you don't belong here {anna&taxxon}

Annaliese Belrose was not the type of person to be at this sort of party. The parties she was used to? The ones thrown is manors or mansions full of rich people in suits and evening gowns. The ones where no one there actually likes each other, they just like what everyone can offer them. The ones she was expected to attend by her mother, but she found boring. This? This was completely new to her.

How did she end up here? Simple, a friend invited her. One of her friends had asked her over and over again to come to this party and that party and she had always made up some sort of excuse. But the friend knew the truth. The truth was her mother would never approve of her going to something like this. So, today the friend had an idea. She had asked if Annaliese wanted to spend the night to study. After she confirmed she had nothing going on, the friend said she had no reason not to go to the party. As long as she didn't come home drunk, her mother would never have to know she wasn't studying.

But, after discussing with her friend she decided something. This was her first taste of freedom, and possibly her last. She wanted to make sure it was worth it. Then she saw Taxxon Kandrona and knew exactly how to make it worth it. Kid was a drug dealer. She knew it. He knew it. Everyone at their career academy knew it. If her mother knew that kid was here she definitely would flip out. Maybe her mother didn't know that he dealt drugs, but everyone who had connections knew there was something sketchy going on - and whatever it was was more than selling drugs to teenagers.

Whatever it was, that's what Annaliese wanted to see. Her mother would probably find out about the party somehow anyway and her little freedom would be stripped away. She wanted to feel like a normal teenager for once. She wanted to feel free. Plus, Taxxon was cute and the kind of guy her mom would never approve of. When previously, her mother basically picked out her boyfriends for her, spouting off stuff about how they need to keep the family's wealth for future generations. Maybe nothing would happen, maybe she could for once flirt with a guy that wasn't picked out by her mother.

Or at the very least she could try drugs for the first time. As she walked through the house, people noticed her. She was pretty popular at school, whether it was because people liked her money or her sweet and innocent personality. But she was also known for not showing up for this kind of stuff. After all, her family had quite the reputation to keep up. And even those who didn't know her knew she didn't belong here. She was wearing a pink blouse with a black skirt. Maybe the skirt was fine, but the pastel shirt was destined to be stained with beer. Her hair was up and she had her makeup done as if she was attending some formal event

Then when she went into the kitchen she saw him, Taxxon. He was talking to a few guys she recognised as fellow careers. She made sure she had cash in her purse rather than just a card then headed over. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure what kind of drugs this kid sold. Could she just ask for generic drugs and hope that it worked? What if he thought it was some sort of setup considering everyone knew she didn't belong here? Of course, Barrsy didn't mind. Most house parties had an uneven dude to chick ratio and she wasn't exactly ugly.

Once she got to him she lightly tapped his shoulder. And when she spoke to Taxxon it was obvious she had no fucking clue what she was talking about - not in the slightest bit. She tried to avoid looking at his black eye as he turned to face her. In a weird way, it only added to his appearance. The whole rough bad boy aesthetic definitely worked well for him. And it also confirmed what she and everyone else already knew, this kid and his family had more going on than just drugs. You don't acquire that much wealth in such a short time without something else going on.

"Hey, Taxxon, right? We go to the same academy. Word is you sell... stuff. What kind of stuff do you sell, exactly?"

annaliese belrose

Annaliese didn't laugh with the rest of the guys, not finding the situation funny at all. In fact, she was quite embarrassed by the whole ordeal - not one who was used to being laughed at that was for sure. She was definitely used to polite laughs at her jokes at various social gatherings, but not raucous teenage boys laughing at her expense. Was the idea of her buying drugs really that laughable? Or was it laughable that she approached someone like him at all? Her face had flushed red at the laughter, but she was able to keep her composure. After all, what kind of Belrose would she be if she couldn't keep her cool in a situation like this?

She felt like she had something to prove. She had no clue what it was that she needed to prove or how she was going to prove it, but she felt as though she had to. And she felt like Taxxon Kandrona was her key to proving whatever that was. Normally she'd object to being manhandled in such a way, but if it got her closer to whatever her goal was than so be it. She made sure to walk at the same pace as him so it looked less like she was being dragged and more like they were walking together with him guiding her. A Belrose has to keep her dignity, after all. She had no clue what he was planning, but she decided to stick around to see what it was.

And as soon as she saw the shot glasses, she knew. Yes, she had never drunk from a shot glass but she was privileged, not stupid. Actually, she had drank alcohol before too. She hadn't been drunk, just a glass or two of fine wine at events or at fancy dinners her and her mother had attended. She expected an actual bottle of alcohol to be pulled out and was surprised to see him pull out a flask instead. Then, the uncertainty about the entire situation hit her.

Drinking with a boy like Taxxon in a secluded area of the kitchen seemed like a risky move to her and one thing her mother had taught her a lot about was mitigating risk. However, she also didn't want to seem like she was too scared to drink. It was time for her to find a creative way out of this situation without yet abandoning Taxxon. He had piqued her curosity. He represented everything she had come looking for tonight. Freedom, teenage rebellion, and perhaps just a splash of danger. So after a moment of consideration, she decided to try to shift their plans.

"Now, now Taxxon. Do you really expect what you refer to as a "pretty girl such as myself" to drink something you just pulled out of your back pocket? What exactly is stopping me from rejoining my friends in the living room and drinking the same alcohol as everyone else instead of your pocket-booze?"

Right now, she was testing the waters before diving in head first. She wanted to gauge his reaction, figure out if this would be worth her time. After all, between her mothers events, her school schedule, her career schedule, and everything else she had going on her time was a valuable commodity. She also didn't want to seem overly eager. Being overly eager is how nice girls like her got used by boys like Taxxon. Whether that use be for money, popularity, or other things she dare not mention.

annaliese belrose

The first time he had told her Anna-banna, she had ignored it - boy did she regret that now. At the time she had just finished being laughed at by Taxon's friends - including Hamilton Barr of all people. Hamilton Barr, or Barrsy, was about as dimwitted as it gets and he had the nerve to laugh at Annaliese Belrose. Well, she wasn't going to take it - not at all. Before she answered his question she made that much clear to him, "It's Annaliese. Just Annaliese. Not Anna. Not Anna-Banna. Not any other stupid nickname you can come up with."

She glanced at the Tequila. Was it really imported from District Eleven or did he just steal it from his dads liquor cabinet? Either way, she thought she might as well try it. But not right now, she had to decide what to do about his questions first and she wanted to be clear headed for that. Though, she was definitely going to drink it. After all, she was here to try freedom - the teenage experience - and pocket-booze was definitely part of that - even fancy pocket booze.

In a way, she found herself jealous of Taxxon. He likely didn't have to beg his dad to allow him to become a career like she had with her mother. He was free to do what he wanted to do, go where he pleased, and live his own life, not the life predetermined for her. She knew one day she would have to settledown and live the life she was expected to. She would find a rich husband and carry on the Belrose bloodline. But, tonight that wasn't on her mind. Right now, she wanted to feel the freedom Taxxon had felt his entire life.

She had the option of lying to him about why she was there and what she wanted from him. Annaliese could make up any number of excuses and he would probably believe her. But, she didn't see the point. He knew what it felt like to be free, he knew how to make her feel that free all in one night. And, he would probably do it if she asked. After all, if they spent the night together he could lie to his friends and say they hooked up. No one outside his friends would ever believe him - but Barrsy and the boys would. It was a win-win.

"I'll be honest with you, Taxxon. The reason you're still talking to me is the fact you want to brag to your friends later about how I was definitely coming onto you. Of course, no one else will believe you, but they will. And you know I could ruin that impression easily. Their eyes haven't left us yet, all it takes is me slapping you and calling you an ass and this was all for nothing. But, I need your help just as much as you need my help to make your friends think I'm actually interested in you."

"Freedom. I want freedom. My entire life has been based upon what my mother wants, not what I want. All of my boyfriends had been picked out by my mom in what are effectively business arrangements. She keeps strict tags on what I do, where I go, and who I'm with. For tonight, just for tonight, I want to experience everything she would never allow me to experience. You're everything she wants me to stay away from. Freedom, teenage rebellion, and, from the looks of your eye, danger. I get to experience true freedom for a night, and you get to convince your friends I'm into you. If you play nicely I might even kiss your cheek in front of them. If not, I can ruin their perception of the situation just as quickly as I can enhance it."

Then, she downed the shot glass of Tequila, gagging a bit on the alcohol.

annaliese belrose

She felt her face heating up as the space between the two of them quickly vanished. Other than the redness, she managed to maintain her composure. Throughout the night this composure would slowly break, but for now she was still remaining strong. The alcohol definitely didn’t help, but she wasn’t going to get drunk nor tipsy after just one shot. If Taxxon wanted to see the truly fun side of the socialite he’d have to try harder than that.

But he wanted her to try first, that much she could tell. She knew he wanted to spend time with her, but he also had his own reputation after all. She wasn’t talking to some poor desperate boy, she was talking to a handsome and rich one, one with a chiselled jawline and a muscled body. When he got close to her she couldn’t help but check him out. She thought she was discrete but a slight whistle from one of his friends told her otherwise.

“I’m different from those other girls, we both know it. You can party with them at any time. This is my first and possibly last party ever. You can be with them whenever you want, you can have me for just tonight - maybe more if things go well between us. Guys like you have the potential to ruin the reputation of girls like me. The taboo of it is what makes it so exciting for both of us... though if you’re certain, I could always go make the same offer to Hamilton, we both know he wouldn’t turn it down.”

She set her hand on his then slowly moved it up his arm, slowing to feel his bicep before grabbing his shoulder. She moved her other arm to meet it - wrapping her arms around his neck. Then she closed the last of the space between them. She knew exactly what she was doing. His mind was already a little clouded from the booze and she was going to try to cloud it the rest of the way with herself. Of course, she wasn’t planning on actually sleeping with him. But, why would she say that? She needed him if she wanted to get her way.

“Last chance for my offer, otherwise I can just go over and chit chat with Hamilton - or Barrsy as you call him. Why wouldn’t you want to party? You aren’t the one with something to lose, Mr. Kandrona.”

annaliese belrose

Annaliese wasn't planning on sleeping with him, but she did want something from her. He wanted a hookup. She wanted her curiosity sated. How did the Kandrona family get so wealthy so quickly? She noticed something, something that other families with old money had also noticed - there were two bursts of a rise in wealth the family faced. The first one was the non-suspicious one, Visser had likely made that money legally. Then there was a sudden second burst of wealth that seemed to come out of nowhere. She didn't know this, but that's when the mutt-fighting ring began.

She at first thought Taxxon might not be involved, but today she was certain he was. She saw him the day before training, and no black eye meaning he didn't get it from that. If he got in a fight he'd probably have other injuries, but there weren't any. How did he have a black eye but nothing else? Or one time she noticed he had what appeared to be a bite mark. What exactly did this family get itself into? She wasn't planning on telling anyone else if she did ever find out, but she wanted to know. And she was determined to figure out that answer. They both had their own motives for this.

Of course, mutt fighting was something that had never even crossed her mind. Something like that was so far away from her life, from anything she had ever been exposed to. She had seen drugs before - deals taking place at the academy or in school. But, she had never even heard of illegal mutt-fights. Annaliese had absolutely no guesses at what it was, but people didn't get these weird injuries she noticed on him from selling drugs to teenagers. You also didn't get that rich that quick from it.

Another thing that drew her to Taxxon was he was playing games with her just as much as she was playing with him. It was fun in a way. She'd come onto him, and he'd back away. But as soon as he tried coming onto her, she'd back back away herself. It was as if they only wanted each other if the other didn't. After all, they were both careers - taught to love the rush of the hunt and the thrill of the chase. If she had gone over to Barrsy she was pretty sure she could get him to do pretty much whatever she wanted. But that wasn't as fun.

Though, right now she was beginning to question if the game was worth it. Taxxon wasn't stupid, he picked those two guys for a reason despite there being alcohol all over the house. And the guys were within his line of sight so she couldn't pretend she got the booze from them and just grab one of the million other sources of alcohol from the party. She had to play his game, and he wasn't going to make it easy. She didn't recognise the two, but that didn't mean they didn't recognise her. People came up to her all the time acting like they were friends and really she had no clue who they were - but she'd just play along with it.

Then she thought of something. Taxxon definitely had drugs on him. And, if she was going to be forced to play his game, he was going to have to deal with how she decided to play. She wanted to get whatever drugs he had on him as a backup - if the boys wouldn't just hand him over she was positive they'd agree to a trade. Before they had started talking she saw him reach into his hoodie pocket when talking to Barrsy and the others. That was where the drugs probably were.

"Come on, Taxxon. Don't be like that, you know there's other places to get beer, scared that if you leave I'll run off?"

She was just trying to distract him, she knew he wasn't going to budge on this test. She played with his hair as she spoke with one hand. She maintained eye contact with him so her gaze wouldn't distract him as she attempted to sneak her free hand into his pocket to take whatever he had. She felt a little baggie as she reached in, though she knew she could still get caught. Annaliese hoped he wouldn't be too pissed off if he found out, after all, he wouldn't sell to her so how else was she supposed to get drugs?

annaliese belrose

"Mmm fine, you caught me fair and square. I wanted to trade them for whatever it is you have in that little baggie of yours. but I suppose I'll have to do things your way. This time at least."

She wasn't planning on doing whatever drugs - in this case cocaine - he had on him. Not anymore, at least. She wanted supervision if she tried anything like that. First, there was the risk of overdosing. She would have no clue how much to use and she needed someone to not only prevent her from overdosing, but to get her help if she did overdose. Second, even without overdosing there was the risk of a bad reaction. She needed someone who would be able to monitor her and keep her safe, getting her help if needed.

If she secretly did drugs without Taxxon knowing, he couldn't help her with that. Hell, even if she had a bad reaction and he had to call paramedics he wouldn't know drugs were in her system and it would take that much more time to get help. And she paid enough attention in school to know that every second matters in an emergency. Secretly taking cocaine would be stupid. She wasn't going to die like that, that would leave a black stain on her family's name that could never be washed away.

She honestly was a bit surprised by his reaction. She expected him to be angry or pissed off. But he wasn't. Of course, he stopped her. But it wasn't an act of rage. Rather, it was an act of concern. For a second she wondered if he genuinely cared about her. But, she wiped those thoughts from his mind. Boys like Taxxon didn't care about girls like Annaliese like that. He was probably worried about her getting high and not being able to consent to hooking up, then all of this time he spent would be for nothing. He didn't actually care about her, that was impossible... right?

Before going over to the two boys, she had to devise a strategy. Taxxon was right, flirting would be the easiest way to go about this. If they recognised her, they might be suspicious if she was flirting with them sober. So she had to try to seem a bit wasted. She took her hair out of it's neat bun, which did take a minute or two. She put all of the bobby pins on the counter and the hair tie around her wrist. Then she made her way over, trying to seem more bubbly and giggly than normal.

She twirled her hair slightly as she started talking to them. Her voice was a bit tipsy sounding and she kept giggling. She definitely seemed like a girl who had a bit too much to drink and was a bit too flirty because of it. Honestly, this was so boring for her. It was cheesy and it was easy. Flirting with Taxxon? That was a different animal. Flirting with him required thought as they both played their own games - cheating when they could. Taxxon and her were both equal in intelligence, making it really a challenge. But these two? These two weren't much smarter than Barrsy which really isn't saying too much.

"Hiii there cuties! I really could use a couple glasses of that alcohol you have? Can I pretty please have some?"

She hoped that that would be enough. The boys had matching smirks on their face, she definitely caught their interest. She had a little pout going as they offered a trade of their own - her number for two cups of alcohol. She must have come off as a bit too easy. And maybe if she was drunk she would have given it to them. Unfortunately for them, one shot wouldn't get her that drunk. But, she wasn't going to give up so easily. So she simply wrote down a fake number. The number was one digit off of her own so if she got questioned later she could play it off as a genuine mistake.

"Thank you, cuties! You two are the absolute best! I need to go now, bye-bye!"

She took the two cups and made her way back to Taxxon. She handed him one red cup and set the other down on the counter. Annaliese considered putting her hair back up in it's original bun but decided to let it down, it was too much work to put it back up especially as she did have something to drink already - even if it wasn't much. She looked up at Taxxon, glancing over to the two boys who were watching her. That somehow made her more nervous than Taxxon's friends watching them earlier. Maybe because then she felt in control of the situation. Luckily, she knew they were at least smart enough not to try anything with Taxxon right there.

"Now, what do you want to do next? I got you your booze."

annaliese belrose

She admittedly got a bit nervous that he seemed so assured she wouldn't do whatever he had planned while sober. But then she realised something. Why was she even listening to him? He was supposed to be helping her, not the other way around. Why should she be forced to listen to him? She wasn't some obedient housewife - even if her mother wished she was. She was a career and could disarm then choke someone with her whip if she chose to and she was going to start acting like it.

Yes she was a lady, a socialite. But she was also a hurricane, a force of nature and Taxxon seemed to have forgotten that. Well she was about to remind him. But first, she worked for that alcohol. For the first time in her life she actually had to work for something instead of it being handed to her and she was going to savor it. So she chugged down the drink, coughing slightly and making a face. It was disgusting. She definitely didn't want to kiss him if he was going to taste like that.

She set down the empty cup and once again began to play with Taxxons curls. Then she slowly moved her hand down his neck and played with his shirt collar before yanking him down to her height by it. Annaliese may look dainty, but career women will surprise you with their strength. She smiled sweetly and used her charming socialite voice when speaking to him, though the alcohol was causing her to occasionally hiccup.

"Listen, Taxxon. I want to have fun with you tonight, but just remember that I'm not here to run around and do errands for you and grab you alcohol. I want fun, not completely destroying my reputation. Just remember too, I could easily beat you in a fight. In seconds I could disarm you with my whip then have it wrapped around your neck. You're handsome, I'll admit it, but remember that I actually have self-respect unlike some of the girls you may be used to."

She let go of him and kissed his cheek for the first time, acting like nothing just happened between them. Was that because she genuinely wanted to kiss his cheek or save face for both of them? Honestly she didn't even know for sure. She just knew she liked the way her pink, glittery lipgloss looked on his cheek. She even let out a little bit of a giggle, possibly due to the alcohol, before speaking to him again. She was smiling quite a bit after kissing his cheek, and the smile looked real.

"Now that we have that cleared up, what did you want to do, Mr. Kandrona?"

annaliese belrose