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[color=slategray][sub][@Silver Carrot] [@Kitty] collab
Featuring: [color=fef929][b]Charity Spencer[/b][/color] and [color=hotpink][b]Miriam Archer[/b][/color]
Location: Homeroom. Time: 8:10 am[/sub][/color][/center][hr][hr]

Charity Spencer had taken her usual seat in homeroom resides Miriam. The two had been close friends for a long time, but recently, they may as well have been in different rooms for how much they talked to each other. It started with Miriam not being as interested or comfortable with their often religious topics of conversation. This gradually reduced to silence. Today that changed.

She leaned over to her fellow church girl. [color=fef929][b]”Hello, Miri,”[/b][/color] she greeted. After the recent silence, it was strange that now Charity had decided to talk, and she didn’t seem as cheerful as usual even though she was smiling.

Miriam had decided to not skip homeroom that day but her brother had so they had gone separate ways upon arriving to school. The blonde had gone pretty much straight to homeroom and sat down at her usual spot, pulling out her laptop and getting to work on editing photos while sipping on her usual tea. When editing Miriam always seemed to be pulled into a slight trance so when her long time friend spoke to her it caused her to jump slightly.

Turning and looking at Charity slightly wide-eyed Miriam blinked a few times before returning her friend’s smile with a small one of her own. The two had not spoken in quite some time as she had gradually lost interest in constant chat about religion, but here was Charity greeting her for the first time in a while. [color=hotpink][b]“Hi Charity,”[/b][/color] Miriam paused for a moment to think over her next words, [color=hotpink][b]“Um, did you need something?”[/b][/color]

Charity was relieved that her friend had answered, and felt a little more confident going forward. A little more comfortable. Her mood seemed to lighten, though she still wasn’t her cheery, saintlike self. Now she was what could be described as ‘concerned’. [color=fef929][b]”Well, I do, actually. That can wait, though. Have you been okay? You’ve seemed...off recently. Like something’s bothering you. I won’t pry. I just want to know you’re okay.”[/b][/color]

[color=hotpink][b]“Oh, I’ve been pretty fine actually. Just trying to help my brother readjust to high school life. He’s back now if you didn’t know, he’s just taking some time to readjust and you know how much I worry and care about him.”[/b][/color] Miriam softly smiled as she talked about her brother. It tore her up inside that she couldn’t tell Charity the truth about where her brother had been and what had truly been going on with the family but it wasn’t her secret to tell. She couldn’t break her brother’s trust, not like that. She did have a few ideas on how to talk to Charity about her disagreements with her parents that were causing her to grow from religion but Miriam was nervous to go about those topics as she didn’t know how her friend would react.

Charity could see something in her friend’s eyes, and on top of that her explanation didn’t explain everything. Still, Charity wasn’t one to push. If Miriam wanted to open up and tell Charity was was really bothering her, she would. Blind faith was ever a weakness of the religious. [color=fef929][b]”Alright. As long as you’re okay. If there’s ever anything you want to talk about, I’m here for you,”[/b][/color] she replied, which is not something you say to a friend if you genuinely buy their story that everything is fine. Alarm bells would be ringing, and only getting louder as Charity then leaned in and spoke quietly, creating a secretive environment between the two.

[color=fef929][b]”I actually do need something. I’m running a story on Damien’s expulsion from the football team for the school newspaper. I’m naturally going to mention the party, but I don’t trust half the things the Weekend Warrior said about it. I, uh…..look, I….I know you were there.”[/b][/color] Charity gulped after dropping that bombshell. For some reason, she was the one feeling guilty.

Miriam began to play with her necklace as her stomach sank. Her friend knew she was keeping stuff from her and that made her feel worse, but she just hoped that when the day came and Matthew finally opened up to the world that her friend would finally understand why she did all the things she did. But for now Miriam had to deal with the guilt, which only got worse when Charity revealed that she knew that Miriam was at the party.

[color=hotpink][b]“Oh…”[/b][/color] The blonde wrapped her hand around the charm of her necklace tightly as she looked down into her lap, [color=hotpink][b]“I… I’m sorry Char. I did go, I mainly went to get my brother out of the house but I’m not going to lie. I wanted to experience a party myself. I’ll answer whatever questions you have about it the best I can.”[/b][/color]

[color=fef929][b]”I understand. What a party to choose, though. You couldn’t have known that at the time. Anyway, have you read the Weekend Warrior’s blog post? I just want to know if any of those claims are things that you know are lies.”[/b][/color] She replied. She didn’t appear judgmental, or angry, or disgusted, just even more concerned for her friend. Her conclusion from last night still stood; She didn’t think that Miriam gave in to any temptation. No, Miri set out to go to a party but her choice of first party turned out to be poor. Some pieces were starting to fit.

Miriam nodded, she had read the Weekend Warrior in regards to the party and while she wasn’t quite so sure about if things were lies or not, she could say a portion of it was exaggerated. [color=hotpink][b]“I myself don’t know if anything said was false but I do believe a bit of it was exaggerated. Like I highly doubt Henry took advantage of whom I’m guessing is Parker. You see how he treats her around school, it is too brotherly or fatherly for him to have taken advantage of her. Now I can’t be quite sure on that, but it is what I believe.”[/b][/color] 

The Archer girl paused and thought back to the night some more. [color=hotpink][b]“They also didn’t lay as much blame on the others when it came to the Owen thing. They definitely were prodding and poking the guy. Unfaithful he may be, but they were provoking him. Though he did go a bit far…  The others were not called out as much though. But other than that everything else was about as truthful as I can guess. Anything happening inside after the beginning of the night was not on my radar so any of the drama in there I know nothing about. But there was something only briefly mentioned. A pretty decent sized fight broke out at the beach… I’m pretty sure one guy was knocked out plus the boy who’s reputation definitely precedes him… Lucky I think is his name… Yeah he got involved in the fight and then gave drugs to the deaf girl who was the cause of the fight.”[/b][/color]
 
[color=hotpink][b]“Basically what I’m trying to say is that while Damian and Henry may have thrown the party. There were people who did things that deserve punishment that didn’t get brought up or were just overlooked. I think we are being given this task to help show those on the wrong path back to the correct one.”[/b][/color] Miriam truly felt that way, it was the most religious she had felt in awhile but she did feel that those things she saw deserved to be brought to light better and she knew Charity would be great at writing it out.

Chari nodded. The gears were turning. She was beginning to have ideas. She’d get more information about this fight from some boys who had everything to gain from a story that put the Weekend Warrior’s recollection of events under doubt; Damian and Henry. She could ask Owen too, but she was not that brave. Besides, Trixie wouldn’t be happy either if Charity cited Owen as a source in her story. Miriam’s last sentence had brought out a strong cheeriness in Charity and she was grinning at her friend in an almost ‘you’re back!’ kind of way.

[color=fef929][b]”That is true in more ways than one, and I will try to correct both the paths of morality, and of truth, as best I can with this article, which knowing this school, my efforts will be almost inconsequential. If I can get one person to think twice about getting wasted at a party again, and one person to wonder if the accepted turn of events is the whole truth, then that will be as good a victory as I’m going to get.”[/b][/color]

Miriam grinned back at her friend, [color=hotpink][b]“With the way you write, Char. I have no doubt that you will get at least one person to think twice if not more.”[/b][/color] She knew her friend had a way with words, she always had and there was no doubt in Miriam’s mind that Charity would be able to write something strong enough to get people rethinking their actions at parties.

Charity nodded, smiling. She was relieved that the ice had been broken between them somewhat. Things weren’t quite the way they were, but Miriam was speaking to her as warmly as she used to. It got Charity thinking. Maybe the topic of conversation is what was making Miriam uncomfortable before, and that actually tied in well with everything else she knew; some, or someone, was causing Miriam to lose faith. Charity didn’t know for sure, but it was a good guess, and Charity vowed to find out what this something or somebody was, and try her best to make her friend happy again, if that were possible.

[color=fef929][b]”Thanks, Miri. If you wanna meet up later, let my know. I always have my cell on me. We haven’t done things together in a while. And I’m not talking church. I’m talking anything.”[/b][/color]

[color=hotpink][b]“I’d really like that Char. I’d really like that.”[/b][/color] Miriam was happy that she was getting her friend back, even though it was her fault for almost losing her in the beginning. But that didn’t matter because she still had Charity to count on and it made her have hope that when things did get out, she’d still have her there by her side. But it would be a while until that test on their friendship came so Miriam was just going to enjoy having time with her friend in the here and now.