want it fast; want it hard

HUNTER CLARINGTON junior - seventeen - single honor student, future most likely to succeed, coffee addict better than most people, not afraid to say it. not interested in dealing with people who aren't worth my time so unless you can make it worthwhile, don't bother me.

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

“Oh - are you sur–?” she began but somewhat cut herself off, ‘cause honestly could have offered to split the bill like a millisecond earlier but now there was a slight awkwardness and tension hanging in the air and she was totally ready to be outside in the cool breeze where they could shake it off. “Thanks. I’ll get the next one.” she offered, genuine with a soft smile before letting him head towards the counter. 

Sending a quick text to her foster parents to let them know that all was well and they were on the way to the concert while he was away, she slipped her phone back into her pocket when Hunter came back with dessert in hand. Now a wider smile brightened her features. “Sweet tooth?” she quipped dismissing any discomfort a bit playfully as she pressed her back against the glass door to hold it open for him. 

The sun had just about set while they were inside the restaurant, so while there was a faint glow cast along the skyline, the street lights were now needed to light the way. The blonde found her place close beside him. The walk to the lot didn’t take long but the moment they approached, Marissa could tell she had vastly underestimated how many people showed up to these folk-indie outdoor concerts. Surveying the crowd, she bit her lip softly as she turned to Hunter to offer him a look. She wasn’t exactly one for crowds, not that she was claustrophobic or anything… but taking the lead and navigating her way through close knit people was not something she was prepared to tackle on her own. “I…may have underestimated what this thing was going to look like,.” It was unlike her, she was a planner, to her core. But what could she say? She was excited to hang out with Hunter, and it through her off her game.

There were far too many people in attendance at this thing. That was the first thought Hunter had as they approached the lot. The second was a curiosity over how so many people could be interested in this sort of a group. Sure, maybe it was a bit hypocritical to be questioning why others were there when he himself was in attendance, but he hadn’t chosen this, not really. This had just been an excuse to go out with - no, this was just a pleasant time hanging out with a friend. That was all. Regardless, he hadn’t chosen the music. 

A quick glance at the blonde made Hunter realize their position. There were a lot of people and they would have to navigate their way through crowds to find a place to go - a task that Marissa didn’t seem too keen to take the lead on. He was going to regret this. That was his last thought before Hunter reached out, taking Marissa’s hand into his own, giving her a quick ‘hold my hand’ before he began weaving through the packs of people. 

Crowds had never been his thing. Truth be told, Hunter hated them but then again he hated people in general whether there was two or a dozen. So, when they were finally in a spot clear enough to settle down, he let out a sigh and stopped. “I think this might be the best we’re going to get.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

The corners of her lips pulled into a smile as she walked him speak. She wasn’t a dancer herself, so certainly wouldn’t be the one to fault in him his dancing. But it was fun to picture, ever bad dancing was honestly cute to picture. She wondered if that extended to things like… school dances. Marissa had always opted out or showed up with people from her clique only to leave early so she could help when one of them got slushied. She tried to brush off the thought now, because - this was them hanging out. Imagining some alternate universe where they went to something like that as a pair was only going to set her up for disappointment in the long run. 

She felt herself getting pink when he complimented her physique, insisting she could have been a cheerio if she had stuck with it. “Yeah, I don’t know… I’m happy where I am now… and who knows if I would have liked it enough to sick it out… I definitely thing things certain things would have been different if I had gone in that route.” she thought out-loud, catching his gaze as she did so. She hadn’t meant to call them out but now totally looked like she had, and it honestly wasn’t a lie. It was pretty obvious the two of wouldn’t have ever needed to be on eggshells if they ran in similar circles. But now she was embarrassed. And thankful to take notice of the clock across the shop. 

“Uh, The concerts gonna start soon, do you wanna head over? It’s just a couple blocks away and we can probably get a good spot on the grass. If the crowds not too big”  

The smile that stretched out the corner of his lips lowered just a bit at the girl’s words. She was right, it was the decisions they made – and some that were thrust onto them – that put them in this position. He couldn’t deny that he did hide her. After all, they were at this semblance of a date far away from anyone else – where no one from their respective groups could ever see them and expose their friendship. It wasn’t fair to her and in a way, it wasn’t fair to him either. To have to hide someone who made him happy just so he wouldn’t face any consequences, it was fucked up. “I know.” Hunter practically whispered as he let her words sink in for just a moment longer.

Then came the excuse of having to get going. “Right, right. We should probably head on over there then.” It was easier to just ignore the awkwardness, to pretend that things hadn’t taken a bit of a turn between them and instead just continue on as if nothing had happened. “I’m going to – I’m going to go take care of the check and I’ll be right back, then we can head out?”

Eventually he would have to face this, face his own feelings that had been welling up inside of him whenever he saw the girl. No. That couldn’t see the light of day. There were just some things that weren’t mentioned and this was one of them. As Hunter made his way up to the counter, he shook the thought off, instead choosing to focus on paying the bill and even asking for the place’s best selling dessert to go. This wasn’t a date, he was just out with a good friend, having a good meal and maybe buying a slice of whatever sold best there to share later – not a date. Returning to Marissa, dessert in hand, Hunter smiled slightly. “Alright, I think we’re ready to go.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Marissa just nodded and replied with a smooth “totally” when Hunter explained his and Kurt’s lineage. Truth was, she didn’t really know how that was - growing up in the foster system from a young age meant sometimes you end up moving around to a few households before you wind up in one that works out. Which, she didn’t consider a total sob story - she had ended up with people who genuinely cared for her now, but having childhood friends that stuck despite all the relocation? It just wasn’t in the cards for her. So even though, from her perspective within her clique - Kurt could be the worst -  it was nice to get a different perspective of him as Hunter’s best friend.  

Listening as Hunter explained the story in full, the blonde found herself emmersed just picturing it. Not that there was anything wrong with being a cheerio, she just hadn’t seen Hunter that way before. “Oh god, I wish I could have seen that.” On no planet would she ever be alone in a backyard with Hunter, Blaine and Kurt without there being some sort of social implication but it was still fun to think about. “I don’t doubt you could lift him” she said easily, eyes flickering to Hunter’s arms. Even covered, it wasn’t hard to notice their tone. She would be lying that even in her drunk haziness at the party - she could still remember how strong and secure they felt around her. “but i’ve never seen you dance before. You should perform it for me. A private show, for introducing you to the best pizza in Ohio” she teased, a soft laugh bubbling from her chest.

“You know, I almost tried out for the cheerios at the beginning of sophomore year.” Something he had never really told anyone. A fact her own clique would easily shun her for… becoming /one of those mindless drones/, Obviously she didn’t feel the same way, but still. Telling him, though? Super easy. She could feel herself letting go of the shyness that seemed to always seep in when ever the two of them were this close.  "I figured it would be a good way to put myself out there. Plus, it looks good on college applications to be diverse in your extra curriculars.“ she added, though she was sure he was well aware. "but I saw coach sue totally tear apart a freshman and I just couldn’t go through with it. I mean, she left crying and I’m pretty sure it’s not a coincidence she’s now homeschooled.” the girl quipped, eyes widening a little in mock terror. “So, I joined the Mathletes instead. Didn’t exactly help put me out there but i’m good at it. Our uniforms aren’t quite as flattering but what can ya do" 

Hunter chuckled softly in amusement, a bit of surprise washing over him at how easy it was to tell her this story. It wasn’t exactly as if he had been embarrassed to help his best friend and the cheerios were certainly nothing to scoff at when it came to the high school totem pole, but still, it had been a moment where Hunter hadn’t had to worry about his status at school and instead had just been able to have a fun time with two of his best friends. Such vulnerability wasn’t easy to just let out. At least, it wasn’t easy to just let out with anyone but Marissa it seemed. “Oh, I can’t dance. I was horrible that entire day and I’m fairly certain that Blaine was ready to just rack me up as a lost cause. If I hadn’t been the only one who would lift Kurt with ease that day, I probably would have been written off as a lost cause. So, I guess you could say that my workout routines saved the day. And…that I wasn’t going to become a cheerio anytime soon.”

He glanced over at the girl then, taking her appearance in from head to two before nodding slightly. “I think you would have been a good cheerio. I mean, you have the look for it and I’m just sort of guessing, but it looks like you do have some muscle mass there so you’d be able to do most of the routines. Others you could work up to. Sue is…a lot, but she has her reasons, even if she is intense. She just wants champions, but I bet you could have stuck it out.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Honestly if you had told her, before school started, that her and Hunter Clarington would be sitting alone in a tiny pizza shop outside of Lima enjoying each other’s company… the blonde genuinely would have bought it. It was amazing how easy things flowed between the two of them despite their different backgrounds, which made this setting especially nice. Right now, it was just a boy and a girl, eating pizza, sharing stories and perhaps a longing look or two. At least on Marissa’s end, her blue eyed gaze only falling slightly when Hunter said he liked hearing her talk. All in all, she was much more comfortable in this setting, which showed in the way her features remained relaxed despite their close proximity.  So, as he continued, the girl couldn’t help the look of amusement that washed over her features. “I find it hard to believe anything about you is boring.” she thought out loud, instantly feeling a bashful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“No way.” she tried to picture it, the boys on the field drilling a routine that was  Sue Sylvester level of elaborate. “Now this, I have got to hear.” She insisted, dusting off her hands before she offered her pinky as if to prove it. Quirking a brow, she looked down at her own hand and then back up to the handsome boy before her. “I swear.. on the grave of my late and great goldfish Lenny” she teased, as though that held a heavy weight. It may have been in jest but it’s not like the sentiment behind it wasn’t true.  "that your secret is safe with me.“

Latching his pinky with hers, Hunter smiled down at their entangled figures before offering up a small chuckle at her promise. Only two other people had been allowed in the room that day, both sworn to secrecy as to what had happened and now, there would be a third that knew the story. Though he couldn’t put a finger on it as to why, there was something about sitting there with the girl that made Hunter almost want to let down his walls and allow her inside – almost. He was quiet for a moment, thinking of the best way to start the story before finally nodding. “Alright, so, this was when Kurt was still relatively new to the squad and he was still feeling a little insecure about asking for help outside of those he trusted. Well, he and I have been best friends practically since we were born. You know how it is.”

Everyone did. It went without saying – those in power stuck with those in power and the Claringtons and the Hummels had power. So, the moment the couples had two sons, it had practically been written in stone that the boys would play together, grow up together, and form an alliance to carry into the next generation. “Anyway, he needed help with a routine that involved some lifting and he’s not exactly big, but it’s not something you want to entrust with just anyone. He asked me to help him, but I couldn’t just lift him when the time came. He needed to work through the whole routine and the only way I was going to be in the right position to lift him as necessary within the routine was if I did it all with him and was in position when the time came just as anyone else from the squad would be. Blaine helped us with form and it was just…a long afternoon. I can tell you that.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Marissa had been crazy nervous all day. They had never called it a date and she didn’t want to make any assumptions that could sway him from wanting to go but  - they were going out of town together, they were going to actually be able to just spend time together free from leering gazes or anyone’s judgement. The thought was exciting and nerve wracking all at once. So by the time he had come by to pick her up… the blonde had changed her jacket twice, questioned what shoes she was wearing and listened to a couple kids in the house teased about the entire situation. That’s why, as soon as he arrived at her door - she made the effort to keep their time there at a minimum, basically shooing her foster family (of course, after her mom insisted on getting all the contact information she needed, to which Marissa had to appreciate. She often reminded herself just how lucky she was to have a foster family who really cared. Some were not so lucky. 

It wasn’t long before they were outside of Lima and to be honest it even kind of felt different. It was easy to forget that Lima was just one tiny town among many in the grand scheme of things. Especially now, when she was sitting beside him on a pub style chair at a table beside a huge window front facing the street. Huge slice of, admittedly really great pizza in front of her. Her body, noticeably more relaxed than normal now that, well, she didn’t have to worry about someone throwing a slushy in her face. 

“…And so yeah, they insisted on homemade and I guess they saw professionals tossing pizza dough in the air on the food network or something - because they thought it would be a good idea to try it.  One ceiling fan and a whole lot of mess later, we ended up getting delivery… the kids were pretty upset that licorice pizza wasn’t going to be their great new invention.”  she rambled on about her family. It was an easy topic to dive into since her house was filled with so many personalities. It dawned on her that she didn’t know all that much about his.

 "Sorry, I feel like I haven’t stopped since we got here. Feel free to throw in any stories of your own. The more embarrassing, the better.“ she joked, as though hearing one would put them on an event playing field. Eyes scanning over him, she tried not to make it obvious that she was checking him out as she took a sip from her plastic straw.

He hadn’t known what to think when they had agreed to this dinner and then the show. Sure, it had all the makings of a date and if it had been any other girl, he would have considered it a date, acting in all the ways expected of him during dates. Yet, with Marissa, it was different. Somehow the girl always managed to make him feel at ease and comforted while also setting him on edge. Hunter had never thought it was possible for one person to make his heart feel both calm and as though it was about to explode in the same instance, yet that’s how he felt every time he came into contact with her. Meeting her family – although briefly – had been an interested experience, more so when Marissa’s foster mother had insisted that she get all of Hunter’s contact information as well as a number for his parents in case of emergency.

It wasn’t long though before they were alone once again – as alone as one could be in a busy little restaurant. “Well, at least you all got a good story out of it, even if the kids didn’t get licorice pizza from the whole deal.” He paused then, considering his words for a moment before clearing his throat. When leaving that evening, his parents had questioned where he was going so late and when he would be back, though it was more passive than an actual interest in his life. Without much thought, Hunter had said he was going out on a date and for a moment his parents had seemed interested. That is, they were interested until he noted exactly who the date was with. It wasn’t as if they weren’t fond of Marissa. In his mother’s words, she was a ‘nice girl’ but they expected different from him. They expected someone like Madison McCarthy or Quinn Fabray, girls with a good name behind them and a powerful family.

“It doesn’t bother me. I like to hear you talk. Besides, I don’t really have any stories about my family like that. We’re pretty…average…perhaps even boring in that regard. As for my own stories, well…I suppose I could tell you of the time I attempted to practice a Cheerio routine with Kurt, but you’ll be sworn to secrecy.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

She could feel a blush wash over her cheeks when he winked. She couldn’t help the visceral reaction and she looked down at her hands with a soft chuckle to hide it the best she could. “Right, well. Quinoa wild is top tier wildness so be careful what you wish for.” she joked, knowing very well that wild wasn’t exactly her definer… and that was okay. The last time she had gone too far out of her comfort zone had ended up a little disastrous … which in turn only reinforced that fact. She knew she would give in on the idea of sushi though - if only to take him up on the idea of there being ‘another time’. 

“Well, there’s still a few days. I’ll send you a playlist of my favorites.” the blonde offered, as she began to pack up her things before throwing her bag over her shoulder. As much as she wanted to stay and hang out, she always worried about overstaying her welcome - and admittedly found it kind of odd how Hunter’s parents hadn’t questioned who she was yet. “I should get going, I told dad I’d meet him at the hardware store. But I’m really looking forward to Friday night.” she admitted, in a moment of candor. She closed the space between them, moving forward to wrap her arms around him in a gentle hug to say goodbye, letting herself enjoy it for only a second before leaning back out of the embrace. “– And thanks again for being a special kind of crazy and letting me borrow that novel. Really, I’m still not over it.”

The hug was a bit unexpected, though Hunter did his best not to let that show as his arms came up to wrap around her as well. Physical contact wasn’t exactly something he engaged in often, but he had to admit, having Marissa pressed up against him wasn’t the worst thing in the world. “If you could do that, that would be great actually. That way I might actually know a song or two from them instead of looking completely lost there in the crowd. But...yeah, I’m looking forward to it as well.” Once he figured it was the appropriate amount of time, he pulled away slowly, letting his arms fall to his sides as he slightly cleared his throat, partially out of need while the other part was simply from nerves. “Please, don’t’ mention it. Books are meant to be read and I knew you would enjoy actually getting some use out of it. What good was it going to do just sitting on my shelf? As I’ve said before, you’re welcome to borrow anything from my library, even the rare books that you think shouldn’t be lent out to anyone. So, um, I’ll see you Friday night.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

It was a rare occasion Marissa found herself excited about Friday night plans, but right now, she was already ready for this week to end. Outside of town, she could just be Marissa and he could just be Hunter. Two people enjoying each other’s company, with out the commentary and judgement of those who put them in a labelled box. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but dinner and a concert sure sounded like a date - which ignited both giddiness and nervousness within her. The good kind, though. The kind she welcomed with opened arms. 

At his question she let out a soft hum in thought. “Well, I’m raw vegan until 4pm, always gluten free. Fat free. Low carb… and generally I only eat places where their specials are made up of Kale.” She shrugged, before quirking a brow. “Maybe quinoa if I’m feeling wild.” If it wasn’t already obvious that she was totally kidding, a soft laugh that followed gave it away. “I’m really not picky, as long as it’s cooked. I haven’t been able to jump on the sushi bandwagon.” To be honest, she’d happy at a hole in the wall pizza place, with limited seating and 0 formality, as long as the company was good; which of course she had no doubts that, that department couldn’t get any better. 

“Rumor has it there’s a hidden treasure in Clovedale. It’s all; bar stools facing the windows and fluorescent lighting but apparently it’s the best pizza in Ohio. Which is a pretty impressive title, if you ask me.”  

Though he knew that she was joking, Hunter couldn’t help but think about the number of girls he had met – some that he had went out with – who had diets similar to what Marissa was poking fun at. While he would never be the type to try and shame someone for watching what they ate or having preferences, there were moments where it just went way too far. “Well we’ll have to make sure that we find a place that’s vegan, gluten free, and has some quinoa in their dishes because I’m looking forward to seeing you be a little wild.” With a wink that he knew drove girls insane, the boy backed away then, a shyer smile coming to his lips. “I’ll have to work towards making you a sushi person, but that can be for another time. For now, I can work with best pizza in Ohio if that’s what you would like.”

Clearing his throat then, Hunter glanced down at the floor before finally looking back up at her. “So…that’s settled. I’ll pick you up, we’ll get dinner, then we’ll see about this concert of yours. I’ll have to check out their music beforehand. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of them. I’m sure it will be great though.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

While realistically, she knew he had only paused a moment before answering her, the pause felt insanely long and she found herself feeling extremely relieved when he didn’t give her some excuse about being busy or blow her off all together. Not that she thought he’d be so cold, but putting herself out on a limb caused her mind to imagine the worst case scenario.

But his soft smile was honestly gorgeous and sweet and caused her to mirror the expression with one of her own. Even suggesting dinner? She tried not to full on grin. “Yeah! Yeah, that sounds great. I love food.” I love food? She cringed at how lame that sounded immediately after she vocalized it but it was too late. It was out there. Lifting her planner and slipping only one of the tickets back inside before she motioned towards the faux leather bound notebook,  “I’ll put it in my planner.” she teased, though it was probably something she would actually do, more than likely carefully jotting in later on that night. 

“Yeah? I’m pretty fond of food myself.” He chuckled softly before accepting one of the tickets for himself and pushing it deep into his back pocket. Seeing her smile brought a bit more joy to him as he watched her pull out her notebook. “Please do.” Though he didn’t want to call it a date out loud for fear of being corrected, Hunter couldn’t help but think of the entire thing as a date as he began to plan it in his head. With this, they would get the chance to get out of town, away from those that watched their every moves, away from those that said they shouldn’t enjoy each other’s company. Finally they would be able to just have fun without having to worry about someone seeing and without having to hide away in the cover of his family’s home.

“So, you love food. What kind of food do you like? That way I can go ahead and plan for a place ahead, see about reservations.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

When Hunter revealed the inscription on the back cover of the book, Marissa bottom jaw fell in surprise. She reached up and delicately ran her fingers over the page as if to prove that it was legitimate. “Are you serious?” she questioned, as though the proof wasn’t very literally right in front of her face. “Hunter, that’s so cool.” Shaking her head, if the tables were turned Marissa would have had that book in the safest spot possible, guarding it with everything she had and making sure no one - especially the rambunctious children in her household.  A smile fell over her lips as she became sincere. “Well, thank you for trusting me with it." 

At his question, she raised her brows as if he had just called her out. It was true, she hadn’t just come to talk about books - though it was often the easiest topic for her to fall into. Something she knew. Something safe and objective. "No, I didn’t –” she began to rummage through her bag again until she pulled out her planner, organized as ever. She placed it in front of her, laying her hands on top of it as if she needed to explain before she exposed what was inside. “So, you know how I sometimes walk my neighbors dogs? Well, one of the people I walk for gave me these tickets.” Finally taking the two stubs out from the slip where she kept important loose notes or memos, she kept them in her grasp as though to let him know he didn’t have to go if he didn’t want to. “It’s a concert, a band called ‘Seafret’. I spotified them, they’re kind of like slow indie… I don’t know. Anyways, I was gonna invite my friend Rory but he says crowds bring out his social anxiety… so I figured I’d see if you wanted to go” She was trying to sound casual about it, but also didn’t want him to think she has invited him as a last resort. “I mean, I think it will be fun. And it’s a little while outside of Lima so…” So we won’t be seen together was her first train of thought, but she abandoned that for something that felt less terrible. “So I thought it could be kinda fun to get out of town for a night.” The blonde didn’t even let him answer before she was back peddling. “I mean they’re for this weekend, I know it’s short notice. I get it if you have other plans or you’re busy or something. That’s cool, too.” Smooth as ever, Marissa.

Was she actually inviting him out on a date? Hunter could feel his cheeks warm and surely turn a bit red as he simply stared at the girl. It had been a while since he had gone out and with the concern being out of town, they wouldn’t have to worry about anyone seeing them out and about together – not that Hunter wanted to make it obvious that was something he cared about. Still, they both know what sort of a situation they were in with their friendship. People weren’t supposed to know that they spent practically every day after school hanging out together. Catching himself staring at the tickets in her hand, Hunter shook his head quickly as a soft smile came to his lips. “Well, I would hate to send you alone to something like that. Especially if it’s out of town. Going out there alone just doesn’t seem safe. Perhaps we could ever make a night of it, give ourselves some time to just…have fun. How about I pick you up earlier and we get dinner before the show?”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

In all honestly, it was a weird adjustment to spend time with someone in private and then act like you barely knew them in public. Marissa often found herself in the Cafeteria with her clique - at their designated spot at the tables next to the trashcan - and while everyone was busy discussing the latest assignments or approaching opportunities to pad their college applications; the blonde caught herself catching sly glimpses of the boy she was so fond of in his ‘natural habitat’ per se.   

Then after school was over there was that shift in dynamic where the two of them would meet at his house and that silent wall between them came down. It was kind of funny, school used to be the highlight of her day but as of late she had found her self eager for it to end. Part of her wanted to take the liberty to invite him into her house, but every time she walked into his parents home - the stoic quiet, the polished floors and high end decor reminded her just what kind of culture shock would be waiting for him in her home; littered with children’s drawings, toys and loud angst driven kids from all walks of life.  It wasn’t that she was necessarily embarrassed… it was just nice to spend the short amount of time they had together in peace. 

Seated at the dining table, she grabbed her backpack and pulled out one of the books he had lent her that she finished in record time. “I meant to ask.. did you look in the cover of this before you let me borrow it?” she questioned, quirking a brow. “This is a collectors edition - it’s probably worth more than your car.” Maybe. Okay, maybe it was a bit of an exaggeration. To be honest, automobiles weren’t exactly her area of expertise. She still hadn’t gotten to whole driving thing down, which was beyond frustrating. It was one of the few things she couldn’t learn from a book.  “I can’t believe you lent it to me. By the time I noticed, I felt guilty for bringing her to school.” She would have handed it back to him when she noticed  but it wasn’t exactly an option as per their ground rules. Playfully narrowing her gaze, she leaned forward slightly “How’d you know I wouldn’t sell it on the black market for college tuition?” she joked, carefully placing it in front of him. 

Hearing her jest, Hunter simply chuckled. The book had been a gift years ago from parents who thought buying their son nice things meant the same as actually spending time with him and sure, he had known how much it was worth, but that didn’t make it any less of a book in his eyes. Plus, he had trusted Marissa well enough to know that she wouldn’t damage it beyond its intended use. “Well, if you sold it on the market then I guess that would just mean that someone else would have had my book. Of course, they also would have had a book personalized to someone they didn’t know and that might be a bit awkward for them.” As he took the book back, he flipped to the back cover, turning it back towards the girl so that she could real the inscription inside. His parents knew many powerful people, ranging from politicians to successful authors and within that mix apparently it had seemed a good idea to get an inscribed message from the author written to him there.

“I knew you wouldn’t do anything to it and you’ve been wanting to read it for a while. Seemed a waste to just let it sit there on my shelf if you were actually going to get some benefit from it.” He placed the book back down onto the table then with a slight smirk. “Surely you didn’t come over today to talk to me about what editions my books are though, right?”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Marissa looked down at her hands, of course is was easy to call it harsh when you weren’t the one having slushies thrown in your face, or getting called out for wearing off brand sneakers from Walmart. Still, this wasn’t about those guys, it was about her and Hunter. She had to admit it was a relief to hear that he actually enjoyed their time together - it was no mystery that Hunter wasn’t the easiest person to read sometimes. So when he met her gaze, her eyes locked on his - taking in the moment as he was earnest as ever.

Still, when he brought up the cliques, Marissa was at a little bit of a loss. It’s true, they had been ignoring it, but she preferred it that way. She didn’t want their friendship to end because of something so beyond her control. “So, what does that mean?” she questioned, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Should we make… ground rules?” she suggested, half laughing at the suggestion. It sounded ridiculous but maybe it was necessary. 

He resisted the urge to say yes right away for fear that would upset her. Truth was, Hunter wanted some ground rules for, if nothing else, than to make sure their relationship could stay protected and away from the harsh reality of high school. That wasn’t fair though. Sure it would keep Hunter’s reputation safe, but at what cost? The last thing he wanted to do was actually hurt the girl and telling her that she could only talk to him during certain times of the day seemed exactly like the kind of treatment that would hurt her. “No. No…it’s not that. I mean, having an understanding of everything could help, but I’m not trying to say that we need to have rules about our interactions or anything like that.” Truth be told, Hunter didn’t really know what he was saying, but he was at least going to try.

“The school is…set in its ways. We know that. We see it each time we go there and while I don’t necessarily think everything that’s been set up is right…it might not be within our best interest to go against things, you know? Marissa…I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to see you end up hurt. I just think it would be smart to look at this realistically.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

She watched, slightly amused but not letting it show as he became defensive of her accusation. Her gaze narrowed, brows raised and she listened - as if she was buying an ounce of what he was saying. Finally, admitting he wanted to leave because his friends could come by at any moment, Marissa adjusted her bag on her shoulder and looked around her - glad, for his sake, to see that the two had gone fairly unnoticed so far. Without a word, she headed to the passengers side of the car and pulled the door open, sliding into the seat and doing up the seatbelt, waiting for him to do the same. 

“I get it.” she finally spoke once they were seated. Maybe it was because things had gotten so crazy on the weekend and she knew they had to settle down before things became easier. Maybe she thought he just needed time to get used to the questions and comments. Maybe she just liked spending time with him and didn’t want a bruised ego and some stupid clique culture to get in the way but trying to sway him from the perceptions of others felt like the wrong route to go this early in the game. “You can just tell me how you feel though, you don’t have to tip toe around my feelings.  Trust me, I know how ruthless your friends are.” 

As Hunter slid into the driver’s seat and started the car, he was almost embarrassed by how relieved he felt. Surely things weren’t so bad that he couldn’t even be seen talking to Marissa for a moment. But then again, he hadn’t been with her too long that weekend yet the rumors were flying. Pulling out of the parking lot of the school, Hunter was silent for a moment before finally releasing a sigh. “They aren’t ruthless. I feel that’s a bit harsh of a judgement against them. And I’m not tip toeing around your feelings – not exactly. I’m not trying to spare you any pain or anything like that, or even waiting until we’re off campus to say that I didn’t enjoy spending time with you. None of it is like that.” Hunter had been staring straight ahead at the road, another benefit to talking while in the car rather than standing outside of it, but finally he glanced over at the blonde.

“Honestly, I enjoy spending time with you. There aren’t too many people in my social circle who want to come over just to look at our collection of books and discuss the plots of some. However, it’s difficult to deny that there is a certain…set up at school, one that we have practically been ignoring.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Ok, now she was sure she wasn’t imagining things. The way he looked around his surroundings - it was a completely different vibe than she had gotten when she was at his place, or even on the way to the party. She was a smart girl, but she didn’t have to be to put two and two together. She wasn’t exactly mad about it, she knew how McKinley worked. How harsh the cliques and their dynamics could be. Especially with him calling out the two jocks she had been purposely avoiding all day. “If we go back to your place will you actually tell me whats on your mind instead of trying to spare my feelings?” she questioned, her tone still neutral. 

Despite how obvious Hunter knew he had been, he still at least tried to act surprised by her words and maybe even a little offended. Maybe the faux offense would throw her off enough to move away from the topic – maybe. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s absolutely nothing on my mind beyond the desire to leave this campus. Despite popular belief, I don’t enjoy spending all hours of my day here as If I’m some sort of – “He stopped with a groan then silence as Hunter looked around again. “Fine, but can we just go? I’m not really sure when Kurt and Blaine are going to come out here and I’m really not looking to have a little four way discussion with them right now.”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Marissa couldn’t tell if she was being paranoid or not, but she could have sworn the initial tension of this situation could have been cut with a knife. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, after all they had that conversation before he took her to the party. Still, something inside made her feel like he would have preferred this conversation to be behind the screen of a smartphone. “I wasn’t bothered.” she reassured, after all she wasn’t the one with the reputation to lose. Sure, some of the fellow nerds were less than impressed with the scandal of it all, but their side eyes would wear off with the next slushy attack or scholastic competition. 

“Yeah, it was bad. I spent the entire day in bed, sipping water and aspirin. My foster parents totally knew what was up but I guess they figured being extremely hungover in a house full of loud, obnoxious children was punishment enough.”

“Yes, well that does sound like a pretty harsh punishment in its own.” Despite telling himself that he was fine with being seen talking to the blonde, Hunter still looked around quickly then pulled out his car keys. “Can I drive you home? Or maybe you wanted to go somewhere else? We can go back to my place if you would like, maybe you can grab another book.” Anything to actually get away from campus. It felt as if Hunter’s phone hadn’t had a rest from the morning after the party on what with people texting him, asking him if he had really left with the mess of drunk nerd. It seemed his little interaction with some jocks hadn’t done him any favors, at least that’s what it had seemed from the dozens of texts he had gotten asking about what in the hell was he thinking.

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Once he approached her, the blonde hastily closed her book and shoved it back into her bag beside her, offering him a muted but friendly smile. She hoped she wasn’t overstepping, maybe catching him on school grounds would only add fuel to fire but something made her do it anyways. 

“Hey.” she replied, sticking her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “Sorry, I don’t know if you’re eager to get going or…” she began, motioning to his car. “I just wanted to say thanks again. For the other night.” Ok, so that wasn’t the exact reason she had come over but it didn’t do harm to thank him again. Plus it was an easy turning point to why she was actually there. “…I know that people are talking about it.”

“Oh, yeah. It was really nothing.” Hunter glanced at his car quickly then instantly regretted it. It wasn’t fair to run away from Marissa just because there were a few rumors starting – rumors that Hunter had been so quick to say didn’t bother him before. Yet now he wanted to get away from the girl before something more started up? It was hardly the proper way to behave. So, with a slight sigh, Hunter let himself relax and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard a few, but really it’s all kind of ridiculous. I wouldn’t let anything said bother you or anything. People around here enjoy talking and apparently there was nothing else going on that was of any interest other than that party. How were you feeling? After, I mean? Were you hungover?”

[prepclarington]

marissafitzgerald‌:

Marissa had waited until the parking lot of the school had nearly cleared before she gained the courage to head over to where Hunter’s familiar black mustang was parked. She leaned up against a nearby tree, pulling one of the books he had loaned her from her bag while she waited for him to come by. She knew there were things being said and his kindness towards her didn’t go without notice by their peers. She still felt foolish at what little she actually remembered from the evening. Luckily a huge portion of what she did remember was the calmed, playfully stealing french fries from his plate at the diner part of the night. Now the two were in reality, she hoped he wasn’t as bothered by it as she kept imagining he was. The thought left her rereading the page of her novel. 

Making it to his car, Hunter hadn’t really been expecting to see Marissa there seemingly waiting for him. There had been talk going around the school about them and what had happened at the McCarthy party. Though he had known there would be something said about it, Hunter really hadn’t expected the type of attention it had been given. He wasn’t oblivious to Marissa’s status as a nerd, but he hadn’t really expected it to matter, not for him. Yet suddenly he was being asked if the preps were about to lose another one - this time to the nerds - and Hunter couldn’t help but groan. 

“Marissa. Hey.”

[prepclarington]

porcelainbird:

Jesse. He got Blaine and I tickets for his performance, so I figured I’d return the favor. Thank you for your support.

Seems fair enough. Of course. We’re friends.