malcolmiswright

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm side eyes the girl a little bit. he recognizes her. parker, he thinks he remembers as her name. "yeah, why wouldn't i be?" he asks, truly confused by her question. was she asking because of the video? was she asking because he had to make a speech and it was clear he was uncomfortable doing so? he couldn't imagine that people actually saw and understood how much chris had meant to him. he laughs a little, shaking his head. "wild night, huh? i'm sure it was just a mix up. it happens."

Parker leans against the wall by the drink table, her eyes focusing on the liquid in the glass she's holding. She exhales as she raises her gaze to look around the room, her lips press together as she tries to figure out what is going on in everyone else's head? Is that night taking up their every thought to? Does it eat them alive as much as it does her? She chews on her lower lip, her gaze shifting to look over at Malcolm as he approaches the table.

"It wouldn't surprise me," she chuckles softly. "At least this time we are legal and can have the alcohol they are serving." She remarks before moving off the wall and a little closer to him. She wonders how he's doing, the video and all being exposed to the whole room. "Are you doing okay though?" Of course, the video didn't give much away but she would feel a little weird about it too especially since it was in the middle of a Wilder home video.

@malcolmiswright

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm is a bit anxious about approaching helena, although he can't pinpoint exactly why. there's no real reason anyone could draw anything from that video. but even if they did ... the two did sleep together. it wouldn't be a lie. he just doesn't ever want her to know why he did it. "yeah. why the fuck were we being recorded just hanging out?" he questions. "and why did someone feel it was important to share?"

setting: plot drop 2 event tagged: @classcursestarters

Eyes. There were eyes on her from every spot in the Great Hall, but Helena was used to that. Usually, the intention behind the stare was one of wanting and not...whatever this was but there was nothing she could do about that. That video - how on earth was it taken? Nothing untoward was in it, nothing that would have ruined her but still, she had to imagine the point was to make people talk and that certainly was accomplished. Finally, she couldn't ignore it anymore, turning suddenly to the person closest to her that was obviously looking in her direction. "Do you need something?"

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm's eyebrows simply knit together as the other man speaks. he honestly finds it funny these days. he always knew he'd eventually just become that guy who followed chris around, but it kind of fell off once chris had disappeared. if anything, after that he hoped he'd just kind of sink into the shadows. a world without chris still to this day isn't a world malcolm is very interested in. he simply laughs. "the fuck is up your ass?" malcolm leans into the wall, crossing one leg over the other. "helena was never really my type, anyways, so you've got that a bit twisted there," he lies smoothly. "you've got quite the imagination though. ever thought of becoming an author? let me know, we can sell your book at my store. plenty of room for more grandiose works of fiction."

when  nick  turned  around  ,  notice  given  to  the  other  man  ,  the  grin  that  spread  across  his  lips  was  borderline  evil  .  a  flicker  of  amusement  ,  a  thirst  for  drama  and  enough  ammunition  from  that  tiny  clip  to  believe  that  he  could  make  some  impact  .  he  moves  ,  fingertips  dancing  across  the  bare  wood  of  the  table  ,  solid  oak  and  probably  more  tales  than  even  them  .  "  of  course  you  would  want  to  go  back  to  the  feeling  of  2014  ...  that  was  the  last  time  you  were  relevant  ,  "  as  he  moves  swiftly  ,  grinning  the  whole  time  as  he  begins  to  pluck  some  grapes  from  a  fruit  arrangement  and  build  a  small  pile  in  his  hands  .  there  is  something  measured  about  it  ,  no  abject  emotion  in  the  way  he  weighs  out  what  he  is  saying  ,  provocative  and  accusatory  .  "  i  always  thought  that  you  were  just  pathetic  ...  following  chris  around  like  a  little  lost  puppy  with  no  thoughts  of  his  own  ...  little  did  we  know  that  you  were  even  more  devious  than  that  ,  "  he  laughs  ,  a  shallow  and  cruel  sound  as  he  pops  a  grape  into  his  mouth  ,  popping  it  instantly  with  his  teeth  .  "  did  you  get  so  desperate  for  a  taste  of  him  that  you  had  to  experience  it  secondhand  ...  through  helena  ,  "  the  thought  was  entertaining  to  him  beyond  any  means  or  end  .  there  was  no  way  that  nick  would  be  shutting  up  about  this  lately  ,  it  little  mattered  how  much  truth  was  in  it  .  "  unless  that  video  was  just  the  warm  up  to  a  little  entanglement  .  did  saint  christopher  have  a  little  cuck  kink  ?  you  can  tell  me  .  " 

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm's fists clench at his sides. he can't even believe kai has the audacity to touch him. going further than talking is too much, especially in a time like this. he shakes his head at kai. he will never understand the other man's desire to make the lives of others more difficult. "jesus christ kai, can you just focus on your own shit for one fucking day in your life?" he finally says, exasperation clear in his voice. "the headmistress doesn't give a fuck what happened. i don't give a fuck what happened. and i certainly don't think your parents give a fuck why for some god forsaken reason myself and helena showed up in that slideshow." he rolls his eyes. "you know what, yeah. why don't we go talk to your parents? i'm sure they'd love to hear from their other long lost son. because you know, losing one just wasn't enough for them. they needed both to disappear on them, didn't they?" malcolm knows how chris' parents are. he knows that their family isn't perfect and maybe he can't blame kai for disappearing like that. but he does. he blames him because it's the closest thing he can get to chris, and sometimes a deep and bitter part of him blames chris for leaving him too.

           maybe  it  was  the  fact  that  kai  knew  malcolm  didn't  like  him  . but  there  was  something  satisfying  about  getting  a  reaction  out  of  the  other  male  .  even  if  it  was  something  as  𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐄  as  an  eye - roll  . . .          (      for  now  .     )         sure  ,  everything  about  this  evening  held  a  lot  of  emotions  for  kai  .  frustration  . . .  annoyance  . . .  hurt  . . .  but  none  of  those  things  were  something  the  male  wanted  to  focus  in  on  .  kai  was  much  better  at  turning  his  attention  to  things  like  this  for  example  .  once  his  sights  were  𝐒𝐄𝐓  on  something  ,  he  was  determined  .  kai  wilder  was  a  lot  of  things  but  undetermined  wasn't  one  of  them  .  dedicated  to  whatever  warped  thoughts  were  going  on  in  that  head  of  his  .  was  that  a  good  thing  ?  that  was  up  to  whoever  was  on  the  opposite  end  of  whatever  shit  was  manifesting  in  the  mans  life  .

unable  to  help  the  guttural  laugh  that  fell  from  his  lips  ,  the  utter  bullshit  he  felt  throughout  this  whole  event  .  kai  quickly  caught  his  composure  again  ,  lips  coming  back  together  as  he  narrowed  his  eyes  a  bit  at  the  other  .  hands  still  resting  against  malcolm's  shoulders  .          ❛     oh  ,  of  course  .  how  could  i  forget  ?  look  ,  i'm  sorry  ,  truly  .     ❜          kai  pouted  his  lips  a  bit  .  one  of  his  hands  moving  from  malcolm's  shoulder  and  to  his  chest  ,  tapping  it  a  little  before  dropping  his  hand  back  down  .  he  didn't  mean  a  single  word  or  gesture  he  was  doing  but  that  was  the  whole  point  .  because  he  wasn't  𝐓𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆  to  come  off  that  way  .  he  let  the  sarcasm  roll  off  his  tongue  with  ease  ,  wanting  malcolm  to  know  ,  he  didn't  mean  a  word  he  was  saying  .         ❛     that  really  does  get  me  thinking  though  .  i'm  sure  the  headmistress  just  didn't  realize  that  you  and  helena  put  a  little  video  dedication  in  the  mix  of  their  little  tribute  video  .  i  mean  ,  why  wouldn't  you  two  ,  right  ?  you  were  both  the  closest  to  him  .  you  know  what  we  can  do  ?  we  can  head  on  over  there  and  communicate  those  miscommunications  .  she's  a  religious  woman  ,  i'm  sure  she'd  appreciate  us  forgiving  her  of  her  mishaps  .  i  wouldn't  want  a  tribute  to  get  cut  short  like  that  when  we  truly  deserve  the  𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋  thing  .  he  deserves  it  .     ❜          kai  still  couldn't  get  himself  to  say  chris'  name  but  if  malcolm  wanted  to  play  this  game  ,  kai  would  always  bite  .          ❛     or  even  them  ,     ❜          kai  said  ,  motioning  over  to  his  parents  .          ❛     it  just  isn't  fair  .     ❜

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm sighs, knowing her response is probably correct. they're all expected to be a bunch of mature adults now, right? no one is going to spike the punch. no one is going to make a scene. but someone is going to change the slideshow, make it an odd clip of malcolm and helena. was it a warning? was someone out to get him with that, now that they were all back home? maybe he's just smoked a little too much and the paranoia is here to get him. he breathes out a sigh.

"yeah, you're probably right about that." he grabs a cup of water, not interested in the punch if it wasn't at least going to make things more interesting. "oh that? that little stint up there was nothing. i'm basically a professional, baby." he does a little pose to play up his "confidence" in himself. "it's this part that's weird. i don't really do crowds like this anymore."

          if  any  of  what  happened  on  stage  phased  meena,  she's  doing  a  very  good  job  at  hiding  it  —  chatting  and  laughing  with  everyone  that  comes  into  contact  with  her.  seeing  chris'  face  again  ..   or  well,  anything  with  chris  at  all,  makes  her   heart  sink  a  little  bit.  not  out  of  remorse,  but  more  so  ..  fear?  maybe?  besides,  being  in  the  same  room  as  the  wilder  family  one  adds  onto  said  feeling  but  nevertheless,  her  smile  still  remains  —  acting  as  if  everything  about  this  night  was  alright.            “ i  doubt  it, ”   eyes  glancing  around  while  the  cup  of  said  punch  rising  to  her  lip.  her  gaze  instantly  falling  back  onto  the  malcolm,  smile  on  her  face  as  she  continues  on,   “ if  they  had,  i  think  we'd  see  less  people  with  sticks  up  their  asses. ”   there's  a  laugh  this  time  —  appearing  like  a  light  hearted  joke, “ how  are  you  feeling  now  that  the  big  jitters  are  out  of  the  way? ”

[malcolmiswright]

the smack on the shoulder is unfortunately so fucking distinguishable. typical kai (at least before he made himself disappear from town) to make his presence known to malcolm so quickly and efficiently. malcolm makes an attempt to hide his eye roll, but he's not very good at it. he isn't in the mood to deal with kai tonight. the wounds are so raw, like everything just happened yesterday. he hasn't even had the gall to speak to the boys' parents yet. it's not like he hasn't seen them or spoken to them since chris went missing, but this setting feels so different.

he side eyes the other man, no sense of amusement on his lips. "what about me and helena?" he questions, face remaining unchanged. one thing malcolm has always been proud of is his ability to lie. having an overbearing mother does that to a boy. "her and i spent a lot of time together considering the fact that she dated my best friend. or was that another piece of chris' life that you decided wasn't important enough for you to pay attention to?" he turns his head just enough to be face to face with kai. you're not an angry man, he reminds himself, don't become one. but kai lights the fire within him, always has. "what do you want, kai? you have a family reunion to attend to, don't you?"

           spotting  malcolm  ,  there  was  a  big  possibility  that  kai  should've  just  left  the  male  alone  .  but  alas  ,  it  was  kai  . . .  how  could  he  ?  especially  after  that  little  video  display  .  sadly  ,  it  was  cut  off  and  kai  wasn't  able  to  𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  see  what  was  going  on  .  if  anything  ,  that  was  practically  a  personal  attack  !  teasing  the  class  of  2014  . . .  rude  .  but  more  than  that  ,  kai  was  𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒  what  malcolm  was  up  to  .           (      seemed  like  he  wasn't  any  better  than  the  rest  of  them  .     )         at  least  ,  that's  what  kai  decided  to  believe  from  the  tiny  clip  .  it  𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘  not  being  enough  to  really  put  anything  on  anyone  .  a  completely  innocent  video  . . .  at  least  ,  for  all  everyone  saw  .  but  this  could  only  mean  one  thing  ,  right  ?  a  threatening  message  ,  a  sneaky  little  video  . . .  something  had  to  be  𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆  .  a  slight  intrigue  fired  inside  of  kai  .  as  much  as  he  didn't  want  anything  to  do  with  this  town  ,  the  people  in  it  or  deal  with  his  past  . . .  when  there  was  a  tornado  on  the  horizon  . . .  he  couldn't  help  but  flirt  with  𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑  .

making  his  way  over  ,  kai  brought  his  hand  up  and  smacked  the  male  on  the  shoulder  .  it  was  a  greeting  ,  of  course  .          (      friendly  and  peaceful  .     )        a  kai  wilder  signature  ,  obviously  .          ❛     all  you  had  to  do  was  ask  .  i  got  you  covered  ,  bud  .     ❜        kai  smiled  ,  pulling  out  his  flask  and  handing  it  over  to  the  other  before  turning  around  so  he  was  now  standing  in  front  of  malcolm  .  the  hand  that  had  smacked  him  still  placed  on  his  shoulder  as  the  other  came  up  to  rest  on  the  other  .         ❛      so  ,  you  and  helena  carvalho  ?     ❜        of  course  ,  that  video  was  𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓  and  kai  didn't  know  the  first  thing  about  it  but  he  still  wanted  to  see  the  reaction  he'd  get  from  malcolm  .  kai  never  one  to  shy  away  from  anything  .

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm is no stranger to most of these faces. he met so many people just from following chris around. he still wonders to this day if anyone had realized how enamored he was, or if everyone just thought they were really good friends. that was what he had wanted everyone to continue to believe. at least until the day he could get chris to return his feelings. that was the plan all along. and then... the chance was lost.

"anyone ever tell you you're the fucking best?" malcolm says with a wide grin. he borrows the flask from the other boy, not caring too much about the contents, even when the burning in his throat nearly makes him gag. he's never been much of a drinker. it always makes him want to spit it right back out. but tonight, it's worth it. "how's it feel to be home, man? as warm and cozy as ever?"

He knew Malcom from the newspaper committee, back in the simple days when writing had been his dream, hell, his whole life. The thought stung, made Hollis briefly wish they were back in school again, working on papers with Chris and a much sounder mind. But here they were instead, convincing a group of snobby parents and their kids that this school was the perfect fit for them, or whatever all of this was about. He actually hadn't paid too much attention to what was going on, he didn't have the energy for t.

"I have good news for you," he smiled, doing a quick sweep of the room before removing the flask tucked into his suit pocket to pass to Malcom. "Just in case. Gotta come prepared with the essentials, you know."

[malcolmiswright]

open thread. // @classcursestarters

god, that was weird. malcolm can't get over the fact that he was somehow made to do that speech. he also can't get over the fact that someone, somehow, slipped a clip of himself and helena into a wilder home video. what the hell was that? the video was innocent enough, but he's paranoid now. does someone know something? he knows of only one person other than helena herself, and it's got him a bit on edge. that on top of seeing chris' parents and kai of all fucking people... well, he's in need of a drink in his hand to accompany his bloodshot eyes.

he sighs to himself, trying to subtly release a puff of smoke from his lips before he crosses over to the refreshment table. "please tell me someone spiked the punch in true st. mary's - i mean, new horizons - fashion. i'm clearly dying for that old 2014 feel to life," the words drip from his tongue, coated in sarcasm. always making the jokes.

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm's memories are nearly always swimming with things related to chris. whoever said love or obsessions or whatever this was didn't last once a person was lost - they were wrong. he especially remembers kai. how could he forget? he'd spent so much time at chris' house and developing a distaste for the brother. and for him to just disappear after everything, malcolm hasn't forgiven him. kai had run while malcolm stayed, and it still tears at his soul. he stops in his tracks, observing the other man. "kai." he nods. this isn't going to be a pleasant reunion, he can feel it. malcolm isn't an angry man, but there were certain people that pressed on his buttons. kai had been one for the duration of his and chris' friendship. it's nice to see that hasn't changed. he digs his fingernails into the palm of his hand subtly. he'd always tolerated kai just for chris' sake. but chris isn't here. chris never will be here again, and kai just left with that knowledge. "i don't often offer hugs to strangers," he replies, shrugging his shoulders. "that is, after all, what you'd call someone who skips town for years and you never hear from them." not that he's ever expected or desired to hear from kai. he's just reaching for some kind of proof that the man might at least care.

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 : @malcolmiswright .

         being  back  in  this  godforsaken  town  really  was  the  last  thing  kai  had  ever  wanted  .  back  leaned  up  against  one  of  the  walls  of  the  outside  of  the  convenience  store  .  𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒  flashing  in  his  head  of  all  the  times  he  was  just  a  kid  ,  leaning  up  against  that  same  wall  .  his  turn  as  look  out  while  one  of  his  buddies  wandered  in  and  stole  the  first  six  pack  in  reachable  distance  before  running  off  to  drink  it  near  the  lake  . . .          (      fuck  that  lake  .     )          all  of  it  really  did  feel  like  a  different  lifetime  .  kai  doing  his  best  to  get  as  far  as  possible  from  that  town  and  the  people  that  lived  in  it  .  a  plan  that  was  going  swimmingly  before  he  was  𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃  there  from  whatever  bullshit  was  happening  around  there  .          ⏤        the  other  clearly  minding  their  own  business  ,  kai  glanced  up  and  noticed  malcolm  walking  by  .  unable  to  help  the  almost  amused  scoff  that  fell  from  his  lips  ,  kai  pushed  himself  up  and  away  from  the  wall  in  order  to  get  the  other  males  attention  .         ❛      malcolm  fucking  wright  ,  in  the  flesh  .     ❜          perhaps  ,  malcolm  was  someone  kai  didn't  want  to  interact  with  .  fully  aware  that  he  was  the  best  friend  of  his  beloved  brother  .  kai  𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍'𝐓  avoid  much  ,  but  when  it  came  to  topic  of  his  brother  ,  he  barley  even  muttered  his  name  .  hell  ,  he  ran  off  just  to  avoid  ever  having  to  speak  his  name  or  think  about  him  .  but  alas  ,  if  he  saw  something  he  could  stir  up  . . .  he  couldn't  stay  away  .         ❛     what  ?  no  hug  ?  haven't  seen  me  in  years  and  i  don't  even  get  a  proper  greeting  ?     ❜         kai  spoke  ,  sarcasm  dripping  from  his  words  .  the  male  fully  aware  that  in  the  past  ,  he  𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓  malcolm's  biggest  fan  .  but  that  was  the  point  ,  wasn't  it  ?  part  of  the  fun  .  part  of  the  game  .

[malcolmiswright]

zeppelin had become an unlikely friend for malcolm. truly, he had thought he'd never make another friend after chris. but zep pleasantly surprised him. to malcolm, there will never be another chris - for so many reasons. he can't imagine ever looking at another human that way. the way he had trusted chris with his whole soul, would have given up every single thing for him. he hasn't felt that since. zeppelin, at the least, was kind and reliable. a comfort in the last few years. they had grown close enough that malcolm might even refer to him as his best friend now. it's not like malcolm exactly attracts friends easily. however, he's not accustomed to talking about chris. when zeppelin speaks, he nearly freezes. those words - feels like it happened yesterday. the unspoken it. have they ever even discussed chris like that? malcolm can't remember. he clears his throat and nods. "it's too much attention if you ask me. i don't know what they think they're going to get out of all of this. we didn't have the answers ten years ago and we don't have them now." he shrugs, taking a hit from the marijuana filled vape pen he carries on him. "i just hope they direct their attention more towards the people who left town. we've been here for too long for them to care about us."

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 : @malcolmiswright .

            malcolm  and  zeppelin  didn't  really  speak  back  in  high  school  .  the  two  not  really  becoming  friends  until  their  more  𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓  years  .  malcolm  popping  up  in  town  off  and  on  ,  the  two  ended  up  running  into  each  other  and  ever  since  ,  zeppelin  was  glad  to  say  he  had  a  friend  .  an  actual  loyal  ,  good  friend  that  was  more  than  likely  good  for  him  .  the  catch  that  zeppelin  felt  as  though  ,  with  all  the  time  passed  they  wouldn't  really  have  to  talk  about  was  the  chris  of  it  all  .  knowing  that  malcolm  was  close  friends  with  the  missing  kid  . . .  meanwhile  ,  zeppelin  had  went  around  telling  people  he  was  good  friends  with  chris  but  really  hardly  knew  him  .  zeppelin's  𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄  attempt  to  try  and  protect  everyone         (     including  himself  ,     )         from  the  secrets  they  were  all  holding  in  about  chris  wilder  .  nevertheless  ,  the  subject  had  never  fully  came  up  between  malcolm  and  zeppelin  . . .  some  things  were  the  past  and  some  were  the  present  . . .  right  ?  ...  not  exactly  with  that  new  message  going  around  and  reunion  sneaking  up  on  them  .  another  thing  to  add  to  the  list  of  things  zep  was  freaking  out  about  . . .  the  𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑  that  all  this  was  about  to  explode  in  their  faces  and  there  was  a  chance  his  lies  would  bite  him  in  the  ass  . . .  that  malcolm  would  be  upset  with  him  and  the  one  person  that  he  managed  to  build  a  genuine  friendship  with  would  kick  him  to  the  curb  .  but  for  now  . . .  they'd  be  fine  . . .  right  ?           (       zeppelin  always  one  to  dwell  on  the  negatives  ,     )         even  if  he  was  in  the  clear  .  he'd  still  find  a  way  to  let  things  build  up  in  his  head  .        ❛     it's  just  so  much  attention  ,  you  know  ?  i  feel  like  all  eyes  are  on  us  and  our  class  . . .  ten  years  ,  man  . . .  it's  been  ten  years  and  it  still  feels  like  it  happened  yesterday  .      ❜          zeppelin  went  on  ,  one  of  the  𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐄  moments  he  brought  up  the  past  with  malcolm  .  what  better  time  than  now  when  things  were  seemingly  starting  to  bubble  over  with  an  𝐔𝐍𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍  mystery  ?

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm is intrigued by vincent's attitude. he truly doesn't remember much about the other man either, but he finds it quite amusing that vince doesn't even remember who he is. he at least recognizes most of them. malcolm takes the pen back and pockets it. he's got a rather constant high most of the time. he can't remember the last extended period of time in which he was sober. he was high so often that his mother had stopped scolding him for coming to the house smelling like weed. "malcolm wright," he answers in response, tilting his head upward in greeting. "also class of '14, only difference is i never left this god forsaken place."

vince grins, shrugging his shoulders, taking another lazy sip from his glass and his gaze travels across the room, returning a wave some unknown woman casts in his direction before his gaze falls back on the nameless man. ❛ shit, you're right. a decade is plenty of time to forget,❜ vincent agreed, watching with curious eyes at the other's use of a vape device, even more interested once it's presented to him. who was vince to turn down free shit ?? accepting the device, vince tips it in gratitude in the man's direction, before bringing it to his lips and helping himself to a puff or two, letting the vapor sink into his lungs as he holds it there, passing the pen back. ❛ vincent atwood, ❜ he states proudly, the introduction riding the coattail of an exhale free of smoke. ❛ class of '14 like the majority of the fucks in this place right now. ❜

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm barely runs his tongue across his lower lip. "i'm not godly enough to pray over," he jokes. "i'm sure you couldn't have forgotten that much about me." he sticks his hands in his pockets and watches her as she speaks. it's so odd to him to see his old classmates this many years later. "it's very cruel. don't let it happen again. i'll let it slide just this one time." the smirk never leaves his face.

smiling at the other, matching his grin, the brunette laughed at his words and pressed her palms together in a faux display of thankful prayer, taking a few steps forward to accept the charger presented to her, clutching it and holding it to her chest, not yet reaching into her bag for the device in need of charging. ❛ thank you, ❜ she beamed, still refusing to reach into her purse. ❛ how cruel of me to think you'd ever be anything less than prepared, malcolm. truly — you're a life saver.❜

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm hasn't seen her in so long, yet her affect on him hasn't faltered. he presumes it hasn't with anyone. helena has always been, well, different. she's so likeable. loveable, even. malcolm had once said he could see why chris would love her, and maybe in another life he could have too. "milan sounds like a dream. they were very lucky to have you." he crosses his arms over his chest, eyes taking in the woman before him. "people without taste, maybe." he chuckles softly. "how do you feel about being back? please reassure me that i'm the best part for you." the shameless flirt.

That claim was debatable, and they all knew it - had Malcolm really run anything? Not when Helena was in the room, the town or even the goddamn country. But there was no need to dwell on that when they both knew it was true. "I've been in Milan now for a few years, went on a trip for work and never wanted to leave so I didn't." It had been easy, and her life had been absolutely blessed ever since. She had everything she wanted, everyone she could ever be interested in and coming back here was just hammering the last nail into the coffin of St. Mary's. Hopefully. "I'm not surprised, who hasn't missed it?"

[malcolmiswright]

"well haven't you just got me pinned," malcolm responds, smirking at her. he doesn't want to think about how accurate his own statement is. after all, that's what had gotten him into the position of her knowing his deep dark secret. he rubs a hand across the stubble coating his chin. "i'm anything but stagnant, if i do say so myself. i'm thriving here, baby. can't you tell?" he interlaces his fingers behind his head, attempting to emphasize his feelings. he doesn't say that the only reason he hasn't left is because he won't leave chris.

"I think you know what it means Malcolm, unless you've picked up some new hobbies since we've been gone." She doubted it. Considering the weird things he was into, the reasoning she never understood ( even though she hadn't tried all that hard to ) he was a strange guy but, as far as she knew, harmless. "Comfort is the enemy of innovation, being comfortable leads to stagnation. Personally, I don't think I'd be okay with that, but I guess if you are..." Iris trailed off. Maybe lesser people would be fine with that and that might have included Malcolm, she wouldn't have been shocked.

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm recognizes most of his old classmates as they pour into town. after all, they went through some stuff together. but there were a few he'd know just their presence. a familiar feeling near him, his eyes dart upward from the counter of the shop he works in. so many people come here every day, looking for records and books and getting their caffeine fix. some of them knowing the right people to hook them up with the stronger stuff, to which he turns a blind eye. the face that his eyes are met with could be here for whatever he wants, he's just happy to see him. the grin on his face spreads further. "well if it isn't you?" he taps his fingers gingerly on the counter. "did you miss me that much that i had to be the first thing you saw when you came back?"

@noelsovain

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm props his hands on his hips, head tilted like he's really thinking hard about it. "totally," he finally responds, though not seriously. he tucks his tongue into his lip as she speaks, nodding along. "well, to each their own, you know?" he honestly isn't sure he'd have even been able to leave if it weren't for his mom. could he leave chris like that? "and what's that supposed to mean, ris?" his mouth tweaks up in a smirk. "it's it for me now. i'm comfy, why would i leave that?"

"Oh, does it?" She asked, knowing he was only joking ( or she assumed he was ) but there was nothing she wanted more than to be back in Portland with all of this behind her. Although with having Yvonne as a stepmother, would she ever be free of it? "That's depressing. No offense to anyone but, fuck, I couldn't get out of here fast enough." And sometimes she wished she'd stayed in New York after Columbia, but she'd been guilt tripped too hard to be closer. "I know your interests are...out there but Lincoln City? This can't be it for you."

[malcolmiswright]

malcolm's grin doesn't falter when helena's weight falls into his own. he's happy to see her, even ignoring that little voice in the back of his mind that reminds him why he ever slept with her in the first place. but she'd never know. she could never know. he squeezes her close for a few moments before pulling back. "oh you know, same old same old. still running this town like i own it, of course." he chuckles. "how are you? i've missed that pretty face around town, you know."

"And you'd be right about that." Helena's smirk grew into a full-blown grin as she crossed over and threw her arms around him. Was it too much considering their history? Absolutely. But as far as people went, Malcolm was one that she understood and actually didn't mind being around. It was strange all things considered but it didn't matter to her, and she didn't think about it that much. "How have you been, babes? It's been ages."