[color=a9a9a9][center][color=005d9e]____________________________________________________________________[/color]
[color=b8860b]____________________________________________________________________[/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/gekKJGy.png[/img]
[sub]A [@metanoia] & [@LovelyComplex] Collab || Featuring [color=005d9e]Danny[/color], [color=b8860b]Marco[/color], [color=fe6f5e]Poppy[/color], & [color=e62020]Jade[/color] [/sub]
[color=fe6f5e]____________________________________________________________________[/color]
[color=e62020]____________________________________________________________________[/color][/center]
[indent]How much time passed? 

Marco wasn’t saying anything, yet they were still sitting there, holding hands. Danny didn’t turn to glance over, nervous at the image of Marco intensely staring at him, waiting for him to react first. The feelings of the past twisted and turned in his stomach, as he imagined how the boy next to him loved him. 

Like a puppy, Marco was devoted, playful, and trusting. Too trusting. It was kind of sweet, but Danny didn’t think he deserved any of it. His ex was so unbothered and calm, carrying such a forgiving and beautiful soul. Then there was him, and unlike his ex, Danny preferred to be strong, afraid to reveal his own fragility. Although he would never admit it, he is well aware of how vulnerable he is. All his weaknesses and flaws seemed to shine when Marco was around him. 

Was that weird? 

It was like…no matter how much time passes, when he sees his ex, he feels distracted, as if he was falling deeper and deeper in this hole, with the light far out of reach. Was that a proper way of phrasing this? Falling deep… in a hole. Probably not. How do you explain this feeling? It was so overwhelming and felt like he had to walk forever just to get to sweet relief. 

Longing? 

Was that the word for it? 

Not realizing the time was nearly eight, Danny picked up the sound of a motorcycle. He didn’t fully register it until he saw the color red and two girls parking right next to his vehicle. Immediately and abruptly, he released Marco’s hand and found himself turning his engine off, pulling his keys out the ignition, and bolting out the door, not saying a word to the person next to him.

Leaving Marco to his own devices, he gleamed at the newcomers, his fellow classmates of 2020, [color=005d9e]“Jade, is that you? And…”[/color] He took a moment to scan the girl tightly holding the blonde, who wore a large male hoodie (reminded him of someone) and had lustrous dark hair. Oh!  [color=005d9e]“Penelope?”[/color] 

The sound of Jade’s harley clicked off, its final purrs lingering even as Saint Danilo himself called out to her and Poppy. [color=e62020]“Well, isn’t it Edenridge’s favorite Choir Boy!”[/color] Jade remarked, smiling, clearly teasing Danny. [color=e62020]“And who is that you have with you?”[/color] The sultry blonde narrowed her blue-green eyes a bit, honing in on the male in the passenger seat. It took her a few seconds and she silently acknowledged it was Marco. 

And she quickly remembered his reason. And then she had a thoughtful expression on her face, one that she tried to hide but it was clear. She was thinking about how Marco was one of Charlie’s victims and he was here. [color=e62020]“Looking good, Marco!”[/color] She called out to him, offering the boy with the scruffy facial hair as he looked at the two ladies on the bike.

[color=b8860b]“Oh, y-eah! I mean thanks!”[/color] Marco looked at the one behind Jade on her bike, blinking as if trying to figure out if he recognized her.

Thank goodness she had a biker helmet on because Penelope was ill prepared for this. Getting off the bike, on the opposite side of where Danny, Danny’s car, and Marco were, Poppy shuffled herself in Jade’s shadow, where her friend’s form mostly hid her. Dinner helped calm the storm that was boiling inside of her. It was still there but food really helped appease the rage. Now all she could feel was [i]anxiety[/i]. 

Okay. 

What did her therapist tell her to do? Imagine a [i]good memory[/i] so her nervous system could calm down. Let it embrace feel-good brain chemicals… positive vibes. Positive memory. Positive. She was her own lighthouse. Positive. Think happy thoughts. 

Instead of happiness, the nostalgia of the parking lot came rushing into her, like a crashing wave, only causing her to curl up even more and lose courage. Going into a catatonic state, Poppy was completely still and wordless. A corpse of a girl. Attempting to break out of it, reengaging herself with the world around her, she fought with her own voice inside her head. If she couldn’t handle the parking lot, what makes her think she could handle the gym? Was she in over her head? 

Before Poppy’s mind went into deep despair, Danny laughed at Jade’s witty comment, [color=005d9e]“Very funny. It’s good to see you guys. And hell, you look good too.”[/color] As if he noticed how frightened the other person, who he assumed was Penelope, was, Danny decided to distract her mind with something everyone loves. Sweets!  [color=005d9e]“Hey, you want to be the first to try Nina’s cannolis? Here, give me a sec.”[/color] 

Going to the backdoor, he opened it and reached for the box with cute, yet clearly spiritual words to his class written on it: [i]Blessings of grace and peace be with you today and every day.[/i] Before exiting, he looked at Marco,  [color=005d9e]“...you coming out?”[/color] 

Marco absentmindedly shook-nodded his head as if his brain had two completely different answers. But after a moment passed, he committed to the latter, since it felt like the most obvious of choices. And, given the drastic change that he noticed in his ex when he saw Jade and Penelope show up, playing a role like they had when they were “dating” was for the best. Or at least, in that moment, that’s what Marco told himself. [color=b8860b]“Yep! Making my way out now!”[/color] 

With a grunt, Marco exited Danny’s car one partially-leg at a time, his grunts escalating into ones of genuine, albeit severely temporary pain. But what mattered most was that Marco was out and he managed to walk a few steps to the back as he looked at Danny. He did his best to not gaze at Danny like he usually did but simply as his friend, which he was. Though, even he couldn’t deny those long moments spent holding his hand were nice. [color=b8860b]“Do you need any help?”[/color] He asked.

[color=005d9e]“No, you’re good. I should be the one asking you that question. Did I park too far?”[/color] As he waited for Marco’s response, Danny closed the door behind him and opened the box for Jade and Penelope to grab a treat. He had forgotten to bring enough napkins… maybe the school had some. The big brother-senses tingled as he looked at Poppy, so he had to ask, [color=005d9e]“Is she alright?”[/color] 

[color=b8860b]“No worries!”[/color] Marco smiled, waving away Danny’s concerns. [color=b8860b]“I’ll be fine.”[/color]

About the same time Marco spoke, Jade discreetly bumped her elbow into Poppy’s arm, quickly looking at her sister before looking back at Danny. [color=e62020]“Don’t worry ‘bout her. She’ll be fine.”[/color] That was something Jade [i]hoped[/i] she was right about. [color=e62020]“We’ll take a couple of those cannolis, though.”[/color] She returned her assertive gaze onto Poppy. [color=e62020]“Right, Pops?”[/color]

Cannolis? Cannolis were positive. The nudge and the word cannoli did the trick because she recalled a memory of Maxine and her attempting, horribly, to make some. The kitchen was an absolute mess but they did nothing but laugh that whole night. Finally, she took off the motorcycle helmet and hooked it on the handle of the bike. Securing her face mask, Poppy softly whispered, [color=fe6f5e]“That sounds yummy… thank Nina for us.”[/color] 

Danny had to lean in to hear what she said, but instead of making her repeat herself and ask why she was wearing a face mask, he simply treated her like normal. [color=005d9e]“Fantastic and of course! Hey, you pick first.”[/color] He gingerly brought the box closer to her, as if he was approaching a scared child, and patiently waited. Poppy looked in the box, up at him, back to the box, back at him then hesitantly reached to pick one for herself. He didn’t do anything abrupt to disrupt the clearly troubled girl. Instead once she happily had her treat, he steadily shifted the box to Jade. [color=005d9e]“The one to the right is the big one. You can have it if you want.”[/color] 

[color=e62020]”Oh, how Catholic of you!”[/color] Jade enjoyed teasing him. Maybe she was the bitch, but she couldn’t help it. But that being said, she never said no to the best of any selection. Jade had her pride, sure, but free was free, after all. “But don’t mind if I do!” With a snarky half-grin, she took the Italian dessert into her hands, snapping herself a bite of it, showing no care about the crumbs falling between her fingers and to the floor. With a mouth half-full, she glanced at Pops. [color=e62020]“Pretty fucking good, huh?”[/color]

Poppy had her back turned to the group, embarrassed to eat in front of them and nodded at Jade, giving her a thumbs up. It was delicious. She wished she could give some to Charlie. 

[color=005d9e]“You know me! Just wanting the Lord to love my giving spirit.”[/color] After dramatically rolling his eyes, he winked at Jade, which might’ve been the first time he’s ever done that toward her, seeing how he rarely crossed paths with the southies throughout their highschool career. [color=005d9e]“We should probably head inside, huh?”[/color] 

Finishing her cannoli, Poppy wiped her fingers on her jeans and proceeded to cover her mouth with her mask. Turning around, she gave Danny two thumbs up, ready, or so she hoped, to face this dreadful night. Truthfully, she was glad she wasn’t alone. Jade was at her side and these two boys seemed warm. Welcoming. [i]Safe.[/i] She liked them. Why did she never become friends with them?

[color=005d9e]“You two head on in first.”[/color] Danny wasn’t going to say it outloud but he was worried about Marco and kind of regretted parking where he did. He thought about giving them the box but then he swiftly changed his mind. Jade would keep all the cannolis to herself. That would’ve been a stupid idea. 

Jade exchanged a glance with Poppy, then she looked between Marco and Danny. She may not have been the most observant, but all her time being around pervs at Edge of Sin has benefitted her with something of a sixth sense to tell when someone wanted you around and when they wanted you to make like an egg and scramble away.

[color=e62020]"Alrighty then,"[/color] she said with a breathy laugh. She took Poppy by the arm gently, though still with enough assertion within her tug, as she'd lead her and Pops away. [color=e62020]"Guess we'll see you inside."[/color] One more glance and Jade left with Poppy.

As he watched the girls walk away and he was left alone with Danny once more, Marco looked at his ex with a curious gaze. In the back of his mind, he was thinking why he sent the two away but there was a moment when Marco looked into Danny's earthy eyes, the grounded element that always told him what he needed to know without asking and he just frowned.

[color=b8860b]"You know…"[/color] Marco began, pausing momentarily as he tried to find the right words he wanted to say. So he took in a breath and continued, [color=b8860b]"I'm fine. And you didn't park too far. Really, if I could sprint to match your pace, I can walk steadily to the gym. So you really didn't have to send the girls away like that. I mean, it seemed they really wanted to chat with you. If anything, I could have walked ahead so you could catch up."[/color] There he went again: rambling and putting his foot into his mouth again. It really was amazing that Marco had it down to an artform.

Relieved he didn’t have to explain himself too much, seeing how Marco already knew what was on his mind, Danny gave him a disapproving glare, [color=005d9e]“I can talk to them later.”[/color] Holding the box of cannolis with one hand, Danny took a moment to survey Marco’s leg before meeting his eyes once more, [color=005d9e]“Thinking back on this morning, the way you were breathing, you hadn’t run like that in awhile. Don’t try to lie because you’re piss poor at it. Not only did you need a long cool down period this morning but I haven’t seen you jog in a minute. You used to do it routinely. We don’t know how long we will be here and what to expect so I want to make things easier for you. You’ve put enough pressure on your leg, Marco, so please get back in the car so I can bring us closer.”[/color] Danny made his way to the other side of his car, unlocked the door with his free hand, and opened it for Marco once more. 

As much as Marco wanted to fight Danny on it, he knew it would be a battle with much resistance. That and, even he had to admit that hearing the harsh truths took him a few long moments to process. At first, especially on his face, Marco was shaking his head, half sentences of denial leaving his lips, albeit in a raspy tone, and him just trying to pass off what Danny had implied as simply not true. But his ex knew him better than most. 

And that was the part that equally frustrated Marco as it did result in his quiet surrender.

Even as he got into the passenger side door, grunting as he climbed inside one painful leg at a time, he almost sulked about the hard truths Danny spoke. And he knew he was right. Before the accident, before Marco was shot by Charlie Decker's bullet, a simple sprint wouldn’t have forced him to be out of breath so quickly. And maybe that was the pill that was hardest for Marco to swallow. The fact that he was such a gifted athlete, so passionate about fitness and maintaining his body as if it were a temple, in the state he's in now where he's on the verge of being overweight and cares less about appearance as the days go by, he couldn't help but think about how far he's fallen. 

On some level, he might even blame himself for being out in the field that day.

[color=b8860b][I]No, don't go there again. Dr. Patel said to never go there.[/i][/color]

Whether Marco was aware or not, when Danny was sitting next to him in the driver’s seat, the concerned look never left his face.  He just knew Marco needed comfort. Instead of saying anything, and yes the cannolis were safe in the backseat, Danny started up his car and casually rested his hand on Marco’s leg, gently squeezing it. Once again, he made zero eye contact and focused on the task ahead. Getting a closer parking spot. As he leisurely drove, he contemplated his actions. He didn’t understand why he felt like he needed to do this but here he was taking more chances than he had since senior year. 

Marco was so deep inside his own head that he hadn't registered the touch of Danny's hand on his leg nor the grip it had on his thigh. It wasn't until he looked down, eyes almost widening at the sight of his ex's hand gripping the boy's thigh and he softly smiled.

Silence remained even as the vibration of Danny driving the car closer to the gym produced the only sound. When they were nearly there, Marco smiled still, but this time, he partially raised his head up to meet Danny's gaze. [color=b8860b]"Thank you."[/color] That's all he said. That's all Marco felt he needed to say.[/indent]

[center][b][color=#005D9E]▃[/color][color=#045B9B]▃[/color][color=#085A99]▃[/color][color=#0D5996]▃[/color][color=#115894]▃[/color][color=#165791]▃[/color][color=#1A558F]▃[/color][color=#1E548D]▃[/color][color=#23538A]▃[/color][color=#275288]▃[/color][color=#2C5185]▃[/color][color=#305083]▃[/color][color=#354E80]▃[/color][color=#394D7E]▃[/color][color=#3D4C7C]▃[/color][color=#424B79]▃[/color][color=#464A77]▃[/color][color=#4B4974]▃[/color][color=#4F4772]▃[/color][color=#54466F]▃[/color][color=#58456D]▃[/color][color=#5C446B]▃[/color][color=#614368]▃[/color][color=#654266]▃[/color][color=#6A4063]▃[/color][color=#6E3F61]▃[/color][color=#723E5E]▃[/color][color=#773D5C]▃[/color][color=#7B3C5A]▃[/color][color=#803A57]▃[/color][color=#843955]▃[/color][color=#893852]▃[/color][color=#8D3750]▃[/color][color=#91364E]▃[/color][color=#96354B]▃[/color][color=#9A3349]▃[/color][color=#9F3246]▃[/color][color=#A33144]▃[/color][color=#A83041]▃[/color][color=#AC2F3F]▃[/color][color=#B02E3D]▃[/color][color=#B52C3A]▃[/color][color=#B92B38]▃[/color][color=#BE2A35]▃[/color][color=#C22933]▃[/color][color=#C72830]▃[/color][color=#CB272E]▃[/color][color=#CF252C]▃[/color][color=#D42429]▃[/color][color=#D82327]▃[/color][color=#DD2224]▃[/color][color=#E12122]▃[/color][/b][/center]
[indent][color=e62020]“Danny really has gotten bad at being subtle, huh?”[/color]

Jade was still laughing even as she and Poppy were slowly making their way to the gym. She didn’t know what the relationship between Danny and Marco were and frankly, a couple of Northside boys didn’t have any effect on her either way. She was cool with the two of them but didn’t really care if he told her to fuck off or not (which he totally did). Maybe Jade would be slightly less annoyed if he hadn’t bribed them with those bomb-as-fuck canollis.

When they got inside the gym, a lot of memories came flooding back. Mainly Jade suffered through her senior year, losing all of those friends she had once held so close to her heart, being ostracized because of her kept loyalty for Charlie. Between Decky and Keisha, who both lost brothers because of Charlie. She knew that they hated him and she didn’t blame them. If she were them, she probably would, but she wasn't. She wasn’t because she couldn’t even think about how she could completely forsake Charlie. He was…

Everything. And guilt was a funny thing. Guilt for abandoning him and letting high school drift her away into other circles. Guilt for not seeing what she may have been able to prevent. Guilt for failing both Charlies in her life, but most importantly, she felt guilt that she couldn’t see what might have been right in front of her.

And as her hand, which was gripping Poppy’s, tightened its grip, Jade’s heart tightened and she felt something of a tightness develop in her throat, making breathing just a little more difficult. [color=e62020] “Fuck,”[/color] she expelled in a raspy tone. [color=e62020]“We shouldn’t…”[/color]

And that’s when Jade saw Decky, she started to panic. [color=e62020][b]“Fuck fuck fuck!”[/b][/color] Nevermind every one else who was around. [color=e62020]“When the hell did he come back!?”[/color] Jade turned to Poppy almost in a panic. 

Poppy had been in a trance as they shuffled their way to the gym. She remembered this walk all too well. Especially on that day when Charlie told her to meet him in the gym. Her insides were conflicted, doing summersaults. Finding out about the letters put her in a state of shock and anger, talking to old classmates gave her anxiety, but now? Now she felt numb. Or her defensive mechanisms were doing it’s damndest to not react with a PTSD episode, especially when they entered those big doors and she could imagine the sight of Charlie, Roddy, her father… as if it was only yesterday. 

Something on the inside knew she wasn’t ready for this memory. Instinctively, Poppy looked up and smiled, seeing someone that was hard to forget. 

Mr. Beau had appeared out of nowhere that fateful morning and pulled her into his embrace, shielding her from the horror that was happening in front of her. While she knew he would never say his frustrations he had about her father and the police on duty, for not securing the area and making sure others weren’t around to witness the finale of the worst day in Edenridge history, Poppy also knew he did whatever he could to be a light in broken kids’ lives. Kids like her. 

Even if it cost him his job, his sanity, or his own life, Mr. Beau was always there. Ready to help. Without him, she would be jobless. If anything, he was the one thread keeping her connected to the good parts in herself. Jade tried her best to take care of her, but Mr. Beau? He was there for her, guiding her, when her parents weren’t around. He reminded her what made her such a wonderful human being and that the darkness in her may not go away but will one day motivate her to do great things. 

Instead of shutting down, Penelope shifted her body to her best friend and grabbed Jade’s other hand, so that she was holding both. Squeezing them, she comforted, [color=fe6f5e]“I don’t know, but we’re going to be okay. We got this. Hey. Look at me.”[/color] Poppy released one of Jade’s hands to place her cold, thin fingers on the blonde’s cheek, [color=fe6f5e]“I’m not going to lie to you. This fucking sucks but we need answers. We’re soul sisters, okay? And we will be okay. I promise you, as long as we have each other we will be okay.”[/color] 

Going on her tiptoes, Poppy wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her into a hug. She didn’t care if people saw from a distance because love was love and she wasn’t going to hide how she felt towards anyone anymore. She lost her chance with Charlie; he died without ever hearing her say she loved him. She loved him so fucking much. Hell, Little Danny went without Poppy ever having a chance to say see you later. So many lost words. So much regret and missed opportunities. So much…. selfishness. Poppy wasn’t going to give up on the people she loved. 

Not now. Not ever.

Never will there be a day where her friends don’t know how much she cares about them. Never. [color=fe6f5e]“We got this, love.”[/color]

She was still in panic mode, but it was mostly internal now. Poppy’s comfort had worked and what was even more important, she was right about them needing answers. The letters had to stop. Whoever was doing this needed to be stopped and Jade made promises to herself and Poppy that they’d find out what’s really going on. [color=e62020]“You’re...right.”[/color] She mouthed out, squeezing her sister as tight as she could without hurting her sister. Jade had to take this moment to really indulge in what was a two-way street support system. Just as much as Jade was Poppy’s entire world, the thing that kept her afloat, when she really sank low, the blonde relied on her sister more than ever.  [color=e62020]“You’re absolutely right.”[/color]

Jade released Poppy from the hug and took in a few breaths. She looked at the scene unfolding and was wondering just what the hell was about to happen. She saw Mei and Aaron. The latter had flipped off the former and Jade sighed. And then she sighed in a way that caught some of her internal panic and she didn’t want to deal with [i]that[/i] just yet. [color=e62020]“Let's not bother with them right now. I’m...not ready for that.”[/color] Her voice was drier than it should have been.[/indent]
[center][b][color=#B8860B]▃[/color][color=#B9850C]▃[/color][color=#BA850E]▃[/color][color=#BC840F]▃[/color][color=#BD8411]▃[/color][color=#BE8312]▃[/color][color=#C08314]▃[/color][color=#C18216]▃[/color][color=#C28217]▃[/color][color=#C48219]▃[/color][color=#C5811A]▃[/color][color=#C6811C]▃[/color][color=#C8801E]▃[/color][color=#C9801F]▃[/color][color=#CA7F21]▃[/color][color=#CC7F22]▃[/color][color=#CD7E24]▃[/color][color=#CE7E26]▃[/color][color=#D07E27]▃[/color][color=#D17D29]▃[/color][color=#D27D2A]▃[/color][color=#D47C2C]▃[/color][color=#D57C2E]▃[/color][color=#D67B2F]▃[/color][color=#D87B31]▃[/color][color=#D97A32]▃[/color][color=#DA7A34]▃[/color][color=#DC7A36]▃[/color][color=#DD7937]▃[/color][color=#DF7939]▃[/color][color=#E0783A]▃[/color][color=#E1783C]▃[/color][color=#E3773E]▃[/color][color=#E4773F]▃[/color][color=#E57641]▃[/color][color=#E77642]▃[/color][color=#E87644]▃[/color][color=#E97546]▃[/color][color=#EB7547]▃[/color][color=#EC7449]▃[/color][color=#ED744A]▃[/color][color=#EF734C]▃[/color][color=#F0734E]▃[/color][color=#F1724F]▃[/color][color=#F37251]▃[/color][color=#F47252]▃[/color][color=#F57154]▃[/color][color=#F77156]▃[/color][color=#F87057]▃[/color][color=#F97059]▃[/color][color=#FB6F5A]▃[/color][color=#FC6F5C]▃[/color][/b][/center]
[indent]Originally, Marco had thought fighting Danny on his I’m-not-taking-no-for-an-answer “suggestion” to park closer to the gym so it would be easier for Marco to walk was the right thing to do, but as he found out, just walking from the car and the twenty feet they were away from the entrance to the gym was proving to be a task that he wouldn’t have been able to complete if Danny wasn’t by his side, helping him when he can.

And that brought Marco back to what Danny had said. His hard truth about how he really wasn’t doing good physically. The pill that he had to swallow with a dry mouth about how a simple jog — or in his case earlier today, a sprint — took him out of commission for several hours and it took nearly thirty minutes for Marco to make it home with Danny’s very on-hands help.

It was the same when they got to the gym, though when they walked in, Danny took more of a concerned friend approach by making sure Marco was okay. And he understood. Alone, Marco and Danny could be as comfortable near each other as they wanted, but it was back to regularly scheduled programming when people were around.

Not that Marco minded it. 

They were at the bleachers and an already out-of-breath Marco had to take a seat on the nearest available spot on the first row of bleachers. Aside from the deep breaths he took in after sitting down, Marco saw what he could only describe as the real-life equivalent of the chat section of a League game. [color=b8860b]“Well, that doesn’t look good,”[/color] Marco commented. He took in another breath as he lazily gestured towards the scene involving some of the Southies.

Glancing over to the girls standing not too far from them and watching the scene unfold, Danny could tell Jade didn’t want to deal with all the bullshit, but with the smaller girl… her eyes diligently viewed everyone, as she contemplated her next move.  [color=fe6f5e]“He has a [i]bat[/i], Jade. I can’t just let him do some dumb shit. I just know my dad and co are a block or two away waiting for this to fall apart.”[/color] 

[color=005d9e]“I can try to diffuse the situation,”[/color] Danny offered, as he placed the box of cannolis on Marco’s lap. 

[color=fe6f5e]“I can… go with you.”[/color] While a little scared of her own immediate response, pretty sure she wasn’t ready to handle the crowd, Poppy knew the only people that could manage Decky were people that understood him. If she focused on him, and just him, ignoring the rest of her surroundings, she could prevent a panic attack. 

[color=fe6f5e]“I’ll be back.”[/color] Gazing up at Jade, she gestured for her to sit next to Marco, who could use the company. As much as she would love to stay at her best friend’s side, Decky had weapons and he knew how to use them. 

With that decided, Poppy trailed a little behind the big Italian boy. The closer she got to all the people, Decky, Kylee, Mei, Jillian, Aaron… the more nervous she became, the more her throat itched. Shaking her head, reminding herself why she was here, she picked up the speed, passing Danny and darting to the kid with the metal bat. [color=fe6f5e]“Is that your solution? Is that [i]still[/i] how you solve problems?”[/color] 

Clenching her fists, staring at the boy’s back, feeling a suppressed rage, Poppy thought about how if Charlie never got involved with the SSS, he might’ve not fallen so deep into depression and gone mad. Her voice, while muffled behind the face mask, echoed in the gym with almost ten people in it. People could hear her if they really wanted to. [color=fe6f5e]“Are you… stupid?”[/color] Her voice cracked. 

Instead of interrupting the girl’s tangent, Danny let her take the floor. She might’ve been only talking to Decky, but her words felt like they were directed to all of them. Including him. 

[color=fe6f5e]“Do you really think whoever is behind this will show their face tonight? No. This isn’t getting solved tonight. We [i]might[/i] get a lead or this could all be a stupid prank. It’s like highschool hasn’t ended and we’re all being turned against each other. Drama. Fucking drama. Can we just cooperate to see what this is all about? Can we just calm-the-fuck-down? As if we hadn’t lost a lot already. Stupid. Fucking stupid.”[/color] At this point, Poppy’s breathing started picking up. This is the most she publicly talked in front of anyone, let alone her old peers. Why was it so hard to talk? Why did she have this fear, this mental barrier holding her back? Heavy breathing, she closed her eyes trying to calm her heart rate, her right hand resting on her chest. It wasn’t time for an attack.  

Although the girl was struggling, Danny was impressed with the words she said. When she started hyperventilating, he looked over to the Southie boy and politely requested, [color=005d9e]“Can you, uh, find her water? Or just take her over there… a bit away from here.”[/color] Away from the crowd.

If the fountains were working, he would direct them to those but water might be limited in a building that hasn’t been used in a couple years. He knew anxiety from his niece, Danielle. These were clear signs of a panic attack rushing in. Poppy was doing the right steps to control herself. Not only did she recognize she was starting to panic, she started deep breathing to reduce the symptoms, closed her eyes to not look at the environment with a lot of stimuli, and if he could guess, she probably was saying a mantra in her head. 

[center][color=fe6f5e][i]Believe and breathe. Believe and breathe. Believe and breathe.[/i][/color][/center] 
Not waiting for a response, Danny crossed his arms and looked at the rest of the group, [color=005d9e]“Well that was a handful, but I agree with her. How about for the meantime, you guys go get yourself a cannoli, if you like that sort of stuff, and chill. Sounds good?”[/color] Gesturing behind him where Marco and Jade were as they chomped on a cannoli (yes Jade got herself another one), he sighed, [color=005d9e]“This isn’t great, I know. But we’re all here for a reason. So, let’s be patient and see it through.”[/color] 

After he said his addition to Poppy’s spiel, his eyes fell on Jillian and he dumbly waved, happy to see his friend, who had mixed feelings towards him.   
[/indent]
[/color]