[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/U2WHS7D.png?1[/img][/center][color=pink][sup][h1] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/FJu83Pu.gif[/img][/center] [b][center][color=4169e1]T H E O D O R E B O N F A M I L L E[/color][/center][/b] [/h1][/sup][/color][indent][sub][COLOR=6495ed][I]NECTAR'S KARAOKE BAR[/I][/COLOR][/sub][/indent][indent][sup][right][COLOR=6495ed][b]Mood: WTF[/b][/color][/right][/sup][/indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/U2WHS7D.png?1[/img][/center] [indent][indent][indent][color=#cfe2f3]As far as a night trying to balance having a good time with his best friends of both sides of the gender coin and making sure nobody gave Madéline the wrong kind of glance, especially not the kettle of Hawks that recently decided to consume a few tables and make more noise than everyone else combined. So far, they appeared to be settled whenever Nolan addressed them, so Theo was thankful for that, at least. Nolan was a decent enough guy and he had no problems with him, but ever the protective older twin, Theo wouldn’t let his guard down if he came looking Madéline’s way.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]But Theo knew he was too tense. He knew that he was worrying too much. He knew that as soon as he saw Cassian that his blood was boiling, but Dana was with him and if he got out of hand, she could just rip him to shreds with that hazard of a jacket she has on. [/color] [color=#cfe2f3]So instead, Theo took in a breath. He wasn’t going to repeat the same mistake he made last week. He wasn’t going to allow himself to succumb to the impulses that landed [i]everyone[/i] in hot water. [/color] [color=#4169e1]“Just have a good time,”[/color][color=#cfe2f3] he repeated to himself in a low, inaudible voice, looking around the table. He might’ve been on edge, but something about seeing Madéline smiling quelled that. Her being a literal deer in headlights in any other situation aside, if she was enjoying herself, maybe the least he could do was try the same?[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]Soon his attention fell on the stage once again as Darla took the microphone from Fiona, whose set was pretty good from what Theo heard. Darla soon handed it off to his brother, who Theo could only but smile at when he took his place in front of the piano. Bastien, who was arguably one of the best pianists at Meadow, always knew how to make the simple act of pushing a few keys seem like something out of Bach or some of those other dead musicians that Bas went on about.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]To Bas, it was an art form and Theo watched him with as much interest as he always had shown.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]And then he started singing. His voice was soothing, soft, like a Damien Rice who could pierce your soul with a single harmony.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]Theo was never someone who ever felt truly moved by music -- live or pre-recorded. It wasn't that he couldn’t recognize its brilliance, but he didn’t what his brother had. He didn’t feel like the right note could make you surrender your entire being and give your all into [i]feeling[/i] the performance. But, then again, not everyone heard what Theodore Bonfamille heard. Parts of the song grabbed his attention like Bas had fished for him specifically. Their eyes locked as though the only person in the room that honestly mattered was Theo.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]In that moment, though if asked, he’d say something was caught in his eye, Theo quivered within himself, a few tears fell down his eyes, and he felt it. He, honest to any God out there, felt what Bas had always yammered on about music and why it was so important to him. [/color] [color=#cfe2f3]But possibly the biggest takeaway Theo got from his performance and every word he sang was a look into his brother’s mind and how maybe he didn’t trust his brother enough. It was no secret that Theo had received most of the negative affection from their mother and that weighed on him so heavily that, as Bastien pointed out quite literally, he formed walls around his heart, closed off most of everyone who wasn’t Connor and Shiloh, to ever knowing the effects of what she did -- what Adelaide did. [/color] [color=#4169e1]“No more, “[/color][color=#cfe2f3] he mused, bowing his head into a fake action of sipping more of his beer as he wiped away a tear that came late to the party.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]Theo stood up, looking to Shi and the others. [/color][color=#4169e1]“Gotta use the bathroom. Be back in a bit.”[/color][color=#cfe2f3] He told them, leaving his jacket at the table.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]Squeezing through the crowds that lingered, the ginger male did his best not to knock into anyone as he made his way into the back of the room. A myriad of thoughts came and went, occupying his mind as he avoided bumping into anyone within the human maze, but none seemed to dominate the fact that he had Mackenna on his mind. [/color] [color=#cfe2f3]Somewhere between trying to convince himself that he was justified in getting physical with Cassian Lee and realizing it was, to quote what Mac might say, his fragile male ego, he eventually came to terms that not everything was about him and maybe -- just maybe -- Theodore oughta make it right.[/color] [color=#4169e1]“But how?”[/color][color=#cfe2f3] He mused, reaching the bar, leaning against the countertop and taking a seat in the stool behind him. [/color] [color=#cfe2f3]He turned and saw Cassian and Dana near Nolan. If he wasn’t about to do something stupid, he might even go up to them and start some half-assed process of apologizing. Now, [i]that[/i] would be a hilarious story to tell Shi and Connor so they could laugh if he wasn’t seriously considering it. Instead, he took out his phone.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]Sliding through all of the unanswered text messages that he ignored all week, most of which were from his mother, some from his professors, but to further his unusually lamenting state, none from Mac.[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]And enter dumb act in three, two, one…[/color] [color=#cfe2f3]The sounds of his fingers tapping away on his phone produced a message about ten seconds later.[/color] [quote=From Your Least Favorite Ginger] [color=#4169e1]Hey Mac,[/color] [color=#4169e1]Yeah, I don’t know what’s going to happen but this week was pretty crazy. Or maybe it wasn’t. Either way, I’m at Nectar’s. Everyone’s here: Nolan and his squad of obnoxious jocks, Nate and Dee with Jasper[/color][color=#cfe2f3] (1/5)[/color] [color=#4169e1]Yeah, like that’s a recipe for success.[/color][color=#cfe2f3] (2/5)[/color] [color=#4169e1]Anyway, seems like most of the idiots we all know are hanging about. [/color][color=#cfe2f3](3/5)[/color] [color=#4169e1]And, I don’t know if you’re in the mood, but I’ll be here for a while if you want to stop by.[/color] [color=cfe2f3](4/5)[/color] [color=#4169e1]If it convinces you any, I’m buying drinks for my friends. Just wouldn’t be the same without you here.[/color][color=#cfe2f3](5/5)[/color][/quote] [color=#cfe2f3]When the wall of messages was sent, Theo felt better. And for all of three seconds, that bottomless pit feeling in his gut when AP was announced on Monday returned in full, but this time the only person Theo could blame was himself.[/color] [color=#4169e1]“Holy fuck. What did I just do?”[/color][/indent][/indent][/indent]