RolePlayGateway™

"Adam!" Autumn exclaimed quickly as she hugged him. There was something wrong, she could tell, even before she saw him, but Autumn hadn't seen her brother in a while and was more ready to hug him with open arms than slap him for everything thats gone on.
"Whats going on, Adam?" she asked with concern as she pulled out of the hug, keeping her arm lazily on his tall shoulder.

"Well," Autumn started slowly, giving her a second to think. "Just work and parties and... And you practically deserted me after you graduated, Adam! And all the tabloids and crap! Adam, how did this happen? What is going on and why are they bothing me?"

It was a wonder to her how much Adam had actually changed, and Autumn never saw it coming. How could Adam, of all people, get pulled into the fame and all the issues that came with it? Years ago it never would have seemed possible! Autumn almost couldn't recognize her brother from the way he was acting. Something was off and Autumn didn't understand it.

Izzy was silent throughout the rest of this, for the first tiem in years feeling a ittle more like her old self- awkward.
The thing bothering her the most was probably Adam however, how could he have changed so much?
They had all changed.
Izzy kept quiet as she watched them all hug eachother, feeling a little lonely- she had always been quiet, a bit of an outsider, but now she felt as though she was intruding...as though she shouldn't be part of this.
She knew this would happen- knew they either wouldn't recognise her or wouldnb't really pay much attention to her, which was a shame because she loved the all.
Izzy suddenly snapped, her head jerking a little bit.
Where had all this self pity suddenly come from? And why was she suddnely so timid and antisocial?
Izzy felt bad for thinking her friends woulod ignore her, it was probably because she hadn't even bothered to introduce herself.
Izzy frowned, realising how rude she'd been.
But she was distracted by Adam and Autumn's exchange and slipped back into silence as she continued to watch them.
At the back of her mind she wondered where Joseph had gotten to.

If her eyes could have widened anymore, they would have as Adam told her that a girl he'd slept with just died. Had someone told her that and she just didn't listen? Autumn wasn't sure, but it didn't matter at this point, she just wanted to know everything going on.

"Change my number!" Autumn laughed loudly, not realizing Izzy watching them at all. She was completely focus on the ongoing situation. "I can't do that! Do you know how many people would be trying to contacts me? I mean, I'm not be concieted, but really, I can't do that because of work and," she stopped herself short a moment. Stop rambling, Autumn!

"Adam," she said almost too quietly. "Do you ever wonder what if that was you one day?" The thought sent chills down her spine as she reached over to hug him again.

"Fine," Autumn said pulling away. She was a little offended, but she knew she couldn't afford to be so offended as to lose her brother. Adam was practically her best friend, though she never quite said it... Autumn never wanted to be that annoying leaching little sister no one ever liked. "If you won't be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself."

Even though she really didn't want to leave, Autumn turned sharply on her foot and walked off a little down the beach where the water washed over her feet. She hoped that Adam would think hard about what she had just said. If he actually believed what he had told her, it was probably worse than Autumn could ever suspect.

Izzy bit her lip wanting badly to go after Autumn, but she had to knock some sense into Adam.
"Your high." She stated quietly after a moments silence.
Izzy knew the signs well, knew the symptoms, knew what it was like to feel like superman...
But eventually it would all come crashing down- soon.
"What did you take eh?" She said, trying to keep conversation light, teasing if possible, and smiled at Adam.

Izzy hid a smirk and raised an eyebrow slightly," How much do you call 'not much'...?" She asked, determined not to smile again- no matter how light she was trying to keep this, this was a serious conversation.

Joe jumped slightly and grinned as he saw Juliet, "Hey Jules," He said chuckling.
Wow she had changed, alot. But then again so had Adam and Izzy, he hadn't seen the others yet but he knew they'd probably gone through a few transformations themselves...
His arms wanted to reach out and hug her but he didn't know if she would welcome this or not...
"I read your book," He said- deliberately avoiding her question, "So has Izzy I think, we were talking about you on the bus." He said with a chuckle.

Continuing to worry about her brother, Autumn watched as everyone else began gretting and chatting with one another. She had been friends with them somewhat, but not like Adam was. She glanced over as she watched him sit down in the sand. They looked both so out of place, but she knew that Adam was supposed to be here. He was supposed to be him old good self like he was a few years ago. A few years ago was beginning to feel like a century.

But this wasn't her place, Autum told herself as she stood up again, starting to walk along the shore away from the group of friends and the one person she only wanted to walk towards, not away. She wanted to help Adam, but he wouldn't take it. Autumn didn't know what else to do until he came to talk to her. He should know I would always help him, she thought, even though she was very worried he wouldn't.

A moment later Autumn's cell phone began to ring again. An unknown number. "I can't stand this," she said quietly to herself as she answered the phone and just listened as the voice began to scream at her a million miles a second. Adams name popped in here and there. A few other words such as drugs and death stood out to her as well. She hung up, but the next moment it began to ring again with an unlisted number. This time, instead of answering it, Autumn sighed, giving it one last look and then threw it into the ocean with all her might, causeing her to fall over in the sand again where the waves were rolling up.

Izzy bit her lip as she watched him sit on the sand.
She sat down with him, running her pale finers over the tiny warm grains and every now and then raising her hand and letting them filter through like stardust.
Izzy watched Adam carefully in silence for a moment, studying him.
He looked shattered, as if at any moment he could just drop onto the sand and fall asleep.
"I believe you by the way..." She spoke quietly, her eyes not wanting to meet his.
"I don't mean about how much you took...about the girl...it wasn't your fault Ad, any moron can see that- the media just like an easy target, so when they found out she'd been with you..." Izzy let her voice trail off until it was silent again, no more than a quiet breeze, a speck of floating dust, a tiny grain of sand.

Izzy's heart ached listening to Adam, but she wasn't exactly known for being wonderul at sympathy, usually just making a mess of it.
Her fingers yeared to reach out and touch him, comfort him in some way she knew she would never be able to do.
"You can stay at my place."- The words were spoken before she had thouroughly thought them through, she had meant it as a friendly offer, but it probably sounded more like a seductive invitation.
Ha. Like I could be seductive, Izzy laughed at herself as her cheeks tinged the colour of pink.

Izzy blinked, not understanding what he meant at first.
And then it hit her.
Her eyes grew wide and her brow creased as she automatically cringed away from Adam.
That's how it would happen...
Izzy knew she was being absurd, Adam couldn't possibly have the same horrific intentions as-
don't think his name.
But se couldn't help wondering, worrying, it could easily happen- accidentally even.
She envisioned it now, the blurry night lights of exciting bars, about 4 maybe half past in the morning...sometimes later... the girl, she'd be out of it probably, too much to drink, whatever. She'd think he was being friendly- Adam that is,- he was probably drunk too, equally out of it...but what if he went to far, and she didn't like it...she would tell him to stop, her voice growing more panicky as he wouldn't,- he would be to drunk to notice, only focused on that one target- her protests would turn to shouting, screaming, the look on her face one of sheer terror, she would fear him, she would be rendered helpless.
And that would be Adam.
Adam would never...
But there was always that chance wasn't there? It's happened before, you should know that more than anyone Izzy...
Izzy looked up at him and smiled, unsure of how long she'd been wrapped up in her thoughts..in her memories...
"No really, I don't mind the place is a bit of a dump anyway, what with all my paints and stuff..."
Oh great he's REALLY going to want to stay now you've said that...
Izzy ignored the nagging little voice at the back of her mind and continued," Honestly- I don't mind, give us a chance to catch up anyway..." She said, attemtping another smile, but as she looked down she realised there were goosebumps on her arms...