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Post by venus on Jul 25, 2018 15:24:13 GMT -5
"THIS HAS BEEN SAID SO MANY TIMES THAT I'M NOT SURE IF IT MATTERS, BUT WE NEVER STOOD A CHANCE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT MATTERS. IF YOU ARE THE SHORES, I AM THE WAVES BEGGING FOR BIG MOONS, I'M MAILING LETTERS TO ADDRESSES IN A GHOST TOWN..."
plot ;;
small town life, high school romance. a Classic™ type of plot, but still fun. in the quiet town of Gloriaville, our two muses are finally starting their senior year, best friends since elementary/middle school and still going strong. muse a is introverted, reserved, and manages to survive through school mainly because of muse b, all while realizing their love for b is unrequited. muse b, on the other hand, is outgoing and more popular, happy to date whoever they please, and seems to value their friendship less than muse a does. what would it take for b to realize how much a means to them?
our characters ;;
muse a - venus
jude rivera-carvajal, 18, cuban-american. //
- fiery in every aspect, jude is 5'7, with bright ginger red hair and warm golden skin. heavily freckled from her days in the sun, with some lean muscle and a mean look in her eye, she's intimidating for any first impressions. she's cuban-american, a latina girl who's parents brought her along to america at a young age. because of this, and spanish being her first language, jude still has her accent and speaks both english and spanish fluidly.
- jude could be described as the embodiment of "you're my punk rock dream come true!" very punk, full of sarcasm, 'sticking it to the man' mentality, but in the true spirit of it instead of the "appearance-obsessed faux-cool posers" in the scene (she's a secret hypocrite she does it half for the aesthetic herself). despite being spunky, she's pretty socially reserved and not easy to get along with due to flightiness and anger issues - truly in the outcasts caste of high school royalty. but, she's loyal to her friends and protective like no one else; jude is a hard gal to befriend but a true ally to anyone who can break through her tough outer shell.
definitely not afraid to start fights, from her own pride or for close friends. ultimately jude is lonely and stuck on fantasy ideas of leaving her tiny glum town.
muse b - ώølƒṡṉøώ ღ
cole warren -- 18 --
- 'charming' is probably the first thing you think about the 6'1 male with messy dark curls and piercing blue eyes. his looks are somewhat mesmerizing; the offset of his dark hair with his light eyes, tanned skin over smooth muscle, an easy going grin, and a 'boy next door' vibe. however, he's totally clueless to the extent of his attractiveness. instead, he's naturally charming with a light hearted personality and confidence that draws people in. he's not one of those guys that knowingly goes around trying to gain attention; it just happens for him. and he lets it. again, rather clueless. he's a go with the flow kind of friendly guy unless you strike a cord with him. he'll stand up for himself and what his believes in. he's protective to a fault even if he's not actively up in people's business. he's the type of guy that you want in your corner; great for keeping your head up while still being honest with you. he can sometimes get lost just always doing the next thing and having a good time; he's not always the most grounded.
A rolling drum beat thrums a dizzying rhythm through Jude's body; she could feel it the moment she stepped out of her car, parked a ways down the street from the house party. It shifted from drums to bass, and only pounded harder the closer Jude got. Out on the front lawn and porch lingered some teenagers, all from school and recognizable, none of them the reason she was there in the first place. Jude was partial to parties, sure, but not these kind. She liked her house shows, where grimy punks gathered in a living room and played with their respective bands and drank like it was the end of the world. At least Jude was comfortable with the people there. Here, she was faced with a house full of drunk, unruly teens that probably hated her just as much as she hated them. Most adults would say that high school wasn't like the movies, where popular kids ruled the school and anyone different was thrown to the wolves. And sure, she could reason that it was a dramatic metaphor. But, in a rural town of less than 6,000 people, bored high school kids were dangerous high school kids. The caste system was cemented into place. Jude preferred to keep to the sidelines, was too stubborn for her own good, and that meant being avoided by half of the tiny high school. The ginger was being a huge pessimist, of course. Tonight, 90% of the reason she had shown up was because of Cole. The other 10% was for free booze.
Stupid Cole and those stupid ocean eyes.
Since early middle school days, the girl couldn't think about Cole without the silly feeling of buzzing in her chest. Like butterflies, but more anxious. He had known her when she had barely moved to the states. Those thoughts were chased by nostalgia, back in the simpler times. They became friends despite the girl only knowing a few words of English. Even now, she still valued his honest friendliness and easy going demeanor. He kept her fire calmed down to a flame, and the ginger still harbored that kiddy-crush all into high school. Nowadays it was a subject met with denial and stubbornness, it was a ridiculous thought in her mind, to still like him even as they had to begin the transition into adulthood. Never gonna happen. There's a whole sea of boys and girls here I could go for. Jude was hopeless.
By the time Jude shoved her way through the front door and into the crowd, the music had made it too loud to think. She hopelessly glanced around for a familiar face, or at least a cooler to grab a drink, try and loosen up a bit. Before long, she found a cold beer to crack open with the corner of a counter, and continued to linger around. Music continued to pound, lights flashed, teenagers danced together in the middle of the living room. Jude wasn't sure what to do with herself.
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Post by ώølƒṡṉøώ ღ on Jul 25, 2018 21:13:05 GMT -5
[[ sorry I'm replying so late! got caught up with family stuff ]]
Warm late summer night air blew across prominent cheekbones and ruffled through dark curls as Cole sat in the bed of a pickup truck that sped down small town residential roads towards the first big party of the school year. Music blasted through the open windows of the truck - a popular pop song that had the girls singing so loud he could almost hear them over the pounding beat. Naturally, the guys had switched to sit in the bed as soon as they had started picking up girls, so Cole's broad shoulders were crammed against the hard metal frame of the truck and one of his friends. He didn't mind though. These were the types of nights he lived for; nights filled with friends and possibilities and freedom. Cole truly did love a good time. He wasn't one to get blackout drunk, but more so enjoyed the experiences and ability to be care free. There was once a time when he was younger and his parents were going through a nasty divorce when he didn't have the option to just live life simply and enjoy himself. Now he did, and he cherished it. He enjoyed having a large group of friends and being able to find something to do every night if he wanted to. And with senior year starting, he wanted to make the most of it.
The truck pulled into the driveway of a larger house that was filled with teenagers and had music playing so loudly it quickly drowned out the vehicle's own music. Cars were lined far down the street but the guy who lived here was part of Cole's friend group and so they had been left a spot in the driveway. A nice perk for sure. As soon as the truck stopped, Cole rose to his feet, swinging over the side of the bed and landing easily on the pavement. The driver door suddenly swung open and the dark haired boy quickly sidestepped before taking a slab of metal to the chest. "Yo Ben, don't try to kill me yet. I'm still young," he quipped, grinning at the blonde guy who slid out from behind the wheel. His friend let out a laugh, roughly bringing his arm around Cole's neck. "Wouldn't dream of it. It'd be a shame if we couldn't be graced with your presence every day, pretty boy. Cole shoved him off, a deep laugh rumbling out of him as he rolled his eyes and turned to open the back door of the truck. Four girls piled out, shaky from having already been drinking and tittering with laughter. A brunette, who he recognized from history class, stumbled forward as her feet hit the ground, arms swinging out. Cole lurched forward, his arm snaking around her waist as he steadied her. His blue gaze flickered around at the rest of his group who at least seemed to be doing slightly better than this girl. Cole wasn't one to get overly drunk, but that had never stopped most of his friends. A hand on his chest brought his attention back to the brunette who now had her fingers clinging in the soft material of his black t-shirt. "Thanks for helping me, Cole". Her voice was warm and he flashed her a quick smile before gently detaching her fingers and giving her a nudge towards the rest of her friends. Cole ran his fingers through his windblown hair as he jogged the rest of the distance to the front porch, slapping a few friends on the shoulder in greeting before slipping into the house.
The music was deafening and the lights were blinding, but his eyes and ears quickly acclimated to the party environment. His classmates and friends were everywhere he looked and he couldn't help the wide smile that filled his face at the sight of the beautiful chaos of the party. There was just nothing comparable to small town teens getting together and losing themselves in the night. There was almost an indescribable magic to the air. "Cole, my man!" The eighteen year old turned just in time as a burly guy pummeled into him, locking his arms around him and patting him hard on the back. It was Brandon, the host of the party. Cole patted the other boy's arm as he detached himself, "What's up, man? Killer party." Brandon held up an extra beer between them. "Must not be good enough if you're empty handed." Cole rolled his eyes at his friend, taking the beer a cheers. When he didn't immediately drink it, Brandon began chanting his name, encouraging him. The chant caught on within seconds and before he knew it, his friends were surrounding him, drunkenly cheering for him to chug his beer. His name filled the living room and his dark head finally tipped back as he downed the beer. Cheering erupted even louder and Cole threw up a finger to his friends as he laughed, pushing through them and into the less crowded kitchen to discard the can.
Tossing the can into the garbage, Cole took a scan of the room. One lone figure stood out to him, bright in a room of dimness. He hadn't realized she was here but he was happy she was. Jude - his best friend. The spunky ginger spitfire had caught his eye from the moment he had met her. She had been an outcast, new to the area and barely knowing any english. But her personality had made him smile. He found her endlessly amusing and endearing, loving her spouts of anger, her stubbornness, her non-mainstream interests, and her awkward social skills. They had found each other at low points in each of their lives and just kind of clicked perfectly. She brought a fire to his life that he hadn't realized he'd wanted, and he had calmed her and balanced her out. It wasn't a pairing anyone had really expected, himself included, but now they were Cole and Jude, best friends for years. And he was happy with that.
Coming up behind her, Cole reached his arm around her, curling his fingers around her wrist as he twirled her around to face him. He towered over her, casting shadows over her tanned face as her peered down at her, his light blue eyes bright with amusement. He leaned down close to her face as he spoke, raising his voice over the music. "Ya know, I could go ask whoever's in charge of music to change it to something more alternative if you'd like." He winked playfully, poking fun at her in the light hearted way he liked to. Rising back to his full height and releasing her wrist, he pushed away the curls that had fallen into his eyes. He heard his name sound from the other side of the kitchen and he glanced over to where some guys were gathering people to start up some drinking game. Cole held up a 'one sec' gesture before turning back to Jude. "So what are you interested in doing tonight? Aside from standing over here watching everyone else make questionable decisions." He reached out and absently flicked at a strand of her hair that had fallen in front of her shoulder before glancing up at her face, ocean eyes searching her gaze.
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Post by venus on Jul 26, 2018 0:58:13 GMT -5
no worries!! i got busy as well. never any rush for replies tho feel free to take ur time B) also sorry for that tiny starter, i wanted to leave it open ended & easy to start off with ^^"
It didn't take more than a moment for Jude to realize how out of place she was. There wasn't a person here she was friendly enough with to talk to. Anyone that she was on decent terms with had already herded into their friend circle, leaving Jude as a wallflower, nursing a cold beer and feeling extremely lame. This had been a huge mistake, she thought as she finished off her first beer of the night. She had drove herself there, which meant not getting happily drunk. A couple of times, the gal spotted two people she knew from her tiny friend group. There was Shiloh, the tallest girl ever and impossible to miss. They had come to an agreement in their AP Literature class last year, where Jude would let Shiloh copy notes from whatever days she ditched, and Shiloh would buy Jude cigarettes before the girl finally turned 18. After that, they were good friends and started a band, which is kind of, sort of, still a thing that they do sometimes. Jude was totally into it. The idea of their tiny li'l punk band performing somewhere outside of her garage was one that kept her hopes up. It was a fantasy, something that would take her nowhere, but the gal could dream. Shiloh played the drums, Jude was their singer and bassist, and sometimes they recruited Clint from their shared lunch period as a guitarist. Somewhere in the crowd, the ginger knew she had seen Clint as well. Kinda lanky, a bit scruffy, lots of stick-n-poke tattoos, cute if you squint. At the back of her mind, Jude thought, Wow. My bandmates are a-holes. They don't even invite me to party with them.
Albeit not the best intentions, Clint could be someone Jude would fall for. Aside from Cole, the girl still had small crushes on other people, that was unavoidable. She was a lonely teenager, with a dad away on business trips half the time, and an older brother already well into adulthood with his own life. Fleeting infatuations were a good distraction from dull rural life. Clint was easy going, a good guitarist, and gave Jude the attention she craved. Attention that she wished was from Cole, but that was asking for too much. He had his friends, he was the life of the party, so bright and too good to be true. Their friendship was fleeting - it was evident once freshman year began. Cole's positivity had a gravitational pull; people naturally flocked towards him like moths to a light bulb. It wasn't a bad thing, but it meant Jude had to share her friend, which she hadn't taken too kindly to. And then came along other girls, girls that were bright and fluorescent too, not a blackened match stick. They still talked, sure, Jude enjoyed his company whenever she could actually get to it. Missed him probably too much. But, it wasn't enough for her. There was a point where she knew she had to move on.
The chanting pulled her out of the dizzy stupor she got stuck in. The Modelo Jude finished sat uneasy in her stomach, already bringing that warm fuzzy feeling. Through the moving bodies and yelling was Cole, slamming back a beer as if the world was ending tomorrow. Jude scrambled for another beer. She needed something to keep her hands busy. Once again, bottle met counter top corner, a quick slam of her hand and the cap popped off. The girl knocked it back with a sense of urgency before returning to her spot on the wall. Gotta act casual. With one hand around her beer, the other dug into her back pocket and retrieved her phone, to scroll through social media and not seem like she was waiting just for Cole. Of course she wasn't. The feeling of regret flickered back into her thoughts.
A random hand spinning her around made the girl jump in surprise, and once she turned to look at Cole the girl's heart skipped a beat. With him so close, Jude wished she could just fall through the floor with the way her chest went fuzzy and how long it took for her to reply. Her faux-cool facade was a carefully constructed one, and Jude wouldn't let it break just yet. "Nah, I think I'll pass on that actually. Don't think anyone's in the mood for Bikini Kill here." She shot back, words dripping with sarcasm but always lighthearted with Cole. When he finally backed up, Jude felt a wave of relief and nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Around him, the party could definitely end up fun. The girl reckoned she could try and stand his friends for one night. "Make questionable decisions too, duh." Jude grinned and took a big swig of beer, though the curl of her nose exposed her disgust at the taste of it. "You're the one with expertise here," she waggled her eyebrows at that, "Show your ol' pal how to party, this isn't much my scene." Another swig and the second bottle of the night was empty as well. Jude felt more comfortable with the booze lightening her mood now.
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Post by ώølƒṡṉøώ ღ on Jul 26, 2018 10:39:42 GMT -5
[[ oh you're good, no worries! ]]
Cole arched an eyebrow at Jude as she suggested at making questionable decisions. They didn't hang out as much as they once had since high school had swept them both in different directions, but he still saw her when he could and things always felt like no time had passed between them. He still knew the girl well and doubted she had suddenly had a change of personality, wanting to do the typical teenager party scene and wake up in the morning with the memory of doing something she wouldn't have if she hadn't been drunk. Curious blue eyes watched her grin and tilt back her beer, downing a healthy amount. As her freckled nose wrinkled in disgust, the dark haired boy choked on a laugh, infinitely amused at the latina girl. Soon she was taking another swig and finishing her drink and Cole reached out, taking the empty can from her hands. "As you wish, mi lady," he replied, dipping in a playful bow as he agreed to her request. He flashed his charming smile at her before turning and tossing her can in the nearest trashcan.
He scanned the room as he lazily draped his arm over Jude's shoulder, tucking her against his side. He might have agreed to show her how to party, but that certainly didn't mean he was about to throw her to the wolves. His protective streak ran deep, especially with her. She was his oldest friend and while they weren't attached at the hip anymore these days, he still tried to look out for her. Sure sometimes he forget to as he got caught up in the craziness of his large friend group and constant plans, but they were together right now and so his focus was on her. He led her across the room to where some of his friends and some other people he knew were still trying to gather people for a drinking game. It appeared that they were having a hard time persuading people to give up dancing for the game. Many curious gazes followed the pair as they crossed the room together, but Cole, naively oblivious, didn't notice. He wasn't one to notice such things, for he had never needed to. People were naturally drawn to him and he had never been cocky enough to notice why. He had never had the need to read a room and contemplate how people were viewing him and what their opinions might be and how that might affect him. Cole just existed; he was just himself and that worked for him.
They reached the group and Cole dropped his arm from around Jude's shoulder, moving his hands to her shoulders as he led her in front of him. He stood just behind her, close enough to feel her warmth, a wide smile gracing him handsome face as everyone turned to look at them. He watched various expressions at seeing Jude, who wasn't a frequent face. His friends knew about her for the most part but their paths never really actually crossed. "Guys, this is Jude. She's gonna be hanging out with us tonight. She's cool and doesn't bite too hard." There was a slight titter of laughter at his comment as people's eyes continued to roam over the newcomer. "I wouldn't mind if she did bite hard. Dang Cole, where you been hiding this punk hottie?" More drunken laughs broke out at the deep, slurred voice of a guy with shaggy brown hair. Clearly well on his way to wasted, the guy was openly staring at Jude, appreciation clear on his face. Cole knew him, but wasn't close friends with him. He cast an uncharacteristically hard gaze at the guy, "Watch it, Kevin. There were some 'ooohs' at Cole's tone and Kevin innocently raised up his hands. The dark haired boy ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to chill out on the protective front. He knew Jude could put the guy in his place if she wanted and maybe he shouldn't have done it for her, but he honestly couldn't help it. Jude was a pretty girl and he recognized that. What type of guy would he be if he didn't defend a pretty girl from some drunken guy? He was an easy going person but he wasn't passive.
"Sooo we're trying to start up a drinking game of sorts." Cole emerged from his thoughts as Ben spoke, claiming the attention of the group and flipping the vibe back to normal. He listened as his friend explained that they had been trying to come up with a game that didn't involve solo cups or ping pong balls since whoever's job it was to bring them had last minute not been able to make it to the party. Ideas continued to be tossed around amongst everyone before Cole finally chimed in. "What about spin the bottle? Kinda middle school-y, yeah, but a classic. Plus considering what we're working with, it's probably either that or some alcohol modified version of duck, duck, goose." There were various noises of excitement at the mention of the kissing game and Ben shot a grin to Cole, both guys nodding in agreement. Cole stepped away from Jude, moving closer towards the living room as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Anyone who wants to play spin the bottle, we're starting it up in the basement." His voice rang out over the music and people turned to look at who had spoken, loud drunken cheers sounding out as a good number of people stepped away from the dance floor to join the game. Cole looked back behind him to see the his friends and the others start to head for the basement, laughing loudly with bottles of booze raised in the air. His blue eyes found Jude where he left her and he walked up to her, nodding towards the departing group. "Are you down to join?"
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Post by venus on Jul 26, 2018 12:29:23 GMT -5
Still easily charmed by her longtime friend, Jude was happy to be pulled along by Cole through the crowd. She could feel lingering looks, unspoken stabs of jealousy through the room, as she was secured against his side. Of course Cole wouldn't even notice, he was carefree enough to think anything that vain really, but Jude wasn't naive. She couldn't afford that these days. School had been a huge environment where she had been hypervigilant and anxious constantly. An unpleasant experience, sure, but Jude reckoned she knew how to read people pretty well. The girl shoved those thoughts aside. No need to be on guard now. Being held against his side was almost unbearably warm, with the alcohol in her system starting to kick in, and Jude knew she wouldn't give this up for anything in the world. For a second she could feel her worries dissipate. Nothing bad could happen if she was with Cole, that was a given. They still knew each other well, he knew her boundaries, she knew his effect on people. There was no point indulging in negative thoughts when Jude could have a fun, carefree night with her best friend.
Flutters of anxiety still sat low in her chest as they approached his friend group. Jude held her tongue, put her well constructed facade back in place. Faux-cool aloofness, with an inviting smirk, and a finger curling through a corkscrew of her ginger hair. Was it too much to ask, wanting people to like her? Not really, she mused in her head, but she didn't see the value in having friends like this. Wanting people like this to enjoy her company would be an all time low for her. "Nice to meet you guys." If looks could kill, Jude would've murdered Kevin in cold blood. But, she kept her composure; Cole's hands on her shoulder were warm as well, and kept her grounded, leaving her to simply roll her eyes at the shared remarks between him and the drunkard. If anywhere else, Jude would've sarcastically snarked at Cole that she could defend herself. But in unknown territory, around unfamiliar people, she was relieved. When the topic of party games came up, Jude crossed her arms and threw in ideas as well, enjoying the feeling of being in a group for once. It was kind of entertaining, the girl could admit that. The booze had loosened her up more, this wasn't the huge effort she had made it out to be. Until Jude heard spin the bottle. It was so cliche, she had to laugh. And then the thought struck her, like a lightning bolt through the chest. The possibility of having to kiss Cole. I'm gonna die here tonight.
The moment Cole pulled away to announce the game to the crowd, Jude hastily grabbed another beer. She was gonna need it. Kissing strangers in someone's basement? Flirty fun, sure, she could handle that after the drinks she's had so far. Another beer down the hatch. Jude knocked back the cold can, easily downing half the drink in one go. It tasted awful, but when the girl was drunk she was a lot more brave and brash. After a whole high school career of sneaking off to rock shows, getting thrashed in mosh pits and chainsmoking, Jude thought she was pretty tough. Tough enough to survive a cliche party like this. "Houston, we have a problem. We've gone full tilt cheesy high school movie." Jude laughed when Cole returned, ready to have fun and die at the same time. She didn't want to disappoint. "Yeah man, let's do it. Sounds fun." Jude gave him a nod. More and more people began to herd towards the basement door like cattle, breaking up the pair in the rush. Jude didn't think she was short, but the girl couldn't see over the sea of tall heads and moved along after a moment of contemplation. A hand curled around her arm, and she turned to look, expecting Cole in the crowd, but was meant with her band's guitarist. Clint, like always, smelled like cigarettes or something burnt. He was a thankfully familiar sight in the craziness.
"I knew I saw your ginger head in here," The lanky teen shot Jude a grin, "Spin the bottle? Screw it, lets party like twelve year olds." He let her arm go, only to offer his arm in a cheesy gesture. "The bottle awaits your arrival, madam." Jude looped her arm through his with a laugh, and was pulled along to the dank and dusty basement, wooden stairs creaking under her boots with every step. At least it was roomy underneath the house. So many teenagers flooded into one space should be cramped, but the fit was comfortable enough for most to fit in a circle with legroom left. Laughs and giggled echoes in the basement. Their excitement bounced off the walls, mixed with music still blasting from upstairs, and Jude appreciated the drop in noise. Gals and guys alike scrambled into spots on the floor, leaving her sitting uncomfortably close to her bandmate, Clint on her right, and some girl she barely recognized on her left. Slightly disappointed she wasn't sitting next to Cole. Maybe that would've eliminated the chance of them being chosen together from this silly game. Still, when Jude spotted him in the room, she gave an easy-going smile and kept sipping at her beer. Clint was fun too. He was definitely funny, still muttering sarcastic quips in Jude's ear and keeping her spirits up. From here, in such close proximity, the ginger propped an elbow on her criss-crossed legs and had her chin in hand, watching Clint ramble on and joke about whatever came to mind. He was always one to talk a mile a minute. She peeked at the tiny tattoos on his hands, badly done stick-n-pokes that already looked faded, scars on his arms from mosh pits, and figured that she wouldn't mind dating him. Maybe. Possibly. It was an impossible dream, thinking anything could happen with Cole. Jude could think about her options, right?
Finally situated in a complete circle, the ginger gave Clint a nudge and poised a finger at her lip, urging him to shut up. "Game's gonna start, nobody's gonna smooch you if you keep yapping." She teased, and was met with a bump to the shoulder. They shared a laugh before Jude turned back to the circle, head in hands, ready to watch the scene unfold. The girl waggled her eyebrows at Cole from across the circle. At the very least, this would be entertaining to witness.
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Post by ώølƒṡṉøώ ღ on Jul 26, 2018 18:43:28 GMT -5
[[ hey! how's it goinnnn c: ]]
Cole laughed at her comment, a warmth filling his chest as he looked down at her with a wide smile. This party was turning full tilt cheesy high school movie. He loved when she said stuff like that; it was so at odds with everyone else he hung out with who thrived in this type of environment and never noticed any of its cliches. She was different than everyone else, in more ways that just that. She thought differently, cared differently, and she was snarky but still sweet - well, to him at least. He found it refreshing. It was more of that light that she had always brought to his life. As he was looking at her right then, he had a little spark of realizing that he missed not having that around more often now that they didn't hang out as much. When Jude agreed to participate in the game, the boy gave a whoop, patting her on the shoulder before swiveling and heading towards the basement.
Quite a few people had decided to join and Cole felt the familiar thrill of being part of a large crowd of carefree people whose biggest goal at the moment was to have a good time. There was something freeing about that. Suddenly he lurched forward a bit as he felt someone come up behind him and jump up, using his broad shoulders to propel themselves up to knock at the doorframe leading to the basement. Two laughs sounded and Cole glanced over his shoulder, halfheartedly shoving at Ben and playfully glaring at Brandon before continuing down the stairs. "Ben, I swear that's the second time tonight you've tried to kill me. I'm not interested in falling down these steps and breaking my neck." Ben's laugh sounded again and the leaner blonde quickly ducked under Cole's arm, passing in front of him on the steps. "Yeah don't do that, man. Then you wouldn't have the chance of continuing whatever you have going on with pretty miss Katie James." Brandon's deep voice was filled with insinuation as he referred to the brunette girl that had been clinging to Cole earlier when she nearly fell getting out of the truck. Cole didn't even need to look back to know Brandon's face was probably full on grin. Ben's certainly was as he cast a look over his shoulder at the dark haired boy. "Guys, there's nothing going on. I've spoken to her maybe twice," Cole explained. There was a unconvinced sound from behind him and now Brandon came to his side as they all reached the bottom of the wooden stairs. "Well maybe if you end up making out with her then you can count that as three times." Ben barked out a laugh at Brandon's comment, the two of them reaching around Cole to fist bump. "Okay let's get this thing started," Cole said, cutting his friends off before they could figure out more things to pester him about.
A large circle was already beginning to form as the trio of guys walked towards the center of the large room. The energy was alive down here with excited voices bouncing off the walls, laughs sounding frequently, and the beat of the pounding music still being able to be heard from upstairs. "If anyone spills anything on this carpet, you will be cleaning it up. This room may look like it's never used but it's my dad's man cave, so proceed with caution people." Brandon's voice boomed around the room and some of the more drunk people noticeable tightened their grips on their drinks. The three of them settled in on the far side of the room with the rest of the friend group of girls and guys. Long legs stretched out, Cole sat in the circle in between Ben and Brandon. Realizing they were lacking a spinner, Cole scanned the room as he looked around for an empty bottle of booze to use. As he did, his eyes caught on Jude's across the room and she waggled her eyebrows at him. Cole shot her a grin before his attention shifted to the guy at her side. He recognized the lanky, scruffy looking guy as someone Jude normally hung out with and felt a tinge of curiosity at what was going on there as he noticed their closeness and the way she laughed when he talked into her ear. Interesting.
He moved his gaze from them, huffing as he came up unsuccessful at finding a bottle. "Anyone have an empty?" Cole's question rang out to the gathered crowd and people murmured amongst themselves as everyone peered around. Finally, a girl stood. Katie James. Of course it would be. Cole could practically hear Ben and Brandon struggling not to make some comment as the girl crossed the center of the circle towards them, an empty bottle of booze hanging from her fingers. She was pretty, he had to admit that. She stopped in the middle, bending at the waist as she lay the bottle down. Cole nodded to her, flashing her once of his famous smiles. "Thanks Katie, you've officially saved the party." The girl beamed at him and when she hovered there a moment longer, Cole arched an amused eyebrow at her. "Would you like to join us," he asked, knowing that was what she wanted to hear. If he had learned anything in his first three years of high school, it was that flirting was predictable. He easily knew how to please girls, which wasn't hard considering he was a genuinely good guy. That had been a fun aspect of growing up for a while - all these new things with girls. But he had realized at some point that he grew a little bored by the predictability and hadn't found a girl that kept him on his toes. Cole didn't like to be bored. He didn't mind effort and he didn't mind stability, but he liked a bit of a spark to his life. And the girls he had experienced so far just hadn't given him that. "If you want me to." Katie's reply was coy and it took all of a millisecond after her words passed her lips before Brandon was happily scooting over, making a little spot for the petite girl. Cole shot him a dry look that was met with a smirk as Katie settled in between them, her weight leaned towards him.
Brandon launched into a quick explanation of the game: someone starts out and spins the bottle, they have to kiss whoever it lands on regardless of who they are, the next turn then goes to the person on the right of whoever the bottle had previously landed on. The host then asked if anyone wanted to start and with that, a girl crawled forward out of the circle and spun the bottle, beginning the game.
It was an insanely amusing chaos. In a small town, almost everyone knew everyone and had some type of history with them whether it was something as simple as from a group project back in first grade or a little more complicated - like the person being your sibling's ex. It made a game like spin the bottle ten times more risky and intense. Round after round went, the crowd growing more riled with each turn. Couples crawled out into the middle of the circle and kissed with varying levels of intensity, a chorus of cheers sounding as they did. In a small town, everyone also knew everyone's business. People were fully aware that Sydney was now making out with her ex-boyfriend and that two rounds back, Tyler had kissed the girl he had cheated on his freshman year girlfriend with. It was very dramatic and excited shrieks and gasps were making their own music in the air.
Cole was leaned back on his elbows, ocean eyes lazily trained on the game as Katie was unsuccessfully attempting to subtly lessen the distance between the two of them. He had been making commentary with Ben, the two of them laughing back and forth, but now the brunette girl spoke, her voice soft. "Hopefully soon this bottle will get around to me and I can have a shot of making it land on you." Cole glanced over at her, about to open his mouth to quip that it was probably unlikely considering how they were next to each other. However, the words caught on his tongue as he noticed the bottle land on the girl sitting to the left of Jude. He didn't notice who had spun and selected the girl and he didn't notice the pair as they moved to the center of the circle and he didn't notice Katie trying to get his attention. All he noticed was Jude. Jude who he knew was out of her element, no matter how good she was at hiding it. Now it was about to be her turn and she would have to kiss one of the people in this circle. He trained his eyes on her, unaware is she remembered the rules and realized it was going to be her spinning the bottle next. But he watched her, attempting to radiate his calmness across the room to her in unspoken support.
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Post by venus on Oct 10, 2018 1:44:32 GMT -5
finally continuing this :^) ώølƒṡṉøώ ღ sorry for the long wait!!
Jude would give credit where it was due. The game was wildly amusing to watch. Dramatic gasps, wolf whistles, whoops and giggles all echoed off the walls whenever two new partygoers kissed as if it would be their last. People were shameless, basking in the attention. This would probably be the party that makes or breaks people's reputations as they approached the next school year. Like, remember The Summer Party where Julie from cheer kissed her cousin's ex? Scandal! Of course, the summer party would become a noun. The Summer Party. A night to remember, overshadowing any other gathering of drunk teenagers that happened during that same break. But, the fact of the matter still hadn't set in Jude's mind: she would have to participate as well. She would have to get in the middle of the circle, surrounded by the hivemind student body, and kiss some random person from the high school she hated the most. At first, Jude was up for it. She didn't want Cole to worry for once. At this party, Jude was a Cool Girl. Like the line from that one movie. The "Cool Girl" facade was something the ginger was quite familiar with; that one girl that was fine with parties and dancing crowds, down to knock back drinks like it was no effort, a girl that was pretty, but not enough to be vain.
Cool Girl is hot. Cool Girl is game. Cool Girl is fun.
As hard as she tried to not be, Jude really cared about what other people thought. She was hyper-aware of it. As her turn inched closer and closer, thoughts flickered through her mind. Anxious, wannabe poser, tryhard. It was the opposite of what she wanted herself to be. Cole knew of this, of course. Shove aside the unrequited crush, there was still a connection. They were ('had been?' Jude questioned) the best of friends, for better or for worse. They had both seen each other at their lowest points. Memories of ugly crying, sneaking out late at night to just escape, stealing canned beers to feel risky. Maybe adults could be content with small town life, but for Jude it felt cramped and stifling. On every neighborhood corner sat old folks on their porches, bodies puddling-like and stares piercing from across the street. She couldn't end up like that. A cliche dream always clung to the back of her mind. Run away in her dinky car to a brand new city, bright and shiny, play some music for people and make money doing something she loved. Sometimes Cole was in that silly fantasy. It was unrealistic, of course, but she loved dwelling on it. Why bother with school? Half of the kids here would graduate high school, and stay in dreary old Gloriaville. Probably marry their high school sweetheart, pop out a few kids, continue the boring cycle. Jude would break that cycle herself by tearing away, doing what the others wouldn't or couldn't. Freedom was scary, but appealing. I can't escape anything in this town.
It barely registered in Jude's mind when the girl next to her reached out and spun the empty beer. The green glass of it reflected the ceiling lamp, and she watched, mesmerized by the emerald light that darted over cramped bodies and the decorated walls. Jude was buzzed. No more drinks tonight, otherwise she wouldn't have a safe way to get home. Her drunken stupor snapped cold when Clint laid a rough hand on her arm. "Almost your turn there, you sure you're up to the task, cowboy?" His attention earlier had been appreciated, Jude drank it up with that happy, buzzing aura that she felt when teetering on the edge of buzzed and drunk. But now, flashing hot nervousness crept through her insides. Clint was too warm and too close. His breath reeked of cigarettes and liquor. Not beer from the party, but hard liquor that someone must've managed to score. The sensation reminded her of that kneejerk reaction of wanting to pull your hand away from a flame. Too crowded. Jude would not let herself chicken out though, she'd never let herself live it down. Nothing else to do but to get it done. Her insides lurched as the air was crowded with yells. Boys got rowdy, as apparently the girl next to her had to- gasp- kiss another girl. Jude couldn't help but curl her nose at the sight of guys acting like snotty, delighted children. Or maybe excited puppy dogs. She didn't want to do this anymore. Let it happen and let it be forgettable. A quick peck done by two nobodies, nothing for the crowd to go crazy about. Then, Jude could make up the excuse to go to the bathroom. Splash her face with cold water, sober up, get the hell out of Dodge.
"Aww, are you worried about me?" Jude raised her eyebrows at Clint, sarcastic and playful, but wanting this interaction to end. "I think I'll survive, it ain't the end of the world." She had her plan formulated already, and once Jude gained momentum there was no stopping her. That was her life motto. Anything she starts, the girl has to see it done and finished. No backing out, just full tilt boogie. Whether it was stupid recklessness, or school assignments. One time, her band's drummer goaded her into grinding down frozen rails of a park stairway. Jude made it all the way down, but skidded out and scraped her legs across bitter icy concrete. The skidmarks burned with cold. But, she could say she did it. That satisfaction was enough for the redhead.
Turned away from him now, Jude instead gave the group another once-over look. A wide sweep across the room, and her eyes caught Cole's like a snap magnet, instant but not unwelcome. There was that protectiveness, that smothering calm care that only Cole could get away with. Jude let herself bask in it for a moment. Her turn arrived, and she gave him her signature half smile, both reassuring him and steeling her own nerves. More whistles and hoots rang when Jude awkwardly crawled towards the beer bottle. The basement carpet scraped at her knees, angry red, warning signals to run. Pause for dramatic effect. Tan fingers rested on the cool glass surface, and with a quick flick, Jude sent the bottle spinning with some vigor. She refused to let herself squirm under the party's expectant gaze. This isn't so bad. After this, I'll still be alive. Nothing to worry about. Maybe the gal had spun it too hard, for it took a couple beats for the bottle to slow its roll, lazily passing by potential kissing partners. Jude sat back on her lets, waiting with frazzled nerves. It slowed to a crawl now, eliminating some girl from her junior year homeroom, passing a guy who somehow passed out drunk already, some less familiar faces, towards the most familiar face in the room. A fresh wave of horror hit Jude directly in the chest. Whatever chorus of oohs, aahs, and childish laughter that rang out fell on deaf ears. She looked once, twice, three times, wide eyes flickering up and down from the bottle to the selected candidate. Fate has chosen Cole. I think I'm going to die here.
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