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[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200609/3523ef85693771ef469527654b992949.png[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/BIamL0q.png[/img]
[sup]An [@Ejected] and [@Rosalia] collaboration
Featuring [color=#751B27][b]Dwayne Freeman[/b][/color] and [color=firebrick][b]Soleil Jameson[/b][/color][/sup][/center]
[indent][indent][indent]Truth be told, Dwayne hadn't been paying as much attention to his surroundings as he probably should've been as he made his way down to the cafeteria. Maybe it was because he was still thinking about the craziness that he'd experienced a few minutes before leaving the gym. Or perhaps he was wondering how Nicholas Grey would act upon seeing him if he happened to still be in the cafeteria; would they go on as normal as he'd hoped, or would things be a little... awkward between them? Either way, the young man didn't snap back to reality until he felt a sharp pain hit him right in the lower abdomen; Dwayne let out a low groan and instinctively grabbed his stomach as he turned to see who'd done the damage.

[color=#751B27][b]"Damn, Sol. You tryna take me out or something? I thought we were cool peoples."[/b][/color] Dwayne said jokingly, his expression softening considerably once he saw that it was none other than Soleil Jameson who'd bumped into him. [color=#751B27][b]"I'm cool though. But are you sure everything's alright with you? I mean, you seemed a little... upset."[/b][/color] The pain in Dwayne's stomach went away almost as quickly as it had appeared; once it subsided, the young man returned to his original stance, his hands stuffed into his pants pockets and his shoulders slightly slouched.

Somehow, Soleil was able to muster up a fake smile. [color=firebrick]"Nah, man. It's all good. Don't worry about it,"[/color] she reassured him, lightly punching him in the arm. [color=firebrick]"What's up with you, though? Normally you're alert enough to give me a heads up about things, but you look like you were kinda distracted yourse-"[/color] Suddenly, an idea came to her. [color=firebrick]"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."[/color]

Soleil was right, Dwayne normally would've spotted her coming from a mile away. He hadn't realized that he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts. The young man hesitated for a moment as he pondered Sol's proposition. Did he really want to disclose the details of what he'd experienced that morning in the gym? Was it worth the risk of being called [i]crazy[/i]? Although Soleil was one of the few people at the school Dwayne considered a friend, and he [i]was[/i] mildly curious as to why she'd been practically fuming a few seconds ago, he figured it'd be best to only tell half of the truth. [color=#751B27][b]"It's nothing,"[/b][/color] Dwayne said, shrugging his shoulders. [color=#751B27][b]"I guess I'm just a little more tired from the gym this morning than I thought. I've just been... out of it ever since I left."[/b][/color]

[color=firebrick]“I heard that…”[/color] the young woman answered, rolling her eyes. [color=firebrick]“That’s kinda what’s happening with me too in a way, y’know? Before I came here, I felt like I had [i]somewhat[/i] of a grip on myself. I mean, I wasn’t the best behaved person around or anything like that, but I knew when to take the high road and chill and when to let my anger out. But ever since I got here, it’s like I’m acting under instincts I didn’t think I had in the first place. I see things that upset me, and instead of thinking ‘oh well, I’ll just have to work harder at the gym later’, I just want to pounce at whoever’s pissing me off and make them bleed…”[/color] she trailed off, thinking back to that gory vision of the tiger and the peacock and immediately shaking her head to get rid of it. However, when she thought back to how weird her last statement must have sounded to Dwayne, Sol grimaced. [color=firebrick]“[i]Fuck[/i]. Sorry! That came out a lot creepier than I thought…”[/color] she apologized with a small laugh in an attempt to ease any tension.

[color=#751B27][b]"Not creepy at all, Sol. But I [i]am[/i] gonna pray for whoever it is in there that's pissed you off this morning. They're definitely gonna need it."[/b][/color] Dwayne said, letting out a small, awkward laugh of his own as he nodded towards the cafeteria doors. [color=#751B27][b]"You know, I actually vaguely remember someone telling me that a lot of times, when you seem to be having trouble dealing with your anger all of sudden that there's probably some underlying cause or reason. And that if you want to get this anger under control, you gotta figure out what that reason is and resolve it. Not really sure if that helps at all... But you can always come to me and talk everything out before things turn... homicidal."[/b][/color]

Soleil joined in with his initial laughter, and remained quiet and thoughtful of Dwayne's words, but she suppressed her instinct to groan at his suggestion. [color=firebrick]"I mean, I [i]know[/i] what the cause of my bad mood is. The way to resolve it, however, is a little more… [i]complicated[/i]. And risky…"[/color] she admitted with a sigh. [Color=firebrick]"I could lose a friendship I really fucking cherish over it. That terrifies me."[/color]

[color=#751B27][b]"[i]Soleil 'Shady' Jameson[/i] is scared to take a risk? This must be something serious."[/b][/color] Dwayne said with a half-smile. [color=#751B27][b]"I ultimately can't make you do something you don't want, but what I [i]can[/i] say is that maybe you should think more about the positives rather than the negatives. I mean, things [i]could[/i] go how you say they might... but what if things go the way you hope and you don't lose a friendship? You won't know really until you at least try. Assuming that this is about a guy... I think he'd be pretty stupid to turn you down, Sol."[/b][/color]

Although she smiled and was incredibly thankful for Dwayne's advice and kind words, Soleil's mind was racing. Here was yet another person advising that she grow some balls and face the music. As much as she hated to be wrong, there was no way she was this time. [color=firebrick]"Thanks, man. I guess we'll just see how it goes, right?"[/color] she told him with a small smile that fell just as quickly as it arrived. [color=firebrick]"Shit. I didn't mean to make this whole conversation about me. I'm sorry…"[/color] the dark-haired girl apologized, biting her lip. [color=firebrick]"Let's get back to you for a sec. Are you sure tiredness is all that's going on with you? Or do you think it might be something else?"[/color]

As soon as Soleil brought the conversation focus back on him, Dwayne could feel himself start to clam up. He was prepared to stick to his original story of being "too tired" from the gym until he came to a sudden realization. Soleil had been honest with him, so why shouldn't he do the same? [color=#751B27][b]"I uh..."[/b][/color] Dwayne started, struggling to find the right way to word things. [color=#751B27][b]"I just had this freaky experience in the gym that really threw me off. I was running on the treadmill, listening to my music as usual. And then all of a sudden I hear this... voice in my head, basically telling me not to give up."[/b][/color] As Dwayne spoke, he carefully studied Sol's face for any sort of reaction. 

[color=#751B27][b]"And before you call me crazy, it's not like I'm just hearing things. I figure it was just a suppressed memory or something, maybe from when I was a kid. Except I can't picture who the voice belonged to, no matter how hard I try to remember..."[/b][/color] Dwayne let his voice trail off at the end of his short story. And he only let a few moments pass before he said, [color=#751B27][b]"I know, it's not even that big of a deal. Not sure why I even kept thinking about it."[/b][/color]

[color=firebrick]"Well that's strange…"[/color] Soleil mused, her green eyes now narrowed in an inquisitive expression. [color=firebrick]"[i]Definitely[/i] a lot more interesting than me being hung over some guy, though,"[/color] she joked with a smirk in an attempt to lighten up his mood while she mulled things over. [color=firebrick]"I don't think you're crazy: that's a fact. But I don't really have an explanation for what you're telling me, either. Maybe it's one of those cases in which you hear a voice in your head like you do when you're silently reading or thinking something, but under somebody else's voice?"[/color]

Dwayne let out a light chuckle at Soleil's joke, and nodded his head as she offered up a potential explanation. [color=#751B27][b]"Yeah, maybe you're right. That definitely makes the most sense,"[/b][/color] he said before checking the time on his watch. [color=#751B27][b]"Anyway... breakfast any good this morning? I'm starving."[/b][/color]

[color=firebrick]"Oh yeah, it's great. Same as always. You know breakfast here is always good."[/color] Shady answered with a shrug and smile. [color=firebrick]"I'd walk in and have breakfast with you even though I just ate, but the hypothetical root of my problem is inside and I'm trying to buy myself some time before I face it…"[/color] she trailed off, instinctively taking a peek over her shoulder back at Theo before turning back to Dwayne with a sheepish expression. [color=firebrick]"So yeah! [i]That[/i] was a nice talk! Think we could meet up again sometime soon? Maybe discuss more of our emotional and paranormal problems over some dinner?"[/color] she teased with a playful wink.

[color=#751B27][b]"Of course,"[/b][/color] Dwayne answered with a smirk. [color=#751B27][b]"Looking forward to it."[/b][/color]

[color=firebrick]"Alright, cool! I'll see you later!"[/color] she told him with a smirk of her own, lightly punching his arm again in farewell before heading off in the direction of the dormitories. The prospect of dinner with Dwayne certainly made Shady smile and greatly improved her mood, but it also made her wonder why things couldn't be as simple as this when it cane to Theodore. [color=firebrick][i]Cry me a fucking river...[/i][/color]
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