<strong>NAME:</strong>Aaron Gilbert (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=268436.msg13236423#msg13236423)<br/><strong>WEARING:</strong>Grey t-shirt and hat, dark grey khaki shorts<br/><strong>DAY:</strong>Friday, June 9<br/><strong>TIME:</strong>Night<br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong>Caulton Residence - Backyard Pool<br/><strong>CONTENT:</strong>About to make some very damp tracks<br/><br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong>Marco, Damien, Oliver, NPCs, and pretty much anyone still in the back yard<br/><hr/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/callmecapone/grinder_treatment2.jpg)</div>Things seemed rather confusing by time Aaron broke the surface. Many of the swimmers had spread away from him, though nowhere present did there seem to be his hat. Before he could even gather what was happening he saw Marco shove Scott into the pool, and soon after that, um... Darren? No, Damian! One of Marco's teammates. He shoved the twins in right alongside, forcing Aaron to swim away a bit in order to avoid getting pulled under. As he did so, his eyes turned, happening to catch just a quick glimpse of Gwynn's hand on Tommy's. For just a moment his heart sank back down into the pool, a confirmation of all the things he feared. It was Marco's hand that drew his attention back to immediate matters. Clasping on, Aaron began to climb out, his clothing suddenly feeling supremely heavy as water dripped from it.<br/><br/>Aaron almost didn't hear the words next spoken by Marco and Damian, almost missing their kindness and generosity. He couldn't get over how foolish he must have been, being nervous about Gwynn sliding her arm through his. What made him so nervous? He supposed it was the knowledge that it meant nothing clashing with his desire for it to mean something more. By time he realized what Marco beside him was saying, the two of them facing away from the pool and towards Damian, that he began to become distracted thinking on he and Benny's constant debates on the nature of the "normies".<br/><br/>"That, um... yeah," Aaron said nodding, uncertain who he was even answering to at this point. "Hey, did you guys see my hat?" Aaron turned back around towards the pool to seek it out. His eyes widened as he watched the twins reaching up from the pool. One of them grasped onto the waist of his shorts while the other wrapped his arm around Marco's waist, and suddenly the two were pulled right off the pool ledge and back into the water.<br/><br/><em>Whelp,</em>was about all Aaron could muster to think as he once again floated upside down beneath the shimmering surface of the water.<br/><br/>Scott, meanwhile, clambered out of the pool with each twin standing beside, eyes smouldering as he stared down Damian. Scott pointed towards Oliver. "Make sure that snake doesn't slither away," he growled. Ian cracked his knuckles and began to stomp towards the smaller framed man as Scott and Tristan drew up onto the South African, chests puffed out for maximum posturing.<br/><br/>"So watcha think Aussie?" he said calmly. "I think me and my boy here can clean your clock before your precious Marco climbs himself outta the water. Or maybe you'd like to join him?"<br/><br/>"Hey, hey, whoa now there fellas!" came a most exaggerated call. Hank, finally drawn to the chaos in his own back yard, slid himself between the two parties, his hand lifted up as if to fend them off from each other. "C'mon, you don't want to ruin things any further, do you? Force my parents to break things up?"<br/><br/>Aaron swam through the water, moving towards the corner further and further from Scott. Marco was certainly right that Scott wasn't going to stop. But for some reason, Aaron thought of Benny, too. Aaron thought of how Benny was better at getting under anyone's skin than anyone else in school. That somehow, the guy knew just what to say to really damage someone's feelings. Sure, it was always to the point of rage and vitriol, but they were beyond that. So as Aaron climbed out of the pool -- Scott in the meantime trying to intimidate Hank while the poor host tried to play everything off comically, doing his best to hold Damian at bay as well -- he flashed back to a conversation two months ago in Benny's basement. A smirk tilted his lip. All he needed to do was think like Benny, to let Benny's words fly free from his mouth, and it would work. He just needed to be Benny for one moment.<br/><br/>Standing upright on the edge of the pool, Aaron turned towards his bully. Ian and Tristan looked rather confused. Ian especially, who wasn't certain if he should lay a hand on Oliver or not.<br/><br/>"Hey Scott!" Aaron called. Immediately the conversation silenced, Scott's burning gaze shifting right back onto the short nerd in a drenched shirt. Aaron's stance faltered slightly, the smirk on his mouth vanishing.<em>Think like Benny!</em>He breathed in deep, and rather than the pool before him, he saw Benny in the basement, smirking that cocky smirk, hands in his pockets, head tilted just right.<br/><br/>"Is it true that Gretchen shit all over your dick when you stuck it in her ass?"<br/><br/>The entire pool hushed as all eyes were now on Scott Hudgins. The bully's jaw set, his mouth a firm line.<br/><br/>"I don't know what you're tal-"<br/><br/><em>"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!"</em><br/><br/>Seemingly out of nowhere Gretchen Bullworth stormed forward, knocking Hank aside as she pushed towards Scott, her hands slapping at his arms and chest. "You said you wouldn't tell anyone! You fucking jerk!" Scott backed up further and further towards the pool as he was assaulted with the thousand slaps of the angry bitch, bringing a delighted grin to Aaron's face. Holy shit it worked! The crowd was either murmuring in laughter or revulsion, which meant that the word would spread and Scott would be humiliated.<br/><br/>And then Scott Hudgins grabbed Gretchen by the waist and tossed her shrieking into the pool.<br/><br/><em>This pool thing is getting awfully trite,</em>Aaron thought to himself. Of course, he then noticed Scott's eyes locked right back onto him.<br/><br/><em>Oh yeah, saying shit like that is how Benny gets his ass kicked.</em><br/><br/>Without a moment's hesitation Aaron turned tail and ran, the water in his clothes weighing him down quite inconveniently. He didn't even pay any mind to Tommy and Gwynn still standing beside each other, and -- oh shit when did Jeremiah and Miriam get here? Not enough time to think on that! If he was lucky Hank, Damian, and maybe Marco would slow Scott and the twins down -- in fact, hopefully Ian decided Oliver wasn't worth it -- so that Aaron could get away. Or that, y'know,<em>maybe</em>some of the others by the pool would help out and toss them back into the water to cool off?<br/><br/>"What in the<em>Hell</em>is going on out here?!" cried Mrs. Caulton, a certified bad ass in getting kids to straighten up, clench their butts, and pretend they were doing nothing wrong. Aaron only got to briefly see her startled face to the chaos behind him as he ducked past her, falling onto his knees before scrambling back up and around the side of the house. He didn't care where he was going just as long as he was away from another beat down from Scott and the rest.<br/><br/>Aaron's feet pounded the ground as he made his way to the front yard, his temple pounding as his blood pumped adrenaline and oxygen throughout his limbs to fuel his frantic flight. By time he reached the sidewalk he finally began to slow, inertia carrying his pounding feet into the street. He finally allowed himself a moment's reprieve, panting, hunched forward with his hands on his knees. He suddenly heard people whispering and talking, car doors opening and closing. Spinning around, he noticed he wasn't the only one to flee the scene. With Hank's parents now involved, many of the attendants were rushing to get out of dodge, packing themselves into whatever vehicle they could. There was no sign of Scott or the Twins, a great relief to Aaron, but he couldn't help but sigh anyway.<br/><br/>"Aw man, I ruined Hank's party."