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Owen Collins

"Never settle."

0 · 2,655 views · located in Beverly Hills, California

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

Description

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"There’s something about the people who knew you when you were young- before you had decided who you wanted to be. Before you knew what face you wanted to wear in the world. They’re the only ones who really know you, you know?"
— Sarah Treem, A Feminine Ending



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Name:
Owen Pierce Collins

Preferred Name:
Owen

Age:
23

Birthday:
April 12th

Sexuality:
Heterosexual

Occupation:
Model



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History:
His parents, Pierce and Kristen Collins, never should have been married. While they thought they could make a nice little family together, after only a few years of marriage, it was apparent that there was no real love between them. Kris started having affairs, which she justified to herself because Pierce was spending excessive amounts of time at work rather than with her and once Pierce found out about this, he returned the infidelity. At least his was more genuine than hers, Owen reasons. He had fallen in love with fashion designer Aimee Kachingwe, who was also married at the time. As soon as their affair was brought to light, both of their marriages fell apart and the pair ended up marrying each other soon after. Things didn't end there with the perfect "happily ever after" finish, though. His mother wouldn't have it that way. She felt like Pierce had humiliated and betrayed her, even if she had been the one stepping out first and more frequently. Kris had always been the attention-obsessed one and her true colors certainly came out in response to the affair and quick remarriage. She started a long and painful custody battle that kept the tabloids active for months. Between leaked voice mails, photos of him with his new wife during the affair, and false allegations that Pierce had abused her and the kids, Kris did everything she could to ruin her ex-husband's image and come out on top by stealing his two prized-possessions: Owen and Alexandra.

Unlike Kris, Pierce wanted the kids so they could be raised properly, which apparently wasn't on her agenda. Five million dollars was enough for her to end the ordeal and give him primary custody of the children. Although she was granted visitation rights, Owen avoided her at all costs. During the custody battle, he enrolled at a boarding school about a half-hour away and lived for the last year years of high school. He was overwhelmed by how horrible his mother was acting, how his family was being trashed by the media and how his once sweet little sister was turning into a terror. Unlike her, he was actually glad that his father had remarried Aimee. Despite her also being unfaithful in her own previous marriage, Owen found her to be nice enough and appreciated the efforts she made to get to know him and Alexandra. He had more reservations with her daughter, Tinashe, but the girl grew on eventually too and by now, he considers Aimee to be a better mother figure than his birth mother, and Tinashe to be just as much a sister as Alexandra.

For the past year, Owen has lived at the family's house in Beverly Hills. He could easily get his own apartment somewhere but feels like it's his duty to keep the house in order when his dad and Aimee aren't home, especially with the way Alexandra is acting. Besides that, he has been travelling frequently for his modelling career. He was in a few ads here and there throughout his childhood but after graduating high school, his career took off. He's been featured in numerous high-fashion campaigns and runway shows, was featured in one of Madonna's music videos, and recently wrapped up filming for a Taylor Swift music video.

Secret(s):
Everyone has them. If there was one thing your character doesn't want anyone to find out about, what is it?


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Positive Traits:
Responsible, Intelligent, Romantic, Considerate, Humble

Character Flaws:
Uptight, Opinionated, Overprotective, Stubborn, Controlling

Personality:
The older brother role that he was born into is thoroughly reflected in Owen's personality. He's responsible, protective and considerate. When it comes to his loved ones, his heart is always in the right place, even if his actions are interpreted as being overprotective and restrictive. He puts a lot of pressure on himself to make sure that his sisters, are always taken care of, and can't accept the fact that they might not need him now as much as he felt they did when they were younger. He likes to think that his parents' divorce didn't affect him very much, but it made him grow up quickly. The amount of attention that the custody battle brought upon them, as well as both of his sisters' questionable behaviors forced him to be the responsible one. He felt guilty that his father had to deal with his psycho mother and the increasingly rebellious Alexandra and Shay. Someone had to be the responsible one and it looked like he was the only one willing to accept the job. Even with friends though, Owen tends to be the responsible one. He's usually the designated driver, the one making sure that no one's drinking too much or going home with strangers. It's not like he doesn't let loose sometimes, but he's not the type to go crazy with alcohol or partying, ever. Not only is he not interested in that type of lifestyle, but he doesn't want any more negative attention directed at his family.

He puts great value on his friends and family but doesn't allow many people into his inner circle. While always friendly and polite, he's reserved around strangers until he knows that he can actually trust them. The elite social circle he was raised in seems to be a dog-eat-dog world and he cares too much about the people around him to let anyone get too close and potentially hurt them. This not only involves the people he interacts with, but those that his family interacts with too. He's known for kicking guys that his sisters bring over out of the house, even if they just claim to be friends, because he either doesn't deem them worthy of his sisters, or just doesn't trust their intentions.

Maybe the most surprising trait about Owen is how humble he is. It doesn't take much to make him happy and for a guy who's made millions off of his appearance, he isn't vain or narcissistic. He's a nice guy who puts his loved ones before himself, even when they don't want or need him to.

Likes:
Water sports // Lacrosse // The beach // Bacon // Pizza // Takeout Food // Driving // Sailing // Strawberries // Budweiser // Reading // Hot showers // Urban cities // Travelling // Sunday mornings // Modelling // Fashion // 90's cartoons // Homemade breakfasts

Dislikes:
Lavender scent // Anime // Clutter // Looking at photos of himself // His mother // Golf // Coffee // Earthquakes // Country music // The problems his sister causes // Crowds // Long flights // Minivans // Jellybeans // Marshmallows

Fears:
Drowning // Suffocating // Clowns // Losing any of his family members // Scandals involving him or his family // Poverty

Aspirations:
Make amends with his mother eventually // Get married & have kids // Buy a house in Nantucket // Move to New York // Own a nightclub



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Height:
6'1

Weight:
160 lbs

Hair color:
Brown

Eye color:
Blue

Other:
He has a small scar on his right wrist from a surgery he had after breaking his hand as a child, but besides that, he has no other distinguishable marks.

So begins...

Owen Collins's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Owen Collins
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Shay rolled her eyes yet again because Owen was going to get himself killed before the summer was over. Best believe he had her all types of fucked up. They might have agreed a bit on the Alexandra situation, but his face turned livid upon allowing her words to sink in. And she honestly couldn't find it in her to care. She wouldn't lie; she had permitted him to go after Ariana and be with her. At the same time, it was still his decision and he did choose his girlfriend over her. For nearly a year, Shay had chosen Owen over he growing feelings for Carson. She had left on a fucking tour to spare her brother's feelings and to escape his wrath before he could even find out because God forbid, if she had stayed, she would have done something stupid like pounce on Carson.

And it seemed, amusingly so, that the more livid Owen became, the more entertained Shay was. She should have felt bad for riling her brother up, but this was a payback from last night and because...because Owen wanted control and Shay wouldn't give it to him. It was the one thing she and Lex probably agreed on - Owen could not control everything and everyone around him. That just wasn't how life worked. It was more because Shay was independent and less rebellious as Alexa, but even her sister's need for freedom was apparent. He held them all under his thumb and croaked when it seemed as if they would begin to squirm. And Shay was only two fucking years younger. She was a grown ass woman!!

When he started moving away, as if he was walking away from the conversation and she was supposed to just stand there, gawking, Shay moved. She would be damned. "Ooohh, you know what has a nice ring on it? Me drop kicking you if you think you're laying a fucking finger on my guest! Did I touch your girl? No, and let's be very clear, you and I both know that Carson can kick your ass ten ways til sundown so I don't even know why you think your threats mean shit right now." By the time that had finished, Shay was standing directly in front of her brother and it didn't matter that her head barely came up to his shoulder and that Owen was staring down at her as if he would slap her like he apparently planned to do to Alexa.

"And also, I'll be damned if you shame me for wanting him around. Lex has been nothing but a bitch - and oh, I meant what I just said - to me since I've been back and you know what, if we're gonna talk about being a considerate sibling, let's talk about you dating the girl you knew I hated more than anything...but of course, let's not because she's perfect and you're perfect and the rest of us are just overdramatic assholes to you, huh?" Oh, she was pushing it and the next words that erupted from her mouth had a biting venom, despite the guilt that would arise. Not for Owen, but for the person she was selling out. But, as she jabbed a condescending finger into Owen's chest, Shay inquired coldly, "And if it's so fucked up for me to be with the guy my sister doesn't even give a fuck about, what does it look like for your perfect little girlfriend to be with the guy she knew her sister was crazy about? Yet and still, what about you? Called Ariana by Colette's name yet? Or did you forget all about her already?"

She didn't wait for Owen to respond, his expression was enough for her. Instead, Shay bumped past him and headed into their home, headed to her room where Colette and the guilt from what she just confessed were waiting to confront her.

Owen wasn't going to respond to his sister, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. The master of arguments had just been thrown a dig that left him speechless. Speechless for now, at least. Inside, his head was reeling with responses but he just watched, mouth slightly agape, as Shay stormed into the house. Maybe you didn't touch Ariana, but now I don't doubt that you threatened to kill her. And LOL, if you and Carson are so sure that he can kick my ass, call him over right now! I'll wait out here for him and we can settle it now! You're still mad about Ariana sticking her tongue out at you in fifth grade, Shay? Grow the fuck up. Ariana has been nothing but nice to you this summer and you're the one trying to keep your issues alive by holding your pathetic grudge. He couldn't formulate some petty response to her last words, though. Those were the ones that hit hard and left him really speechless.

He didn't think bringing Colette into this was necessary, but her point had been made and though Owen wouldn't admit it, he knew that there were some similarities between their actions. The differences stood out more to him, though. Ariana didn't know that Colette liked him, and Owen didn't even think that Colette liked him like that. Owen hadn't slept with Colette and taken her virginity and then started fooling around with Ariana a month later. Colette was not five years his junior with the emotional age of a thirteen-year-old. Colette was not Carson's little sister. Owen didn't think he was ruining any relationships by being with Ariana. He and Colette had started to grow closer last year and speaking honestly, Owen had thought that he was able to connect with her really well, but now, he was blissful with convincing himself that they were just friends. They were just friends back then, and they were just friends right now. He didn't snub her by putting his relationship with her twin before their's, the second that Ariana randomly showed interest in them. It wasn't the same. He didn't want it to be the same.

Smoking was a guilty pleasure of Owen's. He knew it was disgusting and unhealthy, and it was something that would instantly label him as a hypocrite since he had come close to sending Lex to a convent when he saw a picture of her smoking a joint a few months back. But for someone like him, who got worked up so easily, it was necessary to have a stress reliever that actually worked. Tea and yoga and getting fresh air were all great ideas that Ariana had suggested, but no amount of strolls around the property could clear his mind like a couple hits of marijuana. He had picked up a few grams from a friend in Long Beach the night before and was only now feeling like smoking it was necessary. He didn't want to, but it did seem like the only thing keeping him from getting into another fight with Carson or digging himself a deeper grave with Shay, or at this point, Colette and Ariana too.

After rummaging through his car and locating the small bag, his lighter and pipe, he headed for the vineyards on the property. It would be a good fifteen minute walk to get there, but it was one of the few places he was sure no one else would be lingering near.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller Character Portrait: Oliver McKagan
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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Ariana shouldn't have expected Colette to want to chat with her any more than she normally would have wanted to. Her sister explained that Tinashé stayed with Carson for the night. She brushed it off as a way for Shay to avoid Owen and his wrath, which did make sense, but after finding out about Carson and Shay's kiss last night, Ariana doubted that their intentions were that innocent. If they were trying to avoid more problems, Carson's house was probably the last place that Shay should have went to. But, when it came down to it, Owen had no right to be mad over Shay and Carson being whatever they were. The girl was twenty-one years old and he couldn't even use the excuse that she was irresponsible and immature like Alexandra, who was also old enough to make her own choices by now. She could understand Owen wanting everyone to cut Carson off because what he and Alexandra did. He felt betrayed... probably more than betrayed... and expected everyone to suddenly agree with him and isolate Carson because of this mistake. Ariana could be mad at Carson. She was mad at Carson. Whatever he did with Alexandra seemed to mean more to her than it did to him, but Ariana also knew Carson well enough to know that he wouldn't do something like that unless A, it meant something, or B, he really was not in his right mind. The first option didn't seem very likely, considering that Carson could nab any girl his own age, and tossing that for a bratty eighteen year old didn't seem like something he would do. Especially not when, apparently, he had feelings for Shay at the same time. Plus, while Ariana wanted to believe that Alexandra was just blocking out Owen's aggression last night, she did seem detached to what happened. Ariana was good at shielding her feelings from the world too, but if a boy she lost her virginity to and still wanted, turned around and made out with her sister, there would be a problem.

With a roll of her eyes and a forced nod, Ariana left Colette to find a bathing suit. It was the one thing her sister was good at, and she decided to wait on clearing her conscience than to force a conversation when Colette was clearly uninterested. Besides, Ariana didn't know what else to say to her. She wasn't going to confess to being the mastermind behind the post about Tinashé and Carson's relationship, and she definitely was not going to apologize for her relationship with Owen. There was nothing else to say, so she headed downstairs. The dining room that Colette had claimed Alexandra was in was now empty, and after requesting tea and an orange, she was informed by the dining staff that Alexandra was also spending her day poolside. If Shay wasn't going to be out there too, Ariana probably would have joined, but for now, she would deal with Owen. Colette had also said that he was supposed to be home any minute and although he had texted her and asked if they could go back to Huntington Beach, she hadn't had a chance to really speak to him since last night. Or, more accurately, she hadn't had a chance to let him apologize for last night.

So, sitting on a chair opposite a large window and sipping at her tea, she decided to text him and give him a chance. If he could make all of this right, which she doubted, she would go back to Huntington Beach with him. It was where she had wanted to go originally, and though she was sure that Shay was distracted with her new problems, Ariana hadn't forgotten about the girl's "ghetto" threat from the day before. She was still utterly offended that the girl thought she could speak to her that way, and if she was was going to be expected to adhere to this new relationship as equals, she preferred to just leave.

To: Owen
I'm having breakfast. Come talk.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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"You should hope that I don't go too. You can say you don't care about what Owen thinks now, but when you show up here with Carson, you're going to need someone else here who he can take his anger out on." Shay was already under the water by the time that Alexandra responded, but she looked towards the brunette sitting on the float with an ever present smirk. "You'll probably be dating him by that point anyway, so you better hope I stay too, because I don't think you'd have it in you to talk back to Owen like your sister does." She was testing Colette. The new found information was exciting and fun and although Alexandra genuinely had no intentions of sharing it with Ariana or anyone for that matter, she wanted to tease Colette with it. It was a typical move of Alexandra, to see how far she could push her boundaries until they broke, and she would have continued to pester Colette over it had she not known that she really did need to contact Pierce or Aimee. She had pushed off the conversation all morning and now that not only had Owen and Shay spoken with Pierce, but Carson had as well, her being the last to answer the request to speak definitely wasn't doing her any good. She was scared to call her dad, though. Owen was bad, a lot of the time even worse than Pierce, but she knew he was going to be really bad regarding this. Really mean, and over dramatic and disappointed, and if Owen had put the idea of her being sent back to rehab in Shay's mind, it was bound to be in Pierce's thoughts as well. And Alexandra didn't want to go to back there! She didn't need to go back to some incredibly expensive getaway for people who had real problems and weren't just destructive and careless eighteen-year-old brats. Not only would she be taking a spot from someone who actually needed the care, but what she was more concerned with, was that she was not going to miss her summer for that!

She called Aimee. Shay had agreed that it was probably her best bet, and based on experience, Aimee was the parent who seemed to be on her side. She wasn't a sister like Kris tended to act towards her, but did a good job at being a real mother. She wasn't unreasonably lenient, but was also a voice of reason when compared to Pierce and Owen. Alexandra had only started to appreciate that when her brother and father had started getting stricter with her, and she slowly stopped resenting Aimee for "breaking up her family" and appreciating her help. She hoped that their still-developing bond would be strong enough to get her out of real trouble today.

"Please don't make me talk to him," was the first thing that Alexandra said when Aimee picked up on the other end. She was pacing away from the pool now, knowing that her emotions were going to get the best of her on a call like this, and that she didn't want Colette or Shay to overhear her. Alexandra didn't mind fighting with Owen or even her father over text, and a twisted part of her even enjoyed doing it with Shay. She didn't fare as well in phone or face to face confrontations, though. Her careless front always dropped quicker than she wanted it to, and before she could even conjure one of the bitchy remarks she would send over text, she would end up crying.

Unfortunately for Alexandra, Aimee also had expectations of being a wife, and it wasn't a realistic request for her to get Pierce off of her back over something like this. Not enrolling in college or wearing a tiny dress out to a party were different than sleeping with Owen's best friend, a boy they had grown up with. "I could talk to him and I will, but at the end of the day, him not hearing your side only makes him suspicious. You're not alone in this sweetie and if it was a mistake, it was. I'm sorry it had to be because I would have rathered your first time be something...special, but what's done is done. We can't change the past and we can't ignore it either. So, woman up, tell him what happened, and when all else fails, you know where the liquor cabinet is."

"Okay... okay," Alexandra responded quietly, already sensing that her voice was going to crack earlier in her conversation with Pierce than she would have liked. Aimee explained that Pierce and some of the other men had went golfing before dinner and that she would need to call him on her own since they were no longer in the same room. It made Alexandra more nervous than she was even just making the call to Aimee, but after a few moment's hesitation, she called her father. If all else failed, Aimee was right; she did know where the liquor cabinet was.

"Alexandra?" Her father answered on the first ring and was audibly surprised that she was calling him.

"Hi Dad. You wanted me to call you?" Playing dumb, with that sweet little voice, wasn't going to do her any good, but even buying three seconds worth of time seemed worth it.

"You have some explaining to do, Alexandra. We all thought you were doing so well after coming home from Washington, but this... this is just unacceptable. I've spoken to your brother and sister and Carson, and have heard every side of the story besides yours. So, go on."

The innocent act didn't work, so, since Alexandra knew she was guilty, the only thing she could resort to now was the waterworks. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she said, allowing her voice to break as she paced farther up the walkway. "I was doing good, dad, I promise. I still am doing good! Owen is just so mean to me and I can't even breathe without him yelling at me and embarrassing me in front of everyone. And no matter what I do, he always threatens me with going back to rehab and he thinks he can rule my life! You can even ask Ariana, he was being so mean to me last night, and I didn't even do anything wrong to need to explain!"

Pierce had allowed her to sob into the phone for a minute before cutting her off after the last night. "Alexandra, calm down." It was a demand, not a sympathetic request or advisement. Pierce knew how Alexandra worked too well, and while she was his baby girl, he too was sick of her acting so recklessly and then expecting to not deal with the consequences. "Carson already told me what happened, or the very little that he remembered of what happened. Don't try to tell me that there's nothing to explain. You owe an explan-- Hold on, Owen's calling me. You know what? Let me add him in here and I can deal with the two of you at once since you two aren't getting along either."

There was a slight pause and then a beep as Owen was added into the conversation. Alexandra was so close to hanging up and maybe claiming that the call was dropped or just jumping off a bridge, but her dad spoke before she could.

"Owen, are you there? Alexandra is on the line too."

"I'll call you back then. I needed to talk to you about the other problem child."

"You two aren't getting along either? What is this? Aimee and I have been gone for two days and everything in that house has fallen apart since then? You can't just give us a few weeks of relaxation where we know you three aren't killing each other?"

"I was getting along with her fine before she decided she needed to be the next star on 16 and Pregnant."

"Well, we can tune into the next episode Cops and watch you get arrested for murdering Carson, too." Alexandra snapped back. She should have kept her mouth shut and let Owen dig his own grave while maintaining her innocent facade, but she couldn't let Owen get in a remark without spitting one back.

"This is what I'm talking about! You two are supposed to love each other, not want to kill each other! Do I have to end this trip and fly back there?" Alexandra and Owen simultaneously responded with shameful no's. "Then solve this right here, so I know that when I hang up, the issues between the two of you will be resolved. Alexandra, why are you upset with your brother?"

Although it was always her goal to wreck havoc and then have the benefit of being the baby of the family and not having to face repercussions, she hated this type of Pierce. The type of Pierce that wanted her and Owen to hug it out and act like everything was better, as if they were still children. "He's really mean to me all of the time, for no reason."

"For no reason?!" Owen realized his rising rage and must have known to calm down before Pierce had to tell him to. "Okay, look, I'm not going to get into that now. What I want to know... what I'm sure we all want to know, is why you slept with Carson. I won't be 'mean' to you if I don't have a reason to be mean to you. So, just say it. Did you willingly sleep with him or not?"

There was silence on Pierce's end of the line, despite Alexandra wishing, for the first time during this call, that he would speak up. She swallowed. This was it. She could be honest and be sent back to rehab, or lie and send Carson to the morgue. The second option would have been easier on her, but this needed to end. She thrived on drama, but not when it was bringing her to tears. "Yes..." It was a whispered response but strong enough for her to start crying at simply admitting to it. For the past day, she was able to hide behind the doubts that maybe she didn't remember all of it, and Owen could believe that maybe Carson was the sexual offender that he tried to paint him as. Now, all bets were off, and Alexandra didn't know why, but she didn't even stop there. "But I didn't... I... my friends were making fun of me! And I was the only one who was still a virgin and Shay wasn't a virgin when she was my age! It was embarrassing and I don't know... Carson didn't... he didn't know what he was doing... he didn't even think it was me who was in bed with him."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Owen didn't even get all the way to the vineyards before he stopped in his tracks and called his dad. On the walk over, his mind had been spinning with the recollection of what Shay had said to him. She really was audacious to think she could have Carson here! He had countered it with claiming that he would stay with Ariana then, but Ariana had baked Shay cupcakes compared to what Carson had done to him. What Carson did was unforgivable. Hell, if Carson had slept with Alexandra alone, that would have been unforgivable, but to make out with Tinashé on top of that... and then to date her! All without even making an attempt to apologize to him about what he had done to the younger sister... it was unbelievable. Owen couldn't tell if this was some big practical joke or a nightmare, but there was a special place in hell reserved for Carson, and Owen was going to send him there before the summer was over.

He phoned Pierce as he stopped mid-trek. There was no way that his father was going to be okay with Carson, this sexual predator, sleeping in the same house as Alexandra. And maybe, if Owen phrased it right and explained that he had tried to make things right with Shay, his father would agree that Shay was just as crazy as Carson was.

Owen thought that the call was going to make his life easier, but boy, was he wrong. Alexandra admitted that she was more in the wrong than Carson was... That Carson didn't even know who he was sleeping with, which Owen, despite not wanting to understand, knew made sense considering how wasted Carson could get. And essentially, that a lot of Owen's anger and aggression had been misplaced. Carson deserved being hit for sleeping with Lex even if it was a mistake, as Shay had phrased it yesterday, but Alexandra remembered. Alexandra knew what she was doing, what relationships she was destroying... and all because her "friends were making fun of her". He could have chuckled sadistically at the thought of her what her friends thought of her was going to be the least of her problems when he was finished with her. He was seeing red at this point though, and Alexandra's confession was instantly followed up with an "Are you fucking kidding me?" before his father wisely disconnected him from the call.

Although Owen was gone from the call, Alexandra still had to deal with her father, who, while more controlled than Owen, was still clearly upset with her. "I don't even know what to say, Alexandra," he said after a long pause, emitting a strained sigh.

"I- I'm sorry," she sobbed in response, the tears only increasing in speed after Owen's final comment. "Please don't make me go back there again! I'll move in with Mom! I don't want to go back to rehab... I'm sorry." Feeling like her life was officially over, Alexandra had stopped pacing and without a care, sat down on the hot pavement. She still maintained a safe distance from the pool, but at this point she didn't even care if Shay or Colette saw her. Her life was already ruined, and it was her own fault for admitting to it.

"You're not going back to rehab. You should thank Aimee for that. That woman vouches for you like no other, and there's no way you're moving back in with your mother either, Alexandra. I don't know what to do with you... We tried everything! Curfews, counselors, homeschooling, therapy, rehab... I don't know what's left, Alexa. And all because of some peer pressure? Do you understand how much trouble this has caused everyone?"

"But I'm not going to do it again! Aimee said it was okay, that it was a mistake!" she said, amid sobs again. The exasperation in her dad's voice made her feel worse than she already did.

"I wanted to believe that it was a mistake, Lex, but you're eighteen years old now. You can't just do destructive things on a whim and then call it a mistake. You made your bed and it's time to lie in it. I need to talk to Aimee and probably your mother too, to figure out what to do about this, but for now, if you want to live your summer at home, you're going to listen to Owen and Tinashé. Until we get home, and at this rate, it may be before August, you're going to listen to them or you're going to be on the next flight to Washington. Do you understand that?"

Alexandra had no choice but, after sniffling back the last of her tears, to agree. The conversation was over, and that was a relief. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her forehead in them, dwelling in self-pity over being yelled at and probably ruining her own summer. It wasn't the worst thing that could have happened, though. She didn't know that Owen was only seconds away from making her day even worse, as she tried to reassure herself that this wasn't so horrible. Shay wasn't that mad at her and Ariana and Colette would still be her friends. Plus, when her emotions subsided and her attitude reared its head again, she would probably have the courage to defy her siblings if they got too controlling anyway.

Owen had shouted at every landscaper he passed until one of them directed him to Alexandra's whereabouts. She was last seen at the pool, and in the young man's panicked confession, he went on to describe that she had been wearing a black bikini and was speaking with "Miss Kachingwe" and "Miss Rockefeller". Only the last part mattered to Owen, since, after Shay's comments during their fight, he wasn't necessarily excited to face Colette - and it was obvious that the Rockefeller being referred to was Colette, since Ariana would not be hanging out with Shay. Right now, he couldn't even slow his pace at the reservation of seeing Colette, though. Alexandra had crossed the line this time and even if Carson showed up in that very moment, Owen probably still would have focused the entirety of his rage on his youngest sister.

"Where is she? Where is that brat?" Owen said, breaking the serenity of the girls' poolside day with his loud entrance. Shay was in the water and Colette was sitting on a pool chair, but the girl that he was looking for wasn't currently in his line of vision. So, as if the two girls in the water were deliberately hiding her, he stood on the ledge of the pool and glared at them. "You were right, Shay. She knew what she was doing when she slept with Carson, and he really was wasted. I'm going to kill her, Shay. I swear to God, that child is d--" He had distractedly glanced towards the house for a bare second when he spotted the brunette sitting farther up the walkway. His emotions told him to go over there and physically shake some sense into her. He wouldn't really kill her, as he dramatically claimed, but it wouldn't be the first time that he had gotten into a sibling scuffle with her, and this time, it would definitely be well deserved. But, with Shay, and though he was unwilling to admit it, more so Colette right there, he didn't move. Instead, he called out to her tauntingly. "Get over here, Alexandra. Tell everyone the good news. Tell them about how Carson isn't the sex addict homewrecker I thought he was. Tell them about how it's you! The big, bad eighteen year old who was too scared of being made fun of by her friends to not spread her legs for the first boy she saw! The big, bad eighteen year old who lied and then went crying to daddy when she realized she fucked up. The--"

Her instincts were telling her to run into the house, but autopilot was kicking in as she stood up and nervously reentered the pool area. She darted to the side of the pool opposite to the one Owen was standing on because he was scary and unpredictable. Over text she could taunt him as much as she wanted, and in person sometimes too, but that look in his eye was back and she knew that a pool filled with water was a necessary boundary between them. "Shay slept with Chris and Carson without telling you! And she was sleeping with people before she was eighteen. You can't be mean to me for that!" She wasn't crying anymore, and though she was speaking loudly, her tone was weak. She wasn't demanding he listen to her, but pleading for him to stop. Was it a good move to try to toss Shay under the bus with a lie to deflect the anger from her to her sister? Probably not, but Shay had been the one to say that Owen couldn't boss her around, and per her phone call with her father, Alexandra apparently didn't have that same power for now.

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Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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While Tinashé had already swum to the other side of the pool, Colette graced Alexandra with a scowl while shooting back frostily, "The day I don't 'talk back' to Owen is the day hell has frozen over and you actually get accepted into heaven." She didn't say anything more after that, simply sipped her cocktail and relaxed under the hot rays of the sun. Perhaps she and Shay could get massages before the day was over? It would help them with the theme of tomorrow's party since Shay didn't always follow the protocols of whatever the holiday was. And knowing her, it would be something a bit more fun. Probably scandalous, but fun nonetheless.

Neither Shay nor Colette were prepared for Owen's rampage into the pool area. Shay had finished swimming a bit, gliding through the water towards Colette and perching her elbows on her best friend's floating device. She had glimpsed Alexandra distancing herself from them and being on her phone, but didn't bother trying to hear the conversation being had. Instead, she ran a hand through her soaked, long hair and glanced at Colette, "Think she's good?" Colette rolled her eyes in response. "If Pierce is anything like his son, probably not." Neither girl had time to even ask Alexandra a question because Owen had burst onto the scene and their heads to whipped in his direction. Apparently anger was Owen's new default mood because Shay had to roll her eyes, not particularly sure what pissed him off this time. She didn't do anything. Colette hadn't done anything. Alexa had been in the pool area the entire time. What the hell happened? Was there a stain on his Ralph Lauren? "I swear to God..." Shay muttered only to her best friend in annoyance, swimming over to the steps so that she could climb out of the pool. Which happened to be closest to him and forced her to hear what he said with the utmost clarity. Not that Colette didn't hear as well because by the time Shay was standing near Owen, both girls were staring at him with wide eyes followed by Shay's gaze landing on a skittish Alexa.

When Tinashé had told Owen that she thought there was more to the story, she had not even considered this. She didn't know what she thought had happened and it may have had to do more with the fact that she wanted Carson for herself that she didn't want to believe that it was more than a mistake. However, Owen's continued tirade and Alexa's guilty expression only had her narrowing her eyes and Colette watched, in terrified fascination. She wasn't afraid of Owen herself, she was more afraid of what he would do. And despite not wanting to leave her device nor her drink, she didn't hesitate in sliding off of her floaty and walking trudging through the cool waters towards Alexa. Both older siblings stood opposite to their younger sibling and Colette wasn't even sure which one would attempt to circle the wide expanse of pool to reach the eighteen year old girl. "Now, hold on...both of you - "

Shay was not having it. "No! First of all, where the fuck did my name come from? I don't have anything to do with your fuck up, and for the record, I haven't slept with anyone in months," she stated sharply, stepping a bit around Owen as if she was coming to Alexa's side of the pool. Immediately, with Colette having climbed out as well, the Rockefeller grasped a hold of Alexa, pushing her further down their side. "Shay..." Shay shook her head, ignoring her best friend and staring only at her sister. "And what the hell is wrong with you? What part of that was okay, in any way? That wasn't a mistake, Lex. It wasn't peer pressure. It sounds like rape and that's not okay."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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"I didn't rape him Shay! Are you crazy?" Maybe it was an unnecessary question. She had gotten the answer to the same one only minutes before. "I... he... he started it! I didn't know like... how to do it..." That part was true, but so embarrassing for her to admit aloud. Mortifying really, since not only was she talking about her sex life in front of Colette and Shay, but with her older brother standing right there too. Alexandra thought it was going to come as naturally as a first kiss, but even with a considerable amount of alcohol in her body, she didn't know how to initiate sex with Carson. Maybe thirty minutes after getting to his house and getting settled into the spare bedroom, she had slipped out of her clothes and crept into his room in just her underwear. He was really drunk. She knew that when he didn't even roll over when he door creaked open, but when she had slid under his blanket, she didn't know where to go from there. It wasn't until her cold hand brushed against his warm, sticky back that he even realized someone was next to him and after mumbling a few things about how he "was waiting for you to come back, Liz", he got on top of her and did the work. As Shay stepped closer to her, and she matched those advances with frantic steps backwards, she considered switching her story right then and there. Claiming that he raped her, or at least had talked her into it and had now said that she had to take the blame for it to protect their relationship. But she knew that would be delusional... too delusional, even for her, and she was in too deep now. She had said too much and it just seemed like it made sense to keep talking and get rid of as many embarrassing details as she could without crying. "I wanted to do it, okay? I know it's not peer pressure, and I got into his bed and I knew that I wanted to do it, but I didn't rape him and I didn't choose him for any, like... real reason besides that I was scared to try it with someone I didn't know and I was already in his apartment!" She hated the look her sister was giving her. Matched with the sheer rage seeping from Owen's pores, it made her want to crawl out of her skin. Even as she frantically tried to resolve herself of blame, she couldn't meet either of their gazes for more than half a second before looking away or towards Colette for help.

"And 'for the record', it came from the fact that you've done things even worse than I have but you never got sent to rehab. And you didn't even wait 'til I told you that I didn't like Carson to start a relationship with him! That's... that's an Ariana move, Shay." Her confession had put her in a worse place than she started off in, and she was desperately searching for a way to shake the blame off of herself. It probably wasn't the best attempt. It was true that Shay had never been sent to rehab and Alexandra did feel like Shay had gotten away with so much more than she had, but during that time of recklessness, she had also been productive. She was an up and coming artist working on music and gaining media attention with her wild child persona. For Alexandra, the stage, which she was probably still in, had already left her with an underage possession of alcohol charge (which was dropped, luckily), two car accidents for making Vine videos while driving, lots of bad publicity, and now, this scandal with Carson. She was lucky that it had remained private since she was clearly already facing enough backlash with just her family and close friends knowing about it, but even this amount of fair backlash was too much for her.

Calling Colette and Ariana out on their sister problem involving Owen probably wasn't helping her anyway, though. Especially not when Colette seemed like her only poolside ally at the moment. She knew it was wrong, just another attempt at switching the topic of conversation from her screw up to someone else's, but she also didn't know that Owen knew what she was referring to at this point either. "If anyone has a right to be mad right now, it should be me for always being treated so unfairly, for having... you as a brother, and for having a sister who goes for my sloppy seconds." She was trying to speak sharply but the fact that she was stepping further behind Colette probably wasn't helping that "big, bad" front, as Owen liked to call it.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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If Shay hadn't made an advance towards Alexandra's side of the pool, Owen would have. His sister's move was as close to an alliance as the pair could have a time like now, when they still weren't on good terms but had a mutual dislike to focus on. Yesterday, or even an hour ago, he might have believed Alexa's desperate attempt to slander Shay's character to distract from her own poor choices, but not now. Her word had no value to it anymore, and although he knew that rape was a stretch for whatever Alexandra did, he had to agree with Shay right now. Whatever she had done, was not okay. Not only did he think that it was inappropriate for Lex to be having a sexual relationship with anyone at eighteen, but this was with someone five years older than her, who was his best friend. That was bad enough. Horrible, really. But to top it off, she had allowed him to blame Carson for all of this. Owen still would have had many choice words for Carson and it most likely still would have ended in violence, but Owen wanted to believe that, had he known Alexandra was more of the initiator than Carson, things would have ended differently last night. He wouldn't have snapped at Shay for harboring Lex's secret because they both would have known that she wasn't the victim whose secret needed protecting. He still would have gotten upset with Shay and Carson for making out backstage, but it would have been a lot easier to have a clear mind and consider that he wasn't just trying to bang both of his sisters if Alexandra had been honest. Now, Owen was left feeling like he owed apologies to Shay, Carson, Colette and Ariana for his behavior last night, and he hated that. He was trying to be a good brother, and that that backfired on him, leaving him with four damaged relationships.

As Alexandra continued speaking, Owen could only get more angry. Every attempt she made to make herself seem more innocent dug her deeper into the hole. She got into his bed and she wanted to do it. That was all Owen needed to hear to know that his sister was just out of control. Not even he had enough of an ego to think that his control-freak ways could somehow change that. He had tired, and tried, and tried, and what else was there to do? He was sure that Shay would be rethinking her objection that they seriously recommend rehab to their parents.

Owen was formulating the text he was going to send his father as soon as the conversation when he heard Ariana's name come from the youngest's mouth. An "Ariana move"? What...? And then it made sense... she was trying to compare Tinashé having a real relationship with Carson (which Owen was still not ready to acknowledge or accept yet) to whatever Shay felt like Ariana and he had done to wrong Colette. She was out of her mind if she thought he was going to let her pull that card and vilify his girlfriend like that, on top of trying to make him and Colette feel awkward! But she continued. Alexandra couldn't stop there, that would be too safe! And then she claimed that Shay was going for her "sloppy seconds", as if that retched one night stand with Carson was anything real... anything to be proud about. Owen had advanced to the adjacent side of pool but stopped in his tracks at that. That was not a smart comment to make, especially when Shay was the person who always had Alexandra's back. Owen resented her for it a lot of the time because it made things harder for him, but the least that Lex could do was not try to throw her under the bus when all she had ever done was put her first! When she had to deal with Owen turning on her, partly because Shay tried to be a good sister and keep her secret from Owen. She turned on Colette in a second too, with that Ariana comment, despite Colette being the only thing between her and Tinashé. Maybe Alexandra didn't need therapy. Maybe she needed some type of medication, because she clearly was really crazy.

Alexandra's last comment had caught him off guard (though, the audacity level shouldn't have, at this point) that he was left speechless for a long moment. "I'm... I'll tell Pierce to come home. I'm not going to be able to live with her without strangling her if this is how she's going to be this summer..."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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When Alexandra continued to try to exonerate herself and went on her little bitch fit, Shay was two seconds from lunging on her sister or throwing her ridiculous ass in the pool. Whichever one came first, honestly. However, the brat was behind Colette, safe from both of her siblings, and Shay was seriously contemplating how much Colette would hate her for getting her tossed in the pool as well. At the same time, it seemed as if she and Owen were on the same wave length for the first time in twenty four hours because neither had spoken words in the midst of Alexandra seemingly blaming them for everything. She didn't even want to take responsibility for the fact that she was crept on Carson, basically saying that it was because of her friends and that Carson started it. Even Colette had to glance at the girl, though only momentarily because either sibling could get to the girl at this point, and glare at her. Really? Colette mentally had to ask. She didn't even know why she had to be brought up in all of this, especially considering she stood as the only barrier between Alexa, her skyscraper tall brother, and her sister who seemed ready to star in the second remake of Karate Kid. Was the girl trying to get both of them killed?

The three young adults - and Colette could only refer to them as adults because even Lex had to acknowledge that she was sounding like a child - seemed to finally come off of their standstill because the second Owen opened his mouth, Colette anticipated another blowout. She expected him to reach behind her, Colette's own safety be damned, and snatch Lex up. So, her surprise was visible when he sounded a bit calmer, though frustrated and disappointed. It was the calmest she had seen him since before last night's revelations and Colette couldn't help but frown at that, casting him an apologetic look. Tinashé, however, was not with him. "Oh, you ain't gotta strangle that bitch. I will!" She growled, passed Owen in quick strides and would have reached Alexandra better had Colette not chose that moment to release the younger Collins sibling to grab a hold over Shay's flailing arms. "Shay, no!" Colette cried, trying to reason with her friend who was definitely stronger than most people gave her credit. Luckily, Colette seemed to have enough of a grip on Shay that she couldn't really get to Alexandra, but she did manage to catch the side of her sister's face with one of her fists before Colette had uttered a word. But Shay was seeing red and her best friend being in the way was not helping.

"Considering the fact you could barely pass high school, let me give you a refresher," she snapped, still trying to push at Colette who seemed a bit stronger. Or maybe Shay really wasn't angry, but more hurt because even she knew she could have honestly shoved Colette harder. "The definition of rape is forcing someone to commit a sexual act without their consent...consent meaning that they would have to be able to think and make decisions coherently, little sister. And considering Carson was not coherent, your ass could actually go to jail. But of course, you're too fucking dumb to realize that." Shay wriggled futilely against Colette and Colette glanced back at Alexa, agitated. "Just...get the fuck out of here, Lex." Shay growled one more time before shoving at Colette, sending the brunette back a few steps.

"No, she needs to stay. We all have to hear what the fuck she's gotta say, twenty four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days every year. So, she's gonna hear what I have to say." For years, Tinashé had defended and lied for Lex. When that girl wanted to sneak out, Shay covered. When she had a hangover, Shay was the one who made excuses that probably made Pierce drink one too many glasses of bourbon. Some things she couldn't excuse, like vandalized cars. But she had done her best to be a sister, the best one she could given her own temperaments. But all of it seemed to be thrown back in her face, and for what? Because Lex ran out of lies and excuses? "I used to feel bad. I fucked up a lot when I was younger, I can admit that. The parties, the drinking, the sex, anything I could get by with in order to feel anything but vulnerable...it was the worst point of my life. But I felt bad because you started mimicking me and I hated it 'cause it was the last thing I wanted. But fuck you for throwing it in my face and fuck you and your damn excuses."

Shay was too heated to allow anyone to interject and she ignored the sympathetic look on Colette's face. She knew, better than anyone, how much the designer wanted a stress free summer and she would make it up to her. Just not at the moment. No, at the moment, she was focused on Alexandra Collins. "You wanna be mad, be mad. But the only person your ass has to blame is yourself. You know what I never did? Destroyed a car! Know what else? Never slept with someone who was too drunk to know the difference between me and a blow up doll. And for all the shit I did, you know what I did that you apparently couldn't? I grew up. Three point eight GPA, thank you very much, and you know what I'm not doing? Mooching off my parents like a spoiled, deranged brat and blaming everyone around me for the fuck up that I am." She didn't care about tears, she didn't care about Lex's feelings. Because last night had left her feeling too raw; both Owen and Lex had attacked her last night, and Shay had made a vow to enjoy her summer. With or without them. So, she turned her back to Colette and Lex, staring at Owen. She hadn't wanted to speak with him so soon after their argument, and she was still upset about last night despite what she had told him. "Don't ruin Pierce's summer any more than all of this already has. If that brat wants to leave, she knows where the fucking door is and where her mama lives. That's the only person that wants her at this point, anyway." Not caring for whatever else her brother had to say, Shay stormed back to her side of the pool and to the chair her stuff was at. "Shay!" Colette called, a bit...well, taken aback. Did she really just walk away and not hit Alexa?

Tinashé only ignored her, plopped into her chair, and pulled her phone to her. She didn't want to deal with Colette's probing eyes, whatever Owen had to say, and damn sure Alexandra Collins at the moment. All she wanted was some fun, planning for the party tomorrow, and spending time with Carson. She knew he would feel uncomfortable with the idea of returning, especially so soon after his riff with Owen. But she didn't care about Owen's feelings. She didn't care about how uncomfortable Alexa might be at the thought of Shay and Carson. She just wanted him there and she wanted her other best friend to distract her.

To: Carson
Just come. Plz. I need u

To: Chris
Plz tell me ur willing 2 hang out 2day. Pool time, movies, bowling. Let's do it all. I need a distraction & I'm done w/ this family. I'm only focusing on MY party and it's a seven deadly sins theme. Not feeling very patriotic. I'm by the pool. Ignore my fam

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Alexa was asking for trouble, and that was what she got. Shay's verbal retaliation to her attack was stronger than Alexandra had ever seen. She was never really bothered by the petty insults Shay would throw at her when she was provoked enough, because they were usually well deserved, and just that - petty. But what she was saying now was real, and maybe for the first time ever, they were actually sinking in because she knew they were true. She couldn't just snap back to reality and suddenly see the light, though. This was Alexandra and even if what Shay was saying was true, they were mean and in her eyes, uncalled for, so unsurprisingly, Lex remained on the defense. Everything happened so quickly though, that she didn't have time to get in any responses between Shay swinging at her and hitting her once, Colette shoving her backwards and telling her to leave, and Owen saying he was going to tell Pierce to get home. It all happened in what seemed like a blink of an eye, to a point where Alexandra was too overwhelmed to even notice the stinging sensation on the side of her face right then. Her eyes were stinging more than anything as they fought back tears that were so close to falling. If nothing else, she had to keep the tears from coming. She couldn't make an example of what Shay and Owen were saying, about how she acted offensively and then switched to the defense end the second the actions were thrown back in her face.

It was her smartest move of the day when she took Colette's advice and took a few steps backwards, one hand now clutching the side of her face that had been swiped at. "I will leave! And you should too. You're not even a part of our family, so maybe you and your homewrecker mom should go where someone wants you, because we sure as fuck don't want you here." Why it was seemingly impossible for her to respect people who actually tried to help her was beyond her at this point. She liked Aimee. A few years ago she hadn't, but now, and especially today, she had, so even as she spun around and ran - yes, ran - back to the house, she didn't know why she would call her stepmother such a name. It didn't matter at this point, though. She really did plan on leaving and so long as everything worked out, she wouldn't come back any time soon.

"I'm going to New York. Send someone to drive me to the airport!" She sobbed as she stormed through the house and into the kitchen, where she knew at least one member of the house staff would be. Her father was bound to find out of her plan when he learned that she was requesting to use the family's private plane, but she was eighteen. In her mind, that meant that she could do whatever she wanted, and Shay and Owen hated her enough that they would encourage him to let her go too, she imagined.

Christopher had headed upstairs a couple minutes before, and as Ariana finished her tea, she was ready to go up as well. Owen hadn't answered her text and she wasn't going to sit around waiting for him. She would text him again, go upstairs and then get ready to go out. Although she had went shopping yesterday, a girl could never have enough shoes, and if she wanted to compete with Colette's fashion sense this summer, she definitely needed a wardrobe upgrade. She had only gotten to standing up from her chair when Alexandra burst into the kitchen in a fit of tears and sobs. "Hey, hey, hey! What's going on?" she asked in equal parts curiosity and concern as she quickly made her way towards the girl. Ariana wasn't very physical or compassionate, but she pulled the crying girl into a hug. "Why are we going to New York? What's wrong?" she asked again, when her first question was only met with more sobs.

"Everyone h-h-hates m-me and Ti-Tinashé said I raped Carson a-and I'm going to New... New York to stay with my mom," Alexandra finally got out when she managed to choke her sobs back. She had allowed Ariana to pull her into the hug but she didn't want to be consoled right now. She really just wanted to get out. She needed to get out and she didn't think that she was going to have the patience or ability to explain all of this to Ariana. Even if she could, she didn't want to. Alexandra still wanted to spin this entire fiasco to make herself into the victim, but even she was tired of this drama now. If all of this was her fault, she wasn't going to necessarily accept it, but she would run away and leave everything be for now. She had gotten in her parting shot at Shay, anyway.

"Slow down, Lex. Slow down. Why does everyone hate you? I don't hate you."

Alexandra pulled away from Ariana without answering. She didn't have time to answer and turned abruptly down the hallway. Ariana was following her, and she knew that, but she wasn't going to let the Rockefeller girl stop her. Not when everyone wanted her to leave anyway! At some point, Ari must have stopped following her, because when Alexandra reached her bedroom door, crying once again, she noticed that the hallway behind her was empty. The attention-craving part of her wanted to be upset over this. Even if she said she wanted to be left alone a million times, she still expected someone to come running after her to make sure that she was really okay. It probably worked to her benefit this morning, though, because the lack of interruptions allowed her to stuff a bag with her a few necessities and put on clothes before returning downstairs.

Ariana had decided to wait at the bottom of the steps for Alexandra. There was no use in following the girl up if she was going to be so rash and emotional, and honestly, Ariana didn't want to have to comfort her if she was going to act like that. She didn't know how to, really, since whenever Colette got like that (usually in a drunken fit), Ariana would condemn her for drinking so much and isolate herself from her twin. She struggled with raw emotions like this because she so rarely faced her own. While she waited for Alexandra to return, she sent out text messages and ordered for a town car to be waiting outside for them.

To: Colette
Alexandra is upset and apparently your bff is to blame? Explain

To: Owen
I'm going for a drive with your sister. She said she wants to go to New York to stay with your mom. If you decide to be a good boyfriend and want to answer me that would be great!

To: Carson
You are really a drama magnet Mr. Koch

When Alexandra bounded down the stairs, tripping briefly as she skipped a step due to tear-filled eyes, she noticed Ariana at the bottom. While she still wasn't going to allow the girl to stop her from leaving, she was happy to see her, if only to share one more complaint that she had forgotten to choke out earlier. "And my sister said I should go to jail but she hit me in the face so hard so if anyone should go to jail, it's her," she snapped, tossing her bag over her shoulder as she stepped past Ariana. "Is my car here?"

Ariana was confused about all of this and needed Colette to respond, but since her sister had failed to respond within those two minutes, she opted against responding to Alexandra's claim that Shay had hit her. Instead, she nodded and pushed the front door open. "It is. I'm going to come with you for the ride." She didn't actually intend on having the driver take them to LAX, but she wasn't going to let Alexandra know that just yet. Not until she got a clear story about what the hell had just happened.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Owen liked getting the last word in in arguments, but after Shay went off on Alexandra, there wasn't much left to be said to their younger sister. Shay had torn her apart verbally and, causing Owen to wince, got a swipe in to the side of her face before Colette could intervene. He could tell that Shay's words were laced with venom, even when they weren't directed towards him, but Lex deserved every last bit of it. She was out of control and it was about time that someone else noticed it! Owen definitely would have preferred it if Tinashé had taken his side before Alexandra was allowed the freedom to sleep with Carson, and ruin Owen's relationship with him, on top of digging himself into a hole with Shay and Colette, but that was besides the point. For now, for once Alexandra was getting a dose of reality, and though she gave her parting shots as she accused Shay and Aimee of being unwelcome in the home, it was a poor excuse of a comeback. After everything that Shay had said and done, there was no way that Alexandra could come out of that fight the victor. Besides, Aimee and Pierce had been married for eight years. Even Alexa must have known that claiming that they weren't all family by now was a weak insult, because she hightailed it to the house as soon as she finished speaking.

Tinashé had stormed back over to the side of the pool and repositioned herself on her float, leaving Owen on the side of the pool adjacent to Colette. He stared at her in a moment of shock, not sure what he was supposed to do. He was sure that Alexandra was probably back on the phone with Pierce by now, telling him about how Shay had hit her and how they all ganged up on her. His phone would probably be ringing any moment now with a call from his dad, who at this point, might have had enough of the drama and would feel like it was necessary to come home. Shay was right, though. Pierce and Aimee deserved a few weeks away from work and the craziness of life in LA to relax with their friends, and Owen would be damned if that problem child ruined it for them. At this point, he was sure she had it in her too. Alexandra didn't care about anyone besides herself, and if she could spite Shay and Owen by forcing their parents back home, she probably would, regardless of what the consequences for herself would be.

"She didn't mean that, Shay," Owen offered finally, glancing from Colette to the pool. He didn't really expect a response from her, or a reasonable one, at least. She was fired up, and rightfully so, but when things calmed down, she would know that this was just Lex being... Owen didn't know what she was being. He wasn't defending her because he was more sick and tired of this Lex than anyone else. She had gone from being a nuisance to being a danger to everyone's sanity and right now, Owen didn't even try to stop from leaving to wherever she was going to go.

And then he walked towards Colette. Moments ago, when Alexandra had thrown the two of them into the spotlight with the Ariana comment, he was sure things would be awkward between them forever, but after that blowout, he couldn't focus on that. Could anything be more embarrassing than his family giving a crystal clear display on how crazy they actually were?
"I'm sorry again for what I said last night. That... this... was what I had been dealing with and I just lost it on everyone..." His phone was buzzing relentlessly today, but when he saw that this message was from Ariana, he had to open it. He had ignored her for a good part of the morning and knew this was pushing it. He eventually looked away from the phone, still without answering Ari as he offered Colette the best playful smile that he could put on at a moment like this. "Ari said Lex is running away to New York. Maybe she is more like you than I thought."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Once Tinashé blew a fuse, it was hard to contain her and Colette knew that from the second she had jumped in between Shay and Alexandra. It was one of the things that made her actually a bit...well, terrifying. She had so much pent up frustrations, hurt and anger, and it never spelled good for anyone when she finally went off. Granted, her anger came swifter than Colette's own anxiety and that was just as bad, but still. Colette was rightfully...wary when, once Shay got everything out of her system, she walked away. She didn't swing at Alexandra anymore and she didn't seem to glare at Owen along the way. She just walked back over to their pool chairs, grabbed her phone and was back on her flotation device, running a hand through her wet hair. She didn't even seem to react to Alexandra's last outburst after running inside, though she knew better. What Shay didn't show outwardly was even more overpowering on the inside and Colette frowned, feeling the weight of the last few days.

Come to California, she said, she thought, partly glaring at the Tinashé visage in her mind. It'll be great, she said. Operation hide-and-seek, she said. But it had been nothing like that in the last two days. In fact, these last forty-eight hours have been the most stressful moments of Colette's life in the last year and that said something because she was always inwardly freaking out about things. Hell, none of this had anything to do with her until about an hour ago and she still was bearing it! A hand rose to caress the bridge of her nose as Colette shifted on her feet and she almost forgot that Owen was even as close as he was when she heard his voice, calling out to his sister. Colette froze for a second, suddenly realizing, with trepidation...that she was on the other side of the pool with Owen!!? It didn't matter that Shay was in the water and that she wasn't alone. She was too close to him, and after Lex basically confirmed what Shay had already told him!? God hates me, she thought dramatically. It's official, he hates me, and I'm gonna die before I even get a Sangria. And it seemed like God was definitely not on her side because before she knew it, Owen was walking towards her and...she couldn't not look at him. She didn't need to seem as uncomfortable as she actually was, so she rose her gaze to his, trying not to seem pleased by his coming to her and not too uninterested in what he had to say. Was she overthinking? Was she obvious? Was she ready to bolt with a bottle of Ciroc? Hell yes!

Luckily, what he actually ended up saying was a reiteration of his apology from earlier and despite her earlier nonchalance, Colette's face softened. Because it had been one thing for him to send an apology, it was another for her to actually see him apologizing. See the actual frustration rankling beneath the calm, his exhaustion...his guilt. And while she wanted to offer him the same cold shoulder she had been preparing herself for before returning to California, a small smile spread over her lips. "Owen, it's fine, really. Not going to tell you that everything will be great before you know it, but..." She glanced back at Shay, who seemed to be either pointedly ignoring them or really in her own world. Then her eyes flitted back over to Owen. "...but I'm sure it'll get better. Hopefully. If it doesn't, I'll be the first to buy you a drink." Okay. Hold on. Rewind that back - what was that? She had to fight the urge to make a face at her own promise, pursing her lips momentarily. It was a great moment when he looked away so she could mentally berate herself, but then his attention was on her and Colette's smile returned quickly, just a bit more brighter. Maybe he didn't hear her? But then he smiled - stupid smile - and his little joke made her raise an eyebrow and place a hand on her hip, her surprise not even allowing her to not return the jesting nature Owen seemed to be exerting. "Excuse me, sir. Are you making fun of me?"

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Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Owen momentarily lifted his hands in a proclamation of his innocence. "All I'm saying is that you both use New York as your safe haven. Let's just hope that's the only thing you two have in common," he grinned deviously. Owen wasn't the type of person who would be frequently described as witty, but a playful banter came naturally when he was interacting Colette. When he was interacting with her in a way that didn't include him berating her for things she hadn't done wrong, at least. It was nice to have someone where the light side of his personality came so freely, especially when as of lately, he had been more tense than he had ever felt in his life. "Besides, I don't think I have much ground to stand on to make fun of you anyway. We," he glanced at the floating Shay, "gave you prim and proper Rockefeller's a private showing on how crazy our family is." And even though Owen would readily blame Shay and more so, Alexandra's actions for why he had gotten so aggressive and out of hand, he was embarrassed for acting the way he did too. It was justified because of their actions, but still something that he regretted anyone other than Alexandra, Shay and Carson having to be involved in. That thought led him back to his phone where Ariana's unanswered text were still waiting.

To: Ariana
Just let her go. Seriously I appreciate it but my mom is the only person who's crazy enough to handle her. Shay and I are done with her anyway. What do you say to me, you and Shay getting lunch? We can go somewhere down to Santa Monica or stay in Beverly Hills or whatever you guys want to do. I want to hang out with you but just don't want to be here if Shay actually has the audacity to bring you know who over

He looked back up at Colette and delivered a similar message, though failing to mention that he had also invited Ariana to come. "I know it's a little early, but let's go get lunch or something. I need to get out of this house and I'm craving a burger just as badly as I can tell you're craving a drink." It seemed like a minor detail and they were sisters, anyway! It wasn't like Colette was Shay and he was secretly bringing Ariana along two. If the two of them had managed to share a womb for nine months without killing the other off, they could sit across from each other at lunch for an hour two. Mostly, though, he suspected that Colette wasn't going to even fathom joining him if she knew that Ariana was also coming. He didn't need to invite her, since with a few drinks, she could probably go back to relaxing poolside, but he wanted to invite her. He hadn't hung out with Colette on a real, fun level in what felt like whatever, but at the same time, he owed it to Ariana to hang out with her too today. She was his girlfriend and if he hung out with Colette alone over her, he knew that would be the last time he got to call her his girlfriend.

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Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Colette could only roll her eyes, an unimpressed smirk on her face, at Owen's attempt of a surrender. Chuckling a bit, she managed to catch an almost sad note in his voice and followed his gaze to his seemingly uncaring other sister. Whether or not Shay really was paying attention was left to be questioned, but she was definitely painting the perfect picture of someone who didn't care. Bringing her gaze back to him, Colette sighed and gave a small smile. "Prim and proper doesn't exactly equate to perfection, Owen," she opined softly and looked back at Shay as Owen set to texting. Eventually, she would have to talk to her friend but with the tense silence despite knowing that Owen was still outside with them, she doubted Shay was down for anything other than floating. Which, originally, had been Colette's idea. But after this Alexandra thing...how the hell were they all supposed to stay under one roof if Lex didn't just go to New York?

She whipped back to Owen after hearing his voice again, taking a minute to piece the rest of what he said together before it actually began to make since. She had to smirk at the last about her needing a drink because she did and despite the immediate rejection in her head, what came out was "Sure." Which gave Colette pause. She was supposed to be pushing Owen away and in the last five minutes, that was the last thing she had been doing. Too much stress and not enough alcohol, she mused mentally, knowing that it was too late to take it back. So, she glanced at her best friend swiftly. "Shay, let's go out and get something to eat." And of course, Shay wasn't in the mood to play fair. "Just go without me." Colette frowned, narrowing her eyes further as if the other woman could somehow feel the strength of her demand. "Shay - " Shay yelled before she could finish, releasing an exaggerated breath, "Goooooooooooooo!!" Shay even waved a carefree hand at Colette, as if shooing her away and the Rockefeller sibling felt the sudden urge to lunge at her friend.

Dejected, inwardly, Colette turned to Owen with a frigid smile. "Guess I'll be changing. I'll just be a second." She told him and walked to Shay's side of the pool while grumbling to herself, "Alone." When she got back to her chair, Colette tossed the singer another glare and this time, Shay made it clear that she was watching. Her shades were still on, but her grin was wide as she stared at Colette. "Slut." Colette heard her friend's chuckle as she walked back into the house, followed by a "Love you too, bitch." If Owen lingered on the pool any longer, Colette didn't know for she had already headed inside. But she only hoped that he did, just to annoy Shay a bit. Just a little.

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Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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"I want to know what happened, but I don't want you to start crying and I don't want you to call anyone out of their name," Ariana said once they had slipped into the back of the Escalade. She had sent a text to the driver moments before and as he opened the back door for them, a gentle smile and a wink was all she needed to see to know that he was on the same page as her. They would drive around for as long as it took for Alexandra to calm down, but they weren't driving to the airport. She certainly wasn't excited to hear about the latest drama, but she needed to know what had went on to have Alexandra ordering to be flown to New York on a whim. She knew that Owen's sister was emotionally unstable and dramatic, but this was pushing that to a whole new level. While she was going to listen to Lex's side of the story, Ariana was still Ariana, and that meant that she wasn't quite comfortable with the waterworks and being forced into consoling anyone, so she tried to set her boundaries before Alexa spoke. She suspected that she was either going to get the emotionally charged and borderline crazy Alexandra that she had seen frequently this week, or the completely shut-down, brick wall one that she also knew existed, and she wasn't sure which one she was hoping for more.

Giving her phone a quick glance, she saw that Owen had finally responded her, but she decided not to open it. Not only did he not deserve an immediate response, but she wanted to keep her attention on Alexandra right now. Like a child, she felt like Alexandra was the type to open up once she was given the attention that she seemed to be seeking through her outrageous behavior. Ariana frequented the Collins' home while Tinashé was away on tour and had definitely grown closer to Alexandra during those two months. Though it probably had little to do with it, especially now that it had come to light that Lex had not calmed down during that time, Ariana liked to think that their friendship had helped keep her under control.

In some ways, Alexandra had no control over her emotions. She knew that she was all over the place and probably seemed like a maniac, but she felt like she couldn't help that her reaction to being called out or ganged up on was to overreact. At the same time, she had enough control over those emotions to switch them off completely when she was done with her tantrum. As she got into the back of the car, she was in a state somewhere between those two places. Her cheeks were dry and she could speak without her voice cracking, but there was some aggression lingering in her actions as she brushed past the driver holding the door open and chucked her backpack to the floor of the car. She didn't want Ariana to come with her because she was smart enough to know that Ari wasn't going to just let her go without trying to talk some sense in her, but she also wanted someone to vent to. Tinashé was dating the boy that Alexandra had slept with, and though there were no feelings there, she hadn't explicitly said that to Shay to give her the right to date him. Not only that, but she had the nerve to accuse her of rape and hit her! It wasn't like Alexandra had never gotten physical with Shay though, because in a lot of ways, that one included, they were just like normal siblings. "I was only crying because she basically broke my jaw," Alexandra defended herself when the two were situated in the back. "And I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm over it, I'm spending the summer in New York and I'm never going to talk to that slut again."

Ariana was quick to send a pointed look in her direction. She was the last person who was going to stick up for Shay and Ariana wasn't necessarily objecting to the suggestion that Shay was promiscuous, but she wanted to hear the facts right now, not Alexa trash talking. "Hey, don't try to pull that with me, Lex. You don't just get to act like that and not give an explanation. Why do you want to go to New York so suddenly?"

Alexandra didn't like being told what to do, especially not in the condescending tone that Ari was using with her. She huffed in annoyance but did answer. "I told you, Shay punched me in the face and called me a rapist. She's not my sister and she never was, and Owen's a horrible brother for letting her say that to me too, so I'm going to stay with my mom since she's obviously the only real family that I have." It was hard for Alexandra to try to say that as if it were true. Kris had been scrutinized tenfold for giving up custody of her kids for a super sized check. She put Lex up against her step family and even her own father for a fair amount of time as a vice for her own vengeance on her ex-husband and his new wife. She not only allowed, but sometimes, under the influence, encouraged Lex to engage in destructive and illegal behavior, and never hid that she prioritized her own career and social life over her family. Alexandra didn't even know if her mom would answer the phone if she called her saying that she was on her way to New York. It wouldn't have even been surprising if Kris told Alexandra that she wasn't going to have room for at their apartment there because she had a bunch of friends coming over, or that she was booked with parties and wouldn't be able to make time for her.

As delusional and out of control as Alexandra was acting, this situation was sad for her too. Ariana was now strongly doubting that Alexandra was as innocent as she and Owen wanted to believe to begin with. She was beginning to come to terms with the possibility of Carson being one of the first things that Lex was told she couldn't have, and now she was throwing a toddler-like tantrum over it and lashing out in an attempt to regain control. "Shay's your sister and a good one, and you know that, Lex. Even I can admit that, and you know how your sister and I are. You have a right to be upset if she hit you, but why did she hit you? What happened before that?" Ariana only now opened up Owen's message and it only fueled her annoyance with him. Owen was a good guy, no one could deny that, but over the past few days, the stress that they were all enduring was making him look selfish to her. Alexandra was a drama queen but she was upset and deserved for her feelings to be validated to some extent. Just letting her run away from them and spend the summer with their reckless mother wasn't going to help any more than shipping her off to rehab would. It would have been one thing for him to just tell her to let Alexandra leave, but then to ask if she wanted to get lunch with Shay? The bitch who had threatened to attack her not more than a day ago? And then to complain about his own problems that weren't even problems, since they only reflected his control-freak nature. While her phone was out as she texted Owen, she sent another message to her sister that she wasn't even sure why she sent. She knew that letting Lex leave could be bad for all of them in the long run, but maybe it wasn't her place to have to care. Either way, it felt weird to actually be seeking out Colette's advice, when Ariana was normally the one dismissing anything her sister said as being invaluable or wrong.

To: Owen
While you're out you should look around town for a family counselor. Even Colette and Chris and I aren't this bad

To: Colette
Should I let Lex go to NYC

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Tinashé had gotten just a little bored waiting for Chris once both Owen and Colette left the pool area. She had waited out her brother's departure especially, opting not to speak to him at all or even look his way until Owen had walked away. Once that was settled, Shay moved. She didn't know where Chris was and had every intention on returning to the pool area. She just didn't really feel like sitting out and baking in the sun when there was a cool house only a few feet away. So, once she stepped back inside, Shay walked to the main kitchen and sat at the counter, asking for Nkruma and a light lunch. She was hungry and a burger fiend, but after the arguments with both Alexandra and Owen, a burger didn't seem like something that would settle too well in her stomach. While waiting, Shay decided to text Chris, just to tell him where she was.

To: Chris
Came in 2 eat something. Waiting on Carson 2 get here

Just as Nkruma arrived and sat beside her at the counter, Shay glanced at her phone and saw a message from Carson, which made her grin. It would take him at least half an hour to get back to Beverly Hills, so Shay didn't choose to move yet. Instead, she thanked the chef who provided her with the salad, which consisted of baby spinach, romaine hearts, sliced strawberries, diced chicken, and feta drizzled with a white whine vinaigrette. It was a nice meal. Nkruma and a few of the other staff members informed her of Alexandra's storming through the house in tears and yelling that she was leaving, which only made Shay chuckle to ignore the uneasy feeling in her stomach. It wasn't guilt she was feeling, that much she knew. However, she was suffering from the dual image of an Alexa who she would sometimes laugh with and the bitch she just yelled only ten minutes before. Shay wasn't even aware that her feelings were very much evident on her face until Nkruma placed her darker hand over Shay's, and the singer startled. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. But about the fireworks..."

For the next thirty or so minutes, Shay told Nkruma her plans for tomorrow, outlining every detail like the fact that each menu item had to represent each sin and there would be an hour of music for each sin. It was going to be a pool party and everyone was required to wear a particular sin color and, because she couldn't not have some kind of fourth of July tradition, the fireworks would go off at midnight and last for an entire hour. Once the last one, the biggest one, was up in the air, that was time for everyone to go home. Shay figured that they could start the party at around three or four in the afternoon. They'd need to make sure the discothèque stayed open and the bedrooms of the current guests were locked with only them having the key. It was after Nkruma went to go tell some of the chefs about Shay's arrangements when she got the message that Carson was there and Shay, finished with her salad, headed for the front door. She didn't feel the need to cover herself up since, unlike Lex, she hadn't worn a skimpy bikini. It was still a bit provocative, but it was also her home and besides, why not tease Carson? He was her boyfriend now. That thought gave her a small pause and Shay couldn't even fight her grin. Running a hand through her now curly and still slightly damp hair, she walked just a little faster and out the front door, pausing only when she saw Ariana and Carson together.

"Oh hell," Shay muttered to herself and pursed her lips as she stared at the brunette standing in front of her boyfriend. She couldn't help but think that Ariana would, undoubtedly, be on Owen's side and be quick to shame Carson or tell him to leave. Which Shay wasn't going to have because one, this was Shay's house. And two, Carson was Shay's guest. If anyone needed to leave, it was Ariana and Shay had originally thought the brunette would have been gone. Exhaling deeply, Shay walked over to the duo, smiling firstly at Carson as she passed Ariana to get to him. "Hey!" She didn't feel the need to assert anything in front of Ariana, but did wrap an arm around Carson and hugged him to herself, briefly finding comfort in his presence. A second later, she settled her eyes on Ariana's face, non-threatening but also not friendly either, before returning her gaze to Carson's. She didn't see the need to let him go either. "Everything good here?"


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Colette hadn't taken long in getting ready to leave with Owen. At least, not as long as she normally did. Despite being the type to never wear an item of clothing twice, she reasoned with herself that only Ariana had seen her in it and to be completely honest, and it showed her current state of mind since dealing with the Collins, she just didn't care. It was a cute outfit, she hadn't really gotten wet in the pool, and so with a quick touch-up of makeup, Colette Rockefeller had been ready to go. Just as she headed down the stairs to meet back up with Owen, Ariana text her and it didn't make Colette falter, but it did make her curious. Not about Lex wanting to leave since her exclamation had been loud enough earlier for the entire world to hear, but Ariana was calling for help? Since when? Did her sister suffer a head trauma or something? Because any opinion Colette ever had on anything was met with a sneer in the face of Ariana Rockefeller. So, the first time Ariana text her, she ignored it. She did text Shay to let her know that Lex seemed serious about her plans to leave. That seemed to be ignored.

About ten minutes later, she and Owen were at Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill. It was a choice only because it satisfied Owen's craving for a burger and because Shay told her she'd like the salads. Plus, there was chocolate and Colette found herself, above craving alcohol, craved chocolate. She even ordered a strawberry lemonade, instead of alcohol, to accompany her chicken Asian salad. While waiting on their food, Colette sipped at her lemonade, not really sure how to continue a conversation. She didn't want to ask him how he was feeling about the situation. Truthfully, she was still trying to figure out what made her think agreeing to lunch with Owen was a good idea and the fact that they were alone didn't comfort her in any way. Still, she was there and needed to not think about everything that had come to light thus far. Neither did he. "So," she started, playing with the thin straw, a small grin forming as she spoke. "I see your tastes in fashion have improved since the last time I saw you. I could've sworn I'd have to talk to the man upstairs to save your closet and my sanity, Collins. Glad to see I didn't have to go that far."

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Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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From the moment that Owen sat down at the table across from Colette, he felt like getting lunch with her was a bad idea. He tried to reason with himself that he had tried to invite Ariana, only to be met with a clearly uninterested response. It wasn't like this was anything besides two friends getting lunch... two friends trying to escape the craziness back home. Maybe what Tinashe had said was getting to him though, and he knew that Ariana wouldn't see him getting lunch with her twin in the same light as him getting lunch with Rose or Jamie. Just because he and Colette might have shared a connection with each other a year ago didn't mean that they couldn't be normal friends now, he tried to reassure himself. When their food came out and Colette became more playful, he supposed that maybe he was overreacting and overthinking things. It surely wouldn't be the first time, and her relaxed demeanor made him feel like he was the only one worrying about Ariana or the chaos at home. "Well, that's where you went wrong, Rockefeller. When you're blessed with good looks like mine, you don't need to worry about your wardrobe," he grinned. Owen normally wasn't the wittiest person, especially when compared to the queen of comebacks herself, but he had to counter Colette's comment with something. "Maybe if your line ever makes it to the real runway... the high fashion runway, I'll walk for you." He popped a fry into his mouth, awaiting the slick remark that Colette was sure to fire at him. If there was one thing that she topped Ariana at, it was her sense of humor. It was often times very dramatic but god, did it make Owen laugh. He knew that he would much rather hear her quips about his wardrobe malfunctions than Ariana chiding him about not wearing a shirt she bought him. Both of the Rockefeller girls were amazing, but for twins, so different.

It took ten minutes for Owen to finish off his side of fries and get halfway through the Buckeye Burger that sat in front of him. The half that he already devoured had satisfied not only his burger craving, but the sudden bacon craving as well. "I don't get how you girls can just eat a salad and that's your meal. Your sister does the same thing. How do a bunch of leaves... carrots... noodles and oranges fill you up?" He tried to figure out the salad's contents as he brazenly poked at it across the table with his unused fork. "I'll finish my burger while you keep eating your grass and figure out what we're having for dessert." Another bite later, and a sip of his Coke, and he addressed her again, trying to be more serious this time. "But really, I feel like I haven't spoken to you, aside from you yelling at me last night. How's New York been to you?"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Colette raised an interested eyebrow at Owen before snorting softly, utterly amused at his boastfulness. It was definitely mood-lightening, considering the fact that she had been freaking about what could happen when the two of them were alone after successfully evading him for the last few months and while she had been back in California. Now, this? This was kind of easy and she remembered why they had been great friends. With a light smirk and her fingers loosely stirring the straw in her drink, Colette replied smartly, "Collins, if my line doesn't fit your quote-on-quote level of high fashion, it's probably because we aim higher than models who pose on Instagram for a few likes." It didn't feel quite as mean as someone else might have thought it was and well, Colette had dished out dirtier retorts to a few of their other friends. Namely, Carson. A few at Shay. Probably some at Ariana, though she would have never heard them because that was one fight Colette didn't think she'd win in a million years. But honestly, Owen could handle it. Besides, while he wasn't the master at quips, he was pretty good at keeping up with her and not getting his feelings hurt and this was just really nice. She couldn't, for a moment, recall why they didn't keep touch.

The next ten minutes of lunch passed by without feeling like hours or seconds had gone by. It just felt like a normal time elapse and it wasn't awkward. Colette didn't feel the need to fill any of the silence, though she had to make a few faces at how utterly satisfied Owen appeared as he indulged in his heart attack. Colette didn't particularly have a thing against hamburgers, she'd probably eat one at Shay's party tomorrow. It was just something she ate on occasion and she hated the bloated feeling that came afterwards. And of course, her line of thought would be followed by Owen reaching over to pick at her salad with his fork. Colette pouted at his teasing, even though a smile was teasing at the corners of her mouth, and popped his hand playfully, swatting it and his fork away from her food. "Back off, Calvin Klein," she snapped teasingly alluding to a very aesthetically appeasing campaign she had seen some time ago with Owen on the cover. "Just because I choose not to indulge in high cholesterol and clogged arteries doesn't mean that I don't know how to eat enough. I am a pasta connoisseur, thank you very much." Picking at her salad, Colette grinned and added, "And you better order something with chocolate, Collins, or you lose all friendship points."

Colette was about halfway through her salad when their conversation turned a bit more serious, and she had to refrain from meeting Owen's direct gaze for a moment. There was still a comfortable air about them, so much so that she eventually looked up, but the shift in mood was not lost on her. Because Owen was right. They haven't spoken and while his mentioning her yelling last night made her chuckle, it was a reminder of how what they were sharing now wasn't an occurrence that happened in the last year. Sighing, Colette painted on at least a relaxed smile, one she didn't have to act her way through since she didn't feel too on guard at the moment. "One, let's not forget that you deserved that yelling, mister. And two, New York's been...cold. Fun and new, and they still need to work on not watering down their margaritas." A small giggle followed by a fond grin echoed the pleasant description of her time in New York. She wouldn't mention the excessive drinking when he and Ariana first started dating, or a few of the one night stands that remain unmentioned, even to Shay. But her response was genuine and a few seconds later, Colette inquired, teasing, "And what about you? I heard it through the grapevine that someone played as Taylor Swift's new onscreen beau? Don't tell me pristine Owen Collins is all about scandal now!?"


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"Uh huh." Was the only thing Shay offered at first. If there was one thing Tinashé was not, it was dumb and she would never take Ariana's response at face value. The tension before her own arrival had been notable; there was no denying it. So, after staring at Ariana levelly for a few silent seconds, Shay turned her gaze upwards to meet Carson's. His smile was distracting, and it made it difficult to want to do anything more than let it go. Besides, she had promised herself that she wouldn't let Ariana, Owen, and Lex to ruin her summer. So, she dropped it, relaxing a bit against Carson and offering a small smile in return. Okay, it probably wasn't small, but she was supposed to be tough, damn it!! Admitting she probably grinned widely in response and had a small blush did not win her any cool points.

"I guess it was worth coming here. The real-life Shay in a bathing suit definitely beats a picture of one," he grinned, eying her in a purposely obvious move. He couldn't help but to bask in how good these past few days had been. On the outside, they probably looked like a train wreck and the bruise on the side of his face didn't help that, but he had come out of it with a girlfriend and that outweighed all of the bad. Carson was sure that their relationship wasn't going to be easy and he still wouldn't have blamed Shay if she just decided it wasn't worth it, but he was ready to try. Being in a serious relationship with someone was going to be different for him but less than a day in, and it already felt natural. He and Shay had been so close before this that it wasn't scary to add the label of 'girlfriend' to the 'best friend' status that she already held. Laughing, Shay pinched the side of his waist her hand was touching with a quiet "shut up!" tacked on. See? This could be easy. There was no real difference in their new status. Just two grown adults being able to finally just express outwardly that they obviously weren't just friends. And, well, it was nice.

Obviously, in her little revelation, Shay forgot all about Ariana's presence and turned back to the brunette with a lost expression at her inquiry, faintly forgetting where Owen was supposed to be and about the lunch. However, as soon as it hit her, she couldn't help but snort derisively. "Last I checked, Owen didn't ask me anything. He asked Colette and I told her to go with out me." She refused to add the part where she needed to be far away from both of her siblings. That wasn't something she needed to share with Ariana Rockefeller. Shay shrugged then, removing her arm from around Carson only to grasp his hand. She did, however, choose to continue her stare with Ariana, though she was ready to leave the Rockefeller behind. This was more polite than she thought Ariana deserved. "Anyway, Bitchlette and him already left. You probably just missed them." Not bothering to offer much more, Shay gave Carson's hand a quick tug before moving along back towards her home. How Ariana took the information she was provided with was up to her, Shay had nothing to do with that issue. Besides, it was Ariana Rockefeller, the girl who could "get any guy she wanted." Why she should she feel insecure because her sister and boyfriend were out? Of course, Shay had her real thoughts, but again, Ariana Rockefeller didn't earn that right.

Once away from Ariana, Carson finally spoke up again. He was unaware of Alexa's recent departure for New York, so now that he knew that Owen, his biggest problem, was gone, he felt that addressing the other Collins' issue might be necessary. "I know I got lucky with your brother being out, but do you think there's something I should say to your sister? Not trying to add fuel to the fire and I don't know if there's anything else that I can even say to her, but I don't want to make this summer more painful for everyone." By that point, they were through the front door and the smile on Shay's face dropped for a second, mind going back to the pool incident which only seemed like it occurred moments before. Somberly, she glanced up at Carson's face, leaning against the nearest wall. "Look, the only thing, at this point, that needs to be said to Lex is the truth about herself. And seeing as how she ran her ass to New York the second I tried, anything you say isn't going to help either. Just...let her do her. When she's ready to grow up, then maybe you two can talk. For now, she's not worth it and I'm done wasting my youth on her." It was another solemn second spent on thinking about Lex before Shay grinned, fingers crawling up Carson's chest before she gripped his shirt, pulling him closer. "Besides, Koch. You've got some fireworks to get ready for." She exclaimed, alluding honestly to the party, but she guessed he could probably consider the allusion more to the kiss she leaned up and planted on his lips seconds later. Whichever way worked for her.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Tinashé Kachingwe Character Portrait: Alexandra Collins Character Portrait: Owen Collins Character Portrait: Christopher Rockefeller Character Portrait: Colette Grace Rockefeller
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Owen allowed Colette to speak without interrupting her once as he finished off the rest of his burger and fries. He would offer a roll of his eyes or a snicker here and there at her wit, but his mouth was too full to say more than that. It was easy for him to just enjoy her presence. At this point, he couldn't truthfully say that the worry about what Ari wasn't going to think wasn't pulling at his conscience a bit, but he tried to suppress it and just enjoy whatever this was. Lunch. It's just lunch with a friend. That's what it is, he tried to remind himself. He hated wasting energy on worrying about something that was completely innocent but dating Ariana had shown him that he could never be too careful. One wrong move, even if it was done with good intentions, could land him in the doghouse with his girlfriend. He had fallen for Ariana and he wouldn't deny that he loved her, but their relationship wasn't as easy as he wished it was. When anyone tried to tell him that, he reminded them that Ariana wasn't a normal girl and he was lucky to have her at all. Dealing with her flaws was the least he could do. Still, times like these reminded him that just because she was incredibly attractive, successful and lusted over, didn't mean that she was perfect, or even the right girl for him.

Owen wasn't going to admit that he had needed Colette's input at all the night before, but he did offer her an apologetic smile. "I don't think deserve is the right word here, but I'm sorry you had to get involved. I guess I should have known that someone from the esteemed Rockefeller family would crack under the pressure of a little family drama." He had to chuckle at his own quip there. He did think that 'pristine' was a more appropriate reference to her than him, but alluding to the Rockefeller's having no drama was included sarcastically. Owen definitely thought that their family was more proper and put together than his own. They were the epitome of old money and even after knowing them for so long, he had always linked their family to traditional, wealthy things. Summering in Newport Beach, penthouses in Manhattan, estates in the French countryside... They knew how to dress conservatively but still be the most attractive girls in the room, and though Ariana would claim that she was the only person in her family to possess the ability, they all had a way of making themselves seem put together in public. Owen liked that. He tried to be like that, not to pose as something he wasn't, but because he felt it was classy. Growing up with a sister who was led into being portrayed as a sex icon at such a young age, and having another sister who did everything that went against his morals and wants challenged that image immensely, though. Being so controlled and proper seemed to come easy for the Rockefeller family on the outside, but with him, as perfectly displayed by yesterday's affairs, always came crashing down in flames. "Whoever told you that isn't lying," he said, a proud smile now fitting his face. "Yup, the star of Taylor Swift's music video. Right here. Sitting in front of you. Be jealous. Save the autograph requests for later, though." After all of the success Owen had on the runway and through major fashion campaigns, this had to be what he was most proud of. It was supposed to remain a secret, of course, so he couldn't boast to anyone outside of his family and close friends, but it was something he was happy with. Who wouldn't be happy with getting to kiss Taylor Swift, make a huge paycheck, and not be forced with dealing with an upset girlfriend since it was all for work?

He gave the dessert menu once last scan before sliding it towards her. Owen wasn't a picky eater and would probably devour any of the choices listed, so now he figured it was safer to let Colette choose. "Take your pick. I wouldn't want to 'lose all friendship points' especially since I think you've already cut me down about a hundred of those since last year."




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Christopher was excited to get to hang out with Tinashe in a normal and relaxed environment. Being able to club for hours, day after day was a talent that they both possessed, but sometimes it was the day's when they were just chilling in her tour bus or in a hotel room where they made the best memories. On drugs and drinks, Christopher could be wild, but when he was sober (or in this case, recovering from a hangover), he was pretty down to earth and relaxed. He had stripped out of his clothes and had one leg into a pair of board shorts when he phone started ringing. It wasn't just the beeping of a text, but the ringing of a call and at the sight of Hailey's contact name, he considered rejecting it but answered on the last ring. He had a great night with her but he was tired and since his feelings were only sexual, he was at a point where he needed at least a few hours of space. They had planned that she would come over to Shay's house again tomorrow for the big party she was hosting, but between then and now, Chris wanted to focus on his friends and family in the house. And getting rid of this hangover and preparing for the one that he was sure to have on the fifth. The call lasted only five minutes and consisted of her rambling on about how Alexandra had been ignoring her messages over the past hour and was concerned that she was upset or jealous about them sleeping together. Chris could only roll his eyes at the assumption, and reassure her that Lex wasn't interested in him. He had made it very clear to Alexandra that he liked her, not only as a friend, but more than that, and she had never returned the feelings. It didn't stop him from enjoying the chase, but especially after hearing about her unexpected interest in Carson and all of the drama that went down over the past 24 hours, he doubted that his night with Hailey was what was bothering her.

After hanging up, he planned on calling Alexa to speak with her himself, but she beat him to it as a text appeared on his phone from her. It took a couple of times of reading it for him to grasp what she was saying. Apparently, her family wasn't letting her use their own private plane to fly to New York so she wanted to take his. It would have only taken a few calls for that to be a reality, but Chris didn't want her spending her summer in New York. He wanted to hang out with her and he knew better than anyone that while running away from family problems was enticing, it never did any good. Especially in families like theirs, where the public was always watching, it was good to solve issues before they grew to a point where people started speculating and they could no longer be resolved. Plus, and maybe this was more of the reason, after getting back from Europe only days ago, Christopher was tired of flying. He just wanted to relax, but that didn't seem like it was going to be possible today either.

To: Shay
Count me out for a little. Not only do i not wanna third wheel while u fuck koch, but my future wife is in distress ;). btw which one of ur deadly sins is american-flag colored since that's what all my guests are gonna be wearing??

To: Alexa
dude chill! no one is going to new york. can u just come home so me and you can chill? we can get fucked up and trash shay's room if that makes u feel better for all i care. i just want to hang with you here in california. my parents will murder me if they know i'm all over the country this summer and my sisters aren't as chill as yours. they'll rat me out in a second. come home or i'm gonna come and drag you home.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Ariana Rockefeller Character Portrait: Carson Koch Character Portrait: Owen Collins
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Strangely, Ariana didn't seem angry with him about getting lunch with Colette. It had him wondering whether she was secretly pissed off and was going to bring it up later in some fight about something completely different. At the same time, he told himself that he was falling into the trap that Shay had "forced" into his mind years ago, that Ari was some demon. She was probably just cool about it because she knew that whatever feelings he and Colette shared were long gone. Or more likely, maybe she never even knew about them (at least on his end). Regardless, it seemed like Owen got the best of both worlds that day, because after a nice lunch with Colette, his next meal was at a fancy restaurant in Los Angeles with Ariana. It was the kind of date that she always seemed to like: an expensive restaurant with fine wine, a menu that even Owen could barely pronounce, candles, nice clothes, and a romantic ambiance. The night started out fine, but as the food was served, he could tell that she was bothered about something. When he asked her what was wrong, he wasn't expecting the lecture he got in return.

"I don't know, Owen. It's just like, you're so focused on your goddamn sister and her love life, and you care more about who she's in a relationship with than who you're in a relationship with. It's weird and honestly, I don't want to waste an entire summer by dating someone who's in a three way relationship with his stepsister and best-- ex-best friend. I get that it's weird for you, with everything that Carson's done, but what good is you being mad at them for dating going to do? I mean, I would understand you being mad at Carson for sleeping with Alexandra, regardless of who initiated what. Lex is still a baby, and unlike your other sister, wasn't brought up in an environment where condoms were more prevalent than pencils. He was the first guy she ever slept with; obviously she had no idea what she was doing. And I can see you being mad at Tinashe for defending Carson after what he did to Alexandra, and for keeping things from you about your sister, but you can't be mad at them for dating. It just doesn't make sense."

Him being mad at Shay and Carson for dating might not have made sense, but Ariana's words did. Owen had known that they were true all along, but now that he had a clearer mind, they sunk in more, and he agreed that she was right. He wasn't even just saying it to get her off of his back, and mentally decided to find Carson when they got home and try to talk to him. Aside from having to drive home, that was one of the major reasons he decided to only have one glass of wine with his meal. He didn't need anything in his system that might influence him into getting physical with CJ again, if his emotions called for it. By the time the couple got home from dinner, however, their relationship seemed to be back on track and the rest of the night was spent in the Jacuzzi tub and bed.

By the next morning, his vast home seemed smaller than ever, with the knowledge that he had to talk to Carson. It was July 4th, and the house was already bustling with staff members that normally worked in the home, and those hired specifically to set up for the party Shay was hosting later that night. The day before, the tension that existed between he and Carson, despite not seeing each other, seemed unbearable, and he didn't want it to get in the way of his summer anymore. If he initiated a conversation with Carson, he would not only look like the bigger person, but also set some boundaries for him and his sister. Sure, he had agreed to Ariana that he couldn't sulk about CJ dating Shay forever, but he also wasn't just going to accept his best friend being all over his little sister in front of him!

Owen woke up early, but rather than seek out Carson right away (and risk the possibility of finding his guest room vacant and Shay's bedroom door locked...), he filled his bowl with weed and headed back out to the vineyards. Today, his smoking session went interrupted and though he felt guilty for doing so and being hypocritical, he knew it would be needed to get through the day. Ariana was still sleep when he returned upstairs, so he had time to shower and toss his clothes into a laundry bin to hide the evidence. It was around eleven in the morning when he finally approached Carson in the kitchen, and luckily, Shay was nowhere in sight.

"Hey." Owen was surprised that Carson greeted him first. In his mind, he imagined that Carson would be the one dreading this conversation, and though he probably was but was better at hiding it, Owen was taken aback by him being... friendly? He wanted Carson to cower in fear of the "older brother" coming in to make sure no one was going to hurt his sister and that the predator side of Carson never came out to play with Lex again. Even Owen knew that it was a bit delusional, but he felt like it was something that was deserved, and Carson seeming unphased caused him to straighten up a little bit and buff out his chest.

"I think we should talk about you and my sister," Owen began, watching as Carson swiveled himself around on an island bar stool to no longer face his sandwich, but Owen.

"Yeah, so do I. Look, man, I know that it was wrong for me to make a move on your sister without saying anything to you first, but I knew you were gonna react that way."

"I wasn't reacting that way because of you and Shay. I was reacting that way because I found out that you slept with Alexandra, and then were messing around with my other sister. I reacted in the way that any other brother would react."

"Okay, look, the whole Alexandra thing was really fucked up but I swear to God, man, that I would never coherently do anything with Alexandra. It'll never change what happened but I'm so serious, dude, that it was not something that I intentionally or knowingly did. Like, it she had left my apartment that morning before I woke up, I would have had no idea that she was even ever there. It was really bad, and I am really, really sorry to your entire family that I did that with her, but I didn't mean to do it. What me and Shay have is different, though. You know, like if we're just gonna be guy-to-guy for a second and pretend you're not her brother, she's the type of girl that's actually for real."

"Of course she is. I don't know why the fuck she's interested in someone like you. She's got talent and a successful career, and you don't even know what the hell the charity that your dad paid for you to 'co-found' does," he said, his tone noticeably lightening at the last part as he cracked a smile.

"So we're cool?" Carson's expression had also softened into a more playful one, and though they hadn't hashed out everything in as much depth as Owen planned on doing, he was satisfied with leaving things this way for now. At least they could enjoy the holiday on a good note, and with his relationship with Ariana being solid , getting some alone time with Colette in yesterday, and Alexa and Chris being gone to New York for an indefinite (but hopefully definite) amount of time, things seemed good. Owen couldn't imagine Shay being mad at him any more, especially when he was the bigger person by reaching out to Carson and clearing the air between them, so he was feeling good.