The Banquet of Plenty - Open

[Jack Lexington]

I lecture him in the most serious of ways about what not to do with Kyanite and that she doesn't want him.
"I should be telling you that." He says to me making me wonder whether that's his assumption or what she told him....that I have nothing she wants anymore. Either way it stings and makes me grit my teeth.
"yeah?" I raise my brow while my hands balls into a fist at my side. I want to smash it into his face right now but I can only imagine what Kyanite would do...she's hate me for it and rush to his aid hating me for ever. I can't do that so I open my fist.

"You're lucky Tyren likes you." He says so high and mighty. As if he could put me in my place of all the people. I'm sure that if it came down to it he would last three minutes in the ring with me...not like his cousin.
"You're lucky, you're his cousin." I spit back at him because if he wasn't related to the guy who invited me I'd act a little less composed...well that and Kyanite.

I know that us head butting over her will lead nowhere but I also know it's her who makes the calls. I just don't want him to be all sleek and nice and end up with her tonight.
"Just back off." I tell him hoping he'll take my advise.
"She doesn't need a guy like you in her life." I'm still assuming he's trying to hook up with her because he never told me otherwise.
I wipe my hand against the fabric of my pants and take a step back from Max.

I feel helpless because I know Ky would dig him, which girl wouldn't? He's smart, good looking and awefully calm, which I'm clearly not. There's nothing I can do right now..unless. Suddenly I change my tactic and nod to him.
"I'd better go back inside. Tara's probably waiting for me already. She seems pretty keen." There's an evil sparkle in my eyes.

[Anatra]

Matthew keeps lecturing me on who Kyanite needs in her life. My mind fills with a humor that I conceal. Then why aren't you with her then? I ask him in my mind. "She doesn't need a guy like you in her life." That's up to her. I go to take a drink from my glass, only to realize it isn't there and I must have forgotten that he'd smashed it. Looking at my hand, I can feel the tingling. I see it, and it's blood. My own, but he did it. If I go back in, Kyanite would question this. I'd have to make something up, or tell her. I can't lie. I am ready to leave him, but he opens his mouth once more.

"I'd better go back inside. Tara's probably waiting for me already. She seems pretty keen."

I can't describe the feeling of it, but the closest representation would be the flicking of a lightswitch. That little bastard. How dare he? It's not the same, me going after a girl he lost. He's done it now, no going back. I make a ball with my fist and narrow my eyes at him, not saying anything else. I could remove this stain right now, I could. I know I could. It couldn't take much, he's two years younger than me. He's still in his parents' house and I'm living for myself. I don't say anything else, I just fill with anger. My sister? I'll show him.

I send the fist for his face, I don't care where I hit but I do it fast.

Hopefully, dad's lessons come in handy. Or else I'll be stitching my own face up this time.

W O R D. C O U N T : 281

N O T E S :

[*]

[presto]

"Allow me to thank you properly. My words seem foreign to me, but my head and my heart seem to finally connect for once. Both of them pulling for me to become closer to someone that might hold a good image for someone I might want to think about considering for myself one day. Someone like Max. Or just him...? Perhaps? With both forces working together for once, I lean in and let my lips touch his clean shaven cheek. So smooth and warm against my lips. The moment I pull back, I echo the same two words to him just to show him yet again, how much it meant to me to have him there. The seconds seem to tick by before he lets his voice come out with a slow tone, as if I've hipnotized him.

"Anytime."

I notice nothing else except the lines on the beautifully waxed floor beneath my feet for only a moment that I didn't notice that Max had seen Matthew walk out. When my head raises, and my eyes, once again, meet with his, it seems as if that small token of appriciation has meant something more to him. Silence seems to ring out after I did that between us, but it's not an awkward moment. It's something different. Something more wanting and I don't know if it's coming from him or from me?

Would I even be wanted in his lifestyle? If this were even possible?

"I'm going outside for a little bit. I won't be too long, I promise." My heart races just slightly wondering why he's all of a sudden wanting to leave me, but with the cigarette that lingers in his mouth, I see the sudden need to go outside. I just hope it wasn't my presence that caused this sudden want. I give him a subtle nod and a well rounded grin.

"I'll get another drink. I'll be here." I tell him when he reaches the door and I watch him leave with a sence of longing that seems to suddenly fill me up from the inside out. I bring my right arm up to massage the back of my neck as I drop my head grinning heavily and turning to the table to get a refill on the drink.

Standing alone by the table, has a few people stareing at me and for some reason, I get self conscious. The redhead that stands near a round table chuckles to her friend about the same time the girl next to her brings her hand up to whisper something before they both take a look at me in the same movement. I turn my back to them and let the glass be pulled to my lips, taking one long drink before sitting the glass down on the table near the man.

"Thank you for the drink." I tell him and look to the door that Max had went out. Maybe he wanted me to go with him? Maybe, I should get some fresh air. Those girls will just have to talk about someone else for a while. His company is what I seek and of course, some cold air to depleate the heat within my lungs. Again, a giddy feeling washes over me as I let my hands push against the door and the moment I'm outside, I feel the rush of coldness brush up against my arm. Instantly, I wish for a jacket as the chill bumps threaten to show, but I rub the upper part of my arm and look out to see Max at the edge of the concrete standing beside my ex. Beside the guy who decided he didn't want me in his life and now, it looks like a heated conversation between the two.

What the hell is going on? What are they ta... Immediately, I gasp seeing Max throw a punch at Matthew and I let out a loud gasp, turning my head away from the scene. There's no way I can comprehend what I was thinking of Max a few moments ago and to see him now? Why is he aiming at Matthew? Why are they fighting? WHAT HAPPENED?

My mind is screaming and the moment I look up, I just can't take the scene in front of me. I came here tonight to wish a set of twins a happy birthday and somehow, fighting is always where I need to be.

"Max, What's going on? Matthew?" I shake my head, take a step backward, and turn on my heels. This is all too much to even deal with. I take the path to the corner of the house and disappear out of sight. My breathing hitching into my throat. This isn't right.
[/presto]

[ table by anzie ]

[Jack Lexington]

Matthew Dunham

It was easy to provoke Max. With the right words he lit up like a fire cracker...oh that was almost fun to see him turn evil so fast. He'd make a terrible career because he's easier to provoke than anybody I know with the right words.

Just then the girl who this is all about shows up in front of the door. Perfect timing.

I've wanted Max to loose it, seen the punch coming and now decide to actually stand still and not duck when all my senses scream at me to evade the punch.
For some reason it seems like a smart idea to take this one with my bottom lip instead of being the one throwing a punch in Kyanites presence.

His knuckles connect with my lips and smash it hard against my teeth that cut into it from the inside. Ouch. Prepared or not. It hurts to get a fist in the mouth. Instantly I taste copper. Did he split it, too?
It takes everything I have not to do what I've learned over the years of career training and retaliate right away with a nice upper cut or right hook but leave my balled fist at my side.

With a bit of satisfaction I hear the girls aggrovated scream. "Max, What's going on? Matthew?"

Them she's gone in a flash.

I bring my hand up to my lip to feel the slightly numb, yet painful swelling start. "Smart move, Max."
I spit some blood at the ground beneath his feet to give him a bloodied smile.
If I can't have her he probably just ruined his chances with Kyanite as well.
"You just blew it."



OOC: Too graphic?
I can find a pic of almost every situation on this website...awesome.

[Anatra]

He did it, he made my blood boil. There's few ways of doing that but the thought of him with Tara...

I threw that punch because it felt right. It wasn't out of absolute hatred, at least I wouldn't call it that. It was more out of the fact this guy just threatened to get with my sister, and from what I've seen of him, the drunken party with Tyren, the pregames. I couldn't let that happen, at least not with a bloodless face. The best part about my punch hitting so well, is he'll have to explain this to people if he plans on returning to the party. He'll have to either make up a reason for having his own blood all over himself, or tell the real reason in that he got punched by somebody who actually has the right to kick people out. I'm half in the right though, and half in the wrong. I'm half in the wrong because I wasn't even thinking of kicking him out, which makes it just like any old assault. In the peacekeeper's eyes, I'd be guilty now. He could so easily go to them and just like that I'd be getting some kind of severe punishment. Would he risk that though? The friendship of Tyren and also the possibility of me being able to talk my way out of it.

But Kyanite... I truly do care for her a slight. This had been our first meeting, so in essence there should be few feelings. But I felt something, I don't think she could deny that. Either way, I may have just lost it. But if she isn't happy with me defending my sister, then she's clearly not cut out for the Orca family.
Because we defend all of our family.

I neaten my jacket and readjust my tie. "If you ever go near my sister again, it'd be the last time you're able to see." My threat isn't empty. I push myself from the wall I was once pinned against, and I go back to the main hall. After stopping by quickly at the small office that was able to wash my hand and bandage it nicely, returning to my family felt right. But does Matt have the balls to?

At the table, it is no longer as crowded. Just me, Tyren, Alex, Tara and uncle Mike. They were talking about previous drunken adventures. Mike was in the middle of telling a relatable story,band also mentioning how he had to take Tyren and paul home after one of their adventures.

W O R D. C O U N T : Many

N O T E S : Wrote from my iPad, May have spelling errors. Format may also screw up.

[*]

"What happened? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED." I yell to myself when I round the corner of the house. Inside the party seems to be going about it's own business, not even knowing about what's goign on outside of it. Not even knowing what I saw at the very last second with Max's fist ramming right into Matthews face. As much as It pains me to think about Matthew in this manner, I suddenly can't help but to feel the jolt within my heart. Two ways of thinking now. My head and heart saying two different things. Why does MAtthew always do that to me? Why am I always at odds with myself with him? Why him?

Max had no objections about what I needed and wanted from him. Matthew... you jerk. You're always doing this to me... even if you don't want me. You're always in my head. DAMNIT!

I stop in my step halfway down the entire length of the house and lay my back against the hard stones. I throw my casted arm against the wall enough to feel the vibrations flowing through my healing bones. Enough to make me cringe just slightly. "DAMNIT." I hiss out and bring my arm back at up my body at that very moment and let my head gently rest against the marble wall.

"Maybe, I should go check on him... or Max..." I shake my head and push off from the wall and backtrack my way to where I saw the two men just duke it out. Well, rather just MAx, but maybe MAtthew had something to do with it. Unless he's provoked... or pissed, does he react like that. What did Max say to him to piss him off that bad? I let my heels click rather loudly against the concrete until I round the corner of the house and I still see Matthew sitting on the ground, his hand covering his face and bring it downward.

Blood... Max hit him pretty good. I hope he's okay.

"Fighting... is usually to remain in the gym, Matthew. CAn you not go anywhere without getting into a fight with someone? What the hell did you say to him?" My tone is harsh. Dry. Almost enough to show my internal dislike for what I just had to witniss. Yet the closer I get to him, I see the amount of blood that paints his lips and the top of his shirt. With a shake from my head, I don't offer to bend down. I hold on to one of my arms with the other and turn my gaze backward to the party, then back at him.

"Max is a good guy. You didn't have to do that..." My throat burns with anger.

[Jack Lexington]

Max isn't impressed by my words. Instead he remains cool and readjusts his tie just to threaten me.
"If you ever go near my sister again, it'd be the last time you're able to see." Right now I do believe him. He's a loose canon.
'Same goes for you.' I think but don't say it.

With a bit of satisfaction I watch him walk back inside...I'm pretty sure there will be nothing going on between him and Kyanite. Good.

Once he's gone I let my tongue run over my bottom lip where I can feel a slight gap. He did split it and even my teeth hurt. Where did he all of a sudden get such a boom from?
I use the sleeve of my shirt to dab at my lip and to no surprise it comes back crimson red. Great. There's ...
The clikcing of high heels interrupts my train of thought so I straighten up just in time to see Ky come back.
What's that look on her face? Is she going to pity me? Is she going to ignore me?
No, she's actually freaking mad at me! Me? Why me?
"Fighting... is usually to remain in the gym, Matthew. CAn you not go anywhere without getting into a fight with someone? What the hell did you say to him?"
"I wasn't fighting." I try to defend myself because that was the whole point...I did not do anything...say, yes, but not do.

She comes another step closer until I can see her beautiful face under the light of a street lamp. She fuming. Why on earth is she mad at me?
"Max is a good guy. You didn't have to do that..."
I can't believe she's defending the guy who just punched me and is blaming me for it.
"Do what?" I lift my hands to the side. "He's NOT a good guy. Why the hell are you mad at me, Ky? He punched me."
I'm actually strating to get upset with her for drawing such a conclusion...even if it's correct.
Yet I add in a softer tone. "I was just looking out for you."

[*]

Sure. I'm mad. I'm more than mad because I'm just plainly pissed. Everything about tonight has suddenly been ruined just from the moment I saw MAtthew here at the party and when he tried to talk to me near the tables when Max was off getting me a drink. If I'm not good enough to be in his life, why is he trying to make my life a living nightmare? Can't I enjoy a simple night without him to mess it up. Don't act too rash. How do you even know he did anything. Would he intentionally hurt you? ....yes. I can't help but bite on my bottom lip staring at how pitiful he looks. If I knew he wouldn't push me away, I would already be checking his mouth and helping him up. To touch him when he's hurt again?

I can't take it again. Not now. Not at Tyren's party.

"Do what? He's NOT agood guy. Why the hell are you mad at me, Ky? He punched me." I take a step to the left and stop. Turning around, I take two steps to the right and stop again. This time I face him with a hurt look on my face at that.

"Being punched has to have a reason. You've done something, because Max is a gentleman. He's calm. Gentle. He wouldn't intentionally hurt someone without a good reason and YOU gave him that reason. What did you do to him? Thanks for ruining my only chance with someone decent. Someone that might have been good for me..."

"I was just looking out for you." I can feel the wetness wanting to form in the corners of my eyes. What he says now. Now that we're not together seems to drive a nail into my heart.

"Look out for me? Matthew... we are not together... remember? You... didn't want me. You pushed me AWAY! What? did you say something to him about gettin me a drink? Or when I kissed him on the cheek? In what way are you looking out for me? Please explain that to me?" My hand finds my eye faster than ever when the water collects too much and to keep the water from ruining my make up, I rid myself of sorrows poison.

[Jack Lexington]

Kyanite is turning and moving away, ignoring me but then she turns back and does the same again. As if she doesn't know whether to believe me or not.
I wrinkle my brow at her because this is truly unexpected. Can't she just forget about Max and be nice to me?

Apparently not. "Being punched has to have a reason. ....YOU gave him that reason. What did you do to him? Thanks for ruining my only chance with someone decent. Someone that might have been good for me..."
The last few words hurt as if she just whipped me across the face with her palm.
Her ONLY chance with someone decent.
'So I'm not decent?' I think to myself. Is that what I am? Not decent? Is that why she wants a guy like Max? He's no more decent than me, just better at pretending.

When I claim to be looking out for her things get worse. I've never seen her this angry before. Her face is red and tears are glistening in her eyes but I don't get how I am at fault.
"Look out for me? Matthew... we are not together... remember? You... didn't want me. You pushed me AWAY! What? did you say something to him about gettin me a drink? Or when I kissed him on the cheek? In what way are you looking out for me? Please explain that to me?"
"What?" I can't beleive what she just said. She kissed this guy already?
"You kissed him in there?" I gasp because suddenly I feel a lack of air in my lungs. Her words sting much worse than my split lip. I don't think any girl has ever made me feel this way. I can't stand the fact that Max and her kissed even though we're not together anymore.

She wipes at her tears still glaring at me but I'm at a loss of words here. I had a crazy girls hand on my private parts and still climbed out of that hot tub. For me things weren't over. But Kyanite seems to see this diffently.
"I...I..." What I mean to say is that I regret pushing her away but instead I say. "This is messed up? Don't do this Kyanite. He's no better than I am. This is fucked up!"
Nicely worded, Dunham! My chest stings with the emotional pain she left there so I tell her the exact opposite of what I mean.
"Go ahead and sleep with him. What do I care? He's such a decent fellow...if only you knew."
If only she knew how I really feel about her right now.

[*]

"So I'm not decent? I can't understand why he would pick out certain words that I said to him. Why woulnd't he just take what he's given instead of questioning my rant. I know how much I miss him. How much I want to be with him, but that just isn't happening anymore. Not when he was with that girl. Not when he doesn't want me; any part of me.

"I used to think so... you used to be everything to me. Now....?" I quit, though what I have to know next sends me into a long winded question and statements. I ask him, no... berate him about what fuel he gave Max in order to receive the punch to the face. What I didn't realize, is that I let too much slip out. One word too much that suddenly has him dumbstruck and asking questions about.

"you kissed him in there?" True. I kissed him, but it was merely on the cheek. A flirtacious way of trying to get closer to him because I though something could come of it. I figured that man in there might actually be interested in me. One kiss on the cheek for saving my life, yet Matthew acts as though I've done the most horrible thing in the world. What should it matter? We are not a couple. It's not like I'm cheating on him. Wait? Why does he even care? Does he care? What if he regrets breaking up with me? I don't understand you. Am I being hopeful though? You want me when we aren't together and you don't when we are? Why are men so confusing.

"On the cheek..." I hammer outward toward him.

A lover's spat when we are no longer of the sort. Yeah. This makes sense. This makes total sense. With everything in my brain telling to just walk away from Matthew and go back inside to check on Max, my heart seems to feel the heaviest, planting my feet to the ground. I'm stuck. Magnitized to the ground in front of Matthew. I can't help but feel my heart strings tugging for his situation. How much I want to just bend down and cradle his head against me and wipe away the blood, Because I think I love you..., but I can't. His rant comes next. Everything that he wants to say just comes flying out. This really is fucked up isn't it Matthew?

"Are you sure, he's not better?" I throw it back at him. I'm ready to leave. Ready to walk away from his this time and it won't be because he told me too. I will walk out on my own yet again, but the words that leave his mouth next, stabs me. Utterly confuses and bothers me to no end.

"Go ahead and sleep with him..." My mouth drops slowly, and so do my knees; enough to bend down and crouch in front of him. I shake my head slowly toward him, and eye him directly. For a moment, I can't help but stare at those eye's that used to hold so much love for me when we were together. Those eyes that seems to connect with mine when we would kiss. His eyes are the only thing that has ever seen every part of me and then I break that contact, as well as a few collected tears.

"I don't understand why I'm destined to be constantly hurt by the men in my life. I thought I would love you one day. I thought we might have had something special... guess I was wrong." I push up with my legs and stand and shake my head at him. "Leave me alone. You hear me? Stay.... away." From my heart, I want to scream out. I can't think of anything else to say, but saying those two words were labored and they hurt me so much to say them. My heart just burst and there's so much pressure against my chest. My breaths feel hitched like I'm drowning in a puddle of sorrow.

"Damn... you, Matthew."

You used to captivate me by your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face—it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice—it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

[Anatra]

Suddenly Max is back. I have to admit that I was getting a little worried where he'd went, but that's just my protective side. He's older than me, so it should be the other way round. He looks fine though, nothing wrong that I need to concern myself with. "Max, what's that?" I ask him since he's got some kind of bandage on this hand. New as well. "Oh this," He holds it up. "Some guy knocked into me on my way back in. Made me drop my glass." He doesn't look to roughed up about it thankfully. "Hah, well I hope you shoved him back." There's a glint in his eye but I can't tell what it is supposed to be telling me. "Nah, not at your party." He reassures me. Alba stands and excuses herself.

Tyler is now on my lap again. He must be getting tired now that I think about it.

The music dies down to a stop and a voice comes on the microphone. "Ladies and Gents, I present to you the cousin of the birthday boys, Alba Orca!" The woman announces, walking from the stage to make way for Alba who is sitting at the head of a piano. What? What is this? I didn't know she was even remotely musical by any standards. A career at the head of a piano. I hope she's at least decent, because it'd look...

{ Music }

She starts. The piano first doing a small introduction. "I bet you don't curse god..." Her voice is lovely. It is a sad sounding song, one that I've never heard before. It has the sudden starting that hits your feelings like a brick wall because you know you'll end up an emotional wreck by the end of it. I can see everyone has stopped to look at her on that stage as though she was the only thing in the room, up there on her music box. The words are so deep, and so meaningful. I can see through them and hear her voice mean every word. "There's pain, life hurts. There's a thousand things you think you don't deserve." She's really brilliant. The song is touching my heart almost. Tyler is leaning on my shoulder as I hold him. He's probably sleeping. This is the kind of situation that can move you, and I understand the meaning of what she's singing. "When You spend it all and you just can't beat the odds... I bet you don't curse God." The games, not the real ones but the pregames. Is she singing about me?

It's a true song. We don't curse god when we're at the end. I should know. She is definitely not drunk. I must have been wrong, because she's up there singing her heart out. Then she sings on verse and it really reaches out.

"I bet you don't curse God
When you're dying in bed
About to take your one last breath
And you're holding on before you say goodnight."

She would never leave the hospital room without saying goodnight. Never, and she never missed a day either. I'm not crying, but I know if I wasn't trying not to I would be. Her song comes to an end but there is no applause. I look around and there are a few looks coming my way. Are they waiting for me?

I may be the only one, but I clap. Suddenly, the applause follows. She looked so uncertain in that moment, whether she'd sang the right thing. But she did.

-----

Max looks a little uneasy over in his seat opposite me. I can't help but wonder why. "You alright, mate?" I ask. He sighs, "Yeah." He's totally not, I can see it. It's obvious, to me at least. Uncle Mike comes back with three drinks, holding two in one hand and one in the other. They're smallish glasses but enough to be a decent drink. "Here Tyren, you're old enough now. Don't tell your mother." He hands one to me. "What is it?" I ask with a quizzical look on my face. As he takes his seat he answers, "That would be a light vodka." He passes over the other glass to his son, Max. That'll cheer him up, having his drink back.

"I didn't know Alba could sing." I tell him. "Hah, neither did I. Apparently she can play, too." I nod at him because he's right, she did both. It was so unexpected. Maybe that was her birthday gift to me and Alex.

W O R D. C O U N T : Many

N O T E S : I apologize to your imaginations since there's little to no pictures of my FC with a suit. So unclassy.

[Deleted]

Avery Thrush
Age: 17

"So where are your other relatives here? He asks. I swivel my head around the room searching for my mother and sister. I see my mother talking with someone non-stop as she always does. I point to my mother over by the table and say, "That's My mother right over there, Then I turn my head to look for my sister, "and my sister is one by the food table."

This is starting to get a bit uncomfortable because I have a feeling he's about to bring up a touchy subject, my father. Everyone asks. I start to speak not looking at him then I see my sister starting to get hyper on sugary sweets. "Sorry, I said to Alex, "I need to stop my sister from getting a sugar rush."

I rush over to her and grab her hands lightly and pull her away from the sweets table, "That's to much sweets." I don't think she was listening though. I had a feeling she was already hyper. I think she should go outside until she calms down.

As we pass Alex I say, "Sorry. I think my sister needs some air."

I'm saved from explaining about my father. I walk outside as my sister bounces up and down besides me.[/div]

[Jack Lexington]

Half of the words that are leaving her mouth are lost on me now because I only pick up on the bad stuff. What she just said to me, how she automatically assumes I'm the bad guy in this game and Max is all good but most of all what she says about us is killing me on the inside. The more she pushes me away the more I realize what I've lost when I told her to leave a few weeks ago. At the same time I want her back more and more but it's too late for that.
She tells me how I used to be everything to her but not anymore.

Her eyes don't hold that softness anymore but they are stern and angry. I can feel how much she hates me right now when she looks at me like that.
My inner barriers have long gone up to protect myself from the heartache she's about to drive into me like a dagger.
At my last words she slides down to the cold ground where I'm still sitting with my bloodied lips. I've given up on trying to shave my shirt so I just let a trickle run down my throat into it's collar.
My words must have kicked her down. We both know Kyanite is not a girl who sleeps around yet I told her to do so. But she's kissed Max. That's all I heard, not where or why.

her brown orbs stare at me in disbelieve and make me want to apologize.
But then she breaks eye contact. "I don't understand why I'm destined to be constantly hurt by the men in my life. I thought I would love you one day. I thought we might have had something special... guess I was wrong."
Slowly I shake my head because we did have something special, very special but she gets more upset and gets up to get away from me.
"Leave me alone. You hear me? Stay.... away. Damn... you, Matthew."
Those few words coming from the one girl I opened my heart to hurt more than any other ones in my life. I can't believe she's saying this to me? How can she be so heartless when clearly I still care for her.
To know she wants nothing to do with me anymore and loose her for good feels like somebody just grabbed my heart, ripped it out of my chest and crushed it under a giant boot.
I'm speechless. There are no tears in my eyes but I feel like crying.
Before I can do anything she's turned around and goes back inside.
"Kyanite. Don't do this to me." I mouth after her.
Do I even want her to hear me? I don't think so.
I feel like I'm crumbling into a thousand little pieces on the inside. Maybe I was in love with her and didn't even know.



It takes me a good 5 minutes to even get up but when some more people come outside for a smoke I feel embarassed that they ask me whether I'm okay.
I force back the wetness that has settled in my eyes together with a million angry thoughts.
I'm torn between following my gut and run as far away from here as possible and staying to maybe stop her from being with Max...what does it matter though? She made it clear that she doesn't want me.

With my head hanging low I make my way back inside but keep close to the left wall so I can make it to the bathroom to clean my face before I go and get my jacket with the keys to my fathers work truck that I borrowed. I make sure that nobody sees me, especially not Kyanite or Max.

[Anatra]

After Alba's performance I'm feeling inspired. She's younger than me and has achieved so much more in terms of talent. I've failed at every corner in all honesty, but it isn't something I'll ever beat myself up about. Positive thinking, positive thinking. Ticking on and on in my head to a repeating metronome. Tick, you'll make it one day. Tock, you'll do better next time. Negativity can plague you. Sometimes, you just need positivity around you, surrounding you like a shield. Protecting you from the negative people, thoughts and occurrences. All this deep thinking has me exhausted though. There's no way I can continue on with an empty stomach, seeing everybody else get their food and eat it all up without even a bite for me.

I get up and go, leaving little Tyler in my seat with eyes on him - Tara's. The queue isn't large at all, and I find myself mingling a lot more than I expected. "Hey Tyren, nice to see you. Great party." Some older lad tells me. "Hey, don't thank me - thank Max." I say, because I'm probably the only one in the room aware of his contributions. I shake his hand and he goes off. Thankfully, actually. Because I need both to carry the plate and my drink of light vodka. I've put my jacket back on since I need protection from projectile toddler vomit, at all times.

I retake my seat and suddenly I realize I didn't come back with much. There's literally a party sandwich, onions rings and some other stuff that I didn't recognize but snatched anyway. I take some to eat, but quite quickly I realize that I'm gonna need a break.

I get up once again. "Don't give him any." I order, half joking. And into the male restroom I go. I don't look around because to be honest I'm not here to find anybody and I get straight to business. Once I'm done I go to the sinks, there's a couple of them. The lad using the sink next to me looks familiar though, from the corner of my eye, but I can't quite tell because he's washing his face.

W O R D. C O U N T : Many

N O T E S :

[Jack Lexington]

Small droplets of red blood merge with the water in the sink and run down in long colorful streaks. If it wasn't my blood it'd be pretty disgusting.
Right now I don't care though I just want the evidence of what Max did gone.
I reach for the tissue dispenser that hangs above the luxurious marble sinks and press a tissue against my lip. It hurts but nothing like Kyanites words. Now that I'm alone and have time to process them they seem almost cruel, like she was aiming to hurt me as much as she could.
Against all odds I feel my chest tighten and hot tears make their way into my eys but I wash them away with more water before they have a chance to fall.
I hate Max so much right now. Why did he have to start something with my Kyanite.
Why did I push her away in the first place.

Somebody is leaving the stall behind me and comes over to wash his hands so I cover my face with mine and stay as low as I can to not raise any suspicions...I want to look like a guy who's just freshening up.

The guy doesn't leave though so I place my palms on the cold stone of the sink but never look at the guy.
"You got a problem?" In other words 'Piss off.'