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Realistic or Modern hollywood arts: main (open!!)
Daniel Reaving
Thirty Thousand Club
coded by weldherwings.
geminiy
v tired
Eli was still fuming as the pair walked towards the Ferris wheel, though he tried to repress the boiling in his veins. Instead, he turned his attention to Jan, the feeling of her hand nestled carefully in his, the sound of her voice cutting through the roar of the fair around them, to their casual conversation that distracted his roaming thoughts away from the anger that was beginning to simmer down.
Although Eli was talking, filling their walk with calm conversation, his mind kept returning to what Jan had disclosed to him. Part of him felt wrong for wanting to punch the lights out of someone he had never met, but there was a tiny part of him that relished the idea. Between being angry and responding to Jan, he attempted to figure out a reason as to why, or how, anyone could be so cold-hearted and needlessly cruel. He wasn’t some kind of altruist that believed that people were naturally good and flawless, that was far from the case. As optimistic as Elias is, he knew that human flaw turned good people bad. Still, he tried to look for the good in every person, not knowing what the circumstances were to make them so heartless. Yet, he came up blank for the first time in a long time trying to think up an explanation for Gentry’s actions.
“Two tickets, please!” Elias requested cheerfully to the ride conductor, sliding a bill carefully across the stand with a grin on his face. Tickets in hand, he tucked them in his back pocket and gave a nod to the worker. “Thank you very much. Have a wonderful day.”
By the time Eli and Jan were in line for the Ferris wheel, their talks had grown quieter and quieter until silence hit. Usually, he would try to fill the stagnant air with some sort of friendly small talk, but this time he hardly minded the silence. It was refreshing to be able to stand quietly in a comfortable silence, especially with someone so new to him. Of course, Jan hardly felt like a near stranger. She felt more as if she had been in Elias’ life forever, like a duo of old friends in contact with one another again.
He hadn’t even noticed Jan was on her phone, far too distracted by the beautiful sights of the fair, until her hand tensed in his. Eli really hadn’t meant to look at her screen, the last thing he wanted to do was to invade her privacy, but it was difficult to ignore the blue layout of Twitter flashing across her screen. Hopping onto his own device, Eli found himself immersed in embarrassing jokes and… was that him thrusting? Who the hell put that on the internet?
The conversation spiralled much more quickly than Eli had been expecting, taking one turn for the worse after another until finally, he slipped up. Mentioning Charlie had been easy, far too easy for it not to be a mistake. Mistake or intentional, his words were truthful. He had dated her. Things had ended badly. It had been his fault.
Before Eli had a chance to react, they were being herded onto the Ferris wheel, the door closed and locked, sealing Eli in the cart with Jan. He didn’t know what to do besides stow his phone away in his pocket and ignore the cold air that was biting at his skin as they climbed one side of the ride slowly. At least Jan was warm.
"So you and Charlie dated? Sucks that it had to come out that way.”
Eli looked over, his face softened with hurt. It was entirely his fault, the whole damn thing. Of course Jan had seen the messages. Hell, half of Hollywood Arts had seen his message! She was being so sweet about it all, rather understanding despite the circumstances, yet Eli couldn’t help but feel guilty.
"You do not have to tell me anything about it at all. Seriously, I'm not entitled to know anything at all, it's not like you and I are dating or something. Not that I wouldn't want to date you! I mean, I don't WANT to date you, or uh. We don't have to talk about it."
Normally, a comment such as that would have sparked some flirtatious or kind remark out of the dancer, at the very minimum pulled a smile to his lips, but his mind was far too preoccupied to react positively. Instead, he simply slumped back further in his seat, quietly thinking for a moment. He had to tell her.
“I guess it’s just easier to start from the beginning, with Charlie and I, I mean.” Eli eventually spoke, his voice level and calm. “We met when we were just kids, we danced at the same studio. She was friends with Ash at the time and I really didn’t think much of her until we were paired up for a dance for this one recital. Things went really well, we got along great and our instructor decided to pair us together for duets for the upcoming competition season.
“It is sort of difficult to not get close to someone when you’re spending hours a day with them, learning complex dances before you’ve even reached double digits. But it wasn’t just dance that we bonded over. We seemed like natural friends, like we were designed to get along well. Of course, our instructors took advantage of that. Eventually, we were in every competition, showcase, and recital together. We booked auditions for things together, practiced our solos together. We even spent most of our time outside of competition together. Gen was usually busy so Ash, Charlie, and I became something of a trio.”
Elias paused as he took a deep breath at the height of the Ferris wheel. Damn, he hated heights. Luckily for him, the anxiety of telling Jan the story of how he ruined the best friendship he had ever had was enough to conquer the nagging fear of plummeting to his death in an Elias shaped pancake on the fairgrounds below.
“Anyways, we were really close. Charlie was my best friend, I felt sorta empty without her. As corny as it is, it was like a piece of me was missing when she wasn’t around.” Elias continued, a sadness lingering in his voice. Eli would never admit it, but he still felt that loneliness, even though it had been months since their breakup. “So, naturally, when Charlie found out about Hollywood Arts, we applied together. We did the auditions together and spent a week in L.A. with our families. It was an amazing trip. A few weeks later, Charlie got the call that she got in and I didn’t even get a call back.
At first, she didn’t want to go without me. She said that there wasn’t much of a point to dancing if I wasn’t there. But, I encouraged her to go anyways, to follow her dreams of becoming a professional dancer. I was so proud of her that I really didn’t realize what that meant for our friendship until she left when I was a sophomore in high school. It hurt really bad. We called every night until eventually, Charlie stopped picking up the phone. She was busy and I understood that. But that didn’t mean it hurt any less.”
At the top of the Ferris wheel once again, Elias found himself holding his breath slightly and gripping onto the edge of the cart. He felt faint as he looked to the ground far below covered in food stalls and fair rides and little people scurrying around like ants. Eli’s back ran cold, a shiver of discomfort running down his spine. Why did he ever agree to go on the damn Ferris wheel? Eventually, their cart began their descent and Elias relaxed slightly as they slowly inched towards the safety of the ground.
“Anyways, I got a call from Hollywood Arts a few months after Charlie left saying that they wanted me to reauditon. Gen had decided that she wanted to get in for modelling so we both auditioned and got in. It was perfect: Gen and I got into the school of our dreams, Ash was there, and I got the chance to reunite with Charlie. Towards the end of sophomore year, we moved and began school there.
Things were… different after I reunited with Charlie. She was concerned about money and eventually made the switch into the music department on a full-ride scholarship. But all those months apart sort of made things feel different. We ended up spending time together, trying to bring back our friendship, when one day, during the middle of my junior year, I just kissed her. It felt natural, comfortable, like it was what we were supposed to do. I hadn’t ever really considered Charlie someone I was attracted to until I kissed her that day. It didn’t take us long to start dating.”
Now for the kicker. Breathe, Elias, you’re almost there.
“I wanted to keep things private. I knew people would have a million questions and would judge us if we were open about the fact that we were dating. Charlie was sorta my first everything, too. She wasn’t my first girlfriend, but she was my first real girlfriend, someone I actually knew I loved. I just wanted to take it slow, to keep what we had real and just between us. For a long time, it worked. I only ever told Ash because I was terrified Gen would freak out if she knew. Last summer, Gen was in Italy. Things were getting serious between Charlie and I. She wanted to go public, I wanted to keep things private. We both said things we regret and she ended up breaking up with me. We, uh, we haven’t talked since.”
The Ferris wheel chimed that they were on the last loop around as Eli finished his story, his heart climbing up into his throat as they began to rise to the top one last time. Just one round left to go and they would be done.
“I know our breakup was my fault, or at least partially my fault. And part of me will always love Charlie, it is impossible not to after knowing each other for so long. I wish we could be friends again but I know that isn’t possible, especially after what happened between us. I’m just glad she’s happy and moving on, mostly because I think I am too.” Eli finished, gripping the side of the cart once again as they rose to the top.
They climbed, and climbed, and climbed.
Then stopped.
Eli looked down in horror, the cart shaking mildly as the ride lurched to a stop. His face paled as his grip turned ironclad on the cart, his heart racing in his chest. Eli closed his eyes, waiting for the ride to move again. They were letting people off, which was fine, but why on earth did they have to stop right at the top?
“So yeah, that’s what happened.” Eli spoke, his voice shaky as he tried to stabilize himself by leaning back further into his seat. “I, uh, suppose that this is a terrible time to tell you that I’m terrified of heights, huh?”
location
the fair
mood
'why are we so high up'
outfit
sick jacket, bro
tags
january
sunshineysoul
ash (mentioned)
charlie (mentioned)
coded by natasha.
geminiy
v tired
“Hhhhhh…”
Charlie’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, preparing to step back. Was Lin gonna puke on her or something? That was really not what she was going for. Sure, her confession wasn’t exactly the most romantic or sweet or whatever, but Charlie was certain it wasn’t ‘puke on the face worthy’.
“Like you, too.”
Eyes widening, Charlie’s stiffened body relaxed.
“Oh.” She managed to mutter before the grin burst onto her face. Well, that was certainly much nicer than being vomited on or ditched or any of the other horrid outcomes that had been racing through her mind when she had confessed her feelings to him.
Of course, any logical person would have seen this exchange coming from miles away. Given their track record and alikeness and chemistry, it only seemed natural that the two eventually grew closer. And Ashton West was a damn genius for setting them up, mostly because neither one of the pair would have said anything without them. Now, would Charlie ever admit to this fact? No. Was she going to thank Ash later and then promptly tell her to never set her up on another blind date again? Definitely.
Charlie’s grin only widened as Lin continued to talk, his stammers eventually turning into words then meaningful sentences. And then, before Charlie could register what was happening, Lin was kissing her. It wasn’t as odd as she was expected, especially after the talk of frenching mannequins and older girls had set a rather unfortunate and not at all accurate precedence.
After the second kiss, Lin pulled away and gave Charlie a moment to process what had just happened. He hadn’t rejected her, he hadn’t laughed at her, he hadn’t turned her away. No meteors came crashing down from the sky, they were not swallowed up into some raging fiery pit, there was no inevitable heat death of the universe. Lin had just told her what she had been wanting to hear all day, letting out what they both knew was true. It felt nice.
“Well, I guess that settles it then.” Charlie said rather nonchalantly, smiling up at the boy with rouged cheeks. “Though, I have to clarify that I was the one who asked you first, technically. You don’t get to steal my victory, Terminator.”
Rocking up onto the tips of her toes, Charlie kissed Lin again, this time taking control over what happened. Lin wasn’t a bad kisser, quite the opposite, just less experienced. And hey, Charlie had been wanting to kiss the guy all day, who could really blame her? As she pulled away, she laughed softly as she bounced back onto the flat of her feet, her hands resting on Lin’s arms.
“Okay, it is getting seriously late and you should be getting home. Besides,” Charlie lifted her foot up and kicked the door behind her multiple times, “I’ve got Josie to fill in, though I’m sure she’s heard all about it already.”
Pulling Lin into a hug, Charlie kissed him one last time and playfully shoved him away, twisting open the door behind her.
“Goodnight, Lin. Message me when you get home so that I know you’re safe.” Charlie demanded sweetly, watching as Lin disappeared from view before dipping inside. Faced with Josie, Charlie burst out laughing, shaking her head at her cousin eavesdropping in on their conversation. “Listening in, are we? Well, come on, I’ll tell you everything you didn’t ‘accidentally’ hear.”
location
her apartment
mood
[insert suave sunglasses emoji here]
outfit
autumn vibes
tags
lin
ohdittoh
josie
jasmyn
coded by natasha.
sunshineysoul
queen of bright-moon
code by valen t.
Kitsune2202
New Clock
Stella J. Bailey
coded by incandescent
Stella actually didn't know the answer to Zeph's question, but at the same time she didn't see how they wouldn't? There was so much carriable food here unless people were that trashy bringing food shouldn't be a problem. However he still had the better idea, "Sounds like a plan." Truthfully they find a better tasting, more filling, and a cheaper meal outside of the fair anyways with the option of it actually being decently healthy. While money wasn't a problem or anything, especially since she's only paid for her cider today, there was no reason to be wasteful with it for no reason over something not even that great like fair food.
As they made their way to the Ferris Wheel she wondered why was this her favorite part? Sure the view could be breathtaking but all the stopping wasn't ideal. Perhaps it was because for a brief moment you're on top of the world. A feeling she craved almost more than anything, and just like the ride would only last so long even once she's reached it...but damn is it wonderful to have even been there. And now she was getting to experience one of her favorite things with one of her favorite people in the world right now. Today truly had been an amazing day. Lots of fun rides, sweet tastes, lots of laughter and for the first time in a long time she just had fun. No thinking of the future, or her career, or her next move, or anything. Just living in this moment right now, and trying to live it to the fullest. She felt she hadn't done this in years, if she was honest.
She grinned sliding into the cart first hugging her zebra before Zeph joined in and they were slowly but surely on their way up. She liked the thought of this. Just hanging out, having fun, rising to the top together. She thought it was pretty fitting for how their live should be. How she just knew they would be. Her eyes were scanning the beautiful skyline lost in her own blissful thoughts until he spoke up. She turned her attention towards him but noticed he wasn't looking at her. That was ok tho, she understood. "Of course! You know I'm here for you." She chimed happily. She meant it too. He'd stuck beside her when she was down, she'd be forever grateful for that and would do the same for him.
She smiled softly back at him and lightly tapped his nose, "I know." She replied with her usual confidence, but much more playful then she usually does with others. Zeph always seemed to bring out her much softer, and more playful side. Maybe it was because he wasn't like most guys around here. He wasn't an asshole, or a wonanizer, or one of those "nice guys"...he was actually a good guy, a really good person. He was genuine and it was easy to let her guard down around him and just be. So these rare moments were the only times she could smile like this, soft, warm, real.
She leaned her head back into his shoulder to look back out over the city, and the beautifully painted sky as they neared the very top. She fit perfectly in the little nook due to their height difference. "This was perfect." She hummed before pausing a moment. She figured she might as well thought he idea out there. This had been fun for both of them and clearly helpful right? "We should do stuff like this more often. Especially if it helps clear your head you know?" It's not like they didn't hang out a lot, but they didn't really go out like this and do things like this. Like they were honestly just kids, not future celebrities. They could go to a carnival, or go-kart racing, or anything. To be honest it was mostly her fault since she was the one with the overly hectic schedule, but the loss of a mother is serious, and she understood that. Things had slowed down now thanks to the shooting of the season being over. They were getting a short break after the cast party on Friday, so she'd have plenty of time now.
As they made their way to the Ferris Wheel she wondered why was this her favorite part? Sure the view could be breathtaking but all the stopping wasn't ideal. Perhaps it was because for a brief moment you're on top of the world. A feeling she craved almost more than anything, and just like the ride would only last so long even once she's reached it...but damn is it wonderful to have even been there. And now she was getting to experience one of her favorite things with one of her favorite people in the world right now. Today truly had been an amazing day. Lots of fun rides, sweet tastes, lots of laughter and for the first time in a long time she just had fun. No thinking of the future, or her career, or her next move, or anything. Just living in this moment right now, and trying to live it to the fullest. She felt she hadn't done this in years, if she was honest.
She grinned sliding into the cart first hugging her zebra before Zeph joined in and they were slowly but surely on their way up. She liked the thought of this. Just hanging out, having fun, rising to the top together. She thought it was pretty fitting for how their live should be. How she just knew they would be. Her eyes were scanning the beautiful skyline lost in her own blissful thoughts until he spoke up. She turned her attention towards him but noticed he wasn't looking at her. That was ok tho, she understood. "Of course! You know I'm here for you." She chimed happily. She meant it too. He'd stuck beside her when she was down, she'd be forever grateful for that and would do the same for him.
She smiled softly back at him and lightly tapped his nose, "I know." She replied with her usual confidence, but much more playful then she usually does with others. Zeph always seemed to bring out her much softer, and more playful side. Maybe it was because he wasn't like most guys around here. He wasn't an asshole, or a wonanizer, or one of those "nice guys"...he was actually a good guy, a really good person. He was genuine and it was easy to let her guard down around him and just be. So these rare moments were the only times she could smile like this, soft, warm, real.
She leaned her head back into his shoulder to look back out over the city, and the beautifully painted sky as they neared the very top. She fit perfectly in the little nook due to their height difference. "This was perfect." She hummed before pausing a moment. She figured she might as well thought he idea out there. This had been fun for both of them and clearly helpful right? "We should do stuff like this more often. Especially if it helps clear your head you know?" It's not like they didn't hang out a lot, but they didn't really go out like this and do things like this. Like they were honestly just kids, not future celebrities. They could go to a carnival, or go-kart racing, or anything. To be honest it was mostly her fault since she was the one with the overly hectic schedule, but the loss of a mother is serious, and she understood that. Things had slowed down now thanks to the shooting of the season being over. They were getting a short break after the cast party on Friday, so she'd have plenty of time now.
mogy
your mom's friend
Last edited:
natsukashii
𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯
Hunter braced himself for the worst as the ferris wheel came to a stop. He’d say he didn’t know why he was, but that would be a lie. With how Nickie and Liv went from hate-glaring each other down like two Samurai about to duel to the death to both just becoming a complete mystery, Hunter honestly was preparing himself for a round two of the Samurai duel.
But that never came. Actually, when they stepped off, Liv said something about her compliment and how it was directed at Nickie. The wink threw him, but not in the way he had expected. He kind of smiled. Maybe it was his male fantasy getting the better of him, but for a short second, he entertained the thought of the two of them...no, that’s not the way Hunter. Or maybe not that soon..
..No. Just don’t go there.
When he and Nickie got maybe a few feet away from the Ferris wheel and they were finally alone for the first time in the night, even though things had taken a rather spiral-down-into-rock-bottom turn, Hunter felt optimistic. And so he kept a smile, but when Nickie started apologizing.“Nickie, it’s okay. No need to--” This was his attempt to try and assure and reassure her, but she cut him off completely.
And then it began. Nickie went down a spiraling list of reasons why she was sorry and why he shouldn’t stay by her side and among them was how she was the worst, how she talks too much, how she says things she doesn’t mean, how he puts up with too much from her.
“It’s hardly been that much,” Hunter stated with a slight chuckle.
And clearly, his attempt at making a joke either went completely ignored or it made things worse.
Correction. It did make things worse, because Nickie started to literally list off reasons. Actual reasons in numerical order.
Hunter wanted to intervene, wanted to stop her, kiss her -- do anything that might shut her up, but nothing came out. Like a cat who was murdered by their own curiosity, he listened to what she considered valid reasons to apologize for. And you know what? Hunter was growing more and more frustrated. Unintentionally, it was at nickie, but the real reason was at people like Liv, like Adri, like Evie, like anyone who put these thoughts in her head. It drove his mind crazy that she couldn’t see that she isn’t a bad person and that no matter what he did, she always went back to the singular point that she had to always apologize to him.
And maybe that’s why he didn’t really say anything meaningful. That’s why he didn’t give her his two cents in how everyone was wrong. He just let the silence fill the air as they went and enjoyed the fair.
Well, Hunter was enjoying the fair. In some half-assed gesture of making it up to her for his silence, he covered all costs: rides, cotton candy, some small prizes, and even more rides.
When it got to the point of the night when the bonfire was about to start, Hunter was actually looking forward to it. Something about the way fire lit up and all of the people surrounding the stacked pillar, the laughter heard as friends and whatnot were enjoying themselves, it was contagious. And it almost gave Hunter some hope for a last chance that doubled as a redo for tonight.
“Hunter…can…we just go home?”
And as she spoke, Hunter looked at her with what could quite possibly be the first, genuine frown he’d ever thrown Nickie’s way. And maybe that was because of how much he was looking forward to this redo. He desperately wanted to try and see if she was down for sticking around, part of him hoping that maybe they could find some silver lining, but Hunter just..didn’t do anything.
“Sure, if that's what you want” he gave her a shrug, following her away from the warmth and invigorating energy that emitted from the bonfire and those around it. In the back of his mind, Hunter was thinking about how much of a wreck this night was and the thought stuck with him as he got into the passenger seat of Nickie’s dark blue SUV.
The drive to the condo he shared with Dei was eerily quiet. Hunter hadn’t felt like talking, which was a rarity for him. Usually he always had something to say, but between how disappointed he was he didn’t get to experience this year’s bonfire and just everything else, time flew by like everything was going at x0.75 speed.
But they eventually reached his place...well, the building he lived at, that was.
“Thanks for the ride,” he said to Nickie, giving her a quick hug. “I know things didn’t end well today, but really, it’ll be okay.” Somehow his words felt emptier than they usually were and he just--he just smiled at her.
As the car drove away and Hunter spent a few moments looking into the night, he sighed. Now, who was the one letting their thoughts get to them?
“Guess it’s time to see if Dei left out the good stuff.”
Finally, back home, Hunter plopped on the couch, letting himself sink into the cushion for what felt like a few hours, but it was only a few minutes. His mind was tired, having gone halfway to heaven and hell and then back again, the consistent pull that Liv and Nickie had on him was exhausting. And he didn’t even get to enjoy the bonfire.
Was that what he was most bummed about? The fucking bonfire. “I mean, it’s not like I could have said no. Oh, yeah, let’s leave Nickie alone so she can tell herself shit that she doesn’t need to. That would have gone swimmingly.”
As he turned over and took out his phone, Hunter scrolled through Twitter. Yeah, some bits about someone, but nothing worth his prolonged attention.
Dragging his heavy body off the couch, Hunter tossed his jacket to the side, making an audible thud on the floor. He went for some whiskey and poured himself a glass that had two shots worth of the stuff in it. He actually liked his with an ice cube and he just leaned over the countertop, giving some of his text messages a quick glance. THe saw some from his friends, some from Nickie from earlier, but no new ones.
He took a few steady sips of his whiskey and downed it as he went off to his room. He passed by his jacket and picked it up. Whatever was happening with everyone else today was probably the last thing he wanted to think about. All he wanted was sleep.
And as his head plopped onto his pillow, he was two heavy sighs away from calling it a night.
That’s exactly what he did.
But that never came. Actually, when they stepped off, Liv said something about her compliment and how it was directed at Nickie. The wink threw him, but not in the way he had expected. He kind of smiled. Maybe it was his male fantasy getting the better of him, but for a short second, he entertained the thought of the two of them...no, that’s not the way Hunter. Or maybe not that soon..
..No. Just don’t go there.
When he and Nickie got maybe a few feet away from the Ferris wheel and they were finally alone for the first time in the night, even though things had taken a rather spiral-down-into-rock-bottom turn, Hunter felt optimistic. And so he kept a smile, but when Nickie started apologizing.“Nickie, it’s okay. No need to--” This was his attempt to try and assure and reassure her, but she cut him off completely.
And then it began. Nickie went down a spiraling list of reasons why she was sorry and why he shouldn’t stay by her side and among them was how she was the worst, how she talks too much, how she says things she doesn’t mean, how he puts up with too much from her.
“It’s hardly been that much,” Hunter stated with a slight chuckle.
And clearly, his attempt at making a joke either went completely ignored or it made things worse.
Correction. It did make things worse, because Nickie started to literally list off reasons. Actual reasons in numerical order.
Hunter wanted to intervene, wanted to stop her, kiss her -- do anything that might shut her up, but nothing came out. Like a cat who was murdered by their own curiosity, he listened to what she considered valid reasons to apologize for. And you know what? Hunter was growing more and more frustrated. Unintentionally, it was at nickie, but the real reason was at people like Liv, like Adri, like Evie, like anyone who put these thoughts in her head. It drove his mind crazy that she couldn’t see that she isn’t a bad person and that no matter what he did, she always went back to the singular point that she had to always apologize to him.
And maybe that’s why he didn’t really say anything meaningful. That’s why he didn’t give her his two cents in how everyone was wrong. He just let the silence fill the air as they went and enjoyed the fair.
Well, Hunter was enjoying the fair. In some half-assed gesture of making it up to her for his silence, he covered all costs: rides, cotton candy, some small prizes, and even more rides.
When it got to the point of the night when the bonfire was about to start, Hunter was actually looking forward to it. Something about the way fire lit up and all of the people surrounding the stacked pillar, the laughter heard as friends and whatnot were enjoying themselves, it was contagious. And it almost gave Hunter some hope for a last chance that doubled as a redo for tonight.
“Hunter…can…we just go home?”
And as she spoke, Hunter looked at her with what could quite possibly be the first, genuine frown he’d ever thrown Nickie’s way. And maybe that was because of how much he was looking forward to this redo. He desperately wanted to try and see if she was down for sticking around, part of him hoping that maybe they could find some silver lining, but Hunter just..didn’t do anything.
“Sure, if that's what you want” he gave her a shrug, following her away from the warmth and invigorating energy that emitted from the bonfire and those around it. In the back of his mind, Hunter was thinking about how much of a wreck this night was and the thought stuck with him as he got into the passenger seat of Nickie’s dark blue SUV.
* * * * *
The drive to the condo he shared with Dei was eerily quiet. Hunter hadn’t felt like talking, which was a rarity for him. Usually he always had something to say, but between how disappointed he was he didn’t get to experience this year’s bonfire and just everything else, time flew by like everything was going at x0.75 speed.
But they eventually reached his place...well, the building he lived at, that was.
“Thanks for the ride,” he said to Nickie, giving her a quick hug. “I know things didn’t end well today, but really, it’ll be okay.” Somehow his words felt emptier than they usually were and he just--he just smiled at her.
As the car drove away and Hunter spent a few moments looking into the night, he sighed. Now, who was the one letting their thoughts get to them?
“Guess it’s time to see if Dei left out the good stuff.”
Finally, back home, Hunter plopped on the couch, letting himself sink into the cushion for what felt like a few hours, but it was only a few minutes. His mind was tired, having gone halfway to heaven and hell and then back again, the consistent pull that Liv and Nickie had on him was exhausting. And he didn’t even get to enjoy the bonfire.
Was that what he was most bummed about? The fucking bonfire. “I mean, it’s not like I could have said no. Oh, yeah, let’s leave Nickie alone so she can tell herself shit that she doesn’t need to. That would have gone swimmingly.”
As he turned over and took out his phone, Hunter scrolled through Twitter. Yeah, some bits about someone, but nothing worth his prolonged attention.
Dragging his heavy body off the couch, Hunter tossed his jacket to the side, making an audible thud on the floor. He went for some whiskey and poured himself a glass that had two shots worth of the stuff in it. He actually liked his with an ice cube and he just leaned over the countertop, giving some of his text messages a quick glance. THe saw some from his friends, some from Nickie from earlier, but no new ones.
He took a few steady sips of his whiskey and downed it as he went off to his room. He passed by his jacket and picked it up. Whatever was happening with everyone else today was probably the last thing he wanted to think about. All he wanted was sleep.
And as his head plopped onto his pillow, he was two heavy sighs away from calling it a night.
That’s exactly what he did.
location
fall fair→home
mood
frustrated with love and everything in-between
outfit
boy looks like a rich bum
tags
Liv
Soap
, Nickie
ohdittoh
coded by natasha.
mogy
your mom's friend
geminiy
v tired
The stars. Right. Compared to the stars, Eli wasn’t that high off the ground. He didn’t have to worry about plummeting to his death if he was more focused on the endless galaxies above him which, in its defense, was incredibly beautiful. Jan knew a lot about the sky and the stars that twinkled playfully to light up the seemingly boring ebony abyss of space. Somehow, this knowledge came as a surprise to Jan. She had mentioned before that she enjoyed astronomy and cosmology, expressing interest in the stars and their stories. Eli wasn’t quite sure why this interest seemed so odd to him, though it was certainly not in a bad way.
Although a dreamer by nature, Elias was more fascinated by the world around him rather than what shone just within the vision of his sight. It always seemed far more interesting to him to understand people and how the world worked and the beautiful things that Earth and its people had to offer than galaxies and planets. The closest thing he had ever gotten to voluntarily looking at the stars was when he and Gen were on a camping trip with their parents and they had caught a meteor shower through the tree branches. They were beautiful but Eli couldn’t help but see them as nothing more but rocks burning up in the atmosphere, hardly something mystical or mysterious.
But sitting next to Jan, following her finger as she traced patterns from memory in the sky, Eli sort of understood the appeal. The stars were no more interesting to him than before the Ferris wheel, that was far from what Elias found captivating. It was the passion behind Jan’s voice as she spoke, the fire that drove her as she explained the symbolisms of giant balls of burning gas somewhere far beyond their reach, that captivated him. There was little more in the world that Eli loved more than listening to people talk about things they were passionate about.
Eventually, the Ferris wheel began to turn once more, lowering the pair closer to the ground with each passenger that stepped off. Every time the cart lurched and lunged, Eli tensed. He struggled to listen as Jan spoke but still managed to hear what she was saying, the words registering slowly in his mind. As Jan finished speaking, their cart pulled to a halt and the attendant swung the door open to let them off the ride. Finally, the sweet feeling of solid ground beneath his feet.
“Come on, it’s getting pretty late, we should get you home.” Eli spoke calmly, giving himself some time to formulate a response to Jan’s words.
What was he supposed to say? Eli had no intention of spewing his guts about his ex-girlfriend the first time the two hung out outside of school or messaging each other online. He wanted Charlie to be a person in the past, someone who had meant a lot to him but had since become little more than a stranger in his books. Yet there he was, regalling Jan with the complicated ins and outs of his prior relationship.
Eli only spoke once they got to his car as he carefully opened up the door to let Jan inside before walking to the driver’s side and hopping in. Usually, he would have hooked up his phone and put on his playlist to jam to as he drove. But this time, the car was quiet as Eli thought to himself, his eyes focused on the road as Jan gave him directions to her house. The only thing out of character that Eli did was reach up to open the sunroof, revealing the stars above. At least those would make Jan comfortable, unlike his awkward silence.
The two made small talk the short ride to where Jan lived but Eli never responded to the whole sentimental part of Jan’s talk back on the Ferris wheel. It felt strange to open up so deeply to someone he hardly knew. Eli would be fully lying if he said that he wasn’t terrified of everything that was happening between him and Jan. It felt so nice to be around her, but the speed in which their relationship had seemed to be naturally developing was absolutely horrifying. He was constantly stuck between wanting to go further and wanting to retreat into himself to escape the fear.
Pulling up outside of Jan’s home, Eli stepped out of the car and opened Jan’s door for her, closing it gently behind her before turning to walk her up the driveway to her front door.
“You know, I appreciate what you said back there on the Ferris wheel. People normally just expect me to be all happy-go-lucky all the time that they shut me down whenever I talk about something that upsets me.” Eli said softly, his eyes fixed on some unknown target ahead of them as they walked. Reaching the front door, Eli finally turned to Jan and rested his hand on her shoulder. “You’re a great person Jan, I’m glad to call you a friend.”
Oh no. The dreaded front door goodbye of an ambiguous hangout. What was he supposed to do? Hug her? Give her a sturdy handshake? High five her?
“Goodnight Jan.” Eli said sweetly, offering a smile before he dropped his hand and making his way back to his car. He waited until Jan was securely inside before he pulled away from the curb and driving off into the autumn night.
coded by natasha.
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