Welcome to Gaia! ::

(happy thanksgiving)

Ely knew who it was accosting her before she even turned around to confirm it, that's why she was able to wear a huge grin on her face instead of a glare as she turned to face Sloane who didn't look like the happiest camper in the world. "What am I doing here?" Ely repeated the question grinning in that way she did, all confidence no hesitance. "Well I am a student here, just like every other girl on this campus." Ely said smartly, looking down at her forearm which was tightly held in Sloane's grasp. "And today of all days is a Hostess party, near every student on campus is here, unless..." Ely snatched her arm free. "You are going to tell me, I'm not allowed to come to social gatherings now? Come on Sloane, is that what we are now?" Ely looked Sloane in the eye unimpressed. "Please~"

"Pft, keep my distance huh?" Ely said shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips. "Last I checked, you were the one that came after me, not the other way around. unless." Ely started, looking Sloane up and down, narrowing her eyes. "You were trying to keep me away from someone else?" Ely said all too knowingly. "What? Afraid that one of your little fan girls will learn too much about you if I'm around them? Honestly I think I'd be doing them a favor if I told them how toxic you really were once they slice by that fake a** smile you always wear." Ely said clicking her tongue. "But don't worry, I wouldn't rat on you like that, I have class after all."

"Oh my, you know, I used to think it was all hot and intense when you got serious like this. But now, not so much." Ely said not showing the slightest sign of fear when Sloane got physical. "Go ahead, hit me, I want you to. Show me just how much you'll do. If I get close to her, because I promise you. If it doesn't come back on to you, I'll be coming back down on Juno tenfold. I can take a beating, and I know you can as well. But what about your friend?" Ely asked tauntingly.

"How many punches until that pretty tan face of hers goes from brown, to blue, and then to black? I wonder if she bruises like a banana." Ely mused as if she were talking about the weather so casual. "I suppose you let me go, and allow me to continue on my marry way~"

Juno had fled the party, in as orderly a fashion she could manage, she had poured the punch that the mystery woman had given her out in a trash can as she walked down the halls, she wasn't heading back to her room, she had a real irrational fear of being alone right now. The halls were good for her, there were students who were lining the walls chatting about the party, in an environment that was much less crowded and much more quiet, Juno was glad they were there, she didn't know them, and they almost certainly didn't know her, but she was extending silent thanks for all of them.

The bath room was her destination, she could lock herself in a stall, and hide away for hours, until the party was over, until she had the courage to sneak into her room, and curl up for the night. One thing was for sure, she was never going to take a chance again, she didn't need this, she didn't deserve this. She just wanted to draw, she was happy doing that, she swore she was. No one had ever threatened to hurt her for being an artist after all. So yea, she could forget about the hostess club, she could forget about Sloane. She could tuck her tail between her legs, and pray that she never met that woman again.

She wondered if she would be needing to have lunch money prepared to give up tomorrow, this whole being bullied thing was really new to her....

Juno knew who it was besides her before the girl even spoke up, only one person would be able to approach her so casually, well in truth only two people would approach her so causally, but Juno felt that the other of the two would have tried to bash her head in before she tried talking. Juno turned to Sloane who still had a bit of humor left in her it seemed, Juno was glad, it was truly more than she could say for herself at the moment. "I wasn't leaving." Juno lied, placing a hand over her lower stomach and grimacing a bit. "I just drank a bit too much punch it seems and I was on my way to the restroom. That's all." Juno assured, it made her feel guilty. Lying to Sloane like this, the girl had been so genuine with her, in this moment Juno felt like the hugest piece of trash.

Juno's dimmed a bit at the mention of the girls name, she hadn't been formally introduced, but she had a feeling that the girl was indeed whom Sloane was talking about. Juno looked down a bit, slightly ashamed now, knowing that Sloane knew her to be the coward she truly was, and that there was a chance that Ely's words had really been enough to possible run Juno away from her. "I still want to be your friend." Juno said softly. "I don't want to stop seeing you." She added stressing her point.

"But I also don't want trouble."

"You're dangerous?" Juno asked Sloane turning to face her, looking down into her eyes. "Are you a danger to me? Or is it that there are more people like Ely who will be poking there heads up?" Juno wasn't normally confrontational, never confrontational at all really, but she was unnerved and really just shaken up big time, she began to babble. "I've been safe my whole life. E-every risk was calculated, I entered art competitions because I knew I would win 9 times out of 10, b-but sometimes when I knew an artist who may be entering I would not enter, not because I was afraid they would beat me, but because I knew that they might be hurt when I won. But even still, including these steps I take to spare feelings, I have no close friends, friendships take risk, big risk, you can not show who you truly are without taking a risk, because being yourself is a risk, and I've always been too afraid to take that risk. With you I really, really want to try. I want to be your friend, I want you to like me, I want you to feel the same way about me that I feel about you, I want you to understand what my drawings and paintings of you really mean. But I don't want to get burned." Juno took a deep gulping breath.

"This is so scary, my heart is beating like crazy, and I can't stop my body from shaking." Juno whispered hugging herself. "But I still don't want to run away, but you have to promise!" Juno announced, vehemently. "Promise you won't hurt me."