#basketball camps near me

[royalbasketballsschool]

Youth Basketball Games Near You

for Kids!

Looking for an exciting youth basketball game near you? At Royal Basketball School, we offer basketball games designed for kids ages 4-14! Our fun and competitive programs are the perfect opportunity for kids to stay active, build new friendships, and improve their skills.

From beginners to seasoned players, we’ve got a game for every child!

[cranberryjuice-posts]

If your still taking requests, could you do a Clarisse x Fem Child of Aphrodite reader who was a cheerleader before coming to camp and still has her uniform.

She remembers she has it and trys it on, it still fits and she feels nostalgic so she goes somewhere secluded to practice her old cheers. Doing all the tricks and blackflips.

Meanwhile Clarisse wants to see her favorite girl but can't find her so she goes looking and finds reader doing all that stuff?

Thanks! - Marshmellow🤍

- 1! 2! Ready go! -

Pairings - Clarisse Larue x Fem! cheerleader! Reader

An - this is my last request YALL should do totes send more

You had done cheer since you could remember. Elementary, middle school, basketball, competition and football cheer, even to your freshman year of high-school.

That all changed though when you had been claimed by your godly parent. You figured only a summer at camp would be sufficient and you could go back to your old school and continue cheer! That back fired however After a group of monsters attack a cheer camp you went too.

You didn’t mind at first, giving up the sport. But now sitting on your bed holding your old cheer uniform you couldn’t help but miss the sport. Some of your favorite memories were made in it after all.

An idea soon came to you however. If you put it on and did a few tricks it wouldn’t hurt right..?. Only one way to find out.

A little tight around the chest, and the skirt was much smaller than you last remembered, the uniform still fit perfectly. Throwing on a pair of white tennis shoes and pulling your hair back into a signature ponytail with a bow you ran out your cabin.

——

The arena was empty as most campers were off playing capture the flag, conveniently your ‘ankle still hurt’ so you were allowed to sit out.

You let out a deep breath and adjusted your grip on your pompoms. Mentally prepping yourself before counting off. “1-2.. 1234——

“ Go team! Go team!

Who do we mean?

We'll say it loud,

Because we're proud.

P-A-N-T-H-E-R-S!

Panther pride! Panther pride!

We're steppin' up, so step aside!

We're the best; we're here to win

Panther power's here again!”

The feeling of doing an old cheer brought back an old sense of adrenaline. You shook your pompoms above your head with a wide smile.

“V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

We're gonna win the game

And you wanna know why?

'Cause we've got spirit

And we're riding high, so

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!”

Tossing the pompoms aside you let out a deep breath. Doing a round off back hand spring while sticking the landing you panted. It had been a while since you had last some the tricks showing you were out of practice.

In the distance you heart a slow clapping. Looking over nervously you saw clarisse sitting on the bench near by you. “Why didn’t you ever tell me I was dating a cheerleader? I mean damn there’s something’s I’d like to brag about” she teased making her way over to you, grabbing your waist and admiring your uniform

“You brag to much as it is you don’t need another thing to add to that list” you gave her a slight unamused look. “And by your good attitude I take it you won?”

Clarisses grin confirmed your suspicions. She kissed you, once again squeezing your waist slightly. “Yeah you definitely won” you smiled.

“Obivously, you really think I was just gonna let annabeth embarrass my cabin again? No fucking way— ” with one final squeeze to your waist Clarisse started to lead you out of the arena.

You tried to stop her mainly because of how exposed you were in your uniform but the other woman didn’t seem to really care.

YN - Clarisse half My Ass is out let me go change

Clarisse - nah it’s fine besides you look cute in your uniform

[avenirdelight]

When You’re Not Looking

Mason Mount (ft. Declan Rice)

Mason has a crush on England's photographer. But he feels like she has become distant, never hangs out with him anymore and never takes his photos. Declan says that there's only one way to find out why. [Requested]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MASON!❤️

Mason heard a snort, and that was what stopped him from doing what he was doing. He’d just done a set on the bench press and was about to do one more. He turned his head around and saw a judging Declan approaching.

“What?” He shot Declan, who had snorted at him, a rather sharp look. 

“You’re not gonna give up, are ya, mate? Still trying to get her attention?” Declan mocked. He turned his head towards the basketball court across the gym hall, Mason couldn’t stop himself from doing the same.

She was there with her camera, taking photos of Raheem and Marcus who were having a go at basketball, killing time before they needed to go out on the pitch for training.

“Sorry, but it’s getting embarrassing now,” Declan stated. Mason quickly looked away before Declan could catch him. Mason almost felt embarrassed but he refused to show it and give Declan the satisfaction, so he shook his head instead.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just doing the bench press.”

“You think I won’t notice how you purposely do an extra set that’s completely unnecessary?”

Mason completely ignored his best friend’s question and did what he was going to do: the completely unnecessary extra set of bench press.

“Listen. We don’t know how long this camp is gonna last. It’s not like I’m hoping for us to go out soon, but you know what I mean,” Declan said. Mason could feel Declan boring his eyes into him. “What I’m trying to say is, you’re wasting chances and time. You might not get it again tomorrow.”

Mason might have looked so focused on doing the bench press but he heard everything Declan said. And as much as he wanted to ignore it, he admitted that what his best friend had said was true.

—

They were sitting down at dinner. James and Bukayo had been at the table too, they’d hung out and done some Saka’s Spelling School episodes, something Bukayo had come up with for his TikTok. The two boys had left, leaving the other two who wanted to stay for dessert.

They ate their desserts in silence. Declan was scrolling on his phone, probably reading messages from his family and friends. Mason took the opportunity to secretly glance over and over again at her, who was sitting at the table near the TV. Their tables were separated by a water fountain and plants, so he hoped that she wouldn’t catch him staring at her.

Mason had grown a crush on her—a fairly huge crush, he couldn’t deny it anymore. He forgot how or when it started. She’d been a photographer for the England team for almost a year. At some point he’d just started thinking that she was pretty, fun to be with, and he’d started to pay more attention to her. Some of the boys liked to tease her and joke around with her, and Mason always found it incredibly cute when she became shy or when she let out some cute giggles.

The problem was, lately he’d realised that she’d been strangely distant. She was always taking photos of another group, always at the other side of the room or the pitch, she was never near him. She never came to hang out anymore, at least not when he was there. At first he’d thought that it was just coincidence, but the more he paid attention, the more he was sure that she was avoiding him.

“Do you think I’d done something wrong?” Mason broke the silence. “Do you think she’s mad at me or something? Or maybe she just doesn’t like me.” The second question caught Declan’s attention and he looked up at gloomy-looking Mason.

“Listen, mate. You know I only have one answer and advice, for you, yeah?”

“‘There’s only one way to find out?’”

“Exactly.”

Mason glanced at her again and she was laughing with the other staff. His heart skipped a beat because she looked pretty with that smile on her face.

“Last week I found her alone here, editing some photos. I stopped for a moment and tried to make a conversation. She looked… Uncomfortable. Am I the problem?”

“There’s only one way to find out, Mase.”

Mason sighed and dropped his gaze to his now unappealing dessert, spinning his spoon randomly on the bowl. It seemed like Declan was also tired with indecisiveness, considering that they’d had this kind of conversation a few times before. Declan decided to get back on his phone and leave Mason alone with his troubled thoughts.

Maybe Declan was right again, that there was only one way to find out.

—

Mason decided to wake up early today. He’d seriously been paying attention, so he knew that usually, her breakfast plate would already be empty by the time he arrived at the hotel’s restaurant. He was determined to catch her, maybe have breakfast together, and ask her about the thing that had been bothering his mind.

As he predicted, she was already there, occupying the table in the corner of the room. There was barely anyone there, it definitely seemed like the perfect moment for Mason to execute his plan. He could immediately feel his nervousness building up as he picked up a plate and filled it with his usual choice of breakfast.

When she noticed him approaching her table, Mason could swear she almost choked on the water she was drinking. He greeted her with a cheerful “good morning” and she replied with the same tone.

“Why are you always here so early?”

She gave him a shy grin. “I need uh– My morning solitude. Need to uhh, compose myself first thing in the morning before facing the day.”

“May I sit here? If that doesn’t ruin your morning solitude.”

“No, of course not.” She shook her head. “Take a seat. Please.”

Mason took the empty seat in her diagonal as he figured it would be too awkward if he sat right in front of her. His heart was starting to race, but he reminded himself to keep himself calm. Last night he had made a plan since he absolutely didn’t want to scare her or anything. He’d thought about starting with a question about work.

“So… Busy day today?”

“Not really. Just the usual.” 

“I heard Beckham is coming to training today.” 

“Ah… Yeah. I think I’m gonna be assigned for him.”

“Have you met him before?”

“No, I haven’t,” she slightly shook her head before continuing to eat. Mason eyed his messy plate and started eating too.

The silence took over sooner than Mason had anticipated. Last time they’d interacted, it wasn’t as awkward. Maybe it was the setting that made it feel this way, the freaking solitude, but Mason knew that he couldn’t let the silence really settle in and make it more awkward so he needed to try to carry on.

“So… Being a photographer for England. Do you enjoy it?”

She slightly raised her eyebrows before nodding. “Yeah, of course. I love photography, I like football… And with England it’s always an amazing experience. I mean, we’re at the World Cup now. It’s insane.”

“Couldn’t agree more. And I feel like this is a very special group of people we’re working with…”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Everyone’s so, uhh…” She looked away quickly. “So nice and lovely.”

Mason’s heart dropped. She didn’t even want to look at him when she said it. Wasn’t he nice and lovely too?

Then there was silence again. There were only sounds of the hotel staff talking, the sounds from the little cooking stations in the room, and their utensils against the plates. It wasn’t going smoothly at all and he really couldn’t stand this awkwardness. 

“Hey, may I ask you a question?” Mason said before he couldn’t even stop himself. He paused and silently took a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever was coming. She was eating so she just simply nodded and shrugged. “Sorry, I absolutely don’t mean to offend you. I’m just asking because I just want to know– Uhh, I’ve been wondering if I’ve done something wrong. To you.”

She furrowed her eyebrows, not getting his statement and question.

“Lately, I’ve realised that… You never take photos of me. And… I don’t know, it just feels like it’s become so awkward and kind of weird between us.”

“What?” Her voice barely came out as a whisper. Her face was blank, Mason couldn’t read her; well, maybe he actually could but he was panicking.

“Well, maybe it’s just me but– It has kind of made me wonder what’s wrong, or like I said, if I’ve done something wrong. We used to hang out, talk, and then we didn’t.” The disappointment was clear in his voice. “You… You’ve become so distant.”

“Have I?”

“That’s how I feel. I mean, we barely interact anymore.”

“And that’s… A problem for you?”

Mason shrugged. “Yeah, kind of…”

She dropped her gaze and took her glass, drinking her water, leaving Mason’s questions unanswered. It had gotten from awkward to super awkward. Mason was starting to regret it and he realised he should’ve just brought up other things. The last win, the weather, the cats, so many things to talk about, but he couldn’t stop himself from jumping on the topic right away.

“Sorry, this must be confusing to you. I didn’t mean to–”

“No, it’s okay, I mean, I’m sorry– I didn’t know you feel that way,” she said. “So, uhh, you’re bothered that we’re not hanging out? May I ask why?”

“‘Cause I like hanging out with you. And it’s always a pleasure when we get to work together. You’re a nice and lovely person,” he said. You could easily tell that he was being sincere.

“Oh…”

They both fell silent again. Mason took a sip of his tea, hoping it would help to calm himself down but unfortunately he only got more and more nervous with each passing second. He had no idea of what she was thinking or what she was going to say. Maybe this was a mistake after all—Mason quickly thought of a way out of this because it started to feel so uncomfortable even for him.

Just when he was about to open his mouth, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Good morning, mate.” It was Madders. The lad then greeted her too—which she quickly replied—before turning to him again. “You’re early today.”

“You are early today.” Madders wasn’t an early morning person to his knowledge. Why would he be here now interrupting such a critical moment?

Madders sighed and shook his head. “Kennedy called, said Leo woke up and spent an hour crying, wouldn’t stop asking for me. So she had to call, and…”

Mason couldn’t hear anything Madders said; it went in one ear and out the other. He glanced at her, who was now paying attention to Madders, but still got hints of shock and confusion in her face. Mason felt his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach.

—

The sombre atmosphere could be felt around the hotel. Once they’d gotten back to the hotel from the stadium after England’s loss to France, they’d all gone straight to their rooms and locked themselves there.

It was a tough loss, a tough exit from the World Cup—it was definitely going to take a while to get over this one. They were supposed to win this all. They were supposed to lift a trophy after failing to do so last year in Euro’s final. It was not supposed to go like this. He was supposed to get more game time, play better, score his world cup goals, make his family even prouder…

Mason started to feel like it was suffocating being in his room, he started to feel like he was trapped since there was only him and his distressing thoughts. So Mason came out of his room and his feet brought him to the basketball court. No one was there, everyone was probably packing up because they were going to leave in the morning.

“It’s very late, Mason, why are you out here?”

The ball had just bounced off the ring and Mason turned around on his heels. She was walking closer, a camera bag hanging on her shoulder.

“I needed some air,” he said as he went to pick up the ball. He dribbled it as he got back to his position, shifting his gaze between the ball and her. “What are you doing?”

“Just picked this up from Paul’s room,” she said, patting her camera bag.

“You guys must have loads to pack.” Mason turned around and took another shot. The ball hit the ring again before it bounced loudly on the ground.

“Yeah… But we’ve been pretty organised, so it’s not hard to pack everything up again.” She walked closer to the wall and Mason noticed her putting her camera bag down as she stood against the wall. She tightened her jacket around her as the chilly breeze blew. “Although we believe we’ve lost a GoPro. Paul’s misplaced it. Thank God he’d removed the memory card.”

“Yeah?” Mason slightly raised his eyebrows at her before quickly looking away. He took another shot and it didn’t go in again. He shook his head, lazily picked up the ball, and just dribbled it aimlessly. He’d been missing all the shots, he didn’t want to embarrass himself even more in front of her.

She’d fallen silent and Mason didn’t dare to look up because he could feel her eyes boring at him. He might find a look of disappointment on her face, or worse, pity—he absolutely didn’t want that. He was feeling like such a big failure already; knowing that he’d failed people he cared about would only make him feel worse.

“Hey, Mase?” She said, but Mason didn’t respond. He did a layup instead; it finally went in. “I know you’re upset but… Don’t get upset for too long, okay?” Her voice sounded so soft. So gentle. “We’re all gutted but you guys have to be proud. You guys put up a good fight, it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Mason let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head, still dribbling. “We kept saying that this is gonna be our time, you know? It honestly felt like it. And I just wished that I could help the team a bit more.”

“Our time will come. Your time will come,” she said, and Mason could tell that she was smiling when she said it. “You still have a long way ahead. And this special squad is only gonna go far, I know it.” She sounded so reassuring, Mason couldn’t help but to look up at her. There was no sign of disappointment or pity on her face; he could only see her subtle smile and kind eyes.

“Thank you,” Mason muttered, offering her his best smile. She nodded and her smile grew bigger. Mason wished he could tell her how pretty her smile looked, or how warm his heart felt right now.

This was their least awkward interaction after what felt like such a long time, quite the opposite from their last. She looked rather relaxed too. Mason was curious more than ever about what had actually happened, why she’d become distant and all that. He’d thought about asking her again but this was a nice moment they were sharing and he didn’t want to ruin it. Maybe he should just forget about everything, he shouldn’t have made it a big deal, maybe she’d been just—

“I do take photos of you, Mason,” she said.. “Just when you’re not looking.”

Mason was about to do another layup. But he stopped on his tracks, he almost stumbled on his own feet. He quickly turned and searched for her face.

“What?”

The chilly breeze blew again and she folded her arms. “Last time you asked why I never take photos of you,” she tried to remind him, even though there was absolutely no need for that because Mason obviously remembered. “Well, I do actually take your photos. Just when you’re not looking and… From far away.”

Mason gulped. “Why?”

“Because I’m just shy and embarrassed? Okay– This will sound so silly,” she chortled. “But you’re my football crush. I’ve been a fan since you made your first England debut. And it’s just weird for me to suddenly… Work with you. It still feels weird even after almost a year.”

Mason gripped the ball on his hands; the tips of his fingers almost turned white. He clenched his jaw as he tried to process her words, his heart started pounding hard in his chest. “So… You have a crush on me?”

She scrunched up her face cutely. “Do you really have to say it out loud? God, it feels so… Embarrassing.”

Mason chuckled. “I’m just trying to get confirmation here.”

She sighed. “I have a Chelsea shirt with your number and name, how about that?”

Mason his stomach flipping and he couldn’t help but to chuckle again out of relief and nervousness. An image flashed on his mind, of her wearing his club shirt with his name on it, and it made his heart flutter.

“Okay, okay,” he said as he approached her, with a huge silly smile on his face. “That’s wonderful, that’s… Wow. It’s actually very good to know that.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “I mean, you must have noticed that I’ve been trying to get your attention, then? Throughout the whole camp?”

She shrugged. A blush was visible on her cheeks. “Of course I do. I’m a girl, a quite sensible one, I always know what’s happening.”

Mason shook his head in disbelief. He threw the ball away and took a few more small steps towards her. “For weeks I’d been thinking that I'd done something wrong.”

“Sorry for making you worry, I really didn’t mean too…”

“Yeah. And it turns out you knew all along that I fancy you.”

Her eyes widened. “You fancy me?”

“You literally just said you’re quite a sensible one.” Mason furrowed his eyebrows. “Why would I try so hard to get your attention if I didn’t. Do you fancy me? Am I a real crush or just a football crush?”

She pursed her lips as she stared at him for a while. Mason was honestly stunned because he’d never seen her looking at him like this before. She was admiring him, taking her time to take him in.

“A real one,” she finally said, her voice just above a whisper.

Mason was washed with the biggest wave of relief—he let out a long sigh, letting out everything he’d been holding in. He’d actually forgotten that he’d been upset because of their loss tonight. This surely mended his broken heart a little and made everything feel less down.

“Well, okay. This is nice,” he commented. He didn’t take his eyes off her. He couldn’t. “Did you know I always use all my chances to look at you? When you’re not looking.”

“I guess I did.” She shrugged. Mason grinned and she giggled.

“Hey, do you know what?” His eyes lit up, sparking a curiosity on her and it was shown by the way her eyebrows lifted up. Mason quickly got the ball that had rolled away. “I’ll do a shot and if it goes in, I get to take you on a date.”

“What if it doesn’t go in?”

“It will, I promise.”

“Go on, then.”

Mason got in position and dribbled the ball. It was at that moment that he realised that his hands were slightly trembling and this was probably stupid, but he didn’t care. She was finally looking at him from up close—he still wanted to impress her. More than ever.

After taking a deep breath and wished for the best, he confidently threw the ball in.

—

i thank you so much if you reach this point because this is a loooooong one! it took me a month to finish this one:') i kept getting stuck but today i suddenly got inspired and was able to finish it! i hope you enjoyed it! reblogs, likes, and comments are always very appreciated!<3

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[mason mount tag list: @smileytaa @luvelyxp @mountchilly @lfcthelovesofmylife @chicken-fifi @muglermami @landosmilkjug]

My Masterlist🤍

[yeagerfate]

camp spiderpine

characters: miguel o’hara, miles morales, hobie brown, gwen stacy

notes: this is a camp au! i love writing these so much. for my AOT followers i promise i will be posting some more stuff soon and hopefully i will get some AOT reqs. as of rn i have one that i am excited to write but i think it might take me a bit as i really wanna take my time with it. sorry i didn’t include pav in this, just wasn’t feeling too inspired with him. might add him later lol. not proofread!

warnings: none!

Being a counselor with Miguel is both fun and exhausting. Your campers have a great bond, which is always lovely to see, but they are so energetic that it is tiring. It’s always fun to do it with Miguel though! He is always super helpful, especially with things like putting on sunscreen. His hands are gentle when he rubs it in, though they seem… hesitant? When he pulls away, his face looks strangely pink, but he says it’s just because of the sun. Strange. Sometimes, Miguel will guard at the lake while some of the kids swim. It’s hard not to check him out. Yet, lately you’ve been a bit… tempted by him. His lips look more enticing than ever, his voice is sweeter to listen to, and he seems more eager to be near you. It doesn’t surprise you when you two share a kiss late one night, outside the cabin on the porch. For each other’s sake, and to avoid the nosy questions from campers, you and Miguel agree to keep it secret. You think some of the campers are noticing with the amused smirks that they give you, and the way Lyla, another counselor, giggles when she sees how close you sit together. It’s all extremely exhilarating and lively, but the summer’s ending soon, and Miguel has to go back home…. which is hours away. Will you two stay in touch?

Miguel’s favorite camper is Miles, but he always denies it. He supervises many different activities for each camp season, but the ones he does the most often are diving, paddle boarding, and baseball. He always forgets to put on bug spray, so every night you see new bug bites all over his body. Sometimes, he accidentally spends too much time in the shower. Gets yelled at for it. Loses his only towel on the first day of camp.

Miles is a nervous camper. It’s his first time at Camp Spiderpine, so it takes him a while to adjust. For his activities, he chooses kayaking, basketball, arts & crafts, and mountain biking. His bunk is right above yours. It’s nice to be bunk mates since Miles is super respectful of your space and your luggage. He shares candy with you, tells you questionable stories from his school, and lets you do messy face painting on him. You’re a bit bummed out after you finish your face painting session on him. Not because you don’t like what you painted, but because you wanted to stay being close to him. His warmth is comforting, and so are the brown hues of his eyes. The next day, when Gwen asks you if you have a camp crush, she laughs when you say Miles. She tells you she’s been waiting for you to realize since the beginning of camp. On the night before the last day, Miles finally gains the courage to kiss you, and it is glorious. It’s messy, extremely nerve-wracking, and not perfect at all, but it’s amazing. Miles promises to stay in touch with you to see where the relationship goes. You’re his first girlfriend, and he wants to make it work.

Miles loses his flashlight early into the camp session, so he trips all the way to the bathrooms in the night. During his first time kayaking, he somehow flipped into the lake, and it took him 5 minutes with your and the instructor’s help to get back in. He laughs it off but is super embarrassed. Has so much trouble getting up so early in the morning that one time he just walked around all day in PJs. Kills all the bugs for everyone who is scared of them.

Hobie’s a veteran camper, and he’s been going since he was 6. He knows where pretty much every cabin and building is at camp. He always ends up helping new people get around. For his activities, he chooses BB-Guns, guitar, paddle boarding, and hiking. The two of you meet when your counselor, Miguel, partners you up with Hobie for the first day of camp. He is required to help you find your way around, and answer any questions you may have. Soon, you learn that you get along great, and become great friends. The two of you partner up together for paddleboarding, but he always falls off. He also gets bit by the fish a lot when the two of you are in the water. Your face feels warm when he helps you get back on when you fall off. His touch is so much more… captivating now? You find yourself wanting more. Now, when he guides you around camp, his hand is rested on the small of your back and his other one lingers near your waist. It’s very alluring. At night, you wonder if maybe it could be more? Are you imagining things? Or is this real?

Hobie plans on becoming a counselor himself when he’s older. Miguel rolls his eyes when he hears about it. All of the campers know him. He’s super popular!Always comes in clutch during ultimate frisbee. His team almost always wins just because of him. Knows all of the camp songs and cheers, but his face is deadpanned when it’s time to sing them.

All the counselors know Gwen as “the quiet one”, but that’s just how she acts around them. Around her friends, Gwen is always laughing and doing weird things like “rating people’s feet”. For her activities, Gwen chooses arts & crafts, creative writing, volleyball, and snorkeling. She is the first to help you find a bed in the cabin you’re both assigned to. The two of you decide to do arts & crafts together, where you make bracelets for your water bottles and tie-dye shirts. One day, during a camp game, you’d taken a horrible fall. You tore a muscle in your leg and could barely walk around. Gwen immediately volunteered to help you to the nurse with your counselor, Miguel. Even though you were in agony, the way Gwen’s supportive words were whispered to you made you feel hot. Suddenly, you began to see her in a different way, especially when she still helped you around camp. Her caring hold was so… comfortable, and wholehearted, and swiftly your heart began to beat faster when she was around. Camp’s ending soon, and you desperately want to tell Gwen how you feel… will you?

She smells like sunscreen and sunshine. Has so many stickers on her water bottle, and half of them are peeling. Dyed her hair pink at camp so her dad wouldn’t know. Miguel was too tired to do anything about it. Her hair takes hours to dry, so her clothes are always sopping wet after she gets out of the lake.

[fairuzfan]

Something I can't figure out about IU from a lot of conflicting information, is whether or not the school as a whole, like faculty and student body, supports Palestine. I don't understand, is it mainly an administrative problem, or is it something common with faculty/students and basically an issue to the core of the school? You've mentioned having friends who go to IU, would you be able to ask them for their opinions on this? Totally understand if not, I'd just like to hear from someone who's been there for more than a superficial tour. IU was one of the universities I've been looking at for school in the future, but if they're going to support a genocide I obviously don't want to give them thousands of tuition dollars.

This is a more complicated question than you'd think because there are multiple IU campuses across the state and each one kind of has a different vibe from what my friends tell me. I'm talking mostly about IU Bloomington, which is the main campus, but there are like 5 different campuses across Indiana.

It depends on what you're studying tbh, like I heard the business school has a huge racism problem from both students and faculty. From what I understand these days, the leadership is overwhelmingly zionist so like the president and the board of trustees and stuff. The president actually took back her initial statement on "the conflict in the middle east" (not naming any specifics) to focus solely on "Jewish Students" (in other words, emphasizing that Israel represents all jews) and didnt mention palestinians at all. Like she went out of her way to be zionist and IU Hillel all pressured her to do this, as mentioned in the article. There are a bunch of students who are Israeli zionists. Actually, the article talks about how IU students went to the kibbutz near Gaza for a tour a couple semesters ago, which to me is absolutely disgusting that a university would fund a trip to the area around a concentration camp.

Also on the IU woman's basketball team there's an Israeli student who apparently cheered on the carnage of Gaza on her social media and I don't think there's been much reprimanding of her.

At the same time, I've heard it's mostly a leadership issue. The student council I believe released some sort of statement about Gaza that was Pro-Palestine and I've seen some professors publish things in newspapers calling the entire thing ridiculous and racist. So it depends.

I will say that if you're basing your educational career off of which universities support Palestine or not, you will have a very hard time finding a school. So you'll have to do some cost-benefit analysis of what you're able to handle.

[thelastspeecher]

Anyways the other day I got this idea of Olympian Falls AU Stan teaching Angie a bit of hand-to-hand combat. And that turned into...this.

(As a frame of reference, Ford, Stan, and Angie are about twelve in this.)

——————————————————————————————

              In hindsight, Stan should’ve asked Angie why she wanted him to teach her how to throw a punch.  Not that he would’ve refused to show her.  Unless she wanted to punch him.  But it would have been good to have a heads-up for what she had planned.

              The Hermes cabin was doing arts and crafts when the commotion started.  Lewis, their head counselor, tried to tell them to disregard the noise coming from near the basketball court.  Stan and Ford ignored their older half-brother, immediately jumping from their seats.  A few of the other cabin members followed.

              By the time Stan and Ford got there, a small crowd had gathered.  Stan stood on his tiptoes in a futile attempt to see what was going on.  Ford, however, tapped the shoulder of Arlo Gustafsen, one of his friends in the Athena cabin.  Arlo looked over.

              “What’s going on?” Ford asked.  Arlo grinned.

              “McGucket punched someone and it turned into a full brawl,” he said.  Stan and Ford’s jaws dropped.

              “Angie McGucket?” Ford clarified.  Arlo raised an eyebrow.

              “Is there any other McGucket at camp?” he asked.  Stan let loose a string of colorful swears in Ancient Greek.

              “We can’t just stay at the back,” he said to Ford.  Ford nodded.  Together, the two pushed through the crowd.  They reached the front just in time to see Angie, already sporting a black eye, slam a fist into a teenage boy’s gut.  The crowd let out a collective “ooh” as Angie’s opponent stumbled backwards.  Ford turned to Stan, frowning.

              “I recognize that fighting style,” he said sternly.  Stan held up his hands.

              “She wanted to learn how to throw a halfway decent punch!” he said defensively.  “That’s important for a demigod to know!”

              “She’s best at ranged warfare,” Ford said.  “She even says so herself!”

              “Which makes it extra important for her to learn how to fight if she gets backed into a corner.”  Stan scratched his cheek.  “It’s not like I gave her boxing lessons!  I just showed her how to not break her hand and, uh, gave her tips on how to hold her own against someone bigger than her.”

              “Stan!”

              “Hey, I didn’t think she’d use it for evil!” Stan said.  He squinted at the boy Angie was fighting with.  The boy slammed Angie into the ground.  “Hang on.  Oh, that’s Tim.  Okay, so she’s not using it for evil.”

              “Ugh.”  Ford frowned at the fight in front of them.  Angie was getting to her feet, dirt, grass, and blood on her knuckles.  “What in Hades could have provoked Angie into getting into a round of fisticuffs?”

              “Fisticuffs?  Really?  Just call it a fight,” Stan scoffed.  Ford elbowed him.

Angie’s ankle suddenly buckled under her, sending her back to the ground.  Tim advanced on her.  A quiet gasp sounded from some of the audience.  Stan clenched his hands into fists.  Ford quickly put his hand on his twin’s shoulder.

              “Don’t get involved,” he whispered in Stan’s ear.  Stan grit his teeth.

              “Tim’s a son of Ares, Sixer.  Do you know what he could do to her?” he snapped.  Ford gripped Stan’s shoulder tighter.

              “I guess we’ll just have to hope you did a sufficient job teaching.”

              “She’s so tiny, though,” Stan mumbled.  He frowned.  Something seemed a bit off about Angie’s behavior.  She wasn’t even trying to get up.

              She’s like me.  She doesn’t know when to quit.  Why’s she just laying there?  Stan’s eyes widened.  Angie had gotten more than just good aim from her godly parent.  She had also gotten a knack for performing.  This is a performance.  But what’s her plan?

              Stan’s question was answered when Tim took another step towards Angie.  Lightning-fast, Angie’s hand shot out, wrapping around his ankle.  She yanked his leg.  Tim let out a shocked yelp as he fell.  Angie sprang up and straddled Tim, pinning him to the ground.  The knife she’d chosen from the armory rested right next to his jugular.  Tim swallowed nervously.  Angie’s blue eyes were steely as she held the dagger steady on his neck.

              “Don’t ever talk about my father like that again,” she spat.  The acid in her voice could have melted through concrete.

              “Okay,” Tim mumbled.  Hoofbeats sounded.  The crowd parted to let Chiron through.

              “Angie?” Chiron said, sounding surprised.  Angie looked over.  Her eyes widened.  She jumped to her feet.

              “M-Mr. Chiron,” she stammered.  “I- I was just-”  Tim got to his feet.  Blood flowed from his visibly broken nose.

              “We were having a friendly spar, that’s all,” he said.  Chiron frowned.  “It got a bit out of hand.”

              “Clearly,” Chiron said.  He cleared his throat.  “Well, if neither of you wish to complain about the other…”  Angie and Tim shook their heads.  “All right.”  Chiron looked at the gathered demigods.  “Get back to your regular activities, please.”

              The demigods dispersed, muttering amongst themselves.  Stan and Ford stayed, however.  Tim turned to Angie.

              “Good fight,” he said.  He held out his hand.  Angie eyed it, but didn’t shake it.  Tim grinned.  “Smart girl.”  He retracted his hand.  “You beat me fair and square, kid.  I’ll drop the stuff about your dad.  And, uh, if you ever wanna learn how to fight good enough that you don’t need to play tricks, well.  You know where I live.”  Angie nodded jerkily.

              “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said in a weak voice.  Tim stuffed his hands into his back pockets and walked away, whistling.  Angie sighed.  Stan let out a whoop, startling her.  She spun around, finally catching sight of Stan and Ford.

              “Angie, that was awesome!” Stan gushed.  Angie blushed cutely.  “Tim’s like, fifteen!  And you took him down!”

              “I did play a bit dirty,” Angie mumbled.

              “It was still a valid win,” Ford said.  “Tim acknowledged as such.”  Angie shrugged.  She looked down at the ground and kicked a small clump of dirt that had been dislodged during her tussle with Tim.  “But why did you pick a fight with him anyways?”

              “He said something about your dad?” Stan asked.  Angie winced.  “Why would he insult Apollo?  Isn’t he dating your half-sister?”

              “He didn’t insult Apollo,” she said quietly.  “He- he went after my Pa.”

              “Your mortal parent?” Ford asked.  Angie nodded.  “Why- oh.”

              “I guess word finally got out ‘bout how my Pa ain’t my stepdad and my Ma ain’t my biological mother,” Angie said.  After a couple years at camp, the southern accent she’d arrived with was beginning to fade, but it still came out when she was emotional.  Stan and Ford grimaced.  “Tim…he’s been runnin’ his mouth ‘bout me havin’ two biological fathers.  And he’s- he’s been sayin’ awful stuff ‘bout Pa.”  Angie screwed her eyes shut.  “Pa don’t- he don’t deserve that!”

              “You decided to take things into your own hands?” Ford asked.  He gestured towards Stan.  “When the best prankster at camp is one of your closest friends?  Stan could have gotten back at Tim for you!”  Angie opened her eyes to glare at Ford.

              “I have to fight my own battles,” she said firmly.

              “I’m glad that you listened to my tips and tricks, though,” Stan said.  Angie managed a smile.  “That last bit, where you grabbed his ankle?  Genius.”  Angie’s smile broadened.

              “Well, you did tell me that since I’m small, I have to make my opponent’s bigger size work against ‘em,” she said.  Stan nodded.

              “You definitely did that.”  He walked up to Angie and brushed some grass off her T-shirt.  “And if he really was saying bad stuff about your dad, he deserved a broken nose.”  Mr. McGucket visited every year for Angie’s birthday, and insisted on taking her, Stan, and Ford into the city to get lunch.  He was a genuinely kind-hearted and warm person.  Stan would be lying if he said he didn’t wish Filbrick was a bit more like Mr. McGucket.

              “Maybe it’ll even heal crooked,” Angie said under her breath.  Stan snorted, eliciting a grin from his friend.

              “One can only hope,” Ford said dryly.  Angie and Stan snickered.  “You should go get cleaned up.”  Angie looked down at herself.  In addition to her black eye, she had grass stains, dirt, and scratches all over, as well as a few smears of blood.  Whether it was Tim’s or her own was unclear.

              “Yeah, probably,” Angie sighed.

              “And then…”  Ford met Stan’s eyes.  Stan grinned viciously.  “We can plot sweet revenge against Tim.”

              “Wh- you don’t need to.  I got it out,” Angie said.  Stan shook his head.

              “You might be feeling better, but we like your dad, too,” he said.  He cracked his knuckles.  “I’ve already got some ideas.”

[abbydoin]

Introduction!

Hello, my name is Aberlyn! I’m from Queensbury, New York, and I’ve spent most of my life in the Adirondacks. I love everything about being on the lake—wakeboarding, water skiing, boating, fishing—you name it. I try to spend as much time as possible at my camp in Paradox, NY, during the warmer months. Staying true to the Adirondack theme, in the winter, I love snowboarding. I have a house in Johnsburg NY near Gore Mountain that lets me ride snowmobiles in our trails and, of course, snowboard at the mountain. But through it all, my favorite thing has to be a campfire at night.

I've been fortunate to love my educational journey so far. For my undergraduate degree, I attended St. Lawrence University, following in the footsteps of both my mom and brother. While there, I wrote for the school’s newspaper, The Hill News, and played on the basketball team. Currently, I’m pursuing a Master’s degree in Advertising at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication.

This fall, I’m excited to be taking a class called Trendspotting in Digital Media as part of my Newhouse education. The first thing that comes to mind is my curiosity about how and why something becomes a trend. There are strange things that go viral every day, and I find that fascinating—and telling—about society. I took this course to better understand the media I consume mindlessly every day. Looking into what I’m consuming and why gets interesting, especially since I’m going into advertising, which is closely tied to media.

The area of media I want to focus on is social media. I know it’s a classic answer, but like many others, I’m fascinated by how it captivated the world’s attention so quickly. Can we replicate this with a different type of media? I believe this is something we’ll explore in this class. The future of media and what we can do with it is thrilling to think about. It feels like we’re going to gain the tools in this class to influence the future of media in ways we choose. Overall, I’m excited to learn and see where this course takes me!

[tmwcs]

HHP Chapter 13 Part 1

Here we go! Chapter 13! I love this chapter, i think chapters 11 (though it pained me...) 12, and 13 are my favorite. sorry this isnt proofread. I just was so excited to get it to you guys.

“Ah you look beautiful babe. My beautiful fiancé.” Sunghoon claims as his eyes narrow with admiration upon seeing Vicky, his fiancé.

“Thanks babe. Ready to head out? What time was our reservation again?” Vicky responds back, as she tenderly kisses his cheek and holds on to his hand, allowing him to guide her down the stairway of his lavish two-story apartment.

“We got time. It’s not for another hour, wanna go out for a walk on the boardwalk?” he asks. She nods in response.

Taking the elevator down, he tells her to wait for him near the entrance where the residential guard stands firmly checking for proof of residence in the exclusive estate. Waiting as her gown gently waves against the gentle breeze, her phone rings. Looking at the screen, the caller ID reflects “Ethan”.

“Ethan?”  She answers, someone confused, considering that they had not spoken since the breakup.

“Hey, I don’t have a lot of time to explain, but I need you to do something…”

His words were calm yet there was a sense of desperation and panic in the delivery of his words. His voice was deep and low, and it sounded nearly violent, the girl could tell he was angry, though she had never witnessed or heard him at this level before, not even when they were dating.

“Is everything alright? What happe-“ Vicky’s words were cut off.

“I’ll have to explain later, but it’s important you do exactly what I say….”

Judging by his words she could already tell…

“Is y/n in trouble?”

“……..Yeah.”

Vicky and yourself had been texting each other weekly, with the group chat that involved the girls and Emily, it had been almost daily that you all interacted by sharing jokes, gossip, or expressing how much you all had missed Vicky. Yet, the last phone conversation she had with you, she recalled the moment when you had asked her about a particular person, one that she had her own terrible experience with.

“Does this involve Tiff?”

“Yeah…and I’m pretty sure it involves a guy that she’s with. Someone name Scott.”

Vicky shook at the name. She knew the name…

Back when Tiff had tormented her upon finding out that she, a new Freshman at the high school that both Ethan and Tiff had attended as Seniors, was dating the desirable Ethan, who had called it quits with Tiff just nearly six months prior to meeting and dating Vicky. Tiff had messed everything up, yet she yearned for Ethan like plants yearn for the sun. She had a possessive streak going for the man, and Vicky heard of all the rumors on her conduct whenever he was away on trips or at the basketball camp as a volunteer.

Vicky knew that her moral compass didn’t point to north, at least back then it didn’t, so she would never judge Tiff’s mistakes that ultimately led to the downfall of their relationship, since Vicky herself made the same ones. Yet she was at least willing to accept and admit that she was wrong, and handled the situation gracefully when Ethan told her it was over. But there was also something else that made her willing to accept it….long before Ethan even confronted her on the manner with you beside her bed as she cried, when he informed her that he knew of her infidelity.

Flashbacks of when she still resided and attended Decellis University, when she was still living as your roommate. The moment she saw you, she knew what her friends and everyone else had thought. It was easy. Even though she was glamorous and primp with her expensive clothing that Gabe bought her, which she eventually ditched along with him, she was still a pretty girl without all the accessories. But she knew, with or without the lavish materials, she would never be a goddess in everyone’s eyes like you were. She didn’t really mind it, for she had a moment where your appearance stunned her. Sure, was Korean, and she matched the strict beauty standards yet with you, you had a different appeal being that you were born of the nationality and ethnicity you were blessed with. Not only that, but you were just purely….beautiful. That’s how you were viewed by everyone.

With Ethan, you were the world to him. She could see it in his eyes.

She recalled the moment that when he first met you, the way he stared and stood up for you when you felt harassed by Gabe’s pressure, which she ultimately wished she would have done something more about it back then. Yet, as it turns out, she didn’t need to. Event’s and days following after Ethan meeting you, any moment that she glanced over to him, the way his eyes appeared matte black, lacking all shine and life as they became lifeless and dull as he looked at you.

Never noticing as you were always attentive to your studies, if it wasn’t that, you were royally committed to the man who didn’t deserve you, despite Vicky knowing, she didn’t want to pry. She knew you were happy and left you as such. Yet, she knew Ethan wasn’t. Never confronting him on the matter, she could tell that the man was dying inside. His eyes, they only looked lifeless because they were, every time he looked at you and studied your features, not even trying to be sneaky about it despite Vicky being right next to him, his eyes became dull because seeing you while knowing that you didn’t belong to him drained his soul. He was dead, truly, he had no life in his body, not unless he could have you. Yes, you.

It was hard for her to admit it, internally. Vicky could see the signs, yet she couldn’t find herself to be to upset, because she herself was not like you. She didn’t necessarily feel in love, she felt joy, blissful, and the effects of desire, which Ethan had no trouble initiating with any woman he came across. It all came naturally. Yet, Vicky questioned if she truly loved him.

She loved the way he fucked her in the locker room. She loved the way he moved his body, the way he memorized hers, and the way he knew what to do with his hands and his mouth when he thrusted. She loved the fact that he brought her the most pleasure, the most beloved and memorable pleasure she has and will ever feel. He was a God, he was a devil, he was both demonic and angelic. God, the way he can make a woman feel…

But, did she love him?

Realizing the moment, she caught on to Ethan’s habit of staring at you, biting his lip as he bounced his knee, like he was nervous or experiencing some sort of anxiety or panic attack, but it wasn’t any of those things. He carried and exhibited habits that she never saw before, not in the years of her dating him, and yet, there he was doing them whenever you were around. He was yearning for you. You being around him was the same effect of dangling raw meat in front of a wolf.

But even though she didn’t love him, she found it hard to let him go. Because she knew, she had the capabilities to love him, she could have loved him and would have, but his combability with her was just not there. She thought that maybe within time, he would change and become more adaptable, yet Ethan had this manner about him, like he didn’t need you to worry about anything. Yet, it just never dawned on her that the man didn’t change not because of time, he had plenty of it. He didn’t change because he wasn’t with the right woman.

‘He loves her…and yet, she loves the boy who doesn’t love her back.’

There were days and nights that Vicky couldn’t sleep, she wondered if she should have broken it off with Ethan sooner and aid him in pursuing you. She felt bad for him, truthfully, she did. Of all the years that she knew this man, never in that time did she ever see him like this. He was going crazy. Yet, out of her own selfishness, she wanted to keep him around. Between that and you, being completely unaware as you were focused on your studies and Samuel, the man was just being eaten up inside by a beast, waiting to be unleashed. Perhaps it was good that everything happened the way that it did, for there were times she wondered, if she hadn’t accepted and let him go the way that she did, or if you had remained unaware of his desire for you, had Samuel and you not broken up, she feared that Ethan would have transformed into a monster that would have eventually snapped, therefore, would have devoured you rather than contain you like the butterfly in a glass jar. Inch by inch, Vicky noticed, Ethan was becoming more dangerous as each passing moment went by.

Realizing everything, while being called out for her foolishness, she never could be angry at you or Ethan. As fate would have it, there was someone that was waiting for her here, a man that she grew to love in just moments after meeting him, Sunghoon.

With you, she knew you were good for Ethan, at least, you would have ceased his hunger, thus taming the man. You weren’t good to have around…

You were a requirement.

Because without you, who knows what that man would have done. Had he not seen you, not met you, not heard the sound of your voice, life would have just went on. But the truth of the matter was…

He did see you. He did hear your voice. He met you. He heard you say his name. He touched your skin. He saw you smile. He saw the way you loved a man. He saw…

YOU.

At that point, there was no going back. If things had not worked out the way that they did, Vicky feared that the possibility of you being gone, nowhere to be found, along with Ethan, constantly devoured by the man’s affections…no, it wouldn’t be ‘affection’ at that point, the man would have feasted on you. He would have taken you and engorged you all for himself. You would have never known, and deep-down Vicky still felt that till this very day, you still didn’t, you have no clue that whether you had wanted to be or not, you were a requirement in keeping the devil from emerging. If she herself would have had to sacrifice him, while also sacrificing you had you been reluctant, she would have, for the sake of others and the world. For there was no way she was going to stand idly by and let the man continue turning into a monster.

Yes, Vicky did mess up and she did make the same mistakes as Tiff, so therefore she would never judge.

But that was where she drew the line. Unlike Vicky, Tiff couldn’t let Ethan go. She could understand the pain of looking forward to a future without having his touch and experiencing his abilities in issuing out the best, chest heaving orgasm any woman has ever had, the man was blessed, and he had the gift without requiring experience in knowing how to do it, unlike most men.

Tiff was awful. She was terrible. The way she had tormented Vicky when she was just 16, dating Ethan as he was about to graduate high school and start college. She recalled the times where she nearly broke it off just for the mere fact that she couldn’t take the girl’s torturous behavior towards her. The sad part was, Ethan didn’t even know half of it…

A sudden flashback occurred where Ethan was away volunteering at the basketball camp, as usual. Vicky was on school grounds with her friends, practicing cheer routines. Upon conducting a rigorous movement where a pyramid formation was the finishing pose, Vicky was atop of the formation. Never seeing it coming, something had bulldozed into the formation, causing Vicky to topple horrendously to the ground. Had it not been for one of the male cheerleaders to interfere with her fall, it she would have broken her neck. Instead, thanks to him, she got by with just a scar from a wound on her wrist, that occurred from hitting the bleacher stand nearby.

She couldn’t be sure, but after experiencing Tiff’s torment, she had a feeling. The only thing was, Tiff was nowhere to be found within the area.

The cheerleaders all looked around the general area, looking to see what had hit them. It was a man, a man of very large build and stature.

“Huh, sorry about that.” He claims with a terrible smile on his face.

“Just practicing.” He claims.

“For what? You could have seriously hurt us!” one of the male cheerleaders yelled out.

“You’re all fine, just shut up for a minute.” He directed his sights towards Vicky, as well as the female cheerleaders who all surrounded her to attend to her wounds.

“Wow, you’re all really pretty. Are you all models?” the man claimed.

The girls all shook their heads, as did Vicky. There was something about the man that didn’t sit right. He was pushy, in a sense that she just knew there was something he was after.

“Well, I’m an agent, director, and photographer. Here’s my card, you all should give me a call sometime. I can get you gigs real quick…” he hands out the cards, when handing one over to Vicky, he leaned in and whispered…

“I’ll be expecting to hear back, especially from you. Not just because you’re beautiful, but also, she’ll get mad…”

Vicky’s spine had raged with a sudden chill. She just knew he meant Tiff. Looking at the card, the name that appeared read “Scott”.

Vicky never called, and fortunately Ethan came back the next day. She never told him the exact events that took place, but she sometimes wish she would have. Instead, she remained steady by his side. Since he knew of the other stuff Tiff had done, the minor stuff such as spreading false gossip and issuing stare downs, since Tiff was always so careful to never do the serious tortures in front of him, he always watched over Vicky like a hawk. That was enough to keep Tiff at bay since she couldn’t have access to Vicky and do those awful things to her, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t continue with the gossips.

It was nearly a week after the incident at practice and meeting, Vicky had noted the absence of one of her cheerleaders, who had missed practice for five days. Seemingly fed up, Vicky went over to the girl’s house to see what her problem was. Discovering her reason, was something that Vicky was not prepared for, nor did she wish that she had found out.

Upon arriving at the girl’s house, her parents, who had known and treated Vicky as their own daughter, were reluctant to let her in. Finally, after some convincing, they allowed her to go upstairs and see the girl.

Entering the room, the lights were off, the blinds closed, and there she was, sitting on the floor with her head down on her knees. Her hair was immensely oily, it was obvious she hadn’t showered for days. Sensing that something was wrong, and that the girl had a valid reason for missing practice, Vicky approached the girl and tried to comfort her, since it was apparent that she was experiencing depression of some sort.

Seeing Vicky, the girl broke down and shuddered with a tremble that she’s never seen before. Asking her what happened, the girl merely pulled out her phone, and accessed a website….

What Vicky saw, her heart sank.

‘Is this…her?’ Vicky thought to herself as she continued watching a recording that was published, displaying the girl tied up, restrained, and fearful. Seeing a group of naked bodies appearing all around, Vicky read the description and title of the video…

“Cheerleader slut gets a mouthful.”

Vicky couldn’t continue. Shutting off the phone, she already could surmise what had happened. Her heart felt like it dropped into her stomach.

She didn’t even ask, the girl started to speak. She explained how she called that man, Scott, inquiring about a modeling gig. He coordinated a date and time and appeared. At first, the setup was like a legitimate photoshoot, but when things took a turn for the worse, that’s when the girl tried to leave, only to be held against her will as they did the unspeakable to her body. Her missing practice was due to the amount of police statements and reports made, yet the only thing she and her family could do was press charges for the upload, since the males were all the same age as her, all of Scott’s ‘friends’ which came in all shapes, sizes, and different ages. Since Scott himself didn’t upload the material himself, one of his fellow ‘friends’ who was of the same age as her and Vicky, there wasn’t a whole lot, plus with the legal fees, it was nearly impossible for her to get justice against the real culprit.

Vicky never saw her again after that. She didn’t know what happened to that poor girl, and she would sometimes think about her. Wondering whatever happened to her. How can anyone recover from that?

Upon hearing Ethan mentioning the name, the flashback triggered her brain into remembering that traumatizing event, which she never relayed to Ethan…until the moment he said his name…

“Scott? Did you say Scott?”

“You know him?”

………………..

Briefly explaining what he had done, Ethan was silent. So was she.

Your face flashes through her mind. It flashes through his. Seeing Sunghoon pull up with his lavish car, Vicky waves at him for a second, the image of your smile appears. That beautiful smile that she admired, and the kindness that she loved and adored for she had grown to love you as a friend and as a sister.

‘We are family, silly.’

She recalls telling you shortly after she had moved here and met the love of her life. Just like through her, Ethan met the love of his life.

“Ethan, tell me what I need to do.”

“…You still engaged?”

Caught slightly off guard, Vicky nods as she responds. “Uh…yeah.”

“Did he give you a ring?”

“…Yeah…”

[mryoyo000]

My Very First (Bad) ASOIAF Theory!

The TRUTH (maybe) about Melisandre

I am writing this in the middle of the night so let's get started. I have discovered a fascinating literary parallel between our favorite red priestess, and a potentially surprising book series…The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids written by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones.

​

For anyone who is unfamiliar, the Bailey School Kids series follows the misadventures of four third-graders attending the titular Bailey Elementary School. They are Howie, Liza, Melody, and Eddie. In each book (of the ones that I read and can remember, anyway), they encounter a new adult whose eccentricity and non-conformity to rigid social expectations leads the children to an obvious conclusion: the adult in question is obviously a mythological creature. The series covers the full range: a new summer camp counselor who isn’t ashamed of his natural body hair is suspected of being a werewolf, a new gymnastics teacher who enjoys creative rhyming is suspected of being a witch, a new art teacher (who is just kind of fucking weird to be fair) is suspected of being an extraterrestrial, a new Irish basketball coach is suspected of being a leprechaun (and that’s one of the less problematic culturally-specific ones). Having efficiently dehumanized their target, the Bailey School Kids use the power of research to discover ways to thwart these spooky grown-ups. To the best of my memory, the books never confirm or deny the children's allegations; there are enough clues to suggest that Bailey City is some kind of Hellmouth, or that these third-graders have active imaginations and suspicious inclinations.

​

The first book, the one that started it all: Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots. The third-grade teacher, Mrs. Deedee, has been driven to near-madness. The book starts on an ominous note.

"I can't stand it anymore!" Mrs. Deedee screamed. She held her hands up like a surgeon and looked around the room. A wild look came into her eyes. "I don't know who did this, but I want you to know that you will pay for it. Someday, you'll get yours! Somebody, somewhere, will make you pay!" She laughed a cackling kind of laugh and left the room. No one in the third grade had seen Mrs. Deedee since, but it was rumored that she had moved to a small town in the farthest corner of Alaska.

Of course, when one teacher falls, another rises, and it's less than three pages before the new teacher arrives. And who does she remind you of?

Their principal, Mr. Davis, walked into the classroom with a beautiful lady. "Good morning, students," the principal said…"I would like to introduce you to your new teacher, Mrs. Jeepers." Mrs. Jeepers smiled at the class and said in a strange accent, "It is very nice to meet you, boys and girls. I am sure we are going to have a good year together." Some of the girls in the back of the room giggled at her accent and Mr. Davis looked at them sternly.

Perhaps you can begin to see where I am going with this. But wait, there's more:

All twenty-two children looked at Mrs. Jeepers. She was kind of short and her long red hair was pulled back with a purple barrette. She wore a starched white blouse with a high collar. At the collar was a green brooch the size of a chicken egg. It seemed to glow whenever she moved. … Eddie waved his hand in the air. "What if we don't follow those rules? What'll happen then?" Mrs. Jeepers smiled and flashed her green eyes. "I hope you never have to find out."

Given that Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots was published in 1991 (I think?), and A Clash of Kings was published many decades later in 1998, it is all too clear to me that GRRM was drawing from this foxy "exotic" redhead when he developed the character of Melisandre:

"Maester," said Lady Melisandre, her deep voice flavored with the music of the Jade Sea. "You ought take more care." As ever, she wore red head to heel, a long loose gown of flowing silk as bright as fire…Around her throat was a red gold choker tighter than any maester's chain, ornamented with a single great ruby. Her hair was not the orange or strawberry color of common red-haired men, but a deep burnished copper…Even her eyes were red…

Now, the similarities aren't exact, but because I'm making this up as I go, I think it's QUITE NOTEWORTHY how we see two women, two outsiders (a Goodreads reviewer described Mrs. Jeepers as a "fabulously-attired alpha female…" which surely can be said of Melisandre as well), two powerful and confident women whose eyes match the color of their meaningful jewelry, which seems to glow with its own light. Now, I am aware that Melisandre is described as being quite tall, but there are several possible explanations for this. One possibility is that GRRM did not want his homage to Mrs. Jeepers to be overly obvious; another possibility is that Mrs. Jeepers ate many leafy greens before crossing over to a different series (and she's wearing contacts).

​

Similar to Maester Cressen and Davos regarding Melisandre, the Bailey School Kids come to the conclusion that Mrs. Jeepers is dangerous and must be stopped:

Melody looked at Howie. "You know, maybe we should do something about Mrs. Jeepers. I mean, it is definitely not normal to hypnotize a student during math class." … (Eddie speaking) "But I do know that this teacher has got to go. So far she's made us clean up the room, get our work done, and be quiet in class. Before you know it, she'll have us actually learning!"

To me, this is similar to the characters in ASOIAF who view Melisandre as a threat to their way of being. Melisandre is seen as an existential threat to the main faiths of the Westerosi, and Mrs. Jeepers is seen as an existential threat to Eddie: Chaos vs. Order. Her outsider status, her unique flair in the face of conformity, are used as further damning evidence by the reprehensible elementary school students—not only does she threaten their power and status, but she does so as an Other, a force that must be denied her own humanity.

​

I ran out of things to say. Thanks for reading if you did.

TL;DR Melisandre of Asshai is an obvious homage (maybe) to Mrs. Jeepers of Bailey School Kids fame, an opponent to the despicable ignorance and hostility of her (third-grade) enemies in the same way that Melisandre defies the superstitious rejection she faces.

[duskyashe]

CAMP NANO DAY 7

[First] [Next] [AO3]

=============×∆×=============

Mischief was almost eight when his mama started forgetting things. He'd recently decided he wanted to go by Stiles at school, but his mama kept forgetting to call the office to let them know, which was bad enough, but then she started forgetting why his hair had a streak of white in it, and she'd been there when it had happened, so that's how he knew it was bad. He hadn't known how bad it really was until he overheard his mama and papa talking about going to the doctors about it, though.

Mischief didn't like the doctors, it was loud and it always smelt funny and they liked to stick you with needles. He didn't want his mama to get stuck by needles, so he Wished his mama was nice and healthy so she wouldn't need to go to the doctors.

When a full week went by and his mama hadn't had any more forgetting episodes, all talk of taking her to the doctors was put away, and Mischief couldn't be happier.

=============×∆×=============

Mischief was ten and primarily going by Stiles when the Hale house fire happened. His papa had been called in to work just as the three of them had sat down for dinner. His papa, still unaware of the supernatural, apologized, kissed his mama and him on the heads, and grabbed his uniform coat on his way out the door, not knowing that Stiles had heard the entire call.

"Stilinski here." "Stilinski, I know you had a nice evening with the family planned, but it's a shit show over here, we need all hands on deck." "What, why, what's going on?" "The Hales house burned down with eleven people inside. There're only three survivors, Peter Hale, who we found miraculously still alive in the basement near an open window, and Laura and Derek Hale, who had stayed late after school for basketball practice." "Sh-shoot, let me grab my coat and I'll be right over. Bullpen or at the scene?" "Bullpen is fine, you're going to interview the kids as a fresh set of ears." "Yessir."

=============×∆×=============

A month after the fire, Stiles overheard Scott McCall whining to Jeremy Greenberg about his mom not being home as often because "one of the nurses in the long term ward got suspended for some reason and now mom has to take extra shifts to cover until they can hire a new nurse, but now all she talks about when she's home is how sad it is that this guy named Peter is all alone and hasn't had any visitors since the fire."

That can't be right, Stiles thought in confusion. The only fire that happened recently that had a Peter involved was the Hale fire, but he's a wolf, he should be healed by now. Nevermind his niece and nephew also survived the fire, they should be visiting him! Maybe it's a different Peter from out of town? But no, that would have to be too many coincidences to be true. I'll have to investigate after school, he decided.

=============×∆×=============

It took a lot of sneaking around and looking at files that he maybe shouldn't have been looking at for Stiles to get his answers, though they left him with more questions than before. The Hales had been a fairly respectable wolf pack, maybe not the largest ever, but definitely one of the most influential. Peter Hale was definitely a werewolf, and definitely not the alpha, which meant either Laura or Derek, wherever they were, was the new Hale alpha and they'd just left Peter behind when they left. There had been absolutely no contact with either of the younger Hales since two days after the fire, and absolutely no visitors that weren't hospital staff since Peter had come in.

"This isn't right," Stiles muttered under his breath, staring at Peter's file in his lap as he sat in a chair next to the man. "You're a wolf, you should be healing. You should have your pack with you. None of this is right!" Amber eyes lifted from the pages to look at the man, himself, flashing red briefly as he took in the destressing sight in front of him. "I can smell your pain," the ten year old whispered. "I can smell your fear. This isn't right." Amber flashed red again as Stiles came to a decision. "If I said I could heal you, would you accept?" There was no response, but he wasn't expecting one in the first place. "Your alpha abandoned you, hasn't even called you in a month. As far as I'm concerned, you're fair game. Peter, whatever did this to you, whatever hurt you so badly you can't heal properly, it will never hurt you again," Stiles said, Wishing it so. "You're going to get better, you got that? No more being trapped in this hospital room all by yourself. You're going to get better, and when you do, I'm going to offer you a place in my sleuth, my pack." Amber eyes flashed red one last time and blue eyes flashed back.

=============×∆×=============

Noah Stilinski rubbed his face with a sigh as he put his cruiser in park. He'd been about to clock out when the department got a frantic call from the hospital. Apparently, within an hour of school ending for the day, one of the newer residents in the long-term ward suddenly woke up and ran off without anyone seeing him. When the monitors had gone off in his room, nurses had immediately flocked to it, assuming the worst, only to find, not the dead body they'd been expecting, but a completely empty room. The door had been shut, the windows latched, and the in room bathroom empty. The police had done all they could to find the man, but after multiple hours of nothing, they had no trail, nothing to go off of, and so they called it a night and sent half the search party home. It was just after nine o'clock at night, Claudia and Stiles should have gotten back from closing up the bookstore about half an hour ago, and he honestly just hoped they had something ready for dinner. Sadly, that wasn't to be. He knew something was off the moment he walked in through the door. Claudia was lecturing Stiles on something, from the sounds of it.

"—know I raised you better than that, young man!"

"But mom, I did ask! He couldn't respond, but I did ask first! And anyway, put yourself in his shoes for a moment, if you were in that much pain, wouldn't you want the pain gone in any way possible? I just did the more morally acceptable thing and healed him. Drink your hot coco, Peter, if Professor Lupin swears by the stuff, then you know it's gotta be good."

Peter. Stiles. Noah walked into the living room to see Claudia standing by the coffee table with her back to the door, arms crossed and foot tapping irritably against the rug, Stiles in front of the couch with a blanket in hand, and a very much not missing Peter Hale sitting on said couch, buried under two other blankets, clutching a mug of Swiss Miss brand hot chocolate and wearing—

"Is that my old police academy sweatshirt?" Noah asked incredulously, instantly gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"Oh hey, papa! Look who I found! And yeah, he only had a hospital gown on, so I dug out some of your old clothes for him, hope you don't mind!" Stiles greeted him with a bright grin on his face, but Noah's gaze was fixated on Peter—and the very wide, very much glowing blue eyes aimed in his direction. Stiles followed his gaze and slumped a little. "Oh. Well, that wolf is out of the bag now, I guess." He perked back up a moment later, though. "However, I did always say great uncle Aleksy's "Humans Can't Be Pack" thing was rather silly, so I'm not too torn up over it!"

=============×∆×=============

TADA! Chapter two! (And yes, it's gonna be chapter two in the AO3 fic lol) I had a lot of fun planning this one out with my mom, we were throwing ideas back and forth at each other last night after I posted yesterday's ficlet, and I even started writing this before I went to bed to ensure I wouldn't forget them all (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠) I was originally going to try writing this yesterday, but the only ideas I had were better suited for chapter three or four, so I ended up putting it off until today, and I think both yesterday's fic and today's fic are much better for it <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>

I'm pretty much planning on continuing this fic, yesterday's fic, and last Saturday's fic for the rest of the month, with a few oddballs thrown in when I can't think of anything for those three series, just letting y'all know (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ all by readers are awesome, whether they're on Tumblr or AO3 (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

[campnorthstarmaineme]

Youth Camp Near Me

Youth Camp at Camp North Star: A Summer of Adventure, Growth, and Friendship

Located in the heart of nature, Camp North Star is a premier youth camp that offers an unforgettable summer experience for children and teens. With its picturesque surroundings, vibrant atmosphere, and a wide array of activities, Camp North Star provides a place where campers can unplug, grow, and forge lasting friendships. Whether you're seeking adventure, personal development, or simply a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, 

Camp North Star is the perfect destination for young people looking to make the most of their summer.

Camp North Star is situated in beautiful Poland Spring, Maine, surrounded by many beautiful and natural landscapes that we get to share and enjoy with our campers. Trips are offered every session and happen on the days we are not on our normal activity schedule. Trip days are a time to relax and enjoy time with friends and bunkmates.

A Diverse Range of Activities

At Camp North Star, the variety of activities available ensures that there is something for everyone. The camp's broad range of offerings allows campers to choose from athletic, artistic, and outdoor pursuits. Some of the popular activities include:

Water Sports: Swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and sailing on the beautiful camp lake are some of the camp's most loved activities. Campers are given the opportunity to learn new skills, while enjoying the thrill of water sports in a safe, supervised environment.

Outdoor Adventures: Hiking, rock climbing, and nature walks provide campers with a chance to connect with the great outdoors. Camp North Star’s vast forest trails and scenic vistas create the perfect setting for these adventures, helping kids build confidence and resilience.

Arts & Crafts: For the creatively inclined, Camp North Star offers a range of arts and crafts activities, from pottery and painting to tie-dyeing and jewelry making. These creative outlets encourage campers to explore their artistic talents and express themselves in new ways.

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One of the greatest gifts that Camp North Star gives its campers is the opportunity to develop confidence and independence. Away from the comforts of home, children are encouraged to step outside of their comfort zones and try new things. Whether it's tackling a challenging rock wall, performing in a talent show, or leading a group activity, each experience contributes to building self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment.

Camp counselors, who are trained to support and mentor campers, play a crucial role in this developmental process. These counselors are more than just supervisors; they serve as positive role models, guiding campers through challenges, celebrating their successes, and offering encouragement when things get tough.

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One of the hallmarks of Camp North Star is the strong sense of community it fosters. The camp provides an environment where campers from diverse backgrounds can come together, learn from each other, and form lasting friendships. Through group activities, team challenges, and shared experiences, campers bond over their adventures and support each other through difficult moments.

By the end of the summer, many campers leave with lifelong friendships and a network of peers who have shared in their experiences. Whether it’s through late-night chats, campfire songs, or group projects, the camaraderie that develops is a key aspect of the Camp North Star experience.

Camp North Star’s Values: Fun, Learning, and Growth

At the heart of Camp North Star are its core values: fostering fun, learning, and growth. The camp environment is designed to be a place where kids can relax, take risks, and explore their potential. It’s not just about enjoying a summer break—it's about gaining valuable skills that last a lifetime.

The camp emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility, respect for others, and the joy of trying new things. Every activity, from organized games to free play, is structured to ensure that campers are constantly learning, whether they realize it or not.

The Perfect Summer Escape

In conclusion, Camp North Star is more than just a youth camp—it's a transformative experience that challenges, supports, and nurtures the young people who attend. With its diverse range of activities, beautiful natural setting, and commitment to personal growth, Camp North Star offers an ideal environment for children to flourish.

For parents, sending a child to Camp North Star means giving them the chance to step outside their comfort zones, develop new skills, and build memories that will last a lifetime. For campers, it's a chance to embrace adventure, forge friendships, and discover what they are truly capable of.

A summer at Camp North Star is not just about having fun—it's about growing as a person, and leaving with new perspectives on life, the world, and themselves.

Camp North Star is the top premier Maine sleepaway camp for boys & girls. We offer the best overnight summer camps for kids & teens in New England. Call Now: (207)998-4777

We give Different types of camp north star like-

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[opgworldsschool01]

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The classroom has no longer been considered as the place of learning. OPG World School, one among the best schools in Dwarka, makes learning a delight by innovative teaching methods along with fun activities. Therefore, the unique approach offered by the school provides excellent academics along with creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking that makes it one among the top-rated schools in Dwarka.

The Vision of OPG World School

OPG World School is a CBSE school in Dwarka Delhi, located in the heart of Dwarka, understanding the evolving needs of education in the 21st century. It brings in state-of-the-art infrastructure with dynamic teaching strategies for an engaging environment. Nursery to senior secondary classes find a place here, making it one of the most sought-after CBSE schools near me for holistic development.

Blending education with entertainment

The focus here on the integration of entertainment with the process of learning is a key differentiator for OPG World School. It conducts periodical activities, which mix academics with play, making the kids learn while playing. It is one of the most reputed CBSE schools in Dwarka and also highly sought by parents seeking a "school near me" which can equally balance learning and enjoyment.

Interactive Classrooms

Classrooms at OPG World School are equipped with the latest technologies, including smart boards and projectors. These instruments bring lessons to life in the minds of students and make them easier to understand. In addition, it is one of the most rated AC schools in Dwarka, which creates a comfortable and learning-friendly environment.

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OPG has experiential learning. The students enjoy experiments in science, works of art, and group discussions, and through these interactive programs, the confidence and solving capabilities develop. This enhances one's chances of thriving in today's competitive atmosphere. Parents searching for a school near me with fee structure have often appreciated value-driven education in OPG World School. 

Fun-Filled Extracurricular Activities

The school calendar is a treasure trove of extracurricular activities that make the syllabus go beyond books. Be it dance, drama, sports, or music, every student has numerous opportunities to pursue his or her interests. There are talent shows, inter-house competitions, and cultural fests which make OPG World School a cbse based school in dwarka that celebrates individuality.

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OPG World School works on future-ready individuals through leadership programs and workshops. Debates, public speaking, and model UN sessions help students communicate and enhance their leadership skills. Therefore, for parents searching for "CBSE school admission near me" or "admission open in Dwarka school," they often choose OPG, which provides all-round development.

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OPG World School is a haven for parents who are scouting nursery school admission Dwarka or nursery admission dwarka near me as the school provides a great play-based curriculum that builds on cognitive, social, and emotional skills in children.

Affordable yet Premium

One of the top rated school in dwarka OPG World School provides premium education at affordable fees. The transparent fee structures and flexible admission processes make it a favorite among families looking for CBSE schools near me for 11 and 12 Dwarka or schools nearby me for all grade levels.

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The school's perfect amalgamation of academics, fun, and extracurricular activities has made it a world school in Dwarka. Parents term it one of the best top 10 schools in dwarka, perfect for senior students to succeed.

Conclusion

More than a place for education, it is creativity, curiosity, and wholesome growth. One of the top rated cbse school in dwarka, OPG World School stands out owing to the integration of enjoyment with academics. From holding significant academic credentials to many extracurricular activities, the epitome for modern education is OPG World School.

This will be for parents who want to know "schools near me for class 1," "CBSE admission for class 1 Dwarka," or "available schools for admission in Dwarka." OPG World School will be the one to pick. Experience education like never before—because every day is a step forward in a brighter, fun-filled future at OPG.

[katelynassignment]

Finally leaving town. Journal entry 1 (Sophie's Perspective)

The last time I saw my hometown, I was in the backseat of my parents car anticipating the next 24 hours of driving to reach my college campus. I looked back, staring at my childhood best friends as we drove away. We had just said goodbye in the driveway, and I have never seen my house such a place of sadness. 

The driveway, where my boy best friend, Max, confessed his love to me just last night, but also my rejection that followed it. Now he stands there with my other best friend, Amelia, after we had said a cold goodbye.

The driveway, where I grew to love basketball, but not because of the game, but more because of the memories that involved that hoop. Now the hoop is gone, as well as the lawn chairs that were used to spectate, and the scene is filled with my two best friends standing together as they watch me leave.

The driveway, where Amelia and I laid down on the cold concrete so many summer nights, gazing at the stars in the sky, talking and laughing until morning when we finally had to move. Even now I can see it in her eyes that we both want to go back to those moments. 

The town passed by in snapshots: the high school parking lot where I’d spent countless Friday nights eating McDonalds on the tailgate of Max's truck. The dead-end road where Amelia and I used to loiter, dreaming up road trips we’d now never take.

As we neared the edge of town, I realized I didn’t know what I wanted to hold onto. Maybe the dusty high school gym filled with familiar faces as the basketball teams won finals, or the creak of the fence as I climbed it to get into a party. But I couldn’t choose; it all felt so far away, like I’d already left, even though I was still here. 

I always wanted to get out of this town, it felt too comfortable and I’d always said that ‘I want some stories and adventures’. I guess that wish is finally coming true, but not without the cost of the friendships I fostered here.

Then we were on the highway, the town dissolving into a blur of trees and asphalt, I didn’t cry—not really—but something inside me broke loose, like a rope fraying until it snapped. I thought about what Amelia had said a week earlier, “This town’s too small for you.” At the time, I’d laughed it off, but now, staring at the endless stretch of road ahead, I wondered if she’d been right.

This summer has been the most bittersweet summer I’ve ever spent. We went on weird adventures, drove aimlessly around our small town blasting music, and running into other kids doing the same thing. We went out camping in the old farmer’s field and camped-out for concert tickets. I will also value this summer. 

As the kilometers ticked by, I realized I wasn’t just leaving my hometown, I was leaving the person I’d been here—but maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t a bad thing. Although I will miss my best friends more than the world, I feel ready for a change. I can’t stop reminiscing about the stories I made here, but I have hope for newer, better ones as I actually begin living my life.

[cupidbedsy]

𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 ; 𝘭𝘩43 ୨୧

➪ summary: meeting luke was unexpected, but so was him wanting to come to every rehearsal and performance of hers

➪ warnings: reader has crappy parents, parents not showing up to events, lack of eating

➪ word count: 8.0k

➪ file type: fic - reupload

➪ sunny's notes: ahhhhhh the band fic that i will always remember staying up until like two in the morning to write because i was so proud of it. this is projecting 100% but this fic is so near and dear to me that i of course had to post it on my last day of high school band camp. a full circle :)

© cupidbedsy ; do not copy, repost, or translate my work and designs on any other website or here

lh43 masterlist || nhl masterlist || taglist || navigation

Y/n always said she never minded, but Luke knew better. He knew that every time she looked out into those stands and saw the absence of her parents and siblings would always hurt her. She knew that marching band wasn’t the most entertaining thing in the world but the least they could do was be supportive. They sat through hours upon hours of baseball games where their sons wouldn’t even get a chance to go up to bat, they sat through hours and hours of concerts where they couldn’t even hear their daughters sing. But how come when it came to her, they wouldn’t spend even twenty minutes to see her on the field, a time they could actually see her do something?

Though, she told Luke over and over again that it didn’t bother her. She had her friends by her side who made the long Friday nights of football where their team would be getting crushed better, made basketball games where no one cared about whether or not they were there better, and made the excruciating heat better, who made the long bus rides and long days of competitions better. But who else was there to see that? No one, that was until she met Luke.

It was during their freshman year of high school, just as the football season was coming to a close and hockey season had started about two weeks ago. She was walking through the hallways on her way to the band hallway when she bumped into him, he was sweaty from gym, his curls straightening out in the slightest. As soon as she saw him she was slightly star-struck, she wasn’t in the tiniest bit prepared for this to happen, “Hi. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Luke thought she was pretty right off the bat, the way she seemed shy but talked loud, the way she fiddled with the bracelet around her wrist, the way her smile was awkward but genuine, much like his own.

The two stood in silence and then the warning bell rang, signaling that there were now two minutes to get to class. Luke and y/n looked startled by the bell, both of them had spaced out while looking at each other, “Oh, what do you have next?”

She looked up at him, surprised by the question, “Lunch, technically. And you?”

“Oh weird, I have lunch too. How come I’ve never seen you there?”

“I have band right now until the season is over. We go out for a period and a half to work on the show and then we get the last half of next period to eat lunch.”

“You only get 20 minutes to eat lunch?”

She nodded, a smile growing on her face, “Yeah. Um, I should probably go, but it was nice to meet you.”

She ran off, not allowing Luke to properly introduce himself. He was going to call after her but she was gone before he could think about the words to say. He went the rest of the day thinking about the interaction and her, and she did too. She allowed herself to be delusional for once, thinking about what it would feel like to have a boyfriend and for him to show up to her events.

The next day, she found herself rushing to the band hallway, having left her last class late. She was just about there when she heard a voice call, “Hey!”

At first, she didn’t realize it was her that the voice was talking to. She hadn’t remembered the last time someone had actively sought her out. However, once the voice called again she stopped and looked around and saw Luke standing there with a smile on his face, “Hi.”

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“You have?” She looked confused and bewildered at the same time, moving to her locker to get her instrument.

He nods, leaning against the set of lockers next to her, “Yeah. For starters, I was wondering your name and if I could get your-”

He was cut off by a group of students coming up, saying excuse me so they could get to their lockers. She looks at him as her lock opens, handing it to him, “Thank you.”

She grabs her instrument and her shoes before grabbing the lock back and locking her locker. She ushers him to follow her, walking into the band room and throwing her stuff down. Luke talked to her as they walked, explaining how he wondered what her name was and if they could exchange numbers. Once again, she was taken by surprise and then saw her friends enter the room, “Um sure. What do you have next period?”

“Uh study hall.”

“Okay, cool. I’ll meet you in the library then?” She was changing her shoes and saw her friends approaching faster and faster, “See you later.” 

She then pushed him out of the room through the nearest exit. Luke was lost as he was shoved into the hallway, watching her throw her hair into a ponytail as she walked away. He heard her tell her friends that she had forgotten a jacket and that she was going to freeze to death. He decided to wait for her, thinking about giving her the extra hoodie that he brought in case he forgot his own. 

When she came walking out of the band room a few minutes later, he caught her arm and she turned around, “Hi?”

Her friends looked at her in amusement, eyebrows raising. They didn’t say anything, just walked away and left her there on her own, “I heard you say you were cold.”

“Um yeah, I’m fine though, thank you.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind giving you this,” he held out the hoodie and she gazed at it with curiosity.

“Really?”

He nodded, encouraging her to take it, “I’ll give it back to you next period.”

He shrugged it off, not too worried about if she did decide to keep it. She walked away, heading outside while putting the hoodie on. She smiled at it being too big, it must’ve been one he got from his brothers or one he got in the wrong size. As she caught up with her friends, she could hear them talking about the boy she had just been talking to, still not knowing his name.

“What is it?”

“That’s Luke Hughes!”

“Who?”

“Luke Hughes?”

“Not ringing any bell here.”

“He’s a really good hockey player, and so are his brothers. Quinn, his oldest, is supposed to be drafted in next year’s draft, he just started college this year. And Jack, he’s a junior right now, everybody is saying he’s supposed to be drafted in two years.”

“And you all know this because?”

“Because the Hughes brothers are hot y/n/n. Actually, hockey men are hot, but three brothers? Come on.”

Y/n rolled her eyes, placing her things down on the turf, “Did he give you his hoodie?”

“Yeah…?” Her friends squealed, “Guys it’s not a big deal. He probably doesn’t like me. Do you remember the last time I dated someone, let alone someone who I liked that liked me back?”

“Yes.” Her friends said in a deadpan voice, “You talk about it all the time.”

“Well, I just think it’s worth mentioning since he thought the Earth was flat! And then the other guy I liked made me cry at homecoming! There is no way in the world that Luke Hughes, who, if he is who you say he is, would like me.”

The three friends eyed each other and then looked at y/n, “We’ll see about that.”

Band was slow that day as it usually was, they went over the one spot in song four that was troubling people the most. If they didn’t want them to struggle, they shouldn’t have given them choreography for eight counts right before a huge change in tempo and the hardest spot in the music. When it was over, she slugged her way back to the school, her legs ached and her arms too from holding up her instrument. 

She put her things away, now walking to the library instead of going to lunch. She had work to do, and a test next period as well. When she got there she spotted Luke right away, he was scrolling on his phone, laughing every once in a while. She walked up to the table he sat at, placing her water bottle down and letting her backpack fall down to the ground with a thud. She plopped down into her chair with a groan and placed her head on her forearms. 

Luke looked up from his phone from the moment the metal of her water bottle touched the table and watched the girl with amusement in his eyes, “Why hello there.”

“Hi.”

“Shouldn’t you be eating lunch?”

She sat up, “‘M not hungry. Plus I have to study for a test next period.

He nodded, shoving his phone into his pocket, “You want help?”

“Sure.” Y/n reached into her backpack and pulled out the green folder, “Bio?”

“The actual fucking death of me.”

Luke helped her study for the next twenty minutes, stopping occasionally just to look at her. The librarian was watching from afar, silently admiring the two. She knew that the two were going to end up together, there was something about the way Luke looked at her even if they had just met the day before. When she announced that there were five minutes left of the period, y/n started packing up and thanked Luke for his help.

“No problem, now I think you still owe me your number.”

“Oh right, give me.” She held out her hand for his phone to which he placed it in her hand. 

She typed her number in and saved her contact name as ‘Y/n’ with a teddy bear emoji, “Why a teddy bear?”

“I don’t know, it was the first emoji I thought of.” Luke shrugged and texted her so she’d have his number too, “Save mine as Lukey with the honey emoji!”

“Honey?”

“Yes?”

“You’re a dork. No but actually why the honey emoji?”

“So that way our contact emojis are Winnie the Pooh,”

“That is the cutest and stupidest thing I have ever heard.” She stood up and immediately felt dizzy. 

She placed a hand on the table and closed her eyes, “Are you okay?”

“Uh yeah, just a little dizzy. I’ll be fine.”

Luke looked at her apprehensively, he knew she wasn’t but he let it go. He walked her to class, neither of them noticing she was still wearing his sweatshirt, and wished her luck on the test. Over the next week and a half, the two texted each other non-stop with random updates on their lives and random conversations. It was now the next Thursday, a day before the last game of the season and everyone was excited as it was the rivalry game.

Luke and y/n sat next to each other outside after school, she had rehearsal later in the evening and Luke had said he wanted to stay with her. Jack had already left and he wasn’t going to leave her there alone. They sat at the picnic table outside of the school, she was working on homework as Luke scrolled on his phone occasionally glancing up at her.

She didn’t eat lunch again today and he wasn’t sure if it was because she wasn’t hungry or because she didn’t want to. When he noticed her eyes dropping he grew more concerned, “You okay?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m good. Why?”

“I don’t know, you just look like you’re not okay.”

“I should probably eat something, haven’t been able to yet.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t eat breakfast, it makes me sick and lunch well after band and only have twenty minutes to eat, my appetite is practically non-existent.”

“You wanna walk to the store?”

“Sure.”

The two got up and set out to the store, making jokes along the way. She was wearing one of Luke’s sweatshirts, he had given it to her earlier today when he found out she had once again forgotten her own. Luke had only met her a week ago and he was protective of her. There was something about her that just made him want to shield her from everything harmful that could come her way.

Luke offered to pay for her food as they checked out but she declined even after giving minutes of them just standing there and Luke pestering her. An old lady who was checking out next to them looked at them fondly, “You should let him pay, dear. It’s not every day that someone is going to come around begging for you to let them pay.”

Y/n felt butterflies appear in her stomach, looking between the lady and up at Luke. She finally nodded, accepting her fate and letting Luke pay. She thanked him endlessly as they walked back to the school, linking arms with him as she could feel herself getting dizzy again, “So what are you doing this weekend, Hughes?”

“Hockey probably, but I’d have to look. What about you?”

“We got a band competition, it’s kind of like state for us.”

“Oh, that’s cool.”

She shrugged, not really wanting to go, “It’s gonna be a long day and my- never mind.”

“No, what is it?”

She shook her head, sitting down and taking the food out of her bag. Luke looked at her confused, saddened by her sudden mood drop. He could tell that she didn’t want to talk about it but he was nosey, and he really wanted to know, “Come on. You can tell me.”

She sighed, “All of my friends’ parents are going and my parents don’t even bother to show up to football games. They only bother to show up for the kids that could do something successful.” 

Luke was foreign to the way she was feeling, well for the most part. He didn’t know what it was like for his parents to not show up for games, sure they couldn’t come to every game but they came to games that they could make it for and the important ones. He understood what it felt like to be overshadowed, however, not that he really was. It was more of a thought rather than an actuality. 

“Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?”

“Look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you feel sorry for me. Don’t, please.”

“I’m not.” She raised an eyebrow but stopped the conversation.

“How are you getting home tonight?”

“My friend is taking me.”

“Let me take you.”

“Luke, you can’t even drive.”

“No I know that but I’ll stay here and then-”

She laughed, interrupting him, “You are not going to stay here for another two and a half hours, Luke.”

“And why not?”

“Because you have to go home, I’m surprised you even offered to stay here with me until rehearsal started.”

“But I want to be.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I just want to be there for you.”

She gave him an awkward smile, shocked once again by his actions and words. She pondered about what to do, she didn’t want him to have to stay later than he already had offered. On the other hand, it felt nice knowing that someone wanted to be there for her, to go to her activities for her even if it was just a practice. 

She carefully eyed him up and down, “Okay, but keep in mind I wasn’t the one who made you stay.”

He smiled and held his hands up in surrender. He followed her as she walked through the school to the band room, stopping at her locker to grab her instrument and other things. He followed her through the band room and out the doors to the football field, looking like a lost puppy. She sat with her friends as they waited for football practice to be over, Luke sitting behind her on his phone.

“So, why is he here?”

“Why is who here?”

Her friends gestured with their heads to the boy who sat a couple of feet behind them, “Him.”

“Oh, I don’t know. He said he wanted to come.”

“Oh my god, y/n! This means you can finally get over-”

“Shut up. He doesn’t like me and I don’t like him, it’s simple. Plus, I haven’t liked… you know who, for a while. I don’t even think I liked him in the first place.”

“Uh huh, sure. You are in delusion, my friend. And you have convinced yourself that neither of you has feelings for each other. No one wants to be at a band rehearsal, not even the people in band want to be here, and Luke Hughes wants to be here? For you?”

“It’s nothing, can we just drop it?”

“Yeah, yeah. So I heard that Sydney and Max were having sex in the practice rooms.”

Y/n spit out her water causing Luke to look up from his phone, slightly chuckling, “You what?”

“So is this what you guys do all the time before practice?”

“Rehearsal. And if by ‘this’ you mean sitting around and talking about the band drama, yes.”

“Am I allowed to be let in on it or is it strictly like ‘band kids’ only.”

One of y/n’s friends looked at him, “Don’t call us band kids. And of course, you can join us. Any friend of our dear y/n is welcome.”

Y/n glared at the girl as she heard Luke moving closer. Luke felt bold as he wrapped an arm around the girl’s waist, watching as her eyes widened. She didn’t say anything, didn’t move, she just sat there slightly terrified. She looked in between her friends who smirked at her in response. Luke sat there smug, waiting for them to start talking, “So. What’s this about who and who having sex in the practice rooms?”

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

Luke could honestly say this was the longest he had willingly gone without his phone, including hockey practice. He had sat in the stands the whole time, eyes trained on y/n no matter where she went. If she was backfield, that’s where he would be staring, if she was on the left side of the field, that’s where he would be staring.

He watched as she grew increasingly tired from the multiple reps of just one move they made them do, he honestly thought he could do it himself at this point. He was in awe, really, he never knew how much time and effort the band put in to do a seven-minute show for people who didn’t care about it. Everyone looked exhausted and he wasn’t sure if they were just done with band or just actually tired, or both.

There was one moment during rehearsal when he saw y/n lug herself over to where the band directors were and talk with them. A minute after that he watched as she took a seat on the bench and watched her fellow band members. He was confused and worried, wanting nothing more than to walk over there and ask her what was wrong but he promised her that he wouldn’t interrupt her no matter what.

She was embarrassed, she had felt his eyes on her the whole time. She didn’t know why he wanted to be here, it gave her an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach, one of feeling important for once. Her friends made little nudges and jokes at her for the three hours they were on the field, only shutting up when they were yelled at. When they were talking at the end of rehearsal, she couldn’t help but continue to look over at him, causing her to be startled when she realized she was picked to give the speech today. 

“Hi everyone! Um, good rehearsal tonight, this season has been absolutely amazing and I hope you all feel the same way. I don’t think there’s anything else to say other than tomorrow is game day!” She paused as everyone whooped around her, “And we have our competition on Saturday so let’s make these next few runs of the show our best, and let’s go home because I’m tired.”

They all listened as the band directors gave their final announcements, call time for Friday and Saturday, the itinerary, and whatnot. When it was over, Luke met her at the entrance of the gate and reached out to take something of hers but she shook her head, “I’m good, thank you though.”

He awkwardly pulled his hands back and nodded, walking beside her into the school, “Are you sure your brother is okay with taking me home? I don’t want to inconvenience you guys and Stella said it was okay to take me home.”

He shook his head, “Of course, you can. You’re not inconveniencing anyone. I promise.”

She gave him a genuine smile, “Thank you, Luke.”

“Anytime.”

She put her things away, saying goodbye to her friends before walking out of the school with Luke. They stood at the entrance, Luke trying to spot his brother’s car, and when he did he turned to her, “Just give me one moment.”

She nodded, confusion written on her face as she watched him run over to the car.

“Hey, I thought we were taking your girlfriend home.”

“One, not my girlfriend. And two, can you please not embarrass me or her? She’s really uncomfortable around new people.”

Jack could see the way his younger brother was panicking, “Yeah, sure.”

Luke thanked him and then ran back over to y/n, taking hold of her hand and dragging her to the car. He opened up the back passenger side door and allowed her to climb in, him climbing in after her. She looked between him and the front seat, “I thought you would’ve sat up there.”

“Trust me, I know how awkward it is to ride in the back of someone’s car when you only know one person.”

The car was silent for a minute, y/n trying to think of something to say besides directing Jack to her house. She figured she should probably say thank you to him even though everything else in her was yelling at her not to. She was never the best at making conversation with people, let alone with people she didn’t know.

“Thank you for taking me home, I’m sorry it was such a last-minute thing.”

Jack glanced up at her through the rearview mirror, “No problem, honestly.”

She gave him an awkward smile, nodding and redirecting her gaze to outside the car window. Luke’s hand slowly made its way over to her lap as he took ahold of her hand again. She didn’t move her head, simply just squeezing his hand back as a thank you. 

When they got to her house, she thanked Jack once again before getting out of the car. Luke jumped out and told his brother to wait for him as he went to talk to her, “Hey!”

She stopped in her tracks at the voice and turned around, arms coming to wrap themselves around her as she shivered from the cold, “What’s up?”

“I’m going tomorrow.”

“To where?”

“You’re game.”

Her cheeks reddened at the confession, “It’s not my game.”

He threw his head back and groaned, “You know what I mean.” 

She giggled a little, “Yeah. You don’t have to Luke, I mean you came to our practice which was more than enough for me. You didn’t even have to come for that.”

He took both of her hands this time into his own, “I know but I really want to. Pleaseeeeee.”

“Okay fine. But no complaining again.”

“Aye aye, captain.”

He saluted her as she walked up the steps to her door, making sure she got in okay before even thinking of turning back to the car. On the way home, Jack made digs at his brother for being whipped for the girl he had only known for a little more than a week. When it went quiet for two minutes, Luke mulled over the idea of her competition on Saturday and what she had told him. 

“Do you think Mom and Dad would let me go to y/n’s competition on Saturday?”

“Depends on where it is.” Jack turned onto their street, not even bothering to glance at him until he said where it was. 

“Michigan?!”

“What? It’s not that far.”

“Dude it’s three hours!”

“Okay, but we can see Quinn too.”

Jack eyed him carefully, “You can ask them but don’t expect a yes.”

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

“Can we please go?”

“Luke.” Ellen’s tone was sympathetic but stern as she talked to him, “We can’t just drive three hours, especially on this short notice to a band competition. I mean we haven’t even met this girl, have we?”

“No, but. I figured we could make a little trip out of it! We can see Quinn and you guys can hang out with him while I’m there so that way you don’t have to sit through bands because I know for a fact that you don’t want to. And plus, I know you haven’t met her but she’s super nice, Mom.”

Ellen looked conflicted but Luke’s next words broke her heart and tipped her over the edge, “She has no one going to support her.”

“Fine, we can go. But this is the last time you can ask us for stuff for a while.”

“What?!” 

The three laughed as they heard Jack’s shocked voice echo through the house. 

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

Luke sat happily with a few of his friends at the football game, two sweatshirts on due to the cold. The stands were packed with parents, students, and siblings as they cheered on their football team, yelling out random chants at the other team. There was a clashing of colors as some of the rival school’s people made their way over to their side of the stands. On the opposite side of the field, the opposing team’s student section was packed to the brim, almost filling up half of the stands.

He sat on the edge of the student section, right where there was caution tape separating the band and the rest of the student population. He had glanced over there a few times, trying to find y/n but he had no look. Finally, when someone he knew was close enough he yelled out her name, “Stella!”

Stella, one of y/n’s friends turned her head quickly and her eyes immediately landed on Luke, “Hi, Luke. What brings you to this fine occasion?”

“Where’s y/n?”

Stella somewhat grimaced, “Last I heard she wasn’t feeling well and was on her way to the bathroom.”

Luke’s eyes flooded with concern, “Is she okay?”

She merely shrugged and went to say something but one of her friends came up and joined the conversation, “Hey guys!”

The two-eyed Lee who was frankly too happy to be at a high school football game, “Have you seen y/n?”

“Oh yeah! She was getting some water, and said she felt better. I think she was coming up-”

“Hi.”

The three then looked at the girl who stood awkwardly, her hair sweaty in her high ponytail from being in the shako for too long. She looked paler than normal, her eyes looked tired and were accompanied by the dark circles beneath them, “I didn’t actually think you would come.”

He stood up, looking around him before climbing over the caution tape, “Of course I did.” 

Stella and Lee walked off, leaving the two to talk amongst themselves, “Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, I just get nervous for games and get extremely drained.”

He nodded, watching as she flipped through her music to find the song they were supposed to be playing the next time they were able to play, “What’s that?”

“It’s my flip folder, it holds all of our stand tunes that we play during timeouts or between quarters or whenever the play stops. How come you're so interested all of a sudden?”

“I was just curious.” He held his hands up in surrender and she laughed, “Such a dork.”

Throughout the game, Luke listened to her play in awe, he could tell her voice was becoming more and more horse as she screamed and cheered. He didn’t realize how much the band actually contributed during games, they definitely did more than the student section did, that was for sure. When they left for halftime, she made Luke hold her things which he didn’t mind doing.

He watched their performance intently, his eyes moving to wherever y/n was standing. He realized that most people had left during halftime, especially during the band’s performance and he couldn’t understand why. The band was pretty good, definitely better than their football team. When they were done, he watched as she somewhat stumbled off the field, not sure if she was tired, excited, or sick.

She was hugging her friend's arm tightly, “I can’t believe that was our last halftime of the year.”

“Hey, we still got three more years of this left.”

“Ugh, I know. Don’t remind me.”

“So how’s your little boyfriend up there?”

Y/n’s eyes widened, “Not my boyfriend!”

“Okay, seriously, y/n/n. When was the last time you saw anybody’s boyfriend or girlfriend or partner that wasn’t in band go to a football game for band, let alone a practice?” She merely shrugged, wanting nothing more than to stop this conversation.

“When you realize I’m right, I’ll be waiting to say ‘I told you so’.”

She groaned, “Stop. Please. I just want to enjoy the friendship, I haven’t had one like this in years.”

“Okay.” 

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

After the game she found Luke standing on the steps to the school. She was shocked, she thought he would’ve already gone home due to the time. She sat down beside him and nudged his shoulder, “Hey.”

Luke looked up quickly, a smile making its way onto his face, “Hi.”

“What are you still doing here?”

“Partially I’m waiting for you but also I have to wait for Jack or my mom.”

She nodded, understanding. She was too tired to care that her head was slowly leaning to one side, ultimately giving up and letting it rest on his shoulder. Luke was shocked by the added pressure on his shoulder but didn’t mind it, truthfully.

He smiled down at her and looked for the car, “How are you getting home?”

She let out a yawn as she tried to answer, “I don’t know.”

Luke looked at her bewildered, “You don’t know?!”

She nodded, still keeping her head on his shoulder, “Yeah.”

“You want us to take you home?”

“No, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Too bad. You’re coming with us.”

This time she didn’t protest and just waited for him to say that whoever was here to pick him up was here. Luke debated on whether or not to tell her that he was going to go tomorrow. He decided to be quiet, formulating a plan on how to surprise her tomorrow. His mom pulled up a few minutes later, watching as he soon lightly shook the girl who was leaning on him awake.

Luke helped y/n to the car, allowing her to get in first like he did the previous night, “Hi Mrs. Hughes. I’m y/n. I’m so sorry about this, I wasn’t planning on your son being so persistent about taking me home.”

At this Ellen chuckled, “Of course he was. It’s no problem, honey.”

Y/n directed Ellen to her house, making small talk with her as a way to keep her awake, “So, Luke tells me you have a competition tomorrow.”

She side-eyed Luke before answering, “Yeah, at the University of Michigan. It’s kind of like state for band I guess.”

Ellen nodded, “Did Luke tell you we are going there too this weekend?”

“No, he did not.”

“Yes, well, his older brother goes there and we figured it would be nice to go visit him.”

“Oh that’s cool, I didn’t know that.”

She pulled into the driveway a few minutes after that and the two said goodbye to one another and Luke, like last night, walked her to the door, “Why didn’t you tell me you were going there?”

“I was going to surprise you actually.”

She looked at him suspiciously, “Well, if you have time, let me know and you should come see us.”

“Are you telling me to come watch you guys?” He said teasingly.

“Just this once.”

“I’ll be there.”

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

At the stadium the next day, y/n had found Luke after they performed and they sat together as they watched the rest of the bands perform and the awards. Despite having just done a 7-minute show in her band uniform, she was cold and her sweatshirt provided the least amount of warmth.

Luckily, Luke had brought an extra sweatshirt and a blanket just for this, knowing how much she got cold. She took it gratefully, wasting no time in throwing it on. Luke asked her questions about certain things in the others’ performances, what songs they were, and what moves they were doing. At one point they got bored and started writing different show names in the programs for each band. 

When awards came around, she was getting increasingly tired, “I have a question.”

“Go for it.”

“Do you wanna meet my family?”

Y/n looked at him with wide eyes, “Meet your what?”

“My family. Well, you’ve already met Jack and my mom but Quinn and my dad you haven’t.”

“Luke…”

“What?”

She held tears in her eyes as she thought over his words. Luke frowned when he noticed the tears, “What’s wrong?”

“Luke, we've only known each other for what? A week and a half at best?”

“Yeah…?”

“I guess, I just don’t understand why you want me to meet them.”

“Because you’re amazing. And like you said, I know I’ve only known you for a week and a half, but you are truly one of the best friends, if not the best friend, I have ever had. You’re talented, smart, funny, and I love spending time with you.”

She looked at him shocked, not knowing what to say. No one had said this to her before, and if they had it wasn’t to this extent. Luke was truly perfect in her opinion, he was nice, charming, funny, cute, supportive, and he was everything she would ever want. However, she knew him liking her was never a possibility, she had to push that to the back of her mind, the furthest away. 

She gave him an awkward smile, unsure of how this conversation was going to continue. She was still taken aback by his previous confession, about wanting to meet his family. She loved her family, she really did, but Luke’s family sounded amazing, like heaven. She hadn’t felt a part of her family in months, maybe she would feel like family with his. That thought seemed to be a bit much, she didn’t think she would fit in with anyone, it was by pure luck that she found Luke. 

When the two had sat in silence for five minutes, Luke gave her a little shove, “Hey. Everything okay?” The desperate want to ask her what was going on in her beautiful mind was bugging him, he wanted to reach out and push the stray hair out of her face, wipe away her tears, and pull her into a death-gripping hug. 

She only nodded, using the sleeve of his her sweatshirt to wipe away the stray tear that had made its way down her face. Luke had felt his face permanently stuck in a worried look when he was around her and this moment wasn’t any different. Just when he was about to say something, the announcer rang out through the speakers, “And with that, it is time for our awards! Thank you to everyone who came out and let’s get this started with class single A!”

She turned to face the field, ignoring Luke’s eyes that she felt glaring at her on the side of her head. She listened to the awards, little to no thoughts running through her head until they got to their division. They went through the typical awards you get at every competition, best drum major, best visual, best general effect, etc., before getting into placement awards.

While she wasn’t expecting them to place in general with all the schools that were there, she was a little heartbroken when they didn’t get third or second. All of them knew that there was no possible way that they could get first, they were hopeful, sure, but realistic even more. So when they announced their high school not only first but as grand champion, everyone from the school was ecstatic. 

Luke immediately brought her into a hug, not even thinking. He was so proud of her, and the rest of them, but mostly her. She grinned when she felt his arms wrap around her, not even bothering to be embarrassed. She hugged him back with the same amount of strength that he gave her. 

They met up with Luke’s family outside the stadium, she was now tired, the day’s events finally catching up with her. Luke had to wrap an arm around her to keep her upright as they walked to the car. Ellen greeted the girl with a smile as she stepped out of the car and opened her arms for a hug. Y/n was taken aback, she had met this woman two days ago and she was now just giving her a hug so easily. 

She hugged her back nonetheless, “How was the competition, sweetheart?”

“It was good. We won grand champions.”

“Oh honey, that’s incredible! I’m sorry we couldn’t make it.”

She shrugged it off, she was used to her family not showing up and she hadn’t even met the whole family properly so why would she think they would, “It’s okay.”

“Well, we’re going out to dinner if you want to come, maybe? I know Luke said that your way back is with the rest of the kids but we are more than happy to take you home ourselves.”

Her eyes widened at the position, “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a-”

“Shush. You’re not a burden, y/n/n.” Luke’s hand squeezed her shoulder as a way of reassuring her.

“Okay then. I guess Luke’s going to kidnap me anyway.”

“Damn right, I am,” Luke mumbled but Ellen still caught it, smacking him on the arm.

Y/n grinned as she watched the interaction, trying to stifle a laugh. Luke rolled his eyes and opened the back door, “Y/n/n you already know Jack but this is my eldest brother Quinn.”

She gave him a small wave, the nerves presenting themselves once again. Quinn waved back, smiling at her, “And this is my dad.”

“Hi, Mr. Hughes.”

Jim turned to her and smiled much like his son, “Hi.”

The two climbed into the car, sitting in the back. Her head immediately found its place on his shoulder, drifting off to the sound of the family softly talking as they drove to wherever they were heading to. Luke smiled down at her, and in that moment, it made Luke realize more than ever that he wanted to be there for her forever.

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

Throughout their high school years, Luke went to every football game he could manage to go to, every competition he could, every practice he could, even going to the few basketball games she had to perform at. Junior year, he drove himself to her competition at the University of Michigan, being able to drive them back home without having to worry about his parents.

Luke wasn’t the only one who showed up. The Hughes family had taken a liking to her ever since they met her and Ellen and Jim had practically adopted her from the moment they took her home from the competition freshman year. Jack tagged along with Luke to the games when he was still in high school, sometimes Ellen and Jim would show up too. They all went to their graduation not only for Luke but for y/n as well, it’s rumored that they cheered louder for her than for Luke. 

Luke asked her out a month after asking her to homecoming. Everyone said his homecoming and prom proposals were a force to be reckoned with. He always had a way to surprise her and upstage everyone. In sophomore year for homecoming, he got the band to play ‘hey baby’ and he asked her with a poster that said ‘hey baby. I wanna know if you’ll be my date to Hoco.’ Junior year for prom he got a punch of hockey pucks and spelled out ‘Prom?’. 

On the flip side, y/n had made it her mission to support Luke just as much as he supported her. She went to practically every game of his, cheering him on whether or not he got a goal, assist, or just sat on the bench. She wore his sweatshirts at every game, which most of them had belonged to her at that point anyway. Admittedly, there were a few times when Quinn or Jack’s hoodies made their way into the pile because Luke had “accidentally” stolen them from them.

Much like they were there for her, y/n was also there for Jack and Quinn. She was at Quinn’s draft because they had all but begged her to come and the same with Jack. That was the first time she felt part of the family. She would go with them to UMich when they would go see Quinn. She spent the majority of her time with them since that weekend. 

They went to the University of Michigan together, where they both continued to give each other their unwavering support. He went to ‘her’ football games and she went to his hockey games, the ones that she was not performing at, which were her favorites, and Luke’s as well. When Luke realized that she would be playing at his games he had been so excited. Every time he got a goal when she was there with the band, he would point over to her and her friends would fawn over their relationship.

She was there for his draft, sitting right next to him but out of the way so he could celebrate with his brothers. She was there for the playoff games once she had finished school and he was overjoyed by her being there. As much as she wanted to be there for his debut and for his rookie season, Luke made her stay at school, not even so much as allowing her to think about it.

Long distance for them was hard, but they made it work. When they were in Detroit or Columbus, she would drive to see him play. Over winter break, she would fly out to Jersey to spend her time with him. Luke took it harder than she did, to be honest. She was used to being alone in some sort of way, her experiences and feelings with her family had not gone away. But for Luke, it was a different story.

Sure he had his brother there by his side but his best friend, his girlfriend, his world wasn’t there beside him like she had been for the past four years. It was a different dynamic not being able to see her in the stands, not being able to celebrate with her after games or pig out on food at a restaurant after practice, not being able to curl up next to her when they lost or he was in a slump. 

After she graduated, she moved out to Jersey with him, knowing that she would follow him anywhere. Luke was grateful but hesitant at first, not wanting to alter any of her plans. She insisted and said he had done so much for her that this was the least she could do to repay him. Luke asked her to marry him a year later and he incorporated his two favorite proposals of all time.

He gathered a shit ton of pucks to spell out “Will You Marry Me?” on a football field and got a marching band, who in hindsight y/n had no clue how he got in the first place, to play ‘Hey Baby’ as he gave her his speech. She was crying within seconds and Luke knew she would too. Ellen and Jim walked her down the aisle since she was no longer in contact with her own family. 

There were a multitude of things that changed with them, a multitude of fights that they got into, but one thing never changed. The way were each other’s support systems, and they would be forever and ever.

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

•❅ 《 𝘉𝘖𝘕𝘜𝘚 𝘚𝘊𝘌𝘕𝘌 》 ❅•

Luke was nervous, it had been creeping up on a year since he met y/n and 11 months since he realized he liked her. They had been flirting like teenagers because they were, but it was a sight to see, to say the least. Everyone had said they acted like a couple and accused the two of liking each other but every time the two brushed off the accusations like they were nothing. 

Now he was sitting with some of her friends and one of the drum majors to explain his plan. This was his only chance to do it, they only had one game before homecoming and it happened to be two weeks before the homecoming game. He would’ve done it earlier but he needed everything to be perfect, plus, y/n hated dress shopping anyway so she would probably just order something from Amazon or pull something out of the back of her closet.

Her friends agreed instantly, claiming they hadn’t seen their friend be so happy and giggly in a long time. So when the time came around, he was dressed in whatever the theme was for the game. He looked a little crazy but that was him, and y/n loved that side of him. His poster included her favorite colors and doodles, the words were as straight as they were going to get.

It was in between the first and second quarter and the drum major had told them they were playing ‘Hey Baby’ and everyone except for y/n was on edge, wanting this to be perfect. When it started, she noticed nothing different, everyone was clapping but when they started singing, she noticed everyone’s tone was happier. 

She felt a nudge to her side and she looked up, noticing Luke now standing on the drum major podium, his poster high above his head, “Y/n! Will you go to homecoming with me?!”

She stared at him with wide eyes, embarrassment flooding her whole body. Everyone looked at her expectantly and cheered when she said yes. When he got down, he made his way over to her, everyone clapping him on the back. 

“You are crazy, Luke Hughes.”

“Crazy for you.” She pushed his head away from her and laughed, “Dork.”

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗝𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗬 𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 ୨୧

@blakesbearsblog @toasttt11 @chiblackhawks @prettyjoseph @nicole01-23 @auriesphantom @pucks-goals-penalties @dancerbailey3 @quinnylouhughesx43 @petite-potato4 @thehuggybearslover @absolutelyhugh3s @kei943 @dyslecticdutchman

© cupidbedsy ; do not copy, repost, or translate my work and designs on any other website or here

[balbharatidwarka]

Best CBSE School Near Me in Dwarka: Bal Bharati Public School

In the quest for the perfect school, parents and students alike seek an institution that not only excels academically but also promotes physical well-being and athletic prowess. Bal Bharati Public School (BBPS) in Dwarka is a stellar example of such an institution, making it the best school in sports. This article delves into the various aspects that make BBPS Dwarka the ideal choice for sports enthusiasts.

Comprehensive Sports Curriculum

Bal Bharati Public School, Dwarka, offers a well-rounded sports curriculum designed to cater to the diverse interests and abilities of its students. The school recognizes the importance of physical education and sports in fostering a healthy lifestyle, teamwork, and discipline among students.

Variety of Sports

BBPS Dwarka provides students with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sports, including but not limited to:

Cricket: The school has well-maintained cricket pitches and provides professional coaching to nurture budding cricketers.

Football: With spacious football fields and skilled coaches, students can hone their skills and participate in various inter-school and state-level tournaments.

Basketball: The basketball courts at BBPS are equipped with modern facilities, allowing students to practice and compete at high levels.

Swimming: The school boasts a swimming pool where students can learn and excel in swimming under the guidance of experienced trainers.

Athletics: BBPS encourages participation in track and field events, helping students build stamina and agility.

Professional Coaching

One of the hallmarks of BBPS Dwarka's sports program is its team of professional coaches. These coaches are experts in their respective fields and are dedicated to training students to reach their full potential. The school regularly organizes training camps, workshops, and seminars conducted by renowned sports personalities to inspire and motivate students.

State-of-the-Art Sports Infrastructure

Bal Bharati Public School, Dwarka, is equipped with state-of-the-art sports infrastructure that provides students with the best facilities to practice and excel in various sports. The school continually invests in upgrading its sports facilities to ensure that students have access to top-notch equipment and training grounds.

Modern Sports Complex

The school has a modern sports complex that houses indoor and outdoor sports facilities. This complex includes:

Indoor Sports Hall: Equipped with facilities for badminton, table tennis, and gymnastics.

Outdoor Fields: Multiple fields for cricket, football, and athletics.

Swimming Pool: A well-maintained swimming pool with professional training equipment.

Basketball and Tennis Courts: Courts that meet international standards, allowing students to compete in regional and national tournaments.

Safety and Maintenance

BBPS places a high priority on the safety and maintenance of its sports facilities. Regular inspections and maintenance ensure that all equipment and grounds are safe and conducive to practice. The school also provides proper sports gear and attire to ensure the safety of students during training and competitions.

Emphasis on Physical Education

Physical education is an integral part of the curriculum at Bal Bharati Public School, Dwarka. The school understands that physical fitness is crucial for the overall development of students and incorporates it into the daily routine.

Daily Physical Activities

BBPS ensures that students engage in daily physical activities through structured physical education classes. These classes are designed to improve physical fitness, flexibility, and coordination. Students are encouraged to participate in various exercises, drills, and games that keep them active and healthy.

Health and Nutrition

The school also emphasizes the importance of health and nutrition in sports. Regular health check-ups, nutritional guidance, and awareness programs are conducted to educate students about maintaining a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. This holistic approach ensures that students are physically fit and mentally alert.

Achievements and Recognition

Bal Bharati Public School, Dwarka, has a remarkable track record of achievements in the field of sports. The school has produced numerous athletes who have excelled at state, national, and international levels, bringing laurels to the institution.

Inter-School Competitions

BBPS students regularly participate in inter-school sports competitions and have won several accolades. The school's teams are known for their competitive spirit, discipline, and sportsmanship. These competitions provide students with a platform to showcase their talent and gain valuable experience.

State and National Championships

Many students from BBPS have represented their state and country in various sports championships. The school's rigorous training programs and expert coaching have helped students achieve remarkable success in sports such as cricket, swimming, athletics, and more.

International Participation

BBPS Dwarka has also seen its students participate in international sports events, further solidifying its reputation as the best school in sports. The school supports and encourages talented athletes by providing them with the necessary resources and opportunities to compete on the global stage.

Holistic Development through Sports

Sports at BBPS Dwarka are not just about physical fitness; they play a significant role in the holistic development of students. Participation in sports helps students develop essential life skills such as teamwork, leadership, time management, and perseverance.

Teamwork and Leadership

Team sports such as cricket, football, and basketball teach students the importance of working together towards a common goal. These experiences help them develop leadership qualities and learn how to collaborate effectively with their peers.

Discipline and Perseverance

Regular training and participation in sports instill discipline and perseverance in students. They learn the value of hard work, dedication, and consistent effort in achieving their goals. These qualities are essential for success in both sports and academics.

Time Management

Balancing academics and sports requires excellent time management skills. Students at BBPS learn to manage their time effectively, prioritizing their tasks and balancing their commitments. This skill is crucial for their overall success and well-being.

Community and Parental Involvement

BBPS Dwarka believes in involving the community and parents in its sports programs. The school regularly organizes sports events, competitions, and parent-teacher meetings to keep parents informed and engaged in their child's progress.

Sports Events and Competitions

The school organizes various sports events and competitions throughout the year. These events provide students with an opportunity to showcase their skills and compete with their peers. Parents are invited to attend these events and cheer for their children, creating a supportive and encouraging environment.

Workshops and Seminars

BBPS conducts workshops and seminars for parents on the importance of sports and physical education. These sessions provide valuable insights and tips on how parents can support their child's sporting endeavors. They also highlight the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the role of sports in overall development.

Admission Process for Sports Enthusiasts

Getting admission to BBPS Dwarka is a straightforward process. The school welcomes applications from students with a keen interest in sports and a desire to excel in their chosen field.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for admission vary depending on the class and the specific sports program. Generally, the school considers the student's age, previous academic performance, and sports achievements.

Application Procedure

Parents can obtain the admission form from the school office or download it from the school's website. The completed form, along with the required documents, should be submitted to the school office within the specified time frame. Students with outstanding sports achievements may be given special consideration during the admission process.

Trials and Interviews

For certain sports programs, the school conducts trials and interviews to assess the applicant's skills and potential. These trials are conducted by experienced coaches who evaluate the student's performance and provide feedback.

Conclusion

Bal Bharati Public School, Dwarka, stands out as the best school in sports due to its comprehensive sports curriculum, state-of-the-art infrastructure, professional coaching, and emphasis on physical education. The school's commitment to fostering holistic development through sports has resulted in numerous achievements and accolades at various levels. By choosing BBPS Dwarka, parents can ensure that their child receives a well-rounded education that prioritizes both academic excellence and physical well-being. If you are looking for a school that offers the best in sports, BBPS Dwarka is the ideal choice.

[legion1227]

Every Movie Watched in 2023: Ranked.

Unlike my previous ranked lists of TV, music, and games, I'm gonna try and wrap this up in one sentence thoughts of all the 117 films I watched this year.

117. Norbit. 0.5/5.

Eddie Murphy plays a nerd, an obese woman, and an Asian character, it's painfully unfunny.

116. Due Date. 1/5.

Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis are terrible people with terrible chemistry in this unfunny 2010 comedy.

115. Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey. 1/5.

Besides some decent gore, there's nothing this movie has going on.

114. Clash Of The Titans. 1/5.

Another despairing entry from 2010 enters the fray as Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes fail as portrayals of Zeus and Hades on every level.

113. The Third Saturday in October Part 5. 1/5.

Arguably in the so bad its good territory, but it annoyed me still.

112. Old Dads- 1.5/5.

Old man Bill Burr yells at cloud.

111. Hidden Strike. 1.5/5.

The novelty of Jackie Chan and John Cena on screen together is nowhere near good enough to carry the film.

110. Fast and The Furious- 1.5/5.

The first movie is shockingly more dull than I remembered as a youth.

109. Dark Shadows. 2/5.

The least engaging vampire film I've seen in a long time.

108. Justice League: Warworld. 2/5.

Imagine taking the anthology approach with variants of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman and your movie still sucks.

107. The People We Hate At The Wedding- 2/5.

Ben Platt, you will pay for your crimes.

106. Shotgun Wedding-.2/5.

Another disappointing wedding movie but this one had Jennifer Coolidge so it's slightly better.

105. Vacation Friends 2. 2/5.

Between this and Hidden Strike, this might not have been John Cena's best year, I'm afraid.

104. Shazam: Fury of The Gods. 2/5.

Maybe it's a good thing the DCEU is dead.

103. The Killer. 2/5.

Not bad on a technical level, but not what I was expecting.

102. Five Nights At Freddy's. 2/5.

Either be menacing or be goofy, pick a lane, FNAF!

101. Top Gun. 2/5.

Besides homoerotic undertones, I can barely recall the film.

100. In The Shadow of the Moon. 2.5/5.

A Philadelphia police offers spends their whole life trying to track down this killer and I promise you I cannot remember the plot twist.

99. Police Academy. 2.5/5.

The guy that makes sound effects with his mouth is a beast, I cannot front.

98. White Men Can't Jump (2023). 2.5/5.

Jack Harlow and Sinqua Walls will never be Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes.

97. Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham. 2.5/5.

Batman in the 1920s is fine...I guess?

96. Adult Swim's Yule Log. 2.5/5

Serial killers and aliens and possessed fire logs...there's too much going on.

95. Fractured. 2.5/5

Shutter Island but worse.

94. A Man Called Otto. 2.5/5

Not enough redemption for me to not still think of Otto as an asshole.

93. The Little Mermaid (2023). 2.5/5.

I like Hailie Bailey but the rest of this cast...mm.

92. Final Destination 3. 2.5/5.

Easily my least favorite of the Final Destination franchise.

91. Champions. 2.5/5.

Woody Harrelson coaching a special needs Basketball team has its moments.

90. Extraction 2. 2.5/5.

Didn't see the first one, but the fight scenes here were enough to carry the film at least this high.

89. The Flash. 2.5/5.

Warner Bros banked everything on a movie that harbors a scene that basically parades around long-dead actors in disgusting CGI.

88. Zom 100: Bucket List Of The Dead. 2.5/5.

Not sure how this holds to the anime or manga, but on its own it's fine I suppose.

87. Mars Attacks. 2.5/5.

A deeply bizarre film but some fun moments here and there.

86. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. 2.5/5.

Weakest Conjuring movie so far and it's not really close.

85. Barnyard. 2.5/5.

I liked this movie a lot more as a kid, but I respect it still as an oddity.

84. The Grinch (2018). 2.5/5.

One of the Christmas movies of all time.

83. Infinity Pool 2.5/5.

Deeply disturbing Nipple scene, I cannot.

82. Theater Camp. 3/5

Great cast, but need better material.

81. Renfield. 3/5.

No one matches the greatness of Nicolas Cage as Dracula.

80. Trilogy of Terror. 3/5.

The last story, "Amelia" is the most terror-fueled of the three stories.

79. Final Destination 4. 3/5.

One, it should've been called FD4 instead of "The Final Destination" because that's too confusing, and two, it has the weakest opening death scene of the bunch.

78. Private Parts. 3/5.

Howard Stern's rise to the top is mildly entertaining.

77. Blue Beetle. 3/5.

I like it when George Lopez gets work.

76. Kick-Ass 3/5.

No pun intended, but the fight scenes are pretty kick-ass.

75. Tetris. 3/5.

The second the guy stepped foot in Russia I sorta clocked out mentally.

74. No Hard Feelings. 3/5.

Jennifer Lawrence beating up teens while naked makes her an icon.

73. Totally Killer. 3/5.

A slasher mixed with time travel elements contributes to a fun film.

72. The Woman King. 3/5.

Powerful cast, but the subject matter didn't move me as much as I wanted it to.

71. Strange World. 3/5.

Nowhere near Disney's best, but it's got its moments.

70. Prometheus. 3/5.

I like how it's a prequel to the Alien movies.

69. Mission Impossible. 3/5.

The very first one feels tame, but I'm hoping the rest get more over the top as I try and go through them.

68. Dungeons & Dragons. 3/5.

I'm not into D&D, the game, but the movie was decent.

67. Insidious. 3/5.

Patrick Wilson was better in this than in Conjuring three. Wild.

66. The Last Voyage of the Demeter. 3/5.

It has its moments, but a vampire picking off shipmates drags too much, surprisingly.

65. The Boys of St. Vincent. 3/5.

This movie is why I don't fuck with the Catholic Church and why I make fun of them.

64. Rashomon. 3/5.

Classic movie involving an unreliable narrator trope, but I have a hard time feeling movies that came out before 1970.

63. Seven Kings Must Die. 3/5.

The movie sendoff for the show, The Last Kingdom, is better than the show's last three seasons.

62. Drunken Master. 3/5.

It has some nice fight choreography, but Jackie Chan has a better kung fu flick.

61. Stephen King's Cat's Eye. 3.5/5.

A better version of the Trilogy of Terror with better stories.

60. Silver Linings Playbook. 3.5/5.

Romcom with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradly Cooper is more devastating than funny.

59. You People. 3.5/5.

Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill are a fine duo for most of the film.

58. Cocaine Bear. 3.5/5.

Fun, but I was hoping for it to be more chaotic than it was.

57. Antman & The Wasp: Quantumania. 3.5/5.

Yes, its flawed in many ways, but I don't care cause I like how ugly MODOK looks and Paul Rudd.

56. Terrifier. 3.5/5.

Murderous clown rampage made some good content for a little bit.

55. The Blackening. 3.5/5.

A really funny take on the horror genre and black people in horror films.

54. Loaded Weapon 1. 3.5/5.

A parody film reminiscent of The Naked Gun or Scary movie franchise in some ways and I love that.

53. Lethal Weapon 1. 3.5/5.

Loaded Weapon 1 working off of a classic like this makes sense to me.

52. Don't Breathe 2. 3.5/5.

As someone who didn't see the first one, but ended up seeing this, I think there's some enjoyment in seeing a blind old man harm bad guys.

51. A Disturbance In The Force. 3.5/5.

A documentary about the horrid Star Wars Christmas special is honestly enlightening.

50. Nimona. 3.5/5.

Adequate animation coupled with likable leads give a good time for animation fans.

49. Rise of The Planet of The Apes. 3.5/5.

Caesar yelling "NO" gave me chills, bruh.

48. Stephen King's IT (1990). 3.5/5.

Tim Curry's Pennywise will forever be iconic.

47. Asteroid City. 3.5/5.

For a first ever viewing of a Wes Anderson film, it was a bit confusing at times, but fascinating nonetheless.

46. M3GAN. 3.5/5.

M3GAN was serving the entire time.

45. Kung Fu Panda 3. 3.5/5.

The weakest of the KFP movies, but still has a good main villain.

44. Fearless Hyena. 3.5/5.

This is the other better Jackie Chan movie I was talking about.

43. Elemental. 3.5/5.

The best love story ever told...not really, but it's cute.

42. Tangled. 3.5/5.

Also cute, but I can't look past the age gap.

41. X. 3.5/5.

Mia Goth was serving as well in this horror prequel to Pearl.

40. A.I. 3.5/5.

Very ambitious Spielberg project with tinge of creepiness that I'm unsure if it was intentional or not.

39. Violet Evergarden: The Movie. 3.5/5.

Gorgeous animation, likeable characters, HUGE problem with that age gap.

38. We The Animals. 3.5/5.

Based on a true story, I feel for the plight of these young boys.

37. Jackass Forever. 3.5/5.

Idiots doing dangerous stunts even in their older age remains idiotic fun.

36. Interview With A Vampire. 3.5/5.

Leagues above Dark Shadows as a vampire movie.

35. The Super Mario Bros Movie. 3.5/5.

Lovely animation and a fun take on the Mario franchise in spite of underwhelming voice performances from some, but not all.

34. Final Destination. 3.5/5.

The first one set a pretty high bar to top in its franchise.

33. Suzume. 3.5/5.

It's a good time, but there are opportunities not taken here that infuriate me.

32. Final Destination 2. 3.5/5.

The first scene on the highway is the best scene of anything the franchise provided.

31. The Princess Bride. 3.5/5.

Oh my god, I miss Andre The Giant.

30. Scream 6. 3.5/5.

There is a reason this franchise is arguably the king of the slashers.

29. Juice. 3.5/5.

Oh my GOD I miss Tupac TOO.

28. Knock at The Cabin. 3.5/5.

The classic Shyamalan twist is predictable, but it's still a pretty entertaining movie.

27. SISU. 3.5/5.

Soldier is intent on not letting Nazis take his gold and goddammit I GOTTA respect it.

26. Missing. 3/5.

Maybe the most fun of those kinds of thriller screenlife-type movies.

25. Atlantis: The Lost Empire. 3.5/5.

An underrated Disney classic I wish I saw sooner.

24. The Princess and The Frog. 3.5/5.

Dr. Facilier is one of Disney's coolest villains and his song is one of my favorites ever.

23. Beau is Afraid. 3.5/5.

Did NOT need to be 3 hours, but it definitely wasn't boring.

22. Alienoid. 4/5.

Time Travelling shenanigans lead to unbelievable fun adventure.

21. Venture Bros: Radiant Is the blood of the Baboon heart. 4/5

A beautiful, possible, send off to an underrated Adult Swim TV show.

20. Call. 4/5.

More time travelling shenanigans involved that I like for the most part until the dark ending.

19. One Piece Film: Red. 4/5.

I love One Piece to bits and this film satisfied me immensely as a One Piece fan.

18. Air. 4/5.

Better version of the Tetris movie.

17. Dredd. 4/5.

I respect that Karl Urban never once took off the helmet.

16. Evil Dead Rise. 4/5.

Bloodiest, goriest spectacle that's a triumph.

15. Edge of Tomorrow. 4/5.

In spite of Tom Cruise's flaws, damn if he isn't a movie star.

14. Fargo. 4/5.

Watching all the seasons of the show before seeing the film is really eye-opening to see where the seasons got their influence from.

13. High Fidelity. 4/5.

I could listen to the guys in the film talk about music all day.

12. Fahrenheit 11/9. 4/5.

I got so mad watching this documentary.

11. Speed. 4/5.

Everything on the bus to "Pop Quiz Hot shot" is pure cinema.

10. Oppenheimer. 4/5.

Human meditation on one of the most devastating acts pulled off in human history makes for troubling watch.

9. They Cloned Tyrone. 4/5.

Tyrone gets cloned and its sublime.

8. Another Round. 4/5.

A simplistic premise of seeing how far the human body can indulge while still working is so damn good.

7. Barbie. 4/5.

Not only is its message thought-provoking but it's funny as hell.

6. The Menu. 4/5.

Between this and The Bear, this was a good year for me and cooking-related media I watched.

5. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. 4/5.

Stunning animation, and two excellent antagonists help lend to a stellar animated film.

4. Prisoners. 4/5.

Hugh Jackman losing his shit makes for compelling watch.

3. John Wick 4. 4.5/5.

Action so good I could watch this forever.

2. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. 4.5/5.

If it was like ten minutes longer, it would be at my number one.

Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3. 4.5/5. I almost cried over a CGI raccoon, you bet your ass its my movie of the year.