Realistic or Modern Under Construction

[AmaranthWolf]

Small town of Aramore, a few hours from the small beachside district Eastbourne

Will - owns the supermarket
Samuel - owns The Cowardly Trout, the local bar/pub
Aramore High - Principal is Ronald Macnamara

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie climbed out of the shower and wrapped one towel around her body and one around her hair. She wiped the steam off the mirror above the sink and looked at herself. Shit. She thought. Shit, shit shit. It had well over a month since her period was due. She'd been denying it for a few weeks now but it was getting out of hand. Dinner tonight had made her more suspicious. There hadn't really been any other symptoms, right? The broken sleep was because of the heat. The stomach aches had been from missing Roe. The... unwelcome changes in her bowel movements were from all the tea she'd been drinking, and craving.
But tonight, she almost couldn't deny it.
Normally she loved fish; her mother's charcoal baked salmon was unbeatable, but tonight the smell made her want to hurl. She'd barely managed a mouthful of the thing before gagging.
Sadie checked her phone. 7.48pm. If she rushed, she could make it to the corner store. She shoved her hair into a ponytail and dressed quickly, running out of the house with her keys.

20 minutes later she was back home, nervously standing, again in the bathroom. She inhaled sharply and ripped open the box.

A few minutes before midnight, she stood at the door to Rowan's house, trembling. She rung his phone and when he answered sleepily, she simply said "Let me in."



Alyssa sat at her computer, one knee folded and one hanging off the chair. She tapped through social media, gently humming a song. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail to keep the sweat from building up on her neck. She saw Mailee pop online and sent her a message 'hey girl, you up to much tonight?'
While waiting for her reply, Alyssa changed out of her work uniform and into a loose dress. Her mum walked past, calling out "How was work today, Lyss?"
"It was alright - the aircon broke so the whole room was so hot."
"Really? Again?" Her mum doubled back into her room, wearing her work scrubs.
"Yeah, Will sent for the mechanic. I hope they just replace it this time. I cannot last an entire summer like that"
"Well yes, that would be nice! There's some brownie on the bench if you like. I'll see you in the morning." Alyssa's mother kissed her on the temple. "I gotta run!"
"Thanks, Mum. Enjoy work."

Alyssa ran downstairs, the smell of chocolate and raspberries getting stronger as she reached the kitchen. She grabbed a bowl, a scoop of ice-cream, some fresh strawberries and a large piece of brownie.
She ran back up the stairs, and read Mailee's reply, snapping a photo of the dessert to send to her.



Kodi and Kadin rolled up outside the local bar, The Cowardly Trout.
"Oh my god." Kodi lamented, rubbing her brow.
"I'm sure it can't be worse than that gig in North Shore." Kadin replied, pulling his keys out of the car and climbed out.
Kodi sniffed and took her jacket off, revealing a low-cut black t-shirt. "As long as they bloody pay well. This was your idea, you know?"
"Mmm well it was your choice to follow me here," he sighed, walking towards the door.
They pushed the door open and were greeted by Samuel, the owner.
"Well, you two aren't from around here, are you?" Samuel said, immediately walking over to greet them. He vigorously shook both their hands and started chatting amicably to Kadin. Kodi slunk away as fast as she could and looked around the bar. It wasn't anything flash, but it wasn't bad for a small town. It was clean, and there was a decent menu and drinks selection.



Jeptha wiped his hand on his forehead, unintentionally smearing black oil across his brow. He sighed and leaned back, looking over the car once more. He walked around to the driver's side and tested the ignition. Satisfyingly, it roared to life, where previously it had sputtered and died.
He turned the car off, shut the hood, closed the garage and walked into the tiny office to finish the paperwork and compile a bill for the owner.
The mechanics was located on the lower story of the house they lived in, but he preferred it to the cleaner, larger space upstairs, where his brother prowled.
He finished the paperwork and ran a hand through his hair, spreading the oil.
He sat on the office chair for a few moments, savouring the peace and quiet, before quietly making his way into the family home, bracing himself for one argument or another.

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

Rowan closed up the store at 10, although the last customer had entered just before 8. The summer rush was petering to an end in the lazy town of Eastbourne. In the last few months the towns numbers had hovered around triple their usual quota of around 150 (if you counted everyone in a 20km radius), and the usual traffic had been swelled with tourists and uni students making their annual summer roadie.
He locked the back door of the store behind him and made his way across the back yard to the gate which lead into his family's back yard. All the lights were off, which was neither a surprise or a disappointment. He was well and truly ready for bed himself. Perhaps he would manage three hours before his mother knocked on his door to ask for his help in getting his father to the toilet. Four if he was lucky.
Dumping the keys to the store in the bowl by the back door, he moved briskly up the stairs, taking them three at a time. He dumped his t-shirt in the washing basket and unceremoniously tossed his shorts in the vague direction of his chest of drawers, then jumped into bed. He was asleep almost immediately.

Rowan never left his phone on silent, but he was certainly wishing that he had when the ringing woke him what felt like less than an hour later. He groaned, rolled over and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. Sadie? He put the phone to his ear.
"What are you doing up?" he answered, his voice betraying that he had just woken up.
"Let me in," she replied. He frowned.
"Ok," he said simply, before hanging up.
She sounded shaken. They hadn't really spoken much that day, but she hadn't mentioned any impromptu midnight visits to him on the phone the morning. It wasn't unheard of for one of them to sneak into the other's bedroom late at night, but usually there was some level of coordination necessary. He steeled himself, and jumped out of bed, not bothering to put anything on over his boxers. He trudged down the stairs, and spotted her silhouetted against the frosted glass of the back door.
"This is a surprise," he said.

Mailee and Cameron​

"Ok, so towels are in the cupboard in the hall if you want a shower..." Mailee glanced about the spare room which as far as she could remember had only ever been occupied once. "Anything else you need?"
"Nope" Cameron replied, hovering by the window and trying to avoid making eye contact.
"OK great," she said, "I've got work tomorrow morning so I'll be out, but Dad should be able to show you where to find something for breakfast." She smiled at him, clearly he was nervous, and far from thrilled about his new lodging. "Maybe tomorrow I'll take you out and show you where everything is."
"Maybe," was all he said in reply.
She stood there a second longer, but clearly he wasn't going to throw her any bones. "I'll leave you be then," she replied cheerily, "have a good night!"

She left the room and ducked back into her own. Everyone else might be on summer break but she still had homework to do for a hospitality course she was doing by distance. She sat down at the computer and waved the mouse vaguely to light up the screen. The open tab was one of the new e-modules the course was developing to replace some of the cringe-worthy video conference style tutorials that made up most of the course. The next tab over blinked at her to show that she had a new message, she clicked over and smiled as she saw the red one next to Alyssa's name.
Jealous, she typed in reply. Alyssa's mum made the best brownies. Mailee kept meaning to ask her for the recipe, but to be honest she didn't have much time to cook anyway. Not much, she added, my cousin just arrived, so I've been settling him in.

Mordecai​

Jake had spent the afternoon lying on his bed smoking. The window was shut, and the whole room - probably the whole house by now, his door was open - was beginning to hang heavy with tobacco. The room was a mess, he knew that, but couldn't care less. His most recent girlfriend had run off with some thug from the city almost two months ago now, and he didn't share her desire for being able to see the floor. He knew that despite the impression that the room was full, it was very bare, him having pawned off just about anything he could convince Denise to palm him out some money for. Empty beer bottles collected loosely in cardboard boxes took their place, and no matter what he got rid of, there always seemed to be enough to fill its place.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs prompted him to sit up. He hastily stubbed out his cigarette on the frame of his bed and tossed it into one of the boxes. Grabbing a black leather jacket off the floor, he ran a hand threw his hair and stomped out of his room.
"I'm going out," he yelled.

The Cowardly Trout definitely had the most generous beers in Aramore, and one of the more generous barkeepers too. Jake parked his car haphazardly, taking up two parks, and slammed the door behind him.
Samuel was chatting with a man he didn't recognise, which was good, because patient though he might be, there was always a chance that he might decide that Jake's tab had stretched too far. One of the more junior staff manning the taps wouldn't try to pull that on him. As he cast his eye further down the bar he spotted another unfamiliar face, this one just as welcome as the first. He strolled casually over to where she sat and leant against the bar.
"A stout for me," he told the barman offhandedly, "and a pilsner for my friend." He gave the unfamiliar girl a smile.

Stacia​

"Sorry maam," Stacia gave the middle aged woman her firmest look, "I can't sell you this when you have minors with you."
The woman looked at her blankly, clearly not comprehending. Stacia sighed inwardly, but outwardly kept the same mask of pleasant civility plastered on her face. Will was a good manager, and he'd been doing it a long time, but clearly things had begun to slip, and customers thought they could get away with anything.
"The law states that while you have minors with you, we are not permitted to sell you a bottle of wine. Who knows what you'll do with it once you leave the building?"
The woman looked down at the baby sleeping in the pram.
"Are you talking about him?" She asked incredulously.
"Maam, is your child under 18?"
"Well... yes... but-"
"Then you will have to allow me to return this to the shelves." She grabbed the bottle and gave a final glance at the checkout girl, signalling that she should proceed in checking through the final few items. The girl wore the same mask of civility, but allowed herself a subtle roll of the eyes the moment Stacia's back was turned. Navigating her way over to the wine shelving, Stacia slotted the bottle back into the place it had probably occupied ten minutes prior. She admired her handiwork, another job well done.

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie​

Sadie flinched as the door opened. She managed a half-smile, seeing Roe for the first time in a few weeks, but it faltered as she walked inside, unspeaking.
She grabbed his hand and quickly dragged him up to his room, breathing heavily.
She closed the door behind them and leaned against it, sliding down to the ground, with her hands on her face. Her voice caught in her throat and she sat, silently shaking for a few seconds. Sadie could feel his concern without even looking at him. But she could hardly look at him. Not now. Not after what she had done to him, what she was about to do to him.
She briefly glanced at him, squatting next to her with an empathetic, if sleepy, gaze and grabbed his hand to squeeze it, her breath shakily releasing from her tense body.
Her spare hand plunged into the pocket of her hoodie and she hesitated for a moment, before pulling out the positive pregnancy tests. All 3 of them had rapidly developed 2 lines earlier in the night. Sadie passed them to Rowan, and the thought briefly crossed her mind that he may not know what they were, but that was not the biggest problem right now.
She braced herself for his response.

Alyssa​

Alyssa grinned as Mailee's responses popped up. 'You know you're welcome here anytime How's he settling in? Actually - don't answer. Do you want to go for a milkshake tonight or something? It's a nice night. If you can afford to leave your rowdy little cousin home by himself, that is....' She typed teasingly.
She glanced down at the dessert, contemplating the double whammy that would be brownie and milkshakes in the same night - but whatever. Tomorrow she was going to hit the gym early and get out to the beach for a surf.

The summer was rapidly coming to a close, but she had a decent wetsuit and could tolerate the cooling ocean for a few weeks more. It would keep her in shape with all of her mum's desserts and baking.
As Mailee's little typing bubble appeared, she quickly opened another tab and logged into her bank account. The fund for study was very slowly rising. At this rate? A few more years worth of saving would be needed if she were to fully fund herself. She sighed, tapping the table. For tonight, though, she had milkshake money.
'My shout' she added, just as Mailee's reply appeared. There was still some time before the milkshake bar closed and Alyssa wanted to slip some girl time in between their work schedules.

Kodi and Kadin​

Kadin, engaged in rapid conversation with the friendly Samuel, hardly noticed the figure making his way towards his sister.
Kodi, however, noted the man the second he entered the door. He was tall, dark, handsome, and confident. As he leaned next to her, she casually flipped her purple hair over her shoulder, conveniently drawing attention to her cleavage.
When he ordered for her, she studied him, wondering what his motives were. The heavy smell of cigarette smoke hit her a moment after he arrived and she smirked. Thinks himself a tough guy, aye? His messy hair and leather jacket said as much about him as she needed to know for now. He was rugged, but absolutely handsome, even with that day-old stubble on his sharp jaw.
The drink was an interesting choice. Kodi had had dozens of men, and women, buy her drinks over the years. Usually, they wanted something. Usually, they wouldn't get it. Her bartending experience gave her a keen eye for creeps and a sly wit for getting free drinks before dashing their hopes.
This man's look was different to most. Interested, but in an almost hungry way. Though there wasn't the usual animalistic nature to his gaze. He was curious. She would prove to him she was much too hot to handle in comparison to these small-town farmers. Kodi had been able to out-drink many a man in her own bar.
Kodi nodded as the bartender glanced at her, presumably a small town nicety; checking on new girls before pouring them drinks. She waited until the drinks had been placed before them and crossed her legs before turning to him.
She lifted her chin and crossed her arms, "And you would be...?"

Jeptha​

Jeptha narrowly avoided running past his brother as he ducked into his room, seconds before Jake left his. The stink of tobacco wafted past and Jeptha immediately opened his window wide to air his room out. He glanced briefly in the mirror, noticing the oily smear on his face and went to the bathroom to wash. After a vigorous shower, a dark smear still remained, though not as obvious as before. Such was the life of a mechanic.
Jeptha dressed and returned to his room, starting up his computer to work on a floor plan he had started the day previous. It wasn't for any house in particular, but he was dying to create and design after a day of simply pulling-apart and putting-back-together.

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

Rowan wordlessly followed Sadie up to his room, but not before he locked the back door behind them. He squatted beside her and took hold of her hand, but Sadie wouldn't meet his eye. An uncomfortable flutter settled just below his breast bone as he waited patiently for her to speak. Over the years he had learned that pushing her with questions would only clam her up. She always spoke eventually when she was upset, but if she was silent it was to give herself time to find the words, or to conquer some strong emotion that prevented her from speaking as she wanted to. This time however, she didn't say anything, just removed three sticks from her hoodie.
Immediately he understood. His breath caught in his throat, and suddenly he felt all the exhaustion that less than two hours sleep should give him. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, still staring at the pregnancy tests. He took them from her and looked at them closely. If he was honest he couldn't remember the exact significance of the two lines, but Sadie's state told him everything he needed to know.
"You're staying here tonight," he whispered, "and as long as you want." He still didn't know what to say in response to the tests he was holding in his left hand. He kissed her at the base of her neck, and let out a deep breath.

Mailee and Cameron​

Mailee had switched back to her module immediately after typing her reply to Alyssa, and when the ringing tone told her that her friend had sent her another message she clicked through a couple more questions before switching back again to her messages.
'Oooh, tempting. I shouldn't... ' she paused midway through her reply, then deleted it and started typing again. 'Milkshakes sounds awesome I might ask Cameron if he wants to come, is that OK? ' She smiled as Alyssa's second message appeared. 'Nonononono, my shout! Consider it my contribution towards project get alyssa a degree.'
Mailee didn't wait for Alyssa to reply before getting to her feet and knocking on the door of the spare room, Alyssa wasn't going to mind, surely. She didn't get a response on the first knock, so she tried again, hoping he hadn't drifted off to sleep already, although since it was barely eight she thought it was unlikely.
"Cam," she called through the door, "its Mailee."

At the first knock on the door, Cameron took his headphones out of his ears. At the second knock he put them back in and hoped whoever it was would go away. When Mailee called through the door, he reasoned to himself that she had to know he was in here, after all where else was he going to be? He forced himself to his feet and opened the door.
"Sorry," she said immediately, "I know I said I'd leave you be but my friend Alyssa - she's honestly the nicest person in town - just invited me out for milkshakes. Jacks' is just down the road and they make the BEST milkshakes, and I thought you might like to come." She gave him a winning smile.
There was nothing that sounded less appealing to Cameron right now than going to some small town milkshake bar with his cousin (who he barely knew) and her friend (who he didn't know at all).
"I'm lactose intolerant," he lied, staring down between his toes.
"Oooh, that's ok, Jack makes the best coconut milkshakes! He's even brought in some soy options recently too, they're so good. Sometimes I get them instead of the regular options!"
"I don't have any money," he muttered, still not looking up.
"My shout," Mailee smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched at the overfamiliar physical contact, and she quickly withdrew her hand. Unfortunately however, he was out of excuses, and simply saying 'I don't want to', didn't cross his mind.
"OK," he said, "I'll just get my shoes."
"Great! We can head off in 5 or 10." Mailee dashed back to her room and checked her messages to see if Alyssa had replied.

Mordecai​

"Thirsty," Jake replied, which was undoubtedly true. He rapidly downed half his pint, and offhandedly wondered how long Sam was going to be kept away from the taps. Hopefully long enough for him to get another couple rounds.
"You with him?" he gestured to the unfamiliar man, "we don't get many newcomers in here," he continued, "they usually prefer the damned lounge next to the hotel." He looked down into his glass and then across at his companion. "Waste of money if you ask me, the Trout has that place beat." Jake's body was reacting to the woman in front of him, she was stunning, and he suspected that she knew it. He wondered how old she was, and how attached she was to the other man.

Stacia​

Stacia hung her manager's jacket back up on its peg, and picked her bag up off the table. She glanced at her watch - 8:30pm. Her shift had technically finished an hour ago, but she had stayed late - dedication to the job was what would earn her the reference she needed to climb the ladder. She certainly didn't intend to be a duty shift manager forever.
She picked up a bag of apples on the way out, and as she strolled down the street took a bite out of one of them. It was strange being back in Aramore after three years away. She had been back occaisionally for breaks of course, but usually only when her city friends went on holiday, or when her money ran low and she couldn't afford to eat out. Her mother's cooking was definitely better than hers, even if she wasn't a professional.
The sense of nostalgia continued as she walked past her old primary school, the building where Mrs Lesche ran dance classes, and the corner dairy they had snuck out of school to get lollies from. Impulsively she popped in and bought herself a dollar mixture, which she was sure had had more in it ten years ago. A block further down the street and she stopped in front of an old, messy, grimy looking two story building labelled Baylock Auto-repairs. Her stomach did a complicated flip-flop maneuver that she didn't quite understand, but before she knew it she had slipped in through the open garage door, quickly satisfied herself that nobody was sitting in the office, and made her way upstairs. The door at the end of the hallway was propped open, and the strong smell of cigarette smoke greeted her immediately. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and knocked softly on the open door. There wasn't any sign that anybody was home.

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie felt Rowan tense beside her as he understood he meaning. She leaned against him as he held her and let her breath out, sighing softly.
"I'm so sorry, Roe. I don't- I can't - we-" her words ran out as she tried to process the reality of the situation. "What am I going to do?" She didn't notice the personal term 'I' instead of 'we', perhaps thinking she should carry this on her own.
She put her head on his shoulder and whispered, "my parents are going to kill me," a small smile briefly crossing her face. They were incredibly conservative and didn't think her and Rowan were kissing much, nevertheless sleeping together. Whenever she stayed at his house, they thought she slept in the spare room. Little did they know, there was no spare room.


Alyssa grinned; she and Mailee often paid for each other's food. 'You're too kind. Of course you can bring him.'
She glanced outside, watching the sunset.
'See you soon x'

15 minutes later, Alyssa pulled up outside the milkshake bar and looked around for Mailee's car. It was a lot newer than hers, but Alyssa's car was debatably cooler, being from the 70s.
The lack of air-con was less than ideal though.


Kodi watched him carefully as he talked. He seemed confident enough in her precense. She appreciated his forward nature. Normally she would ditch a guy for being too forward, prefering them to work a little for the honour of her time, but this man intrigued her.
"He's my brother. Not that that's anything to do with you." She stated, never breaking eye contact.


Jeptha almost missed the knock on the door, so absorbed in his work, he was.
He spun around on his chair and walked to his bedroom door, opening it.
Stacia was standing there, waiting at his brothers door.
"Uh, he's gone out, sorry." Jeptha said, brushing his damp hair off his forehead with his permanently stained hands. No matter how well you washed, the black oil stained your skin for days.

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

"I don't know," he replied, "but I do know you'll be great." He gave her a small smile. "My mum has been telling me since you were about 7 or 8 that you were going to make a great mum some day." He paused a second, "and if your parents can't see what an amazing thing this is for them, then its their loss. I mean its not like you're 15 anymore, just because we didn't exactly plan for this to happen, doesn't mean its a disaster."
There was silence for a moment, and for the first time it crossed his mind that in this day and age, pregnancy didn't always have to mean a child. He assumed that the same thought would have occurred to Sadie, especially given she had had an entire two and a half hour drive to herself. He debated saying something, but already knew that this was something she would have to make up her own mind on. Much as he might like to advise her, persuade her, convince her, it had to come from her.
"Are you going to be able to sleep?" he asked, "ten past twelve is not the best time to try make any kind of big decisions, but we can certainly try if you're just going to lie there mulling it over on your own."

Mailee​

Mailee and Cameron pulled up outside Jack's Milkshake Shack just a moment after Alyssa. Mailee jumped enthusiastically out of her 2015 Suzuki Swift and shut the door, running over to give her friend a hug. Cameron followed at a more sluggish pace, hands buried in his pockets, and eyes fixed firmly once more on the ground between his feet. He walked past the two girls and headed straight for the door, then started studying the menu.
After the always necessary expression of how much she liked Alyssa's dress, Mailee followed Cameron into the milkshake bar. He had his back to them and was wondering whether he could get away with ordering something with milk in it, because he certainly didn't want to be stuck drinking soy for the duration of his time in Aramore.
"Cam," Mailee called, "Cam, this is Alyssa, Alyssa this is Cam."
Cameron glanced briefly at his cousin's friend and gave her a stunted nod, before returning his attention to the menu. Mailee of course had her favourite, and today she didn't feel like deviating from it - a strawberry shake with fresh berries and chocolate shavings on top.
"What are you thinking Cam?" she asked, "I find the coconut and banana shake is a pretty good dairy free option."
Cam reluctantly shifted his eyes to the dairy free board. "All right, I'll have that one then," he sighed and went to hunt out a table while Mailee ordered.
"And you?" Mailee turned to her friend.

Mordecai​

Jake shrugged, "Oh I don't know," he replied easily, "I could think of reasons why it might be." He held eye contact with her for a second, before breezily changing the subject. "So how long are the two of you around for." The barman passed close by the pair at the end of the bar, and Jake waved him down, having downed the second half of his beer as rapidly as the first. "Same again," he told the man, and glanced across at Kodi to see if she wanted anything else.

Stacia​

Stacia jumped when Jeptha appeared in the hallway, and winced when she realised he clearly thought she was looking for his brother.
"Actually I was looking for you," she said with a hollow smile, "and now I've found you, lucky me." She gave a halfhearted burst of nervous laughter and stood awkwardly in the hallway, looking over the young man who for a long time had been nothing but her friend's little brother, but who at some point had become something more to her, while she remained little more than someone who had once been friends with his brother. He was growing up, his frame was filling out and his jaw and cheekbones settling into a steadiness of expression that spoke of maturity. Perhaps Stacia didn't notice this in a way that she could put words to, but it definitely crossed her mind that he was looking good, very good in fact, despite the grease stains and freshly washed hair.

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie​

Sadie smiled again and kissed him softly, now that the terror of rejection was over. "I do want kids... I just... didn't think it'd happen like this. I'm sorry."
She nodded, "I'm really tired. Now that the adrenaline has worn off, I'm exhausted. And you know I always sleep better with you next to me."
She contemplated his statement for a moment and shook her head. "I'm keeping her- it- them... I couldn't get rid of them even if... I don't want to go through that I think. Unless you don't want to be part of this? If you want to avoid the problem now, that's fine. We can do that. Or if you don't want to be involved, we can- I can raise it on my own. I- my study doesn't have to continue, I can find a job and-"
Sadie rambled, her words accelerating and stumbling over themselves as she sorted through different ideas and outcomes, panic rising in her chest briefly as she considered the change this could, and would, have on her life.
Looking up at him, she paused to catch her breath. She saw a reflection of fear in his eyes, understandable, but also warmth and love and reassurance. She caught herself before he spoke, "I know, I know." Rambling and panicking would help neither of them at this moment.
Putting her head on her hands, she sighed, "Let's just go to bed."

Alyssa​

Alyssa smiled and raised her hand to shake the young man's, but he broke eye contact fast. She cocked her head and said "Nice to meet you, Cam."
She exchanged a bemused glance with Mailee before sitting down, crossing her legs at her ankles. The menu here was glorious, and the shake of the day was constantly changing.
Today's was.... Salted caramel mochaccino. Fabulous.
"I'll have the special, I think!"
Jack walked over and greeted them warmly, "my favourite girls! How are we today?" his eyes twinkled as he looked between them. "The usual, and the special, if I dare hazard a guess?"
Mailee laughed and nodded, "are we really that predictable?"

Kodi & Kadin​

Kodi watched him finish the drink and took a large swig from hers, "I'm okay for now, but while I have your attention, do you know if there are any jobs available?" she said to the barman, shockingly politely and smiley in comparison to the cool looks she'd been throwing Jake.
"Uh no, we've got a small team and-" The barman shook his head and started to reply as Kadin and Samuel walked over
Samuel interrupted the conversation by loudly exclaiming, "I hear you two have some bartending experience and would like jobs? I can always take on experienced recruits such as yourselves!" He forcefully shook Kodi's hand and walked behind the bar to duck into an office.
Kadin took off his jacket and sat down next to his sister, "well, that was easier than expected," he said, taking a sip of her drink.
Suddenly noticing the stranger, he leaned past Kodi and stuck out his hand, "Kadin, do you also work here?" he asked with a pleasant smile.
Kodi sat back and sipped her drink, looking after Samuel as Kadin introduced himself

Jeptha​

Jeptha cocked his head like a curious puppy as she greeted him.
"Oh. Oh well, come in I guess?" he said, pushing his door wide open, missing her awkwardness. "I don't think anyone is home." he sat back at his computer and saved the page he was working on before spinning round to face her. "How are you?"
Jeptha spoke politely and quietly, not entirely knowing how to act while one-on-one with a girl. He'd seen her around plenty. She had been friends with Jake in school before Jake was 'too cool' for most people and Jeptha had grown up seeing her around town. He was caught off guard by the interest in him, but at least she wasn't a stranger.
He stood up suddenly, wiping his hands on his jeans, "did you uh- want a hot drink or something?" That was what you did when you had guests, right?

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

Rowan watched her as she spoke in fits and starts, verbal processing he would call it. A slow burning warmth brought a broad smile to his face, that was his girl.
"You're cute when you're confused," he stated. He kissed her again, this time on the lips. "And of course I want to be part of this," he added when they separated, "what that means I don't exactly know yet, but we can figure that out as we go along." He looked into her eyes for another minute, and thought he saw the fear backing down.
He jumped to his feet, then bent down and scooped her up off the ground, she struggled and protested, but he kept hold of her, spun her around a couple of times and then dumped her on the double bed.
"Did you bring a change of clothes?" he asked with a cheeky smile.

Mailee​

Mailee laughed, "make that two specials and my usual," she said, "we've got an extra guest." She gestured to where Cameron had found himself a seat at the back of the diner and was staring out the window. Usually she and Alyssa sat at one of the benches looking out over the street, or if those were full, at one of the tables in the front where they could keep an eye on who was coming in and out.
"A guest eh," Jack glanced over at Cameron, "don't tell me one of you has found herself a boyfriend, because I refuse to believe that you're old enough for that." He narrowed his eyes at Cameron, "and I'd hazard that that one will be trouble."
Mailee laughed again, "he's my cousin Jack, so you don't have to come at him with a shotgun just yet."
"Just as well," Jack replied, and disappeared out back to get started on their drinks.
"I guess we'd better join him," Mailee said to Alyssa, and made her way down to the far corner. She sat down opposite Cameron, but he didn't look up when she arrived.

Mordecai​

Jake gave a dry laugh, "I wish, but I think Sam would be worried about me putting him out of business." He took the offered hand and gave a firm shake. "No, I think I'll be staying this side of the bar." He looked the man up and down, and a bitter vine of envy rooted itself in his chest. He consoled himself by reasoning that at least he was only the brother, not the boyfriend, or worse, the husband, but that only went so far to pruning back the feeling of insecurity that this seemingly perfect stranger drew up in him.
"Lucky me," he said, "an inside line with the ones who will be pouring my drinks in the foreseeable future. I guess I'd better make sure to stay on your good side in that case," he paused and looked directly at Kodi, a smirk dancing on his face. "Both of you."

Stacia​

"Uh, no - thanks - I won't stay long, just wanted to come say hi." Stacia laughed nervously. She took a step into his bedroom, and looked around anxiously before seating herself on the end of his bed. There was silence for a moment, her heart beat fast in her chest, and she almost dashed out the door, why was this so awkward?
"Uh, apple?" she offered, holding up the bag. God, why had she done that?

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie​

Sadie laughed softly, kissing him back. She was glad he was here, with her. His presence calmed her.
"Thank you," she giggled as he lifted her around the room. Her panic was subsiding as her weariness hit her. She hit the bed with a soft fwump and stuck her hand out towards him, making a grabbing motion with her hand.
"Ah, no, I didn't," she answered, looking down at her hoodie and jeans. "I'm not even wearing a t-shirt, I just put this hoodie on over my bra..." her voice trailed off as he sat down on the bed next to her. She tugged the hoodie off and briefly ran her hand over her bare stomach, wondering...
She smirked, pulling him towards her, "well, it's not like I can get any more pregnant."

Alyssa​

Alyssa snorted at Jack's comment. Cam did look younger than them, so she wondered if he was joking with them. She watched Mailee's reaction. While they were both most certainly single, it wasn't as if they hadn't talked about relationships before. In a small town, however, options tended to run a bit thin.
"Thanks, Jack!" she called after him, following Mailee back to the table and sat next to her, squeezing her around the shoulders as they sat.
"So, Cameron, what are you doing in Aramore?" she said, smiling at him. Mailee had explained the situation, but Alyssa was hoping to involve him in the conversation. Being new was hard and being a teenager was hard. And from what Mailee had told her, Cam struggled with socialising and concentrating. Kids could be cruel, perhaps he had had some bullies at his old school.

Kodi & Kadin​

The rebutted bartender walked away from them as Kadin sat down.
Kadin chuckled at Jake's reply but noted the glance he threw his sister. "Kodi's a tough one to please, don't set your hopes too high," he said, a slight sharpness to his words as he tried to communicate his meaning. Kadin waved back over the bartender and ordered a coke. He was driving them home, and wasn't as into drinking as Kodi was.
Kodi sipped her drink again, noting Jake's look out of the corner of her eye, and a smirking smile lifted the corner of her lips. "What do you do around here, then? And I didn't catch your name." she placed a hand on his bicep for a brief moment to recentre her attention on him.

Jeptha​

Jeptha nodded, "uh okay, sure. Thank you." he said, taking an apple. He bit it, and juice dribbled down his chin and onto his shirt.
"Ah- dammit," he said, wiping his chin with his hand. He sat back down at his computer and watched her quietly for a few minutes, eating the apple in large bites in an attempt to have something to do. When he finished the apple he quickly ducked into the nearby bathroom to wash his hands and face from the juice. His office chair spun lazily as he stood up, revealing flashes of his computer screen to Stacia.

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

Rowan had removed Sadie's jeans and his own boxers had joined his shorts on the floor, when a gentle knock on the door of his room sent a pulse of adrenaline through him.
"Shit, that'll be mum." He hastily reached down and grabbed the duvet he always left folded on the end of the bed, even though the nights were far too warm for him to need one right now. Sadie slipped under the sheets with admirable agility. Thank goodness they hadn't turned off the lights, because his mum usually came straight in to wake him up, but obviously she had decided that wasn't necessary as he was obviously still up.
"I'll be there in a second," he called, and lifted the sheets to see Sadie grinning at him. "I'll be back, then we can pick things up where we left off." His mother's laugh from the other side of the door made him turn bright red. Obviously she was under no illusions that she had caught him doing some late night reading. He slipped out of bed and quickly got back into his boxers before answering the door.
Ashley Archer gave her son a knowing look, which deepened the red in his face to the colour of beets.
"Hi Sadie," she called. Rowan ignored her and went down the corridor towards the room his parents still shared, despite everything.
It took the two of them twenty minutes before his dad was safely tucked up in his bed again. Jamie Archer still had most of his cognitive functions intact, but his right side was almost entirely paralysed, and he could only manage a few barely recognizable words. The staff at the hospital had been firmly against him returning to Eastbourne, but Rowan and his mother had been adamant that they weren't sending him to a home, the nearest of which would put him several hours drive away. But his dad wasn't a small man, and his mother couldn't manage him on her own, so Rowan had put his study plans on hold for now, he was needed too much at home.
He slipped back into his bedroom, ignoring his mother's curious gaze, and turned out the light.

Mailee and Cameron​

Cameron shrugged in response to Alyssa's question.
"School I guess." He glanced around the diner, and looked down at the table.
"Aramore high is a great school," Mailee jumped in, "everyone is so nice, I used to do housekeeping for the prinicipal. Do you know what subjects you're taking yet?"
Cameron sighed, "I don't know, probably maths.. english I guess." He shrugged again.
The silence was broken by Jack arriving at the table with three shakes, he set them down in front of their respective orderers, not needing to ask which was for who.
"Welcome to Aramore young man," he addressed Cameron, "and enjoy the shake." He didn't wait for a reply, but turned away to chat to the grocer and her daughter who had just entered the shop.
Cameron looked down at his shake.
"Its the special," Mailee smiled at him, "I hope it won't mess with your lactose intolerance."
Cameron smiled for the first time since arriving in Aramore.
"I'll be fine." He took a sip and his eyes widened. "Thanks."

Mordecai​

Jake's smile broadened as her hand rested on his arm, largely ignoring her brother's remark.
"At the moment I'm looking for somewhere to live," he replied, swerving her question for now, "and people call me Jake. What about you?"

Stacia​

She stood up as he left the room, wondering if she should leave. The computer screen caught her attention, revealing a complicated looking computer program that she was sure she would have no hope of working. The half finished project was impressive, and something came back to her about someone mentioning that Jeptha had been hoping to study architecture in the city one day. She jumped back from the computer as he returned to the room.
"Are you hoping to head off to uni sometime soon?" she asked, "this looks really good."

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie​

Sadie was pulling Rowan back down towards her after he undressed them both, kissing him deeply on the neck when his mum knocked. She skittered underneath the sheets and laughed as he hastily covered himself.
"Hi Ashley..." she called back, less bothered than Rowan.
She pulled her phone out and scrolled through her Facebook feed for a while, while Rowan was busy with his father. When he came back, she moved over so he could slip into the bed next to her and she gently ran her hand up his back as he lay down. "How is he?" she asked softly, pulling him close for a hug. She knew it took a toll on him sometimes, and his heart was torn between her, his family and study. She hadn't been to his house in a while and always made the effort to talk to his parents when she was around. Jamie was a kind, welcoming man, and it hurt Sadie to see Rowan upset, as well as seeing Jamie sick.

Alyssa​

Alyssa watched the slightly awkward exchange between Mailee and her cousin, smiling at him encouragingly, even though he hardly looked at her. When she milkshakes arrived, she thanked Jack and took a big drink. He seemed to relax a little with something to do, even if that something was simply drinking a milkshake.
"Well, I'm sure you'll settle in well," she said to Cam, leaning back in her seat and sipping the milkshake. "God, these are good!" She exclaimed. They were well priced and flavoured incredibly well.
Turning to Mailee, she said, "how's work been lately? Getting quiet as the summer ends?"

Kodi & Kadin​

Kodi nodded, wondering why he needed somewhere to live. A breakup, perhaps? New job? Lost a job? Surely his family was in town. These small towns almost seemed inbred at times. And he didn't answer her question. Maybe he had just lost a job. Well, maybe that meant he had a lot of spare time on his hands now. That was never bad. He was handsome and confident. She could use someone like him in her spare time.
"People call you Jake, is that short for something?" Kodi said, catching the meaning of his words. Her hand dropped back to her lap and she leaned back in her chair, cocking her eyebrow as she watched his reaction.
Kadin *ahemed* and stood up, walking over to Samuel to receive the contracts he brought out of his office. He wasn't huge on small talk, even less so when it was between people with seemingly ulterior motives. He knew his sister, and while he communicated his disapproval, she was fully grown and he couldn't tell her what to do.

Jeptha​

Jeptha dried his chin, glanced in the mirror and sighed, rubbing the mark on his forehead again. It wasn't budging.
He walked back into the room, jumping when he saw her looking at the computer. The urge to hide his work briefly crossed his mind, but he wasn't really that bothered. She was kind and non-judgemental, and his dumbass brother wasn't around to tear him down, currently.
"Um, yeah maybe," he stated, noncommittally. He sat down at the chair again and tapped onto a couple of other pages awkwardly, wondering if she cared. "I could show you if you like?"

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

Rowan wrapped his arms around Sadie, enjoying her warmth.
"He's doing fine," he said, "or at least medically he is anyway. He's been a bit down recently..." he trailed off and held Sadie closer. Of course when he said recently, he meant ever since the stroke, two years ago, and by a bit down... He tried to put his father out of his mind, and focus on the feeling of her skin against his.
"We should get some sleep," he murmured softly. "I have to be at the store tomorrow."

Mailee and Cameron​

"Oh you know," Mailee replied, "things would be a bit busier if Mrs Petrie at the hotel would give me a job, they seem to have more business through the year. But every time I see her she says that they only hire people with qualifications." She took a sip of her milkshake. "So I've been working on this distance course which should hopefully help convince her."
"Speaking of study, how's your fund going?"

Mordecai​

"Might be," he admitted, "but hey, you avoided my question. I imagine we'll be seeing a bit of each other, and you can't expect me to go around calling you Kadin's sister." His gaze followed the other man as he disappeared after Sam, not sorry to see him go.

Stacia​

Stacia's eyes lit up at his offer. Not that she knew a whole lot about architecture, but an excuse to sit in the same room for him without feeling as though she should really be leaving him alone was pretty good.
"I'd love to see some," she replied. She hovered at his side while he clicked out of the current screen and tried to decide what to bring up next. "And tell me why you haven't gone to the city yet." She still felt a little shy, not something she was used to, but gradually she was getting more comfortable with his presence.

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie​

Sadie ran her fingers through Rowan's hair and brushed it off his forehead. She kissed him gently and nodded, "I'm sorry to hear that." She lay down properly and snuggled him into her side, grateful that they were together.
In the morning, she woke up before him and traced her fingers across his bare back, gazing at his peaceful face. The sunlight cast a warm glow across his face and she smiled. His eyes blinked open sleepily and she kissed him, "good morning, my gorgeous."
But before he replied, she blanched and bolted out of bed, running to his ensuite. She vomited into the toilet, loose hair falling out of her bun. She leaned against the toilet bowl and groaned.

Alyssa​

They finished their conversation and went home.

Kodi & Kadin​

Kodi pursed her lips, "Kodi," she offered. She finished her drink in one swift motion and stood up, walking out the door. At the entrance, she glanced back at him. "Coming?"

Jeptha​

Jeptha showed her the various plans he was working on. "I'm redoing - or pretending to redo - the town hall currently. It's far too old and badly laid out. There's no sense of community and the artwork and colouring is, frankly, disgusting." He perked up as he spoke, pulling up some 3D renders of the various rooms he was designing. He hardly heard her second question, getting lost in his world. For the next 30 minutes, he showed her in painful detail the concept he had created for the Town Hall and the surrounding garden.

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

Rowan sleepily dragged himself out of bed, and followed Sadie into the bathroom.
"Oh no," he murmured sympathetically, pulling back the loose strands of hair from over her face. "We should probably get an appointment with Dr Walker," he suggested, then fell silent as he realised how difficult it was going to be to find half a day that he had free to join her. He and his mother split their time between manning the store and looking after his father. His two sisters helped out, but his mother was reluctant to leave Hazel on her own at the store, and Willow's main contribution was entertaining their father. Then of course there was the management side of things which he didn't understand at all and his mother had only a loose grasp over. His dad had picked it all up from his own father, and learned a few tricks from his own experience, but until his stroke Rowan hadn't really intended to be carrying on the family mantle, and so hadn't paid much attention to how it all worked.

Mordecai​

Jake couldn't help but feel a little bit like a puppy running after its owner, but that wasn't about to stop him following Kodi to the door
"You guys have a place already?" he asked casually, strolling over to his car.

Stacia​

Stacia's mind was spinning, but she couldn't help acknowledging that his design was good. What interested her far more however, was the question that he had failed to answer. There was a moments pause as he seemed to come to the end of what he had to show for that particular project. She could tell he was about to launch into something else when she interjected.
"How's the rest of the family?" she asked, wondering if there might be a clue as to why he hadn't followed her to the city. "I remember your mum was pretty keen for you to go study." She had always been on good terms with Mrs Baylock, and more than once had been the set of ears she offloaded her concerns about her two sons onto, although she had to admit they were usually not evenly represented in her mind.

 

[AmaranthWolf]

Sadie​

Sadie leaned against him, groaning. She closed her eyes and wiped her chin with some toilet paper.
"Yeah, probably... I might take today off work. I have plenty of sick leave," she said, chuckling. "Could... could your mum come?" she asked, glancing at him? "If you can't, that is...." she knew it was a long shot, but she loved Rowan's mother dearly and trusted her with her life. If one of them was with her, she would feel infinitely better. And it would be a while yet before she figured out how to tell her own parents.
She sat against him for a moment more before standing up. She pushed her hair off her face and took a breath. "I'd like to take a shower first, though. Care to join me?" She said, winking. It was pretty early in the morning and the store wouldn't be opening for a while, so she knew they had at least a little bit of time to themselves.

Kodi​

Kodi nodded, "we've been here for a few days... We organised something ahead of time. No point being homeless."
She paused, not unlocking the car, "but where do you live?" She cocked her head at him, wondering what part of town he was in.

Jeptha​

Jeptha froze for a second as Stacia asked after his family. A million thoughts crossed his mind. He hated lying, but he also hated talking about his family. Dad was usually fine, but Jeptha's relationship with him had never strayed warmer, nor colder, from a polite relationship. Mum was as sick as ever, and Jake was.... Jake. Jake was out, and that was the best thing for Jake to be.
"They're, uh, good. Dad's given me a few clients to take on," he said, shrugging non-committally. "I don't know where Jake it most of the time, and Mum's usually around home..." he trailed off, avoiding giving any real details. He wondered how much Stacia knew about his mother's sickness. They'd kept it fairly quiet in the community. His Dad was proud and stubborn, and his Mum was humble and stubborn, neither wanting to cave and ask for help from those who weren't family. And doing that would have let people know that Jake was far from helpful, which Jeptha was sure most people his age had figured out anyway.

 

[spawwo]

Rowan​

Rowan gave her a smile. He was lucky that his mother had always been so supportive of him and Sadie. He had heard stories about relationships driving major conflicts in families, but that had never been a problem for him. A flutter of anxiety troubled him as he considered how their relationship with her parents might change once they knew what was going on. Lisa and Ronald seemed to like him well enough, and they always welcomed him into their home, but there had always been an element of their relationship which had been hidden from them, which meant things had never quite been the same at her house as it was at his. He rubbed Sadie's shoulder, knowing whatever anxiety he felt about their response, she would be feeling it worse.
"I could do with a shower," he admitted, "and by the time we're done mum might be up, we should be able to talk to her before the girls get up."

Mordecai​

"Main street," Jake replied shortly, "just above the mechanics. Its nothing flash, like I said, I'm trying to move out." He unlocked his car and opened the driver's door. "I'd much rather see your place."

Stacia​

Stacia hadn't heard much about the Baylocks from her parents. They kept her up to date with everybody who they felt was of consequence in town, but the local mechanic and his family didn't register on that list. They hadn't really minded when Stacia and Jake had been friends at school, but they hadn't really taken an interest either, not like they had when her brother had started hanging out with the Holland's daughter at the tender age of seven.
"Your mum isn't working anymore?" she asked, not completely oblivious to his discomfort, but also sensing that if she wanted answers (and she did) she was going to have to push harder. "Is business good at the shop?" Jake and Jeptha had never been well off, she knew that much, but perhaps things were looking up if his mother had stopped working at the school. "I don't know much about what Jake's doing now, is he working?"

 

[AmaranthWolf]

*Kodi argues Jake into going to his*

Kodi & Jeptha​

Kodi absentmindedly tapped on the side of the car door as Jake pulled up into the driveway of his place.
The neighbourhood was quiet. It seemed pleasant enough. Perhaps it was more his family that he didn't enjoy living with than the area.
There was a single light on in an upstairs window and she heard what sounded like a resigned sigh from Jake. He turned the car off and she looked at the garage in the fading light. He was right; it wasn't flash, but it didn't look badly maintained. Small and cheap were different things.
She followed him to the door, linking her arm into his elbow, in an almost elegant fashion, even though he didn't invite her to do so.

Jeptha was halfway through explaining how he would love to set up his own kitchen in a house one day, in painful detail, when he heard his brother's car pull up and turn off. He pinched his nose and scrunched his eyes shut for a moment before they flew open and he started, glancing at Stacia. What could he do? Hide her in the closet? Under his bed? Throw her out the window? Why was he bothered anyway? Why should it matter? Nothing was going on. But this was Jake, and Jake could kick up a fuss about literally anything.
"You- uh- he-" he stuttered, standing up quickly as the front door opened and slammed shut. He thought he could hear two sets of footsteps. Perhaps another girl?
Before Jeptha could think of anything reasonable, Jake and a new girl with purple hair were halfway up the stairs.

Kodi saw a cute, younger, softer and scruffier version of Jake bolt out of a room upstairs, the room where the light was coming from. He seemed a little bit startled.
"You didn't tell me you had a brother, Jake," She said coyly, stroking the arm she was holding.