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[sub][@LovelyComplex][@spooner][@Melissa][@metanoia][/sub]
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[color=silver][indent][indent]Here they were, in this cancerous cesspool, and Marcos Kingsley had to make the best of this unfortunate circumstance.  [i]Make this school year his bitch[/i] as his sister put it. With dull eyes that mirrored a look his older brother, Noah, would give others countless times, the look of sheer boredom, Marcos followed behind his friend to the entrance. 

So much for the group walking in together. [i]Clearly[/i], Aiden had other plans. Why couldn’t they, as a trio, pick up Fi together? They never started the new year separated. This was already a nuisance and now Aiden being the selfish man that Marcos knew his friend to be, was changing things up. Changing how things were since they started high school. Marcos hated change. 

At first, Marcos didn’t see this as a big deal, but the closer to the door they got, the more of the idea of Aiden picking up Fi alone sank in. The more [i]weird[/i] it seemed. Since when was his best friend ever eager to do something like that?

His annoyance was swiftly interrupted by a loud screeching. When he turned his head to see what had just happened, a random kid rushed past him causing him to only see the color of lavender at a distance, before following the shadow that rudely ran in between him and his friend to get into the door. 

Taking a couple of deep breaths in, not wanting to do something uncharacteristic, he left the mysterious girl be and as if Richie knew he needed one, Marcos was patted on the back which not only comforted him but also informed him that it was time to enter the gates of hell. The first thing to hit his dark gaze was the tacky decor than shortly after, his focus set on the stench of this place. It was a lot worse than expected. As if their minds were in sync, Marcos and Richie looked at each other, in disbelief. This was actually their reality. 

When a name tag was offered to him, the handsome dark-haired jock laughed, [color=D9381E]“You seriously think I’m going to wear that?”[/color] 

“How else will your tour guide find you?” The older woman spoke softly, trying her best to speak with authority, but it was clear her eyes were [i]wandering[/i]. 

[color=D9381E]“They won’t.”[/color] Crumpling the name tag, Marcos tossed the garbage back on the table and just when he was leaving, heading where Richie was waiting for him, Miki, the primadonna of Liberty high, his prissy friend, slammed right into his chest. No apology or anything. [color=D9381E]“Seriously, Miki?”[/color] 

Once he saw how she glared at the teacher, he knew exactly how his friend was feeling and could relate. Letting it go, knowing well enough she would give him a headache with her loud mouth, Marcos hooked his thumbs on his pants’ pockets. Sure enough, she went straight to the place he needed to go: where Richie was sitting. 

Meanwhile Richie had been staring at his phone deep in conversation over texts. But when he heard the kerfuffle he flicked his eyes upward just as Miki had made her way over and Marcos had stalked off on his own. Miki knew full and well that he hated being called by his full name, but he let it go with just a grimace and a sharp intake of breath before flashing her a bright smile.

[color=D28C5B]“You know Miki… I don’t really know how I ended up alone. Aiden is out in the parking lot picking up Fi, for some reason. And uh.. Prince charming found something over there that’s more interesting than me”[/color] he jerked his thumb over to where Marcos was standing talking to someone that was obscured by his tall frame. [color=D28C5B]“But it seems that we are in the same tour group… lucky us!”[/color] he finished with just a hint of sarcasm.  

Miki sighed. [color=hotpink]“I really hate not being told everything beforehand,”[/color] she said, pouting, [color=hotpink]“But I’m glad at least [i]one[/i] person I know will be with me.”[/color] She patted Richard on his shoulder. [color=hotpink]“I can’t tell you how much I wasn’t looking forward to being dragged around by someone named [i]Ellie[/i]. I’d say that was a good name, but it’s someone from Rosefell--”[/color] 

She cut herself off to avoid sounding like a broken record, and glanced over at Marcos.

[color=hotpink] “[i]Oh![/i]”[/color] A sudden realization came to her. [color=hotpink]“So [i]that’s[/i] who I bumped into.”[/color] She giggled, amused at how long it took her to figure it out. 

Marcos had caught sight of someone he didn’t expect to see. Someone that could immediately turn his frown upside down. The cute waitress from the Yellow Rose Diner. She was holding a sketch pad and waiting in the section labeled for ‘tour guides’. With no hesitation, he strolled to the girl with the bright disposition that he found just as attractive as he found Fiamma. It was those naive, innocent eyes that got him.  [color=D9381E]“Hey, Ellie! I didn’t know this was your school. It’s, um, nice. Looks like we’re in this merge together, huh? How’ve you been? It’s been too long since I’ve had a good grand slam.”[/color] 

Ellie found herself standing against the wall clutching her sketchbook in a bit of a daze. She had only made her way inside a few moments prior as whilst waiting at the picnic table for Lilith, she got a front row seat to a show she didn’t ask to see. The brunette caught sight of her ex, [i]Rico[/i], already turning on his signature charm in front of a pink-haired Liberty girl. Granted, she did almost see him get hit by a car (which is what most bitter ex-girlfriends dreamed of), but it was watching him look at that girl the way he used to look at her that made Ellie sick to her stomach. She hightailed it out of there quickly, not needing to see what happened next.

It didn’t help that the last time she saw Rico, it was when she broke up with him, citing that his self destructing habits were tearing her apart and that they were just not on the same page anymore. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was completely over it or if she had just been telling herself that for the last three months… regardless, she wasn’t expecting to see him so soon into the first day, which is what especially threw her off guard. 

A deep voice pulling her out of her fog, the last person Ellie expected to walk up to her was Marcos, a boy that she had grown to know due to his frequent visits to the diner that she worked at. Easy on the eyes, as well as surprisingly easy to talk to, Ellie had enjoyed his company for many shifts at work, but never put two and two together that he was a Liberty student until this moment. Surprised to see him, her mood shifted quickly. [color=FACE75]“Marcos, hi! I didn’t know you’d be here.”[/color] The brunette greeted, trying to shake off any indications that she was previously distracted by her thoughts. She laughed as he tried to play off his comment regarding the state of the school as genuine. 

[color=FACE75]“‘Nice’ is a word you could use to describe this place, but I usually settle for something along the lines of ‘adequate’ or ‘good enough’. It gets the job done though.”[/color] It was no secret that Rosefell was well… not all roses. With barely enough money in the budget to adequately pay teachers and fund curriculum programs, appearances were not what the school board cared about. Ellie didn’t mind- all that mattered to her was getting a diploma and getting out of there. [color=FACE75]“Yeah, I haven’t seen you around. Where’ve you been these days?”[/color] The girl asked, a small smile forming on her face. 

Marcos genuinely smiled as he listened to Ellie talk and defend her school (which was totally fair, and very much something she’d do). When the ball was back in his court, he admitted, [color=D9381E]“Every Labor Day weekend, my friends and I go on a trip and spend it like it’s our last days on Earth. When I came back, I had to balance my time with Serena — my doggo — and my mom, who's been a bit more… aggressive these days with getting her sons involved with her business.”[/color] 

[color=FACE75]“Sounds like a fun trip, you guys must have had a great time- sorry about your mom though.”[/color] Ellie replied, having recalled Marcos mentioning his family previously at the diner.

Taking a brief pause, Marcos nodded at her response. She was honestly too sweet, but something about her voice did soothe him. When she was done, he shook his head, [color=D9381E]“No need to apologize. I love her, so I’ll go out of my way for her.”[/color] For a moment, he played with his ring on his left hand, pinky finger, subconsciously, before continuing. [color=D9381E]“That’s Richie, by the way,”[/color] he gestured behind him to where his best friend and friend were standing, [color=D9381E]“The guy I’ve talked to you about. The one that keeps me in check. I’d introduce you to Aiden, but he’s busy taking care of a Mouse.”[/color] 

Out of habit, Marcos surveyed Ellie’s outfit. This would be the first time he saw her in something that wasn’t her diner uniform. He got so distracted at seeing a familiar face, that he forgot to appreciate the whole picture and how much effort she put in making a good first impression. He felt the urge to compliment her, but the last place his eyes rested on was her chest where her name tag sat. She had crossed out the word ‘Eleanor’ and wrote Ellie over it. Not letting his eyes linger too long in that area, he grinned, [color=D9381E]“Eleanor, huh? Looks like Richie will be in good hands today.”[/color]

The brunette let her eyes follow to where Marcos motioned and- oh my [i]god[/i]. Standing there was the blonde that had smiled at her in the parking lot, the one who she still didn’t believe was real- that was his friend Richie? The one that he had talked so highly about in the diner all of those nights? Ellie began putting together the pieces in her head, nodding absentmindedly to show that she was still somewhat paying attention. If Marcos was easy on the eyes, Richie was even easier. The light seemed to hit his hair just right to give it the look of golden threads. 

And then something else clicked. Those boys that Christian had mentioned before… what had he called them? [i]The Golden Trio[/i]. Three guys with stunningly good looks and lots of money… they were them. But Marcos was nice? Chris had said they were assholes. Ellie tried to keep her facial expressions from revealing how she was feeling on the inside, attempting to comprehend all of this information. And then he threw another curveball at her- she was supposed to tour Richie around. Jesus christ. 

[color=FACE75]“Mhmm,”[/color] The brunette nodded in agreement once more, a tad bit flustered at the thought of talking to such a guy and still staying focused enough to not trip over her own two feet. On top of that, she also had the other student to guide as well. [color=FACE75]“Yeah, yeah, I guess I’m showing him around today.”[/color]

Richie's eyes followed the small frame of Miki as she stood up and walked away towards Marcos without so much as a word. He rolled his eyes and sighed standing up and walking over after her. He nodded his head towards his friend as if to say [color=D28C5B][i]Sorry, I tried to stop her[/i][/color]. Then he looked over at the girl Marcos had been talking to, it took a little while but then he realized she had been one of the only people who had acknowledged him out in the school yard.  He smiled warmly at her and was just about to introduce himself but was cut off by Miki. 

[color=hotpink]”Marcos!”[/color] Miki’s squeal-like voice etched a path for her into the conversation that he and Miss Plain Jane were having, who went completely ignored by the Queen of Liberty. [color=hotpink]”What are you doing all the way over here and subjecting yourself to the company of the--”[/color] She gave the only other girl a quick glance. [color=hotpink]“--Less fortunate? You should be with me. Or literally [i]anyone[/i] else.”[/color] She flipped her hair once and glared at [i]the help[/i] for a few seconds before turning her nasty expression upside down and smiling at Marcos.

[color=D9381E]“Be nice, Miki.”[/color] Marcos exasperatedly sighed. [color=D9381E]“Ellie. Miki. Richie. Richie. Miki. Ellie,”[/color] he moved his hand with the pinky ring back and forth. If there was one thing Marcos had no time for, it was getting Miki mad enough to throw a tantrum. Plus, if he tried correcting her behavior it would only end with her giving him an ear full. They had similar interests, and she was a good friend, to those that she deemed fit, but she was undoubtedly a brat and it was impossible to change. Thank her parents for that. 

That being said, even brats deserved friends. [color=D9381E]“I know her from Yellow Rose.”[/color] He gave Richie a knowingly gaze, since he’s told him about the waitress on numerous occasions, and then continued onward with Miki-damage control, [color=D9381E]“Miki, you wouldn’t be caught dead there, but they have amazing food and [i]great[/i] service.”[/color] He winked at Ellie.  

She gave Marcos a death glare, and took in a breath for nobody’s benefit but her own. [color=hotpink]”So, [i]this[/i] is Ellie.”[/color]  Watch as Miki pretends to be shocked. Also watch as she swallows the first thing that came to her, the first thing she wanted to say when she realized the most plain-sounding name belonged to the most plain-looking girl. She held out her hand, bent slightly like a princess -- nay, a [i]queen[/i] -- and forced herself to smile for …[i]Ellie[/i] [color=hotpink]“Miki. It’s a…”[/color] Miki was having difficulties at the moment; bear with her. [color=hotpink]“--Pleasure to meet you, Ellie.”[/color]

Richie let out a scoff as he stepped forward from behind Miki [color=D28C5B]“It really is…”[/color] he gave Miki a disapproving look, way to reinforce the stereotype that was already put on them. He turned back to Ellie [color=D28C5B]“Hi I’m Richie. I’m just going to go out on a limb here and guess that Ellie is short for Eleanor”[/color] His eyes shot down to her blue name tag with her full name crossed out, then they flicked to his own tag with the same thing done. [color=D28C5B]“It looks like we already have things in common,”[/color] he noted with a wider smile looking Ellie right in her eyes. 

Ellie was briefly taken out of her trance by Miki’s abrasive nature and harsh choice of words. Now, the brunette had certainly dealt with her fair share of difficult people in the past (you’d be surprised how some people acted sometimes when you messed up their order or neglected their table) so putting on her best customer service smile, the girl clasped Miki’s hand and shook it. [color=FACE75]“Nice to meet you too, welcome to Rosefell.”[/color] Ellie replied, putting her arm back down at her side.

The girl then turned her attention to Richie, the eye contact alone probably enough to make any girl go weak at the knees. But, she stood her ground and looked down at her name tag as he glanced at it, mentioning the similarity to his own. [color=FACE75]“You’d be right- I just go by Ellie but I guess the administration seems to have an aversion to nicknames today.”[/color] The brunette replied with a small laugh. [color=FACE75]“Marcos has told me a lot about you, it’s great to finally put a face to the name.”[/color] Ellie commented, a genuine smile returning to her lips and replacing the fake one she had put on for Miki’s sake. [color=FACE75][i]Yeah, an [b]attractive[/b] face.[/i][/color] The girl thought to herself.  

After checking the time on his wrist watch, Marcos grumbled to himself, knowing he should let his friends go about their business and enjoy their tour with Ellie. Personally, the tour was a waste of time, but he knew Richie would go through with it out of politeness and Miki? She enjoyed belittling someone so yeah, she probably would go with it too until she grew bored. Patting Richie’s back, Marcos announced his departure, [color=D9381E]“Ellie, now, take good care of these two okay? I wouldn’t want to take away from this [i]amazing[/i] tour you prepared, so I’ll leave you guys to it.”[/color] 

Ellie silently wished Marcos would stay to act as a buffer, but knew he couldn’t since he had his own tour guide to find, which meant she was on her own from this moment forth. [color=FACE75]“I will, don’t worry.”[/color] She reassured him (as well as herself) before turning back to Miki and Richie. This was sure going to be some tour. [color=FACE75]“Alright, shall we?”[/color][/indent][/indent][/color]