The Gym Transcript

> Ariel sits outside the gym and groans, they won't let anyone in yet. "What the hell..I will be trampled." Looking around she can't seem to find anyone she gets along with or knew.
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> Ariel pounded on the doors, "Just let me in damn it!" Ariel felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Mr. Press She scowled, she heard the stories.
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> Mr. Press smirked at her, he stood above her, it made him feel powerful. "What was that?"
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> Ariel sat back down calmly, she began to feel nervous. "Uh-uhm." She prayed a friend would come and save her.
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> Sara and Jax run up to them, Jax steps back and lets Sara go. "Hey! Get the hell away from my sister!"
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> Mr Press backs away and sighs. "Jaxon."
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> Jax looks down. "Sara lets go."
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> Sara shakes her head. "No! Okay god damn it! I am tired of this douche fucking with the people I love. First you and now my sister. He has been doing it since she started here! It gets sad and annoying hearing her complaining about it and I am so done with you! I could report you on so many charges, your damn charges would have charges and don't get me star-"
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> Jaxon covers her mouth and pulls her away. "Sorry d-dad. Sh-she has anger problems."
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> Mr. Press nods. "You better come straight home from school today we have a lot to talk about." He stomps away and Ariel runs over to them.
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> "Sara! You can't just do that on your first day here! He could kill you! The man is a psycho path!" Ariel hugs her sister and Sara shoves her off Ariel looks at her hurt as Sara stomps off and Jaxon shrugs, he follows her to a nearby seat and they sit in silence. Ariel watches in sadness.
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### Salir Enters

Jerith Walker

> Salir slips away silently, having observed the whole scene.
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### Salir Exits

Trashley Marie

> Jaxon stands of seemed like hours of silence. "You and me in the cafeteria, I have an acquaintance in there and need to talk to her about something. That and a bitch gotta eat."
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> Sara stands laughing. "Ugh, okay fine."
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> He grabs her hand and for once he is dragging her.
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Trashley Marie

> Danielle and Sara go into the school after hearing the announcement.
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> "Wait. It is based off grade?" Sara asked, worried.
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> Danielle nodded. "Yeah, you can only sit with your own grade, sorry." Dani walked away.
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> Sara stood outside the gym and looked at her feet. She was new, no friends. Who would sit with her... She looked around.
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### Ryan Enters

Maya Rice

> Ryan arrives at the Gym, strolling inside. He takes his place in the Senior's section of the bleachers, sitting as high up as he possibly can. He enjoys the feeling of being even more tall than he already is.
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### Danielle Enters

Trashley Marie

> Danielle rolls her eyes as seniors take their seats, she sits in the top farther corner, from everyone. Per usual.
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### Nic, Michael, Marlene, Mason, and Willow Enter

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic heads to the senior bleachers with Dean and his squad.
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> Michael comes in a while after, once they've finally called the freshmen.
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> Marlene and Mason come after finding the gym and find seats on the bleachers, talking.
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> Willow heads in probably with Mitzi and looks around for Syd.
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Trashley Marie

> Sara looks around the gym once the freshmen are called and sits alone. She see Michael and quietly walked to him. "Uhm, you mind if I sit here." She says looking down. "I get it if I am too annoying or whatever I just don't wanna be that new girl that sits alone."
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Trashley Marie

> Ariel walks into the junior section and sees a small Asian boy talking with some other junior. "Uhm, this is for juniors. Sorry to be that bitch, but I am honestly only trying to help..."
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Andrew Gaidry

> Michael glanced up. "O-oh, no, its fine! You're fine. Uh. Go ahead." He said, moving his bag for her. "You, uh, aren't annoying."
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Trashley Marie

> Sara looked at him and smiled slightly. She looked back at her bag and pulled out a book. "Thanks..."
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### Shanelle Enters

Jerith Walker

> Shanelle stops walking and frowns at Jax, a small crease appearing between her eyebrows. "Uhm...You'll have to ask Syd."
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Andrew Gaidry

> Mason looks up at Ariel tiredly. "I am a junior. I just started today."
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> "I can confirm, we're twins." Marlene chipped in. "Seventeen in June!"
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Trashley Marie

> Ariel flushes and her eyes go wide. "Oh my god! I am so sorry!!! God, I must seem like a bitch, I swear your not that short, it's just. Oh my god, my sister starts too, she is shorter than you... I uhm, I think." Ari looks around flustered and sighs.
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Andrew Gaidry

> "No problem." Michael said, looking out across the bleachers.
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### Jaxon Enters

Trashley Marie

> Jax looks around. "uhm, where is Sydney?"
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Jerith Walker

> Shanelle rolls her eyes with disgust. "I don't know; I don't keep tabs on that bitch." she drops her purse on an open part of the bench, assuming that the others will sit by her when they arrive.
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Trashley Marie

> "Well, could I anyway? I just need to ask you a question." Jax asks quickly.
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### Theo Enters

Trashley Marie

> Theo sat next to no one in particular, just listening to the conversations around him.
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### Dean, Eli, and Mitzi Enter

Maya Rice

> Dean seeks out Eli, sitting down nearby him and Nic. "Do you think they're going to give us the same speech they did last year?" He asks, directing his question at no one in particular.
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> Mitzi is walking beside Willow, scanning the sophomore section of the bleachers for Sydney. She doesn't see her around, but she does notice Shanelle. She casts a nervous glance over at Willow. "Should we..." she trails off.
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### Sam Enters

Jerith Walker

> "Okay, shoot, whatever." Shanelle sits down and crosses her arms, flips some hair out of her face and looks up at him.
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> Sam bursts into the gym. Sees that nothing has officially started yet. "Oh thank god." he strides evenly over to the other jocks.
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nicholas sits down with them. "Nahh, I bet they changed up a few words." He looks around and then spots Sam just entering. "Ooh looks like Sams the almost late one today."
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> Willow looked over at Mitzi and grimaces. "... I don't think Syd would, um.... be very happy with us if we did."
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> "No, no, its fine." Mason sighed. "I'm used to it."
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> Marlene gives Ariel a sympathetic smile. "Are you a junior too? I'm Marlene."
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Trashley Marie

> Jax smiles at Shanelle. "Thanks, uhm Hey. Could we talk after this?"
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> Ariel nods. "I am! Nice too meet you. I thought I saw you too with the c- Uhm. Someone earlier. I didn't think of tours, Sara, my sister's is later."
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> Sara smiles at Michael and closes her book. "Can we start over?"
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Maya Rice

> Dean looks up as Sam arrives, waving him over. "Hopefully it won't be /too/ boring," he says to Nic.
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> Mitzi shifts around uncomfortably. She's torn between two impossible choices -- either listen to Sydney and probably end up with Shanelle absolutely despising her, or go sit with Shanelle and risk angering Sydney.
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> "Well, Sydney isn't here yet...maybe we should go sit by her, at least? Until Sydney shows up?"
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> Ryan's lounging at the top of the Senior's section, watching as more and more students flood in. He tries to keep an eye out for Mason but is unable to find him within the crowd.
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Jerith Walker

> "Um. I thought you were going to ask me a question right now?" Shanelle seems lowkey irritated, despite a smile.
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> Sam sits next to the others. "Heyyy." stares out in front of him, stretches out his arms.
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Andrew Gaidry

> "You said your sister started today too?" Marlene asked curiously. She gently moved her bag by her feet, an open invitation to sit if Ariel wanted to.
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> "O-oh, uh, sure." Michael gave her a small half smile.
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> Nicholas squints over at the stage(?) place where they do the speech. "Do you think they'd be able to tell if someones sleeping from there?"
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> He flashes a grin at Sam when he shows up. "Cutting it pretty close today. Careful, you don't wanna end up like Eli."
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> Willow bit her lip.
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> "Maybe.... you don't think Sydney would be too mad, right? Like.... if we got up as soon as seeing her?" Willow sighed. Jeeze. "Well, worst comes to worst, we still got eachother, right?" She offered weakly, giving Mitzi a small smile.
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Trashley Marie

> Jax nodded. "Sorry I just get so. Flustered when I talked to someone as beautiful as you."
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> Sara smiled. "Thank god." She put her hand out. "Hi. My name is Sara. Total pleasure."
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> Ariel nodded sitting down. "Yeah! Sara, the small strawberry blonde by the well, I don't know him. But yeah. I am
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> So nervous though because she literally is all anxiety ridden and can come off too strong and also..." She shook her head. "A lot has happened in the passed year."
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Maya Rice

> Dean laughs at Nic's question. "I doubt it."
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> Eli grins. "They definitely wouldn't. I slept through half of last year's assemblies." When Nic makes a comment about him being late, Eli gives him an indignant shove, but he remains in good humor, grin still on his face.
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> "I don't think she could really get any more angry than she already is." Mitzi makes an attempt at a joke, smiling halfheartedly as well. She then gestures toward the sophomore section, starting to climb the stairs up to the level on which Shanelle is sitting.
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> Mitzi spots Jax sitting next to her as she nears and tilts her head curiously, wondering what they're talking about. She takes a spot nearby but not next to Shanelle, waiting to be acknowledged.
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> Sydney is still nowhere to be found.
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Jerith Walker

> Shanelle narrows her eyes at him, mouth open slightly. "Did you see me and Jin in the hallway?"
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> "Oh, PLEASE." Sam mocks offence. "Like I could ever get as bad as HIM," then rolls his eyes, smile fading quickly. "No, my sister was..." he trails off. "She held me up."
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Uh, M-michael. Nice to meet you."He said, shaking her hand again.
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> Marlene looked in the direction Ariel was looking in to try to see her sister. "I'm sure she'll be fine." She said, giving Ariel a smile. She tiled her head a bit. "A lot?"
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> Mason rested back, looking around the gym.
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> Nic snorts. "If it gets too boring we can all take a nap then." He laughs when Eli shoves him, giving him a playful grin.
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> He turns to Sam. "Is everything alright with your sister?"
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> Willow chuckled softly. "Thats true..." She nods and follows after. She sits next to Mitzi and looks over at Shanelle. "Who's that?" She whispered to Mitzi.
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Trashley Marie

> Sara smiled relieved. "That's a really nice name."
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> Jax smiled. "No but I heard about it. Will you go to homecoming with me?"
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> Sara nods. "Well, she has been bullied a lot and then this passed summer our mom and dad died." Sara rolled her eyes. "But if you asked Ariel, our dad disappeared. She doesn't believe he died." Sara looked down. <don't cry, don't cry! You will just look weak.>
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Trashley Marie

> Theo looked toward the Jocks. He was thinking of joining the football team, maybe just soccer..he wasn't sure
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Maya Rice

> Eli looks curiously over at Sam when Nic requests information about his sister.
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> Dean waits for the assembly to start, tapping his fingers against the long bench they're seated on.
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> Mitzi tries to get a good look at Jax without being too obvious and just outright staring at him. "I dunno," she mutters, leaning closer to Willow so that Shanelle can't overhear them.
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> She's about to make a comment about Jax when she hears him say the word homecoming. She quickly turns, looking over at him and Shanelle, watching Shanelle's face for a change of expression.
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Jerith Walker

> "Wait, heard about it? WHAT?" There are rumors already?!"
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> She acts like she hadn't even heard about the homecoming bit.
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> "Yeah." Sam says quickly, dismissively. "So, what are we talking about?"
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Andrew Gaidry

> "O-oh, uh, y-yeah? Uh, thanks." He drew his hand back and rested it in his lap. He glances across the gym to where his brother sits with his friends.
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> "Oh god, that's terrible." Marlene said, her eyes filled with concern. "Well... she's got you, right? And I'd be more than happy to be her friend as well." Marlene smiled softly. "... it'll be alright."
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> Nicholas nodded. "Oh, we were just talking about sleeping during the lecture if it gets too boring." He glanced over at Eli and grinned slightly. Resisted the urge to make another playful jab at him, what with the sleeping in class stuff. He looked back out. "You think they're gonna start anytime soon?"
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> Willow raised her eyebrows as she listened, giving Mitzi a 'what are they talking about?' look.
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Trashley Marie

> Jaxon rolls his eyes. "No my friend saw it. Look here bitch. I need you so I can make someone jealous and I need info on people. We go together, maybe both run for King and queen. Leave together and rumors fly that we are both taken. Guys and girls fall at both of our feets."
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> Ariel nods. "Thanks, and uh sorry I didn't catch your name Hun. You weren't really talking so I assumed you were out of it. But I'd like to be your friend too. You both started and Sara may like you. You were the on Ryan was flirting with earlier right?"
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> Sara nods uncomfortably and looks back down to her book.
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Maya Rice

> Eli shrugs, unsure. "Ehh, who knows. The longer they keep us here, the less time we have to spend in our classes."
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> Mitzi's still paying attention to the unfamiliar boy sitting next to Shanelle. She's about to mouth the word 'homecoming,' to Willow, but hearing what Jax says to Shanelle makes her freeze, eyes widening.
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> Before she can put much thought into what she's doing, Mitzi stands up and shuffles over to where the two are sitting. She plops herself down on Shanelle's other side, remaining silent but hoping that her presence can provide some support.
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Jerith Walker

> Shanelle leaps to her feet. She looks livid. At seeing Mitzi and Willow, she calms just a tiny bit. Looks back at him. "Listen here," she says in a venomous tone, "you'd best leave right now, unless you want me to shove you down all these bleachers right here in front of everybody."
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> "True that." Sam leans back as far as he can go without bumping into anybody. He glances over at Nic. "You planning on taking anybody?"
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Andrew Gaidry

> Willows jaw dropped at his words and she shot to her feet as well. She walked over and stood by Shanelle and Mitzi, glaring daggers at Jax as Shanelle threatened him.
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> Mason glanced over. "What, me? Mason. Uh, yeah, sure." He smiled over and nodded. Paused at the mention of Ryan, his cheeks flushing. "Pfft. You think he was flirting, huh?" He tucked a lock of hair behind his hair, glancing out at the bleacher.
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> Marlene giggled. "He absolutely was."
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> Michael glanced back at her and then glanced away. He fidgeted with his hands. What should he do?
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> ".... what are you reading?" He asked anxiously after a few moments.
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> "Pfft- true." Nicholas leaned back, looking over at Sam when he's adressed. He grins. "Maybe... I'm thinking about it. We'll see how things work out."
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Trashley Marie

> Sara smiled relieve. "It's stupid, but my sister got me into to it. It is called Bullied. I got it off of Amazon. It's all about homosexuality and coming to standards and what is right and wrong. If you read it is a really good starter. " Sara looks over to a ruckus she hears. <please don't be, please- Jaxon...>
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> Jax nodded. "Come at me bitch. I am untouchable, I got eyes and ears all over this place. You knock me down and I will just stand right back up again, I have gotten worse threats. Trust me sweetheart."
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> Ariel nods. "Ha, yeah. He totally was. He is the leader of the GSA right? My little sister's friend, Jax, likes him, JP is in the GSA."
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> Danielle jumps up seeing Jaxon from across the gym. She runs over to him.
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Maya Rice

> Eli rolls his eyes at Nic, chuckling. "Oh, please. You're acting like you don't have your choice of practically any girl in this school."
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> "Or any guy, even," Dean says in a teasing tone, although there's a slight truth to it.
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> Mitzi stares at Jaxon in shock, feeling anger rise up within her. She's never been a violent person, but right now she wants nothing more than to reach out and slap him for speaking to Shanelle in such an awful way.
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> "Hey," Mitzi says, getting up. She stands beside Shanelle, leaning protectively towards her. "You need to back the -- the fuck off, alright? Just leave us alone." She's trying so hard to sound harsh and cruel, but she stumbles over her words, especially when she swears. She honestly has no idea what she's doing.
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> A nearby teacher spots Danielle get up. They watch her curiously for a moment, frowning as soon as they see her start to dash across the gym. "Hey!" They call, running after her, catching up before she's able to get into the Sophomore section. They grab a hold of her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"
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Jerith Walker

> Shanelle has the urge to actually push him but--that's more trouble than it's worth. Instead, she stays standing, glaring daggers at him for a moment or two. The fact that her friends leapt to her defense helps a lot. "I'll ruin your life."
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> "You're thinking of someone, aren't you?" Sam gives him a knowing smile.
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Andrew Gaidry

> Willow barked out a laugh. "You're joking, right? Who the fuck do you think you are? You need to fucking leave, /sweetheart/." The pet name was spat with venom in her voice.
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> "O-oh." Michael said, his anxious smile dropping a bit at the description of the book. He glanced off again. Then followed the gaze of her to the sophomore section. Sounds like something's going on.
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> "Pfff... yeah, he mentioned that." Mason was grinning slightly, his cheeks flushed. "Your little sisters friend you said..?"
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> Nic laughed softly. "Well... I did meet this girl the other day...." He said casually, grinning. "I was thinking of asking her. But we've only talked like one and a half times. I did get her number though, so there's /that/."
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Trashley Marie

> Danielle rolled her eyes. "Doing a better job then you! Do you not see the huge ass fight occurring over there!?" She shoved the teacher away and climbed her way up the bleachers to Jax.
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> Sara gasped. "Oh my fucking god. JAXON!" She jumped up and sprinting to Jax.
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> "Yeah his name is Jax he is over-" She points to him and sees Sara and the girl from earlier rushing toward him. Ariel sighed, calmly setting her stuff down and standing. She kindly turned to Mason and Marlene. "I will return shortly." She turned back around and ran toward her sister, and Jax.
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> Theo glances uncomfortable toward what seemed to be an argument, he saw several people running toward it. He groaned and rolled his eyes, staying where he sat.
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> Jax clenched his fists together. "Look! I was just looking for some whore to screw with! I figured we both needed it. And sweetheart." he looked to Mitzy. "Stop trying, we all know you may look big but your just a bitchy wannabe. Your stuck with these two and you had no other choice."
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Maya Rice

> The teacher stumbles, an indignant look on their face as Danielle runs off. They quickly back up, waving and signaling toward her to another pair of teachers who are observing the gym from the upper level. They make a quick detour, intercepting anyone who is approaching, forming a half-circle around Jax, Shanelle, Mitzi, and Willow.
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> "I'm going to have to ask the four of you to follow me down to the office," One of the teachers speaks, grimacing.
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> Mitzi feels her her stomach flop. Oh, God. What has she gotten herself into? She casts a helpless glance back at Shanelle and Willow as if she's begging them to save her.
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> "What girl?" Eli asks, looking to Nic. He smiles a bit. "You /do/ know her name, don't you?"
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Jerith Walker

> Shanelle had been 0.2 seconds away from punching him at this point. She looks at the teacher, shocked. "We didn't fucking do anything!!" looks at her hand, which is raised in a fist. Puts it down quickly.
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> Sam coos, grinning. "Is she pretty~? What's her cup size."
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Andrew Gaidry

> Willow was about to punch him when the teachers showed up. She uncurled her fist and drew back at the sight of the teachers. Oh, fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. She shot Jax a dirty look and then turned to Shanelle.
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> "Whatever, we didn't do anything wrong here. When we get to the office we can tell them /exactly/ what happened." She said directly to Shanelle. She turns to the teachers and picks up her bag and moves to go with them.
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> Nicholas laughed. "/Nova~/" He said emphatically. "And yes, she is very pretty. But, Sammy, I was focused on her /face/. /Honestly/, what do you take me for? I am a /gentleman/." He said with faux offense, placing a hand over his heart. He glanced out over the crowd. "I haven't seen her in the gym yet, though." He squinted. "... I do see her, uh, friend though. Who seems to be.... involved in a fight?" He leaned forward, looking over at the sophomore section.
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> Michael blinked in surprise at the outburst. Oh boy. A friend of hers?
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> Marlene and Mason just stay where they are, staring after her.
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> ".... exciting first day, huh?"
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> "/Mason./" Marlene said, giving him a scolding look.
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> "Yeah, I think I'm gonna like it here."
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> "/MASON./"
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Trashley Marie

> Ariel snatched Sara up and pulls her up to her section, but didn't have time to get to Danielle. "Are you an idiot! Sara it is literally your first day! Stop trying to get into trouble!"
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> Sara looked awkwardly to the twins they stood by and everyone around her she began to freak out she never noticed how many people really were there. "I-I am so sorry okay." She sat down qickly by the girl and looked as Dani reached Jax and the three girls. "He is my best friend... I just wanted to help..."
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> Danielle reaches them and shoves through the teachers knocking Willow's bag out of her hand. "Who do you think you are messing with!" She shoved her away. She turned to Shanelle and looked at her, disgusted. "And you, what is your problem huh?" Dani pumped her chest toward her to scare her off. "Back up bitch!"
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Maya Rice

> Chatter starts to increase in the Gym as the fight intensifies. Teachers who are stationed on the Gym floor swarm about anxiously, waiting for assistance to arrive.
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> Dean follows Nic's gaze to where Shanelle, Mitzi, Willow, and Jax are. He recognizes the girls but doesn't recall ever speaking to Jax. "Damn, that looks --"
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> "Holy shit," Eli shoves Nic to get his attention, gesturing wildly toward the Gym doors.
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> Two police officers storm inside. The chatter in the Gym practically increases to a roar when they enter. Both are fairly tall, although the female officer has a few inches on her male colleague. The woman quickly locates the student that they had been called in for, pointing up into the bleachers.
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> With a nod, the male officer hurries off, taking the steps up to where Danielle is two at a time. He says nothing before he comes up behind her, grabbing a hold of both of her arms and twisting them behind her back, holding her in a vice grip. He pulls her away from the others students, lacking any sort of gentle touch.
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> Whirling her around to face the opposite direction, the red-haired officer begins to walk Dani away from the group without a word. He pushes her so that she'll move, not afraid to use force to get her to go down the stairs.
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### Phoenyx and Felix Enters

> The female officer is standing off to the side of the Gym, holding a small radio up to her face. "Officer P. Herron...yes, she's been subdued. Control of the situation has been gained." She looks up as the red-haired man approaches, giving him a curt nod. "They want her in a spare classroom for now," she informs him, glancing at Danielle. "I'm on watch duty. You'll be staying in here."
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> He returns her nod, escorting Danielle out of the Gym. She follows him, walking along until they reach the classroom that Danielle is to be temporarily kept in until they can contact a parent or guardian.
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> The male officer walks her inside, his co-worker closely following. "You are to remain in this room until further notice," He tells her, still keeping a tight hold on her arms.
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> Approaching Danielle, the female officer adds, "We're going to have to handcuff you for now," she raises an eyebrow. "as you've clearly demonstrated a lack of respect for authority."
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> Working on handcuffing Dani, the male officer mutters, "You're going to want to keep a close eye on this one, Nyx. She seems like a fighter."
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> "I'm sure I can handle her, Felix," she responds with a huff.
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> Felix finishes handcuffing Dani. He leads her to a chair in the classroom, forcing her to sit down in it. He glances over at his sister for a moment, nods at her again, and then leaves the room, heading back to the Gym.
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### Principal Enters

> "We, the staff of Kingswood, deeply apologize for the incredibly uncalled for altercation that you have just witnessed," The Principal is speaking in the Gym, holding a microphone as they pace the floor. "It has now been taken care of, and we will begin the assembly in a few short minutes."
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> Mitzi, Shanelle, Willow, and Jax are being led out of the Gym by the two teachers from before.
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Jerith Walker

> Shanelle had been even closer to punching Danielle, but thankfully the police arrive in time. She shakes violently as she's being lead off, furious.
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> "Nova?" Sam sits up. "I'm planning on asking her friend Courtney!" His attention quickly shifts to the fight Nic pointed out, and the events following. "...Holy shit."
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Andrew Gaidry

> Willow stared at Dani in shock and was about to fucking grab her when she's suddenly restrained by cops. Willows eyes widen and she moves back. God, that could've been her. She needs to.. she needs to control herself. But god, what a fucking bitch. She reaches down and grabs her bag again, slinging it over her shoulder and holding it tighter. She goes with the teachers.
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> Nic would've responded to the Courtney thing but he got a little distracted with the whole scene. "Holy fucking /shit/." He raised his eyebrows, watching the scene unfold bewildered. He let out a long low whistle. "/Damn./ Fuck, I'm /glad/ I didn't see Nova."
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> David stood off to the side of the stage as he watched his sister get led off by staff, his lips pursed and his hand partially covering his mouth. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "/Willow..../" He muttered under his breath, shaking his head and pinching his eyes shut in frustration. Well, nothing he can do right now. He turns his attention to the stage.
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### Mitzi, Shanelle and Willow Exit

Trashley Marie

> Jax rolls his eyes as he is escorted. "Danielle didn't do shit!" He crossed his arms and pulled out his phone. He texted her mom. "Hey, if your sober enough, hide your stuff. Like really well." He deleted the messages and then opened the app, just as the a teacher takes it he sees a text from his dad. Looking up, he sees his dad took it. "U-D-" he cuts himself off as the get toward the Office.
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> Ari looks at Sara. "Dammit! That could have been you!" She looks over to Mason and Marlene. "I am so sorry you guys have to see this."
>
>

> Sara rolls her eyes. "Just sit down and stop. Please, you are causing a scene." She begins to shake as she looks around. <you idiot, you caused all this.> She shakes her head as her sister sits and takes a deep breathe. Just chill.
>
>

> Theo groans and leans back. "My first day is such a shit storm I just wanna see her... I need her." HE whispers aloud to himself. He pulls out and looks at her photos, she was like a little model the way she posed for the camera.
>
>

### Jaxon Exits

Maya Rice

> As Mr. Brownlee is finishing up his speech, Nova slips into the Gym, doing her best not to keep her anxiety under control. She'd been rushing toward the Gym just as her friends had been dragged out along with some boy she barely knew.
>
>

> When she'd seen Shanelle among them, she had wanted to scream, stop the teachers, demand to know what was going on -- but instead she'd forced herself to look away and keep walking.
>
>

> Her hands tremble as she slowly pushes the Gym doors open. The Sophomore bleachers are devoid of everyone she knows. She doesn't even see Sydney sitting in them. She casts a few frantic glances around before spotting Nic in the Senior's section along with a few other boys she vaguely recognizes.
>
>

> Nova hardly thinks about what she's doing as she hurries over toward him. She knows she doesn't belong in the section that he's setting, but he's the only person left in the Gym that she really knows -- and he doesn't quite belong there, either. She'll be able to blend in as long as no Seniors question her...
>
>

> Nova tries to act confidently as she shuffles through the Seniors, hoping that it will convince them that she's allowed to be in their section. She briefly wishes that she was taller, that she looked just a little bit older, before she slips behind Nic and the other tall boys he's sitting with.
>
>

> She ducks down behind him, now attempting to hide herself from the prying eyes of the teachers and staff. "Please hide me," she mutters quietly, closing her eyes for a moment.
>
>

> "...Now, I would like to turn the microphone over to our Student Council President --" Mr. Brownlee turns to where David is standing, lowering the microphone and extending it toward him. "Come on up, David!"
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Sam taps Nic's arm. "Um. Don't look now, but here she comes."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "No, no, its alright! Its not your fault. I hope everything's alright." Marlene said reassuringly.
>
>

> "Nova...!" He looks at her with concern and nods. "... of course. You guys don't have a problem with it, right?" He asked, looking at the others almost pleadingly. He shifts a bit and adjusts his bag to better cover. He thought for a moment before speaking. "... I was about to text you, actually. Those were your friends, right...?"
>
>

> David smiled at the principal and nodded, stepping up to the mic.
>
>

> "Thank you Principal Brownlee." David gave a smile over to the principal and then turned to look across the rest of the gym. "So, as I'm sure most of you are aware, Homecoming is coming up!"
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Smiling Ariel nodded. "Finally! Some normalcy."
>
>

> Sara looked over to her and rolled her eyes, why did she care. No one would ask her any way.
>
>

> Theo put his phone away and focused on the announcement and speaker
>
>

> Sara stood back up and quietly and sneakily got back to Michael. "Hey Mike." She whispered nervously.
>
>

> Theo groaned noticing he had no one to socialize with, he looked around anxiously. <Just don't worry, you are gonna make friends soon enough>
>
>

Maya Rice

> Dean shakes his head to convey that he doesn't mind Nova sitting with them.
>
>

> Eli shakes his head as well, watching Nova with interest. He wants to know what exactly made Nic take an interest in her.
>
>

> Nova anxiously awaits responses from the rest of Nic's friends, seeming to relax slightly when she gains the approval of at least two of them. She lets out a shaky breath at Nic's question, nodding her head and muttering, "Yes," under her breath.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Nah, she's chill." Sam sits up straighter in order to hopefully hide her better. He turns to look at her. "So what's going on?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Marlene smiled back.
>
>

> Michael jolted at the girl calling him Mike. And her. General quiet sudden reappearance.
>
>

> "H-hey."
>
>

> Nic gave his friends a grateful smile and then turned a bit to look at Nova. He nodded gently at her respose and then glanced over at Sam when he spoke and then looked at Nova, waiting for her answer.
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Sara sat down annoyed. "Do you ever have a love-hate relationship with your older sibling? Because GOD she's such a bitch I love it!"
>
>

> Ariel looked to Marlene "Do you have a date to homecoming yet. I know your knew, but so pretty. I am sure someone has asked already."
>
>

> Theo did literally nothing.
>
>

> Sara groaned and leaned back against someone. "oh. sorry." Her face flushed at how cute she was and then she shook her head. <what>
>
>

Maya Rice

> Nova frowns, lowering her head a bit. "Like, with them?" She shakes her head. "I have no idea. I was just running late, and..." she sighs loudly.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Now, for those of you who weren't with us last year, at our /last/ homecoming there were a few incidents. Incidents that won't be happening this year. So, to clarify, the school board thought it would be best if we just went over how homecoming is /going/ to work, and what /isn't/ going to be allowed. For starters, it may be a special event, but this is still school, so all the school time rules still apply. If you're found to be drunk or carrying alcohol or any other illegal substances, you'll still have the same penalties that you would any other day of the year."
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Some sort of fight. One of the new kids pissed them off, I guess." Sam faces forward again.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "U-um...?" Michael seemed kinda uncomfortable and confused. He didn't answer the question. Seemed like she didn't expect him to give one, anyways. He didn't really know how ot converse with this girl. He looked back across the bleachers over where his brother was sitting.
>
>

> Marlene giggled. "I just got here! Who would even have the time to ask? Is this you asking me?"
>
>

> Nic nodded. "It didn't seem too serious to me.. I'm sure your friends will be fine. They'll probably just get a warning for conflict, but there wasn't any like. Violence or anything. They just seemed to be arguing."
>
>

> He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back and thinking. "Although this one girl /did/ get dragged off by the security guards... but I don't think she was one of /your/ friends... Someone else I think... well, anyways, I'm sure your friends will be fine." Nic gave Nova a soft reassuring smile. "... you doing alright?"
>
>

> David continues, mentioning that there will be security and chaperones at the dance, the rules on re-entrance, and other guidelines that need to be reiterated to keep from last years /incidents/ being repeated. Then he starts going over the general information of the dance, the theme (A Carnival In The Clouds, apparently), dress code, the date time and location, how to purchase tickets, and how voting for nominations will be done (at homeroom there will be a sheet with all the students from your grade for them to choose three from for king or queen), and stuff like that.
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Sara smiles at Michael. "I am so sorry... I am just so annoying sometimes.." Looks to David as he explains the them. "Oh! Could I come as Harley Quinn, I mean...the dress code would probably have me make some changes to the outfit, but I have a majority of the cosplay set!" She opened her notebook and began to draw out a very well sketch of the outfit/character.
>
>

> Ariel looked to Marlene. "So, are you going to the dance? I know my sister is planning on going with her friend Jax, I was swinging along. You guys wanna join?"
>
>

> Theo rolled his eyes at the theme, Terahyn would love it. But Carnivals and Festivities weren't really his thing... He sort of hoped he could get away in a dress shirt and tie.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Despite the reassurance that it was nothing that major, Nova still feels shaky and unsettled at the thought of her friends being taken down to the office. She wonders if she would be down there with them if she had been in the bleachers sitting beside Shanelle as she normally did.
>
>

> "I'm..." She was about ready to finish her sentence with 'fine,' but she knew how obviously false it would be. Instead, she sighs and settles for, "I'm just worried."
>
>

> She tries to focus on David and the information he is giving, but her mind keeps drifting to other things.
>
>

> Ryans probably already thinking of some elaborate dress to wear that will fit the theme.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> Sam just. Splits his attention between David and Nic/Nova.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Um....." Michael gives Sara one last kinda confused look, not really knowing what to say, then returns his attention to David.
>
>

> "Yes! That would be great." Marlene beamed at her.
>
>

> Nicholas nodded gently. "Well, we can check up on them after the assembly." He paused. "Or, uh... you can. Not sure how kindly your friend would take to my presence..."
>
>

> David finishes relaying the information and then passes it over to the teacher left in charge when the principal had left.
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Sara finished the sketch up and presented it to Michael. "Would you think that is appropriate enough.. Or is it too much cleavage?" She kept focus on the drawing.
>
>

> Ariel smiled to her. "Great! Gosh, already making new friends. I didn't have many, before hand, book club is pretty dead in this school. It is just me, Sara, Jax, and Alex. We are pretty chill with new members, oh and throughout the whole year we raise money and decide which amusement park or museum or vacation spot we wanna go to as a club. Sara just joined this year, but she has come with us every year so far.
>
>

> Theo stared over to the people across the gym from him through boredom. What grad was that? Who cared, there was a cute girl talking with her friends, this made him smile.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Nova lets out a sigh, smiling halfheartedly when Nic reminds her of Shanelle's reaction to him. "Yeah, it's probably just better for me to go alone. Shanelle is very..." She pauses, trying to think of the right word to describe her.
>
>

> The teacher left in charge nods thankfully to David, waiting until he returns to his seat before speaking.
>
>

> "Now, before we draw this assembly to a close, does anyone have any questions that were not covered?
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Sensitive?" Sam offers, for a word to describe Shanelle. He keeps any meaner suggestions to himself.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "I- uh, I-I dunno....." Michael seems a bit uncomfortable. Awkward. Doesn't know how to respond to this situation.
>
>

> Marlene smiled brightly. "That sounds fun!!"
>
>

> Nicholas nodded gently. "Right... so just you go check on her then. Text me an update, okay? Or- well, if you want to of course." Gentle smile.
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Sara gasps. "Oh my god, you are a guy. This must be awkward." She looks to Michael and smiles kindly. "Sorry, your going to the dance right? Everyone is." Sara puts her notebook away.
>
>

> Ariel smiles. "It is, like a lot of fun."
>
>

> Theo rolls his eyes at the thought of already dating someone, Tera came first always and forever, who would ever date him anyway, its Tera or no one.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Nova gives a small smile and a reluctant nod, glancing in the direction of the teacher who was currently answering a question that she hadn't bothered to pay any attention to. "We should be getting out of here soon, right?" She shifts around, repositioning herself on the bleachers.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "Uhh, probably." Sam pulls out his phone to check the time. "Should only last about five more minutes at most."
>
>

> Xavier is sitting elsewhere in the gymnasium. Vinnia is leaning into him, and he has his arm wrapped around her comfortingly.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Freya, from her spot in the bleachers, suddenly feels incredibly bitter for no particular reason at all.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Michaels eyes widen. "Wh-/what?!/" His cheeks darkened and he stood up, mouth open a bit as if he wanted to say something. He bit his lip, grabbed his bag, and then squeezed past, looking for somewhere else to sit.
>
>

> Nic nodded absentmindedly at Novas question, shifting his attention to the stage as well. Hm. Well, hopefully Michael paid attention. Or he could always find out the information in other ways. Shouldn't everything be on the school website?
>
>

> Marlene giggled. "I cant wait. Ooooh Mason we can have matching outfits!"
>
>

> Mason looked not as excited but not /against/ the idea, grinning. "Maybe."
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Sara watched hurt as he stomped away. "Nice going you idiot." Sh wrapped her arms around herself and looked around. She didn't have any friends, this perch better end soon.
>
>

> Ariel smiled, "That would be so cute, but don't you think Ryan and Mason should match. It's Obv he's going to ask you." (Pretty sure I fucked up the name)
>
>

> Theo's phone buzzes, a text. "Theo, its Terahyn. You need to get here ASAP!" He jumps up and jolts out into the student affairs office to sign out, he was given an excuse so it was allowed that he could sign himself out.
>
>

Maya Rice

> At Sam's confirmation, Nova seems to relax a bit, although she's certainly impatient to get out of the gym. She's hoping that the rest of her day will be...less dramatic? She wasn't really involved in what had happened to her friends, but she was sure that they would get her wrapped up in it eventually.
>
>

> After answering a few stray questions, the teacher begins to wrap the assembly up. "Alright, everyone! Thank you for attending. We hope to see all of you at Homecoming as well! You may head to your first period classes as soon as the bell rings to dismiss you."
>
>

> About a minute passes before the sound of the bell comes on over the system, signaling that the assembly is officially over. Students begin to flood out of the gym, eager to start their days.
>
>

Jerith Walker

> "...Or less." Sam stuffs his phone in his pocket and stands up, waves. "See ya, guys!" heads off.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Michael moved quickly, ducking and weaving
>
>
> through the crowd, trying to get to the Senior section before they were all
>
>
>
> gone.
>
>

> After parting ways with his friends, Nicholas headed off to
>
>
> his first class. Michael finally broke from the crowd and managed to scurry
>
>
>
> over.
>
>

> "Oh- hey Michael. Whats up?"
>
>

> "Huh? Oh, uh, I dunno. Nothing I guess." He
> shrugged, falling into pace with his brother.
>
>

> Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "... so, did you see the
> fight?"
>
>

> "Uh, not really. It was kinda hard to see from where I
>
>
> was sitting. But um- I dunno, some guy named Jaxon was involved I think? This
>
>
>
> girl who was sitting by me called out his name."
>
>

> "Really?" Nic seemed interested. "What
> girl?"
>
>

> Michael grimaced slightly and shrugged. "... I dunno.
> Some girl named Sara."
>
>

> ".... yeah?"
>
>

> "......... she thinks I'm gay." He whispered.
>
>

> Nicholas let out a snort.
>
>

> "Its not funny! Do I seem gay???" He hissed over
> to Nicholas.
>
>

> "Michael, you /are/ pretty gay." Nicholas shot
> back, grinning slightly.
>
>

> Michaels cheeks reddened and he dropped his gaze. "....
> do you think they'd let me sit with you guys in the Seniors section...?"
>
>

> "Michael, you're a Freshman. Theres no /way/ you'd be
>
>
> able to get away with it. Sorry bud. Aaand I know for a fact that this is where
> we part ways soooo-" He placed a hand on Michaels head, ruffled his hair,
> gave him a grin and then playfully pushed him in the other direction. "Go
>
>
>
> to class. I'll see you later." And he headed off to his first class.
>
>

> Michael stared after Nic for a few moments almost pouting
> and then let out a tiny huff, heading off for his first class.
>
>

> "Pffft- I dunno." Masons cheeks darkened and he
> crossed his arms. "He just met me, you know."
>
>

> Marlene giggled. "And you two really hit it off."
>
>

> "Oh shush you." Mason gave her a playful shove. He
>
>
> stood up first and started off. ".... where was our first class
>
>
>
> again?"
>
>

> "Well, I guess its a good thing they gave us a
> map."
>
>

> "They /did/?"
>
>

Trashley Marie

> Ariel waved quickly to Marlene and Mason
> before heading off looking for Sara.
>
>

> Sara looked around for Jaxon in the hallway. It was time for
> her tour and she didn't know where to go.
>
>

> Ariel ran up behind her and hugged her. "Wasn't that
> exciting for a first day?"
>
>

> Sara rolled her eyes, seeing Jax. "Jax!" He turned
> quickly and waved, a small smile appeared.
>
>

> Jax saw Sara and waved, placing a small smile on himself. He
>
>
> walked over shyly looking at people careful not to step on them. The freshman
> were all so small this year. "In school suspension. I don't even know how
> long." He offered a tiny wave to Ariel who smiled to him. They began to
>
>
>
> walk to Ariels locker.
>
>

> Sara frowned "Boo. It's just the first week
> though." Jax nodded. "That's bogus."
>
>

> Frowning he chuckled. "Yeah, I'll live. Anyway, what's
> the theme for
>
>

> Homecoming." He saw Ariel quickly cover her ears and he
>
>
> copied her actions. Sara released an ear piercing shriek as she struggled to
>
>
>
> find her drawing book to show him.
>
>

> "Carnival theme! I have a Harley Quinn idea set."
> Sara opened the boom and Jax smiled as Ari rolled her eyes.
>
>

> "Is everything a cosplay opportunity to you." Sara
>
>
> nodded excitedly. Ariel laughed as they approached her locker and she put in
>
>
>
> the combination. "So whose giving you the your."
>
>

> Sara shrugged "I don't know. I have to go to the
>
>
> office-" she look tot he clock on the wall. She panicked and gathered her
> things quickly and organized them into her bag. "-ten minutes ago,
>
>
>
> bye!" She grabbed Jax's hand and dragged her away.
>
>

> Ariel only chuckled as she walked away. She looked around to
>
>
> all the cute guys in the hall. Maybe she could ask someone to homecoming. Why
>
>
>
> does it have to be the guy to ask.
>
>

## Gym Class - Nicholas and Sydney

### Nicholas, Sydney, and Ms. Sterling Enter

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic heads to the locker room once he gets back
>
>
> to the gym. Peels off his shirt and sticks it into the locker, slipping on his
>
>
>
> gym shirt and then changing his pants for gym shorts.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney wanders leisurely into the girl's locker
>
>
> room, passing by Ms. Sterling as she enters. She tries to walk confidently,
> head lifted high, hoping that she won't be questioned if she acts as though
>
>
>
> she's done nothing wrong.
>
>

> Unfortunately for Sydney, Ms. Sterling isn't a very
>
>
> forgiving person. She follows after her. "Tsui," she calls, trying to
>
>
>
> get Syd's attention.
>
>

> A light sigh escapes from Sydney. She pauses for a moment
> before turning around with a smile stretched across her face. "Yes?"
>
>

> "You're late."
>
>

> "Oh?" Sydney feigns innocence. "Sorry. I had
>
>
> to stop by the office, get some paperwork done. You understand that,
>
>
>
> right?" Syd tilts her head.
>
>

> Ms. Sterling crosses her arms, frowning as she looks at
>
>
> Sydney, remaining silent for a few moments. Eventually, she sighs and mutters,
> "Go get changed," before turning and returning to her post at the
>
>
>
> front of the locker room entrance.
>
>

> Sydney's smile softens into something genuine, and she heads
>
>
> toward her locker, twisting the combination lock until it pops open. She
> changes into her gym clothes quickly, neatly folding her actual clothing and
>
>
>
> placing it in the locker for later.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic finishes getting dressed, locks up his
>
>
> things. He hangs out in the locker room for a little bit more, chatting with
> some of the other guys before he heads out and takes his seat in his spot,
>
>
>
> relaxing and glancing around the gym.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney doesn't leave the locker room until she has
>
>
> a substantial amount of...friends surrounding her. They're all people she
> doesn't know well, but all that matters is that they're following her, paying
>
>
>
> attention to her.
>
>

> She mutters a few responses to whatever they're speaking
>
>
> about, not paying them much attention. They aren't deserving of her full
>
>
>
> attention, if she's being completely honest.
>
>

> Sydney takes a seat with her group for a few moments, at
>
>
> least until Ms. Sterling appears and shouts, "Attendance!" signaling
>
>
>
> for the class to line up for their roll call.
>
>

> She stands and moves over to the designated line, a bit
>
>
> upset that she's being separated from her group. Syd glances down the line of
> classmates as she waits for Ms. Sterling to pass her and jot her name down,
>
>
>
> curious at to what they would be doing.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nicholas reluctantly got up and headed over to
>
>
> the line. Stretched his arms a bit as he headed over. He gives Ms. Sterling a
> smile as she jots him down and then watches her go. What're they gonna do
>
>
>
> today?
>
>

Maya Rice

> Once Ms. Sterling finishes taking attendance, she
>
>
> moves to stand in front of the class, clearing her throat and beginning to
>
>
>
> speak.
>
>

> "Today we'll be starting our fitness tests."
>
>

> Nearly everyone in the room groans.
>
>

> "The tests will take us approximately a week to
>
>
> complete. You'll need to grab a partner so that you'll have someone to count
> for you during each section. We'll begin first with push-ups, then sit-ups.
> You'll have a break day in between. Then we will proceed to the pacer test
>
>
>
> --"
>
>

> More groaning.
>
>

> "And finally, running the mile. All specifics and
>
>
> requirements for each section will be explained before each activity is to be
> completed. Ideally, you will all be able to complete these activities well
> enough to score a passing grade." Ms. Sterling takes a moment to glance at
> a few of the kids in the class, ones who she knows likely won't get a decent
>
>
>
> score. Finishing up, she asks, "Does anyone have any questions?"
>
>

> Sydney taps her foot impatiently, wanting to head off and
> grab her partner already. She has her eyes set on someone in particular.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic grimaced slightly. Well, at least he knew
>
>
> he was physically fit. Shame he didn't have any of his football buds in this
> class.Well, whatever. He wasn't looking forward to the pacer test though,
> that's for sure. He scanned his classmates. Yeah, he could ask him to buddy up.
>
>
>
> That would work.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "No questions?" Ms. Sterling pauses for
>
>
> another moment before nodding, gesturing vaguely with her hands. "Alright,
>
>
>
> then. Everybody partner up."
>
>

> Syd immediately makes a beeline for the partner she's picked
>
>
> out for herself -- however, before she can reach them, they join up with
> another classmates, linking arms and laughing lightly. Sydney freezes, unable
>
>
>
> to believe what she's seeing. Did they /really/ just...?
>
>

> Before she's able to pull herself together, Sydney feels
>
>
> tears pricking at her eyes. She quickly raises a hand to her face, angrily
>
>
>
> wiping them away, feeling her face growing hot. How /could/ they?
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> The boy Nicholas had been planning on asking
>
>
> suddenly headed for the teacher. Nicholas frowned slightly. And then the boy headed
>
>
>
> for the bleachers and sat down.
>
>

> Noc had a feeling he wasn't an option anymore.
>
>

> He quickly looked around. Damn, less options now-
>
>

> ... well, there was a girl off by herself. She didn't seem
> to know who to go to for a partner as far as he could tell. He headed over.
>
>

> "Hey- Sydney, right...? Do you have a partner
> yet?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney startles at Nic's approach, whirling around
>
>
> to face him. She opens her mouth, immediately ready to turn down his request to
> partner up -- she was sure that she could still find someone on her own, she
> didn't need him -- however, she pauses for a moment, recognizing his face. Oh.
> A football player. Hm. He would be acceptable, although he wasn't her first
>
>
>
> choice.
>
>

> Shaking her head in response to his question, Syd says,
>
>
> "Not yet. I was thinking about grabbing her..." Sydney turns,
> gesturing toward a girl in the class who is visibly overweight. She smiles,
> chuckling lightly. "First period gym is pretty miserable, so I figured I
> might as well get a laugh out of it if I could...but if /you/ don't have a
> partner yet..." She laughs again. "Well, it would probably be better
>
>
>
> to pair up with someone who can manage more than half of a push-up."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He follows her gaze to the girl and stifled a
>
>
> laugh. Haha, ouch. She was /mean/. "Yeah, I was gonna just go with that
> kid but uh-" He looked over at the bleachers. "... he seems to have
> gotten a free pass for some reason, so..." He looks back to her. "I'm
>
>
>
> Nicholas, by the way. I don't think we've officially met?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Not officially." Now that she actually
>
>
> has a partner -- and a decent one at that -- Sydney starts to relax. "I
> know some of your teammates, though. Mostly Eli." She smiles softly,
> thinking of him. "He's such a good guy -- like the older brother I never
>
>
>
> had."
>
>

> Sydney has to stop herself short from continuing with, 'and
>
>
> never wanted,' not due to any issues with Eli, but because of Ryan. She's
> referred to him in a similar way a few times before, although /his/...brotherly
>
>
>
> influence is entirely unwanted.
>
>

> Pushing thoughts of Ryan from her mind, Syd continues,
>
>
> remembering her earlier conversation in the cafeteria with her friends.
> "From what I know, it seems like you might know some of /my/
> friends." She pauses, giving a sly smile. "Nova mentioned you
>
>
>
> today."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "Right." He does remember
>
>
> her talking to Eli, along with seeing just generally around the school. He
> grins. "You guys are pretty close, huh?" He wouldve probed a bit
>
>
>
> further, but she seemed distant for a moment. And then-
>
>

> He raised his eyebrows with surprise. "Oh! Nova
>
>
> mentioned me?" They were in he same... uh, clique, he knew that well
>
>
>
> enough. But... "What did she say?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney looks vaguely amused by his reaction to the
>
>
> mention of Nova. He actually seems genuinely interested. Truthfully she had
> been expecting to discover that Nova was likely being played by some charming,
> douchey football player who thought she would be easy to win over because she'd
> never been given much attention, but maybe she had been wrong for once in her
>
>
>
> life.
>
>

> "Just...mentioning you," she keeps her tone light,
>
>
> playful. She'll help Nova out a bit -- god knows that girl needs it.
> "Everyone else was so /jealous/ of her...well, almost everyone."
> She's referencing herself. Although it's fun to mess around with boys sometimes,
> see how invested she can get them before inevitably breaking their hearts, she
>
>
>
> truly has no interest in them whatsoever. They're just so /boring./
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He was a bit surprised- pleasantly, though.
>
>
> They had only talked a couple of times, so Nova mentioning him... well, that
>
>
>
> was a good sign, especially judging by Sydneys tone.
>
>

> He laughed a bit. "Everyone, huh? I'm guessing Shanelle
> wasn't there then. She did /not/ seem to like me one bit."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Ohh," Sydney says, voice lowering a
>
>
> bit. She shakes her head. "No, Shanelle was there." Syd rolls her
> eyes. "Honestly, she doesn't like /anyone/. No one likes her, either, except
> for Nova. I swear, she must be a saint to have the patience to deal with that
>
>
>
> nightmare."
>
>

> As Syd finishes speaking, Ms. Sterling calls for the first
>
>
> round of students to get ready to do their push-ups. One partner will be
> participating in the activity while the other counts, and then they'll reverse
>
>
>
> the roles.
>
>

> Looking over to Nic, Syd asks, "You wanna go
> first?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Oof, yeah?" Nicholas grimaced.
>
>
> "Yeah... Nova told me not to take Shanelles, uh..... actions
>
>
>
> /personally/."
>
>

> He looked over at Ms. Sterling when she speaks. Push ups,
>
>
> huh? He met gaze with Syd. Snorted softly. "Yeah, sure." He rolled
> back his shoulders and then got down, getting into push up position. He thinks
> carefully. Maybe he could learn a little bit more about Nova from Sydney?
>
>
>
> "... how long have you known Nova?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney looks at him curiously, almost considering
>
>
> telling him a bit about Nova before eventually saying, "Hmm. You know, I
> think I have a deal for you. For every ten push-ups you do, I'll tell you
> something about Nova." She smiles at him. "Shouldn't be too difficult
>
>
>
> for you, yeah?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He looks up and over at her and cracks a grin.
> "Deal."
>
>

> He begins. He makes it through the first ten with ease,
> glancing over at Syd as soon as the first ten are through.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney counts silently, making a mental note when
>
>
> he hits ten. "Nova's really into drama." She pauses for a moment.
> "Not like...twitter fights drama. Theatre drama, you know? I think she
>
>
>
> signed up for running crew this year."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh, really?" Theatre huh? He
>
>
> finishes another push up. "Running crew... so behind the scenes
>
>
>
> stuff?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Mhm," Syd confirms, continuing to
>
>
> count. She figures that he'll probably make it to about twenty or thirty before
> quitting. Maybe a bit more, if he's looking to impress the class. "They
>
>
>
> take care of all the set pieces."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Right." Hes at about fifteen now.
>
>
> "Does she prefer backstage stuff? Or does she like acting too,
>
>
>
> or...?" He makes it to twenty.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Backstage stuff, mostly. She's too anxious
>
>
> to go up in front of everyone." Once Nic hits twenty, Syd figures it's
> time for a new topic. "Her birthday is in August, the 25th. It always
> happens a few days after school starts." Syd laughs. "She always gets
> so upset about it. I mean, what's the point of having a summer birthday if you
>
>
>
> have to celebrate it in school?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Ooh." Stage shy, huh? He listens to
>
>
> the next fact and makes a mental note of it. Chuckles softly. "That
>
>
>
> /sucks/. At least its easy to get party invitations out, I guess?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Well it would be if she ever actually
>
>
> bothered /having/ a party." Syd snorts. "She's been staying home
> alone for the past few years. I offered to host something for her once, but she
> shut me down the moment she heard me say the word "party."" Syd
>
>
>
> continues to count push-ups.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Not fond of parties...?" He keeps
> going. Reaches 30 after a good fee more push ups.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "She's a total shut in," Syd nods. When
>
>
> he hits thirty, she adds, "She's also totally obsessed with cleaning.
> Invite her over, and I swear the first thing she'll do is start cleaning up
> your entire house. It's a little scary, honestly. You can't even leave a gum
>
>
>
> wrapper sitting nearby her."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He laughed. Took a short break from talking to
>
>
> just focus on breathing and push ups. "... maybe instead of like, a party,
> she might enjoy a sorta friend hangout? I dunno, a small gathering, or just
> hanging out with a few close friends? Or doing whatever it is she likes to do
>
>
>
> with a couple friends or something?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "She hangs out with Shanelle a lot, but like
>
>
> I said...that girl is an absolute mess." Syd sighs, shrugging. "I
>
>
>
> feel bad for Nova, honestly. She deserves better."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Ooh... well, she hangs out with you too,
> right? And, uh... Courtney?" He reaches fourty.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Morsha, too." Although she's almost
>
>
> certain that Nova and Morsha have never spent time together alone, Sydney isn't
> going to allow for her to be left out of the group, even if she /is/ majorly
>
>
>
> pissed off at her right now.
>
>

> Her eyebrows go up when he hits forty -- maybe he was trying
>
>
> to do better than someone else? She glances down the line of students. There
> are still a few of them doing push-ups, but not many are left. "...She has
> this fear of, like, taking pills. She always thinks they're going to end up
> choking her." Sydney shifts a bit. "She had this killer headache
> once. We were all trying to get her to just take some aspirin so she wouldn't
>
>
>
> be so miserable...she wouldn't listen, though."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh- yeah, right." Now that he
>
>
> thinks about it, he hadn't seen her in a while. He doesn't question it. He
> listens to her next fact. Hm. "... well, that sucks. Aren't there,
> like.... liquid med though? I know theres stuff for colds, but is there,
>
>
>
> like.... liquid asprin?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "I don't know," Syd responds with a
>
>
> half-hearted shrug. "I'm not a doctor. I don't really now much beyond,
> like, basic painkillers. She really does need to just get over it, though. I
> mean, what kind of sixteen year old can't handle taking a pill or two?"
> She laughs. "I bet she still uses those little chewable tablets whenever
>
>
>
> she's feeling sick."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Mm, yeah." He thinks about that. He
>
>
> chuckles softly at the mention of chewable tablets. Thats kind of cute
>
>
>
> actually.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "So," Syd says, temporarily shifting the
>
>
> subject away from Nova. "You ready to give up yet? Unless you're
> like...trying to beat everyone else." She glances once more at the
>
>
>
> remaining students. "I can respect that."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He laughed. "What, are you already
>
>
> running out of Nova facts?" He took a quick glance at the rest of the
>
>
>
> class. "... yeah, I wanna get at least ten over everybody else."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Oh, believe me, I have plenty of Nova facts."
>
>
> Syd's smile turns a bit mischievous. When he reveals his plans, Syd chuckles
> lightly. "Maybe I'll get ten more than you whenever it's my turn."
> She knows she's certainly not as strong as a football player, but determination
>
>
>
> can take her a long way.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh yeah?" His grin widens, looking
> over at her. I'll make sure its a /challenge/ then." He reaches fifty.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Pfft," she laughs. "You're
>
>
> /on./" He's already up to fifty, which is more than she would have
> bothered doing under normal circumstances...still, now that he's made this a
> challenge, she'll do whatever she can to beat him. Realizing that he's completed
> another set of ten, Syd says, "Nova hates being in the ocean...or in any
> deep water, really. She said it's 'cause she can't see what's beneath
>
>
>
> her."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He grinned. "How many do you think you're
>
>
> capable of?" He paused to listen to her Nova Fact. "Huh... does she
>
>
>
> like the beach itself?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney shrugs. "She /might,/ though with that pale skin
> of hers I doubt she spends much time out in the sun."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Fair enough." He reaches sixty.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Two more students other than Nic are still doing
> push-ups.
>
>

> Sydney counts sixty and then pauses, not quite able to
>
>
> believe it. What the hell was he doing? She understood trying to beat the others,
> but at this point was it /really/ worth it? She shakes her head a bit before
> realizing she owes him a new fact about Nova. "Hmmm...oh! She has two
> cats. I think one's, like, Pepsi or something? Neither of them have tails. It's
>
>
>
> sort of weird."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> His eyes lit up and he looked over, giving a
> grin. "So she's a cat person then?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney nods. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised
>
>
> if she ended up alone as a crazy cat lady." She laughs at the thought of
> Nova surrounded by a large group of cats. She'd probably be happy about it,
>
>
>
> too.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckled. "Nova and her army of
> cats." She certainly does seem like a cat person. Thats good.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "She'd probably have about ten more if they
>
>
> could fit in her house." Sydney's nose wrinkles a bit. "She hardly has
> enough room for herself and her mom, though. They live in this super small
> run-down place...I feel bad for her. Just 'cause her mom fucked around and lost
> all of their money..." Sydney shakes her head, realizing that perhaps
>
>
>
> she's revealing a bit /too/ much information.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh man.... God, and with the situation
>
>
> right now its probably even rougher than usual at home..." He grimaced.
>
>
>
> Reached seventy.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Syd's eyebrows furrow. "What situation?"
> Had something happened to Nova recently that she hadn't heard about?
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Huh?" His eyes widen in realization
>
>
> and his pushup falters for a moment before resuming. "Uh, nothing. Sorry,
> I shouldn't have- I mean, if she didnt tell you, I- sorry. Its something- she
>
>
>
> probably doesnt want others to know, if she didn't tell you, uh...."
>
>

Maya Rice

> A frown begins to form on Sydney's face as Nic
>
>
> speaks, and she feels suddenly breathless. What kind of secrets had Nova told
> this dumbass football player she'd met a few days ago that she wasn't willing
> to share with Sydney? They were /friends,/ they were supposed to tell each
> other what was going on in their lives. Did Nova think she wasn't important
> enough for that? Fidgeting uncomfortably, Sydney tries to focus on counting
> Nic's push-ups, having gone quiet now. Her mind is racing with thoughts, and
>
>
>
> her eyes have a vaguely distant look to them.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> ".... sorry." He mumbled. He glanced
> to see if anyone else was still doing push ups.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Forcing a smile onto her face, Syd responds with,
>
>
> "Doesn't matter." She glances over as well, sees that only one other
>
>
>
> student remains.
>
>

> Ms. Sterling walks by, giving Nic a nod. "Doing well,
> Maslow." She comments before moving on.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nicholas reaches eighty. Flashes Ms. Sterling
>
>
> a smile as best he can. At this point hes focusing more on his push ups than
>
>
>
> anything.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "You know, you should probably stop now.
>
>
> You're going to be super sore tomorrow." Sydney's now feeling a lot less
> friendly toward Nic. It takes her a bit to realize he's hit another goal. She
> tries not to sigh as she thinks of another thing to tell him about Nova,
> looking fairly miserable about the fact that she has to give him more
> information when he apparently already knows more than she does...however,
> after a brief bit of thinking, her face seems to light up, a smile returning to
>
>
>
> her lips.
>
>

> "Nova's only ever had one boyfriend before," Syd
>
>
> says. "He was really awful. Whenever he wasn't busy ignoring her, he spent
> all his time making sure she felt like shit. She hasn't dated anyone since
>
>
>
> then."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh, yikes. What happened there...? How'd
>
>
> she finally get out of that?" He thinks. "Hes not still around, is
>
>
>
> he? When was this?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "I think they ended up breaking up over
>
>
> text." Syd laughs. "Something stupid like that. It was eighth grade,
> so it's not like they were /super/ serious, but..." She shrugs. "It
> really hurt her, you know? Back then she was always sort of an outcast, the
> kind of girl who boys would ask on dates as a joke. Having her first boyfriend
>
>
>
> turn out to be such a douchebag was just really bad luck."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "Yeeeah, I can imagine....
>
>
> god, that sucks." He checks to see if anyone else is still going.
> "... would people really ask her out as a joke?" He asked, his voice
>
>
>
> sounding almost doubtful.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney laughs again, raising her eyebrows at Nic's
>
>
> doubtful tone. "Oh, please. Don't try to tell me you haven't ever had one
> of your teammates pull that shit on a girl." She reaches up, brushing a
> stray lock of hair out of her face. "Nova used to wear these massive,
> thick rimmed glasses every day. She had the fashion sense of a homeless person,
> always came in with her hair half-brushed...she was the perfect target for all
>
>
>
> of it, really."
>
>

> The last student remaining stops doing push-ups, collapsing
> onto the gym floor.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckled softly, his laugh sounding more
>
>
> sympathetic than amused. "Awh." He glances over, grinning in
> satisfaction as the last one hit the ground. He hits ninety. "Alright...
> just ten more then. A solid one hundred sounds good to me. You think you can
>
>
>
> hit one ten?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Ten more?" Syd sounds dismayed, even a
>
>
> little panicked. There was no way she could... Her gaze snaps upward when he
> asks if she thinks she could hit one hundred and ten. She nods quickly,
>
>
>
> confidently. "Of course I can."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He grins. This should be fun. He was kind of
>
>
> curious to see if she really could, honestly. "Okay- so whats my ninety
>
>
>
> factoid?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Growing annoyed with the whole situation, Sydney
>
>
> settles for something basic. "Her favorite subject is English." Was
>
>
>
> he /really/ going to do one hundred push-ups? God.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He nods. Just focuses on push ups. Aaand....
>
>
> one hundred. He pushes himself up and sat back, and flashed her a grin, his
> breathing heavier, but not on the verge of collapse like some of the others.
>
>
>
> "... one hundred."
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney is torn between being impressed by his
>
>
> dedication and pissed off by the fact that he /had/ been so determined to reach
> such a high number. She lets out an annoyed huff, waiting for Ms. Sterling to
>
>
>
> give them instructions to switch places and begin again.
>
>

> While she waits, she provides Nic with his final Nova fact. "She likes to tutor kids on the weekends. She does pretty well with them. I don't know how she can stand to be around them, honestly."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He nods, not responding verbally to try to steady his breathing back to normal. He shifts his position so he's sitting on the ground. "... so do I have to give /you/ facts now?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sterling calls for the second round of students to get into position.
>
>

> Syd moves, taking Nic's spot, getting ready to start her push-ups. She laughs a bit when he asks his question, shrugging the best she can in her awkward position. "I don't know. Do you even have any interesting facts to give?" She pauses for a moment before laughing again. "Sorry. I'm just sort of assuming that your fun facts are more in line with how many touchdowns you've managed to score per game rather than, like, /actual/ facts."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He laughs. "Wait- are you saying those /aren't/ interesting facts?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "I'll be honest...I don't understand /anything/ about football, not even after listening to Eli talk about it whenever he gets the chance."
>
>

> Ms. Sterling blows her whistle to signal that the second round is starting.
>
>

> Syd begins her push-ups. It feels awkward at first and her arms are a bit wobbly, but the more she does, the more steady she becomes.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckled. "I don't think its too difficult, but yeah, probably a bit more difficult to understand from just ramblings." He watches her do the push ups, nodding slowly.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney hits ten fairly quickly. She's not doing too badly -- she'd truthfully been expecting that even ten push-ups would leave her feeling sore and tired. It wasn't as if she worked out very frequently. "So what /other/ things are you interested in? Things that aren't related to sports."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Things... other than sports?" He sounds completely flabbergasted. "Do such things /exist/??" He chuckled softly. "I suppose besides uh sports, I'm guessing you're counting working out under that, hmm... I dunno, hanging out with friends? Long walks through the woods? Cats?" He shrugged.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Syd waits until she's managed five more to reply, taking a breath. "Long walks through the woods?" She does one more. "Like, hiking? 'Cause otherwise that sounds...almost creepy."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He laughed. "God- /yes/ like hiking. I live nearby the woods, so I would play in them a lot growing up. I still like walking through the woods sometimes. Its peaceful."
>
>

Maya Rice

> Syd laughs as well. "Got it. Not the kind of walking in the woods that a kid who would be nominated for "most likely to have body parts in their backyard" would do, yeah? Just some nice, peaceful time out in nature." She laughs and shakes her head at the thought. "I'd be too annoyed by all the bugs and the animals to stay out for too long." She hits twenty.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He snorts. "Oh yeah, the bugs are a pain- in the winter they arent so bad, but then its cold, so..." He shrugged. "I don't think its too terribly buggy though. Well, not too much for me to handle anyways."
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney nods, going silent for a bit until she manages to reach thirty push-ups. She then begins to speak once more. "Bugs just really freak me out, you know? It isn't natural for something to have that many legs." She scoffs. "Plus they're just plain annoying..." She pauses for a moment. "I don't know. I guess I'm just not as much of a nature person."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Ooh yeah makes sense. I'm not too fond of 'em either. Mostly for the annoyance reason." He nodded. "Yeah, thats fine. I like nature for uh... non-bug reasons, I suppose. Hard to really explain the appeal. I guess its a bit nostalgic? I dunno. Lots of fond woods memories, so its just a nice place to me."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Yeah, I guess I understand that." Syd continues doing push-ups silently for a while, eventually reaching forty. Her arms are definitely starting to hurt, but she's pointedly ignoring the pain. She's not even halfway to her goal.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic nods slowly, watching her. "... doing pretty good." He scans the rest of the class to see how shes faring against the rest of the class. Honestly, this is more push ups than he expected from her. She really is stronger than she looks.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Thanks," Syd mutters, remaining focused on the push-ups. She's tempted to try to get him to talk a bit more so that she could have something other to focus on than the burning feeling in her arms, but that might distract her /too/ much. Her pace begins to slow a bit from what it initially was, but she forces herself to continue. She hits fifty. Halfway there.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He relaxes a bit, watching her. He wonders how far she'll get. He can already see the strain... but she seems determined.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Around fifty-five, Syd begins to falter a bit. Is this /really/ worth it? She nearly considers stopping, but a quick glance over in Nic's direction reminds her exactly why she's doing this. Picking up her pace once more, Syd inhales deeply. Sixty.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Fourty more and you're matched with me." He grins.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney resists the urge to scream when she hears how many more push-ups she'll have to do. Still, she pushes onward. She's not going to let him win, not if she can help it.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckles softly. "I admire your determination." It really was impressive.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Are you saying that because you think I'm not going to win?" She hits seventy, slowing down temporarily.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh no, I have no idea. You just seem to really want to win. And most, like, non-athletes don't tend to make it even this far."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Yeah, well," she lets out a breathy laugh. "I /am/ pretty determined." She continues, arms trembling. She allows herself a few seconds break in between each push-up, testing the limits of just how long she's allowed to rest before doing another.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> ".... oh? Are you giving in...?" He teased gently at her slowed pace. He wondered if anger and defiance would help fuel her. Honestly, he wanted to see how far she could go.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney scowls, tossing a glare over in his direction. "Are you kidding me?" She does one more push-up, hitting eighty now. "I could do, like," she pauses to breathe, unaware that she's started to move much more quickly, "a hundred more."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> His grin widened. "Not tired then?" Yeah, shes probably gonna crash after this.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Not at all," she insists, continuing. She only has about twenty more until she at least /matches/ his number. She can manage that, right? Half of twenty is only ten. Ten isn't too large of a number.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "You're in the final stretch, Syd.... almost there." He watched bemusedly. He really did want to see if she could make it.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Syd has to hold back from telling him to fuck off, having a feeling that he was teasing her at this point. The anger she felt only made her more determined to win, however. She hits ninety, hardly even counting how many she's doing at this point. She's just going to keep going until she literally collapses.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He's grinning. Shes going to make it. He can just /tell./ "Do you work out at all?" He asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Not," she breathes in, deeply, "really." She breathes again. God, her arms feel like they're going to shrivel up and fall off of her body. Ninety five. "I did some --" Breath. " -- running --" another breath. " -- back in middle school." One hundred.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "/Damn./ Literal pure raw determination, that is fucking /impressive/." He laughed on amazement.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney, after realizing she's finally hit one hundred, does one more single push-up before heaving out a loud sigh and allowing herself to collapse onto the ground. It hadn't been the one hundred and ten Nic had mentioned earlier, but she had /still/ beaten him. "That was so fucking stupid," she mutters from her spot on the gym floor, eyes half closed. Her heart is pounding and her arms feel numb.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He laughed. "Holy /shit/. Good job, Syd. You, uh..." He chuckled softly, gaze turnig sympathetic. "... you alright?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> She offers no response other than an exhausted groan, hating herself for being so /fucking/ stubborn...at least she had a good story to tell to her friends now, right?
>
>

> ...Except she wasn't speaking to her friends, and Morsha was missing, and everything was a complete and utter mess. Sydney sighs loudly again, still not moving much.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckles softly and rests back, looking over to the teacher for the next instructions. Glances back at Sydney.
>
>

> ".... seriously though, holy /shit/." He shook his head a bit. "Good job." His voice doesn't reveal any sort of malice or intent behind the words. Just genuinely impressed.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Mmmmm." Sydney mumbles incoherently before finally managing, "I told you I'd win."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> "Damn. You sure did." Soft chuckle. He supposed the teacher was giving them a bit of a break. Sydney sure as fuck needed that.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Ms. Sterling calls for the class to group up once more. Students begin to join together in a circle around their teacher.
>
>

> Sydney, noticing this, wants to cry at the thought of getting up. She forces herself to sit and then, after a few more moments, stands up. She feels shaky and out of breath, but she's sure she'll manage.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic pulls himself to his feet and waits for his partner to get to her feet. "... you hanging in there?" He asks with a sympathetic smile, a bit of concern in his eyes. Quite a workout for someone who doesn't workout.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "I guess," she groans, slowly making her way over to the larger group. "My arms feel like..." she trails off, not able to find a word to describe the feeling.
>
>

> Ms. Sterling is going on about what their activity will be tomorrow.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckles softly. "Jelly?" He offered.
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>

Maya Rice

> "Mmm." She nods. "Yeah. Like jelly." She listens to Ms. Sterling, wondering if she'll even be capable of doing anything tomorrow. Right now she feels as though she can hardly keep her eyes open, can hardly stand up. Maybe she can bullshit her way into getting a pass to go back and see Juli again.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nods. Haha yeah. Shes... gonna be sore in the morning. "You might wanna, uh, take something before bed. If you dont usually exert your muscles this much they'll reeally ache tomorrow." He whispered over to her, only half paying attention to the teacher.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Yeah, yeah, I know," she responds immediately. She'd already been planning on doing so. There was no way she was going to deal with this pain for any longer than she had to. "I just hope the pain doesn't stick around for too long." She keeps her voice quiet as well, not really concerned with Ms. Sterling's speech.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nods. "Yeah- it shouldn't be sore for more than a day or so." He glances over at the teacher. "Sit ups tomorrow.... well, those don't /really/ use your arms... you should probably be fine even with your jelly arms."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Ugh, thank /god,/" Syd lets out a relieved sigh. She wouldn't have to do anything /too/ extreme to take care of her pain, then.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Chuckles softly. "... also, if you like baths, soaking in warm water can help with muscle soreness as well." He shrugged. "... unless you already know that trick." He looked over at her and smiled slightly. "... so... track, huh?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> She ignores the bath comment -- does he really think she doesn't know how to take care of herself? When he mentions track, however, "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I wasn't very dedicated. I really just did it so I could say I was involved in a sport, you know?"
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "Mm yeah. For college apps or...?"
>
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Maya Rice

> "Basically," She laughs, nodding. "Though it'll probably go against me now that I've basically abandoned it." She shrugs. "I just couldn't be bothered to keep up with all the practices."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckled. "Well, colleges dont just look at sports. You in any clubs?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> "A few basic ones. French club, that sort of thing." She looks over at him. "What about you?"
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "Well, football and studies take up most of my time honestly. I am in FBLA- Future Business Leaders Of America." He scrunched up his nose and dropped his voice to a stage whisper. "I have no fucking clue what that club is about but it looks good on college apps so??" He shrugged. "It like... rarely meets. And when it does it has donuts and you dont have to like, do anything."
>
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Maya Rice

> Syd can't resist a laugh and a roll of her eyes when she hears the club name. It even /sounds/ like total bullshit. "Hm. Maybe I should join in, then," she says in a light, joking tone. "You know -- since I know /so/ much about business." She chuckles.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He grins. "You really should- the Finances teacher is very enthusiastic about getting people to join. There is like, a small entrance fee, but its like... a tiny bit of money for a club with free donuts where you don't have to do anything and looks good on college apps, so honestly, its worth it."
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Maya Rice

> "I guess I'll consider it, then. I could probably bullshit my way through a few questions about business if it came down to it, too."
>
>

> Ms. Sterling, while talking, shoots a pointed glare over at Nic and Syd. She's probably heard them talking by now.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He snorted. "They don't-" He cut himself off and quickly shut up at the glare, standing up straighter and at attention. He wasn't talking. Nope. He's a good boy who doesn't talk in class, yessiree.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney frowns when Ms. Sterling glares at them. Couldn't she just leave them /alone?/ It wasn't like she was saying anything important. Still, Syd keeps quiet, although she's very tempted to keep talking.
>
>

> "...You'll have a free period for the rest of the class," Ms. Sterling finishes, gaze sweeping over the class. "You can go walk around the track, and I'll get the basketballs out for anyone who's interested."
>
>

> "...Can't believe she's still going to make us do shit," Syd whispers as quietly as she possibly can.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He snickers softly. "At least walking doesn't require your arms." He whispered back, not looking over at her, because clearly he wasn't conversing with her Ms. Sterling.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Ugh," Syd huffs, rolling her eyes. "It still requires energy."
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>

> The group of students starts to split apart, everyone heading off to do something different.
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> Syd, looking over at Nic, says, "...So I'm assuming that mean's you're going to walk, too?" She glances up at the track. "We could probably hide in the corner. Sterling doesn't have any monitors out and about today."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckles. "You really think we could get away with that?" He glances over at Ms. Sterling.
>
>

Maya Rice

> Syd shrugs, wincing a bit as she feels faint pain in her shoulders. "We could try." A mischievous look comes to her face. "Plus, if she catches us, she might just do us a favor and kill us. Put us out of our misery, you know?" Syd flexes her shoulders again. "I /really/ don't feel like dealing with this pain for the rest of the day."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He laughs. "We could say your arms hurt so bad they threw off your balance and you crashed in the corner and couldn't get up."
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Sounds good to me," Syd says with a laugh and a smile. Now that they're no longer competing, she doesn't quite feel the same anger toward Nic. He seems like a decent guy, really. Maybe a little bit annoying, but weren't /all/ boys like that? Syd begins to head toward the track, glancing behind her to see if Nic was following.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic follows suit, giving one last glance in the gym teachers direction. "So, you never answered my question. How long have you known Nova?" He asked, falling into pace with Sydney.
>
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Maya Rice

> "Like, actually known her, or known /of/ her?" Syd pauses, considering. "We didn't really start talking 'til around middle school. Probably eighth grade. We were friends with the same people, you know." Syd continues to walk until they're at the track, casting a glance back to search for Ms. Sterling before settling into the corner. They'll be hidden from anyone's line of sight unless they happen to be right by them.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He slips into the corner as well, resting back next to Sydney. Not like. RIGHT next to her- still giving her her /space/, but. Y'know.
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>

> He nodded. "Friends with the same people, huh? Like... Shanelle?" He grinned over at her.
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Maya Rice

> A groan escapes Sydney. "God, no. Being.../friends/ with Shanelle was never my choice." She shifts positions, bringing her knees up to her chest. "We both knew Mitzi. Mitzi Thorne," she adds on Zee's last name for clarification.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He snickers softly at her reaction to Shanelle. Maybe he'd be able to learn more about Shanelle from Syd.
>
>

> "Oh! Mitzi." He nodded, recognizing the name. "I mean, I don't know her personally, but... yeah, I know who you're talking about. Been friends with her a while then?"
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Maya Rice

> Sydney nods. "I've known Zee for a lot longer than Nova. Since elementary school, really." Syd smiles softly, genuinely. "She's such a sweetheart, always has been."
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic smiles. Zee. Thats a cute nickname. "Yeah, from what I've heard she seems like a nice girl." He thinks. "... so, is... /she/ friends wih Shanelle? Or is it just Nova?"
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Maya Rice

> "Just Nova, really...but since Zee was friends with Nova and Nova was friends with Shanelle..." Syd sighs. "We sort of got stuck with her."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "... so whats the deal with Shanelle?"
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Maya Rice

> Sydney laughs, shaking her head and shrugging. "I have absolutely no fucking clue." She rolls her eyes. "I don't know if she's /always/ been so awful, or if something happened to make her so tiring to be around, but /god./" Syd groans. "No one likes her and I think she knows that, but it just...makes everything worse, somehow. She's super desperate for attention."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Yikes." He chuckles softly giving a sympathetic half smile. "But she and Nova are close, right?"
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Maya Rice

> Sydney nods in confirmation. "It's really strange. They're like...polar opposites. Shanelle wants all the attention in the world, Nova tries to hide the moment anyone even glances in her direction."
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic thinks carefully about this. "... maybe they work well together because of that? Like, Shanelle taking all the attention off of Nova... or something." He shrugged.
>
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Maya Rice

> "I guess," Syd says, although she shakes her head as if she doesn't quite believe it. "I just feel like it's only a matter of time before Nova realizes that bothering with Shanelle just isn't worth it." A small, bitter smile forms on her face. "Shanelle would absolutely lose her shit if Nova left her. She wouldn't have anyone left."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nods along as he listened, and then let out a laugh at the sight of her smile. "You know, you sound like you'd /enjoy/ that happening. You /really/ don't like her, huh?"
>
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Maya Rice

> "I really, /really/ don't," Syd answers honestly. "Usually it's not even a personal issue with her...I think she knows well enough to stay out of my way, not pick fights with me...but it's just..." Syd sighs, leaning her head back against the wall. "She reflects badly on me, you know? People look at her and then they look at me spending time with her, around her, and they associate us together." She wrinkles her nose. "They think that I must be like /her./"
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Oof, yeah." He nods, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. "Not the sorta image you wanna put out there, huh?"
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Maya Rice

> "Yeah." Syd nods, glad that Nic seems to be understanding. Typically she wouldn't vent to someone so unfamiliar to her, but the topic of Shanelle had her feeling even more agitated and upset than she already was. Besides, Nic probably deserved to know just how awful Shanelle was if he was going to be interacting with Nova frequently, considering that the two came as a package deal.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic glances over at the track. "What time is it...?" He murmered. Was it almost time to go yet? Surely it had to be.
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Maya Rice

> Sydney instinctively goes to reach for her phone, frowning when she realizes she hadn't brought it up with her from the locker room. Her gym shorts didn't provide any pockets for her to carry it in. "No idea," she responds. "Sterling will probably blow her whistle when time's up."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He groans softly. "... well, at least we aren't stuck doing anything." He sinks back against the wall, resting his head back.
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>

Maya Rice

> "Mm, yeah." She falls silent for a few moments, considering what she'll do after gym is over. She /could/ just go ahead and attend the rest of her classes, but she's /really/ not feeling up to it, not today. Syd lets out a sigh, shaking her head. "God, I'm so glad tomorrow is Saturday," she mutters.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nods, resting and thinking quietly. Hos gaze shifts over when she speaks and he chuckles softly. Then he seemed to think of something. "Oh, hey, you're friends with Courtney right?"
>
>

Maya Rice

> Sydney responds with a nod, although it's a bit reluctant, as she's still remembering the recent fight she'd had with Courtney. "Yeah," she says. "Yeah, we're friends. Why?"
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Do you happen to know if anyones asked her to homecoming yet?" He asked. Then quickly added, "A couple of my friends want to ask her, so I'm curious."
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Maya Rice

> "I know Eli /wants/ to. He showed up to our table the other day with another guy who seemed interested. I'm assuming those are your friends, yeah?" Syd laughs. "I never would have imagined that not one but /two/ seniors would be going after Court."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He snorted. "Mmhm. Eli and Sam. Who do you think she'll choose- or is it more of who asks first?"
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Maya Rice

> "Probably whoever asks first. I can't imagine her turning someone down. She'd probably be grateful for any date that she could get that /isn't/ --" Syd cuts herself off just before she continues and says Mitzi's name. Even if she wasn't quite getting along with Courtney, she wouldn't just reveal something like that. After all, she had promised to keep her secret. "...isn't some geeky ass freshman," she finishes lamely, knowing that Nic probably won't buy her cover-up but hoping that he won't care enough to press her about her almost mistake.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He raises an eyebrow at this. Was something going on with Courtney?
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>

> ".... has someone else been pursuing Courtney?" He questioned hesitantly. He would back off if she really didn't want to talk about it, but.... if she was willing to splurge some details, this could be interesting.
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Maya Rice

> Sydney hesitates, unsure as to what information she should give him. He had clearly noticed her slip-up, so backing out of the conversation wouldn't be easy -- even if he didn't keep asking questions, he would still be curious. If he started asking around...
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> "A little," she says, settling for a half answer. "It's like...an unrequited crush. Court just doesn't know how to say no." Sydney shrugs. "It's not like she's actually dating anyone, though."
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Oooh." He nodded. Chuckled softly. "... too nice for her own good, huh?"
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Maya Rice

> "That's Court," Syd says, responding with a nod of her head. "She's pretty much a pushover." Sydney falls silent for a few moments before adding, more quietly, "I love her, but she /really/ needs to grow a pair, learn how to stand up for herself."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded slowly. "... well... you don't seem like the type to have any issue with that sort of stuff- maybe you can give her some pointers?"
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Maya Rice

> "Are you calling me pushy?" She looks at Nic, expression and tone serious, staring at him for a few solid seconds before eventually breaking and laughing, shaking her head. "Kidding. Anyway, I /do/ try to help her out, but she's just..." Syd shakes her head once more, sighing. "A lost cause."
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Huh?" He blinked at her with genuine confusion, seeming a bit panicked for a moment. "No, no, thats not what I-" He trailed off at her laugher, giving a lopsided smile and chuckling good naturedly. "God, you scared me for a second there." He shook his head. "... hmm. Does she have like... confidence issues or something?" He shrugged. "Might be like... something more personal with her maybe? I dunno."
>
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Maya Rice

> Syd's grinning at the fact that she successfully managed to frighten Nic, amused by her own trick. When he begins to talk about Courtney again, however, her grin slowly starts to fade -- especially when he mentions that her lack of confidence may be due to personal issues. Sydney, shrugging it off, replies with, "She's just shy, doesn't know how to speak up. That's all."
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Mm alright." He nods. He stares off, tapping a finger against his knee. Speaks again after a moment or so, looking back to Syd. "... do you happen to know if Nova has a homecoming date yet?"
>
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Maya Rice

> A knowing smile forms on Syd's face at Nic's question. "Well..." she pauses for quite some time, hoping to hold him in suspense for a while. Eventually she gives in, shaking her head. "No one's asked her. I don't even think she has plans to go."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He waits, scrutinizing her face as she drags it out. Seems to perk up a bit at the first part, but frowns a bit at the second part. Thinks. "... I'm guessing these sorts of things aren't really her scene....?"
>
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Maya Rice

> "Not really, but..." Syd considers. "I mean, she's never been to homecoming or any sort of school dance. How can she know that she won't enjoy going if she never tries?"
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Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckled softly and nods. "... well, I'll see if she wants to go. If she doesn't thats fine, but it's worth a shot."
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Maya Rice

> Syd pauses for a moment, making sure she heard him correctly. "...So that means you're going to ask her?" She grins. "God, her whole face is going to turn red."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He returns the grin. ".. yeah, I am." He laughed at bit at that image. "You really think so? That would be pretty cute, actually."
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Maya Rice

> "She blushes whenever someone compliments her," Syd laughs. "I can't even imagine how she'll react to being asked to homecoming." She tilts her head a bit. "...Do you already have a plan? On how to ask her, I mean."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckles softly. She really was a cute girl. He furrows his eyebrows a bit at the question, tapping a finger on his forearm. "... well, I was thinking of just sorta... bringing it up, rather than making some big show of it. Somehow I feel she'd appreciate less... showy homecoming proposals." He chuckled softly. "As cute as I'm sure she is embarassed, I don't want to make her uncomfortable or anything."
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Maya Rice

> Sydney reluctantly nods and sighs, admitting, "You're probably right. She might panic if you went all out." Syd sighs once again. "Such a shame. I'm sure you could pull off something incredible if it wouldn't scare her --"
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>

Ms. Sterling blows her whistle, interrupting Syd.

> "...Guess we're out of time," Syd says, slowly getting to her feet, stretching out and groaning as she once again feels the pain from the push-ups she'd done.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He pulls himself up, chuckling softly at her groans of pain. "Take it easy, Sydney." He started off back, checking to see that shes heading back as well. "I'll see you later, then?"
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Maya Rice

> "See you later," Syd confirms with a nod before heading off back towards the locker rooms so she can change out of her gym clothes. She's half tempted to grab her phone the moment she enters the locker room and text Nova about Nic's intentions, but she holds herself back. Besides, Nova never really responds to her texts anyway.
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