finalghost

[finalghost]

— FOR A MOMENT , SHE resists , wriggling hopelessly in her captor's cage of steel limbs . one hand is around her wrist , heavy like an iron cuff , and another muzzling her venomous tongue . maybe if eliza was not struggling so fiercely , whining in muffled protest against their palm , she would have caught the familiar scent of cedar & mint lingering off hot , freckled skin . or the rumble of amusement in his chest as it came flush to her spine . though , it is not until thomas's lips part , bidding her to submit , does eliza settle in his arms ( finally recognizing who's they are ) . dragged down to the grassy floor and between bent knees , eliza tries to win back her voice , only to be silenced once more by leaves crunching in the distance . heavy footsteps ( two ? no , three pairs ) shake the earth . their opponents show no effort at caution or tactic ; luke must have thought the game was being played in his favor .

slender fingers curl around his , large & calloused , and peel the mask away from pouting lips . " i don't like this game . i'm hot , i'm tired , i lost camille . why can't we just , like , surrender ? " but she can tell ( a rabbit - heart racing in rhythm with the distant footsteps , the eager twitch of his tensed muscles ) , that thomas is as much in the game as the others . fucking jocks . " where's the . . . flag or , uh , end - zone anyways ?? i swear , i must've run around this entire forest twice already . "

HE HAD SPOTTED HER ABOUT HALF A MILE AGO ; a galloping gazelle , clumsy in her footfall , arms splayed as she navigated the foreign terrain of the outdoors . it was adorable to witness , sunburnt nose scrunched in devoted concentration , pigtails bobbing behind her , a clear disgust for what was occurring painted across her features .

it had been almost too easy to reach around the tree he had slipped behind , catching the damsel by surprise as he latched onto her wrist and tugged her out of the herds immanent approach . he pulled her spine to his chest , large palm masking her lips ( silencing the very protest that would have given them away ) before sinking down until the two of them were sat at the trunk's base , tented by foliage . " shhhh , " he cooed into her ear , looking over his shoulder to see if the others were coming this way . his other hand wraps around her waist , pulling her between his bent knees , hand still clamped over petals he knew would bloom in protest ; " relax -- it's just me . "

[finalghost]

— CURIOUS EYES GLEAM WITH something other than green . they linger on milo , tracing over him for a second or more , before obediently following the path of their pointed thumb . back and forth , back and forth ; her gaze flickers between the skeleton house & its last living occupant .

finally , after some quiet consideration , a thin , manicured brow arches upward . " oh , so you're clairvoyant now . of course you would be . watch ' sixth sense ' one too many times , or did all those dru —— " drugs finally melt your brain . eliza bites the tip of her tongue , hiding the comment behind a syrupy smile . she had promised camille to play nice . luckily for the both of them , milo was , for once , proving themself to be . . . bearable.

" well , " one hand rests on her hips , the other tossed out toward one of the other abandoned shed - house homes . " what about them . another nuclear family , or was it all white picket fences ? "

it was a familiar scene, wandering through neighborhoods and making up stories, though this was a lot more run down than they were used to. milo preferred it this way; when they were a kid, watching the families around them go through their normal day, there was little room for imagination. they could make up names, careers, whatever, but the truth was plainly in front of their face. this was a blank canvas. milo finds, as they haunt this mining town, their imagination has gotten a lot darker. or maybe reality seeped into fantasy still, even without a living person around.

as startled as eliza is, so are they, as they step out of the abandoned corpse of a house and onto a brittle twig, met with the unexpected presence of life. water splattering across their face, they laugh breathlessly "um, yeah. how'd you know?" they point a thumb toward the house behind them "fuckin' mountain of issues with that family."

[finalghost]

[finalghost]

closed starter ,  thomas ortesky  . found in the thick of the woods , amidst the chaos of an intense game of ' man - hunt ' .

— FUCK REEVE AZIZ . she had zero foundation to assume so , and yet eliza was absolutely certain that he had a hand in riling luke up to play this god - awful game . as if sleeping in the woods was not already bad enough . . . now they were running wild , hunting each other like animals . no matter where she turned or how fast her feet carried her , it was impossible for the fawn to evade the thundering of footsteps , following her clumsy trail of crushed grass and lingering vanilla air .

breath coming in sharp , tired gasps , she dares pause for a moment . soft skin meets rough bark as eliza leans into one of the trillion identical trees lining monte cristo's mountain . sadly , though , her reprieve is a brief one . the haunting clatter of chase quickly grows near , and the woman answers with an exasperated whine . reluctantly , her back straightens and she braces for another half - hearted sprint , but something stops her first . or , someone . a hand closes around her delicate wrist and pulls , dragging eliza behind the large tree she'd been lounging against . " OWW , that hur -- !! " she cries out before a heavy hand can slap over her mouth , cutting the princess's whines off short .

@seeinghcsts

[finalghost]

closed starter ,  milo mendoza  . found amongst the abandoned skeletons of old homes .

— IT WAS A MISTAKE , honestly , to have stumbled into the forgotten neighborhood of debris . cabins that were once the humble homes to miners and their kin , reduced down to ugly relics in a ghost town . her brow knits as she spins in slow circles . this definitely wasn't camp — unless something disastrous had happened in the short hour she'd slipped away for a dip in the lake .

a branch snaps behind her and eliza jumps , a squeal stealing away into the fading - summer air . she spins toward the noise . still heavy with water , trails of wet tickling down the woman's prickled spine , beads fly off her hair like tiny , soft bullets . but , it's easy to catch the culprit : sporting a cap of bright pink hair . " wha-- what are you doing ? " eliza huffs , trying to regain her composure whilst her heart races violently inside her chest . " playing house ?? "

@soundbord

[finalghost]

— CAMPING . IT WAS NOT the way eliza had hoped to spend one of the last weeks of summer break . in fact , she was openly ( or , as some might argue , loudly ) opposed to luke's proposed ' birthday getaway ' . and yet , there they all were — roughing it in the woods for three painfully slow days . still , eliza was nothing if not an ingenue . born for the warm glow of a spotlight , poised atop a grand stage . bred by the elite , etiquette and grace written within her very makings.

letting her head loll , soft blades of green tickling the side of a sun-kissed cheek , eliza offers the other an easy smile . " don't let the birthday boy hear you . i already got an earful about debbie - downing . " apparently , the poor thing couldn't even complain about becoming mosquito fodder without receiving a curt reprimand . then again , she was adamantly refusing to give up vanilla - jasmine perfume for bug spray . " why ? something eating at you ? other than , y'knooow , the bugs . . . "

WHEREABOUTS SECURED: A FOREST CLEARING.   CATCHING THE LAST FEW STRAYS OF MID-AUGUST ULTRAVIOLET. @finalghost

the shell of her world had been cracked wide open. luke — of all people — had done this to her. he had done the flaying and isla had taken to laying in the grass, barefoot in the underbrush just to feel anything other than red hot. at the very least, she hadn't been alone. isla had eliza to accompany her. just two girls sunbathing in their bereavement. isla lifts the back of her palm to shield low eyes from the sun, rolls her head to eliza, rattled by a certain unshakable feeling — grinning despite. " it feels like we walked into a mistake or somethin'. "

[finalghost]

— THE DIP IN HER waist notched comfortably against the island's granite rim , her head lazily tilting to the side , too , as she leaned away . there was a blankness cast over her face , like not a thought existed behind those glittering , drink-glazed eyes . she'd gotten so good at playing dumb , it was sometimes hard to forget she wasn't — not entirely . empty pupils , large splotches of spilled ink , gave the man a quick once - over , narrowing only when they dragged back up to meet his own pools of thick , malted chocolate . " what's that supposed to mean ? " an perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched upward , matching nicely with the hand placed atop her other hip . " i'm the same-old liza , aren't i ? "

sure , a near - decade was a long time , but she was still her . camille's best friend , decorated in hues of pink . a crown of curls , pale brown tickling just below her waist . stubborn , spoiled , and a bit melodramatic at times . always ( well , almost always ) wearing her heart on her sleeve . " and you're the same stupid tommykins . kody's a smart girl , though . " or so she assumed. eliza had never really bothered to cultivate anything beyond an ' acquaintanceship ' . " i'm pretty sure if she thought she could do better , she would . i know you & cammy have , like , mommy-issues beyond the help of modern therapy . . . but if you keep self-sabotaging , you're gonna end up sad and alone and , " green eyes fell away , as did the slight simper toying by the edge of her lips . " ugh , nevermind ! keep being allergic to happiness . i'm gonna go make some of my own —— have you seen cam's boy - toy ? they have my . . . candy . "

AT THE SIMPLE DEMAND FOR MANNERS , all thomas could offer was a tilt of his head , followed by the lifting of brows , before his chin was swaying . left to right , side to side . a low laugh added sound to his otherwise silent dismissal of an offer he had made out of humor , followed by a scoff . he was approaching dangerous territory with churning waters ; the red flag billowing at the sea's edge translating to do not enter .

or , , , maybe that flag meant SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK .

the empty beer is polished off , the can being crushed beneath his furled fingers as the pad of his free thumb swipes along his lower lip to collect any stale , watery ale that remained . " you're somethin' else , liza , " he mused , adding the ravaged container to the graveyard that had been erected on the cracked , kitchen counter ; splintered laminate with bubbles building beneath its uncleaned , poorly kept surface .

a look to his sister's best friend , followed by the limp shrug of a shoulder . he looks down at his fingers , rubbing thumb across calloused pads . like they were covered in dirt instead of glitter . " i think ko deserves better than just playin' house with me . " thomas believed kody deserved more than him entirely , but that same sheer stubbornness was why he still held on so tight . because he knew she'd dismiss that thought if he were to voice it .

sights lifted just in time to catch her gaze as it returned to his , eyes momentarily distracted from their silent search for something new to drink . he laughed , vision momentarily cutting out as he did ; the kitchen , the lowlight , and her arched form nothing more than a blur as he attempted to blink his eyes back into focus . " harder , " he echoed , humming contemplatively . thomas remained against the counter adjacent to the one she was lounging on , bringing one elbow to rest on it as his fingers mirrored her actions ; brushing the pad of his pinkie beneath his nostrils . there was a knowing glint in his eye as he lowered his voice ; " like i said . you're somethin' else . "

[finalghost]

— 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 ⁽ ᵗᵃˢᵏ ⁰⁰⁴ ⁾

[finalghost]

— THE DRUNKEN BUZZ OF his voice was lost to her , blended within the untamed dissonance that encased them . blaring music , faintly muffled by thin walls . the sharp ring of laughter & screams slithering in through an open window . red solo cups snapping under careless feet while glass bottles jostled atop the counter's growing landfill . eliza purposefully distracted herself with the subtle , tinkling tune of the party's soft minutiae ; the small details she always seemed to miss , too busy spinning through the nights' in a daze .

it was not until he leaned in — the lip of an empty can tapping her knee and drawing dulled attention back — did eliza's neck loll , turning a sage gaze back on him . then , a manicured nail was dragging across the marble counter , sliding up the can's smooth metal side & tap-tap-tapping against . for a moment , the only answer she gave was that empty echo .

" say ' please ' . "

however , eliza's kittenish simper , practically sewn to doll-like features , slowly unstitched . despite the haze , the blurred vignette accenting her peripheral , painted by a mixed cocktail of substances , a hum of consciousness remained . she was reminded who exactly stood beside her . and with that slow recognition , his question ( coated with a cruelness he could never understand ) held a bite . the sharp pinch of a needle .

eliza flinched . green eyes paired with a rosebud blush , and her pouty lips twisted as if brushed by something sour . melting off the counter , eliza — possessing a practice poise even with some handful of tequila shots tickling her nerves & blurring the scenery — glided with fluid grace toward the small island adjacent . leaning into it , curious fingers danced over the collection of bottles & cans with mild disinterest . " i'm sure s o m e o n e here would just looove to play house with you . " the words were drawled with slow , painful pointedness . " but i'm getting a little bored with the bottle service . think i might , " her spine arched , twisting to catch his gaze for a brief moment and flashing the mask of a smile . she tapped her nose . " try something harder . "

AS ELIZA'S HAND ONCE MORE INVADED his personal space , swatting away at fiddling fingers as they toyed and manipulated the hem of kody's shirt , thomas jumped back as if her almond manicure carried an electrical current . " christ , alright !! fuckin' hell , " he grit , hands flying up with palms facing outwards . " no , i don't wanna ' ruin her vision ' . i'll stop touchin' it . " he bit back grumpily , a scorned child that had been caught doing something they shouldn't have been . the room ebbed and flowed , the drugs in his system making tile look like rolling waves , and he leaned his back against the counter to try and ground himself . he felt light , adrift in the open sea , , , if that sea happened to be made of perspiration slicked bodies of inebriated grad students . thomas rolled out his neck , releasing some tension that had crowded around his joints , before lulling his head to the side to look at eliza once more ; her face now shrouded in a pink hood , features tucked beneath hued shadow .

he smiled limply at her , lazily , submitting to the floaty feeling as he hummed in reply to her chastising . eliza's voice was like spider silk ; clinging to his skin , slipping beneath it , creating webs between his bones . it felt like each vibration caused by her speech was tickling him . " i'm not an artist , " he retorted with a theatric scoff , shaking his head . " — i'm a man who studies artists . i have a sketchbook but i'd hardly classify anything in there as art . it's , , , entirely different . " he thought he was making a point , a solid one at that , but the minute each syllable curled his tongue and each consonant sounded against his teeth ; any word thomas spoke had lost all meaning to him . fluent in a language he didn't understand . swelled pupils ventured once more across the kitchen , overwhelmed by the way it warped beyond recognition , gaze seeking out eliza's to ground him again as he inched closer , knocking his beer can against the cap of her bent knee . " bottle feed me beer ?? i mean SHIT , i dunno , " he replied , a playful song to his coo as he raised his brows at her , his smile spreading across drunk-flushed features ;

" are you offering ?? "

[finalghost]

— FLOATING LIKE A FAIRY , eliza soundlessly hopped from one step to the next , winding up the seemingly endless stairwell to heaven ( aka luke's room , where she planned to take a brief catnap ) . however , invisible angel wings froze , eyes snapping to the side where an all too familiar shadow lingered in the hazy vignette of her peripheral .

a cheshire smile curled , and , suddenly , the featherbed's tempting call fell quiet ; praise — as small as the sampling had been — was her favorite sweet treat , and she didn't dare miss out on a single bite .

eliza sauntered closer , taking up the spot beside him . practically liquifying against the wood railing ( hips propped against its slim bars , an arm hanging over the open edge , head tilting sideways ) green eyes glowed beneath the thick of heavy lashes . " my oh myyy ! high praise from THE reeve aziz ? i might blush . " the curl of precocious lips loosened , her grin melting away into no more than a subtle , arrogant smirk . " well ? don't stop there . any other sweet things you wanna say to me before turning back into ' hyde' ? "

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 : closed for @finalghost 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 : a quick kiki on the upstairs balcony

❝ OKAY, FINE. I'LL ADMIT IT. ❞ her heel had barely made it up the last step when reeve, draped over the landing rail overlooking the crowd, caught eliza out the corner of his eye and called out. ❝ you had a couple of good ideas. ❞ more than a couple, but even with how unlikely either of them were to remember this conversation come morning, reeve had a hard enough time getting his own fair dues to feel comfortable relinquishing much credit. still, with the party stretched out before them— laughter sounding from the kitchen over shots of cherry schnapps, dance floor balloons exploding into showers of glitter confetti, a game of suck and blow gathering on the living room floor— he felt he had to give eliza something.

[finalghost]

— MAYBE IT'S THE WAY her head was spinning , or heat glowing within the marrow of her bones — blood bubbling & boiling from hours of endless movement , spent melting between bodies sticky with sweat & evaporating like mist from one room to the next — but eliza was antsy as soon the little room's door clicked shut . it felt too cramped , too quiet , too close . milo's voice practically boomed as it rolled out of his throat and rumbled the laundry room's littered array of dirty clothes & dust bunnies . ' cute ' . " was he ? couldn't tell —— wasn't really looking at his face . "

restless & jittery , muscles quivering at the same frequency of a hummingbird's manic wings , eliza's pointer and thumb shot out . she pinched milo's cheek , her voice rising a few octave's too high — whining with the same adoration reserved a little puppy . " but you're cuuuter ! cammi's lil' cutie patootie . cute cutie cute . . . "

the string of nonsense spilled from cherry-red lips . her stream of no - consciousness , each word growing less coherent , more mumbly than the last . the sing - songy hum continued ( 'cutie cutie . . . sweet as pie . . . my lil' snow fairy . . . ' ) as she hoisted herself atop the washing machine . bare heels — where the hell had her shoes run off to NOW ? she seriously had to stop bringing designer into the frat — bounced against the box's side , clunking along to the rhythmless tune .

then , with ceremonious grandiose , she announced : " the most fun ! and now —— even MORE !! " peering through thick lashes , head tilting down to see them better from atop her old , metal throne , eliza added , " but where the hell have you been ? slithering around ? keeping my cam from me . " a pout . " i've been aaaall on my lonesome . "

clumsy fingers fiddled with her waistband , the rim of her belt , the edges of her skirt . searching for something that wasn't there . shit , why couldn't bikinis have pockets !? her own remodeled altoid tin ( containing a prized contents dior lip oils , virginia slims , a nail file , and — most important — the snuff spoon ) must have slipped away somewhere between her last lip-locking dalliance , the dance floor , and now . she'd have to improvise —— thankfully , the actress was no stranger to that .

" gosh golly , snow in march ! " eliza snatched the dime bag from milo , wasting no time in breaking its seal & dipping the tip of her manicured nail in . then , in an act of selfless , queenly grace , the spoonful of sugar was extended toward her compatriot . " ladies first . "

there was something about the frat boy in its natural habitat, a special sort of quality. magnetism, perhaps? that which normally came off as dull shined with just a bit of glitter. it was the beer goggles putting in the work, had to be. otherwise, what it was that always attracted the prettiest girls to them was completely out of milo's imagination. eliza's demanding hands, the temptation to slip fingers under their board shorts, however, he understood all too well. but, milo wasn't the prettiest girls. he was below them. that was why, taken as he was, it was hard for him to tear his eyes away from the skunk-scented mannequin that wouldn't alone unwrap itself from poor eliza.

they don't have to make a move, rip the hand from her waist like they're reaching to do, because eliza does so first. they watch the brother skulk off, grin a mixture of humored and impressed. they snort, shoulder lifting in a shrug as their eyes shift ahead, downward at liza "cute." but now that the eye candy is gone, the slow working cogs of their mind grasp onto her words before : my favorite, and all mischief in their expression is gone. what remains is a softness that'd get them killed in the seedy underbellies they somehow slip through. but milo was a cockroach, the malleability of their heart working so little to adjust, and surviving despite. besides, this was a safe space, and eliza was a friend. it was a word they hesitated to use with her most days, but rang true tonight.

being the favorite was why they did this, an unloved child who found the hack to the otherwise indifferent parties' affections. they don't smile with teeth anymore, find baring fangs like an excitable, feral mongrel too harsh for the gentle wave washing over them. that, and something about eliza always made them want to hide crooked teeth, certain the gem glued to one in the front would do nothing to distract her from their— his imperfections "yeah, yeah, i got you." and they did.

he's leaning against the washer, fumbling in his pockets and producing an old altoids tin. the inside, thoroughly cleaned before being painted by kody. he reaches past a white lighter, a rolled up $10 bill, a blunt, a broken candy bracelet, and hands over one of two dime bags— this one lacking in the color the other was abundant in. milo wasn't big on snow, they were a smoker first and foremost, but attempts to connect with camille, and later eliza, changed everything "you having fun?" it was a shit attempt to make small talk, and they way their hands shake as they pass over the white substance shows that they know it.

[finalghost]

— CAMILLE'S STICKY SWEET BREATH kissed the curve of eliza's neck , and , in response , the soft slope of her nose bunched - up into a rabbit's . instinctively , her shoulder tightened , its blade coming up to meet the edge of her jaw , whilst pearly whites did a poor job at biting back the canary's song of girlish giggles . " n o o o ! i'm ticklish !! " , eliza practically shrieked . when camille did pull away , the subtle gleam in glazed eyes would have looked almost accusatory if not for the mirth swimming amongst muted hues of sage & sky .

sucking in a deep breath , sipping up the air she'd lost from laughing , the fine point of an almond - tipped nail drilled a shallow dip into her friend's cheek — right where their dimple lived . " kinda sm a a a rt if ya' think 'bout it. " eloquence & poise lost to the dangerous cocktail mixing in her stomach , eliza's words came out short , as if she hadn't the effort in her to sound out each syllable . " it's like a big , ugly , pepto - bismal - pink STOP sign screaming ' MINE ' . everyone'll know exactly who they've been lockin' lips with —— " her finger flattened . the pad of it rubbed at the same spot her lips just had , smudging the color across the other's cheek like rouge . " just gotta spot which brothers' are lookin' pretty in pink . i wonder if their taste in guys is as ' good ' as their taste in gloss ? "

the grin on camille’s face only grew as they watched eliza grapple with the offensively pink tube. ❝            yeah, it’s someone’s purse pick, ❞  well, not anymore it’s not ! ❝ saw it and i thought of you ‘cuz it’s so pink and pretty, ❞ they teased. eliza actually moving to put it on was bolder than they had assumed, effortlessly pulling laughter from camille as she always could.

❝ hmm let me see… ❞ they leaned in closer to their best friend, chipped black nail polish against her perfect complexion. ❝ i don’t think you’ve ever looked more YOU than you do right now. ❞ their laughter continued even as they recoiled from the barbie attack against their cheek.

❝ oh my god, liza ! ❞ faux offense in their tone as they shook their head. she moves back to eliza, forehead nestled into the crook of her neck as the laughter subsided. a deep breath for good measure before pulling away. laughter immeditanly bubbling up from their chest once again as their eyes caught the bright pink again. ❝ can you believe someone actually spent their money on this ? and left the house wearing it ? ❞ and cared enough to bring it for touch ups.

[finalghost]

— IT HADN'T BEEN HARD . in a sea of swinging limbs , sweaty skin , shifting hues of neon , eliza had simply melted beneath the waves . the woman was an actress , after all . taking on the role of a shadow was no more difficult than any of the others she had already played . not that eliza particularly wanted to hide — her calling had always been center stage , beneath the spotlight's warm glow . unfortunately , without camille's discernment to ground her , eliza had a long history of royally screwing herself at parties . well . . . not h e r s e l f exactly ——

she smelled him before she heard him . musk & amber , with notes of sandalwood . hadn't she told him to ditch that cologne ? nose scrunching , eliza curled within his arms like a turtle tucking into its shell . " l u k i e . " , she echoed , not entirely reaching the same level of pleasure that reverberated in his greeting.

twisting in his hold , the hair on entwined arms tickling at her bare waist , eliza's face met his . a foot closer than she would've liked . " well , maybe you just weren't looking h a r d enough . plus , i've been BUSYYY . it's almost midnight !! and this princess has a looot of things to do before she turns into a pumpkin . "

CLOSED , @finalghost.

not often did luke sinclair find himself shrouded amongst the shadows , the golden boy's light not easily dimmed as every step brought forth praise and incessant attention . not that the man minded it , quite the contrary ; each morsel of inebriated accolade happily sipped from a silver spoon . however , there was one who wasn't quick to satiate his hunger for admiration , , , one who skirted along the outer edges of his peripheral and easily entangled herself amongst the masses so as not to be spotted . yet , despite her best efforts to remain undetected ( not that he truly believed them to be her BEST ) - luke's eyes were well trained in the art of knowing precisely where eliza marquis was at all times . if not his eyes , then one of his many , loyal disciples' .

once more drawn into their common game of cat and mouse , luke stepped from where he had been quietly observing and parted the red sea of tacky , glittered skin and entangled limbs . he moved on quick , motivated feet and rolled his tongue along the backs of his teeth , a twitch to eager fingers as he trailed her blurred figure as it danced through the halls . a curtain of chestnut rounded a corner , and luke followed in quick pursuit , a knowing hand flying out to catch her delicate wrist just before she could evade his reach as he tugged her scarcely clad frame into his own .

" ella , " luke purred , bowing his head , invading the threshold of her personal space as if it were his to claim. " where are you running off to ?? i haven't seen you all night . "

[finalghost]

— " AT LEAST YOU'LL DIE HAPPY ! ! which is e x a c t l y how i plan to go . " the stars found a home in eliza's eyes , a celestial brilliance sparkling within two black holes . her growing pupils had all but eaten up any green that remained in now-obscured irises . still , despite the elation that rippled within their deep , inky pools , the party animal took a brief moment of pause from the wild antics she had subsequently dragged the lesser versed , wide - eyed doe into . however , much to eliza's delight , that ' deer in the headlights ' daze had begun to dissipate from the other's gaze , and , what remained was a hungry glimmer to match her own .

nodding like a bobblehead — a few dips too many on a neck made of rubber — she chirped , " you catch on fast . . . i guess isla wardwell IS as smart as people say . " not that eliza wasn't already sure of this . aside from their few ( sometimes off - putting ) interactions , mixed with luke & reeve's passing comments , she had painted a picture of isla long before the woman had been given a chance to let any other colors show . fortunately , it seemed , there was more than what meets the eye .

" uuum , D U H !? " an amused giggle danced over the party & disappeared into the night amidst the symphony of other noises clambering on around them . tasting of budding fondness . " wet t-shirt contest , chicken fights , spin the bottle , truth or dare . " she listed them all out , counting down on jittery fingers . " luke likes to turn these things — his parties , i mean — into a sorta . . . i don't know . colosseum ? w e know how boy's can be : uber competitive 'n ish . always B E G G I N G for a show . "

isla’s feet stumble,   but she doesn’t care,   not when the air outside feels like a cool drink of water,   the kind you swallow fast and hope it doesn’t burn.   eliza’s pulling her along like she’s a kite on the wind,   dragging her through the mess of the backyard,   all laughter and neon lights that stab the dark like wild sparks.   the house behind them is a furnace,   the people inside burning up with too much heat,   too much noise,   the walls too thin to hold it all.   but out here,   it’s quieter.   the crickets hum a little too loud,   and the pool reflects the chaos,   a perfect mess of tangled limbs,   beer cans,   and the occasional flash of a cheap plastic cup.   it feels like a fever dream,   like they could step right through the yard into something else entirely,   something strange and wild and theirs.

“ eliza, ” isla calls,   breathless in the chill of the night,   “ you’re gonna kill me,   you know that? ”

isla watches her,   the light from the party flickering across eliza’s face,   her eyes wild and glittering,   too bright,   like something untouchable.   it’s not a dare.   it’s a way of life.   “ .. fuck it.   what’s the point of living if you’re not feeling it all the way,   right?” not that isla believes it,   but because its what she wanted to hear.   needed to hear.   still,   something unsuspecting piques in moonlit visage when she tilts what's left in her cup into the cavern of her mouth.   “ wait—there’s a contest .. besides beer pong? ”  

[finalghost]

— IN PERFECT SYNC , SOFT hands flattened atop the counter & pushed her small frame up onto the smooth ( albeit , a tad sticky ) surface beside thomas's abandoned beer can . bare legs dangled over the side , manicured nails holding its dripping edges , while a crown of uncharacteristically wild curls tilted to the side . with it , the world began to spin on a topsy - turvy axis .

" kody has good taste , " she replied — spoken like a sure fact rather than soft assurance , quick to catch his subtle change in disposition . she had , after all , known him for nearly a decade . memorized the man's tick's , and learned to anticipate his tock's . swift as an arrow , her hand shot off its perch & swatted fiddling fingers away from the hem of his ( or , rather , kody's ? ) cropped tee . a chiding tongue clicked in warning . " stop stretching it m o o o r e ! don't want to ruin her ' vision ' , do you ? "

eliza's scolding touch retreated back to its place atop the counter , and , mindlessly , two fingers waltzed along ( what was once ) white marble , stepping out of beat with the music's muffled blare . when her gaze returned to his , two thin brows knit together , wrinkling at the center . thomas's stare bore a deep hole between her eyes , and eliza was almost certain he hadn't blinked in at least a full minute . w e i r d o . how high was he ?!

she scooped up the sheer fabric of the spindly pink scarf wrapped loosely around her neck , lifting the accessory over her head like a hood — & casting a shadow over the faint flush of roses budding atop her cheeks . all night she had been dancing , mingling , partying without worry . now , though , under the scrutinizing gaze of her best friend's big brother , she felt transparent . not like he hadn't seen her in worse before . between the pool parties at their childhood homes , and many oversized t-shirts she'd been forced to borrow in high school after an impromptu night out , this dress - up doll's bikini top & mini - skirt were nothin' . not like she c a r e d what HE thought about her fashion choices . prude .

" have camille & i seriously taught you nothing ? hmph , i fear you're a lost cause . clueless to T H E ' lisa frank ' . . . and here i thought you were supposed to be an ARTIST . " though her face had turned away , now surveying the revolving door of people with mild interest — their bodies becoming a blur of fluid movement — a dramatic sigh tumbled through crooked lips . " feeling okay ? memory failing . . . can't dress yourself without help . . . what's next , thomas — needing to be bottle fed beer ? "

THOMAS OFFERED A LAUGH , playing off what felt like an insult with lackadaisical shrug of his glitter-painted shoulder . " you know me - always trying to change it up , i guess . " his gaze drifting momentarily to survey the party in question , teeth finding the rim of his beer can as he clamped ivory on metal - a CLINK sounding as he did so . he monitored the bodies crowding the door way , the few that lingered on the opposite side of the kitchen , the shadows belonging to a pair of entangled forms that sloppily swapped spit in the hall where the pantry was located . only when eliza had come closer did he truly look at her , thomas taking a moment to stare - let his eyes adjust - before he noticed that looking at her was enough to feel like he was invading her privacy . crossing an unspoken , but implied , boundary . a flush crawled up his neck as he quickly looked away , clearing his throat , tilting the beer nestled between his teeth back so its contents soiled his pink tongue that felt suddenly too large for his mouth .

" what ?? oh - yeah , " he laughed after he had harshly swallowed , lowering the now empty can from his mouth , an awkward sheen coating his words as he took a step back and glanced down at himself . " kody's idea , , , i wasn't sold on it at first but , i trust her and her artistic vision , as she put it . i do feel bad for stretchin' out her shirt , though . this was one of my favorites on her . " he set down the empty can and tugged on the cotton's hem as if proving some kind of point , , , that and he suddenly felt insecure about its cropped hem and the exposal of his midriff despite the fact he had been shirtless all but an hour ago . looking up at his sister's best friend once more - at her face , making a strenuous effort to keep looking at her face - he furrowed his glittering brows ;

" lisa frank ?? liza , , , the fuck is a lisa frank ?? "

[finalghost]

closed starter ,  camille ortesky  . found on the second floor .

— THIS WAS A JOKE . . . right ?! eliza's bleary gaze fluttered between camille — smirking like a cat , eyes hinting at something she couldn't quite see — and the pre-loved tube of barbie-puke-pink . over many years , her other-half's knack for finding five - finger discounts had scored the material girl a grand collection of goodies . cam knew her as well as she knew herself — sometimes more . now , however , soft skin crinkling around her eyes , eliza was beginning to question that sure fact .

" it's . . . definitely a color ! " she mused , twisting the base and forcing pinkalicious lipstick out of its casing . despite the wrinkle across her small nose and unshielded distaste swimming in pools of green , eliza swept the color over round , puckered petals . then , she snapped the lid back on , its soft c l i c k echoed by a P O P of ' candy-yum-yum ' lips . " so , whaddya think ? does it scream ' sooo me ' ? "

her smile was tight lipped , hiding the rows of pearly whites she was never too shy to show . leaning in , a kittenish curl teasing the tips of a barbie-fied kiss , she wrapped her arms over camille's sharp , dampened shoulders and dragged them in — painting their cheek in the same horrid pink . " hmm , i think it looks MUCH better on you . . . " a soft laugh , tinkling like a bell , strung after the words .

@orteskycam

[finalghost]

— LEANING AGAINST THE GLITTER-STAINED wall ( among other liquids she did not dare investigate ) , the arrowhead of eliza's baby pink nail scraped the dew-dropped abdomen of . . . what was his name ? she rifled through the muddled-up contents of her mind for less than a second before deciding it didn't r e a l l y matter . he was just a guy , after all . a toy . and they were ALL the same — a hundred nameless faces , lined up for her to play with . he flexed under her investigative touch , a gluttonous grin consuming the semi-stranger's blur of haughty features . he leaned in , goading the sharp of her trailing finger to pierce through thick , sweat-slickened skin . but , instead , it dragged further down , down , down ; her nail hooked under his waistband , dragging the brother in .

before the man's body could mesh with hers , she was spinning on a bare heel , dragging him after her like an eager pup . only , hand poised over the laundry room handle , eliza skidded back . a shadow washed over her , it's silhouette nearly colliding into her own — the nameless-toy's did , though . she shot him a perturbed look before leveling the same displeased stare on —— m i l o ? she blinked through the haze of sequins and mist . yes , MILO !

eliza's silver-tongue arched . a whip , well-practiced in snapping the dog-man with ( not always deserved ) scoldings . only , their lips were faster . . . and no sooner had the airy offer reached her ears did that cherry-glossed smile return . wide , enthusiastic — like a kid in a candy shop . " this is why you're my faaavorite ! always know JUST what to say . "

dexterous fingers finally slipped around the door handle , shifting to press a bare shoulder into it —— but not before what's-his-name wrapped his own around her waist . eliza's head snapped around , untamed curls slapping him across the chest before the crack of her hand could . " eww ?! no , like — you can go now . or do you NEED to be told what to do . " apparently , he did . with a glower , the puppy picked his dignity up off the wet floor and swept away into the crowd . feet dragging . tail tucked between his legs .

moss infused eyes rolled their way back to . . . MILO ! right , right . milo . her grin wobbled and nose itched as she fisted the middle of his sparkling tank , pushing her spine into the door and dragging them inside the small room . her voice filled the cramped space — it's only other occupants being a washer , a dryer , and endless amounts of haphazard clothes . sing-songy , and only half-joking , she giggled : " hurry up ! before i get bored of you , too . "

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 — eliza marquis 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — approaching the laundry room

stepping out of the crowd, their skin is glistening before they've even gotten a chance to take a dip in the pool, glitter and sweat clinging to them. peeling away their cropped shirt from their skin, milo's acting on prior knowledge to navigate through the house, wiping their face. it's when they're almost at their destination, and drop the fabric down once more, that the smallest exclamation of surprise leaves them "jesus fuck, liza." their hand flies to their chest, fingers stroking cold metal in an attempt to slow their racing heart "i almost goddamn trampled you, i'm sor—" no, that didn't sound right. how about..? "...wanna do a bump?"

@finalghost