I Hate That I Love You || 1x1

[adheline]

┌─── clayton fortescue ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Jessie ] [ location | school ]
└

park meetings---------

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Clayton has just enough time to furrow his eyebrows at Jessie's text before there's an arm around his middle. He relaxes immediately into the hold, grinning at the feel of her head on his shoulder. The expression fades slightly in surprise at her question. He's not sure what in particular tipped her off, but she's getting quite good at reading him. Apparently he doesn't have to ask if he went too far after all, and as she assures him he needn't have worried, he realizes she's right. He learned very early on in their acquaintance that Jessie can handle just about anything he dishes out. If he's being honest, that may also be one of the very first things he liked about her. That, and her habit of kissing his cheek. His chest warms at the gesture, and he matches her gaze with a pleased smile. "All right, I'll just tease you about how eager you are to get me alone, then," he answers, leading the way towards the practice rooms. It's not far at all, and soon enough they're faced with a row of doors, all but one cracked open to dark rooms. Faint arpeggios drift from the furthest room down, someone doing exercises on a string instrument. Clayton stops in front of the first door, taking a quick glance around before grabbing Jessie's hand and tugging her into the room. A motion sensor light activates as he lets Jessie go to shut the door behind them, bathing the room in warm fluorescence. He'd assumed the room was small, he's never even looked into a practice room before, but he only realizes just how small it is when he leans back against the door and looks around. There's a modest piano against the wall to his left, in front of which is a bench and a stack of two chairs. In the sliver of space next to the piano are two metal music stands. He assumes this means the room can hold up to three musicians, which seems about right. He couldn't imagine a fourth cramming in here. Maybe four people without instruments. His eyes wander back to Jessie, and he grins boyishly. "Well, this is cozy." Now that they're alone, Clayton finds he can't even decide what he wants to do. He's spent the entire lunch period so far collecting suppressed reactions that he's now got the chance to act on, but he's not sure what order to go in. There's also the matter of what she wants to do with this time they've snagged. After a moment of contemplation, he blows out a breath and decides to just throw her for a loop by taking his time and see what she does. "Maybe we should come here more often," he suggests, casually slotting his hands into his jacket pockets. It's the bomber, again. He feels like soon enough Sky might get sick of it the way she did the leather jacket and force him to get more again, but Jessie said once that she likes it, so he's constantly finding himself drawn to it. "You look cute, by the way. I wanted to tell you that earlier." Instead, he'd said something about eating in front of him. Not really a very good translation.

┌─── nathaniel vise ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Skylar, Audrey, Michael ] [ location | school ]
└

science project---------

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It looks like Skylar wants to turn him down, which he anticipated to be her initial reaction, but he remains hopeful that she'll take him up on the offer in the end. He smiles when she does so, not bothered by her reluctance, but it falters a little when Michael expresses his surprise. He knew she'd need some convincing, but Nathaniel didn't realize that kind of shock would be warranted. He figured it would be like earlier, when she hesitated to accept their help, but did after a little reassurance. Just like how she always accepts his help. Of course, Jessie also said yesterday her letting him assistant her with the dance is a sign of her trust in him. Which maybe makes sense after hearing Skylar's reasoning for refusing when Michael wants her to take a break. That probably means it's less that he has a way with her like Michael says, and more just that Skylar knows Nathaniel has a good work ethic. That makes more sense to him, anyway. He watches their playful arguing, an interaction that's distinctly them and definitely not something he's used to with his own friends. He catches Audrey's eye, finding the whole thing oddly endearing. Audrey might be more used to it, now that he thinks about it. She and her sister can act like that. Overall, switching Clayton and Jessie out for Michael and Audrey, the atmosphere feels more spirited. Not that the other two are downers or anything, but the fact that they were trying to keep things discreet was enough alone to make it feel restrictive. They also largely kept to themselves. With Sky finally taking her well deserved break, Nathaniel turns in his chair to face the computer again, glancing around as needed while they talk about the dance. It's good to hear that Michael's serious about asking Audrey properly this time around. When she gushed about the date today, and even yesterday just to him, he could tell she didn't have a problem with things originating from a bet. She's never had any romantic experiences before though, and it'd be a shame if she couldn't have even one traditional experience of being asked out, particularly due to the amount of romance books he knows she's stealthily borrowed from the library. He's surprised to have the question turned to him, especially from Michael. "Me? I... don't really know. I'll probably just go alone, since my friends have plans of their own now." Audrey's question gives him pause, and he shoots her a subtle glare for putting him on the spot. Of course, she's completely unapologetic. His gaze wanders to Skylar, then he looks between the other two to try and hide the instinctive look in her direction. There's no way he can ask Skylar to the dance. It's definitely not that he doesn't want to. He does. He just thinks that, whatever Jessie thinks or hopes, his chances of rejection are fairly high, and he doesn't want to make things awkward when they're just settling into a friendship. Or, whatever this relationship is that they have now. "It's not that, exactly." He can think of someone to ask. Expecting Audrey to probe a little more, since he realizes belatedly that he just dropped a statement with vague implications, he blinks when she's suddenly onto Skylar. He can't tell if she feels sorry for him, is really that curious about Skylar, or just wants an excuse to extend the invitation for dress shopping while they're on the subject.

┌─── audrey stockwell ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Michael, Nathaniel, Skylar ] [ location | school ]
└

the third------------

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When Skylar doesn't immediately respond to Nathaniel's offer for a break, Audrey looks up at her. She can read the reluctance in her expression, and she thinks she has an idea as to why it's there. It can be difficult to hand over the reins and step back, even just in this small way, on something so personally important. Skylar's been heading every step of this dance, from what Audrey understands. She had a hard enough time accepting their help to begin with, now Nath wants her to sit it out entirely. If Nath wasn't such a genuine individual, the suggestion might border on offensive. Or maybe Audrey is projecting too much of her own pride onto Skylar, but she doesn't think so. She manages to catch Michael's muttered disbelief when Skylar agrees, lending further credence to her suspicion that she has a strong habit of taking care of things herself. Audrey glances between the two as they do a little back and forth, then shares a look with Nath. With that settled, and Skylar sitting down for a break, Audrey turns back to her neat little marker rainbow. The task she accidentally stole from Michael by telling Skylar he's good at his job. Maybe she can make it up to him somehow later. She catches his glance when he's asked about the dance, smiling at his addition of the word 'probably.' He would be well within reason to just assume she'll go with him, and she definitely wants to. It's nice that he's making a deliberate inclusion of waiting for her to confirm that, though. She wonders what exactly his plan to ask her properly is, but she supposes she'll find out when he does so. When he asks about Nathaniel's plans, she takes a second to try and read him. It's a very casual question, and his posture is relaxed. After the doubt he expressed earlier, though, she has to assume he's digging deliberately. She turns to Nath, curious herself for his answer. "Really? It's no fun going alone. You can't think of anyone to ask?" He gives her a look for that, to which she raises her eyebrows encouragingly. Asking someone to a dance isn't like he's asking for any sort of commitment otherwise. Even if he's not ready to date, he can still have fun with someone, namely Skylar, at a school dance. From his evasive answer, she knows she isn't going to get anywhere with him, so she decides to employ Michael's tactics and quickly shuffles the attention on to Skylar. It might be a hindrance to Michael's low-key interrogation, but he can always come back to Nath if he wants to. She feels like any further pushing right now will just shut him down entirely, anyway. His posture's already sinking in discomfort. "Well, if you want to, you should think about asking someone. How about you, Skylar? I guess you'll probably keep an eye on things during the dance since you're planning it, but are you going with a date?" As popular as Skylar is, Audrey imagines she has a lot of interest. She's probably been asked already. "Maybe we can go dress shopping again. I could use your input, you really helped me out last time. I know what color I want, but beyond that I have no clue."

(( thank you, happy new year!! ))

[lucky ⋆]

❅ Jᴇssɪᴄᴀ Sᴄᴏғɪᴇʟᴅ ❅
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[ meetings in the park ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: Clayton ]

A grin tugs at the corners of her lips as Jessie rolls her eyes at Clayton’s teasing about her eagerness. As if he is not just as excited as she is. After all, he is the one who suggested the practice rooms. She trails closely behind him, trying to play it cool while feeling her pulse pick up with each step. There is a rush in sneaking around like this, being just a little bit reckless. The whole thing feels like an adventure, even though the room is only a few steps away. As they approach the door to the practice room, her attention drifts briefly to the sound of someone playing a string instrument. She misses Clayton’s quick glances around, so when he pulls her into the room, her breath catches in her throat. She can’t suppress the light, breathless giggle that slips out. The room feels smaller than she expected. She looks around. There is barely enough room for them to move freely without brushing against the piano or the stands. The walls seem to close in as she turns to face him. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, feeling the heat from his body as they stand so close. Jessie can’t help but smile, giving a vague nod in agreement to his assessment of the room. His suggestion has her glancing around again, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of them sneaking away here regularly. "Maybe," she echoes, her voice lighter than before. The air is thick with anticipation, and she is not sure what to do with it as she waits with excitement mixing with a bit of nervousness. The silence stretches on, and Jessie realizes he is not going to make a move first. She knows his game. He is prodding her just enough to get a reaction, waiting for her to make the first move. It’s not the first time he has done this, but she can handle it now. She knows how to play his game. She focuses on his compliment first. “Cute?” she repeats, arching an eyebrow. "I don’t know... didn’t sound like you were thinking ‘cute’ earlier." She remembers how he had been all ‘eating in front of me’ earlier. Her eyes flicker down to the bomber jacket he is wearing, recalling how she told him she liked it. "You don’t look too bad either. That bomber, huh?" she teases, her voice softer now. “Though, I kind of miss the leather jacket. Even if Skylar doesn’t approve." She still likes the bomber best, but the leather feels... more him. She shifts back slightly, her sweater pulling awkwardly on one shoulder again. She pulls it up, trying to straighten herself out, feeling a little dishevelled from all the sneaking around. She can feel her bun starting to come undone again. “Are you sure I look cute?” she asks, her voice quieter now, but still playful. “I feel like I’m a mess.” Reaching up to tug at her bun, she sighs and turns away from him, her fingers working through her hair. "Can you help me with this?" She gestures toward her hair as she fumbles with it a little. Then, she freezes. A thought flashes through her mind. Does it really matter if her hair is messed up right now? She catches his eye again, tilting her head back over her shoulder. Her lips curl into a half-innocent, half-coy smile. Her voice turns teasing, a little daring. “Then again, is there any point in fixing it now?” She holds his gaze as she waits for his response.

♛ Sᴋʏʟᴀʀ Jᴀᴄᴏʙs ♛
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[ the science project ] [ location: school] [ tagged: Nathaniel, Michael and Audrey ]

Skylar leans back, taking a bite of her lunch while listening to the conversation around her. Nathaniel’s comment about going alone to the dance catches her attention, and something twinges in her chest. It’s a fleeting feeling, but enough to catch her off guard. She can’t help but feel relieved, he is in the same boat as her. Everyone is pairing off, and here they are, stuck in the 'leftovers' category. She knows she shouldn’t think of it that way, but sometimes it feels like that. Michael doesn’t react, his face unusually neutral despite asking the questions. Audrey’s casual inquiry seems calculated, and Skylar can’t shake the feeling that she is missing something. Her thoughts freeze when Nathaniel hints that he does have someone in mind to ask to the dance. Disappointment, and maybe even jealousy, tightens her chest. She quickly tries to push the feelings away. Last she heard, Nathaniel was still sorting through his feelings for Jessie. Has he already found someone else to ask? She doesn’t have time to dwell on it when Audrey shifts the focus back to her. Skylar perks up at the mention of dress shopping, straightening up. It’s a welcome distraction. “Oh, I’m going,” she says. “But no date. Haven’t really been asked by anyone worth my time.” It’s mostly the same group of boys she is used to. “I guess I’ve rejected enough people that now they just assume I’m going solo,” she adds with a shrug, her voice sharp. It stings a little. She is used to being the one everyone turns to, but now it feels like she is too difficult for anyone to ask. Her thoughts cloud again when she thinks about Clay and Jessie. She doesn’t know if he’ll publicly take her to the dance or if she’ll be the one to cover for him, pretending to be his date while hiding his real one. The idea of being the cover girl doesn’t thrill her, but if that’s what her best friend needs, she’ll play the part. “Definitely though,” Skylar continues, snapping out of her thoughts, her voice more animated now. “We should go dress shopping together. You, me, maybe even get Jessie in on it too. A whole girls’ day. It could be fun.” She pauses, watching the latest customer leave before grinning mischievously and lowering her voice. "I’ve got plenty to spill about your boyfriends, after all." She ignores Michael’s pleas for mercy, not letting the dynamic go. It’s not that she doesn’t get along with some of their girlfriends, but it feels different now. She is surprised by how much she is warming up to Audrey and Jessie. Just last week, she wouldn’t have said a word to Audrey and would have had plenty of other words to say to Jessie. They’re developing an unexpected friendship. As the conversation falls quiet, her thoughts drift back to Nathaniel. He is still on her mind and the idea of Nathaniel having someone else in mind makes her feel unsettled. Feeling impulsive, she decides to act on the thought before she can second-guess herself. “Hey,” she says casually, “if you end up going alone, maybe we should go together?” Her tone is light, offering it as a simple solution. It’s an easy out for both of them if they end up without dates. Honestly, it feels good to take the leap. She’s planning to kiss him later anyway, so this is nothing.

☀ Mɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ Hᴀʀʀɪsᴏɴ ☀
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[ the third pair ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: Skylar, Nathaniel and Audrey]

Michael tries not to react too much when Nathaniel mentions he has no plans to go to the dance with anyone. On one hand, it makes sense for Nathaniel to ask Skylar, especially after Audrey mentioned Nathaniel’s feelings. On the other hand, Michael understands that not rushing into anything is the 'respectful decision.' If Nathaniel is still getting over Jessie, it makes sense to hold off on asking someone else. But it doesn’t have to be romantic, they could go as friends, right? Friends go to dances together all the time. Michael realizes he is spending too much time thinking about other people's feelings. He is already juggling his own insecurities and doubts about the dance, trying to do the right thing with Audrey. It’s a lot to handle. He nods along to Nathaniel’s answer, even though it doesn’t sit perfectly with him. Nathaniel seems to be playing it safe, but Michael can respect that. He glances toward Audrey, surprised by how she seems to be encouraging his subtle interrogation. He is still not sure how she took his doubts about Nathaniel earlier. His mind lingers on Nathaniel’s mention of having someone in mind. Michael can’t dig deeper into it now, he is stuck at the register. He actually needs to focus on his job at some point. But if he noticed Nathaniel’s slip-up, Skylar definitely did, and he sees the curiosity flash in her expression. As Audrey directs the question toward Skylar, Michael tunes into the customers, trying to focus on the task at hand. Michael catches the tone in Skylar’s voice when she talks about not having a dance date. He doesn’t say anything, but he knows her well enough to tell she is putting up a front. She is acting like it doesn’t bother her, but he can tell it does. When the topic shifts to dress shopping, he zones out, but it's hard to miss how Skylar’s mood changes. Michael is happy to hear she has got something to look forward to. He hears snippets of her conversation: 'girl’s day,' 'Jessie,' and 'plenty to spill about your boyfriends.' He groans inwardly. As they get a break between customers, he turns toward her. “Oh, come on, seriously? Please don’t do that,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “Is that what happens when you like the girlfriends?” His laugh is dry. “Spare us a little, yeah? My dignity can only take so much.” Skylar is not known for holding back, especially when it comes to her friends, and the thought of her running off with all their secrets makes him nervous. Still, he knows it’s all in good fun. It's interesting to see how well the girls are getting along now, it’s a change from before. The boys, on the other hand, let's just say are still working out their dynamic. Michael tries to tune out the rest of the conversation while dealing with a transaction, but when Skylar casually suggests to Nathaniel that they go to the dance together if he ends up going alone, his attention is drawn back. He doesn’t react outwardly, but a slight shift of his gaze toward Audrey to gauge her reaction to this turn of events. Skylar’s move is bold, especially considering her hesitations before. All this time, he has been worrying over Nathaniel’s actions, but he hasn’t even considered what Skylar might do on her own.

[adheline]

┌─── clayton fortescue ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Jessie ] [ location | school ]
└

park meetings---------

⋯ ──────┘

Having been itching to get Jessie alone since that very first text, maybe even from the moment he saw her in class today, Clayton's thoroughly enjoying every sign that she's as excited by their venture as he is. Every smile, that small laugh. There's nothing he wants more than to pull her close and savor her proximity. It's hard to just stand there and do nothing to take advantage of the opportunity their sneaking away affords them, but Clayton's also eager to see how she proceeds. It used to be easy to trip her up, to incite a blush and one of those rambles he likes so much. Lately, though, whenever he throws the ball into her court to serve, she's been able to throw it right back. He can't tell what he likes more: flustering her completely, or when she flusters him. He grins when she challenges his compliment, giving a small shrug. Honestly, he thinks Sky caught onto it right away, if her comment on his cravings could be taken as any indication. Sky's pretty good at catching his tells, usually. The biggest exception being when her rivalry with Jessie clouded her ability to catch onto Clayton's feelings, but that's been cleared up and leaves his reactions wide open for interpretation. It makes perfect sense to him, anyway. She's standing there, biting into a sandwich and looking cute as hell, so he mentions the sandwich because the latter's off limits. He glances down at his jacket when Jessie comments on it, and from her tone, he can tell she knows exactly why he keeps wearing it. Which is fine, he doesn't mind her knowing she's on his mind in that way. He's a bit surprised to hear she misses his old jacket, though, mostly just because it feels like the purchasing of the new jackets coincides with their change in relationship. As much as he loves that leather jacket, it definitely suits his character, and his character hasn't always been all that great. He'll definitely keep that tidbit of information in mind, though. Sky would probably have a fit if she saw him wearing it again, but if Jessie gave the go-ahead, that's endorsement enough for him. He gets a little distracted when she tugs at her sweater again, but still manages to hum a confirmation that she definitely looks cute. Probably in part because of the 'mess' she thinks she looks like. She looks comfortable, enough so that as they're alone in this tiny room, he can almost forget they're even at school right now. His eyebrows raise when she asks for help, any lingering amusement on his face dropping entirely when their eyes meet. He knows she's doing it on purpose, but he's not sure if she knows the extent to which it actually works. Her final question is well placed, and he's almost embarrassed to feel a slight heat creep over his cheeks. He huffs out a stunned breath, equally impressed and affected by it, then pushes off the door and takes the single step required to meet her. He carefully takes her hair tie, pulling it onto his wrist before turning her by her shoulders back around to face him. He shakes his head minutely, gaze traipsing over her face while his hands slide up to cup her cheeks. "You're getting too good at this," he murmurs, then presses his lips to hers, finally able to act on all that pent up anticipation. He makes a point of slipping his fingers through her hair, grinning a little into the kiss as he does so.

┌─── nathaniel vise ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Skylar, Audrey, Michael ] [ location | school ]
└

science project---------

⋯ ──────┘

Nathaniel thought it was a little odd for Michael to ask about his plans for the dance, but realistically, it's a natural course in the flow of conversation. It could have just been an attempt at friendly conversation. Or, he could be onto his and Skylar's growing closeness, and it could be an attempt at the opposite of friendly conversation. Nath will never know, because Michael's casual as can be and impossible to read, even when he hints that he has someone to ask. Michael turns back to the line of customers, leaving Nathaniel to decide whether he wants to worry over what could be nothing, or to let it go. He elects to let it go, mostly just because Audrey looks comfortable and relaxed, and if anything were amiss he'd probably be seeing something different. Since Nathaniel's job is less complicated than Michael's, he's able to key in numbers while keeping attention on the girls' conversation. Of course, he doesn't want to give away how interested he is in Skylar's answer, so he turns to the computer, anyway. She doesn't have a date yet, which is a small relief, but his eyebrows furrow at the reasoning as to why. A little disheartened, he wonders what exactly the criteria is to be worth Skylar's time. If she's rejected so many people, she's bound to have rejected people more suitable than him. He has to wonder about the tone of her voice, though. There's something about that statement that she dislikes, but he can't quite pin down what it is. She livens back up before he can really think too hard about it, and he looks away from the computer to glance between the girls with a grin when she offers to gossip about the boyfriends. It's great to see them getting along, and to see the both of them in such a good mood. Obviously Michael would prefer if it weren't at his expense, but Audrey certainly looks thrilled at the prospect of getting some insider info on him. As Audrey agrees, Nathaniel gets back to work, figuring the two of them will probably keep up conversation just fine without him. He looks up when Skylar speaks up again, unable to hide his surprise at her question. A million thoughts race through his mind all at once, and it's enough that he can't really pick one to focus on. All that really stands out is the spark of hope in his chest. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be... I'd like that." The way she offers it, he doesn't think there's too much to it. Just the logical leap that if they both don't have dates, they might as well go together. But while it falls upon the contingency that neither of them decide to go with someone else, he can't help but feel a tad bit optimistic that maybe she would, actually, be open to it if he were to ask her to the dance. It's not enough to immediately change his mind on it, though. If he asks her, she could probably make the logical jump that he likes her. Which, while correct, isn't something he's really prepared for her to know just yet. Or, ever, maybe. Just because she's willing to go to the dance as each others' backups doesn't mean she wants him to have feelings for her.

┌─── audrey stockwell ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Michael, Nathaniel, Skylar ] [ location | school ]
└

the third------------

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Audrey takes immediate interest in the fact that Skylar doesn't have a date yet. She looks to Nath, wanting to make meaningful eye contact, but he's pretending to tune the conversation out despite his work not requiring all that much attention. Instead, she nods slightly to Skylar's mention of people assuming she's going alone. Audrey doubts she's ever been asked out as much as Skylar has, but she's said no enough times now herself that the only people who bother to ask anymore just seem do so either out of bets with friends to see who can finally get a yes or out of pure ego. And then Michael, which still confounds her on occasion, even after trading confessions and starting a relationship. Skylar looks to shrug it off easily enough, though, so Audrey can only assume she's at least used to it. Audrey brightens at the idea of a full girls' day dress shopping for the dance. She's been so obsessed with her academics since she started high school that she never really let herself have close friends, let alone any girl friends with which to do girl things. Her first real girl talk was with Jessie on Friday, which is kind of sad the more she thinks on it. It hasn't been much of a priority, though, and since she hadn't experienced it, she didn't really know what she was missing out on. It's growing on her, for sure, even more so when Skylar promises to share things about Michael while they're out. She beams, trying to mask the expression by pressing her lips together when Michael complains, but completely unable to hide how much she's looking forward to it. She gives him a placating pat on the shoulder, but leans towards Skylar with an enthusiastic nod anyway. "That does sound fun. Girls' day it is." She's sure Jessie would appreciate that, too. Both the dress shopping and low-down on Clayton. Thinking about Michael's plea to hold back on the gossip makes her more curious about what there is to know, but she notices something else in it, too. He implies that Skylar likes her and Jessie as girlfriends for her closest friends, and the acceptance gives Audrey a surge of happiness. She wasn't so sure how easy it would be to win over Michael's friends, particularly after the way Skylar pulled her aside at the mall to warn her off from hurting Michael in any way. She must be doing something right, then. With Skylar, at least. Clayton is as aloof as ever until Jessie walks in the room. Audrey's musings on the matter are interrupted by Skylar, and her eyes go wide at the question she asks Nath. He looks to be equally stunned, but sobers up quickly enough. His acceptance is simple, but she can tell Skylar's offer has him thinking. Audrey taps her fingers to her knee as she looks between them, trying to suss out where this leaves them. She imagines Nathaniel's probably still talking himself out of it, but he can't ignore how Skylar took the initiative here, however casual the question was. Although, if Skylar is taking initiative, maybe they don't have to wait for Nath to piece things together anyway. Curious how Michael's taking this all in, she glances over. There isn't much to read on him, so she raises a questioning eyebrow. He said he wasn't sure about Nathaniel making a move before sorting himself out, but neither of them thought about Skylar doing something first.

[lucky ⋆]

❅ Jᴇssɪᴄᴀ Sᴄᴏғɪᴇʟᴅ ❅
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[ meetings in the park ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: Clayton ]

Jessie watches closely as Clayton’s face flushes slightly, a subtle hint of colour spreading across his cheeks. A rush of satisfaction bubbles in her chest at the sight. Is that a blush? It makes her smile to herself, lips curving into a soft, triumphant grin. She’s glad to see evidence that she’s able to fluster him. Skylar had hinted at it just moments ago, but Jessie had been skeptical. Now, though, with how his face betrays him, she believes Skylar was right. The idea that she has the power to fluster him is something Jessie could get used to. She’s usually the one ending up in a rambling mess. Maybe, just maybe, she does have some power over him after all. Her eyebrows raise when he doesn’t immediately answer her question, just huffing out a breath and stepping closer. His silence is almost as teasing as his earlier comments. For a second, she wonders if he’s actually going to fix her hair like she asked. When he takes the hair tie and slips it onto his wrist, a flutter of warmth spreads through her. The air between them hums with tension. Before she can think any further, he spins her gently to face him. She opens her mouth, but the words die on her lips as his gaze sweeps over her face. His hands find her cheeks, and her mind goes completely blank. The weight of his touch makes her heart skip a beat, and everything else fades away. She barely registers his words before she feels the pressure of his lips against hers. A breath catches in her throat as she closes her eyes, sinking into the kiss. She doesn’t want to pull away. She wants to savour this moment as if trying to make up for all the stolen ones leading up to it. Her arms instinctively loop around his neck, drawing herself closer. Her fingers tangled in the soft hair at the base of his neck, mirroring what he did when he tangled his fingers through her hair. The sensation of his fingers through her hair is as addicting as the kiss itself. It feels like she’s been waiting forever for this. It hasn’t been long, just a day or two since their last kiss, but it feels like much longer. Jessie can already feel herself slipping into the belief that they shouldn’t go a day without this. They should find hidden spots and steal these moments when no one is watching. She can’t help but smile against his lips, disbelieving at the situation. They are actually sneaking off in school to do this. Subconsciously, she steps closer, not considering the limited space in the room. When she finally pulls away, her breath shallow, her lips linger on his for a second before she opens her eyes. She glances up at him, smiling softly. "You want to talk instead of... this?" she teases, voice still breathless. "Wouldn't that have been a waste?" Before he can respond, her grin turns mischievous as she leans in again, pressing a few soft pecks against his lips, each one lingering a little longer than the last to keep the moment alive. She’s about to kiss him again when she suddenly remembers. “Wait, this was supposed to be a lunch break,” she says, pulling back, eyeing him curiously. She isn’t sure if he brought food with him. This is a practice room, definitely not the best place to eat. He had mentioned skipping lunch earlier, but that was before they knew they would get a break. Frowning slightly, she asks, “Don’t you have lunch? Or were you actually planning on skipping it?” As much as she’s enjoying this, she doesn’t want him to go hungry.

♛ Sᴋʏʟᴀʀ Jᴀᴄᴏʙs ♛
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[ the science project ] [ location: school] [ tagged: Nathaniel, Michael and Audrey ]

Skylar tries to keep her face impassive, but even with her casual question, a brief surge of anticipation rises in her chest. She can’t let it show though. After all, it’s just a suggestion. A simple, no-pressure question. That’s all it is. She’s prepared for rejection, even expects it. Still, the idea of him turning her down, even politely, twinges something in her chest that she can’t fully shake off. She wishes she could brush it off, act like it doesn’t matter, but that feeling is harder to ignore than she expected. She forces herself to maintain composure, waiting for his response. When he finally answers, there is hesitation in his voice, and Skylar suppresses a flicker of hope that rises despite herself. He doesn’t outright reject her, but his response is neither enthusiastic nor confident. It’s an agreement, simple but uncertain. A pause lingers, and a slight tremor in his voice leaves her unsure. Is he just being kind? Is he actually considering it? Or is he trying to let her down gently? It's not a rejection, but it's not exactly a confident yes either. Just... an agreement. “Alright,” she replies casually, pushing the smallest trace of disappointment or hope back down. “If it doesn’t work out with whoever you want to ask, that’ll be our plan,” she says evenly, her gaze briefly meeting his before shifting to her half-finished lunch. She focuses on finishing her meal, trying to push thoughts of Nathaniel and his uncertain response to the back of her mind. There is no point in speculating if it doesn’t go anywhere. She turns her attention to the customers coming and going, trying to ignore the flickering thoughts that still linger. As the last customer leaves, Skylar stretches her arms above her head. She notices Michael watching her, probably wondering how they have reached the end of the line already. His comment confirms her suspicion. “I cut the line off earlier,” she explains as she cleans up her lunch. “That’s why we’re finishing up early. Good thing too. It gives us more time to clean up and count the cash.” She’s not keen on leaving things half-done when she has a moment to get ahead. “Before we do that though, I need to get you guys some tickets,” she adds, glancing around the room. “Hm, I wonder if Jessie and Clay will come back for this.” Depending on what they’re up to, she’s not sure if they’ll return at all. It would be a bit silly not to, though, since they’ll have to line up again later if they don’t. As she heads to the markers, her mind shifts to the outfits everyone is planning. She wonders how they’ll coordinate. “What colour do you guys need?” she asks, looking over her shoulder. Michael, predictably, shrugs and says any colour will work. She narrows her eyes in exasperation. “You can’t just pick a random colour. You’d better match Audrey if you two are going together.” She crosses her arms, feeling like the mom of the group, but she can’t help it when it comes to Michael. “Maybe the boys need a day to figure out their outfits too,” she adds with a grin. “Sounds like I’ll have to drag you all to the mall.” Then, turning to Audrey, she asks, “What colour are you thinking? I’ll make sure Michael gets one that matches or at least complements it.”

☀ Mɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ Hᴀʀʀɪsᴏɴ ☀
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[ the third pair ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: Skylar, Nathaniel and Audrey]

Michael tries not to react to Audrey’s raised eyebrow, offering her a quick shrug when she glances at him. There isn’t much to say, or more accurately, there’s nothing he can say. He’s certain any comment could potentially out Nathaniel or Skylar’s feelings for each other, and he doesn’t want to do that. Still, he can respect Skylar for having the nerve to make the first move, even if she presents it casually. She’s braver than him in that regard. He turns back to handle another customer, keeping an eye on Nathaniel’s reaction. There’s a moment of hesitation, but Nathaniel ultimately agrees. He guesses that’s that. Michael can’t suppress a faint snort when Skylar doesn’t realize who Nathaniel plans to ask, feeling a slight sense of superiority over her. It's quiet enough that only Audrey would probably hear him. It’s amusing to watch Skylar be so oblivious, especially since she usually seems to know everything before he does. This time, though, it’s him who’s in the know. It’s a rare moment of him being one step ahead, just like everything with Jessie and Clayton. It was funny how he and Audrey seem to keep ending up in the middle of their friends’ complicated relationship dynamics. This situation is different though. And somehow even more complicated than with Clayton and Jessie. Michael can’t pinpoint why, but something about it feels scarier with Skylar. With Clayton, he could joke around, tease him about his feelings, and make the tension lighter. But with Skylar? He feels like he’s walking on eggshells. In any other situation, he would have no problem provoking her for fun, but relationships seem to be a different story. He’s never been the one she turns to for relationship advice, which makes sense given his past view on dating. Maybe Clayton would have a better handle on this. Too bad he’s not here, leaving Michael to try to figure this out on his own and he clearly can't. When the line clears earlier than expected, Michael blinks in confusion. “Wait, that was the last customer?” He glances at Skylar, surprised. He thought there were more people when he left earlier. Skylar explains she cut the line off while he was on break. He’s not complaining, that means less work and it gives them more time to clean up as Skylar points out. He nods, relieved that they have some breathing room. He hopes he’s not still stuck at the register. He still has work later. When Skylar asks him what colour ticket he's getting for the dance, he shrugs. “I don’t know. Just give me whatever.” He’s surprised when she tells him that’s not an option, but he quickly realizes she’s right. He should be matching with Audrey if they’re going together. He scrunches his nose at the mention of dragging everyone along for a boys' trip to the mall. He’s not sure he wants to endure a shopping ordeal, and he’s certain Clayton doesn’t either. With Nathaniel tagging along, he’s even less sure how well it would go. When Skylar gets the chance to dress people up though, it'll be impossible for her to let it go. He shakes the uncomfortable thoughts away and focuses on Audrey’s response. He’ll go along with whatever she wants.

[adheline]

┌─── clayton fortescue ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Jessie ] [ location | school ]
└

park meetings---------

⋯ ──────┘

Clayton's heart races as Jessie reciprocates the motion of tangling fingers in hair, the slight pull sparking pleasant little shivers that are infinitely distracting. After the anticipation, and the way it built up exponentially the moment they entered the practice room, he's finding himself almost overwhelmed by every sensation her touch is inciting. He could stay here forever in this kiss. Maybe he shouldn't have bothered winding her up when they got here, because he could have had a few extra minutes of this, which would have been superb. He hazily registers her moving even closer, in response to which he dips deeper into the kiss. When she draws back, it takes him a second to gather his senses. Her small smile tugs at his heart, and he has to take a deliberate breath to keep his cool. He adores her soft smiles, even more so when he's the cause. The challenge to her words is reasonable, he thinks his idea of talking through their break is stupid, too, but he still wants to dispute the accusation on principle. He doesn't get the chance, as she sweeps him into a series of sweet pecks that are sufficiently distracting. Each little kiss drags him deeper into the moment, until suddenly she's talking about lunch and he's left blinking, disoriented. This is talking, which she just claimed was a waste, and he agrees wholeheartedly. He really wants her to forget about why they're even on break and just get back to exploiting their privacy. He feels so ridiculously needy right now, so he takes a deep breath and clears his throat in an attempt to get a grip. "Right," he agrees slowly, slipping his arms around her middle and tugging her in close. "Lunch is actually the last thing on my mind right now." Even as he says that, he realizes they've probably reached the end of their time here. She and her friends only showed up halfway through the period, and they had to wait for Michael to take his break first. They're rapidly approaching the bell. He wouldn't mind skipping the next class or two, but he doubts Jessie would be up for that. He also left his bag with the others, which he'll need to go back and get for the rest of the day. He's reluctant to leave, though, completely at home in her embrace. He can't remember which friend it was exactly who told him about the practice rooms, but he's really glad to have received the tip. This is kind of the perfect place to sneak away to. "I'm fine skipping lunch. I'll just have a big dinner or something," he reassures her with a teasing grin, since she actually looks a little concerned. He really couldn't care less. He'd happily skip out every lunch hereafter if he got to drag Jessie into a random room and steal a moment with her instead. He's on his own for dinner again today anyway, so he really can just order something extra when he calls for takeout. "We probably should get back, though." In contrast to the suggestion, he moves closer rather than letting go, dropping his forehead to hers. "We're still meeting after school, right? Plenty of time to pick up where we left off," he proposes light-heartedly, even though that's actually the time they're going to use to accomplish this talking she mentioned earlier.

┌─── nathaniel vise ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Skylar, Audrey, Michael ] [ location | school ]
└

science project---------

⋯ ──────┘

Skylar doesn't react much to his acceptance of her offer, so he still can't figure out how exactly she feels about it. It has to just be a casual offer. Even so, as she confirms the plan, his heart's pattering away at the thought that they'll be going to the dance together. If it doesn't work out with whoever he wants to ask. He wonders why exactly she included that. To encourage him to ask someone else, like she kept encouraging him to confess to Jessie? That could be the case if she put the offer out just to be nice, but doesn't actually want to go with him. That would be a weird thing for her to do, though. He feels like Skylar wouldn't put something like that on the table just to be nice. But it wasn't a regular invitation to the dance, either, so he doesn't want to get his hopes up and assume she actually wants to go with him, either. Maybe he'll properly ask her to go just so he's not left wondering. If he can muster up the nerve to do so, that is. At least if she doesn't want to go as a formal date and rejects him, he'll have an answer. He's certainly not going to say anything with Michael and Audrey sitting right there, so he lets the conversation die as she does. Nath's surprised she doesn't ask who it is, after how nosy she's been about his love life before. He tries not to dwell on their agreement while he gets back to work, but it's hard to just dismiss all his curiosity in one fell swoop. Somehow, his uncertainty has only grown, despite the small kindling of hope he's still nursing. Eventually the line-up of students ends, and Nath does a quick once-over of the spreadsheet just to make sure everything looks good. It does, in spite of how distracting the conversation over the past several minutes has been. He checks the time at the bottom of the screen as Skylar wonders about Jessie and Clayton, wondering himself where they went. He's not super curious, still somewhere of the zone of rather not knowing, but he can't really picture a place private enough for them to have sneaked off to. He's never been in a secret relationship, himself, and so hasn't had the opportunity to run around spotting out hiding places around the school. The more he thinks about it, actually, the more amusing it is. Jessie doesn't seem like the type to sneak around like that. Clayton, sure, he could expect that of him. He might have to tease Jessie about it, though, just a little. He watches the others discuss their colors for the dance, smiling a little at Skylar's no-nonsense correction of Michael's flippant non-decision. The expression fades slightly at her suggestion to bring the boys shopping together. Michael and Clayton are friends, making Nath an outsider. Add on what Jessie referred to as them being Skylar's 'guard dogs,' and he's doubly screwed. One glance at Michael tells him he's similarly displeased with the idea. He'll have to make nice with them eventually, though, since his friends are going out with them. Nathaniel raises his eyebrows slightly when Audrey says she wants to wear blue, not necessarily because of the actual color choice, but because she seems almost bashful with it, which he finds odd.

┌─── audrey stockwell ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | Michael, Nathaniel, Skylar ] [ location | school ]
└

the third------------

⋯ ──────┘

Even though Michael's shrug is nothing big, the gesture is enough of an answer for her. It seems like he's alright to go along with things as they happen, even if he expressed concerns about it earlier. Otherwise, he'd probably have frowned or something. The shrug is non-committal; not positive, but not negative either. She can work with that. She focuses in on Skylar's next words, the corners of her lips twitching up when she hears Michael's small snort, sparing him a brief glance. It's kind of cute, actually, watching them dance around each other like this. They're both so careful not to give anything away, which, from experience, Audrey assumes is only making them doubt more. Unfortunately, that's where it ends, and Audrey has to get back to boring old ticket coloring. It gives her time to speculate, at least. Skylar clearly thinks Nath's got someone else in mind for the dance, which means that despite her taking the leap just now, she's as clueless as Nathaniel is about their feelings being reciprocated. This might be a good thing, if Nath still needs time to sort himself out. They reach the end of the line quite quickly, and Audrey tries to determine if she was so preoccupied with Nath's love life that she didn't even notice how many people they cashed out. It seems Michael's surprised as well, but Skylar's explanation makes sense. Apparently she was too distracted, but it was earlier when they came back and she hadn't noticed how much shorter the line was. Audrey caps the marker she last used, setting it back into the rainbow. She almost forgot that they came here to get tickets. Well, in part to get tickets. It was kind of an excuse for the social visit, but they may as well get it out of the way. Audrey glances at Michael when he tells Skylar to give him whatever, trying not to smile at his reaction to her suggestion of a shopping trip. Audrey honestly liked shopping with Skylar. She gave honest feedback, has good style, and accepted without judgement Audrey's budget. She guesses Michael feels differently. It's obvious the question of their color is moving onto her, but Audrey still hesitates when she's asked. Even though she already decided on a color and informed Skylar of as much, she feels a little shy to say so now with all three of them watching her. Aside from getting Skylar's advice shopping for the date, this is the first time she's really committed to a look based on someone else's preferences. "Oh, um. I was thinking dark blue." Thankfully, Michael's favorite color is one that she thinks she can pull off reasonably well. She would assume Michael can connect the dots here, and probably Skylar as well, which is a little embarrassing for some reason. Still, she turns to Michael with a small smile. "If that's alright with you?" She knows he just said he's fine with anything, and it's his favorite color, but she'd still like to confirm it with him. If they're going together, she wants to make sure it's just as enjoyable an event for him as it will be for her, even in small ways like this.

[lucky ⋆]

❅ Jᴇssɪᴄᴀ Sᴄᴏғɪᴇʟᴅ ❅
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[ meetings in the park ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: everyone]

Jessie waits as Clayton takes a moment to respond to her concerns, her own mind still spinning from the kissing too. For a brief moment, her worries fade as she feels his arm slip around her. His embrace is so warm and comforting, that it takes all her focus not to get completely lost in it. She narrows her eyes at his words, despite the heat rising to her cheeks. She can't deny where he's coming from since she's struggling to keep any distance between them herself. But her concern doesn't waver. Hearing him dismiss it further and mention a big dinner doesn't ease her mind either. Before she can comment on it, he closes the gap between them again, and her words fade away. His forehead presses gently against hers, and for a second, she almost misses what he says. As she processes his words, she realizes he's right. She thought they would have more time, but it makes sense considering they had to split up earlier before coming here. Still, it's hard to let go of the moment, and it seems he feels the same, not making any move to step away. She knows people will soon start filling the halls for their next class though, and they're on borrowed time. She pouts, reluctantly loosening her hold on him. "Fine," she sighs, "We can pick this up later. Just for a bit." She gives him a scolding look, still not happy with how easily he dismissed her concern about him not eating. Holding onto the teasing energy between them, she pinches his cheek lightly as she steps away. "You can have your big dinner, but I’m still finding you something." She's sure she has a snack somewhere in her pack. Before he can protest, she places her hands on his shoulder and presses one more soft kiss to his lips, lingering just a second longer than necessary. Pulling back, her lips curl into a playful grin as she slips her hand into his and tugs him toward the door. “I know a shortcut back,” she whispers with a conspiratorial smile. It's one of many paths she knows to avoid the crowds when she needs to. She didn’t use them earlier since they had split off and met up elsewhere. Opening the door slightly, she peeks outside to make sure the coast is clear. When she’s certain it is, she steps out and gives Clayton one last look. With a small nod, she starts leading him down a less-travelled hallway. As they move, she keeps an eye out, ducking into corners every now and then to make sure no one’s around. Luckily, they left early enough that the hallway stayed empty. Soon, they reach the ticket room. Jessie takes a steadying breath before stepping inside. Immediately, she feels the attention on them, especially Skylar’s. Jessie notices her gaze flicker between her and Clayton. At that moment, Jessie freezes, realizing a little too late that she never straightened herself out before they left. Her hair is still slightly mussed from earlier, and her hair tie is still on Clayton's wrist. She instinctively drops his hand under the scrutiny, glancing away as her mind races. All she could think about was how she was just sneakily making out with Clayton in a hidden nook of the school. Thankfully, Skylar doesn't comment on it. Instead, she asks them for their dance ticket preferences. Jessie waits for the others to answer first, figuring they're in the middle of deciding. As she watches, she remembers she has no idea what her plans for the dance will be. It’s something else to talk to Clayton about.

♛ Sᴋʏʟᴀʀ Jᴀᴄᴏʙs ♛
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[ the science project ] [ location: school] [ tagged: everyone ]

Skylar watches Audrey hesitate for a moment before answering, noticing the subtle shyness in her voice. Skylar immediately makes the connection hearing her answer. Blue is Michael's favourite colour, particularly dark blue. How thoughtful of Audrey to pick his favourite. A smirk stretches across Skylar’s face as Audrey turns to confirm with Michael, wondering when Audrey picked up on this detail. She recalls that Audrey almost wore blue on their first date. It was a lighter shade though, not quite the navy Michael prefers. Skylar wonders if it would have made a difference if Audrey had chosen that instead. She can’t imagine Michael noticing, though, just like how he's completely oblivious now as he readily agrees to Audrey’s choice, exclaiming that it’s his favourite colour without a second thought. He clearly doesn’t pick up on the intention behind Audrey’s careful selection. Skylar can’t help but smile at the sweet uncertainty in Audrey’s tone. It’s clear Audrey is putting a lot of thought into this, and Skylar finds it cute. She wants to help Michael recognize the effort, so she uses a tone he’s very familiar with. “Michael…” she chides simply. It takes him a beat, but he catches on soon after. Skylar can’t help but sigh at the brief delay. When he considers choosing her favourite colour, she raises an eyebrow, impressed by how quickly he’s trying to be considerate in return. She guesses they must have talked about their favourite colours at some point. It is a common conversation topic, after all. She’s intrigued to hear Audrey’s favourite. It feels fitting for the girl, and Skylar imagines it would make a nice colour for a tuxedo. That’s not what they’re discussing right now though. It’s more about the mask, not the outfits. Skylar decides to clarify. “Uh, guys. We’re just talking about the mask colour for now. And it doesn’t have to match your outfits exactly,” she says, pausing and gesturing toward the markers. “Try to keep it to one of the colours of the rainbow, or black and white. The markers aren’t that specific.” When Michael presses her for details about her own colour choices, Skylar grins widely, excited to share her plans. “For my outfit, I’m thinking of something a little fun,” she explains eagerly. “I was thinking of a rose gold moment, like a pinkish dress with a gold mask. Something elegant, but still fun.” Michael's next words makes her pause as he questions how Nathaniel will match her if she goes with something that complicated. She wants to tell him it isn't that complicated, but she's unsure if she's talking about the outfit or the two of them going together. Her words catch in her throat, and when she answers, her voice falters. “Well, if we’re going together, it wouldn't be the same as you guys, so we don’t have to match.” she trails off as she addresses Nathaniel without looking at him. “But we could still match if you want to.” The door swings open, interrupting the conversation. Skylar glances over at Jessie and Clay as they walk in, immediately noticing their appearance. Her eyebrow lifts. It’s obvious what they’ve been up to. Not chaste, indeed. Skylar doesn't comment on it, though. Instead, she gestures for them to join the group. “Welcome back. We’re getting our tickets now. Everyone, pick a colour.”

☀ Mɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ Hᴀʀʀɪsᴏɴ ☀
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[ the third pair ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: everyone]

Michael listens intently as Audrey picks her colour, wondering why she’s hesitating. She seemed to have already made up her mind earlier when she suggested going dress shopping again with Skylar. When she finally announces her choice, a smile tugs at his lips. He nods, clearly pleased with her decision. He repeats the gesture as she turns to double-check with him. He’s still a little confused as to why she’s seeking his confirmation, but he appreciates the thoughtfulness. "Yeah, of course, I’m good with it," he says without hesitation. "Dark blue is my favourite colour." It doesn’t even occur to him to think much about it, but Skylar’s voice catches his attention. She’s using that tone, the one she reserves for when he’s missed something important. Michael blinks in surprise, and then it clicks. "Ooooh, is that why you’re choosing it?" he asks, more to himself than anyone else. "Okay, I got it." If she’s picking dark blue because it’s his favourite, then he figures it’s only fair to do the same for her. "Then should I go with Payne’s grey? Your favourite?" he suggests as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. He doesn’t know if the colours will look good together or complement each other like Skylar said, but at least they'll both understand the meaning behind the choices. Coordinating outfits is nice, but this feels more meaningful. Skylar interrupts them, reminding them that they’re not deciding outfit colours but mask colours and to stick with the markers they have. Michael feels like he should have realized that sooner. He’s been colouring the ticket with those same markers and has been asking questions about them while taking care of the sales. Now, it’s not just one colour to pick, but two, a mask and an outfit. “So, what are you planning, then?” he asks, glancing at Skylar with curiosity. “Got a colour in mind for your mask and outfit?” Skylar wastes no time diving into her plans, and Michael immediately regrets asking. Of course, she has everything already figured out. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had an outfit planned for every event this year or at least some kind of idea. As she describes her ensemble, he zones out a bit. It sounds complicated, and he can’t help but think about how tricky it will be for Nathaniel to coordinate if he and Skylar end up going together. Not that they’ll be going together like he and Audrey are. Still, Michael is curious about how Skylar feels about it. He decides to gauge her emotions with a question. “Well, that sounds tough to match,” he says dryly, pretending to be uninterested. “I mean, what would Nathaniel do?” The question seems to catch Skylar off guard, and she pauses before answering. Michael watches her carefully, trying not to react too obviously. He notices the insecurity in her voice. She’s trying to downplay it, but it’s clear that uncertainty is eating at her a little. Before he can respond, Jessie and Clayton show up, their appearance immediately giving away what they’ve been up to. Michael can’t help but chuckle softly at the sight of them. He definitely didn’t expect this from Jessie. As Skylar calls them over, he leans toward Clayton and whispers, “Good break, huh?” Turning back to Audrey, he asks, "What do you think will go with grey? Maybe a black or white mask?"

[adheline]

┌─── clayton fortescue ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | all ] [ location | school ]
└

park meetings---------

⋯ ──────┘

At Jessie's disapproving look, Clayton just gives her a tiny grin. Just for a bit's good enough for him. While it would be nice to just do this forever, they really do need to talk some things over. There's a lot to catch up on and settle between them. He blinks when she pinches his cheek, then proceeds to mother him some more about lunch. He's about to reassure her that he's seriously fine, but she cuts him off with another kiss. She really needs to stop doing that, because it works, and at this rate, he'll never be able to win another argument again. He trails after her when she pulls away, sighing as he resigns himself to this fact. Her mischievous smile's contagious, and he lets her lead the way back through this shortcut of hers. Never has he had to sneak around the school before, and honestly it's straight up fun ducking into corners like spies. Jessie's obviously practiced in it. While it is frustrating at times to have to hold back in public, he can acknowledge that tiptoeing through the hallways and having secret rendezvous are good enough trade-offs. It's kind of exciting, running around at the threat of being caught. They're lucky enough that they don't come across anyone in the hallways, making it back to the ticket room without incident. Clayton notices the line's gone, which he's thankful for when they enter the room and everyone stares at them. If they all noticed right away what he and Jessie had been doing, he's sure at least a few people in line would have, too. He glances down when Jessie drops his hand, then back up at her face, then up to her disheveled hair. Oops. He guesses they were too locked into the excitement of the moment to think about little things like straightening hair. At least Sky gives them a pass and moves on silently, though the same can't be said of Michael. Clayton gives him a light shove for the comment, but seriously has to fight a reflexive grin. It was a pretty good break. He smooths a hand over his hair while he leans against the counter, then crosses his arms and watches everyone decide on their mask colors. He thought he'd probably just go with black himself. It goes with everything. Depending on what Jessie chooses, though, that might change. Maybe. He's really not sure how they're going to approach the dance. Since she's still not ready for the rest of the school to know about them, he figures asking her to go with him formally is out of the question. If they walked into the dance together, even if their relationship were still a secret, the gossip mill would explode. Still, he wants to go with her, and if they don't show up together, just spending time together during the dance would still raise a lot of eyebrows. It's a bit of a conundrum, and something they'll have to figure out. He's dragged out of his contemplation when he hears that Nathaniel's going with a gold mask. It's not a choice he'd normally attribute to him, being that he's normally so quiet and understated. He can't recall ever seeing Nathaniel in any sort of bright or attention-grabbing color before. Then again, he's always been more focused on Jessie than her best friend. Gold is a color he'd sooner assume Sky would pick out. Curious, Clayton looks between the two, wondering if he missed something while he and Jessie were gone.

┌─── nathaniel vise ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | all ] [ location | school ]
└

science project---------

⋯ ──────┘

Hearing that dark blue is Michael's favorite color immediately explains Audrey's hesitance in mentioning it. Audrey, who, as far as he knows, has never gone out of her way to dress up for anyone, is doing so a second time for Michael. It's kind of sweet, actually, and the fact that Michael doesn't even notice at first somehow adds to the charm of what Nath's witnessing. When Michael does pick up on it, with Skylar's help, he returns the favor, and Nathaniel can tell that Audrey appreciates the gesture. He smirks a little when Skylar tells them to focus on the colors they have on hand, effectively putting an end to that little scene. It's nice to see them interacting so genuinely after their ongoing game of hot and cold. His focus shifts to Skylar when she's asked about her own outfit plans, taken in by her bright smile. Her excitement is palpable, and he finds his attention completely captured by it. The concept she describes is unique, and he'd expect no less from her. He's not really thinking about what he'd wear to complement it, though, so when Michael questions it, Nathaniel frowns. Surely, Skylar could come up with something for him. It's kind of her thing. Except, she denies the necessity to match altogether. It's a weird feeling, being hit with dejection and then teased with another sliver of hope when she offers to match anyway. Nath isn't sure what to make of her response at all. The door opens then, which is good, because he has no idea what to say. He glances at the two who enter, then does a double take. He feels like he should be surprised, because he really didn't peg Jessie as the type to hide away at school to make out, but he realizes he's really not surprised at all. Their entire relationship existed on the plane of secrecy. They were together romantically before they even told anyone about being friendly -- not even friends, just not enemies. If he could imagine any couple running off and stealing romantic moments in whatever desolate place they managed to find, it would be them. He is maybe a little surprised that they didn't bother to tidy themselves up, though. They'd be lucky if no one saw them in the hallways on the way back. No one says anything, and Sky directs the conversation back on track, meaning Nathaniel now has to think again on how he wants to handle this matching situation. He stews over it while Audrey and Michael finish picking their mask colors. Skylar was quick to deny the need for them to match. But, again, if she really didn't want them to, she wouldn't have offered it up at all. Even if it's just a small phrase that would otherwise sound dismissive. Then again, she didn't look at him at all when she said it. But... he also doesn't really know for sure what that means either. He doesn't think he's ever read this much into something anyone's said in his life, and it's maddening. Honestly, he's just going to go for it. If he says the wrong thing, she'll correct him. When it's his turn to choose, Nath doesn't hesitate or waver this time. "I'll get gold." He can figure out his own outfit later, but he's going to commit to matching with Sky at least with the mask. If nothing else, he imagines a black suit would go well enough with all of that.

┌─── audrey stockwell ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | all ] [ location | school ]
└

the third------------

⋯ ──────┘

Audrey's smile grows when he smiles back, but it freezes at his announcement that it's his favorite color. Because... yeah. She knows. Evidently she needn't have been shy about it at all, because the connection flew right over his head. She glances between him and Skylar as his friend gives him a hint, begrudgingly amused by the situation. She has to admit, when Skylar said at the aquarium that some people find his inability to pick up subtleties cute, she wasn't wrong. She gives a small affirmative nod when he realizes what she did there in choosing that color. Thinking that was that, his suggestion to wear Payne's grey himself catches her unawares. She's not exactly surprised that he remembered the color, as she did his, but she finds that she's touched by it nonetheless. Her mouth turns up into a warm smile. "That would be nice," she agrees. Her little bubble of bliss is popped at Skylar's reminder, and Audrey presses her lips together. Oh, right. Neither of those colors are really part of the array of markers they'd both been tasked with using. Skylar has her whole ensemble planned out already, which Audrey thinks will look really pretty put together. It's an interesting concept. When Michael brings up the point of matching with Nathaniel, Audrey somehow manages to remain passive. She's not sure what his motive is with that, but he successfully gives both Skylar and Nathaniel pause. The response Skylar gives in turn gives Audrey pause, because the structure kind of reminds her of the way she ended up with the prize date. Michael had assured her he'd think of something else, but then dangled out a little 'unless.' She doesn't get the chance to analyze the comparison when the door opens and the other two rejoin them. Audrey's attention is immediately drawn by the state of their hair, and her eyebrows shoot up. She almost echoes Michael's quiet laughter, if only out of surprise, but manages to contain it. Well, well. Conversation turns quickly back to their tickets despite the amusing interruption, putting the decision of mask color back into focus. Audrey taps a contemplative finger to her lips, trying to visualize the colors and their mask options. Payne's grey and dark blue can go together pretty well, since Payne's grey is also technically part of the blue family. She doesn't really want to throw in another blue with the mask, thinking it would be a bit much, and it might clash. Michael's thought of black or white is a good choice for the both of them. Black might be a bit murky with either of their colors, though, leaving her a clear winner. "I think maybe we can both get white," she suggests. If she gets white, too, she has a little freedom with the exact shade of dark blue rather than having to match up with a blue mask. This way, she can focus more on finding a style she likes. Audrey looks to Nath at his decision to get gold, pleasantly surprised by the conviction in his voice. It's a turn around from his earlier attitude, and she has to wonder if he's actually growing confident or he's just tired of playing cat and mouse.

[lucky ⋆]

❅ Jᴇssɪᴄᴀ Sᴄᴏғɪᴇʟᴅ ❅
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[ meetings in the park ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: everyone]

Jessie feels a wave of relief as the stares die down quickly, still flushed at the thought of everyone knowing what she and Clayton had been up to. As the others decide on mask colours, she glances over to where she left her bag, still slung over the chair she had been sitting in. She walks over, grabbing it before she begins to rummage through it to locate the snack she promised Clayton. It doesn’t take long, seeing how many snacks usually end up in her bag. She isn’t sure why she carries so many, but right now, it’s perfect for Clayton. After a moment of digging, her fingers close around a granola bar, and she pulls it out with a small triumphant smile. There’s no way she’s letting him get through the rest of the day without something to snack on. She hears Audrey and Michael agree on a mask colour, perking up a little at the thought of them coordinating outfits. It’s cute of them to do that. Jessie turns back to Clayton, about to hand him the granola bar when Nath’s decisive voice catches her attention. She focuses on his tone, curious about what the weight of his words mean. That is, until Skylar sputters in response. Jessie blinks, realizing Nath and Skylar might be going together to the dance. That’s... interesting. She must have missed something while she and Clayton were on break. The moment passes when Michael teases Skylar about the gold not being on the approved colour list. Jessie turns back to Clayton, slipping her hand into his and placing the snack in his palm. “Eat,” she insists quietly before glancing back at the others. She takes a step toward them, waiting for their conversation to die down before asking Skylar, “Are you and Nath going to the dance together?” Skylar’s defensive tone catches her off guard. It reminds Jessie of how Skylar used to snap at her, though now it’s tinged more with insecurity than pure hostility. Jessie keeps her expression cool like she used to during these moments. “No, of course not. There’s no issue with that,” she reassures gently, offering no further details. She can’t help but glance at Nath, wondering what he’s done to make Skylar respond like this. The question shifts to her, and she feels a little put on the spot, but it makes sense now that the others have made their decisions. Skylar’s question feels a little sharper than expected. "I, uh..." Jessie hesitates, glancing at Clayton. "It’d be nice if we did, but... I’m just not sure if we could keep it quiet." She imagines the attention they’d attract, it would probably ruin the whole experience. Surprised, Jessie listens as Michael offers a suggestion. It isn’t so much a solution as a way to make the most of the situation. She can’t believe she didn’t think of it herself, but it’s true, it is a masquerade. The whole point is that their identities will be hidden. With that in mind, she takes a meaning step closer to Clayton. “It is a masquerade,” she says, her voice softening as she looks at him. “Would you want to go with me and match like everyone else? I was thinking of just wearing a black mask since I haven’t really decided on my outfit yet.” She glances briefly at Skylar when she mentions outfit planning day, relieved to have some help with that, before turning her full attention back to Clayton, waiting for his response.

♛ Sᴋʏʟᴀʀ Jᴀᴄᴏʙs ♛
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[ the science project ] [ location: school] [ tagged: everyone ]

Skylar reaches for the stack of tickets and grabs two for Audrey and Michael. She waits as they decide on the colour for their masks. Once they have made their choice, she hands the tickets to them with a smile. No need to colour them, both have opted for white, a neutral shade that should complement their outfits. She can already picture the style she’ll create for them with their chosen colour scheme. Her thoughts are interrupted when Nathaniel speaks up, announcing he’s choosing gold for his mask. The unexpectedness of it catches her off guard, and for a brief moment, she freezes. She hadn’t been prepared for him to match her so decisively, and it hit her harder than expected. "Gold?" she sputters, unsure how to feel. "Okay, I guess... we’ll be matching, then." She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine. We can match." She mentally shakes herself, reminding herself it’s just a mask. He’s probably just choosing gold because they might as well match if they’re going together. Before she can spiral further, Michael’s voice cuts through, chiming in that gold isn’t one of the options they have. Skylar raises an eyebrow, irritation creeping in, replacing her panic. “Yellow counts as gold,” she says flippantly, waving the marker at him. She starts colouring the tickets for herself and Nathaniel, the task distracting her from her thoughts. Then Jessie speaks up, asking if she and Nathaniel are going to the dance together. Skylar freezes again, nearly dropping the marker. The question feels like a challenge. "We are," she says after a pause, her voice quieter than usual. "Unless we’re going with someone else." She tries to keep it casual, but there’s a slight edge in her tone. "Is there a problem with that?" Jessie’s response is calm, but her tone only makes Skylar feel more uncertain. She reassures Skylar it’s no problem, but something about the way she says... It's enigmatic. For a second, Skylar wonders, considering Nathaniel still has feelings for Jessie, if she's the one he's planning to ask her. It probably doesn’t make sense given what was revealed to both of them yesterday, but she’s not sure how exactly their conversation went. "Are you going with Clayton?" Skylar asks, both reminding herself Jessie’s with him now and genuinely curious about the ambiguous state of their relationship. Jessie hesitates, and Skylar frowns, remembering how uncertain their relationship sounded yesterday. She had relented then, after Clayton’s explanation, but now with her heightened emotions and all, she feels the urge to demand clarity from Jessie. Before she can speak again, Michael interrupts with a suggestion, it's masquerade ball, they can still go with someone and keep it under wraps. Skylar glances at him, surprised by his insight since it should’ve been obvious. Seeing Jessie take the initiative to ask Clayton to the dance helps Skylar relax. She had let her emotions get the best of her earlier, acting too rashly. Her shoulders slump a little, disappointed in her behaviour. Hearing Jessie mention she’ll need help with her outfit brings a smile back to Skylar’s face though. "Don’t worry about that," she says cheerfully. "I’ll help you out with the outfit. We’ve got a girls’ trip and a boys’ trip to the mall planned."

☀ Mɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ Hᴀʀʀɪsᴏɴ ☀
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[ the third pair ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: everyone]

Michael barely dodges Clayton’s shove, but it’s too quick for him to avoid completely. He snickers at the impact, straightening up and turning his full attention back to Audrey. She seems to be carefully considering their options. Michael waits patiently, trusting that she’ll make the best decision. “White sounds good,” he agrees, nodding. It’s a safe bet, easy to pair with anything. Skylar is on top of it, handing them both tickets right after they decide. Michael feels a small sense of satisfaction as he takes his. This moment with Audrey, choosing their outfits for the dance, feels significant. Now he just needs to figure out how to ask her to dance in a way that’s special for her. He’s excited to make it an experience. When Nathaniel announces he’s going with a gold mask, Michael blinks in surprise. Gold? To match Skylar, huh? The sudden change in pace throws him off balance. One moment, everyone’s hesitating, and the next, they’re confidently making bold moves like matching outfits or asking someone to dance all casually. He can’t keep up, not sure whether to feel confused or impressed. He scratches the back of his head, trying to catch up. His gaze shifts to Skylar, who’s clearly flustered but trying to hide it. Michael knows exactly what she needs, a distraction. He leans forward, teasing her lightly. “Hm? I don’t think gold is one of the colours of the rainbow, or black or white,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “You might want to rethink that.” His grin widens when she responds flippantly, waving the yellow marker in his face. It’s perfect. He’s managed to distract her, just as he wanted. The moment is short-lived as Jessie’s voice cuts through the air though, asking if Skylar and Nathaniel are going to the dance together. The room immediately tenses up. Michael winces at Skylar’s defensive tone. Jessie, however, remains calm, but it doesn’t ease the tension. Skylar turns the question back on Jessie, and her hesitant response only makes things worse. Michael watches as Skylar’s expression shifts dangerously. Jessie doesn’t seem to notice, her attention is on Clayton. This could get ugly, and Michael doesn’t want to stick around if it does. He inches closer to Audrey, slipping beside her for comfort. He’s confused by Jessie’s hesitancy though. Aren’t they all going to be wearing masks? If there’s a dance perfect for a secret relationship, it’s a masquerade. “Hey,” Michael interjects quickly, trying to calm the storm, “It’s a masquerade, right? You can totally go together, and no one will know who you are if you dress up enough.” His words are simple, but they seem to make things click for everyone. Skylar softens as she watches Jessie ask Clayton to accompany her. Michael relaxes, but his relief is short-lived when Skylar mentions the boy’s trip. He knows that won’t be smooth sailing, but he hopes they’ll all make it through without too many awkward moments. With the rest of the group distracted, Michael leans in and whispers to Audrey, “What are you doing after school?” He’s working, but he hopes she’ll join him. Even if she doesn’t have a shift at the cafe, she could still keep him company.

[adheline]

┌─── clayton fortescue ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | all ] [ location | school ]
└

park meetings---------

⋯ ──────┘

Clayton had thought that maybe Skylar had coerced Nathaniel into gold for some reason or another, presumably for her love of dressing people up. He had not considered that the idea was for them to match while they're at it. Clayton's eyebrow raises, and he carefully observes the way Sky reacts to Nathaniel's declaration of his mask color. She's obviously taken aback. He's not sure he can remember the last time she was so nervous. If they're matching, does that mean they're going to the dance together? If that's the case, he's not sure why she's freaking out about matching with him, since agreeing to go together should help solidify their situation, more than put her on edge. He barely glances at Michael when he interjects to cut the tension, still watching Sky with curiosity. That was an interesting reaction for someone who says it's not a crush. He's tugged out of the thought when Jessie places something in his hand, and he looks down to stare at the granola bar he didn't even notice her grabbing. That's... new. Normally when he dismisses things, like he did when she asked about his lunch, people just take it and move on. He's a little stunned by her thoughtfulness, although, since it's Jessie, he really shouldn't be. While she moves on to ask Sky if she and Nathaniel are going to the dance together, Clayton peels open the wrapper and takes a bite, returning to his previous task of eyeing Sky. He frowns at her mention of going with someone else, not immediately sure what that's supposed to mean. Unless they're just each other's backup. Why not actually just go together, though? How did they end up with this arrangement? The uncertainty in Sky's answer makes him assume whatever the issue is is somehow Nathaniel's fault, and he cuts him a suspicious glance. Nathaniel's also watching Sky, but Clayton doesn't really know him well enough to read his expression. Sky shifts gears soon enough, but it's a question he had hoped she wouldn't bring up. He told her yesterday not to press Jessie about their relationship, but he can tell that's part of her reason for asking if they're going together. Predictably, Jessie's answer is reluctant, and Sky's clearly displeased by it. Unfortunately for him, he's got the last bite of the granola bar in his mouth, so he can't cut in. He knows Sky's being critical because she was just on the spot herself, but he really hasn't had the chance to discuss the dance with Jessie yet. He figured Jessie wouldn't want to be seen with him, so her answer doesn't surprise him in any way. He's still hit with a burst of disappointment, hearing it out loud. Not Sky's level of displeasure, he just wishes circumstances were different. Although, Michael has a point. Clayton crumples the granola bar wrapper and shoves it in his pocket while Michael reminds them it's a masquerade. He looks to Jessie as she moves closer, unsure if that changes her mind or if it's still too much risk for her. It seems to satisfy her, and Clayton's lips turn up in a slow smile as she asks him to go with her. Sky seems pleased with the change, too, not that Clayton really notices while his attention is so focused on Jessie. "Of course I do. I was thinking of black, too, so that works out." It takes him another second, but he registers what Skylar said to Jessie just now. He turns to her with a slightly disgruntled frown. "Wait... boys' trip? You'll really take any excuse to drag people to the mall." He has to assume this boys' trip will include Nathaniel as well, since they're apparently going together, which Clayton thinks will result in the most awkward shopping trip of all time. "I don't remember agreeing to go to the mall." Michael's busy whispering with his girlfriend, so he has to rely on Nathaniel to back him up. There's no way Nathaniel wants to go shopping with him and Michael. "Did you?" When Nathaniel instead says he's fine with it, Clayton sighs. So much for that. He even gets a little rebuff for his efforts, and Clayton blinks at him. He can honestly say he wasn't expecting Nathaniel to say anything like that to him. Is he... challenging him for challenging Sky? Or is this payback for his relationship with Jessie? He's not sure, but either way, he's right. After a moment of floundering for words, Clayton gives a begrudging nod. "Yeah. Fine." He raises an eyebrow at Sky, wondering how she found herself such a loyal sidekick. "I'll go. When is this supposed to be happening?"

┌─── nathaniel vise ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | all ] [ location | school ]
└

science project---------

⋯ ──────┘

Even though he elected to be decisive in his mask choice, Nathaniel's still super unsure how Skylar's going to take it. His gaze doesn't waver, taking in her expression, tone, and choice of words with as much focus as he can manage while bundled up in nerves. It takes her by surprise, apparently, and he fights the instinct to look away and tell her to never mind at her shocked repetition of the word 'gold.' It sounds like she's trying to convince herself that it's okay for them to match. So... does she actually not want to? But, then, she was the one who offered it up just a minute ago. She's so insanely confusing. Michael mentions how gold isn't one of the marker colors, which takes over Skylar's attention, and Nath finally looks away from her. Not that watching her gave him any amount of insight to begin with. He could see her reacting to his words, but he can't figure out why or what it means. Of course, it shouldn't really matter to him right now anyway. He can't believe he just forgot all about how he told Jessie, literally yesterday, that he's not ready to confront his feelings for Skylar just yet. Figuring out how she feels is pointless right now. Unless he can establish that she won't like him. Then he can try harder to stomp on his own feelings before they grow out of hand. Although, the way that throws a pang in his chest suggests that'll be easier said than done. Nath looks back up at Jessie's question, zeroing in on Skylar again. Her demeanor's similarly weird, not her usual confident self, but just as before, he doesn't know how to take it. She mentions again going with someone else, and he squints, desperate to figure out why she keeps repeating that. It doesn't help and he's still clueless. Evidently done with the spotlight, she turns the question on Jessie. He's curious himself what her plans are since they're supposed to be a secret still. It seems like she's still unsure herself, and Nath glances between her and Clayton while they hesitate. From his conversation with Jessie yesterday, he's pretty sure the attention is the only real issue here, but he wonders if Clayton knows that. He looks almost relieved when Jessie changes her mind, and Nathaniel realizes he doesn't actually know how well established their relationship is behind the scenes. He hadn't felt up to asking Jessie about that yesterday. Well, that's up to them to figure out. Nathaniel shrugs when Clayton turns to him to help dissuade Skylar from this boys' trip she's planned. "I really don't mind," he disagrees quietly. It'll probably take some adjustment, being out with the other two boys of the group, but he's not overly opposed to the trip itself. Clothes shopping is a little out of his comfort zone, particularly in a group, but he's alright with letting Skylar dress him up. He almost, maybe, kind of likes it, even. The expression of satisfaction that crosses her face when an outfit comes together really suits her, and it's nice to see her enjoying herself doing something she's passionate about. It's also kind of nice the way she always seems to find an excuse to come in close and fix his jacket, but that's definitely something his mind shouldn't be wandering to right now. Nath dismisses the thought quickly and raises his eyebrows. "Don't you want to look nice for Jessie?" Sky's clearly excited about another opportunity to dress everyone up, and it's not like it'll cost Clayton anything to just go along with it. Nath can see why Clayton might not want to go, but he also thinks he can suck it up for just a day. He doesn't know exactly why he feels like calling Clayton out, or he kind of knows and just doesn't want to admit it right now, but it clearly does the job. Normally it's Jessie who handles him. He and Clayton didn't interact much even when their little war between duos started. In fact now that he thinks about it, Clayton always seemed to care way more about Jessie than he did Nathaniel, even if it wasn't in a particularly good way. That still seems to ring true, as Clayton folds easily to the mention of doing something for Jessie with this shopping trip.

┌─── audrey stockwell ─ ⋯
│ [ tag | all ] [ location | school ]
└

the third------------

⋯ ──────┘

Satisfied that Michael agrees with her choice of white for their masks, Audrey takes her ticket from Skylar with a happy little grin. This is her first dance going with someone other than a friend group. She really hadn't thought she'd ever attend a dance with a date. It's something she'd mostly convinced herself she was okay with, but now that it's actually happening, she can admit she would have been kind of sad to miss out on an experience like that. Events and dances with friends is plenty of fun, but even just the thought of going with Michael is enough to make her heart flutter. More so with the knowledge that they're going to be wearing each others' favorite colors, which feels more personal than picking any random color to match with. Of course, the way Skylar's reacting to Nathaniel's choice to match gold, it would appear that's just as meaningful. Audrey smiles slightly, observing the other blonde's growing insecurity with interest. Skylar's confidence in asking Nathaniel to the dance seems to have ended there. It probably doesn't help that they have four other people gawking at them while they tip-toe around each other, and hopefully they can settle things later so they're not so worried about saying the wrong thing. For now, at least Michael knows how to cut the tension. Until Jessie speaks up, anyway, and Audrey realizes she and Clayton missed the entirety of them deciding to attend the dance together. The mood in the room dampens significantly, and gets worse when Skylar questions Jessie about her own plans. Audrey glances at Michael when he shifts closer, subconsciously leaning slightly in his direction. She knows there's a lot unsaid behind the brief, vague conversation they're having, and it's piling up in a really unpleasant way. As usual, Audrey thinks the hostility is completely unnecessary, but she guesses that's easy for her to say from the outside looking in. At least when Michael mentions the benefits of the masks, things deescalate quickly. This has been a whole roller coaster, with rapid ups and downs and surprising twists and turns. Their friends have absolutely no chill. Watching Jessie ask Clayton to the dance is pretty cute, at least. That makes them a trio of pairs, then. She doubts any of them imagined the way their friend groups would merge like this. They could probably cause some serious drama if they just showed up to the dance without masks. Honestly, Audrey can see where Jessie's hesitance is coming from. Her and Michael didn't exactly get along before, but they were hardly enemies. Even so, it's been exhausting dealing with the gossip today. Most of it was just because they both avoid relationships, anyway, less so because of their rift up until now. Jessie and Clayton would be under a lot more scrutiny. Even if they can avoid it at the dance with their masks, they'll have to deal with it eventually if they want to be together. They can't stay a secret forever. It looks like they might try to, though. If they were closer to graduation they might have a better shot, but they've still got half the school year to get through. Audrey looks to Michael when he leans in, letting the others' conversation drift out of focus. "Work," she whispers back. It was nice getting the weekend off, and it was divine timing that it allowed her to enjoy some time with Michael, but it's nice to be back in routine. It's also nice to have her paycheck back on schedule. "What about you?" Hopefully he's working, too. They tend to share shifts due to their similar availability, but they don't always. If he's not on the schedule today, she wonders if he'd be willing to drop by for a bit. Not that she has the nerve to ask him to do that, anyway. Still, even though they've been spending a lot of time together the past few days, she can't help but want to be with him today, too.

[lucky ⋆]

❅ Jᴇssɪᴄᴀ Sᴄᴏғɪᴇʟᴅ ❅
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[ meetings in the park ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: everyone, then Clayton (text)]

Jessie finds herself feeling a little nervous about hearing Clayton’s answer. It's not that she doesn’t think he would want to go with her, but the circumstances they would be going together aren't exactly ideal. She has no problem ducking into shadows and stealing little moments together away from the crowds. She even finds the idea a little intriguing and thrilling, like how she felt about their little sneaky adventure to the practice rooms just before now. She knows a dance with a sea of people would be much different compared to a vacant hallway though. That would lessen the fun and make it much more stressful. Hearing him agree lifts a small weight off her shoulders, and she returns his smile with a soft smile of her own. They were thinking of the same colour mask, so no discussion was needed there. Clayton focuses on Skylar's shopping trips she planned for them all instead. She’s a little amused by his disgruntled reaction to the idea as she grabs the ticket handed to her. She’s personally excited by the idea of Skylar helping her pick out an outfit. After all, the last time Skylar had helped, Jessie had definitely gotten a satisfying reaction from Clayton, though she had been too flustered by the whole thing to fully enjoy it. Since she will likely have to hide her identity at the dance, she’s ready to go all out. She imagines Clayton will probably face the same treatment, but she feels like he's someone who's going to have people recognize him regardless of how much he's dressed up. She's curious what kind of look he would go for anyway as she briefly drifts off into thoughts. She blinks in surprise when she hears Clayton turn to Nathaniel for support. Glancing over at Michael, she notices he’s preoccupied with Audrey. She wasn’t sure what kind of response she was expecting from Nathaniel. His initial quiet disagreement doesn’t catch her off guard, but his following question makes her raise her eyebrows in mild surprise. His words aren’t particularly harsh, but she can’t help but feel there's an edge to them. She gives Nathaniel a bit of a wary look, wondering where exactly this is coming from. She averts her gaze to the ground, feeling like she does know exactly where. Even though Clayton relents pretty easily, she still lets out a small sigh. She knows that out of everyone in their cobbled-together group, those two have the most hurdles to clear. It's understandable for many reasons, somehow even more so now. She can’t help but feel somewhat responsible for that even though she didn’t intentionally do anything to do that. She vaguely hears Skylar explain the shopping trip as she contemplates how to elevate the whole situation. She only snaps out of her thoughts when Skylar closes the window. Seeing her reflection and some students entering the hallway, she realizes she should probably start to get to class soon, especially since she has a test. Brushing her hair out quickly with her fingers, she quickly pays for her ticket with her other hand. In a hurried state, she doesn't even think twice as steps over to Clayton and reaches up to press a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you after school," she tells him before rushing out the door, not remembering he still has her hair tie on his wrist.
Jessie walks out of her last class of the day to an already fairly empty hallway. She had to get a couple of assignments in order due to her absence last week with her teacher. She didn't expect it to take as long as it did, but with how the assignments are structured one deadline would push the other down. Her teacher was very accommodating to her situation, but it still took a bit to figure out everything. She texted Clayton as class ended about it and to wait for her for a few minutes. It's been much longer than a couple minutes though, especially as it seems that most people have already headed home. Feeling bad for making him wait that long, she immediately pulls out her phone to text him. i'm done! sorry it took longer than expected. She makes sure to add a frowny smile to express how apologetic she feels. She considers briefly where she should tell him to meet up. Seeing that the halls are already empty, they can just meet by her locker, which she adds to her text. meet me by my locker. As she sends it she realizes it's been a while since they have interacted by their lockers or even in the halls. They used to famously stop and bicker almost every time they passed each other. It's kind of funny to think back on. Her locker is close to her last class, so she gets there quickly. She opens it and grabs what she needs for the night. She wonders where they’ll head after this. They didn’t really decide since they spent their time together earlier in other ways. There’s a lot to talk about, so she imagines they’ll need a place with some privacy for that. And if they decide to continue what they were doing earlier, even if only for a bit.

♛ Sᴋʏʟᴀʀ Jᴀᴄᴏʙs ♛
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[ the science project ] [ location: school] [ tagged: everyone, then Nathaniel (text)]

Skylar's still a little rattled from her exchange with Jessie, but luckily, it seems everyone else is too focused on their own things to notice. Michael and Audrey are in their own little world. Clayton’s attention is consumed by Jessie asking him to the dance. She hasn’t worked up the courage to look at Nathaniel yet, so she can only assume he’s got better things to focus on. It’s a harsh reminder that she still has a lot of work to do. She thought she’d been making progress, but being confronted by the root of her problems shows just how far she still has to go. Her issues stem from many things, but Jessie seems to bring out the worst of her insecurities. It’s not like Jessie is doing anything to make her feel this way. It’s all on Skylar for turning it into a bigger deal. She realizes her perception of Jessie has been skewed by her previous misjudgment of her. She clearly has a hard time reading her as she didn't expect Jessie to ask Clayton to the dance so easily. She's glad to be proven wrong about her assumption about Jessie, yet again. She can't help but notice Clay's slight disappointment when Jessie seemed unsure about going with him or not though. As much as she likes to tease him about how much Jessie affects him, she is a little concerned about it. It might not seem like much of a reaction, but the fact there is even a reaction says a lot to her. He's never been the type to be nervous over something like this. He's not the type to be nervous at all. She sure hopes they'll work out in the end because she can’t bear to see how Clayton would handle it if they don’t. Hearing them both pick black as their mask colour makes her perk up further as it gives her more freedom in their outfits. And if they are focused on concealing their identity, she can imagine how elaborate their outfits could end up. She picks up another two tickets and begins to colour them in enthusiastically. Of course, Clay has to rain on her fun though by complaining about getting dragged to the mall again. She just rolls her eyes and hands him and Jessie their tickets, fully expecting this. She raises an eyebrow when he turns to Nath for defence before seeing Michael's still off in his own world with his girlfriend. She’s not sure what he's trying to get out of him, but he doesn't get what he wants when Nath disagrees with him and even scolds him a little. Skylar looks over at Nathaniel with an impressed look before simply crossing her arms and lifting her chin at Clayton. She resists gloating over this turn of events. And as expected, Clayton gives up pretty quickly with the mention of Jessie. Glancing briefly outside she sees that, down the hall, people are starting to get ready for their classes. “Probably this weekend,” she explains, closing the window so their conversations can’t be overheard. “We can all go together, and I’ll do one group at a time while the others can wander the mall.” As much as she likes the idea of making it two separate trips, between homework and dance planning, she doesn’t have that much time. “Anyway, looks like the bell’s about to ring, so pay up and get out of here,” she says as she prepares to finish their transactions. She still has a few things to wrap up, but she’s already informed her teacher she’ll be a couple of minutes late.
Skylar’s afternoon is much better than her morning. Nothing unexpected pops up, so she can focus on fixing the mess she was left with. She’s already done most of the work, so it’s just about making sure everything goes according to plan. With her last class becoming a study period, she manages to use some of her time then to ensure that. She still hates that she had to spend most of her day on this rather than actually paying attention to class though. After working on her project with Nathaniel today, she needs to spend the night hunting down people for notes today and catch up. That is if nothing else ends up distracting her. Considering what they might be talking about today and the potential that she might attempt to kiss him, she feels like there's a real chance she won't get to schoolwork tonight. She has just stepped out of school, sending a text to Nathaniel to meet up at the same place where her driver picked up them the last time and every time before that. As she walks over to that very place, she gets a text from her driver that he'll be a little late as he's dropping off her mother first. At that, panic immediately shoots through her. She feels like she should be surprised that she's finding out this way rather than from her mother herself, but then again, why would she be at this point? With a sigh, she continues to their meeting spot. She can’t help but pace around a little when she gets there as she waits for Nathaniel. She'll have to ask if they could maybe do their project work at his place instead. Otherwise, she'll just have to suck it up and hope she and her mom can avoid running into each other at the house. It seems she'll have to reconsider some of her plans either way.

☀ Mɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ Hᴀʀʀɪsᴏɴ ☀
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[ the third pair ] [ location: school ] [ tagged: everyone, then Audrey(text)]

While most of Michael's attention is on Audrey, he can't help but check back with the others with a couple of quick glances. It's kind of hard to ignore them when they're all in this small room together. It definitely magnifies the tension when there is any. He didn't notice it before when they were split up, but he's just now realizing how messy the other four's relationships are. With Skylar and Nathaniel developing feelings, it’s turning into an awkward love square. The idea of Clayton and Skylar being caught up in it just feels wrong. He's just glad even with all the back and forth and some uncertainty with him and Audrey, it wasn't anything like this. Then again, they only had themselves to deal with, so he supposes he can cut them some slack because of that. There is also no secrecy between them either, but that one's completely on them. He knows he can't completely wash his hands off of this. He is their friend and he's dating someone that is also the other two's friend. By the looks of it, he imagines they will all be spending a good amount of time together at some point. He just hopes he doesn't have to play mediator as much as he did today. That was only the last few minutes and it still felt exhausting. He also was kind of playing detective just a bit before that, so perhaps that also tired him out a little bit. Either way, he shouldn't feel like this. Hanging out with friends should be fun. He shouldn't have to feel like he's walking on eggshells, so they all better get it together. On a brighter note, he’s glad to hear Audrey has work. He can't believe he's actually feeling this way, but he's finding that he's looking forward to work. He gets to hang out with his girlfriend and the work is relatively easy on most days. All he's hearing is that he gets to chill out with his girlfriend. He pretends to make a big deal out of it though. He lets out a deep exaggerated sigh as he pouts slightly. "Work as well." he huffs out dramatically. He nudges her playfully with his elbow. "Looks like you're stuck with me for another shift today." Never mind that they only worked about ten minutes together at the ticket booth. He’s briefly distracted when he notices Clayton and Nathaniel exchanging words. He misses what triggered it but watches as it unfolds. Though the situation resolves quickly and Skylar seems pleased, Michael can’t shake the feeling that he just got a preview of how the boys' trip might go. If it's anything like what just happened, he thinks he would rather keel over than have to be in the middle of that. He supposes then it's a good thing that Skylar is combining the two shopping trips into one. It would be much less awkward if they went as a whole group rather than two individual groups. They will still be separated at some point though and he had no idea what they would do while the girls are off doing their shopping. That's a worry for another time though as Skylar tells them that classes are about to start again. Even though he's not eager to go back to class, he's relieved to leave this room. He pays for his ticket without much of a peep, though he pauses as he stares at Jessie and kisses Clayton goodbye. Even though a quick peck on the cheek, he's astonished by how out in the open it was. He gives a similar goodbye to Audrey, kissing her head just as he had the night before. "I’ll see you later," Michael says softly, winking at Audrey before walking off.
The afternoon was still surprisingly hectic for him. He thought that almost everyone at that point would have heard the news already and confirmed it was true. They had to have heard about it all morning, right? He supposes that the news didn't get out until the second period and only really ramped up during lunch, so he shouldn't have expected to die down so fast. Not that he minded the questions that much. They were just repetitive, which made them annoying. He hopes that now that the whole day of class has passed, he won't be getting as many questions as he did tomorrow. Not from his classmates anyway, assuming that they all already got their questions answered. He guesses there is still the first class in the day where people didn't get to question him, but after that, there should be no more questions. Can't he just enjoy his new relationship in peace? He's just leaving his class after being questioned by some of his classmates for the hundredth time. He makes the excuse that he's got to get to work to get the questioning to cease. It wasn't exactly an excuse since he does have to get to work, but he doesn't actually have to go as urgently as he made it out to be. Before heading over to work though, he figures he'll go find Audrey. He remembers from yesterday that her car is out of commission. He doesn't know if she's got a new ride already or if she's got other plans to get to work. He'll be offering his services either way because that's what a good boyfriend would do. Pulling out his phone as he walks over to her locker, he sends her a text, need a ride? With a couple of car emojis, of course.

(felt like it made sense for a timeskip! jumped to the after school.)