#Ava Bai

[smmhubbb]

Best ICSE Girls School in Mumbai

Nestled in the heart of Mumbai, Bai Avabai Petit Girls’ High School, established in 1913, started its journey as a primary-level boarding school, exclusively for Parsee girls. With an initial enrolment of forty students, the school quickly became a beacon of education under the guidance of a dedicated Board of Trustees.

[flowerbarrel-art]

Dire, Dire Drawing

What?

It’s just an eel.

[daisychainsandbowties]

Paprika is the troublemaker, Bay Leaf is the matchmaker.

“I assure you, there was a noise at regular intervals.”

“Until I came in the room?” Ava asks.

“Correct. It did not stop when Camila investigated. She suggested a ghost in the machine,” Beatrice frowns. “Hello, Lilith. Have you… misplaced Paprika?”

“No, but Bay Leaf has gone on a walkabout; if you see them let me know?”

“Maybe Baby spice is the ghost in the machine,” Ava laughs, removing a cover panel to find a cephalopod that has clearly been tapping a pipe with one of Beatrice’s mechanical pencils. “Holy shit!”

“Language!”

lilith tuts at bay leaf the whole way back to the aquarium, ‘i can’t comprehend what makes you so certain that your interference is even necessary with those two’ & almost shrieks when cam materializes out from among a couple of empty tanks with paprika draped scarflike around her neck.

the two of them stand there. cam looking dashing with her artfully tousled curls and her little grin and paprika wearing his natural red and orange and burnt umber.

lilith, meanwhile, looks perplexed. dressed in her lab coat, which is perpetually stained with fish-guts. bay leaf has one arm stuck to her cheek and he’s trying to climb up out of her arms.

less than dashing, if you aren’t biased when it comes to marine biologists. and camila certainly is.

cam laughing and saying, ‘oh so i was right - it was a ghost in the machine.’

lilith: ‘i don’t-’

cam: ‘it’s a Greek theater thing. you know, deus ex machina.’

lilith: ‘oh… i didn’t know you liked Greek theater.’

cam: ‘uh, well, i like Medea as much as the next person but i know it mostly because of The Matrix. you’d like it, i think. says some pretty interesting things about gender, reality. the monsters are kind of chthonic.’

lilith: ‘right.’

lilith: ‘i have to go.’

cue paprika slapping one arm over cam’s face to save her the trouble of putting her head in her hands.

cam: ‘lilith wait!… we’re going in the same direction.’

but all she’s left with is the sweep of lilith’s white coat disappearing around the corner, the lingering smell of saltwater and gore.

(bay leaf grabbing very dramatically onto the wall when lilith turns the corner, forcing her to stop and gently pry his suckers off the plaster while blushing furiously)

camila sighs, looks at paprika, ‘c'mon buddy, let’s get you back home.’

‘your mom is really weird.’

[thspod]

In this episode, Al and Bev talk about Spells and Secrets, cover some of the Stardew 1.6 changes, plus delve deep into some of the newly released details about Sugardew Island.

[heartlandians]

Such a fun water park! We loved the Aqua Coaster and The Fearless River! Photos by: Ava Tran

[35letters]

(via The Park Loggia at 15 West 61st Street – SOM)

[we-players]

Artistic Director Ava Roy and Associate Producer Britt Lauer of We Players joined KRON4 Live in the Bay host Jessica Wills to chat about the immersive theater experience “Adventures with Alice” happening in Golden Gate Park.

[tinypaint]

🎉SO EXCITED🎉 to announce that Ava's Demon is FINALLY going into stores. After a decade of work, Barnes & Noble and my publisher, Skybound, are releasing this special edition Book One with a unique cover of Ava. A literal dream come true!! 😭🎉🎉🎉

You can pre-order your copy here for $16.19 (and be sure to leave a very cool review!!)

If you missed the kickstarters or couldn't afford them, this version is unique to Barnes and Noble, and honestly the cover is pretty special to me since it only features Ava (and -7- dragonflies). AND it comes with a really neat double-sided poster of Ava that you can preview on the Barnes & Noble website. Hopefully I will be at the nearest Barnes & Noble soon, signing copies for anyone in the Bay Area.

Special thank you to all the readers who have supported me for so long through kickstarter and patreon. It's been a wild journey but we finally made it!!! 🎉🎉🎉

[alldancersaretalented]

Studio Switch List 2024/25

(also includes late season switches)

Link to "How many studio switches so far?"

??

-> Elite Studio of Dance

Jordyn Hay

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

B. Bernard C. Butler M. Caryl L. Caver E. Defoe K. Heath I. Lewis C. Nielson A. Peterson S. Peterson A. White

-> Kinetic Dance

Mary Anne Serpas

-> Mather Dance Company

Sally Schulz

-> N10 Dance Studios

Juliette Birchard Jonah Guzman

-> Renner Dance Company

Connell Gocke

-> The Merge (new studio!)

Leila Pitcovich

-> The Moxie Movement (new studio!)

Beeta Barkhordar Harper Fish Bailee Hill Sky White

-> The Union (new studio!)

Veda and little sister Mia Weisz-Marin

-> Tribe Seven

Cate Block

3'N Motion Studio

-> BLA Dance Academy

Molly Weber Margaux Struble Chloe Todman

4th Street Dance Centre

-> Northern Force Dance Company

Hazel Brown Olena Brown

Adage Dance Center

-> K2 Studios

Dylan Kubo Aspen Walton

Adrenaline Dance Company

-> Prodigy Dance Studio

Bellarose Ramos

AE Dance Productions

-> The Company Space

Hazel Kinnick

All American Dance Factor

-> Evolve Dance Complex

Madison Virostek

Allegro Performing Arts Academy

-> Pave School of the Arts

Lily McFarland

AM Dance

-> Studio X

Brooklyn Abrams Alana Cato Asyah Lewis Baileigh McJimson Leiyah Nova

-> The K Project Dance Company

Aubrey Davis Jaden Gonzalez Rosalyn Gutierrez

Amirian Ballet Academy

-> Royal Danish Ballet School

Emma Crawford

Apples Dance Lab

-> Evolve Dance Complex

Payten Butler Sara Wren

Artistic Motion Dance

-> Abstraction Dance Company

Giselle Pilorin

-> Devotion The Movement

Sydney Duke Sunnie Pelant

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Zoe Baker GG Mier Katie Rosa Piper Ryder Tatum Ryder

Art Of Technique

-> The Washington School Of Ballet

Kaitlyn Brandely

Augusta West Dance Studio

-> CCJ Conservatory

Zoe Lewis

Avanti Dance Company

-> CAP The Company

Natalie Jahn

-> Mather Dance Company

Hayden Goren Reese Goren

-> N10 Dance Studios

Saige Hibbard

-> West Coast School of the Arts

Eva Graziano

Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre

-> Boston Ballet II

Sophia Jones

Bayer Ballet Academy

-> John Cranko Schule

Amelia Chen

Big City Dance Center

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Alex Cyncewicz

Brava Dance

-> Westchester Dance

Emily Pierog

Burbank Dance Academy

-> ABT Junior Co

Manuela De Souza

Cache Valley Civic Ballet

-> Creative Dance Academy

Kate Baldwin Sophia Baldwin

Camarillo Academy of Performing Arts

-> Bobbie's School of Performing Arts

Peyton Root Ryan Root

Canadian Dance Unit

-> Vlad's Dance Company

Quinn Powers

CanDance Studios

-> Club Dance Studio

Preslie Ball

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Colette Stutzman

-> The Union (new studio!)

Crystalyn Chesko

Carlsbad Dance Centre

-> Pave San Diego (new studio!)

Ansel Mullick Camille Mullick Evelyn Mullick

Cary Dance Prudctions

-> Renner Dance Company

Marlee Thomas

CC & Co Dance Complex

-> Renner Dance Company

Connell Gocke Olivia Roberson

Centerstage Dance Academy

-> West Florida Dance Company

Ava Starr Rodriguez

Center Stage Dance Company

-> JBP Entertainment

Bianca Lewis

Center Stage Dance Gymnastics

-> The Fenyx Project

Arielle Miles

Center Stage Performing Arts Studio

-> The Moxie Movement (new studio!)

Halston Fisher Oakley Fisher Tatum Fisher

Charliz Balicao Dance Company

-> Larkin Dance Studio

Payton Mueller

Cincinnati Ballet Professional Training

-> Alabama Ballet

Caroline Love Jenna Renfield

City Ballet San Francisco

-> Boston Ballet II

Maddie Austin

CityDance Conservatory

-> Boston Ballet School II

Lucian DeBellis

CJ Dance Crew

-> Club Dance Studio

Madi Cole MaKinley Cole

Club Dance

-> ??

Ashton Wullbrandt

-> Dance Studio C

Gwyneth Woods

-> Elite Dance Pro

Madisyn Rose Amos Kennedy Cicerelli Abby Honstad Jaida Morin Payton Stowe

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Tilly Allen Brinley Bennett Brynlee Bulbulian Lainey Bulbulian Makena Cameron Pallas Chiste Olivia Clouse Kensley Colman Charlotte Cook Sophia Dasalla Avery Dunwell Lena Funk Mia Funk Jaycee Grant Kalista Greer Kanon Greer Kaylan Greer Oakley Hill Goldie Hill Birdie Hill Alaina Igleski Kaydence Lawton Arianna Mendez Callie Mendez Harper O'Malley Dannika Ren'ee Quiroz Tatem Robinson Leslie Soto Nicole Soto Tatum Strauss Kate Valentine Aubrey Williams

-> Illusion Dance Company

Madyson Barney

-> Prodigy Dance PAC

Taeya Stosich Tinley Stosich

Complexity Dance Center

-> Vision Dance Alliance

Ava Dowling London Dowling

Concept Pavielle

-> Larkin Dance Studio

Siena Paradeau

Conservatory of Dance Arts

-> The Merge (new studio!)

Ella Andrews Sarah Blady Charlotte Dean Sophie Dean Calli Hollenbeck Lilly May Hartley Murla

Cypress Dance Project (closing!)

-> The Fenyx Project

Ahmya Tovar Jasleen Tovar

-> Tribe Seven

Avery Farris Gracelyn Harris Kyndle McCormick Frankie Miranda Mia Narvaez Tana Nickerson Evelin Peterson Lily Savarese Paislynn Schroeder Gabriella Slay Dalilah Soto Frankie Soto Kayla Tanea Abigail Wade Melody Thiel Rianna Weck Rosalie Wickman

Cypress Elite Dance Studio

-> The Fenyx Project

Charlie Mae

Dance Academy of State College

-> Evolve Dance Complex

Emma Girdany

Dance Arts Centre ATL

-> Dance Lab (new studio!)

Ryn Andersen Tarin Belizaire Izzy Bensinger Nina Kitchen Daniella Lerman Samantha Wilson

Dance Arts Centre

-> Summit Dance Shoppe

Beckett Eberhard Britta Eberhard

Dance Connection 2

-> Club Dance Studio

Claire Pistor

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Jaxon Adamson Juliette Ridenour Scarlett Ridenour

Dance Connection Scottsdale

-> The Collective PHX

Madee Richardson

Dance Deluxe

-> Club Dance Studio

Dana Homes

-> Dance Connection 2

Kamryn Arnold

-> Elektro Dance Academy

Sunday Smith

Dance Dimensions PAC

-> The House Dance Complex

Sophia Hasson Victoria Safahi

Dance Enthusiasm

-> Murrieta Dance Project

Liciana Vun

-> Phunk Phenomenon Dance Studio

Landon Indeglia

Dance Exposure 2

-> The Vision Dance Alliance

Morgan Wendt

Dance FX

-> Pave San Diego (new studio!)

Aryanna Lafontaine Cooper

Dance Inc Company

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Lauren Allan

Dance Lab OC

-> Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy

Maggie Till

Dancemark Studio

-> Pave San Diego (new studio!)

Katie Bishop

Dance Republic

-> Club Dance

Annabelle Greenamyer Scottie Greenamyer Abigail Patton

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Kaia Roseland

Dance Studio C

-> Elite Dance Pro -> Dance Connection 2

Charlotte Rathjen

-> Impact Dance

Maizey Miller Savannah Miller

Dance University

-> Impact Dance Academy (new studio!)

Olivia Cherpak Stella Cherpak Chiara Siragusa Mila Steven

Dance Unlimited Miami

-> Stars Dance Studio

Mila Talab

The Dance Zone

Katelyn Miranda

-> The Living Dolls Dance Factory

Olivia Martinez

Dance Unlimited Colorado

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Fiona McDonald

Dance Vision

-> Becky Nalevanko's Dance Studio

Aria Telander

DanceDynamicsLV

-> Academy of Nevada Ballet

Naya Fowler

-> The Rock

Brielle Bonas Parker June

Danceology

-> Club Dance

Kelsey Jackman Makayla Jackman

-> DC Dance Factory

Kendall Kolodge

-> Evoke Dance Movement

Vida Lemos

-> Hyphen Conservatory

Haley Bertino

-> North County Academy of Dance

Ella Nani Knight

-> Pave San Diego

Paisley Publico Polly Jo Publico

Dancers Edge

-> Club Dance

Emerson Van Houten

Dancers World Production

-> K2 Studios

Claire Zhang

Dance Vision

-> The Academy

Cece Nguyen

Dansations Competition Team

-> The Vision Dance Alliance

Brady Horne

DC Dance Factory

-> The Vision Dance Alliance

Harper Bowen

Dellos Dance Academy

-> The Academy

Kendall Krajewski

Diverse Elements

-> Dance Connection Scottsdale

Kenna Bonhote

-> Dance Connection 2

Peyton Whited

Divine Dance Center

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Kallie Niday

DMdance Company

-> The Merge (new studio!)

Kinsley Gainer Taylor Jenkins Tyler Jenkins

Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy

-> ABT Junior Co

Clara Riggs

-> Boston Ballet II

Pavel Kulev

-> Elite Classical Coaching

Summer Lily

-> European School of Ballet

Annabel Kohn

-> San Francisco Ballet School

June Freeman

-> Westside Dance Project

Fiona Poth

DNA Dance Creatives

-> Prodigy Dance PAC

Jackson Ruekert

Drapers Center for Dance Education

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Rhauri Samuels

-> The Rock School For Ballet

Samuel Gauss

Dynamic Dance Company

-> Stars Dance Studio

Victoria Crupi

Dynamic Dance Refinery

-> New Level Dance Company

Sophia Hernandez-Gonzalez

Elektro Dance Academy

-> Dance Deluxe

Alexis Gizzo

-> Eternal Dance Company

Madyson Koch

-> LA Dance

Kinsey Joan

-> The Collective PHX

Julianna Aispuro Tenley Anthony

Elevate Dance Academy

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Sidney Sullivan

Elite Classical Coaching

-> Academie Princess Grace

Morgan Ligon

-> Royal Ballet School

Izzy Keesee

Elite Dance PAC

-> Hyphen Conservatory

Lillie Lanier

Elite Dance Pro

-> Club Dance

Peyton De La Cerda Mila Michael Lucia Piedrahita Sophia Schiano River Segerman

-> Rhythm Dance Complex

Gavin Schwarze

-> The Collective PHX

Alexa Schwarze

Elite Feet Artists Company

-> Stars Dance Studio

Norah Hurley

Elise Flagg Academy Of Dance

-> Central PA Youth Ballet

Ella Wilke

Ellison Ballet

-> ABT Junior Co

Victoria Papakalodouka

Encore Dance Arts

-> The Collective PHX

Laila Faith

Eternal Dance Company

-> CanDance Studios

Alaina Martinez

-> Gateway Dance Center

Juniper Wakefield

Evoke Dance Movement

-> Pave San Diego (new studio!)

Eleanor Bullock Lucia Jade Frazier Emmy Claire Khaiden Tayah Klimuck Dylan Schaffer Maya Steinman

Evolve 26

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Blayklee Balthazar

Evolve Dance Complex

-> CCJ Conservatory

Cami Vorhees

-> Power Dance Company

Maya Rogers

Evolution Dance Center

-> North County Academy Of Dance

Presley McGraw

-> Pave San Diego (new studio!)

Casey Archibald Liv Barrelli Karisma Colyan Kirrana Colyan Ava Cucker Elyse Dueler Alli Esposito Avery Fumillari Sofia Galati Joya Garner Sofia Gorman Kendall Hensley Kaylie Koehnen Brianna Lee Isla Marshall Emma MacKay Everly McGraw Ellie Miles Avril Overlock Drew Overlock Danielle Smart Kirra Stradwiser Vivienne Tolentino Lyla Yuceit Brooke Zamoff Shayne Zell

Expressions Dance & Music

-> Tribe Seven

Francesca Casaretto Gabi Woods

Fearless Dance Company

-> K2 Studios

Marilyn Castaneda

Flashdance Studio

-> Houston Ballet Academy

Patricio Lopez

FLEX Dance and Fitness

-> The Southern Strutt

Grace Marvella

Freckled Frog Dance Studio

-> K2 Studios

Vallerina Athena

Fusion Dance Force

-> Blueprint Dance Project

Emily Deal Abigail Monahan Abby Rodriguez

Fusion Studios

-> Mather Dance Company

Brooke Kim Mariana Simoes

Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

-> Dance Deluxe

Bradley Kawa Breckyn Kawa

Gotta Dance Company AZ

-> The Collective PHX

Avah Gonzalez Gabriella Gonzalez Valencia Gonzalez

Gotta Dance Company CA

-> Stars Dance Studio

Tristan Jones

Greenwich Conservatory of Classical Ballet

-> Dance Town

Cassie Coughlin

-> Mather Dance Company

Lydon Thach

-> The Academy

Lia Turrieta

Hart Academy of Dance

-> The Academy

Lia Turrieta

Hathaway Academy of Ballet

-> somewhere in the Netherlands

Kennedy Kahler

Heart & Sole Performing Arts

-> Gotta Dance Company

Leigha Jessee

Hollywood Ballet School

-> United Ballet Academy

Isobel Lehman

Houston Ballet Academy

-> Boston Ballet

Sam Stampleman

-> Boston Ballet II

Michael Dadlez Layla Porter

Hudson Dance Academy

-> Avanti Dance Company

Melody Garcia

Hyphen Conservatory

-> Mather Dance Company

Makaela McCosar

iBallet Studio

-> Elite Classical Coaching

Aviva Brock

Impact Dance

-> Club Dance Studio

Bostyn Thomas Holland Thomas Presley Thomas

In Motion Dance Project (closing)

-> ??

Mila Bonilla Anniston Clarke Adrienne Diaz Bella Flores Mia Flores Lily Holbrook Isabella Luciano Mali Photnetrakhom Madeline Terry Joey Webber

-> Dance Universe

Ellie ?

-> Marshall Ellis Dance School

Renee Forseth

-> New Dimensions Dance

Annalee Ramb

-> Starz Dance Company

Elissa Loryn Sadie Moore Isabella Peixoto

-> Orlando Ballet School

Sylvie Rock

-> Underground Movement

Lila Blood Kristyeliz Laureano Valerie Santana Izzy Warren

-> Xplosive Dance Academy

Levi Caicco Valeria Luciano Isabella Quartaro Olivia Rock Abigail Torres Adeline Vozza

Innovate Dance Studios

-> Avanti Dance Company

Pressly Loomis

Inspire Dance Complex

-> K2 Studios

Eliana Guzmán Isabela Guzmán Cali Rucker Arrow Yarbrough

Inspired Movement Dance

-> Innovate Dance Studios

Brooke Toro

Intensity Dance Academy

-> Evolve Dance Complex

Lydia Onder Bryn Onder

Intensity Dancer's Studio

-> Dance Town

Nicole Losada

In The Spotlight Dance Studio

-> Summit Dance Shoppe

Quinn Caroline

JBP Entertainment

-> BLA Dance Academy

Ashton Kinsleigh

JDI Dance Company

-> 4PM Dance

Addelyn Muesso

Jean Leigh Academy of Dance

-> Tari's School of Dance

Stella Vince

Joffrey Ballet School Texas

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Ella Waitz

Jump Dance Company

-> Impact Dance Academy (new studio!)

Natalie Boone Reese Gilman Chloe Mullins Claire Sorensen Addison Weimann

Jun Lu Performing Arts

-> Bayer Ballet Academy

Athena Hu

Just off Broadway

-> Club Dance Studio

Kaia Erby

-> Elite Classical Coaching

Sadie Daniels

-> Stars Dance Studio

Zoe Swope

K2 Studios

-> ??

(Jessica Sutton) (Rebecca Sutton)

-> Studio X

Jeanne Garcia Zoey Garcia

-> The Academy

Kynzli Reece

Kaos Dance Elite

-> The Company Space

Taylor Smith

Kat & Co

-> Evolve Dance Complex

Anthony Labritz

Katies Dance Connection

-> Elite Danceworx

Taya Osso

Kick Dance Studio

-> The Vision Dance Alliance

Violet Kolb

Kinetic Dance

-> The Merge (new studio!)

Catherine Owen

Kozmic Edge

-> Q3 Dance Company

Angelina Mendez

LA Dance AZ

-> Dance Connection Scottsdale

Syvon Stokes

Larkin Dance Studio

-> Studio 4

Lola Boisen

-> Concept Pavielle

Grace Sullivan

-> Elite Classical Coaching

Savannah Manzel

Legacy Dance Productions

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Mckenna Gerrits

Legacy Productions Miami

-> Stars Dance Studio

Emily Pina

Lovett Dance Center

-> Hyphen Conservatory

Logan Macy

Major Productions Studio of Dance

-> Impact Dance Academy (new studio!)

Hailey Schneider

Master Ballet Academy

-> Ballet West

Melanie McIntire

-> Club Dance Studio

Hazel Silverman (also continues training at MBA)

-> John Cranko Schule

Gracie Kirkwood Lillian Rossman

-> The Rock School For Ballet

Keagan Pickett

Mather Dance Company

-> OCPAA

Mia Santiago Savy Witeck

-> The Academy

Eliana Weiss

Mekka Dance Project

-> Tribe Seven

Ainsley Scott

Meta Fair Burns Dance

-> Kinetic Dance (new studio!)

Kylie Dalrymple

Miami City Ballet Pre-Pro

-> Boston Ballet II

Olivia Santos

Miami Dancity Studios

-> Stars Dance Studio

Sabrina Lorente

Michelle's Dance Xplosion

-> Nor Cal Dance Arts

Jaxon Albano

Michigan Dance Alliance

-> Artflux Dance Lab

Mattie Mair Millie Morante

Milele Academy, LLC

-> DC Dance Factory

Eisley Beer

MJ's House of Dance

-> Blueprint Dance Project

Kiley Holgerson Ava Azzaretto Caiden Boltz Cassidy Boltz

Monterey Peninsula Ballet Theatre

-> Bayer Ballet Academy

Harper Palmer

Move By Morrelli

-> Artistic Fusion Dance

Lilianna Hales

Murrieta Dance Project

-> K2 Studios

Jaedon Diaz Kloey Diaz

MVP Elite

-> 3'Motion Dance Studio

Mackenzie Mucha Madison Mucha

N10 Dance Studios

-> ??

Ariella Truong

-> 4PM

Jordan Eskenazi

-> Dance Star Academy of Performing Arts

Avery Margarita

-> Premier Youth Dance Academy

Clara Han

-> Project 21

Annie Hu Madison Ng

New Level

-> Stars

Kenny Braga Reese Braga

NJ Center of Dance

-> The Vision Dance Complex

Bella Baldino

No Limits Dance Company

-> CCJ Conservatory

Rylie Sickles

Northern Force Dance Company

-> Larkin Dance Studio

Aria Johnson Sloane Johnson

North Shore Dance Academy

-> Dance Enthusiasm

Juliana Desilets Ellie Fanning Sophie MacKenzie Callie Wilkins Molly Wilkins

OCPAA

-> ??

Sarah Kuy

-> K2 Studios

Amelia Faizi Ella Montano

-> Mather Dance Company

Mila Malone Sierra Yen

-> Nebraska Dance

Sophia SantaMaria

-> Project 21

Reese Arkin Valeria Ochoa

-> Studio X

Jordyn Rockett

On Pointe Dance Studio

-> K2 Studios

Giuliana Bressler

Orlando International School of Dance

-> Starz Dance Company

Layla Jordan

Palm Beach Academy of Dance Arts

-> Dance Universe

Hattie Selene

Panama City Dance Academy

-> Kinetic Dance (new studio!)

Maisie-Rose Burkey

Paula Carr Dance Academy

-> Elektro Dance Academy

Eliza Gee

Pave School of the Arts

-> Evoke Dance Movement

Addyson Paul

-> Innovate Dance Studios

Quinn Briscoe

-> Mather Dance Company

Alexa Rauth Ava Rauth

-> OCPAA

Kennedy Bush

-> Project 21

Stella Fisk Liv Matson

-> The Moxie Movement (new studio!)

Kenzie Arrendondo Talia Ayumi Gemma DeSola Kinsley Dunn Kassidy Dunn Ellie Iwamoto James Iwamoto Harper Fisk Marlowe Fisk Tatum Fisk Kirsten Jeslyn Kailey Longshore Kassidy Luong Sophia Monje Alexa Paul Goli Ranekouhi Rylee Stabeck Isaiah Wang Hadley York

-> South County Dance

Hayden Calder

Perception Dance

-> Premier Dance

Madison Smith

Perfect Pointe Dance

-> Studio X

Danya Chang

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School

-> Ballet West Academy

Carina Fulop

Platform Dance

-> Gateway Dance Center (new studio!)

Arielle Michalak

Precision Dance Conservatory

-> Dance Universe

Teagan Sanchez

Premier Youth Dance Company

-> Elite Classical Coaching

Greysen Fowler-Allen

Prestige Dance Institute

-> Renner Dance Company

Kensley Phillips

Profusion Talent

-> Studio X Dance Complex

Dallas Soffel

Project 21

-> ??

Ally Choi Airi Dela Cruz

-> CAP The Company

Dillon Barron

-> CA School of Classical Ballet

Aliya Yen

-> Stars Dance Studio

Leilani Lawlor

-> Westside Dance Project

Makeila Bartlett

Project Performer

-> Pave San Diego

Nora Aminlari

Renner Dance Company

-> Club Dance Studio

Ania Siri Olivia Siri

Republic Edge Dance Company

-> Tribe Seven

Adalynn Delaney Alayna Jeneva Cali Lynch Aubrey Warren

Revolution Dance

-> Dance Zone

Kaylin Gabosch

Rize All

-> Elite Studio of Dance

Carissa Chueng Roxanna Chueng

-> Natiomas Dance Method

Ayla Polendav

-> University Cheer Force

Addelyn Skube

Rockly Mountains Ballet Academy

-> San Francisco Ballet School

Shylee Sagle

Russian Masters Ballet

-> Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy

Sheridan Stone

San Clemente Dance

-> Variant Movement

Alana Ting

SFLA Dance Complex

-> Dance Enthusiasm

Addison Parker

Skyra Studios

-> Mather

Sienna Morris

Sol Studio SSD (closing!)

-> Pave San Diego (new studio!)

Phoebe Fatula Hayden Goebel Makenna McGrath Lily Parraga Riley Platenberg Gabby Reiss Tiffany Robinson Keira Segal

Soul Studio Dance

-> West Florida Dance Company

Callie Ludtke

South County Dance

-> K2 Studios

Paige Garrett Reese Garrett

-> Mather Dance Company

Gabby Campos

Southland Ballet Academy

-> ABT Junior Co

Alisa Xu

-> Pacific Dance

Natalie Chiang

South Tulsa Dance Co

-> Next Step Dance

Allyn Green

Stage One Dance Studio

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Katie Kim

Starstruck Performing Arts Center

-> Perception Dance

Jacey Erwin Kinley Winn

Steps N Motion Dance

-> K2 Studios

Aspen Roberts

Studio 1 Dance Academy

-> Club Dance

Hadley Taylor

-> The House Dance Complex

Lyla Martin

Studio 4

-> Larkin

Elle Boudewyns Reese Ottney Leah Pribyl Vera Souvannavong

Studio 19 Dance Complex

-> Elite Dance By Damian

Alexis Crystal

-> Evolve Dance Complex

Carina Simone

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Kaitlyn Allen

Studio 702

-> The Rock

Peyton Nowacki Addison Price Hailey Stuck Taylor Stuck

Studio Bleu Dance Center (closing!)

-> ??

Kristin Mitchell

-> Art of Technique

Abigail Daisy Olivia Rosiek Chloé Le Pettigrew Victoria Zhang

-> Cerdafied Dance Studios

Nick Shalin

-> CityDance Conservatory

Kennedy Thompson

-> Dance Academy of Loudoun

Madelyn Cuttin Addie She

-> Enchanted Stage

Lily Mendoza Ellie Myers Mina Oemler

-> Ignite The Light Performing Arts

Zion Landis

-> LM Premier Dance

Grace Wright

-> Mission Dance Project (new studio!)

Lily Carmello Ava Doell Aubrey Franklin Kayleigh Jo Ellie Myers Brianna Norgrove Emily Parinello Brooklyn Smith Stella Tullio Jessica Zhang

-> NOVA Elite Dance Alliance

Nicole Ocean

-> Rise Dance Center

Kennedy Mirabella Maddy Mirabella

-> TDC Dance

Ja Pelle Nayeli Wilder

-> The Dance Lab VA (new studio!)

Leilah Bell Lily Rae Bolno Audrina Brudner Bellatrix Castillo Isabella Plotczyk Ashlan Scheide Mina Terry Gina Zhang

Studio G Dance Company

-> Art In Motion Conservatory of Dance

Madilyn Rexrode

-> Artistic Edge

Devin Dalmolin

Summer's Danceworks

-> The Union (new studio!)

Cienna Fernow Ellah Perry

Summit Dance Shoppe

-> Concept Pavielle

Gabriella Maggitt Carrigan Paylor

-> Larkin Dance Studio

Lucy Mae Dunn

Synergy Academy Utah

-> Center Stage Performing Arts Studio

Corra Blake

Tapio School of Dance and Gymnastics

-> CCJ Conservatory

Landry Leon

TDA Prep

-> Exhibit 3 Dance

Avery Maycunich

Temecula Dance Company

-> K2 Studios

Bailey Dalton

Texas Academy of Dance Arts

-> Tribe Seven

Gatsby Lasala Quinlyn Lasala

The Academy

-> Evoke Dance Movement

Ella Carlson

-> K2 Studios

Laci Stoico

-> Mather Dance Company

Bella Puskar

-> The Next Big Thing Academy

Peyton Barron

-> The Platform Dance Studio

Malia Williams

-> YYC Dance

Kinsley Oykhman

The Art of Classical Ballet

-> Hollywood Ballet School

Kya Massimino

Theatre Arts

-> MDC Bridge Into The Industry

Hallee Francisco

The Ballet Clinic

-> Russian Ballet Academy

Sarina Rosenblum

The Center Stage Dance Studio

-> YLAB

Blakelyn Scifres

The Collective PHX

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Natalie Cardona

[1d1195]

Love and Dryer Sheets III

Sorry for the wait. Hope you like it :)

Read the rest here: Love and Dryer Sheets

Just under 6k words

Warnings: emotional cheating, physical cheating, toxic relationships, arguing, etc.

Of course, she wanted to know his deepest thoughts. His desires. She wanted to know what his lips felt like on hers. How he took his coffee and whether he liked to sleep with the window open or closed. But that wasn’t her job to know. They had these moments in the laundry room and that was enough.

For now.

True to form, Harry continued to do the most inane loads of laundry. At one point he had just a towel, a T-shirt, and a sock. Hiding his odd loads of items from her—so he wasn’t so obviously following her to the laundry room so often—was the hard part. Fortunately, she never seemed to notice. Or if she did, she didn’t say anything.

Maybe she wants to see you, too. Harry’s heart had developed its own independent voice. He could feel it and hear it when he was around her. It was much kinder than his conscience and was all for Harry falling in love with the woman in the laundry room. He was burning through his jug of detergent. Ava paid no attention to it as much as Miss Sunshine paid no mind to his weird array of wash. Harry was lucky because Ava still brought her laundry to her mum’s house when she visited on a fairly weekly bais, so she didn’t have to sit with her laundry in the communal room. So, she didn’t have a clue about Harry’s laundry partner.

It was also how Harry had kept Ava’s presence a secret from his personal, human-form of sunshine.

You’re an idiot.

Harry ignored his conscience completely. As if it hadn’t whispered a thing to him.

Over the course of the next few months, Harry watched her read no less than six books and they chatted about most of everything and anything. Harry hadn’t felt so at ease around someone in ages. It made him so...confused. It felt like all the tension in his body released at once when he was around her. He doesn’t remember the last time he wasn’t tense for such substantial time periods.

Maybe if she hadn’t offered to share her laundry detergent, he would have continued to feel tense. If she wasn’t so nice, he might not have even noticed her sitting on top of the washer. He wouldn’t think about how soft her hair looked and how he wanted to slide his fingers through it. There wouldn’t be a thought about her giggle and how every time he saw The Wizard of Oz on the cable line up, he wanted to head down to her apartment to let her know—or ask to watch it with her.

“Have y’ever seen Wicked?” He asked her during one of their reading and waiting sessions. She placed a finger on her page making sure not to lose her spot.

She shook her head with a knowing smirk. “It’s on my list, but I can’t justify the cost right now.”

“They don’t pay y’a billion for being an angel at the hospital?” He asked with a smirk.

It felt like Harry was winning a competition he didn’t even know he entered every time she laughed at his jokes. “No, not really,” she shook her head. Their books were nearly forgotten so quickly. They were mirroring one another sitting on top of their washers. Her heels lightly bumped into the front of the machine, and they were just smiling at each other like they had been friends for their whole lives. They didn’t have to talk. He simply enjoyed her happy, sunshiney company.

Jesus Christ. His conscience was still trying even though he stopped listening to it. It was futile. There wasn’t anything he could do to stop how he felt. Even if it was wrong. Harry would simply push the feelings back as much as he could. However, his heart—with it’s independent voice—would only let him push his emotions down so much.

Harry found himself heading to the laundry room before she got there some days. It took some time to map out her schedule, but he seemed to find a pattern of every three to four days she would be lugging some of her stuff down to the basement. Fortunately, his conscience had gotten through to him to say he shouldn’t be stalking the laundry room. It should be a little more of a chance of finding her there and so he began doing at least one load a week without her.

“Hey munchkin,” her light voice nearly sent a shiver down his spine as she entered. It took Harry all the willpower in the world to not spin around at the sound immediately. Instead, he smirked at the little nickname. It was fitting of course, that she would choose it. It was ironic, as Harry was tall and far from a munchkin. But it was as adorable as she was, and Harry would respond to it for the rest of his life—especially if it came from her lips.

Easy. His brain continued to warn him, despite Harry having not acknowledged the voice of reason in months. But even Harry recognized it was dangerous to let her get so attached. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her because of his own idiocy.

“What d’you mean y’don’t like fried cauliflower?!” He ran his hands over his face like this was the worst grievance she could ever muster. Maybe it was. Harry was certain someone was lovely as she was couldn’t truly make someone annoyed. He couldn’t imagine fighting with her the way he fought with Ava.

Stop. His brain tried to remind him that thoughts like that weren’t okay. He shouldn’t be thinking about Ava and Miss Sunshine in the same wavelength. It was bad, number one. But it was also a slippery slope to being an absolute disaster of messing up a name and he needed this calm for a little while longer. The catastrophe of emotions Harry had raging in his heart and mind was overwhelming. He was going to mess up; he could feel it. If he didn’t miss this calm, this warmth, the sunshine so very much he would have worried more about the impending storm.

“If I’m being honest, I had the taste buds of a picky ten-year-old for the longest time; so I haven’t tried fried cauliflower in a long time. So, I’m open to giving it another chance.”

Harry’s smile made her feel like she could fly if he asked her to. His dimples made her stomach flutter with a thousand butterflies. She wished he would ask her to dinner. She wanted to try fried cauliflower again. If he did ask, she would gladly justify the cost of Wicked tickets. Sitting with him in the laundry room for the last couple of months made her so happy. It brightened her whole week, and she was glad he had as much laundry as he did so she could see him so often. She should have just asked him out. It was a brave thing to do and there was nothing really stopping her from doing so.

Except the idea that if he said no, she would have to find a new place to do laundry because she would never want to see him again. Maybe he was just friendly and liked having the company during such a boring chore.

When he smiled, she could swear he seemed happier than he had when he entered the laundry room. Regardless of if he already was happy. Maybe it was just wishful thinking; maybe it was her projecting how she felt the moment Harry’s foot crossed the threshold of the room. It was nice chatting with Harry. Most of the conversations were light—like fried cauliflower and which Spider-man was best (she was extremely partial to Andrew Garfield, but Harry was a firm believer Tobey Maguire did it best).

But over the course of their friendship, she could recognize when he was having a bad day. “Something wrong, munchkin?” She asked when he stared off to the wall and not his book. The only sound in the room was their washers humming quietly below them. He didn’t answer right away, and she waited patiently. Something she took home from work. Sometimes people needed a moment to process what they were feeling because they couldn’t form what they were feeling just yet.

“Sometimes I think m’not going t’be a good dad,” he mumbled.

She felt her heart and stomach flip in equal parts. The idea of Harry as a dad—even though she hadn’t known him that long, and certainly shouldn’t have been thinking about him in that context—had her ovaries aching for something that wasn’t hers to ache for.

“I think that’s a rational fear for anyone,” she said gently. He shrugged, still didn’t look at her. He crossed his ankles, his heels bumping into the washer. “Are you going to be a dad soon?” She asked with a smirk. It was a curious question, but a genuine one. His relationships were none of her business. They hadn’t done anything. They weren’t doing anything wrong. She called Niall nicknames all the time.

It was fine. For now.

Of course, she wanted to know his deepest thoughts. His desires. She wanted to know what his lips felt like on hers. How he took his coffee and whether he liked to sleep with the window open or closed. But that wasn’t her job to know. They had these moments in the laundry room and that was enough.

For now.

But when he looked at her finally, her heart felt a crack in it that made her want to take back her question. His expression was a bit cutting and she felt a little taken aback by such a cold look on his normally warm face. She felt embarrassed she had asked it; making her face warm at his irritated look. “No,” he murmured. He was reading about a couple staying in a relationship that the main character didn’t love as much as he used to. It got him thinking about the idea of staying with Ava. What that would do to their already tense relationship. How it would affect his relationship with children if he didn’t change something...soon. Instead of voicing all those worries, he went with the one that really did weigh on his mind frequently. Another problem he didn’t have a solution to. “But...m’dad wasn’t ‘round a lot growing up. S’not like...’ve got a good role model t’think ‘bout y’know?”

She let the words fall over them for a few moments. In case Harry wanted to add to his statement or revise something. If he wanted to take it back... It was a personal notion. Talking about something so deep and serious was like a new step in their relationship—whatever relationship it was that they had, didn’t matter—and would make it deeper and stronger itself. “Well,” she cleared her throat quietly. “I think you just worrying about that will make you a good dad,” she said softly.

His face softened back to its natural, Harry-looking face that made her feel warm and fuzzy again. “Thanks, Sunshine,” he said softly.

She felt like she had to share something equally heavy. Just so Harry wouldn’t feel out of place, and sound so sad dealing with his own emotions. “I feel like my mom and dad have made it hard for me to believe in love that lasts forever,” she looked at her hands gripping the sides of her book. It was such a hard thing to admit. She hadn’t really told anyone that besides Niall.

Harry tilted his head curiously at her. That was quite the thing to disclose to Harry. But he found his heart aching for her. It worried him because she was so lovely, and she deserved the kindest, deepest love. He could tell just from sitting in the room with her over the last few months that she deserved that. “You’re not your parents, love,” he reminded her. “Think if y’don’t want a love like theirs, you’ll find the one y’do want,” he murmured. “S’not like y’need a heart from a wizard or anything,” he joked.

She smiled and nodded. It seemed like it was too good to be true that Harry would quote her favorite book to her. Especially when she was vulnerable and voicing something that hurt her—especially after a recent breakup. But Harry was real. He was sitting there; telling her his deepest thoughts or making her laugh with a lame joke or sharing a recipe about his favorite kind of brussels sprouts.

“Thanks, Harry,” she whispered softly feeling her heart rate slow to nearly nothing.

“You’re welcome, Sunshine.”

They went back to their books, stealing glances at one another until her washer finished its cycle. “Do you...fold your page down in your book?” He asked. He thought he had imagined it the first time. But this was...

“Yes,” she rolled her eyes throwing her stuff into the basket to transfer to the dryer.

“Kitten... s’unnatural.”

She snorted, smiling so brightly Harry swore it cured him of the sadness he was feeling before. “I squeeze the toothpaste from the middle too,” she giggled.

He shook his head melodramatically and smirked. “Somehow, I think we’ll get along anyway," he murmured and it made her toes nearly curl with want for him and his mouth all over her body. "Even if y'a serial killer."

*

Niall was laying on her sofa while she cooked in the kitchen. It was his favorite of her dishes: chicken parmesan. Her specialty. Plus, she made garlic bread from scratch that had Niall salivating with the scent wafting through her apartment.

“Have y’seen Harry around?” He asked as he flipped through different titles looking for a movie to watch. He thought he might settle on The Wizard of Oz because it had been a while since they had watched it together.

She was sprinkling shredded cheese across the dish and nodded even though Niall couldn’t see. Her heart felt fluttery, and her stomach did its flip that it always did when she thought about or saw Harry. “Yeah...just...in the laundry room.”

“Kinky.”

“Shut up, Niall.”

“I’ve never had washing machine sex myself, but I imagine all the vibration would work wonders for you,” he continued anyway.

“Niall,” she groaned feeling flushed and awkward that even she had those thoughts about Harry. “I’m gonna spit in your food.”

He rotated from his supine position and turned to lean over the back of the sofa. It gave him a better look at his best friend making dinner in the kitchen. “You’re awfully sensitive about him, darling,” he smirked.

She rolled her eyes. “He’s cute, funny, nice, smart...he checks all the boxes,” she murmured quietly.

Niall knew what she was getting at though. He could see it in her face and hear it in her voice. “But...?”

“I don’t know...doesn’t he seem too good to be true?”

Niall looked at her with a sympathetic smile. “Think you might be harboring some emotions from your last relationship, princess,” Niall’s voice was gentle. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed in front of Niall. But she could feel the anxiety that was clearly going to riddle every relationship she had going forward. That worried her and made her feel...bad. So maybe she should just listen to Niall. Maybe she was overthinking it—of course she was overthinking it! Or even if Harry was too good to be true...wasn’t there something nice about him just...being nice to her? After all that bad stuff and hard stuff that she went through? It wasn’t like she had to marry him or anything. It was just nice to talk to someone who seemed to enjoy her company and didn’t make her feel like she had to walk around on eggshells.

“I told Harry about my mom and dad,” she responded instead of confirming or denying his statement.

Niall raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. That was a feat to say the least. “Really?”

“Well...he said something about how he thought he would be a bad dad... I thought—well... I wanted to share something similar, you know?”

Niall adored her and her kind, empathetic brain. “Yeah. I know,” he smiled encouragingly. “What did he say?”

She sighed. After she finished with the cheese, she slid the dish into the oven and sauntered over to the sofa. She fell beside Niall and laid her head on his leg. He fiddled with the strands of her hair comfortingly. “I mean...I didn’t give him a lot of information...but he was really understanding all the same. Quoted something about the Tin Man.”

Niall smirked. “He sounds like your soulmate, darling,” there was an obvious tone in Niall’s voice. Like she didn’t already know that.

“I really like him, Niall,” she admitted quietly. “Like really like him. I can’t stop thinking about him,” she whispered.

Niall wanted her to be happy. Happy as she possibly could be. “I bet he likes you too.”

She was still so unsure. It had been months. He should have asked her out by now. It wasn’t like she wasn’t obvious. She was calling one of the tallest men she was friends with munchkin for Christ’s sake. She thought they were friends, but she didn’t even have his phone number. They never spoke outside the laundry room.

But it was undeniable that there was something there. She felt it in her heart, her mind, and all the butterflies fluttering in her stomach each time he entered the same room as her. “I hope so,” she looked sadly toward the TV excited to see the intro credits of her favorite movie. “He’d be a really good scarecrow to my Dorothy.”

*

“Ava. I cannot keep doing this,” he pressed his hands into his eyes.

She glared at him. “I’m not the problem.”

Harry hated this. He didn’t want a my-fault-your-fault relationship. If there were going to be issues, he wanted to fix them. Relationships weren’t perfect. Never. Not even the best ones out there. His was far from perfect. But maybe it had a chance at one point in time. It didn’t seem like it anymore.

Now, Ava just made him mad. Harry felt alone even when she was in the room. More alone than when she wasn’t in the room.

Today, it was that she couldn’t find her keys and Harry said something like he hadn’t seen them. Did you check the car? Because sometimes Ava would think she dropped them in her bag, but they’d slide right back to the floor, and she wouldn’t notice. This comment resulted in her eye roll, her irritation with Harry’s obvious question. Of course, I checked the car, I’m not an idiot.

The insinuation that Harry would insult her made him angry. He liked to believe he was kind; even when it was hard. Even when Ava made him so mad, he was shaking.

They began searching for her keychain, room by room fighting about something new in every room. Harry looked under the sofa, pulling a pair of his socks covered in dust bunnies sparked the first peripheral argument. Can you not leave your socks lying around?

In the fridge, in case she put it in there when grabbing a bottle of water. The original fight now spiraled into who left the dishes in the sink?

The bathroom: why was the washcloth on the floor?

The sitting room under the coffee table: When you leave the room, could you turn the TV off?  Why is your phone volume maxed to the top?

“What is the point of all this Ava, all we do is argue about everything!?” Harry snapped as he slammed the bathroom door shut for two seconds of peace while he looked in her makeup drawer; maybe she was touching up her makeup and dropped them in there.

“We don’t just argue,” she sighed bitterly through the closed door. “Be serious Harry!”

“You’re going t’argue ‘bout how much we argue? Cute. Real fucking cute, love.”

“Jesus, Harry. Quit being so defensive!”

“Defensive?!” He hissed. “M’trying t’help you find your keys and y’act like I killed a dog in every room!”

He opened the door and found her leaning against the opposite wall, her bag over her shoulder waiting for this search to be over so she could go wherever she was headed. “Where are y’even going?” He asked as he went to their bedroom and looked under the bed.

“Out for a coworker’s birthday dinner.”

“Alone?”

“What y’don’t trust me?” The accusation was thick in her voice.

“Ava, for the love of God,” he practically growled. “Y’don’t invite me anywhere anymore, I was jus’ asking if it was a significant other thing—I would go with you. Christ.”

“We don’t need people to see us argue over appetizers,” she muttered. “But no, it’s not.”

Harry ignored her comment about arguing about appetizers. “Why don’t y’take my car and I’ll look for your keys,” he suggested quietly.

She shook her head. “I don’t like driving your car. The seat settings are weird and it’s hard for me to park it.”

“D’you want me t’drop you off and pick you up?” He asked.

She sighed dramatically. “I’ll just Uber.”

Harry was going to lose his mind. “Are y’serious?” He wondered following her retreating figure to the main room again. “You don’t even want your coworkers to see me? What, do y’think we’ll fight in the parking lot?”

“I never know with you Harry,” she shrugged with a dramatic, exhausted sigh. It was the same way Harry felt. She went to the closet to grab her coat and Harry heard the distinct jingle of her keys in the pocket as she pulled the jacket off the hanger.

Harry stared at her blankly. Emotionless. Not a sorry or a thank you for looking fell from her mouth. She didn’t even look apologetic as she slid her coat on wordlessly. “I forgot I wore this when I was out last,” she mumbled as she exited the apartment.

Normally after a fight—or a series of fights like that—the moment Harry had a second to himself he felt almost instantly better. But today all he felt was more anger. All of it. Down to the very smallest atoms of his bones. It hurt him as if she had reached in and yanked his heart out. He didn’t know why. He didn’t understand why this fight about keys made him so angry that he couldn’t shake the feeling. Not even a little.

He paced for a few minutes trying to calm his breathing. Trying to get the anger out of his chest, his head, every blood cell that was boiling with frustration.

It wasn’t just keys, washcloths, and dishes. It was everything. They were always arguing. It could have been a world record. They had to have the fastest time for arguing over nothing. But even though the fights were so trivial they built and built until it wasn’t just stupid little things.

They didn’t work. At least not anymore. They were broken. Maybe forever. Harry would have to start over. He would have to move out. Gemma would say I told you so. Mum would be understanding but would tell him she never liked Ava and he would have to try and justify why he stayed so long and it wasn’t what he wanted. He didn't want to justify anything. It wasn't anyone's business...

But he knew it was true. Deep down, he knew. Then, his mind and heart would be broken. Everything was wrong. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Before his conscience or his heart could say anything internally, he was hurrying down the stairs; his body moving almost of its own accord. It caused the slightest relief in his veins. He could feel the simmering boil slow just a fraction.

It was bad. A bad idea. A bad move. It was just bad.

But Harry was tired of being angry.

The only time he wasn’t angry was when he was enjoying the warmth of sunshine.

*

“Hey munchkin,” she smirked as he entered the basement. She was so used to his tall frame taking up the entryway she didn't even have to fully look to see that it was him coming down the steps. She did a double take looking at the lack of a basket. He was frazzled. Her smirk turned to a frown in an instant. “Harry? Are you... okay...? ... Munchkin?” She asked, her voice trailing off. She dropped the towel she was folding into the basket, and she reached out like she wanted to take him in her arms and comfort him. She hadn’t touched him in the months that she had known him but she was willing to do it now. God, she would have done it earlier and for less. The anxiety that was laced in his features made her nervous. Her heart felt a heaviness seeing how upset he felt so evidently on his beautiful face.

The second his name left her lips, his mouth was on hers.

Harry felt whole. The anger was gone. Truly. It was like she transferred all that warmth, kindness, and peace right through her lips and into Harry’s mouth. It was like holding actual sunshine. He forgot everything. He didn’t think of work, his book, laundry. He didn’t think of Ava, Gemma, anyone or anything.

He was kissing her, that was the only thing he could remember and focus on and not one thing else.

They were lucky no one else was in the laundry room to witness their make out session. Harry’s lips felt like pillowy little clouds and his chapstick had a coconutty taste to it that offset the minty flavor of his gum. It made her dizzy to finally taste him. Her hands bunched fistfuls of his T-shirt against his sides.

His fingers slid from being curled into her hair on either side of her face down her neck leaving a wake of shivers and goosebumps in their path. He touched the outside of her hips and tried to guide her and lift her to sit atop the washing machine as she always did. But this time was going to be for an entirely different purpose.

She pulled from his lips reluctantly, causing a gasp of air to escape Harry’s mouth.

“Not here,” she whispered into his neck, her voice hardly carrying through the air.

She wasn’t wrong. Fucking in the laundry room was definitely not classy. She deserved classy and time. She needed everything that was good.

Also, it’s very wrong. His conscience reminded him. But Harry could hardly hear the irritating little voice.

“Where?” He hummed, his lips sliding down the side of her neck. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to lose the last of her coherent thought and she would end up doing something stupid with Harry in the public laundry room.

She pulled from his embrace, grabbing his hand and tugged him up the steps to the lobby. Harry nearly tripped on the last step causing her to giggle. They rode the elevator to the third floor, their hands intertwined with one another, and Harry couldn’t stop himself from thinking about how perfect it felt. Their smiles and giggles escaped them like two teenagers hiding from their parents while they made out in their bedroom. The kissing ensued the second they were alone on the elevator this time she pressed herself against the length of Harry and he wrapped his arms around her back pulling her tight to him as they ascended the passing floors.

Arriving on the third floor, she pushed her door out of the way and almost immediately Harry had her backed against it, his body trapping her against the door. She felt so warm but Harry’s lips on hers made it all worth it. Her heart rate was the speed of a hummingbird. His body was so strong and warm. She moaned into his lips making him squeeze her toward him. He answered with a groan of his own. He pulled back momentarily to let them breathe but as he did his eye caught the photo of her, Niall, and who he assumed was her family. It was in a frame that said There is no place like home.

While she was kissing his neck, making his body hard and soft all at the same time, he smirked releasing a chuckle. “You’re going to laugh while I’m kissing you?" She mumbled into his skin in annoyance.

He laughed a little harder. “Oh, sorry, Sunshine,” he said and pressed a kiss to her forehead while she continued pecking along his collarbone that peeked out from his T-shirt. “Caught the photo there,” he murmured. She turned around in the circle of his arms. Harry wrapped them loosely around her waist from behind so she could look at what caused the distraction. As she looked over the photo herself, he dropped a kiss to the top of her head. The smile on her face that Harry could see sort of reflected in the glass of the picture frame, looked like one of adoration and love. Harry hoped she would look at him like that one day. “You’re so adorable,” he mumbled into her hair. “Why d’you like The Wizard of Oz so much?” He asked.

She pulled his arm from around her and tugged him toward her living area where the bookshelf displayed all the editions she had of her favorite book. Carefully, she tugged one version of it off the shelf and flipped it open to page 189, because of course she knew the exact quote she was looking for. All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.

It was highlighted in yellow. Harry read it three times. Each time he read it, it felt like he understood her a little more. Each of the three sentences seemed to take prominence on each read through and the last phrase especially, made him think she was some sort of superhero.

While he read, he held the book so carefully in his hands. His finger brushing softly on the page as he pointed to the words. She watched his eyes scan the page almost as gently as he touched the paper. She could see he was digesting the words and it felt so vulnerable. This was her favorite book. Her favorite quote. The way he caressed the book was delicate; the moment was so fragile and made her feel so exposed.

“I don’t know what kind of danger you’ve faced, kitten. But I think you’re the most courageous woman I know.”

Her heart felt so full but weak at the same time. It was like Harry made her feel like she could do anything but that she didn’t have to because he would hold her the way he held her favorite book. It took every ounce of restraint in her to not shed a tear.

“Y’collect them?” He asked.

Clearing her throat, she was grateful for the distraction. She nodded quickly. “Yeah…I think it was a joke at first. Mom and my sister both got me a copy for my birthday. But then every time someone who knew me came across it, I got a new one. Then it was like...everyone we knew was looking. But we were all actually finding copies that were cool and stuff.”

Harry thought he would implode from how cute she was. He hoped to find an edition she didn't have. But even if he didn't, he knew she would appreciate the gesture all the same. He was glad there were people in her life who knew she liked the book. Glad that they appreciated her love for something so...pure.

So as not to say something crazy like he adored her and would buy any copy he came across for her as long as they lived, Harry looked at the remainder of her bookshelf. “Quite the collection of other books y’got, Sunshine,” he smiled bending down to examine the titles on the bottom shelf.

“I have another shelf in my room,” she said.

“Oh?” So, she showed him. There was a run of the mill copy of it on this shelf—she would put one in every room she told him. “It’s comforting, you know?” Harry didn’t really know. He didn’t feel an attachment to a book like that, but he was already obsessed with how comforted he felt around her. From the very moment he met her when she made his anger lessen, made him feel a little better than before he knew her. A little picture frame held a quote on her wall that read We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Then they started chatting about the CDs she had on another shelf. Which got them talking about music. Then she showed him the bathroom and how she found this nifty dispenser for toothpaste and mouth wash. "So I don't have to squeeze it in the middle," she joked. In her kitchen, they looked at photos on her fridge and sifted through recipes in a cookbook that she had written down. “I’m a little old fashioned sometimes. But I think cookbooks are cute,” she shrugged. Harry thought it was adorable, of course. Harry felt like he hadn’t laughed so hard in his whole life being in apartment 304. It felt like...

Well, it felt like there was no place like home.

Eventually a timer on her phone went off pulling them both back to the real world--her failsafe in case there was something she forgot in her apartment while she sat in the laundry room. Harry frowned as she shut off the alert and she turned back to him. “Gotta check on my clothes,” she whispered.

At the same time Harry’s phone vibrated: a message from Ava.

In the last forty-five minutes he completely forgot about Ava’s existence. “Ah,” he shook his head. The anger started to bubble in the pit of his stomach. “S’okay,” or maybe that was guilt.

It should be guilt. His conscience reminded him. That was bad. Even the regular part of Harry’s mind knew how terrible it was that he forgot about Ava.

He kissed another woman.

She’s probably my soulmate. He told his conscience. As if that would fix the problem.

You need to do the right thing. It answered simply. That he could agree with his conscience.

She fluffed her hair, fixed her shirt, and rolled those soft, warm, sweet lips he was already obsessed with into her mouth awkwardly. She gestured toward the door and Harry exited first. They hit buttons for the elevator, going in opposite directions. “I’ll...see you later?” She asked as the elevator alerted the pair of them the elevator was on the rise.

Harry nodded. “Yes,” that he was certain.

“Um...” she bit the inside of her lip and peered up at him nervously. It was sad and adorable all at once. She was perfect, stunning, lovely. Her mind was just as beautiful as she was. Harry thought her heart was unbearably kind and all he wanted to do was worship her and her sweet self.

Harry was an asshole.

“That was...nice,” she whispered softly. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” he nodded in agreement with an awkward smile. His brain was starting to take back over again. “It was really nice,” he assured her making the relief on her face palpable. For that, he wanted the elevator to crush him.

The lift pinged with it’s arrival to descend back to the lobby. “See you around, munchkin,” she said quietly and kissed his cheek before she stepped onto the elevator. He felt sick to his stomach while he watched the doors close on her sweet, smiling face.

Finally. His conscience sighed with relief.

--

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[lixzey]

Letters

Info: age gap, reader has nightmares

The Second Letter.

Timothée woke up with a terrible hangover. The party was great, and he had an amazing time with his friends. He sat up and walked to the bathroom of his hotel room. He stared at himself in the mirror; he was still in the clothes he had on last night. Timothée hopped into the shower, feeling the cold water against his skin, sobering him up.

After a relaxing shower, he remembered the letters. The basket he shoved under the bed, he knelt down, grabbing the basket from under the bed. He untied the stack—eighteen letters—all eighteen letters still there.

He sat on the bed and opened the second letter, dated June 18, 2023.

Dear Timothée, 

Every night before I go to sleep, I whisper good night to you. I have a framed photo of you on my bedside table. I know, it's weird and creepy. I don't know why, but I've done it for so long that I can't even remember when I started it.

Is it weird for a grown woman to have a stuffed animal to be able to sleep at night? Yeah, it's weird. My stuffed bunny keeps my nightmares at bay every night. Julie told me that one day, all of my fears would go away and my nightmares would end. And I'd be able to look back at my past without getting hurt. But everything's getting worse. Every fucking night.

Maybe you're wondering, "Why in the world is this girl telling me this?" Well, I don't know, really. Maybe it's because you'd listen? Who am I kidding? I don't even know if you'd even get my letters. I've locked up those memories for so long, and it hurts to think about them, let alone talk about them. I'm not going to tell you everything, but a little something about me can't hurt, right? It's better to write it all down rather than talk about it.

I remember when I was a little girl, my parents would take me down to the park near where we lived. My dad would push me on the swings, while my mom would set up a little picnic for us. Life was happy. Until that fateful day when I was ten. Let's just say that my life wasn't the same as it once was. I thought my life was perfect, but boy, was I wrong.

I've tried everything to get the nightmares to stop, yet nothing ever works. Not once in the past eleven years have I had a good night's sleep. Honestly? I'm terrified of falling asleep; the nightmares keep getting more vivid. My room mate, Ava, gave me a crystal bracelet—to protect me and keep the bad auras away. She's the only one other than Julie, my therapist, who knows that I get nightmares. Since Ava's room is right next to mine, she hears me scream every fucking night.

Oh god, that sounded morbid. I should stop. Well, it's not like you'd ever get any of my letters. So I'll carry on writing, pouring out everything in these letters.

I'm going to try to get some sleep; it's literally half past three. I have exams in the morning. I'll probably fail again anyway, since I'm not exactly the smartest. Wish me luck?

All my love,

Y/n. 

Timothée was slowly understanding Y/N. She's seven years younger than him. He checked the envelopes, searching for an address so he could reply to her after he'd finished all of her letters. But he couldn't find anything—not even in the basket.

“How on earth did these letters get here? I'm in a fucking hotel that only my family knew." Timothée muttered. Questions filled his mind. He put the letter back in the envelope. He picked up the next letter, hoping for answers.

[daisychainsandbowties]

thinking about bea catching a cold in switzerland and ava making toast and tea for her and putting a little bouquet of wildflowers in a mug on the bedside table and bustling around their apartment wishing there was more she could do, more she could be, any way at all she could help bea feel better

standing watching Beatrice doze in the patch of light from the window, freckles picked out against her skin in tiny constellations. Ava who used to dream about lying underneath the stars finding them here on the ground, on earth.

the loose-limbed grace of her. Ava picking up a battered copy of Cosmos and reading to her from it, squinting at the little notes she’s left in black pen, red pen, blue.

‘from an intergalactic vantage point we would see, strewn like sea froth on the waves of space, innumerable faint, wispy tendrils of light.’

perched on the edge of the bed furthest from Bea. afraid to touch the edges of this ocean.

‘these are the galaxies. some are solitary wanderers; most inhabit communal clusters, huddling together, drifting endlessly in the great cosmic dark.’

she’s not good at making toast. the butter is always too hard, tearing the softly browned slices. or the bread is half-charred, heavy on the tongue. she carries each offering into their bedroom - stumbling over that statement, picking up the laundry on the floor because Beatrice is tired. lays her love down on the bedside table.

milky tea with a spoonful of sugar, paracetamol tablets from the store in town. she wants to be good at this, the making of toast and tea. keeping her hands at bay, how the tips of all her fingers ache for Bea’s skin, taking her temperature and staring at the residual heat on the backs of her hands.

Bea’s been teaching her about thermodynamics. loss and entropy and systems always in danger of unraveling.

you forgot to teach me this. toast and the exact angle of the butter knife. teach me your deft hands, your smooth motion, your warmth.

yes, she wants to know everything. yes, most especially Beatrice.

later, in moonlight, street-lights, Bea waking up and eating cold toast with relish. sipping cold tea. Ava almost phasing through the wall in a rush to make more, to make better, but Bea’s voice arresting her.

‘Ava.’

turning and seeing her, dressed in all their blankets, crumbs in the bed.

‘yeah?’

god, her voice. she slept for a day and Ava felt herself in mourning for it. dying from the want of it.

‘you look exhausted.’ her eyes are caught up in the shadows sprawled over the bed. maybe that’s for the best.

they close, she sighs. ‘come to bed.’

usually they’re exhausted at night. no negotiation in their touch. Ava just curls up around her, pretending to think it’s natural, normal.

(it is, it is, it is)

but now? Bea’s awake, watching her, asking for her.

‘i should-’

‘Ava, please.’ the entreaty is soft, like light. ‘just lie down.’ she pauses, calculates. ‘it’s chilly.’

‘you’re cold?’

Bea nods. it’s definitely a lie - she has all their blankets and there’s sweat on her brow.

maybe there are different kinds of cold, Ava thinks, climbing into the bed.

watching Bea’s eyes slip closed, like permission. sliding over the sheets, crumbs spilling as Bea turns toward the window, offering up the slope of her shoulder, her neck, the firmness of her waist.

touching her is like touching fire. Bea’s been teaching her poetry, too, and there’s one about a candle. silly, short, what Bea calls a ‘useful exercise for memorisation’ because she’s also teaching Ava how to scan a room for danger. to see what others don’t.

unbeknownst to herself, she’s teaching Ava to see her.

the poem goes like this. Ava recites it silently against Bea’s neck, feeling her relax into their shared space. this ocean, this shore.

“my candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but oh, my foes, and oh, my friends - it gives a lovely light.”

[unicyclehippo]

Bubbles

[for @possibilistfanfiction started out as smth soft n goofy for u, then tilted toward sad :/ sorry. also i guess this is canon divergence where ava doesn't go through the portal but also she's fine? cannot emphasise enough that im not Thinking just vibe w me]

//

there's a bath in jillian's safe house, a really good one. it's deep and fancy, in the way that really expensive things are where they're sort of deceptively simple—it doesn't have a billion dials, or jets, it's just a comfortably large tub made of some heavy, smooth material that your fingertips glide over when you touch it.

you're dying to fill it to the brim with burning hot water and just. soak. for one hour, maybe twenty. you heard somewhere that a hot bath is good for aches and pains and that sounds like exactly what you need. you hurt now, everywhere. your body, your skin, your heart.

'ava?'

beatrice is hovering in the doorway. she looks totally serene but that's a fucking lie and you know it is because there's no way she can be calm, be serene, because you fought and killed an angel (big question mark there) and saw and rescued god (two big question marks) and you kissed her (you kissed her and she kissed you back) and no one was supposed to die but michael isn't here in this big house that his mum bought so that she could lock herself away in it and rip open time and space and save him and she let you back into her house even though you let him die and beatrice is standing in the doorway of the bathroom and there's two strands of hair knocked loose from her bun and the sight of it saves you, a little bit. you're going to lose your mind thinking about angels and gods and the halo in your spine and the way your whole nervous system feels like a livewire right now, stinging you raw from the inside out, but beatrice is here and you want to touch her hair. tuck the strands behind her ear. maybe, if you're lucky, she'll let you linger. twist one around your finger so you can feel the silken slide of it.

'yeah,' you croak, 'hi.'

beatrice smiles. her eyes roam over your face. she can't look away and you knew that she loved you before you kissed her, before you left her, because everything she wouldn't let her hands do, she did with her eyes instead. beatrice wants to touch you now—you want that too, of course, but you don't know how yet and you're hurting—so she stares.

'i can run a bath,' she offers. 'i can do that for you.'

you'll do anything for her. you'll die for her. you'll strip down out of your bloody clothes so that she can look but not touch. you'll let her run a bath for you.

'please.'

beatrice steps into the bathroom. it's about as big as the whole apartment had been, back in your little mountain town, but it doesn't feel like it. there's nothing in the world but you and beatrice and the four paces that separate you; the world is closing in around you and your shoulders are shaking from holding the collapse at bay. atlas, you think, was lucky. he was all alone. but there's a girl in front of you who wants to take some of the burden off your shoulders and you want to let her, except the burden is you and you don't know how to hand it off gracefully, you don't know how to divide the weight evenly, you don' t know how to split the world into orange slices and hand her just the northern hemisphere, or just your fear and trust. you don't want to hurt her but it's crushing you.

the taps open. water spills from the spigots, steam curling up toward the ceiling. she pours something into the water—lavender? its dusty, dusky in your nose, on your tongue. white froth builds in the base of the tub and grows.

beatrice is pouring you a bubble bath. you're going to cry, definitely; it's not a matter of if but when.

you sit on the edge of the tub and start to peel off your armour. it takes time to figure out how; teeth gritted, fingers curling stiff and unhelpful into your palms, you have to ask for her help.

'does it hurt?'

'no,' you lie.

beatrice stares at you hard but pretends to believe you, which is nice of her. she opens you up, peels your armour away like the skin of an orange. maybe there's something citrus in the bubbles she poured out, maybe you're hungry, maybe you're tripping fantastic on jillian's pain medication and thinking way too much about the gold light of adriel's church and how kissing beatrice had stung, just a little.

'stand up,' she says instead, and helps with your pants too. she's touching you, so she's looking away, eyes averted. you wonder what it would feel like if she let herself look and touch, both at the same time, and then quickly stop when it makes your head spin more than it already is. 'careful getting into the tub.'

her hands are on your elbows. they always seemed like weird body parts to you, useful only for bending your arms, helping you reach out with your hands. now, when she is touching you there, you think they might be the best thing god (huge question mark) ever invented. you tuck the feeling away for later, for some fun alone time, and refocus on the way her fingers tremble and her hair isn't perfect.

'i'm okay,' you tell her, because she hasn't looked at you, and you think she might not realise—the divinium is gone, the shrapnel tugged out of your chest and belly and legs, even the little bit by your wrist. then, you step into the tub and the water is hot and you feel like it's searing away all your fear-sweat and blood and as you start to half-fall, half-sink down into it, you say, 'will you stay?' because you got exploded a little and if there's ever a time to capitalise on that, it's now.

beatrice keeps her eyes on the ceiling as she lowers you down into the water. it sloshes over the side, splashes a line at beatrice's thigh where she's leaning against the side of the tub to help you.

'you don't have to. you don't have to do anything. you don't.'

'i'll stay,' beatrice says, and now that you're covered by the water and bubbles, she looks at you. looks at your lips and lifts her hand to touch your cheek, thumb at the corner of your mouth.

you want to kiss her again. you want to fall asleep. you want to sit in this bath and cry and hold her hand. you think, wildly, with a little luck you will get to do all of those things and more.

'do you want to get in here with me?' you ask, because if you believe in anything in this world it is pushing your luck. pulling your knees up to your chest. the water is deep enough that they only barely break the surface.

beatrice smiles. 'yes.'

'holy shit.'

'but i won't.'

'totally fair.'

'but...' she strokes the corner of your mouth, and you swear you feel the water heat up another degree around you. 'i want. i want to stay.'

[possibilistfanfiction]

do you have any funny or cute details about Bea(or avatrice) in your butch Bea universe that you haven't share yet?

(I'm definitely re-reading some of it to fight against this bad day I'm having)

hello i’m sry this is late! work has been busy 😵‍💫 i hope ur day improved or at least there’s been some better days since 🫶

hmm well bea is good at like… every outdoors activity she tries — she’s coordinated & strong & focused, so once she gets the body mechanics down she’s like. above average to Excellent fairly quickly. surfing, trail running, backcountry hiking, bouldering, trad climbing, skiing, etc. i am lazy & put them in socal since i am in socal lmao but for the majority of the year california really is just outdoor enthusiast paradise.

she started trying stuff bc ava was gone & she was so sad & when her cool friends from surfing were planning a trip to climb in joshua tree or some ppl she met on the pct were driving up to mammoth for an end of the season ski, it was all better to be moving outside in grief than it was to sit at home in an empty house.

i think that maybe she worries, when she’s alone surfing or on a long run along the cliffs, even just bouldering at the gym with her airpods in instead of hanging out w friends who are there — maybe she worries that ava would be disappointed in her, that this isn’t what ava meant by ‘live your life’ — quiet streams & long car rides into the piney forest in a practical small suv, listening to a podcast about architecture. it seems small, to be in the wild — the ocean, the woods, the mountains, the desert — & not grand; at least, she feels small. she worries ava wanted her to feel big.

but then ava comes back & bea has been keeping a list of all the places to show ava, all the things to do with her, the movement & the air that kept her just on this edge of sane. & of course ava is delighted by it all — the kid who cried on the beach when she saw stars? absolutely in love with the waves & the wind in the trees & the sunset on a big hammock on a hot night in the desert in the summer. it makes sense to ava & it is what she meant — settling into the texture of a life.

it’s good to feel small sometimes, yknow? she tells bea, when they’re eating sandwiches a few miles into a hike on the lost coast — ava refuses to camp, so they’re meeting friends later on. it’s good to feel small in a world that’s so big.

they make s’mores that night with their friends & it’s dark & beautiful; the sand & the sea & the sky are all wine-dark & quiet-loud; there are so many stars. it’s rainy & cold in the bay the next day & they sleep in & eat ramen & don’t leave their hotel room all day (ava’s request; if he had to hike ten miles he earned it tenfold). bea worried that a slow day might seem small too, but ava sinks into it just like everything else: rest & softness.

eventually bea gets more used to it, & better at letting it happen. in recovery from top surgery, the worst part is not being able to get outside for a while — but ava drives them both to the mountains & they sit on the balcony together while it snows. when ava can’t move as well, they sit in the warm sand by the beach & bea puts her hand on the small of her back when they walk in the cool surf. eventually bea’s shown ava every place she ached & then there’s the rest of the world left to explore.

[schemmentisjacket]

Chapter 1 - Prep Day pt 1

Authors Note: Little something something about non binary queer new teacher coming in, leading to Melissa finding the one.

Prep days. All the teachers were familiar with this by now, Barbara and Melissa especially having done many over the years. So rolling round to the first day of the year, well for teachers anyway, Melissa found herself pulling into the carpark and swinging into her usual bay next to Barbara’s more sensible family car, whilst her green dodge challenger glistened in the morning sun.

‘Morning Barb,’ her first call from the window before sliding them up and slipping out of the leather seat, door closing behind her.

‘Morning dear, ready for the first day?’ Barb asked, her boot open, surveying the boxes stacked up with supplies for the coming year and for classroom decorating.

Just as Melissa opened her mouth to reply, a sleek blacked out Jeep pulled into the car park. Compact. Tinted windows. Glossy. ‘Fuck that’s a nice car,’ Slid from her mouth instead of the usual, ‘Another year, same shit, but anything for my little eagles’

‘Melissa!’

‘What Barb? It’s a thing of beauty, never seen that round here before. Reckon it’s the new fourth grade teacher? I wonder who got it.’

‘I’m not sure who Ava chose in the end. There were definitely some serious candidates from the interview process. Hopefully it’s a good one or at least my choice!’ Barbara said, looking over to the Jeep. She had been part of the recruitment process over the summer, meeting several of the candidates and feeding back to Ava. However they hadn’t been told who had been successful.

They both heard the pop of the door handle. A green leather gloved hand appeared around the door. White sneakers gave way to mid blue denim, not too tight but not overly baggy. Green hoodie layered with a black leather jacket. Chiselled jaw, short auburn hair, cut scalp close at the sides and back, flopped unruly on top. Eyes hidden behind dark lenses.

The clunk of door shutting behind them and a double click of the locks securing travelled across the car park as the person looked up towards them both.

A gloved hand raised in their direction.

‘Mrs Howard!’ The voice called.

Melissa shivered, that voice, low and husky but a hint of femininity.

A crooked grin and the person headed in their direction. A gloved hand raised and the front of the glasses clicked away from the frames. Clear lenses revealed green eyes.

Barbara started forward, arms outstretched ‘Charlie! I told you, Barbara is just fine. Melissa, meet Charlie Flinn. They were my favourite person from the interviews. I had hoped you’d get the position.’

Melissa picked up on the way Barb had used ‘they’. The androgynous styling and meeting of masculine and feminine features, she guessed they might be non binary.

Charlie hugged Barbara. ‘You’re too kind. I’m really glad I got it too! I’m excited to work with you. With both of you,’ They turned to look at Melissa and reached out a leather clad hand, ‘You must be Miss Schemmenti, Mrs How, I mean Barbara, spoke so highly of you during my interview, I was hoping to get the chance to meet the amazing teacher she’d described, though she never mentioned how stunning you are.’

Melissa felt her chest flush beneath her own leather jacket as she took the offered hand in her own.

‘Nice to meet ya too, Charlie was it? Nice set of wheels you got there.’

‘Thanks, Can I help you ladies move some of those boxes?’

Barbara smiled widely ‘That would be lovely dear.’

Melissa turned to her own car popping the trunk, she didn’t have as many boxes as Barb, as she was waiting on a delivery from one of her guys. She took a peak over her shoulder to see Barb load a second box into the newbies arms. The arms of their jacket bulging slightly as they supported the load.

She shook her head. Newbies took time to get used to if they even stuck around, but this one was easy on the eyes and polite without being over eager.

Maybe they’d be worth the time.