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[color=slategray][sub]Collab Featuring:[/sub][/color] [color=0073d8][sub][b]Dixon[/b][@Silent Observer][/sub][/color] [color=slategray][sub]&[/sub][/color] [color=ba314c][sub][b]Katie[/b][/sub][/color] [color=slategray][sub]&[/sub][/color] [color=ff9c23][sub][b]Noah[/b][@smarty0114][/sub][/color]
[color=slategray][sub]Mentions:[/sub][/color] [color=a52521][sub][b]Owen[/b][@Universorum][/sub][/color]
[color=slategray][sub]Day: Tuesday Morning[/sub][/color]
[color=slategray][sub]Location: Mrs. Winship’s Homeroom[/sub][/color]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/g5a0Ujv.png[/img][/center]
[indent]A haunting C sharp rang out through the practice room as Johnny Dixon played the final note of his original piece, one that he was planning to perform at the upcoming drama club’s fundraising talent show. It still needed a lot of work, and much like the boy who composed it, the piece was imperfect, and finicky. The mood wasn’t right, and it certainly wasn’t illustrating his emotions properly. Not that Dixon would own up to it, but this was because he wasn’t admitting the emotions that he was trying to portray to himself yet. The melody felt trapped, and that’s what would make it beautiful to any outsider that might hear him playing. It was trapped, just like he was. There was emotion and passion in the music, it just wasn’t what he had meant for it to be — it was better, but he would never see it that way.

Being a creator was maddening at times, so it was no mystery to JD as to why many of the greats fell prey to their insanities. He could relate. Sighing, JD pulled his bow away from the A string and let the room fall into deafening silence. It was peaceful, for a moment. That was what this was meant to be… [i]peaceful[/i]. Even when Dixon didn’t have a talent show to prepare for, he spent most mornings alone in the practice room with his beloved [url=https://i.imgur.com/PRtOGq3.png]Ella[/url]. This regular morning practice, like taekwondo, had been recommended by Dr. Thomas. He said that routines could be healthy, that they were a calming constant to a mind so frequently wrapped up in chaos.

JD placed Ella and her bow in a velvet-lined case with an intimate, delicate touch. Everything about JD’s music and artistry stood in stark contrast to the turbulent way that he lived the rest of his life. When the case was clasped closed, the gentle part of himself was shut away for the day. He was in the process of placing his viola in one of the many metal compartments in the instrument locker room when the door a few feet away burst open. He tilted his head back enough past the locker door to see the familiar frame of one particular upperclassman drama star. The cute one.

No! Not the cute one... What? Just like he shut the metal locker in front of him, JD slammed that thought to the back of his mind. It was curious, though, that Marshall was back here at this time of day. Usually the only people JD ran into here at this hour were fellow band geeks and orchestra nerds. His cat-like curiosity got the best of him, and he wandered over to the practice room that the taller boy had holed himself up in. 

Standing on his tiptoes, Dixon peeked through the small window just in time to see Marshall forcefully kick the single chair in the center of the practice room towards the back corner. [color=0073d8][i]Yikes.[/i][/color] That kind of rage was familiar, JD could both sympathize and relate to it. Briefly, he considered walking in and seeing if there was anything that he could do to help — but the popular drama king was then quickly reduced to a crying heap on the floor. [color=0073d8][i]Double yikes.[/i][/color] Dixon immediately ducked back down so that he was flat on his feet once more. He felt guilty that he had so blatantly intruded on what seemed to be a very personal moment. Part of him still wanted to help, but that would mean admitting to having seen the whole thing, which he wasn’t willing to do.

Instead of sticking around the music rooms to be caught as a spy, JD made his way towards homeroom. He was already late, but he was a straight A student (looks can be deceiving), so Mrs. Winship likely wouldn’t care. Not that she really cared regardless of your grades, but JD didn’t know that about her yet. This was his first semester with Winship as a homeroom teacher, and he’d missed homeroom yesterday, so he didn’t really know her quirks. Dixon paused in the doorway of the classroom, unsure of where to seat himself. He didn’t want to be a clingy younger brother and sit next to Trev, and he didn’t want to be the annoying freshman to sit by Owen, and he also didn’t really have that many other friends, so… this was a tough decision. Relenting to just sit by himself in proper emo fashion, Dixon attempted to slink towards the back of the room unnoticed.

[color=ba314c][b]”DIXON!”[/b][/color]

Katie had stood up from her chair, waving at the boy, cheerful as ever. Her shout had drawn the attention of most of the class, leading Noah to put his head down, his face red from the attention Katie had brought to them. Katie however, couldn’t have cared less. She reveled in the attention she was receiving, even if her friend didn’t.

Dixon startled. Why on earth was someone yelling his name? The friendly version too, not JD, or Johnny. Dixon. He peeked up through a curtain of bright green and brown fringe to see Katie Callaghan, standing up from her chair and waving him over. Dixon ducked his head down and headed in that direction, if only to get her to sit back down and not be so… loud? JD didn’t like being at the center of attention, not even when he was on the stage playing. It was embarrassing. [color=0073d8][b]“Hi,”[/b][/color] he greeted his theater friend meekly and took a seat.

Katie grinned, returning to her seat as JD headed over and sat down next to her and Noah. She liked JD, all things considered. She’d met him through drama club, seeing as how he was part of the orchestra, and as reluctant as he’d been to let her in, Katie was a persistent girl. She had made sure they became friends. [color=ba314c][b]“Dixon, this is Noah, I’m sure I’ve told you about him. Y’know, the one that does all the art? Noah, this is Dixon,”[/b][/color] Katie said.

Noah was doing his best to blend in, up until Katie went and introduced him to her friend. Why did she always do that? His face still tinged pink, a reminder of the intense blush he’d had kicking moments ago. He brought his head up, his blue eyes halting on one… masterpiece. The first thing that Noah caught was his hair, bright green, radioactive almost. A warning sign that shouted [b]“Noah! Don’t Touch!”[/b] but only made Noah want to touch him more. And the metal that poked out through the boy’s lips? Woah. This kid was just bursting at the seams with color and he was so… him. He didn’t give any fucks. Or at least, he didn’t seem like he did. Noah realized, after staring for what was probably way too long, that he hadn’t spoken yet. [color=7eff9a][b]“Oh, uh, hi,”[/b][/color] Noah said, trying his best not to panic, despite the telltale heat of blood rushing to his face.

At least Katie had stopped yelling when Dixon sat down, that was a relief. He hadn’t bothered to look at who was sitting next to her — JD made a habit of not really looking at people unless he was talking to them, and even then it was with limited eye contact, which was simply an odd social quirk that he had. Katie made quick work of forcing the young emo out of that by introducing whoever it was beside her. Noah... like the guy who loved animals and built a ship for them or whatever, Dixon recognized the name from previous conversations he’d had with her. By conversations, he mostly meant that she talked… and he listened. Katie was nice though, he liked Katie. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have come over here. JD looked up from his desk briefly to meet the eyes of this… oh wow, he didn’t look like some bible dude. Dixon’s gaze lingered for an uncharacteristically long couple of seconds before he focused it back at his hands atop the desk. 

[color=0073d8][b]“Art’s cool.”[/b][/color] Well, that was smooth. Was he trying to be smooth? No. Maybe… [color=0073d8][b]“I’m Dixon… or, JD. Dixon’s better though.”[/b][/color] Like the last name of the Walking Dead guy, JD didn’t admit that, but if people associated him with being badass and killing zombies, that was cool with him. 

Noah grinned, and looked down at the tile floor of their homeroom, doing his best to look away from this radioactive boy’s gaze. Two words, ‘Art’s cool,’ ran through his head, over and over. [color=7eff9a][i]Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod![/i][/color] Noah’s stomach was doing flips, his heart was pounding, his palms were clammy. Was this radiation poisoning? 

Katie on the other hand, was far from distressed by JD’s appearance, in fact, she’d long since stopped focusing too much on it. The kid dressed different and he dyed his hair bright colors. Big whoop. Instead she was focused on the more important things in life. Like where JD was gonna be tonight. [color=ba314c][b]“Dixon, you’re going to the Helmsley thing tonight, right? Me and Noah are going, we’ve gotta make sure my idiot brother doesn’t get his face pounded in,”[/b][/color] Katie said, tilting her head over to where Jamie was sitting. Noah, having heard his name, looked up for a moment, clearly confused. [color=ba314c][b]“Oh I forgot to tell you. We’re going to the party,”[/b][/color] Katie said, earning a resigned shrug from her friend. Noah had learned by now that Katie frequently got what she wanted.

[color=0073d8][b]“Helmsley thing?”[/b][/color] Dixon looked up at Katie, meeting her eyes without much struggle. Katie was familiar enough of a person to get a full on look from JD, not just a sideways glance. He looked… confused. Although they were plastered all over the halls, he hadn’t seen the flyers. Dixon was often so far within his own head that he missed out on the happenings of his surroundings, especially when he had headphones in — which, he did this morning. [color=0073d8][b]“I mean, maybe? I’ve, uh… never been to a high school party before.”[/b][/color] Or any party, really, besides a family gathering or birthday party. 

What about Jamie’s face now? Dixon followed Katie’s gaze towards her brother, who was sitting at a table full of ladies, as per usual. The other token boy in that group wasn’t present. Weren’t they like… a thing, or something? JD remembered how angry he had seen Marshall earlier and his eyes widened… no way, that couldn’t be right… [color=0073d8][b]“Woah… w-who did that?”[/b][/color]

[color=ba314c][b]“You’re kidding me, right? The Helmsley’s are throwing this party on their yacht. It’s gonna be wicked, I’m sure,”[/b][/color] Katie explained, pulling a flyer out of her backpack and handing it to JD. [color=ba314c][b]“Jamie’s face? Owen Lyon.”[/b][/color] 

[color=0073d8][b]“What?!”[/b][/color] Dixon hissed out in a shocked whisper, taking the flyer he was being handed without much thought. JD was close to the supposed perpetrator, very close. They sparred at the combat club all the time. They were friends. Owen’s dad was his mentor, one of his idols, even. [color=0073d8][b]“Owen, you’re sure?”[/b][/color] He spoke quietly, his voice still colored with disbelief.

[color=ba314c][b]“Yeah, Jamie and him got into some scrap yesterday,”[/b][/color] Katie said, careful not to hand out too many details. She knew Jamie’s job for Trixie was supposed to be on the downlow, and Katie didn’t want to blow his cover. [color=ba314c][b]“It’s not a big deal. But, what is a big deal, is the party. You’re coming, it’ll be ace, we’ll all have a good time,”[/b][/color] Katie decreed, smiling. Noah shrugged, and chanced another glance at Dixon. 

[color=7eff9a][b]“Yeah, you should come,”[/b][/color] Noah eeked out, trying to appear cool and collected, and landing somewhere closer to awkward and terrified.

Katie grinned. [color=ba314c][b]“See! Even Noah wants you to come! And how could you resist that pretty face?”[/b][/color] Katie teased, nudging Noah playfully.

[color=0073d8][b]“Huh?”[/b][/color] Dixon was thoroughly distracted from the fact his close friend might have beat some helpless kid up by the words ‘pretty’ and ‘face’ being used to describe this new acquaintance who did, in fact, have a pretty face. JD looked from Katie and then to Noah. A mistake, that was a mistake. He felt his lightly freckled cheeks grow warm in reaction to the other boy’s flushed expression. [color=0073d8][b]“Oh, yeah. It’s a... nice… face.”[/b][/color] Holy crap, what? Move on, quickly! [color=0073d8][b]“Y-yeah, sure, I’ll go. I’ll, uhm, have to figure out what to tell my mom, though.”[/b][/color] JD’s blushing increased tenfold and he kept his eyes on anything but Noah, or Katie, for that matter. What to tell his mom? Fuck, he was so lame…

Katie grinned, clapping her hands together with excitement. [color=ba314c][b]“Perfect! Just tell her you’re going to a study group and you’ll be home late. Works every time for me,”[/b][/color] Katie said, seemingly unfazed by JD’s comment on Noah’s face.

Meanwhile, Noah had nearly died. He’d said he had a nice face. Wow. That was new. And exciting. And terrifying. And wow. He looked back up at Dixon, who’s attention was now held by Katie, and smirked ever so slightly. He could see the portrait he’d sketch the second he got a moment alone, of this boy, bright green spilling from everywhere, his mouth, eyes, nose, ears. Enchanting and dangerous. Radioactive.[/indent]