Kale Ivy Institute discussion

~RP

An indoor fountain.

Lydia smoothed over her skirt, a habit she had sometimes when she was nervous. She wasn't though... right? Looking down at the black-jeweled ring on her finger, she might decide different. As soon as she'd gotten her token, she'd walked straight towards the fountain and sat down on its edge. She wanted to wait out the gushing oh-my-gosh-I-haven't-seen-you-in-so-long-how-have-you-been part of the dance, which as why at first she liked to be secluded--then bam! As soon as people started to have a good time, she was suddenly there.

Ariana didn't feel like dancing. Yet. She walked towards an indoor fountain. It was a very pretty fountain. It reminded her of a lot of the hotels she had stayed at when her father had brought her touring with the band. A girl was sitting on the edge of the fountain. She looked a lot older than Ariana. Oh. The girl was inspecting a ring with a black jewel on her finger. That meant she was on Ariana's team, the Black Gavels, but she was also a senior. Ariana paused. Were freshman allowed to talk to seniors here? She hung back, wondering if the girl would notice her.

Feeling eyes on her, Lydia looked up. She almost said something snarky, but then she noticed the color engraved into her bracelet. Hmmm, new meat? "If you're going to stare, you should at least introduce yourself." she commented, offering up a smile with the words--making them less menacing. Lydia let her eyes wander of the girl's appearance, pursing her lips slightly. Yeah. Initiation was going to be fun.

Walking up to the fountain a slight frown engraved itself on Vivian's face as she looked down, focusing on the clasp in her fingertips. She'd slipped her class ring onto a silver chain around her neck, that way she wouldn't be bothered by the ring being on her finger. Gods that would be annoying. Looking up at the somewhat snarky comment of a familiar voice, the frown melted turning to a smile. Of course Lydia wasn't being full out snarky, just semi-snarky. Which meant the girl looking at the ginger was a gavel. Sigh. And it would've been such fun to be a little mean. Oh well. Walking up past the girl without much a second glance towards the obvious freshman Vivian instead chose to smile at Lydia. "Cute skirt like that? Course people will stare." Taking a seat beside Lydia on the fountain, Vivian was just glad to be back at school. It was always a relief to be back at Kale.

Ariana gulped, embarrassed to be caught staring. Keep it together, she told herself. She once again straightened her posture. "I'm Ariana Montgomery," she stated, clearly and simply. There wasn't a hint of nervousness in her voice, which was something Ariana was grateful for. After all, she'd been practicing for years at keeping herself together under pressure. This was certainly pressure. And she wanted desperately to make a good impression on the upperclassmen.

Catching sight of Vivian behind the girl, Lydia's lips upturned in an award-winning smile. She took in her dress and her eyes brightened, it was perfect for her skin tone! At least someone had style around here. Besides the her own outfit and a couple others, she hated almost every other thing people were wearing around here. Like really? Red leather? Kill yourself.

"It's not the skirt they're staring at." she replied, showing her teeth in the smirk. Lydia turned back to Ariana, but it was obvious the game had changed. "Vivian meet our new pet." Of course she was kidding. Maybe?

Smiling at Lydia she turned her attention back towards the girl, this Ariana and nodded, "Poor wee lamb." Looking the girl up and down she had to resist the urge to wrinkle her nose. It was a cute dress. Just looked a little old fashioned and with the lack of accessories it was sorely out of place. Oh well. Perhaps the girl would gain a taste in fashion with the passing of time. Then again....perhaps not. Oh well. It wouldn't matter soon anyway, this girl would show her moxy in initiation or spend life as a toxic.

"Any other new recruits you've seen, Lydia? Anyone worth it?" Worth it as in, maybe not completely revolting. As in maybe not as disgusting as gum on the bottom of a pair of new prada heels.

Sadie was walking around the dance floor, bored as all hell. Why didn't the DJ play any good songs? Then she noticed a few Gavels by the fountain. Well, at least it was her group and not some gaggling group of other-color bitches. She finished the drink in her hand, threw the cup over her shoulder, and walked up to the drinking fountain. "Hey Viv, Lyd, random new bitch... mind introducing me to the fresh meat?" she smiled at the new girl. "By the way, it's very brave of you to wear a skin-tone dress to your first dance here. If you're unlucky though, Ben will take it off of you later."

Ariana blushed as Vivian looked her up and down. She could see the barely contained disapproval in the older girl's face. Had Ariana done something wrong? She'd thought she'd picked the right outfit. But maybe not, she thought as a third older girl came over to the fountain. All three of the older girls in front of her were very well dressed. "Who's Ben?" Ariana managed to ask, even though her throat felt kind of closed up.

Vivian almost laughed at the confused look of Ariana. Shaking her head she stood and dusted off the back of her dress before smiling at Ariana, "You'll probably know him very well within the next two hours." Looking over at Lydia she nodded, "See you later, Lydia. I'm off to get something to drink." Turning towards Sadie she nodded, "Have fun introducing the new meat to the gavels, Sadie." With that she turned on her heels and headed off towards the refreshments, she'd see the other girls later. Tonight was the night for scanning over outfits and making sure Lydia and herself were still the queens of fashion.

Lydia snorted. "Don't say his name out loud, it's practically a mating call." she added, after Vivian.

She wasn't surprised that people were randomly showing up beside her. Everyone was always watching at Kale, so if something interested you--you found it. Which explained Sadie's presence. As for Vivian, that she was thankful for. It wasn't like she hadn't spent half the summer with the girl... but there was something about having her there at Kale next to Lydia that was comforting. Not that she needed the comfort, of course.

"Do you mind Sadie? Show her around a bit, see if she's not completely brain dead."

"His name says it all, sweetie..." she grabbed the girl by the shoulder and looked in her eyes, "...Ben Dover, which is exactly what he'll try to make you do if you're not careful. Also, he's a Purple Rave, so don't go near him."

"Don't worry, Viv. This fresh meat will be tenderized by the end of the evening... if we're lucky, she won't be pounded by anything else," she looked at Ariana again. "You're welcome."

"I won't," Ariana promised. From what these other girls were saying, she would be staying far away from Ben Dover. And Purple Rave... That was another one of the teams. Ariana didn't totally understand the team rivalry thing yet, but she figured it would all come in due time.

"That's all the encouragement I need." Lydia remarked, smoothing her skirt as she stood. She looked between Ariana and Sadie, almost feeling bad for the girl. This could be an initiation in its own right--Lydia would have not had handled being stuck with Sadie well if she had been a Freshman tonight. But she wasn't, so the pity only lasted for a moment. "Have fun." she winked at Sadie, moving towards the dance floor.

"Great, nothing like having a new accessory. Okay, little bitch, follow me and I'll show you around a bit, introduce you to other Gavels, the whole works. And good girl, stay away from him, although I can't say he'll do the same for you," she shook her head. "Okay, so before we go, let's talk teams a bit. You got the Black Gavels; we are supreme champions of the school. There's the Purple Rave with the slutty bitches who have the most emotional people. There's the Green Dymias who have a few cute people, but don't be fooled because they all backstab. And finally, you have the worthless Blue Torches who are practically all social suicide if you talk to them since they are the weird effed up people. We are the best, obviously," she did a small hair flip. "The rest might as well go to a birthday party hosted by Casey Anthony, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jonbenet Ramsey's parents for all we care about them."
((view spoiler)[ ._. So many social references... (hide spoiler)])

Ariana's head spun, but she nodded and did her best to look like she was following what Sadie was saying. She understood the team thing, pretty much. Black Gavels ruled. That was all she really needed to know, right? She kept her mouth shut, worried that she would say something completely unacceptable if she opened it without Sadie's permission.

"Did you get all that?" she said it a bit forcefully. "I know I'm a bit intimidating, but you are allowed to talk. Just be careful WHAT you say because it can come back to haunt you later."

"Teenagers are teenagers wherever they come from I guess, you could practically smell the testosterone on the dance floor upon arrival." Alex commented to herself as she walked past the dance floor where people were already becoming acquainted with each other. She'd noticed some ladies by the fountain, she might as well meet some of the melodramatic females from Kale Ivy Insititue.

Walking right up to the trio by the fountain. "Hello ladies, no need to rush into the crowd of hormones, right?" Alex smiled at the girls, you be hard pressed to label her as a nervous-newbie. Getting a closer look a the girls she noticed that they were all on her team, the Black Gavels. Then there was something about the one girl-"You must be Sadie Schlitz, also known as Le Bitch of Kale Ivy Institute. The name's Alexis McDonough, though I'm more often referred to as Alex, it's a pleasure to meet you." Alex was not even fazed.

"Excuse me. Did you seriously just walk up to me and call me Le Bitch..." she turned to Alex, a glare on her face at first. Then she smiled. "A pleasure to see you here, my dear writer friend; I recognize your name from the school newspaper."
Put on a smile and a happy face. Who knows if she has a camera or a recorder on her?!
"By the way, I love that yellow skirt you're wearing; really brings out the blonde in you," whether she was talking personality or hair color was impossible to determine. "This right here is Ariana, a newbie."

Klementina walked up to the fountain and looked around. Every one had their own group of friends. She stood there looking exceptionally awkward as she had no one to talk to. She stood alone groups of people around her.

Sadie spotted Klementina. "Okay, this is going to be good practice for you; right there is a Blue Torch. I'll give you a choice: either you destroy her or I show you how. By destroy, I of course mean accidentally shove her in the fountain, throw your drink on her, whatever you want."

Smooth, real smooth. It was simple fact of life, when it came to camera in your face or your words recorded for the whole world to hear, everyone was the same. In an environment live this, with such a complex social hierarchy, that was even more so. It was the power of the press, in one aspect. Sadie Schlitz, it seemed, was no exception. The higher you got, the more you valued your status and the harder your fought to keep it. Welcome to the jungle that was a high school.

My-dear-write-friend? Of course she recognized her name from the school newspaper, Alex got a bit involved with it over the summer. Friend was not even close to the term that she would use to describe that heartless wretch in front of her, but alas, Alex was quite good at playing-it-nice. "Oh really? I wasn't sure if it'd be too much or not, but the black jewel contrasts well with the bright yellow. Your dress is simple wonderful as well, it fits you so perfectly." Alex replied with a mirthful laugh.

"A newbie? No need to worry Ariana, I'm in the same boat as you. I'm confident though that we'll both survive the day." Alex smiled at the younger girl.

Klementina rubbed her arm. This year was not starting out good. It never worked for her. This school treated her as a joke and she knew it. Ugh, these people they made her sick. She wouldn't sit in the shadows like a regular "toxic" would. She was going to be herself wether this school accepted her or not.

"Oh, that's right, you're also a newbie," Sadie smiled. "Well, since it's your first time here practically, you two can team up on her... or you can watch a pro at work. Either one's fine. But that Blue-Torch-Bitch is getting destroyed either way. It's your choice how you do it or if you want me to do it," she put a hand gracefully on her bosom when she said 'me' to show just how grateful they should be to her if she did it.

Klementina stared at the water fountain. This was really degrading... Watching all the populate talk while she stood alone. She's been with most of these kids for three years and they still didn't even know her name. She sighed.

"I think I can handle this myself, though I am thinking of doing something I bit more imaginative then simply pushing-her-into-the-water-fountain. You now what they say, if you are going to do something, might as well make it big." Alex interjected, she flashed Sadie a daring smile. The blogs that she had read about her weren't nearly accurate enough, nope, Sadie was much more dreadful in person. Alex left the pair and headed over to the Blue Torch girl.

"Hey there, the name's Alex. Why are you over her by yourself? You look thirsty, how about we go get us some refreshments." Alex hooked her arm with the girl at the elbow and began dragging her away from the fountain, towards the refreshments. Alex looked back and a gave Sadie a mischievous wink.

Obviously Alex didn't seriously plan to do what this girl said, but she wasn't feeling the whole petty-b****-makes-a-dramatic-scene deal either. "I'm liking the whole blue look, it really brings out the bright red flare of your hair. Tell me, is that natural or do you use a particular dye for it?" Alex asked the girl as she dragged her off. She planned to just get them out of Sadie's range for the moment, and anyways, what better excuse was there to get herself a drink? She was parched.

Klementina wasn't an idiot. She unhooked her arm and looked the girl in the eyes. " Are you one of Sadie's slaves?"

"Oh gosh, calm yourself. Like I would pay attention to a word the egotistical creature has to say. Just play along, they were planning to push you in the fountain anyways. You should be thanking me." Alex spoke causally and then ended it with a light hearted laugh, she really was something else. "And anyways, I am thirsty." Alex re-hooked their arms and continued on her course to the refreshments.

Klementina, still cautious, followed. She'd be glad to be as far away from Sadie as possible. The big, fat, drama queen thought she was everything. " Thanks, I guess." She said still unsure but a bit grateful.

"Ariana, Alex has betrayed the team and been nice to the other team after being given a direct order from a senior and class officer. She has one strike against her already; remember this. If I was more vengeful, I would instantly Triple Strike her and go to the officers on her, but I am merciful and only give out one strike. She has now lost my favor. This wasn't so much a test about whether you COULD prank her, but about whether you WOULD prank her if we asked. She's a small fish on the school-wide scale of things: a complete nobody really. Alex has failed. Why am I telling you this? As a warning. Don't cross your team... it'll only end up hurting you. So I think it's time for a tour!" she said a bit more energetically. "Obviously this is the fountain so let's scurry on to find other, BETTER Gavels than that traitor Alex and other destinations," she hooked arms with Ariana. "Stick with me, and you will be safe - including from Ben."

((Sorry I wasn't here for a while!))

Ariana was now more than a bit overwhelmed, what with all the pushing people in the fountain (or not) and the Alex falling out of favor things. But she understood enough to have concluded that Sadie was the supreme ruler, and Ariana was lucky to have gotten her approval. At least, so far. From what she'd seen, it was best to tread carefully around Sadie. "Alright," said Ariana when Sadie hooked arms with her.

Serenity had slipped away from the party and decided to hang out in the quiet areas for a bit before going back inside. Sitting down on the fountain she pondered on what might happen this year. Last year had been fun but now that their seniors, there probably going out with a bang considering how crazy some of them were. Looking over her shoulders she saw a boy, probably a junior. She thinks his name is Harris or other. He wasn't on her team so she didn't really know him but she's seen him around. Looking on the other side she saw Sadie wand probably the fresh meat Lydia was talking about earlier, poor girl.

@Sevania
(It's fine. :P)

Sadie was actually starting to like this girl. That's dangerous territory... for both of them. Around people in her favor, she sometimes tells things she shouldn't such as her informants or her minor minion's identities. NOT a good move on her part during those times, but this girl seemed to be willing, smart, and nervous: a deadly combination if used right. Sadie decided that perhaps she was being a bit brash and rude - not as rude as she could be, but perhaps a bit excessive for this new girl - and she decided to change it a bit and put on a genuine smile, "Well, I'm very glad that you decided to come to this school and join our team. Because you are being so amazing right now, I will let you choose where we go," she lifted her eyebrows a bit. "There's the refreshment table if you're hungry or thirsty, the balcony, the gazebo, the dance floor, anywhere you want."

Ariana's face lit up. Did Sadie really think she was being amazing? "I'm really glad I'm on your team," she said, daring to hope that Sadie had a soft side. "Let's dance!" Ariana was feeling immensely optimistic about her first year of high school by now. She had spent weeks during the summer fretting about being a nobody that no one cared about. In middle school, she had been queen of the school, but of course going to a new school didnt bring any of your popularity along - unless you knew exactly who to meet and how to act. Ariana had met the right people and apparently she was acting right. Now, if only she could continue to be amazing...

"Sounds like a great idea!" she was actually very glad that Ariana had NOT chosen the refreshment table because she would have trouble controlling her urges around those delicacies. Chocolates and truffles and pies and cakes and- "LET'S GO!" she started walking to destroy that train of thought. Ariana was continuing to amaze her a bit... Sadie did actually like her dress.

Ariana hurried after her new friend, still a little bit in shock and a little bit overwhelmed, but mostly overjoyed that she was making the right connections.

((Move to dance floor?))

(Sure!)

Nicholson had wove his way through the clusters or people and the crowds of dancing bodies. He had arrived late,like always,though he didn't really care. He had collected the stupid token they handed out,though he never kept them. Yes,he had ditched his sister in the first instant that his feet stepped into the building but he didn't feel bad nor guilty.Nickolson disliked the feeling of sweaty bodies and giggling girls around him so he had decided to walk around for somewhere to sit. Of course, a group of giggling chicks followed him but like always he ignored them. Nickolson found himself at the fountain and smirked when he found Harris,his one,and only, friend lounging around the fountain as if he had no care in the world. Then he saw the phone in his hand. Typical Harris. He always had to be on some sort of technological device. Nickolson slowly sauntered over to him and sat down next to him " Looks like you can't get away from some sort of device. Even at an idiotic school dance."He said

Nickolson sat down,pretty much lounging like there wasn't a group of girls right next to him. He got used to the after a while,though they did get annoying. Nickolson chuckled at Harris' remark." Then why come in the first place?" He asked. Nickolson had no problem speaking to Harris, seeing as they had been friends since he began school. Yes, if they were never friends he probably wouldn't be speaking to him, but they were. The thing with Nickolson was that he didn't let himself get close to people nor did he speak to many people. He wasn't reserved, he was just ...anti-social.

Nickolson shrugged at the remark of the dance being mandatory. He didn't really care if it was mandatory or not.He really only had one reason for coming,and it wasn't that he was scared of what the school would do. He laughed when he said he would be as far away as possible."Yeah, so would I."Then Harris noted on how Nickolson didn't look like he was enjoying himself." The only reason I showed up was because my parents threatened to cut me up if I didn't 'watch' my sister. I don't really get why. Yeah, she may be new but she can show herself around.So, I ditched her. It's not like my parents will find out."He replied with a smirk. He didn't really care for anyone, not even for his own family.