Shadow Creek: Blacklisted

[novella]

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨ during first class ୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

When the bell rang for class, Lizzy had to join the influx of students heading abrasively in their own directions. Entering her classroom was like refuge from the crowd, suddenly there was space in front of her, the light seemed brighter, and she even could have sworn the air was clearer from in here. “Good morning, Lizzy,” A voice from the front desk called across. Her face opened into a bright smile, “Good morning, Mrs. Lewis, did you have a good summer? Is Bella doing better?” She asked, recalling their conversations from the end of junior year. “It was great, thank you. And Bella has had many trips to the vets, and is now back in good health,” She shared with her. “That’s great news!” Lizzy exclaimed as she backed away to her desk.

As more people filtered in, Lizzy made an effort to catch the glimpse of whoever walked past her. She offered quick smiles, called out greetings, asking how they had been. “You kill me,” Lottie’s playful voice said as she appeared amongst the rest of the class, slotting herself in the desk behind Lizzy. “What?” Lizzy asked as she turned her head to face her. “You don’t even like Katie Newman,” Lottie exclaimed, evidently catching Lizzy attempt to make conversation with her as she’d walked in. “Yes I do. She always… tells great jokes,” She responded in a low voice, after panickedly shushing Lottie’s unapologetic volume. “Yeah, and mostly at your expense. Okay, maybe it’s me that doesn’t like her,” She told Lizzy, admittedly.

Before Lizzy could respond, the sound of chaotic rustling and hurried apologies caught the attention of the whole class, including her. For a moment, Lizzy thought to get up and help them, and it seemed even Lottie saw her start to move, as she heard the a small whispered warning of “Don’t,” from behind her. Lizzy didn’t have long to wonder why that had been, as Rudy Maddox straightened up, holding a pile of papers he had just retrieved from the ground. Apologising at his side, Lacey Fields materialised with her own collection of crumpled sheets. Rudy’s familiar lighthearted demeanour, Lacey’s flustered laughter - and Lizzy had a front row seat of it.

As the floor cleared of the scattered papers, and Rudy and Lacey settled into more of a conversation, most of the class resumed to their prior discussion, but Lizzy couldn’t look away. And she probably should have, especially when Rudy reached for Lacey’s hair, gently taking out her headband. Lizzy pulled out her books from her bags as her chest tightened. Lottie was probably saying something from behind her, trying to pull her attention away, but Lizzy’s ears buzzed with white noise, drowning out her attempts. She opened the book in front of her, tapped her pen against the page, but soon enough her eyes drifted back upwards at the scene playing out in front of her.

Rudy slipped Lacey’s headband through his hair, saying something about trying a new look. That’s when he looked for the opinions of the class, spinning around asking for thoughts and catching the gaze of the first person he saw. It was her. Rudy had stopped on Lizzy, and was now looking right at her. She could see the slightest hint of surprise in his eyes, similar to the alarm she was feeling. It was the first time they had looked at each other in months. And now the brief glimpse had become a prolonged moment that demanded a response from her in order to free both of them from this terribly awkward moment.

Lizzy cleared her throat, reverting back to the smile she had been giving everyone that had walked in. “It looks great,” She told him lightheartedly, prompting the world around her to unfreeze, Rudy to return to his conversation with Lacey. Lizzy let out the breath she had been holding, and forced herself to start writing something in her notes.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

@astxrism

[Littlefeets]

“Jamie, come on. Stop moping or we’re gonna be late.”

Jamie groaned as he sat up on his bed after his sister Dakota banged on his door. School was the last place he wanted to go. Where she would be. It hadn’t even been a week that they’d been back in school, the place she was everywhere.

They’d barely talked since the competition. She kept pulling away, and it hurt to keep trying. Even being in the same room was hard. Maybe if he was better with his words, if he could say something to make her understand. Maybe if he was better at understanding her. Maybe things wouldn’t have happened the way they did.

Reluctantly, he grabbed his school bag and made his way down to the kitchen, where his sister stood not so patiently waiting. “Brekkie, take it or leave it,” she said, gesturing to the eggos on the counter, before grabbing the keys and heading out to the car.

Minutes later, Jamie found himself in the passenger seat, fidgeting with one of the rings he was wearing, and silently eating his breakfast, imagining that he was going anywhere that wasn’t school.

“I really think you should just talk to her.”

“Stay out of it, Dakota.”

“Seriously, I’m sure if you just talk to her, apologize for whatever you might’ve said, you two can work it out. Then you two will be back to your usual, always together and you’ll finally stop.. whatever this is.” Dakota always claimed she could tell whenever Jamie and Charlotte had an argument, or if something happened. She said he always seemed out of it, or “especially mopey” if there was something going on.

“I said, stay out of it Dakota. It’s none of your business.”

“Goddddd, why do you have to be so dramatic?”

“Dakota!”

“Fine, fine. I just think you should talk to her, but its your choice.”

“Just drive.” Jamie couldn’t listen to his sister talk about her. His head was enough of a mess as it was without Dakota forcing him to think about her, talking about what he did wrong, but he hadn’t done anything wrong.

She did. She was the one who had put the distance between them. He was hurt and angry, but he would’ve gotten over it and just rolled over and forgiven her, let her do whatever she wanted, like he always did. But maybe he still should. Maybe all he needed to do was go up to her with a smile and act like everything was the same as it always had been, that the past was the past and it was a new day.

---

He was going to talk to her. In that moment, when he saw her that morning in the hallway, her talking to someone with her beautifully bright smile, he truly intended to go talk to her. Then they made eye contact for the briefest of moments, and she turned away.

She was the one pushing him away. He was the one who was always there for her, who always put himself second to her, but when he actually wanted something and knew what he felt, she knowingly hurt him and pulled away. She didn’t even seem to understand what she was doing to him. Why couldn’t she just understand?

He needed space. He found himself in the theater room, at that point all alone. He spent time writing in his notebook, even as later on others came in, soon clustered around Charlotte herself. She still didn’t even try to talk to him, so he stayed to himself writing, trying not to think about the girl who comprised most of his thoughts and how she was talking to everyone there but him. He didn’t know how long it had been before someone came up to him. Unfortunately, it was not the Blackwell he truly wanted it to be.

In the past Jamie had gotten along well enough with Samuel. They weren’t friends exactly, but their relationship wasn’t entirely antagonistic, they just tended to not be around each other when it wasn’t necessary through theater, class, or Charlotte. “And here I was thinking you wouldn’t show now that she’s here.” he said, glancing in Charlotte’s direction. Just for a moment, anything longer would be “You might as well just go already, when you know she’ll make the lead.” There was no doubt in Jamie’s mind about her becoming lead, which would complicate Samuel’s bid for male lead. At least something would stop the blatant favoritism that pushed him to get the lead every single time. Jamie had his music separate from theater, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to be lead just as often. Granted, if he was lead with Charlotte, it would be complicated, but at the same time maybe it would be the push they needed to go back to normal.

---

@sunflowerjm

[Caticorn]

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・ ʚїɞ ・ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Beck listened as Noah spoke, nodding along. “Make sure you’re not piling on too much or you’ll be left picking up the pieces when it all comes crashing down.” She advised with a slow sip of coffee. “That’s what my dad always said. Which is ironic now that I think about it, because he was the one who put me and Devin in every after-school lesson that he could think of.” She added with a chuckle under her breath.

She laughed more decidedly when he asked if she was going to save the world before first period. “Well, I’m definitely not saving the world but Mme Gauthier hasn’t figured out I’m fluent in French yet, which means that I’m winning the little game that she doesn’t know we’re playing.” She told him with a sense of accomplishment in her voice. She was taking the intermediate level class for an easy grade but she knew that if the teacher caught on to her experience, she would be placed in the advanced class and that would ruin her strategy.

“Noah, you have scone all over your hoodie.” She giggled. A silence settled in for a second while Beck finished eating but it was light, holding the lasting energy of her laugh. “Okay,” Beck started while brushing off her hands and her jeans. “Do you have a date for the homecoming dance or am I going to have to tap into my resources?” Said resources being the the rest of the cheer squad. She smiled innocently, resting her straw against her bottom lip while waiting impatiently for his response.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・ ʚїɞ ・ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

@Madilfill - Noah

[astxrism]

{ during first class / hi Lizzy }

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How many times can a person bump into someone in just one day? Wait, no - in less than an hour? Well, for now Rudy bumped into only 2 of his friends. First, in the hallway before first class and then again in the classroom. This is how it went:

It turns out Rudy had to face a great tragedy in the morning, that tragedy being not having his first class with his love, Jesse. Parting ways with him felt like a heartbreak he never felt before, dramatic hand on heart moments, tears there but not yet falling, Titanic music in the background… Standing all alone in the hallway watching Jesse walk away from him, everything else around Rudy fading away. Did it have to be that dramatic? Well, of course, it’s Rudy, isn’t it? Okay, okay… Maybe not, because the performance lasted only a beat. By the time Rudy turned toward science class and another inevitable showdown with Mrs. Lewis, his grin returned, bright and reckless. He also found another victim to keep him company. “Yo, Maddox!” A voice called from the lockers. Owen Rivera, achronic gum chewer and fellow science class survivor, pushed off the wall and fell into step beside him. ”Rivera, my man," Rudy greeted, slapping an overly dramatic handshake that turned into a shoulder bump. ”Ready to face the chemical wasteland again?" “Only if Mrs. Lewis forgets to give us a pop quiz this month,” Owen said, grinning. ”Pfft, she lives for those. But fear not." Rudy swung an arm wide in that showing off way. ”I’ve got enough charisma to distract her for at least a week." Owen laughed. “You mean you’ll talk so much she’ll kick us out.”

”Same thing," Rudy declared, stretching both arms outward as they walked in, in a grand flourish to prove his point. But that flourish ended in disaster. His left elbow sliced through the air and in one reckless pivot he almost knocked down a passing student. A flutter of papers exploded between him and the person. ”Woah-" Rudy’s reflexes kicked in. He grabbed for the flying mess, palms slapping at air. A single page landed against his chest, a black smudge of ink across the margin. He peeled it off and found himself staring at a pair of wide blue eyes. ”Lacey!" He blurted, almost triumphant. She crouched quickly, gathering her fallen pages. A streak of neon pink headband flashed beneath her hair. “Ah, sorry!! I wasn’t looking -” Now if you don’t know who Lacey is, let me introduce you to her:

Lacey - senior. theater devotee, long rumored to harbor a soft spot for Rudy. That’s all you need to know.. Okay, let’s get back to the story

”No, no! This one is on me." Rudy said, already scooping up a stray sheet with an exaggerated flourish. ”Classroom traffic violation is alllll mine. Ticket me." He flashed her that goofy smile of his making her laugh. As usual. Rudy bent low, offering her her papers but then, in a reckless blur, he plucked the headband from her hair before she could react. ”Can I borrow this?" He “asked” holding it up to the lights. “Hey-” Lacey blinked, startled, a quick flush climbing her neck. ”Gotta check the aerodynamics,” Rudy said, sliding the headband onto his own messy hair. His hair sprang rebelliously around it. ”It’s our last year, I was thinking about trying out something new… Thanks for the help." Lacey bit her lip, clearly losing a battle with a grin. “It…kinda works on you.”

”Kinda?” Rudy pressed a hand to his chest like she wounded him. ”This is groundbreaking couture. New York is weeping with envy.” Then, with a mock model’s pivot, Rudy spun toward the rest of the room, arms flung wide. ”Class verdict? Does it work?" His gaze swept the room until it caught on someone he tried to avoid. For the briefest moment, everything slowed… the chatter, the scrape of chairs, even his own easy grin. A quick flicker of surprise crossed his face and he could swore it mirrored in hers. A moment of silence… and the Lizzy summoned the polite smile she offers everyone. “It looks great,” she said lightly, as if the moment meant nothing at all.
The spell broke.
Rudy gave a tiny nod, almost sheepish and turned back to Lacey, adjusting the headband. The class noise swelled again and he couldn’t see what Lizzy did next. ”So, I guess that’s a yes?" Rudy cleared his throat, flashing Lacey his well known smile, trying to push back every emotion he felt just seconds ago. ” Where does the reigning queen of theater like to sit? Allow me, a humble reject, to escort you." Lacey laughed, half protesting but Rudy was already sweeping an exaggerated bow and motioning her forward. He guided her toward an open desk with an easy grin, the kind that slipped on like a favorite jacket. ”Here we are," he said, voice softer now, almost normal. He steadied the chair for her, a quick gentlemanly gesture, then gave a small nod before stepping away. His own desk waited a few rows back. He slid into the seat, the metal legs scraping faintly against the floor. The classroom noise blurred… pages turning, someone laughing too loudly… until it felt distant, muffled. Almost without thinking, he shifted in his chair, angling just enough to catch Lizzy, again.

She was leaning over her notebook, her hand moving in a slow, careful rhythm. A loose strand of hair brushed her cheek, she tucked it behind her ear with that quiet grace. He let his eyes linger for a fraction too long, then snapped them back to the desk in front of him as if burned.
A quick inhale… and then the sharp clatter of a binder hitting the floor jerked him fully into the present. A kid walking right past him dropped it, papers spilling like a miniature storm and everyone’s heads snapped toward the noise, a shared glance across the chaos. Rudy crouched instinctively, gathering the sheets, tossing them back into the binder … partly to help, partly because it gave him a reason to move. His fingers brushed the edges of the papers as he stacked them neatly and then, almost by habit, his gaze drifted upward.
And there she was again.

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@novella

[novella]

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨ during first class ୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

I’ve never heard silence quite this loud

Despite her best efforts, Lizzy’s attention kept slipping from her page of nonsensical words she had been writing to look busy towards the interaction taking place before her. As she had expected, her input had left Rudy unfazed, and he continued to persue Lacey with his quick wits and exaggerated performances. Lizzy’s heart dropped. His smile, his humour, his playful spark in his eyes; they had once been directed towards her. Though she had prepared herself to see this over and over again, it was still a blow to see him moving on with someone else. If there was even anything he felt he needed to move on from. It was an effort not to look back at Lottie, who she could faintly hear cursing at the sight, to say something to her and seek comfort. But Lizzy resisted, looking ahead, even smiling to the next people that came through the door.

Lizzy felt her whole body tense slightly as Rudy walked passed her to his own desk, his presence brushing so close yet attention passing over her completely. She could hear him pull up a chair for himself that didn’t sound far from where she was, but didn’t dare look back. She didn’t need to, the image of him leaning forward, effortlessly keeping the conversation flowing with Lacey was already in her head. She closed her eyes - was it possible to get though an entire class holding her breath?

The crash of the binder to the ground made Lizzy jump, her breath released and spiraling mind temporarily clearing. She looked towards where the sound had come from, meeting the wide-eyed, embarrassed gaze of Jack Stevens. Without thinking- or checking if the coast was clear- she got out of her chair, helping him to collect his array of papers, letting her mind focus on getting his notes neatly collected and in the correct order. Out the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Lottie, who was covering her face with her hands as if to avoid watching what was unfolding. And then she noticed it, the shift in movement on the other side of Jack’s papers. Rudy had gotten up too.

Subtly fastening her pace, Lizzy kept her head down, pretending to have not seen the extra pair of hands helping them - but making a conscious effort not to aim for papers on Rudy’s side of the pile. When she had finished with her stack, Lizzy stood and returned them to Jack’s binder, offering him a small smile that attempted to ease his embarrassment. “Rough day for school supplies,” She joked, trying to minimise the awkwardness in her tone as she nodded towards the front of the classroom where Lacey’s similar paper spill had been. “Surprised it hasn’t been me yet,” Lizzy continued lightheartedly, her attempt to keep from reacting as Rudy leaned across to return his retrieved paper to Jack.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

@astxrism

[astxrism]

{ during first class / hi Lizzy }

∘₊┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈₊∘

Funny how the things you work hardest to avoid have a way of finding you anyway.
Rudy slipped between desks to help Jack, thinking only about scooping up those papers before Mrs. Lewis appeared with that death glare of hers. He crouched low, one knee on the floor, hands gathering a loose scatter of formulas and doodles… until another hand almost reached for the same page.

A familiar hand.
That’s whe he looked up and saw that it was Lizzy. Lizzy who appeared to be trying very hard to focus on her side of this situation and avoid his gaze. Why?
Well, probably because a whole year of careful distance passed. A whole year of pretending she was just another face in the hallway. Rudy forced his attention back to the papers, stacking them, ignoring the heat of her shoulder just inches away, the memory of words he threw like knives pressing at the back of his mind. Words meant to keep her safe from him… he’d told himself back then. Jack muttered an apology above them, but Rudy barely heard it. Thanfully Lizzy did. And soon her voice cut through. “Rough day for school supplies,” she said, offering Jack a small smile. “Surprised it hasn’t been me yet.” A beat. Two.
Rudy swallowed, dragging a grin onto his face, the one that said everything was normal. ”Don’t jinx it," he quipped, tilting a stack of papers toward Jack. His tone was easy, playful… exactly the way he used to sound before he ruined everything. Or simply the way he sounds when he talks to everyone around him now.

He dared a glance at Lizzy, keeping the grin in place, careful and bright, pretending for the watching room that nothing at all lingered in the air. That’s when he clapped Jack on the shoulder, a little too heartily. ”Good thing Lizzy was here to save me," he said, pitching his voice just loud enough for the nearby desks to hear. ”I couldn’t have wrangled this chaos solo." Jack gave a sheepish laugh, but Rudy was already plucking a loose page from the stack he just straightened. ”What is all this, man?" He held the paper at arm’s length like it might bite. ”These equations look like alien hieroglyphics." He tipped it toward Lizzy, the corner of his mouth curling. ”See? Proof Jack’s secretly building a time machine. Or… I don’t know. Man, I think you’re in the wrong class." His eyes flicked to hers… just a flicker, quick and careful. Jack groaned and tried to reclaim the page, but Rudy danced it just out of reach, grinning. ”I’m keeping this for evidence. When the government shows up Lizzy and I can say we tried to warn them."

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@novella

[novella]

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨ during first class ୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

Sometimes I just can’t believe you happened

Once Lizzy had done her part in breaking the silence, she was prepared for it to end there, and for her to return to her seat as if nothing had happened. But then he said something. Rudy. It was an effort not to jolt her head in the direction of his voice. After a moment passed, she realised that the words he was saying were in response to her. He was acknowledging, even talking, to her. Lizzy didn’t even think that was possible anymore.

“Right,” Lizzy started, a smile crossing her face as she reminded herself of the context that had completely slipped her mind. “Guess I am tempting fate a little there,” She said admittedly, sustaining a light tone despite meeting his gaze. It was an effort to keep the indifference on her face as she looked at his and had a moment to take in his easy smile and the familiar spark in his eyes. His hair that fell effortlessly into place - now held up by Lacey’s headband. Her hand rested on the papers that lay on her own desk. “Gonna have to keep a tight hold of my stuff now,” She said, with a small nod. She waited a beat, unsure of what else to say to him, before she deemed it a good time to turn around without revealing her eagerness to leave this conversation too much.

Though as Lizzy was halfway to facing her desk, Rudy’s voice caught her again - in an especially inescapable manner, as this time her used her name. Lizzy’s eyebrows raised a fraction, as he gestured in her direction and credited her for the support she provided. She managed to keep her expression unreadable, betraying nothing of her internal overanalysing. It was as if Rudy had just learnt that he was able to talk to Lizzy without feeling the weight of the past, and was now adamant to show off that one-up he had on her. She didn’t know what hurt more, when he passed her like she didn’t exist, or when he talked to her like none of it even mattered.

She watched as Rudy pulled out one of Jack’s sheets, attempting to make sense of the contents. Lizzy let out a light laugh - because yes, he was still funny. Hardly skimming the page Rudy had tilted towards her, she turned her attention towards the target of Rudy’s joke, it was safer to look in that direction. “Wow, Jack. What else are you keeping from us?” Lizzy said, shaking her head in faux-betrayal. “Really, you think you know people,” She continued, even adding in an eyeroll as she slowly stepped towards her desk again. Her gaze flickered briefly to Rudy before she’d even made the conscious decision to. “Yeah, I guess we’re gonna have to start drafting our witness statements right away,” Lizzy said, before she finally returned to her seat, thankful to have the safety of her back turned again as she thought over every stupid thing she had just said.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

@astxrism

[astxrism]

{ during first class }

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It still felt strange. It felt strange how her name sounded leaving his mouth after all that time. He hadn’t said it in months, not since that night he made sure she wouldn’t want to hear it again. Or from him again. The silence that followed had stretched long enough to start feeling like a habit, something safer to fall back on than the mess he made with his words. Now, saying her name out loud felt like tapping on glass just to see if it would crack… There was something almost reckless about it, even if his tone stayed light, even if he pretended it didn’t mean anything. But he felt the weight of it anyway… somewhere between guilt and… something he still couldn’t name.

So Rudy lingered for a second longer than he should’ve, watching her retreat to her seat, putting back up that wall he made sure existed in the first place. He could read the signal clear as day, she didn’t want to talk… but… Rudy was never great at knowing when to stop. And she did say they had to make a list, didn’t she? So, he took her words and ran with them. ”Alright then," he muttered, loud enough to fill the space she just left. He dropped into his chair and started rummaging through his bag. It was a disaster zone, as it always has been. Crumpled papers, wrappers, a half empty water bottle rolling somewhere near the bottom. He dug around, muttering under his breath as he tried to find something that resembled a notebook. A few pens fell out, one missing its cap, another leaking slightly onto his fingers. ”Great," he sighed, rubbing his hands together to wipe off the ink before fishing out a bent notebook. ”Okay, witness statements." he announced to no one, or maybe to her, flipping through pages covered in messy scribbles. His tone had that forced casualness again like he was joking, even if no one asked for it. As if he were talking to the whole class. ”Number one… Jack is definetly trying to summon aliens. Found: evidence…" He scribbled something that barely resembled words. ”Evidence… Paper? Homework. No that doesn’t sound formal… Abstract formulas… That’s the one." Rudy then angled his head toward Jack with a lopsided grin. ”You better come clean now, man, before this turns into a full investigation." The words came out light, easy but he was still aware of her just a few desks away. The way her chair creaked when she shifted, the sound of her flipping a page. And he wasn’t even sure she was listening. He could imagine it all and still, his gaze drifted for half a second, like muscle memory.

He dropped his eyes quickly, back to the page. The grin stayed, but it softened. ”Alright, statement number two," he said, forcing brightness into the words. ”Assistant on file. She’s been… reluctantly recruited to help document the evidence." He scribbled something halfway legible, glancing up briefly. ”Duties include: keeping the suspect…" he nodded toward Jack, ”From destroying crucial proof. And probably keeping me from mixing up pages." He paused, the corner of his mouth curling, but the grin didn’t quite reach his eyes. ”Though, between us, I think the assistant’s already threatening to resign so I might take new applications." He said it softly, half laughing under his breath, like it wasn’t meant to carry beyond his desk. But it did… A few people nearby chuckled and Rudy leaned back, pretending to bask in his own joke.

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@novella