painted on the road

Braelynn turns to face the girl before speaking. “Last year, Gunner Castle, Eve Yang, and Poppy Andrews didn’t show up for supper. There was a party earlier that day so I kind of thought that Eve and Poppy were just relaxing.” Opening her eyes, she lets a sigh out. “When they didn’t show up to class April second people thought they were pulling a long prank or something. But they didn’t show up to class at all and people began to think something actually happened.” Looking away she rubs the back of her neck. “A few days ago, during this dance, they found Gunner. In the middle of the stage, after the power cut out…” Shaking her head she sighs again. “They weren’t the best people, even I can admit that. But they didn’t deserve any of this. Nobody does. And now Maisie went missing and it’s just… a lot to process for people.”

Cassidy listened intently, eyes fixated on the pen sitting in her hand - tracing random patterns on the blank paper before her. Way to walk into a drama free environment. This place was dark and she hadn’t even began a class. Waiting until the other had finished, she looked over at her. “Heavy..” she muttered, unsure of exactly what there was to say in a situation like this. She wasn’t the greatest with words. “I’m glad i picked a positive drama free environment to move to...” she tried to joke, even if it wasn’t the most appropriate of times. 

He stuffed his hands inside his sweatshirt pockets and with a roll of his eyes, shook his head. “No, I’m not saying you need to know everything - but I think it’s pretty clear that something bad happened and maybe you should be more empathetic. Not use that sarcastic ass tone,” Jonah was more blunt than ever - from lack of sleep, from lack of eating, from his emotions running high and from not having someone like Maisie monitor him. He’d put too much of himself into her…who was he without her? A monster?

Cassidy glanced over at him with a roll of her eyes “Oh please.. Like the use of that expression so commonly ends with someone actually being dead. It’s not exactly common..” she responded. “Plus - it wasn’t sarcasm, it was apathy actually.” she muttered bitterly. 

“Some guy.” Paige snorted, once again back to using her fiery personality and sly tongue to her advantage. “Also, this blonde girl went missing. It was fucking nuts.” She thought Halloween had been bad, but this was something entirely different. And it had shaken her to her core. “Anyways, the school’s definitely not all rainbows and sunshine at the moment.” She raised a brow curiously, turning to look at the other girl with a slight smile playing on her lips. “But I’m Paige. Welcome to paradise.”

Not exactly the answer she had been expecting, but she’d run with it. Turning her head to look at the girl Cassidy’s eyebrow kinked upwards curiously “Just your average everyday death and kidnapping then.. and i thought this place would be boring” her tone held a very slight air of sarcasm. It wasn’t that Cassidy was heartless, she just didn’t really deal with these heavy situations so well. It was her easiest device to avoid it. “Paradise? You’re boosting my expectations by the second..” she folded her arms across her chest “Cassidy.” 

Jonah had hardly made it to class. In fact, had Emery not spammed him a dozen times, reiterating the fact that if he missed too many days or his grades dropped he’d be sent back home to Greenville, he’d still be lying in bed. Not asleep. He hadn’t slept since Maisie disappeared, but just staring at the wall in his pajamas. Well - that was sort of what he was doing now too. He hadn’t changed, he hadn’t showered, the only thing he did do was brush through his hair a bit. When a girl sat next to him in class, whispering about who died almost sarcastically, his face scrunched up in anger. “Gunner Castle…and if we don’t find her soon, Maisie Anderson too. My girlfriend.” They hadn’t technically called one another that - they just went to the dance together and cuddled, but he knew the relationship was on the horizon and that had filled him with so much happiness.

Cassidy’s eyebrow kinked upwards at the vengeful tone in his voice. She would be the first to admit that her lack of filter could upset people but in this case - she didn’t think it was exactly warranted. It was her first goddamn day - was she really expected to know some kid had died? “Forgive me, i wasn’t aware i was supposed to already know the ins and outs of this place” Cassidy quipped back bitterly. School drama or not, she wasn’t going to sit around and let some kid use her as an emotional punching bag. 

Wrapping her arms around herself Braelynn shuffles into the room. Looking around briefly before moving to her seat. Setting her bag on her desk she rummages through it taking out a few supplies before setting it on the ground. Eyes scanning a sheet of paper she rolls her eyes before pushing it off to the side.How was some useless sheet of paper, and a few days with grief counseling going to help in the slightest? She was honestly baffled that they thought everything could be forgotten in such a short amount of time. Pushing her hair out of her face Braelynn shakes her head. She couldn’t think about it. Not right now when everything was a mess. She needed to be there for Eddie, Kace, and Whitney. Rubbing her temple she looks to the front of the class. 

Hearing the girls voice she looks at her. Brows knitting together slightly at the muttered question. Braelynn hears her voice before she realizes she’s responding. “Kace’s best friend.” It comes out quietly. Staring off blankly as her vision blurs she shakes her head. It felt…so unnatural to say. “He was here last year… and he was… he was laughing. He was safe. But now he’s…” Covering her mouth she shuts her eyes tightly.

Cassidy couldn’t help but watch the girl beside her, her expression mirrored that of many of the other students. Hurt, saddened. It was all somewhat confronting to come into. She couldn’t help but wonder exactly what had happened at this school. “Wait, what?” the words left her mouth before she could stop it - Cassidy couldn’t help it, she was slightly taken aback. When she’d used the expression ‘Who died?’ it had been only that, an expression  . She hadn’t exactly expected someone to actually have passed away. Cassidy looked away from the girl, glancing around the half filled classroom. It made sense - the glum expressions - it was all mourning. She knew it well. “What happened?” she asked unable to mask her curiosity. 

Aliyah sat at her desk as she waited for class to start, but she wasn’t really mentally prepared for it. Jonah was stressing that Maisie was still missing, Eddie and Whitney were both devastated about Gunner, and Isaac was stressing just as much as she was about those people in particular. The blonde hadn’t even noticed someone sit next to her until they spoke, and she blinked before looking up. “My boyfriends, best friends, brother.. actually.” she mumbled with a sad smile. It took her all but a few seconds to realise she didn’t actually know this girl, she hadn’t seen her around let alone in this class. “Oh my god wait, you’re new right?” she asked.

Cassidy glanced around at the source of the voice, giving the blonde a quick once over. It seemed dark but she couldn’t help but wonder how serious her statement was - at least at first. It wasn’t exactly often she’d made a comment like that, that’d ended up being true. She raised an eyebrow in surprise, a little unsure on how to respond. “Seriously?-” she couldn’t help but ask. Before another thought had made her way through her head, the other had moved on to another topic. “Good guess” she offered a half smile “Cassidy.” she introduced herself. 

As she stepped into the quiet hallways of Fairfield Prep she couldn’t help but notice somewhat of a tenseness in the air. It was almost as if everyone was on edge. Choosing to shrug it off, she found her way to her first classroom, taking a seat. Observing as other students filed their way in through the open door. Cassidy’s eyebrow kinked up in curiosity “God... who died?” she muttered to no one in particular.