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TIMESTAMP: After the game
LOCATION(s): Old Equipment Shed,
Beverly Hills High School
TITLE: [b][i]Candid[/i][/b]
STARING: [color=AB0042]Álvaro de Borbón y Prusia[/color]
& [color=E7C142]Theodore Van Cise[/color]
[/color][/sub][/right]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0jQXLCw.png[/img][/center]


[COLOR=dimgray][INDENT]

[center]Failure?[/center]

[center]There is no such thing to Álvaro.[/center]

He was an outstanding success across the board, a man who has lost to none and will [b]never [/b]lose to one. Celeste was no exception. Sure, she’s a stubborn, loudmouth, pompous, and quite frankly a bratty young woman that most men would give up on, but Álvaro didn’t care. He isn’t going to yield to her simply because she spouted such preposterous claims upon a character as squeaky clean as his own, she was just a challenge to overcome. One that will be toppled soon. She’ll come to love him, he’ll come to be the [b]only [/b]thing she loves. But, that wasn’t for today. Álvaro had succeeded in what he had set as his goal, while it didn’t go how he intended it was a success nonetheless. 

And Álvaro couldn’t stand this game for one last second, with his distraction gone, he made his way through the unfettered masses that encompassed the bleachers like a plague that seemed to have no end in sight. Bumping shoulders with the unwashed populace sicked him to his stomach, he could only handle contact with these “people” for so long before the facade started to melt away, these sore excuses for life didn’t deserve a single ounce of time around him, and his time could be much better spent anywhere but here. Álvaro didn’t notice as the crowd around him increased in its ferocity, they burned with a passion hotter than most raging fires. He only began to notice when the chaotic movement of the crowd got rougher, swinging arms clapping about, people standing and screaming their hearts out with pure joy, adoring students enamored by what was happening on the field. It was disgusting, the hive mind at work as Álvaro thought. He stopped at the railing at the bottom of the bleachers, moving through the group of people in front of him easily to the forefront of the railing, Álvaro watched as Benji barreled his way down the field, ball in hand. The sight before Álvaro was possibly the most interesting thing this evening, he wasn’t fixated on whether his school would win, no, but rather if Benji could do it. His eyes looked up to the scoreboard for a quick second before refocusing on Benji. It was close, could he perform under pressure? 

As Benji got tackled, and absolutely fucking fumbled the game, Álvaro could feel little for him. The only thing he felt for Benji was pity, and not much of that at all. [color=#ab0042]“Hm, que puto fracasado” [sub](What a fucking failure)[/sub][/color]. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree it seems in that family, all disgraces.

The next few unfiltered moments were what Álvaro’s joy was made of, pure and utter pandemonium. It was glorious.

The fight was the most premium entertainment this whole evening, while Álvaro couldn’t hear the vitriol that was being slanged from both sides, Theo’s punch into Benji’s dome got his point right across. The cascade of fellow players joining in was a sight to see, while Álvaro worked his best to choke back his laughter, he could not wipe the smirk off his face. To his dismay, the fight had ended as quickly as it had begun. Like another person he has the displeasure of knowing, this black-haired delinquent-looking boy just had to ruin the fun as things began to get good, and in such a dehumanizing way too? No decorum.

As the rushing masses of noisy commoners hoping to get a further eye on the drama spread out onto the field, Álvaro decided it was time to fully make his exit. As he made his way towards his vehicle, Álvaro pulled out his phone. 

[quote]
TO: [color=#e7c142]El Diablo[/color]
[color=#ab0042]Sorry for the loss
Big fallout coming
]When you get done, text me, let's meet at the spot.[/color]
[/quote]

Theo had been ushered away from the field and through the hallways by the teachers. Restrained by his uncle and a fuming Coach Craig, he was frothing at the mouth but he could still clearly see his cousin and a blonde girl fleeing the classroom that he was about to be locked in to stew. Still in his full football gear, he had been left alone whilst everyone fawned over Benji and Andre. His blood was screaming beneath his skin, wailing, bubbles brewing like a drowning man scratching at an icy surface which he could not penetrate, watching as the life in his lungs disappeared before his eyes. He kicked over several desks and launched chairs across the room, to peer through the window of Mr Fell’s classroom one could imagine that this hulk of a boy was doing his best Bruce Banner impression.

Theodore had always had rage, from the day he was born. After twenty four hours in the delivery room, his mother Bobbie was spent, exhausted, the doctors were discussing what they could do to help her, then came the feet. Shortly thereafter, some legs, a body, then a head, already adorned with a crown of copper red hair. Yet sadly, what should’ve been rosy pink skin was blue, starved of oxygen. Yet even then, Theo fought. With what little air he had in his tiny body he screamed, he screamed and he screamed until the color red came back into his being and he kicked Dr Corbett in the nose. Death would not take him, though she made a damn good attempt. Theodore Van Cise entered this world already pissed at it; nothing had changed.

The door finally swung open and there stood Mr Fell holding his nephew's bag. He tossed it to the floor and before Theo could utter a phrase, he raised his hand. [color=#d5a6bd]“I don’t wanna hear it bud. Your ass is grass. I’ll do what I can for damage control but…dammit Theo….when your brain does this shit? Why don’t you think of your Mom huh? Or Wyn? You got too much of your Pop in you.”[/color] Uncle Matty closed the door behind him, not giving Theo any opportunity for response.

He hated his Uncle Matt; he was just like the rest of them but worse. He was soft and gentle, probably why the girls at the school loved him. He was Theodore’s Mom’s brother, that entire side of the family were snowflakes; it’s where Bronwyn got it. Changing out of his pads and back into his civilian clothes, Theo grabbed his phone, seeing a message from Alvaro, he cracked his neck. Good, he needed someone on his level to be around right now. The last thing he needed was to be surrounded by people lecturing him for doing the right thing and taking out the fucking trash. He walked towards the door and paused for a moment as he thought of Tatum. He would try and see her in a bit, once he had fixed his mask. He could spin this; Theo could spin anything.

Promptly after his escape, the franchise found Alvaro in their usual meeting place, and disregard's equipment shed just off of the baseball diamond on the far side of the school. It was quiet, remote; everything he needed right now. [color=#E7C142]“Hey man.”[/color]

The quaint light from the end of his cigarette stood as the only bit of warmth amidst the dilapidation surrounding the two. The chilly air swept in and out, with the shed offering little protection as Alvaro took one last puff of the disappointment in his hands. Alvaro didn’t smoke a lot, well, not anymore. Some days it felt like he was fighting an uphill battle with something he should’ve been able to drop like that. Thankfully few people knew of this dirty little secret of his, and one of them was standing right infront of him. As the smoke seeped from Alvaro’s mouth that same breeze came rushing in to take it away. He soon let the stick of tobacco in his hand fall to the ground, smothering that piece of warmth out with his boot, it felt like a lot of things were about to come crashing down real soon.  

[color=#ab0042]“Glad you could make it.”[/color] The two boys that stood amongst each other were connected through a shared respect, rather than the notion of a friendship. Out of all the low-life populace that wandered the halls of this school, Theo was one of the two people that Alvaro held true respect for. He was up to his caliber, the only common man that stood high above the rest of the plebeians, and that was why the two could chat like this, alone and truthfully; no holds barred. One would not dare to recite the words chattered within or around the mess of a shed to anyone besides the other. It was a space used only for conversations among equals, unmarred by the snaking eyes and ears of those of Beverly Hills High who like to pervade into others business. [color=#ab0042]“I’m sure you’ve seen the video. They’ve caught every second of it, unfortunately the people at this school don’t seem to know their right from their wrong. And Benji seemed to be off his game the whole night, he got what was coming to him when he fumbled the whole damn game. Hell, I know if Kisho or any of the other fuckers on the soccer team did something similar on a night like this I couldn’t tell you I would have a much different reaction than your own.” [/color]

Alvaro’s eyes shifted over to those of Theo’s, he could see his passion, his rage, the fire with the power of a thousand suns that burned with fiery displays violence like what happened to night. Even without his knack for reading the people around him, Alvaro could clearly see that facade of a normal teenage boy hanging on from a thread. Despite his respect for the boy, Alvaro saw Theo as some sort of loose cannon. That was the difference between the boys, Alvaro kept his dirty laundry behind closed doors where they belonged, your reputation is everything. Alvaro had seen Theo climb his way out of crazy situations in the past, his brain was wracking on how he would escape this one. [color=#ab0042]“But, time and place, Theo. I get you wanted to fight him, good, he deserved it, but not in front of two schools, and hundreds of eyes and cameras. You could’ve given him the beat down he needed in a private place, you and him, no other eyes. But, the past is the past. You can’t change it but you can change the narrative, so tell, how are you going to flip this?”[/color]

[color=#E7C142]“I’m open to any suggestions.”[/color] Theo shrugged; the rage in his chest and head was slowly subsiding and was methodically being replaced by indifference. That was always the way for him; the flash of white hot magma that was his temper lasted only in short bursts and usually left in its wake a forest fire for others to put out, whilst the Franchise sauntered away. Alvaro had a valid point though, this time was different and he had to spin this somehow; make himself out to be the victim. Yet the cameras didn’t lie and Theodore was obviously the aggressor and instigator.

His dark eyes scanned the room around them; not looking for anything in particular save a spark of inspiration maybe? Their little “clubhouse” had been used to hatch any number of schemes and hosted many games of human chess; surely in its storied walls he would find something that could aid him. Theodore Van Cise was not going to be taken down by the likes of Benji and Andre; he was the mother fucking Franchise player; this was his fucking house and they were just renting rooms.

Finally his gaze fell upon the couch and he raised a bruised hand to his chin. He looked at Alvaro and back to the couch before rapping his fist against the wall in a eureka moment. [color=#E7C142]“I was drugged.”[/color] Theo leaned against the door and folded his arms with that damn rattlesnake smile covering his cherub-like face. [color=#E7C142]“Second quarter, I went to see Tatum for some moral support, came back and took a swig of my bottle, thought it tasted funny, didn’t think anything of it. Then as the game progressed I started to feel strange, I was burning up and I couldn’t see straight. I was a victim of a prank gone wrong.”[/color]

[color=#ab0042]“Drugged, hmm? Potentially really good. Feelings of sickness mixed with the stress of the game wouldn’t sound like a good combo to anyone. It is bound to make someone susceptible to anger if they are already frustrated by a terrible prank. You could [i]]convince[/i] the kit boy to fall in line with your story as well.”[/color] Alvaro knew that the plan was solid, and with Theo’s resolve it was almost as good as already motion, feeding off the plebeian class’s compliance to authority and a compelling story. Although Alvaro already released for as many people who would believe the tale spun into their little ears, there will always be that minority resistant to the new “truth” which floated around them.

[color=#ab0042]“You will need someone to take the fall for this, of course. No good story is completed without a villain, right? This needs to take attention off the fight, to backseat it, someone else has to deal with the consequences for this prank. I am sure some random lackey would work splendidly, but if you could frame someone on the team? Oh it’ll blast waves.”[/color] Few genuine expressions of amusement often passed by Alvaro’s face, but in the moment he couldn’t help but grin. Theo had a set up, but only he could make the moves and achieve the checkmate; pawns are often a necessary loss for control. [color=#ab0042]“Get together a few [i]witnesses[/i], slip something into a locker, plant something in a car, tell your story to the faculty, and have someone leave a tip, you’re golden.”[/color]

[color=#E7C142]“Benji.”[/color] The red haired boy with the angel face and the demon eyes lifted his hands behind his head and interlocked his fingers. [color=#E7C142]“He spiked me. Took some slight against me for some reason that I don’t even know about and decided that the biggest game of our lives was the place to do it.”[/color] Theo looked at Alvaro as their most devious minds connected to weave a tapestry of lies and receipt. [color=#E7C142]“Most people already think he’s losing it, especially after all the shit with his old man. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We can ruin him and I know just how to get this story sold.”[/color]

Lowering his hands, the franchise reached into his letter jacket and pulled out his phone.

[quote]
To [color=#B1021E]T[/color][color=#B50A1C]o[/color][color=#BA131A]x[/color][color=#BF1B18]i[/color][color=#C42416]c[/color] [color=#CE3512]T[/color][color=#D33D10]w[/color][color=#D8460F]i[/color][color=#DC4F0D]n[/color][color=#E1570B]s[/color] [color=#EB6807]C[/color][color=#F07105]h[/color][color=#F57903]a[/color][color=#FA8201]t[/color]:
[color=#E7C142]“Lex, Tally. Do your cousin a favor; put some of your finest in Benji’s locker.[/color]
[/quote]

[quote]
To [color=#9182D9]Tatum[/color]:
[color=#E7C142]“Hey, I’m so sorry, that wasn’t me. I think someone spiked me! I feel really ill. Can I see you?”[/color]
[/quote]

[quote]
To [color=#04ac43]Kisho[/color]:
[color=#E7C142]“You saw Benji put something in my Prime. You told him not to but he did it anyway. You have to tell the truth, Creature.”[/color]
[/quote]

[quote]
To [color=#15603A]My Bea[/color]:
[color=#f1c232]“I’ve got a story for you.” [/color]
[/quote]

Theo glanced at Alvaro with a wicked gaze. They fed into each other's darkest impulses and the games they played were not for the weakest heart. [color=#f1c232]“Game on.”[/color]


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