Chapter Text
He clasped the wooden door shut,the bang slightly echoing through the almost-bare apartment.He continued walking through the hallway,quickening his pace however due to the others on the comfy couch urging him on.
”Hurry man!”The light-brunette exclaimed,his hands thrown into the air like an outbreak was occurring.One noir-haired man also hummed in agreement,locking his glowing phone screen before throwing it down next to him on the leather couch.
”Yeah,yeah.Im coming!” The other black hair man announced,Butch slightly cursing under his breath when his black sock got stuck on a nail,the material ripping with a comical sound.Multiple chuckles filled the room,snickering at him.He rolled his emerald eyes before placing the pizza box onto the glass coffee carefully,not wanting to face Brick’s wrath if he accidentally scratched the translucent glass.He dodged the crimson pillows that had fallen on the floor previously before sitting down with an exhale next to Boomer,who was already digging into the cheese-filled crust pizza,opening the box quickly and biting down on the large slice.
“God,this is better than an orgasm,I swear!”Boomer exclaimed,already going in for another bite while chewing his previously one with ecstasy.The rest of the group scoffed along with some small chuckles at the provocative statement.
“Lying’s a sin..” Brick casually commented while biting down on a garlic knot,nodding in appreciation.The room fulled of random discussions between numerous topics,the pizza half-eaten while Mitch casually stood up and made his way to the sleek kitchen.The talks about new places,video games,music and all which came in between with a group of post-college students who let destiny decided their conversations.
“So..”Mitch begun while opening the refrigerator,grabbing another citrusy can of beer before slamming it shut,wincing slightly at the noise of the bottles inside the refrigerator shaking in result of his unexpected strength.“You guys found a job yet?” He asked informally to the triplets while leaning on the kitchen island,which was next to the open living room where the rest of the group resided.
“Not really,I mean I applied for an interview,but it doesn’t mean shit.” Brick replied,rolling eyes at the certain topic that has been popping up and gnawing these past few weeks after graduating college.His brothers nodded in agreement,all of them auditioning for jobs which have a media producing aspect.
“Hm,whatcha gone for?” Mike asked after a large bite of pizza,wiping some of the pepperoni grease off his (to some degree)cracked lips.
“Digital marketing manager.” He stated while wiping some of Boomer’s spilled beer of the table with a paper cloth,discreetly flipping him off in the meantime just to be petty.
“Mm,who for?”Butch asked while reaching over for the TV remote,slapping Boomer playfully across his blonde head when he was holding the remote for ransom in order to receive a bite of Butch’s pepperoni pizza.
“I don’t know,this random singer or something,pretty sure she’s upcoming..” Brick capriciously responded to everyone else apart from the guy who actually asked due to him being in a silent quarrel with his brother,practically breathing down his neck,fighting back for the TV remote.
“Well aren’t you descriptive.” Mitch dryly said,along with a small snort.Brick rolled his ruby irises to the back of his head,sassiness seeping through his bones.
“Look,all I remember is the hot girl on the website.” Brick attempted to defended himself,but rather got a chorus of different laughters echoing in his ears.
“You sure it wasn’t a different type of website?”Boomer smirked,implying something which the others immediately chuckled at,Brick’s ears slightly tinging a light red.
“Well you can’t just tease us like that.”Butch chuckled deeply,his earlier argument with Boomer long-forgotten.
”C’mon,show us.”Multiple voices chided.
Brick deeply exhaled,feigning annoyance yet still unlocking his iPhone and scrolling for numerous,anticipating seconds,the others slightly eager to see what he was talking about.
After a short while,the red-head displayed the screen to the others,their breaths hitching in reaction in unison.On the glowing screen,an ethereal woman filled it,her auburn hair cascading down her back.She had a button nose along with plump lips that complimented her heart-shaped facial structure.She had pink eyes which was almost doe-like as-well as neatly tamed brows.She was in a white,ruffled corset top with delicate detailing,displaying a unintentional large amount of cleavage.After a long silence,it was broken with some surprised huffs and smirks.
“You think you can bag her?” Butch said,exasperated with a small hint of sarcasm in his tone.Brick rolled his eyes once again,while locking his phone,sealing it away in his dark-washed jeans.
“Seriously Brick,that’s untouchable right there.” Mitch snorted and sat back down next to Brick,ruffling his hair voluntarily.Brick huffed once again,but not without a small smirk growing on his face,his dimples becoming noticeable.
“Shut up…” Brick’s smirked upturned into a Chester-like grin,biting his bottom lip lightly.
“What’s her name?” Mike asked,sipping on a beer can like he didn’t just have an angel enter his peripheral vision.
“Can’t remember..”Brick said,others rolling their irises once again at his antics.
“Ladies and gentlemen,the man who went to Harvard.”Boomer said dryly,voice dripping in sarcasm,at which Brick gave him a pointed stare.
Brick entered an obscure passcode,unlocking his phone,yet Mitch reached over sneakily and gripped onto the device with strength,effortlessly stealing the phone with Brick’s guard down.Sounds of chaos and “Give it back,you bastard!”filled the room,guaranteed to be Bricks deep voice.Mitch swiped up,viewing old tabs and pressed the one of the job interview website with his calloused thumb.
He scrolled on the website,reading through countless paragraphs before his eyes stopped on a name:
Blossom Utonium.
The Jojo’s all froze,their coloured eyes dilating in sequence at the spoken name.An awkward,tension filled silence grew after the name was hastily read out,the others extremely aware of the past between the boys and the girls.
It was no secret that the ruffs and puffs was on bad terms.Their whole existence being made to defeat the girls talks for itself.They were relentless over the years,the sessions that were made to alter the children’s brainwaves to realise their awful deeds made no effect on them, therefore the three turning more devilish as the years grew.It was deemed that nothing could change their chain of thoughts:bloodshed and rebellion being the cycle of it along with playful,childish antics.At the ripe age of nine,the boys hit a peak where they were no longer to .permitted in Townsville,the city in unbearable conditions due to their mutiny.The boys was ordered to enter a behavioural,private school in Massachusetts in order to shape them.Although many suspensions occurred,they were undeniably bright,graduating from the educational institution with flying colours.They grew with a passion for the digital market,music a key factor towards it.One of the key things they studied in therapy was a music theory where studies shows how much it improves mental health,something key when you grow up with parents who are criminals which created you to destroy three youthful heroines.They enrolled into Harvard,encouraged in with a GPA of 4.0.Ar the university,they met other kids,some who understood their background and didn’t judge their troublesome childhood and nature,two of those kids being Mike and Mitch.As they grew closer,more details of their past came to light,the pair learning all about the boys,aswell as their counterparts by funny,short stories they shared over the years.Yet,that was years ago.The girls fleeing out of the media at the age of twelve to settle down their heroics and to focus on a promising career for the future.It was all just a falling memory.
After some more agonising seconds of startled silence,Butch broke the silence with a consternation huff of a laugh of disbelief.
“Holy shit,she’s grown.”He said,emerald eyes growing in shock at the woman who was still presented on the electronic screen.
“In more ways then one.”Brick finally spoke up,eliciting chuckles and an uproar of laughter.His smirk grew,yet ruby red eyes was still pinned on the digital memory of the woman he once knew.Chatter continued dotting in the room,shocked by the new career they just became aware of.
“You said she was upcoming?” Mike asked with genuine curiosity.Brick nodded once again,confirming the fact.
“Mhm,I read on the website that she had an album or two.” He shuffled on the couch,his head leaning against the backrest of the soft couch.Hums were heard,hums of content and additional,slight surprise.It was no surprise that Blossom Utonium would have a successful,promising future,she was always known for being an intelligent person.However,being a singer was not a career path Brick assumed she would take.Butch abruptly reached for the TV remote,pressing the vibrant red button to turn the flat screen to life.
“Mm,now I got to see this hottie’s drama,and her sisters.He smirked,biting his lip.He pressed the button,selecting Youtube and pressing the search bar.After some awaiting seconds,he finally finished typing the words:
Blossom Utonium.
The page loaded up,videos about the new pop-star and devoted fans watching her perform at concerts flooded the screen.A series of eyes darted to the television,examining the cover of each video before Boomer’s deep voice called out:
“That one.”
He pointed a finger towards the screen,a video with the attention-seeking title called ‘Utonium’s and Hazel Easterwood:Jealousy?’
The title was incredibly intriguing,all kind of thoughts spewing in every mind which cornered the living room.The girls was immune to drama,that was no shock though considering how many scandals had risen over the years in Townsville.Brick still remembers seeing a certain one on television once about how one of the girls used a playboy bunny tanning sticker which was revealed when their top slightly rose up on their stomach to reveal it during a fight against a notorious villain.
“I suppose,play it.” Brick’s voice sounded slightly curious,interested in the topic which was about to unfold on them.They all took their respected seats,the two couches being filled with men aswell as the adoring coffee table being filled with leftover pepperoni slices and empty beer cans to bring the whole scene together.
Butch’s thumb (which was only slightly bruised from his and Boomers earlier ordeal due to his Chemical-X) pressed down on the button,a cinematic intro arriving on the screen before a woman in a cozy office setup debuted.Butch leaned back,gladly taking a pillow to put behind his head before receiving some unwanted glances for how loud he was being,fidgeting around.
“Chill.”His monotone voice cut through the silence before his emerald eyes darted back to the flat screen.
After her usual introduction finished (which prompted a few eye rolls for the sheer longness and how unnecessary most of it was),the woman began explaining about both of singers and their beginnings.
“I’m sure lots of you know the name Utonium,like come on now let’s not act stupid.”Alice’s voice began,a slight chuckle in her tone.”However,they’ve recently been making waves in the music industry,and i mean like BIG waves.”She over-pronounced,small images littering the screen with quotes such as ‘First Album Debuts At Top 5’ and ‘Utonium’s Making A Comeback.’
“On the other hand,I’m sure Hazel Easterwood is a household name.”She began while the same motion occurred,screenshots of her achievements plastering the screen.
“Not for me.” Boomer muttered as smug chuckles followed.
“But what if I told you these global pop stars had some drama?Well,more like one-sided beef..”Alice’s hazel eyes glanced off screen,mimicking a judgy side-eye before glancing back towards the camera.
“It all started with Hazel Easterwood reposting a video on Tiktok.”She deadpanned the camera,switching angles for a comedic effect.”Shocker.”
A quick screen-recording popped up on the screen,a Tiktok with the text ‘I hate these new upcoming artists,nobody is better then the original.’In the background was a regular person,probably just somebody bored in class making a video.But this wasn’t just somebody reposting,it was a famous pop-star who had a reputation which was still currently hanging on by a thread.
“This was so obviously a dig at the Utonium Sisters due to the fact their songs have begin charting higher then Hazel’s.”Alice stated while expressing emotions with hand movements,eyes squinting in scrutiny.”Like,girl,you ain’t slick.”
“Also not to mention,dare I say they deserve it?Like,come on,their range is insane.”Alice reasoned,it was quite obvious she had a very bold,no-sugarcoating personality.
Suddenly,clips of singing dominated the screen,the first one displaying Hazel.A pop beat was in the back while she sang overtop,a nice,calming voice despite the slight voice cracks.She had long,brunette hair aswell as a silky black dress with classy heels to match the attire.She moved around the stage casually,her feet gliding across the smooth surface while her coffee-coloured eyes darted over the audience.
On the contrary,A concert clip of Blossom Utonium rolled in,a smooth,almost jazz like beat in the back with some melodic lyrics plastered on top.Unconsciously,Brick wet his slightly dry lips at the sight,a bodysuit in silver glittering,bedazzled kiss marks imprinted on the design aswell as stockings to highlight her toned thighs.I mean,any man in their right mind could see that both of the women were attractive,but what could he say?He’d always had a thing for redheads.He watched as the screen flipped back to Alice’s studio.
“I mean,not to be biased or anything,but it’s lowkey clear why Blossom charts higher then her,come on now.Their singing techniques are extremely different.”Alice reasoned,trying to make her opinion justified.
“Anyways,carrying on…”Alice begun after her little side-track.”Hazel also reposted another TikTok,clearly trying to discretely bash the three.”A screen recording of another tiktok was introduced on the screen,one with text saying “can singers stop sexualising themselves smh” while a song named ‘Juno’ played in the back.
“I mean,Bubble’s song in the back just displays how this is meant to be a dig but…”Alice said,rolling her eyes.”If a man was doing this,y’all wouldn’t be batting an eye.”She said accusatorially.In curiosity,Butch exited the video (slightly because of his low attention span) and scrolled until clicking on another which was a live performance of the song ‘Bed Chem’ by Bubbles Utonium.
The screen faded in,the set of the stage being a house while hearing the loud crowd going wild in the background.Everybody’s eyes drifted to the bed,where a platinum blonde sat with dancers surrounding her.She sported a light blue bodysuit-similar to her sister’s-however,advertising a babydoll sheer lace mini-dress over top,matching rhinestones overlaying the bedazzling of the bodysuit.She laid on-top of a prop bed,a delicate,white duvet which had a silky-appearing texture.Boomer was immersed in the performance,his eyes locked onto every gesture:God,was she beautiful.Her ice blue eyes almost looked glowing and her blowout appeared soft and silky.
“Come ride on me,I mean camaraderie.”Her smooth voice delivered,it seemed still slightly high pitched yet still matured since the last he heard the soothing sound.He watched as the dancers coordinated a synchronised dance,the ending of the song arriving as a screen with a black shadow came up of two people in bed,displaying provocative positions.He listened to the crowd roar in celebration,the display of two silhouettes continuously being highlighted behind the red,dramatic curtain.
“…..Okayy.”Mitch said after multiple minutes of silence,the others still comprehending what just played.
“And to say that we used to fight her..” Butch drawled out,scratching the back of his head,nervously yet slightly regretful.
“So…”Mike begun,eyes glued to Brick “When’s your real job interview for her?”His eyebrows drawed in with a feeling of curiosity yet a smug smirk dawning on his face at Brick’s next words:
“Tomorrow.”
･ ୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
Brick stirred in bed,tiredness slowly disappearing from his demeanour.He reached for his head,wincing and groaning at the pounding headache from the previous night.Yeah,so maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have beers the night before an interview with your old enemy…..but how was he supposed to know!?
In all actuality,Brick was quite intellectual.Which was why he was slightly pissed at himself for not realising he was applying to be Blossom’s manager.Yes,the woman caught his eye,but he wasn’t planning out in head ‘Oh,yes,that’s surely my past enemy who I tried killing multiple times.’He groaned once more,mainly at the fact he knew today would be one full of events.
His body rose from the comforter,stretching his wide shoulders and toned arms over his head,satisfying his need to crack his bones.He walked to his en-suite,staring in the mirror at his appearance.He was a fairly attractive man if he said so himself,not to gloat or anything.Many women were attracted to his appearance,but most of those women weren’t like Blossom Utonium.If she was still like anything he remembered,she was a sarcastic bitch who always had a quick remark to exclaim.He would need some quick TLC to get on her good side,he thought.He entered the shower after removing his Calvin Klein boxers and turned on the stream of water,cursing slightly at the warm temperature.He repositioned the knob,the water temperature cooling down to his pleasure.His auburn locks slowly descended down his toned back as he rinsed it underneath the gentle water.He emulsified the shampoo between his fingers,tje product lathering as soon as he massaged it into his extremely moist hair.He rinsed it out underneath the stream,wincing as the shampoo leaked into his eyes.
“Great,so the world hates me basically…”He sarcastically quipped,voice gruff from the inactivity of use during the night.He continued rinsing the shampoo out,the faint vanilla scent infusing with his hair strands.He reached for the conditioner bottle,applying only a small,pea sized amount on his palm.He coated his mid-lengths in the product (which wasn’t a lot of hair due to his recent haircut) and let it saturate in his hair for around two minutes,some unneeded,hygienic hack he saw on Tiktok.
His mind kept wandering back to Blossom,the sight of her in that silver bodysuit curing some type of unreached wet dream in himself.He grunted at his thoughts,discreetly annoyed at himself for thinking about her like that.Most importantly,he was wondering how else she would act.Yes,probably still loaded with those back-handed remarks,but he wondered if she acquired a sense of humour or if she grew even more smarter.
He smoothly finished washing out his hair,grinning smugly at the feeling of silky hair.He quickly coated his body in a body wash and soap bar,before swiftly hopping out the shower and rummaging through his bathroom drawer to find some clean towels.He tied the white,pristine towel around his hips while drying his hair with another.He huffed quietly,wiping some of the condensation off his steamy mirror before reaching for his razor.He shaved his stubble hair,leaving a smooth canvas,just like he wanted.
He dried his hair with the towel,watching as his low-porosity hair practically drying during the whole duration of his shaving vendetta.His hairstyle was somewhat long,a slightly unkept style with a soft middle part.His hair was a dark shade of orange and appeared thick with a slightly tousled look due to his exaggerate,short layers.His hair was a medium to long length,reaching past his ears yet only slightly touching his shoulders.His hair wasn’t perfectly styled:instead having a natural,more voluminous,wolf-cut style then a neat,slicked back one.Fuck,how he despised that type of hairstyle.He remembered doing it once and looking like Danny Zuko for God’s sake.He reached inside his drawer,grabbing the Old Spice deodorant with one hand and applying a generous amount underneath his arms.
He exited the bathroom,his bare feet padding against the floorboards as he made his way to his wooden dresser.He put on a pair of simple boxers and socks while reaching for a crisp,white button up shirt.It was short-sleeved revealing muscular forearms and veins and he clipped a crimson red tie near the collar,guiding an professional look.He crouched down to the drawer underneath,pulling it out and searching through the organised assortment of pants before reaching for some sophisticated,work trousers.He hoisted them up his legs,the waist band resting on his hips,the trousers fitting perfectly.
He added a belt,clasping the buckle with a crisp jingle of the silver against eachother.He retraced his steps back into the bathroom,splashing his face with chilling water and even going as far as to add a dab of moisturiser on his symmetrical face.He smirked smugly to himself while spreading out the cream,reaching for his expensive cologne after and spraying a decent amount of sprays.He exhaled,red eyes fixating on the glowing,digital alarm clock which read the early time-6:42AM.He shrugged his shoulders,his mouth shaping into a downturned smirk and strolled into his living room,only for the supercilious expression to fade quickly.He examined the mess from the night before,beer cans littering the floor with unturned furniture from an aggressive game of UNO.
“Spoilt bastards..”He muttered while crouching down,picking up the rubbish like some damn cleaner.He walked over to the trash can,shoving the trash in with more force then necessary.He repositioned the cushions on the couch,wiping down the coffee table and washing some dishes which must of accumulated throughout the eventful night.Eventually,after a tortuous 10 minutes,he finished cleaning,dragging feet into the kitchen.He flipped the switch of the coffee machine on,reaching for a clean,white mug on a rack which floated above.He added a coffee bean pod in the top,loading it up before pressing the button.He watched as the fresh coffee descended into the cup,biting his inner cheek while waiting in suspense.He opened the fridge during the short intermission,before shutting it hastily.Somebody must of been in his fridge last night,and he was pretty certain who….
He trudged back to the coffee maker,listening to the machine finish its duty while still scoffing about the empty refrigerator.He held the mug by the handle,sipping on the dark coffee,despite the bitterness and steam protruding out of the cup.He wondered how his day would plan out,Hell,if he even would secure the job due to their pasts.He shook his head at the thought,’go in with a positive mindset’,atleast that’s what his old professor used to say.He took out his phone from his pocket,reading the screen which says 7:02 AM.
He took that as his cue to leave,quickly popping an extra mint in his mouth before walking to his foyer.He tied the laces to the smart-looking shoes,growling quietly at the appearance of them.He stood up,dusting non-imagery fine particles off his black trousers.He reached for his bag,a simple North Face backpack yet still didn’t appear too casual.Unlatching the door,he exited the apartment,double checking he locked it fully before walking towards his black Audi.
He sat in the drivers seat,slamming the door shut behind him leaving a thunderous noise.He linked his phone up to the car like usual, however,instead of opting for his usual playlist,searching up on Spotify:
Blossom Utonium.
He pressed shuffle on the artist,a song called “Tears” popping up.
“Great,a soppy song..” He mumbled while turning on his engine,listening to the smooth beat slowly increase in volume.
“I get wet at the thought of you.”
He immediately contradicted his statement after the first lyric,so not emotional…..
“Tears run down my thighs…”
So maybe she did change,and maybe Brick didn’t mind it.He continued driving,his finger uncontrollably tapping against the steering wheel gently to the striking beat.He used his indictor to signal left,joining the morning work traffic.He watched as the time of the song slowly descended,switching smoothly to another.
“The second i put my head on your chest,she knew,she’s got a real sixth sense.”
He listened to the now country beat,his car gliding slowly down the California roads,reminiscing back to his time in Massachusetts.Yes,he enjoyed Havard and made some life-long friends there,but he was happy in California,where him,his brothers,and a few friends dispersed to after graduating.He focused back on the road,revving his engine slightly in retaliation at the car which wasn’t moving infront of him despite the green light,dumbass.
“What a surprise,your phone just died,your car drove itself from LA to her thighs.”
Brick smirked slightly at the innuendo lyric.He released a sigh as the car finally moved,switching lanes and turning right and pulling up outside a large,sleek work building.He begrudgingly opened the car door,stepping onto the concrete beneath him and looking up at the edifice.
“A pay-checks,A pay-check.” He reminded himself before entering through the large automatic doors.