HRevent on Sexual Harassment of women at Workplace
2nd Round of Conference on "Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace–Prevention & Redressal"
Get the Speaker Details : http://indiacp.mailcenter.in/indiacp/vm.php?m=1626&u=0bca790926f048f57b1ab7acb3e63eaf
After the grand success of two conferences on the above theme at GGN & Mum,CKF in association with IRIS-Corp is organizing next round of conferences at Delhi & Mumbai.The objective of the conference is to enlighten not only the Female Employees but the Business Owners,Management & Law Professionals,HR Managers about the various provisions of the Act,based on practical case studies.
"I know they're in here somewhere," Felicity murmured to herself quietly as she looked through some of the boxes in the back. The lights, which had just flickered out of life, were not aiding her in her search for candles. She let out a small huff of air and glanced over her shoulder toward the door that lead to the front where she had left Brett. She wouldn't have done it normally, but she hated the dark and so Felicity held her hand palm up, whispered "light" and watched a small ball of white light form in her hand. The box illuminated before her and she sighed at the sight of packing material and jars, no candles. She shoved that box aside and moved to the other one, opening it with one hand as the other still held the light, and sighed in triumph and relief at the sight of the white candles that were meant to promote peace and harmony lined up neatly on top. She closed her fist around the light and was once again submerged in darkness.
Felicity gathered the box in her arms and returned to the front where Brett was and she gave her a small, comforting smile, "I'm sure the power will be back in no time. Meanwhile, we've got candles for light and to keep us peaceful and in harmony." She held up the box and then set it on the counter near the door to the back. Slowly she began unpacking the candles, "Just place them wherever. On the shelves. Wherever." She was slow in her movements, gentle, and soft as if she had all the time in the world to do what she was doing. Felicity was always like that. She hated the idea of rushing. Hated the idea of having to push herself to get something done at a certain amount of time. Besides, if someone rushed to do something, they couldn't give it the attention it deserved – even something so simple as setting up and lighting candles.
She made her way around the shop and set up some candles here and there, pulling a book of matches from her pocket and starting to go around and light them. Soon the room was illuminated with the soft yellow glow of the candles and Felicity could see the endless boxes that needed to be unpacked and the art supplies of Brett who had been going over possible designs for the logo and labels when the power decided to stop working. "I wouldn't assume you could work by candlelight, could you? I just don't want you to feel like your time has been wasted."
Notes: Poor Stiles has to deal with so much tonight. Dealing with Scott trying to kill himself, seeing Frizzy make out with Aiden, Danny standing him up, and now Frizzy's about to jump off the roof? Poor guy needs a cookie. This is jampacked full of feels. Enjoy. TRIGGER WARNING: Frizzy is contemplating suicide.
Frizzy wasn't quite sure how she had found her way up to the roof. It was almost like she was guided there and with the history of the hotel, she wouldn't be at all surprised if that were the case. She was feeling weird, fuzzy, not herself. She wished she could say that this was how she was before - when she managed to somehow start making out with Aiden - but she wasn't. That was something she was fully there and lucid for. That was all her. Frizzy knew she was fucked up, that was something that was becoming more and more painfully obvious with each passing day. She didn't need to feel weird for that to be true. She was feeling weird now, though. Warm. Out of it. And it felt like voices were guiding her to the roof. Now she stood atop it, looking down at where the cars had dropped the students only hours ago. She was perched on one of the pointless foot high barriers made of stone that were meant to keep people from falling off. But what about people who jumped?
Stiles walked back towards the building from where he, Scott and Jackson had been earlier. He had gone back to see if the other two were still there, but nope.. they had moved onto somewhere else. Now Stiles felt alone. He was alone. He'd come to the dance by himself.. Scott had a date. Frizzy had.. Aiden. Stiles scrunched up his nose at the thought. Maybe he should go in and stuff his face with treats at the concession table, then go upstairs and pass out or something. It seemed like a good idea. But then something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked up.. up onto the roof to see Frizzy standing on the edge of the building. Her dress was flowing in the wind, her hair whipping around her and even from this distance, Stiles could see something wasn't right. Fuck, fuck, fuck.. "Frizzy!" he called out, hoping that his voice wouldn't startle her, but snap her out of whatever was wrong. He needed to get up on that roof now. He ran into the hotel and made his way toward the elevator. He fumbled around with the doors, trying to figure out how to work it with shaking hands, before giving up and running to the stairs. He made it up in record time, practically kicking open the door to the roof and literally sighing in relief to see Frizzy was still there. "Frizzy.. please, come here."
Frizzy couldn't really see anything as she peered over the edge of the roof. The shadows that were cast from the old fashioned street lights lining the circular driveway danced across the gravel. They looked like shapes, figures, creatures. Frizzy could only see the shadows. She couldn't see Stiles below, couldn't hear him when he called her name. Her dark hair, which she had let down from the simple up-do she had pulled it into, blew across her line of vision - strands mingling with shadows. Her shoes were held loosely by two fingers of her right hand. She looked so serene up there, except for the fact that she was crying. Frizzy had been battling depression for a week now, but she didn't want to let anyone know. Angry Frizzy was something people were just barely capable of handling, depressed Frizzy was another thing entirely. She had been able to keep it quiet, under wraps; no one knew. But tonight - after the way Stiles looked at her when he caught her with Aiden - she couldn't do it anymore. She was torn between two very different things... and she couldn't make a decision. Stiles's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she slowly turned to look over her shoulder at him briefly, "I can't decide... I can't choose..."
This was serious. Frizzy was actually serious. She wanted to jump? Stiles took a step forward slowly, not wanting to push her into anything drastic. "Then tell me, Frizzy. Talk to me. L-Let me help you, p-please. Please, let me help." He could feel himself breaking slowly.. pieces of himself shattering on the inside. Nothing about his night was going positively for Stiles. He felt a little heartbroken (though he was pretending that wasn't true). He was torn up about the fact that his best friend of a few years.. his brother.. was actually going to kill himself and now, Frizzy.. the person he'd found himself closest to over the past few weeks, was willing to do the same. Was he that shitty of a person that everyone around him wanted to die? Of course not.. he knew it wasn't him. But part of him couldn't help but feel like if he'd been there more, they wouldn't be doing this. -- Then again, maybe it was something else. Something affecting them.. Stiles wiped his eyes, not realizing he'd started to cry. "Please don't, Frizzy," he whispered, loud enough that her hearing would pick it up.
Frizzy looked out at the dark night, listening to Stiles talk to her. She didn't say anything, she didn't move, she just stood there and stared down at the ground. Her mind - her beautifully mathematical and scientific mind - quickly estimated the height of the drop and the force with which her body would fall, the friction her dress would cause. It wouldn't take long at all. She'd step over and be down in three...four seconds, max. It was taking her longer to decide whether or not she wanted to do it than it would actually take her to do it. At this height, the fall probably wouldn't even kill her. She was just being a coward. But what else could she be? Frizzy wasn't wanted anymore, she wasn't good for anything. Stepping off the roof would rid herself of having to make the impossible choice that was being thrust upon her. It was too hard for her. She didn't want to do it anymore. Slowly, she turned around to look at Stiles, her back to the edge of the building - still perched atop that barrier; "I love you, Stiles... You know that, right? Like... you're the person who sees me the best and helps me through everything and you're still there for me even though Aiden bit me. It should be such an easy choice. It should be," tears fell down her cheeks and she shrugged, "but it's not. I don't know why it's not... but it's not. It's not easy. I feel like I want to be around him and like I'll be lost if I'm not... and I know... I know you'd help me, but I don't think it would be the same and..." she took half a step back, her toes scraping against the brick of the building, "...and I can't make the decision. I can't choose between you and him. I can't choose between the good and the bad. It's not... it's not that easy."
Stiles jaw was trembling, his heart was beating out of his chest. He felt like dying himself, but he knew that he couldn't. This was his fault. The pressure.. he was putting Frizzy under so much pressure to stray away from Aiden that she was going insane. "I'm s-so sorry, F-Frizzy.." he stuttered out, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "I'll stop.. You don't have t-to choose. I'll s-stop.. Just please." He dug his nails into the palms of his hands pressing in hard enough to sting. "I can't lose you. I can't lose you too.. You mean so much to me and I can't lose you." Stiles honestly hated the thought of Frizzy being with Aiden. He was an asshole.. and abusive, violent, not to mention deadly, douchebag. But Frizzy, for some unknown reason to him, liked the guy. She trusted the guy and she needed the guy. He wasn't a werewolf.. He didn't understand the connection between beta and Alpha. He just knew that Frizzy would be safer away from him. But he would rather Frizzy stay with Aiden if that meant that she would be okay and alive than the alternative. "Please."
Frizzy tilted her head, some flicker of life coming back into her eyes for a brief second. She listened to him apologize, listened to him say he'd stop, and that broke her heart even more. "This isn't your fault, Stiles..." Frizzy told him quietly with a shake of her head. "It's not your fault. It should be an easy choice. You and Scott and Isaac are good... you're the ones that people root for, you do good things. Aiden and Ethan and Rhea and the rest of them... they're the ones that hurt people, they do bad things. You aren't... pressuring me to do anything," she wiped at her eyes gently, taking another slight step back, drawing closer to the edge, "I am... I'm pressuring me to choose. And I can't. I can't do it. It's too hard. I know that sounds... selfish and cowardly but it's true... I can't decide and it's killing me that I can't. I feel so... guilty! It's too much for me, Stiles... It's just way way too much..." One more step back and she would fall, somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that - which was probably why she hadn't stepped back again.
Stiles shook his head. "Nonono no nono, Frizzy, no. Please.." He watched her step back once more, even closer to the edge. She wasn't coming down.. there was no talking her down. He ran.. practically jumped to her side and grabbed her free hand, yanking her down from the ledge and into his arms. Stiles collapsed down onto the roof, pulling Frizzy closer to him and holding her tightly in his arms. "You can't do this. You're not doing this, please, Frizzy, no.. you can't. Please, no," he repeated over and over, sobbing quietly. He pressed his forehead to the back of hers, pressing his fingers into her skin tight enough to bruise. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't lose her.
Frizzy watched him in an almost curious manner as he moved toward her quickly. She felt his hand grab hers and she didn't pull away, she let him take it and let him pull her off the ledge. Frizzy closed her eyes and sank against him, the realization that she had almost killed herself flooding her. She was still eerily calm, however, as she listened to Stiles beg her not to. Steadily, Frizzy dropped her shoes and grabbed his hands with hers, linking their fingers and squeezing his hands firmly so that he knew she was there and she wasn't going anywhere. "I can't choose, Stiles..." she whispered, tucking against him a little, "and I'll continue to feel like I have to. What do I do? How do I make it be-better?" She stumbled on the last word, wondering if there was even a way to do that.
Stiles sat up slightly and looked down at Frizzy, one shoulder shrugging slightly. "I don't know how to make it better, Frizzy. I don't know how to make anything better. I can't fix anything." He licked his lips and squeezed the girl's hand. "But.. but don't feel like I'm gonna make you pick anymore. I won't.." Pulling Frizzy impossibly closer, he leaned down and kissed her forehead chastely.. another few tears falling from his eyes. "We're just kids. How are we supposed to deal with this? We're just kids.."
Frizzy felt a new wave of tears wash over her and she hung her head slightly in defeat. The calmness that had enveloped her before was disappearing and sobs shook her body. She wound her arms around Stiles's waist and tucked her face into his neck, clinging to him as if she would lose everything she was and had if she let go. There were so many things that were bittersweet about this all; she wanted friends and she got them, but she got them for a price. Frizzy wasn't ever going to have a normal life. But would she change that if it meant not having Stiles? Her hands knotted in his shirt and she clung to him more; "Stiles..." Frizzy whispered into his neck, "I'm sorry for earlier... with Aiden... I..." she couldn't find her words.
Stiles snorted, shaking his head against hers. "Don't.. don't apologize for that," he mumbled, reaching up to wipe his eyes. "I, um. I just didn't expect.. that.. is all." At all. He didn't expect that at all. Frizzy and Aiden? Maybe that was why she had such a hard time letting go. She had actual feelings for the guy. "Do you like.. like him?" he asked, trying to mask the bit of disgust that he felt. "Like I like Danny, like Jackson likes himself likes?" Distraction.. that could work. Talking about boys might get Frizzy to calm down.. because he could feel her body trembling in his still shaking arms.
Frizzy sniffled quietly and couldn't help a lightly depressed chuckle, "and you think I did? I got the guy a cup of punch... proceeded to empty it over his head and the next thing I knew he was kissing me." She tried to calm down, to stop worrying so much about the situation. That was part of the problem. She had no one to talk to about this because talking to Stiles about it meant feeling as if he was judging her for it. But she didn't have anyone else she trusted like she trusted Stiles. So she just bottled it up inside and didn't think about it until she ended up on the rooftop of a creepy ass hotel contemplating silencing all thought. "That's very middle school of you," Frizzy mumbled, releasing her grip on his shirt a little as she slowly started to calm down, "I don't know. I don't want to. I think I'm fucked up. Nothing is ever fucking simple for me. I miss my Wall of Weird days."
Stiles laughed dryly and squeezed his eyes shut. Sounded like Frizzy. He shifted slightly so the two of them could lean back against the ledge Frizzy had just threatened to jump off of. He rested his head back against the wall. "You looked like you liked it.." he mumbled, looking at her sideways. Inside, he was pretending that Aiden wasn't the guy who had tried to beat him dead twice.. trying to pretend he wasn't responsible for turning his best friends life into a living hell much like his own. Frizzy wasn't supposed to have this. All of this.. this was always his fault. It was his fault Scott was bit. It was his fault Frizzy was bit. He sighed and leaned his head against hers. "I miss my online gaming days. The days where I spent more time watching porn on the internet than I did researching ritual sacrifice. -- Sorry, T.M.I." He grabbed onto her hand and intertwined their fingers, squeezing her hand gently. "If you wanna like, be with Aiden.. and he's not a total dick to you.. then do it. I'm just not going on any double dates."
Frizzy settled more comfortably next to him, still tucked against him because she didn't feel safe if she wasn't. "Did I? I guess I did like it a little, I don't know. He's such a..." she let out a frustrated noise, not able to find a word to adequately represent what Aiden was. Frizzy sighed softly looked at Stiles sadly, tears drying on her face, her make-up now sufficiently ruined. "You just talked me off a ledge, Stiles," she mumbled with a light smile, "I think T.M.I. is a fair trade." She took a deep breath and watched as he intertwined their fingers again. Frizzy suddenly realized that - even with all the supernatural shit that happened in the world, with all the evil power that some people got to have, even though she was someday going to be stronger than him - Stiles could make her feel unequivocally safe. "No," she said quickly, "he's a total dick to me always. He's an asshole, he's abusive, he's cantankerous. I don't think I want to be be with Aiden. I can hardly stand to be around Aiden. It's so difficult to explain... It's like... I feel as if I won't thrive if I'm not around him. If that makes sense at all."
Stiles frowned dramatically down at her, puffing out his bottom lip. "Too soon for jokes, Frizzy, too soon." He felt the need to cuddle Frizzy closer, hold her tighter.. just to make sure she was okay. She seemed better.. but she hadn't seemed too unlike herself over the past few days. Well.. since she was bitten anyway. After the bite she changed, but almost everyone did. It wasn't for the worst, but it was a change. "He's your Alpha," Stiles sighed, squeezing her hand again. "You'll always feel like you need him. Scott is kinda just now learning that isn't true. But as far as a boyfriend.. I think you can do waaay better." He paused for a second. "What about Greenburg? Weird to say, but he seems like he'd be a waaay better choice than an Alpha-douche who treats everyone like shit.. No offense."
Frizzy looked apologetic, "Sorry." She rested her head on his shoulder and let him cuddle her closer, no complaints were going to be heard coming from her. Frizzy had been keeping herself together for so long, it felt nice to have someone remind her that she didn't need to be the only one there for her. She raised her eyebrows when he brought up Greenburg, "Funny.." she said slowly, "Greenburg's the reason Aiden smashed my phone. He didn't like me talking to him. Kept insisting we were fuck buddies," bitter tone, "I like Greenburg. I've always liked Greenburg, in fact... I feel very strongly for Greenburg. He's really special to me, always will be, but I don't think he feels the same. So there's that."
Stiles rolled his eyes and squeezed her hand again. "He'd be stupid not to want you." He paused. "Well, he's Greenburg.. but he should still be interested in you." He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder, remembering when his dad had said the exact same thing to him about Danny. That hurt.. because now his dad probably wouldn't give a shit and well, Danny obviously didn't either. Part of him couldn't help but wonder if it was all a joke.. wonder if the whole relationship was some elaborate prank. In what world would Danny actually want Stiles? "Talk to Greenburg," he said, masking the sadness he felt. "Or I can talk to him for you. People do that, right? Is that a thing? I'll do it."
"I don't need a liaison," Frizzy mumbled quietly, though she was grateful that he offered. "I have a good idea. I'll just stick with you, okay? I'm so not your type, and that's fine - but we'll be happy without drama and aside from me turning into an evil puppy once a month, there isn't any danger. No broken bones or broken hearts. Plan?" She smiled gently, knowing that while tonight seemed like hell for all the shit that happened with her and Scott... they could at least somewhat forget about that when they returned to Beacon Hills - Stiles still had to face Danny.
Smiling slightly, Stiles looked over at Frizzy and chuckled. "Stiles and Frizzy, platonic life partners. We'll just stay together forever and never need anyone else. Sounds like a plan to me." It did sound better.. never having to deal with broken hearts for feelings. Though, he knew that this wasn't anything that could actually happen. They couldn't just block out the rest of the world forever. Stiles sat back quietly and mulled over the night in his head. He replayed conversations, feelings, thoughts.. until something made him stop. A lump formed in his throat and he sat up straighter. "Did you say.. w-who were the people you mentioned? The Alphas?"
Frizzy smiled brightly at him, feeling a little bit better than she had in the past hour or so. They sat in silence, a comfortable one, and unwound from the adrenaline that been fueling them. She was almost about to doze off in his arms when Stiles sat up and asked her a question. "Hm? Um... well in the penthouse there's... Aiden, Ethan - when he's not with Logan, Kali, Deucalion - who I'm still having to hide from, and Rhea. Why?"
"R-Rhea?" Stiles asked, his eyes going wide. That's what he thought she had said. Obviously, it wasn't who he was thinking it was.. His mother was dead. But it was still such a coincidence. Rhea was an odd name.. a name that not many people had. That didn't make his heart slow down at all or his nerves calm. He couldn't help but think what it? -- Even if it obviously wasn't the truth.
Frizzy frowned and sat up to look at him, "Yeah. Why? What's wrong? Stiles, your heart just kicked up like ten notches... Are you okay?" With everything he had gone through tonight, Frizzy didn't want to cause him any more distress.
Stiles shook his head and swallowed down the rabidly forming lump in his throat. "It's nothing," he mumbled, wiping his mouth off and releasing a shaky breath. "Just.. that's my mom's name. S'uncommon.. Haven't heard anyone else with it before."
"Oh..." her tone was sympathetic and she rubbed his back gently, "Maybe it's more common than you think? If it makes you feel any better.. she's not besmirching the name. She's actually pretty nice. We get along well enough." She was at a loss for what to say. She hadn't lost a parent like Stiles had, didn't have to deal with that crushing pain.
Stiles sucked his lips into his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. This shouldn't hurt this much.. but with the added pressure of the night.. Stiles shrugged and looked back at Frizzy again, rubbing his palms off on his pants. "It's just weird. M-My dad, he said he keeps seeing her. Like, around town and stuff. And I told him that he's just tired, but.." He licked his lips and looked over at Frizzy. "My mom's dead. There's no way it's possible."
"Yeah," Frizzy said softly, nudging him gently, "but werewolves aren't possible, either." She sighed softly, knowing that encouraging him to think that this Rhea was his mom was a bad idea - but she couldn't see him upset anymore tonight. "But you're right... it can't be her."
"My mom would be like, forty now," Stiles said, staring straight ahead at the night sky. "She would have had her fortieth birthday not too long ago. I-I.. I just went to her grave. Just looked at pictures of her my dad put away." He pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees, almost as Frizzy was sitting. "She would have liked you."
"Who doesn't like me?" She tried to joke, knowing it would fall flat. "What was she like, Stiles? We've never talked about her even though I won't lie and say I wasn't curious."
Stiles nudged the girl's side. "Apparently Greenburg," he teased, a playful tone to his voice. He listened to Frizzy's question and smiled sadly, turning his head to rest his cheek on his knees. "She was amazing and smart and funny and sweet. She cared about people so much.. and like, always put others before herself. Dad always said I got my looks from her, which, I mean I can kinda see but she was way beautiful and a girl.. so." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I got her hair color.. and her eyes. I just miss her.."
"Oh shut up," Frizzy rolled her eyes at his mention of Greenburg, the gesture as playful as his tone. She watched him, her smile dimming slightly as she listened to him describe his mother. Her heart beat picked up. This Rhea did look an awful lot like Stiles. But no... no way. It couldn't be. She said nothing for a long moment, she just stared at him, and when she realized she hadn't replied, she quickly said; "Silly, Stiles.. you're beautiful too." Frizzy leaned and rested her head against his, "and she sounds like you.. personality wise, as well."
Stiles smiled again and shook his head, looking over at Frizzy. "Nah, not like her. She was.." His heart ached a little, but for the most part, it was nice to talk to someone else about the person he cared about most -- well, aside from his dad. "I wish I had a picture with me, I'd show you her.." he said. "I finally have one now.. Dad kinda hid them all, but I found one."
"Why did he do that?" Frizzy asked with a confused expression on her face, "You would think that he'd want to see her and whatnot. She sounds an awful lot like you, though. Always caring about people more than you care about yourself, funny, sweet.. maybe she's not here like.. physically, but Stiles... she's still here you know? Like... through you."
Stiles felt another tear slip down his cheek and he hid his face in his legs, wiping it off. He sniffled and sat up a little straighter. "Can we get off this roof? I don't wanna be in this creepy hotel anymore. I can break us into my dad's cruiser, we can just sleep there.." He stood up and held his hand out to frizzy to help her up. He wasn't sure what he would do without her most of the time.
Frizzy frowned, feeling bad that she had caused him to cry again. "Yeah, please. I'm not even sure how I got up here..." she took his hand and stood, swiping her shoes on the way up. "Wait? You can break into your dad's car? Oh this I have got to see." With a smile that was definitely a Frizzy smile, she dragged him off the roof.
Notes: Brody and Adrianna attend homecoming together and it actually looks like it's going to be fun and normal until Adrianna sees her dead brother in the hallway and Brody acts well... not like himself.
Brody stepped off the bus in one swift motion, his dress shoes hitting the concrete pathway leading up to the hotel with a subtle thud, him moving away almost immediately to allow Adrianna to step down after him and the rest of the students that would inevitably follow. A sense of relief had washed over him since leaving his house and setting out on the bus, for his parents hadn't been too overbearing and the meeting, as brief as it was, seemed to have gone well; but he hadn't asked Adrianna about it yet, so he couldn't be entirely certain. A hand moved up to his tie almost instinctively, him straightening the deeply pigmented material over his white shirt before he glanced over in the general direction of the bus, a small, warm smile staining his features as he locked his gaze against his date's.
Adrianna twisted the silver bracelet around her left wrist as the bus pulled up to the hotel. Her nerves had gone down considerably after leaving Brody's house. It had gone over well enough, though Adrianna did trip up a few times and stumble over words, but at least she didn't say anything remotely offensive. Wasn't the hardest part over? Now came the actual dance, the actual date part of the date, and that part was going to be easier. Brody seemed to have a knack at putting her at ease, something that not many people could say they had accomplished. It would be a lie to say he wasn't different than everyone else and perhaps that was what made it so easy for her to open up to him and to care. Adrianna followed people off the bus, the skirt of her dress gathered in her hand gently, and she steadied herself on the door of the bus as she stepped down. She looked up at the hotel for a brief moment and then looked over at Brody and smiled brightly, something she'd been doing more and more of lately. "So," she said as she approached him, "you're the one who has actually witnessed one of these in action before, therefore you are the expert. What do we do next?"
Brody's smile widened considerably as he witnessed her own, noting for a brief moment the first time they'd met and how she had told him, she didn't smile. It seemed like, in such a short amount of time, things had more than evidently changed for them individually and as a pair, or sorts. Tilting his head a little in both amusement and in order to respectively look over her dress, he moved a hand up to push his glasses back up where they had slid down his nose, him offering her a small shrug before humming softly "I wouldn't call myself an expert and the dance hasn't really been held outside of the school before. We have to go inside, I have out tickets so you don't have to worry about that. Shall we?" With that, he offered her his hand, him worried that maybe his palm was sweaty and he hadn't noticed or he was being overly nervous so much so that she could tell. He had butterflies and he still couldn't quite believe that he was at homecoming with someone so beautiful, him licking his lips in a sign of slight anxiety before continuing "Have I told you, you look breathtaking tonight?" Knowing that he had, when she'd arrived at his house not more than an hour ago.
Adrianna watched Brody push his glasses and she ducked her head slightly to hide the smile that tugged at her lips. She nodded lightly and took his hand. After years of being taught how to steady her hands even in the most nerve wracking moments, Adrianna was glad to be able to say she had learned well as her hand fit with his easily. With a sudden flare (a small flare) of confidence, Adrianna laced her fingers through his, and ignored the way her stomach flipped and how her heart beat a little bit faster. Adrianna glanced up at him when he complimented her again and the smile she gave him was soft and modest, something that said she believed him - even if she wasn't aware of it yet. "Thank you," she mumbled, "I think you upstage me, though."
Brodywatched her with a degree of intrigue, him knowing that, he would never be able to tell exactly what she was thinking and that, in itself, was one of the many reasons he liked her so much; she was unpredictable beyond what his intelligence could anticipate, she was smart, beautiful, more daring than he could ever dream of being, she was everything any man could ever wish for and so much more. Yet, here she was, on a date with him and he'd never felt so honored in his life. Feeling her warm palm encase his own, he allowed for his smile to subdue, his features still warm and inviting with a degree of effortless reassurance as he took a step in the direction of the hotel, ignoring a few curious teens who must have wondered how they had come to be together at homecoming, or how that Brody kid even had a date. He tried to hide the fleeting quirk of his brow in surprise as she interlocked her fingers with his own, him responding by securing the pads of his digits against her hand before giving it a reassuring, affectionate squeeze. He felt as if he was about to hit a high or collapse in that moment, his breathing slightly elated, his stomach fluttering to an agonizing degree, this was all so new, so bold and he loved it, because he couldn't imagine being here with anyone else other than Adrianna. He met her gaze as she complimented him, his dark brown orbs dilated in the light of the lamp lights leading up to the hotel's entrance, his handsome features twisted into an expression of adoration. "You think I upstage you? I'm standing her in a standard suit and you... I mean that dress.... Did I say you? You look amazing Adri, I couldn't upstage you if I tried, which I won't because you deserve to be the focal point of attention... You look incredible." With that, he slowly began to lead her towards the entrance of the hotel, him keeping in step with her so as to not rush her or be too dominant within their natural dynamic, before he stopped just outside the entrance, handing the doorman two tickets who them gestured for them to enter the lobby that lead through to the ballroom.
Adrianna felt her heart jump a little when he squeezed her hand. It was difficult for Adrianna to let her guards down - her emotional ones and her physical ones. Sudden movements, even the lightest of touches, and any movement toward her would usually send her in some sort of defensive mode. Her mother had made certain that she was on edge whenever there were people around. But she was managing to relax, managing to let that guard down as she chipped away at her other ones. The fact of the matter was... Adrianna wanted to let Brody know her. The realization of that had struck her half way through their first date and then every conversation following had only reinforced it. Her missing him when he was ill, the way she looked around for him in the hallway during school, these were all examples of just how much she liked him. She could only hope he felt the same way and from the letter and the way he talked about it.. it seemed to be that her hopes might not be crushed. "Oh no..." Adrianna's eyes widened slightly and she shook her head, "No attention from anyone else but you, okay? I'm not sure I could handle attention from anyone else." She actually stepped a little bit closer to him as a few of their classmates passed by, definitely not wanting attention from anyone else. They followed the flow of students in their finest (and some in their not so finest) and when they came upon the ballroom, Adrianna let out a low whistle; "You don't have to worry about upstaging me... the ballroom's done it."
Brody raised his brow as she spoke, his lips parting slightly before he shook his own head slightly in reassurance, his hand firmly within her own as he slowly guided them into the lobby behind a steady stream of students, him murmuring softly "Okay, no attention but from me, I'm sure we'd hardly notice anyway, Adri, it's just us remember? You and me, at homecoming, no one else really matters." He hadn't expected her not to want it, not that he thought she was in any way a girl who sought attention, but he felt that she deserved it; she deserved for people to take in how beautiful she was. Chuckling lightly at her comment, he allowed for his wide orbs to scan the elaborately decorated ballroom before them, him genuinely surprised at the scene that had been created before he whispered "This place makes me look so dull in comparison, who'd have thought they'd do such a good job?" Him then slowly leading her further into the room before slowing down, figuring it was best to allow for her to take the lead. Of course, he knew that she'd never been to a dance before, but he didn't want to pull her to the, table anywhere for that matter if it's not what she wanted.
"I think this place makes anyone look dull, Brody," she mumbled back with a small, amused smile, as she let him lead her into the room. The place felt so big that they were swallowed whole by it - now made miniscule and trivial; just two people amongst thousands that the building had seen. Her nerves were still there, as they always were whenever she was around Brody, but she was able to gain a bit of her usual confidence back and not want to wilt into the wall like a flower. She noticed his slowing down, picked up on the fact that he was trying to make her feel comfortable by giving her the option to make decisions as to where they would sit or what would happen next, and not for the first time she felt a wave of gratitude toward him. Not often would Adrianna admit that she liked people caring enough about her to try and make her feel comfortable, but this was nice... this was something she would have to thank him for later. "Did you have anywhere you wanted to sit in particular?" She tore her gaze away from the room and looked at him, tilting her head slightly in question, "Or we could stand all night, if you prefer."
His light chuckle returned as she questioned him, him turning, his hand still firmly within her own in order to face her fully; fleetingly smiling at a group of familiar students behind her before giving her an apologetic look as if to say sorry if that had been rude, his free hand, moving to gesture to the array of tables along the one side. "I don't mind in all honesty, why don't you pick? It's your first dance Adri, you should be in control of how it all plays out... Besides, I wouldn't want you standing up all night in, well, whatever shoes you have underneath that beautiful dress of yours. I want you to feel comfortable, as blunt as that sounds, I always want you to feel relaxed around me." With an easy, warming smile, he playfully took a step back to outstretch their arms, him tilting his head a little before catching sight of the photograph section in the far corner. "It feels so good to know that I'm not the one stuck in the corner all night, besides I bet the stand in gets paid wherein I did not. Did you want our photograph taken? or we can grab a drink and find somewhere to sit... Just the two of us, away from any potential attention."
"I do feel relaxed around you," she assured him with a simple shrug, "I'd probably feel less relaxed sitting at a table with my cousin and his... date." Adrianna nodded in the direction of Mike and Olivia, who was wearing an incredibly short dress. "So let's not do that, yes?" Her smile matched his and then she followed his line of sight to see the photographing in the corner. "What? You aren't missing spending the entire dance having to deal with obnoxious teenagers who think taking fifty different photos of various poses will actually improve their appearance?" The best way to see if Adrianna was relaxing? She started to make snide comments and was able to move through an entire sentence without tripping up or pausing and she was quick to make decisions. With a shake of her head, she looked back at him; "No pictures. Not from someone who would try to make me look forced anyway. So let's get a drink and sit away.. from.. this." She motioned to a large group of their classmates stumbling into the ballroom loudly.
Brody's smile widened in an undeniably content manner as she reassured him, him rolling his lips together slightly to conceal the actual magnitude of the elated act as he nodded once, the action to those who knew him, conveying his attention and understanding, him humming effortlessly "I'm glad, I wouldn't want any of this to be awkward... Especially when there's no reason for it to be." His words were followed by a crease of his brow, him turning his head to look in the direction she had nodded towards to see Olivia and what must have been Mike, him mumbling to himself "Oh... Olivia huh? God is that a dress or a thigh skimming top?" Before he shook his head apologetically, pulling an adorably cringing face as he mused "Annndd that was incredibly bitchy of me, but I'm tired of seeing girls at these things in 'barely there attire', you'd think seeing that at the photo area would be satisfying but for a guy like me, it isn't... We don't have to sit with them, especially been as I don't fancy taking my chances with your cousin, we'd sit there and next thing you'd know I'd get all clammy and speechless if and he'd be grilling me on why I wanted you to be my date... I'll pass." He genuinely laughed at her tease, the sound subdued but illustrious as he hummed "Oh yeah, because that's the highlight of any teen attending one of these dances; the thirtieth take on just the jocks is a blast." Him knowing that, it was more than obvious he was being sarcastic, but it never sounded obnoxious with him, he could be humorous without it being directly at the expense of another, or in any way with malicious intent. He simply nodded as she spoke, him glancing over to the rowdy group of teens before whispering almost imperceptibly "lead the way, beautiful."
Adrianna laughed genuinely, her free hand going to cover her mouth and stifle it, when Brody made the comment about Olivia's dress. She shook her head at him saying it was bitchy and gave him a slight look that said 'who am I to judge?' She had said worse things directly to Olivia; including threatening her life and everything else that followed. Adrianna squeezed his hand gently and glanced at Mike briefly before turning her full attention on Brody again, "I don't know what he would do. He's protective. It's annoying. It's almost like he thinks he has to step up as my brother now that Harper's dead," she said it so casually, so nonchalantly, and there wasn't a flicker of pain in her eyes or a pang of loss in her chest. Adrianna masked her surprise quickly with another smile, "So a date is a step up this year?" The smile turned slightly coy, seeing as she already knew the answer to the question, and then she gently tugged on his hand to lead him toward the area where refreshments were being served. "Our options are... punch, punch, water, and oh..punch."
Brody said nothing as she spoke, him merely raising his brow with an adoring smile whilst he listened, there was no need for him to comment further; he knew she knew the answer to her own question and this was one of the few times he didn't feel the need to reinforce it regardless, him simply allowing for her to lead him towards the refreshment area, him coming to a stop just behind her, her perfume hitting against his senses before he chuckled, biting down on his lower lip to stifle the deep, alluring sound, him responding quietly to her words "Oooh that's a tough one... I guess I should go with... Errrmmm... Punch?" Him glancing over her shoulder at the rather poor selection of drinks, it a direct contrast to the elaborate ballroom complete with trimmings.
"They do make decisions difficult for us, don't they?" Adrianna smirked and picked up one of the plastic cups that were supposed to look like nice crystal, handing it to Brody. When she had a cup of punch for herself, she turned to look at the rest of the ballroom. Her eyes swept over the room, taking in where everyone was sitting; where Mike and Olivia were, where the werewolves were (she needed to stay as far from them as possible, not wanting them to ruin the night). She pointed to an empty table in the corner and then once again lead him in that direction. "Do you think the decorations are like a Monet?" Adrianna suddenly questioned, "From a distance everything looks really nice, but up close it's just a bunch of shapes bundled together? Because the closer I look.. the less awe-inspiring it seems," she reached out and touched one of the centerpieces before taking a seat, setting her drink on the table and looking at Brody again; "Thank you... for taking me, by the way."
Brody took the cup gratefully with a smile, him glancing down at what he had expected to be glass but was in fact plastic as his fingers encased the cool container, his other hand, still loosely held within her own as the lights above reflected off the lenses of his glasses, his brow creased in a moment of thought before he was looking back up at Adrianna, her gaze set over his shoulder as she evidently glanced around the large ballroom, him wondering if she was searching for someone or a way to avoid the rest of the teens that had swarmed into homecoming. He glanced over his shoulder to the table of which she was gesturing at before turning back to face the room, allowing for her to lead him over to the corner, him taking a sip of the almost sickly sweet punch that he clutched with his fingers. She was right, him nodding in agreement as she spoke before glancing down at the centerpiece, him breaking his hand reluctantly from hers to smoothly take the seat opposite, him setting himself down and placing his drink before him. "It's like... You look and you think that the school has gone all out, it's only when you take a second glance you realise that's hardly the case. It's interesting really, they've used the inner workings of perception to their advantage.... I think we should take back to dull comment, you are most definitely the most stunning thing in this room now that we've uncovered the reality of this decor." It was then he creased his brow, him taking a moment to realise what she was thanking him for before he was shaking his head, moving a hand up to rearrange his thick rimmed glasses upon his handsome features "To homecoming? You have nothing to thank me for... It's an honor to be here with you Adri, I feel luckier than you'll ever know just sitting here, being able to talk to you like this, knowing that, you want to be here with me as much as I do with you."
Adrianna looked around at the decorations and was mildly disappointed to see that the wonderland she thought they had walked into only minutes before was in fact something less than stellar. They used the lighting and the space to their advantage, expertly disguising the cheap centerpieces and ugly color choices. She looked back at Brody when he complimented her again and she gently shook her head, happy that the blush that crept across her cheeks was dimmed by the lighting - at least it was doing its job well, anyway. "Alright..." Adri said slowly, her head tilting a little to the side, "then we're both fairly lucky and incredibly grateful to the other." Her hand twisted the bracelet around her wrist, her head bowed slightly as she watched the bracelet - a nervous habit she had picked up when she was younger, and a primary reason she never wore jewelry. "Do you want to know a secret, Brody?" Adrianna lifted her gaze to him again, a small smile in the corner of her lips.
Brodykept his gaze upon Adrianna even when she looked back at him after surveying the room, his one palm flat on the edge of the table and his other hand outstretched, him toying with the thinner base of his drink as he listened to her intently as she spoke, him nodding in agreement with a small, lighthearted smile that seemed to light up the corner they were in and fill it with warmth. His gaze dropped to her wrist once he caught sight of the bracelet upon her wrist, him taking in the way she toyed with it with a degree of curiosity "I guess so? It's pretty hard knowing others secrets but as long as it does not come with a price tag I cannot afford, then of course I do.
"My secrets aren't priced, they're free. I just don't give them away without discretion," her tone was soft, demure even, and her eyes held his with some level of warmth to them. Opening up to Brody was easy, yes, but this was a step above easy. She found herself wanting to tell him almost everything and in the back of her mind, Adrianna was aware that it wouldn't be a good idea. So when she had to come up with a secret to tell him - it wasn't the one the voice inside of her head was telling her she should. Telling someone you really liked that you hunt werewolves for a living and that you had since you were four wasn't exactly the best way to go about things. Her slender fingers twisted the bracelet around her wrist some more, "My brother would have liked you."
A small smile played against the corners of his lips at her initial comment, his fingers that had been upon the cool cup that held his punch sliding up to carefully grasp at the container, him preparing to lift the item to his lips. He contemplated, in the short amount of silence that passed, what she could possibly wish to share with him; knowing that, any secret from Adrianna had to be something big and it was more than evident to tell, she didn't share secrets with just about anyone. After a brief pause, he pulled the cup up to his lips, only stopping just short of his mouth as she finally spoke one more, his gaze, wide warm orbs, moving up to lock against hers and his lips parting subtly at her confession; him understanding exactly how much magnitude and importance her words held. With a quirk of his brow, he reached over his free hand to place his fingers atop of hers, him humming softly "Do you... Really think so? That means a lot, it really does... I bet I would have liked him too in all honesty, I bet he was a great guy."
Adrianna knew that most people wouldn't consider that a secret, but for Adrianna it was. Maybe not one of her biggest ones, but definitely a secret nonetheless. Anything about her brother was a secret. She never told anyone about him; not his favorite color, not the way he used to push her when she teased him, nor the way he would force her to watch any Yankees game that was on. It was almost as if she felt like if she told people these things, she'd lose the little bit of Harper she had left. Adrianna looked at her hand and lifted her gaze to Brody when his fingers brushed over hers gently, "Yes. He would have given you hell, because he was my brother, but he would have liked you. He was an interesting person. Annoying, frustrating, and if people think I'm hard to get along with - Harper makes me look like the sweetest girl in the world. But that's just how we were raised. However, he could talk your ear off about history, architecture, books, music, anything... so yeah, you might have liked him."
Brodydidn't quite know what to say as Adrianna continued, he was all too conscious of how much of a deal this was to her, sure to everyone outside of their bubble it would seem perfectly ordinary for her to be talking about her brother to him, in fact they wouldn't see it as a secret at all, but he knew better, he understood how she didn't speak about him to anyone, which he would never be so disrespectful as to compare the two, was similar to him and his father. But here she was, telling him a little about someone who had clearly meant the world to her and he was all too sure that to say anything would taint the situation, that he'd somehow make it all seem less important. So, instead he gave her a small, warm smile, his gaze searching her features as he listened intently, his fingertips gliding over the smooth skin of her digits as he subtly nodded his head in agreement. "Thank you" was all he could think to say that would do nothing to take away from the moment, or the importance of what she had done "Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Adri... I sincerely mean it when I say that means a lot." Him averting his gaze to the table as he took a long sip of his sickly sweet punch, him trying to hide the cringe that formed upon his lips as the sugary liquid ran down his throat. He let their table fall into silence then, the music from the dj booth playing out to the rowdy students on the dance floor before he finally murmured "So, is this how you imagined your first dance? Or is there something I can do to make it a little better?"
Adrianna decided they were done with depressing for the night. It was difficult for her to be happy and while she was trying as hard as she could, she knew that she was failing. Failure was something Adrianna couldn't comprehend for herself, probably because her parents hadn't let her when she was younger. Miss the target, try again until you didn't. There wasn't any "oh you can do it honey, practice makes perfect" either. Adrianna sighed softly and looked around, watching the others do something she figured they thought was close to dancing. She turned her gaze back to Brody and raised her eyebrows, "I never imagined myself at a dance, but I will say that so far my expectations have been highly exceeded and not because the decorations are wonderful or because the music is a good choice, but because I've got amazing company and I couldn't ask for anything better." She gave him a smile and then looked at the dance floor again, "However... there is no way in hell you're going to get me to dance like that." The nerves were back, she was rambling and it wasn't even intelligent rambling about intelligent things.
Brody kept his gaze upon her features as the silence between them grew ever longer, of course never could he ever say it resembled anything that discomfort, that never seemed to be the case within the presence of Adrianna, it was always content, as if the silence was meant to be there, as if they were taking their time in each moment. He was enjoying himself more than he was sure anyone else would in his situation, just sitting across from her, sipping a too sweet drink, being able to brush his fingers to hers subtly without her pulling away, it was all amounting to a far better homecoming experience than he'd ever had. He couldn't imagine being here with anyone else, couldn't imagine any other girl sitting across from him at a table in the corner, seemingly secluded in the best possible way from the rest of the energetic dance. His smile effortlessly widened as she spoke, it remaining to be that of relaxation and intense gratitude, so very natural upon his handsome features that it became hard to imagine him without a smile at all. He was always smiling around her and he wondered if, maybe she was beginning to think he was a fool, for every single word she spoke, every single action she executed, he hung onto, completely allowing for it to catch his attention; and the only explanation he had was the way he felt for her and how truly captivating she was without even knowing it. "Well" He hummed, his voice barely audible to anyone but them at the table "Not to sound sycophantic, but I could say the exact same thing about you. I've never experienced a dance beyond the confines of the photography area and it's safe to say this is exceeding all expectations I've had in my many years of high school." He followed her gaze to the dancefloor then, his brow orbs flickering from on 'dancing' group to the next, his mind, despite a high degree of intelligence struggling to connect the concept of dance and what these teens were doing, together. "Wow" he chuckled, amused at sight that spread out before their eyes "What is that? I mean, is this all considered dancing? I'm relieved because I can't really dance unless you know, it's a slow dance and I'm definitely not getting up to do... That."
Adrianna felt her smile widen when he said it was the same for him. It was strange to think that Brody hadn't attended a dance with a date before, at least - it was strange to Adrianna. Perhaps it was because in her view, if someone could get her to open up as he did, if someone could get her to relax and even let herself be happy like he did, there was something special to them. That meant that there was something special to Brody, something that nobody else had. How someone couldn't see that was beyond her. It made no sense to her and while it probably made no sense to him as to why Adrianna hadn't experienced any type of dance before, the situations were different. She wasn't really allowed to experience any kind of normal teenager thing when she lived at home with her parents. It was hunting and training and that was it. After Harper's death and her weeks or so being tortured, Adrianna hadn't felt the desire to do anything remotely normal. Adrianna smiled, amused, and didn't look away from him as he looked out at the dance floor. Subtle admiring, something Adrianna was good at, maybe? "Then we're in agreement. Slow dances, yes. Gyrating on the dance floor, no. I knew there was a reason I liked you... or several reasons, really."
Brody's gaze remained fixated upon the dancefloor before them, him still trying to understand why teens thought what they were doing was considered dancing when to him, it looked embarrassingly like some act of foreplay. Of course, he wouldn't know for sure, he'd never been that close to someone to so much as experience a kiss let alone anything further. He wondered if Adrianna had and of course, thinking about it alone made him feel guilty as he wished to treat her with the utmost respect, but he couldn't deny the fact that she was breathtaking and any guy would be lucky to be in her company, to be able to brush their skin against hers. He couldn't be the first, he wouldn't ever stop to think that he was the only one who has ever thought about her this way. To him, she was unique in the best possible way, she wasn't crazy as she kept telling him, she wasn't even scary, intimidating, maybe, but not so much now to him when he was getting to know her on a personal level. She was different, she was what he could only expect most guys dreamed about, but here she was... With him, and that was something he'd never quite be able to figure out. Another chuckle effortlessly fled his parted lips as she spoke, the sound smooth and easy before he was murmuring gently "Several reasons? I won't ask what they are because I doubt you'd tell me, but I'm glad there's more to it than my opinions on dancing... Do you... Maybe want to head out into the hallway or somewhere quieter? Excuse the questions phrasing, I know that guys say that when they have implication laced intentions, but I'm not, I just want us to be somewhere where we're not caged into the corner surrounded by horny teens... That's if you want to? Or we can just stay here." He knew that he was rambling now, he was sure of it as his fingers slid from hers to the table just in front of them, his glasses having moved down to the tip of his defined nose.
Adrianna shook her head slightly, a smile in the corner of her lips, when Brody said she wouldn't tell him. She was somewhat shocked that she was that easily read, that he had picked up on little things about her so quickly. At first, she wondered if it was because she was becoming more and more like an open book - which would make for an issue - but she realized that he was probably just observant and the first person to care enough to actually observe her. That might have unsettled her before, but recently she was enjoying it. He asked if she wanted to step out into the hallway and Adrianna tilted her head in slight shock, though a smile broke across her face when he continued to talk about not having ulterior motives. "I would actually like that a lot. Then it won't feel like everyone's watching or listening in, even though they probably don't care enough to. It's just easier. Come on..." she tapped the table top gently once and then stood, waiting for him before taking his hand again - finding that she didn't like not holding it - and guided them both out through the throng of students loitering around the entrances. It took a few moments, but they finally came upon an empty hall. Adrianna paused in her steps as they rounded the corner, her blood running cold at the familiar sight of her dead brother down the hall. He stared at her, raised her eyebrows, and then smiled before disappearing behind the wall.
Brody moved his gaze to Adrianna just in time to note the shake of her head, him allowing for his brow to crease in playful confusion and a wide smile to play against his lips as he took in her expression, knowing that, she was probably wondering how he had known that at all. He wondered if she would worry she'd become too obvious and that, she'd somehow let her guard slip, but she hadn't, for he was just someone who tended to look a lot closer than most and in all their conversations, he'd paid attention to everything about her quite possibly more than he should have; but it was all because he craved to know her, to find out little pieces of what made her the person that stood before him, just as much as he wanted to let her know who he was in return, the boy beyond the skateboard and camera. Pushing his glasses back up his nose, he took in the way in which she stood, the tap of the table ringing through his ears as he processed her previous words before he mused "Great... I don't think they are paying too much attention to us, although your cousin has been glancing over at us every five seconds or so." He stood just after she did, swiftly re-buttoning his suit jacket where he has let it unfasten before sitting down to be more comfortable, before taking her hand with ease, knowing that, wherein he should have been surprised he wasn't anymore; for this all felt undeniably natural, his fingers lacing together with her own. He let her guide him through the masses of students then, happy to give her the chance to effortlessly guide them through into a silent, rather dimly lit hallway before stepping out to stand beside her, him taken by surprise by her stopping in her tracks which caused for him to stumble slightly upon his shoes; him turning his head with parted lips and a concerned expression as he attempted to determine what it was that she was looking at. He could tell, rather oddly, she had been shaken by something and in a bid to snap her out of it, he stepped in front of her, his hand still in hers and giving it a small squeeze before he hummed "Hey, hey, hey... Adri... What's wrong?" His every word aching with caution.
Adrianna couldn't look away from where she had seen Harper. She was crazy at times (less so recently), but Adrianna hadn't ever hallucinated her brother before. Her heart beat hard in her chest which felt like it was constricting. She almost felt like she couldn't breathe. Her gaze never left the end of the hallway and it wasn't until Brody was standing in front of her that she snapped out of it. Her green eyes were a bit wide from fright and shock and she looked up at him, seeing him but not really comprehending him. "I..." Adrianna took a deep breath, "thought I saw someone, is all." Her heart beat slowed down, resuming its normal rhythm but her hand shook slightly in Brody's. She had seen a lot in her life, been through a hell of a lot more, and nothing had shaken her up just quite like that mere ten seconds of seeing her dead brother not twelve feet away from her. "Is this okay? There's bound to be another hallway around here somewhere..." she avoided looking at Brody as she tried to get the rest of her nerves - an entirely different kind than what she was feeling earlier - under control completely. Tonight was going so well; a bit too well, which was probably why she was now cracking and seeing her dead brother in the hallway of a hotel that he had no contact with ever. It was almost two years exactly since his death and not once in those two years had she imagined him anywhere near her. Finally, Adrianna looked at Brody again - at his kind eyes that often held such concern and warmth for her.. for this girl who didn't deserve either of those things and hadn't deserved them ever - and her heart skipped a beat for an entirely different reason. "Brody..." she trailed off quietly, stepping a bit closer to him so that she could lean over the short gap between them and plant a soft kiss on his lips. Her first kiss and it was with someone who genuinely cared about her.
Brodycould do nothing but observe her as she stood before him, her gaze fixated ahead as if she was looking at something far beyond his reach, his hand firmly within her own to reinforce his presence and somehow offer her reassurance for something he wasn't even sure about at all. She looked frightened, scared even, but those were two things he never imagined Adrianna to be. Was she feeling unwell? Had she somehow been hurt? These were the only viable options he could come up with and even they seemed unrealistic. Breathing elevated beneath the confines of his shirt, lips parted, he watched her through wide, warm orbs, his features set into an expression of utmost reassurance despite his overlying concern, an emotion of which he was trying to conceal as he knew it would not help the situation. He searched her features for what seemed like hours, hoping to catch a flicker of what she was thinking or had witnessed, him hanging on her every disjointed, uncharacteristic murmur as it broke the silence that threatened to consume them. "I erm... I think this is fine... Unless you want to go somewhere else?" He had whispered hurriedly in response to her question, somehow afraid that if he took too long to reply she would once again be somehow lost to him, a lifeless figure frozen in place before him. Her hand was trembling vulnerably within his own and in a bid to soothe her, he moved his thumb to the side of her palm, slowly and gently caressing her skin with the pad of his thumb to bring her back into the moment and communicate to her that he was there, no matter what she thought she had seen or what was going on around them, he was going to be there for her through this. Then, almost as if his action had worked, she was looking at him, her piercing orbs burning into his own and his name naturally fleeing her lips, it embracing him just over the rush of blood in his ears that had been created by her step closer. Then everything blissfully happened in fast forward and before he knew it, her lips were on his in a soft peck. His first kiss and he couldn't have asked for anything more. Slowly, almost out of instinct, he moved his free hand up to place it against her concealed waist, his lips using what felt natural to respond to the new experience, him gently massaging his smooth skin to hers as his irises fluttered shut. At first, the kiss was blissfully innocent, everything anyone could ever expect from Brody, everything anyone could ever wish for, but then, someone incomprehensible had taken hold of him, so much so that he didn't feel quite like himself anymore, his brow creasing before, uncharacteristically to say the least, he was pushing her back against the nearest wall, pinning her against it as the kiss grew harsher, his hand gripping at her waist. He was beyond thought, beyond consciousness even, so much so that it wasn't even Brody at all; but she couldn't see that, and for all she knew, this was him, unless he'd ever given her a reason to, despite all the evidence before her in that moment, think otherwise and still believe he was that good person she had spent time with.
Adrianna did have a sense of confidence to her, that much was true. She was confident in the things at which she knew she was good. She hadn't ever kissed anyone before or been kissed and so the confidence that came over her right before the kiss was unexpected, as was most of the evening - including seeing Harper. Most girls might have broken the kiss and apologized for being bold or forward, but Adrianna didn't think it was necessary. If Brody didn't want to kiss her, then he wouldn't kiss her back. But he was kissing her back and it was perfect - despite the fact that she hated using that term to describe anything. Their lips fit perfectly together and the action brought her stomach to a flutter and her heart was thudding heavily in her chest. Then it seemed to take a downward turn. Some other girls might not have thought it as such, but Adrianna was immediately on the defense - as was like her when suddenly caught off guard - after Brody had pinned her to the wall. The kiss went from gentle to harsh, overpowering; his hand on her waist became stronger, a strength that she didn't think he possessed. She might not know Brody all that well, but she knew that this wasn't like him... this wasn't like him in the least. Her hunter side took over and without as much of an issue as some regular girl might have had, Adrianna wedged her hands between the two of them and pushed him back violently, causing him to stagger back a step or two. Her breaths came heavily as she stared at him, her face defiant as she studied him.
Brody stumbled back unsteadily as she pushed him away with ease, his gaze for a flicker of a moment hard and almost annoyed as he struggled to find his footing, before, as if it hadn't been there at all, he was blinking rapidly as if to refocus upon the hallway, his features falling into a look of confusion which then grew to one of both regret and panic as he pulled both shaking hands up to straighten his glasses, him backing away from her completely and hitting the opposite wall harshly with a dull thud, him shaking his head feverishly before he mumbled breathlessly "I, I, I... I-I'm so sorry, I don't... I-I don't know what happened... I... I-I should just go..." Him exhaling a deep, shuttering breath that seemed to rip through his lungs as he blinked back what appeared to be subtle beads of moisture that were nearly unnoticeable under the dimly light ceiling, him averting his gaze from her before beginning to stumble and hurry back down the hallway in the direction they'd came. Completely and utterly shaken to his core as to what had come over him and if that was who he was to become and always had been but had never noticed before.
Adrianna couldn't bring herself to say anything as she stared at him, her gaze somewhat blank as her mind worked. This wasn't Brody, that much was evident as he seemed to snap back into himself, immediately showing regret on his usually so warm face. This wasn't Brody and that hadn't been her brother. This was something else entirely. Her hands clenched at the idea of something having to ruin the one thing she had looked forward to in years, but it probably looked like anger that was being aimed at him. She still hadn't said anything as he left, though her gaze did follow him. The anger mixing with the pain in her chest as she watched his retreating back. Because it was what she did to avoid pain, Adrianna decided to figure out what the hell was going on in this fucking hotel.
Notes: Frizzy and Aiden go to the homecoming dance together (well, kind of since he was late and she arrived alone). They talk about Greenburg (because Aiden is totally jealous) and then somehow end up making out and Stiles finds them. Basically, Fraiden? (Started in the main event chat, branched into our own individual one).
Aiden rolled his eyes as he took his helmet off of his head. He could hear people inside the hotel talking, getting drinks, probably humping in the corners, the usual. He knew he would come to regret this later on tonight when he was being forced to stay in some hotel that was known for it's suicides. He knew that it would probably be a stupid idea to go into a hotel filled with humans and werewolves after his night out last night. After the fight with his annoying beta, he decided to go out and get rid of some steam, which resulted in many dead irrelevant animals and a few humans that were crawling around the forest, instead of completely showering though, he just rinsed off a bit, so the smell wasn't too noticeable, all he hoped was that no one important got a whiff of his scent. He stepped off his bike, before making his way into the hotel all while looking around to see if he could spot that annoying beta that he knew he would regret turning.
Frizzy took a seat next to Stiles and relaxed back, spinning her phone on the table top and listening as he prattled off a list of things they could do. "Oh, I guess dancing is kind of what they do at dances, isn't it? I personally don't like dan--" she trailed off as she caught sight of Aiden entering the hotel, "Fuck. I was almost off the hook." Frizzy gave Scott a half-hearted smile and swiped her phone off the table, dropping it in her clutch person and snapping the purse shut. "I'm going to... go... elsewhere, because... yeah." She gave Stiles's hand a quick squeeze as a way to reassure him that everything would be okay even though his date had stood him up, "If you need me, text me. I promise I'll respond this time." Then she was making her way in the opposite direction of the ballroom, hoping to sneak out into a back hallway and maybe explore.
Aiden smirked at his brother, nodding. "Well, I can't exactly show up naked, now can I? So it was either that or this," he murmured, smirking once again once he finally heard his beta. "If you'll excuse me, I have a date to go and get," he said, patting his brother on the shoulder and walking in the direction that he heard the voice of his beta come from. He smirked to himself once again as he he saw his beta get up and begin walking in the opposite direction of him. He began walking behind her, trying to keep as much space in between them as possible. "Tut, tut, little beta.."
Frizzy rounded the corner as she left the ballroom and looked up and down the creepy and dimly lit hallway. She shrugged slightly in a 'this will do' sort of way and wandered down the corridor to the end where a couple of high backed arm chairs were situated beneath a window. She paused in her steps when she heard the familiar voice of Aiden, "Oh for fuck's sake.." Frizzy rolled her eyes and sank onto the chair, pulling out her phone to resume texting Greenburg - hoping that maybe if she ignored him, Aiden would go find someone else to torment.
Aiden smirked at her words. "Aw, aren't you happy to see me, Frizia?" he questioned, before sitting in the chair that was next to her. He waited for her to put the phone back down and look up at him, which he knew was unlikely to happen. "Who are you talking to?" he asked curiously, attempting to look over her shoulder to see the name on the top of the phone, which became unsuccessful.
"I am never happy to see you, Aiden," she remarked dully, leaning away from him as he leaned closer to her. "You reek," Frizzy lifted her gaze to look at him and tilted her phone away so he couldn't see it, ignoring his second question completely.
"You're always happy to see me, don't deny it," he snipped at her, before reaching over and plucking the phone out of her hands and curiously looking at the texts. "Are you talking to a boy? Who the fuck is Greenberg?" he growled out, ignoring her second question, the same way she ignored his.
"Aiden," the annoyance was evident in her tone, "give me my phone." She didn't wait for him to hand it over because she knew that he wouldn't, so she reached across and snagged it back from him. "Don't you have someone else to torment and kick around and make feel like shit? Or did you not get your fill of tormenting me last night?"
Aiden bared his teeth in an angry gesture at his beta after she stole the phone back. He definitely wasn't in the mood to have her talking to other guys tonight, especially when she was his date. He once again grabbed the phone out of her hands and dropped it onto the ground, stepping on it for extra measure. "Oops, my bad," he giggled slightly, before looking at her angrily. "I was not completely normal last night, Frizia. So, I didn't mean to say what I did say," he said, groaning.
Frizzy stared at Aiden incredulously as he broke her phone. The first thought that went through her head was that now if Stiles tried to get a hold of her, he wouldn't be able to; the second thought that went through her head was that Aiden was jealous - which was an amusing thought if she wasn't in the middle of being angry and confused. "You kicked me out and told me my parents didn't want me! How could you possibly not have meant that? And I can't believe you broke my phone." She moved off the chair to kneel down and pick up the pieces.
Aiden growled, sitting back in his seat. "I was high on wolfsbane so of course I was fucked up and kicked you out and said all that stuff!" he snapped at her, once again groaning, before moving around a bit as he watched her pick up the pieces to "her" phone. "Was that even your fucking phone? It doesn't look like your fucking phone. Did you even have a fucking phone?"
Frizzy looked up at Aiden blankly, "I think you need rehab." Her tone was monotonous as she grabbed the pieces that she could and then sat back in her seat again. "You're addicted to wolfsbane, Aiden. You need help. And no. It wasn't. It was Stiles'. He was lending me it because I broke mine the day after you bit me. So now... I don't have a phone and it's your fault. I'm sorry I wasn't paying you enough attention, but you were fucking late and well..." she shrugged idly.
Aiden shook his head and smiled slightly, before allowing it to turn back into a smirk. "Rehab, eh? What the fuck will that do for me? I'll be able to get out like... right when they put me in," he murmured, staring at the ceiling above him. "Ah, I see. So, instead of breaking your phone, I broke testicle one's phone. Interesting. Did he know that you were talking to this "Greenberg" person?" he questioned, putting quotation marks with his fingers around the word "Greenberg". "I was fucking late? I was showering, for god sakes. Would you want me to show up fucking covered in mud and blood and have to be stuck with me as your date all night, Frizia?"
"Because heaven forbid you actually stay someplace for help," Frizzy fought a smirk herself and looked down at the phone pieces until he asked about Greenburg. She looked over at him, "I'm sure he wouldn't care, seeing as he knows Greenburg and I are good friends." She didn't look away as he talked about being covered in mud and blood, and she wasn't stupid enough to ask if he was alright because it definitely wasn't his own blood he was covered in. "I didn't want to be stuck with you as a date anyway, Aiden, it was kind of forced upon me. Why were you covered in mud and blood? Who did you maim?"
"I would shut up if I were you, Frizia," Aiden bared his teeth once again, allowing his claws and fangs to come out as a warning to her. "Good friends? It kinda seems like you guys are more, the way your heart just picked up and everything," he murmured, smirking before listening to the building around them, he listened to her talk before turning towards her once again. "Then you have full permission to leave, because I don't plan on being here the entire weekend," he smirking, thinking of what had happened the night before. "Oh, a few people, few animals, humans, people really shouldn't walk around the forest at night,"
Frizzy almost made a retort, but she wasn't feeling up to a full out battle with him again. She was still reeling from last night. Frizzy slouched back against the seat and rested her head back against the seat, her eyes closing and then popping open again when he made mention of her heart beat, "Greenburg and I are good friends. If my heart picked up, it's because you're irritating me." She glared at him briefly and then closed her eyes again. "You should have just let me skip this thing, I don't see why you had to have me here anyway. Plenty of girls would go with you." Frizzy laughed quietly and shook her head at him, lazily opening her eyes to look at him again, "Do you feel better now? All suppressed rage no longer rolling around inside of you?"
Aiden scoffed, shaking his head. "Mhm, that's what all fuck buddies say "good friends" my ass," he murmured, before smirking, once again putting quotations with his fingers around the words "good friends" "Because y'know, you don't seem like someone who has many friends, was he the person you lost your virginity too or something? Is that why you guys are fuck buddies?" he murmured quietly, looking at her, expecting an answer, be rolled his eyes at her comment, once again leaning back in his seat and lacing his own fingers together. "Then leave, Frizia. You can run home, you're a big girl," he rolled his eyes at her comment, scoffing at the same time. "Shut the hell up,"
Frizzy raised her eyebrows, though didn't react much more than that until he asked if Greenburg was the person she lost her virginity to. She clenched her jaw slightly and could feel his gaze on her. Reluctantly, she looked at him and didn't say anything - knowing that wouldn't go over well. "The last time I left when you told me to, I got yelled at for having left. So I think I'll stay here and endure the pain of your company for a little while longer until you get bored and go talk to someone else." As she said this, she kicked off her heels and tucked her feet up next to her on the chair, getting more comfortable. "Oh, you had fun.. otherwise you wouldn't be in such a good mood right now. How many people did you kill, Aiden?"
Aiden raised his eyebrows right back at her after she didn't answer his question. "I think you forgot to answer my question, kitten," he cooed, pinching her cheek slightly. Aiden turned back towards the front, so he was once again staring at the wall. "This time I'm giving you permission though, so why not go? Find Stiles? Find your friends, Frizia," he murmured, smirking to himself as he watched her get comfortable, before shaking his head. "I wouldn't end up "talking" to someone else. I'd probably get killed before that could happen," he responded, straightening out the bottom of his suit pants. "About five or six, maybe seven, I'm not entirely sure,"
"I didn't forget it," she snapped and batted at his hand viciously, "I just didn't answer it." Frizzy folded her arms over her chest and glared at him, looking somewhat like a petulant child but not giving a damn. "Oh, gee thanks... I didn't realize I needed your permission to do anything. I don't know where Stiles is and I don't have friends except for him and Greenburg - who isn't here." She played with the fabric of her dress idly as she relaxed into the chair and listened to him talk about killing seven people unflinchingly. It shouldn't have been so normal for her to hear, she should be horrified, but she wasn't. "You deserve a gold star. Hey... Aiden, be a good date and get me some punch, would you? It's the least you could do after making me ride alone in a car for an hour."
Aiden growled at her. "Answer my fucking question, Frizia," he snapped, slapping her away when she batted at his hand. "You don't need my permission, now go, find your friend Greenburg at his house, continue your fuck buddy ways, what kind of name is that anyways?" he questioned curiously, racking through his brain and attempting to figure out if he's ever heard that name before. "I already have one, but I threw it out because it got abnormally small for me," he smirked, shaking his head. "How about.... no?"
"It's really none of your business, so I don't think I'll answer the question at all!" Her tone held a bite to it and she felt anger flare inside of her. No one could piss her off quite like Aiden could, no one could calm her down quite like Aiden could, either. That was basically their relationship (a very hated one) in a nutshell; he pissed her off, but he calmed her down - so she stuck around. It was masochistic and ridiculous, but there it was. "He's not my fuck buddy and it's his last name. Well goodie for you and your greedy hands needing a bigger star," Frizzy rolled her eyes and then stood up suddenly, kicking aside her shoes and dropping the pieces of the now useless phone in Aiden's lap, "Fine." She gathered the bottom of her dress in her hands, now that she was two inches or so shorter, and returned to the ballroom to grab some punch. When she came back, she extended the second cup to Aiden politely but before he could reach and take it, she emptied it on his head.
"Oh, but it really is, kitten. So... why don't you just stop being fucking stubborn and tell me?" he snapped at her, the bitterness of his personality coming out at the fact that she kept ignoring his question. He definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with stubborn little girls who didn't know when to give it up, especially a beta that literally made him want to stab himself until it wouldn't heal. "He's not your fuck buddy, and that's his last name? Damn, poor guy. Oh, fuck you, Frizia," Aiden rolled his eyes right back at her obnoxiously, before curiously watching her as she walked away from him and walked towards the ballroom. He didn't actually think she was going to leave, so he was about to get up before he watched her walk back to where they were sitting, he was just about to reach his hand out to grab it before he felt the liquid on his head, soaking into his suit, going into his ears, mouth, eyes, etc. "You... bitch!" he growled, standing up and knocking her cup out of her hand and pushing her against the wall, slamming his lips against her own.
Frizzy felt a smug sense of satisfaction at the sight of him covered in punch. She tried to keep it from her face, but there was no possible way she could. The smile that stretched across it was evident and undeniable, she even gave herself a little nod of approval. But the satisfaction was short lived as Aiden's anger reared its ugly head. Frizzy took an involuntary step back and if she was the type of person to apologize to people like Aiden, she would have started right then. Even if she was that type of person, it wouldn't have mattered because the next thing she knew her cup was being thrown across the room and onto the floor, she was against the wall, and Aiden was kissing her. The shock stunned her for a brief second and before she even realized she was doing, she kissed him back, the fingers of own hand knotting in the front of his shirt to keep him in it.
Aiden smirked against her lips as he felt her begin to kiss back. He brought his hands to her waist, pulling her closer to him as they continued to suck faces. He knew that it wasn't going to be long until she figured out what she was doing and pushed him off, but until then, he would savoir the kiss and literally make out with her until the very last second. He was a teenage boy, he had needs, and at the moment, she was the only person he could go to for this.
Stiles ran back into the dance, scanning the crowd for Frizzy. What had just happened with Scott.. He was freaking out. He needed to talk to her.. to tell her exactly what just went down and warn her about it. If it was a werewolf, well, she was a werewolf too. Something could happen to her. And she wasn't texting him back.. shocker. He spotted Aiden and... some girl out of the corner of his eye. He headed for that hallway. As much as he hated to go to the other werewolf, he might actually know where she is. "Aiden.. do you know where -- FRIZZY?" His eyes widened and his stomach dropped. Seriously?! She was sucking faces with the biggest douchebag in Beacon Hills. "What the hell, Frizzy?"
Frizzy didn't know what the fuck she was doing and she actually didn't really think she cared right that moment. She would look back on it later on and probably want to set herself on fire, but for now... she wasn't going to worry about it. Or she wasn't going to, until Stiles found them. With quicker reflexes than she thought she had, Frizzy pushed Aiden away with the hand that had been tugging him closer only moments before. She looked at Stiles, not sure of what to say, and then she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Aiden broke your phone."
Aiden was shocked when he felt himself being pushed away. He had heard testicle one's voice when he found them, but he was actually surprised that she had pushed him away. He thought that she was into, he shook his head sadly. His eyes widen at her comment. "He wasn't "what the helling" at that, Frizia. Fucking shit," he murmured, chuckling, before looking at testicle one, once again laughing at his face.
"And you tried to fix it with your mouth?!" He opened his mouth to speak again, then closed it.. listening to Aiden's obnoxious voice. "Please tell me there is something wrong with you. I was coming in to make sure that there wasn't anything wrong with you but right now please tell me that there is something wrong with you." He ran his fingers though his hair and groaned. "First Danny, then Scott, now this. What else can go wrong tonight? Probably everything. Fuck this dance."
Frizzy smacked Aiden in the arm gently and gave him a look before turning to look at Stiles again, "Best laid plans?" Frizzy shrugged a little, knowing that Stiles wasn't going to ever be okay with what just happened. She was lucky he hadn't just walked away. "There are plenty of things wrong with me, making out with Aiden is near the bottom of the list. What's going on? What's gone wrong?" She was unusually calm for someone who might just about be losing her best friend.
Aiden groaned, before leaning against the wall and listening to their conversation, not even bothering to butt in. He knew it would be useless, because he knew that he was going to get a major "shut the fuck up" from the both of them. "This dance is actually pretty entertaining if you ask me," he smirked at Frizia, before racking his brain for the statement that testicle one had just said. "What do you mean, what else can go wrong tonight? What has gone on tonight?" he questioned, confused.
Stiles rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. What was wrong with Scott wasn't what was wrong with Frizzy.. She was just losing it. Scott.. "Scott tried to kill himself. I don't know why yet. I can't figure it out. He just.. Out of nowhere he bit me and then clawed me a little and then tried to set himself on fire. That's not like Scott at all. I should probably get back to him.." He bit down on his bottom lip and shook his head, suppressing his need to vomit. "You guys go right on back to.. whatever the hell you were doing. Just be careful.."
"Shut up, Aiden!" She hissed at him, her eyes never leaving Stiles as she listened to him. "Just... randomly out of nowhere decided 'ooh.. fire pretty... Scott like pretty fire... Scott be pretty too?' Is he okay?" She ignored the last part of his sentence and took a step toward him, "I can go with you, if you want."
"Don't tell me what to do!" he growled out, before letting out a loud chuckle at the fact that testicle two tried to kill himself. He continued to laugh, attempting to hold onto the wall for support as his face went red. When he heard her comment about the 'ooh pretty fire' crap, he sobered back up, and look at her confused. "Are you fucking drunk? And no, you're not going with him, even if he wants."
Frizzy ignored Aiden up until he told her that she couldn't go and then she turned and looked at him, but before she could argue with him - she heard Stiles leaving without another word. Frizzy watched his back and even though she wanted to call after him and go after him, she didn't. She turned back around to look at Aiden, anger and confusion and hatred and another emotion she couldn't quite name all on her face. Without hesitation, she slapped him across the face and pushed him back - or attempted to, "What the FUCK do you think you were doing kissing me?!" Everything was going wrong, Stiles was right about that.
Aiden smiled and mockingly waved at the back of testicle ones head as he watched him walk away from him and his beta. He watched as Frizia turned around and looked at him, before once again turning back around to stare at her alpha. Aiden was shocked when he felt the small stinging pain on the side of his cheek, and the way she tried to push him back. "How fucking dare you slap me, you little bitch," he yelled out into the empty hallway, before turning it around and pushing her harshly into the wall, growling at her as his eyes turned red in anger. "AND YOU KISSED BACK YOU LITTLE BITCH."
Frizzy really needed to get away from walls. She winced slightly, but tried to hide it as she looked at him. "Yeah, I did," Frizzy's tone was quiet but not soft or gentle, "you're right. Kind of even wanted to, but that still doesn't answer why the fuck you did it or how you thought it was a good idea or anything of that sort. So..." she shrugged and looked up at him, "do I still have your permission to go? I think I'll really have some of that punch now." She was feeling too many things, she needed to get away and clear her head, and she needed to wash the taste of that kiss out of her mouth with something.
Aiden completely ignored the rest of her comments, before listening to her last one, way too lazy to reply to the rest. "Yeah, sure, go." he murmured, before walking away from her, towards the ballroom where he was going to grab a glass of that punch, find some wolfsbane, dump it into it, and get fucking drunk.
Frizzy relaxed against the wall as he left her, watching him go and trying not to focus on the way that she was disappointed he didn't answer her questions. She shook her head and retrieved her shoes, before following the route Aiden had taken and snagging a glass of the punch as well.
