#Barbara Howard

[skwldy]

[collaredgreen]

Let’s groove!

[schemmentisimpasours]

Chapter 3- Choosing Captain Robinson

Summary: Reader gets pulled out of her depression with the help of Barbara and Ava.

Warnings: Overuse of alcohol, depression

Masterlist

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For the first couple weeks, after you left Abbott you came home from work every day in tears. The private school was not the problem. You were not scrounging for school supplies often having so much in excess that you would smuggle some back to others through your meetings with Barbara and Ava. You just felt so hollow when you returned to your apartment that you felt consumed by everything that had gone wrong. You should have never kissed Melissa in the first place. Never let yourself fall for a woman you knew would break your heart.

 Now the woman you had thought you loved was gone. Off fucking some guy that you knew wasn’t going to treat her right and you had lost everything. Your classroom which could have been decorated any way you wanted was traded for the strict guidelines from the private school. Your daily lunches sharing jokes and funny stories with Janine and Jacob were replaced with eating in your car alone because you refused to let yourself get closer to your coworkers. Not again. You were still friends with Ava but often she was so busy with the disaster that was trying to replace you that you felt guilty about reaching out. Even when you were out with Barbara for your typical “mom and daughter” date every Wednesday you could see she was constantly gauging when you might break again.

You were doing your best to hold it together. Putting up appearances for Barbara but on the weekends falling into a liquor bottle at whatever bar that you could find that didn’t contain old memories of Melissa. You made sure to keep to yourself sitting in dark corners and away from prying eyes to stop another incident like the other night. Melissa was no longer in your life so you had no one to defend you. It was just another heartbreaking thing to remember. 

Healthy coping mechanisms were absolutely something that was on your mind and you promised yourself that you wouldn’t do this forever however the longer that you allowed it to happen the less you wanted to get out. Until you were laid up in your bathtub debating whether or not you wanted to puke or sleep. 

The option had been to sleep until cold water splashed across you. You jolted awake and then looked up to Barbara leaning over you with the spare key you had given Ava clutched in her hand. 

You groaned blocking our eyes from the light she had turned on, “Mom please, just let me sleep.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Baraba said sending more water over you, “Ava has said that you have been trying to find your death in the bottom of a liquor bottle and that stops today.”

“I was going to stop,” You promised tears forming in your eyes, “I promise.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” She said gently rubbing your cheek, “I know you were trying but you don’t have to do this all alone. I am here. Ava is here. We are going to help you.”

You let Barbara get you out of the tub and pull you into your room.  You were still hungover and as the room started to spin she laid you gently down in your lap rubbing your back gently till you had fallen asleep promising that you would start to work in the morning. 

Barbara’s method of helping you out of your funk started with a total purge of your apartment. It had started to become cluttered with trash in your depressive haze and dirty clothes sat in large piles. You worked together going at the pace you set. Never once did Barbara judge you for how out of control the mess had gotten. Always asked first before throwing away something that she thought might be of value. It was only when you paused at a picture of you and Melissa at Janine’s holiday party. Melissa had been drunk and had begged Barb to take a picture of both of you. You were smiling caught by surprise at how she had leaned in to kiss you on the cheek.

You ran your finger along the frame as Barbara sidled up next to you, “Have you spoken with her?”

“No,” You said honestly, “I don’t know how to. I feel stupid for ever believing that she could love me when she wasn’t drunk.”

“But was..”

“Please Mom,” You whispered handing her the picture frame, “I am not ready.”

Barb respected your wishes but hid away the picture frame in her purse knowing that one day you would hopefully want it back. 

Ava took a much more drastic approach to helping you out. She went through emptying all the alcohol from your house helping you pour them all down the sink. She pulled you to her cycling class and all of a sudden pieces started to click into place around you. As the music pumped around you and sweat dripped down your brow you finally felt your heart beating. You felt your body being alive. A feeling that had been lost for so long that you often wondered some days if you were just a walking corpse. But once you left that class you felt half human.

You started to go to the gym regularly which in turn made your appetite come back so that you were eating more than one meal a day. Ava had even researched a local softball team and signed you up telling you that you needed to make more friends. Plus she promised that she had found an LGBTQ+ focused group so you would be able to find people that you could be wholly yourself around. You were anxious as you drove towards your first practice terrified that you were going to make a fool of yourself when a text message came through. Melissa. You had read every single one of her text messages but had yet to answer. You could tell that she was trying to be there for you but you were still learning how to be there for yourself that you couldn’t answer. Not yet. Today’s message however was the only reason you found motivation to walk into practice: I will believe in you even if no one else does. Even if you don’t believe in yourself

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Taglist

@cupldscntrl

@milfslvr

@liliapleasesteponme

[shaloved30]

!!!! PROMPT TIME! Barbava + I need you to listen to me 🤲

-- @the-frankenman-writes

“The student count for next semester is supposed to be up by..by..”

Barbara gripped the edge of the desk she sat behind and closed her eyes. Ava’s silky hair tickled her arm as she leaned in behind her. The sweet smell of Fenty wrapped itself around Barbara as she sensed her close.

“Lord, give me strength, “, she whispered before releasing a shaky breath.

Ava’s chuckle was muffled. Her face pressed into the left side of Barbara’s neck. She pressed a feather-light kiss there. The humming soft moan Barbara let slip from her lips was the best reward after.

 Barbara immediately tried to cover her slip with a pronounced clearing of her throat and a brief attempt at straightening her suddenly slipping posture. There were papers on Ava’s desk she was trying to read for them—essential numbers for the following year and deciding how they planned to fundraise to prepare.

It didn’t last long. Barbara couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through her body at the feeling of Ava’s hands grabbing her wrist. Her thumbs gently rubbed there until Barbara let the desk go. Then intertwining their fingers, Ava squeezed them both as she dipped her head back into Barbara’s neck again. This time letting her teeth gently bite the string of pearls resting there.

“Ava.”

Ava rolled her eyes and sucked on a pearl before letting the necklace drop from her lips and back into place.

“Ok, fine. But I wasn’t gonna pull it too hard this time. I learned my lesson."

Ava kissed Barbara under her chin, making slow work to get back down into the soft skin of her neck 

“You know how much I like them. Especially now.”

Ava smirked against her and breathed her in. Her tongue joined in next. A flat brief lick that made Barbar’s breath hitch.

Barbara felt her heart start to pound and her chest heaved. She needed to get her bearings. They still had work to do. 

“Ava…Ava, baby, I need you to listen to me. We- we have so much work to do.” Another moan soon followed as Ava continued  And then a whimper. Barbara whispered her name next and Ava knew all talk of work had ended.

“Ava. Ava.”

 It was like music to her ears.

She stopped only a moment to speak and let one hand go, reaching for the button of Barbara’s trousers.

“I’ve got you, Barb. I hear you. Loud and clear. Just like I like you.”

[tvuniverse]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY -> 4x17 - Karaoke

[nessa007]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (2021- ) Season 4 | Episode 15 "100th Day of School"

[azertyrobaz]

"Wait, "Wild Wild West" has its own line dance?"

[filmtvtoday]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY · 4.16 "Books"

[branzinos]

🍎 ABBOTT ELEMENTARY ↪ S03E13: “SMITH PLAYGROUND"

[laurabenanti]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY 4.13 Science Fair

[danburys]

I know how to start these computers. I just have to throw this handsome young man off the scent for the greater good. Forgive me, Lord.

[ladyorlandodream]

Every facial expression in this picture is priceless

[tvuniverse]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY Barbara Howard and Janine Teagues -> 4x15 - 100th Day of School

[nessa007]

#this show 🥹 ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (2021- ) Season 4 | Episode 18 "Audit"

[scullysconstant]

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY | Winter Show (4.07)

[gamoraswonder]

"What about some exposure therapy"

Abbott Elementary | 4.12 "Girard Creek"