[color=darkgray][indent][indent][indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/izlnV9x.png[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/zzhO98T.png[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/ESWGjPO.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/BH5FVUj.png[/img]
[sub]A [@metanoia], [@Rosalia], & [@spooner] Collaboration
Featuring [color=ff8c00]Sonny Drake[/color], [color=brown]Marisol Castillo[/color], & [color=36506b]Max Wallenberg[/color][/sub]
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For almost two songs, the couple that had been on the brink of breaking up, had celebrated not being single again by dancing their asses off-- something that Sonny was most grateful for. They did so figuratively by letting loose with the limited amount of alcohol both of them have, screaming as loud as their lungs would allow them, pulling each other close, twirling around in some of the most ungraceful displays of white people dancing since Jersey Shore. Sonny may have had a year or so of classic training but the ungodly displays of fist-pumping and off-centered footwork was so bad that when they stopped, everyone around them cheered.

Well, that and during the last thirty seconds, they truly entered a new low for their demonstration of how not to twerk. White people could twerk, but when two flat-assed misfits did it, it truly was the thing of nightmares.

[color=ff8c00]“All that dancing made me a bit horny.”[/color] Sonny muttered into Mari’s ear, biting it teasingly. He walked arm in arm, going side to side, shaking his ass with Mari’s for those with the benefit - and deathwish - of watching them make their way to the exit.

[color=brown]"You're fucking digusting,"[/color] Marisol scolded him, lightly elbowing her boyfriend's ribs but shooting him a playful wink. [color=brown]"Does this mean we'll get to test out the backseat of that new ride of yours?"[/color] she asked him, biting her lower lip.

[color=ff8c00]“Talk about disgusting, miss little walking irony,”[/color] Sonny teased her, bumping her shoulder. He took a glance around the dance, sighing quietly. He had plenty enough of the dance to last him a lifetime. [color=ff8c00]“Yeah, let’s blow this joint.”[/color] He grinned at Mari, squeezing her hand as the two walked through the crowd, maneuvering their way through hopeless romantics and their need to fight for their right to get laid.

A few minutes later, the two were outside in the parking lot. Sonny had to take a moment to take in just how many cars filled up the parking lot. He remembered where he parked his brand new Audi TT. He scanned the front row of the lot. When he couldn’t find it under the veil of darkness, Sonny tricked the alarm from his keys and the light flashed, giving its location to his immediate left. 

[color=ff8c00]“There it is!”[/color] Sonny pulled Marisol with him gently. [color=ff8c00]“It’s not really my style but it sure is pretty to look at.”[/color]

[color=brown]"Holy shit!"[/color] came the girl's enthusiastic response, rushing over to the car to carefully inspect every inch of its glistening, pristine exterior before turning back to her boyfriend with sparkling eyes. [color=brown]"No wonder you needed that fitted suit and the wardrobe change: you're a full-blown fancy gentleman now. I am [i]so[/i] unworthy,"[/color] she teased with a smirk.

[color=ff8c00]“Are you now?”[/color] The boy looked at her, matching her smirk with one of his own, [color=ff8c00]“then I guess I’ll call you an uber if you’re feeling [i]so[/i] unworthy,”[/color] he teased her back, walking forward and sitting on the edge of the hood. 

Grinning, Marisol chose to stand in front of him, reach out for his hands, and lock her fingers with his. [color=brown]“I know you say it’s not your style and whatever, but this car looks [i]really[/i] nice. I think you should keep it… Even if it means I have to get a new wardrobe myself to match,”[/color] she joked with a small laugh.

[color=ff8c00]“Don’t you go changing on me too,”[/color] Sonny glared at her, [color=ff8c00]“don’t do exactly what your worst fears think my mother wants you to do. I’m her son, so obviously I have to change to satisfy her but as far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t change your style, but most importantly--”[/color] Sonny kept his eyes on her and pulled her between his spread legs, [color=ff8c00]“--you don’t need to. I don’t want to date a Mexican Julie. I want to date the idiot who always gets jealous whenever some slut of the week tries to seduce me.”[/color] 

His hands lowered down her back, almost to the point where they were in the perfect position to get her nonexistent ass a good smack, but Sonny settled for a gentle caress. [color=ff8c00]“Now how’s about a smooch, darling?”[/color] He couldn’t keep a straight face but he was completely serious about wanting a kiss.

He didn’t have to tell her twice. With a soft smile on her face and a warm feeling in her heart, Mari let her body gently clash with Sonny’s, and pressed her lips against his.

And as they tried to enjoy it, Sonny couldn’t because of some horrendous song being played over and over again. It wasn’t just any ordinary song; it was a familiar tune. How did Sonny know this? That was due to the painful memories of working out at Asgard Fitness with one of his closest friends. Day in and day out, as they pumped iron and ran on the treadmill until their legs were jelly, Max always played the same song over and over until it was a literal broken record. 

Sonny broke the kiss, vocally expressing his frustration with a loud sigh. [color=ff8c00]“Max is nearby,”[/color] Sonny muttered, trying to find his truck. [color=ff8c00]“Only he would play such a shitty song that loud.”[/color] After looking around for a couple of moments, Sonny’s eyes kept to the limited light the lamp posts around gave way to and they illuminated a path to the left of his Audi for him to spot Max’s truck half way down the front row. Luckily for him, it wasn’t hard to find that fugly truck of his. Between the luxury of most of the cars and the sore thumb Max drove, Sonny found it. [color=ff8c00]“And there it is,”[/color] Sonny announced, pointing to it. [color=ff8c00]“Wanna go say hello?”[/color]

Marisol shook her head. [color=brown]"Nah. I'll stay here and mess around with your car a little bit,"[/color] she told him cheerfully, giving him another kiss before pulling away and stepping aside.

[color=ff8c00]“Suit yourself!”[/color] Sonny shrugged, digging into his pocket and handed her his keys. [color=ff8c00]“If you crash it, well, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”[/color] He almost meant that, chuckling lowly. [color=ff8c00]“Seriously though, have fun.”[/color] He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and walked away, leaving the very excited Mari settling in the driver's side of the Audi.

The further he walked from his car, the louder the calming, if not terribad sounds from Max’s truck became and Sonny laughed as he found himself near the hood of his truck. It amazed him that Max could drive such a hunk of junk, but then again, people might say the same thing about his orange monstrosity. To them it was ugly, but it was just the thing he, as his grandfather would say, fancied. 

Sonny announced his arrival by tapping on the hood as he went further back, keeping up the same rhythm. [color=ff8c00]“Maxie!”[/color] He called out, hoping his typically obnoxious tone would overpower his workout partner’s choice in music. [color=ff8c00]“Arise brother!”[/color]

Max had been dreamily staring upwards to the sky, letting the stars glitter in his eyes as he listened to one of his favorite tunes. But as soon as the sound of something slamming on the metal hit his ears he was snapped back to reality. Slowly, he sat up and looked around groggily, his blue eyes searching for the source of the sound. [color=36506b]“Oh!”[/color] he exclaimed as he saw the short figure of Sonny standing beside the bed of his truck. [color=36506b]“Son! How’s it going, Little Man?”[/color] he smiled widely before he rested his head on the wall of his car. 

Sonny rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore that totally unoriginal pet name. [color=ff8c00]“Not bad, Burger King,”[/color] Sonny clapped back, meeting Max with a smile of his own. [color=ff8c00]“Dance got lame, so decided to bounce, then I heard your lamer music, so I figured I’d pop by and see what’s up.”[/color] Sonny let the silence take over for a second and a half. There was definitely something off about Max but Sonny couldn’t put the nail on the head yet. [color=ff8c00]“So, what [i]is[/i] up? Why are you laying out here all alone?”[/color] He asked Max. 

[color=36506b][i]Lame?![/i][/color] Max raised an eyebrow and was about to comment but decided against it, just chuckling and shaking his head. [color=36506b]“Yeah, the dance is kind of lame, huh?”[/color] he agreed, while standing up, jumping off the truck and effortlessly walking around to the side where Sonny stood. He leaned back, spreading out his arms. [color=36506b]“Nothing much, really,”[/color] he shrugged, looking around. [color=36506b]“Just… doing some -- what’s it called?”[/color] Max screwed up his eyebrows in thought [color=36506b]“--Head searching!”[/color] his booming laughter filled the parking lot. [color=36506b]“I just need to deal with rejection that’s all.”[/color] he let out a weaker laugh looking at his feet. [color=36506b]“Something that’s a bit strange to me.”[/color] The burly teen looked back up at his friend.  

[color=ff8c00]“Rejection?”[/color] Sonny repeated back, giving Max a strange look. He had never heard rejection and Max Wallenberg in the same area code, let alone being next door neighbors. He almost wanted to call his bluff, but knowing Max like he did, his whole vibe was both absolutely genuine and a little unnerving. [color=ff8c00]“Damn bro…”[/color] Sonny scratched the back of his head and offered his friend a sympathetic smile. [color=ff8c00]“It’s never a fun experience to put yourself out there and get totally crushed.”[/color] Sonny reached out and gave Max a supportive pat on his arm. [color=ff8c00]“Who was the bitch that did this to you?”[/color] 

Max shifted a little uncomfortably on the spot when Sonny asked about what had happened just a few moments ago. [color=36506b]“She’s not a bitch!”[/color] he started. [color=36506b]“Maybe Ariana just wasn’t as into me as I thought she was,”[/color] he said quietly. [color=36506b]“You know the feeling, am I right Little Man?!”[/color] he tried to deflect with a joke. Knowing that Sonny had a past with Ariana, he knew the ups and downs of dealing with the Mossos girl.  

[color=ff8c00]“Ariana?”[/color] Shit, of all the-- [color=ff8c00]“Damn, that’s fucking rough, buddy.”[/color] 

Sonny still had conflicted memories whenever he thought of her. He could tell just by how he defensively reacted to his comment that whatever Max felt for Ariana was the real deal. [i]Just like I had.[/i] How foolish Sonny was, but in hindsight, he knew why they couldn’t work. He was a different person two years ago, a less cool version of the slightly older boy he was now. 

Not important right now. Back to Max.

[color=ff8c00]“Yeah she can be a trainwreck or a beautiful mess given the right circumstances.”[/color] Sonny laughed, somewhat nudging Max’s arm. This was just between bros so Sonny could speak without any worry of pissing off Mari. 

After a brief moment of silence, he asked, [color=ff8c00]“So what happened between you two?”[/color]

Max let out a deep sigh, [color=36506b]“I might as well let it all out, huh?”[/color] He let out a defeated chuckle. [color=36506b]“Well…”[/color] He threw his head back so he could look up at the stars again [color=36506b]“I decided tonight was the perfect night to ask her to be my girl.”[/color] he paused focusing his attention back to his bro. [color=36506b]“And man Son, you should have seen the look of sheer panic on her face when I asked.”[/color] He shook his head as if to get rid of the image. [color=36506b]“It was as if she had lost her ability to talk! She didn’t say a word.”[/color] He crossed his arms in front of him. 

[color=36506b]“It’s obvious she doesn’t think of me in that way… I’m just another body to her.”[/color] He sighed “Another name on her list…” he trailed off, looking past Sonny and into the woods.

Listening to Max explain what went down between him and Ariana hit him with a rather familiar, stinging-like pain in his gut. It wasn’t the same, but there was a time where Sonny felt that much for Ariana and he couldn’t help but feel for Max. Even if he didn’t intend to, he fell hard for Ariana and got bitch-slapped by Cupid’s open palm - something Sonny had experienced when Ariana dumped him.

Hell, Max is [i]exactly[/i] what Sonny was two years ago. [color=ff8c00]“I’m sorry man. This isn’t right. What she’s doing to you, it’s just not right.”[/color] With a mix of repressed anger, Sonny made sure Max saw his eyes. [color=ff8c00]“Guys like us don’t need her, bro! You really want someone good? Get yourself a crazy bitch. They might gut you if you cheat, but you’ll never find someone more loyal than a bitch with a disorder.”[/color] Sonny found himself laughing a little too much, knowing full well if Mari heard him, he would lose one of his intestines.

Max cracked a smile and let out his signature laugh slapping Sonny on the shoulder. [color=36506b]“Thanks man! I guess I needed this.”[/color] he continued letting small laughs escape him. [color=36506b]“Don’t worry dude, I’ll get over it”[/color] he shrugged. [color=36506b]“Right now I just want to get out of here! You wanna join me for a late workout session?”[/color] he asked, pointing his thumb towards the front of his truck. [color=36506b]“You know who’s working the late night shift at the gym?” [/color]

Sonny had to think for a moment and not just to remember who in the hell was manning the Asgard fort. Today was Saturday, so that meant-- [color=ff8c00]“Justin is working tonight, but knowing that pothead, he’s blazing it up in the back so we’ll practically have it all to ourselves.”[/color] Sonny recalled that Justin loved the night shift because it meant he could get high as much as he wanted. [color=ff8c00]“But just let me text Mari real quick, tell her what’s going down.” [/color]

And it was in that moment, Sonny realized that his girlfriend had the keys to the new car his mother bought for him. That was going to be a nice story that’ll end up with him being grounded. [color=ff8c00]“Ah well, not like it’s my style, anyway,”[/color] Sonny muttered, chuckling. About seven seconds later, he sent Mari a text: 
[color=ff8c00]‘Hey, Max got big R’d by Ariana, so we’re gonna hit the gym. 
Feel free to take your time with that silver and black beaut.’[/color]

Looking at the two messages, Sonny felt iffy about it but it was going to be fine. [i]I hope[/i]. 

Before dread could find itself into his already-pacing mind, Sonny pocketed his phone and grinned Max’s way. [color=ff8c00]“Alrighty! Let’s get the fuck out of here!”[/color]

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