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[img]https://i.imgur.com/lZDyBe3.png?1[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/N2Nwk5Q.gif[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/kiskApz.gif[/img]

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[color=silver][color=DDA0DD][b]Bailee[/b][/color] & [color=ff9c23][b]AJ[/b][/color]
Collab with [@Lovely Complex][/color]
[color=silver]In the hallway, at the start of homeroom[/color]
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[indent]Bailee had been parading through the hallways, throwing flyers at everything that had a pulse and breathed, when she stumbled across quite the sight: Marshall Radley and Jamie Callaghan canoodling by the lockers near Winship’s room. Now, she may had been gone for nearly six months, but she [i]knew[/i] that said certain blonde had dumped her longtime family friend, a one AJ Tyler, and left him in the dust. However, she didn’t hold that against him and thought it was nice to see him moving onto someone new.

Or so she thought.

All of a sudden a certain casanova swooped in and ruined the moment, causing one boy to run off in distress, and the other to begin screaming and yelling in anger and frustration. It seemed disaster seemed to follow [i]wherever[/i] AJ went. Once both boys had vanished, the brunette stormed over to the offending party, visibly unhappy with his choices. [color=DDA0DD][b]“What the hell was that?”[/b][/color] Bailee seethed, not even bothering for the stereotypical happy reunion with her friend, as this was the first time she had seen him in many, [i]many[/i], months. 

AJ was taken aback with the sight of his [i]lovely[/i] homegirl and her irritated demeanor. He knew the Helmsley triplets were back since the moment they landed, thanks to his bro, Brian, but he hadn’t seen any of them until this very moment.  He had the [i]honor[/i] of reuniting with the ‘sweetheart’ of the batch first. Was she actually a sweetheart? Depends on the season. Her reasons. And definitely never during his lifetime. If looks could kill, he’d be dead on the spot. On numerous occasions. But not because she had a bite that matched her bark, nah man. Bailee, and all the Helmsley Three for that matter, were bangin’ hot. She was bangin’ hot. He was surprised no one decided to tap that and make her theirs. Well, one of the reasons could be no one was up to par with her standards, and the other? They were too scared to approach her. For a tiny girl, she knew how to make big people cower. AJ, not so much. 

The dynamic between the two was almost hysterical. While she reprimanded him for his ways, he couldn’t be anymore happier to see her. His lips rose into the dumbest, cheesiest grin any human being could ever make.  [color=ff9c23][b]“Bailsssssssssssssssss. Where the hell did you come from?”[/b][/color] As bold as he was with Jamie, he pulled his friend into a bear hug. [color=ff9c23][b]“How long has it been, a century?”[/b][/color] It wasn’t like he was intentionally dodging her question, she was just too cute not to hug. Oh, and now he could see her cute butt.

Bailee, on the other hand, was [i]not[/i] enthused in the slightest. Remaining stiff as a board in AJ’s strong embrace, she somehow managed to squirm out of his grasp and continued to give him the coldest look she could manage. Especially since she was not a ‘hugger’ by any means, the brunette was not pleased. At all. [color=DDA0DD][b]“Don’t you ‘Bails’ me, [i]Alfie[/i].”[/b][/color] She replied, intentionally using his first name, which she knew he absolutely hated, in order to level the playing field. [color=DDA0DD][b]“Save the pleasantries for someone else, now tell me what the fuck I just saw.”[/b][/color]

This bitch. Did she fucking call him Alfie? The happy face that once was written all over AJ, was now red with suppressed rage. With gritted teeth, holding his tongue for a moment to really digest what his childhood friend did, his form began to hunch, exuding spite and malice. Did he need to remind her who the fuck she was talking to? Regardless of their history together, there was one line in AJ’s book no one crossed and that was calling him by [i]that[/i] name. Any other form of attack, he’d be more civil, but in this instant, Bailee Helmsley set AJ Tyler off. Making sure their eyes were locked, the boy clenched his right fist so hard that his knuckles started turning white. The halls oddly enough were now empty. They should be in homeroom now. 

One final door had closed shut, the door closest to them, before AJ slammed his fist onto the closet locker to them both, inches away from her face. The slamming sound echoed throughout the hall.  [color=ff9c23][b]“Are you [i]fucking[/i] high? You got to be the [i]stupidest[/i] out of your siblings. Aren’t you supposed to take over daddy’s company? Neither Becca or Brian would be this fucking [i]dumb[/i]. Do you think this is a joke? Do you think I’m a fucking joke!?”[/b][/color]  His words were loud, seething with poison, and threatening. If it weren’t for their already established bond, he might’ve snapped worse. 

Although AJ normally was the lighthearted one of the group, when he got serious, he meant it. [color=ff9c23][b]“How much do I amuse you, [i]Bailee[/i]?  How bad do you want to laugh at me? Like a [i]clown[/i].”[/b][/color] To say Bailee set her friend off was an understatement. He leaned in closer to her, making sure she had a good look at his face, his arguably hurt eyes never letting go of her stare, [color=ff9c23][b]“Then laugh, [i]bitch[/i].”[/b][/color] Actually, this was the first time in Bailee’s life to use this card. She heard stories but never did she witness how AJ got. Truth be told, this wasn’t even how bad he got. There were three things you didn’t do as a friend of AJ’s. Use his first name, talk bad about his mama, or act like you have any authority over him.  When AJ was loyal to you, that’s all he asked. There are ways to get him to do stuff for you, like tell you what had transpired moments ago in the hall with his ex, this was not one of those ways.

He waited. 

He wanted her to laugh. 

Bailee was quite a patient person in practice. She dealt with difficult people everyday at Helmsley Enterprises with the grace and poise of someone twice her age. The girl never managed to show any truly negative emotions towards clients and business partners alike. She was constructive, sure, but she never was outwardly demeaning or crude. But in that very moment, Bailee was shocked to find out that there was an end to her patience. And his name was AJ Tyler. 

She tried her best not to flinch as his hand collided with the metal merely inches from her cheek, and swallowed her words through his fiery rant, but the way he spoke about her drew the line. Bailee could feel the anger swelling inside of her, and losing her cool was not something she did quite often. So much so that her next actions even shocked her. 

Bailee slapped him.

[i]Hard[/i].

[color=DDA0DD][b]“Don’t you [i]ever[/i] speak to me that way. I am smarter than you will ever be, and if you have a problem with that, you can tell it to [i]my[/i] billion dollar company.”[/b][/color] She could feel her face growing red as she berated the boy in front of her. [color=DDA0DD][b]“You need to step the [i]fuck[/i] back. [i]God[/i], it is so hard to try to help you when you’re hurting other people.”[/b][/color] She spoke in a low voice fueled with rage. She only wanted the best for him, and he made it so much more difficult to care. [color=DDA0DD][b]“What is [i]wrong[/i] with you, AJ.”[/b][/color] 

Bailee breathed out in disbelief appalled at her childhood friend. Feeling the panic bubbling up inside of her, she tried to keep the floodgates of her anxieties from crashing in. Ignoring the bout of anger, Bailee said what she initially wished to say when she first walked over. [color=DDA0DD][b]“He dumped you, it’s over, [i]move on[/i].”[/b][/color]

AJ was silent. Silent for an uneasy amount of time. He didn’t touch his cheek which had her print engraved on it, like a mark of shame, but would soon fade in time. Was he ashamed of anything he did? No. Was he even upset she slapped him? No. What he did care about was the fact that someone he’s missed, a fuck ton, greeted him with disrespect. His main friends were always gone, the Helmsley three, her, in particular, on her business trips, and Cece, the biggest goddamn tourist known to date. So that left him bothering Damian a lot to entertain him with video games. That wouldn’t be the case anymore because now his boy was preoccupied with his own Joy. 

The slap, however, did help him gain himself again. He turned to face her, his eyes were narrowed, cold, hard, distant. AJ always had this customary warmth about him, but when he was upset, when someone offended his sensibilities, he was different. Unusually different. 

Detached and with no trace of kindness, he flatly quipped, [color=ff9c23][b]“When you know how it feels, then you can come talk to me. But you don’t. You don’t know how it feels to be led on. To still have a chance. To still see that he cares. How could you? The only risks you’re willing to take involves ‘your billion dollar company’.”[/b][/color] AJ was over this. He needed to go for a drive. 

Not waiting for her to give an uncaring remark, tired from her words that did cut deeply into the jock’s heart, he dismissed himself,  [color=ff9c23][b]“You’re late.”[/b][/color] And he walked past her, his shoulder gently skimming against her arm’s skin, [color=ff9c23][b]“If you need a ride tonight, you have my number.”[/b][/color] And with that, he was gone. 

Bailee could still feel her fingers tingling from the harsh skin to skin contact, her heartbeat loud and ringing in her ears. What a warm welcome back to school this was, getting into a fight within her second hour of being on campus. The brunette never openly showed her anger, especially to those whom she loved, so never in a million years did Bailee think she would slap her best friend. Pent up rage was a bitch, and now that is was gone, she was left feeling drained, exhausted, and running on empty.

His cold words reverberated through her head and played on repeat as he stormed off. [I]You don’t know how it feels[/I]. [I]You’re late[/I]. She knew he meant she was late for class, but the words took on a whole other meaning.

The fact of the matter was that Bailee [I]was[/I] late. Six months late, in fact.

She wasn’t there when AJ needed her most; she was [I]never[/I] there when it counted. The girl couldn’t even relate to him, getting dumped was something she’d never experienced, hell, she’d never even been in a relationship. The boy felt so distant from her, which made the situation all the more painful. 

Bailee stood by the lockers for a minute or two after AJ left, absolutely dumbfounded and not knowing what to do with herself. Somewhat gaining a sliver of her composure back, she turned around and walked away. Where? She didn’t know, but she knew two things for sure.

One. She felt incredibly guilty. Two. She was certainly going to drink tonight.
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