Venus

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

Featuring Ariana Mossos and Mr. Jace Russo

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The youngest member of the Mossos clan had spent the majority of the holidays with her large family in Greece, and away from one of her favorite people in the world. The sights, activities and time spent with everyone kept her entertained for the most part, but the brunette’s thoughts always went back to him whenever she was alone. Three weeks had seemed like forever without his kisses, his burning touch on her skin, and the rush of adrenaline of the forbidden relationship they shared. So when Ariana finally got the text message she’d been praying for since the day of her arrival to Florida, she was unable to hold back the squeals of excitement. She quickly lied to informed her parents she'd be spending the weekend with one of her friends, packed her overnight back with his favorite selections of lingerie (and some new acquisitions she'd purchased during her trip) and made the short trip down the familiar streets of Crown Heights and to his cozy home.

Ariana pressed the doorbell once, and was quickly greeted by a tall, bearded man with black hair and piercing blue eyes, wearing nothing but those gray sweatpants that drove her crazy. Grinning, she took a second to hungrily and shamefully stare at his chiseled features before speaking. "You called, Daddy?" she asked the man innocently, looking up at him with kittenish eyes but with that suggestive smirk on her juicy cherry gloss-covered lips.

The last few weeks of Christmas vacation had given Mr. Jace Russo time to do the usual nothing with his life. The winter break of the most attractive male teacher of King's Academy had consisted of grading a few tests, visiting family and watching football with his friend Brent. While he hadn’t been counting down the days until his favorite student got back from vacation, he did have the date carved into the back of his mind. Giving her a good day or two to settle back in, he had finally sent her the classic: “I miss you. You should come see me” text. It wasn’t a lie: he did miss her from time to time. However, his message had been more code than sincerity. And luckily enough for him, the young woman had picked up on the hint.

”Welcome back, Princess,” he responded, looking down at her. Moving from the doorway back into the living room, he turned down the volume on the TV as Ariana made her way inside. ”How was Greece?”

"Ugh, exhausting!" she huffed, slipping her sneakers off by the door and making a beeline straight for the refrigerator to grab one of the pink lemonade bottles her favorite teacher kept in stock for her. "As much as I love traveling, I was so ready to be back home. Don't get me wrong: I had a lot of fun, obviously," the brunette explained, hopping up to sit on the kitchen counter, opening her lemonade bottle and taking a long sip. "The sights and the shopping were fabulous, as always. But you know how big my family is. There were my grandparents, my parents, my siblings, my cousin Romeo and his girlfriend, my aunt and my other cousins… It was a circus! With the amount of people around me all the time, there were times that I felt so suffocated. I felt like I couldn't even take a shower without feeling like someone was hovering over my shoulder!"

Setting the remote back down on the coffee table, Jace made his way over to the kitchen to stand in front of her, resting his hands on her thighs as she spoke.

”Hopefully now that you're back you can relax,” he said, reaching his hand up to brush her hair behind her right ear. ”Do you want anything to eat? You know I’d be more than glad to fix you something.”

"Wow, dinner tonight and everything? I'm in for a treat," she teased, letting out a small laugh before throwing her arms around his neck. "I already ate back home, but I wouldn't say no to some dessert."

He couldn’t help but smirk at her comment before leaning down to kiss her. ”Always quick to the chase, aren’t you?”

Ariana's flirtatious laughter filled the kitchen. "Always," she murmured, taking some time to return his kiss with some additional passion and pulling away only after she was breathless. "I was away from you for three weeks, Jacey. You can't tell me you didn't miss me as much as I missed you."

“You know I did. I couldn’t even pretend that I hadn’t missed you if I tried. I don’t have that much will power.” He stepped away from her momentarily to grab a drink from the fridge. ”I heard from Amanda yesterday. Oh, joy. She’s back in full swing in New York. Can’t say I blame her after the hell that was the reunion. Remind me to never go to one of those things again, would you?”

The mention of Jace's ex-girlfriend always brought a rather comical expression to the brunette's face: the scrunched-up face you make when you step on a turd with your favorite high heels on. Ariana hadn't had the 'pleasure' of meeting Amanda Woodall in person, but from what she'd gathered, the blonde was a nightmare. How her charming, fun, outgoing and beloved teacher had gotten tangled up with someone like that was a question the young woman would always ask herself.

"I mean, I did tell you it was a bad idea. But you're both stubborn and a masochist, so there was nothing I could have said or done to keep you here," she scolded him with a shrug and a roll of the eyes. "But anyway: moving on. What did Little Miss Dragon Lady want with you now?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

”Oh, you know… Just wanted to catch up, let me know she was twelve weeks pregnant, and wish me a Merry Christmas. Just the usual stuff.”

Ariana nearly choked on the sip of lemonade she'd taken from the bottle just seconds before Jace dropped this bombshell on her. "What?!" she cried out, frowning at the man while her heart raced a million miles a minute, just like the stream of questions coming out of her mouth. "Babe, please don't tell me it's yours. Because it can't be yours, right? You told me you stopped seeing her months ago. Right?"

”Of course it’s not mine! Thank God. And yeah, I did stop seeing her forever ago. I wouldn’t lie to you.” He took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. ”But yeah. She went back to Benjamin, so I guess they ended up working things out. It’s his kid.”

The young woman watched the man carefully for a few silent seconds, taking in his gestures and expressions. She could tell the news had done a number on him, even if he was trying to act unbothered about it. Of course, the young Mossos was never one to shy back from seeking the truth, even if it hurt. And in the complex case that was Amanda and Jace, she'd peel the band-aid right off if it meant her darling's wounds would heal faster.

"Do you still love her, Jacey?" Ariana asked him in a voice barely louder than a whisper, waiting for his answer with bated breath.

Her question took him by surprise. While he thought that he was used to her bluntless after all this time, it still caught him off guard from time to time. He looked her in the eyes, seeing the slightly worried look there. Why she was worried - he didn’t know. As far as Jace knew, this was still just a casual thing to Ariana - even if he thought he felt different? Jace pushed away the thought and answered her question.

”No. No, I don’t.” He opened his drink, taking a sip before speaking again. ”We’ve always been complicated, but in the end, we both knew it wouldn’t work. We both agree that we’re still good friends. If she ever needs me, I’ll do my best to be there. But as far as loving her? No,” the man stated, shaking his head.

"Okay." Ariana murmured, letting out the breath she'd been holding and taking the last few sips of her drink. The young woman was fully aware that what she and Jace had was a friends with benefits type of deal between two consenting adults. But although romantic feelings weren’t supposed to be involved, Ari cared enough about her lover to know that he deserved much more than Amanda The Toxic Dragon Lady. "You know, for someone so smart, that Amanda's kind of an idiot," the brunette declared, setting her empty lemonade bottle on the counter next to her and wrapping her arms around Jace. "I can't believe she'd let you go like that. I would never do that to you."

Listening to her words, Jace smirked. ”You sure about that?” he asked in a joking tone as to try and hide how serious he was. ”I mean, you have college… cheerleading…. Wouldn’t an old man just hold you back?”

Ariana's laughter filled the kitchen space. "Okay, first of all: you are not old. Are you slightly older than me with a degree, a career and your own home? Yes. But that doesn't mean you're old, Jace. Hell, some of the other guys you teach fucking wish they looked like you. So let's get that dumb thought out of the way, okay?" she told him, playfully tapping his nose with her index finger. "And second of all, who says I can't go to college, be a cheerleader and the world's best girlfriend to you at the same time? You know me, love: I can multitask."

Jace laughed quietly. "My knees pop when I stand up sometimes, but I guess you have a point," he replied. "Just sort of always thought you would get a scholarship and move away or something. But no matter what you decide, I'll be here to support you."

"A scholarship?" she repeated, letting out another round of laughter and shaking her head. "My grades aren't even that great, and even if I were to get a cheer scholarship, I'll stay right here. I'm not letting some other chick take my place."

”Fine, fine. But just promise me if some great opportunity comes knocking at your door you won’t turn it down, okay?”

"Yes, father," Ariana replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him. She hated when Jace made comments like that. She knew they came from a place of genuine concern for her and her future, but it made him sound so much like her father that it killed any other feeling she could have for him. "Are we done with the lecture, Mr. Russo? Because I didn't come all the way down here for you to play guidance counselor with me. That’s Mrs. Quinn’s job, not yours."

He held his hands up defensively. ”I know. Mushy stuff isn’t your forte,” Jace said jokingly.

Ariana rolled her eyes again and shook her head. “It’s not the mushy stuff I have a problem with, Jacey,” she explained, wrapping her arms around the dark-haired man again. “It’s when you start lecturing me and acting like a wrinkly old man. You’re my daddy, not my father. There’s a difference.”

Of course. How many times had Jace said or done things to remind them both of the apparent age gap? While Ariana would reassure him time and time again, something told him that this wouldn’t be forever. Sadly, he couldn’t help but hope.

”Apologies, love. Did you wanna grab a shower or something? I know that show of yours was coming on soon. What was it called again?”

"A show?" she repeated in disbelief, staring at him for a few seconds to see if he was being serious before bursting out in laughter. "I haven't seen you in three weeks, and you think I came all the way down here to watch a show with you?"

”Well isn’t Netflix and Chill a thing now?” he asked, a smirk on his face. Of course he was only joking now. Hopefully she would understand that.

The laugh from before was now a knowing little giggle, with Ariana visibly perked up now. She shot him a mischievous smirk and a playful wink. “Oh thank God. I was starting to think you didn’t miss me as much as you said you did…” she purred, pulling on the elastic band of his sweatpants.

The smirk now more of a smile of joy, Jace took Ariana’s head between his hands before kissing her slowly. He had missed her. Terribly, at that. Was it wrong for him to admit? No… he didn’t think it was.

"You know I have, Kitten,” he said, taking her right hand in his while leading her down the hallway. ”Now come on. I think it’s time we finally dropped the chit chat and celebrated your return.”

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

What Are You Listening To?

Rosefell High.

Like most of her classmates, Jenna was not paying attention to Henderson or the assembly. The young woman was completely tuning out the principal and everything else happening around her with the trusty help of her old iphone: white earphones on her ears blasting the Global Top 50 playlist and catching up on the happenings of Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. It was during her scrolling of that last app where she came across Morgan Sinclair’s latest post, and her stomach immediately filled up with butterflies. Although she’d spent most of her free time between (or, more accurately, under) Mikey or Lance, there was no denying that JK’s thoughts often drifted to the events of earlier that summer.

Morgan and Jenna had been best friends since the third grade, grown up with a bond so close that they felt like sisters to each other. But things had changed from sisterhood to sexual attraction after the duo shared a drunken kiss at the end of the semester party last May. The young women had found themselves thinking long and hard about the kiss, brushing it off as consequences of peer pressure and drinking too much. They decided to confirm this theory a few nights later at Jenna’s place, and what started as a test kiss ended with one of the most passionate encounters both girls had ever had in their lives. From that point on, their bond had changed, but they had chosen to ignore the issue for fear of ultimately ending their friendship. Jenna hoped that maybe the summer spent apart would help them clear their head and figure things out. But so far, all that had happened was that she was missing Morgan like crazy.

Lost in her thoughts, she failed to realize the assembly was over and they had been dismissed. As she was gathering her belongings to trudge to first period, her phone vibrated in her hand, and a text message from Rich popped up on her screen. Smirking, Jen unlocked the device and quickly typed up a reply:

‘Yes, sir! JK’s Sweets is officially open for business!’

Two rows from where JK sat, Alana had been her nerdy little self, paying close attention to what was being said. When Principal Henderson thanked them for ‘choosing’ Rosefell, the short girl couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t ‘chosen’ the school: it was simply one she attended out of convenience. But hey, she’d let the older man think whatever made him happy. While the news of the reduction in budget definitely disappointed her, she sure as hell wasn’t surprised. Rosefell was one of the worst funded schools in their district, as they were hoping to slowly financially suffocate it enough to justify the eventual plans of closing it down. Still, it didn’t make her feel any less saddened that the students had to pay the price for the bureaucracy.

Then came the notice of the Home Ec and the Baby Project, and Lani was (as opposed to the rest of the class) actually excited for it. Cooking, cleaning and babysitting experience with infants were skills she had learned long ago, so it was looking like this would be the easiest class in her schedule.

Finally, they were dismissed, and her friends and classmates quickly went on their merry way to their respective homeroom classrooms. But instead of following suit, there was something Alana needed to take care of first.

With her hands slightly trembling with nerves and anticipation, the brunette pulled out her phone and quickly typed up a text message to a very special person:

‘Roses are red
Violets are blue
I would ditch first period
To spend some time with you.’

Smiling to herself, Lana hit ‘Send’ and eagerly awaited his response. The Alana everyone knew would never dream of doing anything against the rules. But it was senior year, after all! If there was ever a time to get a little risky, it was now, and Alex Bellamy was the perfect person worth being rebellious for.

Rosefell High.

@Emma thank you love! I hope you're doing well! ❤

When Royalty Collides

If there was something Marcela Castillo hadn’t missed during her time away from the spotlight, it was being the subject of whatever crazy, stupid or downright ridiculous things the tabloids decided to invent about her. She made a point to ignore any gossip pieces regarding her or her loved ones, knowing that the best way to show your opposition to those kinds of things was to remove yourself from the situation. But sadly, not everyone was of the same opinion. Eventually, the contents of the latest royal gossip column reached Marcy’s ears. And when they did, the brunette couldn’t help but laugh.

She had known that her first appearance after the self-imposed grieving exile would undoubtedly bring her some attention from the media, and that conversing with Asher in such a public place would only add fuel to the flames. But flirting? Had the Merenia correspondent been drunk? There was no way to misinterpret the way Marcy was glaring and hissing at Asher, or how defensive he’d been during most of their initial interaction. Maybe they’d come to that conclusion when the two young royals had opted to find a more private spot to converse? Whatever it was, it didn’t matter anyway. Both the tabloids and their followers would soon move onto something new… Like the royal scandal currently happening between the one of the closed bedroom doors under the roof of the Aciran castle.

Since Quincy’s passing, Marcy had been plagued by sleep terrors every night, and they had been extreme enough to warrant medical assistance. Once diagnosed, she was prescribed medication in hopes that it helped her regain her sleep-- and they had been a success so far. But in the midst of her hasty packing for the impromptu trip to Aciras, the bottle of pills had been forgotten inside the medicine cabinet. Being the stubborn woman she was, Marcy decided to inform no one and take her chances at attempting sleep with no aid. And in the middle of the night, she was woken up by two very concerned ladies maids tending to her. When asked what had happened, the women informed the Aragonian princess that they had heard her ear-splitting screams across the hall, entered the room to find her thrashing in bed, and had sprinted to action. After assuring them she would be okay, the Mexican-Spaniard woman had been left alone, and she’d looked for comfort in the one person she knew she could trust. From that night onward, Marcela had been sleeping in the comfort of the arms and chest of Notia’s crown prince.

On the morning of the fair, Marcy had decided she needed some time to herself. She was thankful for Asher’s caring presence and his efforts with keeping her busy. But old feelings were slowly starting to creep back around, and she needed to take a hard look at herself to sort out her emotions. After they’d gotten ready and had breakfast, she expressed her desire to ride alone, and he had respected her decision. So once they had bid each other farewell, Marcela had boarded one of the empty vehicles outside the castle and closed the door behind her. She hoped her time alone would give her the clarity she so desperately needed.

What Are You Listening To?

The Layover

Interested!

Rosefell High.

_{Starring: Elijah, Aramintah and Alana}

While Eli and his friends attended the diner fairly often, breakfast on the first day of school a the diner was mandatory. When they were little, their parents would take them here. Now that they were old enough to ride their bikes and be independent, they had been meeting there by themselves.

Eli had woken up at six to get ready that morning. He messaged the group chat to make sure that the girls were up before hopping in the shower, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. Senior year was bound to be interesting, and there was no telling what would change. He was thankful to have the familiarity of his friends and their tradition. Once he was sure that he had everything that he needed, he said goodbye to his family and headed outside to grab his bike. Starting up his playlist and putting his earbuds in, he stuck his phone in his jacket pocket before starting his way to the diner.

Once there, Eli messaged the group chat one more time to let Minty and Lana know that he had arrived. The timestamp read ten minutes until seven. Hopefully they would be here soon.

Aramintah ignored her phone vibrating in her pocket as she stood bent over her bike struggling to lock it. A loud groan escaped the girl as she straightened up, stretching her tired muscles. She was so tired she could cry and it only made it worse that she knew it was her own fault. Minty had against her mother's sound advice stayed up until 1am playing with her new set of aquarelle paints. She had woken up like a zombie this morning hoping that the brisk bike ride to the diner would wake her up… it did not.

Tired and puffy eyed, Minty walked into the diner, her dark brown eyes wandering over the different booths until they landed at the one that was undeniable labeled as theirs. And sitting in it was her favorite bespectacled, dark-haired boy. A sheepish grin spread across her face as she bounded towards the unsuspecting boy.

"Eeeeliiii! You know I love this tradition but why does it always have to be so early!?” she lamented as she plopped down next to Elijah and dramatically spreading out so that she rested her head in his lap and her legs dangled out from the end of the booth. She dug around in the pocket of her jacket and fished out her phone.

"Have you heard anything from Lana?" She asked sleepily letting out a yawn as she tapped away at the screen.

”Minty, honey, you say that every year,” Eli replied rolling his eyes as he laughed at his friend. ”If we didn’t do it this early, we’d end up being late for school. And no...” he said, pulling out his phone as well. ”I haven’t heard anyt---”

“Reporting for duty!”

A short girl in denim overalls, a white crop top and worn yellow Converse sneakers was making her way to their table, effortlessly sliding into the empty bench of their booth and offering her two best friends a bright, cheerful smile. Not much had changed about Alana Kinglsey during the summer. She was still short, still somewhat pale, and still riding her bicycle around town. Her hair, although now resting a little bit past her shoulders in shaggy haircut, was still the same brown shade it had always been.

But there was something different about Alana. She seemed particularly cheerful that morning: emitting a radiance that seemed to rival the sun outside. In fact, she’d been in the best of moods as of late: smiling wider, laughing louder, eyes shining brighter… All thanks to that one night at the park five weeks before.

“Rise and shine, folks! First day of senior year is finally here, but I’m not feeling the enthusiasm from you guys…” she jokingly lamented, shaking her head.

Minty flailed as she struggled to sit up. “Well, well, well: the filthy little hobbit finally arrives!” she grinned as she jumped out of the booth embracing her petite friend into a tight hug. To the untrained eye it looked like she hadn’t seen her friend in a year. But the truth of the matter was that the pair had seen each other two nights ago. But that's just how Aramintah greeted her friends whenever she saw them. “What made you late? Daydreaming in the shower again?” she cackled as she sat back down next to Elijah.

Alana rolled her eyes at her friend’s lame attempt at a joke. “You know, you should really pursue a career as a comedian, Minty. You’d be a star.” Lana shot back, playfully sticking her tongue out at Minty

“Thank you, thank you” Minty sighed, flipping her hair with flair before leaning back in her seat and flagging down Miranda, the waitress who had worked there for as long as they have lived. “Good morning, Randie! Can I just have the greasiest breakfast platter the kitchen can muster up? And an apple juice without ice please?” Minty turned expectantly toward her friends, waiting for them to order.

Elijah watched and listened in on the two girls exchange as they all quickly fell back into their normal routine. The friendly banter brought a smile to the young man's face as he put his phone back in his jacket pocket. There was no telling where he would be today if it wasn’t for his friends. Once the waiter had came over, Eli ordered his usual.

”The same for me, but a little less grease and orange juice, please, love.” he said giving the waiter a smile.

"And the strawberry cheesecake pancakes with extra strawberry syrup, scrambled eggs, hash browns and ham with a large glass of milk for my favorite girl," Miranda said cheerfully, a sweet smile on her face while giving Alana a kiss on the top of the head and a big hug. The two women had formed a bond during their time working together at the diner, with the short girl confiding in and treating Randie like a grandmother.

“Thanks, Randie,” Lana replied sweetly, hugging the elderly as tightly as she could before releasing her and allowing her to take the order to the kitchen.

With their orders put in Minty rested her head in one of her hands smiling at her friends. "So… what plans do we have for this year?" She asked, flicking her eyes towards Alana. "Any… boys joining us here maybe?"

"Boys? What do you mean, boys?" Lana said innocently, suddenly becoming very interested in neatly arranging her utensils on top of her napkin. It wasn't as if she didn't know who Minty was talking about. They’d been best friends forever, after all, and the boy in question had been spending a lot of time with Lana for the last nine months.

”You know… Eli said, leaning forward to rest his his chin in the palm of his right hand. “The tall ones with the messy hair and bad boy vibes you love so much. The ones with the mommy issues and soft lips. You wouldn’t know anyone like that, would you, Lana? I’m thinking I might be in the market for one.”

Another cackle escaped Minty before she turned to face Eli again, while Alana’s face flushed. "Careful, Eli: she'll spontaneously combust if she gets any redder in the face!" she suppressed another laugh as she shifted her eyes between her two best friends. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Lana's hand in her own. "Let's not try to hide from the fact that we know something went down between you and Alex…" she hushed as Miranda arrived with their food.

A buzzing from her pocket kept her from shoving her face full of fried potatoes. Aramintah's face lit up as she read the text message from Oliver. The smile lingered as she sent her reply.

Alana scoffed. "What on Earth makes you think something happened between me and Alex?" came the shorter girl's dismissive reply, now averting her gaze to her plate in a weak attempt to hide the obvious flush in her face.

Taking a sip of his orange juice before speaking, Eli did his best not to laugh. ”Come on. You keep acting all weird around him. You two hung out and then he posted a cryptic ass tweet…. Please tell me this isn’t in our heads.”

Alana was quiet for a few minutes, taking her time to chew and swallow the bite of pancakes.

"Well?" Minty demanded as she poked at her bacon.

The brown-haired girl took a long sip of her milk, a deep breath and started her story. “Okay, so about a month ago, Alex showed up here after closing,” Lana began, her expression softening up as she remembered the tall, handsome young man leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed in front of his chest, waiting outside for her with the most irresistible smile on his face. “We’d been texting all through the summer, but between this and that we hadn’t had the chance to hang out like we do during school. So he tells me to put my bike in his trunk and get in the car, because he’s taking me out on a date. I try to tell him that I smell like beef and grease and we should take a rain check for when I actually look decent, but he tells me he doesn’t care about that, to quit being a chicken and that we should get going. So he opens the door for me, I get in the car and he drives me to to the park.”

“We’re just walking around, chatting while he takes pictures of me and everything else, until we get to the lake. We lay down on a blanket that he’d brought and talk some more, and by this point it was getting kind of chilly, so we’re scooting closer to each other and he gives me his jacket. At one point, we’re just quiet, listening to the sounds of the night and looking up at the stars. He tells me we should take a picture together, and I say yes. So I turn to look at him so he can tell me how he wants us to pose, but we end up just staring at each other instead. Our faces kept getting closer and closer until... we just kissed…” she trailed off, heart hammering inside her chest at the memory of her first kiss: Alex’s mouth on hers, the warmth of his breath, the minty taste of his lips, the way they wrapped up against each other with no care for the rest of the world…

“I, am...quaking.” Aramintah exclaimed tapping the table excitedly making her plate and utensils clatter. “So what does this mean?” she asked raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Are you like… together? Dating perhaps?” Minty continued.

“Nah…” Lana lamented, shaking her head with a sad smile. “We hadn’t really talked about what happened since that night.” It wasn't a complete lie. Although the nature of her texts with Alex had shifted towards more flirtatious territory, they hadn't put a label on whatever it was they had.

”I knew it! Eli exclaimed, nearly choking on his pancakes. ”Why haven’t you guys talked about it? Can I play matchmaker? No offense Lana, but Alex is better than drooling over Ricky.”

The shorter girl immediately glared at Elijah. "Hey, leave Ricky alone," she snapped between chewing her last bite of food. "He doesn't have anything to do with this."

"I know he doesn't. I just always do my damndest to keep what's best for you in mind, love. I'm Team Alex."

Minty, who had been quietly gazing at her phone as her friends talked, suddenly jumped. “Shit!” she hissed. “We’re late!” she rolled her eyes as she rummaged through her bag for her wallet. The taller girl threw money on their table before jumping up. “You guys owe me lunch!” she grinned, flipping her hair as she left the diner making sure to hug Miranda goodbye on her way out.

While rolling his eyes at his friends generosity, Eli had gotten used to it over the years. Chugging the last of his juice and waving bye to Miranda, the three of them rushed over to their bikes.

”Shit,” he said, reading a text from Aria. ”They’re skipping homeroom this year and going straight to the assembly. We gotta get there quick.” Unlocking his bike from the rack, he waited for his friends to get ready before he began to peddle off from the diner. ”Last one there is the biggest loser of all,” he shouted, beginning to peddle even faster.

“Oh like your scrawny legs could get you there faster than me?!” Minty screamed as she blew past Elijah veering off into an alleyway she knew to be a shortcut.

Instead of trying to outrace her friends, Alana merely laughed and shook her head, deciding to simply enjoy the ride. This was the second to last first day of school she would ever have, after all.

After a few minutes of urban bike riding Aramintah came to a halt in front of the bike parking at Rosefell High. Panting the girl squatted down locking her vehicle before waiting for her friends arms crossed over her chest with a smug smile plastered on her face. Once they were all present they linked their arms together, walked into the auditorium and took their seats, waiting excitedly for the start of their senior year.

What Are You Listening To?