[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200309/f27a5d62914d488d65bd35b8338dc4cb.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/Ik8ptpX.png[/img]

[color=gray][sub][b]An [@Altered Tundra], [@Dirty Pretty Lies], [@Spooner], & [@Ejected] Collaboration Post
[i]featuring[/i] [color=darkorange]Sonny Drake[/color], [color=851309]Kavan Varma[/color], [color=brown]Marisol Castillo[/color], and [color=35996B]Archer Diedrikson[/color][/b][/sub][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/OtLgGZi.png[/img][/center]
[color=darkgray][indent][indent]As Archer stood there, listening to Sonny speak, he couldn’t help but be grossed out by his facial expressions- showing it, no doubt. He was grossed out by not only the colorful story that Sonny was regaling them with about their morning, but the fact that they had felt the need to keep this a secret. Okay: so he hadn’t been the biggest fan when Marisol had told him that they had done the devil’s tango last summer. He might even confess to having been a [i]little[/i] dramatic. But if she was really happy being with Torvald, who was he to deny his best friend that?

[color=35996B]“It’s whatever you guys…”[/color] the skinny teen shrugged. [color=35996B]“I mean… Really happy for you guys and all that but…”[/color] he paused. [color=35996B]“You really don’t have to worry about what I think of it as long as you guys communicate better than what you have been doing…. At this rate, I’ll have to become a couple’s therapist or some shit!”[/color] He laughed, punching his small friend on the shoulder and earning himself a playful shove and a hug in return.

Sonny recognized that Archer wasn’t his biggest fan. Even after the Brad incident, there was only so much closeness they could have. Friends or not, he was still Marisol’s best friend. Sonny knew that and he never tried to get between them. The fact that Archer came around to liking him was a big plus. Still, he had to try and make things less awkward. Even if the attempt felt flat on its face, he knew he had to try.

[color=ff8c00]“You’d be perfect for that job! You’re always giving us and others advice, even when we don’t think we need it!”[/color] Sonny laughed, trying to bridge the awkwardness with the new topic as much as he can. 

[color=brown]"I think we've gotten better at communicating with each other…"[/color] Mari mused, still holding onto Archer as she tried to think of an example in which she and Sonny had improved in communicating as a couple. [color=brown]"Like the other day. Son was wearing a shirt that looked pretty fucking stupid on him, and I told him he looked like shit. That's communicating, right?"[/color]

[color=ff8c00]“I’m not sure that’s what Arch meant,”[/color] Sonny commented, laughing. [color=ff8c00]“More so we shouldn’t keep anything from our two closest friends, not you roasting my legendary fashion style.”[/color]

[color=brown]"If by legendary you mean stuck back in the nineties with Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, then sure,"[/color] the short girl clapped back, jokingly sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend.

Kavan smiled and tried to stifle a laugh. [color=#851309]“As much as I agree with the whole better communication thing… she does have a point there, Sonny,”[/color] Kavan said jokingly. [color=#851309]“Maybe you should give the Sonia Drake look another try instead.”[/color]

While Marisol snickered, Sonny glared at Kavan for a few, good long moments before relaxing his eyes a bit. [color=ff8c00]“Ah, who knows what could happen in the coming months?”[/color] He shrugged, laughing it off. 

[color=35996B]“Do it once,it’s funny; do it twice, it’s a hobby!”[/color] Archer laughed winking at Sonny.

[color=brown]“Maybe he has a kink for it,”[/color] Mari teased, letting go of Archer and going back to wrap her arms around Sonny’s waist from the back, resting her chin on his shoulder. [color=brown]“That’s fine by me, though. Sonia Drake would make a hot girlfriend. Mami’s got herself a juicy piece of ass.”[/color]

Sonny’s laugh came with a cough as if taken by surprise from Mari’s comment. [color=ff8c00]“You couldn’t handle Sonia! She’s a lot of woman,”[/color] he winked at her, shaking his hips and grinding his waist against hers while Mari now pretended to hump him from behind (much to Archer and Kavan’s annoyance, they were sure).

[color=35996B]“Shit!”[/color] he exclaimed, casting a glance at his watch. [color=35996B]“I need to get to class! See you guys later!”[/color] he turned to place a quick kiss on Kavan. [color=35996B]“See you in the library later!”[/color] he whispered as he headed off in the direction of his French classroom.

Archer’s sudden departure prompted Sonny to give his phone a glance and he realized what time it was. Upon this realization, he quickly tugged at Mari’s arm. [color=ff8c00]“Archer had the right idea. If we don’t jet, Lopez will be on my ass yet again for being late. You know he likes to make an example out of me every single time!”[/color] Sonny rolled his eyes. If that lardass calls him by his full name one more time, Sonny was going to show him the power of a kick in his fat-fucking-ass.

[color=851309]“Yeah, I guess I shouldn’t be late either,”[/color] Kavan said with a sigh as he readjusted the book under his arm. [color=851309]“I’ll see you two…”[/color] He trailed off, remembering that he wouldn’t be seeing them during lunch, [color=851309]“later!”[/color] And with that, he began to walk in the opposite direction.

Mari, who had given parting waves to both Kavan and Archer, was about to begin her trek to the Econ classroom with Sonny when she felt her phone vibrating. Frowning, the young woman pulled the device out of her skirt pocket, and was immediately consumed with both anxiety and hesitation when the glance at the screen said she’d received a voice memo from Ryland. [color=brown]“Huh…”[/color] she said in surprise, looking up at Sonny with worried eyes. [color=brown]“Ry’s just sent us something.”[/color]

He looked down at her phone then back to her. [color=ff8c00]“Maybe he’s come to his senses and wants to apologize for how he overreacted earlier.”[/color] Sonny knew that was hoping for too much but he was hopeful. He still was a little annoyed at Rye from earlier, so there was that to consider as well.

The brunette could only shrug. [color=brown]“I guess we’re about to find out…”[/color] she replied before unlocking her phone, clicking on the message and pressing [i]Play[/i].

[indent][color=fff700][i]"Hey guys. I just wanted to say... Sorry. I know I can be kind of hard to deal with…

It was just... a lot. To see you two together. It really makes me realize... we're not kids anymore. It fucking sucks. Not you guys being together! Nah, that's fucking money. I mean the whole... growing up thing.

Fuck, well. Marisol, give my boy hell, okay? And Sonny, my man, if you hurt her— I'm sure she'll break your nose before I get the chance.

I love you two."[/i][/color][/indent]

There was a long moment of silence between the couple after Ryland’s voice had disappeared. Mari could only stare at Sonny with wide, tearful eyes. Their best friend’s words had sent waves of relief crashing over her, washing away every second thought and negative feeling. As much as she said that people’s opinions didn’t matter, it would’ve sucked to know that their closest friends were against their relationship, and Mari knew she wouldn’t have been entirely happy. But now that she was certain that it was all fine and dandy, the girl couldn’t stop herself from grinning from ear to ear.

[color=ff8c00]“Shit.”[/color]

That was Sonny’s only reaction when Mari played Rye’s message. He didn’t know what to expect when the message played back and Rye’s started to talk. There was even a moment when Sonny was certain Rye didn’t know what Rye was saying, either. But like the Aspen that he was, he found his rhythm and that sent chills down Sonny’s spine and simultaneously gave him a bad case of regret. With how he reacted to Rye’s overreaction, which it was and it wasn’t. At the time, he felt justified but now Sonny knew he wasn’t. He knew it and maybe Mari knew it too. Whatever happened this morning before getting to King’s campus didn’t matter.
 
Sonny exhaled with a deep breath, glancing at his girlfriend with a breathy chuckle. [color=ff8c00]“I don’t know about you, but I’m buying that goofball all the chili dogs he wants.”[/color]

[color=brown]“I’ll make sure to get the drinks then,”[/color] she said with a laugh, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend and looking up at him with that beaming grin still in place. [color=brown]“God, I’m so fucking [i]relieved[/i] now! I can’t believe this shit went so fucking well. I thought we were gonna have to do some serious damn convincing to get everyone on our side.”[/color]

[color=ff8c00]“For real!”[/color] Sonny laughed, stretching his arms out. [color=ff8c00]“I didn’t think so many damn people weren’t going to have a problem with it--with us!”[/color] For a moment, Sonny’s tone faded into a curious hum. [color=ff8c00]“Now that I’m actually thinking about it, that was a quick change of heart for Rye. It doesn’t sound like the goof we know and love, does it?”[/color] Sonny asked Mari.

[color=brown]“I don’t know, but I’m not about to question it,”[/color] she chuckled with a shrug. [color=brown]“Not gonna tempt fate to come around and drill us in the ass or something.”[/color]

Sonny laughed to the point he nearly hacked up a furball. [color=ff8c00]“You should write a book, what with your gift of painting with words!”[/color] Sonny joked of course, but he still liked to tease his beloved any chance he got.

[color=brown]“Maybe I will,”[/color] Mari playfully shot back. [color=brown]“I’ll call it [i]Marisol’s Musings[/i], and it’ll have a special selection of my most memorable quotes. It’ll sell like hotcakes when I’m rich and famous: mark my words.”[/color]

Sonny was not amused that she was starting to sound like the female version of his father. That didn’t stop him from laughing, though. [color=ff8c00]“Oh, sure, because ‘miss me with that gay shit’ is such a PC thing to sell!”[/color] Sonny pointed out with a grin, while Mari playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head. Just as he did, he took another look at his phone and immediately rolled his eyes. [color=ff8c00]“I guess we should get going too. Unless...”[/color] He wiggled his eyebrows at Marisol, smirking. [color=ff8c00]“We could be a [i]little[/i] late, if you catch my drift.”[/color]

[color=brown]“Just a [i]liiiiittle[/i] late?”[/color] Mari teased with a wink. Even someone as thick as Max Wallenberg would be able to figure out what Sonny meant. 

[color=ff8c00]“Fuck econ!”[/color] Sonny stated proudly. [color=ff8c00]“Let’s go get high in the bleachers and have some morning fun!”[/color] Sonny took her by the waist and pulled her close to him for a deep kiss: only a sampler of what their morning was going to look like. It was the perfect way to kick off their last high school semester together.[/indent][/indent][/color]