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[img]https://i.imgur.com/JquGJQl.jpg[/img]
[sup](FC: Zolee Griggs; Dialogue: [color=#DE563C][b]#DE563C[/b][/color])[/sup][/center]
[indent][indent][indent]Watching Bradley Barron chow down on his unusual breakfast was more than enough to make Zakya suddenly lose her appetite; the young woman shuddered and watched through squinted eyes as the young man picked up the very last cricket from his tray and popped it into his mouth. Yeah, that was the last straw. Zakya dropped the half-eaten piece of bacon that she'd been holding for the last few minutes onto her plate before pushing the entire tray to the center of the table. [color=#DE563C]"I guess that's what I get for being nosey..."[/color] the young woman muttered under her breath before returning her attention to the journal in front of her. And at the very bottom of the page, the young woman scribbled down yet another task on her to-do list: [color=#DE563C][i]Ask Bradley about the cricket thing.[/i][/color]

Soon enough, more of Zakya's classmates began to arrive in the cafeteria. First came Nick Grey, someone who Zakya couldn't help but admire. Next came Leo and Sol, both of them as intimidating as they were good looking. The last person who caught Zakya's eye was none other than Theo Wallstrom; As usual, the young woman practically swooned as she watched him enter the scene with Wesley by his side. It didn't help that the guy was shirtless and... [i]glistening[/i] with sweat. Boy, the things she would [i]do[/i] if she were given the opportunity. It was as Zakya absently watched the pair make their way to the breakfast line that she overheard something that piqued her interest. [i]"If I’ve heard correctly, there’s gonna be a party Friday night..."[/i] Zakya heard a female's voice say from a table not too far from her; she strained to listen as the girl went into a little more detail before donning a mischevious grin. A party, huh?

In swift motions, Zakya closed her journal, stuffed it into her over-sized purse, grabbed her breakfast tray, and stood from her seat. The young woman then made a beeline for where Theo and Wes sat, tossing her tray into the garbage can on her way there. She figured she'd get at least one thing on her to-do list done early; After all, why wait until class to get a little flirting in? Sliding into the empty chair next to Theo, Zakya offered the pair a warm smile before saying, [color=#DE563C]"Well gooood morning, you two! Theo, lookin' good as always. How are you two doing this morning? Oh, I'm Zakya, by the way... if you didn't already know. I don't think we've ever been formally introduced or anything like that. But I see you around all the time!"[/color] While Zakya's attention was mainly focused on Theo, her last few introductory statements were directed more towards Wesley than anyone else.

[color=#DE563C]"Word on the street is there's gonna be a party this Friday night... hosted by those lovely ladies over there."[/color] As Zakya spoke, she nodded her head in the direction of Erica and Tyler. [color=#DE563C]"You two plan on attending? Cause you definitey should!"[/color]

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[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200404/9e874d35c4ab9e274c46b28601848c19.png[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/n3c8Yjj.jpg[/img]
[sup](FC: Diggy Simmons; Dialogue: [color=#751B27][b]#751B27[/b][/color])[/sup][/center]
[indent][indent][indent]The sounds of an all too familiar [url=https://youtu.be/8iOpUdsMeqM]Ludacris[/url] and Mystikal song pumped through Dwayne's earbuds and drowned out the sound of his feet pounding against the treadmill belt as he began his final cardio workout for the morning. Large beads of sweat dripped down his face, chest, and back as he jogged along with the beat, and a half-smile was plastered across his face despite the slight burning sensation he'd started to feel in his calf muscles. Exercising never failed to make Dwayne feel alive. It made him feel like [i]himself[/i]. Plus, it was during his trips to the gym that he truly got the alone time he'd often found himself craving. It was then that he'd be left with nothing but himself and his favorite music. It gave him the opportunity to get his mind right before he'd have to spend the next few hours sitting in a classroom.

Soon, Dwayne's breathing had started growing heavy, and he knew by then that it was time to hit the showers and get himself ready for the remainder of the day. But it was as he paused his music and began to lower the speed on the treadmill that a distant and oddly familiar voice suddenly broke his focus. [color=gray][i]"Don't tell me you're giving up this early, D."[/i][/color] 

Dwayne quickly yanked out one of his earbuds and craned his neck to see who it was that had spoken to him, but spotted no one else in the room. [color=#751B27][b]"Weird..."[/b][/color] the young man said to himself, before shaking it off and reaching for the button once more. 

[color=gray][i]"Aw, come on, D! Twenty percent talent, eighty percent heart! Don't give up on me now!"[/i][/color] The voice said once more, this time a little clearer than before. And it was then that Dwayne decided to jump off the treadmill completely rather than wait for it to slow down. With wide, panicked eyes and a clenched fist, the young man spun around as he searched for the source of this voice. And yet again, Dwayne was reminded that he was completely alone. 

It took Dwayne a few minutes to recollect himself; the young man stood in complete silence as he continued scanning the room, his breaths slowing with every moment that went by. [color=#751B27][b]"Maybe I'm just hearing things..."[/b][/color] he muttered sarcastically under his breath before finally grabbing his things from beside the treadmill and leaving the gym. The young man, a little shaken up from what happened, walked a little faster than he normally would. He didn't stop speed-walking until he made it back to his bedroom, and even then it took a minute for him to rationalize what he'd heard. It wasn't like Dwayne to be so easily bothered; the feeling made him more than uncomfortable. As he took a few minutes to shower and get dressed, the young man decided that the voice had come from his headphones. After all, he had been playing his music through Spotify; it was probably just some stupid advertisement, right?

Yeah, that's what it was. An advertisement. Dwayne came to this conclusion as he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror and quickly ran a brush over his hair. And by the time he'd left his room and started walking towards the cafeteria, the young man had managed to push most of it all to the very back of his mind.

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