Introducing: Ashton's Friends

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"...No, it's not good enough..."

Name || Aaron Slater

Age || 18/19

Gender || Male

FC || Tim Lambert

Personality || Aaron is the serious one out of the four. From the outside looking in, he almost looks like a murderer. He's the quietest out of the bunch, usually staying quiet and analyzing a situation instead of diving in headfirst like Ashton and Aiden. He's the least known out of the four, and the one that nobody approaches because they're either too scared of him or because they don't know him at all. He's mysterious, never really showing up for any activities outside of class and seemingly not playing any sports. Most people only know that he exists because he's one of the Big Four.

Getting to know Aaron is hard because of how closed off he is. He doesn't let anyone into his personal life. He hasn't even let Alex, his best friend since Kindergarten, know all of his secrets yet. He's very closed off and introverted. While his friends go out to parties almost every weekend, he stays inside and reads. While they go out to eat, he stays at home and eats leftovers. He had a...bad experience when he was younger that turned him away from people. He doesn't trust others easily, and even now that things in his life are better, he intentionally locks himself away from people to keep himself from being hurt--whether it's physically or emotionally--again.

No one's ever gotten to know Aaron fully, not even his closest friends. That's the way he intends for it to stay. The person underneath his hard exterior is really a sensitive person that cares about his friends and the people around him. However, he doesn't intend on showing any signs of weakness. He doesn't want his friends to see that as a sign of weakness and take advantage of him.

Likes || Running- He's the fastest sprinter on the track team. He's known as the Ghost Runner. One moment, he's in the middle of the pack, and then the next you know, he pulls ahead of the herd and seemingly disappears. He has 7 State and 14 District 1st places under his belt.

Reading- When he's not running or working out, he likes to wind down with a good book. He's mostly into mystery and crime thriller books and is thinking about writing his own when he's older in case his running career goes nowhere.

Muffins- They're one of the only things he eats. Whenever he's walking with the rest of the Big Four, he's almost always seen with a muffin in hand. He's picky about his food, and muffins are one of the only things he can tolerate. His favorite flavor is blueberry.

Dislikes || People- He. Hates. People. However, as part of the Big Four, people flock to his group (not necessarily to him) all the time. Some people think that the Big Four is actually the Big Three because he never shows up to any parties or events at school. He can't stand people and their stupidity so he stays as far away from them as possible. Ashton, Aiden, and Alex are the only people he can tolerate without wanting to blow his brains out. 

Sweet Things- This includes sweet food and sweet people. He hates sweet foods because of how...well...sweet they are. He prefers bitter things like black coffee and tea. He hates overly sweet people because they seem fake and they annoy him to no end.

Dogs- Because of a bad experience when he was younger. He doesn't hate smaller dogs too much but anything bigger than your standard house dog and he makes a big deal out of it and freaks out. 

Strengths || 

-Observant

-Fast Runner

-Composed

Weaknesses ||

-Closed Off

-Quiet

-Emotionally Detached

Occupation || Student, Runner

Hobbies || Running, Reading, Writing

Backstory || Aaron's story is a rather tragic tale with a happy ending. For the first portion of his life, Aaron was raised in an abusive household. His mother was the main abuser. His father was a victim as much as he was an abuser to the kids, neglecting them so he wouldn't be the next victim of his wife's wrath. Aaron was mad at everyone in his family, so occasionally he would run away--literally. He would pack up his things and run until his legs couldn't carry him anymore, sometimes heading into the next town over to avoid being punished. Aaron's brother, Terrance, moved out when he was old enough and won a custody battle to take Aaron with him. Ever since Aaron's living space has been rather small, but he's safe from the harm of his parents and focuses his talents in a more constructive manner. Even Alex, Aaron's best friend doesn't know about his living situation.

"This is no laughing matter."

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"Honestly, I'm just here to start shit."  

Name || Andre Lopez

Age || 18/19

Gender || Male

FC || Remi Baker

Personality || Andre is a fireball. He's the spirit of the Big Four, and a walking megaphone. He and Ashton work in tandem. Ashton starts a new trend, and Andre makes sure everyone knows about it. Ashton plans a party, and Andre's the one that brings it all together. In some ways, he almost seems like Ashton's...assistant.

Getting to know Andre is easy because, well, he's loud. He's very transparent as well, often telling people what he's up to if they ask him nicely. He's rough, tough, and always ready to start some trouble.  He's opinionated and he doesn't take anything from anyone, not even his friends. He's on the school's wrestling team and had been known to participate in boxing tournaments from time to time. He's also a martial artist, so he's no stranger to a fight. He's the stylist of the Big Four, often making whatever weird fashion trend Ashton thinks of a reality. He's a big ball of fire that's just as energetic on the dancefloor. He's almost always the center of attention and known as the life of the party.

Once one gets to know Andre, they find out that he's more than just a cosigner for Ashton. He's his own person and is known as the Wild Child by the students. He's known for his loud, rowdy personality and his eagerness to start fights. He doesn't make it obvious though. All he does is plant a seed and let the people do the rest for him. He's been known for starting full-scale fights in the school parking lot because of rumors that he's caused. He doesn't do it for any real reason. He just does it because he likes watching people fight. If he's not getting the results that he wants, he takes matters into his own hands and fights people himself. He's never lost a fight to anyone, and anyone that tries to take him on ends up with a black eye. 

Likes || Wrestling- He's known as the Wild Child of the Big Four for a good reason. He's the fighter of the group, and as such, he took a natural liking for wrestling. He's the best wrestler on the team, with 10 gold medals from District Meets and 4 from State. 

Partying- He's the life of the party. He plans the party, he goes to the party, and he parties hard until he can't anymore. When he's not on the dancefloor, he's spreading rumors so he can see a fight break out. He doesn't it all in good fun, though (although the result of his scheming can be...destructive.

Vaping- He's too afraid of smoking to actually smoke, so he vapes instead. He likes the fruity flavors that it has to offer, as well as the customizable cigarette pipe. His favorite flavor is peach. His friends think he has a problem, and he's gotten in trouble on many occasions for bringing his pipe to school, but he doesn't care and continues to break the rules, no matter how many expulsion threats he gets.

Dislikes || Bossy People- He doesn't like being told what to do. Even Aaron, the 'dad' of the group, hasn't been able to reign him in. Occasionally, the two butt heads and the result...is less than pleasant. Luckily, they know how to get along without stepping on any toes.

Nice People- The only person that escapes his judgment is his friend, Alex. He hates them because he finds them incredibly fake and often spreads rumors about them so he can see them crack. Nine times out of ten, they're not as nice as they seem. They either want something from him (wink wink) or they want to get under his skin.

Lemons- Duh. They're gross. 

Strengths || 

-Confident

-Assertive

-Good Fighter

Weaknesses ||

-Reckless

-Troublemaker

-Rowdy

Occupation || Student, Wrestler

Hobbies || Fighting, Rapping

Backstory || Andre's grown up in a big household. He's the middle child in a 5-sibling house, so he has to fight extra hard for his voice to be heard. Ever since he was 5, he was often ignored because his younger brothers and sisters had to be taken care of. Because of this, he would often act out to get his parents attention, going to parties, drinking alcohol, and even taking drugs at one point to get them to notice him. This, of course, only led him to trouble and he stopped taking drugs after his parents threatened to send him to a reform camp, although he still continues to drink and go to parties. He met Ashton at a party once and they hit it off fairly quickly. After that, he met Aaron and Alex. He's considered the one that brought the Big Four together.

"No one was speaking up, so I made it my job."  

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"I'm Alex, and I like warm hugs."

Name || Alex Henderson

Age || 17/18

Gender || Male

FC || Gino Pasqualini

Personality || Alex is the youngest out of the Big Four, and he sure acts like it From the outside looking in, one might question why he's part of the Big four at all. He's very immature, often having an innocence about him that the other members of the group don't understand, especially since he definitely  isn't innocent at all... (Out of the Big Four, he lost his virginity first.) He's known as the "Nicest Guy in School" by some and has been labeled as Ocean View's Golden Boy. 

Getting to know Alex is fairly easy since he's the nicest and most approachable out of the Big Four. He's friends with nearly everyone in the school, but unlike Ashton, he cares about other people and makes an effort to get to know whoever he's talking to. He'll go to parties if Ashton or Andre goes with him, but if they're not planning on doing anything, he's perfectly okay with spending time at home too. He's a softer personality than the rest of the group, so he doesn't come up with any ideas or plans any of their outings. None of his interests particularly line up with theirs either, so while the rest of the gang is talking, he usually plays with his food and stares off into space. He's treated like a literal child, often requiring Aaron to tag along wherever he goes to make sure he doesn't get into trouble.

Once one gets to know Alex, they see that his niceness isn't just superficial. He was raised in a very nurturing home and was taught that everyone's opinion matters, and he took that to heart. He likes seeing people with a smile on their face and will do anything to make people smile. His values seem to not connect at all with the Big Four. The only thing that makes him a part of the group is his skills on the soccer field. He's the star striker on the Varsity team and has 3 State wins and a district win under his belt. Other than that, he sticks out like a sore thumb. However, his friends still let him hang around because what Ashton says, goes.

Likes || Candy- He has a huge sweet tooth. He eats so many sweets it's a wonder how he stays so skinny in the first place. His favorite snack is a bag of jelly beans and he's often seen with a bag of jelly beans in hand. He's been known to stick them up his nose, much to the disgust of his friends.

Soccer- It's his favorite sport. He's been playing since he was 5 and has gotten scholarships to countries overseas because of how good he is. He doesn't know if he wants soccer to be a career, however. He just likes playing it because e thinks it's fun, but if it becomes his job, he fears he won't like it anymore.

Sex- Surprising, but the Golden Boy of Ocean View high isn't all that innocent. When Ashton and Andrew are away at parties, he calls up Arron and things...escalate. Aaron was the person he lost his virginity to, and they've been seeing each other for a while, but nothing is concrete between them.

Dislikes || Brocolli- Ah, yes. The classic hatred of broccoli. He knows it's good for him and will eat anything else except for broccoli, but because of an accident when he was 3, he absolutely despises it. He ate too much of it and he ended up vomiting it out, and so whenever he sees the vegetable, all he can think of is that day.

The Dark- As childish as it sounds, Alex is afraid of the dark...he has hypnophobia and he needs something to help him fall asleep (a body pillow, a stuffed animal, etc.) He doesn't really consider it an issue as not many people know about it. 

Adults- More specifically, adults that say that he's acting like a baby and that he needs to 'act his age.' He doesn't agree with them and thinks that they should worry about themselves before telling him what to do.

Strengths ||

-Happy

-Energetic

-Kind

Weaknesses ||

-Childish

-Passive

-Oversensitive

Occupation || Student, Soccer Player

Hobbies || Soccer, Storytelling

Backstory || Alex's story is the happiest out of the Big Four. He grew up in a loving household with a mother, a father, and a younger sister. He was nurtured, almost to the point of being swaddled, and because of that, he hasn't really had to worry about anything. He often takes care of his younger sister, making flower crowns with her and painting each other's nails. Because of this experience, he's often regarded as feminine because he sometimes comes to school with painted nails. He grew up alongside his childhood crush, Aaron, and at one point the had a thing together. In fact, Aaron and Alex lost their virginity the earliest out of the Big Four--both at 14 to each other. However, his parents don't know this and continue to think that he'll never grow up.

"Life's short, so enjoy it!"

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Scenarios (You can decide whether this is high school or college)

Scenario 1: Aaron || FULL

Date || Present Day

Location || Park

It's a lovely day at Ocean View Park. The park, as the name suggests, is a lovely new park situated by the edge of a vibrant beachside cliff. The park is a rather small one. In the heart of the park is a small white gazebo with a cone-shaped turquoise rood. White stone paths fan out from the center of the gazebo in every direction. To the east, there is a small white and blue playground on which children are climbing and running around frantically. The path that leads north ends at a bench that overlooks the beach. The edge of the cliff is fenced off for safety reasons. To the west is a wider path that leads to a running track. The path to the south leads back to the parking lot. The whole area is decorated with tall palm trees and hydrangea bushes. The big, white sun is shining in the bright blue sky overhead. 

You were walking to the park to do ___. As you were walking, someone from the running track comes crashing into you, sending you both to the ground. 

What were you doing at the park?

What happens next?

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Scenario 2 : Andre || (1/3)

Date || Present Day 

Location || A Diner

You absolutely hate Andre. You hate the way he walks, talks, and especially the way he acts. You try to avoid the man as much as humanly possible...Until one day.

Why do you hate Andre? (Try and make the reason as ridiculous as you can)

You applied for a job at a diner in town. It was a small place, but the pay was decent and they were hiring so you decided to apply. The person that interviewed you was amiable and basically told you that you got the job during the interview. "Your first day is on Saturday," he said. "I need more waitresses for the lunch rush." You agreed because cha-ching.

You walked into the kitchen, dressed for the job...You see none other than Andre, dressed in a waiter's uniform, standing with his arms crossed and his head tilted. An annoyed expression fell onto his impish features. He had an ugly scowl on his face, and you could tell it was because you were there. His smoldering blue eyes are tracking your every move as you walk into the room. You could see his muscles through the black button-down shirt that he's wearing. His mahogany-colored hair is coiffed back, making his hairline look further back than it actually is. His olive-colored skin looks oily and sweaty due to the steam and grease in the kitchen.

"Well, well, well...Look who decided to finally show up," he said, handing you an apron.

What do you do?

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Scenario 3: Alex || FULL

Date || Valentine's Day

Location || Soccer Game

You have a massive crush on Alex. You've known him since you were in middle school and even had him in a couple of classes, but he's never really paid attention to you. 

It's Valentine's Day, and that, of course, means the annual Valentine's Day soccer game. Every year at the game, Alex gave out a teddy bear (and sometimes a kiss on the cheek) to a lucky lady that was in the student section of the crowd. After contemplating for a long time, you decided to go to the game. 

It's the end of the first 45-minute period, and as usual, your school, the Ocean View Marlins, are up by 2 goals, both of which were scored by Alex. It's a nice day outside as expected. It's only mid-afternoon, so the sun is still lighting up the sky and giving the sky a blue glow. Not a cloud is in the sky, and a slight ocean breeze is sweeping through the stadium. Players on both of the teams are jogging off of the field and onto the benches. Alex, however, jogs back onto the field. He has a big, pink teddy bear in his hand that so big it's almost his size. Alex is a rather short guy--the shortest out of the Big Four, at least--at 5'11". His dark, tousled hair is sweaty and stuck to his forehead like it had been glued. He had to run his hand through it multiple times to get it out of his eyes. His turquoise uniform was as clean as it was when he first walked out on the field and clung to his slender, athletic build. The girls in the student section went wild when he appeared. Slowly, he made his way up to the student section of the stands, looking up and down the rows as he looked for someone to choose. Then, he did something surprising. He pointed at you and started walking up the steps toward you.

How do you react?

And as always, you can make up scenarios if none of these suit you :)