begin again | {clue event one}

Salvatore Academy isn't exactly the same.

Parker's already bummed a smoke off of some freshmen who didn't care about Salvatore academy. It's been a hell of a morning for her already, with the assembly and getting caught up in another incident of pretty girls from grades below asking her to take their photo for them; just another shallow girl and her friends who wanted to make fake memories. It's a surprise she even made it into homeroom before anyone else with nicotine on her lips and a glare already sent out the window to ignore any small talk Mrs. Nonsworth could try with her. The back of the class in the seat closest to the window always made her feel less dull; able to watch the colors of Salvatore Academy blend together into a mix of dumb students and teachers not ready for the first day of class.

The assembly had been a joke. Principal Morrigan speaking of a killer who was still out there, Scarlet, and Frankie; it was all a joke and the school clearly was saving face after everything that had happened. Scarlet had rejected her drunken state last year and Frankie was just another meatheaded dickwas who only thought with his groin rather than his actual head. All of it had been obnoxious and having to sit through the assembly, taking photos and knowing she needed to get the perfect pictures for yearbook was the worst. Silently, Parker lets out a groan, shoving her face into her hands staring out the window at the mediocre day.

Parker was ready for the day to be over already.

Except, her luck was just getting worse and worse by the second. Mrs. Nonsworth talks about new policies and the new counselor who surely would either get into a scandal soon enough or try to save the students who clearly couldn't be saved. As soon as the words leave Mrs. Nonsworth's lips Parker's already ignoring her, knowing she'll go last like every other year when they try to do the personable bullshit that homeroom teachers try. Presley is volunteered forward; friend of Scarlet Hyde. She doesn't listen to any more than she has to. The outside part of the campus seemed more interesting than anything Presley could talk about in an introduction.

Elaina is obnoxious to say the least. Her voice makes Parker just want to curl back into herself and scream. The girl is just loud and enthusiastic; always making a scene and standing out as her own and part of Parker liked Elaina, but another part didn't want to step into Elaina's bubble for fear of being dragged into things she really did not want to be. Her words are long, loud, and make her eyes droop in boredom. A moth flutters past the window and blocks some of the sun when she stares back out the window. Pretty, but not exactly something she would photograph anymore.

Cleo had already ruined those photos for her.

The old friend and betrayer of her trust is next, speaking up like everyone's beneath her. Parker rolls her eyes, remembering what her brats of twin brothers had snuck in her bag earlier. Cleo Burns was everything Parker had wanted to be years ago. Social, able to get whatever she wanted, and back then she had been kinder, but things had changed after all these years. No more photos of butterflies in the spring or the sunshine in the summer or the leaves falling in the fall or the snow glittering in the early morning light. None of those memories of sleepovers and laughing were meant for her anymore; all of them had turned into anger and pain. Stuck in her own head, she doesn't listen to Cleo Burns until the announcement at the end.

Junior Prom Queen.

Quietly, she rolls her eyes and lets herself think of how fake Cleo Burns truly was. Parker had gotten to know her long ago, grew attached to her until she was tossed away like trash. Forgotten like the loser Cleo calls her now. Maverick speaks in a way that she agrees with. The whole exercise was stupid. All of them had history. All of them had gone off with the prank. A girl was dead now because of them and their stupid prank. Guilt settles in as she stares out the window listening to Cleo's supposed boyfriend talk. The dumbass talks about a pigment of color and his parent's business as she were supposed to care. Her parents were morticians and she's seen more dead bodies than half of the students in Salvatore Academy combined. After his final words, she speaks out her words quietly, not caring what others would think.

"Who cares."

Cassius is next; a boy who clearly had his own issues. Everyone knew of him getting bullied by other students, but only Cassius could solve that. She doesn't care to listen to him or Naomi or Zeke who follow. The sky is pretty, mixing with swirls and sunshine. Birds chirping outside the windows as she watches the trees for a moment. Ignoring the words spilling from teenagers lips who put on masks to pretend they're fine and genuine. None of them were real to one another; all of high school was a popularity contest and she had no interest to be apart of that bullshit. Deep down, she craved to be. Apart of it all and at the center where she could feel less alone. Breath in the friendships she wished had still, but things change over the years and Cleo Burns had dropped her the moment she realized hanging out with a girl who's seen more dead bodies than dates was weird.

Clara Burns is exactly the same after all these years. Always competing with Cleo and needing to state it to the world. All of it makes her feel even more irritated than before which was not going to be a good mix of emotions if she was going to speak in front of everyone else. Clara Burns seems to forget that Parker had been just as close to top of class as her and Stella, mostly out of sheer coincidence from all the time she had studying since she rarely showed up to any of the stupid highschool parties. Ally and Benji lead to more boredom as she can see how dull Ally St. Cloud had been already. Who cared what the Capitol thinks about her clothes, they didn't care about them anyways.

Benji was just as empty as she's always seen him. Parker could remember the way Scarlet had kissed him after rejecting her, letting the shame fill her chest. She can remember the anger that bubbled up at the shitty move, but isn't that what everyone thought of her as. A tool to be used when the time benefited someone. She always gave in to others because deep down she wanted to be apart of them, to breath the same air, and carry the same conversations as them. Silently, she glares back out the window as she half listens to Stella talk about her summer and brag about all of her accomplishments while also tearing each and every one of them down. Queen Bitch giving them all her cold strikes until finally Parker looks up to watch Stella endorse dumbass and Cleo for Junior Prom King and Queen.

She's fine with it, until she looks down to her desk where a piece of photography lays. A polaroid of Stella doing god knows what, but Parker hates it. She hates the way it feels in her hands and the pose could have been so much more, but give it up to Stella fucking Provence to take a photo that looks and feels faker than anything else. It's a disgrace to photography as a whole and part of the reason why her blood feels like it's on fire. All of a sudden, she can feel them. Eyes. Students. All of them are waiting on her and she's wondering if Mrs. Nonsworth said anything about it being her turn, but she could care less about all of this. Part of her wants to just pull a Maverick or a Benji and give everyone nothing, but she's not them.

Stepping out from her desk, carrying her camera around her neck, she steps forward with a calm in her fingertips, but fire in her blood. Eyes glancing from Stella to Cleo as she glares. Avoiding Grady's desk like the plague, she steps closer into Clara's area, until she passes Presley and reaches the front of the class. Eyes scanning all of them and not caring if any of them really are listening to her and she lets out a bitter laugh, ignoring the others before she starts with the smell of cigarettes and coffee on her breath and the sun barely peeking through the window.

"Parker."

She wants to get their attention, have them hear her for once, but it's pointless. All of high school feels pointless, especially this dumb exercise Mrs. Nonsworth was having them do. Eyes glancing to Stella as she still holds the polaroid in her hand, a fake smile pulling on her lips as she watches for a moment. Stella will call her creepy later or a freak like the rest of them do, but she could care less about any of that. Photography was her thing and no one else's, no matter what any of them say. She was the best photographer and editor of the yearbook. She's won awards for her pieces and even been published in some of the Capitol's tabloids for her photos of Teddy Ursa working out shirtless in his backyard.

"This-"

Holding out the polaroid, ready to toss it into the trash where it belonged.

"-is trash. Stella, you don't know how to take a photo do you? The angle is all wrong and the lighting is even worse. Next time, hire someone better."

The smile drops as she can hear Mrs. Nonsworth scold her. Parker lets herself glare back at Mrs. Nonsworth before looking back to the others again. Taking a moment to pause and let Stella take her advice to heart. The photography was all wrong, but no one could replicate the work she did. The scene outside the window was perfect, but she didn't have time to take a photo, she had other plans. Shifting from her right foot to her left she stares quietly back at the students before continuing.

"Photography is my thing. I'm Head Photographer and Editor for Yearbook. Head Photographer for the School Paper."

For a moment, she pauses. Her favorite color had always been blush pink, but that was too girly for what people expected from her. Cleo had known that ages ago, but she was pretty sure Cleo's probably forgotten that by now. Another color would have to do for now. Hopping back into her sentence and out of the train of thought that came for a second or so, she smiles genuinely at them now.

"If any of you need photos for your clubs or sports, just let me know. I've always got my camera on me."

The smile fades as she lets herself go back to the bored look she had before.

"Who cares about favorite colors anyways? Mine's obviously black or gray."

A shrug of her shoulders as she looks back to them.

"Fun fact: I've seen more dead bodies than the rest of you. My parents are morticians."

Ignoring the stares, Parker rolls her eyes as she pulls the camera up, clicking the button letting the flash go.

The first day of school with plenty more to come.

"Welcome back, losers."

She couldn't wait for the year to end already.