About You Now

Returned

When Echo arrived at school the following Monday, she knew things would be different. Although the black glossed gates and ordinary school scenery were the same, everything else differed. The air was thick with tension, and stress spread like wildfire. Even more so with exams starting the following week and the Wrestling Tournament Finals the coming Saturday. Prom would be after that, with Graduation shortly after. As Echo eyed the school grounds intently with suspicion, she'd been unaware of the Darklings creeping up behind her or Aleister stopping at her side, still with her leather studded school bag slung over his shoulder.

"Senotria," voiced Damian as he picked Echo up as if she were a bride, removing her from her current task of being a roadblock. Echo had yelped in surprise before a bout of laughter escaped her. Looking back just in time to see Finn picking up her crutches and eyeing them to determine what was off about them other than not being decorated as Summer's and AJ's had been. "We've missed yah, Queenie," he added with a wide grin; any hint of concern had been forgotten. Instead, a sense of normalcy began to take over, and hope, too, that maybe everything will begin to mend itself now.

"Drama Llama alert," yelled Miz loudly from the top of the hill leading to the main school building; Maryse, Corey, and Carmella stood next to him. With Miz's yelled words, Damian began to run, forcing Echo to wrap her arms tightly around his neck to prevent unwanted and undesired falls and further injury. The other Darklings followed behind, except Cross, who had teleported ahead with her usual bout of crazy laughter.

"Warning would have been nice, senor," commented Echo upon regaining her composure. However, her nerves began to settle upon realizing they were heading for the bleachers on the sports field. The sun was warmer, and the breeze was gentle. It was a good day to spend time outside rather than cooped up on the art floor. "I take it you lot have been playing Dodge the Drama Queen for a while?" she worded, suspecting the game likely extended to Roman as well, especially if Seth and Punk's words were anything to go by.

"Hey, what can we say? We like staying active," replied Aleister. "That reminds me, Hey Rhea," he called, a mischievous smirk painting his lips when she glanced toward him. Almost instantly, she knew what he was going to say and began to pray he wouldn't, at least not if he wanted to live torment-free.

"Don't say it,"

"Buddy, Buddy, Buddy," Aleister sang with a playful tone, quickening his pace when Rhea quickened hers in an attempt to catch him. "Ooh, fun, a game of kiss chase to start the morning off. Should I ask Cross if she wants to join in?"

"Aleister, I'm going to kill you," replied Rhea as she sped after him like a predator chasing her prey. Aleister did nothing but laugh, teasing her further, occasionally hiding behind someone. The group's identical grins grew upon hearing Echo chuckling at their antics, her laughter like the missing song that had been absent for far too long, or a reminder that everything was returning to how it should have been.

"Somethings never change," spoke Summer, shaking her head as she slowed to a comfortable pace, walking at Finn's side. "So what's on the study agenda today?" she asked, recalling when the plans had been made, although she also knew that would mean going somewhere else in the NXT Hall due to the wrestling team practicing in the normal part.

"Studying?" asked Cross as if the word was garlic to a vampire, "Today, about mending what's broken and getting ourselves back on the same page, get the message across in his case," added the Scottish teen, nodding over to Roman waiting for them near the gates to the sports field. He looked like he'd been waiting in the chilly shadows of the small patch of trees for some time, no doubt trying to sum up the courage to approach those already there. "Maybe find somewhere else to gather where Drama Llama and Trouble Magnet can't get."