[center][color=da325d][b]“If saying Everly is too hard for you.”[/b][/color][/center]

[color=d32626][i]Okay, that seems unnecessary.[/i][/color]

[center][color=da325d][b]“I do so look forward to cleaning up things around here. Someone has to do it. Might as well be us!"[/b][/color][/center]

[color=d32626][i]Now that’s just untrue. People don’t talk like that, do they?[/i][/color]

The first person had introduced themselves, and James had to admit, it wasn’t a very good first impression, so to speak. She seemed to be, at least as far as he could tell, incredibly [i]extra[/i]. And that wasn’t really James’s thing! He did, however, make a mental note to call her Everly forever, because fuck her and her fake smile. Nothing was too hard for him, least of all saying a name that was hardly two syllables.

[center][color=13C000][b]“Well since the rest of you are too scared to speak up I guess I’ll go.”[/b][/color][/center]

[color=d32626][i]Totally, that’s what it is. You didn’t just jump at the opportunity to speak before anyone else had a chance. We’re totally terrified. Jesus, what is this? The fucking Gathering?[/i][/color]

[center][color=13C000][b]“I’m Rowan, we aren’t friends so don’t even think of calling me anything else. Unlike princess over there, I don’t look forward to this bullshit.”[/b][/color][/center]

[color=d32626][i]What else would we even call you? There’s no way to make that into a nickname! Princess? Is that what we’re calling her now? That’s gonna go right to her head — she seems the type.[/i][/color]

Two down now, and this one seemed just as bad. Unnecessary aggression, check. Thinly veiled anger, check. She seemed extra too, just in different way than the girl who’d spoken before her. James was almost certain she was judging everyone before they even spoke; which he was doing too, so it was slightly hypocritical of him to think about that. James wanted a good feel for the crew he’d be dealing with though, before he spoke for himself.

[center][color=4169E1][b]"Peyton Saunders. I'm not exactly looking forward to this either, but I'm sure if we all work together we can get this done a whole lot faster- which would be ideal."[/b][/color][/center]

[color=d32626][i]Well, Peyton… you have a point. Faster is better! Maybe if we clean up enough, they’ll let us off early. Ha. Like that will happen.[/i][/color]

[center][color=4169e1][b]"Hopefully we can make the best of this situation. Building character doesn't sound like the worst thing, right?"[/b][/color][/center]

[color=d32626][i]She’s not bad.[/i][/color]

James liked her. Sure, they were in a bad way. They were stuck out here on a perfectly fine Saturday, and they had to clean up trash. This girl, though, seemed bright and pleasant; and unlike [i]Everly[/i], Peyton didn’t seem to be fake about it. Her tone of voice and her body language had a sort of genuinity to it, and James appreciated that. Plus, she was super cute and that was an undeniable bonus.

[center][color=gray][b]“Christian Hill. Please don't call me Chris. [i]I’ll hurt you.[/i]”[/b][/color][/center]

James didn’t have to think about how he felt about this one. Christian was his best friend, and had been for most of his life. Christian was a good dude, and a better friend. James felt bad that his friend had wound up here; after all, it was [i]mostly[/i] James’s fault. He’d gotten in a fight, and Christian had done what any friend would do: got involved.

James’s gaze then fell on the final person in their group, who was already set about the task. [color=d32626][i]Strong, silent type? No. She [b]is[/b] wearing a shirt with the eggo logo on it. Maybe she’s on the spectrum and doesn’t understand how social situations work… Nah, most likely? She’s just a bitch.[/i][/color] James knew that was probably the case. After all, that had been the fact of the matter with two of the other three girls, and James had a feeling Peyton was the odd one out. It wasn’t going to be a fifty-fifty ratio, that was for sure.

This sucked. He reached down and stabbed a piece of paper that was floating with the wind, and deposited it into his trash bag. [color=d32626][i]Jesus, why is there so much trash here anyway? Isn’t there like, a fine for littering?[/i][/color] After the piece of trash was securely in the bag, James looked up at the people there with him, and decided to do the introductions.

[color=d32626][b]“James Hartwell. It’s nice to meet you. Shitty place to do it, but whatever. Anyway, I think she —”[/b][/color] James pointed at the girl who’d already set about picking up the trash with his poker. [color=d32626][b]“— has the right idea. Why don’t we just get to work?”[/b][/color] With that, he stabbed downward, skewering another piece of trash and dumping it in the bag again.

 [color=d32626][b]“Saving the world, one Skittles wrapper at a time.”[/b][/color]