Loyalty {Misguided†Ghost + MaryGold}

[MaryGold]

J O E
​

Pushing through sweaty bodies and clouds of marijuana, Joe made her way into the center of the living room. It was slightly difficult to see through the many bodies standing around and under the dim lighting. Not to mention hard to hear over the booming music, loud conversations taking place along with the sound of laughter. The walls and floor practically vibrated because of the bass. The party was definitely going strong, to say the least, and she had only just arrived.

From where she stood there was no way she could find her companions, especially being so short. She stepped on the tip of her toes, trying her best t look over the heads of others and failing miserably. Someone took a step back and their back collided into her making her stumble back a couple of steps, almost losing her balance.

Clearly, this wasn't working.

Joe sighed lightly and pushed back her curls behind her ears before making her way to the wall. Following a path along there would surely be easier than making her way through so many others. She ignored the advances of some men as well as the angry glares she received from some couple she had bumped into until she was in the kitchen.

It wasn't much better there.

Some guy who couldn't hold his drink was puking in the sink and circle of girls were gossiping next to the snack table while some idiots guys surrounded a keg chanting loudly while their friend swallowed as much beer as possible. Nothing about this entire scene was new.

"Excuse me?" Joe tapped one of the shoulders of the least distracted participants of the party. The woman turned around and raised an eyebrow at her. "Have you seen Adrian?"

"Who?" The woman repeated, eyes crinkling.

Joe smiled and shook her head. "Never mind." She replied and the woman seemed all too happy to be rid of her.

Who was Adrian? The whole reason she was at this party. He was a close friend, one that had been missing for a couple of days with barely any contact. She had reason to believe he was attending this dam party, and to be honest it seemed like some place he'd be.

She decided she'd just have to stake out for a little bit and then look for him again if she didn't spot the guy. Taking a cup from the table filled with dark liquid, which she hoped was simply soda, she made her way to the sidelines along with every other wallflower.

 

[Ghostie]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✧✧✧ ▬▬

Nickname: ||Jack||
Age: 21
Sign: Leo
Mood: Indifferent||Helpful

[bg=#000000]

Face Claim: Cole Sprouse
Color Resource: FC9700
Outfit: HERE

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."

​

Jackson groaned as Pierce dragged him through the crowd of people grinding against each other in the middle of the living room. There was nothing he wanted more, than to be as far away as possible from the random party his more reckless best friend insisted they crash.

They'd been there since it started and Jack had seen some of everything. Couples making out intensely in dark corners. Some frat brothers wrestling and some making attempts at hitting on girls who were more than uninterested. He'd seen pretty much everyone there, including Pierce, progress from sober, to intoxicated. As they pounded down drinks or smoked joint after joint, their moods shifted from awkward and uneasy, to loose and unbothered.

He was one of the few exceptions.

Usually, he was at least a little up for a social event such as this; however, there was just something about the dumb, drunk, young adults in the place tonight that turned him off to the scene.

Jack mentally cringed at the overly flirtatious girls that approached him every so often, being sure to let them down gently. He rolled his eyes as he pushed past a small circle of people chanting "chug" while their friend gulped beer upside down. Neanderthals. He thought to himself and shook his head.

Jackson made his way to the snack table in the kitchen, and upon grabbing and munching on a cherry Twizzler, briefly locked eyes with Madison Wade. For some reason, no matter what he did, he could never get her to be cordial to him. It wasn't like Jackson ever really did anything to the girl for her not to like him. She just didn't. Madison threw a glare at him, to which Jack responded with a sarcastic wink.

Feeling more than over the party scene, Jack skimmed the crowd of people to see if he could find his friend. While he didn't find the tall white-haired guy, he called his best friend, he did lay his eyes on a curly-haired beauty standing against the wall.

She seemed a little bit out of place as far as settings went. Like a party, especially one as rowdy and unbecoming as this, definitely wouldn't have been her hangout of choice. But of course, who was he to judge? It wasn't like he (and probably many others), couldn't say the same thing about himself. He also couldn't help but notice that she looked like she was also trying to find someone. Being the gentleman he was, Jack had decided to help her out.

Jack grabbed the bag of Twizzlers off of the table before making his way over to the girl. He casually stood next to her, looking out at the rest of the party guests with everyone else. "Looking for someone?" He asked, turning to look at her.
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[MaryGold]

J O E​

"Huh?" Joe looked away from the ongoing party and to the source of the voice at her side. At first, she wasn't sure if the dark-haired guy a little more than a full head taller than she was addressing her or even meant to. He could have easily mistaken her for another in with their rowdy surroundings. With that in mind, she looked to her other side, finding it empty.

And he was looking directly at her.

"Oh, yes." She finally answered in a hurried tone after coming to realizing it was her he inquired. "Am I that obvious?" She mumbled, taking a sip of her drink and winced slightly. It was soda alright, spiked coke to be exact. Still, she took another sip, she had already finished half the cup.

Joe took a brief moment to subtly examine the tall man. He was attractive, to say the least, but he didn't seem to have any undermine intentions, from what she could tell now. That, however, did not matter to her. If there was one thing she disliked was having too much contact with strangers outside of her work. It was more trouble than it was worth.

Yet, he was the only one looked even willing to help. And the little alcohol she had loosened her from her normally cold exterior demeanor.

She pressed her back against the wall and nodded her head. She thought slowly how to ask while omitting certain things. "A friend, his name is Adrian, he's barely any taller than me, dark hair, around our age."And he just happens to be a gangster.

 

[Ghostie]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✧✧✧ ▬▬

Nickname: ||Jack||
Age: 21
Sign: Leo
Mood: Indifferent||

[bg=#000000]

Face Claim: Cole Sprouse
Color Resource: FC9700
Outfit: HERE

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."

​

Jack threw a small half smile her way when she turned to look back at him; then he chuckled when she turned to her other side. Yes I'm talking to you, he thought to himself, laughing a little. His half smile turned into a full one when the curly-haired girl realized that he was indeed talking to her.

He shook his head at her comment. "No, not too obvious at all." Jack lightly rocked back and forth on his feet. "It just sorta seems like this isn't your scene and you don't wanna be here, so we're in the same boat." Jack lowered the bag of Twizzlers to her. "Twizzler?" He smiled at her, hoping she'd accept his offer.

"I'm actually looking for someone too, so maybe we could help each other out." He smiled. "My name's Jack." He put a hand on his chest, smiling softly as he introduced himself. "I'm looking for my friend Pierce. He's about an inch or so shorter than I am, also our age, hair white as hell. He's kind of a party guy, drinks a lot, loves socializing and dancing. Sound like a guy your guy might know?" Jackson finished.

It took him a while to realize he was rambling a bit; which he rarely ever did unless he was nervous. He had a right to be after all. The girl who stood before him was absolutely astonishing. He found himself enticed by her green eyes and the wild way she wore her hair made him smile.
[/bg]

 

[MaryGold]

|| Joe || 20 || Aqurarius ||​

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x || OUTFIT ||

Joe hesitated at first, but she plucked a few of the offered Twizzlers from his bag. How could she not? She was a sucker for sweet things, especially licorice, not black. Besides, it would be rude not to accept, right? He seemed nice, she was good at reading others and he was sober and hadn't made a move on her yet.

Quietly, she mumbled a thank you and bit into the red twisted candy as she listened to him speak. There was no helping the small smile that crept onto her face as he talked, or more like rambling. Frankly, she had been a little nervous, despite the alcohol in her system making her a little looser than normal. It would be weird if she hadn't, though, right?

Rarely did she ever converse with anyone outside of family or the gang yet alone to boys. Cute boys. Sure, she would sit with her sisters and talk about and observe them from afar. She was much too reserved(and shielded) to actually have a conversation with one longer than a minute.

Seeing him stutter made her feel comfortable because that meant he was nervous too. Or maybe it was a normal habit. Either way ... she smiled, not minding it one bit. It was kind of cute.

"Hmm ... " Joe hummed, slowly turning her body slightly to look over the room again before turning back to him. "Hair white as hell, eh? We shouldn't have any trouble finding him at all."

"He's probably wasted somewhere nearby."

​

 

[Ghostie]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✧✧✧ ▬▬

Nickname: ||Jack||
Age: 21
Sign: Leo
Mood: Nervous||Irritated

[bg=#000000]

Face Claim: Cole Sprouse
Color Resource: FC9700
Outfit: HERE

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
​

Jack nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he rambled. It wasn't something that he did very often, only usually when someone mentioned something he really enjoyed or he was in the presence of a cute girl. This situation was, of course, the latter. He chuckled a little at her comment of Pierce probably being wasted close by.

Without thinking about it, Jackson grabbed the girl's hand and began to weave through the crowd of people in the house, looking over the heads of some people for Pierce, as well as the Adrian guy he'd offered to help look for.

"So what brings such a quiet and lovely lady like yourself to a lame-ass rowdy rager like this?" He half-yelled over the music in an attempt to make small talk. "Also, you never told me your name." He looked back at her for a brief moment as they walked.

When she'd said Pierce was somewhere wasted, she definitely hit the nail on the head. Jackson stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in through his nose as he watched his clearly drunk friend dance/swim around the pool fully clothed.

"Goddamn it, Pierce!" He groaned as he made his way out the sliding glass door and over to the poolside.

"Jackson! I was looking for you!" His best friend slurred, swimming to the edge.

"In the pool?" He furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest.

This was the exact reason Jack was the one to stay sober whenever Harley didn't come out with them. Pierce was too much of a party boy, and Jack didn't really have a good time when he was drunk and/or high out of his mind. He'd much rather play the father figure in this type of situation.
[/bg]

 

[MaryGold]

|| Joe || 20 || Aqurarius ||​

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x || OUTFIT ||

Joe would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised when he took her hand and even a bit embarrassed. Her initiative thought was to take it back from him, the only males she had ever held hands with were family and close friends. She was known to be quite affectionate to close people but the opposite with outsiders. And he was an outsider, but cute one appeared to show some interest in her.

However, before she could even snatch her hand back, he started talking again. More precisely - yelling over the music, "wh-what?" She heard him, but her mind was still preoccupied. Her hand in his warm one was not forgotten, she decided to leave it. It had it's advantages, he made a path for her leading them through the crowd. This way they wouldn't lose one another and could continue to help each other out as well as talk, because he was interesting to her. Though she knew she shouldn't get anymore involved with him.

Besides, who knew when she would get the hold the hand of a handsome boy who wasn't family ever again? It wasn't as if they were going to continue contact after this party was over. She had only hoped he wouldn't look back and see the obvious red blush burning on her cheeks. If he saw, she'd be mortified, especially for something so silly and simple as holding hands. What was she, a elementary schooler?

"You need to learn to take more chances, have fun" that was what Diego had said, at the time she disregarded his words. Her brother was nothing but a troublemaker.

Tonight, she would decide to go along with what he had said, despite being on a job. Though, it wasn't a big deal if she found Adrian or not. That's what she told herself anyway.

When they made it outside and spotted his friend Pierce, she raised her eyebrows and laughed softly at the two. Of course, she abruptly stopped, it was totally uncouth but her smile remained. Their short exchange of words reminded her of her own crazy and annoying conversations with Diego. That had melted her some, putting her guard down, if only for a moment.

She brushed her curls back behind her ears and turned slightly to Jack. "My name is Johanna." She finally answered,"my friends call me Joe, though. The reason I'm here ..." On duty to find a missing gang member, the friend Adrian. That would never fly.

"I was forced to come here against my will, so, we're in the same boat." She smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't a lie, she was forced to ago despite not wanting to. She looked to Pierce and the water and inquired teasingly,"how's the water?"

​

 

[Ghostie]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✧✧✧ ▬▬

Nickname: ||Jack||
Age: 21
Sign: Leo
Mood: Chill

[bg=#000000]

Face Claim: Cole Sprouse
Color Resource: FC9700
Outfit: HERE

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
​

"While I admit it wasn't my best idea, it sure is a fun one." Pierce commented as he floated on his back in the water with not a care in the world

Jackson smiled and shook his head before slightly turning to who he now knew as Johanna. "Well Joe, the pleasure's all mine, I assure you." He winked, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on the top of it before letting go. "I apologize you had to meet him under these circumstances. Remember when I told you he was a party guy?" He raised his eyebrow playfully and chuckled, running his fingers though his dark hair.

"How's the water?" Joe teased, which made Pierce roll his eyes a little,

"It's nice. Kinda warm, but that might just be the alcohol talking." He chuckled, lifting himself out of the pool to talk with them. "I'm Pierce." He held out his wet hand for Johanna to shake. "I see you've met my charming partner in crime." He nudged Jack.

"Partner in crime?" Jackson scoffed. "More like good cop and bad cop." Jackson laughed, his arms still crossed over his chest.

"So, Joe, are you gonna be coming with us to the diner soon? Our friend Harley has a late shift and she lets us hang there and eat some food." Pierce invited, smiling. Jack half wished he was the one to invite Johanna out to eat with them, but it wasn't a big deal. He'd sort of forgotten the other half of the deal that'd led the two of them to Pierce in the first place; and he was almost certain Joe had too.

"Uh actually, Joe and I were looking for her friend Adrian. I was helping her out before we saw you in all your shenanigans." Jack inquired.

"Well were more than happy to help you look some more." Pierce chimed in. Always so charismatic.

Jack hoped his comment didn't make it seem like he didn't want Joe to join them, because he did! He just didn't want her to leave her friend here while she went out with some strangers. "If we find him, he can come too. Harley loves meeting new people." Jack smiled and turned to Joe to get her thoughts on the situation.
[/bg]

 

[MaryGold]

|| Joe || 20 || Aqurarius ||​

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x || OUTFIT ||

Joe could only smile, still amused by the interaction between the two. The idea of eating out with them was very appealing as well as nerve-wracking. Again, she had very little experience with non-family members, non gang members, and she always thought it didn't matter. Better, even. She was considered the safest person to be around. Still ...

The excuse of not wanting to impose on them would never work considering they both had invited her and she might as well throw in this 'Harley" friend of their's in too. Originally, as soon as she found Adrian she planned on dragging him back home, though, he was sure to be resistance. And now she didn't even want to go home just yet. The party was still very unpleasing to her, what with all the drinking, but she did want to spend more time with them, him, Jack.

"Maybe," was all Joe could say as an answer. Yes, she wanted to go, but she wasn't sure if it was the best idea. After all, she didn't expect to see them again after tonight. "If Adrian's feeling it."

"If I'm feeling what?" said a hazy voice that belonged to none other than Adrian, he stepped out from the side, cigarette in hand, ruffling his black curls with another. He was a bit older than the other three and showed on his slightly tired face. His dull expression lit up at the sight of Joe, though. "Johanna!" He spread his arms, clearly, very high, and grinning like a madman.

Only he would call her by her full name, just to annoy her.

Joe didn't know whether to punch him or hug him. Of course, he was high and therefore he would not want to go back home with her. She'd have to spend most of the night sobering him up before getting anything straight and sensible from the moron. Her frown must have shown because he started to chuckle before making the decision for her and hugging her. "I missed you, chica."

Rolling her eyes, she pushed him off of her after patting his back once. He reeked of alcohol, though, and the last time she let the man lean on after drinking, he puked down her back. And he had already started to embarrass her in front of the other two with his demeanor. "Found him." Joe said, jokingly.

​

 

[Ghostie]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✧✧✧ ▬▬

Nickname: ||Jack||
Age: 21
Sign: Leo
Mood: Chill

[bg=#000000]

Face Claim: Cole Sprouse
Color Resource: FC9700
Outfit: HERE

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
​

Jack laughed a little at the guy who he could only guess was Adrian. He seemed like a cool dude. Hopefully he would be interested in joining them at the diner. He did seem fairly intoxicated, so Jack knew there was a high probability of Adrian wanting to come along. Drunk/high people did enjoy a good burger. Even if it was 2 am.

"Found him." Jack chuckled. "We were wondering if you two wanted to come with us to the diner? Dale makes a good burger and their fries are amazing." Jack raved, looking between his friend and new acquaintances. He always loved going to the diner. He and his friends would hang out and eat there, and it was the perfect spot for a nice oldie looking photo shoot. It was even better when Harley started working there. They started getting a discount on food and every once in a while, a job opportunity. The owner. Dale Zip, was a nice guy too.

"So this is the Adrian I've heard almost nothing about." Pierce mumbled, looking Joe's friend up and down for a moment before receiving a nudge from his friend.

"Way to be subtle." Jack shook his head at his friend.

He wasn't surprised at all at Pierce's behavior towards Adrian. His best friend was already a charismatic one to start with; pair that charm with alcohol and you get crazy antics and flirting that's about a fourteen on a scale of one to ten. He often found himself apologizing for how forward he could be sometimes.

"Anyway, the diner is super cool, you guys have to come! Food's on us. It's up to you Adrian." Pierce talked with his hands, changing the subject.

Well... attempted anyway.

Jackson couldn't help but have his hopes up about Adrian wanting to join them on their next adventure to Zip's Diner. If Adrian came, so did Johanna. He wasn't sure if it was showing or not, but that was what he really wanted at that point. So much so that he had come close to crossing his fingers behind his back; but he didn't.

Jack didn't give his time to frivolous things. Or people. He was too serious. His goals and future was too important to him to surround himself with those kind of people. The girls from earlier, who'd tried so hard to get his attention with their tight dresses and pointless hair flips were exactly that. They were so vapid; trying so much to be something someone gawks over that it makes them tired and uninteresting.

Not her.

Johanna wasn't like the girls he so often shrugged off. She didn't have to try to get his attention and that's what he liked. She didn't care to and didn't have to try to be something because she already knew that she was. And he was interested in finding out more about her.
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[MaryGold]

|| Joe || 20 || Aqurarius ||​

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x || OUTFIT ||

Joe didn't have a moment to even hope for or against the decision Adrian would make before he answered with, "Fuck yeah, I love burgers, milkshakes, and sides," he smirked devilishly, winking at Peirce. Despite being totally intoxicated and not clear of mind, was obviously still observant enough to tell when he was being checked out. It was enough to make Joe roll her eyes at him, whether he was in his right mind or not, the man tended to be a bit of a flirt and always a heartbreaker. She was never one to get involved in his romantic life now, how could she when she had none of her own?

Her eyes drifted back to Jack and for a moment she wondered what it would be like to have a boyfriend. Or even just a serious crush. While she had one or two crushes before, it only lasted for a short amount of time, and it was obvious from the beginning the opposite party wasn't interested in her. Yet, and maybe she could be ting arrogant, she was almost certain that Jack had an interest in her, whether it was romantic or not, it made her feel slightly shy and nervous. Especially when he was really good-looking and from what she knew so far, really cool.

And then, while she was still nervous she was excited and happy that Adrian made the decision to go to the diner. "I guess that settles it." She smiled at Jack, shrugging her shoulder, but keeping her arm around Adrian, sure that he would fall over at some point in time if she didn't. However, if he showed any sign of nausea, she was dumping him on the spot.

"I'm holding you to your word about the good burgers and "amazing" fries," Joe gave him a mockingly pointed look before her smile returned full force and genuinely sweet. Honestly, the food didn't matter all that much to her as long as the company was good. They had a high Adrian, drunk Peirce and then there was Jack. The pros outweighed the cons by far if there were any cons.

In the back of her mind, something told her it was a bad idea, that she should cut off ties right there, to not get any more involved with them. But in that very moment, it felt like was the greatest idea possible. Joe used the excuse of needing to sober Adrian up to put the tiny voice in her head at ease.

"Are you flirting?" Adrian raised a brow at her, giving her an incredulous look as if he wasn't sure what he was witnessing. It wasn't common that Joe ever showed interest anyone and never had she "flirted" with anyone else's knowledge. For him to openly call her out was enough to fluster her, making her face burn red.

"No, you're just high." Joe all bit hissed through gritted teeth, completely embarrassed. She would get him back for his loose lips later.

"Yeah ...." he mumbled, still looking unsure if he believed her but was considering it nonetheless. Luckily he dropped it and asked. "Are we going by car or foot?"

"If by car you and him," she nudged her head to Peirce, "are riding in the backseat, there is no need for any more car accidents."

Adrian smiled, "I have no qualms about that."

"So, what is it, boys?" Joe used her free hand to push back a loose curl from her face as she asked the two other men.

​

 

[Ghostie]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✧✧✧ ▬▬

Nickname: ||Jack||
Age: 21
Sign: Leo
Mood: Charming

[bg=#000000]

Face Claim: Cole Sprouse
Color Resource: FC9700
Outfit: HERE

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."

Jackson couldn't help but smile when Adrian answered their question with a more than excited 'fuck yeah'. Jack had no doubt in his mind that he would agree and the two of them would join in on their late night diner excursion. Intoxicated people loved diner food. It was just a fact.

And Pierce couldn't help but be excited about their finding Adrian as well; which of course would not be dismissed. Pierce couldn't help but be a huge flirt, and the alcohol only enhanced this sometimes annoying trait.

"If you think the food is anything but stellar, I give you permission to punch me." Jack laughed. He could tell that Johanna was having at least a decent time; especially for being dragged out by an intoxicated friend.

He smiled at their flirting back and forth. It wasn't awkward; even when Adrian called Joe out about her flirting. Jack only smiled as Joe turned beet red, shrugging Adrian's comment off as him just being high. Although he was stoned, his high hasn't gotten the best of him; she was flirting. But Jack didn't mind one bit. After all he did kinda flirt first.

"Driving. Yeah I'm the designated driver in these kinds of situations." Jack chuckled and started towards the car out the back gate. As they walked, Pierce pulled Jack close to him by the arm of his jacket. "Look at little Jack Jack with a crush." He whispered, laughing as he teased his best friend. Jackson rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Hey, I'm just being charming Jack Moore." He shook his head, knowing full well that wasn't completely the case. "She's cute, different." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well she's diggin' you, so keep it up." Pierce smiled, catching up with Adrian again.

Were your friends really your friends if they didn't heckle you about people you liked? Of course not!

Pulling the car keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the doors. "These two in the backseat," Jackson gestured to Pierce and Adrian, "and you play deejay with me in front." He said, handing Joe the aux cord as they piled into the car.
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[MaryGold]

|| Joe || 20 || Aqurarius ||​

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x || OUTFIT ||

Joe equipped her seatbelt, gangster or not, you always wore a seatbelt. She had met fare too many were wearing a seatbelt did its job and saved their lives. However, they weren't the best stories to bring up for conversation because then she would have to go into depth about how she knew about these stories and that would bring her "thug life" to light. But those things were far from her mind, for once she felt as if she was a normal young adult doing young adult things with normal young adults. It was defintely strange but she was enjoying herself too much.

Taking the aux cord from jack she smiled and plugged into her phone which she slipped out of her pocket. "I'll do you the honor of playing music from my playlist," the blonde said playfully scrolling through her song list. Frankly, she had no idea what type of music Jack was into, she could only assume but she knew good music. "Let's see ..." She mumbled to herself, pushing aside her pesky curls that obscured her vision.

"I bet it's Rihanna," Adrian mumbled from his backseat.

Joe scoffed. He was right. "Rihanna is awesome, now shut up and put on your seatbelt." She demanded not bothering to look back at him as she played the first song that was not Rihanna, only because he mentioned it. Instead, Calvin Harris's Feels blared through the speakers. Some people called it outdated music, but no song was never outdated to Joe. A lot of times, she found herself listening to even older songs.

Grinning, she cleared her throat and song along for the first lines. If she hadn't had a little to drink she would have been to shy to openly sing in front of strangers and be a total dork in general. "Hey! Well, nothing ever last forever, no. One minute you're here and the next you're gone. So I respect you, wanna take it slow. I need a mental receipt to know this moment I owe..."

​