#which def felt like a nudge from the universe

[biblicalhorror]

My other sister got engaged yesterday (and told me about it immediately thankfully lol) and then today I got invited to some superbowl party by two other friends and my brain is so wrapped up in what the last week has been for me that I read it as "engagement party" and I was like you have got to be kidding me

[kachowthunder]

OKAY FOLLOW UP TO THIS POST: https://at.tumblr.com/kachowthunder/theres-a-lot-of-respect-for-lynda-in-the-weathers/fkqn2kzbywbd the whole proposal idea has me thinking- CAL WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHO WOULD PROPOSE AND HAVE THIS BIG SPEECH HE MADE LIKE WEEKS IN ADVANCE WITH HELP FROM THE WHOLE FAMILY- TEX WAS EVEN IN ON THIS- AND THEN FORGET EVERYTHING HE WROTE DOWN THE MOMENT HE SEES YOU STANDING IN FRONT OF HIM AND HE'S DOWN ON HIS KNEE. MAN FREEZES. HE'S IN SHOCK. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK OR DO. SO HE BABBLES A LITTLE, TRYING TO REGAIN HIS THOUGHTS BUT EVERYTHING IS GOING BLANK AND HE THINKS HE FUCKED IT UP. BUT LIKE- BOBBY AND LIGHTING ARE LITTLE NOSEY PEOPLE AND DEF CAME ALONG WITH CAL BUT SECRETLY. LIKE, THEY'RE HIDING IN THE BUSHES TYPE OF DEAL. THEY'RE WATCHING AND SEEING HIM FUCK UP AND JUST- BOTH WONDERING HOW THEY CAN SAVE THIS. IT'S A STATE OF PANIC, IT'S A STATE OF EVERYTHING IS GOING WRONG WHAT CAN WE DO. BUT- BUT BUT. AS SOON AS ONE OF THEM WERE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING. CAL BEGAN TALKING. AND HE BEGAN JUST RAMBLING ON ABOUT RANDOM THINGS HE LOVED ABOUT HIS S/O AND HOW THEY MADE HIM SO HAPPY AND HOW HE WOULD BE THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD IF THEY MARRIED HIM. AND LIKE- THEY WERE SHOCKED B/C HE WENT COMPLETELY OFF SCRIPT BUT SO PROUD AT THE SAME TIME. DEF TEXTED LIKE STRIP, LYNDA, AND TEX TO KEEP THEM UPDATED. CAL PROBABLY SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS: " I- uh... I'm.. sorry. I don't.. know how to do this. " Cal looked off to the side, nervous. It was visible in his eyes, in his rigid poster and his lightly trembling hands; hands in which were soon cupped over by the hands of the person standing in front of him. The person that he knew with all his heart that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He tried swallowing down his nerves, trying to go on for them. They deserved better than this.. and he needed to give them better. " Hun, I.. " He took a quick pause, trying to gather his words. You were being so patient with him, and he was so thankful for that. " I love you so'very'much.. I can't even describe it in words. You're the first thing I think'of when I wake up and my last thoughts when I go'to bed. When I have you by my side I feel like I can do everythin' and anythin' all at once without fear of judgement'or'failure. You.. make me a better man that I was before, and.. you make me feel like there's somethin' worth fightin' for in life. I.. I honestly had a whole speech prepared'an'ready, but I.. kind'of forgot it all when I saw your face. You just.. put a spell on'me that I don't understand but- not like, in a bad way. You just-..... I just don't know what words are right to'say right now.. and I don't think any words are right for a moment like this. " Cal paused, having to breath out shakily for a moment. He could feel your gentle glaze on him, listening to him like he was the only thing in the universe.. but he didn't expect to see you crying a little when he looked up. It shocked him a little, and he kind of felt bad.. " I.. no- don't cry. I'just.. I just wanted to ask you to marry me- " HE WAS SUCH A NERVOUS BOY THROUGHOUT IT ALL-

THIS- THIS HAS ME GIGGLING SO MUCH OMG THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN😭 POOR CAL. THE MAN DOESNT HAVE A SINGLE ROMANTIC PART IN HIS WHOLE BODY BUT MY GOD HE TRIES HIS BEST. THE “don’t cry I just wanted to ask if I can marry you” IS SINGLE HANDEDLY THE MOST CAL THING EVER

I CAN JUST IMAGINE WHEN LIGHTNING OR BOBBY TEXTS TEX, LYNDA AND STRIP ABOUT HOW CAL NEARLY FUCKED UP HIS MARRIAGE PROPOSAL, TEX NUDGES STRIP AND SAYS “You two have more in common than I thought”. IN THE FUTURE THEY WILL ALL LAUGH ABOUT IT BUT MAN POOR CAL WOULD BE AS BRIGHT AS A TOMATO WHEN THE REST FIND OUT HOW BAD IT WENT.

omg I just had a thought, what if Cal’s s/o has never been on a ranch before? What if the s/o is from a huge city and has never really seen what a genuine southern ranch looks like? What if the s/o is terrified of large animals like cows and horses? And what if Cal and the rest of the weathers (plus Tex) help them overcome their fears of them?😭

[miss-wanderlustwriter]

The Sky (Part 3)

Billy Hargrove (Stranger Things) x Reader 

~4000 words (Each part just keeps getting longer, sorry guys) xD

Let me know what you think, this is my first Billy fanfic!

Feedback, suggestions & requests all welcome ♥

Summary: That night at the Byers.

Warnings: Violent Billy. Arguments. Angst. Language.

Part 1  Part 2  Part 4  Part 5

(Of course I don’t condone the actions of Billy at all in the show, but I’m intrigued by the character and let’s face it Dacre Montgomery is hot as hell, and such an amazing actor!)

The next week at school flew by. Billy felt confident in his maths test for the first time ever, and did carry on meeting me for lunch, sometimes we actually sat in the canteen as opposed to the library; ignoring all the stares and whispers surrounding us, or trying to at least.

He drove me home from school most days and I finally got to meet Max properly. She definitely had her walls up but I managed to get a few smiles out of her eventually, when I think she realised I wasn’t just another one of Billy’s one night stands and that I actually cared about her as a person.

She was a really cool kid, a great skater and I was interested in her how her day had gone and how she was fitting in at school. It sounded like she’d made friends with Lucas and the guys so that was a good sign!

Another Friday rolled around and I was sat at lunch thinking about calling round Nancy’s that evening. This has been going on far too long now, I hadn’t seen her or Jonathan in weeks and I was getting nothing out of Steve when he was around. I’m pretty sure Max is probably involved. It’s a mess.

I was so far gone running around my own head I jumped when Billy slammed his tray down opposite me, looking pissed off and wearing another one of those bloody shirts with practically no buttons done up.  

“What’s wrong with you? I questioned his attitude.

"Nothing.” He answered in short. “So are we going for a drive tonight or what?” Changing the subject and forcing a smile, clearly not wanting to talk about it so I let it go.

“Yeah sure!” Trying to recover from my worry about a certain alternate universe.

That’s when I heard it again, the whispers.

“They’re sat together again.”

“I know I told you, it’s everyday.”

“It’s weird!”

I lowered my head playing with my food, the doubts creeping back in along with all the other words I’d heard over the past few weeks: Are they friends? Are they fucking? Why is Billy hanging out with her? What does he see in her? She’s so weird. Maybe he took pity since her other friends have left her.

Billy notices my silence. “Hey. Princess.” And when I don’t answer “Hey, look at me.”

I put my fork down and sigh, looking up at Billy. I see his cute furrowed brow and find myself wanting to reach over and smooth the worry away. He just waits, eyes fixed on mine, giving me the time to gather myself.

I sigh again. “It’s just… We’re friends right?”

He looks so confused “Yeah of course, we shook on it didn’t we.”

“Yeah but I mean like actual friends, like you’re not just bullshitting me and this is all some joke where I’m the punchline?”

“What? Where is this coming from Y/N?”

“People here. I hear them whispering every day: I’m weird, why would Billy Hargrove want to spend time with me.” I looked down embarrassed by my confession, expecting him to admit it.

“Hey, look at me right now. Don’t you listen to these idiots, they are not worth your time. I like you Y/N, I like spending time with you, you’re different than everyone else in this shit town. Besides, you’re a pain in my ass, so do you think I’d voluntarily hang out with you if we weren’t friends.” He raised an eyebrow at me as the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

I was momentarily taken aback before my face lit up, I could feel it, and a smile spread across my face. “True. Thanks Billy.”

“Anytime Princess.”

When the school bell rang to signal the end of another week, Billy met me by my locker.

“What’s up, I thought we were just meeting at your car like always?”

“Just want to make sure you get there without anyone filling your head with lies Princess.” A smirk creeping across his face as we started walking to the parking lot. “Seriously though are you okay now?”

“Yeah I guess so. I mean, I just have one other genuine question.” I bit my lip with concern.

He took a deep breath before replying “And what’s that?”

“Well, do you actually buy your shirts with no buttons or do you just pull them off yourself?” I broke into a smile and a run as we got outside.

“Hey get back here! You cheeky…” He shouted after me and started to chase me towards his car. My pace slowed down because I was laughing so much, I turned around and tried to dodge him but it was a failure. He grabbed me, arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me off the floor twirling me round, both of us a laughing mess.

“Okay, okay, I can’t breath!” I protested. He lowered me to ground and put his arm around my shoulders as we walked the rest of the way to his car, trying to catch our breaths.

Max was waiting for us at the car and her eyes flitted between me and Billy as we go closer, his arm still around me. “Hey kid, you okay?” I smiled as I broke away from Billy to give her a hug, which she returned.

“Yes thanks.” And it sounded like she meant it, and I swear I heard her whisper to Billy as she got in the car “I like her the best.” I pretended not to hear, but saw Billy slightly shake his head as he tried to suppress a smile.

We chatted all the way home, Max actually getting involved, and once I’d waved them off I ran straight to the phone. Both my parents were away this weekend, thankfully, if anything kicked off they were better far away from this town. I rang Nancy but Mrs Wheeler said she was out, shocker. I tried Steve’s house but he wasn’t home either. Something was definitely wrong I could feel it.

My fears were confirmed later than night as Billy rang and cancelled our drive. It was a short conversation, and worrying. He sounded upset, angry and stressed but he refused to talk to me and hung up before I could protest.

I was facing my long night in of worrying about everyone I knew it seemed. I started doing some chores before heading to bed when the phone rang again.

It was Nancy. She was panicking.

“Nancy, Nancy slow down! You’re where?”

“At the Byer’s place, please Y/N can you come?! I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“Yes of course, is everyone there?”

“Yes, it’s like last year. We’re currently safe here and forming a plan.”

“Okay I’m on my way!” I hung up, grabbed my old converse and my hoodie to throw on over my Def Leppard t-shirt and ran out the garage. Thankfully Mom and Dad had taken the project car my Dad had been working on for months so I was left with the family car.

As I was pulling up at Jonathan’s house I saw Chief Hopper leaving with a girl I’d never seen before as everyone else was gathered on the porch. He nodded to me as he climbed in his truck. Nancy flung herself forward into my arms before I was barely out the car. I’ve never hugged someone so tight, all my fears from the last few weeks just burst out of me and I was so glad she was here, I missed her so much.

We broke apart both wiping tears and she lead me inside with everyone else as Hopper and the girl drove off.

“So let me get this straight, this,” I pointed to the hundreds of drawings covering the walls, “is a map of tunnels underneath Hawkins that are basically the Upside-Down, with… Demodogs? Running around in them?”

Everyone nodded.

“Hopper and El, who is from Hawkins lab, have gone to shut the gate to the Upside-Down which will stop all this, while you, Jonathan and Mrs Byers take Will to Hopper’s cabin to sweat out the Mindflayer that’s currently controlling him?”

Everyone nodded again.

“Yeah pretty much.” Nancy confirmed.

“Oh okay. Great. Glad I’m caught up.” I let out a breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding. “Wait, what are those?” I asked alarmed, pointing to two syringes on the side.

“Oh, we need to sedate Will before we move him so the Mindflayer won’t know where to find us.”

“Okay. Reasonable.” My voice was small, my head was mashed.

Steve took Max, Mike, Lucas and Dustin to the living room to give me some space, and Mrs Byers went to prepare the sedative for Will. Jonathan looked at Nancy hesitant to leave her side but she gave him a nod and he went to his Mom. I saw the look on both of their faces and knew. I clung to a moment of clarity in this madness and turn to Nancy “So, you and Jonathan?”

“Is it that obvious?” She asks sheepishly.

I nudged her with my shoulder “Only to me. I’ve known you both a long time and all I can say is finally.” I smile at her “And I’m really happy for you both.”

“Thanks Y/N. I think we need to go, but I’ll see you once this is all over, I promise. I’ve missed you.”

“Me too Nance. Stay safe.”

And with that they were gone.

Max took Nancy’s seat next to me, and my mind flew back to Billy. I hoped to God he was okay.

I looked at her, she was carefully watching me. “It’s okay Y/N, I’m in the same boat as you. I just found out as well. It’s crazy.”

“I can’t believe you’re caught up in all this. Wait. Does Billy know?”

“God no! What made you think that?”

“He rang me earlier, cancelled our plans. He seemed stressed and upset but wouldn’t say anything else, just hung up. I’m worried about him.” I answered, my optimism destroyed, something else was obviously wrong with him.

“Oh. Can I ask you something?” She shifted in her seat.

“Yeah sure.”

“Are you and Billy still dating?” She looked down as she spoke.

I couldn’t help but laugh “Aw Max, we’re not dating, me and Billy are friends.”

Her head shot up and a confused look fell across her face, and I know they aren’t blood related but I could swear it was the same frown as Billy’s, the one I’d only seen earlier that day.

“Oh.” She hesitated before continuing “Well I’m rooting for you. He’s been changing since he started hanging out with you. He hasn’t shouted at me once. I like you being around.”

“Max, come here.” I say as I wrap my arms around her. “Me and you are friends now, no matter what happens with me and Billy. So if he ever shouts or does something horrible, you come to me okay?”

She gives me a small smile. “Okay, thanks Y/N.”

“Anytime.” I give her a squeeze and we head through to the rest of the guys in the living room.

“Okay so house rules.” I start “One: no one leaves this house. Two: Any problems, thoughts, worries you come to me or Steve. We’ll just stay here, stay safe and wait for news from the others.”

Steve looks shifty as he adds “Rule three: no on go in the freezer.”

Max, Lucas and Mike all mirror my confusion. “And why’s that Steve?”

But Dustin answers for him “There may be a dead Demodog in there. Potentially.”

“Oh Jesus. Okay no one go in the freezer.” I run my hands through my hair and tie it up in a ponytail. “Right guys, stay here I’m going to do a perimeter around the house, just to be sure.”

“No Y/N I’ll do that.” Steve interrupted.

“Honestly Steve, I need to do this to put my mind at rest and I could do with some air.”

“I’ll come with you.” Dustin offered with a smile.

“Okay kid let’s go.”

Dustin followed me out the front door as I was armed with Steve’s bat, and we started circling the house being as quiet as possible to listen for anything suspicious. We got round to the back of the house and checked the shed at the bottom of the yard, where they had evidently been housing Will. I let out a sigh of relief as we left the shed with nothing to report.

We stopped dead in our tracks as we heard a car engine pull up.

“They can’t have closed the gate and helped Will already can they?” I turned to Dustin, his eyes wide in shock? Fear? I couldn’t tell.

“I don’t think so, follow me.” We crept down the side of the house, peeking out to see Billy’s Camaro parked next to my car.

“What the hell, that’s Billy’ car.” I whispered to Dustin.

“Oh this can’t be good.”

“Come on.” I took the lead this time, striding back to the front door, my pace picking up when I heard raised voices.

Me and Dustin burst in the house to find Mike shocked into silence beside Max, who was shouting at Billy, who was holding Lucas against the wall while Steve advanced on them. Before I could process what was happening Steve pulled on Billy’s shoulder spun him around and landed a right hook across his face drawing blood.

“Yes! Looks like you’ve got some fire in you after all!” He mocked Steve, laughing while his nose was bleeding.

I did not recognise this person at all. It was terrifying.

“Billy! What the hell?!”

Everyone stopped.

Lucas took the opportunity to run to Mike and Dustin, who held him and pushed him behind themselves. Away from Billy.

Billy’s eyes locked on mine and for a second I thought I saw him in there, the guy who remembered that I loved the sky; but then he broke it, and his gaze flew from me to Steve.

“You… You and Harrington?”

“As if Billy. Don’t be stupid.” I scoffed.

“Yeah because that’s me! Stupid Billy! You. You were worried and it turns out all along you’re the one bullshitting me! Been laughing about me behind my back have we? You and Harrington all cosy together while I’m the joke? Am I right?!”  

I could not believe what I was hearing right now. I walked up to him, he stank of whiskey and cigarettes, and was still laughing manically to himself under his breath shaking his head.

“Billy. Do you hear yourself right now?” I tried to take his chin in my hand and make him look at me. “You’re wasted, let me clean -”. But I couldn’t finish. He slapped my hand away from him, and in the same instant Steve pushed me out the way and pushed Billy backwards away from us all. “Hey man, get out.”

“You don’t tell me what to do.” Billy’s voice lowered to a threat and he lunged for Steve, who dodged out the way and landed another punch.

“Woo! I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve that everyone has told me so much about!” This time he gets his punch back in on Steve.

It was mayhem. We were all shouting at them to stop, no one could be heard over the barrage of noise. Shouts and punches filled the air. I didn’t realise I was crying until I felt the sobs ripping through my chest. Two of the people I cared about most were beating the shit out of each other.

“Billy. Please.” I pleaded, I begged. But my voice fell to a whisper, I couldn’t breath properly.

He had Steve pinned to the ground now, he was unreachable, the red mist was down and he would kill Steve.

Then Max appeared, syringe in hand and before anyone could move another inch she had plunged it into Billy’s neck. He stopped, span around and already started wobbling as he pulled the needle out “What did you do to me?” He tried to step towards Max but couldn’t and he fell to the floor while we all looked at Max in shock as she picked up the bat I’d dropped and threatened Billy with it before he passed out.

I turned away, tears still streaming down my face trying to gather myself. Okay breath. Focus.

I wiped my tears, took a few more breaths just to hear Max jingle Billy’s car keys “Let’s go.”

I twirled around “What? Go where? And no!”

“Ooh where are we going?” Dustin questioned.

“You’re not going anywhere!”

I was ignored as Mike answered “To the tunnels, we’re going to the hub to light a fire and distract the Demodogs, to give El a clear shot at the gate.”

“Err hello! No you’re not.”

“You sound like Steve.” Lucas chimed in with a sigh.

Steve.

We all looked down at the two unconscious boys lying in the Byer’s kitchen. Oh Jesus.

“Right. Right. Someone go see if there’s any first aid stuff in the bathroom.” I saw Max make a move, and got the boys to help me move Steve to the sofa. He was messed up, and was my main priority at the moment as I barely glanced at Billy.

Max came back with some coloured plasters and nothing else. Shit.

I got a damp cloth to try and clean the blood up on Steve, but it wasn’t great.

“Okay, guys, I need you to look at me and promise me right now that you will stay here and not leave this house. I need to go to mine to get some proper first aid things to help Steve.” Not even able to think about Billy or say his name. My despair had transformed into anger.

I glared at Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Max in turn as they protested. “No. This is important. Promise me.”

They all nodded. Little did I know that each one of the buggers had their fingers crossed.

As I was driving back down with the Byers’ house in view, first aid kit on the passenger seat, I noticed straight away; Billy’s car had gone. No way, he can’t have woken up this soon and bolted. I ran straight through the front door nearly trampling Billy as he lay exactly here he’d fallen.

Steve however was not there, and neither were the kids, or the bloody plasters. Shit.

I tried to stay calm. A million thoughts running through my head: Maybe Steve woke up and agreed to the kid’s plan. Who am I kidding, Max took the car keys and they took the unconscious Steve. I really hope Max knows how to drive, oh god.

Okay breath. They’ll be fine. Steve will wake up with one hell of headache, but he’s good with them, he’ll look after them, and he knows more about this situation than I do, and what we’re actually up against. I was trying to convince myself more than anything. But obviously none of us expected Billy to be one of those obstacles.

The first aid kit got disregarded on the table, and I turned to the house itself. Cleaning and tidying as best I could without disturbing the drawings, and distracting myself from that person lying on the floor because that was not my Billy. That was not the beautiful boy I had left hours earlier. How could it be. How could he do this. He had been so mad, no, he’d been furious.

I thought I could get through to him when our eyes met, he stopped when he saw me, but seeing me and Steve together fuelled the rage within him. What ignited that rage? And why did thinking I was with Steve make it worse? This is Billy Hargrove, he didn’t catch feelings; did he?

After doing what I could I came to a loose end, I couldn’t sit still, I was fidgeting and pacing. I couldn’t stand it any longer and I forced myself to walk to kitchen and look at Billy.

My heart ached. The contrast between the pure fire and anger to this peaceful innocence as he slept. No lines, no scowls, no frowns; just a 17 year old boy who must be going through so much pain but never lets anyone close enough to help. But even as I pushed his hair off his face and cleaned the blood away I couldn’t forgive him. The pain in chest deepened as I sighed “Oh what have you done Billy.”

With great effort I dragged him over to the sofa and lifted him onto it. I wiped my brow and then I just sat with him; savouring the moment before wakes up and the inevitable takes place.

As he started to stir so did my anger in the pit of my stomach. I got him a glass of water and some headache tablets before he woke up properly. I left them on the table in front of him and retreated to lean against the kitchen counter.

I saw the initial panic flit across his face as he tried to sit up looking around the room before his eyes rested on me. “Take those and drink that while your memory comes back to you.” I said with as little emotion as possible. He did as I said, elbows now resting on his knees and head down for a moment before standing up and turning to face me. He was still a bit unsteady on his feet as he took a step towards me “Y/N…” He whispered. Almost begging.

“No. Billy. No. You don’t get to say my name like that.” Tears were already rising in me, and I was internally cursing myself for being an angry crier.

He stopped trying to come to me, whether that was because of my reaction or his own ability to walk I don’t know. He stared hard into my eyes across the room, but just like the first night we met, I wasn’t backing down.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? You’re sorry?!” I spat out a humourless laugh and pushed myself forward to stand up straight and give myself confidence. "You physically threatened Lucas, a 13 year old boy! And you nearly beat Steve to death!” Emotion was getting the better of me as I threw my hands in the air “What is wrong with you?!”

His eyes hardened and his jaw set “What’s wrong with me Y/N? I get shit off my Dad for not knowing where Max is every second of the goddamn day, so I get sent out to look for her, and she’s here at this crazy house, where low and behold I find you and Steve fucking Harrington playing happy families!”

“Are you kidding me right now Hargrove?” The volume in my voice rising. “There is nothing going on between me and Steve, not that I even have to explain myself to you. And why do you even give a shit?!”

He glanced away and a nervousness overtook him for a split second.

“Are you…” I nearly couldn’t get the words out “Are you, jealous? Is this how you get when you’re jealous Billy?”

“No.” His gaze back on me, even more intense and determined. “This is how I get because I’m a piece of shit that you should never have trusted to be friends with.”

My own voice dropped, along with my stomach, all my fight had gone. “Well, maybe that’s the most sensible thing you’ve said all evening. I don’t know this person standing in front of me right now. This is the person I assumed you were before you sat with me in the library.”

“No Y/N you don’t know me, so stop trying to.” He fenced himself back in behind his walls and stormed right passed me out into the night.

And in that moment the pain in my chest intensified, I collapsed to the floor, my tears finally making their appearance; and I swear I could hear my heart break.

[whoistosayofficial]

Who is to Say Chapter 1

1988- Székesfehérvár, Hungary

“Marcell,” a girl’s voice cut through the thick, hot air, “You are ten minutes late.”

“We get no business anyway. Studying is more important.” Studying for nothing really. Marcell sighed as he imagined stepping onto the vast campus of the universities he’s seen in magazines and papers, visions of students with a passion and a drive to change the world flooding his mind. Oh how he’d love to escape and go to school in Budapest. Or he could dream larger. London or Paris, one of the western countries.

“I thought your apa didn’t want you to study,” she turned her back to Marcell as she lifted a box of envelopes from the desk to floor on the other side.

The small hairs that wouldn’t stay in her high ponytail clung to the sweat on the back of her neck. It was always too hot in the summers. Hot, humid, heavy; whatever worked to describe the weight the weather brought upon the city. On the other hand, it was always much too cold and snowy and unpleasant in the winter; the colorful buildings seemed to lose their vibrant hues as snow coated the streets. Right now, however, winter would be welcomed. Nice even. There was no air conditioning in the small post office. No one really had it. Most of the residential houses on the outskirts of Székesfehérvár didn’t even have a sewage system. The waste was stored in a tank under the ground which was then siphoned out with a hose. They emptied it out on the crop fields where children would throw the watermelon rinds or corn cobs as well.

“He did hide my books,” Marcell said.

She spun around, “He didn’t!”

“He did!” He leaned over to whisper in her ear, “I have a secret weapon though.”

She lowered her tone to imitate Marcell’s, “And what may that be?”

“The library!”

She faked surprise with a wide grin gracing her face, “The library! How scandalous!”

“Hush, Ildiko, people will hear!” Marcell said, “My secret will be discovered!”

Ildiko crossed her arms, “I thought we get no business anyway- Who would hear?”

The bell attached to the door rang as it opened as if the world itself was responding to their conversation. An attractive young man stepped in with brilliant blond hair that fell into his face despite the obvious attempt to slick it back, dunking as he walked through the low door frame, giving the pair a short, two fingered wave before approaching the desk. His eyes were a vivid blue, slightly hidden by large, round glasses with translucent brown frames. As he stepped closer, Marcell noticed the freckles that dusted the bridge of his nose and his cheeks, illuminated by speckles of sweat that beaded up on his face from the heavy summer heat.

“Jó reggelt,” Ildiko said, greeting the man as she leaned against the desk, placing her hands under her chin.

Marcell nudged her under the table, “Stop flirting.”

She jabbed her elbow into his side, “I’m not!”

“Excuse me,” the man said in heavily accented Hungarian, “Do you speak German or English.” Interesting, a foreigner.

Marcell was quick to reply, proudly, in German, “I speak both.”

Language was an important requirement in high school education but many students didn’t have the patience to learn more than one new language. Marcell, on the other hand, couldn’t get enough of the feeling of a new language rolling off his tongue, and prided himself in his fluency of three languages. Reading and writing in English was still a challenge for him, but he blamed it on being too busy with his other studies to practice more.

“Fantastic!” The man’s shoulders relaxed as he switched to what was obviously his native tongue, “Would it be too much trouble to have this letter mailed out?”

Marcell immediately hated the way he talked. How could it be too much trouble to mail a letter? It was their job for God’s sake! Looking him up and down, Marcell bit his tongue to avoid making a scathing comment at the man’s apparel: A loose white shirt with rolled up sleeves and much too few buttons actually buttoned, tucked into his bright aqua shorts. He had an expensive looking leather bag slung around his shoulder that seemed to packed full of something undoubtably unnecessary. He looked so...so disgustingly carefree. It was the kind of outfit someone would wear on a vacation to Lake Balaton. An outfit that would just so happen to catch the wind in a way that exposes his built chest as the buttons on his shirt “accidentally” came undone much to the delight of the girls who sat on the sandy lake shore, eyeing up handsome strangers who passed by. Marcell wouldn’t be caught dead in such an outfit.

“Of course,” Ildiko said in German, taking the letter and glancing at the address. “I miss Germany, my aunt lives in Leipzig. We used to visit when I was young.”

“Ah, I’m from Munich.”

Marcell snapped out of his daydream, suddenly intrigued, and took the envelope from Ildiko’s hands to look at it, “What’s a West German doing in here?”

Ildiko gave him a glare that said, why can't you ask normal questions? She snatched the letter out of his hand and tapped him sharply on the wrist, almost like a mother scolding her child or an older sibling putting the younger one in place.

Luckily the German didn’t seem taken aback, “I’m studying abroad in Budapest. My father wanted me to travel and see more of the world.”

“Must be nice.”

Ildiko chewed on her lip, unsure how to smooth the conversation as to not chase off the attractive foreigner, “You must excuse Marcell,” she put an arm around her friend, “He is just envious of your journeys.”

Marcell yanked away from her touch, grabbing a cigarette before stepping out of the back door. “I’m going to have a smoke.”

Ildiko shook her head as he walked away, “You just started working- And he’s gone.” She sighed before apologizing to the German, “He is a good man I promise you. He just needs to learn to let his guard down a little.” She extended her hand, “I’m Ildiko by the way.”

“Ryan.” They shook hands.

“That’s not a particularly German sounding name.”

“My mother is English actually. My father is German. We live in Munich because of my father’s profession.”

“What does he do?”

“He is a professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.”

Ildiko’s eyes lit up, “A professor’s son! You must be very smart then?”

Ryan laughed, rubbing his neck nervously, “I wouldn’t call myself smart. I still have a lot to learn.”

“Nonsense I can see the knowledge as well as compassion in your eyes,” Ildiko gestured Ryan over, “Smart man, may I ask for your assistance?”

“I’m not one to turn down a pretty fräulein like yourself. What can I do for you?”

Ildiko smiled briefly at the compliment before her expression turned into a much more serious one. “Marcell doesn’t have many friends. In school many of his classmates called him cigány; a gypsy.” She looked somewhat saddened by the memories, “He and his family are very hard workers and definitely don’t deserve the mistreatment.” “A gypsy,” Ryan repeated, following her gaze to the back door of the post office. Through the window he made eye contact with Marcell, who immediately turned away and nonchalantly put the cigarette to his lips as if he wasn’t anxiously watching Ildiko and Ryan talk through the clouded glass.

“Others, even his teachers, always assume he’d be lazy or a thief. They never even let him borrow a pencil!”

“That’s awful, but what would you like me to do?”

“Talk to him, please. He is the most studious and dedicated person I know. I think you two could get along.” She gestured towards the door, “At least try?”

Ryan shrugged, “Why not? I’ll be here until the end of summer. I may as well make some friends.”

“Good attitude! I’m rooting for you!”

Ryan stepped outside, feeling the sun beat harshly down on his fair skin the moment he left the building. The door led to an opening surrounded by similar buildings on each side; the backs of stores and small shops with living quarters above them. The buildings were all a pale shade of yellow but seemed almost blinding in the bright sun. In the center of the opening was a small fountain which called Ryan towards it with the promise of cool, refreshing water. He splashed some on his face, feeling the droplets trickle down his neck and shirt. Blinking the water out of his eyes, he looked past the fountain to see Marcell sitting on the stone stairs, watching him intently, the cigarette burning between his fingers.

“Ildi sent you to talk to me?” he asked, dropping the cigarette and stomping it out with his heel.

“Well yes actually-”

“Don’t bother.”

“Okay,” Ryan reached into his backpack to pull out a notebook and a pencil, sitting down on the bench across from the water fountain. He pushed his large, round eyeglasses up his nose and placed the tip of the eraser to his lips as he stared at the empty page pensively. Occasionally he’d scribble something down on the paper, pausing to stare up into the sky, deep in thought, before hastily adding to his writing.

Marcell felt his nails digging into his palm as he clenched his fist. Was he offended that the German didn’t even attempt to argue like many people have before? Was he offended that he was robbed of the opportunity to push another person with good intentions away? Marcell jumped to his feet, making sure to make sure to slam his feet down hard on the cobblestone floor to disrupt the man’s focus, “So what’s your name anyway?”

“Ryan.”

“Ryan.”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

The silence continued for a bit, with Marcell standing next to the stone stairs while Ryan wrote in his ridiculous beaten-up notebook. What could he be writing anyway? “All right, I’ll bite. Say what you want to say.”

Ryan folded up the notebook and glanced at Marcell who had inched closer, arms folded across his chest as he looked down with furrowed eyebrows. He pushed his hair back once more which had since fallen back into his face as he hunched over his notebook and cleared his throat, “I have nothing to say.”

“Well obviously you do.”

“You’d be wrong.”

Marcell hesitated for a moment before slumping down, defeated, on the bench next to Ryan, “What were you writing?”

“Notes for school,” Ryan handed the notebook to Marcell who paged through it curiously. When Marcell said nothing, Ryan spoke up, “What do you think?”

“Why are all these about people,” Marcell asked, stopping on the most recent page to study it. “Wait-Why is this about me?”

“Well you told me not to talk to you so I thought: why would he say that?” Ryan mused, taking the notebook back and scribbling down a triangle on the page. On the three corners he wrote; thoughts, feelings, actions, and in the middle, motivation. “What do you think this is?”

“I assume it connects to why people do what they do? It is like a way to analyze human behavior.”

Ryan hummed in agreement, “Definitely. And what do you think this has to do with what I study?”

Marcell narrowed his eyes wondering what Ryan was trying to gain out of this. Well if this was a test, Marcell knew he’d pass with flying colors. “You obviously study sociology or something of the sorts.”

“Psychology actually, but close enough.”

“I feel like I should be mad at you or something.”

“Had you spoken to me, I wouldn’t have to take so many notes,” Ryan chuckled, “Why do you refuse to talk to people?”

Marcell felt himself smile slightly, “I’m actually curious to hear what you think from psychoanalyzing me. Tell me, why did I refuse to talk to you?” Marcell, of course, was making this into a game that only two highly educated individuals would have, and at this point he was quite certain of Ryan’s intelligence.

“Well, with the knowledge I gained from what Ildiko told me, I can assume you are very wary of others due to how you were treated at school.”

Marcell made a face, “She told you that?”

Ryan was right of course. High school was the worst time of Marcell’s life, and not because of the workload like many others complained about. He saw himself as Hungarian, nothing more, but even the tiniest drop of Romani blood labeled him as a gypsy.

Ryan continued, “The isolation at school aside from Ildiko who I think you probably know from family and not school-”

“Yes.”

“-combined with your unquestionably high IQ most likely lead to you also isolating yourself. In conclusion you are quick to believe that anyone, especially a foreigner who doesn’t understand you or your situation, would be quick to say the same things about you. I also have reason to believe that for some reason you are jealous of my education. Which I must admit, is due to a very bourgeois and affluent family that everyday I am thankful for.”

“Do you usually talk this much?”

“You told me to talk,” Ryan laughed. For a nerdy guy he was equal parts intelligent and obnoxious. He was disgustingly confident in himself, after all why wouldn’t he be? He was apparently rich, well educated, got to travel the world, and above all, he was a westerner. Marcell’s thoughts were cut off by Ryan’s next question, “So why are you jealous?”

Marcell rolled his eyes, “You wouldn’t understand.”

“You are probably right, but I want to learn to understand.”

“You know what. I’ll entertain you. How long are you staying here?”

“Until August. I just finished studying abroad in Budapest. I’m going back to Munich at the end of the summer.”

“You free tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow until summer ends, yes.”

“Meet me at the Orb at noon. I assume you can find your way, smart guy?”

Ryan supressed a smile at the similarities between Ildiko and Marcell’s little nickname for him, “I’m sure I can figure it out.”

“Excellent. Ildi will be jealous,” Marcell stood to return to the shop.

“She will also be angry that you are shirking work to this extent.”

“Knowledge comes first. She would agree.”

“Knowledge does comes first. We should always seek to learn more!” Ryan hopped up attempting to follow Marcell through the door. “Honestly,” he continued, “I believe knowledge is one of the most powerful and sacred things-”

He was stopped by Marcell swiftly pulling the door closed so that it was only a crack, “Employees only. Read the sign, smart guy.”

And like that the door was shut and Ryan stood there alone, sun beating down on him, skin already turning pink from the rays, clutching his notebook in his hand. “I feel like I should be mad at you or something,” Ryan said to the closed door before laughing, shaking his head, and walking around back to the Main Street

Marcell stayed out late that night. There wasn’t particularly much to do at night but the thought of returning home created a pit in his stomach. He sat at the edge of the Bányató, wiggling his bare feet in the water, staring into the depths of the water. The ducks had all settled on the banks of the pond and had their bills tucked into their feathers. Ryan’s words were digging into his mind, occupying every single thought. Knowledge was powerful. What was he waiting for? He yanked his feet out of the water, jumping up, and grabbing his shoes in his hands.

He ran all the way back home, stumbling as he tried to avoid the now rotten cherries that had fallen from the trees in front of his house, leaving behind nothing but hard pits. He swore under his breath as he felt something slice open the bottom of his foot, but that didn’t stop him. He swung the door open, cringing when it slammed into the wall, rattling the picture frames on the wall.

“Anyu! Apu!” Marcell called hopping to the bathroom on one leg to wipe off the dirt and blood without staining the ground any more.

“Marcell! What happened!” His mother must have seen the mess.

He waved his hand dismissively, “It doesn’t matter. Where is Apu?”

“At the table, eating. I made goulash. Are you hungry?” Marcell’s mother hovered over him, trying to examine the cuts on his foot. “Why were you out so late?”

“I was thinking.”

“You do too much of that!” Marcell’s dad hollered from the dining room.

“There is no such thing as too much thinking!” Marcell shouted back.

He shoved past his mom and made his way to the table where is father sat, eyebrow raised at Marcell’s outburst. “I have something to say!” Marcell exclaimed, his heart pounding in his chest. “I know you want me to stay at home and help the family, but I can’t do that anymore!” He turned towards his mom who had followed him into the dining room, “Anyu, you know how much I’ve done to help the family but I don’t want to live here my whole life. I don’t want to be cursed to a life of wood work and growing corn and wheat!”

One of Marcell’s first memories as a child, living in their small run down house, was the smell of sawdust that would waft into the house as his father worked tirelessly day and night to sell his woodwork to make ends meet. His mother tended to whatever crops grew that summer in the field outside their house, leaving Marcell on his own for much of his youth, with no option but to bury himself in books, and later school work.

“Marcell,” his mother began in her usual soft and concerned voice. She always sounded like she was on the verge of tears, “What are you saying?”

His father began to rise from the table, “Yes, what are you saying?”

It took all of Marcell’s will power not to cower. He could stand up against anyone's insults on the street but he always had trouble looking his dad in the eye. “What I’m saying is that I am going to continue my education. I’m going to university.”

“Like hell you are!” Marcell’s dad was already turning red in the face from rage.

“Yes I am! It is my life!”

“Marcell, my dear, you know what people will say about you. Stay with the family it is the safest,” his mother said.

“I refuse to waste my life here!”

Marcell’s dad slammed a fist on the table, “Would you rather waste your life in jail?”

“I would not go to jail!”

“People like us get arrested for the smallest of misdemeanors! You are dooming your family and yourself!”

“We are Hungarians too!”

“Not to other people!”

“I’ve made up my mind!”

“Then you have made the decision to leave your family! We only wanted the best for you, son!”

Marcell looked between his furious father and his crying mother, his heart aching but something else entirely burning inside of him. He looked his father dead in the eye, “I know, and I’m going to do what I think is best for myself.”

“So you are going to leave?”

“I guess I am.” With that Marcell grabbed his shoes and left without anything else before he could change his mind. He didn’t look back, knowing damn well that his mother’s tears would reel him back into the house, and instead walked down the street for what felt like hours until he stopped in front of a familiar door. His feet ached and he hoped someone would answer even though night had now fallen and many people were trying to get some sleep before another long day of work. He took a deep breath and knocked.