An evening off campus (Sari tag Any)

[Sarissa Zouvelekis]

Things at UCLA were working out nicely. Being a college student was great. Yes, it was way different then high school, but lucky Sari had a secret weapon. Her boyfriend Christophe. They had taken their relationship to the next level during the summer, and were going strong, which was nice. Sari really cared so much for him. Her freshman year was starting out good. It was still early, but Sari had a good feeling about this. She was in mostly general education classes, but Sari had and Native American culture class and she loved it.

Sari was adapting to college life. Of course College started before high school, so she had adapted by now. Sari spent most of her weekends off campus, with her sorority sisters or Christophe. Who was a huge hit with her sisters. A few even harbored a crush on him and often joked that if he and Sari ever broke up to call them. Of course it was just a running joke. This evening Sari left campus cause even staying on campus all day long got to be a bit much. She needed to be out doors at times. who didn't.

Sari was at the beach laying on a towel on the sand. She was looking at the ocean as it became dark. She had her feet in the sand and the slight wind blowing in her hair. It felt nice to be out. Fresh air did a body good of course. Like any good student Sari had her books, well book. She was a slacker with most of her classes. Sari was reading, or more like pretending to read taking advantage of the silence she didn't get on campus sometimes.That was until someone decided to join her.

[Celest Zouvelekis]

Celest wasn't one who usually went to the beach. She didn't wear sandals very often and she didn't like how just stepping on the beach allowed sand to get everywhere. Celest just wasn't the type of girl who liked to get messy. But she'd overheard her mom say that Sari mentioned she was studying on the beach today, so Celest had decided to go and see her sister. She hadn't seen her much since she'd moved on campus and while she wasn't as close with her older siblings as she was with the younger ones, Celest still missed having her sister around the house, even if now there was less fighting for the bathroom.

Celest knew which stretch of beach Sari would be on, so wasn't surprised when she found her easily. She'd put a pair of sandals on, specifically for the trip but carefully took them off before stepping onto the sand. She was dressed in a long flowey skirt that fell just past her knees, and a blouse which she'd tucked in and probably wasn't suited to the beach but Celest had always been an odd sort of dresser. Her long brown hair was tied back in a not so the wind wouldn't blow it all over the place as she carefully made her way over to the figure that was her sister.

"Wow, you actually are studying," she commented since her sister was reading a school book. This surprised Celest as she cautiously brushed the sand off a section of Sari's blanket and sat down. "I heard mom say that you said you'd be here," Celest admitted. "How do you like living on campus?" she asked, looking over at her elder sister.

[Sarissa Zouvelekis]

Sarissa looked up and smiled as she scooted over giving her little sister a little more room. "I am attempting to study. Haven't gotten past the first sentence yet." She closed the book and pushed it off to the side. Sari pulled her knees up to her chest. "Its good. I moved out of the dorm and into a sorority house." It was more expensive, but Sari liked it so far.

"Although i find that I tend to split my time between there and Takedo's place." Christophe. She would call him Takedo from time to time. Celeste should should who it is though. She had told her a few times. "I do miss home though. It's different not having you brats around." She smirked and lightly bumped her sister.

"Hows home? The parents getting on your nerves a lot?" sari and her parents had fought a lot when she lived there. moving out was really good for her cause it was not easy at home. Sari loved her siblings but she was very stubborn and so were her parents and it did not make for a good relationship. But it was much better now.

"Serena still sit around and watch soaps all day?" Sari asked laughing. Her poor sister. Part of her triplet. How different, she, Seth and Serena were. "What about the others? Brandon staying out of trouble?" She wondered. "I get these weird texts from him." She commented.

[Celest Zouvelekis]

Celest smiled as Sari put aside her text book. Of course her first instinct was to tell her sister that she better study if she wanted to keep up with school, but Celest kept that thought to herself, as she didn't see Sari as often now. Plus, there was no harm in taking a study break and then she could resume once Celest left.

She nodded when she mentioned splitting her time with Christophe. While she'd never gotten to know him well, she liked him because he'd always been nice to her. It made sense that her sister had joined a sorority. Celest could never see herself fitting into any groups like that but Sari was definitely the sorority girl type. She was much more social and outgoing, kind of like Dena and Brandon who tended to be the most outspoken of the younger kids.

"Yes, its definitely different without you around. I suppose there is a bit more space now...but I don't know if that is always a good thing. Gives mom more time to pay more attention to the rest of us," Celest admitted with a small smile. "They just keep trying to...change me...make me more outgoing...when I'm kind of okay. I like being quiet," Celest said. "Like that dumb camp they sent me to over the summer," she said. They'd sent her to an acting camp as an attempt to make her more outspoken. They'd been so disappointed when she hadn't preformed, but she'd enjoyed working in the background on the costumes. It was sort of more her thing. "I just don't see what's so wrong with blending in sometimes. I mean no need to have another Zouvelekis trying to be the center of attention all the time," she said with a smirk.

Celest talked more when she was with her siblings than with other people. She just felt more comfortable that way. For so many years she'd felt like family was all she had since she'd been on the TV show...being filmed all the time. She'd felt like she hadn't been able to connect with anyone else and now that the cameras were gone and their reality TV show was no more...she still sort of felt that way.

"Yeah, you bet," she said about Serena. "I'm glad I'm not much of a TV person anyway...otherwise I'd probably be angry about it," she said. Celest was much more of a reader anyway. She was absolutely addicted to the written word. Even when something she read got turned into a movie or a show...it was never as good as her imagination....

She laughed when Sari mentioned Brandon's texts. "Yeah...he's like best friends with Shelby Grant now," Celest said shaking her head. "I still don't like her very much because she's so mean to everyone else but Brandon's getting really popular, so he's really happy," Celest explained. "You know, you're really not that far...I understand if you don't want to be coming home all the time but we should try and all meet up for dinner sometimes...you know without our parents..." Celest said trailing off.

[christophe]

It was a cool evening and yet perfect fro taking a break from his work. Sarissa had mentioned heading out as well and so in the hopes of finding her he headed for one of her favourite places.

The beach.

He pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans... an action that saw his shoulders lift slightly. Christophe had allowed his hair to grow a little longer since leaving high school... and Sarissa seemed to like it. At least she hadn't told him to get it cut... yet!

He spotted a familiar form lying on the sand, another girl with her. Celeste. Christophe knew her by sight but hadn't really had much of a chance to meet any of the Zouvelekis family. His summer had been spent getting to know Sarissa even more as well as preparing for his move to university. Time had, quite simly, evaporated. Of course, he'd spoken to Celeste briefly and she seemed a most friendly and amicable girl but perhaps now he could go that bit further...

"As I reall asking you on the very first moment we met," he began and inreference to when he'd found Sarissa meditating beneath a tree during lunch time, "... am I intruding?" he asked with a smile.

[Sarissa Zouvelekis]

Sari listened as her sister spoke. She lightly bumped Celest's shoulder, "Hey now. What do you mean by center of attention. I can't help it if everything revolved around me. it was not my fault." Sari said jokingly. She laughed. Yeah Brandon, Dena and Sari were the three most outspoken kids. Sarissa was the most outspoken against the parental. She actually was the first one to say one camera the show sucked. Her parents had not been thrilled.

"Mom and dad just want what they think is best. They are use to being in the spot light because of use kids, that i think they want their kids to still be in the spotlight. As if they are living through us. Thats why I use to fight with mom all the time. She always wanted me to change for some reason or another and I refused to change. And you my dear sister are just fine the way you are. Besides its much easier to come up with a crazy idea when you don't have people protesting it." Sarissa said once again laughing to show she was joking.

Just then Christophe showed up. "I don't know, my book may have a problem if you were to sit next to me. It's a very clingy book." She smirked and patted the seat next to her as she pushed the book off. "Notice how it's getting further and further away. A sure sign study time is over." She chuckled. "Christophe you have met my little sister Celest. Celest this is Christophe." She said smiling since she had a habit of reintroducing people over and over. "We were just discussing how Celest is a kick ass costume designer. Right." Sari said smiling as she winked at her sister.

[Celest Zouvelekis]

Celest laughed at her sister's joke. She had no problem letting everything revolve around Sari, Brandon, and Dena. She liked being in the background, preferred it even. "Yeah, I know they do," Celest agreed about their parents with a roll of her eyes, "but its still super annoying," she said with a smirk.

She couldn't help but think how nice this was, just hanging out with her older sister. Even if it was on the beach and there was already sand sticking between her toes which she didn't like...it was still nice.

It was at that point that Christophe showed up. Celest supposed that Sari had told him to meet her. She didn't really mind. She hadn't really met him much...only really seen him in passing, but he seemed like a really nice guy. "Nice to meet you...officially," she said, reaching out to shake his hand. She blushed when her sister said she was a kick ass costume designer, "I'm okay...I mostly just make things for myself..." she said sort of brushing off the comment. Celest had never really been comfortable with praise probably cause it went along with being the center of attention usually.

[christophe]

Christophe threw Sarissa a smile and then added a second one for her sister. “Un plaisir de vous rencontrer enfin, Celest,” he said. “And talented as well as beautiful,” he went on. “An unfair distribution given others less gifted.” Sarissa snorted slightly and Christophe nudged her slightly as he dropped down at her side.

He shook Celest’s hand when she extended it towards him. “I admit I was starting to wonder if Sarissa’s family actually existed as she has yet to take me back home to meet you all. I am glad to have been proven wrong although...” He adopted a mock hurt expression. “... that can only mean she is ashamed of me... Mon dieu, ma vie est terminée.” He grasped a clump of his shirt in the region of his heart. Over dramatic? Perhaps... Just a little... but then he was French so allowances could be made... right?

“I would be interested to see some of your outfits,” he added to Celest, opting to leave Sarissa to her laughter.

[Sarissa Zouvelekis]

"I am not ashamed so much as I am saving my self the embarrassment of my parents bringing out old home movies so to speak." meaning they would pop out videos of the reality show they were all on to show Christophe. Yeah, Sarissa did not need that to happen. "So you should be thanking me from saving you from that. Although if you want to meet my siblings minus the parents, now that can be arranged." She winked at Celest and started to laugh. Then Christophe got all dramatic. "oh just ignore him when he is like that." she said smiling as she pretended to wave him off.

"So hows the new school year. No longer bottom of the food chain. I cant even remember what being a freshman was like. i was just glad not to be one anymore." Although in all honesty it was not much difference from being a sophomore or a junior. Nothing was different until she had become a senior and knew she only had a year left before she was off to college. "I assume the others are all adapting in their own way."

She smiled at Christophe. "She might be one of five, but I assure all five them are very different. Celest can vouch for that." Sometimes Sari wondered if Celest, Trenton, Dena, Brandon and Julian were all the same or if they were from different mothers. At least Serena, Sari and Seth were a bit more similar. But still she loved her siblings and how different they could be. "Don't you just love siblings. I think they are born purely to allow us older kids to mess with them." Sarissa began to laugh as she teased Celest about being younger.

[Celest Zouvelekis]

Celest smiled when Sari mentioned home videos. She knew very well that her sister meant the show. Celest was so glad that was over although she sort of wished that her childhood hadn't been recorded. Still, luckily Celest being among the quietest of the children, had never been focused on as much as the others. Sure there was plenty of footage of her but a good majority of it had been edited out of the episodes.

"It's okay I suppose," Celest said. She'd never been bothered much as a freshman so she hadn't really expected that being a sophomore to be much different. "I guess classes are a bit more challenging but you know me...I don't really mind that," Celest said. Sure she favored classes like English and Home Ec over say Math or Science, but she still preformed well in all of her subjects whether she liked them or not. "Yeah, it seems that way," Celest said with a nod.

"Oh we are," she added, "very different, but I guess that's the fun of it since we still all get along...for the most part," she said knowing that sometimes she and Brandon would argue when she was trying to stop him from pulling off some prank. They usually made up fairly quickly though. "Yeah, well you guys always went a little easier on me," Celest admitted as Sari teased. After all, Celest was the quiet one who for the most part stayed out of everyone's way.

"Oh," Celest said as her cell went off. "That's mom," she said. "I better go. Don't worry, I won't tell her I saw you, so she won't call excessively to get you to come visit home," Celest smirked. "It was really nice to meet you officially, Christophe," Celest said. "We should definitely all get together at some point. I'll tell my siblings and I'm sure we can find a time when all of us are free," Celest assured him. She then said her goodbyes, giving her older sister a quick hug before heading off the beach, waiting until she exited the sand. There were still sand stuck to her feet which she hated as she headed home, but never-the-less she was glad to have seen her sister, even if it had only been for a short while.

Wrapped for Celest