Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted »

1
followers
unfollow

Ariana Rockefeller

"The prettier twin."

0 · 5,070 views · located in Beverly Hills, California

a character in “Summer Reunited”, as played by Collapse

Description

Image
Image

"The woman who doesn’t need validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet."
— Mohadesa Najumi



Image

Image
Image
Image
Image
Name:
Ariana Camilla Rockefeller

Preferred Name:
Ariana or Ari

Age:
22

Birthday:
February 1st

Sexuality:
Heterosexual

Occupation:
Businesswoman | Model | Socialite



Image
Image
Image
History:
The Rockefeller name comes with a lot of privilege, and Ariana was introduced to that fresh out of the womb. She's the oldest child of David Rockefeller, Jr. (73), and Diana Newell-Rowmen (61), but only stole the oldest child spot by two minutes, since her her twin sister was born shortly after. Besides the twins, David and Diana also conceived a son together. Her parents were both career-oriented people but didn't allow their children to be raised by nannies, as many of their friends did. Both parents were heavily involved in Ariana's childhood and were the main people who encouraged her to reach her full potential. It wash a major reason for her success in life, but also garnered an unhealthy level of competitiveness in her, especially when it came to her twin, Colette. No matter what Colette did, Ariana had to do it better. It's still prevalent even now that they're older, but has turned into more of a love-hate relationship than just a hateful one.

She attended The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks for grades K-12 and flourished there. She was the top of her class academically and was the girl that no one dared to cross socially. Her popularity may have been obtained by instilling fear in her peers rather than adoration, but regardless, she was the Queen Bee. All it took was one wrong look and you could be sent to the bottom of the social ladder in an instant. Her parents wanted her to be the best at everything and she was determined to do so. If maintaining her spot at the top meant becoming a bully, so be it.

Following high school, Ariana enrolled in UCLA and earned a business degree in three years. It wasn't so much a necessity for survival as it was a way to further prove her intelligence. Ariana would never have to work a day in her life if she didn't want to, but after graduating college, she launched her own organic cosmetic line. It's been almost a year since the products have been on the market and with the growing number of eco-aware customers, the line is thriving. She's in the process of working on a line of house ware items made from recycled, environment-friendly materials which she hopes to launch this winter.

Secret(s):
She's cheated on Owen twice in the year they've been dating.


Image
Image
Image
Image
Positive Traits:
Observant | Quick-Witted | Astute | Well-Articulated | Appreciative

Character Flaws:
Competitive | Vain | Vengeful | Cold | Instigator

Personality:
Ariana would describe herself as being a strong and independent woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to take it. She's assertive, confident, outspoken and bold and believes all of those characteristics are necessary for success. Her leadership skills are exemplary, especially in the professional work space, but a lot of this can also be attributed to how manipulative and cold she can be. She knows how to word things to make sure people know not to cross her without having to explicitly say it, and she often leaves people wondering whether she just gave them a sincere compliment or an underhanded insult. Ari thinks that being aggressive garners respect, and while it sometimes does, it also creates fear and prevents people from wanting to get close to her. She's rarely challenged, but has never had many close friends, especially girl friends. She knows how to be sexy and flirtatious and captivate male attention, but when it comes to females, her character flaws always seem to destroy friendships.

Her competitive nature may have something to do with underlying self-esteem issues. Instead of recognizing that she's great as herself, she thinks it's necessary to be better than others to prove her own worth. If she's not the smartest, the fastest, the wealthiest, than what good is she? It didn't take long for her to realize that it's impossible to be the best at everything in life, but she isn't comfortable with just accepting this as a fault in reality. If she feels threatened in any way, she lashes out. It's never usually an obvious attack, but she's not above instigating negative situations and trying to ruin people's happiness to make herself feel superior. It's toxic, unhealthy and just plain mean, and more and more, she is beginning to feel guilty about it. She doesn't understand why she can't be happy with her own life without stepping on others in the process, especially now, when she feels like she's old enough to be beyond the petty games.

Despite the dominant negative traits, she isn't entirely frozen over. She's generous with her fortune, genuinely appreciates the people who work for her and help her, and is protective of her close friends and family. Although she has no problem screwing them over, she does take offense when other people wrong them and will stand up for them. Her reputation is extremely important to her and since she believes that "you're judged by the company you keep", she doesn't want anyone she associates with to be criticized or involved in scandal either.

Likes:
Social media | Sour candy | Healthy eating | Manicures | An even tan | Autumn in New England | The smell of the ocean | Febreeze | The Big Bang Theory | Money | Power | Competitions | Roses

Dislikes:
Losing in anything | Chocolate ice cream | Criticism | Beer | White bread | Overly salty foods | Sexism | Rejection | Unrequited love | One night stands | Rap music | The welfare system

Fears:
Being cheated on | Never developing close relationships with people | Sharks

She has no major phobias but is a noticeably jumpy person. She's easily startled and can't stand when people sneak up, surprise or prank her.

Aspirations:
She wants to run an empire and make a name for herself outside of her family's. Her cosmetics line is taking off and she plans on expanding it to incorporate other product types in the near future. Right now, she's more career-focused than anything else and while she does want to get married at some point, she's not ready to settle down just yet.



Image
Image
Height:
5'5

Weight:
Approximately 120 lbs

Hair color:
Brown

Eye color:
Brown

Other:
Her ears are pierced once each. She has no additional piercings or tattoos, finding them to be excessive and trashy.

So begins...

Ariana Rockefeller's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Oliver McKagan
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image



There was always some part of her that wanted to repeat lines from some of the earlier African-American comedies or skits, partly because they were usually entertaining and partly because they were relevant. Like right about now when Owen went into one of his inexcusable tirades about what Alexandra was wearing - because he's been doing a great job all these years at controlling anyone other than himself, she began to muse - and pretty much playing his hand as a parent. But what he seemed to forget was that he was not either her father or step-father. He was her brother. An older brother, yes, but only by two years. Which made her more than ready to retort, "You must be out of your ever-loving mind if you think you're talking to anyone like that." And damn it all if the phrase wasn't at the tip of her tongue because she was ready to say some words to Owen. Their summer had not even begun yet and he was already beginning to piss her off just by existing.

However, Tinashé's gaze wasn't on her domineering brother. No, they were on Ariana Rockefeller, regarding the brunette with the same cold rage that Ariana was probably stewing in because Shay refused to play nice with her. That was the difference between the two of them. Tinashé didn't do niceties often. She was rather upfront in that regard. Besides, if two people did not like each other, why pretend? Why go on with a charade that they knew could cause each of them unnecessary stress? Besides, Owen made all of this about himself and it had nothing to do with him. He was not - in any way - involved in Carson and Alexandra's dealings. And he damn sure had no say in how Tinashé felt about Ariana - she could care less that Owen was fucking the entitled bitch. As Owen snapped at Alexandra, Shay continued staring directly at Ariana's face, gaze unwavering and fearless. If Ariana thought she was going to intimidate Shay in any way, she was sorely mistaken and Shay had no qualms in getting that through her head. So enraptured by this exchange of returned hatred was she that her head whipped back in Owen's direction when he addressed her. It took her a minute to actually allow his words to sink in and boy...when they did!

"Owen," she stated simply, voice monotonous and bereft of the emotions surging beneath the cool disposition she regarded her brother with. Inside...inside, she had already leapt to her brother and punched him dead in his pretty little face. How DARE he? He, who was only twenty-three, acting as an authority over she, who was twenty-one!? Who the fuck does he think he is? Tinashé could feel the energy prickling just below the surface of her skin, the anger so intense within her that she could feel it in her nerve-endings. Fuck, she needed Carson right now. She needed Rose. She needed Colette out of this room and now. Faintly, Ariana's voice broke out over the tension in the room and Shay didn't offer her even a glance of acknowledgment. The bitch wasn't worth it and when she spoke, voice dripping with a harsh edge that dared to cut her brother through the electric air that loomed between them, she only regarded him. "You're neither dumb nor deaf, and we are both aware you heard me the first time. Tell her yourself." She didn't care if Owen had another reply or if he even decided to follow her, but she needed to leave. Besides, Owen was fucking lucky if she did say so herself. She hadn't yelled yet.

Grabbing up her phone and a strawberry mimosa, Tinashé glanced down at her phone only briefly seeing the text from Alexandra. Rolling her eyes, Shay turned to Hans, who faced her fully and awaited a response. Above anyone else in the room, he understood that cooking was a thing of solace for her and that Owen just ruined it. Still not able to smile for him, she ordered in her native language, "Rukumbiro fadza bvatura omelet kuitira angu sisi, Hans. Ndino da amwe mweya." He nodded at her request for him to make Alexandra food and once that was out, Shay also grabbed a cupcake and left the room, pausing only a few steps out of the door in order to shoot Carson a text.

To: Carson
Tell me u haven't left yet. Im bout ready 2 kill ur bestie.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Oliver McKagan
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

IDK why this posted twice. Ignore.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Oliver McKagan Character Portrait: Aiden Chang
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image

Owen was well aware that his sister was annoyed with him, but he wasn't so certain on why. What had he done wrong? All that he was trying to do was make this summer easier on everyone. He asked Tinashé to reiterate her plans for the day to Ariana and suddenly he was being treated like he had just cursed her out. He got that she disliked Ariana but why couldn't she just play along like everyone else and at least pretend to be civil for the sake of survival. Now, he had Ariana giving him the sad puppy dog look like his sister left the room, leaving an icy vibe in her presence. This is just great.

He gave Ariana an apologetic look. "Hey, don't worry about her. She's probably just tired, and I know that she does want to patch things up with you this summer." Maybe that was a stretch. "They're going down to Abbot Kinney, I think she said, and then later on we'll meet back up with you girls for dinner at Providence and possibly some drinks at Greystone Manor." Inadvertently, his gaze shifted across the room to Alexandra who had silently brushed him off and refused to change or go get ready for the day with the girls. "So, what do you say?" He wouldn't have blamed Ariana for saying that she didn't want to attend with them. Shay had made it pretty obvious that her presence wasn't welcomed, despite Ari's attempts to lighten the tension between them. He wanted to reach out to Colette and ask her to talk to Shay for him. She knew Ariana better than any of them. Surely she would be able to convince the singer that there was some good to Ariana, that she had changed over the years and was a better person now. If anyone could convince Tinashé, it was probably going to be Colette. She had been acting cold towards him lately, though, and after that scene, he was sure she was going to side with his sister. He wasn't going to risk asking her and causing a bigger problem, especially with Ari standing right next to him.

"Aiden, Oliver, do you guys want to head down to Malibu in twenty minutes or so? I think Carson's already on his way down there, so we can meet up with him there and spend a few hours at the beach. Did you bring your car, or do you want me to drive?" He asked, with the last part was directed towards Aiden. He really didn't want to deal with Alexandra anymore, but he wasn't going to let her sit home all day and wreck havoc on the place. Plus, he knew that she and Ariana had been getting along pretty well over the past few weeks. It felt weird to even think that the eighteen-year-old could serve any purpose, but if nothing else, she could be an ally for Ariana if she chose to go with the girls. "Lex, would you please go get dressed?" He was quieter now, a bit nicer after feeling (appropriately, probably) like a dick once he had driven Shay out of her happy place.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Jamie White Character Portrait: Colette Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Even though Tinashé's invitation was far from welcoming, Ariana decided to join her and the other girls on the outing. At first, she had insisted to Owen that she had to drive down to Long Beach to do some errands, but when Alexandra claimed that she didn't want to go either, Ariana had a change of heart. She convinced Alexa to go, and promised Owen that she would go too, to keep an eye on her. Ari had grown closer to the eighteen-year-old over the spring and if nothing else, at least she would have her if Colette and Shay decided to be their typical, childishly bitchy selves. Plus, she had practically won the girlfriend of the year award by not lashing out at Tinashé for being so rude, and by getting Lexi to go without the fight that was promised if Owen had asked her again.

But as soon as the girls day started and Owen had driven off with the boys, Ariana flipped from trying to be sweet to Shay, to not bothering to fake it. Owen wasn't there to witness it, and she no longer wanted to even try to make things work this summer. The way that the girl had acted towards her wouldn't be forgotten, and for someone as petty as Ariana, would not be easily forgiven either. Not like Shay was looking for forgiveness, though, because just as Ariana spent the day refusing to acknowledge the singer's presence, Shay reciprocated the coldness. By the way they acted, they easily could have been mistaken for two strangers shopping in the same store or being pampered on in the same salon. It was almost as if Ariana and Alexandra were a pair, and Colette and Shay were a pair, with Jamie apathetically hanging onto the latter more than the former. Since she did spend most of the day with Alexa, she picked up on how she was avoiding her sister almost as much as Ariana was. While it certainly appeased Ariana, it didn't seem natural. Ariana and Colette fought frequently, so it was easy for her to decipher sisterly tension, and whatever issue was prevailing between the Collins-Kachingwe sisters didn't seem like a normal, petty squabble. It was more tense, uncomfortable enough that Ariana stopped pursuing a straight answer after Alexa brushed it off the first time. She would figure out what was going on eventually, but for now, she was satisfied that someone disliked Shay half as much as she did. It being her own sister made it ten times better.

Since the girls had left the mansion before the boys, Ariana had agreed to travel to and from Abbott Kinney with the rest of the girls in their car. On the way home, she had chosen the same back window seat that she had on the ride here, and made sure that Alexandra got the middle seat next to her. "I'm so glad that you decided on that Balenciaga bag instead of the Céline one," she said, tilting her head to look towards Lex. "Your mom is going to be so jealous, I'm sure that's one of the few she doesn't have in her collection." She had spent much of the carride in comfortable silence, opting to text friends and respond to work emails instead of participate in mindless chatter with Alexa (she had no desire to chime into Colette and Shay's conversation). Now, as they neared the house, she needed to make sure that she and Alexa were still on the same page so she could tell Owen how they had such a great time, despite his other sister's continuous poor attitude towards her.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image



After reluctantly parting way with Carson and the boys, Tinashé did her best to make the most of her day. She had decided to drive instead of taking a limousine, needing something to occupy the space in her mind since being in the back with Ariana would warrant more tension than there needed to be. In fact, if they were being completely honest, Ariana did not exist in Shay's world. Sure, Alexa having an attitude with her definitely was noticeable and Ariana hovering over her baby sister like a too-old stalker definitely had her watching them, but after awhile, Shay could hardly find it in her to give two fucks. If Alexa wanted to ignore her, then so be it. Shay had not done a thing to her. She promised not to let anything get back to Owen. She had tried to speak with her sister and actually see Alexandra's feelings in all of this. She was shot down and has been ignored. There was no point in trying to appease to a woman - because Alexandra was an adult now and needed to start acting like one instead of being the overgrown child her mother was known for being - who was obviously going to be petty. Tinashé would just be there waiting until Alexandra decided that she actually wanted to get whatever she needed to get off of her chest.

So, she concentrated on the amazing body scrub and massage she had gotten, and the manicure and pedicure. Feeling refreshed, she had no qualm against Colette picking things out for her at the stores they stopped at, particularly in pursuit of an outfit the night. She didn't know what she was going to wear yet, so it was enough of a distraction on the drive home so that she wouldn't attempt to include her sister in conversation. She did, though, feel bad for Jamie. They stopped at two bookstores and an art show that happened to be going on, but she knew Jamie didn't feel particularly comfortable with all of them. They could get along, sure, but it was obvious that Jamie was not much of a fan of either of the Rockefeller twins. And Shay knew all about her sister's beef with Jamie. When they got to a traffic light about five minutes from the estate, Shay glanced down at her phone in the cup-holder and picked it up, sifting through the text messages. Nick Jonas was going to be at Greystone tonight...Lucas wanted her to perform one song tonight (as if!)...Chris was actually back from god knows where he had been...Ariana told Owen she and Carson made out...

Wait, what?

"Son of a..." Shay didn't even finish, the words caught on a mumble to herself as she gripped her device in her hands. Quickly, she typed out a few responses.

To: Chris
Still mad u partied & didn't warn no one.

To: Carson
Really? I'll talk 2 her

Oh, see now I've got something for that ass, she thought as the light turned green, allowing her to continue her trek back home. See, this was what she what she had been worried about. Ariana was irrelevant in her home. Ariana was irrelevant in her life. All the irrelevant girl had to do was deal with the rest of the summer. Shay wasn't doing another girl day again, that was for sure. She had not really intended on Ariana being present for it and the only reason she was was because Owen was a controlling jerk. However, despite whatever Owen wanted to argue, Ariana was still the same conniving bitch she had been when they were in school. And Owen, really? Was that really why he had been concerned about where she went last night? Because Ariana had put in his head that she had been doing anything less than resisting doing exactly what she implied? Shay wouldn't have stopped Carson if he kissed her and truthfully, some part of her had been willing to initiate it last night. However, the idea of him with Lex at the time made her timid and so she settled for cuddling. It had been innocent and she felt like Owen needed to know that - even though he really didn't need to know that - soon. As they pulled into their long driveway, Shay's grip on the wheel tightened just a bit as she fought to urge to glare at Ariana through the rear view mirror. She definitely needed to talk to her brother, but first thing's first...

She and Ariana needed to have a little chit chat.

One of the valets met her at the end of the path and Shay stopped the vehicle, smiling at a few of the staff members who came out to get the girls' shopping bags. Her eyes landed one person specifically, Nkruma. She was a nice woman and was one of the only servants outside who spoke Shona. "I bhudhi vangu kumba?" She asked, wondering if Owen was back in the house. She figured the others would be, but she needed to make sure. Nkruma made a face, tilting her head curiously since Shay didn't speak Shona unless she really was trying to keep something from other people or her mom was using it against her. "Ehe, a adzoka imwe nguva kare ne imwe madhara. A ati ino iwe uri kuenda rese kunze husikuhuno." Shay hummed at the answer, noting that the other girls were getting out of the car and beginning to head into the house. Ariana was still with Alexandra, but that was going to change real soon. Shay needed her alone, even if it meant snapping at Lex. She returned her gaze to Nrkuma while saying, "Naka. Kwanisa iwe udza iye ku sangana ini pedo motsi e kugara marumu? Pedo imwe hozi dzangu? A ne Ndino da ku reketa." She had told the woman to tell Owen that Shay wanted to talk with him, that he needed to meet her near one of the sitting rooms near her bedroom. Once the message was received, Nkruma was gone and Shay's objective was Ariana. Without a hint of hesitation, she walked over to the brunette before she could get close to the house, standing directly in front of Ariana. She smiled frostily as she said, "Hey, before you and I go back to pretending for Owen's sake, we're going to have a little chit chat. Outside." She wasn't leaving room for Ariana to get out of this. She was either going to have this talk or Shay was going to make her. That was the only choice she was going to have in this situation.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller Character Portrait: Jamie White Character Portrait: Colette Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Alexandra did think she had a right to be mad at Shay. Her reasons were completely petty, but she thought they were perfectly valid. Firstly, Shay told Carson that she told her, essentially ruining any chance she had with Carson. As the hours passed by, Alexa became more and more sure that Carson had only tried to reject her because Shay scared him into doing it. She was clearly jealous that Alexandra had captivated the attention of the best looking guy in the house and Shay being Shay, had to ruin that. Typical attention whore. Secondly, Shay didn't make her an omelet like she requested. Sure, she had Hans make one for her, but that wasn't the same. It probably tasted just as good, and if Alexandra wasn't sitting right there to witness Shay put the task onto the chef, she definitely wouldn't have known the difference. But Alexandra wanted something to complain about, and the fact that Tinashé didn't want to make it for her was enough for her to add it to her list of grievances. Lastly, she still wasn't over being excluded from Europe. As trivial as they probably were, Alexandra wanted to be mad, despite Shay clearly not being bothered by it. Without Shay reacting in the way she wanted her to, it was almost pointless, until Ariana reached out to her. What better way to piss off Shay than to buddy up with her enemy?!

Alexa spent the entire day with Ariana. She bypassed the annoying, Owen-like comments that Ari always made and tried to focus on the fun Ariana that she spent time with while Shay was away. Ariana could be rude, but she didn't think that she was as bad as her sister acted like she was. Her sister was always dramatic and Alexandra had brushed off her bullying stories as being just that when Owen started dating Ariana. That wasn't to say that she thought that the oldest Rockefeller girl was an angel because if she didn't think that Tinashé was being a complete bitch, she probably wouldn't have bothered with Ariana at all. It was just that today, she was willing to suck up her dislike for Ariana's Owen-side if it meant that she could even slightly bother Shay.

While it didn't seem to work very well at first, since Shay ignored her in an equal manner, when they returned home, she felt differently. Ariana brought up one of the purses they had purchased at a boutique, claiming her mother was going to be jealous. Alexandra smiled, knowing that it was true. Her mom would be jealous, and just to piss Owen off, she planned on asking their mother to come over tomorrow. Or maybe if she wanted to be really brazen, she would ask Kris to take her, Owen and Ariana out to lunch. She hopped out of the car, allowing the house staff to pull her bags out of the trunk without even considering to offer to take one. That just wasn't how she was brought up. "Will you help me pick out an outfit for later?" she turned back to Ariana who stepped out of the car behind her. Before Ariana could answer, Tinashé approached them, or probably more accurately, approached Ariana. She didn't even give Alexandra a second glance and Lex knew her sister well enough that the tone of her voice, the cold smile and the way she was speaking to Ari was serious. Alexandra looked towards Ariana and then back to her sister, before deciding that she couldn't get involved with this. Her sisters' vibes suggested that with one wrong word, her face would be on the receiving end of a backhand that was probably being saved for Ariana. "I'll be... inside," she said quietly, slipping away from the girls and making a quick path to the house. She wasn't really excited to see Carson or Owen, but she definitely didn't want to stick around to see Shay maul Ari. Besides, Christopher was finally back from his unexplained night out, and now she could hang out with him.

To: Chris
An invite would have helped. I think my sister is about to kill your sister. Come to my room.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Ariana couldn't have asked for a better question that Alexandra could have asked her as the car pulled through the gates to the Collins' mansion. Alexa wanted to shop with her, get the same spa treatment with her, and of course, now she wanted her advice on fashion. Not Colette's and definitely not Tinashé's. She wanted to be around her even when they were at home, which was going to benefit Ariana even more since Owen was sure to be home by now too. Just to make sure, she decided to send him a text.

To: Owen
Hey babe, you home yet? Lex was so cute all day... reminding me of how she was when it was just us 3 at your place

AKA, before Shay came and corrupted her and ruined the tranquility of life. Ariana must have jinxed herself by even thinking of Shay because before Ariana could reassure Alexandra that she would be upstairs to help her in a few minutes, Shay stepped in front of her. At first, Ari thought that she was going to confront Alexa about being bratty all day, and Ariana was ready to swoop in and tell Shay that she had behaved well without her influence, but Shay had surprised her again today. Once more, she decided that she was suddenly big and bad enough to try to initiate a fight with her! Tinashé Kachingwe of all people, trying to give her a problem. It would have made Ariana chuckle if she wasn't caught so off guard.

She matched Tinashé's stare as her lips turned up into an equally icy smile. Did she really think that she was going to intimidate her? This short little nobody really thought that she was going to scare her by acknowledging that she was pretending to be nice to her for Owen's sake. If she wanted to chat, Ariana was all for it. "Of course," she nodded, watching as Alexandra quickly disappeared. Of course Lex was going to ditch her when she needed her the most! Alexandra's sharp tongue was going to come in handy now, and it was just her luck that she would run away with her tail between her legs now. "Owen asked me to have a 'chit chat' with you anyway, but you ran upstairs last night before I could find you. Well, before I could find you when you weren't busy with Carson already." Maybe the last line was a little low, especially since Ariana didn't know that was what Shay was confronting her about anyway, but Shay was the one who had asked for a fight. She must have known that Ariana was going to play along.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image



Her gaze only went to her sister when Alexandra was leaving, her eyes following Alexandra until she saw the brunette step into the house. Once that was done and she felt that her sister was away from the wrath bubbling just below the surface, Tinashé turned around to fully face Ariana again. When Ariana spoke, Shay couldn't help but chuckle a little bit, shifting on her feet idly.

"Oh, wow...it's kinda cute and hilarious you brought that up," she exclaimed, voice laughing though her eyes were still cold. She straightened up just a bit more. Her heels didn't make her tower over Ariana or make her taller, but even without them, she didn't feel small. Not like before. Not when just the mere mention of Ariana coming in her direction had her cringing and ready to hide in the nearest corner, or make herself invisible so that she would not incur her wrath. No, she had years of too much confidence and a hell of a lot of attitude to ever feel small around this woman again. And if Ariana thought Shay was going to bow down to her any time soon, she had another thing coming! "Actually, you wanna know what's more hilarious than that?" She held up a finger to stop anything Ariana was going to say, pointing at Ariana sharply though refusing to touch her. Shay was pretty sure that if she touched skin or the lace of Ariana's dress, she was going to lunge. "The fact that you are still that same twelve year old princess who's only real way of fighting is by spreading rumors and lies, and let me tell you...I'm definitely not the same little girl you knew. Not anymore. She died the last time your friends locked her in the broom closet for two hours."

Shay stepped a little closer to Ariana, making sure that she maintained her eye contact. "You were always average when it came to intellectual capacity, so I will say this slowly. But know that I'm only going to say this once because if I have to tell you again...let's just say your face won't like the results." Shay smirked just a little bit. Whether or not Ariana took her seriously was of no consequence to her. The threat was certainly not idle. "Unless someone else has addressed me and you find it absolutely necessary to utter the syllables that make up my identity...unless it is of the utmost necessity that your mouth forms those words...and unless it is I who has spoken to you and acknowledged you..." This time, Shay was closer in Ariana's face than she had been before, gaze unwavering and face set like a hard stone wall that would not be moved. "...keep my name and my business out of your mouth. We do not have to pretend. We can be civil and silent in one another's presence. Because if I hear one rumor that alludes to anything else in this house, I'm already gonna know it's you. If I find that someone else has an opinion of me that they formerly did not have, I am gonna assume it's you even when it's not until someone disproves my theory. And when I do find out that it is you...if you even think of trying me one more time, Ariana, you won't have to worry about me ruining your illustrious image in the media. I will just drag your ass out of my house and down that three-fourths of a mile driveway by your hair. I will personally see to it that your shit is off my premises later."

Shay did not wait for a retort from Ariana when she turned away and began to walk towards the house. She had said what she needed to say and their "chit chat" was never meant to be a two-person conversation in the first place. Tinashé just needed to be very clear on how their summer was going to continue. Ariana would either heed her warning and not spread another lie like that to Owen just for the sake of starting something, or Shay would be the one dealing with her. And Ariana's money, family, Owen - none of them was going to be able to save her from the ass-whooping Tinashé was ready to gift her with. Before she could get too far, however, Shay swirled back around with a grin. "Oh! And one more thing...you don't have to tell my brother that I threatened his perfect little girlfriend. I'm about to go tell him that myself." With that said, she didn't offer Ariana another word and walked towards and into the mansion, in pursuit of her brother.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Ariana's smug expression didn't falter as Tinashé stepped towards her and went off on her tirade. It was important that she keep the smile pasted on her face for two reasons: she needed Shay to know that she was a complete joke and would never be taking seriously, and also because if she had allowed her expression to shift, it most definitely would have changed to a baffled and highly offended one. Ariana was offended. This girl, this waste of space, pathetic excuse for a "singer" girl, had no idea who she was messing with. Maybe Ariana had underestimated Shay as being the same child she stepped on for fun, but Shay was underestimating her as well. Her attitude and self-proclaimed importance might not have strayed very far from that of her twelve-year-old self, but if Tinashé really thought that she was going to scare her with this new gangster persona, she was mistaken. Ariana wasn't one for physical fighting because she was a Rockefeller. As a Rockefeller, she had an image to uphold and stooping down to the trashy, insignificant level of some wannabe star, whose last name held no importance in any real textbook was not worth it. She wasn't going to disappoint her parents any more than Colette and Christopher had already done, by punching Tinashé square in the face because she simply wasn't worth it. Here, Ariana's pride probably helped her, since there was a very minute chance that she would end up on the winning side of a fight with Shay anyway.

Despite her steady expression and unwillingness to step back even as Shay got up in her face, Ariana was caught off guard by the threatening and aggressive tone that laced Shay's voice. If it had been anyone else, she would have immediately been on the phone with her family lawyer, demanding that he get her an order of protection against the person. She would insure that their name was slandered in whatever line of work they came from, and ruin their life in a way far worse than some petty rumor could. She couldn't go that far this time, because despite finding Tinashé to be absolutely abhorrent, her family was too close to the Collins. It would be far too messy, and Ariana preferred to settle the dispute in a way that wouldn't burden her parents. So, she kept her lips sealed, allowing Tinashé to look like the complete psycho she was as she ended her rant with a haunted house level clown grin.

She watched Tinashé's small form until it was invisible behind the house's walls, and then she finally moved her feet. She didn't move far, though. Only back towards the car, where a few of the house staff were still working on unloading shopping bags. "Bring me my car," she ordered, pulling a set of car keys from her bag and tossing it to one of the young men. She had done well at keeping herself composed in the devil's presence, but that wasn't going to last for much longer. She needed to get out of there. Not for good, no, she couldn't let Shay think she had won like that, but just for now. She needed air and she was sure that even if she retreated back to her room, Owen was going to be all over her about what had just happened.

As she waited for her car to be pulled up, which didn't take long due, she decided to let a little bit of her anger out in a few texts. With Owen, she needed to get a point across. He was going to choose her, or he was going to choose his classless sister. Her pride would take a hit if she chose Shay, but she would get over it. She would move on and do better than him, maybe even sleep with Carson for revenge, but he would never do better than her.

To: Owen
I'm sorry Owen, but I don't think that I can deal with your ghetto sister all summer. I've really tried to make an effort to get Alexandra back on the right track and if you think she's disrespectful, I don't even know what to tell you about your other one. I don't even know what to think about my relationship with you now, nonetheless having to spend the rest of the summer with a girl who literally threatened to kill me. I need some space, but maybe I'll meet up with you later tonight :/.

To: Christopher
I don't want you hanging around with Tinashé, Chris. She's bad news.

To: Alexandra
Did your sister forget to fill her Valium prescription lol?

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image

Putting the bad start to the day behind him, Owen was ready to have a good day at the beach. Alexandra had finally agreed to go along with the girls after Ariana diplomatically agreed to go as well, despite Tinashé's unfriendly invitation. The girls had went on their way and Owen had left with Oliver and Aiden in his car, while Carson and Christopher drove in Carson's Jeep. Their day couldn't have went better too. For the first time in a few weeks, he felt like his friendship with Carson was back in tact, to such a strong point that he decided to just be upfront with him about Ari's earlier assertion. When Carson denied any truth behind him and Shay kissing the previous night, Owen had no reason to question him further. He trusted that Carson wouldn't lie to him and it was hard for him to even believe that his best friend could have feelings for his sister in the first place. Hearing it from Carson, that there was no truth behind it, left him feeling even better.

When the day was over, Owen felt like their day was just as relaxing as the girls' day at the spa could have been. Since there was basically no tension among the boys, or at least that Owen was aware of, he was sure that their day probably was even more tranquil than the girls. However, the fact that he hadn't received a single text from Alexandra, Shay, Colette or Ariana telling him that someone had ripped another girl's hair out of their head seemed to be a good sign. In fact, it wasn't until he had already pulled into the driveway that he got a text from Ariana, and it seemed to portray their day in a positive light. Alexandra hadn't pulled her demon stunts, apparently, and if nothing else, that was something to celebrate considering how she had acted that morning.

Before he headed inside, he responded to Ariana's text, and decided to even try to make an effort with Alexa. He was always quick to acknowledge her being a pain in the ass, and maybe it would benefit their relationship if he acknowledged her being pleasant too.

To: Ariana
Yeah just got back and that's surprising but good to hear lol. Thanks again for going and sticking with her today. Ur a saint

To: Alexandra
I heard you guys had fun. Ruin dad's bank account?

He didn't think the day could get any better and he was right, because as soon as he got to his room, there was a knock at the door. One of the staff members explained to him that Shay wanted to talk to him, and as soon as he nodded and sent her out, he received a text from Ariana. The tone of the message completely contrasted the positive one that he had received from her minutes before, and he had to sit down on his bed as he reread the message. "Ghetto sister", not knowing what she wanted to do with her relationship with him, Shay threatening to kill her... it was a completely unexpected message and he wasn't sure how to process it. Even if he did have something to respond with, he wasn't going to until he spoke to Shay. He was sure that she had done something wrong to Ari for her to sent such a heated message, but the way that Ariana referenced her as his "ghetto sister", suggested that Ariana wasn't completely innocent in it either. So, rather than continue with his plans to shower, her pulled his t-shirt back on and walked down the hall, stopping only outside of Shay's room. He would wait for her as directed, but only because he was too confused and startled by what Ariana had just said to do anything more.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Alexa hurried up to her room at a pace strong enough to suggest that Shay was about to snap her neck and not Ariana's. She couldn't help but feel at least a little bit guilty for being forbidding towards Tinashé all day, and also for abandoning Ariana as soon as she sensed that something was about to go down. Alexandra didn't mind taking sides when she was the one who could be nasty and control the situation, but she knew better than to remain by Ariana's side when her sister had that look on her face. She was suddenly wishing that her room overlooked the driveway rather than the backyard so that she could watch, what she was sure to be an animated fight, go down. No matter what happened, she was sure that Owen was going to blame her for it. His finger always pointed towards her at the end of the day and even though she deserved it 99% of the time, she didn't think that the issue at hand now involved her. At least she hoped it didn't.

Surprisingly, Owen didn't seem to be mad at her. The tone of his text actually suggested the opposite, and while Alexa was still annoyed with him enough from earlier to not want to respond, it was relieving. As she tossed her sandals across the room and dropped her bag to the floor, she thought, for a moment, that maybe nothing bad had happened between Shay and Ari. Owen wouldn't have been texting her if Ariana was on her way to the emergency room, as Alexandra imagined. But as she lazily slid under the fluffy blankets that lined her bed, another message was received, and this time it was from Ariana. Reading the, "Did your sister forget to fill her Valium prescription lol?" message made her smirk for a moment, because it was one of the rare moments of Ariana acting like a friend and not her brother's girlfriend. It also acknowledged that she was at least alive after the altercation, which had to be a good sign, but at the same time, it clearly showed that Shay had gotten worked up over whatever happened. There was a part of Alexa that thought that her sister deserved it. She had been a bad sister to her when she didn't keep Alexandra's private confession to her a secret. She didn't stick up to her when Owen was being an ass about wearing a bathing suit in their own house. She didn't personally make her that omelet that she wanted! As she reminded herself of all of that, it overtook the part of her that wanted to feel bad that her sister was trapped in a house with a girl she openly hated for years. It was subject to change at one wrong word, but for now, she liked Ariana better.

To: Ariana
She's a psycho

To: Shay
Did you forget to fill your Valium prescription????

Sending the text was probably unnecessary and mean, but she felt like she needed to regain a little bit of pride after readily backing down moments earlier when she left Ariana's side. This was her way of reminding Shay that she was still mad at her, and an unspoken way of telling Ariana that she agreed with her. However, if Alexandra had known that just a few doors down, Tinashé had been pushed to the point of tears over the whole thing, she definitely wouldn't have had the guts to hit the send button.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller Character Portrait: Colette Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image

Christopher was probably one of the last people to find out that something had just went down between his sister and Tinashé because as soon as he had stepped foot in his bedroom, he shed his clothes and made a beeline for the shower. His relaxing twenty-minute shower allowed him to enjoy some of the scarce good vibes in the house. When he stepped out and got dressed, he was in a good mood. Last night had went well, the day at the beach had went well, and now they had plans lined up to go to Providence for dinner and then Greystone after. Everyone else's summer might have been starting on a poor note, but his wasn't. He was in good spirits and ready to take on the night... the night that he soon realized might not be happening after all. When he returned to his bedroom, he found four text messages waiting for him.

From: Shay
Still mad u partied & didn't warn no one.

From: Alexa
An invite would have helped. I think my sister is about to kill your sister. Come to my room.

From: Ariana
I don't want you hanging around with Tinashé, Chris. She's bad news.

From: Shay
There may or may not have been words exchanged between me & ur sister

All he really needed to read was Alexandra's to know that something had went down between Ariana and Shay, but the two that followed it only enforced the point. One day in and they couldn't even hold it together for that long?! Christopher knew both girls well, well enough to know that it had probably been Ariana provoking the situation and Tinashé snapping. It was only expected that after something like that, where Ariana's power was threatened, that she would try to go back to being the perfect angel she was and warn him against associating with her. He grew up with her and knew how this game went. He only wished that like he and Colette, Shay would just accept that that was how his sister was. At the same time, good for her. For once, someone had the gall to stand up to Ariana and put her in her place. It was destined to cause a ton of problems, and Chris knew that without even knowing what had gone on between Ariana and Owen, and Shay and Owen, but Ariana needed this. She needed someone to tell her that her reign of terror was over, and that she wasn't the queen of the fucking universe. Christopher was never going to be that person, and even now he didn't think it would be worthwhile to tell Ari off for trying to taint his opinion of Shay, but he was glad that Shay was doing it. If it hadn't been her, he was sure that it was only a matter of hours before Colette and Ari would have engaged in a cat fight anyway.

To: Ariana
Whatever u say mom.

To: Shay
Ur not backing out on me for Greystone tn. Just saying.

Alexandra's text didn't need a response because Christopher was soon at her bedroom door, as she requested. When he carefully stepped inside, he found Alexa nestled under the comforter of her bed. "A full day of spending daddy's money and being pampered on in a salon would tire anyone out," he said sarcastically, though offering a grin to show that he came in peace. "I don't think any blood was shed in their fight, since I got texts from both of them, but I say we take a bet on who's going to come out with all their limbs attached in the next one. I give it four hours before we get to see round two." He hoped that she was in a better mood than when he had last seen her, and she was still claiming that he had slept with Shay in Europe.

It was easy for him to joke about the Shay/Ariana problems now, but he knew that if they weren't already serious enough, they would be soon. They needed to sort out their issues if they expected to get through this summer, and honestly, Chris' selfish side didn't think it was fair of them to do all of this when it was going to effect everyone else's time as well. If anyone was close enough to the two girls, it was Colette. Maybe she wasn't close emotionally with Ariana, but they were twins! He was sure that there was a bond there that would remain in tact even if they acted like they hated each other.

To: Colette
U have to fix this Shay/Ari stuff. Talk to Ari and be nice

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Alexandra had joined the girl's day unwillingly, with the promise to Ariana and Owen that she was only doing it so she would be included in the plans at Providence and Greystone later on. The day wasn't as much of a drag as she imagined it to be (even if the biggest killjoy, Jamie, had tagged along). She had returned home with thousands of dollars worth of new things, including the Balenciaga bag that Ari was raving about, and a few pairs of Gucci sneakers. She was sure that Shay would appreciate those more than Ariana, who had brushed them off in the store as being "hood and trashy", but she couldn't ask for her sister's opinion. Not in front of Ariana, who she had decided to spend the day with, and not after Lex had decided that Tinashé had proved that she was a bad sister. Aside from the mounds of shopping bags, she had chosen the Fluer de Vigne body treatment at Caudalie, and to say that it was relaxing was an understatement. Sure, nearly all of the tranquility that had been massaged into her body disappeared as soon as she saw the look on Shay's face when she approached Ari outside, but it was nice for the time being. None of that was going to be comparable to how she was going to feel in the new outfit Shay had brought her from Europe, the taste of the seafood Providence had to offer, the tequila shots she would down with Chris... it was going to be a good night. It was supposed to be a good night, but now Alexandra was doubting whether it would be.

Even when Christopher came in with the warmth of his playful attitude, she still felt uneasy. By now, Shay probably disliked her as much as she disliked Shay, which was never allowed in Alexandra's little world. She could be bitchy and annoying and immature, but it wasn't fair when that attitude was returned to her, especially from Tinashé. She was certain that if the plans for the night were still happening, that Ariana was not going to be invited, and that left Alexa with one less alliance. She did have Chris, whose remark about her being in bed after an easy day garnered an eye roll from her, but he was unpredictable. It wouldn't have surprised her if when she turned around to order another drink, he was on his way out of the club with some stranger. Or wait, maybe even her sister, on their way to catch a plane back to Europe! For now, since she had lost Tinashé and Ariana as friends for the night, she decided to let that Europe issue go for the time being, but she wasn't going to actually get over it. That would make too much sense for Alexandra to do.

"Tinashé has a black belt... but she is scared of snakes. Unless Ari brought like, a boa constrictor to the fight, or poisoned all of the wine in our cellar, I think Shay would beat her." She decided to humor Christopher with his question on who would win in a fight, only because she had been pondering the topic earlier when she was sure a physical fight was on the brink of happening. It was easy to know that Shay would win though. Even if she wanted to claim that Ariana was better at everything, she was sure that Tinashé's martial arts training matched with the sheer amount of trauma she had endured would be enough for her to win in a matter of seconds. When she received Shay's response to her text, she wanted to take it back and tell Chris that she would help Ariana kick Shay's ass (not like even the two of them still could have won). How dare she?! Tell me not to talk to her? If she knows what's good for her, she better not talk to me! She's the one who tried to ruin my relationship with Carson. What a delusional, psycho bitch.

To: Shay
Cry about it :...(

Because Alexandra was immature enough to not want to let Shay get the last word in, she had to send a petty text back. She wasn't even referencing the breakdown that her sister had just had in front of Owen, because she was completely ignorant to it happening, but it fit the mood more than she knew. Despite being completely pissed off, she was scared that Shay was really mad at her. And not the stupid, "I can't stand you!" mad that she would do after Alexa stole and ruined one of her favorite shirts. A real type of anger, where even if she did want to come to her with something as serious as the Carson topic again, she wasn't going to be able to. "Want to switch sisters with me?" she asked, pulling herself out from under her blankets. She shifted herself to the edge of the bed, allowing her legs to dangle off its side as she looked at Chris. His sister was a bitch, but so was hers and at least his didn't try to steal her boyfriend. Maybe it was time to figure out what had actually gone down outside with Ariana.

To: Ariana
Where did you go?

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Owen had some nerve not calling her withing thirty seconds of her text being sent to him. She didn't look back as she raced down his long driveway at a speed likely to kill a maintenance worker if they dared to step off of the lawns they watered. She was furious, and even more so when she reach the end of the driveway and glanced in her rear view mirror before pulling past the gates. He wasn't running after her. He had chosen his disgusting, loser, gangster sister over her. Was he out of his mind? Either that, or he killed himself after she threatened to beak up with him. No one in their right mind would choose that piece of trash over Ariana Rockefeller.

It irked her even more that Alexandra and Christopher had both managed to respond to her before her own boyfriend could. She was angry, offended and to her own surprise, upset. She had started dating Owen to prove a point to Colette but it would be a lie to say that he hadn't grown on her. She wouldn't genuinely say that she loved him, but only because she was cautious with that word. Love meant dependence, in her mind, and she wouldn't depend on Owen or any man, regardless of how invested they acted in her. This was the perfect example of why she felt that way - because even when someone acted like they loved her, it was never real. It never meant that she was their first choice all of the time, and even if this time it wasn't another love interest taking her place, it was someone. Boys swooned over Ariana all of the time, but the good ones never lasted and Owen had just joined that list of men.

She had started driving with no real destination in mind, but as she merged onto the highway heading south, her family's Newport Beach home became her destination. It was going to take her at least an hour and a half in with traffic to get there, but she didn't care. She was in no rush, and with the radio turned up as loud as the speaker would allow, she tried to calm herself down. It didn't work, though. Being alone wasn't good for her, because she had no one to force her to keep herself together in front of. Before she could stop them, tears were streaming down her face, and she was lucky that rush hour traffic allowed her to stop her car for a good five minutes. She was barely composed by the time the cars in front of her began to regain pace, but at least she had time to send out a couple of texts.

To: Christopher
It's not funny, Chris. If you were a good brother you would listen to me on this.

To: Alexandra
I can't be around that house right now. Way too many bad vibes :(. Sorry for leaving you with that monster.

When her phone rang, and the Bluetooth in her car picked it up and showed that it was Owen calling, she didn't move. She didn't reject the call, but let it ring. When it silenced, she was only able to enjoy her music for another ten seconds before his name flashed on the screen, and again, and again, before she finally answered. Or at least accepted the call, because she refused to speak until he did.

"Ariana?"

She waited a good thirty seconds, partly for dramatic effect and partly to make sure her voice wasn't going to be shaky when she did answer. "Yes." She decided that she should have waited longer, because if she had said more than that one word, she was sure it would have been apparent that she was crying. In their entire year of dating, she was sure that she had never once cried to Owen about anything, and she definitely didn't want to cry to him, about him.

"Ariana, look, I'm really sorry. I know that Shay probably said something that was really bad but I promise she didn't mean -"

"She did mean it, Owen. If you're calling to try to apologize for her, just hang up now, okay? I didn't clear an entire two months of my life to deal with being berated by some five-foot brat. And I know she's your sister, and that's why I tried to be nice to her. I really did try, Owen, because I care about you, obviously more than she does, and I wanted you to have fun this summer. But it's just not worth it for me to stay there, to stay with you, if I'm going to be threatened for doing absolutely nothing." And now, fueled by emotions, she was convinced that she really hadn't done anything. She had warned Owen that his best friend was making a move on his sister like a good girlfriend would do. She spent an entire day with his problem sister like a good girlfriend would do. And then she was verbally assaulted by that ghetto bitch.

"Can't you just come back so we can talk about this in person? Please, Ari. Or just tell me where you are and I'll leave right now and come. I don't want to do this over the phone."

She wanted him to choose her, but she hated how desperate he sounded as he plead for her to return. It wasn't fair of her to do this to him, but she had to. She had to make a point to him, to Colette, to Shay, to everyone. "There isn't anything to talk about, Owen. You either side with me, or you side with her. There's nothing to reason and no excuses to be made for how she acted. I'm on my way to my house in Newport, so if you decide to choose your girlfriend who's been nothing but loyal to you and your family, you can bring your things with you and we can enjoy the summer like we planned. Otherwise, I'll send someone to get my things and you can delete my number from your contacts."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image

Owen put off responding for Ariana for as long as he could, because he honestly had no idea how to reply to her message. She said she needed space and that she would consider meeting up with him later, which suggested that maybe it was okay for him not to respond. At the same time though, he was sure that this was one of those confusing times his father had warned him about years ago, when girls would say one thing and mean the other. She probably did want him to say something even just to validate her feelings, but he didn't know how to do that without severing ties with his sister. Even after departing from Carson and taking a fifteen-minute shower, he was still perplexed on what to say, but by now, he had the energy to dial her number into his phone.

Five rings later, and he was sent to voice mail. He didn't want to leave a message because he still didn't know what he was going to say, and he wanted to hear her voice. Owen needed to know that she was okay and that their relationship was okay. As he called her a second time, he managed to simultaneously get dressed, and with the third call, dry his hair, before she finally answered on the fourth try. He was so used to the person on the other end responding with "hello?" first, that he wasn't sure that she had actually answered when he was met with silence.

"Ariana?" he asked.There were faint sounds of cars in the background, but the silence suggested that maybe he had lost service or he had somehow reached her voice mail again. After a few grueling seconds, he got a "yes" to acknowledge that she was on line, but nothing more. He didn't need anything more than that to know that she was upset with him. If she was just annoyed or even angry, he was sure he would be getting an ear full of rage, but her bare response and shaky voice showed weakness and vulnerability that he wasn't used to from Ari. It only made him feel worse about the situation. Maybe Shay was more out of line than he thought she had been.

He needed to somehow explain this and make things better without making either girl into the villain. They both hated each other, that much was well known, but maybe if he could just get Ariana to see where Shay was coming from, they could mend what had just happened. "Ariana, look, I'm really sorry. I know that Shay probably said something that was really bad but I promise she didn't mean -" When she cut him off mid-sentence, he knew that wasn't going to happen. She wasn't going to meet him half-way in this one, and her final words proved that. She hung up before he could even respond, but he replayed her words a few times in his mind as he stood frozen next to his bed. She had given him an ultimatum: her or Shay. He could pack his bags and spend the summer with her in Newport Beach, over an hour away, or stay with his family here, and lose her as a girlfriend and friend.

Owen should have expected a proposal like that, but even after watching Shay break down and hearing Ariana's voice on the phone, he didn't think it was this bad. He was sure that he had gotten through to Shay even just a little bit, and that this could all be solved within the next few days. He and Ariana could stay out in the guest house and maybe spend fourth of July in Catalina or fly out to New York for a few days to distance the girls enough to still make a summer together work. He considered telling Ariana that he couldn't leave his sisters, to how he wanted to spend the summer with his friends as he planned, or that his parents would fly back home if they knew that he was leaving the house in Shay's hands. It wouldn't be right to leave everyone alone here, because he was sure that if he did, chaos would ensue. But was he supposed to give up his relationship with an amazing girl because he felt like he needed to be responsible and take care of everything? Everyone in the house was legally an adult. It wasn't his job to babysit them. Maybe this was what he needed to finally let go a little bit, to free himself of all of the family pressure that he had accepted when his parents divorced.

Barely paying attention to what he was taking, he stuffed a bag with some clothes and necessities, and his mind was made up. He was going to spend the summer with his girlfriend. He hadn't completely thrown his old self to the wind, as he was hoping that within a few hours, he could talk some sense into her and they would return to Beverly Hills, but for now, he was going to do what he needed to do to win her back. He sent out a couple of texts before sending someone to bring his car to the front of the house, before pulling off in it.

To: Shay
Hey u feeling okay? I'm omw out rn but lmk when you guys are going to Greystone. Might meet up with you. If not plz make sure Lex doesn't do anything stupid. Plz.

To: Carson
Hey I'm going to spend the night with Ari in Huntington Beach I think. Look out for my sisters tn if I don't see you?

To: Alexandra
Don't be a brat to Shay tn, ok? She's not feeling well.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller Character Portrait: Oliver McKagan
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image
Outfit || Makeup

Alexandra still didn't appreciate Chris' reference to his Dubai trip with Shay, because she did still believe he slept with her, but she allowed herself to smile, ever so slightly, at the remark. It was a reaction to his signature goofy grin more than anything else. His next comment about her makeup was less well-received than the first, and she offered him her middle finger as a response of her own. "Bye," she responded curtly, her way of telling him to get out, even though he was already on his way out the door.

She opted to ignore Tinashé's text. If you don't want me to talk to you, don't talk to me. The text she had received earlier wasn't going to stop Alexandra from talking to Shay if she felt like it, but she was only going to do so if she felt like it. Agreeing to be ready in thirty minutes did not constitute that, and just to spite her, and Chris for his remark, she made sure to take no less than forty-five minutes getting ready. When she finished showering, fixing her hair and makeup and getting dressed, she choked down the vodka that Christopher had left her earlier, and found the group downstairs, waiting for her in the car.

Alexandra was in the mood to complain, but the dinner that Shay had treated them to was one thing that she couldn't find an issue with. She had ordered the lobster ravioli dish, and enjoyed half of the dish before deciding she was full. She wasn't very hungry, but more so, she wanted to drink on as empty of a stomach as possible, so she would feel the alcohol sooner when they got to Greystone. The couple of shots worth of alcohol she had early had already worn off, and with Owen not being there to drain her energy, she was planning on going all out tonight. It seemed necessary, especially when she spotted her toxic, no good, bitch of a sister holding Carson's hand on their way out of the restaurant.

"Honestly, she is so ugly," she muttered under her breath, a lame insult in an attempt to poorly reassure herself that Shay could never get with Carson. Alexa was petty and at least part of the anger she felt towards her sister should have been directed at Carson. He was the one who had taken Shay's hand into his, and he was the one who slept with her and then acted like she meant nothing to him. It was easier to lash out at Shay though, since they were sisters and Lex felt that no matter how nasty she acted towards her, Shay would have to forgive her at some point. She had already learned that Carson wanted nothing to do with her, and snapping at him would only steepen their distance.

She opted not to say anything about the display of public affection at the time, because she didn't want to look like she was as obsessed as Carson (rightly so) made her out to be. She silently slid into the back seat of the car, taking a window seat and focusing her glare out the window, rather than at her back-stabbing sister. In an indirect way to get back at Shay, she decided to text Ariana. If she showed up, maybe Alexa could instigate a fight between the two and Shay wouldn't be able to hang out with Carson. It didn't exactly mean that she would get to hang out with him instead, but if she couldn't have him, Shay couldn't either.

To: Ariana
Please come save me I want to hang out with you tonight :((((((((((((

It was only when they arrived at Greystone that Alexa felt like the dynamic between Carson and Shay was too strong to ignore. She was still too hestitant to say anything aloud, partly because she didn't want to seem dramatic and attract the group's attention to her, but mostly because she didn't want to be publicly shot down by her sister. Instead, a text would do.

To: Shay
Just a reminder that I hate u.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image ImageImage

The drive to Huntington Beach was long enough, thanks to the evening traffic, that Owen considered turning back more than once. He had too much time to think, and even the pop station that he had idly turned on wasn't doing enough to drown out the feeling of guilt as he recalled Shay crying to him earlier. Was he being the worst brother in the world by doing this? She had everyone else at the house to help her feel better, he tried to remind himself, and if he had joined them this evening, he probably wouldn't have been comfortable watching her and the underage portion of the brood drinking their sorrows away. He eventually decided that what he was doing was okay, especially since he didn't really plan on staying in Huntington all summer. It was too late for him to turn back at that point anyway, because he was already pulling into the gated beachfront community.

Ariana had a half an hour to herself at the beach house before Owen showed up. After their phone call, she just knew that he was going to come, so when the bell rang, signaling that someone was trying to buzz through the gates, she wasn't surprised. He had made the smart decision and the right decision by choosing her over his sister and Ariana was going to prove that to him. She would allow herself to be more into him, to see if she could actually love him without brushing him off as a temporary boyfriend, because he had just showed her that he cared about her more than his own sister. Granted, they weren't blood siblings and Ariana was going to point that out if Owen had chose Shay instead, but she knew that they saw each other as true family, and now that made him choosing her even more important.

She waited for him at the front door, a smile resting on her face as she watched him step out of his car and sheepishly approach her. He only had a backpack with him, but she would deal with the short-term stay appearance later. For now, she had to be thankful that he had shown up at all and she started by throwing her arms around his neck as soon as he made it up the walkway. "I love you so much," she said when she pulled away from his kiss and rested her head on his shoulder. It had felt so natural coming out of her mouth, but it was probably the first time that she had actually told him she loved him, or at least initiated it. She realized that soon after it came out of her mouth, but she didn't want to backtrack. After Owen had put his relationship with Tinashe on the line for her, she wanted to love him, and even if that love had been forced for the past year, she was going to try to make it real now. She would give him the chance that he deserved.

"I love you too." It was so nice to hear Ariana tell him that he loved her and for the moment, the doubts that he had about making the right choice disappeared. This was where he needed to be, and the passionate kiss she had graced him with reminded him of that in more ways than one. He didn't want to let her go, even when she pulled her face away from his and nestled it into his shoulder. He needed to prove that their relationship was more than just Ariana's way of getting back at Shay, as it had been insinuated by others before. His smile turned sultry as he pulled her into her own house and towards the stairs. They both knew where this was going and the way that Ariana tried to bite her lip to suppress a smile told him that she was just as excited as he.

She was prepared when they got to her bedroom. She had spent the half hour before Owen's arrival searching for the sexiest lingerie she could find. Most of her clothes were at her family's more frequented houses, but she found a white lace bra and underwear set that she was sure she looked good in. And when Owen nearly tore her clothes off, it seemed to do the trick. Twenty minutes later, with both of them out of breath but beaming, things did feel better and Ariana no longer felt guilty for forcing him to choose between she and his sister. If she hadn't given him that ultimatum, they wouldn't had wound up where they were now. Her head rested on his bare chest and she allowed him to stroke her hair for a few more minutes, soaking in the serene silence before tilting her head to look at him. "Since you didn't get to go to Providence with everyone else, I'm going to make you dinner," she smiled. He smirked. Since when did Ariana know how to cook? He doubted whatever she made would compare to Providence's seafood, or even his sister's cooking for that matter, but he wasn't going to object. Especially not when she slid off of the beg and with a finger, motioned him to follow her without putting on anything other than the lingerie she had started off in.

Owen's thoughts were right. Ariana wasn't a great cook. In fact, relying on paid chefs for all of her life left her with little culinary skills aside from making toast and tea. The fact that their cupboards were poorly stocked, due to her parents expecting the house to be vacant all summer, worked to her benefit, now. "How does spaghetti sound?" she said, purposely parading her scantily clad body around the kitchen for his enjoyment. "It's that, or cereal," she proposed playfully, receiving a quick response from Owen. "Then spaghetti it is!"

How they had went from Owen teaching her how to tell if the water was boiling, to him on top of her on the Rockefeller family's kitchen island was unknown, but Owen couldn't complain. In fact, he was savoring this side of Ariana that he didn't think he had ever seen before. It was the relationship every guy dreamed of, and it was satisfying enough that he scarfed down her soggy spaghetti as if it had been made by Wolfgang Puck.

"We should go to Greystone," Ariana decided when their dishes were in the sink. She had played the housewife for a little while to turn him on, but she wasn't going to go as far as washing dishes tonight. The texts that she found from Lex, once the sexual energy between her and Owen had been worn out, distracted her from it anyway. Apparently, Owen wasn't the only Collins child who was choosing her over Tinashé. "What? I thought you never wanted to see Shay again." He tried to read Ariana's expression, expecting to see some hint at her true intentions underneath, but he found nothing. Maybe he was just really loving her at the moment, but she didn't seem to have any evil intentions up her sleeve. "I think we should go to Greystone. Alexandra wants us to come and I don't trust Colette with looking out for Christopher. I won't talk to Tinashé, and I won't be mad at you for talking to her either. I just think that going is the right thing for us to do." Now that she knew where Owen's loyalty was, she did think it was the right thing to do. Alexandra was obviously in distress and Ariana cared enough about her to not want her to drink herself to death. She already had Colette to worry about doing that, and she really didn't trust Christopher out at a club. It was only a matter of time before his risky behavior started catching up with him too. And maybe, even with these innocent intentions being at the top of her list, she did want to show Tinashé that she wasn't hiding from her. She had run away at first, but now she would reappear and remind her that she couldn't get rid of her that easily.

-------- 10:00 PM --------

To: Shay
Ari and I are on our way in. She promised not to talk to you. We're just coming to make sure you can chill without having to deal with Lex.

An explanation and warning seemed necessary, because if things came crashing down, which he prayed didn't happen, at least he could claim that he had tried to tell Shay in advance. He and Ariana had no trouble cutting the line and getting into Greystone, and with Ariana's had entwined in Owen's they sought out their friends. Neither of them frequented clubs very often, and while Ariana could appreciate the high energy atmosphere, Owen wasn't enjoying the vibes as much. It wasn't because he was a prude or didn't enjoy a night out, but he was already imagining how plastered both of his sisters were going to be, and he was second guessing bringing Ariana back around his sister so soon. He ordered her a Manhattan as they passed the bar and a Budweiser for himself, hoping the drinks would calm both of them down, and if worse came to worse, prevent Ariana from having a free hand to claw Shay with. Once they had reached the bar, it didn't take long for them to find the others, but Owen wished they had taken a minute longer so he didn't have to watch Shay down a shot like it was water.

"Hey guys, how was dinner?" Owen broke the silence that followed them appearing without any more notice than his text to Shay. Ariana pressed herself closer to Owen and smiled at the others, offering Carson and Christopher a small wave, before her eyes fell upon Alexandra. An empty shot glass sat in front of her and Ariana sent her a disproving look. She wasn't going to reprimand her in front of her own older siblings, but she wanted to talk to the girl alone anyway. "I'm going to run to the bathroom," she said to Owen more than anyone else. "Alexa, will you show me where it is?" She knew that the youngest of the group had frequented the club enough to know her way around, and Ariana honestly hadn't been there in at least a year. The need for guidance was necessary, even if she wanted Lex for more than just that reason.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

ImageImage

To say that Carson was surprised to see Owen and Ariana at Greystone was an understatement, and to say that he was disappointed was even more of an understatement. Again the wave of guilt for putting Shay before his longtime best friend followed the second emotion, but not before annoyance overtook it. Tonight was going to be the night that he would work up the courage to tell her, or more accurately show her that he saw her as more than Owen's little sister. It was going to be difficult enough with Alexandra lurking around, but with Owen there, it seemed like it would be impossible. He knew that he couldn't doubt his ability to do things (or in Lex's case, people) he would later regret after too many drinks, and with that thought in mind, he swallowed the bitter shot Shay ordered him. He wasn't going to need a lot more of those to get to where he needed to be to make a move on Shay in the same building as Owen, but they just got there. He had time for the alcohol to hit, and until then, he would socialize with Owen to squash that annoying rush of guilt he felt every time he looked at Shay.

"Hey!" Carson was the first to respond to the surprise arrival of the couple, and after a silent response from the others, he felt inclined to make up for it with a friendly greeting. "Dinner was good. I mean, you can never go wrong with Providence, but Shay picked the right night to go. Everything tasted better than it normally does." That, or the vibes at the table were high without Ari and Owen, and everything just seemed better because of that. He was relieved when Ariana quickly excused herself, taking Alexandra with her. At least they could say they would get through five minutes without a girl fight breaking out. When Owen directed his attention away from them for a moment, Carson shot Shay a look that read why the hell are they here?!. He didn't know how Shay and Owen had left off, but he didn't want Shay's night to be ruined, even if the prospect of their night together had been. "I'm going to grab a beer." He was glad that the bartender had shifted to the opposite side of the bar, because it meant that he could lead Owen a few feet away from the group to talk to him in private. He didn't want him to be there tonight, but since he was, Carson was curious about what had went down with Ariana. The way that she clung to him when they walked in suggested that things had went well enough, and Carson was still Owen's best friend. Of course he wanted to hear what he was getting in return for making up with Ariana. "I didn't expect you two to show up. Are they cool or something now?" he questioned, making sure that his tone sounded more curious than it did assertive or angry. "I saw the way Ariana's face was glowing though," he continued, taking a slug of the ice cold beer that the bartender had just handed him. "And that type of glow only points to one thing: makeup sex." He couldn't resist smirking as he watched Owen's facial expression. Even if he wasn't a fan of Ariana today, he had to admit that Owen was a lucky man for being able to hit that whenever he wanted... or more appropriately, whenever she wanted.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
Image


Normally, Alexa would have been overjoyed at Shay bringing her out to a club. Her sister was cool (regardless of her refusal to admit it), and that was apparent by how easily they got into Greystone. Lex had been to Greystone many times before, the most notorious incident being with her mother. She never struggled to get in, but she was always with friends who had big names too, and that probably helped. Bouncers knew Chris at nearly every club, and despite being underage, she always got in when she was with him, but it was like everyone at Greystone knew Shay. She was greeted by nearly everyone they passed, in one way or another, and it made Lex's eyes roll. She was in the mood to be petty but she hated allowing herself to be so petty that she was even jealous of attention that strangers were giving Shay.

She needed a drink, and she needed one fast. Her patience was winding away, and alcohol would be the only fix for that, since it was apparent that Shay had no respect for her relationship with Carson. This "relationship" with Carson may have been non-existent or worse in his mind, but getting more and more annoyed with her sister as each minute passed, she wanted to blame that on her too. Alexandra's shot didn't sit on the bar top for more than a second before it was in her hand and being tossed down her throat. Even after the shots earlier in the evening, the sting of the vodka still clawed at her throat and she felt like spitting it back into the glass before eventually swallowing it. She felt pathetic for it, but she still could barely do straight alcohol shots. She needed to force herself to do them tonight, since she didn't have time to sip down a mixed drink and wait for those effects to take place, but it wasn't going to be enjoyable. "One more," she tapped her fingers on the bar as she smiled at the bartender to pour her another shot. It came quickly but Alexandra wasn't ready to take another one yet, and instead, swirled the liquid gently in the glass. "What does your sister drink?" she turned to Chris. Getting smashed seemed to be one of Colette's skills and Alexandra needed to learn how to do that quickly and painlessly tonight.

There was no time for Christopher to answer her, because suddenly everyone's attention shifted to the pair that had just approached them. Or interrupted them, as it more appropriately seemed. Alexandra had been the one to beg Ariana to show up, so maybe this was her fault, but she wasn't going to send out any more texts to her after that last one. Now that they were at the club, where alcohol was being served left and right, she was going to use that to help her have a good time and she didn't need Ari. She especially didn't need her if she was going to bring Owen along, which was obviously the case. Her second shot went down far too easily compared to the first, as she tossed it back intuitively at the sight of the couple. Owen and Carson had already started conversing about dinner when she caught the condemning look that Ariana was giving her. She didn't care though, honestly. If Ariana thought she was going to spend the rest of the night sober, she was dumber than she looked.

When Ariana asked her to come to the bathroom with her, Alexandra decided to oblige. Owen would have given her a hard time if she said no, and she didn't want to stand around with Chris and Shay either, just in case they remembered how much fun they had in Europe again. She didn't leave without giving Shay a sharp elbow to the side as she passed, knowing well that it was childish and mean. Holding hands and talking with Carson wasn't really enough to constitute her hating her like this. She was still unaware of her sister sleeping with him the night before, even if both bodies remained clothed, or their cozy night in the theater. If this was how she was acting now, with her mind not fully clouded with alcohol too, the rest of the summer probably wasn't going to go well.

She had linked arms with Ariana to navigate through the more crowded parts of the club. Lex wasn't sure if she really needed direction to the restroom, or if she was just trying to get her alone to lecture her about drinking, but she waited to see. They were in the VIP section and it was still early enough that the bathroom was scarcely populated. "Why are you here?" she questioned, leaning against the counters by the sink.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK




Tinashé had just ordered another two shots for herself when the air around them seemed to still and she turned around to see Owen and Ariana sliding through the throng of writhing bodies and excited party-goers. Unlike Carson, her surprise was not evident nor was her displeasure. In fact, if Owen were really trying to look into anything, all he would see is simple nonchalance. She couldn't even feel herself throwing a fit inside at her brother's audacity to actually bring the girl he said he would keep away form her. No...her eyebrows simply rose in interest as she stared at her brother, not even giving Ariana a glance. Shrugging to the look Carson gave, Shay turned back to the bar and downed her shots one after the other, one bite of alcohol less grating than the other. She was a bit disappointed than Carson ran away with Owen, but couldn't feel nothing but relief - which she immediately felt guilty over afterwards - when Alexandra left with Ariana. It made her feel some type of way, that her baby sister would go off with someone else just because she was pissed with Shay. At the same time, she wasn't going to react. Bitch can't kill my vibe, she promised herself before turning back to Chris, grinning lasciviously.

"You already know what time it is," she purred to her friend, pulling Chris with her through the people. On second thought, she grabbed a hold of Oliver too. The guy couldn't just be left alone with not even his friend, Jamie, by his side and Shay was interested in seeing how Oliver got down. Maybe they could find him someone to play with for the night? She led the boys into the crowd easily, with her diminutive yet petite body being able to fit through crevices and shove past anyone who acted like they were made of brick. Soon, they were dancing to some dub-step remix of a song she would have remembered if the lyrics could be heard. Overhead, the colorful lights danced across skin slick with sweat and Shay allowed herself to move freely, not all caring about Ariana being near or Owen really having had gone after Ariana. It didn't surprise her, especially after she had told him that he could go get his girl if that was what he wanted, and she refused to let the hurt wash over her. Instead, she lost herself into the music, laughing at Christopher who seemed to have already been pulled in by some blonde. She started dancing with Oliver too, just to get him to let loose, smiling all the while and laughing occasionally at his expressions.

In the midst of dancing and hanging out with her two guy friends, Shay didn't realize when a familiar face popped up behind her until hands fell on either side of her waist. Tensing and almost ready to turn around with a chop, a voice reached her ears, playful and excited, "Look who's back on the West Coast!" Relaxing, Tinashé turned around to see her fellow artist and friend, Jasmine Villegas. The pop singer, currently twenty years old, had begun their relationship by tweeting lyrics of Shay's and then it became their thing. Before either knew it, they were frequenting the same places and hanging with the same party crew. They weren't best friends, but Shay loved a good dance with Jasmine, especially once her and a few of Shay's backup dancers started posting choreography online just for the hell of it.

"Bitch!" She exclaimed and turned around to embrace the blonde. Despite being a natural brunette like Tinashé, Jasmine had dyed her hair blonde as well and only returned to her natural color for a music video back in January only for everyone to find out that she had simply had a sew-in weave because she couldn't part with the blonde any time soon. It was still a good look and Shay's smile was bright when seeing the singer. "Some people weren't even gonna tell anyone she was back though!" Jasmine yelled over the music, still pulling Shay close so that they could hear one another. Rolling her eyes, she responded, "Drama queen." Jasmine grinned. "Dance with us on stage." It wasn't far off for any performer in Greystone to actually sing or dance, or even rap and Shay had performed here plenty of times. Granted, she had told Ronnie that she wasn't dancing for the night, even when he had Nick text her to change her mind. However, that was also when she had not been in a good mood and damn it, Shay was ready to let loose, even on stage. "You gotta perform tonight," she told the blonde and Jasmine only smiled wickedly. "You too." Sharing her friend's grin, Shay turned back to the boys and yelled, "Be back." Chris looked...Chris looked like he was good and Shay had no doubt Oliver would have fun before the night was over.

They were backstage for only three minutes, only needing the first minute to convince the host for the night, Chad, to let them on. While someone else moved to let the DJ know what songs they needed to be playing and for someone else to start setting up mics for the girls to sing separately later on, Shay removed her jacket and necklace, giving them to a familiar face. She couldn't remember the person's name, but all she had to do was bat her lashes with a promise of a dance later to know that her things would be taken care of. While they were getting ready, she heard Chad go on stage and cut the music down, getting the crowd hyped up. [b]"Now, you know it's really rare to have more than one mainstream artist on the stage in here. So, ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for Jasmine V and your girl Tinashé."[/color] The loud cheer was defening and Shay couldn't help but feel exhilarated by it. She always had a rush when performing, especially when she knew she was about to dance. Singing and performing were things she enjoyed, but dancing...dancing was her first love.

The first dance by Jasmine and Shay was to a Beyoncé song, a choreography they had made up just for the hell of it. She almost didn't hear the audience under the heavy music and the sensual notes of the lyrics, but when someone shouted her name, she couldn't help but get lost in performing. She didn't care what Ariana had to say or if she judged her. She could care less about Owen's opinion on having people watch his little sister dance and how he really wished she would censor herself more often. She didn't even care about the mental daggers Alexandra was probably throwing her way. All she cared about was the way her body moved and the way each snap seemed to send a current through her veins...and maybe...just maybe...if Carson was watching her.