HARMONY + CARSYN:

Carsyn hated moving. She wasn’t sure she’d trust anyone who didn’t at least dislike it, but at the moment she really and truly hated it. However, she knew that it was necessary to get her out of her parent’s basement. She and Layla had moved back in while they were between apartments, and while she did love her family, she had gotten used to being on her own, so being back in a house full of people had been overwhelming to say the least. 

Thankfully, her parents understood her desire to get out of their house, helping both with the move and with watching Layla when she needed it. Like now, when she was finally starting to move things in and unpack her new apartment and didn’t necessarily want a toddler under foot. She loved her daughter, but this was stressful enough without worrying about her too.

She stacked the last couple of boxes, picking them up before shutting the trunk of her car. Making her way inside the building, she saw that one of the elevator doors was already open and she hurried over, not wanting to have to wait for another one. “Hold the door please?” she called out as she got closer. 

— ◈ —

Harmony let out a yawn as she stepped into the elevator. On autopilot, she clicked for her floor when she heard someone call out to hold the door. Blinking into focus, she quickly pressed the ‘open doors’ button and glanced up towards the voice she’d heard. 

Someone she didn’t recognize from the building came rushing towards her and the elevator. A polite smile crossed over her lips. “Good thing you called out,” she said once the other woman was closer. “What floor do you need?” “Noticing the boxes in the other’s hands, Harmony took a step further to the side to give them more room. “Moving in?” she asked. Wracking her head, she thought about what units had recently opened up--she knew there was at least one on her floor though. 

BELINDA + KENDRA​:

Kendra grinned back, the other girl’s enthusiasm as contagious as ever. Though the smile fell a bit as the bell rang, the lunch period always feeling too short for her taste. She let herself lean into Belinda just a bit as she rested her head on Kendra’s shoulder, a laugh escaping at the girl’s words. “Don’t worry, I won’t forget,” she promised as they stood up to head off to class.

–

The rest of the day passed without incident and Kendra headed straight for her locker once the last bell rang. Even though her last class and her locker were on opposite sides of the school, it didn’t take her too long to get from one to the other as she was able to pass through the halls mostly unnoticed. Which meant she, luckily, beat Belinda to her locker, switching out the books in her bag while she waited for the other girl.

Just as she was closing her locker, Belinda showed up, and Kendra turned to her with a smile. Though she rolled her eyes just a bit at the girl’s words. “Nope, totally got in trouble in every class. You know me,” she said with a giggle, feeling herself relax the way she only seemed to be able to do around the red head next to her. 

— ◈ —

Belinda flashed a bright smile and let out a laugh. “Well I wish I could’ve seen that,” she teased. She waited for her friend to finish up at her locker before throwing an arm around the girl’s waist. They walked down the hall and headed towards the exit. As a few students called out to her, she waved her goodbyes to them but didn’t stop to chat as a few seemed to want to. 

Making small talk as they walked, Belinda led them to her car and ditched her backpack in the back seat. “Okay, so there’s a few stores downtown I definitely think we should check out, and I was also thinking of grabbing something to eat after if you want,” Waiting for both of them to be buckled up and settled, she started up the car and pulled out of the school’s parking lot. 

“Did you have time to think about what kind of dress you want to look for? I was kind of thinking of something a little bit scandalous, but tasteful, ya know?” She let out a small giggle. If anything, she did want to be center of attention, but she knew she couldn’t get anything that would get her into actual trouble--with both her parents or the school. 

RAVEN + HENRY​:

Henry knew he should consider himself lucky that he was able to get a position as an assistant teacher this semester. And he was happy about it, mostly. Though he had to admit when he found out who the other assistant was going to be, a part of him wondered whether or not it was worth it. He wasn’t sure what had started it, but he and Raven had been at odds from the start. And while he didn’t exactly mind spending more time with her, she clearly didn’t want anything to do with him. Something that didn’t seem to have changed as they attempted to plan out the first week of classes. 

He rolled his eyes as she responded to him, mimicking her position by sitting back in his own chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “Because it obviously makes more sense to start with this instead,” he responded, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. They’d been at it for over an hour now and hadn’t actually decided on anything. “Besides, don’t we want to change it up a bit? Instead of doing the same, boring thing they’ve always done?”

— ◈ —

It was difficult not to roll her eyes in response. “How? Please explain how you think this is the smartest way to start off the course?” She’d already heard him explain it numerous times before, but that didn’t stop her from wanting him to reiterate it. Again. Of course the case he made, and continued to make, certainly hadn’t convinced her otherwise. 

“Just because it’s done the same way does not mean it’s boring. Besides, it’s about building a good foundation so that the rest of the year is easier for them to comprehend.” Her gaze hardened as she glanced over to him. “It’s a lecture course, not some half-time show. If students can’t keep up because they need some glitz and glam, then maybe they aren’t cut out to be taking this course or be in university in the first place.” 

MICHAEL + CLAUDIA​:

A sigh of both relief and exacerbation left her as she went to open the door. She forced her lips to turn up in a smile as she stepped back to let Michael inside, though she was tempted to just hustle them both straight back out the door. But she needed to grab her things, and it couldn’t hurt to let him at least see the inside of her apartment. Since he was going to be staying there, after all.

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it,” she said in response to his apology, proud of the way she kept the edge out of her voice when she spoke. As annoyed as she might have been, he was doing a huge favor for her and so she couldn’t get too mad at him. Grabbing her purse and her luggage, she turned back to him with a short nod. “Ready to go. Or, at least, as ready as I’ll ever be,” she couldn’t help but add, a grin flashing across her face quickly. 

— ◈ —

Stepping through the entry, he couldn’t help but glance around the place. If he hadn’t been running late, he might’ve asked for a tour and to see if there were any rules they needed to go over once they were living together. But he guessed he’d have to make do with finding out those things after this trip together and after he grabbed the rest of his things out of the storage box Michael was renting. 

He watched her grab her things and he headed back to the door. A small smile made its way over his lips, but he was still rather nervous about this whole ordeal. Unlocking his car, Michael turned towards her as he spoke. “You can stick your stuff in the trunk with mine. I figured you could go over everything with me while I’m driving.” He popped open the trunk and waited for Claudia to put her luggage away before shutting it once more and making his way to the driver’s seat. 

“So what exactly does your family know about me?” he asked once they were both settled in the car. Setting up the GPS, he began heading out to the address Claudia had sent him earlier. “Or is there anything I should know about them, maybe?” Not that he even knew much about Claudia to begin with... But he’d worry about that later. 

YVONNE + MELANIE​:

Melanie found her eyes drifting towards Yvonne almost involuntarily, though she was doing her best to pay attention to her surroundings as well. This definitely wasn’t normally her scene, being around this many people at once. It only went to show what she was willing to do to spend time with the other woman. And she wasn’t about to complain, not for a second. 

A smile appeared on her face, both from meeting Yvonne’s eyes and from the question she had asked. Melanie never needed much of an excuse to talk about her writing, though it helped that Yvonne always seemed genuinely interested. “Um yeah, it’s been good. I finally got some inspiration for the scene I was stuck on, the one I was telling you about? It’s, uh, actually why I was so late today,” she replied, her voice turning sheepish towards the end. 

— ◈ —

She nodded in silent understanding before smiling. “Oh yeah? And what finally inspired you?” Yvonne asked curiously. She wasn’t the most creative person in the world, so it was always interesting to pick the other woman’s brain and hear about Melanie’s process. Seeing the way her date would light up about their writing was another cute plus that she enjoyed seeing. 

Yvonne pointed out to one of the food carts. The line was on the shorter side, and they seemed to be serving some easier hold-and-walk type of foods. “Should we check out that place?” she asked. “Or I don’t mind looking still if you want to see what they have first before we settle on our food.”

DARIA + FINLEY​:

Finn’s eyebrow remained lifted, an amused look accompanying it as the other person’s demeanor seemed to change before her eyes. Though she hadn’t realized it originally, the intruder was clearly part of the waitstaff for the party. Which made this infinitely more interesting, she thought to herself, a smirk settling onto her face. “Bathroom, huh? And, what, the ones by the kitchens weren’t good enough for you?” she questioned, her voice light and teasing, for now.

She didn’t miss the way the other person looked her over, not that she could blame them much. Finn looked good and she knew it. That thought, paired with the words stumbling from the person’s lips, caused her to take a few steps in their direction. “But why leave now, when we were just starting to have fun?” she asked, the amused gleam still in her eyes. “I mean, I’m sure I can be persuaded not to tell my parents about this little incident.” 

Another pause went by before she stuck her hand out towards the other person. “I’m Finn, by the way. Figured since you’re already in my room, I should probably at least introduce myself.”

— ◈ —

Daria tried to not audibly curse at the other’s reaction. She knew it was a bad lie, but it was rather awkward being called out on it. And why wouldn’t she? No matter how you looked at the situation, Daria was in the wrong for having gone exploring and shirking her responsibilities. 

What she expected was some kind of degrading lecture and a quick firing on the spot, but what she wasn’t expecting was, well, that. A flabbergasted expression crossed over her face, taken aback for a second the other woman’s words. There was an easy response she could make, wanted to make, but for all she knew this was some test to further humiliate the help. “Your idea of fun seems to be rather different than mine,” she commented nonchalantly back. 

Still, Daria was wary, but it was difficult not to be interested. Like she had said, the other girl was very good looking. Her gaze dipped to the other’s outstretched hand and she took it without much thought. “Daria,” she introduced back. Her brow rose in question and she took another curious half step towards Finn. “So if you don’t have plans to fire me at the moment, what exactly is the plan?” 

DAMIAN + HOLLY​:

Though Holly hadn’t been to the beach house in a couple years, it was strangely familiar. Comforting. Which, after the few weeks she had just had, was exactly what she needed. She’d mostly been hanging out around the house, occasionally venturing down to the beach, but her mom had finally put her foot down and insisted that Holly go out and find something to do with her evening. 

Which was why she was at the beach again, having come across the party several minutes ago. Though she wasn’t usually a shy person, she hadn’t been able to make her way fully over, something keeping her hovering just on the edge of the party. Glancing around as if she was looking for an opportunity to break her way into the crowd.

As if in answer to her unspoken request, one of the party-goers turned towards her with a wave, though it took her a second to realize he was talking to her. A slight smile slipping onto her face as she did. “Hey back,” she replied, taking a few slow steps in his direction. “Is that an invitation?”

— ◈ —

Damian gave the girl a once over. She certainly wasn’t a fixture in town, but he thought he knew all the summer goers that came into town with the season’s change. Still, he put on a charming smile and nodded his head at her. “The more the merrier, right?” he asked back. 

He took another step in her direction, gesturing her to continue over and waited for her to fall in step with him before heading back towards the party. “So I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, have I?” he questioned to make conversation. “I think I would’ve remembered someone as cute as you coming into town, even if it was only with the summer crowd.” A cheeky grin flashed over his lips, and then he realized he hadn’t introduced himself. “I’m Damian, by the way.”

TINSLEY + KAELYN​:

Kaelyn already disliked traveling enough, and that was when things went as they were supposed to. When things weren’t going the way they were supposed to, it became a downright nightmare. And this trip was turning out to be one of the worst. She should have seen it coming when she woke up late that morning, only barely making it to the airport on time for her flight. And then there was the announcement that they were making an unplanned landing, something about an incoming storm making conditions unsafe for flying. So now she was in the airport of some small town she had never heard of, wondering what else could possibly go wrong. 

There was already a line at the help desk, so she was trying to resist the urge to go up there and try to figure out what was happening. Instead she was sitting in one of the chairs by the gate, glancing at the time on her phone every few minutes or so, doing her best not to panic as it got later and later. Not really paying attention to much else around her as her thoughts raced a mile a minute.

— ◈ —

Things were not going according to plan, but it wasn’t the worst thing in the world for her. Other people were forming a long line trying to get answers, but Tinsley sat lounged on one of the airport seats. Eventually some kind of plan would be made and then someone would let her know what to do, so until then, she didn’t see the point in overexerting herself. 

Being stuck at the airport was better than being stranded in the streets. 

Twenty minutes later and an announcement was made over the loudspeakers. “Pardon the intrusion, but it looks like we have some unfortunate news for everyone. There’s a big storm heading our way and all flights are delayed until it passes. If you could please head towards the nearest attendant, we can help set everyone up with accommodations for the night as well as setting up flights at a later date.” Tinsley listened to it and let out a breath. Standing from her spot, she stretched her legs and joined last in the already long line. 

By the time she’d made it to the front, an hour had nearly passed and Tinsley wasn’t met with great news. “I’m so sorry, Miss, but there’s only one room left and we just gave it that woman over there,” the attendant pointed towards someone else. “The pair of you will have to make due with sharing unless one of you would like to remain at the airport tonight.” Tinsley shook her head and reassured the worker that it wasn’t a problem at all for her before heading towards the other woman. 

“So looks like we need to be roomies for the night,” she exclaimed as she stepped besides her. “I guess we better find a cab then, huh? Oh, I’m Tinsley, by the way. Nice to meet ya.” 

TARAN + QUINN​:

Quinn had spent the better part of the day debating whether or not she should still go to this party. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Taj had broken up with her the day before, seemingly out of nowhere, and a large part of her thought it probably wasn’t smart to go and have to deal with his family. And yet, another part of her wanted to go. Maybe to prove it hadn’t effected her as much as it had, maybe to get revenge, she hadn’t quite decided yet. Glancing at the clock one more time, she let out a sigh, resigning herself to the fact that there was no way she was missing this party. 

She got ready slowly, not in any rush now that she didn’t have anyone waiting on her. Making sure her hair and makeup were perfect, the dress she had picked out weeks ago zipped into place. She took one last look in the mirror before going downstairs and calling a cab.

The party was about as awkward as she had expected it to be, as she attempted to navigate how to interact with her now ex-boyfriend’s family. She found herself getting angrier and angrier over the course of the night, watching Taj act like nothing had happened while simultaneously doing his best to avoid her completely. As she watched him, a plan started to form. A reckless idea that she would normally never even consider, but these were not normal times. 

Her eyes were on the clock as it ticked closer to midnight, otherwise trying to keep herself distracted so she couldn’t talk herself out of her plan. With just a minute or so to go, she made sure to find Taran, spotting him sitting across the room. Slowly walking toward him, she also spotted Taj, unable to keep her eyes from narrowing in his direction. She reached her destination with only a few seconds to spare, leaning in to press a long kiss to Taran’s lips as the clock struck midnight. Pulling away, her thoughts finally caught up to her and her eyes widened, hand covering her mouth as she turned and all but ran from the room. 

— ◈ —

Taran had been nursing the same drink for over an hour. Family gatherings had never been his favorite thing in the world, mostly because Taj always became the center of attention, and tonight somehow seemed no different. 

He’d heard through his parents that Taj had ended things with Quinn and how they needed to be “extra sensitive” towards him while he dealt with it, but he didn’t exactly understand why his brother needed to be treated with kiddie gloves for something everyone experienced in life. What was more so confusing was when he happened to spot his brother’s ex as one of the guests amongst the crowd. But then again, he didn’t care, and Taran was perfectly content with staying the hell out of it all. 

But then the guests starting counting down and he realized with a start that Quinn was heading straight towards him. His brow rose, a question forming on his lips, when her lips were on his. If he’d been a nicer brother, he’d have shoved Quinn off of him. But loyalty towards his brother was slim and surprise at the action had him not pulling away. 

As she finally pulled away, he blinked in confusion. Shock mirrored in her expression and she turned to leave. Without thinking, Taran got up from where he sat and followed after her--ignoring the heated glares coming from Taj. 

They had passed most of the guests and were in a less-crowded room when Taran managed to catch up with her. He grabbed her elbow, waiting for her to stop before speaking out. “What was that back there? Are you trying to get me into a fight with Taj?” Because it probably worked, he added in his head exasperatedly. 

ELLIE + NAYA​:

Naya normally enjoyed her job; she got along with her coworkers, she met plenty of interesting people, and the tips weren’t bad. However, working around the holidays was a completely different story. The bar got busier, the people got crazier, and her patience got shorter. Though she did her best to hide that last part, at least while she was on the clock. 

She did have one thing to look forward to, especially over the last few months. Though Ellie didn’t come in every night, it was often enough that she had basically become a regular. And Naya made a point, every time she did come in, to try and talk to the other girl as much as she could. Even if it did usually involve hearing about her failed dates. 

Tonight, however, the busyness of the bar was working against her. Though she’d seen Ellie come in almost an hour ago, she’d hardly had more than a minute or two of free time to talk to her. Finally, finally, there was enough of a lull that she could properly talk to the blonde, leaning against the bar across from her. “Hi there, finally,” she said with a smile. “Did you need another drink?” 

— ◈ —

Ellie had no issue with hanging around the bar while she watched her friend go about her job. It was kind of nice seeing the other woman work, especially since she wouldn’t say her own job was as hectic on a day to day basis. Nursing her first drink and then her second, Naya finally came up to her when she was half way done through her third one. 

She shook her head and gave her a toothy grin. “Nope!” she replied, popping the ‘p’ audibly. “I am definitely in a rather good place and should probably cut myself off unless I plan on making you take care of me for the night.” She wasn’t so drunk that she’d really be a problem, but Ellie had drank enough to have washed away the horrors of her previous date. 

Glancing around the bar, she took the smallest sip of her drink. “You sure you’re free to talk to me though? I don’t mind waiting--though I might order something to eat if that’s the case.” She let out a small chuckle at her own admission. “I gotta stay awake enough to regale you with mother’s latest failure at finding me a husband,” she added, rolling her eyes. 

ALEX + IVY​:

Ivy was more than happy to wander the shelves, enjoying the peace and quiet of the small building. There didn’t seem to be any other customers, and she had only caught a quick glimpse of someone behind the front counter. She felt herself relaxing, not having to worry about views or likes or content at least for a little while. 

She continued walking around slowly, starting a bit when she saw another person in the shop. They were sitting near a window, clearly focused on the book in their hands. Ivy wasn’t sure if they were a customer or another employee, but she was intrigued either way. Normally she wasn’t one to interrupt someone reading, but they were cute enough that she found herself making her way over. Her eyes widening in pleasant surprise as she realized she not only recognized the book the other person was reading, but she had also read it and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. “Oh, that book is one of my favorites,” she spoke up once she was close enough, a smile on her face. “Are you enjoying it so far?” 

— ◈ —

Alex hadn’t startled when a voice brought her out of the pages of the book, but they were surprised nonetheless. If anything, they expected a question about finding something, but when the customer started talking about the book in her hands, Alex tried to reciprocate a polite smile. There was no reason to tell them to leave her alone, especially since she still had some time left on her break, but break or not, their boss wouldn’t be too pleased with them being rude to potential new customers. 

“Oh, cool...” they said in response. Letting a finger remain trapped between the pages, she shut the book and set it down on their lap. They nodded. “Yeah, it’s an interesting read, so I’m enjoying it so far.” Falling quiet after that, Alex allowed for an awkward silence to fall between them. It wasn’t that they wanted to be impolite, but making small talk or talking to strangers wasn’t exactly something they were the most comfortable with doing. It took an extra bit of effort for her to add, “Did you, um, need help with something? I’m actually on break right now, so if you needed something, I think there’s someone at the front desk you can talk to.”

PHOEBE + ZOE​:

There were times when Zoe felt she spent more time at Phoebe and Silas’ house than at her own. Not that she was complaining, she normally enjoyed having her boyfriend and one of her best friends in the same place. The three of them got on surprisingly well, despite the unconventional dynamic of the group. However, Zoe couldn’t remember the last time she had spent any time alone with either of the siblings. And while part of her could admit that she was intentionally avoiding spending time along with Silas, she definitely hadn’t been avoiding it with Phoebe. But there wasn’t a way to explain that to either of them, so both siblings it was. 

They were currently watching some dumb movie on TV; she was leaning against Silas with her feet in Phoebe’s lap. She was only half paying attention, alternating between messing with her phone, poking at Silas, and nudging Phoebe with her feet. It only lasted a little while before Silas snapped at her to sit still, causing her to sit up and spin to face him with a frown. “Babe, I’m bored,” she said, her voice only a little whiney, “can’t we do something else?” It was a dangerous thing to say; the two of them had already been at odds more often than not lately, but she couldn’t help it. Sure enough, it didn’t take too much longer before they were in a full on argument. Both of them forgetting that Phoebe was in the room as they got into it. 

She wasn’t sure how much time passed before they realized they were getting nowhere and Silas turned and stormed out the door. Zoe stood in living room for another moment or two before fleeing herself, ending up in Phoebe’s room, pulling the door shut behind her. 

— ◈ —

It wasn’t out of the norm to be hanging out with Silas and Zoe, but things had certainly seemed tense between them and it made it rather awkward company as of late for Phoebe. But she tried to mind her own business in regards to it--she had her own personal bias and couldn’t exactly take one’s side without potentially hurting the other. 

So when they were all sitting on the couch and another argument began, Phoebe felt like she had to brace herself. All she could do was continue to sit there quietly and pretend she was immersed in one of the apps on her phone rather than the words being spoken between them. It was when they went quiet that she finally looked up from her phone.

Her eyes widened when Silas stormed out of the house and Zoe soon followed, albeit her friend stomped off to her own room rather than leave the Keller household. Awkwardly her gaze followed after Zoe, but she waited a minute before getting up from her spot to head to her bedroom. 

Knocking on the door, she carefully opened the door and poked her head inside. “Hey... You okay? Can I, uh, come in, or would you prefer being alone for a bit? I can always work on something for a bit downstairs...” 

EDEN + ELIJAH​:

He found himself returning her smile, relaxing ever so slightly. Even though he’d ostensibly been relaxing and having fun at the party, he hadn’t fully let himself go. He very rarely did, but something about being here, in this courtyard, made him finally feel that little bit of relaxation. A dangerous feeling, he knew, if he let himself think about it. Instead, he focused back on the woman next to him, shaking his head a bit at her words. “I don’t think anyone’s expecting perfect, Your Highness. Especially not after that party,” he added with a light chuckle.

His own eyes widened, mirroring hers, when she grabbed his arm. It was unexpected, but he was quick to shrug off her apology. He wasn’t exactly in a position to argue or tell her she had acted inappropriately. Another small smile appeared, there and gone in just a moment, at her next words. “Of course, Your Highness. I can stay here then, if you’d prefer?”

— ◈ —

“You don’t have to call me that,” she blurted out before realizing what Eden had said. She pressed her lips together sheepishly, feeling embarrassed all over again. She knew the formalities were expected and the norm, but something about it made her sad. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t called by another title before this marriage, but now being queen and Your Highness simply felt like she’d lost her identity to the role she’d been placed in.  “I mean, I know you have to call me that, but I guess for just right now, it’d be nice to hear someone use my name.” Even Calhoun used her title during the few conversations they’d had together. 

Eden shook her head, knowing she sounded ridiculous. Drunk and ridiculous. A part of her thought she was better off being alone. At least if she was, she couldn’t make a fool of herself for feeling so sad about the new life she was leading, especially since she wasn’t sure if there would end up being repercussions for involving herself with one of the guards like this. “Sorry,” she sighed. “I’m sure I’ll regret asking for company, but I’ll more than likely do something foolish if I’m alone... So just ignore me, I’ve clearly drunk too much during the festivities.” 

JEAN + LEVI​:

Wordlessly, he shifted their direction slightly, steering them towards one of the many coffee shops that were near campus. Not necessarily his first choice of places to hang out, but he thought it was appropriate for the situation. Not to mention his present company. “Depends on the day,” he replied after a moment or two of silence. He wasn’t so terrible as to leave this as a one sided conversation, no matter what anyone thought. “Sometimes I just go back to my room, sometimes I get food, sometimes I go out.” 

He glanced down at her again as he spoke, the smirk never far from his face. Letting another beat of silence to go by before he spoke up again. “And what about you? What would you normally be doing after class?” he asked in return, partly out of politeness, partly out of genuine curiosity. 

— ◈ —

Jean nodded, listening. Nothing too special. In fact, very typical and normal behavior for students such as themselves. Of course she knew that there were far more “exciting” rumors about what it was the Levi was up to, but again, she didn’t exactly understand where that was coming from. 

The fact that he asked a question next rather than her firing off another dozen made her happy. Although it wasn’t as if she was about give much of an answer either. “You know me,” she shrugged, “typically I’m trying to get my work out of the way, so I’m at the library or at home... Mostly at the library though, I got a part-time job there too, so I am not the most interesting college student in the world.” 

She paused for a second, knowing she hadn’t changed much since childhood. Being a good and responsible student and also following the rules all the time was kind of her thing. But knowing she was exactly the same did make her want to try and broaden her horizons for once. “I do have a list of things I want to do outside of my routine... I just haven’t gotten around to actually doing it.” 

JESSE + KENZIE:

Despite her own reservations about this situation, she couldn’t help but smirk a bit at his very obvious nervousness. Still leaning on his windowsill, she nodded at his words. A little surprised he had managed to set a condition for this arrangement, though she wasn’t sure why. It’s not like she knew anything about him.

“Yeah, alright. Thanks,” she replied, straightening up and walking to the passenger side of the car. Letting herself in, she settled into the seat and buckled herself in before turning towards him again. The smirk reappearing on her face. “And don’t worry, you won’t have to drive me too far,” she spoke up again, her voice taking on an obvious teasing tone. 

— ◈ —

He watched as she went to the other side of the car. He nervously tapped a finger against the steering wheel, wondering if this was a bad idea. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been told that he was too nice for his own good, but Jesse certainly wouldn’t have felt right otherwise simply leaving Kenzie there in the parking lot. 

“Ah.. Okay then...” he replied, attempting a brief and awkward laugh. Pulling the car into drive, he slowly drove out of the parking lot. “So where is that you were heading then?” Waiting for her response, he let them fall silent for a bit, heading in the direction of wherever she told him. But it was weird to be in a car with essentially a stranger, so he attempted to make small talk. “I’m, uh, Jesse, by the way. Not sure if you knew that already... But figured I’d say it since we haven’t really spoken before this.” And he didn’t exactly see her too often during the mandatory hours they were putting in for the class. 

ELIZABETH + WESLEY​:

Wesley was still trying to process the news, although he wasn’t sure this was something anybody would be able to make sense of. Least of all him. The last hour or so had been a blur, starting with a simple phone call and ending here, standing in a hospital waiting room, feeling like everything had just fallen apart. 

He nodded slightly as the doctor spoke, though he was only half paying attention to what he was saying. Having enough of a mind to say a quiet thank you, he waited until the doctor walked away before turning towards the woman standing next to him. He didn’t know whether or not he should reach out, though as he caught sight of her shaking hands, he couldn’t help himself. Letting one of his own hands rest lightly on her shoulder, not wanting to scare her away. 

“I know, I just can’t…” His words cut off abruptly, not quite sure of where they were going as he ran his free hand through his hair roughly. “I’m so sorry,” he said after a long pause, the words barely a whisper. He wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for, and he knew it wasn’t the right thing to say, but he also wasn’t sure there was a right thing to say in this situation. 

— ◈ —

Her heart jumped in her chest, bringing her back to reality when Wesley’s hand landed on her shoulder. It was a cruel and terribly sad reality to come back to though. Still, his words came in mostly a buzzing of sounds. Elizabeth didn’t want to deal with this. Couldn’t. 

It was impossible not to notice the man walking towards them. In comparison to the hospital garb, he stood in stark contrast with his dark suit. “Wesley Schaeffer, Elizabeth Zhu, I’m so sorry for your loss. My name is Louis Sotelo, I was Mr. and Mrs. Greer’s attorney. There’s something I need to discuss with the pair of you urgently in regards to their daughter, Liliana...” 

At the mention of Lily, it caught Elizabeth’s attention. And as the lawyer went on to explain the matter, she nearly thought the rug was being pulled out from under her all over again. 

“They entrusted us custody of her? Are you sure? What about their families?” She couldn’t believe it. Even when Mr. Sotelo went on to say that no one else in the family was fit to raise Lily, she couldn’t believe it. As much as she loved and cared about Lily, she couldn’t quite believe that she was suitable enough either to be her legal guardian. Her parent. Liz turned wide-eyed and in shock towards Wes. “Did you know that they did that?” 

VAL + ADRIANNA:

Though she was still a little hesitant about riding with a complete stranger, Adrianna let a smile slide onto her face as she stepped a bit closer to the person in the car. The other woman looked nice enough, which didn’t mean much, but it would have to be good enough, because it wasn’t like she had any other options.

“That’s me,” she replied, still smiling a bit. Couldn’t hurt to give the girl a good impression as well. “It’s okay, I just really appreciate you doing this. I really didn’t want to have to stay here over break.” The words were accompanied by a light chuckle, one that was only slightly more nervous than she would have liked. As she spoke, she picked up her bags and turned back to look at her ride. “I think I’ve got it, as long as it’s unlocked?” She waited for an answer before pulling open the back door and sticking her bags inside. Shutting it again before walking around to the passenger side and climbing inside.

Taking a quiet breath, she turned towards the other person with another smile, sticking out a hand for her to shake. “Adrianna, it’s nice to officially meet you,” she said.

— ◈ —

Awkwardly, she chuckled and nodded. Letting the car stay idle, she waited for the other woman to put her bags in and to get situated. Once she was beside her in the passenger seat, Val took a better look over the other. Her gaze fell to Adrianna’s outstretched hand and she smiled a little easier. “Nice to meet you too,” she said, reaching out for her hand to shake it for a second. “I’m Valentina, or Val, usually that’s what I go by.” 

Inputting their destination in her phone’s GPS, she started up the car and pulled out onto the street to start driving. “So I can’t believe we’ve never met before. I mean, in our hometown anyway. Weird but lucky coincidence that we do though, huh?” Hopefully Adrianna wouldn’t mind if she made some small talk during their car ride over. She tapped the steering wheel. “So heading home for the holidays? Is it to be with family or do you have someone else back home to be with?”