LovelyComplex

Rosefell High.

@HaleyTheRandom First character: Marcos Andres Kingsley || Male || Liberty High Student || b02727 || Daniel Illescas

My second character will be male and a Rosefell High Student. I'm still deciding on concept.

Rosefell High.

Imma just drop some interest so you know I exist and am thinking about it. But I want to think on it and who exactly I’d bring. Could bring Lucky again or could bring someone new or might lurk lol

Meadow University

_{Location: Errbody at Nectar's}

There were clear problems lingering at their table and she had yet to pour herself a beer. Damn, no chill. Did they think she knew about whatever thing they had going on? Clearly they didn't know how oblivious Dee was to the drama that transpired at Meadow University. She wasn't glued to her phone like some people. While Nate tried his best to start a conversation, Dee drowned him out to recall her week and put two and two together. Why would Jasper look at Nate like that? Why would Nate let his nerves come out in laughter? Why would MJ's eyes roll so hard that you'd think they'd fall out? Dee's gaze trailed from her friends to the stage where one of the other legacies played on the piano. With a raised eyebrow, she curiously listened to his voice.

This was a first for her.

Hearing Bastíen Bonfamille singing.

Someone once told her music was an external heartbeat, and the lyrics were a gateway to the soul. Really, music only lives in moments like these, in a bond made accidentally, drowning yourself in intense emotion. This song came to the artist like it was second nature. Something he played without hesitation. It was something Dee could tell he held close to his heart. Whether it was the song itself, or the subject matter, Bastíen cared about the music he was playing. His song filled the air without effort, the sound rushing in and surrounding everyone and everything. The monotony of her day was made fresh simply by hearing his voice.

Phenomenal.

Color her impressed.

When a tsunami of applause filled the air, Dee turned to look at the people at her table and realized a couple of things:

1) MJ was gone.
2) Nate was looking like a deer in headlights - did no one reply to him?
3) Jasper was drinking a lot - as to be expected.

"Sorry, got distracted. Wasn't listening." Dee admitted, with a shrug. The applause came to a calm and the chatter around them filled the void where there would be inevitable awkward silence. Grabbing the pitcher that Nate so graciously got for the table and pouring herself a drink, she enthusiastically cheered, "Chicken wings, fuck yeah dude." Once she downed her first cup like a champ, she went straight for the wings and started devouring them. Completely unladylike, not caring about her appearance at all, even if she kind of was dressed like a slut, Dee looked between the two and bluntly asked, with her mouth full, "Did you guys fuck or something? I feel like I missed the memo. If you didn't, you guys probably should. Get all this tension out, if you know what I mean." She threw a bone on the nearest plate and licked her fingers real quick, "I got a great idea." She grabbed another wing and started waving it in the air, while she continued to make her proposition, "Why don't we all just say the petty shit we're thinking about and then leave it out in the air? Get shitfaced... have a good time... say fuck the past, cheers to the now. Like the sound of that? I love the sound of that. I know Viv always lookin' for a reason to drink, amiright?"

Chomp. Chew. Chuckle.

Seeing a waiter walk by, Dee shouted, "Waiter, bro. I'mma need three rounds of shots, for four people. Kamikaze, Blow Job, and Mind Eraser! Thanks, man. Yeah, on Nate's tab."

Project Untamed

_{@smarty0114 & @TootsiePop}
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Erica shut the door to her room behind her, wearing something that better met her standards for the night. Her first realization, which came to her as her eyes fell on the conference room, was that there were way more people here than she had planned on, and more were still streaming in. She pushed her way through as politely as she knew how, and came to her second realization. People were having fun.

She couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face, maybe because she was a little tipsy from her shot earlier, or maybe because she genuinely enjoyed making people happy. This kind of stuff was what brought kids closer. Later tonight, girls that had yet to become friends would bond over mutual toilet bowl escapades, and freshmen would work up the courage to text their crushes, and maybe, just maybe, Dwayne or Sam or any boy that wasn’t Leo would make a move on her.

“Y’know, for party planners, you sure know how to pick the place. Totally exclusive. I would’ve never found out.”

It was as if the universe had heard her wish, and laughed.

Rolling her eyes, Erica turned around to face Griffin Pierce. The two had what Brad called “crazy smart kid chemistry” and what Erica preferred to see as an unending academic rivalry.

“Well, unless you and the other two Musketeers have a secret clubhouse I don’t know about, I’d like to see you do better,” she said. A smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth, but that was absolutely, positively, just the shot from earlier.

“I could—” Griffin leaned up against the wall peering at her, his eyes never wavering below her face, only looking into her deep gaze.

His mysterious, laid back nature, while playful and insufferable at times, covered up more than most people realized. A boy as smart as him — there was more to him than being an annoying flirt, aiming to get under the skin of the prettiest girl on his campus. Someone he saw as his equal. Though, he’d never admit that to her face, since seeing her get riled up was all part of the fun.

Taking moments to glance behind her at the hustle and bustle of the party to see who was here, he smirked right back at her,“— If I cared enough.” There was some bridge of trust between the two, whether they were aware of it or not. Just by how close they were standing near each other could show that there was some underlying magnetism. It was like their rivalry forced them to see each other in such a short time. Perhaps accepting her strengths and putting his pride down also helped, because if he had to choose anyone to notice something that was ‘out of place’, it would be Erica Monet. She was a clever girl.

Truth be told, Griffin cared. A lot. He didn’t know why, but ever since he woke up on the bus months ago, he couldn’t stop asking questions and noticing things slightly skewed. Rewind the clock to after his confrontation with Tyler Jane, he spent some time in his room, thinking to himself and preparing. For some reason, he had an unsettling gut feeling, as if his recent interview with Ms. Mulligan would be used against him.

Unbeknownst to anyone, including his best friends, Griffin had hidden secrets throughout his room. Before leaving his room for what felt like would be the last time, he did something he wouldn’t normally do. He added slight disorder to his picture perfect boy’s room. Purposely, he placed his basketball in front of the wardrobe in his closet, then made an opening with his clothes, as if that led to something more, like fucking Narnia. Afterwards, he stood on his bed and shifted the ceiling tile, once again making it only noticeable to those that actually were good at finding subtle changes. Once he went back to the ground, Griffin grabbed the small painting Bradley made for him and placed it on his pillow, as if the cartoon s'mores eyes were staring straight at the ceiling. The last secret place he had was his dresser, the third drawer. Unfolding his clothes, which would differ from the rest of his drawers that were neatly organized and color coded, he let the chaos take over the wide space, followed by leaving the drawer ajar.

Call him paranoid, or whatever, but he felt a storm coming and if something were to happen to him, he wanted to make sure someone caught on. Quickly, he scribbled a note and put it in an envelope. With elegant cursive, that looked like near calligraphy, he wrote his letter to: Erica Monet. Pocketing it in his coat, he sighed to himself as he made his way to his door. Opening it, he quickly looked down the hallway to make sure all the people were at the party, and not around him. Cooly and swiftly, he stepped out and went to close the door. Using his body to cover the view of the camera nearest to him, he pretended to lock his door and instead taped a coin between the doorknob and deadbolt.

As if right on cue, Erica left her room, not looking in his direction, and strode to the party that she partook in planning. With that, he took out the letter, trying to make it seem like some sappy love confession, and slipped it under her door. To add to this narrative, he took a comb out of his inner coat pocket, touched up his hair to make sure he looked ‘on point’ and tailed behind her. If people were watching them, they knew how heated some of their discussions got and how out of the way they both went to one up each other.

And now, here they were.

“So, are you here to just drink, or care to dance?” He offered his hand, gesturing toward the center of the room, which he imagined could easily be a dancefloor. Leaning in, he whispered, “Bullshit and drama aside.”

Erica made a show of mulling over Griffin’s offer, before holding up a single, slender finger. “One song,” she said, before turning and sauntering towards the dance floor, not bothering to check that Griffin was following. One song wouldn’t hurt, right?

The song switched as the duo entered the growing crowd of entangled bodies. It was high energy, a song designed to get people on their feet. The words were catchy enough, and Erica began to twist and turn, her body moving with a practiced grace. Her arms swung in time to the song, wrapping this way and that in sensual motions. Her eyes met Griff’s and she smiled. “Well, you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna dance?”

Completely out of his element, but not afraid to make a fool of himself, Griffin retracted his hand and strolled through the sweaty crowd, blindly following her to the center. He watched her loosen up and though it was hardly emitting from her body, he did smell the scent of alcohol coming off of her. Before he did anything, he carefully examined her dance and that weird feeling of nostalgia washed over him, that feeling that haunted him, as if something was oh-too-familiar about this.

“Do you want to impress her, or what?”

Shaking a voice out of his head, a voice that reminded him of the whistle of birds, he decided to take it easy and not over do it, doing this thing called the ‘side-to-side rock’. He didn’t know why he knew what this basic dance was called, but it made him look chill and confident. There were only so many ways a guy could make himself attractive in a party setting, especially if dancing wasn’t his forte. He’d let her take over the dance floor as he’d only add to her moves, like an accessory. Perhaps this was another reason why she appealed to him over her best friend. Erica didn’t need to try to stand out. She just did, and she didn’t pretend to be someone else. She held her strengths and weaknesses like a medal of honor.

“Ask her something!”

“Uh, so getting the booze. Did it go off without a hitch? I haven’t seen Wes yet to ask.”

“Mostly, but uh, our mutual friend might need to make things a bit more obvious,” Erica said tilting her head over to where Bradley was leaning against the wall. With anyone else, talking about Bradley and Wes would’ve been a betrayal of sorts. Brad hadn’t told her anything, but he didn’t need to. She could put two and two together just fine, but it still felt wrong to gossip about her friend. Griff was just as smart as she was though, as hard as it might be to admit. If anyone had noticed something between the two it was him. “The long looks aren’t really getting through to anyone, least of all the person he wants.”

“Well the person he wants needs it literally spelt out for him too.” Griffin looked in the same direction as her and shook his head, “B-rad’s been hard crushin’ since the first week. I’ve tried to give him openings, but I guess he isn’t ready to risk what they have.” For a moment, it looked like Bradley found them, so he waved at his friend, but he guessed wrong, since his friend continued to search around like a blind bat.

“Sometimes people just need a nudge in the right direction,” Erica said. She smirked well aware of the double meaning that dripped off of her sentence. She grabbed Griffin’s hands and began leading the duo in a series of quick steps. It was clear she’d learned to dance somewhere, though Erica couldn’t recall ever taking formal lessons. “You excited for the weekend?” she called out over the music. She was not privy to whatever sense for danger Griffin held. As far as she was concerned, life was good.

“Excited?” Griffin scoffed in amusement. He did his best to follow her lead. This took a whole nother level of coordination, and was nothing like any basketball drills he did to improve his quickness. “I’m excited to not wake up on a hospital bed!” He raised his voice so she could hear him over the music. After giving her a quick twirl, he reeled her in close, breaking the barrier she had put up between them. He leaned in, his lips close to her ear, and whispered, letting his breath tickle her skin, “But at least I can remember this dance.”

Her cheeks grew hot as Griffin leaned in. She’d been playing a game tonight, and games were fun, but suddenly it was real. She didn’t know where all this confidence came from, but the fluttering in her stomach confirmed for her once and for all that this was just a mask. A mask she’d worn without even realizing it. She was used to being desired, but never enough for someone to act on it. This sudden intimacy was new, and nerve racking. A nervous giggle escaped her lips, and she stepped back. “I’m gonna go grab a drink,” she said, before, slipping off into the crowd, new questions filling her head with a thick fog.

For a second, subconsciously, Griffin reached for her, not wanting the moment to end, but as she walked away, he pulled back his hand. Under different circumstances, and at a different school, there would’ve been more to look forward to. There could be more to their story, like attending a silly school dance together or both staying up till dawn because neither wanted to go to sleep before the other. But, he knew this wasn’t their time or place. He knew something was wrong with San Agustin, which didn’t leave room for simple things like teenage romance.

Maybe he suffered from a hero complex, constantly battling conspiracy theories. Even so, Griffin knew there was something he had to do tonight, while everyone had a party to keep their spirits up. Smiling with sadness in his eyes, he watched her disappear in the crowd. As he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, he felt his basketball bands and remembered one thing he wanted to do.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Turning his attention to the direction where his friend was still standing, Griffin decided it was time to set his night in motion. Once he finished walking through the crowd, he leaned back on the wall, beside one of his best friends, and chuckled, “Looks like Wes is taking his sweet ass time.”

Bradley looked up, and grinned at the sight of his friend. He raised his glass in salute and took a sip. “That he is,” Bradley said once he’d swallowed the drink. “Looked like you and Erica were having fun,” Brad said, raising his eyebrow in a silent suggestion. The liquor had loosened his lips, and broken down the shell just a little bit. He was feeling funny right now, like he’d been the class clown in hiding all along.

“Damn right we were.” Griffin lightheartedly admitted, even letting out a small chuckle. “Sometimes, man, you just gotta’ go for it.” He gave a knowingly look to B-rad, even nudging him to add to his double meaning statement. “Carpe diem or some shit.”

Brad let a nervous chuckle slip out, and glanced down at his shoes. Was Griff suggesting what he thought he was? And if he was, how long had he known? Did everyone know? He polished off his cup to quell the growing anxiety rising in him. “Maybe I’ll try it out one day,” he said, confident that said day would never come.

“What if you only had one day?” Pushing himself off the wall, Griffin stared out at the party, his eyes immediately falling on Erica at the drink table. His voice went from fun-loving to serious, quick. Looking behind him, back at his friend, he shook his head, “I know, B-rad.” He knew for quite some time now, and if there was something he hoped he could do, it was give his friend the push he needed to take a chance for himself and nobody else.

Bradley’s eyes widened in realization before he quickly reapplied the facade he’d perfected so well. “Well then you know there’s nothing to seize. Wes doesn’t like boys, and even if he does, he doesn’t like me,” Bradley said, matter of fact. He‘d clearly given the situation a great deal of thought.

“So you admit it. You don’t know if Wes likes boys or not.” Griffin rolled his eyes, clearly realizing how poor his friend’s observation skills were. Did he not see how Wesley drooled when he saw Teddy’s body? After taking a deep breath in and out, he opened his mouth to respond, only to close it when he saw the devil himself walk into the party, finally.

Taking out one of his basketball bands, he swiftly slipped it on his friend’s right wrist, “You’re already thinking about getting rejected before you’ve even tried. What if he says no? What if he really doesn’t like boys? Okay, but ask yourself this: what if it does work out? What if he DOES like boys?” He let these questions linger in the air before grumbling, “Also: shut up with the whole he doesn’t like me. You’re right.” Griffin adjusted the band and gave a sincere grin, “He loves you, dumbass. And you have two options. Take the risk, or lose the chance. I don’t want you to end tonight not doing anything and living with that regret…” Momentarily, Griffin’s voice trailed off, wondering if he too should be doing something more daring. Sighing and going against his own advice, he added and released Bradley’s wrist, “Here, this is my lucky band.”

Placing his hand on Bradley’s shoulder, Griffin persisted, “Do you think I’d go this out of my way if I thought you had no chance in hell? Nah, man.” He decided to dismiss himself by lying, “I’m going to get a drink, and leave you two alone. Just stop thinking and just do. Okay? Okay!” With that, Griffin slapped the pair to his basketball band in Brad’s left hand and politely demanded, “Now give that to the little shit we love and seize the day motherfucker!” Not waiting for any objections, Griffin walked away, letting his two best friends have alone time together.

Bradley stood there, slightly shell shocked by Griff’s sudden passion, three words ringing clear through his brain. Seize. The. Day He mulled it over, and glanced down at the bands Griffin had given him. Maybe he’d take that advice.

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

Holding back a smile, Chrissie let her heels resound in the house she was choosing to leave. Leading a couple of men, having gotten no sleep the night prior, she mischievously whistled, as she sauntered her way to the guest room. She made sure to arrive just when everyone left, so she didn't have to deal with the bullshit of the Lambert family. Her parents, and by association, her, were never truly accepted in the main family. Why else do you think she was here for Christmas and not in Paris with Stella? Family drama and politics. Who knew breaking ties with her cousin would be so eyeopening?

Chris never truly belonged and Stella's actions have proven her place even further. Finally, she was seeing things through her father's eyes and refused to try anymore; to give a damn. Why should she? Her mother deserved so much more than this rotten family and it was time for them to burn this bridge. Her parents were geniuses and made their own fortune, and she would only add to that legacy once she pursued her acting career. They didn't need them and Chrissie was going to make it clear as day that the Lamberts, especially Stella, were dead to her.

With her daddy's card, she hired a crew to pack her things, swiftly, and move it to her new place of residency for the rest of the semester. The Mossos-Huntsberg household. Yes, she did have a good chat with her father while she was eating waffles, and both Ariana and Kavi went on their separate missions. Yes, she did ask Mama Audrey before inviting herself to live in her house. Yes, she was sleep deprived because she had to make sure to do this right, respecting the people she loved and being audaciously rude to those she hoped would drive themselves into a ditch. Opening her door, she gestured to the whole room, "Everything in the closet, not the bed, not the wardrobe, not the desk but everything in and on it." Walking inside she went to her prized possession, her vintage dressing table, and smiled while gliding her finger on the wood, "The vanity and bookshelf is mine. The chest too!"

Scanning the room, Chrissie nodded in enthusiasm, excited to start this new chapter, "Take the pictures and no need to clean the mess. The maid can do it." She paused, humorously letting out a giggle while playfully covering her lips, "Oh wait, they don't have one." Deciding they heard enough, she grabbed a bracelet out of one of many jewelry boxes on her vanity and dismissed herself, "Well I'll leave you boys to it!"

Once she exited, Chrissie twirled the symbol of friendship around her pointer finger. It had a pendent with a stamp that read 'soul sisters' with hearts and vines encircling it. Aside from the pendent, the bracelet itself was cheaply made and something she and Stella got when they were young and dumb. Standing in front of her cousin's door, she didn't hesitate to pull the dainty string and beads holding the pendent together apart, causing the beads to bounce on the floor and get all over the place. Effortlessly, she let the pendent join the other pieces, on the floor where it belonged. The hallway was big enough for the crew to avoid the walking hazard. It wasn't like they had a lot to carry anyways. Just in case though, she called out to them, "Please do be careful! Seems there's loose beads on the ground."

The corner of her lips were no longer fighting to smile. With a full-on grin, she went downstairs to the kitchen island, took out a cigarette from her purse, and lit it up. No, she didn't usually smoke, but has she? Of course. Today, she would, in celebration of her departure. Once she breathed in smoke, she let it seep out slowly as the ashes unceremoniously decorated the table. With music in her head, she started swaying and slowly twirling in the kitchen. After inhaling and exhaling enough of the grey stench, she dropped it on the floor, rubbed her right shoe on it, and went outside to watch the boys carry her things.

Today was a good day and by the time anyone would return, she'd be gone.

Project Untamed

Just his luck. He would get the teacher who only knows how to treat her students like preschoolers. With his mouth shut and hands relaxed, he followed her to wherever she was taking him. Ms. Mulligan was a peculiar one, that's for sure. Part of her he felt feared most of the kids, the other part of her actually felt like she was genuinely sweet and easily pushed around. She was one of the younger teachers at this school, trying to get the kids invested in English & Literature when all they wanted was to go outside and not be stuck with her - someone who felt more like a babysitter than an actual teacher.

Stuffing one of his hands in his pockets, he felt the goddamn 'thanks for trying' stickers. Sol almost socked him in the face, purposely aiming too far left to miss him, but being inches away to get her anger across. To calm her down, Griffin offered her a picnic. Now, he has to make it up to her by providing lunch that isn't found in the cafeteria. So... a teacher's lunch. He'll worry about that later.

Back to Ms. Mulligan, Griffin believed her solution to dealing with most things was downplaying them and using antics like... carrying an old teddy bear with her so her students can direct their comments to Boris Bear instead of her. The 'speaking teddy bear' she calls it. In a large class setting, it's her way to manage who speaks. If you have it, you can speak, if you don't, you must respect the person who does and ultimately, that is respecting Boris (as if he was an actual person). In a small setting, it seemed like she was using it more for confidence than anything. Fin wasn't about to give her a hard time because he could only assume this was her first teaching gig and she was still figuring out how to teach teens properly. Like someone just out of college who was faking it until they make it sort of deal.

Having droned out most of her idle chatter about the weather, the hunt, the lunch menu, he realized where they were heading and opened his mouth to ask why here exactly. As if she could read his mind, Ms. Mulligan smiled, hugging the bear as she got to the academic building stairs, third floor, that led to the roof, “I hope you don't mind! I just feel... comfortable here. It's a bit more private and away from it all. And, uh, I think that's a perfect place to talk!"

Raising an eyebrow, glancing from the door knob to Boris' annoying face, Griffin nodded, “I don't mind at all, actually." It was nice to know a teacher liked high places too. He never did see her up here though. That probably was because they had different schedules - as to be expected with a teacher and a student - and he wasn't one to stalk a teacher like Ms. Mulligan and know exactly how her day went. To him, she felt like an open crayon book, who could never hide her lines (and quirks) even if her life depended on it.

While he did look down on her, because of how naive and oblivious she acted, Fin found her to be one of the more approachable and kind teachers. Maybe, he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe, he didn't think this whole school was up to something sinister. Maybe, he didn't want to be trapped in his mind full of conspiracy theories for once. Times like these, where he could be at peace in the sky, helped with that deep-seated gut feeling which sounded alarms in him. He appreciated her for that.

When they reached their destination, two seats were waiting for them, both facing each other, but close enough to the ledge so they could enjoy the view. Not needing to ask, Griffin took his seat, had his right leg crossed over his left leg, and leaned right, resting his elbow on the arm rest and his chin in hand. He watched as the nervous, mousy teacher took her seat and looked at her as she offered him the plushie, “Nah, I'm good."

“Please, I insist." Ms. Mulligan pouted, only causing Griffin to roll his eyes and refusing to budge. When he didn't move from his position, simply staring at her with dull, bored eyes, she huffed, “Very well." Placing Boris on her lap, situating him where he looked comfortable, she and the toy gave all their attention to Subject #50. There was no notebook, no pen, no bag with her. Just her and that bear. Griffin took a mental note of that, wondering if she had a photographic memory like him. Clearing her throat, she sweetly went right into things, “So, um, Griffin. I know your team..." Awkward pause. “Lost. ^{Sorry about that.} But did you have fun?"

Uninterested, yet at eased, Griffin calmly looked at his teacher, still in his leaned position, his pointer finger tapping his face, like a metronome marking, “I didn't care about winning in the first place. But it was okay, I guess. Kind of dumb."

“D-dumb? Why is that?"

“Don't take this personal, Ms. M, but I've been stuck inside for a good two weeks now. Instead of having time to get back into the groove of things, I get thrown into an event where the sole purpose is to build 'community'. Community, really? We're teens. Egg toss? Basic riddles? 1 out of 10 free throws had to be shot to get to the next round? What is this? Fifth grade field day?"

Anxiously playing with Boris' paws, Ms. Mulligan nodded, “I'm sorry we didn't seem to challenge you enough... then how do you explain coming in last?"

Picking up the tempo in his tapping, Griffin jested, "Because I was enjoying myself, spending an entire day with a hubristic prick, who can talk about himself for hours without even trying."

Clearly picking up his growing annoyance, the older woman bit her bottom lip and decided to redirect this interview, “Okay, enough about the hunt. It's done and over with! Let's see, let's see, school. Let's talk about school! Aside from you getting sick, everything else has been going okay, yeah? You got basketball, your grades are exceptional, I'm sure you have friends too!"

"School is school. I make due with what you guys offer, but I'm not going to act like there isn't any cabin fever. Are there going to be field trips? I'd like to, I don't know, go camping or something. Off of campus."

“That breaks the whole... unplugged policy. If there is a trip being planned, I just don't know yet. Sorry I can't be helpful! I'll make sure to get a message across that you want some outside time? A field trip sounds like a fantastic idea. Maybe to a lake or something! Is there anyone you'd specifically want to be paired with for that? Like any of your friends?" Ms. Mulligan enthusiastically cheered.

Sighing, Griffin simply nodded, leaning further back, and crossing his arms. His attention went from looking into his teacher's eyes to Boris' dark void gaze.

---

Inside a lab, two, mysterious figures, one with the posture of a sloth loafer and the other with a posture of a gorilla solider, in lab coats observed Griffin through the teddy bear's eyes. The lazily one, resting his head on the table, as he listened to the interview, humorously laughed, "She's a good weapon, don't you think? I'm such a genius. Pairing the 'young and dumb' one with our biggest problem child."

_{"Now you're considering who we'd prefer to hang with? Rather than do that whole randomizing thing you had going for us, for the hunt?"}

"Eliza has a charm about her." The one standing at halt looked at the screen at Subject #50's mannerisms, gestures, and general attitude for signs of dishonesty. For once, the Hawk seemed to be playing along. Not causing trouble. "Freedom is a state of mind and it seems like out of all our experiments, Subject #50 is the most aware of his state."

_{"I-I had no control over that Griffin. Can you just tell me that you have healthy friendships here? Why can't you give me a straight answer!"}

"Since day 1 he's been a problem, why are we keeping him again?" The sluggish man looked up at his colleague curiously.

_{"Ms. M getting hot and bothered, I likey. Okay, I'll give you a bone. I do have friends. There. Happy?"}

"To test the waters. I think his time at the hospital has done miracles with setting him back. Now he seems... more compliant." The bigger man gestured for his colleague to straighten his posture and focus on the screen. "It's only a matter of time where his inner beast comes out."

_{"I imagine that's the best I'm going to get."}

"He seems that way." Sighing, the thinner figure stood up and went beside the brawny man. "'Suppose we'll wait and see, now won't we?"

_{"Yeah. It is. Now can I go?"}

Meadow University

_{@HaleyTheRandom & @TootsiePop Collab}
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Standing in front of the door, but not opening it, Junie ran her fingers through her long hair, straightening it and letting it cascade over her shoulders. Her hair was low maintenance and didn’t require much tending to. As a natural beauty, being polished and perfect was absolutely effortless for her.

Red hair was the Macmillan pride and joy. Her mother, her two sisters, and herself all had the most lush, the most fresh, and the most gorgeous red hair anyone could ask for. She and her twin learned from the best. They knew how to use their features, like their hair, to get what they want.

Without a hitch, Rosie and herself picked up the art of seducing. It was as easy as counting one, two, three. That inherited gift did not seem to run through their little sister’s, Rue’s, veins. She could be a late bird, or it could be that she was a virgin. Regardless of the circumstances, Junie knew she had a lot to teach her little sister, but for now, it was her time to shine.

Giggling, Mia gave her Big Sister a thumbs up, “You look sooooo good. You’re going to knock him dead, I promise. Oh!” The tiny blonde scurried to the vase on the side table, by the door, and took out the decorative, fake flowers. “Don’t worry about water, I’ll take care of it! Now, go get ‘em tiger. Meow.” Running away, she tossed the flowers on a lounge chair and hid in the next room.

Gingerly, Junie slightly opened the door. Leaving a small opening, not revealing her dress yet, she glanced up at him, curiously. “Look at you! Knowing what flowers I like,” she giggled, before teasingly adding, “What a stalker.” Seeing him in a suit, looking into those deep, blue eyes, and oh that fucking smile… it reminded her of the longing desire that she was subduing to teach him a lesson.

There was that static, that magnet trying to pull her in, but she would stubbornly fight it because this was her game, and she would call the shots. There was no need in risking everything. Even if she could devour him right here and right now, Junie had to give him a hard time. There was no other option. Leisurely, she fully opened the door, letting him have a good glance at her — going out of her way to give a little twirl and do an over the shoulder pose — before smirking, “Well? You like what you see?”

As Ty stood anxiously by the door, he could make out Junie and Mia’s voices - but not what they were saying.

While standing there, the flood of thoughts to remind him how bad he had already screwed things up came rushing back. He had done his best to contain them all week long and now the dam was breaking.

Absolutely horrible timing. Thank you, Mr. Brain.

At the end of the day, Ty was just glad that Junie had given him a second chance.

“You didn’t strike me as a basic rose kinda gal,” he replied, the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly. It took everything in him not to look at her like a piece of candy. Junie looked absolutely stunning. Her dress hugged all of the right curves, her makeup was just enough to enhance her natural beauty and the way her hair fell gracefully all the way down to ----

It would be her voice that would snap him back into reality.

“You look absolutely stunning tonight, Junie.” Once she had taken the flowers from him, Ty put his hands in his pockets. “I went ahead and ordered the Uber. I hope that’s okay?”

Not responding immediately, Junie went her merry way back inside to put the sunflowers in the vase on the side table. Once she made sure the assortment was to her liking, she turned on her heel, ready for their date. Closing the door behind her, she assuringly smiled, “Mia’s going to take care of the flowers for me.” Just so he knew that she wasn’t just going to leave them there to dry up and die.

Readdressing his compliment and his hesitant action of ordering an Uber, Junie, untroubled and at peace, gave a shrug of indifference, “It’s not like it’s hard to look this good, but thank you.” Grabbing his hand, leading him off the porch of her sorority house, where girls would undoubtedly be watching from the inside, she tenderly simpered, “Tonight’s your night to impress me. I won’t share my opinions until… later.”

Looking back, over her shoulder, she playfully winked at him. If there was one thing she adored in a man, it was him taking the initiative to do things, without having to ask. He already gained points for getting her sunflowers and telling her she was stunning. Yet, he was hesitating with calling an Uber. Silly boy. Maybe his research would do him good, maybe it won't. Only time could tell.

In time, he’ll know what she liked and what she didn’t like. For now, Junie chose to play it coy, not giving too much away, while leaving him on his toes. Stopping on the sidewalk, she turned to face him, intertwining both of their hands together, obviously showing him that she was okay with being affectionate (it was all part of the game), “So…. there’s alcohol where you’re taking me? Seeing how you're not driving.” Curiosity lit up in her eyes wanting to know exactly where they were going, but holding herself back from asking.

Junie's body language, tone, and overall mood told Ty that tonight was going to be a challenge. A challenge he was up for, but a challenge he had no idea how it would end up. Fortunately for both Junie and himself, Ty was determined to make this a good night. He had spent all week deciding what her favorite things were: music, food, drinks, flowers - her favorite *shampoo* for crying out loud. If tonight didn’t go good, Ty would bet money that he would go home to spend time with his good friend Jack.

Nonetheless, Tiberius Delemar was willing to give tonight a go with his best effort.

As Junie put her hands in his, Ty held them with a firm, yet affectionate and gentle grip. Looking down into her eyes (even with her heels, Junie was still a few inches shorter than him) Ty half smiled. Tonight was about excitement, and excitement required surprise.

“Mmm…. I may or may not have had the staff chill a bottle of wine for us. All you need to know is that we’ll be right on time for our reservation, and that the reviews for the place are spectacular.”

When the Uber arrived, Ty opened the door to let Junie climb inside before him. Entering the vehicle himself, Ty was sure to ask the driver a very important question. ”You did get my text with the address for the restaurant, correct?”

The driver - a scrawny young man - looked back in the review at Ty before answering with a simple “Yes sir.”

Somewhat reassured that they would make it to their destination, Ty relaxed back into the seat.

Once they both were situated, Junie leaned up against Ty, intentionally letting him feel the warmth of her body. After resting her clutch on her lap, she patiently examined her nails. Smirking, she listened to him talk to the driver. When he finished she casually asked, with a mischievous tone, “How was your week?”

"Hectic," he said, sighing. "I'm pretty sure you already know I've been asking everyone everything there is to know about you. So between classes and that… But it was fun, I mean. Sort of like scavenger hunting for clues about you."

“Like I said before, Ty...” Junie snickered, grinning up at him, her eyes lit with intrigue, “What a stalker.”

Project Untamed

_{@TootsiePop@Rosalia@metanoia}
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Holding his own basketball, Griffin roamed the main courtyard, leisurely making his way to the cafeteria where the groups were meeting. The only thing he was looking forward to during this last minute invite to participate in a school sanctioned scavenger hunt was spending time with Sol. Nicholas was aiiight, but Sol was the person he trusted the most in this tiny bubble that was their school.

Dressed in all black, Griffin imagined himself at an intense game, on some outdoor b-ball court, with some of the more challenging street ballers he’s ever played, and began dribbling, pretending to read a defender. With a cool smile on, he did a lateral behind the back hesitation into a cross jab combo. After pretending to shoot, jumping high in the air, like he had wings and his feet seemingly hovered over the ground, he smacked his hands hard on the ball, tightly gripping it. Alas, he wasn’t a bird. Gravity did it’s job and brought his feet back to the ground.

A couple weeks before he was hospitalized, Griffin realized he was pretty damn good at basketball. How could he possibly forget a hobby that he loves? When he first got here, he was just a smart nerd that went to the gym. Now everyone sees him as the basketball jock that’s part of the Apex Predator squad, as if he was always like… this… since day one.

Then again, ever since then, he felt a longing desire that he didn’t understand. Like he was trying to be the best to prove a point, like what he wanted wasn’t pumps to help him fly but someone to be there and watch him soar. He had too much time to think when he was caged in the medical center and as a result, he was on edge.

Hanging out with Wes and B-Rad didn’t fully satisfy his craving of getting up to no good. They told him all about the party and he knew that’s where he needed to do something to release some tension, scratch an itch, and/or break a thing or two. Until then, he had to catch up with friends while playing a game of make-believe as they ran around campus as Clubhouse Detectives.

Oh joy.

From a distance, he could see his partners and decided the best approach was to surprise them, especially Sol. Changing his route, Griffin hid himself in plain sight, where the other students camouflaged him. Gliding on the gravel, he silently approached Sol from behind.

Ever since the groups for the stupid scavenger hunt had been announced, Soleil had been in a sour mood. The mere thought of having to spend any time with Quinn and her stupid, obvious little crush on Theodore made the young woman see red. Luckily, being paired with someone cool like Nicholas definitely softened up the blow, but the news was enough to keep her annoyed for a while. On the day of, she had taken position in the main courtyard with one of her hunt buddies, waiting for Little Miss Shy Girl to make her appearance. The time of the event was quickly ticking by, and Quinn was nowhere to be seen. Although this made Sol happy in a way, it ticked her off that she was keeping them waiting.

As upset as she was about the whole Quinn situation, it wasn’t enough to keep Soleil unaware of her surroundings. Upon the first signs of movement behind her she immediately tensed up, listening closely to the nearly imperceptible sound of Griffin approaching and patiently biding her time. When she knew he was mere inches away from her back, the dark-haired girl spun around and connected a playful, gentle left hook to the boy’s stomach.

“Too slow, buddy,” Shady teased with a grin, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Dramatically playing along, Griffin dropped his basketball, making sure to secure it with his foot, hugged his stomach and made a painful expression, as if that left hook was more than a gentle tap but something she’d do on the ring, “You got me, Tiger Toes,” he groaned in faux exasperation. Once the joke was over, he rested his hands behind his head and knowingly grinned at the two, “So, how you guys feeling about all this?”

Nicholas offered the two a half-assed shrug. ”It’s a lot more interesting than sitting in class. And it gives us an opportunity to just take our sweet time if we wanted to.” Not that he would, but it was refreshing to have the option.

“Some people might actually take this seriously.” Glancing at their surroundings, Griffin found himself amused at how excitable some of the students were, like his friend’s (Wesley’s) team. Well, when there was nothing else to look forward to, it made sense that they’d be bouncing off the walls for a game that took no effort, at all. “Where’s your third, anyway?” He played it off like he wasn’t participating.

Now it was Soleil’s turn to shrug and glare. “Don’t know; and don’t really care, either. We’re better off without her anyway. She was probably going to hold us back anyway,” she answered, the disdain for Quinn ringing clear in her voice. “Nicky and I can take these suckers out by ourselves easy.”

He visibly cringed when Sol called him Nicky ”I believe I’ve told you to never call me that, especially when there are people around to hear it.” He glared at Soleil for a solid five seconds.

The sour expression Shady had previously was replaced by another mischievous grin when she noticed how annoyed Nicholas seemed to get at her nickname of preference. “Uh-huh. And I believe I told you I was only half-listening when you said it, so I can’t remember not to call you Nicky,” she lied, suppressing a smirk. “Sorry. I meant to say Nicholas.” God, she was spending way too much time with Leo, and it was starting to show.

“Damn, didn’t think I’d ever see the day Nicholas would get his panties in a bunch.” Griffin couldn’t contain his laughter, and as he did indeed laugh out loud, he picked up his basketball and started spinning it on his finger.

As much as Nicholas could argue with Sol and even Griff, this wasn’t the place and they didn’t really have the time. The fact of the matter was this: Quinn was nowhere to be found and they couldn’t very well do the scavenger hunt with just the two of them, especially if there were going to be puzzles because lord knew, while Soleil was talented in a lot of areas, but using her less-than-optimal mind for puzzles was not one of them.

Same went for Griff. Dude could shoot baskets and run faster than either of them, but again, like with ...Tiger Toes, he wasn’t ideal for any mental challenges. So that left Nicholas as the one to handle anything mental. He wasn’t savvy like some were, but he was observant and was able to focus on tasks if he really put his all into it. That made him as great of a choice as any.

“Okay, listen up!” Nicholas looked at both of them, his eyes going from left to right. “Quinn is obviously not coming. And as much as I would love to have her abilities to tackle puzzles, that’s not happening. So, Griff- !” He centered on his basketball-twirling frenemy. “You’re in,” Nicholas hoped a sly smile would make up for his attitude a few moments ago. “You two can do whatever physical challenges are demanded of us and I’ll handle everything else. Deal?”

“Dude, I know I’m in. That’s why I’m here. Quinn had an allergic reaction.” He forcibly tossed the ball at the guy and muttered, “Think fast.”

He side-stepped the ball and it flew past him. “Looks like you’ve lost your toy,” Nicholas snickered.

“Yeah, you’re right. You’ll suck at physical challenges.” Griffin rolled his eyes and jogged to retrieve his toy. “Don’t think so highly of yourself, I bet your ass I can solve the mental shit faster than you.” Picking up his ball, he turned on his heel and smirked, challenging Nicholas with a confident glare.

“You better not complain when you get stuck on the first riddle we come across and I have to bail your ass out, proving without a doubt that I was right from the beginning.” Nicholas didn’t always like being this way, but someone had to say it.

“Says the dude that already thinks he’ll scrub at every other challenge.” Nicholas knew nothing about Griffin and it was obvious to see how much he underestimated him, only seeing the jock in him, and not the intellect. “You better not complain when you look like a fool trying to rock climb or throw a football or whatever stupid challenges they have waiting for us.”

Although Soleil had enjoyed the back and forth between Griffin and Nick, she had quickly gotten tired of their meaningless back and forth. If they had ended up throwing hands, she would’ve let it happen, but these petty word exchanges had gotten old fast. “Alright then, ladies: let’s save all this energy for the actual challenges, okay?” she scolded, feeling the need to take position in between the two of them. “I know this is bullshit and all that, but I’d like for us to at least try and win this thing. I don’t do well with second place.”

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

Featuring Chrissie McCoy, Ariana Mossos, and Mr. Jace Russo
_{@TootsiePop@Rosalia@HaleyTheRandom}
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

What was wrong with her?

A lot, honestly.

Chrissie was suffocating with all these negative emotions, as if they were swallowing her whole. Her willpower betrayed her because no longer did she have it in her to fight what was boiling deep in her system. She didn’t want to fight anymore. She didn't want to play pretend and kill people with kindness like some selfless humanitarian. She didn’t want to smile for others and act like she was happy for them. She didn’t want to seek out the good memories, or why she ever gave a fuck.

There was a part of her blossoming inside that wanted to take the devil’s path, with hate as her drive, throwing everything out the window, including her reputation. Funny, really. How love could turn so quickly into hate. Her once cute, genuine, and lighthearted smile now lit up her features as if she no longer ran on tender love but on cold malice.

As simple as her interaction with Chanel was, it seemed to have made her come to terms with some things about herself. Chrissie was NOT a sob story. And kindness? Kindness costs way too much. It was time to become her father’s daughter, and the only way to get where she needed to go was throw all good intentions out the door and walk the rest of her school days with unrelenting meanness.

There was a reason she fell for an asshole, and that’s because he saw things the way she saw them. If you need to step on someone, then you step on them. If you need to burn everything around you to achieve your goal, then you burn every-fucking-thing. How could she possibly forget? This was how she was raised to be. Not this bubbly, sickly friendly, and sugary sweet theater dweeb that tried to get everyone to love her, even if it was only when they watched her on stage.

Yes, her name was Chrissie McCoy and she wanted to watch the world burn. Caught up in her final decisions, smoldering underneath her forced expression, Chris was coerced back to present time, her current Valentine’s dance reality, losing all balance and falling right on her ass. Before she could register what had just happened, she was pounced on by her best friend.

Oh, that’s right. Chrissie was originally trying to find Ariana. Sadly, she had totally forgotten after she came back into the ballroom, only to see romance in the air. “So I take it... you’re having a great time, just like me?” Pulling her friend close, knowing Ariana may be the only person she was willing to trust right now, Chrissie grumbled, “I bet he did something dumb.”

As much as Ariana wanted to answer Chrissie's questions, the giggle fit she had succumbed to when tumbling down right after her best friend had rendered her temporarily unable to. The giggles had given way to full-blown laughter when the curly-haired girl pulled her closer, causing their bodies to roll around the floor together while leaving Ariana dangerously close to flashing every person in the vicinity.

Chaperone duty was an absolute drag. Jace Russo was here to fill his required hours - or at least that’s what he would tell anyone who asked. The punch had already been spiked, and he didn’t even care. Truth to be told, the dark haired man was already on his third glass himself. Speaking to the history teacher, Mr. Fulton, Jace was mostly not paying attention to the students. The loud and joyful laughter somewhat nearby would catch both his and Fulton's attention, causing both of the men to look towards Chrissie and Ariana.

A quick glance would send Jace into action. As he and his coworker began to walk the girls way, Jace held his hand up as if to say ‘don’t worry about it. I’ve got this one.’ A few quick strides and he had reached his destination, cup still in hand. Placing a gentle hand on Ariana’s shoulder, Jace looked from her to Chrissie and back before speaking.

“Girls. Sorry to kill the moment, but you need to get up off the floor. You’re about to show everyone your asses.” Normally, Jace wouldn’t curse in front of his students or use such lax language in general. However, this was his ex-girlfriend and her best friend. Lines had already been crossed, and there was no use in trying to go back at this point.

Not really caring that their asses were being showcased to the world, or almost so, Chrissie scoffed at the man that was intervening with her time with her best friend, who she didn’t see this whole fucking night until NOW. First, he had the audacity to put Ariana in a mood, causing her Cherry to have a down spiral night. Second, he chose now was the perfect time to show his face to them and play it like he was actually a good, responsible, and mature chaperone. Tightening her hold on her friend, she glared up at her math teacher, who was also at fault for taking one of her friend’s hearts away from her, and said behind gritted teeth, “Who the hell are you?”

Confused and slightly tipsy (yes, Jace was a lightweight himself) the teacher looked at the star drama student as if she had grown a second head. “I’m Jace? Jace Russo? Your math teacher. I gave you a C- one time and you tried to kill me, remember?”

Jace had a good feeling that some of the students here were wasted, but he had no idea that anyone would be so far gone they couldn’t remember their own teacher's name.

“Omigod, boomer. That was sarcasm.” Releasing her friend, Chrissie stood up and pulled her up with her, “I know who you are and I know you’re fucking petty and when Ariana upsets you, you take it out on everyone she’s fucked. Myself included. Blahblahblah.”

"Mmm yeah. No.” Taking a sip of his drink, Jace crossed his arms. "Anyway. Really didn’t come over here to start anything. Just figured you two didn’t want to show everyone your nether regions, but hey. Maybe you do. By all means, go grab the DJ’s mic and start stripping. Liven the party for us a bit.”

The grinning Ariana having watched the exchange between Chrissie and Jace in silence, knowing she should be stepping in to defend one of the parties involved but being far too amused to do so. Truth be told, she was secretly glad her best friend was giving her ex a hard time. It was definitely a fantastic, innovative way to get back at him for all the other times he'd been petty towards her before without having to do the dirty work herself. Plus, it was the first time they had spoken after that heated argument on the first day of school. And, in all honesty, Ariana was simply happy to hear his voice addressing her. She would never admit to it, but she had missed him terribly.

When Jace brought up the suggestion of them stripping, a knowing little smirk lit up the brunette's features. "I bet you would love to see that, wouldn't you?" she teased, scanning the area to make sure nobody was looking before shooting him a playful wink. "I know you fucking miss me. That's the only reason why you came running to us so quickly the second this perky little ass you love so much was showing. You can't even deny it."

To add to her friend’s point, Chrissie grabbed Ariana’s ass, giving it a nice, strong squeeze, “Perky as fuck. It’s too bad…” She let go of Ariana’s cheek and rested her head on her shoulder, “This ass is going home with me.”

"I'll make sure to send you pictures, if you want. Maybe a hot little video to go along with it?" the brunette couldn't help herself to add mischievously.

“You two are absolutely disgostang” Jace said, slurring the last word. Of course this wasn’t true - at all. Ariana and Chrissie had been known to send Jace steamy pictures and videos from time to time. This would be nothing different. Sadly, his days with Ariana were over, and so were the messages. For now, Jace looked at pictures of women his own age.

Rolling her eyes, clearly unimpressed, Chrissie laughed, “I’ve been called worse things by better people.” Times like these, the drama queen had a hard time seeing what Ariana saw. Somehow, this man was everything she wanted and needed and more. Now that was disgusting. Falling stupidly in love where no one else could ever be an option. It was because of HIM Ariana couldn’t enjoy her time with Max and Jasper.

You know what?

God created the middle finger for a reason and it was for people like Mr. Russo who deserved it. Pulling Ariana to her, over the dumb teacher’s bullshit, Chrissie used her free hand to give him the bird, “You’re pathetic, Mr. Russo. Come to us when you’re ready to be a man.” In swift movements, she purposely hit her teacher’s cup to spill all over his shirt, before demanding, “Let’s get out of here, baby. Fuck him. You’re worth more than this shit.”

Trying to wipe the liquid from his shirt, Jace sighed. “Yes. Please leave. You’re drunk out of your mind, Chrissie. Have a great night.”

“No. I just know a good thing when I see it. G’night, sir. Enjoy pornhub.”

“The lesbian section is looking pretty good right now compared to this shit.”

Whatever entertainment Ariana had been getting from this situation had long since faded into regret. She had known that both Chrissie and Jace were prone to petty remarks and suffered from the same illness she did: a need to always get the last word. So, while she had expected the back and forth between them, she hadn't anticipated how far it would go in such a short period of time. First they were taking subtle digs at each other, and then the next moment Chrissie was spilling Jace's drink all over his shirt and dragging her shocked figure away. But before her friend could take her too far, Ariana placed her hands over the one Chrissie was holding her by and gently pried it away.

"Peaches, would you mind being a sweetheart and go wait for me by the door?" the brunette softly asked the blond. "I promise I'll be there soon."

Of course. Back to the start, knowing very well where her position was in all her friends’ lives, second to all their lovers, Chrissie beamed the fakest smile to Ariana, “Yeah! Absolutely. Don’t make me stand out there for too long.” Not waiting for a response, Chrissie left Ariana to talk to Jace. Her state of mind was even worse than earlier. Before she exited the ballroom, she glanced over to the drinking table to see Stella smiling and laughing with Carter.

Tonight was fucking fantastic.

Ariana knew that smile. After three and a half years of friendship, the young woman had become proficient in identifying when Chrissie was being honest and when she was faking it to hide how she truly felt. And seeing her BFF walk away after shooting her that smile stung just as badly as when Max had done it not even twenty minutes previously.

What was up with her disappointing people today?

Letting out a long, deep sigh, the visibly distraught girl turned back to Jace. "Look: I'm sorry about what just happened with Chrissie," she began, looking up at the man with big, apologetic eyes and a trembling lower lip. "She's clearly drunk and bothered by something, so even though you shouldn't have let yourself be baited into the whole back and forth with her, I know I should've stopped it before it went too far."

Jace shrugged his shoulders, sighing as he surveyed the damage to his shirt. ”I really don’t care anymore, Ariana. I’m not your problem - you’re not mine. I was honestly trying to do my job when I first walked over.”

Well, that was certainly not the answer Ariana had been hoping to get. But then again, what else was she expecting from the king of pettiness himself? For him to see that she was being completely honest? That she was admitting fault to the situation? That she had literally put aside her pride to say she was fucking sorry even when not being the one at fault? And this is how he was paying her back?!

Fueled by anger and hurt at just how easily he had dismissed her earnest feelings, Ariana strode forward and slapped the man hard across the face. "How's this for not being your problem anymore, then?" she spat with pure venom in her voice, her eyes flashing with fury. She didn't care about who had seen what she'd just done or what the consequences would be. All the girl wanted was for Jace to feel the same amount of pain he had just caused her.

A maniacal laugh creeping from between his lips, Jace rubbed the side of his face for a brief moment. "Listen. I don’t have to accept anything from you, Ariana. No apology. Nothing. You chose to end things. So go. Live your best life. Fuck Chrissie. Fuck Max. Fuck Jasper. Go fuck whoever you want - however you want. You got what you wanted - you’re free.”

At this moment, Mr. Fulton was beginning to walk over, an alarmed look on his face.

"Fine. I will. Watch me." Ariana declared, shooting Jace one last death glare and storming off to the exit, holding back the wave of hot, heartbroken tears that so desperately wanted to roll down her cheeks.

Once outside, the young woman frantically searched around the area for Chrissie, and thankfully found her without much effort sitting quietly on the hood of Jasper's car. The brunette strolled towards her friend with determination, hoping she'd keep her composure long enough to reach the safety of her house even when her bottom lip was trembling so strongly. But the second she had reached the blonde, it was as if every negative interaction of the evening had come crashing down on her. And before she knew it, Ariana threw her arms around her best friend and started to sob.

Moments before Ariana joined her, Chrissie was sinking deeper and deeper into her own thoughts. Surprisingly, she didn’t go off walking randomly, getting lost in the night. Most likely because the only place she had available to her was Ariana’s. Since she was sobering up, sense did start coming back to her. Chrissie knew the best option was to wait for her impatiently.

When Ariana did show up, embracing her with a river full of tears, Chrissie held her friend close and somehow found herself smiling. She wasn’t happy that Ariana was crying. No, that was tragic. She was happy that her friend needed her and that Jace most likely broke her heart. Trying to keep the smile contained, Chrissie pulled her Cherry away from her, looking at her through teary eyes, “You want chocolate? I want chocolate. Call mommy so we can get out of here.” Mommy as in Ariana’s mother, Audrey Mossos-Huntsberg. Chrissie was not in the mood for an Uber, and honestly, both of them could use a mother right now.

The young woman shook her head. "M-mamma's n-not even in the c-country right n-now…" Ariana wailed in between sobs. "Dad t-took her to Italy f-for the w-weekend. I had t-the house to m-myself and I was g-gonna hook up with J-Jasper but now I d-don't even w-want to."

Goddammit. Uber it is. Grumbling to herself, wishing she could call Stella’s parents at this moment, Chrissie took out her phone and went to the Uber app. After a couple of minutes of requesting Uber XL, she looked at her bestie and tsked, “Two stops. First, we’re going to buy junk food. Think chocolate, ice cream, cake, the whole nine yards. Secondly, we’re going to take a selfie together, showing every motherfucker we ended this night happy. Then and only then will we cuddle tonight and spill our hearts out, got it?”

"Okay." Ariana sniffled, nodding while carefully wiping away her tears. Although this was not the way the girl had expected her night to end, she was happy that at least she would be going home with the one person who would always have her back.

The King's Academy staff had wanted to celebrate friendship above romance, after all. And that's exactly what Ariana and Chrissie were going to do.

Project Untamed

_{At the end, short tid bits with @smarty0114 & @GhostMami}

Resting his hand on the back of his neck, Griffin Pierce, with eyes closed, tried to recall the sensation he felt moments before he passed out in the main office. He remembered seeing a vacant room, obscured by darkness. There was no one around and yet he was there... for a reason. Was it truly because he was on the verge of passing out? His diagnosis was a severe case of the common flu and dehydration. Dehydration. He was an athlete and if he was indeed dehydrated, that would be considered a rookie's mistake. Griffin was not a rookie.

Never in his life did he think he'd get this sick, where the school physician decreed he had to be cooped up in this prison cell for two whole weeks. For the first week, he was in a vegetative state. They had him on some strong meds, deeming it as their way of providing him a swift recovery. He couldn't even recall if he had visitors that week because he was practically comatose, aware but not really. Part of him saw the nurses and the doc talking, and the other part of him was subconsciously stuck in a loop of his last healthy day at San Agustin.

He did have a theory that his mood stabilizers conflicted with the gross liquid relief meds. While he wanted to believe they would take him off of them for these two weeks, because most medical practitioners would, it seemed they were willing to risk it, so he wouldn't add another incident to his report. From what he's told, he had a manic episode the first week of attending San Agustin, which resulted in him harming himself and a classmate, solely because someone stole his pills. The odd thing about that? Griffin had no recollection of it whatsoever and it seemed to have been long forgotten because none of his peers have brought it up in conversation.

Puzzled at his own actions, trying to search through the fog, Griffin opened his eyes to see the campus grounds, through a tall window, peering in between bleak curtains. Why would he intentionally go to the teachers' wing during dinner hours? Nothing was adding up. No matter how much time he spent this second week in the Health Center thinking about it, which he felt like he should've been released the moment they lightened up on the drugs, he could not, for the life of him, connect the dots.

Closing the curtains, he turned to survey the room that was devoid of beauty. The only pinch of color was what his friends left on his temporary nightstand, like the blanket flowers put in a jar by Sol, crayons gifted by Wes, and a small picture of cartoon s'mores painted by Bradley (S'mores was Griffin's guilty pleasure). All with the same goal which was to add some life to this sparse, functional, and overall dreary room. Life meaning color.

Smiling to himself, he went to the bed, in which he made sure was wrinkle free, nice, and tight, and grabbed his jacket that Sol specifically picked out for him. Well, she chose his outfit, since she was the only person he would trust in his room, without his supervision. After putting his coat on, he brushed his fingers through his hair to make sure it went in the direction he preferred, his left side. As he did so, he absentmindedly imagined himself from his time here; exercising in all areas of the room, playing solitary on the bed, reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky on the window sill, listening to Tchaikovsky as he sped through his calculus homework from last week, this week, and the next, and just his overall boredom and rampant thoughts of not only the outside world, but how he ended up in this position.

Being caged was an understatement. The little freedom he was given was in the form of nice long walks in the hallways that had as much personality as a highway, with different amounts of traffic depending on the time of day. When he did go for his walks, he counted security cameras, which was surprisingly more than he'd imagine a school health center having. He eventually convinced himself, or tried to at least, that it was because they had a room full of drugs that his peers would try to get their hands on.

Seemed logical enough. It wasn't a pressing matter for him to overthink, not yet at least. He'd file his knowledge of the layout of this place for later use, if it was ever needed. As far as he could tell, the staff at this place were exceedingly paranoid and took cautious steps to provide their students the ideal experience, which felt more controlled than not.

Being stuck in here was driving him mad, angry even, because he was allowing himself to fill his head with all kinds of rubbish because he was BORED. If he continued to do so, he would have a harder time to think about the things that mattered. His mind was a hard drive and it only made sense to put useful information in it, but here he was counting cameras and ceiling tiles for crying out loud.

Grumbling inaudible profanities and frustrations, he grabbed the crayon box and small painting, pocketing it in the inside of his jacket. Once he made sure he had all his things in his jacket, in his gray JanSport backpack (with his schoolwork) that was now on his back, and in his navy blue string bag (with his dirty clothes and his hygiene products) that was now hanging off his right shoulder, Griffin grabbed the jar housing the vibrant flowers, native to hot and dry climates. Finally, he could get the hell out of this place and breathe.

Leaving the room behind, to hopefully never return to, Griff glided down the hall one last time. His boots silently, yet prominently, stepped on the linoleum floor - influenced by one single objective: going outside. When he neared the elevator, he looked at the camera at the top left corner, through his peripheral vision. Curious, really. This was nothing new to him. The fact that they were being watched. If the school was as suspicious as he believed them to be, they most definitely had cameras discreetly hidden in walls.

Though... this could be his quarantine mind getting far too imaginative. Still, he would keep his guard up until proven otherwise. His gut feeling never betrayed him and he knew since day 1 something was off. What exactly? He didn't know just yet and that was frustrating.

In the elevator, he gingerly circled his neck around, feeling it crack with every turn. This felt nice. Being able to freely roam and fly. He was almost there. Just before the elevator door opened, he made sure to secure the jar in his left hand, just in case. Soon enough, the lobby was revealed and he was greeted by two faces that never failed to make him feel nostalgic, simply by them existing.

Wesley Slater and Bradley Barron.

He didn't understand how they got so close, in such a short amount of time. Wesley did hang out with the jocks, so that was a good start. However, in comparison to them all, he was small and perhaps that’s why Griffin felt more inclined to befriend him. Wes didn’t have his head up his ass like Leo did and was actively trying to get faster, stronger, and better. B-rad, on the other hand, was simply coincidental and at first, a means for Griffin to use, like for his talent in photography. A skill he will admit he would never go out of his way to learn. His aloof personality was a nice way to calm all the anxiety Griffin held up on the inside, which he hid behind all that coolness he displayed. Plus, Bradley wasn’t hard to get along with.

They just... worked.

Here he was with great friends that provided him a sense of normality in a school that felt everything BUT normal. His blue gaze lit up and the corners of his lips rose in such a charming yet understated way. Effortlessly casual. Cool and collected. Simply smooth and one-of-a-kind. Griffin's smile.

"Sayōnara, hell!" he breezily exclaimed.

Exiting the elevator, he strode to his friends, waiting in the lounge area, and briskly added, "Sup guys," before eagerly inquiring, "What'd I miss?"

"Shit, dude, a lot. But also kind of nothing at the same time." Wesley greeted his friend with a grin and went in for a hug, no permission asked. It'd been too long and Wesley liked to show affection to those he feels close to. “How you feeling, man?"

Affection, while welcomed, was something Griffin had a hard time getting used to. Whenever his friends, especially Wes, went in for a hug, he found himself awkwardly tensing up, but following his lead and returning the embrace. It was as if this was such a foreign concept to him, to be given hugs so freely, without any thought. Wes just did it and that was endearing. Although he felt uncomfortable, he did enjoy the warmth and kindness, and simply smiled while patting his friend's back, "I'm feeling a little stir crazy. Need to get out tonight, I think." Turning his attention to Bradley, a smirk gracing his face, Griffin gestured for him with his patting hand to come join them, making sure his other hand holding the flowers didn't tilt over, "You should get in this. Y'know, for old time's sake."

Bradley's grin faltered ever so slightly. Physical contact was hardly his forte, physical contact with the boy he very much liked was a special kind of torture. Subtly as possible, he fixed his expression, opting for an amused smirk. "We've known each other for two months, what the hell is old time's sake?" Nevertheless, he walked over, arms wrapping around his two friends, as they formed the sort of blob typical of a group hug.

"Oh, don't be such a grump. Our friend missed us, B-rad!" Wesley released his bros from the group hug and smiled wide. "Anyway, back to the topic at hand, which is what you missed while you were... incapacitated?" Wes looked to Griffin with an inquisitive look. This school was so fucking weird. "What you missed was a horribly boring assembly that I fell asleep during, but wonderful Brad here filled me in, angel that he is. There's gonna be a scavenger hunt on Wednesday, with assigned teams, unfortunately. But MORE importantly, there is another... event upcoming. We'll talk about that later." He quickly glanced towards the security camera and hoped that his ridiculously perceptive friend got the message.

Yes, Griffin got the message. It didn't take his impeccable perception skills to understand his friend. The expressive tone and animate eye gestures were blatantly obvious and not subtle at all. All you needed was common sense (at least in his opinion) and you could understand Wesley Slater. He nodded to the assembly comment, naturally assuming he wasn't participating since it would be relatively last minute to slip him in the roster. That was fine by him - he could use this time to watch his peers, size them up, and judge them accordingly. Focusing on the 'more' important event, Griffin chuckled, "Okay, sounds good. Now." He adjusted the string bag on his shoulder and looked at the receptionist lady, who seemed to be gushing at the display of intimacy, "As much as I love this bromance thing we got going on in here." He purposely met eyes with Brad, before matter-of-factly suggesting, "Let's bounce. I'm over this place. I want to cause some mayhem. Whaddya say?"

Bradley, subtlety be damned, couldn't help but blush. He stepped away from the other two boys, falling into line on one side of Griff. "Mayhem it is," he said, plastering on a grin and gesturing for the door. Outside, one thing certainly awaited them.