"I don't understand why we can't just skip the meeting," began Brie, following Nikki across the school sports fields. Carmella and Corey were just ahead of them, seemingly minding their own business, as were Maryse and Miz behind them. AJ and Punk weren't too far ahead, although they appeared more confident than the rest. As did Becky, who appeared to have worked out what the cryptic directions were about. Drew, on the other hand, remained quiet, almost serious. He didn't offer up his thoughts willingly. Instead, he looked around, trying to find something or someone missing.
"Hope you have a good reason," spoke AJ, a bright smile on her lips, as she skipped around the larger group. After all, she was one of a few people who knew the secret and likely understood better than most what Echo had likely seen in the hour or so since returning to school. "The normal excuses aren't gonna fly this time," she added before skipping off, leaving confusion and unanswered questions in her wake. Brie looked at Nikki and Drew, curious if they knew what was happening. It all seemed so mysterious to her, even more so upon noticing both Serenity and Roman had been included in the group chat where the meeting co-ordinates had been given.
"It's not like Echo will be there," commented Brie. Her past mean-girl persona slipped through for a moment, although she quickly regained control and began to think more rationally again. "We'd know if she was back; she's not one to hide," she added, checking the past messages in the original group chat to ensure no missed messages about Echo's return.
"I wouldn't be so sure," finally spoke Drew, looking around again, noticing the Darklings were nowhere to be found, and neither was Roman. However, most of the Wyatt watched from the shadows of the trees across from them as if ensuring they got to their destination and no one ran away. "It's no secret there's a wedge in our family. When was the last time you spoke to any of the Darklings besides prom talk with Damian?" asked the Scottsman, recalling he'd last spoken to Finn in their shared class Friday afternoon. Since then, only silence grew between them, as with all the Darklings. The family bond was gone; now, they were strangers in passing.
"It doesn't help most of us avoided going to see her," replied Carmella with a prang of guilt flooding her voice. Although she'd admit she'd not done it purposely, she'd just not been able to bring herself to face the trauma or the consequences of the accident, even less so knowing there was no good news to share regarding the culprits being caught. "If I were her, I'd feel abandoned, even more so when we didn't do the promised video calls."
"AJ," called Drew with his usual thick Scottish ascent, "Punk, what don't we know?" he asked, suspecting not all were in the dark. After all, Punk mentioned visiting Echo the previous Friday after school, and AJ visited her the Saturday after. Both had also spoken about the video calls they regularly took part in.
"Why do I have the sense of dread and doom?" asked Serenity, changing the subject completely while finding comfort in knowing she wasn't the only one who felt like that. The way Brie nervously looked around her and how quietly others had gone as they followed behind Becky. "Why am I even being invited? It's not like any of you idiots see me as a member of the stupid group, or Roman for that matter," she spat with harsh words, but that didn't stop her from becoming arrogant and thinking that maybe, just maybe, she'd finally get what she wanted. Not only to be accepted by the group of weirdos but also to become their defacto leader and use them to get everything else she desired, including having Roman back at her side if she couldn't convince Drew she was better than Nikki.
"Perhaps you'll still have enough confidence to ask Echo when we get there," replied Becky, suspecting the Darklings had hidden Echo's return, if only so she could see the truth for what it was rather than everyone actively trying to hide it from her. If only to save all of them the pain of acting like the united front they no longer were.
"You say that like she'll be there," replied Brie, repeating her earlier words and reaffirming her belief that Echo would only be present via a video call—likely dodgy- considering how far from the main school building they were going. Brie's words became stuck in her throat upon noticing a figure standing near the old stone bridge; for a moment, she thought it was Rhea but soon thought better of it when the body build didn't match. Nor could it be Cross due to the taller figure; instead, Brie believed it was Summer, trying a new darker look to go with the group she had become a permanent member of and cerement her turn to the dark side.
"Oh, she'll be there," said Becky, running ahead of everyone else, even darting past AJ and Punk. The moment she reached the figure near the stone bridge, she smiled and hugged them tightly. Hushed words were exchanged before Becky moved to stand at the figure's side. Only when the others got closer did the dread begin to grow more. Brie and Serenity appeared to be affected by it far more than anyone else traveling in the group. Like Becky, AJ ran over, realizing the person waiting for them was Echo. The darker teen leaned against one of the stone pillars near the bridge, her crunches resting against her side while she waited for those called.
"Echo!" Brie said with uncertainty. "Why did you tell anyone you were back today? We would have met you at the gate," she added, trying to quickly think of potential excuses for the rift that was so evident between the family. She also regretted her previous assumptions that the teenager known as Demon wouldn't be present in person. "When did you get here?"
"The same time as everyone else," replied Echo gently, at least not giving it away. She was well aware of how broken things were and was not about to cast judgment on any of them. Instead, she wanted to listen and let everyone decide where they went from here. "The Darklings and Roman are already at the meeting spot; Cross is waiting on the other side of the bridge for anyone who wants to stay for the meeting," she explained, once again in a gentle, nonjudgmental way. Immediately, Nikki turned her attention to Brie, who'd been complaining about not wanting to attend mere minutes ago. "If you don't wanna be a part of it, you can go; no one is forcing you to stay."
"Brie," spoke Nikki, at least alerting Echo to Brie's desire to skip the family meeting as she had done with all the others, as Nikki had done with a few of them. Although she doubted whether Brie would leave now, knowing she'd likely be the only one. "What about Serenity?" asked Nikki, curious if Serenity's inclusion had been a mistake, although she knew from a single look at Echo it wasn't; Serenity was meant to be there just like Roman was.
"I asked JD to include Serenity and Roman," Echo said, noticing the guilty looks Maryse and Carmella sent her. "Don't feel guilty for not visiting. I get it, and I probably would have scolded you both for not putting yourselves and healing first," she gently added, putting to bed the unwarranted guilt. After all, all of the girls had been involved in the accident, and all of them were hurt and traumatized in one way or another. She was glad they put themselves first rather than make others happy.
"You wanted me here?" asked Serenity, looking at her cousin like she'd grown extra limbs or another head. Her voice was confused, especially after the recent confrontation and everything else Serenity still had in mind to commit. After all, she wanted more things and was just as determined to get them. "Why?"
"For the same reason, Roman is here," replied Echo as she prepared her crunches and crossed the stone bridge after pushing off the pillar. The walk was slow and filled with awkward silence. Even Echo could feel the dread radiating from them, especially Brie and Serenity. Even Cross could sense as her usual crazed laughter had stopped. Instead, she eyed them as if she could read their minds and hear their deepest thoughts. Her laughter didn't return as she led them to the old abandoned school building where the others waited.
"Are you planning to massacre us here or something?" asked Serenity, falling silent quickly after Cross responded with a simple comment of tempting. Becky added her own question, asking if Serenity didn't know the vampires and werewolves dwelled in the building after school hours. Her words were greeted by Finn's laughter and Aleister's devilish chuckle.
"Nah, we're just planning a magic session, maybe summoning a demon or two," said Aleister to Serenity's earlier question. However, his eyes landed on Echo when he mentioned summoning a demon. "Even I can read your mind, Drama Llama; you're here because you're part of the problem," he elaborated, holding the heavy fire door open for the others to pass. The old building was rather well-lit, all things considered, and still better than some random place in an abandoned mall another would have thrown in as a potential spot.
"So why are we all here?" asked Roman, moving away from the Darklings now that the others had arrived, if only to keep the peace with Seth and Dean and prevent another brawl between them. "Why call a family meeting when it's obvious the family is gone?" he added, voicing the same questions others were likely thinking, although none had the confidence to word it or speak out against Echo. Once again, he moved away from Serenity, attempting to act like they were still together, even though he was trying to move on without her.
"To resolve the obvious issues and decide where we go from here," replied Echo, her gentleness still evident even when the sharpness to her words was beginning to seep through again. "Whether that be together as a family, we became or divided into light and dark," she added, at least displaying she was wise enough to know all of them had to make that decision if it was going to end in some happiness and for the problems to be resolved without lingering regret and what if questions. "I'm hoping each of you will be honest and tell me when you think the rift began and what issues need to be resolved."
"I don't know when the rift started, but I can think of a few issues that need to be sorted," spoke Punk, his voice loud in the quiet room. A grin painted his lips now, especially upon realizing this wasn't what most were likely expecting; Echo wasn't trying to mother them or force them all into a box they didn't fit into. She was trying to find a way for all of them to be happy and regret-free, even if that meant making the split permanent. "The hounds need to sit and talk; Roman imparticular needs to listen. Brie needs to be honest about how she feels; Serenity needs to frigging apologize and see that popularity isn't the world and the world doesn't revolve around her; for the love of the devil, Aleister, please just put Rhea out of her misery, and tell her who the mystery prom date is, and Maryse, please listen when we tell you Serenity's actions are not on you."
"Hounds corner, now," ordered Carmella with a cheeky grin, taking on the role of mother as she sent the three teenage boys to the furthest corner. "No arguing, or Rhea gets to send all three of you to Riptide Bullavarde," she added quickly, showing her fearlessness when weaponizing the other ladies around her.
"While you're on that, Serenity, shift to the opposite corner; take Damian with you," added Miz, ignoring Summer's comment about using his big balls to his advantage, even if a smirk did creep across his lips.
"Why him, why not one of the other lads?" asked Serenity, hoping to change to someone she could wrap around her little finger; Drew would be her pick; at least that way, she could spend the time in the corner a little more productively than doing whatever was tasked of her.
"I'll go instead," voiced Aleister, suspecting Serenity would quickly take back her words, considering he was even less of a favorite than Damian was. Not to mention, he wouldn't fall for her tricks. "She can tell me all about her plans to get Drew to her side or Roman to beg her forgiveness since we all know Drama Llama isn't gonna think about what she's done nor apologize like the good little girl she pretends to be," he added in a mocking tone, his words were meant with a ring of Cross's crazy laughter. The same laughter so often brought a grin to his lips.
"So, who's my prom date?" asked Rhea as Aleister practically chased Serenity to the corner furthest from Roman.
"Buddy," replied the Darklings in unison with the inclusion of Renee, Dean, and Seth.
"To quote Miz," started Rhea, "Really?"
"Buddy Mathews," replied Cross, laughing loudly when the realization hit Rhea; Buddy wasn't an inference to a friend as such but the first name of her date. "Your safe partner for trips," she added, "Speaking of which, what are we doing the day after prom? Other than nursing hangovers?" she continued with a wide smile as if suspecting the night of the prom would include a fair bit of mischief, injuries wouldn't stop that nor would the rift between them.
"The amusement park," replied Echo, a grin of her own suggesting she'd been working on the plans for a while and likely during her stay at the hospital. "Mom and Dad are renting a bus for prom to get us all there and back safely; we'll still have the bus for the next day, so we may as well use it and have a little fun together," she added, suspecting some would already have other plans in place for that day, just like always it would be their choice whether they joined or did their own thing.
"I'm game," responded Maryse, her smile brightening as she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. For too long, she'd blamed herself for the accident and what happened to Summer, AJ, and Echo. Blamed herself for the rift that seemed to grow bigger every day, a rift she'd tried and failed to sew back together. "Why didn't any of you blame me for what happened? It was my idea for Serenity to join us."
"How could we ever blame you for being who you are?" asked AJ, "You've always helped others, regardless of whether they are younger, older, popular, or weirdoes like me; you're a friend to everyone and one people are lucky to have. You were trying to be a friend to Serenity, to help like you've helped so many others. Like all of them, you're not responsible for her choices or anything she did."
"The only person responsible for Serenity's actions is Serenity. She's the only one who will face the consequences of them, the one who has to answer for her stupidity and thick decisions," added Becky, allowing Maryse to see none of them would turn on her or blame her for things she was also the victim of. Instead, each was determined to show her they would always be there for her as she had been for so many others.
"It's okay to let go," said Renee, the voice of reason and the words she knew Maryse needed to hear. "It's okay to save yourself when someone who can't be bothered to help themselves is pulling you down with them." She added confidently, "One person doesn't change the person you are, nor will she destroy the beautiful light you are to so many, to us."
"Brie, you next," called Nikki, throwing her sister under the bus, "At least so you can see that this lot isn't as judgmental as you fear, and for god sake, be honest this time," she added, chuckling slightly when Serenity ran past. However, this time, it wasn't because Aleister was chasing her but because Alexa had appeared to jump-scare Dom again. "She thinks y'all will abandon her for still having feelings for Daniel and regrets about breaking up with him," elaborated Nikki, stating the obvious even if Brie had never actually worded them in person. "I know you just as well as you know me, twinny."
"He's a prat, but you can't help who you love," voiced Seth from his corner with Dean and Roman. His voice was louder than usual to ensure Brie heard him properly; Dean's cheeky laughter, on the other hand, was quieter as he tried his best to stifle it even when others dotted around openly found amusement over Seth's truthful comment. "Take it from me; you'll regret not following your heart," he added, speaking from his own experience and truth; only those closest to him knew how fear had stopped him from asking Echo out sooner.
"Thanks for that, Seth," said Brie, surprised it was Seth among everyone who'd spoken up. Someone who'd been a target of Daniel in many forms over the years, all because of jealousy and fear. Others, too, had tried to break him and Dean, to break the hounds to prove their strength. Ironically, the hounds had been broken from within. "How come you two would be cool with me getting back with Daniel but not okay with Roman dating Serenity?" she asked, noticing Serenity seemed to pay a little more attention now as if she'd wanted the answer to that question for a while.
"We don't have a problem with them dating," replied Dean as if it was obvious, "Sure, she's a bitch, and we all know it, but it's not our call who he dates. Our problem is with him and what he's done," enlightened Dean, shining a light on what so many appeared to have missed or overlooked. On the other hand, Roman seemed to have a come-to-Jesus moment or at least realize his previous assumptions regarding the problem were wrong. "Yes, Roman, you and your actions were the problem, not you and Drama Llama dating."
"Why does everyone keep calling me a Drama Llama?" voiced Serenity as she gave in and sat on a chair in the corner she'd been banished to. Aleister appeared on the table just behind her, at least not impeding her view of what was happening.
"For the same reason we call your baby daddy Trouble Magnet," replied Aleister, "Which reminds me, Roman," he called, choosing to enlighten Roman on another of his wrong assumptions and correct it. "We Darklings avoid you because we're holding you accountable for an ultimatum you gave and ourselves responsible for our choice." The moment the words hit Roman, he sighed, finally seeing Summer hadn't turned anyone against him, at least not the Darklings; he had done that himself over time, with the ultimatum being the final straw that had broken the camel's back. "Pissing off ze Prince and Demon didn't help either."
"To be fair, that never helps anything," replied Corey, "Especially when both are heartbroken, and one playing dodge the light," he added, hearing Echo chuckle, no doubt from the name he'd given to Echo's period of avoiding Seth and anyone else that tried to force the reconciliation. "Why did you remain in limbo for so long?" asked Corey, although far quieter this time. Instead, he walked over to Echo if only so her mystery reason stayed with those she trusted. Immediately, he knew it had something to do with Serenity when Echo's eyes landed on her. At least, it hinted that the games Serenity was playing weren't new and that Echo was no stranger to them.
"We've attended the same school before," spoke Echo, recalling the last time they went to the same school in England and how quickly Serenity had become the popular queen she always wanted to be. Echo had quickly found comfort in the shadows, but even then, she couldn't escape the games Serenity played with those who wanted to be in her circle. "Back in England, we attended a private school together. Serenity was the queen, the girl everyone wanted to be friends with, threw all the good parties, and dated the popular idiots. I was the one she sent people after to prove themselves; the one bullied as part of her games every time it got worse until I dreaded going to school. In the end, Mom and Dad made the decision to move over here when they realized the school wouldn't do anything. Aunt Sienna would continue to make excuses for Serenity's behavior," she added, remembering the nightmare her school life had become, how bad things had gotten then, and how thankful she was to leave the school behind. Even Hunter had been pleased to leave the rotten place. "The games she used Roman for were identical to how things started before."
"Did Seth know?" asked Corey, concern alight in his eyes; for a moment, he glanced over to Seth, seeing he was doing as he was told and attempting to talk through things with Dean and Roman, even if Roman was intent on making that more difficult than it had to be. Deep down, Corey hoped Seth didn't know at the time of his stupidity, although he also suspected the other teen had figured it out or someone had clued him in.
"Aleister told him," answered Echo, recalling when the Devil had pulled Seth aside to explain. "Thankfully, Seth understood and gave me the space and time to come to terms with what happened and see that this wasn't the same. What happened before is why I avoided everyone who also tried to get us to reconcile."
"It had to be your choice," spoke the Savior of Misbehavior, pulling Echo into a hug shortly after she nodded in confirmation. "For what it's worth, Demon, whether our family is united or split, we'll always have each other's back. And Even when they don't say it out loud, we're all glad you're back," he added, looking towards the larger group spread out around the room, most of them trying to work through the troubles that had caused the rift.
"Brie," called Damian, speaking up for the first time since the family meeting had begun. "Call Daniel, ask him to go to prom with you," he advised, seeing the shock across Brie's features as if she was questioning whether he'd spoken those words or imagined the encouragement from her prom date. "No regrets Brie Mode, no regrets."
"If I go with Daniel, who will you go with?" asked Brie, still unsure if she should go with Daniel. She still questioned whether it was a good idea. Since answering his texts just after the accident, she felt as if she was slipping back into her old ways, back when she was at her worst. She didn't want to be that person again but couldn't live without trying to save Daniel from Serenity.
"Don't worry about Priesty. He'll be safe with me," worded Alexa from the top of the pull-out bleachers in the old hall, where she was content pestering Dominik, "He can tell me all about that tattoo," she laughed, even more so to see Damian pale. "And we can laugh at the height difference."
"Thank you," spoke Brie as she reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone. A flare of confidence appeared within her, and now the uncertainty and fear were gone. Sure, they didn't like Daniel, but they'd effectively told her they'd tolerate him if that meant her being happy. "So what's going on with the wedding planning?" asked the younger Bella Twin, looking over to AJ and Punk, the happily engaged couple. Both of them appeared like a pair of deers caught in headlights at the sudden turn of conversation, although for a brief moment, Seth's attention did turn to Echo. However, she didn't appear to notice even if Serenity did and scoffed.
"Drew," called Serenity with a sickly sweet tone to her voice; quickly, she left her corner of self-reflection and waltzed over to the star athlete with an enchanting swing to her hips, one that he didn't seem to notice or care for. Aleister rolled his eyes so hard he fell off the table he'd previously been perched on, quickly being pulled back to his feet by the combined efforts of Rhea and Echo while Cross simply laughed and ran up the bleachers. "You're my prom date," Serenity added seductively, batting her eyelashes like a siren capable of putting any man under a spell.
"I'm Wonder Woman's date," he responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. In a way, the entire student body knew they were going together. Neither hid it, even if he asked her to prom before their shared friends. "Got plans with this lot the next day, too," he added with his usual thick Scottish accent. "We're doing a couple of challenges at the amusement park, right?" he asked the group loudly, suspecting a fair few of them would be there, even if they decided now to become two groups rather than one.
"Oh yeah, Lame Game Pair's Edition, with prizes," replied Echo, once again proving her earlier words weren't a spur-of-a-moment thought but something she'd been working on for quite some time. "Might do Group Edition too, if the Wyatt's are up for it," she added, having the more the merrier outlook on things. After all, the Lame Game always brought laughter and joy to those who participated and witnessed it, especially with some ridiculous things on the list.
"Gracey will be happy; that was the last thing on his senior year bucket list," replied Alexa. "Count us Wyatt's in. You just have to give us the when and where," she added, quickly suspecting it would be memorable. Especially if Summer's edition was anything to go by, Siko still hadn't worked out what being called a Sprout by Cross meant, nor had Jacob lived down being called a Rubber Duck by Echo.
From the corner with Seth and Dean, Roman smirked. Still, he'd yet to work out how the reason for them being there was so serious, yet they could still make light of it, plan things like they'd already solved the issue, and move forward. Although he supposed, in a way, most of them had. Maryse had peace of mind, Brie had the encouragement needed, Echo was back now, The Darklings were normal, even more so with Dominik back, and Wyatt's had somehow been included. The only things that needed to be solved were the never-ending drama surrounding Serenity and his brotherhood with Seth and Dean.
"Am I invited?" asked Serenity, fully prepared to take over and plan the day trip to her liking, making it so she was the center of attention as a mother-to-be. For a moment, Roman had dread written across his features, not because Serenity wanted to go and be included but because of what would happen if she was included and if she wasn't.
If she weren't included, he'd have no one to pair with for the Lame Game planned, particularly the pair's edition. He'd be the odd one out in a sea of friends who had found that special someone or had a friend they could rely on no matter what. But if they did include her, he feared the tantrums she would throw; he feared she'd go out of her way to ruin it for everyone else if things didn't go how she wanted them if she wasn't the center of attention. He feared how he'd acted around her, too, that he'd fall for her tricks and trap again.
"Can I Invite a friend from outside school?" asked Roman, for the first time showing he could be better than the prat he'd shown himself so far. "Someone that can keep me on the right track and slap some sense into me?" he added while displaying that person wouldn't be Serenity, "My prom date," he elaborated. Displaying his desire to be a better person now and the hard work he'd been doing wasn't a flash in the pan; he did want to be better and fix things, especially now when he realized how much he'd lost because of what he'd done.
"The more, the merrier," replied Echo, refusing to reject someone trying. "She's welcome to the after party too," she added, recalling her parents' joint party for the prom night. She'd sent the group text some time ago inviting those around her to the little get-together. One last thing before graduation.
"What about me? Who will I go with if I'm invited to the stupid thing?" growled Serenity, even more so upon realizing how little control she had left and how serious Roman had been when he said he was turning over a new leaf. For a moment, she felt self-conscious; everyone's attention was on her, but she quickly refound her confidence; after all, she had no reason to be ashamed; in her mind, she'd done nothing wrong.
"Providing you're still attending the school by then," spoke Summer, turning her attention to the main problem in the room. "You're the all great Queen Bee, I'm sure you have plenty of followers to play silly games with and many party invites to choose from. What do you need us losers for?" asked the leggy blonde, being fearless in the face of the school bully and throwing Serenity's previous words back at her. "Unless your oh-so-great popularity was just a part of your imagination and blurred lines of reality."
"I had other ideas for the day after prom, something a little more suitable and fun than some stupid game," harshly replied Serenity, a wicked grin upon her lips as if expecting all of them to drop to their knees and beg her to tell them her ideal plans. However, much to her disappointment, none did. Even Roman looked at her as if she had gone insane, questioning what he'd seen in her in the first place. "Let's see, first a spa trip, cinema, then shopping, dinner at the new restaurant that's just opened in the mall, and then a slumber party with scary movies, loud music, chit chat, and a few party games," she added in an attempt to try and sway them away from the day at the amusement park and stupid game.
"May I?" asked Roman, surprised he was the only one who'd spoken up, even when it was clear some others were thinking of saying something. Cross, especially, who'd stopped bouncing and laughing like a maniac. "Leave Serenity, don't come back. Use your time to find friends better suited to you instead of trying to destroy and remodel this lot. We did enough damage; you may not care, but I do. I want to fix it and make up for my mistakes. More importantly, you may not realize it, but these lots are special and precious; they deserve so much more than having to be your nameless slaves, more than your petty bullshit, hell, more than mine. I see now I belong here, I belong with them, you don't, you belong with people who are like you, go and find them, be happy with them and grow, it better than destroying and existing in a reality that will never be."
"So he does still exist?" spoke Finn, surprising Roman with his words. "The Hound," he added, smirking upon seeing Roman's confusion. "I'll admit I didn't believe Summer when she said you'd lost your way and just needed a slap across the back of the head to find it again."
"Did it have to be us girls being run off the road, though?" asked AJ, poking a little fun and displaying she'd been watching and listening, just like others had been too. "So, now we know Roman isn't the asshat who thinks he knows everything; where do we go from here?" she questioned, figuring the Hounds still had to talk it out properly, especially now Seth and Dean had seen past their resentment and could see the truth. "Do we stay together as a united family or continue as two sides of the same coin?"
"We can do more good as two groups," voiced Cross from the top of the bleachers, glaring at Serenity as she huffed in the corner but refused to leave until they did. "As a family, we brought hope when none existed; as two groups, we can still do that and more. We can teach younger students that it is okay to be different from friends and to have the same goals but to take different routes to achieve them. Our differences make us strong and bring us together but also push us apart. It's time we embraced who we are. The light side needs to shine, and we Darklings need to cause absolute pandemonium from the shadows. However, no matter where we go, we'll still have each other, support, and encouragement because we're family, the family that changed what was, created something better with what we had."
"Raise your hand if you agree," spoke Dominik, surprised by the result, even more so when he was convinced Echo calling the family meeting would result in the opposite. "All Star Academy, watch out, the Light and Dark have arrived," he added, nodding to each with pride, even more so when it was a mutual agreement to go their separate ways this time rather than someone coming between them. "You hounds gonna talk it out without us nosey gits, right?"
"As for Punky Bear, don't worry about the wrestling finals; you know this lot will take good care of me," AJ laughed, changing the subject slightly. "The only fight you'll have is to get me back while we all celebrate the victory," she added, making her predictions known. She was still betting All-Star Academy would eventually win; after all, with Liv and Cross replacing her and Echo, they still had the best chances to win.
"And Demon will be safe with us, dear Aerialist," called Alexa from the top of the bleachers, pestering JD as if continuing an unspoken game between the Darklings and Wyatt's. "Now, to quote, said Demon, let the darkness reign; we all have studying to do, and those awkward gits at the back have some bonding to get to."