#juliet capulet icon | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

krmy2386 · 1 year

Text

I Hate Love Songs

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader

PLEASE DON’T STEAL!!!

Be kind🙏🏻

Word count: about 1,400 😅

I did a poll. He won. Here it is❤️! Based on the Kelsea Ballerini song.

I hate Shakespeare and Gosling and cakes with white frosting

Two names in a heart-shaped tattoo

Rooster loved love. He grew up admiring the stories he heard about his father and mother’s love story. He loved romance and grand gestures. Today he stood by his Godfather’s side as he finally married the woman he loved.

As watched Maverick and Penny’s first kiss, his eyes wandered to his own love sitting in the church next to a teary Phoenix. Poor Y/N was almost physically cringing at the large display of affection. Rooster had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

Rooster knew he and Y/N had very different ideas of showing affection. Rooster wanted to serenade her at the Hard Deck and show off that he found the love of his life. Y/N was far more comfortable with little acts of affection. Like cooking dinner together or holding hands in line at the grocery store. She knew that they were in love, and to her that was all that mattered.

Later that night, the entire team looked on from their table as the bride and groom finished up their first dance.

“They look so happy!” Phoenix gushed.

“Yeah. They’re like Romeo and Juliet brought to life, but with a better ending.” Joked Fanboy. The whole table laughed and agreed.

Y/N couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Romeo and Juliet were idiots.” She said defiantly. Rooster just smirked to himself and thought, ‘Here we go.”

The entire table looked at her in shock.

“What do you mean?” Coyote asked, “They’re the most iconic love story!”

“I mean exactly what I said. They were idiots who put their entire families and friends through unnecessary pain, when literally all they had to do was talk to their families and they would’ve been fine.” Y/N explains.

“Hate to be the one to break this to you Doll, but their families hated each other. It was kind of a major plot point.” Said Hangman cocky as ever.

“Yes it was,” Y/N, full attention now on Hangman. “And if you read Act One when they meet at the Capulet’s party, Tybalt sees that Romeo and his friends are there, rushes off to attack them, and who stops them? Juliet’s dad. He actually mentions that Romeo is the least offensive of the Montagues and tells Tybalt to back off. If they had just talked to the Friar, then their friends, then family in that order, they would’ve been fine. Not dead.”

The entire table was silent. Hangman was speechless.

Rooster, trying not to laugh, interjected, “What she means is, Mav and Penny aren’t exactly like Romeo and Juliet. Now that we settled that, Y/N come dance with me.”

Bradley grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dance floor before she could argue.

Y/N tried to look annoyed, but her facade dropped as soon as she saw Rooster’s adorable smile. He was so happy.

“Sorry if I offended your friends.” Y/N said completely sincere. She knew she could come off a bit much sometimes.

Rooster actually let out a laugh that time.

“Don’t be! Their faces were priceless!” He said almost proud of how confidently she defended her opinion.

Y/N shrugged, “I guess. I just feel like I sucked the happiness from the table. Like they were all on some ‘wedding day high’ and I killed their buzz.”

“You’re over reacting.” Bradley tried to assure her.

“Oh really?” She asked, “ Then why are they all staring and whispering?”

Rooster, tactful as ever, spun around to see that Y/N was right. The entire team was looking at them like they had two heads.

“They just,” he started then sighed, “they just don’t understand us.”

Y/N looked in to Bradley’s eyes and smiled.

“I know they don’t.” She said. “It’s hard for me to comprehend sometimes too.”

“What?” Rooster asked.

“Just how much I love you.” Y/N said smiling.

I hate pink hearts with glitter and Valentine's dinner

And roses just die in a week

We were drunk when we met so we don't know our anniversary, woops

“What are we doing here again?” Hangman asked.

Truthfully he wasn’t really listening earlier when Rooster offered Starbucks to whoever would go with him for an errand. He just heard the promise of decent coffee.

“I need to get a gift for Y/N. It’s important!” Rooster said, regretting ever asking for help.

Hangman snorted a laugh, “What’d you do? For get your anniversary or something?”

“Hard to forget when you don’t have one.” Rooster said bitterly.

“What?” Hangman asked, “Bradshaw I may not be the expert on relationships but I do know that everyone of them has a start date.”

Rooster sighed, he hated that Hangman was technically right. “We have a start date. The problem is we were both very drunk and we don’t technically remember it.”

Hangman couldn’t contain his laughter, “Finally something to prove you two don’t have a perfect relationship!”

His words caught Rooster by surprise. He thought everyone wrote them off. Even Phoenix asked him how serious they really were. She claimed that Y/N ‘didn’t act like she even liked him.’

“You really think that?” Asked Rooster.

“Well, yeah.” Hangman said as if it were obvious. “Look Bradshaw, based on what I’ve heard, you two may not act like your parents but y’all definitely act like mine. My dad wasn’t a real touchy-feely person and my mom most definitely is. They balanced each other. Like you and Y/N do.”

Rooster thought he was hallucinating. How was Hangman the one who understood them the best?

“Thanks Seresin. That means a lot.” Rooster said, genuinely.

“Don’t get used to it, Bradshaw.” Hangman jokingly replied, “Now, let’s find your girl a non-anniversary gift.”

I hate love songs

The old and the new

I hate love songs

But I love you

When Bradley suggested they pick a day and declare it their anniversary, Y/N was apprehensive.

She had no problem with the idea of an anniversary. She just didn’t think it was necessary to pick one at random. She knew that they would have one eventually. They two had spoken at length about getting married and their future together. So why randomly pick one instead of just waiting for the real one.

Once she saw how excited Bradley got at the idea of celebrating, she decided to try to embrace it and make it the best she could.

They stayed home, Y/N’s choice, and then went to bakery to pick out cupcakes before driving down to the beach for a late night picnic, Bradley’s choice.

What she wasn’t expecting was a fully set up cabana tent, candles and fairly lights. She should’ve known he’d do something a little extra.

The two sat together on the beach and ate their desserts.

“This is perfect!” Y/N said leaning on Rooster’s shoulder.

He just smiled. ‘Nailed it!’ He thought to himself.

“But,” Y/N started, causing massive confusion to cross Rooster’s face, “there are still gifts!”

Y/N handed Bradley a small box.

Bradley tore into it like a kid on Christmas.

He was stunned by what he saw.

“I thought I lost these!” He shouted, “You tricked me!”

Y/N busted out laughing.

“I know! I know! I’m sorry!”

They were Rooster’s, well technically Goose’s sunglasses. They were horribly scratched, and broke one day at training. Bradley was distraught. She had them sent off to a special repair shop to restore them.

“They should be back in all of their 1980s glory.” Y/N stated proudly.

Bradley slipped them on and grinned, “They’re perfect! Thank you!”

He leaned in and gave her a quick peck.

“Now your turn!” Bradley was so excited he almost threw Y/N her present.

Y/N carefully opened the box to reveal a locket that had the outline of a rose etched into it.

“You say not to get you flowers since they just die so I found a way to get you one that won’t.” Rooster explained.

“And if you open it,” Bradley reacher for the necklace, “There’s my favorite picture of us.”

It was from Maverick and Penny’s wedding. Fanboy and Payback were incredibly drunk and dared Rooster to kiss his own girlfriend. Ameilia happened to get a picture of it.

“I love it,” Y/N could feel the tears coming, “Put it on me?” She asked.

Rooster helped fasten the delegate necklace and place a kiss to her neck.

Y/N turned around and gently grabbed Rooster’s face. “I love you Bradley Bradshaw. More than anything.”

It was Bradley’s turn to get teary-eyed, “I love you to Y/N! More than you could ever imagine.”

TAG LIST- Thank you for the encouragement❤️

@luckyladycreator2

@b-bradshaw

@t-rexs

@rosiahills22

@vienna1644

@timbradfordsboot

@blue-aconite

@barbiegirlbaby

@ahopelessromanticwritersworld

@wanniiieeee

@insomniac23

@xinsonyax

@goawayi-mreading

@daughterofthereaper02

@a-reader-and-a-writer

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x female reader #rooster bradshaw x reader #rooster imagine #rooster x reader #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #rooster top gun #hangman top gun #thank you #jake hangman seresin #top gun

165 notes · View notes

princeanon · 4 months

Text

I made a modern adaptation of some R&J scenes (2.4 and 3.1) for a film project, and just had to share some of my favorite moments, in no particular order

“Queen Mab get to you again?”

- Benvolio, to Mercutio

The film was called Queen Mab, and it’s centered around Mercutio, with an emphasis on his dreams and hints to a time loop situation?

There was SO MUCH DOMESTIC BENCUTIO YOU HAVE NO IDEa

Like, Ben wakes Mercutio up and calls him sUnShiNe before handing him water

Also, he calls Mercutio “Merc” a few times throughout the film

All of the characters names are shortened in the script purely because I didn’t want to type them every time (Tybalt=Ty, Benvolio=Ben, Mercutio=Merc, Romeo=Ro, and Juliet was just Juliet)

Ben is CONSTANTLY checking his phone for texts from Romeo like he’s so worried poor guy

Meanwhile Merc is tormenting him

“I can see it now:

Here lies Romeo. Died from being left on read.”

- Mercutio, about Romeo’s crush on Rosaline

Ben extends an arm to Merc as they leave, and he takes it before grabbing his dagger

When they go to find Romeo, Ben brings a notebook with him that disappears once the Merc and Tybalt fight starts

Ben is wearing a shirt that says “MERCUTIO IS MY HOMEBOY”

a necklace with a purple gem (👀)

a cute blue and green jacket

and a beanie that does not fit properly at all

Meanwhile Merc is wearing a purple MIT shirt

When Ben and Merc spot Romeo, they hide behind a tree like those classic cartoons where you can only see their upper half sticking out of the tree

Our Romeo & Juliet were in a production of Sound of Music together as Maria and Von Trapp respectively so when I told them to act in love in the distance, they just started doing the Laendler choreography

Ben shows Tybalt’s “challenge” for Romeo to Merc via his phone, which implies that Tybalt texted Benvolio and was like “hey man can you let your cousin know I wanna fight him?”

We needed a shot of our Tybalt appearing behind Ben & Merc, and Ty was insistent that he climb a nearby tree and jump out of it

That shot took 15+ takes before we even got to his part, so he spent the better part of half an hour sitting in a tree waiting for his queue.

He jumped down too early during one take and had to re-climb the tree

Merc boops Ben several times throughout the film, and we had a few very flirtatious takes that didn’t make the Final Cut because we kept breaking character

“Careful, Good Benvolio, your irrefutable temper is showing”

- Merc to Ben when he complains about Romeo’s terrible decision-making skills

He calls him “Benny boy”

During one take, he accidentally said “bunny boy” and I told him he could definitely do that purposely if he wanted

Tybalt had recently done a production of R&J, so he asked to add the “peace be with you” line into the script, which I 100% supported, we spent a while during the shoot just quoting R&J back and forth, and he noticed all of my references in the script

Romeo was instructed to enter the Tybalt scene after a specific line, so he hid around the corner and FULLY RAN into the scene yelling “GUYS GUYS YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT I—“

Romeo is taller than both Ben and Merc, and he almost tackles both during his entrance

Oh my gosh Romeo and Tybalt have some kind of bromance going on IRL which is so fun but it was so difficult to get the two of them to pay attention because they were just hanging out with each other

Romeo had a line that goes “woah, Tybalt, calm down” and instead he said “Yoooo, Tybalt, chill out man” which made all of us break

When Tybalt confronts Romeo, you can hear a bird in the background, that stops the second Ty pulls out his dagger, which was accidental but iconic

I choreographed a sword fight, but Merc and Ty mostly improvised, they had a lot of fun

Our Juliet filmed the whole scene by the way, along with most of the other scenes

Also, in the script she had one line, in which she was supposed to say something with the word Capulet, and she kept joking to everyone that she was already off book

I ended up cutting the line for convenience and plot purposes, sorry Jules 😭

“Capulet”

- Not Juliet, since the line got cut

Romeo & Juliet joked about going to marriage counseling after they were struggling to film one of the scenes (J on camera, R with the boom mic)

They traded jobs after J accidentally filmed R for the entire take

In between shots, Ty and Merc were stabbing mushrooms with their daggers, Romeo was throwing rocks at a spider, and Juliet and I were just like, watching all of it happen

We had fake blood for Merc to put on his hand, and it ended up staining his hand so he spent like 10 minutes washing it off afterwards

When Merc dies, Ben holds his hand and rests his face against Merc’s head (also, he fully dies in Ben’s lap)

Then we went back and filmed the first scene and lemme tell you Mercutio is iconic but he was so so so bad at waking up

He kept asking me “how am I supposed to wake up???? How does one wake up scared???” And I was like “I don’t know man!!!!!”

Some lines taken directly from the play include “Romeo, my cousin Romeo!” (2.1) “A challenge, on my life” (2.4) “Come sir, your passado” (3.1) and of course, “Peace be with you” (3.1)

Also, Merc still calls Ty a ratcatcher, and Ty calls out to Ben and Merc by saying gentlemen

Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Took 4 hours of filming for a 4 minute long film, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I played Benvolio by the way. Probably should have mentioned that sooner.

#romeo and juliet #bencutio #benvolio montague #mercutio x benvolio #mercutio escalus #juliet capulet #tybalt capulet #romeo x juliet #romeo x tybalt

36 notes · View notes

crazyw3irdo · 30 days

Note

as someone whos got a romeo and juliet adaptation/sequel on the backburner, i have a question for you: What is your favorite part of this play? It can be themes, a scene, or a character or whatever else! Personally my favorite thing in it, at the risk of sounding cliche, are the themes of destiny and doom. I also like benvolio (totally didnt get him in ur quiz lol)

oooh!! well i mean the obvious answer for me is equally obvious i think lol

i fuckin love mercutio. so much so that even if im watching a version of r&j i don’t care for i’ll stick around at least until he dies lol

he really just cements the tragedy of it all to me. if the story were a romance he’d just be the silly best friend comic relief character, and, aside from the opening narration and a couple fights, r&j really can seem like a romance… up until mercutio dies. his death is a signifier of the tonal shift. the happy-go-lucky guy who brings romeo to a party and cracks jokes just died. you want comic relief? he’s dead.

and of course there’s the fact that he shouldn’t even be involved. he’s not a capulet or a montague. he’s related to the prince. not a part of the families. he’s a casualty. he was a friend to romeo and benvolio- two montagues- and he was invited to the capulet party! he’s how they got in! he had no enemies- he shouldn’t’ve died! hell, had romeo not come between him and tybalt, he might have lived. then romeo wouldn’t’ve killed tybalt, he wouldn’t’ve been banished, juliet wouldn’t’ve had to fake her death leading to well… everyone knows that part.

he only got into the fight to defend his friend’s honor. (well, to be fair depending on how you read the dialogue before the fight, mercutio might be pretty ready to jump into a fight for any reason lol) but still, he got into that fight because tybalt wanted to fight romeo, and he only died because romeo intervened.

what really gets me too is… no one seems to mourn him. sure, yes, romeo kills tybalt in revenge, but then immediately tybalt’s death takes priority. everyone’s freaking out about how tybalt died- tybalt is mourned. i don’t recall if mercutio is ever mentioned again. (edit: mercutio is mentioned when paris dies, romeo calls him mercutio’s kinsman, but that’s. still not much)

there’s also his iconic quote as he’s dying- a plague on both your houses. as he dies he goes out screaming about how both families are at fault, how it’s their own stubbornness that is causing all this. and if anyone listened to him, maybe things would’ve been different. but still, romeo and juliet (…and paris i guess?) have to die before anyone actually listens.

also, on a more lighthearted note, he is fucking hilarious. his whole queen mab monologue to make fun of romeo is a personal highlight, as well as his line like… quoting from memory here, “here comes romeo, without his ‘ro’ like a dried fish.” okay okay so this is when they still think romeo is into rosaline, hence the “ro” but also “roe” like fish eggs, but also meo is a word for “sigh” so he’s sad because he doesn’t have his crush with him all told with a fish pun. love this guy i aspire to be on his level

ooh, also, when a staged production (or other kind? it’s most common staged) uses red for the capulets and blue for the montagues, i love when mercutio wears purple. goes back to my earlier point about him not being either but still being friendly with both.

also speaking about very specific productions of romeo and juliet some mercutio highlights:

-in rómeó és júlia (personal fav version of mercutio) when mercutio gets stabbed, he bleeds, gets his hand covered in blood, and slaps romeo before he dies, so romeo goes through the rest of that scene wearing his friends blood and it really adds to it

-also in that version they give mercutio a rap verse that is in no other version and i think of it constantly

-he also keeps flirting with everyone and kisses both romeo and benvolio and tries to with tybalt

-i made a compilation of him in that version i never posted actually i should see if i can find it

-in the italian version of romeo et juliette mercutio kisses romeo as he dies and it’s really intense lmao

-okay actually just watch this video comparing different versions of le duel from romeo et juliette i’ll stop talking about those versions specifically lmao (and watch les rois du monde & la mort de mercutio on the same channel)

youtube

-in romeo + juliet he wears heelys and when he says “by my heel i care not” you can see them lmao

-in that version he also dresses in drag and i love it

-riff from west side story is not technically mercutio but he sings the jet song & cool and i love those songs so hell yeah

-okay i said i wouldn’t talk about versions of retj again but going back to my beloved hungarian version rómeó és júlia the guy who plays mercutio also voices the onceler in the hungarian version of the lorax and if i have to know that so do you

anyway i genuinely plan for my last words to be “ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man” so yeah love that guy and personally think this could have all been avoided had he started dating romeo and benvolio and hell why not have a toxic fling with tybalt what who said that

#sorry this isn’t more put together i was just streaming for four hours took like a half hour break and then wrote all this #i’ve definitely made these points before in clearer ways before i think if you go deep enough into my #romeo and juliet #tag you’ll find them somewhere in there #crazwaz posted #audience participation #<- my ask tag feels more apt than ever now lol

11 notes · View notes

rosencrantzsguildenstern · 2 months

Text

Gnomeo and Juliet are both garden gnomes caught up in the feud of who has a better garden, Gnomeo's owner Mr. Montague or Juliet's owner, Miss Capulet. But they'll make their romance work even if none of the other garden gnomes get along.

I think this is a really well done way to adapt the story where quite a few characters die for children to understand the main story points without full commitment to the tragic side. Also, every one who is anyone in this is amazing! The Friar, Nurse, and Paris steal many scenes. And the epic battle at the end with the lawn mowers?!?! love it. Plus, William Shakespeare does make a bit of an appearance.

Natalie, a girl from a small midwestern town in the 1950s which has essentially outlawed having fun, becomes infatuated with Chad, a rockin’-rollin’ Elvis parody of a motorbiker who can fix broken jukeboxes just by touching them. Natalie, after initially failing to capture his attention, pretends to be a man named Ed, becoming Chad’s designated male ”sidekick.”(He says he always needs one in every town he visits.) Meanwhile, Chad chases after another woman named Sandra, who, in a misunderstanding, becomes infatuated with Ed. Natalie’s best friend is also in love with her, and there’s a forbidden romance plotline between the son of the mayor and a regular town girl. (they’re usually portrayed as an interracial relationship, but apparently that’s not actually true of every production?) There’s a lot going on. Also, it’s an Elvis jukebox musical!

It's an incredibly queer love story (as evidenced by Chad, who has fallen in love with Ed, immediately leaving town when he realised Ed is actually Natalie) set to the songs of Elvis! What more could you want 😌

I love the decision to not have Chad and Natalie (Orsino & Viola) get together, and the bait-and-switch of having the audience root for them, literally having a bit where the audience is meant to shout that YOURE IN LOVE WITH ED (Cesario) !!!! at him (played off, of course, as a gay joke), with the expectation being that he’s only confused because Ed is Secretly A Woman, ONLY TO HAVE HIM REJECT NATALIE AT THE END BECAUSE HE WAS ONLY IN LOVE WITH ED?? Iconic. Incredible. Life-changing to see as an eight-year-old (mere months after seeing Twelfth Night for the first time). And then ALSO having Natalie say that her one true love is actually road trips ?? after Chad proposes to her ?? ICONIC. this musical has its flaws but my god I love it so much. also the Dennis/Lorraine plotline, even though it isn’t pulled anywhere from the original text, is adorable. “Forbidden love is the best. Did you ever read Romeo and Juliet? Theirs was a forbidden love, and it was the dreamiest story ever.” “Oh! How does it end?” “Not good! Wanna dance?” Delightful musical. Love it.

#tournament #gnomeo and juliet #all shook up

9 notes · View notes

beomnalwonnie · 1 year

Text

the killers embrace | ethan landry

ethan landry x oc! fem

"Sometimes the line between love and madness is so thin, you don't know which side you're on until it's too late."

a/n: i haven’t watched scream 6, so most of this is based off of tiktok/scream wiki pages. i’ll be updating this story sporadically as i am a college student. this story is also posted on my wattpad @beomnalwonnie. I recommend reading it there because the aesthetics are much better.

word count : 3.5k

ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

chapter one

The frat house was alive with the energy of the Halloween costume party. The walls were shaking from the blaring music, and the air was thick with the mingling scents of cheap beer and sweat. The guests were decked out in a myriad of costumes, ranging from classic vampires to modern pop culture icons.

Dahlia sauntered in fashionably late, her Juliet Capulet costume billowing behind her, heads turned to take in her breathtaking beauty. The intricate lacework of her dress was a masterpiece, transporting her straight from the 21st century back to the 1960s, and her hair was styled with long extensions, gold headband pushing her soft hair away from her face. Her makeup was flawless, completing her stunning look, and she felt confident and ready to party.

As she weaved through the throngs of people, she felt the weight of curious gazes on her back. She brushed off the feeling and made her way to the kitchen, intent on quenching her thirst.

Ethan, dressed in a homemade costume as the brown knight from the cult film Murder Party, nervously stood in the corner of the crowded Halloween party. His cardboard helmet obscured his face, but his eyes were fixated on the girl who had just walked into the kitchen. She was talking with her friends, wearing a sparkling, gold dress that caught the dim lighting perfectly. Her beauty left Ethan in awe, and he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Chad, his best friend, noticed Ethan's gaze and followed it to Dahlia, whom he knew as Sam and Tara's new roommate. He nudged Ethan and grinned, urging him to go talk to her. But Ethan was hesitant, his nerves getting the best of him. "She's too beautiful," he protested, "I'll just embarrass myself."

Rolling his eyes, Chad said, "Come on, man, just go say hi. What's the worst that can happen?" Ethan took a deep breath, considering the possibility. He knew he should talk to her, but the fear of rejection held him back. As he debated with himself, he watched the girl and her friends laughing and having a good time.

As Dahlia closed the cooler, she sensed someone watching her. She looked up and saw a tall, handsome stranger staring at her from across the room. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, trying to play it cool. She couldn't help but feel drawn to him, even though she didn't know who he was. Ethan felt a bolt of electricity shoot through him when his eyes met hers. For a moment, he was paralyzed, lost in her gaze. She quickly looked away, sending him a shy smile and a small wave. Ethan's heart raced as he considered making a move. He could feel the warmth of Chad's encouragement, but the fear of rejection held him back.

But before she could gauge his reaction, her roommate Tara greeted her, pulling her onto the dance floor and away from the mysterious stranger. Dahlia felt a pang of disappointment but tried not to let it show. She knew that she couldn't let herself get too attached to a stranger at a party, no matter how handsome he was.

swaying to the beat of the music, Dahlia couldn't help but think of the cute boy she made eye contact with in the kitchen. Who was he, and why was he staring at her with such intensity? The question lingered in her mind as she lost herself in the revelry of the party.

Getting lost in the music, Dahlia hadn't noticed Tara being pulled away by Jason. She had heard some rumors about him from her roommates, but she had never really paid attention. Now, as she watched him whispering into Tara's ear and leading her away from the party, a sense of unease settled in her stomach.

"shit," Dahlia muttered under her breath. She sends a quick text before taking a deep breath and pushed her way through the sea of drunken college students, each seemingly more oblivious than the last.

Jason was known for being a serial dater, charming girls with his good looks and smooth talk, only to dump them unceremoniously once he got what he wanted. Dahlia had always been wary of guys like him, but she couldn't deny that he had a certain charisma that made him hard to resist.

As she scanned the party for her friend, Dahlia noticed a group of guys gathered in the corner, watching Jason and Tara with interest. They looked like trouble, and she had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Without thinking, Dahlia made her way over to the group, her heart pounding in her chest. "Hey," she said, trying to sound confident. "What's going on over there?"

The guys turned to her, and for a moment, she thought they were going to ignore her. But then one of them spoke up. "Just watching Jason work his magic," he said, smirking.

Dahlia felt a wave of disgust wash over her. She knew she was in over her head, but she couldn't let them hurt her friend. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she pushed her way through the dense crowd, her eyes darting around the room as she searched for Quinn. The pulsing beat of the music and the throng of drunk, sweaty college students only added to her growing anxiety.

Finally, she spotted Quinn in the kitchen, chatting with a group of girls. "Quinn!" she exclaimed, breathless. Quinn turned to her, her face contorting in concern at Dahlia's distressed expression. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Tara," Dahlia gasped. "Jason's got her. I texted Sam, but I need your help to get her."

Quinn's expression hardened with determination, and she shoved her solo cup into the hands of the blonde next to her, spilling some of the contents in her haste. "Let's go," she said firmly, following Dahlia's lead.

As they arrived on the scene, they saw Chad shoving Freddie away from Tara, his face twisted in anger. "Get your hands off her," he spat.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I was fine!" Tara exclaimed, her voice rising in anger.

Chad turned to face Tara, his own anger still seeping off him. "He was going to take advantage of you!" he replied, his voice tense and firm.

Tara's eyes widened in disbelief, and she couldn't help but feel offended by Chad's accusation. "I can handle myself," she retorted, her voice shaking with frustration.

Chad's expression remained stubborn as he replied, "I saw the way he was looking at you. He was only interested in one thing, and I wasn't going to let that happen."

Tara's anger only intensified at Chad's words. "You don't get to decide what's best for me, Chad. I can take care of myself," she shot back, her voice laced with irritation.

Behind the two, Quinn's eyes narrowed at Freddie, who was now backed against the wall, looking smug. "What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped.

Freddie shrugged, trying to play it off. "I was just having some fun," he said with a smirk and pushed himself off of the wall, ready to walk away from the situation, but Chad wouldn't let him go.

Chad's grip on Jason's shoulder tightened, and Jason winced in pain. He tried to push Chad's hand away, but Chad's strength was too much for him. "Come on, man, let me go," Jason pleaded, his voice trembling with fear and anger.

As the two of them argued, people began to take notice, whispers replacing the booming sound of the music. Some of them tried to intervene, but Chad was not backing down. Tara felt herself growing increasingly embarrassed by the scene, and she pushed Chad away from Jason.

"Stop it, both of you!" she exclaimed. "This is ridiculous. Jason wasn't doing anything wrong, and Chad, you need to calm down."

Chad was still fuming, but he backed off at Tara's words. "I was just trying to protect you," he said, his voice still raised.

"I don't need your protection," Tara snapped back, her own anger flaring.

Dahlia watched the exchange with growing panic. She felt like she was suffocating, her heart racing and her hands shaking. She knew she needed to get out of the party before she had a full-blown panic attack. She bolted for the door, her eyes darting around frantically as she tried to find an escape.

As she stumbled outside, she almost ran into Sam, Tara's sister. "Hey, where's Tara?" Sam asked, looking concerned.

Dahlia struggled to find the words to respond. Her mind was racing, and everything sounded muffled and distant. She pointed back to the party, where the commotion was still unfolding. Sam nodded in thanks, but Dahlia was already on her way out of the house sitting down on the porch, gasping for breath as she tried to calm herself down.

Throughout the entire encounter, Ethan couldn't help but keep his eyes on Dahlia. Sure, he knew it was creepy to stare, but he was so captivated by her that he simply couldn't look away. From the moment he saw her soft smile while dancing with Tara, to her panicked face when she realized who Tara had taken company with, Ethan couldn't help but feel a strong desire to protect her. He felt a strange connection with her, almost like they were meant to cross paths.

While watching the events unfold, Ethan's face hardened with anger at the sight of Dahlia's distress. He didn't even know this girl, yet the thought of her feeling upset made something deep inside him bubble with a fierce protectiveness. He kept his cool, though, as he watched Tara's face of confusion turn into anger when Chad grabbed onto Jason's shoulder. Ethan couldn't help but notice how protective Chad was of Tara; he clearly had a thing for her.

Things began to escalate, and Ethan let his gaze fall back to Dahlia, who was now looking around frantically. He felt a sudden urge to comfort her, to make sure she was okay. Without hesitation, he abandoned his drink, which was rather disgusting anyway, and followed her out of the frat house.

As he hurried after her, Ethan couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration mixed with nerves. He had never been the type to approach a girl like this before, but there was something about Dahlia that made him want to try. He caught up to her as she was sitting on the porch steps, fiddling with her fingers and softly talking to herself. "Hey," he said softly, trying not to startle her. "Are you okay?"

Dahlia turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, um, yeah, I'm fine," she stuttered, trying to regain her composure. "I just needed some air."

Ethan nodded, sensing that there was more to her distress than simply needing fresh air. He took a step closer to her, noticing the way she flinched slightly. "Look, I know we don't know each other, but I couldn't help but notice that you seemed upset back there," he said, gesturing back to the frat house. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Dahlia's eyes flickered with gratitude as she looked up at him. "Actually, that's really kind of you. I felt like I was suffocating, and I needed to get out of there," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan nodded sympathetically, remembering how his own anxiety had caused him distress in the past. He had always been shy and introverted, struggling to socialize and make friends. But there was something about Dahlia that made him feel comfortable, like he could open up to her without fear of judgment.

"I get it," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "If it's any consolation, I really like your princess costume." As he spoke, he couldn't help but notice how her dress flowed around her, the gold complementing her honey colored skin. If she was a star, she would be the brightest one in his galaxy.

Little did he anticipate the girl's gentle laughter in response. The sound was akin to the delicate tinkling of bells, resonating through the air and infusing his heart with a sense of warmth. For a moment, he sat there, utterly captivated by the sweet sound, committing it to memory as best he could.

He snapped back into reality when she said, "Thanks, but I'm actually dressed up as Juliet from Romeo and Juliet." Ethan's face scrunched up in confusion as he thought back to his freshman year of high school. Surely, he remembered something from the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo. "Is she not a princess?" he spoke, his brow furrowing.

He looked at her and the way she hugged her small body. Her head leaning on her knees for support. "Not really, no," Dahlia responded softly and continued, "she's just wealthy."

"Oh," Ethan spoke, feeling a bit foolish. He cursed his younger self for not paying better attention in English during its Shakespeare unit. There was a small silence before Dahlia spoke up.

"Your costume," she started and turned her body to fully look at him. "What is it supposed to be exactly?" Ethan gave her a small smile. "It's a character from a horror movie, Murder Party. You wouldn't know it if you're a casual horror fan."

Dahlia nodded and took a deep breath. "So you're a horror geek," she said with a small smirk.

Ethan's face began to feel hot from her comment and he had to look away so she couldn't see the blush that was beginning to form on his cheeks. He regretted not having told her it was some stupid last-minute costume. Dahlia noticed his tense nature and felt a bit guilty. "Hey, I'm not making fun of you," she started softly. "I was only teasing. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Ethan let out a small laugh, trying to ease the tension. "No worries, I'm just easily embarrassed," he said with a shrug.

Dahlia nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence. Ethan couldn't help but steal glances at her, taking in the way her hair fell in front of her face softly and the way her eyes sparkled in the dim light. He felt drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of his phone buzzing in his pocket.

Muttering an apology he quickly pulled out his phone to see multiple texts coming from Chad, asking where he was and letting him know everyone was about to leave.

Before he could say anything to Dahlia, Ethan watched as the front door slammed open, revealing the Carpenter sisters in the midst of a heated argument. Tara was trying to walk away from Sam, who was yelling after her.

"Tara, please," Sam pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice. I don't want to see you hurt."

Tara stopped in her tracks, her eyes flashing with anger as she whirled around to face Sam. "You don't get to tell me what to do," she spat, wrenching her wrist out of Sam's grasp. "You don't get to waltz back into my life after five years and act like you know what's best for me."

Dahlia winced at the venom in Tara's voice, and she could see the hurt and confusion etched on Sam's face. Her gaze flickered between the sisters as if trying to decide whether or not to intervene.

Ethan shifted his weight uncomfortably, not wanting to intrude on the sisters' argument. It wasn't long before someone else emerged through the door, his roommate Chad pushing through eyes searching as if he was looking for someone.

As Chad approached, Ethan couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. He had been so close to having Dahlia's attention all to himself. "You were here the whole time? I was wondering why I couldn't reach you," Chad said with a hint of annoyance. Ethan nodded casually, trying not to show any signs of discomfort. He turned his attention back to Dahlia, only to find her looking up at Chad with a soft smile. It was the same smile he had been hoping to receive from her.

"Hey Chad," Dahlia greeted him warmly. Ethan couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. He wanted Dahlia's smile to be reserved for him, not for his roommate.

"Hey Dahlia. I see you've met my roommate," Chad said, grinning at Ethan. Dahlia met Ethan's gaze and a playful smile graced her lips, causing his heart to skip a beat. The two sisters' argument that had been raging just moments before was now forgotten.

"Yeah. He's a bit mysterious though. He hasn't told me his name," Dahlia said, still smiling at Ethan.

Ethan blushed once again, feeling a little flustered. He held out his hand for her to shake. "Ethan Landry. Though I could say the same for you, Juliet," he said, attempting to make a joke. Dahlia giggled softly and shook his hand. Their handshake lasted longer than it should have, both of them caught in a trance.

But their moment was interrupted by the shouting sisters once again. "I'm just trying to look out for you," Sam argued.

"Well, don't!" Tara exclaimed, clearly agitated.

Chad coughed awkwardly and moved past Dahlia and Ethan, trying to break up the Carpenter sisters. His eyes darted around, taking in the scene unfolding before him. More people started to walk out of the Frat house, the party seemingly moving somewhere else. The air was filled with the distinct smell of alcohol and sweat, and the thumping music made it hard to hear anything else.

As Chad tried to intervene, Anika and Mindy made their way towards the commotion. Anika excitedly ran towards Dahlia and hugged her from behind. "How are you Dahlia? I saw you leave earlier. I wanted to chase after you, but someone kept me busy." she said, slightly smirking up at Mindy, who only rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's implications.

Dahlia smiled warmly at Anika's affection. "I'm alright. I had good company–" She heard everyone collectively gasp and turned her attention to the unfolding drama. Sam had been drenched by a group of girls walking past, the alcohol staining her clothes and hair. "What the fuck?" Sam exclaimed, looking at the girl who had poured her drink all over her.

"You know what you did," the girl smirked.

With fury in her eyes, Sam shoved the girl by her shoulders and pushed the remaining alcohol bottles in her hand, causing them to smack into the ground and shatter. The sound of glass breaking reverberated through the air, and everyone turned to look at the scene unfolding before them.

"You'll pay for that," the girl hissed, her voice low and menacing.

"I don't think I will," Sam responded, her smirk never leaving her face.

Dahlia winced at the tense atmosphere and made her way over to Sam, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's just go, Sam. It's not worth it," she said softly, trying to defuse the situation.

Ethan watched the scene unfold, the feeling of protectiveness towards Dahlia returning. He couldn't stand the idea of anything happening to her. Anika noticed the look on his face and nudged him with her elbow. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. Ethan nodded, trying to shake off the feeling of jealousy and possessiveness he had towards Dahlia.

Sam took a deep breath, her fists clenched at her sides. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded and allowed Dahlia to lead her away from the confrontation. As they walked away from the party, Dahlia turned to Ethan, who had walked up to them.

Ethan pulled out a pack of tissues, holding them out to Sam. "Um, I have tissues if you want tissues," he said, realizing his mistake as he looked down at his hand. "I mean, I have three tissues."

Dahlia smiled warmly at Ethan's awkwardness, and Sam took the tissues, beginning to wipe the drink off her chest.

Just then, Anika exclaimed, "I don't know about you all, but I'm about to pass out!" She grabbed onto Dahlia's arm and asked Sam, "Do you mind if we stop by your apartment?"

Sam stopped wiping momentarily, looking at Anika with a sense of resignation. She didn't really have much of a choice. "Sure," she said with a sigh, nodding in agreement.

Anika was already pulling Dahlia along with her, and she turned back to Ethan. "You too, Ethan!" she said excitedly. Mindy, Anika's girlfriend, gave her a look of disbelief and said, "What the hell?" But Anika ignored her and continued to walk, "Come on, it'll be fun!" with Dahlia right beside her, following behind Tara and Chad.

As they walked away, Dahlia couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in the pit of her stomach. She knew that things were only going to get worse from here on out.