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ltjlily17 · 5 years ago

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The truth about vampires

Let’s start off with some basics. What’s your name? Rachel How old are you? 35 What’s your hair and eye color? Green eyes, brown to teal hair. How tall are you? 5′6″

What’s your relationship status? Married Alright, enough of that. Let’s move on to the random shit. What’s your favorite song? Mayonaise by the Smashing Pumpkins, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton and In Your Atmosphere by John Mayer. What does that song mean? What is the message behind it? They are all pretty different theme wise, but all three really evoke a feeling. Is it your favorite because you relate to it, or do you just like the beat? They’re all more guitar heavy than having a beat, the lyrics and overall feeling the songs provide are what really get m, though. Have any pets? If so, what are they and what’s their names? I have a dog named Finn, and a cat named Mateo. Have you ever met your idol? If so, were they nice or were they kind of an ass? I don’t have an idol. What’s your favorite method of gaming? (PC, Xbox, Playstation, etc) Either the Switch or my laptop. Xbox is fine, but I guess I prefer a handheld type device. If you’re in college, what’s your major and why did you pick it? I am not in college. My major when I attended varied between visual communications, education and IT. I didn’t choose nor graduate. How’re you doing today? Meh, theres a lot going on around me with people I care about. I was talking to a friend earlier about how most people are stressed or unhapy this time of year, which is really not my experience. I love buying gifts for others, decorating and baking, so this is generally a good time for me. What color are your bedroom walls? Ugh, like a pastel yellow. I really dislike the color. I have painted some grey paint splotches on one wall to see which one I liked most, but I’ve never gotten around to actually painting. Describe your favorite shirt. I don’t know that I have a favorite. I typically wear a shirt I got from John Mayer’s last tour the most- its got a cool fish and cat graphic on it. Use this space to tell someone off. I’ve no one to tell off. What’s your view on smart watches? Cool or a waste of money? I have one. I like it. I really like watches in general, though and I feel a little sad I don’t wear the analog ones anymore, but I’d miss the functionality of the smartwatch. What is one poster that you have hanging on your bedroom wall of? I don’t have anything hanging on the walls in my room. We have slanted ceilings, so there isn’t even enough space for a poster. My room was covered in band posters as a teenager, though. How many times have you moved in your life? I lived at home til 20, lived with my first roommate til 25, a townhouse with a friend and my now husband for a year, an apt with my now husband for 4 years and now our house for 5 years. If you moved, do you like where you are now better than where you were? I’ve stayed in pretty much the same area, but living in our house is definitely better than the one bedroom apartment we were in. What’s your favorite color and why? Grey. Darker earthy tones. Do you have a calendar? If so, what’s the theme? Nope. Just use my watch/phone. Have any famous person’s autographs? I do on some concert tickets from when I was younger. Do you draw well? Depends on your perspective, to my non-artistic friends, they think I’m amazing. The artistic friends, probably just roll their eyes lol. What type of cell phone do you have? iPhone X. Should you be doing anything else right now or are you just bored? I finally finished the wedding I had been editing and the only other project I have right now is the paint by number of our dog I got for my husband as a gift, but he’s here, so it has to wait. Finishing that wedding was a huge weight off my shoulders.

If you’re in school/college, what’s your favorite subject and why? Not in school. Maybe now that I’m done with the wedding I’ll start exploring some learning opportunities. Are you a cat or a dog person? Why? I would’ve always said cat until I got a dog. There are a lot of things about dogs I was really not into, but I love my dog so much. Personality wise, I’m more of a cat person, but in practice I like dogs. Tell me about the plot of your favorite book. I have several. One has a ghost that rings a bell around a mounted moose’s head. Do you wear glasses or contacts? Glasses. What do you think about horror movies? I like them. I’ve seen a lot of old ones. Back in the day, my mom and I would go to Blockbuster and I’d get a different horror movie every week. If you love them (I do), what’s your favorite? Nightmare on Elm Stree is a classic for me. It Follows is probably the one that fucked me up the most. Got any cool Christmas presents picked out for family or friends yet? I’ve got all my gifts purchsed except for the hub. He sent me a ridiculous wish list that included a suit of armor and a castle and then decided he didn’t want any gifts this year. I’m running out of time to figure something out. Do you do Black Friday shopping or wait for Cyber Monday? Neither. I’m definitely not going to go out on Black Friday and deal with all those people for junk I don’t need. As for Cyber Monday, I don’t really pay much attention to any of the deals and don’t really buy more on that day than I would on any other. Have any mental illnesses? Not encompassing enough to get any kinda of diagnosis. What’s your favorite word and why? No idea. What is the most expensive thing you own, and what is it? My car? I mean, I don’t outright own it yet. Singular item, my MacBook or iMac, I guess. Did you buy that item yourself? Yes, I bought the macbook and iMac after I left my job at Cassano’s and needed a new laptop since my previous one was owned by the company. Where do you work and what is your position? *I am currently unemployed. How often do you cuss? A fair amount. Maybe just a little bit more than whomever I’m talking to. What type of car do you drive, if any? I have a 2012 Volvo s60. Are you happy with it? If no, what’s your dream car? I prefer to drive my car than my husbands, but I’m like 50/50 on liking it. Right now, my dream vehicles are the new Land Rover Defender or an Audi Q8. Do you have a lot of social media accounts? Which ones? I have Instagram, Facebook LinkedIn and Tumblr. I very rarely post on any of them. I use snapchat a lot, though, if that counts. What is your favorite genre of music? My Spotify year end review said I listen to Pop, Rock, Indie, Folk and Emo the most. In that order. Does your family have holiday traditions? If so, what are they? Nope. My fmaily just barely cobbles themselves together for major holidays. If you’re in a relationship, are you happy with it? Sure. People are breaking up around us, and it really makes me appreciate the relationship my husband and I have, even if it doesn’t always feel like its going as well as it is. How long have you been with your significant other? Just hit the 10 year mark. Do you like psychology? (It’s my college major). Nah. Never really been something I’m too interested in. What is something your state is popularly known for? College football I guess. Do you like to do craft projects? If so, what’s the coolest thing you made? I do. I recently drew a bunch of Dungeons and Dragons monsters to use as ornaments on a tree in my dining room where my husband and his friends play Dungeons and Dragons on Sundays. I’ve made some painting as house warming gifts or nursery art for friends children that they’ve hung up and thats nice to see. Do you watch sports or do you think they’re overrated? Nah. Not really a fan. What’s one occupation you think gets paid too much and doesn’t deserve to? Meh, I don’t know that I want to hate on any specific occupation. The extremely rich do bother me, however, with how much money they make, often at their employees detriment. Do you straigthen your hair? Not usually. I have more lately, since its getting long again. I’m more likely to do the loose waves thing, though. Ever dyed your hair a color that isn’t natural? (blue, pink, etc) Yes, it is currently teal. How’s your relationship with your parents? Relationship with my mom is okay, none with my dad. Do you still live with them or do you have your own house? I live in my own home. What’s something you are currently saving money for to buy? Hmm, nothing. The couple of items I want at the moment, I asked for on my Christmas list. Do you smoke/vape? If so, what brand do you smoke/what device do you use? Nope, I’ve never smoked. Ever done drugs? Nope. Tell me one of your worst habits. Picking at my cuticles? What’s a weird quirk you have that no one else you know does? No idea, I kind of doubt that theres something I do that no one else ever does. If you game, what type of headset do you use? I don’t ever need a headset. What type of computer do you own, and do you like it? I have a MacBook Pro. I used to have an Air and I loved it, but my husband talked me into getting the Pro instead and I regret it. What’s the thing that annoys you the most? When my husband asks google to make his cellphone ring at max volume without even trying to look for it. Today, it was in his pocket. What brand of TV do you have? Samsung. Are you excited for Christmas? (It’s December 1st today when I made this) Kind of? I love how cozy my house feels with all the decorations. Tell me about your favorite vacation you’ve taken. We went to New York for my birthday/anniversary/Halloween 2 years ago. Tell me something cool about yourself. I am not cool? Did/do you get good grades in school/college? Not in my middle school/high school years. What’s your ringtone on your phone? Vibrate. What’s your favorite store to shop in? The internet. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy and why? I have no idea. I’d probably sit on the money for a long time and then once I finally broke the seal, buy a bunch of stuff. How long have you had a Bzoink account? Don’t have one. Ever been to Field of Screams? If so, what’s your favorite attraction? Nope. Do you own a Polaroid camera? I have an Instax camera. Do you have hardwood floor in your room or carpet? The two bedrooms upstairs have carpet, but the rest of the house is hardwood. It’s a Saturday night, what are you typically doing? Relaxing at home, most likely. Doing a crossword puzzle, probably. Do you have a lot of friends or do you not have any at all? I have a couple. What’s your all time favorite movie and why? I don’t know, really. I watch the Iron Man movies and Thor Ragnarok the most these days. How many blankets do you sleep with at night? A sheet and comforter. What’s the last TV show you watched? Did you enjoy it? The Mandalorian. I do enjoy it. Do you prefer cable TV or do you use Netflix? We have cable, but never really watch it. Everything we want to watch is only Netflix or Disney+. What is your dream job and why? I have no idea. Need to get to thinking on that. Do you think you would be a good therapist? I do. I think I can listen to people and help them come to their own answers pretty well. What’s your favorite brand of clothing? I don’t know that I have a favorite. Anything that fits well and has a lot of sales lol.

#dontletthemgetyoudown #peopleinmotion #survey #songs #vampire #sweetness

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oh-so-scenarios · 6 years ago

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ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴀʀʀᴏɢᴀɴᴄᴇ [1]

Word Count: 3.3K

Genre/Warning: Angst, fluff, Jungkook x Black Female Reader, Prince AU, Royalty AU

A/N: Please excuse the errors.

⇾ Y/n Djan, Princess of Ghango, didn’t think much fun could come out of this trip to Korea. But oh how wrong she was.

Next ◀ ▶ Series Index | Masterlist

People look at rain in two different ways. At least that's what I've noticed. This separates people into different categories. Some people see rain as a hindrance. Rain kills people's plans and brings a grey cast on the day. While there are others who find the rain relaxing and peaceful, those same people often listen to rain sounds to sleep or sit by the window with a book in a cliche manner.

Then there's those like me. I believe I am at my best when there is rain falling from the sky. My mind is clear, my heart is lighter and my thoughts flow better. The rain speaks to my soul, whether it's a faint drizzle or violent thunderstorm, the rain speaks to me.

My mother often says it was raining the day I was born, though I can't say I believe her, seeing as everyone's recollection of that day differs. However, moments like this are what I appreciate the most. Sitting out on my balcony watching the rain falling from the sky in a strong and direct force. A cold wind like mist sprays my way, where I sit just out of reach of the raindrops. My red cedar swing bed swaying with my every movement. I only break out my daze when the music in my ears changes. The music switches from Sam Smith's soothing voice to the booming 808 of an afrobeat hit by Davido. The music in my ears was just background noise. Or at least it became background noise when my brain focused on the book in front of me.

Now the blaring afrobeat love song with repetitive lyrics was a distraction, conflicting with the tame and quiet atmosphere the rain was creating. At that moment, my urge to read disappeared. I closed the book, taking note of the page I ended on. Though, I highly doubt I'll remember it. I'll probably wind up reading the same chapter again.

I stare at the cover of the book, not really sure what made me pick this title from my father's big but old book collection. 1984 by George Orwell was the title and frankly while gazing at the torn cover, with pieces of the image chipping away, I made a mental note to find a different book to read. The premise and concept of the story leave me uneasy and uncomfortable.

There isn't too much disturbing about the plot of the book, but rather the self-placement I constantly do when reading a novel. The thought of being set in such a world as the one created by George Orwell in this novel leaves me irritated.

There's a saying that there can't be much growth without discomfort and that saying is true. But I know from experience, that forced growth brings even more discomfort which causes one to shrink away. Which is why I've stuck to reading sappy love stories that involve some generic and basic catch. Cause that's where I'm comfortable.

I chuckle at myself. Where exactly am I comfortable? In my own mind probably, in which I make everything seem less annoying and less burdensome. I set the book on the swing beside me, and proceed to stare out at the layers of rain pouring forward. Once again, the music becomes background noise as a ping echoes from my iPhone. I look down in time to see the notification for a text message.

(7:23 PM) Glaids: Y/n.

I can't help but feel irritated by the single text, but it's just so Gladis. I can't be mad since I know Gladis. Gladis' personality cannot be translated over text message. Being as she is my older sister, I've spent enough time with Gladis to get used to her ways, but it's often that I get tired of her simpleness and strictness.

Who needs parents? I had Gladis. Everything my parents were lenient about, Gladis made up for it. I always saw her as more of a nanny than a sister, and can't say our relationship is any more than that. I can't say I know much about her as a person. Sounds cold, doesn't it?

I don't know her favorite color, favorite food or even what she likes to do in her spare time. My parents began shipping me off to different countries for school, and she wasn't one to call or check up on me. The few times we did speak over the phone, it was a stiff conversation.

"How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Well, that's good. Are your classes okay?"

"Yeah."

That was about it. It was awkward, but straying outside those things brought discomfort, so I never bothered to reach out to her.

I type back, Yes?

I stare at the text conversation for a few moments, expecting a quick response and I was right, The bubble with three dots appear quickly and a text bubble appears with the words, We're needed in the dining room.

My face scrunches up in confusion. The dining room? My parents usually don't call for dinner till 8pm. Have things changed in the time I left? That's what being sent to study abroad for years will do to you. The norms of your home are suddenly foreign and small changes seem to trigger a feeling of missing out or loneliness.

I pull the earphones out of the phone, standing up to smooth out my black running shorts. I take my phone in my hand and slid the glass door open to enter my room. My bare feet are greeted by the soft and expensive feeling carpet. I close the glass door behind me and slip on my house slippers.

My long sleeve mustard gold crop top rode up as I walked to the double doors that led out to the long hallway. I step out, unable to suppress the shiver that passes through my body. Unlike my room, the hallway had the AC blaring. The cool air harshly smacks my bare legs and gains the reaction of goosebumps instantly. I stroll down the wide hallways of the palace, the same red and gold carpets spread all about. The tacky dark green walls haven't changed, though I wish they would. I make a turn down the hallway and see a group of servants and maids huddled up, giggles ripping through them.

My steps slow and my ears tune into their conversation.

"Did you see her?" One of them chuckle, "she hasn't changed a bit. Stiff, quiet and angry looking." She crosses her arms over her chest as she speaks.

"You don't know that!" one protested, "Maybe London did her some good."

"Be real Jewel," Another maid exclaimed, "nothing could get that girl to open up. Everyone in the kingdom knows the only reason his highness sends her abroad is to get her to lighten up. There is no one in all of Africa willing to wed that guarded prick Oli-"

"Princess Y/n!" Another maid chimes in panic. She looked up and locked eyes with me, shouting out a greeting to conceal any other careless words that were spilling from her peer's lips. I could almost physically see the sheet of terror floating onto the servants and maids. They froze and their shoulders become stiff.

They slowly turn around and show me faces of embarrassment and fear.

"Ms. Y/n," The one called Jewel says, curtsying slightly, "I-I...w-we-"

I yawn casually and cut off her words, "have you seen Gladis around?"

They throw glances at each other and shake their heads, "No. we haven't." Jewel answers. It seems that she is the leader of this clique.

She is a beautiful girl. Jet black box braids twisted in a fancy updo that compliments the shape of her face. Dark flawless skin without a pore in sight and though her eyes were tired, it didn't take away from her beauty. She can't be any older than 19, what is she doing being a servant?

"Any idea why I'm being called to the dining room?" I ask another question. They all shake their heads no and I sigh.

"Thanks anyway," I say beginning my stroll past them. I am contemplating whether I should say a sly remark, but before I know it I'm too far away. I continue down the hallway, glancing at the same painting and pictures that haven't moved so much of an inch since my absence.

Paintings of relatives and those who came before us. Though all the portraits are of family, I can't say I recognize a single face. My face sure isn't on there and I don't expect it to be. What impact have I left on this country?

My thoughts are cut off when my body crashes into something warm and unmoving. My phone falls out my hand and tumbles onto the ground. My gaze drops to my phone before looking up to see what cause they clash.

"Princess Y/n," A kind voice says while familiar eyes gaze at me. My lips turn up in a genuine smile and I take a small step back from the tall man towering over my 5'4 stature. I bend down and scoop up my phone, shoving it into my pocket.

"Uncle Kwame!" I exclaim. I move to hug him but notice the books and papers that filled his arms.

"Princess Y/n! I heard you've been back for a few days now! My, how you have grown." He smiles that same smile of his and I snicker.

Kwame has been assisting my father since they were children. Though my father has the power and assertiveness, he never really had the brains. Kwame was the brain behind my father. Every decision and choice my father makes is run by Kwame first. He has wisdom beyond his years, being 5 years younger than my father, he looked older.

The stress of his job turned his black hair grey and his smooth skin to many wrinkles with bags under the eyes that won't disappear no matter how much he sleeps. His hairline has receded some and he now suffers from weak knees, made clear by his urge to sit down while groaning. He often unconsciously rubs his knees while he face scrunches up in discomfort.

"Yes, I've been around." I reply simply, "But I haven't seen you. Where have you been hiding?"

He chuckles as if remembering a funny joke, "I've been on vacation because my wife gave birth."

My mouth opens wide in shock, "Wow that's wonderful! I didn't know she was pregnant, congratulations."

"Thank you, Princess, we are thankful for our healthy baby boy. We certainly were not planning for another child."

I laugh, "I'm sure you weren't. But that's good to hear that he is healthy."

"Oh excuse my rudeness, how was London?" Kwame askes. I let out a tight sigh.

How was London? Ugh I want to say awful, but I don't want to worry Kwame. It's always like this, it's always been like this. The question stays the same and the places change. How was America? How was Germany? How was Sweden? Now it's how was London?

I can say I've been studying abroad more than I've been at home in Ghango. Started with a few years in New York where I stayed with some distant family for a few years of elementary school. I was back home for a summer before being sent to Germany from elementary to my second year of middle school. I started and finished high school in Sweden and just graduated from a university in London. Despite all the time I've spent abroad, my accent when speaking is still slightly noticeable.

Now here I am, back home or a place that is supposed to be home. My father's excuse was always that he wanted me to have a more global outlook, but what is the youngest daughter of a King going to do with a global outlook? Am I not just going to be married off to the prince of another African country?

"London was good. I've returned with my bachelors in English and World Languages and it's so good to be home."

"I'm sure it is. Now if you'll excuse me, Princess, I have travel plans to make." Kwame takes one step forward, but I quickly step in his way.

"Travel plans? My father is traveling?" My brows furrow.

"It seems so."

I roll my eyes, "Another pointless meeting?"

Kwame shrugs, "Who knows? I must be on my way, Princess." Kwame swiftly leaves making me groan in annoyance. Not at Kwame, but at my father.

"What a fool," I whisper to myself.

For a man that wants his daughter to be global, he sure wishes the opposite of his nation. Ghango is a country sitting on the west coast of Africa.

A country of many resources. Gold, diamonds, coal, cocoa and much more. We have been blessed to have land that is fruitful in its results yet my father, like his father before, refuses to share this with any nations. The country of Ghango does practically no exporting or trading.

My father does not trust countries within or outside of Africa, so we fend for ourselves and provide for ourselves. My father speaks of how he will not export to any country because they do not and will not offer him what he wants. I can't be sure I know what he wants.

However, my father, King Anthony Djan decides to entertain meetings with various country leaders although his mind is already made up. Wasting people's time and money is what I say. His narrow thinking will get this country nowhere.

Yet, he wants me to be global? For what?

I hope my eldest brother Kofi will be that one to change such a stiff policy.

I walk ahead to the double doors that lead into the dining room. I push them open and find Gladis and Kofi already seated at the table, that was lacking for by the way.

"Hey, Kofi. Gladis." I greet as I entered the room, walking further in and taking a seat across from Kofi at the large rectangular table. He sat beside Gladis who showed me a small smile.

Kofi has changed so much in the last four years, though I saw him when I initially arrived days ago, I still cannot bring myself to believe that this tall man in front of me is my older brother. He's gone from looking like a young man to a full grown King.

"You know," He begins, "For someone who has been gone for years, it doesn't seem like you've missed the family at all."

I roll my eyes at his childish tone. "Oh yes! That's right! I called every week because I can't stand you poor people of Africa with thick accents and dirty hands! I think I am above!" I let my sarcasm ring through the dining hall earning a snicker of amusement from Gladis.

Kofi leans back in his seat with a small grin. That grin hasn't changed much. Kofi was always the perfect balance. He was kind and fun when needed and serious and focused when needed. With him being the oldest child and the only boy, he was always loved more. No matter how my father denied it, there was no doubt about it.

From birthdays to treatment around the palace. It was clear he was favored not only among my parents but among the people of Ghango.

The doors swing open and my mother and father proceed inside. This is about the 2nd time I am seeing my father since being back. I don't have much to say so I simply watch him with void eyes.

I caught my mother's eyes and grin widely at her. My mother has been the one to call me every chance she got, send me letters and gifts on my birthday. She has been in my face since I've arrived back and was kind enough to give me this day to myself.

We spoke no words because nothing needed to be said.

They take their seats and we sit in silence for a moment. My father, thin grey beard and all, turns to glance at me. I almost expect him to say something. A hello or "we've missed you, Y/n." Although I know better than to expect such treasure from him.

He looks forward, his eyes trained on nobody in particular as he speaks.

"As the royal family of Ghango, we all have a duty. We have a duty to the people who respect us and even those who hate us. It is our job to do what is best for Ghango and to continue to see the growth of this wonderful nation." He spoke in our native language.

"It is our duty to do our parts, whatever they may be, to raise this country to up to its greatest potential."

Where is he going with this?

"I want nothing more than the best for all you. You are my children after all. I want all of you to take part in molding Ghango for the generations ahead of us, I don't want any of you to be spectators, simply watching as change happens. You all will be active participants in any way seen necessary." He pauses, glancing at my mother who nods encouragingly.

"I am considering trading with South Korea." He says.

His words echo in our minds for some silent moments. The first giggle escapes from my brother before Gladis and I follow suit. Our laughs ring through the room as our father watches in serious silence. Our laughter dies down and my father grimaces before sighing.

"I am being sincere this time. King Hyungsik Jeon has been able to sway me." He announces.

"Wait," Kofi says, "seriously?"

"Very seriously," He confirms.

"So you'll be traveling?" I ask before I could think about it. Of course, I already know he's traveling, Kwame told me so.

My father sets his eyes on me, "No. You will Y/n."

My heart dropped at his words and my shoulders sunk, "What?" My voice comes out shaky with anger.

"You can't be serious, I just got back home!" I protest.

"I will not trade with just any country, Y/n. I need to know the people of the nation, the royal family of the nation and just how society is in that place. South Korea's King has made a good offer. So you and Gladis will stay in South Korea for six months to-"

"Six months?" I shout, "Isn't that a bit much?"

"And why do I have to go too?" Gladis' voice was steady and calm but anger was burning in her eyes.

My father stays quiet for a second after our outbursts, "You and Gladis will stay in South Korea for six months to fully understand how the people of the country are, how the royal family functions, and just what the country stands for. After those six months, you will report to me. You and Gladis will ultimately be the ones to decide the fate of this deal. You'll leave in a few days."

I scoffed, "So this is why you made that fake deep speech about all of us shaping this country for future? So you could ship me off again?"

"Y/n!" My mother hisses. I shake my head, laughing humorlessly.

"This is an important deal for your father, so he wants to make sure he is taking the right steps." My mother explains.

"Then he should send Gladis or Kofi! I just got home, why do you all hate having me home so much?" My voice grew thin and strain while tears started to burn my eyes and blur my vision.

"Kofi has his place here." My father says sternly.

I stand up from my seat, "And I don't?"

"Y/n, it's not like that." My mother pleads.

"Your mother is right," My father says, "you're taking this wrong."

I shake my head in disbelief and walk towards the door.

"Just say I'm your least favorite child and get it over with." I spit before opening the door and storming down the hallway.

A/N: I am also posting this same Fanfic on Wattpad, except on Wattpad, there is a OC in place of Y/n.

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vermiculated · 7 years ago

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i have three screencaps

here are some words about COLOSSAL.

so this movie! we were talking about it as a kaiju romdram threeway and that is still the best, that's the best for everything forever even if the giant monsters are metaphorical. I mean, isn't most of fiction: person a/person b/person a's problems which are not usually actually monsters yet on reflection are they not? Are they ever not? Ben/Matthew/Ben's past; Thomas/Edward/garbage ideas about who Thomas gets to love fuck you Fellowes; Edith/Lavinia/the constant fear of death even in a good war; platonically Priya/Daniel/Timothy; furthermore May Archer/Newland Archer/Countess Olenska because Michelle Pfeiffer is the living embodiment of a man's fear about a woman.

that went a little bit off on the shoulder there.

anyway: you love somebody, you fuck their problems.

That is not what happens in their movie either! why is this so impossible. SO THE PREMISE is that Anne Hathaway, executive producer of this film, also acting in it, is an alcoholic who likes a good time and Dan Stevens is her long-suffering boyfriend. Their scene together is actually VERY WELL DONE, and worth the price of admission for this film (uh, free, because I got it from the county library, the movie wasn't in theaters here not even the eight dollar ticket theater where I go to see US-made art house gems such as SILENCE, or Starving in Taiwan while Scorsese obsesses over a shot, or Beach Rats, a film that made the mass deletion of dick pics a searing moment of character development. anyway, not even there.) It's well-acted and convincing. Bar the material world it takes place in: is long-suffering boyfriend Dan Stevens a hedge-fund manager? this apartment is the correct combination of soulless and extravagant in its exposed brickwork and white kitchen to be the sort of place outfitted by an interior decorator and never elaborated upon by the inhabitant because he works eighty-hour weeks and drinks Stella Artois when he means to get wild. furthermore. I mean I have no idea why Anne is wearing Talbots separates to a party? maybe it was an after work function and long-suffering boyfriend Dan Stevens is justly outraged because it's Tuesday. Anne is woozy and disoriented in this bland 2.4m USD apartment, as anyone might be. Long-suffering boyfriend Dan Stevens (LSBDS) kicks Anne out by packing her bags for her, it is deeply tragic.

THE PREMISE IS: twenty-five years ago a monster stalked Seoul. Anne, having fled a breakup with a finance bro, moves back to her empty childhood home, which is actually a splendid piece of architecture, it has a wraparound porch and a lovely staircase, it's a pretty beautiful Queen Anne, and Anne is very sad, so much so that even this house does not lift her spirits. Anne, by the way, now that she is no longer in dating-money clothes, is slightly run-down: she wears untucked shirts and low-heeled booties. ( @mimaveil just got shivers down her spine.) Anne has a blonde-to-orange dye job that's growing out unattractively, and I have to say, it's a great wig. It tells you what you need to know about Anne and Anne’s problems.(Last week I saw Le Cercle Rouge, which is a good movie for a number of reasons among them Alain Delon's absolutely terrible wig and fake moustache.) Anne has a number of nervous tics, among them picking at the part on her crown, and smoothing hanks of hair at her shoulders. it's enticingly realistic.

okay, FINALLY. the plot begins about ten minutes into the film, when Anne is walking home from the general store and a truck passes her. the screencap below illustrates an important quality of movie-making: a gifted and radiant actress may wear a bad wig, she remains gifted and radiant.

fig. 1: gifted and radiant, even when hauling a sack. she was gifted and radiant even in Tom Hooper's The Miserables, wasn't she.

realism's for fucking suckers.

the dude in the movie (I could tell because he is on the cover of the dvd) is driving the truck and Anne starts fidgeting with her hair, and you can see her remembering that this is a tell of flirtation, and she could stop, but she carries on. this indicates that she has A Problem. a series of problems, really, shortly to become worse.

(my discussions of films may lead the careful reader to believe that I am powerfully interested in hairstyling. I am not, I guess I'm like Ernest Hemingway in that I just like hair? and whiskey, zing. Although I do enjoy scrolling through Pinterest and seeing the 'easy chignons' which require a minimum of five hands and two types of bobby pins to construct. I imagine it's the same kind of interest that leads other people to look at speedboats in catalogues. I don't want it and I can never have it, but it's an interesting sphere of human endeavor.)

Anne and the dude in the movie, hereafter called Beanface because he has a fat jaw and a protruding forehead that make his head seem slimmer in the middle and flatter on the ends, like a broad bean, go to the dude's bar, and holy smokes, yes this is 'Gone Girl.' the bar is partly boarded off because suburban Maine is economically depressed, and also it's a metaphor for feelings. Everything's a metaphor for feelings, cf comments above about monsters. Anne and Beanface and Beanface's friends, Tim Blake Nelson and a dude who looks like Eli Manning, get drunk together. I believe that we are meant to draw the conclusion that Anne is careless of her safety and fixated on alcohol and good times, such that she does not mind being the only woman in company. Ersatz Eli Manning asks her about her work, which is for an "online magazine," and he asks for the address, so that he can read her articles. He seems okay! They all drink together, hail and good fellowship.

Anne stumbles home drunk, and awakens NINE HOURS LATER (this is significant for the plot, even though she doesn't have a clock.) Anne is supposed to be selfish, it is hard for me to discern that based on her immediate and practical response to the next crisis? like so fucking what she didn’t care about a dude’s dead mom? I don’t care about that either, give Anne some real emotional depth. Someone calls her and it is horrible news: Seoul's been attacked by a monster. She follows up on the story, because she's a heroine in a movie, rather than a poor human who can hardly cope with her own life and shivers under the blankets before reaching out a hand like a wary cuttlefish and grabbing her phone to check it under the covers. Anne has substantial psychological resilience, so much so that she is able to recover from more than the mere work of existing continuously. Impressive!

PERHAPS THIS IS BECAUSE SHE IS A MONSTER? real time, we have gone about half an hour since I settled in with a scone and a glass of the finest four dollar sauvignon blanc, and Anne notices on the disaster coverage that the monster scratches her head just the same way that Anne herself does. Anne realizes, admirably quickly, that she is the monster. SHE IS THE MONSTER.

She makes a murderboard up, and the next morning, practices. She does this by stepping in a sandbox and doing semaphore.

Anne gathers up Beanface and his pals for another night of drinking and then she takes them to -- this movie is so wonderfully specific in this observation -- the playground near the woods, and she asks them to watch her on their phones. This is a nice element that grounds the film in 2017: Anne has a rose gold iPhone, and the guys have less-clearly branded screens. They see her on the screen, and they believe her in the flesh.

(this is the most outlandish part of the filme, that men would believe a woman. but they do.)

meanwhile, Anne is working at Beanface's bar, and she and the gang get wasted every night. Slowly, Beanface gives her various items of furniture, about which I got fretful. What if there are bedbugs Anne? Aren't futons terrible for your posture Anne? Anne? She's still drunk one morning when she trips into the sandbox in the playground near the woods, and Anne howling with laughter is intercut with the people of Seoul being terrified by the monster smashing around. And the monster can definitely take down a building. Anne crashes a helicopter, and she's sobered up enough to start freaking out so Beanface steps into the sandbox.

and lo, a giant robot appears!

Anne trips and kills hundreds of people. This is when I got profoundly displeased with this movie. I understand that it is a scifi black comedy, and should have a high body count. I do not like that Anne kills masses of people, and I do not like that the movie shrugs this off for much of its running time. Anne's grief about this is played as hysteria, and when Beanface brings it up, it's only to needle Anne. The movie doesn't really deal with it? which is not the fault of this movie: movies are always destroying large cities, and it's probably not racist to destroy Seoul specifically, but the face is that Anne makes inroads into destroying a city of anonymous South Koreans and this is not discussed? there's no urgent conversation between pokey traffic wardens, and little kids cooing, or any of the leavening that typically accompanies scifi violence. It's just a lot of people no one knows (sayeth the movie, we know there’s more) and they're dead?

WHICH does bring to mind the fact that by this time next month, some people (not me, I will be trapped on a dingus airplane, drinking and trying not to pick fights, travelling to New York) will have seen the next STAR WARS, or "lots of fun stuff happens, also half of the ship that I have helped obsessively curate for the last two years is back to his manipulative crazy lying and war crimes" and how do I feel about that? Not that it really matters; it's happening. It's indefensible, I have no good reasons to offer. It started out as a black comedy and now I am terribly worried that the division we have maintained (an alternative universe! unless we're getting bleak there's no need to discuss canon!) will dissolve and what an individual is doesn't matter so much, the wellspring of the popularly-named Benlouise Organa will choke me like a firehose.

On the other hand, I have still not seen the ACTUAL most important canon for enspacement, which is the comedy clip introducing Matt the Radar Technician, sorry @getlouder as I do generally try to approach everything I do with the profoundest and most glib (where these words mean "several kay of jokes and fucking") ignorance.

the screen goes black and Anne gets depressed. rightly so. (okay, I will cool it.)

Anne and Beanface inquire at the local Korean grocery and there's a very good shot across the dash of Beanface's truck, while Beanface talks about how he got free food, of Anne looking right past him and at the proprietors of the store. ignore Beanface. go on and do it! I am easily manipulated! do it! Anne discusses her plan with the gang, where they mostly make light of what she has done, which is to have a Korean translation of her apology. She goes out the next morning and after clearing the way, writes her apology in the sand.

it's actually nice, and makes me almost take back my earlier thoughts about turning Seoul into a white monster playground. almost.

we are, I notice with apprehension, only halfway through the movie. what is going to happen?

what's going to happen is that is movie is about rage, and futility, alcoholism, and power. Anne has given up drinking, but Beanface has not, and Beanface behaves in increasingly ugly ways.

a. bossing Anne around unduly b. drinking heavily and telling his friends to 'shut up.' c. yelling at his friends d. yelling at Anne e. driving his truck at Anne

Beanface and Anne go to the playground and Anne slaps Beanface, the monster slaps the giant robot, and there is much rejoicing. Beanface, to apologize, dispatches the gang with a truck full of furniture which, if a person had never seen a single schema of the cycle of abuse, might be charming. However, we are all old enough not to trust this. emotionally distant legumeheads are not going to win us over! he has a picture of his ex-girlfriend with the face scratched out, it is time to fuckin' run girl!! Anne confronts Beanface, who is pathetically hung over, and reveals much information about his sad life. buddy, nothing's so sad that you need to frighten the people of Seoul over it. nothing's so sad that I care about it.

meanwhile, Ersatz Eli Manning has decorated Anne's home. somewhere in here the two of them have sex, and it seems okay. The movie somehow resists making a reference to gendered activities here, since Anne has been living in an under-furnished depression-anger-breakup hovel, and the dude decorates with a truly amazing Victorian velvet settee. One of my greatest regrets is not buying a mustard love-seat of the same style. it was four hundred dollars! what else was I going to do with that money that was so important? Once when I had dental surgery under anesthesia, I told the dentist all about my feelings re: Real Eli Manning. He was a Jets fan. (the dentist, not Eli Manning. although maybe! explains a lot.) Real Eli Manning would, I am sure, support me in my passion for furniture. that’s a FACT. a bunch of plot happens next. I'm not going to describe it all, it doesn't really hold together in or out of context. what we need to know is that Beanface is a jerk. He continues to be mean to Anne, and when LSBDS shows up, Beanface tries to intimidate him. (It's actually a fun treat for those of us who have seen THE GUEST, because LSBDS stands in a country-western bar and looks like he wants to start a fight, and I think it might even be the same shot, it's chilling.) They metaphorically compare dicks, so Anne utters the famous line "can you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here?" They do, however, not stop talking about her like she's not there. Beanface blows the bar up with a firework, and then claims that Anne will never leave him. what the fuck! what the fuck!

I thought this was gonna be a fun threeway monster flick! Beanface then BREAKS INTO Anne's house, and we have another flashback to THE GUEST, as he and Anne fight, as people this time, and he jumps out a second-story window into the leaf-clogged pool and she brandishes a stake at him. it's actually pretty great. It's a truly good scary scene. Beanface is behaving erratically, because, as Anne figures, he hates himself, and so she makes a forbidden phone call (he's told her that she must not call LSBDS, or Beanface will create mayhem in Seoul. notwithstanding hating himself, Beanface is a little underdetermined.) to LSBDS that she will leave with him. this makes Beanface very angry. this is, of course, the point. Anne has a flashback to when they were kids (twenty-five years ago!) when she and Beanface climbed into the forest, and Beanface pretended to be retrieving Anne's foamcore model of Seoul, but IN FACT, stomped on it.

fig. 2: Anne does her best enspacement light body horror look. I haven't seen MIDNIGHT SPECIAL or STRANGER THINGS or LOGAN, I think this is meant to be about that. ("I haven't seen a thing, here are my thoughts about it" is the only emotional register I have.) She gets to be angry, and then the lightning knocks her out, where it is revealed that she has a monster doll in her bag. a monster doll! I like the monster doll, and I like all the anger. I guess that's supposed to explain what's up. Who knows? Beanface is a jerk, LSBDS is a jerk, Anne is wearing dark sunglasses when we next see her. fuck! THE CLIMAX OF THE MOVIE IS: Anne goes to Seoul.

briefly, but enjoyably: Anne is wearing a long black coat, an oversized shirt, and boots. Her looks have been mostly unremarkable during this film, which is nice, she's sleeping on the floor after all and there are threatening men everywhere, but this? the coat looks cool as heck. it begins to rain Thematic Rain, and Anne looks around grimly.

fig. 3: sorry to sound like I'm trying to describe the Cool Girl in a ya book. she is the Cool Girl though, she has realized that she is more than the fucking nonsense that men put on her, and she's smart enough to figure out that there is no way out if she plays their games. so she becomes a giant monster to fight them and save the world. She talks to LSBDS about how she's really fucked up, more fucked up than ever before, and hangs up on him. (she actually hangs up on him a lot in this movie. it's nice.) She then walks like a hero to the riverside where the robot has appeared. Beanface is still in Maine, and steps into the sandbox, but Anne shadowboxes with him, and the monster appears in the sandbox! The connection works both ways! unforeseen! Ersatz Eli Manning has gone to a non-arsoned bar and cheers for Anne. Anne is among the screaming crowd in Seoul and she realizes what she must do. There's some very nice cutting between Anne and the robot in Seoul, and the monster and Beanface in Maine. really first-rate. and then Anne kills the robot and the monster kills Beanface and Anne meets a cute lady and all is well. I can't believe this movie only made four million dollars u.s.

#Anne Gone Girls the fuck outta that dude. it's great.#distressingly little oppo for the romdram threeway. it works in my HEART.#i mean. I guess that's always true.#movieclub is a lot like suffering club #a very long enspacement #everyone's a monster sometimes

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hello-em75 · 7 years ago

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Tagged by the wonderful @angies-team , @travelerchrisedward , @wilderwestqueen , @nightfurylover1112 , and @crazy4dragons ! Thanks so much guys! These were so fun to do!

Rules:

1. Always post the rules.

2. Answer the questions given by the person who tagged you.

3. Write 11 questions of your own.

4. Tag 11 people.

My Questions:

1. Best memory from the HTTYD fandom?

2. What are you hoping to see in RTTE S5 & 6 / HTTYD 3?

3. Who in the HTTYD fandom is the reason your heart beats (to quote the famous words of sleep-deprived Snotlout Jorgenson) ?

4. Have you been mistaken for someone else?

5. Any guilty pleasures?

6. Live action or animation?

7. Who do you think you would connect with the least if you were a Dragon Rider?

8. How many times have you binge-watched a TV show?

9. If you were able to choose to return to any point you wanted in your life, where would you go?

10. Have you ever met anyone in real life who’s reminded you of one of the Dragon Riders (I know this girl who has the last name Jorgenson and it’s pretty crazy) ?

11. Favorite snack food?

I tag @chiefhiccstrid , @drchee5e , @dragonlovertr , @fanaticfangirl2602 , @astridthevalkyrie, @fangirling1998 , @fanwriter02 , @lutavero , @spacekeet , @astrxd , and @dragontails89 !

Angie’s Questions:

1. What is your absolute favorite song?

I always jam out to Let Her Go by Passenger but I really love a whole bunch of songs and just happen to be very indecisive in choosing a favorite :)

2. Favorite form of physical activity?

What physical activity When I’m not being pressured to do it, I enjoy running. Just don’t get any bright ideas and sign me up for any marathons or anything.

3. Favorite 5 fanfics?

Okay, the fact that this was hard for me means I’ve definitely read too many:

1) Chasing Thunderstorms series by @tysonrunningfox . This was the first full-length fanfiction that I read when I joined the fandom a couple years ago and it totally blew me away how real and well-written the characters seemed when she wrote them. I haven’t reread the whole series in full IN AGES but sometimes I reread some of my favorite chapters and fall in love with it all over again!

2) Young God by @oh--you--pretty--things. If there was a fanfic that forged its own trail, this one would do just that. It’s so incredibly different from any other Hiccstrid or HTTYD fanfics out there in its plot and universe, but still manages to remain true to the characters and their personalities --even if its hidden somewhat under Punkcup’s incredibly hot exterior.

3) The Quest by @funkytoes. I love how unique the story is how characters like Astrid, Hiccup, and Eret are portrayed in such an exciting and new way! Plus, anything where my queen is rocking it as a resident badass always gets good marks in my book.

4) You’re Everything I Want (and Nothing I Can Keep) by @wilderwestqueen. The story is so fun and engaging to read and I’m SUCH a sucker for friends to couple AUs. Hiccup and Astrid are also both complete cuties in this fanfic so that’s always enjoyable to read.

5) I Knew You Were Trouble by @astridthevalkyrie. I really enjoy how this story humanizes Astrid: she’s not just a fierce and tough as nails badass, but she has a soft spot for kids and cares deeply about her friends. Not to mention that Jerkcup is actually an undercover cutie that I love to pieces.

4. Ice cream or warm, home baked, fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies? >:)

GIVE ME THOSE COOKIES RIGHT NOW.

5. What inspires you to be creative?

My friends and family. If I know my friends and family are behind me, then I’ll have the will and the mindset to unlock my more creative side and actively express myself rather than just give a passive effort.

6. Does music influence how you act while it’s playing?

Definitely. Once Romantic Flight comes on, I’m a hot fangirl mess of emotions.

7. How do you express yourself creatively?

I really like wearing different kinds of clothes to express myself. Something about mixing and matching accessories and clothes to make an outfit I’m proud of gives me a sense of satisfaction.

8. Do you think Jar Jar Binks is a waste of a character?

I’m not a hard core Star Wars fan so I don’t really have an opinion.

9. What would cheer you up if you’re having a bad day?

Anyone just taking the initiative to even ask and sit down to listen always makes me feel better whenever I’m down. But sometimes I appreciate little gifts too, like when my mom brings me a drink from Starbucks on her way home from work if she knows I’ve been stressed.

10. Where have you traveled that you would love to travel to again? (or) Where would you like to travel to?]

I’d love to travel to Europe and explore all of those cliché tourist spots like Paris and London and Rome and all that, especially since I’ve never been out of the USA before.

11. Who is your Tumblr crush?

There’s actually way too many to count for me to just say them here but I’ll let you know that you’re on the list @angies-team ;)))

Chris’s Questions:

1. Favorite villain in TV series / movie?

Viggo Grimborn (whether dead or alive) will always be remembered as one of my favorites (but also one my most hated) villains because of how different he is from the typical villain mold in the Dragons series. He runs on his intellect rather than his physical strength; a quality to be appreciated whether you’re the protagonist or the antagonist.

2. Have you been abroad before?

I’ve never been outside of the USA, so unfortunately no :(

3. Favorite class at school?

I love studying history! Learning about the past of the world strangely always makes me feel more in touch and connected with what’s happening in the present.

4. What’s your preferred lifestyle?

I don’t like moving around too much, so I’d prefer to live a more sedentary and constant lifestyle rather than always be jumping around from place to place.

5. Are you afraid of anything?

If we’re talking material things, than not really. But if we’re discussing more abstractly, then definitely things like failure and being isolated and not wanted.

6. Describe your Tumblr dashboard in three words?

Informative, fun, and crowded :)

7. What’s your eye color?

Hazel

8. Favorite musician / band?

I’m pretty mercurial as far as music preferences go, but right now I’m hardcore rocking out to Ed Sheeran.

9. When did you get into your biggest fandom?

I think I joined the HTTYD fandom almost three years ago? I look back on some of my posts I made when I first came onto Tumblr and can’t help but cringe.

10. If you could be a new, original character in your favorite TV series / movie, what would you be like, and what would you do?

I’d like to think that I’d be the sarcastic and friendly Dragon Rider that people enjoy spending time with but who knows?

11. Favorite dragon?

The Night Fury is absolutely amazing! But if I wasn’t able to choose the obvious, probably the Triple Stryke or the Deathsong.

Wilderwestqueen’s Questions:

1. What one thing never fails to make you smile?

Listening to music always has a way of making my mood improve, no matter how horrible life can feel sometimes.

2. If you had to make your own Awesome Mix (Guardians of the Galaxy style), what tracks would be on it?

The entire soundtrack of HTTYD and HTTYD 2, plus probably a bunch of random pop songs that I like (hopefully there’s no song limit).

3. Biggest celebrity crush?

I actually have the biggest girl-crush on America Ferrera. But why wouldn’t I? She’s an activist, a talented actress, and immensely successful. Sounds pretty much like a person that I’d want to get to know.

4. What’s your favorite book and why does it mean a lot to you?

It’s been forever since I’ve actually sat down and read a book just for the sake of enjoyment, but I really enjoy The Book Thief because of how meaningful the story is. It has so much depth to it that not many other books can claim to have.

5. What song makes you want to get up and dance?

Right now, I’m the One by DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne is my favorite dance jam!

6. If you had to make a superhero team out of any fictional characters, who would you choose?

Astrid Hofferson, because she’s an amazing and intelligent warrior; Black Widow, since she has so much spy training and I can imagine would get along great with Astrid; and Allura, because she’s also an accomplished fighter as well as another strong leader.

7. What fictional world would you choose to live in?

B E R K BECAUSE I APPARENTLY THINK I CAN MAKE IT IN THE CLASSICAL ERA ARCTIC CIRCLE AS A VIKING.

8. Dream job?

Teaching has always been something that I’ve had at the forefront of my mind as far as careers are concerned, but if I was more musically inclined or dramatic I would probably want to be a musician or an actress.

9. If it was your last day on Earth, and you had to pick one last meal, what would you have?

I’d devour all of the Indian food I can. Bring on the samosas.

10. Least favorite movie? Why?

I don’t know what possessed me to see the Peanuts movie, but let’s just say I almost fell asleep three times.

11. What kind of fictional character is your type?

Pretty much anyone that’s anything like Hiccup would be my type. Humble, smart, funny, caring, and fiercely loyal.

Nightfurylover1112′s Questions:

1. What is your hair color?

I have dark brown hair, but it looks pretty black if you’re looking at it from a distance.

2. Who is your favorite animated character?

G E N E R A L H O F F ALL THE WAY.

3. iPhone or Android?

iPhone! But my iPhone is staring to show signs of age after about a year and half of having it unfortunately.

4. Have you ever been on a plane?

I have! Can’t say I enjoy the experience though.

5. Where do you want to be right now?

Exactly where I am is pretty nice -- sitting in my living room in a HTTYD blanket typing answers to asks is fun!

6. You have one wish. What would you do?

World peace is where it’s at y’all.

7. Do you have your ears pierced?

Yep! I kind of want to get another piercing in my ears (I only have one right now) but my parents would definitely go against that.

8. Are you tall or short?

I’m short and proud of it, thank you very much.

9. Why do you like your followers?

Because you’re all so friendly and supportive of each other! I’ve found so many great friends in you guys!

10. What do you mostly like to do at home?

Besides sleeping, being able to binge watch Netflix and go on my phone and scroll through Tumblr is pretty fun for me.

11. Do you like dragons?

Nope, I hate those useless reptiles more than words can describe. Such a nuisance LOL.

Crazy4Dragons’s Questions:

1. Favorite movie?

I count the series as one thing for the sake of this question so HTTYD/HTTYD 2!

2. Are you a fan of any sports?

Not too hardcore. I’ll root for home teams (anyone from California) for any sport but I won’t be too broken up if something doesn't go my way and they don't win.

3. Would you rather be stuck in a library or stuck in a movie theater?

I’d probably be okay with either, but more so in a movie theater.

4. If you could marry any fictional character, who would it be?

Hiccup is the only man for me everyone so HANDS OFF (jk).

5. Coffee or tea?

I like both, but I actually need coffee to function normally so COFFEE

6. What’s the furthest you’ve been from home?

Without my parents, the furthest I’ve been from home was when I was in Pennsylvania for my 8th grade trip. Probably would have been more exciting if I had actual friends to talk to that whole week.

7. Do you/did you like school?

Right now, school and I aren’t on speaking terms.

8. Favorite dessert?

I love pies. But not like creamy ones, the ones full of fruit filling that are warm from the oven and have vanilla bean ice cream just oozing down the sides (crap now I’m hungry).

9. Do you have any pets?

Nope, but I have two younger siblings if that counts.

10. Have you ever seen the ocean?

I live in California, so I’ve had my fair share of ocean-viewing lol.

11. What’s your least favorite food?

I’m not that picky when it comes to food, but I can’t bring myself to eat hardboiled eggs; the smell is WAY too strong for me.

#httyd fandom #httyd

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thegirlwhowrotelove-blog · 7 years ago

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Mess’n With Tha Funk Ch. 4

Nayla P.o.V

"Wake up, come on sleeping beauty" Stella said tripping over her shoes while putting her jeans on hoping side to side balancing. I looked up at the clock and realized what time it was I hopped out of bed and ran to the bathroom "Why didn't your alarm turn on"? Stella said as I opened the bathroom door and put toothpaste on my toothbrush and started brushing "Well I thought I did" I said as I looked at the sink water running around the sink.

"It's fine a late tardy will be okay" Stella said "My dad isn't going to kill me yet" She said under her breath as she brushed her hair back and put it in a bun.

Personally I met Stella online, PenPal site and I started talking to her of course the time difference was strange but we managed and when we couldn't managed we've always found our ways. Stella would always answer her phone to a certain person or people in Korean sadly I can't speak it so it's hard. I never met Stella's mom or dad I don't even know if she has siblings or not but it's okay or whatever because this is my first year with her and I don't blame her for keeping things too personal.

"Come on LA" She said as she grabbed her car keys pressing the unlock button to her car as we heard the car noise and the flashing lights "Okay it's 07:10 am we're good okay" She said taking a deep breath "It'll only take us about 20 minutes to get there if we take this route to Yonsei but if we cut there here then maybe depending on the traffic, okay we're going to be just fine" She said as she started up the car and drove.

"Calm down Stella" I said looking at her with a smile as she looked at me and chuckled "Sorry this isn't like me to just be late or little late I've always been early and perfectly on time" She said as I looked at her "Well nobody's perfect but it doesn't mean to doubt yourself neither so the good thing about life is you keep smiling" I said as she chuckled a little more "What"? I said

"Why such a basic quote" She said as I looked at her "Basic Quote"? I replied

"Yeah you know keep your head up type of quotes" She said "Those quotes you looked up for your instagram post like back in 2014 those type of basic quotes" She included and started to laugh.

"Oh you got jokes" I said as she laughed and I couldn't help but to laugh at how she reacted.

***

"Okay so 12 pm I'll meet you here for our little lunch and what time do you need to be at work"? Stella said putting her purse over her shoulder and her books under her chest while she fixed her look in the reflection of the car window.

"I think at 6:30pm-12pm" I said as she looked up at me and stood there

"12pm!, Don't they care about your education I need to talk to my dad....." She paused "Well you need to talk to them about that because that is so unhealthy I mean it's stupid in my point of view. She said walking beside me.

"I don't mind I think I can handle it" I said as I carried my small designed flower book bag on my back and clicking my Iphone on and off.

"It doesn't matter what you say verbally LA the only thing that matters if it's healthy for you" Stella said.

I forgot she was a different major than me then again she's good in communication, Stella Majors in Law Enforcement which I'm not surprised this girl loves to argue.

"Look call that stupid boss of yours LA and tell him about your health because that is stupid" She said as she split ways as I waved to her and said "Okay".

***

Walking into my class was like walking into a stadium.. okay maybe I'm over thinking it but I don't like being late and walking into a full class even tho EWHA has about a 50 class rate of students in just one class this place feels like it's more than just 50. I stepped to the second row like mid-row because I don't know I feel "Complete" when I'm in the middle I sat down put my bag on my side and pulled out my notebook and my laptop and sat it on my desk.

"Seat taken"? a manly voice said as I looked up "Um no it's fine you can seat here" I said as he excused himself and sat right beside me.

He was handsome, very handsome like too much of handsome in his genes

"Media and Communications, this class is really big for it to be 50 students, Guess some people really want this teacher" He said with a smirk I didn't say anything to him nor looked at him because I had nothing to say to him it would've been awkward shit it was already awkward.

"Oh sorry, my name is Ruiji Wang nice to meet you" He said as he held his hand out and smiled.

I looked at his hand and it felt like I was forced to shake his hand in good manner and I did my mom didn't raise me to not have manners. I held on his hand as he placed his opposite hand on top of mine and bowed which made me blush he was good looker.

"Um sorry my name is Nayla but my friends call me LA" I said as he looked at me "Hello LA first time in South Korea" he said as I looked at him and nodded "Yep, well I've been here a couple of times but I'm getting gifs of things" I said calmly as the teacher walked in.

"HELLO CLASS, Day 2 of Media and Communications"

***

I started to finish up my last bit of notes that I took from my phone because these professors don't play. I walked out of class as I heard someone calling my name I turned around and it was the Ruiji he put his cap on his head and quickly walked towards me.

"Hey... Are you busy tonight"? He said as I looked at him

"Me.. umm yeah I have work" I said as I looked at his dark brown eyes

"Well when ever you don't have work maybe I can take you out to eat some time whenever you're free"?

I looked at him blankly in his face and frozen up for me to be such a "Attractive woman" I sure do know how to pull this one off it's just he's so good looking once I thought I good looking man like him was talking to me I looked at him "Sure" and once I said that I was smiling as if he put a little love spell on me.

"Okay, I'll see you soon" He said as I watched him and waved at him bye.

I sat down looking at my phone clicking it on and off and looked at the time 12pm and right when I looked up Stella was walking her way looking as if she was born from a diamond.

"At least your early to our little meeting" I said as I got up and fixed myself

"Shockingly, stupid teacher thinks she can give the whole entire class a project on the second day I didn't know we were back in High School" She said as I chuckled.

"Did you call your job"? She said as I looked at her "Um No maybe you could drop me off" I said as she groaned to the sky.

"I understand you're trying to like make money be your own person and what not but jesus LA you're a freshman in College this is your year to take a break" She said as I looked at her

"I know Stella but how would I learn besides I'm trying aren't I" I said as I walked to her car and unlocked it as we got in "okay" she said as she turned up the radio.

***

Stella dropped me off as I looked at the cafe sign and I signed as well "Work" at least I'm not working at dominos. I walked in and it was so packed oh yeah I think they will be needing me tonight "HEY NEWBIE" the girl said as I tried to focus on who was calling me she was a real pretty female to she jumped over the counter "Annyeong" she said as she stopped herself with a gasped "I mean HEY" she said as I chuckled "Annyeong is the only korean word I know so far" I said as she chuckled raising her voice for me to hear over the laughter and chatter.

"Come back here I'll show you around" She said grabbing my hand and pulling me to her location and showing me the magic behind it all "OKAAAYYYY Newbie you got a name"? She said as I looked at her as she turned around and flipped her long black hair.

"Nayla but feel free to call me LA" I said with a smile she looked at me "you have a nice smile no wonder Zuko hired you, okay so here are the cooks Gray, Tokyo Hemi" I looked at these dudes and I've never seen such beautiful men in my life did I really just step in a new world were only beautiful people lived I waved as they nodded their heads up "They talk a lot but today isn't a good day for them. In my mind I was totally fangirling "SOOOOO COOOL"

"Okay so now the baristas Jennie, Lani, Genesis and Taylor they're the social ones always welcome to party with them they don't bite" "Okay so now the baristas Jennie, Lani, Genesis and Taylor they're the social ones always welcome to party with them they don't bite"

*Jennie below*

*Tokyo and Gray Hemi*

*Lani Below*

*Genesis Below*

*Taylor Below*

"Super Cool" I said in my head as my eyes showed everything, they took orders some admired their looks while others were just here for the food "Super Cool" I said in my head as my eyes showed everything, they took orders some admired their looks while others were just here for the food. "Okay come on they're pretty cool too but I love this place more, the cashier spot plot" She said as bowed "I'm Rania, head of the first cashier been working here since I was 16 so I'm pretty familiar with things all of these people you see in here have been working here with me since 16 years old so this is a family and your welcomed. "So it's me Rania of course, Zuko when he gets here, Jun the real bad boy over there making those adorable girl's tea and my favorite couple in here Miro and Jillian which they should be here right about now".

Rania looked at the time as Miro and Jillian walked in together "Hello Rania don't break down, the power couple is here" Miro said as Jillian hugged him "Looks like we finally got a newbie thank GOD I hate seeing the same dang people" Jillian said with a laugh. They both signed in and greeted me with a smile which was cute because now I ship them forever.

*Rania below*

*Jun Below*

*Miro and Jillian*

*Zuko Below*

"Well that's us, let me get you signed in and I'll start training you right away" she said as she paced back and forth handing me a appearan "Okay so we're gonna keep you up front no one wants to not see a pretty smile like yours? Right Jun"? She ... "Well that's us, let me get you signed in and I'll start training you right away" she said as she paced back and forth handing me a appearan "Okay so we're gonna keep you up front no one wants to not see a pretty smile like yours? Right Jun"? She said as Jun looked at me and kept working "He can be a little ass once and awhile but it's fine we have those moments".

"Is it always this busy"? I asked as Miro looked at me handing me a cup of iced nino black coffee "Ummm I would say yes and I would say no depending on kpop stars and actors and actresses that come in here once and awhile I suppose a boy band is here today"? Genesis came up front "Yeah a boy band alright, man did it's crazy out there I would kill to have that attention" He said putting down his tip book on the counter.

"Cute boy group wonder who it is"? Taylor said as her cheeks got bigger "Monsta X ohhhhh what if it is Monsta X"? She said exciting.

"How much you wanna bet it's not Monsta X"Genesis said as Taylor looked at him.

"Why wouldn't it be Monsta X" She pleaded as he looked at her and chuckled.

"Look I'm a good looking guy Monsta X wouldn't come all the way over here to just get a big ass cookie and coffee when they can go to their own company cafe" Genesis said as we watched the group of girls scatter.

"So you guys have famous people coming in here like regular"? I asked as they looked at me

"Um yeah, see some girls freak out when they see kpop stars or actresses and actors and some don't we get autographs" Rania said.

"We get photos" Lani said as she looked at the wall of celebrities

"Even Lee Dong Wook Phone number" Jennie said as they all looked at her

"Lee Dong Wook has better options than you Jennie" Genesis said as everyone laughed.

"Can a girl dream one day I will achieve that goal" Jennie said as they kept laughing.

"I bet it's Got7" Jun said as we all looked at him.

"Well it could be Got7" Jillian agreed as we walked over the counter and sorted things out.

"I heard BamBam changed his hair to red" Taylor said as she drunk her tea

"EW why red I loved him with his blonde hair" Jennie said as they sat on the counters it started to get a little quiet which I realized I didn't really do anything but talk to these people which I had no problem and I listened to all the side conversations.

"Jackson is so cute with blonde hair, Hey LA which Got7 member do you like"? Rania asked as they all looked at me I looked at them and chuckled.

"If only I knew got7" I said silently as Rania looked at me "WOW you really didn't come to South Korea to find your Kpop crush meet him and hopefully marry him huh" Miro said as Jillian hit his chest.

"Like a Kdrama I love those but I'm not really into Kpop" I said as Jennie looked at me "You're lying" She said as I laughed "Yeah" I looked at their faces and it was in total shock.

"Got7"? I said as they showed me a picture of all of them "OHHHHHHH GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS" they looked at me and busted into laughter "WHAT" I said as Taylor mocked me "Seriously you don't know got7 do you know who BTS is or Sexy OPPAS EXO"? She said as I nodded my head.

"Yeah I know BTS and EXO I just well it didn't come to mind" I said shyly "Well at least you're not familiar with them at least you know what you came here for instead of chase the guy of your dreams" Jun said as they looked at me "Well that was a good laugh but we need to take you to concerts so you'd get into that korean drama mood what type of guys you like huh"? Taylor said as Tokyo and Gray came to the front with us "Apparently Asian men" they said as Jennie coughed on her drink.

"I watched this youtube video of these kpop artist enjoying a little chocolate so I'm just putting out some facts" Tokyo said with a wink of the eye I blushed as they looked at me "Why do you think she moved to South Korea if anything she could've moved to England there's varieties" Gray said playing with Lani hair. "I can hook you up with some of my people that love that chocolate magic or we can hook up"? Tokyo said as Rania got up and stopped the conversation "OKAY Zuko is back everyone up, up, up she said as I blushed even harder.

Wow this was interesting day

#kpocwriters #Kpop #Monsta X #EXO #BTS #Got7 #Got 7 #Dab 7 #Dab7 #Wattpad #AMBW #Jackson Wang

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trey-ff · 7 years ago

Text

01.

JANICE Droplets of sweat seeped past my forehead and down towards my chin. Releasing a harsh breath, I used my gym-towel to gently pat around my heated face. After collecting myself for a moment longer, I hopped down from the treadmill, being sure to grab my iPhone and water bottle, which rested in the machinery’s provided holders.

After two hours of an exhausting yet exhilarating work-out, it was time to head back home and catch up on some much-needed and well-deserved rest.

I sauntered towards the lockers provided by the gym and using the designated key, opened the metal door to gather my personal belongings.

In doing so, I felt a pair of eyes intensely monitoring my every move, causing me to peer over to my left. A man, one who I had never seen before, stood at a locker that was a couple feet down from mine. When we made eye-contact, we sent one another polite smiles before I whisked away from the lockers and returned my key to the woman who was stationed near the double-doored exit.

“Have a good afternoon.” I grinned at the receptionist, earning a wave and a smile from her. Going straight towards my car, I popped the trunk, carelessly tossing my gym-bag and other belongings inside. As I slammed the trunk closed and trekked towards the driver’s side of my car, I realized that I didn’t have my keys. My breathing hitched as I anxiously patted around my being to see if they were anywhere on me, though, my jet black athletic attire of a sports-bra and coordinating tights didn’t contain any pockets. “I just had them.” I muttered, observing the cracked tarmac beneath my feet to see if I had dropped them by mistake. I walked towards the trunk, coming to the sad realization that I had locked my keys inside. Irritably, I jabbed my finger against the black rubber-pad that would normally pop open the trunk. To my dismay and expectation, it didn’t work. “No, not again. Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I gritted, banging my fist repeatedly against the trunk of the car. Behind me, I heard low chuckling and harshly turned around to see who could possibly be laughing at my expense. Surprisingly enough, it was the man who I had seen by the lockers. He stepped towards where I stood by my car, allowing me a better view of his face and physique.

Donned in a gray graphic-tee with red lettering that read Don’t Talk Just Train and black basketball shorts, the brown-skinned man stood at over six feet tall. He appeared very athletic and in shape, that determined by his well-defined muscles.

It was impossible for me to not have noticed him before; he had to be new around here. “Having trouble?” he asked rhetorically, flashing a dimpled-smile as one hand pointed towards my all-black Subaru and the other rustled around his thick, yet curly plot of hair.

Releasing a helpless chuckle, I nodded my head. “Yeah, I locked my keys in my trunk. And, my cell-phone.” I sighed before pouting angrily at the car. “Do you carry spare keys? Or, are those locked in the car, too?” he asked through a smile when I made an uneasy expression.

“Yeah, one’s in the glove-compartment and my brother has the other,” I muttered, “pretty stupid, huh?” I attempted once more to use the rubber-pad located near the trunk in hopes that it would miraculously work, but came up fruitless. I inwardly blamed my brother, who encouraged me to purchase this idiotic and defective car. One of the most efficient cars out there, my ass. Groaning, I turned back around to see him still smiling at me. Nothing was worth smiling about, but then again, he wasn’t the one who had locked his keys inside his trunk. “Ah, people do stupid things all the time. Would you like to call your brother? You can use my phone.” he offered, unlocking his iPhone 7. Taking his phone from him with a thank you, I dialed Clayton’s number. “Please pick up, please pick up,” I chanted, knowing that his work at his self-owned auto-shop kept him tied up, “please pick up--Clay! Thank God. Good, I need you.” “What happened? And, whose weird-ass number is this?” he pondered, being his normal inquisitive self. “That doesn’t matter right now. I’m in a bit of a quagmire. Promise you won’t laugh.” I ordered sternly, glancing up to catch Mystery Man, as I had decided to title him in the meantime, trying to stifle his own laughter by tucking his lips inward. “What happened?” “I locked my keys and my phone in the trunk… again. I’m stranded at the gym and--” Of course, his boisterous and obnoxious laughs filled the receiver, sounding off so loudly, Mystery Man began laughing, too. “That’s funny as fuck! I swear, you’re like Murphy’s Law--anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Clayton guffawed, earning a sigh. “You know, I’m glad my inopportune situations could serve as comedy for you. Just go ahead, laugh at my problems. But, Clayton, you have to help me. You’re the only one with the other key” “Aight, aight. Gimme ‘bout twenty minutes.” he responded, simmering down from his heavy laughter. Balancing my weight on my right-side, I released an exasperated breath. “Twenty whole minutes? Fine, Clayton, fine.” I murmured, ending the call after he assured me that he would arrive as fast as he could. Handing the phone back to Mystery Man, whose existence I had completely forgotten about, I leaned against my heated car. “Thank you. My brother will be here in twenty minutes.” I smiled a fake one, still bothered and embarrassed that I had allowed this to happen again. “Well, that’s good,” he grumbled, his speech drifting off, making the moment a slight bit awkward for us both, “listen, I’m sorry I laughed at your, uh, quagmire… You’re just very… dramatic, for lack of a better word.” I couldn’t help but to smile and then, break into soft laughter at his words. I licked over my lips, squinting up at his amused face. He was quite the sight for sore eyes. “I can be dramatic, I’ll admit that before anyone else.” “The first step is admitting to it,” he grinned, earning another smile from me, “so, I never caught your name.” “Janice. And, you are?” “Dane.” he grinned, taking my small hand into his burly one for a friendly handshake. During this interaction, I noticed that he had a tattoo on his wrist and forearm.

“Okay, Dane. So, do you come here often?” I pitched that mediocre pick-up line, eliciting laughter from him. “From now on, I do.” he smirked, slowly guiding his tongue along his bottom-lip. I didn’t know if he were flirting with me, or if he in fact meant that World Fitness would become his new gym. Either way, I smiled politely and played it safe with a friendly response. “And, you should. It’s a great gym. I’ve been coming here for years, religiously as of late.” “Oh, yeah? I’ve just gotten back into working out again. So, you always do afternoon work-outs?” he pondered, pinching his subtle chin-hair between his fingers. “Most of the time. I switch up sometimes, depending upon my work-schedule. Listen, I really don’t wanna keep you with meaningless conversation. It wasn’t you who locked your keys inside the car.” I joked through a smile while brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “No, it’s fine. I’m just keeping you company until your brother gets here,” he grinned, “so, what is it that you do for a living, Janice?” “I’m a bartender at Friday’s…” I mumbled, trying to see if that would cast any judgement my way, “and, a self-employed caterer.” Both were honest answers. I worked two jobs, Friday’s being part-time and catering being on-call. To be able to support my real dreams of owning my own catering business one day, I needed the extra income that Friday’s provided me with. It took three long years, one of which was dedicated to the certification program and two that went into earning my Associate’s degree in culinary management to get to this point in my life. I was extremely close to living out my dreams and I couldn’t be in a happier place. “Self-employed, huh? Pretty impressive… if you’re any good, of course.” he teased with an alluring smile sketched onto his face. “Oh, I am plenty good. That may seem arrogant, but hey,” I chuckled, shrugging, “everybody’s arrogant about something that they’re good at. Which takes me to my next question. What do you do for a living, Dane?” “Oh, I’m an architect,” he simpered, disregarding my surprise with a nonchalant shrug, “ah, it’s nothing.” “Nothing? You design and practically sculpt buildings that lasts forever. That’s huge.” I grinned, impressed with his talent and modesty. It was rare to see a man of his caliber be so humble. He flashed me a charming smile. “I guess it is pretty cool, huh,” he confessed through a boyish grin, “so, I take it you’ve always lived here in Cincinnati?” “My brother and I moved out here about five years ago,” I replied before elaborating on the topic, “him and I are two out of four. My other brothers stayed in Toledo, where we were born, and we moved here. So, you could say I’m pretty acquainted with Ohio. How about you? I sense you’re not from here.” “What makes you say that?” he asked amusingly. “Your accent. I hear a little Southern twang in there.” I smirked, earning his hearty chuckle before he wiggled his finger at me. “Good ear. I’m from Virginia.” “Oh, wow. What brings you here?” I pondered, folding my arms. Just then, a black Chevy Tahoe blasting Nas, cruised into the parking-lot. Dane’s eyes followed mine before he looked at me. “Your brother, I’m assuming?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” I giggled, watching Clayton’s lanky figure exit the truck, “thank you so much for keeping me company.”

“Well, I’d really love to do some more of that so, we could finish our conversation. Now, I would ask you to take my number, but you don’t have your phone.” he teased with innocence, watching my mouth playfully fall agape at his words.

“How rude! I don’t think you deserve my number now.” I smirked, pursing my lips to the side. Still, he slipped out his silver iPhone for the second time and handed it over to me.

“Oh, but I know you really want me to have it,” he grinned coyly, “I’ll be sure to call you soon. I’d love to take you out sometime, Janice.”

I loved how my name sounded leaving his mouth; I could get used to that.

“Like, a date?” I bashfully grinned while entering my number into his phone.

“Yes.” he affirmed, intently staring at me. I felt myself blushing and getting hot at how intense and intimate his eyes were. Then, Clayton traipsed towards us, killing the moment. He looked Dane up and down, already passing judgement on him.

“Wassup, man? Who you?” he grumbled, earning a punch to the arm from me. He could be so rude. Dane snickered.

“It’s fine,” he assured me before extending his strong, veiny hand for Clayton, who engaged in the assertive handshake, “Dane, Dane Neverson.”

“Clayton.”

“Nice to meet you,” Dane greeted with a nod before looking back towards me, “and, it was a real pleasure to have met you, Janice. Now, since you’re good, I’ll be on my way.”

“Okay, thanks for helping me out, Dane.” I said, reinvigorating our intense stare-down. He just smirked at me as I handed him his phone, our hands gingerly touching.

“No problem. I’ll be calling you very soon.”

With that, he meandered towards his sleek, black car and jumped inside. I was in such a lust-induced trance that I would had probably watched him leave the lot altogether, but Clayton interrupted the moment. Again. “Yo, here’s the key-pad. This is the third time that you’ve done this, Janice.” he scolded, his parental tone seeping through his words. I sighed exhaustively.

“Well, the car has a bug, Clay. The pad doesn’t work. Shouldn’t the car unlock anyway since the key is near it?” I complained before popping the trunk to grab the valuables that had mistakenly been locked inside.

“I’ll fix it this weekend, but that’s no excuse for your irresponsibility. You gotta be vigilant out here, Jan. It’s dangerous.” he argued. I pursed my lips together. Before, he thought it was comical that I was practically stranded and now, it was dangerous.

“It’s broad daylight, in a safe area, next to a local gym, and--”

“And, next time, it might not be,” he interrupted, “just be more responsible. You out here speakin’ to strangers and givin’ niggas ya’ number? And, I hope you know I’m tellin’ Ed and Lance.”

At that, I had to laugh obnoxiously.

I had three annoying brothers. Clayton and Eddie, aged at twenty-nine and twenty-seven respectively, were the eldest, and Lance, who was twenty-three, was the youngest. Each of them, including the baby, possessed an overprotective gene that was inherited from my father’s side of the family.

While it was something to admire and even appreciate at times, it was aggravating to have built-in bodyguards who scared off and threatened any and all potential prospects in my life, especially when I was a grown woman who could and had been taking care of herself since the tender age of eighteen.

“I’m twenty-five years old. I’m not a child, Clayton, and you guys need to seriously quit treating me like it. Furthermore, he helped me. It wasn’t like he was a creep or something.” “Nah, I sensed a vibe. He gave off a creepy vibe to me,” he said, making me kiss my teeth, “no matter what I think, though, creeps come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Don’t be fooled, J.” I tiredly rolled my eyes and hiked to the car-door. I was ready to get away from Clayton and his sketchy sixth-sense.

“Whatever, Clayton. You could be so paranoid and judgmental sometimes.” I murmured, getting inside of my car. Starting the engine, I rolled down the window once Clayton knocked his knuckle against the glass.

“I’m just lookin’ out for you, that’s all. Get home safe and call me when you get in.” he grumbled and I couldn’t help but smile. Even though Clayton was a pain in the ass, he often meant well.

“Okay, love you.” I simpered, watching as he stepped back a little and allowed me to back out of the parking-space. While reversing, a painful yelp shot from him, making me panic as he hopped up and down while holding his left foot.

“Clayton, are you okay?!” I asked hysterically, watching his face contort in pain before his dumb-ass erupted into senseless and goofy laughter.

“Gotcha!” he exclaimed, shooting his long fingers in my direction. I kissed my teeth before rolling my eyes.

“Asshole.”

-- -

“Rochelle, will you please quit eating all the damn food? It’s for a party.” I fussed, smacking my best-friend’s hand away from the platter of shrimp. After getting home from the gym, I took a shower and a quick catnap before preparing the food for my catering event tonight. Not too long into my cooking, Rochelle came knocking.

Rochelle and I had been friends since I moved to Cincinnati so, we had known one another for about five years. Though I had other friends, associates or otherwise, life without her would be incomplete and boring as all hell.

She pushed me out of my shell a lot; I had always been a little socially awkward and reluctant to try new things. Rochelle, on the other hand, was a lot less apprehensive than me. Whatever felt right, she did it with no hesitation, no matter the consequence. She lived for the moment and while I still took caution with everything that I did, I admired Rochelle’s carefree personality. “It’s so good, though. And, you didn’t make me samples like you usually do.” she pouted, snagging another shrimp. Giggling, I moved the tray out of her reach. “I didn’t know you were coming by. I thought you said you were working later hours this week.” I said, wiping my hands on my stained, white apron. Rochelle was a genius… an Apple Genius. Aside from working from home for Apple, she also offered support at a Genius Bar in one of their retail stores. Ironically enough, she hated customer service, but always found herself in positions that required it. I always told her to use her technical abilities to find a more satisfying career, but she was too comfortable with where she was. “No, that’s next week. It’s like you don’t even listen to me anymore.” she exaggerated before opening my fridge. “Oh, please,” I chuckled while grabbing the cooling-rack that held the miniature red-velvet cupcakes from the countertop and placing it on the island, “don’t you dare touch one.” “You know those are my favorite. Who are you making all this good food for anyway?” she whined. “Asad. You’re invited, too so, you can eat until your heart’s content when we get there.” I said, grabbing my homemade cream-cheese icing from the countertop.

Asad was a good friend of ours that ironically enough, we had met at a party three years ago. Every now and again, he would host an event and I was always his go-to for food. He used his connections and the reputation that he had built from his career as a senior account executive for an advertising agency to promote me and find me other high-paying gigs. He genuinely wanted to see me thrive and succeed within my occupation and I couldn’t be anymore appreciative of it. He was very supportive of my aspirations and overall a good, kind-hearted person.

“What is he even celebrating? Every time I turn around, he’s throwing a damn party.” she muttered, earning laughter from me. “This one probably has something to do with his work. Either way, it’s a win-win for me because I can get paid and have a good time doing it. I can use this Friday to unwind a little bit.” I admitted while coating each bite-sized cupcake with a dollop of the cream-cheese icing. “You can use a man to unwind a little bit.” she teased, earning a middle-finger in return. It was not a secret that I had been alone for a while, but that was strictly by choice. “No thanks,” I chuckled before I thought of the gym incident, “speaking of a man, I did not tell you what happened today.” “What happened?” she inquired while grabbing some of the seasoned french-fries from the tin-pan and burning her fingers in the process. I laughed. “That’s exactly what yo’ ass get. I told you to quit eating the appetizers.” I giggled as she ate the fries without a single care in the world. “Shut up, I told you I was hungry. Now, continue with this here story.” she mumbled, rotating her fingers at me. “So, I locked my keys in the trunk--” “Again?” “Yes, again. I know, it’s a shame and I’m the most irresponsible person ever. I’ve heard it all from Clay so, I don’t need to hear it from you,” I smiled playfully, “so, this guy that I’d never seen before comes up to me and because I threw my phone in the trunk like a dumb-ass, he lets me use his so that I could call Clay. We get to talking or whatever and before he goes, he took my number and said he’d call. He wants a date.” “Oh my God, I’m too happy for you! What’s his name? Was he cute?” she badgered as I continued working on each of my cupcakes. I snickered. “His name is Dane Neverson. And, cute is for little boys, darling. He was sexy,” I said dramatically, laughing along with her, “no, but he’s an architect, though. He’s very well-spoken and such a gentleman, from what I could see. Before any more details about him could be discovered, Clayton shows his ass up. Oh, and he’s from Virginia. That’s all I really learned.” “I say you give him a chance.” she blindly encouraged. “You don’t know a thing about him and neither do I… I mean, other than the things that I mentioned.” “Then, you get to know him. I mean, duh. How do you think relationships become relationships?” “See, that R-word,” I sighed, clicking my tongue, “not interested in that. At least not now.” There were two reasons as to why I wasn’t fascinated by being in a relationship. Number one, between catering and bartending, my work could be too demanding sometimes. If I could barely pave time for myself, it would be nearly impossible for me to factor in a man, too. When I finally owned my own catering business and quit bartending, I hoped that things would smoothen out and there would be a window of possibility for a relationship, but now it just seemed unrealistic for me. Number two, I had just gotten out of a semi-bad situation with my ex-boyfriend, Ian, and while it’d been about five months since we split, we were together for two years prior to that. It was difficult to just move on so quickly after someone who had marked such a huge part of your life, walked out of your life. Our demise wasn’t entirely bitter, though, it was definitely filled with pain and heartache. Ian had followed his dreams of becoming an athletic-trainer after much persuasion and support from me, and had gotten accepted into a college in New York. Initially, he wanted to be the man on the football field, but due to an awful ACL injury during one of his practices, his dreams of going pro were shattered and had led him into a deep depression. Around this time, we were just friends, but began to see one another romantically. Anyway, maintaining the long-distance between Ohio and New York was harder than we’d anticipated so, with heavy-heart, we called things off. We promised one another that we’d at least continue to speak on friendly terms, but that didn’t last very long. I couldn’t hold conversations with him as if everything was okay when it wasn’t. I was hurting and pretending to be fine only pained me even more so, I made the final decision to sever all ties. Still, I missed him everyday and sometimes, I even caught myself thinking about our relationship. Like, what it used to be and what it could have been. Moving on was much more difficult than I thought it would be.

“If this is about Ian, woman, you have got to let that go. You know how many opportunities you’ll miss out on by hanging onto that? Besides, it was obvious that he was eager to move on, right?” she mumbled, expressing doubt as she spoke, not wanting to upset me with her truthful words. Maybe a month after our break-up, he jumped into another relationship with another woman. This, I learned through the plethora of photos he plastered all over his social-media. Even though we were over, that still killed me to see. I thought that Ian and I were both sulking and that he wouldn’t be too hasty with moving onto someone else, but it seemed I was the only one.

For the most part, our relationship was generally good; it was certainly something to miss. A reunion could had been in the cards for us, but he ruined that opportunity by getting with someone else so soon on when my our wound was still fresh. At some point, though, I had to learn how to let those cheap theories go and just face the music. He moved on and it was about that time for me to do likewise. “This is true,” I admitted through a murmur before shaking my head, “but, I hate dating. I’m not good at it.” Though I was in no committed relationship after Ian, I did go out on two dates, per my friends’ requests. Both were epic fails; we were incompatible. Plus, it was during that phase of the break-up where I compared every man to Ian, good or bad. Furthermore, those men were complete strangers. Other than the a-okay from the individuals who situated the blind-dates, I knew nothing about them and that made me tremendously uncomfortable. In a nutshell, far too much was interfering in my attempt to get out there so, I took a hiatus. With Ian, everything came about naturally. We used to work together at a movie theater; that was where our one-year of friendship was established. One invitation to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes after work and we were nearly inseparable; we became best-friends. Eventually, the attraction between us grew stronger with time as our friendship deepened and we made things official. Now, with Dane, for example, there was no foundation, just a conversation. Things weren’t set in stone that we’d even go on a date, but that was an example of how fast-paced things could be without the gradual build-up of establishing a friendship first. I wanted to know who I was dealing with as a person before I got too involved. I may have nagged my brothers for always being judgemental of people and their intentions, but in reality, you had to be. Not everyone was as genuine and virtuous as they often depicted themselves and I would hate to be deceived by that due to the naivety from wearing my rose-colored glasses all the time. “Jan, it ain’t rocket-science. Just go with the flow. Not everything’s consistent or has a system. It’s going to be a different experience than with your ex because every man is different.” Rochelle explained. “You’re absolutely right, Ro. I want everything to have an organized plan, but life isn’t perfect. I hate change.” “It might be hard, but you gotta embrace it because it’s life. And, like I said, you’ll miss out on so much with that shelled mentality. Just wing it, Janice. This goes for everything, not just with men.” she advised. “That’s easier said than done for someone like me, but I’ll keep that in the back of my mind,” I promised, earning her trusting smile, “now, let’s get ready for Asad’s party.” While Rochelle’s words were always encouraging and motivating, I was still learning to actually put them into motion. Taking risks usually led to danger and the idea of that alone deterred me from doing anything too far out of my comfort-zone. On the other hand, taking risks could lead to great things and new opportunities. I just needed to discover who and what was worth the risk before I put anything into jeopardy. DANE After parallel-parking alongside the building of my loft, I jumped out of my all-black 2016 Jaguar XJ. Hiking into the building, I sauntered towards the elevator and rode up to the twentieth floor--the highest floor. Once inside of my loft-apartment, I tossed my keys on the white-colored island of my kitchen. Looking around the house, I sighed contently. Most would deem my home boring and empty. When my mother visited me some months ago, she complained that it was way too solemn, lifeless, and barren for her liking. However, me, possessing a bit of a minimalistic mindset, loved the overall simplicity of my loft. It represented me accurately, in a sense. I was a simple man. I didn’t like too much going on. I hated confusion and distractions, as it clouded my focus and altered the way that I functioned. I was most at peace when everything was straightforward and logical, just as I was.

I couldn’t lie, though, it did get pretty lonely living here by myself. Heading into my bedroom, I tossed my gym-bag onto the floor of my closet and sauntered into the bathroom to start on my shower. Turning the knob inside the glass-shower until it was hot, I stripped from my gym-attire and got inside. After twenty minutes, I stepped out and completed my usual post-shower routine. Then, I put on sweatpants and a white tee-shirt before tiredly throwing myself down onto my very comfortable king-sized bed. Almost immediately, my eyes started drooping shut and I was out like a light.

-- -

“Thanks.” I grumbled after tipping the delivery-boy. Balancing two boxes of pizza and a Sprite, I sauntered into the kitchen. After placing the items down, I stuffed the designs that I had been working on since my nap back into my folder, deciding that I had worked enough for the night. “Well, looks like I’ll be doubling-up at the gym.” I mumbled, taking a large bite out of the ham and pineapple covered pizza. Carelessly tossing three slices onto a plate, I grabbed the soda and ventured inside the living-room to relax.

Flicking through the channels, I came across one of my favorite movies of all-time, The Purge: Anarchy, and got comfortable. About forty minutes into the movie, I heard loud banging against my front-door and immediately knew who it was. Not bothering to rush to the door, I finished watching an intense scene of the movie, not wanting to miss it.

“They just not gon’ quit.” I snickered, now hearing loud yelling accompanying the obnoxious banging. Dusting the crumbs from the crust from my hands, I pushed myself up from the couch and headed towards the boisterous knocks. Unlocking the front-door, I opened it to reveal my annoying best-friends, Broderick and Ted. “Man, what took you so long to answer the door?” Broderick complained as he sauntered straight to the kitchen.

“I figured if I ignored it, you guys would go away.” I snickered, dapping up Ted. “And, you see how that worked out for you, right? What’re you doing tonight?” he inquired as we walked into the kitchen to see Broderick already devouring a slice of the pizza that I had ordered.

“Just about the same thing I do every night. Working hard, yet hardly working.” I chuckled, venturing into the living-room to pause the movie and grab my unfinished pizza. “Well, then that means you’re available.” Broderick smirked, forcing me to raise an eyebrow as I bit into my pizza. Just as I entered the kitchen, Ted had taken a seat at my centered, white marble island.

“Available for what exactly?” “We’re going to Cheeks and yes, you have to come.” Ted chuckled, earning a dry chuckle from my end.

“Too bad I’m not,” I grumbled, in-between bites, “I’m not driving over an hour just to see some ass.”

“You went before.” Broderick counteracted, opening my refrigerator to grab three Coronas. He always made himself at home no matter where he was. “Yeah, for a bachelor-party. Ya’ll are just going to go. Besides, you told me last-minute. Who’s to say I didn’t have any plans, or guests of my own?” At that, they both glanced at one another and erupted into hearty laughter at my expense. I kissed my teeth. “No offense, but what plans could you possibly have? All you do is sit at home, having to be forced to do anything fun.” Ted laughed, cracking open his beer as I did likewise with mine. “Yeah, right. Guests? What guest you got coming around here? A woman? I seriously doubt that.” “Rick, I can get a woman if I really wanted one,” I argued, getting annoyed by his goofy expression of disbelief, “as a matter of fact, I met one today.” “Dane talking to women? Are pigs flying?” Ted asked sarcastically while spinning around from his seat on the stool to peer out the windows. I chuckled. I had known these fools for about three years and during that time, they had never seen me in a relationship. They knew about my ex-wife, Cherri, whom I was married to before I moved to Ohio and met them, but that was it. Yeah, I had the occasional fling and one-night-stand to satisfy my needs, but I was far too engrossed in my work to be committed. Better yet, I hadn’t found a woman worth the time and energy, and one that could handle and value up to a man of my caliber. But, I hadn’t necessarily been searching for one, either. On the other hand, Broderick had dated a gang of women throughout the years for time-spans as short as two weeks. All he wanted from them was sex and he made that known from the gate; he had no interest in the emotional and mental strains that a relationship had to offer. As soon as any woman got attached and started smothering him, he dropped her ass like a bad habit and was onto the next one. As for Ted, he was married with two kids, had been for five years. However, that didn’t stop him from fucking any woman with a pulse, his wife or otherwise.

If anything, I was the only one between us three who didn’t have a warped perspective on love. I didn’t possess that feeling yet, but I wanted it more than anything in the world at that moment.

Even though I didn’t always know how to show that emotion, I missed being able to.

“Yeah, talk on that.” Broderick said, snapping me out of my brief daze. I laughed before shaking my head. “At the gym, I met this woman named Janice. She locked her keys in her car and I gave her a hand. Ain’t too much else to say.” Truth was, Janice already had me intrigued and we barely even knew one another. Our situation wasn’t love at first sight or anything extreme, but I definitely wouldn’t mind getting to know her better. She was beautiful, witty, driven, and had major potential that I had plans to pursue. “So, what does she look like? Holding up in the T and A department?” Ted asked, Broderick just as interested in this ridiculous question. “Ya’ll are dogs. She was beautiful, I’ll say that and only that.” I snickered as I envisioned her body. She was a petite little thing, but womanly nonetheless. “Man, you’re no fun.” Broderick grumbled, shaking his head. “Wait, Rick? Why are we sitting here talking about tits and ass when we can be seeing it?” Ted proposed, evoking thought from Broderick who deeply frowned his brow. “Yeah, what the hell are we still doing here? Dane, last offer. Sure you’re not coming? You’re missing out, man.” “Nope, I’m good. I’m just ready to turn in.” I admitted lowly before placing the leftover pizza inside the fridge. “You need to learn how to have fun, man.” Broderick chuckled as he pulled me in for a brotherly hug. “Ya’ll versions of fun just ain’t for me.” “Well, you need to find your version and start doing it because I know that this isn’t it.” Ted said seriously as I reciprocated the same brotherly gesture with him that I had done with Broderick. “Don’t worry about me,” I chuckled, shooing them to the door, “just don’t be late or hungover tomorrow. I scheduled a meeting at the Diamond Lane house at ten that you both knew about.” All three of us worked in the same field; that was how we met. Both Broderick and Ted were architectural engineers; Broderick specified in structural engineering, while Ted specified in mechanical engineering. Their purpose was to see through that my designs could come to life without any technical difficulties that could interfere. And, though they goofed off, they were one of the best in their respective fields, within Cincinnati at least. “You would schedule that on a Saturday,” Broderick complained as he opened the front-door, “I'll see if I can make it. No promises.” “No promises, my ass. This is work. We gotta have this house finished by August. That’s just four months away and we cannot fall behind schedule.” “No promises.” he quipped again as he exited the front-door and forced laughter from Ted. I couldn’t understand how Broderick and I were friends; I couldn’t stand people who didn’t take their work seriously, especially when I needed to depend on them in order to efficiently execute my own job. “He’ll be there, Dane,” Ted assured me through chuckles as he patted my shoulder, “but like I told you, man, find you some fun and start doing it.” “Sure, Ted. Just be there, ten o’clock sharp. Got it?” “Got it, Sergeant.” he rumbled, saluting me before snickering and leaving. I exhaustively shook my head and locked the door behind them. Padding inside of the kitchen, I cleaned up whatever mess was left and went into the living-room to turn off the TV. It was pushing nine-thirty and to most, that wasn’t late considering it being a Friday night, but that didn’t halt me from wanting to get some shut-eye.

-- -

“Your coffee, Mr. Neverson.” Carmen, one of my two assistants, smiled as she placed down my black coffee-mug that had the motivational phrase the future depends on what you do today carved in gold lettering on it. My mother had gotten it for me as a Christmas gift the year before.

“Thank you,” I grumbled, clearing my throat and focusing my attention on my second assistant, Monica, “so, like I was saying, aside from Diamond Lane, Saturday is yours. I know you guys aren’t into working on weekends, but I’m a workaholic. It never, ever quits.” Both women nodded understandingly, though, I knew they were upset about having to basically, be on-call for whenever I had an urge to get things accomplished, which was often. I needed two assistants in order to help get me through a day of work. Carmen catered to my more basic and personal needs, some of which weren’t necessarily work-related, like getting my morning coffee, for instance. Monica assisted me with actual architectural work; she served as my second pair of eyes, managed interactions with bidders, and was the only one I trusted with the budget. “I get it, boss. You’re a perfectionist and a workaholic. It’s admirable.” Carmen grinned, not being the least bit subtle with her flirtatious advances. My father once told me that working with attractive women was hell; they were nothing more than distractions. Why I never took heed of his words, I didn’t know, but she proved him right every time she found herself in my presence with her skin-tight dresses and plunging necklines. If it weren’t for our professional relationship, I would have been given her what she’d been so shamelessly begging for, but sex complicated things and that was the last thing that I needed on my plate.

While I didn’t appreciate distractions and she often caused me temptation, I never brought myself to fire her because she was good at what she did, which was catering to my needs, no matter how ridiculous or demanding.

Just to test her limits and my boundaries, I once had her drive an hour away from town just to bring me breakfast from this diner that I had a vague memory of during a business-trip that I went on months before. Turned out, I didn’t even like the food. Most would complain, or mutter beneath their breaths about my indecision and inconsideration. But, Carmen? She just asked me if I wanted her to get me the usual instead. Her intent, goal, and purpose was to please me and I loved that.

“Mr. Neverson,” Monica spoke, clearing her throat to steal my attention away from Carmen’s smooth legs, “I wanted to talk about the numbers. The budget is starting to--” “Hold on,” I grumbled, silencing Monica and directing my attention to Carmen, “do you mind? We gotta have this talk in private.” “Okay, I’ll be at my desk. Call if you need anything.” she simpered, getting up from the black, leather seat and sashaying towards the frosted-glass office door. I cleared my throat, diverting my attention away from her round ass and towards Monica’s very unimpressed expression. I chuckled. “Now, what about the budget?” I waited to ask once my office door was securely shut.

“Nothing, I just wanted her gone.” she admitted, forcing me to break into hearty laughter. Though having a strictly platonic relationship, Monica and I bonded like we were brother and sister. I consulted her for both professional and personal matters; we were highly compatible on both spectrums. Despite that, the reason why she hadn’t thrown herself onto me like Carmen and vice versa was due to her being a lesbian. Once she informed me of it, I left her alone, aside from playfully flirting with her from time to time. I still found her very attractive and deeply valued our dynamic. “She’s just being flirtatious.” “She’s just being scandalous. Hasn’t she taken the hint? If you wanted her, you would have had her by now.” “Oh, so you acknowledge my skills, then?” I smirked, watching as she rolled her hazel eyes and chuckled. “I acknowledge your persistence and territorial nature. I don’t know if I would call those skills, though.” she said, probably reflecting on how I attempted to get her, which literally forced her to reveal to me that she was a lesbian in order to cease my advances. This was before I had hired Carmen and didn’t quite take into consideration the never mix business with pleasure rule.

“Hey, I’m ambitious. When I want something, I go for it. Life slips by when you ride the pine.” I shrugged, dampening my lips with my tongue as she only shook her head. “You’re a mess.” she snickered. “Says a lot more about you since you put up with me,” I chuckled, checking my phone once it vibrated with a message from Ted, “Broderick and Ted are on their way, finally.” “Those goof-troops… they were at the strip-club last night posting pictures all on Instagram. Why didn’t you go with them?” she pondered. “Wasn’t interested.” I said. Unlocking my phone, I went straight towards my contact-list and to the entry that read Janice. I had been debating all morning on when I should call her. I didn’t want to call her too soon and come off as desperate, but I didn’t want to wait too long and come off as arrogant, either. “Dane not interested in the strip-club? That’s a new one.” “Is it really? I haven’t been to the strip-club in a year. It’s never really been my thing like it is Rick and Ted’s.” I shrugged, placing my phone aside to check the email on my laptop. “Is Mr. Sachs still coming to see the progression of the home today?” she questioned, transitioning our conversation from personal to professional in the snap of a finger. I nodded. “Yeah, and let’s hope he’s satisfied with it because all of his irrational and abrupt redesigns have been slowing us down.” I grumbled, speaking on my latest and totally impractical client. “Hey, at least he’s paying generously.” “I guess that’s a way to look at it,” I said, exiting my email account once I was finished, “money makes up for anything.” “That is an untruth. Money doesn’t buy happiness.” she argued, using that same old tired cliché that everybody and their mothers pitched.

“Money buys food, shelter, clothes, and most importantly, stability and access. I don’t know about you, but all those things make me happy as a dog.” I shrugged as she did her signature eye-roll. “What about love?” “I can buy that, too. It won’t be too authentic, but it’s definitely available for purchase,” I insisted through a chuckle as she eyed me irritably, “why do you care? You didn’t wanna love me.” “Oh, please,” she laughed along with me, “I don’t like men and you are not worth making the exception for.” “Why don’t you come over here so, I can change your mind?” “And, that’s my cue to go,” she giggled, standing from her seat as I only smirked at her nervous nature, “I’m about to get an ETA on Sachs. He’s running late.” “Hey, before you go, I need a woman’s opinion on something.” I grumbled, taking a generous sip of my hot coffee. “Yeah, grow the beard.” she replied dryly, forcing me to furrow my brow. “You think I need a beard?” I asked, gliding my palm over my mustache and goatee.

“I don’t know. Is that what you were gonna’ ask me?” she snickered. “No,” I chuckled, “it’s about a woman. I met her yesterday at the gym and I took her number. I’m just wondering when I should call her.” “And, you said you can just buy love.” she smirked, folding her arms. “Who said anything about love? And, if love were the case, how do you know I don’t have plans to do just that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Because you wouldn’t be worrying about when to make your next move. What’s her name and story?” she pondered, folding her arms as she leaned against the space near my office door.

“Janice. She works at Friday’s and is a self-employed caterer from Toledo. That’s pretty much all of the important information that I got. So, onto the answer. When should I call?” “Well,” she dragged, “it depends.” “On what?” “On when you want to call her.” “Honest to God? Now.” “Then, call her now.” she shrugged nonchalantly as if it were that simple. “Wouldn’t I come off as desperate?” “No woman thinks a man is desperate unless he acts desperate. So, the problem ain’t calling her too soon, it’s calling her and well… acting desperate.”

“Thanks for the lovely advice, Monica. Dr. Phil, who?” I said sarcastically, forcing her to burst into a round of giggles.

“Don’t mention it.” she smiled, clicking her tongue and exiting my office. I got up from my leather chair after clicking Janice’s name. The phone rang about three times before she picked up.

“Hello?” she answered sweetly, instantly making a smile mask my face. She already had an affect on me.

“Hey, uh, it’s Dane.”

“Oh, hi, Dane. I see you used my number.”

“I told you I would call,” I chuckled while rubbing the nape of my neck, “so, how’s your morning going so far?”

“Good, I’m just watching TV.”

“At ten o’clock in the morning?” I asked while moving the brown curtain to peep outside of my window.

“Well, I don’t work my bartending job until eight o’clock tonight. My schedule is pretty clean up until then, aside from if I’m fulfilling an order. I’m self-employed, remember?” she inquired. “You definitely did tell me that,” I simpered before shoving a hand into my pocket, “not meddling, just curious. But, does your work keep you living good? I imagine it must be tough.” “I manage. I get enough clients to afford my own place and whatnot. It is tough when your career is based mostly on word-of-mouth and networking. But, I can’t complain, you know? This is what I’ve chosen to do so, I just gotta make it work so, I can take care of myself and as of late, I’ve been doing well with that. So, to answer your question, I’m living great.”

“Well, look at you. An independent woman? I like it.” I chuckled, truly admiring how put-together she was. She had her own and that was a plus for me. That meant that I didn’t have to worry about any foul intentions because she was good with or without me.

“Well, you gotta be in this day and age,” she giggled, “so, what about you? How’s your morning going?” “Great. I’m actually about to get ready for a meeting at this house I’ve been working on since November last year.” “That must be exciting. Is that what an average day is like for you?” “Sort of,” I said, “I meet with clients, take phone-calls throughout the day from clients and partners alike, create designs, and then propose them to my team. It’s just me juggling a ton of responsibilities all day long.” “That can be tiring, huh?” “Yeah, but I love it. I love engaging tasks, you know? Something that keeps me involved.” “That’s so me. That’s why I love cooking. So, are you the boss, or do you work beneath someone else?” “No, no. I’m my own boss. I have my own firm, Neverson Associates. I have a team of people who work for me and handle different components of the business. I just opened up shop in February of last year so, I’m somewhat new on the scene, but it’s been lucrative nonetheless.” “That’s… motivational. I’m praying by the beginning of next year I’ll be set like that, with my own business and such.” she expressed, making me smile. I admired her ambition.

“It’ll happen for you. I can tell you want it enough and as long as you have the drive, your dreams will become a reality… Wow, I sounded very preachy and cliché just now, didn’t I?” “No, no, you sounded inspiring.” she assured through giggles as Broderick and Ted bursted into my office.

“Yo, yo, yo! Wassup?!” Broderick shouted, obnoxiously announcing his presence.

“Shh!” “Don’t shush me.” he argued, opening my black mini-fridge to grab a water. “Monica said that Sachs is en route, which means we need to go,” Ted said, pointing his thumb at the office-door, “let’s ride together so, we can tell you about last night. You missed out!” “Hello?” Janice sang, regaining my attention. “Sorry, gimme a second,” I grinned, that being replaced by a grimace as I placed my phone against my chest, “don’t you two see that I’m on the phone?” “Who you talking to?” Broderick asked. “None of your business. Just wait outside, I’ll be done in a minute.” “He rushed us here and he ain’t even ready. Typical Dane.” Broderick rumbled as Ted laughed and followed his lead outside of my office. I sighed. “Hello? Yeah, I’m sorry about that. My idiot-friends just barged in my office.” I chuckled smoothly. “They bother you at work?” “Well, they kinda work for me, and with me. We’re about to go see that house I mentioned earlier.” I informed her while sitting down at my desk. “Okay, I don’t wanna keep you any longer so, I’m gonna’ let you go. But, before I do,” she said before pausing, “this might be soon of me--” “And, soon can be good.” I interjected, eager to see what she had in mind. “It can be. So, Friday night, I’m gonna’ be apart of a bottle-tossing competition at my job. You’re welcome to come.” “Bottle-tossing competition?” I asked, genuinely not knowing what that was. Her cute giggles rang through the line again. “Well, the correct term for it is flair bartending. But, I basically do tricks while I make my own signature drinks. When I’m done, the highest bidder gets the drinks. And, if I get highest amount on my drinks, I win the competition.” “That sounds fun. I’ll be there,” I grinned, “and, I’ll be sure to buy every drink you make, too.” “Well, I hope I amount to your expectations, then,” she chuckled, “it’s my first time entering.” “So, where’s this gonna’ be at?” I pondered. “At Friday’s, the one near Home Depot. You know where that is, right?” “Yeah, yeah.” I assured as I picked up my black ink-pen and wrote down the details on the desk-calendar. “It’s at eight o’clock.” “Alright, you’ll see me then.” I smiled. “Okay,” she said and I could hear the smile in her voice, “and, just so you’re not bombarded and caught off-guard, my friends will be there, too.” Based on that, I knew that if I wanted to impress her, I would need to hit it off with her friends. If that weren’t the case, she wouldn’t have invited me out on a night where they were all present, considering the fact that we hadn’t even had any solo-time to get to know each other yet. So, I wasn’t even worried about them being there; I always made good first impressions.

“That’s fine.”

“Alright, then. I can’t wait to see you, Dane.” she confessed, expressing my sentiments exactly, though, hers sounded much more friendly. I was aiming for something a little more than just a friendship.

“I can’t wait to see you, either. I’ll talk to you later.” I grinned before she said bye and we hung up. Sitting my iPhone aside, I glanced down at the calendar-block and broke into another smile.

9PM with Janice on June 4th.

#me4u

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