Sound Of Madness

NOTE: Please PM me to ask me if you can join! Do not ask here, but in a pm!

You can't chose your destiny or your family. You can't choose who you are or what your parents try to make you. You don't kid to decide how your own father treats you or what secrets he holds. You can't stop death or people leaving. But what you can do is run. Run from your hell and never look back. 

A group of teens form together with one common factor: they are all escaping something from their past. Just a group of run away teens living under one house. They get along, act like a family, and live each day as it comes. They have become each others new family. They have become stability for each other. And over all, this life style is now their life. 

They had a few simple rules to follow to keep harmony.
1) smoke outside. 
2) pay your share of the rent 
3) do not draw attention to yourself at work or school or other public places
4) don't get arrested for something stupid
5) no romance with other members of the group.

These five simple rules should be easy to follow, right? Well apparently not. There is hidden romance everywhere in the house. 

Character bio
Name
Age
Appearance
~hair
~eyes
~frame 
~skin
~clothing
~other
Personality
History
Why they ran
~~~
rules!
No power playing (unless it is ok with other character person) or gming
Post at least 3 sentences (preferably a paragraph) per post.
No insta-love....Remember the love is against the rules (unless it is part of a backstory and is ok by both authors)
If it starts getting mature when people hook up, fast forward
Respect each other!
An have fun.
And try to have at least one guy and one girl....
~~~

Name: Delilah Cohen
Age 17, almost 18
Appearance
~hair: She has wavy, long strawberry blonde hair. Depending on the day or lighting, it will look either really light ginger colored or it's pinkish blonde color. It falls down to the small of her back with its wave. When straitened, it will fall clear past her butt. But most of them time, it is pulled into a messy bun out of force of habit to keep it out of her face. But in contrary to the bun, she has bangs that fall into her face and cover her eyes.
~eyes: sea green eyes that seem to hold secrets and regrets. Her hair usually covers them though. Blue specks are visible when you can see her eyes. 
~frame: very tall and thin. Is a hard core dancer so is in almost perfect shape, if not a bit under weight due to over working her body as of recantly.
~skin: A very pale peach color with freckles along her arms and face. 
~clothing: When she isn't dancing, she will be in baggy t-shirts that usually have quirky sayings with normal jeans that aren't skinny but aren't baggy. When she is dancing, she will be in whatever outfit is required for the dance, or if just practicing, she will be in  leggings and a t-shirt with her hair down. 
~other: is very self conscious about how she looks.
Personality: is somewhat shy and closed off, almost broken as of recently. She won't speak much and will try to be as alone as much as she can. When she feels she is completely alone, she will dance to express whatever is bottled up inside her.
History: Her mother had an affair and that was how she was conceived. Delilah was never informed, but her moms husband and her 'father' knew. He treated her like dirt because of it and she never knew why. 
When she was six, her mother passed away from a drug overdose. Her father became more openly abusive to Delilah, and pushed her to go into dancing. He knew she had potential and figured he could get money by shoving her into competitions. 
She would go with it, out of fear that he would lash out at her. Or just because  she loved to dance. As she got older, she got much better. But so did the people she was competing against. She stopped getting first, and her father leaned on drinking more and more and would abuse her for the smallest things. 
She got a job to support them after he lost his and she used her own stash of money to get the best dance instructor in NYC. He., like her father, would push her hard and would also abuse her if she screwed up. She would tell herself that she was doing this to be the best. 
Her grades started falling, and she showed up at school less and less. Her only hope for college would be a dance scholar ship that her dance instructor had been pushing her to do. Her grades where borderline graduating, and she knew she could do it.
Well, she didn't.
Why they ran: because the scholarship was the only real way for her to get out of the abusive lifestyle she was in. She had one best friend, Kyle, who would take care of her. One day he picked up and left with no warning. This left her completely broken and unmotivated to do anything at him. One day her dad pushed her too far, so she packed her bag and left. She set out to find a place to live and recently stumbled across the group of runaways.

Name: Ben Stasi
Age: 19
Appearance
~hair: Curly brown hair that is long enough to reach over his ears and is almost an afro. If it is straitened it would reach halfway down his neck and give him a slight emo look, which he hates. He thinks it's stupid for guys to straighten there hair and will only do it if absolutely forced.
~eyes: stern brown and green eyes. The sternness hides his pain and tends to ward off outsiders.
~frame: on the shorter side of average. Lean and kinda scrawny. Was a runner at one point, but wasn't one to stand out. Is just a very average person.
~skin: Caucasian white skin with a peachy gold undertone. 
~clothing: graphic t-shirts that aren't too baggy nor too tight. Slim jeans and converse. Has think framed hipster-like glasses, but actually needs them to see and they were the only style frames he could afford.
~other: doesn't care about his appearance.
Personality: although he looks cold and closed off, he is actually a very nice and a welcoming person. Gives everyone a chance to prove themselves.
History his mom and dad devorced when he was young and his mom got custody of him and got remarried to a man he hated. He went through two years of high school with a bad rep and with few friends. But he didn't care. He just wanted to get out of there.
Why they ran: His best friends parents kicked him out so Ben ran away with him. They started the group together. 

Name Zach
Age 16
Appearance
~hair: Black hair that curls over his ears. Straitens it so it is pin straight. There is never a hair out of place. He keeps good care of it because he feels like it is his best feature.
~eyes: light grey eyes that flip between grey and blue and Silverish. Kind and gentle eyes.
~frame: tall and lanky and scrawny. Doesnt look like he would hold well in a fight.
~skin: pale tan skin that is a perfectly even tone.
~clothing: latest fashions usually with skinny jeans and a shark tooth necklace. will sometimes also look like a hipster without trying.
~other
Personality: is kinda shy and timid. Is openly gay, but still kinda shy about it. that 'oh girl' type of guy and tends to befriend girls an give them fashion advice.
History: grew up in a christian house hold where his parents were extrememly religious. Around his 8th grade year he started getting feelings for other guys. He kept it hidden and told himself it was just a phase. That he couldn't be gay because being gay was wrong. 
But as years passed the feelings just got stronger. He realized that being gay wasn't wrong and it was who he was. He came out to his parents and they disowned him. They kicked him out and that is when he went to Ben, his best friend, and said he was leaving. Ben left with him.
Why they ran: his parents kicked him out for being gay. The rest of his family wouldn't take him in, so he just ran.

Name THea
Age 17
Appearance
but without the nose ring and more black in her hair.
Personality is a huge flirt but isnt really into a serious relationship. She just likes to hook up then toss them to the side. She hasnt really met someone to match her personality and make her rethink.
history and why they ran will come when i think of it.

*has this spot reserved*

*reserves spot because she was told she could...*


Name: Blanch Cardon (Aka Snaps)
Age: 18
Appearance
~hair- She has long dark brown hair that reaches to the middle of her back and is layered with sweep bangs that come across the right side of her face. She often lets them hide that part of her face and hardly ever does she push them aside unless she’s forced to.
~eyes- They are a teal blue with grey fringing the pupil and leaking into the iris. They’re average sized, and framed by a set of full black lashes.
~frame- She’s a healthy form of skinny where there is just enough fat and squish to keep her bones from showing. She stands around 5’5”, and has a slight coke bottle shape to her. She tries to not slouch, but sometimes…it just can’t be helped.
~skin- She has a light olive complexion that is dotted with random freckles. She has one just inside her hip and just below her jeans, while the others are scattered along her arms in very few numbers. She does have one larger freckle that is on the back of her neck and is about the size of a tack head. Her thighs are covered in scars from self-harm, a good portion of them being words that she carved into her skin.
~clothing- She only has five outfits to her name, four of which are shirts that have been cut off at the middle, the seams taken out of the sleeve ends, and the collars cut off. The t-shirts usually carry some sort of photographed print with words like “LOVE” plastered to them. To go with these four shirts, she has two pairs of skinnies that are a lighter wash and ride just on her hips. She usually wears flats, or nothing for shoes. Her last outfit is a white summer dress that she reserves for Sundays.
~other- She usually wears a few thin stranded, or homemade, bracelets around her wrists and has a large locket that she wears around her neck in the shape of a heart. The chain reaches halfway down her chest and the locket is easily hidden in her shirt. She also always carries a camera on her person. She has a Celtic cross tattooed to her left hip that plays peekaboo with her jeans, and a blue butterfly on a black rose tattooed to her right shoulder.
Personality- She is quiet and hardly ever talks to anyone unless they are close to her. If she’s close to them, she’s a chatter box and a half. But the thing is, it takes a lot to get close to her. She keeps everyone at a very long distance and doesn’t usually let them in. She always wears a smile and is generally happy. She hides behind her camera, using it as her eyes. The camera is her life and she never shows anyone her pictures. She also hates people taking pictures of her and refuses to look at pictures of herself. She has a hard enough time just trying to look in the mirror. She has very low self-esteem and is desperate to be loved, despite her need to keep everyone at a safe distance. In her desperation to be loved, she has become bi, but only ever gets in a relationship with a girl when she’s more than desperate for acceptance. She struggles with her addiction of self-harm and purging, but has done better about it over the last few months.
History- Snaps comes from a very high-end family that lives on the richer side of town. She went to private school for most of her life and is fluent in French because her family is from France, although you would never tell because she doesn’t have the accent. As soon as she moved to America, she did her best to rid herself of the accent.
Her parents were very loose with her, not really caring one way or another what she did or where she went. She could come home and say she’s pregnant, and they would just nod and say “that’s good,” and go back to whatever it was they were doing. Snaps became desperate for attention and turned to self-harm, and bulimia in an attempt to get her parents to notice her. She continued with this pattern until she had collapsed in her home while her parents were home. They didn’t notice anything unusual, and it was her best friend Seriah that ended up calling 911. When her parents didn’t do anything but say they’d take care of the bills, she decided that she couldn’t take it anymore and left.
Why they ran- She ran because she didn’t see the point in staying in a home where no one cared about her. She now works at a camera place developing photos for people. She was struggling to pay rent on her old apartment when she stumbled across the group of run-aways.


Name- Misha Downey
Age- 19
Appearance:
~hair- A sandy blonde color that gets darker when he’s not in the sun and turns more of a dirty blonde. It’s a little on the shaggy side, but never lets it grow very long. He likes to spike it, and usually has it gelled up.
~eyes- His eyes are a mix of golds and greens making it look like a light hazel.
~frame- Broad shouldered and very toned. His muscles are defined, but not overly so. He stands close to 6’2-6’3, and is someone you’d imagine for a Hollister model because of his build.
~skin- A very, very light tan that is almost flawless. He does have a few scars on his back, but hides them well.
~clothing- Misha’s clothing consists of a pair of carpenter jeans, a plain t-shirt, and usually a handker-chief hanging out the back pocket. He also wears dark leather steal toed boots.
~other- his left shoulder and right shoulder blade are covered in tattoos, the left being a gang tattoo while the one on his shoulder blade is a picture of the Celtic tree of life with Clarisa scrawled below it in fancy writing.
Personality- He is very closed off and quiet, often comes off as a real ass. He has a lot of anger pent up inside him and he’s afraid to let it out because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. The rest is TBA.
History- His family was very dysfunctional and lived in a trailer park. His dad is Russian and his mom is American. His dad left when Misha was 9 and went back to Russia while his mom was left to struggle to keep up with things. When he was ten, his mom remarried a jerk that abused her. She would send Misha to live with his dad for months on end just so that he wouldn’t have to be around the guy. When his mom got pregnant, Misha refused to leave despite the fact that he loved to see his dad. He did his best to protect his mom and the new baby and was blessed with a little sister that his mom named Clarisa. When Clarisa was 5 and Misha was 17, Clarisa got caught by his stepdad on a particularly bad night and was beaten to death despite Misha’s efforts to protect her. He has many scars on his back from that night, and thinks of them as a mark of shame and as a constant reminder of the day he failed.
Why they ran- At 18 his mother kicked him out of the house, forcing him to leave despite his want to protect her. She even put a restraining order on him so he couldn’t come back. He got involved with a gang and couldn’t find satisfaction there, so he left, but not without its consequences. He moved to a new town with what little money he had, changed his name, and ran into the run-aways. He’s just there until he can get on his feet again, and is currently working at a lumber yard.

Name: Foster Morrisey
Age: 18
Appearance:
Personality: Foster is quiet and polite most of the time, but sometimes, it comes across as not caring about the people around him. He has a hard time expressing his feelings and gets angry very quickly, but he also lets go of issues quickly. He is very secretive and he enjoys helping people when he can, even though sometimes, what he does, can seem unconventional.

Name: Esme Holtley
Age: 19
Appearance:
Personality: Esme grew up her whole life thinking that she was supposed to be the golden child. Her parents held her to extremely high standards and were very strict on her. She never experienced the rebellious streak that came with strict parents, but that might be because she hasn't waited long enough. She dreams of doing something more with her life, but she never really knows how to act on her dreams.

Name: Keiko Natasuo
Age: 17
Appearance:
Personality: *is not really sure about Keiko's personality yet*

Name: Sterling Bradshaw
Age:
Appearance: Dressed a bit more low key than this, but still nothing super casual.
Personality: Sterling goes around thinking he's the hottest thing out there. Granted, a lot of girls would agree. He has a cocky air about him that seems to instigate a lot of fights and he always wonders why. If he could tone it down a bit, he might be a bearable guy to be around, but I dunno if that's gonna happen anytime soon.


NOTE: The last two sections of each profile have been hidden away in my brain and will be released slowly. Translation: I haven't thought of them yet because I reall suck at that kinda thing.

Ben sat up in his room in the attic. Most people would want to avoid staying in this particular room in the house because of the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. But ben didn’t mind. Blankets could fix the cold, and you could always put fans to cool down the room.

When Micka was still part of the group, he had set up camera around the perimeter of the house and at the front door. The control panel was stationed in this room so ben could keep a careful eye on what happened outside the house so he would be sure no harm would come to his family. He saw a ginger approach the house, a pink bag tossed over her shoulder. Looking closer, he saw that she wasn’t really ginger….but a strawberry blonde? Oboy…. Zach would be going on about her hair for who knows how long.

The doorbell rang and Zach was the first there. No surprise. Ben sighed and started down the steps. He passed a few rooms of fellow runaways, but didn’t alert them of the new comer. They could meet her for themselves….That was if Ben and Zach agreed she could stay.

“Hello,” he greeted the girl with the dance bag, who Zach was already looking over. For a gay guy, he definitely looked over a lot of girls. Ben understood why though, he was going to try to find something to talk to her about, probably with fashion or music or even boys. Ben chuckled at the thought. “What’s your name?”

“Hi….” The girl muttered softly. “I’m Delilah….” She murmured softly. Her light red hair fell into her face and covered her eyes. She was nervous. Why though? It wasn’t like they bit. She also kept a jacket tightly wrapped around her.

“Why did you come to us?” Ben asked kindly.

She shifted her weight and kept her gaze down. “It wasn’t safe for me at home….. Please…. I cant talk about it….. but I heard that this would be a safe place for a girl like me….” She stammered. Her words were slurred and rushed as she spoke.

Ben just nodded and opened the door for her. “Welcome then. I won’t push you to tell us. The room on the second floor, far right is open. You can move in there. But I should warn you, if you end up hurting my family, if you put them in danger, you will be kicked out faster than your heart can beat. Got that?” His voice was somewhat stern.

Delilah nodded quickly in understanding. “Of course….I would never do something like that….” Ben only nodded in response and walked off.
“Don’t mind him…He just gets protective.” Zach told her. “You’ll be able to find a few other people in the house to talk to. Most of them are pretty nice, but I should advice you to keep anything of value hidden until the group earns your trust. We have had some….interesting characters over the years…” he smiled and started through the halls. “Enjoy your stay in the house of madness,” he chuckled darkly.


~~
Thea sat at the top of the steps watching as the new girl came into the house. Great, anther one. She sighed and stood, going up the rest of the steps and walking into her room. She sat on her bed and flipped through a fashion magazine. For some reason, today felt like it was going to be a long day.

Snaps sat out back on a low wall that surrounded the small garden she had taken the liberty of putting in. It was the one thing that was really hers, besides her camera. She bent forward, her legs crossed in front of her, and leaned down till she was almost level with the wall, trying to get the best position for a snap of the small shoot that was coming up where she had planted her new buttercups. She heard the door open and close, but didn't bother going to see, it was just better that she didn't. Things like that...well like people, never really were her thing despite the fact that she clung to them for her sense of being. She gave a small sigh, then went back to adjusting her lens to get the right focus. If she was lucky, she'd go the whole day without having to say a word. The thought of talking made her hands sweat slightly and the nervousness sent her stomach rolling. She snapped the picture, trying her hardest to ignore the urge to plunge her finger down her throat. A habit she never had planned on being addicted to, but was so tied to it she felt almost suffocated by it, even after weening herself off as much as she had. She went back to snapping pictures of the flowers, attempting to take her mind off of things.





Misha walked down the street towards the run down house, his brow covered in sweat and grim. He just got off from the lumber yard and was looking forward to a shower. Hopefully Thea hadn't let the hot water run out...or Zach hadn't decided to take an afternoon shower.

Esme just walked. She had no clear destination in her mind, except away from her house. Once or twice she had heard about a safe house in the city, but she didn't know if that was just an urban myth or not. Her father had instilled so much doubt in her, that she was never really sure where she could be safe. She pulled her hair out of the long ponytail and tried to remember the directions she had been given. Was it a left here? Or maybe a right? She groaned and decided it was too early for thinking and stopped by a close cafe, grabbing a frothy, girly sounding drink. After one sip, she founded that it tasted like cigarette ash and a dirty carpet, but then, after an ample stream of cream and cinnamon sugar, she was able to stomach it.

Time to get back on the road... I can't afford to waste more time... He could find me out here, bring me back home. As a preachers daughter, it was her duty to be the perfect little child. Any embarrassment to her father would be like social suicide. And she had embarrassed him more than her fair share of times. That's why he hated her. That's why she hated herself. That's why her arms were covered in scars and there was a thin scar on her neck. That's why she had to have her stomach pumped to remove lethal doses of pills. All because she was a little embarrassment. She couldn't even stand to look at herself in a mirror anymore, except the fifteen minutes in the morning it took her to get ready. Even after only fifteen minutes, she wanted to be sick. But that would be even more embarrassing.

She snapped out of her thoughts when the small phone in her skirt pocket vibrated against her leg. Have you checked out the house yet? She typed back a quick negative and shoved the phone back into her pocket and waited for another faint buzz. Her friend, Zo, had stayed in a house like that once. He said it helped him get past all his problems, look into a better future. He said he made so many friends and bonds. With another light buzz, she reached for her phone and saw a full list of directions. Seems as though he had made her mind up for her. She made her way to the house quickly, keeping her eyes down. She knocked on the door, trying to hide her hopeful stare.

________________________________________

I was stuck in this house. Just like the rest of them. We were all trapped like flies. I mean, honestly, didn't we all have better places to be? I didn't quite understand it all, but I mean, I was gorgeous, so no one expected me to. They just expected me to nod and smile at the appropriate times. I guess I didn't mind just being their for my body. It just meant that there was something I was good for. Speaking of good for something, where's Zach? I need to ask him if he could cut my hair... And Thea... I need to find her, too, but there's a different story behind that.

Sterling was lounging on the couch lazily, running a hand through his growing hair. He never liked when it got shaggier, though the girls never seemed to mind. Something about their attention just seemed to make his cocky smirk grow even wider. He couldn't help it. What he could help, though, was how many of them he got attracted to. He couldn't be falling for ever Lisa or Judy he met, though there were two people with four letter names he couldn't deny feelings for. Gah! He didn't want to think about that right now.

He lounged for another minute and then decided to get up with a groan. Walking into his room, he looked at the bed, very tempted just to go back to sleep. But instead, he pulled on a new shirt and a different pair of pants. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back slightly and smiled into his mirror. It always seemed to have some sort of good news for him, and today it wasn't lacking. A note taped to the top of the mirror read: "Could you be any more gorgeous?!" Of course, it was in his own windy scrawl. He shrugged, still smirking as he went off the find the purple haired temptress.

"Thea!" He called in an almost sing-song voice. He just wanted to find her and get his mind off the things that were currently fogging up his mind. Things like his hidden insecurities... Or the urge to kiss a boy. Definitely that one. And he knew that Thea could help. She was a tease, a flirt, maybe a slut, but he didn't mind even a little. Just more reason to go to her. Satisfaction guaranteed.

________________________________________________________

Keiko spoke quietly into her cellphone, her words a hushed garbled mix of English and Vietnamese. Her sisters had called again, making this the fourth time this afternoon. She knew they were just scared of being without their mom and dad, even though they were older. Her family had always been fairly close, sticking together. Until Keiko had decided she wanted to go to an American univeristy where she would have so many more options. She knew it was the best for her, but it didn't go over well with her parents. They decided that as the baby of the family, she needed them to go with her to America.

It didn't last long, though. Soon, she began losing her source of funds, as her father got more and more addicted to gambling. Soon, she couldn't afford a single class, so she had to drop out. her father saw absolutely no way that it was his fault, and blamed it on her laziness. He decided to pick up and leave, trying to prove a point that laziness would just leave her alone in this world. She groaned softly and sprawled on her bed, getting several more concerned questions in her rushed, native tongue. She answered them, mostly lying, just to calm her sister.

After about five minutes, she decided she couldn't handle it anymore and decided to tell her sister that she was moving somewhere without cellphone service. If only I could tell that to people I really knew. I think my life would be a hell of a lot easier. But I guess i can't really run from my problems anymore. I need to stand up and face it that I did fail. But now, I'm not alone. She had been living in the house for a month or so, but she still felt like an outsider looking in.

She blamed her heritage. It seemed to be the reason why everyone was so reluctant to trust her. She just didn't understand. She always had a pretty open mind when she dealt with people, so their narrowness through her for a loop. And these people were all the same. She just... Couldn't open up to any of them. She sighed softly and decided to turn on a bit of music before climbing out her window and onto the fire escape to have a cigarette. Yet another thing she had picked up in America. She just couldn't win. She dropped the cigarette, watching it fall as she decided today would be the day she stopped. She watched the remaining smoke raise high above the attic window, slowly dissipating in the air.

_____________________________________________________

Foster. He was only known for being the nice guy. The quiet one. The one that never really got around. He always kept himself in check, trying not to let his anger get in the way of everything, but he knew it was completely unavoidable sometimes. Sometimes.... He'd just explode on the nearest person he knew, pointing out everything they were insecure about. He felt bad about it after, sure, but in that moment he was yelling, everything felt good to him. Like he could stop in time. Like there was hope. He just didn't know how to control the outbursts.

Maybe it was because he didn't have anywhere to stay or any money to his name? Maybe it was because his parents were in prison for a triple homicide. Maybe it was because not once could he stop using his excuses as a crutch. He just didn't know how to function without them. And he always had a lot of excuses. Maybe that house was still there. The one he had heard a few people talking about on the streets. The one for people with nowhere to go. He didn't have a single place he could turn, so maybe that was the best option for him.

He started down the street, brushing off his jacket and keeping his eyes forward. Maybe if he just saw somewhere that looked like it had potential, he could find the place. Honestly, he didn't think it was they type of place that you'd ask directions to, though. A part of him remembered exactly where it was and it seemed like he feet seemed to lead the way, pulling the information from his unconscious. When onto the street, he chickened out.

He turned away and sat on the steps of a large apartment building, just looking forward. He gritted his teeth, looking forward. he wasn't angry at anyone right now, except for himself. Why can't you just do something that you know is gonna help you in the long run, Foster? Jesus, you're such a pathetic leech.

(I LOVE all the Zach comments....They make me really happy.)

Zach had gone up to his room and changed into a white t-shirt with an open, but down flannel shirt and jeans. He planned to go out and see the town for a bit. Maybe he’d meet a guy. Wouldn’t that just be lucky? He chuckled at the thought and continued getting ready. Once he was sure his hair was perfect and that he looked fabulous, he grabbed his jacket and started out of the room. He nodded once more to the new girl and started to the front door.

“Ben, I’m heading out for a bit! See you later!” He shouted into the house as he closed the door. He hoped no one would need him. And if they did, they could always call his cell phone or wait until he came back.

He noticed a girl walking up to the house. “Best of luck to you. Ask for Ben if you want to say and hope that he is feeling really accepting today.” He offered a small smile to the girl as he passed her and grabbed his skateboard from the front lawn and walked over to the sidewalk. He dropped the board to the ground and started down the road and towards the small town.

Every time he’d pass a guy, he’d quickly check them out. Just out of habit. He knew he had next to no chance with any of them. Probably less than a 0 chance with any of them.

A sigh escaped his lip and he shoved his hands into his pockets. Some jock from school saw him and offered a wave and a small smirk. Zach raised an eyebrow and was distracted as a friend of said jock came out of nowhere and pushed him off his board. He stumbled and lost balance, falling off the board and onto the ground. He rolled a few times and ended up in front of a guy who was sitting on the stairs of a building. “Hi there…” He said, looking up at him. Off in the distance the jocks were laughing and high fiving. They took his board and continued walking off. Zach did nothing about that. There was nothing he really could do. Two to one, and they were a whole lot bigger than he was.

“I’m Zach,” He introduced himself to the guy he fell in front of. “Sorry for just…Um…falling in front of you.” Was that something you apologized for? He wasn’t really sure, but he felt like he had to. He stood and brushed himself off. “any reason you are just sitting there?”

__


Thea hand changed into very short shorts and a tank top as she sat on her bed doing her nails. Nothing too intense, just a few touch ups on her bright purple nails. She sat cross legged on the bed music playing softly in her iPod that sat next to her.

“Thea!” She heard Sterling call for her. But she did nothing to move from her bed. If he wanted to talk to her, he could come to her. And if he wanted to do more than talking, well he would have to work for that. He was one guy in this house she might almost be reluctant to give herself to. Why?

Because she very secretly, something she would never admit t anyone, had a crush on him. And a huge one. He was the only guy in her life that she actually might have wanted a real relationship with. And that was bad. She knew that she shouldn’t get attached. Mainly because she knew that she couldn’t be trusted. And she didn’t want to break her trust with him. Therefore she couldn’t let herself get attached. She sometimes couldn’t help herself….and sometimes she couldn’t stop from stealing. If anyone found out in the group she was kleptomaniac, it would be the end of her time her.

“In here Sterling. As normal.” She probably should have put on more clothing. But she was comfy in the skimpy clothing she was in. And he could deal and most likely wouldn’t mind.

--

Delilah wandered through the house slowly, going through all the rooms. She went up the stairs and pushed into the room She was directed towards. This stay would be weird. Being away from her dad. Not having to worry about pain or dance.... or anything. This would be the first time she’d be able to relax.

First time since her mom died at least. Maybe this change would be great for her. Being around people her age. And if she was actually accepted here, maybe she could make friends other than Kyle….Maybe she would have someone who cared for her. That would be nice. Having friends. It had been weeks sense she actually talked to someone who cared. Maybe within a few days or months here she would have someone to replace the whole Kyle left in her life and heart.

She dumped her bag on her bed and walked out of the room. Maybe she would start meeting people. She rushed down the steps and outside where there was another girl.

"umm....hi..." she said softly, almost awkwardly sifting.


--

Ben turned and started to the front door. Two people in an hour? This was a new one. “Hello?” he asked pulling the door open for the girl. “Can I help you with something?” He looked her over than looked past her.

“Are you here to join the madness?” Its what he always referred this house to. The house of madness. To some extent it was true. Keeping a group of teenagers under one house with no adults…That was hard. And it created a lot of drama in their lives. But this drama was at least better than home lives were. “And what would your name be?” He leaned against the door jam and looked at her.

Snaps froze at the sound of someone else out there. She glanced around to see if she was the person the girl was talking to, even though she knew for a fact no one was there. Her eyes finally rested on the girl and her gut twisted. "Um....hi," she said quietly, clutching her camera close to her. Oh my gosh why me? Why? This must be the new person that just came in...she's going to leave and it's going to be my fault I can feel it...oh gosh why me? Where's Zach when you actually need the little gay twirp?

Despite her thoughts, Snaps had a bit of a soft spot for Zach. She talked to him a bit more than anyone else. She actually said three full sentences to him the other day. That was progress. She turned her attention back to the girl, looking her over. She hoped Sterling didn't get his hands on her, she'd be a wreck after he was through.






Misha continued his walk up the street, pulling the handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his brow with it. Oh how he hated the sun at that moment, and how he hated the stupid bastard that had convinced him to get the tattoo on his arm. With that tattoo, he couldn't put up his sleeve, and boy would he love to roll up his sleeves right now.

"F**** not another one," Misha growled audibly as he reached the front door to the place he was staying. He wasn't exactly fond of people, but then again the feelings toward him were usually mutual. He pushed past the girl, shaking his head. "Still hot water left?" he asked Ben, hoping the two fem boys hadn't taken all the hot water this time despite the fact that it was almost inevitable that they had.

Esme's eyes went wide as she was shoved past. Some boy she had never seen, would probably never talk to, probably never know, has shoved past her. Something about it made her cringe. Maybe it was the slight anger in his voice. She had caused him to be angry...? Or maybe it was just that she was here to see if she could find a new place to stay... She wasn't about to ask. Instead, she turned to the boy who had answered the door.

"Oh! Uhm... Yeah... My name is Esme. I had heard from a close friend that these houses... Were... For people without a place to turn to?" She managed to stumble out, hoping she had got all of her facts straight. She didn't want to be made a fool in front a guy who already knew all of this stuff. She couldn't afford to embarrass someone else.

____________________________________________________

Sterling followed Thea's voice, busting into her bedroom with a wide smile and even wider eyes. He crossed to her bed and sat down, though gently enough not to cause her to screw up on her nails. Despite being a jackass nearly all the time, he actually cared what people thought about him. Especially people he... Cared for. His eyes trailed over Thea's form lazily, taking longer over some places than others. He finally met her face and smiled.

"Hun, ya didn't have to get all dressed up for me," he said, smirking. "But I admit, I do like it." He laid on his back, watching her. "So... Have you heard anything about the new girl?" He asked, biting his lip. All he head heard was that she was innocent. And he was all about purging people of innocence. Though, Thea didn't have all that much innocence about her, she was still one of the first people on Sterling's list.

____________________________________________________

Foster's eyes widened as the boy fell right in front of him. He wondered if his cheeks were tinted the same pink. Not from being embarrassed or shy, but more from being nervous that someone was actually talking to him. He shrugged, going down to the bottom of the steps. "It's fine. You alright?" He asked, raising a brow. he purposely avoided the boys question from fear of getting judged. Sure it wasn't likely that they boy would know, but he still didn't want to risk telling anyone.

Ben looked at Misha as he entered. "Yea. there should be. The water should have reheated by now. If not, wait about twenty more minutes and you should be good to go. I was the last one to take a warm shower I think...." He grought is attention back to the girl.

"That would be correct, Esme....Running away?" he asked leaning against hte door jam and watching her. "This is the infamous house of madness...." He looked her over, not to check her out, but ot figure out if she would be the type of girl to run away. He didnt think she was, but then again, half the people here sometimes didnt look like run aways.

--

Delilah looked at the girl. "So....Um....I'm delilah." She didnt move towards the girl or away. She just stood their awkwardly, with her over sized jacket falling off her shoulders. "I kinda...um....wanted an opinion....What would you say of this place....Is it worth it here?"

Was it worth it to leave everything, or almost everything behind....give him no way to find her again....just to be with people like her?

--

Thea chuckled softly and started blowling on her left nails. "Hun, you wish this was for you." She smirked at him and continued blowing on her nails. Oh how she wished sometimes.... NO. Not with him. Not if she is her. That would most likely end badly for the both of them.

"By the looks of what she brought inside, i would guess she is a dancer....She only had the one pink dance bag, and im guessing that is all she had to her name. She wore a baggy jacket, probably an ex boy friends or a best friend....maybe even her fathers, though i doubt that last one. She may look inocent, but i doubt she is your type...SHe seems closed off...the way she carries herself and hugged the bag close to her when she entered." Yes, Thea got all of that by watching her walk past. ALso because, everyone was here for one reason or another, and most of those reasons had to do with their parents.

Somedays thea thought she shouldwork for the FBI like criminal minds....But taht would mean playing for the good guys, and she rarely did that.

--

"Yea, I'm fine." Zach smiled at the guy and looked at him. "So....my question earlier....Any real reason you arent inside and just sitting out here?" He leaned against the telephone pole behind him and glanced at the guy and around the steet. he saw the jocks down the road and flipped them off before turning his attetion back to the guy in front of him.

"Thanks," Misha grunted and shoved his way inside, brushing past Ben. "Keep it clean," he growled as he passed Sterling and Thea. He hated it when those two got together, it was always....awkward. Or at least for him it was. Probably because he just hated "beat around the bush bullshit" as he liked to call it, and those two were full of it. He made his way to his room and grabbed his towel and a pair of clean boxers, then made his way to the showers, a scowl still on his face.





Snaps blinked and stared at her, considering the question thoughtfully. Her stomach settled, thankful to have something else to think about besides the girl talking to her. "I....think...so..." she said softly, surprised that the girl was getting so much out of her. Hardly ever did she offer more than a simple nod unless she was at work where she was forced to say "how may I help you?" and "one hour development? Or did you want the 24 hour?" She looked down at her camera, fingering it nervously. "It......it's....a family..... ... ..and....for someone....who's never....had...one....it....it's a lot." she gave a small nod, refusing to meet the girl's eyes.

Sterling chuckled and shrugged, his eyes still running over her lazily. He rolled his eyes as Misha past, figuring he was just jealous. Everyone was jealous. And it probably didn't help much that he had a girl like Thea with him and she was flaunting around half dressed. "Well, she's cute," he nodded slowly. "Maybe she's worth my time." He stood, brushing himself off. "Speaking of time, if you ever wanna give me the time and date, I'll be in my room," he said, winking and slipping out of Thea's room, into his own. He turned on his stereo softly and closed his eyes, trying to drown out the rest of the house. Sometimes, he just wanted to leave and never come back to this house. It only seemed to cause him problems when he was trying to be good. Annoying as hell. And some of the people weren't so great to be around, either.

__________________________________________________

Fpster shrugged, not willing to really talk to the boy. "No reason," he said brusquely. He couldn't afford to tell anyone anything because that meant that they would get past his wall and he might actually start feeling again. He didn't want to feel anything. Only the anger ever broke him, though. It was the only thing that ever got through, and that wasn't his fault. He couldn't help being so mad... It was always someone pushing him past his limit.

________________________________________________

Esme paused, not sure if she was ready to call what she was doing 'running away'. That was even more of an embarrassment to her families good name. Maybe the name wasn't even good anymore. . . Well, her father did still have his television show, preaching in front of thousands and millions more watching. She cringed. "More like... Moving away," she said, but her own voice wasn't very convincing. "Do... Do you have any room?" She asked, cocking her head slightly. If they didn't, she could awlways stay at a hotel for a while and lay low.

Thea laughed lightly as Misha passed them. She finished drying her nails and pulled out her favorite book. the cover was battered, and many of the pages had little rips in them. She flipped through the light brown pages, going to one of her favorite sections in the book.

Part of her wished that sterling hadn't left her, but she knew it was for the best in the long run.

--

Delilah smiled at the girl and nodded. "Alright. It sounds nice." She smiled and shifted awkwardly again. "Um....do you know if there is a dance studio around here at all? And the whole school situation?" She wondered if she would even have to go to school any more. Part of her kinda hoped she did. And maybe she would enroll herself as a junior instead of a senior so she could have anoher shot at scholarships. With how much she went to her last school, tehy were on the verge of holding her back a grade anyway. part of her wondered if it was even possible to for her to enrol herself as a junior.

--

Zach nodded and looked down at his hands. "Well....Sorry again for...em...falling infront of you." Well that didnt sound awkward, Zach thought to himself. "And....Um....hope to see you around." He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking to the skate board shop. Now that he was boardless, he should probably attempt to pick up a new one.

--

Ben nodded to her and pushed the door all the way open for her. "yea, we have a spare room or two." Two people in one day. Wow. Ben was going to have to change around schedules and make sure everyone was paying there share. Yay, more work for him. Although, seeing as he had nothing better to do with his time, he didnt really mind. "I'm Ben by the way. The....i guess you could call it leader, of this house of misfits."

Misha made it to the showers without trouble after his pass by Thea and Sterling. He shook his head as he climbed in, coming out ten minutes later in a worse mood than he had gone in, if that was possible. The water had gone straight cold halfway through his shower. He threw on a pair of boxers and some pants, then went downstairs to the kitchen for some food. He glanced at the door that led to the backyard where Snaps had put her stupid flowers and froze. There was another new person, and Snaps was actually talking to her. He blinked a few times and moved a little closer, making sure to not disturb them. He'd honestly never heard Snaps speak in the whole six months she'd been there, so this was new for him.


Snaps thought for a moment, closing her eyes in an attempt to keep from hurling. Why wouldn't the girl just leave her be? "Um," she said, making it look like she was thinking instead of having a mini panic attack. "Well...I think there is one...two..blocks? From here...and as for school..." she trailed off and swallowed hard. "You'd h-have to ask B-Ben or M-Misha, I don't know that much...I haven't been here long..."