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Realistic or Modern π’―𝒢𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒𝒹 π»π‘’π’Άπ“‡π“‰π“ˆ & 𝐻𝒾𝒹𝒹𝑒𝓃 π’žπ“π“Šπ‘’π“ˆ



















turn that frown upside down





She scoffed, rolling her eyes at Tori.
"You are absolutely ridiculous," she commented. "I'm just saying that at the very least, he could bother with a polite goodbye."

She huffed once more, just in case her sister hadn't caught onto her annoyance the first several times, before glancing around for Tori's husband. "No, but it can't be that hard to find him." Beth responded as she peered over the crowded space.

Eventually, she did catch sight of Zeph. He was off to the side, speaking with someone that Beth could make out. She slammed her hand against Tori's arm, while she pointed with her other hand in his direction.

"He's over there," Beth stated. "Come on. Maybe we can let him settle this argument about CK." She suggested, glaring quickly in her sister's direction before she started through the crowd with Tori in tow.

"Zeph," she called out his name as they got closer. "Zeph, I have a question for you. If a guy--"

But when she saw the person with him, she abruptly stopped. Her upper lip curled back in disgust and she waited for Tori to catch up before moving closer.

The guy was... eww. He looked like he smelled like moldy, sweaty Cheetos, and like he hadn't washed his hair in weeks. He reminded her of some of the weirdos from college, like he'd never bothered to move past that stage in life.

"Hey," Zeph greeted them with a smile, and then tilted his head towards the guy. "This is Trevor. Trevor, this is my wife, Tori. And her sister, Elizabeth. The writer."

Eww why would he mention that?

























crocodile rock








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘
 


















Like father, like son





"Call the girl,"
Miles mocked as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "You sound like some villain from a Disney movie." He said, before he dialed Ari's number and then held it up to his ear.

It started ringing and in those few moments of silence, more thoughts occurred to Miles, and he felt the need to just spout them out.

"How do I know you aren't some creep lookin' to kidnap Donna, eh?" he asked, squinting up at Chelsea, his eyes narrowed, before he frowned. "Nevermind. You look just like him. Ya know. If he had a stick up his ass. And a Chelsea would give his son a girly name like Donna."

The phone went to voice-mail, and he frowned, ending the call and pulling up their texting thread.

"She didn't answer," he said as he sent her a text that was simply WHERE R U?!? so he could freak her out later when she did check her phone.

"Real weird of her, though." Miles continued, as he slipped his phone back in his pocket with a shrug of his shoulders. "She always answers."

(Unless, you know, her and Donna were busy. Wink.)

























come hang out








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘
 


















screw off.





Micky shrugged and took the last sip from her cup,
then dropped the cup to the ground. β€œWell, like, she doesn’t say he’s her boyfriend, but, like, she shoves her tongue down his throat and probably is like, Oh let’s run away together, probably every day or something, so, like…that doesn’t just sound like a β€˜friend’ to me.” Micky had pulled the whole running away together thing out of her ass, but if she was honest, she just wanted to see how mad her dad could possibly get at her sister.

β€œI’m calling her,” Dad said, and he pulled out his phone and held it up to his ear.

β€œShe’s probably not gonna answer,” Micky said, and then she looked at Adriane. β€œWhy are you guys here?” she repeated. β€œWhat is going on?” By now, most of the other kids had deserted, likely fearing the arrival of cops or, worse, their own parents.

Ari didn’t answerβ€”shocker.

β€œI literally told you,” Micky said.

That probably wasn’t the best thing to say, as her dad leaned down to be eye level and then grabbed her shoulder.

Micky’s eyes widened slightly. β€œWhat did I do?” she asked.

β€œI am going to ask this only once, and if you don’t fuckin’ tell me, you’re goin’ to be grounded until you’re married,” he said.

β€œWatch your language,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. β€œI’m listening.”

β€œWho the fuck did Ari run off with?” her dad asked.

Micky tried not to grin but failed miserably. β€œFreud. Donahue Freud.”

























abcdefu








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















i know you want me.





β€œNathan, I’m going toβ€”β€œ
Nickie began to threaten, but thankfully for Nate, Logan snatched her phone from him, so she cut herself short and said, β€œI love you, Logan, literally so much.”

β€œTake a right up here,” Logan directed. β€œI think they’re at the ahh…looks like they’re at the old fairgrounds.”

β€œOf course,” Nickie mumbled, sighing deeply and wondering glumly why she hadn’t thought about it before. Back in her younger daysβ€”like, a couple years out of high school, about three years after the fairgrounds had officially been abandoned in favor of a new concrete lot toward the center of the city and soon after Nickie had given birth to Mickyβ€”that was the spot, too, and all of the kids who went to the small area college would try and force together some semblance of a college experience by bringing kegs to the woods. Back then, Nickie Rivera would hide her wedding ring in her drawer at home and live off of being flirted with by college boys who didn’t know her past and would usually wind up glad that she kept spare condoms in her purse.

And her fucking daughter was there?! Her heart gave an angry squeeze; tears pricked at her eyes again.

They got to a place in the road where Nickie knew the way to the fairgrounds from by heart. Nickie’s foot was lead, but she knew that cops had better shit to do than monitor these decrepit, dilapidated roads, anyway. As they wiggled around, Nickie’s face twisted into a grimace, but she tried not to think about what the baby was going through right nowβ€”she had a goal that she couldn’t just drop now.

Finally, they reached the parking lot, and Nickie shoved the vehicle into park as several cars whipped out of the parking lot.

She turned to her husband, out of breath, her eyes dripping angry, worried tears. β€œYou go get your daughter. Can you handle that?”

























What Was I Made For?








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















day by day...





CK could feel his pulse throbbing in his veins
as he watched the boy dial some number on his phone. He heaved deep breaths, swallowed to try and force his mouth to create some saliva. He clenched his fists; his knuckles were white, the skin around them an angry red.

CK watched the kid with unamusement and anger, giving him no reply to his stupid boyish comments.

Finally, the boy lowered his phone. β€œShe didn’t answer,” he said, his eyes glued to the screen as he did some more tapping. β€œReal weird of her, though.” He dropped the phone in his pocket and shrugged his shoulders. β€œShe always answers.”

CK stared at the kid for a long moment, like a beast deciding what to do with a prey animal in front of it. Finally, he turned his back on the kid and turned toward his wife. As he spoke, he started away, his head forward, his eyes focused on his vehicle again. β€œGet Donna’s location. You can do that, right?”

























this fffire








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















in a half-hour, i'll be fine...





β€œIf you mention it to him,” Tori said
, with a look of warning, β€œhe will say the same thing as I did.” You know, because he was reasonable. That was one reason why she kept him around.

(And…ya know…loved himβ€”but feelings were such an ew thing.)

Tori followed her sister over to Zeph, who stood talking to the man who she was pretty sure graduated with her. β€œZeph,” Beth said, β€œZeph, I have a question for you. If a guyβ€”β€œ

Beth just now seemed to notice the man with Zeph, and she stopped for a moment as though surprised (and probably revolted) by his existence.

β€œHey,” Zeph greeted, smiling.

Tori rolled her eyes and approached her husband, pecking him on the cheek. β€œHey,” she said, and she looked at the vaguely-familiar man.

β€œThis is Trevor,” Zeph said. β€œTrevor, this is my wife, Tori. And her sister, Elizabeth. The writer.”

Tori eyed Zeph suspiciously. You’re up to something, aren’t you? she tried to ask telepathically, but he didn’t seem to get the memo. Smiling somewhat stiffly, Tori turned and looked at Trevor. β€œNice to meet you,” she said, offering a hand to shake.

β€œNice to meet you, ma’am.” The man took her hand and gave it a firm shake, but there was something nervous about his eyes. His gaze flicked to Beth, then back to Zeph, and then again to Tori.

And then, an idea crossed Tori’s mind: wait, did Zeph try to…?

Tori’s smile melted into something slightly more genuine, and she gestured to her sister. β€œOh yes, this is my little sister, Beth. My husband has probably already told you about her.” Tori reached over and gently held her sister’s arm, leaning her head into hers. β€œShe’s just an incredible writer, and amazing all-around.” Tori let go of Beth’s arm but smiled slyly at her. β€œShe’s in visiting right now, but she’ll be in for a bit, if you…you know…”

She looked over at her husband, hoping that he would continue where she left off.

























today is not real








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















Just getting by





He straightened up, releasing his grip on Micky,
as nightmares of being a grandfather at forty to a Freud danced through his head.

So he did what any self-respecting father would do -- he pulled his phone out, and brought up an app that would track his daughter's location.

(It was attached to her phone and no, she didn't know.)

"Find Miles so we can go," he ordered without looking up as, with a puzzled expression, he zoomed out on the location to try to figure out where in town she was.

"Your dad is freaking out for literally no reason," Adriane explained, as she peered at her nails. "You should've seen your mom -- she was in tears. Ran out crying and everything from the reunion. It was so funny." At this, a cold grin slipped across her stone features. "What was it again, babe? Ellie was missing a toy or something?"

"Jay Freud," Mason responded absently. "She called sayin' they found his ahh phone or somethin', but can't find him."

He choked down the rest of his worries, and started off in a brisk walk.

"Mick, grab Miles -- we're going to get your sister."

























superman








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘
 


















screw off.





Her dad ordered her to find Miles,
but Micky just kept standing, poising up an eyebrow and crossing her arms. β€œNot until you tell me why you’re here and why you’re freaking out,” she said stubbornly.

β€œYour dad is freaking out for literally no reason,” Adriane said, checking her nails.

β€œTight-ass,” Micky mumbled, rolling her eyes.

β€œYou should’ve seen your momβ€”she was in tears,” Adriane continued. β€œRan out crying and everything from the reunion. It was so funny.”

Micky’s stomach gave a squeeze, and she heaved a deep sigh and rolled her eyes again. She was once again thankful that she shared neither a resemblance nor a last name with her mother, because fuck she would never hear the end of shit from her classmates.

β€œWhat was it again, babe? Ellie was missing a toy or something?” Adriane asked Dad, smiling.

β€œJay Freud,” Dad said. β€œShe called sayin’ they found his ahh phone or somethin’, but can’t find him.”

β€œOh, ha!” Micky cackled once loudly and covered her mouth. Ellie never shut up about Jay, how so great he was and how he definitely looked at her today or whatever anytime that Micky tried eavesdropping on her conversations. Micky was so fucking glad that she shared no blood with that weirdo.

Dad started away and repeated, β€œMick, grab Milesβ€”we’re going to get your sister.”

β€œBut Dad!” Micky whined, frowning, her brows knitting together. β€œI don’t know where he is and you’re ruining the vibe!”

But her dad was on a quest, so she rolled her eyes, slammed her cup to the ground, and muttered some curse words under her breath as she started in the direction of some noise.

The place was mostly deserted now, with only some freaked-out looking kids standing aroundβ€”ones who had probably been abandoned by their rides and left to rot. Losers. They could probably look forward to doors being taken off bedrooms and windows being soldered shut. Sucked to be them.

Micky caught a loud voice in the remaining noise that sounded vaguely like Miles, and she turned her head in the direction of the sound to seeβ€”yepβ€”her cousin, his phone pressed up against his ear and appeared to be chattering away.

And there was also some grown ass man standing above him and a woman beside him, which was…weird.

Micky walked over and reached out for Miles. By this point, he’d hung up his phone, and Micky caught the vibe that she was probably interrupting some line of interrogation. β€œMiles,” she said, grabbing her cousin’s shoulder briefly before shooting a glance back at the man. She gave him a disgusted once-over, her lip pushing up into a sort of grossed-out frown, before she looked at her cousin again. β€œWe gotta go. Dad is, like, shitting bricks. I dunno but we gotta go.”

β€œIs this your sister?” the man asked, and Micky didn’t move for a moment, temporarily stunned at the audacity of this grown ass man to speak to her cousin.

Micky’s face contorted back into an expression of disgust. β€œYou got a problem with that?” she said, playing along.

The man’s face was cold, but his eyes were angry. The expression reminded her of one of her dad’s; something in her chest shrunk back slightly. β€œYou know where Ari is?”

β€œI’m not telling you where she is. You’re probably going to snatch her, freak,” Micky said.

β€œI’m not going to snatch her,” the man said, his voice slightly agitated now. β€œShe’s with my son.”

Micky blinked. β€œHuh?” And then blinked again. β€œWait, you said what?” And then again. That revelation had a triple dawning on her. She grinned slightly. β€œYou meanβ€”ha!β€”Donna is your kid?”

β€œWhere are they?” Donna’s dad said, giving no confirmation one way or another.

β€œGetting their rocks off in a forest, probably,” Micky said, but she pulled out her phone, before she stopped short. She grinned again. β€œMy dad,” she said, aware of her dad’s hatred for this man, β€œhas a tracker on her, I’m pretty sure, so, like…they’re leaving, so you should follow them if you want to know where to go.”

The man let out a deep sigh, and Micky remembered that she was supposed to be grossed out by this man, so she grasped her cousin’s shoulder again and started off in the direction her dad had headed. β€œWhatever,” she said. β€œLet’s go.”

























abcdefu








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 



















  • Like father, like son





    He was gonna die.
    At the hands of some beer-bellied old man whose son was banging his cousin-sister.

    Luckily, the guy turned his attention to his wife instead, saying something about blah blah blah can't you track our kid, and his wife said something back, but Miles had already spaced off. And like, could he walk off now? Or was this dude not done shaking him around like a little stationary stack of potatoes?

    He smiled as Micky came over, right up until she started speaking.

    "Yeah, this is my sister," Miles stated to the guy. "But not the one you're lookin' for."

    (Sister, cousin, they were interchangeable at this point for him.)

    As Micky grabbed his shoulder and yanked him after her, he waved goodbye to the guy.

    "That guy's name," Miles snickered, "was Chelsea."

























    come hang out








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 



















  • smile





    Mother Nickie was one of the most terrifying things that Logan ever saw,
    because it was evident by every one of her actions that she cared for kids so deeply. And as they'd pulled into the parking lot, Logan had been ready to climb out and go hunt down the girls, until she heard the shakiness in Nickie's voice.

    As Nickie commanded her husband to go hunt down their daughter, Logan dropped her hand from the door handle. In some ways, Logan was almost jealous of Nickie -- because she didn't feel that same overpowering urge to go find Margot and Axel and comfort them. And, well, if she didn't feel that, was she even a good mother?

    "Well," she stated as she looked over at Mike, before making a shooing motion with her hand as the passenger door opened and Nate exited the vehicle. "What're you waiting for? Go get your daughter."

    And make sure your son didn't have anything to do with this.

    Once her poor excuse for a husband had exited the car, Logan scooted over so she was in the center seat before she leaned forward. Awkwardly, she reached forward, a hand resting on Nickie's shoulder.

    "Are you ahh... okay?"

























    superman








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 



















  • turn that frown upside down





    Oh, there was something nice about a relationship, when you could communicate nearly telepathically.
    There was a smile on his face as Tori caught on immediately to what he was laying down, and he was pleasantly surprised to know that she obviously agreed with him on this set up.

    "Right," he said, picking up where Tori had left off and ignoring the daggers that were shooting in their direction from Beth. "Maybe if you're... free. Beth doesn't have much going on, and you know what? We were going to have that umm... we were going to go to dinner -- right, Tori?" he asked, smiling down at his wife.

    Wow, sometimes he really loved her. Especially right now when they were so easily on the same page.

    "And maybe, maybe, you could join us. I'm sure Beth would love to talk someone else's ear off about her new novel -- especially someone that's so... equally... talented and published, as well."

























    crocodile rock








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















  • day by day...





    β€œThat’s what we’re doing,”
    CK said flatly, his hand finding his wife’s as his gaze searched for fucking Rivera as he made his way back to the vehicle. Finally, he spotted the man ducking into the driver’s side of some bland vehicle. He quickened his pace, and when he reached his car, he threw himself inside and started the car and waited only until his wife got inside to shift into drive and wait for Rivera’s car to trail out of the parking lot.

    There were a million things that CK could have saidβ€”comments about the absolute assholes that Rivera had produced, or comments about Rivera himself, or angry comments about what was going to happen to their sons once they found themβ€”but his mind, clouded with adrenaline, seemed to be disconnected from his body, whose hands were wrapped white-knuckled around the steering wheel.

    Rivera’s car tore out of the parking lot, and CK did not hesitate even a moment in speeding right after. Both hands gripped the wheel; his foot was lead on the pedal. He tried to steady his breathing, but he found it nearly impossible.

    CK realized, after several turns, that there was something odd about the path that they were taking. They were heading somewhat out of town, toward the outskirts, then weaving through neighborhood roads back onto old forgotten roadways, and then they crossed over the train tracks. The air soured as they passed the water treatment plant, and a pit stirred in CK’s stomach.

    The junkyard, CK thought with a flash of anger. That was really the only option. From his high school days, CK knew it very well. Memories of laughing at drunk Dexter with his own bottle in his handβ€”or, earlier than that, in junior high, coming with a chest full of anger to fight amongst the scrap metalβ€”pricked at his mind, but his adrenaline overcame his nostalgia.

    Just as he surmised, as the air cleared from the water treatment plant, Rivera turned at the gravel junkyard parking lot, and CK followed after. It was dark now, and the only light was from the bright triangles cut by the cars’ headlights. In the triangle, CK could see his son’s gleaming sports car.

    This was really it.

    β€œShit,” CK muttered, remembering the difficulty of even getting into the junkyard, already feeling rage pooling in his throat from having to figure out a way in.

























    this fffire








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘


 


















  • i know you want me.





    Nickie cradled her stomach in her hands,
    grimacing as she shifted in the driver’s seat. She sniffled and watched out the windshield, her eyes bouncing around frantically as she tried to spot her daughter in the dissipating masses of kids. Her husband left the vehicle, and then Logan’s husband. Nickie gnawed on her lower lip, rubbing her lipstick off on her teeth and drawing up flakes of her skin. The well of tears in Nickie’s eyes bubbled again.

    Nickie felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked over to see Logan looking back at her from the center seat.

    β€œAre you ahh…okay?” Logan asked.

    Wrong question to ask.

    Nickie tried to force a smile. β€œMm…” She started, giving a single nod and pulling the corners of her mouth up, but as she tried to crinkle her eyes, a tear escaped, and that one tear led to another one, and then another one, and then Nickie couldn’t stop. She clasped her hands over her face and let out a sob, allowing the tears to leave her eyes in a flood, letting her cries shake her whole body.

    When she lifted her eyes again, her mascara was smudged and running down her face, streaking her caked-on foundation. β€œShe’s supposed to be at home!” Nickie said in a sob. β€œI don’t know how she even got here! She never leaves homeβ€”I don’tβ€”did I say somethingβ€”did I do something that made her…?” She struggled to breathe in more than a series of shallow breaths in and out. β€œMy sons are at home aloneβ€”they can’t be aloneβ€”and my baby isβ€”my baby, she’s not ready to be around people like this, andβ€”!” Nickie shook her head. β€œAnd it’s always my fault, andβ€”andβ€”and none of this would have happened if Mason let Micky come home andβ€”and fuck Mason!”

    In a flash of anger, she smacked the wheel, and then her face crumpled again as she let out another sob. She looked back at Logan. β€œIβ€”I…”

























    What Was I Made For?








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















in a half-hour, i'll be fine...





Bingo.
Tori withheld a victorious grin as her husband picked up exactly where she’d left off, but she gave him a little flick up of the eyebrows before she looked at her little sister. Of course, Beth had this offended, mortified look that she had on her face any time any man other than that married one was brought up in conversation or, worse, introduced to her, which didn’t make Tori overjoyed, but Beth was just going to have to get over herself. Trevor Callaghan might not have been the best lookingβ€”actually, Tori vaguely recalled him from high school and was pretty sure he’d peaked his β€œsort of attractive if you squint” look senior year of high school (and had been going steadily downhill since, apparently)β€”but he seemed like a decent man and was apparently a published author, and Beth was stuck on a man who was married with children.

Tori knew from experience that that never ended well.

She could still never look her mom in the eyes, though she wasn’t really sorry for covering up what she still believed was her father’s true love.

β€œI’m busy that day,” Beth said.

β€œOh, Elizabeth,” Tori said, laughing along with Zeph as though her sister was joking, though she knew for sure that she wasn’t. She playfully batted Beth’s arm, then leaned her head into Zeph. β€œOh, she’s so funny!” she said to Trevor, waving her hand dismissively. β€œShe’s free that day, obviously.”

β€œAnd you’re…an author?” Beth said. β€œI’ve never heard of you.”

Trevor smiled, though Tori couldn’t tell how genuine it was. β€œI’m a poet,” he said.

β€œHe’s an English teacher, too,” Zeph added.

β€œAh, different circles,” Tori said, nodding knowingly and looking over at her sister. β€œYou’ve been talking about how you wanted to get into poetry, haven’t you?” She gestured to Trevor. β€œI’m sure this nice man would love to introduce you.”

Tori pulled that out of her ass, of course, but…

























today is not real








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 



















  • Just getting by





    He'd heard another car pull up,
    but Mason had only bothered to glance in the direction of it, before he'd resumed to trying to figure out how to get over the fence without climbing.

    (He was not in as good of shape as he used to be -- surprise surprise.)

    He only grew interested when he heard a voice, although the voice belonging to Freud just made his already boiling blood boil hotter. His hands tightened on the fence and he glanced over his shoulder, dark eyes narrowed at the other man's silhouette. "No fuckin' shit," he snapped, before glaring back through the fence.

    "So your son's in there, too?" Mason asked. It would make sense -- the other vehicle that had been in the parking lot was a bitch vehicle, and Chelsea would be the kind of person to have a bitch for a son. "What do ya think they're doing?" he also asked, although the second question was obviously rhetorical.

    Mason didn't want to think about what they were likely doing in there, so he instead gripped the shaky chain-link fence and hoisted himself up. There were a few grunts, some heavy breathing along the way, and Mason was reminded far too much of just how out of shape he was, and how far removed he was from doing this nearly twenty years ago.

    As he flipped himself over the fence, one of his feet missed the fence and Mason lost his grip on the fence and Mason plummeted towards the ground, where he landed on his back.

    "Fuck," he huffed.

























    superman








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 



















  • smile





    She should've left Mike in the car, and gone after the girls herself.
    But no, of course Logan had to stay back and pretend to comfort someone that wasn't even really her friend, while at the same time was really Logan's only friend.

    If only she could swap lives with Dex.

    Nickie's little freakout only served to make Logan even more uncomfortable, but she supposed that she could understand and relate to some degree to the whole... really shitty baby daddy situation. Perhaps Logan shouldn't be referring to her husband in such a way, but as long as inner thoughts weren't spoken aloud, they were fine.

    Plus, it was Mike. Her distaste was understood and called for by many.

    "You can't... keep her safe forever," Logan started to venture, hoping to not turn Nickie's rage back onto her. "And... if Micky was there, how do ya know she wouldn't have dragged Ellie off with her?"

    Well, other than knowing that Micky and the girls didn't really get along -- at least, according to Margot.

























    superman








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















turn that frown upside down





"I think poetry is lame,"
Beth responded to her sister's comment rather blatantly, and there was a bit of a smug expression on her face as she spoke it, too.

"Poetry is what people do when they don't understand how to word a complete sentence, or can't concentrate long enough to write a thought provoking work of art." Aka a book, although Beth really didn't have any ill hatred towards poetry or poets in general. But if this man that looked as if he'd just crawled out of someone's basement distinguished himself as such, then Beth would do her best to insure that he would never wish to speak to her again.

Because, let her reiterate this, eww.

"I'm bored," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder before sending a sour look in her sister's direction that implied they would be discussing this meddling later, and then Beth turned and started walking away without another word.

Because as if she would be caught dead saying goodbye to any of them.

























crocodile rock








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘
 


















  • jealous much?





    Tall orange flames climbed higher toward the dark sky like plasmatic vines,
    and Donahue Freud, who only ever really smirked or shit-eatingly grinned, found himself smiling and laughing to a soundtrack of loud, resounding crackling. His eyes ached from the ash that floated about like snow flurries.

    After he tossed another odd can into the pile and watched it be eaten by the hungry flames, Donna turned back around to face herβ€”Ari, framed with warmth, the fiery orange seeming gentle reflected off of her cheek. For a moment, he stilled, staring at her, wondering how he even got hereβ€”why he was here instead of getting wasted at the party, trying to hotwire someone’s car or siphon out their gas, graffitiing a bridgeβ€”but he found his answer in the reflection of the fire in her eyes.

    Smiling widely, he reached out for her hand. β€œThis is living,” he said, pulling her just a step closer to the fire. β€œIt’s fucking…”

    How could he even put it into words? If he was someone smarter, maybe he would say invigorating and launch on some tangent or whatever, but he really didn’t care that muchβ€”and even that word fell short.

    The best way he could put it that he was here, breathing in the heavy smell, coughing little coughs, tearing up from the ash and smoke, feeling his pulse race in his neck, sensing his blood coursing through his body, seeing, smelling, tasting, livingβ€”alive, and more alive than ever.

    And his skin was touching Ari’s. His hand was still holding hers. His hand could have been holding anyone else’s, his skin could’ve been on anyone else’s, but his skin was touching Ari. Hardass, stuckup, too-serious Ariβ€”would would’ve thought he’d be here?

    But this moment was inescapable, somehowβ€”meant to be.

    β€œYou feel it too, right?” he asked, looking into her face, lifting his hand up to rub a finger across her cheek. In her eyes, he saw the scene in front of them fully reflectedβ€”and deeper than the reflection, he found the answer to his question.

    Sliding his thumb beneath her chin, Donna leaned in to kiss Ari.

























    how bad can i be?








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















  • i know you want me.





    Nickie, teary eyed, shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut.
    You can’t keep her safe forever, Logan saidβ€”but that wasn’t true, that wasn’t true. Maybe one day, Ellie would beβ€”would be forty, and would want to go out on her own, but forty wasn’t now. Now, Ellie was supposed to be safeβ€”was supposed to be protected. Since Nickie was trusted with Ellie, Ellie had been hers to protectβ€”and that meant that she had to keep her safe.

    β€œMicky would never have let her go,” Nickie insisted, opening her eyes and looking solemnly at Logan. β€œYou know that Micky has never liked Ellieβ€”like, you remember what I told you she said to my mom when she was, like…four or five or something, she said, β€˜Gramma, why didn’t Nate let Ellie die when her mom did? Nobody wants her anyway.’ Andβ€”andβ€”and if Micky was here, she never would have letβ€”never, ever would have let Ellie out.” Nickie was jabbering, but she couldn’t stop herself.

    She pushed her palms up against her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. β€œIt’s all my fault. I should’ve known that it was too much on a night like this toβ€”to ask her to babysit the littlesβ€”sheβ€”she’s too young for that, sheβ€”she can’t handle itβ€”she’s too emotionallyβ€”likeβ€”I should have stayed home, andβ€”andβ€”β€œ (Her children were 12 and 9, but in her head, they were still the littles.) β€œNowβ€”now, I’m not going to be able to evenβ€”evenβ€”what if she’s hurt? What if she’s hurtβ€”andβ€”andβ€”β€œ Another burst of anger, and her face grew very furiously red. β€œI’m l-losing my fucking mindβ€”I’m losing my mind!” Nickie sobbed. β€œI’veβ€”β€œ She popped open the car door. β€œI’ve got to get out of here. He’s taking too fucking longβ€”can’t do one fucking job.”

    She couldn’t make her dramatic exit as easily as she’d’ve liked to, but she managed to push herself up and, holding her pregnant belly, stormed toward the mostly dissipated party.

























    What Was I Made For?








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















in a half-hour, i'll be fine...





Tori blinked at her sister.


Then blinked again.

Then blinked again. And again. And again.

β€œAre you kidding me…?” she finally mumbled aloud, looking over at Zeph. Telepathically, she tried to communicate to her husband: I’ll kill her later.

She looked over at Trevor, who had an offended expression on his face and pink cheeks. Desperate now to save the situation, Tori forced a laugh and flopped her wrist. β€œHa! Oh, Lizzie’s always such a jokester!”

β€œQuite a comedian,” Trevor said.

Shit, this ship was sinking. Tori smiled tightly, leaning up against Zeph for moral support. β€œWell, haha, uhm, that means she likes you! It’s, like, ah, aβ€”you know, it’s hip to be, like, coy, you know? But the sparks were flying, Mr. Callaghan,” Tori said.

β€œAh…” Trevor seemed to tense up.

MAYDAY MAYDAY RED ALERT. THINK FAST THINK FASTβ€”

Quickly, Tori whipped out her cell phone. β€œCan I get your number, Mr. Callaghan? I would love to be able to, you know…” She nodded, trying to get him to catch her drift.

β€œMy…number?” Trevor did not seem to catch her drift.

Tori winked and clicked her tongue. Clickclick.

β€œHm?”

β€œWeeoo, weeoo," Tori said, lifting a fist and imitating that she was pulling down on a semitruck horn.

Trevor blinked. β€œPardon?”

Tori finally sighed. β€œA date,” she finally relented. β€œA date, Mr. Callaghan.”

His face grew pink for a moment, and then he became a sickly sort of pale. He swallowed hard. β€œI, ahβ€”β€œ

β€œWhat’s your number?” Tori demanded, shoving her phone in his face and giving him a stern look to make it clear that it wasn’t a question.

A panic in his eyes, his hands shaking slightly, Trevor finally lifted his hand up, grabbed her phone, and, at length, typed out his phone number in her contact.

Seeing it was done, Tori excitedly seized her phone, saved the number, and gave Trevor a beaming smile. β€œWell, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Callaghan! I’ll make sure that you and Beth get…connected.” There, she winked again, and she looked at her husband. β€œZeph and I are…ah…”

She glanced around for a moment. Yeah, pretty much everyone was gone, which worked out for her excuse away from this interaction.

She smiled. β€œZeph and I are going to head out. It seems like the party has died down, and, you know, it’s only fashionable to arrive late, not to leave late.”

β€œAh…yes,” Trevor said. β€œNice to meet you.” His voice had an almost warble to it now, and his eyes didn’t quite meet hers.

Proud of herself, Tori looped her arm in her husband’s and began to guide him away. Whispering excitedly, she said to her husband, β€œWe’re so good at this. We should start a matchmaking business.”

























today is not real








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















screw off.





Content now knowing that it was her sister who would die and not herself,
Micky grinned and slumped back in the seat. She began to twirl the end of her hair. β€œFreuuuud kid,” Micky half-sang. β€œHeh heh, Ari’s gonna get her ass reamed because of a butt ugly Freud kid, not even a hot guy.”

"He's always been more bark than bite," Adriane said. "Well... except that time he broke Keegan Killough's nose in a fightβ€”but he's dead now. Or that time Mason said he walked into a doorknob and Chelsea Freud said he tripped when they had obviously beaten each other bloody."

Micky was always hearing about how her dad fought other people in school or whatever, but she really didn’t buy it. β€œRiiiight,” Micky said suspiciously.

"Hm. Perhaps he is more bite than bark,” Adriane said. "Maybe he will kill you."

At once, Micky started to panic again. She shot forward in her seat, poking her head back into the middle of the front seats. β€œKill me? Why would he kill me, Adriane? β€˜Cuz I’m a little high? Sounds like he’s fucking jealous to meβ€”it’s not like, like, likeβ€”like, I can’t drive or anything anyway so it’s not like I was gonna drive, so, like, likeβ€”β€œ Micky shook her head. β€œHe can’t kill me. I’ll give him back the $20 I stole from his wallet, I promise! Andβ€”and I’ll never smoke weed again.” And then, immediately, β€œWell, I’ll smoke weed againβ€”but he’llβ€”he’ll never have to know again. Do you think that’s a good enough, like…do you think that’ll convince him?”

























abcdefu








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 



















  • Just getting by





    Everything was perfect.
    Except the smell of burning mattress in the background, and the general smell that accompanied scrapyards and junkyards.

    She spent so much time trapped in a tight little box, cushioned with bubble wrap from a world that her dad had always been too afraid of her experiencing, that this now... this was living. He was right because he like, was always right about this stuff -- because Donna was the definition of experiencing life to the fullest.

    Her heart was thumping away in her chest as he drew closer, and maybe this wasn't the most romantic of settings, what with the burning mattress casting the only light across the two of them, but...

    "Y-yeah," she whispered, her words catching on themselves as his fingers brushed across her skin. Her hand lifted, pressing lightly against his chest, as he came down to meet her, and she rocked forward on the front of her feet to reach him. Heart pounding, she tried to keep her cool as she kissed him.

    This was really--

    "Ariana Marie Rivera," a familiar voice bellowed out, and Ari pulled slightly away from Donna, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion as she peered through the darkness -- right up until a figure burst into view.

    "Dad?"

























    superman








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















Sorry, wasn't listening





This had been some fun,
messing with the ever so high Micky. Although the longer that it continued, the more bored that Adriane happened to grow with her little game. She'd flipped down the mirror now, to check her lipstick with was, of course, obviously, perfect as always. And as she flipped it back up, she sighed.

"You remind me so much of your real mother sometimes," she stated with a breathy sigh, as Adriane peered at her fingernails. "You'll be fine. Please, your dad is going to be too busy trying to kill your bitch of a sister after this."

Although that was probably a lie, because like... for whatever reason, he'd always spoiled the hell out of that little girl. No wonder she always rolled her eyes and told Adriane -- you know, her mother -- off. Like, as if she had the right to treat her mother like that.

"Micky, if you had a boyfriend, you'd tell me, right?" she asked, glancing back towards her with a raised eyebrow. As she did so, she caught brief sight of Miles -- who'd somehow fallen asleep slumped against the door.

























superman








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















  • day by day...





    For awhile, Chelsea couldn’t make anything out about the scene besides that there was a fire.
    As he led the way across piles of metal and through heaps of reeking papers, no matter how hard he squinted, he couldn’t make out any figures or any movement. The junk obscured his view no matter where he moved.

    And then, as he rounded a corner, he was stopped in his tracks at the sudden sight of a silhouette of two, melded into one.

    β€œShit,” Chelsea muttered, surprised for a momentβ€”

    And then, anger flared in his chest.

    β€œDonahue Riley Freud!” CK bellowed, just as Rivera called his daughter’s name. CK rushed up to his son, shoving past Rivera, and as Rivera grabbed his daughter and yanked her away, CK reached forward and roughly grabbed his son by the shoulder.

    β€œWhat in the hell are you doing here withβ€”that?!” Chelsea demanded, now caught completely in the now and momentarily losing his original purpose. He heard his words slightly echoed by Rivera’s voice, and that made his shoulders tense further.

    Donna’s eyes were panicked. β€œIβ€”I was justβ€”we were justβ€”β€œ And then, his eyes were angry: β€œWhy are youβ€”how are youβ€”how did youβ€”?”

    β€œOh my God,” said Ariana, β€œYou freaking tracked me, didn’t you?”

    Donna seemed to catch onto those words, and he said, β€œDid youβ€”track Ari?”

    β€œYou answer me first,” CK demanded.

    β€œYou didn’t answer your fuckin’ phone, Ari,” Rivera said, β€œand there’sβ€”Jay’s fuckin’ missin’, and Iβ€”β€œ

    Suddenly, CK remembered his original purpose, just as Donna’s face switched into confusion again. β€œJay is huh?”
    
CK contemplated yelling at Donna further about the situation, about how irresponsible and fucking stupid he was, about how he never should’ve even beenβ€”

    But his wife was in the car.

    β€œI’ll fucking tell you later,” CK said, dragging his son back toward the vehicle. β€œYou’re coming home.”

    β€œDad, for real?” Donna said, irritated. β€œI wasn’tβ€”and my carβ€”β€œ

    β€œYour mom will drive your car back,” CK said. β€œYou’re coming home.”

























    this fffire








    β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘

 


















smile





He blinked once. And then twice. And then once again.


There was a lot going on, especially when his angry pregnant wife showed up instead of waiting in the car like he'd insisted she do. His head was starting to hurt, especially as Mike decided to get involved for no good reason. And for once, Nate actually shot his friend a sour look -- whether it was rarer that Nate grew annoyed with Mike, or that Nate's typically stoic face showed any kind of emotion was hard to say. But he sighed, finally deciding he was done.

"C'mon," he grumbled, as he tugged Ellie away from her mother, and then he picked up his daughter, just like he would when she was younger and she'd throw a holy fit, or that time she'd gotten hurt on the playground and he'd carried off as she sobbed. Either way, it got them out of here faster.

"Mike get your kids. Let's get outta here." he called back over his shoulder and with that, Nate just... walked off back towards the car. How they were going to fit everyone in was a different story altogether, but he decided that breaking the law a little bit tonight would be called for given the circumstances.

And then, he realized something.

Wait--

"Ellie, this is real important," he said, as he let go of her next to the car. "Do you still have the broken phone?"

If this was something serious like what had happened when him and Mike were a few years out of high school then... well, shit. Nate was not about to get involved in what might likely turn into a murder investigation.

























superman








β™‘coded by uxieβ™‘
 

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