[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/CyfxUIX.png[/img]
[sub]A [@NeoAJ] & [@LovelyComplex] Collaboration, Part 1 Flashback || Featuring: [color=fd9100][b]Jillian O'Brien[/b][/color] & [color=005d9e][b]Danilo Belmonte[/b][/color], small feature of [color=e48200][b]Grace O'Brien[/b][/color]   [/sub]
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[indent][color=darkgray]Not that she was expecting a party upon her entry into the old stomping grounds of Edenridge High, but one of the people at the bottom of the list of Jillian’s desired welcoming committee was Aaron Cox. It didn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out why. Mei hated Aaron. Jillian would die for Mei. Ergo, Aaron was now Jillian’s enemy as well. 

Not that she had many opportunities to let him know. In terms of personality reversals, Aaron walked… well, hobbled, so Jillian could run. He seemed all right enough in freshman year, but after Ally’s death, he retreated hard. At least Jillian understood the process now. It took a long time to get her there, but she understood. Didn’t make him any less of an asshole though. Especially given the rumors that he was the one who led Charlie Decker down the path of mass murder. He didn’t even have to pay for it with his life. Just people who mattered covered the charge for him. Fucking Aaron.

Aaron apparently felt the same way given his flying finger to start the proceedings. Clearly intended for the Demon Dream Girl, but Jillian briefly extended her own middle finger from her death grip on the vodka bottle in return. Sister solidarity and all. But the numbers were starting to turn. Decky’s appearance in the doorway was unwelcome, as well as the arsenal of weapons he seemed to be packing. But Jillian outmatched him on vodka and the redhead didn’t care about that bat at the moment. A day full of drinking eliminated any fear she might have had from someone notorious as the Serpent. Being afraid was not on her agenda tonight. Not here.

Being sentimental? That was possible. 

Jillian was doing her best to portray that image of a woman with nothing to lose and everything to gain via the bottle in her hand, but that was still tough to do as the crowd in the gym grew larger. Especially given she had warmer feelings for this group than was ever possible for Aaron or Decky. At least for one of them…

[color=fd9100][i]Of course the fucking doof is here…[/i][/color][/color][/indent]

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[b][color=azure]December 4, 2016, Edenridge, MA
A little after school...[/color][/b][/center]

[indent][color=fd9100]”Why are you here, Danny? I thought you’d be at the gym or something?”[/color]

[color=darkgray]It wasn’t strange for Danny Belmonte to be in the bedroom of Jillian O’Brien. Trying to count the amount of times that Danny had been sitting on that bed would be like trying to count the grains of sand on a beach. Since kindergarten, it seemed like there would be a good enough reason for the boy to come over, deliver another batch of baked goods that never seemed to last long when swarmed by the various members of the O’Brien household, and settle in to Jill’s room to do… well it varied. When they were younger, it was mostly just playing with whatever toys they had. Danny would bring his DS and let Jillian have a look at his accomplishments, while Jill would show Danny paintings and various creations. Later it became more for advice as the two navigated the middle grades.

Still didn’t explain what Danny’s most recent call was for. The Celtics’ season started tonight. It was Danny’s first game as the freshman had made the varsity squad.

[color=fd9100]“Don’t tell me the pressure is getting to you, Danny boy? Worried about the big game?”[/color]

Danny worried? Yeah right. He just needed to kill time before he met up with the team. Basketball was his life and taught him a thing or two with how to deal with it. One step at a time, like running, but with the end goal of making the shot. In his case today, his focus was to win. Winning was always a priority for a Belmonte child, especially for the only son of Taz and Silvia. Losing was [i]never[/i] on the agenda. 

His basketball shoes and sweet threads were a good show of his dedication to his sport. Danny knew he was top tier because he lived and breathed his sport. He didn’t need new shoes. Even with second-hand shoes, for a good price, he ruled the court. It didn’t matter what was on his feet because it wasn’t the shoes that made him shine. It was his competitive and driven spirit that did. As for his threads? What freshmen can say they were on a varsity team? Well, aside from his twin, Natalia Belmonte. She was intense in volleyball and he would hate being on the receiving end of her spikes. They were both stars in the making, they knew it, and one day, everyone would remember their names.  

With his gym bag on his friend’s bed, his team’s hoodie on, and black shorts, Danny stretched his arms and had a smug grin on his face. The young jock’s body assumed this world was one where strength was the only thing that mattered and ever since he joined Edenridge High Varsity team, their style of play leveled up to run and gun. Heavily offensive, where they rely on fast breaks while getting [i]many[/i] points in. To say it was getting to his head was an understatement and perhaps, [i]that’s[/i] why he was here. 

He was soaring in the sky but deep down, even if he would never say it outloud, he didn’t want to go so high that he got burnt by the sun. Danny had wings and when he jumped on the court, he was [i]living[/i] in the moment and all the cheers and the girls, oh-the-girls, just made him want to show off even more. He loved it and couldn’t live without the attention. Still, he knew that wouldn’t make him a winner. He [i]needed[/i] to win. Not even for himself, but for his father. 

All his father’s hopes and dreams were on his only son’s shoulders and he couldn’t let his old man down. Danny had wondered if it wasn’t for the past life that Taz lived prior to Edenridge, would his father be a big basketball player too, instead of a lowkey chef in a small town? It was his father, after all, who taught Danny everything he knew. 

That was neither here nor there because whatever Danny was doing was clearly making his father happy, so the young Italian boy would continue to optimize his skills in his passion. Coach told him that his flaw was his need to be cool, but being cool doesn’t win a game. If he wanted to reach the next level, and have a chance in the NBA, he needed to think about the team. He had to think of his team. Maybe, just maybe that’s why he needed to see Jillian. She cared fiercely about people and when she thought of the cheerleaders she thought of them as a unit, not just her on the top of a pyramid. To succeed, you need support. Doesn’t matter how high you go because what if you slip? What if you fall? If you fall, having trampled on everyone that believed in you to get to your destination, who’s going to be there to catch you?

Instead of answering his friend’s questions, Danny went to her window to look at their neighborhood and chuckled, recalling his middle school years on the court, [color=005d9e]“You remember when I touched the net last year? I didn’t care I was in the middle of a game, I just screamed ‘MOM I TOUCHED THE NET!’ I was so happy that I finally achieved something I had been thinking about for years. All that training and hard work paid off.”[/color] He nodded, impressed with himself before adding, [color=005d9e]“I’ve been working on my dunks lately.”[/color] He turned around to look at her, intense determination in his eyes, [color=005d9e]“I think I’mma do a 360 windmill. Just imagine how cool that’ll look?”[/color] 

Jillian just stared into Danny’s eyes for a moment. Danny would have these gazes, gazes where it seemed like not even Wonder Woman would be able to stop whatever it was that the Belmonte boy had set his mind to. Danny was stubborn, but in that good way where he wouldn’t quit until he succeeded. How many times had he worn Jillian down in order to put Phineas and Ferb on the TV instead of Teen Titans? How many times did Jillian have to tell him to leave the driveway so they could go to the movies instead of trying to make that 10th free throw in a row? How many times did Danny have to be told how many 11 times 13 was? It was rare that Jillian gained a win in those head-to-head battles.

But maybe that was why Jillian was in the position she was now? All those friendly clashes with Danny stealing her own resolve to allow her to be more assertive with others? She effortlessly claimed the captaincy of the freshman team with the support of Liv and Kat and surprisingly Mei given she didn’t think Mei had that much of a preference for who was the leader, and was starting to take charge of some aspects of the squad. Even Allison… ALLISON FREAKING DAVIES herself! She was taking notice of how Jillian was handling her fellow frosh. Would she have been able to pull this off and land herself at the top of the pyramid without the consistent sparring with Danny, and for that matter Grace and Ronan, but mostly Danny? It was hard to say. She was an O’Brien, after all. She was meant to be this kind of leader.

So when Danny detailed his plans for his entry into whatever slam dunk competition he imagined was taking place at the Edenridge High School gymnasium tonight, for a few seconds after he stated his mission, Jillian believed him. All the work he put in over the summer. All the effort she saw him throw into the 1-on-1 battles with Taz, while she watched from the sideline, trying to talk to Danny’s sisters and watching as Talia seemingly wished nothing but death upon her. Maybe, just maybe, that Belmonte boy was going to touch the sky and dazzle the crowd so hard that even Allison Davies had to turn and stare at what she just witnessed.

Then the redhead remembered that Danny barely got to the net as he said, and was going to need more than a two-foot growth on his vertical to make that happen. And she did her best to suppress a laugh. Danny also gave Jillian a lot of practice when it came to being polite in that regard.

[color=fd9100]“Oh, I can imagine you looking pretty cool out there hanging from the rim after you pull that off,”[/color] she confirmed. [color=fd9100]“Of course, I can also imagine not seeing you for a while after the FBI comes to take you and your Flubber-enhanced shoes away for testing. And while I’m sure that would allow Talia to enjoy not having to see me hanging around with you all the time, I’d miss having you around here, Danny.”[/color] Jill finally allowed that laugh to slip through and stood up from her bed. [color=fd9100]“So I’m going to suggest saving the windmill dunks for the playoffs and sticking with the good old-fashioned two-handed putback for now. Just to keep the heat from the feds off, eh?”[/color]

This wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Danny wanted Jillian to believe he could, so he would. Believe in him so he’d have enough fuel to make the great leap happen. It was how their relationship worked! She gave him encouragement, so he could succeed. If she didn’t think he was ready, he probably wasn’t and would get injured by being too ambitious. He hated to hear it. Sure, Danny knew he could use a bit more height, he was still a freshman and had time to get over six, but people were going to be there watching him. 

Francis was going to be there watching him! 

Francis Callahan, [i]Allison’s boyfriend[/i] but more importantly, the best goddamn football player Edenridge High had ever been blessed with. Even before Danny joined the school, he made sure to come to the games with Viv. Like, what basketball was for Danny, was football for Francis. It felt like only yesterday when seventh grade Danny ran off the bleachers, away from his family, just to have the football team run past him, out of the locker room, and Francis looking down at him and giving him a gleam and a high five.  

There was no one feature that made Francis so nice to look at. His eyes had this honest gentleness, his smile had this intense glimmer, pearly whites, and his voice was like music to his ears. It quickened when he sparkled with passion and talked about things he loved. There was so much depth behind Francis’ face that stopped Danny in his tracks. How could Danny NOT do something cool? Was he going to waste this game by playing it safe and losing his chance to impress Francis?! 

Dramatically sighing, emphasizing on the [i]dramatic[/i], Danny shuffled his way to his friend’s bed and tossed himself over it, where his body was in a plank, and his face was planted in her pillow. His heavy body caused his bag to jump in the air and out of his way, falling onto the floor. Muffled, he whined, [color=005d9e]“How do you expect me to be cool if I don’t do a dunk?!”[/color]

Jillian thought of her first answer, which would be to point out how Danny couldn’t expect to be cool while being such a sook, but that would be impolite to say out loud. Besides, Danny was someone who thrived on encouragement, who needed that belief that people thought he could do things beyond the realm of the normal bonds. Managing to knock his bag off her bed with just a thump fit that bill. At least in Jill’s world. But she had other ways of pumping Danny’s tires.

[color=fd9100]“There are plenty of ways to be cool while playing basketball without dunking, you know?”[/color] she offered. [color=fd9100]“It’s not just slams that are on the highlight reels my dad watches every day! You could deliver an ice-cold 3-pointer from the corner! You could make a sick no-look pass to Colin Redmond that leads to an easy bucket. Shoot, you know what the biggest, coolest play from the NBA Finals this year was? LeBron James. Blocking. Andre Iguodala. I know because my dad wouldn’t shut up about it!”[/color]

This was true. Shane O’Brien was a huge Celtics fan, both Edenridge and Boston, and he encouraged most of his children to pursue athletics. It’s why Kieren played soccer and Ronan played basketball and Heather played hockey. Grace and Jillian were the only two that never actually stepped onto a competitive field in the O’Brien patriarch’s eyes, but at least Jillian’s cheerleading skills got her on the sidelines. Grace always seemed to be the black sheep of the family to Shane, although Jill’s mother usually picked up the slack in supporting the middle daughter’s artistic side. Still, hearing the O’Brien males dissect the night’s action over the day’s breakfast was as regular as clockwork. It was natural Jill picked up a little via osmosis. Plus it helped tailor specific cheers depending on the sport she was pepping up.

[color=fd9100]“So many ways to change the course of a game, Danny boy. I mean, would dunking be talked about? Sure. But stuffing a ball back in the face of a stuck-up Monarch? Making that punk eat that shot like an egg-salad sandwich? That would be pretty cool.”[/color]

With his face buried in her pillow, Danny listened to his friend making a lot of sense. Dunks weren’t the only cool things in basketball. Still, the reluctant side of him wished he had a growth spurt so he could be flashy. Lazily, he pushed himself up and grumpily crossed his arms,  [color=005d9e]“That sounds dope, I guess.”[/color] 

He didn’t like that she made a lot of sense but it was for the best that he got over himself and took in her advice. As LAME as that felt, perhaps playing a safe move, but still doing a cool move, could lead them to victory AND impress. If her plan failed and Francis didn’t even bother giving him a wink let alone a smile tonight, then, THEN he’d be upset but until then her suggestions to be cool could do the trick. Deciding this was enough focus on him, he glanced up at his friend and cooly inquired,  [color=005d9e]“How about you? Nervous for your girls? Isn’t tonight like that… shiny sparkle star thing?”[/color]

Jillian thought for a second, before shaking her head. [color=fd9100]“Not really. I mean, you know Ally right? You know she’s been drilling the entire squad for months waiting for this moment. I’m sure her and the others are going to be just fine. Better than fine even. The Monarchs are going to take so many Ls tonight!”[/color] She shoved Danny’s legs over on the bed so she could retake her seat at the foot. [color=fd9100]“It’s going to be important on us to set the tone, sure, but we’ve done really well in such a short time. Cece’s come along nicely, Mei just brings this raw fire, Liv and Kat and Lanie are pros at this point, we’re going to set up Ally’s crew really well.”[/color] A bright smile beamed across Jillian’s face, thinking about the prospects of eventually being in Allison’s spot, trying to get that Shining Star trophy for Edenridge and making sure they had a dynasty secured. It sounded like a challenge. It sounded like fun. [color=fd9100]“Between me and Lanie, I think we’re going to have enough ideas to make sure we keep that title in Celtic hands when we get our shot.”[/color]

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the doorframe. [color=e48200]“Jill, you haven’t seen my green top with the lace hem, have you? I could have sworn you borrowed it.”[/color]

Jill didn’t answer the question yet, merely slightly annoyed by the presence of her older sister in the doorway. Grace would know that even if Jillian had borrowed that top, which was possible. It was a very cute top and worked well with her deep blue skinny jeans. But even if she did, it would have been in the laundry and back in Grace’s dresser a while ago. No, it was likely there was a different reason for her intrusion.

[color=fd9100]“I haven’t touched that top since homecoming like two months ago, Grace. You sure it’s not still in with your stuff?”[/color] The annoyance was well hidden at this point. Jillian was a pro at putting a fake layer of glitter on almost anything she said. [color=fd9100]“Or you know, not in my room?”[/color] The keyword was almost.

[color=e48200]“Nah, couldn’t be sure.”[/color] Grace shared the trademark red hair her sister had, although the older O’Brien was willing to experiment a little more. A couple streaks of green and purple could be seen in the bangs, for the school colors and … a color she liked. They swayed slightly as she leaned on the door, the bright shades up top muted by the black tank top and leggings she was currently wearing. The top would be doing some work if she could find it. [color=e48200]“It’s kinda important. I told Finn I’d be wearing it for his good luck, you know.”[/color] The mention of Finn Yates, the junior forward on the basketball team, and the latest in a long string of boyfriends she had in her time at Edenridge, didn’t deter her from taking a long look at the athlete in the room. [color=e48200]“Hey Danny,”[/color] she cooed in a voice that was too sing-songy for Jillian’s liking. [color=e48200]“You ready for tonight?”[/color]

By now, one would think Danny was prepared for all encounters with Grace O’Brien. But when he looked at her, he found himself stunned. No matter the day. No matter the season. She was like a sexy drug he imagined having, but had to behave because, like… this was his friend’s sister. When she was [i]growing[/i] and he watched her, when he was in middle school and learning more and more about the kingdom of sex, Grace was like a goddamn wet dream. Still is.

Now he was in highschool and he could enter the playing field, but… would she? With him? No. Stop that. Even if he and his buddy Quinn had this game going on and even if he had Grace on his conquest list, this wasn’t where his head should go. Not the night of a game. God, he could shove it in Quinn’s face that he was better if he did have Grace on his list though.

Sexual frustration aside, Danny snapped out of it and goofily grinned, [color=005d9e]“[i]So[/i] ready.”[/color] Man, no game at all. Unfortunately it was non-existent in the O’Brien household. How embarrassing. Clearing his throat, he eyed the older girl, as her gaze invited him in, and stumbled on his words, [color=005d9e]“But hey, if you got some extra luck in you…”[/color] Danny’s voice trailed off, looking between Grace and Jillian. Sometimes, he wondered why he hadn’t tried getting with either. Then he remembered, he cared too much about the redheads in his life, specifically Cece and Jill, to ever see them as a lover would.

Glancing at his smartwatch on his wrist, he muttered, [color=005d9e]“Damn.”[/color] He had lost track of time. To add to the alarm of the mass text messages because his family had no chill, he could hear honking outside. Jumping back off the bed, retrieving his bag, his phone vibrated, being spammed by his family. [color=005d9e]“Thanks for the talk, Jillybean. And uh-hm, hope you guys find that green top… for Finn’s good luck.”[/color] Yeah, just Finn. Rushing to the door, he found himself stopping for a short moment to look at Grace’s flirtatious smirk. This was unfair. No one should be this hot. 

As the Belmonte boy rushed out the door, no doubt to find an ice-cold bucket of water to dunk his head in, Jill’s gaze followed him during his exit and remained fixed on her older sister even after her friend departed. [color=fd9100]“So Grace, want to explain what that was about?”[/color]

Grace just offered a chortle in response. [color=e48200]“Relax, Bean. I’m just trying to give your boyfriend some extra motivation to beat Pinehurst tonight.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“You know Danny is not my boyfriend.”[/color]

[color=e48200]“I know a lot of things. Like I know Janelle James wasn’t in last period History today. Word is she caught something that was going around after Lauren Hicks hooked up with some Bay boy with a bad case of the ick.”[/color]

All Jillian could do was roll her eyes. [color=fd9100]“That makes no sense.”[/color] Janelle may not have been the brightest bulb in the cheerleading squad, but the upperclasswoman would know not to risk anything on this day. Shining Star day. [color=fd9100]“I bet she just dipped early to help Ally prep for tonight.”[/color] A buzz on her Galaxy distracted Jill for a moment from her battle with her older sister, especially considering who sent the message. [color=fd9100]“See, that’s Ally there. Probably just checking in on how the frosh routine is coming along. So if you don’t mind, I’ll just…”[/color] Jillian trailed off when it became clear this was much longer than a simple check-in text. 

Grace smirked as she figured out before her younger sister that there were things brewing with tonight’s performance. [color=e48200]“Trouble in paradise after all?”[/color]

The pale shade of white Jillian’s face had turned confirmed there was trouble. Grace hadn’t seen that kind of look since Ronan swung her around the living room and broke a lamp with her head. [color=fd9100]“Um… yeah… Ally says all the upper-class cheerleaders are out with some sort of virus and aren’t going to be able to compete and… we’re going to have to do the routine tonight... HOLY SHIT!!! GRACE! AHHHH! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!? OH MY GOD! I’m not ready for this! I’m frosh scum! I can’t be the Shining Star tonight! None of us are ready! What are we going to do? I don’t even know what lipstick shade I’m going to wear! Should I just go natural? What do I-”[/color]

Jillian was cut off for a second time, but this time it was her sister bringing her back to reality with a forceful clap beside her ear. [color=e48200]“Jill! Calm the fuck down, OK? You’re going to be fine. No one gives a shit about your lipstick.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“Ally will.”[/color]

[color=e48200]“NO ONE gives a shit about your lipstick! Look, Allison’s been running drills with you since the fall, right? She’ll be able to get you all through this. Girl’s got some will to her, that’s for sure. You’re not as hopeless as you think you are. You’re going to be fine. Just stop undermining yourself and get ready to rock tonight, OK?”[/color]

Grace’s mini pep talk seemed to snap Jillian out of the frenzy the news of the impromptu call-up sparked. [color=fd9100]“OK. OK. You’re right. This is fine. This is going to be fine. We’re totally not going to screw this up for Allison. She’s not going to hate me at all. It’s fine.”[/color]

[color=e48200]“Jill! Focus! Now, where is that green top?”[/color]

The brief moment that Grace took her older-sister role seriously had ended. [color=fd9100]“I don’t know where it is. Maybe Heather stole it when she came back for Thanksgiving… Grace, tell me you aren’t going to try and sleep with Danny.”[/color]

[color=e48200]“No! Sis, no. I saw eight-year-old Danny Belmonte squirt a combination of orange Kool-Aid and milk out his nose. Nothing will entice me to give him the Amazing Grace experience.”[/color] Jillian wished she didn’t go third person in reference to her reputation like that. It raised expectations on her that she didn’t necessarily want yet. [color=e48200]“Now stop focusing on that and focus on getting in gear and getting to the gym.”[/color]

[color=fd9100]“Right. The gym. That’s where I need to be…”[/color][/color][/indent]

[center][b][color=#FD9100]_[/color][color=#FA9001]_[/color][color=#F78F03]_[/color][color=#F48F05]_[/color][color=#F28E06]_[/color][color=#EF8E08]_[/color][color=#EC8D0A]_[/color][color=#E98D0C]_[/color][color=#E78C0D]_[/color][color=#E48B0F]_[/color][color=#E18B11]_[/color][color=#DE8A12]_[/color][color=#DC8A14]_[/color][color=#D98916]_[/color][color=#D68918]_[/color][color=#D38819]_[/color][color=#D1871B]_[/color][color=#CE871D]_[/color][color=#CB861E]_[/color][color=#C88620]_[/color][color=#C68522]_[/color][color=#C38524]_[/color][color=#C08425]_[/color][color=#BD8427]_[/color][color=#BB8329]_[/color][color=#B8822A]_[/color][color=#B5822C]_[/color][color=#B2812E]_[/color][color=#B08130]_[/color][color=#AD8031]_[/color][color=#AA8033]_[/color][color=#A77F35]_[/color][color=#A57E36]_[/color][color=#A27E38]_[/color][color=#9F7D3A]_[/color][color=#9C7D3C]_[/color][color=#9A7C3D]_[/color][color=#977C3F]_[/color][color=#947B41]_[/color][color=#917A42]_[/color][color=#8F7A44]_[/color][color=#8C7946]_[/color][color=#897948]_[/color][color=#867849]_[/color][color=#84784B]_[/color][color=#81774D]_[/color][color=#7E774F]_[/color][color=#7B7650]_[/color][color=#797552]_[/color][color=#767554]_[/color][color=#737455]_[/color][color=#707457]_[/color][color=#6E7359]_[/color][color=#6B735B]_[/color][color=#68725C]_[/color][color=#65715E]_[/color][color=#637160]_[/color][color=#607061]_[/color][color=#5D7063]_[/color][color=#5A6F65]_[/color][color=#586F67]_[/color][color=#556E68]_[/color][color=#526D6A]_[/color][color=#4F6D6C]_[/color][color=#4D6C6D]_[/color][color=#4A6C6F]_[/color][color=#476B71]_[/color][color=#446B73]_[/color][color=#426A74]_[/color][color=#3F6A76]_[/color][color=#3C6978]_[/color][color=#396879]_[/color][color=#37687B]_[/color][color=#34677D]_[/color][color=#31677F]_[/color][color=#2E6680]_[/color][color=#2C6682]_[/color][color=#296584]_[/color][color=#266485]_[/color][color=#236487]_[/color][color=#216389]_[/color][color=#1E638B]_[/color][color=#1B628C]_[/color][color=#18628E]_[/color][color=#166190]_[/color][color=#136091]_[/color][color=#106093]_[/color][color=#0D5F95]_[/color][color=#0B5F97]_[/color][color=#085E98]_[/color][color=#055E9A]_[/color][color=#025D9C]_[/color][/b][/center]

[indent][color=fd9100][i]Why the fuck is he here? Why the fuck am I here?[/i][/color]

[color=darkgray]With Danny now present, and apparently another former friend who abandoned her in Lanie Lancaster popping up behind him, it was clear that there were more ghosts here than in Mei’s last year’s worth of podcasts combined, and Jillian really didn’t care for it. Her grip shifted on the vodka as she screwed off the top and took a long pull from what was remaining. If it wasn’t for the friends she had remaining, she probably would have taken off, withdrawn from this situation and retreated back to her room. But she had to stay. For Mei’s sake.

Jillian O’Brien didn’t say a word as the top went back on the vodka bottle. All she could do is curse the fates that made this situation happen.

...and the letter writer. Fuck them.

[/color][/indent]