, it was more fun and games on my part. A reason to get my hands bloody.”[/b][/color] And well, he didn’t get in the fight for the scene. He had something worth getting in a fight for. [color=536878][b]“And yeah, Henry did NOT look happy. A picture perfect moment, I’d say.”[/b][/color] 

Something did take surface on Lucky’s mind as he talked. Now deep in thought, he spoke to Roz as if he was also speaking out loud to himself, [color=536878][b]“I watched the clip you attached to your post. A few times, actually.”[/b][/color] With ease, he laid out his hand and a display from his Oracle appeared on it,  [color=536878][b]“Ivy, replay the most recent video.”[/b][/color] The scene from the party unfolded before the two.  [color=536878][b]“Ivy, pause.”[/b][/color] The clip stopped to where Owen’s left fingers started to tap against each other. A tick, possibly.  [color=536878][b]“Ivy, decrease speed by 30.”[/b][/color] The video slowly played and as it played, Lucky zoomed in with his other hand’s pointer and middle fingers on both Ophelia and Trixie noticing that subtle ‘tick’ of Owen’s. 

Intriguing.

Soon after, in the video, Owen’s hand turned into a fist. Ophelia began egging him on like an idiot. And then, Owen exploded. While the chaos unfolded, he panned to Hailey in the background, behind all those involved, [b]smiling[/b] and then…  [color=536878][b]“Ivy. Pause.”[/b][/color] He stopped the clip when Hailey grabbed a hold of Trixie’s wrist.  [color=536878][b]“People are fascinating.”[/b][/color] It’s hard to question someone’s intention when they’re someone you think would never do harm to you. If Lucky wasn’t mistaken, all the HOT girls, including Selena, were connected not just by friendship, but also by blood.  [color=536878][b]“Do you ever get curious why something happens? What’s behind the obvious?”[/b][/color]

Roz watched the video with almost as much intensity as Lucky had. When it came to posting videos on posts, Roz typically did the bare minimum. She confirmed its validity and looked for obvious signs of doctoring, if there were any obvious signs the video likely went up anyway since clicks were what drew revenue. She watched the fight video and put it up but hadn’t given it much viewing after the fact. The way Lucky was speaking, pausing the video and all that, Roz was getting a feeling that there was a potential story here. 

[color=fffacd][b]“Curiosity got me a brunch date. You think there’s something more to this?”[/B][/color] Roz had barely paid attention to anyone other than Owen and Marshall when she watched it before blogging about it; that had been all she really need to backup the whole ‘gay bashing’ thing that drew in so many wonderful clicks. [color=fffacd][b]“You know what I say about this, follow your gut instinct. You want to do some digging? Could be there was more to the fight than I thought. Could be something to exonerate Owen. Could be nothing. Why do I get the feeling we’re not done with New Year’s?”[/b][/color] 

The day was turning around. Suddenly instead of stress relating to benefactors and brunches there was the allure of a deeper narrative. Like Watergate, only involving high school students. If there was more to the story, then as far as Roz was concerned she owed it to herself to learn the truth. And if there was something more, then maybe the student body deserved to know it as well. 

[color=536878][b]“I always think there’s something more. Even if it leads us to a dead end, we won’t know until we dig. Things just seem like they’re falling into place too… perfectly. One thing, after the other, planned chaos that isn’t something we’ve made. It’s like all we do is add gasoline to an already lit fire.”[/b][/color] Lucky grabbed his flask and took a swig of his own before standing up and putting his flask away.  

Offering his hand for Roz to grab, Lucky gave a devious grin, [color=536878][b]“We might as well keep ourselves busy before your big date. The Weekend Warrior isn’t going to write itself and the New Year just begun. Let’s find ourselves a story.”[/b][/color][/indent]