forum High school is a whole lot darker than our parents think

Started April 27, 2020 by @German_Boats

tune

Azami shrugged, sitting on the ground.
"I just wanted to fight somebody. I dunno what was goin' down."

(Yeah it's fine)
"They were helping me," Carson piped up, rubbing her arms. "They were trying to get me to… uh…" she trailed off, the skin on her neck hot from where the other boys mouth had been. "Never mind."

Vincent nodded, "You don't need to tell me what they wanted to do. I can guess, quite accurately guess." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well the games almost over, I can't do much outside of a school event. I suggest you all get home, I can drive if you need it but," He looked at Carson knowingly, "I doubt you'd want to be with a guy you barely know for an extended amount of time right now."

"I don't need a ride. I can walk. I don't live too far away," Azami said, standing up again. "Thanks for the offer, I guess."

Carson felt her face grow hot. "I have a car," she said quickly. "But thank you. And thanks for the help, all of you." she added, before backing up towards the parking lot again. She couldn't wait to get away from here.
(We can fast forward to the next day at school, where we all see each other again)

(I'm alright with that)
Vincent nodded and turned towards the bleachers, "Try not to get your nose caught in anymore doors. The more invested the boy's are the harder they are to sway." He left the juniors and went back into the stands.

(the next day…)
The cafeteria was packed, and Carson let out a huff of frustration. As everyone took their seats at their designated tables, she took her lunch outside. The noise always bugged her, and on a beautiful day like today, she didn't mind not sitting with her friends. Besides… after the football game, she'd been avoiding Lex and his crew all day. They always ate in the caf, and the table Carson occupied on a normal day was a little to close to them for her liking.
Sitting down at a picnic table, she pulled out her lunch, and a note book. Maybe she could try some of the calculous questions she'd failed on her test and get them right this time. After all, if she kept getting the grades that she'd been getting lately, her parents would take her off the team. B's weren't enough for them.

Vincent moved his pen furiously across the lined paper. He was so doomed, Why Mrs. Pollen demanded the essay be hand written he didn't know. All he knew is when that bell rang he had best have a handwritten essay discussing the Cultural impact of what's his faces speech in 19 something or other, That paper was worth 30 % of his grade. He had done it, the printed out copy sat beside the lined one as he transcribed the perfectly crafted sentences in elegant, if a bit rushed, hand writing. He was halfway through the word, Indicated, when the impossible happened, His favorite Black pen ran out of ink. He sat there stunned for a moment, then dug furiously through his bag looking for another. "No, no no no no no, whyyyy must you be this way world!" He muttered. He, Vincent Montague, Captain of the swim team, Teachers pet, did not bring an extra black pen to school. He looked around for a familiar face, It was unlikely, he was one of the odd ones who sat out side during lunch. His eye's latched on to a familiar sight, it was that girl, ah what was her name, Carson? Yes that was it Carson, Junior, joined the track team, Kinda owes me one after yesterday. He quickly approached the table his bag in one hand papers in the other. "Carson, Hello, It's me Vincent. Kinda helped you out the other day, Please tell me you have a black pen on you."

Carson looked up from her notebook, mid chew, and raised her eyebrows. She knew who Vincent was, and thought it funny he was acting like they'd never spoken before the football game. They'd been in school together for years.
"Uhm, I have this one," she said, holding up the only pen she had with her at the moment. She had more in her backpack, but she'd left that in her locker. "You can have it, if you promise to give it back when you're done."

Vincent took the pen and plopped down on the bench across from Carson, "Thanks, What If I finish the assignment here and give it right back." He winked as he took the pen then quickly resumed copying the essay over. "You should sit out here more often. Why sit in a stuffy cafeteria when you can have fresh air?" He asked not looking up from the assignment.

Letting out a breath, Carson took another bite of her sandwich. She was about to go back to her notes, but then she realized she couldn't, so she just propped her chin up onto her hand.
"My friends don't like sitting outside," she answered Vince. "And they don't like it because their boyfriends don't. Sometimes I don't mind being in the caf, and sometimes I do." she picked up her apple and took a bite, thinking for a minute. "What about you? You're a pretty popular guy, one would think that you like being inside. You know, with all of your… followers."

"Being liked does not equal liking." Vincent replied, "It also keeps the conflict to a minimum, I'm sure you remember the feud last year, I've been sitting out here ever sense." He wrote the final sentence and held out the pen. "Thank's, Hopefully you never have to deal with the monster that is Mrs.Pollen."

Being liked does not equal liking, she repeated in her mind. That's a great way to put it.
Carson took the pen back and eyed Vince suspiciously. "Yeah. The feud." she said, before taking another bite out of her apple. "What does Mrs. Pollen teach?" she asked.

Vincent pulled a stapler out of his bag and stapled the hand written pages together. "AP LIT, and APEL, I've never been assigned more busy work in my life." The Feud was of course referring to the Friend group split last year. When Vincent Broke up with his girlfriend it caused a split in their friend group, this escalated into half the school picking sides. Fights broke out in the lunch room, Administration had to get involved. Vincent chose to remove himself from most circles after that, only really staying connected with the swim team. He purposely removed him self from his 'Followers'
(This sounds dramatic and unreal, This actually happened, I kid you not, a school wide feud broke out between the kids that backed up the dude and the girl. The Original couple had next to nothing to do with it either)

(I believe it. School is crazy.)
"Where are you planning to go to college?" Carson asked. There was still a lot of time left in lunch, and the conversation added a little bit of entertainment to her normally boring day.

Ok so I'm late, but here's my character:
Name: Alydia (Aly)
Age: 17 (Junior but hangs out with seniors)
Gender: Female
Appearance: Latina; short, wavy, black hair; brown eyes; tan skin but has vitiligo; 5'4
Other: Alydia is popular, a soccer player, and at the top of her class. Everyone knows her dad went to prison and that she has been through things, but she refuses to explain what happened.

Vincent sighed , resting his elbows on the table and running hands through his already messy hair, "Yah, I'm struggling with a major though, What my parent's want me to do and what I want to do are two very different things, What about you? Any plans?"

Azami sat on the roof of the school, looking down into the street below. She let out a sigh and turned her attention to the sky. "You up there?" Azami asked to the empty roof. She flopped on her back, crossing her legs. "Miss ya. Lots." Azami wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "See ya tomorrow," she said, getting to her feet and going back inside.

"Big plans," Carson answered ominously. Then she laughed and took a sip out of her water bottle. "No, I uh… well my Dad wants me to stay around and go to college here, but I…" she trailed off, pulling her sweatshirt sleeves down lower over her arms. "I think I'd rather leave town. I haven't told him yet, but I'm looking at schools more North of here. Not that it matters… my grandparents would be the ones getting me there anyway." her voice held a bitterness that she didn't intend for, and she tried to cover it up by taking another sip of her water.

Alydia stood from her seat across the courtyard, carrying a tray littered with food wrappers. As she walked toward the trash can, she noticed that Vincent was sharing a table with that girl from her biology class, Carson. "Weird. I've never seen them together" she thought. Being popular was the best way to know what was going on, to not be blindsided. And Alydia was popular, she made sure of it. She was shaken from her thoughts by a fleeting shadow on the nearby roof. Brushing off the encounter as that girl Azami, and ignoring the alternative, she put an overly friendly expression and walked over to the pair. "Hey Vince, I heard your ex is making trouble again. Spreading rumors that you and Lex have been hanging out. Want me to clear things up?" she asked, sitting down at the picnic table.

Azami emerged from the building into the courtyard, scanning the tables. Vincent and Carson, the two she had encountered yesterday were joined by Alydia. She walked over to them and sat down, still glancing toward the sky.

Vincent rolled his eye's, "I heard, Lex did to he got asked about it, think he was more offended then I was. I don't know where she comes up with this stuff. It's even more unbelievable then the last one, I don't think you'll have to Alydia but if you feel the need go ahead." He commented tucking the now completed paper into his bag. He smiled at Azami as she sat down, then turned back to Carson. He hadn't missed the bitterness in her voice, he gave her a look but didn't comment on it.
"Why track?" He asked, changing the subject, "There are other spring sport like, oh I don't know, Swim."