aaliyah and the bee

sixteen ; junior ; scholarship kid

[aaliyes]

lorclai‌:

“ excuse me, you’re blocking my locker, ”   lorelai said. no response, not even a sign of acknowledgement. running on less than five hours of sleep between the past two days, lorelai just wanted to get her chemistry textbook, leave the building, and relax before her next shift at the convenience store. she tapped the person’s shoulder, and with a slightly more forceful tone, said,   “ hey, not all of us have all day to stand around and do nothing, so if you would be so kind as to move so i could get my things, it would be much appreciated. ”

watching the other high schooler finally get out of the way, aaliyah shot her a grin.“ i’m loving the aggressive classiness. ‘it would be much appreciated.’ that killed me. you should’ve just shoved that dude out of the way, but nobody’s worth a detention. are you okay, though? you look so done. ” 

[aaliyes]

byanikawest‌:

“No!” Anika shrieked, tossing her phone onto the table as if it was red hot and covering her face with her hands for a moment before she realized that she was not alone in the library any longer. “I just liked somebody’s Instagram post from three months ago,” she explained “What do I do? I have to delete my profile…there’s no other way out…I smiled at them in class today, they’re going to think I’m insane…” she was mostly talking to herself in her social media mishap panic. 

“ and what’re they going to do about it? liberate yourself, queen. like all of their posts and carry on. there’s no shame in it. they posted it to get likes. ” aaliyah was the type of person who would like a post from three years ago if she felt like it; she never really considered it a big deal. “ you’re at least actually following them though, right? ”

[aaliyes]

ericbrxdford‌:

“Woah woah woah. Where are you off to?” Eric questioned, his pace picking up as he caught up to the other student. “You’re not allowed to go anywhere by yourself remember?” This trip had turned out to be a bust. He had hoped that with the shitty news his dad delivered to him before he left that the distance of camp and distraction of activities would help keep him occupied and raise his spirits, but with the way thing were going, it was obvious that nobody was going to be allowed to do anything even remotely fun. 

“ what are you talking about? my buddy is right -- ” she cut herself off as she realized that she had been ditched. “ my friend promised to go to first aid training if i beat her in a race, but obviously she was never actually going to follow through with it. ” sighing, aaliyah wondered why she had even felt the need to explain herself. “ did the teachers ask you to help supervise or something? ”

[aaliyes]

drestanley:

his grin never fades, especially being the recipient of her compliments.  “fuck football, huh?  finally found my calling.”  there’s an accomplished shimmy of her shoulders, swift movement that can only be described as dancing before returning to his previous position. though they didn’t necessarily agree on any payment for his only correct answer, his hand extends towards her. “pay it forward, girl. you gotta give me something. shit, i’ll take a penny.”

“ you know i didn’t mean it like that, ” she laughs, shaking her head a bit. with her free hand, she holds up a finger before placing her hand in her pocket as if she was searching for something. “ oh, here we go, ” she says before pulling her hand out and giving andre a soft slap on the palm. “ that low five was my life’s savings, so don’t spend it all in one place, now, ” she jokes, shooting him an exaggerated wink.

[aaliyes]

rorygrayson:

“Fancy a game of truth or dare? I mean unless you’re too scared…”

“ please. i’m not scared of anything.” that was an exaggeration, but nobody needed to know that. “ and since you’re the one who suggested it -- truth or dare? ”

[aaliyes]

drestanley:

@aaliyes he presses binoculars so close to his eyes that he’s certain to get a ring on his face afterwards. “shit, liyah,” his exclamation was unusual considering he’d been quietly observing most of the time. “bet you any money that’s a northern flicker.”   he stuttered on the bird name, admiteddly, looking down at the paper in his hands to get it right.   and when he did  -   he practically shoves the binoculars to the shorter girl’s face, a proud, wide grin on his lips.  “check it out, i got one.”    quite competitive considering the two aren’t actually competing.

she nearly jumps at his sudden outburst, lowering her own binoculars so she could give him her attention as he spoke. “ money? ” she didn’t really think he was in a position to place bets on his accuracy, considering the fact that he could hardly even remember the name of the bird. she had to position the binoculars so she could actually see what he was referring to. “ oh my gosh -- you’re right! ” she grins, handing the binoculars back. “ this could be the start of a promising career in ornithology. i see you. ”

[aaliyes]

emerson-forester:

“Okay, well…” Emerson started, not sure how she was going to finish the sentence. “We’re still gonna rock it. As long as we don’t tip it over, I think we’ll be fine. You seem like you have the right kind of attitude. I like it.”

“ rocking the boat is usually a bad thing, but my name is aaliyah, so.. ” she didn’t expect the other girl to catch the reference, allowing a pause as she gauged her reaction before moving on. “ last time you kayaked -- was it like a regular or one-time thing? are you good at it? ”

[aaliyes]

elixms:

wandering around the woods after setting up her tent ( which took forever ), the blonde was almost desperate to find something entertaining to do considering the whole trip so far was completely basic; if not boring even. however, upon stumbling upon a few squirrels that were everything but shy, eli found herself surrounded by a few for nearly an hour while sitting on a piece of wood; entertaining both them with pistachios and herself while singing the familiar tune of sleeping beauty ( only in french ). in all honesty, she was having fun for the first time that entire day; until she heard footsteps behind which caused her to stop and briefly turn her head around. “ —be quiet, you’ll scare them off.” 

after aaliyah and her group set up their tent, she spotted a familiar blonde slightly separated from the rest of the group. last time they had truly spoken had been that evening when eli had gotten drunk with a group of ne’er-do-wells. worried that she was in sour spirits, aaliyah got closer to the girl before realizing that she was singing. “ who? ” she whispered, a little concerned that eli was suffering from heat stroke or lack of dehydration. she crept closer, slightly startled at the sight of the squirrels. “ some people would call this whole thing a little nutty, but i’m totally digging this chipper attitude of yours. ”

[aaliyes]

xororybelle:

“So, uh…” Rory began as she slowly made her way towards the bus she had been instructed was the right one for her group for the camping trip. “Now might be a good time to mention I’ve no idea how to swim, nor have I ever been kayaking before.” The girl had never been camping before either; and this whole trip had been pretty much sprung on her. She’d only been in Northlake a few weeks; and all of a sudden, she was being told about some schoolwide trip to Mount Martha. She probably could’ve gotten out of it for medical reasons; but she was stubborn. She kinda wanted the experience and to feel like a normal teen for once in her life. 

“i can swim, but i’ve never been kayaking either. i’ve seen videos, though, so now i’m pretty much an expert. if you ever need help, just scream. we’re teammates now -- practically family, and no one gets left behind.” aaliyah had never been camping either, but she was elated for the opportunity to do it with her classmates. “who are you sharing a tent with?”

[aaliyes]

emerson-forester:

Emerson adjusted the strap of her backpack before turning around to face the person walking behind her. “So, I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t been kayaking in like… at least three years. I know I’m not the worst on the trip, but I’m definitely not the best. Just thought I’d warn you.”

“well, i haven’t been kayaking in like...” she made a show of counting her fingers, though she already knew the number. “sixteen years. but, i plan on pulling out my inner kayaking champ today, so watch out.”

[aaliyes]

rachcls:

“i’m so glad i got this this group.” rachel mused, pulling the sleeves of her north face jacket to cover her hands entirely. she was in a simple outfit of black neoprene leggings, a white tshirt and her waterproof shoes. she was really happy because it was an activity she could do without overbearing her knee, which would have made the trip very uncomfortable – and, besides, she liked the people in her group, even if she hadn’t really interacted with some of them. “it’s gonna be fun. are you excited about this?”

“are all your friends in this one?” aaliyah asked, adjusting her backpack strap. of course, there were a few people she’d wished she had been put in the same group with, but aaliyah scored big time with her tent mates. this group was also a good mix of familiar southbank kids and seemingly friendly northlake kids, so she was overall happy with group c. “this trip has been all i could think about since it was first announced,” she replied. “i feel like this all is gonna be super interesting. i don’t know what everyone’s been complaining for.”

[aaliyes]

jamesspeaks:

James took a deep breath, sighing in relief as Aaliyah was the one who had walked in. He was glad that, of all the people who could have walked in, she did. “You never interrupt me.” He shook his head, standing up as his friend approached. “Well I tend to disagree–and you’re probably right.” He chuckled as he looked at the weights. “That was probably a really bad idea, huh?” He offered before turning back to her. “What’s up?”

she smiled at his words. “i am right. i usually am,” she joked. “but i’m serious. you’re a lot more than what you give yourself credit for.” she nodded, not wanting to give him a lecture about it. “i just wanted to talk to you,” she shrugged. “how do you feel about this whole camp thing? i’m kinda excited, honestly, but a whole week in nature with these clowns? this is going to be really interesting.”

[aaliyes]

touchedheaven:

❝ I’VE  BEEN  THINKING  OF  AUDITIONING  FOR  THE  VOICE  LATELY, ❞ the  bee  began, popping  another  skittle  into  her  mouth. ❝ i’m  curious  to  see  if  i  could  manage  to  get  a  4-chair  turn  singing  breaking  free  or  introducing  me, ❞ she  hummed. ❝ i’d  say  that  introducing  me  would  be  viewed  as  the  more  difficult  one. seeing  as  it  gets  faster  &  faster  as  the  song  goes  on. decisions ( ! ) ❞    

“okay, before i say anything, i need to hear you sing. too many people go on singing shows and embarrass the heck out of themselves, and i am not gonna be like those fakes who encourage them to do it. plus, i’m pretty sure it’s my personal duty to make sure nobody makes a mockery of any disney song.”

[aaliyes]

Mount Martha Camp Form

What is your name and grade?

Aaliyah Purnell - Junior

Who would you like to share a tent with?

Irene Bloom, Stella Faux, and Valerie Guinto are my first picks, but I am pretty adaptable.

Who would you like to get to know better on this trip?

I know most of my Southbank classmates pretty well already, so I want to establish some more connections with Northlake students.

What do you hope to get out of the trip?

If this activity is for credit, I hope to get a good grade. 

What skills do you think will make YOU a good team member during this trip?

I always keep a basic supply kit on hand, and I have a vast array of knowledge and skills that I am positive will prove to be useful. Attached is a list of my certifications.

Do you have any dietary requirements? Specify.

No

Do you have any allergies or illnesses that will need to be monitored? Specify.

No

Who is your emergency contact?

Jasmine Browning ( mother ) and Sydney Freeman ( aunt )

[aaliyes]

drestanley:

( @aaliyes ) he’d been tapping ruthlessly with a pencil; humming to the tune of a song he can’t remember the name to.   “you know that song?” procrastination is an evident understatement, as aaliyah stays hard at work his paper has only his name written on it.  “i’m pretty sure it’s -” he hums to the tune, loud as his pencil continues dribbling as if it’s the beat. “it’s not stevie wonder is it? no it’s - is it elton john?”

she finishes her answer before looking up from her assignment and focusing her eyes on him. her eyebrows furrow in confusion at his question. she’d been so concentrated in her task that she hadn’t been paying attention to what he had been humming, but her expression soon lights in recognition when he starts humming again. “all i do is think about you,” she says. “those are the lyrics to the song, i mean. i don’t remember the title, but i think it is stevie wonder.” she shakes her head once she glances at his blank paper. “is that what you’ve been focused on this whole time? that song?”

[aaliyes]

pj-jaszczynski:

PJ had left the auditorium briefly, abandoning his backpack and sheet music by the piano as he took short leave from his project to fill his water bottle. On his return, he sighed, thinking about what Irene had said regarding Preston’s brand new co-captain. It was a struggle for the student body president to balance being a good friend to Irene with being a diplomatic co-captain and teammate of Aiden’s and it was weighing on the Artist’s mind. That was the precise reason he’d decided to distract himself that afternoon by getting ahead of his show choir schedule and arranging the next several pieces of music the group would be learning weeks in advance. 

He was still humming a few short bars to himself as he sipped from his water bottle and strode rather confidently down the auditorium stairs and across the stage, without the slightest inclination that somebody might have slipped inside in his absence. “Okay, no more distractions,” he announced, scolding himself for taking the long way to the water cooler, the guilty procrastinator that he was.

aaliyah had been about to explain herself until she realized that preston hadn’t seen her upon entering. she stayed where she was, unsure of what to do. when he made his announcement, she decided that she was going to try to sneak out of the auditorium so she wouldn’t disturb him. as a scholar, she knew she hated when things distracted her from her work, and she didn’t want to be the person to do that to pj. 

she grabbed her bag and slowly started making her way to the exit. she was almost clear until one of her phone’s alarms sounded at full volume, ruining what she considered to be her james bond-esque escape. she hastily took the phone out of her back pocket and stopped the alarm, but she was sure that he had already heard. “sorry,” she called out, scrambling to her feet. “i know it looks like it, but i swear i wasn’t trying to be weird. i was just about to go.”

[aaliyes]

jamesspeaks:

James took deep breaths as he bench pressed, trying his hardest to push through the workout. During the last couple of months he’s struggled to perform in the ways he used to, and he didn’t know why. Maybe it was the fact that he was still adjusting to Northlake, or he’s still tired from the party the other day, or maybe it’s the fact that his brother used to work out with him and now… he doesn’t really have a partner. In fact there were many things he couldn’t do anymore. He grunted as he set the bar up and huffed, “Puñeta… why can’t I do it?” He asked out loud, sighing to himself. “Why can’t I freaking do anything?” As he spoke he hadn’t realized someone had walked in–and James quickly sat up hoping the other hand’t heard him.

“i didn’t mean to interrupt you,” aaliyah said, making her way over to him. she hadn’t witnessed his struggle; she’d only heard him as she was walking in. she sat on the bench adjacent to him. she’d had a feeling he’d be in there. “you can do a ton of things, james, but weight lifting without a spotter shouldn’t be one.”