𝖇𝖆𝖉 / 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁 ©

kaden would be lying if he said he jaw wasn’t dropped in shock from the sight of mallory. when he dragged the stuck up brunette to this party, he thought at most he could get her to drink a little and dance, not whatever this was. “yeah fucking loosen up, as in get a few drinks and dance down here like a normal person, not turn into a damn stripper at a house party,” he called over the music, sending glares towards some guys who had crowded around the table. “oh so now i’m your damn butler? hell no, seriously get down or i’m yanking you down myself,”

Mallory found the scene they were causing amusing. The cool air that was hitting her bare skin felt nice from the warmth that was created from her drinks. Sighing she moved from standing on the table to sitting on it. “You are a party pooper, Abrams. Nothing I do is good enough for you.” She said rolling her eyes. At his warning, Mallory squinted her eyes at him. “You wouldn’t dare.” The brunette had no problem staying on the table and dancing.

open starter — @limastarters​

Leo’s favorite day of the week was Saturday. Fridays were always chaos and he dreaded Sundays because they just reminded him of Mondays. Saturday was the perfect day and Leo was a pretty solitary guy so he liked spending it alone, exploring parts of his hometown he was unfamiliar with. Today was a particularly nice day and when the weather was good, he liked spending time outside. Leo found himself hanging out at the view, a shitty little overlook that most kids went to at night to smoke and drink. During daylight hours, it was quaint, and he didn’t usually run into people. This time however, just as he was lighting his cigarette and pulling out a worn copy of Of Mice and Men from his back pocket, he heard some bushes rustling behind him. Apparently he had some company. “Hello?” he called out, looking over his shoulder. “If you’re going to kill me, can you just make it quick, please?” he added, rolling his eyes slightly as he turned his attention back to his book.

Mallory’s daily run always lasted longer on the weekends. Ohio’s weather was always so bipolar so when the weekend hit and there was no sign of rain, the girl could run for hours. She started her run from her house and ended up near the overlook where should would usually take a small break and snack while taking in the scenery before continuing her run back home. She saw someone taking her usual spot and didn’t feel like bothering them so she decided to continue on her run before she stumbled over a bush capturing his attention. “I’m not planning on killing you, just passing through.” She said moving to where she was in his eye sight and not creeping behind him. 

though kaden vaguely heard the call from mallory, he shrugged it off and continued. he’d only be gone for a few moments anyways, or so he thought. as he approached the small line by a shut door, he soon heard exactly why the line was at a stand-still, two people taking advantage of the empty room. with a small groan, kaden leaned against the wall as he decided to wait it out. the blonde wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he was jogging down the staircase once more and heading to where he had left mallory, assuming she’d have been too scared to move. though as he approached, panic flooded through him as he noticed her absence, whipping his head around to search the small crowd. his search didn’t last long as his eyes landed on said brunette. she was hard to miss considering she was on a table, dancing shirtless. “oh fuck, fuck,fuck.” pushing past people, kaden quickly weaved his way to the table, crossing his arms as he looked up. “have you lost your mind? c’mon mal, get down from there.

Mallory was fully enjoying herself. The worries of her parents and school all slipped away and she was just living in the moment. The cheers from disgusting guys that would usually have her toes curling was now putting a smile on her face as she continued to dance the cup that found her hand now empty like the last two. Hearing her name being called, she locked eyes with Kaden and let out a slight giggle and shook her head. “You wanted me to loosen up, well here I am.” Her hands raised up as though she was gesturing a crowd. She had no intentions to get off the table and seeing him cross his arms made it seem like a game to her drunken mind. “I don’t want to. Why not be a good boy and get me another drink?”

kaden used to cringe himself at the vulgar movements that always appeared at these types of house parties, but after so long he had gotten used to ignoring people. besides, after a few drinks nothing like that seemed to matter any more. thankfully, this was one of the bigger residence in lima, leaving more room in what he assumed was previously a living room before most of the furniture was moved. “oh you want another drink already? your wish is my command,” the blonde said with a laugh, quickly stepping to the nearby corner that had a coller stashed with extra bottled and canned drinks. as he was glancing around, kaden noticed a set of stairs with a small line of people at the top, which he assumed was probably a bathroom line. grabbing a random drink, the boy handed it to mallory before stepping away. “here, you’ll probably like this better.” he paused, glancing up the stairs once more. “don’t kill me, but i’m gonna run to the bathroom upstairs real quick. it shouldn’t take long, the line isn’t that bad,” he assured her before finally rushing up to join that line.

Wrapping her arms around her waist she nodded and followed him from a distant as he went to get her drink. Mallory probably could beg him to take her home, but she wasn’t completely bored out of her mind. Takin the drink, she thanked him. “Wait, no you said you wouldn’t leave me.” She hollered after him. Huffing, she turned to keep her back against the wall, drinking much more quickly than she should of. Swaying a bit to the music, she lifted her cup up once more before realizing that it was completely empty. “Oh” Moving away from the wall, she felt a bit different than she did before and walking made the felling worse. Kaden must of been gone for a while, because the brunette started to feel great. Her body started to move to the music and the ideas from some random guys sounded great as she was lifted onto a table. The brunette was quick to make work letting her hips sway and her shirt come off; taking a drink from some random cup she was given.

“don’t look so sour mallory,” kaden teased the girl, knowing she probably wasn’t in the mood but he had to get her to lighten up somehow. how do you get the who doesn’t know how to have fun, to do so? “oh don’t you worry, there’s drink tables spread everywhere,” he assured the girl with a wink, silently offering her his hand instead of his shirt this time around. once again kaden found himself weaving through the mass of people, avoiding the bumping and grinding of those already lost to the alcohol. instead he stopped in an outter ring where people were just simply dancing and having a good time. “alright matthews, nows your chance to show me your best dance moves, or worst if you’re going for some laughs,” 

Mallory rolled her eyes, but took Kaden’s hand. She kept her eyes focused on the back of his shirt to avoid making any unwanted eye contact. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself. The one drink she had was enough to make her feel warm and a little tipsy though she wasn’t about to let Kaden know that. She had a feeling he would make fun of her for being a light weight. Glancing up she spotted some not so very innocent dancing and Mallory moved quicker bumping a bit into the blonde as she avoided whatever that was. “You want me to what? I’d rather take another drink than embarass myself.”

taking another swig of his soda, kaden sighed as he pulled out his phone to check the time. he was waiting for mallory to get most or all of the drink down before they left the kitchen. “did i say the more you sip? i meant the more you get tipsy, keep going,” he laughed, kicking himself off form the counter he had been leaned on before he walked closer to the doorway leading to the busiest part of the party. “of course not, but my personal philosophy is the more alcohol in your system, the more you enjoy yourself. do you want another drink or are you ready to join the rest of the party?” he asked, motioning to the groups of people behind him in the dim lighting that were moving and dancing to the music playing loudly

“Jerk.” She muttered against the cup as she brought it up to finish it. It was the biggest drink she had taken so far and she was pretty sure everyone that saw her face knew that she was not a drinker. Mallory grew a bit alarmed when she saw him head towards the door, but visible calmed down when he stoped. She did not want to be left alone. “I’ll take my chances out there than another one of those drinks.” Mallory said the taste still lingering on her tongue. Moving to where he was, she could clearly see the type of dancing that the other people where doing and she prayed that Kaden was smart enough to know that she would have no problem slapping him if he tried that.

kaden felt the bunching of his shirt at the small of his back, and thought of a few different remarks he could make per their usual banter, but decided not to mention it a she led her through the house. smiling as she took the drink, kaden went to get his own choice drink of the night, a cold dr. pepper. “fine, one hour,” he agreed, figuring if it truly was only an hour at least he tried. as he popped the tab of his can, he watched in amusement at mallory’s actions as she built up the courage to drink. he knew right away though once it hit her mouth she would be cringing away from it. “oh no, it always burns the first drink, but it gets better the more sips you take.” he shrugged, glancing around the room and sending a wave to a few people that passed by.

Bringing the cup in front of her, Mallory had no idea if she would be able to finish it if the burning continued. Her eyes flickered to the people that were in the house and subconsciously she took another drink to keep herself busy. “Nope, still burns.” She said in a voice of disgust before taking another sip. The girl was drinking quickly, but she knew that if she got caught sneaking back in the house she would much rather have the smell gone and just get in trouble for that. So drinking quickly was a must. “So is this really all you do? Just stand around and drink?”

“only time will tell i guess,” kaden shrugged, swatting her hands away from him with a laugh. though his words were true, parties tend to be alluring and drinks bring out a persons true self. as the pair made their way around the crowd of bodies, kaden glanced behind him to make sure she was following. finding themselves in the kitchen, one of the only places that kaden could hear the girl without her yelling, he found the drinks and grabbed a cup. “no, no i am not. at least one? ” he offered, grabbing a combination of mixers he thought she might like before holding it out to her. “here, you just watched me make this so you know i didn’t roofie you.” he could tell she was completely out of her element and he felt a twinge of guilt so he said, “stay an hour and if you’re just having a shit time, i’ll take you home. but you’ve gotta try, just forget about your parents and school or whatever drama you’ve got. have some fun,”

Following him closer, she grabbed a hold of his shirt. Mallory didn’t care if she looked pitiful, the last thing she wanted was to get lost in a crowd of strangers. Dropping her hand once they were safely in the kitchen, she watched as he handle the drinks with ease. It was a battle within her mind as she didn’t know if she should do it or not. Sighing she took the drink from his hand, “One hour, then we go home.” It didn’t seem that bad, it’s not like one drink could get her tipsy and at the mention of her parents send her over a bit. Swirling the liquid in the cup, she took a big breath, before bring the cup to her lips and letting the burning sensation flow down her throat. Once the cup was removed, Mallory’s face twisted into disgust at how much it burned. “I thought the burning was just a cheesy thing they wrote in books.”

“right. excuse me while i try to think of one thing about you that screams innocent,” kaden laughed, rolling his eyes a bit. “i could imagine, i dunno how you deal with it,” he shrugged, unbuckling from his seat before turning to face her. “failing at getting girls? i’m hurt, truly.” he wasn’t one that needed to brag about that part of his personal life to prove that he was a ‘man’ or something like others he had met, instead just laughing at her assumptions and climbing out of the car. “what’‘s the fun in a party if you don’t get a little tipsy?” he asked, leading her towards the door before opening it and striding in. the slight smell of booze and sweat wafting to him instantly, crinkling his nose slightly as he let her step in front of him. 

“I am too.” She said swatted playfully at him. Sure she wasn’t the most innocent person, but compared to half the people in Lima she can safely assume she was one of the few. Mallory didn’t comment anything else about him getting girls. She really just said it to come off sassy and annoying in hopes he would let her go home. Pretty sure it wasn’t hard for the blonde to get anyone if he really tried, but she wouldn’t say that. “You aren’t going to let me leave without getting a drink in me are you?” She asked feeling like she already knew the answer as she stepped into the party. Mallory knew she didn’t have to say anything to show how uncomfortable she was, her body language said enough. 

“seriously? i’m a college student, not a deranged criminal.” kaden scoffed, lightly shaking his head already at the strictness of her parents. he supposed it was because he was used to thinking his own parents were strict, but this was a new level already. “watching me do my thing, huh? and what do you think my thing is?” he asked, genuinely curious as to what she thought would happen tonight. sure, kaden could get into parties by way of getting a little too drunk or having a little too much fun in a random bedroom with a stranger sometimes, but he wouldn’t make the girl suffer through that. as they approached the party, kaden parked beside one of the many other cars around the driveway. normally the blonde would’ve had someone drop him off or had a designated driver arranged, but tonight he didn’t plan on needing one. “mallory, i promise if you get out of the car it’ll be fun. besides, where’s the fun in our banter if you’re not being sassy?”

“They will see you as someone who just wants to ruin their baby girl’s innocence.” She said batting her eyelashes to sell the point, “It’s overwhelming at some points.” Pausing she never really took the time to think about what kind of party guy he would be. The blonde gave off several different impressions at some points Mallory sees him as a wild party animal that passes out on couches, but then when he talks about making sure she is safe so she can go out; Kaden seems like the babysitter. “I don’t know failing at getting girls, playing beer games, who knows what else.” Lifting her shoulders up and letting them fall into a shrug. Glancing one more time at him and the party, Mallory unbuckled, “Okay. I’ll go, but I am not drinking.” Once she clearly stated her limits, the brunette got out of the car shoving her hands in her pockets. 

“oh right, of course you did mal. are you parents insanely strict or something? because that would explain a lot for the rest of us,” kaden responded, glancing over at her from where he sat, not truly believing her words. she still had the option to not come out or to walk back inside despite his threats, yet she got in the car. he was just hoping this went as well as he thought it would. “oh please, minors find their way into these kinds of things all the time. just don’t like, do anything stupid and you’ll be fine. and i’ll be there to make sure you’re not kidnapped or anything,” he shrugged, not freaking out about things as much as the other of the pair. “we’re almost there, just in case you wanted to prepare or some shit,”

“Very.” She sighed, “Pretty sure if she found out I was even near someone in college, I’d be sent off.” Her parents were awful and she blamed on the teenagers that both of them deal with in their jobs. Mallory wouldn’t admit it, but she did enjoy disobeying her parents a little bit, though this was one of the bigger things she done. “I can promise you that my night will be mainly just watching you do your thing and avoiding everyone else.” She wasn’t going to drink, just hang out with him until  she knew her mom was dead asleep. At his comment, she looked down at her jeans and t-shirt before shrugging. It wasn’t long until she could see a house with people hanging outside and some people heading inside. Regretting it immediately, “Kaden, I promise that if you take me home right now, i will never sass you again.”

kaden had expected an argument or rebuttal of some kind from the brunette standing outside of his car, so when she agreed on his second try he was shocked. “wait, seriously?” he choked out, victorious laughter following in suit. he was quick to pull out of the driveway once she got on, afraid that if he sat there for a moment longer that she might change her mind. “relax, it’s just classmate of mine’s party, you’ll have fun,” he assured her, though he couldn’t make any promises. most of this night depended on if the girl would lighten up and enjoy herself or stand in the corner sulking.

“Do not think I did this willing. I only got in the car so you could leave before my mother came out yelling.” Mallory said not letting him get the satisfaction. If he wanted to play, she’ll play. She will make sure that she ruins every little thing that is going for him tonight. “A classmate? You do know that I am a minor, right? Like have you even thought about the consequences of dragging me along?” She asked looking at him like he just said the earth was flat before letting herself fall against the headrest once again. 

kaden had been bugging mallory to go with him to a party for weeks now. sure, the two had always butted heads whenever they ran into each other, but the blonde knew if he could just get her to have a good time, it might change things. and he liked the challenge. so, on the friday night he had asked her to go with him, kaden got ready and left to pick up the girl. he knew she would have come up with an excuse not to go just as she did when they talked earlier that week, so the boy decided to come up with a plan that she couldn’t refuse. as he pulled into her driveway, he sent her a final text informing her he was outside before he leaned back in his seat and waited. it wasn’t long before mallory’s voice pierced through his open windows, causing kaden to lean up to face her with a grin spread across his features. “having fun, now get in before i throw you in the backseat myself,”

With a raised eyebrow and a cocked head, she knew she was safer to just in the car with him rather than standing outside her house arguing with him. Too much time outside equaled neighbors seeing. “Fine.” She said in between gritted teeth, her footsteps were heavy and as she got into her car, all she wanted to do was slam the door, but she made sure to close it quietly. Laying her head against the headrest, she looked over at the grinning blonde, “Where are you even taking me?”

“so here’s a video idea right? you don’t have to be in it, but i just need another opinion about it. baking without instructions. i mean c’mon i’m good at baking, i’m pretty sure i know everything there is to know about baking and what’s needed.” she said to the other then shook her head, “no that’s a dumb idea, you’re right i should do something else.” she sighed and slumped down on the chair thinking of what else she could do. “any ideas? feel free to speak up. oh man am i losing my touch as a youtuber?” || @limastarters​

“I WANT TO GO AFTER SOMETHING, BUT MAYBE I’M JUST TOO YOUNG TO KNOW.” ivy wasn’t sure if that was the real reason, but maybe it was part of the actual reason. she liked high school, she liked the simplicity, and the irresponsibility of it all. the real world was scary and she didn’t like the idea of knowing she might not be as cool out in the real world as she was in the confines of a high school. “but when i know, i’ll know! and you know me i’m gonna go after it and i’m not gonna hold back. i mean with all you’ve taught me about dreaming, i’m sure i’ll be fine.”

This was just one of the many things, Rachel could never relate to with her children. Growing up she had one plan and one plan only to be on Broadway and she did just that. However she did listen to the other moms on sets mainly those who weren’t performers since those moms thought nannies where the best thing in the world. So she knew that this was okay and that she didn’t need to force to hurry up and decide, “You have plenty of time to decide. Broadway will always be out there, performing will always be there for you, so enjoy what won’t be and I’ll try not to sneak audition flyers into your school backpack.”