#juniper.intro

[koltonschipper]

alexa play sharped dress man by zz top

NAME: Kolton 'Kolt' Jameson Schipper AGE: Thirty-Nine HOMETOWN: Miami, FL RESIDENCE: Brookstone HOUSE: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/9-W-Oak-Ave_Moorestown_NJ_08057_M50576-60782 OCCUPATION: Psychiatrist STATUS: Single

Family: Born to Jameson and Sherry Schipper in Miami, FL on December 21st was a little man name Kolt. He was the first of four more children to follow and boy was he a handful. From the start the parents of Kolt knew they would have their hands full. As a child he certainly had a set of lung and he was never scared to use them. Through the years his parents had assumed that it would be something he would grow out of but it only got worse. In grade school Kolt stayed in trouble for minor pranks, putting tacks on his teachers chairs or cutting the girl's hair in front of him. It was one thing after another and as his family grew and more siblings came his parents were having a harder time focusing on the trouble. With that being said as high school came the trouble only escalated into things that were far worse.

Kolten easily began hanging out with the wrong crowd from freshman year and caught himself being taken home by the police on more occasions that his family would have liked to admit. Though his parents would just scold him and pay Kolt's way our of everything. That was until graduation night when his friends and him took things way too far. One thing led to another (secret) which landed Kolt in some serious trouble.. once again his parents found a way to pay his pay out of it though this time they gave him a ultimatum. From then on he did things his parents way with no complaints or questions. Kolt spent a lot of his time in college getting his degree and license to open open his own therapist office. He had figured with his own experience he could offer a lot of help. Even the older he had gotten he still took the advice of his parents because he felt like he owed it to them because they saved him from a bad situation.

Relationships: Through his young years Kolt had no problem with the ladies he was never a one lady kind of man. That was until he had decided to go back to college to work towards his schooling and license to be a psychiatrist. One day while he was on campus he had seen a beautiful blonde from across the yard and he knew then and there she was his person. It was something he just couldn't explain. Their love story had started there and everything happened so quickly for Kolt. The man had no trouble falling head over heels in love with the fun and vibrant woman. She was everything he could imagine in a partner and more. She was caring, loving, compassionate and the best part of it was the fun the two could have. There was never an awkward silence and never a struggle to think of things to talk about. Everything just came easy for the two of them and in no time the two were living together.

However not everyone loved the woman, Sherri was beyond worried for her son. They had helped him get on this straight and narrow path where they had hoped that he would meet a wealthy and mature woman. (not that his girlfriend wasnt mature, but his mother would argue that). She didn't like the silliness and fun side that her son had started to show when he was with Lena and it worried her that maybe he would change their plan. For the first time since he was a teen he had went against what his mother had wanted for him. He refused to leave Lena because she was his soulmate and he loved her. This only infuriated the woman and after trying to make his girlfriend's life a living hell for ten years only to find out her son had proposed to this 'monster'. It only made things intensify and her anger grow more and more out of control. On their second year of their engagement Kolt was ready to settle down and give her his last name. He had talked of starting a family with her and with that he wanted them to go ahead and be married. The idea was beyond exciting for him and he couldn't wait to be a happily married family man who now had his psychiatrist license and own business to provide. Unknowingly thanks to the medaling of his mother that drove his fiancé away before that could all happen.

Current Day: The hunt for his missing bride was what brings Kolt to Juniper. He had spent the last three months searching and trying to find where the woman had ran off to. He had no idea his mother had interfered with things and wanted answers as to why she had left him. After his PI tracked her down in Juniper Kolt felt the only way he would get those answers, and potentially win his bride back, was to make the move to Juniper. Kolt had worked with a real estate agent out there in getting him a lease on a office building and a new house where he has settled in for about a month as of April.

[arslanxsanem]

SPOTTED: Is that SANEM ARSLAN that I see over there? You know they have quite the reputation of being the AEIPATHY around town. The 30 year old has been around these parts for 30 YEARS and within that timeframe has landed themselves a job as a/an TATTOO ARTIST/ARTIST while living in SYCAMORE APARTMENTS. I overheard that they can be quite SELF-DEPRECATING but their saving grace is that they are CREATIVE.  Rumor has it they have a secret, and it’s just a matter of time before everyone knows. [sunshine, 28, she/her/hers, est/edt]

TW: alcoholism

Sanem Emel Arslan grew up in a small house in Juniper with her parents, two emotionally immature people who likely shouldn't have had kids. They divorced when she was six, Leyla getting full custody with Ahmet getting visitation.

Despite Leyla bouncing from rich husband to rich husband, Ahmet still had to pay out most of his paycheck for child support. Sanem was able to attend the best schools, but it meant she couldn't see her father as often as she liked.

Her teenage years came with rebellion. She began sneaking around at 15, drinking and smoking. With the release of alcohol, she found a freedom from her stifling life. She no longer felt the insanity of her mother or the resentment of her father. By the time she was 18, she was an alcoholic.

With her mother's money, thankfully, Sanem could go to art school and she could pursue her passion. Art school came with strings, according to her stepfather: she had to remain sober throughout and her rebellion had to stop. She became excellent at hiding her drunken fits and her hangovers all through art school and her early twenties.

It wasn't until she befriended a tattoo artist that she saw something she could potentially excel in, but there was a catch: she had to have a steady hand that didn't come with alcoholism.

Sanem has been sober for four years now and credits this friend with the help of her Rottweiler, Boscoe.

[jadaxmalone]

Name: Jada Malone

Age: 32

Sign: Taurus 

Birth Place: Atlanta, Ga

Hometown: Juniper, WA

Pronouns/Gender: She & Her / CisFemale

Marital Status: Divorced

Children: Zero

Sexual Preferance: Pansexual  

Faceclaim: Laura Harrier

Neighborhood: rolling hills

Label: The Wild Card

Family Life // Past // Present

Jada was born in Atlanta, Ga. Her mother and father were wonderful parents and raised Jada the best they could. Jay had been a very intelligent woman and exceeded in everything she had put her mind to. However when she became a young teen she had slowly began to rebel however there was no room for anything less than perfect in the Malone household. Jada's older brother who was 24 by the time had offered his parents to let her move to New York where he could help keep a better eye on her and a new change of scenery. Her father, wanting her to have all the best opportunities in life, agreed and when she was 17 years old she had moved clear across the states to New York.  After that Jay never forgave her father and mother for uprooting her life and sending her away.

In New York Jada had started off doing well but after she had graduated and started college she grew bored once again of normal life  J quickly sniffed out the trouble.... That was because her brother had recently began working for a man who ran a powerful drug trade in NYC. Crossing paths with the man a few times had been just enough to catch the man’s interest. Before Jada knew it the two had been seeing each other and were wildly in love, or at least she had thought. She had married the man once she turned 21 where she stayed married until she was 26. 

Throughout the years of her time with her husband Jada had became so fascinated with the business side of the drug trade. The money wasn’t all that bad either as her husband had always dressed her in designer from head to toe and made sure she never left without something pretty on her neck. It didn’t take long for for the woman to find out just what her body could get her. With her husband always busy and now shutting her out from the business she had strayed off sleeping with men throughout the city. If there was something that Jay had wanted she was sure to get it with a beautiful smile and her striking body. Not to mention sneaking around her husband's back was a rush all on it’s own. As their marriage was getting rocky Jay had met Mattie. Mattie had once flirted with J and she had turned him down rather harshly. However what she didn’t know was that his flirting was all part of a plan to get revenged on her husband.

Regardless of turning Matti down the female had grown interested in him as it seemed that he had wanted her to work for him instead. After seeing how he had handled himself and ran a business she had engulfed herself in his lifestyle. There was something about the other that capitated Jada and she was all in for whatever he had wanted.  Taking her under his wing and showing her just handle and deal with everything. It was truly what Jada had wanted to do in her now husband’s business but he had refused any help from her. All she was supposed to do was sit back and look pretty, be the approachable face. 

The two had conquered New York, side by side, partners in crime, and it wasn’t long before Matti had talked moving to a smaller town. Jada didn’t think twice about it being his right hand woman meant she would follow him to the ends of the earth if that was what needed to happen. Which was good that she had because no sooner than they had arrived to Juniper they already had a plan together of how they would make a name for themselves there. They needed the mayor on their side if they were going to get away with the things they did. Jada quickly suggested that she would sleep with the man and record it for blackmail. Once that tape was made the two of them had their way paved. 

Currently Jada isn’t very happy moving into a small town but after being here for about a bit she has grown to tolerate it more than she did prior. She can be dangerous, careless, and even a loose canon. It is all the traits that leads her to being known as the wild card of Juniper. 

[jonesxnate]

SPOTTED: Is that (NATHAN JONES) that I see over there? You know they have quite the reputation of being the (THE STOWAWAY) around town. The (26) year old has been around these parts for (A WEEK) and within that timeframe has landed themselves a job as a/an (FREELANCE STUNTMAN/ PART TIME CLEANER AT THE METRO THEATRE) while living in (SYCAMORE APARTMENTS). I overheard that they can be quite (NAIVE) but their saving grace is that they are (KIND). Rumor has it they’ve been keeping a secret, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone knows.

tw: homelessness, pregnancy, miscarriage

basic

Full Name: Nathan Andrew Jones Nickname(s): Nate, probably idiot or dummy, depending Age: Twenty-six Height: 5′8″ Gender & Pronouns: Cis-male & he/him Orientation: Pansexual Hometown: Caldwell, Texas Residential Area: Sycamore Apartments, Juniper, WA Occupation:  Freelance stuntman/part-time cleaner at the Metro Theatre

bio

Born and raised in Caldwell, Texas, Nate is one of the middle children from a family of six. His parents got married when they were seventeen, just months before his first sibling was born, and they are married to this day. Happy or not, that is up for discussion, however, it’s one that no one is allowed to bring up.

The family had inherited a farm from his grandparents, and that was where Nate had spent most of his time in. Whenever he wasn’t in school, he was working there, and whenever he wasn’t working there, he was dancing.

It was a hobby of his that his parents didn’t really tolerate. There weren’t many classes he could pick up without his parents prohibiting him, but Nate tried his best. He tried out many different styles of dancing, even picking up gymnastics and a couple martial arts classes before ballet eventually caught his eye; and yet, it was the one style his parents disapproved of the most. However, no matter how much his parents tried to steer him towards professions they would approve of, Nate was passionate, and all he wanted was to dance.

All of it, eventually, boiled down to a single, explosive argument. His parents refused to accept that their son had different views and wishes than what they wanted him to have, and, eventually, an ultimatum was made; either succumb to their choices or no longer live under their roof. Packing up whatever belongings he had, Nate took one last glance at his family and left.

His first few weeks were spent wandering around Texas, sleeping rough and barely going through the days, until eventually, the young man decided that New York was the place to go. It was the place where all the dreams came true, so why couldn’t he attempt just that for himself?

Dreams, however, didn’t help him have an easy life there. Couch surfing was what he did for the first few months until eventually landed a job- anything worked- and found a stepping stone to start his life in the city. Once he had his own bed, it was time to start with auditions, and Nate was adamant. Achieving what he wanted took a lot of hard work, but the young man was set on doing it, on getting what he wanted, and nothing could stop him.

Nothing, of course, apart from multiple rejections. Not having a proper education- having not even finished high school- Nate was rejected left and right. It was difficult, trying to achieve what he wanted, so when he made friends with another guy with similar wishes, it was like a blessing. The guy helped him with everything, supporting him and earning himself Nate’s gratitude for an eternity. It was through him that Nate got a job at NYCBC, and it was more than he could have ever asked for.

Still, that didn’t mean that he was successful. More often than not, he was either the understudy for his friend or a background dancer, but he was on the stage, and he was doing what he wanted. It didn’t pay much, and he had to find a job as a waiter to support himself through it, but all of it was worth it.

Neither did that mean that Nathan wasn’t making mistakes left and right. Exploring his sexuality, he got to be as open as he wished to be. That was, at least, until he came across the one guy who caught his eye, also capturing his heart. The two were reckless and carefree, and after a year of dating and a drunken night together, they decided to get married. It was crazy how easy it was to do that, and before Nate knew it, he was a married man.

It was only after the marriage that the two of them moved in together, finally making an attempt at family life. Yet, they clashed, often not being at home together, or ending up in petty arguments. Most of their time together was spent in negative ways, and soon enough, neither Nate nor his husband could really understand why they were doing this. After one last explosive argument, his husband packed his stuff up and left.

However, sad days did not seem to last a very long time for Nate. Happiness came with the name Rylan, and while the two had their issues, Nate was absolutely smitten by the girl. Hiding the relationship was difficult, with her being a public figure and him being a failure, but he was willing to do just about anything for her. Losing his job at NYCB was painful, he struggled with it so much, yet Rylan was there, always, for him.

Nate knew that Rylan was the one for him, so when she fell pregnant, it was like a dream come true. His career dream had failed, yet here he was, getting his ultimate dream. Yet, the pregnancy soon ended in devastating pain for both of them and now it was Nate's turn to be there for Rylan. When it happened again, he was there for her, too. When her parents gave the ultimatum and she was cut off, he was there for her, too, even if he wanted her to think really well about whether it was all worth it. Secretly, Nate was relieved when Rylan decided to stay with him.

Finally, a breath of fresh air came in the form of their rainbow baby, Savannah. Nate had never known that he could love anyone else as much as he loved Rylan, but this love was on a whole new level. The little girl quickly became his world, and he was wrapped around her tiny little finger; Nate had no regrets. He was there for every diaper change, for every moment when Rylan needed some time for herself or needed to work. He loved his girls more than life itself, and he couldn't be happier.

While his family life was going great, his career was in a state of stagnation. Being a waiter was fine, but he wanted more, even if dancing was now off the table. Coming across stuntwork was accidental, Nate had helped a friend out, but he quickly found his footing there, and he loved it. It was fascinating, it was exciting, and his background in dancing and so many other activities was more than beneficial. He trained hard, and took on anything he could, working through the oddest requests to broaden his profile, so when he finally got a high-profile job, he was thrilled.

Only, it meant moving across the country. He couldn't move alone, not when Savannah was just under two years old, so after extensive conversations with Rylan, the two decided to move. It would be temporary- so they thought- and he hoped that it would give them a fresh start they so desperately needed as a family.

[rylanprattmodel]

SPOTTED: Is that (RYLAN PRATT) that I see over there? You know they have quite the reputation of being the (THE QUICKSAND) around town. The (26) year old has been around these parts for (ONE WEEK) and within that timeframe has landed themselves a job as a/an (MODEL) while living in (SYCAMORE APARTMENTS) I overheard that they can be quite (UNPREDICTABLE) but their saving grace is that they are (CHARISMASTIC).  Rumor has it (SHE HIDES HOW BAD HER PILL ADDICTION IS FROM EVERYONE), and it’s just a matter of time before everyone knows.

miscarriage tw, drugs tw, eating disorder tw, alcohol tw, anxiety tw, depression tw

Money bought you comfort, security, an education, designer clothes as well, but apparently it couldn’t buy you security inside your own mind. If she had to hear the words ‘what do you have to be sad about?” one more time the chances are Rylan Platt would go swinging for whoever’s mouth it had come out of because they were words she’d been hearing all her life. Born on the Upper East Side into a painfully wealthy socialite family had it not been medically impossible she’d have come out of her mother with a golden pacifier in her mouth. She sure as hell had one in it not long after.

Appearances being everything to Olivia and Kennedy Pratt so they naturally sent their daughter to the most prestigious schools, the best after school clubs, and had tutors to make sure she didn’t flunk out and embarrass the family. That was all good and well, but nothing really caught Rylan’s attention until she started playing piano as well as singing when she started high school - it gave her a freedom that she’d craved desperately longer than she’d even been aware herself. Plagued by insecurity her entire life her own mind had been a prison to her but when she closed her eyes to let the music carry her away there was a small rest from that fog.

Her depression had started to develop around the time she hit puberty, fuelled by body image issues that spilled over into other aspects of her life including her own feelings of self worth. Suddenly she would get into such negative self loathing mainframes she would spent days at a time in bed, hiding out from the world, sometimes crying and sometimes just laying there staring at the ceiling. Obviously her parents threw money at the problem, sending her to shrink after shrink who medicated her on and off, but nothing seemed to ever truly work enough to stop the depression from rearing its ugly head every so often. These days she is pretty fast and loose when it comes to taking her medication, as well as going to see her therapist. When she’s feeling good the woman is convinced she doesn’t need one, it’s only when that crippling depression hits her like a school bus that she is in a position where she needs someone to talk to. Only problem is that those are the times, sometimes weeks in succession, where she doesn’t get out of bed. Not particularly helpful when it comes to her career as a model for many high end brands and magazine spreads, the obvious choice of career for a girl plagued by insecurity. The industry was brutal, and more often than not she would end up lower than before in the wake of a shoot.

 Not needing to get a ‘proper job’ thanks to the comfortable nest egg her parents passed on to her every month and the highly paid advertising campaigns she landed every couple of months as the face of big brands, she could afford to spend her time indulging in her passions. Writing her own music mainly, but also partying her face off. Now she could do it while making some extra cash on the side and her naïvety left her not thinking about the repercussions that she could face being part of such a dangerous group.  

Rylan was with the same boyfriend for two years when he proposed to her at New Year, leading her to panic at the prospect of being tied to someone she … thought she loved for the rest of her life was terrifying. She’d been convinced they were made for each other for most their relationship but that had changed a few months earlier when she’d met his coworker and seen what love at first sight really was. The two of them ended up breaking up in the wake of the proposal to Rylan on New Year’s eve. Panicked by the level of commitment it involved she said no, literally running from the scene and into the arms of Nate Jones who she’d been with ever since.

Together for about a year when the couple fell pregnant they were terrified but ecstatic, Rylan not sure how the pregnancy would effect her modelling career but still wanting to keep the baby so the two of them could be a family. After all there had never been any secret about how much Nate wanted to be a dad. Sadly the first pregnancy ended in loss, as did the second, which threw the pair into a dark place - convinced a family wasn’t going to be on the cards for them. Rylan blaming her addiction even though she’d worked incredibly hard to get clean when she fell pregnant the first time - it lapsed significantly after the second loss. Their rainbow baby came in the form of Savannah Pratt who was born just under two years ago while the couple were still living in New York City. Rylan’s determination to stay with Nate regardless of everything had lead her parents to cut her off financially, after all a waiter as a husband and father to her child was hardly the image they wanted to project. 

The couple struggled through the first couple of years of parenthood together, Rylan suffering from postpartum depression that she wouldn’t have come out the other side of if it wasn’t for Nate. Sadly it still drove here to self medicate in line with her old habits although not as badly, this is something she’s been keeping from Nate. Actually she’s been keeping it from everyone around her - trying her best to look like a responsible mother even if the role is still one that scares her. She loves her daughter more than life itself and both parents would do anything to make their little angel happy. 

Still she was a vibrant young woman who loved to socialise, be out with friends, drink in the culture of New York City, and explore her own creativity through her music and keep up to date with everything fashion. Writing songs for and about friends, family, situations she got herself into, anything that sparked her inspiration. Everything around her. It was only when she was hit with her depression and insecurity that the girl changed into a shell of herself, it could be hard to watch according to people she had talked to about it in the past. The girl ia a sweetheart, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have her fair share of people who didn’t like her, often because she felt threatened by them so she would lash out before they got the chance to. Before they could tell her what she thought was the truth - that she wasn’t worthy of many of the things she had - she’d make sure they knew they weren’t either. It wasn’t a healthy way to communicate but it was entirely involuntary. 

Moving to Juniper for what the couple thought was a short stint because of Nate’s role as a stuntman in a movie (Something he’d been training hard for) they were doing their best to make a new life for their little family even without the budget the two of them were used to. Splitting the parenting duties so both could still pursue their careers that didn’t stop Rylan from picking up a part time job in a coffee shop to help supplement their income when she wasn’t away on modelling jobs - especially since Nate’s new schedule meant she couldn’t leave town on a whim just to take a modelling job, needing to be there with Savannah. 

Still plagued with the pressures of looking good in front of the camera after becoming a mother which overflowed into her eating habits, an addiction to party drugs that had developed into something far more serious, and her need to numb her feelings with alcohol, Rylan is certainly not an easy person to be around sometimes. 

[osirismatthews]

name: osiris matthews pronouns: he/him -cismale nickname: iris age: thirty-six fc: daniel sharman parents: father (unknown) mother (helen matthews) label: the sycophant (people pleaser/yes man) status: divorce (married from 18-25) job: wwner of "iris corner shop" mechanic shop. neighborhood: sycamore apartments hometown: juniper, wa

osiris was born to a single mother who had gotten pregnant when she was just 16. upon finding out she was pregnant her boyfriend had decided that he wasn't ready to be a father and from then on it was just her and her baby. helen had received help from a local women's shelter and the women there had helped her for her to finish and graduate high school. once she had graduated the shelter had helped her with budgeting and finding a place and his mother had found a small government home. it wasn't the best place in the world however it was a place for her and iris. growing up in the shelter until nearly high school.

growing up osiris was a good child. he didn't cry much and he was always wanting to help his mother when he could. he stayed out of trouble through grade school and when he was in high school he had met his high school sweetheart. a woman who didn't judge him despite where he had lived and what little he didn't have. after graduation the two had quickly married one another and she had moved into the housing with his mother and himself. iris had went to automotive program and when he was about 20 he had opened his own mechanic shop with every penny he and his mother had saved together.

being the owner of the shop iris had to hustle and work his ass off. which meant less time for him and his wife to be a proper married couple. it causes a lot of issues and eventually after seven years of a once beautiful marriage the two had just drifted apart. they remained friends seeing how iris struggled to be mean to literally anyone. with the divorce iris had finally decided it was time to leave his parents place. he wasn't getting any younger and when he was 25 he had moved into the sycamore apartments where he had been thus far.

osiris is a hard worker and is a doll. he tries to be a gentleman and does everything he can to help those around him. he spends a lot of time working in his shop and volunteering at local shelters to give back to the people who had once helped his mother. though iris is holding on to a pretty big secret he is hoping never gets out.

[carmitareyes]

Adria Arjona / Cis Woman / She/her

SPOTTED: Is that CARMEN REYES that I see over there? You know they have quite the reputation of being the GOLDEN GIRL around town. The 30 year old has been around these parts for 6 YEARS and within that timeframe has landed themselves a job as a/an ENGLISH TEACHER while living in SYCAMORE APARTMENTS. I overheard  that they can be quite INSECURE but their saving grace is that they are VIVACIOUS.  Rumor has it they’ve been keeping a secret, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone knows. [theo, 31 /, they/she/he, cst]

                                          pinterest || wanted connections || stats 

BASICS

FULL NAME:  Carmen Soledad Reyes

NICKNAME(S): Carmita, Carm, Cece

AGE: 30

DATE OF BIRTH:  March 13th, 1992

PLACE OF BIRTH:  Chicago, Illinois

CURRENT LOCATION:. Sycamore Apartments, Juniper, Wa

ETHNICITY: Guatemalan, Puerto Rican

GENDER: Cis Woman

PRONOUNS: she/her

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual

RELIGION:  practicing roman catholic

OCCUPATION:  english teacher

FACECLAIM: Adria Arjona

HEADCANONS

Carmen’’s favorite colors are pink, and glitter.

Carmen has a new Shiba Inu puppy named Papaya

Carmen is a hopeless romantic who loves reading romance books.

Carmen leans heavy into a “soft life”

Can be found at Social Oak or the school interchangeably. 

BIOGRAPHY

tw bullying, tw body image issues,  tw death, tw car crash

Being perfect isn’t easy, and yet  Graciana De Leon managed to pretend she was for years.  Being the only child of Mateo and Xiomara De Leon, a fairly  simple upper middle class Chicago family, her father owning a business and her mother being a the prime stay at home mom,  expectations were high, she never stood a chance against what her mother wanted of her. At a young age, she was pushed into a lot of things, pageants and piano, but the big one was ballet.  

She was carted around Illinois, her mom pulling her from the public school in Chicago to attend an all-girls school just outside of town that offered ballet lessons in their curriculum. She was told to keep good grades if she wanted to keep dancing, and as the  De Leon family’s shiny little star, ballet was the only thing she had that was just for her. She could get lost in the feeling of her body moving, and she truly lived up to her name, as graceful as ever when she was dancing.  

As she got older,she lived a life of being the perfect daughter to the world, smiling on stage,  going to parties her parents threw, getting good grades at her all-girls private school, and being a shining example for her classmates. She was shy, but she did what her parents asked.   But Little Graciana’s shy personality, the way she tiptoed the line of teachers pet, made her an outcast to her peers. 

In November of 2003, when Graciana was just eleven years old, her parents were taken from her in a fatal car crash.  After the funeral, she was ushered into move in with her abuela, because her parents had left her some money, it was to be used for school until she turned twenty five, Gracie ended up going to the same private school she had been attending for so long. She went back two weeks after her parents death.

If Graciana was the outcast before, for being the “golden girl”, she certaintly was pushed further agains the walls by her peers, who would  tease her for not having the latest fashions, things her mother would gift her with, or for not speaking up in class, or even so, when she did, for being too much.  Gracie couldn’t win, and it felt like she was just going through the motions. She stayed mostly friendless, having aquantinces, but in a small, private school, the mean girls would tease anyone who hung out with her. Gracie focused on her studies, and on moving on with her life. She managed to skirt by without it getting too bad, just teasing, and keeping her on the edges of anything fun. She once again reverted to only having dance, and now as she grew old, she found a love for romance novels, she’d sit in the back of the class room after finishing her work, reading something that she knew mostly wasn’t realistic, but allowed herself to dream about. 

As Gracie got older, her body began to change, and so did her love for dance, she felt like she didn’t look like the other girls, and, since most of the other girls were made up of her classmates, they were sucking the fun out of it anyway. Gracie ended up the girl would keep even more to herself, reading her books, doing her work, going home to help her abuela cook. Her life was simple, and lonely, and she prayed for the day she could disappear. 

When her senior year rolled around, things began to look up, she would count down the days until she was off in college, perhaps being able to break out of her shell and become a new person. 

After the prank that was pulled on her during prom, she  took that quite literally. After the girls had her stood up, then mocked at the prom, she decided to opt out of finishing her school year in school.  Her grades were good enough, and she had already gotten into  the University of Washingto. She didn’t need to walk across stage, not when the only one who would celebrate with here was her abuela, anyway.  Graduation came and passed, and with her trust frund from her parents, Gracie De Leon moved to Seattle, and became Carmen Reyes, opting too legally change it so her degree wouldn’t show any  deficiencies. Carmen deleted all of her social media, and basically disappeared, her abuela flying out to see her for holidays rather than the other way around.  No one in Chicago would see her again, she could embrace her new self, and start fresh. 

Carmen got a degree in education, and taught in Seattle for a few months before an offer came from a small town in the Olympic Peninsula, Juniper. Carmen, after losing her abuela a year before, knew that nothing was truly tying her down anymore, and so she packed her small studio apartment and made the move.

PRESENT.

Carmen has been living in Juniper for six years, working as a high school english teacher. She is a changed person, completely different from the shy, wall flower she used to be. She is an outspoken activist, a community volunteer, a dog mom and she has a core group of friends who she adores. It took her many years to get to this point, but she’s pretty sure this is what happiness feels like. Although, she still has that hope above all hopes that her life might fall in track with one of her romance novels.