[color=silver][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/8vKctw3.jpg[/img]
[sub]A [@LovelyComplex], [@Ken] & [@metanoia] Collaboration
Featuring [color=b02727]Marcos[/color], [color=#97ADBB]JayVaughn[/color], & [color=D9381E]Colin[/color][/sub]
[/center][indent][indent][hr][hr]When the others walked away, Marcos strode from the crowd of people surrounding the sign in table and went to a secluded wall. With furrowed eyebrows and a great disinterest to his environment, the jock pulled out his phone and scrolled through his Instagram feed. 

His tour guide would have a hard time finding him due to the fact that Marcos Kingsley didn’t want to be found. His name tag was gone, thanks to himself, and he doubted this random dude followed politics. One of the few ways to learn the faces of the Kingsley kids in Ohio was through his father. If you follow winter sports, sure, you can learn a thing or two about his mother and his older brother, Leonel. If you follow video games, sure, you would know ‘yo im noah’ the stupid talented stoner streamer that aims to find cool gamer personalities to room with (in the guest house). Other than that, it would take someone who actually cared to stalk his family to find out more.

Standing anonymously, not bothering giving his name to the girls that clearly wanted to know, Marcos chose to be to everyone, at least for now, an attractive stranger. Nothing more. This whole merge situation baffled him. He found it amusing how the staff thought forced tours was a good idea. He would love to see what the school did if he skipped out. 

Sighing, his dark gaze went from a picture of one of his friends to the time on his wrist watch. Marcos knew he had to find his homeroom soon. There was a deep desire in him to not go and to just leave. Deal with the repercussions later. Noah did it all the time. However, he knew his parents would give him more grief than not because it wasn’t like him to step out of line. Plus, he wouldn’t forgive himself if he coward out and not take his sister’s advice. Accept that shit happens and look at this sudden change as a positive experience. He hated change. 

And as another guy came out of the nurses office, her nagging voice clearly cutting through the thunderous chatter from the students in the halls of Rosefell, a dark-haired boy, whose breath smelled of old vodka and attire smelled of 80s punker, found himself DP’d between the verbal beating [url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Betty_White_2010.jpg/1200px-Betty_White_2010.jpg]Nurse Betty[/url] was giving him and the physical smack he felt on his side as he crashed into Marcos.

[color=D9381E]“Jesus!”[/color] Came out his visible annoyance, walking maybe a few paces away from Betty the Bitch.

“Be careful! You’ll break that nose of yours if you keep runn’in to people like that!” Betty was a southern woman and she had the sass of an old southern, white woman but without the racism. Thank God!

[color=D9381E]“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”[/color] Colin shrugged her off as he rubbed his cheek, which took most of the force from the collision. [color=D9381E]“Watch where you’re going, poindexter!”[/color] He snapped at the wall of a man who was literally dressed like an abercrombie and fitch model, making him have the astute deduction that this one was a Lib. [color=D9381E]“Oh, fuck me! You’re a lib, aren’t you? Actually, don’t answer that. Of course you are. Only a pretentious fuckwad would dress that straight and narrow.”[/color] Colin rolled his eyes, trying to have the cooler head. 

He didn’t know this guy, so he had no reason to be so outwardly nasty towards him. [color=D9381E]“Meh, whatever. Sorry for crashing into that brick wall you call a chest.”[/color] The boy gave himself a laugh. [color=D9381E]“Anyway, name’s Colin. What the fuck do they call you?”[/color]

Colin? Marcos knew a boy named Colin once. A long time ago, or so it felt. With complete disinterest, the dark-haired boy eyed the stranger in silence and listened to his vulgarity. Why was everyone running into him today? Pocketing his phone, Kingsley gazed at the stranger that entered his bubble and directly answered, already exasperated at the other guy’s presence, [color=b02727]“Marcos.”[/color] His eyes rested on Colin’s busted face and smoothly, he asked,  [color=b02727]“What happened to you?”[/color] 

Colin raised a curious brow when he said his name. [color=D9381E]“Marcos, eh?”[/color] He repeated back, humming thoughtfully. It was a name he hadn’t thought about in years -- not since he moved from the bougie side of town. And he couldn’t say it left a positive note. 

As Colin studied this guy’s face, something about it was oddly familiar, but he shrugged. [color=D9381E]“Well, let’s just say if you see a tiny little goth nightmare named Stephanie Cross running around, don’t get on her bad side or she just might wreck that pretty face of yours.”[/color] Colin’s comment came with a laugh that he felt in his face and he grunted from the sharp pain surging through it. [color=D9381E]“So why the fuck you hanging around these crummy halls anyway? No doubt you’re from Liberty, but aren’t you posh types supposed to come with a bodyguard or something?”[/color] He asked, taking in a slow breath to help himself get to a point where his nose wasn’t throbbing with pain.

The peace and tranquility that Marcos appreciated from his old school seemed to be a distant dream the more Colin talked. This kid either was rotting his brain by some hard drug or he hustled in the streets, thinking he was the best shit out there, when really, he was wasting his life away by being stupid,  [color=b02727]“You really know how to make a first impression.”[/color] Just being exposed to a chum like Colin was killing his vibe more than he thought was possible. If Marcos had a choice, he wouldn’t be here. That only took common sense to look at all the expressions of the new kids to see none of  them [i]wanted[/i] to be here. Did this kid assume that every rich kid [i]needed[/i] a bodyguard? Like that was some common thing? Marcos wasn’t his father, a politician, seen on TV, and even if he was, he could protect himself. Yeah, no. Time to leave. [color=b02727]“Good talk, but I’m heading to class.”[/color] 

Colin let out another laugh, stepping in Marcos’ way, preventing him from leaving. [color=D9381E]“Now now, no need to be so sensitive, Marcella.”[/color] Colin placed his hand on Marcos’ shoulder, squeezing it with a bit of force. In the time he had been staring at him, studying his face, something was [i]starting[/i] to click, but it couldn’t be...could it? [color=D9381E]“You know, you remind me of an old friend of mine. Bit of a high strung, thinks-he’s-better-than-everyone-else prick.”[/color] Colin kept his stare stone-faced for a few seconds before letting his grip go, even went as far as to straighten the dent he made into Marcos’ shirt.

While Colin was taking out the wrinkle in Marcos’ sleeve, the jock jerked his shoulder and furiously muttered,  [color=b02727]“Don’t touch me.”[/color] At this moment, Marcos menacingly glared at the pale boy’s face, letting their eyes meet.  [color=b02727]“You know who you remind me of?”[/color] Forcing his way through the lowlife, Marcos snarkingly smiled, [color=b02727]“[b]Nobody.[/b]”[/color]  And that is what Colin will always be. A nobody. 

JayVaughn Spencer had been pretty much oblivious to everything that had been going on around him once he'd set his attention on finishing his second breakfast. But it was a random voice exclaiming [i]"don't touch me"[/i] that snapped the boy back to reality, causing him to instinctively scan the room to see where the sudden outburst had come from. His eyes instantly landed upon an unfamiliar face who stood right next to none other than Colin Gallagher, someone who he admittedly didn't know too well personally, but [i]knew of[/i] well enough to assume that things were about to go south for both parties involved. And after realizing that no one else around him had plans to intervene, JJ decided to take matters into his own hands.

In swift motions, JJ tossed his trash into a nearby bin before quickly approaching the two guys. [color=#97ADBB]"Hey, fellassss,"[/color] he said once he'd reached them, trying his best to create a small wall between the two - "small" being the operative word seeing as how that was exactly how JJ felt standing in between their slightly taller, anger-filled bodies. [color=#97ADBB]"Colin... always good to see ya. And [i]you[/i] must be one of the Liberty students..."[/color] JJ took a quick glance down to see if the boy had been wearing a nametag, which he wasn't. 

[color=#97ADBB]"Come on fellas, why don't we keep the peace, huh?"[/color] JJ said with a nervous chuckle. [color=#97ADBB]"It's only the first day back, let's not get into..."[/color] Jay paused for a brief second as his eyes flickered to Colin's bruised face, and he made a mental note to figure out what happened to him later on. [color=#97ADBB]"-[i]too[/i] much trouble."[/color]

[color=D9381E]“I’m not the one trespassing--”[/color]

[color=b02727]“Looks like your friend has nothing better to do. I was just about to leave,”[/color] Marcos grinded his teeth, stepping back and choosing the mature route. Some people didn’t know how to mind their business. Colin was one of them. 

There was a breaking point of his patience and Collin was pushing every button to reach it faster than anyone has before. His rage while kept at a low simmer could blind him to the point where none of his surroundings mattered. Only the person in front of him did. You didn’t want to get on his bad side. Once you pissed him off, you were dead to him and he didn’t care how bad he hurt you. Marcos didn’t need that on his conscience on the first day of school.

Colin’s seething eyes fixated on Marcos for a few, intense moments. Despite all intentions JJ had, which were noble and on a regular day with any other person, Colin would back down. But today had gone off to a rocky start and Marcos Kingsley was the last person he expected to be face to face with. This pile of crap who deserted his friends for the flavor of the month and couldn’t even own up to it when he saw them again was as bad they got. 

Yeah, you could say Colin still held a grudge or two for this disrespectful little bitch.

[color=D9381E]“Whatever.”[/color] Colin just shrugged, glancing at JJ as he pulled on his arm, tugging him away from the liberty trash as if declaring a silent war on him, while at the same time distancing himself away from Marcos. [color=D9381E]“My bad for ruining your tour. Marcos Kingsley isn’t exactly the kind of guy you want to show around our school.”[/color]

As JJ glanced over his shoulder at Marcos, whose figure had already started disappearing out of sight as they all went their separate ways, the young man finally started to put together the pieces in his head. Marcos Kingsley. He and Colin were supposed to be giving [i]him[/i] a tour of the school that morning, which obviously wouldn't have happened regardless based on how the two nearly killed each other after only three minutes of interacting. Suddenly, JJ felt kinda silly with his nametag still sitting on his jacket, and as he peeled it off he couldn't help but think about how it was an odd coincidence that the two had been placed in the same tour group given their apparent history.

[color=#97ADBB]"I see..."[/color] JJ said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as he spoke. Of course, he wasn't about to just take Colin's word and believe that Marcos was this terrible person; he much preferred to get to know others before judging them. But it wasn't like he was gonna tell Colin that, especially not since he still seemed a bit peeved from what had just happened. [color=#97ADBB]"He must've done something real bad for you to hate him so much. It looked like you two were gonna murder each other for a sec, so I'm glad I stepped in when I did."[/color]

Colin didn’t exactly hear what JJ said. He heard the boy’s deep voice penetrate his ears, but it found a loophole through the other. Never in a million years did he think that he’d ever have to deal with Marcos again. Until just a few minutes ago, he was convinced that fucker had moved away to some place far away from the shithole that was Ohio, but alas, he couldn’t get his way in any regard today.

[color=D9381E]“Yeah, I guess,”[/color] Colin shrugged, stopping in front of his homeroom. [color=D9381E]“I’ll catch you later, I guess.”[/color] Colin didn’t bother waiting for JJ’s response. His mood was shot and he just wanted to see if lasting through homeroom would improve his mood or if he was going to ditch the first day or not.

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