westforestuniversity

[westforestuniversity]

Ginger

Cameron Lee, Shane Tristian & Blaze Maya

Cameron’s eyes grew to the size of saucers as she heard Apollo call out the girl by name. She was not discreet in her feelings about it, as she began repeatedly hitting him on his arm, hissing “Oh my god, what the hell have you done,” through her teeth. She had barely enough time to recover by the time the girl was there, and introducing herself to Shane. “Oh, so you two know each other from camp?” Shane asked with a smirk on his lips, “I hope you heard only good things about me; you never know with this one.” He wrapped his arm around Apollo’s shoulders, and pulled him to him to kiss his head. He let go in time for Apollo to reach and turn Kathy toward Cam, who returned to looking slightly mortified.

Cameron waved at the girl with a small nervous laugh, “No, we hadn’t. Nice to meet you, Kathy, and welcome to West Forest. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.” Although it was clear that Apollo wanted for them to meet, Cam couldn’t help but worry that this girl was just going to be like all the others. Those who are only experimenting with their sexuality, and then leave her in the dust with a “I think I like boys” speech. She tried not to think about it too much, and thankfully, the sound of cords being ripped from a live speaker pulled her out of her internal conversation. She turned to the soundboard to see Blaze, who seemed to only be wearing a basketball jersey that was just long enough to cover her bottom, shoving at boy back from the tech board.

“Oh move over! Do you even know how any of this shit works?” Blaze glared at Stan before shoving him again, “Just go get drunk with your little buddies! I can handle this.” Stan staggered back away from the tech board, looking relieved. Blaze went to work fixing all that the boy had messed up on, and looked like she was going to pop a blood vessel in her forehead from creasing it so much. Shane, who had looked over at Blaze as well, couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, “Jeez, maybe you should have asked Blaze all along, Cam.”

Cam scoffed at Shane, and shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose, “I did; she said she had a gig to go to. Apparently it was cancelled.” She tightened her ponytail, and called out, “Blaze!” Blaze glanced up from the tech board at the sound of her name before coming over to join the small group. “I know I said I couldn’t do it Cam, but the show got cancelled. The manager didn’t realize that I was under twenty-one so he kicked us out as soon as we got there. Honestly, like it fucking matters; its not like I was going to be drinking,” Blaze explained to Cameron, running her hand through her hair as she tried to calm herself down. “I think I got everything set up now though,” She motioned toward the tech board.

“Finally!” Shane exclaimed with a clap of his hands, “Lets get this show on the road before the crowd turns into a drunk mob.” Blaze nodded and went back to the tech board. She set up the movie to play, and, as Cameron made it to the board as well, handed her a microphone. Cameron cleared her throat, and then said, into the microphone, “Welcome everybody to the beginning of the school year movie night! We are going to start the movie in about five minutes, so if everyone could find their way to a good spot to sit down, we will get this show on the road! Enjoy!” She turned off the microphone, and handed it back to Blaze, who took it and placed it back on the tech board as she prepared to start the movie.

[westforestuniversity]

Fallz

Max Azarola 

He could tell Ally was the slightest bit distracted. Probably for the same reason he was, the same they all were. When Val’s dad had died, he remembered the way she changed. It was like she aged years overnight. Suddenly she dropped all of her old habits and, most surprising to the entire family, took up a job at the local ramen shop. Her mother wasn’t stable, though, so Val had to do it. In the end, it wasn’t enough. Both of them moved in with the rest, which meant Max had to go back to Spain before college. Lianne still didn’t have her shit together, however. She continued to mooch off his mother as she sucked off his father. 

If the same thing happened to Ezra, he’d be an entirely different person. He could already see it when his roommate stumbled in at nearly three a.m., high off things Cam would never give him and sniffling back tears. Max always rolled over and gave him his space, as he had with Val. Yet maybe that wasn’t a good thing. He couldn’t understand why he felt so responsible for Ezra’s health when he never had before. Max tucked his chin down as Ally’s arms slid around him, thoughts vanishing. “It’s not easy,” he said simply. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he slid his arms around her waist as well and hugged her, fingertips digging into the small of her spine. “Mm, no. Just-“

He stopped, following Ally’s eyes. As she twisted to duck in front of him, Max looked around, trying to figure out what she had seen. “What is it, cariña?” The tail of his words were cut off by someone calling out her full name. He turned his head to see a girl, entirely too similar to Ally to be anyone but her sister. But, by the way she was acting, it wasn’t a pleasant sight. His jaw automatically clenched and he held Ally’s hand tight. He couldn’t relate to the irritation, but Max already knew well enough how complicated her family situation was. If Melody showed up, he definitely wouldn’t have hidden behind anyone. “Ally?” Max questioned, his voice low. He didn’t miss the way her hand skimmed over the hair covering her hearing aid, nor how this Anita had seemed so concerned with hiding it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Val’s eyes slide towards him. She took a gulp and subtly tucked herself into Lukas’ side. So, the tension wasn’t just his protectiveness after all.

Valerie Azarola 

“Nothing,” Valerie said when his head tilted towards her. She cleared her throat and shifted her eyes from Lukas’ face. “Just looking at you.” He’d downed his beer rather quickly, and there was no way she was drinking hers, so she held it out for him to take if he wanted. Absently, she tugged the hem of her dress down over her bottom more. It wasn’t like she was exactly uncomfortable showing off, she’d done it plenty of times before, but not wearing underwear meant she had to be more careful than usual. Panty lines or constant tugging- it was a battle every woman a fan of tight dresses faced.

She glanced over at Max as she turned Ally away from them. He was asking about Ezra again. Valerie wished he would, just for once, talk to Ezra about Ezra. No one else could really answer his questions, anyway. But he did the same thing when her father died. Melody was the go between with them and it seemed Ally was in the same spot with him and Ezra.

Valerie pushed her hair over her shoulders and crossed her arms. As she looked up towards where she’d seen Cam go earlier, she almost thought she saw Ally walking towards them. Furrowing her brows, she looked over but, no, Ally was still there. Jesus, she was even less tolerant of alcohol than she was months ago. Seeing doubles was never a good sign. She rubbed her eyes but when she looked up, the girl was in front of them. Her eyebrows raised involuntarily. The way the girl’s eyes drug across Val didn’t go unnoticed by her. There was a rumble deep in her gut, something she hadn’t felt in ages. What the fuck, she thought, dropping her shoulders. Absolutely not, she couldn’t do this again. Not now. Valerie hardened her expression and glanced over at Max as she slid closer to Lukas, feeling his elbow in the small of her back.

Katherine Palmer & Apollo Riley

“Mm, very funny,” Apollo said, rolling his eyes. He threaded his fingers through Shane’s and followed behind him in the crowd. They weaved through, of course his boyfriend making zero attempts at not flirting with the girls he passed. Despite the tinge of jealousy in his stomach, Apollo ignored their obnoxious laughter and followed closer. He was glad when they finally reached a circle of people Shane couldn’t possibly flirt with. Smiling at Cam’s silly little nickname for them, he shrugged his shoulders. “What can I say, I’d rather hang with a fungi.” Not surprised when the joke fell flat, he cleared his throat. Diseases were his specialty, not jokes. Apollo didn’t quite know what to do with his hands when one wasn’t being held, so he tucked them into the front pockets of his jeans. His fingers grazed over a lighter he didn’t realize was still stuck in his pocket. Smoking wasn’t a usual for him, unless exam week was particularly grueling. Apollo pulled the white Bic out and ran his thumb over the wheel, causing a small flame to jump up.

It blurred the face of the girl who’d caught Cam’s attention, but he’d recognize that face anywhere. “Oh, hey, that’s Kathy.” Apollo cut off the flame and glanced at Cam before he waved her over.

Kathy didn’t see him at first, her eyes a little more taken up with something else. When he called out her name, she looked over just a little and saw her friend from the summer. Oh, thank God. Now she didn’t have to worry about a way to introduce herself. “Hey, Polly,” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. At first, she didn’t realize Shane next to him. “Is this the boy you told me so much about over the summer? I’m Kathy, nice to meet you.” She didn’t hold her hand out, finding it rather old school. Apollo slid his arm around her waist, smoothly turning her to face Cam.

“This is Cam, I don’t know if you two have met or not,” he said. Kathy applauded him internally for his smoothness, a rare occasion. She let out an appreciative noise. This girl had style, that much she knew already.

Ezra Benson

There was only one night guaranteed that Max would be out of the room entirely. Sometimes he stayed late at the art building, or went to Ally’s room, but even right when Ezra thought he was safe to call Airi over, Max would show up. He’d been suffering from a lack of sleep the past week or so, constantly waiting to see if Max’s presence would be missed. Only ever going to sleep at four when he had to wake up at 8 for his job at the campus bookstore wasn’t good on his health. Which is why, perhaps, he’d been even more itchy to get it over with. There would be no more Perky Tay to ruin every single aspect of his job, no more over-done concern from Val on the rare occasion she even spoke to him after Lukas. Max had been his same amount of distant but even Ezra recognized a certain way he stepped lighter around him. He’d keep his mouth shut on things normally he never would have and even his spoken words were carefully strung together. The whole lot of them pitied Ezra.

It was an annoying, insufferable action to be put on someone.

He had batted away Max’s single request to come along with him and Ally to the movie night. They didn’t argue, perhaps because him wanting to go would have been more terrifying than him choosing to stay put. As of now, none of them guessed. Airi didn’t usually go to those events either. He waited until he heard the bass of the music from the football field to put down his textbook. It was a waste to spend his last little bit of time on Earth reading a statistics book Max would probably have to return on his behalf. But the numbers, their order, soothed the rattling in his brain. He was fully prepped, his mind on a clear path, when Airiana opened the door to his dorm. At her question, he pushed the textbook to the top of his bed and patted the spot where it had been. “Mhhm,” he murmured.

[westforestuniversity]

0cean

Anita and Alessandra At first Alessandra had doubts about the movie night but after Max and her arrived to the field she couldn't help but enjoy the warm atmosphere. It's easy to forget to enjoy the college experience when the classes are so demanding. "Hey, guys," Ally greeted them with a small smile. She felt indifferent towards Lukas after what happened at the shed, and despite them not being as close as she is with the others, she didn't feel the need to treat him any differently. Give him the benefit of the doubt, that sort of thing. She wouldn't tell Max that, though. Val's his cousin, so Ally doesn't expect him to be as forgiving. Tuning out of their conversation, Ally looked over her shoulder and viewed the rest of the students on the field. Some of them were drunk already. There was a guy trying to balance a mattress on of the trees and a friend of his helping him tie it down to the branch. Ally raised an eyebrow and watched the two until Max caught her attention. "Hm?" she hummed, her eyes glancing towards Val and Lukas before returning her focus on him. "No," she dragged the 'no' a little as she scanned the field before shaking her head. She turned her head to face him again and noticed his eyebrows subtly pushing together, a clear sign that he was worried. "Hey," she said gently, placing her hands softly on his forearms to unfold them just enough. She then moved her arms around him and looked up at him. "He'll come around when he's ready." the corners of her lips curved into an easy smile. "He just needs some time to grieve." In all honesty, Ally was worried about Ezra too. He and Airiana had been spending more time together since his mother died and deep down Ally knew that wasn't necessarily a good thing. She made a mental note to text Airiana and check on her before the movie starts. "Are you hungry?" she asked Max, however in the corner of her eye she saw a familar woman approaching them. Ally looked past Max and squinted her eyes until her eyes focused on the woman and she recognized her. "Oh no," she whispered, blinking a few times. Dark brown, wavy hair. Lean body. A slightly provocative walk. Ally ducked infront of Max and hid infront of him but it was too late. "Alessandra!" the woman called out as she approached the group and stood next to Lukas and Val. Alessandra, her eyes closed as though it would help conceal herself, exhaled silently before pressing her lips together and forcing a smile. "Anita," she straightened her posture and turned her body to face Anita. "I thought you were waiting until next school year to transfer?" Anita shook her head, sweeping some of her hair back over shoulder. "Why wait?" she replied and glanced at the ear that Ally had covered with her hair. She spotted a piece of the hearing aid showing so she reached over and pulled more hair forward to cover it. "That's better." she whispered to herself. "Now," Anita shifted her wieght onto one foot as she stood by Ally and faced Lukas, Val, and Max. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" Ally nodded her head slightly, "This is my sister, Anita." she then nodded towards each person as she said their name. "Anita, this is Max, that's Val, and that's Lukas." Anita looked at each of them, her eyes briefly gazing over Val's outfit, before nodding her head. Meanwhile Ally smoothed the hair down over her ear and looked down at her shoes out of habit. Airiana and Jose Just my luck, Airiana thought to herself as she searched through her dresser and closet for her Ibuprofen. It was finally the end of the freshmen week and, as planned, the majority of the student body was outside enjoying the last festivity before the semester officially starts. There would be nobody inside to interfere with their plan. Airiana decided to give up on her hunt after spending twenty minutes looking for her pills. They would just have to find an alternative. There's nothing pleasant about drinking chemicals but it might be somewhat nice to feel a little pain for once. Exiting out of her room and heading back to Ezra's dorm, Airiana cut through the Literature building to avoid any students heading to the football field. As she walked, Airiana noticed a small light coming from one of the offices. The door was open to the office and she could hear shuffling coming from inside. Slightly curious, she stopped next to the door and peeked her head inside. There she found Jose standing infront of his desk and rummaging through a pile of papers. He seemed busy so Airiana decided not to bother him, that is until she spotted a pill bottle sitting next to his desk lamp. From afar, it looked like Ibuprofen but she couldn't really tell. Jose looked up from the papers when he felt someone watching him and turned his head to find Airiana outside of the door. "Oh, Airiana," he was happy to see her. "What are you doing here?" he asked her, his smile slightly fading. She never was the best at making friends, so he wondered if she had no one to hang out with at the movie night. Airiana stepped into his office and stopped a few feet away from his desk. "I just thought I'd stop by, but," she said, her gaze lowering to his stack of papers. "I didn't know you were busy." Jose glanced at the stack of papers and ran his palm over his hair to push his curls back out of his face. He sighed. "I figured I could organize these papers for the department but something came up." A few minutes before Airiana arrived he had recieved a call from the security building about two students. One being his girlfriend and the other being his little sister. I'm not surprised. Saying that they're trouble-makers would be an understatement, Jose thought. Airiana's eyes flickered from the papers to the pill bottle before her eyes met Jose's. "I can do it for you." she offered. Jose shook his head, "No, no. I don't want you to miss out on the movie." he said, but Airiana was persistent. She mentioned that she had already seen the movie, and that she was probably going to head back to her dorm anyway. Finally, he gave in. "Okay, but just organize them by the numbers in the top right corner." He instructed her as he grabbed his leather briefcase. "It's fairly easy. Make sure that the one's are on top, the two's in the middle, and the three's on the bottom." he explained as he turned the handle on his briefcase and locked it. Then, he grabbed it in his hand and walked over to the door. "Call me if you have any questions, okay?" Airiana nodded her head and replied, "Okay." With that, Jose left. Airiana stood there for a moment until she heard his footsteps move farther away, then she pulled his desk chair back and sat down. Organizing the papers would be a breeze, so she turned her attention to the pill bottle. 800 miligrams. Jesus. Whether the bottle was full or not, she and Ezra would only need six or seven pills to overdose. After a quick glance over to the door, Airiana opened the pill bottle and poured a generous amount in her sweater pocket. Then, she tightened the cap and placed the bottle back where it was. She began on the pile of papers but even she could admit that she felt a pulse of excitement. Fifteen minutes later, Airiana moved the finished work to the side and migrated out of his office and to Ezra's dorm. She knocked on the door once before opening it and closing the door behind her. The reality of everything slowly began to sink in as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the handful of pills. Undoubtedly, she and Ezra's relationship became stronger after his mother died. Who knows when they decided on doing this, but it was bound to happen. At first she felt indifferent about it, although she longed to feel the relief of ending it all, but now.. Airiana feels hesitant. Now, she has someone to stay alive for. But, she can't back out now. "Are you ready?" she asked.

[westforestuniversity]

Ginger

Cameron Lee & Shane Tristian

Shane chuckled at Artemis and Apollo’s disdain for the movie night crowd, and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not that bad, you two. Yes, the beer is gross and the people are less than enjoyable to be around, but hey, its not that bad,” he reached over to take Apollo’s hand into his own. Although he knew that he wouldn’t wander too far, he, at least, wanted to give himself some reason to not run off toward something that caught his attention. He watched the shorter brunette disappear into the crowd, and turned his attention back to her twin next to him and what he was saying.

“You know, she is a grown up. She’s the elder of the two of you, if you think about it. I know you worry about her,” he turned to stand in front of the boy, and placed his hands on either side of his face, “But you gotta let her make her own mistakes and learn from them.” He kissed the other’s forehead, and let go of his face. “Especially if they are as hilarious as the ones you usually make on movie night,” he grinned at him, and poked him in the side to cause a reaction, “Shall we repeat last year’s mistake?” He glanced around at all the people coming onto the field, and looked for Cameron through the crowd of people. If he knew her, she would be over by the big screen, dealing with the tech people about the movie.

He heard Apollo’s question, and shrugged, “I cannot remember honestly, but let’s go find her, just in case.” He took his hand again, and began to lead him through the crowd. Having to physically move a couple of the girls from his classes out of his way, causing them to giggle and blush all over themselves, he complimented one of them on their outfits and then continued to serpentine through the crowd. Finally they got to the big white screen that hung from the goal posts, and saw the motherly, tan little hippie exactly where he expected to find her. Cameron stood with her hands on her hips, and moved to tie her hair up with a ribbon.

She turned to glance over at the screen, and spotted the two lovebirds. “Apane! My favorite couple!” she called out their ship name toward them, and ran over toward them. She jumped, and wrapped her legs around Shane’s waist, kissing him on the cheek. She hopped down off of him, and looked over at Apollo, “Shane was able to talk you out of that library for a night? I am surprised that you aren’t neck deep in a vile of fungus.” She laughed, and looked toward the tech guy, who called out for her.

“Just figure it out Stan! I told you not to touch the kegs before the movie!” she called back, and turned toward them. “Never hire a frat guy to do tech work,” she muttered to them, crossing her arms to look over the crowd. “It’s gonna be a good one though. Its an eighties double feature of “The Breakfast Club” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” she started to clap out of excitement, but she stopped. Her eyes had locked with another’s, whom was scanning the crowd. “Who the hell is that?” she asked the boys in a whisper, causing Shane to try to look for who she was talking about. Once he did, he shrugged, “I don’t know, but she’s coming for your whole hippie look.” Cameron adjusted her top out of nerves, and turned toward them so that she wasn’t staring at the blonde.

Lukas Micheal

Lukas never understood the want to stand in the middle of the football surrounded by freshman, faking their drunkness, but he went every year to the movie. His coach said it was good publicity for the team, but all Lukas could see was the team hitting on barely legal women. At one point, he probably would have been one of them, but he had Val to keep him company now. The music pounded in his ears, and he absentmindly stared out across the crowd. He didn't look down whenever Val handed him his cup, but drained the whole thing in one gulp. He grimaced at the taste of it, and threw his cup off to the side.

Whenever Max and Ally joined them, Lukas stood a bit straighter. He still hadn't forgiven Max for what happened in the shed, but he tried to be courteous toward him for Val's sake. He tried not to chuckle at the way Max held Ally away from him, and ran his hand over his face to wipe his smirk from it. He purposefully wrapped his arm around Val's waist, resting his hand on the space between her hip and her bottom. He held onto it tightly like he usually did, but once he realized that they were no longer talking, he looked down at Val to notice her staring at him. "What?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Was there something she wanted to say, or was there something he was supposed to be replying to? Neither seemed likely, but it still made him try to think over what their conversation had been about but he hadn't been paying that much attention.

[westforestuniversity]

Fallz

Fall 2017. New year, new drama.

Valerie Azarola & Max Azarola

She stepped onto the football field with a stupid grin on her face. It was dark, so only the white of her teeth and small patterns of pink across her dress showed with the black lights set up all around them. At the end of welcome week for the freshman, their “school” held a rave-type movie night. Out of all the activities, it was the only one most of the new meat actually showed up to. Even seniors, so tired of the place they could barely stand it, moseyed out of their suites to see the action. The movie wasn’t actually what it was all about, unsurprisingly. Being that the old football field wasn’t technically on campus, it wasn’t in control of the school and alcohol wasn’t uncommon in its indiscreet little red cups. Valerie had met nearly all of her friends now at the very event almost two years ago. Then she was so timid she clung to her cousin the entire time, his stoic meanness scaring off everyone except Ally. Now she wasn’t even sure where he was. As soon as she hit the end zone, they parted ways. He with his fellow art nerds and Val with Lukas towards the keg.

Now, she carried two cups as she picked her way across the field back towards him. It was already crowded and when she finally reached them, they were only half full. “Well, I tried,” she grumbled, handing one to Lukas. Valerie doubted he heard her with the music pounding throughout the stadium. She wondered how many calls the cops had already gotten, said they’d do something about, and continued on with their paperwork. There was probably a time where they tried to control it but now just found it pointless. Looking up at the blonde boy, she squinted to try and make out his face in the dark. The music shifted to a song she faintly recognized. Her body began to move along to the beat, though subtly. Into the beat, she jumped when someone grabbed her waist. Valerie turned to see Max and Ally. “Scared me,” she yelled over the music. Shrugging, Max took the cup from her hand and took a sip. A grimace stretched over his face and he handed it back to his cousin.

“Warm beer is awful,” he said. Valerie noticed the way his arm was hovering close around Ally’s waist but not quite touching. Everyone knew they were together by now; she honestly couldn’t figure out why they didn’t just act like it. Maybe that was just their style. That, or she’d gotten used to Lukas always seeming to have his hands on her when they were somewhere with a lot of eyes. It was probably just his weird show of dominance but the romantic part of her mind liked to turn it into something more.

Max still didn’t like Lukas, which didn’t surprise her. He did, however, get over his moodiness with her and was able to be civil with him. Valerie could tell Max was purposely standing so Ally was the furthest away from him, though. She couldn’t blame him, she guessed. “Do you know what they’re playing tonight?” He asked, brushing his hair behind his ears.

“Gotta ask Cam,” Valerie said, holding her beer. She wasn’t a fan of the drink cold or warm but had it as a safety in case the night went sideways. Max watched her tap her finger against the side of it idly and wondered if there was something she was nervous about. Maybe Lukas going off again. He just hoped he wasn’t around if it happened. Valerie would take Lukas’ side no matter what happened, which constantly pissed him off.

“You seen Ezra?” Max asked, angling to Ally. Valerie was already back into space, staring at Lukas to watch his mood. Already tired of it, Max stepped forward so Ally had to step back and increased the space between the pairs. “He’s still a little rough after his mom died. I get worried.” Max crossed his arms as the wind billowed around them, sending his blue shirt twisting around him and Ally. The music that was played held very little interest for him. He enjoyed the actual music, but the lyrics always made him a little queasy. Perhaps it was just the fact that his father raised them on the gospel: the rap genre wasn’t it for him. Maybe he did need a warm beer.

Katherine Palmer 

“I think that’s it,” she murmured, planting her hands on her hips. Her dorm was complete- well, her side at least. She’d already met her roommate even though the girl was stuck at home for a few more weeks. It gave Kathy time to settle into college without having to step around the awkwardness of living with a stranger, though. That was nice. Plus, she had plenty of extra space to move the furniture around in. It was fine now, but so cookie-cutter.

Her brother made an appreciative “hmph” behind her, indeed loving the way it was. She turned and saw him flick his eyes away from her quickly. His eyes were all squinted, chin up and mouth just slightly pursed. Assessing, always freaking assessing. “Charlie-“ Kathy began, tone taut.

“No, no,” he interrupted, waving his hands in front of him. “I’m not going to go all parental on you. Just wanted to see if you were okay, you know. This was yours and mom’s thing for so long.”

Ah, so that was it. Kathy supposed he would bring it up at some point or another. Their parents were supposed to be the ones doing this. Helping her move, co-signing on any paperwork, her father giving the boys in the hall stink eyes even though he should have looked the other way. She hadn’t even gotten a chance to tell them before the crash. Her mother, the daughter of two gay men, would have been ecstatic to know. In all honesty, Kathy presumed her mother already did know. Now she’d never get to tell them. Her father would be able to handle Charlie’s friends being around comfortably and not freak out when one of them looked at her. Overprotective to the core, he was. Kathy’s heart clenched knowing she wouldn’t be getting calls from him every night. Annoying after a while but she’d take them forever over never again. As her eyes connected with her brother’s, she could tell their minds were orbiting the same path. It was only a month ago that they died. For a while, Kathy had thought she wouldn’t even make it to college. She didn’t want to leave Charlie alone but part of her wondered if she didn’t want to be alone herself.

“I’ll be fine, really. This is good.” Kathy dropped her arms from her sides and stepped back to her bed. She adjusted the pillows absently. “But I need to go, if I’m going to make it to that movie. I’m already the latest to move in.”

Charlie nodded, ducking his head. He scuffed his foot across the ground for a few seconds before he looked back up. His eyes were beginning to get puffy. Kathy frowned and wrapped her arms around his skinny waist. “Don’t worry about it, bubs. I’ll even tell you where my stash is at home?”

Laughing, Charlie kissed the top of his sister’s head and detangled her arms. “I found that ages ago, stupid. You aren’t a good hider.” He grabbed his keys from the desk and left with a wave. They never had said ‘I love you’ to each other. Kathy brushed her palms over her shorts when she was alone and took a deep breath. It was now or never. She checked her hair in the mirror but the stands were helplessly tangled from the wind in Charlie’s convertible. Well, it would be dark at least.

At the football field, it was already packed. She knew she was supposed to be in the top end zone for announcements or whatever. Kathy should have actually been there much sooner considering she was new to the student government committee, but she couldn’t help traffic. Snaking her way through the crowd, she ignored the beers offered to her, knowing something more enticing would come her way soon. At the front, nearly everyone else she’d met earlier that summer in camp was already there. “Hi,” Kathy said, waving a little. A boy she remembered best stepped forward and wrapped her in a side hug. “Been a while, huh?” She asked, nudging him. During that month, she probably spent most of her time with him. Matt was his name. Kathy scanned the people standing around her, trying to see any new faces. She paused briefly at a girl with brown hair, tangled like her own, and bright green eyes. Woah, she thought, taking a gulp. Good thing she hadn’t been at their summer camp.

Apollo & Artemis “Rin” Riley 

“You really let Shane drag you to this?” Artemis asked, narrowing her eyes in barely hidden distaste.

“I’m a pushover,” Apollo said. His look mirrored her own. Except, that was entirely false. He wouldn’t, in the slightest, do something he didn’t want to. So despite his initial protests, some part of him must have wanted to go. Maybe it was just to start his year off just like everyone else. But, and this was a firm but, he wasn’t going to go to his chemistry class the next morning with a hangover and someone else’s underwear around his neck like last year. Even though that had ended rather well for him, considering the boy beside him still had the pair to this day.

His twin pushed her hands into the pocket of the garment she had called a romper and shifted her weight. With their shoulders pressed against each other, he felt a little bit of the unease going with each outward breath. It wasn’t like these things were really all that bad. Yes, it was full of boisterous, annoying, hair-brained, and erratic barely-adults full of liquor and questionable substances but that didn’t mean a decent time wasn’t somewhere in between. As long as Apollo didn’t have to taste flat beer or carry Artemis home because she was too green to realize fruity drinks didn’t mean alcohol-free, he would be mostly okay.

“I’m going to find Ally,” Artemis said, gathering her hair at the back of her neck. She kept it there a moment before letting it fall.

Waiting until she was out of earshot, Apollo leaned closer to Shane so he didn’t have to yell. “You know the drill. One eye on Rin all the time, or else she’ll be in a ditch tomorrow.” He loved her, really, but she was entirely too gullible to be on her own. Maybe if she hadn’t stayed at the conservative college down south for her first two years, all for the sake of a dumb scholarship, she could have learned more by now. Nonetheless, Apollo was happy she was somewhere he could watch her safely learn and try new things.

Artemis, however, wasn’t always as happy to have Apollo around. There were some things even a twin brother didn’t need to know about. With their being in the same circle of friends, her adventures often got back to him insanely fast unless she was cautious in only telling Ally. Even though she hadn’t exactly had a single “adventure” since she decided the social life wasn’t the life for her, he still watched her like a hawk. Honestly, she only ended up four hours away naked in a gas station bathroom once. Apollo didn’t think second chances were logical, though.

When Artemis found Ally, she paused. She looked like she was in a more serious conversation with Max, so she hung back until they saw her.

 Apollo could just barely see the top of Artemis’ head. He recognized Max, and three others he probably knew but couldn’t remember. Good, there was more than one person to watch her. “Did Cam want us in the student government meeting? I don’t recall her saying anything,” Apollo said, looking at Shane. He adjusted the sleeves of his polo.

[westforestuniversity]

0cean

Alessandra "Yes." If I were to have my first time with any other guy then I'm sure I would have hesitated, but with Max I don't feel the need to. Although I can't stop thinking about how it will feel for the first time, or how I will be able to pleasure Max for the first time, I don't feel scared or reluctant to continue. With a slight nod of his head, we both leaned back in and as I ran my tongue along his I could taste the fruit snack he had earlier. "Mm," I softly moaned, the sweet flavor a nice touch to the kisses. The moan seemed to excite Max's friend more, though, and then I felt a hand wrap around the inner part of my lower back and lay me gently on the blankets spread out underneath us. The subtle hum from the heater in the corner of the room audible. I leaned my back onto the blankets as Max pulled away and began his trail of kisses down the side of my neck. His hands lay flat on the blankets on both sides of me as he kissed down my chest and they moved along with him as he moved further down, and further down until he reached the waistband of my shorts. Admittedly, I can't help but feel bashful knowing that all of me is exposed right now. I know I shouldn't be, but I can't help it. Closing my eyes as I felt his fingers graze over the most sensitive part of my body, I hitched in a breath as Max slowly inserted his fingers and massaged the top portion of my area with his tongue. The combination sent a wave of chills through my body as I bit down on my bottom lip. With each swipe I could feel my craving for him growing. I no longer feel bashful at this point. Opening my eyes I glanced down at him and bent my knee to give him easier access. When I did this his eyes flicked up to mine and an unspoken agreement transferred between us. He removed his fingers from me and shifted his body upwards to meet me. I could feel my confidence rising by the second as our mouths connected and my hands ran down his sides. Without the confidence I wouldn't have been able to push past my nervousness and insert my fingers into his boxers. His breath hitched as I wrapped my hand gently around him, his jaw clenching. He looked down at me, his baby hairs starting to stick to his forehead due to the heat we were producing, but I didn't stop. I wanted to massage him, so I did so. I will have to learn more about the small ways to please him, but for now I plan to do whatever comes naturally. And teasing Max always comes naturally. He returned to the area on the side of my neck, which is probably already spotted with dark hickies, but when I raised my leg and wrapped it around his waist Max stopped and lifted his head up. His eyes were darker than usual and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh as one of his hands moved to my side and he pulled my hips closer to him. This is it, Ally. Easing my muscles, I looked back up and focused on the print in the blankets hanging over us. After this I won't have my virginity anymore. Which, I mean, that's fine. Isn't it apart of a girl's rite of passage into womanhood, or something like that? Plenty of girls lose their virginity. It doesn't seem that important. But then why am I crying right now? "God," I murmured, raising my arm to wipe my eyes on my forearm. Max, who was now completely bare, looked up at me and stopped. "Ally," he whispered, his face was hovering over mine. I could see the concern in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. I kept my eyes on the print before looking into his. "Are you-" he began, but he didn't need to continue after I nodded my head in response. His eyes softened and he cupped the side of my face in his hand. "We don't have to." he said to me, but I shook my head. "No, no," I said lowly, moving my hands to both sides of his face. "I want to do this with you." Max looked at me for a moment before nodding his head. He leaned and pressed his lips against mine gently before glancing down and positioning himself. His hand shook a little as he positioned himself at my entrance, so I smoothed a few strands of his hair back with my finger. "Max," Our eyes met once more. "It's okay." I whispered. "Tell me if it hurts and I'll stop." he made sure to mention. I nodded my head. Anything to ease his mind, I brought his head down to mine and kissed him. The kiss was more tender than our previous ones. Closing my eyes I continued to do this even as I felt him slowly moving himself into me. I sucked in a breath quietly as he did so but I didn't feel anything pain. Pressure, mostly, but it didn't hurt. We paused the kiss, our lips brushing against each others, and both of us held our breath as he moved further inside of me. Finally, I exhaled and moved my arms around his neck. The pressure began to subside and after Max had fully inserted himself, he began to build up his stroke. He bent his elbows and lowered his body against mine, his arms moving underneath me and his hands grabbed my shoulders. The power of his thrust began to increase. A moan escaped his mouth and there has never been a sweeter sound. My cries, however, were beginning to get louder and louder so I had to resort to covering my mouth with my hand. It wasn't long before I could feel a new pressure building up inside of me. "M-Max," I barely breathed, my nails digging slightly into his back. Max kept a consistent pace but the way that he slowed down his rhythm sent waves of arousal rippling through my body. The pressure spiked as he did this. I inhaled through my nose to try to contain myself but the pressure released and I felt my entire body relax. Still pressed against each other, Max slowed down his strokes as well before he felt himself release too. He dropped his head onto the area next to mine and we laid there still for a moment, both of us panting. I released my hold on him as he rolled over onto his back next to me. We laid there until we caught our breath. I pushed my hair behind me and shifted onto my side to look at him. He turned his head to view me, too, and looked down at my hand as I placed it on his chest. He intertwined his hand with mine and kissed the back of my hand softly. "Il mio amore - My love," I murmured. We gazed at each other, completely unaware of the time, and laid there. That is until I looked at the zip ties and an idea sparked in my mind.

[westforestuniversity]

Fallz

Valerie Azarola

Valerie raised her eyebrow up at his choice. She hadn’t really known what number he would pick but a little bit of surprise still popped in her stomach when he spoke. It was probably just nerves, hoping what she had planned wasn’t about to blow up in her face. He still held tension in his body, even though he was trying to relax. Valerie pressed her lips against his slowly and then sat up. “You’ve made a good choice,” she whispered as she moved down. Her fingers danced over his chest and stomach until she reached the band of his jeans. She unbuttoned them and then glanced up at Lukas through her lashes. There was no doubt he’d figured out what she was doing now. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done this very thing with him before but her fingers were slightly shaky with nerves. Valerie thought about the shed again and her eyes flicked back down to her hands. Maybe it was just because she realized what kind of power he had now. Part of it scared her, part of it made her stomach twist with a strange excitement. She pulled Lukas’ jeans down and let out a small breath. “Alright, Mr. Kennedy,” Valerie said, placing her hand over him. With a burst of confidence, she pulled them down and gripped her in his hands. “Can I?” The question even surprised her. It almost seemed to come out of nowhere, but this wasn’t the first time she’d ever asked it either. Valerie looked at Lukas again, her lips turned up in a smile.

Rosie Pike

Nodding along as he spoke, Rosie wasn’t very surprised he was older than her. He had a lot of tattoos for someone who was just barely eighteen like herself, after all. So unlike Nick, too. His parents never would have allowed him to mark his body like that. Rosie felt her chest clench at the memory of him. She had come here to get away from that. Her promise to everyone she had left behind was to move on.  “Um, I transferred here this semester. It’s my second one,” she said. Crinkling her eyebrows, she realized how dumb she sounded. Over explaining things, just like always. She couldn’t just leave it. It was a habit she had gotten used to to avoid being yelled at. Rosie held her hands together in front of her and looked up as it started to snow. As a flake hit the tip of her nose, her eyes crossed to look at it and she reached up to brush it away. It never snowed in Georgia. She looked back up at him when he asked about coffee, surprise coloring her face. He barely knew her, at all, why was he asking her that? ‘No’ was on the tip of her tongue- a gut reaction. But there was no point in saying no, was there? It was okay, she told herself. She had to say yes to someone eventually. “Yes,” she said. The word sounded stiff. “Sure,” Rosie tried again, smiling just slightly. “Can- I don’t have my jacket though, can you wait here a second?” As she turned and waved her key over the door, Rosie pulled it open and stepped inside. She jogged down to her room and ignored the nerves. It was coffee, that was it. After she grabbed her dad’s faded windbreaker, she slid it over her shoulders and went back outside, walking this time though to slow her breathing. She stepped into the snow again and put her hands inside the pockets, eyes finding Tyler right where she’d left him. “Okay. I don’t know where it is, though.”

Max Azarola 

Max could feel his face relax into a simple smile at Ally’s response. Part of him wasn’t sure it was actually happening. Even though their relationship was real now, it wasn’t quite so easy to forget the year he hid it all. He hadn’t been with anyone else since he realized his feelings. The split between him and his then-girlfriend was so sudden even Valerie questioned it. Max was never one to stick around in a relationship long, he got bored with the classic arrangement very easy, but when one goes from being in love to not in barely four hours, it’s sure to strike up questions. Max had pushed off the concern with lies about her cheating on him. Somehow he knew Ally wasn’t going to be like the others. She wasn’t going to be content in a submissive role forever. He opened his eyes as she pulled back to see what she was doing. His eyes traveled down her body as she pulled her shirt over her head. Max let one hand fall and touched the raised threads along her bra. It was pretty, he found himself thinking. But it would be prettier off. With ease, he reached around and twisted his fingers so the clasp came apart. He removed his hand from her pants momentarily to pull the garment completely off her body. Max let out a low breath. “Belleza, - beauty,” He whispered, bringing his head down to kiss the skin softly. It was real. This was real. Max brought his eyes up to Ally and pushed her hair away from her face. “Do you want to?” He asked. His voice was thick, heavy with desire. All the built up need from keeping his feelings hidden was bubbling to the surface. It was almost choking him, but Max couldn’t let himself go yet. Not until she was sure.

[westforestuniversity]

0cean

Alessandra Only when he lifted my chin did I try to calm myself. But, when he inserted his fingers into my waistband and responded to the neck bite, I could feel a masked side of me surfacing. Do I know what I'm asking for? I've only dreamed about how Max is in the bedroom, but I've never found a pair of handcuffs in his room, so who knows how accurate my dreams are. Whatever Max is into, then I'll be okay with it. Oh Lord, Ally, you guys haven't even made it to second base yet and you're already talking about sex? I'm not sure if we've ever talked about it, but I'm almost sure that he's not a virgin. I wonder if he remembers that I am? I wonder what he did with the last girl? Why am I thinking so much right now? Tuning out of my thoughts and focusing once again on Max, I raised my hands and loosely intertwined my fingers with strands of hair, resting my elbows on his shoulders. I smiled against his first kiss and as he kissed the other corner of my lips I couldn't help but start to smile. The way he kisses me is like he packs as much of his love as he can into every one. And I feel it everytime. "Oh-" I managed to breathe, but when I felt his hands slip underneath my underwear, and then his touch, I let out a low and breathy "Max" and my lower abdomen tensed up. In my dreams, although his touch felt real, it doesn't compare to the actual thing. The heat between us was gradually rising, so I pulled away from the kiss for a second and grabbed the hem of my shirt, my arms crossed over each other. Then, I gripped the ends and pulled the end of my shirt over my head. Tossing the shirt behind me, I pushed my hair back over my shoulders and revealed my white bra with red roses sewed onto it. Not wasting anytime being away from him, I leaned back in and resumed our kisses, I brought one hand up to his hair and moved my other hand underneath his shirt, my hand cool against his skin. Airiana "Mhm," I agreed with a nod, and moved my hand back into my coat pocket. Although there are ways to obtain a gun without having to register for a permit and such, I don't think people understand how difficult it can be to pull the trigger. Shows and movies romanticize the idea of using a gun and getting it over with, but sometimes we need to think about the person that finds us after we've done it. I wouldn't want my siblings or one of my friends to be greeted by the stench of stale blood, or the grotesque sight of my brains. Besides, guns can be complicated. I'm still not sure how I jammed it. I stared at the floor of the roof as the snowflakes started to cover the surface area. Ezra mentioned something about his mom, but when he changed the present tense to past tense I turned my head to view him. My eyes were focused on him, but my mind wandered. Why would he say his mom isn't his real mom? And why did he change the tense? I mean, the only reason why someone would do that is if that person died, but I still don't know for sure yet if she did or not. I'm still not sure who she is. But, he's a mess right now, so she had to have died. I blinked and my eyes refocused back on Ezra. My heart briefly twinged at the sight of his hands shaking, and the visible streaks that ran down his cheeks. I feel... sympathetic. For a brief moment my own sadness faded and my concern for Ezra's clouded my mind, but it went away just as fast as it appeared. I almost didn't recognize the emotion. Glancing down at my left pocket, I pulled out my phone and unlocked it to text Cam. ezra needs you. on the roof of his dorm. I sent to her.

[westforestuniversity]

Ginger

Tyler Xaiver Kennedy

Tyler repressed his chuckles at the girl’s timid body language, and smiled down at her. Was he really that intimidating? Perhaps it was the face tattoo, or his tall stature. He ran a hand over his mouth, and nodded at her question. “Yeah, I took a semester off after high school, and thought ‘hey, why not’ to the whole college thing,” he told her with a shrug of his shoulders, sticking his hands into his front pockets. “How about yourself?” He asked her, hoping that she wasn’t years older than he was. Not that he would mind fully, but he didn’t want to see like an idiot freshman to the girl. The pills he was on caused him to sway for a moment until he adjusted his footing. When it started to snow, he looked up toward the sky and grimaced. He glanced back down at her, “Would you like to come get a coffee with me? My brother has told me good things about the coffee shop on campus.” He moved so that he was standing under the awning of the door so that he didn’t get covered by the downfall. He hoped she would say yes; he felt a need to get to know the girl more.

~~~~~

Lukas Micheal Kennedy

Lukas was content with her in his arms, until she pulled away from him. He closed his eyes, and his hands clenched themselves together, waiting for what she was going to do. His eyes opened once he heard the pill bottle cap, and he looked over at her as she dry swallowed the pain killers. He kept his mouth shut while she stayed away from him, and his eyes diverted from her to the ceiling. He knew that he shouldn’t be frustrated by her taking care of herself after it was his fault she was in pain, but it was an involuntary response. Whenever she returned to him, his hands gripped onto the curves of her waist a bit tighter than they had before.

He raised an eyebrow at her statement, and thought about his reply carefully. “And what game is this exactly?” He asked her, his face set in stone. He breathed out a sigh as he relaxed himself, pushing his hands underneath her shirt to feel the warmth of her skin. “Fine,” he murmured, mostly to himself, before deciding to go along with whatever she was planning, “I choose eight.” He leaned up to kiss her forehead gently, and laid back, releasing the rest of the tension in his body. He reached up and began playing with a strand of her hair, twirling it around with his fingers. A memory appeared in his mind of when he used to do the same to his mother’s, and his brow furrowed at the thought of her. He pushed the memory away quickly, and released the strand of her hair.

[westforestuniversity]

Fallz

Max Azarola 

At first, he worried he had said something wrong. When tears began to run down her cheeks, Max narrowed his eyes and brushed them away. Was she going to say she didn’t love him in return? That what they had now wasn’t what she wanted anymore? He nearly said something to take it back, if words even could, but then she was speaking again. Relief blossomed in his belly and he ducked his head. Max brought his hands around to cup her waist and he dug his fingers into the soft skin, saying more with less. The three words they were saying had never been a common phrase in his house. Santiago would have never said it, not even to his wife, and even his mother was stingy with her affection. They had bred a boy and a girl incapable of truly expressing their emotions. Only Ally had ever brought them to the surface. Max shifted as she did to sit flat against the wall, her body around his. He let his fingers trail the hot skin under her shirt and leaned his head back. Both surprised and not by her slight dominance, he hiked one knee up to press her body closer to his. It also freed the pressure of her sitting directly on him and Max felt himself grow unabashedly. “Ally,” he murmured as her lips moved down his skin. This was the first night he could recall since the show they weren’t bombarded with tests, being asked to hang out, or having someone burst in their room. Max wished Ezra hadn’t broken the lock on their door so long ago.

His fingers traced lazy patters across her spine and he shut his eyes. The flickering of her lights around the room were flashing patterns against her tent. Max opened his eyes and found her in the semi-darkness. He felt the nip at his skin and his fingers curled in reflexively. Pushing her body away from his so he could see her face, mouth slightly agape, he lifted his chin. “Mi amor- My love,” Max said, bringing his hands around to her stomach. He dipped his fingers into the waist band of her jeans and cocked one eyebrow. “Do you know what you are asking for?” Without waiting for an answer, he pulled her hips down to him and dropped his knee. Her body was flush against his even at their angle and Max could feel the hunger growing deep his his stomach. Lifting his hands to cup her face, he brought her to him and placed a lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth, then the other. He let one hand fall back down, but didn’t pause above her pants. Max turned his wrist and brought his hand down, peeling back both layers of fabric from her skin. Keeping her mouth busy, he pushed his fingers lower until they grazed the area between her thighs. After he pushed his legs apart so hers did the same, Max ran one finger over her and bit her lower lip.

Valerie Azarola

She looked back up at him with her mouth open. Valerie wrapped her legs around his waist when he pulled her to him, relief tugging her lips up into a smile. Even though he hadn’t said it so plainly, she felt like he meant the same thing she had. It was Lukas, after all. Only things that meant nothing ever came out of his mouth sounding like they should. She sighed contentedly and cupped her hands around the back of his neck, twirling his hair between her fingers. Valerie wondered once again what it was about her that had hooked Lukas. She remembered what he had said at the party, but that was only an excuse for sex. What kept him afterwards she had not a clue. Maybe it was just to take his mind off of things for a little while. He could have been using her. But as Valerie’s eyes met his and saw one of his rare smiles, she couldn’t help but think she was very wrong in assuming the worst about him all the time. “Don’t tickle me,” she said, even though her voice was soft and held not a single serious note. “I hate my laugh, you know.” Valerie smoothed her hands across his chest and pecked his lips softly. She shut her eyes and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. “It’s definitely the hair.” With a small chuckle, she threw one of her legs over his and pulled her closer to him. Her head was still sore from what had happened in the shack. Valerie pulled herself from Lukas’ grip for a moment and rolled over to grab a bottle of Advil. She popped two of them and swallowed them dry. Sitting for a moment until they traveled down, Valerie sat up and looked back to Lukas. Cocking her head to the side, she watched him for a moment before crawling back to him. She flopped on top of him and sat up, peering down at him. “Pick a number between one and ten,” she said, resting her forearms on his chest and leaning down. 

Ezra Benson

He didn’t look up when the person sat next to him. It was probably just another stoned person looking to see the snow, what with it being nearly Christmas and all. Ezra kept his head down but pressed his hands harder into his face. He needed to stop crying. Had to. There was no point in it, really. His mother was gone and stupid tears weren’t bringing her back. Ezra could cry himself a river to drown in, she would still be gone. He thought of all the people in their town that were mourning her death right now. Most of them were probably wondering where he was, why he hadn’t come to start preparations for the funeral. Why he hadn’t come to discuss the will with their lawyer. Ezra was the only one who could do that. He was the only one his mother had left anything to. There would be a time he had to face those things. The house would be his, all of her jewelry she looked at but never wore would belong to him. A beat down Mazda, the albums detailing his childhood, their small but still sufficient safety fund. Ezra was the owner of it all now. He didn’t even have a real job to pay the bills, which meant he’d have to figure out how to sell the house he grew up in.

Snapped out of his thoughts by a voice he hadn’t expected, Ezra looked up at Airiana. His head bumped into her hand and he ducked again. Shifting so he could raise his head, he watched her for a moment. His first instinct was to make a joke. Smile, laugh, do anything to bat the heaviness away from him. There wasn’t a time since they were all friends that he could remember being anything but annoyingly optimistic around them. It was just the role that he filled. The one he always had. Ezra looked out across the campus and blinked away snow that fell into his eyelashes. “Less messy than a gun,” he said. “She isn’t even my real mom.” Ezra cupped his face in his hands, shaking his hands. “She wasn’t even my real mom.”

[westforestuniversity]

0cean

Airiana Thankfully the fight between Lukas and Max didn't create too big of a mess, or I would still be inside of the shack cleaning. After pushing the couch closer to the wall and sliding the recliner back to its original position, I walked over to the coffee table and picked up the bowl of salsa and bag of tortilla chips. Clutching the bowl to my chest with both of my hands, the bag of chips pinned to my side by my arm, I headed out of the shack and used my elbow to close the door behind me. There's something eerie about a campus during holiday break. I'm aware that it's due to most of the students leaving to go visit their families and such, but seeing all of the once lively buildings completely dim and deserted really can make someone realize just how lonely they are. I rolled my eyes. God, Airiana. Lonely is how you like it, have you forgotten? You have a group of friends that love you, yet are you not alone right now? Inhaling deeply, I dismissed the thoughts from my mind as I exhaled and decided to focus my attention on something else. Looking up at the sky, my eyes found the moon behind the clouds and watched as each cloud drifted past. Most of them are ordinary clouds, but one kind of looks like a dog. Raising both of my eyebrows, I watched as it drifted past the clouds and disappeared behind one of the buildings. For a second I glanced away after the cloud disappeared, but the image of something near the edge of the roof flashed in my mind. Glancing back towards the building, I squinted my eyes and noticed a silhouette standing on the edge of the roof. As I moved closer to the building, I began to see a familiar head of hair. Ezra. My heart jumped from the sudden realization and I quickly cut across the grass and entered the nearest door to the building. Usually there's a fire escape that allows easy access to the roof but I can't seem to remember where it is. So, I climbed the stairs until I reached the door for the roof. Slightly out of breath, I walked onto the roof and stopped when I saw Ezra's face in his hands. Setting the salsa and bag of chips down, I dropped my hands to my side and stood there. I am not the right person for this. But I have to say something, right? I mean, I've never seen the enthusiastic side of Ezra, but there has to be a reason why he confides in Cam so much. She's practically a mother to all of us. Glancing at the moon, I viewed Ezra once more before walking over to him. I peered over the edge of the building before kneeling down next to him and then shifting to sit on my butt. Crossing my legs, I pushed my hands into my pocket and turned my head to look at him. Even though the sound is muffled by his hands, I can tell that he's crying. Crying's good. With the hope that it'll help him, I looked away from him and watched the first snowflake of the evening fall from the sky. After a few moments, the snow starting to pick up, I pulled my hoodie over my head and turned to view Ezra. The snow had started to cover his curls, so I removed my hand from my coat pocket and held it over his head. "I have pills." I said to him, breaking the silence. "It's less messy." Alessandra Max's touch is indescribable. The way his hands feel large enough to support me, yet gentle enough to relax my entire body never ceases to amaze me. His touch alone is euphoric for me. "Hm?" I pulled myself out of my daze, my eyes unable to move away from his. There's beauty behind even the darkest eyes, and sometimes they're the best way to understand someone. Everyone sees each other differently, and if they were able to see Max the way I see him then I know they would fall in love with him too. "Max," I whispered, the emotion swelling in my heart as his words replayed over in my head. "That's," I couldn't do anything but smile as my eyes began to water, except this time my cheeks aren't red and I don't feel as though I have to hide them from him. Although we've been together for a while now, hearing Max say those words means so much to me. I looked at him, opening my mouth to respond, but closing it shortly after. I try again, but everytime that I try to respond another wave of tears fall. I bit down gently on my bottom lip, blinking the tears away to see him clearly. Moving my body closer to him, I smoothed his hair back with both of my hands now and cupped his face in my hands. "And I love you," My voice is soft but clear to assure him that he never has to doubt it - ever. Now, I want to say it again. "I love you," I whisper, closing my eyes and leaning in to flatten my lips against his. Then, I pulled away ever so slightly, "I love y-," I began to say but leaned in to kiss him once more. There's something about saying 'I love you' that completely blends two people together. Admittedly, I would keep track of how many times I kissed him before but now I have no shame in doing it without end, or asking for him to come over just to kiss him goodnight. Moving my body closer to him to straddle him, I parted his lips with my own and as I felt the desire to pleasure him grow, I ran my tongue along his to dominate the kiss but not too aggressively. I have been storing most of my passion for Max for the past two years, so now that we at least have the entire night to ourselves, I intend to free that passion from here on out. Pressing my body more into his, only wanting to be as close to him as humanly possible, my lips began to drift away from his and trail down his jaw and to his neck. I wet the area with the tip of my tongue before sucking on the small area until a slightly dark purple began to form. I moved on to another spot, although a thought popped into my head as I did. Curious to see his reaction, I proceeded to start creating the hickie but as I sucked in the area of skin, I bit the skin gently before releasing it.

[westforestuniversity]

Ginger

Lukas Micheal

Lukas was going to lay back down again, but her stammering over herself made him stop. He braced himself for what was coming next, but it wasn’t what he expected. He had fully expected her to run for the hills after what he did to her that day, but here she was. His eyebrows shot up, and he began to chuckle. “Well first, I’d probably call you an idiot,” he commented, wrapping his arms around her waist, “But I guess I’d be an idiot too in that case.” He lifted her into his lap, and kissed the top of her head. “I’m not the nicest guy in the world, Val, but I can try to do what’s right for you,” he told her gently before taking her face in his hand, and kissing her.

“Besides, you couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried,” he chuckled once more, burying his face into her neck and collar bone. He held her there for a long moment without saying a single word, and took long relaxing breaths. “Mmm, world’s best pain medicine,” he murmured, mostly to himself, as he kissed her collar bone. He moved back to look up at her with a genuine smile playing on his lips, “Why you wanna go and love me, anyhow? Huh? Is it my stunning good looks? Its the hair, isn’t it?” He tickled her sides just to hear her laugh, and pulled her down onto the bed as he flopped.

[westforestuniversity]

Fallz

Ezra Benson

Ezra had gotten the phone call as soon as he made it off campus. It came from the police station and he hadn’t expected anything other than his mother calling. Maybe to tell him that she would be a little late getting home, some case had run over. When he was still in high school it happened a lot. He would come home with a note on the fridge. She had already called the pizza place in town and left him a few folded bills in the bottom of their fruit bowl. Ezra was usually asleep by the time she got home on those nights but he always woke up when he heard the lock on their front door click. His mother would sigh a lot, ruffle through the bills again, and put the change from pizza back in her wallet. She always walked past his door and stood there for a moment. For four years straight, she never caught on to the fact that he was awake and looking back at her. His mother didn’t know that he knew everything. He knew she was starting to lose her cases, knew that her job at the station was being threatened by a new cop that talked to teenagers better. She tried to hide the stress from him but Ezra knew.

He stayed on the side of the highway when the chief hung up the phone, his last mumbled apology replaying in his head. It was hours before he finally started the engine and went back to campus. Sometime on the way there, he wasn’t sure when, he made up his mind. Ezra climbed the fire escape to the roof and walked towards the edge. He knew his friends were in the shack, which he had purposely faced away from. No one had contacted him since he left, not even Cam. She was most likely busy though, so Ezra couldn’t hold anything against her. He wasn’t that important. The world had no consideration for him in regards to his mother, so why would it bother with a simple text? Ezra pulled his jacket tighter around his body as he stepped to the edge. It was the tallest building on campus, their dorm room. He squatted down and placed his hands flat on the concrete edge. They didn’t tell him exactly how his mother had been shot. Ezra hoped it was quick. She didn’t deserve to suffer, not a person like her. He looked up towards the sky. If there really was a heaven, that’s where she would be. Ezra leaned over the edge and removed his hands. There was nothing for him anymore. Cam would move on. He doubted anyone else would think twice of it. Ezra knew Val would blame herself for not seeing something was up but in a few days, she would be preoccupied with Lukas again. And Airi never smiled anyway.

For the first time since the call, Ezra felt warm tears down his cheeks. He felt the lump swell in his throat and his stomach turn upside down. His body lost any composure it had and he slumped forward, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Ezra cupped his face in his hands and fell backwards. “I can’t do it, Mom,” he whispered. “I can’t do it.”

Max Azarola

Max let out a low chuckle and released the page so she could flip through the album again. He touched the side of her cheeks, tinged with red, and pursed his lips. “Yeah, you’re very hot.” His fingers weaved themselves through hers as the photos went by. Max’s eyes found her face first in every picture and searched for it when she was absent. All of the photographs brought back memories from when they were both silent about their feelings. They were good times but he wondered how much better they would have been if they’d known. He promised himself then to not keep something like that locked up. There was no need to anymore, really. Without the fear of rejection, of ruining their friendship, he was no longer scared to admit things to her. Max peered down at her when the weight of her head left his shoulder. “Y tambien, pero es bien. Me too, but that’s good.” He shifted his body slightly so he could reach her easily, hand cupping the side of her waist. Max enjoyed the feeling of being able to be with her. No interruptions, no deadlines looming over his shoulder, not even Val could get past his thoughts of Ally at that moment. He bit her lower lip and moved his other hand to her face, wrapping it around the back of her neck. “Ally,” he whispered, pulling away just centimeters. His eyes flicked open and found hers in the semi-darkness of the tent.

Since the show, they had almost no time together. Especially not time for them to move further, not the way a first time was meant to be. Max wanted everything about the moment to be special for her and a rushed job between classes was no way he wanted her to remember it. He rested his hands on both sides of her neck and massaged the area below her ear with his thumbs. Words his mother had said pushed through his mind. Your woman is everything, Macon, and you must be sure you treat her as such. Max pulled in a breath through his teeth. “I love you,” he said, voice bursting through his mouth. “I have for so long and I want to for many more years- forever.”

Valerie Azarola

Her eyes widened at his words. She gaped at the wall, not really believing what she was hearing. Valerie hadn’t heard so much of an apology come out of his mouth since she had met him. Something must have been bothering Lukas bad for him to let so much of himself show. Valerie couldn’t imagine the kind of father that would force his kid to fight, especially so young. Part of her wondered if Lukas had learned abusive behaviors from him. Most people did, it was just common knowledge. Thinking about him growing up like that, she frowned. No kid deserved to be the outlet for their parent’s anger. It was no wonder Lukas was always so touchy, so quick to action. “It’s okay,” she said, crawling on the bed beside him. She faced him on her side and propped her head up with her hand. His words caused her stomach to stir. They were the first thing he’d said to her that held true emotion. Valerie didn’t want to think about the fact that she may have been falling in love with him. He wasn’t even her type, not really. Lukas probably couldn’t care less about her vision for art or a future career. She chewed on the inside of her lip. The things he said split her mind entirely. “Uhm,” Valerie said, sitting up. She pulled her legs to her and crossed her fingers together in her lap. “Dear God, okay, here I go.” After clearing her throat, she brought her eyes up to his. The contact didn’t last long and Valerie’s eyes shifted again to her lap. “I’m not, well, I guess I’m just not really sure how to say this.” A few seconds, then she threw all caution to the wind. “What if I didn’t like you,” she said, voice soft. “It was something more?” Valerie knew his opinion on relationships. All of them did, which is why she had been so hesitant to let their thing carry on. She hadn’t wanted to. Her plan was to forfeit things right after the party but then the tornado, then the moment after that, and that, and that. Things had gone on way longer than they intended. His words only confirmed her suspicions but Valerie also knew she had to end it here if there was only hurt in the long run.

[westforestuniversity]

0cean

Alessandra After hearing his comment, I could feel the palm of my hands heating up and the corners of my lips curving into a smile. "You're going to make me blush," I said to him, my cheeks already beginning to warm up. Leaning my head onto his shoulder, I flipped through the rest of the pages with my free hand. The photos displayed the bond between all of us growing as well as Max and I's feelings for each other growing. There was one photo towards the middle of the album where someone had snapped a photo of the two of us sitting on the bleachers at one of the football games. I remember the student, who had been in charge of photographing the game that night, giving the photo to me the next day after he took it. In the midst of everyone cheering on the team and our group of friends watching the game, Max and I were sitting there next to each other with our eyes locked. The photo made me appreciate us finally being together even more. "I think we're obsessed with each other." I murmured with a small laugh, lifting my head from his shoulder and looking at him. The smile that had formed faded as I looked in his eyes. There was something else that I was going to say, but I can't remember it now. My eyes slowly lowered to his lips before I leaned in and kissed them tenderly. Finally being alone together without having to worry about deadlines or a friend barging into the room for advice makes all of this feel peaceful. We finally have time to just focus on each other. My hand moved to the side of his face as I parted his lips with mine and deepened the kiss.

[westforestuniversity]

Ginger

Lukas Micheal

Lukas placed his hands on Valerie's hips as she touched his hair, and pulled her closer to him, spreading his legs so she could stand between them. He smiled faintly as her before his eyebrows pushed together and his mouth set itself into grimace. "I know I shouldn't have done that to you," he began before sighing, "or Max, for that matter. But the boy had it coming after what he was trying to do." He placed his forehead on her stomach, closing his eyes. "I was raised a certain way, alright, and if someone hits you, you finished the fight. There was no giving in, or my dad would have kicked my ass even more." He moved to fall back onto the bed, and stare up at the ceiling.

"When I was about nine or ten, I got in a fight with this redheaded kid in front of my house," he began, his voice low. "I wasn't fighting back, because he was bigger than I was. Then my dad stepped out on the front porch, and his voice practically boomed for counties as he said, 'You either kick his ass, or I kick yours.'" Lukas glanced over at Val to see if she was listening to him, and when their eyes made eye contact, he went back to staring at the ceiling. "I had never fought so hard in my entire life, but I ended up winning. I knew right then that if I had to fight, I had to win." He ran his hand over his face once again, and grumbled out another sigh. "I just," he paused to sit up and look at her, "I get so angry all the time and if I let it build up, it jumps at its first opportunity." He reached up to run his thumb over her cheek, "You are special to me, Val. You make things go numb for a while."

[westforestuniversity]

Fallz

Max Azarola 

Max shifted along with Ally so they sat comfortably within the tent. He rested his head against the bed and let his eyes fall shut. His head was finally starting to pulse with pain. It wasn’t anything he was going to complain about, but it was a reminder of what had happened. Max stopped himself. He had told Ally he didn’t want to talk about it, which mean that he shouldn’t think about it either. Opening his eyes when he heard the sound of a wrapper, he lifted his head off the bed. Taking a few snacks from the bag she held out, he pulled one of his legs up and rested an elbow on his bent knee. It was always so weird to see his friends like that, with most of them having changed drastically. His eyes traveled to Ally and he squinted his eyes. They hadn’t yet become close at that point, he didn’t think. Max knew it wasn’t long after though. He popped one of the gummys into his mouth and shook his head. “Yeah, but he’s back now.” 

His eyes stayed on the photoalbum as he ate another candy. Ally flipped past the next page quick, but he still knew what it was. Max sat up and his lips turned upwards in the smallest of smiles. “No, no, Alessandra.” He said, grabbing hold of her hand on the page. Keeping her hand secure in his, he flipped the page back with his other. Of course he didn’t remember when the picture was taken but he knew Ally well enough to know she only kept the photos she really liked. They were somewhat the same in that both were overly critical of themselves. “¿Que es? - What’s this?” Max said, tracing his finger over his own jawline. He looked up at Ally with a michevious smirk. “And I thought I was the obessed one.” 

Valerie Azarola

She was surprised to see him calm down so easily, but then again tempers like his were usually fleeting. Valerie closed her eyes when he kissed the part of her head that was pounding on the inside. It was a small gesture but it still made her stomach warm and nearly the whole incident from earlier was wiped out. Lukas wasn’t entirely bad, he just couldn’t be. Valerie didn’t believe anyone was either good or bad, everyone was always their own mixture of both. Sure, he may have leaned a little more towards naughty but there were nice days mixed in there. She smoothed out his shirt when she turned back around and nodded. “Sounds good,” Valerie said, smiling up at him.

In her room, she kicked off her shoes by the door and took off her jacket. She wasn’t sure if Georgia would come back or not, so for safe keeping she stuck a sock on her doorknob outside. It was just to let her know that Lukas was there. If Valerie could guess, she didn’t think any of their friends wanted to see him at that moment. When she looked at Lukas again and saw him wipe a hand over his face, Valerie sighed. “Hey,” she said, standing in front of him. Tilting his chin up to her, she pressed her lips to his for a brief second. “I don’t know what’s bothering you but I’m here for whatever you need.” She brushed his hair back and gave him another quick kiss before stepping back. 

[westforestuniversity]

0cean

Alessandra Subtly nodding my head, "I understand." I said to him as he moved closer to me. I shifted my body as well and moved my legs out from underneath me so that I could stretch them out. Leaning forward and reaching inside of the basket full of food, I pulled out a small package of fruit snacks and grabbed my photo album with my other hand. Leaning back against the bed, my shoulder next to Max's, I placed the album on my lap and pressed both of my thumbs on the package to open it. I popped one of the fruit snacks in my mouth and then held it out for Max incase he wanted one. Opening the book with my free hand, I turned to the first page and saw the picture I took of all of us my first year here. I browsed each of our faces and smiled. Cristiano was much smaller then and Airiana had the widest smile on her face. My gaze moved to Ezra. "Hey," I grabbed another fruit snack. "Did Ezra leave for winter break?" I asked Max, turning the page. As soon as I turned the page and saw the outline of Max's hands I quickly turned to the next page. Jesus, Ally. I remember taking that photo our sophomore year. I forgot which one of our friends were around, but I remember someone pointing it out to me that Max had fallen asleep and I couldn't miss that opportunity. I'm sure they wanted me to take the photo of him and use it for jokes, but I just remember being so at a loss for words that all I could do was laugh in order to keep my secret hidden. Now, of course, that secret is out but I don't think I've ever told Max about that photo. Honestly, I'm really not sure if he knows how beautiful he is. Popping another fruit gummy in my mouth, I cooly gazed at the next picture and continued the conversation, "Airiana sent him a text but I figured he left."