Altered Tundra

CLOSED.

@Dirty Pretty Lies @HushedWhispers
Here is Wesley Alastair Cross, my fourth character(not last depending on how I'm feeling and how much I want to take on. )

Wesley AlastairCross/Drifter

"Manners maketh man."
William Horman

Sympathy — Goo Goo Dolls | Hallelujah — Leonard Cohen | Troubadours — Van Morrison

"Hello, my name is Wesley Alastair Cross. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

N A M E

Wesley Alastair Cross

N I C K N A M E

Wes

B I R T H D A T E

10 | 24 | 1999

A G E

18

G E N D E R

Male

S E X A L I T Y

Pansexual

R E L A T I O N S H I P S T A T U S

Single

O C C U P A T I O N

Senior Student/Junior Instructor at Sawtelle Judo School

C L A S S I F I C A T I O N

Senior

R O L E

Drifter

"You are looking rather radiant tonight."

I N - D E P T H A P P E A R A N C E

What is there to say about Wesley? This guy always presents himself in the best that he could. He indeed comes from a family of a lot of money, and the way he dresses and looks is represented in that. His hair is always well-groomed. It doesn’t matter if he wears it short or long, it’s always combed and groomed to the best of his ability. He treats his body like a temple. Working out when he can and always keeping up with his diet. As such, this guy here has always kept his figure slim and fit. Even if his height of 6’0 is above-average for someone his age, he has never let that get him down in any way, shape or form. He has always kept his body in prime condition. As someone who seems to get attention one way or another, one thing to say about him is that his eyes have a certain gentleness about them. His entire presence might be demanding, but his soft chocolate-colored eyes are something to note because it just fits the entire shape of his face.

Wesley’s skin color has always been the subject of a lot of conversation. Some say he’s more white than he is tan, while there are some that say he is more tan than white. The truth of the matter is that he is both. As funny as it sounds, Wesley has a nice middle ground when it comes to his skin color. However, contrary to what everyone has been led to believe, he actually has his shade through natural means. He does not go to the beach for a tan or anything like that. What you see is what you get.

It’s not hard to assume that, as someone who comes from a lot of money, that Wesley has an entire collection of high-priced, high-quality items. He has clothes for all kinds of situations and any possibly social gathering one might expect him to have. He has suits for formal events such as parties he’s invited to(assuming they require such an outfit), he has casual wear for school and the like, he has a wide selection of swimwear for trips to the beach or just for swimming. Truthfully, Wesley is well-prepared for any kind of scenario. He likes to be ready for anything.

"Shall I tell you about myself?"

H A B I T S | Q U I R K S | O D D I T I E S

♚ Crossing his legs each time he sits — This can be in his desk in any class he’s in, going to prep rallies, or even sitting at his own home. Wesley has the habit of crossing his legs like women do, but in a more dignified way.
♚ Studies before fun — One could say that Wesley is a proper fellow because, even though he might be pressured into it, he would much rather get all of his work done before he pursues something fun. It’s just how he was raised.
♚ Violence isn’t the answer — This isn’t to say that Wesley is a pacifist. If someone comes at him, by all rights, it is within his own to defend himself. He has the means to, but if he could avoid a physical confrontation, then let’s just say that Wesley will rather take that road rather than the lower road. Of course, if not, then he will show people why he’s the top of his Judo class.
♚ “Yes Sir/Mam” — In this day and age, men of Wesley’s age don’t show respect as much as he does. As such, when speaking to anyone that might hold a superior authority to him, he will end each sentence that ends with “yes sir” or “yes mam”, depending on the gender of whomever he is speaking to. This could be a parent, teacher, or whatever.
♚ Highly Organized — One could say that Wesley has a borderline OCD tendencies. Again, this comes with being raised the way that he was. Everything for him must be a certain way. If it isn’t, there is complete anarchy from where he stands. He must have his clothes ironed out and pressed the night prior to wearing them. His school supplies must be organized a certain way. Pretty much a lot of stuff must be a certain way for him

H O B B I E S

♛ Chivalry is not dead — Contrary to what most believe, the art of chivalry didn’t die with the middle-ages. In fact, it still lives on in those that choose to keep it alive. For one Wesley Cross, he was raised with grounded beliefs that a man must, above everything else, be polite to anyone. This just doesn’t extend to the female gender. Wesley was raised in the way that a man is bound by honor to be polite whenever possible, and show proper manners for anyone. And taking the high road is a must.
♛ Your body is your temple — In simple terms, Wesley works out as much as he can. To keep up with a certain reputation that he has built for himself, he must look the part. He cannot be the kind of young man that he is if he has a beer gut. Adding to exercise, Wesley abides by the Straight Edge lifestyle. In this, he doesn’t take foreign substances, smoke anything that might be harmful to his body, or does he drink alcohol. Granted, he doesn’t condemn those that do, but he will not take anything that will otherwise harm his body.
♛ Judo — Ever since he was a young boy, Wesley has been practising in the martial art of Judo. His father originally entered him into a local dojo because he wanted his son to channel his energy into something productive. Of course, as he grew older, Wesley would channel it into other mediums, but Judo, for the longest time, it’s been one of his greatest past times. A lot of what the man that Wesley is now has to do with the teachings he has learned from Judo. As it stands, he’s very close to becoming a third-degree black belt in Judo.
♛ Going to the Beach — This is rather simple. Wesley loves the beach. He loves the sun, the water, and the way the wind feels on his body. He enjoys walking on a moonlit night. Yes, that sounds corny and cheesy and cliche, but it’s the absolute truth. He also enjoys when his father takes out the S.S. Alexandria, his father’s Yacht, out for family days.
♛ Debating/Debate Club — One can say that debating is a passion of his as well. Quite simply, Wesley loves a good debate about pretty much anything.

L I K E S

✔ Manners(and people with them) — It’s not like he will judge anyone who does not have proper etiquette, but he sure will favor some over others that present themselves properly. Granted, Wesley will not also try to impose “proper” ways of present themselves. He will simply note that “there is a better way of doing it.”
✔ Law and Order(the show and the state of things) — When it comes to the show, Wesley will openly admit that he holds a deep love for it, especially the SVU spin-off of the original series. As for the state of things, this falls under Wesley’s OCD of wanting everything to be organized. As it is with how things might seem under law and order, he believes that if there is order, the least amount of destruction and carnage is possible. If there is order, it will allow for peace to reign. Of course, this isn’t always guaranteed, but Wesley is an optimist.
✔ Judo — See Hobbies for detailed description.
✔ The Beach and beach-related activities — See Hobbies for detailed description.
✔ His Family and Friends — One could say that Wesley holds a deep love for his family. They are what gives him pride. He loves them all no matter what they have done in their life to garner negative credibility to their reputation. That’s what second chances were invented for.
✔ Deep, intellectual conversations — As someone who speaks well for himself, Wesley values a good conversation. It doesn’t have to be about serious topics like politics or the state of the Middle-East. But as long as there is non-threatening rhetoric and respect for one’s opinion, he will engage in conversation about any topic. He also likes facts to be supported with the opinions.
✔ Geek and Nerdom — Wesley will openly admit his love for all things nerdy and geeky. This can range from technology to comic book-related material. He won’t say that he’s a mega fan, but he also won’t say that he isn’t a huge fan. If you ask him, he’ll tell you. So, perhaps it’s one of those “don’t ask, don’t tell”-kind of situations.
✔ Food — Simple isn’t it? Wesley loves food. He enjoys trying new cuisine. He is open to trying everything once.
✔ Art in general(music, writing, paintings, etcetera) — Coming from a high-class family and being around the finer things in life, Wesley has come to appreciate art in ways that most wouldn’t be able to. He is able to appreciate any kind of art. If it’s presented to him, he will give it a fair shot. If it connects with him on an emotional level, then he will state as such. He won’t shy away from saying that he doesn’t dig it. Of course, that’s assuming whatever is presented in front of him has a disconnecting effect on him.

D I S L I K E S

✘ Disrespect — Not necessarily disrespect to him, but Wesley doesn’t like that either. He will stand his ground if things get heated. But, Wesley also won’t stand for disrespect for anyone whom he sees doesn’t deserve it. Automatically, his family and friends are included in this. He will take action if necessary. This can include bullying as well. Normally he wouldn’t do anything about it, but for the select few in his life that he holds close to his heart, he will act.
✘ Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco — As noted before, Wesley dislikes the idea of taking in anything harmful into his system. He doesn’t judge others for using drugs, drinking alcohol, or smoking cigs, but he won’t do it himself. At the very least, this makes him the perfect designated driver.
✘ High School Politics — Let’s be honest here. Wesley doesn’t care for all of the politics that it would mean to be popular. Of course, this includes being nice to certain groups of people at high school, appeasing to others. Now, WEsley will always show manners to everyone, but he will not play those games that the Royals require. He has been, more times than he can count on his hands and feet, approached by the royals to be one of the “Princes”. He tried it, and found it severely soul-sucking. Plus, WEsley saw what it did to his older brother, and he wasn’t about to have that.
✘ Anarchy — The opposite end of law and order, WEsley just can’t have it. It really doesn’t matter what is in disarray, Wesley just won’t have it. Everything needs to stay in order. Even if one piece of the puzzle is out of whack, Wesley will have a mini-meltdown. Everything needs to be perfect. No disruptions of order. No chaos. Nothing resembling it. All must be in-sync.
✘ Really Hot Days — Wesley doesn’t hate the heat, but when it’s over 100 degrees(F), then he might have a problem with it. That’s just too hot for him, and he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his outside activities if he had to deal with that kind of heat.
✘ Judgement of any kind — Wesley really hates it when people judge him or anyone for that matter. Why judge someone for being a certain way? Or for liking a certain thing? Or even judging someone for something that they have done? Nobody isn’t perfect, and everyone is absolutely flawed. YOu shouldn’t judge them simply because you have a problem with how they’re living their life. If someone judges another because of something like that, then what does that say about the future generation?

F E A R S

☠ Anything happening to his family/friends — Wesley holds his family and friends close to his heart. So it should be understandable that, should something happen to them, he would be an utter, and complete mess. That is his worst fear to be quite honest.
☠ His OCD consuming him/something becoming out of his control — It’s no surprise that Wesley suffers from severe OCD, and it can sometimes affect the way he handles his day-to-day routine. He fears that it might consume him in the worst of ways. Also paired with that is something happening that he can’t control. This could fall with the first fear of something happening with his family/friends, or even something more on an emotional side of things. He could feel something for someone, and not know how to control it - and that scares him.
☠ Too-close-to-call events — Simply put? Near-death experiences and the like scare him to no end. Something like that would surely put the fear of death into anyone, and after the first time that he had something like that happen to him before,Wesley doesn’t want to experience it again.

"There are things that I do not want to be judged for just as you have things that I will not judge you for."

P E R S O N A L I T Y

♦ Urbane ♦ Wary ♦ Non-judgemental ♦ Meticulous ♦

Everyone in this age thinks chivalry is dead. They believe that being well-mannered is no longer a requirement. WEsley doesn’t think so. His father didn’t think so when raising Wesley, and his three siblings. He invoked the chivalrous code upon them. Granted, some things were left out because of the times it is, but for the most part, Simon raised his four children using the same morality that the knights of the Middle-Ages abided by. If any of SImon’s children that showed the perfect of what his parenting was, Wesley was it. He not only grew up to be incredibly kind and as respectful as he could be, but Wesley also grew to appreciate all the little things in life. When it comes to fighting, Wesley knows how to protect himself, but spending all of that time in Judo has taught him that he doesn’t need to resort to violence unless it is absolutely necessary. It’s not that he’s a pacifist, but Wesley would rather avoid a confrontation like that. He’d much rather hash things out verbally.

Wesley, all his life, has often been judged because of the way he is, so what right would he have to be judge anyone for being different? None that’s what. Besides that, he has a great dislike for anyone that takes it upon themselves to judge anyone for any reason, when those very people are probably the most flawed people of them all(Wesley’s looking at you Royals). Granted, he doesn’t hate any of the Royals. Wesley doesn’t hate. He is too good-hearted for that, but he does dislike when they take it upon themselves to make the lives of the lower-class(clique-wise) miserable. Or when they bash those who seem to be a little different, just so that their lives aren’t as boring. It irritates him to no end. It almost makes him want to do something to them, but restraint is what Wesley has a lot of. Thank the lords, right?

Anyone who truly knows Wesley is that he values control over certain things in his life. That could range from how he goes about homework and fun, to the events in his life. He’s kind of a control-freak in that sense. He’s also very obsessive about making sure it goes according to plan. He hates -yes, he actually has the feeling of hate - when things go out of control. Order and even construction is important to him. Because of that, if anything goes off the rails, Wesley will lose it. He will lose his well-mannered disposition, and he will seem a bit erratic at times. It’s to be expected, especially when the thing he wants to control the most is guarding his worst experience from anyone that can get past those initial walls.

Wesley Alastair Cross is deeply-flawed. He might be able to charm his way with chivalry. He might be able to talk about a lot of subjects with passion. H might b e able to politely persuade someone out of a violent solution to problems by proposing something less-physical, but when it comes to anyone finding out about what happened to Elias, Wesley will begin to crack...

H I S T O R Y

Wesley was not the first born of the Cross children. That belongs to Elias Frank. He was born first. Followed by Wesley, only a couple of minutes later, was his twin sister, Cassandra Lenore. Only a few years later, Benjamin Ryan was born after the fact. Their parents are wonderful, honorable, loving people. Their father, Simon Thomas Cross, an International Art Dealer, and his wife of twenty-five years, Yvonne Lena Cross(nee-Blanc), a native of Los Angeles, California who moved to London when she was just ten years old, birthed these four wonderful children. She, with her husband, raised them. They were all born in england, to which they lived there for the first half of Elias’ life. In 2004 was when they left London to live closer to Yvonne’s dying mother. Ever since then, they had stayed in California.

In their time while in California since moving here from England, they have made their name known. The Cross name has been the talk of many social gatherings. They might not be as well known such as the Greens, or the Saunders. Hell, probably not even more than the Mossos’ or Salazar’s, but that doesn’t discredit their fame and wealth. Quite frankly, when you combine the amount of money that Simon has gained through his extensive art dealings across all seven continents, and how well Yvonne has handled her father’s PR, it should come as to no surprise that they have a rather elaborate house. Again, not to the level of the families mentioned, but enough to say that they hold a firm standing among the Beverly Hills Elite.

And WEsley has never complained about his life. He always has been thankful for his life given, but there was a time just last year where he almost ended all thankfulness he had for bitter anger. It was a horrible night last Christmas Eve. He and his brother Elias were returning from a long drive from Long Beach. They had just attended a gala that their grandfather was hosting for President Obama. It was late, and dark. It was also raining like it was no one’s business. Adding to that, there was a lot of fog, so it was hard to tell how far or near other cars were. Elias was driving, and he took a wrong turn. He thought it was clear, but he didn’t realize that until it was too late. Before either brother knew it, a black Ford F150 had T-boned Elias’ BMW on the driver’s side, and the car had flipped three times. It was a hard hit, and blood was everywhere. Wesley doesn’t remember much after that. The next thing that he does remember is waking up being treated for a mild concussion. As for his brother, it didn’t come to his knowledge until a little later. Elias suffered a massive spinal injury. They said he may never walk again, and other extensive injuries pending further investigation. However, after a week had occurred, Elias had fell into a coma, and he’s been in that coma up until this day.

This is something that Wesley doesn’t like to talk about, and only those within his immediate family know about it. Wesley would rather keep it that way. He doesn’t want anyone to know that his best friend is now in an unwakeable slumber with no telling when he’ll wake up — if he’ll wake up.

F A M I L Y
Front Shot of house and parking | Foyer | Living room | Kitchen | Dining Room | Garden | Pool and back Patio | Study - Library | Study - Office | Master Bedroom | Elias’ Bedroom | Wesley’s Bedroom | Cassandra’s Bedroom | Ben’s Bedroom
Simon’s 2016 Bentley Continental GT | Yvonne’s Aston Martin Vanguish Convertible |Wesley’s 2015 Jaguar XFR-S | Cassandra’s 2006 Chevrolet Convertible | Ben’s 2015 Ford Mustang GT

Simon Thomas Cross | Father | 55 | International Art Dealer | Face Claim: Colin Firth

To his family, Simon is a man of much love and generosity. He gives to charity even when some tell him it’s too much. He throws so many monthly parties for organizations that are known to devote their money to important causes such as anti-bullying, hunger, poverty, and the like. His image is just as impressive to the public and his clients that he deals art with as it is with his personal friends and family. He is one of the kindest men out there. He does not judge based on status wealth-wise or class-wise. It doesn’t matter if you’re from a lower-class family or even richer than he is. If you present yourself as respectable, Simon will give you the same greeting that he gives the President of the United States.

Yvvone Lena Cross(nee-Blanc) | Mother | 45 | Senator’s Daughter/Head of PR for the Governor's Office | Face Claim: Rose Byrne

As someone who all her life has been involved in politics, Yvonne has a decent head on her shoulders. The corruption that usually follows the life her father has lived has not gotten to her. She might be a bit more assertive than her husband at times, that does not state that she isn’t without the same respect that he has for others. She, like her husband, values respect and honor above all else. But, unlike her husband, she’s also more laid back than Simon. To her children, she is known to be the type of mom who is very firm, but doing so in a passive approach. She is also known as the kind of person that will warmly welcome people into her home, offer them something to drink or eat, and treat them as if they were her own child.

Elias Frank Cross | Older Brother | 24 | Face Claim: Justin Chatwin

Elias could be described in a lot of words, but passive like his mother is not one of them. He might have the grounded chivalrous upbringing that all of his siblings had to be raised with, but one could say he’s more aggressive than any of his siblings, or even his parents for that matter. Ever since he was a young child, Elias always loved politics. His grandfather inspired him(his mother’s father), while his father’s grandfather motivated him to be ruthless, since he was a general for the British Royal Army for thirty years until he passed away five years ago(2011). Because of that, ELias pursued a career in politics. He is a republican, and graduated from Harvard just last summer. He started his internship with his grandfather’s office, but due to a tragic car accident last Christmas Eve, he has been in a coma ever since.

Cassandra Lenore Cross | Twin Sister | 18 | Face Claim: Emily Browning

It’s true that Cassandra is the twin sister of Wesley, but that’s where their similarities stop. They are as opposite as one could get. Where her brother is the kind of guy who is respectful and doesn’t indulge in anything harmful, Cassie is the kind of person that, well, does. One could definitely say that she gets into a lot of trouble. Not as much trouble as her younger brother Ben, but enough to warrant a lot of groundings from her parents over the past couple of years. She hasn’t been arrested or anything of the like, but Cassandra does like to sneak out a lot, and get with men almost twice her age. Granted, she is eighteen, and there’s not much they can do about that, but she is still living in their house, so whether she likes it or not, Cassie must abide by the rules that Simon and Yvonne have set forth.

All that aside, Cassie can be really sweet. She does have quite the opinion to her. She isn’t one to shy away from speaking her mind. She does like to curse a lot, which SImon and Yvonne don’t like that much. Of course, they let Cassie be the free spirit that she is. She also is quite sarcastic, often going a bit overboard sometimes. But, underneath all of that, most believe she means well. She does love her family, and will show it when it really counts. Wesley sure as hell loves her with all of his heart. He’s a bit protective of her because he thinks the men she attracts don’t see the person she really is that he sees.

Benjamin Ryan Cross | Younger Brother | 16 | Face Claim: Shiloh Fernandez

It’s hard to say what the youngest of the Cross children will do because he has been getting progressively worse as the years went on. He used to be a sweet kid, often showing signs of wanting to go into charity work when he graduated, but everyone in the Cross family have noticed that, ever since Eli’s accident, it’s been getting to him. He hasn’t showed any of his previous sweet, gentle tendencies, and has been staying out a lot later than he used to. He got a tattoo, which Simon and Yvonne didn’t like, but gave their son some space. He’s been hanging out with the wrong crowd, smoking, drinking, and even doing drugs. One could even say that he’s been experimenting...sexually, and it’s kind of scaring the rest of the family. They don’t know what he’ll do next, and if it will be too much for him to come back from.

"My right to judge was taken away after what happened to my brother."

E X T R A C U R R I C U L A R A C T I V I T I E S

Debate Club
Judo practice every Tuesday and Thursday after school
Helps out in the Cafeteria at lunch

E X T R A

Take me down by The Pretty Reckless

CLOSED.

@Dirty Pretty Lies @lovely complex @Altered Tundra @Universorum @Wade Wilson @Ace of flames01 @QueenoftheBee @gowia @Wintergrey @foxygen @Joshua Tamashii @Fabricant451

Update; Hello, everyone! I am loving the way things are developing within the story. You guys and gals are simply amazing and all of you rock! But I think we are nearing a time skip post here soon enough. Don't worry, there is no rush, of course. Just letting you guys know ahead of time so you guys can wrap up the scenes you guys are in right now. :)

Also, if your character is done with the party, just like Dominique, Isabel and Summer are, please let me and DPL know so we can keep track of that.

Thanks, everyone and so excited to see what else is in store for our characters!

@HushedWhispers

In the process of a couple of posts, one solo with Jackson, and the other going to be a collab with @Dirty Pretty Lies with Jade, Jay, and SIerra. After those are up, that'll be it for me until the next timeskip.

CLOSED.

LOCATION — The Woods

INTERACTIONS — Each other
_{(@lovely complex, @Altered Tundra)}

TIME — Reckless Abandonment Time

---

What had happened shook Jackson. Even more to the point, he was getting glares. These eyes were from people who tried to help him up, to which Jackson flat out refuted their offer by shouting at them vulgarly. The other eyes that gazed upon his beaten, bloody mug were that of pity. They were eyes that felt sorry for him. They were eyes that wondered if maybe he was beat just a little too much by Rhett. But the other eyes - those that looked down upon him - laughed as they passed him. They had no doubt heard his mentions of Eve. They were the ones who laughed at him, like it was so hard to believe that Jackson Torvald Drake could have a chance with Evelyn Harding.

But it was true. Jackson really had no shot with the likes of her. Sitting where he sat for almost ten minutes, Jackson now knew that to be true. After what happened with Eve, and now with Rhett, JB was not thinking of Eve in that way. That meaning, he wasn’t thinking about her in a positive light. All thoughts and feelings he had for her now were drenched in metaphorical blood like his face was. Each time her name came up by people who passed him or when he would think about her face, Jackson couldn’t help but feel a burning fire in the pit of his stomach, wanting to pound the shit out of her perfect little face. And he knew that was frowned upon, but oh how he wanted to do it so badly.

As Jackson felt that he had enough time sitting down, he got up. He struggled. He definitely had a few bruised ribs. That was a given. Rhett pounded his face in. The ribs were probably his least of his worries. His face had a good number of problems. One of his molar teeth was knocked out and a few got chipped. Added to that, Jackson also has some bad cuts on his face. His right eyebrow was cut open, his cheek was puffed up slightly, and his lip was cut slightly.

Jackson tumbled over as he got up, so now he was back on the floor. This time, however, he was face-first. He grunted in annoyance. “Hey, you!” JAckson called out to the person in front of him. The guy looked a little taller than Jackson usually would be if he were vertical. He had dark hair. It was hard to tell if it was long or short from where Jackson was. He had lightish skin too, but that didn't really matter at the moement. What did matter was that he was there, and Jackson needed his help.

“Who me?”

“Yes you.” Jackson said, confirming the man in front of him.

“What do you want.”

“Be a lad, and help me up!” Jackson requested.

“Oh sure.” he said, holding out his hand.

Jackson took it, and the male used his strength(of what he had left), and lifted himself up. “Ah, thanks for that. Apparently getting your ass beat doesn’t leave much room for being able to get up by yourself.”.Added to that, even with other guy’s help, JAckson still found it rather difficult to get up. His body ached in all the wrong places, and everything was beyond sore.

“I feel ya man. I’ve been in a few scrapes once or twice.”

“My man!” Jackson held out his free hand in a balled fist. “Bump it man.” The male did. “So, what’s your name?”

“The Parentals named me Wesley, but call me Wes. It’s a lot cooler.”

“Hells yeah!”

Jackson and Wes bumped fists.

“Okay, I should be good.”

“You sure.”

“Mhm! Thanks for your help again.”

“Sure thing bro. Catch ya later.”

When Wesley took off in one direction, JAckson, very slowly, proceeded to walk. He might’ve been in a shitty situation with the injuries and overall public perception of him, but as long as he kept a slow, steady pace, he should be able to make it to the car within ten or fifteen minutes. Yeah, Jackson had enough of this party. Even if it would have been nice to things to end differently, it couldn’t have been avoided. Okay, that was a lie. Jackson was entirely at fault here. From letting Summer talk him into dancing to going off alone with her, Jackson should have drawn the line in the sand somewhere. Maybe it was when she fell on top of him when they were dancing. Or maybe it was when they went off together. Or maybe it was when she told him to kiss him. Yeah, one of those was definitely where he crossed the line somewhere.

Yeah, it was a shitty mess, and Jackson wasn’t going to make it worse for himself by staying around people that he knew didn’t want him around.

As he was about halfway there, Jackson caught glimpse of someone. Long,dark locks, a body that could kill, and she was heading off to the woods. He didn’t have to think about it. He knew exactly who that was. His fists balled up, and Jackson’s neutral mood was replaced with something more akin to seething anger. It was Eve, and she was heading out towards the woods that separated the beach from the entrance/exit(depends on how you look at it). A thought came to Jackson that maybe he should just leave her be. That maybe he dug his grave deep enough, but what kind of chance would he get to give her a piece of his mind like this one? She was alone, and he would be able to say what he wanted without any worry of anyone laughing or intervening. It was perfect.

So in that moment, JAckson stalkerishly followed Eve. He made sure not to make so much noise as he pranced behind her. When he was confident that they both were alone, JB would confront her.

“Evelyn Harding!” Jackson called out to her. “I have a few things I want to say to you.”

Was she never going to get peace? Eve got enough of this (and some) at events her and her bandmates got invited to. This is why she would rather be home writing songs at her piano drinking or even feeding Alyssa strawberries. These events were below her and for some reason, students, who meant absolutely nothing to her, felt like they had the right to talk to her. Taking a deep sigh in, she turned around to look at the culprit of the voice. They were in dark woods so she couldn’t make him out well, but she could tell that he was blonde. Crossing her arms, she watched him approach her. By now, Eve did find out what had transpired earlier, but as always, she did not know Jackson well enough to put his name to his face, “Yes?” Most girls would be afraid to be alone in the woods with a drunk man, perhaps Eve should be too, but she wasn’t. Why fear death when she was already killing herself with her deadly habit? “I have someone waiting for me, does this have to be discussed now?”

She was the cause of this, and she doesn’t even realize it? Does she have no soul? Or did she simply not care? Jackson was betting on the latter. Women like her seemed to only care about how to pass their boredom. It didn’t matter who got hurt in the process. As long as they weren’t bored, they payed no mind to the suffering cause. “I’m sure they can wait for a few minutes. You’re not going anywhere until I have said my peace, Evelyn.” he said angrily.

Jackson didn’t care about what was going to happen to him after this. He was past the point of self-preservation. It might’ve been reckless to do this, but no time like the present, right? Besides, one way or another, Evelyn Harding was going to hear what he had to say, even if he had to force her to listen.

“If you’re going to talk, talk.” Evelyn’s patience was already limited and this child had the audacity to tell her what she could and could not do. A selfish boy this one was, who thought he was more than a dime a dozen. Her hazel orbs never left his face, waiting for a response. All this time being wasted and for what? So he can say drunken words to someone he hardly knew and regret everything the next morning. Fine, she’ll play along.

Jackson might’ve been a bit intoxicated, but those minutes of sitting down after his beatdown without a single drop of alcohol had, at the very least, gave his body enough time to adjust. So, he wasn’t as drunk as he was earlier in the night. Even with that being so, Jackson felt a little woozy still. Not enough to lose his balance, but surely enough to where he couldn’t stay standing without any support. Luckily for the blonde teen, there were several trees around him that he could use as an aid to keep his balance.

As Jackson’s back was against the tree, his arms resting along the trunk, the feeling of the hard bark against his skin, he looked at Eve with a deep scowl. “You..you’re the cause of all of this. Because of you and your Unholy Trinity, you turned Rhett into someone that he isn’t. Before you came along, before you had to dig your treacherous claws into him to fit whatever mold you thought he would fit, he would have never reacted the way he did today.” Jackson sleft his support of the tree, and stumbled three steps to the right, head at the ground for a brief moment. His eyes returned to the object of his rage. “Oh sure, he would have beat my ass regardless if you got to him or not. I screwed up, but what you did is far worse. You and the rest of your fucking trinity.”

“Oh look who's taking out his insecurities on his supposed crush. We’ve only known Rhett for a week and you already fear us stealing him away from you? Oh sweetie, that’s cute.” If the boy wanted the songstress’ attention, he just got it. Taking a step closer to him, her dark gaze scanning his face, her tone never changing (smooth, calm, silvery), Eve cooed, “For someone who was ‘head over heels’ for me, you sure move on fast. Rhett must've loved seeing you kiss his baby sister. What a great friend you are.”

“Do not even pull that card with me. I spent the better part of the last year doing all that I could for you to even acknowledge me, and it was all for naught. At least with Summer, I didn’t have to go out of--”

“Doesn’t that make you kind of pathetic? Spending all your time looking at me and then moving to a young, innocent girl, your best friend’s sister, mind you, who would probably fuck you if you let her. Do you hear yourself right now? Who in the right of mind would pursue someone who doesn’t give a flying fuck about them? AND THEN,” Eve’s tone shifted to mocking and treating him like a child, “The moment he gets his tiny little heart broken, he turns to the easiest piece of meat because let’s be honest, you don’t know what you want. Summer was just conveniently there to comfort you.”

“Who the hell are you to tell me what I do or don’t want?”

“And you just told me not to leave. Stop playing the victim.”

“Trust me, if I was ever going to play the victim, it wouldn’t be to the likes of you.”

The raven let out a rare chuckle. This boy was something else. If only she did notice him months ago just so she could have hurt him earlier. Looks like he’ll wake up in the morning with many regrets. She was sure of that and now that he was letting her in on all his… worries... This was just too easy. He might have just made the biggest mistake of his life. As far as she was concerned, he just lost a good hand. If anyone had the most influence over Rhett Aspen, the diamond in the rough, it was him, but look who's fucked up.

Eve could already see it play out now. Dominique would attempt to obtain her throne back. Of course, Eve wouldn’t allow that. And try to befriend Rhett, who had friends in many places. She was the first Royal to point him out, after all. Yet, Jackson blamed her and her friends. How quaint. Alyssa wouldn’t care too much to have Rhett’s support but he would be a fun project for them - to see how far they could change him and make him a ‘better’ man.

Were they truly his biggest concerns? No, not really. Jackson just lost a brother. Rhett was a 16 year old boy. There was only so much high school girls could do to him but the Elite? The ones that would make him feel part of a team, treat him better than a needy child, give him lifetime experiences, and help him optimize his full potential.

Boys should worry about being replaced by other boys.

“Hate me all you want, sweetheart. At least that means you’re still thinking about me.” Eve playfully (and mischievously) winked at him, feeling completely ecstatic.

God he hated this woman. He felt so much anger towards her. He was livid And as much as he loathed her right now, he hated himself for knowing she was right. The fact that he feels this type of way about her meant that she was still going to be in his head no matter what. And a guy like Jackson Drake wasn’t the kind of guy to let these feelings go for a long while. Yet, despite those feelings of seething hatred, he may not be completely over the crush. The thought of that made him sick to his stomach, and made Jackson want to bash in the tree next to him. But he couldn’t. And he couldn’t very well do anything to Eve. It’s not like it would have any effect on her. The way she’s been acting this entire conversation, she would get a rise out of it. Or something like it, anyway.

“You can believe what you want to believe.” Jackson was not about to give her any satisfaction - well, not more than she seemed to have plastered all over her face right now. “I had said what I needed to say to you. We’re done. You can go do whatever it is you royals do.” Jackson said. Instead of even waiting for her response, Jackson turned around, and would proceed to walk away, albeit stumbling side-to-side, and using the trees to support his bumbling legs.

“Oh? Maybe I’ll ‘do’ your friend. I mean, ex-friend. He’s kind of cute. Not like he’ll talk to you about us anyways. Bye-bye, Jackson.” With those final words, Eve felt satisfied with this surprising interaction and continued her way through the woods and to the parking lot, where Alyssa was waiting for her.

CLOSED.

@Altered Tundra Well Rhett just wants to be part of the Elite now xD

but Queens want recruits and Rhett has respect in the lower tier. He's a good asset.

@lovely complex

And knowing how things are progressing, he'll have more incentive to be part of the elite since he no longer has ties with Jackson for the time being. xD

CLOSED.

Connor's big dick happened

@Universorum

"Stop braggin' man. your dick ain't any bigger than mine is. It's average." — Jackson

CLOSED.

@Altered Tundra oh the rags to riches is still happening. This will turn into a big game.

Queens wanting recruits.

The Elite being bros with Rhett.

All fun and games.

@lovely complex

Oh, well okay then. I wasn't aware that it was going to go down like that. My initial thought was that Rhett was no longer going to be in the running and that was all she wrote. Seeing as how it's not, should be really interesting to see how things play out, especially with recent events between the Bromance, and how Rhett is further pushed into the Royals' good graces.

CLOSED.

<Snipped quote by Altered Tundra>

Realistically, Rhett doesn't really fit the King Bee image. I've spoken to LoCo and she's completely fine with the matter. :)

@HushedWhispers

The first part I can somewhat agree with, but I thought the whole point was for the Unholy Trinity to mold him into King Bee material? It even seemed to be shaping up for Rhett to be King because of what recently happened at the party. Idk, I guess I'm just a little confused is all. Not my character or anything, but yeah. xD;

EDIT: Nevermind, seems there's already a plan in place. Ignore what I said. ^^;

CLOSED.

Everyone give it up for the official King Bee of BHHS, Connor!!! Congratulations!! :D

I would like to thank @Dirty Pretty Lies, @lovely complex and @Universorum for their awesome feedback on the matter. :) Thanks, you guys rock!

@HushedWhispers

Umm, what happened to Rhett? .-.

Post Your Pikcha

Me in my DBZ shirt, and my doggy Buster Brown

Hider

Hider

Hider

Hider

I know @omerta wants to see Buster~

@POOHEAD189

-Poohead Voice-

FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL Z!

CLOSED.

INTERACTIONS — Will _{(@Wintergrey)}, The Elite _{(@Universorum)}, and each other _{(@lovely complex, @Altered Tundra)}
LOCATON — Sandy beach and Dj’s Table
TIME — BEATDOWN TIME

---

---

In a day that was full of nothing but misery and strife, this moment with Summer made it all okay. He was drunk, sure. He was probably a bit sloppy, and in the wrong, but Jackson knew that, right in this moment, this very second, he was forgetting about all of his troubles. Whatever happened with Eve and how it made him feel the entire week, or what else he was going through, Jackson felt a moment of bliss as he held Summer close to him, kissing her only like a lover would.

It was as perfect as a shitty week could get. Too bad that it was cut short.

Pulled away, Jackson hardly knew what hit him literally. It was like a bus hit him right in his perfect, chiseled jaw. The amount of force that struck him was enough to wiggle a few teeth free blood dropping from from his mouth just as Jackson himself was dropped to the floor. He was taken by surprise from it, so he didn’t realize who had struck him like that until his blue iris’ fixated on the person above him. He saw a man of white skin color, hair dark brown like chocolate, and intents to kill.

Rhett had hit him. Rhett was hitting him. Rhett wasn’t stopping. Right punch after left, Jackson’s face was a punching bag for Rhett. In-between each furious strike, Jackson had attempted to get some movement in, but Rhett wasn’t having it. Not only that, but it seemed the force in each punch was increasing. Like Hulk, Rhett seemed to only get stronger, more fiercer as he kept wailing at the blonde teen.

Jackson was too out of it to block every one. Even though he did raise his hands up every now and then, it didn’t help much. With the amount of alcohol in his system, Jackson was free for the pickings. Rhett would be able to pound his face in as much as he wanted to. It wasn’t like Jackson was in any position to stop him. All he could do was block the hits that he could, and hope for the best.

But still…

“Rhett..” Jackson said, attempting to get some words in

Another hit came.

“Rex!” he said again, trying for a second time.

Another still.

Until Jackson’s “savior” intervened, pulling the furious punk off his boy, causing Rhett to fly back and stare at the stars. In milliseconds, not giving anyone else a chance to block him from giving JB what he deserved, the King-to-be jumped back to his feet by doing the common Kip Up move that he learned in Gymnastics many years ago. His dead gaze met with Will Sommer’s righteous mug, but his expression read: back the fuck off.

Rather than raise his voice, Rhett clenched his fist and teethed, “This has nothing to do with you. I don’t need to explain myself but if you really want to know, this dumbass.” He gestured toward Jackson, “Sucked my fourteen year old sister’s face. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Yes, Will may have been bigger and was known for his athleticism but there was a major difference between the lacrosse jock and a punk boy like Rhett… you’ll just have to wait to see, assuming Rex found Will worth fighting against. Never underestimate an opponent, it might bite you in the ass in the future.

Rolling his eyes, Rhett strolled passed him, while taking off his opened plaid shirt, ignoring the nobody’s existence. If you weren’t friends with Rhett, you meant shit to him and that was Will in this moment. Throwing his shirt and his fitted cap to the side, he beckoned Jackson to come at him, “You’re lucky. I was so close on knocking you out… you know, JB, if you were twice as smart, you’d still be stupid.”

It was an understatement to say that Jackson was experiencing pain right now. Rhett hit hard; harder than Jackson remembered. He couldn’t recall when the last time was that Rex hit him that hard. It might’ve been a couple of years when Jackson said something stupid like he always does. Hell, it might’ve been a time more recent than that, but the bottom line was that Rhett had a nice right hook, and Jackson’s no longer-perfect jaw took the full brunt of it.

There was for sure a few teeth loose, and blood was dripping from the blonde teen’s mouth. It hurt like a bitch, and each time he went to speak, Jackson felt a surge of pain akin to getting kicked in the knads. Hard. Still, regardless of the pain, the drunkened Jackson found his balance, and rose to his feet, looking directly ahead at the topless Rhett.

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think Rex?” Jackson commented. He spat to the left of him, blood spraying all over the sand. Jackson wiped his mouth. “All this buzz about you being the next King of Beverly Hills High School must be going to your head because your little sister, Miley, hits harder than you do.” Jackson said with a laugh. He cocked his head to the side, relieving the tension in his neck, and he raised his arms. His fists were balled. His right arm close to his chest - bent - and his left bent also, but further away. If they really were going to duke it out right here and now, Jackson would for sure do his best to give Rex a fight for his money.

You know Rhett’s philosophy of not cursing? Well, fuck that shit. Fuck this shit. He was heated. “What the fuck are you on about? You just spent the entire week crying like a LITTLE BITCH about a girl who doesn’t even know your name.” The venom in his tone seethed out and contaminated the air. This was going to get real. “Enough of this bullshit, hit me or cry that the only girls that want to fuck you are those that feel sorry for your ass.”

Well, that wasn’t entirely untrue, but if he wanted to play hardball, then Jackson would fight fire with fire. “You want to talk about being a little bitch? Okay, let’s talk about you for a moment, Rhett.” Jackson said, “let’s talk about how you spent night and day vying for the attention for Anna, only for her to never return your feelings. At least with Eve, I had SOME shot of her liking me. You had a better shot of trying to get a pig like you. That’s not even mentioning that you two met by you slamming her noggin into the pavement with a football. Since, ya know, you want to bring up Eve.” Jackson gave a shrug, “but fine Rex, if you want this, then don’t mind if I do.” Jackson stepped forward, a straight left aimed at Rhett’s pretty, perfect nose.

Allowing the fist to hit his face, hell, most likely making his nose crooked (or broken), Rhett let out a chuckle, “Dumbass.” Not once did Rhett bring up Eve’s name. Laughter could be heard in the crowd at the mention of Jackson pursuing Evelyn Harding, best friends to Alyssa and Audrey, and climbing to fame Symphonic metal artist. If anything, he just made himself look more pathetic for even thinking he had a chance with someone like her. “This is the difference between you and I, Torvald.”

First, he attacked with a big right overhand punch. Second, he drove his shoulder into Jackson’s chest, slamming him back into the DJ’s table. “You don’t know when to shut up.”

Stepping back, giving Jackson a chance to react, he added, his tone shifting from anger to hurt and pain, “Who cares about all that? Anna. Eve. Other non-existant romances. That means shit to me. Bottom line, you fucked up.”

It all went black for a moment when Jackson heard his middle name being used. No one said that name, and Jackson charged full speed(as much as his body would let him) into a variation of a spear tackle to Rhett, knocking both the boys to the ground. Jackson maneuvered his arms with the left one bent, and pressed against Rhett’s throat.

“I fucked up? That’s funny coming from you. Or are you forgetting about Sierra man?” Jackson’s voice rose a few levels. “Sure, I admit my mistakes, but you pretty much dropped Anna like a hot potato for the next available piece of ass. At least I had the balls to wait until I was crushed before I even began to move on.” Jackson increased the volume of his voice, as well as the force of his left arm. “Yeah, okay, I was the one who fucked up. I’m the one who’s in the wrong here. And you’re Mr. Perfect, Mr. Who-Can-Do-No- Wrong. Well, except leave his best friend in the wind while your new ones take his place. But sure, I’m the one who fucked up.” Jackson kept his position on top of Rhett, staring at him.

Rhett was not having any of this and what Jackson failed to do in this position was posture up and make space between them. Grabbing control of Jackson’s hand (since the position was similar to a ground-and-pound attack in MMA), he pushed off Jackson’s hip and swung his body over, swinging his legs around, and switching to an arm bar. Locking the arm, he leaned back and arched his own hips, creating intense pressure in the elbow joint. There was a high possibility that Jackson could tear ligaments and tendons in his elbow joint. Of course, he could plead and they could call it quits but knowing Jackson, he was too stubborn to stop and one of them would leave with major injuries, “Not once did I say I was perfect. If anything, you’re painting your own damn self as a martyr. What about that girl from camp? She obviously didn’t mean shit to you. And here you are, using my sister to fill your empty void. What new friends are you even talking about?” This fight was turning to be not worth the trouble but before Jackson could reply, Rhett caught sight of Sierra kissing coffee guy… the guy that made her angry for the entire week…

It was in that moment that Jackson, despite the growing need to say something, he wouldn’t. No, it was more like he shouldn’t. As much as Rhett took a low blow mentioning Ash and implying that he was simply using Summer, Jackson knew when to talk and when to simply keep his big mouth shut for once. “You can believe what you want to believe. I’m done explaining myself to you, Aspen.” Jackson said, not even bothering getting out of the position he was in.

Having been in a few fights in their day, Wolfe and Ender knew how they ended. It either went one of two ways: someone was K.O.’d, or it got weird and uncomfortable. Unfortunately for the Elite… this was the latter. As men, when other men were fighting, it wasn’t their place to step in and end it (seriously, that one dude who tried to end it early was probably a douche) unless the winner got carried away pounding in the loser’s face, or if things got weird and uncomfortable. C’est la vie.

And, since Rhett had apparently just lost literally his only friend, and the Elite still owed him for keeping El Jefe from doing something...stupid, Sentinel and Ender had no choice but to be the men that stepped in. Properly, not putting an awkward end to the fight. Ender shrugged his shoulders, and spoke out to the crowd. ”Nothing to see here, people. Move along. Go make some bad decisions of your own, you only live once that’s the motto.”

Wolfe pushed through the throngs of people, Ender not far behind him. ”Come on, big guy. Let’s get outta here.” Wolfe said as he put his hand on Rhett’s arm and tugged him up to his feet. ”...why are three of us missing?”

After having released Jackson, no longer able to mentally and emotionally handle being in his presence anymore, Rhett glanced down at his best friend for years for a brief moment and then turned on his heel, “Let me fetch my stuff, I’ll come back in the morning to clean this hellhole up.” Once he gave Wolfe and Ender an appreciative look, ignoring Jackson completely, Rex left their side and got his shirt, his fitted cap, and a bottle of water. Now, time to look for his kid sister, Summer. This might be one of the worst days of his life.

And so there it was. After it was all said and done with, after going back and forth verbally and physically, the two friends of so many years, the two friends who often associated themselves as “The Bromance”, were no longer that. Because of alcohol that lowered Jackson’s thought process, because of a bad week, and because he couldn’t fight his stupid feelings, Jackson fucked himself over worse than he ever could sober. And the only question he had to ask himself was this: Was it worth it?

As Jackson sat up, stretching his arm, he repeated that question over and over in his mind. He ran the entire sequence of events that happened through his mind, and he couldn’t arrive at a definite conclusion. Yes, it cost him his friendship with Rhett, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that what he felt for Summer was something real - it just troubled him. No doubt pursuing Summer from this point on would do more damage than help any possible forgiveness he may or may not get from Rhett in the future.

Jackson didn’t know what he was going to do.

“Fuck.”