devo’s Comments (group member since Nov 26, 2018)

Despite everything that just happened between them, Salem was still completely infatuated with Lorenzo, even if in that screaming match she didn’t exactly act like it. Her crush was always so underlying and subliminal that she herself sometimes forgets it there. She admires his drive, which is something that not many people his age have — most people would be worried about where their next drink would be, or who’s party is coming up so picturing Lorenzo setting aside all of that for his family was just something that she respected so much.

Maybe that’s why she was so quick to forgive him. She knew that what was weighing on him was heavier than anything that she was dealing with, even though she herself is dealing with a lot. Or maybe they were almost on the same boat but on opposite sides of the spectrum: She’s lost here without a family struggling alone while he’s lost trying to keep a large one afloat and in one piece. Maybe that’s another reason why she crushes so hard. She at least could relate to struggling

Day in and day out Salem has woken up to an empty apartment. It’s been some time since she’s seen her mom, dad or sister. Salem always wondered what they were up to, if they were looking for her or if they simply gave up. Things were tense when she left, so it’s not like she was expecting their lives to change by that much (she did explicitly tell them not to bother about her whereabouts). Still the loneliness never gets any easier.

“Seriously, it’s okay I get. Things were tense.” She sighed leaning back into her hands as she stared blankly into the pavement. After that she let silence consume them. It was awkward and still vaguely tense, but is was nice. His shoulder was close enough to almost touch hers — the closest its ever been since she met him. She shivered, not because of the cold but because of the proximity.

Why does she hate me?

“Oh,” She said finally looking at him gently, her eyes sad and her nose flushed pink from the cold. “Oh Lorenzo no, she doesn’t hate you don’t ever say that.” Her hands held onto the crumbling sidewalk tightly, for she tried to resist the urge to put physically comfort him. “She’s just scared. Her life has been changing around her so rapidly and she’s been given more responsibility lately to juggle everything at once. She’s just a teenager, people tend to forget that.” Salem started. “There was going to have to be a time where she lashed out, it’s all a part of life. She didn’t mean any of what she said. Trust me.”

Shaking her head, she finally succumbed to her urge and rested a hand on his back, rubbing in small circles that she used to do when her sister was screaming and crying about some boy. “Lorenzo the only thing she tells me is how determined you are to be the best brother she could ask for. Half related or not.”

She finally mustered up the courage to say something more than a formal greeting so she expected a little more from Lorenzo. It was all probably just wishful thinking, for Salem tended to expect the best results out of her actions, not realizing that instead of happily accepting her attempts at comfort Lorenzo would simply just snap at her the same way he did to his sister 10 minutes prior. But the only difference was: she wasn’t his sister. There is no way he should be talking to her like that. The malice behind his words left Salem speechless, blinking without any word to say. She scoffed in disbelief.

Are you serious right now?

At that her entire body went cold and her veins turned into ice. She squinted her eyes narrowly at Lorenzo. The fucking audacity! He didn’t even bothered to call her by her first name, because she knew he didn’t even know what it was. At that, she snapped.

“You? Salem! My fucking name is Salem! You know, Salem Penderghast, your sister best friend? Her only friend? The same Salem who listens to your sister rant about all her problems when no one else will! The same Salem that helps tutor her when she’s failing a class! The same person who’s been at this house enough for you to fucking remember her name! I’m that fucking Salem!” She shouted, her voice slightly cracking at the end giving away the hurt behind her acidic words.

“You know, it’s fine that you’re hurt and all I get it. Trust me I really do,” She spat finally rising from her spot on the bed and snatching her keys that she put down, ironically not too long ago. “But it’s really an asshole move to talk to someone like that who’s just trying to fucking help.” That next sentence came out softer, more broken, showing the extent of the hurt Lorenzo caused her just then.

In a rush Salem threw all of her stuff back in her backpack and swung it carelessly around her shoulders. Right now he isn’t Lorenzo Calderon, the man who Salem can’t seem to form sentences around and can’t help overanalyzing every interaction, no right now he’s just a real piece of shit. She did not feel herself blush when he looked at her in that moment, on the contrary the only emotion Salem felt right now was disgust. She forced her feet back into her boots, firmly prepared to leave. There was no one left in this house that Salem would want to talk to anymore.

Clenching her hands so tightly around her keys that her knuckles turned white and she could feel the cold metal pressing against her palm she, just like Elizabeth did, stormed past him in a huff, stomped down the stairs and grabbed her coat so aggressively that the holder rattled and the kids watching TV turn their eyes for a quick second just to see what the commotion was.

Slamming the door shut behind her Salem stepped into the cold night air, the sun firmly set behind the clouds and the moon shining a pale blue light on all of Warwick. She sighed heavily finally taking a breather after everything that happened inside. The frigid cold was a nice contrast from the boiling heat she felt that was festering within her. She parked ways from Elizabeth’s and Salem was just too pissed off at the moment for a leisurely stroll so instead of immediately heading for her hand me down Honda Civic she plopped down on the curb by a light post, just breathing in the icy winter air and letting hot fiery tears run down her cheeks. How dare he say something like that to me! What is this kids issue! Trying to rewind what just happened was too much for Salem to wrap her head around.

When the door opened again, Salem only scrunched down further — pulling her knees into her chest without bothering to turn to Lorenzo who she knew was standing behind her. She wanted to say sorry for loitering I’ll go, seems like I’m not wanting anyways but before Salem could sneer at him when he sat down next to her (unbearably close she might add) she caught a look at his eyes, seeing how damp they were under the moonlight and she sighed. In spite of the situation she chuckled bitterly. “Yeah you were being a dick. I get it though, it wasn’t my place to say anything.”

Full Brother. Ouch. Salem wasn’t even a member of this family and she felt a punch through her gut that almost knocked the wind out of her through that statement. Averting her eyes to the floor she wished in that very moment that she could just sink into the bed and disappear underneath the blankets and pillows. There probably is a spell for that, now that she thinks about it, but even trying to use her out of control and measly powers in this situation is not only extremely dangerous but incredibly incredibly idiotic. So instead of acting on her urge she stayed quiet like she did the moment Lorenzo barged into the room. Maybe if she continued not to say anything they would simply forget she ever existed. Yeah, she liked that option way better.

Salem was left stunned and felt more foreign in this environment than ever as she sat on the edge of the bed carefully, wincing as Elizabeth stormed past her, leaving behind a gust of wind that blew her blonde hair every so slightly and left and awkward chill hanging in the air. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be here, she knew she should have just stayed home, because if she did Salem wouldn’t have to be sitting in thick silence, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide. What do you even say to that? Salem had a bad feeling about this whole day. I guess her instincts finally proved her right. And still she didn’t even dare to look up, for she knew the only other person Lorenzo could be looking at was her.

Hearing the door bitterly slam downstairs made Salem jump almost three feet in the air. Though the tension left with Liz, Salem still was heating up like a furnace under Lorenzo’s gaze. Her silly crush aside, she felt more awkward than embarrassed at this point. Though she subtly reached for her keys during the argument, ready to get up and just flee the situation like a scared deer, she knew that the poor boy was hurting. She could hear it in his voice. Yet she let the awkward silence continue for a while longer — the only noises that can be heard were the sniffling of a 6 year old and the distant sounds of gunshots and explosions from the action movie the kids downstairs were blasting.

Part of her expected Lorenzo to chase after Elizabeth with a couple choice words of his own, but he lingered, like a kicked puppy. Salem really pitied him, he always seemed to be handed the short end of the stick and even though Salem could see both sides of the story and she was slightly biased based on the relationship she cultivated with his sister she couldn’t help but try to boost up his spirits. Her mind raced with things to say that would make sense in this situation — she knew if she said one wrong thing she would immediately overstep her boundaries. So instead of saying anything at first, she scratched the back of her neck nervously and forced herself to look at him.

“Just give her some space she’ll come around.” Salem offered quietly. She based her advice on the times Elizabeth would get mad at her over little things. It would sometimes end up with petty arguments and grudges but after a couple days everything would be back to normal. That’s just how teenagers are — moody, unpredictable and wishy-washy. There should be no reason why today wouldn’t be the same thing. “I know for a fact she really loves you, things have just been kinda rough in her world lately.” she also added, trying to add a pitiful smile, hoping that was enough to calm him down. This had been the most Salem had ever said to him but of course, she was the only one who noticed that.

This was the first time Casper was the one to be calm and collected in a supernatural environment. Any other time it would have been him who was scared panicked and confused. So he could really relate to how Vee was feeling at this very moment. And he pitied her he really did. When he first changed, he basically disappeared off the face of the earth, only returning when he was sure he could control himself in front of the public.

But, this begs the question: How long ago did Vee turn? What if it turns out she was just an older vampire than him and he matured way more rapidly than most? It sure did feel that way sometimes, though it was this year that he finally suppressed his urges to sink his fangs into anything with a pulse.

Yet, she asked the question before he got a chance to. He was glad that she calmed down some, for he felt like he was invading her personal space when he first encountered her. Looking around at the scene before him -- the dead rabbit and the blood still warm and dripping off of Vee's fingertips -- and couldn't help but think about how strange it was that everything felt extremely normal to him.

Well, at least as normal as it can get nowadays.

"Nice to meet you, Vee," He started shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "It's fine really, trust me this is not the weirdest thing I've seen. I wanna say I turned 5 years ago, though it seems like days and years blend together nowadays." Which is true. Every day seems mixed together in a jumble since he's lost the need to sleep. A Monday is the exact same thing as a Wednesday, and recently Casper hasn't even bothered checking the dates for it really never mattered. "Don't you think it'd be a good idea that we get out of here and get you cleaned up?"

Nasir was overall uncomfortable with the whole interaction since he spilled the coffee on Charlie. Though he smiled weakly at her when she introduced herself, he was thinking in the back of his mind about when his window of opportunity to escape was. He figured that once he let her pay for his coffee he would be free to wander home where he can shut himself inside his room, where he's the most at ease. Taking her small hand gingerly in his own he gave it a shake. "Nasir, nice to meet you." He replied politely, offering a better grin than the half-assed/awkward one he gave her before.

The smile was replaced with a frown yet again when another person strolled into the coffee shop casually headed their way. Great another person Nasir sighed to himself, prepared to formulate another polite greeting. But when he saw the way Charlie stiffened to the new guy's entrance made him question their relationship to one another. Though the man seemed happy to see her, the feeling was definitely not mutual. Deciding not to interact with the guy Nas turned his back to him, following the girl to the cashier. Nas hoped the new guy wouldn't give him any further problems, human interaction was never his strong suite.

Call Salem overdramatic, but in the back of her mind since it was brought up, she was counting down the minutes till Lorenzo came home. She was hoping he’d come back, his eyes tired from all the work he had done that day, lethargic but open to conversation. That’s the only window of opportunity Salem had to speak to him, because if he was fully alert and active Lorenzo usually would be running around like a chicken without a head trying to finish errands that Elizabeth and his parents didn’t have time to get to yet. Whenever she finally gets a chance to see him, he is either there for a brief second just to disappear out the door as quickly as he came in, or is passed out in various parts of the house (his favorite spot was the couch by the TV).

But today would be different. She imagined herself flawlessly descending down the stairs and staring up a riveting discussion that would finally break the ice between the two. This would lead to Lorenzo at least recognizing her as Salem Penderghast and not “That-One-Girl-That-Elizabeth-Knows” or “Liz’s Friend”. That was her vision. Of course however, like most things in her life, what she had planned in the little fantasy in her head did not come true. Actually it was quite the impressive opposite.

“Liz c’mon it hasn’t even been two hours yet,” Salem nagged like a hypocrite for her laptop has been closed 15 minutes into the study session and was busy tapping through her phone with her notebook left flopped open completely blank and her pink ink pen on the floor, for it rolled off while Salem was paying it no mind. “Life is hard.” She finished averting her eyes to give a look to her, sitting up from her lazily position to finally look over some notes. “Alright seriously let’s look at some-“ Her sentence was cut of by an abrupt bang and a gust of wind. Looking up she stared at Lorenzo, his face red and his eyes on fire. oh shit oh shit oh shit.

She wanted him home early but not this early! She didn’t even have time to check if she looked presentable — her hair was probably a mess from laying around in Elizabeth’s bed for hours! All color drained from her face and was replaced with bright pink as she blushed so hard she could swear her cheeks alone could heat up the entire house. Yet, Lorenzo obviously wasn’t paying her any mind. He was busy comforting Sam their brother and throwing curse words at Elizabeth.

Finally tuning into the conversation she realized what was actually happening. Her brown eyes flickering back and forth from one screaming face to the other was enough to make her head spin. What was even going on? Salem couldn’t really tell, she wasn’t previously informed that Elizabeth had prior plans (important ones at that, seeing that a little boy was in hysterics). If she’d known, maybe Salem would’ve stayed home. And yet, a little part of her was glad that she didn’t. Because even though there was probably a serious family conversation going on right in front of her face that she definitely was not supposed to be listening in to, the only thing that Salem was thinking about was how hot Lorenzo looked when he was angry. Oh boy, she’s got it bad.

Residence Name & Description: Salem's Apartment
Who Lives Here?: Just Salem and her cat
Picture/Description:: The only place that Salem can afford right now. It surely isnt a looker, but it's home nonetheless.

living room:
https://66.media.tumblr.com/2ac8fdf3a...

bedroom:
https://66.media.tumblr.com/7f3f19ede...

Salem feigned surprise whenever Elizabeth told her of her brother's tyranny, but she knew all too well of Lorenzo's actions. He was quick to Elizabeth's aide even when she was adamant about not needing help. His temper was short and his patience is even shorter. Overall, Lorenzo is a psychopath of a brother, but for some unknown reason that doesn't stop Salem from finding him completely endearing. Maybe there was simply something wrong with her. She's probably losing her marbles as a result from being here too long. Or maybe she's simply just too lonely and hungry for male attention to think clearly.

Sure Salem, blame it on the hormones.

"Oh we could definitely be roomies, God knows I need some companionship. The only people I live with now are my cat and the squirrels in the walls of my apartment." She said, half joking, half being entirely serious. Her apartment takes the word "shabby" to a whole new level -- its squeaky doors, hard to open windows, and peeling walls don't exactly make up for a perfect living situation, but it's literally all an 18-year-old high school student with a low paying part time job could manage to pay rent for.

Salem never usually let other people into her apartment, the whole ordeal is simply embarrassing and frankly, too long of a story to explain: "Sorry that the toilet doesn't flush sometimes and the sink only has cold water, funny story, I actually never meant to live here, but I'm cursed to be a witch and can't leave without dying & I have no relatives anywhere in the vicinity so I just deal with it!". Yeah, No. She prefers going to the person's house rather than vice versa. That counts for Elizabeth as well. It's simply easier that way.

At the mention of dates, Salem scrunched her nose dramatically in fake disgust. "I'd actually cut off my own leg then take anyone from school to the dance. The number of fart and "yo momma" jokes I hear from our grade is actually repulsive." She laughed being completely honest. She feels like she and Elizabeth are the only mature people in Warwick High. That's why Salem hangs around her best friend more than anyone else. Trying to keep up a conversation with another senior is enough for Salem to actually lose a couple of brain cells.

Salem Penderghast
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Milan Williams
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Arya Croft
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Casper Grey
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Bryce Freeman
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"Yeah, in my opinion, I don't think I'm going to need to use tangent lines and hypotenuse when I graduate I mean, that's technology is for, right?" Salem laughed, kicking off her chestnut Uggs, leaving behind a pair of neon green fuzzy socks. Crossing her legs Salem flipped the pages of her used Calculus textbook trying to find the pages needed for review. "But literally though, limits are the easiest part of Calculus, I promise." She assured her.

Salem was busy fiddling with her Macbook as Elizabeth spoke to her about her brother Lorenzo. She wondered to herself about where Lorenzo was now, was he on his way home or still at practice? Would today be the day where they'd move past the "hi" and "bye" stage?" Salem couldn't really tell.

Blinking back out of her thoughts she turned to Elizabeth. "Seriously? You're going to be an adult, he can't baby you anymore." She said looking away from her screen to look at her friend. While Salem did not have any older siblings she was positive that that's not how a normal one should act. "Plus, I don't think Lorenzo is stopping any boys anytime soon. He might not think of you as a woman but I bet all our horn-ball classmates do." She giggles, jokingly tossing a pillow at her. She pulled out her ponytail and ran her hand through her blonde hair. "At the end of the day, if you end up going alone at least we'll be alone together." She joked.

Let's admit it. Chemistry is a subject that no highschooler would voluntarily pay attention to. At least any normal high schooler, which Bryce definitely was. He could barely keep his eyes open in this class let alone pay attention. And today's double lab period was just simply torturing, plus yesterday's basketball practice did not help his energy at all either. Tapping his pencil absentmindedly he listened to the music on his phone using a hack he learned from a senior his freshman year (the trick is putting the earphone wire through a sweatshirt sleeve and secretly lean your ear in the hand with the earphone. Works every time.) And besides, A Tribe Called Quest was definetly ten times more interesting than whatever Mr. Freedman had to say.

But I guess it would have been better to be paying attention after all.

As his eyes fluttered closed to the sound of "Electric Relaxation" the other kids who were smart enough to listen all rose and started switching seats to be with their friends for the lab project. When he was just about to drift off into dreamland he was awakened by a sudden jolt in the lab chair he was sitting on, that was caused by another student scooting past him in an attempt to reach their partner. Jumping awake with the music paused he looked around at his now empty row. What the fuck? He thought to himself rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Where was he? What class was he in again? Oh shit, chemistry that's right.

Glancing at the board he read aloud "Chemical Mixing Lab?" and looked at everyone paired up around him. Well damn, is he gonna have to do this on his own? Standing up he looked in the rows behind him, desperate at this point when he spotted a girl equally as confused. Well, she'd have to do. Gathering his stuff he slid into the empty seat by the girl and offered her a smile. "Hi there partner!"

Nasir scratched the back of his head quizzically. Seriously, what is with her? Nasir was never one for socialization, reserving his energy towards controlling his powers rather than using it to take a walk outside or meeting new people, so every new interaction he makes with someone is new and always confuses the hell out the poor kid. Seriously, how can she look at him with a smile after this incident? Nasir would have definitely been using all types of profanity and foul insults if the roles have been reversed. Yet, he was relieved that they weren't.

"Yeah," He replied with a soft chuckle, finally succumbing to this girl's overwhelmingly positive attitude. "I guess you're right." He said finally, cleaning up the leftover puddles of coffee that dripped on the seat. "But before you do that act of kindness, may I get your name?" This was new to him. He didn't know many people in this town, let alone by name. She'd be the first actually. Nasir was never too worried about the people in his town, though he has lived here for long enough to gain at least a couple handful of acquaintances. His mind was on a fast track that only focused on the ghosts and ghouls that beg him for attention.