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[sub]A collab by [@NeoAJ] and [@HaleyTheRandom]; featuring [color=e81b00]Shawna[/color] and [color=00eddd]Ariel[/color].[/sub]
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[color=e81b00]“Holy shit. Where did they go? This house ain’t that big!”[/color]

Cleopatra was fumbling with modern technology by the alcohol table. Not surprising given she spent most of the night there. Her inadvertent pep talk to Ariel had led her to push most of the rest of the whiskey into her cup, and the effects were starting to take hold. She had grabbed a chair to steady herself as she sent texts to Kellie Anne and Sunshine, wondering just where the hell they had disappeared in the midst of the party. Meanwhile, the crown was starting to get heavy on her head. There were noises coming from the upstairs, which meant the host of the party was probably having a very enjoyable conversation with her last drinking partner. Shawna sipped in silent solidarity as a door slammed above.

[color=00eddd]”Honest to gods, the [i]nerve[/i] of that boy…”[/color] Ariel grumbled as the picture frames fell off the wall. 

Ariel had never wanted Kavi to change. While it was true she didn’t particularly care for the moments when he was being a dick, she had still come to love and accept him for the complete ass that he was. Maybe Kavi trying to change wasn’t pressure from her, but pressure from himself instead. Maybe Kavi was the one fed up with himself being a douche. Regardless, their relationship was over. Stick a fork in it - done. She wouldn’t be apologizing this time, nor would she be paying for any of the damage that she had caused. 

The rage inside of her was starting to dull now, the sadness trying to break through instead. Little did Kavi know that she was trying to change for him just like she was trying to change for her. She had been trying to pull herself out of her depression for months now due to her own self motivations, but what had really kept her motivated was Kavi. No one wanted to date a depressed piece of over reacting shit, so she had actually given effort into trying to be someone Kavi would want to be seen with. One of the happier, prettier girls. But just like most other things in her life that she tried to work on, their relationship had went up in smoke. 

Storming down the stairs, Ariel was in the right mind to leave the party. In all reality however, she didn’t want to go home. She never really [i]wanted[/i] to go home. Besides, the night was still young and there was plenty of alcohol left. And as luck would have it, it looked like her rage fueling angel was just where Ariel had left her. 

Walking over to the drink table once more, she decided to pull up an empty chair this go around. [color=00eddd]”Well that ended badly,”[/color] she commented sourly. 

Shawna looked up from her own frustrations to see that the avenging Ariel had returned to the fueling station. She set her phone down and reached over to grab the bottle of vodka that her new friend had claimed earlier in the night, passing it to the girl who looked like she could use it. [color=e81b00]“Huh, I couldn’t really tell from the smashing sounds,”[/color] she remarked. [color=e81b00]“I always associated glass breaking with jubilation… or you know, some dumb hockey team losing a game.”[/color] The sarcasm slipped out of her drunken mouth before Shawna had a chance to correct its course. This probably wasn’t the time to make light of the situation. At least not with someone she met like 20 minutes ago, and who had clearly undergone some kind of trauma in the interim. [color=e81b00]“Sorry, didn’t mean to make jokes or anything. You all right, Ariel? It sounded as bad as you made it out to be.”[/color]

Taking the bottle graciously from Shawna, Ariel proceeded to take a few sips before speaking. By this point she had drank so much that the taste wasn’t even phasing her anymore. 

[color=00eddd]”I…. Yeah. The breaking and smashing was all yours truly. I might have kinda sorta threw the playstation at his head,”[/color] she said casually. Taking a brief second to think about how that sounded, she shrugged. [color=00eddd]”Maybe I overreacted. But maybe he shouldn’t have kissed April, ya know?”[/color] 

Shawna’s eyebrows raised so much they disappeared under the bangs of her wig, but she nodded in agreement. At least the tone had been set, and it was a tone that Netflix had done a decent job preparing her for. [color=e81b00]“Yeah, that would have been smart to avoid that on his part. I mean, that was one expensive smooch from the results. Playstations run what, 400 dollars?”[/color] She raised her glass to Ariel. [color=e81b00]“I gotta say, I do like how you make a guy pay for his dumbass mistakes. Literally.”[/color]

Ariel nodded simply. [color=00eddd]”Something like that, yeah. I also broke his smart TV and threw a judo trophy through his wall. As he would phrase it I’m ‘crazy’ and ‘have issues,’”[/color] she said, making more air quotes as she mocked her ex. [color=00eddd]”Maybe I shouldn’t have overreacted like I did, Shawna, but I tried. I tried so [i]fucking[p[/i] hard to be the person Kavi would want me to be and I ended up failing again. Like, I’m actually more pissed off at myself than I am him - not that you could ever tell it by looking in his bedroom, but.”[/color] Ariel shrugged and put the bottle to her lips once more. [color=00eddd]”Sorry for coming to with all of this, by the way.”[/color]

These feelings Ariel expressed were feelings Shawna knew all too well. Feelings she told Kellie Anne about the day they first met. Feelings that Kellie expressed to her. Right down to the apology. Who knew she would become the school confessional? She could do her best to offer absolution to Ariel, at least on par with that of the alcohol passing her lips. But as a wise woman once told her, [b]“There is no god. Only vodka.”[/b] There was no redemption here. But there was so much understanding.

[color=e81b00]“First of all, don’t apologize for speaking your truth. Ever,”[/color] she told the upright mermaid. [color=e81b00]“Second, you can’t be pissed at yourself for not being someone that someone else wants you to be. That is sooooo not about you. It’s about them. It’s not on you to take on that burden while trying to be yourself. Fuck, whatever gods are up there know that I tried to be that someone else for years. And you know what that got me, Ariel? A fucking mental breakdown that my parents took one look at, wrote off, and continued to press that shit life on me. They’re off perusing markets in fucking Thailand right now, that’s how much they gave a shit about me and my feelings! So fuck them, and fuck Kavi! If they can’t handle the real versions of us, then they don’t get the pleasure of our company or our attention![/color] Whiskey was an angry drink and it was clear Shawna was starting to work herself up on both her own frustrations and Ariel’s. [color=e81b00]“And third, I am sorry for misunderestimating your ability to make people pay. You did not overreact for a second. You didn’t deserve being called out like that, and you didn’t deserve being made a fool of like that. So you were totally justified. Beyoncé would be proud.”[/color]

While Beyonce wasn’t one of her idols, Ariel would have to agree with Shawna’s statement. Something told her that the events of tonight could have inspired some sort of angry breakup song. [color=00eddd]”I’m sorry the people in our life suck ass,”[/color] Ariel responded. [color=00eddd]”On the bright side though, at least I made a new friend.”[/color]

Shawna smiled as bright as the jewels that adorned the various necklaces and bracelets in her costume. [color=e81b00]“Hey, me too! How about that?”[/color] She clinked Ariel’s vodka bottle with her cup and toasted what she assumed was their shared new friendship. If not, she could always refer to her welcoming Aaliyah back into her life as a friend and not a quiz bowl teammate instead. But there was a solid connection here, at least she thought. It wasn’t the red-hot passionate connection that her and Kellie Anne had shared that day in her bedroom. Instead it was a solid chill connection, one that could be as simple as sharing a drink in a spot like this. Kinda like what she had with Sunshine so far, but even more relaxed. Ariel just seemed like a good hang, especially since the boy problems were now permanently dealt with from the sounds of things.

A thought crossed Shawna’s mind. [color=e81b00]“Oh yeah, you never did tell me what your costume was. I mean, I can keep making guesses based on the red hair, but I’m probably not gonna be anywhere close.”[/color]

[color=00eddd]”Enaia Jin,”[/color] Ariel said matter of factly. [color=00eddd]”She’s a character from on or my favorite singers latest concept albums. Dystopian worlds, cute girls making music videos, good music. I figured it was a cool costume that I didn’t have to worry about anyone else wearing.”[/color]

The crown bobbled as Cleopatra nodded. [color=e81b00]“Yup, nowhere close. Not even sure how to spell that!”[/color] She took another sip of her drink that was now starting to run dangerously low. Another bottle of whiskey would need to be discovered and fast. [color=e81b00]“So, Ariel, now that you have earned your freedom with a breathtaking display of destruction that would make Set beam with pride, what are you going to do now?”[/color]

Ximena;s smile withered away just as quickly as it blossomed; the sudden appearance of one ghastly looking girl had shattered her mood. With a hint of annoyance and a subtle vein popping through her skin, Ximena had found herself with a drink and finishing it within the next few seconds. Whatever miss little emo mermaid had to offer was of the same significance as trash in this instance, but what Ximena had to offer was quite the morsel. Like a runway model, the diva strutted her stuff towards Shawna to reveal the oh so heartbreaking news. If this had been a play there would be two glaring spotlights on the two of them, ready for the tension to break.
 
Once she arrived by Ariel and Shawna’s side, she gave Shawna quite the serendipitous smile, “Oh hi Shawna, or should I say Cleopatra. I didn’t know there was more than one Queen here tonight. You must have snuck in through a rug like you did with Caesar.” She turned her head to face Ariel which made her face grimace in disgust, clutching her bag as if Ariel were petty enough to take it, “Oh..and you. I’m sorry, what are you supposed to be? Well doesn’t matter now anyways. Run along, the Pharaoh and I have some business to discuss,” she said, waving her hand off at Ariel, mouthing the words bye bye. 

Whoever this new girl thought she was, it didn’t matter to Ariel. [color=00eddd]”I…. Nah. I’m good. I quite like this chair, I don’t take orders from bitches and it appears that I’ve drank so much funny juice that my legs won’t work. So unless Cleo wants me to leave, you can say whatever it is in front of me.”[/color]

As Ximena ambled up to the spot the two had staked out for themselves, Shawna was a little leery of what her fellow student may try. There was precious little whiskey left, or so she thought. However, it was clear that this Audrey Hepburn wasn’t here for comedic purposes. From the way she was dismissing Ariel, it looked like she wanted some drama, unaware of Enaia’s disaster movie-level of destruction earlier. Ariel wasn’t going anywhere, and Shawna appreciated that.

[color=e81b00]“I’m afraid that if we have business to discuss, I will need my advisor present,”[/color] Cleopatra answered, gesturing towards the redhead. [color=e81b00]“Can’t be making a bad business decision at this point in the evening. Not without my other advisor present.”[/color]

If her eyes rolled any further back into her skull, she would have seen her brain with the amount of nerve this girl had. What was it about girls these days who felt so entitled that they could just get away with what they wanted? Ariel’s voice turned into a blur of sounds that weren’t really coherent as she judged the girl’s nonexistent self-care routine and her ratchet looking costume. She sighed in retort, [color=AD3434]“If only your legs really didn’t work, then I could wheel you out of here myself.”[/color] Ximena was about to press on when she was cut short by Shawna’s interaction. Turning her attention to face Shawna, she spoke. [color=AD3434]“Listen preciosa, I’m just going to be up front with you. It seems like Max, your god of war, was jumping Kellie’s bones and by the sound of it, he was giving it to her pretty good.”[/color]

Shawna came very close to spitting out alcohol. Very close. She managed to swallow her sip. [color=e81b00]“Excuse me?!?”[/color] she asked incredulously.

It took Ariel a moment to register what was going on, narrowing her eyes in suspicion as she spoke. [color=00eddd]”I don’t like you….,”[/color] she said slowly, turning to Shawna. [color=00eddd]”I don’t like her.”[/color]

Instinctively, Ximena pulled her purse up to her face in attempts to shield her face from the sputum about to cover both her and Ariel. Luckily for her, Shawna had better control over her reflexes than most people. [color=AD3434]“That one definitely burned more than the others I’m guessing. I know you think I’m lying, and you know, 9/10 times and normally you would be right. I mean, I am that bitch you know, ay por dios. I can’t help that I’m popular,”[/color] Ximena shrugged while smirking, Ariel only proving her point by her snide comments. [color=AD3434]“Pero, when I was getting to leave after Aiden stormed out, I caught Kellie and Max heading to one of the empty rooms. All he asked was if she was sure it's what she wanted, and she really did want it. If you don’t believe me, you might be able to go up there and catch them in the act, but I’m not sure how much of your man you want to see.”[/color]

Shawna did her best to maintain control over her actions as well as she maintained it over her drinking. At least in one regard. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was worried now. The lack of responses from Kellie Anne were now starting to become more sinister. Was Ximena telling the truth? Then again, the fact that she thinks Max was Shawna’s man proved that she may be focusing on the wrong person in this situation.

Cleopatra composed herself and leaned back against her chair, crossing her legs and holding her glass aloft. [color=e81b00]“The Pharaoh thanks you for your service in bringing this to her attention,”[/color] she proclaimed as royally as she could muster. Shawna waived towards the still-bountiful alcohol table that would serve as her royal treasury, Kavi be damned. [color=e81b00]“Please, help yourself to any number of the bottles of liquid gold you see before you, as a reward for your honesty.”[/color]

Whether Shawna would take her truth as facts was left to her. Ximena’s reputation wasn’t exactly the most prestigious and a lot of people were quite blasé about her all together. Regardless, Ximena never had any reason to lie at least within good reason. [color=AD3434]“I thank you for your audience, Cleopatra. You know people might not like me, but you aren’t one of my targets. No need for you to be in my crosshairs, well at least for now anyways. Good luck with your love triangle,”[/color] she waved goodbye to Shawna and shot a disapproving glare to Ariel before she made her way to get some more drinks. The party was starting to settle down, Ximena’s cue to vacate the premises. 

[color=00eddd]”I don’t think she likes me either,”[/color] Ariel said thoughtfully. [color=00eddd]”Do you think she was telling the truth?”[/color]

Shawna relaxed forward in her chair. Her mind was starting to reel a bit, thinking over everything Ximena had said. There was a fair amount of detail in her story, spotting Max going into another room and all. Max was definitely promiscuous enough from Kellie’s description to be trying to nail someone at a party like this. But Kellie was so hurt by him. So distraught on the day her and Shawna met. So remorseful during their talk in the library. She wouldn’t have gone back to him like this, would she?

But it was Max that Ximena was focused on for some reason. Max, that stupid, sex-hungry asshole. Thinking that Shawna would be interested in Max. Eww.

Was it possible that she only saw Max and what she guessed was Kellie? Did Ximena know the costume Kellie was wearing? There were a lot of dark-haired girls at the party. Hell, Shawna was one of them for the night. Yeah. It had to be someone else. There was no way Kellie would do that. Not after the moments they shared.

Cleopatra took another sip of her whiskey and sighed. [color=e81b00]“I don’t think I do. I mean, it just can’t be, right? That kind of shit doesn’t happen like that? That whole ‘I’m bad for you, you’re bad for me, on-again, off-again’ bullshit. People aren’t actually like that, right?”[/color]

Ariel pursed her lips. [color=00eddd]”I mean, you literally just described me and Kavi, but no, people aren’t like that. Not nice, normal people like you anyway,”[/color] she said, taking another sip of her drink. 

That last remark earned a chuckle from her drinking partner. [color=e81b00]“I’m not sure how normal I am anymore,”[/color] Shawna told her. [color=e81b00]“I just… I can’t believe Kellie would do that. We talked about that shit. Talked for a while. I can’t believe she would go back to that manslut.”[/color]

[color=00eddd]”I mean, I don’t know what the whole situation is, but I would at least suggest talking to her, yeah? Like just say ‘hey there’s a rumor going around about this’ or something. I dunno. This alcohol is starting to taste like water.”[/color]

Shawna nodded. Ariel was making sense. Talking to Kellie was the best option. At least, when she figured out where Kellie was. At least Ariel was still here. [color=e81b00]“Yeah, I think you’re right. About both things. I can’t even taste the coke in this anymore.”[/color] She drained the rest of her cup with a flourish. [color=e81b00]“Guess I’m not driving home, that’s for sure.[/color]

[color=00eddd]”I don’t think a lot of people will be, honestly. Maybe we should call an Uber or something?”[/color]

[color=e81b00]“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”[/color] Shawna thought for a second. [color=e81b00]“My car is going to be safe here, right? No one’s going to try and smash it up or something?”[/color] She didn’t want to imply this was a bad part of town, but she heard the rumors about Homecoming in the hallways after those stupid assemblies.

[color=00eddd]”You didn’t piss off Marisol, so I think you’re good.”[/color]

[color=e81b00]“Sweet.”[/color] Cleopatra finally abdicated her throne, hoisting herself up and over to the booze table to grab a couple of souvenirs. She wasn’t really a gin drinker… or a schnapps drinker, but she had to do her part to get revenge for her new friend. [color=e81b00]“Think we can take these lovely parting gifts and head out pretty soon then, if you want to split the cost.”[/color]

[color=00eddd]”Sure,”[/color] the drunken badass said, slightly struggling to get out of her chair. [color=00eddd]”I think I leave some of the treasure here though. It’s probably best if I don’t drink for a while.”[/color]

Shawna shrugged. [color=e81b00]“Eh, I may need some in the future. Kavi can pay for a future night of commiserating. Do you want to call the car? You can add my number while you’re at it?”[/color]

[color=00eddd]”Good idea. You gotta keep me updated on this whole situation anyway, and I feel like we might need a lot of these therapy sessions in the future.”[/color]

[color=e81b00]“Hey, at least we will be well prepared, Ariel. Let’s get out of here.”[/color] Shawna stuffed the bottles in the bag she brought her wine in and pointed towards the door. 

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