shock me

"What can I say? I'm all for the people, you know? Especially the ones who want to pay me really well. And yeah I know that but what can I say? I am nothing without something to do. I can unpack that with a therapist later." She clapped her hands together, her smile growing wider. "And we'll do it the first weekend in July. Give us some time but it'll still be better than anything people had during June. I'll even go by Trax with a flyer. Talk to all the little stoners working there now."

''Hey, at least given the current climate you didn't give up your potential to be President by pursuing a career in entertainment. If anything you're extra qualified now." Gen had a feeling that Cass already had the whole party situation planned out in her head, which was so on brand that she couldn't do anything but grin at her best friend in utter adoration. "Mm, like, bitch you thought you'd seen the last of Pride!" She sighed dreamily, thinking back to their days at Trax and how formative their time there had been. "Do you think it means as much to them as it did to us? I don't know, the place just feels sacred to me."

Cass rolled her eyes and flipped her off even though Gen was probably one of the few people who could get away with that question. "Vibing and apparently giving out awards to queer employees. How cute. Oh you know I just love a lanyard. I said yes because the woman who reached out to me was so nice it felt criminal to say no and the check is...nice." Cass smiled wide at her best friends words because she was right. They were thriving. A long way from the stock rooms and dreaming about another life. "Yeah kind of nice to not be arguing with some hipster about the price of a CD right now," she joked, a little nostalgic but not all with the hope of going in reverse. "You know it's not too late for us to throw our own event. Post Pride Hangover with Gen and Cass."

"Corporate Pride is so weird but I guess suits get rights too," she laughed, if only because growing up at Trax the only person they'd ever expected to become a suit was Cass, who was now the furthest thing from it. How the turn tables, as they say. "Okay queen of kindness we see you, we see you." Gen snapped her fingers in applause. It was pretty cool to be able to sit there now and say they'd done the damn thing. Of course it was hard work but Gen knew she wouldn't change her trajectory for the world. "You're so busy I had to schedule a chat and now you wanna find time to throw a party? I know there's 24 usable hours in every day but you are allowed to use some of them to sleep, bitch. Yes though, obviously, we're throwing a party and it's going to be cunt."

"I need people to stop asking me how I am during pride month. Or maybe I should get a shirt that says 'gay and very busy.'" The amount of gigs Cass had booked for Pride month had her feeling like she hadn't slept in her own bed in days. "I need someone to invent a time stopper so I can just take a nap without missing something. Day parties, late parties, brunch parties, I'm supposed to DJ a Pride party for a medical company this week. Do you think they'll give me free IVs? Or can I like not write that in a contract?"

"Okay but, like, how are you?" Gen smirked, shit stirring. Likewise she was busy, her social calendar beyond stacked. The fact that they'd even managed to have time to cross paths was quite the miracle. "DJing a Pride party for a medical company is certainly a way to get paid. What do they even do? Like, are they vibing or? At the very least you should get a lanyard and pen," she chuckled. "In all sincerity, I'm happier than ever to see us thriving."

"No...." Malcolm reached up to feel up his head, just to assure it hadn't gotten any bigger than it's usual shape. "but that would have been hella dope, though. But nah, nah. I am keeping that in here for next year." He let Gen know as he tapped at his forehead. "Mine is a bit more classic, but with a new age twist." He gave Gen a lil hint with a wink. "What did you bring?" He asked her, before remembering that they couldn't tell one another. "Or better yet, did you keep it in the fifty dollar spending max?" Mal teased, as he knew that Gen had a taste for the finer things in life.

Considering she'd just come up with that idea off the cuff Gen decided to keep it in mind for next year as well, given how Mal had reacted. Again, his clues for his gift made no connection to her but she was used to playing along with Mal and Leland's schemes so she copied the way he'd winked at her with a knowing grin. "Mine's obviously a signed album," she flicked her hair over her shoulder, then laughed because obviously she wasn't that self absorbed. "Okay but I thought the spending limit was a guide... I might have been a little excited... And, I mean, it's always more fun when there's something everyone really wants to steal."

There was one day that Mal looked forward to more than 4/20 as an employee of TRAXS and that happened to be when they threw their annual holiday party. Like, not that he'd ever brag to those who worked elsewhere in Rosewood but they definitely had the best holiday party. And a particularly great part of their holiday endeavors was the White Elephant portion of the evening. "No, just wait until you see what I got, you're going to lose your shit." Malcolm said, taking a small sip from the champagne in his flute.

Technically speaking Gen was no longer an employee of the record store but given that she spent whatever free time she had nowadays there with her boyfriend and friends she still counted in spirit. Their gang was magic – Mal, Leland, Cass, Adrian, Dove, and herself – and maybe she was guilty of hanging on to their glory days but she had a feeling she wasn't the only one. "A bong shaped like your big old dome?" she guessed with a giggle. "Ooh, or shaped like Joe!"

"I wouldn't be shocked if it a test," Otis agreed with Valora, joint at the edge of his lips as he went about lighting it. "but I don't even think it's the parental units. It's gotta be some sort of Cabin in the Woods situation, hear me out." Otis said, taking a quick pull from the joint before offering her some. "They give us these really shitty winters to make sure when summer is back— everyone around us is ready to act like extras in a Harmony Korine flick." He laughed. "Dude, I swear there's gotta be some truth to that."

"Well, I've been designated a final girl so I'm safe. Stoner bestie is... well, you're not not at risk," she told him as she took her turn with the joint, obviously alluding to the fact she and Samara's duo act was indeed named The Final Girls. "Total fact. I get so stir crazy in winter it's insane. Maybe all the oldies flocking to Florida were on to something. I mean, this is nice," she glanced around at the party around them, "it's cute, it's cozy, but this building is way too big to hotbox."

"It's gotta be some sort of sick test of character from our parents, raising us in these conditions," Valora mused, sitting at the edge of the pool with her legs in the water. As much as there was activity all around she was looking up at the moon through one of the large skylights in the aquatic centre's ceiling, distorted somewhat by the ever present cold drizzle of rain that seemed to shroud Rosewood in the colder months.

"That's one way to look at it. I think that we may actually all be trapped here by a centuries old curse. Feels very likely for a place like this." Marnie laughed at her own words as she took a seat near her at the edge of the pool. "Like maybe a witch at the edge of the woods or someone in a really big mansion at the top of a hill. Definitely a weird house either way."

"Feels like one of those nights someone finds something suspicious afoot," she chuckled, glad Marnie got it. Sometimes she just nattered away and realised after the fact that she'd lost her audience long ago. "I think winter is a farce though and we should find the witch at the edge of the woods and explain how strange happenings are much more advantageous in the summer. Like, this is my home and I love it here but having to hide inside in a heated pool when the lake is so nice is actually criminal."

"Or maybe we're all just collectively trauma bonded to this place. We just don't know anything better than shitty conditions." Samara replied, following with a shrug before taking a seat next to her best friend. "Should I take this as a sign that you're finally considering running off together?"

"I mean, I was just talking about the rain but if you've got something to get off your chest you know this is a safe space," Val smiled, ever gentle in comparison to the rowdiness around them. "Mm, finally figured out I picked the wrong Walsh," she hooked her elbow with Samara's and kissed her cheek, "I mean, I always knew you were the prettiest one. I say we find somewhere tropical."

"Dude, you so came in clutch," Otis expressed his gratitude as he took a pull from the joint he'd been given. Was he happy to be at that weekends festivities? Of course, he was. This was a weekend that he looked forward towards all year. But given his employment at TRAXS, his time at the festival also came with handling artist merch and his shift had been madness to say the least. "Want a pin? It's the least I can do."

"You know I got you, babes," Valora smiled easily. As much as she was used to being around the spotlight because of her mom it was still new for her to be in it, so she was learning the hard way that she couldn't just walk around the festival the way she used to before she'd landed herself on the lineup. Hiding out back of the merch tent was familiar considering she'd worked there in years past, so it seemed like the best place to turn to when the attention had become a bit too much. "You're not gonna be stuck here when I'm on, are you?"

"She might, I should start counting my breaths now." He put his hand to her chest when she mentioned an invite. "I would so appreciate that. I want to be able to say I was there before it went platinum. And yeah, I absolutely get that." As cool as the fame and fun was, the best part of it was sharing the passion both of his parents had. Being able to make them proud and making his family proud in the process had always been his favorite part and his sisters had been supportive of him in everything he did, especially when he took a break. "A good family dinner goes a long way. Like your favorite meal too. In the mean time though, will buying you a drink do as my own personal congratulations? I mean unless you have adoring fans to get to, I'd totally understand."

"Prince Balcoin: clout chaser? Alert the press," Val teased with a grin. It was one of those situations where she was glad she'd grown up in Rosewood because it was its own little microclimate. It wasn't hard to find someone who shared a similar upbringing to her, or knew someone who had. To her, it made the whole thing feel less lonely, like their own little community within a community– the same way her mom had come up with people like Kid, Colette and Brodie, January Dreams, Wyld Stallyns, her aunt Cass, so on and so forth. "Y'all are trying way too hard to blow my head up. Is there a bet on how long it takes me to actually get an ego? Yes," she linked her elbow with Prince and gave him a tug, "let's get a drink and out of this cold before I get sick and lead to my own downfall."

"And this is just the start. Before you know it your face is gonna be on every surface of this town." Jamie mused, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind to embrace her on working so hard to finally get to this point. He had seen first hand how much time and how much of their heart both she and his sister had put into their album and couldn't wait for everyone else to realize just how deserving of success they were. "You wanna get a picture? You gotta have something to commemorate every achievement from here on out. You might need it when they make one of those behind the music documentaries about you."

"How'd you know it was my dream to be advertised on the back of the door in a public toilet stall?" Valora was the type of person with untold emotional depths, so to those who knew her best it was clearly a defence mechanism for her to be so flippant about something that had been so terrifying to her for so long. She hummed in contemplation about the offer of a picture - living in the moment was more her style - but ultimately gave Jamie a small smile of permission. At least if she burned fast and bright she'd have these moments to look back on. "Do you want to take the poster down while we're here? I'll sign it for you. Could be worth millions one day."

Afra looked back at Valora and nodded a little. Being in the music industry, she clearly knew who Samara and Valora were. It was an anticipated project, after all. "I can't even imagine how excited and nervous I'd be if I were you, honestly. Makes me realize I made the right choice staying behind the scenes though." She smiled and looked back up at the poster. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Nervous? Never." Her words didn't match her body language though, her hand held out in front of her to give it an exaggerated little shake. Truth be told she was terrified, but she liked to think that was a good thing, ammo to keep her striving higher. "I always intended to stay behind the scenes, I mean, I always wanted to write movie scores, so I have no idea how I got here. Well, because of Samara obviously, but... It's kind of fun on the other side so if you ever feel like making the jump..." she grinned, making it clear that Afra had a friend in her. "Thanks. Are you coming? I'm gonna need as many people in the room recording as possible because I guarantee I'm gonna black out and forget everything the second it's over."