The Bleachers Transcript

> Danielle lit a cigarette and rolled her eyes as she smoked it. <I am not even going to homecoming, why should I care about some damn assembly for it>
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> Danielle and Sara sat beside the bleachers and lit a cigarette. "Aren't you like 5?" Danielle asks calmly, blowing the smoke out her nose, trying to bundle up.
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> Sara slid on the brown leather jacket she had to match her outfit and rolled her eyes, slowly smoking, more staring at, her cigarette. "No, I'm 14. I'll be 15 coming up in October."
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> Dani snorted. "Well you shouldn't flirt on your first day. Bad for business."
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> Sara smiled. "I don't care. He was cute."
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> Danielle nodded. "A lot of guys are cute. Hell, I'd fuck any of them in a heart beat. But I have seen girls cuter. Trust me."
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> Sara looked at her. "Bi?"
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> Dani shrugged. "Curious."
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> Sara nodded. "Yeah, that is why I asked."
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> Dani stopped what she was doing and looked over at her. "It's a good thing you are pretty... I was saying I am bicurious."
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> Sara smiled. "Oh, sorry." She looked toward the school and sighed. "When the hell is the assembly?"
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> Danielle shrugged. "Don't know and really don't give a damn."
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> Sara nodded, smiling sadly. She looked to her feet.
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### Angel Enters

Jerith Walker

> Angel notices the cigarette smell when he walks up to his normal ditch space. Smiles and leans against one of the stands that hold up the rows of benches above him. It seems he isn't only one with this idea.
> Pulls an off-colored cigarette from a box in his pocket and lights it.
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## After School

### Nova Enters

Maya Rice

> After the final bell of the day had gone off, Nova had hurried out of school, walking more quickly than she typically would in order to ensure that she wouldn't be followed by anyone. While normally she would wait somewhere outside for Shanelle to arrive, she had business to take care of. She was sure she'd be able to make it back in time to meet up with Shanelle, anyway.
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> Bleachers coming into view, Nova picks up her pace, lifting her head and searching with her gaze for any sign of Nic. Sydney had been dropping little comments about him all day long in nearly every class they shared, and while Nova had done her best to ignore them, her curiosity had finally overwhelmed her.
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### Nicholas and Michael Enter

Andrew Gaidry

> Nicholas sat up in the bleachers, joined by his brother. Nic was lounging back, a binder in his lap and a pencil in hand, although he didn't seem too focused on his work. He was casually talking with his brother and whoever else might be there, like the other football players.
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> Michael's focus was torn between his work and talking with his brother.
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### Dean and Eli Enter

Maya Rice

> Nova rounds the corner, squinting and gazing up into the bleachers. She could see a group of people sitting up in the tops, but without her glasses on it was hard to distinguish features.
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> Hoping that Nic was a part of the group and that he had better eyesight than she did, Nova moves so that she's standing in front of the bleachers and waves up to the group, hoping to catch /someone's/ attention.
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> Dean's sitting to Michael's right, one seat above him. He's been watching him switch between doing homework and talking to Nic, a small, amused smile forming on his face at how Michael's trying to split his attention. When a lull in the conversation occurs, Dean nudges Michael's shoulder. "You know, I bet you could get finished with all of that a /lot/ faster if your brother would just be quiet for a few moments, yeah?" He laughs, tone light and joking. Glancing over at Nic, Dean raises his voice a bit. "You really shouldn't be distracting him from his studies, Nic. I mean, god forbid he might actually have to do his homework at /home./" Dean chuckles again.
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> Eli's occasionally participating in the conversation, but is being fairly quiet. He's the first to notice someone down at the bottom of the bleachers, waving. He tilts his head, leaning forward a bit in an attempt to see who it was. He recognizes Nova vaguely from when she'd been sitting with them in the gym earlier that morning. Assuming that she's here for Nic, Eli speaks up. "Hey, Nic." He tries to grab his attention. "That's the girl who was sitting with us today, isn't it? Nova?"
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic snorted at Deans comments and Michael giggled softly, looking over at Dean.
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> Nicholas was about to retort when Eli grabbed his attention. "Hm?" He followed Elis gaze and brightened at the sight of Nova. "Be right back." He sets down his binder, homework forgotten, and hopped over a seat, heading down the bleachers. "Nova! Hey!" He called out, giving her a grin.
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> Michael seems to have momentarily forgotten his homework as well, string after Nicholas, a faint frown on his face. "She sat with you guys?"
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Maya Rice

> Nova feels herself relax a bit when Nic begins to descend down the bleachers, able to make out more of his features the closer he comes. She smiles softly, glad she hadn't had to climb all the way up the bleachers to speak to him.
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> "Hey," she responds, voice far more quiet than Nic's was. Although she knew that realistically no one would be able to hear them, she was still a bit anxious about Nic's group of friends catching something she said. "I was, um, kinda hoping you'd be out here."
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> Eli nods in confirmation to Michael's question.
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> "Yeah," Dean says, nodding as well. "She came in late and sort of just slipped in to our section." He shrugs. "She wasn't really supposed to be there, but I guess Nic wasn't supposed to be either."
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Andrew Gaidry

> His grin brightens a bit more at that. "You were?" He asked, clearly happy about that. "Whats up?"
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> "Oh." Michael's gaze shifted from Nic to Nova. That wasn't fair. What grade was she in? Younger than senior, for sure.... Michaels lips were curved into the faintest sign of a pout. Why couldn't he sit with them as well?
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Maya Rice

> Nova hesitates for a few moments, thinking of how to bring up the topic that had been eating at her nearly all day long. She reaches down and begins to twirl a lock of her hair around a finger, muttering, "Uh, well. Syd said you two were talking in gym today...?" She trails off.
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> Dean, sensing that Michael is upset, nudges him once more. "Hey, maybe next time we'll be able to sneak you in, too."
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> "You think he could pass as a senior?" Eli pipes up, laughing a bit at the thought.
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh!" He chuckled softly. "... did she say something? You know, I'm not even surprised... what did she say?"
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> Michael looks over at Dean, seemig to brigten a bit, giving a faint smile. He giggles softly. "... Nic doesn't think I'd be able to pass." He scrunched up his nose. "I guess from freshman to senior is a bit of a stretch." He sighed softly. His gaze shifted back to Nic and Nova.
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Maya Rice

> "Well she was just...I don't know. She kept bringing you up." Nova lowers her gaze for a moment before eventually looking up again, making eye contact with Nic for a few moments. "She said you two were talking about me."
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> "Yeah," Dean laughs, nodding at Michael's comment. "Maybe next year we'll --" He pauses, coming to a realization. "Huh. We won't be here next year." He glances over at Eli. "Sort of sad, yeah?"
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> Eli snorts, shaking his head. "God, no. I can't wait 'til we get out of here." He grins. "Nic can do us the favor of carrying on our legacy."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He snorted softly. He could see Sydney doing that. "... well, yeah. We talked about you a bit." He confirmed, pausing a moment and thinking. "... I may have asked her if anyone had asked you to homecoming yet." He added with a sheepish grin.
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> Michaels shoulders slumped a bit, feeling a bit of sorrow at that thought. He liked this group of people. Well. At least he'd have Nicci. Until Nicci graduated. He felt a bit sick at that thought.
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Maya Rice

> Nova feels her heartbeat begin to speed up a bit when he confirms Syd's words, anxiety slowly increasing -- what awful things had Sydney been telling him about her? -- but she freezes when he mentions homecoming, eyes widening. Wait. Had she misunderstood? "Homecoming...?"
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> "You won't miss us too much, will you?" Dean asks Michael, noticing that he seems a bit more reserved and quiet now.
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Andrew Gaidry

> "She said nobody had asked you yet but... well, I guess you'd be the one to ask about that, huh?"
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> "Huh?" Michael jolted slightly at being adressed, blinking a few times and looking over at Dean. He takes a couple seconds to process what was said to him. "O-oh-" He laughed softly, nervously. "Well- I'll be fine!" He forces a smile.
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Maya Rice

> "Oh!" Nova feels her face starting to heat up, mostly embarrassed by the fact that she had assumed that Syd and Nic were talking badly about her. "No -- um, I mean, no one's asked me." She shuffles her feet, continuing to twirl her hair.
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> Dean returns the smile. "I'm sure you will be." He chuckles. "Besides, you'll still have Nic to look after you for another year."
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Andrew Gaidry

> "... any chance you'd be interested in going with me?" He asked gently, giving her a hopeful smile.
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> He nodded. "Y-yeah!" And then Nic will be gone. Well... gone from school. Of course he'd still be around... but it'd still suck not being able to see him at school. His arms wrapped around his abdomen gently. It would be fine.
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Maya Rice

> Nova blinks, freezing once again, her eyes widening. Her face grows even hotter, a dark red blush coloring her pale skin. She almost starts to smile, but first... "You're -- um, you're...you're serious, right? You aren't joking?" She doesn't let herself feel too excited, not yet.
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> "And I'm sure you'll find some more friends who are, you know, actually in your grade." Dean smiles over at Michael, assuming that his stuttering and general aura of anxiety is just due to the thought of losing the few school friends he currently has.
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Huh?" He blinked with surprise. "Of course I'm being serious." His gaze turned sympathetic. Syd really wasn't kidding, huh? "... I mean, I understand if it isn't your kinda thing, but... and, uh, I guess you don't really know me that well yet but... I'd really like to take you, if you're interested." He rubbed the back of his head, slipping a hand into his jacket pocket and smiling softly at her.
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> Michael nodded. "Y-yeah..." He chuckled nervously. "... I guess I'm just not, uh, very good at making friends without Nicci's help."
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Maya Rice

> Wow. /Wow./ Nova honestly can't believe the situation she's in right now. She's almost convinced that she's dreaming, briefly wishing that she had Shanelle beside her to give her a bit of a reality check. It takes her a few moments before she realizes she's gone completely silent. Startling herself back into speaking, Nova lets out a breathy laugh and nods -- slowly at first, and then more eagerly. "I...I'm not really used to dances or parties, but --" She grins. "Yeah. I'll go with you."
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> "Pfft," Dean rolls his eyes, shaking his head. "You don't need Nic's help to make friends. You're a good kid, you know. I'm sure if you just put yourself out there a little more..."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He bit his lip, tilting his head as he waited for her response, breaking into a wide grin when she said she'd go with him. "Great!" He thinks for a moment. "... do you have a homecoming outfit planned yet?"
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> Michael shook his head a bit, dropping his gaze to his homework and laughing softly. "... thanks, Dean."
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Maya Rice

> Nova seems a bit startled by the question, eventually slowly shaking her head in denial. "Um, no -- not yet." She laughs a bit nervously. "I guess that's sort of important, isn't it? Do /you/ have something planned?" She tilts her head. "You're...supposed to match, sort of, aren't you?" Her eyebrows furrow. Quite honestly, the only information she knows about homecoming is a result of watching too many cheesy movies.
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> "No problem." Dean smiles gently. He still has a feeling that Michael isn't entirely convinced, but hopes that he's feeling at least a little better.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded a bit. "Well- at least, like, not clash I guess.We don't have to get like. A matching suit and dress. But I guess colors at least should go together? Uh, honestly I haven't really planned an outfit yet either. Do you have a particular color you like, or...?"
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> Michael glanced once more over at Nic and Nova before shifting his knees and trying to focus on his homework.
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Maya Rice

> Nova automatically shrugs, not trusting herself to handle something so important. "Um, well -- I...I don't know."
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> She looks sheepish, shuffling her feet for a few moments before she suddenly gets an idea. "Oh! Um, if you don't mind -- do you care if I text someone really quickly?" She laughs anxiously. "I just...think she'd have some good outfit advice, you know."
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Hmm.." Nic thought carefully, trying to think of colors that would look nice on the both of them. "Hm? Oh, yeah, totally! Go for it." He moved to a better position to lean against the railing of the bleachers.
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Maya Rice

> "Thanks," Nova mutters, quickly pulling out her phone and beginning to type out a text.
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> To: Shanelle - 3:21 PM
> 'this is going to sound strange but...what colors look best on me? i need advice.'
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### Shanelle Enters (Texting)

Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 3:21 PM
> 'Why?'
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Maya Rice

> To: Shanelle - 3:22 PM
> 'would you believe me if i said i'm just curious?'
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> To: Shanelle - 3:23 PM
> '...probably not ): i'm no good at lying. i just need to buy an outfit and i'm trusting you to make sure that i don't look awful.'
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Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 3:22 PM
> 'You Know You Cant Lie To Me'
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> To: Nova - 3:23 PM
> 'Yah Youre Not'
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> To: Nova - 3:23 PM
> 'Outfit For Home Coming?'
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Maya Rice

> Nova bites down on her lip, trying to figure out which would upset Shanelle more -- telling her the truth and inevitably making her aware of the fact that she'd managed to find a date before Shanelle had, or lying to her and inevitably having to face Shanelle finding out on her own.
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> To: Shanelle - 3:25 PM
> 'yeah.'
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> To: Shanelle - 3:25 PM
> 'i can ask sydney if you don't want to answer.'
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> Nova, moments after sending her most recent message, regrets it. It sounds too aggressive, too harsh.
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> To: Shanelle - 3:26 PM
> 'sorry if that sounded mean? i'm just anxious and i don't know what to do and i need help ):'
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Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 3:26 PM
> 'Asking That Stupid Jock Boy?'
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Maya Rice

> Nova winces. Great. She's just going to have to explain herself. Forcing herself to type, Nova responds.
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> To: Shanelle - 3:27 PM
> 'he asked me.'
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> Glancing over at Nic and realizing she's taking quite some time, Nova figures that there's no harm in texting Sydney, too. She'll probably get a quicker response that way.
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> To: Sydney - 3:27 PM
> 'hey sydney? random question, i know, but what color do you think looks best on me?'
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic flashes her a patient smile and looks back up to the bleachers to see what his friends are up to.
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Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 3: 29 PM
> 'I hope you have fun with him.'
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### Sydney Enters (Texting)

Maya Rice

> Nova frowns when Shanelle's reply comes in.
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> To: Shanelle - 3:29 PM
> 'are you mad at me? don't be mad at me.'
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> Soon after responding to Shanelle, a text from Syd comes in. Nova instinctively goes to delete it before realizing she /had/ asked Sydney for advice, and seeing as Shanelle probably wasn't going to respond with an answer any time soon...
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> To: Nova 🌌 - 3:30 PM
> 'Go with silver or light blue. It'll match your eyes. 💙'
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> Nova tries not to cringe at the heart Syd had included. She decides to wait a few more minutes for a response from Shanelle.
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### Sydney Exits (Texting)

Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 3:30 PM
> 'Im not mad at you.'
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Maya Rice

> Well, she wasn't going to answer the question. Nova sighs, giving up on getting an answer out of Shanelle. She'll just have to listen to Sydney instead. The thought makes her skin crawl, but Sydney /does/ know what she's doing when it comes to fashion.
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> To: Shanelle - 3:30 PM
> 'are you sure?'
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> She temporarily puts her phone away before returning to Nic. "Sorry for taking so long. My friend was being, um." Nova sighs. "Difficult."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He returns his attention to her. Chuckled softly. "Its fine. What was the consensus?" He had a feeling the friend in question was Shanelle.
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Jerith Walker

> To: Nova- 3:31 PM
> 'Maybe a little. But only becauz Im Jealous.
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> You Go have fun.'
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### Shanelle Exits (Texting)

Maya Rice

> "Silver or light blue," she repeats Sydney's suggestion, deciding to ignore her phone when she feels it buzz...at least for now. "I mean -- as long as one of those works for you? I don't really mind -- I can wear whatever you'd like." She doesn't want to seem too pushy, too demanding. She was incredibly lucky that Nic had even asked her in the first place, and she didn't want to ruin her chances of actually going to Homecoming and having a good time by scaring him off.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He thinks carefully. He looks Nova over and then nods. "... yeah, those certainly seem like good colors for you." He grins. "Your friend has good taste." He crossed his arms, considering himself. "... a light silvery blue and black maybe? Yours could be like, uh, a light silvery blue dress with black accents, and mine can be mostly black with the blue accents? Since the color seems best for you." He tilts his head looking back to her. "... what do you think?"
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Maya Rice

> Nova listens closely while Nic talks, nodding along in agreement with his suggestions. Once he's finished, she slowly smiles, laughs, and says, "I think you know a /lot/ more about fashion than I ever possibly could." Her smile widens. "I wouldn't have expected that from a football player."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He laughed as well. "What, stereotyping me already?" He joked. "I've dressed for formal occasions before." He shrugged. "... I guess its just kinda something I've picked up? I don't think I'm like a fashion /expert/ or anything." He chuckled. He thinks carefully. "Uh, when you pick your your dress maybe you can like, send me a picture of the color? So I can get as close as possible."
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Maya Rice

> Nova nods. "Yeah, of course! I don't know how soon I'll be able to go out shopping, but -- hopefully soon?" She considers. "I'll probably end up tagging along with Shanelle somewhere." At the mention of Shanelle, Nova has to push down the urge to pull out and check her phone.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nods. "How's she doing?"
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Maya Rice

> "She's --" Nova automatically wants to say 'fine,' but she knows it isn't the truth. She sighs. "I don't know. She seems a little upset, but..." Nova trails off, frowning as she thinks more about Shanelle.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He grimaces slightly. ".... is isn't because of me, is it...?"
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Maya Rice

> Nova immediately shakes her head. "No! No, she's just..." Nova tries to find the words. She sighs quietly. "Well, I mean...I think she's jealous? Which isn't unusual, but...I don't know. Something else is going on with her." Nova's gaze shifts to the ground, and she mutters, "I just wish she would let me help her."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nods gently, watching Nova, sympathy in his eyes. ".... I'm guessing there's not much I can do to help?"
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Maya Rice

> "...Find her a date for Homecoming?" Nova tries to joke to lighten the mood, but she's hardly able to laugh. "I don't know. There's nothing I can think of."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He scrunched up his nose and thinks. "... I could try?" He gives a small smile. "... although I feel like she might not be too fond of being asked as a favor to someone else... I can see if there's anyone who wants to go with her?"
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Maya Rice

> "Yeah, she...probably wouldn't be too happy about it." Nova smiles weakly. "Thanks for offering, though." She sighs. "I just...I don't know. I just wish someone /would/ ask her. I mean, there's still time, but..."
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> Nova bites down on her lip. "If some -- dumbass boy could just open his eyes for a second and see what she's really like --" Nova pauses, swallowing, feeling tears starting to well up in her eyes. She does /not/ want to cry, not here, not now.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded gently as he listened. "H-hey..." He said softly as he noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. He reached out and gently rested a hand on her shoulder as comfort. ".... you really care about her, huh...?" He asked gently.
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Maya Rice

> Nova falls silent for a moment before reaching up and quickly wiping the few tears in her eyes away, breathing in and then exhaling deeply. She laughs shakily, raising her gaze to Nic's and nodding. "Yeah. She, um. She means a lot to me."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded gently and smiled softly. "... whats she like? I haven't really spoken with her... but you seem to be the person who knows her the best. Have you guys known each other for a long time...?"
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Maya Rice

> "Not /that/ long," Nova admits. "It's not like we were...I don't know, childhood friends or anything." She briefly wonders what it would have been like if they had met earlier on in their lives. Would they still have ended up befriending each other? "It feels like I've known her forever. She's...she's loud, and obnoxious, and doesn't know when enough is enough --" Nova laughs softly. "But that's just /her./ It's who she is. She might not be the sweetest person, or the kindest, but..." Nova trails off, shrugging. "She's my friend."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckled softly and nodded. ".... I'm guessing she.... rubs quite a few people the wrong way?"
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Maya Rice

> "...I guess you could put it that way, yeah." Nova shrugs. "I know she isn't the easiest person to get along with, but...it's worth it for anyone who bothers to /try./"
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "Yeah... makes sense." He paused. "... oh, I'm not holding you up, am I?"
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Maya Rice

> "Oh, no!" Nova shakes her head. "I honestly don't have anywhere to be until later tonight, and I'd much rather be anywhere other than at home right now, so..." she trails off, shrugging.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "Okay, good." He glanced over at the bleachers. "Wanna go sit down with us, or...?" He looked back over at her. "... and later tonight? You talking about the party or...?"
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Maya Rice

> Nova casts a glance upward at Nic's group of friends, hesitating for a few moments. Would they mind her joining in? Eventually, Nova responds with a nod, smiling softly. She makes her way up into the bleachers, coming to stand beside Nic. When he asks about the party, she nods again. "Yeah. I'm not too excited about going, honestly, but considering everyone I know is going..." She shrugs. "I kind of feel obligated."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He returns her smile and started up, matching her pace and walking by her side.
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> "Heh... yeah. Well, I'll be there so... it could be fun! You never know." He shrugged, chuckling softly. "Your friends going too, I'm guessing?"
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Maya Rice

> Nova seems to brighten at the news that Nic will be attending. If things end up going horribly wrong "Yeah, they are. Sydney wouldn't miss a party even if she broke all the bones in her body, and Zee and Court tend to just go wherever she goes." She continues climbing the bleachers.
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Andrew Gaidry

> He chuckled and nodded. ".... and Shanelle?"
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Maya Rice

> Nova pauses just before she reaches where Nic's friends are sitting. "I...actually don't know." She frowns. Had she really forgotten to ask Shanelle if she would be attending the party. "...Give me a second," she mutters, pulling out her phone.
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> To: Shanelle - 4:10 PM
> 'i know you might not want to talk to me right now...but are you going to be at ryan's party tonight?'
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> To: Shanelle - 4:10 PM
> 'please say yes. i don't want to have to deal with sydney on my own.'
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### Shanelle Enters (Texting)

Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 4:11 PM
> 'Therez a Party?'
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Andrew Gaidry

> He laughed. "Sure, no problem. If she's there, uh, maybe I can try to get to know her? If shes willing to uh... try getting along? I don't want there to be like... tension between me and her or whatever." He rubbed the back of his head. "With... you know, this morning and such."
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Maya Rice

> A frown begins to form on Nova's face at Shanelle's response -- however, she forces it away when Nic begins to speak, lifting her head to look at him while he's talking. She's a bit hesitant to reply, but... "Yeah." She smiles. "It would be nice if the two of you could actually get along." She then glances back down at her phone.
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> To: Shanelle - 4:12 PM
> 'yeah, around six tonight at ryan's house.'
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Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 4:13 PM
> 'Ur Not Fuckin W Me, Are You?'
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded and then fell silent, to give Nova space to text her friend. Seemed like she needed it.
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Maya Rice

> To: Shanelle - 4:14 PM
> 'no? why would i?'
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> Nova considers adding, 'are you alright?' but eventually decides against it and simply hits send.
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Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 4:15 PM
> 'Kk Ill Be There. Any Theme?'
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Maya Rice

> Nova's lips curl up into a smile. Well, that was easier than she would have expected.
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> To: Shanelle - 4:15 pm
> 'no theme, just look cute. pretty sure you already have that part covered, though.'
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> She slips her phone back into her pocket, smiling gratefully at Nic. "She's coming."
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Jerith Walker

> To: Nova - 4:16 PM
> 'Kk.'
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### Shanelle Exits (Texting)

Andrew Gaidry

> "Yeah?" He grinned. "Cool." He looked back to his group and rejoined them, taking his place back among them and clearing off a space for Nova. "You guys don't mind if Nova joins us, do you?"
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> Michael, who had been painfully aware of their closing proximity, wasn't by any means surprised by this, and yet......
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Maya Rice

> Dean looks up as Nic approaches, now with Nova in tow. He smiles at both of them, nodding when Nic asks if they would mind Nova joining them. "Not a problem with me," Dean confirms.
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> Nova tentatively takes a spot next to Nic, muttering a soft, "Hey," to his group of friends before sitting down. She casts a glance over to Michael, vaguely recognizing him. A frown forms on her face as she watches him -- why was he looking at her like that? She nervously begins to adjust her clothes, smoothing them out and then running a hand through her hair, assuming that it had something to do with her appearance.
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Andrew Gaidry

> Michael drops his gaze the instant Nova met his eye.
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> Nic flashes Dean a thankful grin. Glances over at Michael. Frowns slightly as well. "Uh, you haven't officially met Michael yet, right" He nudged Michael. "Michael, this is Nova. Nova, this is my little brother, Michael."
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> "... hi." Michael said softly, glancing back up at her. Drops his gaze to his papers again.
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> Nicholas nudged Michael again.
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> "... o-oh. Uh, nice to meet you Nova." He looked back at her, keeping his gaze up this time, fidgeting with his pencil a bit.
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Maya Rice

> Nova watches Michael curiously, trying to figure out what exactly was up with him -- however, the more she observes, the more she realizes that he's probably just feeling the same way she is. Shy, anxious, nervous about being around a new person.
>
>

> "Nice to meet you too," she responds, feeling a bit less concerned now.
>
>

> Eli lifts his head from where he had propped it up on his bookbag, glancing over at Nova and Nic with an amused smile. He looks to Dean for a moment before shoving him to get his attention, glancing back over at the pair.
>
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> Dean startles a bit when Eli shoves him but recovers quickly, following his friend's gaze over to Nic and Nova. He looks quizzically at Eli.
>
>

> "What d'you think they were talking about down there?" Eli mutters to him.
>
>

> Dean shrugs, unsure. "You could ask..."
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic smiled softly and ruffles Michaels hair before returning his attention to Nova. Michael smiles a bit at the hair ruffle.
>
>

> Nic opens his mouth to say something to Nova, but his gaze shifts over to his teammates, muttering off to the side. He raises an eyebrow. "What are you two muttering about?"
>
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Maya Rice

> Dean turns toward Nic when he calls attention to himself and Eli, chuckling a bit and then nudging Eli. "Why don't you tell him, yeah?"
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>

> Eli rolls his eyes, straightening up a bit. "I was just curious about what the two of you were up to down there," he looks between Nova and Nic, a small smile starting to form on his face.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic snorted. "I see why you asked Dean, then. With his super-sonic hearing." He looked over at Nova and grinned. "Can I brag?"
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> Michael frowned down at his papers, listening.
>
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Maya Rice

> Nova responds to Nic's question with a shy, tentative nod, both curious and anxious as to how his friends would respond to the news.
>
>

Andrew Gaidry

> Nic gave his friends a wide grin. ".... I'll give you guys-" He pauses, thinking. "A whole high-5 if you can guess who just got a date for homecoming."
>
>

> Michael stiffened slightly, looking over at Nova. Were they dating now???
>
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Maya Rice

> Eli grins, laughing. "I /knew/ it," he chuckles. "Congrats, dude." He then looks to Nova, grin widening. "And good luck. I'd be willing to bet Nic is like, the absolute worst at dancing." His tone is light and teasing.
>
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> Dean laughs as well, rolling his eyes at Eli. "How would you know, huh? Have you two been practicing together?" He raises his eyebrows and then winks, giving a small nod to Nova. "Congratulations, though. I'm sure you guys will have a good time."
>
>

> Nova's cheeks begin to turn red now that so much attention is focused on her. She smiles nervously, nodding and muttering, "Thanks," in response to Dean.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic laughed. "Whaat? I'm a GREAT-" He scrunches up his nose, thinking carefully. He looks over at Nova. "I'll practice, I promise." He smiles over at her.
>
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> Michael realizes that hes just staring. He drops his gaze. "Uh, congrats." He said, voice barely above a mumble.
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Maya Rice

> Nova laughs when Nic promises he'll work on his dancing. "Believe me, I guarantee that I'm probably ten times worse than you --" She pauses when she hears Michael's mumbled congratulations. She offers him a small, gentle smile. "Oh, thanks!"
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh thank /god/, we can suck together." He chuckled softly.
>
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> Michael gives her a slightly strained smile. He in general just seems pretty stressed. And nervous. And uncomfortable.
>
>

Maya Rice

> "Hey," Eli says, turning to look at Dean with a smile. "How much do you wanna bet that Nic will end up stepping on her feet, like, two dances in?"
>
>

> "I have faith in Nic," Dean laughs with a shake of his head. "It'll take him at least five."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He scrunched up his nose, giving them a ligt hearted smile and playfully hitting Dean's arm. "You know what? You guys aren't getting those high-5's now. You've lost your high-5 priveledges."
>
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Maya Rice

> Dean fakes a gasp. "Oh /no,/" he groans, tone full of pretend dread. "I can't believe you would rob us of such a thing..."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> Nic nodded solemnly. "You have only yourself to blame." He turns to Nova. "... would you like their forsaken high-5's Nova?"
>
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> "Can I have one?" Michael piped up.
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> Nicholas chuckled and gave Michael a high five. Michael smiled.
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Maya Rice

> "I think I'm good," Nova responds with a small smile and a laugh.
>
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> Dean nods in approval to Nova's response. "I like you," he says decisively. "You know what's /right/..." He side-eyes Michael, chuckling softly. "You wouldn't betray those of us who have been denied high-fives, even if the person offering them /is/ incredibly charming."
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> Michael blinked with surprise, seeming genuinely alarmed and worried that he actually did something wrong, withdrawing his hand a bit and smile dropping. Nicholas laughed and stuck out his tongue at Dean, wrapping an arm around Michaels shoulders and pulling him close. "Betray? Please- hes my brother, you fools. He's always been on my side." He winked.
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Maya Rice

> "Pfft," Dean rolls his eyes. "Fine, defend your traitorous brother..." Despite his words, he's smiling over at Michael. "You two deserve each other."
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> Eli laughs, nodding in agreement. "You and Michael can stick together," he says to Nic, "and we'll take Nova."
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Andrew Gaidry

> Michael grins, giggling softly.
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> "Wait- /hey/ now!" Nic laughed. "Get your own homecoming dates, don't steal /mine/."
>
>

### Red enters (Texting)

Andrew Gaidry

> To: Dean, Eli - 5:35 PM
> yo me n cece are on our way you guys better be ready to go
>
>

### Red exits (Texting)

Maya Rice

> Dean's about to say something else when he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he nudges Eli once he reads his newest message. "Red says he's on his way," Dean informs him.
>
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> Eli straightens up. "Shit, really?" He pulls out his own phone to check the time, eyebrows going up once he realizes it's already about five thirty. "Damn. Time flies, huh?" Eli returns his phone to his pocket before getting to his feet, stretching and picking up his book-bag. "Not to bail on you guys, but..." Eli casts a glance over at Nic, Michael, and Nova. "We've gotta bail."
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> Dean chuckles at Eli's explanation, getting to his feet as well. "I'm assuming you guys will be heading over soon too, right?"
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Andrew Gaidry

> "Oh no. And we were getting so much work done." Nic tapped his binder shut, chuckling softly. "Yeah! We'll head off soon." He glanced over at Nova. "Do you need a ride..?"
>
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Maya Rice

> Nova nods. "Yeah, um...I can't really drive just yet, so..." she trails off, hoping that she won't be inconveniencing anyone too badly by asking for a ride.
>
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nods. "Sure, no problem! Do you need to stop by your place for anything or do you just wanna go straight there?" Nic slips his binder into his bookbag and slings it over his shoulder. He looks over at Michael and Michael starts packing up his stuff as well.
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Maya Rice

> Dean and Eli begin to make their way down the bleachers, descending to the bottom while chatting a bit.
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> "I think I'm good?" Nova pauses, considering. "I mean, I don't really need to change or anything, so...yeah. We can just head straight there."
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Andrew Gaidry

> He nodded. "Cool! You ready then?"
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> Michael stands as well, holding his bag to his chest.
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Maya Rice

> "I guess I am," she nods, getting up from her spot on the bleachers, starting to slowly make her way down them, being cautious to ensure that she doesn't trip and completely embarrass herself.
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