SHAKE N' JAKE, BABY

"Great, can't wait." She made sure to reach out and shut her locker door closed after Jake had picked her up. Nodding along while hearing the names, they didn't bring up any kind of concern with for her. She'd only concerned herself with those that could either help her climb the social ladder, or those who could knock her down. None of those names had the power to do any of those things as far as she knew, so Chloe was cool with it. Chloe wouldn't admit this willingly but her motives and actions left her with less real friends than she would like. At the moment the most important things to her were winning regionals and being at the top of her game, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd hung out with a friend. A true friend rather than one of the other cheerleaders on the squad or popular people in her social circle. But in order to gain friendships you need to be kind, honest, genuine etc. For Chloe, revealing that part of herself to others was harder than it sounded. Especially when she'd been in bitch mode for so long. It was hard to get out of. Her eyes were focused on the environment around them as she spoke but her brown iris' found Jake again the moment he mentioned sharing a room. "Oh, you will, will you?." She asked teasingly with a smile. "Yeah, I'd be down with that. Im sure id be able to keep you entertained."

Jake was excited to know Chloe was down to go to Mexico and share a room. She was a lot of fun and their chemistry was the only thing keeping him from obsessing over Brooke. River was doing his best to help but he was also too busy peddling his wonder dust and getting laid by sorority girls. Jake wished he could be more like River. His best friend was void of emotion and attachment it seemed. Jake liked to pretend that he was a ladies' man but the truth of the matter is he was a lot more romantic than sleazy. He enjoyed the act of wooing and having someone fall for him.

"Mhmm, I'm fluent. I've been learning since I was 7." Learning Spanish was something Chloe had always wanted to do from when she was young. Selena's music was a big staple in her household and she fell in love the the lyrics, the instrumentals, the diction. She'd been hooked ever since. The best part for her was when she got to the stage where she could finally understand her favorite songs, television shows and even read books in the language. There was something that was just so beautiful about it, Chloe couldn't really explain it. Her brows quirked upwards in interest when Jake had mentioned the trip. Hot weather, hot guy and great food? Oh, she was in. "Cancún? Ugh, I've been dying to go to more Spanish speaking cities." Of course winning regionals was her first priority but this was too good to pass up. Chloe was sure she could handle it, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. "I think...I'm in, that sounds amazing." Jake hadn't brought up if anyone else was going or not and with the way he'd worded it, Chloe began to grow curious about it as well. She didn't want to assume anything and be embarrassed about it later but she still wanted to ask. "So who else is coming?"

Jake could feel his excitement growing at the idea of flying out to Cancun with Chloe and friends. Not only was the temperature better there but it would be a party 24/7. "Dope. It's going to be awesome." Instead of bending down to let Chloe hop onto his back, he swooped her up into a bridal carry. This way he could still see her face as they talk out the details. "Well, I would invite River because he's my boy. He can bring anyone he wants to. Then there's Lucy and Cassandra." He was only inviting Cassie because she has the jocks' playbook. It got switched up during a class assignment and once she realized what it was, a book of sexual conquests, she wouldn't give it back. Jake was hoping Lucy would help him steal it from her during the trip. "I know there's a lot of people coming, but I'll still be paying very close attention to you. If you're down, we can share a room? It would be the master." Once he made it out to the parking lot, he tossed her bag into the back of the truck and then assisted her into her seat.

Lucy knew exactly the kind of shit that had happened. Tyler had told her when he'd messed around with Brooke, and though Lucy was disappointed, she didn't judge him for it. People made stupid decisions. But it made her sad to think about how Jake might have suffered because of it.

"Yeah, dude." Jake was shocked at how out of the loop she was. The entire school turned on Brooke and labeled her a slut. According to Brooke, it was Chloe who tagged Slut on her door and turned the other cheerleaders into a lynch mob. Jake felt terrible but at the same time, when was he supposed to grieve? That might sound dramatic to some, but finding out Brooke was hooking up with their teacher was crushing. He still wasn't over her despite their mutual agreement to call it quits. Their relationship had gone south and was becoming increasingly toxic. No one should have to hold so tightly onto someone else. It should be somewhat effortless, shouldn't it? Exciting, but easier? He wasn't sure. It was all so confusing. Which is why he was planning on playing the field because emotionless sex was all he could mentally afford at the moment.

"Sounds like fun." She giggled at Jake's comment reaching into her locker once more and grabbing her pink duffle bag with her regular clothes. She took hold of the zipped to unzip it and slid her water bottle in before closing the bag up once more and putting the strap over her shoulder. Hearing her phone buzz she grabbed it as well and closed her locker with her free hand while looking down at the screen. Her eyes rolled and she let out a quiet "ugh" the second she'd seen who it was. Her father clamming down on her about yet another un answered text. They were not on the best terms at the moment so she preferred to keep ignoring him until it was no longer an option, and that's exactly what she did. Did she know it would just make him angrier? Yes. Did she care? Nope.

Jake gave a small squint and then a smile pulled at the corners of his lips as the Spanish rolled off Chloe's tongue. "You speak Spanish? How well?" He wasn't fluent but knew enough from his many trips to Mexico. His mother was from Los Cabos and his father opened a nightclub in Cancún. They spent most of their time there and owned multiple properties. Jake was actually thinking about taking a mini-vacation there soon. He could invite a bunch of people to his parents beach house and party through the weekend. "I don't know how busy you're going to be. I know you're preparing for regionals but I was thinking about taking a trip to Cancún. I'd handle everything. All expenses. What do you think?" He wouldn't bring it up to Chloe, but he was thinking about inviting Brooke as well. He needed to make up for a lot of the awful shit he said to her face. Plus, it wouldn't hurt having her there to make her jealous.

Hearing Jake talk about Brooke, Lucy could see how his eyes lit up, the crinkle in the corners of his mouth as he spoke about her and laughed at the memory. "You and Brooke, what happened?" She shouldn't pry. But she couldn't help herself. She remembered how they were when they were together. Those feelings didn't just turn off, no matter how badly the other person hurt you. At least that's how Lucy felt about her relationships. "You were so close, for like, ever."

"A lot." A lot has happened. Starting with Tyler O'Neill. In high school, Brooke was sneaking around with Tyler, living out her bad girl phase. When Jake found out about it he was pissed and things got really toxic. They were able to patch it up but their relationship was never the same. "After all the shit that went down in Lakewood our trust was never the same. We both made sure we got into East Mount together but eventually broke up. Then I found out she was boning our literature teacher..." It was fair game considering they weren't dating at the time, but it still hurt. Jake was just glad the teacher got fired because he wouldn't be able to sit in his classroom ever again. "I thought she was done acting out but she cant' help herself. She inherited her mother's emotional dysregulation. Anything can set her off and then she's straight to the booze shop. Then topless in some rando's car. She's a mess but I love her." He sighed, clearly at the end of his rope.

Lucy chuckled half-heartedly and took a long sip of her wine. If she thought about it too hard, she thought she might cry. It was an odd relationship she had with her parents. They were always around when she wanted to be left alone, but when she needed them they were never there.

Jake knew firsthand you never get used to it. Especially if you're like him and have no siblings either. Loneliness one of the worst feelings in the world which is why Jake spends so much of his time playing the fool. If people think he's funny and a good time, maybe they'll stick around.

status: open

River was supposed to meet up with Jake after he grabbed the journals from Brooke's dorm, but as always he would get lost along the way and end up at a bar or between some shameless girl's legs. But he was still a way better friend than Jake's former ride or die, therefore he couldn't complain too much.

"Busted boob job." Lucy explained with a shrug, but the sadness in her voice gave her away. The waiter came with the appetisers just in time to distract from it. He placed the plates down in front of them. Lucy started to push around her risotto, but made no moves to eat it. The rejection had ruined her appetite. She poured Jake a glass of wine from the bottle on the table before topping up her own, too impatient to wait for the waiter to do it.

Jake could tell she was feeling down about her father's work emergency, but he wasn't the best at giving advice. The most he could offer her were some witty one-liners or a relocation to somewhere more entertaining. New York was full of nightclubs and sinful distractions. The party life was way better here than it was in Lakewood.

status: open

Jake wouldn't normally hang around the hotel unless he was looking for girls. It was convenient as the rooms were right there. But he definitely preferred Mystique for its members-only vibe. It gave him a certain rush of importance knowing not anyone could get in.

Jake had a point. Nothing in life was truly safe -- she'd learned that a long time ago. Her parents did everything to raise her 'right' -- to make sure that she didn't walk home alone at night and that she always brought pepper spray with her and that she didn't talk to strangers. And for a while, Valerie thought they were pretty successful. But at the end of the day, all that she could do was mitigate the risk, do what she could and hope for the best. Bad things happened to good people. She just had to be in the right place at the wrong time. "Easier said than done. Plus, skipping class to get coffee is different than like, running out in the middle of the street. You gotta do what you can, too. Not everything's just luck." She shrugged. "I don't know... a brain bleed or something. Isn't that what you're supposed to look out for with a concussion?" As he described the place, she started to open up to the idea. "Okay, let's go. But let me make it up to you, sometime, yeah?"

"Okay, but running out into the middle of the street without looking is just plain stupid." He responded, laughing at the absurd visual. Jake could be an idiot but in a way that was fun and reckless. He would climb billboards with River to spray paint over signs and hide stink bombs in the ceilings of classrooms to get an early dismissal; these antics were stupidly childish, but what was the point of living if you're going to act like a robot and stay on the assembly line. People were being manufactured to work their balls off and raise a family and then die. Jake was going to have fun with his life. At least while he's still young and full of energy. "It's not hurting me like that. Just feels like a headache." Wasn't concussed people usually out of it? Jake was still coherent enough to make a decent balloon animal and flirt himself a date. "You can make it up to me now. Always live in the moment." He gave her sleeve a tug as he guided her toward the exit. Jake's abnormally huge truck was parked outside in the lot. When his charm couldn't cut it, his truck would pick up his slack and win people's attention. He opened the passenger door for her and offered help climbing in. Jake wasn't chivalrous, he just liked having an excuse to touch girls on the ass.

"You read Vanity Fair?" Somehow, she finds that really hard to believe. He doesn't look like a reader. Especially one of womens magazines. "Actually, I'm just visiting. I brought brochures." She gestures to the box of pamphlets in her arms, which she holds closer to her chest in fear of dropping them. "Thought maybe I could find someone to help me pass them out." The spanish nickname wasn't lost on her but, she failed to comment on it. "And since you seem to be on a volunteer kick, here----" she passes half of the stack off to him, "get to work, clean teen. We've got lives to save."

Jake didn't know shit about Vanity Fair. He remembers seeing them in Brooke's room and at his parents house. But if it makes him look less like a douchey frat boy then he'll pretend. "Of course I do." He replied simply before closing the distance between them so he could accept the stack of pamphlets. This would be his best scheme yet. If he could pull it off and land this beautiful girl he would be a east mount legend. "Do you think I can get your number so we can meet up afterward and discuss ways to proceed with this matter?" If she told him what the pamphlets were for he already forgot and didn't want to risk reading it in front of her. If Brooke was going to bag and shag some sophisticated man-meat then he was going to manipulate and penetrate this literal goddess. "Name's Jacob Fitzgerald." Switching his name to Jacob sounded way less douchey.

“Well, the jury we'll have to be out on that one for now,” Valerie laughed. She couldn't quite tell if he was flirting or not... I'm just making these little and she didn't want to seem presumptuous, even though she had to admit that he was pretty cute and his sense of humor wasn't half bad either. But his question hit a little too close to home. As much as she wanted to be somebody who let loose and lived a little, Valerie had a hard time not following the rules. She knew what could happen if she didn't and she knew that rules were put in place most of the time because something bad happened and people didn't want those bad things to happen again. “Only when the rules are about health and safety,” she replied. That wasn't exactly true, but it would do for now. Maybe Jake had an idea or two about how to change things up and color outside the lines. “I just don't want you to end up more hurt then you have to be... is that such a bad thing?” When he mentioned Mystique, Valerie raised an eyebrow. “Really? Are they even open at this time of day? – I’m not a member – just a little pricey for what I have going on right now. Are you allowed to take guests? I don’t want to make things difficult for you…”

"No one is safe and healthy. Even if they are looking both ways before crossing the street and ordering kale." There were risks in everything. A person could be cautious their whole life only to get stabbed by a serial killer or hit by a car. "I try to live day by day. You know, you gotta make the most out of it." Jake's advice was never perfect but he always meant well. But he wasn't going to follow the rules when the rules were flawed and built on corruption in the first place. It was his life and he was going to live it the way he sees fit. Valerie could do the same and live cautiously but it would be less fun. "Hurt in which way?" Jake's been hurt and yeah it sucks but he wouldn't trade that pain to take it all back. He made memories and had experiences that will last forever. The pain will eventually subside and fade away over time. "Mystique is always open. People even sleep there and wake up and have breakfast. It's one giant never-ending party." But everyone keeps it classy. There were drug use, sex, and illegal gambling, but everything remained behind locked doors and out of sight. The privileged know how to party without making it look disreputable. "Yeah I can take guests. For the annual price I better be able to bring friends." He bent his arm for her to take. She didn't have to but he figured he would go for it. "Shall we?"

"Cool. I'll text you when I come up with something." Of course one of the first things that came to mind for her were the couple trends she'd been seeing. Nothing too obvious or crazy. Just something cute and simple to the point where he'd think it was friendly. This was a great way to kill two birds with one stone; Up her social media following and get to spend some time with Jake as well. Chloe muffled a smile and a giggle seeing the nurse walk by them as they were walking out, she found it funny thinking about how unusual it must look. A genuine smile from Chloe Quinn, not something most around her got to witness. Her facial inventory mostly consisted of bitchy smirks, cold stares and the occasional unimpressed frown. Her brow quirked intrigued as she looked down at him. "Cost me what exactly?" She replied feeling her flirtatious aura begin to arise once more. Once they reached her locked she thanked him as she carefully climbed off her her back and got to her feet making sure to shift her weight to one leg.

Jake pressed a hand to her lower back to keep her balanced as she moves things around her locker. He wasn't sure what the cost would be for his guest appearance on her TikTok but he would think of something. It was a struggle deciding if he should meet Chloe halfway and entertain her flirtatious nature a little more or take a step back out of loyalty to Brooke. On one hand, he wanted to make Brooke feel how he felt after he found out about her and Mr. McKenna. Then on the other hand, they were best friends since the crib. Their parents raised them in the same playpen and sandbox. But if she was moving on why shouldn't he? Chloe was funny and sweet. Not a lot of people would describe her in such a way but he knew reputations weren't everything. People think he's a douche but he could also be really supportive.

"Oh yeah? That one was one of my favorites. Took me a while to film though." With her consistent posting and knowledge of how the algorithm worked, Chloe was growing herself quite a following. Though most people thought that posting on TikTok wasn't that strenuous, they were sadly mistaken. Sometimes it was just a quick post and go, and other times it took what felt like forever to get a video edited and posted. The worst was when she'd spent hours putting a video together only for her phone to glitch and close the app. Having to start all over sometimes made her want to pull her hair out but the engagement she got was worth it. Especially when people would comment on her videos or come up to her and talk about them. "You should post on yours more often. We should make one together sometime if you're down, there are so many cute trends going around right now."

The idea of getting to film a TikTok with Chloe was very tempting. He loved the attention and would have done way more on social media but beyond pranks and gags he was at a loss. The dances and the story time's weren't really his thing. He wasn't lame enough for the dance trends (they were only hot when done by girls) and story time's were better suited for people a lot smarter than him. They could probably do some type of trivia video getting to know each other better. Or they could make something hot and bother Brooke with it. Jake was still out to get even with the blonde for posting thirst traps with her new best friend. "Okay, whatever you wanna film, I'll be down."