❥▐ cupid's brew

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✿ OUTFIT | MUSIC | OOC |MOOD ↝ EXCITED✿​

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✖ LOCATION ↝ HOME ✖​

Leaving her tripod and camera to stand in the middle of her room, she had placed herself in front of the computer once again. The photos turned out quite great! All she had to do was panel them together and make some adjustments. Of course, part of her still wanted to rip her face off from the photographs but what she always told herself was 'Meh, who cares anyway.'

She took whole body shots of her outfits, with some close ups to capture the details of her outfit - such as her shoes, the pattern on her sweater, and the texture of her hat. She paneled the photos together, as if she had two clones of her in the room. All doing three different poses, one with her facing sideways looking down at her side with a small smile on her face. The other, with her arms up in her short, fluffy hair to show off the pattern of the sweater, knees close together like a broken doll. Her expression in this one was silly, with her little tongue peeking out from her pierced lips. The last, she just had her hands in her short's pockets, as she stood still. This showed off her thin legs that didn't touch at all even though her feet were together. She wore a slight smile, her lips more pursed. Below the combined images, she added a small, side panel that included the close up of the pattern of her sweater.

She moved onto her blog where she began to make a new post, uploading the said outfit. She uploaded the one she edited first, then added a couple more photos after it. One was a shot of her shoes and then one of her hat where a small bit of her hair could be seen. The next was a silly photo she took of herself, it closed up to her face, shoulders and chest. Then the last was a portrait shot of her outfit again, in a different pose from the ones above. Of course, at the bottom was some text

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Sweater is second hand | Hat from Caroline's ​

Shirt, bottoms and tights from S&Z Basics​

Shoes from the depths of my closet​

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Wahoo! I am so excited to take this out somewhere. I really hope Richie​

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Her phone buzzed suddenly. Her fingers lifted from her keyboard quickly as she whipped her head to the direction of her phone. 'Speak of the devil.' She mused as she reached forward for her mobile phone and opened the message from him.

From: Richie bb​

oh my glob i am so sorry... again ; ^ ;​

of course i'd love to hang out bbycakes <333​

...but where do you want to hang? my house? your house...?​

oh oh maybe the cafe or we could have lunch at that new hibachi place!​

sorry again babes... :'c​

She quickly began to type a reply.

To: Richie bb​

H-hibachi?! There's a new Hibachi place!! SPARKLES!​

We have to go! Let's go now! It's a half hour till eleven & ​

you know how great we are at losing the track of time Ha​

Ha ha! Think you can pick me up? I don't know where it is​

\shame\ u A u plus you know I can't drive lol​

After hitting send, she had a bright smile on her face. Hibachi!! How adorable was that? Hooray! The day seemed to be going so well already. It made her so happy. She turned back to her laptop and finished typing out the post.

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is as excited as I am to go to that new Hibachi joint he told me about!​

I can't believe I haven't heard of it! Haha! I'm so excited! I'm going to ​

bring my camera so we can take lots of photos. Expect an update later​

tonight! I hope all of you are having as grand of a day as I am.​

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I'm so excited! ^ 0 ^​

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She couldn't look up as the sound of footsteps grew louder. He was running? Why was he running?--to get away from her... The fall had been nothing. She had landed easily enough on the step. It was easier to sit here than it was to walk. She should be walking. She should be leaving. She hadn't felt this weak and pathetic since--no, she hated thinking about back then. The scar was more than enough to remind her. It was big and ugly--damaged goods! No one could see it unless she was naked. Even going to the beach these days was out of the question, not that she was too keen on the idea of swimming. It made things challenging for the camp since she would refuse to do any water activities whatsoever.

❝ M-maria… ! ❞ Tucker gasped as he stopped in front of her. Why--why was he there? He rested one hand on her shoulder and the other on the top of her head. A jolt of electricity seemed to liven her veins at his touch. He stroked her hair.

Please--please don't patronize me. I can't handle your sympathy. Just go away Tucker. It's too much. If you don't like me, then you don't like me. Please don't try and make me feel better about it. It will only make it worse. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Her blue eyes were trained on his feet as he continued to stroke her hair. It was too much. It only made things worse. She still felt a mixture of hot and cold. His touch seemed to put her senses on high alert and warmth spread through her, yet at the same time she was still freezing. It was terrible--so, so terrible. Just go. She couldn't make the words come out. Maria wanted to say something, anything--probably something mean. No words would come, especially not something hurtful. It would hurt herself even more.

She watched as tear droplets that were not her own splashed onto the tops of Tucker's shoes. Why was he crying?! She wanted to shout at him so badly. Her heart pounded in her chest so loudly she was sure one could hear it pretty much anywhere in the auditorium. Her cheeks burned red. The only plus side was that she had chosen to wear waterproof makeup today, as if it were some sort of premonition of the morning's events.

❝ M-maria… ❞ he finally said again, much softer--still stroking her hair. His voice sounded shaky. How long had the silence stretched on for? She liked the way it sounded when he said her name, but not like this--never like this. He took a breath, one loud enough for her to hear.

This was it. The consoling was done. He would set her straight now and she would go on her merry way, pretending to be fine. She was good at pretending. One has to be if they wish to act.


The hand that had been stroking her head now rested on her free shoulder, holding her gently but still having a grip on her. ❝ L-look, I'm sorry… this isn't your fault, I promise. ❞

Maria stifled a ridiculously crazed laugh. If it would have come out, he would have been able to add lunatic to his list of reasons as to why he didn't like her. Who wants to date a crazy person? She swallowed, still refusing to look up. Her chest ached. Her insides felt like they were being twisted around with a knife. Please, just go.

His arms began to tremble on her shoulders. ❝ I-I want to tell you! ❞ he said desperately. He began to shake his head, sounds of whimpers and sobbing had escaped him.

Startled, she looked up, shining icy blue eyes meeting the saddest yet most honest-to-god chestnut eyes. ❝ I-I… I… I just… can't. ❞

Can't what?! she wanted to scream. His face was only a few inches away from hers. She should just slide out from underneath his grasp, get up, and walk away. She could pretend like nothing happened when they are at rehearsal and so long as she didn't see him outside of this auditorium, she could probably convince herself to move on as well. She thought of the text she sent to Noëlle earlier. Had she replied back? There was that unread message on her phone. She could distract herself with some quality time with Noëlle. Even if the girl had no obvious interest in her, she could use some girl time. Stephan wasn't an option. What she wouldn't give to jump into her big brother's arms and curl up crying as he gently stroked the top of her head and whispered in her ear about how it would all be better with time. He was good at that stuff--it was what big brothers were for. But no, not Stephan. There was something weird going on with him that he wouldn't share and if he wasn't going to tell her what he was doing out late at night, then she couldn't talk to him properly either.

Maria gazed into Tucker's eyes. His dark lashes shone with the tears clinging to them. She wanted to wipe them away, to wipe away whatever it was that was making him cry. She was making him cry! It stung knowing that. I-I want to tell you! What? What do you want to tell me? She wished to convey the question through her eyes. Would he understand it? Why couldn't he tell her whatever it is he wants to say? She wanted to kiss him--more than anything--in this moment where his pain was so clearly written on his face. Tucker had always this sort of detached air about him. Most people didn't notice it, but she had. A lot of times it seemed like he was fighting something back--that his happy-go-lucky attitude was just an act. Was this it? Was he showing her the true emotions he so carefully locked away? Why? What could be so bad that he was crying in front of her? Please, please tell me.

She bit her lip and lifted her trembling pale hands. This was it. If he pulled away, she would just laugh it off like she was just pretending and this was all just to help get her in the right mindset for the musical--that she was kidding and that he did a really great job playing along. She would go home, maybe call Noëlle, and steal her older brother's liquor from the kitchen--drinking until she couldn't feel the pain any further. Alcohol solved everything. Only a few more months until she could buy it herself, until then...

Maria hesitantly lifted her hands until they reached his shoulders, locking her fingers together behind his neck. She was already caged inside his arms, his hands on her shoulders. It was only a few inches. Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply, forcing the pain she felt out as she exhaled. She pulled lightly on the back of his neck as she tipped her chin up. Only a few inches... She leaned into him slowly, allowing him the opportunity to pull away. It was like approaching a scared wild animal. You couldn't move too quick. Please... She closed her eyes, not wanting him to see the pleading desire in them. Please--Warmth. His lips were warm as she brushed hers lightly against his. She couldn't breath. This was it. He would either pull away from her and she would give up, or he would kiss back. She felt so helpless and exposed. Raw emotion nestled its way in-between them. She was never this open. Guys ( and sometimes girls ) had to work up the nerve to approach her and it was never as intense as in this moment. ❝ Tucker... ❞ she whispered against his mouth.

✜ Wearing ❖ Music ❖ Date: 12/20/2015 ❖ Day: 3 & 3/4 ✜​

✜ Mood: Breaking ❖ Interaction: Tucker ❖ Location: Auditorium ✜ ​

✜ ❤: Tucker ❖ Activity: Pouring Heart Out ❖ OOC: ✘ ✜​

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Xara got in the car holding her hand with a wet cloth. The blood was actually coming out a tad more worse than before. Her skin began to get pale. She looked around and the world in front of her began to phase in and out. A blur was on everything in site. Fear was coming over her with every passing second. What to do in this scenario. There were only a couple of gashes, they couldn't have been that bad. And the throbbing just would not go away.

The car ride wasn't helping much either. The sways back and forth made her sick and unable to think clearly. Now was not the right time to get car sickness. Things became a little bit worse as the fluids in her stomach began to swell back up. Luckily, Natalie had a bucket in her car. Xara reached over for it and ended up vomiting. There wasn't much there due to her not eating much at all and only drinking. It was mainly a liquid.

Her heart beat was fast an the clinic was close. However, she became numb and the paleness continued. Her hand was still leaking fluids from all the gashes. In a matter of seconds, she passed out. An unconscious sleep from the lack of blood in her body. Hopefully Natalie got her in quick enough.

 

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✌ CLOTHES ≛ MOOD» EMBARRASSED/SHOCKED/SCARED ≛ TUNES≛ LOCATION » AUDITORIUM≛OOC ✌​

His lower lip trembled as he gazed into Maria's glistening, blue eyes. He couldn't read what she was thinking. What was going on in her head right now? Did she think he was a coward? A weakling? Was she wondering about the part of him he kept hidden from the world? The part of him he wanted to forget and leave behind and never go back to?

He wanted to know - but no sound had escaped her. She stayed still and strong while in front of her, he was on one knee being the weak kid he was. His eyes were still filled with tears and his cheeks damp from them. His thick lashes had stuck together because of them. His breathing was still shaky.

Whatever was in her head, he prayed that it wasn't anything as bad as what was going on in his. The thoughts of concern towards Maria was still front line in his mind but behind all that was the chaos. Images and sounds and cries from the past still danced around in his mind. Part of him just wished Maria was some sort of enchantress who could read his mind so he didn't have to go through the trouble of saying it. He really just wanted to tell her. Right now, at that moment, despite never telling a soul since entering Fortissimo when he was 16 - he wanted to reveal it. Not just to anyone - but to her.

"You can't tell anyone."

The violent voice rang in his head. Followed by a small click that rung in his ear. The familiarity of it frightened him. He gulped down, remembering it so clearly - as if it just happened moments ago.

"You can't tell anyone… or I'll put this bullet right through your skull."

It was like he was really there. He would pin his thin, weak body to the ground. A right hand on his shoulder while the rest of his body clung onto him, crushing him with a heavy weight. The muzzle of a gun would dig into the side of his head as his father slowly squeezed the trigger. He would hear every bit of it until he was screaming at the top of his lungs. "I won't tell! I won't tell! I promise!!"

"I'm sorry, what do you want? I can't hear you."

The gun would press onto his head harder. What did he want? None of this. Yet, he knew what his father wanted to hear. His father wanted him to beg for sex. It probably made him feel superior, to have overcome him - but he knew he could never do that. The tears would sting in his eyes and he would be so out of breath but he would muster up all his energy just to scream it out louder for him, "I WON'T TELL! I PROMISE!!"

"STUPID BOY!!"

He'd hear his dad stand up and grab the gun by the magazine and he'd shut his eyes real tight expecting the gun that quickly slammed at the side of his head. He wouldn't scream but tears from the pain fell from his eyes.

"I ASKED YOU WHAT YOU WANTED!" his father would yell in a gruff voice before snarling, "Looks like you'll just have to be punished." Then there would be the sound of him unbuckling his belt and dropping his large, denim jeans. Then there would be the sound of hands digging through a supple of metal and plastic objects, searching for perfect instruments. Then there would be little pre-teen Tucker screaming and crying. Then there would be… there would be…

"You can't tell anyone."

He inhaled sharply, alerted by the sudden touch from Maria. Her pale, trembling hands locked behind his neck. She was close. They were so close. Tucker froze. It was like all his thoughts fell silent and time stopped. He couldn't move. She inched closer as he watched her sad, blue eyes. He couldn't move. It was like his body had short circuited from all his emotions and he literally just stayed in place, not knowing what to do.

She was going to kiss him. He knew that. What was he going to do? She stayed inches away from him for a moment. They were so close to each other. He could feel her breath by his mouth. No one had gotten so close to him before - not in a long time. He could have pulled away, he really could have but he was so lost and confused and just frozen. Maria leaned in closer. Her eyes coming to a close as she pressed her lips onto his.

It was sweet. Tucker didn't move. Kisses… could be sweet? He didn't do anything for a moment. This… it felt so different. It wasn't forced. It wasn't rough. It wasn't… it wasn't like before. His right hand traveled from her shoulder and at the side of her head, in her platinum locks behind her ear. He pulled her in slightly, letting his own eyelids come to a close as well as he gently pushed back on her lips.

He couldn't believe how it felt. It was so different.He couldn't quite grasp it. He was completely distracted by the feeling. He didn't know he could ever feel something like this - in context of what they were doing. He never knew that something sweet and romantic could come out of a kiss because all he ever knew was hurt, pain and suffering. He was completely in shock but it was a good shock, something he'd most probably treasure. It was similar to the feeling of when he'd watch a kitten or a puppy he saved be brought to a new family or the feeling he'd get when he'd see his mother smile. It was nice. It was so nice.

❝ Tucker... ❞

Her soft voice brought him back. His eyes opened up slowly, gazing at the girl he just shared a moment with. The girl he just kissed. Maria… kissed… He kissed her! Well, she kissed him. But he did too anyway! Wait! He kissed Maria!!

He pulled away from her slightly, still keeping a bit close. His cheeks had gone all red, and his chestnut eyes stared wide at her, not believing what he had just done. He jerked his right hand away from her, immediately clasping it over his mouth as he clumsily fell backwards onto the carpeted floor.

He just stared up at her, cheeks flushed and eyes wide. He couldn't find any words to tell her. The lump on his throat returned and his heart beat began to race again. His lungs wanted to burst, his body froze up again. His mouth gaped from under his hand. No sound came from him.

 

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He kissed her back. He wound his fingers in her blond hair, pulling her close, and kissed her back. It was short, sweet, and soft. All the tension that had knotted up inside of her seemed to evaporate in that kiss. Her insides felt ready to explode, but in a good way. Something bloomed within her. She didn't want to stop. The sensation radiated throughout her body, desire consuming her. Desire for Tucker--who knew?

When he pulled away slightly, removing his hand from her hair, she clamped down on her lower lip with her teeth. It was just over took quickly. It had been a slow careful kiss, not the fast, hot, lust filled ones she was used to. However, it had been some time since she last involved herself with anyone. If she couldn't stand to look at her own marred body, who else would want to see it?

Her breathing was shallow and her chest rose and felt rapidly with the rhythm of her heart. Her blue eyes watched carefully as Tucker's cheeks reddened and his chestnut eyes were wide. It made her feel good. It made her feel wanted. A slow smile spread across Maria's face. It echoed the heavenly feeling she was undergoing--almost like a high. Just like a drug... she remembered herself thinking the other day.

Then, as quickly as the kiss had occurred, it all changed. He jerked his hand away from her, clasping it over his mouth. Her arm rose as she lifted her hand to him and he fell back onto the carpeted floor. Tucker was staring at her, just staring. He looked frozen to the spot on the floor where he fell.

Her expression changed from pure bliss to mortification. Her blue eyes were mostly black from dilating. They were wide and she scrambled to her feet. This was it. She just--she just had to laugh it off now. It didn't mean anything. It was all just acting. She could do it. She could lie to him. She didn't want to lie to him, but it was the only way to salvage the friendship now and friendship was more important, right? Her face contorted into some dysfunctionally crooked grin. Maria plastered it on as she grabbed her purse. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, but she had to fake it, at least until she got to her car. ❝ Oh, hah... G-good job, ❞ she told him. Her voice was breathy and unfamiliar. She smoothed the hair that had pulled free when Tucker latched on. This--it had to be done.

He had pulled away after and seemed to not be able to get away from her fast enough. He didn't want this and she couldn't bear the idea of him knowing she had feelings for him while he didn't share them. She steadied her breathing and ran her trembling hands down the front of her coat. ❝ All for the show... ya' know? T-Torvald can't say I don't do my part right. That was it--what we were missing. ❞ This hurt. It hurt so bad, even worse than before. He had given her what she wanted and probably out of pity. Maria had never felt so insecure before. ❝ You did--you did g-great. ❞ She smiled, fighting back the pain that was building inside her. ❝ Enough practicing for one day, I-I think... ❞ Her teeth raked across her red lip. She could see a spot on Tucker's lips where her lipstick had smeared. She wanted to kiss that spot, and the rest of him--no...

❝ R-right, ❞ She took a step forward, willing her legs not to shake as she did so. ❝ Time to... time to go, I think. ❞ Maria stopped beside him, still frozen. She held out a slender dainty hand to help pull him to his feet. There would be the sweet, soulful, smooth sound of jazz music playing tonight as she drowned her sorrows in bottles of Tequila and Rum. Stephan had a little bit of everything in the kitchen, except food. Maria continued to smile at him, but it was nothing like the smile that had been on her lips just after they finished their kiss. It was imprinted in the back of her eyes. How much drinking would be necessary to completely forget this ever happened? Not enough... ❝ That was wonderful... ❞ Maria said so softly she doubted Tucker could have heard it.

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✜ Wearing ❖ Music ❖ Date: 12/20/2015 ❖ Day: 3 & 3/4 ✜​

✜ Mood: Breaking ❖ Interaction: Tucker ❖ Location: Auditorium ✜ ​

✜ ❤: Tucker ❖ Activity: Pouring Heart Out ❖ OOC: ✘ ✜​

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Kurt stuck his hand out to Aidan. "I'm Kurt."

The other man was certainly British. Kurt wondered what he did here.

Kurt's mind then began to wander. Perhaps he could find out about the musical the sign on the window had mentioned. Later, he'd definitely take his guitar down to the practice area and work on perfecting his latest piece.

 

Natalie Williams

Outfit|Location: Clinic|Music|Mood: Neutral|OOC: N/A​

As soon as Xara fainted, Natalie froze. In her mind, images of that faithful night flashed. "No... No... Please, not another one..." She dropped to her knees and looked away, not wanting to deal with it. Natalie just wanted things back to the way they were. With Lexi, Stratana, and... Sebastian too. Speaking of Lexi, why was she just here on the ground? Lexi had done her best to save everyone all the time. Could Natalie really call herself Lexi's friend if she didn't do the same?

She stood up and put her feelings aside. "Stay with me Xara..." Natalie said, picking up the limp girl and bursting into the clinic. "Help! My friend's passed out from blood loss!"

Nurses all came and took Xara on a gurney. Natalie didn't care what they did as long as she was okay. Quietly, she took a seat. It was just a matter of playing the waiting game now...

Sarah Coleman

Outfit|Location: Cafe|Music|Mood: Neutral|OOC: N/A​

Sarah put her feet up on the table and looked at the people in front of her. "Okay, so Nat asked me to tell you about the musical. I'm Sarah. Pleasure's all mine and what-not.

"Anyway, the musical this year is a tragedy. I forget what it's called, but Natalie and some other person wrote it. It's a love story too. If you want, you can come sit-in at rehearsal today and watch." she offered in an uncaring tone, indicating she just wanted to be polite.

 

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⎝ DAY 3┊2/4 ⎞ ❧ ⎝ DATE┊DECEMBER 20TH ⎞ ❧ ⎝ LOCATION┊BENNY'S > CAR ⎞​

⎝ MOOD┊. . . ⎞ ❧ ⎝ ❤??┊0% ⎞ ❧ ⎝ WEARING ⎞ ❧ ⎝ OOC┊. . . ⎞​

Noëlle wanted to go home. Bryan could understand that. After everything . . . spending the day together didn't sound very appealing anymore, and he needed time to clear his mind. What was supposed to happen to them, now?

The rest of breakfast was quiet and terse. The food smelled and looked appealing, but as Bryan morosely dug into it, he found he was full before he was even finished with half his plate. Trudging on anyway, he finished most of his food, and then paid for their check.

Without a word, only a brief motion, Bryan led his sister into his car and they were both on their way home. The quiet radio had been the only white noise to fill up the silence, and he resisted the urge to mess with it. The day wasn't supposed to go like this, but he didn't have anyone to blame but himself for pushing her to talk. It had been a bad idea; still, at least he knew the truth now, and he could find a way to fix it.

. . . Right?

They arrived at their house, and Bryan simply dropped Noëlle off and said he would be home later. He was gone before she had even entered their house. After driving out of the neighborhood, Bryan pulled up to a gas station and took a deep breath. He pulled out his phone and called Harley.

"I'm coming over." was all he said when his friend picked up the phone. After giving him confirmation, Bryan put it away and drove off again.

 

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✌ CLOTHES ≛ MOOD» UNKNOWN FEELING #1/CURIOUS ≛ TUNES ≛ LOCATION » AUDITORIUM≛OOC ✌​

Her expression changed so quickly. She scrambled to her feet and shot him a crooked grin.❝ Oh, hah... G-good job, ❞

Good… job? The kiss? What? His eyebrows twitched in confused of what she meant. Her voice was rather unfamiliar, not Maria's nor Michaela's. What was she doing? He looked up at her blue eyes. There was something distant about them. He lowered the hand that clasped over his lips, which were now pressed together. 'What did she mean? Good job… on the kiss?'

He felt his cheeks flush a bit as that thought entered his mind and he looked to his side. If that was what she meant… then he wanted to say it too! But to her! The boy was still in shock of what had occurred. The kiss was quick but strangely, he liked it. He never thought he would ever like a kiss. What he shared with Maria, during that moment, was so genuine and so new and so… filled with hope.

That sounded cheesy but it was true because sadly, Tucker had this mindset that's carved into his head ever since his father started abusing him: 'If my father, someone who is - even just by the title daddy - supposed to sacrifice for me and take care of me and love me yet did all those awful things to me then anyone, not even a blood related person, can do the same.' It was a sad thought, but that's what was always in his head. If his father was able to do it to him - HIS FATHER - then a stranger or a friend or even a brother had the right to do the same.

This, however, was all so new to him and he just… didn't know what to do.

❝ All for the show... ya' know? T-Torvald can't say I don't do my part right. That was it--what we were missing. ❞

Ahh… she meant acting. Good job on the acting. Wait- acting? He wasn't acting! In fact, for the acting bit, he thought that he did a very terrible job at it. Right now, he wasn't acting at all! That kind of got on his nerves, but he quickly dismissed it. He was just probably over thinking and letting all the emotions inside him rattle together.

❝ You did--you did g-great.... Enough practicing for one day, I-I think... ❞

And what did she mean by that? Did she feel that moment too? Did it mean to her as much as he realized it meant to him? His mother would always tell him that one day he's someone was going to break down the walls he put around himself and he always laughed at his mother for it. Yet now, it felt like Maria had knocked off a bit of the wall, able to peer inside and reach out for him. So… what was she doing? His hands clenched into fists on the carpet as he looked back up at her.

❝ R-right,Time to... time to go, I think. ❞

Her hand was held out to him and he immediately took it as she helped him up to his feet. He still couldn't find himself to speak. His heart still felt like it was beating so hard and trying to escape his chest. His lungs still felt like a bag of rocks. His entire body was still stiff and probably short-circuiting.

❝ That was wonderful... ❞

The blonde actress said it so softly. He gave her hand a small squeeze as he looked down at her before letting it go. 'I know.' he wanted to say but of course, being the wimp that he was, he didn't. He just really didn't know what he was feeling. This girl that he knew and had gotten close to for the past 2 years just kissed him and it was such a magical moment yet at the same time there were monsters that wanted to snatch the moment away. The monsters that would probably haunt him tonight. Part of him still wanted to tell her. He was still so confused on what she was feeling and what she was thinking and saying. He thought that maybe if he told her then things would clear up between them because he didn't want to leave it like this.

Wait, if they left, would that mean they had to say good bye now? What was going to happen after that? Tucker frowned at the thought. He was tired of being lonely. He childishly didn't want to get away from Maria, he wanted to stay by her side because he was so confused and so scared and he just didn't want to be alone.

He looked down at his watch, it was nearing noon… well not really. Wait. Noon! The animal shelter! He quickly turned to Maria, cheeks still a little bit flushed. 'Um, I, uh, have to go to the shelter… do you want to, maybe, um, join me?" he licked the top of his lips, worried at how casual he sounded after what just happened. Did that seem rude to her? She hoped he didn't get that. The tone of his voice was gentle and kind of… pleading. He really wished she'd say yes even if a part of him was waiting for a no. Was he being too selfish, being pulled by that new weird, feeling he longed for again? "That is, I-if you're not busy or allergic to animals or asthmatic or… um, yeah, anything."

 

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⎛ DAY 3 ‖ 2/4 ⎠ ☁ ⎛ DATE ‖ DECEMBER 20TH ⎠ ☁ ⎛ LOCATION ‖ KITCHEN ⎠​

⎛ MOOD ‖ THOUGHTFUL ⎠ ☁ ⎛ ❤!! ‖ %11 ⎠ ☁ ⎛ WEARING ⎠​

⎛ OOC ‖ . . . ⎠​

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❝ＯＰＰＲＥＳＳ ＴＨＥ ＦＥＥＬＩＮＧ ！！❞​

Sophie knew that Pierce was having a bit of a field day in her mind after one of her secrets were shared with the other girl, but didn't say anything. She was definitely regretting telling her, but there was no going back now, and no point in trying to make her forget it.

❝My mom is really nice. She's a nurse at the hospital. She's working overnights in the ER this week to make some extra money -- then pay more for that. School is expensive and if it weren't for her working all the time I wouldn't be able to stay at Fortissimo.❞

How noble of her mother. She definitely had interesting taste in decor. She waited for Pierce to say more, this time about her dad, but when nothing came, Sophie visibly frowned, and then pushed a little.

❝What about your dad?❞

Of course, a girl like Pierce was likely to have daddy issues, but there was no knowing until she got some sort of response.

In her pocket, her phone vibrated, and she waited for Pierce's answer before checking it. She resisted the urge to sigh at it, just like she had in the copy room.

 

『WEATHER』 CLOUDY, COLD 36°! ✖『DATE & TIME』 12/20/2015 - 10:43AM ✖『DAY』 03.2​

They arrived at home and Bryan sped off. She wondered where he was going but didn't have the time to ask, not that she would have. Her bag was dug into for the house key, and she trudged inside as soon as the door was pushed opened.

Ms. Chambers wasn't around, and for a second that bothered her. It was better this way, maybe. No one was here, so she could unleash -- and there would be nothing to interrupt the silence.

She nearly slipped on her way to her bedroom, her shoes wet from ambling over the thin sheet of ice in the parking lot. It didn't help that tears were fogging up her vision. She felt disoriented, and internally explosive.

Ugh ...

The bag was thrown onto her bed and then she was kneeling down beside it, pulling up her mattress to hastily grab at one of the journals. Usually, she was mildly OCD about her entry placement -- but she didn't care this morning.

The book was opened and a light pink gel pen was grabbed hastily from her desk, her force knocking over the circular container it was held in and spilling the contents. Her fingers grazed over the mouse of her laptop, awakening it from 'sleep mode'. Annoying ... It didn't matter. She knelt down at her bedside again, at first, and then ended up in a more comfortable position, legs folded beneath her and back arched against the frame of the bed.

She flipped through the pages rapidly until she found a blank one, and then began to date and title as usual.

JOURNAL #?? ✿ PAGE 42 ✿ DATE - 12.20.15​

​

I don't know what to do.

Everything is wrong?

I feel like there's something seriously fucked up with me, but I don't know what to do about it. It isn't something you can just ask for advice with. Like, I can't just say 'hey, someone help, I'm in love with my brother'. You can't do that, and it's not like I can tell him that either.

Weird. I can tell him that I'm pretty much responsible for the Camp 2013 deaths, but I can't tell him I love him.

It's not like I want to love him. It's really not like that.

Today, he took me out for breakfast. I was really excited about it. It felt like things would improve ... Unrealistic, but it felt like maybe this breakfast would fix things. Instead, I made it all worse. He asked me how I was feeling and I told him the truth. I told him about what I had done, too. That was an accident but it happened and he got angry.

I don't know what's wrong with me. Is it ... a mental illness?

What stops people from falling in love with their family members?

Whatever it is, I don't have it. When I think of Bryan romantically there is no disgust. I just ...

I imagine it's similar for most people who are in love with someone? I think of him and I feel ... happy. It's kind of like when you're having a horrible day at school or work, but you have something great to go home to so it makes everything so much easier to deal with. It's like that, but it's not a day, it's life.

I don't have the worst life. I know that. But I don't really feel like there's any point in me being here, either. It was different in middle and high school, but lately I just feel really purposeless. I can socialize just fine, but nothing lasts that long. All throughout elementary school I would make friends and then something would ... happen.

I never really fought with anyone, but it was just like one day we weren't so close anymore, and eventually we'd stop talking all together.

Then middle school.

High school.

People know my name, say hello. I smoked pot with a regularly crowd people in my junior year. Partied, too.

But that was it. The only person I ever really opened up and formed a deep closeness with is Bryan.

Everything went to hell somehow.

I should have stopped myself back when it started. I thought of Bryan and I getting married. It was silly, but it made me happy. Never having to be away from my big brother. Mom used to think it was cute. Then I got older and it went from just marriage to the whole build up of things. I wanted him to take me to my dances in school. I wanted him to be my first kiss. Then, years later, I started to think of him while I did ... 'things' ... and it turned into wanting him to be my first time. Somewhere romantic. Going out on dates together, having him tell me he loved me and knowing he really meant it, the way I do.

Then I just started getting angry when acquaintances of mine admitted to having a crush on him or something. I guess I became possessive. Like, I'd rather him be alone and never see him with anyone, than for him to be with someone else.

It's because I know we'll never be together. He'll never love me. He can't. He won't. I'm his sister, that's it. That's the closest we'll ever be. He'll get married, have children. He'll move along with his life and I'll just be his sister. He'll never know how I feel. He'll never understand. It's so much deeper than some stupid unrequited love shit. There is NO chance. There is NO hope for him and I. There's literally nothing. Every shred of joy he brings me is nothing but a distraction in the fuccking end because WE'LL NEVER BE ANYTHING MORE THAN THIS!! It's IMPOSSIBLE and on top of that, there is no one to talk to about it, because I'm a FREAK.

It's easy to say 'my crush doesn't love me back' boo-fucking-hoo. It's okay to confess to someone you love and be rejected. You can gain strength from that. You can move on and never have to see them again, if you want.

I can't do that ...

No matter what happens ...

I'll see him around. Around the house, until he moves out. Then, at family gatherings. Even if he went away forever, mom would have pictures of him all around. I'd see him when I looked at her, or my other family members.

He'll always be my big brother and I

​

❝Fuck!❞ She threw the pen and ripped the hat she had been wearing off, her trembling fingers raking through her deep red hair. The page of her journal darkened where tears fell. ❝He d-doesn't even ...❞ The book was tossed under her bed, and she toppled forward slowly into a fetal position, burying her face into her knees with a heavy sob.

It wasn't very often that Noëlle entertained dark, abysmal thoughts. A bit more often as of late, if she thought about it ... Right now she just felt so lost and disgusting. It would be better, she thought, if she had never been born. If she never existed. It would be better for her to just go off and die somewhere! [ She didn't really think that was true, especially when she thought of what that would do to her mother ].

PING !

As she cried, her stomach began to cramp. Her arms wrapped around herself and she struggled to gain back her composure. Man, she was really ... ridiculously pathetic lately.

PING !

When she could breathe steadily enough not to trigger a panic attack, her palms pushed against the carpet and she push herself back into a sitting position. Her eyes stared forward blankly, boring into a bookcase she and Bryan had build together years ago. When was the last time she read a good book ...?

PING !

❝Oh my god ...❞ Her coarse tone cut through the silence and she stood with an irritated grumble, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand and sniffing. She crossed back over to her desk, where her laptop sat, glaring brightly at her. Her eyes squinted and back curved to take in the contents of the screen.

A webpage for a band she had been researching remained, but an annoying ad had popped up at some point, [ which was odd, she had AdStopper installed ]. The 'ping' was some kind of stupid alert.

Upon further inspection, she nearly collapsed. It was an ad for Cupid's Brew. The stupid love potion crap she had purchased two years ago. A low, husky chuckle which soon turned into full blown laughter left her lips. She had never worked up the nerve used it and then it had expired [ which was annoying ].

How funny that it would show up now!

Well, it wasn't funny. It was ridiculous.

The quieting laughter was on the verge of morphing into another crying session when Noëlle impulsively clicked the ad. The webpage was a bit sleeker than she had remembered it being. No more Comic Sans. That was a plus.

She took a seat and began to scroll through ...

 

[/url]

​

Tucker took her hand and that same familiar surge of electricity ran from the tips of her fingers up her arm. It caused a catch in her throat. Maria held her breath until she felt dizzy before letting it go. He gave her hand a small squeeze as he looked down at her before letting it go. Why did it have to be this way? She directed her gaze elsewhere. She wanted to be fine with it, really. However, one glance from those chestnut eyes and she felt like she was melting into a puddle. How could he not see the way he made her so plainly feel?

She prepared herself to leave, her hand slipping into her purse to pull out her phone. Her fingers had just wrapped around the familiar plastic device when Tucker responded. ❝ Um, I, uh, have to go to the shelter… do you want to, maybe, um, join me? ❞ he licked the top of his lips. There was an air of desperation to his words and she could feel her insides constricting again.

Maria had stopped crying, but her blue eyes were still glossy from the tears. Her mascara lacquered lashes were damp from the salty water and her cheeks burned. Her whole body felt numb as she stood there with wide eyes. He was inviting her out? She should say no. There was already enough damage done. Spending anymore time with him, especially time he invited her on, would only make her grow to resent herself ( and even Tucker ) more. She was hopelessly pathetic for wanting to so badly after he had jumped away from her. But then, why did he sound as if he were pleading with her to come?

❝ That is, I-if you're not busy or allergic to animals or asthmatic or… um, yeah, anything. ❞ he began rambling. Tucker was so incredibly adorable when he rambled that it really only left her with one option, no matter how badly it would hurt.

❝ No. Er... I mean... ❞ God she sounded dumb. ❝ I'm not busy or have allergies or asthma or anything... ❞ She bit down on her lip. Two deep breaths. ❝ I... I would love to go, really. ❞ she sounded hesitant. Maria dropped her phone back in her purse. It could wait. Tucker was inviting her to do something with him, something he loved. She could cling onto that. It wouldn't hurt so bad. She could pretend for a little bit longer. It wasn't like the bottles were going anywhere, just their owner. She sucked in a sharp intake of breath. ❝ I would love to, ❞ she repeated to him before taking slow difficult steps to leave the auditorium.

He had asked her to do something, and she said yes. It wasn't the other way around for once. Knowing that felt good. Maria wanted to believe that there could still be hope, but she also didn't want to get those same hopes up. The silence that seemed to stretch on as they exited the auditorium was painstakingly horrid. She wanted to kiss him again. She could feel his body in close proximity of her own. It made the hairs on her arms stand on ends. Would he stop her if she kissed him again? It was asking too much. The war that raged within her was a gruesome one. She really had no clue what to do in this situation.

Maria pulled her jacket tighter around her body when they reached the outside. It was cold. She could see her breath when she exhaled. She kept her head low and let herself fall a half step behind him, studying his profile. He was so beautiful and genuine, and there was something there that he hid from everyone else which was broken. Would he let her try to fix him? She wanted to. She wanted to be the one to help him crawl out of whatever dark corner it was that he had hid himself away in. Why had he cried before? What was so scary about her touch?

She let him lead her to the parking lot. Her eyes drifted to her Jetta a little ways away. She should go to it. She should go to her car and leave. There was nothing for her at the animal shelter besides someone that she couldn't read well. Maria was feeling such mixed confusion as to how Tucker may or may not feel about her. She stopped by his car with him, hugging her arms closely to her sides. Her purse hung from the crook of her arms. It was all so uncomfortable. She enjoyed other people's uncomfortable awkward moments, often times making them even worse for her own amusement, but hated the idea of her own.

Maria hesitantly reached out to touch him. Gingerly, the tips of her now cold fingers rested on his forearm. She pulled him towards her body slowly, closing the small bit of distance between them. Her teeth nibbled on her lip as her blue eyes searched his chestnut ones, waiting for permission this time. She didn't know how to interpret how Tucker was feeling. If he didn't want to do it again, then she would--she would just let it be, end of story. She felt her breathing stop.

✜ Wearing ❖ Music ❖ Date: 12/20/2015 ❖ Day: 3 & 4/4 ✜​

✜ Mood: Overwhelmed ❖ Interaction: Tucker ❖ Location: Auditorium//Parking Lot ✜ ​

✜ ❤: Tucker ❖ Activity: Leaving ❖ OOC: ✘ ✜​

​

 

[/url]

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WEARING ⧉ DATE▹ 12/20/2015 ⧉ DAY▹ 3 & 4/4 ⧉ MUSIC​

MOOD▹ RESERVED ⧉ LOCATION▹ HOME ⧉ OOC▹ ✘​

ACTIVITY▹ BREAKFAST ⧉ INTERACTION▹ SOPHIE ⧉ ❤▹ 0/10​

╚XXXXXxxXXXXXXXXXXxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX╝​

​

​

Sophie had remained silent after Pierce talked about her mom. She really hoped the other girl wouldn't ask about her dad. Everyone always asked about her dad--why wasn't he around? What did he do? How have you held up over the years? He must have been a brave man. You look so much like your father. It must be hard for such a young girl to lose her father.--she chewed at the pancakes absently, no longer able to taste them.

​

❝ What about your dad? ❞ Sophie finally asked. Of course she asked. Sophie was a very curious person. She would leave no stone unturned.

​

​

Pierce swallowed the lump of pancake before standing. She gathered up her dirty dishes and carried them over to the dishwasher. She stood by the sink, her fingers wrapping around the ledge until her knuckles turned white. Her brown eyes stared vacantly out the window for a minute before turning her attention back to Sophie with a smile on her face. ❝ My dad is--was in the Navy. He died overseas when I was twelve. He was... he was wonderful--super caring, always there for us. It's why my mom has to work so hard. We get about $500 a month from the government, but that stops when I turn 18 in a couple months. It doesn't cover all the expenses so she's gone a lot. ❞ She smiled through the pain. There was a dull aching in her chest that she always associated with the longing she felt for her missing father.

​

​

She bit back the tears that stung at her eyes. After five years it should have been easy to talk about her dad. It never seemed to be the case. She sighed before returning to the counter and grabbing the rest of the breakfast things and putting them away. ❝ What about you? What are your parents like? ❞​

​

 

⎛ DAY 3 ‖ 2/4 ⎠ ☁ ⎛ DATE ‖ DECEMBER 20TH ⎠ ☁ ⎛ LOCATION ‖ KITCHEN ⎠
⎛ MOOD ‖ THOUGHTFUL / . . . ⎠ ☁ ⎛ ❤!! ‖ %11 ⎠ ☁ ⎛ WEARING ⎠
⎛ OOC ‖ WHY AM I STILL UP AT 5:30AM. ⎠

❝ＯＰＰＲＥＳＳ ＴＨＥ ＦＥＥＬＩＮＧ ！！❞​

Closely, Sophie watched Pierce. Her reaction told quite a bit. Her dad wasn't just anyone she talked about, and not to just anyone. She didn't like being asked about him, or thinking about him, maybe. Before she could speculate much longer on the matter, Pierce began to talk to her.

❝My dad is -- was in the Navy. He died overseas when I was twelve. He was . . . he was wonderful -- super caring, always there for us. It's why my mom has to work so hard. We get about $500 a month from the government, but that stops when I turn 18 in a couple months. It doesn't cover all the expenses so she's gone a lot.❞

Inspecting Pierce's smile, Sophie gathered that it was a pretty hard-knock life for the girl ( that phrase being relative, of course ), and carefully considered what she should reply. Daddy issues hadn't been exactly right, but they were in that ballpark. She had expected something different, but now that she knew the truth ( it had been a little boring, and not worth exploiting [ In truth, Sophie would probably never exploit something like this from or about Pierce. ] ), there wasn't really any good reply.

It was obvious that Pierce was going to cry and was strained by the subject, and while Sophie was one to put her finger in the bullet wound, she wasn't a bully and wouldn't push someone she was interested in away. Before that came to a peak, Pierce resumed cleaning away breakfast.

❝What about you? What are your parents like?❞

She forced herself to swallow the rest of her milk calmly, and began to look thoughtful at the question, just as she normally would. What about her parents? There wasn't much to say about them -- not anything that would matter. Both of them were still alive, still fully healthy, and cherished their . . . earthly possessions and work a great deal. She had once gone out of her way to be with them, as a young girl, but now grown up, she more went out of her way to be sure she never saw their faces.

In short, they were sorry excuses for human beings, with everything they had done.

Not too long after the question was asked, Sophie laughed. ❝What about my parents? They're not a couple you would like to know.❞ was her elusive answer. She had already shared enough secrets for a few years, at least.

She was tired of the heavy talk now, it bored her. With time, she would come up with other questions to ask Pierce. ❝What do you think we should do for the rest of the day?❞

 

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WEARING ⧉ DATE▹ 12/20/2015 ⧉ DAY▹ 3 & 4/4 ⧉ MUSIC​

MOOD▹ RESERVED ⧉ LOCATION▹ HOME ⧉ OOC▹ ✘​

ACTIVITY▹ BREAKFAST ⧉ INTERACTION▹ SOPHIE ⧉ ❤▹ 0/10​

╚XXXXXxxXXXXXXXXXXxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX╝​

​

Pierce should have figured Sophie would give some sort of elusive response, but had hoped it would not be the case. She went back to clearing the dishes. She took a deep breath trying to rid herself of the always present feeling that nestled itself within her when speaking of her father. By the time she was done with the dishes, Sophie had asked what they would do for the rest of the day. She smiled at her thoughtfully.

❝ I dunno, but i should probably get dressed if we're gonna do something. ❞ The time in the bathroom would be the perfect escape to clear her head. ❝ You can watch tv or something in my room if you want while I shower. ❞She lead Sophie back to the bedroom before grabbing a set of clothes and disappearing down the hall.

It didn't take her long. She worked quickly and since makeup was a rarity on her part, it took even less time than most. She tossed her damp hair up in a bun. With a light knock on the bedroom door before walking in. ❝ Hey, ❞ she announced. ❝ I'm ready for whatever now... ❞

 

"I'm Kurt." Someone said. Aidan looked around. It was the one he thought looked a bit nervous. He took the proffered hand and shook it.
"Nice to meet you Kurt." He replied smiling.

"Okay, so Nat asked me to tell you about the musical. I'm Sarah. Pleasure's all mine and what-not" A gruff greeting, Aidan thought, but short and to the point. He couldn't necessarily blame her for her promptness. Not everyone was one for particularly fancy greetings with all the pleasantries. He got the sense that she was rather rudely abandoned and left with this crowd of strangers after the other two walked out all of a sudden.

"Anyway, the musical this year is a tragedy. I forget what it's called, but Natalie and some other person wrote it. It's a love story too. If you want, you can come sit-in at rehearsal today and watch" He got the distinct sense of her just trying to be polite. There wasn't any... He didn't know what it in it. It was missing some enthusiam or the natural flow of conversation. That was the best way of putting it he could think of. He thought about this. Musicals weren't his thing per say, but it might be good. He was willing to try something new. Why not? What could he possibly lose. He might even meet some more of this curious group.

"I think I might do that." Aidan said after two thoughtful sips of tea. "Always a first time for everything I suppose, so why not make it now?" This could be a potentially interesting day...

 

(*) Cafe (*) Mood: A bit confused (*) Music (*) Outfit (*) OOC: (*) ​

​

"Okay, so Nat asked me to tell you about the musical. I'm Sarah. Pleasure's all mine and what-not.​

​

That was certainly one way of greeting people, but it was still a greeting he supposed. "Nice to meet you." Unless she wasn't listening to when he'd said his name earlier, there wasn't a point him repeating himself. ​

​

"Anyway, the musical this year is a tragedy. I forget what it's called, but Natalie and some other person wrote it. It's a love story too. If you want, you can come sit-in at rehearsal today and watch" ​

​

A part of him wanted to correct her and say the name of the play, but he decided against it. Considering that he barely knew her, Alex didn't feel like getting on her bad side. Still he was planning on heading to the rehearsal later anyway so why not now. "Sure." Odds were that there was someone already there. Probably someone with a more important role. Meh, he was a supporting character. Hopefully he wasn't going to be needed severely.​

 

​

​

✌ CLOTHES ≛ MOOD» BRAVE ≛ TUNES≛ LOCATION » AUDITORIUM≛OOC ✌​

❝ I would love to, ❞

The most childish, cheeky grin appeared on his face for a second, until he composed himself quickly and just nodded with a smile. With that, they began to walk out - embraced in silence.

Tucker really couldn't understand what he was feeling. It was all between oh-god-don't-violate-me-please plus wow-that-was-really-strange-but-really-nice and get-out-of-my-head-dad-I-want-to-tell-her. He dug his hands into his pockets after opening the doors of the auditorium for himself and Maria. They walked side by side, and he would constantly glance down at her as they continued to make her way to the outside.

Maria was beautiful and talented and amazing. She was also a really good and genuine friend of his. He loved spending time with her but just like he loved spending time with Erik or Sean or Bryan. It never slipped into his mind that he liked her in a romantic way yet the kiss they just shared seemed to beg that question. Why hasn't he developed a crush for her?

Currently, he did have this weird feeling about her. It wasn't a bad-weird kind of thing, it was nice.Was it a crush? He didn't think so. What he felt was kind of platonic and he just really wanted to let her know that she made him feel different for once - but then that would probably mean explaining different from what. What being something he was too scared to even talk about, yet at the same time, of all the people he was close to in town - he wanted to tell her.

He almost told Sean one day in the summer two years ago, after he was back from camp - when he first started volunteering in the shelter. He was still really shaken up inside and had panic attacks more often, despite being dismissed by his therapist. He just noticed there was something wrong with his new volunteer and Tucker broke down again. Sean was really nice to him even though at that time all he believed was human to be wrong and bad and after camp, he was still waiting for more horrific events to happen. So he almost told him, but in the end he couldn't do it.

His mind began to churn again, thinking of ways he could possibly tell Maria. The easiest way was showing his scars. In the places they were in, he was sure anyone would get it if he or she saw it - but then again, that was just way too awkward and uncomfortable for him. He could also just mention he was the son of Benjamin Knowles. However, did people still know that name? Although it racked up on a lot of media coverage, it also happened so long ago. His father was put to bars when Tucker was 15, eight years ago - and to think he was still affected by it all.

He stopped glancing at her as they made their way outside, into the cold. He dug into the pockets of his jeans more as the cold bit at his exposed skin. He could just tell her. He could tell her word by word or maybe just show the articles he kept in an envelope in the trunk of his car. He kept it there because he didn't want to see it in his apartment but at the same time, for some odd reason, he couldn't find himself to dispose of it either. He could tell her. Just like that. Yes, he could!

As they approached his car, and picked the keys out from his pocket, he motioned to the passenger seat where he prepared to stuff the key in and open its door. Suddenly, he felt a touch on his forearm. His heart skipped a beat as she turned him towards her and pulled in closely. She looked up at him, nibbling on her lower lip as she looked up in question with her blue eyes. His chestnut ones stared at hers for a moment, blinking as his mind started to rattle again.

What was she… a kiss? Again? The last one had taken him back so much, he didn't really know what to do - but at the same time, he wanted to see her smile again. The smile she had after the kiss and before he had ignorantly jerked away from her. She seemed like she was waiting. He did want to feel that again. The way the kiss from earlier had quite literally melted most of his concerns away. But… could he?

Thinking about kissing her made his heart beat really fast, in panic more than in bliss. He just felt like something was going to go wrong after. He would like to believe she was different, and she probably was. He would like to say she wouldn't abuse him, and she really wouldn't. But he said that all about his father too - and look at what happened.

At the same time, he didn't want to leave her and have her leave him. It was selfish. So, so selfish. No, he had to be strong. He could do this. He pressed his lips together tightly as he looked at her. He brought his arms up to hold her gently, almost cradling her as he leaned in closer. He looked at her with a desperate expression before shutting his eyes tightly and quickly pulling her into a warm embrace. He rested his jaw at the top of her head, keeping her close and not letting go. He pressed his lips together more until he separated them with a slight chuckle, opening his eyes as he gazed distantly and said out loud in a whisper, "My therapists said she'd never believe me if I told her I held someone this close."


He held her tightly. Licking his upper lip nervously, did that send a message already? It really took a lot of courage and gut to do this, even though it was something so simple. The kiss was spontaneous and he was kind of just going with it - but this, this hug was his doing. He really wanted to say more but there was a lump on his throat that willed him not to.

 

​

✧ location: duvont home // oishī tabemono ✧ mood: hungry ✧ theme: tea? ✧​

✧ affection: -- ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ✧ ​

✧ ooc: -- ✧​

​

Text from Elisa bby:​

H-hibachi?! There's a new Hibachi place!! SPARKLES!​

We have to go! Let's go now! It's a half hour till eleven &​

you know how great we are at losing the track of time Ha​

Ha ha! Think you can pick me up? I don't know where it is​

\shame\ u A u plus you know I can't drive lol​

​

A ride...? Would Mom let him take the car out again? Taking it out for rehearsals was already a big push; she was quite the protective mother, despite Richie being eighteen. He sighed and diverted his eyes from the teli, titling his head back over the couch to see the kitchen door. "Mooooom, is it okay if I drive Elisa to that new hibachi place on Leroy? We want to have lunch together, then we'll probs go to rehearsal then maybe she could come here...?" He wasn't quite sure about the rehearsal part, since they usually didn't go on Sundays but eh, maybe they'd switch things up. Richie hoped not though; Sunday was usually their only day to hang out. He heard his mother murmur something to Ariella with a giggle, then reply, "Sure honey! I don't see why not~" Richie smiled gratefully and replied with a 'thank you' and he pulled out his phone.

​

Text to Elisa bby:​

ofc i can pick you up babes~​

i'm about to head to your house so be ready!​

also my outfit is p cute too so maybe we'll be matching * 3 *​

OH OH also the hibachi place is on leroy place right next to the candy shoppe!​

remember the ice cream place used to be there? ...those were fun times haha~ c:​

​

After he sent the message, he shut the teli off and grabbed the keys by the door. He opened the door and almost shut it before he remembered to grab a cozy jacket. He yelled a 'goodbye' to his family with a final slam of the door and headed to the car. Opening the door, Richie then put the key in the ignition and drove off. He reached Elisa's home in no time. The two exchanged friendly greetings as the boy turned the music volume louder. He sang along to the tune with ease, since he heard the song so many times!

If you try to float on water, I'll make you sink
In the circle I made, you're all around
You just answer questions again that I didn't even ask
But I still won't shoot an arrow like you did

How about being a little more nice to me?
Your abrupt speech hurts so much
I really don't like
Becoming used to it
All, all, all of it is disappointing

I'm scarred by your words soaked in poison
I gave you a second chance
You're definitely trouble, trouble, trouble
You waited for the right time
You shoot, shoot, shoot
I hoot, hoot, hoot

​

The duo reached Oishī Tabemono [ Yummy Food ] in no time. The waiter sat them down with a smile and asked them what they would like to drink. Richie looked to Elisa, who seemed to be in a daze despite being chatty just moments ago. Maybe she was taking in the atmosphere of the restaurant? He shrugged and shooed the waiter away [ not literally shooed though lol he's not a dick ], telling him they would think about it. He nodded and disappeared into--what he assumed--was the kitchen; Richie peaked at the menu curiously. Ugh, he was so hungry he could literally eat anything! His eyes peered at Elisa as he asked sweetly, "What are you planning to have? I'm thinking... chicken and steak, perhaps." He smiled at her, hoping she was alright.

 

> Time Skip: 9:42pm <