𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋. 𝙁𝙄𝙁𝙏𝙔 𝙎𝙄𝙓 ─── 𝖲𝖤𝖠𝖲𝖮𝖭 𝟰
❝ 𝖣𝖮𝖭'𝖳 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗢𝗨𝗧 ❞
❪ 𝘾𝙊𝙇𝙇𝙀𝙂𝙀 𝘛𝘖𝘜𝘙 ❫

𝟱𝟲. ╱ ✷      ❝ 𝗐𝖾'𝗋𝖾   𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱. ❞
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

"𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏 𝘼 time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you and what did you learn from the experience. I mean, fuck you. They claim the college application is so they can get to know you as a person. It's bullshit."

"The whole point is to force you to face, in writing, the complete fucking mess you've made of your life. I haven't turned in a single app. I missed most of the deadlines. I'm. . . I'm basically totally screwed. And why'd this happen? Because shit's been weird."

"They won't let you?" Riley pouts, digging through her closet to try and find something to wear to school, "That's mean."

Scott laughed, "Yeah, they don't appreciate the fact that I'm back and forth to visit my high school girlfriend causing me to miss practice."

"Then who am I going to go to the Valentine's dance with? And what about plans to go out to dinner?" She turned around with a white t-shirt in one hand and a dark green and blue checked button up in the other, "I already have my dress."

"And I'm sure that it's going to be absolutely beautiful on you, but we'll just have to reschedule or do a virtual date." Scott says before squinting his eyes, "Hey! That's my flannel! I've been looking for that one!"

"Yeah, well it is currently in a very nice place that I liked to call Riley's closet, featuring more of her fiancé's clothes that she's stole that he will not be getting back." The blonde teases, quickly changing into it with a pair of shorts and putting a pair of brand-new white Chuck Taylors.

Stepping back, she makes sure that Scott can see her entire outfit, "Okay. How do this look?"

"You look good, babe."

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝙄 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙆 maybe I've been losing time, but I guess that's high school, right? You show up at seven-fifty and you leave at two-forty, and your like, 'what the hell just happened?'. I've been exhausted since the ninth grade."

"I just don't think you should skip the tour. It's mandatory."

"Since when does the word "mandatory" mean anything to you?" Clay asked.

"I'm pretty sure he learned that word in rehab." Riley nodded, laughing as Justin playfully shoved her.

"My dad's been teaching at Sanderson since I was eight. I know the campus." Clay tells them, "Riley should to since she's been there a lot."

"I know people, sue me." She shrugged.

"But this is about going to school there. Maybe you might do that."

Riley snorted.

"No, that would make my dad too happy." Clay tells him, "And it's too close to home. I need to get out of this town."

"Amen to that."

"Why would you look at Sanderson when you have Occidental?"

"I'm not in yet. Plus, I like the idea of Sanderson being so close to home."

"This is the guy who once said college is for people who couldn't get a job?" Clay asked as the three walked closer to the school entrance.

Justin chuckled, "I didn't think I was good enough. I didn't think I deserve a future before."

"Wait, you never thought you were good enough? You were always such an arrogant asshole."

"Yeah. Those are probably related."

Riley laughed, "Sometimes he still is an arrogant asshole. But we love him for that."

"Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure? My whole life is challenges, setbacks, and a failure. I don't expect it'll be any different at, "insert college here"."

"What the hell?" Riley whispers, taking notice of the students grouped up together. "Oh, shit."

Justin doesn't take his eyes off the words as he leans towards the two cousins, "Don't freak out."

"Why not?" Clay asked.

"What the fuck?" Alex whispers to Jessica after glancing over at Clay, "Who did this?"

"No fucking idea."

Zach comes around the corner, "Holy shit, the admins door." He chuckled, "Respect."

Jessica turns to look at him, "Do you know who did this?"

"Nah, but they got balls."

"How can you?" Jessica pauses as she turns back to the doors, "Oh, we're so fucked!"

Riley shakes her head, sighing, "We're fucked."

Painted across the door, in bright red paint, were the words, '𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘛𝘠 𝘞𝘈𝘚 𝘍𝘙𝘈𝘔𝘌𝘋'

"And it's not a safe place, school. There's, like, danger everywhere."

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗬, 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 you ever considered going to school for art?" Mrs. Dukes stops at the table where Riley was doing the assignment, a very detailed drawing of eyes staring back at her.

"Uh, not really." She shrugged, keeping her colored pencil to the paper, "I'm going to college for psychology. I like the aspect of knowing how the human brain really works."

"Hmm, well, at least you know you'll have something to fall back on." The dark-haired woman smiled before walking away.

"Those eyes look familiar."

Riley turns her head, eyes going color at the boy sitting next to her, "Yeah? Well, it's not really any of your business."

"Hey, I'm just saying." Winston holds his hands up, "Looks like I've looked into them a few times, and maybe you have as well."

The girl pauses, jaw clenching in anger before leaning in closer to him, "Listen to me and listen to me good, okay? I know who you are, Winston, and honestly, I could really care fucking less about what you are doing in Liberty. But let me make myself clear, stay the hell away from me, okay? Or I swear to the highest heaven above, that I will stab this colored pencil into your eyeball with a mother fucking smile on my face, okay?"

"I mean, like actual danger everywhere. And they don't realize adding more police doesn't make anyone feel safer. Like, the opposite."

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝗜 𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 want to go." Riley sighed as she stood outside next to Tony as everyone made their way onto the buses.

Tony smiled, "Neither do I, but it'll be good for us to get some fresh air after the shitshow this morning."

"Tony, Riley, enough chit chat, on the bus please."

"It's the perfect time."

"The perfect time for what?" Tony asked, the two catching the end of Clay's conversation, both of them sliding into the seat next to them.

"What?" Riley asked, "Perfect time for what?"

"Nothing." Ani smiles at the two, shaking her head.

"Ah-ah-ah, good morning, seniors." Bolan walks onto the bus, "Really exciting day."

"Shit, Bolan."

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

"Now, I know that many of you tend to overlook Sanderson because it's so close to home, but the reality is it's one of the foremost small, private universities in the country, with, fun fact, an award-winning literature department headed by the father, and uncle, or our very own Clay and Riley Jensen."

Riley covers her face with her hands as everyone clasp, Zach letting out a loud call of her name. "I hate my life."

Tony laughs, patting her on the top of the head.

"What the fuck?"

Riley and Tony look over, both looking at Clay in disbelief at the can of red spray paint in his hand.

"Did either of you see—,"

"Fucking get rid of it." Tony tells him and Riley mumbles something about him being a 'stupid, fucking idiot'.

"What, out of the window?" Clay asks, putting it into his backpack with a panicked look on his face.

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙐𝙎 tour was clearly just another opportunity for things to get royally fucked up. And they did."

"Riley, what's up girl?!"

"Party girl is back!"

"Riley! Riley! Riley!"

Justin looks down at the blonde in amusement as the two of them walk with the large crowd of their graduating class, some of the college students that they passed up calling out to the Jensen girl.

"What? Stop looking at me like that!"

"These people just know who you are?" Justin asked, "And did he seriously just call you 'party girl'?"

"Okay, look, sometimes I come and help Uncle Matt out in his class when I have my free period. I know some of the people here, sue me." She laughed, punching his shoulder and waving to a group of college girls that walked by, greeting her with a smile on her face. "And sometimes I party with them. Oh! Look, speaking of Uncle Matt, let's go."

"How beautiful is this place?" Justin excitedly walks up to where Matt stood with Clay and Ani, Riley following closely behind him. "I mean, I can't believe I've lived in Evergreen this entire time, and I've never been here."

"I hope you guys don't mind; I arranged a meeting with the Dean of Admissions after the tour." Matt looks between his three kids, "Riley, I know this isn't your ideal thought of college, but it's just something to take into consideration."

"Okay."

"Thank you. that's awesome." Justin chuckled.

"Does that sound good?" Matt asked, "Clay?"

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"Professor Jensen." Bolan walks over to the adult, shaking his hand, "Hi, thank you so much for hosting."

"My pleasure, Gary." He smiled, "I thought I might join you on the first few stops, sir."

"I just wanted to continue our discussion for a minute."

"Sure."

"Two groups, please! Two groups!"

"Come on." Justin tugged Riley off in the direction with him, throwing his arm over her shoulder, "You can talk to me about 'Riley, the college party girl', does Scott know about this part of your life?"

She playfully rolled her eyes, "Duh, I didn't go to the parties alone."

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 is a huge part of our campus here at Su." The blonde tour guide, Amanda, spoke as the group of students followed behind her. "I'm proud to call myself a part of the Greek community."

"Riley! Come party with us!" One of the guys on the law called out to the blonde as she and Justin passed by.

"Not today, Tanner!" The Jensen girl laughs as she calls back to the male, "Maybe when I'm not currently on a school trip!"

"You got my number! I'll text you next party!" He calls back, "And bring that boyfriend of yours! He's nice to look at!"

"I'll do that!"

"These people know you?" Jessica raised an eyebrow, laughing along with Tony and Ani at the blonde girls' words to the nice-looking guy who had talked to Riley.

Riley smiled, "Yeah, I spend some time here during free period. I've gotten close to a few people."

"Was that guy flirting with you?" Ani raised an eyebrow.

"Who? Tanner? No." Riley laughed, "He may look like your typical frat boy who fucks every girl that comes up to him, but he's doesn't really swing for our team, if you know what I'm saying. He'd be more attracted to Tony than either of us."

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 of Architecture is house in one of the most significant buildings on campus."

"Jess, Riley, do you know where Clay went?" Ani asked the two girls once she noticed that Clay as missing.

"Zach's gone too." Riley swears, pulling her phone out to text a couple of the college kids she knows to keep an eye out for the two.

Jessica doesn't answer, eyes locked on Justin as he talked to the tour guide, "Look at Justin. Totally crushing on that Amanda. Excuse me?!" She throws her hand up.

"Oh, God." Riley hangs her head.

"Amanda?"

"Yes?"

"Yeah, your website claims that Sanderson has a rate of sexual assault that's way below the national average." Jessica says, gaining the attention of a few of their classmates, "But isn't it true that most claims are adjudicated in private sessions with no transparency or legal responsibility?"

"Uh. . . ," Amanda sighs, "I don't know."

"Well, as a woman on campus, you should find out."

Amanda nods.

"Our student body president." Bolan tells the tour guide, arms crossed over his chest.

"Your jealousy is showing." Riley whispers to the Davis girl, hand covering her mouth so that Jessica wouldn't see the smile on her face.

"Shut up."

Riley's phone buzzes in her head, "Oh, God."

"What? What is it?" Ani turns to her.

"That's Tanner, he found Clay and Zach." She sighed, "And they are both in serious trouble."

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝗝𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗦, 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗬." Matt walks into the security office with Riley and Justin behind him, "What the hell?"

"Mr. Jensen, they totally held us hostage." Zach spoke up from his seat next to Clay, ignoring the disappointed look Riley sent his direction.

"You're lucky they didn't do a lot worse. They made some pretty wild accusations." Matt said, "And if it weren't for the fact the Sigs have zero credibility with campus security, we might have a real problem. What were you boys thinking? Clay?"

The boy doesn't say anything to his dad, not finding anything right to say to him, so he just covers his hands with his face.

Matt sighed, "Well, I told Gary you two were "detained", so the bus left to go back to Liberty." Matt tells them, "And, Clay, you missed the meeting with the dean."

"At least my parents have one son and Riley with a future."

"This discussion will continue at home." Matt says, taking the clipboard handed to him by the security office, "And, Zach, I might have to speak with your mother."

"Oof! Well, I am sorry about that." Zach grabs his jacket from the chair next to him, standing up and patting Matt on the back as he walked off.

"Riley. . . ,"

She sighs, turning on her heels, "I got him. I really hate campus tours."

˗ˏˋ 𖤐 ˎˊ˗

"𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 see Diaz?"

Clay walked into the outhouse, finding Justin and Riley sitting on the boys bed, a deck of cards between them as they played Go Fish.

"Yeah." Clay stands in the doorway, looking at the two, "This isn't good, is it?"

"No." Riley shook her head, "This isn't good."

The two watch as Clay slowly walks into the room, tripping on his feet and hitting the table. Justin and Riley jump up.

"Clay, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Justin rushes to the boys side.

"I'm. . . I'm. . .,"

"He's having a panic attack." Riley spits out, knowing all too well what was going on with her cousin. "Clay you gotta breath. Breath."

"The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. 'Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?'."

"Yeah, things are gonna get worse."

"Much, much worse. . . until something makes them better."