#yolo💛

[goodsniff-m8]

[uty-ask-clover]

yolooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[yoloyeahhh]

god, sometimes i think im a bad person, but then people come out of the woodworks and just casually go “you make me see more of the bright sides of life and having that has helped me get through so much” and then i cry cause that is the highest form of praise and im so happy aidbskdbjs

[brandogenius]

Heyy I love your writing!! I was just thinking about phoebe taking reader camping! Maybe with the boys as well? Campfire and hikes all that cute stuff 💛

oh hell yeah!!!

‼️RPF‼️

BLURB - phoebe x reader - camping ft the boys

- reader hasent ever been camping before and phoebe finds this out and demands they go camping for the weekend. it’s as simple to ask the boys, of course they are in.

- it was a bit more harder to convince you. you never been camping and are a bit cautious and worried. mostly due to spiders and the thought of sleeping outside. god knows what could be out there

- “it’ll be fine! it’ll be great trust me!”

- it didn’t go well. arriving at the destination, it’s raining, it’s cold 😭 you just want to go back home to your warm bed but phoebe jumps out of the car with a big grin on her face like “LETS GET GOING” “but it’s raining” “a bit of rain can’t harm us!”

- setting up camp in the woods, letting julien and phoebe set up the tent, you and lucy unpacking everything from the trunk of the car. maybe letting phoebe work in the tent was a bad idea. when you can hear in the distance, muffled screaming from phoebe about losing a screw and frustrated sighs from julien

- coming back to find the tents are up (how you don’t know you’re not gonna question it) it’s cold, you’re tired and hungry. you drank all your coffee and you kinda regret wanting to go camping now. maybe if it was on a warmer day you’d be fine but not now.

- deciding to take a minute in the tent to unpack and set out all the tents, phoebe popping her head in like “we’re going for a hike cmon” and you scowling up at her like ☹️☹️☹️

- deciding to go along anyway. no way are you gonna be left alone in the woods by yourself. you go with the boys on a hike

- “do we have a map?” “no, i was thinking we just yolo it” “that’s…not how it works” julien opening her phone to boot up a map with a sigh but having no signal. she decides to lead the group, following the footpath trail

- phoebe sensing your anger/ tiredness / frustration and feeling a little guilty. holding your hand as the two of you trailed behind lucy and julien.

- getting lost on the trail, somewhere in the forest because phoebe said the path connected on the left. the path stopped back at the forest, where? nobody knows but it has you stressing. you’re lost in the woods, no signal, no tent. there could be bears of wolves.

- lucy and julien talking amongst themselves quietly trying to figure out a safe route back. phoebe wrapping you in a back hug, chin on your shoulder, pouting like a puppy “are you mad at me?” “yes.” “i’m sorry..” “baby we’re lost in the fucking woods”

- funny enough, lucy manages to find a longer but trusty route back to the entrance of the forest aka where the camp sights are. top it all off it starts to rain heavier. trying to rush back to the camp sight while soaked with the rain was not a good idea

- however it was a little funny when phoebe slipped from the wet mud. call it karma if you will. even if she was frowning like a kicked puppy, you still helped her up and made sure she was ok.

- back to the camp y’all made it. wet and tired, cold and hungry. drying off with the extra clothes you brought, opting to just stay in your pjs. julien was trying to light a fire from wood and stone. phoebe and lucy were preparing dinner.

- coming out of the tent to have dinner. you were kinda quiet. the boys sending the tension but not wanting to say anything. carrying on as normal, chatter and laughter surrounding the campfire. you end up joining in too, calming down a bit

- phoebe bringing out the guitar, singing some rounds of songs. it did help calm the anger and nerves. knowin you were safe with the boys.

- even when it was time for bed, you huddled close to phoebe. she was hugging you tightly, apologies spilling from her mouth. “you made up for it when you slipped on that rock”

[books-in-a-storm]

Currently Reading 💛

Empower & YOLO

[dimpletheheck]

(A few of) My SDV farmers 💛 💙 ❤

I realized I've only posted about one of my Stardew farmers (Bambi).

So here's three more/the ones I've played as most recently! (I have like nine saves)

First up is...

Twunk! (Real name's Andy)

About Twunk:

He's athletic and gets along great with Alex, who he originally had a huge crush on. He started dating Sam around Fall, year one, thinking Alex was dating Haley.

His closest friends are Alex, Sebastian, Abigail and Gus.

He is currently 26 years old.

Second is...

Dimple! (It was my first save, I got lazy with the name lol not sure if she's a self insert or nah)

Dimple is quite wild, and surprisingly strong, considering her small size. She started dating Alex in either winter, year one, or spring, year two.

She's currently been in the valley for almost five years, married with two kids. Her oldest son (one year) is named Killian, and her younger daughter is Laira.

Her closest friends are Marnie, Linus, Krobus and Shane.

She was 19 when first coming to Pelican town and is now 24.

And last is...

Beebee!

She may look sweet, but what the townsfolk don't know is that Beebee is a shape-shifting bee fly monster in disguise.

(This is a bee fly btw:)

The villagers sometimes asks her where she came from, but Beebee always dodges the questions.

She has a crush on Leah, but is too shy to ask her out.

Her closest friends are Leah, Elliott, Lewis and Penny.

She is currently 22 years old.

(Beebee is my most recent save, and idk how I came up with the shape shifter idea, I thought it was kooky and fun-)

Thanks for reading, I've been thinking about these fellas all day lmao

That's sus frfr no cap, am I right, fellow kids? Skibidi gyatt yolo?

...Wdym kids don't say yolo anymore-

I'm hip and cool I promise-

I have lost it

[gayjesus2023]

MASTER LISTS

WAYS TO HELP PALESTINE

: ̗̀➛ ways you can help palestine🇵🇸

MISCELLANEOUS

: ̗̀➛ ???

╰┈➤ Coming Soon🤭

THE MAZE RUNNER

: ̗̀➛ Thomas

╰┈➤ the maze runner p.1 ╰┈➤ the maze runner p.2

ACTIVITY

I’m just gonna do smth on my activity status cause yolo.

online:💚

offline:❤️

writing:💜

feeling 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂: 💛

rn:💚

ABT ME

my name is marcus I’m 1️⃣5️⃣ I am also a gay male!! I have 2 dogs Molly and Milo!!! I also have a cat named Lucy. my best friend is @tthoughtdaughter!! she is me just a women tbh😭(I use a lot less emojis then her). i am australian (go the blues!!) my favorite book is the Percy Jackson books. My favourite movie is anything with 2014 hot guys🤑(maze runner and the hunger games.) My favourite Netflix series is gossip girl!!! modern family is my favourite out of EVERY show😭😭. fun fact abt me is that i obsess over man for a few days then i stop sooo... by the way if you have any requests just ask me and I will do my best to answer them!!! bye my luvs❤️!!

[oatflatwhite]

Totally on the hairdresser (I'm sure they're lovely) because if it's your first time dying your hair they absolutely should have told you how most shampoos will strip your colour out.

Also if they bleached it to get the colour then your hair has fundamentally changed so you might have found that you needed to change your shampoo anyway! Hair is often dryer, so needs a gentler touch so it doesn't strip it too much.

I'm sorry you didn't get to enjoy it but you will find the right products and it will continue to look awesome 💛

thank u!! I should add i actually have dyed my hair before but always natural colours e.g. blonde and shades of brown/red. and never had any issues with them and my shampoo! i didn't think to ask about a vibrant colour but yeah i wish she had talked to me anyway about it bc she knew it was my first time with a colour like that :/ u live and u learn i guess. i'm hoping i can restore it back closer to the colour it was so i can actually enjoy it for longer than a week lol! and fingers crossed i can find a product that keeps my hair non greasy, keeps the dandruff away, and doesn't fuck too much with my wavy hair. yolo!

[underneathestars]

👀 For the wholesome oc ask meme: Ann (belladezia 💛) 4, 19, 25, 26 aaaaand 11 Bonus: 14 and 15 but it's for both her and Thane u-u

Holy shit woman. Ok, let's do it.

4 - What is the thing they like the most about their friends and what is the thing their friends like the most about them?

Ann has many people around that she respects and trusts but very few close friends. Liara is probably her best friend and what she likes about her is her caring nature, her calm and her loyalty. What her friends and squadmates would probably say they like about her is her tenacity and her innate ability to bring out the best in people.

19 - What is something they excel at?

Besides tirelessly charging enemies across the battlefield? She's a very good leader, even thought she doesn't always feel this way.

25 - If they had to prepare a conference, what would be the topic of discussion?

Why did her favourite restaurant suddenly close down and what can we do to open another one again ASAP. Jokes aside, I think she'd probably want to educate people about the reapers and the war, or motivate them during the reconstruction.

26 - What would be their ideal romance? Did they find a perfect match already, is it still a work in progress, or have they experienced something out of their expectations?

Well, she surely feels like she found a perfect match in Thane, but of course it's not her ideal romance. She knows it's a story doomed from the beginning but at the same time she can't help but cling to a tiny shred of hope that everything will be alright in the end. But he's all she needs for the time being and he was so unexpected that she's just thinking about how happy she is to have found him.

11 - What is an item of clothing/an accessory that completes them/makes them feel safe?

Her amp? LOL She's very attached to her dog tags, especially after she got them from Liara. On the battlefield she relies a lot on her helmet, it makes her feel safe and protected even though she's biotically charging a Krogan with a flamethrower directed at her.

14 - Quickly, let them give us some life advice!

This is hard. For both of them, because they certainly feel like they had done many things the wrong way. Ann would probably say something like "carpe diem" or YOLO and she'd believe it fully, expecting you to do the same. Thane would probably say something practical like "quality is not an act, it is a habit". He doesn't think he's qualified to give life advices.

15 - Now you give them some life advice.

Get a room! I mean, get a therapist. Or get a beautiful seaside villa and spend the rest of your money in food, booze and comforts. Y'all gonna die anyway, might as well enjoy the time you have left.

[littlelycanonky]

My Life Recently... ☠️✨ Ft. The Baka Inc. OG's 💞 | Mini PokèmonGO, Bandra 💕 | Zavzavat Union 💖 #Love #Happy #Cute #Smile #Yolo #InstaGood #InstaDaily #InstaMood #InstaLove #OOTD #Summer #Winter #Filter #Fun #Awesome #Cool #Sexy #Dope #Explore #FYP #ForYou #RealHastaLaMuerte 🖤 | #NatusVincere 💛 #BakaForever 💕 | The Baka Inc. © (at Mumbai - मुंबई) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIGxM3LJ8K/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[avvwritesstufff]

𝙄 𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙄𝙏 𝙒𝙊𝙉𝙏 𝙒𝙊𝙍𝙆

1

𝘼/𝙉- First chapter🙌 it's lowk horrible and rushed but yolo

Tuesday, April 16th

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

@mataya.allen24

Liked by @azzi35, @angelreese5, and 172974 others

_________________________________

As I near my final days in Baton Rouge, I've had a lot of time to reflect on the incredible memories, opportunities, and lifelong friendships I've gained through basketball. For the past 18 years, this game has been my world, and I'm beyond grateful for every high, low, and lesson it's taught me. Little me would be so proud of how far I've come and all that I've experienced.

These last four years at LSU have been nothing short of a dream come true. I've grown in ways I never imagined, and I'm thankful for this place that became my home away from home. I've gained not just a ring 😉, but lifelong sisters, and I've been surrounded by people who truly were sent by God himself. But all good things must come to an end, and it's time for me to begin a new chapter as I enter the transfer portal.

To my coaches, @nikkihayes and @coachkimmulkey, thank you for shaping me into the person and player I am today. I couldn't have made it without your guidance.

To my sister @angelreese5, from the very first practice at PMAC, you've always been by my side. It's crazy to think you won't be just a room away anymore, but you know I'll be at every game cheering you on! I love you so much, Angie ❤️.

To my parents @shannonallen and @rayyallen, your support has meant everything. You pushed me to be my best every day, and I hope to be closer to home soon 💙.

Finally, to my best friend @jaylenjamess, you've been there since day one—literally. From the park at age six to now, I'm so blessed to have you beside me for this next chapter 🤞.

Thank you, Tiger Nation, and the amazing LSU staff for making my time here unforgettable.

Once a Tiger, always a Tiger 💛💜

_________________________________

@jaylenjamess- Play Good Old Days by Macklemore and ke$ha☹️

^@mataya.allen24- don't act like we aren't going to the same place...

^@user01- HELLO.

^@user02- IMAGINE THEY BOTH GO TO UCONN

@nika.muhl- miss you🩷🩷

^@mataya.allen24- miss u more nik❤️

@angelreese5- my sisterrrrrr❤️‍🩹

^@mataya.allen24- i❤️you 5

@flaujae- my supa senior💛

^@mataya.allen24- go stream Best of Both Worlds by Flau

^@flaujae- I gotta hire u for advertising tay😂

^@mataya.allen24- ion have no time for that flau, don't know how u a rapper and a baller

^@flaujae- I'm gifted🤷🏾‍♀️

^@mataya.allen24- 🙄

@aubrey.griffin44- that's my mf twin

^@mataya.allen24- see ya tmr aub🤭

@Lizzyanderson.jpg- prouda u but live closer to NY

^@mataya.allen24- I'll try Ellie 🔥

**

Once LSU was out of the tournament, Mataya entered the transfer portal. She had decided to use her year of eligibility and stay for one more year. Angel had declared for the draft and Jaylen had already decided he was transferring. If her two best friends were leaving, she wasn't gonna stay. Especially because she still had a little bit of hope that Duke or UConn would pick her up from the portal.

Mataya had posted that the morning of her last ever practice at PMAC, she and Angel were getting ready in their apartment and filming a grwm

"Hey guys, me and Angel are getting ready for our last practice," she says as her voice cracks.

"she has literally been crying all morning," Angel says rolling her eyes.

"you don't understand, this is so sad"

"I do understand, at least you have another year  in college"

"... good point anyways guys. I posted earlier this morning about my plans for next year, but if you didn't hear then you probably picked up on the context clues that I won't be staying here-"

"WASSUP BITCHESS," Jaylen says busting through the door

"holy fu-frick you scared me, Jay," Mataya says

"Why are you here" Angel asks side eyeing him

"I'm coming to your guy's last practice, I have mine tomorrow so I'm just gonna be bored until then also mulkey loves me," he says sitting down in between us

"can't wait..." Mataya jokes

While Jaylen and Angel are talking to the camera about practice, Mataya's phone starts to ring, she answers it and is met with the familiar voice of Geno Auriemma.

"good morning mataya, i apologize for the unexpected call but I wanted to be the first to do it" As soon as she heard this she got up from her seat

"uh- it's alright sir. Is everything okay?" she responds.

"Yes, I just wanted to ask you something I probably should have asked five years ago. I'd like to officially offer you the chance to become a Husky. I know this has always been a dream of yours, but I want you to make this decision for the right reasons, not just because it's something you've always imagined. I've arranged for you to sit in on one of our practices and have a proper meeting with us afterward. We'll talk more about what this opportunity could mean for you.

And while I'm speaking to you as a potential coach, I'm also coming to you as a friend of your father's. Please, before you make any decisions, take the time to visit at least one more school and weigh all your options carefully. This decision is too important to rush." He says.

Mataya was speechless "Y-yes sir, thank you so much. You don't understand how much this means to me, and I promise I will test out my options. I just have 1 question, when is this practice and how will I get there?" She asks.

"Ah, so the practice is on Thursday and your flight is Tomorrow at 3:45 pm" he replied.

"Okay thank you so much, I'll be in touch and I will see you on Thursday!" she says.

He says his goodbye and they hang up. Angel and Jaylen have been trying to listen to the call but already kind of had an idea of who it was.

Mataya literally throws her phone across the room. "Oh. My. Fuck"

"What happened" Angel and Jaylen say at the same time.

"That-That was Geno... I'm leaving tomorrow for UConn to go to a meeting." Mataya says jumping up out of her seat.

The three friends all jump around and hug each other. Jaylen went with Mataya to her first UConn Basketball game and knows how much this means to her, and though Angel didn't know her during that part of her life. She knows that this means so much to her.

"We are gonna have to cut that out" she laughs while looking at her camera

**

Once they calmed down and sat back down and while Angel and Jaylen were bickering in the background, it became real to Mataya that this was the last time that her normal was her normal. It's all gonna change after today and graduation.

"Isn't it crazy that after today's practice, we're gonna pack our things and go our separate ways?" she says low while turning to Angel.

"It's okay tay, you know we aren't gonna just leave Baton Rouge and never see each other again right?" Angel says pulling her in for a side hug

She nods and looks back at the camera. Mataya is a very emotional person so this change is gonna upset her tremendously.

**

"Okay, guys we just got to the PMAC, and Mataya is still crying," Angel says joking as she zooms in to Mataya's face and puts up peace signs.

"Stop bullying me ang!" she says from the backseat frowning.

"Can yous stop fucking around and let's go inside?" Jaylen says.

"Last time I checked you not supposed to be here," Angel says to Jaylen while fixing her hair in the camera.

**

Inside

"Okay guys we are walking in but Jay's being weird so he's joking the camera-" Mataya is interrupted with confetti and a banner hung up in the gym saying goodbye.

"no way," Angel says after hiding her face in her hands and walking over to hug Mataya.

"Surprise!" their teammates and coaches yell.

Mataya hugs Angel tighter, let's go, and runs over to Coach Mulkey

"thank you" she mumbles into her shoulder

"thank you for these two years Mataya" They pull away for a second and as soon as she tries to pull away, Kim pulls her back in and whispers in her ear "Geno called me after he called you, I'm so proud of you"

Mataya nodded with tears walked over to her teammates and hugged them all.

**

Their practice was like no other, it felt like they were all just hanging out and shooting hoops. And once those three hours came to an end, Not only Mataya but everyone found themselves shedding a few tears.

"before we leave, me and angel just wanna say thank you guys for making these past 4 years so special. We love you and are gonna miss you all, but I will see yous at one of Angels games this summer" Mataya says as they all say their goodbyes.

The girls and Jaylen helped the coaches clean up the gym and then they went up to Kim's office.

"Thanks, coach" Mataya says.

"you both have said thank you at least 6 times today," She says with a laugh

They all laugh and sit in there for another 20 minutes just talking.

**

The three of them walked into Angel and Mataya's apartment and they went into Mataya's room to help her pack for Connecticut.

"You're definitely gonna go out so u have to pick a slutty outfit," Angel says looking through Mataya's drawers and closet

"Ang!" She shouts playfully throwing a shirt at her

"She right, if you're going there you need to let em know," Jaylen says agreeing, taking Mataya's cart out of her hand.

"Okay fine then yous can pack for me, I have an assignment due," Mataya says with a smile and walks to her desk.

After she's all packed up and ready to go, Angel goes back to her room and she and Jaylen fall asleep watching a movie.

[iistridebaee]

youtube ~ iistridebae

#keeptrucking #iistridebaee #yolo

🩷🤍💛🛍️

[awritingcaitlin]

Siege of Berthingtonn

Sharpe's Rifles x Firefly

This is Book 2. It has: ✨Powerful sorceresses 💙Bodyguard romance 🧪Debatable alchemy 🤯Brainwashing magic 🥺Characters wildly out of their element 🌬️Airships 🔥Magic with a cost 💫A debatably sane oracle 🤍Morally grey antagonists ❤️Battle Couples 🩹Wound tending 🥺Characters wildly out of their element 💉Two different surgeries juxtaposed against each other ❗"Wait, you're not dead?" 🤐Deep Dark Secrets 🌠YOLO as the cure to boredom 💛Love that transcends lifetimes 💢Angry redheads

After TBW's overhaul, Siege needs a revision pass for continuity before it goes anywhere. But I'm excited for the future tweaks!

💥It's about a war that everyone expected but neither side was prepared for the other side to have that *one* thing. The MCs are caught in the middle, and many of them aren't even from the related countries. But they have to choose between running or fighting.

Opening line:

The wind on Berthingtonn’s eastern docks always seemed to blow far more strongly than it did on the west side. Ilani thought this to herself as she waited patiently in the oversized office that overlooked the harbor.

On some level, it's about cop corruption and the bullshit of war. It's also about having the rug pulled out from underneath you and trying to swim again.

If you like:

Dishonored

Firefly

Sharpe's Rifles

The Shadow Campaigns

Stormlight

Then you'll like Siege.

DAOxWOT 💢War is declared. ⛵Nathaniel must decide if he will escape with the refuges or stay to protect the people he’s come to care about. ✨Rinnie must decide if she’s risking being exploited for her thermancy or helping others. 💀Killian must get home or die trying.

[dragonsbone]

TWENTY MINUTES TO GO BUT YOLO OMG SCREAM HAPPY BIRTHDAY BB I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IM SO GLAD WE'RE FRIENDS!!!

THANK U MY LOVE IM SO HAPPY WE’RE FRIENDS TOO 💛💛💛💛

[horseshoegirl]

BETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 💛

(I finally have time to catch up on reblogs!)

It was really important for me to write this from Maeve's perspective and how it could potentially be turned into something like a painting or a drawing. She finds beauty in everything (NOT JAKE... Yet).

I LOVE MICKEY AND CORA. AND GRACE AND BOB TOO! There's a lot more planned for their characters! Just you wait!

Hehe, Jessica and Veronica... oh, those two...

NOPE. Maeve is going to cause sooo much trouble for him. I can't wait for you to catch up and see what she does... and what happens to them!

LOL, @fanficfandomlove, and you have a lot in common with defending Jake in this one. I'm not going to spoil it for you... though there are some things in there that are on the nose.

LMAO.... Maybe not a tent? 👀😅

I'm not saying anything 👀😅

I was a little worried I added too much back story! But I'm glad you think so! I don't know how much repairing or mending is going to happen... This is definitely a YOLO fic as I've been mentioning 😅

I can't wait for you to see the rest of Maeve's story!

Thank you so much for reading Beth!

Set Me Alight - Part 1: Seventeen Going Under

📜I know I should be working on FFA (Forever After All). However, I got bit by this idea of a fire look-out of all things, then had a whole dream about it. Naturally, I had to fic it. Due to story choices and plot later in the series, I have made a fictional National Park. However, it is loosely based on Mount Rainer and Olympic National Park in Washington.

❗️+18, Strong Language, Enemies to Lovers, Original Female Character, Anything Can Happen in the Woods, Forced Proximity, Bradley Bradshaw x Natasha Trace, post-college daggers, Camping/Hiking AU.

Thank you to @desert-fern for helping me with the title!!

#6k Words

Masterlist | Part 2

Camping was the last thing you wanted to do on your week off.

It will be fun, Nat said. It won't be just the two of us going, she said. It's just hiking and a campfire and seeing the sights, she said.

It was not fun. It was not just hiking and a campfire. It was a fucking bad idea.

Why, you might ask?

It was hiking in a state national park, deep in the wilderness, with only a few fire lookouts as the closest thing resembling civilization. It was miles, miles, from your home state. It was going to be fucking cold, and wet, and rainy. It would be muddy slopes, climbing up cliff faces, and watching out for blind roots and sharp rocks haphazardly sticking up from the ground. You knew you wouldn't even get to enjoy the amazing scenery because you'd be too busy making sure you didn't accidentally die by stumbling over said rock or root down a cliff.

No, all that you could have handled, despite your initial protests. That wasn't the issue.

Because 24 hours post leaving your house and arriving in Seattle, she had failed to mention that fucking Jake Seresin had been invited along too.

It wasn't as if she didn't have a chance to. Oh no, there had been many ample opportunities for either her or her boyfriend, Bradley, to let you in on that secret. Like when the two of them picked you up from your apartment in the extremely early hours of the previous morning to start the journey to Seattle. Or the long drive there, or when you checked into the hotel that night.

Nat and Bradley had been shifty about who else had been invited in general too, but you suspected the usual group. Maybe their girlfriends, if the prospect of leaving the city wasn’t too much for them.

Despite your initial protests, you were actually excited to go. Lakespur National Park was a beautiful sight at any time of the year. The mountains were snow-capped and tall, like they were touching the sky. The trees were the brightest shades of green, especially after a bout of rain. The lakes and rivers were deep pools of unreal bright baby blue, and you knew from the website that there were a couple of waterfalls hidden amongst the trails. The cliffs were high enough, too, that if you managed to find a nice lookout, the views could have stretched on for miles. And neighbouring nearby, you could spot Mount Rainer standing non-threateningly as it could in the distance.

You wanted to paint as much of it as you could before the week was over.

You had awoken in your hotel room that morning in a good mood. You appreciated the few hours of sleep you could get before you had to spend a week in the literal woods, surrounded by bugs and animals who probably wanted to eat you, sleeping in a tent with nothing but a bed roll.

That same feeling carried over to now as you opened the truck door, the scent of dirt and fresh pine invading your nose. Grabbing the support handles on either side, you carefully lowered yourself to the ground, sunlight hitting the sides of your face. It felt good to be out here; the warmth, the fresh air, the sounds of nature going on around you in the early morning light.

Nat sighed affectionately, throwing her arms wide as if she was trying to hug the entire forest. "Ah, Nature!"

You rolled your eyes, but your smirk gave you away. "You said that yesterday morning when you picked me up. It's going to get old, really fast."

She closed her eyes, giggling to herself and starting to spin on the gravel, tilting her head back. You couldn't help but laugh with her as she twirled around, the stones and dirt crunching under her feet.

Nat’s friendship was the only one that had survived College. You’re not entirely sure how you became friends either; it just kind of happened out of the blue one day. She had been in a sorority and ran in the popular crowd, so to speak. You worked in the campus art supplies store selling paint and double-stapled-backed canvas’. And when you weren’t there, you were in the studio, painting or sculpting or doing something creative that usually ended up with you covered in whatever messy medium you had decided to work with.

From those things alone, she had no real reason to want to be your friend.

You suppose you could at least trace it back to that group project the two of had been assigned to do with two other people. Two other people who didn't do jack shit, despite multiple protests from both of you. The two of you had ended up pulling an all-nighter in your apartment off campus, and to your surprise, a girl from a high-ranking sorority had been way kinder than you expected her to be.

You wanted to say the two of you bonded that night, sharing stories and laughing at funny social media posts when you forced yourselves to take breaks. And when the project was done and over with, you didn't expect her to stay around.

But she did. Suddenly, in the aftermath, she was there, texting you about her favourite book series, dragging you out of the studio, and lifting your head off a literal canvas to ensure you had something to eat or drink. She'd sit with you in the library when you had to study art history and bring coffee. And when drama hit at her sorority residence, she moved into your apartment off campus.

That's how you met Bradley. And then his football team. And the biggest asshole to ever live. You regretted a lot of things on that night, and you not standing up to him was at the very top. Written in red. And underlined.

After what he said, after what he did, you never wanted to see his face again.

Once Nat steadied herself against the truck, you turned to catch your gaze on a few familiar figures unloading their gear. You waved hi to Mickey and Ruben as they made their way over to the three of you, gear and supplies thrown over their backs. Mickey was the first to reach you, sweeping you into a hug and ruffling your head over your baseball cap. You're smiling up at him when he pulls back.

"Ready for some adventure, Maeve?" he grins.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe we’ll find some interesting things to get up to. Sightsee, tell ghost stories, see a bear or two.”

“Really, a couple of bears. You think I could take them on?”

You snorted, reaching up to slap the rim of his baseball cap down. “Only you would want to have a fight with one.”

“Come on, you’re not scared, are you?” he said, dramatically holding his hand over his heart before reaching for you. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Suddenly, a new voice pitched up from behind him. "You are joking, right? You know he will be pushing the two of us in front of him and then running for the hills screaming like a little girl."

You giggled at Cora, his girlfriend's, remark as she pushed him out of the way to give you a bear hug. “The only way you’d ever come close to looking good in that scenario is her painting it.”

Mickey frowned. "That hurts my heart, baby. Really. You really think I'd leave you ladies alone to fend for yourselves?"

You and Cora snorted at the same time. "We know you would."

Mickey pouted, and Cora only laughed, resting her cheek on the top of your head as she laughed. But you were too focused on watching Jessica, Ruben's girlfriend, approach the group, and you had to brace yourself. While you hadn't known her long, Jessica's presence often accompanied an undercurrent of tension. Her lips were curled up in what you deemed a practiced, superficial arc, the kind of smile that was more a social formality than a genuine expression of pleasure.

"Hey Jessica," you greeted her with as much warmth as possible.

She offered you a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes, and you had to force yourself not to take a step back out of Cora's arms or shutter at those eyes, wanting to tear you apart. She looked harmless, with short brown hair that framed her bubbly cheeks. But inside, you knew and felt the familiar twinge of discomfort that came from interacting with someone who clearly harboured less-than-friendly feelings about you.

Instead, you searched for Nat, who was saying something to Bradley as she lay across the front seat of the truck, leaning across the centre console with the door wide open. You called out to ask her, "Who else are we waiting on?"

There was a long-standing pause before Bradley was the one to shout out, "I don't see Javy's truck yet!"

You were about to open your mouth to reply, the retort on your lips, before someone honked a horn, and you came face to face with Javy’s Blue Chevy, kicking up stones as the massive tires rolled into the parking lot. The metal frame sparkled against the early morning sun, and you had to cover your face with your elbow to shield your eyes from the glare. Ruben called out, clapping his hand against his fist, calling out, “They arrive, finally!”

Mickey reached over and slapped him on the back, letting his hand rest on his shoulder. “Fifty bucks says pretty boy spend forever getting out of the shower?”

You jolted at the nickname. To anyone outside the group, the pretty boy reference could have been referring to Javy. But you had the context. There was only one person they could have been referring to, and like a volcano, you wanted to blow your top.

It was at this very moment you realized Nat and Bradley had purposely lied to you by omission.

“Oh no,” you grumbled out, and Cora instantly stepped back, taking her hands off you as if you were on fire and holding them out in front of her. And the two idiots realized what they had admitted, eyes wide as they took you in.

“Oh, Maeve, we thought…”

“Thought what?” you seethed. "What did you think, exactly?"

Javy cut the engine of his truck and swung open the driver’s door, turning in his seat to see everyone, a huge smile on his face as he took everyone in. That was until he landed on you.

“Maeve…” he called out cautiously, hopping down and holding his hands out in front of him nervously.

Don’t Maeve me! Who is in your truck with you? And don’t tell me it’s just Veronica.”

Javy bit his lip, contemplating what he could possibly say to you that would get you to calm down and just listen. But the longer he took, the more you came to the realization that that asshole was, indeed, riding shotgun in his truck.

And when the front passenger door opened and closed, the second you saw the flash of blonde hair, your vision turned red.

And just let that - every single good feeling, every thought of not needing to worry about him showing his face - quicken into flashing white anger. The whole group seemed to know it too, tensing up as your face started to turn beat red, and your mouth was poised open, ready to give the worst shout of their lives.

"Fuck no, Nat! Absolutely fucking not!” You practically screamed, turning to face her with your hands on your hips. Mickey dropped his chin to his chest with a sigh. “Yup, there’s the Midge we all know and love.”

Natasha sighed, mocking your stance as she readied herself for the argument. "Come on, you wouldn't have agreed to come had you known."

"You're damn fucking right, I wouldn't have agreed!" you fumed. "Why on God's earth would you think a whole fucking week with the two of us in close proximity would be such a good idea?!"

Nat went to reply, but the sound of shuffling gravel and a low, resonant thud of weight shifting on the side of Javy’s truck interrupted her, letting all of you know who inserted themselves into the conversation.

"Good to see you still have that mouth on you, Midge."

You slammed your eyes shut in annoyance at the sound of his voice.

Midge.

The not-so-subtle nickname he had bestowed upon you that everyone had suddenly taken to using. They all figured it was in reference to your height, or maybe for short for your weird ass name, as Jake once called it. Out of all of them, including Nat, you were the tiniest of the group. The entire football team towered over you, and while they meant it affectionately, endearingly, in the kindest way possible, Jake had to be the cocky smart ass.

A Midge was also in reference to a fly. A small but fucking annoying fly. He just had to double-whammy you twice.

Bradley came around from the driver's side of the truck, a slight grimace on his face. "Sorry, Maeve, I thought she had told you he was coming.”

Nat might have played a part in not telling you Jake would be here, but she wasn't solely to blame for his presence. No, that was entirely Bradley's fault.

Jake was his best friend, after all.

You marched forward, staring into his face, a finger pointed and pressing deep into his chest. "Why the ever living hell did you invite him!?"

Bradley regarded you for a moment before letting out a sigh. "You know why," he mumbled under his breath only to you, looking down at the breast pocket of his jacket.

Your heart twinged in your chest. You did know why. You helped him pick out that ring. Bradley wanted to propose to Nat on this trip, and it only made sense he'd want his best friend around when it did happen. It quelled your anger for a few seconds.

You could have handled a day. Maybe. A morning or afternoon. A few hours. An hour. Yes, you could have managed to be in the same space as Jake for one single hour. One hour, with doors and indoor plumbing and a driveway where you could park your car for a conveniently easy escape.

Not a whole fucking week. In a forest. With him.

"Please, Maeve," Nat begged from behind you. "This week is important to me. To us. We just want to have a good time with everyone together.”

With your back still facing her, you slammed your eyes shut.

Only if she knew the real truth behind such a statement.

Letting your head rest back on your neck, you opened your eyes to stare up at the sky. You knew you had to do this for Nat. She was one of the few friends you really had, and she had done more for you than you ever thought possible.

You owed her that much.

You turned to face her, taking in her pouting lip before your eyes finally tracked to Jake. He had crossed his arms, still leaning up against the side of Javy's truck. You watched as he wetted his lips in amusement. Your eyes stalked the movement, and for the first time since he arrived, you finally set your eyes on him.

"Oh, come on now, Midge," the asshole grinned at you. "Surely we can get along for a couple of days."

You gritted your teeth, your face scrunching up in disgust.

It had been close to six months since the last time you saw Jake Seresin. He had brought some chaotic tramp who was obsessed with horoscopes and star signs to Nat and Bradley's housewarming party, offering up no conversation except she was a Cancer and that it had to be the explanation and answer to any bizarre behaviour she might possess. You hated that. You hated her, though hate was too strong of a word to use on someone you'd probably never see again.

It made you want to throw up to see how she clung to Jake like he was her personal meal and how he ate it up with no shame.

But Jake didn't look like he did back then. He was more laid back now, in a button-up shirt and a short beard, ray bans hanging from the hem of his shirt. Nothing like the stereotypical playboy college type with rich parents that you knew him to be. Not the man with sharply defined edges and polo shirts as if he was about to descend on his mother’s fancy golf club. Not if he had been handed everything in his life on a silver platter.

Turning your head, you saw Nat's pleading gaze, and when you turned to Bradley, he mouthed a desperate "please." Sighing, you motioned for him to open the tailgate, only to grab your hiking bag from the flatbed and hoist it over your shoulders dramatically.

Adjusting the straps on your shoulders, you huffed out, "Hell better be fucking freezing over if I was ever forced to get along with you."

Collective sighs went up around the group, and you swore you could even see a few sag their shoulders in relief. Yet, that cocky asshole only continued smiling, maybe even wider than before.

"Chin up, sweetheart. There are worse people you could be stuck with out here, in the wilderness."

Your cheeks felt hot. "I'm not your fucking Sweetheart, Asshole."

"Would you like to be?"

Six fucking months and he hadn't changed. Even before that, with how intermittently you saw him. You were too scared to do anything back then about him and his attitude and his fucking mouth.

Now? You’d hit him in a heartbeat now. You were about to, if not for a gentle hand on your arm that prevented you from stepping forward to take a swing at him.

"Come on, Midge, you can stay back with us."

You allowed yourself to be turned, coming face to face with Bob and his girlfriend, Grace. You unclenched your fists almost immediately.

You liked Bob. He was sweet and kind and always had a smile on his face. And Grace had been nothing but kind to you since the day you met her. She looped her arm through yours, securely holding it to her side.

"He's not worth the brain cells," she whispered in your ear. You giggled loudly.

Bradley whistled loudly, making the group gather around, placing him and Nat at the center.

“Thank you all for coming! We all need to check in with the park ranger first,” Bradley started. “But first things first, we need to go over the rules and responsibilities!”

Nat pulled out a piece of paper from her jacket pocket, unfolding the edges and holding it out in front of her.

“Bob and Grace, you’re in charge of campfires! That includes the wood, the setting up and putting out! We don’t need to create any forest fires, so you guys are on this one!”

It made sense, you thought. They were probably the most responsible out of the group. Though you were slightly surprised they didn’t put Bob in charge of the map.

"Bradley and I are in charge of food! You carry your own shit during the day, but at the end of the night, it goes in the bag to hang up in a tree."

Collective murmurs of agreement went around the group. Nat continued to sound out names and tasks. It was obvious Mickey and Cora would be deemed the group's first aid leaders, Mickey being a firefighter and Cora being a nurse. Javy and Veronica were assigned to be on the lookout for freshwater, though you suspected Javy would be more cautious of looking for the designated spots than Veronica would be. And Ruben and Jessica, you had to hold in your laugh when her face dropped into an absolute look of displeasure when Nat called out they'd be on trash and trail sweep duty.

“Finally, Midge and Jake.”

You raised your eyebrow at the implication behind the ‘and' and what form of torture she might have in store for you.

"Navigators," she called out, eyeing the two of you cautiously. "The both of you will take turns navigating us to all of our campsites, trading off the compass and the map. One day, it's Maeve, the other Jake."

You wanted to argue, to call out that Jake wouldn't be able to navigate himself, let alone a group of people, through a national park, but you stopped yourself. You knew of the delicate balance you needed to maintain. Nat knew it, too. It's why she approached you with a careful eye

“Don’t kill Jake,” she eyed you sternly before turning to Jake and pointing her finger. “Don’t kill Maeve.”

You sallowed. "I won't if he doesn't start it first."

From the sound of the shift in gravel, you knew Jake had set his eyes on you, and you could feel them burning holes into the side of your skull. You resisted the urge to meet his gaze, to challenge or confront the unspoken thoughts you felt hanging between you. Instead, you focused on Nat, nodding to acknowledge the assignment.

Nat knew better, glaring at the two of you discerningly. She knew the two of you well enough to sense the undercurrents of tension. You had been careful with her, never revealing the true reason behind why you held so much disdain towards Jake. And you had no idea what he might have disclosed to them, but you were sure it was laced with the same damn message as always, shouting it as loud as he could to the first person he saw.

Midge is a bitch. I don't know why you’d waste your time being around her. She is as two-faced as they come, and whatever she's said or done, it's a personal attack on me when I've done nothing wrong.

Nat sighed, her frustration evident. "I mean it. If you two can't get along, at least be civil. Or so help me, I'll feed both of you to the first wild animal I see."

You knew she was joking, but the seriousness in her eyes conveyed the underlying ultimatum.

"Fine," you huffed first. Jake rolled his eyes, huffing out a less than enthusiastic, "Fine."

You could almost hear the single collective thought of the group: 'This should be interesting.'

Although the pair of you agreed with Nat's terms, tension remained between you. Nat gave each of you one final, pointed look before rejoining the others, leaving an awkward silence in her awake.

Jake, with a knowing and equally cocky smirk, couldn't resist throwing in a final quip. "Who knows, maybe at the end of all this, we might share a tent," he called out over his shoulder as he began to walk away, his voice loud enough for others to hear.

Yet, all he did was loudly laugh at your reply when you heatedly shouted back in kind, "Fuck off, Seresin! Unkindly, fuck off!”

---

You reached the first campsite around early mid-afternoon, having navigated these woods thus far with the agility of a deer avoiding a thicket of thorns and stones, always aware and always at least several feet apart from the one thing you were sure would kill you if you weren't careful.

You had stayed at the back of the group with Bob and Grace as much as possible, catching up with them while Jake took the lead, navigating everyone toward what would be your home for the night.

Grace spent the time talking about her job at the museum. She was a curator, which is probably why you got along with her so well. While she was passionate about the history surrounding a piece of art, you loved the actual creation process. That's how she met Bob, who had been hired there as an archaeologist.

Somewhere along the way, you realized you were only catching snippets of the conversation, her latest exhibit she was building with Bob. You felt bad but placed the blame entirely on the asshole with the compass.

It was a miracle the group ended up at the actual campsite. Jake had done everything wrong. From holding the compass incorrectly to naming the wrong trail markers or reading the map as if it were a field guide to an 18-hole golf course at a rich man's club. With each move he made or every word he spouted, saying it was "This way" or "That," you had to bite your tongue. Even if you tasted blood, you weren't going to start something he couldn't finish.

It didn't stop the glares, though, or the dirty looks. Or the fact your brain couldn't stop trying to figure out what point he was trying to prove by dressing like that?! If you hadn't spent as long as you had hating him, you'd even go as far as to say he looked good.

Fuck Maeve, you are not going there!

Your home for the rest of the afternoon and night was a sparse little clearing framed by several big trees, the branches high enough that it seemed like they were protecting the space below. Everyone had instantly split up, searching for a spot where they might set up camp. You found one easily enough, not too far from everyone else but enough to make the space your own.

Setting up your tent, you watched with a smirk from a distance as Jake wrestled with his tent, the poles flying in all directions in some comedic fashion. You contemplated whether or not to go over and help him, though it almost seemed sweeter to watch him struggle.

The further away he was, the better.

You had strategically chosen a quiet corner, just close enough between Bob and Grace and Cora and Mickey. You wouldn’t dare go anywhere near Nat and Bradley’s tent unless you didn’t want to get a decent night’s sleep. You were already scarred from College. You didn’t need another instance topping that one.

Grace and Bob had already taken the liberty of making the fire for tonight, rearranging the designated stone pit in the middle of the site into the correct shape and loading it with firewood. Everyone was already sitting around it, off in their own stories and conversations before dinner. You’d initially been drawn into the conversation with Nat and Grace sitting next to you, but it had taken a different turn, and your initial laughter had sounded more forced than you’d care to admit.

And you were too busy watching Jake on the other side of the fire, waiting for the moment he’d strike. But the afternoon lagged on, and he never did. Not until he finally caught your eye, that familiar smirk playing on his lips - the one you know he knew got under your skin - that your ability to tolerate his presence cracked hard.

You stood abruptly, not allowing him the chance to wind you up like some toy.

"I'm going to go for a swim," you said pointedly to Nat and Grace, ignoring the asshat sitting in the corner. "I shouldn't be long."

They only nodded at you, continuing back to their conversation. Bob was the only one who seemed to address your remark.

"Be safe!" He called out after you. "The park ranger said to be on the lookout for bears!"

You mocked-saluted him with two fingers. "Scouts honour!"

You didn’t hear the hushed whispers or giggles you left in your wake from Jessica or Veronica, nor did you see how Jake’s eyes narrowed, watching you depart from the group.

The lake wasn't far off from the campsite, maybe about a five-minute walk. The promise of cool water and some peace and quiet to sort out your thoughts was enough to entice you away from the group and lift your spirits. You didn't know how many opportunities you would be able to find on the rest of the trip to escape like this, so you knew you needed to take them when you could.

In addition to the warning you got about the bears in the area, the other wildlife you might encounter, and even the strict warning the group received about this being peak wildfire season, the Park Ranger also mentioned this particular campsite would be the only one with decent cell service. If you wanted to call anyone before you ventured further into the park, you had better do it now.

You called your aunt as you walked. She picked up on the fourth ring.

“Did you step on a snake, or did you get mauled by a bear?”

“Hello to you too, Aunt Viv.”

Your Aunt Viv was considered the crazy one out of your family. Not because of her mannerisms or personality or the fact she probably was borderline close to adding “Friendly Wine Aunt” to her title, she was the only one to have broken off from tradition. She was, perhaps, one of your favourite people in the world for that reason alone.

“Well, when you told me you’d be spending a week out in some fucking forest, I assumed you wouldn’t have cell reception.”

You rolled your eyes, haphazardly avoiding a sharp rock sticking out from the ground, when you finally realized it was in your path.

“At this point, I wish it was one of the above. That way, I’d have an easy and reasonable way out,” you pouted.

There was a pregnant pause on the other end until you heard the thump of a bucket drop to the ground somewhere. “You were so excited to paint those landscapes. What happened? Is he there?”

You huffed. She knew you better than your own parents and your own brother.

“That obvious?”

She sighed through the phone, and you could picture her shaking her head. “Honey, nothing ruins your excitement more than that fucking waste of a man.”

You giggled at her remark. “I regret ever showing you his photo.”

“A woman my age can fantasize all she likes, even if he is a downright bastard.”

“And did say mention of said bastard just make you drop a bucket of apples?”

It was harvest season for her, all the way back in California. Aunt Viv’s apples were probably some of the best you could ever get on this side of the West Coast. Growing up, you always loved to run through the lanes of Galas and Smiths, climbing the trees for the best and brightest apples to eat.

“Don’t you worry, my dear. You know the worms aren’t that fast.”

You shook your head affectionately, finally lifting your eyes off the trail to take in the water. There was a part of you that regretted not bringing your sketchbook down with you, but you knew you could never do it justice. The blue of the water would never have matched the correct shade, and you wouldn't have been able to get the curve of the shoreline the right way or shadow the rivets of water at the right depth.

Sitting on a nearby rock, you dropped your head between your shoulders, letting it hang low.

“I don’t know what to do, Aunt Viv,” you sighed into the phone, pressing your hand to your forehead. There was another pause.

“Maybe you could talk to him about what happened?” she offered hesitantly.

“No, absolutely not,” you rushed out in a single breath. "I barely knew him for a single night before he started running his mouth about me. Why should I give him a chance when he never gave me one in the first place? Besides, he doesn't even know I know what he said."

You were met with more silence on the other end before she affectionately admonished, “Maeve, you don’t have to be scared of him. He’s just a man.”

Her words echoed in your mind, a gentle reproach that chafed against your pride. You weren't scared of Jake. Not really. Not of him, exactly, but of facing those feelings his words had stirred in you - feelings of inadequacy, of not being enough.

It held your breath hostage in a vice grip, tight.

“It’s one week,” you said, the words a half-hearted attempt to convenience yourself of the idea more than her. “It’s just one week where I can find ways to stay out of his way and not be a bother, and then I can leave and come help you out and drink all the dirty apple cinder I want.”

“You can have all the dirty apple cinder you want when you get here, but Maeve, don’t you shrink yourself down for a man who wouldn’t know a diamond if he held it in his hand, okay?”

Your grip on the phone tightened, her words stirring the embers of your resolve. “I’ll just keep to myself and the painting. That’s what I’m here for, right?”

“And your friend, right? Nat?”

You were. But even then, there was a small part of you that was deeply unsure of the why.

“Yeah,” you replied softly. “Bradley, too.”

She gently reminded you to have fun and to be safe before she had to go. The second you hung up your phone, you sighed, rubbing your eyes.

Pushing your towel off your shoulder and placing it on the rock beside you, you reached for the hem of your shirt, peeling it away from your body before doing the same with your leggings. You let your fallen pieces of clothing pile on the ground, and you closed your eyes, letting out a deep breath as you breathed in the clear air, finally allowing yourself to relax.

“Boyfriend trouble, Midge?”

Almost.

Gritting your teeth, you made to cover your body, your arms wrapping themselves tightly around your torso, your nails digging hard into your skin.

"Why the hell would you want to know, of all people?" you snapped at him, turning slowly on your heel. Standing before you, it took you a second to remember just how massive Jake was.

It had been a while since you’d been this close to him. His height and build, attributes that in another context might be admired, now served to remind you of the vulnerability you felt around him. You, with your smaller, short frame staring up at his face, were only reminded of that fact. The broadness of his shoulders, stretching the fabric of his button-up in a way that spoke of strength, with the way he always seemed to carry himself, made him see larger as if he was occupying more space than what was physically possible.

You stood there, trying to hold your ground, but the disparity in your sizes made you feel exposed, almost childlike. He's just a man, your aunt had reminded you.

Yeah, he is a man.

A man you hated with a burning passion. That was clear as day.

"Why are you here, Seresin?" you asked pointedly, ignoring the absence of a reply. He eyed you back. "Same as you. Bradley's going to purpose and wanted his best friend here."

You rolled your eyes. "No, what are doing fucking following me?"

"Fishing," Jake shrugs as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, spreading his arms out to prove a point, the rod and fishing line bouncing in his hand.

You raised your eyebrows at him. “Fishing? Really? Then please, be my guest. Poaching is a great way to get yourself kicked out of the park.”

Jake scowled at you. “You ever hear of catch and release, Midge?” he scoffed.

The laugh you let out was heartless. “Clearly, you know the concept all too well.”

You were dead set on escaping him, turning on your heel and marching towards the water without another word. Jake clearly thought the opposite, reaching forward to grasp at your elbow, pulling you back.

"Midge, stop! It's so like you to run off and ignore all your problems!"

Your turn towards Jake was sharp, a swift pivot that tore your arm from his grasp. Your eyes blazed with raw, unfiltered fury and resentment.

How dare he touch you!

"My problems!? What fucking problems would those be? I'm not the one purposely playing show and tell with my ego!"

Jake's face hardened. "My ego? You're the one making a scene every five minutes. You're the one that needs to calm down."

You glared at him, unwrapping your arms from around your chest to hang them at your sides, balling your hands into fists.

If he wanted calm, you'd show him the exact opposite.

"I'm not the one offering up cheap shots with every other breath. If you throw it at me, I'm going to throw that shit right back!"

Jake's eyes dropped to your exposed skin and the black bikini you had quickly changed into when you set up your tent. You saw it happen, and with each pass over your body, it felt like scrutiny, as if he was picking apart your every flaw, every scar, every wrinkle or flabby piece of skin. It was more ammo for more cheap shots later, no doubt.

Oh, so it's my fault then?" he sneered. "You're the one always ready to jump down my throat at the slightest provocation. Maybe if you weren't so defensive all the time, we could actually have a civil conversation and not ruin the fucking weekend for everybody."

You went to cover your body once again. "What do you fucking suggest then? Considering you cannot stand to call me out on something every two seconds?"

"Me?" he scoffed. "You're the one that seems to shutter in complete disgust every time I'm within breathing distance of you."

The retort was there, right on the tip of your tongue, ready to be unleashed on the world. That he said the same about you first, behind your back, no unless. It hung on your bated breath, waiting for the first word to be spoken, but something tethered you remain silent.

You couldn't admit that you knew, not know. You couldn't confront him about it either. He had proven here, and many times before, that the fault solely rested within you. And if you confronted it, that meant dredging up all the pain you meticulously buried under your disdain.

Admitting the real reason behind your spite, acknowledging the hurt he had caused, felt like giving him power over you, and that was the last thing you wanted.

You were going to back out before you said something you might regret.

"Okay, how about this? " You stated, holding your hands up in front of you, equal width apart. "This is you, and this is me. And this," you exaggerated, moving one of your hands into the center of the imaginary space you created, "is the boundary. We do not cross the boundary. We do not talk unless necessary, and we don't get into each other's way but to pass off the fucking compass to one another."

Jake scoffed. "You can't expect me to believe that is going to work?"

You dropped your hands to your hips. "Well, Mr. Smart Ass, have any other ideas that don't involve ruining Nat and Bradley's week?"

"I'm not that fucking heartless, Midge!" Jake retorted, his voice rising. "I'm not going to ruin it for them, but I won't tiptoe around you either. Whatever your problem is with me, it's yours to figure out on your own. Until then, put your selfish feelings and attitude aside and let them be happy!"

Something hit you square in the chest with his words. Your eyes began to sting, the sensation warning you of the impending overflow of unforgivable tears, and you tried to covertly blink them away. Everything was converging into a single, painful point in your chest, your mind now racing past every insecurity, every moment that had been magnified by Jake's previous words the night you met him - now being echoed yet again.

It was a raw exposure you hadn't anticipated, nor one you were prepared for.

"I'm not being selfish." You tried to hide the hurt from your voice. "But I guess that's a little too much to ask from someone like you."

Jake clenched his jaw. "Fine," he shouted, throwing up his hands. "You stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

You stomped off with a shaky breath towards the shoreline, trying to ignore the tremor in your hands or how your stomach was flipping inside out, falsely warning you of some unknown danger or threat. Jake stormed off at the same time as you, stones crunching under his boots, and you had to force yourself from turning back to watch him leave.

Instead, you stepped into the water, the cool temperature shocking your system, but you pushed on, stepping forward until your waist was level with the lake.

Wading deeper into the water, you try to cast him from your mind. The lake water enveloped you, the cold water soothing on your skin and joints. You tried to pay no mind to Jake as you heard him cast his line off down the shoreline, letting your hands glide along the water's surface instead. You watched how the ripples cascaded out, surrounding your hand, and you found the motion soothing.

You suddenly sprung forward, diving under before you kicked yourself up into a dead man’s float, trying to push every single intrusive thought from your mind. Slowly treading the water with your hands, you let the silence flood your ears.

It wasn't an impossible task. You could do this: ignore him for the entire week and get away without interacting with him unless absolutely necessary. You could stay back with Bob and Grace or Cora and Mickey while he did whatever with the rest of them. You would let Nat have her moment to celebrate with her friends when Bradley did decide to pop the question, and you would smile and hug and toast to whatever came of it.

In some ways, you already had been. Because if staying at the back of the pack, away from Jake and out of everyone's hair, was the one thing you could do to make this experience the happiest for her, for them, you would do it.

So it was at that moment you decided Jake fucking Seresin was not going to have any opportunities to drive that fucking wedge any deeper than it already was.

But if a bear did decide to show up, you knew just exactly who you were tripping first.

Tagging a few people from the tag list form! Let me know if you want to be tagged! Or if you're interested in being tagged in fics now or in the future, Click here.

Taglist:

@desert-fern @sarahsmi13s @teacupsandtopgun @fanficfandomlove @dakotakazansky @startrekfangirl2233 @hookslove1592 @dizzybee03 @kmc1989 @lynnevanss @dempy

@shanimallina87 @wildxwidow @keyrani @atarmychick007 @buckysteveloki-me @trickphotography2 @stargazer-88 @tinytotontheoversizedpony @alldaysdreamers @The-dark-and-the-mystery

@formulafun @djs8891

-Lucky/Wickett/Em

Part 2: Abracadabra - Coming soon!

[zee-has-commitment-issues]

Okay, so I'm gonna put out a thought which may be an unpopular opinion but that's what we're doing right?

I think, Sara and August.....might work as a couple? And I don't mean it in a way I ship them. Like, their relationship is bred out of the most toxic situations you can ever think of and sure, majority of their relationship will be toxic.

But....they both majorly fucked up respectively. And nobody will "get" their motivations to do so better than each other(ugh it sounds so toxic).

I don't want them to work, I just think that they might just....do. Unless Sara has a new love interest as speculated.

Hope it makes sense lmao

~ heartbreakprincewille 💛

YES! THANK YOU!

I've been thinking about this for ages. Sara and August make sense. I hate it, but it's true. I don't want them to work by any means, but I think it would be so interesting to watch them actually develop feelings for each other. (Again, I really don't want them to actually become a couple, but as a story line, this shit would slap.) Their connection brewed from the most fucked up situation, but now they're holding this secret together. This huge secret. And Sara seems to have this weird power over August. Every time they're alone together, she ends up winning the "battle for dominance." The first time August kissed her, she literally laughed in his face, and yet for some reason August keeps just giving in? Like he could have destroyed her at Hillerska on multiple occasions and he just didn't.

I honestly think they work. I don't ship it. I hate them both with a passion right now.

But it kind of works...

Right?

I hope if any of the girls get a love interest this season, it's Felice. I also hate to admit that I'd like to see Sara and August have a creepy ass connection now. Not because they should be together, but because they work even though they shouldn't.

I'm 1000% about to get cancelled for this. YOLO.

Send me your wildest Young Royals opinions/ headcanons/ thoughts (you can do it anonymously if you want) and I’ll react to them. I want to shake the fandom about anything other than the LT or Omar and Nurbo for a second.