#amber freeman x tara carpenter

[sw-33-ts-stuff]

Hi. Can you do one with Amber x fem reader x Tara, pls?

Where the three of them are dating for months.

Wes started to bully the r and he told her to stay away from Tara (because we all know that he like her) but once Wes take it too far w the bullying and the r ended up at the hospital w a broken leg.

The only one who knows about the r being at the hospital was Chad (he's the r best friend). The r didn't told anything to her gfs because she was scared of them being mad about not telling them about the bullying from Wes.

Idk something cute like Amber or Tara picking her up and carrying the r around the school or classes while the other one is pushing the wheelchair. But noticing that something was off w the r when Wes returned to their friend's group (like they're all sitting at the lunch table at school and when the reader notices that Wes was coming, she scoots away panicking from Tara)

When Amber and Tara find out the truth they decided to confront Wes.

Idk something cute at the end?

“Pssst nerd.” You faced the front of your class trying your best not to pay her any attention. “Psssssssssst.”

“Miss Freeman is there a problem?” The teacher drawled.

“Actually yes Mr.Lewis my girlfriend isn’t paying any attention to me.” She smirked. The class laughed right as the bell rang making the teacher groan in annoyance.

“Read chapter 7 for the quiz next week. Amber since it’s the end of the class and the school day I will let you off with a warning. Please refrain from disturbing my class for your girlfriend…again.”

The dark haired girl smirked once more before picking up your book bag and planting a kiss on your cheek.

“Hello love.” She whispered softly making you grin.

You glanced to see the teacher not paying attention and gave the girl a soft kiss on the lips.

“Did you really have to interrupt class to say hi?” She shrugged cheesing.

“Don’t know guess you’ll have to find out next class.”

You both laugh heading down the hall to meet up with the rest of the group. Ambers usual scowl coming back on as she glared at anyone looking her way. You both came to a shop at the door groaning as you saw Tara still in her seat next to Wes. Your annoyance towards the teacher for not releasing class yet and Ambers towards the bleach blonde who was leaning too close to Tara.

“Mommy’s boy really needs to take a hint.” You side eye Amber warily knowing her temper can sometimes get the best of her. You grabbed one of her hands running soft circles on the back making the girls tense posture relax. The door was slammed open as students began to run out. Tara stopping in front of you and Amber dimples on display as she smiled at the sight of you.

“Hey babe.” Amber leaned down giving the girl a kiss before she turned towards you brown eyes shining.

“Hi baby.” She stood slightly on her toes kissing you making Wes scowl. Everyone knew of the boys not so secret crush on Tara and his delusion of her someday developing feelings for him. It was actually thanks to him that Tara had given you a chance.

The smaller girl was wary of you at first. She felt you were too quiet at times and slightly intimidating but one day Wes got too close after school when Amber wasn’t around so you’d stepped in getting her away from him just in time. She found herself drawn to your soft nature and asked to hang out after school. It was during some random movie that she gathered the courage to kiss you. Her girlfriend was in the kitchen when she did so and when she’d come back out you’d gotten the opposite of what was expected. With a quiet “Thank God” Amber had pulled you in by the collar of your shirt and kissed you too.

This was 4 months ago and still going strong your relationship was better than those around you and was quite the scandal around school. Your friends hadn’t been as accepting but luckily Amber and Tara’s group welcomed you with open arms all except Wes who had little choice in the matter.

You were brought out of your thoughts by Mindy who’d looped her arms around yours and Ambers necks.

“Movie night at our house you guys in?” You both looked down to Tara. In public it may have seemed you both were in charge but the truth of the matter was that Tara word was law for the three of you. She knew how to calm you both down, always found a solution to any problem and she had you both wrapped around her finger. She nodded slightly making the both of you turn back to Mindy.

“Sounds good.” Mindy nodded running towards her car.

“BRING LIQUOR AND NOTHING CHEAP!” You all laughed as you went to the nearest liquor store.

Three movies endless junk food and a few bottles of cheap wine, you stumbled to the bathroom. Amber was too busy arguing with Mindy to notice you slip away as Tara’s head rested on her shoulder eyes shut as she’d slowly fallen asleep.

You had just finished washing your hands when you went to exit the bathroom a familiar head of hair coming into view.

“Oh sorry Wes-“

“You guys are fucking freaks you know that?” His words were slurred most likely due to the four bottles of beer he’d chugged earlier.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me your relationship is nothing more than some weird experiment. Tara deserves an actual relationship with one person.” You laughed moving past him.

“You’re drunk Wes go home.” He shakes his head scowling as you go back to your girlfriends. He watched as you sat on the couch stroking Tara’s hair as she curls into you ambers arm also around her sometimes placing light kisses on her forehead or cheeks. He felt his anger grow as she’d open her eyes and look to the both of you in adoration.

It was disgusting.

On Monday you had gone to school as normal only Tara had a dentist appointment this time and Amber went to take her. You were heading to your next class when you felt a harsh shove. You stumbled down the steps people moving aside so they wouldn’t fall with you. A harsh snap following making everyone gasp and stare as you cried out in pain. Your eyes were clouded with tears but you knew you’m saw bleach blonde tips in the crowd. A small smirk on the boys lips. It was as you were being loaded on the gurney that he faked a look of concern before leaning in close to whisper.

“Stay away from Tara.” When he’d pulled away the picture perfect look of innocence.

“Feel better Y/n!”

Asshole.

You were on the hospital bed being pumped full of morphine when your best friend Chad came in.

“Holy shit” He ran up to hug you, being mindful of the IV. “Are you ok?”

You stared at him.

“Right dumb question. What happened?”

“Chad..” you took a shuddering breath in. “Wes pushed me. He did this.”

Chad looked doubtful. “Wes?”

You nod. “Last weekend at your place he was talking shit and I didn’t take him serious but he doesn’t like my relationship with Tara.”

Chad still looked skeptical. “I don’t know Y/N Wes is a goodie two shoes I can’t see him pushing you on purpose, plus his mom is the sheriff.”

You clenched your jaw knowing this would get you nowhere. Amber stormed in with Tara trailing behind her.

“What the fuck happened?”

“Are you ok?”

You smiled slightly at the sight of your girlfriends. It fell the minute you caught sight of him with the rest of your friend group. You’d turned your cheek when Tara went to kiss you. Making it seem like you were just in pain. The two fussed over you as the rest of the group stayed to talk for a bit. Mindy was the first to sign the temporary cast as Liv followed suit adding her own “personal touch” (she’d found stickers at the gift shop downstairs)

When you were released the two girls refused to let you leave their sights. Amber more protective than usual and Tara was extremely attentive it both wanted your heart and gave you anxiety. They’d each taken turns pushing you in a wheelchair around their houses. They’d both insisted that crutches would make it more difficult for them to cuddle you. At home Amber would lift you upstairs and get ready for bed the two girls on each side of you. Tara cooked breakfast and tried showing extra affection becoming slightly disheartened each time you seemed to distance yourself from her. Amber had taken notice too when she’d given you affection there was no issue but you now flinch at the slightest touch from Tara. The smaller girl looked to her other girlfriend for guidance but neither knew what to make of it.

It was your first day back at school during lunch that Amber had realized the possible reason for your odd behavior.

You were all at the table eating and laughing when Wes had come to join. You already had been somewhat distant with Tara but you seemed to curl into yourself whenever the boy was involved. Your usual witty remarks became less and less, you were becoming even quieter than when they’d first met you.

You scooted slightly away from the brunette and began to pick at your food not speaking unless spoken to directly. Amber got closer to you.

“Babe are you not hungry?” You shrug as Tara overhears.

She places a hand on your thigh gently. You go to move but Amber holds you in place. She watches your eyes shoot to Wes, to Iess observant eyes everything would seem normal but she saw the way Wes’ eyebrows furrowed in anger and the fear in yours.

That night they’d taken you to Tara’s you’d asked if you could sleep alone. Amber and Tara were slightly hurt but respected your space just downstairs if you needed anything.

“It’s not you.” The freckled girl looked to her girlfriend confused. “Y/n still loves you, I think Wes might have something to do with her behavior.”

Tara blanched. Wes? Sweet quiet Wes who does nothing but love his mom and play video games. She thought back to see if he’d had any changes in behavior. He had seemed more confident around her always getting slightly closer than usual whenever Y/N was around and when they were alone he was a lot more open with his flirting. She nodded.

“We need proof.” Amber sighed.

“I have an idea that none of us will like.”

.

Tara was home mentally preparing herself as Amber hid in the closet. She had texted Wes to come over as she needed to talk to him.

Not five minutes later the doorbell rang.

“Hey Tara are you ok?” The girl took a deep breath remembering the speech her and Amber had come up with.

“No it’s Y/N I don’t think she loves me anymore.” Wes almost smiled but quickly put his hands on Tara’s shoulders.

“You’re so beautiful and sweet If she can’t see that she doe No sn’t deserve you. Neither does Amber.”

Amber huffed out a breath quietly.

Fucking weasel.

“I just feel like ever since she fell she’s changed. She doesn’t even look at me anymore.”

“I see you Tara I’ve always seen you.” The boy leaned in making Tara push him gently back.

“Wes I’m still in a relationship.” He sighed out angrily.

“Tara can’t you see I’m better for you? Were meant to be together, we have the same classes, the same interests, that’s why I pushed her she was in our way.”

“I’m still with Amber too.”

“Amber is an asshole she can have Y/n and she’ll be fine. You just have to give us a chance Tara.” He went to kiss her again not stopping when she’d lean away.

“Wes Stop!”

Amber had enough she went to grab the boy from Tara before punching him.

You awoke to the noise and began to climb down the stairs carefully and quietly. You’d kept a knife by your bedside as would any sane person who lived in Woodsboro.

“Son of a bitch!” The boy began to fight back tackling Amber into the kitchen. Tara yelled at him to stop once more. He’d thrown Amber against the counter top and back handed Tara who fell to the floor. The was a harsh stabbing sound followed by a gasp.

Tara looked to see you holding a knife in the boys shoulder he’d gone to attack again but Amber had stabbed him in his lower abdomen to slow him down. Pulling out before stabbing him again he’d shoved you harshly making you fall and lose your grip on your weapon. Tara grabbed the fallen knife and got the final blow to his chest as he’d gone to stab Amber.

“Do you see me now Wes?”

His body fell to the floor blood pooling between the three of you. You each scanned the other to make sure you were alright. You grabbed Tara’s face in your hands placing a soft kiss before doing the same to Amber.

Tara placed her forehead against yours one hand gripping Amber as she looked at Wes.

“No one will take you away from me.”

Her dark eyes shot to yours and Tara’s.

“No one.”

I hope you liked it 😅😭

[mikeyss1ut]

I have a idea for Amber and fem reader. They have been dating for two years and everything that happens in scream 5 but everyone suspects reader is the killer because she has not been attacked by ghostface. And before they found of ghostface they accuse reader saying that she’s ghostface because she hasn’t been attacked. And Amber goes I know after you said that and shoots Liv. Then I’m the kitchen scene Sam Gale and Sidney try to attack Amber but reader steps in front to protect her. They are all shocked but reader says oh no I’m not part of this I knew what they were doing but I don’t want you hurting my gf. Reader knows about Amber being ghostface and her plan with Richie but Amber wants her gf to stay out of it. And can you make reader Sam and Tara’s younger sister a few months younger then Tara? And go from there? You can change it up if you need! :) love your stories btw

“WE CANT HAVE IT ALL NOT ANYMORE”

“Ok! So , y/n just expose yourself and say it’s you because we all know it’s you!” Mindy says

“Mindy cut the shit , it’s not her. Amber hadn’t been attacked or Liv so fuck off.” Tara replies

“So? Livs to dumb to kill anyone. And Amber well.. actually?” They all turn to Amber.

“Oh my god, are you kidding me? It’s obviously liv!! Why the fuck does she have blood on her hands!” Amber yells

“fuck you Amber! I’m not the fucking killer ! It’s your fucking girlfriend!!” Liv screams

“I know it’s not you. But I know it’s not her either.” Amber pulls a gun and shoots her right in the head.

You knew. You did but it still hurt.

Everyone ran.

“Y/n! Let’s go!” Tara said

You weren’t ghost face you didn’t hurt anyone but your weren’t leaving. You just gave her a sad look.

“Oh god” Tara cries and runs away.

Amber had practiced with you that when she revealed herself you were to go hide behind her. You did just that.

But then Sidney started beating your girlfriends ass and you didn’t like that.

You wanted her to stop , so you don’t know why you did it . You went in front of her.

“Stop! Please stop!” You yell at Gale. Amber pushes you out of the way to make sure your safe.

And you don’t know why you did it . It’s not like you were gonna actually do it. But you grabbed the gun Amber dropped and pointed it to Gale.

“It’s you? The other one?” Gale said confused

“N- n- no! I it’s not me! But just please stop !” You cried just then Sam must have came up behind you because you fell , you must have hit your head to. Because you woke up in the back of the car. Ambers car.

“We did it! We killed everyone! You distracted them! “ Amber said.

“Tara? Sam?” You whispered loud enough for her to hear it.

She went quiet.

“Sams dead. Tara’s not.” She moves and you see Tara in the back with you she’s not taped up or anything, she’s bawling her eyes out but she doesn’t seem like she’s really scared either.

“Figured you could keep this sister, but if she does something stupid I will have to kill her.” Amber says

You shook her head and went over to her.

“Why aren’t you doing anything?” You asked Tara. You weren’t mad you didn’t want her to do anything you wanted it to be you and Amber till the ends of the earth you were just confused.

“I already lost Sam, I get to keep you. I don’t want to lose myself . So I’m just gonna listen. “ she says blankly.

THIS HAS BEEN IN MY DRAFTS FOR DAYS I WILL PROBABLY RE DO IT LATER BECAUSE ITS TERRIBLE BUT I DONT REALLY CARE ITS NOT FINISHED EITHER I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO WRAP IT UP BUT I FIGURED YALL CAN FEED OFF THIS FOR A MINUTE ITS ALSO POOR WRITING BUT I HAVE BEEN IN A WRITING SLUMP SO IDC

[devilsjacket]

Sam: Tara?! She’s literally the killer!!

Tara: *standing next to Amber holding her hand* shhh Sam I can fix her, we talked about this

[the-night-owl-blr]

Yall IM literally thirsty for some Mikey Madison and her characters x reader where is our sapphic, they/them writers at??

I. NEED. YALL. ASAP.

[lonelym00n]

Complete

Tara Carpenter x Amber Freeman

Word Count: 2.7k

Summary: Two oblivious idiots in love finally realize their feelings for one another.

A/N: first fic! hope you like it :)

The group sat huddled in Amber Freeman’s living room, waiting for the girl to finish cleaning up whatever vase the drunken party goers that occupied the girl’s house had broken this time. Tara felt herself sigh as her eyes flit around the room anxiously, silently hoping her taller friend would hurry up and take the empty space next to her on the couch before Wes returned from the bathroom. She took in the room while she impatiently waited for Amber. The girl’s once meticulously clean house was a mess, red solo cups littering nearly every surface. Tara held back a grimace at the sight but didn’t let it bother her too much, as she knew Amber had likely already scheduled for a cleaning service to come by the next day. 

“You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here,” slurred Chad, who had been standing by Amber’s front door ushering the last few drunken kids out of the house. Tara watched as he clapped one of his football buddies on the back nearly hard enough to send the sizable kid flying down the front steps. Chad laughed and slammed the door shut, turning back to the group of friends. He wobbled slightly as he approached the couch before throwing his body onto it, quickly tossing an arm around Liv’s shoulder. “After party time!” he smiled.

Tara could hear Amber in the other room muttering to herself and clanking around with the vase. She felt her lip quirk up at the thought of her friend likely sending mental death threats to whoever was responsible for the damaged decoration. 

Mindy looked away from Chad and Liv to avoid gagging and turned towards Tara. She noticed the girl's happy expression and felt a devilish smirk appear on her own face. There’s nothing Mindy loved more than teasing the shorter girl. “Hey T,” she called, “Bet I know who you wish was sitting next to you right now.”

Tara felt herself blush as she stuttered out a response, trying her best to sound unbothered. “Oh yeah, and who would that be?”

Mindy’s smirk grew even bigger but her reply quickly got cut off by Wes entering the room. The boy surveyed the room quickly and smiled widely when he noticed the empty seat next to Tara. He all but ran over to the couch and sat himself so close to Tara that their thighs were touching. Tara felt her stomach turn, from the alcohol or the swirling emotions in her gut, she didn’t know. She shot Mindy a pleading look but the girl only cleared her throat awkwardly and called out to the only person not currently in the room with the group of friends. “Freeman, get in here already!”

It had become tradition for the group to convene together after every party Amber threw. Whether it was to watch a movie, play a board game, or simply chat about the chaotic events of the night, the group greatly cherished the extra time they got to spend together. Tonight they would likely just talk amongst themselves, the party having been a particularly rambunctious one. Tara especially enjoyed nights like these, where they could just exist in their own little space together, uninterrupted by shitty parents or uninteresting classmates. She tried not to let Wes gluing himself to her side bring down her mood.

Speaking of the boy, he was currently talking animatedly about some story his mom told him while Tara nodded, pretending to listen. Really she was just waiting for Amber to finally enter the room.

Lately things had sort of shifted between the two friends. Tara thought back to a few nights ago when she had gotten into yet another argument with her mom as the older woman had given her zero notice about her upcoming business trip, which required her to be out of town for a whole month. She had been close to tears when she hastily texted Amber about the situation. Just as Tara was about to tuck herself into her bedroom for the night, a series of knocks sounded at her front door. She opened it to find Amber, who had clearly rushed over due to her pajama-clad appearance. She wrapped Tara into a hug as the smaller girl sobbed into her chest. Amber locked the door, scooped Tara up as if she had weighed nothing, and carried the girl up the stairs to her bedroom. She placed the girl in her bed and climbed in beside her, pulling Tara back into her chest as she softly and delicately stroked her hair. Tara glanced up and felt her heart clench at the gentle way Amber was looking at her. Tara held eye contact with the taller girl as her tears began to slow down. She tried not to move a muscle as Amber’s hands cupped her cheeks, thumbs moving to lightly wipe away the falling tears. Amber leaned forward and Tara felt her eyes flutter shut at the warm feeling of Amber’s lips tenderly meeting her forehead. Tara cuddled further into Amber’s embrace to hide her flustered expression, hoping to be swallowed up into the girl’s arms. As if Amber could hear her unspoken wish, the girl’s arms tightened around Tara and the two quickly fell asleep at the shared comfort and warmth.

Tara snapped back to reality as Wes spoke up, “Tara hey? Are you okay?” 

He sounded concerned, she noticed, but she couldn’t be bothered to try to decipher the reason why, still too distracted thinking about that night with Amber. “I’m fine Wes.” she replied. He looked like he didn’t believe her and Tara felt herself inwardly roll her eyes. She wished the boy would give her more space and couldn’t help but feel suffocated by how adamantly he pushed his presence onto her. Tara tried not to feel too guilty at her thoughts, she and Wes were friends and she liked his company, but ever since Mindy had pointed out the boy’s obvious crush on her, she could only fleetingly hope he would somehow get the hint that she didn’t return his feelings. He looked like he wanted to say something more but held back, leaving the two in an uncomfortable silence. 

Tara took it as her sign to restart her hopeless glances around the room. She held back a gasp as she met Amber’s eyes, the tall girl standing in the entryway of the living room, her arms firmly crossed and her jaw clamped shut. Tara couldn’t identify what emotion was churning around in Amber’s eyes, but knowing her friend as well as she did, it most certainly wasn’t a pleasant one. 

Amber stomped into the room, the sound of her doc martens crushing a cup halting all conversation that had previously occupied the room. She sat next to Mindy, who scooted herself further into the corner of the couch in an attempt to avoid Amber’s wrath. Now the group was finally united, Mindy and Amber’s couch faced Tara and Wes’s while Chad and Liv, placed in the middle of the two, remained blissfully unaware of the impending war that was likely to begin very soon. 

Mindy sat up and sighed, knowing it was on her to try to break the silence in the room. “Another successful party Amber.”

Amber, who still looked like she was about to burst into flames, gave Mindy a tight smile, but said nothing. Tara bit her lip nervously as Amber’s bad mood wasn’t seeming to dissipate. She wasn’t sure what had Amber so pissed off and she wanted nothing more than to try to comfort the girl. Wes shifted beside her, moving impossibly closer to her, and Tara felt herself stiffen. He leaned in, as if to whisper something into her ear, but snapped forward at the loud thud of someone hastily standing up. 

Startled, Tara’s eyes too flew towards the noise. It was Amber, now standing with her fists clenched and Tara swore the glare she was sending towards Tara and Wes’s direction could kill. Amber glanced around at the group of friends before she spoke, “Well as fun as this has been, I’m going to bed.” Her jaw clenched even tighter and for a second Tara worried she would break it with the force before Amber released it to speak again, “Feel free to take one of the guest rooms or leave, whatever you guys want to do, I really don’t care.” She began to stomp up the stairs before she looked back towards the group once more, “Don’t fuck up my house anymore than it already is.” With one more glare shot in Wes’s direction, she sped to her room and slammed the door.

Chad and Liv, completely unbothered with the tense mood, scrambled down the hall towards one of the mentioned guest bedrooms. Mindy, feeling again as though she wanted to gag at the couple, looked at Wes and Tara. Wes was distracted by his phone while Mindy and Tara struck up a silent conversation, having gotten plenty of practice communicating through reading lips and hand gestures while at school. 

Tara furrowed her eyebrows and mouthed ‘Amber?’ trying to understand what had caused the girl’s foul mood. She had been looking forward to spending the rest of the night in the girl’s company (in fact it was the whole reason she had attended the party in the first place) and was upset that it had been cut short.

Mindy fixed Tara with a deadpan look, as if to say ‘really?’ Tara felt herself become even more confused. Mindy sighed at her friend’s obliviousness and gestured wildly between Tara and Wes. Tara still didn’t understand what she was being told. 

Before she could continue the conversation, Wes shoved his phone into her face. He smiled at Tara proudly before he spoke up, “Since Amber’s being a bitch and ruined the rest of the night, I asked my mom to come pick us up so we can go hang out at my house. She said yes.” 

Tara shot Mindy an alarming look, not knowing what to reply with to reject Wes’s offer. Mindy stifled a laugh and Tara’s eyes widened even more at just how unhelpful Mindy was in situations like these. She flipped her off and turned towards Wes. “Um,” Tara couldn’t stop herself from laughing awkwardly as she rushed to come up with an excuse. “I told my mom I was staying here for the night and she wouldn’t like it if she found out I went somewhere else.” As Wes’s expression fell, she let a quiet apology slip past her lips before rising up from the couch. “I’m gonna go check on Amber.”

It took all of Tara’s willpower not to sprint full speed away from the situation and towards the one person she had been waiting to talk to all night. She knocked softly on Amber’s door and though there wasn’t a reply, she pushed it open slowly before calling out the girl’s name in a soft, questioning voice.

Amber still hadn’t responded and Tara would’ve become even more worried had she not spotted Amber perched at the corner of her bed, arms still firmly crossed and jaw still tightly clenched, glaring holes into the Stab 4 poster positioned perfectly on her wall. Tara slowly approached the girl, coming to a stop right next to her. The room remained silent as Tara couldn’t come up with any words to say.

After a painstaking amount of time had passed, Amber spoke up, though her eyes remained firmly fixed onto her wall. “Do you like him?” she firmly asked.

Tara, once again, found herself completely confused. She had no idea who Amber was talking about. “Wha-” 

Amber grit her teeth before quickly interrupting Tara, “God, come on Tar. You know who I’m talking about. Do you like him?”

Tara began frantically racking her brain, trying to remember the earlier events of the party and for the life of her couldn’t remember being around any guy. “Amber I don’t…” Tara trailed off as she finally put the pieces together. Amber had to have been talking about Wes, in fact that’s more than likely why her mood had turned so sour. Though she didn’t understand it fully, Tara knew Amber had a strong dislike for Wes that the boy returned for Amber. Amber must be upset because she disapproved of how close Wes had been to Tara on the couch, and the fact that he had stolen Amber’s unspoken spot for each of these after parties. Tara cleared her throat, “Are you asking me if I like Wes?” 

Amber rolled her eyes and Tara tried to ignore the disdain she felt for Amber fixing her with such a negative reaction. She was normally never on the receiving end of Amber’s anger. “Yes Tara. Do you like Wes?” The taller girl spoke curtly, wanting her question to be answered so she could get the pain of what she thought the response would be over with. 

“No.” Tara replied so suddenly and surely that Amber felt herself caught off guard, a rarity for her. Tara watched as Amber’s angry expression shifted more towards confusion. Tara spoke slowly this time, to make sure Amber could fully grasp her words, “No, I don’t like Wes.”

Face jumping from emotion to emotion, Amber faced Tara fully. Tara sat down next to Amber now that the girl wasn’t vibrating with annoyance. She waited for a beat until she caught a look of relief in Amber’s eyes. She reached out hesitantly and let her hand cover Amber’s in an attempt to fully calm the girl down. Amber’s eyes became fixated on their joined hands and Tara released the breath she had been holding when Amber didn’t pull her hand away. Tara’s fingers absentmindedly began stroking over the other girl’s hand and she felt the familiar clench of her heart reappear as she took in the softness of Amber’s skin against her own. 

When Tara was sure that Amber was fully down from the apparent emotional rollercoaster she had climbed upon, Tara hesitantly broke the comfortable silence they had fallen into to ask a question she always wanted to know the answer to. “Why don’t you like Wes, Amber?”

She heard Amber suck in a sharp breath but upon scanning her face, saw that the girl didn’t wear a furious expression. If anything, Tara would say that Amber looked nervous. At the unfamiliar expression on her friend’s face, Tara didn’t know if she should be more put off by the girl’s nervousness or by her earlier anger. She continued stroking Amber’s hand with her own while she anxiously waited for a response. Finally, Amber spoke, and it was so quiet that if Tara hadn’t been anticipating a response, she wouldn’t have heard her at all. “Because he likes you.”

Tara, again, was left hopelessly confused. Amber didn’t like Wes simply because he liked her? She searched Amber’s eyes for a further explanation and gasped softly when she realized what the shyness in Amber’s expression might’ve been telling her. Tara gulped while Amber looked worriedly into Tara’s eyes. If Tara wasn’t on the cusp of finally figuring out if her buried feelings for Amber were returned, she would’ve gone on a rampage to find out who made the always confident Amber Freeman look so small. 

Tara’s head reeled even further (if that was even possible) at her second realization of the night. She was the one who made Amber look so small. She made Amber vulnerable. 

Amber seemed to notice that Tara caught on to what the taller girl had kept hidden for so long. She would’ve sworn she was the one with asthma as she found herself unable to breathe while she waited for Tara to respond, to say something. Amber sighed dejectedly, taking Tara’s response to be a negative one. “Look Tara, it’s fine-”

It was Tara’s turn to cut Amber off this time. Sensing that she had been silent too long and sent Amber the wrong message, Tara shook herself out of her daze. “Wait Amber,” she’d never felt so nervous in her life as she went on to ask her next question, Amber’s attention fully on her. “Can I kiss you?”

She waited for a verbal response but what came instead was the feeling of Amber’s lips gingerly meeting her own in a soft, sweet kiss and in that moment, Tara had never felt more complete.

[evewrr]

oh.

[starrybl1ss]

i ship tamber so hard wtf wdym amber tried killing tara?!?!?!

[ghostampire]

My favorite color is red.

[aeonsbug]

tamber in another universe <3

[whogirlypop]

TAMBER HCs chapter 20

20 whole ass chapters and y'all are still reading! That's insane and I thank you for it. This whole thing has gotten me through good times and ones which are not so. But that doesn't matter does it you're here for good old fashioned Tara and Amber mayhem and horniness and that's what you'll get. I'm sure you've read all the previous chapters if you're reading this one but a handy reminder might be of use ei? Even I don't remember what I wrote in chapter 2 so here goes:

Basic info about some special bitches:

Amber goes by she/them (yes, Tara has made the she/them titties joke) and is pan

Tara is a she/her lesbian girly fine with they/them too

Met in school quickly became friends even tho you wouldn't think they would.

After a few years started dating and all that

And now we return to the scheduled Tamber program:

Kinks: Amber

knife kink- cold metal against her body paired with the threat and mask kink combines into one wet night for Amb

impact play- I mean who doesn't like to be roughly loved from time to time, Amb defo does comes from a previous one night stand where a very naughty Enby had some ideas about Amb and her place in all that

blood kink- She's a horror fan ofc she has a blood kink also once again liquids and hot/cold on the body

likes straps, be that receiving or giving- Look she's dated and fucked a lot of people (which in Tar's eyes is perfectly fine thank you mind your own buisness) some of them had dicks some of them used straps on her and she loves that. As for giving, well a weird sense of gender means that she has thought about what it would be like to have a dick and wahey Bottom Tara materializes and they have a chance to try.

Spit- Once again liquids and degradation a good mix if you want Amb to be a bit softer and more submissive.

can't get enough of Tara's cum- It's sweet and it's cum AND Tara gets to be eaten out/ whatever'd what's not to love.

Amber has a choking kink but doesn't act on it often cause Tara has asthma. Developed it with previous sexual encounters I'd like to say a lesbian goth lady or something cause yipee

when Tara is in the ghostface mask, how the turntables as Amber gets choked just how she likes it- half to death (obviously to a reasonable degree but still)

Amber has a piss kink mfsssss cause I said so. Likes the salty taste perhaps idk as for how they developed it ummm idk tbh accidentally peed on herself and liked the sensation? possibly

after a bit of begging Tara agreed cause she couldn't say no to those puppy eyes (even Amber didn't know she could do that)Amber loves Tara pissing all over her and especially in her mouth (cause she just so girly pop like that (don't lie to yourself if Tara Carpenter asked you'd do too))

Kinks: Tara

Tara enjoys being dominated- as she was a virgin before Amb it's new (Wes tried to do stuff before but look, Tara didn't really want to do anything penetrative. At best he got a blowjob but probably not.) AND HELL does she LOVE it I mean being told what to do, the whips and ties also Amb has soooo much fun with straps.

Amber often overstimms/denies orgasms for Tara- Whichever one it is, Tar gets very needy and tired and moany. Likes overstimm more cause she loves cumming for her Amb.

For Amb will try almost anything but has a few hard nonos with womit and that stuff

General slutiness:

Both of them like degradation altho Amb gets to do it more cause Tara is too scared of fucking up to do that.

Amber’s so bottom when Tara’s in a ghostface mask, holding a knife to her throat.

Tara doesn’t like being a top but ‘if it pleases Amber’ (+ she can’t say no to seeing more of Amber so whiny and begging) I mean Amber rocking her shit afterwards always helps tooo

Okay, so the first time they fucked, they fucked on a proper bed unlike later when almost anything would do. Amb wanting to show Tara a good time cause she loved the lil guy fucked her hard and rough, making sure to finger her plenty and eat her out, perhaps even some anal play cause ofc. Which all was great until they were laying exhausted talking and it turned out that Amb had just taken Tara's virginity. She was so apologetic but Tara was like "dude please, that was the best thing ever I wouldn't have had it any other way"

Amber goes fucking feral when she sees Tara naked cause like that bitch is all hers and is so pretty and sweet and...xisjsnsnne

Tara hides her excitement better but in actuality is just as much a horny lil guy for Amber (I mean look at her ofc she is )

Amber has tattoos all over her body which turn Tara the fuck on (especially the one on her stomach and the lil heart on her butt which sje got for Tara)

Amber has naked photos of Tara "for personal use" (she thinks about Tara while fingering herself before bed, when she can't be with Tar)

Amber used to be addicted to porn, but now with Tara she's not anymore cause like why look at other people when ms. Perfect Carpenter is right there

Amber gives THE best aftercare, all the cuddles, kisses and all that

Amber can not keep her hands off of Tara like they're always on her ass or around her waist

Amber likes to tease Tara by doing something bold just randomly, like putting her hand down Tara’s pants when she shouldn’t (In an obscured public place let's say. They don't fuck infront of other people okay? Except perhaps if Ani/Quinn/Mindy/Liv invited them to )

Amber once came so close to Tara’s face for a kiss that her knee landed right between Tara’s thighs and well, the smaller Carpenter almost creamed their pants right then and there. Which didn't go unnoticed and was delt with consequently in a matter of 5 minutes

Amber makes too many jokes about wanting to bang Sam.And like, she is defo hot but in reality her cute fun-sized Carpenter is what she prefers. Less fighting back and less restraint in sexual matters.

Amber just really likes to please women cause she looooveeesss the moans and face it turns them on sm

Before dating her, Tara stumbled on Amb half naked, tits out fucking some of their pretty classmates ( one was being fingered while another ate Amb out). Amber half jokingly made a suggestion for Tara to join (it was a joke for neither of them in the end but they do much group stuff cause Amb is super possessive of Tara), but our favorite little bottom was too awkward and just shook her head. Later on Tara would go on to question her sexuality and have plenty of good nights remembering seeing all those girls naked and imagining herself in that encounter of lust. And that vibrator Amber got her helped out as well on many-a-frustrated occasions. (Yes, Amber got Tara a vibrator cause Tara was too scared cause of still living with Sam, and “we all love our favorite virgin” and because she was “doing Tara a kindness”) Obviously Amb thought that that virgin thing was a joke but as we already know it was noooott so thank you Amber for doing all the work

Amber is pan but if she had to pick, pussy always won. Partly because she preferred the taste, partly because of the fact that men a lot of the time just do the same old boring in and, 30 seconds later, out routine. If she wanted 30 seconds of fun she'd go on tiktok

Tara has, as a matter of fact, been tied up and fucked by Amber to the joy of both of them cause being/seeing Tara so helpless was a turn on for both of them

Tara and Amber both love the idea of Tara all naked and having degrading things written on her body. Just her being a complete mess. Slut and whore and touch me here around her cunt you get the picture hopefully

Amber looovesss seeing submissive Tara and loves questioning her loyalty and making her beg. Feeds into a dommination/humiliation kink for Tara so fantastic both ways

Amb loves seeing Tara's face in pure ecstasy when she's getting fucked and that's why she does everyhing she does

The Group would've soooo teased Amber and Tara for being loud after a party but they themselves were preoccupied with banging the shit out of eachother so they don't care.

I kinda love the idea of Amber being super desperate and horny riding her pillow and then Tara in a ghostface mask sneaking up on her, putting a knife to her throat and giving amber the best orgasm of her life (the feeding into Ambs kinks in this one is insane)

AMB LOVES ANAL the only good thing about dicks is that they can be shoved deep up her ass (we love anal queen Amb) however, they don't last too long and that's why on special occasions they beg Tara to put on a strap and dominate the shit out of that pretty ass.

Amber once walked in on Quinn and Mindy getting it on and was like "damn that's hot, ughhhhh now I'm turned on and Tara's asleep" and just sat down to masturbate while watching Quinn get absolutely railed. (if you've read my stuff Tamber moved in with the polycule and they have a loose privacy system okay? They just horny)

Amber can't go to sleep without first masturbating, well they can but they prefer not to as it's a habit which they developed and it feels wrong to go straight to sleep

Tara and Amber once went off into the forest where amb got high and, with the help of her trusty strap, fucked Tara's lil cunt good

@stab_whore1 obviously Ambs account on twt

Amber obviously, has watched every porn parody/ cosplay vid under the sun of Stab

also Amber boasts a lot about how good she fucked Tara (just not in front of sam for obvious reasons. But Quinn is more than fair game) and Tara is just sittin there all embarrassed and kinda wet and stuff cause obviously she likes the attention.

also Amber looovessss reading fanfics after watching movies and TV shows. Like 5 minutes after it's all Regina George X reader or whatever

also also has a weird relationship with gender. Like she doesn't mind how she is rn but if she got to choose she'd go with like a weird ass tentacle as her genital of choice same with presentation

owns a dildo she bought secretly as well as a few other sex toys cause she used to get soooo lonely before dating Tara, and one can please themselves just as well and now that she is she sometimes gets herself off to the thought of Tara riding it deep and licking off her sweet juices afterwards. Which probably happened didn't it

totally masturbated at the park behind some bushes at midnight, as well as behind woodsboro high

and ate out a girl in the same spot too

(that girl must have felt heaven) but that was later and thankfully just as uneventful

For the love of your body:

Now we come to a part about how they like their own and eachothers bodies

Tara is ofc all tidy about her pubes (a strip if not shaved fully)while Amber just let's it be cause who cares (full on bush cause fuck society)

Amber defo doesn't shave her armpits cause once again and I meaaannn Tara finds all that sexy so

Tara LOOVESSS Amb’s tits cause they're cute and very nice to lay on

Once while Tar was walking behind her and leaned over Amb had an experience as Tara's ass was outlined by her tight Jeans cue *OH MY LAWD* and now Amb is very possesive.

They're both not confident in their bodies Tara more so but she knows her gf likes her body so that's enough for her

Notes:

And so ends the 20th chapter! to 20 more ei? I'll probably do a thing like this with Quinn and then Sam x Kirby but obviously a bit shorter than 2000 words. as always let me know what you thought!! and if you have any ideas!! I loved writing this even if it's a bit more Amber centric than I'd like.(This is very random, but I noticed that I get so much into the headcannon world that I'll be looking at a another fic which is more cannon adjacent and I'm like OHHH RIGHT Amb is a serial Killer, Liv is more mean than cutie patootie and quinn bless her was responsible partly for Ani's death not the loss of her virginity )

@amber-frrman is I just tryna post it on my other blog

[bia23]

¿Soy la única que actualiza constantemente la página para ver si hay nuevas historias de Tamber?

____________________________________

Am I the only one constantly updating the page for new Tamber stories?

[sw-33-ts-stuff]

Just Say Yes

Amber X Tara X Reader

3rd Person POV

Ambers arm was wrapped firmly around her girlfriend as the smaller girl rushed to complete her homework. It was due in five minutes and someone had decided to keep her busy last night.

Amber scanned the courtyard usual smirk planted on her face as she saw Wes glaring at her arm around his crush. It was no secret he still harbored feelings for the Carpenter girl and it amused her to no end that even after two years he still wasn't over her. It tickled her even more that Tara was the one to make the first move.

After years of being best friends she'd realized her feelings for the girl were more than just those of a friend. It was during their regularly scheduled movie night/sleepover that the girl had leaned over and kissed her best friend surprising the both of them. Amber remembered the tingling feeling after the initial shocked had passed. She remembered the way the younger girl looked mortified before she pulled her into another kiss. She could still taste the fruity lip gloss and feel her hands digging into her shoulders, the movie in the background long forgotten.

Amber knew her feelings of disdain for Wes weren't just because he was a mommas boy, she thought he had the one thing she didn't.

She smiled at the memory tightening her hold on the girl before placing a soft kiss behind her ear almost making it seem like she was just whispering to her.

Mindy looked at the trio amused while munching through her usual bag of Cheetos her brothers giant hand almost crushing the bag when he went to steal some. His girlfriend Liv laughing at his twins obvious disgust as she stared at him.

Across the courtyard one of Chads teammates slapped the book you were reading out of your hand.

"Fucking freak." Amber watched closely as your eyes flashed with something just before you closed them taking a deep breath and picking up your book. Once again it was slapped out of your hand.

"Chad.." Tara called softly also observing what was happening. The giant went to stand up to help when he caught sight of a teacher passing by.

"Mr.Landry is there a problem here?" The curly haired boy turned into the picture of innocence as he smiled at his English teacher, Mrs.Thompson. His light blue eyes shining with mischief as if he were a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar knowing there was no real consequence to his actions.

"Not at all Mrs.Thompson," he bent down to pick up the same book he had just slapped out of your hands. "Just helping my good ole friend Y/N here with her next assignment."

You stared at the boy just from the rim of your glasses before you glanced to the gullible adult beside him. Her scowl turned into a smile as she nodded happy with his answer before turning to leave.

"Fucking idiot." Everyone turned to you in surprise.

"Excuse me Ms.Y/LN?" You tilted your head slightly, a small smirk slowly growing.

Ambers head tilted as well while Tara couldn't tear her eyes away from you, jaw dropping as you straightened your posture.

"I said you must be a fucking idiot if you really believe that."  The teachers face grew red as even the group of boys bullying you grew silent in the exchange.

"PRINCIPALS OFFICE NOW! THE REST OF YOU GET TO CLASS!" The woman stormed away as you grabbed your bag following after her.

Amber continued to stare at the spot you'd just vacated as she felt her girlfriend place a slight tap on her shoulder. She looked to the smaller girl.

"Come on we'll be late." She nodded silently intertwining their hands as she let herself be lead to class. 

.

.

.

It was lunch when the two girls had caught sight of you again. You were tucked (reluctantly) under the heavy arm of Chad who smiled and slightly shook you as he offered apologies for his pathetic excuse of a teammate. You continued to stare nodding hoping he'd get the hint that you didn't want or need his help. You both were already at his usual table of friends before you could pull away.

"Guys for today we're making Y/N an honorary member of the group." Mindy scoffed.

"You know she's a human being and not a puppy right? You can't just adopt people." He stuck his tongue out at his sister.

"To be fair Chad it does seem like you dragged her here against her will." He looked to his bleach blonde pseudo brother in hurt.

"E tu, Wesley?" Hands crossed over this heart as he began to pout.

And of course as always Liv came to his defense as the ever loving girlfriend.

"Guys his intentions are good and I'm sure Y/N could use more friends. She is new."

You scoffed.

"I'm right here and thanks but no thanks knock off Avril Lavigne I'll take being alone any day."

Liv's face grew red in offense as Chad tried not to show any amusement comforting his girlfriend as best he could. Mindy and Amber laughed along with Tara, the force of her giggles shaking her girlfriends arm slightly. You glanced at the trio nodding before turning to leave. Tara was the one to place a hand on your forearm. Wes eyebrows furrowed making Ambers narrow in turn.

"Stay please." Her soft voice melting you a bit. "It'd be nice to talk to someone new for a change."

Big brown eyes peered up at you and you found yourself staring a little longer than necessary almost counting the freckles that sat across the girls cheeks and nose. You swallowed hard remembering you were staring at the Amber Freeman's girlfriend, the girl in question almost giving you the same puppy dog eyes but hers weren't pleading they were almost demanding you sat next to them as she moved her eyes from you to the empty space next to her.

You were new to the town but you'd heard the rumors about Amber punching and breaking the nose of the same jock who'd pestered you earlier. He'd said something a little too nasty to Tara once and now he doesn't even glance in her direction. You knew all about the rest of the group because some junior directed you through the school and "gave you all the hot goss" she could. You'd been in Woodsboro for maybe 3 weeks now and still adjusting. Your mother always absent either at the bar or under some random stranger.

Slowly you sit down making the Carpenter girl dance in victory, you and Amber both having the same small smile in what looked to be adoration. Mindy eyed the three of you before looking to Wes who seemed to be getting red.

"So Y/N.." Tara began making you turn to her. "We have the next class together right? AP Biology?" You nod.

Amber quirked an eyebrow turning to her girlfriend. "You guys have class together?"

Tara's cheeks tint slightly as some stray hairs fall in front of her face. Noticing her slight discomfort, you finally speak up.

"Yeah but I'm not as smart as Tara she usually helps with most of the labs." The brunette turns to you.

"No you're probably better than my partner and our teachers kind of an ass." You laugh a genuine smile breaking through.

Amber continued to listen in and watch, one hand playing with Tara's hair as the two of you spoke.

"She's also in your art class Amber." The girl turned to you.

"Really?" You nodded.

"Yeah." You cleared your throat feeling slight heat creep up on your cheeks. "I actually sit in the desk behind you."

Amber felt conflicted as she smirked at you. you'd managed to make her smile in less than twenty minutes and the only other person capable of doing so was under her arm.

"We'll now you're sitting next to me." Your eyes shot to her in surprise as she shrugged.

Mindy eyes kept moving between the three of you. Usually Tara was quieter sometimes engaging in conversations with Wes or just simply enjoy her girlfriends company as they'd talk about horror films. There was chemistry between you three she was sure of it.

"Hey Y/N..."she interrupted the staring contest between you and Amber. "What do you think of the Stab movies?"

Liv, Chad and Wes groaned as Amber suddenly grew interested to see your response. Tara as always sat back ready to tune out the usual conversation between her girlfriend and the film fanatic. She didn't mind the Stab movies but she much preferred elevated horror especially those that weren't based on true stories. She glanced at Wes who began to stab his food. Like anyone else who was connected to the Woodsboro massacre sometimes you want to forget the past.

"Never seen 'em." Tara then began to get engaged as she noticed both Mindy and Amber freeze in shock.

"Seriously?" You shrug.

The bell rings signaling that it's time for class, next to you is Tara who's hand is clasped tightly in Ambers as she leads you both to her classroom. You give the two privacy by entering the classroom, your eyes unable to look away as Amber tucks a hair behind Tara's ear followed by a soft kiss. You see the softening in Ambers hard exterior as the smaller girl continues to look up at her, nose scrunching in happiness her eyes almost shut completely as she smiles at her lover. Unable to decipher what's being said when the two glance over to you, you quickly look down to your notebook not wanting to be caught.

Tara comes to sit next to you lightly brushing your shoulder as she does. "Amber said and I quote" she clears her throat making her voice just the slightest bit deeper "Tell that loser that it's a crime against humanity to not have watched the Stab films and she's now obligated to come to my house to watch the whole series"."

She rolls her eyes but turns to you hopeful.

"It's usually just us and the rest of the group during movie nights but it would be nice to have someone else with us, so would you want to come over?" Once again your caught in beautiful baby browns and a hopeful smile. If it were anyone else you'd say no but something about the Carpenter girl just tugs at your heart strings. You sigh rolling your eyes at yourself before answering.

"I don't really have a choice do I?" Tara smirks laughing.

"Not really no, so we'll be seeing you after school?" You shake your head.

"I guess so but I have detention with Mrs.Thompson so it'll have to be later." Tara once again does a small dance as you laugh lightly in amusement.

The girl is just too cute.

.

.

.

After detention you walk to the empty parking lot your bike next to one other car in the lot. Amber Freeman is leaning against it as Tara sits up waving from the passenger seat.

"You forgot to give her your number dumbass."

"Didn't feel like getting beat up by her girlfriend." Amber smirks.

"Just follow me to my house."

You climb on your bike saluting her as she starts her car, the drive to her house not long as you stare in awe once it comes into view. Her house was way better than the small apartment you "shared" with your mom.

"Are you gonna keep staring or are you coming in?"

You take the helmet off and go to follow the two girls. You're directed to a living room with a couch laz-y boy and TV next to a shelf of movies.

Amber goes to pop some popcorn as Tara goes to grab blankets and set up the movie. You feel bad as you watch the smaller girl take a deep breath from her inhaler before she continues her tasks.

"Do you need me to help you with anything?" Your usual harsh voice softens surprising her as only one other person has talked to her that way. She nods slightly dazed before she shakes her head.

"No you're the guest, and Amber and I have this routine down to a T." You nod going to sit on the separate seat.

"Alright loser I ordered us some Chinese because we have a long night ahead of us and since there's no school tomorrow you have no excuses." You just nod at the girl, smirking.

"And if I have plans?"

Her eyes narrow as she leans close to you.

"They're cancelled."

You both stare daring the other to break eye contact when the doorbell rings followed by the boisterous voice of Chad.

"OPEN UP FREEMAN WE WANNA WATCH MOVIES TOO!" Tara went to grab the door guiltily glancing to Amber who sighs.

"You told Mindy didn't you?"

"YOU BET YOUR SWEET ASS SHE DID! HOW COULD YOU HAVE A STAB-A-THON WITHOUT ME?"

Amber rolled her eyes as the whole group forced their way in, luckily Chad had bags of snacks and liquor as he snuck by.

"Well Thing 1 I didn't feel like watching the full series with unnecessary commentary."

She scoffed.

"Oh please my commentary makes the films that much better."

Upon seeing Wes, Tara went to you and whispered.

"Would you mind sitting next to me and Amber?" Her soft lips grazed your ear making you shiver. You looked confused before you saw her glance at Wes, a sudden urge to protect her going through you.

You stand and sit next to the girl effectively cutting him off before he could do so. The bleach blonde grumbling as he takes the recliner by himself. Amber takes this in watching the two of you talk softly as she goes to sit on the other side of her girlfriend. She meets your eyes nodding in thanks as you nod back.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I PRESENT TO YOU ONE OF THE GREATEST HORROR FILMS IN HISTORY!" She whispers to her brother. "Drum roll please.." he begins to bang his hands to his chest as the curly haired girl continues. "BASED ON A TRUE STORY I GIVE YOU...Stab!"

You sat back arm almost going over Tara's shoulder before you stopped yourself faking a stretch and crossing your arms over your chest. Amber chuckled softly to herself noticing, unknown to both of you so did Tara and Mindy.

The film continued on more screams and blood  filling the screen as Tara had one hand on your arm and the other on Amber. You glance to see Wes in almost fetal position eyes barely making it over his knees.

Pussy.

Chad and Liv were too busy kissing to pay attention as Mindy was munching away at popcorn, her commentary cut off not even thirty minutes into the movie, Amber threatened to kick her out.

The doorbell rang making everyone but you and Amber jump.

"It's just the food losers." She stands to get it leaving you and Tara on the couch. The smaller girl cowering into you the minute Ghostface appears again. When she's back the three of you share the cartons of food, which is when you learn Tara's a vegetarian. Mindy complains of being unloved and hungry as Amber throws egg rolls at her. Chad joining in once his lips leave his girlfriends.

"What about me?" Seeing Tara about to hand over her carton of fried rice makes you give the boy yours.

"Here."

The smaller girl gives a grateful smile as her girlfriend passes you a plate with some of her food. You look to Amber who stares until you begin to eat again.

Mindy side eyes the three of you mouth full of grease, pork, and veggies.

Definitely a thing.

It's when the credits roll everyone turns to you in question.

"That was actually a really well put together horror film." Amber and Mindy cheer as the others groan and prepare for the next one.

It was by the third film Wes had to leave due to his curfew, his mom picking him up at 11 as the twins slept on. Liv and Chad had gotten up to "sleep" in a guest room. You, Tara and Amber continued watching as Mindy's talking filled the background.

These suck.

After the first few Stabs you were getting bored, the motives were sloppy and the movies seemed to lose that feeling of nostalgia. Tara and Mindy had fallen asleep halfway through the sixth film and when they were finally done you decided to share your opinion.

"No offense Amber but these newer movies suck." She scoffed and you could see a glint in her eyes as she began her rant.

"I know.." she groaned. "It's like they took everything we loved about the original and shitted on it."

"So how would you fix it?" Her head turned abruptly to you as she began a passion filled speech about the cliches of reboots and how to properly execute a resurgence in film. Her eyes grew wider with excitement and you found yourself enthralled neither of you realizing how close you were getting until she almost woke up Tara. You both cleared your throats.

"We should probably get some sleep." You nod going to pick up Tara. "Where should I put her?"

"I could've gotten her."

"I know you just look a little tired too." Her usually hard exterior chipped a bit and she silently pointed you to her room, where you placed Tara down.

"Where should I sleep?"

"Most of the guest rooms are taken just sleep with us." Your eyebrows furrowed.

"It'll be a tight fit wouldn't it?" She shrugged going to spoon her girlfriend.

"Sleep on the floor then." Your eyes narrowed as you went behind her, wrapping your arms around her and getting in as close as possible.

"Better?" Your breath hit the back of her neck making the girl shiver. She nodded silently a whispered goodnight falling from your lips as you shut your eyes, your hands grazing Tara's the last thing you felt.

Amber went to kiss her girlfriends forehead like she usually did making the smaller girl crack one eye open as she placed a kiss on her chin. A small smile on both of their faces.

.

.

.

You woke up to the sweet smell of vanilla and a small body wrapped around you. Your eyes opening slowly as you found Tara cuddled up to you still sleeping soundly. Her mouth open the smallest bit as her chest rose and fell with each breath. You pushed some hair from her face looking around to see where Amber was. You heard some movement from downstairs followed by the smell of breakfast. You went to move but Tara's small hand gripped your shirt like a lifeline. A quiet knock and dark head of hair peeking in at the two of you.

Amber smirked rolling her eyes. "She's literally a koala." She moved closer placing a soft kiss on her girlfriends cheek before moving to her ear. "Baby wake up and get off of Y/N."

The smaller girl groaned.

"But she's so comfy." She whined. You couldn't help but chuckle making her shake above you. "Stop laughing."

You and Amber were still amused until someone else decided to interrupt.

"Can you hurry up some of us are STARV-" Mindy looked to the scene before her. "Am I interrupting something?"

Tara shot up from you almost tripping making Amber catch her before she could.

"No." Amber gritted out. "And Mindy I literally told you breakfast would be done in a few minutes."

"Wait did Y/N sleep in here instead of the guest-"

Amber cut her off.

"Will you get out already?! Jesus." The curly haired twin raised her hands up in surrender before leaving.

I knew it!

.

.

.

After that night you, Tara and Amber were inseparable. You three having absentee parents, similar tastes and just something that fit both of the girls so well you all were unable to part from each-other.

You had all decided to do your usual movie night at Tara's as her mom was "out of town". You were on the stairs staring at some of her childhood photos when you spotted something peculiar.

"Hey Tara?" She came around the corner cheeks covered in flour making you smile.

"Yeah?"

"Who's the other girl in the photo?" You notice her mood dampen and immediately wished you could take it back. Amber was still on her way over, her parents deciding to finally do the bare minimum by checking in with her.

"That's Sam..." a pregnant pause. "My sister." You looked to her in surprise. You and Tara had shared stories about your alcoholic mothers and their lack of control. The endless lonely nights finally being put to a stop as you found solace in the older girl. Texting or FaceTiming one when you couldn't sleep and starting the day with some words of comfort and motivation. Tara was your ray of sunshine.

"I'm sorry-"

"Our dad left when I was 8, Sam she.....she wasn't the same and when she turned 18 she just left." Her breath shuddered as she recalled the last time she saw her sister.

"Tar-"

"I looked up to her and she just left me." Tears began rolling down her cheeks hot and heavy as you pulled her into a hug.

"It's ok Tara. It's ok." You stroked the back of her head as her hands clutched the back of your shirt. You could feel her begin to hyperventilate as you tried to calm her.

"Tara...Tara hey you gotta calm down." You tried wiping her tears but they kept coming.

"They all left me."

The four words broke your heart as she kept repeating them the girl trying to sink to her knees but you kept your grip firm.

"Tara!"

Fuck it.

Your hands pulled her in kissing her softer than either of you expected. Plump lips pushed back softly against your own as manicured nails dug into the back of your neck drawing you closer. A soft sigh leaving her as the two of you broke apart. Your thumb rubbing her bottom lip as you found her doe like eyes boring into yours.

"I'm not leaving you Tara, not now not ever."Her eyes shut as her breathing returned to normal. It was almost the same thing Amber had told her every night when Sam had first left.

"I'm here for you babe, always."

"Sorry I'm late! Where's the loser?!" Tara pushed herself off as she went to the living room you following closely behind. "Hey- were you crying?" Amber rushed to her girlfriend eyes flashing to you in betrayal. "Did you hurt her?"

Taras hands went to her shoulders turning her face back to her. "No I was talking about Sam."

Ambers face softened the anger still in her eyes but no longer directed at you. She scanned Taras face before looking to you. She sniffed the air around her. "Baby is something burning?"

"SHIT!" She ran past her girlfriend to the kitchen as Amber grabbed you and dragged you to the attic knowing Tara would be unable to hear anything.

"I'm sure she gave you the PG Version of everything so I'll explain and quick before she notices we’re gone. Sam got into drugs and slutting herself out to half the town before she decided to leave her little sister with their drunken mess of a mother." Your eyebrows rose as you looked at her. "At some level Tara wants you to know and I'm sure she'll appreciate me doing it this way."

You nod. "We kissed."

Amber stared. "I know."

You gulped as she stepped closer to you. Her hands a blurred movement before you felt yourself being pulled into your second kiss of the night. This one a lot rougher than the last. You eyebrows shot up in surprise as Amber jumped onto you. Your hands finding their place under her thighs as she wrapped her legs around you. You tilted your head lips sliding with hers. You opened up your lips slightly leering her tongue in as her hands tangled into your hair pulling hard. You groaned in slight pain making the girl smile into the kiss.

"GUYS!" You placed the girl down rushing to get back downstairs when you tripped over a box a diary laid open in front of you. In big bold letters the name of Woodsboro's first serial killer staring back at you. You picked up the book lagging behind Amber who went to help her girlfriend plate dinner. As you read the entry you felt yourself freeze right at the kitchen entrance.

"Y/n...you ok?" You glance at Tara before looking to Amber. You passed the taller girl the book before going to take a seat. Her eyes widening as she looked to you and the book in her hands.

"What the fuck?" You nod eyes still on Tara who starts getting frustrated.

"What's wrong?" She turns to her girlfriend sympathetic.

"You might wanna sit down, Y/N grab her inhaler."

.

.

.

"I want them to pay." Tara's head was on Ambers chest, the two girls had sent you home once Tara was able to function after learning the real reason why Sam left. She was the illegitimate child of Billy Loomis, the real reason their dad never came back. Her mother turning to liquor to drown her sorrows, Tara shook in anger as her thoughts plagued her. Amber brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.

"They will babe." Tara sat up looking her girlfriend in the eyes.

"No I want to be the one to make them hurt." Amber felt something within her stir. "I want to hurt them like they hurt me."

Amber sat quiet for a moment. "What if we make another movie?"

Tara's eyebrows furrowed as Amber began to get a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"We're going to recreate the same movie your sisters father made and we're going to give it an even better ending."

Tara felt a small smile grace her lips. "How?"

"There's a bunch of movie freaks online that we can use to take the fall."

That night the two began their plan. As time went on Amber turned to her girlfriend sympathetic.

"Babe you know I love you right?" The small girl nodded. "We'll need someone else besides a fall guy, we need someone to help us clean up the mess once everything done."

"But what about me?" Amber lovingly stroked her cheek.

"You're the brain baby now we need brawn."

"Chad?" Amber shook her head.

"Y/N." Tara felt her cheeks tint at the sound of your name.

"I have a confession-"

"No need I kissed her too." The brunette eyes shot open in surprise. "Baby we've both been feeling a connection to Y/N I was just waiting for one of us to act on it, polygamy isn't new and there's something in them that I think makes them perfect." Tara looked skeptical as Amber smirked. "Just trust me, I can prove it."

Amber strode confident to the front door phone in hand and ready to call you. She motioned for her girlfriend to come closer as she began dialing your number. It rang twice before you answered.

"Are you guys ok?" You wasted no time making Ambers smile grow even more.

"We're fine but you should probably come inside." Tara's eyebrows furrowed in confusion until you walked out from the trees sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck.

"How'd you-" Amber ran up to you in excitement eyes shining like they had that night she'd discussed her Stab ideas with you.

"Just come inside and listen."

.

"You wanna what?!" You stood from the chair. Tara looked to Amber worried who held up one finger to her girlfriend. "Tara will get hurt. You will get hurt."

Taras head snapped to you as Amber tilted her head to the side sauntering to you as she dragged her hand across your shoulders. "Which is why I think you're a much better candidate to help us."

You shook your head. "You'd get in trouble."

Tara felt herself begin to realize what Amber already knew. You didn't care for much else but them and their safety over the months you had become a silent protector to the two of them. Countless incidents of Tara needing her inhaler or a distraction from Wes and you much like her girlfriend would be right there to save the day. Even the rare occasions where Amber was vulnerable you were sure they were kept private and whatever she'd ask for you'd get when Tara couldn't. They were all you had and they felt the same for you. Your parents had failed all three of you and Tara's own sister had abandoned her.

"Not if we're careful." She cut in. You looked to the smaller girl worried but feeling your walls crumble.

"Tara if this goes wrong-"

"It won't." You sigh.

"Besides you two, I have nothing left to lose. College isn't in my cards and there's no one waiting for me at home. You guys have families-"

"That don't care." Amber cut you off as she went closer placing her hand on your shoulder her other hand beckoning her girlfriend over. Tara stepped closer placing a hand on your other shoulder you looked between the two.

"I don't want nothing to happen to either of you."

Tara got closer. "We can't promise nothing will happen but we can promise that we'll make sure we get the ending we want."

Amber smiled at her girlfriend as she turned back to you, lips pressing to your cheek.

"Just think Tara's the brains you'll be the brawn and I'll be the mask, we already found someone who will take the fall." Her lips moved from your cheek to your lips. "We just need you to be our insurance policy. We just need you to say yes."

Your eyes shot over to Tara who's nails scratched the back of your neck. Her brown eyes pleading with you, your attention back on Amber who places a soft kiss on your lips. She pulled away letting her girlfriend pull you in for a kiss as well.

With eyes closed you take a deep breath.

"Yes."

A/N: I should probably update the Wednesday series and catch up on requests but this just popped in my head so I hope you enjoyed it 😅😭

Taglist: @alexkolax @maowlxslay @annalestern @natasha25052 @wol-fica @tashakink @pdione11 @dksjskx @the-camilucha @nitchxhdc @rainbow-love4ever

[mikeyss1ut]

Could do a amber x Tara x fem reader

All three girls are in a poly relationship and head over heels for each other especially toward tara

Amber and r do love and care for each other *but they love tara a lot more and will do anything to keep her happy and safe and they’ll drop any arguement just for her sake Amber isn’t ghost-face *it’s someone else*

In my hcs I imagine amber being a super protective girl and won’t let anyone harm her girls and r is the same way *but maybe a little too much because they’re both are extreme idiots that wouldn’t learn to not do it agin or give up despite being heavily injured*

I also imagines r and amber being the ones who get into arguments like angry married couple but luckily tara is the one who gets them to stop and force them to make peace. In au scenario Amber isn’t ghost-face it’s someone else. Although r and amber do love messing with Sam because they have a love hate relationship toward the girls and know they can get her riled up when mentioning about them dating her sister*

These are little scenarios in my head of this:)))

#1:

“Amber!” You yelled

“What!” She yelled back.

“Have you seen Tara’s shoes she needs them for this party she wants to go to!”

Amber stomps in.

“Excuse me? Who said she’s allowed at a party?” She said

“Well of course she’s not going by herself . I’m going! Duh!” You sassed

“No, you guys please I want to be alone for once.”

Amber laughed

“Yeah uhm- no.” You both said.

#2:

“No! I’m sorry Amber ok!”

“Sorry not good enough this time!”

“Amber, listen I love you I’m sorry I didn’t mean to say that it just came out that way.”

“Should have thought about what you said before you said it!”

You and Amber went back and forth, back and forth.

“Stop!” Tara yells

“It’s stupid what you guys are fighting over, Amber , y/n didn’t mean to say what she did , she’s sorry. Leave it at that.”

“Ok, fine.”

#3:

Amber laid in the middle, holding you both. You had a rough day, Amber wanted to fix that. So she cuddled you and put on a bath. When you came out Tara was back and she had heard about your bad day. She also wanted you to be ok.

So when you got dressed amber cuddled you both until you guys fell asleep.

#4:

Amber gets jealous when Tara gives you a kiss or a hug. Or when you give Tara a kiss or a hug. Tara gets jealous when Amber gives you a kiss. But you only get jealous when Amber gives Tara a kiss and not you. It’s like she’s mad at you, but sometimes she’s just forgets.

Not that she forgets about you. Oh no, she loves you. A lot. But sometimes she just sees Tara kisses her and goes back to doing whatever she was doing. When she remembers she didn’t give you a kiss she makes up for it.

[idkdudethisisntpermanent]

Keep Your Eyes on Me

tara carpenter x female reader

summary: You’ve quickly become close with all of Tara’s friends, but her trust issues keep her at a distance from you. But maybe you're able to chip away at her defenses...

word count: 2.2k

————

"I don't get why no one else is suspicious of her!" Tara exclaims looking around at everyone with a frustrated expression. "Mindy? You're literally suspicious of every living thing. And Sam what the fuck, you don't let me leave the house unless I'm carrying a cross bow or something," she exaggerates rolling her eyes.

"Why are we speaking about me like I'm not here?" You whisper to Chad next to you while ripping your string cheese into strands. He laughs but so does everyone else, seems like your whisper wasn't as quiet as you thought.

Tara groans frustrated and heads up the stairs, leaving her friends and you in the living room in an awkward silence.

Sam was the first to break it, "She'll come around, it's just been hard on her you know? Trusting new people and all that fun stuff."

You give her a nod completely understanding the root of Tara's issues with you, it wasn't personal but that didn't mean her distrust in you didn't sting. Especially considering it's been four months since you met the group.

"I am curious though," you speak, "She's not wrong Mindy, you're sus of everyone. And Sam why do you trust me too?"

"Well you met my brother playing pickle ball," the twin speaks. "Pickle ball doesn't really strike me as a psychopathic killer activity," she laughs.

"Neither does string cheese. Can you imagine Ghostface stringing their cheese and eating it?" Sam adds with a laugh.

You don't know whether to be relieved or offended that your habits don't indicate you to be a killer. But you're grateful that the rest of the group clicked with you quickly after Chad introduced you to them.

The core four minus Tara sometimes wanted to smack the girl across the head for being so oblivious and blind to you. Before you met the group Chad being the yapper that he is, explained all that happened in the past year and a half, so you were fairly well equipped with knowledge on how to navigate a friendship with everyone.

Everyone also noticed how attentive you were to Tara especially.  You didn't know what it was but you immediately developed a soft spot for the girl when Chad told you all she went through. Meeting her for the first time you instinctively felt the need to protect her but that's been quite hard with her negative feelings towards you, but that doesn't mean you don't try.

————

Sam eventually goes up to Tara's room once everyone leaves and decides to put an end to this.  The younger Carpenter looks at her sister from her bed when the door is opened at a speed where its hinges could fly off.

"Jesus Sam, why are we trying to break my door."

"What the hell are you doing Tara?" Sam gets to the point ignoring the question.

"What are you talking about?"

"Y/n."

"Ughhhhhh!" She turns around face planting into her pillow with a groan, hating the topic of you.

"It's been four months and you haven't once given the poor girl the benefit of the doubt." The sister says softly. "I don't know why you're so keen on hating her, it's like you want her to be Ghostface just so you can prove a point."

Tara turns around to respond, clearly annoyed.  "Because it's so clear she doesn't have good intentions!  I don't get you either sis, you want me to be cautious of people, but it's a problem when its Y/n?"

Sam sighs moving to sit on the foot of the bed, "Tara, do you not see how much that girl cares about you?"

Tara is silent and looks down at her fiddling hands not knowing what to say.  She does know how much you care and she hates it.

All those times you would come over to her place with the excuse of "Mindy sent me to grab something" but you always stayed until Sam got home from work, just so she wouldn't have to be alone.

"Clearly you do realize how much she cares for you," Sam says taking notice of her sister's silence and demeanor.

Tara turns red recalling how you would always be attentive to the leg that Ghostface broke a year ago.  You would always position yourself so she'd have access to the railing of a staircase. Offer to drive her places that may have seemed like too lengthy of a walk. Straggle behind the group when you realized she couldn't walk as fast as the others. And even deprive yourself of any physical activities that the group was participating in, so Tara wouldn't feel alone when she sat out.

"The damn girl literally sits in the kitchen whenever your hungry ass wants to cook something so you'd feel safer!" Sam suddenly says. "Even I hadn't thought about how being in the kitchen may give you PTSD."

Tara hadn't either. But now that she knew the reason why you'd sit with her in the kitchen, she realized that she did feel much more comfortable with you in there then the times you weren't. After all she did have her attack take place in the kitchen. The brown eyed girl shrunk into her sweater in shame as she recalled how poorly she treated you that day.

You leave the group who were playing an intense round of charades in the living room and decide to join Tara who was alone in the kitchen.

"Hey what are you making?" You smile.

She ignores you and continues to get the seasoning out for the mac and cheese she was making herself.

"Why aren't you playing with everyone else?" Tara suddenly spoke.

"Just wanted to see what you were up to."

"Well you can leave now," she rolls her eyes.

"I'm good, I'll stay here."

"You do know that you aren't winning any points with me by trying to talk to me and forcing proximity right?" Tara says with attitude. "I still don't trust you and if your goal isn't to kill me, but just to get in my pants, then I'm so sorry if I ever made you believe that you had a chance with me." she finishes sarcastically feigning a genuine apology.

"Not my goal," you reply keeping it short. You knew the girl would not receive anything you say, so you got up from the seat you initially took at the island in the kitchen and went to the dining table which was a little further away. Tara thought that you left since she didn't hear any comments from you anymore and her pride was too high for her to turn around and check if you were still there. She couldn't control the frown that was making its way onto her face. That was until she heard you scrolling through TikToks at the table and suddenly felt a sense of relief that couldn't be explained.

She would continue to finish her mac and cheese and tried to hide her laugh from any funny TikTok sounds she heard from your phone. And tried her hardest to shutdown her curiosity whenever she heard your laugh. As soon as she finished making her bowl, she walked out of the kitchen not even glancing at you. She was too stubborn to realize that she hadn't once thought about her attack due to your presence in the kitchen.

Until now.

"That's why I trust her Tara," Sam reveals. "She notices things that I don't. I can't always be watching out for you. You need to have a bunch who have your back, and for that to happen you need to take a chance on people here and there."

"Just think about it. Just separate your idea of Y/n being Ghostface and the possibility that she can betray you. And ask yourself what kind of person is left standing in front you. And is that the type of person you want to take a chance on."

————

Two weeks have gone by since the group last saw each other, and since then you and Tara were able to do a lot of individual thinking. Today the group decided that they went too long without seeing each other and they all decided to go to bar in downtown Manhattan.

Everyone decided to meet at the Carpenter residence, and Tara hated to admit it, but she was excited to see you, but she also felt nervous at the thought of being around you.

You were the last to arrive, and you greeted all your friends with a smile. Tara was waiting with a smile for you to greet her like you always do, but it never happened.

You ignored her.

"Is everyone ready to go?" You say looking at everyone except Tara.

The shorter girl had to compose herself before anyone realized that she was bothered by your lack of acknowledgement. She didn't know how to feel, what in the world were you doing?

The group made their way to the subway in one piece, and the two Carpenter sisters were walking side by side while everyone else was a little ahead.

"What the fuck is Y/n doing?" Tara whisper yells to her sister.

"What do you mean?" Sam replies playing stupid.

"She's not even looking at me?" Tara admits, not caring at how childish she sounds. "Why isn't she paying attention to me?"

Sam laughs at what two weeks of not seeing you and some deep reflection has done to her sister. "I mean what do you expect, it's not fair for her to keep trying for someone who doesn't make the same effort. She's probably done trying." Despite her words, Sam didn't believe a thing she was saying, she wondered what the intentions behind your actions were, but the Carpenter knew it was nothing ill.

Tara makes a hmpf sound, and tries to act unbothered by her sister's words. But the idea of you not having your gaze on her worries her more than she would like to admit.

Meanwhile 20 paces in front the sisters you and the twins are having a interesting conversation of your own.

"I can't do this anymore!" You whine looking at Mindy.

"Girl, stand the fuck up, it's been 20 minutes since we left the house, can't you see that it's already working?"

Chad chimes in, "Honestly I agree with my sister for once, she'll be yours by the end of today."

"W-whoa I don't want her to be mine or anything," you blush. "She's gone through a lot, I just need her to tolerate me, you know?"

Mindy rolls her eyes but smiles, happy that Tara has someone patient like you in her life. "Yeah yeah Y/l/n, now walk faster, it's not like she can run and catch up."

Your jaw drops while Chad drops dead in laughter.

Everyone manages to get onto the same subway cart in one piece, and you realized how much harder it was going to be acting like you can't notice Tara in here. The subway was packed from one end to the other. And you just so happened to be standing next to the only available seat.

You glance at Tara only to see her already looking at you and you immediately look away. Trying to get Mindy's attention you some how try your best to mime to her that you want Tara to sit in the free seat. Though of course Mindy's horrible charade skills translate into real life and she ends up sitting in the seat herself.

You face palm at your friend, and gave up on trying to look out for Tara. But in that very moment you notice a man getting far too close to the girl than you would like. It was a crowded cart so proximity was a given, but this seemed deliberate on the stranger's part.

Acting without thinking, you shove the guy as casually as you can to the side, not realizing that it meant you are now face to face with Tara. Just as you were about to break and speak to her, the subway doors open at your stop.

Tara hated that the doors interrupted the words you were going to say to her, but was grateful that it got her attention off of you before you could notice the blush on her cheeks.

As everyone got off the subway, you find yourself straggling behind the group out of habit. Just as you attempt to quicken your pace, you feel a tug on your sleeve.

Tara looks up at you with her big eyes, and you don't know what to do. This is the first time the girl has looked at you without rolling her eyes or looking away immediately.

"I'm sorry," she mutters.

You didn't know what to say, and continue walking with her by your side, so you don't fall too far behind from your friends. "It's okay," you mutter back looking straight ahead. 

You don't blame the girl for her behaviours.  Her traumas manifested into something difficult and she was making an attempt to be better. That's all that mattered to you. And maybe you were just too weak for the girl that you would let anything slide, but you were fine with that too. 

Tara smiles at you, happy that you weren't giving her a hard time. Happy that you understood what those two words she just told you encapsulates.

Suddenly she grabs you by your arm and holds it as you walk side by side.

Startled by her touch you look at her.

She smiles up at you, "It's easier for you to keep your eyes on me this way. No need for secret glances."

[starrybl1ss]

Im boutta write smthn bout amber freeman or tara carpenter (or both🤭) just wait till i get a brainwave lmk if u have ideas bae

[halfmoonaria]

unanswered II

pairing: tara carpenter & female reader

summary: tara finally comes to her senses.

word count: 6k

author’s note: sorry for the wait guys! might be forgiven tho since i claimed this was 4k words but it ended up with 6k.

i tried to include all your suggestions so i hope you like it

Tara had been blocked.

You had blocked her.

Though, it didn't hit her all at once. The first few minutes, she thought you were just asleep, it had been late when she had texted you after all.

Maybe you needed space after what Tara had said a few nights before, and she couldn't blame you for that.

Yet she still tried texting you, each one more desperate than the last. They were all small messages, apologies wrapped in awkward words that probably didn't mean much for anyone but her.

At first, Tara chalked it up to bad timing, bad service, something.

You had to see her messages eventually, right? So she kept sending them. But there was still no reply. Then, the doubt crept in.

Maybe you were ignoring her.

That thought weighed heavily on her, but she didn't stop.

She was still convinced there had to be an explanation. You always stayed. Even when things were at their worst, when she screwed up time and time again, you stayed.

But something was different this time. She felt it.

Then she noticed the green bubbles. The messages weren't delivering.

Her stomach had dropped. It wasn't bad service. It wasn't bad timing. You had cut her off completely.

Her thumb hovered over your contact, thinking about calling, but she stopped. What was the point? You wouldn't answer.

You were done with her.

She stared at her phone for longer than she should have, as if willing it to change.

But it didn't.

The reality sank in, slow and suffocating. You were gone.

For the first time, she wasn't the one walking away, and the absence of you—your presence, your texts, your warmth—was a hole Tara hadn't even realized she relied on.

It wasn't like she hadn't expected it after everything that had happened.

You always had a way of catching her when she messed up, but things seemed to smooth over eventually.

She never really had to confront her mistakes because you stayed, no matter how many times she got it wrong. Now, though, there was nothing.

Tara wasn't used to this. Sure, she knew she had done something wrong—pushing you away, keeping you in this weird limbo while she figured herself out—but she hadn't thought it would lead to you cutting her off.

Blocking her, even.

That had never happened before. No matter how many times she messed up, you had always been there, willing to pick up the pieces, and things just... worked.

She hadn't even realized how much she relied on your presence until it was gone.

For the first time, she was completely alone. No Amber, no you. Just silence.

———

Tara woke up the next morning with a strange sense of hope. She half expected to see the messages had been delivered, that maybe you'd unblocked her while she was asleep. Maybe it was all just a mistake. You wouldn't really cut her off, not after everything, right?

She grabbed her phone, swiping to the messages she'd sent.

Still green.

Her heart sank, the pit in her stomach deepening as she realized nothing had changed. You were serious. You weren't coming back.

When she got to school, a part of her still thought maybe you'd be there, waiting to talk like you always did, or at least watching from afar. She found herself glancing at the spots where she usually saw you, waiting for that familiar feeling of your eyes on her.

But you weren't there.

But Tara kept walking, her heart heavy as she scanned the hallways. That's when she spotted Amber, standing by her locker, waiting. The familiar feeling of longing tugged at her, but this time it wasn't as comforting as before.

Amber caught her eye and signaled for her to come over, flashing that smile Tara always fell for. Without thinking, Tara did. She walked straight into Amber's arms, letting Amber sling her arm casually around her shoulders as if nothing had changed between them.

For a brief moment, Tara felt like she had what she wanted. Amber was there, holding her close, showing everyone that she was hers—at least for today.

But there was still a heaviness in her chest, something she couldn't shake. It didn't make sense. She was with Amber now, wasn't this enough?

The thought of you crept in, uninvited.

No, it couldn't be that.

She pushed the feeling down, convincing herself that having Amber was enough.

It had to be.

That's what she told herself for the following days, trying to convince herself that Amber was enough, that this was what she wanted.

And for a while, it almost worked. Amber had been good—more attentive, more affectionate than usual—at least during the school week.

The weekends, though, were different. Parties took priority, and Amber's attention drifted.

Yet even when things were good; better than ever if you will, Tara couldn't shake the feeling lodged in her chest, that gut-wrenching discomfort that seemed to cling to her no matter how much she tried to ignore it.

The more she tried to push it down, the more it twisted inside her, leaving her uneasy.

And all of the thoughts led back to you. To Tara's own surprise.

You didn't try to search for her between classes, didn't glance in her direction when you passed her in the hallways. Nothing. Like she didn't even exist.

That was what Tara should've expected, really. After everything she'd done—after the way she'd strung you along, pushed you aside, left you waiting on the sidelines—it made sense. She had no right to expect anything different.

Tara had always been the one to call the shots, to decide when and where things stood between the two of you. Now, for the first time, the power was out of her hands.

She kept telling herself it was temporary. You'd come back—you always did. She just had to wait it out. Maybe this time it would take a little longer, but you'd be there, eventually. You had to be. So she forced herself to get used to it, to the absence, pretending she could handle the emptiness you left behind.

But what really started to get under Tara's skin wasn't just your absence or the way you seemed to move on so easily. It was seeing you with someone else.

She first noticed it during English class. You had been sitting next to some girl—someone Tara vaguely recognized but never really paid attention to before.

At first, she didn't think much of it, but as the days went on, she kept seeing the two of you together. Talking. Laughing. It wasn't just casual conversations either. You looked comfortable. Almost like you were enjoying yourself.

And as the days passed, Tara couldn't help but notice it more.

You hadn't even glanced her way in days, and yet here you were, cozying up to someone else like nothing had happened.

And every time she glanced in your direction during class, there you were, talking to her. Sometimes you'd laugh, or lean in a little closer, your body language relaxed in a way that made Tara's stomach twist.

You weren't just sitting next to each other anymore—you were... comfortable. And it wasn't just in English. She caught sight of you together in the hallways, outside the building after school.

The more she saw the two of you, the more it grated on her nerves. A sharp, simmering anger that built with each passing day.

Every smile, every shared glance between you and this girl made it harder for her to focus on Amber, even when Amber was right beside her, holding her hand or whispering in her ear.

It shouldn't have bothered her like this. It shouldn't have mattered.

You were free to talk to whoever you wanted. For all Tara knew, she was just a classmate, someone you happened to sit next to by chance.

But that didn't stop the ugly feeling from growing inside her, gnawing away at her with every interaction she witnessed.

She told herself it was nothing. That it didn't mean anything. But with every glance, every shared word between you and that girl, her anger simmered, coiling tighter until it was all she could focus on.

It wasn't jealousy, Tara told herself. It couldn't be. She had Amber, after all.

Yet there was no denying the way her chest tightened every time she saw you with her. It wasn't supposed to feel like this. You weren't supposed to matter anymore.

But somehow, you still did. Of course you did.

___

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Amber's voice broke through Tara's thoughts, cutting through the low hum of the campus.

Her tone was sharp, playful in a way that normally would've made Tara grin, but today it grated, pulling her out of the spiral she had been sinking into.

They were sitting outside, perched on one of the weathered wooden benches that lined the quad, the usual bustling energy of lunchtime fading as the crowd thinned.

Chad and Liv had disappeared first, throwing out some half-hearted excuse about "something better to do," Mindy had ditched too—not that Tara blamed her, considering she wasn't exactly Amber's biggest fan. Which left only Amber and Tara behind.

Normally, Tara would've reveled in that—the rare chance to have Amber's full attention, unshared, unchallenged by anyone else. She used to crave these moments when it was just the two of them, when Amber's eyes were only on her.

But now, Tara could barely summon the energy to care. The thrill of it had dulled, smothered under the weight of everything else she couldn't stop thinking about—of everything she couldn't feel.

Your absence hung heavy in the air, even though Amber didn't know it was there. She couldn't know.

She wouldn't have cared if she did.

Amber shifted beside her, more out of impatience than concern. "Seriously, you've been acting weird all week," she pressed, her voice tinged with frustration.

She wasn't used to Tara being so distant, and the idea that something might be slipping out of her control clearly bothered her. "What's your problem?"

Tara blinked, her mind sluggish, trying to catch up. It wasn't like she could explain it—not in any way that made sense.

How could she tell Amber that the cold shoulder she had been getting from you had thrown her completely off balance?

That it was the same cold shoulder she'd given you, over and over again, each time leaving you on the outside while she stayed wrapped up in Amber's world. How could she admit that now, when it was her on the receiving end, it felt like a punch to the gut every single time she saw you?

"I don't know," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "I'm just tired."

It was the best she could come up with, the easiest excuse, but even as the words left her lips, she knew it wasn't enough.

Amber wasn't the type to let things slide, especially not when it came to Tara. She was used to being the center of attention, the one calling the shots, and when Tara's focus wasn't on her, Amber always took notice.

"Yeah, well, you've been 'tired' for a while now," Amber snapped back, her tone cutting through the brief silence like a whip.

She didn't sound concerned, not really—just annoyed, irritated that something wasn't going her way. "Maybe you should come out with me this weekend, you know? Party with me."

Amber's suggestion hung in the air between them, and Tara hesitated. Normally, Amber didn't bother to ask.

She'd go without her, living up the night on her own, letting Tara watch it all from the sidelines. She'd see it unfold through Amber's and other people's social media—photos and videos of Amber laughing, surrounded by friends, completely absorbed in her own world.

But this time, it felt different. Tara could feel it in the way Amber's eyes lingered on her, waiting, expecting something—expecting Tara to be excited, to jump at the chance like she would've done before.

But the thought of it, the thought of pretending everything was fine, felt suffocating.

She nodded anyway, forcing herself to give Amber the answer she was waiting for, even if it felt hollow. "Yeah. Sure."

But even as the words came out, Tara felt the weight of them, heavy and wrong.

Because the truth was, none of it mattered—not the party, not Amber's fleeting attention. None of it made a dent in the gnawing ache in her chest that had started the moment you stopped looking at her.

She told herself it was fine. She could play along. She had done it before. But deep down, Tara knew that no matter how much she tried to push it down, nothing could fix this disgusting feeling.

She sat in silence for a moment longer, staring at the ground as her mind whirred with thoughts she didn't want to have.

She clenched her jaw, trying to shake the feeling, trying to make herself believe that this—Amber, the party, all of it—would be enough. It definitely would've been before, hadn't it?

But now, the weight of your absence pressed in on her from every angle, heavy and suffocating. It wasn't supposed to feel like this. It wasn't supposed to matter so much.

Amber shifted beside her, sighing loudly. "Whatever, Tara," she muttered, standing up and brushing invisible dust off her jeans. "Don't get all weird on me."

Tara barely registered her leaving. The rush of relief she might have once felt in moments like these—when Amber turned her attention elsewhere—was gone, replaced by an ache she couldn't name.

A week ago, maybe two, Tara would've called after her, almost running to catch up. She would've asked if they could get ready together, spent half an hour agonizing over what she should wear, hoping for Amber's approval.

Her mind would've spun with questions, things she'd never needed to worry about when she was around you.

What should she wear? What did Amber want her to look like? Was her hair okay down, or should she try something new? She would've sent selfies for Amber's opinion, eager for a reaction, any reaction, to reassure her that she was enough.

But now, the questions didn't come. They felt distant, buried under the weight that had settled in her chest and refused to leave. Tara didn't care what Amber thought anymore. She didn't even care what she looked like.

The weekend came sooner than she had expected, almost sneaking up on her while she drifted through the week in a haze.

Throughout the week, Tara had tried to text you. Just one message each day, nothing too desperate, nothing that screamed she was losing her mind over your silence.

But each time, the bubble turned green, and with every little notification, her hope that you might respond twisted into something bitter, something angry.

Were you with her? That girl from your English class, the one she'd seen you walking with down the hallways, laughing, your head bent close to hers like you didn't have a care in the world.

Tara's stomach knotted at the thought, her grip tightening on her phone every time she imagined the two of you together. Were you sharing the jokes you used to save just for her? Did you laugh the same way?

By the time Friday came around, the anger had wrapped itself around her chest, growing heavier each time she looked at her phone, still green, still silent.

It weighed on her as she stood in front of the mirror that night, staring at her reflection like a stranger. She had thrown on whatever was closest, not caring how it looked—not caring how she looked—and now, standing there, she could feel the frustration boiling over.

She looked terrible, and she knew it. The clothes didn't sit right, her hair was a mess, and she didn't even have the energy to fix any of it.

Normally, she'd have texted Amber for advice, asked her what to wear, how to do her makeup. They might've gotten ready together if Amber cared enough, Amber teasing her the whole time but never letting her leave the house unless she looked perfect.

But tonight, none of that mattered. Tara was angry—angry at herself, at you, at the girl you were probably with right now. She felt like she was spinning, her thoughts spiraling into a million catastrophic possibilities, each one worse than the last.

Maybe she just needed to see you in person. Maybe if she could find you, look you in the eye, and tell you how she was feeling right now, you'd understand. Maybe that's what would finally break through this silence.

If she could just get you to listen, maybe if she could tell you all of it—how she didn't know what she was doing, how none of it made sense to her—you'd understand.

But would you even believe her? Would you even want to hear her out?

Without thinking twice, she pulled out her phone and typed out a message to Amber.

can't make it tonight. smth came up.

She didn't even wait for a response before throwing her phone onto the bed, her mind already somewhere else.

Part of her wanted to look you up, track you down, and talk to you face-to-face. Whether you were with someone else or just avoiding her the way she'd been avoiding you —but either way, Tara was done waiting around for you to reach out.

She stood frozen for a moment, feeling ridiculous as the thought of showing up at your house unannounced settled in.

She could already picture how stupid she'd look, standing at your door, trying to explain herself. You'd blocked her—didn't that already say everything she needed to know?

But then that other girl's face flashed in her mind, the way you laughed with her, walked next to her in the halls.

The thought of her taking you away, of her being the one you shared everything with now, twisted Tara's stomach in knots. She couldn't let that happen. Not without at least trying.

She didn't want to be too late.

Tara hated how desperate she felt, how even after everything, after you'd blocked her, she was still running after you. But she couldn't help it.

Even if she had to look you in the eye and hear you say you didn't want her anymore, she needed to know for sure. She needed to fight, because the thought of losing you to someone else was worse than any rejection you could throw at her.

With a deep breath and her hands shaking, she grabbed her jacket and keys.

Feeling stupid the whole way, she headed out the door, her heart pounding with every step she took toward your house.

___

didn't think u were weak enough to back out.

guess i was wrong.

Amber's text lit up her screen, but Tara barely glanced at it.

Normally, Amber's words usually stung, leaving Tara questioning herself, doubting everything. But tonight, they barely registered. She didn't care anymore, not about Amber's opinion or her insults.

The thought of how she'd been stringing you along—pushing and pulling, hot and cold—made her stomach twist in a way Amber's games never had.

Tara had always hated how Amber toyed with her, how she'd be there one day and gone the next, keeping Tara on a leash just long enough to never fully let go. Now, she realized, she was doing the same to you. She'd been selfish, scared, and now it was coming back to haunt her.

Amber had dragged her through the same emotional mess for so long—back and forth, never knowing where they stood—and now she had done the same to you.

It wasn't about Amber anymore. It was about you. And she wasn't going to let you slip away without at least trying.

She made it to your house almost sooner than she'd liked. The sight of your front door tightened the knot in her stomach, something she wasn't used to feeling.

Tara wasn't the nervous type—usually, she could handle herself in any situation, always sure of what she'd say or do. But now, her palms felt damp, her breath catching every time she thought of you opening that door.

She didn't know what she was going to say. Hell, she didn't even know if you'd open the door. But she had to try, even if her nerves were making her feel like a complete idiot for being there.

But she was already here, and she'd come this far—she couldn't just turn back now. She'd fought her way through every doubt to get here, and backing down wasn't an option.

Her feet felt heavy as she took each step up the walkway, the familiar creak of the wooden steps underfoot echoing louder in her ears than it ever had before.

The closer she got, the more every little detail stood out—the chipped paint on your door, the soft glow of light seeping out from the window.

She raised her hand to knock, fingers hovering just inches away, her heart pounding so loudly she wondered if you'd hear it from the other side.

Taking a deep breath, she let her knuckles tap lightly against the door, the sound swallowed almost instantly by the still night air.

It took long enough for you to answer that her thoughts had time to spiral. She knew your parents weren't home; in the little time she'd spent actually getting to know you, she'd learned that they hardly ever were.

You were probably home alone, and the idea haunted her—maybe you'd invited someone else over, maybe you weren't even alone at all, maybe you were with that girl she'd seen you with before.

By the time she heard footsteps approaching, her heart was beating so fast she almost felt sick, every possibility fighting for space in her mind.

Finally, the door swung open, and for a split second, there was a soft smile on your face.

But the moment your eyes landed on her, it vanished, replaced by something unreadable.

It wasn't anger—your expression was calm, almost neutral, yet there was a guardedness to it, like you'd been caught off guard, not entirely prepared to see her standing there.

The warmth in your eyes had dimmed, leaving something harder to read.

Tara couldn't tell if that look meant you were relieved or if she was the last person you wanted to see right now.

For a second, Tara felt so small. She knew she was short, but this was different—she'd never felt this out of place, like she was shrinking right there on your doorstep. Not since Amber.

Her fingers fidgeted, tracing over her knuckles as she tried to read you, to figure out what was going on behind that guarded expression. She barely registered the sound of her name until she heard your voice.

"Tara.. Hi."

The words hung there, making the quiet between you even heavier.

Tara didn't respond right away, too caught up in the questions swirling through her mind.

Had she interrupted something? Were you expecting someone else—someone who actually wanted to be here?

Her mind raced, flashing back to all the times you'd tried reaching out, inviting her over, and all the times she'd ignored you, too wrapped up in the momentary thrill of Amber's attention.

She hadn't let herself think about what that might've felt like for you.

And now, standing here, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was karma—that maybe you'd moved on, found someone else who didn't make you feel like a backup option. What if, after all this, she was too late?

Finally, after a moment, she managed to speak, her voice barely above a whisper, unsteady.

"Were... were you expecting somebody else?" Her words faltered, her gaze fixed on her hands as she twisted her fingers together, almost as if she could hold onto some kind of confidence.

You furrowed your brows just slightly, a small, almost confused smile pulling at the corner of your mouth as you let out a soft, breathy laugh. "No... why would I?"

Tara's mouth opened, but no words came out right away. She hadn't expected you to look so genuinely surprised, and now she felt her cheeks warming, her gaze darting down as she scrambled for something to say. Her fingers twisted together, and she forced herself to meet your eyes again, feeling silly for even bringing it up.

"I... I don't know. I just thought... maybe." Her voice was barely a whisper, and she hated how uncertain it sounded, as if she'd already given away too much. But she couldn't help it—she just had to know.

You tilted your head slightly, still wearing that soft smile, though there was a hint of something knowing in your eyes.

"Is she.. ignoring you again?" you asked, the question so casual yet so pointed that Tara's breath hitched.

She knew you meant Amber—you didn't even need to say her name. And the worst part was, she felt a pang of guilt because, honestly, it wouldn't have been the first time.

She swallowed hard, feeling like her own answer was betraying her. "Actually... no," she said slowly, her voice faltering as she tried to piece together her words. "She, uh, actually invited me to a party."

Your expression shifted, that lightness fading from your eyes, and Tara's stomach twisted painfully when she noticed.

She hadn't expected you to react like that, hadn't anticipated that flicker of hurt crossing your face. And now, standing there in the doorway, she felt a rush of regret wash over her.

Before she could stop herself, she added, her voice barely above a whisper, "But I didn't... I didn't go."

You didn't respond right away, just looked at her, eyebrows raised, silently waiting. Tara shifted under your gaze, feeling smaller by the second, until finally, she started to speak.

"I know you probably... don't want to talk to me right now," she began, her voice a little too fast, like she was rushing to get the words out before she lost her nerve.

She took a shaky breath and continued, "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I mean, it's not like I've given you a reason to, you know, feel any different... or... yeah."

Her hand drifted up to her wrist, squeezing it as she fumbled for her next thought. "I... I messed up. And, I've been thinking about it, like, a lot, and it's just—I didn't know what I was doing. I mean, I thought I did, but then I... I didn't. And I didn't mean to make you feel like you weren't... important, or that I didn't care, because I did. I do."

She bit her lip, glancing up at you, unsure if she was making any sense, but she kept going. "I know it's probably too late to say any of this, and you've probably moved on, but I just... I don't know. I didn't want you to think that I... forgot about you. Or... or that you didn't matter."

Her gaze flickering down to the ground, then up to yours again, almost as if she's scared you'll walk away.

"That message where I told you to... that I didn't want anything to do with you..." She shakes her head, struggling for the right words. "I shouldn't have said that. I was... I don't even know what I was thinking. I just... Amber was there, and I felt like if I didn't, she'd—" She stops herself, clenching her fists a little, swallowing hard.

"And all those other messages.. I just kept trying to say sorry, but it was probably just... desperate, I guess. I didn't know how else to say that I... I wanted you, that I didn't mean it. That I still..."

Her words falter, and she sighs, rubbing her forehead as though exhausted with herself. "I know it probably doesn't make up for any of it, but... I swear, I didn't mean it. I never wanted to hurt you."

As soon as she stopped talking, a wave of embarrassment crashed over her, and it was all she could do not to cringe.

She hadn't even planned on saying half of what she'd said, and yet here she was, fumbling through one strained apology after another.

It felt messy, like she was just piling words on top of words, hoping that somehow they'd turn into something that made sense to you, that could somehow make things better.

But in her heart, she knew it sounded like nonsense, just a lot of desperate, pointless excuses that probably made her look even more pathetic.

And you just stood there, looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite read—somewhere between shocked and neutral.

The silence between you seemed to stretch on, making her rambling feel even more pointless, like each second of quiet only added weight to her mess of words.

Tara could feel her face heating up, and all she wanted was to take everything back, to make it sound right somehow—but she didn't even know what "right" would be.

Her fingers tightened around her wrist, her gaze dropping back to her worn out converses as the silence thickened around her. Part of her wanted to shrink back, to stop talking altogether, but she'd already put too much out there to turn back now.

So when you didn't answer, she continued.

"I... I want to do better," she said, each word a little slower, like she was searching for the strength to actually mean it. Her eyes barely lifted to meet yours, as if waiting for something—anything—that might tell her it wasn't too late.

Your hand, which had been holding the door open this whole time, finally slipped away. You clapped both hands against the sides of your thighs, the sound breaking the quiet between you two.

Then, with a tone that was almost unreadable, you asked, "Is that it?"

Tara's face fell slightly when your words cut through the silence. She searched your expression, looking for something—anything—that hinted at forgiveness, but the steady way you looked back at her made her stomach drop.

Her throat tightened, but she forced herself to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

"So... you don't forgive me?"

Tara looked up at you, her eyes wide and glistening, almost like a puppy's, searching for any hint of understanding. It was a look she hadn't meant to put on, but somehow it found its way back to her face, a reflex from childhood.

She remembered using those same eyes when she'd gotten into trouble with her mom or when Sam wouldn't let her hang out with her friends. Back then, she'd wielded them like a weapon, a last-ditch effort to melt hearts and earn forgiveness.

Now, though, it felt different.

There was no intent behind it, just a genuine plea for empathy that made her feel exposed, and a wave of embarrassment washed over her as she realized how desperate she must look.

You took a breath before responding, your gaze steady but distant. "I do.. but I don't see why that matters because it'll all happen again." You said slowly, weighing each word.

Tara felt her heart sink at your words, the reality of what you said hitting her hard. She knew all too well how it felt to be caught in that cycle—Amber had done the same to her, repeatedly promising change only to slip back into old patterns.

It was frustrating and disheartening, and in that moment, she understood where you were coming from.

She took a shaky breath, trying to find her voice. "It won't... I promise it won't." Her tone was earnest, filled with a desperate need to be believed, to convince you that this time would be different.

Tara searched your expression, and as your words echoed in her mind—you did accept her apology—a flicker of hope ignited within her. It felt like a delicate promise written in cursive, intricate yet fragile, and she couldn't help but cling to it.

She tried to muster a soft smile, though it felt tentative, as if it might shatter under the weight of everything left unsaid.

"Can we... do you think that maybe we can try again?" The words tumbled out, filled with a mixture of uncertainty and determination. It was a fragile request, a chance she hoped wouldn't be met with rejection.

She could see the flicker of thoughts crossing your face. Your brow furrowed slightly, and she sensed the hesitation lingering in the air between you. It was as if you were weighing her words, measuring the sincerity of her apology against the weight of the past.

She couldn't tell if you were considering her request or if doubt still lingered in your mind.

It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for a sign, desperately hoping that you would choose to leap with her this time.

After a long pause, a small, soft smile crept up on your face, the tension in your shoulders easing just a bit. You finally met her gaze, and the warmth in your eyes hinted at something Tara had been longing to see.

"Sure... yeah, I'd like that," you said, your voice gentle but firm, like a lifeline tossed her way.

Tara let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, her shoulders eased slightly at your response, something softening in her expression as she processed your words. It wasn't a promise, but it felt real enough.

A quiet acknowledgment that maybe this could lead somewhere different.

She looked at you for a moment longer, managing a small, uncertain smile as if not entirely sure this chance would hold but willing to take it anyway.

The silence lingered, weighty but almost comfortable. Tara held your gaze, her expression softening just a bit as she let herself settle into the quiet, not wanting to push any further. When she finally managed a small smile, it was tentative, as if she was holding onto it carefully.

"Guess I'll... see you around?" she asked, her voice a quiet murmur, like she wasn't entirely certain if she should even say it.

You gave a slight nod, already moving to close the door. The subtle acknowledgment was enough to let her feel that maybe, just maybe, things could shift—if only a little.

She shifted slightly, like she wanted to say something more but couldn't quite find the words. A small, unsure smile crossed her face as she looked up at you again, her voice softer.

With that, Tara turned to go, casting one last look back at you before turning around to walk away.

___

The next week, Tara's phone buzzed on her nightstand, pulling her from a the books scattered all over her bed.

She squinted at the screen, hoping to see your name lighting up, a sign that things were finally moving forward between you two.

Maybe it was about the plans you'd casually mentioned — plans that did not include Tara bringing out her frustrations in bed with you.

Instead, her heart sank a little as Amber's name flashed across the screen.

u free this friday?

For the first time, Tara felt a surprising clarity wash over her as she read the message. She didn't hesitate, knowing exactly how she wanted to respond without second-guessing herself.

In the past, she'd tiptoed around her replies, always afraid that Amber would judge her for whatever she said.

But now, after everything with you, she was certain of what she wanted. This time, there was no uncertainty clouding her thoughts. So, after a moment, she typed a quick reply.

im actually busy, sorry

With a breath of relief, she hit send and immediately blocked Amber's number. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

This time, she wouldn't be waiting for Amber's text, for promises that never changed anything.

She knew what she had now—this newfound sense of clarity—and what she wanted. And that was enough.

This was how it would stay.