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[hr][right][sub][b]A Collaboration with [@Inkarnate], [@HaleyTheRandom], and [@ineffable] featuring [color=pink]Stella Lambert[/color], [color=gray]Oliver Grayson[/color], [color=FFD800]Mac Davenport[/color], and [color=slateblue]Georgie Fielders[/color][/b][/sub][/right][hr][/indent][/indent]
[indent][indent]Stella tried not to say anything because her mind was a mess right now, so if she had decided to open the only thing that was keeping the chaos locked away, the odds of her making the situation she saw as bad a lot worse than it was were high. And in that, she gave a smile when she felt a smile was necessary, which seemed to be one-hundred percent of the time. With Mac trying to make the situation as awkward for Stella and Oliver as she possibly could. Thank every god, goddess, and higher power out there for Oliver’s apt response.

She soon found herself happily nodding along with Oliver, sending the big girl in the sky a big thank you for his interruption. Goddess only knew what would have happened had Oliver not come save her from having to answer the highly-intrusive, highly-awkward, and quite embarrassing questions. [color=pink]“Yeah, I’m his date and he’s mine!”[/color] She echoed like a delayed reaction of the two of them being in-sync with each other. She didn’t know what else to say so her attention went to Georgia as if she was hoping to take the attention off of her and Oliver so both of them could breathe. [color=pink]“Oh hey, Geo! When did you get here?”[/color] She asked.

[color=FFD800]“That’s a good question.”[/color] Mac remarked as she removed the arm from her person, half-laughing as she did so.

Georgie watched as the back and forth ensued between Mac and the lovebirds, smiling at how happy Stella seemed and how the whole situation exuded innocent romance. She wished for Stella and Oliver’s happiness but snapped back to the question asked of her instead of daydreaming and smiled, taking a drink of whiskey from the solo cup in her hand.

[color=slateblue]”Some times ago. Carter was nice enough to drop me off and all. What’s going on here? Stella and Oliver, you guys are like...together?”[/color] Georgie put two fingers side by side in the air, half drunk and only slightly kidding.

[color=FFD800]“That’s what she said, innit?”[/color]

And like that, the attention was back on her and Oliver. [color=pink]“No, no, no, we’re not [i]together[/i] together. I mean, we’re here together but there’s no reason to think that we are.”[/color] A moment passed and Stella’s frantic eyes went to Oliver. It took her another moment to realize how horrible that sounded. [color=pink]“I mean, not that there would be anything bad about us being [i]together[/i] but no, we’re not that. Just here as each other’s date. No reason to think otherwise!”[/color] Stella felt like she couldn’t breathe. So many words left her lips and in so little time.

Mac laughed, shaking her head. [color=FFD800]“Someone’s in denial. Why would you care if someone thought you were, anyway? Is there someone else? Oh. You have a [i]rival![/i] How exciting.”[/color]

Georgie followed along with Mac, giggling as she spoke. “Oooh, there’s a rival? Tell us Stells!”

Stella felt the walls around whatever makeshift prison of the pressure to give them an answer slowly close in on her. [color=pink]“No, there’s isn’t anyone else. The last person who I was with in whatever way you’re thinking was Santiago and I won’t [i]ever[/i] go down that route again!”[/color] 

Whether or not she meant to admit that as loudly as she did, she couldn’t take it back, so again her eyes fell on Oliver [i]hoping[/i] he would interject at [i]some[/i] point. She didn’t know how much more of Geo and Mac’s prying she could take before she was gonna say something really damaging.

Oliver had heard tales of female gossip; how a group of girls got together over drinks and just talked about random nothings. The random nothing in question, however, kept putting himself in an awkward position. Was he just to assume how Stella felt or was he supposed to be his actual self and allow her to answer for herself. Thankfully, the question was answered when Stella decided to pipe up. What Stella had to say made him feel a way that he couldn’t really describe. His heart sank at one line, just to get half the amount of hope that he originally had back when she said the next. 

[color=gray]”The truth is, ladies, we just haven’t had the ‘are we an actual thing’ talk yet. This all kind of just….”[/color] Oliver made a strange hand motion, rolling one hand over the other repeatedly until he finally shoved them in his pockets. It seemed like the best way to give himself five seconds to think. [color=gray]”The school did that weird homecoming experiment thing and as it turns out, Stella and I actually got along really well. Just because we aren’t [i]together[/i] together doesn’t mean that - in time - we won’t be.”[/color]

He couldn’t help but let that tiny spark of rage flare up inside him at the mention of Santiago. [color=gray]”I can’t believe you ever actually went down that road in the first place, Stella. He’s a piece of shit.”[/color] 

[color=pink]“Hey!”[/color] Stella protested, [color=pink]“In my defense, he’s very pretty!”[/color] She huffed.

[color=gray]”So looks equal ev--”[/color] Oliver took a deep breath, his jaw clenched. Stella was drunk. Stella still had some kind of feelings for the guy. It was Oliver’s job to understand such things, not to judge. Not that he [i]was[/i] judging. Just…. Stella. [color=gray]”I didn’t mean it that way, Stel.”[/color]

Mac shook her head. [color=FFD800]“What way did you mean it?”[/color]

[color=gray]”In the same way any other friend would have meant it. Just that… maybe it wasn’t the best choice of words. Stella deserves better. Way better.”[/color]

[color=FFD800]“So serious. It’s a [i]party[/i], relax. It’s not like you’ve been introduced to her parents.”[/color] There was a pause as Mac looked at Stella and Oliver’s expressions. [color=FFD800]“Oh. Oh no. Stella, you didn’t.”[/color]

[color=pink]“He hasn’t just met my parents. He’s also met my Uncle Wesley, Aunt Florence, and their two kids: Abe and Winnie.”[/color]

[color=FFD800]“Oh dear god. Stella, mate, I told you about this.”[/color] Mac remarked as she finished her current drink. The British girl had told Stella a thousand times about jumping into things too quickly; and why it was a bad idea. How much trouble had she gotten into since summer had ended?

Georgie watched the exchange going on with increasing amusement. She didn’t know Stella as much as Mac knew her but well...Stella did kind of look like someone who would go about her relationships as enthusiastically as she went on with her life. 

[color=slateblue]”Hold up.”[/color] Georgie turned to Oliver, extending her cup so it almost poked him in the face. [color=slateblue]”Other than introducing Oliver to your whole extended family, minus your parents...I don’t even think I know him that well.  Wait.  Are we the first ones to find out? Am I in the [i]in[/i] yet?”[/color]

Stella hummed for a good moment. [color=pink]“No, he didn’t meet my [i]entire[/i] family. He only met my Aunt Florence’s family. There’s still Aunt Cassie, Uncle Charles, and a whole bunch of others that live in France,”[/color] she paused, looking at Geo, [color=pink]“but yes, as far as who all knows, not counting Oli, of course, you two are the only ones who know or even care to know.”[/color]

[color=slateblue]”Aw, that’s so exciting! You two are so cute together...I mean look at your faces!”[/color] 

Georgie by this point had finished her cup of whiskey and thrown it to the side, stumbling over to both Stella and Oliver and joining their hands together as if she was preaching at their wedding. Normally, Georgie could hold her alcohol better than this but her thoughts had already been muddled entering the party. She had gone days without talking to her parents, becoming increasingly frustrated and alone. Add that to the split second in which she had spotted Sawyer smiling and having fun across the room and she could hardly find it in her to focus, much less retain sobriety.

Mac, on the other hand, seemed to have been enjoying the conversation merely for the spectacle. It was hard to say if it was embarrassing the two of them or Georgie’s own outbursts entertained her more.

There was still more of Stella's family? Oliver had thought that the people he had met the night of Homecoming was it. Perhaps that was the downside to having a small family yourself - you believed that everyone else did as well. Oliver had one aunt and no cousins. The Grayson clan was a small one. Truth to be told, his head was a mess at the moment. His subconscious was just grasping at strings of the conversation trying to sort out what Stella was saying. She had said that they weren’t together not even five minutes ago. Now what she was saying to Mac and Georgie implied otherwise. Perhaps all of the conversation was stemming from Stellas semi-drunken state. One thing that Oliver was sure of, however, was that once Stella had sobered up, the two of them were having a very serious conversation. 

[color=gray]”Uh… thanks for that, then, I guess. Though I’m pretty sure all the cuteness in this relationship comes from Stella herself.”[/color] 

[color=FFD800]“I don’t know about that.”[/color] Mac teased, offering a smirk before uttering a follow-up comment. [color=FFD800]“As for me, lots of party to discover. I’ll catch you guys later.”[/color]

Mac’s eyes drifted to Georgie’s own, before setting off to find more drinks and more entertainment.

[color=slateblue]”Wonderful.”[/color] Georgie said as she clapped her hands together after releasing the linked fingers of Stella and Oliver from her grasp.  She stepped away slightly, unsure of what she needed to do next.  

[color=slateblue]”Anyways, it was nice to meet you, Oliver. As always, a pleasure, Stells.”[/color] Georgie took off her hat and tipped it in their direction before she waved and slowly parted ways with them as well. She needed a refill of booze...or maybe a glass of wine. Both, she concluded.
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