"Helping" Out - Shelby tag Bennett (open)

[Shelby Grant]

Shelby was besides herself. Why she was doing this? She still wasn't completely sure aside from the fact that she'd agreed to it at the end of last year. Sure, it had been easy then. A few smiles...some mild flirting...oh yes, Tyler had been good. She would have agreed to anything...okay, maybe not anything. But she had agreed to this.

What she had agreed to was helping out the nerdy Durnham. He was in her class so Tyler had asked if Shelby could help the kid be popular. It had seemed like an easy task at the time, but now, the more Shelby thought about it, the harder it would be.

She was in a good place right now, she thought as she headed down the hall dressed in a cute pink top trimmed in lace paired with a black denim mini skirt. After Brandon had helped her pull off that prank to get Sawyer and Roxy back, she'd been golden among the cheerleaders. And now, as a sophomore she had been fully accepted as one of them. And Brandon had turned out to be not so bad. Yeah, he was still a bit on the immature side, however he was easily growing into his own.

But this Bennett kid? Would it even be possible? Sure, he was still a Durnham...he had that going for him. But he was still a major dork and Shelby wasn't exactly looking forward to hanging out with him.

Spotting him at his locker she let out a sigh taking in the site of him. Those uber nerdy glasses were going to have to be the first thing to go. "My, my do we have our work cut out for us," she said shaking her head as she leaned against the locker adjacent to his.

[Bennett Durnham]

Had he known that today was probably the day that things in his life was going to change, Bennett would have probably worn something other than his ratty gray hoodie, a red Superman t-shirt, jeans that were a bit on the baggy side and his worn sneakers. He would have also combed his hair instead of letting it stay the way he woke up in and he would have opted for the contact lenses his cousin had forced him to buy before he graduated.

Had he known...

But he didn't so there he was in his usual outfit, a lot more scruffy than he usually was, trying to figure out why the books in his locker were a bit damp. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he pulled one of the books out and swung the locker shut only to be barred from heading to his class by none other than Shelby Grant. The pretty social climber was probably the last person Bennett thought would talk to him so when she spoke, Bennett was looking around, wondering who she was talking to.

Once he realised it was him she was talking to, Bennett's eyebrows furrowed at her thinly veiled insult. Admittedly, he had no retort so he stared at her for a few seconds before clearing his throat and adjusting his bag strap. "Please don't tell me Tyler put you up to this." He sighed, knowing full well that this was definitely his cousin's doings. Sure, Bennett had asked him for help but having someone like Shelby Grant do it was just not something Bennett had envisioned him being helped. The girl was more likely going to put him down than bring him up.

[Shelby Grant]

Shelby rolled her eyes and tossed her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. "Of course Tyler put me up to this, why else would I bother talking to you," Shelby said bluntly. "After all, last year I was the only freshman that Tyler hung out with," she smirked. She knew Bennett was aware of that because Shelby had made it her business to make sure everyone was quite aware that she, Shelby Grant, had made out with Tyler Durnham, the most popular guy in school. Of course Tyler was graduated now, but his name still held a certain amount of clout which Shelby needed until she could nab one of the other popular guys. She already had her eyes set on Nolan...he was only a year older than her and he was the new quarterback which also held a lot of clout. Now all she needed to do was convince him to get over that slutty and over rated Sloane...

Oh right...Bennett. Shelby's thoughts had almost gotten the best of her as the guy standing beside her, waited expectantly for her advice (at least in her mind he was). "You know, Tyler had informed me that he'd already covered the whole style thing with you but clearly you didn't pay attention," she went on. "Okay, tomorrow, nix the glasses...wear jeans that have a better fit, like tighter...not like weird emo tight because that's just gross, but you know...like Tyler would wear. And a dark wash denim would be better I think. And then you can were a nice button down, not like a geeky one that you'd actually wear with a suit, like one you'd wear out. Stripes are nice as long as they're not too bright...." she went chattering on, "oh and shoes...do you have like dress shoes?" she asked looking him over again. "Oh...and showering, that's really the first step...I would have thought you had that covered....but I guess not," she said, her tone snotty.

The hall was somewhat crowded as Shelby talked. More talking at him than to him. Tyler had said that this kid wanted to be popular...wanted to fit in...so clearly he had to be interested in what she was saying. Or at least Shelby thought so.

It was at that moment that Astor Young was moving through the halls trying to get the her locker, which was across the hall from Bennett's before first period. Someone knocked into Astor, causing her to knock into Bennett. "Sorry," she said, half turning around but not turning her head enough to see that she actually would have recognized the boy from the diner. Without actually seeing him, she continued across the hall to her locker.

"See, that girl didn't even notice you," Shelby said, glancing over at the pretty blonde freshman who was now across the hall. That girl's outfit was a disaster as well, but Shelby didn't have time for two projects. "Anyway, you have all those clothes...right?" she asked. "Or do I need to take you shopping because I have cheer after school but could maybe do it in the evening..." she went on, finally stopping her constant talking long enough to actually pay attention to the boy who hadn't said a word. "Hello!" Shelby said, waving her hand in front of his face. "You were listening, right?"

After all, Shelby didn't exactly like standing here and talking to him while he looked like that. Once he cleaned up, sure it would be fine...then they could pretend to be friends and she could introduce him to the right people. But until then, it was sort of embarrassing....

[Bennett Durnham]

Bennett had half a mind to tell Shelby off for being way too condescending but she had barelled on into her silly fashion babble that Bennett didn't even have an opening to interject. And soon he was in his own world with Shelby just blathering on in the background. His head was swimming with ideas for a new book where he explained the workings of a high school and Shelby was probably the most highlighted character being the archetypical queen bee wannabe.

And then there's Tyler, the playboy. Sloane Taylor would be the one who would do it with anyone [even in his head he was too respectful to call her the 'S' word]. Then there was Nolan Ahlstrom, the jock type. Sarah Brody would win hands down as the queen witcherama from hell. Followed by maybe Fallon Cotton as the artsy head in the clouds type. Then there's Colby Jergens, the bad boy with a heart of gold alongside Quenten Ferris as the creepy villain of the book. There has to also be Takumi Yoshino, the crazy happy go lucky guy.

It was amusing how he could find inspiration at the oddest times and when he snapped back to the present he realised Shelby was still talking but what brought him back was the sudden bump into his locker, hurting his shoulder slightly. He blinked and turned to see the heroine of his anti-hero character.

Astor Young.

She was just a year younger than him but if he could have anyone be the girl of his dreams, Astor was number one no doubt. It was a little creepy for him as the older guy to be hanging about at her diner almost every day getting brain freezes from all the milkshakes he bought just so he could catch a glimpse of her rolling around the diner in her paint splattered clothes. But he'd been trying to build the nerve to talk to her ever since they bumped into each other on the boardwalk about nine months ago.

When Cammie told him that she was going to be in the same school as him a few weeks back, he couldn't even believe his luck! But just as he was invisible to her at the diner, high school was just a big bummer as well. It didn't help at all when Shelby pointed out that painful fact and continued to mock him and his sense of style.

"Yeah, yeah I heard you." He said quietly as he stuffed the book he got from his locker into his bag despite its wetness. It will dry eventually. "You don't actually have to help. I'm pretty sure the help card from Tyler expired the moment he graduated. But thank you kindly for your time." He was about to leave but he stayed just for a moment. "You're a pretty girl, Shelby but um...it would be nice if you could tone down the queen bee act."

Bennett was quite aware of the implications of saying something like that to someone like Shelby especially after she had 'graciously' extended a helping hand but Bennett's backbone was growing. He had to start somewhere. And if Shelby was going to ruin his reputation from this, he was sure he would survive. She actually gave pretty good advise about the clothes and stuff. And even if that didn't work, he wasn't too keen on being popular if it meant being nice to people who acted like Shelby.

As if his words weren't enough, Bennett actually touched her arm and rubbed it up and down a couple of times just because he could. It would be funny to see Shelby getting all freaked out because a guy like him was touching her.

[OOC: I'm not sure if you want to continue but there's so much a popular girl can take talking to a non-popular guy who touched her arm, no? Totally up to you but we could actually wrap this thing right here and have Shelby all steamed up elsewhere Waddya say partner?]

[Shelby Grant]

Shelby gave him a look when he started talking back to her. Her lips parted, leaving her mouth hang open a little from the whole shock of it. Was he really standing up to her. Shelby felt a bit flustered at first as she wasn't exactly expecting it all. She stared daggers at him, taking his comments very personally. "You know what, normally I'd say that growing a spine would be a step in the right direction, but when you use it to put down the people who are actually trying to help you, it doesn't really work," she said. "I know you don't like me, most people don't, but that's sort of the point, isn't it? Being popular isn't about being liked and that's what you said you wanted to be," she said.

"You know, I was going to get Brandon to befriend you--he's totally rising up in the ranks. And then the three of us could have ruled the sophomore class, but if you want to remain a loser fine, remain a loser," she said, rolling her eyes at him. Shelby didn't like this one bit. While she hadn't exactly been thrilled to to notion of befriending Bennett Durnham, she'd gone through it mostly because she liked the idea of followers. If she wanted to be the most popular girl in school, which she was sure she'd achieve next year when the current most popular girls graduated, she needed people to surround herself with. To follow her around and instill confidence in everyone else that she was the best.

"You know, if you don't want my help, I'm sure someone else will," she told him as she glanced across the hall at the girl who had bumped into Bennett. She was a cute girl that just needed some guidance...which was clear by the dirty (meaning paint splattered) jeans and T-shirt she wore. And that hair, tied into braided pigtails? It was very childish. All she needed was some hair tips and some new clothes and she'd totally fit the part. Plus, she was a freshman girl, which seemed like a much easier task to transform than gross Bennett was.

"Whatever, consider you're life over because you'll never be popular in this school," she said to him, her tone cruel before she gave him one last look and walked across the hall and stopped next to Astor's locker, plastering on a smile before telling her about the joys of being a cheerleader and how she'd totally fit in with a few minor changes.

Wrapped?

[Bennett Durnham]

Holding back his tongue after she called on what he was thinking, Bennett couldn't help but think that this was not the way people helped other people. By being mean. Sure there was tough love but what Shelby is doing was not something Bennett appreciated. There were ways you doled out help and this was not one of them. Sure it could work on some people but Bennett hardly thought being brought down like that by someone who was 'trying to help' was even necessary. Jeez, even Tyler was nicer than this.

At the mention of Brandon, Bennett frowned slightly. Who the heck was Brandon? But on and on Shelby went until she moved her attention elsewhere and when he realised who she was talking to, his spine shivered and he started to shake his head. If Shelby got to Astor, there was a huge possibility that she would jump on the popularity wagon so fast that Bennett would never even become a blip on her radar and that didn't help one bit.

He rushed towards her, grabbed her by the arms and turned her around, pushing her towards his locker. "Okay, okay, okay. I'm sorry," it really pained him to lie like that. "Don't go. I need your help I really do. I'm sorry I went off on you like that. I'm willing to do anything. Just don't change...um...don't change me too much." He was so close to saying Astor's name. Shelby was the one person he didn't want to know he had a crush on Astor because she would totally ruin everything. It was better if Shelby's bitchiness was directed at him. Astor should remain innocent for as long as he could help it.

"You can hate me all you want but I'm going to do whatever you say." He knew he was making a big mistake but there was nothing else he could do. "You can get Brandon to befriend me and uh...take me off your hands but don't give up on me, okay? Concentrate on me."

[OOC: Okay so we can consider this a wrap >.<]