Safety Pin

Staring down at his phone as he walked Elian’s fingers danced across the keyboard sending multiple messages out to multiple contacts. He had his younger siblings to worry about. That was something he knew they’d seen his father do countless times… but they understood that was fake. He wasn’t sure if it clicked just yet with the two youngest that what just happened was real. Shaking his head he slides his phone back into his pocket and covers his face for a second. “This is…. so screwed up.” Clearing his throat he shakes his head allowing his hand to settle back at his side.

Amara didn’t know which way was up or which way was down. She still hadn’t seen Wyatt and that stressed her almost as much as Gunner’s body had. What happened if he had some part of the drop, E was persuasive and manipulative and could have convinced anyone to do anything, even Wyatt. Spotting Elian, Amara stopped for a few seconds before she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. “It’s horrendously screwed up.. just.. hug me for a second.” she mumbled. 

The body… it was Gunner.. the words she’d spoken to Whitney at the beginning of the year felt like a fist tightening around her throat. Her words were harsh… but she didn’t want Whitney to end up like her. She knew the words couldn’t be taken back. The statistics spouted at the girl that the 1% was the likely outcome of the situation… Which Reyna appears to have been correct about. Pinching the bridge of her nose she calls out to the group. “How many times are we going to let this shit happen?”

Amara had been searching frantically for Wyatt, but no matter where she looked or how hard she looked she couldn’t find him. She was definitely on the verge of panicking, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried and failed to breathe. What made it worse is she had also lost Keegan in the wild search for Wyatt, but the instant she heard Reyna’s voice she stopped, turning to face her with a stunned stare before she moved forward a few seconds later.  “Reyna hey, can you- have you seen-” she started, but because she hadn’t been breathing properly and her stress levels were through the roof, the world started to blur before she could finish her sentence, and in an instant the world was black and she started to fall.

“Okay but that one right there already doesn’t like me.” Elian points his finger at one of the security members by the door. “And this time I swear I didn’t do anything. Seriously people change, why can’t they just….try to understand that..” Elian was certain the person he’d been speaking with originally walked off. So now he was more speaking his thoughts to nobody in particular. Though if someone responded Elian would continue the conversation as best as he could.

“Because people suck, and they judge others based on what they assume. You just have to prove to them that you’ve changed, that you’re trying to be better. They’ll see eventually, I promise.” Amara said as she casually linked an arm through Elian’s, directing him away from the grumpy looking security guard. “Now how about we get you some punch to lighten the mood hey? Maybe even find you a girl to dance with? Ooh what about that one? She’s cute?” she offered playfully.  

Walking aimlessly around the gym, Amara smiled politely at people as she waited patiently for Keegan to show up. She had once again gone all out in what she was wearing, but this time she was a little more on edge. Halloween wasn’t the first time she had been grabbed at this school, and while she felt lucky enough to still be here despite that, she hoped tonight wasn’t going to be different. She just wanted to have a good night with a boy that she was starting to like.. Keegan had been warming her up a lot, granted she made him work for it. Deciding to walk over to a table that had a bowl of bright blue punch in the middle of it, she smiled at the guard standing next to it before grabbing herself a glass. No sooner had she raised her glass to her lips, did she hear someone approaching her from behind, turning around her eyes fell on Keegan’s tall figure.. then she saw his attire and her brows raised in amusement. She took a sip of her drink before she spoke, lowering the glass as she put a hand on her hip. “You’re late.” she joked playfully. 

@thekeeganoriley

“Gotta love dances. Time old tradition really. I mean just look at all the people already rushing to find a date.” Pausing for a moment she sighs brows knitting together. “Is it really that bad to just… go alone?”

“Right? To be honest no.. no it’s not. Dates are overrated. I think it’s totally better to go alone, or with your best girl friends by your side.” 

“Uhm so.. where are we going?” He prompted, cocking a brow at Amara with a curious expression. It wasn’t every day that she wanted to bring him somewhere specific. Though Keegan considered it all a part of the astonishing progress they had made after Halloween. Nearly getting beat up by hooded figures and being locked in a closet together really had brought them closer together. Who would have thought. Not him that was for sure. But sometimes you got lucky. As his eyes traveled across her gorgeous body, he could not help but hope he might later on.

@amaraxclarke

“We’re going somewhere completely secret, and you have to promise me you won’t show anyone else.. okay?” Amara said firmly as she glanced back at him, still walking along as she did so. It wasn’t a secret that she and Keegan had actually managed to keep up regular conversation since Halloween. In fact Amara felt a lot closer to him, and a lot less like she wanted to strangle him whenever she saw him. She funnily enough actually liked hanging out with him, despite his obvious flirting that he kept up. As they walked through the Gardens, Amara stayed close to him. She had walked this route many times but that didn’t mean she wasn’t ever going to be slightly nervous out here at night. In fact ever since the night Gunner disappeared, she had been on edge whenever the sun set.. but once they were in her secret spot she knew they would be okay. “We’ll be there soon, I just need you to trust me okay?”

James knew better than to do what he was doing, but he couldn’t help himself. Trying to find out who E was had become almost a compulsion since Halloween. He considered himself lucky to have not been involved in the awful events of that night, though he wasn’t sure why he had managed to escape the same torture his classmates had endured. DId that mean E was someone who knew him? Or did it mean there was something else, something equally terrible coming his way? Frustrated, he looked back at his computer screen, the FAKE ESCAPES homescreen shining brightly back at him. “Who are you,” he muttered under his breath, scanning the page again to see if there was anything that might identify E. Of course, he found nothing. It’s not like he expected to. If it were as easy as looking at the website, E would’ve been found out way earlier. Maybe what he needed to do was publically draw attention to himself — make it clear that he, if no one else, was planning to find out who they were and put them on blast for all the terrible things they’d done to innocent people. Maybe he could trick E into interacting with him… get whoever it was to reveal more of themselves. “I’ll make sure everyone knows who you are, you sick bastard,” he muttered under his breath, scrolling absently without noticing that someone had come up behind him until it was too late. “Wait, sorry, I wasn’t… I mean, not you.”

It wasn’t a surprise that Amara had been laying low since Halloween. While nothing too awful had happened to her that she was aware of, being knocked out and kidnapped and then tied up in a shed wasn’t the easiest thing for a girl like her to deal with. Not to mention most of her classmates had been hurt, and that made her furious. She despised bullies, and she despised people who thought they were above everyone else. E was playing god, and Amara was determined to find out who they were.  Walking past a fellow student, Amara couldn’t help but spot the obvious, eye catching homescreen of Fake Escapes. As if on impulse, she moved closer, and as she did she heard the threat. Knowing it wasn’t aimed at her, Amara raised her brows curiously. “All good, not a fan either huh?” she asked. 

Leaning against the window in the hallway she stares outside in the direction of the oval. She lets her eyes shut and turns away from the window leaning her back against it. Leg jittering as she stands there thinking back on what happened. Casting her head downward she opens her eyes slightly. Normally she’d be fine with wearing the knee high socks even in winter, but she couldn’t bring herself to even look at the injuries. The stockings just seemed easier for her. Loosening the tie around her neck she shakes her head. Only looking up when she hears people walking by. Clearing her throat she tries to make sure her voice is loud and clear. “Do you happen to know what time it is?” She inquires looking to the person.

Amara was in a world of her own as she walked. She luckily hadn’t been the victim of too much during Halloween, other than being abducted and locked up in a shed, but hearing the stories and seeing the injuries from her class mates, she knew it was bad. It was selfish of her, but she was kind of glad not too much harm had come to her, or Keegan, but she was seriously worried about her brother. She hadn’t had the chance to speak to him properly, and that stressed her out. As she heard someone speak, she snapped back into reality and looked over at her. Recognising Reyna, she smiled warmly.  “Oh hey you, yeah sure it’s..” she paused to look down at her clock. “12:45. Are you okay? Where are you headed?” she asked gently. 

Like the drop of a hat, events changed. One minute he had been leaning in close, marveling at the sight of Amara, their faces inches apart, the smell of alcohol mingling on their breaths, the empty hallway seeming oh so remote. And then one side filled up with all of four, hooded people. Keegan could feel their stares before he reluctantly turned his head to watch them. Their stances were all to familiar, initiating an attack before it had even begun. Stepping forward, he only glanced at Amara briefly. “I’ll deal with it.” he said, confidently enough, not finding the foursome to be any huge threat. Would not be his first time. Besides, none of them would be allowed to lay a finger on his date. “Come on then, lets see what you have got.” He challenged the hooded figures.

@amaraxclarke

When she had received a text from Keegan asking if she would be his date to the halloween party, Amara hadn’t even considered the fact that she would actually enjoy herself. She knew it wasn’t just the help of alcohol that had her feeling this comfortable around him, most of it was him himself... as much as she wanted to deny it she just couldn’t.·She definitely hadn’t expected them to be somewhere kind of private, with him leaning in closer and her wanting·him to, but before she could even think about moving towards him herself, she sensed the hooded people as they made their appearance. Looking towards them at the same time Keegan did, her eyes narrowed. She put a hand on Keegan’s arm instinctively as he stepped forward, but it wasn’t in a cowardice protect me·way at all, in fact her gesture was more protective than anything, and in less than a few seconds she too stepped forward to stand beside him rather than behind. Amara Clarke didn’t want to fight anyone, but she wasn’t going to back down either. Especially when she had been confronted by figures like this before...“What do you want?” she called across the hall, hoping the figures hadn’t listened to Keegan’s challenge, but instead of answering her, they just started running towards the two, clearly in no mood to talk. Bracing herself, Amara glanced up at Keegan and chuckled lightly.·“Well this is going to be fun..”·