Scarlet Richardson's Story

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Caffee Luxxe was really ridiculously fancy for a Coffee shop. Dark wooden floors, warm red walls, plush armchairs and matching side tables. There was a brick fireplace and plush rugs, vintage hipster-style decorations and more coffees than Alby could even really pronounce. But for whatever reason, it was a hit with the teenagers, and basically his second home.

Technically, it was his day off, but he'd picked up Roxanne's shift since she'd covered for him the night before. His interview with the police had run over time, because he'd panicked. It didn't show outwardly, he didn't think. Probably just made him look like every other snot nosed teen who thought he knew his rights but really didn't. Not when they were just being 'talked to'. At first, he'd almost forgotten about the kid that had been killed, thought he was going to be dragged back to his mother. Once that had been cleared up, he'd settled in, an created a story.

He'd managed a decent lie, but with a faulty alibi. He couldn't say he was with Sam, even though he had been, because that was one of the things he'd agreed to. No one could know, and that included police officials. Unfortunately, he was sure his early reluctance to talk had marked him down as slightly suspicious, at the very least. Which was really fantastic, and just what he needed.

He sighed as his shift came to an end, shouldering his way into the break-room and ditching his apron, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. His phone was flashing at him, and he felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth as he reached for it. Sam was worth it. Fucking annoying as he was, he was definitely worth it.

The second message, however, threw him off. He hadn't seen Scarlet in awhile, she'd been sick and he'd been busy, but he wondered what was so freaking important. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, dropping his head back against his shoulders. All he wanted to do was go see his boyfriend, but it was already almost two, there was no way he could cancel on her that wouldn't bite him in the ass. He sent Scarlet a quick k and then typed out a message to Sam:

Gotta meet Scar, promise I'll make it quick. My place in half an hour? you can let yourself in.

Sam had a key, Alby had made him one pretty soon after they'd gotten together. Made a secret relationship a whole lot easier when they had a place to go out of the public eye. Not to mention, that kid really needed somewhere to get away from his parents on occasion. He reread his boyfriends message again, more than a little upset he was wasting even a minute of Sam's freedom. There was something in the tone of the text that seemed like he'd been running, so Alby sent another message:

And take a goddamned shower. Don't stink up my place.

Smiling to himself he grabbed his stuff, pocketed his phone, and walked out to the seating area. He found Scarlet in her usual spot, and leaned in to kiss her cheek before he fell into the seat across from her. She looked worried, and like she was sitting too carefully, and it irked him just that much more that he couldn't blow her off for being overly dramatic. "Don't tell me you have ebola. I really don't have time for that shit, Scar."

The light from the window beamed blindingly into the cold lilac colored bathroom. It had been another long night. Ellie rubbed her eyes open, she had slept on the cold floor with her face pressed against the toilet seat...again. She felt faint and woozy, she had eaten so much the previous night that it took her hours to throw it all up. She examined her body which was basically fully exposed, she wore her baby blue bra and underwear from Victoria Secret. Her body was red with a slight tinge of purple, she hadn't realized how cold it was until now. She scrambled to her feet and glanced into the full length mirror that hung on the back of her white bathroom door and sucked in her stomach. She had abs, half from being athletic and half from being so skinny, she smiled, pleased with her appearance. She locked eyes with her reflection for a moment, a feeling of disgust overcame her. The vision grew blurry and she teetered forward having to catch herself on the door. She shook her head and took a deep breath “Come on Elle” she encouraged and pushed herself off the door regaining balance.

She wandered into her light blue luxurious bedroom that had windows taller than Ellie covered in silver drapes. The room had a large kingsize bed with a silver duvet and canopy, a sitting area with a couple chairs on top of a multi-patterned rug facing a tv and a fireplace, a workspace with her dual screen computer and finally a walk in closet the size of a regular childhood bedroom. She walked into the closet and ran her fingers between her clothes thinking about the investigation and the party from a couple weeks back. The night was blurry, she hadn’t drank but the drugs she took were something else, Tyler always dealt the best. All she remembered was waking up next to the toilet as per usual and hearing cop cars rolling in. A boy had been killed. About time something interesting happened in this town.

She slipped into her leather leggings with a burgundy sweatshirt. She put on her usual gold hoops and a chain with a camera pendant, just then her phone buzzed. She walked into her room and belly flopped onto her bed to answer it “Hello?”

“Elle, what the hell did you tell the cops?”

Ellie pulled the phone from her ear and glanced at the screen Tyler. She sighed and replied “Nothing Ty, I just said I remember seeing you before the party and that’s it. It’s the truth”

“Why?! Why use me as your alibi…for fucksakes Elle I’m already undergoing so many questions…you had to say my name didn’t you?”

“Don’t be so dramatic Ty, anywho I’m hungry. Kisses!”

Ellie hung up and made her way to the kitchen when her phone dinged for an income text message it was from Beatrice Fuck…what does this girl want?

It was in regards to the party, Ellie wanted a recap of that night too…did she spend the night with B?

To: Beatrice
Message: Okay, I’ll be at the café if you want to talk…

Ellie grabbed her car keys and jumped into her glossy red BMW convertible and zoomed off to the café. She walked in and saw Alby talking with Scarlet, seemed serious I’ll have to have Scar update me later. She ordered a vanilla latte and sat near a window admiring the gorgeous day.

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Tyler groaned as Ellie hung up the phone, she always avoided these situations. The cops had just stopped by his house for the fourth time this week, asking numerous questions in which most were irrelevant and redundant. Tyler walked into his kitchen that looked like it belonged in a hotel rather than a home. It was massive with two stoves, a large fridge two people could easily hide in, an island with a dozen stools and a pantry the size of a closet. He grabbed an apple off the fruit tray on the counter and took a bite. He was exhausted, the festivities of last night had taken a toll. He was hungover and feeling grungy. His parent’s had hosted a gala downtown which as per usual called for an after party. At least half the town had attended but the fun was cut short when the cops rolled in. Regardless, he managed to escape the chaos and hit up a strip joint downtown. He had gotten a private room with a few friends and drank the night away.
Tyler scrolled through his phone, he needed fresh air and a friend. He tapped on Isabella’s name.

To: Bells
Message: Hey can we meet up? Park date? If you’re not to hungover lol

As he hit send another message rolled in, it was from Beatrice. Another order I presume? He frowned when he read the message, he could use some money right now but the text was not for business purposes.

To: B
Message: Yea I guess, where you at?

Just recently had people started talking to Tyler again. Everyone avoided him and his family like the plague. The investigation that lasted two years had nearly come to close until a boy was found dead. Of course the cops blamed the Kingsley’s right away but evidence had not surfaced, regardless they remained under questioning and showed up “out of the blue” numerous times a week.

Tyler grabbed his wallet and keys and made his way out. Fresh air felt nice as he began wandering the town.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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B walked down the street with a certain amount of attitude and aggression in her step. Although B was a bit of a head case and walked like a punk out of an 'Emo' music video. She was an incredibly genuine person and her friends were held in high regard but when she tried to think about it, she didn't have many. Tyler only bothered with her for the drug money, she was pretty sure of that, the only trust and loyalty within their friendship was that he wouldn't cut her drugs with anything or rip her off- other than that there was nothing. Sure there were a couple of kids around the town she messed around with and hung out with, she was quite aware nobody really trusted her or liked her- they all thought she was nothing more than the substances she kept putting in her blood but still, it was so much worse than anyone of them knew. Scars on her arms from needles, organ damage from pills and all kinds of crazy things but the benzodiazepines mixed with all the alcohol she drank and her antidepressants, she figured it'd probably be the death of her one day if she didn't cut it out but she was an addict- it just wasn't that simple and it never would be.

To: Ellie
Thanks. I'll meet you there.

She turned around and headed down the high street towards the local coffee house, looking up at everything around her for a moment. The café wasn't far from her home and within a couple of moments she was opening the door and gritting her teeth about the annoying bell that went off upon her entry. She saw Ellie sat by the window and taking a deep breath so she'd be calm enough to avoid an argument with this girl because she really didn't ever know where she stood with her and walked over.

Her and Ellie had been at each other's throats since they'd met but there was something about Ellie that Beatrice kind of admired and was drawn to- probably the fact she had the guts to piss Beatrice off all the time. She sat down with her and leant back in her seat once she had.

"How are you doing then?" She asked a little casually but also quite awkwardly- she felt like she was testing the water before she dived into the ocean, she just never knew what she was going to get with this girl. She quickly text Tyler back.

To: Tyler
I'm at the café with E, feel free to join us or I can meet you after. Just let me know ASAP.

Alby's eyebrows rose slowly at Scarlet's reaction to his joke, and he gave her a mildly disbelieving look as he shifted to get more comfortable in his seat. "You do know what ebola is, right?" he grumbled. Because honestly, in what world was that the "easier" option. But she moved right passed him, either having not heard his comment or too determined to get out whatever it was she needed to say.

His jaw clenched the moment she did. It wasn't that Alby hadn't slept with girls before Scarlet - because he had, tons of them, why not? He liked guys better - a lot better, but sex was sex. Especially drunk sex, which unfortunately wasn't the case where she was concerned.

That night...their night...she'd been down, and seeking comfort, and Alby could only get so far with words. He hadn't meant to revert to psychical means, it'd just kind of happened, and she hadn't stopped him. It had been what she'd needed, but between his own preferences and her religion...and the sake of their friendship, they'd agreed to forget about it. "You mean that thing you're talking about now?" he grumbled, and reached for his phone when he felt it vibrate, hoping to convey he refused to have this conversation without having to be more of an asshole than he usual was.

He jerked the device out of his pocket while she said something about the flu, which was a weird change of subject, and was about to open a text from Sam when she finally hit the punchline. His phone dropped straight to the floor, enunciating the word pregnant that was ringing around in his head.

His heart was beating so fast he could hear it, and he figured he probably ought to have it looked at because that couldn't be a normal speed. His head kind of hurt, even, and he was wondering if he was getting the right amount of oxygen to his brain...He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, blinked at her in shock, and was about to ask her who the father was when she dropped her second fucking bomb of the conversation.

Alby fell back into his chair like she'd punched him in the chest. He knew he wasn't getting enough oxygen now. He was about to tell her that he couldn't be...they'd only done it once, and they'd used protection...but he remembered sitting through a sex-ed lecture as a young teen, being reminded sex made babies regardless of if it was the first time or not, and condoms were only effective ninety-something percent of the time. Accidents happened.

His hand was shaking as he ran it through his hair, and he felt on the verge of a panic attack...he hadn't had one of those since he was thirteen. This was different than wondering where his next meal was coming from though. This was a baby, and his friend, and it felt both too real and like it wasn't happening all at the same time.

He needed out. Out of the cafe, away from everyone. There were eyes even here, and he couldn't handle it. Not after the cops, not knowing he was losing Sam, not talking about this thing he didn't want to talk about. He was half way out of his seat before he remembered he wasn't the only one dealing with this, and his eyes lifted to Scarlet. "Are you okay?"

There were a lot of reasons why Alby couldn't conceivably have relationships with women, and one of those reason were that they over-shared. Scarlet was no exception to the rule, and he felt his eyes get larger and larger the longer she spoke. Abortion or adoption hadn't even entered his mind yet, but he didn't really have anything to say about it anyway. He'd always thought a woman could do whatever she wanted, it was her body, but he hadn't thought that...keeping the baby or not...he just hadn't...

And she was probably going to get kicked out. And she just wanted him to be there for the baby. And she knew he was so, so gay.

And Alby couldn't breathe. He couldn't. He was just staring at her in shock, wondering if his face was going blue yet, because when was the last time he actually took a breath? He realized somewhere during his inner monologue that he needed to breathe, so he opened his mouth and sucked in air before he passed out. He was shaking again as he heard his phone vibrate once more - louder against the wooden floors - and glanced down to see the name on the screen. Sam was under "Fucking Asshole", because he was too paranoid to put his actual name there, and he shook his head as he picked it up. "I can't handle this right now, Scar. I need...to not be here."

He shook his head as he got up, couldn't even manage to look back at her again. A better man would have stayed. Would have taken her hand and promised he'd do whatever she needed, because she had to be more scared than he was. Hell, a better friend would have done those things. But fuck, Alby had never claimed to be a good person.

He pushed open the door to the cafe and took in more deep breaths of fresh air, trying to clear his head, before a bark of laughter shot out of him that sounded as unhinged as he felt. "Fuck," he muttered to himself. "I've been trying so hard not to be my mother, I accidentally became my father..."

And he couldn't even tell anyone, that was the kicker. Because as far as his "friends" knew, his father was a boringly normal man with no illegitimate children to muddle up their past. No young teenage girl he'd left alone and pregnant. Just like Alby was doing now.

He shook his head and opened the two texts from Sam he hadn't managed to read yet, his feet carrying him home out of habit alone. He snorted out a normal sounding laugh at the first one, because oh did he like Sam hot and sweaty. So much. The second just made him roll his eyes and he sent back: SH_Is_A_Gigantic_Ass. But don't bother, I'll be home soon.

And he was, the cafe wasn't far, just a few blocks and he took the last turn or so at a jog. He had his key out already, kicked the front door shut behind him, and was on the very attractive man on his couch before he even really had time to process what he was doing. His knees ended up on either side of his boyfriends thighs, fingers in his hair, dragging him up into a hard and possessive kiss that left him so breathless he really figured this would be the time he passed out. "Hi," he breathed, panted really. He wondered if the anxiety was written all over his face, wondered if his hands were still shaking even as the gripped at the strands of Sam's hair. "You know showers are counterproductive when you just put on the same fucking smelly clothes, right?"

In that moment a flashback of the rendezvous kicked in. Although she barely remembered that night she did remember Beatrice, in fact she remembered four exact moments. Arriving at the party, Tyler giving her ecstasy, a woman (was it Beatrice?) and waking up in the bathroom. The time in between was a blur but she could easily guess what happened. Ellie began to focus deeply on her mug as she listened to Beatrice ramble on and ask questions. Her vision began to fade as thoughts of what happened swam around.The foam in her latte began to dissipate, this frustrated her as the foam was the best part.

Silence lingered between the two, the sounds of the cafe seemed louder, she could hear her heart pounding. Finally Ellie glanced up, it had been a couple minutes since either of them had spoken. Her head swarmed with lies, she could see the honesty in Beatrice’s eyes but honesty was not her angle. “I didn’t see you. For one I don’t linger in the shadows among you weirdos and your face is not one I care to admire.”

She could hear the harshness in her voice and she immediately questioned it, she never understood her snappy attitude towards Beatrice. Her attraction towards the girl was highly resisted, she’d hooked up with girls in the past but at least she had class. Her vision began to narrow on Beatrice's specific features, her beautiful eyes, her lips, the smoothness of her skin. She wanted to give in but discomfort kicked in. She glanced over at Scarlet who had just gotten up to pay for her order. “Look, I know as much as you okay? I had one too many martinis and the rest is a blur. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful...if I’m being honest the only people I saw you converse with is Ty and Sam”

Ellie chugged the rest of her coffee and got to her feet. As she tucked her chair under the table she said “Tyler is your best bet but avoid saying his name in the interview. The guy has enough problems already.” She smiled weakly and let out a small sigh.

She walked over to Scarlet and gave her a hug with a small hello. She glanced back at Beatrice, she felt bad for lying but it was for the best...well not really but it was for the good of her reputation. “How are you?” she asked Scarlet.

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As Tyler wandered the town he entered his usual alley and pulled out a joint. In the alley he had a clear view of the road but was well hidden in the shadows, this was his only safe zone in the town due to being constantly watched by the cops. He leaned against the cold stone wall of the bakery and took a puff of his blunt feeling the effects immediately. In that moment his phone buzzed announcing incoming messages from B and Bells.

To: B
Hey! I'll meet with you later, text me time and place

He finished his joint, tossed the butt onto the ground and made his way to his favourite spot, the park bench he and Bells always met at. The day radiated pure bliss, the sun shone brightly and the clouds were puffy and white. Tyler loved walking around and admiring the scenery, he loved how the trees danced in the cold breeze and how the infrastructure complimented the town. His eyes were slighted glazed, he felt good and at peace despite his morning.

From afar he could see Isabella sitting on their bench jamming out to some tunes. He snuck behind her and tugged her head phone out of her left ear "Hey tinker bells" he greeted and swung his leg over plopping down next to his bestie. "So rude awakening, cops showed up 'up of the blue' for a 'surprise' inspection. You'd think they'd give it up at this point...anyways how's you?

OOC: Sorry my post is so short , busy day"

Ellie examined Scarlet, her friend seemed nervous. “Due to your sickness? I mean you said it was the flu right? Never mind. If you want me to know I’m sure you’ll just tell me...you know how much I hate secrets. Her voice was slightly threatening, secrets annoyed her which was ironic since she had so many herself. Ellie twirled her hair and narrowed her eyes looking for a tell but Scarlet didn’t even flinch. She was ready to pry some more but she knew the truth wouldn’t arise that easily. Over the last couple weeks the duo had been distant and a stream of lies is all Scarlet spoke lately. Ellie decided to drop the topic she knew prying was useless and where was the fun in finding out the truth up front? Plans filtered through her head as to how she could get the information and smile devilish smile appeared on her face.

Ellie shrugged finally and said “Anyways I’m good, ish, I’m hungover, Ty’s gala was rowdy as per usual, the cops interfered halfway. I got together with a few peeps afterwards and partied, didn’t get to bed until like 5am.” Her tale came out flawlessly considering half her story was true, she did attend the gala but she had a different reasoning behind her late night.

She felt slight tension and an awkward atmosphere so she pulled out her phone and gasped at the time. In truth Ellie had an event to attend in less than an hour and she was nowhere ready. “Urg I gotta run, I have a family dinner to attend” another lie, Ellie never had dinner with her family unless it was in town hall for a gala with the rest of the town. She smiled, gave Scarlet another hug and made her way out, glancing over at Beatrice before she did so.

Ellie hopped into her car and blasted Neutron Star Collision by Muse. She began to daydream about the night ahead as she drove home, such as what she was going to wear, who she would be seen talking to and the types of conversations she would initiate. She was so consumed by her thoughts she hadn't realized she missed her turn and kept cruising mindlessly.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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Beatrice didn't believe her. She was trying to hard to sound convinced but then making excuses- she wasn't being straight with B and she could see straight through it and honestly, it pissed her off but Beatrice grit her teeth and sighed. She looked at Ellie with a slightly tense jaw and tried not to notice how unique and attractive she considered the girl to be and she could have sworn she remembered seeing her dressed up at the party. She could have sworn they at least spoke.

"Please don't insult my friends again Ellie- there's nothing weird about them, a lot of them are your friends too. She reminded with a slight sigh or irritancy.

"Okay. I'll talk to him and of course I won't mention him. I'm not mentioning anybody that isn't myself. I'm not dragging my friends into this shit, no one needs this kind of crap in their life and Ellie- if anybody says anything about me, could you do me one favour and say I hadn't taken any drugs? I was just really pissed right," She told her with a sigh. She then let go of the stress and resorted into her slightly ironically arrogant self. "Alright deary, always a pleasure," She chimed as a farewell as Ellie wandered off to great Scarlet who Beatrice glared at with distrust, bitterness
and ancient resentment before exiting the café and checking her phone as it sprung to life with a text from Tyler.

To: Ty
Thanks Ty. I'll text you when I know.

That done, she realised she needed to talk to someone who would understand so much better than a school rival and favourite 'frenemy'. She needed to talk to the one person, she could really call a one hundred percent reliable friend- Alby.

To: Alby
Hey A, I can't remember shit about this party the other week. Could we meet up later to talk about it? I think I'm actually losing my shit over this.

B would be the first person to admit Alby was a weird one but so was she and she figured that's why they'd always got on so well. If she had a friend she trusted, it was Alby. Forgetting one very important thing, she told him basically everything about her life- her bisexuality, her cock-ups, her prides, her secrets- he was the one friend she trusted with those kind of things and right now, she was glad to know she had somebody on her side. If he'd seen her at the party, which he must have- there's no way they'd have been at the same party and not had at least one drink together, he'd tell her anything he'd heard or knew. Maybe he'd be able to help her calm down a bit too because right now, the stress was starting to make her skin itch or was that just the withdrawal symptoms?

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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Beatrice should have gotten out of bed almost two hours ago. She was expected to be attending the school fundraisers for the extracurricular and the homeless charity but she'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, clawing her room apart with crippling anxiety. She'd injected twice because she couldn't find her Librium tablets and tracks in her inner arms were too obvious and slightly bruised, her skin was thin and pale- she looked sick, not even sick she looked dead and the following morning upon waking up on her bedroom floor with a needle still in her finger tips and opened whiskey on her drawers she realised with horror, the reality of what had happened. She'd mixed. Fuck, had she overdosed was that why she hadn't woken up? Her head pounded like a double bass drum and she felt kind of dizzy but she couldn't waste anymore time. She needed to get to the fundraiser and ASAP- she was supposed to have gotten their an hour early to help set up, she'd promised everyone she would- even if it meant putting up with Scarlet for a whole day and then stay late to pack up but at this rate, she wouldn't be there early at all. She might get there on time for when it began though or so she prayed.

She staggered around her bedroom and took cocodomal for pain relief and she swallowed back the last tablet she had dry. She had to fight the urge to close her eyes and keep herself awake because she felt as though she'd never slept. She ought to call Alby or someone but she couldn't, he couldn't find out what she'd done.

She moved over to her large antique wardrobe and desperately went through her wardrobe seeking out something with long sleeves but she literally had nothing so she put on her high waisted black jeans with a small black crop top and pulled a chunky burgundy cardigan over it all to cover her arms. It was unsuspicious this way too, Beatrice always had some of her skin on show some how simply because she was so self-expressive and accepting of her figure and appearance, so for her to suddenly start covering up would probably go noticed anyway. She ran her hand through her hair and with a growled curse, realised it was too much of a state and she'd have to curl it.

With a slight stumble, she travelled around her room looking for her iron and she dug it out from under a pile of photographs in her bedside drawer and then clambered over her mattress and cushions to get to the large mirror draped on the far wall in order to curl her hair. It took them a moment to warm through and so she took the opportunity to text everybody;

To: Alby <3
Hi deary, sorry something came up- I'm running really behind schedule with the fundraiser. I'll be there ASAP.

She thought about texting Scarlet considering it was most of her doing the event but she really didn't want to talk her, not in the slightest- to say Beatrice hated the girl would be an understatement, it was her fault that Beatrice had spent her childhood years and adolescence being awfully bullied for anything from her skinniness and foul temper but mostly for her sexuality. She blamed her experience with bullying for where she was right now with a drug problem and flawed career as an artist- her hopelessness, the fact she was such a tragedy- she blamed it all on Scarlet which might be unreasonable but to Beatrice, it only made perfect sense. She debated it back and forth for a long moment but she soon realised she had no real choice in the matter, so she bit the bullet and wrote a blunt text.

To: Satanic Scarlet
Something came up. I'll be late.

She didn't explain anything else to her but to be fair, she hadn't said much more in her text to Alby so it wouldn't look too awful if they compared their texts from Beatrice together.

Scarlet's phone name from Beatrice's love for dramatics and irony but mostly from her resentment from Scarlet but it was a known fact she'd feel no shame if anybody were to ever see that phone name. In fact, she might even boast if they did.

The curling tongs on her desk made a sudden noise and it disrupted her from her thoughts and touching the edge to make sure it was hot enough was foolish but the scolding she received from touching it was almost a pleasant wake up call. She breathed softly but shakily and with weak arms, she began curling her short scruffy hair into some kind of half acceptable style. She brushed dark purple eyeshadow over her pale eye lids and used eyeliner to make them look more alive then used a small touch of her favourite nude lip stick so she looked less chapped and unprepared. Looking in the mirror she felt quite disgusted with herself because all she could see was the body and soul of a junkie and how her own skin seemed as though it was cracking and she fought the urge to punch the glass and dragged herself downstairs. Her parents called after her to try and have a conversation but she ignored them and stormed down the road to get to the event as quickly as possible.

Upon arrival, she realised she was debatably under dressed but she couldn't have cared less about that. She'd arrived and that was more than most would have expected from her. She'd nearly fallen over several times on the walk there and had even made sure to grab a cookie out of the bakery on her way so she had some kind of food in her stomach to try and keep her grounded for the day but she was starting to fell okay like she could get through this day and survive.

For a moment, she felt a certain amount of pride because upon turning into the main hall she noted a collection of her pieces of art on display, she'd done a project on the human form especially for the fundraiser and donated them so the funds could be donated to the charity and it was possible the one good thing she'd ever done in her life. The paintings themselves were some of her best work too. She could only hope, the outcome would be worth the effort in the end because her best work took the best of her time up too and all her best brushes and paints but she was glad she'd done it because standing there now looking at the work was by far one of the best feelings she'd felt in a long time. She noticed Sam further down the hall talking to a man about art and as the man walked away, she walked over to talk to Sam.

"Hey, I'm really sorry I was late. Something came up and I got dragged behind schedule. That conversation looked hopeful though- was he interested in the art? Wait shit, that doesn't matter. Is there anything I can do?" She asked speaking a little faster than normal but she soon fell quiet again as she tried to swallow back her weariness.

Ever since Ellie stormed off on Sam life had been interesting. When she arrived home that night her parents were furious for her running out on the cops, calling it disrespectful and dishonoring her late sister. On top of that grades were sloping down and she had lost 5 pounds she desperately needed to keep. Needless to say she was looking like hell, little sleep and lack of food sure didn't help.

Ellie stepped through the doors of the gala, despite her mental insanity she appeared confident and to those who didn't know her, healthy. She wandered over to the buffet and stared at the chocolate covered strawberries, they looked tempting and her stomach longed for nutrition but her hips protested. Ellie sighed feeling as though she was deflating but quickly recomposed herself when a benefactor approached her "Miss Holland! Pleasure to see you again, I saw your volleyball game last week and must I say you are unstoppable." Ellie smiled and began to play with her loose curls, twirling them as she replied "Mr. Flander it is an honor to see you again this year. Have you donated? It’s for a good cause you know." The man chuckled "Why of course my dear! I'm always here to support the extracurricular especially of this towns star pupils. Have you heard? Rumors are spreading that you are in line for three scholarships from three separate Ivy Leagues! Keep up the good work." Ellie stared at him in a fake flattered fashion, of course she knew about the scholarships but she couldn’t care less, money was never an obstacle.

As the benefactor wandered off Ellie scanned her surroundings. She spotted Scarlet and Beatrice speaking with Sam, the sight of Sam made Ellie sick to her stomach. No good useless trader… she thought bitterly. She felt excluded from her usual world, Scarlet had been avoiding her or so it would seem and she hadn’t made contact with Beatrice since their talk at the café but that was normal. Seeing Scarlet and Sam converse made Ellie hate Scarlet and her thougths raged with fury Doesn’t she know Sam is a good for nothing asshole who will expose your secrets and make your life hell? What is this, is Sam going to tell Scarlet about my health and try to get Scarlet on his side…he would do that…that jerk. Fuck. Huh. Wait second, I should seek out Alby, tell him what I know and threaten exposure. Ooh yeah, that’s a good idea. You better watch your back Sam.

Daggers in her eyes, she felt determined. She stared at the entranceway of the gala awaiting Alby’s arrival.

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The last couple weeks had been increasingly more stressful for Tyler. Cops seemed to linger more often, question upon redundant question was asked and silent whispers filled the air. For some god awful reason the cops had been questioning him about events he didn’t even know about. Calling him a suspect and making his case even worse than it actually was. This made Tyler nervous, the cops clearly wanted him locked up but luck was on his side for his attorneys were the best in the country and were determined to clear his record.

No matter, Ty felt good today, well as good as he could. The gala had been something to look forward too and with the help of his parent’s money he hoped it would go by smoothly and people would drop the rumors.

Tyler wandered into the gala and sought out a waiter carrying filled champagne flutes on a tray. He grabbed a glass and pounded it back, he needed something to loosen him up. He cringed at the glass when he realized it was non-alcoholic ”Fuckers”he muttered. At that moment he felt curious eyes examining him, call it paranoia but for once it was in the right place. He glanced around and noticed a young woman, possibly in her early twenties, staring at him. Tyler lifted a brow and was ready to run off when she approached him ”Tyler Kingsley, correct?” Ty stared at her blankly unsure if he should respond honestly or at all. He gave a small awkward nod ”Ooh how delightful” she chimed and grabbed his hand to shake it ”Andrea Palmer, I’m a reporter and a little birdie informed me of your case, although only half of it is public I must say I think you’re innocent and the system is corrupt. May I ask you a few questions?” Tyler shrugged in response, he didn’t care for the media but if a reporter believed his innocence then he ought to give her some answers. “Is it true that you are the prime suspect for the killing of about a month ago?” Tyler rolled his eyes “Yes, because of my history they think I’d be capable of such an act. What they don’t believe is that I don’t even know the individual who was murdered. To be honest I have a prime suspect of my own.” The woman looked intrigued “Do tell.” Tyler glanced around and spotted Sam, something about Sam lately made him feel uneasy. He lingered too often and asked too many questions. He didn’t seem to have much or any knowledge of Tyler’s past but he sure was a curious one. Something about Sam seemed to say I had a motive, and after Tyler’s encounter with Ellie a couple days ago he believed it. Ellie had approached him about Sam saying he was not to be trusted and the guy had plenty of skeletons in his closet. Ellie had no reason to lie did she? “I’ve said more than enough already, but yes I’m innocent. I may have been involved in some reckless behaviours but my hands are clean in terms of murder.” As he spoke his eyes were locked on Sam and the reporter didn’t fail to notice so she gave Tyler a small nod and wandered off.

Tyler kept his focus on Sam as he leaned back against a wall and pondered the last month or so. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a flask filled with whiskey. He took a small swig and shoved it back into his pocket, he needed to get drunk as tonight would be like every other.

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Sam hadn't been alone for long when Scarlet appeared. He resisted the temptation to roll his eyes at her comment. He didn't know if she was joking or not. Knowing her, she probably wasn't. He was committing a mortal sin just by being attracted to guys- all the lying and so on just got him a place on the VIP list. "You know me, Scarlet, that's all I'm ever doing," he replied jokingly. His phone buzzed with a text, but he ignored it. He mightn't have been Scarlet's best friend, but he also wasn't going to be plain rude to her either. "You look nice," he said.

And then Beatrice appeared, already talking at him. He laughed and held up his hands. "Somebody's eager. Yeah, he was interested in some of the art- I think it could have been one of your pieces, actually." Behind the two girls, he spotted Ellie. They hadn't spoken since their fight, and he didn't want to. Not with how quickly she'd turned on him. He hadn't told Alby what had happened. Their time together was short enough, and he didn't want to spoil any of that. He turned his attention back to those in front of him.

"Anyway, how are you two lovely girls? Scarlet, excellent work on the decoration- I had training this afternoon, so couldn't make it to help out, I'm afraid," he said apologetically. For once, training wasn't a cover for being at Alby's. With the tournaments starting to loom, their coach wanted them training as much as possible. And while that did cut in on his time with Alby, it was better than being at home.

He didn't miss Ty's stare, even as he spoke to the woman. Sam got the impression that Ty knew something he wasn't supposed to, and that made Sam uneasy. Everything was making Sam uneasy these days. Every time a text came in, he was afraid that it was someone asking him about him and Alby. Every time he saw his parents, he was waiting for them to demand the truth from him. Every time a police officer walked past, he was waiting for them to stop him and either arrest him or start into the questioning. Things like this made him glad for the extra training, glad for the extra time spent running.

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Declan was completely and utterly miserable at this event. If it wasn't a requirement for the team to be here, especially Declan, he wouldn't have bothered showing up. Of course Declan was forced to come thanks to being the star quarterback and his father showed up as well which would definitely make this night one to remember. Declan had to confiscate his flask but his father was still obviously tipsy from drinking before they came and an utter embarrassment for him as he bragged about his soon with a slurred speech and tripped around the room. His father didn't even need to show up considering the event was just an art fundraiser.

Declan eventually ditched his father and went on to do what was expected of him. He went around the room doing his best to sell some of the art. Most of them simply wanted to talk about his sports career and scholarships which Declan found a bit annoying. He rather hated having to talk about himself all the time like he was some perfect super star. Declan was anything but perfect.

Eventually he grew tired and left the parents he was speaking with. He scanned the room of students hoping there was at least someone here he could tolerate and make it through the night with before his father made a huge mess of things. Ellie was the first laid eyes on but she was already leaving. Next was Tyler. He locked eyes with him for only a moment before moving on. Declan hadn't seen him since that day at the coffee shop when he bought him a coffee after they confused their orders. Declan obviously found him attractive but he knew better when it came to crushing on straight men and keeping his sexuality a secret.

Declan found a small group of three clustered together and Declan instantly recognized each of them. Scarlet was among them and the only reason he even made his way over their after grabbing two glasses of champagne in order to uphold his reputation. He stepped into the group with his typical heart melting smile. "Good evening, ladies..." He handed a glass to Beatrice and Scarlet before acknowledging Sam Hawkins with a nod. "Sam." His attention went back to Scarlet as he glanced down at her. "You look breathe taking as always, Scarlet."