Realistic or Modern Not the Plan (w/Sitting and Dreaming)

[d a n g e r]

Once Cooper was inside and gave her the heads up, she twisted the key in its lock before starting the engine, the car springing to life. The girl peered through the side view mirror to check that the road was all clear, and to her expectation, there was not a car in sight. The street would usually be sparse of citizens at night, so it wasn't really a surprise to her. Her hands gripped onto the wheel and pressed down upon the pedal gently, pulling out with caution. She took this as an opportunity to swiftly glance back at Cooper, noticing that his mind was clearly somewhere else. Bree hadn't figured Cooper out to be such a thoughtful person - though, when you thought about it - she hadn't figured all that much out about him. She practically didn't know the guy.

So once he began to start his sentence, but failed to proceed, Bree furrowed her brows, hands steadily pressed against the wheel. "Oh, so that's what you were doing?" She smirked befor patiently waiting for him to finish or say something else, the brunette wrinkled her nose. "... You were thinking..?" She trailed off, her sentence telling him that she was all ears and ready to listen.​

 

[Sitting and Dreaming]

Cooper couldn't help but roll his eyes at her remark, but he couldn't necessarily blame her. Though it only made him realize that he should have kept his mouth shut. Cooper Lewis wasn't the type to think, he was supposed to be stupid. He didn't try, he just went with the flow and whatever happened would happen. He was a free spirit. But knowing that wasn't really him, and actually wanting to open up to someone for once, it was hard to keep up a personality that he didn't want anymore. He simply let out a sigh, leaning his head against the window as he watched he yellow dotted lines pass by quickly.

"Never mind, I don't need you to call me stupid. I already know I am for just trying to talk to you like a normal person." He scoffed, his tone laced with a bitter sound. He shifted in his seat, his hands fidgeting in his lap and constantly moving around the hem of his white shirt. "Of all people in the world, I thought Bree fucking Anderson could be understanding." Cooper continued rambling on, falling short of his words and closing his eyes. He didn't know what he was doing on, he was practically arguing with himself in his head. Why couldn't he act normal? Just be he guy she honks you are, life is far better that way, he thought. Only to find himself shaking his head, eyes focusing in on his lap.

 

[d a n g e r]

Bree didn't know what to say exactly. So much so, that she abruptly stopped the car seeing as they hadn't yet drove onto the main road so the street was sparse of any other vehicles. The girl turned her head to the side and just stared at Cooper for a few lengthy minutes. He was right, I mean, about Bree, she wouldn't understand, but she would try to. And if a guy like Cooper was prepared to share some things with her, she'd need to understand better than ever before. Continuing to search for his eyes to which were drawn to his own lap, her facial expression was serious and slightly hurt at how he had a different mind on her now. An impure one.

"You're not stupid. You're smart because no other guy in this goddamned town would've had the brains to get me out of that house. I'm telling you, no one else." She pointed out before combing back loose strands of her hair and pressing her lips firmly together. Her eyes scanned the road for cars before focusing back on Cooper. "And you don't know me, Cooper, so don't act like I don't understand anything." Bree had done it. Been serious when needed to be, plus somewhat successfully shown him that he might've figured out the wrong girl. "I want to know what you need to tell me, and I swear I'll understand at best as I can." She promised, turning her body to him to show him that her full attention was on him and nothing else.​

 

[Sitting and Dreaming]

Cooper had been tempted to look up as he felt the car come to a stop, but he refused. He already looked weak, and that wasn't Cooper Lewis. Cooper Lewis didn't open up, he wasn't serious. And now he was vulnerable because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. He'd opened his mouth, for mad, and now he was stuck having a conversation that he didn't want to have. At least, he didn't want to have the conversation anymore. Even when Bree talked to him, he refused to look over at her. He kept his gaze down, and waited for her to drive. To do something other than wait for him to talk.

Though Cooper's temptations generally got the best of him, lifting his head to meet her gaze with a hardened look on his face. Like he'd just put up a concrete wall in front of him to keep her away from him as best as possible. "If everyone's always.. being something fake to impress others, how do you know who to trust? It's like deep down there's a person, whether they have good issues or not, but if they don't try to open up you're always just face with some alter ego that they feel they need to be." Cooper said quickly, combing his fingers through his hair as he let out a sigh. He couldn't look at her for much longer though, turning away to look out the window. "I mean, you're the girl that's perfect in everyone's eyes, but here you are sneaking out with me. I mean, who are you? Who's the real Bree Anderson? Or what does she want to be?" He asked, leaning back as his eyes closed again. Cooper Lewis had opened his mouth to say something unimaginable. He had thoughts, thoughts that would confuse most. Thoughts that for someone like him, he shouldn't have even been thinking of them.

 

[d a n g e r]

Bree exhaled whilst listening to what he had to say. He made good points, who could you trust? She had always been taught that the ones who go out of their way to make you happy, you should keep the closest to you. But who says that their intentions are pure - or even real anyway. You would just have to trust your judgement... that's how life was really. His questions after only cause her to bite down upon her lower lip, thinking over how to answer. But truthfully, there was no way for her to answer. She couldn't exactly just say who she was or who she wanted to be. So the brunette chose to answer simply as it looked like all of this was messing with Cooper's head. "I get what you mean. Everyone expects something from you and when you don't deliver, you disappoint them, so being the real you is no longer an option." She said, but she had never considered that Cooper was getting tired of the whole rebel act. Sure, she was growing tired of portraying the 'good girl', but she was breaking that, slamming the label in the face as they spoke. Although, it had only then hit Bree that it would be harder for Cooper to do the same as he had technically already damaged his reputation. But where there was damage, there was repair.

Sensing a set of headlights approaching, Bree started the car back up again and put her hands to the wheel again. "But the ones who don't judge or accept the real you, are the most trustworthy of them all." She stated, turning on the radio to fill the emptiness. "And the real Bree Anderson just wants to be treated like any other person in this world. No expectations and no labels." The girl sighed, finally reaching the main road. "How about we make a deal? For tonight, let's forget about the rebel and the good girl and just be Cooper and Bree. No pretending, no acting, just us being us." She suggested, taking a her hand off of the wheel and extending her pinkie for a childish pinkie promise.​

 

[Sitting and Dreaming]

Cooper hadn't bothered to lift his gaze, too afraid of the expression that Bree might hold on his face to even think about it. Afraid. Now that was something that people wouldn't expect of Cooper Lewis, the rebel. The bad boy. As a matter of fact, Cooper Lewis was known to be fearless. Give him a dare and he'd do it without a second thought. Without any questions asked, not a single word, except maybe something stupid, would leave his mouth as he did what you asked. Nobody, except maybe his siblings, would think that Cooper could be afraid of something. Of what someone may think of him. Because Cooper would never in a million years let out that he cared, it would make him vulnerable. And being vulnerable to others was a risk he wasn't willing to take. Not unless he was absolutely positive that they would open up to, and hold nothing back. Not unless they were real. People had surface personalities but what really made was who they truly were. Deep down, locked away, for someone reason not showing it.

The brunette glanced up at the last words that left the Anderson girl's mouth however, biting his lip. He was soon to give Annie of his head in agreement though, his stiffened posture relaxing rather quickly as he reached out to link their pinkies together. A pinkie promise. He'd never actually done one of those, at least not in a long time. It was different, there was always one thing to say a promise but it was another to seal it physically in front of each other. There was just no way you could be lying, at least in Cooper's opinion there wasn't. "You know, it feels like taking off some stupid mask. When I'm not being.. who everyone thinks I am." Cooper said slowly, a hesitant tone going along with the words that left his mouth. "It feels like, you know, fresh air. Like I can breath again in a better environment."

 

[d a n g e r]

Bree felt herself nod as Cooper intertwined his pinkie with hers. Once he loosened his grip, she did so as well and placed her hand back upon the leather of the wheel, her eyes focused on the road. She almost loved the feel of the vibrations from the road, each bump or minuscule pothole alike a pure breath of fresh air sent to her lungs. It was a different sense of freedom that she had never experienced in her life, plus it appeared as Cooper was feeling the same, but about something different. Though, Bree couldn't exactly blame him since he was right. They could now finally breathe. And breathe they shall. "I'm glad you feel like that, I mean I started breathing once I dropped down from that tree." She chuckled to herself before her eyes wondered over to him.

"I never did ask you, Cooper, but where are we going exactly?" She questioned furrowed brows whilst she indicated to the left onto another street. ​

 

[Sitting and Dreaming]

Cooper had been about to make a comment about when she'd fallen straight on top of him, something he wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.. until she spoke again. He'd let out a huff of hot air, a deep breath he didn't even realize he had been holding in. Yeah, Coop, where are you going? A voice questioned inside his head. His eyes closed tight, lips pursed in a thin line as he thought. What exactly could he answer her with? He didn't want to sound stupid. But that would be hard, considering.. well, considering he said a lot of stupid things. But, no, he didn't need to be a fake persona. He could be himself, he could be free. And enjoy the time they had together.

His lips parted with a sigh, eyes opening as his head turned to look at the girl beside him. "Well, Anderson, I think.. I think we should go to the cliff. Just for a bit." Surprisingly, Cooper's voice stuttered, stumbling over his words like a ton of bricks. And yet his head nodded with such certainty. He knew exactly where he wanted to go, his favorite place. His secret hideout. He could see the whole city, how the cars drove through the streets and the lights of buildings flickered on and off. Over and over. The rush of the wind in his ears, really, he could go on about it forever. But he wouldn't, as it only filled his thoughts too much.