After nearly a year of torment, the citizens of Cherry are ready to spend the next few months in the sun. Tourists have been flooding into their little town in droves - faces both old and new - and now that the Boardwalk has finally been reopened, and there’s hardly a moment throughout the day that the Beach isn’t crowded beyond belief.
There's a power vacuum in town, though, and those who move in the shadows are looking to fill it... will you make it out?
established Aug. 2021
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SEASON 2, EPISODE 8: HOMECOMING!
SCENE 2: THE GAME!
The ‘BOOOO!’ throughout the crowd as the GRAPE STOMPERS bus pulls into the parking lot is like a harmonious roar. It’s war at first sight - it has been since Grape and Cherry first began their long-standing rivalry - but the promise of war only seems to spread a buzz through the crowd! It’s time to end their feast and start in on settling into the bleachers that surround their belo The game isn’t set to start for another couple of hours... But vendors are passing out HOT CHOCOLATE and APPLE CIDER, BAND CLUB is performing, and of course, GREEK ROW and STUDENT COUNCIL are doing everything in their power to spread the school spirit!
Including... COLLECTING NOMINATIONS FOR HOMECOMING COURT!
Be sure to slip your votes into the ballet with the Student Council table, tucked snugly next to the ticket booth! We’ll be crowning shortly before the game!
Have fun, Fighting Cherries! We just know it’s gonna be a SHOWDOWN once we finally get onto the field!
ACTIVITIES:
THE GREEK LIFE’S SPIRIT SPECTACULAR: Are you feeling the Spirit? Did you come empty handed? Do you just feel better with glitter on your face? Then wave down a pledge from either SIGMA PI or LAMBDA RHO ( or one of the few members who got unlucky enough to have to watch the brats! ) to help upgrade your Spirit Game a little! They’re currently equipped with glitter paint, ribbons, poster board, FIGHTING CHERRIES merch - and they may look a little like pack mules - but they’re ready to help make your night memorable... for you, and the team you’re cheering on tonight! Spirit Makeovers start at $5 and up - Poster supply packs are $10!
BAND CLUBS’S REQUEST LINE: Are you just, like, dying to hear a song? Are you dying to dedicate it to one of your fellow Fighting Cherries? Well, for a small donation of $10, now you can! Choose from the club’s list of prepared songs - MYSTIC CHERRY HITS INCLUDED! - to hear it played live for the entire crowd! ... And for the Big Spenders ( $20 and over! ) they’ll even push your request up to the top of the list! How luxurious! All proceeds go to band club!
MARASCHINO SNACKHOUSE SLURPS: Rocky Jackson and Indigo Alder are on their best work yet! Throughout the night, they’re going to be selling Hot Chocolate, Apple Cider, Donuts, and good ol’ fashioned Popcorn and Hot Dogs throughout the course of the game! If you’re getting snacky, or feeling like impressing a date? Wave one of the Snackhouse employees over! You won’t regret it... and 10% of the proceeds go to the Fighting Cherries Cheerleading Club!
STUDENT COUNCIL HOMECOMING COURT NOMINATIONS: If you care even a little, you’ll stop by the Student Council’s Homecoming booth! Drop off your nominations for SPIRIT COURT, pick up your complimentary FIGHTING CHERRIES FOAM FINGER, and for those of you who are really gearing up for the year... Make sure to leave your ideas for the WINTER FORMAL THEME with the DANCE COMMITTEE!
NOTE: this the period before the game begins! the actual game will most likely be the next plot event, so everything before that is fair to expand on <3
SEASON 2, EPISODE 8: HOMECOMING!
SCENE 1: THE PRE-GAME TAILGATE
GO FIGHTING CHERRIES! It’s only been a few weeks since school began, and you know what that means... It’s time for the most important event of the season for every Cherriot, young and old: THE HOMECOMING GAME!
Cherry will be fighting for their lives against [AWAY TEAM REDACTED] tonight, but until we make our way onto the field, join Dean Hargrove and the rest of CHERRY COASTAL UNIVERSITIES professors in celebrating the town at our PRE-GAME TAILGATE POTLUCK!
Sprawled through the quad, and spilling into the parking lot of the Football Field, is a feast big enough for a village! Barbecue, chili, pizza - you name it! - someone in Cherry has probably brought it to share. For a small donation of $3, you will get a commemorative plate that you can fill to the brim for the whole night!
Have fun, Cherriots! We’ll see you at the game!
All threads from this point-forward should take place at CCU on the night of the Homecoming game! Homecoming will begin Halloweekend - and kick off the Hallows!
SEASON 2, EPISODE 7: BACK TO SCHOOL
SCENE 4: THE ELECTIONS!
Welcome back to school, Fighting Cherries! By now, everyone has settled into their dorms, and have gotten orientation over and done with… all that’s left is the start of classes! If you need a refresher on your schedule, you can find it here - but the real fun part? The clubs!
The athletes will spend the next week on the trials and tribulations of tryouts - good luck to everyone who has to go through Zahra and Elaine’s inevitable face-off first-hand - while the rest of our clubs work out the politics of small-time elections… Not to mention the beginnings of homework, study groups, and CCU drama! So If you’re running for a position of importance, make sure to start your campaigning among the student body!
Club elections will take place on October 9th - and Homecoming will begin the weekend of October 14th.
So, gear up, Fighting Cherries! You’ve got quite the year ahead of you.
Mwah!
ELECTIONS:
HARVEY HARGROVE vs PARKER PANTONE for FOOTBALL CAPTAIN AND SIGMA PI PRESIDENT.
ELAINE ARCHER vs ZAHRA JACKSON for CHEER CAPTAIN.
MIA MONTOYA vs PILAR HAMILTON for LAMBDA RHO PRESIDENT.
CRISTIANO VAN ALLEN vs CAMERON CASTLE vs ZAHRA JACKSON for CLASS PRESIDENT.
OZZY OKALA vs MADDIE WILSON vs WINNIE WU for TREASURER.
TED LEWIS vs MARGOT ROWE vs NOAH RUSSELL for PRESIDENT OF LIVING BARD’S SOCIETY (DRAMA CLUB)
NOAH RUSSELL vs MACKENZIE WALSH vs MIA MONTOYA vs CRISTIANO VAN ALLEN vs ZEV KING vs JAMIE CROMWELL for D&D DUNGEON MASTER.
MACKENZIE WALSH vs SPINNER REYES vs CASEY RUSSELL vs ROCKY ZHOU vs WINNIE WU vs EMIR ERDOGAN for PRESIDENT OF BAND CLUB.
Welcome back to hell, Margot Rowe. Hope you’re ready to pay for your sins! xoxo
THE NICE (?) CHEERLEADER:
MARGOT ROWE.
DIANNA AGRON, PLAYED BY LEXI, 22, EST.
“WOULD YOU, LIKE, CALL YOURSELF POPULAR? BECAUSE YOU KNOW, CHERRY CAN BE A TOTAL POPULARITY CONTEST SOMETIMES.”
“Popularity is status, and if my dad’s taught me one thing it’s that everyone cares about status so you should totally care about who’s on the in and who’s on the out,” Margot answered, nearly shaking her head at the question. Popularity came easy to her, so easy that she never had to ponder the question. She was always pretty, a blonde hair was never out of place, and she had a body that even the lousiest of girls would kill for. Life was just easy for girls like her.
“I’d totally consider myself popular, as vapid as that is, but isn’t that a good thing?” She asked, rhetorically, only to watch as Clarissa tilted her head to the side, ready for whatever was about to spew out of Margot’s mouth next. “Not to mention that being a part of the Cherry Cheerleading Club makes you like, royalty here, it means you tick off all the checkmarks. Pretty, sociable, athletic... I could go on,” but she wouldn’t. While she had popularity, it was only at the bane of the hierarchy in Cherry Township. Margot caught on quickly and she had stepped on toes in Georgia, she wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.
“WHAT ARE YOU PARENTS LIKE? DO YOU, LIKE, THINK YOU’RE ANYTHING LIKE THEM, OR DO YOU HAVE TOTAL MOMMY AND DADDY ISSUES?”
Margot shifted in her seat. Not uncomfortably, even if she did tense up a bit at the mention of her parents. She always had a complicated past with her parents. She loved them both dearly and she did what they wanted, playing the role of the perfect daughter perfectly, never stepping out of place. “Well, what’s there to say?” The blonde’s shoulders shrugged, crossing her left leg over her right. “Mom met dad while she was in college. She was like, rocking that MRS Degree which I find admirable. She was such a Betty, still is, and she got roped into campus ministries. My dad was there handing out flyers for the local church and the rest was history,” that is, if you overlooked him being ten years Tonya Rowe’s senior. “I like to think I’ve got the best of their qualities when it’s all said and done.”
“ARE YOU EVER SCARED OF LIVING HERE?”
It should have been a simple question. A yes or no, really, but it was so convoluted. “Well, sometimes, especially when all of those blonde girls were passing away. So tragic, really, I still pray for their families every night,” ever the pious girl, Margot couldn’t help but let her good duties slip out of her mouth. Bragging was okay if it was in the name of Jesus, after all. “It was scary walking alone at night, thinking that maybe I could be next, or anyone else for that matter.”
But, Cherry was safe now. At least, it was supposed to be. Everyone involved had been arrested or unfortunately had died in the crossfire of it all. It was almost enough to encourage Margot’s parents to move, but her dad’s job was too good to pass up and there was nowhere else Margot could go without looking into her past. Cherry was the one place that wouldn’t and she relied heavily on that. She had already repented! There was no need for one tiny mishap to dangle over her head for the rest of her life! “But I’m like, totally not worried anymore.”
Welcome back to hell, Sonny Logan. Hope you’re ready to pay for your sins! xoxo
THE RUNAWAY:
Emerson Lee “Sonny” Logan.
OWEN TEAGUE, PLAYED BY COCO, 24, EST.
“WHERE DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR FREE TIME AROUND HERE NOW THAT HALF THE TOWN IS BURNED DOWN? I’M TOTALLY LOOKING FOR A NEW SPOT TO HANG.”
“Alright. So there’s this itsy-bitsy piece of beach I found in the sixth grade, when I swam out way too far and got lost, and washed up on this shore that was like, just big enough for a few people to camp out there without the tideline becoming an issue. I kept going back there, ‘cus I thought it was cool. You can find it if you swim past the buoys and then go out like twenty minutes north-west of the docks. It’s the best place to watch the sunset and get a long look at the boats coming to and from the harbor. Every time I brought a friend out there, I’d have ’em help me come up with stories about like, where they were going and how their lives were gonna change when they got out of Cherry.
“That turned into my place, man. That was where I daydreamed about the future and stuff. Going into seventh grade, I arranged a bunch of big rocks into a Jolly Roger and started calling it Captain’s Cove. That was where I’d bring a friend if one of us had to tell the other guy a secret or needed to feel like we were away from our tacky little neighborhood without actually having to skip town. That was where I held a girl’s hand for the first time. And it was where I hid stuff I didn’t want my mom to see when she was snooping through my room.”
Like those magazines that he got from that ninth grader, in exchange for letting him see Sabrina’s underwear drawer that one time. The magazines did, tragically, get waterlogged on the swim over, so it was all kind of a waste, but he figured he probably deserved that. He took that one on the chin, confessed and apologized to his sister, and learned that he was going to have to bring luggage, sleeping bags, and paraphernalia over on a raft if he didn’t want it getting damaged on the trip.
Incidentally, Captain’s Cove was also where he buried his most secret “pirated treasure.” He never thought any of his friends would find the Freeses’ money in the crack between rocks that you had to climb halfway up the cliff to get to. But he’s got a hunch that whoever sent him Lux’s letter must have stumbled upon it.
“It was where I had my first beer, and where I ralphed for the first time. Me and a buddy of mine brought a twelve pack of Red Dogs there on a boogie board and drank the whole fuckin’ thing between the two of us.”
It was a six-pack. At 90 lbs., and thirteen years of age, and very little to eat that day since his mom accidentally sent him to school with Sabrina’s unappetizingly healthy lunch, he chugged two and a half beers before he got a tummy ache. But to match Sonny’s mouth of a sailor, he also shared their tendency to spin tall tales to land-lovers at a portside pub, stretching the truth in the interest of telling a better story.
“Haven’t been there since I came back to town, but I still know how to get there, if you want to check it out sometime.” He hasn’t been there, because it was also where he buried a time capsule that he badgered all of his friends to contribute to on their middle school graduation, and he wasn’t ready for the temptation to dig it up.
“WOULD YOU, LIKE, CALL YOURSELF POPULAR? BECAUSE YOU KNOW, CHERRY CAN BE A TOTAL POPULARITY CONTEST SOMETIMES.”
His mood doesn’t dull as quickly as it should. He really hit his stride in San Francisco; he’s gotten more confident and is used to having friends without much baggage (albeit without much depth, either, despite the enlightened new age posturing). It takes a minute for him to realize he’s not among his metropolitan bohemians anymore. But he’s not that alone around here, is he? He has his sisters, but… Well, alright, maybe that bridge is burned, big time, and its ashes fell into the sea and drifted far away, long ago. But what about— Hm, no, yeah, Cris openly wants to mount his head on a pike and tout it around like a picket sign at his next protest performance art piece against recreational hunting. And sure, he’s using Mac, but that doesn’t really count, right? Since Mac doesn’t know it? Yes? No? Okay, what about Zahra? She doesn’t look up from her nail file whenever they’re in the same room together, but she’s not actively hostile. Doesn’t that count for something? …Oh, don’t look at him like that. In a pinch, if he’s really desperate, he can always beg… Ah, nope, Virginia’s in jail. Nuts.
“I mean…” He pauses, and loses control over the urge to shake his leg up and down, suddenly antsy with this conversation. He agreed to this interview because Clarissa was a middle school crush and he was excited to see her again, but suddenly she had him regretting it. “Nobody likes a guy who calls himself popular.”
He holds off the urge to slouch into himself, and shifts positions to get comfortable again.
“Think about the people who get called popular around here, anyway. It’s never anybody, like, genuinely cool. Being popular in Cherry doesn’t mean being fun to hang out with. It means being rich and powerful and not having any weird or interesting personality traits that could plausibly leave you open to get picked on. I mean, does anyone really like spending time with Kitty Maddox or Elaine Archer?”
There’s a casual omission of one Zahra Jackson from this discussion. He’d never admit that he’d hang out with her again in a heartbeat if she could leave her Lux-isms and foul friends behind.
“If you mean popular in the non-Cherry sense, like, as in, you’re just the kind of person a lot of people want to have a beer with… I think I still have those Red Dog bottle caps to prove that I’m that kinda guy. Like, there’s, uh… Just for one example, there’s that guy Ted who’s always trying to hang out with me.” It’s the one example he has. “I can ditch him today, though. If you want to get some beers after this. Gimme the scoop on that, April O’Neil.”
“YOU CAN BE HONEST WITH ME… WHO DO YOU THINK MURDERED LUX?”
“Jeez, morbid much? When did this town go from Baywatch to Twin Peaks?” He exhales, and his smile gets weak before he can look back up at her again. “Alright, wanna know what I think? Honestly?”
He knows one thing: it wasn’t Libby. And his brain will do whatever Zahra Jackson-tier gymnastics it has to to find a reason why anybody and everybody else could have done it. (How do people suspect Libby when there are three Russell brothers right there?) Sonny’s main focus is Elaine, and not because his sister has always hated her, and, deep down, he always kind of felt like she stole Zahra from him. That’s all ancient history, and he doesn’t care anymore. In fact, he just decided he completely forgot about that. No, he doesn’t even remember why he knows how underhanded, power-hungry, and status-mongering she is. But that conniving personality of hers probably points to a she-devil who would want to usurp Lux by any means necessary. She’s just a sociopathic black hole that ruins everything, speaking in terms perfectly objective and unbiased.
He’s not so sure what to make of Zev, either. It’s always the quiet ones, right? Zevvy did seem kind of obsessed with Lux, didn’t? Sonny would never forget that one time he spotted Zev taping Lux fixing her annoying hair when Miss Maddie Wilson was three feet away, rapping along to “It’s Tricky,” word for word.
Maybe Zev was devastated because Lux started dating some jock like Parker Pantone. It could have driven his sensitive artist heart to madness, and maybe he——
No, no. This sucks. Sonny doesn’t really think that. He doesn’t know who to suspect, yet, but he’s not gonna have an epiphany here. He certainly shouldn’t give any tips to a cop’s daughter — no matter how adorable — just in case she accidentally lets something slip that could get any of Sonny’s old pals in trouble. He has to be careful here. For once in his life, he has to think before he says something stupid or makes any bold moves. He has to change the topic.
He leans forward, and utters with the intensity of Astrid Van Allen telling him about the immense spiritual connection between twins and their responsibility to look out for each other:
“I think it was you, Clarissa Teller.”
And just like that, all of the anticipation leaves the room like the long fart of a deflating balloon. Our punk-ass hero continues, “You did it all to get a dynamite story for your paper. You knew no one would suspect you with that button nose. But you’re in luck. I’m the one guy who knows how to leave this place and never be found. You know the only reason I came back? It was for you. I came to bail you out. Let’s blow this pop stand, baby. We set sail from Captain’s Cove at dawn.”
THE CONNECTIONS
THE ACTIVIST.
“Cristiano, man. That… that was the coolest friend I ever had. Like, we used to sit in the back of class and just play that Exquisite Corpse game back and forth, and some of the stuff he made blew my fucking mind. Even his tag looked sick. I remember making him carve it into the bottom of my nightstand back at my mom’s place, because I knew she would never find it until I was long gone, but I wanted him to leave his mark on her stuffy fuckin’ house. But, I don’t even mean like, he’s just cool in the ‘talented and interesting’ way. I remember the last great day I had in Cherry was with him. Frankie was kinda upset, ’cus she had, uh, somethin’ going on, with her family, um, financially… So we had to cheer her up and snuck her in to see a screening of fuckin’… Dumb and Dumber, and I just remember leaning over to Cris when the song “New Age Girl” was playing and being like, dude, they wrote this song about you. And just… even after Frank went home to be with her folks, I was still trying to hold his hand and call him my new age girl. And he’s swatting me away and being like, ‘dude, that movie was the stupidest piece of crap I’ve ever seen in my life,’ of course. He’s like, ‘we could be making movies about the Iraq disarmament crisis’ or something. But he didn’t say anything like that ’til after Frank left. He let the whole revolutionary intellectual schtick take a backseat so he wouldn’t rain on Frankie seeing a slapstick movie that could lighten up her shitty day. He’s wasn’t just volunteering at food drives and demonstrating against IBM ’cus it made him look good. He really cares about people. Like on a big scale and a small scale. That’s the kind of guy he really is. Or– was. I don’t… really know what’s up with him now. It’s like, all that empathy for those endangered lizards in Australia, but he can’t understand that maybe his friend was going through some stuff and didn’t want anyone to talk him out of taking a risk that would save his fucking sanity? Maybe all that talent got to his head. Like, he got high on his own supply and now he can only think about himself and it’s ruined his ability to reflect right on anything else. …He’s not even that good, honestly, now that I think about it.”
And yet, he still hasn’t gotten a tattoo on his body, because he always has and always will want Cristiano to design his first one. It’s the only impulsive decision he’s ever held out on making, despite multiple opportunities in San Francisco.
THE BITCH.
“I would be totally unrecognizable if I never met Zahra. She was always so tough and ballsy as a kid. She just like… refused to let anybody control her or talk down to her, and she made me decide I wanted to be a free agent, too. I woulda been Glenda’s meek little gentleman if I didn’t see the way she chewed that one ginger kid out for saying she was too tall for a girl.
“It sucks that she wound up spending more and more time with that catty cheerleader side of the gang. I was kinda hoping she would outgrow them, but I guess even Zahra Jackson wasn’t strong enough to withstand the gravitational pull of Elaine’s big head.
“I always thought it was a drag when she would bring them along to hang out. Not even because they were prissy and boring, but they just felt so…”
So much like his frigid mother.
“…So snide and snooty. And it sucked to see that rub off on her. ’Cus she always had that snappy lawyer brain and she definitely had what it took to play their game better than any of them if she wanted to, I just hoped she wouldn’t, y’know, want to. It was like, the more she hung out with them, the more it felt like she was using that Jackson moxie less to stand up for herself, and more to put other people below her. I don’t think that woulda happened if she stayed closer with, like, Zev and Frankie and Rocky or anybody more down-to-earth. I always thought it’d be cool if her and Libby buddied up, y’know, ’cus then her independence could’a rubbed off on Libs, too. But instead she took to those snobs like Alice and Lux, and now Libby’s always gonna associate assertiveness with the American Psychos who made her life hell, and she’s always gonna see people like Sabrina getting rewarded by Glenda for being a boring little angel who fell in line.” And maybe there’s some truth to that, that he’s trying to avoid. After all, he looked out for himself instead of following Glenda’s rules, and he turned out to be the most reprehensible man in California.
“I dunno. It’s fine, I guess. We basically drifted apart way before I left. I guess I’m happy for her if she’s happy being the don of the pom-pom mafia. Seems like a stressful scene to be in, if you ask me, but I’m over it. Anyway, why’d ya ask? Does she ever talk to you about me? What does she say?”
THE ROMANTIC.
“Man, this fucking bites. How was I supposed to know Mac is the best? We’re talking Sonic Youth every day, man. He knows The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Slint and Mr. Bungle.(*) He’s telling me I should give the drums another shot. He likes so much cool shit. He’s got such a stupid, dorky, nice sense of humor where he doesn’t have to make fun of anybody to crack a joke. He’s so… Lovable? …Dude. I can’t do this.
“It’s like I’m this shitty little kid in a Michael Myers mask I found in the street, and he’s like the nicest widowed old man on the block who’s just so excited some young whippersnappers came to his crazyass neighborhood, and he’s talking to me with this fuckin’ twinkle in his eye about how much he loved trick’r’treating as a kid, and stuff, and suddenly we’re bonding about John Carpenter movies and having a great time, and then finally it’s getting late, and bugs have been getting into his house the whole time I’ve been distracting him, and he finally, finally offers me the candy bowl… And I just yank it from his hands and dump the whole thing into my pillowcase and slam his own door in his face, and then I TP his house and take a big steamy dump on his lawn and skate away. Like, ‘hey man, thanks for the genuine human connection, I got what I came here for and you can shrivel up and die now.’ It’s like, I couldn’t be a phony for my mom’s sake, how am I supposed to be a phony for— alright, I’ll try to be a phony for Libby’s sake. But it’s fucking killing me. It’s like. Am I convincing myself we’re becoming friends for real just ’cus I’m trying to make myself feel less guilty? There’s always gonna be that ulterior motive, you know. And then it’s also like, I dunno… Imagine I throw away my soul to do this whole Glenda Logan fake-nice act and in the end all he has to give me is like… Raisinets. Y’know, just a total waste of a trick-r-treat. What if these letters are just ‘Lux’ telling him that I’m the guy who killed her? And maybe he’s got some faked photos, and he’s trying to investigate me? What if we’re both just schizophrenic, or something? I wish I could just ask outright, but it’s like… Prolonged exposure to this stupid town breaks people’s humanity, man. Everyone turns into a sicko eventually, no matter what. You seriously can’t trust anyone around here.”
Once upon a time, everyone thought that they could trust that upbeat clown Sonny Logan. And in the end, he egged everybody’s house. He knew better than anyone how underhanded a friend could be underneath a goofy, golden-hearted personality.
“Sorry, sorry. I’m going full Flagpole Sitta here. Ignore me. I’m just feeling kinda twitchy and paranoid after this weird conversation I had with Ted yesterday.”
The following players have 48 hours to meet Activity Guidelines or risk losing their role! Please message the admin if you need any hiatuses or extensions.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 7: BACK TO SCHOOL
SCENE 3: CHERRY COASTAL UNIVERSITY
Happy Fall, Fighting Cherries - and welcome back to school! Cherry is all but buzzing as college students flood their way back into town, and though the summer is officially coming to an end... Dusting off dorm rooms, and picking up schedules is just as exciting as endless nights on the beach, isn’t it?
Be sure to stop by the front office to collect your schedule from the counselors and DEAN HARGROVE - and stop in with the new librarian, NANNY CROMWELL, to purchase your books this semester!
The beginning of classes and our Club Fair are still a few days out... But until then, CCU has put together a slew of Orientation Activities for students to enjoy!
Have fun, Fighting Cherries! And Have a great year here at Cherry Coastal University!
ACTIVITIES:
ORIENTATION RAFFLE (SPONSORED BY THE CHERRY WITCHES):
Are you even a student at CCU if you don’t have a drawer full of Fighting Cherries merch? Can you call yourself a proud citizen if you aren’t repping our One Football team? Well, if your school pride is slacking, then look no further than Orientation Raffle! Drop your name into NANNY CROMWELL’S bucket - as well as a donation of $3 (Funneled directly into the Cherry Witches Town Miracles Fund!) - and you could be going home with nearly $300 worth of Fighting Cherries Spirit Garb! If school merch isn’t your thing, then consider stopping by for a complimentary tarot reading with PROFESSOR ASTRID VAN ALLEN and her assistant CRISTIANO VAN ALLEN on your how your school year is going to go!
MARASCHINO SNACKHOUSE:
Welcome to the newest, permanent, fixture on campus: The Maraschino Snackhouse! Not quite feeling the cafeteria? Or maybe you wanted to hear some live music and pound an espresso while you’re studying for your next class? Then look no further than ROCKY JACKSON and INDIGO ALDER’S latest venture! There’s no alcohol permitted on premises (Nobody tell the students!) but burgers, fries, espresso - pastries of every kind! - you name it, and you’ll be able to find it with Rocky and Indigo at the Maraschino Snackhouse... And if you love it, consider picking up an application for the schoolyear! It’s Full-Time students only... and they can only pay minimum wage! But the school credit? So worth it. Until then, RORY and ZAHRA JACKSON as well as ALICE ALDER will be helping out and running orders in between Orientation activities - so be sure to leave them some extra big tips for helping out!
DRINKS BY THE PIT:
Not so permanent, but beloved by CCU and it’s students is RONNIE RUSSELL’S Pit Stand! Summer may be over soon, but he’ll be serving Lemonade, Spritz’s - and the rest of the summer stock he couldn’t quite push on the tourists over the season! No worries, though, because the drinks are $2! (And we heard if you grease NOAH or CASEY RUSSELL’S palms a little - AND SHOW ID! - they’ll pour a shot or two of the House Rum in there for you! Just don’t tell Ronnie.) Happy orientation, Fighting Cherries - don’t have too much fun!
THE FIGHTING CHERRIES DANCE PARTY (SPONSORED BY BLOSSOM RECORDS:)
The perfect way to start the new school year, and get mingling with your fellow Fighting Cherries? A daytime Dance Party, of course! Thanks to LEO and MAC WALSH of Blossom Records - along with the help of LIBBY LOGAN - there’s a tent in the middle of the quad where you can boogie all of your schoolyear anxieties away before you even pick up your schedule! It’s $2 to request a song - money that Leo Walsh is generously funneling back into the Student Council for future dances - and $5 to dedicate any song of your choosing to another student... Feel like doing something romantic? Or maybe just having fun with a friend? Then stop by Blossom Records dance party! We promise Leo won’t just play 70s rock!
ARCHER FARM’S CHERRIES AND PIES:
Now that DELIA ARCHER no longer has Cherry’s Closet to occupy her time, she’s gone full force into making Archer Farm’s just as chic as can be! Her new goal is branding Archer Farm’s Mini Cherry Pies nationwide - but until she can accomplish those dreams, she’s starting with the CCU campus! It’s a semi-permanent fixture, but you can be sure to find ‘Archer Farm’s Cherries and Pies’ little booth being run from Wednesday-Sunday every week! Delia is accepting applications for Pie Girls and Boys, but until then, her daughter ELAINE ARCHER will be help running the pie stand for orientation week. Enjoy your sweet treats! (Even if they’re sure to come with a few dirty looks from the Archers... yikes.)
THE MINI ARCADE (SPONSORED BY THE SOUTH SIDE DRIVE-IN:
The South Side Drive-In thought it might be a little too complicated to show a movie in the middle of the day... So, instead they’ve decided to donate a few arcade machines for Orientation! Pac-Man, Gallaga, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time?! You name it, and the little tent that the Drive-In set up probably has it! Today, it’s been watched over by ROCKY ZHOU and a couple of other Southsiders... So be sure to see them if you want to have a little fun! (Or if you’re looking to re-up with your favorite dealer before we start the schoolyear! Just don’t look sus. Seriously.)
THE STUDENT INFORMATION TABLE:
What’s a new schoolyear without lost Freshman, and a bunch of kids looking for dorm assignments? If you’re one of those students then look no further than the Student Information Table! Thanks to the office and a few volunteers, everything you need is all in one place this year. Pick your schedules up from DEAN HARGROVE, get your dorm assignments from MADDIE WILSON, and if you have any questions, ask our Student Liaison HARVEY HARGROVE III! Finally, for all the Freshman - ZEV KING will be your one-stop-shop! Pick up maps, information about CCU, Cherry, and job applications from his little table in the quad - you won’t regret it if you’re looking to jump into the Fighting Cherries lifestyle!
Orientation Weekend will take place on the dash over the course of the next week ( - after which we will begin the Club Fair as well as classes! Your previous threads do not need to be halted, but all new threads started from this point forward should be focused on CCU Orientation!
TIME WARP THINGS: So, everyone is kind of going to have to bare with me concerning how the time warp works for everyone... The last year technically both happened, and did not happen.
For those of you who are freshman: YOU TECHNICALLY DID NOT ATTEND CCU LAST YEAR, AS YOU BELIEVE THIS IS YOUR FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE. Your character was still involved in ALL events and plot twists concerning CCU, and you can play it off in-character anyway you like. (i.e. taking a gap year, maybe you think high school JUST ended - it’s up to you! Don’t worry about your characters age, or the canon of when they all graduated. It’s SUPPOSED to be a mess with no rhyme or reason.)
For those of you who are not Freshman: IF YOU ATTENDED CCU LAST SEASON AS A SOPHOMORE OR HIGHER, YOU ARE REPEATING THAT YEAR - BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW IT’S A REPEAT. Your last year both happened and DID NOT happen... For example: If you were a sophomore last year, you are a sophomore again this year - but it’s not like you’re repeating a grade. It’s more like there are Two Sophomore years for everyone in every college everywhere, and you’re not going to question that!
It will be confusing - but it’s supposed to be confusing. The Time Warp operates as something that affects their day-to-day life - it makes things strange! The problem is that you can’t look directly at it, or think too hard about it... You can’t poke and prod, or the Time Warp will correct itself and make you forget again. It might even try to get rid of you if it thinks you’re learning too much - just ask Rory!
THINGS YOU CANNOT DO:
-Wonder why you’re repeating the year (Deja vu in small doses is okay! ‘This feels familiar,’ ‘Haven’t I done this already’ ‘Whoa, deja vu,’ vibes ONLY!)
-Reminisce about going to college last year (Freshman)
-Remember that you began college last year (Freshman)
-Mention the time warp directly in character or try to dissect it (note: technically you can, but The Narrator WILL interfere in your thread and wipe all characters memories that are involved in the thread, among other consequences! Those who have been to the mirrored side of Cherry - AKA sucked into the Time Warp - are the ONLY exception to this rule).
If you character did NOT attend CCU last year, then all is fairly normal for you! Carry on as if you’re starting at a new school! Just know that the same rules apply to you within reminiscing about other players time at CCU last year.
IF YOU ARE CONFUSED OR HAVE QUESTIONS, WHATEVER, MESSAGE EM! Some things might not have a straight forward answer, but we can try our best!
SEASON 2, EPISODE 6: HARGROVE LAKE
THE FINAL PART: GOING HOME
The Gang’s weekend at Hargrove Lake was supposed to be peaceful: time to mourn the Lux they had lost, and a chance to rekindle whatever friendship was still lingering through the heart of their meager swallow. All was not lost, at least, after their feeble attempt - some bonds may be stronger than ever, now, forged in the flames of a fiery weekend…
Others, though, seemed as good as burnt to ash: Crumbled and flicking through the atmosphere on its way to nowhere.
Maybe you had a slightly stressful night - maybe a fun little trip through space and time on Third Eye, or a full-on black out! Stories from over the course of the evening may not add up - not that anyone will really question it - but one story reigns true over the rest, and that is Rory Jacksons’.
On Third Eye, she was drawn to the haze of the invisible border that surrounds Cherry in the nonsensical rules of the Time Warp. She, once again - and of no fault of her own - blurred the lines between the town that tortures them, and the mirrored world on the other side that threatens their very existence.
Perhaps, that’s why they were all chased in the woods by a monster crafted from their own worst nightmares… torn, and slashed, and forced to burn down the Hargrove Lake House.
Is the Warp trying to correct itself? Or simply trying to cull those who are catching on to its occupancy of their home? It’s hard to say... But Kamilla Yang will certainly be interested to find out.
In the mirrored world of Cherry - the world that Rory, Mac, Jaspar, and Kamilla have all run around in - the Lake House will forever be burned to the ground, but Rory is the only one who will remember watching it burn. In the mirrored world of Cherry, the Gang’s blood is still spilled over the ground - they might still suffer from their injuries, but the memories of where they came from? Wholly erased. It’s just a shame that they’ll always remember the way that the Candy Girl tore them apart first.
The Gang are leaving the Lake House now... Maybe for the last time. And though each and every one of them is glad to be leaving: they know nothing much better is waiting for them back in the Proper.
EPISODE 6 IS COMPLETE.
The dash will take place in the space between Episode 6 and Episode 7: Back to CCU! The Gang has about a week left of the end of summer before school begins… Extras are on their way out of town, some are on their way back in! One thing is for sure, though: the “”calm”” before the storm doesn’t feel very calm at all.
THREADS WAKING UP THE MORNING AFTER THE LAKEHOUSE, LEAVING THE LAKE, AND ANYWHERE/ANYTIME IN CHERRY A WEEK AFTER THE LAKEHOUSE ARE FAIR GAME!
Welcome back to town, Sleuth! Hope you enjoy your stay… Because you’re never going home!
THE SLEUTH:
THEODORE “TED” LEWIS
DACRE MONTGOMERY, PLAYED BY HERMAN
“SO, HOW WELL DID YOU KNOW LUX LEWIS? AND, LIKE, BE TOTALLY HONEST… ARE YOU GLAD SHE’S GONE?”
Ted blinked in shock. He knew Cherry was prone to ridiculousness, but he figured the journalists would work to call it out instead of playing into it. At the very least, he hoped they’d be researched enough that he could get some info out of them. “Well...she was literally my cousin. So I’m definitely not glad she’s gone.” He said bluntly, staring at Clarissa like she was out of her mind. He recalled the call from his uncle, how messy the whole situation quickly became. News from Cherry just got worse and worse week by week. “I actually wish I knew Lux better than I did. Our families live so far away and we were pretty different growing up. Not a lot of fuel for some deep cousin connection or anything. That’s why I’m excited to meet her friends! I want to see the side of Lux y’all Cherriots got.” He chimed. It wasn’t a complete lie. In finding out what those people thought of Lux, he knew he could slowly but surely piece together the truth.
“WHAT ARE YOU PARENTS LIKE? DO YOU, LIKE, THINK YOU’RE ANYTHING LIKE THEM, OR DO YOU HAVE TOTAL MOMMY AND DADDY ISSUES?”
He blew a raspberry. His parents are objectively terrible. Emotionally distant but constantly meddling with the trajectory of his life. “I mean...my uncle and aunt are still grieving. This is my second time visiting since Lux died. They didn’t even make it to the funeral.” He explained. It was all too familiar to Ted by this point. They probably wouldn’t even show up to their own son’s memorial if it wasn’t going to make them money. Bottom-lines and appearances seemed to be their main worry most of the time. He tilted his head as he glanced toward Clarissa, flirtatiously. “Are you into guys with mommy issues or what?” He asked. Clarissa’s disgusted glare told him everything he needed to know. He lifted his hands in defeat and laughed. “In all seriousness, I respect my parents. They’re hardworkers and I’m getting my education because of it. But I’ll be damned if I end up anything like 'em.”
“YOU CAN BE HONEST WITH ME… WHO DO YOU THINK MURDERED LUX?”
Ted squinted at Clarissa. “Do y’all really consider that up for debate?” He inquired, leaning forward. “Don’t get me wrong...I wanted nothing more than to believe that someone did this to Lux...” He paused. He didn’t just want to believe it. He had empirical evidence at this point. Someone in this town was hiding something, and the worst part is that it was someone close to his cousin. When he did narrow it down, it would be too late for accusations. Ted backed himself that much. He planned to root out who was at fault before the trees even began to redden. “As hard as it is to admit. We have to accept that Lux was going through more than any of us knew about. All of that energy speculating on who fucking dunnit should be put towards something else. Like iunno...maybe supporting her loved ones instead of interrogating and ostracizing them all the damn time. I don’t have my certifications or anything yet, but I’ve studied enough to know that none of those kids are okay after some shit like that. Y’all could have a lot more dead kids on your hands.” He spoke, gesticulating with his hands all the while. In reality, Ted knew one thing. When he found out which one of those bastards were responsible for pulling a wool over this town’s eyes...a premature death will be the least of their worries.
SOLVING THE CASE OF LUX LEWIS - A TED LEWIS INITIATIVE
aka Ted had been using Lux’s high school yearbook and annotating pictures of the gang with sticky notes, because he’s fucking crazy passionate
Step One: RORY
From what I’ve heard, Rory is friends with Noah and Zev. That’s really unfortunate. She’s mighty pretty and definitely undeserving of whatever backstabbing is coming her way from those nerds.
I’ve listened to those damn tapes back to back...and nothing suggests that Rory has a hand in this. I think she’s my best bet in forming a real connection. Who knows, maybe down the line we’ll get to take down Lux’s killer together. She seems like a smart enough lady.
One more time for good measure: she’s a fucking rocket.
Step Two: ELAINE
If things don’t work out with Rory, Elaine’s my next target. She was pretty buddy buddy with Lux if I remember correctly. And she wasn’t in town when Lux died. Good things.
She’s a fucking rocket too.
Honestly...Lux has some really attractive friends.
Focus, idiot!
There’s the whole lady on lady thing between her and Lux. That’s a fucking bummer, to be honest. I obviously can’t confront her about it...it’d completely blow my cover. But I think if I insert myself into her life, I could get her to lean on me. Definitely a long-con...but not really because she does actually look like someone who could use a good friend.
Step Three: NOAH
This smug son of a bitch is gonna be a hard nut to crack. The tapes said something about him being a little bit of an outsider? So probably on the quiet shy side? Those are the mofos with the most to hide.
Since coming to town I keep hearing confirmation about what was said on the tapes. Some photo of him and Lux the night she passed? I have lots of reasons at this point to believe Noah had something to do with what happened to Lux that night.
He’s like a writing nerd or something? I’ve gone to school with that type of kid. I’ll just plan a meetcute where I walk past him in public and drop my “signed” copy of The Giver. Make some conversation about our favorite writers. Invite him to look over some of those stupid stories I wrote for non-fiction and get as much information as I can out of him.
If he really did kill Lux...I’m gonna have to really lay this whole “Southern Gentleman Ted” act on him real thick. But I got this.
CHERRY, USA
EPISODE 6, SPECIAL RELEASE COMPANION:
HARGROVE LAKE
IN THE PROPER: THE BOARDWALK
While the Gang spend their time at the Lakehouse, Mayor Hargrove has opened up the boardwalk to those celebrating the end of the summer - and for one night only, all rides are free! Come one, come all! Bring friends, bring family! The ORCHARD SHORE BOARDWALK is your playground for the night!
The Southsiders will certainly be taking Hargrove up on the sentiment. For them, it’s one of their very first real moves into the Proper, by order of the Big Dogs - and the beginning of a brand new craze that the likes of Cherry haven’t seen since the mid 60’s.
WELCOME TO THE DAWN OF THE THIRD EYE!
The Southsiders will be mingling, passing out free samples in the shadows - and though nobody is being drugged like the Gang is, they certainly aren’t being stingy with the goods tonight.
You know what they always say! The best way to see Cherry is from the top of the Ferris Wheel with your Third Eye all the way open.
ACTIVITIES:
THE FOOD STALLS:
Up for something dipped in batter, fried off, and covered in powdered sugar? Maybe a cheeseburger that could feel a small family? Then head on over to the Food Stalls! Your one stop shop for fair fare of all kinds, it’s a beloved staple of the Orchard Shore Boardwalk... Even if it’s lead to more than one upchuck incident on the coasters! And good news - Mayor Hargrove has spared no expense in his farewell to the Summer! All food is half off on his dime!
THE RIDES:
Coasters built for all ages, a Ferris Wheel, and a Tunnel of Love? Orchard Shore has it all, and for one night only, you don’t need any tickets for entry! The lines might be a little longer than usual, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from queueing up for the chance to be whipped through Cherry’s tallest heights at high speed!
...Or from whisking their latest crush through the Tunnel of Love! What better place to fool around than a creepy little dark ride built in 1953... right?
THE SKYLINE :
The Skyline is one of the Boardwalk’s most famous attractions, and it spans the length of most of Orchard Shore beach! Hop in one of the ride cars made for two, and take a leisurely glide far above the boardwalk - one off the best ways to take in the sights of Cherry, it’s horizon, and it’s beloved Cherry Orchards!
THE BEACH:
Tired of the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk tonight? Rumor has it that the beach is strangely secluded for a summer night! Feel like having a quick chat? A rendezvous in the sand, or the trip of your life in the lifeguard stand? Then you better head on down to the Orchard Shore! Because it looks like your secrets are safe with the waves tonight.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 6: HARGROVE LAKE
SCENE 2: THE LAKE HOUSE
It’s the day after a fateful game of truth or dare, and though some may have woken up with a pounding headache - and a little more clarity than the night before - one thing is for sure... They’re not going to let it stop them from a day full of fun in the sun!
Harvey Hargrove the Third has made sure that the Gang is without wanting, and has even been generous to help set up a few different activities throughout the day. Feel like going out? Staying in? Drinking your hangover away on the water? It doesn’t matter what your whims are - just have fun!
...And make sure you don’t wander off too far! You never know what kind of surprises are waiting for you in the Redwoods.
ACTIVITIES:
HARGROVE LAKE:
Hargrove Lake is obviously the centerpiece of Lake House activities, and for good reason. It’s beauty is only matched by the amount of entertainment you can find in it’s ebb and flow! Whether you feel like swimming, floating, playing around in the water or the sand - you can do it all on the Lake! There’s refreshments, toys, and plenty of sunscreen to go around... So, sit back and enjoy the music that Harvey will be bumping all weekend!
THE REDWOODS:
Hiking is always an option if you feel like being slightly more adventurous! There’s 1 marked trail - totally on every map of Cherry Township - and another trail used only by the Hargroves. They’ve been hiking it for generations, and it’s pretty clearly marked... but those who aren’t careful have been known to get lost from time to time. The risk is up to you!
THE HAMMOCKS:
Feel like being outside, but close enough to the Lake House that you can feel that sweet, expensive, Hargrove air-conditioning breezing out of the house? Then post up in the backyard with a cocktail, and have a little swing in the hammocks! Go along, or bring a buddy... They say it’s much more fun with a friend.
THE GAME ROOM:
If there’s one thing the extended Hargrove family loves, it’s a good game night! And that’s basically the only reason why the game room is so lively. There’s dusty old copies of just about every board game you can think of - and more than a few sets of cards, dominos, chess, checkers, you name it! There’s cozy little chairs - a table to do puzzles - and your friends might be bunked in there, but they don’t mind if you use it. Honest!
THE DEN:
Feel like watching movies all day? Napping away your hangover? Then get cozied up in the den! Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future, the Goonies, and and Pretty in Pink are all queued up on the VCR today - there’s enough snacks sprawled out to feed a small army. Have the movie marathon of your life.
Part I of the Hargrove Lake has officially begun, which means all previous threads for the Main Characters must be halted! They will only be permitted to post Hargrove Lake threads from now on, but as always, if you need a place to finish your threads please request a discord channel.
All townies are still in Cherry Township, so please feel free to have them run around before school is in session again! Have fun at the Lake House while you can... Things can’t stay calm in cherryusa forever!
SEASON 2, EPISODE 5: LUX DAY
SCENE 2: THE LAKE HOUSE
When you're a kid growing up in Cherry, the Witches always warn you to stay out of the Redwoods. The old ladies would spin tales of urban legends, and trapped souls - 'careful!' They would warn, 'The Witch of the Woods might keep you!'
The truth was that children running around in the expanse of towering trees was enough to make any older Cherriot just a little nervous. Who knew just how easy it would be to get lost within the labyrinth of redwood? Who was to say what creatures might lie out in the uninhabited border of their beloved town? Better safe than sorry, no?
Harvard Hargrove II, however, had never exactly succumb to the same worries when it came to his son, and his friends.
The Hargrove Lakehouse lay only half an hour outside of Cherry, but it might as well be hours away for just how secluded it felt. The house was big, boasting seven bedrooms, and just as many bathrooms to match; it’s view of Hargrove lake - the only private lake in Cherry Township - was obviously unmatched. It was the furthest you could get without crossing over town borders, and for just as long as Harvey the Third could accompany himself through the woods, the Gang had been coming to the lake house to get away.
It was their first time here since the older bunch had graduated High School, but the familiarity still hit each of them like a brick wall... Like Lux should have come bounding down from the steps of the expansive home to greet them, just like she usually did when Harvey invited the Gang to relax for a few days before school was back in session. The realization - the reminder that she was gone - hurt... But that was why they were here, wasn't it?
To celebrate their friend - to mourn the loss of good days, and to try and make some more of them. Let's just hope that nobody has in anything in store for them on their few days in the woods.
COMING SOON...
“SCENE 2: THE LAKEHOUSE” WILL BEGIN ON DISCORD WITH A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE HOUSE. THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, THE GANG WILL GET SETTLED IN THEIR ROOMS, MAKE LUNCH ON THE LAKE, AND GATHER FIREWOOD.
SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BE OUR PLOT EVENT - AND THE END OF THE GANG’S FIRST NIGHT AT THE LAKEHOUSE! BE READY FOR FUN AND GAMES... AND MAYBE A LITTLE DRAMA.
AFTER OUR PLOT EVENT, YOU WILL BE FREE TO BEGIN LAKEHOUSE THREADS ON THE DASH, BEGINNING ON THE GANG’S SECOND DAY ON THE LAKE! UNTIL THEN, THE DASH WILL BE DEDICATED TO WRAPPING UP DRIVE-IN THREADS. PLEASE PRIORITIZE FINISHING THEM, AS YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THEM ONCE THE GANG IS AT THE LAKEHOUSE. (THOUGH, YOU MAY ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE IN THE DISCORD SERVER!)
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE THOSE AT THE LAKEHOUSE ARE MAIN CHARACTERS ONLY. ALL TOWNIES WILL BE GIVEN FREE REIGN OF CHERRY WHILE THE GANG IS AT THE LAKEHOUSE!
ROOM ASSIGNMENTS:
ROOM 1, THE MASTER BEDROOM - 1 KING BED: ZAHRA & RORY
ROOM 2, HARVEY’S BEDROOM - 1 KING BED: HARVEY
ROOM 3, THE FAMILY GUEST - 1 QUEEN BED, 1 BUNK BED: ELAINE, CRISTIANO & KITTY
ROOM 4, THE KID’S ROOM - 2 BUNK BEDS: CASEY, FRANKIE & MAC
ROOM 5, THE GAME ROOM - 1 LOFT, 1 TWIN BED: LIBBY & SAVANNAH
Everyone say hello to the Mannequin! And count the minutes until we say goodbye - or RIP!
THE MANNEQUIN:
ELAINE ARCHER
RENEE RAPP, PLAYED BY B, 23, EST
“SO, HOW WELL DID YOU KNOW LUX LEWIS? AND, LIKE, BE TOTALLY HONEST… ARE YOU GLAD SHE’S GONE?”
Elaine knew Lux far better than she’d care to admit, probably better than anyone else in town if she had to guess. It’d always felt like they were the most honest with each other under the cover of night, pressed together in the back of Lux’s car or one of their bedrooms with the door tightly locked under the guise of a sleepover, whispering things in the dark never to be mentioned again in the daylight. No one knew those things, of course. As far as everyone else was concerned they were connected only through Harvey and had gone their separate ways just as the Prince and Princess of Cherry Proper had.
She’d cared for Lux, maybe she’d even loved her- she couldn’t be sure. But she loved her reputation more and things with Lux just didn’t fit into her parents’ picture-perfect world. Elaine couldn’t sever the tie between herself and her family, not when she had no idea who she was without their connections and prestige. She’d given herself six years to figure it all out between Undergraduate and Graduate school before Lux had went and... well, she didn’t like to think about that either. So as much as she missed her, as much as she felt a stabbing pain in her heart that she could only assume was grief whenever her name came up, a part of her was relieved that all of those secrets had died with her. Maybe Harvey had seen them kiss and maybe the Candygirl had some sort of idea that they’d been together, but would figure out away around those things somehow. Lux Lewis never would have been stopped or outsmarted, not even by Elaine.
“Not super well, if I’m honest. We ran in the same circle, but we never particularly hit it off,” she shrugs, “Of course I’m not glad she’s gone. It’s always sad when someone dies, especially so young. What kind of fucked up question is that?”
“WOULD YOU, LIKE, CALL YOURSELF POPULAR? BECAUSE YOU KNOW, CHERRY CAN BE A TOTAL POPULARITY CONTEST SOMETIMES.”
“I don’t know, Clarissa. Would you call the Prom Queen, (Co-, tiny detail!) Captain of the Cheer squad, and six time Little Miss Cherry winner popular?” Her popularity was a badge of honor that she’d always worn proudly, flaunting it every time she had the chance. It wasn’t something that had come naturally to her, but it had been taught to her just as hard as the bible. While other little girls were playing with Barbies and kitchen sets, Elaine was learning dining etiquette, complicated ballet routines, and how to step on everyone that was in your way to get to the top. She was raised to be the best and goddammit, she was the best, and she wasn’t ashamed of that. “Hm? You tell me.”
“ARE YOU EVER SCARED OF LIVING HERE?”
Elaine had pretty much always been scared of living in Cherry, for completely different reasons than the obvious ones that were now laid out in front of all of them. For as long as she could remember she’d felt trapped here, doomed to be the girl her parents’ had dreamt of and not the one she really was. She used to have dreams that the stupid street statues were holding her down while her mother sewed a smile onto her face... totally weird and something she’d never admit, not even to her non-existent diary. Now, she was scared for a whole new list of reasons, starting with the hit that seemed to be placed on blonde heads and ending with the psychopath who was blackmailing her to stay. “At this point, I think people who say they aren’t scared of living here are lying or insane,” she scoffs, “We’ve had several murders this year alone and a total weirdo running around threatening to spill everyone’s secrets. I’d say I’m a healthy amount of frightened. Wouldn’t you?”
