[color=lightcyan][center][indent][indent][img]https://i.imgur.com/tNpXQe0.png[/img]
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[hr][sub][b]An [@Altered Tundra] & [@HaleyTheRandom] Collaboration featuring [color=teal]Kavi Salvador[/color] & [color=00eddd]Ariel Grey[/color][/b][/sub][hr][/indent][/indent][/center][indent][indent]So Kavi wanted to apologize. Cool. Great. Fine. Dandy. He should [i]want[/i] to apologize. Ariel was the over-reactor in the relationship, not him. He couldn’t just swap roles with her and expect her to just go along with it. But if Kavi wanted to apologize, she figured that she should hear him out. If all else fails, well, she could yell at him. In her somewhat drunken state, it took her just a little longer than usual to maneuver around the Salvador residence. Taking a moment to spot Kavi, she forced her way through yet another crowd of people. With nothing else to say, she would decide on the perfect ice breaker rather quickly. 

[color=00eddd]”What?”[/color]

[color=teal]“I didn’t think you would show up. Thought maybe you were too mad at me, but I’m glad you did.”[/color] Kavi smiled towards her, wanting to hug Ariel, which he did attempt to but from the way her body was acting and the way her fists were balled up and how apprehensive she was towards him, he had it on good authority they weren’t there yet.

She took a deep breath, doing her best to calm her nerves. While she managed to unball her fists and crossed her arms, Ariel didn’t return his smile. [color=00eddd]”Relationships require communication. That’s why I’m here. Now, what’s on your mind?”[/color]

As he would take a seat on the edge of the hot tub, Kavi tried really hard to think what he wanted to say to her. What could he say that wouldn’t sound like a half-assed attempt to get her to forgive him? He could say that he was sorry for calling her crazy, say that he shouldn’t have mocked her when she was in front of him, and try pressuring her to smoke weed with him. All of that didn’t amount to anything because he felt the pinging guilt inside about what he and April did. It was eating away at him and Kavi wanted to say something right now. Get it out there so she could hear it from him and not someone else. He needed to tell her. He didn’t like the situation, but he made his own bed and Salvador men don’t turn away from their problems, they faced them head-on.

He took in the slowest breath he could, or what felt like a slow breath. His head was bowed down to the ground, hands on his thighs as he felt them shake. To gain some control over his body, Kavi curled up his hands into balls and slowly nodded to himself. He had this. He could do this. [color=teal]“I can do this,”[/color] he repeated to himself slowly. With every inch his head went up, he kept repeating the same line over and over. So when he met her eyes yet again, the time Kavi took to finally open his mouth, she had to have been just waiting impatiently. He couldn’t think about that right now. He had to say it. [color=teal]“Something happened. After you stormed out. I mean, something happened with me and--”[/color] 

Before Kavi could say it -- or at least attempt to get it out -- he heard both his and Ariel’s phone ring. Even with the music bumping, their ringtones seemed to be at full blast. [color=teal]“Now is not the time for..”[/color] And that’s when his heart sank. Literally, his entire chest stopped for maybe one second as his worst fears came to life. Someone had tagged both he and Ariel in an Instagram story that caught the short make-out session between him and April. [color=teal]“H-how...w-when…”[/color] Kavi had forgotten how to English. [color=teal]“A-ariel, I can explain..”[/color]

It was easy to tell the Kavi was nervous by his body language alone. The fact that his apology was taking so long only added to Ariel's anger, even if he was nervous - though what about she had no clue. After all, apologies were never anything to be nervous about. Unless you sent someone an awkward dick pic. Then you should apologize. But for Kavi, random dick pics weren’t the case. Regardless, Ariel stood there, paying close attention to the rhythm of the bass beneath her feet. Her eyes never strayed from Kavis face, and while she was trying to be understanding, she could also tell that something else had to be wrong - or at least that’s what she hoped. If an apology honestly made him this torn up, Ariel didn’t know rather Kavi had it in him to find what decency was left. 

When the song changed, her phone went off, signaling a notification. Just like every other teenager, Ariel had the immediate reaction to reach for her phone and check said notification. Seeing a familiar username tag her in an Instagram story, she opened the app up, as Kavi was doing the same. 

Her brain still being a little clouded from her drunken stupor, it didn’t take Ariel much to realize what she was looking at. Kavi was - or had been - lock faced with none other than April Foster.  

If fate hadn’t decided to send her a rage fueling angel named Shawna, perhaps Ariel would have had the initial thoughts of comparing herself to April. The ‘am I not as pretty as her’ and the ‘why the fuck did he go to her’ thoughts. She would tuck them away for a good cry during her sad boi hours at a later date. Instead, what came to her was a sinking feeling in her stomach. The sort of feeling that feels like you’ve been punched and makes you want to hurl. The sort of feeling that Kavi had not caused her to feel once, but twice. 

Her left hand balled into a fist, her right hand clutching her phone for dear life as her knuckles turned white, Ariel took what seemed like her millionth deep breath for the night. 

[color=00eddd]”What,”[/color] she began, her voice nearly a whisper. [color=00eddd]”The. Fuck.”[/color] Pressing her lips into a thin line, she focused on her breathing. In and out, calm and steady. His nose had just healed. Considering that it was a nice nose, she didn’t want to break it again. That and Mr. Salvador might not be a lenient this time. [color=00eddd]”Why…”[/color] She put her phone back in her pocket, un-balling and balling her fists back up in a repetitive motion. [color=00eddd]”Why do you….”[/color] Closed eyes. Deep breaths. [color=00eddd]”.... Insist on [i]constantly[/i] humiliating me?”[/color]

Kavi closed his eyes waiting for something to happen. What did he expect? A punch in the groin, a fist to the nose again, a swift kick to the jewels. All of those would have been a lot more favorable than her eerily-calm voice speaking to him in such a low tone that it somehow felt a lot worse than all three of those things would have. Calm, empty disappointment stung worse than any sort of act of physical violence ever could and Kavi had only felt that particular blow twice in his life: once with his father after he was released from jail and now, from Ariel.

And to make matters worse, she wanted to know why? [color=teal]“Why? What do you want me to say? I don’t know what [i]to[/i] say, Ariel. I can be the self-pitying cliche and say I’m a terrible person and you should have known better or it wasn’t me, it was her. Yeah, I don’t know, I could tell you I slipped inside her mouth cause I’m such a clutz.”[/color] Somehow Kavi knew making a joke out of this made it worse but what cards did he have left to play? He had [i]nothing[/i]. So yeah, he was going to joke and maybe walk away with some form of self-respect.

[color=00eddd][i]Did he really just ---- Yes. Yes he did.[/i][/color] 

 [color=00eddd]”You wouldn’t have to think of what to say if you didn’t put yourself in these freaking situations,”[/color] she spat at him, her voice now returning to a normal level and rising. [color=00eddd]”First Nadia. Now April. Who next? Xixi? Some other fucking side hoe?”[/color] [i]Calm. Deep breaths. No reason to cause a scene.[/i] [color=00eddd]”Do you wanna be the next one to get April pregnant? Or did you just want to step in and be the stepdad in some piss poor way to try and redeem your shitty personality?”[/color] 

Ariel had gone from being dangerously calm to now nothing but straight fury; her anger blinding her from the fact that she had inched closer and closer towards him. [color=00eddd]”I wanna make this work,”[/color] she did in her best Kavi mocking impression. [color=00eddd]”Is this a game to you? A joke? Do I look like a complete fucking fool to you? Or did someone tattoo ‘dumb bitch’ across my forehead when I wasn’t looking?”[/color] [i]Close your eyes. Count to ten.[/i] [color=00eddd]”You. Are. A. [i]Completely[/i]. Self-centered. [i][b]Asshole![/b][/i]”[/color] On the last word, she felt her arms raise, and before she knew it, Kavi was pushed back as he was falling backward into the hot tub. 

His impact with the warm little pool created a splash that carried water to the side and splashed others, who didn’t pay it any mind other than laughing at Kavi Salvador and clapping for Ariel Grey as everyone had heard it. Or at least everyone who was near Kavi and Ariel. 

And while the cheers came in and the eruption of laughter seemed to match the loud, pulsing music of Marilyn Manson’s cover of This is Halloween, Kavi fussed with how his body betrayed him as it forbade him from getting up immediately. When he finally regained control, he came back to his feet just in time to stop Ariel from leaving. He let her leave last time and he made the worst mistake anyone could make in a relationship. He wasn’t about to let it happen a second time. When he had grabbed on her wrist, it was a frail attempt and his grip was lost due to his hand still being wet from the hot tub water, so he quickly hopped in front of her, stopping her from going any further.

[color=teal]“Will you just wait a minute?”[/color] He pleaded. [color=teal]“You can’t just walk away like that. I’m not going to let this go unfinished. You want to talk about our issues? Fine, let’s talk! If I meant anything to you, give me five minutes. That’s all I’m asking for, Ariel. Five minutes and if by then you don’t want anything to do with me, then I’ll back off and leave you alone.”[/color] 

[color=00eddd]”If I meant anything to you, you wouldn’t have kissed someone else. I’ve got major urge to break shit, and you’re the only thing in front of me. So either move, or let me break your face again.”[/color]

He inhaled slowly, already regretting what he was about to do. [color=teal]“If breaking my nose, kicking me repeatedly will give me five minutes, then do what you have to, Ariel,”[/color] he said standing his ground. [color=teal]“Cause I’m not moving until you give me a chance to explain [i]everything[/i].”[/color] Whatever may come his way, Kavi was prepared to take the full brunt of her heartbroken rage.

Ariel was doing her absolute best to not cry angry tears, and Kavi was making it extremely hard to do so. [color=00eddd]”That’s the problem. I don’t want to break you. I want to break [i]things[/i]. How about I get to break shit for five minutes while you talk. Compromise.”[/color]

And again, she surprised him. He didn’t quite know exactly what was going to happen, but Kavi nodded. At the end of the day, the fact that she was willing to give him five minutes was more than he deserved. If he was her, he would have gone for the nose again, which still was in recovery since the brace has only been off for a week. So maybe Kavi should be grateful it wasn’t him she wanted to punch repeatedly.

[color=teal]“Where do you want to go? To my room maybe? It’ll be a lot less noisy in there.”[/color] He didn’t know why he suggested his room. All of his favorite things were in his room. Oh well, too late to turn back now.

She quickly calculated a rough estimate of how much money was sitting in his bedroom. PlayStation, TV, Radio, Speakers…. She could even set his bed on fire if it came to that. [color=00eddd]”Room is good,”[/color] she said simply, grabbing him by his wrist and dragging him with her. 

Pushing her way through the crowd - shoving when need be - Ariel led the way to the chamber of breakable expensive stuff. Kavi seemed to be enjoying no part of this ordeal, but the people who were taking pictures of their wet host seemed to be entertained enough. Stepping over the lightweights that were already passed out in the hall, she opened the door to the bedroom. Still half dragging Kavi, she planted him on the bed. 

[color=00eddd]”Sit and talk. What you say first decides what I break first.”[/color]

Kavi took a seat on his bed. It  was the perfect vantage point to see exactly where Ariel was walking and what she would break first. Everything in his room, theoretically, was replaceable. It would cost him a year’s allowance and he would have to dial it back on the brand name products, but he could replace it all. So he wasn’t worried about it, but seeing stuff he has been with for over two years was going to be tough to process.

He inhaled deeply, eying Ariel carefully and with enough caution and worry that now she was the man and he was the dumb bitch. [color=teal]“That Instagram story only showed you the act. I’m not excusing myself from being partially guilty. I know what I did was a shitty thing, but what you don’t know is what happened before.”[/color] As he began, he saw her eying his electronics. [color=teal]“I mean…”[/color] He had to get a grip and more importantly, get it all out in one go. [color=teal]“Before I even found April, Santiago and his crew were having a beer pong match. Someone said something about their mother and Aiden got laid out. Santiago went off with Astraia Astor somewhere and that got me thinking about April. I thought she had a right to know, so I ventured inside and went to find her. And wouldn’t you know it? I did find her parked by the stairs with nobody around but her.”[/color] Saying all of that felt like a weight was lifted. It actually made him feel good. Kavi did a good thing by seeking out April.

[color=00eddd]”So seeing a guy sneaking off with someone that wasn’t his girlfriend made you want to do the same. Got it.”[/color] 

Truth to be told, Ariel wasn’t really listening. She didn’t care what he had to say right now, and probably wouldn’t for quite some time. Surveying the room, she spotted one of his Judo trophies on the shelf. She waltzed over, picked it up firmly in her grasp and took yet another deep breath. Playstation or TV? TV. Kavi didn’t have a baseball bat in his room, so the trophy would have to work. And so she swung. 

Again, and again, and again. The cracking sound of the TV screen gave her a certain sense of euphoria, which only fueled her need to break things even more. With her final blow to the TV, it finally fell to the floor. Brushing the loose hair from her face, she turned to Kavi. 

[color=00eddd]”Continue.”[/color] 

[color=teal]“Well, I..I mean…”[/color]

Kavi felt a part of him die when just two acts of unnecessary carnage was unleashed in his room. First was irreplaceable, first place judo world championship trophy he won when he was thirteen. One of his proudest achievements now being used to destroy his sixty-inch television, the smart TV that he had for six months which he was immensely attached to. While the trophy remained, the smart television was no more. The only part of it that remained were the stands used to hold it up against his wall and now he was left with a firm dread set in his stomach and heart, knowing full well that this was just the first of many acts of violence Ariel was about to commit.

He didn’t want time to waste, but how could he find the words when he knew she wasn’t listening? No, he had to say it. At least then he could say he didn’t leave anything unspoken. [color=teal]“After I found her, we started talking. First, it was just catching up. Haven’t really seen her since homecoming and so we talked and, well I guess it just went from that into her confiding in me. Honestly, you would have been proud of me. I didn’t initiate anything! Only thing I did was let her know I was there for her. You know, like I was there for you after that visit to the principal’s office!”[/color] Somehow, Kavi just knew she wouldn’t take it the way that he meant it.

[color=00eddd]”Proud of you?!”[/color] she shrieked. [color=00eddd]”If you hadn’t have sought her out in the first place you wouldn’t have had to ‘be there for her’,”[/color] she said, doing air quotes while she mimicked the last part of the sentence. [color=00eddd]”If you want to be there for somebody next time -”[/color] she threw the trophy at the wall across the room. [color=00eddd]”Buy them a freaking teddy bear!”[/color] 

[color=teal]“And I wouldn’t have had to seek April if you didn’t storm out like a crazy person!”[/color] Kavi snapped and he knew it was the wrong thing to snap with.

Cue the angry tears and picking up of the PlayStation. A crazy person. There were those words again. She wouldn’t have had to storm out if Kavi wasn’t trying to force her to do something she didn’t want. She wouldn’t have had to storm out if she would have just punched Kavi in his face and cause a scene again. She wouldn’t have had to storm out of the room constantly if…. If.....if she was dating anyone but Kavi. 

The more she thought about, the more her grip tightened on the gaming system, her knuckles turning white in the process. She couldn’t even think of what to say at the moment. All she could think of was how badly she wanted to hit him now instead of just break his things. 

[color=00eddd]”Are you really [i]that[/i] stupid,”[/color] she growled, chucking the PlayStation at him and he had immediately ducked. 

[color=teal]“What the fuck is wrong with you!?”[/color] Kavi gasped, turning his head around briefly to see the pile of mechanic parts of his Playstation 4 resting on his bed and some of it against his wall. As the gaze lingered, he slowly turned back to Ariel. He was truly at a loss for words. 

[color=teal]“You’ve lost it!”[/color] He said, still in shock that she actually tried to hit him with his formerly-functional gaming console. [color=teal]“You know what? Screw this, Ariel!”[/color] Whether premature or not, Kavi was past his breaking point. [color=teal]“I thought you were at a point to be reasoned with, but fuck all of this. You did this, not me! If you weren’t so full of all kinds of issues and overreacted to every little god-forsaken thing, then [i]maybe[/i] I wouldn’t have been in a situation that put me in April’s radar. You didn’t want to smoke weed with me? Fine! Maybe you should have just made it clear. Don’t want to be here? Alright cool, then just say so. But [i]no[/i], Ariel fucking Grey has to make every little damn thing about [b]her[/b]!”[/color] 

Kavi was mentally exhausted being someone who he obviously wasn’t. He did everything different for her. He gave up who he was and what everyone expected him to be. He tried being the devoted boyfriend that he thought she deserved. He tried being the kind of person who didn’t clap back at someone by dating whoever was close to them. He had tried being all of that and more, but it wasn’t worth the headache.

[color=teal]“I’m just done trying to meet your unreasonable expectations and everyone else’s for that matter. You don’t like it? Then fucking get out of my life!”[/color] Kavi shouted as his voice cracked and before long his throat was drier than the Sahara.

[color=00eddd]”Maybe I wouldn’t overreact if you acted like it was okay for me to [i]feel[/i] something! Maybe I wouldn’t overreact if you expect for everyone to make [i]you[/i] happy every second of every goddamn day. [i]You[/i] think you have to live up to people's expectations? You think that [i]you[/i] have to go out of the way to be someone your not? Try being happy twenty-four seven so that [i]this[/i] doesn’t happen when you aren’t.”[/color] 

The tears were rolling down her face even faster now, the lump in her throat growing larger by the second. [color=00eddd]”And for the record, I did make it clear that I didn’t want to smoke your weak ass weed with you. And then [i]you[/i] overreacted. I tried to be the adult this time Kavi. I tried to walk away to give you time to cool off. I could have been reasoned with - IF you hadn’t had went off and shoved your fucking tongue down April's throat. Excuse me for not being okay with that! I’m not sure what female wouldn’t react in a similar way that I am.”[/color] 

She wiped her face off before speaking again. [color=00eddd]”If you [i]know[/i] that I have ‘issues’ then why don’t you try talking to me to see what fucking triggers me next time, hm? Maybe try not being such a fucking dick. Just because your girlfriend doesn’t want to do what you want doesn’t give you the right to go find comfort in some other chick. Me saying no shouldn’t put anyone on your radar for any reason. Ever. She wouldn’t have been on your radar if you didn’t want to be a whore in the first place.[/color]

[color=00eddd]”Want me to leave? Fine. ‘Get out of your life’? Fine. Done.”[/color] 

Walking across the room, she gave him one last [color=00eddd]”Fuck you, Kavi Salvador”[/color] before opening the bedroom door and slamming it shut behind her so harshly, a sound of crashing glass frames were heard for a brief moment before being mostly muffled from the door.[/indent][/indent][/color]