nxtdrdre

[nxtdrdre]

009.

He had manipulated Bea into meeting him, exploiting her desperation for forgiveness over a past mistake. Each text she sent was met with silence or biting remarks from Andres, creating a volatile exchange. When he finally reached out, it surprised her but also offered a semblance of relief from the hostility. But his intentions remained to worsen their strained relationship, showing no interest in reconciliation.

Despite being suspended from teaching, Andres fabricated a story about being cleared to return to work, luring Bea to meet him after hours under the pretext of needing help with grading. Concealed behind a door, he ambushed her as she entered, striking her unconscious with a desk lamp. Once she was subdued, he moved her to his workspace, securing her wrists and ankles with restraints.

Moments later, Bea began to regain consciousness, horrified by her predicament. Although her mouth was free, allowing her to scream and curse in a futile attempt to attract help, Andres paid no attention. He knew no one would hear her, nor would they arrive in time to intervene.

“Do you ever shut the fuck up?” He finally said, the warmth in his brown eyes illuminating with every word spoken. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all?’”

Silent words continued to pass between them, only stoking his growing anger as he paced around her, studying her closely before tentatively brushing his hand against her cheek, withdrawing it quickly to avoid any retaliation. 

“You know, I can see why Griffin liked you,” he began, his voice softening into a slow whisper, “You have such a pretty face.”

“But do you deserve it after what you did? After making me lose my job? The one that I worked so hard for? With lies?”

Her anger suddenly melted into fear, his tone sending chills down her spine as she started to plead. Andres finally smiled—there was nothing he enjoyed more than when women begged—but this time, he wouldn't yield. He would let her endure the pain, denying her the pleasure of escape.

Bending low to retrieve a bucket hidden beneath his desk, containing an unfamiliar substance, he presented it to her before meeting her gaze, his eyes darkening intensely.

“I heard you don’t like water, so don’t worry. I made sure I didn’t use that.” 

Without hesitation, the substance was cascading down on her, and right away, it started to bubble and sizzle on her skin. Her sobs had grown so loud that he slipped into a mesmerized state, caught in a trance, as her skin peeled away from her face, leaving only the skeletal framework that supported it, as it melted onto her neck and chest, forming unforgettable burns.

Just as he thought it was over, her form appeared motionless, yet it wasn't sufficient for him. It wasn't just about ruining her looks; he wanted to take everything with him. The following substance arrived in a vessel, spreading its potent smell in a circular pattern around her seat, and then proceeded to envelop her entirely.

With a contented sigh, he made his way to the door, moving further from the chaos he had created when he ignited the match and projected it towards her, the fire immediately springing to life.

“Burn in hell.”

[nxtdrdre]

scottie.

Andres sauntered into the classroom, his coffee cup in hand and a pile of well-worn paperbacks under his arm. As he slouched against the desk, his worn leather jacket slung over the back of his chair, he greeted his students with a grin with unkempt hair adding to the casual essence of the room. 

“Good morning, everyone. Are we ready to talk about Shakespeare?” 

Without missing a beat, he dove into his literature lecture, speaking in a relaxed tone that felt more like chatting over coffee than a formal classroom setting. This was his approach to teaching: not draining or dull, but rather calm and understated.

He stood at the front of the lecture hall, his passion for literature evident in every word he spoke. But as he dove into the intricacies of Shakespeare's sonnets, a notification buzzed insistently on the desk he had been resting upon. With a furrowed brow, he glanced down to find an ominous text message awaiting him, demanding he reveal a dark secret from the past. For a moment, he wanted to challenge the text message, to see if there was any truth to the threat, but the longer he let the realization sink in, the more he could feel his heart stop beating. Fear mingled with a sense of disbelief as he swallowed the ultimatum before him: reveal Scottie’s hidden secret or face the dire consequences. 

Unsure if he was being watched, Andres just wanted to get this out of the way so he could move on with his life. But there was a part of him that wished if he had to reveal a secret, it would be anyone but Scottie’s. The past washed over him like a tide, reliving all the moments he shared with his ex girlfriend, the only girl he ever loved. For years, all he wanted to do was protect her, and now he was left with needing to reveal something that would alter her life tremendously. Suddenly, the lecture hall was freezing, and he hadn't realized how much time had passed since he'd first read the text message. "One second," he murmured, his body moving quickly to sit on his desk, adjusting the powerpoint slides on the screen to add one more in between. Clearing his throat to reset the scenery, he flashed a fake smile as he stood back up in front, now glancing toward Carla, one of his best students. 

"You know what? Let's livestream this class. We've been talking about Shakespeare, and I think it's worth sharing his brilliance with the world. Carla, could you do the honors?”

With a nod and a smile, Carla set up her phone to capture Andres and the PowerPoint. "Sure thing, Professor Centeno. We're live now."

Despite his inner turmoil, Andres maintained a neutral expression as he continued with the lesson, the guilt gnawing at him as he knew the next slide would reveal what he desperately wanted to bury. When the slide appeared, displaying Scottie's image and her secret in bold red letters, a heavy silence fell over the room. 

During a particularly bad high, Scottie shot and murdered her drug dealer.

As the truth flashed on the screen, the sound of keystrokes ceased, and Andres prepared himself for the fallout. With another forced smile, he swiftly moved to the next slide, determined to carry on with the lesson. 

“Okay. Moving on.."

[nxtdrdre]

005.

“Get the fuck up.” Andres snapped awake, his eyelids fluttering open to the throbbing pulse at the base of his skull. The foreign substance coursing through his veins had plunged him into immediate drowsiness, rendering him unable to muster the strength to rise. His limbs felt like lead, refusing to obey his commands as he struggled to stand, only to collapse back onto the ground. His memory hazed, recalling only the sensation of someone sneaking up behind him on his way to Tessa’s, then a sudden darkness enveloping him as he was bundled into a vehicle and deposited in this unfamiliar location.

"Who the fuck are you?” His words dripped with a mix of defiance and apprehension, his boldness tinged with the realization of his vulnerable position.

The masked figure chuckled behind the plastic barrier, his presence echoing in the hollowness. Despite the darkness, Andres strained to survey his surroundings, committing every detail to memory in case of a chance for escape. The room resembled a warehouse, but he couldn’t be certain in the dim light. Meeting the masked man’s gaze with determination, Andres attempted to rise once more, only to discover his ankle shackled in place.

"And why should I tell you, Centeno?" The masked man’s voice circled Andres like a predator stalking its prey, increasing his dizziness with every step. “Getting sleepy then, huh? Don’t worry, we’ll make this fast.”

Just as Andres succumbed to his weakness, he felt a sharp pain at his side. He felt his steady breathing completely halter, feeling the air being pulled right out of his frame, causing him to gasp for any oxygen he could grasp. Whatever object used to hit the side of his frame was replaced by a boot, feeling it connect with his jaw shortly after and he could feel a thread of blood spill from his tiers. 

“Fuck,” he cried out, his body contorting into a fetal position to mask the pain, feeling the boot then connect with his back, his head, his ribs, every part that could be hit had been. More blood was spilling from his trembling mouth, bringing his hand up in an attempt to  see if he could feel his lip, as it had felt as though it had been ripped off. In that moment, the boot stepped directly onto his hand, feeling his bones crush beneath it. Andres screamed for mercy, gripping onto the cold ground as he did so. He had been beaten so badly that he had already predicted black eyes on his features, feeling it impossible to even blink normally. “Why are you doing this?” 

Another laugh fell into the room, but this time, Andres couldn’t open his eyes to see the expression that came with it. All he could feel or hear was the man had gotten closer, practically whispering into his ear. 

“Because I know she would want this on video.” And with that, another kick had connected itself to his head. This time, all the lights went out.

[nxtdrdre]

004.

Andres resides in a tucked-away house in Highland Park that he considers his cozy sanctuary. Sharing the space with Griffin, they've managed to merge their similar tastes while allowing Andres to sprinkle in his own touches, reflecting his love for reading with books scattered throughout, particularly in his bedroom. The vinyl records he collects brimming the top of their casings, while nestled in a corner lays his workspace, a desk adorned with papers and pens, where he crafts his lesson plans for his students. Despite its compact size, the house feels spacious regardless, and Andres has never had any complaints living where he does. He doesn’t see himself leaving any time soon.

[nxtdrdre]

003.

The quaint streets of Eldridge were cloaked in a hushed stillness, where the only sound to break the silence was the echo of footsteps against the moist pavement. Memories of the past lingered in the air, especially Rebecca’s death following the accident, casting a shadow of uncertainty upon Andres as he paced the darkened path. Surrounded by the whispering wind and the rustling of bushes, his senses were heightened, drawn from the sounds of the night to the sudden eruption of screams emanating from a nearby building. Halting to a complete stop once the screams thumped against his ear drums, he looked around for answers, the streets continuing to hold secrets that were spread throughout the town of Eldridge. If he hadn’t already seen the text come in, he’d be alarmed, but to say he didn’t expect this would be a lie. With tranquility evidently disturbed, his lithe frame jerked towards the source of the screams, his heavy breathing competing with the loud sounds. As he reached the Raiders' Clubhouse, horror washed over him like a tidal wave, his soul recoiling at the sight of destruction. The next thing he knew, his body crumbled to the ground as his fingers were coated in a maroon-colored substance he knew all too well. Gunfire pierced the air, causing him to take cover under any shelter he could find, until he was dragging an injured body to safety. The intensity of the adrenaline blurred his vision and direction, only aware that he was assisting in keeping someone alive.  Blinking back the tears that were welling in Andres' eyes, his arm instinctively found itself around the woman he still hadn’t identified, to keep her steady. With droplets of crimson adorning the white long-sleeve dress shirt that clung to his chest due to the sweat from it all, Andres gave into his exhaustion, letting his body fall against the sidewalk once they were far enough away. Sitting upright, his blood-stained hands held his face in distress, as if his heart threatened to escape his chest. “Fuck, fuck,” he muttered, his voice barely audible amidst the chaos of his thoughts. The sudden wail of sirens shattered the eerie silence, signaling the arrival of law enforcement, while memories of his mother's peril flooded his mind, driving him to save the woman beside him from the gunfire. “What the fuck just happened?”

[nxtdrdre]

002.

eldridge bears the weight of haunting echoes of the abuse he witnessed at the hands of his father. the agonizing pleas for mercy that came from his mother. the torrent of tears he shed each night as he lay awake in the middle of the night. the transient souls that brushed his heart, only to flee from his life like the current. memories, like stubborn stains, that clung to his psyche, begging for them to be cleansed from his being. but eldridge is also the origin of his emotions, the strength he gained from past traumas, and the perseverance urging him to continue —

[nxtdrdre]

[nxtdrdre]

[nxtdrdre]

“He smells like cigarettes and mistakes.”

— (via caelestispunk)

[nxtdrdre]

What 5 things do you like in a girl?

I was told that “each of my fingers” is too vulgar of a response

[nxtdrdre]

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I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I am free in all the ways you are not.

Fight Club (1999) dir. David Fincher

[nxtdrdre]

owes/connects

owe: alina (r) - 5/7 vidalia (r) - 5/16 donna (s) - 5/13 owed: zoe (s) - 4/24 reagan (r) - 5/17 last updated: 5/17 Ava - After being confided in with something close to her heart, Andres' demeanor towards Ava changes completely. Now he feels like he needs to protect her in every possible way, even from himself.  Blair - Having been friendly in high school, Andres and Enya cross paths whilst in New York and find themselves connecting over their new lives,  away from Eldridge. They find solace in the fact that they both come from the same place and despite them being happy they ran from their hometown, it's comforting to have a part of their old lives close.  

Rowan - Coming from a broken home and spending his whole life searching for something greater, Andres fell into the comfort that was Rowan and his family. Suddenly, the two were inseparable and the MC had taken a liking to him as well, allowing him in and creating a brotherhood. They were the reason he had such an easy time leaving Eldridge and leaving it all behind. To this day, the boys have kept touch, and still have an unspoken language despite the time spent apart. Sebastien - discussing Stevie - Inseparable as they were growing up, it came as no surprise that when Andres fled Eldridge to New York, they would once cross paths again. But everything good always comes to an end and when Stevie ups and leaves, ghosting Andres in the process, he's left with a lump in his throat he's forced to swallow. Now as they reunite once more back in Eldridge due to unfortunate circumstances, Andres can't help the animosity he feels towards the best friend he used to be willing to kill for.  Tessa - discussing Vidalia - When the circus tour made its way to New York, Andres attended and immediately was drawn to Vida. A few dates later, everything went to shit, and Vida never wanted to see him again. But when the funeral brought them together once again, the two struggled with whether to bury the hatchet or to relive the past. Zoe - discussing 

[nxtdrdre]

001.

Within the years spent living in New York and exploring the ins and outs of the city, it never occurred to Andres that he’d ever be back in Eldridge, but here he was, in the town he was so desperate to escape from. Of course, the hotel bar would be his first spot for the night, in dire need to down several drinks until he seemingly would pass out from more than just the shock of reuniting with everyone from high school. Still, doubtful, and skeptical, the male appeared at the far too familiar bar. 

The hands that were hidden away within the confinements of his pockets were retracted just long enough to pull himself onto the nearest bar stool. Once there, chocolate-tinted optics scanned the room in disbelief. Everything familiar felt so *wrong*, like he wasn’t supposed to be here, because well, he wasn’t. Pushing away the thoughts that were suffocating him, he caught sight of a familiar face pacing back and forth between tables, he decided against distracting her with his stupidity, and instead, turned his frame to order himself a gin and tonic. Once the alcohol hit the base of his throat, he felt his body immediately release all the tension that accumulated throughout the week. Things seemed to settle after the funeral, but at the same time, there was something in the pit of his stomach telling him that things would soon erupt once more.

With a slight lift of his phone from the counter, he recognized instantly who was bombarding him— or so he thought. With an eye roll in response, Andres finished off his drink quickly, before he spun his body around once more to face the DJ. Timing his move perfectly, he found himself nodding along to the music filling the gaps between the sparse crowd. Not even his clear infatuation with the music coursing through the ambiance could keep his attention for long, because once his phone continued to buzz against the wooden counter, all concentration halted. Groaning internally as his orbs finally gave into the madness, skimming over the dozens of text messages that were coming in. It was then that he noticed one message in particular standing out from the rest. As he watched the accompanying video, he raised his head to glance at others who seemed to have received the same message. Disbelief washed over him, causing him to inhale sharply, and after what felt like an eternity, a dry sigh escaped his lips.

Throughout the day, a palpable tension had gripped him, and its source now became unmistakably clear. Returning to a space laden with memories that had shaped him, while yearning to turn a new leaf and consign those memories to oblivion became a challenge. It was even more difficult to know that he was stuck in a never-ending cycle for the foreseeable future. Suddenly, attending the funeral, a decision shared by many, seemed like a grave mistake, and he wasn't alone in harboring this regret. His mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead, dancing with the possibility of being next if he didn’t remain in this horrible small town.