landslide, neil perry

twelve.

neil looked down at her. "yeah, of course i did." he then winced, knowing that he couldn't pretend with her. "okay, no. i couldn't!" he defended himself. "it sounds so easy, but i just.. i can't. i can't let him take away everything i care about."

she nodded. "i get it. it's okay, it'll be okay." she wasn't sure if she was comforting him or herself as her hand squeezed his bicep. "hey, i actually.. i have something for you."

he smiled. "what?"

"an opening night gift." she explained. celia led him to her room, where a wrapped gift sat.

neil looked over at her before picking up the present, taking absolutely no time in clawing the wrapping paper off. he smiled as he noticed the canvas, but he almost gasped as he recognized the painting. "is this-?"

"yeah." celia nodded, sitting next to him. "the star painting from the night we were on the roof." she confirmed. "that was the night.. that i think i started falling for you. i thought it was only right that you have it."

he was at a complete loss for words as he gently set the canvas down moving to wrap his arms around her. "i love it so much. i love you. thank you. this means so.. i'm gonna keep it forever." he picked the painting back up to admire it. "thank you." he repeated, leaning down to kiss her.

"i love you, too. you're gonna do amazing tonight."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

after neil had left, celia put on her nicest black off-the-shoulder dress, getting ready to go. once she'd finished her whole ensemble, she knocked on the door to the men's bathroom. "anybody naked in here?"

upon being assured of safety, she walked in, watching as the boys all pampered and groomed themselves.

"beautiful baby." meeks and pitts were saying. "henley hall, here we come."

cameron turned to todd, who was purposefully ruining the pieces of hair that the red-head attempted to comb. "come on, todd. i'm trying to fix this."

todd laughed before looking over to the closed stall, where charlie was hidden. "come on, nuwanda. you're gonna miss neil's entrance."

"yeah, he's the opening." celia agreed. "let's go."

pitts looked to the two. "yeah.. he said something about getting red before we left."

cameron furrowed his brows. "getting red? what does that mean?"

the taller boy shrugged. "i, uh- well, you know charlie."

the stall opened to reveal charlie, holding a small brush and a bottle of red paint.

"so, charlie," cameron began, "what's this 'getting red' bit?"

wordlessly, charlie unbuttoned his shirt to showcase a large, red lightning bolt freshly painted down his chest. celia chuckled. "you're kidding! this is priceless."

todd laughed with her. "w-what is that?" he asked.

"it's an indian warrior symbol for virility. makes me feel potent, like it can drive girls crazy."

celia nodded her head. "oh, for sure. you ready to go then, nuwanda?"

the boy stuck his tongue out at her, buttoning his shirt.

todd smiled. "oh, come on, charlie. the girls are waiting."

the group (minus knox, sidetracked by the guest appearance of chris), all got into a car with keating to make the short ride to henley hall. celia, though she wasn't even the one performing, was nervous, and couldn't stop the anxiously excited shaking of her legs.