#i went into this being like. it would really suck not to have bike lanes! i would hate having to drive a car to get places!

[itwoodbeprefect]

bingewatching youtube videos from mostly us americans and canadians about dutch road and city design with my jaw on the floor. oh dear god. oh dear GOD there's a lot of stuff i take for granted

[mentally-unstable-hottie13]

⭐️senior year sucks⭐️

Henry Bowers x FEM!Reader

Chapter 1 here

Chapter summery: you have a hard conversation with Kevin. You meet a new friend and she’s so easy to love. You have a little run in with Henry.

Word count: 2,854

Estimated read time: 13 minutes

~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~

Chapter 8

The babysitter and the psycho

You and Bev stopped dancing a few minutes ago. You now laid wait for Kevin to come pick you up and the losers rode off homeward on their bikes. Kevin was late. Strange. He was usually always on time. The front of the school was slowly bidding goodbye to students as you waited. Until only you and maybe 5 others were left standing.

The Bowers gang was still watching you. You felt eyes on you and could totally guess who it was, but didn’t feel like turning around. You park yourself onto a bench in front of the oncoming cars lane that headed into the student parking. Fuck. You really don’t wanna be here alone with them looking at you. You sigh heavily and take your headphones out of your bag. You connect them to your phone and put on some music.

Henry stood watching. The guys didn’t notice his little obsession with you yet. And they wouldn’t, they were morons. He watched the way your hair wisped in the gentle breeze. You were listening to something in your headphones. Maybe he should go to your work after belch dropped the other guys home. He had to go shopping in town for some shit for his dad then walk home. Why not check out the record store while he was out?

While Henry was zoned out Kevin had pulled in front of you. You quickly hopped in the truck with him and shut the door. To exit the school entrance road Kevin flipped a (very illegal) bitch and went down the exit road with no problem. When Henry came to, you were gone. He wrinkled his eyes in confusion. Quickly after you left the boys were ready to go too. Stop list was Patrick, Vic, then Belch would drop Henry at the store on his way home,

Kevin and you were currently in the truck waiting for a green light. You bent at the hips to grab your clothes from your bag in the passenger floor. The seatbelt did you no favors as you got dressed in the truck. Your top was fine today. You just needed to put on your jeans and put your hair up. Because your skirt was so long you were able to take off your undershorts and put on your jeans without having to let Kevin see your underwear. Not that it would be a problem. You grew up with him. You’ve gotten dressed in the same room. What real best friends haven’t?

Once the jeans are on you slide the dirty skirt off and toss it behind your seat. Kevin side eyes you.

“Why’s yer skirt so dirty?”

You try to quickly think of an excuse that he’ll believe.

“My friend gave me a ride to get some food on his bike and we fell.” You explain. It’s not exactly a lie. It’s just missing a couple key parts. He looks skeptical.

“I worry about you sometimes, kid.”

“No need to, I’m fine.”

“… you’re doing okay here. Right? You made friends? People aren’t bothering you?”

“Kevin, I'm fine. I made friends, you saw them this morning. No one is bothering me. It’s just highschool kids being highschool kids, they roughhouse and fuck with each other a little bit. I’m not gonna die.”

“If that’s the case why are you still hiding your arm? Monsoons are over soon. It’s gonna get hotter then balls. You won’t be able to hide it.”

“I hide it more because of the town then the people. I don’t want to be the only one walking around with a big fucking target that says ‘look at me! Look at me!’” You were beginning to get frustrated with this conversation.

“So why not show it now? You’re already the center of attention because you are new. Why not show the arm and let people get used to it? They’ll stop looking at you eventually. Let them know you. Be the nice girl with the tattoo that everyone in town knows. Don’t sit with your fuckin tail between your legs. They’ll get used to you. They did it with me.”

“Did they though?” You didn’t mean to snap. This conversation was just so frustrating. You didn’t want to hide but you didn’t want to fuck up what you had. Right now things are fine. Yes some people suck, but you would rather just some teenage boys suck than everyone in town suck. “It doesn’t look like anyone is used to you from what I hear.” ….

Oh shit.

“What do you hear?…”

“Uh…nothing. Sorry…. I’m being dramatic. I’m sorry….” You look at your shoes on the floor. He probably knows what people call him. Especially now that you are here. Creepy. Freak. Weirdo from the record store. He’s kind. But the children here are cruel. He gets along just fine with all the adults that come into the store. But to all the kids and their judgemental ass parents, he’s creepy. He’s never ever been creepy. He’s just…. Different. A tall, objectively attractive man, covered in tattoos with no wife in sight suddenly has a barely legal girl living in his home. People talk. And around towns like this, talk moves fast. Kids just wanted something to talk about. But that dosnt mean it won’t hurt Kevin’s feelings. He may be grown but he thinks just like a teenager does, he's emotional, caring, sensitive. You feel bad for hurting him.

“Iss fine.” He mumbles.

“You know what…?” You try to say kindly.

“Hmm?”

“How about you pull up here.” You point to a fast food restaurant. “Get some nasty ass burgers and ice cream? Last one in pays?” That evokes a smile from him. There he was.

“….fine. You’re on, loser.” He speeds into the parking lot and the both of you unbuckle your seatbelts and put your hands on your door handle.

You count.

“1.”

“2.”

“…3!” You yell. You open your door and then quickly press the lock all button on your door. It didn’t slow him down much but it did give you a few seconds to get out and start running. He catches up and pushes you into some bushes decorating the front of the restaurant. Safe to say you lost.

You two got the food and left. Onward! To the store! The two of you unlocked the store and set up to re-open. The routine is so easy to fall into. You sit front desk, Kevin organizes, some days you’ll switch, but since you only just started working you haven’t yet. You don’t feel like playing the guitar today. You just want to listen to music while you sit.

No real time passes before someone enters. A younger man, but older than you. About Kevin’s age maybe? He comes in with a little girl hiding behind his leg slightly peeking out behind him.

“Ey Kevin! Get yer ass in ere’!” The man yells and you jump a little.

Kevin walks onto the floor from the back room and smiles at the man. “Doug!” He yells happily as they fist bump. “When did you get back in town?” Kevin asks.

Doug sighs and rubs his head. “A few days ago but we have been so busy. Haven’t we Stella?” He looks down to the little girl and she hides a little more as she stares at you.

“I hear that” Kevin replies.

“And this must be the famous new girl?” Doug says giving you a wave.

“Oh shit” Kevin laughs as he swears. “Doug this is my friend. ____ this Doug and his daughter Stella.”

“Hi there!” You wave kindly and smile at the little girl.

“I came by to discuss renovations along with some gig I may need ya for.” Doug sighs at Kevin.

“No problem man, ____ why don’t you and Stella hang out?” Kevin looks to you.

“Only if it’s okay with her dad.” You comment.

“Go ahead. She could use a friend.” Doug laughs and Stella blushes of embarrassment.

You come out from around the counter and walk over. You bend down in front of Stella and offer her a smile then crinkle your eyes.

“What do you say to some shopping?” You offer. As if a light illuminates her face, she beams a big childish smile and your heart warms. You wave goodbye to Kevin and Doug and take hold of Stella’s hand as you begin your adventure to the store on foot.

She was little. A cute little girl with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She reminds you of Shirley Temple.

“So Stella.” You begin. “How old are you?” You look down at her as answers.

“Four.”

“Wow! Four! That’s so big! You are so old now. You must have dentures and gross Carmel candies weighing you down girl!” You exhaderrated.

She laughs. “Noooo~! I’m only four! I’m not growed up yet.”

“You aren’t?! But I swear I saw you in the nursing home harassing nurses for an extra blanket while you knit!”

She laughs again. Her laugh is so happy and childish you can’t help but laugh too. After a while she tells you her arm hurts from holding it up to hold your hand. You decide to pick her up and carry her to the store.

It was only a few more minutes away.

~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~

You and Stella got to the store a few steps ago. She was so light you carried her on your hip like a baby with little to no issue. To make her laugh you pretend you were a wizard making the automatic doors open. She bursts out in a fit of giggles. She was so easy to make laugh.

“You want down?” You look to her and ask.

“….noo.. I like it here…” she whined embarrassed. You smiled and picked up a little basket before handing it to her.

“Hold this. Tell me if it gets to heavy.”

She nods in understanding and the pair of you begin to shop for nothing in particular. You were on a mission toward the candy isle when you turned a corner and bumped into a brick wall. Luckily with the way you were turning Stella wasn’t hurt but dear god who put that wall there? You open your eyes when you retrieve the breath that was viciously knocked from your chest. It looks as if the wall was doing the same. Henry Bowers. Of course.

You couldn’t escape him.

“Fuckin watch iiii-……” Henry trailed off when he noticed you. You…and a little girl on your hip who looked scared of him as she hid her face in your hair. He trailed his eyes back up to yours and you looked pissed. You huff and walk around him without a word. If he told you that he was confused on why you acted like that, you would laugh in his face. He treats you like shit. Throws a cigarette at you. Almost runs you over, and now that he wants to be all fucking friendly, he’s confused? This guy is something else.

He follows you and you try to ignore him and focus on Stella. “Here.” You say. Handing Stella some animal crackers to put in her basket. “Do you want any candy hun?” Stella nods frantically and sets her eyes on something. You set her down to let her go get what she wanted and follow her. Halfway to her an arm gently slides around your waist to stop you.

“Why did you walk away?”

You click your tongue in annoyance. How the fuck does he not understand.

“Gee I don’t know Henry. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you tried to run me over then told me to and I quote “stay the fuck out of my town’.” You hiss in a mock thinking voice.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” He grunts.

“Yeah I’m sure. And you totally didn’t throw a lit cigarette at me either?” You laugh from how utterly preposterous that sounds. “Look I’m busy, leave me alone.” With that you turn and walk toward Stella. But he didn’t leave you alone. He followed you to her and before you stop in front of her, he beats you there and crouched to her level.

“Henry, stop it.” You huff.

He ignores you completely. “What’s your name?” He asks the blonde little girl. Her cheeks redden in embarrassment and she looks at you. You nod letting her know she can answer.

“S…Stella.” She answers then runs around him to hide behind your legs. He looked up at you and smiled. He gently takes the basket from Stella and stands. Henry wanders back to the candy as if he himself is shopping. He dramatically scratches his head with one finger to feign stupidity.

“Stella, can you help me pick one out? I don’t really eat sugar so I have no idea.” Oh my god. he’s trying to get to you through the kid you are watching? What a psycho.

Her shyness dissipates and she stops hiding behind you. She meekly walks to him and starts pointing to a few things she likes. Henry picks up the few bags she points at and drops them in her basket. He looks bsck to you with expectation as the 2 slowly begin walking to the check out line. You let out a dramatic groan and lightly jog to pick Stella up.

At the checkout line Henry and Stella mix both of their items and the cashier scans everything y’all got and a says the total.

Fuck. You were 10$ short. You weren’t expecting to pay for Henry too. You look around at the items and start asking the cashier to take off your snacks and drink. Before you could even get a word out Henry pulls out all the money in his wallet and pays. The casheir takes the money with an obnoxious pop of her gum. Henry picks up all the bags. Stella follows him out the door while you tail behind them, sulking.

You all saunter out of the store and Stella looks at you like she has a question.

“Yes hon?” You prompt her.

“Can I walk ahead to the spot? I wanna get there first before anyone else!” She explained. You had told her before you got to the store that you would have a picnic with her by the park playground so when she was done eating she could play while you watched her.

You smile kindly. “How about you walk just a little ahead of us. Not too far, but you’ll get there first. Maybe… 6 feet ahead of us.” You negotiate.

She nods with determination and starts to walk with purpose. You giggle gently and follow her. A couple minutes into walking, you look at Henry. He’s still walking with you. He’s not talking or anything. Just still walking.

“Why are you still here Henry?” You say, hushed so Stella won't. hear from not too far ahead

“…I wanted to talk to you…”

“What about?” You ask with a feigned indifference, almost bored voice.

“…I didn’t mean to throw my cig at you..it really was just for Mike.”

Is this his idea of an apology? It’s a pretty shitty one if it is.

“I don’t believe you.” You state stubbornly. Henry looks to you and your eyes meet. He tries to say something but you hold your hand up. “But I also don’t have to believe you for something to be true. You could have really not thought about me while you did any of that. And I still not believe you. At the end of the day I was still involved.”

He looks confused.

You put your eyes back on Stella and continue walking. “You told me last night that we weren’t friends and I understood that. But friends or not I won’t let you go around terrorizing my friends for no fucking reason. You either are targeting me with them. Or you target none of us. I’m not a fucking bystander. If you fuck with them with your little raggedy ass friends I have every right to push back. Whether you are nice to me in private or not.”

Henry blinked at you. You were right. There was no room for arguing, he understood everything you said. He couldn’t explain that you were different, because in literally every category you weren’t. The two of you continued on silently to the park with Stella. Henry opted for a more secluded bench where you could still see Stella but no one could really see you. You knew it was because he didn’t want to be seen with you. You couldn’t help it when that realization shot sorrow and insecurity down your spine.

You, Stella and Henry sit down at a park bench and table and you spread out all the food and snacks. Stella had the most adorable smile on her face. You made all of her food first before you even touched yours and Henry’s food. As fast as she sat down, she ate half her sandwich and went to play. You begin on Henry’s while he silently watches over her on the playground to make sure she’s okay while you are destracted.

This was nice. You couldn’t think of one word to explain it. It was… cozy, warm, and weirdly peaceful. A kid, a babysitter and a psycho. Who could think of a better Friday afternoon?

~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~↯~~~~

Thank for your patience. Hope you enjoyed. Regular posting will be back again soon if you would like to be tagged in updates please ask!

@amber-sekio update!

[mindingmybidness12]

Tara Carpenter x Gn! Reader

Suspicious Minds Part 1

Warnings: Cursing and swearing... like a lot

You were rushing to an early grave and there was nothing you could do to stop it. It all started when Your alarm clock failed to wake you up on time. This, of course, made him late to work which brought him to where you are now. Tearing down the bike lane of your neighborhood while getting your ass chewed by your boss. 

“GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!! YOU’RE LATE!! YOU HEAR ME?? LAAAAATE!!”

“Sir, I am quite literally five minutes away. I was only supposed to clock in only a minute ago–”

“One minute is a minute too much! Now you're telling me you're gonna be FIVE MORE MINUTES LATE?? UNACCEPTABLE!!”

He then resorted to even more yelling and at this point you were already over it.You couldn’t help but think about where you're headed at the moment. You were rushing into a dead end job just to get yelled at by your douchebag boss and for what? The pay wasn’t even that good. He was just bullshitting you to believe that nobody else would hire you, when in reality, nobody would really want to work for a jackass like him. Except you did.

Key word here being did. You promptly slammed on the brakes of your bike and focused on the phone call.

"Now you listen here you old ass piece of shit," you started causing him to splutter but you didn't give him the time to recover "I have had it up to here with your crap! You treat me like shit. You underpay me. You're smelly, ugly, fat, and old as shit but you still got the nerve to push me away from the register every time a woman comes by like they're actually here to see your fugly ass! You're fifty years old in a beginner's level karate class! Get on a damn treadmill first! Then after you've had your fill, choke on a bag of dicks and fall down the stairs. Then if you find it in your ugly soul to get back up, then just go all the way to hell !!"

You hung up the phone before he could recovered and started laughing as you did. How's that for a two weeks notice? You started dancing in celebration. You couldn't help yourself. You were finally free from a crappy ass job and a crappy ass boss. Now you could finally turn your crappy life back around. Free at last, free at last! As you were dancing, you hit a quick spin around while transitioning to doing the Dougie you made eye contact with Tara Carpenter of all people. Your jaw dropped and you felt heat creeping up your cheeks from the embarrassment. Still you tried to make a pass at being casual.

"Uh.. hey.. H-how's it going?"

You were not casual.

Tara let out a giggle and grinned at you while returning the greeting with a 'hey' of her own. You had to fight the urge to not grin like an idiot. You tried not to make it so obvious that you were into her. You and her shared only one class but you ended up sitting next to each other and working on an assignment. You had no intention of falling in love with anybody but it just kinda... happened. You cracked one half hearted joke and she tried and failed to hold back a snort. From then on you were always seen together in Biology. Laughing, cracking jokes, and teasing. Sometimes you would even get threaten to be split up or thrown out of class but you always managed to keep this calm before that happened.

As much fun as you two had with each other it would always stay within the classroom. It wasn't your fault or hers, it just how it seem to end up. There were days where she'd ask for you to come hang with her but you were stuck working at a shitty job to help pay the bills as an emancipated adult. There were the rare times that you were free after class but she would be linking up with her own friends. You didn't take it to heart but it kinda sucks that you only saw each other few hours out of the week. Before your thought could wonder off too far, Tara grabbed your attention once more.

"So who was the poor person you went full psycho on just now?"

You rolled your eyes but responded anyways.

"Just my dickhead boss... or should I say former boss? Cause I just quit. I've had enough."

"Oh! Well I'm glad you've stuck up for yourself." Tara congratulated you. You just smiled at her while nodding your head in thanks. Tara smiled shyly while turning her head away from you. While the silence stretch on and you were inwardly trying to think of something to say to get the ball rolling. You didn't know if this silence was supposed comfortable or not but you we're kinda afraid to let it go on longer than this.

"So whatchu doing out out here?"

Tara huffed and then went on to explain how she had plans with one of her friends only for them to bail last minute. You just hummed and nodded along as she vented a little bit to you.

"Well sucks to suck doesn't it?"

Tara snorted while giving your arm a shove. You chuckled back before you started thinking again. Tara's plans were cancelled so she was free. You were free from a shitty poopy job with an equally shitty poopy boss. You were already out and together. Hmm.

Chance!

"Hey, Tara wanna go do something?"

"Like what?" she asked looking up towards you.

"Like... I don't know, hang out? Grab a bite to eat? It's like the first time both of us are free and together right?"

"Yeah... yeah!" She nodded getting excited about finally getting to chance to hang out with you outside of class.

"Alright then, let's go."

A/N: The end for now. Thanks for tuning in and let me know what you guys think of my very first post here. I'll see you when I see you.

[thatautisticlesbian]

i did a lot today, had a full day of class and got up early to eat breakfast, i tried red bull for the first time other energy drinks were ok but my mother was really weird about red bull so i had never had it, its mid anyways compared to other drinks, i biked 15 miles and almost got hit by countless cars only a few were my fault, i did this ride to go to two goodwills a Walmart and a five below got some stuff was hoping for scene/emo/punk/lesbian clothing found very little and felt weird in the woman section but keep reminding myself that i am a woman and i have a right to be here, signed up for a rewards card and the woman asked me my named and i confidently gave her my preferred name not giving a fuck that i looked like a dude with a woman's name, i didn't end up buying any clothes because i can wait until they are on sale in a week or two, i thought about shoplifting but i didn't have the energy to deal with it if things went wrong, but at Walmart i had a shopping cart with nothing but a Korn cd in it for the longest time, felt funny but then i picked up a package of those Kool-Aid things with the weird twist off nipple thing, had them as a child and wanted them and a thing of Italian seasoning(for my ramen) there was a person watching the self checkout and stared me down ringing up my fucking seasoning lol i biked back after google maps who has grown to be one of the supervillains in my life told me to talk a road that doesn't exist and kept beeping at me for not being on the road(sidewalk) like its a 45 mph zone no i don't want to take up a full lane even if i could legally. but going down the highway in the shoulder is fun and when you have a massive cargo truck or bus go by there is a lot of heat and light and noise and urge to throw myself in front of it, but that would prevent me from talking to my girlfriends and i have a package coming. i don't feel like sleeping even though I've been awake for 16 hours and should be tired, and i know i will be so tired and in so much pain tomorrow but i might i might not just stay up all night and go to bed in like 30 hours or some shit, i hate having to spend money and stuff like what do you mean i can afford to buy a new game or cute clothes i want both and i need a new pair of headphones and 90 bucks isn't that much and a great deal for this but its expensive when i don't have much money i hate spending, being unemployed sucks shit i need to find a way to not bleed money, there is so much wonder and beauty in the world and i can afford none of it

[domi-scu]

Emerald Pool fail

Let’s just say that going to sleep at 1-2am and waking up at 7am finally caught up with me and I was pooped out.

The coffee at this hotel still sucked this morning- very happy it’s our last day because I have no idea what happened. We had to go to a café around the corner where, although the coffee was good, it was likely the slowest coffee of my life. We wanted to start driving kinda early so we don’t have to go in the worst heat but, once again, that didn’t happen. I am becoming convinced we’re simply destined to suffer the sun around midday every single day.

I have known that to rent a motorbike here, they want you to either pay a ridiculous deposit (£100 while the actually rental for a day is £5) or keep your passport. Good thing I have two passports so if things were to go to shit, I could really live without my Czech one which I haven’t used once since I got it over a year ago. We first tried the rental right next to our hotel. There is so many of them that we wanted something that would be easy to remember.

Except the guy didn’t just take my passport instead of the deposit, he went through it looking for the stamp from when we entered the country. Obviously, since I gave him my spare one, it wasn’t there. His boss told us they need to see passport with the stamp which was in our room. No problem, I’m happy to bring it down for you to look and then leave you the one without stamp. Ohhhh man, they didn’t like that. They very obviously wanted something that people need back so that in case something happens, they can ask for whatever the hell they want. No ma’am. So we’re like cool, we’ll leave you to it and go get a bike somewhere else. Literally about 100m (if that) further up the street.

The women there were a lot more chill, chatting with immigration police while we got our bike and they barely even looked at my passport so no stamp was not an issue and the important one could stay in the safe in our room.

We kinda knew we made a mistake the moment we left. The heat was absolutely ridiculous and it got even worse once we got on a motorway. Or the road resembling one without the rules of an actual motorway. Since I couldn’t really put my phone anywhere for navigation, we had to occasionally stop to make sure we’re going the right way. We weren’t of course. And doing a U-turn on a 4 lane, motorway-like road on something you’re driving first time in about 6 years… Not all that fun!

After taking 30min to drive much less than we’d like, we stopped for petrol, a break and to contemplate our options. Alex’s feet were burning more than ever and the whole right side of my body felt like it was on fire. Considering that we still had an hour drive ahead of us (if we don’t take the wrong turn again, that is), we figured there is no point in being miserable and that we don’t want to see the Emerald Pool that badly. And we ended up driving down to some random beach which was really just a mini port for people going to other island. We got attacked by a bunch of baby spiders when having a cold drink and turned back to Ao Nang.

I gotta say, the woman looked pretty surprised to see us back so quickly but since we have a half day of travel ahead of us tomorrow, we changed our plans to chilling by the pool. I am really surprised just how much we’re struggling with the sun and the heat. UK really fucked with our tolerance for this kind of weather. The only solution I see is to start going on holiday a lot more often so we get used to it. Could be worse.

Funnily enough, because we were being lazy, we decided to suck it up and order food and cocktails from the hotel restaurant. We haven’t done this yet because we expected it to be a lot more expensive than anything else. Turns out it was actually cheaper than most other places and they brought it all the way to the pool for us! It was also probably the best Pad Thai I’ve had on this trip. Surprise!

As the day went on and the pool got busier, I started to get too tired from all the noises around us and had to go into the quiet of our room where I didn’t have to deal with anyone for a little while. We also needed to start packing so Alex joined me soon after- his burns started to peel so probably a good idea.

After sundown, we went for a quick meal. I’m pretty sure that by the end of this trip, I will be made entirely out of mango sticky rice because I’ve been eating way too much of it. But it’s so good!

[marquez-junky8920]

Request for Alex Marquez? One where he has a really bad race weekend and you comfort him and Marc tries to cheer him up? 🥰

Author's Note: This is literally tHE SOFTEST PICTURE I'VE EVER SEEN OF THIS MAN AND I WANT TO CRY. 🥺🥺🥺❤️

Bad Day

'Oh my god, babe are you okay?' you asked in a panic as Alex rode back to pit lane after a nasty crash. He high sided, but luckily is was small enough to where he was still able to walk away from it.

'I have to say I've been better.' he said, a sad smile on his face as he limped his way over to you and hugged you. You ran your fingers through his hair and felt him sigh in relief at being in your embrace again.

'Is anything broken?' you asked, pulling away and taking his gloves off to look at his hands. They were shaking slightly from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, but everything looked to be where it belonged.

'No, I'm alright. Just shaken up. It's been a long time since I've had a high side.' he said, listening to the bikes come around for the last time and cross the finish line. It was so close to the end of the race when Alex crashed that he didn't even bother trying to go back out. He just took his losses and accepted his fate in this race.

'Thank god. That was so scary.' you said sadly, bringing him into another hug. Closing your eyes for a moment, you fought tears off before pulling away and rubbing your thumb on his cheek.

'I'm alright baby. It's okay.' he chuckled at you and pecked your lips before sitting down in the chair in his garage to talk with his mechanics. After a tough race day, he always had this routine of talking with his mechanics about where he thought they could improve as a team and where he could improve as a rider. You loved that about him - that he could work so well with his team and take constructive criticism. But some days, the repeated bad events would catch up to him and he would hit a wall. Today was that day and Alex needed his rock.

After all of the meetings were over, the press was done, and the fans went home, Alex let himself be vulnerable and open with you. He was already a man of very few words, so when he was feeling emotional, he hardly said 2 words. As soon as he got back into his bus with you, you both went to the bedroom to get changed. This day just needed to be forgotten. Alex had changed and sat himself on the edge of the bed, looking at the bruises forming on his hand and his shoulder from the crash earlier. He watched you walking around the room getting your things ready to take a shower and he grabbed your arm gently, pulling you to stand between his legs hanging off the bed.

'What's this?' you smiled softly down at him when you felt his arms wrap around your hips as he rested his head on your stomach.

'I just need to hold you for a few minutes.' he whispered, squeezing his arms lightly before relaxing them and just holding you in the quiet bedroom of his bus. No cameras, no crews, no fans... Just you and him.

'Okay well, let's do it right.' you chuckled, pulling away from him and going to lay on the bed. Opening your arms, he crawled up to you and collapsed next to you before nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. Sometimes men needed to be the little spoon too, and when Alex felt like the entire world was against him, he knew that he had you to rely on.

'Do you want to talk about it?' you asked, running your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

'I'm just tired of fucking up and not having things go the way I want. I feel like this bike is fighting me so hard and I can't figure it out. I always figure things out and the one thing I can't figure out just happens to be with my passion and my life. It just sucks that I'm in this rut and I feel like I can't get out of it. I don't know what to do.' he said softly, his voice trembling lightly at the end.

'I know it sucks honey. But you know what you do? You go out there like the badass that you are and you show them who's boss. You keep fighting, keep learning, and keep failing. Failing is all a part of this sport, you know that. But every time I see you crash out there, I see you come back to the garage and analyze everything that you possibly can to see where you can improve and where you went wrong. You are a Marquez. It's in your blood to keep fighting and never give up. You can do this, Alex. I will be right here to support you the entire way.' you kissed his lips and he smiled at you as his eyes scanned your face.

'What would I do without you?' he whispered, running his thumb on your chin before kissing you again. Just then, you heard a knocking at the door.

'Were you expecting anyone?' you asked him, watching him shake his head. You walked to the front door and opened it, seeing Marc holding a huge plate of food and a beer in his hand.

'I made him food. I know I can't cook, but I remembered how to cook his favorite thing to cheer him up.' he smiled, hugging you with the arm that held the beer.

'That's so sweet Marc. He'll love it.' you said, letting him in to help you cheer Alex up.

'Hey babe?'

'Yeah?'

'Come here.'

You heard his footsteps come to the kitchen and saw a happy smile paint his face as soon as he saw Marc.

'Hey brother.' Marc said, hugging his younger brother. 'I know you wanted this race to go differently and I'm sorry you crashed. Are you alright?' he asked.

'Yeah, I'm alright. Just a little bit bruised up. Mostly my pride that took the brunt of it.' he chuckled, looking at the plate of food on the table.

'Where did you get that?' Alex asked.

'I made it for you. Mom taught me how to make it and it's literally the only thing I know how to cook.' Marc laughed, handing his brother an open beer.

'Thank you Marc. That means a lot.' he smiled, hugging Marc again before sitting down and eating dinner with his two favorite people around him. Sitting back in his chair, he realized that no matter what happened out on that track, he had all he needed right here with you and his family. Because at the end of the day, when all of the cameras, fans, and publicity goes away - all he had was his family. And that's all he needed.

END

[derireo]

A3! And What Sports They’d Play ↦ All Troupes

So.. I was talking to a friend about the sports we used to play in the past. I loved sports as a kid and thinking of Haikyu also pushed me to do this. All troupes are included, and individual characters gets their own sport and my take on how well I think they’d do in it!

Kind of went off on Autumn and Winter Troupe;; sorry.

Uh, E-Sports, of course. He gets absolutely winded from walking, so sitting down and competitively playing a game he loves is his dream. On particularly intense matches, he breaks a heavy sweat and needs a lot of water and snacks to keep himself focused and in the game.

He's a popular player and a great one as well! Sometimes he gets asked to host little bits of the tournaments he attends because he has such a big fanbase and he's awesome at entertainment despite his normally deadpan tone with jokes.

He has a lot of energy, so I think running in track or doing marathons would be good for him. Afterall, he's one of the first to run after Tsuzuru in the prologue of the game. He isn't the best nor is he the fastest runner, but his stamina is impressive and lets him outlast many of his competitors.

I also see him doing kayaking? Not competitively, but he definitely loves the thrill of crashing down small waterfalls and regaining his balance right after. The flow of the currents is exhilarating and he has a good sense of balance, so he'd rarely overturn in a kayak (which is absolutely dangerous by the way).

He wouldn't do any competitive sports, but skate/longboarding is something I can definitely see him doing. If he needs time to himself or just simply wants to chill, he'll go out and enjoy the breeze as he boards down the bike lane in the park or on the road, hands in pockets.

He becomes a bit of an attraction at skate parks though. He's always seen there on his board, headphones donned and hands in pockets like I said; effortlessly performing tricks that a lot of other skaters would struggle doing. People are very attracted to the sight, and he lures them in whenever someone finds out he's at the park that day.

He's already suffering so much and is always tired— I wouldn't put it past him to play shuffleboard. It's not a laborious sport, and he can play with anyone like his siblings or any elders who need the company. It's a slow paced sport and is great for sleepy Tsuzuru who needs a break from scrip writing. I don't know if there were any canon stories of him actually being involved in a sport at some point, but I think he'd be pretty okay at tennis or table tennis.

Tennis is a very intense sport so he didn't play it for long because practice cut into his studying, his part-time jobs, and his babysitting. Table tennis is similar to tennis with it's concept, except you can just kind of stand in one spot and don't have to run around as much. It's a fun game to play with his siblings since they enjoy it so much, and they always run after the ball so he doesn't have to do much other than play along with them and clean up when they're done.

I honestly have no idea with Citron. I don't remember any canon details of Zahra (I think that's where he's from?) so I don't want to assume what kind of environment he was in that would influence his choice of athletics, but I think he would enjoy swimming! In the beach event, he ran into the water happily with Kazunari if I can remember, and I'd like to think he had a good body type for water.

There's also another part of me that thinks he'd love skydiving! The thrill of jumping out of the helicopter and letting the winds beat against him as he soared down towards the ground below would be awesome. He's practically shouting for joy as he glides down and loves the look of the city from above. Impressively enough, he can do flips in the air and loves twirling around, much to the dismay of other skydivers as they fear for him.

He's not one for actively moving, but ballet seemed interesting to him and he wanted to try it out. He had no idea how intense ballet was, from strict teachers, to getting blisters on his ankles and feet, Yuki actually almost quit. What prevented him from doing so was probably watching a performance where his seniors were giving the juniors an extravagant scene to watch and they inspired Yuki to keep going.

I would have said acrobatics/gymnastics as well, but Yuki's arms aren't very strong and he doesn't like doing flashy things like that anyways (no offense...? I don't know, I haven't watched videos of this sport in years). If he did pursue acrobatics/gymnastics, I'm not sure if he'd be amazing at it, but he would definitely be decent! He's got the flare;;

Running! Since he was in track for a while and was rumoured to be great at it, he would definitely be doing marathons and track alongside Sakuya. He had great speed and a stamina to match so he's a terribly good opponent to go against if you like to get pushed past your limits. If he kept pursuing track he would train during late nights and early morning with Tasuku, who has his routine jogs at those times.

Absolutely adores the sport too! His team of runners were basically second family to him, so if he chose to return, he would have the time of his life growing as a sportsman with them. He would grow into a fine and very popular runner! Hitting his growth spurt would only make him an even more fearsome competitor as his legs would get longer and his intense training with Omi and Tasuku would get his stamina maxed out.

He has no time to do sports since he's always acting, so I honestly can't say what he'd do. He isn't the best runner either and extreme sports is out of the question since he's a bit of a scaredy cat. I guess he would enjoy a casual game of table tennis though? But despite liking the sport, I'm going to say that he kind of sucks at it. He understands the rules and everything, but his rhythm is off and he never manages to hit the ball back.

He's good at receiving a strike back though! He's always lucky at standing in the right spot with his paddle in the correct position to receive a smash hit, and that's basically the only time he wins a point because he catches his opponent off guard. It doesn't happen often though, so he still gets absolutely destroyed during a game of table tennis.

I believe Misumi would be amazing at track & field. He runs extremely fast for one, and he does parkour like no other; he would definitely place first in sports like long jump, high jump, pole vault, and sprints. He doesn't have a particular favourite event to do though, but always does his best when someone gives him an incentive to do his best.

Izumi and Omi offer him triangle onigiri? He's going to run as fast as he can! Jump as high as he can and as far as he can! No one will be able to stop Misumi. But then again, competitive parkour is a thing, I'm pretty sure, so he can just do that sport for fun and still place in the top 3 at least. He would be terrible awesome at Ultimate Frisbee, but the disc isn't a triangle, so. :p

Him? Sports? No.

I'm kidding. Do not know at all what sport he would enjoy playing, but billiards is something that suits him in my opinion. It doesn't have to be competitive, but he's greatly skilled at handling a cue stick, and his aim is impeccable. He's real lucky with trick-shots too, so don't go and start betting money with him; you'll definitely splurge all of your cash on him within seconds.

Sigh. It's super annoying that he's good at everything, and sports are no exception. He plays futsal with Omi and Tasuku the most, and is very light on his feet. He's so good that during competitive games he'll do a trickshot and score, or will play around with his check and do something like dribble the ball between their legs when they're at their most vulnerable.

I'm sure he would fall in love with ice hockey, though. Ice hockey is fast paced and is a contact sport so Banri would feel free on the ice rink. Good thing is that he's pretty good looking, so he's a fan favourite player. The cold air biting into his skin as he pushes himself across the rink to get to the puck is exciting and he loves body checking opponents into the walls (this also makes him a controversial player since he plays rough and dirty).

He'd be a monster at competitive martial arts. Taekwondo especially, considering his kicks come in hot and fast. His spinning kicks are ones to avoid if you go against him, but he's so quick on his feet and can kick higher than his head so you might get a quick KO if you can't read his body language fast enough. Judo is also high on the list despite it being more of a grappling and throwing sport, but Juza's quick reflexes make him a difficult opponent to beat. Normally wins a match using jiu-jitsu grappling techniques on the floor.

He would also be great at ice hockey. His large figure and quick feet would make him a great player, and his posture is always low to the ground so it wouldn't be easy to knock him over on the rink. Not exactly the best at dribbling the puck though, but give him a one-timer when he's open and he'll send that thing flying through the net. No one tries to pick fights with him on the rink though lol, he's notorious for one hit ko's.

Taichi gives off the chaotic vibes of Nishinoya from Haikyu, but he would suck at volleyball so I'm giving him badminton cause height doesn't matter too much I think as long as he's quick on his feet and is able to read the body language of his opponents well. His form would be perfect though and he's super agile so getting to that shuttlecock is no problem for him. He's got a bit of muscle too so he can send those babies flying!

Doesn't really use strategy most of the time, so he'll just keep hitting and receiving the shuttlecock however he wants until his opponent tires or until someone messed up a smash. No one else in Mankai plays badminton so finding him a coach is a bit difficult. He eventually learns other ways to hit the shuttlecock, so when he learns how to slice or do drop shots, he's a little monster on the court!

Oh, the sports he would play.. Obviously, he plays futsal with Tasuku unless you haven't seen his card where he's playing as goalkeeper! With that information, he would absolutely destroy volleyball teams as a middle. Now I don't know if calling middles 'middle blocker' and outside hitters 'wing spikers' is like.. a cultural thing, and I know that's what they call the players in Haikyu, but it definitely catches me off guard and really confused lol. So, yeah! Omi would be amazing as a middle in the front since he's so tall and can shuffle fast on his feet to block a front row opponent. He's like Tendou in a way where he's great at reading people, the only thing is that he's better than Tendou (no offense, I'm serious) because he doesn't need to guess. He already knows. UGH, I want to go off on volleyball (both indoor & outdoor), but this part is getting long. Lmk if you want to hear me talk more about A3! & volleyball.

American football/rugby. Don't tell me I'm wrong please, I'll cry. Both of these are a full contact sport, and looking at Omi's past and his physical structure, you can't tell me he would not obliterate everyone on the field. He is either the offensive guard or the tackle. He will not start offensive plays, but he will end defensive plays. He stops any player from tackling their centre and tackles those who try to hit a blindside. I don't know much about rugby other than it is just as rough as American Football, just with less protective gear. I'm stopping here because I'm thirsting too much for Omi rn.

HOO, baby! When I looked at Sakyo, I just knew he would be able to do something with swords, so I chose kendo/fencing. Keno is a traditional martial art stemming from Japan and is practised with wooden swords. I won't say I know much about the sport, but it is definitely tense and is very noisy. Noisy because kendokas/kenshis shout whenever they strike, this is to show their spirit. Sakyo kind of hates shouting during the sport, but it definitely lets off some steam and gives him more momentum when he strikes.

I also think fencing because there are swords involved here too, it's just that it seems to be more of a European sport and has some sort of specific footwork involved. The piste may seem a bit narrow as well compared to kendo where they have a whole floor to themselves, so Sakyo doesn't practice fencing as often. (The clothing he's required to wear for this sport is also quite stifling as well.)

I'm ngl, but I didn't know what sport to give Tsumugi, omg, so I ended up giving him cup stacking. You know, you remember; I feel like you should do some research if you don't though because cup stacking was a huge thing in the early 2000's (?) and kids were setting world records here and there non-stop. Tsumugi uses his hands a lot for things like gardening, tutoring, bouquet arranging, etc, so he's deft and talented with them.

As long as he puts his mind to it, cup stacking is a piece of cake for him. He doesn't play anymore, but every now and then he'll look at his old kit in the corner of his room and will set it up with Tasuku in the lounge room for everyone to have a go at it. He loves the thrill and the way his adrenaline runs through his veins as he focuses on trying not to mess up the stack down.

HOOOO! Okay, so we already know Tasuku plays futsal so I'm not going to bother, but man.. He would be the same as Omi in volleyball; an absolute monster of a middle player. He's well rounded in the sport, so his coaches/team actually refuse to switch him out with a libero/defence specialist. His digs are almost on point with the setter, and he's always at the right spot when receiving, making sure no one gets an empty spot on the court.

When he's in the front blocking or hitting, he's almost always successful, and since he trains a lot with different drills and regimes, he perfects a lot of things like tipping, tooling, slicing, and even setting. His height added along with his vertical makes it almost impossible for opponents to block him, and when he's feeling good in a game, he'll start doing things like float serves and jump serves. If he's feeling any better, he'll play around and start doing slide hits at the front or will hit from position A on the back court (left corner facing the net). He'd also do swimming!!!!!!!!! BUT THIS IS GETTING TOO LONG

Definitely would do archery/darts. He's got impeccable aim if you take evidence from his outside work chats with Banri and has no problem pulling the string on a bow. Archery is difficult and I am not lying. Pulling the string until it's taut takes a large amount of strength and it digs deep into your fingertips, leaving calluses after one or two pulls.

Figuring out the trajectory and weighing in the factors of weather (if you're outside) takes a lot of skill and practice, and Hisoka always manages to hit the centre of the target with no hesitancy with his release of the string. His hands are all rough from the string digging into his fingers all the time, showing you how long he's been practising the sport.

I don't think Homare was very athletic growing up. I'm saying this only because his body type is quite lean and he's a poet after all who seems to stay inside more often than not if he isn't meeting with an editor/publisher. I think figure skating would suit him very well as it is an elegant and cold weathered sport. I also think he would fall in love with the suits if Yuki made them as they'd sparkle brilliantly and show off his flare as a skater.

He figure skates as a casual hobby rather than competitive, but he definitely makes a lot of famous friends in the community due to his whimsical personality and beautiful posture.

Kyudo (Japanese archery) was a sport that popped into my mind for Azuma, despite the strain it puts on the skin of his fingertips. His skin is very delicate with how much he takes care of it, so he wears a glove on his dominant hand to protect him. Kyudo seems to be more of a peaceful archery, and with the sight of Azuma in the kyudo uniform, the scene in front of you would be quite serene and calming.

I also think he would be great at figure skating since his body is lithe and he has lovely facial features that would complement the body suits that Yuki would create for him. His long hair flowing in the breeze he creates as he glides throughout the rink would be gorgeous along with the way his body looks as he does an axle in the air. His performances on the rink are always mesmerising, and he'll receive a few claps from fellow rink goers when he's in the centre just casually practising.

[starkeristheendgame]

peter and tony are on a motorcycle together. The constant movement and touching is getting them kind of excited.

I really hope you like this and that I did it justice! For those curious, this is the bike that Tony rides. I will forever spit curses at the Gods for making me the size of a Pomeranian. This is basically Early!College!Peter and Adult!Tony, and can be seen as a Biker/Gang AU if you wanna! 

TW: Public sex | Sex toy use | D/s dynamics | Consensual power dynamics | Potentially degrading monikers

Nobody had really believed Peter when he’d quietly admitted to having a boyfriend. It wasn’t that he was ugly, no. Peter was just basically married to his studying, and had seemed utterly and steadfast disinterested in any other offer of company. Though, if he did have a boyfriend, that would explain why. 

And nobody really believed him when they caught the face on his lockscreen. The devastatingly handsome thirty-something model of a man that eyed them with a tilted head and a killer smirk. This was the guy you saw in California, dating movie stars and fucking models, not living in Manhattan and dating a barely-legal college student. 

So when Leah Denvers overhears Peter talking about how his boyfriend will be picking him up from college, near enough the entire school gathers outside, hovering on the steps and all doing their best to fake disinterest, like they aren’t eyeing the boy stood on the edge of the curb like hawks. 

The noise comes first. Like thunder, but fiercer. Like with the rolling booms comes the trickling purr of a jungle cat, and the warning snarl of a dragon. Something angry and something powerful. Something that knew it had the rule of the streets. Nobody bothered to feign disinterest anymore. 

The beast that came charging around the corner was sleek and black, abstract edges and sharp points, a being that would blend into the darkness if not for its glowing red eyes. The rider that mounted it sat low, leaning over the tank, dressed head to foot in a sleek, black leather suit and helmet. 

Peter breathed a sigh of relief, acutely aware of every single set of eyes on his back. Tony being here meant they could make a rather speedy getaway. Ned had apologetically abandoned him on the curb, whisked away to a family meal with some long-lost Auntie. 

The rider steered the bike to an elegant halt and sat upright slowly, blacked out, glossy visor turning slowly to face him as the rider sat astride the bike, letting it growl between his thighs, hands resting calmly on the tank. Peter could see his own face in the visor, cheeks flushed, pupils blown. 

Peter stepped off the curb and up close, close enough he could smell the leather and the gasoline, could feel the heat of the bike and damned near her vibrations. He reached up a hand and delicately thumbed the safety lock of the helmet, lifting the visor up slowly until he could see dark, dark eyes, framed by long, thick lashes. 

People were talking. Whispering furiously. Peter knew what they were saying. Knew their doubts. He was just a semi-popular, not-so-great-with-fashion college student. How was a man like this with a boy like him? 

Tony Stark leaned away from him just slightly, blinking slowly like a cat as he reached behind him, for the spare jacket and helmet strapped safely to the seat Peter would soon occupy. He shrugged on the thick, armoured jacket himself, but obliged when Tony took the helmet from his hands, tugging up the bandanna from around his neck to cover his lower face, gentle and careful when he helped Peter to put it on and to tighten the straps. 

Tony let his head dip, pressing their helmeted foreheads together, like a tender kiss. He did it, each time before a ride. Good luck, he called it. And then he was bracing his legs and the bike, holding her stable as Peter put a hand to his shoulder and bounced up onto the back, tucking his legs into the correct position and sighed in contentment as he draped himself over Tony’s back, arms tight around his toned waist. 

Nearly the entire school was still staring when the engine gave a great roar between his thighs and leapt forwards. He would never get used to the thrill, would never get used to the leap in his chest and the tingle of adrenaline through his veins. But the worst was the vibrations, unrelenting against his ass, and being pressed so close against his lover, entrusting him with his very life. 

Peter wobbled off the bike hard between his legs more often than not. 

Tony did, too. 

They came to a halt at a stop light, Tony leaning upright to keep steady as they waited, and Peter relaxed against him, squeezing him lovingly. Tony reacted by reaching back, a large, gloved hand squeezing his thigh before it went to the throttle and twisted, just enough to hitch the revs, enough to have Peter squirming on the pillion seat, biting his lip. 

On the freeway, Tony set her free, the engine a thrumming monster beneath them. The angle that Peter sat upon her meant that the steady purr licked at the insides of his thighs, his asscheeks, against his tender cock. He knew for a fact where Tony’s cock was squeezed against the tank that he was hard. It was in each careful, uncomfortable hitch of his hips. 

Very slowly, Peter let his hands slide down Tony’s stomach, inch by inch until he was thumbing at the stiff leather over his flanks, stifling his hot cock. Tony pulled one hand from the bars and lay it over his hand, pressing Peter’s palm down firmly against the hard rise of his length, before he returned it to the steering. 

Halfway to Tony’s penthouse, Peter was hard enough that it ached, uncomfortable in his jeans, hips nudging against the base of Tony’s spine on each opportunity. His boyfriend reacted in kind, squeezing his thighs and revving the engine when there was no need, just to tease Peter with the powerful vibrations. 

Where he ought to have turned left, Tony turned right, and Peter watched the city blur into mostly abandoned lanes and streets. In a nook between a tall, abandoned apartment complex and a parking zone, Tony nudged the bike to the side and to a halt, reaching back to tap Peter’s thigh twice. 

Dismount. 

No sooner than Peter had stepped out of kicking range, Tony was kicking the stand down and swinging a leg over, hands reaching for his helmet. His hair was tousled and messy when he pulled it off, tugging down the bandanna to around his neck, tearing at his gloves with a dark, hungry gaze. Peter couldn’t bite back his grin, legs still tingling from the ride as he tore at his own helmet and jacket. 

For all their impatience with taking the gear off, they were still careful when they set it down, out of the way and with care before large hands settled on Peter’s hips, spinning him. A hand between his shoulders and he went down, folding over the bike with a half-giggle of delight, Tony’s thick thigh forcing his legs apart, making him present. 

“Such a desperate little slut, hm? Couldn’t even wait to get home. You just had to beg to be filled up” Tony breathed, hot and husky against his ear, folding over him like a stallion mounting his mare, hard and firm and unforgiving against him from shoulders to thighs. Peter could do nothing but mewl, pawing at the bike helplessly and arching against his lover. 

“Hhngh, please. Tony, fuck. Please. You’re so - None of them believed me. You’re that fucking hot they all thought I was lying” Peter rasped, eyes rolling when Tony nuzzled at his neck, coaxed him to bare it so he could sink his teeth into the soft, vulnerable flesh. 

“Mm, and do you like that they believe you now, pet? Do you like that they know you bounce on my cock like my good little boy?” It was punctuated with a harsh jolt of his hips, and Peter hissed. 

“Yes”. 

“Do you feel pride, knowing they want me, but they know they can’t have me? That they can’t, because you are Daddy’s little whore?”. 

Peter nearly sobbed, rocking his hips against the bike for friction, for anything as Tony reached for his ass, squeezing a fat cheek harshly before he pushed his hand under the loose band of his jeans, firm fingers pressing down on the base of the plug that was nestled deep in his ass, flared wide within to stretch his slick little insides. 

“Daddy likes it, too” Tony purred in his ear, fucking the plug into him with short little presses, hand reinforced by the harsh thrusts of his hips. Tony licked at his neck, his jaw, bit the shell of his ear with a low rumble and drove a hand into his hair, twisting and gripping hold of the silky locks for purchase. 

“P-Please” Peter breathed shakily, spreading his legs wider, pressing his ass back against Tony’s hand and his cock, biting at his lip to try and stifle the sounds tearing from his throat. Abandoned didn’t necessarily mean nobody was lurking in the shadows. 

“Mm, since you were so good, and wore this all day” Tony pretended to muse, and Peter nearly cried when he felt Tony’s fingertip slide around the edge of the plug, against his sore and stretched rim, which bent around the gentle pressure and then sucked his fingertip in greedily, a brief burst of pain quickly smothered by the heat of pleasure. 

“O-Oh! Fuck. Fuck, please. Tony!” Peter whimpered, head dropping as he scrabbled for purchase against the bike, near drooling as his thighs began to shake. Tony pressed against the plug again and brushed a thumb over his raw hole, forcing a shaky breath from his younger boyfriend. 

“If you cum now, little slut, you’ll have to ride the rest of the way home wet” Tony warned. Peter knew how uncomfortable it would be, how raw and tacky it would feel when his cum began to dry, but he nodded wickedly none the less, rutting against the frame of the motorcycle and squirming his hips to encourage Tony’s finger deeper. 

From behind him, Tony gave a low hum, and used his own hips to shove his finger deeper, startling a yelp from Peter that morphed into a cry as Tony rubbed at his sweet spot, his tender hole stretched too wide too soon, but Peter loved every moment of it, squeezing his eyes shut and throwing his head back when the boiling heat in his stomach pooled and overflowed, legs buckling so he collapsed against the bike as he came on a cracked gasp of Tony’s name. 

“That’s it, sweetheart. Cum for me” Tony coaxed him, gentle and overcareful as he rubbed him through it, and eased his finger out. He crowded Peter tighter, squeezing him against the bike as one hand came up to grip his jaw, thumb forcing his mouth open like a reluctant horse for the bit, the other pushing his slick finger into Peter’s mouth, so he could taste himself, stroking the back of his tongue until the boy hiccuped on a gag. 

“If you’re not hard again by the time we get back, I’m going to tie you naked to the bike on the driveway, and leave you there” Tony whispered sweetly. 

[omg-imagine]

⊱ Forget Me Not (7/15) ⊰

Pairing: Keanu Reeves x Reader

Summary: After you wake up from a coma and realize that your memories from the last five years have been erased, Keanu works to bring back what you have lost.

Words: 3.6k

Warnings: None

A/N: So sorry for the delay! I was super busy and wasn’t able to finish writing in time to post yesterday. Anyway, it’s sort of filler chapter this week but definitely one of my favorites to write so far. 

Also, we’ve reached the halfway point of the story and things will start picking up in the next few chapters! There may or may not be smut in an upcoming chapter and if I do end up writing it, I’ll give a heads up in the warnings. 

Again, thank you so much for the lovely feedback and I hope you enjoy!

Part 6

Staring up at the ticking clock on the wall, you silently counted the hours that have passed since Keanu had gone to the Arch office to take care of a few business matters. It was the first time he has left you home alone, and truth be told, he was a bit more worried than he should have been. You, however, were adamant that he went ahead, not wanting him to neglect his responsibilities in favor of babysitting you.

After finally convincing him that you can handle being by yourself, Keanu left, slightly reluctant but keeping his promise of not allowing circumstances to interfere with his life. Once he arrived, you had received occasional text messages from him, replying to each one sincerely just to give Keanu some peace of mind. He was sweet for checking on you, and you couldn't really blame him for his overprotectiveness. You knew that it would come to pass when everything goes back to normal.

Or, so you hoped.

Even though you were glad that Keanu was working again, you couldn't help but miss him. Despite only being away for nearly six hours, the silence in the house was getting to you. You've kept yourself occupied by doing a couple chores around the place. Every room was spotless by the time you finished cleaning, leaving you with nothing else to do for the rest of the day.

Frankly speaking, you were beginning to feel a bit stir crazy being stuck inside. Sure, you've done grocery runs with Keanu and go on long walks with him around the neighborhood every morning, but you had yet to explore what Los Angeles had to offer. You wanted to check out the popular tourist spots, see the famous Hollywood Sign with your own two eyes, and hit up the shops on Rodeo Drive. Maybe even hike a trail at Griffith Park or drive down Sunset Boulevard where towering palm trees flanked the street.

You were just about to text Keanu and ask what time he was coming home when you heard the deep, rumbling sound of his motorcycle outside as he parked on the driveway. Swiftly, you hopped off the couch, dashing out of the front door just in time to catch him swing a leg over the saddle before dismounting.

As you approached Keanu, you couldn't stop yourself from staring as he took off his helmet, running a free hand through the length of his dark, disheveled hair, unaware of your presence. Unzipping his black leather jacket, you watched as he pushed back his sunglasses onto his head, revealing his rich brown eyes. 

Obviously, you were very attracted to him. And to this day, you wondered how a man like Keanu chose you over anybody else.

"You okay there, Y/N?" Keanu asked after turning his head and meeting your widened gaze. He chuckled under his breath as the heat rose to your cheeks, realizing that he had caught you gaping at him.

"Uh, y-yeah. Yeah, of course," you stammered, covering up your embarrassment with a shy smile. "How was work today?"

"It was productive," he answered with a nod. "It's actually a good thing that I went today because there was an issue with getting parts to make a client's bike, but it all worked out in the end. Sorry for leaving you home alone. You must have been bored, or maybe grateful that you got a break from me."

You laughed at his attempt at adding a joke in there. "Honestly, I was extremely bored. I did some vacuuming and laundry around the house and a bit of light reading afterwards. But I'm happy you got work done today. Imagine what your client would say if he found out you weren't available because you were too busy watching over your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Keanu repeated as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Isn't that what I am to you?" you inquired, slightly nervous. Not because of Keanu's reaction, but of the word that slipped out of your mouth. It was the first time you admitted out loud that you were Keanu's girlfriend, and it made it somehow feel a little more real.

"Yeah," he spoke, his eyes lingering over your features. "You're my girlfriend, but you're so much more."

You smiled sweetly at Keanu, silently exchanging affectionate glances with him until you found your voice again. "Can we go out and do something today?"

"Like what? Do you want to go to a park or see a movie?"

Suddenly, an idea sprouted in your mind. "I want you to take me to where we had our first date."

"Our first date?"

"Yes," you nodded eagerly. "I know you told me the story about it, but now I really want to go see the place for myself."

"It's Saturday, Y/N," Keanu pointed out. "It's going to be busy there. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Ke. It's gonna be fun," you giggled. "Be right back, I'll grab the car keys."

Quickly leaning up to kiss him on his cheek, you sprinted back inside the house, almost tripping over your feet from the excitement rushing through your veins. You missed the look of amusement on Keanu's face, however, as he watched your retreating figure, a smile tugging at his lips.

---

The traffic, although currently better than most days, was still horrendous. You had taken at least two naps in the car only to wake up and find out that Keanu had only driven five miles each time. Not even the calming sight of the blue Pacific waves on the right was enough to keep you distracted from the torturous wait.

"How much longer?" You asked him with a whine.

"According to the GPS, we still got 25 minutes to go," Keanu replied, briefly glancing at you. "Funny enough, you were also this impatient years ago. You hated traffic, and you were practically begging me to exit the highway and do this some other time."

"I'm not surprised," you shook your head as you cracked open the window, allowing the fresh ocean wind into the vehicle. "Why couldn't we just have dinner like a typical first date?"

"This was actually your idea back then," Keanu recalled with a small chuckle, making you roll your eyes. "But like you said before, it's going to be fun when we get there."

"If we get there," you sighed deeply.

"Hey, don't be like that. It's just traffic, you'll learn to tolerate it eventually."

Laughing, you glanced back at Keanu. "I sure hope so, or else I'm moving back to New York."

A few minutes went by, and you were too busy staring out of the window to notice Keanu suddenly switching to the right lane until he called out your name.

"What is it?" You said, watching him point at an upcoming mile marker.

"That's the exact place where we met for the first time."

As he said those words, the car slowly passed by the small green sign with a printed digit. Turning your head back to look at Keanu, you noticed that he was smiling adoringly, not at the spot he had mentioned, but instead, at you. Seeing it made your heart flutter, and you thought about how funny the universe worked. It had brought two strangers together nearly five years ago, resulting in a seemingly perfect love story.

Keanu's voice drew you out of your reverie. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing serious," you told him. "I was just wondering again how life could have been different if I hadn't met you."

"And what do you think it would be like?"

You pondered for a moment, comparing the life you could remember with the one you had now. Even though you still felt a bit lost in this new world of yours, you couldn't recall the last time you were this happy, safe, and loved.

Facing forward, you gazed at the stretch of highway before you. "I think it would have been lonely."

---

You were twelve years old the last time you visited a boardwalk by the beach. Your parents had surprised you with a trip down the shore just before school started, and you stayed one night at a cheap motel that was only a block away from the water.

You remembered all the funnel cakes they bought you, the games they spent a lot of money on just so you could win a stuffed toy. You could still hear the clickity-clack of the wooden coaster, and how much you both enjoyed and feared the thrill of riding it. And at the end of the day was the firework show, which became the most memorable part of the trip.

As Keanu guided you up the wooden walkways, you felt a sense of nostalgia as you glanced around the Santa Monica Pier. It was a lot bigger than the one you've been to and had far more people exploring the boardwalk all throughout. Standing by the entrance, you could already see the ferris wheel and the rollercoaster just to the side of it. You felt like a little kid again as you looked around, not knowing exactly where to start.

"If we're doing this like our first date, we should have a round of water race," Keanu suggested, offering you his arm to which you happily took it.

"Lead the way, Reeves."

Arriving at the booth, you and Keanu took a seat at the two vacant spots before he handed the game operator $10 to play. You glanced at your side and realized that you were playing against three children who looked as though they had more experience than the both of you combined.

"Oh god, I don't want to lose to ten-year-olds," you whispered with a light-hearted laugh. "I suck at this game, are you at least any good?"

Keanu arched his brow with a slight grin. "Are you kidding me? I'm better than you."

Playfully punching his shoulder, Keanu then shot you a wink before the operator announced that the game was about to start. Gripping on the metal handlebars, you shut one of your eyes and aimed your gun at the target in front of you. At the sound of the bell, you pushed down the trigger, the stream of water hitting the target directly, and you quickly glanced up to see what place you stood.

"Gee, Ke," you chuckled after seeing how he compared to you and the other players. "I thought you were good? Those kids are beating you!"

"I didn't say I was good. I said I was better than you," Keanu smirked as the buzzer went off, signaling that someone had won, and it was neither you or Keanu that did.

"Well, you still got beat by a little kid. What's your excuse for that?"

Keanu got off the stool, pulling you up on your feet as well. "You were distracting."

"Distracting?" You scoffed playfully. "What did I do that got you all distracted?"

"You sitting there pretty was enough to make me lose focus," Keanu revealed.

"So, what do you want me to do? Stop being pretty just so you can win?"

Shaking his head, Keanu reached down and grasped your hands in his. "You can never stop being pretty, no matter how hard you try."

Walking further down the Pier, Keanu stopped when he reached a booth where a Shoot the Star game was set up. Convinced that he would be able to win you a prize by playing, Keanu slid a bill across the counter to start the game, picking up the BB gun before aiming it at the paper star.

"You sure you got this, Ke?" you questioned him.

"Of course, I do. Watch."

One by one, Keanu shot out every bit of the red star off with a high degree of precision, his skill coming as a shock to both you and the man tending the booth. Out of one hundred pellets, he only had to use about thirty of them to completely obliterate the target faster than you had seen anyone else do. His head turned slightly, a sly smile plastered on his face as his eyes met yours.

"Where the hell did you learn how to shoot like that?"

"John Wick boot camp," he simply responded. "What prize do you want?"

Picking out a brown, fluffy teddy bear hanging in one corner of the display, After it was handed to Keanu, he then presented the toy to you. Smiling, you accepted the prize, not even caring that the stuffed animal was poorly made, and some of the seams were unraveling. What mattered was that it came from him.

"You know, I haven't seen any of the John Wick sequels," you noted as you two began walking away, hand-in-hand. "We should watch those when we get home tonight."

"Anything you want, sweetheart," he said with a gentle squeeze of your hand. "Anything for you."

You and Keanu played a few more games together, learning how competitive he was when it came to versing you and others. He was stopped for a couple of occasions to take pictures with his fans. It warmed your heart, seeing the way he interacted with them, especially with the younger kids. He was so kind to them, so attentive and caring. You could understand why everyone fawned over him.

And it was for the same reasons why you were falling for Keanu.

Falling. Was it too soon to say that? You weren't sure, but all you could think about now was the way he held your hand and how he smiled so brightly at you, making you feel like you were the only person he could see. There were no other words to describe the feeling other than falling.

After a quick bite, you led Keanu towards the ferris wheel, something you had been looking forward to riding the second you arrived at the Pier. Once inside a passenger car, the wheel slowly began to turn, moving clockwise as the world below grew smaller the higher you rose above the ground.

The silence that fell between you was far from awkward. Instead, it was peaceful and comfortable. You were aware of how close you were sitting beside Keanu, feeling his heat as it radiated from him. He put one arm around you, drawing you even closer to his body. Leaning against him, you rest your head on his shoulder as you took in the beautiful scenery outside. At some point, the wheel stopped at the very top, your cart softly swaying to the gentle wind blowing against it.

"You okay?" He asked, shifting his eyes to look at your face. You didn't notice your grip around his arm had tightened.

"I am. Just a little scared of heights, that's all."

"Don't worry," he murmured as you tilt your gaze upwards. You saw how he was focused on your lips, and if you leaned in just enough, you could almost…

The wheel suddenly moved again, the sound of the hydraulics causing you to jump as the ride began its slow descent back to the loading dock. You were disappointed at missing your chance to kiss Keanu, wanting nothing more than to finally feel his lips on yours.

"Hey, you want to see something amazing?"

Smiling broadly, you then nodded. "Sure."

The sand between your bare toes was soft and warm to the touch. Each fine grain was colored with a golden hue, and it sparkled underneath the setting sun. Eventually, you and Keanu neared the edge of the ocean, the cool waters lapping at your feet with every languid wave washing up to the shore.

Carrying your shoes in one hand while Keanu held the other, you continued to walk down a quiet section of the beach. The breeze blowing from the tide tousled your hair as the briny smell of the air invaded your nose. 

You could almost taste the salt on your tongue.

"Let's stop here," Keanu halted his steps after picking out a spot close to the shoreline, but far away enough so that the water didn't reach you.

Carefully, he lowered himself onto the ground, pulling your hand down to have you do the same. You settled in between his legs, your back pressed against his firm chest as his arms wrapped around you. You felt Keanu rest his head against yours, his scruffy beard tickling your skin as you release a contented sigh.

The sun above began to dip behind the horizon. It cast an orange haze over the ocean and painted the skies majestic shades of red and pink. The last of its rays gave off a gentle warmth, bidding farewell to let the night take over. Craning your head up, you saw Keanu’s soft smile, his face aglow by the waning light as he appeared to be lost in his own thoughts.

You were able to get your phone out and take a quick snapshot of him, the small giggles that escaped your lips breaking his stare.

"What are you doing?"

Shrugging, you tossed your phone to the side, landing right next to where your shoes laid on the sand. "I took a picture of you."

Keanu chuckled as his head moved closer. "Why?"

"I want to relive this memory one day," you explained. "Thanks for the second-first date. I really had fun today."

"Do you remember…?" He trailed off, but you knew what he was asking.

"No," you sighed sadly. "It's okay, though. Because now I have this to look back on while waiting for the old ones to come back."

"Okay," Keanu added, his eyes boring into yours. "I had fun today, too."

"Good. I'm glad."

A beat passed, and once again, you found yourself staring at his lips, which were only mere inches away from yours.

"I love you, you know?" He blurted out, catching you by surprise. Of course, you knew that he loved you, but hearing him say it outright felt different. "You don't have to say it back now, but I want to remind you that I still do."

Strangely, those three words were right there at the tip of your tongue. You could say it, but something was holding you back. Was it fear? Uncertainty? Perhaps it was all too soon for you.

"Tell me about our first kiss," you murmured, your gaze unwavering.

"I told you that story already, remember? We were at the overlook and—"

"No," you interjected with a shake of your head. "Tell me how it felt."

Keanu darted out his tongue to lick his lips, his breath softly fanning your face. "When we kissed for the first time, it was like time stood still for those few seconds. I was nervous during the whole thing because it had been a while, but being with you, I realized that there's nothing to be scared of. It sounds cliche, but I felt sparks while kissing you. After that, I never wanted to let you go."

You stayed silent. Instead of speaking, you let yourself lean into Keanu. Your lips brushed against his tentatively before you pulled away, your eyes flickering up to see the pleading look on his face.

He wanted it as much as you did.

Your gaze lowered, and again, you placed your lips on his, although this time, they stayed there. Eyes fluttering close, you kissed Keanu gently and sweetly as he brought his hand up to tenderly cup the side of your face. It was everything you had imagined and more. 

But eventually, the two of you broke apart to breathe, severing the connection. Right away, you wondered when your next kiss would be, believing that if it was already this good, it could only get better from this point on.

"That was…" Keanu mumbled, nearly breathless.

"Amazing," you finished for him as he brushed a strand of hair away from your face and stroked your cheek. "I don't know what else to say."

Pressing his lips to your forehead, Keanu then sighed happily. "You don't have to say anything else. I already know."

With one last smile, your attention returned to the vast ocean and the disappearing sun, the taste of Keanu's lips lingering on yours.

For one, fleeting moment, you thought that you could stay this way forever.

---

Walking back to the car, Keanu couldn't help but grin with you by his side. He was on cloud nine after today's adventure. Even though you still couldn't remember anything, he loved how he was reliving these moments again. He never realized how long it truly has been since you had both enjoyed yourselves.

Opening the car door for you to climb inside, his cell started to ring, echoing throughout the parking garage.

"Who's calling?" You curiously asked as Keanu stood with one hand holding the door.

Fishing out his phone, he suddenly froze when he saw the caller ID. 

It was Molly. 

Keanu eventually knew that she would try reaching out to him after he had told her of what happened to you. It came as a shock to him that it took her longer than he had expected. But he didn’t want to deal with it right now. 

He still wasn’t sure when he’ll be able to.

"It's just spam," Keanu said, the lie smoothly rolling off his tongue. It was becoming too easy for him to do that, lying.

Without a second thought, he turned off the screen and placed the phone back inside his pocket. Jogging to the driver's side, he took one deep breath in and out before opening the door and sliding inside.

Just for tonight, Keanu wanted to hold onto something he hasn't felt in a long time. 

Happiness.

And he didn’t want her ruining it.

Part 8

Taglist: @penwieldingdreamer​ @fanficsrusz​ @toomanystoriessolittletime​ @awessomness​ @meetmeinthematinee​ @ringa-starr​ @ficsnroses​ @iworshipkeanureeves​ @keandrews​ @greenmanalishi​ @feminine-machinegun​ @lussdew​ @allie1804-fan @flaminasteroid 

[alias-b]

sins of my youth. 008

Billy Hargrove x OC! Evie Fenny~ Also posted to my AO3

Summary: It was common knowledge that Billy Hargrove hated Hawkins. Hated Cherry Lane. Even loathed the strange girl next door. Evie Fenny wasn’t too fond of the chaotic Cali transfer either. An awful high school tradition sparks a chain of events that changes everything, ultimately bringing two frayed souls together.

A/N: New chapter!! Revenge plots, unlikely allies, and a romantic dip. TW: Hints of teen bullying and mentions of pica. Billy's anger gets scary for a hot sec. Enjoy!!  TAGLIST OPEN!!

Chapter 8: Because My Calendar Is Open

   “Wish it was warm enough to eat outside.” Evie grumbled. Picking crust off her sandwich. 

   Ignored Carol’s cackling three tables away. All the clicking of cutlery on plastic trays grated worse.

   “How was that dinner at Billy’s?” Heather looked up from her lunch.

   “Susan had to call and cancel. I guess she wasn’t feeling well.” Evie frowned. Wondered if Neil liked her staying out late with Mona and her friends. “Rain check.” 

   Behind Heather, Steve Harrington was wandering with a tray. Looking lost as he always did this time. No longer friends with Tommy and giving Nancy and Jonathan some space.

   “Steve.” Evie piped up, pressing her lips. “Want to sit with us?”

   He blinked. Crossed. 

   “Yeah...that’s cool.” He slid into the bench next to Evie. Plastered a little charm. “Ladies.”

   “Hey.” Heather’s smile brought pink into Steve’s soft cheeks.

   “Evie, you know Hargrove is staring at you, right?” Steve started to cut into his slab of meatloaf, gesturing with his chin. “What’s the deal with that? He’s been trying to use his laser eyes since school started again.”

   Evie spotted Billy a couple tables behind Heather. Intent. He didn’t look away when their eyes met. Evie just shrugged.

   “I don’t know what you mean, he’s just annoying. Forgot he even existed.” Evie scooped up some mushy peas and gagged them down. Heather studied her.

   “He’s a little prick.” She decided.

   “He’s a dumb guy.”

   “He’s not a guy, Evie, he’s a prick.”

   Steve snickered at them.

   “You reject him or something? Seems like a persistent asshole.” Steve went on.

   “As if Billy Hargrove would ever be into me.” Evie looked away. Said that before.

   “Whatever. Billy and his penis don’t deserve you.” Heather got Steve choking on milk laughing. Some came out his nose. “Oh no!”

   “Here.” Evie was giggling too, pressing a napkin to her friend’s mouth and nose. “Heather, go easy on him.”

   “So much for King Steve, right?” A laugh followed but it sounded weak. Evie only pressed her lips.

   “Royalty is overrated. Steve is fine.” She smiled a little for him. Met his dewy eyes and pulled away. When she faced Heather, Billy was gone. “Heather and I were hitting the movies after school. Want to go with us?”

   “Like hang out?” Steve perked so Heather nodded too. All smiles. “Uh, yeah. I’d like that. I’ll drive.”

   “Perfect. We do this thing where we show up and watch whatever is playing soon. Bad or not... Oh, shoot...I gotta hit the library, I forgot to return something.” Heather winked and got up to dispose of her trash. Left Evie with the pretty boy.

   “You ride your bike in, don’t you?” Steve turned his head as Evie picked up her water. “It’s winter.”

   “Seasons change, my boy.” Evie sipped, beaming.

   “I just wondered if maybe you wanted like a ride to school and back.”

   “Heather usually is able to grab me. The before and after school extracurriculars are starting to pile for her…” She blinked.

   “You live on Cherry, you’re not out of the way for me.” 

   “I so am.” Evie chuckled and shrugged.

   “Just a ride, maybe you can help me graduate.” Steve held out a hand. “Fair?”

   “Sure.” They shook on it. “Thanks.”

   “Well, well, well.” Carol flipped her helmet of orange hair aside and settled palms flat on the table. “Fallen from grace and now sucking up to the ice queen. I hear pretty boys can thaw her though, Steve, so you might get lucky for once. Does Mr. Bowers even speak to other students, or are you just needy enough for the list?”

   “Carol. I already know the answer,” Steve touched his chest, “but, do you really have nowhere better to be?”

   “Looks like Fenny gets around, huh?” Tommy curled an arm around his girl’s shoulder. Flashed that crooked smile. “Just going down the list now.”

   Normally, Evie would have spoken up. Witty comeback. But, she just glared at the ugly cafeteria tiles.

   “How about you get lost?” Steve continued. Evie’s hands curled into her lap. The amusement from their friends just grew louder and she couldn’t stand it. Anger burned white hot and a bark stopped them all.

   “Hey.” Billy crossed back in. Few tables stopped to see him command. “Knock it off, let’s go.”

   “But-”

   “Just leave it the fuck alone, Carol. Yeah? This shit is done to death and I’m over it. You’re being really pathetic. Both of you. C’mon.” Billy flared up, head cocking. “Only gonna ask you idiots once, the fucking cackling is giving me a headache. Leave her alone from now on, unless you want a problem with me. Bye.”

   He pointed toward the door. Not joking. A few students moved to go.

   Carol and Tommy both seemed to sag and follow after them. Their friends at the table decided the fun was over and crossed out too.

   Billy cast Evie one lingering stare, ignored Steve, and went the other direction. Shoved the door to go outside.

   “Did...that just happen? What’s up with him, seriously?” Steve turned back to Evie staring at where Billy had disappeared too. Lips parted.

   “I...I don’t know.” She asserted. “And I don’t care, I gotta...go.”

   “You barely ate anything.”

   “Filled up at breakfast, not much of an appetite.” Evie forced a chuckle. “See you in class?”

   “Sure…” Steve pushed his hands into his pockets. Let her go.

** ** **

   Billy didn’t appear again from all his smoke and stars. Never quipped about those almost heroics from the days before. But, his snapping kept Carol and her gaggle off of Evie completely.

   Like magic.

   More January snow fell with the weekend. Never ending frost with a perfect blanket of peace. Icicles shimmering on every house. The whole street sparkled.

   Evie bundled and slung a bag over one shoulder. Figured venturing into town was better than sitting in a freezing house contemplating what to swallow next.

   She tried to slow. To stop. To let things pass. This habit was eating her right back.

   Evie started to pass the Hargrove house and looked up to watch the new flurries fall. Too delicate upon her cheeks. Like confetti. 

   She thought of the intimate way Billy had touched her lips with two fingers to brush a piece away before kissing her. Again and again. 

   The thought bloomed unwanted roses up her cheeks. 

   She caught a glimmer on the sidewalk right in front of Billy’s car and Neil’s truck parked there. Couldn’t stop herself from shiny things. Bent down and pulled her glove off to pluck something silver up. A chain. And a pendant came with as Evie held it out from her expression. 

   A Playboy charm. 

   Crouched there, she sighed into pure cold. Blinked and let her eyes focus on Billy’s car beyond it. Quiet and undisturbed.

   So, Evie thought.

   Lips parted when she saw the passenger side door. Even with a few splatters of snow, words came into focus.

   Carved crude and angry into the side.

   Prick.

   Bold, ugly letters.

   Evie shot to her feet. Shuddering and alert like someone was watching.

   “Oh, my god.” She puffed, cradling the chain to her chest.

   By some twist of horrible fate, the front door beyond the porch opened.

   Billy stepped out. Cool as a cucumber. Lighting a cigarette. Stunning in a brown, leather bomber.

   Feet shuffled back. She stared at Billy with this clear look of horror when he spotted her.

   “Photo will last longer, Angel, but I charge for them.” He quipped, massaging his front suggestively. Lighter flicking closed. 

   Billy hadn’t seen his car.

   Evie felt adrenaline kick in when the bus passed behind her. Steps hurried up the sidewalk to get on it without glancing back. A hand covered her lips. Evie paid and sat down. Dared to peer back at Billy’s house.

   He was standing between the vehicles. Eyes pointed on the craving. 

   And then he slowly lifted his blaring gaze to where she’d disappeared too.

   Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

   Evie thought she might have a panic attack right there. Tried to catch her breath until the bus rolled onto Main Street before a hand tugged frantically to get off. She went into the first store she saw. Grocery store big enough to hide in. Attempted again to get her lungs working.

   Maybe running wasn't the best idea, but staying to explain seemed impossible. 

   The charm left an imprint in her hand from clutching it so tight.

   Billy thought she did that. Fuck. And he was going to fucking kill her.

   Evie scurried around the aisles. Kept checking the windows for the furious, rumbling Camaro. Pulled a beanie lower and her hood up before creeping back outside to cross the street. Tucked curls aside.

   She could have blamed Heather if the charm wasn’t damning enough. Her friend had used the word prick a number of colorful times.

   Brock Tannen was fucking with them both now.

   “Shit, shit.” Evie muttered. Few residents paced to get their own errands done. The rev of an engine shot sparks up Evie’s soul. She whirled down an alleyway, figured he might just run her over.

   “Fenny!” Billy skidded halfway down the path and curved. Lunged out of his car. “Get back here! You think I won’t recognize that ass anywhere you stick it? What the fuck! C’mere!” His snarling echoed. 

   Evie was sprinting now, but Billy worked out and he was taller so he caught up easily. Two tight hands yanked her coat so hard, she skidded on slush and fell next to some stone steps. Hard thud planked her body.

   Stars burst. A groan pushed from pink lips before eyes focused on Billy Hargrove about to breathe fire and lay waste to her.

   She’d never seen such an expression on a boy before. Pure, burning fury and hate.

   Wild like he wasn’t really seeing her.

   Scrambling, Evie had also never witnessed something so frightening. Billy’s hands were on her shoulders. Pressing his steel weight down so he could snap his jaw. Starving.

   “What the fuck! You fucking keyed my car! My fucking car, you bitch?” Profanities of all sizes and colors were spitting from his lips. Evie just looked shaken and terrified at him. Realized she wasn’t talking so her brain tried to mash words together.

   “I didn’t! I didn’t do it!” She barely spoke over his rage. Hands pushed at his chest with no hope to get him off.

   For a moment, she wondered if he’d try to hit her. He just growled and yelled. Unleashing fury he might have pent up.

   “Billy! Billy, it wasn’t me!” Evie tried again. Brought her palm up so he could see the chain twisted around her fingers. “Tannen! Look! Just look, I didn’t...”

   Billy finally shut down. Went still to narrow on the charm, recognizing it.

   The fingers twisted into her coat were hauled up by bigger hands and a taller figure.

   “Hargrove, it’s too early for this, Jesus Christ.” Chief Hopper had parked his Blazer and was now smacking Billy into the side of it. He turned and noticed Evie pushing herself off the wet ground. “Evie Fenny? Are you okay?”

   Wind blew through the alley. 

   “Yeah, I…” She saw handcuffs and Billy squirmed before she sprang up. “Wait a second. That wasn't…”

   “Looked like this boy had you pinned down.” Hopper was trying to get Billy to keep still. "A new low, kid."

   “Get off me, you damn pig!”

   “Lovely.” Jim gruffed, sighing. “We’ll talk about this at the station.”

   “Wait, we were...fooling around.” Evie hurried and grasped Jim’s arm. Backed off when his head whipped toward her in disbelief. “I fell and took him with me. It was an accident. Please don’t take Billy away.” Hands clasped to plead.

   A curly head tilted toward her too. If Billy had issues with the police, Neil would snap him in half.

   “Please, Chief, just let him go. This is a big misunderstanding. Billy and I will go home. Please.” Evie tugged again and Hopper blinked a couple times.

   “Just fooling around?” He looked to Billy, who was completely simmered again.

   “Uh, yeah. I’m revved, Chief, just look at her.”

   “Okay…” Jim cringed. “Just...get out of here and stay out of trouble, kid. Drive under the speed limit, yeah?”

   “I love law, Chief Hopper.” Billy quipped. Hopper peered at Evie again so she smiled and grabbed Billy’s hand.

   “We’ll be going now. Billy owes me a ride.” She tugged, still breathing heavier. The Chief got back into his car to go, head shaking. Teenagers.

   Evie snatched from Billy and shoved him away the second the older man had gone.

   “Don’t ever come at me like that again.” Her voice tremored lower. One finger poked his muscled torso. Billy only stared. “Never again.” She tossed the chain at his chest. “Your new best friend screwed you over. Not me. Eat that up, prick.”

   Evie started walking again and saw a piece of cardboard duct taped over the nasty carving. Billy caught up with her.

   “That shithead isn’t my friend. He framed you...not very well.” Billy let the chain dangle before his face. “He’s fucking dead. My dad’s gonna ream me when he sees the car. Shit... Fucking shit!”

   Evie paused to peer back at him. Head in his hands, crouched over to curse. She slowed. A beat.

   “Look, I...I know a garage that’ll help you out with a discount. My mom’s friends with the owner and his wife. Perks.” She stuffed her hands away and looked down at her clothing. “Shit, I’m soaked.”

   “Never heard that before.” Billy joked, smirking. “Thanks...for keeping me out of cuffs.”

   “You’re an asshole still.”

   “Yeah.” He agreed, going to the car. “Get in.”

   “Why?”

   “Take me to the garage so I can get my shit fixed. See if I have enough for it.” Billy rubbed his eyes. “Fuck.”

   “Only if I drive.” Evie crossed her arms. Billy did a double take. “I have my license.”

   “No.”

   “Yes.”

   “No.”

   “Yes or I’ll walk.” Evie shot back until he tossed the keys at her to catch. Billy bitched about it, but slid into the passenger side. The engine revved so he hissed.

   “Easy...”

   “That’s rich.” Evie squealed off. Obeyed the speed limit. “Thought Tannen was your buddy.”

   “I think I punched him after the dance. I was still kinda drunk.” Billy gave an agitated breath. Sunk into the seat. “Why’s he hate you so much?”

   “Because I exist in this body with this brain and I breathe, it doesn’t matter.” Evie turned a corner. Avoided his stare. “I think he hates anything that isn’t him.”

   “Well, Tannen hates us both. Framing you and fucking with my car.” Billy paused. Got sly. “So, how are we getting him back?”

   “Revenge? No, not interested.”

   “C’mon, Angel, live a little.”

   Evie skidded to stop at a red light. Head snapping to see him.

   “Yeah, I tried that with you already.” She seethed. Billy studied her. “I’m taking you to the garage and I’m catching a bus home. My clothes are still damp, thanks for that.”

   “Brock’s date was fourteen, did you know that? He’s a piece of shit and he’s asking for it. You don’t have to like me, we can just hate the same person who hates us. Teach him a lesson.”

   “Any bright ideas?” Evie continued down the street. No answer. “Thought so.”

   “I’ll think of something.” Billy paused. “Tannen’s got a cushy little life doesn’t he? Perfect family. Girls lined up.”

   “He’s dating the daughter of a pastor. Sweet cheerleader who goes to Bates. Cheating on her because she isn’t putting out. But, she’s good for the image and for his ritzy Ridgemont family. Heather’s parents run in a similar circle. She always has dirt.”

   “Yeah? What’s Tannen like?”

   “His car and his image.” Evie parked. “Go in and drop my mom’s name. The guy’s sweet, he’ll help you out.” She tossed the keys in Billy’s lap. “See you later.”

   “Wait.” Billy hurried around the car as she got out. “Just, wait. Let’s get back at him.”

   “I don’t care as much as you do, Billy.” Evie passed with snow falling into her long, spiraling curls.

   “Sure you do, you’re just pretending you don’t.” Billy snagged her wrist. “Evie. I am fucking sorry. About the shitty dance. About school. It’s fucked and I don’t blame you for being this upset.”

   The continued groveling made her smirk.

   “Not upset.” Evie crossed her arms.

   “He flashed that money in my face and I just figured I could show you a good time and keep you out of it. But, the whole thing when I saw it...I really thought they weren’t serious about the pool. I wanted out of the deal. I kissed you after midnight. It was still fucked. The other girls, they… You know, I’ve been thinking about them too. We could get revenge for them. Shove it up Tannen’s ass.”

   “Did you fake it?”

   “Fake what?”

   “All of it.” Evie gathered the courage. “The...talking. The smiles. The laughter. Dancing with me. Why did you kiss me after midnight?”

   “I just…” Billy shrugged hopelessly. Lashes fluttering. “I felt like it. I don’t have to bullshit around you. You call me out when I do either way. I don’t know. You kissed me first and I thought...I just wanted to kiss you. I asked you to a fucking motel.”

   “And I was gonna go with you.” Evie shrugged. “But, you lied to get me there. I can’t help but feel that bullshit laced all of it. Do you understand that?”

   “Yeah.” Billy sighed. Stood there against winter. Unafraid. “Fact remains, I didn’t want anything else.”

   Evie gave a breath into the cool air. 

   Neither did I.

   “Let’s get your door fixed.” Evie went around him to go into the shop. She did all the talking to a burly man with a hook prosthetic for one hand while Billy teetered on his feet behind her. “Give him a couple hours to work.”

   “Daddy’ll miss you.” Billy huffed, digging for a cigarette while his precious car was moved away. Evie gave him this scrunched look and shook her head, laughing.

   “Well, see you around.” Evie got the back of her jacket snatched and huffed for theatrics.

   “Nice try, you think I can’t follow you all over this town? Look, grabbing you was... I shouldn't have done that. I won't come at you like that again.” Billy turned her, cigarette dangling from his lips. “Tannen.”

   “Your problem.”

   “He’s gonna be your problem too, Evie.” Billy stood over her, plucking his smoke out to puff. “If you don’t help, I might run off and do something stupid.”

   “All your life.” She cocked her head. Gave another sound of aggravation. “Just because I know I can’t outrun you. Let’s go. It’s too cold.” A hand tugged his jacket until he was walking next to her. Billy felt his stomach bubble with excitement. “There’s this place Heather and I like...up the block.”

   They walked slushy sidewalks to the corner where a little cafe sat. Teens wandered a smoky, dim lit lounge. Evie pulled her coat, beanie, and gloves away to sit. Billy stole an ashtray and followed. Peering around at all the art and empty stage. Hippy sort of place, not like other hangout spots in Hawkins.

   “The co-owned bakery next door supplies all their pastries.”

   “Broke now.”

   “I’m offering.” Evie decided. “Not cause I like you. I just don’t like to eat alone at a table.” Billy’s eyebrows lifted before he tapped his ashes.

   “You pick.”

   “Do you drink hot cocoa?” Evie watched him nod when a boy crossed over. “Jesse, hey.”

   “Fen,” the boy grinned broader, “hi.” Year younger and going to Hill Valley. Family moved a town over but kept the location for their beloved cafe. “Marty was just asking if I’d seen you around Hawkins.”

   “Yeah, let him know Heather and I said hi. First year of college any good?”

   “He likes the Florida weather.” Jesse swept his mop of brown curls aside, a million piercings along his ear and eyebrow caught the light. Broad boy who enjoyed football, painting, and the piano. Peered at Billy and blushed. “Who’s your cute friend?”

   “Down boy. This is Billy, he’s having a day that only your hot chocolate and apple strudels can cure.”

   “Where’d you get your ink?” Billy eyed Jesse’s decorated arms.

   “City, not far. I’ll write it down for you.” A wink. Billy seemed to like the attention today. Jesse turned back to Evie. “My mom tried to dye her hair in the bathroom. Didn’t go well so Mona will be seeing her this week.”

   “Ouch. Again?” Evie chuckled. “What color this time?”

   “What supposed to be strawberry sky and it’s...cotton candy pink. I liked it.” He laughed. “Sprinkle of cinnamon on the cocoa?”

   “You know me too well.” Evie let him go off then faced Billy. “High School running back. Sweetheart. I dated his older brother. Briefly before the move."

   "So, you guys still talk or...?" He faked disinterest and she snorted at the attempt.

   "Not really. I mean, we ended fine, he's just a college kid now." Evie cracked a smile, narrowing. "But, my mom’s friends with his mom.”

   “What mom doesn’t Mona know? Figure she leads the network.” Billy countered. Evie shrugged.

   “Good point, she’s a social nut.”

   “Speaking of, isn’t that her?” Blue eyes turned out the frosted windows. Mona in a short dress, fitted chic coat, and tall platform heels that rode up her knees. Nancy Sinatra would be proud. Walking with a bunch of paper bags, headed back toward her shop. Men stopped to see her bounce. “Damn.”

   “Stop looking at my mom, perv.” Evie reached for his jaw and turned it back toward her. Breath catching as she slipped away quicker. “Why’d Susan cancel on us?”

   “Dad canceled. Not Susan. He just made her do the dirty work.” Billy explained, snuffing his cigarette out.

   “He didn’t like her staying out with friends late?” Evie guessed. “What kind of husband doesn’t want his wife to have friends in a new place? I bet she’s lonely.”

   “You lonely?”

   “I have friends. Are you lonely with your fake fans?” Evie shot back, sitting up. He batted his lashes, undaunted.

   “Dad doesn’t like anything except maybe his collection of belts and a full bottle.” Billy shrugged his jacket off. Played with his ring. Head turning, the little spike hanging from his ear caught the light outside.

   Infuriating, how pretty he was not doing anything.

   “Does he hit her too?”

   “Too?” Billy snapped back in, leaning forward with his arms crossed. “What’s that mean?”

   Evie only stared at him.

   “Sorry.”

   “No, I…” Billy cursed to himself. “You probably get a front row seat. You know, he didn’t start going at Susan until the move here. She’s learning though. Quickly. How to play dad’s game.”

   “Does he go after Max?”

   “No, he’s too distracted with me and I keep Max out of trouble. He will one day when she’s older.”

   Evie looked at his hand and wondered about touching it. Billy seemed to feel it hang in the air so he sat back.

   “Bowers ever hit you?”

   “No, he doesn’t-” Evie caught herself with wide eyes. Got smaller. “He’d never hit me.”

   “So, you’re admitting it.” Billy leaned forth again. Even closer. Some instrumental and chatter covered their voices.

   “No one will believe you.” She repeated, eyes on the table.

   “No, probably not. Won’t tell even if I think it’s fucked.” He screwed his eyes at her. “How?”

   “How’s it possible for someone gorgeous to get with a girl like me?” She sounded wounded.

   “No, just...how?”

   They paused when Jesse returned. A full plate of warm, golden pastries. Two steaming mugs. Evie tipped him with a sudden smile.

   “Thanks, Jess.”

   “Anytime. Don’t be a stranger.” He looked to Billy. “You too, got it? I wrote that address down. They love taking new people if you need ink. Come in here and...show it off.”

   “I just might. Thanks.” Billy sparked with his usual charm as the boy went.

   “You love to flirt.”

   “I love to be desired, don’t you?” Billy stuffed the card away, peered at his mug before drinking. Evie followed. “So. We got time.”

   “Why do you care?”

   “I just do. I think you're interesting, Evie. This town needs a blast of color and I found it.” Billy stared. “Think I’m gonna judge you?”

   “Yeah.” Blunt.

   “Well, I’m not. Not you.” He plucked up a little pastry when she didn’t. “Don’t let me eat this whole damn plate.” Evie scoffed, breathless and took one to chew. Licking sugar from her lips. 

   “Billy, why...why are you here with me still?” She narrowed again.

   “Because,” he sparkled, “my calendar's open.”

   Evie tried to look away. To laugh him off. Couldn’t find the will and locked in.

   “Well, I don’t want to get into it here. So, let’s just enjoy the heater and sweets.” Evie reached for another flaky pastry. Billy grabbed one too. They filled their bellies in silence. Eyes locking then averting ever so often.

   “Let’s get out of here. Walk.” Billy licked his thumb. Arms crossing to lean over and see her drink.

   “You want me to spill badly.”

   “I took you out and you had a shitty time, I don't do that. I want to make up for it.”

   “You don’t like the snow,” Evie ruffled her curls, “don’t know how you’re surviving it, Cali.”

   Billy peered out the window. Let the glow bathe his face. Cool and almost iridescent. Brightening his eyes framed with those sinful lashes. 

   “You like winter?” He asked out of the blue.

   “Actually, yeah. It’s not so bad. Prefer fall. I like tucking in with a warm blanket and cocoa. I like the snow, things always feel...new after." Evie felt a distance quell. He seemed to notice it too. Wistful and vast. "It covers up what came before.��

   “Well, let’s go walk in it.” Billy pushed up. “I’ll meet you halfway and brave it.”

   Evie stared at the table. Watched him start to go before she shoved her hat on. Got up and followed.

   “If I just say that I forgive you, can we part ways?” Evie got in front of him outside. Flecks of snow tumbled into her hair. Melted on strawberry cheeks. Billy was too many colors against white and grey. Ocean blues. Peaches. Cherries. Honey. All sun kissed freckles and golden hair. 

   “We could make a bet.” Billy stepped closer to curl a devilish smile.

   “Another bet?” Her brow lifted. “No thanks, my track record with you and bets is zero.”

   “No fun at all.” Billy puffed. “Evie, the way I see it, neither of us can leave the other alone.”

   “That’s a you problem.”

   “You know you can shake me and you’re not trying too hard, I think you’re just curious enough to stick around.” Billy cocked his head. “So, I’m just saying we should chase that. It was fucked up and...I am sorry. For you and those other girls. I say that you and I hang out long enough to get revenge on Tannen and then, I swear...cross my heart as fuck all...that I’ll leave you alone once that prick gets it. Only if you want me gone.”

   “You tried this.”

   “I didn’t mean it then.” He stuffed hands into his pockets and she exhaled out her nose. Shuffled on the slick sidewalk.

   “But, you magically do now?”

   “Maybe that’s what has us stuck, we want to do something about it.”

   “You swear?”

   “Every damn day.” Cheeky shit.

   Evie’s eyes squinted at him. Sized him up. 

   “I just...I don’t forgive you.”

   “I can live with that,” he said, “for now. I haven’t earned shit. I’ll make it up to you.”

   Promises. Promises. 

   “I don’t,” Evie tried again to disengage, “I don’t think you can.”

   “C’mon.” Billy slid in front of her when she turned. Got lush. “Evie.”

   “Let’s just not make this harder than it needs to be.” Her hands lifted. Evie went around him and Billy’s arms went out aimlessly.

   “What would your Mr. Darcy do to make you feel better?”

   “What?” Evie spun on her heel, almost laughing. Billy peered away.

   “I got his name right. How’d he make you feel better? Listen, Evie...I deserve the cold shoulder. I do. It fucking…” Billy sucked in air and came to her at the corner. “I’ll level with you. I’ve been beating the shit out of myself for what happened and I deserve that. Does that help you? I can’t even get it up...you know what I’m saying? I liked it. Being there with you and I can’t change what happened after-”

   “Ick. I wish I didn’t know what you mean.” Her face screwed up. A beat to break for laughter. “Is this really that important to you?” Billy got close with those wandering eyes. 

   “Yes… It really fucking is.” He hissed lower. "Truth is, I even want more of those signature bad kisses we love to share. If you can still call them that, Angel."

   Evie huffed. Almost aggravated. Not really. Stepped back to look him up and down.

   “There’s one thing you might be able to do to make me feel better.” She crossed her arms. Brought on hands up to tap her chin in thought.

   “And?” Billy gasped out.

   “One question.” She rounded him, eyes wandered to scrutinize. “Do you still have that white button up?”

   Billy turned his head, earring dangling before he narrowed.

   “Uh, yeah....” He looked a little apprehensive when she smiled fuller. Sly.

   “We can work with that.”

** ** ** 

   Three knocks and Heather Holloway was blinking her doe eyes at an odd pair.

   “What’s he doing here?” She pulled at Evie’s arm to get between them. “What did I tell you, Hargrove?”

   “Billy’s trying to make amends, Heath.” Evie said flatter. They stood before her huge mansion on Loch Nora. “Are your parents or the housekeeper around?”

   “Not today.” Heather was still all daggers at Billy. “We don’t need Billy’s amends. He’s done enough.”

   “There’s a bigger asshole to be worrying about.” Billy spoke. “Tannen.”

   “Your buddy? I’m not so sure.”

   “No, he...has a point. But, we’re not here to discuss that. Yet.” Evie blinked. Smiled. “Can we use your pool?”

   Heather looked confused. The curls piled up onto her head bounced a little. No makeup. Lazy sweater dress. 

   “Why?”

   “It’s indoors and heated.”

   “Not heated right now.”

   “Even better.” Evie beamed when Billy’s face dropped. “Sidebar, just us girls.”

   Billy hung out on the snowy steps while they went just in the door. There was a great deal of snickering before Heather returned biting her cheek. Fully amused.

   “You can come in. Shoes off.”

   Billy stepped inside to obey, looking around.

   “Jesus, Holloway, this place… Is daddy the mayor?”

   “He runs the paper.”

   “Explains a lot.” Billy grumbled as her head snapped at him. “Easy. Not here to fight. Just...acting out Evie’s whatever Darcy fantasy to make her forgive me.”

   “Never said I would forgive you.” She noted down the hall.

   “This won’t hurt my chances.” Billy was stepping out of his shoes. Evie looped her arm into Heather’s.

   “This way.”

   He walked slower behind them to observe the place. Cheesy family portraits galore. Too many vases with fake flowers. Floral wallpaper. Rich people.

   “So, what the hell brought you two back together?” Heather had asked.

   “Not together.” Evie piped quicker. “Tannen keyed Billy’s car, framed me for it. I sorta helped him get it fixed.”

   “He, what? ” Heather paused, opening a textured glass door.

   “Yeah, big mess. Tannen’s not quitting.” Evie picked up as they went into the pool room. Odd to be in here while frost covered the back windows.

   “Probably cause I punched him.”

   Heather snorted at that, stepped on a button to bring the cover rolling back over the illuminated fresh water. 

   “You sure this is what your dream freak would do?”

   “So, sure. Don’t forget your line.” Evie flicked a piece of paper she’d written on at his chest. Billy griped when Heather laughed at him trying to get out of his coat and jeans. White shirt and grey briefs. Evie peered at his muscled thighs and looked up at the ceiling. 

   Whew.

   “You can look, ladies.” A sleazy grin bloomed. “You’re both lucky I wore underwear today.”

   “Gross.” Heather came around the pool to her friend.

   “Well, do your thing, William.” Evie giggled, gesturing. “Or should I say: Fitzwilliam.”

   “How’d a guy with that name not get his fucking ass kicked? Instead, he’s drowning in pussy, I don’t get it.” Billy stepped into the water. Bitched about the cold and sauntered to the center holding his paper up. Soaked his shirt through.

   “This isn’t even in the book.” Heather had whispered so Evie hushed her.

   “Yeah, duh, but...Billy doesn’t know that. Look how hard he’s trying. It's almost cute. Almost.” She covered her mouth. “Plus, I dreamed about this once, let a girl live here. It can happen one day.”

   “Is he like...really trying?”

   “Starting to think he is. Won't leave me alone and he...I'm not exactly running either anymore.” Evie peered at Billy turning around. Voice rose. “You look great.”

   “Bite me.” He dunked while holding one hand up to keep the line from getting wet. Came up ruffling his curls like some ethereal merman. Still stunning. White shirt clinging to his rock hard chest. Evie bit her lip with hooded eyes and missed Heather watching her face.

   “Say the line!” She called then. Billy rolled his eyes with the longest huff he could muster.

   “In vain I have-”

   “With a little life, Billy!” Heather laughed at him there. Billy sucked in to pout. Water sloshing all over to prune his fingers. Hair and face dripping. Eyelashes clumped. 

   “In vain!” He just said it louder. Slower. “I have struggled!”

   Evie and Heather had to kneel down because they were laughing so hard. Clinging together on the tiles.

   “Keep going!” Evie waved her hand and tried to breathe. Billy groaned, eyes rolling.

   “It will not do…” He’d already gotten water smudging the page. “My feelings will not be...regressed?”

   “Repressed!” Came the correction. Billy shot the rest out in one swift breath.

   “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you!"

   “How, what?” Evie was all giggles.

   “How! Ardently! I admire! And love you!” He played a total smart ass. Smoldered. Broke. “Can I be done now? My balls are getting kinda high in here.”

   Evie cackled comically, holding her stomach and rolling before she waved a hand.

   “Yeah, yeah, you can get out. Oh, god. I can't...” She wiped her eyes and heard splashing. Scrambled because Billy was marching toward her sopping wet. Heather skidded to get away before Billy dove on Evie and shook himself out like a mad dog. Spraying her with water. “Billy! No!”

   “Billy, yes!” He pushed her shoulders down and ignored the slaps at his chest.

   They both were laughing now. Loudly. Almost free. Almost forgetting.

   Heather grabbed a stack of towels and paused to see. Billy’s infectious grin and Evie Fenny so lost in it that nothing else mattered. 

   Evie caught her friend's confused expression and shoved Billy off.

   “Okay, okay, you’re done.” Evie shot up. Cheeks rosy. “Uh, bathroom.” She got a towel from Heather’s arm and jogged away. Faster than she meant. Billy pulled up to his knees so Heather padded toward him.

   “What are you doing?”

   “Fuck if I know at this point.” Billy felt her drop a towel over his back. Pushed to his feet to see her. “Thanks.”

   “Are you actually trying here or are you going to hurt my friend again?”

   Billy ruffled his hair and wiped his face. Holding the towel over broad shoulders. 

   “Listen, only thing I know for sure is I don’t ever want to hurt Evie again.” Billy stopped after that to let it sink in. “You know her best, what the fuck else can I do here?”

   Heather’s lips turned up. Spread to show teeth.

   “You want to know what Evie likes.” Tables turning.

   “I know some stuff. Give me some more to work with. And don’t lie, we played that game.”

   Heather exhaled to study him.

   “Just because you seem to be trying and that’s the hardest my friend has laughed in awhile.” Heather peered at the door. “Evie’s a hopeless romantic even if she hides it. A regular dreaming Cinderella. She likes people unafraid to show how they feel about her and anything made of chocolate…"

   "That checks out, I can work with it."

   "That dance was cruel. You’re lucky she’s even allowing you the gift of embarrassing yourself in her presence.”

   “Noted.” Billy peeled his shirt off and wrapped the towel around his waist. “I have a change of clothes in my car. Will it be weird if I jet out in this and my boots?”

   “Ahhh, give me your keys. I’ll find it.” They paused to step away from each other when Evie returned. Towel bunched to her chest. Eyes flicking between them. Avoiding Billy’s damp chest rising and falling, his saint chain glittering and stuck to skin.

   “So, this thing about Tannen. Oof. I have an idea.” Evie cleared her throat.

   "Ohh, look at Miss Naughty Evangeline." Billy mocked with a southern twang. "Getting into the spirit. Why, now?"

   "Because my calendar is open." She cocked her head up. Looked wildly pretty there with her devious pride. “Does Tommy still have Bubbles’ number?”

   Billy flashed a smirk. Let it illuminate his face until she matched it. Heather wondered about offering them a room.

   “Angel, I’m really liking the way you think.”

~~~~~~~~

Thanks all for reading!!! I love these two so much!! As always, feel free to chat with me. Askbox and taglist are both open. ^_^

@80sbxtch​ @nottherightseason​ @orxhidshavana​ @alagalaska​ @alongcamedolly​ @kellyk-chan​ @billy--hargroves​ @10blurredsmoke10

[one-fan-gurl]

Why did I Sign up for this Again?

Quirk: water control.

Can take the water from the air, but more comfortable using body of waters

Saltwater is easier but freshwater is also strong.

Can be healed from water, with a lot of stamina can also heal others

Making weapons with water, rather use real weapons

Skilled in sword and knife fights.

Bloodbending. With a lot more practice it can be mastered.

Can have water increase stamina

The quirk has a side effect: having ADHD and Dyslexia. They are minor cases, but they can still mess up some things.

Japan. That's very different from California. It actually snows there. But that is not important right now. Right now, it’s that your mother had to transfer back to Japan. Lucky Japanese is a second language, having your mother speak it to you everyday. In California there aren't a lot of hero schools. So you had to train your quirk on your own, which was hard. But it paid off, having total control over your quirk.

The plane ride was boring. All you did was listen to music and write about some heroes. Going to a different country means many things, but one thing stands out for you. New heroes. Japanese magazines about Heroes and a couple of notebooks stack around you. With reading and writing the tie flies very quickly. The only break was when you had to go to sleep. When the plane touched land, your stomach flipped. It has always been your dad’s dream to go back to Japan, but unfortunately he died before the trip was made.

Thinking back to the day when a villain decided to put a metal rod through your dad’s body. Shaking your head to get rid of the horrid memory.

“Welcome to Tokyo, Japan. It is 80 degrees and sunny. Hope you had a great flight with xxxxx airlines, and hope you fly with us soon!” a stuertess said through the PA system. Having  all your stuff packed you just grabbed the off-white backpack from under the seat. Waiting for an opening in the line to get out. You checked your suitcase, so there is less hassle to get off the plane.

*ding*

“Hope you landed well! A car is going to pick you up. <3″ - mom

“Kk. Can't wait till I see you soon!”

Sighing, you put your phone in the back pocket of your hoodie. Your mom had to clear things up with her work, so you had to fly alone. Slinging the backpack strap on one shoulder and walked out of the airplane. Thanking the people up front, and silently walking through the airport. Spotting a bathroom, and quietly walked into a stall. Having time to burn, you just fixed your appearance. You have never been a girl about your appearance, but you kinda just walked out of a 12 hour flight.

The gray hoodie with the words ‘Harvard’ written in it with red ink, being a graduate from the college, black leggings with pockets on the sides, and dark green high tops. It was your ‘airplane clothes’. Comfy and practical. (h/c) tied in a messy bun, and thin rimmed reading glasses frame your face. After realizing there is nothing really to fix, you just grabbed your bag and walked towards the check bags. Waiting for a Louis Vuitton suitcase, you just played some Clash Royale on your phone. After winning a 2v2, your suitcase came out of the opening.

Rushing towards the suitcase. Pulling the expensive suitcase towards the ground, and started to walk towards the sign with your last name on it. Following the man in a black suit, to a black Mercedes Benz. (if you haven’t noticed your loaded with money) a notification popped up while scrolling through Instagram.

“There is a surprise for you at the house!” -mom

“I'm scared…<3”

The drive was very relaxing. The scenery of Japan flies through windows, only to slow down at stop signs. About 10 minutes into the drive, the car stopped. The driver got out of the car, to open your door. Looking up at your new home. An apartment complex. Thanking the driver, grabbing your suitcase, walking towards the entrance. The foyer is beautiful. All white and modern, but with some splashes of black here and there. Walking towards the person at the front desk.

“Hi. I’m here to pick up my keys.” showing the lady my drivers license. “My mom was supposed to call for me to pick up the keys for the apartment.”

“Ah yes.” the lady, Sakura, pulled a key and a car key from a desk drawer. “The vehicle is in the garage. Spot 7. I can get a bellman to bring up your luggage if you want.”

“Uh,” looking behind you, seeing one suitcase. “I think that won't be necessary. Thank you though.” bowing slightly and went towards the elevator. Suitcase and backpack in hand.

The apartment was amazing. The whole 74th floor is the house. A modern but with some rustic feel to the complex. Already furnished, mom had her friend to decorate it, so the homey feel is setting in. going to room to room, to get a familiar feel to your next home. Walking into your room, your jaw dropped. The view is amazing. Floor to ceiling windows showing the city of Tokyo. A king sized bed in the middle, glass separating the closet and the bedroom. An off-white fuzzy run on the floor, with a chair in the corner with a desk on the other side of the corner. Whoever did the decorations did an amazing job. The closet is bare, which reminded you to go to the mall. Putting the suitcase in our room. Grabbed the apartment keys and the mystery vehicle keys, and walked out. Going to the elevator, which is in a small corner near the living room, and excitedly pushed the garage level. The wait was antagonizing. But when you looked for spot 7, the wait was so worth it.

In the middle of the spot was a black motorcycle cruiser. A helmet and a black leather jacket on top of the vehicle. Squealing, you sent a quick thank you text to your mom. And ran towards your new motorcycle. You and your friend, Aiden, were fixing up a motorcycle back in the states. The cycle was supposed to be shared between the both of them. But after you got news of moving, gave full custody of the cycle to Aiden. Sending a picture of the vehicle to said friend before taking off your hoodie and replacing it with the leather jacket. Putting the hoodie in the compartment in the seat, and putting the helmet on. Key in the ignition, ready to kick the kickstand up. Revving the motor before going into the streets.

Explaining how it feels when you ride on a motorcycle is like riding a rollercoaster. Just more dangerous, and more control. Weaving in and out of the lanes, going faster every minute. But still in the speed limit. Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall, the mall that was the largest you could find. A group of students walk in front of you. Showing off, you revved the engine. A boy with red spiky hair went all fanboy. All the students started to push the boy away from you. Silently laughing, but the light changed. So you just went towards the parking lot.

No ones pov

It was a normal day. The students who were worried about not going to the training camp were relieved. Everyone gets to go to the camp, only the people who didn't pass have consequences. But that is not the point, the point was Toru Hagakure suggested going to the mall to shop for the upcoming event. And that is how everyone, except Bakugou and Todoroki, were walking across the street to the mall. All the cars waiting for the light to change and the students to cross. But Kirashima had to point out a motorcycle.

“Oh my god!” the red head practically squealed. “Look at that bike. So manly.” Obviously the biker heard the comment and revved the engine. Which made the boy squeal even more.

“Forget the bike. Look at the chick on it.” the class pervert commented only to mutter how ‘he wants her to ride him like she is riding that bike.’ getting a smack in the head while at it too. When the class 1-A got in the mall, they split up.

Little do any of the class knows, a villain is stalking them.

Back to your pov

As you park your new vehicle, the hair on your neck tiggles. It's not like you have a ‘spidey sense’, you just have a feeling when there is danger. Smoothing your (h/c) hair, to tame back the frizz. One thing about motorcycles that suck: the helmet hair. Walking into the mall, only to find a man with a black hoodie over his head.

‘Not suspicious at all’ rolling your eyes silently. Keeping an eye on the black hoodie, to find him go after a green haired boy. Hand next to the boy's neck. As you sigh, calling the police.

“911 whats your emergency?” a woman resided the line.

“Hi, I would like to report a villain attack on the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. Nothing big, just a villain dressed up as a civilian and talking to a person. So if you could, have no sound of police coming this way or a man in uniform. It would make the villain lash out.” you just stated without having the other person talk.

“Of course. I'll bring an underground hero out there.” the woman on the other side of the phone answered. Obviously impressed by the authority in your voice.

“Good, if you mind telling me their name?”

“Eraserhead.”

“Ok, thank you.”

A little bit of time passed, the villain only moved to sit down. Out of the corner of your eye you see a man in black and a scarf around his neck. Walking towards him, to point out what is happening.

“Hi. Are you Eraserhead?” putting your phone back in your jacket pocket.

“Yes, who is asking?” the man with black hair and goggles aksed

“The person who called.” you deadpanned, not any emotion lased in your voice or on your face. “Anyways, that's the villain. He obviously has a quirk that revolves his fingers. Do what you want with him. I just wanted clothes.” the last part you mumbled while crossing your arms.

“Ya, we ran into him a while back. Thanks for the call.” Eraserhead eyes locked into the black hoodie. “I got this.” as he walked off, you just scoffed.

‘Cocky much.’ following the underground hero towards the villain. Refusing to leave until the villain is locked up. The hero did a loop, until he could see Shigaraki. Walking towards Izuku and Shigaraki. You on the other hand was coming from behind. As if he could see behind him, you and the villain locked eyes. Raising an eyebrow, a smirk plastered on your face.

“Shigaraki.” the villain looked turned around so fast you can almost hear a crack. “Let my student go.” hair defying gravity and eyes glowing red. The civilians scattered when they saw a hero and the villain. The only people on the floor are you, the green haired boy, the villain, and the hero. More of the students are coming down to the main level

“Oh!” the red head pointed at you, “that's the same girl who was on the motorcycle.” scowling a little bit but got distracted when the hero winced.

‘A time limit.’ making no sound at all, you went up to the villain. Many of the students didn't say a word, only stunned by you. Being right behind him, you put your thumb on one artery and forefingers on the other one.

“Sleep.” after 5 seconds holding down the blood vessels. Tomura Shigaraki passed out. Eraserhead stopped his quirk, and the younger boy just moved to see you. “Cool. Now I have to get clothes.” turning away to the escalator. Stopping right before stepping towards the stairs. And ducked. Turning around to find an angry teacher, his scarf levitating. “What?” snapping at the black haired man.

“You are going to be questioned.” deadpanning. You on the hand were not amused.

“Ah, ok. let me just answer some questions.” crossing your arms, “Oh wait. No one is here to ask the questions. But you're not gonna ask any questions, the police ask the questions. Even if you could, you wouldn't even ask them. Seeing your an underground hero and a teacher, you rather be grading test papers then ask a teenage girl questions. Now until the police are here, I will be getting clothes. So I’m not going to be clothless the next day.” huffing you walk up the escalators, before disappearing you threw a glare at the hero.

The villain disappeared from a warp quirk, and you continued shopping until the police came by the mall. Hearing the sirens coming close, so you just picked up the 7 bags, and walked out of the shop. The shopping bags hung on your arms, 3 on your left arm, 2 on the other, and your phone in hand. Typing a number in and pressed call.

“Hello. This is (y/n) (y/l/n) I need a car to take my bags back to my house. But I drove here so if you take the bags into the front desk everything will be taken care of.” the driving agency responded with a quick ‘yes.’ Hanging up the call only to call another number.

“Hello this is xxxx apartment complex. This is Aito speaking, how can i help you” Aito spoke through through the phone

“Hi. This is (y/n) (y/l/n), resident of the 74th floor.” stepping onto the escalator going down, “i will be having 5 bags going to the apartment. I got stuck in a villain attack, so someone will be bringing my bags. If you could keep them for me that would be amazing.” Everyone is now staring at you.

“Would you like someone to bring the bags up for you?” the man politely asked.

“Oh, of course. Thank you so much.” a small smile covered your face, “you have a good day.”

“You too miss.” the line ended right when you stepped off the stairs. Walking towards the hero class and hero teacher. Leather jacket now unzipped, showing a red v-neck shirt. A boy with balls for hair started to drool. Backing away from the child, you looked at the class. Sirens stopped as the police force came out of the cars.

(questioning but i'm too lazy to write it out right now… maybe will write it out one day.)

A girl with black hair, which is in a ponytail, came up to you. You put your clothes in the car, before turning towards the girl.

“Hi I’m Momo Yaoyorozu.” holding out a hand, meeting her hand in the middle.

“(y/n) (y/l/n).” Yaoyorozu gasped. “Um you ok?”

“Your (y/n) (y/l/n)!” the girl gushed, following you towards your bike. The class followed their vise president with confusion. The random girl, who knocked out a villain with a couple of seconds, and their most beloved student together. As the class followed their friend out towards the parking lot.

“Ha! I didn't know I was famous over here too.” a hand went up to rub your neck, blush started to creep on your face. “Hi! Im (y/n) (y/l/n).” waving at the rest of the class, smiling a bright smile.

‘Wow. it's just like Midoriya’s smile.’ The thought went through many people’s minds.

Kirishima bravely walked up towards your bike. Started to ramble about ‘manliness’ and ‘how cool the bike was’

“Kirishima, Yaoyorozu.” a bored voice came from behind the group, “please step away from (y/n). You guys need to get back home anyways.” as if the underground hero was the plague, the students sepretted. Now it was just the grown man and you.

“Sorry for being rude today.” bowing slightly, “I came off of a 12 hour flight and was just a little bit tired of villains.”

“Apology accepted,” the pro hero put some eye drops in the irritated eyes, “just don't make a habit of it.” nodding slightly, you turned towards your bike. Putting one leg over the body of the bike, about to put on your helmet. Only to stop from the teacher’s voice. “(y/n) can I see your licence.”

Pulling out the license. Having already got your japanese drivers license. The teacher nodded at the license before giving back the car and one other.

A business card.

The principle of UA.

“Call him, I think you would be great in the hero course.” the tired man just walked towards his car. Looking at the card, before putting it in your pocket, zipping the pocket closed, and putting on your helmet. Feeling the gaze of the homeroom teacher still on you. Before kicking up the kickstand and going towards the street. Waving at the teacher as you passed by the car. Smirking underneath the helmet.

[thegeminisage]

the south is like another country

i have an entire essay on how the current radicalism and steep political divide in this country can be traced directly back to the civil war - rural white southerners here playing the part pre-ww2 germany, the part of a resentful, conquered nation assimilated into the nation that conquered them, because if you think about it the south/the confederacy WAS its own nation for a time, that lost a very bloody war, and paid very steeply for it (not that slavers didn’t deserve every bit of misery the “carpetbaggers” threw at them), and the bitterness from that loss/the lost capital from having their slaves freed has been handed down through the generations, to people who now live in abject poverty while their livelihoods are destroyed by late stage capitalism, and their schools are so broke a lot of people here don’t even know how to read, and their towns are eaten alive with meth, and they’re still looked down upon by most of the country for being racist uneducated backwater hicks (to be clear, we should always look down on racism and racists, but it’s not making them any less bitter/ripe for being drawn into the cult of tr*mp’s america and f*cism).

but anyway this post isn’t about that! this post is about how when i go up north and i say “y’all it really is like i’m living in a different country” NOBODY BELIEVES ME. we speak the same language, we’re all americans, right? PFFFFFT. this amazon van thing just drives it home (pun intended). here’s a list of differences from the deep south* to the rest of the country*:

*the deep south here meaning the RURAL deep south. sorry to everyone who lives in cities/the suburbs and/or in border states like maryland and virginia. i’ve been to maryland and virginia and they are technically southern and some of this applies to them but it is not quite as extreme as it is here. the rest of the country includes the other states i’ve been to (california, washington state, new york, etc), which are in mostly every area except the midwest. i cannot personally vouch for the midwest. sorry, midwesterners! rural midwest probably has a lot of things in common with the deep south because rural life is different and also how easily people move around this country, but whatever

this is a long-ass post get ready

difference #1: DRIVING. driving & pedestrians are entirely different un rural areas vs urban areas. for starters, southern towns often do not even have sidewalks. this is because of 1. budget and 2. racism.

budget: rural towns are very spread out, and it costs major $$$ to put sidewalks in. it’s just not worth the trouble, financially, to put a sidewalk where only 12 people are ever going to use it, AND spend the money to maintain it. never gonna happen. racism: initially, suburbs especially in the south were seen as safe havens where people could get away from the stress of living in “urban” (re: integrated) areas. that the neighborhoods were only accessible by car and NOT by people who were too poor (black) to afford automobiles were just an added bonus. 

as such, the first time i left the southeast, i was SHOCKED to see people walking and biking WITH (or indifferent to) the flow of traffic. down here we are taught that if you are walking along the road (or biking, because bikers get lumped in with pedestrians down here), it is very very very crucial that you walk against the flow of traffic, because you cannot expect drivers to see you and not mow you down. the onus is on YOU to get out of THEIR way. additionally, walking in knee-high grass along the side of the road sucks, and because there aren’t many people here, the roads are usually totally empty. so oftentimes pedestrians just straight up walk ON the road. and if you do that you absolutely have to be able to see a car coming from a long way away, because rural drivers on completely empty roads tend to take them at extremely high speeds just for fun. the people who live diagonally across from me have had to replace their mailbox four times because folks take that blind curve at 90mph. i had a cat get hit by a car on that road. (they all live indoors now.) i even witnessed a car accident happen there when i was just outside minding my own business. ever see a tire fly 12 feet into the air and come down into someone’s windshield? that’s what happens when you hit power line pole driving like that.

the first time i ever encountered one of those pedestrian crossing buttons was in california in the early 2010s. i had literally never seen one before because we simply don’t have them here. they’re not very self-explanatory if you have been jaywalking your whole entire life because all you’re taught to do is look both ways and make sure the street is empty before you cross. northern/urban roadways are made so that pedestrians and drivers can both get to where they’re going. in rural/southern areas pedestrians might as well not bother.

interestingly, while not an entirely southern problem, there’s a loose correlation between rural areas and more problems with drunk drivers.

on the driving side, driving in a city is batshit insane. it’s both faster and slower. there is NO space and you’re expected to go whenever you have so much as an inch to worm your way in. there’s more traffic, and the traffic totally dictates your speed. in the south you can change lanes if you want to drive faster or slower and weave around traffic or let it weave around you, but in a city there’s no other lane to change to and if you don’t drive at the speed of the people ahead of and behind you you will die. you turn fast, you brake fast, etc. whenever i come back from driving in a city the people who ride with me think i’m insane. you don’t PULL ONTO A ROAD if you can SEE ANOTHER CAR THERE, what the fuck? meanwhile i’m like “lol that is six miles of space i have plenty of time” and give everyone in my vicinity heart palpitations until i readjust. 

tailgating in a rural area is something only assholes do (done by people on a two-lane road to encourage the person in front of them to go faster because the only other lane is for oncoming traffic), and if someone gets within one car length of me on a two-lane road i can very passively aggressively slow my vehicle to a crawl until they back the fuck off. in a city you’re lucky if you have a twelve inches between your bumper and the next car’s hood ornament.

difference #2: LANGUAGE. this is a small one, but the southern dialect combined with the lack of literacy means i am learning certain things late in life. phrases i have heard verbally with my ears but had never seen written out include: “chest of drawers” which i thought was “chester drawers” - “seven year itch” which i thought was “seven year each” - “albeit” which i thought was “i’ll be it.” i’ve made a deliberate effort to unlearn mine own accent/dialect but i run into weird shit all the time. remotes are mashers, shopping carts are buggies, you put stuff up instead of putting it away, i fix you a drink instead of pouring you one, we shoot the game instead of play it. my mom LITERALLY can’t understand me if i speak too quickly - she has to remind me all the time to slow down and put on my southern.

difference #3: TECHNOLOGY. issue of whether or not you personally have the creepy amazon vans aside, the rural south is behind the rest of the country on technology. things in cities are AUTOMATED. things like the little button you press to cross the street, tickets you take at parking garages, even the parking meters you find in cities, that’s just the beginning of it. one time i came across a little computer touch screen in a MCDONALDS where you put your order in. you didn’t even go up to the counter. you just put your order on the screen and swiped your card and then they got it ready for you and you never had to speak to a human person. self-checkouts, gas pumps where you can swipe your card and not go in and pay at first...the south got those YEARS behind everybody else. in the mid-2010s i went to DC and visited a target for maybe the 5th time ever and i was BAFFLED by the self-checkout. i had no idea how to use it! it was like less than ten years ago and i was IN MY TWENTIES and i had never seen one before! when we send a package we have to talk to a human person. when we order food we usually have to talk to a human person. apps for places like dominos and subway have not been in use here for very long. my county just got doordash LAST YEAR. 

because i am 31, and because the south is so technologically behind, i am actually old enough to remember how when you used to go to a gas station an attendant would not only pump your gas but wash your windshield for you while you just SAT IN THE CAR. that seems like something from the 50s but it actually was a thing here in my childhood IN the 90s. i wish i was making this up.

difference #4: INFRASTRUCTURE. this sort of goes hand-in-hand w/ the last point because so much of our infrastructure is made of technology, and it’s also more of a rural/urban thing than a south/north thing. but just for fun here’s a non-exhaustive list of things i don’t have in my town:

starbucks* - the first time i went to a starbucks i was in my 20s

a public pool - we used to, but now the only pool here requires a YMCA membership. the only baseball diamond in this county is also at the Y.

walmart

in fact, ANYWHERE to buy clothes that is not a goodwill or other secondhand store. i cannot buy clothing unless i order it online or LEAVE MY TOWN. almost all of the clothing i own is from walmart because it’s one of the only places in my entire county where you can actually PURCHASE clothing.

grocery store chains? pffft. my town has two entire stores and both are small southern chains. i didn’t go into a publix for the first time until two years ago when i went to florida. i’ve NEVER entered a whole foods.

food delivery? yeah, no. like i said, we got doordash last year, but before that the only place you could get delivery from was a pizza chain. we only have two pizza places in my town that deliver, and one is a local place, not attached to any chain, so i can’t spend my loyalty points there. (it’s very expensive there too.) last year it was CLOSED for six months because the manager got caught dealing meth. every last one of the delivery drivers was trafficking it for him. they all got fired and had to restart from the ground up. for that short time, it was not possible to get any food delivered to your house whatsoever.

a hospital/ambulance services - if someone is sick, we have to take them to the hospital in laurens, the town next door (about 15-20 minutes by car). the town i live in lucky - we have our own police and fire departments. (acab but you know what i mean.) joanna is a smaller town next to mine that isn’t a real town - it’s been demoted to a census designated area because only 2000 people live there. if they have an emergency, they have to use OUR fire and police departments, and LAURENS’s ambulance/hospital system

after-school places kids can go to keep from getting into trouble. we have the Y, if you have money (no one here has money), and we have churches, but mostly schools can’t afford to run too many extracurriculars. there’s nothing to do here but church and meth.

food banks: zero. we have food DRIVES sometimes where people will come from further away and bring free food, but if you’re hungry, there’s nowhere you can go for help - you have to wait for help to come to you.

libraries: we don’t have our own library. we have a branch of the county library that’s physically located in our town. but we share books with the rest of the entire county, so everything is always checked out or at the other branch. 

*we technically have a starbucks that’s in the local college campus, but only college students are allowed to be there. they’ll still serve people without a college ID because no one gives a fuck, but you can’t linger and loiter and hang out like you do in a normal starbucks. we also have one in the barnes and noble in greenville, which is about an hour away by car, but again, it’s a mini starbucks that serves a limited menu and none of that weird Starbucks Culture™

here’s a few things i don’t have in my ENTIRE COUNTY:

movie theaters - technically. we have a Historial™ one-screen theater in laurens that shows one movie for two weeks a month after it hits regular theaters and then switches to another, and if you miss it, too bad. this is a VERY recent addition - it wasn’t restores until i was in my 20s as a kid and a teenager i had to ride in a car an hour or more to go to the movies.

target. only commies and yankees have target. down here we do walmart.

malls

arcades

skate parks/skating rinks

bowling

museums

zoos/aquariums

campgrounds

fairs. our county fairground got razed a decade ago because there just werent enough people showing up to justify the expense. so no more fairs. you have to have people to fund things and down here there just aren’t enough people anywhere.

you get the idea. we don’t have entertainment. like i said, nothing to do but church and meth.

CLASSES FOR STUFF: knitting classes, dancing classes, driving classes? nope. gymnastics, karate dojos, golf, knitting groups, books clubs, cooking classes? [GAMESHOW BUZZER]. you can’t even hire a clown for a birthday party out here. we do have a shooting range. ONE. in the entire county. and a race track. and a rather infamous former kkk memorabilia store. they made a movie about that (serious tw for this trailer - they’ve got white hoods, burning crosses, pepper spray, the whole nine), which, yes, takes place in laurens, aka right next door to me. i used to walk by that place all the time when i was playing pokemon go. haven’t seen the movie but the shooting locations in the trailer make laurens look a lot bigger and prettier than it really is in real life - especially the racetrack, which, in the trailer, is actually PAVED. (this is inaccurate to real life.)

EDUCATION: lots of people can’t read. we have two schools for illiterate adults, one religious college, and one branch of one of the state colleges that has a skeleton staff and a fuck ton of computers (you basically just go there to distance learn/e-learn - if you want to take real classes from this college, you have to drive at least an hour.)

support groups/group therapy: almost none. we have al-anon and weight watchers, but that’s about it. there’s only half a dozen therapists in my entire county, and none that operate from my town. mental healthcare down here is bullshit.

on food: we don’t have many sit-down restaurants, where servers bring you your menu and your food. if you don’t count waffle houses, my town has 4. my county has 9. in and out, 5 guys, applebees, ruby tuesday, red lobster, olive garden, panda epxress? forget it. those places were and still are rare treats. i’ve only been to an olive garden twice. red lobster once. whenever i leave my county i BEG for chinese because there’s only two chinese restaurants in our entire county and one of them is crazy expensive and the other one sucks. 

we also don’t have the more important stores you need to like, live. if we need to exchange our router at a charter store? yeah, we don’t have one. need to visit the sprint store to get your phone repaired? nuh-uh, we don’t have any phone stores either. my family recently switched to at&t because it was the only company that had a physical location in our county. before that, we had to drive an hour for even the smallest repair.

on a grimer note: we don’t have homeless shelters! homeless in laurens county? too bad for you. we do have homeless PEOPLE. they just have nowhere to go except the churches

hospitals? only kind of. like i said, our county has one, but it’s not equipped to take seriously sick people. when my mom had a heart attack she had to be driven straight to greenwood, which is 45 minutes away if you’re not in an ambulance. they obviously made it faster than that, but still. that was scary. it took them a long time to get here. i had a distant relative of mine die before the ambulance made it because they were SO far out in the sticks, even further than me.

we also don’t have any specialty stores. sporting goods, gamestops, shoe stores, florists, craft stores, bookstores, best buys...forget it. if you can’t buy it at walmart, you just can’t buy it. the exceptions: my TOWN has one jewelry store, two hardware stores, and two auto repair stores. my COUNTY has three clothing stores, none of which are in my town, one place that sells used TVs, and one movie rental place. thrilling, right? i can rent a movie if i drive out of town. (i know streaming killed the rental business, but we also only had two places when i was a kid, if you counted the rental section in the grocery store.)

so, yeah. i know the term “shithole” is really loaded these days, but rural areas are just plain less developed, and often in seriously poor repair because nobody fucking uses them. there USED to be more stuff here - my mom was on a bowling league, and as a kid i had a birthday party at a skating rink - but late stage capitalism and drugs destroyed it all. people ran out of money to do things like skate and bowl and so those places closed. the south is full of empty store fronts and deserted strip malls slowly being eaten by kudzu. my brother got out of this town and whenever he winds up back here (not often) he remarks on how completely and utterly dead everything feels. “my friends who live in greenwood now think they’re all rural,” he said once. “they complain constantly about how remote it is. but they have no idea. they wouldn’t make it five minutes out here.” greenwood has its own movie theater, mall, starbucks, homeless shelter, food bank, and hospital.

so, yeah! if you were wondering what rural white southerners are so fucking mad about, that’s part of it. propaganda and xenophobia and racism has their anger directed ENTIRELY at the wrong people, but it’s hard to argue that the anger itself isn’t just a little bit justified.

difference #5: CULTURE. specifically culture around food, and the culture around the civil war. i could write an entire other essay about the culture of the church being everything because the church IS the only semblance of infrastructure we have and this is why the south is so homophobic, but we’ll skip that for now.

food: this is a quickie, because i sort of touched on it already, but there are like, almost NO vegetarian options here. there’s very limited choices of cuisine. it’s ALL waffle house and soul food. we have a lot of mexican places because we’re physically close to the mexican border, but aside from that, forget finding like indian or thai or japanese or anything like that. no sushi. forget finding a menu that has meals that are halal or kosher. there’s just. no culture here. no variety. you know? like i said, our entire county doesn’t even hit double-digits for proper sit-down restaurants.

civil war: i’m not going to go into the big stuff since i sort of covered it at the top and also this post is getting way too long, but to other white rural southerners there is legitimate baggage around the fact that my mom married a yankee and that i am half-yankee. and he’s not even a real yankee! he was born up north but raised in southern florida. (florida is weird. the further south you go geographically, the less southern you are culturally.) yet: my family makes jokes that are sometimes not jokes about this. when i drop this information in casual conversation people get that look on their faces like: ah, that explains it. it being that i am not religious and don’t laugh at racist jokes and maybe i am queer?? (strangers tend to be unsure about this last part, even when i’m wearing rainbows.) it’s because i’m half-yank! that explains everything! the xenophobia is SO strong here that white people are even xenophobic at OTHER WHITE PEOPLE. 

so in conclusion when i say the north is like another country, it’s because the people who raised me think of it like another country. and culturally! it is buck wild! the differences that there are! when i leave this town i feel like i step into fucking star trek! if you are not from the rural south, and you have never been to the rural south, please do not come here! i’ve been to a few different places now and this is definitely my least favorite one. 

[pbandjesse]

I am feeling like. Stupid tired right now. It sucks. I couldnt sleep last night, didnt get to sleep until almost 3. I woke up miserably exhausted. But I really did try my best. I was just not feeling great. Which was a theme of this very grey day. I tried to shake it but man was it hard. 

James had to leave for work soon after I got up. I took a shower and washed my hair. Tried to shake off the feelings and the grossness I was feeling. I washed my hair again. I need to stop trying to wash my hair while I take a bath, it never works, and it just makes my life harder. 

I made a burrito for brunch. And I watched some videos. I did do some sewing today, but I was cold the entire day so I didnt do as much as I had wanted. I also did some photos for the store and a little bit of claywork. But it wasnt like a super productive day. I played around with videos some more, with mixed results. I for sure get better video on my phone but I have to delete them as soon as they are backed up because I have such little space. For sure something Im going to have to consider going forward. 

I was going to be meeting up at the park with Gaby and Lane around 3, which ended up being closer to 330. So for the afternoon I played some animal crossing and read. I was still sort of on edge about being on time so I left to early. They texted me to let me know they would be closer to 330. Which was alright, I drove around the park a little, went towards the zoo. Saw a deer! And then went to walgreens. The line was crazy inside but I got my psoriasis shampoo I had forgotten to pick up and still beat the girls getting to the park. 

I waited for them in the small pavilion. It was a little damp inside, and very rainy outside of it, but it was so nice to be out there. And it was extra nice seeing my friends. 

I gave Lane the butterflies I had for her, and Gaby the things she bought from my store. And we spent like an hour and a half talking about fanfiction and jobs and travel and life. It was excellent and made me feel so much better. 

But man was it cold! The rain would come and go, but it was cold. They both had jean jackets on which looked freezing, I had my brown jacket and then a raincoat on top of it and I was still so cold. And then I went to text James and my phone just turned off from being to cold! That hasnt happened to me since I lived in minnesota! So Lane texted James were we were so he could come say hi.

It was nice to all hang out for a few minutes, but James was wet from biking and we were all cold, so we made plans to do an animal crossing tour, and we all headed out. 

I got home and was just, cold down to my bones and very hungry. James put a pizza in the oven while I put jammies on. But I couldnt warm up. Im still cold honestly, but my legs were cold to the touch for hours. I think that zapped a lot of my energy. 

After we ate I read for a little, and tried to work on art, but I just wasnt feeling motivated or inspired. I made one little clay thing before calling it a night and laying in the ravioli and trying to feel warmer. It only sort of worked. 

I am sitting with James now. Im going to wash my face and just try to sleep. I feel so beat up. 

I dont know what tomorrow brings. I am going to work on the lesson plans I started for the Y. And hopefully have a chat with Lana for some more direction and maybe some idea of if I will have a new placement or they will just have me working on other stuff. Who knows. 

I just hope I can sleep. I hope you all sleep okay tonight. Take care of yourselves. Goodnight!

[tracyinpolaroids]

The transition to 2 wheels

I’m currently sitting at the cafe, taking a break from grading for the semester. It’s only 1 PM, so I think I have some time to pause reading thesis papers and write up a blog entry. You know, to update whoever even finds my life remotely interesting. Or to somehow document the new things that have been going on.

December last year, I made the conscious decision to start bike commuting. I’ve never ridden a bike on the city streets; I don’t even remember the last time I rode a bike prior to getting mine. But the saying really is true, as silly as it sounds talking about this—it really is just like riding a bike.

For the most part, I’ve always been apprehensive about riding a bike outside the confines of our gated village. It never helped that the common perceptions about bike commuting were that it’s dangerous, it’s too hot here, it’s too polluted. Even without being prompted by anyone telling me those things, I came to those conclusions myself as I sat comfortably in air-conditioned cars as I went about my life in the city. I’ve always wanted to try biking to school when I was in college since my house was essentially just 5 minutes away but it was for those reasons that I never really got to try.

Fast forward to 2019, when the Barangay sent notice to constituents in Loyola Heights that there would be road clearing operations in accordance with the blah blah blah. What it essentially meant for us at the cafe was that parking would be tricky between opening hours to 5 PM. There was one occasion where 4 of us were ticketed for parking on the street during the day. That was no fun. November last year, I got my second ticket which sucked even more because the process was a little more difficult now in the time of the pandemic. Long story short, in involved more going around the city hall compound.

That was the last straw for me, really. I couldn’t hang out at my favorite place without worrying about stuff like that anymore. So a week or two later, I got myself a bike. Along with several essential gear and accessories, of course.

It was meant to be my bike

I went to Decathlon with Ryan to check out bikes, and I learned that the bike I was looking to get wasn’t available in my size. (Yes, I learned just a few months ago that bikes have sizes.) I asked when new stocks would I arrive and I was told that they would on the first of December. So on December 1, I went to different bike stores close by to check out what they had. I actually wasn’t planning on visiting Decathlon again, but I found myself parking in Tiendesitas after visiting this one place near White Plains.

Went back up to Decathlon and saw someone trying out the bike I was looking for—a B-Twin Riverside Matte 100—with a “small” tag hanging on it. New stocks! I heard him say he’d reserve it, and the staff talked to each other mentioning it was the last stock of the small-framed Riverside. WHAT. I approached on of them and asked if there were any more in stock. They said they seemed to have run out, but upon checking the unassembled new stock bikes hanging by the side, they found one. It was mine! I asked if I could try it out, and I was so delighted that there was actually a bike that “fit” me, a small girl of 5′2″.

I asked if I could have it reserved, and was told they could only hold it for 24 hours. I was hoping to get it on the weekend when I could ask Ry to come pick it up with me, but the guy suggested that I could pay for it already and it could pick it up whenever I wanted. I immediately said yes.

It was mine!

I didn’t remember biking to be this exhausting

Ryan offered to come with me the next day to pick up my bike, and we did. I was so excited. I decided to take it for a ride the moment I got home. The moment I got home, I was completely exhausted. I could barely move, my body was sore, and I wanted to just lie down for the rest of the night. And that was just after riding less than 5km around the village, for about 20 minutes. Was biking always this exhausting??? I felt so out of shape.

I decided that I had to build up endurance before I could start biking to Katipunan. I’d bike around my village as often as I could, tracking how long and how far I biked. It was promising to see I could bike for longer the more I rode around, and I got to practice letting go of the handlebar with one hand to try and signal, or at least adjust my glasses.

The biggest obstacle—crossing Commonwealth avenue

By the end of the month and on our last day of operations for the year, I mustered up the courage to finally take my bike out. This was to the apprehension of my parents, mostly my mom, who told me I could just bike inside the village. But you know, that wasn’t the point of getting my bike. While I got it over an e-scooter for the exercise, I also wanted to drive less for various reasons—avoiding being stuck in traffic, having one less car on the road, not contributing to pollution, saving money on gas and parking, and encouraging other people to do it by showing them it’s doable by a noob like me.

The day before I took my bike to Katipunan, I thought I would try biking along Commonwealth. It had a bike lane off the main road which was very encouraging for someone like me who’s never taken her bike outside the village. I initially planned on just riding up and down one side of the highway but as I approached one of the pedestrian overpasses, I looked up and though, “Maybe I should see if I can carry this thing over.” I did with a lot of difficulty. But I made it across and I biked around UP.

The second time I biked to the cafe (just last week), I tried to take another route that wouldn’t involve me carrying my heavy hybrid bike up and down stairs. To be brief about it, that route was terrifying and C5 sucks. I also fell off my bike, but that was due to my own stupidity. So today, I took the UP route, i.e. I decided to just carry my bike again.

This is great

Last night as I was thinking about how I’d go to the cafe today, I thought maybe I should just drive since I’m bringing stuff over and I want to bring my laptop too so I can sit here and grade. But then I remembered that day I got my second ticket, when I was sitting here working, and the Barangay with the enforcers showing up. The whole point of getting my bike was to free myself of that experience and the hassle of having to park at Pop-up and then walking to and from the cafe. So I strapped the cafe stuff onto my bike rack, stuffed my laptop into my backpack with a laptop sleeve for extra padding, and off I went.

Really, the only thing I find so unpleasant about my bike commute to and from Katipunan is the carrying of my bike to cross Commonwealth. The day I first biked on Commonwealth, they were painting bike lanes onto the main road with a buffer zone which is very encouraging. I saw a FB post a few days ago about an urban planner or something working with the QC government talking about the new bike lanes on Commonwealth and I expressed that hopefully they also consider improving the pedestrian overpasses by adding ramps for those who need to cross with their bikes. With that solved, I’m golden. It will take some time but for now, I can deal.

On my commute today, I thought about when I would finally be able to commute past Katipunan. Maybe I’ll take it a little a time and hopefully the improvement of bike infrastructure continues.

[ahoncc]

10 + 1 Grand Fondo Bike Rides in Seven Months

Hello people, my name is James. I am neither a pro cyclist nor a barista, so don’t take my opinions on either subject too seriously. I just love brewing/drinking coffee and riding my bike; I think the two are a match made in heaven. Not surprisingly, a lot of people think so too. 

To start things off, allow me to chronologically share 100-km bike routes I’ve taken within the past seven months of cycling. 

1. Lower Antipolo, Caloocan, North Caloocan. 101 km. 

This was my first metric century ride, a month into cycling. I had planned a coffee delivery route and a schedule and was fully expecting to make it to each stop in good time. On paper, it didn’t seem that hard. How naïve I was. What the map doesn’t tell you is how horrible the roads are, how hot the weather is, or how crowded with trucks some streets are. Add to that the fact that Komoot is not a good on-the-fly navigation tool, and I was on the fast lane to disaster. Getting lost in a totally janky area on the bumpiest roads was not fun at all.

I was dying, but I kept at it. I was a noob who refused to admit defeat. After getting out of the sticks known as North Caloocan, I hit the mythical wall and bonked. As I thought that things couldn’t get any worse, it rained. Thankfully I was close to a Jollibee so I refueled and let the rain pass. Later that day, I did laps close to home just to complete 100 km since I was just a couple of km short.

4/10. It was totally my fault for being unprepared, but this ride sucked. I’d give it a 3/10 but there’s a bonus point since it was my first long ride.

2. Tagaytay via Daang Hari and Paliparan. 140 km. 

Tagaytay seems to be a test of courage or rite of passage that every budding cyclist has to undertake. And it is quite an undertaking. However which way you slice the cake, you’ll have to climb. If gradients aren’t your thing, you’d quickly question why you’re doing this in the first place. 

Like every long ride (I know this now), it requires adequate preparation, i.e. time, weather conditions, road and traffic conditions, hydration and snacks, and physical fitness. I was more prepared than I was the first century ride, but we started late and therefore finished late. 

I had good company during this ride and being with them made the exhaustion bearable. It was hot on the way up and the traffic was dreadful on the way back, but we survived thanks to Pocari Sweat and Choco Mucho. 

7/10. This was a good “beta test” for me. Could’ve easily been an 8/10 but the Mang Inasal at the roundabout ran out of inasal. I got the last piece, but Jilson and Dan had to settle for something else. 

3. Pililia Windmills via Binangonan. 114 km.

This was my first time riding with a large group. There were seven of us. As this was in the same week as my ride to Tagaytay, I came into this fairly confident and with high morale (aside from the fact that I was the seventh wheel). It slowly got lower as mishap after mishap occurred; a flat tire, a broken chain, another flat tire... 

On this ride, I learned that it’s essential to have an idea of each person’s capabilities so you can set the right pace and adjust where and when necessary. We all had different types of bikes, different fitness levels, and different experiences biking on the road. It couldn’t be helped that some were dropped and others had to wait. In this regard, it was a tough and long day and toward the end of it, I was itching to be home.

6/10. At the time, climbing Pililia felt like treading through mud, but making it to the top was very rewarding. Good food and good conversation made up for aching legs.

4. San Jose Del Monte (Fake Eiffel Tower) via McArthur Highway. 111 km.

This started out as an easy ride on flats. We were all prepared and even the traffic and heat didn’t hamper our confidence. Once we were out of the highway and passing through barangays, the views became nicer. There was less pollution too. We saw the fake Eiffel Tower and met a couple of lolos who were still going strong. It was a good day that was only made better by a tasty, cheap, meal. 

By this time, my fitness level and technique were steadily improving, and I was starting to enjoy climbing more. The way back was hilly, but it was no trouble for me. The cause of stress was, as usual, the traffic on the way back. If you can help it, don’t ever pass through Caloocan! It’s the worst. Commonwealth is also a horrible place to ride a bike.

7/10. Good times with good friends! The stop-and-go, clip-and-unclip traffic was a bummer. AG cramped up, but proud of him for powering through it and clocking in his first 100-km ride.

5. Tagaytay via Nuvali and Cardiac Hill. 136 km.

Second time riding to Tagaytay. This time, we rode out early. Iver and I met up in Makati and rode straight to Nuvali where we were to meet the rest of the guys. All was going well and we were maintaining a steady pace, till we made a mistake and met an accident. 

Instead of making a right to Greenfield, we went straight to CALAX. We were none the wiser, so it felt strange when workers started screaming at us. While Iver was looking at them, one of the security personnel near the toll gate stepped in front of me. I had to stop and since Iver was still looking at the guys yelling at us, his front wheel hit my rear and he went over the bars. When I felt the impact, I looked back and I kid you not, I saw him go over in slow motion! He landed on his shoulder and he burst an eyebrow; thank God for helmets! 

As he sat with his blood dripping on the pavement, I was torn between taking a photo and making sure he was okay. I went with the latter, but later on, he told me that I should’ve snapped the photo.  What a guy! 

Cardiac Hill was a bit of a challenge. In fact, it was the hardest part of the way to Leslie’s. I stopped at the base of the hill for a moment just to steel myself and went up the hill without stopping. Slowly, but surely. 

8/10. As usual, the traffic was the worst. Sorelle was in so much pain that going all the way back to Manila on two wheels was out of the question. It was getting late too, so we decided to stop in Bacoor and take a Transportify back to manila. The first and only time (so far) I did the forbidden technique, but it was the smart thing to do.

6. Pisong Kape via Sumulong and Teresa. 103 km.

One of those rides where we didn’t have a fixed destination. We just wanted to go up Antipolo and down Teresa and back, and maybe climb to the windmills if we felt like it. 

A fairly easy ride up Sumulong Highway and a fun time descending to Teresa. It wasn’t all good vibes though, since one of the guys punctured a tire on a descent, which we think caused his crash. He was okay, but his brand new cycling jersey wasn’t.

We made it all the way to Tanay and had breakfast silog there, and decided to head to Pisong Kape at the base of Pililia. When it showed signs of rain, we decided to turn back. More mishaps. Someone got a flat, and another one dropped a chain and had FD issues on the way to the climb to Antipolo from Teresa. We got split up at some point too.

5/10. This is what’s referred to as a bad juju ride. Hot, traffic, and a ton of things we’d rather not experience on the road. I stopped and waited for a good half hour at Decathlon Masinag, but left and rushed home since I needed to poop, lol.

7. Nuvali via a straight and narrow road through barangays and National Highway. 102 km.

It was the day before heading to Baguio for the holidays and I made brunch plans in Alabang with Elle. I was really excited to bike to her but more so to see her. If I left the house late, it would be hot and traffic would be terrible, so I decided to leave at dawn and make a long ride out of it and go all the way to Nuvali. 

I didn’t want to take the service road like last time, so I followed the map through I don’t even know what road this is. All I know is that it was straight and narrow and clogged with tricycles. It spanned several barangays in Pasig, Taguig, Pateros, Sucat, Alabang, etc., and eventually led me to the National Highway. 

It was all flat and this was my first ride on carbon wheels. I was riding solo, so I could go as fast or as slow as I wanted. I made it to Nuvali in 2:20. After resting for half an hour, I took the same route to Alabang and was there in 1:30. On the way back, I took the service road.

ELLEven/10. The route sucked both ways but it was a good day with Elle. What else can I say?

8. Macabebe Beach via Obando. 175 km.

The flattest route I’ve taken, both literally and figuratively. Levi and I rode out from the Mandaluyong circle at 3:30 AM and cut through Manila to get to Monumento. From there, we opted to avoid McArthur Highway and instead took the more scenic, Obando way. I say scenic, but in reality, all we saw was black. We only stopped to buy pandesal and to navigate. As the sun rose, we found ourselves getting closer to the longest 24 km of my life. 

It was a hard left turn from the highway about a km from the arc of Pampanga. The streets were narrow, and we passed through about four barangays. There were a lot of cars on the road, which was quite irritating because we had to stop when they did. The straights never seemed to end; in fact, I went “Look Ma, no hands!” for about what seemed like a couple of km. As we neared the beach though, we were rewarded by breathtaking views on both sides. The beach itself was mediocre and we stayed only for half an hour to eat our pandesal.

The way back was more difficult. You guessed it, it was due to the heat and the traffic and the horrendous roads in Bulakan. We stopped for coffee and to shield ourselves from the burning sun a few times, but overall we kept a steady, okay let’s be honest, frantic pace. We got to Makati a little over 1:00 PM. Levi and I made it in less than 10 hours. With stops. I was spent.

9/10. This was quite an experience. I always wanted to try a purely flat ride, so I did. It was boring. I’m not saying it was easy -- far from it. Being on flats takes a certain type of mindset and discipline, not to mention you have to be strong. The effort it takes to get from point A to B in a specific time is the same back and forth. Unlike climbing, there’s no descending that comes after. You can’t freewheel down the mountain and recover. I learned a lot on this ride, one of the things being that I like gradients more than watts. 

9. Tagaytay via RevPal, Sungay, and Sampaloc. 110 km. 

Tagaytay take three, route three. This time, we drove to Alabang and started there. What we should have done is start in Nuvali. But Luz insisted on starting in Alabang. This was not a good idea, lol. I want to preface this with the statement that as it was, the planned route was a killer. It didn’t help that I had little sleep and had a hard workout the day before. Another bad idea.

Let me give you a TL;DR: We climbed up RevPal from Nuvali, went down to Taal via Sungay, and climbed back up to Tagaytay proper via Sampaloc. From there, we went back down to Nuvali via Cardiac Hill. 

Easy on paper, not so much in action. RevPal is steep, but not impossibly difficult. Part of the difficulty is avoiding all the other cyclists occupying the road, weaving their way up (known as nag tatahi) while staying out of the way of cars. At some point, my right knee started acting up, adding to the difficulty level of the ascent. 

What was unexpected though was how scary the descent on Sungay was. I won’t get into detail, but suffice it to say that we should have taken it as a sign when we saw that other riders were dismounting so they could walk down... That said, what an adrenaline rush!

The climb up Sampaloc was tough with an aching knee (which by the way has no ACL), but thankfully there were a lot of trees and cover. Not my best performance, but I still made it up without stopping. The descent from Tagaytay proper was meh. From Nuvali, we rode with our friends who had the brilliant idea to park there. I slept on the way home. 

9/10. I officially dubbed our group Mountain Goats after this ride. We have a lot of rides that are less than 100 km, but we often reach over 1000 meters of elevation gain. On this outing, we hit 1,640. I wonder how I’ll fair if I do this again in good condition.

10. Sierra Madre Loop via Teresa. 118 km. 

I think this is the most fun Grand Fondo I’ve done. It’s the highest I’ve climbed in the fastest time. 1740 m in 5:43:28. Arguably the most fun I’ve had on a bike. The climbs could kill you if you don’t pace yourself, but the descents were so rewarding. 

The only sucky part about this ride was motorcyclists who go up on their underbone bikes and bank the corners like they own the place. They don’t signal when they turn. They take sudden U-turns. They overtake you, swerve, and suddenly stop in front of you. They are a danger to themselves and others. In fact, Levi mentioned that when she was there, a guy on a Mio overshot a corner and he and his bike went under the guard rail onto the cliff. Thank God he was alive.

10/10. The chicsilog was made even more delicious by the view from the top of the mountain. 

10 + 1. Laguna Loop. 192 km.

Laguna Loop is fun they said. You should try it, they said.

Well, I did. And I hated it. THEY LIED. This is by far the worst Fondo I’ve done. It was fun climbing Antipolo via Cabrera Road. It was fun going down Teresa. It was fun going up Pililia (which was so much easier than the first time). It was fun going down Mabitac. And that’s where the fun ended.

From that point, it was flat. It was hot. It was traffic. And the drivers were so bad. By bad, I mean jempoy bad. By jempoy bad, I mean trying to ride you off the road and driving at your side with their window down to argue with you. It was not fun. Have I said that it wasn’t fun?

2/10. Not gonna lie, I don’t even consider this ride as a Grand Fondo (which is why it’s a +1 and not a solid 11); the only part of the ride that counts is the first part with the ascents and descents. The rest was just really getting it over with. One point for that first part and another for the good company. WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.

Okay, that’s it. It’s quite a long post but it should be okay since it’s the first one? I hope you enjoyed my unedited reviews of my 100-km rides. Again I’m not a pro so don’t take these scores seriously. Ride the routes yourself if you can and let me know what you think! 

[radarsteddybear]

My sister keeps bugging me to post about our vacation, so…here we go.

Part I–Amsterdam

A few things about Amsterdam:

Bicycling is HUGE there--there are more bicycles than people, since a lot of people own more than one (a ratty one for day-to-day use, a nicer one for more focused riding, I guess), and bicyclists will run you down if you’re in their way.  This can make crossing bike lanes (of which there are many) very treacherous.

Marijuana is also very big there, as is smoking regular old tobacco.  It seemed like we couldn’t walk ten steps without smelling some kind of smoke.  It was pretty gross.  

We also saw a lot of litter, at least in the parts of the city we were in.  Especially in the mornings before the street sweeper trucks would come by and clean it up.  There were still often piles of trash near the public garbage cans, through.

It’s a very pretty city.  Lots of canals and row homes.  Most of the row homes are very narrow because, at one point in time, they were taxed based on how much ground space they took up, so people built up rather than out.  This also means that the stairways inside are very narrow, making large furniture extremely difficult (if not impossible) to bring to the higher floors; people solved this problem by putting hooks at the tops of the outsides of the buildings so that they could hoist their furniture up and down with ropes.  Some of the houses even tilt outwards to help keep that furniture from bumping into the outer facade.

Another thing about Amsterdam (at least in the part of the city we were in) is that there are a lot of places to get different types of foreign food.  We had Italian food, Irish food, and Asian food while we were there.  We didn’t have a lot of Dutch food other than pancakes and stroopwaffles.  They were good, though.  And so was that Irish food.

Apparently in Amsterdam you can put a sticker on your mailbox to indicate whether or not you want to receive junk mail and ads, and enough people have indicated that no, they don’t want junk mail that nobody really bothers to send any.  I’m envious.

Anyway, in Amsterdam, we went to the Rijks Museum, which is the same sort of museum as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC or the Louvre in Paris--it’s got some famous paintings, like the Night Watch and the Van Goghs up there, and it’s also got a ton of other paintings and things that nobody’s ever heard of with the aim of being as comprehensive and complete as they can.  This includes the Delft pottery violin and the small biplane pictured.  It’s pretty cool, but a little overwhelming.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get enough time there because our travel agent sucked and thought that two museums in one day is a perfectly fine, reasonable thing to do.  But we did, of course, stop off at the gift shop.

After the Rijks Museum, we ran over to the Van Gogh Museum for a guided tour.  The tour itself was superb.  It was amazing to go through the museum while hearing about Vincent Van Gogh’s life and how and why his work changed.  Unfortunately, you can’t take pictures in that museum, so I have none. 

We also discovered that Miffy is super big in the Netherlands because, as it turns out, she’s Dutch!  My sister and I used to watch some Miffy cartoon when we were younger, and it was super weird to see her in EVERY SINGLE GIFT SHOP when we haven’t seen her at all since the cartoon disappeared from TV.  I ended up getting a little Miffy dressed in a Delft blue-patterned dress, and my sister got a Delft blue tile of Miffy painting.

The next day was a little crazy.  In the morning, we ended up going to the Jewish museum, which was pretty cool, but then we had to run to catch a tour to Delft and The Hague to see the Royal Delft factory, the government, and Madurodam, a park full of miniatures of buildings and things in the Netherlands.  It was super hot out, so the running part sucked, but we were happy to have made it.   Monkees fans will recognize the portrait on the plate in the seventh picture as The Laughing Cavalier, the subject of “Art for Monkees Sake.”  That was a neat surprise.

The day after that, we went to the Anne Frank house.  It was very interesting, and very, very sad.  It’s hard to imagine a child having to go into hiding like that for so long only to be tortured and killed anyway.  

We weren’t allowed to take pictures there, either, but I took some pictures of the actual Diary anyway because there wasn’t anybody else in the room aside from another guy who was also taking pictures and my dad, who started taking pictures once I started taking pictures.  I guess that makes me a bad influence.