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129TH BOULEVARD .
AUGUST 20TH , 1:49PM .
10 DAYS UNTIL SENIOR YEAR STARTS

The scene opens. Joe sits inside his apartment, drinking a mug of coffee, a stack of papers on his kitchen table. They lie untouched as he sits on a tattered, dark purple couch, the tv remote resting on his lap as he watches the cooking channel. 

JOE: This show is good, eh? The coffee's not too bad, either.

He raises the mug to the camera and takes a sip, his face screwing up almost instantly.

JOE: Scratch that last bit. But hey, in an apartment block like ours, you have to take every moment as it comes. Appreciate the moments you get to yourself, drinking crap cups of coffee. Appreciate the moments of peace and-

There's a sharp knock on the door, followed by the voice of a teenage girl.

UNKNOWN: Joe? Hello? Can I come in?

Joe makes a point to look directly at the camera, mouthing 'spoke too soon'.

JOE: Not right now, Ines! I'm, uh, working! On- important paperwork! For the building!

INES: Oh! Okay, it's-

It sounds as though the girl is about to move away from the door, but another muffled voice can be heard.

UNKNOWN: He's not working Ness, and he knows that. Let us in, Joe!

There's a continuous banging following, and Joe rolls his eyes, standing up from his seat on the couch. He moves over to the door slowly, reluctantly opening it. In front of him stands two teenage girls, one of which has a smile plastered across her features, the other with her arms folded. 

The girl on the right is quite a bit shorter than the other, and has a braid in her hair, a few stray curls escaping to curl around her shoulder. She wears an array of bracelets on each of her wrists, and her long skirt just covers the anklets she has on. Her somewhat eclectic taste in style directly opposes to the girl next to her, whose outfit looks as though it was immaculately thought out. Her hair is perfectly curled, and her maroon top is paired with a short black skirt.

INES: Surprise! 

The girl grins at Joe, while the girl next to her shakes her head slightly.

JOE: I was working, Violet!

VIOLET: Yeah, and pigs can fly. We're coming in now.

She takes Ines by the hand and drags the girl in behind her, Ines offering Joe a smile as they walk in. Ines almost immediately makes herself at home, moving to grab a chocolate bar from Joe's fridge.

JOE: Hey!

INES: Compensation for not opening the door for us.

VIOLET: True.

Violet nods her head, and high fives Ines. The scene now cuts to a talking head; the two girls sit together on a grey couch, talking directly to the camera.

         ( Talking Head )

INES: Welcome to 129th Boulevard! Home to the best residents to ever grace the streets of New York City! I'm Ines Toussaint, from Apartment Number 13-

VIOLET: And I'm Violet Beauregard, from Apartment Number 5. And so, you might be wondering, where's the rest of the people of this apartment? And why are two stunning, charming teenage girls the only ones here? Well, our lovely landlord Joe was meant to be doing the intro originally, but we hijacked it. Payback for...something he's probably done to us in the past.

INES: And so now we're doing it! Ta da! Woohoo!

VIOLET: We're going to be providing you insight on all of the wonderful, weird tenants of this apartment block, and sharing with you all the knowledge we know! So, without further ado-

Violet is about to continue speaking when the the door bursts open, and Joe walks through, panting slightly.

JOE: Which one of you psychos trapped me in the elevator?

He looks between the two of them, before standing upright.

JOE: Let me rephrase myself. Violet, why did you trap me in the elevator?!

VIOLET: Hey, it wasn't me! I hired them, yeah, but I didn't carry out the dirty work myself! Ines' mom just did my nails! 

She shows her nails to Joe; they're painted a dark red colour, and the ring finger on each hand has a white hibiscus flower on it. The answer seems to appease Joe enough for him to let her finish speaking.

VIOLET: Besides, who in this apartment block knows how to operate machinery?

Joe thinks for a second, before his face goes deadpan.

JOE: If you'll excuse me, I have a Jeremiah to hunt down now.

He excuses himself back out of the door, shutting it behind him. Violet turns back to the camera, a successful look on his face.

VIOLET: So worth the $10 I paid Jeremiah. 

INES: $10? That's a rip off.

VIOLET: Not many people here know how to stop an elevator, to be fair! Now, where were we-

UNKNOWN: Hey, I want to join in!

A teenage boy peers from behind the doorframe, looking into the living room. He looks slightly out of breath, his blond hair sticking to his forehead slightly as he walks into the living room, sitting on the arm of the couch.

INES: Are you not currently on the run from Joe, Jere?

JEREMIAH: No! I don't think so, anyway.

He says somewhat sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

JEREMIAH: Besides, this is the last place he'd look.

VIOLET: Well, what if I said I didn't want you here?

JEREMIAH: What if I said I didn't give a fuck about what you want?

VIOLET: And what if I-

Ines clears her throat from in between them, clapping her hands slightly. 

INES: Enough! Or I'll just do the introduction myself!

JEREMIAH: Little Miss Ditsy has a bite to her? Shocker.

Ines glares at him slightly, and he shuts up, raising his hands in apology. She replaces the scowl on her face with a grin, looking back at the camera.

INES: So, let's start with Apartment Number 1, shall we? Belonging to none other than our resident landlord, Joe.

Her voice is now playing in the background of a clip, of Joe standing outside of his door, arms folded but looking proud nonetheless.

          ( Voiceover )

VIOLET: He's been here for as long as I can remember, since all of us teens have been here, anyway. And even though he's slightly annoying, and useless at his job at times, he's essentially the cornerstone of 129th Boulevard. Seriously.

Clips are shown of Joe as Violet speaks. He's shown numerous times with various different tenants: preventing Stevie from cracking her head open by sliding down the stairs on a mattress, playing dress up with little Mae, and even sharing a cigarette with Jeremiah on the stairs of the apartment block.

JEREMIAH: He's a good guy. And I don't say that about many people. So you know I'm right.

VIOLET: Next is Apartment Number 2, belonging to the Montoya brothers, and housing none other than Vincent Montoya.

INES: Or as we all call him, V.

A clip shows V standing in front of his apartment with his older brother. The two look almost identical, except V is considerably taller, and he sports a faded purple buzzcut.

INES: I dyed his hair for him. Looks great, doesn't it?

VIOLET & JEREMIAH: [ in unison ] Ines!

INES: Sorry, sorry! Okay, back to the introduction! I don't really know how to describe V, to be honest-

VIOLET: I do. He's annoying. He gets on my fucking nerves.

INES: Hey! What happened to unbiased introductions?

VIOLET: Yeah, yeah, sorry!

INES: Anyways, V is an adrenaline junkie through and through. Like, the sort of guy who will do anything you ask him to.

JEREMIAH: I once paid him five dollars to slide down the fire escape.

Both girls turn to face Jeremiah.

VIOLET: And how did that work out for the pair of you, genius?

Clips show V sporting a broken arm, putting a thumbs up for the camera as he spots it, while Jeremiah pours him a glass of orange juice, staring directly into the camera.

JEREMIAH: Personal slave for a week wasn't too bad actually. V isn't so high maintenance, so the task was nothing short of easy to be honest. 

JEREMIAH: Our newcomer of the group, Cee Mosley, lives in Apartment Number 3, with their aunt Nevaeh.

A clip shows Cee standing with xyr aunt in front of their apartment. The door is brightly coloured, especially in contrast to both V's and Joe's, and Nevaeh has a wide grin on her face.

INES: Oh, I do adore Nev. Her artwork is quite possibly my favourite thing in the world. And Cee is just brilliant, aren't they? The perfect addition to our apartment block!

VIOLET: I'll let Ines do the talking here. I haven't interacted too much with xem yet, not since xe moved in. 

INES: Oh, you must go to their apartment, Vi. It is nothing short of spectacular! And Cee's collection of vintage t-shirts? It's like your dream!

Clips show Ines rifling through Cee's collection of vintage t-shirts, marvelling at the graphic designs on them. One shirt she holds up, and Cee indicates for her to take it. In a state of happiness, she wraps her arms around Cee, who stands awkwardly in front of her, not quite knowing how to react to the clearly excited girl in front of xem, and patting on her back as a response.

INES: They haven't given away much to me at the moment, to be perfectly honest. It's mainly been just me talking to xem.

A clip now plays over Ines speaking, of her conversing with Cee. Or rather, her talking at Cee, while they listen to what she's saying, nodding slightly at her words.

INES: But I have a feeling they're a bit like an oyster, just waiting to be cracked open. Or whatever the metaphor for that is.

VIOLET: And now for Apartment Number 4, home to Dexter Andrews, our resident author. 

JEREMIAH: Struggling author.

The clip shows Dexter standing outside of door No. 4, his hands in his pockets as he leans against the wall. He's got reading glasses propped up on his head, and a pen behind his ear.

INES: Stop, I feel bad for him! I just know he's a secret genius. It's just that nothing seems to be going his way!

Numerous clips begin playing: mini flashbacks of Dexter throwing away crumpled up pieces of paper into a wastebasket on different days. In some of them some of the other tenants make guest appearances: Ines with Mae on her lap, catching the crumpled paper and the two of them doodling on it while he despairs; Damian throwing it in the bin for him and 'scoring', cheering to an imaginary crowd; V opposite him, getting hit by said paper and throwing it straight back at him.

INES: It's alright though, because we all have faith in him! 

VIOLET: That, and we all expect dedications in said book whenever it's published. 

JEREMIAH: Most likely in the year 3004.

INES: Now moving onto the second floor, and onto Apartment Number Five, where-

VIOLET: The most special and wonderful girl in this entire apartment block lives!

JEREMIAH: So not you then.

VIOLET: Rude.

A clip now shows Violet standing with her parents, smiling broadly for the camera. Halfway through the clip, she signals to the camera she needs to go for a second, and when she runs back on after, she's wearing an entire different jacket and modelling it to the camera, which is met with rolls of the eyes from her parents.

INES: She's the most stylish person I know, hands down. I mean, who else can hand-sew almost all of their clothes, and pull them all off?

Violet is shown sewing a new skirt, the patterns being taken from an old beanbag. Fashion magazines are sprawled all over her carpeted floor as she sews, humming along to the music playing in her earphones.

VIOLET: Aw, thanks Ines!

JEREMIAH: She's lying by the way.

VIOLET: Yeah, fuck you too. Trust me, Connell, when my designs are featured in Vogue in the future, you will be eating your words.

VIOLET: And now, for perhaps the nicest people in our apartment block, Apartment Number 6, belonging to Nelly Hughes, and her adorable daughter Mae.

The mother and daughter are shown outside their respective door. Nelly has Mae resting on her hip, the little girl resting on her shoulder as they both smile at the camera, giggling slightly in between.

INES: I love them both to pieces. I remember when Mae was just born, aw, do you remember Vi! She had a head full of hair-

JEREMIAH: Hey! You're leaving me out!

VIOLET: Well, we didn't want you here, anyway!

INES: Shush, both of you! We're talking about Nelly and Mae, not either of you! Now, nobody can disagree that Mae is an absolute angel of a child.

Clips show numerous tenants showering the young girl with affection: Leon walking with her on his back while simultaneously holding one of Nelly's shopping bags. Violet dressing up the girl in a Cinderella princess dress, bopping along with her. She's even seen with Jeremiah, who holds onto her hand as they walk down the street, a pick n mix in Mae's small hand.

VIOLET: What can I say; it's hard not to love them!

INES: Apartment Number 7 is home to the Lauriers, and my brother, Damian Laurier. 

JEREMIAH: You're not related, though?

INES: Doesn't mean I can't call him my brother. We're basically family, anyway.

A clip shows Damian outside of his front door with his family. His mother stands beside him and his younger sister, and it's clear that the family dynamic is tightknit. He holds a basketball under his right arm, which Robyn keeps trying to push out, laughing as he tightens his grip on it.

JEREMIAH: What do you mean 'family anyway'?

INES: His mom is my mom's best friend. His sister is my brother's best friend, and I'm pretty sure Amari has some fat crush on her, even if he's not admitting it. And, by association, that makes him my brother.

VIOLET: Other than being Ines' brother, and my best friend, he's also a great basketball player. I mean it as well, you know. I don't think I've seen anyone beat him at basketball 1v1.

Numerous clips now play of Damian bodying people at basketball. Leon tries and falls to dunk on him, Matilda stands in horror as Damian manages to throw a basketball from almost halfway across the court, and V doesn't even try, moving away as soon as Damian sinks one in for the first time.

JEREMIAH: I would've thought you'd all have been smart enough to know not to go against him. Or well, some of you, anyway.

VIOLET: If I recall correctly, didn't Damian absolutely thrash you at basketball?

Small clips play of Damian beating Jeremiah numerous times at 1v1, and the end shot shows Jeremiah panting, his hands on his knees as Damian stands triumphant before him.

JEREMIAH: Yeah, well. Moving on.

JEREMIAH: The Renaults round off the second floor, and Apartment Number 8 is home to downtown expert Colette Renault.

A clip now shows Colette standing with her mothers in front of their apartment. It's clear that the family has a lot of love for each other, as all three of them stand smiling for the camera, laughing silently as they do so.

INES: Coco's incredibly smart, you know. Like not just intelligence, but also street smarts.

JEREMIAH: Yeah, so am I.

VIOLET: Okay, but you're also full of shit, so what does that count for, really.

INES: I mean, she really knows her way around New York, you know. And she's the best person to have by your side when walking through Central Park!

A clip shows Colette and Ines walking through Central Park, though notably Colette seems clued on to her surroundings, while Ines is in a state of oblivious bliss. A man cycles past on a bike, clearly trying to take Ines' phone, which she holds loosely in her hand, though Colette manages to pull her out of the way, and somehow simultaneously manage to kick the bike down, taking the man with it. Ines remains oblivious to what's happening around her, while a few members of the audience watching clap for Colette.

JEREMIAH: Or maybe-

He looks as though he's about to say something which he finds funny, though one glare from Violet shuts him up in an instant.

VIOLET: Maybe we should move on.

INES: The first apartment, Number 9, belongs to the Van Der Lohes.

JEREMIAH: Do any of you actually know their first names?

VIOLET: ( shrugs ) They always refer to themselves as Mr & Mrs Van Der Lohe in their Christmas cards, and I don't think any of us have ever asked.

The pair are shown outside of their door, with their five cats beside them. Two of them are ginger, one's a tabby and the other two are black. They look immensely proud of their pets: they each hold a cat up to the camera, laughing as they meow softly.

JEREMIAH: They're kind of crazy. In their own sort of way.

INES: They have five cats, as well! What a dream!

VIOLET: Their names are, I think, Cherry, Angel, Bobbins, Treacle and...

The couple are shown with each of their various cats as Violet says their names: Cherry & Angel are the ginger cats and Bobbins & Treacle are the black cats. The frame pauses now on them with their tabby cat, who Violet has forgotten the name of.

INES: Oh, Dave!

JEREMIAH: Dave?

VIOLET: Yeah. ( pause ) I think you can tell where the inspiration ran out.

VIOLET: Apartment Number 10 is home to-

JEREMIAH: Me. Jeremiah Connell. And just me.

A clip shows of the boy standing outside of his apartment door, a cigarette in his mouth as he blows out the smoke. Almost as soon as he blows out the smoke, the fire alarm goes off, and muffled disgruntled noises can be heard from the other apartments.

INES: Wait - how on earth did you clear it to live there by yourself?

JEREMIAH: ( shrugs ) I'm just incredibly charming.

VIOLET: Anyone with eyes would disagree. But anyway, Mr Self-Proclaimed Bad Boy over here has been living in the block for two years. And since he's been living here, the amount of fire drills we've had has increased by about 20,000.

INES: Vi!

VIOLET: It's true!

INES: Well, I like you, Jeremiah. You're sort of weird. And I like your sketches. 

A clip shows Jeremiah sketching in a notebook, his pen moving smoothly over the paper as he draws. The sketch is hauntingly beautiful, and it's clear that he has a natural talent for it. Though at the knock of the door, he hides the sketchbook away.

JEREMIAH: Thanks, Ness. I think.

INES: We're all weird anyway. So you fit in with us, in your own way. Even if you think you don't.

The room goes silent for a minute. Clearly Ines has touched Jeremiah with her words, as he offers her a small smile. The silence is disrupted by Violet, who clears her throat.

VIOLET: Well, now that we've been enlightened on Jeremiah's hobbies, let's move on.

JEREMIAH: My next door neighbours in Apartment Number 11 are the Obiakas, and their teenage daughter Matilda. Who I've only spoken about five words to.

INES: Jeremiah!

JEREMIAH: What, it's true! And at no fault of my own either! She's just- a bit quiet!

The Obiaka family are shown standing in front of their apartment, smiles on all of their faces. Matilda stands prim and proper towards the back of her family, almost blending in with the rest of them, as though she's trying to keep herself somewhat concealed.

VIOLET: He has a point, to be honest. I mean, me personally, I adore the girl, but I understand why people don't talk to her as much.

INES: Well, I think she's a sweetheart. And one of my best friends. Even if she doesn't speak as much.

Clips show the group of teenagers interacting in numerous different locations. In one of them, they're all arguing on the rooftop of the building, while Matilda watches on. In another, they're on their way to Central Park, and Matilda trails away from the group, though Violet notices, and moves to walk beside her.

JEREMIAH: You call everyone your best friend.

INES: Well, Matilda's the nicest of all of my best friends! No offence, Vi,

VIOLET: None taken. It's the truth.

VIOLET: And now, onto the final floor-

INES: Hey, let me start! This is my floor!

VIOLET: Fine, fine.

INES: Thank you! ( pause ) We now move onto the final floor, and we start at Apartment Number 12, home to my best friend, Leon Rockford.

JEREMIAH: Again-

VIOLET: Shut up and let her finish before I kick you out of my apartment.

Ines smiles appreciatively at Violet, before a clip plays of Leon and his father outside of their apartment. The resemblance between the pair is uncanny, and Leon's father stands with his arm around his son. You can see Leon crack a joke and his dad start laughing before it goes onto the next clip.

INES: I've known Leon since we were twelve, and he's amazing. Like seriously, one of the best musicians I know.

A clip shows Leon playing the guitar on his bed, strumming the string casually. He seems to know the song off by heart, playing along with the vinyl spinning next to his head.

JEREMIAH: He'll be happy to hear you say that.

INES: Why?

JEREMIAH: Because-

He pauses, looking at Violet, who mimes zipping her mouth shut. He takes the hint, looking back at the camera. 

JEREMIAH: Because you guys are best friends.

Ines seems satisfied with the answer, grinning at the camera. She remains oblivious to the interaction that went on moments prior.

JEREMIAH: And now, in Apartment Number 13, lives-

INES: Me! Surprise!

Ines and her family are shown to be standing outside their door, grins on their faces. Her mother, Melissa, looks proud of her children as they stand politely outside, but that only lasts for a few seconds before Ines' brother Amari nudges his sister, and a small fight starts between the two of them. 

INES: Now, how do I describe myself? Well, I would say I'm kind and caring. Creative, too, I'd say.

VIOLET: And you're ever so slightly a daydreamer.

JEREMIAH: Just a bit.

A montage now shows all the times Ines has started daydreaming mid conversation; in one of them she's talking with Leon and Stevie, in another with Matilda, and so on. The clips all show Ines zoning out mid-conversation, with the people she's talking to clearly used to this happening.

INES: What? I can't help it! And I am trying to get better!

JEREMIAH: Even if it's not working at the moment.

VIOLET: But either way, Ines is hands down the life and soul of this apartment. I've never seen a girl who appreciates life more than she does. Ness takes every day as it comes, and for that she is truly loved around here. By everyone. Including Jeremiah.

JEREMIAH: ( sighs ) Sometimes. I suppose.

INES: And now for our final apartment, Number 14, and home to perhaps the most crazy person I know, Stevie Rivers.

JEREMIAH: Crazy is an understatement. The girl is wild.

A clip now plays of Stevie's aunt standing outside their apartment door, waiting for their daughter to turn up. She checks the time on her watch, and almost straight after, Stevie comes running in, her hair dishevelled and her a smile on her face.

VIOLET: Stevie's the resident apartment hazard.

JEREMIAH: Meaning she's a hazard to all of us, and to herself.

INES: Well, hey! That's harsh! She's not a complete hazard.

VIOLET: How else would you describe her, Ness?

Ines pauses in thought for a moment, chewing the inside of her cheek.

INES: ( shakes her head ) I can't think of anything.

VIOLET: Exactly.

Clips show of Stevie's many adventures around the apartment block, including her infamous mattress sliding, the attempted bonfire on the rooftop and swinging down the fire escape, though the latter was stopped by Joe, who met her at the bottom of the block.

INES: But she's a lovable sort of crazy, you know? Like a ratty white dog. They're mad, but they're so cute, you just can't bare to stay mad at them. You get me?

JEREMIAH: No. Not really.

INES: Oh.

INES: And now, we're all done! Yay!

VIOLET: Thank god. Out of my apartment you go, Jeremiah.

JEREMIAH: Sorry?

VIOLET: You heard me. Shoo.

JEREMIAH: Who are you to tell me to shoo?

VIOLET: Who are you to defy me?

The two continue bickering over Ines, who sits between them. She looks straight at the camera, and mouths 'help me' to it, before the scene cuts.

The scene now cuts back to Violet and Ines standing in Joe's apartment, back where they were before. Ines is leaning against Joe's counter, still eating the chocolate bar, while Violet stands next to her. Joe sits on a chair by his dining table, his arms folded as he watches the girls.

VIOLET: Now, listen up. We want to throw a party.

JOE: Wait, a party? What for?

INES: Does there need to be a reason to throw a party? Parties are fun!

She does a jazz hands at Joe, who seems almost inclined to join in, though he holds back. 

JOE: Look, I'm already behind on a lot of stuff. You know, repairs, rent-

VIOLET: All things you pretend to give a shit about. Come on, just one party! You know you want to! We haven't had one in ages.

JOE: And you know exactly why we haven't had one in ages.

VIOLET: Oh, come on! The fire was hardly our fault! If anything, you should've been a responsible adult and moved the rags away from our makeshift bonfire.

JOE: Which shouldn't have been on the roof in the first place.

VIOLET: Boo, I miss when you were like our hip old grandad.

Joe opens his mouth to respond, most likely at the jab of being called 'old', though Ines interjects before he can.

INES: Look, Joe, please let us throw this party. School's about to start up again, and for a lot of us this is our senior year, so it would really mean a lot. Plus, Cee just moved, and I bet they'd love to see a classic 129th Boulevard party, don't you?

She flashed him a grin, and Violet smirked at her friend. Everyone called Ines ditsy, but it was at moments like this when she truly thrived, when she could turn on the charm like a flick of the switch, and have people wrapped around her pinkie finger. And sure enough-

JOE: Okay, you've won me over. But no fires this time, okay?

INES: Yay! No fires! Thanks Joe!

She wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him, and he hugs her back. Their dynamic seems resemblant of that of a father and his daughter. Violet stands behind the pair, giving Joe a thumbs up as a thank you.

INES: Come on, Vi! We have a group to round up, and a party to plan!

She grabs her friend by the arm and pulls her out of Joe's apartment, chattering excitedly as they leave. Joe shuts the door behind them, and shakes his head slightly.

         ( Talking Head )

JOE: What have I done?

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Elodie Speaks . . .

The prologue of '129th Boulevard' is officially here! I included every character in this chapter, & if you feel like your character wasn't mentioned a whole lot, please don't stress! This is merely an introductory chapter [ as can be told by my writing ] & as the story progresses, they will have a lot more features in the book! If you feel as though your character hasn't been presented as you wish them to be within their introduction, please message me on discord and I can fix it asap!

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THE CAST — if you haven't already, please finish your love interest & friendship rankings as soon as possible! This is crucial for the dynamics within the book! If you fail to complete either of the above, I will have to resort to either making a dynamic myself between characters or just pairing your oc off with someone you didn't put down, simply because you didn't describe their dynamic. PRETTY PLEASE get this done ASAP so I can properly solidify the dynamics, thank you!

Thank you so much for sticking around and reading & supporting this fic! I'll see you all in the next chapter!