Re: *~Hybrid: The Lost Society~* OneXOne between KenzieJo and I!

[KenzieJo]

a few more minutes of working and Tom walks over, he waves to Gregory, and the three of us make a small circle close to our work. "Tally and I are going to the party together tonight." Tom says and I smack him while Gregory congratulates him. "Who's gonna protect me from Ashley and Sarah?" I ask him and he gives me a sheepish grin shrugging. "Sorry." Gregory just laughs, "She's still tailing after you? Didn't you have a thing like ages ago?"

"Don't remind me." I groan, "Id taken her to a gallery and the whole time she clung to me. Didn't even look at the art, let alone listen to me." I shook my head, never again. They both crack up, and i bury my face in my hands. "Hey." Tom says, "I'll still be there, so will Ana and Marc, and Gregory here. We'll tag team to keep her away from you."

I think about it for a moment, coming to the realization all my friends are taking dates, frowning I sigh. "Fine."

[WeAllFallDown-*]

When class ended, I waited until the whole class filled out so I could speak to Pete today.

"Hey, Charlie. Have a seat." With butterflies in my stomach, I sit in the seat and fold my hands in my lap so he can't tell that they're shaking.

"So, as you know the annual Artist's Retreat is coming up..." Everyone knew the artist's retreat. Musical artists, visual artists, anyone who had a passion for the arts was there. But it wasn't the type of thing where you could just show up. You had to be given a seat. Only the best could go. Suddenly, my heart began to beat faster in my chest. Scouts from all over the world came- I could get discovered!

"We'd love to see you there." He finished, so I jumped up and basically...screamed like a school girl.

"Thank you so much Pete!" I'd never been before, so it was an honor to be invited.

"Your welcome. Now, get to class. I'll give you more details later."

Ecstatic, I burst through the door and ran down the hall, a huge grin on my face, drumsticks in hands. I stopped outside the art room, waiting for Zach to hurry the heck up so I could give him the news.

[KenzieJo]

The bells rings and Adams isn't even the room, he's always running around, the man never stops. The three of us walk out, Gregory meeting up with Frankie as we wave goodbye.

We head to English and I tell Tom about my new piece in the show. He rolls his eyes, "That guy loves you, Im surprised he even has enough time to remember most of our names, but you and Gregory are his stars, he uses full words with you." I just laugh as we sit in the back of the room.

We always start the class with reading and I pull out my book while Tom rests his head and mouth. I pick up in the middle of fight club, getting comfortable in my seat as the rest of the class shuffles in.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

Since Zach's already left art, I realize he's probably already up in our English class.

I bolt up the stairs and zip down the hall- I don't know if this is the energy drink speaking to me, or this amazing adrenaline rush, but either way I like it.

When I rush through the doors to the English room, Zach's already seated with his nose in a book. Quietly, I creep over to him until I'm standing in front of his desk.

Budda boom boom de boom.

I tap the rythm on his desk with my drum sticks, making him jump, startled.

"Jesus, what's up with you? You look like you just ran a marathon."

"I got in!" I gasp, ignoring his comment. "I got in to Artist's Retreat!"

"That's awesome, Char!" He exclaims.

[KenzieJo]

I raise a brow, looking to the front of the room. Charlie stood with her friend, excited. "She's going to the retreat?" Tom said, and I looked at him shrugging, "Guess so."

He gives me a look, "Adams hasn't announced who's going yet has he?" I shake my head, it wasn't really a contest, it would be me and Gregory, but Adams has a habit of forgetting pretty much everything.

The bells rings and we're suppose to be reading, I pull my book back as Tom grabs a batman comic from his bag, hiding it behind a sports magazine. I roll my eyes as the teachers passes back papers.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

I sit down in my seat next to Zach's, which is in front of Jac and Tom's. I didn't really care- I wouldn't let them ruin my mood.

Taking out Pride and Prejudice, I waited for the teacher to pass back my homework, which was an essay comparing classic literature to modern literature. Easy enough.

"Charlie," She stops at my desk, placing the paper face down. "Good job." Good always meant average. Nothing exceptional, nothing terribly poor.

[KenzieJo]

"Tom." I hear the teacher next to us and snicker, "I expect more from you next time." Tom gives her a sweet look, promising to do better next time, I hold back a scoff as she walks to me.

"Very interesting Jac." She says handing me my own paper, "I gave you full credit but next time I would choose something else as a classic." I would have argued that A Clockwork Orange was in fact a classic but she walks away before I could talk.

"Doesn't know what good writing is." I say once she's out of ear shot, throwing the essay in my bag. She'd always shown a distaste for my choice of reading material, encouraging me to read books Like Grapes of Wrath, wasn't even able to get through the first chapter. "Doesn't even like Dracula."

[WeAllFallDown-*]

I look over my essay, finding red marks where I'd apparently had "puncuation or grammar errors." If the world cared too much about every comma, apostrophe, or period, we wouldn't have literature.

When she'd turned away to verbally harass the next student, I roll my eyes in Zach's general direction.

"Bitch." I mumble, which causes a few snickers around the room. I slouch in my seat, picking at my cuticles.

"Did someone say something?" She turns around, those beady black eyes glaring at each of us in turn.

"No, ma'am." I respond innocently, pressing my lips into a line to keep from laughing.

[KenzieJo]

I keep an innocent face until the teacher turns, a devilish grin slides on my face as I lean forward. "My Charlie." I whisper, "Your getting mighty close to trouble. I thought that was my job." I'm close and quiet so the teacher doesn't hear. Behind me Tom raises a brow, smirk on his face.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

I feel someone's warm breath on my neck, making my recoil when I found out it's Jac.

Swatting at his shoulder, I reply in a tone equally as quiet "And you're getting mighty close to having your teeth knocked out." I smile sweetly, stomping on his foot with my heel as hard as I could.

"Playing footsie, Char?" Zach teases from beside me, an amused smile on his face as he watches the scene unfold.

"Shut up Zach."

[KenzieJo]

I hiss in pain, "Your so violent." I tell her, "Don't you know that never solve anything?" The grins still on my face as I meet her eyes. I hear Tom laughing and glance at him, leaning on the back two legs of his chair. I give it a swift kick and sent him off balance, his laughs are muffled so the teacher won't notice, but she's deep in some lecture. He doesn't fall, instead catching himself like I knew he would.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

"Who says violence doesn't accomplish things? 'Cause from the look on your face when I kicked you tells me otherwise." I whisper back, watching as his friend skillfully picks himself up when Jac tries to knock his chair over. Probably an athlete, or so I'd guess.

[KenzieJo]

"I'm still talking to you aren't I?" I ask, lacing my fingers and resting my cocked head upon them. "Unless of course, that is what you wanted. Because you definitely accomplished it than." I give her a little wink.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

I narrow my eyes, biting the inside of my lip so hard I can feel the salty tang of blood pooling into my mouth. The teacher had to leave the room to make some copies in the machine next door, so basically everyone went wild.

"Do you have something in your eye?" I ask, even though I knew he was winking at me.

[KenzieJo]

I give a laugh, "Oh darling." I say sadly. I hop up on the table, crossing my legs as I sit. "Why are you always so mean to me?" I ask sincerely. I lean back on my hands, reaching into my bag for the bag of fruity candy. I pop a few in my mouth, sharing them with Tom so he doesn't steal the bag.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

" 'Cause you make it so easy." I smirk, tossing my last sunflower seed into my mouth. I glance at his bag of candy, cocking an eyebrow. "What'd you do, rob a candy store or something?" I ask.

[KenzieJo]

I give her a look. "What do you take me for, some hoodlum who boosts cars and vandalizes buildings?" I don't tell her that yes I may have painted on a few building around town, but it was art. "No we bought them with our own money, we have jobs."

[WeAllFallDown-*]

"No need to be harsh, Jac. Violence solves nothing." I use his own words against him, smirking.

The teacher was still gone, and a few kids were playing hangman on the chalkboard.

"Charlie! Guess a letter." Ben asks, chalk in hand.

"M." I call back, and there's two of them there.

[KenzieJo]

I scowl. "I've not layed a hand on you or anybody." I tell her, "I'm just offended when someone makes wrongful judgesments against me." I look at her with confusion, Ive done nothing to her, but if its how she wanted to act fine.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

I hold my hands up, palms toward him as if surrendering. It wasn't that I wanted to fight, but I wasn't used to the attention.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the teacher came bustling back in, a stack of papers in hand. Everyone froze, not expecting that.

"What is all this?!" She exclaims, gesturing towards the board with the game of hangman on it, then to all of us. I slowly turn back around towards the front of the room, sliding off my desk and back into my chair.

[KenzieJo]

I slide backwards, falling from the table to my seat in a fluid motion. I pick up my book and open it randomly, while Tom hides the candy.the teacher goes silent, wondering who to yell at first while kids scramble to their seats, of course her eyes land on Tom, and the bright colored candy in his lap. She'd always had a vedetta against him. "Tom, I've told you before, no Candy in my classroom." She comes over and he hands her the bag, mumbling sorry. "Since this is not your first warning Im going to have to give a detention." She tell him. He looks up with shock in his eyes, this means no tennis tournament.

I stand at this point, noticing how unfair she was being. "M'am." I say, "That was my candy I'm sorry-"

"Jac, Tom was the one with the candy, so he will be the one punished. please sit down."

"But M'am I think your being unreasonable, its my candy, my fault. I'll take the detention. Tom had nothing to do with it." I wouldn't let Tom miss his tournament for this tired bat. She glares at me with intensity.

"Mr. Archer." Her tone is dangerously low, "If thats what you wish you can take his detention and a trip to the principals office for back talking me. Now." Her voice is stern but I pick up my bag, not bothering to pick up my book on the table, and leave without a word. As I pass Tom a give him a glance, he mouths "Thank you." and I nod.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

I can feel the whole room audibly gasp as Jac takes the blame for his friend, which was a pretty selfless thing to do. Maybe he wasn't as bad as people portrayed him to be...

Feeling embarrassed with myself for being so rude, I made a mental note to apologize later at the party he'd probably be at.

Class progresses uneventfully, her giving some lecture on William Shakespeare, and the rest of us trying not to fall asleep. Finally, the bell rings, signaling that the weekend has finally begun.

Relieved, I toss my books into my bag and shuffle out the door amongst the throng of sweaty students, who all seem to be talking about the same thing: the party.

[KenzieJo]

I stand outside the school gate, Marc beside me as we wait for the other two. We're talking calmly of my time in with the principal, luckily he hadn't done anything once he heard my side of the story, but would still make me serve detention.

Ana finds us first, hugging Marc around the waist and planting a a kiss on his cheek. We don't even say hi before Tim is picking me up by the waist in a bear hug.

"You saved my ass dude." He says, "I owe you big time." I just laugh, telling him to buy me another bag of candy and we're even.

As we begin making my way to my house Tom updates me on my missed english class, and to be honest Im glad I missed it.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

Since Zach stays after to do extra credit work most of the time, I'm left to walk home by myself. And since I live in district 2, it's a long one. But I like the quiet, and it sure beats the bus any day.

Pulling my headphones out of my pocket, I pull them over my head and blasted "About a Girl" by The Academy Is...

Humming along with it, I tap a beat out against my thigh. "I am not gonna waste these words..." I sing quietly along, watching the clouds roll lazily across the sky.

[KenzieJo]

We reach my small house in no time, its an alright place, big enough for my mom and I, very cozy.

Marc goes to the kitchen, asking us all what we wanted. After arguing and deciding on Pizza we sit around the Tv, Tom turning on the game system, challenging Ana in a race. I stretch on the couch, watching as Ana crushes Tom in race after race, laughing because he wont give up.

[WeAllFallDown-*]

I round the corner, passing District 2. It's where Ashley and Sarah live, in the biggest house on the street. No doubt tonight it'd be dressed to the nines in twinkling lights, lanterns, balloons, and streamers. Maybe even a chocolate fountain.

The song changes to a faster, more punk rock edge to it. It's loud- Zach always jokes with me by asking how my eardrums are still in tact. But I've always liked loud things; it drowns out the rest of the world. In the end, silence is the one that speaks the loudest.

I'm almost at District 3 now, where I'm pretty sure Jac lives. I've rarely seen him there though- sometimes he's crashed on park benches, picnic tables, even lawns. I've always wondered why.

I speed up a little, not wanting to run into anyone.

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