#like okay! Okay! Human interaction! Connection! Woah! Crazy!

[mothicalspoken]

Neighbors I’ve never met just brought over these ripe fresh grapes hours before a storm is about to hit us and when I say grapes I mean like at least 200 grapes and when I say ripe and fresh I mean that they probably got these from a fucking vineyard or smth bc they have tons of hard seeds in them and taste exactly like communion grape juice so now I have decided that it is my mission to knit like. A billion little birds for them bc we are sorely out of the best fruit in the entire world

[we-rate-tmnt]

I request: Leonardo. Please and thank you 🙏.

Idk if everyone loves Leo or if my header and avatar just remind everyone about this amazing blue boy. (This one’s super silly btw. I’m just sillier as time goes on. Character development I guess?) 

The iconic leador Leonardo (1987)

Bro idk why but I loved this Leo. I have a tiny memory, especially with this version but I clearly remember that I thought he was the funniest and the coolest. I mean, he had swords, what was I supposed to do as a 7-year-old. NOT like him??? Anyway, while Raph was the best at insult comedy, I think Leo had the best puns and punchlines. I really like how nonchalant this Leo is compared to his iterations, going along with really silly ideas and having fun along the way. But because of this, his leadership is a little forced at times, he seems like such a chill and fun dude that when he gets serious, I have to squint and ask ‘are you Leo? Or were you just putting on act a moment ago?’ Or my perception is entirely warped over time. Either way, good turtle boy, could have used some work tho. 5.7/10

Here comes grumpy lad wooo this is all read very monotone btw Fearless Leader (2003)

What. What the fuck happened. I was actually so confused when Leo turned really angry and serious and almost manic. I thought that episode when he popped into Casey’s window and was like ‘Hey bitch lets go beat the shit out of some lowlifes’ I was WOAH THERE BUDDY BACK UP BACK UP BACK TF UP. It was so sudden to me and when it was finally explained, it made some sense??? Like yeah, character development is great an’ all but this ain’t it chief. I can’t imagine what it was like having to wait for these episodes to release one at a time. Bc I watched every episode back to back on Youtube and I was genuinely bamboozled. But when you have an experience like that where guilt is weighing down on you from a situation you couldn’t control, it would’ve been HELLA HELPFUL to have at least a flashback, like a line saying ‘I was so useless!’ at BARE MINIMUM. Like right after Shredder is booted off to Planet Zula, Donnie would notice that Leo didn’t seem all that happy and would ask why and Leo would get upset and yell at Donnie saying that ‘You wouldn’t understand’, ‘You don’t know how I felt, how I feel because of that’, etc. Like you don’t even have to say he felt guilty or helpless, just give us something to grab onto. We’re merely six-year-olds who thought they could climb the YMCA rock wall in easy mode but instead the script riders harnessed us up on the hard one and wouldn’t let us come down until we rang the little bell at the top. I think that is the only problem I had with his Leo. The sudden change of calm and decisive to angry and irrational was so jarring that it felt unnatural without that crucial context. If you want a surprise reveal, at least hint at the reveal (like just about every Disney movie with their ‘twist’ villains) not wait until the very last moment. I think this might be my least favorite Leo and I think the season where he stood out the most and seemed the strongest was Fast Forward (Which was GOOD FIGHT ME), especially in scenes with Dark Leo, his clone. He sees so much of himself in Dark Leo but he also sees something he had once grasped (AKA the poorly written character arc, I CANNOT stress how bad I thought it was). Although, I honestly think he’s a really good character and he’s a pretty neat guy. However, this score is entirely held up by Fast Forward and his connection with Usagi, sword bros to the end of time. 3/10 (2 for FF and 1 for Usagi)

And now a Leo that makes me genuinely feel UWU Leo (2012)

I cannot stress how much I like this guy! Like his design is so appealing, his dedication, his obsession with Space Heroes, like I FUCKING LOVE IT. And everyone knows, that shit with Karai, at first when they didn’t realize they were related, I can let slide but kajsdflksadf what even like why did the writers feel the need to add in more ‘love interest’ implications like yuck yuck yuck. The only two interactions with Leo and Karai that I really like are when Leo defeats her using the healing hands technique and when Leo has a goth/emo/punk/idk I’m new here phase and they team up and EXPLOSIONS. He was introduced to us as being incredibly naive and his idea of leadership is from some old cartoon that’s basically star trek but ethically questionable. After his fights in season 1, to the finale with the technodrome, you can see his growth. He’s able to formulate plans and make life or death decisions. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. When Leo got hurt, I felt like the oof sound effect mixed with some tears I normally shed at some Shojo manga bs. While the episodes following were super weird, it was a nice way to help Leo recover, not only physically but spiritually (Although I don’t remember the spirit arc at all except the epic Raph vs Fishface fight, so we’re skipping that). When Master Splinter really died, you could tell there was a huge impact on Leo, but he had to remain stoic and lead the family now. A lot of heartbreaking moments in this series came from Leo and I’m glad they took at least some thought into developing him. Tiny head Leo will haunt my nightmares, but the giggly fanboy will warm my heart constantly. 6/10

I only have one word for this Leo (Heroes in a Half Shell: Blast to the Past)

This is a super crazy bad idea accent on the super crazy bad part have I mentioned it’s also a really terrible idea/10

Okay, spoiler alert, didn’t really think this Leo was that grand Leo (2014/2016)

Painfully average. He didn’t stand out that much, Raph was part of the focus and had that touching scene at the end, Donnie was ICONIC and Mikey (with his weird-ass eyes) was super lively and funny! Leo? Uh, I don’t remember a single line he said. Because he never really grabbed my attention, I don’t have too much to say on this version. The Raph and Leo fight felt forced and the whole ‘keep this stuff that could turn us human a secret’ was pretty pointless and was added just to cause drama, I don’t even remember what that Splinter and Leo conversation was about. Design-wise, really neat! You can see some more traditional Japanese clothing/style mixed with modern (I’d feel a lot better about this assumption if some could tell exactly what the heck he’s wearing, but I get traditional Japan warrior vibes from it) in his look which was super neat! Other than that, if you like him, please tell me why because I don’t get. He was just kinda eh. 5/10

AHHH MY BOY YASSS WHOOO!! Neon Leon (2018)

Okay, I loved Ben Schwarts already from Parks and Rec but like him being Sonic AND Leo, like DUDE. He’s super funny by himself but teamed up with this shows writing and animation, it makes it hilarious. I literally love this Leo so much, maybe because we’re alike but honestly, he’s amazing. I love his design with the red and yellow crescents accenting his skin and livening up his color pallet. He has a very healthy and natural dynamic with his brothers, he’s the first to know what’s wrong and tries his best to make up for his actions. This is really prominent in the most recent episodes, along with the episode portal jacked. In both, Leo is separated from his brothers. Portal Jacked is in a more literal sense, while Air Turtle handles in more of an emotional sense. While both are brief, Leo sees his error and tries his best to make it up to them. I love his dynamic so much and it’s so nice to see something like this compared to the unnecessary drama and tension between the brothers in the previous series. It’s refreshing and this is something a younger audience needs to see; instead of fighting, it’s better to work together and improve yourself along the way. Improvement is a big theme for Leo here. He’s a goofball, makes jokes at every opportunity and isn’t quite skilled at fighting or using his weapon. But he grows over time, he learns to manage his power and he’s working on mastering it. He’s trying to put aside his narcissism more and focuses on his family. I think the approach they took with him rising to leader rather than slapping it on his forehead was the goddamn best decision they could make. He’s making plans, finding loopholes, helping out and getting out of his comfort zone. I cannot stress how well this show has handled Leo, along with the other characters. I can’t wait to see more episodes about his growth and I am awarding him with one of the greatest honors I could give... 10/10

Storytime: I drew a super cute 2012 Leo, you should look at him. Shameless self-promo, but you should follow me on my main blog bc I’m nice and I draw pretty pictures. Also. I have a little 2012 Leo Happy Meal toy??? I think??? guarding my window and he’s been there for YEARS. I need to bring him in and refresh his paint job.

Wow! I didn’t expect this many requests for Leo, so the blog will be momentarily spammed with the requests, but it shouldn’t be too much! Up next should be the last turtle (Mikey) and then we can get to some REALLY great requests I’m eager to answer. As usual, please comment and reblog! I’d love to hear your opinion!

[flightfoot]

Ladycat Ch. 4

AO3/FFN

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinette bounded through the city, running over rooftops, falling to ground level to duck and weave through the city, then jumping up to roof level again when convenient. 

 The wind in her fur, the agility and grace in her feline form - she’d experienced it before while chasing after Chat, but couldn’t truly appreciate it with the cat brain she’d had.

 Running over rooftops and swinging through the city had always been some of the funnest parts of being Ladybug (not counting getting to spend time with her partner of course). Getting to do it in an even more naturally graceful and acrobatic form was a real treat.

 Not that she could do anything too crazy - not yet anyway. She was all too aware of the box clenched between her jaws - and the consequences if she lost it. Best not to repeat the Style Queen incident.

 She hadn’t been the only one to lose a Miraculous that day at least, Chat had also lost… his Miraculous…

 Wait.

 WAIT.

 Chat was Adrien. Adrien had been statuefied pretty much immediately. 

 He hadn’t lost his Miraculous; he just hadn’t had the chance to use it.

 That little furball lied!

 Oh she was gonna have some word for Plagg later! ...Once she could speak.

 But that would have to wait another few days. Right now, she had more important things to attend to.

 Nudging open one of the windows of the Cesaire residence, she crept inside.

 Luckily the twins weren’t around, they would’ve been hard to avoid.

 She padded up to Alya’s room, headbutting the door a few times. She’d mew, but she didn’t particularly feel like letting go of the box with the Fox Miraculous, not until it was safely in Alya’s possession.

 “Would you two not-”

 Alya opened the door.

Looked down.

And blinked.

 “A cat?” she raised one eyebrow. “What’re you doing-”

 Marinette could tell the exact moment Alya noticed the box holding her Miraculous. Not that that showed any special understanding of her; her face practically breaking in half with her grin and squealing just within the human hearing range (she assumed at least. Being a cat made things like that harder to judge) were pretty good signs.

 Alya knelt down. “Is- is that-?”

 Marinette gently set the box down and nodded.

 Picking it up, Alya opened the lid.

 Immediately a light shot out, darting around.

 OOH LIGHT. PRETTY LIGHT. MUST CATCH LIGHT.

 YOU WILL BE MINE. 

 “HEY, woah, stop it!”

 NO. NO HUMAN STOP ME. MUST CATCH…

 She froze, shaking herself.

 “I guess her cat instincts are still pretty strong.”

 Marinette looked up at the voice. 

 Trixx looked back at her, bemused.

 “She’s not actually a cat I’m betting, is she?”

 “Nope!”

 “Then…”

 Alya held out her arms. Marinette jumped into them, purring. 

 She looked more closely at Marinette’s neck. “That green pawprint… Chat Noir?!”

 Marinette let out a startled meow. She guessed that made sense, but no. Just no.

 Alya’s brow furrowed. “I’d’ve thought he’d be black though, not gray.”

 “That’s because that’s Ladybug, not Chat!”

 “WHAT?! Wait, that actually makes sense. So THAT’S why no one’s been restored!”

 Glancing down, she noticed something on the floor. “Uh… Trixx? Could you maybe retrieve that piece of paper?” she asked, chagrinned. “My arms are kinda full of Ladycat here.”

 Trixx chuckled but complied, holding it up so Alya could read it without needing to dislodge Marinette.

 “Ladybug got turned into a cat and isn’t gonna be turned back for three more days,” she read out loud. “Which is bad enough, but we’ve got other issues. I know who Hawkmoth is, but he’ll also find out who I am very soon. I can’t go home, and… well, we’re gonna need Rena Rouge’s expertise for what comes next. Follow Ladycat, she knows the way.”

 Alya blinked. “The way? The way to what?”

 Trixx grinned. “The way to the Guardian of the Miraculous.”

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinette darted through the streets, occasionally pausing to allow Rena Rouge to catch up. Technically they both COULD have run across the rooftops to get to Master Fu’s place even faster, but that would’ve attracted a bit too much attention. She was pushing it before doing that as a cat, but with Rena in tow? Best not to risk it unless they had to.

 Rena would arguably have attracted even more attention than that on the ground… if she had actually LOOKED like Rena Rouge. Before leaving she’d cast an illusion on herself, making her look like just another resident of Paris and definitely NOT Alya or Rena Rouge.

 Unfortunately, that also meant sticking to plausibly human speed. She’d had to detransform twice already to feed Trixx, but hopefully this would be the last time.

 She jumped onto Alya’s shoulders while they waited for Trixx to finish eating. With how small she was, she had plenty of room to perch on.

 Alya laughed. “You know, you might call Chat a ‘silly kitty’ sometimes, but I don’t think you’re far behind him.” 

She chuffed at that. That may be true, but she didn’t need to call her out like that.

 She shifted slightly, brushing herself against Alya’s neck. 

 Alya let out an impulsive laugh.

 Marinette’s eyes sparkled. REVENGE.

 Quickly she brushed herself all over Alya’s neck, making sure her tail brushed just so, along with nuzzling into her neck.

 And then had to quickly move as Alya sank to the floor giggling. “You- you win,” she gasped as she got ahold of herself after Marinette’s impromptu tickling. “You’re not nearly as much of a silly kitty as Chat. You’re sillier.”

 Okay she should have expected that.

 Brushing herself off, Alya got to her feet. “Hey Trixx, you almost done?”

 The fox kwami looked down on them, bemused. “I finished eating half a minute ago, I was just waiting for you two to finish up.”

 “Well, what are we waiting for? Trixx, Let’s Pounce!”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rena knocked on the door of the small shop. Didn’t exactly look like somewhere a ‘Guardian of the Miraculous’ might live, but that was the idea, wasn’t it? If Hawkmoth got his hands on this ‘Guardian’-

 She shuddered. She may not know what this ‘Guardian’ did, but Hawkmoth getting anything or anyone Miraculous-related would be very, VERY bad.

 A familiar face greeted her. She blinked.

 “Adrien? What’re you doing here?”

 “Uuuuuh, I’m not Adrien, no sirree, absolutely not!” he said hastily waving his arms. “I’m-”

 Glancing around the room, his gaze landed on a teapot.

 “I’m- I’m Earl. Just helping out my great-grandfather, you know how it is. Buuuut we’re busy, and closed, nice to see you please drop by some other time!”

Wow. He was not the best improv liar.

 Not to someone who actually knew him, at any rate.

 She caught the door before he could close it all the way - just long enough for Ladycat to slip through.

 “Ladyb- Lady!” He cried out, obviously catching himself before he could blurt out her full name. “What’re you doing with this person - wait is he Rena Rouge?!”

 She chuckled, releasing her illusion as she closed the door behind her. “The one and only. Also, that story’s not likely to work when you look exactly the same as usual. What’re the odds of you having a doppelganger?”

 “I’ll have to show you pictures of my cousin some time.”

 “Who?”

 “Never mind.” His expression darkened. “He’s not the family member we need to worry about.”

 “Can I punch your father? I’d really like to punch your father.”

 Adrien - or Adrichat she guessed - grimaced. “You might need to, but I’d like to avoid a fight if we can.”

 He stared at his hands. “I know he’s done a lot of terrible things, but… he’s still my father. He’s almost certainly going to go to prison, I can’t see him getting off for what he’s done as Hawkmoth, but I don’t want to hurt him if we can avoid it.”

 “Plus there’s your mother to consider.” 

 She’d been pretty shocked when he sat down and explained everything - his secret identity (HA! She was totally right!), how he’d followed Ladycat into his father’s secret lair, and everything that’d happened there.

 Emilie being alive, his father being more of an asshole than she’d ever conceived - this had been quite a day for Adrien.

 Something that Ladycat sought to help with, purring in Adrien’s lap like a mini lawnmower, nuzzling him every time he started looking especially downcast.

 She wished she could help Adrien more, but… well, they hadn’t really talked that much, one-on-one. Most of the time she was helping Marinette to try to win Adrien over or just chatting with him along with Nino - they were part of the same friend group, but they didn’t actually interact that much. When they did, it was usually because they wanted to help Marinette somehow.

 No wonder Adrien’d never been able to decipher Marinette’s attempts at telling him how she felt! Knowing how up front Chat was with his affections, how over-the-top? Marinette’s mixed signals wouldn’t be the easiest thing to disentangle, if his normal perception of how-to-flirt was that blatant.

 Plus, well… he already had his eyes on someone.

 She smiled as Ladycat stood up and brushed herself all around Adrien. Didn’t need to be a cat to see what she was doing; letting him know she was there, she wouldn’t leave him, just giving him the physical affection he needed.

 The bond between those two was hard to deny. It might not be romantic on Ladybug’s part (at least that she would admit; she’d noticed Ladybug being a little softer, a little gentler, giving him certain looks) but on Chat’s side? He seemed ready to melt into a puddle.

 Though the looks he was giving Ladycat right now, those partly lidded eyes, that gentle smile - on Chat she may not have been able to draw the connection. But on Adrien?

 They were just like his expression when he looked at Marinette.

 And Marinette had been missing ever since Catwoman’s attack.

 If Marinette and Ladybug turned out to be the same person, she wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, or scream about the universe’s ironic sense of humor.

 The more she thought about it, the more certain she grew. 

 Strong sense of justice? Check. 

 Creative and good at thinking on her feet? Check. 

 Kind and willing to give second chances when need be? Check.

 Not to mention her selecting Alya as the first temporary miraculous holder, and securing Alya that first-ever interview with Ladybug.

 With herself.

No WONDER she’d been able to do that when no one else could!

 Ooookay, calm down Alya. Still don’t know that for sure. It could still all be a coincidence.

 ...Probably not, but she didn’t actually need to know Ladybug’s identity right now. Chat’s identity coming out couldn’t have been reasonably avoided, not with needing to confront Hawkmoth, to confront his father, and him almost certainly knowing Chat’s identity.

 She’d play along for now.

 She really, REALLY hoped she was right though. Knowing that on all those missions they’d had together, every time she’d hung out with Ladybug, she’d been hanging out with her best friend? That she’d teased Ladybug about boy troubles, had slumber parties with her, had kicked her butt at Dance Dance Revolution (and gotten her butt kicked in turn at Ultimate Mecha Strike III)? 

 Just… knowing who she was as Ladybug, who she was as Marinette, and putting it all together?

 It cemented Ladybug as human, as being a person and not some far away idol. She may not be perfect - far from it - but she tried her best. Sometimes she made a mistake, sometimes she got flustered and did something foolish, sometimes she made bad decisions, and sometimes she let her emotions get the better of her, like any other teenager.

 But ultimately, she was still a hero. Still a Hero of Paris. 

 She didn’t need to be some godlike figure. She just needed to try her best.

 Welp.

 There went any hope of convincing herself that Marinette and Ladybug might not be the same person.

 Hopefully Adrien figured it out soon too. She could keep a secret if she needed to, but if she had to watch those two moon around each other for much longer she’d be tempted to shove them in a panther cage until they figured out they liked each other already.

 Hey it’d worked for her and Nino!

 “Alya? Alya!”

 She startled at Adrien’s worried tone. Even Ladycat (or maybe she should say Marinette? ...she’d stick with Ladycat for now, no need to remind herself of her revelation more than she already had) padded over to her and meowed, pawing at her face to get her attention.

 “I’m fine, I’m fine! Just zoned out a bit. What were you saying?”

 He gave her another worried look, but continued. “We’re gonna sneak back into his lair. I’ll distract Father and Mayura if she shows up while you cloak yourself, Fu, and Ladycat in an illusion to make yourselves as inconspicuous as possible - invisible preferably, but you’ll need to be careful not to trip over each other.”

 She frowned. “You’ll take Hawkmoth and Mayura on by YOURSELF? You sure that’s a good idea?” 

 He grimaced. “No, but I’m used to handling myself while Ladybug figures out and implements a plan. I can manage for a little bit. And anyway, it’s only just long enough for Fu to examine my mother and figure out what he can do for her, if anything. Then we can retreat and regroup.”

 Glancing down at the kitty in his lap, he smiled. “Besides, I’ll still have my partner there. She may not be able to fight quite like normal, she’s still Ladybug, and she still has superpowers. We don’t need to be able to talk in order to fight together.”

 Considering the videos she’d seen of the Frightingale fight, with Chat and Ladybug dance-fighting in synchrony while RHYMING? No doubt about that.

 Oh hell, Adrien’d been forced to dress up as Chat and Marinette volunteered as Ladybug.

 “HA!”

 She quickly got ahold of herself, but not before Adrien looked at her worryingly again. “Uh… you sure you’re alright, Alya?”

 She waved him off. “I just thought of something funny, that’s all.”

 Seriously, Marinette and Adrien could change their body language so heavily that even though they looked practically identical to how they did as Ladybug and Chat (minus the masks, which she suspected they ‘lost’ on purpose), no one else had a clue they were one and the same, even with seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir minutes later? She’d never make fun of Clark Kenting again. 

 She softened her voice. “You ready to face your father now?”

 He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “...Yeah. I think so. Let’s do this.”

[oskea93]

Why Can’t I (1)

Warning: Language. 

HEY GUYS!  SO- I know I told you guys a few weeks ago that I felt like writing a Duff McKagan fanfic. At the time, I wasn’t sure where I was gonna go with it, often writing ideas down and then realizing they kind of suck. I honestly almost gave up writing this story because it wasn’t going the way I hoped it to go...UNTIL! I don’t know if any of you guys have ever seen the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise, (it’s amazing, you should def check it out) but I was watching it and the idea came to me. If you have seen Cocktail, then you know it’s kind of cheesy in a way, I promise this will not be a cheesy story! It’s going to have elements of the movie, not focusing on the whole movie itself. I’m sorry if that didn’t make sense. I’m not sure it makes sense myself. I’m actually kind of nervous to be putting this out there because I have found and read some amazing Duff stories and I just hope my story can reach to their level of awesomeness. I am still going to be writing Keep it to Yourself (my baby for right now) and i’m going to be working on this story as well. If you read Thinking of You, my first Nikki story, you may have noticed that I haven’t updated that in a while. That story is actually on hold for right now until I figure out what i’m gonna do to it. I don’t want to give it up but i’m having hard time writing anything for it right now. I’ll stop rambling now and end this long ass post!  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TAGGED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! ALSO, IF YOU ACTUALLY ENJOYED THIS STORY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS WELL :) 

“Jamaica, here we come!”

I watched as my best friend exclaimed loudly, causing those around us to stop and stare. “Why aren’t you celebrating with me?” Bryn asked, reclaiming her seat next to me. “We’ve been waiting for how long for this trip and you’re sitting here like a bump on a log?” I rolled my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, I was very excited to be going to a tropical paradise. New York was in the middle of a cold snap, snow falling almost every day. I couldn’t wait to dig my feet in the warm sand and have the sun shine all over my body. Even though this was a dream trip, the thought of what I would be coming back to had me on edge. I guess I should explain a few things before we get too in-depth.

First off, I just want to say that I love and respect my parents. I know they want nothing but the best for me BUT their opinions are not always wanted or even needed. My father is the main culprit when it comes to sharing his opinion on how his family should be ran. He pushed my sister and I to be the best of the best, and that also included our taste in men. He wanted Devin and I to marry men that belonged to successful families, themselves having to be successful as well in their own right. He would often take it upon himself to pick out guys he thought suit us best, convincing us to go on dates with them to see where the relationship goes. For Devin, she got a husband out of it. As for me, I got a headache from being so annoyed by these guys. Each guy my father introduced me to was a complete and total dick. Self-centered, womanizing, egotistical dicks! I eventually told my dad that enough was enough. I was losing brain cells and my patience was dwindling with each date I had.

I guess you could say my dad listened… For a total of 3 weeks. Before I knew what was happening, a guy was being pushed into my office with my father trailing close behind. He introduced himself as Luke Reynolds. He was the son of one of my father’s friends, a very prominent businessman in the area. Luke was born with a silver spoon in his mouth but didn’t show it like the others did. He was somewhat down to earth but I could sense a bit of entitlement in his mannerisms. He knew he was good looking, which he was, and knew that he could get any girl he wanted. At the time, I guess you could say I was desperate. I had been on multiple dates that my father set me up on and they were all shit. Even though I told myself that my dating days were over, I decided to give this guy one last chance. If this didn’t work out then I was going to drop everything and join the convent. To my surprise, the date went amazing. We had so much in common and I slowly started falling for the guy. We dated for a little over a year before he popped the question. At the time, I thought I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. He was my person. He was the type of guy my parents approved of. He was an all-out catch. Without thinking, I told him yes and the wedding planning began.

As the wedding got closer and closer, my feelings for Luke started to change. I went from wanting to be around him all the time to not even caring if I saw him for a couple of days. Just the things he said would annoy me. Finally, Bryn took notice and suggested a girls trip to get away from the craziness of wedding planning and my sudden annoyance to my future husband. She had worked it out where we would spend a week or two on a tropical island, away from Luke, away from my parents, and away from anything that had to do with the wedding. At first, I tried to tell her that it wasn’t a good idea. I didn’t feel like flying or even leaving my apartment building at the time. I was just so burnt out, deciding that I didn’t want to have any more human interaction. Of course, Brynn couldn’t take no for an answer and I guess you could say the rest is history.

“You know I’m excited.” I replied, a reassuring smile adorned my face. She looked at me for a second, probably knowing that I was lying to her. She didn’t say anything else and neither did I.

“Ladies and gentleman, I am happy to announce that flight 4673 to Montego Bay, Jamaica is now boarding at Gate 4. Please have boarding passes ready and available.” …
_________________________________________________________________ “Oh my gosh!” 


Bryn squealed as she took in the scenery of the island. “I feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven.” I placed my things down on the bed, my body falling next to my suitcase. 

“We almost did.” I muttered. The flight from Miami to Jamaica was horrendous. The turbulence was awful and it didn’t help matters that Bryn was freaking out the whole time. I’m pretty sure my arm is bruised from how hard she was holding onto it. She was even making the people around us uncomfortable.

“Don’t be such a negative nelly, Lauren!” She exclaimed, throwing herself next to me. We laid in silence for a few seconds. “You’re gonna go out and have fun, right?” I turned my head, my eyes connecting with hers. I nodded my head. “Promise me.” Her voice decreasing an octave. “You need to have fun or else I’m gonna be very mad.” I couldn’t help but start laughing at her seriousness.

I took her hand in mine, “I promise that I will go out there and have the time of my life.” I watched as her eyes studied me. “You pinky swear?” She asked, sticking out her right pinky. I immediately wrapped my pinky finger around hers. “I pinky swear.” Bryn Coleman was the person I trusted most in life. I trusted her more than my parents and sister combined. Bryn was always there when I needed her, even if it was 3am and I needed advice on what shampoo to use. Yeah, there were times when I wanted to choke her to death, but she was my person. She was my best friend. She was my pinky swear partner.

“What do you say we go out to one of those clubs tonight?” She removed herself from the bed. “I heard from this girl I work with that they get pretty wild.”

“Sure.” I replied, my gaze going back to the ceiling above me. I wasn’t really into the whole night club scene but I wasn’t gonna let Bryn go by herself, especially in a place like Jamaica! Maybe I needed to take Bryn’s advice and stop being a negative nelly. This vacation was planned on my behalf. I needed to get the stick out of my ass and have some fun. Who knows, this could be the last time I have an adventure like this…

“Come dance with me!”

Bryn had her hands reached out to me, an annoyed look on her face. As soon as we walked through the club doors, Bryn made her way onto the dance floor and started dancing with those around her. I was never big on dancing so I decided to take a seat at the bar and order myself a drink. I made sure to keep my eyes on her while I sipped on my drink. “Lauren!” She yelled my name, causing those around me to stop and look. I could feel my face get red with embarrassment, sending daggers in Bryn’s direction.

I took one last drink before getting up and following a now ecstatic Bryn to the dance floor. The place was packed with people, some with the spouses and others dancing with strangers. The reggae music filled the hot, stuffy air. I held onto Bryn’s hand as she led us to the front of the stage. Once up front, Bryn’s hips started swaying to the beat of the music. I soon followed suit, slowly getting into the club’s vibe. We must have danced for almost an hour before Bryn announced she had to use the restroom. I took this as my opportunity to sit down and get a drink as I waited. I made my way back to the bar, ordering myself another beer. Before I could hand the bartender, he shook his head, refusing to take the money. “Already paid for.” He stated, pointing toward the end of the bar. I looked to where his finger was pointing, seeing three guys leaning against the bar, drinking their own drinks. Two were blonde, the other had a head full of chocolate curls.

I watched as they looked out at the crowd, talking and laughing at times. The one guy must have felt my stare as his head turned and his eyes connected with mine. I quickly looked away, acting like I was looking in the other direction. I could feel my face heat up in embarrassment as I kicked myself for staring too long, getting caught right in the act.

“How’s your beer?” I jumped in surprise as a man’s voice sounded in my ear. I quickly turned around, seeing the guy who had caught me staring. “Woah-” He started to laugh. “I didn’t mean to scare you; Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I muttered out, taking a drink of the beer. I couldn’t help but check the guy out. First off, he was incredibly tall! He was almost as tall as Luke, maybe an inch or two shorter. His bleach blond hair resting nicely on his tan, tattooed shoulders. His all black ensemble made him stick out like a sore thumb among the other patrons. “You wanna another drink?” He took the empty seat next to me. I watched as he flagged down the bartender, signaling to order two more beers.

“You bought the beer?” I questioned. “How’d you know I even liked beer?” I turned my body to face his, my knee accidentally brushing against his. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, placing one in his mouth. He motioned for me to take one. I put my hand up, declining the offer. “I saw you drinking one earlier. Figured you needed another one after dancing the night away.” He said nonchalantly.

“Are you stalking me?” I asked. His head turning, our eyes connecting once again. His green eyes held a hint of mischief and wonder. I couldn’t help but start smirking. “Who are you?” He pulled his cigarette out of his mouth, blowing out the smoke he’d been harboring.

“Duff, Duff McKagan.” He placed his hand out for me to shake. I could feel my smirk growing larger. “What’s yours?” He questioned, his lips forming into a smirk. I debated on telling him my real name. I had no idea who this guy was. I was far away from home. What if I told him and he turns out to be a stalking murderer? “Molly.” I lied. “Molly Jones.” I shook his hand. His hand felt rough and callused. The smirk stayed on his face as he shook my hand. I don’t know if he could tell I was lying of not but he was going with it for now. “So, Molly-”He began. “What brings you to Jamaica?”

Before I could answer the question, Bryn came busting through the crowd. “Lauren!” She giggled once she reached me. “Lauren, I thought you left me or something.” She wined, grabbing onto my neck and holding me. I looked over a Duff, giving him an apologetic smile. “The bathroom here is so groady. There were people doing lines of coke off the nasty sink, I thought I was back in Brooklyn or something.” The smile that was on Duff’s face only grew as he nursed his drink and smoked his cigarette. Bryn soon let go of my neck, her head turning to face where Duff was sitting.

“You’re in my seat”! She yelled toward him. “That’s my seat, mister!” Duff turned to look at her. “Bryn, chill out.” I muttered. I was a bit embarrassed by the way she was acting. She went to the bathroom completely fine and now she was making a show of things. “He’s in my seat, Lauren.” She cried out. “Get him out of my seat.” She slumped her body against mine, almost knocking me off the bar stool. It was as if she went from being a 23-year-old woman to a three-year-old child.

“I can leave if that’s what she wants.” Duff spoke up. I quickly shook my head no, telling him to stay put. “We’re actually gonna leave.” I stumbled out of the chair, keeping a strong hold on my now high friend. “You need some help?” He quickly stood up, taking Bryn’s elbow in his grasp.

“Get your hands off me, guy!” Bryn exclaimed. She jerked her elbow out of Duff’s hand, turning to me and wrapping her arms back around my neck. “I’m sorry.” I mouthed to him. He gave me a smile and nodded. “Thanks again for the beer.”

“Sure thing.” I was starting to feel bad for lying to him. “Maybe I’ll see you around or something.”

I nodded my head the best I could, “Maybe you will.” I could feel Bryn’s grip on my neck grow tighter. “Let me get her back to the hotel before she makes a bigger ass of herself.” Duff and I said our goodbyes before I dragged Bryn out of the club.

Once outside, I set Bryn down on the bench and hailed for a taxi. “He was kind of cute.” Bryn muttered. I looked over at her, confusion written on my face. “The guy in there, the blonde guy.” She was talking about Duff. “You were totally into him.”

“Was not.” I quickly defended. “I was just talking to him.”

Bryn let out a laugh. “Lauren, you are a terrible liar.”  

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the road to see where the damn taxi cab was. I don’t know what Bryn was talking about. There was no way I was into Duff. I didn’t even know the guy! He was just a guy that bought me a drink at the bar. That’s it and that’s all it will ever be...