Venus

Edenridge

A @BrutalBx & @Venus Collab
Featuring Roddy Callahan & Lanie Lancaster’s First Ever Meeting
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What was he doing here?

Roddy wasn’t a party guy by any stretch of the imagination. Yet somehow there he was in the midst of it all. Francis had dragged him here in a thinly veiled attempt to get his brother out of his shell and get him some friends. He had tried a few drinks to loosen up but he didn’t finish a single one of them. His heart had been trying to beat out of his chest for the last few hours. Fran had left him and he hadn’t seen him since they got there. On his own with no back up and in enemy territory, Roddy wished that he had just said no, gone home and played Call of Duty or something.

He had found himself a home in the corner of the living room. It was out of the way and nobody seemed to be bothering him there which was nice. Rod had a view of pretty much everyone and everything so he could people watch, it was a shame that his only friend Kylee wasn’t there to help him out. He wasn’t sure where she was in fact, probably up to some mischief knowing her. Glancing into the kitchen, he could see the cheerleaders all pepped and hyped up thanks to their victory at the competition in Pinehurst.

They were the stars of the show.

Winning the Shining Star cheer competition had been the perfect way to close off Elaine Lancaster’s first semester as a student at Edenridge High. When she had first arrived to town, she had worried about not being able to fit in a place where families had known each other for generations. She should have known, though, that when you had a face that beautiful, a smile that bright and the sweetest, friendliest demeanor, everything good would simply follow. Lanie had met her first friend in Marco Brady-Castillo less than five minutes into her first day of school, which had led her to find a new mother figure in his mother Marlena. Her acceptance into the cheerleading team had opened up a world of interactions, and she'd found loyal, trustworthy friends in the likes of fellow teammates Jillian O'Brien and Mei Ramsey (or, as they liked to joke, the Blossom and Buttercup to her Bubbles). And, of course, thanks to the team she had met her favorite big sister: Allison Davies, the one who had brought their champion team down here to celebrate.

Lanie had been at the party for some time now, walking around and making conversations with her teammates while dodging the vast amounts of drunk upperclassmen pathetically trying to make a move. During her rounds around the event, she had come to notice a tall, lanky boy standing in the corner of the living room, consistently alone even with all the people surrounding him. The girl had tried to ignore it at first, dismissing her concerns with the thoughts that maybe he was just taking a break from it all. But when she noticed just how lonely and overwhelmed he looked, Elaine decided to do something about it. She wasn't about to let this person continue to have a shitty night, so she momentarily excused herself with her friends and set out on the task of trying to save the boy's night.

“Hi!” Lanie greeted the lanky boy as she approached him, a timid smile on her lips while she gave him a small wave. “Are you okay? Not much of a party person?” the blonde asked him after arriving at his side, truly concerned about the young man and wanting to make him feel included.

With his skeleton almost jumping out of his skin, Roddy leapt up to his feet as he was greeted by the blonde bombshell in her cheerleading uniform. Why was she talking to him? Was this a bet? Did Francis put her up to this? Either way, the young boy was just surprised that she even knew he existed. ”Not really” Roddy responded as he nervously scratched the back of his head. ”My brother kind of dragged me here. What about you?”

"Oh, I'm sorry about that!" Lanie told him with a small frown, rubbing the young man's shoulder for a brief second in a quick attempt at comfort. "I came here willingly, with the girls," she admitted, pointing back at the group of cheerleaders behind them with a thumb over her shoulder. "I've been to a couple of smaller parties before, but this is my first official big high school party," Lanie declared with her customary bright, inviting smile before extending her hand out to the boy. "I'm Elaine Lancaster, but everyone calls me Lanie. How about you?"

“Roddy. Roddy Callahan” Even just saying his surname out loud almost made Rod cringe. Everyone knew his brother. Everybody knew his father. Hell, his family helped found the damn town. He was a waste of space in the grand scheme of things. He offered his hand in return and shook with the cheerleader. Roddy didn’t know much of Lanie Lancaster. They were most certainly not from the same world, but she was ridiculously gorgeous and made his teenage boy mind think stupid shit. Of course, within nanoseconds he had talked himself down from planning their wedding and remembered that she was likely just being courteous. ”It’s nice to meet you, Lanie.”

Lanie had excitedly half-opened her mouth to pipe up 'you're Francis' brother!' before she noticed the way Roddy's face had slightly contorted after mentioning his last name. While she couldn't possibly relate to anything this boy was feeling, she could understand why admitting a potential biological relation to the most popular guy in school could be a negative for Roddy. Living in the shadow of the town's star athlete was probably something he'd been struggling with all his life, with everyone around them not being able to shut up about Francis Callahan for longer than five minutes (and Lanie not understanding the why behind it, considering she found Fran ordinary in terms of looks). So instead of becoming another one of the older Callahan's groupies, Lanie chose to focus on giving Roddy the singular, individual attention any person deserved.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Roddy," she said brightly, letting go of his hand but making no motions to end the conversation. "If you could be anywhere else in the world right now: where would you go, what would you be doing, and why?"

Wow.

An actual cheerleader was trying to hold an actual conversation with him; this might actually be a miracle. Kylee definitely wouldn’t believe this. Then again, she wasn’t here and Roddy was pretty much fending for himself in the shark filled water tank that was a high school party. It was an interesting question that Lanie had posed; where would he want to be at that moment? The safe option was of course his room but that wasn’t really where he wanted to be after all, it was where his life had pretty much dictated he be. So then where would he go? What would he do? The butcher's boy mulled over a few thoughts in his head before finally answering her.

”Austin. It’s a weird place with great architecture and a great vibe. Plus, nobody knows me there…what about you?”

His answer piqued Lanie's interest. "Ooooh, Austin? I love Austin!" the blonde declared, her demeanor brightening up even more than before. "My cousin Diana, her husband Dusty and their kids live in Gatling, a small town near Austin. I've gone to visit her down there on vacation a couple of times and she's taken me to Austin, and I have to agree with you on that one!" she told Roddy with a smile.

"As for me? Let's see… Hmmmm…" Lanie mulled it over for a few seconds before ultimately coming up with her answer. "Oh my gosh, I would kill to be in Bora Bora right now! My favorite YouTube couple Tatum and Brodie made a vlog about their vacation there last week, and it gave me major FOMO! The crystal-clear waters, the little cabins right in the middle of the water… Ugh, so beautiful!" she trailed off, her mind drifting off to a fantasy land where she was swimming around the waters of French Polynesian island in her new lavender bikini, accompanied by a tall, lanky, shaggy-haired Callahan son…

Stop it right there, Lanie.

This was surprising; he was having an actual conversation of substance with somebody at a party. Maybe this was what his brother had planned for him all along? Either way this brief conversation had been the highlight of his evening and he wanted it to continue. "I have no idea who they are; not exactly going to find them in my YouTube search history.”

Before Roddy could say anything else, the host of the party, one ReyRey Gonzalez, came rampaging down the stairs, calling for the party to be over. There were many things in the Edenridge arcana that were taken as gospel truths. The south side were dangerous; Pinehurst was the enemy and ReyRey was the baddest motherfucker on two feet and pissing him off was a death sentence. It seemed like somebody had done the latter and anyone willing to outstay their welcome at the party would be next. "I guess that’s our cue”

Elanie, who had almost had a heart attack when the bulky Latino came trampling and yelling down the stairs like an angry bull, turned to her new friend with disappointed eyes. She didn't want the conversation to end yet! Roddy appeared to be a really cool guy, and she wanted to spend a little more time with him. She'd been seconds away from asking her new friend if he wanted to walk home with her when a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. And when she realized it was her teammates beckoning for her to join them, pointing at ReyRey and making frantic gestures that they were leaving, the blonde's heart sank.

"I guess so..." she lamented with a sad shrug, gesturing back to her friends to give her a second before turning back to Roddy. "But at least we got to talk a little, right? I just hope I made the last few minutes of the party enjoyable to you."

Hoping she could finish this interaction on a positive note, the young woman closed the distance that separated her and Roddy and planted a kiss on his cheek. "There. Something for you to remember me by."

Smiling widely, the blonde shot the now blushing Roddy a conspiratorial wink. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Roddy. I'll see you around school, okay? Byeeeeeeee~!" And after one last parting wave to her new friend, Lanie turned on her heel and pranced back to her cheerleader friends.

Neither of them had any idea that, a few years later, they'd become Mom and Dad to a beautiful little cherub with Roddy's smile, Lanie's golden curls and sparkling green eyes.

Edenridge

December 4, 2016, The Sinclair House
_{A @Venus & @LovelyComplex Collaboration
Featuring: Natalia Belmonte & Niles Sinclair}
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Gingerly, Niles cracked open his sisters’ bedroom door to peek and see if they were up. Carrie was out like a light so that was good. Autumn, however, had her headphones in and was deeply staring at her phone, which lit her face. Since she was laying on her stomach, she didn’t notice her brother being a creep, making sure the coast was clear.

After steadily closing the door, Niles pulled out his phone to glance at the time before shuffling to his bedroom. Once he was in his room, he placed his backpack by his desk and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Deodorant. Mouthwash. A splash of water to his face. Bending over the sink, he stared at his face, giving himself an internal pep talk to throw all the negativity out for one night.

He was tired, tired of it all. He struggled with this bullshit everyday and he felt like he was lying to himself by staying alive. If he could just say out loud he didn’t see a future for himself and that he was a rat trapped in a maze, if he could just say he wasn’t okay and that he didn’t know how to be okay, maybe, things would start feeling better.

His dad told him that he needed to make more friends and surround himself with positive energy, but where could he find that other than through Natalia? That didn’t seem good for anyone and wouldn’t that mean he was bringing down anyone he brought close? Especially her. He was a heavy weight that no one deserved to carry.

Why did he keep stressing? Why was it so easy to waste time and make excuses? He didn’t jump. That was a good sign, right? Even if it wasn’t right to put all this pressure on her, Natalia was his reason. His reason for still being here. That was something to be proud about, right? She wouldn’t forgive him if he died. Even if he didn’t see the good in his actions right now, he hoped this only meant good things for him and his best friend.

Niles knew he may never escape himself, his own monster, but he could pretend that he wasn’t falling apart, only if it meant that she was happy. If that was his only saving grace, he would cling to it, cling to her. Selfish, yes, but that’s all he had and at least it was better than pushing the one good thing he had in his life.

Taking a moment to stretch his body and crack his joints, Niles loosened himself in preparation. When he was done, he dried his face with his hand towel and went back to his room. Pulling his socks and shoes off, he tossed his socks in his laundry basket and placed his shoes in the closet. By then, his phone went off with a text message.

Instead of going to it to check, he left his room and went downstairs to the back door, attached to the sunroom that was connected to the kitchen. It was quicker to get upstairs through the backdoor. And, if Natalia actually wanted the snack he promised, they would conveniently walk through the kitchen, where there were homemade double chocolate chip cookies resting on a decorative snowflake plate, on top of the island. He and Carrie made a bunch as emotional therapy for her.

Barefoot, he made his way to the back and tacitly opened the door. When he saw his best friend, he gave her a half smile, which was the best anyone was going to get from Niles. “Hey.” He whispered, not wanting to make a sudden loud noise to alert the sister with an attitude. In his head, he did continue talking, by saying sorry for asking you to come so late, but nothing actually came out of his mouth. What he did do instead was hold the door open and gesture for her to come in.

Natalia had been in the middle of celebrating her and Mika’s third beer pong win in a row when her phone vibrated in her pocket a few times. Normally, she would've ignored the device, dismissing the whole thing as text messages from the family group chat. But a nagging feeling in her chest prompted Tal to verify who was reaching out to her instead. Frowning, she pulled out the device, and grew nervous when she saw that the notifications were from Niles.

After excusing herself for a moment, Natalia ran outside to listen to his voice-mail. Ever since his mother's death, her best friend hadn't been himself. His grief had driven him to unhealthy coping mechanisms to survive, which Nat had been unable to help with no matter how hard she tried. She worried this was one of those times.

After listening to his voice-mail, Nat was partly relieved he was safe, but was also worried sick considering how vague he had been and how the last time Niles had asked her to come by this late was when he'd gotten into that fight some weeks before. With no question that she would go assist her best friend, Tal quickly ran back to her partner in crime for the night, apologized profusely and explained to him that she needed to take care of a sudden personal issue. Fortunately, Mika didn't seem bothered by this (though maybe a little disappointed their fun had come to an end), and after exchanging numbers, the Belmonte girl caught a ride to Niles' place with one of her volleyball teammates.

When she had carefully snuck around to the back of the Sinclair home, the green-eyed girl texted Niles to announce her arrival. She didn't have to wait long for her friend to open the door and give her a greeting and a half-smile.

"Hi," Natalia replied with a smile of her own. She took a second to study Niles’ face, looking for any signs of distress and finding nothing. Mentally letting out a sigh of relief, the dark-haired girl quietly walked into the still house and stepped aside, waiting for further instructions from her best friend. "Kitchen or bedroom?" she asked him, knowing that those were the two options of places they would usually be going to whenever she snuck into his house this late.

“First,” Niles backpedaled to the kitchen with Natalia following him and grabbed the plate of sugary goodness, “Cookie?” The lights in the kitchen were dimmed and since Niles wasn’t making his way to the switch that meant he wasn’t planning on staying in this room for too long. His green eyes were soft and inviting, not necessarily unblinking but slowed. Flirtatious even.

He wasn’t the same Niles that had given Natalia an attitude hours ago when she tried one last time to drag him to the party. As he waited for her to grab a treat or not (the cookies weren’t going anywhere) he casually and curiously inquired (or perhaps it was more like probing), “So! The party. How was it? Meet any cool —” Boys “— people?”

"Oh yeah, I did!" Natalia replied brightly as she grabbed a mug from the countertop, opened the fridge and poured herself some milk. "Did you know that Big Rey’s got a white son?" she asked Niles, grabbing a cookie from the plate he was offering and taking a bite, choosing to stand beside her best friend. "I know I personally had no idea. His name's Mika, and he's a pretty fucking cool dude."

Snorting, Niles dumbfoundedly looked at Natalia, placing the plate back on the island (now that she’s taken an offering), before realizing she looked convinced, “You believe that shit? Come on, Tal. Seriously?” Whoever this Mika kid was, was lying to her face, which only showed him that his best friend had poor taste in boys.

Amused (and annoyed), Niles let out a sigh of disappointment. She trusted people too easily and this Mika kid, yeah, he didn’t like him already. Who the hell uses Big Rey as a pick up line? The fuck. Instead of waiting for her to reply, he started strolling to his bedroom upstairs. If there was one thing about Niles, his walk had an understated swagger, in a nonchalant, cool kind of way.

Honestly, if it wasn’t for his damage, he and Natalia, together, would be a really fucking cool combo. Most people didn’t notice because he chose to stay in the sidelines, purposely avoiding the limelight, which in return dragged Natalia in the shadows. When he did get noticed, he was cussin’ a teacher out or playing hooky, his seat being vacant. Yeah, he didn’t want to hear anymore (completely over it) because he knew she was going to gush about Big Rey’s “white” kid.

Nah, man.

To say that Natalia was completely surprised by Niles' reaction would be a lie. He was normally unamused and nonchalant about most things. But she couldn't deny that the upset way her best friend had reacted when she brought up Mika had thrown her for a loop. For as long as they had been friends, Nat had been the one to be jealous and possessive of her friendship with the curly-haired boy, while Niles wasn't normally bothered with her fraternizing with others. What made Mika so different from the rest of them?

Before Tal could finish savoring the last bite of her cookie, Niles had already trudged away, but not before expressing his (unwarranted) displeasure with her. "Why are you being such an asshole about this all of a sudden?" she asked him with her mouth full, abandoning her milk as she rushed down the hall and up the stairs after her friend. "You asked me about the party, so I was telling you about it. What's your deal with anything I said?"

“What? My deal? I ain’t mad, just didn’t take you to be the gullible type.” Entering his room, not looking back to see her expression, he cracked his neck before warning, “Try to keep it down, my sisters are sleeping.”

Before she heard Niles' warning about his sisters, Natalia had been ready to go off as she normally would've. But because the last thing she wanted was to bring attention to her presence in the house this late, she chose to save her reply until she was inside his bedroom with the door safely closed and locked behind her.

"Gullible?!" Natalia repeated loudly as soon as she'd locked the door, turning to Niles with a look of disbelief. "What do you mean, gullible?! You don't know this guy! For all you know, Big Rey fucked a white girl back in the day and he had this kid with her! That doesn't make me gullible!"

Yeah, she was really doing this right now. He didn’t call her over to talk. The whole ‘party’ question was a courtesy thing. In a smooth, swift movement, he covered her mouth and pushed her up against the door, “You really trying to get us in trouble, huh?”

Ever the defiant Belmonte, Natalia merely glared at Niles and shrugged her shoulders. She didn't really care about what trouble they could or could not get into, as long as he heard everything she had to say loud and clear.

“I said what I said,” Niles muttered, still not freeing her. He wasn’t one to express himself well in words. He looked at her, visibly conflicted, and knew the moment he pulled away, she would give him shit, and Autumn was likely going to pry. Whatever. If his dad found out, he’d deal with that later.

Freeing her, he backed away and rolled his eyes, “Whatever. Do what you want.” It didn’t help that he smelt the cologne right off her body, already assuming exactly what she did.

Being friends with Niles for as long as she had meant that Natalia could tell when something deeper than what he was expressing was bothering him. He had plenty of tells if you knew where to look-- like right now, when he abruptly ended conversations for seemingly no reason. Tonight seemed to be one of these occasions that he was troubled by something, and Tal mentally kicked herself for not asking about it sooner and jumping in to gush about other things instead. How stupid and selfish could she be?

With this now in mind, Natalia's demeanor softened significantly with concern. "Niles? Are you okay?" she asked him gently as she closed the distance between them but making sure to still give him his space.

“No.” He honestly admitted, but was quick to add, “But, that’s on me. Shitty night, it’s fine.”

"No, it's not fine." she quickly interjected, taking his hand and guiding the both of them to sit on his bed, still keeping her hand locked with his. "What's wrong, Skittles? What's going on? What can I do to make your night any less shitty than it already has been? You know you're my best friend in the whole entire world, right? I can't have my best friend ever be sad or upset on my watch."

As always, Niles diverted from answering. It would take him at least a night or two to tell her any of the facts of his night. She knew him long enough to at least have an idea of what might’ve happened. This wouldn’t be the first time he hit an all time low and displayed it through short tempered responses. Though, the last time he had a bloody face to show for his grief and eventually, she did find out he got in a fight where he was outnumbered, that almost got him killed. “This.”

Grasping her head, holding onto her hair with his free hand, he roughly pulled her into his lips. Unlike any other kiss he’s ever given her, this one was more out of desperation, steeped in heat and passion. He was tired of dancing around this game with her. He needed a distraction and he needed to feel something that wasn’t just pain.

Sure, tonight of all nights he felt extremely vulnerable, but that only brought out the animalistic side in him. His primal senses were going off, which only made him want her more. No longer playing it coy, he forced his tongue into her mouth, releasing her hand and laying her on her back, with his body hovering over hers. It didn’t take long until they both fell into a nice rhythm with one another, with Natalia locking the fingers of both hands into his curly hair and matching his level of passion and intensity.

Obviously, this wasn’t their first make out session. It was just the first rough, intimate, and extremely lustful one. Well, his kisses were all filled with lust. He was a horny teen after all, however, he was good at holding himself back. Not tonight! Tonight, he went out of his way to make his intentions glaringly obvious, making sure to watch her body language and feel her body in all the places that made her shiver... When he was ready, he released her to breathe and asked, “Can we?”

Even under the circumstances of being dizzy and drunk with lust and desire, Natalia knew that there was no coming back from the path they were about to embark on if she consented for them to move forward. Since the summertime, a mutual curiosity had led her and Niles to start exploring each other's bodies and pushing the boundaries of physical affection with one another. It had started off with a few shy kisses here and there that had increased with intensity, their actions growing bolder with each week that passed until they had reached third base. Mentions of the homerun had been made here and there, with both of them agreeing that it wouldn't happen until they were both ready.

It seemed tonight was the moment they had been waiting for. All the signs were pointing out that Niles was ready: the way he kissed her, touched her, in all of his verbal and non-verbal queues.

But what about Natalia?

Niles wouldn't have to wait long to hear her answer.

"Yes," the girl replied breathlessly, locking her determined green eyes with his as she sealed the future of their fates together.

“Good.” was all he whispered back before the two got lost in the moment as one.

Edenridge

A @metanoia & @Venus Collaboration
Featuring Mikhail Zima & Natalia Belmonte
Location: The Party | December 4th, 2016 | Edenridge, MA
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For the past few months since he had come to live with his godfather, Mika had felt out of place for obvious reasons. The feeling of abandonment from his father was still fresh in his mind. Being sent off to live with a family that, while they weren't unfamiliar to him and he could say that he felt safe with them, they weren't his family - not really, anyway. The Gonzalez's were their own and as much as Mika had wanted to treat it as if he had lived with them his whole life, he didn't belong here.

He wanted to be back in New York living in the house he grew up in. He wanted to be back in New York hanging out with the friends he made. It didn't matter to him that they were children of mobsters. They were his семья - his family.

And maybe that's why he was fucking miserable at this party.

It had been nearly an hour and the most interaction that Mika had was forced conversation with some hyperactive idiots from Pinehurst who confused him for one of their friends. He was trying not to explode on people, but between their annoying excitement and his shorter-than-usual fuse, he felt like a bomb that could go off at any moment.

Mika was leaning against the wall, the hood part of his sweatshirt jacket over his head and he watched as the idiots from Pinehurst made fools of themselves with the fools from Edenridge. He watched almost every inch of the main party floor as a few games were starting. Between beer pong, a makeshift spin the bottle circle, and a few others, Mika rolled his eyes at all of them.

Nearby, there was another one of them trying to get started and he overheard someone mention Seven Minutes In Heaven. “Well that’s fucking stupid,” he commented. He thought he spoke quietly but he couldn’t help but notice the stare of a girl. She looked Italian or maybe she was Spanish? She was pretty hot, though.

For someone who wanted to attend the party of the semester so badly, Natalia Belmonte was having a good time. After her many failed attempts to convince her best friend Niles Sinclair to partake in this experience with her, Tal had opted for tagging along with the girls of the volleyball team. So far, she’d had a drink, chatted with her girlfriends and even danced along to a few songs. But a good time wasn’t the same as having an amazing, memorable night, which was what the Belmonte girl was looking for.

During one of her dancing breaks, the dark-haired girl noticed a boy standing against the wall, jacket hood up and the tell-tale expression of someone who didn’t really want to be there painted all over his handsome face. The displeased attitude he was giving off reminded Nat of Niles, and how he would be acting if he were here. She was internally debating on whether she should when the unknown boy turned to look at her. And as soon as they locked eyes for the first time, Nat knew that she’d found her partner in crime for the night.

Just then, the group of Edenridge students around them began to call out for anyone interested in playing Seven Minutes in Heaven: the perfect opportunity to make the first move in getting to know this moody guy. Without wasting any time after the announcement was made, the daring Belmonte girl stepped forward and raised her hand.

“We’ll go first!” Natalia confidently called out to the upperclassmen, grabbing the arm of the sullen young man next to her and pulling him towards her with surprising strength. Her declaration was met with wolf-whistling and jeers from the older kids, but the unfazed Talia simply shrugged her shoulders and continued to stand tall and confident, her pale, slender arm still paired with that of the nameless boy.

When his arm was tugged on, there was a moment before most of the force from this girl who had abnormal strength tried to pull him in a direction she wanted him to go that he looked at her. Up close he could tell that she wasn’t like most of these idiots, but he wasn’t budging. She might’ve been strong and if he were in any other mood that wasn’t fuckall, he might’ve even gone with her willingly, but the fact of the matter was that HB just didn’t feel like complying.

So, naturally, he asserted his own strength by forcing a stalemate between them. He shook off her hold of him and said, “Sorry, but I’ll pass. Whatever this is--” Mika gestured to the circlejerk of upperclassmen looking at them with partially-invested gazes, “--I’m not interested.”

Any regular girl would’ve been put off and even mortified by the way the nameless boy had shot them down in front of a small crowd of older (and probably more popular) kids of both Edenridge and Pinehurst students. Natalia, however, was not like most girls. She was strong, determined and fierce: and if she wanted something, she was getting that something.

So instead of waving the white flag of surrender, she smirked at the dark-haired teen and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t remember asking whether you were interested or not. I am telling you that we are taking the first turn of this game.”

Consider Mika unamused by this little show of dramatics.

Between the way she was unyielding in this...stubborn-like quality she seemed to possess and Mika’s impatience feeling like a pot of near-boiling water ready to burst, the desire for him to play a stupid game that he had virtually zero interest in playing was mindboggling to him. He didn’t even want to be here for reasons he knew she wouldn’t understand, let alone accept (he knew her type well), Mika knew he had to do something that’d send the message clear.

“And I’m telling--”

“Is it happening or what?” Connor, one of the upperclassmen asked, tapping his hands on a nearby table. There was an expression of impatience on his face, partly quelled by the glare Natalia shot his way.

And there were a few more people who chimed in, or at least Mika assumed because he blocked them out as he inhaled a few deep breaths. Anything outside his head became mostly muted. This feeling of frustration was familiar because his mother and sisters were the same way: strong-willed and stubborn as all hell.

And so was he to an extent.

And so was this bitch in front of him who refused to budge.

“Chert voz'mi,” Mika cursed under a breath in his father’s tongue. He glared at the brunette and shrugged the smallest shrug he could. “Whatever, i’ll play your stupid game.”

The dark-haired girl's green eyes came alight, and her face broke in a triumphant grin. Of course she had gotten her way: she was a Belmonte, after all. Her daddy had taught her to never stop fighting for what she truly wanted in life, be it a small or big victory.

With that grin still in place, Natalia grabbed the boy's arm (albeit a lot less forceful this time) and dragged him to the rather large linen closet where the game was to take place, making sure to close and lock the door behind them. But once they were both face to face inside the closet, the Belmonte girl’s expression softened significantly.

“Are you okay?" the girl asked earnestly, her brows furrowing a little with concern. She knew she was probably prying too much considering the way this whole interaction had started, but how else was she supposed to know how to lighten up the boy’s mood? “I'm sorry if I was a bit much out there, but you looked like you weren't having too much fun, and I figured this could be a good way to start," she began, extending her hand out to him. “I'm Natalia Belmonte, king jock Danilo's prettier, smarter and older twin. What's your name?"

He contemplated smacking her hand away. With how Natalia acted towards him, if he was truly feeling like the asshole he was struggling to keep caged up, Mika would do exactly that and not calm down. But as his Godfather had tried to grill into his head in recent weeks, holding onto anger, when not rightly channeled, will swell up his cojones. And considering they were locked inside this closet for the next seven minutes, maybe he could entertain it.

This was what Mika has been wanting: a space to get the fuck away from the madness of the party.

With a smile, he shook her hand (albeit quickly). “Mika,” he said after a few moments of silence. Part of him wanted to not hide his name. Why hide that he was a Zima? But he just couldn’t. As proud as he was, Mika was still livid at his father for sending him away and he sure as hell wasn’t going to expose himself as an O’Hara yet. “My name’s Mika Gonzalez.” Saying it out loud to someone who wasn’t actually part of the Gonzalez family felt strange, yet a small smile curled itself on his face as if proud of the way it flowed off his tongue.

The mention of the famous (or infamous, depending who you asked) last name earned this Mika boy a questioning expression from Natalia. “Gonzalez as in related to Big Rey Gonzalez?” she asked him, curiosity getting the better of her. She was born and raised in Edenridge, and had not once heard about the existence of this Mika Gonzalez boy standing in front of her. “I didn’t know he had a white kid…” she absentmindedly muttered under her breath.

“I know, right?” Mika contained the urge to laugh as he leaned back against the wall behind him. “Here I was, living peacefully in Brooklyn and then suddenly I’m shipped off to live in this shithole with my Mexican papi--” He paused and laughed again when he realized he just insulted her hometown, “--No offense.”

Natalia pursed her lips together, biting back a laugh of her own when she heard Mika refer to the big bad Rey Gonzalez as his ‘Mexican papi’. For as long as she could remember, the name of the former Southside Serpents boss was one that incited fear and respect, and a trip to the ER or an early grave for those who mocked it. If this kid was willing to joke around with Big Rey’s name like this, then it meant that he truly was related to him somehow.

As for the dig at Edenridge, Nat only shrugged. “I mean, I’d be pretty pissed too if I was forced to leave somewhere as diverse as Brooklyn to move here,” she admitted with another small shrug. “Don’t get me wrong: I love my hometown to death. But we both know there’s a whole world of possibilities outside of this small town, and I plan to take advantage of them when I’m ready.”

“Not the reaction I was expecting,” Mika admitted with another laugh. But she was right, though. He was pissed that he couldn’t stay living in New York. Hell, he knew Katie and Stacy were probably just as peeved as he was, though maybe they couldn’t understand the gravity of the situation. Even Mika didn’t have all of the facts.

Mika shook his thoughts about that away and refocused on the here and now. “The worst part is this town doesn’t have much to offer, but I guess it’s cool to know my...father is some hot shot.” God, that felt weird saying. Even if he was embellishing the truth a bit, the fact was that Rey was the closest thing Mika had to a father since his real one wasn’t around. “And I guess the south side has a certain charm to it, too.” He wasn’t lying about that and the half-smirk on his face showed that.

The last two comments piqued Natalia’s interest, and gave her even more questions. She didn’t miss the way Mika hesitated when calling Big Rey his father, or how he smirked when saying that, of all places, the south side of town was ‘charming’. “The southside? Charming? Our southside? You’re definitely an outtatowner…” Talia commented. Even though she had never set foot anywhere beyond the train tracks that separated her beloved northside from the south, the stories had been enough to paint an unflattering and unappealing picture of the unexplored side of town.

“Wow, you’re really observant!” Mika’s reply came with a chuckle as he stepped away from the wall. “You should be a detective.” He let the comment sink in as looked at Natalia, who rolled her eyes at him. He did his best not to do a complete head to toe onceover of her, but he did let his eyes wander. “But yes, I’m from out of town. Only been here for four months. Maybe my experience with this town isn't what yours is, but it’s not bad. Or maybe it’s the fact I’m living with the boss that gives me a bit of an advantage.” Mika shrugged, not really caring what the reason was. “And what about you? From the way you talk about it and...carry yourself--” Unlike last time, Mika definitely did the full up and down of Nat, “--You’re obviously not from the Southside.”

Natalia grinned at Mika. “Look at you, making correct assumptions about me based on my looks! I guess that means you can be my detective partner now,” the girl joked with a sly smirk, followed by a cheeky laugh. “I’ve lived in the northside of town my whole life. My four older sisters moved here when they were kids, but Danny, Mira and I were born and raised here. My parents own the fancy Italian restaurant in town, Palermo, and my oldest sister owns The Godmother deli down in Main Street. Best sandwiches in town-- in a non-biased way.”

“Not biased, she says,” Mika laughed, cracking an amused smirk, which Natalia answered with a smile of her own. “Sure, I’ll just take your word for it. But that Godmother Deli?” Mika could only laugh at the name. “Yeah, I know it. Probably the only place I know that makes a classic reuben almost as good as my Mamushka used to.”

“I'll make sure to pass the compliments along to my sister. She's going to freak. She's a slut for compliments," Talia replied with a small laugh.

There were a few moments of silence before Mika pieced together something and he couldn’t resist from commenting on it. “Also I have to admit, I didn’t peg you for Italian when I first saw you.”

“Oh yeah? And what did you think I was?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow and a curious smile.

“Spanish,” Mika admitted without missing a beat.

“Spanish?" Nat repeated in disbelief, searching Mika's eyes for any signs that he was pulling her chain and bursting out in a fit of laughter when she realized he wasn't. “Sweetheart, I'm out here looking like Snow White's prettier sister. I have a better chance of being Scottish or Irish than I do of being Spanish."

Mika laughed, stepping forward. He grabbed a nearby hanger and held it vertically, positioning it under his chin as if it was a microphone, and looked Natalia in the eyes as he said, “Ladies and gentleman of the closet, we present Detective Whitey, who is in fact not Spanish!” After he spoke, he imitated the cheering uproar one might hear from a stadium audience. He emphasized it by repeatedly raising his hands as he stepped a little closer to Natalia, lessening the gap between them.

After her new wave of laughter had passed, Natalia playfully grabbed the 'microphone' from Mika's hand and positioned it under her own chin, imitating her fellow closet-dweller in both stance and speech. “And with me we have fellow Detective Milky, who is the whitest fucking Mexican I have everrrrrrrr known!" she declared in between giggles, holding onto Mika's shoulders for support and unable to keep a straight face as she said her line.

The laughter from both was palpable but that wasn’t what seemed to catch Mika’s attention. It wasn’t even the fact she called him Milky, which that alone might’ve been something that would’ve most definitely made him die of laughter. No, it was the fact she was so close to him that he could smell something fruity or whatever that scent was; it was soothing, almost completely quelling any residual anger he was still latching onto from earlier. And it was also the fact she was close to him and her hands on his shoulder, this closeness allowed him to properly look into her eyes for the first time, those green eyes that even made someone like him start to feel things.

Goddamn it…

He took control of himself and slightly shook his head.

taptaptap

The knocks that came immediately snapped Mika out of whatever fucking daze he was locked in and his gaze darted quickly to the door. “The fuck?” He seemed to ask himself, though he looked to Natalia to see if she could shed some light. His experience with Seven Minutes in Heaven was practically nonexistent. Even as a concept, he didn’t know the ins and outs of it.

The knocks on the door helped Natalia's fit come to an end, albeit not fully. She was still somewhat laughing when she answered Mika's bewildered reaction. “Looks like our time is coming up," Nat announced, taking her hands away from Mika's shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes. “We've got a little over a minute left here, Chief. What's the plan?"

“You tell me,” Mika remarked, “you’re the one who started this.”

And it was true. Even though he wasn’t regretting it because, obviously, she was a lot cooler than he first gave her credit for, but Mika wasn’t exactly a seasoned veteren when it came to this or any party games. That just wasn’t his speed. Since Natalia was the one who dragged him into it. “From where I’m standing--” Mika emphasized by pointing to the ground like the smartass he was, “--since you started it, you should tell me the game plan. I mean, it’s only right, Snow White.” Though he absolutely wanted her to do that, he found himself taking her hand. Part of his mind knew what he wanted but the rest of him wasn’t sure if that was a two-way street.

Natalia wasn’t exactly well versed in the art of flirting, nor did she have the experience her older sisters or her brother had. But she wasn’t clueless enough not to realize that Mika was definitely flirting with her. Tal knew how to read people, and she could notice the signs that the dark-haired boy standing in front of her was interested in her.

And you know what? She was sorta, kinda interested in him too.

Smiling, Natalia took Mika’s other hand in hers, never once taking her eyes off him. “Would you be cool with hanging around the party with me for the rest of the night?” the girl asked him, her bold demeanor turning uncharacteristically shy as she realized how good the young man standing in front of her looked under the dim light coming from underneath the door illuminating his broad figure. “You said you were new here, so I want to make sure you have a good time-- even if you think Edenridge is a shithole,” she teased with a small laugh.

Mika laughed at her last comment. "Yeah and I doubt my opinion will change, but even shitholes have hidden gems."

Mika started to rub Natalia's hand, running his thumb along it in a slow motion. Even though time was limited in the closet, it seemed to slow down, or at least that's how it felt. He had no doubt that his earlier feeling of uncertainty about whether or not she might've felt the spark that he did no longer held a place between them. Mika also knew he wanted to see what she had to offer. He might be young -- hell, they both were -- but that didn't mean he didn't have some idea of what he wanted, even if it was the hormonal desires of a teenager.

"Sure, why not? If I'm gonna be forced to be at this party, might as well kick it with the only other cool bitch here."

“I guess we got ourselves a plan, then,” Natalia replied with a small smile, tearing her eyes away from Mika while being thankful he couldn’t see the way heat rose to her pink-tinted cheeks.

He didn’t say anything, not at first, anyway. He watched her for a few moments, seeing her look away for some reason and then he thought to himself wonder why she did that? And thinking about it, didn’t he do similar things just a minute ago? Yeah, he did and that was because he thought whatever fucking spark he felt wasn’t mutual. But she didn’t pull away when he made a gesture, so why the hell was Nat darting away from his direct gaze?

God, girls are confusing.

“So, uh--”

Before Mika could finish his thought, he was silenced by the door opening, which prompted both him and Natalia to turn and face the group of juniors and seniors looking at them. Some of them had half-smirks and others were chuckling to themselves. Mika felt like a deer in headlights when he saw one of the older girls whisper something to her girlfriend (at least that’s what Mika thought she was). He saw Connor, the senior from before who had spoken up look between him and Natalia. Mika was partially blushing being in the spotlight.

And that’s when Connor’s grin fell into something that resembled disappointment.

“For shame, my man! For shame!” Connor dipped his head and shoulders down in a dramatic fashion, turning around. “They didn’t do anything!” He exclaimed, which judging from the way he spoke to the rest of them, they believed him.

Great.

Whether it was the pressure of having all eyes on him or just to get this asswipe to shut the fuck up, Mika quickly turned to Natalia and kissed her. And the act alone stopped the collective disappointing moans from the older kids, but it was how Mika kissed her that seemed to draw some attention. He pushed her back into the wall and for a few long moments, there was nothing but the kiss.

And after Mika realized how long it was, he pulled away, feeling his heart tha-thump tha-thump so hard that he had to breathe in and out deeply to relax it. “I-” He looked at Nat, not sure what to say, and then glared at Connor. “Happy?”

He didn’t say anything and Mika’s gaze returned to Natalia, unsure what he could really say. This wasn’t his first kiss, but it certainly felt like it was the first one he had some control over, which he found funny since it came as a response of having control taken away from him.

Meanwhile, Natalia was awestruck and on cloud nine: it showed all over her wide eyes and half-open lips. Before today, she had only ever kissed one boy in her life, and the kisses they’d exchanged had a hesitant, explorative, gentle nature to them. But Mika’s kiss, however, was worlds different from the others she’d had. It was heated, passionate and with an intensity she hadn’t experienced before. There was no denying there was a spark between them, but there was also no dismissing the pang of guilt on Tal’s stomach when she thought of Niles.

Before she could go down that rabbit hole, Natalia brought herself back to reality. Without allowing a chance for stupid Connor to respond, the dark-haired girl grabbed Mika’s hand and gently tugged on his shoulder, jerking her head in the direction of the rest of the party.

“Come on, detective. Let’s go have some fun at this shithole that’s your new home now.”

Edenridge

_{A @LovelyComplex, @Venus, & @metanoia collaboration
Featuring Kylee Grimm, Natalia Belmonte, Danny Belmonte, Marco Brady, Lanie Lancaster}
________________________________________________________________________________

With Roddy leading the charge, Kylee Grimm tailed the group, walking in a slower pace so she could watch the scene unfold from behind. She wasn’t focused on the ominous presence the old hallways she used to walk gave nor was she paying attention to the words being thrown here and there by her peers to break the ice. She kept her eyes on Danilo Belmonte, who had caught her eye when he mentioned such a detailed fact about the charming ex-boyfriend of Allison Davies.

Crossing her arms and leaning on a locker not too far from the main investigative group, she listened to her best friend try to justify the contents, all the while smirking at the Italian boy. Honestly, it would make sense. Such a strong, grounded boy like Danny… Why wouldn’t he have a secret? Even strong boys like Danny have deep wounds.

It would make sense if there was more behind the veil, seeing how he had a twin, who was audaciously open about her sexuality. Hilariously, Mr. and Mrs. Belmonte still didn’t get the hint. What was it that Father Joe said during one of the many services Kylee attended with her dear daddy to keep up their image? Ah, yes. It’s not that belief is blind, it’s just that belief blinds people.

Danny was good at hiding behind a handsome smile, but oh how Kylee wanted to know his deepest, darkest fears. How fun would it be to break his hard exterior and find his soft center. How fun would it be to peel the layers of this once-upon-a-time-star and discover what makes him tick. What drives him mad. How fun would it be to see Danny cry. Perhaps, she was getting ahead of herself but oh how she wondered.

When Roddy mentioned the polaroid and how Francis wasn’t yet out the closet Kylee reactively sighed at how naive her best friend was. See, Roddy, that’s the thing about being in the closet. Sometimes you choose to hide in plain sight, sometimes you bottle it all up until you explode, and sometimes you get tired of playing pretend and decide to get lost in the moment.

In the picture, Francis looked free, which made her believe the latter for him. He wanted to get lost in the moment. Kylee’s story was a little different than his, seeing how she had no idea what she liked until Mei kissed her. Even so, it was nice to see Francis not burdened by chains. Being in the closet… meant many things, depending on who you ask.

Her own journey aside, her gaze glinted at Danny. Was he sweating? Did he notice her staring? Was he hoping everyone forgot about him knowing the combination of some hot jock? So many questions and so little time. When the Southsiders walked past her and Decky chimed in, Kylee broke the distance between her and Danny. Like the curious minx that she was, the mayor’s daughter tapped on his shoulder, ready to pester him about a certain topic.

"The fuck was your brother doing in a Serpent house, Callahan? Not for nothin’, but 13 Carlisle ain’t exactly a Northie-friendly residence."

“It is if you know the right Southie.”

The familiar voice of a female voice echoed across the halls of the building, followed by the sound of heels clicking against the concrete floors of the old high school. With every step they took towards the light, their features became more distinguishable. The fair-skinned newcomer was of above-average height, slim figure dressed in a white terrycloth, spaghetti-strapped romper paired with a Chanel belt and knee-high, black leather boots. Her slightly wavy, dark brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, resting a few inches above from the middle of her back. A pair of intense blue eyes rested underneath thick, groomed eyebrows, and below a dainty button nose were a pair of full, terracotta-colored lips. When grouped together, the features in question correspond to one prolific, young Edenridge woman: Natalia Belmonte.

Smirking, the former queen bee of the Edenridge class of 2020 took position across from Kylee Grimm and the rest of the cheerleader, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “What’s going on at 13 Carlisle? Hopefully nothing, because I just left the place,” she told the group, putting up her blue ombre vaporizer up to her terracotta-tinted lips, taking a long, lazy drag from it and exhaling a cloud of cotton candy scented smoke away from the faces of the group around her.

Rolling her eyes at the new arrival, Kylee’s mood was immediately soured and she didn’t waste any time to make a slight, “Of course you did.” Kylee and Natalia’s relationship was complicated and at this point in time, Kylee wanted nothing to do with the good-for-nothing bitch. “If you came on time, like the rest of us, maybe you would know some context.”

Natalia could only grin at the dark-haired girl's response. She should’ve expected this type of reaction from Kylee Grimm of all people. "Baby girl, I had other things I needed to do before I came here. I'm sorry if that bothers you so much.” she immediately responded in the most unbothered, nonchalant way she could.

It wasn’t a secret that Nat and Ky had been involved in a rather torrid and passionate affair-turned-relationship during the last leg of their senior year. And it also wasn’t a secret that things between the two of them hadn’t exactly ended on the best of terms. While Tal had gotten her exit ticket out of town when she earned her highly coveted athletic college scholarship, Kylee had been forced to stay in Edenridge when she didn’t get accepted into hers. Instead of being honest about her feelings, the mayor’s daughter had opted to be a child. Immediately after going on vacation with her family, she’d ghosted Natalia with no warning or explanation. And being the temperamental, impulsive bitch she was whenever hurt by someone she loved and trusted, Nat had sent the other girl a long, heated break-up text before blocking her from all methods of contact and social media accounts. By the time Kylee returned home, she was dead and buried in Natalia Belmonte’s eyes: nothing more than a petty, bitter ghost from the past.

After the girls’ quick exchange, Jillian muttered something under her breath. When she spoke louder, Kylee looked away from her ex to her friend. Pouting at the sight of how pathetic Jillian had become, Kylee attentively listened to her broken words, hoping this would be a good distraction from Natalia.

Honestly, if Danny was on good terms with his twin, he would defend her from Kylee. If he was on good terms with Jillian, he would go to her side and help her stand. But in this instant, he couldn’t find himself caring for either. Knowing Natalia, she deserved it and as much as he still did care for Jillian, he had enough of her for one night and wasn’t going to throw her a pity party. Mei was beside her, she could be the support Jillian needed. Clearly, his old friend wanted nothing to do with him, so there really wasn’t much he could do.

As for his sister, Natalia had a way of making problems when there were none, and getting on the bad side of the mayor’s daughter was just asking for trouble. Then again his sister liked getting a rise in others so she probably liked it. Instead of acknowledging Natalia, since she didn’t give a damn about him and ignored him while they lived in the same household, he added, “Viv carried her polaroid a lot back then… she was probably there.” Well, it would be silly if his older sister wasn’t there. She was one of Allison’s best friends, after all.

If this truly had to do with Allison and how she died, this meant it had to be an event that caused a ripple effect. What happened on that day? “I can’t say I knew Allison well, but wherever she went, everyone else followed. December 4th. I think I vaguely remember it. At least everything before the party… because I kinda’ got—

“Wasted. And yes, that’s the day Allison died. The game. The cheer competition. The after party. I’m guessing our answers might be at this address. But what do the sunflowers mean?” Kylee scanned the crowd to see if anyone had any clue for that one. It was clear both Kylee and Danny were not in the mood for Natalia, and both in their own way chose to act like she wasn’t even there, giving her a taste of her own medicine.

____________________________________________________________________________________________


____________________________________________________________________________________________

Lanie, who had purposely been standing a few steps away from the crowd doing her best to fly under the radar, raised a timid hand and suddenly piped up, “I know what it means.” And when every eye in the hall turned towards her, she elaborated. “The Davises used to call Ally their sunflower because it was her favorite flower since she was little.”

As much as he empathised with their grief over what might’ve been triggered since the sound of Allison’s voice filled the silence of the gym, he wasn’t affected in the way they were. And that was because Marco didn’t know Allison like they did. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel the shock they all felt. And what was probably the most important thing, Marco was here for them: Lanie, Roddy, and probably most of all, Danny. And maybe it was for that reason why he didn’t have anything to add. He just stood there, next to Lanie, looking around, though mainly looking at the others’ reaction to what Lanie had just said.

“Sooooooooo… Does this mean we have to go to 13 Carlisle and find a sunflower or something to figure out what’s actually happening here with all this nonsense?” Natalia pointedly asked the group, taking another long, deep drag from her vaporizer.

“I don’t know, weren’t you just there? Can’t remember something as simple as sunflowers or were you too busy fucking a snake?” Kylee spat when Natalia decided to chime in. If there was one thing she didn’t understand, it was why she was even here. It wasn’t like she liked Allison or anything. She was too caught up with that twink kid to hang with the popular kids.

No matter how hard she tried, Natalia couldn’t help but snort and shrug her shoulders. She knew the smug expression on her face was bound to infuriate Kylee further, but she wasn’t about to just let her keep mouthing off without doing something about it. “You are absolutely correct, Kylee. The snake that was screwing me kept me way too busy to look for something I didn’t even know I was supposed to be looking for. But, please, carry on.”

With Kylee’s sudden outburst, Danny’s expression became a little shooketh. More out of astonishment than anything. It seemed she didn’t take well to the break up with his twin. He didn’t know the exact details of their fall out, but damn, it was clear that Kylee was hurt and couldn’t stand being near his sister. And then, Natalia instigated instead of calming the already furious brunette. “Natalia, no one needs to know your business.”

Natalia raised an amused eyebrow towards her twin brother and shrugged. Dumping her for Jillian and Caitlin was one thing, but siding with her ex-girlfriend? Really? “I was just answering KyKy’s question, Danilo. Chill.”

Unfortunately, Kylee was already in full reactive mode. “Not surprised, since you’re such a fucking slut.”

Okay.

No.

“Woah, woah, woah! You two. Stop.” Danny made sure to block the snickering Natalia from getting anywhere near Kylee, before adding, “This isn’t about your guys’ baggage. Okay? This is about Allison. If you don’t care, then just go home. You’ll be doing us a favor because honestly, making this about yourselves is just kind of stupid.”

Thoroughly entertained at this point, Natalia turned her attention to her twin again, but not before obnoxiously blowing a cloud of vape smoke right at Kylee’s face. “First of all, I wasn’t the one who came in taking jabs at people because I’m still butthurt they got into college when I didn’t. And second of all, who are you to say I don’t care? For all you know, Allison and I had something-”

“Let me stop you right there!”

Elaine had watched the scene between the two girls with a growing sense of frustration and a deep-rooted anger. The only reason she had set foot in this decrepit building in the first place was to help Roddy find closure from the traumatic event that had marked him for life. Unfortunately, as it often seemed to happen in her life whenever she attempted to do a good deed, it all went to hell. Not only had she had to deal with her ex-friends shooting daggers at her across the room and the ex-boyfriend who had abandoned her without so much as a warning. But now she had to deal with Natalia dragging Allison into whatever feud she had with Kylee Grimm?

Not under her watch.

Fuming, Lanie stepped away from Marco to stand her ground in front of Kylee and Natalia. The height difference between her and the two other girls was noticeable, but it was the last thing on the blonde’s back. When your actions were fuelled by anger, things like that were the least of your worries. “I don’t know what ‘issues’ the two of you have going on, but they need to stop right now. I didn’t leave my baby with her grandparents and come all the way here to hear you guys bickering about some bullshit that happened years ago, or to have Allison roped up into it. All I want to know is what actually happened to my best friend, and who’s the asshole who thought it was a good idea to pull this little stunt. Can we at least find out that much before the two of you start fighting again?”

As much as Natalia wanted to tell Lanie that nobody forced her to leave her kid to come here and play mediator, she figured it was best to finally hold her tongue. Elaine Lancaster and her weren’t exactly friends, but she respected the other girl enough to refrain from doing or saying anything else that could potentially hurt her.

As such, the dark-haired woman raised her arms in defeat. “Hey: that’s fine by me, Lanie. I’m sorry if I upset you, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to worry about a thing because I’m going home.” Kylee had drowned out most of Lanie’s words because after Natalia clapped back and mentioned she might’ve had something with Allison, she was no longer mentally into the case. Looking at Roddy, she frowned, “Sorry, Shaggy, but I can’t stand being here anymore.” Mei and Jillian would find their way home or call her when they needed a ride, so instead of saying goodbye to anyone else, Kylee started walking back where they came from. She was absolutely done with this, she’ll just find out everything another day.

Deeply sighing, Danny made his way to the closest locker and leaned his back on it. Today was exhausting. He had no more words left in him after hearing Lanie spill her heart out. She made it clear why he had to be here. For him, it didn’t matter if this hit home or not. He wasn’t close to Charlie like the southies were. He wasn’t even that close to Allison like all the cheerleaders were. Still, this was his home and he had to be here. If not for closure than to support those where he could.

He did care though because Francis cared about Allison. At one point in time, Danny would’ve done anything for Francis. In addition to that, although he didn’t know Charlie himself, he felt like that kid didn’t deserve this. He did a terrible thing. Don’t get him wrong. Danny should be mad about the first day of senior year, but he couldn’t. Tonight wasn’t just about Allison. This was about all of them and why their town suffered so much.

A few long moments of forced, awkward silence later, Marco let his eyes go clockwise around the group. Between his ex and his twin, Lanie and the now departed Kylee (not to mention the others who joined him on #teamspectator), he felt an incredible amount of tension rising along his spine, causing parts of his forehead to sweat just from the nervousness he felt. But at the same time, Marco was relieved in a weird way. Considering the way things could have gone, perhaps what actually did happen was the lesser of two evils.

“So...” Marco’s voice trailed off into silence as he scratched the back of his neck. There was the subtle trace of a grimace on his face as the air wasn’t the only thing that felt tense. With everything happening, Marco had forgotten that his legs were really starting to ache past the point of being a minor annoyance. “What happens now?” Marco would ask as he limped over to the nearest wall, doing his best to first forward and crush what remained of the cannoli’s. He really needed to take the pressure off his leg. Unbeknownst to him, he had chosen a spot just a few feet away from Danny.

Edenridge

_{A @Venus & @LovelyComplex Collaboration
Featuring Caitlin Cleary & Niles Sinclair}
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When Niles Sinclair had asked Caitlin Cleary to pick him up from the airport so they could hang out in the city, the redhead was more than happy to oblige. After getting wind of how the last Decker letter was inviting all of its recipients to the old Edenridge that evening, the young woman had been eager to get away. Unlike some of her former classmates, Caitlin had no reasons, interest or even the slightest bit of curiosity to attend such a morbid event. Charlie’s death hadn’t affected her in the same ways it had her old schoolmates. She didn't have to spend months in rehab like Marco Brady and Roddy Callahan. She didn’t have to walk with a cane for the rest of her life like Aaron Cox. She didn’t get shot in the neck like Mei Ramsey, or have to watch a loved one die like Kylee Grimm, Jillian or Decky Boaz. Hell, she didn’t even have to live with the guilt of surviving such a traumatic event when her loved ones hadn’t, like Lanie Lancaster, Natalia Belmonte and her best friend Danny Belmonte struggled with. When the bullets were flying across the high school, Cece had been an hour away, safely sitting beside her mother inside a waiting room at a doctor’s office in the city. Because of this, she had always been considered one of the luckiest girls at Edenridge. The last thing she wanted was to tempt fate by doing as that letter said.

So while a handful of her ex-classmates were waiting at the old gymnasium for anything that could help their healing journeys, Caitlin was anxiously standing at the arrivals section of Boston Logan International Airport, her blue eyes peeled for any sign of her long-distance friend.

Waiting for his luggage, Niles Sinclair, the legacy of Sinclair Health, peered down at his wrist watch. As he waited in anticipation, having gotten off a direct flight from Chicago to Boston, he thought about the girl waiting for him. In high school, they were not in the same social circle and rarely had many encounters to talk to one another. On top of that, they both had introverted mentalities and avoided people, for their sanity, which left them little to no room to find each other.

As an underclassman, he was getting himself into fights, detention, and spending time with his ex-best friend. Funny how Natalia could drop him like yesterday’s trash all because she caught feelings and he didn’t. He thought he did a good thing, stopping their arrangement because he knew he wasn’t in a place to take things further than sex. But to Natalia, he was a piece of shit who didn’t care about anyone but himself. That whole relationship taught Niles that casual sex comes with a price, especially if it’s with someone whose the only person that tried to understand his grief at the time.

As an upperclassman, he had gotten in such a bad place mentally that he started convincing himself the best solution was him being dead. The moment he and Natalia broke ties, she thrived and went into the light, which was an obvious sign that he weighed her down. He was a burden and because of him, she would never be popular. Niles knew he made the right decision but he hated that his actions hurt her to the point that she felt the need to treat him like he no longer existed, like he was invisible. He deserved it. He knew it. That doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less.

As you can see, at the time, there was too much turmoil in Niles to notice such a beautiful soul that was Caitlin Clearly. So, they didn’t get close until after graduation and he was delighted that he took the chance to message her first. Past aside, he had been waiting to come home for longer than he’d ever admit. They had been talking for about six months, but even before then, they were liking each other’s pictures and showing subtle signals that they were interested.

When they started video chatting with one another, that was a game changer. He knew the moment she spoke, she would be the sweetest melody to him. Her words were calming, yet full of drive and focus. Her presence was intensely bright and full of emotional worth. There was so much passion behind this woman that he was completely and utterly enthralled. From that point on, he knew they had a tangible thread even before they spoke. All they needed to do was look at each other and it was clear as day the attraction they shared spoke enough for them.

Scary really, how one moment could change everything. What would’ve happened if he never sent that message? Would he have been more open to romance from someone at his college? He didn’t know what went over him that night. All he could think of was he wanted to know the woman whose smile had a hint of sadness to it. Who was Caitlin Cleary and why hadn’t he seen her like this before? Most people wouldn’t have noticed that detail because in that specific picture that drew him in, she looked happy and surrounded by love.

Somehow though, he thought within the family portrait, it was a Christmas picture in front of her family’s tree, she was incredibly lonely. She looked sad or maybe that’s what he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe there was someone out there that could relate to him. That there was someone who understood that no matter how many people there were around you, there was always this sinking feeling. He was emotionally starving for real companionship, which caused him to fixate on her while he studied to become a doctor.

Even so, he was absolutely terrified of emotional vulnerability and knew he was still holding back. With Cece... she made him feel like he didn’t need to carry the weight by himself, that he didn’t need to walk alone. This was a feeling he hadn’t experienced before because even while he had Natalia in his life, he still felt incredibly lonely.

With his suitcase rolling on the ground, Niles strode to the arrival area, taking extra precaution to contain the overwhelming nervousness and excitement he was feeling. Years ago, he wouldn’t have noticed her. Now all he could do was think about her. While he had no reason to mask his emotions, he still struggled at being fully transparent with others. He knew how to smile more than he ever did growing up and he knew how to use his charm to navigate through business and social events.

Still, he struggled at lowering his shield, trusting his strengths, and unlocking the door of his own cage. He wasn’t nearly as bad as he was during the peak of his grief, but if he wanted to survive this world and look ahead, always ahead, he had to pick and choose who was worth his time and who deserved to see him for him. He didn’t want just anyone to know how much emotional pain resided in him, but with Cece, he could see himself embracing the future freely, in a healthy way.

Stopping in his tracks, he felt the oxygen leave his body when he saw her. Finally. They could see each other. Niles would never claim to be a perfect lover, since he was heavily flawed, but here he knew he would work to prove himself and hoped she’d let him do just that. Caught off guard at how breathtaking she was in person, Niles found himself standing there like an idiot and just staring.

God, she was beautiful.

Focus.

Snapping out of it, he called out, which was probably the loudest he’s ever gotten in his whole life (he wasn’t one known for getting loud): “Caitlin!”

When Caitlin heard her name being called out, she immediately froze. Wide-eyed and frazzled, she looked around in the general direction of the voice she would recognize even if she was blindfolded. Eventually, she caught sight of the person she had been waiting for, and felt her legs turn into jelly underneath her for all the right reasons. Pictures and video chatting didn’t do Niles Sinclair justice. He hadn’t grown a significant amount since high school, but that didn’t take away from how graciously puberty had treated him in regards to everything else. His jaw appeared stronger and more defined, while his lanky frame had filled out with muscle, bulking his figure up in all the right places. His sense of fashion had also evolved in a positive way, with him swapping out the hoodie he always wore back then for a more stylish, favorable ensemble. He seemed to carry himself in a different way, too: taller, straighter, with confidence and determination. But even with all of these changes, it was still that breathtaking smile, and the gentleness behind his green eyes, what had truly captivated Caitlin’s heart.

From there, Niles focused on catching up to Cece without making it seem like he wanted to go into a full on run, just so he can pull her into a tight embrace. There was no need to come off too strong. As he got closer, he searched in her eyes to see if she’d let him. He wasn’t going to grab her if she didn’t feel comfortable, but he hoped she wanted to because he sure as hell wanted to.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long for her response. Before he knew it, the beaming redhead was throwing her slender arms around him and wrapping him up into the tight hug they had been so desperately craving for months. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to simply melt into their shared embrace, taking in the smell of his expensive cologne and the feeling of safety provided by his strong arms.

When Caitlin had initially received Niles’ requests on her social media platforms over a year previously, she had hesitated in accepting them. It was no secret that Niles was (or had been) Natalia Belmonte’s best friend. It was also no secret that Talia wasn’t fond of her in the slightest, and the last thing Cece needed was to give Danny’s sister more reasons to hate her. But the more the redhead thought about it, the more she wanted to kick herself for even taking Natalia into consideration in the first place. High school was over: Talia wasn’t the center of the universe anymore, and all of them were adults with more important things to worry about than former classmates adding each other on social media. So, after a few more minutes of mulling things over and coming to a decision, Cece took a deep breath and accepted every single one of Niles’ requests. It wasn’t as if she was going to actively interact with him anyway, right?

Wrong.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there, arms tightly wrapped around each other like long-lost lovers. But finally, it was Caitlin who moved back just enough to be face to face with the young man who had made her believe

“Hi.” she breathed out softly, staring up at Niles with big, sparkling blue eyes while still keeping her arms locked tightly around him.

This. This he could get used to. All they needed to connect were their eyes, no words. Even if they couldn’t speak, their feelings would speak for themselves, staying all the same. In the heat of their embrace, there were welding sparks. Tracing his fingers on her back, he gave her a cheeky smirk, “Hi.” He had imagined this moment multiple times a week but nothing beats the reality. His imagination would always get carried away, but here, he wasn’t thinking of the what ifs. His mind was enraptured by her and all he could see was the moment. Them, together.

Instead of going for her lips, not necessarily ready to take that step, unsure of how far they were going to take things today, he leaned in and let his lips alight on her forehead. With his lingering kiss, causing passersby to stop and look in awe, he held her there like a desperate prayer for them to succeed.

Niles wasn’t great with saying how he felt, but he could show it, in his own way. To him, this told her he cared about her and he didn’t want her to get hurt. This told her he was serious and wanted to protect and respect her, not make her feel like a sexual object. This told her from this point on he would get in between anything that tried to bring her discomfort and harm. This told her… a promise.

Delicately, he pulled away and decided there was no better time than now to ask her the question his whole family had been waiting for. “Caitlin Cleary, please don’t feel pressured to say yes, I just… need to know. I can’t say I’ll be perfect, I’m still working on things, but what I can say is I’ll be there for you. This right here has made me realize I really don’t want to let you go. What if I don’t? And give you a place in my heart permanently? What I’m trying to say is...”

Cece had opted to remain silent as he spoke, her smile still in place as she listened to what the dark-haired man had to say. Her heart swelled with joy with each word he spoke, each sentence resonating with her in ways she couldn’t quite explain. The anxiousness in Niles' voice was evident, and Caitlin understood that better than anyone. Among the many things they had in common, the fear of falling in love and getting hurt was certainly high up on their list. Both had loved and lost important people in their lives, and the remaining guilt that haunted them to this very day served as a warning to think twice before allowing someone to get so close to them again.

But, with her, Niles had nothing to worry about. No matter what path their relationship took, Cece would make sure that he was always certain of that.

Eventually, when words began to fail him, the redhead decided it was her turn to express her own feelings. But, as everyone knew, actions spoke louder than words. And before she could stop herself, Caitlin placed a hand on the nape of his neck, pulled his face towards hers and pressed her soft, crimson-colored lips to his.

Before he could ask her if she wanted to be his girlfriend, Niles found the space between them non-existent. Her lips had sealed the deal. In that moment, he knew their chemistry was steeped in a passion that ignites. Feeling her lips, he could see why a kiss was something eternal. Something dangerous. Something that could make you think that there was forever, even after death. This was more than he anticipated.

Honestly, Niles was shocked how good kissing Caitlin felt, like he should’ve expected a kiss with the prolonged stares, but he didn’t really go into this expecting one, let alone imagining how it felt. There was no point in getting his hopes up if it led to a dead end. Still, he wasn’t going to complain. Emotional and physical intimacy aside, there was an electric shock radiating from the both of them, coursing through their bodies and straight to each other’s lips.

Interlocking his fingers with one another, his rough stubble scratching against her chin, Niles shamelessly pulled her in, deep, direct, and undoubtedly desperate. Amorously, he held her in place and for a long suspended moment, their uneven breathing rocked one another, in tandem. This was all she needed to do to get her feelings across and he would lead. He just needed a silent confirmation that she wanted him to. Clearly, she did.

When he thought he had come with a clear head, and so far, he was starting to believe he did, a question unexpectedly crossed his mind. Is it okay to be happy? Niles saw his mother’s teary smile as she was being rushed to the car. The butterflies turned into a gut-twisting knife feeling as he entertained the idea of letting his mother go.

If he committed to Caitlin, he felt like he was leaving his mother behind. Even so, how would he ever be happy if he had his mother’s ghost constantly hanging over him? For the first time ever, he was tired of compromising his happiness because of his grief. For now, he built enough strength to let his mother’s memory fade so he can be present and mindful to the beautiful woman that stood before him.

Releasing Cece’s lips, catching his breath, Niles’ green eyes softened and focused on her eager gaze. Unapologetic to their surroundings, and with enough passion built up, he unhesitantly asked, “Be mine?” Those were the only two words he needed to use.

Cece vehemently nodded with the brightest of smiles. “Yes! Yes! Of course!” she said excitedly, trying to hold back the happy tears threatening to spill from her blue eyes and roll down her flushed cheeks.

In retrospect, Caitlin had come into this date with the mentality that it was simply a much-awaited get together between two long-distance friends who had been connecting with each other for six months. Even with the undeniable attraction they felt towards each other and the lighthearted flirting they had exchanged, she had never imagined that, less than five minutes before their first meeting, she would be accepting Niles’ proposal to be his girlfriend.

To other people, this entire exchange would seem rushed, impulsive, and maybe even a little bit reckless. But in Caitlin's mind, everything felt right. It was as if the missing pieces of the puzzle that was her life were finally coming to place, filling up the empty spaces of her heart with a magical joy she never thought she would experience again. Her only hope going forward was that she’d be able to make her boyfriend feel the same way.

✨♡ Venus' Character Storage ♡✨

Natalia Belmonte

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Nicknames

💎 Nat
💎 Talia

Age

20

Gender

Female

Sexuality

Bisexual | “I like my men tall, buff and masculine, and I like my ladies to be as femenine as they come.”

Relationship Status

In A Relationship With Mitena Strongbow

Appearance Details
💎 Hair: Dark Brown | Wavy | Usually worn loose, either blow-dried straight or in her natural air-dried waves. She wears ponytails or a French braid during games and workouts.
💎 Eyes: Green
💎 Height: 5’10”
💎 Body Type: Lean and Slender
💎 Clothing Style: Name-Brand Casual Comfortable | Jeans | Denim Shorts | Tees | Fashion Sneakers | Sandals | Hoodies | Jackets | Activewear
💎 Piercings: Two lobe piercings on each ear | Daith piercing on left ear. | Both nipples pierced.
💎 Tattoos: A dandelion with birds on her right shoulder blade | A small rose on her ribcage | The word “breathe” in cursive on the inside of her right wrist | The phrase Forever is an illusion in black cursive down her spine.

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💎 Determined 💎 Fierce 💎 Competitive 💎 Disciplined 💎 Passionate 💎 Bold 💎 Brazen 💎 Intense 💎 Athletic 💎 Perfectionist 💎 Goal-Oriented 💎 Arrogant 💎 Jealous 💎 Possessive 💎 Prideful 💎 Guarded 💎 Unforgiving if you cross her 💎

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Biography (TW: BRIEF GUN VIOLENCE)

Natalia Belmonte made her arrival into the world the eve of Independence day, eighteen minutes before that of her twin brother Danilo. As the fifth daughter of the family and the one to have shared a womb with the only boy, an outsider looking in could interpret it as a disadvantage. But it was precisely this what shaped Natalia into the disciplined, tenacious young woman she was today. Having four older sisters to count on whenever faced with life’s turmoils certainly helped her navigate through life, and her healthy rivalry with Danny served to fuel her competitive nature and fierce spirit. But ever since she was a child, the blue-eyed girl was determined to set herself apart from the rest of her siblings. She wanted to be the best at everything she did: be it academics, athletics, or even little things like decorating gingerbread houses or carving Jack O’ Lanterns. Luckily, she always counted with the reliable presence and immeasurable amounts of support from her family. She attributes part of her life’s successes to them.

Natalia’s childhood went by smoothly, with her time being spent between keeping up good grades, trying out different sports and spending time in the playground with her brother or her best friend Niles Sinclair. She discovered her talent for volleyball at age nine, but fully committed to the sport summer before junior high. Her peers’ attempts at bullying due to the fast-paced rise of her height were short-lived, quickly squashed by hers or Danny’s fists to the point that everyone was quick to understand the underlying message behind the punches. Middle school came with an expansion to her friends circle, and puberty helped her blossom into a tall, willowy young lady. But by the time high school came around, the blue-eyed girl’s life took some of the turns that would define the course of her teenage and young adult life.

Come freshman year, Danilo and Natalia had drifted apart. It seemed that her brother had decided Jillian O’Brien and Caitlin Cleary were more worthy of his time and trust than his own sister, so the hurt Talia retaliated by completely distancing from her twin. The romance department wasn’t going any better. After years of friendship, Natalia's first love had cruelly decided to break her heart right after midterms, before their winter break of sophomore year. As one would expect from someone who is passionate and feels things very intensely, Talia was devastated. She spent the majority of that winter break locked up in her room, tearfully lying in bed wondering what it was that she lacked for her former flame to have left her. Her mother and sisters had not been oblivious to this, and they were quick to remind the young woman of her value and her place. When it was time to return to school, Natalia dove in headfirst, strutting down the halls with her head held high like she owned the place, ready to take over the world. By the time the school year had come to an end, she had established herself as one of the top players in the Edenridge social ladder. She was present at every cool party, surrounded by her equally cool peers, laughing and dancing and having the time of her life. And by the time senior year came knocking, Natalia Belmonte was undoubtedly the school's queen bee.

By a few strokes of fate, the Belmonte girl had no involvement with any of the previous tragedies that had haunted some of her schoolmates. Unfortunately, when Charlie Decker’s pent-up rage sent him on a shooting rampage against the school that had failed him so miserably, Natalia had won a front-row seat in witnessing his premature demise. With blue eyes wide with fear, and with shock, terror and even guilt coursing through her veins, the dark-haired girl heard the loud, crackling sound of a gun echo across the hallway, and had watched in horror as Charlie’s body suddenly went limp and hit the ground like a rag doll. Blood began to pool around his luscious dark locks, and a girl’s heart-wrenching, blood-curdling scream filled the air. When asked about what she had witnessed, Natalia offered nothing. To this very day, she still refuses to talk about the incident. She had compartmentalized every traumatic second of that moment into a box, which she locked away and kept hidden in the deepest, darkest corners of her brain.

To help her keep her mind off of things and speed up her healing process, Natalia focused all of her time and energy into her schooling and her sport. In the end, her efforts were fruitful. As volleyball team captain, she led the female Celtics to win their first national title in ten years, graduated with honors, and was offered a full-ride scholarship into the University of Massachusetts.

The transition from high school to college was a smooth one for Natalia. As an UMass Finance and Business Administration student, she continued to make her parents proud by keeping up good grades and becoming an irreplaceable staple in the school’s volleyball team. Like in high school, her teammates became her family, and when Talia was pledged into Sigma Delta Tau in her freshman year, so did her sorority sisters. Throughout her time at UMass, Nat hasn’t been a stranger to having a handful of flings here and there with males and females alike. But after the hard lesson learned in her sophomore year of high school, she has become a pro at separating sex from romance, and not allowing anyone to stick around long enough to develop feelings.

Even with the lingering cloud of her mother’s diagnosis not getting any better, things seemed to be going well for the fifth-born Belmonte child. But after the devastating news that Silvia’s health had deteriorated severely, Talia had wasted no time in packing her belongings and returning home. After everything her mother had done for her throughout the years, Natalia wanted to ensure that she could repay the favor in any way she could.

Family

See Danilo Belmonte’s sheet for reference. It’s a humongous family.

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💎 Matilda De Angelis 💎 7B68EE 💎 The Natalia Playlist 💎
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💎Her jersey number is 27.
💎 Has been vaping since she was fifteen years old (it’s kind of an addiction by now).
💎 Drives a champagne-colored Lincoln Navigator.
💎 Was prescribed Valium to help with the trauma-induced anxiety of the shooting, but has unknowingly developed an addiction to the medication.
💎 Her most prized possession is a white gold Tiffany necklace her parents gave her for her high school graduation, which she never takes off.
💎 Does some form of exercise five days a week, with cardio being her favorite.
💎 Her second favorite sport is, hands down, kickboxing. There is nothing that relaxes her more after hard times than hitting a punching bag.
💎 Has been replaced by those she cared about so many times she’s sworn to never let anyone else get that close to her again.
💎 Her favorite artists of all time are Billie Eilish and Post Malone.

Edenridge

Edenridge

_{A @Venus and @Aces Away Collaboration
Featuring Elaine Lancaster, Danny Boaz & Mordechai Boaz in happier times.}
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Sometime at the beginning of June 2018...

Decky rolled his shoulders a bit to regain circulation as he woke, not daring to move more and disrupt the two bodies under his arms. Leaned up against his chest under his right arm was Lanie, the slumbering girl, limply holding his hand in hers while she remained tucked into him with her feet underneath herself. To his left, Danny had passed out on his shoulder, and Decky had slowly moved his arm from the back of the couch to wrap around his younger brother. Tonight was the first night that they were officially staying in the Lancaster’s care, and the first night of summer vacation; the Boaz brother’s had all summer to get accustomed to living with the Lancasters before Decky and Lanie entered their Junior year of highschool.

The shitty sitcom they had been watching was still on despite the late hour, and Decky could swear it was the only show that played on that channel. The flickering light that glowed off the faces of his two favorite people in the world made them look as otherworldly as they sometimes felt to him, and the silence of the house- had her parents come into the living room and muted the TV?- gave him the clarity he needed as he looked at his girlfriend’s soft features.

She had gotten him clean, she had gotten him safe, which in turn was allowing him to fully separate from the Serpents. She’s begun to open up to him a world never thought he’d see.

“Fuck, I Love You...” He whispered into Lanie’s blonde locks, letting it out like releasing a breath.

Elaine couldn't pinpoint exactly when exactly she had dozed off into DreamLand. The last thing she remembered was snuggling up next to Mordechai for some cuddles while they watched TV before her eyelids started to get heavy. Resting her head on her boyfriend's chest usually meant that the sound of his heartbeat, the rhythmic rising and falling of his breathing and the soothing warmth of his embrace were the perfect combination for Lanie to fall asleep. She had thought that the show they were watching would be interesting enough to keep her awake. But clearly, the level of comfort and safety her boyfriend's presence provided her conquered above anything else, because she had fallen asleep in the end.

The blonde had been in that weird stage of light sleep verging on wakefulness when she felt Decky's figure slightly move underneath her. She had been just about to shift her position to get more comfortable and go back to sleep when she heard him mumble something she couldn't quite understand, his warm breath on the top of her head.

"Decky?" Lanie mumbled groggily, her eyelids flickering a few times before fully opening to look up at her handsome boyfriend with sleepy eyes. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" she asked him in a whisper as she gently rubbed her eyes, trying not to wake the still slumbering Danny on the other side of Decky's chest.

"Um, yeah, yeah," he assured her quietly, face heating up a bit. "I just, ah, I think I love you?"

Fuck, why did that have to come out like a question? He was sure of it a second ago! He still is! But now she's awake and staring at him with those sleep hazed eyes, cheek pressed against him and god, how did I get so lucky and-

"I really love you…" he said, more firm in his words this time, but his body tensed a bit as if to prepare for a rejection.

The first time he said it, Lanie couldn't believe it. She had just woken up, after all, so she figured this was all part of her half-conscious imagination. But when Decky repeated the words, with a firm and absolute certainty she could hear emanating from the depths of his chest, the girl had no doubts that she had heard him correctly, and that he meant every single word.

From the moment she and Decky became close friends, Lanie hadn't been shy about the use of the L word. Part of her nature was to make sure her friends felt loved and appreciated, so casually telling them 'Love Ya!' came as easy to her as saying hello or goodbye. When they had started dating, the meaning behind the word changed, and Lanie had found herself expressing it more often and fervently. She had never heard him say it outright (she'd been determined in not forcing him to do or say anything he didn't want to) but the reciprocation of the feelings always showed it in his actions. But to get this vocal confirmation was, beyond anything else, the ultimate expression of his love and trust for her.

Finally, without a doubt, Elaine Lancaster had completely captured Mordechai Boaz's heart.

Elaine stared at her boyfriend in wonder for a long moment, the sound of his voice admitting his love for her still echoing loudly and clearly in her ears. She tried to etch every single one of his features to her memory, refusing to let herself forget this moment. The way his locks of silky dark hair fell on his forehead, how his deep brown eyes were looking down on her with infinite amounts of affection, his straight nose, the full lips that always gave her the best kisses… And before either of them knew it, the green-eyed girl buried her face in his chest and started to quietly sob.

Decky was in no way prepared for that reaction, and jerked his face away from Lanie in surprise. Unfortunately, at that angle it meant the side of his head met his little brother's with a skull rattling speed. Danny's eyes flew open and he flailed out of Decky's grip and towards the end of the couch, eyes wild as he put a hand to his bruised temple.

"Decky! Wha-" his frantic gaze landed on watery green eyes and, against all odds, his eyes widened further. "What did you do?!" Danny asked, and if Decky weren't feeling so bombarded himself he would have spared a second to think about whether or not the Lancasters had thin walls.

"I don't know!" He yelped back, hands facing out in defensive gestures as he twisted to stare between the two, rapidly trying to assess the situation. "I don't fuckin' know, Danny! Help me fix it!"

"Fix it?!" The younger boy squeaked. "We don't know how you broke her!"

As much as Lanie wanted to stay clinging to Decky's chest savoring this very special victory, it was obvious that the Boaz brothers were both very overwhelmed and genuinely concerned about her behavior.

"I'm okay, guys," Lanie told them with a shaky laugh, wiping away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks. She took a moment to give both Danny and Decky a look full of infinite affection before she elaborated on what had just happened. "Sometimes I just cry when I'm really really happy-- like right now. I'm sorry if I scared you," she said apologetically, kissing Decky's cheek and Danny's forehead. "It's just… Having both of you in my life just makes me really really happy. I love you two so damn much right now… I want you guys to never forget that."

The face mirrored by the Boaz brothers was somewhere between ebbing panic and building discomfort as their cheeks burned red. A look at each other brought everything in order and Danny got up and moved to the other side of the couch, gently wiggling into the space between Lanie and the armrest. Together the two boys enveloped Lanie and Decky pulled them all back so they could rest against the couch. Decky cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the ceiling.

"I love you too," he said, avoiding Danny's gasps and wide eyes, as well as the blinding grins that followed from both his brother and his girlfriend. "You fuckin' saved our lives, Lanie. You've been building me up from a cracked foundation from the day we met in the library." His arms tightened around the two people that made up almost his entire world- gotta leave space for Sunshine and the Southies after all- and he let out a large breath. "Fuck I'd probably die without you two. Broken heart is a thing, right?"

Danny gave a light giggle and tiredness began pulling him back to sleep, his head now rested in the crook of Lanie's neck and arms still tight around them both. "Well we aren't in Southie any more, Decky, you don't have to worry about my early demise every day now."

"Yeah," he replied sarcastically. "Because Northie's ain't fucked up in their own way. They just get you back legally 'n' shit."

"For once in your life, can you please ease up and simply enjoy the moment, you salty little Sugarcube?" Lanie joked, rubbing the tip of her nose against Decky's own before kissing the top of Danny's sleepy head. Danny's resulting laugh at Decky's resigned grimace rang softly in the quiet space. "I'm not letting anything bad happen to you both under my watch. I don't think I'd ever forgive myself for it…" she trailed off as the jubilant expression that had been on her face just seconds before was momentarily clouded by a wave of grief.

"No, don't do that," Danny scowled, poking her quickly in the side before going boneless on her so fast that Decky let out a grunt of surprise at the shift in weight. "Decky makes that face too, which means you aren't feeling a good emotion."

"Ouch, Boychik, that hurt," Decky replied with an eyeroll. Danny huffed and pushed himself up, leaning over to kiss Lanie's cheek.

"I'm goin'a bed, you got-" he gestured vaguely to Lanie and Decky. "-this. Love you, g'night." Danny disappeared and Decky looked down to Lanie with a bit of worry.

"You ok?"

"Yeah! Totes!" the blonde replied with a shaky smile, nodding vigorously as if trying to convince both Decky and herself. But then she realized who she was talking to, and quickly stopped herself. Why was she trying to hide how she truly felt, as if Decky was just any other person? If there was anyone she could be open and honest with, it was her boyfriend. "Actually… No, I'm not…" Lanie admitted, turning away from Decky so he couldn't see the tears starting to cloud her green eyes.

“Hey, Danny was right, none of that now.” Decky curled a finger under her chin and angled her face towards his own. “Talk ta me?”

"It's just…" Lanie began, shifting around the couch so she could be cuddled up against Decky's chest. "Ever since you and Danny came into my life I've been so happy. I'm always laughing, and having fun, and I don't feel lonely anymore. And… I just don't ever want to lose you…" she trailed off again, digging her head into the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Tightening his arms around her, Decky rested his cheek against the top of her head and sighed. “I just need a little more time to fully leave the Serpents, but ReyRey knows my intentions and Sunshine is ready to step up. After alls done, you me ‘n’ Danny will have a long life together.” He wouldn’t promise, he never does because he has seen too many broken over his life. But at the very least he can let her know his intentions.

That’s all you have, sometimes.

His words brought Lanie out from her hiding place in Decky's neck just far enough away to face him. "You promise?" she asked him, cupping his face with both her hands and looking up at him with nothing but hope for their future in her green eyes.

“I-” Decky pulled back with a grimace, looking away. He kept his eyes cast aside but didn’t loosen his arms around her. “I can’t say that, but I...I can say I...I can say that I hope, and I don’t take that lightly.” he declared while tightening his grip on her.

Lanie should've known better than to ask for promises. It was a pointless thing, and an even more foolish stance to take considering the place they resided in. One day, you could swear eternity to one person, and the next day they would be gone. In a town like Edenridge, where tragedies seemed to be lurking right around the corner, hope was basically all anybody had anymore. And knowing that Decky still had hope in him, especially taking into consideration where he came from, was certainly good enough for her.

"Okay," the blonde said softly, taking a long, good look at her boyfriend. She made sure to etch every single one of his features in her brain with the greatest of detail before she finally spoke again. "I love you," she whispered, gently pulling his head down in her direction by the chin and locking their lips together in a deep kiss.

Decky followed willingly, allowing the kiss to be soft and searching rather than the frantic way he really wanted to act. He felt so amazing yet at the same time, he realized he now had that much more to lose. Pulling back from the kiss, he swiped his thumb gently over her cheek.

"I love you too, Lanie."

Edenridge

A @Venus & @LovelyComplex Collaboration
Featuring Tiffannie Taccone & Father Joseph Connery

_{I could say the Rosary
And pray to have you close to me
But haven't spoke to God in a while
Don't think I believe in him
'Cause baby, some might call this sin
So take me down to Hell with a smile}
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The tense encounter with Danny had left Tiffannie with all kinds of negative feelings. As soon as the door had closed behind her, she had collapsed on the bed face-first, and she’d snuggled up to her giant teddy bear while she shed her tears. No matter how hard she tried, Peach couldn’t point out which of her actions was the one that had triggered her cousin so intensely. The way she had acted wasn’t out of the norm. Any time Danny had a date, she would press him for the details, and after being vague for a few seconds to pique her interest further he would dish out everything. If anything about his stories seemed too fantastical or didn’t make sense, she would call him out on it like she had done today, and he would simply laugh at it and reveal the truth of what he’d been trying to embellish in the first place. Danilo and her had been thick as thieves since before she could walk. They trusted each other with things they would disclose to nobody else. What was so different about it this time around?

The more Tiffannie thought about it, the less sense everything made, and the more hurt and confused she felt by it all. She was desperate to interact with someone who, if not understood, at least offered her some comfort and a safe space to speak her mind. Someone who would kiss her and snuggle her and make her forget all about how her mean cousin Danny had growled at her like some rabid dog. Someone like...

The name came to her instantly.

---

Ten minutes later, the determined blonde was making her way up the concrete steps of Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrows; Edenridge's only Catholic church. Any regular parishioner without ulterior motives would know to enter the church’s main building through its massive double doors at the top of the steps. But Tiffannie, of course, was not just any regular parishioner. So after making sure she wasn’t being followed, the young woman turned right and quietly followed the discreet, semi-hidden path that led to the vestibule alongside the adoration chapel. Once she had arrived, Peach gave a few short knocks on the wooden door and patiently awaited for her access inside to be permitted.

Father Connery had finished his early dinner not too long ago in the clergy house, with his fellow brothers, across the street of the church. He could still hear the classical instrumentals of Tchaikovsky’s Valse Sentimentale ringing in his ears, even now when all that surrounded him was the emptiness and silence of his church. Not even the organ was alive to make these barren rooms filled with warmth and dimension. Music, after all, was a universal language that was pure, intimate, and full of joyous healing.

Joseph’s job was to tend to Christ’s flock. Through his ministry, he could guide, protect and correct them, but most importantly show a deep love, allowing the Lord to reach the souls of mere men. He and his brothers were the most precious collaborators, caring for God’s people, educating them in the faith and of guiding, for without them who would feed the flock? And yet, even with such value, such importance, as a man of God, he knew he was weak. Unable to chase perfection because he was flawed and a stain among his people.

Joseph Connery was a sinner.

He would never be a man for himself. Without his oath, he was a lost soul like the rest. He must dedicate his soul, his compassionate heart, to be the light in the darkness, the bearer of the cross, and a sympathetic ear. This commitment, this promise, was so that he could solely live in the realm of the invisible, to provide the visible with the truth of an allegory. A promise to not take a wife, to not hold lands, to not father children, to not wear crowns and win any glory, to live and die at his post, a pledge until death.

Even so, as he kneeled in the chapel, holding his rosary, whispering prayers to himself, he was not thinking about living for the spirit of God nor the baptism of two beautiful Italian children that would take place tomorrow evening. He could care less about planning, writing, and conducting all elements of weekly church service, like evaluating the liturgical calendar and making sure he and his brothers kept with church tradition. No. What was on his mind was his curse. For his facade of strength went crumbling when he was presented with this temptation. The devil didn’t come dressed in horns, he came in disguise as the one thing he wanted the most. A woman.

Once his eyes were open, alerted by a knock on the side door, he rose up and clenched his fist around his necklace. “Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned,” he recalled two nights ago and felt guilty of how weak a man he was. He placed the rosary on the altar and unhurriedly found his way to the side door. Since there was no service tonight, he had no need to wear his cassock. So instead, he wore his black clerical shirt with a tab collar inserted, black pants, and a black belt and dress shoes to match.

When he opened the door, he smiled at the unexpected (yet sort of expected) sight and teased his guest, “This might be a new record for you. It feels like only yesterday you were here, knocking on my door, just like this.” He didn’t expect she’d come back for more so soon. They usually kept things discrete, spaced out, for obvious reasons. Glancing at the clock on the ceiling, making sure they would be left alone for at least an hour, he returned his kind gaze to the woman that stood before him and soothingly added, “It must be urgent. Please come in.”

In response, Tiffannie shot Father Connery a blinding smile and skipped right inside, waiting until he closed the door behind them before standing up on the tips of her toes to briefly press her lips against his.

"You look nice," she complimented as she stood in front of the taller man, crossing her arms in front of her and letting her blue eyes run up and down the chiseled frame she knew was hiding underneath all the layers of clothing he currently wore. "Love that monochromatic look. Very… Clean and polished. I personally prefer you with nothing on, but this is okay too, I guess…" the blonde teased with a small shrug, shooting Father Connery a playful wink while biting her lower lip.

His mother used to tell him that opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell. No matter how much he looked temptation right in the eyes, he simply could not defeat it. He was tested in the presence of Tiffannie and lost all self control. Something that was so wrong, felt completely right and he didn’t want to let it go.

Rather than speak immediately, he let the sweetness of passion talk instead. Pulling her in, crushing her tight within his grasp, letting his love transcend the great works of the composers he listens to in his chambers, he gave into his primal instincts. Aiming to leave her breathless, he fervently brushed his rougher mouth with her tender lips until they were challenging each other in a lovers’ dance. Who could be more intense, more in charge, than the other? The moment was fast-paced, heated, and in front of the eyes of the Lord.

Only she could bring out such a savage. His grip loosened a bit, as his large hand trailed up her back and through her hair. When he could hear her gasping for air, he pulled back, but did not release her. With lustful admiration in his gaze, he slyly grinned, “That could be arranged if you lead the way.” He brought a handful of her hair close to him, taking in her scent and cherishing the sight of his Sin. With hunger and desperation, he expressed, “Oh how I’ve missed you.”

---

After spending thirty minutes worshipping each other’s temples, Tiffannie laid resting on her darling Joe’s chest, nestled contently between his burly arms while he absentmindedly played with her hair. When she had first met Father Connery during her first service at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrows four weeks previously, the LA native had no intentions of getting involved with a man of faith. Sure: Tiff wasn’t shy of entangling herself with taken or married men who were often a few years her senior (her impressive track record proved as much), and the holy father was ticking all the right boxes for her. He was handsome, intelligent, charming, and the way he spoke so passionately during his sermons made her daydream of what his husky voice would sound like hissing sweet or nasty nothings into her ear. But as tempting as the challenge behind the pulpit was, even a girl as adventurous as Peach knew where to draw the line.

And yet…

It had been the priest himself who made the first move, and the not-so-holy father who was guilty of pushing the boundaries during every consecutive visit since then. What had started out with some harmless conversation and a little flirting escalated into a few rounds of passionate kisses and teasing caresses, which escalated into more heated exchanges behind closed doors, and had quickly climaxed into them completely giving themselves up to the forbidden fruit of their sin: their clothes strewn all over the floor and holding each other close just like this once everything else was said and done.

“I really wish we could do this every night,” Tiffannie whined, looking up at Father Connery with her big, sparkling doe eyes. “I hate having to be away from you like this.”

“I know, my dove.” Father Connery was a guilty man and his crime was being enraptured by a woman he may never have all to himself. Still, he would cherish the embraces she gave him and relish this fleeting dream. One day, he would gain the strength to let her go. That day wasn’t today.

As selfish as this was, he couldn’t bear the idea of her not returning into his arms. He knew she had other lovers. She tells him everything in confession. He wasn’t naive and knew his place. He knew her flaws, weaknesses, and insecurities, and yet, he chose to be a selfish man. Against all odds, he chose to give into his wants and needs.

If he was her consistent rock, that waited for her return, perhaps she would realize that all she needed was him. Was that hopeful thinking? That a man of God could get away with spreading the word, while always having his Eve at his side? Absolutely. Breaking old traditions usually came with a price. Nonetheless, while they were in the shadows, he believed they could get away with anything. Her body was his sanctuary and he refused to let go. No. The day he let go would be the day she deliberately wanted him to. Until then, he would feed his greed and make her his. “Are you feeling better? You looked… distressed earlier.” As she looked up at him, gleaming, he delicately kissed her forehead.

He was a fool.

A fool for love.

Although Tiffannie let out a deep sigh, she ultimately nodded. "I'm okay. It's just… I had a fight with Danny earlier. He glared and growled at me and left the house before I even had a chance to try and figure out what I said or did wrong…" she admitted sadly, her beautiful features settling back into a crestfallen expression. "I love Danny. He's like a big brother to me. I don't want him to be mad at me. I don't like it when people are mad at me."

“From what I know about his family, especially his father—“ Joseph laid there, continuously entangling his fingers with her hair, staring at the ceiling, and speaking with certainty, “—a Belmonte goes out of their way for others, but when it comes to themselves they’re blindsided. I’m sure Danilo will come around. I’ve never considered him a malicious type. I doubt he would intentionally hurt you, or anyone for that matter. Give it time, Little Dove.”

"I know... I'm just worried that it was all my fault because I pushed him too hard," she continued, her lower lip at the verge of starting to tremble again. "All I was doing was just playing around like I always do asking him about who he was going out with, and he's never acted like this with me before. I really didn't mean to make him upset…" she repeated, tears starting to pool up in her blue eyes once more.

Lifting her head to look up at him, he whispered, “Shhhh.” Once he gave her a heartfelt kiss, he assuringly smiled, “Do not carry the blame when you’ve done nothing wrong. Some things cannot be resolved over night.”

Affectionately squeezing her, he continued to coo, “I’m one of the few people that know what your family is going through. Be patient with him. I doubt it’s easy… knowing God wants to take his mother home. And who knows? Perhaps, whoever he is dating, and this is only a hunch, he isn’t sure his family would approve. Have you thought about that?”

"But Uncle Taz and Auntie Silvia wouldn't care if Danny dated a Southie or someone from a different race!" the blonde was quick to interject loudly, her eyebrows pulling together into a frown. "They're not bigots! Plus, Danny's definitely their favorite child. Unless he's, like, hurting people that don't deserve it, I doubt there's anything he can do wrong in their eyes." And she was sure her Belmonte cousins would agree with her statement as well.

“I suppose you’ll have to find out what he’s hiding, huh?” Father Connery teased, as he shifted their position where her body was completely laying on him. Playfully, he grabbed her hair and pulled her lips to his, nipping at it. “I know what can get your mind off your troubles.”

The perky blonde raised a playful eyebrow. “Really? And what’s that?” Tiffannie asked the father with a girlish giggle and a knowing smirk.

“Me.”

---

_{Bless us, O Lord, and these, thy gifts, which we are about to receive through thy bounty.
Through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.}

Edenridge

A @BrutalBx & @Venus Collab
Featuring Roddy Callahan & Lanie Lancaster
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After much poking and prodding from his parents and an asshole ripping phone call from his big brother Francis and current partner Joaquin, Roddy made his way to the Hole in the Wall for his date/not date with Lanie. He couldn’t lie: there was a deep set fear that this could possibly be a big mistake. But after speaking to his family, who all absolutely adored Lanie, Rod felt much more comfortable with his decision.

He had never intended to ever even break up with her. Hell, how could he, Roddy Callahan-- one of the biggest outcasts in Edenridge High-- realistically break up with blonde bombshell, cheerleader, Miss Popular, Elaine Lancaster? It was an enigma how they even ended up together in the first place. The only reason Roddy had even ended things was because he felt like half a man: unable to walk, unable to so much as hold his child without his hands trembling from the early onset arthritis. Now, he had both somewhat under control, and he was looking to rectify his mistake.

Their night together had progressed better than expected. After a nice, hearty meal and a few drinks they were laughing and joking just like they used to. There was Dutch courage flowing through both of them-- but maybe that’s what they needed.

”You remember Sophomore year? That 80’s dance that the school had? I found some photos of that the other day...I burned them instantly.”

His date-not-date immediately groaned and erupted with laughter. "You did the right thing, then. We probably looked atrocious," Lanie commented cheerfully, taking a long sip from her beer bottle. "The ones we took at prom are forever my favorites though. We looked really good in them, even if it does look like I'm hiding a basketball under my dress," she said with another laugh, referring to the way her form-fitting dress had hugged her 20 week-old pregnant belly back then.

"You looked great and you know you did. You always do,” Roddy took a sip from his ice cold beer before leaning back into his chair. It was a strange but wonderful feeling to be able to civilly sit with Lanie and just enjoy each other’s company. His baby blue eyes drank in her beauty and a smile crossed his stubbled face. "Besides, you went to prom with a guy in a flipping wheelchair. Just be glad I didn’t wear those blue ruffles like my dad wanted me to.”

Elaine's smile widened, and she let out another nervous little laugh. It had been a while since Roddy had complimented her like this, or looked at her in the way he was doing now. He would always say she looked great and similar things every time she visited, but Lanie knew the difference in tones and intentions when she heard it. And although it should've made her happier than she already was, there was no denying the suspicious feeling starting to creep up on her. What could Roddy possibly be up to?

"I mean, there was quite a bit of distance from your house to the school, you know? Just because you would've left the house with the ruffles didn't mean they would actually make it to prom," she told him with a wink, taking the last sip of beer from her bottle and gesturing to Gary Cleary to bring another round.

Rod could feel a slightly flush in his cheeks. This was really the last thing he was expecting when Lanie got back into town. He honestly thought it would just be more of the same hostile civility that had become their norm. He didn’t blame her and he knew it would take a lot for him to get back into her good graces but the butcher's boy was willing to put in the work. Even if nothing came of it romantically, he still held on to the belief that them even being just friends would be the best thing for their baby girl.

"So, I’ve been thinking… How would you feel about heading back to the old school tonight?”

The school shooting was an interesting topic for Roddy. On the one hand, he got shot and it basically ruined his life. Yet on the other hand, if not for the shooting, Lanie wouldn’t have entered his life, his little princess Rylie wouldn’t have been born and Marco would be his surrogate brother.

“I overheard that weird goth chick from the cheerleading talking when I went to the bathroom. Apparently a load of people are going there to find out who's behind all this letter business. I’m kinda curious and it’ll be a bit of an adventure.”

Elaine immediately raised her eyebrows at her ex. There it was. "You're not serious," she said, scoffing in disbelief as she scanned Roddy's reaction for a 'gotcha!' moment. Was this his idea of a joke? But when she couldn't find any and assumed he was serious, her features hardened into a mask of anger. "You’re joking, right? You have got to be kidding me… Why on Earth would I spend my night snooping around that old building trying to find out who's the creep sending out pages of a dead psychopath's journal?" she snapped, blazing fury seeping from her words. "I read the first few sentences of the first letter I got and I threw it in the fireplace to burn, just like I've done with the rest of them, and just like I hope Decker is doing all the way down in Hell."

Roddy couldn’t say he was surprised by Lanie’s reaction. Hell, any normal person probably would’ve reacted the same. "I get it, hundred percent.” He held mixed feelings towards Decker. They had never had a crossed word between them, if anything he kind of liked the lanky southsider but he still did shoot him, point blank and in the back. He killed friends and hurt people he cared for in such a tremendously awful way. Still, even with all that, Roddy was curious. He had read the letters word for word and Charlie’s feelings and thoughts resonated with him. Maybe his feelings were different to Elaine’s because she wasn’t there. She lost just as much as anyone but she wasn’t there. "I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to upset you or ruin tonight, I don’t know I guess in some way I’m still looking for closure.”

"I got all the closure I needed when they dragged him away in a body bag. I don't need to go back there to mess myself up all over again," she spat, shooting daggers at her child's father sitting across the table. She knew she was coming across rather callous and insensitive, but it was hard to have any sympathy for a man who had killed your 'big sister', your teammates, your ex-boyfriend's little brother who was like a sibling to you too, and who destroyed her relationship with Decky along with hopes and plans they had for the future. To this day, she still lived with the consequences of what the deranged boy had done. Although Charlie had not physically harmed her, Lanie could never quite fully get over the results of his actions.

“I can’t begin to understand everything you went through, Lanie and if you don’t need that closure then you’re in a better place than me.”

Roddy still carried that day with him everywhere he went. Every moment he was alive, he felt the weight on his back. Every night he was transported back into that gym, he could feel the burning holes in his back and the blood pooling beneath his body as he watched Charlie just stand resolute and silent. When he blinked he could see the moment Decker was shot down by the police and the look on his face. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t angry. It was a look he couldn’t describe, it was a look he didn’t fully understand.

“I can still feel every second of that day. It haunts me. I want to be able to just draw a line under it, but I can’t.” Tears began to well up in Roddy’s eyes as memories flooded his mind. “Maybe something there tonight can help me do that, but I don’t-- I can’t-- do it without you.”

Roddy's admission and display of vulnerability disarmed her. For as long as Elaine had known the youngest Callahan son, he had always been the type to hold his ground when faced with adversity. There were very few times in which she had ever seen that strength falter, and it had only happened when he felt at his lowest points. It was a trait she had admired about him at first, and him confiding all of these secret feelings in her had only solidified their budding romance. Unfortunately, it was this same resistance to show weakness when he was the pillar of their small family that eventually led to the demise of their relationship.

For Roddy to have allowed himself the luxury of exposing himself like this, at this moment in time, meant that he was serious about every word he said. Her former boyfriend was pleading for her help-- and Elaine wouldn’t dream of doing anything other than that.

"And you won't have to…" Lanie declared, reaching out to take Roddy's hands in hers and locking her stare with his. The angry fire that had been burning in her eyes had been replaced with one of determination, and an absolute resolve to do what it took to defend the father of her child. "I told you I would always be here for you when you need me. And when I said I'd do anything for you, I meant it. No matter what happens, I'll always be in your corner. You don't have to do things alone all the time, Rod. You're not Superman. As much as you would like to, you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders without collapsing underneath it. Let me help you take some of that weight off you. Please."

Carrying the weight was a familial trait. John Callahan was the strongest man that Roddy had ever known and was someone that he had always aspired to be. Francis Callahan was the bravest man that he knew and if he had half of that courage, Rod would be a different man. For too many years, Roddy had compared himself to his father and to his brother and seeing them be, as Lanie said, supermen was just a fact of life that he had to accept. Then again, neither man had Lanie Lancaster and she was someone that that made it all worthwhile and she was showing why in that moment.

"Thank you.”

The fighting Irishman looked down at his beer and then back to Lanie. He was ready to face this unknown, especially now that she had made it clear that she was on his side. He grabbed the glass and downed the entire thing.

“Fuck it, let’s do this.”

There was a strange sense of strength and renewed determination within Lanie as she exited the pub, drove on and arrived at the old school building. She was well aware that the circumstances which she was about to step into were far from ideal. There was a high chance of coming across many people she was either estranged from or did not hold in the highest regard; of having to deal with their nasty looks and snide comments. But, for Roddy, Elaine was willing to let things slide so he could heal and find closure.

With their hands tightly interlocked together, the young couple took in a deep breath and stepped into the gym.

As their footsteps echoed across the room, an empowered Lanie felt ready to take on any challenge…

Until her blue eyes fell on the dark locks, chiseled face and lanky figure of none other than Mordechai Boaz.

I feel like I’m going to be fucking sick…