chmiclreaction

[chmiclreaction]

"Remember how I said I'd die for you?"

“Remember how I said that is completely unnecessary?” Honey teased with a laugh, turning around to hold up the shirt she’d been eyeing from the rack to see what the other thought. Rosie was the best to go shopping with --- she always had a good opinion. Maybe not the best at stopping her from blowing her entire paycheck in one day, but it wasn’t like she needed encouragement to do that. “But the feeling is mutual.”

[chmiclreaction]

Honey was in her own little world. She wasn’t sure why she reached for the drink when it was placed on the counter, not even checking the name --- it was just habit. She didn’t realize what was going on until she saw the other hand in her line of sight and froze, snapping out of her daydreams. “Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention!”

She hadn’t even ordered tea, she’d decided it was a Pistachio Frappuccino kind of day. But tea did sound good, now that it was mentioned. “I’m sorry, again,” she added after half a second laughing at her own mistake. “How have you been, Elsa?”

open starter

location: lucky cat cafe

Elsa hadn't left the house in- well, long enough that it was a bit embarrassing to mention. She knew Anna was worried about her, and that she was becoming enough of a hermit to cause gossip to spread throughout Echo Creek and beyond. She didn't mind the gossip, but she did want to make Anna happy, so she decided to get them both a sweet treat at the Lucky Cat Cafe.

She ordered two chocolate chip cookies, which she could tell were going to be warm, gooey, and delicious, and a peppermint tea just for herself. As she reached for the tea when it was placed on the pick-up counter and her name was called, she nearly knocked it over when someone else reached for the same drink. "Oh, um," she started, "sorry, but, uh, that's my tea. It has my name on it- Elsa."

[chmiclreaction]

“Why do I do this to myself?” Honey wasn’t hurt, she was just... frustrated. And maybe a little hurt. It wasn’t the first time romance hadn’t gone her way. She knew that she had a lot to offer, but she held back out of fear, and then when she didn’t hold back... “Why does it never work out?” She felt a little bad for burdening Fred with this, but she wasn’t sure who else to go to. The rest of her friends were busy, and he was her go-to. Her safety blanket. “I know I’m a strong independent woman and I don’t need no man or woman, okay? Like, I know that. But sometimes... it just feels so lonely.”

@frdzilla​

[chmiclreaction]

CONTINUED FROM HERE.

“Less lame... not lame at all, really.” For someone with mostly guy friends and more guy crushes than she’d like to admit, Honey was in agreement with that. Maybe even more so because of those guy friends and guy crushes. “And cuter. And they smell better. God, Gabriella, remind me again why we even put up with guys again?”

@missmontez​

[chmiclreaction]

Honey was feeling particularly hyper today. She was a naturally energetic person, but maybe she’d had a little too much caffeine, enough that she was practically bouncing around. It wasn’t on purpose, her coffee just tasted good enough for seconds... and thirds. What she needed was a good conversation to ramble it out, and lucky for her --- and maybe unlucky for him --- she’d found just the guy. “Hello, hello!” She smiled as she took Flik up on the offer, plopping herself into the open seat. “It’s not a problem at all! Did you come up with anything good? I, for one, would love to hear all about it!”

Flik had his notebook open on the table in front of him, coffee untouched as he remained focused on the task at hand. His notebook was filled with all sorts of ideas for inventions, the Dreyfus company, the circus and himself. Sometimes, he had so much floating around in his head, he couldn’t keep track, so this was the best alternative. It was anything but organized, but it did its job for now. He had been muttering to himself, lost in his thoughts and ideas, until a familiar face came into view. He smiled as he looked up from his notes. “Hey, didn’t see you come in! Come sit down, I can move this stuff—” he started gathering the random loose papers that weren’t apart of the notebook, sticking them into the notebook without any sense of organization. “Don’t mind all of this, I was just using old notes to help me with some new ideas.” @chmiclreaction​

[chmiclreaction]

“It’s so neat, isn’t it?” Honey didn’t know how long she’d actually been talking, but if it was up to her, she wasn’t even close to finished. Poor Willow had shown the slightest interest in their conversation when they’d first met, and Honey --- now buzzed on the champagne she’d been rambling about --- seemed to take that as an open invitation to keep going now that she’d ran into her at the New Years Eve bash. She was social, a feeling that only grew stronger with the alcohol in her system, and Willow happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I saw this article awhile ago claiming 100 ml of champagne, poured straight down the middle of a flute, will nucleate roughly one million bubbles. But pouring it into a tilted glass, because more of the CO2 remains dissolved, can create tens of thousands more bubbles.” Bringing it up made her want to take a bottle of champagne back to the lab, just to do her own little experiments with, to test the facts on what she’d read. “So much going on in this little flute,” she stated, eyeing the remainder of the liquid. “And here I am just... drinking it.”

@w-vanderquack​​

[chmiclreaction]

“Excuse me!” Standing directly behind Fred, a slight buzz already hitting thanks to the champagne, Honey cleared her throat to get the man’s attention. She knew he hadn’t heard her greet him, or seen her standing there when he walked right past, but that didn’t stop her from placing her hands on her hips in mock offense. “Are you really going to ignore me like that? And here I thought I was your BFF, the peanut butter to your jelly. I was considering giving you the other half of my best friend necklace and everything.”

@frdzilla

[chmiclreaction]

“Not tonight. Not in awhile, actually.” Honey hadn’t meant to be antisocial, she’d just been so busy, and it seemed like everyone else had, too. Since Halloween, she felt like she’d been pulling long nights at the lab every single night, and when she wasn’t there, there was always something else to do. She couldn’t complain, she loved a full schedule, but she did miss seeing her friends as much as she was used to. Hopefully in January life would chill out just a little bit. “That sounds sweet, though. What did they sing?” Honey always admired a good karaoke session. The question was followed by a chuckle at Sharpay’s comment. “Is that your resolution? I love that! The world could always use a more kindness!”

event starter for @chmiclreaction​

Part of being close friends with Barbie and Ken came with lots of free samples from their company, and trips to their office to test out some of their products. It was always unpleasant running into Gabriella there, but there was one other scientist that Sharpay actually thought was pretty smart and a hell of a lot less annoying. It was kind of a shame that Honey wasn’t interested in doing any influencer content or becoming a model, because she was kind of pretty, too, but that didn’t stop her from trying to get the girl to change her mind whenever she saw her. “You haven’t, like, seen Gabriella or anything, have you? Not that I’m looking for her, I’m actually trying to avoid her. She and Troy sang karaoke one fucking time at a New Year’s party and she won’t shut up about it every year,” she groaned, taking a sip of her wine. “Sorry, I know, I’m supposed to be a little nicer in the new year, but I still have two hours left to be mean.”

[chmiclreaction]

She’d briefly considered trying to hit up Tinder to find a date to the party, not because it seemed lame to spend New Years Eve alone, but because she didn’t particularly want to. Honey had been feeling lonelier than usual. With the holidays, everyone’s lives seemed busier, and she didn’t want to bother her friends to hang out with her when they had so much on their plates. Troy had been her saving grace, never seeming to mind listening to her ramble about new discoveries or frustrating roadblocks in her experimenting, even if it my as well have been nonsense to him, and she was thrilled to hear how his games went while she busied herself with a late dinner.

Hearing his voice, she didn’t hesitate to return the embrace, not minding at all. If he hadn’t initiated it, she would have, fresh from practice or not. “Just me, myself and I!” She was smiling from ear to ear as the hug broke, shaking her head to answer his question. “I’ll probably spend most of the night bugging my friends whenever I run into them.” She was surprised she hadn’t already. She almost didn’t ask, realizing he may not love his answer --- but really, she had no right at all to be jealous. “Did you come with anyone?”

//closed starter @chmiclreaction​

Talking to Honey had become second nature to Troy since they had exchanged phone numbers. Randomly, he’d call her on a not-so-busy night after a game, or she’d call him after a long day at the lab. They get along pretty well, with endless topics to discuss. Troy could tell that Honey was finally catching up on his dry humor, and he was grateful for the companion. Sure, he was a natural flirt, but Honey seemed to be adamant on really getting to know him. It didn’t help that his name was consistently dragged through the mud, but at least she didn’t seem to mind the rumors. They were, in fact, just mere rumors anyway.

Asking her as a date for the NYE party at Sharpay’s place was a stupid idea, so he didn’t. He wouldn’t disrespect Sharpay too much by bringing in another woman to a party where he himself wasn’t sure he was properly invited. Instead, Troy came with the rest of the basketball team after their game. He was still wearing his jersey when they came until he stumbled upon the girl in his mind. “Honey.” He smiled, hugging her immediately. “Oh, sorry. Just came from practice. You with someone?” He asked, looking around, if she had a date.

[chmiclreaction]

frdzilla·: 

If only it was so simple as to not feel the pain of missing him all the time. Fred tried to not get too hung up on anything but the loss of Tadashi was a tidal wave. He knew his friend would be upset with him for letting that disrupt his evening but he couldn’t help it. That was one of his friends, one of the people he cared about most in life. The thought of ever having to say goodbye to another ached deeper than he could ever imagine. “You know he would,” Fred said feeling himself start to smile. Remembering him was the closest thing to having him feel like he was there with them. Feeling her head on his shoulder was a comfort he didn’t realize he needed and put his head on top of hers. As much as he wished this wasn’t the conversation they were having, he was glad she was there. Honey had a way of making everything a little brighter. “I think it always will.” It hurt but it was probably the truth. “And he’d be so mad at us for thinking that.”

♡

Honey nodded against his shoulder, a small smile on her lips. It was a comfort to think of Tadashi somewhere, shaking his head at them, annoyed they weren’t spending their holiday laughing and instead feeling sorry for themselves he wasn’t around. It was just a comfort to think of him at all. “Sometimes I can’t help but wonder what I could’ve done,” she admitted softly after a moment, “what I could’ve said.” She knew, logically, what had happened wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. She couldn’t have done anything to stop it. She couldn’t have known. But the nagging guilt didn’t listen to logic, and there was a survivors guilt she couldn’t shake. “I’d give anything I had just to bring him back for a day. But he’d be mad at that, too, wouldn’t he?” 

[chmiclreaction]

boltonoftroy·: ·

“It’s a lot more complex than what was hastily said.” Troy argued, stifling a laugh as he leaned in closer to her. He could tell that Honey was interested, in a manner that showed she truly cared to know the truth. “Well, to tell you honestly, Since I came out of a long relationship, I had to meet people. You know? It’s like reinventing yourself once again. And I don’t know myself. I’ve always been searching for myself. I don’t want to rely on anyone else for my identity.” He explained, taking a sip from his coffee. It was odd to even talk about his feelings without any alcohol involved, but Honey had that effect on him. He could look into her eyes, and he’d speak if needed. Troy could tell that she was deep because of her thirst to know more. It was all too familiar, and he had to admit that he digs that.

Troy couldn’t help but laugh at her next remark. “Why? Any plans on taking me off the market?” He teased back, grinning warmly to him as he moved closer to her. “Well, I do think something is wrong. It’s just growing up. It’s part of life. How about you? Have you no issues with romance before? Here, let me give you my number.” He said, taking his palm out to ask for her phone.

♡

“That’s really admirable,” Honey nodded, more than satisfied with his answer. “All too often, people rush into relationships and lose themselves... and each other.” It was what she was afraid of, wasn’t it? Not being sure, not having the time. Filling up someone else’s cup while neglecting her own. While she loved the idea of dating, she was afraid to go for it. And that led to things blowing over, and that led to regret. She didn’t know anymore what the right way was, or if there was a right way at all. “Are you telling me there’s not a whole line of girls waiting to ‘take you off the market’? I don’t buy it.” 

Honey pressed her lips together, unsure at first how to respond. She could brush the question off with a laugh, keep it lighthearted. Or she could be honest, and she felt like she owed him that for being honest with her. “I... really liked this guy,” she said after a moment. “And I never told him. And he died. And I guess I’ve been... hung up on that ever since.” It was a lot to spill out over coffee, but it was good too, to get it off of her chest. She never talked about her feelings for Tadashi out loud. All of her friends were suffering, and bringing up her pain didn’t seem fair. She wasn’t even sure if any of them know how much she’d liked him. How close she’d came to making a move. But she hadn’t. “Alright, but only if you put a basketball emoji next to your name,” she smiled softly, holding her phone out to him. “I have to know which Troy I’m texting, after all. There are so many.” 

[chmiclreaction]

“I do get carried away,” Honey laughed, taking a sip from her mixed drink. She’d been frequenting the bars more recently, trying to socialize, to make more friends outside of her friend group so she wasn’t constantly bugging them to hang out. The holidays were nearing and it seemed like a good time to put herself out there with a lot of people being more cheerful than usual. “That’s really sweet. If I ever annoy you, please, feel free to tell me to shut up! I’d talk someone’s ears off if they let me!”

continued from this. @chmiclreaction​

Coraline hadn’t meant for her comment to sound like a bad thing and she had been swearing under her breath the moment Honey registered what she said. She had just meant that…her eyes got so big when she was talking about things she loved or cared about. It was kind of cool, and kind of cute, and Coraline had no idea why she was saying that, but she was blaming it on the brandy she had been drinking. Meeting Honey at the bar was becoming a thing and Coraline was not against it. She liked the girl, even though she was so peppy. “It was a compliment, I promise! I just…it’s really cool to see when you’re thinking.”

[chmiclreaction]

"They say that if it's right, you know." -Fred

Honey didn’t know. For such an intelligent person, she felt like she didn’t know anything when it came to situations like this. Every time she found herself developing a new crush, the doubts set in. The guilt. There was a reason she’d refused to act on any of her feelings since losing Tadashi despite all of the people she’d been drawn to. “Thank you, Freddie,” she smiled. She wasn’t sure if they were accounting for overthinkers, but she appreciated the advice he’d given based off of her vague question. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

@frdzilla​

[chmiclreaction]

CONTINUED FROM HERE.

“I know,” she smiled, though it was smaller and sadder than those she typically wore, “he would.” She always missed their friend, but found herself thinking more about him this time of year. When everyone was together at once, it was hard to ignore the gap he’d left in them. She didn’t talk about it; she couldn’t shake the thought that it was selfish. Everyone else was hurting too, especially Hiro, and to see Tadashi as her loss felt wrong. It felt wrong to try to comfort Fred, too, knowing that no matter how much time passed, the pain wasn’t going to magically go away. It got fainter. The shock wore off and she stopped forgetting she couldn’t pull her phone out and call him up whenever she wanted. She could look at his pictures now without crying. It got fainter, but it was always there. “He’d probably tell us we better suck it up and eat twice as much for him.” It felt like just yesterday he was laughing with them. Just yesterday and a million years ago, too. She wished she’d hugged him tighter, held on longer. She had no way of knowing it would be the last time. “I wish he was here. It sucks. As hard as I try to sugarcoat it, I can’t.” With a small sigh, she laid her head on Fred’s shoulder and closed her eyes. It didn’t feel right to force a smile and go back inside. For a moment, she thought, maybe it would be better to sit in the sadness together, to stop playing pretend. “It sucks.”

@frdzilla​

[chmiclreaction]

"What a mind." - Troy

“It’s really not that hard!” Honey insisted with a laugh, glancing down at her notes. It must’ve looked like a mess to anyone that didn’t understand chemicals, and while she was trying to explain what she’d figured out, simplifying it was proving to be difficult. Mostly because she was too passionate to stop getting caught up in rambles and going off on little unrelated tangents. Looking back at him, she could tell she’d lost him somewhere along the way, but it was sweet he was listening. “But I’ll take the compliment anyway.”

@boltonoftroy

[chmiclreaction]

“Your eyes are flying saucers from another planet.” - coraline

“I have never received that compliment before!” At least, she thought it was a compliment. Honey was a bit taken aback, unsure if Coraline was saying her eyes were big or bright or dark or... something else she hadn’t connected, but it was such a unique thing to say that she kind of loved it. Even if it wasn’t meant to be a compliment. “Your eyes are quite beautiful themselves,” she added with a smile, never one to not return possible compliments. 

@coralinej

[chmiclreaction]

CONTINUED FROM HERE.

“That’s a lonely feeling.” With an nod, Honey brought the straw of her sweet tea to her lips, satisfied with his answer. She understood where he was coming from. It wasn’t exactly the same, she hadn’t been dating Tadashi or even confessed her feelings to him, but since he’d died she wondered if she’d ever feel the same about someone again --- and if she did, if she would be able to shake off the guilt of the could’ve been, should’ve been. That wasn’t something she wanted to get into right now, though. Preferably not ever.  “Well, it was out there for the world to see, but I’d rather go straight to the source than take the word of the obviously petty person dragging everyone’s name through the mud.” She liked Troy, and she trusted him to tell her the truth. The gossip blog didn’t seem to have much good to say about anyone, but you couldn’t blame a girl for being curious. Placing her glass back on the table, her empathetic smile replaced with a teasing grin. “Besides, you are way too cute to be single; I figured something had to be wrong.”

@boltonoftroy​