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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: The Destiny - Girl's Bathroom[/sub][/color][/center][hr][hr]


Charity entered the girl’s bathroom, and locked herself into a stall. She felt a little guilty about leaving Kaz in Gary’s hands. Kaz seemed rather out of her comfort zone. She didn’t want to party. She couldn’t speak particularly good english, and Charity had left her with that scruffy guy who didn’t exactly look like the kind of boy you presented to your parents. Hopefully things wouldn’t get...bad...before she got back to them. Flushing, leaving the stall, and heading to the sink, Charity then started to wash her hands.

Finally taking a chance to go freshen up and reflect on the night so far, Miriam headed to the girl’s bathroom. Upon entering, she took notice of the blonde at the sink already as she herself went to the sink and placed her hands on the counter looking at herself in the mirror. 
Underneath her hair on the side of her neck she could see what must have been a small hickey forming from the events with Trent, with a grimace she pushed all her hair to that side hiding it under her golden locks. 

As she let out a breath, she took a second to use the mirror to look around the bathroom. Her eyes paused on the reflection of the blonde and the narrowed.  [color=hotpink][b][i] ‘Was that… No way it… It is!’[/i][/b][/color] Turning and looking to the blonde on her side a shocked smile formed on her face.  [color=hotpink][b]“Charity?! Oh my heavens. You look - wow.”[/b][/color] 

Charity turned, and in an instant looked just as surprised as Miriam. [color=fef929][b]””Hi! I...wasn’t expecting to see you here! Then again, I wasn’t expecting to be here myself a few hours ago. Trixie dragged me here and I’m just making the best out of an opportunity, maybe write about this party in the paper,”[/b][/color] she explained without being asked, speaking quickly, as if she had to get her defense in before the jury conferred. [color=fef929][b]”What about you? What are you doing here?”[/b][/color]

 [color=hotpink][b]“I’m surprised you hadn’t heard… although relieved just the same.”[/b][/color] Pausing, her hand reached up automatically to her necklace,  [color=hotpink][b]“I- I’m Trent’s date to the party…”[/b][/color] Miriam looked away from her friend, not wanting to see how she would react. Tonight had been rough as it was and they both knew who Trent really was so she didn’t want to see her friend’s disgust, as she believed she would receive.

Charity recoiled, but not in disgust as much as sheer confusion. The gears started to turn then, and she leaned in. [color=fef929][b]”I didn’t think he was your type,”[/b][/color] she’d say before leaning in closer and whispering; [color=fef929][b]”Is everything alright? Can I help?”[/b][/color] The look on her face was not one of grave concern and worry. Charity was not overly fond of Trent, and there were some grizzly stories and rumors about him.

A pained sigh escaped Miriam’s lips. She was being torn apart inside on what to say. To tell the truth or continue down the path of lies. She didn’t know which would be worse in the end. She knew which she’d do for now though, but her will was close to breaking and the truth was close to coming out.  [color=hotpink][b]“No. He’s... um He’s not as bad as he seems. I think what he does at school is an act. Trent can be a gentleman.”[/b][/color] Miriam had to hold back a grimace as she called him a [i]gentleman[/i]. He was anything but.

Charity wasn’t fooled, but she knew the message to back off and that things were quite complicated. For whatever reason, Miriam wanted everyone to think there was nothing going wrong, not even Charity. This wasn’t normal. There was something going on here, and it clearly wasn’t that Miriam likes Trent now. [color=fef929][b]”Alright,”[/b][/color] she said, [color=fef929][b]”But I’ll be around if you do need any help. So, how are you enjoying the party?”[/b][/color]

[color=hotpink][b]“It has been… interesting. What about you, are you enjoying the party?”[/b][/color] Miriam asked Charity, not wanting to focus on her time so far. The only good part of the party so far has been her time with Topher. While waiting for her friend to reply, Miriam absent mindedly pushed her hair behind her shoulders. The mark on her neck now visible to her friend as Miri for the moment wasn’t thinking about hiding it, forgetting about it completely.

[color=fef929][b]”I haven’t, really,”[/b][/color] Charity replied. [color=fef929][b]”I’m starting to understand why people drink at these parties. I’m sober and I’m not really having any fun. This is work, to me. A sacrifice I’m making for the Newspaper Club. I tried going indoors but I keep getting asked to dance or worse...”[/b][/color] Charity trailed off when she noticed the hickey. She knew exactly what it was, and immediately grew concerned again. Possibly even more so than before. [color=fef929][b]”That mark on your neck. Did Trent do that?”[/b][/color]

How could Miriam let that slip her mind? She let the hickey be seen and now Charity was concerned again and asking about Trent. She couldn’t play this off anymore; tonight had just been too overwhelming for her. The blackmailing had become too much for her to carry to try and keep her brother safe.
 
Charity’s concern had become the straw that broke the camel’s back.
 
Miriam felt herself grow a bit weak in the knees as she steadied herself on the sink. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them fall as she placed a hand on the mark and stared down at the sink in front of her. [color=hotpink][b]“Oh Char. I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s just so much. Tonight, for the most part, has been absolutely dreadful. I don’t want anything to do with him… I have no other option and…”[/b][/color] Shaking her head she trailed off so overwhelmed by everything she’s been holding back from telling someone.

Charity shot forward and hugged Miriam as she was training off, keeping a very tight grip on her. She was silent for a few seconds, before speaking. [color=fef929][b]”What do you mean you have no other option? If there’s something dodgy going on, even if you can’t tell me everything, at least let me help somehow! I can’t stand seeing you with that expression on your face!”[/b][/color]

For a moment Miriam froze but then she hugged her friend back, thankful she hadn’t completely pushed her away in the time they didn’t speak. [color=hotpink][b]“He’s blackmailing me. I don’t think there is anything you can really do to he-”[/b][/color] The Archer girl paused as an idea came to mind. 

Stepping back from the hug, Miriam looked Charity in the eyes. [color=hotpink][b]“I have an idea. I’d need your help for it. But I’d understand if you don’t want to do it. Maybe you can help me find something to blackmail him back with. You are the best writer and journalist I know, if anyone could find something on him it would be you.”[/b][/color] Miriam had gone from helpless and seemingly broken to a girl with fire in her eyes. She was protective of her brother and Charity could be the person to help them. She’d just have to put up with Trent for long enough for dirt to be found on him, that is if Charity agreed to help.

When Miriam uttered the word ‘blackmailing’, something changed in Charity’s shocked eyes, and she let go of the hug, instead gripping Miri’s arms with her hands, quite hard. When she heard Miriam’s offer, she nodded without a second thought. [color=fef929][b]”I’m in. I want to pay him back for trying to blackmail you. I know it’s not very Christian to take revenge into your own hands but neither is it Christian to let evil carry on. I believe that would be the worse sin.”[/b][/color]

[color=hotpink][b]“I don’t know what I would do without you Charity… I can’t face him on my own. You’re my guardian angel aren’t you?”[/b][/color] Miriam smiled softly at her friend. She knew that with her help they’d take down Trent. She’d just have to deal with him until then, hopefully he wouldn’t try anything like he did tonight but she couldn’t be sure. Miriam would stay strong and handle him though. She had to in order to protect Matthew. He’d protected her since she was born, it was time for her to return the favor. Thanks to Charity she could take the protection a step further.

Charity smiled and humbly waved off the ‘angel’ comment, before turning serious again, and thinking hard. [color=fef929][b]”I’m not exactly sure where to start. He’d likely be on his best behavior in church. He plays football, I think. Maybe that’d be a better starting point for digging up dirt. Do you know anything about him that could help?”[/b][/color]

[color=hotpink][b]“Not yet. But I will see if I can get anything to point us in the right direction. I’m going to be stuck around him for awhile so we can use that to our advantage. I will let you know as soon as I figure something out.”[/b][/color] Miriam dreaded spending more time with Trent but they couldn’t blackmail him without dirt and to get even a hint at any, she’d need to be around him a bit more. [color=hotpink][b]“I should probably head back out, I was talking to someone and can’t leave them thinking that I ditched them.”[/b][/color] Miriam smiled at her friend as she thought about the guy who brought improvement into her night. 

[color=fef929][b]”All right. I also have people who I should check up on,”[/b][/color] Charity replied, before hugging Miriam again. [color=fef929][b]”I’m sorry you have to carry on this farce but we need to nail him. ‘In quietness and trust is your strength.’ Anyway, good luck and God bless.”[/b][/color]