#ronnie anderson

[idontevenknow7878]

Rongmei Lam, the wheel of fortune

this sucks so much but whatever

[mx-pastelwriting]

Kinktober 2023 Masterlist

Hello! I am doing Kinktober this year; here is the month's menu.

Minors do not interact!

1 ☆ 𝘽𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙟𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙤 𝙑𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨

2 ☆ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙚: 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙮𝙡 𝘿𝙞𝙭𝙤𝙣

3 ☆ 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙭: 𝘽𝙤 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙧

4 ☆ 𝘽𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣

5 ☆ 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙭: 𝙀𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠

6 ☆ 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚: 𝙑𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨

7 ☆ 𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙜𝙚: 𝙍𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙚 𝙆𝙧𝙖𝙮

8 ☆ 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙪𝙨 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙛𝙤𝙮

9 ☆ 𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙎𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝘽𝙧𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙩

10 ☆ 𝘾𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙎𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙚

11 ☆ 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙙: 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙝

12 ☆ 𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙭: 𝙍𝙖𝙛𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙖

13 ☆ 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚: 𝙃𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙬𝙨

14 ☆ 𝘾𝙖𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙭: 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣

15 ☆ 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙏𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙠

16 ☆ 𝙎𝙚𝙭 𝙏𝙖𝙥𝙚 & 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 2: 𝘽𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧

17 ☆ 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙪𝙨 𝙇𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙣

18 ☆ 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙘𝙠: 𝘿𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙑𝙖𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙧 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚

19 ☆ 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮: 𝘼𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨

20 ☆ 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙪��𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙏𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙮 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮

21 ☆ 𝙏𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙙: 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙩

22 ☆ 𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙭: 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙗𝙖𝙡

23 ☆ 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧: 𝘾𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙖/𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙖 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙨 𝙄𝙑

24 ☆ 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚: 𝙔𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪 𝙐𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖

25 ☆ 𝘿𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙏𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙮 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮 & 𝘼𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨

26 ☆ 𝙂𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙁𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙪𝙢/𝙏𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙤𝙮𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙪

27 ☆ 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨𝙢: 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙚 𝙆𝙧𝙖𝙮

28 ☆ 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧: 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨

29 ☆ 𝙒𝙖𝙭 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮: 𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧

30 ☆ 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙉𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙝

31 ☆ 𝙑𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙒𝙖𝙧: 𝙅𝙞𝙢 𝙃𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧

Hello, I hope you enjoyed if there is any grammar mistakes or misspellings sorry about that feel free to let me know in the comments, have a great day/afternoon/night!

♥ mx-pastelwriting does not consent to their fanfiction being copied, copied & credited, translated, used in videos and/or audios, screenshotted, used in AI, or reposted on any other platform without permission.

♥ mx-pastelwriting does give consent to "reblog," sharing links to direct work, and being in recommend lists.

[acrylic-sheep]

A panda hat for Nicky Sheen. Please bless my rolls. Don't make me go to pity again

[guyincognitojr]

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Happy Galentine's Day!! (1/2)

Abbie Hudson & Liv Pillsbury ( @cecexwrites ) || Aurora Anderson & Sydney Blanchard ( @megdonnellys Ava Potts & Roni Stark ( @thecaptainsgingersnap ) || Demi July & Maite Contreras-Herrera Kyla Keller & Natalia Finch ( @manyfandomocs ) || Ronnie & Isobel Lockwood ( @ocmerunaway ) Thalia Lovelace & Romy Thornhill & Jack Herondale ( @cecexwrites & @ginevrastilinski-ocs )

Tag List: @airwolf92 – want to be added?

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Suspected Assassin of Marielle Franco Strikes Plea Deal

Councilwoman's case under seal in the Superior Court of Justice

Former military police officer Ronnie Lessa has reached a plea deal in the investigation into the death of councilwoman Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes. The case is under seal at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), and the collaboration still needs to be ratified by the court.

The information about Lessa's plea deal was provided by columnist Lauro Jardim from O Globo and confirmed by Folha. Minister Raul Araújo is overseeing the plea deal at the tribunal.

Marielle and Anderson were killed on March 14, 2018, in Estácio, downtown Rio de Janeiro, after their car was attacked with gunfire.

Continue reading.

[sophs-style]

Pandora hosted a star-studded launch event to celebrate the new Lab-Grown Diamonds collections in New York during fashion week on Wednesday (6th September 2023).

Halle Bailey (wearing Zimmermann), Ashley Park (wearing The Blonds), Pamela Anderson, Hari Nef (wearing Interior), Ariana Greenblatt (wearing Ronny Kobo) and Precious Lee.

[elskamo]

Another polaroid picture I created for my custom character letters over on my Etsy store here: nerdcentralbyelskamo.etsy.com (just a quick note that custom character letters are currently out of stock but should return again by mid-week!)

The background for this one is that Cody has recently moved house and is chilling out in the backyard with the other Drama Brothers.

[allthistrashtalkmakemeitchin]

Borders Closed

Characters: Arthur Griffin, Lucy Stone, Camille Roberts, Jo Taylor, Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Logan Mitchell, Carlos Garcia, Veronica Clark oc, TJ Miller oc, Callie Anderson oc, Addison Tate oc

Pairings: Kendall Knight/Female Original Character, Jo Taylor/Male Original Character, Female Original Character/Female Original Character, Kendall Knight & James Diamond & Logan Mitchell & Carlos Garcia

A/N: the Halloweentown franchise has a sincere place in my heart, and I will always watch the movies every October. But I'm not a big fan of Return to Halloweentown. This is heavily inspired by Halloweentown High, mainly just how the teens wear human suits.

"These are the people you call your friends! They're freaks! Monsters!" Arthur snickered and gestured to the students standing between him and the angry mob of mortals.

James caught Lucy when she fell. The warlock had taken her and her brother's magic per their agreement about a week ago.

"How could you do this? We trusted you!"

Arthur Griffin was the CEO of RCM-CBT and a council member for Halloweentown. And unfortunately, he could keep his fellow council members in his pocket. Reinforcing the idea that mortals were afraid of monsters. That mortals hated them. He wasn't keen on letting children from Halloweentown attend a mortal high school but allowed Lucy and the Stone family to at least try.

But all he wanted was their magic, and she gave him an easy way.

The angry mob formed after the Halloween festival's calamity was confused and shocked. The people they had known and befriended were apparently creatures from another dimension. They stood at a standstill.

"Yeah, that's right. We're monsters." TJ unzipped his human suit and shook like a dog. His dark fur puffed up, and he kicked the suit to the side.

His eyes scanned for Jo in the crowd. She was wearing a fairy costume. The blonde girl stared at him as though enraptured by the sight before her. Although he was covered in fur from head to toe, he was the same person she ate lunch with. He was the same guy who helped her with her French classes.

A weight was lifted off his shoulders when she didn't scream or run for the hills.

"Finally! We don't have to hide!" Carlos cheered as he shook off his human suit.

The girl in the leather catsuit that he brought on a date shrieked when he pulled the bolts out of his neck and removed his head. She actually fainted. Carlos popped his head back on and accidentally switched the bolts in his neck, causing a jolt of electricity to zap Griffin.

Kendall looked to Ronnie, who ducked behind James. She felt guilty for lying to him, but she didn't want him to view her any differently just because she was a monster.

"Now, this door shouldn't have been opened in the first place," Arthur grimaced as he stepped back into the glowing orange doorway. The gateway between our worlds will be permanently closed... forever."

"What? But we have to go home to see our families!" Ben, with the help of their principal, stood up.

"I'm sorry, that's not under my jurisdiction." Arthur faked a pout. White limestone bricks filled the doorway, and soon it was sealed.

"No!" Carlos slammed his fists against the wall. "I wanted to show my dad our haunted house!" he screamed, banging his fists against the limestone. His bolts zapped bright, hot electricity in his hair, making the short strands stand on end.

"No. No! This isn't fair! I did what they wanted!" Lucy snapped, and she joined Carlos, slamming his fists against the brick wall. "You tricked me! You tricked my brother! Give me my magic back!"

The angry mortal mob fell silent. There was nothing else for them to rage about. Instead, they were looking at monsters who were like them. Teenagers who needed their families and who wanted to forge their own identities.

Ronnie squeaked when James gently pushed her toward Kendall. He flashed a toothy smile and waggled his eyebrows. The words were caught in her throat as she looked up at him. Her face bloomed a reddish color, and she wrung her hands together.

"I haven't... Exactly been honest with you..." She mumbled and grabbed the zipper of her human suit.

Kendall stared at her wordlessly. He had no idea what she would look like when she tugged it off, but he had always been curious about how clumsy she was. Sometimes, it was as if she had never walked on two legs. Her heart thrummed in her ears, and she seemingly forgot that she didn't have human legs, unlike how mermaids could change between aquatic and land.

Kendall caught her before she fell, and Ronnie squeaked, hiding her face in her hands. Her webbed ears flapped frantically. He was entranced with the scales that littered her body. It was like he was looking at the moon.

"Well, I mean, if everyone is taking off these damned things." Callie shrugged and took off her human suit as well. Her translucent body wavering in the air, glitching like static on a television screen.

"No way." Addison gasped. Her eyes were wide like saucers.

"Sorry, sweetheart. There isn't anything tangible to hold onto..."

"This is so cool!" Addison squealed in glee.

"I'm a ghost. You can't touch me."

"You're still beautiful," Addison giggled, making the ghost girl blush, her body taking on a pink color. "Woah..." Addison took a step back.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jo gently touched TJ's arm, and he jumped and whirled around to face her.

"I'm sorry, I was scared. I couldn't- I thought you wouldn't like me... If I was covered in fur."

"Are you crazy?" Jo quirked a brow. "I could hardly care about your fur." She shook her head with a laugh. "All that means is I have a personal heater."

TJ's tail started wagging, giving him away. He let out a pitiful whine and scooped her up into a hug.

"See?" Lucy called to the brick wall. "Mortals have changed!" She kicked the wall and instantly regretted it, hopping in place as she held her foot.

"Stupid chairman..."

"You were right, Ben. This ring never fit me." Their principal threw away his ring, and it clattered to the ground like tin. He was renouncing the Knights of the Iron Dagger once and for all.

Ben's eyes sparkled. And hope swelled in his chest.

Even if the gateway was closed indefinitely, that didn't mean the people here hated them. Of course, it was all Griffin's plan. He was a brilliant mastermind but would never have a chance against Lucy and her brother.

Then the bricks illuminated with an orange glow, and Carlos pulled Lucy back.

Maybe Griffin didn't win after all.

[knightscanfeeltoo]

Two Caseys??

[idontevenknow7878]

ok i PROMISE that this is my last redesign of ronnie

@magebunkshelf sorry for tagging you lmao

~Ronnie~

so ive changed a couple things about her!

Her last name! Originally it was Anderson, but in the latest vampire hunter audio, David was referred with the last name Anderson, and that just felt weird!

I don’t think I’ve posted this but Ronnie has some Cantonese decent! So, with that in mind, her new last name is, drum roll please, Lam!

She got a haircut between parts 3 and 4! I really enjoy giving my ocs their own personal lives outside of their main plots, and plus, she just looks a tad more badass with shorter hair!

Surprisingly not that traumatised? Like yeah obviously being turned is gonna alter your brain chemistry a bit but other than that she’s pretty normal mentally!

On the taller side! About 6’1!

that’s all for now! i need a nap holy shit-

[milliondollarbaby87]

The Sweeney (2012) Review

DI Jack Regan is part of the Flying Squad within London’s Metropolitan police force, but his old school style is getting him in trouble and his now being closely watched by internal affairs. ⭐️⭐️ Continue reading The Sweeney (2012) Review

[helmstone]

Space Patrol comes to Talking Pictures TV this June

Space Patrol comes to Talking Pictures TV this June

Not to be confused with the live action US show of the same name, 1960s marionette show Space Patrol is coming to Talking Pictures TV. Written and produced by Roberta Leigh, who also gave us Torchy the Battery Boy and Twizzle. It’s also known as Planet Patrol to avoid that confusion. The show arrives on June 15. Very much not to be confused with Anderson’s Fireball XL5, this show was a little…

[musicmags]

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Ex-police officers jailed over Brazil politician's murder

Two former police officers have been jailed in Brazil for the murder of Marielle Franco, a prominent left-wing politician killed in a drive-by shooting in 2018.

Anderson Gomes, Franco's driver, was also killed in the attack but her press officer Fernanda Chaves, who was in the car, survived.

Ronnie Lessa confessed to firing the shots and was sentenced to 78 years and nine months, while Élcio de Queiroz received 59 years and eight months for being behind the wheel.

Franco, a gay Black woman, was an emerging light in Brazil's socialist party, with her death at the age of 38 sparking nationwide protests.

Continue reading.

[ottopilot-wrote-this]

A New Year

Pete laid across his living room sofa, mindlessly scrolling his timeline. The dim ambient light and the cool glow of the television were all that illuminated his living room. Anderson Cooper, already tipsy, was telling viewers there were mere minutes before the ball would start its descent, ushering in the new year.

Yeah, except the ball dropped three hours ago, Pete thought. Live, my ass. Just hurry up so I can go to bed.

He was startled by a sudden knock at the door. Suspiciously, he rose from the couch. Who would be out in this shitty weather at this time of night?

"Pete? Pete, you there?" a woman's muffled voice called out. Pete turned on the outside light and looked out the peephole. It was tough to make out anything, but there was a young woman outside, alone, holding the handle of a hardsided suitcase, huddled in the rain.

Slowly, he opened the door and looked at his midnight visitor. His first impression was she looked like she went swimming in her clothes. Her jeans and her hoodie were saturated, and her dyed red hair was matted against her fair skin. She looked up, her sad brown eyes meeting his, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Hiya, Petey," she said, with a wan smile.

Pete hadn't seen Ronnie since the summer after graduation. He remembered that day vividly. It was a typical scorching summer day in the valley. They had gone out for burgers because he had said he needed to talk to her about something important. He was leaving for Irvine in thirteen days. She wore a tank top and short jean cutoffs, her soft curves barely contained by the threadbare fabric.

That was the day he told her he had been in love with her since the eighth grade.

The woman in front of him seemed to have aged two decades, even though it had only been six years. Dark circles hung under her eyes. Her ebullient personality was replaced with a world-weary cynicism. She looked like she was a day removed from a good meal, and twice as long from restful sleep. It was like seeing the ghost of his former teenage crush.

"If you'd let me in, you can keep staring, but at least we'll both be dry," she said, sardonically.

Pete snapped out of his trance. "Oh, uh, my bad. Yeah, Ronnie, come on in." He gestured to the couch. "Have a seat." He thought to get her a clean towel, but sheepishly realized he didn't have one. "Uh, can I get you a drink? I have a couple of beers..."

Ronnie left the suitcase and her Vans at the entryway. "No, I don't drink... anymore," she said, a frown appearing on her face. "I'll take a water. Tea, if you have it?"

Pete handed her a clean dish towel, which she used to tousle her hair. "Sure. Hot tea. Makes sense. Coming up."

Pete filled up two coffee mugs with water and stuck them in the microwave. "Sorry, this is quite a surprise. What brings you here in this storm?"

Seated on the leather couch, Ronnie shivered in her damp clothes. "Flight got cancelled. Fucking podunk regional airport. My parents dropped me off at the airport, then left for Mexico. They didn't think to trust their adult daughter with a key to their house, I guess," she said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Anyway, I thought of you and I... I wanted to see what you were up to."

Pete handed Ronnie a red coffee mug and a Ziploc baggie of teabags. "I stole these from hotels, take your pick," he said with a nervous laugh. He sat across from her in an easy chair, a UC Irvine coffee mug in his hands.

Ronnie picked out a black tea and dunked it into her mug. "Where's the 'rents, Petey?" she asked, her cold lithe fingers curled around the warm ceramic.

Pete smirked. "Divorced. Dad took a new job in Chicago. Mom got the house, but... there were too many memories here for her. She lives in Sacramento, has a new boyfriend. I moved here after college, and I teaching algebra at the high school. On my own here, but you know me, I've always been happy in my own company."

Ronnie took a sip of tea. "You used to talk about leaving that shithole and never coming back, and now you teach there. Bang up job there, chief."

Pete shifted in his seat and changed the subject. "What are you up to, Ronnie? No one's heard from you. No socials or anything," he said, his tone slightly accusatory.

"I work retail, getting treated like shit for a meager wage, it's exciting stuff," she deadpanned. "I'm taking some classes at a community college. Guess things didn't turn out like either of us expected," Ronnie mused, her voice tinged with sadness. "As for socials, people curating their lives, showing you the good times and keeping the bad times in their drafts... nah, I wasn't interested in that."

Awkward silence filled the space. Ronnie looked down into her tea, while Pete looked at the television, the big moment approaching. On the wall, a large antique clock ticked crisply, the sound reverberating through the quiet room. Finally, Pete spoke softly. "Listen, Ronnie... I'm sorry. About Marcus."

Ronnie flinched, lowering the mug from her face, which was drained of color. "Don't, Pete," her words came terse and halted. "Don't you fucking dare." Her words hung in the uncomfortable silence, the atmosphere rife with unsaid apologies. Ronnie glared across her mug, her eyes full of anger and hurt. Her eyes darted to the clock, relentlessly ticking away, and back to Pete. "I called you. I called you and you didn't pick up, didn't call back."

Pete sighed, leaning back in his chair, rolling his eyes and looking away. "I didn't know, Ronnie," he said defensively. "How was I supposed to know? You ghosted me, I had a broken heart..."

Ronnie slammed the mug on the coffee table, splashing hot water onto her hand and startling Pete. "Don't make excuses, Peter," she growled, her fiery eyes brimming with tears. "You felt the need to unburden yourself about your feelings because you were leaving. What did you think was going to happen, I was going to leave him for you? I was in love! You left me to deal with that.

"Then Marcus died, senselessly I might add, because he was reckless, and stupid. I was eighteen fucking years old, Peter! I lost my best friend and my boyfriend and I had nothing. I was getting drunk every night, I was broken, and I fucking needed you! I thought we were friends!"

On the television, New Yorkers were excitedly cheering in anticipation of the new year. On the wall, seconds ticked away on the clock. Outside, the wind howled and sheets of rain batted against the windows, as the intensity of the storm seemed to match the tension in the living room.

Pete sunk into the chair. She was right, after all. He had been so wrapped up in his own emotions he wasn't there for her in her time of need. Even after he knew the truth weeks later, he couldn't work up the nerve to call and apologize. He had been holding onto that guilt for years, and knowing Ronnie started drinking only made it worse. He wanted badly to apologize, to grovel for her forgiveness, but his throat was tight and he couldn't find the words. Any of them.

Ronnie fumed on the couch, tears streaming down her face. "You're not going to say anything?" she yelled incredulously. She shook her head, fighting the urge to lose her composure even more. Pete sat in silence, frozen, swallowing hard. Ronnie rose from the couch. "This was a mistake," she whispered, her voice quivering. "I'm sorry I spoiled your New Year's party of one."

Ronnie stormed to the door, fumbling with her soggy shoes, and grabbed her suitcase. "Goddammit Ronnie," Pete finally stammered, rising from the chair. "You can't go out there in that storm."

Ronnie turned to face Pete, her beautiful face a canvas of hurt and disappointment. "Watch me. Goodbye, Petey," she said softly. And with a slam of the door, she was gone.

Pete stood there stunned, his breaths shaky and uneven. His body felt cold, as if the blood had run out of his body. Different emotions - anger, at himself; guilt, sorrow, regret - flooded his mind, which screamed at his body to go after her even as he stood motionless. Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Pete looked at a couple, two men, on his television. They were kissing, their first of the new year, as confetti fell around them. Surrounded by thousands, they shared an intimate moment as if they were the only ones in Times Square, their joy and love evident to an audience of millions.

The clock ticked on the wall, capturing Pete's attention. The ornate wall clock, a gift from his uncle to his parents for their wedding. The clock had outlived the marriage, its constant and unyielding ticking echoing through the silent room. A mocking testament to time lost, and the fragility of relationships.

Another couple on the television, this time a man and woman, but their body language was different than the gay couple. They were clearly old friends, platonic and familiar, hugging each other in the cold, jumping up and down excitedly. Content to be in each other's company, sharing a connectedness that Pete had not had in some time, as he stood alone, looking around his solitary home.

Outside, Ronnie cursed her stupidity, the downpour covering her tears, as she walked away from Pete's house. She had been so foolish, exposing herself to get hurt again. He had clearly learned nothing, and neither had she.

"Ronnie! Wait!" she heard Pete's voice in the night, over the wind. He's out of his goddamned mind if he thinks I'm stopping, she thought, continuing to walk away, her head down, with no destination in mind.

Pete ran after Ronnie in the downpour, which quickly soaked through his white t-shirt and pajama pants, as his flip-flops splashed on the sidewalk. Chilled to the bone, his breath coming in gasps, he yelled again, "Ronnie! Please...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Please come inside."

Hearing his apology, Ronnie stopped. She spun around, water dripping off her bangs into her eyes. "Why? You want to kick me when I'm down, Pete?" she said, raw and vulnerable. "Give me one good reason why I should open myself up to more pain tonight."

The rain ran down Pete's face in the streetlight, and Ronnie could not tell if he had also been crying. "Because it's a new year, Ronnie. Because I don't want to be alone tonight. I'm tired of being alone and isolated, and so are you, or you wouldn't have come here. Let's start over, you and I, and try to rediscover what we used to have before I fucked it all up."

Pete extended his hand, the palm shining in the light as Ronnie looked at it. "Let's get out of the rain, Ronnie. We've both been lonely for too long."

Ronnie looked at his hand, then into his eyes. No longer burning with rage and hurt, the look on her face was filled with uncertainty, as she took a step forward. "I didn't come here to sleep with you, Peter," she whispered, her eyes looking away.

"I'm not asking you to," Pete said warmly. "I'm asking you to come in from this storm and give me a chance to make everything up to you."

"What does that even mean, Pete?"

"Tonight, it just means I let you take a hot shower and sleep in my bed while I sleep on the couch. It means hitting the reset button on our friendship." Pete smiled again, tears forming in his blue eyes. "I miss my friend, Ronnie."

Bypassing the outstretched hand, Ronnie threw her arms around Pete, embracing him. For the first time in years, their bodies were in contact with each other, and Pete sighed as he tightly wrapped his forearms around Ronnie's torso, as she heaved with sobs. "I missed you too, you fucking idiot," she cried.

Gently, Pete kissed Ronnie on the cheek in the rain. "Happy New Year, Ronnie."

---

Pete stood in the doorway of his bedroom, dressed in a fresh, dry shirt and pajama bottoms. With the hum of the clothes dryer in the background, he watched Ronnie sleep in his bed. Relaxed and in peaceful slumber, her face no longer carried the weight and anxiety from earlier, and she reminded Pete of the young girl he fell for a decade prior.

Pete closed the bedroom door and made his way to the living room couch. He thought about the serendipitous events of the night, and reflected on the conversations they had before bed. God, how he had missed hearing her true laughter. As he laid he head on a couch cushion and pulled a throw blanket over himself, he considered that he didn't know what the future held for him and Ronnie. But maybe it was true that a new year meant a clean slate, and an opportunity to start anew.

As he drifted off to sleep, the wall clock ticked the seconds away, but he paid it no attention.