Bryce is kicked out of his home by his father. He goes to his girlfriend’s place, who opens her doors to him.
Rapunzel and her Servile Flynn Rider
Sophie wants to go as Rapunzel to a Halloween party, and she wants her boyfriend to match it with a Flynn Rider costume. Shaun concedes, in spite of himself.
Glass Shards and Rain
Pierce and Tati get involved on a car crash. As one bleeds out, there is nothing the other can do but to hope for the best.
Searching for a Star in the Night Sky
Professor McGregor falls in love with an Art student that has been coming around the observatory these days. Celine has her own agenda about being there.
It Is Easier for a Camel to Go Through the Eye of a Needle
Shaun passes away for reasons he does not quite remember. What he does remember, however, is that this is his fiancée, he is guilty about causing her grief, and of his religious education.
Guilt, Inaction and Loss
Andreas falls in love for the first time in many years, but does nothing about it out of fear and guilt. Until he finds himself with no other choice but drastic action.
Clothing to Share
Daphne steals a hoodie from her boyfriend’s. Bryce is completely fine with it.
Charles is not Pleased
Emily is getting much too close to Dean Monroe, and Charles is not pleased with this development.
Celine’s Not Nervous
Celine has to tell Charlie that she has got a job interview. She is not nervous. Not at all.
Reading Angst
Jace is aching from an away game. He asks his wife to read him something to take his mind off things.
Opening Up. A Bit Too Much.
After Pierce talks her ear out, Tati wakes up late for work.
Knowing You're the One for Me
Megan asks her husband when was the first time he knew she was the love of his life. Jace is happy to respond.
Getting Some Rest from the Senior Thesis
Daphne is staying over at Bryce’s, hoping to get some work done. He wants his due for the room and board.
Shootout at Candee
Tati and Pierce are on a night out. Something terrible happens.
Secret Relationship Blown
Chad does not want for people to know he is dating someone, but when someone makes a move on Barbara, he has other concerns.
In an Empty Bitterby Parking Lot
Bryce gets fired and is thrown into a withdrawal crisis. All that he needs right now is his girlfriend. If only she answered her phone...
Falling in Love Over Cigarettes and Bad Weather
Having his lover staying over with him at his secret haunt, Doug tries to quit smoking.
Second-Hand Jewellery
Sophie likes to play with Shaun’s rings when she is nervous. He has an idea for a gift.
A Forseen Consequence of Laissez-Faire
Daphne has something to tell Bryce. He reacts better than she expected.
Pranks and Horror Movies
Chad, who is definitively not scared of ghosts, watches a horror movie with his girlfriend. She has a wicked idea.
Mr. Arroyo's New Employee
Andreas hire a Sugardale University student, to whom he begins to develop some sort of a preference. Tension finally boils over one day after hours.
Dining Out in December
Bryce and Daphne go for a night out, but the venue is too busy. He lies and threatens their way in.
Maybe (Out Fri., Jan. 19th, 07:00 PM SAST)
In so many possibilities, Megan is sure that she loves Jace, but he does not love her back.
Caught with Pants Down (Out Thu., Sep. 12th, 07:00 PM SAST)
Jace calls Megan over, but naturally forgets about it. She catches him in a vulnerable position.
Sumário: É tão bobo, piegas como possa parecer, falso mesmo, dado seu histórico de piranhar por aí, mas às vezes tudo o que Chad quer é amor puro. Barbie não acreditou em nada do que ele disse.
Classificação Indicativa: M
Palavras: 535
É tão bobo, piegas como possa parecer, falso mesmo, dado seu histórico de piranhar por aí, mas às vezes tudo o que Chad quer é amor puro.
Um toque amoroso de vez em quando seria bom. Talvez um beijo casto no rosto, ou afagos. Sua mãe disse uma vez que um médico na internet disse que você precisa de três abraços por dia para manter o bem-estar mental. Quantos ele recebe em um ano?
Barbie não acreditou em nada do que ele disse. Ela só riu na cara dele com um balançar de cabeça, dizendo que deve ter sido a pior cantada de que ela já havia sido vítima.
É clichê, mas ele está obcecado por ela desde então. Ele se sente como um perdedor pensando nisso, de verdade agora, revirando os olhos com um sorriso escondido enquanto olha para a foto espontânea que ele tirou dela. Mastigar a língua enquanto fantasia coisas tão ridículas. Coisas absolutamente virginais como segurar a mão ou apoiar a cabeça no colo dela e senti-la brincar com o cabelo dele. Dormindo juntos, completamente vestidos, segurando um ao outro todo grudento e macio...
Sussurrando doces nadas contra a concha de sua orelha, provocando-o. Brincando, fazendo-a chiar e rir enquanto ele a agarra e a belisca embaixo dele na cama. Fazendo cócegas, fazendo-a rir. Ou beijando o nariz, a cabeça e a mão. Ah, e fazer o café da manhã juntos, almoçar e dividir o jantar.
Não o faça pensar em tomar banho. Ajudando um ao outro a ensaboar, esfregar as costas e lavar a cabeça. Como suas mãos se sentiriam bem passando por seus cabelos enquanto ela esfregava em sabão e enxaguava. Ou apenas máscaras faciais. Uma noite inteira no banho de espuma. Assistindo a alguma comédia romântica estúpida em robes macios depois com sua cabeça cansada caindo para descansar em seu ombro. Roncando e murmurando coisas de nenhuma consequência um para o outro.
Dizendo bom dia. Dizendo boa noite. Tenha um bom dia. Boa sorte. Eu te amo. Eu te amo mais. Eu te amo mais que tudo.
E tem mais. Nomes de bebês.
Barbie nem lhe molhou o pau uma vez que fosse. Chad ainda nem lascou um beijo, e ele já está pensando em engravidá-la e colocar um anel nela. Ela ficava muito bem com o pirralho dele no joelho, quicando, amamentando, brincando de boi-da-cara-preta, cantando e fazendo o Simba de O Rei Leão, tudo com um grande sorriso radiante no rosto. Um sorriso que até o sol invejaria.
Sem falar no garoto em si. Ele adoraria ter uma versão bebê dela, lábios rechonchudos e bochechas redondas, esbanjando e soluçando em choros terríveis ao esfregar seus joelhinhos na calçada, pedindo colo e doces antes do jantar.
Ou uma pequena miniatura dele. Vendo sua calmaria junto ao diabinho do Júnior, fazendo-o dormir.
Foda-se, eles deveriam fazer os dois. Um time de futebol inteiro.
Chad emerge de seus pensamentos quando Bryce estala os dedos.
"Você está olhando para o seu telefone há um tempo. O que você está vendo que é tão importante?"
O atleta não consegue acreditar até onde ele tinha acabado de espiralar. Pensando em uma menina sem imaginá-la nua. Ele deve estar enlouquecendo.
Summary: Chad, who is definitively not scared of ghosts, watches a horror movie with his girlfriend. She has a wicked idea.
Rating: T - Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.
Words: 3200
Notes: I’m not a big, strong guy. I’m afraid of ghosts.
Blood, guts, and gore were things that Chad was used to. Hell, he even liked them, he thrived on violence and aggressivity, having plenty of space to exercise it out in the pitch.
In regards to his cinematographic inclinations, the sight of blood and death made his heart thump in satisfaction. He loved seeing people go down as either heroes or villains, with everything out in the open, measured through a simple and direct fight scene. It never got to him, he never suffered loss or outrage, he merely celebrates the experience.
Spooky movies, on the other hand, got him very badly. Ghosts, gremlins, poltergeists, witches... Anything like that scared the shit out of him. He detested the fact that there is something that he could not touch, a battle he is only able to win through wit and arcane rituals.
However, Chad is also a proud man. He did not want to be a coward and admit his fears, so he agreed when his girlfriend asked to put a spooky movie on.
Barbara had an agenda, of course. She had a bit of an inkling that he was not as fearless as he made himself believe when it came to the outwardly, thanks to his overreaction when she was watching Supernatural at his TV. He had just got back from a class to find her catching up with a completely benign episode and immediately told her to turn the channel.
"What's wrong?" She asked innocently. "Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts."
"I'm not afraid of fucking ghosts!" He exclaimed.
Barbara snorted and shook her head. He was totally afraid of fucking ghosts, but she decided to take pity on him. She changed the channel and let it go that day.
For that day, of course. There were lots of ways to weaponize that information, and Halloween seemed like the perfect opportunity.
So, she proposed they watch a horror movie, to celebrate the creepy holiday in style. For some weird reason, he agreed, after just a reasonable amount of resistance, which was curious. It could have been an attempt to show that he was a big, strong boy who was brave enough to fight ghosts, but maybe, just maybe, it had more to do with the fact that he wanted to get over his little phobia.
Oh, well, the college student decided to remain positive. Perhaps something good would come out of it. Life is strange and unpredictable, and he should be prepared to deal with situations in other manners than with his fists, his money and his privilege.
And, well, it is fun to see him squirm a little. It is not as if the movie is going to hurt him.
So, Chad was nervous. A little bit. However, he was trying to keep a collected and casual demeanour, there is no reason to shame himself any further. He was sitting on the sofa, his arm draped across his girlfriend’s shoulders while she laid her head on his chest and played with the ends of his shirt, helping him to calm down.
They were barely ten minutes into Paranormal Activity and the tension was killing him. Not just within the movie creepy climate, but also the slight pain in his shoulder, locked in a defensive position, while he waits for the scares and tries and prepare for them before they even happened.
He was already regretting agreeing to watch this shit.
"You alright?" The young woman murmured quietly against his collarbone, her warm breath tickling the hairs on his chest.
"Yes." He confirmed. His voice came out much quieter than intended.
Barbara lifted her face up slightly and raised an eyebrow. He swallowed thickly and looked away to avoid meeting her gaze. He knew how vulnerable he sounded, and he hated himself for that.
"I'm, uh, I'm fine." He stutters.
It was hard to lie to her. She had that piercing cold gaze that could easily coerce grown men into revealing their secrets, but thankfully she knows when to press and when to let go, and so she did. Let him marinate in his frightened state for a little longer, perhaps then the macho attitude can be peeled off.
In the spooky silence, he felt his phone vibrating and almost jumped out of his skin. She giggled at him, clearly amused by his overreaction.
Chad glared at his girlfriend as if daring her to laugh anymore and took his phone out of his pocket. A few years shaved off of his life and all he has to show for it is a message from his mom asking if he could make it for lunch tomorrow, to which he replied with a very short, "Sorry, no" and placed the device on the coffee table.
With an awkward cough, he settled back in and tried to pretend he did not just almost shit himself. She smiled at him, obviously not fooled at all, but decided not to say anything else once again and focused on the screen again.
Chad sighed in relief and relaxed against the cushions.
As they watched, her hand found its way under his shirt and traced little circles on his skin, as she usually did when he needed comforting and, as always, would refuse to say anything on the matter. Slowly, he felt himself grow even calmer and more at ease.
Things proceeded fairly well, until it got to the bit when the Ouija board's planchette moves seemingly by itself.
Oh, fuck no. He bit his lip, tensed up once again and squeezed her hand tightly, to the point it hurt. She hummed in response and turned around to look at him.
"Scared?" She asked, playing it cool.
The football player opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but closing it again after realising that nothing was coming out.
He gave her a fake smile and continued to hold her hand. "Pfft, no. No. No way. I'm enjoying it so much."
He was still shaking inside, but he refused to show her. If he was being honest with himself, he was not having fun. Not at all. He could feel Barbara studying him, probably figuring out if he was lying or telling the truth.
He kept his eyes on the TV and hoped that she would not ask why he would suddenly gone all pale and nervous.
Typically, a traditional scary movie date night has the guy being all macho and unbothered and the girl being all wimpy and stuff like that, which was not happening with them. It was a role reversal of sorts. Being scared instead of her was fine, or so his Inner Barbara, the nagging voice inside his head, insisted with him.
Alas, Chad insisted. Throughout the whole movie, he claimed to be fine. He pretended that he was perfectly okay with all the creepy things that happened, that he was not really freaked out, and that he was actually having a wonderful time. He is not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing him flinch every few seconds. He knows he does not have anything to prove, but he still feels awkward in just letting it go.
Around three-quarters into the movie, she got up to get a drink and left him all by himself, leaving him to stare blankly at the screen as all the demonic shenanigans happened, with the only sounds in the room consisting of his breathing and the sound of the TV.
When Barbara returned, she placed her drink on the coffee table and tried to sit back on the couch, yet she found herself being pulled onto his lap and pressed against his body. She stared at him in surprise as his hands found their way around her waist, his thumbs tracing her hips.
"The end of a movie tends to be the scariest, y’know?" He explained, trying his hardest to come off nonchalant. "Just wanted to make sure you don't get scared or anything."
This time it is so obvious that she did not believe his reasoning at all that even he noticed the way her eyebrows were drawn together and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. He cursed himself internally for being stupid enough to think that she would buy it.
Of course, she had not bought it at all. She grabbed his chin gently, tilting his head up, forcing him to meet her gaze. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes, and he knew that it meant trouble. He groaned inwardly but remained quiet as she leaned forward and kissed him.
"Thank you, babe. That's very sweet of you." She cooed and patted him on his cheek softly, before turning and leaning back against him so she could continue watching.
Using their new position to his advantage, Chad could use her midsection to hide behind. He would pretend he was really interested in kissing her shoulder or the curve of her neck and would tilt his head downwards, giving him enough time to casually take his eyes off the screen. Also, he could use her aromatic hair to obscure his vision and she could not see how his face changed into a grimace of fear.
It was perfect.
What was even better was that the movie was nearly over anyway. The credits rolled, and she heard the TV click off immediately.
Yeah, that was fucking done. No more. Absolutely no more.
"Well, I guess we should call it a night." The woman said, yawning exaggeratedly and stretching her arms above her head.
Chad nodded silently and wrapped his arms tighter around her. As he pulled her close, he rested his head on top of hers, feeling her soft hair brush against his cheek.
There was no way he was sleeping in a bed tonight, so he let all his weight dip to the left and flopped them both down so they were lying against the couch cushions. It was a tight fit, but it was how both of them liked it. He shifted slightly, so that he was on his side with his arm draped over her waist as they spooned.
"Goodnight, Barbs." He mumbled as he closed his eyes.
"Night, baby." She whispered softly, bringing his hand up to her lips to kiss his knuckles and then returning it to its previous position.
It seemed to Chad as if Barbara had immediately fallen asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Himself, on the other hand, did not have the same luxury of sleepiness as her, so he stayed awake long into the night staring at the ceiling, coming and going with creepy thoughts in his head. What if the ghost demon thing jumped out of the TV and started shit? What could he do about it? Shoot it? Stab it? Scream at it?
With that in his mind, he took one deep breath, then another, and then another, until his eyes started feeling heavy. He blinked, and his thoughts became muddled, until he finally falls down asleep.
Suddenly, his eyes open again quickly. He does not know for how long he has been asleep, but his girlfriend was not there anymore, and he had a quilt thrown over him. She must have gone to bed, he concludes.
There was a noise coming from the windows and the front door that woke him up from his restless sleep. Deep in thought, he just assumed he was imagining the light scraping sound that came from behind him. When he turned towards the source, however, nothing appeared. He blinked a couple of times and looked around, but everything was still as silent as it had been a minute ago.
It must have been just his imagination. Right?
So, he just lays there thinking and hoping his nervousness would pass eventually and he could go to the bedroom and join Barbara under the soft covers. Maybe he would finally be able to sleep well if he stopped freaking out, but that does not seem that is happening any time soon.
The scratching noise began again, this time closer to where he was lying than before. He sat up slowly and scanned the room with wide eyes, but nothing was there. Panic rose up in his throat and his breathing quickened.
Then the door handle rattled. Chad gulped audibly and looked towards the door with trepidation. The scratching sounds were getting louder and louder until they stopped abruptly as the door slid open slowly.
A flash of white illuminated the darkness of the room as the light turned on briefly as the door slammed shut. He froze in place. Everything seemed stuck in place around him, except for his racing heartbeat.
Chad looked back at the dark hallway leading to their bedroom and neither saw or heard anything, pointing to the assumption that Barbara was still resting peacefully. How in the hell was she sleeping at a time like this? What kind of person sleeps through this kind of nightmare scenario?
He does not want to run over there, wake her up and risk sounding like a fucking pussy. It might still be nothing, and even if there is something, what a short, thin girl like her can even do?
All of a sudden, the TV lit up again, shedding a long shadow behind the couch, and he could hear the familiar sound of static. His chest constricted as the screen flickered to life. His eyes widened, but he still remained absolutely still.
This is not real. He was clearly dreaming. Duh, that is why Barbara is not reacting.
"Oh, you're not dreaming yet, boy." A voice resounded through the room.
Okay, so now the ghost is speaking to him. Awesome.
It was a familiar voice, breathy and throaty, one that he heard sometimes on the shell of his ears. Barbara spoke to him like that sometimes, when he looked lost socially or before a big speech at the Investments Club, when he needed a little help or a confidence boost, she was there to give him some pointers. Or if she wanted to distract him during debriefs by saying something extremely dirty without the others knowing to make him blush.
However, this voice did not sound like hers, but rather what he would imagine her mother would speak like, if she had smoked for many years. It was slower. more threatening, more comically evil and witchy, but somehow familiar.
Chad tried to recall when and where he had heard this voice before, but all that came out of his mouth was an unintelligible croak.
"You really are quite cute, aren't you? I like that. Very adorable."
Suddenly, the lights went completely dark and the man screamed as loud as he possibly could. It was high-pitched and sounded ridiculous, but he did it anyway.
Unable to keep her facade up anymore, Barbara finally let out her giggle. It had been so difficult to keep it inside as she messed with him.
She gingerly put her head through the front door to watch him squeal like a little girl, as her boyfriend covered his face and realised it was her the entire time.
"You're such an asshole." Chad whined and squeezed her tightly, making her squirm a bit as he buried his head in her neck.
"An asshole? Me?" The voice, which he now recognized came from his Bluetooth speakers on the kitchen counter, asks petulantly.
Well, shit. It was her horrible impression of Bette Middler in Hocus Pocus, that is where he recognised it from. She had connected her phone with the speakers and the TV, left for the front yard and woke him up by tapping on the window.
"Sorry, baby. I know it was mean, but your scream was hilarious." The woman said between laughs, coming through the door.
Chad sighed. "I hate you."
She giggled once more, laying back in the couch and turning to rest on her back, tugging him on top of her so she could envelop him entirely in her arms. One hand went to his hair to hold the back of his head while the other moved under his shirt to trace shapes against his lower back.
"Love you too, big guy." She purred into his ear, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple and grinning wickedly when his expression softened ever so slightly.
Her smile grew wider when she felt him relax against her and wrap his own arms around her, pulling her closer to him.
Barbara continued stroking his hair in silence for a while before breaking it and whispering, "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, whatever." He replied quietly, his nose touching the skin of her collarbone.
He was so close that she could feel his breath fanning against her neck, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.
"Do you want to pick the movie next time?" She asked, her tone playful and innocent.
The football player hummed and nodded slowly against her skin. "More than anything."
He then plants a few kisses along her collar bone, earning an amused laugh from her. He lifted his head to look up at her, and her eyes met his for a brief moment before fluttering closed as he gave her a sleepy smooch on the lips.
Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, and suddenly Chad had forgotten all about her prank. He forgot that he was supposed to be mad at her. He forgot everything as he kissed her.
"I love you." He breathed after pulling away slightly, glaring at her playfully. "And you're not going to scare me like that again, got it?"
Despite how funny she found it, Barbara smiled and nodded before leaning in for another kiss, only for him to stop her halfway. She blinked a few times and then frowned a bit.
She laughs. "Yeah, I promise. I’ll only use my genius for good from now on."
That clearly was the answer he wanted as he closed the gap between them once again. Over time, the kiss became slower and lazier, each movement more languid than the last. She ran her hands through his hair absentmindedly, her nails lightly scratching his scalp. They would have to stop at some point.
When they did, it was just a matter of time before he would inevitably fall back asleep. Right now, however, he is not willing to let go of this moment, to let go of the warmth of her body pressed against his as she curled around him protectively.
Her name slipped from his mouth in barely a whisper, and she shushed him gently, placing a kiss on his forehead.
"Sleep." She cooed lovingly.
His eyes slowly closed and his body relaxed. His arms and legs went limp, and his breathing evened out.
Barbara kept her eyes closed as she held onto him, listening to the calming beat of his heart mixed with the steady rise and fall of his chest. The sound of his scream replayed over and over in her head as she chuckled to herself.
Yeah, Chad was a big, strong guy and totally not a weird, skittish nerd. Totally.
Summary: Chad does not want for people to know he is dating someone, but when a guy makes a move on Barbara, he has other concerns.
Rating: T - Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.
Words: 1100
Notes: I think Chad would admire intelligent people. Not stuffy academics or nerds, but that kind of understated cleverness that is shown in polite conversation, that sort of understanding of the world.
It is finally springtime in Sugardale.
The end of the school year swung in with the looming promise of well-deserved vacations and great change to come, as it always did. Some would graduate and leave, some would become the new leaders of the clubs and fraternities, and there would come another batch of pledges. It is hard to escape the whole sentimentality of the season.
According to most of the student body, and a few sections of the faculty, this is the perfect time to throw a party, and the Investments Club is not one to stay behind with such matters. They set up a rave in their large club house, inviting every member and their roommates and girlfriends, and eventually what seemed the entire population of the town showed up. Word spread like wildfire when it came to a blow out of theirs, as it is guaranteed to be the hottest place to be in any given night.
Chad scanned the room for you, not worried about being obvious, as there is little point to hide anything. Bryce was with Trish, and they were wrapped around their usual drama, having April hanging around, senselessly trying to referee the petty dispute, his football teammates and fellow Investment Club associates are scattered around, too busy with either hoping to bag a new conquest or get some old one to put out, and everyone else was too drunk with the better quality of alcohol they were offering for the occasion.
Then his eyes found her, Barbara Hylton, his date for the night, and he realised that they could not leave anymore. She still is the most beautiful, intelligent and awe-inspiring person he had ever seen, even if he keeps it to himself to save face. His jaw still dropped at the sight of her after the best part of seven months, and he does not think it will stop any time soon.
It took every single ounce of energy from every bone in his large body to not walk up to her and shower her with the millions of compliments springing to his mind, some not as wholesome and civil as others. Alas, he could not, and that is mostly on him.
He had suggested that they kept their little dalliance, as she puts it, between them, as not to make a big deal of it, because, as ashamed as he may be for admitting it, he does not want people to know that he is dating anyone, least of all someone like her.
Though, much to his own chagrin, she promptly agreed to his suggestion. She is a scholarship student, after all, and she is in the club which he manages, a club which is very exclusive, catered to legacy members, and with a selective membership process she has not found herself subjected through. It could be assumed that he had something to do with it, and that may lead to circumstances which threaten the continuity of her student support.
Chad was readying himself to keep control and greet Barbara regularly, like a proper vice-president would to one of its female members. He is often reminded of his etiquette whenever he interacts with her, as he gets nervous and acts ceremoniously to avoid suspicion or back-talking.
It was when his eye caught some student that he does not recognize approaching her for a conversation. He decided to wait until they were done talking to go and greet her for the first time that evening.
The drink he was holding almost spilled in his grip when Chad realised that the little bastard was not just talking to his girlfriend, he was touching her, too. Not a friendly shoulder nudge, not a drunken knock, not a brotherly poke. No, the guy was attempting to slip an arm around her shoulder, trying to make her laugh and lean into him.
He cracks his knuckles. Someone is going to be sporting a black eye tomorrow morning.
The burly man focuses his attention on Barbara, to see whether she is welcoming the guy’s advances or rejecting him, to see how much force he is putting in his first punch. He notes, with satisfaction, that she is not responding to the pathetic advance. Instead, she stood stiffly, gripping her drink as tight as he was gripping his.
She gave the drunk guy a restrained smile, eyes searching the room. She swept her gaze across the crowd, desperately trying to locate Chad as she shifted away from her interlocutor. The lipstick, carefully selected and applied to match her outfit, was starting to stretch with the polite expression she forced.
She did not want to upset the man too much. Firstly, because one can never know what men will do in these situations, but also because he has not treated her with any disrespect. There was nothing wrong with him, aside from the ebriety, but she simply is not interested in anyone else.
"Look, I’m sorry, but I, erm, I'm seeing someone at the moment." The woman said, trying to extricate herself out of the situation.
Barbara craned her neck to the right and locked stares with Chad, silently pleading for him to come over.
The drunk man chuckled. "And he left you all alone at this party? That’s very shitty of him. Don't you want to dance with someone?"
She laughed awkwardly, relieved to see her date appear in front of them.
"I didn't leave her alone. Off you go." Chad threatens, baring his teeth.
The guy spluttered, surprised at the sudden appearance of the tall and strong football captain. "Chad! I-I didn’t…! Sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn't…"
Chad smirked, looping his own arm around Barbara as the other man promptly removed his. He does not reply to the stammering, leading her away instead as she leaned into his side.
"Thanks, C. You saved me out there. Where we going now?" She asks, as they go out the door.
"Just out for a breather." He responded, both curt and airily.
As it turned out, the so-called breather was at his bedroom in the frat house and it did not involve breathing so much as fast paced making out.
The hot and savage kissing left her lips tingling and parted with the gloss smeared on the side. With a giggle, she realised there was a shiny pink tinge to her boyfriend’s ones as well.
Chad smiled down at the woman, whom he locks underneath him with his strong arms. "Do you think that we blew our cover?"
Barbara laughed breathlessly. "Yeah, we probably did."
Summary: Barbara is using Chad for his money. He lets her, at least for now, but he has a plan.
Rating: M - Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language.
Mentions of violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Words: 1500
Notes: I quite like War and Peace. I think having Natasha here as a reference is really good, as it shows the twists in perspective.
Chad has known many debauched desires in his life, brought upon by affluenza, male hormones, youth, and little regard to his fellow man, but he had never estimated what pleasure it would be to lay on her lap beneath the shadow of an old oak tree standing in the grounds.
Just him and Barbara, and the book she was reading. Sunlight broke through the gaps in the leaves as they swayed in the wind, tickled his skin while the breeze refreshed him. Even if this is not a life that he feels that he could live forever, he sure hoped it would not end soon.
“Read to me?” He asked softly, a puppy-like quality to his demeanour.
Her expression turned sour for a moment before she shook her head, taking a deep breath, turning another page.
“It’s Russian realist prose, Chad. You wouldn’t like it.” She responded in between reading.
The football player huffed. I like everything you tell me, he wanted to say. It threatened to spill out, but he refrained, wondering if she would catch on to the subliminal meaning he put into it. She would, he wagers, as she is a lot smarter than he is.
It was true, was it not? Barbie liked to tell him what to do, and she is prone to send him on errands, fluttering her eyelashes at him as she told him what she wanted but could not have. Pity her, after all, with a wicked stepmother and a weak-willed father, who lost her scholarship in a corruption scandal, who has to survive on charity of others.
She wanted some fancy signature coffee here, a new book there. Some sweets, perhaps, or décor for the dorm room she shares with Trish. Jewels for her mother that she never sent, and alcohol for her father that she drank with her friends instead.
No matter what, if it was just that, Chad was happy to supply her, least she goes to someone else for it. He knows she had other ways of getting what she wants out of men, between that bastard Sutty, Officer Helms, Mr. Montgomery and Dean Monroe. The moments that he spends with her in return every few weeks or so is enough to still his hunger for a while, and he would not want to abdicate a single kernel of it.
How long would he be able to contain himself, though? Even if he was just a means to an end, Chad really loved Barbara. She is aware of it, which is why she used him so much. It might be castrating to submit himself in this way, but he could not bring it over himself to deny her a wish when she came to him as if he was her saviour. Even if, when he makes plans for the two of them, she cancels more than actually shows up, he could not be angry at her when she eventually fulfils her debts and asks him out for a walk or a party or a poetry session at the Student Union.
Times like those gave him enough fuel to carry on, to keep humouring her with his power and wealth as she desired. If not for his stand in society, she would probably not bat an eyelash at him, but he had rich parents and no siblings, and for that, she liked keeping him close.
For every good deed he did for her, Chad felt validated when she hugged him or kissed his cheek or, although rare, let him lay in her lap and nap for a while.
Even if he was aware of her intentions, he loved Barbie enough to overlook her playing with his feelings and using him. For how long, though? How long would he be able to keep it up? He wanted so much more, her attention and affection, he wants everything, and he wants it all for himself. He wanted it unconditionally, not just because she felt like paying him with it in exchange for anything else.
“You look mad, Barbs.” He noted, one eye open to watch her reaction.
Indeed, the corners of her mouth dropped as she heaved a long sigh, partly in annoyance, as he was interrupting her reading time. It must have been so uncomfortable for her to have him lay on her legs for hours just so she would please him for a bit. The price she had to pay…
“There’s just someone bothering me. It’s this group of juniors that keep spreading gossip and stuff like that. You know, they say I only use you and shit.” She puts the book aside to look at him ruefully. “You wouldn’t believe these rumours, would you?”
The football captain countered the self-pity she deceivingly assumed for herself with a smile, shaking his head. “Of course not, babe. I know that you love me for real.”
Chad might not be the brightest bulb in the shed, but he was well-raised and well-bred. He was taught to lie, and to do it well. He talks as if he wasn’t the one trying to sully her reputation around the university, and unless she catches him in the act, for all her intellect, she would not be able to figure him out.
It is all part of his plan, after all. If someone believes these rumours, Barbie would only have him to save her honour. Even so, no-one likes to stick around people who used others for their own gain. He is sure that ragtag group of friends of hers will soon disappear. At least Trish and Bryce would vamoose, as would April and Thomas. Once the story has festered, who would she turn to with all the will she had to give? He expects it would be him.
Barbara seemed surprised as he suddenly got up, the wind rustling through the leaves above them and flipping over the pages of the book she was reading.
“Do you want them dead?” He asks, point blank.
His words did not seem to reach her at first, as she remained quiet, her mouth opening much before she had processed the meaning behind his question.
“W-What...?” She eventually mumbled.
Their eyes met, serious intent shining in his. However, as spontaneously as the question had dropped into her life, the boy grinned again mischievously, plopping back down in her lap and shook his head.
“Just kidding!” He laughs, good-naturedly. “Can you imagine?”
“Oh...” The blond girl laughs nervously, clearly finding no humour in his joke.
The surprise and shock in her face was a welcome change in expression to what she usually wore around him. In fact, it probably was one of the sincerest showcases of feelings he had ever seen on her face.
“They can die all they want, I don’t care. They’re stupid.” She said as she tried to save herself, noticing him still watching her.
Putting on a tough act is not going to save her now, as it only made Chad realize how much more he wanted to see of her. Perhaps true love and sincere affection are not something she could ever show him, perhaps the sort of love that he first wanted is not in his reach, no matter what he does. However, it was a start to know that she could still experience the horror that he had to offer.
“Fine, then. I’ll go kill them now.” He said, unbothered by what he was talking about.
His casual tone failed to convey the horrifying implications of what he was proposing to do. As if it was yet again just an expensive gift that he was buying her, just a trinket of his affections. It would not hurt him, he has ways around any consequence for his actions, and he was happy to provide it if she benefitted from it.
Rocking himself upwards, he hesitated before standing up, instead reaching his hand out towards Barbara and pulling her close by her chin.
“Anything for you, babe.” He breathed against her lips, stealing the first kiss between the two before getting up and walking away.
All hell would break loose when he presents her with the heads of the students that he hired to spread the rumours about her. However, throwing a glance over his shoulder back to her utterly confused and flabbergasted form beneath the oak tree, he deemed it well worth the hassle.
Chad could not wait for her reputation to be buried with the bodies of the people he killed and the face she would make when no one believed she that he, the champion football captain, well-liked and respected throughout Sugardale, murdered so cruelly those poor and innocent souls.
In fact, he could not wait for all the emotions that Barbie would show him soon when he was the only one to still stick around her. He could not wait to see the face she would make when she realises her only friend left is the one she fears.
