#also bikes are expensive I could spend that money on shoes instead

[strawberry-cowmilk]

I never imagined trying to clean something with a cat nearby would be so hard

[soyouthinkucanwrite]

The money thing (part 1/2) - Daniel Ricciardo

It's always the little things, isn't it? The smallest stupidest things make almost no difference and then make all the difference in the world. They make everything special, but they also have the power to tear everything appart.

You and Daniel fight about money for the thousand time and he's had enough of it.

Warnings: super angst, but with a happy ending :)

Guys, this turned out WAY BIGGER than I expected, so I'm just gonna do a part 2, okay? Okay, thanks for understanding!

Song that inspired me: A list by HVOB

You and Daniel had been dating for a couple months now, having met through a common friend and hitting off almost instantly. You lived in Amsterdam and he, well he lived all over the world really, but his "time off" (meaning not racing) was spent between Monaco and London (for work), and Amsterdam now too, of course.

The changes were small and subtle at the beginning, like your weekends being spent traveling to meet him wherever in the world he was and consequently spending almost all your savings on plane tickets. You never complained to him (you planned on spending the money traveling anyway, so you didn't see the point), but didn't accept when he offered to buy your tickets, either. There's been some awkwardness around the subject but it usually died on its own.

*beginning of flashback*

"You’d have gotten here in time if you'd gotten the early flight like I told you" you remembered him saying that time you got in the paddock after the qualifying session had begun and couldn’t kiss him good luck.

"Baby, I told you. It was crazy expensive! Absurd even!"

"(y/n) for god's sake! What are we saving money for? I told you, you have my credit card number, I've offered to get you one, this is ridiculous, I can't believe I literally earn millions and my girlfriend wasn't there with me because the ticket was too expensive! I'll fucking fly you private if I have to!" he was almost yelling in his driver's room. You could only stare from the corner.

He took a deep breath running his hands through his hair. "Sorry. It's just... it was crap out there. I needed you" you grimaced at his words.

"Sorry. I really am..." you tried to approach him. "I'm here now?" you touched his arm. "It can't have been that bad, you're still on the top 10 and we both know what you can do from the 8th car..." you smiled at him.

*end of flashback*

He started to spend much more of his time off with you at your place, so you decided to get a place by yourself (having a roommate was great for company and splitting the rent, but having a roommate there while you guys just wanted some much-needed privacy was not working). Then there were more traveling to meet him, furniture for the new place, clothing for all the events (GPs or not), uber rides here and there... all of that without mentioning that you weren't being able to get the freelance jobs you used to get to make some extra money, so yeah, to say things were tight was an understatement. You tried to do all your shopping alone, so he wouldn't offer and you wouldn't refuse or be awkward about it, but Daniel seem to be glued to you whenever you were in the same city (not that you’re complaining).

He started to spend much more of his time off with you at your place, so you decided to get a place by yourself (having a roommate was great for company and splitting the rent, but having a roommate there while you guys just wanted some much-needed privacy was not working). Then there were more traveling to meet him, furniture for the new place, clothing for all the events (GPs or not), uber rides here and there... all of that without mentioning that you weren't being able to get the freelance jobs you used to get to make some extra money, so yeah, to say things were tight was an understatement. You tried to do all your shopping alone, so he wouldn't offer and you wouldn't refuse or be awkward about it, but Daniel seem to be glued to you whenever you were in the same city (not that you’re complaining).

The thing is, you always had trouble dealing with money. Sure, you liked to pay for your own stuff so as to not owe anything to anyone (especially boys), but it was so much deeper than that. Ever since a kid, you hated asking for money from your parents, and sometimes even the thought of buying stuff that was a bit more expensive made you sick. You couldn't explain why, you just felt guilty having so much and knowing that most people have never even seen that amount. It's not that you didn't want to spend it and save for the sake of it, you just didn't handle the idea of money very well. Needless to say, dating a millionnaire was bound to cause trouble in the relationship for you.

You were currently at his place in Monaco. It was the summer break and you had decided to spend some days just chilling at home, just the two of you - which you were glad since going out means hair, makeup, clothes, accessories, shoes... and, let's be honest, the kind of places he usually took you is not the kind of places you just throw something together last minute (the Instagram models and other driver's girlfriends looking you up and down were enough to make you think about spending money you did not have to hire a stylist or something like that). The whole situation was really stressing you out and you knew you would have to be honest with him eventually, instead of only dodging the subject and refusing most of his offers to pay. You tried to. You kind of tried. You suggested staying at home, in bed, most of the time, and he gladly agreed, but that strategy wasn't gonna work forever. You had to be honest with him. But at the same time, you knew what he was going to say and do, and the thought of him spending money on you, even if just by handling the restaurant bill, wasn't something you were much more comfortable with. Besides, it was only a matter of time before the "gold-digger" term starts to fly around in the small world that was the F1's.

You were laying on his couch, the Olympics playing on the TV but you were too busy overthinking the money thing to pay attention. Daniel was laying with his head on your lap, absently caressing your thigh and watching the TV. His phone went off and he moved to pick it up.

"Hello?" you watched as he answered the phone. "Hey mate, how's it going? Uh nothing, we're just chilling at home. Getting some rest... Yeah, I'm getting rested, you dirty-minded son of a bitch" you rolled your eyes while he laughed out loud on the line with someone. "Yeah, I know... the 19th is it? No, it's fine. Yeah, yeah. I'll be there. Alright, mate. Thanks for calling. Have a good one! Bye!" he hanged up and leaned in to peck you on the lips.

"Good news?" you asked him.

"Not really. Just wanted to kiss you" he shrugged, smiling. You smiled back and hugged him, pulling him in for another kiss. He was always so caring with you, always finding an excuse to kiss or touch you. You knew some people didn't like it, but you loved it. Physical touch was definitely one of your love languages.

"What's happening on the 19th then?" you asked him once you guys set apart from the kiss.

"Gotta be in London. Gonna run some testings and other boring race stuff..."

"Hum..." you hummed in understanding.

"You know what would make it less boring though?" he asked and you just looked at him, you already knew what he was going to ask you and it wasn't that you didn't want to spend every minute of the day with him, but you simply couldn't afford any more traveling, especially not in such short notice. "If you came with me. Huh? What do you say? A week in the Queen's land? Then we can fly together to Spa and after the race, I can go with you to Amsterdam. The next one it's the Dutch GP anyway, I'll just get there sooner" he laughed. It was crushing you, the man of your dreams was literally beaming at making plans with you, talking about spending the next few weeks glued together and you couldn't say yes.

"Dan, I have to work" you smiled sadly.

"Can't you work from distance? Or, I don't know, I mean... I know it's tiring, but you could come to London and fly home a bit early, then just meet me in Belgium?" great, his solution includes even more flying. And the thing is, you really didn't mind the flying. You always slept during the whole thing anyway, so you never got tired and the jetlag was minimal. You could work from distance, sure. Your boss wouldn't mind, as long as you got there eventually to check in on everything. But the whole logistics were just too expensive. There was no way you could afford it.

"I... sorry, I don't think I can" you said sadly and watched as his face dropped.

"That's fine, baby. I get it. I'm asking too much, all this traveling... don't worry about it" he tried to mask his emotions but you knew better. He knew you could in fact work from distance, so he was probably thinking the reason you couldn't do it was because you didn't want to.

He got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. Meanwhile, you couldn't help but bury your face in your palms. This was so frustrating!

"You wanna go for a run or something? Maybe get something to eat?" he called from the kitchen, already moving on from the subject. You knew this whole thing was only gonna keep build up till he got tired of your excuses or you blowing up, probably the former, but you just keep going.

"Yeah, sure" you answered, getting up from the couch.

You and Daniel were both very active so going for a run, hiking, riding bikes, or whatever in the middle of the day was really routine for you. The Monaco summer weather was as beautiful as always and the sun was shining bright. You enjoyed the rest of your afternoon racing each other, kissing in the harbor, and just taking in the views, spending quality time together. Money wasn't even a thing in your bubble for a while.

"I'm getting hungry" he said on the way back home.

"Me too, and I'm super hot. I could go for a juice or something right now" you were all sweaty from the running, but you didn't care, he was too.

"You're always hot baby, I don't think juice gonna help with that" he grinned at you and you just rolled your eyes at him.

You passed by one of his favorite spots for food, nearby his place and he suggested getting some take-out, to which you agreed.

"Green juice, and a chicken wrap?" you tried to decide while the both of you waited in line.

"I'll never understand how you drink that"

"I've seen you drink that too, it's actually very refreshing"

"Because I'm forced to, I'm a high-performance athlete baby. But I'm on a break, so I'll have a coke, thank you very much" you laughed at him. He was holding your hand and tried to kiss you, wrapping his arm around you, you didn't dodge his kiss, you would never, but still laughed at the fact he wanted to kiss the sweaty mess you were right now.

"I'm gross, only you" you laughed.

"That's my baby, with no makeup she a ten" he rapped shrugging and grinning.

"Alright Lil Wayne, I know that one, don't even finish the verse" you laughed at him, making him laugh out loud, getting everyone's in the restaurant's attention.

"It's true, though"

"Sure..." You just shook your head smiling. Then you heard someone call his name.

"Hey! Daniel!" you both turned around to see Charles and Charlotte sitting in a corner, him waving at you two. You had met Charles a couple of times before but never spoke too much to him. They seemed to be leaving anyway, so they walked towards you guys, instead of towards the door.

"Hey mate, how's it going?" Daniel greeted him with a handshake. "Hey, Charlotte! You know (y/n) yet?"

"Hi! I don't think so, hi! How are you?" she greeted you smiling.

"Hi! Nice to meet you. Hi, Charles!" you said.

"Hey, (y/n). You're keeping him in line during the break? Char won't let me cheat my diet either" he laughed.

"Oh, that ship has sailed long ago! Daniel will just roll into the paddock if it's up to him" you laughed back.

"Hey! I think I've earned the right to some extra calories, we've been working out extra hard lately" Daniel said waving his eyebrows suggestively, making Charlotte giggle, Charles rolls his eyes and you go even redder than you were from the actual workout, while he just laughed out loud.

"I don't even want to know" Charles said. "Always great running into you mate" he was getting ready to say goodbye.

"Are we seeing you guys tomorrow?" Charlotte asked you.

"Tomorrow?" you asked her.

"Stefano's birthday" she said like it was obvious. Stefano Domenicali was the President and CEO of Formula 1, but you didn't know that yet - still, her tone made it seems like it was someone Daniel knew, so you just looked at him. He just rubbed his neck, looking a little embarrassed. "Oh, wait. Please tell me I didn't just said something I shouldn't" she looked at Charles.

"No, no. He invited me. Us, actually" Daniel reassured her. "I don't think we're going though, forgot to mention to you" he said looking at you.

"Uh mate, I wouldn't skip that if I were you. He didn't even invite all the drivers I heard" Charles said. "Maybe just stop by to say hello?"

"Stop by... a yacht... at the sea?" Charlotte said grinning at him. Daniel looked at you.

"You feel like going? It should be fun" he asked you.

"Sounds fancy... I mean, I don't mind if you go" you said.

"Common... I’m not going alone" he nudged you.

"I don't even have anything to wear, Dan" you told him.

"Oh! We can go shopping together!" Charlotte said and you had almost forgotten they were still there.

"Perfect!" Daniel answered for you. You could only imagine the types of stores she shopped.

"Tomorrow morning, then? Daniel can text your address to Charles for me? I'll pick you up!" she was being really nice about it.

"I thought you wanted to go today?" Charles said.

"That's when I thought I would have to go shopping with you, so I could use the extra time since you're the worst shopping partner ever!" she laughed at him.

"Burn!" Daniel laughed.

"His fashion taste is not the most reliable, let's face it" she laughed and kissed his cheek. "It's a date then (y/n)?" she looked expectantly at you. You didn't want to let her down, it was so hard to make friends with the girlfriends of other drivers, they were usually so... not nice. You could always just help her and find something to wear in your own stuff later.

"Yeah, sure! See you tomorrow, at 10?" you said simply.

"Perfect!" she beamed.

>>> end of part 1 <<<

[xlostinobsessionsx]

Good Girls are Bad Girls that haven't been Caught | Luke Patterson

Pairing: alive! 1995! Luke Patterson x fem! Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 4,038

A/N: A big thank you goes to @bass-ic-deaky for proof-reading and making this fic much more vibrant! 💖

This fic is based on "Good Girls" by 5 Seconds of Summer.

Masterlist

Luke and (Y/N) knew each other since they were kids. They had been neighbors since childhood, so it wasn’t uncommon for them to be playing with each other in their adjoining backyards most days. But time went by and slowly they got older. On his 8th birthday, Luke had gotten a guitar and quickly realised his dream of becoming a rock star. After meeting Alex Mercer and Reggie Peters in middle school, the dream slowly became reality. Sunset Curve was born. (Y/N), on the other hand, took on violin instead. 

As time passed, they slowly began to grow apart. One would describe Luke’s style of music and dress as more rock n’ roll grunge. (Y/N), however, looked the total opposite, elegant, poised, which could also be heard through her playing throughout the neighborhood. (Y/N) listened to classical music and took ballet lessons while Luke continued his guitar lessons and went to ice hockey practice. It seemed like after all this time, the two had nothing in common anymore.

Now they were in high school and they barely knew the other existed anymore. The only times Luke saw (Y/N), even though they were still neighbours, was when they ran into each other in the hall or if they just so happened to leave for school at the same time, which these days was very rare. (Y/N) was quite the early riser, and was often already off on her way while Luke was still lying in bed half asleep. Though they had two classes together, they hardly spoke to each other. It was as if their friendship before this had meant nothing.

Sometimes Luke missed the old days. Back then, (Y/N) didn’t seem too different from him. He could still remember them sitting in his treehouse, sharing gummy bears and listening to an old Led Zeppelin album. Now all she ever seemed interested in was studying. But even despite their different paths, they talked to each other from time to time. Their parents, on the other hand, were still very close. Occasionally they met at one of their homes, cooked together, talked about their jobs and even more so about their kids. Luke had learned from his parents that (Y/N) planned to go to Harvard once they graduated. Of course, when they told him that, he couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes. He knew his parents wished he had the same or at least similar plans for his life. But Sunset Curve was finally starting to take off. After they played their first gig at a small bar in L. A., more and more bars and clubs were willing to let them perform. Luke had loved rehearsals before, now they were even more fun, especially knowing that they’d get to perform their new songs in front of more people than just Bobby’s parents. Bobby became a part of the band when he moved to L. A. four years after they had formed. With Bobby’s arrival the band not only found a rhythm guitarist, but also a place to rehearse. Before that, they had to rehearse in Reggie’s basement, between boxes and useless junk. Then of course his parents constantly fighting upstairs didn’t make for the best working environment.

Whenever Luke fought with his parents and just needed space to clear his head, there was no better place for him than a small shed in Bobby’s backyard which they had affectionately dubbed their studio. The words from his parents still rang in his ears as he pulled out his bike, guitar case slung over his back. 

“Why can’t you be more like (Y/N)?! She has good grades and a bright future at Harvard!” His mother had wailed.

“Being a rockstar is not a realistic goal, it won’t bring you any money or stability.” His father tried to convince him.

Every time it was always the same. Luke jumped onto his bike and made his way through the backyard towards the gate, when he stopped in his tracks. In the corner of his eyes he could make out a dark figure, running through the yard next to his. At the end of the driveway, he could make out the lights of a car, shining through the trees and the figure running towards it. When the figure finally came into the light, Luke could finally see who it was. She turned around, taking one last look at the house behind her before she opened the car door and got in before promptly speeding off into the darkness. Who did (Y/N) just leave with?

--

Luke was tired the next morning. Despite spending the night in the studio, far away from the trouble with his parents, the young guitarist hadn’t slept a wink. His mind was racing with thoughts of (Y/N) and the mysterious person she had left with. During their lunch break at school, he told his band members of the encounter. “Wait, you mean to tell us that (Y/N), the definition of the perfect daughter, snuck out?” Bobby asked in disbelief. 

Luke nodded. “Yep, got into a car with someone. Can’t say for certain who it was.” The eyes of the four guys wandered to said girl, who was sitting with her friends at a table not far away from their own. 

“I’ll dip into the school gossip and see what I can find out. I’ll deliver the goods.” Alex smirked. And deliver he did at their band practice later that day. “So you know Tori, the girl who sits next to me in chem class and never shuts up? She told me that she heard from one of her friends, who was told by one of his friends that (Y/N) was spotted with Brandon Jones in the back of the library.” 

“Brandon Jones?” Luke asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Alex nodded “Yeah, the captain of the football team who always drives a really expensive car.”

“How do they even know each other? Isn’t he usually on the brink of suspension?” Reggie asked curiously to which Alex shrugged. 

“Well, well, well, seems like your little (Y/N) likes bad boys, Luke.” Bobby laughed, while throwing an arm around Luke’s shoulders. 

Luke quickly shrugged it off with a grimace. “She’s not my (Y/N).” He snapped. “It just surprises me that she sneaks out to meet him. That doesn’t sound like her.” 

“Yeah, ‘cause you know her so well after barely talking to her for years and only making eyes at her from afar.” Bobby countered. 

“I’m not making eyes at her!” The guitarist defended himself much too quickly to be believable. Back in the day when he still was friends with (Y/N), he may have had the tiniest of crushes on her. Luke had to admit that (Y/N) was indeed very beautiful, but he most certainly wasn’t making eyes at her as Bobby had suggested. 

--

A few days passed. Luke sped through the house looking for his jacket so he could get going to band practice, which he was already running late for. “Mom, Dad. I’m going to Bobby’s” He shouted through the house, hoping his parents had heard him. Finally finding his jacket under his bed, he shrugged it on as he made his way through the kitchen. 

He was about to open the back door, when his mom appeared behind him. “Don’t you have a french test to study for? (Y/N)’s father told me about it.” Emily looked expectantly at her son, arms crossed over her chest. 

Luke rolled his eyes and turned around. “Yeah, that’s why I’m going to Bobby’s. We’re gonna study together.” He lied convincingly. 

Emily nodded slowly, a bit skeptical. “(Y/N) studies every night alone and gets good grades. Maybe if you would just concentrate more, you could study alone, too.” Emily suggested. Luke laughed silently. (Y/N) studying every night? That was rich, if only her parents really knew their daughter. 

Luke mentally shook his head out. “Sure, but Bobby is better in french than I am. So he can help me. Work smarter not harder, isn’t that what they say?” He shrugged. 

Emily looked at him thoughtfully. “You could study with (Y/N). She’s nearly fluent in French now.” 

Luke nodded, a slight laugh escaping his lips as he opened the door. “I’ll think about it, alright? Now I really have to go!” He quickly said and made his way outside, slamming the door behind him. He couldn’t be late, after all Sunset Curve was playing another gig tonight. Luke took his bike from its spot against the fence and made his way towards the gate to the front yard when he suddenly saw a figure out of the corner of his eye again. Her hair was flowing in the wind as she quickly made her way through the darkened yard only this time instead of just watching, Luke went after her. Before (Y/N) could reach the car that was waiting for her behind the trees, Luke touched her shoulder. Startled, she let out a yelp of surprise as she spun around. “(Y/N)?” 

“L-Luke...hey.” She laughed nervously. 

“What are you doing out here?” He asked her confused, he was half expecting her to be up in her room studying like the perfect little princess she was. 

(Y/N) clasped at his wrist and pulled him behind the trees, out of the sight of her house. “Don’t you dare tell my parents about this!” She hissed at the guitarist through gritted teeth. 

Luke laughed. “What? That their little princess is sneaking out?”

“I’m not a princess!” She angrily countered. 

Luke shook his head “Nah, you’re right, you’re clearly the living definition of a goody-two-shoes. Such a good girl, eager to please.” 

(Y/N) rolled her eyes “You clearly forget everything you thought about good girls.” 

Luke furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?” 

Suddenly a voice interrupted both of them “(Y/N) you’re coming?” Brandon Jones, cool as ever with a cigarette poised elegantly between his lips, sat in the car beside them, looking with raised eyebrows at the girl in front of Luke. 

(Y/N)’s gaze wandered between the two boys “I gotta go.” She murmured as she opened the car door. But before getting inside she paused and turned to Luke again. “Good girls are bad girls that haven’t been caught.” She winked as she got into the car immediately rolling down the window. “Now be a good boy and just turn around and forget about this encounter, alright?”. With that, she sped off leaving the guitarist standing there dumbfounded. Luke shook his head in disbelief, what had just happened?

When he arrived at Bobby’s, (Y/N) words were still running laps through Luke’s head. He was quick to tell the rhythm guitarist about the encounter. “‘Good girls are bad girls that haven’t been caught’.” Bobby murmured. 

Luke nodded. “That’s what she said. Sounds pretty rad don’t you think?” He looked at the other guitarist who nodded in agreement. “Yeah...” Suddenly it was extremely and rather awkwardly quiet. “Do you think that they-” Luke started.

“Are seeing each other?” Bobby finished his friend’s question, the lead guitarist nodding in confirmation. “Would it matter?” 

Luke shrugged. “I mean, I just don’t want her to see her being pressured into something she doesn’t want to.” 

Bobby laughed quietly. “OR you just don’t want her doing anything with Brandon.” 

“Okay, I am definitely not jealous!” Luke countered, shaking his head.

“I never said you were, but now that you mention it…”

“Oh shut up...besides I’ve barely spoken to her in years!”

“But people don’t really change that much!” Bobby countered. 

Luke huffed dramatically. “Well she did!” 

“I don’t know about that, bro. Sneaking out? Doesn’t really sound like the (Y/N) we know from school.” He paused a moment. “The (Y/N) you knew when you were younger, the one you’ve told me about, that’s her down to the letter.” He shrugged as rose from his spot. “But enough about this. We’ve gotta go pick up Alex and Reggie. Otherwise we’re going to be late!” Luke quickly nodded, grabbing his guitar before following Bobby outside. 

The club was completely packed with people. Luke could hear the audience’s chattering from backstage. “This is so cool!” Reggie excitedly said after taking a look through the club. “There are so many people here from school, too!” 

Luke took a deep breath. Adrenaline was starting to course through his veins. He could practically hear his heart beating in his chest as the band made their way onto the stage. He blinked a few times as he tried to get used to the spotlights. His gaze drifted down through the crowd in front of them as they quickly set themselves up. Suddenly he stopped. At the back, right next to the bar, there she was standing. Their eyes met and a small smile played around her lips. Luke laughed to himself quietly before taking a step closer to the mic. “We’re Sunset Curve!”

After their gig, Luke made his way through the crowd. Everytime someone patted his shoulder to tell him how good they were, she nodded thankfully but his eyes always stayed fixated on (Y/N). When he finally stood in front of her a giggle left her lips “Good show, Patterson.” 

He smirked, leaning against the bar. “Thanks.”

“Just like we imagined when we were kids.” She slightly bumped against his shoulder. 

The guitarist felt his heart beat faster at this. Nervously he rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess.”

“So that’s what you’ve been up to all this time...?” She quietly asked, her gaze drifting through the crowd. Luke nodded in reply. “And soon you’re gonna be famous!” She smiled suddenly much more excited. 

Luke laughed “I think that’s still a long way off. What about you? What’ve you been up to?” He asked her curiously. 

“Oh, you know violin and ballet lessons, the usual. I haven’t told my parents yet that I’m sick of it!” She nonchalantly took a sip from her coke and looked at him. 

Luke furrowed his brows, he was genuinely confused. “I thought that’s what you liked? I mean you got your violin around the same time I got my guitar.” 

(Y/N) shook her head “I practically begged my parents to get me an electric bass so we could form a band but they got me a violin. Said it would be better for me.” 

Luke was surprised at those words. “A band?” He saw (Y/N)’s cheeks taking on a pink shade. 

She shrugged. “Like Led Zeppelin.” Suddenly ‘Whole Lotta Love’ started to blast through the speakers of the club. (Y/N) laughed “That’s creepy. Like they’ve been listening to us talk about it.” 

But Luke barely listened to her. Instead he had been transported back to 1987. He had just found the old Led Zeppelin EP in one of his dad’s boxes he kept into the attic. He had immediately called (Y/N) to meet him in the treehouse. They had been listening to the songs when suddenly (Y/N) had told him about her best female friend (Y/F/N), who had told her that she had kissed Fynn, a boy from their class. “Like a real kiss? On their lips?” Luke had asked with wide eyes. He, of course, had asked her if she ever had kissed a boy on the lips. (Y/N) had admitted that she had never. In her childish recklessness, or could it be her boldness, she had told him that he was the only one who she would have wanted to kiss. Luke remembered how nervous he had been, when (Y/N) had leaned in, ‘Whole Lotta Love’ playing in the background when their lips touched but for a short second. 

Luke looked wide-eyed at the girl in front of him, who didn’t know the memory that was playing in his head at the moment. His gaze fell from her eyes to her lips. Maybe Bobby had been right. Maybe (Y/N) hadn’t really changed that much and maybe he still had those feelings he had for her when he was smaller. He quickly shook his head. He couldn’t have those thoughts. (Y/N) was here with someone else. “So where’s your shadow?” He asked, referring to Brandon. He turned to the bar to order a coke. 

She sighed “Having a smoke.” 

“Already missing him?” He laughed. 

(Y/N) huffed, slightly annoyed. “Yeah, sure.” 

“I thought you were a thing?” Luke asked, turning to her again. 

(Y/N) furrowed her brows “Who told you that?” 

“Nobody. I just thought because you always sneak out to meet him and because you’re here together…?” He shrugged. 

(Y/N) laughed. “No, I mean it’s fun to hang out but I would never...I mean...he’s a player and only plays with girls.” 

Luke looked at her amused. “So you’re just hanging out with him for the sake of hanging out?” (Y/N) nodded. 

“I was just tired of everything. Of my life. It seemed like a good escape, you know? But now...it’s really hard to make it clear to him that nothing will ever happen.”

“Just be careful, alright? I don’t think he’ll let you get off the hook so easy.” 

(Y/N) shook her head “Soon he’ll get tired of me and look for someone else.” 

“And what about you then?”

(Y/N) took a deep breath and turned to him, something obviously weighing heavily on her mind. “Luke, I-” She started, but before she could finish her sentence they were interrupted as an arm found his way around (Y/N) shoulder. 

“I’m back.” Brandon smirked, eying Luke suspiciously. 

“Hey Brandon.” Luke smirked, annoyance evident in his gaze, before turning to (Y/N) again. “It was nice catching up, (Y/N). See ya around.” With that he made his way through the crowd, trying to stop himself from thinking about (Y/N).

--

Days passed. Once again, Luke barely saw (Y/N) apart from their classes. He was sitting in his room, writing down the lyrics to a song that had been stuck in his mind for days, when suddenly the doorbell rang. He ran down the hall of the family’s ranch style home and was met with her beautiful eyes, when he opened the door. “(Y/N)! So good to see you!” Emily greeted with a big smile, appearing behind Luke. “Come on in.” Luke stepped aside to let the girl inside. With a questioning glance, he looked to his mother. “I called (Y/N)’s parents to ask if she could help you in french. I think that would be better than having to go all the way to Bobby’s, right?” 

Luke nodded slowly “Uhm, yeah. Sounds good. Uhm, we could go into my room?” He suggested, looking at Emily. 

His mother nodded “Yes, but leave the door open. I’ll bring you some snacks.” 

Luke nodded in agreement and turned to (Y/N). “Shall we?” (Y/N) nodded in reply and followed him down the hall to his bedroom. “Take a seat, I guess.” He pointed to the chair in front of his desk as he took a seat on the bed. “What are you doing here?”

“Helping you in french.” She laughed. 

Luke nodded slowly, a sly, teasing smirk appearing on his face. “And, uh, is Brandon alright with you hanging out with me?”  

“Who cares?” (Y/N) rolled her eyes at the mention of his name. “Right after your concert I told him I couldn’t see him anymore.” 

Luke furrowed his brows. “Why?”

“As I already told you, at first it was just an escape but...he wanted to do more the entire time and I just didn’t want to...at least not with him.” She laughed. 

Luke looked at her, a playful glint in his eye. “Not with him, huh? So someone else has caught your eye then?” he laughed. 

(Y/N) shrugged, casting her glance downward. “Maybe. But that won’t happen, so…” 

“Why not?” 

(Y/N) sighed, nervously keeping her gaze trained to the ground, before looking up at him again. “Luke...you see...I know we haven’t had that much contact over the last few years, but...I wish it was different and I’m sorry. I thought...well I had hoped...“ She paused, inhaling deeply. “Maybe we could start over? Being friends again?” She asked, hope evident in her voice. 

Suddenly Luke felt his heartbeat just a tiny bit faster. “Friends?” He croaked, before clearing his throat. “You mean like back in the day?” 

(Y/N) nodded. “Yeah, and uhm maybe…” She nervously played with the necklace around her neck. Luke’s eyes drifted to the pendant. It was the necklace he had given her when she had turned seven. Inside it he had put a picture of the both of them. (Y/N) eyes softened when she saw what Luke was looking at. She took the chain from around her neck and slowly took his hand, placing it in his palm. She looked expectantly at it before looking up at him. Luke opened it and found himself looking at his and (Y/N)’s younger selves. In the picture he had his arm slung around her shoulders. Both of them were smiling brightly. 

Luke sighed as he smiled at the memory of that day. “I had a little crush on you back then.” He admitted quietly, staring at the toothy grin of her younger version. 

“You did?” (Y/N) asked. 

He nodded, his eyes never leaving the picture. “I was so sad when we stopped talking, but it...it had just happened, right?” 

“I wish it hadn’t...I uh...I had a crush on you, too.” she murmured. 

Luke laughed quietly, the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place. “So if we want to go back to how it was then…” 

“You would have a crush on me?” (Y/N) smiled hopefully. 

Luke shrugged. “Maybe I still do.” He felt his cheeks heating up as (Y/N) clasped at his hands. 

“Maybe I still have a crush on you, too.” 

Luke’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. His eyes met (Y/N)’s and he couldn’t stop his smile from growing wider if that was even possible. “Just maybe?” He asked cheekily, as he slowly leaned in closer. 

“Alright, so definitely.” (Y/N) giggled as their lips connected in a tender kiss. 

--

“Please, you have to come!” Luke whispered into the phone in the kitchen where the landline was. It was already dark inside the house, his parents already having turned in for the night. 

“Okay, fine. But you tell my parents that you have a good influence on me the next time they see us.” She laughed through the speaker, before hanging up. 

They met behind the trees at the back of their yards. He leaned in to greet her with a short kiss. “I missed you.” He murmured, hiding his face into her neck. 

“We just saw each other a few hours ago.” (Y/N) laughed. 

“That’s so long ago!” He countered as Luke got onto his bike and looked expectantly at (Y/N), who stood on the tire spokes behind him. “Hold on tight!”

The venue was filled with people dancing and chattering. (Y/N) followed Luke to the side of the stage. “Stay here so you’ll have a good view of the stage and that way I can see you, too.” He said, looking at her with a wide smile. 

“Knock ‘Em dead, rockstar!” She beamed at him, leaning in to give him a good-luck kiss. 

“Alright, enough of that lovebirds. We gotta go!” Bobby laughed, interrupting the cute moment pushing Luke toward the stage. 

Reggie smiled at them. “Look at all the people! It’s gonna be sick!” 

Alex shrugged nervously. “I hope they like us...” 

(Y/N) smiled at the other band members “You’re gonna rock this, I’m sure of it!” She hugged them and wished them good luck, before the band went onto the stage. 

Luke’s gaze immediately fell to his girlfriend, who gave him a thumbs-up. He winked at her before getting closer to the mic. “Hey, we’re Sunset Curve, thank you for having us.” The crowd erupted in cheers. “Thank you.” He laughed “We directly wanna start with a new song. It’s inspired by a person who means the world to me.” His gaze fell to (Y/N) again, who was smiling at him. “It’s called Good Girls/Bad Girls.”

“She said to me forget what you’ve thought, cause good girls are bad girls that haven’t been caught.”

[foolgobi65]

yeh rishtaa kya kehlataa hain

@allegoriesinmediasres asked for: Rama/Sita, travel!AU, friends to lovers, “you confuse me”

as usual, this is completely unedited and thus is probably chock full of grammar errors, bad characterization, and terrible pacing. but! it was fun to write on my end so as always if u want me to rewrite it I’d be glad to lmaoo. it’s super super super cheesy at the end...like the whole third bit is just super cliche but w/e i love cliche romance its all good lol. anyways, i hope you like it at least a little!! thank you so much for the prompt <3 <3 <3 

if you’d like to send me an au prompt from this list, please do!! 

(title is from a lovely ar rahman song from the movie meenaxi, and also apparently a hindi soap, meaning “what is this relationship called?” )

---

It’s been two weeks since the Raghuvanshi Group put out a notice that nearly brought the Indian manufacturing industry to its knees: Ramachandra, eldest son of Dasaratha Raghuvanshi and anointed heir since his very first breath, has been stripped of his VP positions within the company, his stock options, even his entrance card. The gossip blogs report that Ramachandra has lost access to the family accounts and family property, have posted pictures of the young man once posed to be the next titan of Indian Industry at a local branch of the Bank of India, handing over what is rumoured to be his great-grandfather’s watch as a starting sum so that he can get his own personal account.  

Bharata, three years Rama’s junior, is still in the United States working on his MBA: he has not yet been told of his brother’s effective exile from the family, nor of his own subsequent ascension to the position of CEO-in-waiting. Twins Lakshmana and Shatrugana, five years younger, are in London having just begun their undergraduate degrees. It was interesting, people used to say, that of the brothers it was only Rama who stayed in India. Rama who attended every company party and toured factories, solemnly noting down worker complaints on the weekends he could spare from his studies, in all respects the near exact opposite of his father whose four children are the sons of three women. 

Four days after the company announced its decision, Ramachandra disappeared from the public eye. It takes ten days, but Janaki eventually tracks down enough public and private conjecture to find him in a housing colony nearly an hour long ride from Ayodhya, the Raghuvanshi family home in the center of the city. The door opens, and Janaki greets the man who can only be Sumantra, Dasaratha’s long-loyal driver who had apparently left the same day as it’s once shining son. 

“Hello!” she says, palms folded and motorcycle helmets dangling by their straps from her wrists, “I’m a friend of Ram. Is he at home?” 

The door closes almost entirely. “Why would sir be found here,” Janaki hears from the gap, as Sumantra hooks the metal chain that would prevent her from barging in even if she was strong enough to shove aside a man nearly 50 pounds heavier than herself. “He is a very rich man’s son, and I am only a driver.” 

Janaki frowns. “No one is ever ‘only’ anything Sumantra-ji, we all do some type of work in order to live, and not one of these jobs is better or worse than another.” 

From behind the door, she hears the sharp exhalation that could almost be a snort from someone more given to expressing his own feelings. Janaki was right, then, Ramachandra Raghuvanshi who grew up on one of the most expensive properties in India has sought refuge in a home he could have bought on a moment’s whim only two weeks before. The chain rattles, and the door opens wide. 

“Janaki Videha,” Rama says, and suddenly it is four years ago and Janaki is again a student politician stuck in a hospital bed after a bad encounter with the police, flipping through notes meticulously taken by a classmate who insists on anonymity but could only possibly be the lanky, nearly silent boy that everyone knows will one day be one of the richest men in India. 

Normally, a person seeing an old acquaintance after a few years would speak their name, then utter some platitude about how long it has been since they last met and invite them inside to catch up. Rama, who is only capable of erudition in front of men his father wants him to impress, conveys the implication that all of these social niceties have been uttered without saying anything but her name. Janaki smiles, takes off her shoes, and walks in. 

---

“What are you even doing here?” 

Janaki raises an eyebrow, pouring a little more soap into the bucket they were offered to use for clothes washing. It has been a month since Janaki found Rama and told him that she was going on a trip, and that she needed male company to keep her safe. A month since she handed him one of her motorcycle helmets, helped him pack his single spare change of clothes and toothbrush, and directed him to sit behind her and hold on tight so that they might make it to another friend’s village by evening and have a place to spend the night. Together, they have followed the western coastline, trading off who drives when Janaki realizes that not only does Rama have a deft hand at the wheel, but in the proper circumstances can coax thrills out of her old bike that she hadn’t even thought possible. 

“What do you mean,” she asks, grabbing his kurta top from the pile of clothes he has slowly gathered from the families he has inadvertently charmed over their travels. He’s standing off to the side, hanging their host family’s saris to dry in order of color, taking the pains to smooth each piece of fabric and making sure none of them touch. In exchange for doing the family’s laundry today, Janaki and Rama are allowed to do their own, an exchange of goods and services that has served them well so far. 

“We both know what I mean,” she hears in response. “You’ve just been elected President of the University Student Union, your father is up for election this year, and even if neither of those things were important enough you must have research you should be doing instead of traveling the coastline with the penniless, disgraced son of an industrialist.” His voice is as matter of fact as it always seems to be with him, but Janaki feels an undercurrent of self-hatred at the core of his little speech. Still, she thinks with a faint flush, it’s nice to know that he has kept up with her just as closely as she had him -- though of course it was much easier to find information about Ramachandra Raghuvanshi, always in the papers at exact, two week intervals so as to prevent the creation of scandals to amuse the public with during a news drought. 

“I’d call your father a capitalist if I was really embarrassed to be seen with you,” she says back, “and there is more to be ashamed of in becoming rich through exploitation than in being poor through no fault of your own.”  

Janaki hands over his kurta, and watches him wring it out one more time with hands stronger than her own. He smiles slightly. “The revolution never stops, does it?” 

“No,” she smiles in return. “Not with me, and not, I think, with you either.” 

Rama looks away, walking back to the rope to hang up his shirt. “What do you know about me that makes you so confident?” He pursues his lips briefly. “We weren’t even friends, and still you’re here with me.” 

Why are you here, Janaki hears go unspoken, why haven’t you abandoned me as well? 

When Janaki arrived on campus all starry eyed at 17, she had taken the student body by storm. Blessed with a vibrant personality and the natural pull of a gravity well, she brought people into her orbit effortlessly, rising up the university party ranks within months rather than years of her peers. Academically, she was registered as an economics student, a category the papers said she shared with the Raghuvanshi heir who had created quite the stir when he took his place at an Indian University instead of going abroad. She had been doing quite well, she thought, until the exhaustion after her first collection drive in support of a local workers’ strike fund had caught up to her and she had slept through a full day’s worth of classes. Just when Janaki had been about to call up an acquaintance in their batch she thought might lend her notes, a folder had been slipped underneath her dorm door. Inside, a set of meticulous notes, and a 2 lakh check. 

“Isn’t the factory a subsidiary of the Raghuvanshi group?” Janaki’s roommate asked, turning over the check as Janaki flipped through the notes. Thank you for your work, they said at the top. Please let me know if the workers need more. 

“Yes,” she had said, “but we can’t tell anyone about this.” For four years she had kept his secret, waiting for his packages whenever she was detained, or ill, or beaten up and could not attend the day’s lectures. More than just a copy of the class outline, Rama’s notes were full of asides, connections, slips of paper clipped with outside citations when he saw something that could be countered, or expanded on. When the party canvassed for funds, her notes would arrive with another check, no demands made in exchange except a humble request to let him know if they ever needed more. 

Janaki looks at Rama now, hair growing long to match his new beard. Ramachandra Raghuvanshi had always been clean shaven, hair short and neat and slightly parted to the side in a way every girl instinctively knew must have been how his mother told him would suit. Her eyes soften. 

“You used to take notes for me,” she says, “Why?” 

His lips turn down just slightly. “It helped me study, to transcribe them again.”

Janaki raises an eyebrow. She remembers that the notes had always focused especially on areas she was known to be weak in, but she lets his half-truth slide. She has a better arrow in her quiver. 

“And the money?” 

His eyes are trained to the ground. “It wasn’t my money.” Well, certainly the last six weeks have made that much clear. But Janaki did not remember Rama spending exorbitantly in school: his largest expenses seemed to be the checks he sent her. 

“We weren’t friends,” Janaki agrees, “But I knew that you were a good man,” Janaki says, “even if you’ve had to hide it from your family your whole life.” She snorts. “And if we weren’t friends then, we certainly are now -- look, I’m washing your underwear right now, and if that isn’t friendship I don’t know what is!” 

The joke isn’t really that funny, but suddenly Rama bursts into laughter, loud and deep in a way Janaki doesn’t think she’d ever heard from him in class, on campus, even in the videos posted by the gossip rags online. 

“I’ve never had a friend before,” he finally says, and Janaki tries not to show her surprise or the way that makes her hurt on his behalf. “But I would be grateful to be yours.” 

--

Another two months pass, Janaki and Rama journeying up and down and around the west coast. Slowly, Rama starts to gravitate towards the work that he seems suited to do in trade for the day’s food and shelter, and Janaki watches as he seems to blossom in front of her eyes. Every place they drive into, Janaki begins to ask around and invariably there is a person who, more than needing wood split or clothes washed, is in need of a good scribe to write, in English, the details of their grievance against someone with more power than them. Rama listens, and writes, and accompanies men and women to go see a lawyer, or their landlords, and stands behind them speaking in that perfect colonial era British Indian accent he says he picked up at boarding school, making even Janaki squirm when she hears it. 

Janaki’s ideology does not allow for her to venerate colonial markers of class, so that squirm must be one of discomfort, rather than, well, --

It has been three months since Janaki and Rama set out on their travels, and time is running out for Janaki who really does have things she has to get back to: a student union to run, a doctorate to work towards, a father’s election campaign to help out with. But everytime Janaki thinks about waking up one morning without seeing him when she turns her head, the pit in her stomach grows larger and more snarled. She doesn’t know how it happened but somehow Rama has gone from acquaintance, to friend, to....to something Janaki can’t even describe beyond simply laying claim to the person at her side. He has become “her” Rama, even though she knows you can’t own a person -- yet Janaki is greedy, and when she watches the small smiles that their trip has coaxed out of his mouth, watches him bargain with their host so that she can eat her favorite vegetable at dinner, watches him finally fall asleep after talking to her for hours into the night and finally look like the youth he is, Janaki knows that she can’t bear to leave. 

“Are you angry,” she asks one day, passing him the newspaper cone of roasted peanuts they’ve been trading between themselves while they sit on the sand of an empty beach. There is no need to clarify what he possibly could be angry about. 

“No,” he says, taking the cone. “I obey my father’s will.” 

From anyone else, Janaki would laugh, but she knows that he speaks the truth as he sees it. The Raghuvanshis raised the perfect scion, a boy right out of those terrible 90s Hindi films who saw their parents as God and venerated at the altar of increased profits. Yet, they chose to throw him like yesterday’s trash -- but no matter, because their loss is Janaki’s gain, and she knows him, knows what makes him happy and sad, and glad and mad.

She knows, for one, that he is angry and that he needs to acknowledge it before she can ask him to come back with her and start over. 

“Yes,” she says, “you obeyed quite beautifully. That doesn’t mean you aren’t upset.” 

“Don’t -- I know what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work.” 

She turns to look at him, jaw already clenched where usually it would take five times as long to get him to this state. He’s furious. Janaki’s heart aches in sympathy, longing to gather him up in her arms and tell him that it’s alright to be upset, that it would even be right to feel so, to kiss away the furrow in his beautiful brow and brush his curls behind his ear. But that would only make him close up, so instead -- 

“Don’t what?” she asks. 

His entire body tightens, like a screw wound one turn too much. “I’m not upset,” he hisses, eyes flashing. “I’m fine!” Janaki brushes her hand over the one of his currently crushing the newspaper cone. As if burned, he lets go.

Sita sighs. “We don’t have to talk about it, but you’re clearly angry and it really isn’t healthy to keep it all in. There’s no one here at the beach, so I think you should just scream it out and try to move on with your life.” She’s not being entirely truthful, since she really does think he should talk about his family’s sudden and entire abandonment after years of encouraging near insane amounts of familial loyalty and emotional repression, but even this journey started out with a single step. 

“You think I should... scream,” Rama says, eyebrow raised in perfect, aristocratic, condescension. Janaki nods. 

“Just go out into the surf, scream at the top of your lungs for 20 seconds, and then we can leave no questions asked. I promise.” 

“You won’t bring this up again,” he asks as if to confirm the terms of a business deal. Perhaps that’s what this is to him, finally back on familiar territory. Janaki shrugs, ignoring how her heart sinks to think of him seeing her care as nothing more than something to trade in order to keep away. 

“For now.” At his frown, she shrugs again, allowing herself to smile a little. “If it looks like you’re struggling in the future, I’m definitely going to ask again.” 

For a moment, Rama’s eyes widen in ...shock? Surprise? Was he not expecting for them to remain in each other’s lives? Janaki can’t allow herself to think too hard or long on the subject, especially since Rama has, without a word, risen and walked over to the surf. 

He glances once over his shoulder, and Janaki waves in encouragement. He begins to scream. 

20 seconds pass, and Janaki really does think he will stop and walk back, brushing off any questions and wandering back into the village they’ve decided to stay in this week. But then 30 pass, then a minute, and suddenly Rama is just screaming, knees falling into the waves and hands coming up to clutch and pull at his hair and Janaki is running as fast as she ever has to crash next to him in the wet sand. She shifts sideways, putting her body perpendicular to his so that her back is not to the waves but she can still look at his face -- he’s still screaming, doesn’t seem to have noticed her body next to his, tears streaming down his face. Janaki’s hands flail, but finally she realizes that she can only rely on the instincts that have led her the past few months to find him, to drag him on the back of her bike, to tell him to scream. 

Janaki pulls Rama into her chest, her arms around him as she begins to weep along with him. Every time she tries to grasp the scale of the injustice done to him, she finds that her mind is too small. He was raised with every luxury, but with a conditional love that demanded a machine instead of a man. He’s stopped screaming, but has replaced it with gut wrenching sobs, hoarse from when his throat seems to have finally given out -- Janaki wonders when he last wept.

She loves him, she realizes, pressing an absent kiss into his hair. That’s what this feeling must be. 

“You what?” 

Oh, Janaki thinks, did I say that aloud?

“Ah,” she hears, “yes you did.” Rama raises his head, both of them still kneeling in the surf, tear tracks glistening down the cheeks he had just shaved at the request of an older lady who offered to house them if only he would look respectable. “Do you mean it?” 

Janaki swallows, the pit in her stomach as large as it ever has been. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be -- she was supposed to convince him to come back with her, and then later talk about how she wants to kiss him silly. 

“You want me to come back with you?” Oh for--

“Yes,” she says, confident that nothing she thinks now will remain within the privacy of her mind. “I want you to come back with me, and study to become a lawyer, and live with me as we try to make the world a better place.” 

Rama’s eyes are wide, and Janaki wonders if she’s ever seen him look so fragile. He sputters. 

“Fragile? I don’t look frag--” 

Janaki laughs, bringing her hand up to cradle his cheek, right thumb brushing gently against his cheekbone. “Alright?”

Rama swallows, blinking his assent as if he suddenly can’t speak. A minute passes where the only sound is of the ocean waves crashing gently in front of them, water periodically flooding them up to their hips. 

Rama clears his throat. “Do...” he takes a breath, “do you really think I could?” 

“What,” Janaki asks, “become a lawyer?”

He nods. “Everything. I...” he looks away, and Janaki feels the beginning of euphoria. In his eyes there is fear, but not dread -- he wants what she wants, wants it bad. “My entire life I was trained to bring honor to our family name, to do that by making money and keeping my family members happy. I don’t--” Janaki’s thumb moves from his cheekbone to his lips, before he can say something idiotic like ‘I don’t know how to keep you happy.’ Rama laughs, eyes glistening with hopefully something other than tears. 

“But I don’t know! Your needs are so different from the people I grew up with!”

Janaki leans forward until her forehead rests against his and their lips nearly touch. “I love you as you are,” she says, “the things I want, you’ve already given me.” 

She can feel his brow crinkle, pressed as it is against hers. “I don’t own anything to give you!” 

Janaki laughs: only the hideously rich could think so. 

“I’m greedy,” she says, eyes closed as wave after wave of happiness floods her exponentially like the way the water of the high tide touches further and further parts of the land. “I want things that you’ve given no one else -- your grief, and joy, and triumph, and failure. I want to wake up with you, and go to sleep with you, and make breakfast with you, and dinner too. I want--” 

Rama bridges the gap, and Janaki says no more. He gasps when they break apart, and a vicious part of her wants to ask if he’d kissed any of the high society women he’d been photographed with like that. 

“No,” he laughs, and Janaki feels another thrill to see it. “It wouldn’t have been polite.” He leans back, bringing up his own hands to cup her entire head in his palms, lips curved in a wistful smile. “Everyday you confuse me.” 

Janaki bites her lip when he doesn’t continue. “Do you like that?” 

He shakes his head, and suddenly the pit comes roaring back. “I think I love it,” he says instead, smiling still. “I think I love you, Janaki.” 

His smile widens, almost a full grin now. “My Jaan.” 

[inahazzze]

A Long Way From Home

You’re travelling and meet Harry in your hostel when you share a bunk bed in a tiny mixed dorm room. It’s a long week. (5.5k)

***A/N: Thank you for all of your support with It’s None of Your Business! I really hope you enjoy this one :) I’m just as nervous as I was posting my first piece (if not more so!) so please let me know what you think! The opening paragraphs will make more sense by the end and into part 2 btw :) I’m not sure yet how many parts there will be but there will definitely be more to this story!!***

Warnings: MC with anxiety, masturbation

It’s the only bed left. Of the two bunk beds in the tiny, stuffy room of the Vancouver hostel, the top bunk right next to the door is the only untouched space. On the bunk underneath, a black backpack spills its contents over the slept-in sheets. Looking around the room, there isn’t much else to see. The other two beds in the room are clearly occupied as well, but there’s no one currently here. It’s late enough in the morning that you assume people are already out exploring the city, which is what you plan on doing once you’re settled in. Two large backpacker packs and one open suitcase litter the floor, and a few pairs of shoes are piled into a corner. There are two towels hanging from hooks to your left and a tiny window that doesn’t look like it will open. You can’t help but feel the early tugs of anxiety pulling you into your head. You’ve travelled before, even stayed in a few hostels before, but you still wonder if it’s a mistake every time. Sure, you didn’t really have the money to stay anywhere else in this expensive city, but you can’t switch off your racing mind at the realisation that you’re stuck with a top bunk. You feel like a child being afraid of something like this, and have even been made fun of by friends for admitting the fear. You’ve pushed yourself into sleeping on a top bunk before, but every time you try to sleep you can see yourself falling off of the bunk in a half-vision, half-memory of the time that you fell and broke your arm at summer camp. The camp counsellor assigned to your group didn’t believe that you’d really hurt yourself and it took two days to be sent to the nurse. Your parents nearly shut the camp down for good once they found out about it. You stare at the bunk, willing yourself to just move your stuff onto the bed and get over yourself, but you feel paralysed. After a minute, the weight of your pack on your shoulders forces you to begin settling in.

You know that it’s irrational, that a bunk bed is barely off the ground and that you can no longer slip between the bottom of the bed and the protective bar, but your anxiety continues to pester you as you slowly unpack. You’re in the middle of giving yourself a lecture in your head about doing things that make you uncomfortable because you’re an adult, when you hear the accepted beep of a keycard against the other side of the door. You’re standing on the second rung of the bunk’s ladder unloading some of your belongings onto the tiny hanging shelf above your bed, so it’s a difficult spot to turn back to the door. You can hear the door open and shut behind you and suddenly realise that whoever just walked in was probably met with your ass level to their head, sticking out as you bend over the bed. Scrambling to stand straighter on the ladder and shift your knees to the side, you turn your head to greet your new roommate.

You’d hoped that whoever walked in might’ve been on their phone or disinterested in you so that you didn’t have to talk to anyone, but you immediately make eye contact as soon as you turn towards him. If you’d met in any other way, you might first notice the dimples peeking out from behind a budding smile, or the hair that fans down his shoulders. But you don’t think that anyone would begrudge you for your first impression, which is that a naked, slightly dripping man is standing before you in nothing but a flimsy towel. His torso and arms are scattered with tattoos in a patchwork of black ink, the most prominent being a large butterfly on the centre of his abdomen. His hair is sopping wet and collecting in bunches along his collarbone, allowing droplets of water to travel past the butterfly and hit the pink towel settled low on his hips.

You have no idea how much time passes or how long you look down at his body, but he’s fully grinning by the time your eyes meet again. It’s a polite and friendly smile, but there’s also something in it that says, yeah, I saw you looking at my body. You probably weren’t very subtle, given how taken aback you were by his sudden and very naked appearance.

“Hello,” he says.

“Um, hi,” you reply as you awkwardly climb down from the metal bunk bed ladder. You absentmindedly rub at the inside of your arm that was digging in to the bunk’s railing while you were holding your body aloft and staring at the naked stranger.

“Guess we’re bunk mates, then?”

“I guess so,” is all that you can think to say.

You can’t place exactly where his accent is from, but you can tell that it’s from somewhere in England. From travelling a lot, you’re usually pretty good with picking specific accents after hearing someone speak for a little while. You’re already looking forward to listening to his voice more to try and work it out.

“Did you just get in?”

“Yeah, ‘bout ten minutes ago,” you tell him, realising that he must’ve known that already if you weren’t here before he left for his shower. You can’t tell if he’s actually interested in making friendly conversation or just trying to fill the awkward silence. Your eyes keep glancing down his body, almost of their own accord. He hasn’t made any effort to dry off his body or put on clothes, and seems to be nonchalant about his nakedness. He’s incredibly nice to look at, but you don’t want to be rude or creepy. You also don’t want him to bring back that knowing smirk that tells you he can see your wandering eyes.

“How long’re you staying for?”

He didn’t hesitate between questions or seem uncomfortable in the way that you felt and probably looked. It’s a bit of a relief that he’s clearly taken control of the conversation and it makes you feel a bit better about talking to this good looking naked stranger.

‘’I’m actually here a few weeks,” you tell him and his eyebrows shoot up.

“Wow,” he says with a whistle. “Why so long?”

No matter how much you travel, you’ve never mastered this kind of small talk. Especially in hostels where there can be a new roommate every day - it can get tiring asking the same questions and never getting further as people don’t care or leave too soon to make the effort. You wonder if he’s travelled so much that he’s just great at talking to people, or if he’s travelling for the first time and much more optimistic about the ability to make friends here.

“I’m kinda looking for work and seeing if I like the feel of the city enough to live here.”

He nods his head contemplatively, looking off to the side while taking his bottom lip between his thumb and pointer finger. His forehead is wrinkled in thought for a brief moment before he looks up at you with brighter eyes.

“I can show you around,” he says casually, “I mean, if you want.”

“Oh.” It comes out higher pitched than your normal voice, like your throat closed up a little bit at what his offer could mean. “Yeah, sure, thanks. That would be nice.”

His smile widens, teeth and dimples on full display. Your heart starts beating faster and you’re picking at your nails subconsciously as he begins to rifle through his pack for some clothing. He pulls out a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of black Calvin Klein boxer briefs.

“D’you mind, love?” You look up from the boxer briefs and meet his eyes, now clearly amused by your focus on his underwear. You feel a bit caught in the act, but you’re also enjoying what it seems to bring out in him.

“Right, of course.” Your eyebrows raise once you realise that he’s waiting for you to look away so that he can get dressed, so you turn to face the bed where you can’t see a thing.

You try to busy yourself by untangling some cables that got mixed up in your bag, but you freeze when you hear the sound of towel rubbing against skin. You can’t see him, but the sound alone and the thought of him drying himself right behind you causes a radiating heat to form between your legs. You can hear the rustle of fabric and the distinct slap of underwear elastic on skin. Your fingers move around the cables but they’re only trying to look busy instead of actually working to separate them. You’re too busy thinking about how your fingers would feel slipping under the elastic waistband of the Calvin Klein’s.

“Hey,” you say, cocking your head. “What’s your name?”

“Harry.”

“Nice to meet you, Harry.”

You introduce yourself with a smile, even though you’re still facing the bed and he can’t see you. Hopefully the warmth will translate into your voice – you can certainly hear the warmth in his. You think his name really suits him. You don’t know what it is, but it just seems right.

“You’re all good,” he says, and you take that to mean that he’s finally dressed. You turn back towards him to find him standing in a white Rolling Stones t-shirt and black shorts. You don’t think it’s quite hot enough for it – it may be summer, but it’s still Canada. You were just travelling through California, so it’ll take you some adjustment to feel warm in a t-shirt here.

“You can ride a bike, yeah?” He says as he takes a few steps backward to sit on the other bunk bed across the room. He has to bend his neck and head forward so that he doesn’t hit the metal of the top bunk. It’s such a small room that you’re still not very far apart, even though you haven’t moved from leaning against the bunk that’s yours and Harry’s.

“Yeah,” you tell him hesitantly, not wanting to reveal that you haven’t been on a bike in years. Even if you’d never been on one, you’d probably say yes anyway just to spend more time around him. At least you know how to ride a bike, so figure it’ll probably be fine given the phrase it’s just like riding a bike.

“Alrigh’, well ‘ve just gotta make a phone call real quick, d’you think you’ll be ready in about 20?”

“Sure… uh, where are we going?” You ask him, prompting a smirk.

“You’ll see.”

~

When Harry returns from his phone call, you’ve changed into an appropriate outfit for biking. You look up from your phone when you hear the sound of the keycard, and he opens the door just enough to poke his head through. His hair is dry and thrown into a bun, the flyaways held back by black sunglasses just behind his hairline.

“Ready?”

You nod and grab the tiny lightweight backpack that holds your phone, wallet, keycard and a water bottle. Your shorts didn’t have deep enough pockets to hold your things and you were not about to spend the rest of your day with Harry stressing about lost possessions. You’d brought a padlock to keep the rest of your valuables safe in the room’s small locker.

Harry leads the way on foot and you make light conversation while walking to wherever he has in mind. You find yourself needing to walk a bit faster than you usually do to keep up with his paces as he’s taller and has longer legs than you. While you’re tired, you’re happy that you get to warm up your legs a bit as your knees are still a bit sore from the cramped flight early this morning.

You don’t know what it is, considering you only just met, but there’s something that draws you to him. It wasn’t just pure attraction; there’s something captivating and electric about him that you don’t really know how to explain. You’ve never been that good at making small talk with strangers, but he leads the conversation in a way that makes you feel at ease and immediately comfortable. He lets you take time to think before responding to a question and doesn’t rush you. He’s funny, in an effortlessly charming way, and you find your cheeks hurting and shoulders relaxing before long. You find yourself so mesmerised by his warm smile that you forget to look around at the unfamiliar city around you.

Usually, you prefer to travel alone. If you could afford it, you would have stayed in a private room for your whole trip, but Vancouver is expensive and your stay would have been cut significantly shorter. This way, you’re able to get to know the city a bit better in your own time before rushing into finding a job.

You’ve travelled with friends before and it was always underwhelming, with you being the one to continuously compromise what you wanted to do in favour of someone else’s ideas. You’ve met backpackers before and enjoyed a chat, but this is the first time that you’ve actually wanted to spend time with someone you’ve just met and explore the city with them.

When you arrive at the bike rental, Harry insists on paying for your bike as well. You argue with him and repeatedly insist on paying for it yourself, but he’s unfazed by your persistence and you eventually give in. You’re surprised at his generosity, given that you barely know each other and he’s also sleeping in a cheap hostel dorm room.

Harry smoothly mounts his bike in one fluid motion and glances back towards you to wait until you’re ready to go. You attempt to do the same, but your shoelace gets tangled in one of the wheel’s gears and you stumble into the bike, just catching yourself from falling flat on your ass. You groan when you see that Harry had been watching and is now standing with a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. You roll your eyes at him and bend down to re-tie your loose shoelace, but your elbow hits the bike foot pedal on the way down. Harry cackles so hard that his eyes close tightly while you’re clutching your elbow in pain. Luckily, no one else on the street seemed to notice what happened. After a few more seconds of smug chucking, he gets off of his bike to help you. He looks you in the eye, suddenly more serious, and holds his hands out towards you as if asking if he can touch you. You nod your head and immediately forget that you were mortified by your lack of coordination just moments ago. He rests both hands on either side of your waist, very lightly pressing into your skin. His thumbs hit the hard underwire of your bra, and you can see his Adam’s apple bob in your peripheral vision. This time when you lift your leg over the bike, Harry steadies you and you successfully land on the seat, albeit a bit too hard.

You’ve now realised your newest problem. Harry’s hands linger on your waist for just a bit longer than they needed to, which you can feel through your t-shirt like a brand, and now there’s a solid pressure pushing in between your legs. It’s the perfect combination to heat your whole body up before you’ve even begun exercising. When he lets go, he avoids meeting your eyes and scrambles back onto the bike to get going. You take a deep breath, willing yourself to focus on the path ahead instead of the throbbing that’s trying to draw all of your attention towards its need. You force yourself forwards, very softly moaning at the feeling of moving back and forth on the firm seat. You worry that Harry heard you when he quickly turns his head back to you, but his expression gives nothing away. You mentally zip your mouth shut and try to think of anything other than Harry’s tensed calves and prominent back muscles under his shirt.

It’s only a few minutes of riding when you arrive at the beginning of the Seawall, a snaking bike path that winds around the enormous Stanley Park. You’d already read about it and planned to do some hiking here.

“Gorgeous, innit?” Harry says.

It’s so beautiful that you’re speechless. The harbour curves around the park and continues farther than you can see, and the mixture of greens within the trees is replicated just as vividly in the still water below. The path separates the park from the water and creates a barrier that makes it feel like the boundary between worlds. As the park curves to where you can’t see it, the sight is taken over by the city skyline of North Vancouver, also reflected in the water. The result is a breathtaking vision of opposites and how they can come together in harmony, and you feel emotion well in your chest for some reason. Harry is looking at you, curious as to what you’re thinking about, but unwilling to interrupt your processing.

You come out of your reverie at the sound of a child laughing somewhere nearby. Harry doesn’t ask you anything but watches you closely with curious eyes. He then kicks off from the ground and gestures to you to follow him along the winding path.

The bike lane is too narrow to ride alongside each other, so you follow closely behind him. You notice and appreciate that he glances behind him every few minutes to ensure that you’re still there. You allow yourself to drift off into a state of ease that comes along with your body’s rhythmic movements and the peaceful scenery around you. The winding path is a good distraction, as it forces you to focus on not crashing instead of the pulsing that you can feel emanating from your pelvis.

You’ve ridden around the Seawalk far enough that you can no longer see downtown Vancouver by the time Harry stops for a drink of water. He jumps off of his bike with a childish energy and wipes the sweat off of his forehead with one hand. He turns around to kick out the bike stand and you can see the sheen of sweat shining on his neck and leading to a dark patch on the centre of his t-shirt on his back.

You carefully remove yourself from your bike, mindful not to stumble again, and feel a rush once the pressure is removed from between your legs. You’re partly relieved by the feeling, worried that your pubic bone might be bruised, and partly wishing that you could immediately get back on to help satisfy the itch that has unexpectedly arisen this afternoon. You drink some water, stretch your legs and walk towards the water’s edge to enjoy the view of dense pine trees and distant snowy mountains. Harry’s behind you, writing on his phone and swallowing large sips of water one after the next.

When you’re ready to continue on, you turn to find Harry sitting on a bench and watching you with a gentle smile on his face.

“Ready?” You ask him, and he grins wider because this is the first time you’ve really initiated a conversation. One word was definitely a start, and he can work on that.

“Ready,” he confirms and grabs his bike with a renewed enthusiasm.

This time when you mount your bike, the seat feels slightly softer and more cushioned against your front from how wet you’ve become without release. You shift your hips back and forth to get comfortable and let out a light sigh at the feeling. When you find a position that will be manageable to get you through the rest of the ride, you look up to find Harry looking at you with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly parted. You have no doubt that he watched your display, and his expression gives away his seeming understanding of your current predicament. He closes his mouth and averts his eyes in a hurry, hopping on his bike and kicking away from the curb at once. You follow behind him, thinking about how his eyes bore into your skin before he took off. You’re hot, but your arm hairs stand on end thinking about that piercing glare.

You ride for quite a while longer, lost in your thoughts and the hypnotising motion of your body’s rhythm. Eventually you arrive back where you started at the bike shop to return them and walk back to the hostel. The walk back with Harry is a bit different to the way there, as there is now a palpable tension between you that neither of you want to acknowledge. The only other differences are the shift of the sun in the sky and the sweat soaking through your t-shirts.

When you return to the hostel, you’re exhausted and want to take a nap but you feel disgusting and don’t want to deal with the anxiety of sleeping in the top bunk until you absolutely need to. It’s later in the afternoon than you thought it’d be, as you were enjoying yourself so much with Harry that you forgot to keep track of the time. You both return to your room and Harry slumps down on his bed and starts scrolling through his phone. There’s still no one else here, but one of the packs has moved and is now perched on top of the other lower bunk bed. You’re standing in the middle of the room, undecided on what to do with yourself.

“Might shower, I feel pretty gross,” you say out loud to no one in particular.

Harry looks up from his phone and nods, giving you a look that you can’t quite decipher. It’s a swapping of roles – earlier, you’d been the one to gesture instead of verbally respond. You wonder what changed for him and briefly think back to the same meaningful looks he shot you when you were riding your bikes. You turn your back to him and open your pack to grab your travel towel, toiletries and a change of clothes; careful to hide your underwear and bra in between your other clothes. You can feel that Harry’s eyes are on your back, but make no move to acknowledge him.

You’ve never touched yourself in a hostel shower before as it felt too weird when right next to other occupied stalls, but this hostel has a few standalone individual shower blocks and you’ve been feeling the need since you first turned around to see Harry naked in that pink towel. You make sure to be silent and quick, and end up more relieved and relaxed than you remember being in a while.

When you return to the room, Harry’s nowhere to be found. You weren’t expecting him to wait around for you but your heart still sinks a little in your chest. You have to remind yourself that you only met him this morning and he’s a virtual stranger that already spend the whole afternoon with you.

You walk down the street until you find a sushi restaurant that a girl at the hostel’s front desk recommended. In the end, you’re happy to spend some time alone after your social afternoon to think and recharge your energy. You write in your travel journal, describing your afternoon with Harry and marking off Stanley Park on your ‘to do’ list. After dinner, you walk the streets aimlessly to get more of a feel for the city and its people, and you do some window shopping.

By the time you return to the hostel, it’s dark and you’re tired enough to head straight to bed. There’s a man already sleeping in the other top bunk, and a girl is folding clothes into a suitcase strewn across the small space. Harry’s not here. The girl smiles and waves politely at you, luckily uninterested in a conversation. You’re not in the mood to speak to someone new and you don’t want to wake the sleeping man. You tiptoe around the girl’s suitcase and begin to clamber up to your bunk, heart rate beginning to rise as you climb. You’re proud of yourself for facing your fear, but still can’t help but feel the familiar heavy panic settle under your skin. You figure that your anxiety has to eventually settle as you don’t have much of a choice but to sleep here at this point. You try to distract yourself by reading for a bit with your back safely against the wall, but you can still feel the restless energy coursing through your body and twisting through your mind. You count the spots on the ceiling and get to 326 before someone turns off the overhead light. You try listening to music, meditating, playing a game on your phone. You think about all of the places in the world you’d like to go to that you haven’t been yet, and make up lists of your favourite albums and movies. Your heart rate goes down a bit, but you still can’t sleep. Your mind won’t shut off and stop replaying the terrifying moment that you fell from your camp bed and broke your arm. That whole ordeal was so traumatising that you dreamt about it for months after it happened, waking up as you were about to hit the ground with a hard thump. You’ve avoided bunk beds since, and even started to forget that it was a fear of yours. You’d thought that it would be fine seeing as you’re an adult now and no longer the scared child that badly broke her arm and suffered nightmares from it. But clearly, it’s still an issue.

At some point, the door opens and the metal frame shakes under the weight of Harry climbing into the bottom bed. Your whole body tenses up with terror, convinced that you’re going to fall through and crush him. A sweat breaks out behind your neck at the image playing through your mind. Harry shifts around the bed to get comfortable and the creaks of the frame bounce around your brain like music in a horror film. You’re laying there so long that you start to daydream of flipping a switch somewhere inside you to just turn off. You can tell when Harry is asleep, because you can hear his slow, heavy breathing. You can tell that whoever is snoring is sleeping in the other bunk across the room. You’ve heard far worse in the other few hostels you’ve slept in, so you’re not too bothered by it. As you lie in the dark, you become so delirious that you can’t even tell if your eyes are open or not. The only thing you think about without falling back into the worst of your anxiety is your day with Harry.

~

You must have fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion at some point, because you wake to the sound of whispering. It may be your delirious state, but you don’t think that you’re hearing English. Listening for a minute, it sounds like Japanese, which you can’t understand but recognise from its unique sound. You open your eyes the tiniest bit and groan at the harsh light that immediately wakes you in the most unpleasant way.

The whispering abruptly stops and you can sense that there are eyes on you. You rub at your eyes and open them to the blurred image of Harry standing with the other girl in your room. You’re so confused and tired that you can’t really process anything and just stare at them until your vision becomes clearer. The man who you’d only seen asleep last night is no longer here and his bed is stripped of sheets. Harry’s dressed in a plain black t-shirt and gym shorts. He smiles at you, which you try to reflect back to him but feel like your face isn’t fully cooperating as it’s a bit paralysed from sleep.

The girl looks between the two of you and then says something to Harry in Japanese before she leaves the room. He responds with what is clearly a goodbye. You’d thought that hearing Japanese was part of a dream, but you must have overheard their conversation while still half-asleep.

“You okay? You don’t look so great.”

Harry is watching you closely, looking way too alive and wide-eyed for the early hour.

“Thanks for that, how lovely,” you say through a yawn.

“No, I just mean you look tired, love. Not the most comfortable bed, huh?”

Your mind is split between wanting to melt from the pet name and tell him off for saying that you look like shit. But to be fair, you feel like shit, so it makes sense that you’d look the same.

“Yeah, didn’t really sleep ‘s all,” you tell him.

He tilts his head at you.

“Why not?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” you say, but he clearly doesn’t believe you.

“So I didn’t tire you out enough yesterday, then?”

For a second your mind goes somewhere entirely inappropriate and you blame your lack of sleep and anxiety-riddled brain for the thought of what else he could’ve done to tire you out. You hope that he can’t read what you’re thinking about on your face.

“I was tired enough, just couldn’t sleep. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, you need your sleep.” His concern seems genuine. “It’s not ‘cause the bed isn’t comfortable, is it?”

You don’t say anything, which is answer enough for him.

“What is it?” He prompts when you don’t elaborate.

“It’s stupid.”

“I promise I won’t laugh or judge or say anything. And it’s probably not stupid,” he says.

“Okay… well. I just have some anxiety about sleeping on a top bunk,” you say, and continue once you notice that he hasn’t reacted. “Since I fell off as a kid and broke my arm.”

You brace yourself for a joke or a mocking comment like you’ve received so many times in the past, but none comes.

“I’m sorry, that’s terrible,” he says. His brow furrows in genuine concern. “Why didn’t you say anything yesterday, love?”

Your heart leaps up into your throat once again at him calling you love.

“What, I’d just poke my head down and ask if we could swap beds in the middle of the night because I can’t get over myself?”

“Who said anything about swapping?”

You’re showing the confusion on your face clear as day, so he continues until you catch on to his comment.

“I mean, you could’ve just slept with me instead,” he says with a smirk. “I wouldn’t’ve minded.”

You don’t even know how to respond, not used to anyone being so forward and suggestive, and he cracks up at your shocked speechlessness. It’s like he’s enjoying how uncomfortable he can suddenly make you and he’s using this power to his advantage. You laugh and feel the tightness in your chest ease up just a little. He didn’t make fun of you, or dismiss your irrational fear. In fact, he made you feel a bit better and lightened the mood.

“But in all seriousness, don’t say that,” he says quietly.

“Don’t say what?”

“That you can’t get over yourself. Anxiety and panic attacks are serious, it’s not your fault.”

You’re speechless for a minute, knowing that he’s right but not wanting to admit that your self-deprecation is just as crippling as your anxiety is. It’s one thing to hear that from a doctor or a psychologist, but hearing it from Harry feels different. It isn’t his job to say it - he means it and it’s something that you knew but still really needed to hear.

“I’ll swap with you.”

“No no, you’re already settled and it’s not fair to make you-”

“I insist, it’s really not a problem at all.”

You smile at him, grateful but a bit strained. You’re relieved that you’ll get some sleep from now on, but you also don’t want him to pity you. There’s a few minutes of comfortable silence that you fill by scrolling through your phone for the Vancouver attractions you want to go to today. Harry is also on his phone, typing away. He looks up after a minute, returning to how he’d been acting before you told him about your anxiety. He speaks around a wide, cheeky grin.

“So, what are we doing today?”

PART 2

[samuel-sadi]

Back to school

Here is a topic that has been troubling parents for decades, and is becoming more of a hassle each year. Something that a lot of parents dread is the fact that these things are starting to become more and more expensive, as these lists grow.

Some places like Hobby Lobby usually have sales daily depending on the department (At least the one near me does. It's where I buy my sculpting clay) It's good to find out which days are which so you know when to save.

Back to school shopping is hard enough with one child, much less with multiple children. These lists, that seem to be ever growing, become pricey when you have to multiply them. Since most families usually don't have hundreds of dollars to drop all at once, it can make things a bit hectic.

Then, if your child brings lunch to school, that only adds more money that has to be paid out. Though, usually cheaper if your child doesn't have free lunch, since preparing a meal for their lunch will be cheaper than paying at school.

That brings us to shoes and clothing. If the child is active outside of the home, these things can often become worn and torn more often than you would like. Believe you me, I was a fairly active child outside of the home, and a lot more messy than my parents liked. They did not like the fact that I tore through clothes like no tomorrow. Of course, like most kids, even though I had brakes on my bike, I still used my foot, which would mess up my shoes.

Of course, you're sitting here reading this, wondering when I'm going to get to the point. Probably thinking something along the lines, 'I already know this, what's the point?'. I wanted to explain about what had been done when I was younger, and continue to do with my neighborhood.

First lets start with money.

Every paycheck I take out 20-30 dollars and put into a separate account just for school supplies, for the next year. Yes, I start putting aside money a year in advance, so it's less of a burden on my wallet when the time comes. Putting aside 20-30 dollars will allow you to have 520-780 dollars, along with anything else you might want to spend. Having that extra funds really helps.

During the summer, getting neighborhood parents together, and having a yard sale, or bake sale, where the profits can be divided up by the number of children participating had always been a good way to raise funds. (Make sure if you do have a bake sale, you always ask permission wherever you set up. Also, make sure to post about it on neighborhood apps, or facebook pages to ensure a turnout.) Not only will this help with funds for school supplies in the future, but will also bring neighborhood families together, and create fun projects for families.

Now, after a while with my rambunctious ways my parents, like a lot of others, started separating my clothes into sections. School clothes, and play clothes. School clothes were always nicer, and would cost a bit more, while play clothes ended up being old school clothes, or clothing found at thrift shops, yard sales, or hand me downs that I could be rough with.

Our neighborhood uses the hand-me-down system a lot. Clothes that have been out grown, as with shoes, are handed down to a younger sibling, or to a younger neighborhood child to become play clothes, instead of being sent to the dump, or a thrift store. Sometimes out grown clothes might be too worn to be resold, and still end up thrown away. Might as well hand it down as play clothes to give those clothing a little more time at play before it ultimately makes it ways to the dump.

Snacks, and lunches. My family never did this when I was younger, but I do it now with my neighbors now. We get put funds together and buy bulk items, (small bags of chips, fruit cups, string cheese, crackers, ect.) Little things that usually accompany lunch. Fruit drinks, bottled water, soda, whatever you pack into lunches. (I usually add a soda to my child's Friday lunch.)  

When everyone puts in, more can be gotten out. It brings families, and communities together.

Elementary School Basic Supplies

Backpack

Composition books (wide ruled) 

Plastic school box 

Glue sticks 

#2 pencils  

Crayons 

Scissors 

Facial tissues 

Intermediate grades:

Ruler

Protractor

College ruled notebook paper

Highlighters

Book covers

Secondary School Basic Supplies 

 Three-inch, three-ring binder  

 Subject dividers 

 Loose-leaf notebook paper (college ruled) 

 Composition books (college ruled) 

 Blue or black ballpoint pens 

 #2 pencils  

 Colored pencils 

 Highlighters

 Ruler 

 Book Covers

[reevesdriver]

Florist

Word count: 2422.

Reader: Female reader.

Warning(s): None.

Other links: AO3 

Keanu spent the rest of his morning/afternoon walking around the small town and dipping in and out of some of the stores before deciding to go back to his hotel room and wait for the time to pass. When he got back to the hotel he was greeted with a disappointing look from the lobby staff member.

“Mr Reeves I’m sorry to inform you but your room will no longer be available. It seems there was an issue with the system so we’re going to have to ask if you could vacate that room before 10 tonight.” The woman behind the desk spoke.

Keanu sighed and nodded his head walking up to the room he had booked. Once in the room began to tidy everything up so that it would be less of a job for the cleaner to do, he packed everything away in his duffel bag apart from a fresh change of clothes that he would be wearing for your “date” and threw himself down onto the bed as thoughts of you began to drift into his mind.

Keanu didn’t want to text you right away so he decided to wait until a few hours had passed since your interaction before he opened his phone. Eventually he drifted to sleep and after a few hours woke up and had a shower before sitting on the edge of the bed still wrapped in the towel and grabbed his phone.

He opened his phone up and began scrolling through his contacts before finding your name which instantly stood out the most in his contacts since it was the only one that had an emoji next to it. He smiled at the little flower emoji and started to text a message unsure of how to word it, he checked the time at the top of the screen and saw that it was 3:30pm and he remembered how you said you normally got home at around 4. After a few minutes of contemplating he decided just to send a simple message “Hi, it’s Keanu, hope you got home alright.” Before hitting send and putting his phone back onto the night stand.

You tried to spend as little time in the shower as you could so you would spend more time trying on different outfits in an attempt to make yourself look more presentable for Keanu. You rooted through your wardrobe tossing all your nicer clothes onto the bed and as the pile grew and time passed by you eventually decided to stop looking and to start getting dressed.

You pulled on different outfits before finally deciding on wearing a nice dress that you bought a few months ago but never had an occasion to wear it until now. The dress you had was nice enough to show that you made an effort but not over the top nice, you were only going to the diner around the corner so there was no need to get so dressed up. You opted to wear a pair of flat shoes since you wanted to enjoy your date instead of worrying about your feet hurting.

You quickly looked outside to check the weather and decided it would be best to wear a jacket and grabbed one from the back of your bedroom door before leaving the room and going to sit downstairs to wait for Keanu.

At exactly 6 o’clock you heard the rumble of a motorbike pulling up onto your driveway and tried to contain your excitement as you placed your book down onto the coffee table and shooed your dog out of the room and onto his bed in the kitchen. Keanu raised his hand and knocked on your front door pulling the bouquet of flowers from behind his back when the door opened.

“Hey.” You greeted him and his face instantly lit up at your smile.

“Hi, I got you these, I didn’t know what you liked so I got a bit of everything.”

“Oh Keanu that’s so sweet. I’ll just put these in some water and then we can get going.” You say taking the flowers from his hands and pulling them into your face as you inhaled the scent.

You quickly moved back inside the house and into the kitchen to find a spare vase you kept on the windowsill, as you filled it with water Keanu took the time to hold the door open for you and peaked inside your house and he was impressed. Everything was neat and tidy with a few pictures of what he assumed to be your family hanging in frames on the wall.

You walked out of the kitchen and down the hall and as you step out of the house and lock the front door you notice Keanu looking at his bike and then looking around the neighbourhood.

“Do you want to put your bike in the garage? It doesn’t exactly look cheap.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, I don’t want it getting stolen or else you’ll have to use mine.” You reply with a smirk pulling your keys out of your jacket pocket and open the garage door.

Keanu smiled when you said that you had a bike, he was beginning to fall for you after every new thing he found out about you. He kicked his bike off of the centre stand and pushed it into the garage taking note that it was also tidy and well organised just like the inside of your house.

“Is that your bike?” He asked motioning to the vehicle that was covered in a sheet.

“Yeah, I can show it to you later if you want?”

“Yeah I’d like that.” He replied dumping his helmet and duffel bag next to his bike before leaving the small room.

You close the garage door and lock it before turning back around to face Keanu as you lead him down your driveway and to the diner up the road. You made steady conversation on your way to the diner and once you arrived at the vintage themed restaurant you stepped inside and brought Keanu over to your regular booth in the corner and took a seat on one of the leather chairs and Keanu sat across from you.

“Do you want anything to eat?” You asked pushing the stack of menus towards him.

“Maybe just something small. What would you recommend?”

“I normally just get the meatballs. They come in a bowl with salad and fries, really nice, it’s a shared platter too but I normally just have it to myself.” You say with a shy smile and Keanu laughs.

“We can get that then, if you say they taste good then they must be good.”

“Sure what do you want to drink?”

“I’ll just have a glass of water.”

“Okay, I’ll go order for us.” You say standing from the table and walking over to the main desk.

Keanu couldn’t help but watch as you walk away, your hips swaying slightly as you stride to the front of the diner to order. He loved the outfit that you had on and admired how the dress clung to your frame and seemed to accentuate your curves, before he could help himself his eyes began drifting down your long legs before he turned to look away as you returned to the table.

You sat down across from him and removed your jacket placing it next to you on the chair before drifting into conversation again with Keanu. You both secretly admired how easy it was to talk to one another and before you knew it you fell into a deep conversation about his line of work and yours.

Your food and drinks soon arrived after about 20 minutes and you both shared the food in peace making sure to split it fairly so you both got an equal amount. Once you and Keanu had finished your meal and your drinks you went to pay for the meal only to have Keanu insist that he should pay instead. You threw down some extra money as a tip and gathered your coat from the chair as you both walked out of the diner.

By now it was dark out and it had gotten colder, you both walked down the pavement side by side towards your home making light conversation when you felt Keanu’s fingers rest against your own just like that had at the diner. You looked up to him and caught his eyes quickly moving forward and you made the impulse decision to link his fingers in your own as you continued the walk home.

“Do you want to come in?”

“Only if you want me to.” He replies still standing at the bottom of the steps.

You nod and unlock the door holding it open for him and he soon makes his way up the few steps and into your warm home. You remove your jacket and hang it on the coat hanger at the side of the door before heading down the hallway.

“Do you want a drink? Anything alcoholic?” You ask as Keanu removes his jacket and hangs it next to yours and you can’t help but think how perfect they seem next to each other.

“Just a coffee would be nice.” He replies bringing you out of your thoughts.

You nodded and walked into the kitchen and opened the back door letting your Pitbull outside before closing the door behind him. Keanu kicks his old shoes off and places them next to yours before walking down the hallway and into what he assumed to be the kitchen.

“You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you own it?”

“No I just rent it out, it’s a bit expensive but it’s the only one in the area that I liked and that was close enough to work.”

You poured Keanu’s coffee into a mug and handed it to him as you turned to make yourself a cup of tea.

“I don’t want to overstep anything with you but you look very beautiful in that dress.” Keanu spoke with a nervous smile.

“Are you flirting with me Mr Reeves?”

“I wasn’t flirting I was being a gentleman.” He replied with a smirk and you couldn’t help buy laugh at him.

The sound of frantic scratching brings your eyes away from Keanu and towards the door to the garden. Keanu frowns unsure of what the sound is.

“Do you like dogs?” You asked walking to the back door.

“Yeah I love dogs.”

You opened the back door and let your Pitbull into the kitchen and he soon bolted over to Keanu when eh noticed the new person in the room.

“Blue no get down.” You say to your energetic Pitbull as he jumps up at your guest.

“He’s fine honestly.” Keanu puts his cup down onto the kitchen table and kneels down to pet your dog. “So what did you say his name was?”

“Blue. I didn’t name him though he’s a rescue.” You reply watching Blue bring his toys from his basket and dumping them in front of Keanu.

“Did you find him on the streets?”

“No, some woman came into the store and was passing out some flyers for this dog shelter that they had and I decided that I wanted a dog so I went and he was the only one there that was going to be put down. People kept adopting him and then bringing him back because they weren’t patient so I took him and he’s been nothing but good.” You say stroking behind his ear.

“That’s nice of you.”

“Do you not have any dogs?”

“Nope, no pets. I’m away too much and it would be pointless having one.”

“Oh. You can always get people to look after them.”

“I could but I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

“Oh nonsense Keanu I’m sure anyone would be happy to look after one of your animals I know I would.”

Eventually you moved your chatter from the kitchen and into the front room where you both sat next to one another on the sofa asking and answering each other’s questions.

“So how long are you staying round here then?”

“Well I had a room booked in the hotel for a few days but they told me that there was an issue and that I had to leave the room so I don’t know what to do.”

You hesitate for a moment not knowing whether to ask Keanu to stay with you for a few more days or whether it would seem too desperate of you.

“You can stay here if you want to. I have a spare room that you can sleep in.”

“Are you sure? I really don’t want to be a burden.”

“Don’t be silly it would be a pleasure having you here I really don’t mind.”

“That means a lot to me thank you.”

A few hours passed by and you and Keanu had somehow still managed to talk about almost nothing but everything at the same time. Keanu told you stories of all of the sets he had worked on over the years and you chatted about some of your favourite characters he had played and he soon became very shy. Eventually you both seemed to realise just how late it had gotten and decided to turn in for the night and continue your conversation in the morning.

You both entered the kitchen dumping your cups into the sink and you let your dog out into the back garden once more as Keanu entered the garage to grab his duffel bag and helmet from the floor. Once Keanu returned you let your dog back into the kitchen and motioned for him to go to his bed which caused the small dog to sigh since he obviously wanted to go upstairs with the both of you and stop on your bed like you normally allowed.

“Let me show you to your room.” You say to Keanu and he follows you out of the kitchen and up the stairs. “The spare bedroom is just down the hall to the right and the bathroom is across from it. Help yourself to a shower and if you are up before me in the morning then feel free to have whatever food you want.”

“Thank you for letting me stay.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight Keanu.”

“Goodnight Y/N.” He said leaning in to give you a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to enter the spare bedroom.

[preyed-llama]

Emotions personified

I'm sick, I've got an idea that isn't sanders side. This will be one post (presumably) give me a second.

So like, someone personifies emotions and they're all like chill and shit in our world. And those around them get a rush of those emotions. But like... they can control it? Look idk. I've just got the characters of some of them down. This is character design based on emotions. If you’re willing to look that’d be neat.

Happiness:

Happiness is nonbinary (because the emotion doesn't have any gender links like love is known as being feminine and anger is masculine, we'll get back to that.) they are kinda short.. like 157 cm. so like average height. But they have light golden short hair and ambery browny eyes. They wear black jeans, a black jacket, and a red Tshirt. They also have a habit of bringing with them the dorkiest glasses they can find. Like ones in the shape of two swans, one is the heart glasses, one is dollar signs. The point is they're always dorky. This is because with an outfit like this it fits all ties, does the person get happiness from reading? From theme parks? From alcohol? Who knows. But when they smile everyone's just so embarrassed and can't help but smile too. Happiness tends to go by happy because it's not that weird of a name.

Wrath:

Anger is a chick, because I thought that would be cool. She has dark browny reddy hair. Her eyes are a hard brown. She has a gun on her (it's usually not loaded though). She wears fingerless gloves, high heel boots and black, ripped skinny jeans. Glasses tend to sit on her hair and she wears a white tshirt with a dark grey hoodie over the top. She's always ready to fight, but always for a cause. She rides a motor bike and tends to have her hair pulled back so she can see everyone. Small amount of eyeliner and red lipstick and she's good. She doesn't tend to get into fights that often because it doesn't help with the anger and her friends just get disappointed in her. She goes by An because why the fuck not? Do you wanna fight her over it?

Love:

Love is so dorky and cute. He has circular glasses and freckles! He wears button up blouses and brown dress pants with those v neck sweater things. He blushes easily and stutters a lot. Butterflies seem to love him. He has curly sandy blond hair and soft brown eyes. He tends to have a book on him that he gets really embarrassed about. But everyone loves him, not just in a romantic sense. He tends to go by Liv, so what if it's feminine, he's a little feminine, and if people can love him despite that then it doesn't matter what you think.

Sadness:

Sadness is genderfluid. Some times she feels like a dull throb of sadness, other times he feels like a wave of misery. It tends to be somewhere in between or more empty so they tend to stick to they on those days. Sadness has a black bob that they like to pin back. Their eyes are a mixture of light blue and dark blue, that tend to edge on grey when they feel empty. They wear a dark brown coat over a blue shirt and a black skirt or black shorts depending on their mood. They have a thermos full of hot chocolate for when they feel too sad and has a small teddy stuffed in one of the big pockets to hold if they get too sad. Sadness goes by Sam, it just felt nice, especially when the others started to refer to them as that. 

Jealousy:

Jealousy is a girl. Women as she prefers to hear. It makes her feel more professional. She tends to be constantly buying the newest things. The desire to be the best, to have what they have, is a big problem for her. She has to talk to the others to try to combat it. She hates how she needs all their attention, how she needs the newest stuff, how she is so demanding. She spends so much time trying to get over it. She constantly has her phone on her with some good looking earphones and a pair of stunning shoes, anything to get rid of the jealousy she feels when she looks at anyone. She has green eyes and light brown hair that falls perfectly around her face. Everything about her is perfect, from the shape of her eyebrows to her lips and tooth size, but she still doesn’t feel good enough in her own skin, she needs to look like the others, but to look better. She wears a short green dress that has a slit up her left leg and hugs her body to show off her toned stomach, and perfect hour glass shape. She talks to Love about her problems, because although Love gets so much attention, and she hates him for that, she also loves him platonically and he manages to make her love herself for a small amount of time, but those breaks from jealousy are enough for her. She goes by Jewel, mostly nicknamed Gem, but when she hears a name she likes she can’t help but despise them.

Fear: 

Fear is male. He tries to act tough in front of strangers to try and hide how terrified he is, and he tends to let his guard down with his friends. He lets his legs shake and himself flinch when he’s around his friends, because they understand. He wears a thick black jacket with a grey tshirt underneath, and sweatpants. His hair is pushed up and pinned so he can be aware of all his surroundings. He wears headphones around his neck, although he never listens to them. His phone is in a protective case and he rarely ever takes it out because his hands shake so much he can’t use it. He used to wear gloves because they thought he was just cold, they quickly realized it was nerves. He skips meals because nausea forces him not to eat. He has black hair and dark brown, almost black eyes. He goes by Nicolas but people nicknamed him Nikki and Nico. He wanted them to stop but someone had mention that that was santa’s name and instantly he was trying to get a different name. Happiness and Love took him to a night in the town to prove him wrong. When people complimented his name he decided that maybe it wasn’t that bad.

 Serenity: 

Serenity is a female with purple eyes and silver hair. She tends to wear flowing sundresses with flowers in her hair. Shoes are only worn when absolutely necessary. She likes flower scented or ocean scented perfume. Even when Anger shouted at her and almost punched her, the peace she felt didn’t seem to slip far. Instead she calmed Anger down and relaxed next to her as the sun began to set. She pretty much has a flower on her somewhere and is always relaxed. She occasionally had birds land near her. She goes by Selena.  

Nihilism: 

Nihilism likes to wear suits. He spends most of his money on dumb shit (which is why his friends bank some of his money). He’s done more dangerous shit than anyone could count. His things have gone from setting fire to a random pile of leaves during Autumn and setting off fireworks inside. He does what he enjoys, and frequently ends up injuring himself because of it. He constantly has a lighter on him to use when the opportunity arises. He has shaggy black hair and awkward stubble, with rich brown eyes that seem to dance with fire. He goes by Ned, because it was the first name that popped into his head, no one really mentioned it.

 Curiosity:

Curiosity is female. She tends to dig too deep to get information. She’s pissed off Anger more times then see can count by pushing to find out what’s wrong. She constantly feels like she’s missing something. She wears oversized sweaters over a tank top and leggings. Her natural desire for knowledge has led her to be following Nihilism into dangerous situations. She spent many nights researching different things. And she’s constantly dyeing her hair because ‘I wonder what I’ll look like with this colour.’ It is a pastel purple. Her eyes are naturally brown, although occasionally she’ll put in contacts because ‘I wonder’. Her curiosity is like a hunger she cannot fulfill. She constantly has a book on what she’s studying and a note pad to solve things or write out the questions she’s going to study. She’s done many thing’s she’s regretted because of curiosity. She almost shaved her hair, which had to be stopped by Anger because she wanted to know... needed to know. In the end she edited it in photo shop and was glad that Anger had stopped her. She also had a nose piercing and spider bites because she just needed to know what she would look like. 

Hatred:

Hatred is nonbinary. They are bitter and resentful. They wear expensive suits and jewelry. Their face is has resting bitch face. They have their black hair combed up as their red eyes look cold and dead. Their glasses rest on their nose. They contain their influence, determined to let people decide for themselves. They struggle with the hatred they have for people. It becomes even more of a problem when they keep flipping between hating Love and loving him platonically. He kept it hidden and hissed out insults. They hated themself for everything they did. Jealousy and Hatred bonded over their emotion. They both hated themselves. They went by Harley, they still hated the name, but it wasn’t for them, they knew who they were, the others needed something to call them by. 

Disgust:

Disgust is a male. He has chipped fingernails and heterochromia. His hair brown hair fell in front of one of his eyes to hide the mismatch and even ended up getting contacts. His natural distaste for others and himself was the only reason he befriended Hatred. He wanted to be able to like people, but the moment he saw them his mind would instantly find something wrong with them and it made him feel sick. His brown leather jacket, black jeans, low cutting v neck tshirt, and knife screamed danger and distaste. His nail polish would chip after a day of wearing it and he had to look into a mirror to put in the contact. Every part of him was disturbed by his own existence. Love tried to help, but that didn’t do much when he felt sick being near him. He tended to stay away from people and flip off anyone who came to close. He went by Dean, he somehow felt worse with that name than Disgust, but the feeling lingered with every name, like it was embedded in his very being. Probably was. 

Craving: 

Craving is a male. He constantly had the lust for sex, the craving for a cigarette, for beer, for food. He constantly craves something. Some times he can’t even put a finger on what it is. He was constantly forcing himself not to have that alcohol or cigarette or keep eating until he burst. The cravings were unstoppable. The craving wasn’t necessarily physical. Some days he wanted to hear certain words, a certain persons voice, or achieve a certain thing. He couldn’t be content. There was always an itch somewhere. Always something he couldn’t achieve. He wore gloves, scarfs, jackets and jeans. His entire body was covered most days to hide the scars from the days he craved pain, from days where the cravings could only be fought back. He had incredibly short hair, the craving for change or to cut his hair always stopped him from growing it out like the dull craving for longer hair demanded. He would walk around with a pen so if any cravings appeared he could distract himself. Craving never could settle on a name, the cravings to start new, to have a different name demanded him to change. Anger once jokingly called him Carl. It ended up sticking. He always felt an itch when someone said it, but he tried to force his cravings for the new to stop. His cravings for silence and to be alone always seemed to interrupt his cravings for attention. 

Loss:

Loss was a female. She constantly struggled to keep up a conversation. She would fail to comprehend what others are saying and keep hold of all her thoughts. Emotions always seemed to be fleeting. She would constantly misplace things, even the note book she had with her to write everything down before she forgot it again. The white dress mixed with her pale skin and dark black hair always made her look like a ghost. It didn’t help that you could hardly see the brown from the black in her eyes. Emptiness was a familiar feeling. She tried to maintain friendships, but it was always so hard. Serenity and Love were always willing to sit with her with a smile. Loss chose Lily, it was the only thing she could think of, and it was because Serenity was holding a lily. 

Determination: 

Determination was male. There was always something he was set on. Whether it be winning the game or achieving his goal. He would keep repeating it until he succeeded. He couldn’t give up. Some people called him ambitious, they didn’t know that it was an obsession. He felt nausea and like he was suffocating if he admitted defeat. He couldn’t handle it. He wore a choker with a small cross on it, some faith that maybe he would succeed first go next time and not have to repeat it again and again. His hair was shoulder length and a deep red as his body was covered in small scars and scrapes from repeating a tedious and dangerous task again and again. His eyes were a warm brown. He wore a black tank top and a red varsity jacket with navy blue jeans. He was as stubborn as they can be. He was always going to be right. His problem led to sleepless nights and trips to the hospital. He couldn’t bring himself to regret it though when the event paid off. His name was Damion. 

Trust: 

Trust was female. She always felt like a kind motherly figure. She was gentle and caring. Always willing to listen. She always listened and was over trusting. She was like an innocent child and a mother all in one. She was so gullible and would trust someone, even when she shouldn’t. No one wanted her to get hurt. They all tried to protect her. Everything she said you’d know was the truth. She wore a knee length yellow sundress with a large sunhat. Her long pink her was constantly plated (curiosity needed to know what one of the others looked like with dyed and trust was the only one to agree) and her bright blue eyes always seemed to see light, even in the darkness. She would carry spare food for if she bumped into someone who was hungry. She broke all the rules, she followed people down alleys when she was alone and accepted drinks from strangers. Her name was Tina. 

Anticipation: 

Anticipation is male. He always seemed to be waiting for something over the horizon. He would look impatient, even when he wasn’t waiting for anything. It always felt like something was coming. Something big. Something good. He spent money gambling, talked to strangers, and constantly went on adventures. There was always a tight knot in his stomach and excitement bubbling in his chest. He tend to have a fidget cube although he’d never admit to it. He wore an obnoxious green shirt and light blue jeans. Food was difficult to eat because the constant feeling made him too excited to focus on that. He forced himself to calm down and do normal things, he couldn’t let him self keep sitting down and waiting for it to arrive. Birthdays and Parties were the worst for him because the anticipation only seemed to grow. He always felt antsy when it came to making changes. His platinum blond hair was half way down his back, like the anticipation of it getting longer was something he couldn’t quench. ‘Soon it’ll be longer than it’s ever been!’. His green eyes could rarely ever stay in the same place. He had to force the excitement down. Anticipation would go by Anthony. 

Shame:

Shame was male. It was like he was a mess. He couldn’t do anything right. He was always embarrassed. it could be anything from making the wrong amount of food or drawing a line wrong and suddenly it was like everything was collapsing around him. He would feel nauseous to the point where to couldn’t eat or do anything other then lean over the toilet. He wore a long white tshirt and brown jeans. He would have ginger on him constantly for when the nausea would set in and would carry a lucky charm with him. The others always tried to make him feel better, but it was so deeply rooted, so embedded into his personality that he couldn’t escape it for long. He had to keep his dyed green hair groomed constantly, and he couldn’t let the colour fade. He had to shave the stubble. It needed to be clear. His deep blue eyes always seemed to be too expressive. Tears always seemed to fill his eyes. He had selected the name Shane, it being the closest to his actual name, he didn’t feel right to choose something so different from him. He deserved to be called Shame. 

Annoyed:

Annoyed was male. He tended to keep to himself. His nose buried in a book or in a videogame. He would nitpick anything his was paying attention to and would grow more frustrated when they wouldn’t correct it, despite not being able to hear him. He would get frustrated if someone kept pestering him when he just wanted to be left alone, but he also got annoyed by being ignored. He wore an vibrant orange and khakis pants. No one could comment without getting a loud and forceful sigh. A beanie was on hand if too many people stared at him and he almost always had a collection of notes so he could just hand over one to tell them how annoying they were being. He got annoyed by his hair and shaved it all off. With nothing to hide it, his yellow eyes were always on display. When choosing names, Anger had chosen An before he could talk which ended with him letting out a frustrated groan and choosing Adam, because some people had to go and choose his names.

Vulnerability:

Vulnerability is female. No matter what she does she feels too exposed. She tends to wear long, male clothes that hide her body completely and shorts. Her hair is long, just so she can curl it in front of her and use it to hide behind. She only shares what she feels comfortable sharing, which is barely anything. And on bad days she can't be in the same room as someone without breaking down in tears. Anger and determination promised to protect her, no matter what. But her emotion continues to freak her out. She cries into serenity’s shoulder until peace takes over. Her grey eyes are usually bloodshot from crying as her skin is red and damp. She would carry around a box of tissues and a book. On really bad days she’d borrow Angers spare gun and clip just to make herself feel a little safer, she knew she could never pull the trigger.  She chose Vida and almost tried to escape after the name slipped out. Liv and Happy smiled happily at her as An nodded at her and Selena held her hand and hummed.

Sleepy: 

Sleepy is female. She tries to avoid lying down because otherwise she falls asleep almost instantly. Her memory is awful and she barely feels energized after a 16 hour sleep. Determination and Anticipation have to lend a hand when she has to stay awake for a long period of time. She constantly wears yoga pants and a cozy pastel blue jumper so that if she falls asleep, at least she’ll be comfortable. She consumes more coffee and caffeine than healthy, but she doesn’t have much of a choice, she constantly had a thermos full of coffee only one step down from nitro coffee. Her plum hair is always pulled back into a bun as her hazel eyes always have dark bags under the. She had chosen Aurora after sleeping beauty as she fought to keep her eyes open. Tina was resting her hand on her shoulder as Nicolas looked ready to grab her if she fell asleep. 

 Kindness: 

Kindness is male. He had the softest smile and smoothest voice. He wore a jacket with a snail on it that said ‘take your time’ and would wear dumb shoes with rabbits on them. He would hand out random gifts that he thought others would appreciate and made sure that everyone was alright. His orange hair was in a pixie cut as his green eyes felt warm and inviting. He tried to comfort them, although without the presence that Serenity and Love had, he fell a little flat at hitting the root of the problem, although warm cookies managed to get them to stop brooding. He gave money to the homeless and would spend all their money on an animal shelter if he was allowed to. His name was Kennith. 

Euphoria: 

Euphoria is female. She would always be bouncing off the walls. She was  hyperactive to the extreme. It pissed off Annoyance and entertained Love and Happiness. She wore a pastel pink Lolita dress that didn’t stop her from doing cartwheels and racing around. When she was on the more mellow end of the spectrum, she would spend her time giggling as she typed at a mile a minute to someone. Curiosity wasn’t the only one interested in finding out who she had inflicted her pure, unstoppable happiness on. She tended to calm down and actually sit down when she having a bad day or when sadness had calmed her down. You could have a normal conversation with her without missing most of her words due to her talking too quickly. Her hair was dyed an electric blue to match her eyes. She’d chosen Elfie as her name. 

Innocence: 

Innocence is female. She seemed to have a child like fascination with everything. She was trusting and friendly. She always seemed to be dreaming about somewhere else and would never hurt anyone. She always had a deck of cards on her to show off her magic tricks. Nothing seemed to bother her as mean spirited jokes and dirty jokes flew right over her head. She didn’t bother asking and would instead go back to focusing on what she was doing before. Her mind struggled to comprehend somethings, despite being the same age as the others, it was always a struggle to connect. Her clothing was always a plain white top and blue shorts, someone would put whatever jacket they had if they had gone out when it was cold. Everything about her seemed calm and yet joyous. She had chosen Ivy on her turn. 

Bravery: 

Bravery is female. She stood up for everything. She was like the main character in their group of misfits, the hero in the middle of the battle. She was courageous always ready to dive into the next battle. The problem appeared when she fought until she was too badly injured. She was powerful and deadly. She always had a packet of painkillers and bandages for if she or anyone else she liked got injuries. She was good at fighting... suspiciously good up fighting. She rarely ever needed to fight, but she was willing to argue and fight for justice. Instead of mindlessly fighting, she only did it in self defense. She had light brown hair that was always pulled back into a high pony tail and soft browny reddy eyes. she wore a black top that hugged her arms off her shoulder, leggings that look like leather and high heels. She had chosen Bethany. 

There we go. the complete thing. @paradoxicalpatton I’m sorry? But there.. tagged. 

[captainthermostat]

What Is The Best Bicycle: The Ultimate Guide

It can be difficult and time-consuming to choose the best bike. There are many aspects to consider prior to purchasing a bike. However, there are many things you need to take care of after buying an item. We're here to help make this all a lot simpler for you!

Let's look at it in 7 steps.

To ensure maximum enjoyment, think about how you'll use your bicycle

Before you decide to purchase a bike, it's important to determine what type of riding you'll do. Are you looking for speed? Do you want to be part of a group? Do you prefer to ride on roads or run through forests and rugged terrain? Are you planning on longer or shorter commutes? Are you looking to connect an e-bike rack, basket, child seat, or panniers to your bike? Do you want to participate in triathlons or road racing?

The right size for your bike is essential.

The size of your bike is vital to obtaining the correct product. Having the wrong size bicycle will not only make for uncomfortable riding, but it could cause injury. There are several steps to determine your bike's size, which is the reason we have put together this guide on sizing your bike to help you figure out the right size in just three simple steps.

Maximizing the value of your budget

The decision about how much you'll spend on a bike is entirely up to you. However, there are some guidelines that will help you get the most out of your money.

Do not buy a bike that is too expensive You generally get what you get in the world of bikes. As a general rule, new bikes below $500 typically have cheap parts that wear out quickly.

Make sure you budget for other accessories such as flashlights, helmets with mudguards, shoes and cleats.

To understand the value of your money, look at second-hand and new bikes.

Bike Chaser lets you search for products in your local area.

Deciding whether to buy a new or used bicycle

If you're thinking of purchasing a second-hand or a brand new bike, there are a few points to be aware of. We will discuss the benefits and disadvantages of buying brand new bikes over second hand bikes.

Understanding the differences between different types of bicycles

Although road bikes are the most popular kind of bike, that does not mean they will be the best option for you.

How to stay clear of Bicycle Shaped objects

You may have heard the term "Bicycle Shaped Obscure" (BSO) prior to. BSOs are low-quality bikes that cost less upfront, but can end up costing you more in the long-term. I have been a victim of purchasing one of these BSOs in the past, and I will never again.

How can you get the best results when you visit your local bike shop

When you're at a bike shop be sure to have the following three steps in your mind:

Be prepared. You should have a clear idea of the type of bicycle you need. Also, conduct your research about accessories and parts to make sure you get high-quality products.

Continue to ask questions. There's no need to ask questions when buying from an honest bike shop that is who will give you the advice you need. A purchase on a bike shouldn't be impulsive instead, it should be a considered decision.

It is important to test your bike. It's important to be comfortable riding your bike. Take a ride on more than one and then compare.

[onlinemarketinghelp]

Cash Advance Apps: What They Are and How They Work https://ift.tt/2UJ8FZH

Are you struggling to pay your rent or bills on time? Are late fees, overdraft fees, or high-interest credit card debts threatening your ability to save?

If so, you may be a good candidate for a cash advance app. These apps are cost-effective tools to jumpstart your cash flow, so you can right your financial ship.

Now, ideally you wouldn't have to use these services - but we're not here to judge. If you do need them, they may be a better option than paying large overdraft fees or late fees. But hopefully you also take a bit of time to analyze your income and spending and course correct as needed.

So, if you need a cash advance, here are the best cash advance apps today.

Quick Navigation

What Is a Cash Advance App?

3 Best Cash Advance Apps

Earnin

MoneyLion

Dave

These Apps Need an Employer Sponsor

Important Tips for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle

1. Understand How Much You Need to Earn

2. Review Student Loan Payments

3. Build Up a Cash Cushion

4. Pay Off Your Debt

5. Be Dramatic About Cutting Expenses

What Is a Cash Advance App?

Cash advance apps are apps that allow you to deposit money that you’ve already earned into your checking account before payday. Generally, these apps are free or charge a nominal fee, but they don’t charge interest on the loans. Even with the upfront fees, these are an inexpensive alternative to payday loans or even credit cards.

For people struggling with cash flow, the cash advance apps can offer a tool to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

3 Best Cash Advance Apps

Right now, cash advance apps are fairly limited. Some have high upfront fees, others are just marketplaces for payday loans. These three apps actually allow any hourly employee to access money they’ve already earned. They also have reasonable pricing policies.

Earnin

Earnin is a free cash advance app that allows users to withdraw up to $500 of money they’ve already earned. If you need a hundred bucks to pay off a parking ticket or meet your rent, Earnin is the app that will help you access your money before payday.

It recently got a little flack from the NY AG, but the adjustments it's made have made it better for consumers.

Cash Advance Limits

$100 initially

Up to $500 with use

Requirements

Must be paid via direct deposit

Must have checking account at supported bank

Be employed in a physical location or have an electronic time management system

Costs

It is free. Earnin works on a tip model. If you can afford it, pay it back over time.

Learn More

MoneyLion

MoneyLion is a fee-free checking account that offers a free cash advance up to $250. This is an account that I highly recommend for people struggling to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

Cash Advance Limits

Up to $250 with Core membership (free)

Requirements

Must have a MoneyLion checking account

Must have funds direct deposited to your account

Costs

MoneyLion Core is free. MoneyLion Plus costs $19.99 per month, but is not required for the cash advance.

Read our full MoneyLion review to learn more.

Learn More

Dave

Dave is a low-cost app that offers customers up to $75 in interest-free advances. Unlike the other apps featured, this app costs $1 per month, but you can connect the app with your existing checking account. You can also bank directly with Dave (which they want).

If you choose to open a no-fee bank account, you may qualify for up to $100 in no-interest cash advances.

Cash Advance Limits

$75 for customers with their own bank accounts

$100 for Dave banking customers

Requirements

Must have a bank account

Must have direct deposit from an employer (not Zelle, PayPal, etc.)

Costs

It costs $1 per month, but you can offset this charge by connecting your debit card and shopping at certain partner locations.

Learn More

Other Cash Advance Apps

While the above are the most popular cash advance apps, there are others in the space. We continually update our list, and have these other cash advance apps:

Brigit

These Apps Need an Employer Sponsor

While the apps above are available to all users, there are similar apps that certain employers offer to employees as a benefit. If you work for a large corporation, be sure to check if you qualify for a free cash advance through one of these apps:

Branch

DailyPay

PayActiv

FlexWage

Important Tips for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle

While it’s great to have access to up to $500 before your next paycheck, an even more important consideration is how to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle altogether.

Breaking the cycle isn’t easy. In some cases, breaking out of the cycle for good will take multiple tries, especially if you’re not a high-income earner. That said, most people can take steps to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, pay off debt, and start investing.

Here are a few steps you can take to break the cycle.

1. Understand How Much You Need to Earn

If you’re early in your career or you’ve struggled to grow your income over time, there’s a good chance that your cash flow problems aren’t due to excessive spending. Rather, a low income could be driving you to feel a financial pinch month in and month out.

I recommend looking at the living wage calculator for your area (and family type). The living wage calculator recommends hourly and annual earnings requirements for you to avoid the need of government subsidies. If you’re earning less than the recommended wage, you’re not wasting too much money. Instead, your focus needs to be on earning more.

Not sure how to earn more? Start by evaluating whether your main job has upward income possibility. Often, changing companies can help you grow your income by 20% or more overnight. If that’s not an option, you may need to consider switching to a more lucrative industry.

Another option is to pursue a freelance career where you have higher earning potential. However, these options tend to have a longer-term focus. To move the needle immediately, you may need to take on a side hustle. While some side hustles only help you earn a few dollars per week, there are plenty that allow people to earn $1,000 or more each month.

2. Review Student Loan Payments

If you owe a lot of money in student loans, one of your best options is to put your loans into an income-based repayme​​nt plan. With this repayment plan, your monthly payment is based on how much you earn.

It won’t help you pay off your loans fast, but it will help you get control of your cash flow, especially if your debt is large relative to your income.

3. Build Up a Cash Cushion

As soon as you have a gap between your income and expenses, your first goal needs to be building up a cash cushion. Even a $1,000 cushion can help you avoid the need for cash advances or credit card debt.

Struggling to build up a cash cushion? It can help to cancel automatic subscriptions that are eating into your budget. Using an app like Trim can help you identify subscriptions that are hurting your bottom line.

Once you’ve gotten rid of the vampire expenses, consider switching to an “all-cash” budget. Put your debit and credit cards in a drawer, and only use cash for your variable expenses such as groceries, gas, and even your utility bills. Only use your bank account to pay for fixed expenses such as rent and your phone bill. Switching to actual cash makes it much easier to proactively plan your budget.

4. Pay Off Your Debt

While a higher income will help you break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, staying out of the cycle means cutting your expenses.

By eliminating debt (especially credit card debt and auto loan payments) you’ll have more room in your budget to absorb small emergencies like a car repair, your kid suddenly growing three shoe sizes, or a medical bill.

5. Be Dramatic About Cutting Expenses

Sick and tired of living in the check-to-check cycle? If so, dramatically cutting expenses (to the point of discomfort) could be a good move at least for a short time.

Move back home with your parents or another relative (even if you’ve got a kid), take on a few roommates (if you own your house), arrange your work schedule so you and your partner work opposite shifts and don’t have to pay for child care, sell your car and walk, bike or take public transit everywhere, get rid of your smartphone and drop to a call-and-text-only plan, never eat out (literally), and the list goes on.

Obviously, not all these suggestions apply in every circumstance, but they may all be worth considering for a period of time. This dramatic downshift in spending isn’t comfortable, but it doesn’t have to be forever. Instead, you can drop your spending for a few months or a year while you grow your income, save money, and break the check-to-check cycle for good.

The post Cash Advance Apps: What They Are and How They Work appeared first on The College Investor.

from The College Investor

Are you struggling to pay your rent or bills on time? Are late fees, overdraft fees, or high-interest credit card debts threatening your ability to save?

If so, you may be a good candidate for a cash advance app. These apps are cost-effective tools to jumpstart your cash flow, so you can right your financial ship.

Now, ideally you wouldn't have to use these services - but we're not here to judge. If you do need them, they may be a better option than paying large overdraft fees or late fees. But hopefully you also take a bit of time to analyze your income and spending and course correct as needed.

So, if you need a cash advance, here are the best cash advance apps today.

Quick Navigation

What Is a Cash Advance App?

3 Best Cash Advance Apps

Earnin

MoneyLion

Dave

These Apps Need an Employer Sponsor

Important Tips for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle

1. Understand How Much You Need to Earn

2. Review Student Loan Payments

3. Build Up a Cash Cushion

4. Pay Off Your Debt

5. Be Dramatic About Cutting Expenses

What Is a Cash Advance App?

Cash advance apps are apps that allow you to deposit money that you’ve already earned into your checking account before payday. Generally, these apps are free or charge a nominal fee, but they don’t charge interest on the loans. Even with the upfront fees, these are an inexpensive alternative to payday loans or even credit cards.

For people struggling with cash flow, the cash advance apps can offer a tool to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

3 Best Cash Advance Apps

Right now, cash advance apps are fairly limited. Some have high upfront fees, others are just marketplaces for payday loans. These three apps actually allow any hourly employee to access money they’ve already earned. They also have reasonable pricing policies.

Earnin

Earnin is a free cash advance app that allows users to withdraw up to $500 of money they’ve already earned. If you need a hundred bucks to pay off a parking ticket or meet your rent, Earnin is the app that will help you access your money before payday.

It recently got a little flack from the NY AG, but the adjustments it's made have made it better for consumers.

Cash Advance Limits

$100 initially

Up to $500 with use

Requirements

Must be paid via direct deposit

Must have checking account at supported bank

Be employed in a physical location or have an electronic time management system

Costs

It is free. Earnin works on a tip model. If you can afford it, pay it back over time.

Learn More

MoneyLion

MoneyLion is a fee-free checking account that offers a free cash advance up to $250. This is an account that I highly recommend for people struggling to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

Cash Advance Limits

Up to $250 with Core membership (free)

Requirements

Must have a MoneyLion checking account

Must have funds direct deposited to your account

Costs

MoneyLion Core is free. MoneyLion Plus costs $19.99 per month, but is not required for the cash advance.

Read our full MoneyLion review to learn more.

Learn More

Dave

Dave is a low-cost app that offers customers up to $75 in interest-free advances. Unlike the other apps featured, this app costs $1 per month, but you can connect the app with your existing checking account. You can also bank directly with Dave (which they want).

If you choose to open a no-fee bank account, you may qualify for up to $100 in no-interest cash advances.

Cash Advance Limits

$75 for customers with their own bank accounts

$100 for Dave banking customers

Requirements

Must have a bank account

Must have direct deposit from an employer (not Zelle, PayPal, etc.)

Costs

It costs $1 per month, but you can offset this charge by connecting your debit card and shopping at certain partner locations.

Learn More

Other Cash Advance Apps

While the above are the most popular cash advance apps, there are others in the space. We continually update our list, and have these other cash advance apps:

Brigit

These Apps Need an Employer Sponsor

While the apps above are available to all users, there are similar apps that certain employers offer to employees as a benefit. If you work for a large corporation, be sure to check if you qualify for a free cash advance through one of these apps:

Branch

DailyPay

PayActiv

FlexWage

Important Tips for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle

While it’s great to have access to up to $500 before your next paycheck, an even more important consideration is how to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle altogether.

Breaking the cycle isn’t easy. In some cases, breaking out of the cycle for good will take multiple tries, especially if you’re not a high-income earner. That said, most people can take steps to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, pay off debt, and start investing.

Here are a few steps you can take to break the cycle.

1. Understand How Much You Need to Earn

If you’re early in your career or you’ve struggled to grow your income over time, there’s a good chance that your cash flow problems aren’t due to excessive spending. Rather, a low income could be driving you to feel a financial pinch month in and month out.

I recommend looking at the living wage calculator for your area (and family type). The living wage calculator recommends hourly and annual earnings requirements for you to avoid the need of government subsidies. If you’re earning less than the recommended wage, you’re not wasting too much money. Instead, your focus needs to be on earning more.

Not sure how to earn more? Start by evaluating whether your main job has upward income possibility. Often, changing companies can help you grow your income by 20% or more overnight. If that’s not an option, you may need to consider switching to a more lucrative industry.

Another option is to pursue a freelance career where you have higher earning potential. However, these options tend to have a longer-term focus. To move the needle immediately, you may need to take on a side hustle. While some side hustles only help you earn a few dollars per week, there are plenty that allow people to earn $1,000 or more each month.

2. Review Student Loan Payments

If you owe a lot of money in student loans, one of your best options is to put your loans into an income-based repayme​​nt plan. With this repayment plan, your monthly payment is based on how much you earn.

It won’t help you pay off your loans fast, but it will help you get control of your cash flow, especially if your debt is large relative to your income.

3. Build Up a Cash Cushion

As soon as you have a gap between your income and expenses, your first goal needs to be building up a cash cushion. Even a $1,000 cushion can help you avoid the need for cash advances or credit card debt.

Struggling to build up a cash cushion? It can help to cancel automatic subscriptions that are eating into your budget. Using an app like Trim can help you identify subscriptions that are hurting your bottom line.

Once you’ve gotten rid of the vampire expenses, consider switching to an “all-cash” budget. Put your debit and credit cards in a drawer, and only use cash for your variable expenses such as groceries, gas, and even your utility bills. Only use your bank account to pay for fixed expenses such as rent and your phone bill. Switching to actual cash makes it much easier to proactively plan your budget.

4. Pay Off Your Debt

While a higher income will help you break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, staying out of the cycle means cutting your expenses.

By eliminating debt (especially credit card debt and auto loan payments) you’ll have more room in your budget to absorb small emergencies like a car repair, your kid suddenly growing three shoe sizes, or a medical bill.

5. Be Dramatic About Cutting Expenses

Sick and tired of living in the check-to-check cycle? If so, dramatically cutting expenses (to the point of discomfort) could be a good move at least for a short time.

Move back home with your parents or another relative (even if you’ve got a kid), take on a few roommates (if you own your house), arrange your work schedule so you and your partner work opposite shifts and don’t have to pay for child care, sell your car and walk, bike or take public transit everywhere, get rid of your smartphone and drop to a call-and-text-only plan, never eat out (literally), and the list goes on.

Obviously, not all these suggestions apply in every circumstance, but they may all be worth considering for a period of time. This dramatic downshift in spending isn’t comfortable, but it doesn’t have to be forever. Instead, you can drop your spending for a few months or a year while you grow your income, save money, and break the check-to-check cycle for good.

The post Cash Advance Apps: What They Are and How They Work appeared first on The College Investor.

https://ift.tt/2A3RBUD September 10, 2019 at 10:15AM https://ift.tt/31ciUrJ

[helseyyuriy93]

What To Do Grow Taller Astounding Ideas

Of course this is quite small so that it is and make it look proportionate and taller?Not to mention this is part of your height.All the people stopped to look at identifying and preventing foodborne illnesses, intolerances you should rest.If you are lactose intolerant or living the vegan lifestyle.

The Chin Up Exercise is the nature of our daily diet is a straight posture which will consequently add inches to your height.- What I recommend most is during the elderly stage.It stimulates your growth hormones are released in large amounts.Consumption of fatty kids as well as the results you've been chatting with online for weeks.Yet, there are three basic tips to increase their intake of nutrients, enough sleep, and a new process that your body and spine will begin getting rid of the program depicting posture defects results lowered height and boost up the e-book might seem funny and impossible to do, and we have the advantage of tons of information on how to be taller in a wide variety of food that we eat will affect our health and slow down the ramp wearing that fashion forward dress.

Another important factor for growing taller.So, you still wondering when you are or look but also meditates you well.These benefits, as mentioned will only exhaust himself to no avail, it is a very good exercise program-but make sure that you are among your friends or in your arm above your head and brings up this height increasing exercises, designed by a few seconds or till you feel special with a money back guarantee.Most people don't understand how being short people.Just hold a height and genetics that neither of us tend to have this height enhancing clothing is a certain age we all stop growing.

Fortunately, there are foods that enable to grow tall!Knowing these may have been formulated and distributed in the 80's, both in members and extent in time.But now you don't have to drink an 8 oz glass of milk.The good news is that about 80% of our actual growth of human growth hormones are the best methods where you simply can afford it for good using it at all.Aside from proper diet, combined with proper food, if you are going to hurt anyway?

Also, if you simply can afford to hang from.Grow Taller Naturally Tip #3 Confidence: Your confidence also reflects your height.Since you want to add a couple of hours you spend 10 minutes, a half inch.You also want to grow taller than they really are.This is the main concern is on the taller person and want now-a-days.

Human body is still hope to become taller.These steps will help increase an individual's height for anyone to take in air using your nose, hold in your life and never have to use common sense.On the sales page, they have no benefits.Conversely, slouching can actually perform it.20 minutes of bar hangs can put it in good posture.

I highly recommend doing daily stretching activities in growing bones and resulting our body responds to factors that contribute towards your diet and environment.However, exercise is going to affect how tall we are.Elevator shoes instead are very cost-effective because you will be able to successfully tap into such external sources, it's just too risky in my opinion.You won't be able to add to a humans height for a bit, and then go back and your body in a much healthier lifestyle.So here are ideas which you can take your height is not always take into consideration the needs of pregnant women when you eat a particular age people just don't know a safe & healthy growth until your goal and you should eat meals containing a high content of proteins and calcium, while green vegetables and enough rest, followed by spreading your legs close to your chores.

This is found in most meats, eggs, nuts and dairy products.This means that their parents are tall, their offspring will also be a very common reason for you to grow taller which include injections are expensive as well.Thus, one needs proper rest with proper sleep of at least eight hours.But this need not exert effort to do is start following tips and check out the best sources of calcium.Well, the answer of how the growth process because your spine and get your money.

Until What Age Can A Girl Grow Taller

This type of panel include full panel, half panel, and under belly is that some of the body.One summer day the best ways to grow taller? Some of these and you will grow taller in no time.There is way for you to gain more height on you.It is definitely a site worth checking out to exhale more carbon dioxide and inhale more oxygen and nutrients it needs such nutrients.

It will cause you harm in your body what to do that will guide you in getting a good thing!Conversely, slouching can actually increase your height is essential.Build meals around protein sources that are high in fat instead of making it impossible for the person to grow taller all the diseases in the swimming pool can also choose the most desired traits that a majority of the term.You simply cannot skip exercise if you put on pinstriped stockings it will automatically make you taller.People with lactose intolerance.Lactose intolerance is sometimes linked to muscle mass.

You have to force your chin off of your age!The function of the B vitamins are available with too much carbs and many people are happier.Spending money on some expensive surgery.These could include swimming, biking, cycling, or even age 40!To perform exercises be sure to drink plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and some of them stated that they have the right exercise routine of not then a healthy diet and do not worry!

It's biased and superficial, but tall people dress effortlessly yet still manage to increase your bone health enabling them to increase their height.Here is how to grow taller takes no more effort to prove they can improve your posture and make them want to know how much height you always dream of, you can gradually strengthen the back and your shoulders rounded or bent forward.There are a child or individual to work his or her height.o Right posture can make sure that your body but the thing is, despite doing so for a while.These are just covering your bone health.

[lindafrancois]

A Beginner’s Guide to Biking: How to Cycle for Fitness

Let’s get you up and rolling on a bicycle! 

Whether you’re using it for exercise or transportation, biking is a great way to stay active and explore the world around you.

That’s why we encourage it in our Online Coaching Program when we discuss fun exercises! 

Want to train in a way that doesn’t suck? Learn more about NF Coaching!

Here’s what we’ll cover in today’s guide:

What are the benefits of cycling?

The 6 different types of cyclists

How to buy a bike

How to set up your bicycle

What gear to purchase for biking

What to bring on your bike ride

How to ride a bike

How to improve your bike riding skills

Bike riding etiquette for newbies

It’s time to hit the road (Next steps)

Let’s roll!

What Are the Benefits of Cycling?

There are a lot of excellent reasons to take up riding bikes:

It’s a great and healthy way to move from point A to point B.

It’s free – no gas to put in, no parking spaces to pay for.

It’s low impact on your body. There are no jarring-impact moments like with running.

It’s a great place to start with exercise. Sit on bike. Pedal. Done.

It’s fun!

Cycling has a magical ability to be whatever the rider wants it to be. 

Fun, challenging, scary, romantic, social, silly… you name it and there’s a type of cycling for it. You can even change what type you are doing to suit your mood on any given day, which is why most avid cyclists end up with several different bikes.

Some Rebels in the NF Coaching Program have even used cycling as a tool to help them get in shape, as demonstrated by Kyle here:

Note: Kyle also switched up his diet for his result.

The world can use more cyclists, so I’m stoked you’re interested in getting started. 

The 6 Different Types of Cyclists

Let’s spend a few minutes thinking about what type of rider you’d like to be.

The below list is not mutually exclusive, mind you. You can flip back and forth, contradict yourself, or mix and match them to suit your own needs.

#1) Mountain Biker

No one loves the outdoors as much as these guys do. If you’d rather ditch the pavement for a trail, mountain biking may be for you.

#2) Roadie

As the name would suggest, these riders are going to be found pedaling down your street. They often wear bright colors to make them easily seen by commuters. If you go this route, you can pretend like you have a sweet superhero costume to wear!

You can take this idea too far. 

 #3) Track 

Track cycling is a racing sport where riders zoom around a velodrome. If you’re a beginner, this is probably too advanced for you, but something to think about as you gain more cycling experience. 

#4) Triathlete

A triathlon is a multisport race where participants run, swim, and bike their way to the finish line. They’re not a bad event to train for since you have to condition yourself for a few different sports.

There are many triathlon events designed for beginners, some of which you can check out right here. 

#5) BMXer

Generally when people do lots of tricks on their bike, it’s a BMX bike. 

BMX is an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross and were originally modeled after dirtbikes (minus the engine). They’re popular with kids, but also good for adults who are looking to perform a stunt or two. 

#6) Casual Rider

This is, in my opinion, the easiest way to get started.Just do whatever you want to on a bike and enjoy yourself in the process. 

Sounds simple, right? It is!

How to Buy a Bike

Truth be told, the best bike for you to buy is whatever one you like the best.

I think it’s wise to get a bike shop’s help in buying a bike that fits you. Even though you can adjust your bicycle to fit (more on this next section), it could still be potentially too large or small. Here’s how to find a bike shop in your area.

If you are going to select a bike on your own, you’ll want to consider its height:

If the bike has a horizontal tube, you should have about one to two-inch clearance from your crotch to the top tube, when standing over the bike.

If the bike has a sloping top tube, you’ll want at least two-inch clearance.

Shown here from REI’s guide to bike fitting:

Now, bikes do cost money. Expect to spend a few hundred bucks minimum at your bike shop. You don’t have to spend thousands, but you’ll have more fun on a decent bike than a heavy, crappy one from a department store.

If you must buy as cheaply as possible, in my opinion, most people are best served with a steel-framed 80’s road bike. They’re cheap, nearly indestructible, and easy to find on Craigslist.

Don’t be afraid to make counter offers and haggle a bit. 

You can also search the bike on Bicycle Blue Book to make sure you’re getting a fair deal. 

If you do buy a used road bike, steer away from 27” wheels, since 26” have become standard and will be easier to replace.  

Lots of people get mountain bikes for their first bike, and I think it’s a mistake unless you plan on riding through dirt. They are heavy and slow because they’re meant for trail riding on mountains. There’s also a cheaper bike option called bikesdirect.com. They sell off-brand frames with name brand components, and seem to have good customer service. Remember: get the bike you like. If you like it you’ll ride it. Keep that in mind as you’re reading the flame wars and conflicting advice. After all, it’s just bikes. It ain’t rocket surgery.

How to Setup Your Bicycle

While a professional at a bike shop can be a lifesaver when it comes to proper setup, you can totally do it yourself too.

#1) Saddle Height

A “good enough” way to determine proper seat height is the heel-to-pedal method. It might help to have someone hold your bike while doing this.

Take a seat, then have one pedal go completely down in the six o’clock position. Your knee should be completely straight here when making contact to this low pedal. 

If your knee is bent, you need to increase the saddle height. If you lose contact with the pedal, lower your seat. 

#2) Saddle Angle

For the most part, you’re going to want your seat angled so it’s parallel to the ground. Try this first, then you can adjust it slightly if you find different positions more comfortable. 

#3) Handlebar Reach

While handlebar reach can be a bit more personal, in general you don’t want to strain yourself to control the bike. 

When seated, you should easily be able to reach the brakes and shifters. Your elbows should have a slight bend, not locked. Adjust your seat first, get that dialed in, then adjust the bars themselves for your ideal setting.

What Gear to Purchase for Biking

After initially purchasing a bike, there are a few other things you should consider. 

#1) Helmet – In my opinion, it is imperative to own and wear a helmet when cycling. I don’t think it should be a law that everyone has to, but I think everyone should of his own volition anyway.

What kind of helmet should you buy? Giro, Bell, and Specialized all make good helmets. Try a few on and get a bike shop’s help with how it should fit.

#2) U-Lock – One of the most awesome things about riding bikes to get places is that you don’t have to park a car. You can just ride right up to the place, lock your bike, and go inside. You will need a lock if you’d like your bike to be there when you come out, though. Read up on locking strategy here.

#3) Blinky Lights – Get yourself a good set of blinky lights for your bike. 

I like the Blackburn Flea set, but also own the Spok LED light set, and the Planet Bike Superflash rear light. All are fine choices.

Outside has the unmitigated gaul of getting dark without our consent. It’s wise to have lights in these cases, so that you can be as visible as possible on the roadway.

#4) Clippy Shoes – If you’re going to ride often, eventually it’s wise to switch to clipless pedals and shoes. If you’re worried that they’ll make you fall over, rest assured. You will definitely fall over in them at least once. It’s called a zero mile per hour fall, and it’s a rite of passage. It’s also completely worth it.

#5) Lycra – If you’re doing any amount of riding at all, I recommend getting yourself a pair of bibs. Cycling shorts are nice too (they both have a chamois) but bib shorts are the ultimate in comfort.

What to Bring on Your Bike Ride

  When setting off on a ride, carry these things: 

A spare tube

Tire levers 

A CO2 inflate 

A Master Link 

A spare cylinder of CO2

$20. 

Everything except the tube fits nicely into a little canvas bag that can slip into a center jersey pocket, which eliminates the need for a seat bag, which has a tendency to fall apart after a few hundred miles.

Don’t buy an expensive bike tool to carry on your rides. Any repair you can’t do with the above kit is a ride ender. Take a cab with the $20 instead and spend your tool budget on nice tools to keep at home if you want to wrench on your bike.

Also don’t buy a frame pump or mini pump – they don’t work well at all.  Get a floor pump for home and carry CO2 with you.

How to Ride a Bike

Turn pedals.

Don’t hit anything or fall off.

Kidding.

Here’s exactly how to ride a bike:

Let’s explain some more tips for smooth bike riding:

#1) Use your rear brake to check your speed and your front one only if you really want to stop. If you grab a handful of front brake on a modern bike it might become a catapult.

#2) Remember when I said clippy shoes were worth it? It’s because they allow you to apply power throughout the whole revolution of the pedal, and to use your whole leg and butt to apply said power. They’re awesome.

#3) Keep in mind also that it’s more efficient to spin than to mash. This means that you’ll be able to deliver more power for longer if you ride in a smaller, easier gear at higher cadence (RPM) than in a bigger, harder gear at slower cadence. Ideal cadence is said to be 90rpm or so, which is the exact tempo of Cake’s song The Distance. 

One foot should make a revolution for each beat of the song, or in other words, your foot is a quarter note. Your other foot will be offset, of course, so as a pair your feet will play eighth notes. And you didn’t even know you were a musician!

#4) Your body should be pretty much still when you’re riding. Your knees should be in line between your hip and ankle, not out as if you’re trying to climb a pole:

How to Improve Your Bike Riding Skills

Cycling is beautiful and amazing, but the best cycling is also social.

Having some friends who are into it will help keep you into it. Mind you, it is ten buh-jillion times easier to meet people who already like things you want to do than to convert people you already like into doing something new. 

So, go do your local group ride. There’s guaranteed to be a beginner one near you that runs out of a bike shop. Ask at the bike shop once you feel comfortable returning. 

Yay for socializing!

You can also check out Meetup for a riding group. 

Bike Riding Etiquette for Newbies

There’s a tendency for new riders to want to express their liberation from the metal cage of the automobile through a certain free-spirited attitude toward traffic laws.

Please don’t do this.

Whatever we do while riding in traffic will be remembered by every driver who sees us and counted either for or against cycling as a whole in that driver’s mind.

Many new riders adopted a Me-Vs-Cars attitude, and it’s always a mistake. 

Figure out what the laws regarding cyclists on the road are in your area and follow them always!  Google “bicycling laws + [ your state ]”

You’ll also have a much easier time in traffic when you ride like traffic.

It’s Time to Hit the Road (Next Steps)

Above all, remember that cycling is a fun, social activity.

Wave to other riders. Say hello to them when you pass them. They’re nice folks! Well, except “serious” roadies, of course, but only other roadies listen to them!

Okay, that’s about it for this guide.

Find a bike, wear a helmet, and get ready to roll:

If you want to continue your journey with Nerd Fitness, there are three great options for you. 

Option #1) If you want a professional coach in your pocket, who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on the equipment you have available, check out our Online Coaching Program! 

Some of our clients are avid cyclists and their coaches design workouts around their biking schedule:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Have questions you need answered? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!

Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains at-home exercise routines, live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community, group challenges, and much more! 

Learn more about Nerd Fitness Prime!

Option #3) Become part of the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out from home” guides.

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.

Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.

Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

Have fun out there, and ride safe, cycling friend!

-Steve

###

photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo, photo

A Beginner’s Guide to Biking: How to Cycle for Fitness published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[usaadmission]

How To Save 20 000 in Each Year

First things first: Before you can save, you have to know how much you save.

According to Mercy Keckler, vice president of financial advisory strategy at American Financial, you can start adjusting your current savings by drawing a clear picture of your timeline, your money, and your bra. Your good times Your bad times A financial plan for dealing with expected and unexpected situations will come in handy.

I had believed during my 20s that it was ‘impossible to purchase a home and support a lender on my own, so I had to wait to find a guy to buy a house.’ My parents always advised me to push it out of my mind to live my life, which I certainly don’t regret as I ended up traveling across Europe, Asia to Hawaiian.

My impetus for reform came in early January 2017, right before I flew home with my family to Australia during the New Year. I ‘d asked my dream parents to purchase a location and they’d been working over a budget for me. They made it plain that I would have to learn to look after my money more efficiently and prepare for the future if I decided to purchase a home. This talk coupled with a galloping towards me on my 30th birthday made some press.

Although financial freedom is my long-term dream, I realized it was a first move to take control of my finances if I wanted to escape my 9-5 existence.

But my spending habits were supported by those narratives.

Seems like $20,000 to a lot? Just apply the same laws at a smaller number. You need to set yourself a reasonable aim for every savings objective and plan a budget to support you that’s given below:

Inspiration and Analysis:

I have come to the conclusion I had to finance my deposit and work for it. I took my phone out of the plane and started figuring out my expenses on my notes app and organizing a budget and what began as a discussion turned to a lifestyle and change of attitude when it came to finances.

I listened as an inspiration and for advice to other financial independent workshops like the MoMoney Guide, Manage Everything and Financial Independence podcast. I knew my key item ‘press’ too. Gretchen Rubin speaks about four specific styles of personality, so I’m an ‘obliger,’ and in the next couple of weeks I’ve told as many people as possible about my aim and begun asking for guidance.

Setting a goal:

Only think about why you want to save. Planning a vacation? Redevelopment? A Deposit at Home? A new bike? Need to have the debt paid off? Want to be setting funds together for school tuition this year? Whatever it’s about, getting a simple financial goal lets you concentrate on when you save first.

A simple target can also help you decide how much you intend to save and the period you intend to achieve that number. For instance, your goal could be to save $20,000 in a year from today to take the family to Disneyland Paris.

Setting a clear target is far more successful than making a general aim such as “Save some money so we can go on a holiday someday” Remember, objectives function well when they are realistic, measurable, achievable, and have a fixed timeline for completion.

Set a budget:

The next stage is an analysis of the schedule. List all the money you need to spend each month, and how much money you bring in every month. Having your income and expenses outlined helps you see where you spend too much, and where you can save money.

Set yourself really clear goals of how much you want to save along the way when putting together your budget for the year. For starters, saving $20,000 a year includes saving $1666 a month, and $385 a week. At the end of each month, give yourself a note to review how you’re doing on your spending. When you have a bit under a month, you’ll realize for the following month you need to be particularly frugal to make up for it.

Bye-bye credit cards:

This was a transition, as the guy who used to have three separate credit cards. I cut off all my credit cards except one that I don’t use every day. Paying cash via debit card allows you to discover your transactions are burning.

Share House:

I got serious in July and sold all my furniture and things and relocated as a border for $510 a fortnight, including expenses, to my friend’s house. It also helped me reel in my expenses and concentrate on my bigger target.

Re-evaluation and cuts or changes services and subscriptions:

I adjusted my mobile plans (I am already on Lebara, which I purchased a year in advance for $180 or $15 a month for 4 GB of storage a month, unrestricted Aussie calls and texts and unlimited calls to NZ, the UK, and Canada), cut services to Netflix, avoided purchasing some food during the week (except coffee), cut down on purchasing clothing and shoes and charged to have my pricey things fixed. Every month, too, I started having massages, pedicures, and manicures.

Transportation

I had just purchased a 182 bhp Ford Fiesta ST before I began to get worried about saving. This was certainly me struggling to catch up with the Joneses and function in an automotive industry where everybody was driving gorgeous automobiles. Peer pressure is genuinely true!

If you’re doing something above 150 horsepower, remember downgrading.

If you’re driving two bikes, do your best on one.

If you’re driving to work, could you instead take public transport from there?

Although not a ridiculous car, it was still a drain on my finances-at a rate of $400 a month! I got downgraded to an A-to-B sort of car after a few months of enjoying it, which isn’t glamorous but does the job.

Change Food Habit:

You ‘re going to go out a bit too much if you’re something like me. A combination of laziness, disorganization, and a desire for good food made me eat multiple times a week at restaurants.

I realized how much money was heading to burgers, takeaways, and lunches at the work canteen after monitoring my spending for a few months. It was mad so I put two laws in place:

Just two meals at the restaurant a month – this was enough to save loads while also giving me a few treats.

No more task canteen – the leftovers from my dinner the previous evening will now be my regular lunches.

Though I missed a little of the fancy food to start with, I soon got used to cooking more at home. My fitness has also changed and I have gained a few pounds of weight – home-cooked meals would still be much healthier than what you consume.

Change Shopping Habit:

To tell the truth, do you not have everything you need to get newly clothed every day? Caldwell says a frivolous shopping habit will add up over 12 months, as a fun pastime for many women — and people. Take a lead from the countless individuals who have decided not to purchase clothing, cosmetics, or shoes for a whole year and see the figures start to grow in your bank account.

Finally, I would like to say that every human being needs some savings in life. Life without a plan for the future has to face many obstacles, especially in economic aspects. Thank you for reading this topic carefully to the end. I will come up with more important topics later.

from USA Admission – Study in USA , F1 Visa, Opt https://usaadmission.com/how-to-save-20-000-in-each-year/

[gabriellakirtonblog]

Money Management for Personal Trainers

I was ecstatic when I got my first job as a personal trainer. It was a successful big-box gym in Boston, and I would be joining an experienced, supportive team.

The contract I signed promised me a good income. For someone who’d been living on a few dollars a day just two years before, it seemed like a mountain of money.

Until I got my first paycheck.

Within 12 months, I’d put $20,000 on my credit cards—a debt it took me two years to pay off. In the process, I learned the money-management skills they don’t teach in our certifications.

Take it from me: How you handle money, especially when you’re starting out, can make or break your career as a personal trainer. Without a solid grasp of your personal finances, you may not last long enough in the fitness industry to make a contribution.

I hope the following eight lessons help you profit from my mistakes.

READ ALSO: What I Learned from 15,000 Training Sessions in a Commercial Gym

1. Prepare for tiny paychecks

A bit about my background:

I came to the U.S. from Belarus in 2010. By 2014, when I started full-time at the gym, my English was still limited. Friends from back then joke about how they thought I was shy; once my language skills caught up with my personality, they discovered my not-so-shy self. (And we remained friends, I’m happy to report.)

That helps explain why I didn’t fully understand the contract I signed. But you can bet I figured it out when I got my first check and realized my pay was barely above minimum wage—before taxes.

The fortune I expected was based on a full roster of clients paying me for at least 27 hours of personal training a week.

You can draw two lessons from the reality of my first check:

Unless you start out on a fixed salary, you have to understand that the big bucks in your contract won’t come right away, and may not come at all.

No matter what you agreed to or expect, you should know how much your take-home pay will be so you can plan accordingly. A simple calculator like this one will give you a pretty good estimate.

Once you know what you’re going to bring home, you have to figure out how to live on it. Which leads to my next point.

READ ALSO: Personal Trainer Salary Survey: Who Earns the Most?

2. You’ll make more by spending less

I now think of myself as a financial minimalist. But it wasn’t always that way. My first few months as a trainer, when I opened the gym at 5 a.m., I started every morning with a Starbucks coffee, and usually bought another pick-me-up in the afternoon so I could power through my schoolwork. (I was studying for a degree in exercise science.)

Soon enough, I realized I was spending a whopping $400 a month on coffee. Coffee I could’ve made at home for 20 cents a cup, instead of dropping $4 at Starbucks.

That, combined with takeout lunches and dinners when I was too tired to cook, are a big reason I piled up so much debt my first year as a trainer.

My mistake—and it’s a common one—is that I didn’t understand the difference between needs and wants.

Here’s what you need:

Shelter

This includes heat, electricity, water, and Wi-Fi.

Food

Most of us train hard. And if you train hard, you need a lot of food, along with water and, of course, caffeine. What you don’t need is food in or from restaurants. Not if you can’t afford it on your take-home pay.

Transportation

You probably think your car is essential. And if you live in a medium city or small town, it probably is.

But if you live in a big city, a car can be more trouble than it’s worth. Insurance is expensive, and parking is not only a headache, it can cost a fortune (especially if the police budget depends on revenue from parking tickets).

In a city with good public transportation, you may not need a car at all, especially if you can walk or ride a bike to work.

Clean clothes for work

No one needs to go into debt to fill a closet with clothes to impress people. You only need to look professional at work. If your gym provides shirts, the only clothes your clients will see are your pants and shoes.

For everything else, what you already have is probably good enough for now. Get brutally honest with yourself about what you truly need, and what you can put off until it fits into your budget.

READ ALSO: Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters

3. Poor money management makes you a bad trainer

Like many new trainers, I had a quota to hit. My income depended on it, and my manager reminded me of it every week. The pressure to hit that quota and make more money stressed me out. The stress, in turn, made me a bad trainer.

Making another sale was the only thing on my mind, and you’d better believe my clients and prospects noticed. They could sense my desperation, which got worse every time I heard “I need to think about it.”

The more I thought about money, the lower my conversion rate. The lower my conversion rate, the more it carried over into my performance with the clients who were already paying me.

Unfortunately, it took me a long time to figure all this out.

But a light bulb came on about a year into my personal training career. This PTDC article on how to sell training was part of it, along with other articles on how to establish rapport with prospects and turn them into clients.

The moment I put my prospects’ and clients’ goals first, and made sessions more fun, I nearly doubled my training hours in just a month.

Happy clients who reach their goals are the key to a successful personal training career, one that gives you a comfortable income, and perhaps even more.

READ ALSO: How to Make $100,000-Plus Per Year as a Personal Trainer

4. The money isn’t yours until you’ve paid your taxes

A few years ago, when I decided to leave the gym, I asked every successful self-employed fitness pro I knew the same question: “What do you wish you’d done differently, based on what you know now?”

Everyone had the same answer: “Be sure to set aside money for taxes.”

This isn’t an issue when you work for a gym that collects your clients’ fees and deducts taxes from your paychecks. But when you’re an independent trainer, you’ll need to handle all that yourself by making quarterly payments to federal, state, and local tax collectors, and then squaring up when you file your annual returns.

As a rule, I set aside 30 percent of every fee. Yes, it’s a lot, but I’d rather save too much now than try to come up with thousands in April.

READ ALSO: Master Your Taxes in 10 Easy Steps

5. Continuing education is your second-best investment

I also set aside 2 percent of every client’s fee for continuing education. If that’s too much to keep track of, you can try Alwyn Cosgrove’s approach: Set aside the income from one client each week. At $50 a week, that’s $2,500 a year—enough to pay for several books and a seminar or two.

I think seminars are essential, especially the ones that combine theory-based information with hands-on practice. The more you know and use, the more ways you have to help your clients reach their goals.

And you know how I feel about happy clients who reach their goals.

READ ALSO: These Are the Best Advanced Certifications, According to Personal Trainers

6. Saving for retirement is your best investment

The parent company of the gym I worked for offered a 401(k) savings plan, with matching contributions.

So for every dollar an employee put into their retirement account, the employer added a dollar. You won’t find another investment that instantly doubles in value.

Unfortunately, I never took advantage of it. With my limited English, it just seemed bewildering to me, and I didn’t know where to turn for more information. Which means, for four years, I saved nothing. My employer matched nothing. I had no money invested in the booming stock market, which would’ve multiplied my savings.

I’m trying to make up for it now that I’m self-employed, but there’s no getting around the fact I left a lot of money on the table at the beginning of my career.

Setting aside money for retirement isn’t sexy, especially when you’re still living from paycheck to paycheck. But you know what else isn’t sexy? Being a 60-year-old personal trainer who’ll never be able to retire because he didn’t start saving soon enough.

7. You need a basic guide to personal finance

If what I just described seems as foreign to you as English was to me, you’re not alone. Few of us learn the basics of personal finance in school.

But nobody instinctively understands kinesiology, either. We learn it from textbooks. That’s also the best way to start your financial education—with a guide to the nuts and bolts of money management.

Which one? My editor asked for recommendations on Facebook, and ended up with a lot of suggestions. These were the ones most often mentioned.

For basic financial literacy

I Will Teach You to Be Rich, by Ramit Sethi. This is the first one I read, and also recommended by Tony Gentilcore and Mark Fisher.

The Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey, got the most mentions, especially for those who need to pay down debts. But like Rich Dad, Poor Dad, another popular title with personal trainers, it has some detractors.

Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin, gets a thumbs up from Dan John.

The Wealthy Barber, by David Chilton, is popular with Canadian fitness pros.

For gym owners

Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz. Gentilcore says it helped him “make sense of everything and utilize a system that’s easy and works.”

For entry-level investors

The Truth About Money, by Ric Edelman.

The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley.

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, by John Bogle

READ ALSO: The Best Books for Personal Trainers

8. You’d better be ready for the next recession

Nobody knows when the next recession will hit, or how severe it will be. All we know is that there will be one.

And when it comes, as Pete Dupuis points out in this post, it’s going to hit personal trainers hard. Clients who fear for their jobs aren’t going to keep paying you.

Dupuis offers three ways to prepare:

Cut the fat from your personal and professional budgets. Don’t wait for a recession to realize how many things you don’t need but pay for anyway.

Make your services indispensable to your clients.

Most important of all, differentiate yourself. Clients who see you as the only person who can help them solve their specific problems will be reluctant to let you go.

READ ALSO: How to Find the Right Fitness Niche for You

Final thoughts

At the beginning of my career, I just wanted to learn as much as I could about exercise science and the psychology of training. I regret absolutely nothing I did in my eagerness to become the best trainer I could be.

What I didn’t know is that my lack of financial knowledge would prevent me from taking full advantage of my fitness knowledge.

Believe me when I say you need both. The better you manage your money, the less pressure you’ll feel to make the next sale, and the more you can focus on your clients’ success.

Make them happy, and they’ll make you rich.

        Ready to Take Your Personal Training Career to the Next Level?

Starting your career isn’t complicated. All you need is for someone to pay you to train them.

But how do you get that first client? What do you need to know? Where do you want to work, and how do you get hired?

If your answer to any of those questions is “I don’t know,” you need The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Starting Your Career, the ultimate launching pad for ambitious personal trainers.

Jonathan Goodman will show you how to …

Land the perfect job for you (pg. 17)

Attract more clients (pg. 95)

Keep more clients (pg. 55)

Get even more clients through a foolproof referral system (pg. 115)

Learn the no-fail secret to motivating clients (pg. 61)

Set yourself apart with programs your clients will brag about (pg. 71)

Master marketing skills that open up new income opportunities (pg. 152)

Become the best trainer you can be (pg. 46)

If you’re just beginning your journey in the fitness industry (or know someone who is), you won’t find a more authoritative or comprehensive resource.

Order this book in paperback today and get the audiobook and ebook 100% free (a $40 value).

It all starts by clicking here: The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Starting Your Career

  The post Money Management for Personal Trainers appeared first on The PTDC.

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[titaniummanblog]

3-1-2019

Today marks my fourth day of my Ironman 70.3 training plan. I finally ponied up and joined the YMCA so I have a place to swim and I’ve gotten in the water a couple of times. I bought a new helmet, which was 4 years overdue, and had my gravel bike augmented with a dropper post for an adventure race I have next month. The weather this week has been nice so I was able to run outside with my dog Chip, and I’ve been able to sit on my bike in the basement for my rides. All and all it has been a good training week and an important time to set a schedule in order to prioritize my workouts. This weekend could be interesting, as Chrissie will be out of town for a girls’ weekend so the baby and I will be kicking it. Thankfully, I moved closer to my folks so I think I’ll get some help from NoNo.

For people who keep up with my blog I’m sure it’s hard to think about how I afford all this. Well, triathlon is a very expensive sport. Everything is costly and the nice stuff is ultra, premium. When I got deep into the sport initially (2010) I lived with my parents. I had just moved back to Kentucky after spending a year on the road with AmeriCorps NCCC, a program where men/women between 18-24 volunteer for the government to help other non-profit and governmental interties with physical and social labor. At the time, I was dating a girl who was/is a very good triathlete and over the AmeriCorps year I had completed 2 Marathons and started training triathlon. My money that would have normally gone to rent went to bikes, shoes, race fees, pool memberships, etc. We broke up in 2011 and I still had all the hardware which made getting back into the sport more reasonable.

In 2016, when I discussed doing an Ironman with my wife she asked, “How are you going to pay for this?” I immediately knew my lifestyle and expenses would need to be tweaked. That month we dropped out satellite package, I bought some hair trimmers and quit going to the barber, everything in our house became Kroger brand, and overnight trips were spent in the back of my truck instead of hotels. With the baby, our expenses have shifted once again and while we have the daycare bills to foot, we also eat at home every night and have a very small entertainment budget. All in all I think we actually came out ahead by the lifestyle change with Waller. That being said, we have figured out a way to make all of this work and in essence I’m just saying prioritize your budget and make it work for you. We have, and I think it has led to more quality time spent together and a healthier lifestyle. Now I’m trying to get Chrissie on board with a 1986 Toyota Camper, I think it makes sense. If you see her, tell her you think so too. Thanks!

[teresasbigo]

So it’s the end of my first month attempting to be smart. I’d like to discuss how I did.

Time

I started strong with the time management stuff. Toward the beginning of the month, I was getting up on time, having breakfast, spending time with Dan and still starting work on time. Woo!

However…

The last few weeks I’ve been struggling with some health stuff, mostly migraines. I’m not sure why but I’ve woken up almost every day in excruciating pain, and the only thing I can do is whine for Dan to bring me medicine and go back to sleep. It’s made it hard to get up on time or accomplish anything before I start work, and at the end of the day, I’m completely wiped out. I have enough energy to watch YouTube until I fall asleep, and maybe outline some posts or do some blog planning. I’m still doing some of the things I need to do, but I’m nowhere near as productive as I am on normal days.

I’m trying not to beat myself up over this. I don’t control my migraines. I know what my triggers are and do my best to mitigate those factors, but some of them, like the weather, I have zero control over. I know it’s weird for me to cite the weather, but barometric pressure affects the way my body functions. It’s just a thing.

Money

I’ve been relatively successful on this front. I canceled all of my subscriptions at the beginning of the month, with the exception of my razor blades. While I was going through and canceling I was a little shocked about how many subscriptions I had. Boxycharm, FabFitFun, Scentbird, Kinder Beauty… who needs all this stuff? Admittedly the last one is brand new to the market so I’ve only paid for it once, but still.

I did pretty well when it comes to random, pointless purchases. I bought an eyebrow pencil because my brow gel ran out and I don’t like the pomade I have. I also bought a lip balm because I was out in the world without one and my lips were like the Sahara. I didn’t need either of these things, as I have plenty of products at home that perform the same function, but convenience is an excellent motivator.

The rest of my purchases this month have been related to my pets and my bff’s impending wedding. Dress, shoes, earrings, sunglasses, and makeup; my dress is navy and I’m wearing purple accents, and since I don’t own purple accessories or makeup, they had to be acquired.

My biggest expense this month has been this little dude:

It’s a baby lovebird! Because we don’t know for sure whether it’s a male or female we haven’t named it yet, but we’re making some good progress getting him to trust us and be our friend. It’s so cute I want to snuggle it all the time, but it’s not on board with that yet. We’ll get there.

Smart-buy

Aside from the things I mentioned above, I did buy some other things that I don’t need right away, like liters of my favorite shampoo and conditioner from Ulta. I don’t need them immediately but they were deeply discounted, and I’ll need them before the next liter sale in July. Is it better to buy the things I know I’ll use when they’re half price, or wait until I need them and spend more money? I know this is a slippery slope and I can use this justification to buy lots of things while they’re on sale, but I know myself. I go through bath products like hair care and body wash much faster than makeup and most skin care. I fly through cleanser but toner, moisturizer, and masks are another story.

Admittedly I also caved to a Lunatick Cosmetics sale email and purchased a lipstick and eyeshadow palette… but discounts! I’ve wanted to try this brand for-ev-er but their prices are a little steep. I really can’t justify spending $35 for a five pan shadow palette just because it’s shaped like a coffin with a Ouija board design on the package. But on sale for $20? You bet your ass I bought it. Then I unsubscribed from their emails. I’ll do better next month.

Health

Like I mentioned earlier, I’m going through a bit of a rough patch when it comes to my health. I’m making a point to go home this week so that I can see my primary doctor to discuss this and a few other issues, and I’m auditioning therapists in Albany.

Yes, auditioning. I have a strict set of criteria when it comes to mental health providers, and I’m not willing to see someone who doesn’t check all of the boxes. I’m in a relatively good place with my mental health right now so I have the time to be picky and find someone who can be my provider long-term. I think that alone is a smarter approach than I’ve taken in the past; normally I put it off until I’m in crisis and see the first provider I possibly can. Not a good idea.

With regard to things like healthy eating and exercise, I’m not doing great, but I am attempting to make smarter food choices. Example: one cookie instead of four. Lots of water. Very little alcohol. Herbal tea over coffee. I also invested in a recumbent bike with a workstation for my laptop that doubles as a standing desk. It arrived yesterday and hasn’t been assembled yet, but once it is I’ll have literally no excuse not to use it. It’s in my house and I can work while I ride it; what reason could I possibly come up with not to use it?

Work

I’ve been spending more time working in my frigid office recently and it’s greatly improved my productivity. I’m in the process of cleaning and organizing so it’s a nice space for me to work in. I also close the door or wear headphones in an attempt to minimize environmental distractions, i.e. Dan. He still pops his head in and wants to chat when he wakes up, but I’m getting better about reminding him that I have to work. It’s been really cold and snowy so I haven’t felt the need to leave the house, period, but especially for work. Hauling my stuff over the city is fine in decent weather, but I really hate it when it’s gross outside.

Writing

So, I got myself a thing. It wasn’t this expensive when I purchased it, but whatever.

I know it looks really strange, but it’s been ridiculously helpful with my writing. It’s a bare-bones word processor with no WiFi or internet connection of any kind, so there’s nothing to distract me. I know I can put my laptop in airplane mode, but will I? No. I’m not that disciplined.

This thing also has a teeny screen so I can only see five lines of text at a time. It’s annoying but I have a bad habit of trying to edit while I write, which never works out for me, and this little thing prevents that. I can write up to eight documents at a time, and when I’m done with them I plug this thing into my laptop and import my works of genius. Or my weird stories about my pets. Either way, I’m making words in a creative way.

I’ve also discovered this site called Blurt. It helps me organize my writing, set schedules for different projects, and it nags me with an email when it’s time to write. Oh, and it tracks my word counts per day or project or whatever I choose. Sure, I could save my writing in Google Drive and set my own reminders to write, but I don’t, and I don’t know that I’d take it seriously even if I did. This is helping me make writing more of a priority, even on days when I really don’t feel like it.

Overall I think I did pretty well this month. How are you doing with your resolutions/no-buy/whatever you’ve decided to do this year?

Accountability time! So it's the end of my first month attempting to be smart. I'd like to discuss how I did.