𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐋 ╱ 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐍 : good interesting or bad interesting? should i prepare to deflect a drink thrown in my face?

         𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 of home to hollis. while the campus had tried to mimic that of an east coast feel; it failed in comparison to tally. she was like a living embodiment of new york; bright and lively, unpredictable and tantalising and just the right amount of outspoken that kept him on his toes and interested. if the west coast girls were powered by the sun, tally came alive at night with the party  .  “  you FLATTER me too much  ,  tal  .  i knew i should’ve gone ahead with the gift bags that had PLAN B  tucked inside them  .  ”  a crooked grin slides onto golden features, the kind that makes you question the truth in his words, even if you know they couldn’t possibly ring true. the flame from his lighter fails in comparison to the neon around them, as he stuffs the box back into his pocket with his lighter. he lifts a shoulder in a swift shrug  ,  “  so you’re on the HUNT for a fuck buddy  ?  that’s trial and error  .  you’ve gotta go through a COUPLE one night stands til you find the one .  ”

          𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑 of girls that kieran had hurt and let down, halston had been added to the list; though unlike the others, who were only good for the nighttime, what he felt for halston had delved a little deeper, which naturally sent him running in the opposite direction - subconsciously ruining whatever good was between them. it’s a shit-eating grin he sports, knowing that letting her words affect him would only satisfy her  .  “  you LOVED this dick at point though  ,  so  ”  he lets a painted shoulder finish off his reply, lifting it nonchalantly.  he lets out a laugh that’s wrapped in a scoff as he holds out the water gun to her  ,  ignoring her less than playful jab at his commitment issues  “  go ahead  ,  FIRE away  .  ”  he takes a step towards her,  dipping his head down to meet her eyes as his fingers find a strand of blonde, giving it a playful tug  ,   “  try NOT to get yourself soaked in the PROCESS  ,  though  .  ”  there’s an innuendo wedged into his syllables, tone and the mischief that brews in  his eyes confirming it  and that laugh that he looses seals it.

          𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇. knew that caz was right and they were nothing alike;  but kieran knew the comparison was a foolproof way to get under his skin.  because while kieran was right in saying he had nothing left to lose - the cars, the money, the drugs, the girls, the alcohol -- at the end of the day, they didn’t mean anything to him. they were vices he used to get him through the day, chasing one high after the next before even coming close to feeling the reality of crashing into the low aftermath. he was the type to walk blindly into the unknown and welcomed the darkness with open arms. he was merely going through the motions of trying to make himself feel alive. --- caz, on the opposite side of the spectrum, very much still alive because he had a goal to chase. he didn’t need the countless vices that kieran littered and welcomed into his world  .  “  sorry  ,  i’m not a pussy that’s SCARED to live my life  .  ”  he quips back drily and without missing a beat  .  “  maybe not YET  ,  ”  he murmurs taking another hit from the joint, cocking his head to the side slightly as he lets the smoke filter out, oceanic hues falling onto caz  ,  “  but SOON  .  you just gotta come to GRIPS with it  ,  caz  .  reality’s gonna HIT you  &  you’re gonna wanna be just as UNINHIBITED as me  .  --- hell  ,  i bet you ALREADY do  .  i live how you WANNA live  ,  fuck how YOU wanna fuck  .  ”  there’s a smirk he lets slide onto the corner of his lips as he drops the joint to the ground, grinding it onto the front porch with the toe of his shoe  .  “  i don’t give a FUCK  ,  caz  and i know you fuckin’ WISH you didn’t too  .  ”

𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐍 : i'm over by the kegs

          𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐙𝐄 that slips past him, he’d been warm inside, being tossed among the throngs of people and from the pure adrenaline that ran through his veins, feeding from the energy and excitement of the crowd, walking as if quinby was his kingdom, and feeling like a god. the letters k-i-n-g are written across his chest, courtesy of giselle. but as the goosebumps litter his toned arms, making him feel something other than whatever courses through his veins, it’s a reminder that he’s mortal. the luxurious roll of his eyes is a natural reaction whenever something pirouettes out of caz’s mouth  ,  “  god -- you’re fuckin’ BORING  .  you may as well have just grabbed a telescope and WATCHED from your window at billings  .  ”   he murmurs, pulling the joint from his lips, blue orbs eyeing it wedged between his digits under the dim porch lighting  ,  “  finishing THIS off  .  i’d OFFER you a hit but i know you’re too much of a GOOD BOY  to even come close to it  .  ”  he pauses, eyes swivelling back over to caz  ,  “  considering your CAREER is most likely headed for the pits BEFORE it’s even been lifted off the ground  ,  think you could LOOSEN up a bit caz  . --- and you’ve ALREADY disappointed daddy by choosing to PLAY with sticks instead of balls  ,  ”  he can’t help the way his lips twitch in amusement at his own words  ,  “  got NOTHIN’ to lose  .  just like ME  .  ”

             𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒, 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  after the other as he threw four blondes into the pool, all lined up in a row for him. he finishes off the line up with a grand finale as he jumps into the pool, causing the biggest splash of them all. he resurfaces, carding fingers through his hair, pushing back the now wet strands, and from across the pool he spots her;  the lights casting a soft glow, illuminating the girl’s features. and like a magnet, he’s drawn towards the brunette, feet pushing him in her direction before he even really knows it. he watches as someone approaches her, deep blue orbs that put the water he’s in to shame make eye contact with the male she coaxes into sitting next to her; it’s a lethal look he gives him as kieran approaches and the male leaves without so much as another glance at renee. there’s a signature kieran halliday smirk that pops onto his features - wicked and alluring - as his hands find the girls legs that dip in the pool  ,  “  countless SUMMERS with me  ,  renee  ,   and you’d really think i’d LET you drown  ?  ”  his fingers inch higher up her legs, he could pull her in if he wanted to  ,  “  come in for a DIP with me  .  ”

          𝐂𝐀𝐙 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐍’𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 (  or lack thereof  )  could be used as a perfect example of nature versus nurture. the animosity that bubbled between the two stemmed from their fathers and trickled down to them. they were raised to dislike each other without reason; when in reality if the boys were left to their own devices, coming up with their own conclusions of the other - the way they interacted would be something entirely different.  the two were more alike than they’d ever want to admit, but there were very few things that could combat the daddy issues that littered deep within them  .  “  HER terms  ?  ”  he nods slowly, lips jutting out for an adding effect rolling with the rhetorical question  ,  “  so YOU’RE her little bitch  .  suddenly ,  it makes more SENSE now  .  ”  there’s a taunting grin that lights up his face, even in the darkness that encompasses them  .  “  her TASTE can’t be that good if she’s ROLLING around the sheets with you  ,  caz  .  ”  he quips back dryly  ,  he takes another pull from his joint, purposely blowing smoke in caz’s direction .  “  what’re you doing HERE  ,  anyways  ?  ”  he questions vaguely  ,  not bothering to clarify if he means the party or the front porch.            

          𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐒, covered in neon paint that looks dull in comparison to the shit-eating grin he sports as he looks down at the crowd surrounding the pool and filtering out of the quinby house. he’s the favored off spring of dionysus as he stands on the roof,  feeding off the excitement of everyone around him that mixes with whatever edm beat the dj plays as it spins to the natural soundtrack of the city of trees and phd’s.  but none of it is enough for him as he steps closer to the edge, so he can be seen from above.   there’s a blossoming wicked grin that bleeds mischief  ,   “   – HEY  ,  ”   his voice is rough as he yells above all the sounds, when he spots gabriel below him  ,   “  get the FUCK up here  !  let’s JUMP into the pool !   ”   he takes a swig from his drink, feeling the adrenaline already begin piercing through his veins, his arms gesturing for him to come and join him   “  COME ON ,   let’s fucking GO  .  ”

         𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐖𝐎 squirt guns, one filled with water, the other filled with neon green paint as he aims blindly into the crowd. bottom lip falling captive of white canines, he looks more boyish than usual as his eyes crinkle, a laugh threatening to escape as he hears the cries of shock when it hits them - garnering mixed reactions. he spots cal and aims him as his next victim, but his target swivels as someone bumps into kieran from behind, and he pulls the trigger, water flying and landing on the last person he wants to kill his buzz tonight. he can’t help the way his features lift in amusement, can’t help the words that flit out of his mouth before he can stop them  ,  “  my BAD  , hals  .  ”  though he doesn’t sound sorry, not in the slightest  .  “   i was TRYING to aim for someone who would ACTUALLY win a wet t-shirt contest  .  SOMEONE fucked up my aim  . ”

            𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐀 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊 when he catches her standing just a few feet away from him. “  let me make you a PEACE OFFERING drink  ,  ”  he calls out, not lifting his gaze from the work he’s doing for his own drink, but it’s clear who he’s talking to. he twirls the cap, re-closing the bottle of whiskey before blue hues are finally landing on her. he folds his lips together as he holds up a cup,  “  you know  ,  i really DON’T know shit about you  .  ”  his gaze sweeps around them  ,  caleb nowhere in sight and no one paying any attention to them  .  “  other than we fucked AND you’re cal’s ex and you’ve got a NICE pair of legs  .  ”  he can’t help the smirk that crowns his lips, before he’s barking out a laugh; refusing to dig below surface level to acknowledge that he had crossed a line that he hadn’t meant to. he slides his fingers against the bottles, as if the glass would turn hot when it deemed it was the right choice for her. he takes a chance, a safe bet - and holds up a bottle of ciroc  ,  “  at ONE POINT you had to be a VODKA girl  .  ”  he places it on the table top, lips curling into a grin - the kind that could easily convince anyone of whatever words he decided to tumble their way  .  “  if you say i’m WRONG  ,  i’m calling BULLSHIT  .  ”

          "  𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍' 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐈 𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐖  ,  "  he starts as he walks up next to her, staring at the chaos that unfolds in front of them  ,  “  but not bad to KICK the year off  .  gatsby STARTED somewhere  ,  didn’t he  ?  ”  a lethal grin pops onto the boy’s chiseled features as he tosses a look in her direction, tapping a red and white box against his palm until a cigarette comes out  .  “  you look GOOD tonight  ,   tally  .  ”  it’s a compliment that she’s used to hearing, he’s sure of it; might even be lazy in comparison to what she’s heard before  .   “  don’t FORGET to choose your one night stand CAREFULLY tonight  ,  SMALL campus  .  my ears can only HANDLE so much of your whining from the AFTERMATH  .   ”   he teases, holding out the marlboro box in offer  .   

            𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅𝐅-𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 that he catches finley alone at a party - and like it’s something he’s been dead-set on doing all evening, he makes his way over to her, taking the open opportunity to his full advantage. he leans against the counter, occupying the now open spot next to her  ,  “  what’s your POISON tonight fin  ,  that better not be some kind of COOLER that twelve year olds get drunk off of   ”  he muses, blue orbs peering into her red solo cup, before taking a sip from the bottle of jack he’s been nursing for most of the evening. his gaze flits slowly over her   “  i don’t think you have nearly ENOUGH fuckin’ paint on you  ,  fin  .  you’re MISSING the theme of the party  .  ” 

             𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍. the little valentine girl that he constantly saw wrapped around caz. he didn’t know if she was his girlfriend and there was little to no care on kieran’s part if she actually was. any chance to mess with caz was simply too good to pass up; he was like a sleeping bear that kieran enjoyed poking until he roared to life. brushing off the rejection with a shrug of a neon pink painted shoulder, he wanders to the front of the house, pulling the joint from behind his ear and letting it perch between his lips as he pulls open the door, and leaves the chaos of the party behind him as he steps onto the front porch. the safe haven is hardly that as dim lights illuminate caz’s face issuing an exasperated sigh to filter out  ,  “  should’ve KNOWN you’d be here  .  ”  he mumbles, fishing the lighter from his pocket and sparking the night cherry red as he lights the end of his joint. he takes a long pull,  letting his words flit in the air, before they’re joined by a puff of smoke, and he’s tacking on more words for caz  ,  “  chilling in the SHADOWS far and away from any bits of FUN  ,  ”  he sits on the railing  ,  “  i’m ONLY out here ‘cause i don’t feel like SHARING  .  and the last time i lit one OUT BACK  ,  someone did a fuckin’ flip into the pool and WASHED the joint away  .  ”   he pauses, taking another hit, his gaze wanders to the streets before they’re swivelling back to caz, a smirk coiling onto the side of his rough features  ,  “   ---- what’s the DEAL with you and the valentine girl  ,  you fuckin’ or is she FREE for the takin’  ?  ”

           𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 usual black demin for a pair of white ones, hunk low on his hips and in kieran halliday fashion, broad chest was on full display. his jeans and body is clean of any paint, people just starting to trickle in as he weaves through them in search of a very specific girl. there’s a bottle of jack that dangles from his fingertips like a key chain he can’t seem to part with and it matches well with the wicked grin that pulls onto his lips as he spots her in the sun room. digits pull a red paint marker from his back pocket and he taps it against the bottle, garnering her attention and others but he only gives her the satisfaction of receiving his complete and utter attention. blue orbs dart away from hers for only a beat, glancing down at his bare chest before they’re meeting hers again  ,  “  do the HONORS  ,   baby mancini  .  ”  it’s not a question as he bites down on the cap, the faint scent of paint filtering into his senses as he holds out the marker to her. 

KIERAN HALLIDAY + INSTAGRAM