Hero

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Brady Household
TIME ⤑ Late Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend], Alyssa [Friend]
FEELING ⤑ Neutral. Although...}

She genuinely had no idea why, but hearing Terrance and Isaac apologize to her somehow made Helene feel worse. It was hard to look at them both, but she couldn't help but notice how Terrance wouldn't stop looking at her. She didn't understand him. She didn't understand his actions, she didn't understand the things he did, and it was frustrating because that tiny little voice in the back of her mind kept trying to tell her different things from time to time. As Helene and Terrance were dismissed, Helene felt herself ready for another drink until Terrance addressed her. She stopped her walk, looking over her shoulder at him, but whatever nerve he had in front of Mr. Patrone was gone, as he wouldn't even look at her now. He wanted to talk. About what? As her eyes examined his face, she wanted to say no, but if she walked away now, she wasn't going to get the answers she wanted. "A talk is a good idea," She replied quietly, continuing her walk to where Gigi stood with her arms crossed, looking slightly bored. "I'll be going somewhere with Terrance. I'll text you to come pick me up," She stated.

Gigi flickered her eyes onto Helene, who she noticed looked pretty serious. She looked at Terrance and seemed to understand. "I see," She replied, pushing herself off the wall to look at her properly. "I'll be standing by, then." She replied, giving Helene a light bow before excusing herself.

As Gigi entered Helene's car, she leaned back as her phone chimed. She was surprised to see it was Alexander, although considering how they left off, maybe it shouldn't have been so surprising. Was she free? Technically, no, but she was just supposed to wait for Helene just in case things went south. Although if their history showed anything, Terrance would likely successfully re-seduce her and they'd end up making up or whatever. Or at least, that's what she wanted to think, but really she really did believe things would go south, fast. If she really was set on being alone, she was likely going to reject Terrance. Did Gigi really want to stick around for the ensuing breakdown? Nope. She would rather just pick her up and drop her off at home to she could drink herself into oblivion again.

I don't really have plans, although I am just waiting for a call, She decided to at the very least respect Terrance and Helene's privacy. Why?

---

The curtains were drawn, the 'Do Not Disturb' sign hung on the door, and the room was extra dark with the exception of the two computer screens beaming into Evan's face. His eyes darted from one to the other, leaning forward to read them carefully. His bluetooth headset was currently connected to his phone as it placed a call, ringing out the tone as he waited for the other end to pick up. A low beep informed him he was connected, and one of the screens changed in response. He let out a sigh of relief, a satellite image of the city appearing shortly afterwards. "Alright, I can see now," He stated.

"That's the area I'm hitting," Ariadne's voice came out from his headset. "A majority of the local authorities are guarding a local event, so the streets are mostly clear. It doesn't matter where he runs, either he faces me or runs back into Munez territory where his men are dropping like flies. They do not like strangers."

Evan's eyes landed on the police report he pulled up, though he didn't seem convinced. "Here's hoping he's there," He murmured, sitting up slightly. "I've got Jun filling me in on the other side. Just be careful out there."

"Speaking of careful, where is Helene?" She asked him.

Evan had failed to inform her about the little situation that occurred. The last thing he wanted was for her to get distracted. "I've tightened security on her home, and she is currently at the Patrone residence. If anything happens, I'll hear of it."

Ariadne fell silent for a moment. "I still have Mama's box. If something happens to me, give it to her," She said quietly.

"Of course. Now then, when will you strike?" Evan asked, his yes looking at the clock.

"Tonight. Let's see how it goes..."

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Brady Household
TIME ⤑ Late Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend], Alyssa [Friend]
FEELING ⤑ Neutral. Although...}

Eva concluded that maybe she was getting a little too attached to Arthur. This thought came because after he had told her he had something to do in the evening, her mind went to a very sad place where all she could think about was holding his hand and playing with his hair and other silly things. She felt like a puppy watching its owner leave the house for the first time, and she knew it wasn't healthy. Some time apart was for the better, although she still watched him as he left. Alyssa nodded at Arthur's words, though she stuck her tongue out at him as he drove off. "Come along, then, if you get so much as a paper cut he'll flip out," She said, beckoning for Eva to follow her. "Honestly...he's just a little too serious, don't you think?"

"Is he?" Eva asked as they walked into Alyssa's house. Following Alyssa up to her room, she sat at Alyssa's desk, pulling out her homework. "I guess you have a point, but I really like it. He's so mature and cool..."

"And 'mysterious' and 'handsome', we've all heard the Evangeline Chronicles on Arthur Myles," She joked, jumping on her bed, grinning. "Helene mentioned that she thought you liked him because he looked like someone named Julius, but I didn't know what she was talking about," Alyssa didn't notice Eva tense up immensely at the other name. "Who's Julius?"

Keeping her eyes on her paper, she figured she may as well answer. "Julius is...my ex-boyfriend from the last school we went to," She admitted quietly, letting out a sigh. "I guess I can see where she's coming from. The first time I saw Arthur, he reminded me a lot of him, so maybe she's on to something."

"So he was tall, blonde, and scary, too?" Alyssa asked.

She shook her head. "No. Julius was more light hearted and jovial."

"See, I can see you with someone like that," She admitted, although something occurred to her. "So, what, you guys broke up when you moved here?" To her surprise, Eva didn't respond, although she could see her writing something down. "...is that something I shouldn't ask?"

The blonde finally looked at Alyssa, her expression relatively neutral. "It's a long story. I'll tell you someday, but right now...I'd rather not talk about him. I can tell you at least that he dumped me, so there's that," She admitted that much as she looked back at the desk. "You know, that reminds me, does that mean you and Helene are talking again? I feel like you two are fighting about more than just Jacob."

Crap, Eva being astute as always. But despite their disagreements, both Helene and Alyssa had compromised that Eva not get involved. Alyssa tapped her notebook with her pen as Eva looked back at her curiously, and Alyssa shook her head. "She just thinks Jacob is bad for me. If I'm being completely honest, she's right, but...I can't stay away," She cheerfully admitted.

Eva relaxed, returning her smile. "Then you two should make up soon, okay?"

---

It was snowing that day, a surprise for everyone. It fell at least once a year, though it never did stick to the ground. Either way, Helene always liked to sit by the window and watch it fall. But as she walked, her little hands tried to grasp the falling snowflakes, but when she opened her hands to look at them, they were gone. She could hear a gentle laugh, and she looked up at its source. The beautiful eyes that looked down at her were so warm and full of love that she felt that she could never match that love herself. Her mother smiled down at her, her long, red hair quietly gathering snowflakes. Helene dropped her arms to her sides, though raised her hand as her mother offered hers, and together they continued walking along the streets. As she looked up at her mother, she looked like she was thinking of something. Maybe she missed Papa, it had been some time since he had come home.

She asked a question, though whether it was relevant or not, she couldn't remember, although she did recall the large building they stood in front of. The stones were all different shades of gray at first, but she her attention went to the voice yelling at them from above. It was Oncle Gaspard! She loved visiting him, but his face was one of fear, shouting something at them. Her mother's face changed from its calm to match his fear, though she looked towards the street, taking Helene in her arms. The stones were no longer gray, instead they gained specks of red, and together they fell on the concrete. Her mother's embrace was still tight, using her body to protect her daughter, and the one thing Helene remembered was her wondering where Papa was and why he wasn't there to protect Mama.

Waking up startled, Helene looked around as she sat up. Her room looked so unfamiliar to her that it took her a moment to realize where she was, and she was breathing heavily. She hadn't thought about her mother in a while, so it was to be expected, but she felt like that same little girl all over again. Evan had made the right call; she was wide awake and her hangover came and gone. Running her hands through her hair, she was dismayed at how sticky it was. Smelling like pure vodka, Helene shook her head in disgust, going to the bathroom and running a hot shower. The warmth of the water felt good, and after washing her hair, she sat back in her room and ran a blow dryer over it. Running a brush through her hair, she temporarily flashed back to Isaac holding her locks between his fingers and let out a sigh. Right, she was going over to the Patrone's later. Staring at her reflection, she didn't like how Evan was so disappointed in her. But at the very least, he was going to let her go and defend herself. Her hand went to her cheek, and she found herself wondering if Terrance was alright. Taking on someone like that, especially after disappearing into the ocean with two other girls...what was he thinking? Helene couldn't figure it out for the life of her, although as she finished, she put her chin in her hands. Her phone beeped, and as she glanced at the time, she realized she needed to get ready.

She was unfocused, but by sheer force of habit, she pulled a more casual red dress out of the closet, finding matching shoes shortly afterwards, and as she searched her vanity for a pair of earrings, she caught herself looking into the mirror. If her mother was alive, would she have comforted her, or would she have scolded her as Evan did? There were a lot of times Helene felt lost, and despite Evan and Ariadne doing their best to have an influence over her upbringing, it wasn't the same. She threw herself into expensive clothes and jewels, having comfort in enhancing her beauty, but it was never enough. Letting out another sigh, she went for a pair of dangling earrings that she had first bought because they looked like a pair her mother had many years ago, and she stared at herself again. Her expression was still miserable, and she let out a groan, covering her face with her hands. Why was she feeling this way? She needed to get ready, she needed to make herself beautiful, but it felt so empty. What was the point of it? So she could have more men fight over her? That thought made her feel sick, and suddenly her line of makeup and accessories looked so shallow to her.

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts, and she cleared her throat. "Come in," She called, watching Gigi poke her head inside cautiously. A pang of guilt hit her, and she looked down. "About last night..."

Seeing her sorry expression told Gigi it was safe to come into the bedroom. "Feel better?" She asked.

No. But she wasn't sure why. "I'm sorry," She apologized.

"It's fine. Whenever you finish, we can go," Gigi said, though she was surprised when Helene would stand. "What is it?"

"Why do you think the fight happened?" She asked, surprising Gigi.

"General male horniness," Came Gigi's blunt answer, and Helene couldn't help but laugh at it. "Well, you have two guys fighting over a hot girl with daddy issues...seems like another day in the life of Helene. Didn't Connor Trotsky and Dylan Cole get into a fight over you back in freshman year, too?"

Helene shook her head as she smiled, though she took out a shimmery lip gloss, coating her lips until she was satisfied. "True, but I didn't love--" She caught herself, earning her a look from Gigi. "...things were easier back then." She continued quietly, putting the lip gloss away.

The denial was strong. "What's stopping you now?"

Taking her phone in her hand, she looked at Gigi seriously. "I don't want to get attached to anyone...just in case. Ariadne is keeping me in the dark, but I'm not stupid. I know Bastien's closing in...the only question is who will die first, me or him?" She sighed, following Gigi out to her car. To her surprise, Gigi opened up the passenger's side for her, letting Helene ride along and not have to drive. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt if it can be helped."

"I won't let anything happen to you," Gigi replied rather firmly as she turned the car on and backed out of the driveway. "My mission is to protect you at any cost."

And that was what Helene was afraid of. The rest of the drive was quiet, though they arrived rather quickly at the Patrone residence, and she felt her stomach knot up again. She noticed Gigi wearing her jacket again, and wondered if she was armed. She seemed to have noticed, and patted it down, showing she was unarmed. Somehow that relaxed her immensely, although she figured Gigi missed the point when she pointed towards the trunk. What the heck was she carrying back there? As Gigi rang the door bell, Helene forced herself to be as calm as possible. She was slightly surprised when Jacob opened the door, though she quietly followed him into the house. Gigi chose to hang back, standing but relaxing as she went on her phone, and Helene stared at her lap. It took Gigi prodding her to realize she needed to go into Mr. Carbone's office.

"Bonsoir," The French greeting came out automatically as she took her seat, properly sitting up. Mr. Patrone raised an eyebrow at her, and she found herself meekly looking away for a moment. Now that she was here, she had no idea what to say. "I wanted to apologize. I can't help but feel I'm as much to blame as Terrance and Isaac."

"And this is because...?" When Helene couldn't find a proper response, he waved her concerns away. "You blame yourself for being powerless to stop it when in fact my son and Terrance should have known better than to disrespect themselves in front of a lady, much less one of your stature." Damn, he hit the nail on the head with that, though as she dared herself to look at him, she didn't find scolding eyes, only understanding ones. "It must be difficult for someone of your standing to have men fight over you, though I would think you would be used to it."

Shit, he sounded just like Gigi. "Not like that," She said.

He watched her for a moment, and it almost felt like he was trying to read her mind. Of course, as soon as that thought crossed her mind, he decided to say, "The two seem to be very fond of you. What do you think about that?"

The bluntness of the question caught her off guard, and she found herself fiddling with her hair. "It's...flattering, I admit. Isaac sort of came in and charmed his way since we met. And Terrance..." Her voice trailed off as her expression softened, though she frowned. "I don't know what he's thinking. On the beach we were all together. He went off on his own for a bit with...other girls..." The last part seemed to come off as a mumble, but Mr. Patrone still understood. "I thought that he ended what we were. So when Isaac showed up, I just figured it was time to move on."

"To move on?" He caught her words, and she flushed red and she placed her face in her hands. "You seem uncertain about that. Is it that you still want him?"

"No," It came out a lot faster than she had intended. "I think...it's best if I was just alone."

Mr. Patrone didn't seem convinced by the slightest, and Helene couldn't tell what he was thinking. Still, he seemed to have gathered something from what she said, understanding something she didn't, and let out a chuckle. "I have to offer my sincerest apologies. I'm more than certain that if your uncle caught wind of this, he would be most displeased. What is it that I can do to solve this situation?"

"I really don't think it's needed, I promise," She tried to reassure him.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School
TIME ⤑ Morning
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend]
FEELING ⤑ A little in-love. And still a little tired.}

Arthur was a lot more worried than she had expected. His grip on her hand was tight, and while not uncomfortable, it spoke volumes on how stressed Arthur was. Eva made sure to hold onto him as they walked together, although suddenly he had decided to ask if Helene would forgive Terrance. She was quiet at first, wondering the same thing. Despite her charming and charismatic personality, she had seen Helene angry plenty of time and knew how everything would get wrecked in her path of destruction. She was hot-headed, proud, and stubborn, so she usually didn't take it well when things didn't go her way. The more she thought about it, though, the more Eva was inclined to believe that everything was happening because Helene and Terrance just weren't communicating with one another. To her, it was obvious that they had a good time together, so when Helene told her in the mall so long ago that she wasn't going to get attached, Eva always felt that Helene had some kind of feeling for Terrance. At first Eva believed her, thinking it really was just lust, but her absence today proved that there was something there.

Looking up at Arthur, Eva smiled gently at him. "She will," She stated with the utmost certainty. "Because that's what love is. No matter what happens or how bad it gets, as long as the love is there, there's nothing that can't be forgiven. That's what I think, anyway." She stopped as she noticed Terrance look at them, and she couldn't help but giggle a little. "It'll work out fine. You'll see."

---

'Omw'? What the hell did that mean? Gigi wracked her brain, trying to think. It looked like one of the acronyms Alyssa or Helene often used, but she couldn't remember what it was off the top of her head. Shoot, it was probably something really obvious, too. But as she stood there trying to remember, she spotted his SUV, the meaning hitting her. 'On my way'. How the hell did she forget something so easy? Then again, she got stumped pretty hard by Alyssa's 'bbl' about a month ago, so really it shouldn't have been that surprising. As Alexander pulled up to her, he made his announcement, though his words were nearly drowned out by the music. He really showed up. She distinctly remembered Helene commenting that he would do anything for her, and that feeling in her chest intensified. Hmm, she'd have to remember that.

Opening the passenger's seat, she hopped in, putting on her seatbelt. Too many car chases and accidents had proven their worth to her, though once she was comfortable, she took a good look at him. He seemed to be his usual cheery self, but she wondered if it could change at any moment. "Good morning," She greeted him, running her hand through her hair.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School Parking Lot
TIME ⤑ Morning
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend]
FEELING ⤑ Concerned and wondering if everyone is okay.}

The urge to go back to sleep was too much for Eva, though somehow she managed to get up once Arthur woke her. As she got dressed, she noticed how quiet Arthur was. Well, quiet was the wrong word because he was always quiet, but something was different. She wanted to chalk it up to her own tiredness, but seeing him so distant preoccupied her. After she took her pills, she noticed she was running low, though when she went to make a note on her phone, a text from Alyssa popped up. Helene's not coming to school today. I think yesterday got to her. Reading it made Eva feel bad as well. Arthur hadn't wanted her to see the fighting, but with how messed up Terrance was on their way home, it was hard not to imagine how it went down. As they rode to school in silence, Eva kept looking over at Arthur, wondering what was going through his mind. Maybe he was concerned with the fight, too.

As they pulled into the lot, Eva felt compelled to ask, so she looked at Arthur once again as he sighed, putting her hand on his free one. "Everything okay?" She asked, already knowing something was wrong. "Are you worried about Terrance?"

---

Pulling up to Helene's house, Evan closed the door to his car, eyeing the cracked window warily. Another car pulled up behind him, and a few men and women stepped out. Once he unlocked the house, his eyes scanned the place. Having gotten Gigi's message last night as well as having to find out the hard way of yesterday's events, he decided it was best if he took a cleaning crew. He was used to Helene's temper tantrums, as even when she was young she had a tendency to physically destroy whatever she could get her hands on, so he wasn't surprised to find the floor covered in glass. His professionals assessed the damage and went to work, sweeping up the shards and cleaning the wall. Evan himself went straight to his sister's room, although he hesitated slightly as he spotted her limp form sprawled on her bed. Spotting her phone in her hand and a bottle in the other, Evan shook his head disapprovingly as he took both, setting the bottle on the table as he went through her phone. It looked like she had somehow taken a picture of Terrance in his swimsuit, as the boy was smiling at someone else. He noticed a message from Giselle, his eyes widening as he read that Mr. Patrone wanted to meet with her.

Rolling his eyes, he shook her shoulder, watching her open her eyes slowly. "Is it morning yet...?" She grumbled, closing her eyes.

"Get up Étoile," Evan's voice was sharp, unable to hide his disappointment as he shook her again. "I need to hear your version of what happened."

Somehow managing to sit up, Helene swayed slightly, although she managed to look at her older brother with mild confusion. "How did you know?" She asked.

"Because getting information is my specialty. Giselle just messaged you saying that Mr. Patrone wanted to speak with you regarding the events that transpired yesterday." He watched her groan and put her head in her hands. "What happened?"

"I don't know what happened. I was talking to Isaac and Terrance came out of nowhere and hit him," She muttered, her elbows on her knees as she stared down.

Inhaling sharply, Evan exhaled before he would talk again. "You are on very thin ice with me, regardless of what happens at the Patrone household," He warned her, crossing his arms.

Helene's head shot up immediately. "You're acting like it was my fault!" She retorted, shaking her head. "I didn't...I couldn't stop them...I wanted them to stop..."

"I'm not stupid, Étoile, I know you have your ways around men," He kneeled down in front of her. "You have to think and watch every step you take. Your irresponsibleness may have cost us our newfound partnership--the very same one you just established. You're lucky I haven't told Ariadne yet, or she would be the one here right now."

"I swear, I didn't do anything," She tried to reason with him. "I didn't play around with Isaac, Terrance and I are nothing, I promise."

Evan's look hardened somewhat at the mention of their names. "I want to believe you, but you can't be so blind not to know they both have their intentions," He corrected her as he would stand. As he turned away, he could hear her sniffle, and he felt his heart break. Damn, he was so weak when it came to her. "Sleep off your hangover, you don't need to go to class. But I will have Giselle come get you to meet with the Patrones--and I pray he doesn't hold this incident against us."

Closing the door behind him, he could hear Helene burst into tears, and he had to remind himself he had other things to attend to so he wouldn't go running back in there. It may have come off as cold, but it was about time she took responsibility for her actions. As the crew was finishing up, he deemed his presence unneeded, and after giving out orders to finish and leave, Evan went to his car. A tiny boop informed him of a new message, though he didn't have to look at it to know it was Ariadne. Little did anyone know that they were closing in on Bastien, and they were hoping to catch him within the next forty-eight hours. But as anyone knew, a cornered animal was often the most dangerous.

---

As Evan's text came on her phone, Gigi read it with a heavy heart, or at least as heavy as hers could get. For some reason, she felt like a tattletale, but she thought it wouldn't be prudent for him to be in the dark in case he was also contacted by Mr. Patrone, and she knew Evan did not like surprises. She'll be staying home to get herself together. Get her after your classes and inform me of how the meeting goes. It was obvious Evan wasn't happy, either, and she could only imagine how Mr. Patrone felt having one of his sons come home bloody and bruised. Speaking of which, she wondered how Terrance's face was. He may have gotten the first strike, but Isaac was the stronger of the two, and the end of the fight proved as much when Arthur had to pull Isaac off. There was a part of her that felt she should have intervened, but Helene's safety was her priority.

As she put her phone in her pocket, she went to turn on her motorcycle, only to find it nonresponsive. Gigi looked at it in mild confusion, trying to turn it on again, but to no avail. That was odd, it was fine when she got home last night. As she looked down at the gauges, she let out a huff of annoyance as she realized she was out of gas. Getting distracted last night was a nuisance. Going back up to her apartment, she found her spare gas, but when she lifted it, she realized it was empty. Of course. She took out her phone to message Helene, only to remember she wasn't going to school today. Hmm, there was little point in asking Eva considering she was with Arthur, and she wasn't comfortable asking him for a ride. Trying Alyssa, she got a response saying she had to go to school early for a track meeting. Well, shit. Looking through her contacts, she spotted Alexander's name, that odd feeling in her chest again. Without thinking, she sent him a text: If you haven't left already, can I get a ride with you to school? Once it was sent, she parked her motorcycle into the building's garage and waited. She supposed she could walk if it really came down to it.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Arthur's Room
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend]
FEELING ⤑ Frisky.}

There was a part of Eva that was glad to be back home, or rather, in Arthur's room. Bringing out her phone, she found herself trying to call Helene, though she didn't get an answer. There was a part of her that thought maybe she should have stayed, but if she had kicked Alyssa out, she likely would have done the same to her. There was just nothing she could do for her friend right now; she would just have to try tomorrow. She sighed, scratching her cheek until she heard Arthur approach her. Feeling his hands on her face was so comforting for some reason, though she blushed as he called her beautiful again. It was like music to her ears, a genuine compliment from someone she loved, though he graced her with a kiss and all those little fantasies she had on the beach came to mind again. More so as she felt her top slide off her, and she found herself pushing Arthur towards his bed, climbing on top of him once his back hit the sheets. "I've been thinking about your body all day," She whispered to him, her hands running through his hair as she captured his lips for another kiss.

---

Watching Alexander drive off, Gigi watched his SUV until it was out of sight. He truly was an alien to her. Absolutely nothing he had said made any sense whatsoever, his actions often puzzling her. He was energetic and passionate and literally everything she wasn't. But that right there had to be the very first moment in the time they had known one another that she didn't roll her eyes at his compliments. She still felt weird, not really knowing what it was about his words that affected her. But it was...nice. Or something. Who knows. Of course, that pleasant feeling went away with the sun as it set, and she brought her attention back to the house. She still had an angry redhead to deal with, unfortunately. Taking her cigarette out of her lips, she dropped it onto the ground, rubbing her foot into it. Taking in a breath to mentally prepare herself, she entered the house.

Helene was slouched over the armrest, her arm dangling a bottle that she had basically been drinking out of, though Gigi spotted an empty pitcher and cup next to her. The half-empty bottle rolled out of her hand and landed on the floor. Helene's eyes followed it, reaching out and stopping it from going too far. Picking it up by its neck, she pushed herself off the couch, stumbling her way to the bedroom. Trying to use the wall for support, she only noticed Gigi when the latter yanked the bottle out of her hand. Her green eyes became sharp as she looked at the dark haired girl, who wasn't having any of her shit. "What are you still doing here?" She asked, showing an alarming amount of focus despite the amount she had drank in such a short time.

"Making sure you don't do anything stupid," Gigi stated, placing the bottle on the kitchen counter. "Let's get you to bed."

Helene scoffed, shrugging at Gigi as she approached her. "Excuse me? Since when are you my keeper?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips, though she turned away from her. "Go home, Gigi, I don't want to see your face right now."

"I'd rather stay. You're unstable because of Isaac and Terrance--" But as soon as those names left her lips, Helene turned around, pushing past Gigi and grabbing a bottle from the bar, though instead of drinking it like Gigi had thought, she instead threw it hard enough at the wall that it shattered, spilling liquor and glass all over the floor. Gigi shook her head at the infuriated girl, raising an eyebrow at her. "Touchy, aren't we? You can't pretend it didn't happen."

"I know it happened," Helene replied, taking an empty glass and also throwing it against the wall. "Why the hell do you think it happened?! They both think I'm their property!" Her voice escalated as she chucked another glass, huffing slightly. "That's all I am! Just something to be passed around!"

Gigi grabbed her wrist before she would break another glass, though she just let it go and it smashed to pieces at their feet. "You're talking nonsense, you need to calm down," She told her,.

She managed to wrest her wrist out of Gigi's grasp, furious. "Just leave me alone!" She yelled at her. "Get out!"

"Helene, that's--" She was interrupted as she had to duck a bottle, at which point she had to decide if she was really going to put up with this or possibly get injured in the process. As she stood up, she noticed that Helene wasn't angry, but probably on the verge of a breakdown. But of course, Gigi wasn't the person who could properly handle it. And for the first time, it didn't sit right with her. She nodded at Helene, cautiously taking her bags, and she walked out the front door. As Gigi walked to her bike, she could hear the sound of glass breaking, and she let out a sigh. She'd probably be fine after her temper tantrum.

The redhead stumbled over to her room, bottle in hand until she tripped onto her bed. Rather than properly climb onto it, she let herself slide off of it, landing on her knees. Her hands gripped at the sheets, desperately pulling at them to find some sort of comfort. But she felt empty, knowing that neither the alcohol nor the touch of a man would get her what she wanted. She could hear her phone sing to her, someone calling, but she ignored it as she forced herself to stand, only to fall over onto her bed. Taking a long drink from the bottle, she somehow managed to place it on the floor without it tipped over, and she stared at the ceiling. There was something in the back of her mind that said it was stupid to think that Terrance had hit Isaac because he was all over her. But why? He didn't want her anymore. He didn't need her, even though the longing she had in her chest meant she needed him. No, she didn't need him. She didn't need anyone. She felt her thoughts slowly collapse onto themselves, a terrible loneliness taking a fierce hold of her and refusing to let go.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Beach -> Helene's House
TIME ⤑ Late Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend], Gigi, Helene, and Alyssa [Friends], Terrance, Jacob, and Alexander [Acquaintances]
FEELING ⤑ Worried.}

As Arthur hugged her, Eva clung onto him nervously, unsure if she actually wanted to know what happened. Once the dust had settled, however, she couldn't help but wince as she saw Terrance's face. It didn't take too long for her to put the pieces together, although she couldn't tell who felt worse, her or Helene. The normally vivacious redhead was as quiet as a mouse, walking around on her own and helping to cleanup and pack. But the look on her face was empty, unreadable. She couldn't bring herself to press on it, and as they all got into Alexander's car, there was this really quiet discomfort lingering in the air. It was too bad, she thought that the day was going well. At least Alexander seemed to be feeling better, so that was one problem solved, but she couldn't help but feel terrible for Terrance. But were things so bad that they really had to fight? She thought of Helene and Alyssa fighting earlier, and Eva felt uneasy, holding onto Arthur tighter.

Alyssa watched Helene carefully the entire trip. She wouldn't look at anyone, choosing to stare down at her lap. As much as she felt like she should leave things alone, she was obligated to help. Even if she sort of thought that if she said the wrong thing, she and Helene would be the ones getting into another fight. Again. As Alexander's SUV came to a halt, she gave Jacob a guilty look. "I'll call you later, I need to help her," She told him quietly, giving him a quick kiss before getting out of the car. Helene hadn't bothered saying a word to anyone, practically jumping out of the car and running into her house. "Helene! Wait up!" Alyssa called, running after her. Gigi stared at the pair for a moment before realizing she was going to have to take their things out of the trunk. Wonderful. She simply nodded to the rest of the group, going over to the trunk of the car. Why the hell did Helene have so much crap?!

Inside her home, Helene had went went straight to the mini bar, grabbing a couple of bottles for a mix and pouring them all into a pitcher. Normally the liquor there was reserved for her siblings, but the only thing she wanted to do was black out and have tomorrow come along. As Alyssa entered, she shook her head as Helene continued, ignoring her. She hadn't seen her this stressed since...actually, never. The worst was getting trashed after those drinking contests, but even that was happy drinking. "Can we talk about what happened?" She asked, sighing as Helene chose to drink instead of answering. She followed Helene to her couch, the redhead clutching the pitcher and cup. "Come on, Hel, it bothered you. Talk to me," She asked as she sat down next to her, trying to be sympathetic.

"You're making it hard to uphold the whole twenty four hours thing," Helene told her, filling her cup again without looking at Alyssa. "Go home. Don't worry about me, I'm going to drink until I black out, hopefully I trip and bang my head against something so I can forget about this shitty day."

"Yeah, that's real healthy," Alyssa replied dryly. "I'll only go if you stop drinking." She tried to bargain. Helene paused mid drink, shooting her a weird look."Wait, that's stupid. You and I both know as soon as I leave, you'll just drink again," She realized.

"That's the idea!" Helene grinned, though her expression fell almost immediately as she shook her head. "I mean it, Aly. Go home. I promise I'll be back to normal in the morning, but right now, I don't want to talk about what happened. The only thing I have to say about it is right now is that it fucking sucked, and that's not talking, that's complaining. Please, just leave me alone." She pleaded with her.

Against her better judgement, Alyssa decided to comply with Helene's wishes. Getting up, Alyssa walked outside, spotting Gigi struggling with the bags. "Um...I changed my mind, I still need a ride," She said sheepishly, ignoring Gigi's glare as she carefully put her bags back into the trunk, sliding into the car before Gigi decided to throttle her. She spotted Eva's worried look, unsure of what to say. "She wants to be alone, so I figured I shouldn't push her," Alyssa shrugged. Meanwhile Gigi threw Helene's bags the doorway, although not without bringing out a cigarette and deciding to have a smoke first. If Alyssa wasn't able to stay, chances were that Helene was going to kick her out, too. Once she pushed all of Helene's bags inside, she grabbed her own and went over to her bike, letting out a huff as she wanted to finish the cigarette before going home.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Beach
TIME ⤑ Late Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend], Gigi, Helene, and Alyssa [Friends], Terrance, Jacob, and Alexander [Acquaintances]
FEELING ⤑ Worried, what's going on?}

Hearing Jacob talk about his friends revealed just how stressed he really was about everything. He cared so much about them that he essentially took on their burdens as if they were his own, which was admirable, but dangerous. Terrance in denial, Alexander not realizing what he was doing to himself, Arthur neglecting what he needed to do--but that was just normal teenage behavior, wasn't it? Even with everything they did--not that she knew specifics, but she wasn't stupid enough to think they didn't at least get their hands dirty like Jacob did--they were still human, still adolescents, still growing. Alyssa listened patiently, and as he thanked her for listening, she found herself smiling at him. He had been holding it in for a while, it seemed. Not like he could complain about his friends to his friends, and suddenly she realized that by losing her, he had no way to properly vent. She laid back down on him, taking his free hand and holding onto it tightly. "It's okay," She assured him.

Something was definitely up with Alexander, even someone like her could tell as they made eye contact. The change in demeanor was completely jarring to Gigi--and this was the same girl that had just put a bullet between someone's eyes just the other day. As he left her, she followed him, but he didn't even look back at her. She watched him for a while, though once the water reached her shins, she just sat down, not really knowing what to do with herself. Alexander grabbed his things and continued, and she figured he was just done and wanted to go home. It was her fault, wasn't it? Jacob gave chase, and she figured maybe it meant it was time to go. She sat in the water, wondering if it was her fault when someone walked through with rather angry steps, splashing her. After sputtering out some water, she saw it was Terrance who had walked past her, and she threw another glare at the back of his head. God, he was really good at pissing her off whether he was doing it intentionally or not. Not that she was going to do anything, just watching him go and start to grab his stuff too. Yeah, it was definitely over if two people wanted to leave, though as she would stand, she was shocked to see Terrance throw a fist at Isaac. Helene let out a scream, and Gigi found herself scrambling to get out of the water. She genuinely felt more like a damn nanny than a bodyguard, though as she spotted Arthur running ahead of her, she froze in place. Eva couldn't see that happening, the shock would probably affect her. Luckily it seemed Arthur thought the same, so Gigi changed course and went straight to Eva.

"Gigi, what's going on?!" She asked, her voice shaky as she tried to turn, but Gigi forced her to keep her back to the commotion.

"I'm going to guide you to shore, just stay calm," She instructed her.

Meanwhile Alyssa had to pull Helene out of the way as the fight erupted. The redhead was in shock over what was happening, though Alyssa had a feeling she knew what was going on. Dragging her away as the fight got bloody, she felt Helene crumple, nearly taking the brunette with her. "Stop...!" Her voice came out rather choked, and Alyssa ended up having to pull her back as the redhead tried to intervene. "Stop it!" She cried as Alyssa spotted Arthur approaching the scene. Would he be enough to break them up? Gigi wasn't too far behind him, having set Eva down on the sand and charged after Arthur, but considering how violent the fight was getting, she got worried he was going to end up getting hurt. Successfully dragging Helene with her, she managed to hand her off to Gigi. "I'm getting Jacob! Keep her with you, she tried to jump into it," She told Gigi, and as soon as she did, Alyssa sprinted towards the parking lot. The dark haired girl looked at Helene, who looked utterly defeated but kept trying to get back to the fight, then looked at Eva, who did as she was told, but she looked just as pale as Helene.

Running through the sand wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be, but then again, this wasn't the first time she had to do it. Boy, this had to be the first time Alyssa was actually glad one of her father's boot camps was paying off, and as soon as she found Alexander's SUV, she banged on the window rapidly. "Jacob! Your brother and Terrance are in a fist fight!" She called through the window, repeatedly tapping the glass.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ The Beach
TIME ⤑ Late Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend]
FEELING ⤑ Attention-needy. Look at me, Arthur!}

Thank goodness for the water, as she felt her more naughty thoughts melt away as she followed Arthur. She was glad for his grip, the sand being slightly unsteady underneath her feet. Being on the shorter side, she usually preferred pools since she could see the bottom, but she knew as long as she was with Arthur, she'd be fine. Letting out a childish giggle as she was lifted up, Eva watched Arthur try to shoo away the fish she hadn't noticed. As he mentioned the animals, she gave him a slightly puzzled look, though with how high he had hoisted her, she was able to kick at the water with her feet. "They're harmless," She assured him, though as she made sure to cling to his arms, the urge to splash overwhelmed her, and she began kicking her legs feverishly, the water rising up and hitting them both. As she stopped, she found she couldn't stop giggling, though she noticed her childish antics had caught the attention of a few people nearby. After giving them an apologetic smile, she looked up at Arthur, grinning at him. "You're giving them too much attention!" She pretended to whine, trying to get him to look at her. "If you just look at me, you won't see them looking," She told him, smiling gently. "It's just you and me, okay?"

Once her feet touched the ground, she let out a slight sigh of relief. The feeling didn't completely go away, but being so close to Alexander made it worse. Following his gaze, she noticed Arthur and Eva as well, though when she looked at Alexander, he was looking elsewhere. Gigi looked back at Eva, then to him, trying to connect the dots. Did he want to play, too? That seems like something he would like. As she knelt down to charge her attack, however, Gigi perked up as he called her by her full name. When they first met? Her stomach knotted as she distinctly remembered attacking him immediately. At the time, they had just transferred and she didn't know friend from foe. In hindsight it was completely reckless and unprofessional, not to mention after that he clung onto her like glue. Why was he thinking about that? Gigi stared at him for a moment, though he wouldn't look at her, so she stared out into the horizon, too. "I don't think I ever apologized to you for that," She admitted, scratching her arm. "Oddly enough, you never did hold it against me. Still...I'm sorry." She exhaled, realizing something was wrong, but her emotionally repressed self didn't know what to do. Anytime something like this happened she kept trying to think of what her friends would do. Placing her hand on Alexander's shoulder, she figured she would take the opportunity to say, "After that, I don't think there was a day you didn't try to be by my side. It was...strange. I had my mission and didn't really think it was a good idea to get attached to anyone. But there you were, every day," She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the words to what she was trying to say. "I still don't understand why. The way you are, either Eva who's more caring or Alyssa who has the same energy you do would probably give you what you're looking for, but you kept coming after me anyway. I don't...it's..." She began to get slightly frustrated at herself, though she figured there really was only one way to come out with it. "I guess I'm just wondering 'why me' when you can do better?"

Geez, Isaac really, really knew how to charm a girl. Helene actually felt a little shy for once. Was it because he was older, or was it the way his touch felt on her skin? But that touch was a foreign one, and despite its warmth it didn't feel anything like Terrance's--ARGH! NO! Why were those kind of thoughts going through her head right now?! As he popped into her head, however, her eyes darted to where she saw him last, but he was gone. She wasn't stupid, she knew where he went, and it tore her up whether she wanted to admit it or not. It was frustrating to know he had moved on so easily, whereas she--no, she wasn't going to be the girl crying after a breakup. Breakup? This wasn't a breakup! Nothing seemed to make sense in her head anymore, though Isaac's hand traveled along her body, calling for her attention. Her breath got caught in her throat, and she ended up finishing her can in record time to try to cover it. If it hadn't been clear yesterday, Isaac's intentions were crystal clear now. Unless she was mistaken, he wanted her. Or rather, he wanted her body. And considering how today was going, she needed at least some kind of victory, something to go her way. Her lips curved into a smile, a finger to her chin as she contemplated his words. "That sounds nice..." She admitted, returning her gaze to meet Isaac's.

Alyssa watched the pair with mild curiosity. The whole day Helene was acting strange. It was hard to tell, really, as Helene was an excellent actress, but every once in a while Alyssa kept noticing cracks. She could see as she had looked at the ocean for Terrance, she noticed how she tensed up a bit as Isaac told her what he wanted, her reaction to his words. But as she leaned against Jacob, she didn't say anything. She couldn't so much as approach her without Helene getting hostile, and she had promised to keep things civil for today. Jacob's movement made her sit up slightly, though she was grateful he kept her steady. "What's wrong?" Alyssa asked him, frowning slightly as she ran one of her hands through his hair to try to calm him.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

I forgot I did this

Alyssa Brady- Eva's friend. A brunette with light brown eyes, her father is the famed DEA Agent Robert Brady, who's first big case five years ago put him directly in the spotlight. He has since distanced himself from his family, though she doesn't seem to hold it against him.

Helene Carbone- Eva's friend. Always sporting long, red hair and mischievous green eyes, she is the heiress to one of France's most notorious mafia families, she was sent to the States for her safety though still likes to live a luxurious life. She has known Eva the longest out of their group, jumping from school to school with her since they first met in middle school.

Giselle "Gigi" Lee- Eva's friend. A black haired, gray eyed hired gun assigned to protect Helene, she is a highly trained professional who favors combat and knows more about people than she lets on.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ The Beach
TIME ⤑ Late Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend], Gigi, Helene, and Alyssa [Friends], Terrance, Jacob, and Alexander [Acquaintances]
FEELING ⤑ In need of a cold shower.}

Eva looked at Arthur, unable to control her smile. Was that what it was? She blushed lightly, though it made her feel better to know she hadn't messed up. "You're fine," She assured him as she tucked a stray hand of his hair behind his ear. Taking the beer he had for her, she thought it tasted great, a good contrast between the heat. She caught Alyssa's eye, who was wiggling her eyebrows at her as she drank her own beer, and she returned the gesture with a grin. "Just remember I'm only yours." She told him quietly.

Alyssa grinned, leaning back in her seat and relaxing. It was really nice to have everyone together like this. Her hand went to her chest, though she was too afraid of losing her necklace so she had secured it safely in her bag. She half wondered where Jacob had gone, though she felt like she had an idea where. It sounded bad, but she would rather feign ignorance than think on it too hard. They hadn't really discussed that, and the last thing she wanted to do was burst their little bubble. At least, not yet. They could just enjoy themselves for a little, right? It wasn't like he was hurting anyone. But the justifications made her feel somewhat guilty even as she tried not to think about it. Luckily for her, Jacob's return threw all those thoughts to the side, and she couldn't help but smile as his older brother teased him.

Helene was genuinely surprised to see Jacob's brother approach the group. Considering that Jacob was doing his business, maybe it shouldn't have been so surprising after all, but he was still unexpected. His line was a bit on the cheesier side, but it still got an embarrassed smile out of her. She didn't know what Isaac had, but there was something about an older guy who knew how to talk to her, and she greatly enjoyed it. It was the kind of compliment she was looking for earlier, but finding it here wasn't too bad. Raising her eyebrows at him and playing coy, she decided to get up, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. "I like direct," She admitted, her eyes traveling up his body before settling on his eyes. Although as she caught sight of Terrance in the distance, her smile dropped immediately. It shouldn't have been so shocking to see him with other girls, but she felt like she had just got sucker punched in the gut. Maybe it was how open he was about it. Maybe it was how she wanted to yank those girls off of him and drown them in the ocean. Maybe it was the realization that that's why he had been acting weird lately; he was done with her. Made sense, he never did hang on to any girl for too long, and all good things would come to an end. She felt like she was owed at least a goodbye or last hurrah or some sort of explanation, but his actions said otherwise. This day was getting shittier by the moment. Scooping down and grabbing Alyssa's beer, ignoring her "Hey!" of protest, she downed the rest of it, flashing Isaac a smile as she closed the distance between them, looking up at him curiously. "So what brings you around here?"

As Alexander asked if she surfed, Gigi nodded. It was a bit sensitive for her to discuss the where and why, but considering they were alone and they already knew the nature of one another's work, she figured it was fine to talk about so long as she didn't go into any details. "I learned it about five or six years ago. It's great exercise, though a little dangerous if you don't know what you're doing," She admitted, although she felt herself getting lifted up. If this were a cartoon, a multitude of question marks would be around her head. What was he doing? Her question was answered when he mentioned how light she was, and she gave him a quizzical look. She was light? Considering how Helene had the audacity to tell her she needed to lose weight, it was a compliment, but that weird feeling in her chest returned. Why was he holding her like this still? Her heart seemed to be beating faster, too. How strange. "All muscle," She replied rather lamely, though as she looked up at him, she realized that she probably sounded lame. She tried to think of something her friends would say, but nothing came. Argh! Why was she feeling this way?!

On the shore, Eva was still watching Alexander and Gigi in the water. No wonder Helene messed with her love life so much, it was genuinely enjoyable to watch other people interact with one another. As Arthur pulled off her shirt, her face turned red, as whether intentional or not, it was the same movement he used whenever he wanted her shirt off in other situations. Distracting herself with her own hair, she decided to braid it to get her mind out of the gutter, but as she felt Arthur's hands travel down her back, her mind decided to grace her with the image of him yanking off her swimsuit, climbing on top of her and--no, no, no, she needed to calm down, this was a public place! Once he was finished, she exhaled a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. "U-Um...let me get you, now," She said, not quite able to hide the shakiness in her voice as she hurriedly took the sunscreen from him. Rubbing her hands together, she positioned herself behind him, though she kissed his shoulder lightly before rubbing the sunscreen on him. Lord have mercy, she was having a hard time right now, trying to keep her head low as she made sure he was protected. Once she was finished, she reached up and kissed him on the cheek, smiling sweetly. "Wanna go in the water?" She asked, praying he'd say yes so she can cool herself off. Though a cold shower would probably be more effective...