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𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏... 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝.

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@Melissa Here is my girl!



This sheet is BEAUTIFUL and I love her. Accepted!

For the rest of the evening after the ritual, Maggie stayed pretty quiet, remaining at her parent’s side. They fawned over her after she returned from the Wellspring, and didn’t seem to care that she had panicked whilst there- they were just happy that she had bonded herself to the coven and went through with the initiation. Her mother showed her off to all of her friends, her beautiful daughter apparently glowing from the Wellspring’s magic. Her father was beaming; his little girl was now a fully fledged witch! Her brother was indifferent at best, envious of the preferential treatment his sister was receiving, and spent the remainder of the night with his friends smoking herbs near the treeline.

Before she knew it, the night had turned starry and navy, and it was time for everyone to depart. As she said goodbye to her parents, her mother snatched the book the girl had been clutching since she retrieved it from the coven house, much to her chagrin, scolding her. “I want you to actually try your best to be present, Maggie. Don’t think I didn’t see you earlier on the porch for the majority of the celebration. You’re going to be here all summer and I want you to spend time with everyone. Are we clear?” Her mother's blue eyes shone solemnly, and Maggie nodded glumly in response. The blonde knew that not all was lost, as she had put two more books in her suitcase, and there must have been a whole slew of them in the coven house. She had heard that the library was one of the largest rooms in the building, and she looked forward to perusing the titles later on. Maggie hugged her parents, and begrudgingly her brother, before they disappeared into the night down the same path they all drove down this morning. She had to make them proud… but how?

Once all of the newly minted witches were gathered up and shown their sleeping situation for the evening, Maggie couldn’t help but feel uneasy. She didn’t have too many sleepovers growing up, especially ones outdoors and with boys present, so this was sure to be interesting. What would her father say, knowing that a boy would possibly be sleeping right next to her? He had strictly banned dating of all types until she was a mature witch…. oh wait, she was a witch now. Did this mean she could date? Focus, Maggie, now’s not the time for that. the girl thought to herself, twiddling her thumbs as Lark bid them a good evening and headed back towards the house.

The blonde sighed, and fished her pajamas, as well as a new book, out of her suitcase before finding a private corner in the bushes to change. If she was going to be subjected to this unpleasant experience, she might as well be comfy. Maggie silently praised herself for bringing long sleeves, especially since now they were sleeping outside. Even though it was summer, it had a tendency to get quite cool at night, so the warmth of the fabric comforted her as she emerged back out to the makeshift campsite, hair thrown into a bun on the top of her head. She noticed Calypso had also changed, and cracked a smile at the girl’s choice of attire. It was fun, just like she seemed to be. Speaking up uncharacteristically, Maggie tried to compliment her.

“You look very comfy, Calyp-” She started to speak, but it appeared that the girl didn’t want to face anyone, hood up and covering her eyes as she walked away from the group and isolated herself. The blonde sighed, knowing the feeling of just wanting to be alone, and let the darker haired girl walk away. Taking the attempted social interaction in stride, Maggie meandered over to the campfire and sat down on the closest sleeping bag to the dancing flames, making the conscious decision to try not to open up her book until it was absolutely necessary.

A @Melissa, @NeoAJ, and @smarty0114 Collaboration
Featuring:
Tyler Jane Morrissey, Erica Monet, and Savannah Payton


Tyler Jane sat impatiently in the common room, checking her phone for the time and nervously bouncing her leg up and down while she waited for Erica and Savannah to return with the booze. The redhead had been quite skeptical of the blonde’s claims earlier that week, so when she heard from Erica that there was a school van and a fake ID involved, she was under the assumption that it was a disaster waiting to happen. But, surprisingly, she hadn’t heard anything from them in a few hours, so no news was good news. She hoped.

The girl had passed the time by rearranging the furniture to be more conducive to a large group of people- she stacked some chairs and hid them in a closet and moved one of the tables against the wall to be used for beer pong (or as a backup plan, water pong if they couldn’t get any beer…) with the box of ping pong balls she stole from the student center. She had begged another one of the students on the floor for their set of speakers, and luckily they obliged, so those sat in the far corner of the room already hooked up to her laptop. Tyler Jane had spent a while getting ready after being rudely interrupted by Griffin, makeup complete and hair now straightened. Her outfit was a little more risque than usual- a bralette underneath of a sheer mesh black shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, but she knew she looked good and hoped as an added bonus that a certain someone would think so as well.

Erica pushed the common room door open with her hip, and slid in, Savannah right behind her. Arms occupied with keeping their collection of alcohol off the ground, Erica quickly deposited the ill-begotten gains on the island, breathing a sigh of relief. They’d made it.

“The drinks have arrived!” she said, gesturing to the liquor with a flourish of her hand. All in all, this had been considerably easier than she’d thought it would. The keys practically fell into her lap, but hopefully that meant nobody would be too suspicious when they turned up in a bush near the van’s usual parking space. “Shots for good luck, ladies?” she asked, not even waiting for an answer before she pulled out one of the bottles of vodka and unscrewed the cap.

Savannah brought in the cases of Corona and coolers, since Erica was doing all the juggling with the collection of bottles. However, her prized acquisition, the personal bottle of Hpnotiq was safely stowed in her backpack. She set the softer booze selections down beside the table and by the time she was standing up, Erica was already kicking off what was sure to be a day and night of debauchery and nothing good.

It was exciting but also tense. There were parties held back in Stillwater, but as far as she remembered, she was the good girl serving as the designated driver. Maybe she would sneak in a cooler herself, but for the most part, she didn’t aim to get wasted. Tonight that was going to change. An entirely different side of Savannah was going to be unleashed. Maybe I won’t have to think about every possible exit strategy when I’m drunk… Although I should have the water bottle and garbage pail ready to go bedside just in case.

Savannah pulled out another fragile piece of their expedition rewards: a souvenir batch of four glasses that had various natural wonders of New Mexico on the sides. It seemed appropriate, and the gas station did have some chips that couldn’t be obtained from the vending machines here, so it was a worthwhile start. “OK, but let me get some chase or something. I don’t think I can handle straight vodka on my first go.” She didn’t know that it most certainly wasn’t her first go with vodka, but for now, she reached for a bottle of cranberry juice she bought for the ride home. It was almost gone, but it would serve her purpose. “OK. Hit me, Erica.”

Tyler Jane breathed a sigh of relief as the girls appeared and her eyes lit up as she noticed the haul they had in tow. All feelings of doubt washed away as the redhead grinned at Erica, and then turned to Sav and nodded in approval. “Color me impressed.” She stated simply- even if she was still a bit annoyed with her friend, she had to give her props. With the alcohol secured, a wild night was promised and delivered. She helped her friends set up the different liquors, beers, and ciders on the island in the community kitchen, and placed some solo cups and beers on the pong table. But when Erica asked if they wanted to take shots, all TJ could do was laugh as she dropped what she was doing. “You read my mind, I want to get this party started already!”

Erica grinned, bringing three of the shot glasses over and filling each one up. The vodka spilled over onto the counter as she handed TJ and Savannah their glasses, but for once, Erica let the mess stay. All problems from here on out were to be dealt with tomorrow. She raised her own glass and the three girls brought the shots together, the clinking of glass filling the room. “To an excellent night filled with only a few bad decisions!” She threw the shot back, grimacing as the bitter liquid moved through her.

As Savannah took the shot, the vodka instantly burned her tongue. With no sugar or flavoring to dull the pure distilled alcohol hitting her mouth, there was a noticeable twinge of pain. Her eyes bugged out slightly, her cheeks puffed up. It was almost as if she wasn’t ready for the taste of it, like she was hoping muscle memory would allow her to take the shot with the same grace she always had, but that was not the case here.

She quickly grabbed the bottle of juice and chased it down immediately to get the acrid taste out of her mouth. The cranberries were sort of doing the job but she could still feel it on the roof of her mouth. “Ugh… I… I kinda wish I grabbed a better bottle,” she eked out as she threw another big gulp of Ocean Spray past her lips. “Don’t think it would have helped deal with… that, but still…”

Tyler Jane said a little prayer to herself before tilting back her head and shooting the shot with almost no hesitation. Vodka turned to fire as it passed over her lips and down her throat and adrenaline began to course through her veins. As she slammed the glass back down on the table she smirked devilishly- whatever that feeling was, it was incredible, and she wanted more. But, the redhead knew better than to take another shot in that moment. This was a marathon, not a sprint, and she didn’t need to get too drunk before everyone showed up. Speaking of everyone...

“I vote we hide a bottle or two somewhere for ourselves- all of this alcohol will be gone before midnight if everyone shows up.”

“Seconded!” Erica called out, picking up two bottles and stowing them above the fridge, as far back as they could go. She glanced down at her outfit, and shook her head. This was, “steal a school van” attire, not “get a hot guy to stare at you all night” attire. “Okay, I definitely can’t wear this,” she said, making her way back to the entrance. “I’m gonna change real quick, come grab me if somebody hot shows up. Oh, and Sav, you better start on the Hypnotiq, unless you want the rabble to get a hold of it.” Her dark hair was the last they could see of her, before she slipped into her room.

“No! This one is mine!” Sav asserted as she held her backpack tight against a retreating Erica. “I mean, we’ll see how generous I get later, I guess.” Erica’s mention about outfits caused Savannah to look down at herself. She would be a little more upset with it, but apparently “go break the law” wear was pretty close to “do regular Savannah things” wear. Both were good for blending in, anyway. “I just hope it tastes good. It’s going to really suck if I built my hopes up for nothing.”

Tyler Jane watched as Erica disappeared down the hallway back to her dorm, leaving the redhead alone with Savannah for the first time since their… altercation on Monday. You could cut the awkwardness in the air with a knife, but being the good sport that she was, TJ nonchalantly continued the conversation.

“I personally don’t think any alcohol actually tastes good, except whiskey when you’re 60 and smoke from a pipe.” She popped the ‘p’ at the end of her statement playfully, taking a look at the haul once more. There was vodka, tequila, rum… you name it, Savannah and Erica got it. “How much did all of this cost you guys anyway? It seriously looks like you bought the whole store.”

“Well, factoring in the mix and everything, it was about $200,” Savannah admitted. “But I was able to cover it. The prize for the scavenger hunt was a $75 credit card for each team member and I was able to talk Wesley and Talya into contributing their cards for the booze tab.” She dragged the oo’s on booze in an attempt to sound cool. Or maybe it was just to get more air in her mouth as the effects of the vodka still were affecting her. “Of course, when Wesley told me he already knew about the party, that’s when I kinda put the press on. He said, everyone in school knew, TJ! Everyone! I don’t even know how everyone knew!” Cool gave way to that sense of paranoia again. ”I mean, I wasn’t going to tell anyone about this except for Wesley and Talya and now it’s like the entire school is coming and I don’t even know if $200 is enough booze and… and…”

Savannah was starting to panic. She was feeling trapped again. Like the booze would run out and she would be blamed and be the scapegoat and have to leave the school and ruin her chances of getting to A&M and maybe she should just start drinking the Hpnotiq now. She collapsed onto a nearby chair and reached inside her bag and procured the neon blue bottle that she was saving for herself.

The redhead sighed as she listened to the blonde ramble on, noticing that she was beginning to spin out of control. Even though she had only known the girl for a few months, and she was still annoyed with her, Tyler Jane was quite intuitive, and knew when Savannah needed to be brought back down to earth. “Hey, hey,” She consoled, “It’s going to be fine. There’s plenty of alcohol, and if we run out, then we run out. Not the end of the world.” TJ stated, shrugging. She had known that this party would not stay a secret or exclusive thing for long, and that was fine with her. “This is supposed to be fun, Sav.” She emphasized the word fun, before taking the Hpnotiq from the blonde’s hands and pouring her a shot.

The Texan let out a soft whimper as TJ took the bottle out of her hands, but calmed down a little when the liquid hit a shot glass that was then offered back to her. She didn’t hesitate to take the hit of alcohol this time, quickly downing it, almost letting it bypass her tongue entirely, but she could still taste the tropical hints that made this a much easier drink to swallow. “Oh wow. That’s better than I thought it was going to be…” she admitted. “It’s almost like fruit punch.”

She let out a sigh. “TJ, I’m sorry. I nearly blew this, and if it wasn’t for getting all that money from the scavenger hunt, I don’t think I would have been able to pull off this kind of heist. I shouldn’t have shot my big mouth off. I’m sorry.”

Tyler Jane couldn’t help but dissolve into a smile as Savannah mused about the Hpnotiq she had been desiring since Monday. As quickly as the girl had taken the shot an apology flowed out, mostly unexpected, but not completely surprising to the redhead. “I know.” She stated matter of factly, not arguing the fact that the blonde had over compromised and put herself in a difficult position. “You were lucky that the stars aligned, or else we’d be having a different conversation entirely. I didn’t like how you acted on Monday- that’s not the Savannah I know.”

With a small nod, she decided to put the issue behind them now that she had said her part and gotten her point across. “Consider it water under the bridge. After all, you pulled off the heist of the century, so I can’t stay annoyed forever.”

A weak smile crossed Savannah’s face. Tyler Jane had a point. For all the stressing and stupid stuff said on Monday and continued throughout the week, they were here now. They had a bunch of alcohol stashed in the common room. They had kitschy shot glasses. The Hpnotiq didn’t want to make her throw up. Things were looking up. It’s like TJ said. This WAS supposed to be a fun night.

“Thanks, TJ,” she mustered as she finally was able to stand back up. She wasn’t shaking any more at the very least. “Hey, maybe before everyone gets here, you can give me a quick beer pong lesson? I’m… kind of a newbie when it comes to it.” This was a lie. Not that Savannah knew it was a lie. She was to be feared with a ping-pong ball in her hand if she was back in Austin. Of course, they played with much harsher penalties for sunk shots than just a couple sips of beer. Even now, it looked like Savannah was going to cling to her blue lifeboat for dear life tonight.

“Yes, but on one condition…” Tyler Jane paused before smirking once more, “You let me try a little bit of that Hpnotiq.”


In a laboratory hidden in the depths of the Academic Building, a large group of scientists sat at various monitors. It had seemed they had rigged cameras to show off almost every angle of the common room- from the entrance, to the kitchen, to even the hallway that led to the first floor dorm rooms. They would have a front row seat to the evening’s unsanctioned event, and would be meticulously observing every part of it. And in the very center of the room, positioned in front of the largest set of monitors, were Dr’s Wayman and Hagerty, coffee cups in one hand and pencils in the other.

The scientists watched through the cameras as Subject #24, after taking another shot of alcohol, showed Subject #19 how to play the game. The redhead exclaimed as the blonde sunk a shot on her first try, appearing shocked.

“Psh, you don't need lessons, Sav. You're a natural!”

“I’m sure it was just luck or something…”

The two doctor’s looked at each other and nodded. Tonight would be an interesting look at how alcohol affected each of the test subjects, and they couldn’t wait to catalog their findings.













Maggie’s brain was both fog and stone as she slowly regained a sense of herself, hearing someone call out into the abyss from what seemed like far away, instructing her to breathe in 10 counts. The blonde obliged, listening to the voice as she let her shallow breaths grow stronger and deeper. The dark spots on the edge of her vision started to disappear, light filtering into the fish eye lenses that were her pupils. Her heartbeat that was pounding in her ears grew softer, the gentle sound of the water beginning to become audible again. Blinking, the girl returned back to reality, finding herself kneeling in the same spot she had been before she drank the potion. Sister Lark was the voice she had heard- it was almost as if she was a rope thrown down to her at the bottom of a pit, a sweet, songbird like tone helping her out of a rut. Maggie unclenched her fists, half moons decorating her palms from the impression of her nails, and shakily sat back on her heels.

“I’m so sorry… I… I don’t know what happened. I never do that, I was so prepared and-” The blonde stammered, mouth forming speech for the first time after gasping for air. “I can’t believe that happened.”

She glanced around at the other initiates nervously, hoping that no one was snickering at her peril. Maggie was embarrassed that the initiation ritual had triggered such a devastatingly terrible panic attack, and wouldn’t be shocked if the other witchili- well, now witches, were making fun of her. But, surprisingly, no one seemed to be doing so; only looks of pity and sympathy read on their faces, which admittedly was almost worse.

Maggie shot up, dizzy but stable, and shrugged off the robe that was heavy with sweat before brushing off her sundress, taking a good look at the cut on her arm for the first time. Pressing her opposite palm onto it, the girl healed herself almost instantaneously, power coursing through her veins like a wildfire. Once the blood had vanished, she wrapped her arms around herself, quietly thanking Sister Lark before looking down at the ground and waiting for the group to head back to the coven house.


@Melissa & @TootsiePop

The dorm rooms at San Agustin weren’t small, but they definitely weren’t giant either. Each student had a full size bed, a desk and a chair, but the rest of the room was up to them to decorate. Tyler Jane certainly made the most of the smaller space she was given- the linens on her bed were a minimalist cream color and her throws accented the sheets with tan and burnt orange. She also had enough pillows for an army, which made her bed the perfect place to snuggle up at the end of a long day. Her desk doubled as a workstation as well as a vanity, which is what she was currently using it for in order to get ready for the party. With a few prints on the walls and a hanging plant that she lovingly named Fern, the redhead was able to make the campus issued room her own.

She had once read in a magazine that the best way to be social and make friends at school was to keep your door open, so unless she was sleeping, studying, or getting dressed, wide open her room stayed. Tyler sat in her rolling chair as she applied her makeup meticulously, upbeat music playing in the background and drifting into the hallway. She was looking forward to having a fun, carefree night with her friends, especially if Savannah and Erica were successfully able to secure the alcohol. Since arriving on campus two months ago, they hadn’t gotten the chance to let loose and have a good time, so she was excited about the prospect of acting like a true high schooler.

Wearing all white, having not been in the dorms all day, Griffin cracked his neck as he strode down the hall to freshen up before the party. A party that was practically an open invite for their whole year to go. News travels around fast and only idiots would assume the only guests would be the people the hostesses exclusively chose. There was autrious and loud music coming out of his neighbor’s room which caused him to scoff. The music spoke volumes about her, and he hated it.

Speaking of the party, before he could walk past Tyler Jane’s room, he stopped in his tracks to see her delicately applying makeup around her eyes. A smirk fell on his face while he crossed his arms and leaned against the trim, not entering like Leo most definitely would’ve. “Trying to get into someone’s pants tonight, hm?” Griffin teased, knowing exactly who she was trying to go out of her way for, which was gross. His piercing blue and critical gaze looked at her, through the mirror, surveying her in prepossession. There should be no doubt in her mind that this boy believed her to be one-hell-of-a-try-hard. His expression said it all: disappointment. Just as though everything that she was... was fake and he refused to see the genuinity behind her personality.

The girl’s focus remained on her mirror as she brushed a soft pink eyeshadow onto her lids- nothing too flashy or bright, just enough of a pop of color to accent her blue eyes- but she could feel a presence at her door before he started talking. His tone just made it all the more evident who it was: snarky, mocking, and judgemental. “And you care because...?” Tyler Jane asked, glancing over to the doorway to make eye contact with Griffin before returning her gaze to her own reflection, continuing to apply her makeup.

Silently, Griffin smiled, not responding immediately, simply watching her, with those hawk eyes. “I just find it funny, is all.” He let his words linger in the air, never faltering from his stance. Even if his body was still, his unwavering feet planted to the ground, his shoulders were lax, his words stood out from the music, and his charming smile was full of life, dignified, yet blasé. Your type.”

Tyler Jane placed the brush down on her desk, letting it roll carelessly towards her makeup bag. She just needed to continue to focus on getting ready, and then maybe he’d get bored and leave.... that should work, right? She picked up a skinny eye pencil, nimbly rolling it through her fingers. “Enlighten me,” The redhead stated while dragging just the smallest bit of black eyeliner onto her lash line. She was trying her best to not allow the annoyance to ring in her voice, remaining indifferent yet somewhat interested in his response. “What exactly would you say is my type?”

“Oh, you don’t know?” The boy rolled his eyes at her pretending not to care. “I suppose his charm and way with words does cover up how self-involved and narcissistic he is, but you know what? I get it. You both act so elegant and graceful. Nothing but two perfect peas in a pod.” He nodded to himself as if only now he was thinking about all this. “It’s only natural to think he’s just like you. But I see it, that pull he has because he has something you don’t. He’ll stroke your ego just as much as you would for him. The only difference is he doesn’t need flattery, you do.” Finally, he moved from his position, shrugging, and raising his hands up in fake innocence, “But what do I know? I’m not you. I just came by to say hi, seeing how your door is… open.”

She listened as Griffin spoke, her cheeks growing hot as he rambled on. The girl had yet to understand how one person could be so frustrating- he was worse than Leo by a landslide. It was one thing for the latter to be a fuck boy, but Griffin was a fucking boy, and an awful one at that. Of course, he had to live next door, it couldn’t have been anyone else because that would’ve been too easy. Tyler Jane made a valiant effort to not let his words get under her skin, but somehow, he knew exactly what to say to make her eyebrows knit together and nose scrunch up.

Slamming down the eyeliner pencil so hard that it almost snapped in two, she made unwavering eye contact with Griffin. “You’re completely right,” She paused, letting him think for a just moment that she agreed with him. Once a split second passed, she continued. “...you’re not me. And because of that, I don’t think it’s exactly your business to hyper-analyze who I choose to get involved with.” With a huff, Tyler Jane looked back at her mirror, picking up her mascara and continuing where she left off. As she took the wand out of the tube, she piped up again. “My door is open so that my friends can come in and say hello. Seeing as you’re not one of them, I don’t know why you care so much.”

Disregarding most of what she said, especially because he had no control over his need to analyze every little thing, Griffin focused on the last bit before dismissing himself. Like the smartass that he was, he chuckled, “I never stepped in, now did I?” Clearly amused, knowing exactly what he was doing, he enthusiastically slapped the trim of her door, “Speaking of friends! Please do me a favor and thank Savannah for me. Thanks to her, I’ll get to see a different side of you. I’m curious what kind of drunk you’ll be.” He locked his blue gaze with her sharp glare one last time, before slyly whispering, “Then again, I have my theories.” Casually saluting her goodbye, Griffin, that fucking boy, left her alone to stew in her own thoughts. To him, this was considered a successful interaction.

Tyler Jane couldn’t get in another word edgewise before Griffin disappeared back into the hallway as swiftly as he had appeared in the first place. It took her a few moments to realize what he had said, her frustration having been clouding her thoughts- not only was Savannah stepping on her toes when it came to Nicholas, but from what the boy was implying, she had decided to invite Griffin to the party just to piss her off even more. With another grumble, the redhead stood up and slammed the door to her room, ensuring no one else could rain on her parade. So much for making friends.





Nolan placed the two pitchers on the table and the huddled group of football players vocalized their excitement. Within seconds, like the savages they were, the cups were already passed around and the beer began to freely flow. The dark haired boy was smart to have taken a cup for himself before the madness began- the pitchers were empty before he could even blink. One of his teammates piped up as he drank.

“What did Bonfamille want?” Drew asked curiously. Nolan shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

“Ah, um...nothing. Just was keeping busy as I waited, is all.” The wide receiver quickly explained, dismissing the question almost entirely and deferring to the conversation going on at the table.

As Nolan thought more about it, he didn’t understand why he had decided to be so unforthcoming about his conversation with Bastíen. He could have easily just said that they were catching up or chatting, and that would have been a perfectly fine and acceptable answer, but for some reason he had decided to play it off as even less than that around his friends. The boy had hesitated and deflected, and that spoke volumes about the internal debate he had going on with himself.

Nolan had been questioning his sexuality for a while. What started as a conversation in high school with a friend turned into a larger ongoing narrative in his head that he was afraid to face truthfully. Throughout college, Nolan had only been with women- whether that was because he was attracted to them or he was not being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure. But this past summer, he met someone that he was attracted to who wasn’t a woman and confirmed something that he had always known, but didn’t exactly have the courage to pursue.

For now, he kept it to himself- even if he had a few notions, there was still a big fat question mark surrounding the boy’s preferences, and he had yet to identify his sexual preferences. He didn’t need anyone knowing that just yet, especially his teammates, so he masqueraded and evaded most questions, even if they didn't relate to his romantic or sexual affairs. He was wary; afraid that the smallest misstep would reveal his inner thoughts and feelings.

Wrapped up in his debacle, Nolan didn’t notice that Cassian had walked up to the table until he heard his teammate ridicule him. He hadn’t seen his friend since the incident, but he definitely exchanged some choice words with him afterwards over text to make sure his adverse feelings about it were known. Snapping out of his daze and rolling his eyes at the boy’s remark about his sensitivity, he quickly quieted his teammates from further misery. “Lay off guys, I’ve already given him enough shit for it.” Nolan’s teammates did as they were told, returning to their boisterous banter, and he turned back to Cassian, as well as Dana who had appeared beside him.

“I wish you had been sensitive last weekend- I would have paid to see you cry like a wuss when Theo decked you.” He chuckled to himself. In response to Cassian’s comment about his teammates, he sighed. “Eh, they’re fine. We had a rough practice, we all needed a night out. Coach would have their asses if they pulled anything. Regardless, if someone starts up, we can just throw Dana’s jacket at them and pierce them in the eye. Problem solved.”

It was then that the boy’s attention was taken from his friends and pulled to the stage, where Darla was announcing the next act. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Bas was performing, but as soon as he opened his mouth to sing, Nolan couldn’t take his eyes away from the piano. As the song progressed, something about the lyrics spoke to him- he couldn’t put his finger on what it was about them, but the feeling with which Bas played the keys and sang resonated deeply with the football player. He didn’t know that the musician could be so poignant and emotive- hell, it was shocking to see that he had feelings, knowing how bored and passive he could be at times.

Nolan caught Bas’ gaze, and as the boy winked at him, his face grew warm. He tried not to draw attention and warily glanced around to see if anyone had noticed the silent interaction- it seemed that his friends were too busy chatting to care. As the song ended, and Bas disappeared off the stage, the football player chugged the rest of his drink in an attempt to distract himself. “I’m going to get another,” Nolan didn’t wait for anyone’s response as he quickly stood up and made his way back over to the bar, wanting to take a shot of anything to stop himself from feeling.


Friday, October 26th, 2035
Location: Fitness Center | Featuring Dr. Sebastian Navarro

A few days had passed since the scavenger hunt, the buzz and controversy surrounding the activity fading, and once again monotony returned to the campus of San Agustin. However, Friday brought about a certain excitement for the student body- after all, tonight was the party on the first floor of the residence hall, as well as the beginning of any other weekend shenanigans the students desired to get into.

But in the fitness center on late Friday afternoon, Leo Brooks sat dejected and pensive on the bench, pondering life and all. He wasn’t usually one for deep thought, but he couldn’t help but delve into the inner workings of his mind as he sat there. The boy had a dream the previous evening that he couldn’t wrap his head around. He was running- where, he didn’t know, but behind him the police yelled to him, sirens blaring. Leo knew he had never been apprehended by the police, so the mere thought of being cuffed and thrown in the back of a cruiser sent him reeling. He may possess the bad boy air, but he wasn’t a bad boy at heart… or was he?

Lying back down on the bench and wrapping his fingers around the metal bar, he pressed his arms upwards, lifting the barbell above the rack and holding for a moment before returning it back to it’s stationary position, the weight clanging as it was set back in place.

“You need a spotter, Brooks?”

Leo glanced over to the source of the question, and his eyes were met with Mr. Sebastian Navarro standing next to the treadmills. The dark haired boy nodded curtly, which the teacher took as an invitation to approach the bench. He stood behind Leo as he added on more weight to the bar. “You know, it’d be easier to track you down if you actually showed up to class today.”

Mr. Navarro was one of the only teachers who seemed to understand that Leo didn’t want to be there. The man taught calculus, which was the boy’s least favorite subject, but the only thing that made it bearable was the man’s early acceptance of Leo’s disinterest and how he worked through it. The two had a mutual understanding- so long as Leo got his work done, Mr. Navarro didn’t bother him during class. It was a give and take, and Sebastian was just happy that Leo didn’t dick around while he was teaching. What also helped was that the two had a good relationship where their conversations often drifted to things other than school.

Leo tried to speak as he lifted, but instead found himself breathing deeply, the weight of the barbell heavy on his chest. With a spotter there, he could push himself to lift heavier than he previously had. After placing the bar back on the rack, he exhaled loudly, and then replied. “Yeah, well you found me now,” The boy grabbed the towel he placed on the ground next to the bench, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead.

“I was being responsible and respectful to my peers- Frankie’s sick, which sucks, so I’m worried I’m going to get sick now too since we were… hanging out the other day.” Leo was pissed when Frankie texted him saying she had caught the flu. He had a higher risk of catching it than most people since they spent a lot of time together between the sheets, so he prayed that he wouldn’t come down with anything serious.

“That’s not what we agreed to, Leo. But rest assured, she went to the health center as soon as her symptoms started to show, so you probably won’t catch it.” Lies. Sebastian hated the lies- these were good kids, and it ripped him apart sometimes that they were thrown into this. He wished he hadn’t taken this job, regretted it even. But the compensation was too good to pass up with the situation he was thrown into. Deep down, he knew that Leo wouldn’t see Frankie again for a while. “You were with her and Dwayne for the scavenger hunt- how did you think that went?”

Leo scoffed, “It was dumb. Frankie complained the whole time, Dwayne was getting on my nerves, and we didn’t even come close to winning. I practically carried the team so that we didn’t come in last. It was embarrassing.” A bit of an exaggeration, but nonetheless the boy didn’t enjoy the activity as much as he should have. Sebastian’s interest was piqued- with the heart and head of a lion, Leo should have been much more invested in the hunt than he truly was. It was exactly what he was cut out for, speed, agility and all.

“Did you want to win?”

“Not really, I didn’t want to be there. It would’ve been more fun if I had Sol or Sam on my team, but we probably would’ve been at each other's throats the entire time if I’m being honest.” Leo took a sip of his water as he laid back down, ready to do another set. Sebastian nodded in understanding. It made sense; that was his pack that he was referring to, his closest friends on campus. He was comfortable with them, he was their alpha. Once again, Leo lifted the bar, exerting his energy until he set it back down on the rack.

“I see.” Mr. Navarro replied, assisting Leo with his set. “Anyway, do you have any plans for the weekend? Anything you’re looking forward to?”

“Eh, not really. I’ll probably hang out with Billie at some point, and some of the girls from the first floor are having people over tonight so I might grace them with my presence. It probably won’t be exciting until I show up.” Leo explained, toweling off once more and throwing the rag over his shoulder. Sebastian chuckled.

“You talk quite highly of yourself Mr. Brooks.” The teacher stated, knowing that it was his lion personality coming through. King of the jungle he was, and king of the school he acted like. “And you’re quite the casanova it seems.” The scientists knew that Leo spread the wealth in terms of his relations. The younger doctors had to explain to the older ones what a fuck boy was, and how this was a good indication of their experimentation. Lions fuck for status, and that’s exactly what Leo did.

“What can I say, the ladies love me. Some of them at least.” He grumbled the last part, dwelling on some of his previous interactions that didn’t prove fruitful. “Billie and I have an arrangement that works. She puts up with my shit, and so does Frankie.”

“Just be careful. I was young once too and enjoyed having options. But options only get you so far.” Mr. Navarro said a lot without actually saying much. He hoped that Leo picked up what he was putting down metaphorically. “I’ll let you shower off, but don’t get it twisted- I might have let today’s skip slide, but you miss my class one more time and I’ll be calling on you for the rest of the semester.”

Leo smirked, and nodded. “You’ve got it, teach.”

It didn’t take long for Maggie to reach the coven house alongside Charlie and Summer. She was grateful that she had been invited along, not wanting to have been alone in advance of the ceremony. The three continued to exchange small talk until Sister Lark appeared, sickening smile and all. The blonde hated the feeling that the young elder knew something they didn’t, and was aware of the initiation ritual they were about to take part in. In fact, everyone here knew about it except them. It was like a surprise party without the surprise, a secret where you were the odd one out. Brent had once told her that the ritual was being tied to an anchor and thrown into the wellspring to see if you would float. He earned a deserved smack across the head from their mother for that one.

Maggie listened intently as Lark explained what was going to happen, and let her lips settle into a discouraged line as the young elder handed out the robes and let them know they needed to leave all personal items here. She mused a small laugh at Summer’s comment,
“Guess the sundress was for nothing…”
The blonde added in. She should have just stuck to her gut and worn pants. Before getting dressed, Maggie placed her novel on the porch where she had been sitting earlier, looking forward to coming back here later and reading the next chapter. She then slipped her thin arms through the large sleeves of the robe and pulled it on, letting the excess length drag on the ground. Nimbly and quickly fastening each button so as to not hold up the rest of the group, the blonde looked around at the witchlings that surrounded her. Soon enough, they’d all be witches and bonded to the coven. Bidding the safety of the house adieu, the girl turned on her heel and joined the rest of the pack as they embarked on their trek through the woods.

Time passed on their walk, and the blonde tried her best not to trip on the rogue roots littering the trail. The winding path grew longer and longer with every step, so much so that Maggie thought it would never end. It felt as though they had been walking for at least an hour, maybe more. She had no way of knowing- her phone was back at the coven house and she didn’t own a watch. Instead of dwelling on the time that it took to get to their destination, she admired the scenery around her. Maggie would have loved nothing more in that moment than to find a comfortable corner of the wood and read her book.

Out of nowhere, the trees broke into a clearing, and the blonde laid her eyes on the most beautiful oasis that she had ever seen. It was something truly out of a novel- the serene water that was bluer and brighter than any other lake or river, the lilies of pinks, greens, and yellows that floated on top, and the gentle moonlight that made the air seem to sparkle. The elders motioned to the spots that the witchlings were supposed to take and she watched as those in line ahead of her assumed their positions. Following suit, she kneeled on the indicated cushioned red pillow, eyes glazing over the dagger and the cup of herbs sitting next to her. As her main area of interest and expertise centered around potions, she quickly figured out what was going to happen before the elders explained the bonding ritual. Maggie was accustomed to the mixing of herbs and liquids in order to accomplish different things, and even sometimes putting a bit of herself into the concoction if necessary- a lock of hair, a bit of saliva, and even sometimes a drop of blood. The most she had ever given to a potion was a finger prick, but the idea of injuring herself further for the benefit of the bonding ritual didn’t bother her. If she were to be bonded to the wellspring in the way the witches of past were, she’d need to give more than a drop. After all, she was devoting herself entirely to the coven.

After filling the decorated cup with the wellspring’s water, she did not hesitate and quickly and quietly dragged the blade across the skin of her left forearm to reveal crimson. The pain rang through her, but it was not as excruciating as she had anticipated. She let the somewhat viscous liquid dribble into the cup and proceeded to stir the mixture with the tip of her dagger. Maggie then took a moment to look around her at the other witchlings who were performing the same task, some delaying and others already drinking. With one last glance at the elders, who watched intently, she let the dagger tumble to her side before she took back the contents of the cup in one fell swoop, hand beginning to shake as she drank. Her brother had given her alcohol to try one night when he had some friends over, so she just tried to imagine that this was the same thing as then.

The feeling that then came over her was nothing like that night.

It started in her toes, something she could only describe as pure sunshine, making its way up her body until it enveloped her completely. She was glowing, shimmering even, the light and ethereal warmth dancing across her skin as the drink ran its course. Maggie’s senses were enhanced tenfold- she was seeing stars, tasting sunlight, hearing the wind whistle through the trees, touching the smoothest silk, and smelling the magic in the air that was reminiscent of an ocean breeze and lilac bushes. As quickly as the happiness and euphoria had appeared though, the terror and havoc made itself known. Light counteracted by dark, day rolling into night, sun overtaken by moon. The power coursed through her veins like fire, burning everything in its path. It was everything she currently was and everything she could be- stunning violence and beautiful chaos. The weight that suddenly appeared on her shoulders felt almost impossible. It was not only a gift, but also a warning.

And then it was over.

As Maggie came to, so much was going on around her- Calypso was emptying the contents of her stomach, Summer was unconscious on the ground, Rebecca was face down in the water, Arken was holding his ankle in pain, Hana and Dakota were running around trying to heal everyone- it was too much. Too much for the blonde to process all at once, too much for her to bear. There were tears, exclamations, distractions- a tradition and ritual that once seemed so beautiful and meaningful turned frenzied and sour in a matter of minutes.

Maggie’s breaths began to grow shallow, grabbing and pulling for air that seemingly wasn’t there, and her lungs and throat turned aflame. She couldn't control what was happening as it started, and knew what this was bound to turn into. She had fallen victim to panic attacks before, but never did she think that the bonding ritual would trigger one. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, loud and fast and reckless, and her vision became disfigured and blurry, almost as if she was looking through the small hole of a lens. The trees caved in around her, the wellspring shrinking as the overwhelming anxiety took over. Silent tears pricked at her eyes as she took her head in her hands, trying to regain composure. It was too much, it was all too much. Panic consumed her, and she couldn't find a way out.




Location: Dance Studio | Featuring Mr. Kennedy

A soft melody flowed out of the open door of the dance studio and into the hallway as Tyler Jane moved gracefully inside the room, lost in the music. After the stressful, yet rewarding, scavenger hunt, she desired nothing more than to let off some steam in the best way that she knew how. Limbs stretching elegantly across the vinyl floor as she moved, she put all of the energy that she had left after the group activity into her dance.

A knock on the door took the redhead out of her thoughts, and as she turned to face the entrance to the studio, she was met by the gaze of Mr. Kennedy. A social science teacher on campus, he was younger than most staff (most likely in his early 30s), with long, brown, curly hair.

“I was told that I could possibly find you here, Ms. Morrissey.”

Although she didn’t have him for any classes, Tyler Jane had seen the teacher around campus as well as this afternoon at the scavenger hunt- he was there in the lecture hall when they tried to find the puzzle pieces hidden around the room. He seemed approachable, not stuffy like some of the other staff on campus, so her demeanor shifted to be more casual. “Well it seems your sources were correct. Can I help you with something, Mr. Kennedy?”

The man stepped further into the studio. “We’re asking all of the students who participated in today’s scavenger hunt for feedback... would now be an okay time for me to chat with you about it?”

Albeit confused, Tyler Jane nodded, “Sure, I guess. Pull up a chair, or stand- up to you.” The girl motioned to a stack of chairs on the right side of the room before walking over to the speakers to shut off the music and to the mirror to grab her water bottle.

Behind the mirrors, unseen by the naked eye, was a small room where two scientists sat, pens and paper in hand. The mirrors were double sided, which meant the two of them could not be seen, but those present in the dance studio could be. It was a perfect spot for the scientists to observe test subjects in real time, especially with a few particular students visiting there quite often- most notably, Subject #24. They watched as she unknowingly looked right at them as she stared at her own reflection, and then turned her attention back to Mr. Kennedy.

“Well, first of all, how did you think the hunt went?” The teacher had decided to simply lean against the ballet bar against the wall instead of grabbing a seat, his shoulders relaxing as he spoke. With the air conditioning on full blast, his curls bounced softly against his forehead.

“I mean, I think it went pretty well, after all we did come in second place.” Tyler Jane stood in the center of the room, absentmindedly pointing and flexing her feet. “Teddy was the strength, Bradley was the smarts, and I was a bit of both.”

“So you worked well as a team?” Mr. Kennedy asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He needed to ask the right questions so he could get the right answers- that was the whole point of this conversation. “Did one of you take on the role of team leader?”

“Yeah, I’d say so. I think we communicated well as a group and were able each to take charge when necessary. We talked things out before jumping right in, which helped.” The redhead replied, taking another swig of her water. “For the most part, we contributed equally, but if I had to call someone the team leader, it was probably Teddy.”

“That’s great to hear, I’m glad you guys made a successful team.” Mr. Kennedy mentally noted how she answered, but knew the others who were watching were taking down notes for him. And he was right- behind the mirror the two scientists furiously scribbled down their observations, from the exact words she used to her mannerisms and body language. “Otherwise, how’s school going for you? Are you liking it here on campus?” He segued into his next point of discussion, making it sound as natural and friendly as possible. Mr. Kennedy took a step away from the ballet bar and towards the test subject.

Tyler Jane shrugged, “It’s going, that’s for sure. Not so much the academic part, but it’s nice here.” She mustered a small laugh as she moved to put her water bottle back against the mirror. “I get a whole dance studio to myself most of the time, so I can’t really complain.” As she gestured to the room they were in, the girl’s posture said what words could not- she stood tall on the balls of her feet, spine elongated and chin raised. She held herself with a confidence and an air of elegance that could only be emulated by one other beast, the one she was modeled after.

“What about your classmates- do you like them?” Mr. Kennedy inquired cautiously, trying to gain more information than his last question.

“Most of them I like, a few of them really get on my nerves...” The redhead replied honestly, a smirk appearing on her lips. She thought about her friendships with Erica and Savannah (although she was still a little frustrated with her, it didn't change the fact that she was one of her best friends) as well as Charlie and Nicholas, and then recalled the others that she didn't get along with.

“Oh, I’m sure. When I was in high school there were a bunch of people I couldn’t stand. Who gets on your nerves?” Mr. Kennedy laughed, egging the girl on to continue her incomplete thought by mentioning his own experiences as a teen. It was true though- he had a rough high school experience as he was picked on for his love of science. This fire allowed him to graduate early with his doctorate and join Project Untamed, and he was one of the youngest scientists on the assignment.

Something about the conversation felt unnatural, complaining to a teacher about her peers, but Tyler Jane proceeded nonetheless. “Well for starters, there’s Leo- the guy can’t keep to himself if you know what I mean.” She chuckled under her breath, and once she started talking negatively, she couldn’t stop. “Billie and I couldn’t be more different- we don’t see eye to eye on anything. And to make matters worse, Nicholas just so happens to be her twin brother, so that probably makes her dislike me even more” She felt her mood shift as she continued.

“Then there’s Griffin. I tried being nice to him but he’s just so aggravating.” It was true, she tried to get along with him at first, but for some reason, he hated her guts. “He thinks he knows everything, and believes he’s better than everyone because of it. And of course, his room has to be right next to mine so there’s not a day where I don’t see him.” After realizing that all of those words had tumbled out, a blush pricked her cheeks, embarrassed. “Sorry, I got a little carried away. I guess it bothers me more than I let on.”

“It's no problem, Ms. Morrissey, high school can be a challenging time, these feelings you have are completely normal.” Mr. Kennedy nodded, consoling her. Internally, he was glad that somehow he was able to pry those names out of her- he’d get a pat on the back from the others later. “Well, I don’t want to interrupt more of your rehearsal, so I’ll leave you to it.”

The scientists behind the mirror continued to jot down notes as they watched the conversation come to a close. But as soon as they thought it was over, Subject #24 blurted something out.

“What were you writing earlier?” Tyler Jane asked as Mr. Kennedy began to walk to the door, taking the man slightly by surprise. He turned around to face her once more, a confused look on his face. “On your clipboard as we were leaving the lecture hall, you were writing things down.”

The scientists behind the mirror stopped what they were writing and held their breath as they listened, waiting to hear what the man was going to say. They were instructed to be discreet when writing down their observations during the hunt, but clearly, Mr. Kennedy wasn’t discreet enough.

“I was keeping track of how long it took each team to find all of the pieces, so if it came down to a tie we could pick a winner.” He explained quickly, hoping the answer would suffice, and continued on his way to exit the room. But the redhead didn’t buy it, and probed for more.

“You were writing sentences, paragraphs even. How does it take that many words to write out the challenge time?” Tyler Jane took an inquisitive step towards him, eyebrow raised. Mr. Kennedy paused, silence looming for a second too long, before he spoke again.

“Lesson planning, I must have been lesson planning then. Sometimes ideas come to me at inopportune times and I need to write it down before I forget.” The man exhaled softly, hoping that was enough for Tyler Jane to be thrown off of his scent and drop it. “Watching you all work together in teams got me thinking about how I can accomplish the same thing in my class.”

Warily, the girl nodded in response. With that, Mr. Kennedy offered the redhead a warm smile before exiting the dance studio, leaving Tyler Jane alone once more. But behind the mirror, the two scientists shook their heads, the question she had asked bothering them more than it should have.
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