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Post by Holly on Feb 1, 2017 21:29:06 GMT -5
Alec sighed. "I don't know, Mom. ...No, that's a lie, I do. Um..." He shifted awkwardly on the sofa. "He-- I've been blaming him for Tori's breakdown and hospital visit. And I feel pretty much perfectly justified, by the way, so let's not have that argument right now," he said, holding up a hand before she could even start. "Anyway. My buddies and I were having a snowball fight, just for fun, and I--threw one at Jason's head when he came outside. We had words. He displayed his idiocy for everybody. And I hit him. Then he hit me, repeatedly, and voila," he gestured to his face, "we have Alec the Balloon-head."
"Oh, Alec," Abigail groaned. Maybe it was just a family talent. She dropped her head into her hands, elbows resting on her knees. "Did you really think you were defending Tori by picking a fight with Jason?"
"No. Yes? Not really. She didn't need defending, not today. I was just so, so angry with him. He's only a step below a murder to me, Mom. I mean...Tori and I have been like this," he crossed his fingers, "since we were too little to reach the sink without a step stool. I couldn't--If she had died that day--"
Abigail looked at him with eyes full of sympathy. "Alec. This isn't the way to take out that anger."
"I don't know. It felt pretty good until he started punching me," he said blithely.
And just like that, the sympathy was gone. "Alexander!"
"Yikes. Two 'Alexanders' in one day."
"You wanna make it three?!"
"No, ma'am." Alec glanced toward the stairs, hoping Tori would come down and mediate for him.
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*Nightwhisper
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"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 1, 2017 21:32:08 GMT -5
(It's okay!)
As their voices faded away, Tori pushed herself away from the bed. If Alex was going to get into trouble, she didn't want to hide away in his room while it happened. She was the reason he felt the need to attack Jason, after all. It was kind of her fault it happened, whether or not anyone else felt that way.
Like a child trying to eavesdrop on adults, she crept out of Alec's room and down the stairs. Once at the bottom, she headed to the den. It was easy to tell where they went just by the sound of their voices. She heard nearly all of their conversation by the time she walked into the room. The atmosphere was thick with an awkward tension, the kind that's always created whenever parents decided to have a serious talk with their kids. As much as she'd like to be away from it, she wasn't going to let Alex suffer through it alone.
Mrs. Jones? Tori signed, trying to get the woman's attention.
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Post by Holly on Feb 1, 2017 21:59:26 GMT -5
Abigail noticed movement in the doorway and looked up. She sighed. "Tori. I--"
"Hey! There's my girl," Alec said enthusiastically, obviously relieved.
Abigail cut him a look, knowing exactly what he was up to. "Tori, honey. Did you need something?"
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*Nightwhisper
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png)
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 1, 2017 22:09:39 GMT -5
You shouldn't be mad at Alec, Tori signed. In her head, she knew she was about to have one of this cliche moments where the girlfriend defends her boyfriend, but really, what else was there to do? He was only doing what he felt was right. Sure, maybe he could have done it in a way that didn't require getting hit in return, but you don't know how Jason is. Fighting kind of is the only thing that gets through to him. You raised your son to be kind and caring and to stick up for his friends, so you shouldn't be angry that he acted on that.
Her signs felt inadequate for the situation, like there wasn't enough impact her words made. It seemed more to her that she was just adding an opinion that probably wouldn't do much to sway the verdict of whatever punishment Mrs. Jones had already decided to give Alec. But a flimsy argument was better than none. If he could stand up to Jason, she could at least stand up for him against his mother.
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Post by Holly on Feb 1, 2017 22:34:04 GMT -5
Abigail bristled a little. She and David loved Tori very much. They thought her bright and sweet and a happy addition to their circle, and always had. But she did not like a teenager telling her what she should or should not do. She smoothed her hands over her pants. "I'm definitely glad you think so well of Alec, Tori, and of our fantastic parenting skills." She smiled a little, but it was soon replaced again by a tight-lipped frown. "But standing up for a friend is one thing. Instigating a fight is another." She shot another look at Alec, who was frowning intensely at the floor, trying to sort things out. His mother's expression softened for a moment as she looked at him, his poor discoloree and swollen face. "Alec."
He looked up at her. "I'm sure you were trying to champion Tori. Am I right?"
He glanced at the ground, then sheepishly at his mother. It felt like a trick question, but he answered honestly. "Yeah..."
"But did you honestly think a physical fight was the best way?"
"...No. But it was basically the only way we hadn't tried. And I--Look, I was wrong, okay? I was super angry and so I started a fight. I still won't say I'm sorry," he said with a stubborn lift of his chin, "but I'll say it wasn't smart."
Abigail sighed, knowing that was the best she'd get out of him right now. David probably wouldn't be much help either. If anything, he'd probably insist on taking Alec outside and teaching him how to at least win in a fight if he was determined to go looking for one. Besides, she could see why he did it, and while the uncharacteristic outburst of anger did worry her, she wasn't sure his intentions were totally misplaced. "Well, we'll figure out your punishment later. Have you taken anything?"
"Tori brought me some Advil when we got home," he said, wrapping an arm around Tori's waist from his spot on the sofa.
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Post by Holly on Feb 1, 2017 22:34:37 GMT -5
(Good night!)
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 1, 2017 23:22:19 GMT -5
Hope hesitated for a moment, not wanting to let Peter follow her out. She decided it wasn't worth the effort to get him to go first. She also knew that the trio wouldn't dare touch Peter. At least not now. Not until they knew what he meant to her, which she vowed that they would never know. She figured- no, prayed- that no one knew at this point what he really meant to her. She turned and headed back towards the front of the store. She felt the cashiers eyes burning into the back of her head as she held the doors open for Peter.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on Feb 2, 2017 1:58:01 GMT -5
Mika offered one last short smile before he headed into his room. He still felt sort of bad that she was left with a foldout bed, but she seemed adamant about staying and not switching. Still, he left his door slightly ajar incase she needed anything. The clothes he was in were clean and comfortable enough that he just climbed right into bed without changing. Honestly, the day was sort of tiring for him too, but with Destiny's worries about being a burden, he couldn't let he know.
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*Nightwhisper
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png)
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 2, 2017 8:36:17 GMT -5
Peter hobbled out of the store, turning to her as she followed. "Well, they were... charming," he said a bit sarcastically. Then frowned. "What was he talking about, Hope? Why did you have to meet him alone?" Everything about that exchange had sent alarms ringing in his mind, but he hadn't tried to pry with the others there. That could have turned out badly. But would Hope explain now that it was just the two of them? He had never asked much about her personal life, mainly because he couldn't really give her the same information in return. So he just let it be and focused on the present. Now, he was a little worried about what his friend had to do with the three people they just meet.
Once he was out of sight, Destiny let out a small sigh. The day had been more than tiring, it was nerve wracking. She had no idea how Mika was able to act so calm, even after being punched a couple of times. To be honest, she had no idea how he had retained consciousness after the second hit. Yet he had stayed the same helpful, smiling person he always was. It amazed her really. Shaking her head slightly, she let the thoughts slip away. The girl climbed into the temporary bed and adjusted the pillows and the blankets until she was comfortable. The mattress was actually more comfortable than she had thought it was could to be. Sure, the springs creaked every time she moved, but it wasn't that bad. Closing her eyes, it didn't take long for her exhaustion to catch up with her, lulling her into sleep.
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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on Feb 2, 2017 8:49:55 GMT -5
(Morning~ Sorry I've always got such gaps in-between my postings. Once these two months are done, I'll be here more often.)
Mika fell asleep fairly quickly, but something kept him from going into true deep sleep. He was listening, he realized later, for any sound from the living room. Any sign of distress for Destiny's first night here. If she had been upset and expressed it, his exhaustion might have kept him from waking, though. In the morning, he woke and sat up slowly. He usually stayed in bed another half-hour, but he was still concerned about making sure Destiny had slept alright. Unnoticed to him, as he didn't have a mirror in his room, the mark on his jaw where her father had struck him had discolored and turned a mixture of deep purple and dark red regardless of the ice he'd put on it the night before.
He straightened his clothes a bit, fixed his bed, and walked outside to the living room, quietly closing the bedroom door behind him.
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 2, 2017 9:49:19 GMT -5
Peter hobbled out of the store, turning to her as she followed. "Well, they were... charming," he said a bit sarcastically. Then frowned. "What was he talking about, Hope? Why did you have to meet him alone?" Everything about that exchange had sent alarms ringing in his mind, but he hadn't tried to pry with the others there. That could have turned out badly. But would Hope explain now that it was just the two of them? He had never asked much about her personal life, mainly because he couldn't really give her the same information in return. So he just let it be and focused on the present. Now, he was a little worried about what his friend had to do with the three people they just meet.
Hope took in Peter's question before juggling around with the idea of telling him everything. "I can't tell you Peter..." She finally replied. "It's for your own good." She decided that he couldn't know. If he did, he definitely wouldn't let her go. She had thought about lying to him so that he wouldn't worry, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to him either. "I'm sorry Peter..." She wouldn't look at him as she spoke.
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*Nightwhisper
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png)
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 2, 2017 10:14:13 GMT -5
(Good Morning! Don't worry about it, Leuka. I understand that we're all busy with our own stuff. ^^ )
Destiny, on the other hand, had fallen into a deep sleep for once. Usually she had to sleep light in case her father shouted for her at random times. Now, however, she didn't have to worry about, so when Mika walked out of his room, she didn't wake. Instead, she stayed asleep, curled up and snuggled into the blankets. There was a red mark on her own face close to her eye, a sign of a healing blow, but that was the only visible injury at the moment. Although she had slept soundly, every now and then she would flinch, whether because of her dreams or her physical injuries making her twitch, it was hard to tell.
"What do you mean, you can't tell me?" Peter asked. Now he was really worried. His mind was forming all kinds of scenarios, none of them were good. "Hope, are you in some kind of trouble with them?"
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 2, 2017 10:22:17 GMT -5
Hope finally turned to face him. Her eyes contained a mixture of frustration and worry, but not worry for herself, for Peter. "It's all going to be okay." She assured him. "It's nothing major." She then told her first lie to Peter. "Just promise me you won't get involved."
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Post by Holly on Feb 2, 2017 20:59:37 GMT -5
Tori fell silent the moment she finished speaking. She sensed the change in Abigail's mood, and she wondered if she might have said the wrong thing. So to keep from making things worse, she didn't offer anything else to the conversation. His mother was mad enough as it was, which kind of made her nervous when Alec wrapped his arm around her. Along with the small blush it brought, she wasn't sure if the little display of affection would help his case any. The girl didn't pull away, though, and she certainly didn't dare meet his mother's gaze. (Good night!) "All right." Abigail sighed and stood up slowly, feeling her age suddenly for some reason. "Let me know if you need anything else." She stopped and ruffled his hair, frowning in pain at the sight of his face. "Poor pumpkin. Hey." She tapped her shoulder and he looked up at her. "I'm not proud of the way you did it. But I am proud that you stand up for others. We raised you good." Alec smiled but didn't answer. Abigail dropped a motherly kiss on Tori's temple to let her know she wasn't angry, then left to go take a shower. Alec leaned his head against the curve between Tori's waist and hip for a moment. He didn't mean to be inappropriate, he was just tired and his head felt stuffy and touching her was a comfort. But then it occurred to him that he might be making her uncomfortable so he straightened up. "Well. That could have been a lot worse."
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Post by Holly on Feb 2, 2017 21:00:52 GMT -5
(Oh dear. What a tragedy. We'd better start planning the funeral! What do you think? Roses, daisies? Would doves be too much?) (HAHAHAHA!)
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*Nightwhisper
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_blue.png)
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 2, 2017 22:05:02 GMT -5
( 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚕𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜: NOOOO!!! She was too young! TOO YOUNG! XD)
Tori relaxed as Mama Jones calmed down, returning to the same motherly figure she had grown up with. She never liked it when she was mad, and she was usually too afraid to make her angry. So she was glad the whole conversation had passed over without too much yelling. Yeah, she agreed, glancing down at him. A blush had dusted her cheeks as he rested his head against her, but it felt kind of nice. Like she was the one offering a place to rest instead of the other way around. Her hand gently ran through his hair. Should I leave you to rest? You still look tired.
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Post by Holly on Feb 2, 2017 22:14:08 GMT -5
It was a little harder to read her signs from that angle, but Alec got the idea. He shook his head, but slowly. "No... Maybe. I don't know. You don't have to stop, you know. I'm okay with it," he told her, referring to the hair combing. It felt nice and tingly. Relaxing.
Alec decided he liked being babied....even if he wasn't particularly fond of the circumstances.
"Sorry I unleashed Mama Jones mode on you," he mumbled, half-smiling in amusement.
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Post by Holly on Feb 2, 2017 22:36:34 GMT -5
Oh, sure, great. He got beat up for her--well, kinda--but she thinks of him as a puppy. How fitting.
Alec chuckled and closed his eyes for a moment to revel in the pampering. "Nah. You buffered. That was helpful. Besides, it wasn't like I wasn't provoked. Kinda. Ugh, let's just not talk about it." He pulled away reluctantly, only because if he didn't he would want to kiss her soon and wasn't sure he'd really be able to with the current condition of his face. He stood up. "Shouldn't you be doing your homework, young lady?" he admonished in an affected deep voice.
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 3, 2017 0:05:44 GMT -5
"If it's nothing major, then you shouldn't have a problem telling me about it," Peter pointed out, yet didn't try to push the subject further. Not yet at least. He was concerned too much to let this topic drop. If Hope was in trouble, then he wanted to be able to help her out of it. After all, she had spent a lot of time helping him, it was time he returned the favor. Hope didnt say anything else about it. She only hoped that Peter wouldn't question her about it. She kept her eyes on the path ahead of them as they walked back to the Thompson's house.
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 3, 2017 16:25:33 GMT -5
Hope was distracted until the Thomson's house was in view. Her mind kept jumping between thoughts. The first thiught was what was going to happen when she met the group. She already knew what she had done to anger them, but she didnt know how they would handle it. Her other thought was if Peter would follow her request, or if he would dig for more information.
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Post by Holly on Feb 3, 2017 22:51:46 GMT -5
Tori let out a heavy sigh, tilting her head back a bit to keep is gaze as her lips twitched into a smile. I should, but it's more a a question of do I want to do it, she replied. There was plenty of homework she could be doing, but she hadn't found the motivation to work on it yet. "Well, some of us have school tomorrow, and some of us don't. Soooo which of us should really do her homework, hmm?" Alec teased, raising his eyebrows and grinning. "Chop chop pop princess." There, back to normal. Pretty much. Kind of.
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Post by Holly on Feb 3, 2017 23:16:27 GMT -5
Alec frowned. "Hey, no, what's wrong?" Alec asked, sliding his hands around her waist. He raised an eyebrow. "I've been studying those pretty eyes for years. What was that look?" He reviewed everything in his head looking for whatever he had said wrong. He hated seeing her sad; as if that weren't obvious by now.
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