[right][sub][color=lightgray][i]Part 1 out of 2[/i]
Timestamp: Proceeding after Viv/ReyRey leave the Northside[/color]
[@Venus] & [@LovelyComplex][/sub][/right]
[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220501/30aa1efd87f77b542273e1bec83ccfb1.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/7PIsVqg.png[/img]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220424/d010df43a4071f924bab5a0ee14f7660.png[/img]
[b][color=#7FFF00]_[/color][color=#80FC02]_[/color][color=#82FA04]_[/color][color=#83F707]_[/color][color=#85F509]_[/color][color=#86F30C]_[/color][color=#88F00E]_[/color][color=#8AEE10]_[/color][color=#8BEC13]_[/color][color=#8DE915]_[/color][color=#8EE718]_[/color][color=#90E51A]_[/color][color=#91E21D]_[/color][color=#93E01F]_[/color][color=#95DE21]_[/color][color=#96DB24]_[/color][color=#98D926]_[/color][color=#99D729]_[/color][color=#9BD42B]_[/color][color=#9CD22E]_[/color][color=#9ED030]_[/color][color=#A0CD32]_[/color][color=#A1CB35]_[/color][color=#A3C937]_[/color][color=#A4C63A]_[/color][color=#A6C43C]_[/color][color=#A7C23F]_[/color][color=#A9BF41]_[/color][color=#ABBD43]_[/color][color=#ACBB46]_[/color][color=#AEB848]_[/color][color=#AFB64B]_[/color][color=#B1B44D]_[/color][color=#B2B150]_[/color][color=#B4AF52]_[/color][color=#B6AD54]_[/color][color=#B7AA57]_[/color][color=#B9A859]_[/color][color=#BAA65C]_[/color][color=#BCA35E]_[/color][color=#BDA161]_[/color][color=#BF9F63]_[/color][color=#C19C65]_[/color][color=#C29A68]_[/color][color=#C4986A]_[/color][color=#C5956D]_[/color][color=#C7936F]_[/color][color=#C89172]_[/color][color=#CA8E74]_[/color][color=#CC8C76]_[/color][color=#CD8A79]_[/color][color=#CF877B]_[/color][color=#D0857E]_[/color][color=#D28380]_[/color][color=#D38083]_[/color][color=#D57E85]_[/color][color=#D77C87]_[/color][color=#D8798A]_[/color][color=#DA778C]_[/color][color=#DB758F]_[/color][color=#DD7291]_[/color][color=#DE7094]_[/color][color=#E06E96]_[/color][color=#E26B98]_[/color][color=#E3699B]_[/color][color=#E5679D]_[/color][color=#E664A0]_[/color][color=#E862A2]_[/color][/b]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220424/947e48ecba75f8f496ff9146ffeb646f.png[/img][/center]
[color=lightgray][indent][indent]While chaos had continued to ensue in the Belmonte household, the girl who had been just struck in the face had found solace behind the door of the luxurious home’s guest bedroom. She laid curled up in the middle of the queen-sized bed, silently crying in shame, guilt and anger. Shame, at having been discovered and photographed in such a compromising position. Guilt, at the realization that (although not fully responsible) she had contributed to Father Joe straying from his sacred vows time and time again. And, finally, anger at the way this whole situation had gone down in the first place.

After the way Cat had just treated and disrespected her, there was no way she would be staying in Edenridge any longer. Who was she to pass judgment on what she did or didn’t do? What gave her the right to lay a hand on Peach, when her own parents hadn’t even done so, [i]ever[/i]? Hell, why had Sofi followed her into the church in the first place? And what had compelled her to pull out her stupid phone to take a picture of her and Joe in such a compromising position and then show it to her mom? It’s not like Tiff had done anything to deserve this type of behavior from her nosy cousin and her equally nosy daughter. All she had done was have her own personal fun, help her Uncle Tazzy and her Auntie Silvia, and mind her own business. And what she had gotten in return was being humiliated and exposed in front of her family.

That was the final straw.

Eventually, after she had tired herself out from crying, Tiffannie rose from the bed and began to pace around the room repeatedly. Her large pink suitcase and pink Hello Kitty travel bag now sat open atop the queen-sized bed, while different articles of clothing were being snatched from the closet and carelessly flung in their direction. In between sobs, sniffs and the wiping of tears, the blonde continued to gather her belongings from the bedroom. Once the vast majority of her items were strewn across the bed, she began the methodical process of folding and packing to fit everything into her luggage. There was only one thing on the blonde’s mind at the moment.

She was going back home to Los Angeles whether her parents wanted her to or not.

Once silence had fallen on the Belmonte home again, Tiffannie tiptoed to the bathroom across the hall with the intention of cleaning up and grabbing her remaining belongings. The shower she took and the ritual of applying her skincare products, although having served to improve her mood, also strengthened her resolve to carry out her escape plan. Once the last of her items had been securely packed, Peach solicited a Lyft drive, slowly and painfully carried her luggage down the stairs and left the home as quietly as she could. To avoid suspicions, she had decided to wait for her ride at the very beginning of the peaceful Scott Street, her slender frame being illuminated by the streetlight she was standing under.



Chase Hunter Warren was blasting dream trance in his car as he did his Lyft job, bringing people safely throughout Edenridge. The furthest he’s ever driven for this side gig was Pinehurst but most of his customers were drunk Edenridge teenagers just trying to get home. As he listened to Suliman by [i]Infected Mushroom[/i], he guzzled down a Red Bull. Ain’t nothing but the grind.  

To be honest, Chase, who preferred being called his nickname TNT,  was uninvolved with the happenings of his hometown and he could barely remember the day before because he barely got any sleep. All he did was work, work, work so that he could make a decent living and support his adoptive parents. He wore a chain necklace with a blue guitar pick, a white tee, a jean jacket, and black pants with plenty of accidental rips in it. 

His knuckles were bruised from an incident earlier, but that was irrelevant. What was important was that someone needed a ride and he was on it. The probability of missing his target was slim to none. A block away he could see a blonde with [url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CSzyQRtBRnb/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet]a pink hoodie that exposed part of her midriff, dark gray velour sweatpants, Uggs, a large pink suitcase, a pink Hello Kitty bag, and sunglasses at night[/url]. 

[color=7fff00][i]That’s a lot of pink.[/i][/color]

[color=7fff00]“Christ,”[/color] he muttered to himself as he pulled up to the curb, where she stood under a streetlight looking like a lost, sad baby. Rolling the passenger window door, he leaned over to get a closer look at her. In a matter of seconds, he realized who it was. [color=7fff00]“Hey aren’t you… shit, what was your name… Tiff? Yeah, from yesterday?”[/color] It was clear TNT had no acknowledgement or memory of his disrespect toward her and her new friend, Kylee. When she didn’t respond, he called out, [color=7fff00]“Hey princess! Come on. I ain’t got all day.”[/color]

The sharp tone of her designated driver pulled Tiffannie back from the spaced-out thoughts she'd been engrossed in. She had looked up to greet the man and apologize for missing what he'd said when she recognized who was behind the wheel, and felt her heart sink like a lead balloon inside her chest. The last time she'd been a passenger for this particular driver, he had treated her and Kylee Grimm in such a rude and aggressive manner that she'd ended up silently crying for half the trip home. Even now, as she thought back to the previous night, Peach couldn't understand what was the trigger for the young man's behavior towards them. But whatever it was, she knew she wouldn’t be strong enough to endure it tonight. Her best bet? To try and find somebody else to take her to her destination.

[color=EA60A5]“I guess I should cancel the trip and start looking for another driver,"[/color] Tiffannie said with a sniff, her pink, glossy lower lip already wobbling dangerously as she removed her sunglasses to reveal puffy blue eyes. [color=EA60A5]"I'm not having a good time right now, and I don't want to give you any more reasons to be mean to me and make me cry again like last time."[/color]

Biting his cheek, Chase reflected on the night before. Everything that was coming out of Kylee and this girl’s mouth was pure privilege, but today was a new day and neither girl deserved his aggressive behavior. Fins had asked him about his day and him being completely unapologetic spoke his truth. Fin gave him a good slap in the head and told him his father taught him better than that. [color=7fff00]“Finding drivers isn’t easy in this town and…”[/color] How could he make her feel calm without her feeling pressured? [color=7fff00]“… and, um, sorry, I guess. About yesterday.”[/color] Saying sorry was dumb but he could see Fin giving him that mama bear look that only meant grief for him.

Tiffannie blinked a few times, surprised at the change in demeanor from one day to the next. If she was anything like Natalia, she would hold his previous behavior against him even after this apology. But Peach wasn’t at all like her resentful cousin. She had a kind, gentle, forgiving heart, open to giving second chances to those who deserved them (except when it came to her father, but was neither here nor there at this moment). For all she knew, maybe he’d been having a bad day. She couldn’t completely judge someone over [i]one interaction[/i].

[color=EA60A5]“That’s okay!”[/color] she responded with a shrug, offering the man a small, watery smile. [color=EA60A5]“It’s all water under the bridge now. Thank you so much for apologizing, though. It really means a lot to me.”[/color]

After putting his car in park, Chase stepped out cautiously, yet steadily and approached the blonde, [color=7fff00]“No joke. I can be kind of a dick.”[/color] He offered to take her bags to put it in his trunk, [color=7fff00]“Can I make it up to you? I’m not fucking fancy but I could at least treat you to breakfast at the diner? Or I don’t know? Where do you want to go?”[/color]

The mention of being treated to something made Tiffannie instantly perk up. Getting spoiled, be it with gifts or food, was definitely one of her favorite things ever.   [color=EA60A5]“That would be absolutely amazing!”[/color] she exclaimed happily, her face visibly lighting up. [color=EA60A5]“I love breakfast food!”[/color]

Man, this was awkward. He didn’t even know this girl. But hey, rarely do you get opportunities to apologize to a stranger. As if a sixth sense went off, he pulled Tiffannie out of the way of a kid speedily biking down the sidewalk, [color=7fff00]“Hey watch where you’re going, fuckhead! It’s ten at night! Da fuck you think this is?!”[/color] 

Tiffannie had let out a little yelp at the sudden action, momentarily losing her balance and stumbling right into Chase’s chest. As he cursed out the kid who had nearly collided with her, she looked at him in wonder, and couldn’t help but laugh. [color=EA60A5]“That was a close one!”[/color] she giggled, amused at both Chase’s heated reaction and his fast reflexes. [color=EA60A5]“Thank you for saving me.”[/color] 

[color=7fff00]“It was nothing,”[/color] Chase glanced down at the girl who was wrapped in his right arm staring up at him. He didn’t even process what happened. All he knew was something was coming at them and he didn’t want her to get hurt. With her being this close in proximity (literally up against him), he finally was able to take a look at her and see how attractive she really was. Honey hair and honey skin-- everything about her gave off a warm, gentle sweetness: from her sun-kissed lips to her blue eyes. Even in her eyes, they had the sweetest threads of caramel. Clearing his throat and releasing her, the southie masked his embarrassment with an apology, [color=7fff00]“Sorry for… touching you.”[/color] The girl shrugged. He really was horrible with these kinds of things. [color=7fff00]“Where were we…”[/color] He had lost his train of thought, as he tried to remember everything that happened before the bike. Stupid fucking bike. 

[color=7fff00]“Oh shit, I don’t think you really know my name. Most call me TNT but uh, since you're born on this side, I’m Chase.”[/color] Oh wait, she might’ve known that since the Lyft app gives out his name as Chase W. Pulling out his old Jitterbug Smart2 phone, he opened up the app and read Tiffannie T. [color=7fff00]“And you’re Tiffannie…”[/color] He should get out of dodge while he still could. Trying to be amicable was not fucking easy. How the hell did Tov and Fin do it? He was all kinds of awkward and she probably could tell.

[color=EA60A5]"Mhm! That’s me!"[/color] the girl proclaimed cheerfully, nodding enthusiastically at her savior. Smiling brightly, Tiff politely extended her hand out to the young man. [color=EA60A5]“It’s nice to meet you, Chase! I’m actually not from here, but I stay with my mom’s side of the family down the road. So that counts, right?”[/color] she explained with a small shrug. The boy responded relatively confused as he stared at her hand, like he was debating if it was a trap or not. 

In the midst of her rambling, Tiff remembered what Chase had just said at the beginning of his introduction, and she let out a dramatic gasp. [color=EA60A5]“Oh my God, you’re not going to believe this, but… [i]I’m a TNT too[/i]!”[/color] she said with a small squeal, excitedly clapping her hands together at this cute little coincidence. [color=EA60A5]“My full name is Tiffannie Noelle Taccone, so my initials are TNT too! This is so cool!”[/color]

[color=7fff00]“Heh… I guess it makes more sense for you than me. It’s a nickname for me. We southsiders - names mean you made your mark. Doesn’t matter how involved you are…”[/color] He hesitated, not knowing how aware this girl was of the gangs in this town. [color=7fff00]“... with the people, but a name is kinda’ like a badge. You have one? Cool, you’re not a nobody. You don’t? Best kill yourself now before someone else does.”[/color] He nervously chuckled. That might’ve been too intense. He should clean that up. Fast. Fin would slap his head if she knew he scarred an innocent girl. [color=7fff00]“I’m kidding! Yeah, ha, ha, funny joke. Anyways!”[/color] Chase rushed to the passenger side and opened the door for her, [color=7fff00]“My apologies. Diner food?”[/color] 

Tiffannie nodded enthusiastically again, making sure to thank Chase for opening the door for her before taking a seat inside the vintage vehicle. As much as she wanted to avoid being nosy, the young woman couldn’t help how her eyes roamed around her new surroundings. The carpeted floor in front of her was littered with empty Red Bull cans she’d almost stepped on when boarding the vehicle, with one additional open can currently sitting on the cup holder between them. A pizza box rested atop the dash right in front of her, filling the car with its delicious, mouth-watering scent. And beside the pizza box, in the middle of the dash was a…

[color=EA60A5]“[i]Oh my God[/i]! It’s a Squirtle plushie!”[/color] she shrieked, immediately turning to Chase, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. [color=EA60A5]“Can I touch it? I [i]love[/i] plushies! They’re so cute!”[/color]

With the trunk open, Chase had placed all things pink inside the back of his car. Suitcase, check. Hello Kitty bag, check. He heard her squeal. Closing the back trunk, he hustled to the driver seat and opened it, [color=7fff00]“What? What happened?”[/color] When he noticed she was swooning over his Squirtle, he gave an ‘ah’ before taking a seat. After getting situated he reached for the plushie and placed it on her lap. [color=7fff00]“How old are you anyway?”[/color] Was that too forward? Probably.

[color=EA60A5]“Eighteen!”[/color] came Tiffannie’s prompt response as she occupied herself with examining and cuddling the adorable plushie in her hands. It was so soft and incredibly cute, like a kitten or a baby bunny. [color=EA60A5]“I’m a Piscesssss: February birthday. What’s yours?”[/color]

[color=7fff00]“April 17. Sometimes Easter. Aries. Twenty.”[/color] He replied as if he was writing the answers on a questionnaire before starting his car up. Easing on the pedal, he began cruising to his destination completely leaving the topic of age to rest and focusing on his objective. The diner. Leaning back a little, while holding the wheel with his right hand, he looked to his phone to see what song was about to play.  

His playlist was on shuffle and the song to come on was one that immediately triggered him. The first song his brother learned how to play on the guitar. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMDFv5m18Pw]Crazy Train[/url] by Ozzy Osbourne. Chase’s face grew pensive as he thought of all the lost dreams that got buried with his brother that awful night. 

Grabbing his phone, he was quick to change the song to something that made him feel less like shit. FUCK YEAH, [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27G-wokE3TQ]Chop Suey by System of a Down[/url]. When the drums started playing in the intro he tapped his hands on the wheel and then the build up game where all the other instruments joined and he started hardcore banging his head. With all the pent up aggression he held inside he yelled, [color=7fff00]“WAKE UP! [i](wake up)[/i]. GRAB A BRUSH AND PUT A LITTLE MAKE-UP. HIDE THE SCARS TO FADE AWAY THE SHAKE-UP. (hide the scars to fade away the…) WHY’D YOU LEAVE THE KEYS UPON THE TABLE? HERE YOU GO CREATE ANOTHER FABLE.”[/color]  

It wasn’t hard to miss the way Tiffannie flinched when Chase began bellowing out the words to the unrecognizable song on the radio, or how she discreetly covered her ears in an effort to preserve their integrity. As someone who was not a fan of heavy-sounding music, the blonde was finding herself in something of a [i]nightmare[/i] situation of sorts. Of all the citizens of Edenridge, what were the odds that she’d find herself in a car with the person whose music tastes seemed to be the polar opposite of hers? Why couldn’t they just listen to something that wasn’t as [i]violent[/i], like Dua Lipa, or Ariana Grande, or Olivia Rodrigo, or throw it back with some Britney or Christina? 

The thought of saying something definitely crossed the girl’s mind. But with the past night’s interaction still fresh in her mind, the last thing Peach wanted was to upset Chase and for him to get mean and make her cry again. So instead of politely requesting a change of genre or even for the radio to be turned off, she offered him another small smile and sucked it up. Just because she didn’t like the music didn’t mean that watching her driver let loose with it couldn’t be entertaining. 

[color=7fff00]“I cry… when angels deserve to… DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”[/color] And so the song went on for another two minutes and thirteen seconds. An excruciating wait for someone who doesn’t fancy this type of music. When it was done Chase’s demeanor went back into relaxed mode. Turning the music off, he now chose to enjoy the calm after the storm. He had gotten so into his music that he forgot there was a girl next to him holding his squirtle. They were almost at their destination. Instead of starting a conversation the socially awkward southsider sat in the quiet, focusing his eyes on the road. Hopefully his guest didn’t mind the ride. He should’ve cleaned up. Then again, he didn’t actually care that much of the mess. Something was just telling him it was courtesy. Oh fucking well.

For the next two minutes, the young woman sat in silence, allowing her eardrums to be ruptured as the man sitting next to her continued to yell his heart out to the song. She kept her eyes on the road stretching out ahead of them to not make things awkward, but spectated Chase’s passionate rendition out of the corner of her eye and couldn’t hide how the corners of her mouth turned upwards. She always enjoyed watching people do what they liked, with no care to who was around to witness it. Not to mention that her driver yelling out songs instead of hurling insults around made for a much pleasant ride to their destination.

Yet, eventually, the song and the accompanying show came to an end, and Tiffannie let out a small, relieved breath. The sudden silence that fell between them was welcomed with open arms (which was saying something for a chatterbox like her). She thought about initiating conversation again, but after seeing how content Chase seemed to be, she decided against the idea and settled for enjoying the ride again, Squirtle plushie still resting securely on her lap.

Bringing himself down from the high of dance and song, Chase found himself once more in a silent car. Before the next song began to play he glanced over to check on his passenger. She was quiet. For the little time he knew her, her being quiet felt weird. In response to that realization, he grabbed his phone and closed his music app. Dropping his phone back down on the console, he continued to drive but this time in silence. Tapping his thumps on the wheel, he went over a few things to ask her. When he decided on the best route, he noted out loud, [color=7fff00]“So… you like pink, huh?”[/color] Damn, was that the best he had? Her liking pink was fucking obvious. She was the definition of pretty in pink. 

[color=EA60A5]“Oh my goodness, [i]yes[/i]!”[/color] Peach replied excitedly, going from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds. Pink wasn’t [i]just[/i] her favorite color ever-- it was her lifestyle. Pink and her went together like peaches and cream. [color=EA60A5]“It’s, like, my favorite color ever! I love it so much that I always make sure to wear at least one pink item all the time! Though if I had to choose a shade, it would be hot pink, rose gold, or pink glitter! What about yours? Do you have a favorite color?”[/color]

There was a pause. This wasn’t something TNT had ever thought about. Did he have a favorite color? Or did he just like a certain aesthetic? He processed the question for a moment longer before deciding on his answer. [color=7fff00]“Yeah, I guess.”[/color] 

[color=EA60A5]“OOOOOOH! Let me guess!”[/color] she requested, putting her finger up to her chin while taking a moment to carefully study Chase’s grunge outfits, pair it to his music taste and the items strewn around the car to come up with her best educated guess. [color=EA60A5]“Is ittttttt… Black?”[/color]

Grabbing his Red Bull and chugging the rest down, Chase watched the eager Tiff as she waited for his response like a kitten wanting to get pets. When his can was empty, he placed it back down and nodded, [color=7fff00]“Yuh. It goes with everything.”[/color] Once he answered, they had arrived at their destination. As he parked, he looked toward her and asked, [color=7fff00]“Is it that obvious?”[/color] 

The blonde nodded vigorously again. [color=EA60A5]“As obvious as it is that water gets you wet!”[/color] she chirped with a tinkling laugh, looking very excited to have been correct in her answer. Realizing they’d reached their destination, Tiffannie shifted her attention to the building in front of her, recognition suddenly sinking in. [color=EA60A5]“Are we at Dolly’s? I love this place! They have the best strawberry cheesecake pancakes I’ve ever had! This is so good!”[/color]

[color=7fff00]“Best spot in town, ‘side from Godmothers,”[/color] Taking his key out of the ignition, TNT looked at the excitable Pomeranian-like girl. Placing his fist by his mouth, he cleared his throat, before reminding her, [color=7fff00]“This on me, okay?”[/color] and watching the eager girl nod. Man, being a gentleman was hard but Fin would likely expect a full report if she found out he saw the ‘prissy Disney princess on the other side of the tracks’ again. Yepp, that’s how he described Tiff when Fin interrogated him about his day. She was really good at him bringing up shit that was quite frankly, none of her business. Now, here he was: treating the barely legal blonde to breakfast at night. 

Oh. He reached for the plushie to put it back on the dashboard, his hand accidentally grazing her thigh. Leaning forward so that he could position Squirtle in a way that it was facingTiff, Chase didn’t notice how much he was breaching her personal space. His scent was an off-brand of some expensive one, but still did the job of lasting all day as he ran around doing work. It was a mix of mineral salt and spicy ginger, which blendy with his natural scent. Think sweet, spicy, yet crisp and bold with woody undertones. He liked the smell, it wasn’t like Body Axe. It was a little exotic, making him a lot more charismatic than he actually was. Though, that wasn’t why he chose it. He chose it because it lasted all day. [color=7fff00]“Okay, let’s go.”[/color]

With that excited smile still in place, Tiffannie exited the car and entered the diner alongside Chase.[/indent][/indent][/color]