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[sub][color=slategray]A [@smarty0114] & [@Hey Im Jordan] collab
Featuring: [color=eda946]Ophelia Brycen[/color] & [color=f1cbff]Cassie Clark[/color]
Location: The Brycen House, Thursday Night[/color][/sub][/center][hr][hr]

The past twelve hours had been a mess. Thanks for that, Jamie. Since his story had broken this morning, chaos had been the theme of Cassie’s life. Everyone, [i]everyone[/i] wanted to know if Cassie had know. Everyone wanted to know if it was true. What could Cassie tell them? That it was fake? A lie? Ophelia hadn’t told her a thing, about any of this, so how was she supposed to know how to react?

This brought her to the doorstep of one Ophelia Brycen, a copy of today’s article in her hand. She knew it was true, deep down. Jamie never lied. She just needed to hear it from Ophelia. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the doorbell, and listened to the deep sound of chiming bells that rang throughout the house, waiting for someone to open the door.

When the door opened, it wasn’t Ophelia that stood to answer Cassie, but instead Ophelia’s mother: Belle. [color=ff00ff][b]“Oh. Hey, Cassie. She’s upstairs. Door is closed, but unlocked. She [i]was[/i] upset, but we talked and she’s doing okay now.”[/b][/color] She offered, before stepping out of the way for Cassandra to step inside if she pleased. Belle looked toward the sweeping staircase of the mansion she lived in with Ophelia and smiled, [color=ff00ff][b]“Thank you for coming. Nobody else has.”[/b][/color]

Cassie offered Belle a weak smile. [color=f1cbff][b]“Oh, it’s no problem.”[/b][/color] She didn’t quite know how to say that she wasn’t here to check on Ophie. Well, okay, she was, but that wasn’t her main reason for coming. She wanted answers. She was here to find out if her best friend was as heartless as she’d been made out to be. 

Cassie gracefully ascended the stairs, and made her way to Ophelia’s room, a familiar walk. She didn’t stop to knock on the door, only steel herself for what was to come. Taking a deep breath, she walked into Ophelia’s room, shutting the door behind her. [color=f1cbff][b]“You’ve been gone from school. People were starting to think you’d ran away,”[/b][/color] Cassie said.

Ophelia was laying on the bed, dressed in her PJs, with damp hair splayed out around her on her pillow. Held up high into the air was a Batman comic (specifically the Long Halloween, rather than put it up, she’d just started reading it again). She didn’t at first turn to look at Cassie, instead just turning the page and asking a question. [color=eda946][b]“Geeze, really? Where do they say I’ve gone?”[/b][/color] She brought the book down to her chest, turning to look at Cassandra, [color=eda946][b]“I just got busted in the face, and I didn’t want admin asking.”[/b][/color] She explained, pointing at the shiner on her face.

Cassie’s eyes went wide. [color=f1cbff][b]“What the fuck happened?”[/b][/color] Cassie asked, dropping the newspaper on the floor. She didn’t quite know what to think about Ophelia at the moment, but she knew how Ophelia had treated her in the past. The Ophelia [i]she[/i] knew, still deserved her sympathy. She just hoped after tonight, that was [i]still[/i] the Ophelia she knew.

Ophelia pursed her lips and wondered for a second what she wanted to say about this. There were a few ways to frame things, but what was the right way? Honesty, probably. That was typically the ‘best policy.’ [color=eda946][b]“Well, I don’t know how Jamie got all the details. Secondly, he kind of writes like a pretentious asshole. It wasn’t a very fair article to anyone?”[/b][/color] She shook her head and sat up on the bed, carefully setting the book aside after marking her page. [color=eda946][b]“I guess the reason you’re here is to know if it’s true or not? Well, it is. I did all of those things that Jamie said I did — after all, he never lies. He’s just a scumbag. I never [i]swore[/i] anything, he embellished a lot of stuff, and… whatever. I’m just happy I told Trixie before he did.”[/b][/color]

[color=f1cbff][b]“Not that! Your face! What the fuck happened?”[/b][/color] Cassie asked, concern and hints of fear flooding her tone.

[color=eda946][b]“Huh?”[/b][/color] Ophelia was stopped in her tracks by [i]that[/i] — she thought that Cassie was here to talk about the business at hand, but… this was better! Genuine concern was a good thing. [color=eda946][b]“Oh, uhm. Trixie punched me in the face. After I told her the thing.”[/b][/color]

Cassie’s face fell. [color=f1cbff][b]“Oh. Well...I’m not gonna say you didn’t deserve that,”[/b][/color] Cassie said, crossing her arms. [color=f1cbff][b]“Why the hell did you do it, O?”[/b][/color] Cassie asked. She said a silent prayer that the answer might be something that she could justify, something she could accept and still sleep at night.

[color=eda946][b]“I totally deserved it. Shit happens, I already forgive her.”[/b][/color] Ophelia said, waving it off. She just didn’t want the administration team of the school being their (awful) selves and pushing for details and then possibly getting Trixie in trouble over it. [color=eda946][b]“Why did I do it? Because, and a lot of people forget this, but Hailey Green is Grade A fucking crazy. She’s got issues, dude. And at the time, keep in mind, this was a while ago, she was [i]really[/i] mad. You’ve never seen her mad before. Not that mad. I thought she was going to kill me. I still do?”[/b][/color]

Cassie pursed her lips. Ophie was right. Cassie barely knew Hailey, really. They ran in the same circles, but for the most part she didn’t consider her a friend. Did that make it okay? No. It did mean that Cassie couldn’t really weigh in, or at the very least, it gave her a reason not to. [color=f1cbff][b]“Okay. I guess. What you did was fucked, big time, but that’s between you and Trixie.”[/b][/color] Cassie punctuated her words with a soft smile. [color=f1cbff][b]“Europe was the winner. I think the rumor about you running away somewhere started with Quincy, but everybody had different ideas as to where. So at lunch, The Elite went around and took a poll. Europe was the winner,”[/b][/color] Cassie explained smirking.

[color=eda946][b]“Europe? I can go to [i]way[/i] better places than Europe. Like, Korea. I like Korean girls. So too, do the Greens; apparently.”[/b][/color] She shook her head, but she did have a smile on her lips. At least Cassie didn’t hate her! Marshall did. That sucked. Everyone else probably did... oh well, she could deal. [color=eda946][b]“Plan is to come back by Monday? Maybe Friday? I dunno when the shiner will clear up. Once I get back there I have to confront that little prick for using mine, Owen’s, Trixie’s, and Hailey’s name as fucking clickbait because he craves attention and wasn’t getting enough. No friends havin’ motherfucker. Could have just let the issues be handled internally, but noooo.”[/b][/color]

She sniffed the air. [color=eda946][b]“Follow the drama like a hunting dog. A bad one, since he could probably get as many people excited writing about the [i]other[/i] crap that happens.”[/b][/color]

[color=f1cbff][b]“If you want to stop being the Kardashians of BHHS, all you have to do is ask. I’m sure we can find some girl who wants to trade places,”[/b][/color] Cassie teased. [color=f1cbff][b]“If it makes you feel any better, I think Marshall already tore into Jamie. Someone heard them fighting in the newspaper room this morning.”[/b][/color]

[color=eda946][b]“Hey, look at that. He’s still fighting the good fight.”[/b][/color] She rolled her eyes, [color=eda946][b]“I been thinking. We should get involved in the newspaper, or the morning show or both! If the rest of the Candies are still down to do our thing, I mean. We could offer anonymous relationship advice in the paper, written by us collectively. Like how Brian does his little ‘Ask Brian’ thing. It’d just be ‘Ask the Candies.’ And then, for the show? I was thinking something like we could put the shipping wall, er... minus the parts about who we think should be together... and give everyone updates on the relationships of BHHS. We could have bright, pastel colored, matching outfits. It’d be cute.”[/b][/color] She gave a bashful smile and a shake of her head, [color=eda946][b]“sorry. There’s been a lot of time to think.”[/b][/color]

Cassie grinned. [color=f1cbff][b]“I like it! I won’t lie to you, the Candies could probably use a PR boost right about now,”[/b][/color] Cassie said. [color=f1cbff][b]“I’m glad you’re okay,”[/b][/color] Cassie said, taking a step towards her friends bed and sitting down on the edge. She’d been unsure of where they’d stand at the end of this rendezvous, but Cassie knew now. She wanted to be by Ophelia’s side, even if it made her look bad. Cassie owed her that much.

[color=eda946][b]“Yeah, I guess I look like shit right now, and as an extension… the friends look like shit. I figure if we start doing stuff in the public eye, it might help? I dunno. I’m also thinking about quitting the cheer team, or at least relinquishing my position as captain to Selena. Might as well. From what Hailey’s told me, Sel is going to be taking over. Or, at least, starting to. It doesn’t matter anymore. I can’t sit with them anymore.”[/b][/color] Ophelia slowly, but carefully and sure of herself, rested her head against Cassie’s shoulder.

[color=eda946][b]“Thank you.”[/b][/color]

Cassie let her hand drift to Ophelia’s hair, softly stroking it. [color=f1cbff][b]“It’s what I’m here for.”[/b][/color]