Melissa

Beverly Hills High │ Legends Never Die

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Bailee & AJ
Collab with @Lovely Complex
Flashback: Morning after party
Location: Upstairs, still on boat, in one of the Bedrooms.
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No good came from women like Cecily. Any Helmsley woman for that matter was bad news bears. And the thing was? Most of them AJ considered friends. Here he was, on a stage (metaphorically speaking), where he felt he had no control over himself. A puppet to devious, little things that liked to play with power. One including his ex, if only Jamie knew the control he still had over AJ.

Having used the shower in their personal bathroom on the boat, the gearhead came out of the steaming room rubbing a white towel on his unruly swirls that was his fluff of hair. Still shirtless, but at least now he had his jeans on from last night.

“Bailee, wake up.” He let the towel rest on his head, as he approached the girl still knocked out cold. Note to self, build tolerance. Nudging her shoulder, he tried to peacefully wake the sleeping beauty up. However, Tylers were more often than not impatient people, so this led to him pulling her pillow from under her head and hitting her face, “RISE AND SHINE, BABE.”

There were two words you would never hear in a single sentence: Bailee and hungover. The noun and the adjective were not meant to be placed next to each other- it was both grammatical nonsense and real life error. And yet, here the Hemsley Heiress was, hungover beyond belief and feeling absolutely dreadful. AJ’s loud and forceful voice rang clear through her buzzing ears, and the pillow to the face was not only a wake up call, but an unnecessary reminder of how much pain she was in.

Bailee’s limbs were so heavy, she felt as though they were made of lead; her muscles as sore and strained as they would be if she had run a five mile loop. Had she run around last night? She had no clue. Her head was another story, both pounding and light as air at the same time, still making her feel as though she was living in a drunk fantasy, but the presence of a headache very real and throbbing. With a delicate whimper she finally peeled open her eyes that had been sealed shut with drunk dreamless sleep, and attempted to look directly at AJ although the room was still spinning.

“I’m not your babe.” She grumbled, letting her eyes slide shut once again.

“That’s not what our school thinks…” AJ spoke under his breath, intentionally speaking loud enough so she would catch it. Grabbing the cup of water off the nightstand, he gestured for her to sit up and drink. If she looked at her phone, there was a voicemail from both her cousin, Cecily, and her mother, Adelaide. Patiently, he surveyed her reactions.

Bailee let AJ’s words turn like gears in her head until they clicked together. The school thinks? Shooting up into a seated position, she couldn’t possibly believe that her reputation preceded her before she even knew what is was. “What do you mean what our school thinks I-” The brunette may have sat up a little too fast. All of the sensations she had felt whilst lying down multiplied, and she could feel the wind being knocked out of her. Grimacing, she looked at AJ. “This is worse than the time I had mono. Way worse.”

Shrugging, AJ sat beside her and put the water in her hand, “I tried to limit you, but you don’t listen. Ever.” When the glass was no longer in his grasp, he ran his hand through his wild mane and chuckled, “Welcome back, Bailee. You’ll learn sooner or later that privacy is dead.” With that, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through everyone’s snapchat stories of the party, where people caught them spending the entire night together, which led to them going into a room. This room. He had a lot more to say, but he held his tongue. Reactions. He needed to see her reactions. If he was going to make this work, he had to make her believe that he wanted her.

The brunette had never had an out of body experience… that was until now. Bailee studied every single snapchat story in disbelief, having a hard time believing that the curly haired girl she was looking at was indeed herself. Bailee watched her drunk self intently, focusing on every single moment she was pressed up against the curly haired boy currently next to her with a scrutinizing eye. Fragments of the evening came back, but she mostly drew a blank, especially when she watched AJ throw her over his shoulder and carry her off into a room upstairs. Looking around, it clicked. Did they? Did she? Was it…. gone? Looking over at the boy she had known her whole life with shock in her eyes, the words tumbled out before she could form proper thoughts. “Why’d you bring me up here?”

“To put you to sleep.” AJ pointed at the half filled tea cup. “You better not be thinking I fucked you. I got class, Bails, and you’re a damn virgin.” The boy scoffed, coming across as offended that she’d think he’d take advantage of her.

“No, no, not at all-” She stammered.

“Well, not saying I haven’t, well, y’know. You’re a good looking girl, but totally out of my league.” He nervously laughed to himself.

Bailee did a double take at AJ’s words. Did he just call her good looking? And say she was out of his league? This was one of her best friends from childhood talking here, not just anyone. Mind boggled, she asked a clarifying question. “Wait, wait, wait, hold on...you’ve thought about it before?”

With his charming smile plastered on his face, his gaze softened while his stare never wavered from her face, “I saw an opportunity, before I got with Jamie. Didn’t take it. And then you left. So yeah, I’d say I thought about it.” Truth be told, this was not a lie, but he wasn’t crushing hard enough to stop her from leaving. His feelings for Jamie, though, unfurled like wildfire. Immediate chemistry and like magnets, they were drawn to each other. Part of him believes they still are… like magnets.

The words he spoke seemed to go in one ear and out the other, all except for the last four words he said. All Bailee could keep hearing in her head was I thought about it and that was all she needed to know. Out of all the people in this world, the last person she imagined herself being with was none other than AJ Tyler. She had never even thought about it before, that’s how obsolete of an idea it was. He was daring and edgy, and she was, well, business-y and clean cut. They knew how to argue like no one else- they were kind of like oil and water. “...oh.” Was all she could say, awkwardly and dumbfounded.

Rolling his eyes, disappointed at how obvious she was being, he got up from the bed and nonchalantly stretched, “It’s all good, I’ll just clear things up with the school and your family.” He reached for his button up shirt off the one seater.

“No wait, I mean- I didn’t mean it like that- I…” Bailee found herself searching for the right words to say. How else are you supposed to react when your best friend confesses they’d thought about being with you before? But before she could say anything else, another word stuck out like a sore thumb. “Wait, my family? What do you mean my family?” Looking around desperately for her phone, she found it plugged in on the nightstand filled with notifications, most notably, two voicemails from her mother and Cece.

“Oh god.”

“Y’know what? I’ll leave you to it. It’s almost time for us to bounce, anyways. When you’re ready, I’ll be outside. You can tell me what you want to do after you’ve gathered your thoughts. For now, relax, shower, eat some fruit.” Grinning to her like the playful boy that he was, AJ leaned in close to her puzzled face, too close, and pushed her hair behind her right ear, “Whatever you decide, I’ll be down.” And so, he pulled back, turned on his heel, and made his exit, closing the door behind him. Taking a deep breath in, he whispered to himself, “Cece, this better be worth it.” Before walking away, while buttoning his shirt.

Chills ran up Bailee’s spine as AJ’s touch brushed her hair back, revealing her now flushed face. This was awkward. Extremely awkward, and she had no clue what to think. All of these things came out of absolute nowhere… or was she just too blind and self centered to have noticed? As the door closed behind him, Bailee tried to think back if there were any signs that her best friend could have felt this way towards her, but she was drawing up a blank. Deciding to flood her brain with hopefully some different information, she navigated her way to her voicemail box, clicking on Cece’s message and bringing the phone up to her ear to listen.

You slut, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were going to feast on AJ last night! Sure, we haven’t talked in weeks because I’ve been out and about, but still. As your favorite cousin, I desire to know the deets. How big is he? Did you give head, finally? I’ve always wondered if his ego matched what he has in his pants. Surely it must, if he got with you. The Helmsley with an iron chastity belt. Ha. Well, not anymore. How exciting. I’m so happy for you!

To make sure this doesn’t get misunderstood, since right now everyone is talking about you, thinking you’re a nasty and totally jealous that AJ is still on Jamie’s ass - yes, sweetums, I saw the video of you riding his ass when he shattered poor Marshall’s heart, so I did what any good samaritan would do.

I told Auntie! Please let me know how that goes. Okay, love you. Kiss. Kiss. Bye, lover!

The brunette tried with all of her might to prevent her jaw from hitting the floor, but alas, it didn’t work. Cece was certainly a piece of work, but this took it too far. Not many people knew that Bailee was still the virgin mary- but Cece was one of the few who did. Why her cousin assume that she gave it up so quickly? And to AJ of all people? Rolling her eyes at the end of the voicemail, Bailee clicked on the next name with a blue dot next to it… her darling mother.

Bailee’s mother’s voice was like a whispering meadow and if it could remind you of a character, it would be that of the alluring, prepossessing, and sensual Jessica Rabbit. She was not dark and evocative like Evelyn Green’s Glam noir and dark cabaret femme fatale stage presence, but she was a close second. If there was one thing that could describe the First Lady of the Helmsley enterprise, it would be sex. Complete, pure, and utter sex. From when she was a young maid cleaning for Christopher and Bianca Helmsley to now where she has found herself married with kids to the youngest Helmsley, Ryan Helmsley. The man of the hour who inherited the family business because his eldest brother, Joseph Helmsley-Lovelace, chose acting instead, as well as helping his wife’s hotel global brand expand (Hotel Millenium). No matter the season, she will be seen as a sultry, yet moral, beauty in media. A symbol of sex like Marilyn Monroe.

Bailee, please make sure AJ, as well as yourself, are available for brunch Sunday. I will forward you a time and place within the next hour unless you have a preference. Ultimately, this is for you. I’m pleased you’re finally enjoying being young. I was worried you had forgotten to be a teen. The business will always be here, you’re only seventeen for so long...I’m grateful AJ can help you with that. Good choice. Mommy approves and I’m sure daddy will approve too. Word of advice, please don’t mind whatever rumors are spreading around. You are a Helmsley, which means you are an unbreakable fortress. It isn’t worth investing time and energy with the wrong people. Oh goodness, Sierra’s demanding to go on her playdate. I’ll talk to you soon, Bunny. I love you! Okay, Monkey let’s go!

….BRUNCH?! The heiress couldn’t believe her ears at how excited her mom was regarding this arrangement. More excited than she had heard her sound in a long time. It was shocking, and Bailee partially didn’t want to hear it.

At the same time though, she listened to her mother’s words carefully and willingly. Enjoy being young.

Throwing her phone down on the bed, the familiar phrase was beginning to click in her mind. People had been telling her those three words since she was a child- when the brunette wanted to take the world by storm, everyone always said she needed to slow down and live in the moment. Bailee then recalled that the reason why she got so intoxicated in the first place was because she needed to remember she wasn’t an adult yet. Her sister had told her this, her brother had told her this, AJ had told her this. She still had mistakes to make and a life to live before she took over her father’s company- and maybe this hangover and this whole situation was finally helping her realize that.

With everything swirling together and beginning to resonate, one chord struck in her head. Did she miss the signs about AJ liking while she was so busy running the show? Bailee didn’t realize at all that he was interested in her… was that her own fault? She did truly care about him- she always had. But was this caring and compassion meant to be something more?

Well that she would soon find out for herself.

Clamoring out of bed and over to the door, she flung it open, poking her head out to find the curly haired boy not to far away from the staircase.

“Got any plans Sunday morning?”

The boy's lips curved into that sly smile of his as he glanced back at his new ‘girlfriend’ “None in particular. Why? What's up?”

Beverly Hills High │ Legends Never Die

_{Laurel Evanson's morning practice.
Location: Excel Gymnastics
Mentions: Mason Aspen @Universorum}

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As most mornings went, Laurel’s feet treaded lightly and nimbly across the cushioned ground as she practiced her floor routine. Competition season was every season, and thus it was important to maintain peak physical and mental shape to compete. This meant coming into the Excel Gym at the ass crack of dawn every morning. The alcohol that Laurel had drank the evening previous seeped out of her perspiring pores; the dizziness overtaking her head due to her activities on the yacht and not the activities in the gym. Last night was an adventure to say the least- from losing her clothes to gaining a new male friend, it was definitely one for the books. As much as Laur loathed the Helmsley’s, they definitely knew how to stock a liquor cabinet.

Refocusing her mind from the booze, she let her attention shift to the floor. She was at the end of her morning workout, and it was important for her to make this last pass count. Prepping in the corner of the pad, Laurel took a deep breath before breaking into a sprint, propelling herself from the ground into her tumbling. It was a complicated pass, but one she had learned so well that she could do it in her sleep. Round off one and a half step out, Back handspring, Arabian, Punch layout.

Exhaling deeply as all of her weight hit the floor once more, she swiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Laur was good, quite good, but needed to clean up her act in order to pull away from her rivals. Gymnastics was everything to her, and she couldn’t let anything or anyone get in the way of that. That was her main fear in letting herself have a good time, and she was worried that things would get carried away with the drinking, partying, and fraternizing. With a quick glance to the clock, the blonde knew it was time to get going for school. The late start meant she got a little bit of extra sleep, but she had taken it more as extra time in the gym. There were no days off. Ever. Meandering over to the locker room, Laur grabbed her things and headed to one of the showers, desperately needing to cleanse herself of the workout.

As the hot water hit her face, she couldn’t help but let her mind drift to Mason. He truly was the highlight of her evening, from being kind and lending her his jacket to taking her breath away in the front seat of his car. She still had the jacket; it was sitting in her locker and ready to be returned. But did she really want to give it back? Laurel knew this was another excuse to see him, but would he vanish for good after she returned what was his? Only time would tell. Scrubbing her roots with shampoo, she continued to bathe and prepare herself for the day ahead.

Climbing out of the shower, the blonde dried herself off and let her terry cloth towel drop to the ground, bundling around her ankles. Laur felt comfortable in her skin, hence why she had joined that horrid game of Strip Poker, but something about running into Mason during homeroom made her hairs stand up on end. Slipping on a pair of leggings and a flannel shirt and donning the brunette’s jacket as a trophy, she gathered her things and began the journey towards BHHS. It was another day, and another opportunity to refocus, but she knew in the back of her mind that her focus was definitely gone and on vacation.

Beverly Hills High │ Legends Never Die

_{Sean Sterling and Brynn Payne ft. special guests Emerson Payne and Felix Payne
@Melissa @Universorum
Location: The Sterling Estate -----> The Payne Residence}

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Sean didn’t have trouble sleeping. He never did, and truth be told, he probably could have slept the entire day away. Mentally, last night had been rather taxing. It wasn’t Brynn’s fault, but Sean hadn’t exactly had the time of his life watching over her while she was drunk. Very drunk. It only escalated when someone — an ex? Sean didn’t know — got involved. Sean had to knock him down, in front of a crowd. He had planned on not fighting anymore, but when surrounded by people like that, you didn’t really have a choice. Sean did what was necessary, and nothing more.

Then he and Brynn had ran off and done the dirty. Once the boat had redocked, Sean had gotten her in the car, and driven her back to his house. There, he’d put her to bed. Sean originally had every intention of sleeping in well until the start of the late day, but Brynn’s state of mind had changed things, just a bit. Sean was now awake, at eight thirty, and had gotten dressed and showered already.

He had to take Brynn home, so she could get ready for school. That meant meeting her parents, which was ever so slightly worrisome. Did he want to meet them? Were they in a place for that yet? Sean wasn’t sure the answer of either of those questions, but he felt like at this point, he had to meet them. First, though, came the task of waking her up.

Standing over her sleeping form, Sean shook Brynn by the shoulder gently. “Brynn? Come on, it’s time to get up. We have school today.”

Brynn felt like she had been punched in the face, thrown off the side of a cliff, and then ran over with a truck. All she could feel was the throbbing of her head- nothing else. What day was it? Where even was she? Those were questions that she could not answer as she remained curled up in someone’s bed, waiting for death to take her. As she nuzzled her face into a pillow, the evening’s previous events seemed to flood back into her head in snapshots.

One minute she was dancing, the next she was drinking with that pewny Freshman, and all she could remember after that was Sean. Sean- that’s where she was, this was his room. The brunette could hear him moving about the room, but she didn’t want to face him yet. There they were, their first night as a real couple, and she got absolutely wasted. Maybe it was because of her fear of emotion, or maybe it was because of her stress, but either way, it wasn’t exactly the best way to kick off a relationship.

It wasn’t until Sean spoke directly to Brynn that she groaned and pretended to somewhat be alive. “Nooooo,” She pleaded, a hungover whimper following her words. She wasn’t going anywhere, not on her watch she wasn’t.

“Oh, come on. Don’t be a baby.” Sean said, shaking his head as he shook her again. She was awake, and he knew she could drag herself out of the bed. This was her own fault, after all. Sean brushed some of her hair out of her face. “You can get up, get a hot shower. I’ll make coffee if you want. I don’t drink the stuff, but it might be to your liking.” He paused and kneeled down beside her, putting a kiss on her forehead.

“Baby, let’s go. You think you have it bad? I have to deliver my hungover girlfriend to her parents as my first impression as a boyfriend. If you ask me? That’s not a very good first impression…” Sean teased, smiling at the still groggy Brynn.

The brunette grumbled, “Can’t we just stay home instead?” She asked monotonously as she burrowed herself even further in the covers of Sean’s bed. It was warm and cozy, and if Brynn had it her way, she’d stay there for hours. However, the girl needed to remember that the last time she stayed in this bed for too long, Selena had basically murdered her, so this was the better kind wake-up call in her opinion. Emitting another groan for dramatic effect, Brynn propped herself up on her forearms- a slight improvement from fully laying down. “You could never make a bad first impression, babe, besides, I doubt my dad is actually home right now...” She trailed off realizing that even though the head of the household would not be present, her demonic siblings would be. Great. “Screw going to school, stay here and screw me instead?” No matter how hungover Brynn got, sex was always on the brain…. it was a Payne signature.

“We’ve had plenty of sex, I think we’ll be alright if we skip this morning; Besides, I want to meet them, you know? I think it’s important. I can start with your mother, then? Or siblings, if you have them.” Sean paused and shook his head as he stood up to his full height again. Brynn was being difficult, which he didn’t think was particularly unlike her, but honestly? Sean kind of liked it. Kept him on his toes. “Besides, I can’t just skip school. I’m a model student! Something of that sort, anyway.”

“Don’t forget, you’re technically dating a genius. I have standards to uphold… kinda dropped the ball so far, I won’t lie. At the Academy, I was a model student. At BHHS, I’m someone who sleeps in every class.” Sean said, shaking his head. Was he a disappointment? Maybe slightly, but at least Brynn liked him. That was encouraging.

Brynn exhaled audibly, lying back down on the bed and placing one of the pillows on top of her head. “Emerson and Felix are evil, I don’t need them being jackasses to my boyfriend this morning.” She spoke, which sounded muffled as the pillow was covering her face. On second thought… maybe Sean meeting them wouldn’t be half bad? It could possibly show them that she was a normal person who could be in a relationship, but they’d probably still make fun of her anyway. “Yes you can! Skip school with me. Instead of sleeping in class, sleep here.”

“At least one of those is a boy’s name, and you saw what I can do to boys who are jackasses to me.” He reached down and pet her head, shaking his head. “I really, really can’t skip school. My mom would go ballistic if I straight abandoned class, and my mom is crazy. Not interested in that.” He ran his hand down her arm and to her wrist, which he tugged at. “Come onnn, get up.”

He had a point.

With one final groan, Brynn threw the pillow off of her face and pushed herself up, sliding back so that her head rested against the headboard. Looking over to Sean, her lips formed into a small smile, the only evidence of emotion she had given in the last five minutes. “Fine- only for you.” Brynn stated softly and gently, regretting her decision to get out of bed immediately. Why did the Helmsley’s have to throw a badass party on a Tuesday? The world would never know. Throwing off the covers, she swung her legs around to the side of the bed and hesitated, her pounding headache growing ever more present. “Remind me never to drink that much again.”

“You wouldn’t listen if I told you to.” Sean said with a laugh. He held out a hand to help her up to her feet. “I’ll make coffee. I don’t think you have clothes here, do you? That makes it even more important that we go to your house. You can’t go to school in dirty party clothes, especially not when you look like a hungover mess.” Sean let out a long sigh and shook his head. “But, I guess you’re my hungover mess. Ooo, I bet that feels good, huh?” He asked, winking at her.

Taking Sean’s hand, Brynn pulled herself to her feet, a little wobbly at first, but she held onto her boyfriend for stability. She smiled at his comment- it was true, she was his hungover mess, and she liked it that way. Hearing the words coming from him was something she wasn’t used to at all, which made a slight blush prick her cheeks. Before he could notice, the brunette walked quickly towards Sean’s bathroom and shut the door. Once inside, she turned on the shower and let the hot water cleanse her of the events of the evening prior.

As she dipped off to the bathroom, Sean stepped out of the room in his PJs, and headed downstairs, where he took a k-cup and made her a cup of coffee. After it was done, Sean headed back upstairs to his room. He opened the door and saw Brynn standing there, waiting for him. He stepped toward her, and held out the cup of coffee. “Here you go, my love.”

Feeling less like a zombie, Brynn accepted the cup of coffee with a smile. “Thanks, babe.” She replied, kissing him on the cheek before sitting back down on his bed. Taking a sip of the coffee before she spoke next, the brunette wanted to give her boyfriend as much notice about her siblings as she could. They were not easy by any means.

“Now, Emerson and Felix are dicks by nature. Felix thinks he runs the world because he’s attractive, and Emerson knows exactly how to manipulate you to get what she wants… they’re like me, but way, way worse.” She prefaced, drinking more from the warm mug. “They’re like the spawn of satan… but hot.”

“Won’t be any worse than my family. It’ll be fine.” Sean paused, and held up a defensive finger. “Nobody manipulates me. I’m unshakeable. I have a will of iron.” He winked and pulled his shirt off, before heading over to the closet where he could find something more suitable to wear for school. Even Sean, in his apparent laziness, knew he couldn’t show up to school in his pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt.

Brynn held the towel wrapped around her closely to her chest as she followed Sean towards his closet. She couldn’t exactly go home in the scandalous number that she wore the night before, so the only logical solution was to wear something different- something that didn’t belong to her. “Can I steal a shirt and a pair of boxers or something?” The brunette asked, pressing herself up against her boyfriend’s back as he looked into his wardrobe, placing her head on his shoulder.

Sean turned his head slightly to look at her, “oh yeah, sure. All I have is trashy band tees, though.” Sean warned, opening the closet to reveal the shirts in question. Hanging in his closet were around twenty t-shirts, mostly merchandise stemming from different bands that he enjoyed listening to. “Dealer’s choice.” Sean said, spinning around to kiss Brynn, before he moved out of the way for her to pick her poison.

The brunette gazed into the large closet, the array of options at her full disposal. Leafing through the shirts, some of which with bands she recognized like SlipKnot and Rammstein, and others she didn’t know, she settled on a ‘All That Remains’ shirt, since it seemed dark and mysterious like her mister himself. Letting the towel slip from her fingers and bundle around her feet leaving her bare, Brynn pulled the shirt off of the hanger, nimbly slipping it over her slender frame. It was long enough that it covered her lady parts, but short enough that her rear was still slightly showing when she moved.

With a smirk, she walked back over to the bed, sitting back down. “Are you sure you want to meet them? To be honest, I’ve never introduced any guys to my family, let alone my siblings. I don’t want them to scare you away.” Words that Brynn never expected to leave from her mouth flowed out like a waterfall. God, this was weird for her.

“Dealer made a fine choice,” Sean remarked as he watched Brynn walk away before she sat down on the bed and raised concerns about him meeting her family. Sean didn’t see what the big deal was — maybe it was some kind thing he didn’t get since he’d been removed from the world for so long, but meeting parents seemed easy compared to some of the stuff he’d done. “Look, Brynn. Trust me, I want to meet them. I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. I’m not going anywhere, I’m stuck with you, and you with me. Get used to it.”

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The drive to the Payne residence was short and sweet, but the winding roads made Brynn feel even more sick to her stomach than she already was. Sean meeting her parents would have been one thing. Her mom Julianne would have been cordial and kind if she wasn’t already at work, and her father Reynold would have acted as a buffer if he hadn’t taken the graveyard shift at the hospital. But leaving her siblings alone with her man was going to be a sight to see. As Brynn unlocked the front door of her home, she twisted the knob and pushed it open, revealing the large foyer which led into the living room. Leading Sean into the kitchen, she threw her keys carelessly onto the granite countertop, and waited for the sound to echo upstairs for her siblings to hear. Turning to her boyfriend, she sighed. “Well, this is it.” Brynn motioned around, showing off the home. “Welcome to the Payne residence, otherwise known as hell. Can I get you anything? Water? Juice? A sedative?”

Sean looked around the home with a soft smile on his face. It was definitely different than his, but he thought it had a more homey feeling. “It’s a beautiful home, Brynn.” He said simply, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Sean wasn’t worried about meeting Brynn’s family, though the immediate lack of parents was almost disappointing. He’d never met a date’s parents before, and stepping over that line was something he looked forward to. “Wait, a sedative? Now, I bet that’s probably sarcasm, but man… Dark humor from the lady friend. Water will be fine, thank you. It’s hardly morning, no one needs a sedative this early.”

Without another word, the brunette waltzed over to one of the tall cabinets and opened it, grabbing a small water glass which she could fill up in the sink for Sean. She began to open her mouth to speak but before she could say anything else, the thumping of the floorboards above them signaled that they were no longer going to be alone.

“Brynnie? Is that you?”

With a roll of her eyes, Brynn sighed. “I’m going to need a sedative in a second.” The brunette admitted, waiting for hurricane Emerson to strike momentarily. As if on cue, the older Payne sister appeared in the doorway still dressed in her pajamas and a bathrobe, looking excited to make her sister’s life a nightmare. She floated into the kitchen with a knowing smirk plastered onto her face. Brynn was still facing the sink, her back side greeting her sister better than her words would.

“Y’know, Felix and I were terribly worried when you didn’t come home last night, but we figured it out eventually.“ Without even asking, Emerson took the water glass right out of Brynn’s hand, not caring that it wasn’t meant for her. Taking a sip, she looked to Sean with a raised eyebrow. “And you must be lucky number fifty-four! Awfully nice of you to drive her home.” The older Payne sibling smirked, looking back over at her darling younger sister. Brynn turned to face her, and all Emerson could manage was a small chuckle at her younger sister’s choice of dress- the boxers, the band T-shirt, the makeup collecting underneath her eyes. “You look cute.” She mocked, looking her up and down and then taking another gulp of water from the glass.

Sean had to admit, it was impressive how well Brynn was taking it. This must be what it was like to have older siblings, a feeling that Sean simply didn’t know. He made a silent mental note to never treat his siblings like that, before he stepped forward and gave his girlfriend’s sister (Emerson?) a nod, and stepped on the defensive. “Of course she looks cute, she always looks cute,” he said, stepping closer to Brynn before he continued, “Fifty-four must be the luckiest number in the world, because I’m her boyfriend. Not just some random hook up. Now, I’m sure that probably was her original plan, but what can I say?” Sean paused to give Emerson a winning smile, even adding a wink to the end of it.

“I’m very charming.” He took a step towards the older woman, and held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Sean, Sean Sterling. It’s nice to meet you, and I’m sure Brynn has said exactly nothing about me so far.”

Emerson gave the kid standing in her kitchen a once over with her eyes, trying to take in as much information as she could from just her gaze. He was quite tall, but not the gangly awkward kind, and clearly was an athlete of some sort which was apparent from his build. He had precise features and prominent cheekbones, all of which complemented his sandy blonde hair and fair complexion.

Since when did her sister have good taste in men?

Although she nearly spit out her water at the mention of the “b” word, she regained her composure to speak. “So it seems…” Emerson drew out her words, a little taken back by Sean’s forceful demeanor, but not thrown off entirely. Boyfriend? Since when did Brynn have one of those? Taking another sip of water to calm the tickle in her throat, she placed the glass down on the countertop, drumming the surface with her talon like fingernails. All the while, Brynn shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to another. This was… well… awkward.

With a raised eyebrow, Emerson was ready to grill him like a steak, but before she had the opportunity to, a familiar face appeared in the kitchen in the form of her brother. “What’d I miss?” Felix strolled into the kitchen, sans shirt, nudging Brynn out of the way of the refrigerator door and grabbing a jug of milk from one of the shelves. He looked over at Sean, who nearly matched him in height and stature, which he already didn’t like. “Who are you?” He blatantly asked, taking a chug straight from the carton.

“Brynn’s new plaything.” Emerson explained teasingly. Brynn groaned, taking a step closer to Sean while Felix nearly had an aneurysm. “He says they’re dating, but my guess is that Skinny Brynnie must have bribed him to say that. Only logical solution.”

“Not likely, I don’t think Brynn has anything she can bribe me with. I just like her.” Sean explained, nodding to Felix. Her siblings were terrible, weren’t they? Sean slid his arm out, and wrapped it around Brynn’s waist, pulling her closer and more snugly into his grasp. “We’re dating. I took her to the party tonight, and then Friday night I’m taking her out again. I think, to Captain Cuddles — for a movie night or something? I don’t know, their website kind of sucks.” Sean kissed Brynn on the cheek, and then looked over at her siblings again.

While Brynn thought the situation was awkward, Sean thought he was handling things alright. The brother looked like he might have a problem with Brynn ‘dating,’ rather than ‘hooking up,’ and that may be a problem in the long run. The sister, however, seemed to just be an asshole. That? That was easy enough to deal with. “Anyway, we just stopped by so that she could get some clothes of her own, then we’re gonna take off. She needs coffee. Like, a lot of coffee.”

For once in her life, Brynn was really at a loss for words. She was afraid that if she said the wrong thing, her siblings would just egg her on, and if she said something right… well her siblings would do the same thing. It was a dead end either way, so she quietly piped in after Sean’s explanation. “Umm… yeah, what he said.”

“Leaving so soon? I didn’t even get the chance to ask him anything!” Felix stated, feigning disappointment. “But, I guess the lovebirds have places to go, people to see, sex to be had-”

“Oh on that note, Sean, dear, make sure you get Brynn’s test results before you do anything. I certainly would.”

And with that, Brynn had experienced more than enough torment for an eternity. Taking Sean by the hand, gripping onto him tightly so he wouldn’t stay back, she dragged him along with her up the stairs and to her bedroom. Slamming the door behind them, she let out a exasperated groan, flopping down onto her bed with her head buried in the pillow. “I HATE THEM.” She nearly screamed into her pillow, speaking loud enough so even through her muffled tone, her boyfriend could still hear her.

Now she was upset, great. Sean sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, and started rubbing her back as he nodded in agreement, though she couldn’t see. “I can see why. It seems to me that your siblings aren’t exactly ‘nice.’” Sean leaned down and kissed the back of her head, “I did my best to help soften the blows, though. I’m booked Saturday afternoon, but what if I just came here for dinner on Saturday night? that way I can meet everyone, and see what I can do about your siblings treating you the way you do. I dunno what it’s like to be the youngest, but I figure that maybe if they see I’m around more than just once… it might make them at least pick on something else?” There, an attempt at an explanation was done, along with inviting himself over for dinner.

Wow, he kinda looked like a dick, didn’t he?

Brynn flipped over so that she was now looking up at Sean, her head resting on the pillow that her face was previously smushed in. “They’ll never stop. It’s as essential as air to them- making my life a living hell.” Taking a deep breath, she continued. “But you should come for dinner. You can meet the only two redeeming members of the Payne family. They’ll actually like you, I promise.” With another sigh, she furrowed her eyebrows. “Thanks for at least attempting to put Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in their place.”

“Well, if you want, I can always thrash your brother. Using violence unnecessarily isn’t really my thing, but you’d be worth it. Can’t do a thing about the sister, you’ll have to choke her out yourself,” Sean shrugged, and reached down to move a bit of Brynn’s hair out of her face, and rolled his eyes. “Nothing quite puts someone in their place like being slapped around. And I would be totally honored to meet your parents, really. I’ll be here. I just have plans to spend the afternoon with my younger sister and brother. I’ll do that, shower, and then come here. I’d offer to wear formal clothes, but… I’m not going to do that, so I’m going to risk offering.”

“Dinner it is then, no formal wear necessary.” Brynn stated, the first smile to pop onto her face since she left the Sterling household. Glancing around, she realized that this was the first time Sean had ever been in her room. In fact, Brynn never let guys into her room- she always slept in someone else's bed. In a way, it was a rite of passage that he was here. It showed she trusted him. “What do you think of my room? It’s not as fancy as yours but it gets the job done.”

“My room’s not that fancy, I just my own bathroom, and stuff. I think it’s lovely, Brynn. Maybe it’s just because you’re on it, but I think I could sleep for hours on this bed. It looks very comfy. The colors are calm and soft, very very unlike the room’s occupant, but I like it. It’s a nice contrast,” Sean explained, smiling down at her. Was that a satisfactory answer? He sure hoped so. He had never been asked how he felt about someone’s room before, and now that he’d been thrown on the spot, he wasn’t sure if his answer was anywhere near good enough. Being a boyfriend was harder than it sounded, there were lots of factors that you always had to be thinking about. As an added safety buffer, Sean placed a kiss on Brynn’s lips. “I can say confidently, that I like it more than I like my own.”

Brynn smiled, taking both of her hands and cupping Sean’s face with them. She stroked his cheek with the pad of her thumb. “Well now that you’ve entertained the guard dogs, you’re welcome here anytime.” She melted into a devious smirk, “And I mean, any time.”

Beverly Hills High │ Legends Never Die

_{Mason Aspen and Laurel Evanson
A @Melissa and @Universorum Collab (Flashback)}

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---

The remainder of the party seemed to all mesh together. One moment, Laurel was slightly naked and hanging out with a stranger, and the next, she was fully clothed and leaving with said stranger. Wasn’t that usually supposed to go the other way around? Regardless, the blonde was pleased that her new friend had offered to drive her home. He was a nice kid- a good looking kid- so the gesture was welcome. Extremely welcome, in fact.

As she sat in the passenger’s seat of Mason’s blue Toyota Tacoma, still wrapped in his jacket, she couldn’t help but wonder how the night would have gone if she hadn’t played that game of strip poker. Although it was a bit of an inconvenience, it made for an interesting adventure. But for now, she was looking forward to getting home and going to bed- after all, she had practice first thing in the morning. “So you’re going to take a left here, and then I’ll let you know when to turn again.” Laurel instructed the boy as he drove, helping him find his way to her house that overlooked the water.

“Sure thing.” Mason replied, nodding his head to the music that played from the speakers. Usually, the music was a lot louder than it was now, but Mason had it turned low enough that he could hear Laurel’s instructions. He stole a glance over at her and wondered when it would be kosher for him to ask to get that jacket back. It had some of his things inside of it!

Mason had made an attempt to get in her pants, but after testing the waters, it’d seemed like she wasn’t in the mood. And he couldn’t blame her! She had her shit stolen and then they had to travel around the entire goddamn boat to find it, so if she didn’t want to bang after all that… hey, more power to her. As he drove down the street, he made another comment, to keep things from getting too quiet and awkward. “So. I guess we can check ‘party like a rockstar on a yacht’ off of our list after tonight, huh? It wasn’t too bad. Not for me anyway, I thought it was pretty money. But you got it a little worse, I guess.”

Laurel smirked, looking over at Mason as he drove. He had a nice profile- a strong jaw and defined features stood out in the darkness as the passing car lights splashed across his face. “I guess we can.” She replied, letting a soft laugh escape her lips. “It wasn’t all that bad… just a little interesting at parts.” The blonde rationalized. It was true; other than the disappearance and re-emergence of her clothes, the night was good. Expensive alcohol and great music lessened the blow of walking around the party half naked. “Thanks for helping, by the way. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Hey, no problem. Walking around with no clothes is shitty, and giving you a ride home isn’t a big deal, I like to drive actually so it’s cool.” Mason said, turning and smiling warmly at her for a brief second with the light of another passing car. “If I left you alone, I would have felt bad all night, so that definitely wasn’t happenin’. And besides, once I gave you my jacket? You’re stuck with me until I get it back.” There, that was subtle enough. Was the jacket the only reason Mason was driving her home? Absolutely not, but it would have been a lie to say it wasn’t part of the reason. And his mama didn’t raise no liar.

“Oh right, your jacket… I forgot about that.” Lies. A hint of a smile clear in her voice, Laurel played coy. She had been inhaling the prevalent scent of the jacket all evening- it was calming, protective, something she craved. But, she wouldn’t admit that, even though she was dreading giving it back. The blonde continued her train of thought. “I guess that’s the real reason you’ve been following me all night- take a right turn here.” She played.

“It’s not the only reason,” Mason replied, somewhat defensively. He took the turn as she told him to, and rolled his eyes. “‘sides, you can keep it if you want, but it is a pretty nice jacket. And it’s got sentimental value, it’s been by my side since I was thirteen. So, I mean… you’d be taking a part of me with you, whenever you wear it.” Mason shook his head dramatically, taking a hand off of the steering wheel and putting it over his chest, “that would be so touching. But you’d have to make a big trade for it!”

The blonde couldn’t help but laugh once more. She wasn’t planning on keeping the jacket, but she continued on, curiosity getting the better of her. “Oh? And what kind of big trade would you accept?” Laurel asked, wiggling her eyebrows dramatically in the darkness.

“Well, I mean…” Mason trailed off for a moment, seeming like he was going to let unspoken words speak for him, but then he spoke in a voice that was almost comically dramatic, “a kiss, my kingdom for a kiss!” And then, like he often found himself doing, Mason laughed at himself.

“In that case,” She paused, a smirk slowly forming on her face. Letting the silence hang for a moment too long, Laurel continued her thought. “Looks like I'll be returning your jacket.” The game she was playing continued as the car rolled down the dark road covered in night. Laurel didn’t usually do this- but tonight was not your usual night. Pointing to the illuminated and reflective street sign in the distance, she let out a sigh. “Take a left here, and my house is the third one on the right.”

“What I wanted all along,” Mason replied smoothly, not missing a bump despite her reply. He smiled and followed her directions, turning and then pulling to a smooth stop in front of her home. “Alright, your chariot has arrived, my lady.” Mason said as he shifted the car into park, idly eyeing her house, to see what he was dealing with.

His response only made it harder to keep the act going. Laurel wasn’t one to usually throw herself at a man- but it didn’t count if he had tried earlier, right? Exhaling audibly as the car came to a halt, she glanced over at him. “Thanks.” The blonde plainly stated, turning to open the door. She could have took off the jacket and exited, but where was the fun in that? She wasn’t exactly in the mood earlier, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t in the mood now. Instead of pulling the handle to depart, she knocked her hand against the lock, doing the exact opposite. “Oops.” Laurel stated looking over her shoulder at Mason. “But that reminds me...”

As graceful as she could, the blonde somehow snaked her way over the middle barrier between the passenger’s seat and the driver’s seat, letting her legs straddle either side of the brunette. All of her gymnastics training being put to good use. Seemingly unphased by the sudden contact, Laurel peeled the jacket off of her shoulders, holding it in between her chest and his. “Almost forgot again. My apologies.”

“You see, you almost make it seem like you want the jacket,” Mason said in a teasing tone, winking at her in the lowlight provided by a streetlamp. Rather than touch her, though, Mason instead gingerly took the jacket from her, and sat it in the back behind him. “Thank you kindly.” Mason could feel the shift in attitude that Laurel had undergone, and he knew the mood was slowly coming back around, but he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. Where most teenage boys would have gone ballistic on her already, Mason seemed to enjoy it when she had to be on the offensive.

“Really, it is an important jacket, so I hope you understand my wanting it back. Without a big trade, that is.”

Laurel nodded, maintaining her external indifference surrounding the situation. “Oh, I understand.” She took the opportunity to snake her arms around Mason’s shoulders and neck, leaning in closer. “Completely, understand.” After remaining there for a few moments, letting the tension build, she let the distance grow between them once more like the tease she was- like she had been all night.

“It’s not often that you meet a girl who understands, you know?” Mason asked, sliding his arms around her waist, and keeping his eyes locked onto hers. “Usually, all they want to do is just kiss, and kiss and kiss until the clothes come off. I’m impressed you’ve made it this far, honestly.”

“Well that’s because I’ve already had my clothes off tonight, champ.” Laurel stated, subtly biting her lip and wrapping her around him the slightest bit tighter. “I skipped a step.” She remarked.

“Oof, you’re stealing my thing there, champ. I guess you did already get stripped down…” Mason paused for a second and tapped his chin, looking around the area that surrounded them. “I don’t mean to assume, but you could strip back down. It might get a little hot if we’re snuggled so closely together, you know?”

With a shrug, Laurel swiftly crossed her arms at the base of her shirt, gripped the fabric, and seamlessly pulled the tank off of her chest for the second time this evening. With a playful smile as she threw it aside, she leaned in closely until she could feel her breath and Mason’s only centimeters apart. “At least this time I’ll know where my clothes are.” After letting the tension build for what felt like hours, Laurel crashed her lips against his, closing the distance between them and letting her carefree façade disappear.

Here we go, finally. Mason let her lock lips with him, running his hand up her back and to her hair, bringing her closer to him as he parted his lips and slipped her tongue inside. Sure, a night of build up wasn’t that much, but for teenagers? That night of build up might as well have been a goddamn century. Now, though, Mason was doing what he’d wanted to do since the beginning of their interactions.

Laurel deepened the kiss, releasing her pent up emotions that she had been bottling up all evening. She had enjoyed the chase and had her fun, but now was the good part. She let her lips find their way to the crook of Mason’s neck, planting kisses and small bites along his skin. He was right- due to their close proximity the temperature of the car seemed to skyrocket, or it was simply the fact her heart was beating faster than before. Making her way back to Mason’s lips, she smiled into the kiss.

So this was what it felt like, huh? His mom had told him in the past that one day, he’d hook up with someone and there’d be a spark, but he hadn’t really believed her. Now, however, it seemed like he was almost certainly experiencing the fabled spark. He turned his neck to give her more area to work with and as she worked her way back to his lips, Mason was ready for her, and met the kiss by leaning into it.

The blonde girl let her hands slide down Mason’s chest, her fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt. He had seen her without her top multiple times now, so it was only fair that he showed himself off as well. Pressing her forehead against his, letting her lips escape his for a moment, she smirked. “Your turn.” She said in between breaths, as she began to pull the fabric off of his body. As she did so, she instinctively leaned back in order for the shirt to pass in between them, making sure she didn’t get a face full of fabric.

Unfortunately for her, she leaned back too far, causing her bare back to fall right against the horn of Mason’s car. The loud honk shocked Laurel so much that she nearly jumped off of the boys lap, crashing into his now bare chest.

Well that’s one way to ruin a moment.

“Ack!” Mason said as the sound went off, and he may have pulled her a bit closer to him, almost protectively. He looked up at the ceiling of the vehicle, their moment once again shattered. At least this time, it had a chance to happen, rather than be ruined by the beginning. “...are you okay?” He asked, staring at her with wide eyes. He hardly even knew what happened; the horn had somewhat ripped him from another headspace he was in.

Laurel needed a few seconds to catch her breath after what was probably the biggest scare she’d had in a while. She rested her head in the crook of Mason’s neck as she continued to breathe and let her heart slow back down to a normal rate. “Yup...just peachy.” The blonde replied, sitting back up and looking him in the eye. In her peripheral vision, she could see the upstairs light in her house flip on, which could only mean one thing. “Shit! My parents!” Laurel squealed, her eyes growing as wide as Mason’s.

Oh, well that wasn’t good. Mason slapped around in the dark behind himself, hunting for Laurel’s shirt. “Well, I have to admit. I definitely saw meeting your parents going differently, in my head, champ.” He said numbly, twisting his body to look behind him — accidentally bumping Laurel into the horn again in the process. “Fuck.” He said, shaking his head. They couldn’t catch a break, could they?

“Dammit, Mace!” Laurel exclaimed, the horn shocking her and catching her off guard once more. Looking over at her house, she saw another light turn on upstairs, which could only mean that her parents were walking downstairs. Trying to reach back where she threw her shirt, her ass very much near Mason’s face, she tried to feel around on the back seat to find her top in the dark. But, alas, she could not find it. What a metaphor for the evening.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Laur murmured to herself, her search coming up with nothing and the time ticking down on the imaginary clock.

With her ass in his face, and his doom presumably coming down the stairs, Mason shifted back into his chill, nonchalant attitude. He might as well enjoy himself if things were about to end, right? “Hey, you’re a gymnast right?” He asked, casually helping her look for the shirt — but his heart wasn’t in the hunt anymore.

Laurel grumbled, “Now’s not the time, Mason!” She blurted before her hand grabbed a hold of a piece of material that felt familiar. Her shirt!... wait a minute, this wasn’t her shirt. Sitting back upright, she held Mason’s jacket in her left hand, examining it and then gazing at him. In her periphery, she could see her front door opening, more light streaming out into the street.

Game over.

Making a quick decision, the girl raised an eyebrow. “Guess you won’t be getting your jacket back tonight after all, champ.” Planting one more kiss on his lips before untangling herself from him. Laurel threw the familiar jacket over her shoulders once more as she climbed over the cupholders and onto the passengers side. She smirked over at Mason.

“Homeroom, tomorrow. You’ll need a good trade to get this back.” Unlocking the door swiftly, Laur jumped out of the car, walking towards her mother who was standing in the doorway disapprovingly. With one last glance back at Mason before her imminent doom, Laurel sent a wink in his direction, disappearing into the house, the lights flickering off moments after.

“Yeah, I can tell she’s a gymnast. Apple butt.” Mason muttered, before shifting the car back into gear. The saga would continue, in that case.

Power Rangers: The Next Generation {INVITE ONLY}

Peyton Saunders wasn’t a bad kid.

In fact, she was a good kid. A great kid. High marks at school, a ton of extracurriculars, and a kind hearted and charismatic personality that matched her long list of contributions to Angel Grove. She taught kids to surf on the weekends, volunteered at the Cherub County Soup Kitchen on Tuesday nights with her dad, and even tutored some of her peers in Calculus when they struggled to comprehend derivatives. So, what was a girl like her doing in a bright orange vest courtesy of the juvenile delinquent system?

A mistake. A huge, fat, ugly mistake.

The blonde had her arms crossed over her chest, closing herself off from the others, as she leaned against an oak tree in Angel Grove Park. Her curious mind was running at a mile a minute, trying to figure out how everyone else ended up in weekly community service work, but her lips remained closed and pursed. Peyton simply observed- wanted to take it all in and not jump to any conclusions. Glancing around at her peers, she took in their facial expressions, their body language and anything basically that could help her gauge their reactions to this situation.

Everly seemed more than pleased to be here, but Rowan, not so much. Peyton recognized them both from school, but since they didn't run in the same social circles, they had never spoken (naturally). Peyton knew that Rowan always found herself in trouble, so seeing her here wasn't the biggest surprise, but Everly being present was. Clearly, she was here on her own terms, since no one subjected to this against their own will would have such spunk to speak first and introduce themselves. Peyton couldn't say the same, and didn't need people knowing who she was and why she was here. Peyton was ashamed she was here.

Her guilty conscience was ever present, and she doubted that cleaning up trash was going to make it disappear. She had committed a crime, a legitimate crime that could've gotten someone killed. No candy wrapper was going to fix that. But this was her sentencing- in addition to her license being revoked for 30 days- and she was going to serve her time and do the damn thing. Peyton's actions lacked a moral compass and true character, so if this was going to help her on the path to earning integrity, than so be it. Building character didn't sound half bad.

With a deep sigh, Peyton walked towards everyone else, very well aware that she would have to make herself known at some point in order to get credit for showing up. Clearing her throat, she spoke in a calm and steady tone. "Peyton Saunders. I'm not exactly looking forward to this either, but I'm sure if we all work together we can get this done a whole lot faster- which would be ideal." The blonde looked around at the other teens, attempting to test the waters. "Hopefully we can make the best of this situation. Building character doesn't sound like the worst thing, right?"

Beverly Hills High │ Legends Never Die

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Bailee & AJ
Collab with @Lovely Complex
Location: Upstairs in one of the Bedrooms...
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AJ was a man on a mission. A mission to do what you ask? Stay tuned. Reaching the cabins, still with Bailee Helmsley hoisted on his shoulder, hanging on him like a dead fish, having given up fighting a while ago, the hooligan irritably walked passed the doors, which seemed to be all occupied. Jesus, people just had to have sex. The last one, luckily, was available. Grumbling to himself that he had to sign in, which was excessive in his opinion, AJ used his free hand that wasn’t holding onto a girl to scribble his signature. He didn’t necessarily want to put Bails down just yet, so he attempted to forge her fancy John Hancock only for him to be denied access. He tried again. The pad flashed red.

This was so goddamn stupid.

He turned to the camera hanging at the wall’s crevice, “Fucking really, Brian?” Before he could go on a tangent of how stupid this sign in shit was, the door clicked and swung open. Yeah, AJ knew exactly what Brian was up to. Brian was an odd man, but the man was his friend, and even if his idea was stupid, his friend wasn’t. Just this annoying sex-sheet-shit.

“Thanks.” Marching in, AJ’s first matter of business was simple. Reaching the bed in an instant, he carelessly tossed his friend on it. “We need to talk, like actually talk.” Enough was enough. All this screaming and yelling and bruising of egos was plain ol’ dumb. Couldn’t they have a mature conversation for once?

Before she could respond, AJ turned to the bathroom, strided into it, only to come out moments later with a warm, long, cozy bathrobe and throwing it in her face, “But first, put this on. Way more attractive than that.” His dark gaze trailed her body, specifically the outfit. He didn’t specify if she should take off her clothes then put it on, or to just put it on. Really, all AJ was thinking was: stop looking different. What she was wearing wasn’t her. He hated it.

Bailee was blissfully unaware of AJ’s inner emotions as he carried her through the ship. He may have been angry, but this was fun! Along the way, she had childishly waved to the people they passed by and had mumbled some drunk thoughts to herself, but mostly she giggled through the twists and turns of their journey thinking of this as some screwed up amusement park ride. As she felt AJ stop and mumble something about her brother, Bailee chimed in, clearly fueled by the liquor to say something a bit more colorful. “Yeah, Brian, reeeeeally?”

The next thing she knew, she was being plopped down on the bed, and instantly Bailee felt the blood rush back to her head again. “That was fun, but now I’m dizzy.” She remarked with another drunk giggle. Trying to look over at AJ, she noticed he vanished, but as he returned holding something she replied to him. “What do you mean actually talk _{cause look I’m talking right now, see?}” Bailee replied, even though halfway through her sentence her face became covered by the bathrobe thrown at her, causing her voice to become muffled. Removing the robe, she smiled “Mmm soft,” Bailee stated mindlessly, not paying attention to anything he had to say about her outfit, but slipping on the robe and snuggling up on the bed.

Okay, maybe she was too drunk for a talk, but at least she obediently put on the robe and was now laying down — away from the party. His goal was ultimately to put her to sleep, so she didn’t do anything she’d regret or worse, someone took advantage of her. It was one thing letting her fall on her ass, it was another thing allowing her to roam the party only for someone to roofie her and take that precious v-card away. He didn’t want that on his conscious. His mom taught him better than that.

While she was on a cloud of a bed, AJ went to the small kitchenette to see what his options were. A smile appeared on his face when he found a box of Chamomile tea in a drawer by the sink. His mother actually drank this at night to help sooth her to sleep. He didn’t know particularly that it was a mild tranquilizer and sleep inducer, but he did know how it did wonders for his mother, so logically, it could do the same for Bailee. “How’s things been? With the business.” He called out. “We haven’t really played catch up yet.” He’ll save anything deep for the morning. Staring down at the porcelain cup he just grabbed, AJ wondered to himself why was he going out his way for her. Shouldn’t this be Brian’s job?

Bailee stared blankly at the wall as AJ disappeared, trying to make out the designs on the faded wallpaper. It was almost a floral-ish pattern, and she had for some reason never noticed it before. The things you discover when intoxicated, right? Brought out of her thoughts as she heard a question being posed to her, she sat upright and responded, playing with a piece of her brown hair. “The business is fine, I’m doing a lot of work. Aaaand that’s all you need to be caught up on, cause it’s not like I do anything else!” She replied with a laugh, lying back down on the bed. It was true, Helmsley Enterprises took up her entire existence.

The next question was out of the blue, since AJ felt like anything with the business she wouldn’t go into great detail, so he thought of the next best thing. “Do you even have a type?” Waiting patiently for the packet to settle in, he poked his head out of the kitchen area, “Like all you care about is your daddy’s business. Sometimes I wonder if you’re aesexual or something. It’s hard to picture you masturbating.” Not saying he’s tried to, but it’s true! She’s never even kissed someone before, at least not to his knowledge. Maybe she did have some business guy she was screwing. It was probably wrong of him to assume that she was a prude up until this very night where she pulled a Becca on the student body.

“Excuuuuuse me sir, but it’s also my business. I will own it one day. And then I will rule the world.” Bailee replied sassily, flipping over on the bed to lay on her stomach. Taking a moment to think, she responded with whatever came to mind- no matter how unpolished and crude it seemed. “I am far from asexual sweetie, my siblings should be glad they don’t share a wall with me….” She giggled again, another drunk hiccup escaping her lips. “ But I don’t have a type yet- at least I don’t think I do- but I do know what I don’t like. I don’t want to be with someone who will let me get away with everything, cause I’m kind of a bitch if you haven’t noticed.” Bailee explained a smirk popping onto her face.

“Oh, are you?” AJ came out with a smug smile on, with a tray that had tea and some cookies. As he walked closer, he carefully placed the tray at the end of the bed, “I had no idea.” He jokingly teased. His kindness didn’t stop there. He grabbed the mug, checked to make sure the porcelain wasn’t too hot in his hand, and slowly brought the drink to his friend, “No funny ideas. I do this a lot, for my ma.” Yeah, AJ wasn’t always a dick. Just most of the time.

Bailee nodded, “Yes, I can be very bitchy.” She confirmed, reaching out and taking the cup from AJ, their hands brushing ever so slightly. Looking down, she noticed he was not giving her more alcohol, which was kind of a bummer, but she accepted it regardless. Blowing on the tea so it would cool down a tad, she took a sip and sighed. A look of realization popped on her face and she glanced over at the boy across from her curiously. “Wait, why do you want to know if I have a type?”

“It’s not that deep, Bails.” AJ leaned against the backboard and shrugged, “Casual conversation. Do you even remember the last time we talked like this? Because I don’t.” Resting his hands behind his head, AJ joked, “Maybe I’ll help you get laid. God knows you need to release all that pent up aggression.”

Bailee took another sip of the tea, and munched on one of the cookies that was on the tray. “I don’t even remember the last time we talked.” She stated, looking up at AJ and away from the porcelain tea cup. Her jaw dropped slightly at his comment, “I do not have pent up aggression, that’s a lie!” She exclaimed, “But I bet I’ll be a virgin for the rest of my life… I’ll be fine, I’ll just own Helmsley Enterprises and a lot of cats. Lots and lots of cats.” Bailee explained. She had realized recently that she would probably never put herself out there enough to find a guy, or find someone who was okay with her working all the time, and had basically accepted facts.

“That’s just fucking depressing.” Sitting up, AJ nudged her cheek, “I doubt you’ll be a virgin for the rest of your life. You’re a goddamn Helmsley. The only person holding you back is yourself, because like it or not, you’re a catch. Beauty, brains, talent. Flaunt it. But… flaunt it like a Bailee would, not a Becca. Watch. Spend more time at school, I’m sure someone is going to reel you in and make you his.”

Hey, when AJ wanted to, he could be an encouraging friend. Bails’ biggest issue was taking risks. She’ll push everyone away if it meant she wouldn’t get hurt. She likes knowing the end result, but for some things, like love, there is no way knowing until things happen. He reached for a cookie and shoved it in his mouth. Yeah, he was attractive as fuck.

Bailee giggled, “You know, you can be an absolute dick sometimes…” She started to say, “But most of the time you’re not half bad.” The brunette smirked at her friend, taking another sip of the tea she was holding. A yawn escaped her lips as she was beginning to get a little tired. Not only was she drinking Chamomile tea, and she had basically drowned herself in liquor, but it was also extremely past her usual bedtime. On a regular night, her head would hit the pillow at around 10:30, but staying out this late was something new. But a little part of her wondered why was it now she was getting so sleepy. “Did you drug this?” She asked jokingly, motioning to the tea.

“What?! Do I look like the type of guy who would put drugs in a girl’s drink?”

“Possibly.”

Power Rangers: The Next Generation {INVITE ONLY}

BLUE RANGER

▼ P E Y T O N ▼ 1 7 ( 0 3 / 2 4 ) ▼ F E M A L E ▼ B I S E X U A L ▼

► M O R P H I N T I M E

Blue Ranger, Triceratops, Water

► S T R E N G T H S

• Peyton has a huge heart; she will always be charismatic towards everyone until the time is right not to be nice.
• Thinks quickly on her feet and is great at problem solving if a situation arises.
• Is incredibly loyal to her friends and family- she would go to the lengths of the earth to protect them.
• Being a surfer, she has great endurance and flexibility in addition to her impressive sense of balance.
• Since her father works in technology as a software engineer, she has a great analytical skillset in addition to a great amount of computer literacy that her dad has taught her over the years.

► W E A K N E S S E S

• Sometimes, she gives people the benefit of the doubt too often, which can lead to her getting into hot water.
• Isn't exactly the most strong-willed, she will listen to others over herself, which inherently quiets her own voice. She can be easily persuaded if you give her the right reasons.
• Holds grudges for the rest of eternity (or until you apologize well enough) if you wrong her or go behind her back. Since she is so good-hearted, it takes time for her to forgive you.
• Isn't the strongest in terms of brute strength.

► F E A R S

Peyton’s biggest fear is people abusing her kindness to manipulate her. She doesn't want to seem like she is spineless, but the majority of the time she is always willing to help people, which can be to her own detriment (see below for a great example).

► W H Y M E

Peyton screwed up. It’s as simple as that.

After going to a party a few weekends ago, she thought that even though she’d had two drinks, she would still be solid to drive home. Her friends were plastered, and she needed to make sure she got them home safely, so she was going to take them. Long story short, they got pulled over, and every single person in the car was breathalyzed, Peyton included. Even though her BAC was barely over 0, the state has Zero Tolerance for Underage DUIs therefore her license was suspended for 30 days and she was put in community service. A small penalty, but a penalty nonetheless.

► E X T R A

Anne Winters | 4169E1

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Thriller

M A T H E R M E M O R I A L H I G H S C H O O L:

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^{Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 - 02:44pm | The Loft}

After saying her piece, Anneliese tried her best to listen and pay attention to what the other students had to say out of respect, but it was quite difficult to remain interested in the conversation. Although most of the students had some wise things to say regarding the subject, some definitely speaking more inquisitively than others, her mind continued to drift to other places while her hands continued to sketch. Instead of analyzing the subject at hand, she wondered what her mom was making for dinner and what time she was planning on sneaking out to Pandora’s Wall after her parents go to sleep.

The whole point of this class still baffled her, since sticking fifteen-some odd teens who basically had nothing to do with each other in a room and asking them to think about how they can make a positive impact wasn’t going to get anywhere. It reminded her of some of the books she had read previously, like 12 Angry Men, in that not everyone was going to think the same or act the same, and yet they were supposed to unite towards a common goal. It simply wasn’t going to happen. Her ears perked up as Jonas described what he believed the course meant- using the gifts you’ve been given in order to make life better not only for yourself but those around you. Oddly specific, but alright. The word ‘gifts’, however, made a shiver travel up her spine.

As he transitioned to the next activity, Anneliese could feel her stomach drop. She despised group work, as it usually went in one of three ways. The first being she would end up in a group and have to complete all the work on her own, the second being that she would get into a group and no one would listen to her small voice, or third, she’d end up on her own. Each scenario was less than ideal, and she didn’t like the idea of any of them. But at least cracking a code sounded somewhat interesting and enticing. Anne was so focused on her sketch that she had to do a double take when someone was speaking to her.

Shocked to hear someone calling out her name, Anneliese’s head turned so fast it nearly gave her whiplash. The brunette was even more stunned to see that one of her brother’s friends, Aiden, was the one motioning her over to join his group. Anneliese had never spoken more than a few words to him.… why was he all of a sudden talking to her? Most, if not all, of her brother’s friends never gave her a second glance; she was simply Louis’ sister, nothing more, which made this situation so out of the ordinary. As she picked up her things and moved over to sit near him, she summed it up as him just trying to be friendly in a small class where they were going to be interacting often.

Anne looked around at the other group members, one of them being the boy whose joke she laughed at earlier, which had earned her a wink in return. On the subject of the activity, the brunette didn’t want to be the first one to say anything, so she was thankful that the jokester asked what they were doing before she did. Taking a first pass at the translation sheet, she gazed at the alphanumeric code that was established as set of lines in different directions and amounts. “Well, each letter has an associated symbol, we just have to think of something we want to say, and then match each letter up to translate it properly.” Anneliese replied louder than her previous mumble, “Any ideas of what we should write?”

Beverly Hills High │ Legends Never Die

_{Mason Aspen and Laurel Evanson
A @Melissa and @Universorum Collab}

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Mason honestly didn’t have very strong feelings toward parties, one way or the other. They were alright! He liked to drink, he liked to socialize, and he liked to hang. They had their downsides, though. Sometimes, people were fucking assholes at parties; they fought, they yelled, they threw hands, they threw drinks — which wasted perfectly good alcohol, by the way — and they were just all around fuckers.

In Mason’s opinion, the faults could be looked past, if the party had the right ambience, and the right location. Luckily for him, this party certainly ticked both boxes. The ambience was there, from the dope lights beneath his feet that changed and reacted to each and every footstep, to the soft hum of music that followed him wherever he went. As for the location? He was on a super yacht, in the Pacific Ocean surrounded by his peers. It was a good party! It was chill, maybe too chill, but hey he didn’t mind.

He took a sip from the shot glass in his hand, filled with a bourbon of some kind that he didn’t catch the name of, and looked around the ship with a satisfied smile on his lips. This was a good use of his Tuesday! Sure, he could have done something else if he was at Dreamland, but it might not have been something better. This was alright.

He just needed a cute girl to talk to, and things would be lit.

Laurel was not exactly thrilled with the situation at hand. Sure, things could have been worse, but walking around a party only in her bra and underwear was definitely not ideal. She and Olivia had departed the game room only a few minutes previous and were beginning the man-hunt for their articles of clothing. The hoodie that Honey had gifted her wasn’t exactly made of the best material for its purpose so she tied the sheer fabric around her hips to somewhat cover up her bottom half. Laurel had a sick feeling that this was some Senior trying to put the Junior girls in their place, but she couldn’t be sure until they found the culprit. Her pace quickened, the blonde girl tried to survey the crowd of people quickly to see if anyone was holding their shirts and skirts.

With no avail, Laurel turned around to tell Olivia, but just like their clothes, she had vanished. Great, not only was she nearly naked, but she was now alone! In a huff, Laur spun around to go find another room to look in, but instead of gracefully continuing her search, she slammed right into someone- a tall someone. “Oh shit, I’m so sorry.” The blonde apologized profusely, feeling like an absolute idiot for not watching where she was going.

Mason very suddenly stumbled forward, watching as his drink spilled out of his shot glass. He spun around on his heel to tell the person that it was alright and not really a big deal that he’d been ran into. However, once he turned around to see a girl in the absolute bare minimum of clothing, and he raised his eyebrows. “No big deal. You’re not wearing any clothes, I see. I dig it.” He held out his shot glass, shaking it to rattle the ice, and show that there wasn’t much drink left in it. “Normally, I’d say let’s drink to that, but, it seems like I spilled it for some reason…” His lips curled into a smile, and he winked his left eye at her.

Of course the very first thing this guy had to point out was the fact she wasn’t wearing anything! Nice. Replying to Captain Obvious, Laurel shrugged. “It wasn’t intentional, but I appreciate the support. Strip poker game gone wrong….it seems we have a clothing thief on our hands.” The blonde explained, running a hand through her straw locks. As he motioned to his drink which she made him spill, she sighed, a smirk popping onto her face. “I wonder what that reason could be… but I’d be happy to get you another. The last thing I would want to do is deprive a man of his bourbon.”

“A classy woman. I like that.” He chuckled to himself, and with his free hand pulled the zipper down on his jacket. Unlike the sort of, sort of not, hoodie-esque piece of fabric she wore now, his jacket was closer to being a Carhartt, thicker and warmer. He peeled it off and handed it to her. “Here, don’t freeze to death before I get my drink, yeah? You can keep it until you have your clothes back. Just make sure you give it back.”

Laurel was a little taken back that a random guy would just give up his jacket- especially since she had just slammed into him and spilled his drink everywhere- but nonetheless, she appreciated the gesture. Slipping it on, she absentmindedly inhaled the manly musk of cologne coming off of the jacket. It was woodsy; she liked it. “Smart logic. Thanks.” She stated, a small chuckle escaping her lips. Laurel didn’t zip up the jacket though... after all, she did play strip poker for a reason. The blonde nodded towards the bar indicating for the mystery boy to follow. She had probably seen him around school, but then again she didn’t really try to make the effort to get to know everyone. “Another bourbon?”

“Damn skippy. My dad would have my head if I drank anything else, champ.” He said as they headed toward the bar together. Mason glanced her up and down again, which may have seemed like he was checking her out, which was only half the truth! He was trying to place a name to her face, which he quickly found impossible. Deciding to mentally blame it on weed, Mason went ahead and asked. “So, what’s your name? I’m Mason. You may have seen me around campus, or on YouTube doing something dumb. Well, ballsy; but I’ve learned that sometimes ‘ballsy’ and ‘dumb’ are synonyms.”

The girl turned to the bartender, propping herself on the bar, “I’ll take a bourbon on the rocks and a vodka tonic. Thanks.” Laurel stated curtly, and watched as their drinks were beginning to be made. Looking over her shoulder at Mason, she smirked as he described himself. “No I haven’t, but from what it sounds like, I’ve been missing out. I’m Laurel, and as you may probably guess from my lack of outfit, I air on the ballsier side of life.” The blonde replied, handing him his drink as soon as the bartender slid it down the bar.

He took the drink and sipped from it, nodding in agreement with her. “Oh, trust me. You have been missing out. Tons of wild stunts, high jumps, going fast, and the bare minimum of safety gear. I’m living the high life. Hey, maybe sometime you can come watch a live demonstration?” Mason asked, as he tipped the glass to his lips to take another sip, smacking his lips afterwards. “Man, they have some really good booze on this ship. Long live the Helmsleys.”

“Nothing like seeing people make dumb decisions live.” Laurel laughed, reaching for her Vodka Tonic which had just been placed in front of her on the bar. Taking a large sip, she relished the drink for all that it was, even though it wasn’t much. Looking over to Mason, she nodded. “This stuff is the highest shelf you could possibly get. Not your regular high school party, shit.” She commented, taking another large sip of her drink. “You probably need a cherry picker to reach this stuff on the liquor store shelves.”

“You might be right, it’s definitely money.” He said, sipping again. It wouldn’t surprise him if some of the aged alcohol that the Helmsleys had was excavated from buried castles, or something. He shook his head and smiled to himself, the idea of Brian, Becca, and Bailee digging around in the ground in Europe, searching for alcohol stores belonging to Kings from ages past. “Anyway, thanks. You’re cool. Do you want me to hang while you try to find your clothes? Because I will. Gotta make sure you bring that jacket back, champ.” He said, emphasizing his statement with another smile and wink of his eye.

Laur smirked, “I like to think I possess some cool qualities. You’re not so shabby yourself.” She replied, taking the final swig of her drink and slamming it down on the counter. Letting out a deep exhale, she turned to Mason. “Don’t worry, love, there may be a clothing thief on this boat, but I am certainly not a jacket thief. You’ll get this back as soon as I cover up my gray lacie panties.” She stated, tugging on the bottom of the jacket for emphasis.

“That’s not going to work, you know.” He said, holding up his empty glass and tipping it in her direction. “You’re bringing up how lacie your panties are to get me to look, but unfortunately for you, my will power is too good for that. I’ll check you out when I’m damn well ready.” He said, putting the glass down on the table and standing up. “Let’s go find whoever stole your clothes, and duct tape them to the ceiling.”

“Glad your willpower is strong, cause that wasn’t an invitation.” Laurel responded, a smirk popping onto her face as she walked a few steps away from him and the bar. Her playful demeanor changed to confused as Mason offered to help find the culprit of the missing garments. Giving him an inquisitive look, Laurel paused her train of thought, “You have duct tape? Why?”

He stood up and before he followed after, he glanced over his shoulder, giving a forlorn look over his shoulder to the bartender, who rolled his eyes but poured the boy another drink. Mason accepted it, and then wandered after Laurel, “yes, I do. Duct tape is the most versatile, and useful tool in the world. With enough of it you can repair like, anything. So I always keep some on me. Go ahead, reach into the jacket pocket.” He said, pointing at the left pocket. “There’s some in there. Never leave home without it.”

Sure enough, when Laurel reached into the pocket of the jacket, she found a small roll of duct tape…. among other things. With a cheeky grin she pulled out something else she found. Holding up the single condom she discovered clear as day, she laughed. “I’m sure you never leave home without one of these either.”

Beverly Hills High │ Legends Never Die

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Bailee & AJ
Collab with @Lovely Complex
THEY'RE ON A BOAT. STILL.
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Sometime, during this endless night, AJ grabbed the scorpion bowl away from Bailee and it ‘magically’ disappeared. Thank god this party was poppin’ because him making a big ass drink disappear would’ve been a bitch if it weren’t for all these people. He made sure to ask for a ‘sip’ when her gaze went toward the game area. There were girls stripping. Dope. Then he shoved it in some random dude’s hands and told him to finish it off, elsewhere.

Hoping Bailee was too drunk to remember the drink she was holding, AJ tapped her shoulder, “Hey, I’m kind of hungry, let’s get something to munch on.” If he made eating his idea, she wouldn’t disagree, but really, AJ wanted her to have some kind of food to absorb all the alcohol she’s been drinking. “They have your favorite.” Shit, what was her favorite? Well, either her brother or Becca did the catering, so they had to have something she liked.

Bailee remained in her own little world as she stood beside AJ. She had lost count of the drinks she had consumed… maybe six? Or even seven? But it didn’t matter how much alcohol it took to get her there, all that mattered now was that she was absolutely hammered. Everything seemed to be amplified in this state- mostly the volume of the music, but also the lights and colors surrounding her on the dancefloor- so much so that the sights and sounds were meshing and blurring together like some type of drunk synesthesia. In this intoxicated state she was oblivious to almost everything- almost was the key word in that sentence. The only thing that seemed to stick with her was her curiosity surrounding one thing.

Why was AJ being so clingy?

He hadn’t left her side since he first approached her on the dance floor, which was weird, especially considering their argument earlier in the day. In all reality, she didn’t give the subject deep thought, especially since AJ mentioned food and her mind seemed to erase everything else in order to focus on that. An in one ear and out the other mentality. “Ooh, yummy, okay!” Bailee obliged without any hesitation, as she was drunk and quite open to suggestion.

“Okay, good.” She was in full agreement. No bitching. No whining. No kicking. Total agreement. He could get behind this Bailee.

Suddenly, a little redhead came running with a bunch of shoes in her arms and a backpack on her back, looking like she would bulldoze right into Bails. Subconsciously, he slid his hand around Bailee’s waist and pulled her close to him and out of the freshman’s way. Annoyed, the ruffian yelled, “WATCH WHERE YOU’RE RUNNING!” Not having any idea that the tiny redhead was Damian's little sister. If he did, she would be higher on his priority list of making sure there was no date rape in her fun night.

The swiftness in which AJ pulled her to the side caused Bailee’s breathing to hitch. All she could feel was his hand firmly on her waist and nothing else. Deciding to not think of it as anything, she rolled her eyes and giggled at his angry nature. “Aww calm down, AJ, she’s just a little thing.” She stated, leaning against him. “Besides, she can’t hurt me. Can I let you in on a little secret?” Without waiting for his response Bailee leaned in close towards his ear. “I’m invincible...” She whispered, dissolving into more inebriated giggles as she attempted to stand back up straight.

Her drunk giggles were cute. Her leaning on him was cute. Her whisper was… cute. What wasn’t cute was the sudden, loud, and rude burst of laughter that escaped AJ’s lips. “Ha!” He couldn’t help himself. Bailee was like the least invincible Helmsley he’s ever met. Sure, she had a bark that matched her bite, but that was only to shield her vulnerabilities. Soft skin to match her soft heart. “OK, Bailee-kins.” Whatever you say. AJ began to walk forward, all the while lifting her up so that she walked somewhat straight. Invincible, my ass.

“You know, you can let go of me now,” Bailee commented, still feeling AJ’s hand on her waist as he pulled her along. Deciding she had felt enough of his clinginess- quite literally- she slipped herself from his grasp and walked forward without him. Her pace was very shaky, but still stable- quite surprising for someone as drunk as her. With a laugh, she looked back over her shoulder at AJ. Take that! “See! Invincible!” She excitedly chimed, believing that she was independent as she felt in that moment. But then, as all good things must come to an end, she lost her footing and began to fall towards the ground. It was fun while it lasted…

“Jesus fucking—” Stopping himself from chasing her, as his hand reached out to grab her wrist, AJ thought about what his father taught him and retracted his hand. Let people learn from their mistakes. Bailee was being ungrateful and all he did was help her this entire night. Walking, not running, AJ strolled to his friend, pretending he didn’t have enough time to save her. Bailee thought she could handle this, then fine. It was all hers to handle. “How’s the floor feel?”

In a slight daze, the brunette groaned, as she simply remained down on the ground after falling and let her head rest on the linoleum. Luckily for her, she fell in a position that didn’t reveal herself to the entire party- thank goodness. Bailee looked up at AJ, who from her spot looked like an absolute giant. So much for being invincible. “Cold,” She replied to her so called ‘friend’. Why wasn’t he helping her? Meanie. Pouting her lips and batting her eyelashes she reached out her hand to him. “Help me up, please?”

Raising an eyebrow, AJ crossed his arms and mockingly chuckled, “Now you want my help? Nah man, I’ll pass.” Next time, she’ll know better. He wasn’t going to solve her problems. AJ only offered once. Throw his offer back in his face, eat shit. He had much better things to do until she got up, like watching her in pure amusement. Leaning against the wall, he checked his wrist watch, before glancing toward her, still sprawled on the ground. “That skirt of your’s is awfully short.” He taunted.

Bailee whimpered, jutting out her bottom lip and looking sad at AJ, hoping he’d take the bait. After his sassy response, she knew that he wasn’t going to bite- but that didn’t mean that someone else wouldn’t. Like her dad said, when one door closed, many, many doors open. She was wearing a really short skirt, AJ was right about that… and she planned on using it to her advantage. Sitting up and looking around, she took a piece of Becca’s advice from earlier: Find a cute boy and make everyone jealous. Spotting the first attractive guy in her reach, she tapped his leg.

“Excuse me, hi, it’s seems I’ve fallen, partially cause of alcohol and partially because of this really, really short skirt I’m wearing.” Drunkenly, she even pointed to the fabric covering her tanned legs. “Wanna help me up?” Bailee asked the rando she had found next to her. The guy’s eyes lit up, and without any hesitation, he reached out his hand and helped the poor girl to her feet. Once standing, Bailee planted a kiss on the rando’s cheek and looked over at AJ, sticking out her tongue at him like a child.

Rolling his eyes, AJ strided onward. He was ready to fucking eat. When he got near her, slowly passing her, he intentionally muttered loudly enough, “Whatever makes a hoe feel better about herself.” Yeah, he went there. The random guy was gay and probably had an STD. If she wanted to get involved with that, that was her business entirely. Why was he even babysitting this prissy bitch? She was pathetic and didn’t even care that he was going out of his way for her.

The brunette’s jaw unhinged and dropped towards the floor. What an absolute…

“DICK!” She fumed. How dare he call her a hoe! She was far from being a hoe; miles from being a hoe! He had crossed the line- no, he had ran across the line. Storming after him (more like a drunk stumble-run if we’re getting technical), she caught up with the familiar head of hair as he was passing the DJ booth, where the music was so loud she needed to scream to be heard. “What is your damage, AJ?!”

With full on sarcasm, AJ raised his hands in faux apology, “Oh dreadful etiquette of me, I’m NOT sorry!” Refusing to turn around to look at her, but speaking loud enough so she could sure as hell hear him, he rested his hands on his ruffled mane and continued on his merry way, “I should of used the term SLAG!”

“If you really meant that you’d look me in the eyes and tell me! You are nothing but a coward, AJ Tyler!” Bailee yelled, stumbling past him towards the dining room. There was nothing like a drunk cry, and even if she didn’t know that yet, she was about to have a great one.

If he was an anime character, his veins would be showing. She was just egging him on. Always egging him on. At least this time she had the decency to use the name he preferred. “Oh is that the best you got, wannabe Helmsley?! With the people becoming fewer and fewer the closer they got to the dining hall, AJ turned around and started walking backwards, looking her dead in the eye, as he stayed absolutely steady for a ‘drunk’ person, “All you’re doing right now is pullin’ my dick, baby. News flash, the coward is you. The one that needs alcohol to have fun. Hilarious.”

“I would never be caught dead anywhere near your dick, Tyler.”

“OR ANY DICK.”