From: notonyourteam	Date: May 11th, 2011 05:04 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Mackenzie had been stomping around the grounds for the better part of an hour, a cigarette clamped firmly between her lips. It hadn’t been a particularly bad day, but it had been a day, and she was in need of some serious relaxation. She had received an owl from her mother, which she promptly ignored just like every other owl the woman tried to send her. Classes had been their usual dull selves, and it had irritated her slightly that she spent the better part of her music class tracking down her second drum stick. Besides, there was never anything wrong with getting some fresh air and chain smoking yourself into oblivion.

She flicked away her cigarette as she came around the corner and smirked slightly as she saw a beacon of red hair occupying a rock. If the red hair wasn’t enough of an indicator, the steady stream of smoke wafting upwards from the red head only confirmed it. She walked casually over to the younger girl, taking care not to let her presence be known. As much of a paranoid mess she knew Tatum was, she couldn’t help but torment the girl a little bit.

She had learned early on that it was easy to make Tatum flustered, and it was just so cute that she couldn’t help but take advantage of it. She knew that the red head was dating some other girl or something but she didn’t really care. It wasn’t like she was invested in dating the red head, just enjoyed her company and pushing the girls buttons every once in a while. She was content protecting the younger girl and being her friend for now.

She quietly leaned down so she was just inches from the red heads ear, a cat like grin stretching across her face.

“Hey there Tater tot,” She said in an overly seductive voice, trying not to laugh. “You should be careful, your face might stick that way. And you are just too cute for that to happen.”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 11th, 2011 05:31 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Tatum had still been staring somewhat listlessly out toward the forest, wondering mostly if the thing from her room at teeth. Or if it was supposed to. Maybe there was a whole bunch of creepy creatures out there with big teeth and sharp claws.. she hadn't really been taking any of those seriously until the other night. It had just been regular school, but now it felt like an episode of Scooby Doo or something. Except she didn't think there were any masks.

When Mackenzie leaned over her and spoke, it gave her a start and the younger girl let out a squeak, briefly almost falling off of the rock she was sitting on. She steadied herself, glad she hadn't dropped her joint at least. Once she had herself composed again, Tatum turned to look at the blonde, pouting at her with slightly flushed cheeks. "Fuck off, not even funny," she replied, scooting over on the rock to make room for Mackenzie despite being a little irritated with her. "You almost made me throw up my heart," she admitted, shaking her head.

She couldn't really argue with the presence of her friend. Friends like Mackenzie were good to have, they made her feel safe. She might have been a little rough around the edges, but Mackenzie wasn't like the other athletic girls. She was really nice, underneath all of that flirting and silliness. Even when she made Tatum blush so hard that her face and hair began to match, she liked having her around.

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 11th, 2011 05:53 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Mackenzie couldn’t help but snicker as she watched the girl almost fall from her perch on the rock. It was a better reaction then she had been expecting, especially since Tatum was now pouting at her with her cheeks tinted pink. Mackenzie plopped down on the rock next to her friend and scooted over until she was practically on top of her. She wrapped an arm around the smaller girls shoulders and gave her a happy grin.

“Oh cheer up buttercup!” she said winking. “It was so funny, and you know it. Besides, you’re cute when you get all flustered and almost throw up your heart. It’s quite endearing.”

She pulled out another cigarette from her pocket with her hand that wasn’t currently wrapped around Tatum, lighting it with a flick of her lighter as it hung from her lips. Letting out a content sigh, she shifted slightly until she was comfortable and glanced at Tatum out of the corner of her eye. The younger girl seemed to be a little more on edge than usual, which was odd considering her choice of herbal therapy.

“What’s on your mind Tater tot?” She asked, careful not to make her tone sound too concerned. She knew that if Tatum wanted to tell her she would, but she wouldn’t press the matter. “Besides how you totally think I’m the sexiest girl you’ve ever met.”

It was just how their relationship worked, Mackenzie would never admit to anyone (except for maybe Hunter) how protective of Tatum she really was. So she would try to keep even her serious questions light with banter and flirting. If Tatum was really upset about something she would end up telling her anyway, and if not then Mackenzie could continue to make the girl blush.

“Is it girl trouble?” She teased lightly, winking. “Because I could definitely help you with that.” She was surely going to hell, but at least she would enjoy herself on the way there.

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 11th, 2011 06:17 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Tatum's body tensed up as soon as Mackenzie sat beside her, already knowing exactly what to expect. Even so, she knew her cheeks were blushing even harder as soon as her friend had that arm around her, winking at her like it was nothing. She was always doing this to her, but Tatum couldn't exactly argue. Mackenzie took care of her, and if that meant a little teasing once in a while, then she would just deal with it. She took every little flirt with a grain of salt, it wasn't as if girls like Mackenzie really wanted a girl like her.

"Not girls," the red head sighed. Things with Frankie had actually been really good lately. They had a good time together over break, and Meka's party had been amazing. That Brian was a pretty cool kid. Up until Monday night, it had been pretty much perfect few weeks. No girl troubles in sight. "Only girl I, uhm have trouble with lately is you," she joked, finally relenting and leaning slightly into the blonde's arm.

"I'm just kind of freaked out over something dumb. You wouldn't believe it if I told you," she admitted, finding that she did kind of want to tell her. Maybe she might believe her, someone had to. But it sounded so silly when she said it out loud. "I'm still not sure I wasn't just.. tripping balls. That's what Bekka thinks."

It was no secret that Tatum and her roommate were a mismatched pair. She usually spent most of her time tip-toeing around Bekka's presence, but after the other night, she was pretty sure the other girl now thought she was annoying and crazy. "It's stupid."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 11th, 2011 06:51 pm (UTC)		(Link)

“Well thank god it’s not girl trouble,” she joked, smiling slightly as she felt Tatum relax into her arm. “I’d hate to have to rough up Frankie if she had done something to upset you. Because then you’d be upset with me, and you know I just can’t keep my hands to myself.”

She snickered at the red head’s comment about Mackenzie being the only girl trouble she was having. Mackenzie loved being trouble, especially when it involved the girl variety.

“Awh, come on Tater, you know you think I’m irresistible! I can’t be that much trouble can I?” She pouted innocently at the younger girl, and gave her the best damn puppy dog eyes she had.

Mackenzie listened patiently as Tatum danced around the subject of what really was bothering her. She tilted her head to the side in though and exhaled a cloud of smoke as the red head rambled on. She knew the girl and her roommate didn’t really mesh very well, but this seemed like it wasn’t the usual roommate disagreement. She was actually very interested in what the hell had gotten the little red head into such a fuss.

“Well, I’m going to get all mushy on you right here Tots, so you cannot interrupt me because I don’t get mushy for just anyone. And if you tell anyone I have a soft side, I will hurt you.” Mackenzie winked at the girl so she knew she was joking about the hurting her part. She started ticking off her points with her free hand, “One, nothing you are ever upset about is dumb or stupid, even if it is dumb, I will listen with rapt attention. Two, I am not Bekka, I know you better than Bekka. So regardless of if you were actually trippin or not, if its bothering you, you can tell me.”
Mackenzie smiled at Tatum, and gave her a small squeeze. “And three, I will most likely always believe you, even if you tell me something extremely ridiculous. Like, if you told me that famous British guy, what’s his name? Harry Potter, right. If you told me that he had twelve toes and played for the other team, regardless of it was true or not, I would probably believe you.”

Mackenzie really hoped that no one was around to hear that little heart felt speech she had just given, it would totally ruin her reputation.

“So, tell me tots, what’s bothering you?”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 11th, 2011 08:07 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Irresistible like a hole in the head," Tatum replied sarcastically, although she was smiling despite herself. She gave Mackenzie a little elbow when she mentioned roughing up Frankie. "If you can refrain from beating up my girlfriend, that would be much appreciated. She's been really great lately, I mean.. it feels like Valentine's day didn't even happen. I'm not looking over my shoulder for Ginger everywhere I go anymore," she admitted, shrugging. "Just almost everywhere."

She didn't really like to talk much about what had happened at the Valentines dance. It had been a long time ago, and she mostly just wanted to get over it. But saying that she still didn't hold an immense grudge against Ginger McAvery would have been a bold-faced lie. Although she was usually pretty peaceful, if there was one person in the whole school that Tatum thought she might actually want to fight, it was probably her. She might lose, but it would almost be worth it.

She listened closely as Mack began to list off things, feeling her cheeks getting warm again as she ducked her head a bit. "You're such an asshole," the red head joked softly in response. She knew that Mackenzie did indeed hold off her mushiness for special occasions, and she was pretty touched. But it was usually best not to tease her about it. "Point taken, you're totally faggy over me. But you still can't laugh, okay? You have to promise. Because I swear like, over my life, that it actually happened. It had to have been real, I was totally awake,"

Shifting slightly, Tatum finally crushed out what was left of her joint, throwing the roach into the grass. "So if you laugh, I'm going to.. I dunno, like never talk to you again? Or some shit."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 11th, 2011 09:30 pm (UTC)		(Link)

“You shut your face,” Mackenzie scoffed, sticking out her tongue at the red head. She knew it was a lame comeback but hey, no one was perfect. “You know you want me Tots, quit lying to yourself.”

She considered the younger girls request regarding Frankie and took a long drag on the remainder of her cigarette before flicking it off into the grass.

“I’ll leave your girlfriend alone, if she is nice to you and doesn’t pull that shit again.” Mackenzie stated, trying to sound a serious as she could. It wasn’t that she didn’t get along with Frankie; she honestly didn’t mind the other girl. She wouldn’t, however, condone what had happened at the Valentine’s dance. Tatum was important to her and while the girl had a back bone, she felt protective.

“Yeah, but I am your asshole! Unfortunately for you, you are stuck with me.” She said giving Tatum a goofy grin. Mackenzie was trying very hard not to laugh at the other girl’s description of her. It was sadly accurate and embarrassing. “We all know I have a big faggy crush on you, and am counting down the days until I can push Frankie out of the Owlery. Then I can have you all to myself.”
In her opinion, Tatum could not get any cuter and if she did she might have to punch something repeatedly because she wasn’t sure if she could handle it.

“Oh that’s really threatening Tatum,” Mackenzie teased, poking the girl in the side. “Although we both know you would die if you couldn’t talk to me, so I promise I won’t laugh.”

She held up her index and middle finger in a salute and crossed her eyes for extra effect.

“Scouts honor, I swear on the sisterhood of lesbianism or some shit. Whatever you kids call it these days.”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 11th, 2011 10:06 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"That wasn't entirely her fault, I said.. some things that I, uhm probably shouldn't have said either. We all did things we didn't mean and-- it was really all Ginger and Amber's faults," Tatum pouted in protest, reaching over toward Mackenzie. Without bothering to ask, she took the blonde's pack of cigarettes and removed one, slipping it between her lips and lighting up. She didn't know what it was, but it was like instinct to defend Frankie. She was her first real love, her first girlfriend, and she more or less would have given anything for her. Even when they fought, she still loved her.

"No pushing," she chided, giving Mack another shove, although she knew the older girl was joking. She had never done anything to hurt her, one of the few 'cool' kids she knew that hadn't, and she knew that Mackenzie realized how much Frankie left to her. "We'll just be polygamists and I'll marry you both. We'll move to Utah or something," she joked, rolling her eyes. "I mean, if you're like.. gunna bug me forever, we might as well commit for tax purposes."

When Mackenzie swore not to laugh at her, that was good enough for Tatum, although she did take a quick glance around them to make sure nobody else was sneaking up to join the conversation. "Okay, so the other night I was just in bed.. I was super tired, cause I smoked all the weed I took from Maine cause I-- since I can apparate now, I can take stuff I couldn't like, take on planes and stuff. And my brother's friend had this great stuff, but I smoked like a whole bag and I was so tired that I just went to bed super early, but then like.."

She paused for a moment and inhaling deeply, trying to steady herself and stay on track. She was a little baked and it was hard not to drag the story out. Mostly, she realized, talking about it made it real. If Mackenzie believed her, that would make it a real experience. "I woke up, I had a dream-- bad dream, I think and I looked up on my.. my ceiling, I hid under the blankets, and when I pulled them back and looked, there was this.. this big thing running across my ceiling right over my bed. It looked like a big bug or something, it was so huge! Like, it was bigger than Lunkhead and Teagan combined. Like, at least two cats. More like, the size of a dog. Except definitely not an animal, it was.. totally, totally a bug."

The red-haired girl bit her lip, shuddering visibly as she thought about it. "I woke Bekka up but she-- by the time she woke up, and I let her get out of bed, it was gone, I guess. It didn't attack us or anything, it was just gone. But now she thinks I made it all up, or she seemed to think I did, but I didn't! Honest!" she sighed, reaching her free hand to rub her face, flicking the ash from the cigarette from the other. "It was like an acid trip, but it wasn't."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 12th, 2011 02:01 am (UTC)		(Link)

Mackenzie made a small noise of protest as the younger girl took one of her precious cigarettes but still allowed her to anyway. It wasn’t like she would be able to say no to Tatum anyway. She didn’t really have much to say on the matter of what had happened besides what she had already made clear. She knew that Tatum would defend Frankie no matter what and she could respect that kind of. But she still wasn’t cool with the pain that Frankie had caused her friend, and she wouldn’t forgive easily for that.

“Oh fine, I won’t push her off the roof and make it look like an accident,” Mackenzie sighed in defeat. “But let it be known that it only because you asked me too. And if we’re getting married, I will not share. Especially if you are just marrying me for my tax purpose and not my good looks. I have standards miss Tatum.”

Mackenzie listened patiently as Tatum told her the story, a slight frown making its way onto her face as she continued the story. It was pretty weird, she had to admit, it wasn’t like she had just woken up and seen it. There had been a copious amount of weed involved, and Mackenzie could see that was where Bekka had thought she might have made it up. But there was something else in the girls voice that made Mackenzie believe that it wasn’t something the girl hallucinated.

“Wow that’s….wow.” She said absentmindedly, running through the story in her head one more time. “Creepy. I mean I believe you, we go to a magical school for fucks sake. I’m pretty sure something that large and terrifying would totally exist somewhere. What do you think it was?”

She glance out of the corner of her eye at the red head, and scooted a little closer, squeezing the younger girl with her arm lightly. “Are you okay?”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 12th, 2011 02:21 am (UTC)		(Link)

"If you want to marry me, you'll just have to take it or leave it," Tatum informed her coyly, sticking her tongue out briefly before taking a drag off of the cigarette. She waited patiently as Mackenzie reacted to her story, fidgeting with her free hand slightly and furrowing her eyebrows. "I have no idea, it was like.. I never saw anything like that before. Not in books or anything, it was fucking creepy. And it--"

She paused again, another pout overtaking her as the older girl squeezed her close. "It talked to me. I'm pretty sure it was like, sorry for scaring me. It almost seemed.. sad. But I was so freaked out, I just jumped on Bekka's bed, and then she was teasing me, and I.. I've been trying to just forget about it. But what if it's a big deal? With all the shit going on here this year," she sighed, puffing the cigarette again before offering it out for Mack to have a drag as she exhaled.

"Frankie was looking into stuff before, a long time ago, when things first started being weird.. like kids disappearing. I thought it was stupid, I was like.. that shit happens on tv, this is just school. I guess sometimes I forget about, uhm like.. the magic part. I keep thinking shit like this can't be real, except it is. It's wigging me out."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 12th, 2011 02:46 am (UTC)		(Link)

“Damn it, fine. You win. We’ll get married for tax purposes.” Mackenzie pouted at the younger girl, damn her cuteness. “You know I can’t say no to you. And you totally take advantage of it.”

She accepted the cigarette from Tatum and listened to her quietly, mulling over what she had said. So it was a bug and the thing had talked to her, but was gone when Bekka was awake enough to look for it. Mackenzie’s eyebrows almost shot off of her forehead, and she choked on the smoke she had just inhaled when she realized what Tatum had just told her.

“Wait,” She gasped between hacking up a lung and trying to figure out exactly what Tatum had just told her. “This bug thing talked to you? Like, spoke words and English and shit? Did you tell anyone else this besides Bekka?”

Mackenzie took another long drag from her cigarette and ran her free hand through her hair. What the hell was going on here? First kids start disappearing, and then this weird bug monster thing starts talking to Tatum. She knew her life wasn’t normal when she learned that the Wizarding World wasn’t like the muggle world but this was a little bit too much even for that.

“I don’t blame you for being wigged out about it,” she said, offering the cigarette back to Tatum. She leaned into the girl slightly, staring off into the distance in thought. “You know you can always come talk to me or just crash in my room or whatever. I know you have Frankie and all to take care of you…but you

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 12th, 2011 03:12 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I had a feeling you'd see it my way," Tatum replied with a weak smile, instinctively reaching out to gently pat at the older girl's back as she began to choke. She accepted the cigarette back, slumping a little as she shook her head. "Not really. I sort of asked my advanced transfiguration professor about it, really sort of. Like, just in class. I hate raising my hand, but I.. I wanted to know if people could turn into bugs for their animagus form. They can, apparently. But I.. don't think that's what it was."

She stared off as Mackenzie did, pouting some as the blonde spoke. "I guess I just thought it was stupid. What is a teacher going to say if I tell them that? I mean, they won't know I was smoking weed that night, but it sounds even crazier if I was sober. And to be honest, when I actually saw it? I totally was. I want it to be a hallucination, but it wasn't, couldn't be."

Puffing the cigarette, Tatum turned her head to exhale away from her friend's face. "I'm scared. Like, of my room, I mean. But uhm, I'll get over it. If it wanted to kill me, it probably would have already, right? Maybe it's just peaceful. Creepy stuff can be peaceful."

When Mackenzie offered to let her sleep over, Tatum rolled her eyes yet again, immediately laughing a little. "If I could sleep over in your room and you'd, uhm.. keep your hands to yourself? Yeah, maybe then," she joked. She did have Frankie to take care of her, but sometimes she felt like maybe she was taking advantage of that. Since they had been together, whenever something went wrong, big or little, she ran to Frankie. The other girl had never really said anything to her about it, not even when they fought, but maybe it annoyed her?

Tatum definitely thought so, and she found herself biting her lip gently. "I might take you up on the offer. Just to give her a break."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 12th, 2011 09:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

“I didn’t think I’d ever be the one to say this, but you should tell the headmaster, or like, Simmons.” Mackenzie said, frowning slightly. It felt weird to say that to anyone, usually because she was the one undermining the authority. It was all too weird though, and she was worried about Tatum. It wasn’t like she could keep watch in her room every night to try and catch whatever had been there. “They might be able to figure out what it was, and get rid of it, or something.”

“And no, creepy stuff is creepy,” Mackenzie scoffed, giving Tatum a weird look. “I’m freaking scared of your room now. Never going in there again, we’ll just have to have sexy time in my room from now on.”

Mackenzie laughed and grinned slyly at Tatum, she’d could try to keep her hands to herself but she wasn’t promising anything. “I’d keep my hands to myself,” She purred in Tatum’s ear. “For the most part, I can’t promise I won’t try.”

She winked at Tatum and went back to sitting normally, plucking the cigarette from the younger girls hand.

“But seriously, you’re welcome anytime Tat.”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 13th, 2011 01:56 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I was thinking that, but they-- they're going to ask me details, and I'm just gunna.. stammer and fuck it up and sound like I'm a moron. They aren't gunna take me seriously, I can't even like, look people in the eye," Tatum muttered, pouting some as the cigarette was yanked from her possession. "I don't even have proof, I don't know what they could possibly do. But what if I don't say anything and it like, eats a kid?"

The red head was chewing at her lip again, looking extremely nervous. There was only a crack in the tension when Mackenzie leaned close to her ear, Tatum immediately leaning away at a little with a shy smile. "Screw off, I'm serious. If I stay over, no.. silliness."

Even if she knew that Mackenzie was joking most of the time, or at least seemed to be, having it seen from another point of view sometimes looked entirely different. The last thing she wanted was Frankie, or someone else, getting the wrong idea. But it was impossible to really resist, the joking between them just flowed, no matter how physical it got. It was just Mackenzie.

"I might have to take my chances with your grabby hands and Russian fingers if my room doesn't get unterrifying in the next twelve hours or so," she sighed, tilting her head a bit to look at her friend, offering that weak smile. She was sick of being afraid of her room, ducking outside all of the time. And it would be rude to impose on Frankie and Rowan even more than she usually did. And Mackenzie was offering. They were just friends.

"If Frankie can sleep over at Gray's, I guess I can.. hang out for a night or two. If you won't be a complete asshole."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 13th, 2011 02:41 am (UTC)		(Link)

Mackenzie returned the cigarette to Tatum’s hand and, frowned slightly. The teachers never believed her when she told them things, but granted, she was usually telling them a lie to get out of trouble. They were supposed to believe students about these kind of things right? That was their job, to teach and protect the kids that had enrolled in their school. The old headmaster got that.

“Tater, you should tell Simmons,” she pressed. She knew she shouldn’t push the girl but it worried her. If this thing turned out to be dangerous, she wanted to make sure that Tatum wouldn’t get hurt. “It’s the staffs job to worry about stuff like this, they’ll believe you. If they don’t, I’ll just make them.”

Mackenzie flashed Tatum a coy smile and winked, she just couldn’t help it. It was one of her absolute favorite past times to make the girl flustered. “Babe, I promise you my frisky digits wont disappoint. I’ll take you to a whole new world.”

She was trying really hard not to laugh at this point, it was just getting silly. She would have said something else but she didn’t want to freak Tatum out. The poor girl was already stressed out enough, and Mackenzie laying down the heavy seduction would probably only make it worse. Even if she would still be kind of joking, it would cross the line she had drawn for herself with the red head. After all, they were just friends.

“Awh, Tater Tot! I wont be an asshole I promise!” She said, pouting slightly. “Does cuddling count as silliness? Because I can’t help the fact that I latch onto cute red heads in my sleep. And if you tell anyone I actually enjoy cuddling, I will end you.”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 13th, 2011 02:59 am (UTC)		(Link)

"You promise you'll make them? If they won't, like.. listen? Cause I'm being honest, so they should listen in the first place, but I.. you know I suck at explaining. I couldn't even tell you without beating around the bush for ten minutes first," she murmured, frowning a little as she took a last drag off of the cigarette before tossing it to the ground with their others.

"Will you come with me?" she asked seriously, looking more closely at Mackenzie now, and sort of straightening up some. If she was going to do something crazy like this, she might as well get her courage up. "After I'm not so baked," she added, after a moment of thought. She could already feel herself squinting, as per usual. Her eyes were probably as red as everything else.

"I'm pretty partial to this world," she added by way of response, shaking her head and rolling her shoulders casually in her best nonchalant display. "I'll survive just fine without your digits all up in this."

Scooting over closer, she leaned her head against the older girl's, sighing heavily. "Am I like, gonna have to wear full body pajamas?"

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 13th, 2011 03:25 am (UTC)		(Link)

“Of course, I’ll make them listen Tater, its my job as your protec…I mean friend.” Mackenzie gave the red head a genuine smile, she would probably cut a bitch if she had to for this kid. “I will go with you and probably end up yelling at Simmons if there is any doubt that what you say is true. We can go whenever you are ready, just tell me when.”

Mackenzie had to admit she was a little disappointed in the lack of flustered response from Tatum. Giving up wasn’t really part of her vocabulary however, and just because she had missed one opportunity didn’t mean she couldn’t find another. She did feel bad sometimes when flirting with Tatum. It wasn’t because the girl was taken, although she respected the fact that Frankie seemed to make Tatum happy. She did feel bad however when she felt like she had made the girl feel uncomfortable. She wasn’t entirely sure herself what her intentions were beyond pushing a few of the red heads buttons because the reaction was so cute, but she did know that she didn’t want to scare away the red head.

She shifted slightly when she felt Tatum scoot closer and let her head rest on the smaller girls. It was nice having friends like this, it was a lot more satisfying than just hooking up with people.

“Jesus Tatum, I’m not going to rape you or anything!” She huffed, poking the other girl in the leg playfully. “Only if you consent to sexy girl time in my bed will it happen. I just happen to be the kind of person that latches onto the nearest heat source in my sleep and I didn’t want you to wig out about it in the morning. Because I know you would.”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 13th, 2011 03:47 am (UTC)		(Link)

Tatum lifted her head a bit, looking at Mackenzie as if to see that she was serious in everything that she said. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw in the other girl's face, Tatum smiled broadly and relaxed again, letting herself lean back onto her hands on the rock. It was starting to hurt her butt a little. How long had they been sitting out here? She had been there for a while before Mack even joined her. Numbness was definitely setting in.

"I never said rape. I've just seen you in action. But still, those were both the answers I was pretty much dying to hear," Tatum informed her, smiling still. It would be a lot easier to tell the teachers if she had Mackenzie backing her up. They would tell the staff, she'd crash for a couple of nights, the teachers would catch whatever it was, and they would be back to normal in no time. It seemed like a flawless plan. If it worked out.

"One more thing," she added after a brief moment of thought, chewing her lip again. "Well, two things. One, we have to tell them not to hurt it. Whatever it is, I.. they shouldn't have to kill it. And two, I don't wig," the red head continued, her cheeks only slightly flushing. "I'm not like, a total virgin. I don't freak out every time a girl touches me. Not if she, uhm, has clothes on anyway."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 13th, 2011 04:18 am (UTC)		(Link)

Mackenzie felt a weird tingling in her cheeks as Tatum turned that mega watt smile at her. She looked away quickly, messing with a loose thread on her hoodie and hoping that Tatum hadn’t noticed anything. Jesus, if Tatum figured out that she maybe, kind of, was possibly a little bit flustered then she’d never hear the end of it. Plus it would totally ruin her “cool” persona that the red head seemed to think she possessed. And honestly, what the hell? Mackenzie Dubinsky didn’t blush, especially not because she made some girl smile. Maybe she was getting a fever.

“So are you admitting that you couldn’t resist me if I tried to seduce you?” Mackenzie asked, composing herself enough to smile flirtatiously at the red head. She hopped of the rock and turned to face the girl, her hands on her hips. “I’ll make sure they understand not to kill it,” she promised. “Although I don’t know why you’d want to spare its life, it sounds dangerous to me. If that’s what you want though, that’s what you’ll get.”

Mackenzie smirked and leaned over so she was invading the younger girl’s personal space. She leaned past Tatum’s face, bringing her mouth centimeters away from the other girls ear. “You totally wig. And I never said anything about me wearing pj’s to bed.” She straightened up, trying not to laugh. Tatum had totally walked right into that one.

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 13th, 2011 04:40 am (UTC)		(Link)

If Tatum noticed any blushing on her friend's cheeks, she didn't say a word about it. Seeing the tables turned between them, with Mackenzie as the victim of the ever present flustering, would pretty much have been Tatum's idea of the Twilight Zone. It might have broken her brain to even see it.

Instead of noticing her friend's blush, Tatum's own simply intensified as the senior smiled at her like that. It got her every time, and Tatum found herself tipping her head back and covering her eyes with one hand as she laughed. "Can you go for five seconds without hitting on somebody? Sexual harassment is like your oxygen," the red head joked.

When Mackenzie jumped off of the rock, Tatum straightened up to do the same, but immediately froze in place as the older girl leaned over her. She couldn't even suppress the little shiver that passed through her body as the blonde spoke so close to her ear. Her breath a little warm against her ear and neck, and Tatum noticed it immediately. She leaned away from her friend, scowling at her.

"Shit like that is why I wig! That's just-- what am I supposed to say to that!?" she protested sullenly. "Normal girls wear pj's at their sleepovers. I was pretty much under the impression that lesbian sleepovers only went topless and beyond on the internet. And God bless the internet."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 13th, 2011 05:23 am (UTC)		(Link)

“Of course I can go for five seconds without hitting on someone!” Mackenzie protested, crossing her arms. “I hang out with Hunter all the time and don’t hit on her!” She knew that Hunter really didn’t count because that shit would just be weird. It made her feel better though, she did have a bad habit of hitting on most of the girls at the institute. She was about to say that Tatum was special and that’s why she hit on the girl as persistently as she did, but she stopped herself. That would just end up sounding bad.

Mackenzie just smirked as she observed the other girls reaction to the whole ordeal. It gave her a sense of power to have that effect on someone, and it went to her head way too quickly. Maybe that was why she hit on so many women, it just made her feel so damn good. When it came to Tatum however, it was slightly different. She found that getting a rise out of the girl was not only validating but endearing and fun. It was just how she showed her affection for the other girl. At the moment, she was trying very had not to appear too amused at the girls ranting.

“I told you that you wigged,” She laughed, she just couldn’t hold it in anymore. “And I don’t know T, what would you like to say about it?”

“Do you and Frankie wear pj’s at your sleepovers, hm?” Mackenzie wiggled her eye brows suggestively at the red head. “And what have you been getting up to on the internet young lady? Because last I checked the only place that lesbians go topless and beyond are on porn sites.” Mackenzie couldn’t help the catlike grin that was slowly forming on her lips.

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 13th, 2011 05:51 am (UTC)		(Link)

"I will quit smoking weed for a week if you can go a week.. no, a day without hitting on a single chick. Including me, even though I'm not really a chick," Tatum challenged her, finding herself unable to hold in a laugh as well. They knew each other too well to play games. She could deny it until she was blue in the face, but there was no escaping the things that Mack had on her. Mackenzie knew about her wigging out even better than most people.

Finally standing up from the rock, Tatum groaned a little as she stretched, feeling a satisfying crack in her lower back. It felt better already, although the feeling returning was less quick. "My ass is asleep," she lamented, rather than admit anything further under the subject of wigging. Blushing again, the younger girl bit at her lip as Mackenzie questioned her. "I don't- I-I don't want to say anything about it," she managed, cheeks practically on fire.

She couldn't even keep a straight face when Mackenzie pulled that face, waggling eyebrows and all. Tatum burst out laughing again, reaching up to rub her face, pinching the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. "The shit that comes out of your mouth sometimes," she laughed, although clearly still embarrassed, probably just as Mack wanted. "Yes, we wear pj's. Uhm, usually. I mean. Like, underwear count as pj's, right? They sure seem to on the internet," she relented, grinning.

"Too bad you'll never know what I have on my computer. Chinese water torture couldn't get that password out of me."

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 13th, 2011 06:17 am (UTC)		(Link)

Mackenzie, for once in her life, was at a slight loss for words. No hitting on any girls for a whole day? That just didn’t seem possible, what the hell was she supposed to do with her time? If she agreed the red head’s challenge, Hunter would never let her hear the end of it. But if she refused, she would only be proving Tatum’s point, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be seen as someone who breathed sexual harassment oxygen. Even if it was probably ninety-nine percent true.

“I…well…how long do I have to go without hitting on someone?” She managed to stutter out. “And you’re totally a chick Tater, I don’t know what you are talking about. Because if you aren’t a chick, then Frankie and I are going to feel extremely stupid.”

She grinned maniacally as she watched Tatum work herself up into a flustered mess. It was just too cute how even the slightest mention of any thing sexual made her all embarrassed and stuttery.

“I could wake up that ass for you,” Mackenzie purred, winking at the girl. She decided to let the topic of what (or rather what she didn’t) wear to bed slide for a little while. “And yes underwear counts you dork. Although, that doesn’t help you much seeing as now you’re the one who doesn’t wear anything to bed.”

She was extremely interested in what kind of things were lurking on Tatum’s computer, but she knew that the red head would be true to her word. There would be no way to force the password out of her, but Mackenzie had other plans.

“Well now I know it’s something worth my time or you wouldn’t deny me the password. I’ll just have to ask Frankie,” she shrugged. “I’ll bet she’ll tell me what’s on your computer.”

	From: porcelinaofvast	Date: May 13th, 2011 07:13 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Twenty-four hours. We'll start and end on the same hour of your choice," Tatum suggested coyly, enjoying a taste of the upperhand for once. It didn't happen often, and she had to take what she could get. It didn't take a genius to know the spot Mackenzie was caught between. Tatum knew how she acted around Hunter and other people. "Unless you don't think you can handle it, I like.. understand."

When Mackenzie winked at her, Tatum did her best disapproving frown, giving a quick roll of her eyes in response. "See? It's been ten seconds, and you're already back at it," she teased. "You know, you rip on me more than like.. any other dickhead in this whole school, when you really think about it. And you're still like, my best friend. What's up with that?"

Tatum seemed pretty pleased with herself on the subject of passwords, but when Mackenzie unveiled her back-up plan, the red haired girl's face faltered for just a moment. "What makes you think Frankie knows my password?" she asked slowly, trying to play it some sort of cool. "She's not really into like, technology. Maybe she forgot. If I ever told her at all. Maybe I'll take it to the grave?"

	From: notonyourteam	Date: May 13th, 2011 07:55 am (UTC)		(Link)

Mackenzie swallowed thickly, she felt kind of bad that she thought that a Tatum with an upper hand was kinda hot. Now she couldn’t exactly say no, especially with the challenging tone that Tatum was using. Damn little red head, and her scary secret manipulating ways. She was probably the only person who could manage to back Mackenzie into such a corner.

“Ugh, no! I can handle it,” She protested weakly. “Let’s start it now, you are so loosing this bet!”

Mackenzie pouted slightly at the red head, they so hadn’t even started the bet yet when she had said that. It was just too easy to make those comments to the girl, she was practically dangling them in front of Mackenzie’s face. “Tatum! I do not rip on you, I flirt with you. There’s a difference!” She whined, “It’s endearing when I do it, right?”

“Wait,” she paused for a moment in thought. “You think I’m a dickhead?”

She tried not to laugh as Tatum tried deter her from approaching Frankie on the subject. She just smirked, a mischievous glint appearing in her eye. “I never said that she had to tell me the password, just that she probably knew what you were hiding and might just tell me if I ask her.” Her smirk got wider, she knew when she won a battle and right now she was winning. “Based on your excuses as to why I shouldn’t ask her, I bet she knows a lot.”