#but she makes her voice light. 'it's MOM. i'm FINE. everyTHING WENT WELL.'

[kaikamahine]

.

[haveateadude]

bleak horizons

summary *. ⋆ ⋆·˚ yeah, okay. maybe you're sad.

warnings *. ⋆ ⋆·˚ depression, self-harm, mommy issues (dw there's A LOT of fluff and cuddles and hugging and it all ends up alright) this is just talked about but it can still be triggering!!!!! pls take care of yourselves!!!!!!!! my dms are open :)

author notes *. ⋆ ⋆·˚ wasn't planning on posting this but i love validation. also, this is not like cannon ellie i guess?? i did a really bad characterization bc i used this as a vent and i just wanted comfort lmao. hope this still makes y'all feel seen or fucking something. btw this first part is really boring hehe, i wrote this when i was in a rush and in a train and i was tired and sad so i don't mind if it flops lol

i hate this so much idk why i'm posting this as my first pots. aghh. here u go ig. don't hate on me. bye.

(not proofread, sorry abt that)

pt1 — pt2 — pt3

you look so out of it

pull it together

we can love you

forever and ever

I've recently moved in with Ellie after weeks of looking for someone to move in.

I had checked other apartments, but this was the one that didn't smell like there was a corpse under my feet, hidden from the light beneath the floor and it didn't look like it was haunted by ghosts. The walls weren't chipping away, also, so that was a plus. There's no denying that getting used to living with someone else was difficult, but it was the only alternative to live away from my parents. Not to mention I had developed feelings for Ellie—she's beautiful, with those eyes and auburn hair, and her tattoos just make her look fucking badass.

After a few weeks, I settled in with her: we both have a routine, and established unspoken rules, and now it's comfortable living with her.

Tonight was a lovely night—I had already finished everything I had to do, and I didn't have an exam until next week, probably—until I got a call from my mother. I know I can't run away from this one. She always threatens to unroll me from college and take me home when I don't answer her calls. And I know she's capable of doing so.

“Hello?” I said as I went out to the kitchen, to take a glass of water.

“You know, most people say something sweet when they answer their mother.”

I roll my eyes, even if she can't see me. It was just a fucking hello.

“What happened, Mom?” I ask, not wanting to fight.

She takes a second to answer, “Well—I was looking at some resources and there are a lot near your area…”

She takes a second to answer, “Well—I was looking at some resources and there are a lot near your area…”

“Resources about what?”

“Therapy. Conversion therapy.”

It takes all of myself not to gasp, or cry. I don't know. I hear Ellie going out of her room, and walking towards the kitchen. I don't care if she's here; I haven't been caring about anything these past few days.

“Okay,” Is all you say. I don't know how to answer, or what to do. I leave the glass on the aisle with trembling hands.

“That's all you have to say?”

“I—I don't know what you want me to say.”

“‘Thank you’, maybe?” I stay quiet, I don't want to thank her, I don't want her to speak to me ever again. “You could also get therapy for, you know…”

“For what, mother?”

“The cutting. Your scars—I always thought they looked repulsive. No one is going to lov—”

I hung up before she could say anything else. I hate her. I hate my mother. I can't even believe she's a mother, let alone mine. I suddenly feel the need to hurt, and I hate to admit it, but my mother has always been right about the way they look—so I just shut my eyes and try to breathe. It always helps—deep breathing, that is. I have to remind myself that I'm clean. I've been clean for months. Maybe even a year, I lost count.

“You okay?”

Ellie's voice almost makes me flinch, already having forgotten about her. I open my eyes as she walks over to me and lays her elbows on the aisle, while I rest my back on the counter behind her.

I look at her, with a knot in my throat, “I'm fine.”

“Your mother…” She makes a pause, short enough to not make me go crazy, “Is she, like, a pain in the ass?”

I chuckle at that as I cross my arms, “Yeah.”

“If it gets too bad, you can talk to me. I don't mind. And my dad has some contacts, we can maybe scare your mother away.”

“It's okay,” I tell her with a smile. “I can manage.”

“I know,” She smiles, and I can feel my heart fluttering in my chest.

Before I say anything I regret, I go to your room with my door open—a technique I've acquired to avoid hurting myself.

I sit at my desk and look up conversion therapy first, I want to know what this is all about—I know that it's harmful to people in the community, that it leaves you screwed and fucked up. I don't like what pops up on my screen, so I close the tab and go to another one—where I search for therapy. The real one.

I went to a lot of therapy sessions, but my mother was always behind them, so I don't know if it ever was effective. I like this one a lot better. It should be helpful. It will help, I know that for a fact.

I'm having dinner with Ellie, which we normally do—today we ordered, since we were hungry and it always takes a little while to prep a meal—when I think to ask her about the topic.

“Do you know any therapy center?” I ask her. “Or the number of a therapist? Whatever.”

If she's curious, she doesn't show it. She stops chewing on her food, then looks at me; then continues to chew, and after she swallows she speaks, “Sure, I have some friends that go to the same therapist, so it's completely trustworthy, I guess. I can ask for the number.”

I wipe my mouth with the napkin on my side, “Yeah, that'd be alright.”

Ellie takes a sip from her cup and then looks at me, “You okay, though…?”

“I'm fine, just—you know, making sure everything's okay.”

She nods, “Got it—I was just asking.”

After my first therapy session, I ended up tired. My therapist—which feels weird to say out loud and even in my head—is a nice lady in her thirties who looks like a hippie.

I've realized I tend to lie a lot—I didn't talk about self-harm or my mother. Or anything else, really. Just about the movie Speak, and then almost cried when talking about the weather.

So, “Yeah, it went well,” is my answer when Ellie asks how it went, sitting in her car. She picked me up since I had taken my car to maintenance.

“Okay, then,” she says once the car engine starts. She connects her phone to Bluetooth, and we listen to music for a while. Ellie places her hand on my knee when I start bouncing my leg, which sends shivers down my spine and gives my brain something to think of that isn't any of my shit. “Do you want to go eat something?”

“Sure,” I accept. Her thumb makes little circles on my knee. I wonder if she knows what she's doing, her eyes are still fixated on the road. My heart does the flutter thing that it did a few days back again, and my core heats up.

She doesn't want you, I try to convince myself. She's your friend, she doesn't want you. She will fall in love with you, not your brain nor your scars, and when she finds out about the way you think she'll leave.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we ordered a plate together, since we always share and the food here comes in big sizes that we wouldn't finish if we ate it separately.

When we arrive at the restaurant, we order a plate together, since we always share and the food here comes in big sizes that we won't finish if we ate it separately.

“So, how's work?” I ask when we're waiting for our food.

“It's going well, I guess.”

“You guess?”

"I just hate my boss."

I furrow my eyebrows, “do you want to talk about it?”

“It's fine, he just sucks. But well, Jesse is postulating to—you know, be a boss; that fucker.”

I chuckle, “Well, I like Jesse.” I soon realize what I said, and my cheeks go red. “Not in a, uh, romantic way or anything. You know. Fuck. He's just nice.”

“Just nice?”

“I like you better than him,” I blurt out, which only adds to my embarrassment.

Oh, oh.

I like Ellie.

Fuck, yeah. You do.

Who am I kidding, I knew I did. From the start—from the first time she looked at me, for the first time touched my hand and spoke to me; for the first time she played guitar for me and made dinner because she knew how tired I was.

Ellie is flushed. I can tell.

“Oh, do you?” She asks with a grin.

The waitress comes with our food, and leaves the plate. I look at her, she looks at me at Ellie and then leaves.

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and lay my elbow on the table, with my chin propped up in my hand.

“What if I do?”

She bites her lip, looks at mine and then at the food, “The food's getting cold.”

What the fuck. What the actual fuck. Did that actually happen, or was it my imagination? Holy shit. Shit! Fucking fuck.

It leaves me thinking, but my thoughts leave when I hear her laughter after I crack a joke.

We take the stairs up the apartment, and we laugh all the way up. We just laugh and laugh and laugh because she said something and now I'm almost falling to the floor from how much my stomach hurts.

“Stop,” I say when we get to our apartment door. I keep laughing because Ellie's laughing too and she can't open the door. “My stomach hurts.”

She looks at me and laughs. Idiot. I laugh, too.

“Hey!” We hear our neighbor say. “Quiet down!”

“We're sorry!” I exclaim back, as he closes his door.

Ellie giggles, “You're so fucking dumb, I'm not sorry at all.”

“Shut up,” I say.

“Oh, make me.”

And then—oh, god—and then, and then she looks at me as the curvature of my lips goes down, and then I kiss her.

I kissed her. I fucking did. Me, not her—not Ellie's brave and confident ass, but mine. The butterfly in my chest flutters harder when she kisses back. She puts both of her hands on my waist and deepens the kiss, while my hand moves from her cheeks to her neck, then finds its way to her torso.

Ellie manages to open the door without breaking the kiss, and then she shuts the door with her foot.

“We should—” I speak between kisses. “Ellie—couch.”

“Yeah, okay. Okay.”

Our tongues fight, but our souls mend and I find my way to her in every sense. 

[sprnklersplashes]

time won't fly (12/?) ao3 fanfic fundraiser buy me a coffee

I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine

Going to school the next morning honestly feels like waking up from a dream. After Heather went home on Saturday, she spent the rest of the day trying to work out what hell had just happened. Her mom had asked her who she was on Sunday, and remarked that she seemed nice and Martha should have her over sometime.

Her mom thinks Martha choking on her cereal was random. Martha keeps it that way, because she can’t even articulate what she has going on with Heather to herself, let alone explain it to her mother.

Thankfully, her mom doesn’t bring Heather up on the ride to school. They pull up outside in the station wagon, her mom’s fingers tight on the steering wheel. Martha braces herself and counts down in her head to the inevitable,

“Will you be okay?” Martha sighs and reaches over to pat her mom’s knee.

“You don’t have to ask me every morning,” she tells her. “I’m fine. Up and walking around and everything.”

“I know baby,” her mom says. Her face stays calm, but voice wobbles, and Martha knows she’s not just talking about the cast.

Truth be told, she doesn’t remember a lot about that night. She remembers standing on the bridge. She remembers letting go. She remembers the weightlessness, the feeling of floating that for just half a second felt like freedom. She remembers falling.

She thinks she remembers calling out for her mom as she fell, but she doesn’t know. She does remember her mom’s quiet sobbing as she sat by her hospital bed, begging her to open her eyes. She remembers her mom’s embrace, tighter than anything she’d ever known, and feeling like she was the worst person alive.

That feeling didn’t really go away. Especially now, when her mom is looking at the school the way she used to look at… well, the way she looked at Martha’s dad. Hard, cold, completely unforgiving.

“Mom.” She touches her shoulder, watching her snap back into reality. Despite what she feels inside, the chaos of that weekend marred with the guilt of putting her mom through that, she smiles, the perfect smile she saves just for her mom. “I’m going to be okay. Promise.”

Her mom sighs, a tiny smile breaking through her face. As she pats Martha’s hand, some of the tension leaves her shoulders.

“I know baby,” she says. “I’m just an old, old woman who worries too much.”

“You’re not.” She kisses her cheek, swift and light as a butterfly’s wing. “You’re amazing.”

The pink blush on her mom’s face almost makes Martha feel okay.

“You’re sweet. Now go. I don’t want you to be late.” Martha nods and clambers out of the car. Her joins twinge as she does, sharp stabs along her ankles and back, but she swallows it down.  It’s as if she puts the pain in some special compartment inside of her, so it’s never allowed to show on her face. 

“I love you!” she says again.

“I love you too!” The car shifts into gear and Martha steps back to let her mom pull out. “And ask your friend if she wants to come over again!”

“I will,” she replies, although it’s lost as her mom speeds off. Probably for the best. Asking Heather to come over is a fairytale even Martha isn’t naive enough to believe in.

Martha makes her way across the courtyard, weaving her way in and out of the crowd. A few of her fellow seniors pass her. Some walk by like she isn’t there. Some gawk at her and then look away, using their book to hide their muttered conversation. Martha forces herself not to look. They can pretend she doesn’t know what they’re saying; that’s the girl who jumped off the bridge. Look at her cast, her faded bruises. In the wake of Heather and Kurt and Ram, Martha is something of a rarity; a person who actually survives. The question on most people’s minds now is, “Do you think she actually did it?”.

Something burns in her chest, flickering like a furnace. She isn’t used to this attention. It’s not positive or negative; it’s almost neutral fascination. 

When “Dumptruck” is thrown her way, there’s a strange kind of relief to it. At least she knows what to do with it. 

The pair of football players crash into her as they pass and a cold laugh filling her ears. She could be nice and tell herself they didn’t see her cast, but she knows they don’t care. Even so, she lets it happen, feels the pain flow through her and the heat that follows. She bites her tongue, swallows the bitter taste in her throat and looks forward, then hoists her bag and heads into school.

Normal, she repeats in her head. Normal, normal, normal-

Then it stops.

As she’s ascending the stairs to the school building, something in her periphery catches her attention. From here she can just about see the football field, and Veronica sat in the bleachers, seemingly starting athe cordoned-off section of the field where the explosion was. 

Martha steps closer, pulled like a magnet to its opposite pole. She can’t make out Veronica’s face from this far away but even so, something in the air shifts. She remembers last week, when Veronica looked at that same damn spot from inside the school. It was troubling then and it’s troubling now. Ever since the pep rally, Veronica has been hiding behind empty smiles and kind words, coupled with promises that she was going to fix it all. And Martha had accepted it, because she was tired. She wanted the old days back too and accepted whatever would get them there.

A shiver runs through her. There is something Veronica isn’t telling her, something about that pep rally and, while this is more instinct than fact, JD. He’s sitting at the centre of all of this.

“Martha Dunnstock!” 

Martha jumps, snatched form her thoughts by the sound of Flemming’s voice. The crowd has thinned out now, just a few straggling freshmen behind. She checks the watch on her wrist and realises the first bell must have already gone. 

“I take it you know what time it is?” Fleming asks. Martha only nods. Fleming rolls her eyes, arms folded tightly across her chest. “Then get to homeroom.”

The protest dies on her lips. What would she even say? Veronica is sitting on the bleachers and there’s definitely something she isn’t telling me about her dead boyfriend? She takes a breath and starts up the steps. Her knee twinges painfully and she takes in a swift breath.

She isn’t looking for sympathy. But Fleming shakes her head at her and the bitterness is as potent as it is unexpected.

“You know, if you had tried another way, maybe you wouldn’t have these problems,” she says dryly. She shakes her head once more, tutting at Martha’s ineffective suicide plan. “Homeroom starts in five minutes. Don’t expect grace just because your knee hurts.”

With that, Mrs Fleming disappears up the steps and through the doors. First, all Martha can do is stand and stare, mouth agape, leg getting more painful by the second. She was never under any illusions about her place, or what people think of her, or even Mrs Fleming herself. But something unfamiliar is taking hold of her, rising from some dark and damp part of her she wasn’t aware existed. Her hand tightens on the railing, her mouth is dry. Her knee twinges again, but this time she doesn’t cry.

You bitch echoes in her head, directed like an arrow at Fleming. She tries to dampen it and sweep it away, because she doesn’t swear and you can’t say that about a teacher. But it’s stubborn, and it remains in her head the whole way to her homeroom.

She gets there before the bell. Fleming looks surprised to see her there.

Martha resolved to forget that morning. She made it through homeroom in one piece, despite her leaning so hard on her pen it broke. Veronica had gave her another one though, followed by a soft smile that made everything feel okay for a few minutes. Until the image of Veronica sat on the bleachers flashed in her mind, Martha was actually feeling content. 

As she let Veronica walk her to first period, the questions bounced around her mind like a ricocheting bullet. ‘What happened, what aren’t you telling me, what did JD do, what did you do?’. Not once did these show on her face, because nine times out of ten, she can keep these things at bay. And honestly, it kind of helps that Veronica is so committed to fending off bullies she overlooks it.

Second period is English, one of the classes she doesn’t have with Veronica. Veronica promises to save her a seat at lunch before she leaves, a squeezed hand and a quick hug before she departs. The moment is cut short by someone yelling “Lesbo!” behind them. Because of course it is. Veronica whirls on them, eyes flashing, but Martha shakes her head.

“It’s fine,” she says quietly. Veronica’s is stiff around hers, almost more like marble than human. Martha swallows her unease and taps her shoulder, forcing her to face her. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Veronica mutters “okay”. She glares daggers at the culprit as she leaves, red scrunchie half-hiding in her hair. Martha slinks back into the wall, hoping to stay out of sight and thinking she’s succeeding until a flash of yellow appears beside her.

“Hey.” Heather’s voice is slightly breathy, her cheeks pink like she’d rushed here. She’s smiling though, and Martha still can’t quite compute that she’s smiling at her. The theme to Jaws should be playing in the background. 

“Hi,” she replies.

“Hey Heather!” The voice booms through the hallway and when they look they see Tyler Connard, tight end, eyeing up Heather like she’s a poster on his wall. “Since when do you talk to Dumptruck?”

Martha’s cheeks burn. By contrast, Heather regards him coolly, her eyes flick up and down. Finally, the Heather Martha recognises is here.

“Since when do I have to run my friends by you?” she asks. A couple of ‘ooh’s rise from the crowd, but Martha sees their faces. It’s one big joke to them; the idea of her and Heather being friends. If they only knew that it’s just as bizarre to her. 

Tyler creeps closer and Martha curses her English teacher. How long can it take to wrap up a conversation?

Tyler is in front of them, eyes narrowed, waiting for Heather to drop the act. Bring out a pig with a purple sweater on. Heather stands still, untouched by his bravado. Like with Veronica, Martha thinks of marble, but where Veronica was cold and inhuman, Heather is powerful. So many beautiful things are carved from marble and she understands why.

“I don’t need to explain myself to you Tyler,” Heather says. She smirks, sharp as a knife. “Maybe I like hanging out with someone who can pass this class without her daddy sending money.” 

And Martha can admit; her knees buckle just a bit. She knows she said she wanted the Heathers to be nicer and having her sharp wit on her side? Pardon her language but well, damn.

Tyler scoffs, rolls his eyes.

“Whatever. Let me know when you remembe who your friends are,” he says as he leaves.

“Were you guys even friends before?” Martha asks. Heather shakes her head, lips pressed together and then they burst out laughing. And best of all, Tyler’s face is red as a damn tomato. 

Despite the high she felt before class, it doesn’t take long for Martha’s thoughts again turn to Veronica. She doodles circles on the page while her mind replays the image from this morning over and over. Each time a new detail comes into focus until Martha can’t tell what’s memory and what’s imagination. 

She was never a fan of JD. Granted, he and Veronica got together after they had stopped talking and it should be none of her business. But there was always something lurking in his eyes that sent shivers down her spine. Not the way the Heathers did. He was something different, so different that she convinced herself she was overreacting.

Well, what if she wasn’t?

Her train of thought is interrupted by two things; the bell ringing and then soon after, Tyler knocking her textbook off her table. It lands with a heavy thud on the floor, and Tyler’s friends applaud like he scored a touchdown.

And Martha’s hands are shaking. She presses them to the table as she rises. It’s stiflingly hot in the room or, wait, no. That’s her. Tyler is saying it was an accident and Miss Henderson is sighing sympathetically, because she’s not going to go out of her way for her. It’s not malicious. It’s just the way it is. It’s the way it is; jocks are rude and her teahcers ignore it and her best friend pulls way from her and it’s all-

“Bullshit,” she says.

Everyone falls quiet. Miss Henderson’s mouth is hanging open. Even Heather blinks owlishly at her.

“Miss Dunnstock, what did you say?”

“I said it’s bullshit.” The word is unfamiliar on her tongue, syllables struggling to get comfortable, but she doesn’t stop. “Tyler saying it was an accident is bullshit, and it’s bullshit that you were going to accept it and all of it is…” She sighs and retrieves her book. The pain in her back is blistering. “Bullshit.”

No-one knows what to say. When Veronica established the new social order at Westerberg, did she imagine Martha swearing in it?

She wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. Honestly, she feels as if she has stepped outside her body and is watching her with the same open-mouthed expression as the rest of them.

Finally, Miss Henderson gives her a weak, “Let’s use more appropriate language, Miss Dunnstock. You can spend your lunch period with me today”. 

Anger flares up again, but this time she holds it back. Tyler will swan off into the hallway with no repercussions for anything, ever. It’s the way it is. She had accepted it a long time ago. Or at least thought she did. 

“Fine,” she says flatly. She gathers her stuff and storms out of the classroom, not even waiting for Heather to catch up. 

There’s still a part of her standing outside of her body; her eyes are wide and she is asking “what did we just do?”. She tries to answer, but it turns out she has absolutely no idea. 

By the end of the school day, a small pain has buried itself in Martha’s right temple and made its presence known. Ironically, it’s slightly helped by the fact that she spends her lunch period in a quiet classroom, but she’s fairly certain the cause isn’t physical.

She’s not sure whether Heather’s presence at her side as they walk to her locker is making it worse, but she won’t tell her to leave. 

“So I saw Tyler at lunch,” she tells her as they reach her locker. “God he’s such a douche. He was just walking around all smug like he owned the place. I swear I actually wanted to…” She trails off. Her free hand is in the air, curled into a fist and punching at something Martha can’t see.”You know?”

“Yeah. I know,” she mutters. Heather leans against the lockers, binder held tight against her chest. “Did you talk to him much. You know… before?” 

“I guess a little bit,” she shrugs. “I mean, he was friends with Ram so by definition, I was in his circle. Boyfriend’s friend and all that.”

Martha makes a small non-committal noise as if she knows, but she doesn’t really. Her closest frame of reference is Veronica, but it’s hard to tell how much of their distance was due to JD. 

“Hey, did you see Veronica at all?”

“Huh?” she asks. “Well, yeah. She’s in my French class.”

“How was she?” Martha asks. She’s only had one class with Veronica today and while she talked and smiled and seemed fine, none of it felt normal. It was a performance, from beginning to end, and the small breaks she took when she thought Martha couldn’t see brought her right back to this morning. Standing on the steps, Veronica on the other side of a fence and on another planet too. Something is tugging on her, something she’s carrying alone and won’t trust Martha with. 

Veronica doesn’t need to tell her about it. She doesn’t.

“She was fine, I guess,” she says. “Quiet. A bit spaced out.” She traces patterns on her binder. “She looked out the window a lot.”

“What was she looking at?” she asks like she doesn’t already know. The windows in the language block overlook the football field. 

Her locker slams closed. Heather jumps, a small, mouse-like squeak escaping her. Martha’s chest heaves, her breathes coming in slow, heavy pants.

“Sorry,” she mutters, but it’s more of an instinct. Adjusting the bow in her hair, she tells Heather she’ll see her later and heads off, the pain in her temple pulsing in time with her steps.

“Where are you going?” Heather had asked before she left. Martha thinks she answered her, but it’s hard to tell over the ringing in her ears. She hopes she didn’t though. She doesn’t want Heather to follow her. 

Not many people use the exit in the left wing of the school. It’s down past the gym, at the end of a corridor that constantly smells like body spray and sweat. Martha narrowly avoids a puddle on the floor made by careless water bottles being thrown. The handful of PE teachers and sports stars look at her with bewildered expressions, the way you’d look at a polar bear you see out of its habitat. Her gym teacher tries to strike up a conversation with her, but she mumbles and excuse and ploughs on.

When she pushes the door open, she’s greeted by a blast of cold air and a sheet of rain against her face. It’s not too bad, at least, that’s what she tells herself when she steps outside. Within minutes she’s shivering, and at least twice she takes off her glasses to clean them. 

Still, she finds what she’s looking for. A black and blue blur sitting on top of the bleachers with her knees pulled to her chest, staring intensely at that spot on the field. 

She’s so focussed that at first, she doesn’t notice Martha crossing the field and climbing the bleachers. Martha tries not to be annoyed about it, but with the wind and the rain and the pain in her temple, it’s hard to balance it all at once. 

She drops her bag on the bench beside her, the sound slightly muted by the rain. Veronica jumps anyway.

“Hey,” she says. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” she asks. Veronica’s mouth opens, then closes. With a shaking hand, she pushes her hair away from her face. If Martha is cold, then Veronica in her short skirt and thin blazer must be freezing. 

“I just… I had something to take care of out here.”

“On the football field?” she asks. “Didn’t you take care of it this morning?”

“You saw that?” she asks. Martha nods, unsure what she means. It’s not like she’s ever subtle with it. 

Veronica rises and wraps her arms around herself. Her eyes move from Martha to the steps and back to Martha, searching for something. Martha takes a breath and holds it. This could be it; she could get all her answers without having to ask a single question.

“You shouldn’t be climbing steps like that,” is all she says. “Not with your leg.”

“My leg is fine!” she shouts, despite the ache in her knee reappearing. Her doctor did say strenuous exercise and cold are bad for it. “It doesn’t matter. What are you doing out here?”

“I’m sorry,” Veronica sighs. “I’m sorry, you’re right, I should’ve met you at your class-”

“I don’t give a single shit about my class,” she cries. “I don’t care about whether you met me there or not. I’ve been leaving class alone for a while and I’m a big girl. What I do care about is what is going on with you and why you’re always at this fucking football field.”

Veronica’s mouth falls open. All she can do is stare at her, open-mouthed, droplets of rain falling from her hair and her blazer getting darker. Martha isn’t sure what she feels, regret and rage and shame and pride, but she knows the combination is making her dizzy.

“You just swore,” Veronica finally says. “Twice.”

“Three times,” she corrects her. “I called Miss Henderson bullshit.”

“Oh.” She shakes her head. “I guess that’s where you were at lunch?”

“Yeah.”

She nods, though calling it that is generous. More of a slight incline of her head. Then she lets out a slow, shuddering breath. She looks up at the sky and Martha follows, the rain running down her cheeks. When Veronica looks at the field again, Martha does the same. She sees the sagging police tape, the scorched grass, the earth beneath where grass as ripped off. What is Veronica seeing that she isn’t?

“This is about JD isn’t it?” she asks. Veronica nods. Through the rain and the low light, Martha looks harder. There’s a reason she’s fairly good at English; a book is a series of clues. All Martha does is follow them, and that’s what she’s doing now. This is where JD died, she knows that much. 

“You watched him do it.” She had told everyone she got here too late but0

Veronica nods again. This time, her face creases. She presses a hand to her face, muffled sobs joining the rain. Martha is speechless. She wants to kick herself, for a brief moment, she wants to throw herself down the bleachers.

“Veronica-”

“JD wasn’t…” She hiccups, shudders, squeezes her eyes shut. Droplets of rain fly as she shakes her head. “He wasn’t… perfect.”

“No?” Dread grows in her gut, familiar in its darkness. More than anything, she doesn’t want it to be true. She wishes she could make it not true. “How not perfect?”

“I don’t-he was… I can’t-”

“Like my dad?” she whispers. It feels wrong to say it, but it’s her only frame of reference. Walls shaking, arguments floating up the stairs to her locked bedroom. Her, shaking in the corner with her hands over her ears as the front door slammed shut again. 

Veronica wipes her cheek, shakes her head. Martha should be relieved, but the stone in her gut won’t budge.

“He-he wasn’t like your dad,” she admits quietly. “Except…” Her breaths quicken, short puffs of smoke bursting from her mouth. “Yeah.”

Sobs tear through her body, coming from some deep and primal place. They don’t even sound human. Whatever force was holding her up snaps and she all but collapses into Martha’s arms and they hit the bench together. Veronica sobs and sobs and Martha lets her, all the while processing what Veronica just said.

She doesn’t want to feel vindicated. She doesn’t want to feel that she was right and that every gut feeling she had about JD was right. The dark, almost shark-like quality to his eyes, how he always looked to be plotting something. She doesn’t want to declare that she knew, but she did. At the same time, she didn’t. 

Every time she saw Veronica with JD, she seems so in love it was hard to watch. It was the kind of love Martha associated with stories. Buttercup and Wesley. Cinderella and Prince Charming. It was such a confusing contrast that Martha decided to chalk it up to her imagination.

Above everything though, Martha searches for the clarity that should have come with this answer. Everything makes sense to some degree now; Veronica’s frightened eyes and her obsession with the football field, the way she keeps twitching like she’s expecting someone to grab her. All the evidence is here. 

And yet, there’s still some missing piece she can’t grab. It’s a gut feeling and while she’s spent most of her life ignoring them, this one feels different.  

Veronica sobs into her shoulder, muttering apology after apology, and Martha keeps telling her it’s all okay. It dawns on her how many times she has said it since September. She said it to Veroncia and her mom and to herself and to the teachers who complained about her grades slipping.  She kept saying it and it became less true each time, until it led to her at the bottom of a ravine. No-one in this school feels fine.

With Veronica’s shaking body pressed against her, she opens her eyes and finds the spot again. There is no going back; they are tearing at the seams and all Martha can do is wonder what will be left of them when they explode. 

[millsluthor]

Could u do a Olivia benson x reader where reader sees Olivia as a mother figure and Olivia finds out or something

Hope u r well 🫶

hii, i'm good now. And you??

Here it is, i hope you like! ♡

The air was tense as the squad worked through the night, trying to piece together the details of a high-stakes case. You were out in the field with Fin when things went sideways. A suspect, cornered and desperate, lashed out. Before you could react, you were on the ground, pain radiating from your side as everything blurred.

When you woke up, the first thing you noticed was the harsh white light of a hospital room. The second was the soft murmur of voices nearby. You blinked groggily, your head pounding, as the words became clearer.

“She took a nasty hit, but she’s stable,” the doctor was saying. “Thank God,” a familiar voice replied. You turned your head slightly, and there she was Captain Olivia Benson, standing with her arms crossed, her expression a mixture of relief and worry. She glanced toward you and immediately moved closer. “Y/N,” she said gently, her voice steadier than the emotions you could see in her eyes. “How are you feeling?”

You tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in your ribs made you wince. Olivia was at your side in an instant, her hand on your shoulder to keep you from moving. “Easy,” she said. “You took a bad fall. You need to rest.”

“I’m okay,” you managed, though your voice was weak. “Is the case..?”

“The case can wait,” she interrupted, her tone firm but kind. “Right now, I’m more concerned about you.”

You blinked, surprised by the intensity in her voice. Olivia wasn’t one to show her emotions so openly, especially not in front of her team.

“I’m fine,” you said again, though the words felt hollow. Olivia didn’t look convinced. She pulled a chair closer and sat beside your bed, her gaze unwavering.

“Y/N, you scared the hell out of me out there,” she admitted quietly. “When I got the call, all I could think about was getting to you.”

Her words made your throat tighten. You hadn’t realized how much your accident might have affected her.

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” you said softly.

She smiled faintly, but the worry in her eyes lingered. “You’re part of my team. Of course I’m going to worry.”

Something about the way she said it made you hesitate. You’d always seen Olivia as more than just your captain, but hearing her care for you so openly was almost overwhelming. You looked away, your hands fidgeting with the edge of the blanket.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice gentle. You hesitated, unsure if this was the right time—or if there ever would be a right time—to say what you’d been holding onto for so long. But the words slipped out before you could stop them.

“It’s just... you’ve always been there for me. More than anyone ever has.” Olivia tilted her head, her expression softening.

“That’s my job, Y/N. I’m here to support you.”

“It’s more than that,” you said quickly, your voice trembling. ��You’re more than that.” You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to look at her. “I never really had a mom. Not one who cared, anyway. And... being around you, working with you, it’s felt like having the mom I always wished I had.”

The room fell silent. You held your breath, afraid of how she might react. When Olivia finally spoke, her voice was thick with emotion.

“Y/N...” You dared to glance up, and to your surprise, her eyes were shining with tears. “I had no idea you felt that way,” she said softly.

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” you admitted. “I didn’t want to make things weird or cross any lines. But after today... I guess I just wanted you to know.”

She reached out, her hand covering yours. “Thank you for telling me,” she said, her voice steady despite the emotions in her eyes. “And for what it’s worth, I care about you too. More than just as part of my team.”

Your chest tightened, and you felt a lump in your throat. “You do?”

“Of course I do,” Olivia said firmly. “You’re family to me, Y/N. And if you see me as a mother figure, then I’ll do everything I can to be that for you.” Her words hit you like a tidal wave.

Tears welled in your eyes, and you quickly wiped them away, embarrassed. “Sorry,” you mumbled, laughing weakly. “I didn’t mean to get all emotional.”

“Don’t apologize,” Olivia said with a soft smile. “It’s okay to feel things. Especially after what you’ve been through.”

For the first time in a long time, you felt a sense of peace. The void you’d carried for so long didn’t feel so heavy anymore. “Thank you,” you said quietly, your voice thick with emotion.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Olivia replied. “Just promise me you’ll take better care of yourself. I don’t want to get another call like that again.”

You smiled faintly, the warmth in her gaze easing the ache in your chest. “I promise.”

As she sat with you, her presence steady and comforting, you realized something: you weren’t alone anymore.

You had found a family in her, a mother in her. And for the first time, you believed you were exactly where you were meant to be.

[runningfrom2am]

on the one screen in my town; one

summary:

mason’s life with drew was absolutely perfect, she was happier than ever; until everything came crashing down all at once.

tags/warnings:

drew starkey x fem!popstar!oc, drug and alcohol use, death, grief, these tags are not exhaustive, idk i'll add to this as it goes on.

wc: 2.3k

this is the first plot chapter from the same universe as my oneshot kinda famous! i did the poll ab whether or not i should continue it as an x reader or if you guys were cool with me using the oc it was originally written with and a large majority said it was fine so everyone meet mason! (and este slayyyy)

i hope you guys enjoy!

requests

nav/masterlists

series masterlist

"No, Mom, I'm just not sure about this one. I feel like it's just not me," Mason said, tugging at the top of the thirteenth white dress she had tried on that day.

"Honey, it's gorgeous, but this isn't about what I think anyways. Get whatever one calls your name," her mom, Catherine, replied from the couch behind her, catching her eye in the mirror.

"I'm so tired, let's call it a day and come back another time," Mason insisted, turning to face her mom and her best friend.

"Mase, this is the fourth designer we've met with. And every last dress you've tried on has been amazing," Este said. "Just don't forget, they can change anything you want."

Mason let out a sigh as she turned again to face the mirror. "Yes, dear, what don't you like about this one?" the designer asked, fiddling with the train.

"Well, nothing in particular. The neckline feels off... and the bodice, I don't like where it sits on the waist."

"Then that's a no. Just try one more, dear. Try this one!" Her mom grinned, putting her champagne glass on the table, grabbing the designer's 2024 portfolio, and pointing to the dress on the cover.

"Okay, yeah, let's try that one," Mason agreed, nodding, stepping off the pedestal, and lifting the mass amounts of the dress's fabric with the help of the designer's assistants.

With their help, she went back into the changing room, removed the billowing dress, and sat down with her phone as the assistant took the one-of-a-kind wedding dress away. Mason was met with no less than one hundred notifications on her phone, texts from friends and colleagues, and her agent had called no less than three times even though she was technically on vacation. The only thing she was interested in was calling Drew. She opened his contact and hit call, his name lighting up the screen as she put it on speaker, then opened Twitter while she waited for him to answer.

"Hey, my love, how's dress shopping?" Drew's voice echoed through the small speakers as Mason scrolled through endless photos of the crowd forming outside the studio she was currently in, and some pictures in the windows that they thought were fully closed were already making headlines.

"You know I can't tell you that," she laughed slightly, shaking her head.

"Sure you can, I just can't see it. Find the one?"

"Nope," she shook her head, despite him not being able to see her. "I'm trying on one more, then we're calling it a day."

Mason heard some shuffling and laughter in the background on his end as he spoke. "You're real picky about this one, huh? You were less particular at last year's Met."

"Is that Mason?" he was interrupted by a voice she instantly recognized as Madelyn. "Hi, Mason! We miss you!" she shouted into the phone, making her friend smile.

"Hi, Mads! Hey, can I fly out to see you guys in the morning?" Mason replied, chewing on her lip a little and standing as the curtain slid open and the assistant returned with the last dress.

"Yeah, of course. I'll call Amanda and get her to book your flights for you. Does Este want to come?"

"Duh," Mason giggled, putting down her phone and raising her arms so the young girl could slide the dress on. She couldn't help but notice her hands shaking, just slightly. "I've got to go, love, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," Drew agreed. "Love you!" he said before he hung up the phone.

The dress was now settling over her shoulders as the nervous assistant clipped the back. "Are you alright?" Mason asked, turning her head slightly to try and get a glimpse at the girl.

"Yes, ma'am," she said softly, her voice slightly shaking.

"You don't have to call me that," Mason chuckled and shook her head, holding up her hair.

"I do, my boss insists on it with all her clients."

"What's your name?" Mason smiled as she asked, trying to get the girl to relax.

"It's Melissa. I don't want to be weird, but I'm a big fan of yours and I've always wanted to design something for you. I'm a student still, but your Met looks are always my favorite," she rambled on nervously.

Mason's smile grew at this. "Aw, thank you, Melissa. I'd be honored to wear your work someday."

Melissa blushed. "Thank you, that means a lot to me," she finished tying up the back and took a step back, picking up the train and fluffing it out. "While my boss isn't here, can I make a suggestion?"

"Of course," Mason replied. "You don't like this one?"

"No! No, I love it, it's stunning. I just think maybe it would suit your style more if we extended the train, then brought down the waistline just a little bit, and maybe did a bunch back here above the hips, then coated the whole thing in silver Swarovski diamonds. It will just scream Mason more, you know?" she said, trying to explain the vision as best she could as Mason nodded through the whole thing.

"You... are actually a genius," the star replied, nodding enthusiastically.

Melissa smiled wide, clapping her hands together and bouncing on her toes excitedly. "Yay! We can make that happen. One hundred percent."

"Let's go get my Mom's thoughts first," Mason joked, letting Melissa help her with the dress as they walked back out to the viewing room.

"Mason, that is stunning, honey. What do you think?" Catherine asked as Melissa adjusted the train so everyone could see the full vision.

"I really love it," her daughter agreed, looking at herself in the mirror, for the first time being able to see the whole thing. She smoothed out the front gently, turning a little bit and looking herself over. "Este? What do you think?"

Este nodded quickly, taking the final sip out of her champagne glass. "It's beautiful."

"Okay, yes, but I think I want to make some adjustments—could that be arranged?" Mason asked, looking briefly and smiling at the young girl now standing at the edge of the room.

"Yes, dear. Anything," the famous designer nodded, standing next to her in the mirror.

"I'm thinking we lower where the waistline lands, to like here, and then bunch it in the back right here, so it has more of that draping effect, and then extend the train and cover the whole thing in fine diamonds. So it looks like a silver fabric, almost..." Mason explained as the designer frantically took down notes and snapped at her assistant to grab the measuring tape.

"Yes! That will be perfect," the woman instantly agreed. "How long do you want the train? About four yards?"

"Maybe five..." Mason thought out loud, looking back to her mom and best friend for approval, and they both nodded in agreement. "And can we order a matching veil as well, please? I'd like our initials embroidered on it as well. Just above my left shoulder, I think."

"Consider it done, my dear," the designer nodded. "We'll send you some samples of material and fonts for that, and you can take your pick."

"Thank you," Mason smiled. "Oh, and can we please have them sent to my mother's address? I don't need Drew feeling nosy and opening my packages." She giggled, looking back at her mom and best friend, who had been awfully quiet.

"Oh, guys, c'mon. Don't do that," Mason chuckled, covering her face with her hands as she saw their eyes fill with tears.

"I'm sorry, honey, I just..." her mom sniffled, grabbing a tissue from the coffee table in front of them. "You look so beautiful, and it just makes me so happy to see how much you have grown in the last few years and how happy and successful you are. I am just so proud of you. That's all."

"Oh, mom, oh my god now I'm going to cry!" she laughed, already feeling tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to blink them away, fanning her face with her hands and tipping her head back.

"No, c'mon. You can cry, babe," her best friend laughed, already wiping her own tears. "Please actually do, it'll make us feel less weird about it."

She nodded, noticing Melissa standing next to her now with another tissue box and holding it up to her. She laughed a little as she took it, thanking her and dabbing it under her eyes. "You just did such a good job on my makeup this morning, I don't want to ruin it," she said to her friend, a smile still stuck on her cheeks.

"It's going to be beautiful. I just can't wait for the wedding," her mom smiled, taking a deep breath to try and level her head.

"Oh, god," she laughed. "It's just all going by so fast, you know?"

With only eight months left until the wedding, she had to make it her constant priority. She had hardly had a moment to think about anything else. Of course, it was so much fun and such an exciting time; but pretty much since the moment Drew proposed the media had labeled it 'the wedding of the decade', which had put so much pressure on both her and Drew.

"Yes, and you need to enjoy every second," her mom smiled.

"Oh! Speaking of, Este, we're flying out to Charleston in the morning. Drew's manager should be sending our tickets to you any minute." She tells her friend who nods, giving her a thumbs up with a crumpled-up tissue still in her hand, tears still fresh in her eyes.

"I'll be ready."

"Will you hold on to the fabric samples, Mom?" Mason asks her mom with a sniffle as Melissa helps her gather up the fabric of the dress to go get changed.

"Yes, of course, dear."

"Mom, wait- you should come with us!" Mason says, stopping in her tracks and turning again to face her mom, catching Melissa off guard as she struggles to make sure the dress doesn't tear. "I'll get Drew to get you a ticket as well, it can be a girl's trip." 

Her mom smiles back at her, shaking her head. "I appreciate the invitation honey, but you should go be with Drew. I've got brunch with Andrea tomorrow anyways, I hardly ever get the chance to meet up with her." Catherine insists.

"That reminds me, could you let her know that she and Taylor will be getting invitations to the bachelorette trip in the coming weeks? Este has already sent them out," Mason says continuing her way to the dressing room slowly and looking to her friend who nods in confirmation.  

She quickly gets changed back into her day clothes, passing on her card to the designer to take down the information and grabbing Melissa's social media for future reference before they make their break for the back door where their driver had been waiting. To no avail, however, considering at this point that the whole back alley was even swamped with fans and people holding cameras, immediately flashing at them as the door opens.

The environment goes from relaxed to chaotic in a second, and out of habit, Mason smiles wide as her mom and friend are quickly ushered by security into their waiting car. "We have a few minutes to chat with people, yeah?" She smiles at the guard who nods, taking place at her side as she walks up to the makeshift fence around the car.

Among screams of her name and cameras flashing in her face, she makes out a question from who she assumes is a journalist. "Mason! Did you find your dress? Can you show us?"

Mason turns her attention to them, handing back a phone to a fan who asked her to sign the case. "Uh, well, I can't share much right now, but I'm feeling good today!" She laughs, waving at a few fans and reaching over the barrier to give someone a hug.

"How's Drew doing? Is he still in Charleston?" The fan asks as she pulls away, and Mason decides to focus her energy on the fans from here on. 

"He's great! Yeah, they're still filming in Charleston. It's the final season! I'm so excited about it." She grins, nodding and giving a quick wave over her head.

"Are you going to have another song in this season?" The fan asks.

"I can't share that, unfortunately," Mason says, tapping the young girl's arm to draw her attention down and giving her a quick and subtle thumbs up, making both of them smile.

Mason moves down the line, giving people hugs and signing things, almost in tears by the time she steps back to the car with an arm full of letters and bracelets and little handmade gifts. "Thank you! Thank you guys- it was so nice to meet everyone!" She calls out, waving an awkward goodbye before climbing in the back seat.

She sighs with a smile as the security pushes everyone back so they can drive away, placing everything on the empty seat next to her and Este starts to shift through everything.

"They're so sweet, hey?" Mason sighs happily, giving another quick wave out the window.

"They're lovely." Catherine agrees, looking back from the passenger seat of the car. 

"Did anyone ask you about Drew?" Este asks curiously, holding up a letter to the light so she can read the envelope.

"Of course." Mason giggles as they pull out into the street. "Doesn't bother me, though."

"No, of course not." Este agrees. "I just wish they could focus more on you and your music, you put so much work into all your projects I just think that should be the focus when they meet you."

"Right now everything is about me and Drew. After the wedding I'm sure it will shift back to normal, you know?" Mason insists, opening a different envelope to read it.

"I hope so." Her friend sighs. "You did this yourself, it's important to me that you remember that. That's all."

Mason looks over at her friend, tilting her head at her. "Let's be honest, babe, I wouldn't be where I am without him. I don't mind giving him the credit he deserves at least for widening my audience."

Este nods and smiles at her friend, already worried that she's losing her to his shadow.

taglist: @veescorneroftheworld, @totalswag, @madelynie, @cecesrings, @slut4drudy, @mutual-mendes, @winterrrnight, @sadfury, (lmk if you want to be added!!)

also let me know what you guys want me to post from this next! more plot? maybe a oneshot like their first date or the proposal? give me absolutely all your thoughts :) and send me an ask with any ideas for this!

[differenteagletragedy]

I made an OC and eleven whole people (including me) wanted to know more about her, so here is a little intro. Thank you and I hope you can grow to love her too :)

Ramona stood at the edge of the crowd, wide brown eyes taking in everything around her. She held her hands in front of her, pulling and twisting them in shaky, anxious motions. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or panic.

It wasn’t that she was nervous, not exactly. She’d been to the country club plenty of times before with her moms, and this wasn’t her first formal event either. She loved dressing up, so the fluffy dress she wore, all colors and rainbows and sparkles, and the heels, as high as Mom would let her get away with at 13, were adding confidence, not taking it away. Her brown hair that she normally wore loose and free with its wild waves was tied back in an elegant style, which only contributed to her feeling of poise. It was more the anticipation that was setting her on edge.

There was a feeling of possibility in the air. She was changing, growing up, and she was standing alone in a sea of people, waiting for someone to notice her. The waiting, and the yearning that came with it, was what was making her wring her hands and bounce lightly on the balls of her feet.

“Excuse me,” a voice said off to her side, pulling her out of her thoughts. “Are you looking for a dance partner?”

She glanced over to the source of the question, and there he was. A boy who towered over her, but looked to be about her age, if not a little older. He wore a well-fitted grey suit, and black hair swooped artfully over his warm brown eyes.

There were several things she wanted to say in response, and truthfully, a few noises that almost came out – this boy was beautiful. But, as it often happened with her, everything she meant to express got caught in her throat, an innate sort of fear choking them down. So instead, she nodded.

The boy gave her a lazy smile and held his hand out. A wordless invitation. She could work with that.

Ramona rose a shaky hand to place in his waiting one. She felt a squeeze, and he gently led her onto the dancefloor.

She wasn't a dancer, but she'd had a lesson or two at the Cypress over the years so she managed to hold her own well enough. But she quickly learned that it didn't matter if she'd been a professional or if she'd only just learned to walk: the boy took the lead, and with a firm hand on the small of her back and the other still grasping her own, he was in control of both of their movements.

He didn't speak as he took them across the space, and so of course she didn't either. She did, however, sneak little glances up at him, wanting to etch his face into her memory so she could keep this moment for as long as possible. When one of those glances caught him looking back at her, she felt her cheeks get hot, and she felt the chuckle rise up in his chest before it came out of his mouth.

"My apologies," he said after a moment, when she felt so flushed that she might as well have been burning. "It wasn't my intention to embarrass you, I'm sorry if that's what I've done."

She braved a glance upward again, and saw that he was smiling more easily now, wide enough that his teeth showed and she saw the dimples in his cheeks. It seemed that despite his apology, he was enjoying himself.

"It's fine," Ramona managed to squeak out. And then, as an afterthought, "Don't let it happen again."

There was that smile again -- it went to his eyes, lighting them up, and she could have sworn then and there, in her infinite 13-year-old wisdom, that he was the prettiest boy she'd ever meet in her entire life.

Far too soon, the song was over, and the boy stepped back. He offered a small bow, another lovely grin, then said, "Thank you for the dance. You have nice legs."

Before she could respond, he'd slipped back into the crowd. She was alone again. But this time, instead of anxiously awaiting what the night could turn into, she had this strange, incredible experience to reflect on.

"What the fuck was that?" she muttered to herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Three years later, Ramona was asking herself a similar question, but unfortunately it didn't come from that same place of wonder. Instead, it came from a place of heartache.

Her first boyfriend had broken up with her, and she was lying on her bed crying. Cove sat on his knees on the floor, elbows propped up next to her and trying to think of ways to console his best friend.

"Please don't cry," he said earnestly, reaching out a hand to pat her shoulder. "He's not worth it."

"I know he's not," she answered quickly, "but I'm still sad."

Cove didn't know what to say in this situation, but for her, his presence was enough. She tried to soak up his warmth to blot out the darkness crowding her thoughts -- a notion she realized even then was ridiculously melodramatic, but it felt good to lean into that at the moment.

She ran her fingers along her bedspread, tracing over the bright pattern. Her eyes skated around her room, full of colors and packed with trinkets -- an explosion of rainbows and cuteness and sunshine. With a room like that, she always thought, she could scare away the real darkness.

There was a knock at the door, and before she could answer, Liz stuck her head in. Before she could get out whatever snarky remark she had planned, she saw the state of her little sister, and her expression softened.

"What's up?" she asked, looking away from Ramona and to Cove, who quickly explained the situation.

"Oh, baby sister," Liz sighed, going to sit beside her on the bed. She began stroking her hair, then asked, "What's going to help you here?"

Ramona considered for a moment, then said, "Be mean. But not too mean. Like mean with a dash of optimism for the future of my love life."

Liz pondered the request for a moment, then smiled.

"You know who would never do this?" she said. "Legs."

Cove sighed, and Ramona did too, but for a different reason. Where Cove was tired of hearing about this mythical boy his best friend had met years ago, Ramona was hit by the truth of it -- at this point, the boy she'd met at the country club, nicknamed "Legs" because of his strange compliment and because she'd never caught his name, was more of a legend than an actual person. A built-up magical person who could do no wrong, who had no flaws and could come to her rescue in any situation. Her knight in shining armor, based on a person she'd met so briefly but was so taken by that she couldn't shut up about him for weeks, which was apparently the amount of time it took to turn someone into a folk tale.

"You're right," she told her sister. "This never would have happened on Legs' watch."

"Legs would break this guy's legs," Liz offered.

"Legs would break this guy's legs and then beat him up with them," Ramona agreed.

"You know what he would say then?" Cove asked suddenly. When Ramona turned to look at him, he smiled and said, "He'd say 'legs go.'"

She smiled at the pun, her first smile since the breakup. In thanks, she reached over to flick Cove's nose.

"You're getting it, kid."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By the time Ramona had turned 18, not much had changed. She'd graduated high school, so that was something -- her life was about to change in a major way. But for now, as she stood on Cove's porch, waiting to meet the new neighbor that, according to town gossip, was moving in that day, things were much the same.

She still wore as many colors as possible, and she still worked her hands and fingers desperately when she felt anxious, which was still often. She'd filled out more over the years, large breasts and wide hips coming to join her already thick thighs and plump stomach. Where she'd grown outward though, she hadn't grown upward. Standing next to Cove, he easily dwarfed her.

They'd been guessing who the new neighbor would be -- he brought up that it might be another older couple, and she countered that it could be another single father and his child. He tweaked her idea, saying that maybe a child would move in alone with some tragic backstory. To that, she suggested that Sunset Bird might be getting it's very own brothel -- not because the idea made sense with the logic they'd been using, but just for fun.

As Cove was getting out his next idea, something about a band of mermaids who would slither down to the beach every morning to get to the ocean, a cab pulled up, and their question was answered.

It wasn't a mermaid or a madam or anything else they'd suggested. It was a boy with black and white hair, wearing black and white clothes who picked a black suitcase out of the trunk. They watched as he leaned down to speak to the driver, sliding him a tip, and then the new neighbor glanced their way and smiled.

Something about that smile pulled at Ramona, some little tickle in her brain that told her that it was important. She didn't know what to make of it at first. Watching as he walked smoothly to set his suitcase down on the sidewalk, the muscles of his legs visible under his very tight jeans, she thought that honestly she just might be, as Cove so often teased her about, horny.

But when he finally sauntered over to them and his brown eyes met her own, she was struck with the realization.

It was Legs in the flesh.

Or, as she learned, it was Baxter in the flesh. After five years, she had a name to put to the legend. It was a bit unsettling, honestly, and while she normally would have had a difficult time speaking to a stranger, this made it all the more difficult.

Things only got harder when Baxter looked at her, studying her face. She blushed immediately under his stare, then he pointed at her and said, "We've met before."

"We have," she agreed, astonishment taking over the nervousness.

He kept looking at her, his mind obviously working, and this time she managed to do what she couldn't at 13: she held his gaze.

"The Cypress," he said softly. "Five years ago. The girl that sparkled."

Her mouth fell open, not so much a full-on jaw drop, but enough for Baxter to notice. He smiled again, eyes dropping briefly to her lips.

"Wait, this is Legs?!"

Whatever was happening between Ramona and Baxter stopped, at least for the moment, as they both turned to look at Cove after his outburst.

"What was that?" Baxter asked, while Ramona let out a similar but somehow very different "What was that?!"

"Oh, I just ... I was just ..." Cove sputtered. He was trying to come up with something, but it just wasn't working. He looked from Baxter, who looked sympathetic but pleased, to Ramona, who looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

After what felt like several excruciating minutes, she remembered something -- a tray of cookies she's baked for the new neighbor. She'd set them on a little table the Holdens kept on the porch, and grabbed them and presented them to Baxter.

"I made these," she said, eyes on the baked goods and not on the smirking boy in front of her. "To welcome you to the neighborhood."

He let out a little laugh, and his smirk, which had looked a little diabolical, turned warmer.

"Thank you," he said kindly. "I will enjoy these, just as I'm sure I will enjoy this summer, very much."

Looking back on it, that was the moment she knew for sure that she was a goner. That he could have proposed anything, asked anything of her and she would have willingly given it to him. That she'd do anything and everything in her power for those sweet words and sly smiles.

After a few more pleasantries, and some flirty banter on Baxter's part that sent both Ramona and Cove reeling, the young man formerly known as Legs took his leave. They watched him as he walked down the sidewalk, took his suitcase and then retreated inside his house. When he was safely inside, the two old friends immediately looked at each other.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked him.

[shallyne]

The Diary of Feyre Archeron Ch 4

CHAPTER FOUUUUUUR! YAY!!! All chapters on A03

Words: 1.6k

TW: signs of a panic attack, death, implied murder

July 19th

It's barely daybreak and we already got bad news. Mom had a stroke last night, so severe that she's now in a coma. I tried talking to Nesta but she didn't reply and just left, Elain still seems in shock. I don't know how I feel, it all just seems going downward right now and there is no way to stop it. Is it possible to feel nothing about mom's stroke? Maybe I am in shock but I don't feel like I am in shock, I just, I feel nothing. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe it does, maybe I am a bad person but if I am a bad person, then mom is a bad person, too.

I'm trying not to think too much about it, Elain and Nesta are more important right now because they do feel something, and I want to make sure that they know I am there for them if they want to talk. I doubt they will but it's always nice to know that there is someone, right?

Also, should we tell dad? Should we tell him soon or wait for some news? He's going to be devastated, like we were when we lost everything because of his antics.

I shouldn't go down this route right now, maybe another time.

Well, I guess it's time now to get ready for school, maybe Rhys will distact me from this shitshow my family is right now.

July 20th

Rhys told me today that he needs to talk to me soon about something important, whenever I have time. I only have time next Saturday and he was okay with meeting in the little park close to school then, so it can't be urgent.

OMG, maybe he's asking me on a date? That MUST be it!! I don't know how I am just thinking about it. Maybe I can borrow a dress from Nesta for Saturday and wear a little makeup. I don't know much about makeup, maybe Elain can help me. This is so exciting. FINALLY!! I'm totally saying yes but not instantly, he took long enough to ask me on a date.

I'll let my hair open, I know he likes it. I did it once and he told me I looked pretty, so that's a given. I also have this perfume I'm only wearing for special occasions, I'll use that, too.

Maybe I can get some details about it in the following week.

This is the best day of my life!!!!

Also, Ianthe has been a bitch to me. Rhys had told me she kept flirting with him after he rejected her a bajillion times and I told her to go away after she tried AGAIN. Unbelievable, right?

Such a shame she smashed her hand in her locker door in the PE changing room where no one could see us her.

I hope it heals just fine, would be sad if it didn't.

July 21st

I'm trying to draw and I just can't. Everytime I try I'm staring at a blank canvas, which is just as blank as my mind. I thought the maybe-date with Rhys would inspire me at least a little but it's impossible. I have a creative block. Even thinking about picking up a pencil or a brush takes all my energy, I never felt this way about painting. Painting was always my escape, I was always good at expressing any feeling through art. Now, I just get angry. I want to take the canvas and throw it away. I like having this diary but it's not the same as painting, I can't express myself in words like I do in sketches and paintings, or even scribbles. That part of me just feels empty now, like someone stole all the colors, all lights and feelings and shapes. It's a void.

Elain looked at my canvas and told me to give it a few days, maybe she's right. It's a stressful time for us all. We will get through this and then we go back to our normal lives because everything will be okay.

I'm trying to tell myself that at least, like Elain does, but there is always a little voice in my head that doubts any happiness will come our way.

The feeling of impending doom is still there, gripping me everyday, reminding me that all is not okay. Maybe it's just a puberty thing, I'm sure Nesta and Elain went through the same thing. I wouldn't know, talking about feelings in the Archeron household is like eating a steak as a vegan. You don't do it.

July 26th

Rhys is dead to me.

He and his stupid father don't exist anymore, not in my world. They are dead. DEAD.

Rhys hadn't invited me to ask me on a date, I didn't get ready, borrowed Nesta's dress, let Elain do my makeup, use my good perfume, because he wanted to ask me on a date. No, he invited me to tell me that he is the reason for ruining my life. My whole family's life. That we have NOTHING! Okay fine, it's his father's fault but what's the difference? I AM SO ANGRY. He just moved here to ruin my father's business because of some stupid deal my father broke. Speaking of father, my father is just as dead to me. He can rot in hell, I hope he rots in prison. My sister's are suffering because of HIM. Because of his decisions, because of Rhysand's family. I hate my father, I hate Rhysand's father, I hate Rhysand.

I must have looked just as distraught as I feel because Nesta knew instantly that something happened when I came home. I told her everything, her and Elain, and she is seething.

I can't believe I fell for Rhysand, I can't believe I fell for a fucking lie.

I'm just so angry I can barely breathe. I can't breathe. I can't fucking breathe.

How am I supposed to see Rhysand everyday at school and not scream at him, at the unfairness of it all. How can I ever look at myself, live with myself, for falling foe his tricks to get close to me like a fool.

It was all a lie.

Dad's business was a lie.

Our life was a lie.

Rhysand was a big fucking lie.

I can't breathe.

July 31st

I'm sitting in a train.

The last twenty-four hours five days felt like a bad nightmare, one I just want to wake up from. But it's not a nightmare, is it? It's real.

Mom is dead. They said it was the stroke. Rhysand said it wasn't. I don't know why I believe him but he looked genuine. Maybe I am a fool for trusting him in this but Nesta seems to believe him, too.

Ruining my father's business wasn't the last of Rhysand's father's plans for my father. My father ruined a big deal, now Rhysand's father ruins his life. Meaning that he sends out his men to kill the people my father loves. Which includes my mother. And his daughters.

I think this is how shock feels, feeling like an empty shell. Every movement feels robotic, only muscle memory making me move.

Nesta told me that Rhysand's brothers knocked like crazy on the front door, the tall one was even short of breaking the freaking door down, to warn them about the threat on their lives. Meanwhile Rhysand dragged me out of that diner, kicking and screaming. I didn't want to listen, I didn't want to touch him, but he didn't budge. He brought me to my sisters. Telling me the plan.

The plan to send us away, to a friend who can help us. I think his name was Jurian. We are traveling to him now, he lives in a little city near Austin.

After that we won't be the Archeron’s anymore, we will live under another name, in a city far away.

I don't even know why Rhysand helped us, why would he care. He used me as a pawn for his father and now he helps us running away? I know that he said he never used me but the timing of befriending me seemed convenient. He also said he wouldn't track us after we got our new identities in Austin, but I don't know if I believe him. Maybe his friend will rat us out.

I made a promise to myself when we entered the train station this morning. I promised to keep Nesta and Elain safe, whatever it takes. They used me, they got my mom but they won't get my sister's.

Also, dear diary, this will be my last entry. Nesta wanted me to burn my diary, so it couldn't be tracked to us, but we compromised and I would keep it hidden wherever we end up. Never touch it again.

It was nice to have you as a silent companion as long as it lasted.

Bye

Excerpt from a group chat between Rhysand, Morrigan, Cassian and Azriel

Azriel: They just left Jurian’s house.

Cassian: so, that's it?

Morrigan: no contact anymore, it's to keep them safe, Cassian

Cassian: I know but how sure can we be that Aamon’s men won't track them down?

Rhysand: they won't

Cassian: but can we be SURE

Azriel: yes

Morrigan: Rhys, have you told Feyre?

Rhysand: no, it wasn't the time

Morrigan: there will never be the perfect time to tell someone you love them but it was your last chance

Rhysand: I know

Cassian: maybe it won't be forever

Rhysand: maybe

Morrigan: maybe

Azriel: maybe

Feysand Taglist:

@captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @starfall-spirit @rhysiedarling @corcracrow @sydney-fae25 @tothestarsandwhateverend @aayo-whatt @dreamlandreader

[imtrashraccoon]

Welp, this is officially the last post before the grand finale. We've come so far and it's been awesome.

CW: Implied sex and sexual content. No smut though.

First Day, Previous Day, & Next Day.

Day 28: Secret Surprise

You drummed your fingers on the edge of the table impatiently while waiting for the person on the other end of the phone to pick up. You had a very narrow window of opportunity right now before Papyrus realized his phone was missing and you wanted this to be a surprise.

After a few rings, the call was picked up, much to your relief.

"Hey Paps, what's shaking?" the distinct growly tone of Undyne's voice echoed from the speaker.

Keeping your voice low to minimize Papyrus overhearing, you answered quickly. "Hey, sorry it's Rihanna, not Paps."

Undyne's tone of voice immediately grew more serious. "Oh. Why are you calling? Did something happen?" she asked with a distinct calmness that spoke of years of experience with this kind of thing.

"No, no, everything is fine. I just... I need a favour if you don't mind me asking."

The fish lady fell silent for a solid five seconds. "What kind of favour?" she finally asked again.

"Well, you see, I want to plan a surprise for Papyrus and I was wondering if you'd be willing to let Frisk hang out with you for a few hours?" Your voice grew slightly more high pitched at the end of your question and you crossed your fingers.

"...Really? You trust me that much?" Undyne definitely seemed shocked you'd actually asked the question in the first place.

"Yeah, besides, Alphys' Lab probably isn't the best place for a mischievous six year old."

Undyne let out a quick bark of laughter. "Well, you got at least some common sense it seems. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the kid for you."

You breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much! I'm sorry this is so short notice but I couldn't exactly contact you before now."

"Don't sweat it. I'll come pick them up after work, sound good?"

"Sounds perfect! I can't exactly pay you for your time though..."

Undyne chuckled quietly, "Eh, we can work something out later. Watching kids is a piece of cake anyways and I doubt Frisk will be any different."

You chuckled as well, deciding against mentioning that Frisk was probably much different than any other kid she'd met before. "Well, alright then. I'll see you soon."

"Totally, see ya, punk!"

The line went dead with a click and you quickly set Papyrus' phone back where he'd left it, as if nothing had happened at all. Now, you just had to convince Sans to either not come home immediately after work or to leave you and Papyrus alone for a little bit. That would probably be much easier, considering he generally preferred to spend time at Grillby's anyways.

< ~ - . - ~ >

True to her word, Undyne came to pick up Frisk and she was even a bit earlier than you expected. You thanked her profusely for going out of her way to help you but she merely waved you off. While Frisk seemed a bit confused at first, they ultimately seemed happy to go with Undyne, which you were relieved by.

You started on dinner as soon as they were gone. There weren't many recipes you knew how to make from scratch, but you remembered a couple that your mom used to make all the time when you were a kid. You decided to keep it simple though and decided on pasta with alfredo sauce. You dressed it up a bit with some grilled meat that you thought was similar to chicken and steamed some vegetables as a side dish.

You finished in record time and actually felt quite proud of yourself. It had been a while since you'd actually cooked a meal for anyone else and it seemed like you still had it.

You set everything in the oven to try and keep it warm. You'd already arranged a couple of candles on the kitchen table and set up two place settings. Now all there was to do was wait for Papyrus to return home.

You turned off the kitchen lights to hide what you'd set up and quickly hurried to the bathroom to change. Normally, you wore incredibly casual clothes around the house like a sweater and leggings, but recently, Papyrus had gifted you something a bit fancier, although you hadn't found a good time to wear it.

It was an off the shoulder black dress with a ruffle across the chest where the sleeves were and a few ruffles on the skirt part that went halfway down your calves. It wasn't that fancy but you actually preferred that, as you had never been comfortable enough to wear cocktail dresses and expose that much skin in the past. However, now that you were in a relationship, you didn't mind showing off your assets a little bit, at least in private anyways.

You brushed your hair and did it up in a quick side braid to keep it out of the way. While you wanted to do something with makeup, you hadn't been able to find many products similar to the ones you preferred on the surface yet. Still, you had managed to find some basics like foundation that was fairly close to your natural skin tone, some blush, and a rather nice red lipstick that you actually preferred over any you'd tried in the past.

You had just barely finished getting ready when you heard the front door open, signalling that Papyrus had returned home at last. Peeking out the bathroom door, you called out to get his attention. "Welcome home, Sweetie!"

He glanced up at you and smiled warmly, although you noticed he seemed curious about what was going on. He always had been pretty observant and even though he couldn't see that you were dressed up yet, he had immediately zeroed in on the fact that you were wearing makeup.

You almost never wore makeup anymore, let alone dress up unless there was a reason to. So this was already a step above the norm for you.

"I hope you don't mind, but I made dinner already. If you want to get into something more comfortable or maybe dress up, we can eat afterwards."

His smile seemed to grow slightly at the thought. "That Sounds Wonderful, Precious," he responded.

You waited until he entered his room before going downstairs to the kitchen again. After making sure that everything was still hot, you portioned out the food and lit the candles.

Papyrus entered the kitchen just then and you turned to smile at him. He had put on a black collared shirt, but had left the top two buttons undone and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows.

You felt your heart do summersaults in your chest and bit your lower lip. From the beginning, you'd kind of liked how he looked but now, well you definitely liked what you saw. Never in your wildest dreams had you imagined you'd be attracted to a skeleton and yet here you were.

He embraced you warmly before pulling you closer for a tender kiss. After separating again, he flashed you a genuinely happy smile. "Is This For A Special Occasion?" he inquired.

You shook your head and chuckled. "Not specifically, I just wanted to set up a surprise for you, especially because you usually do most of the cooking anyways."

"I Love It And I Cannot Wait To See What You Made Tonight."

You grinned and motioned to the table before taking a seat. Papyrus sat across from you and so you explained each part of the dinner, including the preparation you'd had to do to make it. He listened with rapt attention and to your delight, seemed to really enjoy eating it.

Afterwards, you spent a while just talking with each other. You couldn't help but notice how close Papyrus was and how he kept trying to move closer to you. Not only that, but he made a point of touching you, like holding your hands or practically playing footsie at points. Unsurprisingly, you liked this and responded in kind, which only escalated the situation further, not that either of you minded.

< ~ - . - ~ >

This had been fun.

You let out a soft sigh of contentment and pulled the covers a bit more over your bare shoulders. Papyrus hummed quietly and pulled you closer to his ribcage. A slight shiver ran down your spine as his claws pressed into your curves but you didn't mind in the slightest.

You definitely loved this skeleton.

If course this quiet moment was ruined when his phone vibrated from the bedside table. You only protested a little bit when he had to untangle himself from you to check the message.

He made a quiet "Huh" sound and glanced down at you. "I Had Wondered Where Frisk Was... Did You Seriously Ask Undyne To Look After Them?" he asked with a tinge of amusement in his tone.

You grinned, "Maybe... It was either her or Alphys and I think she's a better choice. Not that I have anything against Alphys, she just doesn't strike me as the type to enjoy entertaining kids, you know?"

Papyrus nodded in agreement. "You Have A Good Point There," he commented thoughtfully as he shifted and moved to get up.

When you shot him a questioning look, he smiled and stroked your cheek affectionately. "She Is Coming To Drop Frisk Off Before It Gets Too Much Later In The Evening. I Do Not Know About You, But I Would Rather Be Presentable When She Gets Here. She Will Never Let Me Hear The End Of It If She Finds Out What Happened..." he explained.

You blushed at the thought and moved to get up as well. "Yeah... It was bad enough that the stuck up robot tried to pry into our private life, but I can't imagine how much worse it will be if she finds out."

You could feel Papyrus watching you carefully as you got dressed again but thought nothing of it. Once you were back in your usual attire, you turned to find that he was still watching you and that he looked slightly concerned.

"Do You Feel Alright?" he finally asked.

You snickered and waved him off dismissively. "I'll be fine, okay? A little soreness never killed anyone and it's not so bad that I can't at least fake feeling fine."

Your attempts to reassure him weren't as effective as you'd hoped but he chose not to push the issue further. "Just Tell Me If You Need Anything, Alright?"

"Of course I will."

Not long after that, Undyne showed up with Frisk riding on her shoulders. They both seemed in high spirits which you were glad to see.

As soon as they saw you, Frisk wiggled to get down and as soon as Undyne did so, they charged at you full force and nearly tackled you, although you were nimble enough to step to the side and catch them. You scooped them up and gave them a great big hug, which they returned, before turning to Undyne again.

"Thanks again for your help."

Undyne flashed you a sharp grin and nodded. "No problem, we had an absolute blast, right kid?"

Frisk nodded vigorously and pulled away from you just enough so they could sign. "She showed me how to make spaghetti!"

You chuckled and wiped a small spatter of tomato sauce off their chin. "So I can see. I'm glad you had fun, kiddo."

"Hey, if you ever need help again, just let me know," Undyne called before she took her leave.

You smiled and waved goodbye. "I'll keep you in mind then!"

As soon as the door closed, Frisk patted your shoulder to get your attention again. "It's a good thing you showed me what to do if a fire starts while cooking..."

[twinkleallnight]

Happy Mother's Day

Chapter-4 Estranged.

Another chapter from my recent fic which is a prequel of 'Once upon a time AU' The story can be found here: Estranged

Characters: Liam x Savannah , Bianca

Word count: 1269

Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry. 

Rating: Mature

Warning: mention of death

A/N: Thanks a ton @lizzybeth1986 for watching this over.

Prompt:

1. @choicesflashfics prompt 2 appears in bold.

2. @choiceschallenge-may2023 @jerzwriter for mother's day

3. @choicesholidays for I miss my mom, mother's day.

"Mom," Savannah's voice trembled over the trans-Atlantic phone call. 

Bianca woke up a bit late today after yesterday's neighborhood ranch party. She was still in daze when she picked up the call. "Savannah? Early in the morning? All well?" She was used to getting afternoon calls from her daughter who stayed on the island of Corsica. The place was clockwise 7 hours ahead of her home in Texas. They had set up a routine where Savannah would call after she called it a day in Corsica while Bianca would have just finished her lunch. This early morning call meant Savannah was calling in the middle of her day, leaving Bianca worried. 

"Mom, he is … He is here." 

"He? Who are you…Oh!" Suddenly it dawned on Bianca whom her daughter is talking about and why her voice is so unstable.

"Is he there on an official tour or…"

"He came to meet me, meet us." 

"Does he know?" 

"He knows everything." Savannah sighed. 

"Oh dear! Is he going to… I mean what is he planning?" 

"He came to clear the misunderstandings, Mom." 

"Savvie, we knew this would happen one day. Thankfully, he is not here to do any harm." 

"But mom, what if…" 

"You need to give him a chance, my child. You know he is not any regular guy." 

"It's not about him. It's about me, what If I'm not…" 

"Savannah Jane Walker, never ever think less about you. Don't be so harsh on yourself. I know it's a tough decision but I believe in you and I trust that you will take a wise step."

Savannah whispered over a sob, "Thank you mom."

Bianca picked up her deflated tone, "Hey girl, don't cry. Don't be afraid. You are not alone.

Whatever you decide, I will be with you." 

"I know mom. You have always been. I have to go now. Will call you later." 

"Bye sweetheart. God bless you." 

Savannah gave an assertive reply and ended the call. 

Her hand was still clutching the phone while Bianca's eyes were fixed far away in the distance… Memories of yesteryears replaying in front of her eyes. 

****************

Few years ago…..

It was a busy day at the ranch. Bianca was tending to a filly in the stables when John came in search of her. "There you are! You gotcha mail." He waved a white envelope in the air.

"Mail?" Blanca wondered. She had all her bills cleared. There should not be any new notice from any of the banks now. She rubbed away the dirt on her hands on the sides of her apron and extended her arm to grab the envelope with a feeling of dread. 

"Thank you John." She flipped the cover to find out from whom it was, but the sender information was blank. 

John still stood there, curiously eyeing the mail. She tore the envelope trying to curb her own anxiety. When she saw Savannah's neat handwriting, she let out a sigh of relief. "It's from Savannah." She waved of her hand, making it light to John. 

He too smiled and took her leave. She stood there with a smile plastered on her face. As soon as he went out of sight, Bianca rushed into her home. She was restless and this letter might give her some clue. Savannah had been out of reach for the past few days. Her phone wasn't working. Bastein had no clue where she was and it had left Bianca biting her nails. 

She sat on her bed and withdrew her reading glasses from the rustic bedside drawer. 

" Dear Mom, 

I know you must be worried about my whereabouts. Please be assured that I am absolutely fine and safe and I will call you soon.

Mom, you were right in guessing the reason for my happiness in the last few months. Well, you have always been right.  I did finally feel complete with the man of my dreams. I thought maybe one day I will be able to tell you everything. 

Even after Drake left Cordonia, I never felt alone.  There was this man… I have always liked him. Two months ago, a small accident brought us closer and then one day I couldn't stop myself and we broke all the barriers to be together. I was happy and that's when you too picked the signs . You were right mom. 

But I guess Walker's are never meant to live an easy life. I don't know how to say this. It's a bit awkward to tell you all of this through a letter. I conceived, Mom. I wanted to tell him first, but things took a nasty turn here and I couldn't let him know. Moreover, he is kind of from a noble family so he cannot take the responsibility. My presence here will be a deterrent to his duties and so to make things easier for everyone, I decided to leave Cordonia forever. Maybe there’s another universe where we have the happy ending we always wanted.

I am sorry if I let you down but I still want to say this to you that you are the best and I am missing you even more at this turning point of my life. I am in a bit of Hurry now but I promise I will call you as soon as I reach my destination. 

I love you, Mom.

Your daughter, 

Savvie. 

 

Bianca removed her glasses to wipe the tears in her eyes. "My little girl!" She held the letter to her heart. " I am so sorry you have to go through all these things alone." 

As she cried, her eyes rested on the bedside photo frame of them together. She picked it up and looked at Savannah and said. "My baby, I knew it from the beginning. I wish I had warned you to keep your feelings for him locked inside. It's impossible to not fall in love with him, my child but he is a royal. There is no future there, at least not under Constantine's watch." 

She closed her eyes praying, "Dear God, please help my children. Help Savannah and Liam to find their path together." 

Liam always held a special place in Bianca's heart. As a young boy, he had shown compassion and love to one and all, be it noble or commoner. He never differentiated, even when he grew up to be a crown prince. He was the reason for Drake's stability after Jackson's death. He always stole her heart when he covered up for Savannah with his innocent smile. Many such moments made her believe Liam to be an extended part of her family. She knew Savvie and Liam would be together one day but she never thought their relationship would be so short lived. 

She tried to get over her wavering mind and continued praying, " God, please give me the strength to support my daughter through her difficult times till she gets back to him." 

And so the years passed on while Bianca remained hopeful for that day to arise when her prayers would be answered. 

********************

Present day....

Bianca smiled wistfully. She kept the phone back on the table and reclined in her bed. "Thank you my lord, It's finally over. My children are going to unite again." 

She got up and opened the side drawers to retrieve a photo frame. She placed Liam's photo next to Savannah'sphoto that was already there and gave them a flying kiss. "God bless you both." 

Bianca stood as a pillar in Savannah's life in the years she lived estranged. It was all worth it in the end. 

****************

Tags: @3pawandme @alj4890 @angelasscribbles @bascmve01 @bebepac @busywoman @dcbbw @delmissesryanandcassi @harleybeaumont @iaminlovewithtrr @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @neotericthemis @mom2000aggie @phoenixrising0308 @princess-geek @sazanes @secretaryunpaid @sfb123 @sillydg @tessa-liam @tinkie1973 @txemrn @walkerdrakewalker @choicesficwriterscreations

[universalzones]

A 'Lovely' Family Reunion

Que Tangle almost full on slamming her alarm clock with her hand after finally finding it due to refusing to unbury her head from the soft and warmth of her pillow. The lemur wrestled with calling in today just so she can sleep in today, though she had a job to do. One that was important so after a few minutes she finally pushed herself up. Moving to sit on the edge of the bed and yawning.

Tangle then stood up, her shirt which was a size too big having a stain on it from her drooling while she slept. The lemur would focus on making her way to the bathroom, avoiding the few piece's of clothing on the floor. Didn't need to slip and fall on her face again. The brawler turning on the light before walking to the sink. "Ugh, why does Lanolin have to have meetings so early in the meeting." Kinda makes her miss the days where she was a free roam adventurer. Let her pick her own sleep schedule.

Regardless, Tangle grabbed her tooth bush and turned on the sink getting it went. Then went on the toothpaste before shutting to sink off and she began the process of brushing her teeth. The lemur still struggling to stay away as she brushed. Makes her want to try asking Lanolin to move the meetings later in the day, though knew it'd get struck down hard.

Tangle was finishing up brushing her teeth, getting ready to spit out the toothpaste when she heard a knock at her door. "Give me a few minutes!" The lemur called out with a mouth full of toothpaste. The brawler spat it out, filled a cup with water, took a sip to start moving it around to rinse her teeth, and spat it out. Then another knock came. "Hold on, kinda in the middle of something!" She then began to reach for the floss, only to hear another knock. "Fine, I'm coming, yeesh!" Hopefully it was important.

Tangle had to deal with several more knocks before she opened the door, rather aggressively as the knocking was starting to annoy her. Then the color basically drained from her face seeing her mother and her father standing in front of her. Her brain froze so she just stood there, staring at them, which is something they took notice to.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything dearie?" Tangle's mom asked. She was a bit shorter than Tangle herself. The lemur wore a black business suit, the skit going past her ankles a good way along with heels. This lemur's fur color was an even mixture of black and white.

This seemed to snap Tangle out of her funk. "Uh, hi, mom and dad. What, what brings you all the way out here?" The lemur asked as that was the only question she had going through her mind.

"Visiting," Tangles dad said. He was much taller than Tangle, having at least a foot on her. His fur was completely pitch black, rare for a lemur. He wore a mechanic's blue uniform. "Stop that slouching already. Bad for yer back." His voice as stern as he said that.

Tangle found herself instinctively standing up straight, something she hated. "Oh, well, what for?" The lemur asked given the fact they hadn't spoken for nearly a year by this point. Not since she left Spiral Hill, and even before that they spoke, like four times out of the year.

"Just to see you dearie," The mother said before suddenly hugging Tangle who reluctantly hugged back. Thankfully it didn't last too long. "I mean, we've heard a lot about you and the little team you're on."

Tangle's eye twitched hearing her mom call it a 'little team' seeing as they do a lot. "Well, the Diamond Cutters gotta do everything we can to fight against Eggman and, ya know, protect the planet." The lemur's not so subtle way of trying to show it was more than just a small team.

"Dearie, please speak proper. Those speech class's cost a lot of money so you can speak with a bit more class, just like your mother."

"Well, I kinda don't live with you guys anymore, so, ya know." Tangle would nervously rub her neck saying that which caused her to slouch again.

"Do as yer mother says, and STOP slouching." The father was much more aggressive with his tone this time which made Tangle stand up straight real quick.

"Easy now honey." This seemed to get him to calm down before the mother turned her attention back to Tangle. "I'm aware you don't live with us anymore, though you should always strive to speak proper at all times. It's a sign of professionalism."

Tangle was simply trying to keep it together as she listened to her mother. "Yeah, I'll, work on it," the lemur said, forcing a smile. "Well, great catching up, though I gotta get ready for work. Meetings are early." Thank Gaia she had a way out of this.

"Oh, a morning meeting? Well, I'm sure you can be a bit late. After all, I'm sure they're used to you being late," the mother laughed at her joke while Tangle's eye twitched again, though she just laughed like she got it. "Though we won't take up anymore of your time. After all, we're here for the next few weeks for some business. Though I did plan lunch. I hope you have time to make it." She would hand her daughter a piece of paper with the time and location.

"I must be rushing off as well. It was so nice to see you again dearie," she said, hugging Tangle again. "I'll let you say goodbye to your father." The mother then walked off.

Tangle was now left alone with her dad, which was even worse. "Hey... father. Love to chat with you, though I really do gotta get ready," the lemur said, slowly reaching for the door to close it.

"Alright, though watch yer tone. Didn't like the way ya spoke when coming to answer the door. And make sure you see yer mom for lunch. Understood?"

Tangle could've brushed off the tone comment, though now she was being forced to see her mom for lunch? As much as she wanted to say she wasn't sure if she could make it she couldn't bring herself to do it. "Right, see mom for lunch and watch the tone. I got you," the lemur said, slowly closing the door. Then it was closed and the finally relaxed. "This is going to be a long few weeks." For now she focused on getting dressed.

[purpleturtle9000]

have a post-movie joneses one-shot

"BOY THING!" Cass screams, her voice loud enough to drown out the sound of the door slamming open against the concrete wall.

Everyone jumps, Mikey giving a little shriek, but Casey lights up like a puppy.

"Hi mom!"

Cass hucks an object at him so fast that he barely catches it. At least it's light and kind of squishy, instead of being a knife or something. He wouldn't put it past her. He also appreciates the turtle-themed wrapping paper, even if he's not sure why there's so much tape. But he loses no time digging into it, working little rips into bigger ones.

It's a giraffe plushie as long as his forearm, the tag dangling from its ear stamped with the logo of the zoo she took him to last month. Where they went to feed the giraffes...

He beams, hugging the giraffe to his chest. It was one of the first times he'd felt safe on the surface, without his sensei there, and half of it was because of her. Unconventional and agressive though she was, she was also protective.

She'd always keep him safe. Just like Leonardo did through sixteen years of the end of the world.

He doesn't need to pat the couch cushion next to him, she invites herself over without waiting and puts her legs over his lap.

"Have any of the turtles been bothering you?" she asks, sounding hopeful, and he rolls his eyes.

"No, they've been fine. You ask that every time you come here."

"I'm just making sure."

She glares at Raph, who glares back at her. There's no love lost between Cass and any of the turtles, though she seems to get along well with Splinter. Casey's still not sure what kind of history is there, but he's just glad she likes him.

And she does. He's the only one she ever sits with when she's here, and on top of that, he's the only one allowed to hug her. Leo tried that once and she threw him over her shoulder hard enough that he'd wheezed faintly for the next two hours.

Casey's still trying to convince her to teach him that throw. She's been stubborn about it, like she's stubborn about everything. But ever since she got them matching hockey sticks for his birthday, and promised to get him a set of throwing stars for his next birthday, he's been hopeful.

"Who have you been terrorising lately?" Casey asks, settling back against the couch.

"My neighbour's cat-" she begins, already full of indignation, and Casey listens.

[bobbiworks]

Beyond the Bell's Chimes | Part 40

riize ff: wonbin, eunseok, seunghan, sungchan, sohee, anton, shotaro, original characters genre: youth, romance, teen, fluff, angst, slice of life

"I'm home," Jiwoo gently spoke as she stepped into their house, opting not to wait for her friends and heading straight home. The inexplicable heaviness she felt was a stark contrast to how fine she was when she woke up that morning.

"Jiwoo, I made some peanut butter cookies. Would you like to try some?" Her mom asked, holding a tray of freshly baked cookies.

"I'm not hungry," Jiwoo monotonously replied, proceeding directly to her room. Mrs. Shim, concerned but patient, continued with her chores. However, worry set in when Jiwoo didn't come down for dinner and went straight to bed.

Worried, Mrs. Shim called Wonbin to inquire about Jiwoo's day. Surprisingly, Wonbin revealed that Jiwoo hadn't gone home with him, prompting concern. Mrs. Shim prepared light snacks—a glass of warm milk and freshly baked cookies—and reminisced about a similar episode last year when Jiwoo faced bullying.

"Jiwoo," she softly spoke, massaging Jiwoo's feet. "Are you sick?"

"Hmm," Jiwoo hummed, wide awake for hours, her exhaustion evident. "Mom, I am so tired," she sobbed. Mrs. Shim pulled her up, revealing Jiwoo's tear-stained face. She had been quietly crying since she got home.

"What's wrong? Oh, my poor girl. What happened?" Mrs. Shim sighed, hugging Jiwoo tightly as she cried on her chest. "Did someone make you cry?"

"I am so tired, Mom... Nothing happened, but I am just so tired. I feel so weak even if I am not. I feel like I only burden people. They look at me as if I'm going to break."

"It's okay. Let it out, hmm?" Mrs. Shim hummed, comforting her daughter. Jiwoo continued to share her pain, expressing anxiety and a desire to be happy without feeling anxious.

"I hate myself nowadays. I am anxious about everything. I want to be happy without feeling anxious... Mom, it hurts."

Jiwoo eventually calmed down, falling asleep. Mrs. Shim decided to stay with her daughter, concerned for her well-being.

...

The next day, Wonbin visited Jiwoo's house early in the morning, having received a message about her not feeling well. He brought medicine and was greeted by Jiwoo's father, who let him in after a scrutinizing look.

"Good morning," Wonbin shyly greeted Mrs. Shim, who was busy preparing Woojae for school.

"I am so glad that you came!" Mrs. Shim sighed in relief, hugging Wonbin. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Not yet," Wonbin replied, noting his usual routine of grabbing something at the convenience store. However, he'd developed a taste for Mrs. Shim's home-cooked dishes. "Is Jiwoo awake?"

"She is, but she is staying in bed. Can you try to make her eat? I already called Mr. Park about it," Mrs. Shim sighed.

"I'll try to make her eat," Wonbin said, excusing himself to go to Jiwoo's bedroom. The Shim's residence had become familiar to him, and Jiwoo's room, adorned with her artworks and materials, offered a glimpse into her creative world.

Her bed was small, and he could see her curled under the sheets, her hair disheveled from all the turns she did while trying to doze off.

Wonbin knocked gently to get her attention, but Jiwoo did not move. "I am entering." He sat next to her, tapping her shoulder. Jiwoo shifted a bit, thinking it was her mom, but when she felt it was Wonbin, she immediately turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face on his chest as she began to sob.

"I'm sorry; I was rude," Jiwoo said, a revelation that surprised Wonbin, who never thought she did something wrong.

"It's okay. I'm here," Wonbin assured her in his gentle voice. He fixed her hair, noticing how much she had cried with her eyes puffed from tearing up the entire night. "What made my girl cry? Hmm?" he asked. Finally, Jiwoo lifted her eyes to look at him, only to bury her face into his chest again.

Wonbin made himself comfortably seated on her bed as she rested on his chest with her arms wrapped around his waist. Jiwoo soon fell asleep, looking peaceful and pretty. A smile crossed Wonbin's face momentarily before he pondered what she had been through to make her like this.

"Wonbin..." she softly spoke, finally awake, and managed to pull herself away from him. He carefully helped her up and went to fix her hair. "Does your mom know that I'm your girlfriend?" she asked.

Wonbin paused for a bit and shrugged, "I haven't mentioned it yet." Jiwoo nodded and sighed. "Are you alright? Did you meet her?"

"Well, she was with Mr. Park," she replied. "She called me shabby..." she scrunched her nose as she tried to make light of what his mom said. "I told her I was your friend... a shabby friend."

"She did not mean what she said," Wonbin said. Jiwoo nodded and ruffled his hair.

"I know, love," Jiwoo replied. "I just realized that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Remember when we first fought? You called me weird."

"That was just—" Wonbin wanted to defend himself, but Jiwoo held his hand.

"It's okay. I was hurt a bit about being called shabby, but that doesn't mean I can be shabby forever, right?" she asked.

"But you are already perfect," Wonbin replied, his lips jutting a bit as he looked at her with his puppy-like eyes. "But aside from my mom, are there other things or people bothering you? I want to be of help..."

Jiwoo smiled at him, "I just needed to let out my frustration this way," she admitted. "People say I am strong, but I get tired too..."

"You are really giving yourself out to almost everyone you know. You help others more than you imagine," Wonbin commented. "I noticed that a lot, but I want you to focus more on yourself, Jiwoo."

"I want to be helpful to everyone; it is the only way I could give back to the kindness they gave me," Jiwoo shot back.

"Hey," Wonbin cupped her cheeks and made her look at him. "Don't look anywhere. Look at me. You are the kindest and the most helpful person I have ever met," he smiled sweetly. "I don't want you to lose that by tiring yourself... If you are mad, then tell me. I like you not because you are always okay with everything... but because you are strong and brave to tell me anything that makes you sad. Hmm?"

Jiwoo bit her lips as she felt his words reaching her warmly. She then covered her face and hid away from him.

"W-What? Did I say something wrong?" he asked, but Jiwoo shook her head.

"No, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just that it feels embarrassing to hear those sweet words from you," she smiled, reaching to pinch his nose. "And you've gotten more handsome than before."

"Really? Well... Because I am in love," Wonbin winked. Jiwoo broke out laughing in tears before jumping on him to hug him tightly.

Suyoung and Sohee were enjoying Sohee's birthday at a cafe in the district. Sohee's girlfriend, Suyoung, had planned ahead to celebrate his birthday first before the upcoming celebration with their friends. They were treated to special service at the cafe where Suyoung's cousin worked as a manager.

"It is quite embarrassing to have all of these," Sohee chuckled, but Suyoung was more than happy to ensure Sohee had the happiest day.

"This is what you get to date me; you know I love to make everything special," she smiled, cupping his chin to squish his cheeks. "I love you~"

Sohee chuckled and replied with the same energy, "I love you too," grinning.

A small cake with a thin green candle was brought to their table. The server lit it up, and Suyoung encouraged Sohee to make a wish. Sohee quietly prayed for something with sincerity before blowing out the candle.

"Happy Birthday!!" Suyoung cheered, singing him a happy birthday. They took numerous photos together until Suyoung was satisfied. Then, it was time for her to give him his gift.

"And I have this for you," she said, bashful this time as she handed him a big pink rectangular box wrapped in a fancy ribbon. "I hope you like it."

"What is it?" He asked, shaking the box. Sohee opened it with excitement, revealing a hoodie similar to what Suyoung was wearing. What made it special was the embroidered name on the right sleeve. "This is..."

"It's your name," she said. "I took a stitching class just to make that. It's a bit weird, but I hope you like it."

"I don't like it. I love it so much," Sohee replied.

"Really?" Suyoung gleamed, and Sohee went to sit next to him. "Can you wear it now?" she asked.

"Of course," Sohee chuckled and put on the hoodie. Suyoung helped him fix his hair, and when he was done, he looked at her with adoration.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Suyoung asked, but Sohee didn't say anything. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you; this is the best birthday ever!" Sohee chuckled, continuing to shower her with soft kisses. Their lovely moment was interrupted when a tall boy stood between their table, holding a spray bottle and a damp cloth. He had the face of an angel but an aura of a devil. Anton, Suyoung's younger cousin, looked at them with disdain before Suyoung snapped.

"Are you going to just stare at us?" She crossed her arms, addressing Anton. "Anton, don't be a creep and work somewhere else."

"Anton? Anton?" Sohee stammered, having only heard of him from Suyoung and Jiwoo but never seeing him in person. He imagined the middle schooler to be as cute as Jiwoo's younger brother but was proven wrong. Anton was more bulk and stronger, making Sohee feel small next to him.

"Where is Jiwoo?" Anton asked.

"She is not here. She is with her boyfriend," Suyoung replied casually. Although it was common knowledge, it was the first time Anton heard that Jiwoo had a boyfriend.

"Who is that despicable human whom she calls a boyfriend?" Anton's voice was cold, sending chills down Sohee's spine.

"Oh, yeah, I haven't told you. It's Park Wonbin. He is very popular for his looks," Suyoung explained, showing a photo of them in her wallet. Anton took the photo, stared at Wonbin's face, and returned it to Suyoung.

"Looks normal. Are they going to break up?" Anton asked.

"Hey, that's not a question you should ask. You're talking like you like Jiwoo. Don't be ridiculous, Anton!" Suyoung snapped.

"I am going to marry her," Anton declared. "So, that Park Wonbin should be careful," he said and walked away.

"Is he for real?" Suyoung scoffed.

"Why? What's wrong?" Sohee asked, clearly concerned about Suyoung's stress regarding her cousin.

"He quit the swimming team and asked to transfer to our school next year as an advanced student," Suyoung explained. "It's okay for me to have him transferred, but he is very serious about Jiwoo."

"Wow, Jiwoo's really popular," Sohee sighed in defeat. "It's like Wonbin has so much competition."

"Sohee, how would you feel if a lot of people liked me?" Suyoung suddenly asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Sohee chuckled, but seeing the serious look on her face, he bit his lips and held her hand. "I'd be worried, and at the same time, it would make me trust you more."

"Why is that?" She asked.

"Well, you are only looking at me and no one else," Sohee replied with the sweetest smile. "Am I wrong to say that?"

Suyoung blushed and looked away. "No, you are not wrong," she said, pouting. "I just thought that Jiwoo seems to be oblivious about her charm and tends to attract a lot of popular guys."

"Well, she is the type you just want to know more about," Sohee commented. "I am curious about how she was back in middle school."

"Well, she told me she was bullied pretty bad, but during the last year, people just started getting scared of her," Suyoung explained, piquing her boyfriend's interest. "If only that Miri girl tells me..."

"Sounds like you are more curious than I am," Sohee chuckled.

"You know, every time I am with her, everything is just so at ease. She is so transparent and nice. She gets mad, but that's it. She is so selfless to the point that she breaks down all of a sudden," Suyoung shared.

"Are you happy that you are friends with her?" Sohee asked, and Suyoung nodded with her cheeks blushed. "Jiwoo is really a good girl, and it only takes a few people to see her."

[werewolf-goat]

Lewis was arriving home from the bakery shop, he was exhausted and feeling kinda worn out, and to top it off his niece and sister were coming to visit later, and he was in no mood to make snacks, but alas, he wasnt about to let that get to him.

He was still dressing from his shower when he heard a knock on the door, it was the guests! Oh well whatever, mugcakes it is.

"Uncle Lewis!" with a big jump his niece huged him breathless.

"Ugh hi Sophie" said Lewis as he was regaining his breathing.

"Lewis you showered! To what do I owe this honour?" smirked his sister, hand in chest.

"Haha, keep talking Hannah, maybe you'll recover your snack privileges" said as he invited them to come in

. . .

Sophie was drawing on the kitchen table, the mugs where empty and so were some plates with small dropplets of syrup and soft crumbs.

"So you guys been talking lately?" asked Hannah.

"Not that much, he says theyve been having some trouble with the wi-fi, so we mostly just text" said Lewis while he fidgeted with his coffee mug.

"Yeah, field jobs are always a pain with that. World wide coverage my ass"

Lewis let a gentle chuckle, before taking a sip off his coffee and stared blankly at the table.

"Thanks for checking up on me by the way"

"Don't mention it, we both know how it is to miss people don't we" Hannah putting a hand on his. Lewis let a sigh and looked at the TV.

"Oh by the way, I have like 5 different movies that Sophie might like on my watch list" he stood up to clear the plates up "I'll get some popcorn ready"

"Ugh, suit yourself, don't know how you can eat this much" said Hannah letting herself sink on the couch, Belly up. Sophie ran towards the kitchen demanding to let her see the kernells pop.

Hannah quickly sat up to grab the remote, as the pure and blissful silence of the living room made her uneasy, turning on the TV. It had been left on the news station, where they were reporting a fire. She didnt want to upset herself either so she changed the channel to a program where there was a documentary about the largest ships ever made. Odd to see the titanic on the list but she guessed it still had its merits after so many other ships being made. Then, she heard a scream from the kitchen.

"What happened!?" asked Hannah as she skidded right into the island, where Sophie was grabbing her palm and her brother was filling a bowl with water

"She wanted to put the kernels into the pan and burnt herself a bit" he put his nieces hand in the bowl

"Oh my god Sophie you gotta be careful" said Hannah raising her voice, Sophie looking down and apologizing

"Don't worry Hannah it was just some drops, she'll be fine"

"Yeah yeah I know" said Hannah returning to the Living room, Lewis and Sophie interchanging looks.

"Hey, everything alright?" asked Lewis as he followed her

"Yeah is just" Hannah was sitting with her hand on her forehead "She's been wanting to do more around the house and I'm afraid she'll hurt herself"

"Well she's a big girl, and I'm sure you can use the help"

"Yes but I dont want her to" snapped Hannah "I'm supossed to be there for her, she doesnt need a useless mom, not like us"

"Hannah youre exaggerating"

"Lewis dont you remember how it used to be, only you and me keeping that house together while--"

"I know" Lewis cutting her off "And its not going to be like that. You and Sophie are a team ok" Lewis was the one putting a hand on her this time "Just like us".

"I hate this, I need him to be here" said Hannah. Lewis hugged her as he started tearing up "Yeah.. Me too"

"Mom I'm sorry" said Sophie Shyly aproaching the scene. Her mom hugged her apologizing as well

. . .

"Ok we're ready" said Hannah as her and Sophie sank in the sofa in front of the TV, Lewis was coming out of the kitchen to press the play button when suddently the lights went off.

"Son of a bitch" said Sophie, her mom slapping her wrist "Ow! How did you know it was me?" her mom rolled her eyes, leaving Sophie with no tangible answer.

In that moment, an alert rang in both of their phones, with a loud buzz it read the following:

SPACE DEBREE WARNING

EVACUATE TO NEAREST BUNKER IMMEDIATELY

They all started packing up their stuff, and as they got out of their house they saw it, multiple meteor like lights in the night sky slowly falling, some of them bigger than others.

They Ran towards the neighborhood bunker, and began to go down the long stairwell

"Yo Lewis!" said a neightboor coming from behind, hugging him "Lewis I'm so sorry"

Lewis blood began running cold as he pushed him away "Sorry? What do you mean sorry what happened?"

The neighboor realised his mistake as his face went pale "Sorry I thought you knew" said as he started reaching for his phone, promptly giving it to him with a saved video "Here, you have to watch this"

"We're here at Genesis Energy space station, where a massive explosion has engulfed the right side of the complex in flames, one of the biggest fires in decades since the Titanic Spacecruise went ablaze thanks to a stray meteorite. We are recieving the reports of multiple casualties, as the remaining enginners struggle to keep the remaining of the station operational against authorities advice. Experts believe that the damage sustained to the complex will cause it to fall down to earth in the next 5 hours if the fire is not contained, in our opinion, thi-- WHOAH GET D--"

The video ended with another explosion close to the camera. Lewis and Hannah could only watch in horror and silence, as they knew both their husbands were in this very moment, raining from the skies.

We repeat. Get to a secure shelter and stay inside until the all clear is called. Do not leave your shelter under any circumstances. Meteorologists have confirmed confirm that, after roughly 10:30, for the first time in history, it’s gonna start raining men.

[s-toryteller]

Joy Family, part 14

She left the house thinking it would make her feel better, but it did not. She exhaled a puff of smoke from the narguille, trying to lose herself in the moment. The soft glow of the lanterns around the bar cast a warm light, but it did little to lift the heaviness she felt inside.

As she took another drag, the dizziness she had been trying to escape earlier started to creep back. She put down the hose and rested her head in her hands, feeling the world tilt around her.

"I gotta get out of here..." she thought, but whe was really too dizzy to stand up.

A guy noticed her distress "Hey, are you okay?" He quickly stood up and walked over to her.

Her vision was slightly blurred "I... I don't feel so good."

Thomas: concerned, gently placing a hand on her shoulder "Let's get you some fresh air. Come on.“

She took a few steps and leaned on a wall. "I'm sorry... Did I hit you?"

“Not really, and no worries,” he replied with a kind smile. “I'm Thomas, by the way.”

“Lilly,” she said, managing a weak smile. “Thanks for helping me, Thomas. I need to go back home, but my head hurts so freaking much!"

“Rough night?” he asked, leaning beside her.

“You could say that. Everything's just been a mess lately,” she sighed.

"Do you need a place to lay down? My mom's house is just here..."

Lilly barely registered Thomas's words before everything went black.

When she awoke, she found herself lying on a bed, still fully dressed. The room was unfamiliar but cozy, with soft morning light streaming through the curtains. The smell of coffee wafted through the air, comforting and inviting. She sat up slowly, her head still spinning slightly from the previous night's events.

A soft knock on the door drew her attention. Thomas peeked in, a warm smile on his face. "Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

She could hear voices outside.

"Where am I?" she asked, feeling so weird.

My mom's house," Thomas explained, stepping into the room. "You passed out last night, and I didn't think it was safe to leave you alone. She made up the guest room for you."

Lilly looked around the room, taking in the homey decor. "Thank you, Thomas. And please thank your mom for me, too. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"No trouble at all," Thomas assured her sittin next to the bed "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes, I... I just cried too much... Had a bad break up. And... I'm so embarassed... I should have never come here... I mean I don't know you people... No offense."

"It's ok, I get it" he replied. "I'm sorry for your break up."

"Thanks"

"I told my mom you're my friend from college... So..."

"Oh, ok... I'll play along."

"She's making breakfast downstairs. Coffee's ready if you want some." he said.

Lilly managed a small smile. "That sounds wonderful."

"Good morning, dear. I'm Nancy. I hope you slept well."

"I did, thank you so much," Lilly replied, touched by the woman's kindness.

"Come, sit down," Nancy said, motioning to a chair. "Breakfast will be ready in a minute."

As Lilly sat down, Thomas poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her. "Here you go. Hopefully, this will help wake you up."

"Thanks," she said, taking a grateful sip. The warmth of the coffee and the comforting atmosphere began to soothe her frayed nerves.

Nancy joined them at the table, setting down a plate of pancakes. "So, Lilly, Thomas told me you had a rough night. I hope you're feeling better this morning."

The whole family sat on the table, Lilly felt the love they had for each other... She never had a family like that, and she never ate lunch together with her mom, she felt a knot on her stomach.

"I am fine now... You have such a beautiful house, Thanks to you both," Lilly said sincerely. "I don't know what I would have done without Thomas's help."

Nancy smiled. "He's a good boy. Always helping those in need."

Thomas blushed slightly, shrugging off the compliment. "Just doing what anyone would do."

Lilly looked at Thomas, feeling a wave of gratitude. "Thank you, Thomas. For everything."

"Anytime, Lilly," he replied with a genuine smile. "You're not alone. Remember that."

As they enjoyed breakfast together, Lilly told them a little about herself, how she had lost her mom, how she got sick, and she told them about living alone and skipping school.

Nancy was so kind to her, she invited Lilly to come visit her as many times as she wanted, and Lilly felt a sense of warmth and hope. For the first time in a while, she believed things might just get better.

[alba8688]

Love hurts

Chapter 44

Word count:2252

April went by super slow for Eddie everyday he would go visit Dani she was now moved to a different cell in the bigger prison .

Liam was doing whatever he could to get her out ,Mrs.Henderson was a mess trying to be a good grandma for Nate while her daughter was in jail .

Steve would visit every day as well; his heart was shattered by how skinny Dani had gotten; she wasn't feeling good .

Pregnancy was really taking over her .

She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat .

She was trying to be strong but she couldn't .

She knew she was paying for what she did .

Uncle Wayne visits daily as well .

But then May arrived and Dani was losing hope. Well she was half way there .

She had stopped visitation she didn't want no one to see her the way she was .

She knew Eddie went every day ,it hurt her but she didn't want him to be with someone that might spend years in jail .

He had a whole life ahead of him.

So she did what she thought was best .

Push him away as well as everyone else .

May 15

Today is two months since Dani turned herself in

She was nervous because today was the day they would tell her if she was going to be  free.

Today she finally had court .

Hopper had picked her up to drive her there .

For the first time in two months she has seen the light again .

She felt emotional .

"Hey kid everything is going to be fine ."Hopper told her and she just nodded. When they arrived at the court it was full she saw a lot of posters saying "Free Miss.Henderson." Then she saw her car but there was no one inside .

Eddie must be here .

Her heart started beating faster knowing she was going to see him again after a month .

Eddie was nervous today ,he knows Dani has been pushing him away not because she doesn't love him but because she wants him to get over her .

But Eddie couldn't,he love Dani so much .

And today was the day he finally got to see her.

He got up early that day to get ready and get Nate ready for Court .

He might have put a little bit too much cologne. He felt nervous and also happy .

He even brush his curls and put his hair in a low ponytail.

And he headed out .

Dustin and Mrs.Henderson were going with Steve .

Steve had offered to pick them up because Eddie had to be there earlier and they needed to ask him a few more questions .

When Eddie arrived the outside of the courthouse was full with fellow students .

He got out with Nate holding his hand.

Nate had gotten super attached to Eddie  and wouldn't want to be with anyone else that wasn't him.

And Eddie didn't mind at all

Nate being the nice kid he was ,he started waving at everyone making all of them go awww.

Eddie saw that Nancy was already here with her whole newspaper crew.

Eddie walked in the court and saw Dani and Hopper about to go into a room so he picked up Nate and Ran to her screaming her name .

"Dani!!" He shouted on top of his lungs "mommy!!" Nate shouted as well .

Dani stopped and froze hearing those two voices .

She closed her eyes, maybe she was imagining it but then the voices were closer and she felt two tiny arms snake around her waist .

"Mommy." Little Nate cried while hugging his mom. He hadn't seen his mom in two months and he didn't understand what was going on .

"Baby." She turned around and got down to his level hugging him so tight .

How she misses her little boy Nate .

"Mommy I missed you so much ." Dani cups his little face and pecks his cheek.

She wanted to stay here with him she wanted everything to be back to normal fuck she fucking wants everything back to normal .

"Come on Dani, we have to go ." Hopper tells her  "I have to go now ok ." Dani pecks Nate cheek and stands up and sees Eddie again for the first time in a month and without thinking she hugs him tightly kissing him passionately and Eddie doesn't hesitate.

"Dani baby I missed you so much , why did you stop visitation?" Eddie peppered her face with kisses and he hug her tightly .

"Sorry Eddie I'm so sorry ."

Eddie felt his life was complete again the missing piece of his puzzle was back together.

People gather around them watching their PDA.

They didn't care anymore .

Eddie didn't care, he wanted the whole world to know how much he loved Dani .

That he was going to fight for her .

"Dani lets go ." Hopper called her again

"I have to go baby ." She cooed and Eddie felt  his world crumble once again. The missing piece was gone again."You look so handsome Eddie and you smell great ." Dani complimented Eddie making him Blush .

"You look beautiful as always how's little peanut doing ?" His hand goes down to her small belly barely noticeable .

Dani looks down at her tummy and smiles "little peanut is misbehaving lately doesnt like anything I eat ." Dani chuckled .

Nate was watching Dani And Eddie and he loved the way they were with each other. He loved the way Eddie treated his mom .

He didn't know much about adults or love but he knew that Eddie cared for his mom .

"Come on kid we have to go ." Hopper told Dani again once again.

She pulled away slowly from Eddie and blew Eddie and Nate a kiss and walked away with hopper .

Eddie and Nate made their way to the courtroom where there were people already sitting. Dani was in the front with her lawyer .

As the time went by Eddie waited to be questioned but nothing ever really happened .

After 30 minutes Mrs.Henderson ,Dustin ,steve and the rest of the gang arrived with Ozzy as well that he was at the groomers .

After a few more minutes the judge walked in and everyone stood up .

"Everyone can be seated ." The judge said

As the witnesses for Dani passed to the front and were asked questions by the lawyer ,everyone had nice things to say about Dani .

Always been a nice person.

Even Mrs.O'donnell's testimony saying Dani was always professional never saw Eddie or Dani together in school grounds .

She always respected the school and treated Eddie as another student. Never took preferences .

Both Eddie and Dani were surprised to hear this because Eddie thought she hated his guts .

"The next witness for Miss.Henderson please come to the front ." Eddie felt his heart beating faster knowing he was next he was going to testify and tell everyone what really happened .

"Edward Munson   ." There it goes his name he stood up from his chair and made sure Nate didn't follow him .

He walked past Dani and smiled at her .

"You swear to the almighty God to tell the truth, the whole truth,and nothing but the truth ." Eddie nodded but didn't realize he had to put his hand on top of a book then he realized it was a bible and he put his right hand on top of it .

"I swear by Almighty God that I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."Eddie repeated exactly what the officer told him and took a seat .

The other lawyer started asking the questions  as soon as Eddie took his seat .

"Do you know about grooming Mr.Munson?'' Eddie was confused as to why they were asking him about grooming .

"Like grooming a dog ?" He asked confused a couple of laughs where heard from the crowd

"No Mr.Munson."

"What kind of grooming are you talking about ?" Eddie asks .

He only knew that type of grooming .

What other type of grooming was there ?

"What is grooming? Grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them. Children and young people who are groomed can be sexually abused, exploited or trafficked."

Did they really think this of Dani.?

Eddie thought to himself .

"I beg your pardon .. so you're Telling me that sweet girl right there try to seduce me ?" Eddie was furious but he was trying to keep his calm.

"Yes, exactly the reason you might think you're in love with her is because she made you feel that way ."

Eddie looked at the judge "I'm sorry your honor for what I am about to say ."The judge looked at Eddie then at the lawyer he knew what was coming .

"That's fucking bullshit !! Dani pushed me away. She didn't want anything to do with me when she found out I was her student. We stopped what we had. It was hard having her as a teacher. I tried changing my class but I couldn't. Everything else was full. I was the one who kept looking for her."Eddie looks at Dani "Dani never groomed me like you say ,Fuck Dani is the sweetest person I've ever known and the love of my life,she shouldn't be in jail she didn't know I was her student." Eddie couldn't talk anymore he started crying and the judge excuse him back to his seat .

Dani turned back to Eddie as he was sitting down right in back of her and whisper I love you to him .

Eddie couldn't stand seeing Dani where she was because this was caused by both of them, not just her .

Why did she have to pay while he was out free ?

"Members of the jury, you have heard all of the testimony concerning this case. It is now up to you to determine the facts. You and you alone, are the judges of the fact. Once you decide what facts the evidence proves, you must then apply the law as I give it to you to the facts as you find them."

The judge gave everyone a break of 30 minutes .

Dani was nervous that in 30 minutes she would know her faith .

It was killing her that the time was passing by so slowly .

She was pacing around the room that they  had put her in; she was alone .

Her heels click clack was all you could hear .

She was nervous and scared .

She didn't want to have her baby in jail .

She wanted Eddie to be able to experience everything with her .

Meanwhile Eddie was a mess he was nervous he was pacing around the hallway ,Steve kept telling him to sit down but Eddie wouldn't listen .

Liam was there too. He was nervous he couldn't hide it anymore .

Eddie didn't care he was there all he wanted was Dani to be free .

That's all he ever wanted .

"Son, sit down please ." Uncle Wayne told him they were all nervous but they tried to be strong for Eddie and Mrs.Henderson.

Poor Dustin was a mess too. At first he blamed Eddie for being with her .

But then he apologized for acting the way he did .

He was just angry he lost his sister.

He wanted her back; he needed her to get after him to make fun of him like brothers and sisters do .

After the 30 minutes passed they let everyone back inside the courtroom .

Dani walked in with Hopper and another officer by her side .

She sat down and turned to look at her family, smiling , always keeping her smile just for them not showing weakness .

Eddie felt he stopped breathing. She looked beautiful, her red hair fading and now you could see the brown of her hair coming out the same hair he knew and loved when he saw her in high school.

She was so beautiful .

"Will the defendant please rise?" The judge looks at Dani and Dani does as she is told .

Dani's heart starts beating faster; she is afraid of what's coming and she is ready to face her faith .

"Danielle Ann Henderson, your teaching license would be suspended for four years and be glad it wasn't suspended forever ."Dani feels a great relief. She thought it was going to be suspended forever but four years, yes it's long. But it was better than forever and four years she could wait.

"As for the jury, they reached their decision ." The judge gives the word to the jury and one of them stands up with a paper on their hands .

"Danielle Ann Henderson of Hawkins Indiana we have reviewed your case and we found you ." He stops making everything more intense Eddie and everyone that cares about Dani are nervous, sweating and biting their nails .

Eddie is about to pull his hair from the stress.

Steve's leg is bouncing like crazy .

Mrs.Henderson is praying with her eyes closed .

Uncle Wayne holding Eddie's hand tight on him .

The tension is growing .

Dani feels like she is going to throw up waiting for her faith .

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath .

"Danielle Ann Henderson we found you Not Guilty."

The crowd erupts in cheers .

Dani stays frozen, her eyes closed and tears trickling down her cheek .

She was finally free .

From that awful place .

Suddenly she felt those arms around her spinning her around picking her up and kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

She was free .

Finally after two months she gets to go home.

Next chapter

[lunalover62578]

Haunted an unfinished story

I'm still working on it but I really hope you like it. Its going to get more into its mystery and slightly scarrier parts soon (I just need to find some motivation)

By: Charlie, grammar checked by Ollie

CONTAINS BAD WORDS

PROLOGUE

I woke up in a fright, wondering if yesterday was a dream. I looked around. Everything was the same as yesterday, with torn up papers around the room. Sirens were still ringing. I realized it was not, and sighed loudly. My mom heard from outside my room, and walked in to comfort me.

“You okay, sweetie?” she said in her calm, soothing voice. It used to always calm me, no matter what. Like chocolate chip cookies as a kid. But this time was different. “Not really,” I said. 

Now, to explain what happened to make me feel so hopeless, let's go back a bit.

CHAPTER 1

It was mid-December. I was taking a walk with my headphones in, while listening to Christmas music, when I saw this strange house. It was a dark house, tall and slender. It was really mysterious and confusing. My heart started to race. Why am I scared by a house, you're so dumb, I thought to myself. I didn't like the look of the house, so I went back home. Then I went on my laptop to text my friend, Callie. 

‘hey, can u call? something weird just happened, lol’ I texted. 

She responded with ‘shure, lol.’ So I called her, and I told her about the odd house. She didn't believe me. 

“Well, if you don't believe me, I can prove it. Wanna come over?” I said defensively. “Sure. I’ll ask my mom if I can,” Callie replies.

“Let’s hope you can go! I say jokingly. “My mom is gonna be fine with it.”

“Yeah, I hope,” Callie said back. 

A few minutes later I heard back from her. “Yeah, I can come,” she said nonchalantly.

I reply with “Yay! Alright, now come ride your bike over to my house.” 

“Be there in a few. See ya then,” she said, and hung up the call. Then, as she said, she came. 

Ding, dong. The doorbell rang! I excitedly ran to the door to welcome my friend. “Hey Callie,'' I said 

“Hey,” she responded back.

 “Let’s go to my room,” I said.

But I want to-”  before she finished I elbowed her and then I whispered, 

“I know you want to go to the house. Just be patient, ok?” She nodded and said “Never mind, let's just go to your room.”  she said. “

Alright let's go,” So me and her raced to our room. Forming a plan while we ran.

“I got it!” I say proudly

“What's your idea?” Callie asked. Probably wondering if it was a good one this time.

“It's actually good this time. I promise,” I said half jokingly.

“It better be,” She said as she rolled her eyes. Her pretty little brown eyes, when reflected in the light, look kinda like pieces of chocolate. Anyway back to my idea 

“Sooo what if we said we were going to your house” I said in a hushed voice so my mom would not hear. “You could say we wanted to do something at your house” I said “But only if you want to” I mumbled

“That's pretty good” She said in her loud confident voice. “I can do that”

“Good! Now we just have to thing of an excuse of why we want to go to your house” I said

“Yeah that's a tricky one. But i might have an idea” She said deep in thought

“What is it?” I said excitedly because we could go look

“BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH” She said

“That’s perfect” I yelled a little too loudly

“Everything ok girls?” My mom came in

Oh shit