#im too busy in the summer and I have to watch baseball games and go outside until Winter comes lol

[tifa-lockhartss]

Started playing Final Fantasy 16 demo and I'm actually hooked. I might buy this game... Once summer is over because I genuinely want to have a life lmao

#starting end of October i never go out of the house unless i work so I'll probably play it then #im too busy in the summer and I have to watch baseball games and go outside until Winter comes lol #but yes the story at least in the beginning is interesting so #lets see if i can actually wait that long #probably not

[musedblues]

Always Something There To Remind Me [Part: 3]

summary: Home is where the heart is. You're working on finding yours. After a handful of misfortunes, your old friend Joe helps to unravel life's greatest mystery while adding a bit of extra grief to the mix.

warnings:  A few mentions of panic attacks, and getting sick a but also dare I say a bit of fluff?!

w/c: 6k

a/n: This has been one of my favorite chapters to write so far. Thank you for all the lovely feedback, lads!

taglist: @im-an-adult-ish​ @mrsmazzello​ @lettinggosthehardestpart​ @the-moving-finger-writes​ @imtheinvisiblequeen​

Part 4

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

On the walk across the street with your mother, carrying matching bottles of wine, you worried this Christmas Eve was going to be dramatically different than all others that came before it. That you were too far out of the loop to ever fit back in.

But you were at ease the second you passed through the Mazzellos front door. Joe and his mother were the only people bustling around the kitchen, so early in the evening. You'd expected tonight's reunion with your old friend to be even more sensational than the last, but it wasn't. Joe simply greeted you with a grin, taking the bottle of wine from your clutch and spinning around to find a cork right away. Your mothers began spouting gossip near the already set up table, while Joe poured the two of you a drink.

As you followed your old friend toward the living room, you couldn't help but notice how alarmingly normal this routine seemed. This felt much more like coming home than landing at the airport to your teary-eyed mother had, for some reason.

But lots had changed since the last time you'd spent celebrating with the Mazzellos. And you couldn't wait any longer to hear about the things Joe mentioned being apart of the last you saw him. Not long after you settled on the sofa to the tune of his exciting storytelling, you asked for faces to match the names of his new cast of friends he had yet to stop buzzing over. Joe wasted no time pulling up a group photo of himself mixed in with a pretty bunch of actors.

"Lucy is actually the funniest person I know, besides yours truly of course." Joe boasted about a girl who looked as if she was made of porcelain. You had no reason to doubt she was just as flawless in real life. Before you could ask more of her, Joe was already on a roll. "Ben is the love of my life. I mean, come on, look at the guy." Joe proceeded to ramble for a long time about the blonde, telling you how the man with emerald eyes was a loyal and passionate friend, someone Joe had come to trust and admire. "Rami, well, you know him, don't you?" Joe shrugged, glancing your way as he sipped some wine. Oh yeah, you did. The guy was in another production with Joe, back when he facetimed you weekly. Rami had ended up in the background of enough of those facetimes to give you a few meaningful greetings when you called to check-up. You wondered if the superstar remembered you at all. "And Gwilym is-" "Welsh?" You let out a breath of a laugh. Gwilym. There's a name you'd hadn't even known existed until a few summers ago when some old fella down the road kept getting his mail switched up with yours. Joe matched your unexpected chuckle with one of his own, almost like he wasn't sure if he should have acknowledged your remark. So you just shrugged and offered your friend a small grin "Small world."

Thankfully, Joe's muddled expression softened. As you began to wonder one thousand things, he went on...

"He is the best of us. Heart of gold." Joe's bragged as the pair of you focused on his phone screen. There the five of them were, all dressed up, strutting across a lavish purple carpet. Just when you both polished off your glasses of wine, the doorbell rang. Cousins and aunts and uncles started to show up with dessert trays and gift bags. Most of them remembered your name and hugged you like always. It was almost like no time had ever passed, like this Christmas Eve picked up where the last one you attended left off. The most exciting reunion came just before dinner time as Joe's siblings showed up.

John and Mary arrived together, with their spoused and gaggle of children, all of whom you'd never met. A couple of the more rambunctious kids raced up to their grandmother, while John stopped in his tracks when he noticed you.

Growing up, you went to all of his baseball games. You helped him with his homework and bought him birthday presents. He might as well have been your own little brother. But since you'd graduated, Joe's updates about his kid brother stopped coming when his own did, too.

"Oh my God!" John practically tackled you in a hug that everyone around you chuckled over. "I didn't, why did- when did you come back?" John laughed, clearly surprised by your random appearance at Christmas Eve dinner for the first time in forever.

"Is this really happening?" Mary moved toward you. She was pretty as ever, dark hair and bright eyes. You always looked up to her, and she always looked out for you. She rescued you from bad first dates, taught you how to drive and told you highschool secrets, like your own older sister. Now, she shoved John away and hugged you even tighter. You wondered how you'd gone all this time without seeking Mary's counsel and support.

Both of their spouses watched on in confused glee, happy that everyone else was so happy. John's wife was the first to bite.

"Hi! I'm Eva." The pretty brunette smiled at you but cocked her head, clearly lost to why her husband was so excited to see you. Then she said, "How long have you and Joe been...?" Eva pointed to where your best friend stood in the archway of the kitchen, and your mother let out a chortle in passing.

"Ah yes..." You turned to Joe with a sly smile. Maybe you'd been sipping too much pre-dinner wine.  "I'll never forget the day he untied me from those train tracks!" You reached out to latch onto Joe in a comical way, and even though he winced for show, he held onto you like he might have actually wanted too.

"Who's the actor here, y/n?" Mrs. Mazzello joked, batting your arm with a laugh.

"Joe has just been using me for my many talents all these years. I taught him everything he knows." You shrugged with one arm still looped around your friend's neck.

"Those were the days." Joe reminisced with a snicker, keeping his relaxed hold around you.

John was quick to disperse your make-believe bubble to explain to his wife exactly who you were.

"This is y/n. The girl in all our pictures in the hallway." John gestured toward the corner where dozen of snapshots hung of their family at parties and graduations. A handful of which you and your mother happened to sneak into the background of over the years. "She's practically a Mazzello."

"Oh my God." Eva's face fell, and she turned to you with a serious gaze. "I'm so sorry, I've heard so much about you but never- oh, come here." And she pulled you into a hug all the same. John and Mary gathered their excited offspring and made them each introduce themselves to you, well besides the tiniest babies who couldn't. You barely had time to gush over the families before dinner was served.

Everyone devoured plates full of well-cooked food, laughing over things you somehow still understood. Christmas hadn't felt so warm in years. You and Joe moved through even more wine, sharing glances like a secret code when his weird uncle started rambling about politics. When dinner was over, everyone was still happy to linger around together.

When everyone gathered in the living room, you excused yourself to the bathroom. On your trip back down the hallway, a tiny giggle stopped you from rejoining the party just yet. Mary's littlest babe was clinging to the open doorway of Mr. Mazzello's office, a space with oak bookshelves and a writing desk to match. Joe's father could be found there, working until it was time for dinner.

The baby was babbling, pointing into the dark office. He stumbled into the shadows and turned his head before he shifted and looked at you. The baby screwed his brows together and started to ask a question using the only syllables he knew to use.

And somehow, you realized he was looking for Joe's dad. The little boy spun in the doorway again before he wobbled right toward you. Simultaneously, Mary floated down the hall with a baby bag over her shoulder. She must have been looking for the kid. He was reaching up and pulling on your sweater, now.

"I think he wants to go in there." You spoke softly, watching Mary's baby point back toward the dark office. When you looked back up toward Mary her eyes were glossy. She shared a silent glance with you before she bent down to her boy's level. He kept babbling and waving back toward the office.

"He's not there, sweetheart," Mary whispered, smoothing back her baby's hair and breaking your heart. She lifted the kid to her hip and cocked her head, a signal for you to follow.

The office was warm and smelt like cinnamon, not because of Christmas time, but because it always did. Mary flicked the Tiffany lamp on and the room filled with spots of amber light. There were papers scattered on the desk and a chair filled some costumes in the corner like someone was meant to come in and do work at any moment.

"Dad used to let the kids sit in here while he worked." Mary sniffled, while the baby in her arms reached out to touch the book shelve before him. It was filled with awards and photos and crafts.

"I was always afraid to come in and interrupt business." You breathed a laugh, floating closer to monitor the shelve. Right between a photo of Joe and his father at the grand canyon, and a handpainted candle vase, something caught your eye.

There was a Polaroid. You had a camera for a month before one of your friends stole it. With it, someone had taken a photo of you with Joe's dad at play practice. Joe was away that summer, filming and you needed something to do. Your highschool was putting on a production of Grease, the ancient choir director conveniently passed away a week before your first rehearsal, so Joe's dad stepped in to help, last minute. Somehow you ended up as a Pink Lady, without a name or any lines. Joe's dad let you keep that jacket. You gave the Polaroid to Mr. Mazzello as thanks, during the wrap party. Despite having no lines, you were a shite actor, but Joe's dad took it easy on you. That was just one example of the way he'd always sort of looked out for you, you realized.

Mary noticed the photo your gaze was fixated on and said: "You're family, y/n. And I'm glad you're back home."

You couldn't tell if she knew what you'd been through but above all things, you knew Mary was wise enough to read you like she always had. Her baby had retracted away from curiosity and curled into his mother's arm. She noted that it was probably bedtime for all the kids and started to leave her father's old office. You were left alone to turn the light off. Leaving that room on your own terms was the first goodbye you'd said in months that brought you any kind of peace.

///

Your mother left home in a sequined shaw with a camera around her neck. At midnight, a new year would begin, but someone was getting married before then. She invited you along to help take photos, But just days before, you'd made plans of your own. With Joe. He said there were some people from town throwing a party and he'd been invited long ago. Joe asked you to join him, saying something about how he probably would only go if you came along. Something about that made you agree.

So you slipped into some old dress you'd bought in Wales and made a mental note to go on a shopping spree, soon. Joe showed up at your door, dressed for the occasion too. Tonight felt like more of a step outside of your comfort zone, than a simple New Year's Eve party. But even so, falling back into your old spot at Joe's side was natural, and you didn't have time to dwell on the inner workings of things while he sang along to some old Britney Spears album the entire car ride, begging you to join in. By the time you arrived at the party, you almost forgot that Joe's version of carpool karaoke wasn't the main event of the evening.

He kept one hand steady on your shoulder as you walked from the parking lot and into some modernly styled club. Inside, clear bulbs were strung from one sleek pilar to another. One too many bodies occupied the dance floor while those left behind took up nearly every table and booth insight. Joe directed you toward the bar top where two miraculously free seats called your names.

Just then, someone recognized your friend. A tall man in a dark suit called Joe's name as you eased onto the bar stool. You didn't recognize the guy, and the bartender was asking what you wanted. So you ordered two of the same bourbons and turned back to see Joe rolling his eyes while the stranger was walking away.

"I can never remember his name," Joe admitted, leaning toward you. You chuckled and started to respond when another voice cut through the crowd.

"Joey!" The high pitched squeak hurt your head, and when you turned to see who it belonged to, nothing made sense. Lacy Duval was prancing toward the both of you in a tight sparkly dress. The only thing you knew about Lacy Duval, was that in high school, she was two grades below you, but somehow always ended up mingling with everyone in your class. So it wasn't surprising to see she'd recognized one of you, but it was a bit unsettling to see how excitedly Lacy dashed your way. And it was furthermore of a shock to you to find Joe waving to her with a wide smile, like they'd really known each other.

"I'm so glad you could make it, I've been looking around for you all night!" The girl with silvery blonde hair and a matching bright smile gushed. The bartender slid your drink near your elbow and you grinned his way as thanks.

"Well, it is only 9:30." Joe laughed. Then he reached over and rested a hand on your knee. "You remember y/n right?"

"Of course I do." Lacy turned her smile toward you.

"Hi, Lacy." You smiled back, raising your bourbon for a sip. Another set of faces emerged from the party, and you vaguely recognized them. They knew your name and warmly greeted you. But their interest lied in Joe, of course. They talked him into coming with them to meet someone on the other side of the room.

"Don't worry, I'll save your spot!" Lacy giggled in a way that made you kind of want to leave and go back home. But you just sipped your bourbon and smiled at Joe when he turned to you with a sorry shrug. Lacy slinked past Joe as the strangers pulled him in their tow. Somehow while the only person you knew disappeared into the crowd, you managed to down your bourbon until it was gone. You asked for another.

Then, without prompt or consent, Lacy crossed her silky legs and began to tell you a story you never asked to hear. She explained how a couple of summers ago, Joe was in town filming his very own movie. You knew all about it. You were still in touch with him then. But according to Lacy, she was there. She twirled her hair around a finger while she told you how Joe and his cast would sometimes stop in the all-night diner she worked at back then, and how she would hang around with them when no other customers stopped in. According to Lacy, Joe personally invited her to the wrap party.

"We hung out a lot." Lacy propped her elbow on the bar and her head in her hand. "We didn't see much of each other until his dad got sick, or whatever. We did hang out more when he was home for that."

Your bourbon was gone again. So you asked for a shot of whiskey.

"About time he showed up tonight." Lacy smiled, her teeth sparkling like the glitter her dress was made of. "We've had plans."

"Well, Happy New Year." You smiled. Was she finally done talking?  Someone just as scantily clad and pretty spotted Lacy and hurried up to her for a hug. Your whiskey arrived as the girls scurried into the crowd arm in arm without so much as a goodbye your way. You watched Lacy work the room as she moved through it, keeping that giant smile turned up all the way even when no one was looking. Before you could look away, Joe appeared as if he was making his way back to the bar. Lacy had spotted him too, apparently, and moved like a cheetah to corner him on the dance floor.

So, you were alone now. You could be home alone, but you weren't so, you took your shot of whiskey to try and calm your nerves. This party was way out of your league. You didn't know anyone, not even the people who seemed to vaguely remember you. And the music was pretty obnoxious. But as soon as these thoughts plagued you, a familiar face came into view. Some boy you'd known from high school took Lacy's spot on the barstool at your side. He was your first student, the year you taught your peers to play the piano for some extra cash, freshman year. The guy seemed genuinely glad to see you now, and you had always wondered what happened to him after high school. After catching up for a while, asking a few questions you always wanted to ask him, the guy had one of his own.

"Aren't you married, or something? The last time I saw Joe, he said you were living with some guys in the UK."

Whoa, you were not ready for that one. You sort of hoped everyone had decided you fell off the face of the earth. That thought always eased your mind when it began to wonder what people might ask you, when you moved back home. You hadn't properly prepared an answer for times like these...

"Oh, nope not married." You managed to remain cool under pressure, as the guy nodded in understanding. But of course, he didn't really understand. And he didn't know your throat was going dry at the thought of Kris. You politely excused yourself and headed toward the restrooms.

It wasn't even eleven o'clock, yet but the place was packed with party animals and the only people your recognized were across the floor. Lacy was looping her arm around Joe as she motioned for him to meet someone you couldn't see. The rest of the crowd were blank faces.

Maybe it was the drinks you'd downed so quickly. Or the fact that you still felt like shite at the simple thought of what happened to Kris. You had stopped missing him sometime long before he died; when he skipped town on your last birthday and gave you a present a few months later like an afterthought. That's when you really stopped feeling much for Kris at all. But you never got to end things between the two of you on your own terms. That left a million unimportant arguments burning in the back of your mind. By now, you were just pissed that the situation still had such a massive effect on you. Tonight being no exception at all,

Thank God the restroom was empty. You hurried toward the yellow stalls and prayed no one heard you getting sick. The tile floor was sticky and it hurt your knees. Every moment of this night was more uncomfortable than the last... After some time, you stood to better yourself but felt still felt dizzy as you leaned against the sink counter. The party boomed on and your head pounded. Then the bathroom door creaked open.

"Y/n?" Lacy's shrill pitch echoed through the tiled walls. You felt nauseous again.

"Yeah?" You tried to sound normal, bringing the back of your hand to your lips.

"Did you just...?" She trailed off, and you could only muster a tiny nod before hurrying back to the stall to barf again. Lacy's heels clicked toward the door and it slammed shut. Who would want to watch some girl throw up alone on New Year's Eve? You took your sweet time drinking from the faucet and taking deep breaths in the mirror. You decided that the moment you stepped foot back in the party that you were going to have a good time. Or at least pretend a little harder too.

But after you pushed open the restroom door and started to walk into the crowd, a hand grabbed you and spun you back around. It belonged to Joe, and he was pulling you toward the exit.

"We're going home." Joe decided loudly over the annoyingly loud music.

"Oh no, why?" You pretended to dread. He only pulled you close and guided you through the front doors. A few strangers watched on as you left before midnight. The city streets were empty and quiet, and Joe's car looked warm form the outside.

"Lacy said you got sick?"

"Oh, yeah." You shrugged. Your goal wasn't to ruin the party. "We don't have to leave because of me." You felt sick again.

"First of all yes we do. It wouldn't be fun if you feel bad. Secondly, it was already no fun. They were only playing Katy Perry."  Joe seemed truly disturbed. You had to laugh. The ride back home was quiet.

Joe parked outside your front door and followed behind as you walked up your porch steps. You stalled with your hand on the doorknob and announced that you planned on starting the new year off with a bubble bath. But declaring the peaceful plan didn't make you feel any less horrid. Then Joe softly assured you that he'd be across the street if you need him.

"You aren't gonna go back to the party?" You wondered. Why wouldn't he?

"Why would I?" Joe furrowed his brow, truly confused. You only chuckled and shook your head as you slowly twisted your doorknob and thanked Joe one last time. Then you went inside, even though it looked like Joe had something to say. He could tell you in the morning, you thought.

You felt better in the stillness of your home, surrounded by warm bubbles and candlelight. You changed your sheets and put on an oversized sweatshirt from Australia, one Joe shipped you as a Christmas gift the year he spent filming there. You watched the time on your phone turn to midnight and wondered if Tegan was having a good time. Last year, she helped you throw a party in the pub, and you didn't shut down until five a.m. This year you were snug in bed, high off the scent of your freshly cleaned sheets and relishing the quiet.

You must have succumbed to sleep, but it wasn't long before you shot awake with a tightness in your chest. Sometimes the nightmares faded as quickly as they appeared, leaving you with a racing heart all the while. It was still quiet and you were still alone. Your phone read two in the morning, and there was a text from your mother announcing she booked a room across the city after her wedding shoot. She wished you a happy new year, and that's when everything really started to crumble for you.

Something about being all alone, in a new space and time made your throat close. Your hands buzzed and tears stung your eyes. Every time you tried to close them, the worse your heart sped up. You had no choice but to let yourself cry a little but still couldn't fall asleep when you learned to breathe again. So you scrolled mindlessly through your phone hoping the internet would distract you long enough to fall asleep again.

Your Instagram feed was flooded with photos of friends in new year party hats with drinks in hand. There was a video of someone's baby comically dancing to auld lang syne, and a series of firework boomerangs. Then- a picture that caused your eyes to roll.

You didn't even realize you were following Lacy Duval. But lo and behold, the newest post on your feed was one of her very own. It was a selfie of her and Joe, from tonight. Her arm was tight around his neck, and he looked happy under the red-tinted lights. There were a few hundred likes, and the first comment you saw, read: "You two again! Looking good as ever."

What the hell did that mean? You wondered enough to click on Lacy's profile. Sure enough, between rows of facetuned selfies, there was a slew of photos of Joe on Lacy's feed. One photo of him wearing her bedazzled sunglasses, another of the two of them sharing a booth at the diner Lacy mentioned before.

Your bedroom suddenly felt like a trap, like your mind wasn't the issue. You felt like you did when you'd been grounded as a kid. So you got out of bed and descended the staircase, flipping a lamp on in the living room. Somehow the change of scenery completely changed your mood. You sank into the sofa among decorative pillows and a quilt you'd left behind some days before.

You nestled there, flipping on the tv and decided to play Parks and Recreation in search of a reason to smile. Then your phone buzzed from the coffee table where you tossed it. It was a text, from Joe.

Hey, you still up?

You glanced up to the telly, then back down at your phone, wondering why he was. You had just been on social media. Maybe Joe noticed you were active. Maybe he'd gone back to the party after all.

Yep. You good?

A few minutes passed until he responded again.

Want some company?

A tiny laugh escaped your throat. Why would he want to come over at two in the morning? You couldn't understand how Joe had known to offer his company in this moment when you felt the loneliest you had in a long while. You could help but type back that you were unlocking the door and for him to come in whenever he felt like, if he really did.

You sat back down among the den of comforts that was your old sofa, and watched Parks and Recreation with a wandering mind. You weren't even sure what you'd been thinking of until the front door jostled open, and you snapped back from your zone out.

"Happy New Year!" Joe excitedly boasted. He was dressed in joggers and an old sweatshirt, and he held a paper sack close to his chest as he shut the door behind him.

"What's up your sleeve?" You laughed, stretching your arms as you sat up all the way. You watched Joe cross the room to rest his mysterious bag on the coffee table and sit near you on the edge of the sofa. It wasn't quite like your friend had come over for a visit, but rather like he was finally home after a long day. A warmth bloomed in your chest at the thought of Joe existing back in your orbit, and being happy as always to do nothing together.

"Doctors orders." He spoked as he reached into the paper bag. "We've got some overpriced drug store candy. A bag of ginger cookies. A magazine I found with Bruce Springsteen on the cover, and this." Joe named all the things he revealed from the bag one at a time, ending with a small envelope he handed to you. It was a card with the words "Get Well Soon" scrawled in outlandish cursive. Inside was blank, besides the doodled Joe had drawn of a frowny face wearing a droopy party hat. You laughed out loud, glancing up to your friend who looked quite proud.

"Thank you, Joe. You didn't need to come bearing gifts." You gave him a look as you rested the card on the table in front of you. You hadn't even felt sick since after your bath, anyhow.

"Uh, of course I did. Now shut up and try one of these. This was like, twelve dollars." Joe chuckled, reaching for a golden tin of suckers that came in elaborate flavors like ginseng, lavender, and cinnamon.

"You're out of control." You mocked, shaking your head but peering into the tin all the same. "Simply ridiculous."

"So you're saying you don't want one of these?" Joe jeered, pulling the tin away right as you started to reach in. You scoffed a laugh, moving your hand to shove his shoulder in protest.

"'Course I do! You've truly saved the day." You softened, really meaning it. You were having a really rough go of it until he showed back up. Joe reached in for a sucker and you did too, pulling one that was honey flavored. When you settled back into the sofa, happy with your choice, Joe followed suit. His shoulder pressed against yours and a new episode of Parks and Recreation was starting.

"Sorry the party was so lame." Joe pipped up, pouting as he watched the opening theme play through.

"It's okay." You decided after a beat. You could have assured him it wasn't so bad, but it wasn't great. And you really appreciated Joe's efforts to make your night more enjoyable, whether he realized that's what he was doing or not.

"Do you wanna watch something else?" You offered, suddenly realizing you had nothing left to offer him as thanks for everything. Joe shook his head and stuck in sucker in his mouth like a little kid, and you had to laugh over how much this felt like highschool. Then you settled closer near him, enjoying your candy just as well. Joe's arm fell warmly across your shoulders while a couple of episodes played through with Joe's occasional added commentary and bursts of giggles. You laughed too, but your eyes grew heavier with each passing scene. You hadn't even realized you were falling asleep until you felt Joe take your sucker from you loose grasp. Your head had fallen to his shoulder, and your eyes couldn't stay open one second longer. Parks and Rec’s familiar theme song echoed through the room as you dozed off in a flash, the easiest sleep you'd had in weeks.

///

Your home was quiet again when morning came. You were laying on the sofa with your favorite quilt gently draped over you. Joe was gone. When you stretched into the morning, you noticed a note on the coffee table, where Joe's slew of presents were left from the night before.

"Happy first day of the rest of forever. Thank's for letting me crash for a while. Maybe next week we can have a real party. This has all been an elaborate excuse to use one those fancy quill pens your mom keeps around. x o x o."

You snorted at Joe's thoughtfulness, always going out of his way to let you know how he felt. What had you done to deserve his remarkable friendship after all this time? You dwelled on the thought as you tidied up the living room and went about your day.

///

Your mother had started traveling for work. She was currently somewhere in Denver, taking photos of some happy couple. Leaving you alone to jump over the last of many legal hurdles you faced after coming back home. All you had to do was get from one place to another, delivering some business to the social security office, to confirm you were living back in the states.

The winter's thickets blanket of snow had been reduced to sheets of melting mush, but last night's bitter winds froze the mess to the ground. You waited around the house long enough for salt trucks and rush hour to wear down the roads before you hopped in the jeep your mother left behind. No big deal, you'd driven dozens of times before... just not for a while. You decided your reward for this nerve-wracking mission would be getting dinner from the best pizza place uptown.

You drove down the block with white knuckles, and onto the highway without even thinking. When you realized how far you'd safely made it, you relaxed enough to sing along to Billy Jole as you drove. This was way easier than you'd hoped.

After successfully delivering your paperwork,  you parked in the pizza place lot and ate a piping hot slice behind the wheel while scrolling through social media. Your phone was near dying when you decided to head back home.

Billy Jole was still a great company as you felt your self grow more comfortable behind the wheel. You were in complete control and everything was fine.

Until a loud unsettling POP came from somewhere outside your vehicle. Your car had obviously just blown a tire, slumping to the left in the middle of the highway. As you held your breath and tried to slow down, your remaining tires lost traction on a rouge patch of ice.

"Shitshitshitshit!"

Your car gracefully slid off the road toward a speed limit sign, scraped against the pole and spun around to a halt.

"Damn it!" You cried, tearing your white knuckles from the wheel and covering your face in your hands. Your heart was pounding and your throat closed shut, but a pathetic cry still managed to escape.

A couple of cars breezed by, leaving the highway otherwise empty while you sat trying to pull yourself together.

You weren't hurt. The radio was still blaring Scenes From An Italian Restaurant. It was a little cold, but you were okay. That's what you kept repeating over and over until your hands stopped shaking and you could breathe a little better than before.

"Oh shit." You whimpered, hopping out of the car to monitor the front left tire. The rubber smoking, peeling away from the rim. You hurried back in your car and found your phone was only at nine percent. Who were you even going to call forty minutes away from home? Oh, that's right, no one lived there anymore. Joe was in the city again. Mary was a lawyer and John-

You pulled your phone to your ear as it rang.

"Hello?"

"John? Hey, you live uptown don't you?" He said so at Christmas.

"I do! Stopping by to reminisce?" He laughed.

"I have a really huge favor to ask."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, well, I'm having some car troubles." You explained where you had been left stranded on the highway and how it all happened. How your phone was dying and you needed to call a towing service.

John promised he was right on his way, and you were able to call a service to come and get your car while you waited for a ride of your own.

His blue Buick slowed and eased off the side of the road only fifteen minutes later. John stepped into the frost-covered grass and leaned toward your open driver's window as you collected your things.

"Did you get through to a towing service?" He asked right away.

"They should be here in no time." You assured, and right as you had, a truck came creeping toward you from the other side of the road. By the time everything was sorted out and you eased into John's passenger seat, it was nearly nightfall. He cranked up the heating vents as you glanced around, noticing a car seat in the back, piled with a few bright children's books.

"Man I can't believe baby John has his own baby now." You beamed, turning to face Joe's little brother. He chuckled, stealing a glance your way while pulling back onto the road.

"Almost four, I wish he was still a baby."

"Yeah," You halfheartedly agreed. You wished you could have been around to know the families as they grew. You'd missed out on so much, and for what?

"So what's it like being back? Christmas felt like it always used too." John smiled, easy-going as always. Funny how he saved the day and went on chatting as if it wasn't a big deal, you thought. Weren't you the one supposed to be rescuing him from silly little mishaps like these? Maybe this was an all-new alternate reality.

"I was glad to be there. It had been far too long." You breathed, glancing out the window to the cold grey highway.

"Eva still feels bad for not recognizing you right away." John laughed. You couldn't help but chuckle, too.

"Oh, how could she?" You wondered. You hadn't been around. But you didn't want to dwell on that anymore. "It's not the first time someone thought I was Joe's hot date." You chuckled light-heartedly.

"I'm sure it won't be the last." John rose a brow, like he might have had more to say. But after a beat, he went on rambling about how glad he was that you'd been at the first Christmas his dad was absent from. How things felt less grim than he expected. And how he was glad to know space nor time could keep you from crashing the party.

When John dropped you off back home, you couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. You concluded that the indecision was better than falling into your usual downward spiral, and hoped things would only get better from here...

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

#joe mazello x reader #joe mazzello imagine #joe mazzello fanfic #joe mazzello

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Seventy-One: Bewildering Experience ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

There’s certain social rules when it comes to high school. Navigating as many of them as you can means getting through those four years a little less scathed. While it’s tedious at best for most, there can still be moments that stand out positively for students. The typical dredgery of classes, homework, tests and exams have the occasional break in the monotony.

For Hinata, this is her final year. A senior at last, whittling at her schedule until graduation next Summer. A rather model student, her college is all picked out, major decided, and all that’s left is to get through this last batch of school days until...well, more schooling. But surely college won’t be nearly the task high school has been, right?

Well...so she hopes.

Hinata has always been a bit of a stereotype. The quiet, nerdy, shy girl...with a crush on the star of the basketball team. Fairly academic, she also branches into some of the more artsy institutions of her high school: choir, theater club, and the occasional art class. She even participates in volleyball and tennis. Her grades are top notch due to her diligence, and...lack of a social life, really. Her quietude means mostly being ignored by her classmates. A few like Sakura, maybe Ino, occasionally drag her along for something. But for the most part, she’s left to her own devices.

The only real talking she does is digitally. She texts, she IMs on Discord, lurks on social media...but she devotes most of her time and energy to her classes, clubs, and sports.

Most of the year passes fairly normally. The typical teenage drama, class difficulties, club activities...and then they enter the last quarter of the year. Hinata’s still in her clubs, and after Winter quarter off from sports, enters her last high school tennis season.

And that’s when things start to get...weird.

For the longest time, Hinata’s crushed on one Naruto Uzumaki: aforementioned basketball player, but also baseball. Alongside him is his best friend, Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto, however, has long crushed on Sakura: a rather jock-like girl who plays sports all year round, ending with softball. The pair seem to be teetering on the edge of finally going out, and...quite obviously, that left Hinata in a bit of a funk.

...but then the unexpected happened.

Sasuke offered to come watch her play. Which, Hinata supposed, wasn’t that unthinkable. They’d been talking about it, Naruto excusing himself due to watching Sakura’s upcoming softball match after Hinata had admitted to planning to watch the boys’ baseball game. She had been rather disappointed until Sasuke spoke up.

...and then he went and confronted her about her dead-end crush once the others had gone.

Hinata was...a bit flabbergasted. But he had a point...Naruto was never going to see her the way she saw him. But it was the subtle hint beneath it that left her a bit bewildered.

...was he…?

A challenging quip resulting in his blush and stutter all but confirmed it: he, in turn, was crushing on her.

...it was completely unexpected. He was one of the most popular guys in their year…! And he...he liked...her…? Why? She’s quiet, uninteresting, unnoticed...not anyone someone like him would care about!

And yet...he did.

Disaster nearly struck when - on her way to the game - she’d gotten a flat tire on her bike. But lo and behold, none other than Sasuke’s mother - also headed to the field - offered to give her a ride. Sitting next to both Mikoto and Kushina, Hinata had watched as they achieved victory, needing only one more win to make it to state.

He’d been surprised to see her there. Made a bit of flustered small talk. And then they’d parted ways rather...awkwardly.

And it only got worse the next time she really got to see him. Nailed by a flyaway baseball bat, he’d been left with a sizeable split in his brow. Hinata, excused from a cancelled practice, offered to take him to the nurse.

Cue more careful dancing around each other, Mikoto even teasing him when he drove home (Hinata accompanying to make sure he was okay to drive).

By then, it wasn’t quite so shocking anymore. Sasuke, quite obviously, despite the breaks in social hierarchy, was very smitten with the class wallflower.

...and after all her considering it, Hinata has decided...maybe she could like him back. He’s a lot sweeter than his typical aloof persona shows. Maybe not quite the brash charm Naruto has that she originally fell for, but...it’s nice. She feels rather at ease talking to him.

So, Hinata decides to break some social rules of her own.

Waiting outside the locker rooms after an afternoon of practice, she ignores the curious looks the other boys give her, clearly suspecting she’s up to something. But Hinata just waits until the proper one emerges.

“Hi!”

Startling, Sasuke looks to her with wide eyes...and then promptly goes pink.

...she’s really starting to like when he does that. It’s just so funny compared to his typical composure. To think, she has that sort of power.

“...uh, hi?”

“I got out a little early, so I thought I’d see how your practice went,” Hinata then offers, still smiling at him.

...it’s his turn to look suspicious. “It was...fine? Why?”

“Just make sure you didn’t take any more b-bats to the face.”

His flustered expression gets all the worse, going from pink to bright red. “No! I’m fine, that was just...a freak accident. Besides, you’d probably find a way to hear about it if I did,” Sasuke then mutters, shoving hands into his pockets.

Hinata’s expression warms. “Sorry, I don’t m-mean to tease you. I really do hope you’re okay. How’s your forehead…?”

“It’s pretty much healed up. Really wasn’t that bad.”

“Good.”

After a moment of just...standing awkwardly, Sasuke tentatively starts walking, seeing her follow. “...so, did you...need anything else?”

“No. Not really.”

“...uh, okay. How, uh...how was your practice?”

“Fine! It was a bit of a light day since we have a game in two days, so...coach doesn’t want us too burnt out. That’s why I was able to catch you!”

“Oh...what team are you playing?”

“Iwa. They’re sort of our rivals in tennis. I’m r-really hoping we beat them. We’re already too low in the rankings to go to state, so...this is really our big push for the end of the year.”

Genuine concern bleeds through Sasuke’s expression. “Oh...sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay. I’m h-hoping it means I can make it to some of your state games!”

“Oh, well…” Sasuke itches his neck, looking a little sheepish. “We still have one more game against Suna...we’re not there yet.”

“But I bet you will be,” Hinata counters, smiling. “You guys have done r-really well! And it would be so neat if you made it there your last year…”

“Yeah...I hope so. My brother’s soccer team went all four years, and won his junior year. I’d like to at least brush up against that, honestly.”

Hinata glances over at the wistfulness in Sasuke’s tone. “...I see. Will he...will he be able to come watch?”

“Maybe...he’s just out of college and working pretty heavily, so he might not have time. But I think the games are live streamed, so...maybe he can catch it that way.”

“That’s true. But...I hope I can go. I think a group of seniors are planning to skip out and go if you make it to the finals!”

“Really?”

“Mhm! I’d go with them, even if my dad might get mad...I’ve never skipped school before.”

Sasuke considers her for a long moment. “...why do you want to go so bad?”

“Well, it’s been a while since any of our school’s teams made it to state! I want to support them.” Looking up, there’s a small sparkle in her eyes. “...and that means you, too.”

A hint of pink creeps back into his face. “...well, uh...thanks.”

“Sasuke…?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Uh, sure. What’s up?”

“I know you’re awfully busy with baseball and stuff, but um…” She looks to the ground, tucking hair behind her ear as she walks. “But...I was wondering if you’d like to...g-go out with me sometime?”

Sasuke actually freezes in his tracks.

Ending up a few paces forward, Hinata turns back toward him, seeing his wide eyes. “Would...would that be okay?”

“You...you’d wanna…?”

Dropping her coy teasing, Hinata softens, smiling warmly at him. “...I know we started off a bit, um...a bit awkwardly. With the whole...Naruto thing. But...it’s been nice getting to know you a little. You’re a very sweet person, Sasuke. I guess...I never got to see that until recently. I was too busy looking at Naruto, and...well, you seem to like to keep that sort of thing h-hidden.”

Slowly, Sasuke’s posture loses its tense edge.

Hinata glances aside, expression a bit unreadable. “...I’m sorry if you...if you had to keep this to yourself for very long. I know how that feels, and...I’m sorry for never noticing.”

“...well, I wasn’t exactly open about it. I just thought...y’know...you couldn’t really be interested with Naruto around.”

“...well, you were right. He’s never going to see me that way, and...maybe I need to try looking elsewhere.” Shyly, she glances up to him. “...maybe at...someone who already sees me.”

Nerves showing through his expression again, Sasuke dusts pink across the bridge of his nose. “...I’d...I’d like to try that. I know the year’s almost over, and...maybe we’ll end up apart once college starts. But...I really do like you, Hinata,” Sasuke offers in a rare moment of openness. “So...yeah. I’ll let you know when I’ve got some time where we can...do something. Hopefully a day will line up, right?”

She nods, smile back in place. “Okay. Here, I’ll...give you my number. And we can...text about it later? When you’ve got a moment?”

“Yeah, sure.” With digits exchanged, the pair stand in silence for a moment. “...y’know, I...wasn’t expecting you to do that. You really caught me off-guard,” Sasuke admits with a huff of a laugh.

“I f-figured I would,” she agrees with a laugh of her own. “But...well, one of us had to say something, right?”

“Yeah...glad you did.”

“...me too. Anyway, I...better get home. Homework and all that,” Hinata sighs.

“Yeah, same. I’ll text you later.”

“Okay!” Giving a beaming wave, she takes off toward the bike rack as Sasuke makes his way to the parking lot. There’s a happy little flutter in her chest. It was a bit of a bewildering experience on both sides, but...for once, she’s glad she took a leap.

Now to see where it will take her…!

                                                     .oOo.

     (This is a sequel to days 149, 168, and 183!)      More sportsverse! And I'm slowly making up my behind days xD With this I'm just one behind now, though I'm not sure when I'll have time to be 100% caught up. October is gonna be busy both irl and in regards to writing, so...we'll see!      Anyway, we have Hinata leading the charge for once! Nervous, blushy Sasuke is best Sasuke. And I like Hinata having her bold moments...especially when it's something like this! We officially have a relationship going, woohoo! Maybe another prompt will let me write a date xD We'll have to see!      But yes, for now I've got some irl stuff to get done, but! Thanks, as always, for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #best years of your life [ au ] #365daysofsasuhina

[jetsettermac]

fukuoka orientation

august 10, 2018

today i had prefectural orientation.

but wait, you may be thinking. didnt you have an orientation in chicago? and another one in tokyo?

yes. yes i did. and i had a third one in fukuoka-shi for all of the new jets in fukuoka prefecture, because jet likes orientations i guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

had to wake up at stupid o’clock to walk like two miles to the nearest train station, had to catch the train to hakata and transfer to the subway. its complicated but ultimately i can be in fukuoka-shi proper in like 45 minutes and its only ¥740 to do it, so i have a feeling ill be in the city a lot. my legs are gonna be STEELY.

anyway. orientation. the only good part was getting there sweating buckets and being told its okay to wear cool biz 🙏🏻 cool biz is what people in the south wear in the summer, basically short-sleeve button ups and no jackets or ties. its a blessing. the second best thing was the mascot of the prefecture. HES A PIG AND I LOVE HIM. im assuming because hakata ramen is made from pork spinal fluid (sounds gross, still gonna try it) and is incredibly popular. like, people flock to fukuoka for this stuff i guess. but yeah, the mascot is a Good Boy. watching him try to fit through doorways made me want to cry a little because it was so cute.

i dont remember much from the actual orientation except the pig, and there was a video the fukuoka jets made to highlight some cool stuff in and around the prefecture. i am making plans to go see the giant reclining buddha nearby, as well as experience karatsuyaki in karatsu-shi, saga-ken. i signed up to see a fukuoka softbank hawks baseball game next month too. and i have off until thursday, so co-alt and my friend m and i will head to mitama marsuri for obon. the next month or so looks busy 💙

#mac.txt #mac.photo #ecoton #jetsettermac #orientation #aug18

[gluten-free-meth]

Aesthetic tag

Tagged by: @jcrispjcrisp thank you!! 💕💕

rules: bold all the aesthetics that you relate to, then describe your aesthetic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side a - the city, glittering lights, yawning, skyscrapers, broken glass shards, street gangs, hip hop music, late night strolls, blinking stars, sleek cars, flickering neon signs, glittery earrings, small tattoos, empty subways, dark eyeshadow, snapping cameras, cozy apartments, fried churros, silver necklaces, dyed hair, ripped jeans, bright lipstick, dazzling smiles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side b - the book nerd, large glasses, steaming hot chocolate, thick books, lofi music, hot pastries, soft smiles, large sweaters, quiet libraries, small flowers, melting candles, sweetened coffee, messy hair buns, soft pillows, fairy lights, vanilla scents

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side c - the stereotypical girl, soft pinks, mini skirts, crop tops, romantic fantasies, love songs, strawberry milkshakes, lipgloss, high ponytails, candy hearts, nail polish,starbucks coffee, clear skies, hoop earrings, excited ramblings, stuttering heartbeats, rose bouquets, soft blushes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side d - the stereotypical boy, arcade games, graphic t-shirts, baseball caps, chocolate milkshakes, messy rooms, acoustic guitars, chocolate chip cookies, multi-colored bruises, rap music, nightly escapades, stolen glances, pencil-drumming, chocolate milk boxes, low hums

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side e - the nature hippie, mini plants, cloud-watching, star gazing, damp forests, sandy beaches, ocean waves, wildflowers, hiking, iced lemon tea, gardening, hippie music, buttered toast, birds chirping, multi-colored leaves, evening sunlight, fruit cups, sundresses

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side f - the rebel, cherry lollipops, devil hand signs, grape flavored bubble gum, rock music, killer boots, dark make-up, horror movies, denim jackets, switchblades, handguns, stargazing on rooftops, glowing cigarettes, large headphones, skull rings, converse shoes, graffiti murals, glowing moonlight, rose thorns, fishnet stockings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side g - the winter, busy cafes, oversized hoodies, drizzling rain, small snowflakes, marshmallows in hot chocolate, loose hair, sad music, reading a book, blanket forts, frozen lakes, crackling fireplaces, old movies

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side h - the summer, tank tops, lemonade, sunny days, dripping popsicles, short haircuts, tinted sunglasses, cotton candy, amusement parks, traveling, blasting music on the car radio, wagging dog tails, large sunflowers, snow cones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side i - the autumn, pumpkin lattes, warm bakeries, warm colors, hair braids, soft sweaters, colorful leaves, purring cats, dark chocolate bars, romance movies, soft music, zentangling, vintage cameras

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side j - the spring, floral scents, peach tea, mint shampoo, tinkling laughter, video cassettes, colorful paintings, excited smiles, lollipop sticks, blooming flowers, melting snow, action movies, singing in the shower

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side k - naps, tea, notebooks, broken earphones, fairy lights, piano music

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My aesthetic is a bit of a mess. I really love sterotypical fall aethetics but also grunge and preppy aesthetics too. Im not one to stick with one thing for too long. I love having options and being able to grow and change. That may me the Gemini in me coming out though 😅 I just go with whatever im feeling in the moment

Im gonna tag @yunhos-gf and @honeyjoongie 💕💖💗💘💓

#tagged #thank you ❤️❤️ #This was really fun! #i like being tagged in things a lot

[asterlark]

some characters: pidge from voltron, holster, steve rogers :)

im just gonna do all of these bc im bored lol

pidge-

hc a: what i think realistically

they love oversized clothes and are also the smallest so no one is exempt from their clothes stealing

hc b: what i think is fucking hilarious

they were that kid at school that buys a bunch of cheap candy/ random shit and sells it back to classmates for a profit and they were so good at it that they actually created a tiny business and had people working for them & eventually candy got banned at school so everyone was mad at them for a bit but then the Candy Black Market started

hc c: what is heart-crushing and awful but fun to inflict on friends

when they were trying to get info about their brother and dad from the garrison they managed to grab a few audio files from the kerberos mission, nothing useful or important but they listen to them all the time just to hear matt and shiro and their dad talking and enjoying each other’s company and being, like, happy? there’s this one in particular where matt asks “d’you think katie’s okay?” and sam replies “she’s a tough kid, and i’m sure she misses us but she’ll be ok. and she knows we love her” and that little clip has like an embarrassing amount of plays on their computer

hc d: what would never work in canon but the canon is shit so i believe it anyway

i mean in my dreams pidge is like confirmed nb and all the cis nonsense dissipates lmao

the rest under a cut!!

holster-

hc a: what i think realistically

he had long floppy hair in high school and he looked like a stupid surfer jock boy combo

hc b: what i think is fucking hilarious

he can actually do that thing where you rip your shirt just by flexing

hc c: what is heart-crushing and awful but fun to inflict on friends

man i dont really have sad hcs for holster? he’s fucking. in love with ransom and has been unreciprocated-ly for a long time but that’s like practically canon.. i’ll say this, he’s only been blackout drunk a few times and one of those was because he was already having a shitty day and was looking forward to watching seinfeld or something with ransom but ransom cancelled on their plans to go hang out with march so he went “fuck it” and got Sad Wasted and watched the notebook and cried a lot

hc d: what would never work in canon but the canon is shit so i believe it anyway (again assume if i’m talking about omgcp i dont think it’s shit lmao)

listen i know he doesn’t have time bc he’s an athlete but let the boy be in theatre just let him play marius in les mis like his big dorky heart desires

steve rogers-

hc a: what i think realistically

he has a really lovely singing voice but only ever sings to himself when he’s alone

hc b: what i think is fucking hilarious

he fucking loves pigeons bc those cute lil fuckers are so docile and chill in big cities and he wants to befriend them all so bad that once when he was a teenager he tried to pick one up and pet it and bucky had to be like dude,, u literally get sick at the drop of a hat what,, are you doing

hc c: what is heart-crushing and awful but fun to inflict on friends

oh dear u have hit the jackpot bc!! surprise!!! most of my steve headcanons are sad bc he’s really fucking sad!!!!!! theres a lot of things he can’t do/ foods he cant eat bc it reminds him of when he was growing up with bucky and it just. hurts too much. he remembers sneaking into baseball games and eating peanuts and drinking coke, peeling oranges and people watching on his apartment’s front step, scraping together change for the baseball cards with the gum in them.. to this day citrus makes him nauseous and he can’t watch baseball

hc d: what would never work in canon but the canon is shit so i believe it anyway

him and bucky and sam and nat get a house in the middle of nowhere in upstate new york and just Rest. they teach each other all their family recipes, get a couple pets, set up a big white sheet against the back of the house to project movies onto in the summer. it’s quiet and it’s safe and no one is coming for them anymore and they can relax and enjoy themselves and everything is okay :(

#asks #lukeskvwalkers #thank you clare!!!

[nomtxas]

answer them all I'm bored

gotcha fam

1:Do you have a crush at the moment? – besides me being in love w k*rl a*zner, grubbie, and burky i dont think i have a crush on anyone (well i guess not what u would call a “crush” i think)

2: Have you ever been deeply in love? – no

3: Longest relationship you’ve ever been in? – almost a month like i think my ex broke up w me a day before our one month (it was back in july so i dont really remember)

4: Have you ever changed for someone? – uhm yeah (god i was such an idiot)

5: How is your relationship with your ex? – non existent like i dont think she likes me very much considering we havent spoken at all since we broke up

6: Have you ever been cheated on? – not that im aware of no

7: Have you ever cheated? – no i would never

8: Would you date someone who’s well known for cheating? – no bc once a cheater always a cheater

9: What’s the most important part of a relationship? – communication like i think people should be honest and open about what they want and what they expect out of the relationship like pls dont tell me ur ok w distance when ur really not, u feel?

10: Do you like to be in serious relationships or just flings? – serious relationships pls i like the thought of being committed to someone

11: When you are dating someone do you believe in going on “breaks”? – i dont have experience w that so i dont know how i feel abt breaks

12: How many people have you ever hooked up with? – none i dont do sex

13: What’s one thing you regret saying/doing in a previous relationship? – getting back together w her after we broke up the first time

14: What age do you think is appropriate for kids to start having sex? – when they’re emotionally mature the consequences of sex and what it involves so maybe 20 and up

15: Do you believe in the phrase “age is just a number”? – sometimes 

16: Do you believe in “love at first sight”? – yep

17: Do you believe it’s possible to fall in love on the internet? – yep ive done it twice (but twice it didnt work out both times so)

18: What do you consider a deal breaker? – dishonesty and not being loyal

19: How do you know it’s time to end a relationship? – i dont know actually which is why i guess i was the one getting dumped

20: Are you currently in a relationship? – no but i want to be

21: Do you think people who have dated can stay friends? – yes absolutely didnt work out that way for me but just bc it didnt for me doesnt mean it wont for others

22: Do you think people should date their friends? – i have mixed feelings on this bc i believe u should be friends w someone to get to know them first before entering a relationship w them so u guys will know what u want and how u are but on the other hand i feel that they shouldnt bc u dont want to ruin a good friendship w messy feelings i guess it’s up to that particular individual 

23: How many relationships have you had? – one

24: Do you think love can last forever? – absolutely look at my grandparents theyve been married for almost 45 years and been together for longer than that so

25: Do you believe love can conquer all things? – eh i dont know

26: Would you break up with someone your parents didn’t approve of? – probably bc even though it gets hard sometimes my moms opinion matters a lot to me

27: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice about dating what would it be? – DONT GET BACK TOGETHER W HER YA DINGUS IT’S NOT GOING TO WORK OUT AND YOURE JUST GOING TO MAKE URSELF CRY AGAIN

28: Do you think long distance relationships can work? – i think so if the parties involved put in the same amount of effort and it’s not all just one sided 👀👀👀   

29: What do you notice first about another person? – their eyebrows? is that weird

30: Are you straight, bi, gay or pansexual? – polyromantic but i call myself gay all the time bc im attracted to femme presenting people such as myself

31: Would it bother you if your partner suffered from any mental illness? – no absolutely not i feel like i would be supportive and try to hold their hand while they take care of themselves

32: Have you ever been in an abusive relationship? – nope

33: Do you want to get married one day? – yes!

34: What do you think about getting your partner’s name tattooed? – bad karma but if people want to than thats their business

35: Could you be in a relationship without sex? – yep i dont do sex bc im ace (grey ace but still)

36: Are you still a virgin? – yep

37: What’s more important: Looks or personality? – both i think

38: Do you enjoy love films? – yes im a sucker for romantic movies

39: Have you ever given anyone/received roses? – no :(((

40: Have you ever had a valentine? – no 

41: What’s your imagination of a “perfect date”? – a baseball/hockey game and dinner after

42: Have you ever read “Romeo & Juliet”? – high school english was a dark time

43: What’s more important: Your partner or your friends? – both 

44: Would you consider yourself “romantic”? – yep but too bad i dont have anyone to be romantic w :(((((

45: Could you imagine to date one of your current friends? – 👀👀👀   

46: Have you ever been “friendzoned”? – yep but it’s ok

47: Which “famous couple” is your favorite? – the holtbys ok theyre the power couple of the n hl

48: What’s your favorite love song? – life is better with you by michael franti & spearhead it’s so cute 

49: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? – i dont think so i did get this one anon that said i dont care abt people when they do have a crush on me so idk

50: If you’re single, why do you think you are? – bc im ugly and boring

51: Would you rather date someone who’s rich but a douchebag or someone who’s poor but a nice guy? – hows the poor guy gonna take me to sports games? nah im kid but i feel like the second one bc i dont want to date someone whos mean bc i will cry

52: Are you good at giving other people advices regarding dating/ relationships? – nope not at all

53: Are you jealous of couples when you’re single? – yep definitely bc i want to have that too

54: How important is it to make a relationship official (p.e. on Facebook)? – not really

55: Would you consider yourself “clingy”, “overly attached” or “jealous”? – clingy and jealous (im trying to work on it tho)

56: Have you ever “destroyed” a relationship? – possibly

57: Do you think it’s silly to consider suicide because of a broken heart? – no

58: Are you the “dominant” or the “submissive” part in a relationship? – ….sub

59: Have you ever forgotten important dates like your partner’s birthday or your anniversary? – never but then again ive only been in one relationship my whole life

60: What’s your opinion on open relationships? – i personally dont think i could do it but if u do then more power to u

61: Who’s more important: Your partner or your family? – both

62: How do you define “cheating”? – when u start looking at other people the way u see ur partner and not being honest w them abt it communication is key

63: Is watching porn while being in a relationship inappropriate? – nah

64: Do you think Valentine’s Day is overrated? – a little yeah but thats bc ive never been an active participant in it lmao

65: Would you consider yourself a “cuddler”? – def only in the winter tho bc texas summers are hell like literally

#this took me forever #it was fun tho #neueresque #replies

[sending-the-message]

Opened 24 hours! by MixedupMaeson

This happened recently and I'm not sure what to make of it,

I need to give some background before going into it. My name's Booker, I work in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Everyone knows each other, everyone talks to each other, we don't get tourists often, we don't get reporters or military personnel coming through. We are small, we have a few bigger stores but mostly it's just mom and pop shops. I work for a knock off Denny's near the end of town, it's right near a freeway entrance that's not often used but it's close to bars and a few schools so we get business.

Normally we open at six and close at ten, except for the summer. During the summer we are opened twenty four hours on Friday and Saturday and every other day is the same. People in my town often get off work earlier in summer or go to bars, we get a lot of teenagers who will come in at all hours of the night getting high and eating our pancakes. We'll call this place Lenny's since I'd rather not have people snooping.

Across from Lenny's is a Carl's Jr that's running on the same or similar hours to us, we often trade food with one another.

Now, a little background on me, I'm twenty five and Im a writer. I also have a few mental disorders, I don't want to describe them in great detail as I don't want to bore you but what you need to know is that when I was a kid, before medicine, I would black out which hasn't happened for years! But when I do black out I normally act...off, I'm almost like a different person. Another thing that happens is I lose track of reality. It's not like suddenly I'm in space or something,

It's more...I forget where I am and people become almost blurry, especially faces. It's really scary but medicine tends to keep me afloat and keep these things from happening. Anyways, like I said I'm a writer and so is my dad.

When I was thirteen he gave me a voice recorder. Yaknow, like those ones in the old movies. They're like a little brick you talk into, he uses one for his own writing. He writes for those magazines that say stuff like...Johnny Depp is wearing a mask made of someone else's skin or aliens change your eye color when they abduct you or something. He was convinced since I was born that he was abducted and things went down hill for him there.

He was taken away and I'm not sure where he is now, but boy do I wish I had his input. Maybe that's why I'm writing this, maybe he'll see it and help me. I'd also like to point out that when I black out I don't ever use this recorder so I don't know what exactly happened.

On with the story,

So it was a Friday night at Lenny's, I don't remember exactly why it was slow all this is fuzzy but I was cleaning a few booths and my chef was watching a game on his phone. It was a boring night, just me and him my other coworker called out. It was rounding ten at night when I got an alert on my phone. --City wide curfew put in place. 10 pm till unknown time--

I was a little shocked, I looked up at my car outside and down at my phone's clock. It was five till ten, I debated on getting in my car and leaving but I wasn't sure if I'd make it. Sometimes, we get weird texts like this, no one ever knows why and they normally last for a half hour or maybe an hour. I decided to just stay put,

I tried to call my manager to see if I should lock the door but no answer. My chef and me just...decided to stay where we were. Now, everything's fuzzy after this. Around ten thirty I don't remember much, I woke up in bed on Sunday morning at eight am. I was groggy, starving and felt like I haven't had water in a week. That's when I rolled over and found my voice recorder, it was hidden under my pillow. I thought I just...blacked out for the first time in years but then I started listening. I made an entire voice diary of the night.

I got up, got some water and noticed my legs were torn up and bandaged, my arms were sore and my head had dried blood on it. One of my eyes was black and blue, and the whites were bright red. That's when I knew something weird happened.

Here's my voice recordings word for words,

"11 pm: Oh my God I'm so bored! Our WiFi went out, middle of a YouTube video too! I have 4g but I think I'll save it just in case. I guess the curfew isn't lifted. What a bad day for a curfew! Hardly have any customers. Whatever."

"11:15 pm: I thought I heard something, I was trying to get information from people on Facebook when I heard a few soft booming noises. Nothing out the windows, we have a million windows everywhere you'd assume I'd be able to see /something/! But I think I'm just being paranoid, normally the curfew is lifted by now. Usually just some idiot robbing a bank or something. I hope it gets lifted soon I'm bored"

"11:30 pm: No one on Facebook knows anything but they all said they got the same texts, my room mate told me she thinks there was a police chase or something since she saw some lights but nothing on the news apparently. Why don't we have TV's in here? I hate using my 4g to talk to people I have no clue why the WiFi went out. I heard those booms again but I also saw the Carl's Jr guy smoking outside so I think it was just them taking out the trash. They have those big bins and they're all stoners so they were probably just fucking around."

"Midnight: My chef is getting antsy, he says he wants to leave so he can see his family. It's only the first twenty four hour shift of the summer and at this point he thinks we won't have any customers. I mean, I agree but the curfew! Hopefully it gets lifted soon Ill probably ditch. I just bought a bunch of games and DVDs I'd love to crack opened. On the plus side, booming stopped and the WiFi is back. My chef and me have been snapchatting my room mate so I'm not on edge anymore. I'll probably stop recording I was hoping something cool would happen. Say hi! -sounds of movement as another voice perks up- hello everyone listening! -more movement sounds- that's my chef, Roger! He just had a baby!!"

"1 am: There's something weird going on down the street. Me and Roger we're playing some card game on his phone when we heard the booming again. We ran to the window but the Carl's Jr was dark! Like they left, in fact, everything was dark. You can't even see my car and it's only a few steps into the parking lot! There's a stop light by the restaurant and there are police cars all over the place! But...they don't have lights on, and...they're moving really slowly. I'm watching them right now, they're going down the street in perfect unison. What's going on?"

"1:15 am: I see a tank!! Like..a tank tank!! It's huge and moving really slowly, that's what those booming sounds where. But why is a tank here? We're all wilderness, tanks would have a shit time getting through the trees why come here? I tried to take a picture with my phone but I dropped it! Stupid idiot...when I grabbed it and looked back up the tank was stopped behind a bunch of trees I can't get a shot. Roger is freaking out, the second he saw the tank he ran back into the kitchen. I'm going to go see what he's doing"

"1:30 am: Roger left. I went back to see if he was okay and he was gathering his things. He told me tanks were a bad sign and he's lived here for thirty years and never once saw a tank! He told me I should leave too, but that tanks right where I need to go anyways... I don't get why he's freaking out, a military group is probably just coming through or something...right? Military people do that? Right??

On the plus side, I don't think I'm as alone as I thought I was...I watched Roger drive away and for a split second I saw someone standing on the sidewalk next to Carl's Jr. I think it was one of the workers, same height and build but their face was...a little...blurry, I'm anxious, did I take my meds? Oh Lord I hope I took them..."

"1:45 am: I'm locking everything, I saw two more people. The only light anywhere is inside my building and by the street lamp, I turned to look at my phone and looked back and there was someone there! I've seen enough horror movies. I went to the emergency door in the back and locked it, I looked outside and someone was out in the back. I couldn't make them out, it's dark...but I saw their shape. I'm hoping maybe I'm seeing things. I've seen things before. Yaknow...little things like spiders maybe.."

"2:30 am: Nothing happened, I turned off all the lights and locked everything. No one's here? Maybe I did imagine it...I'm eating a sandwich in a booth just looking over at the street and the tank it gone, the police are gone, there's nothing. WiFi is out again, Im-- What was that? -shuffling, the sound of recorder being set down- What the fuck...there's a guy outside.. he's...banging on the glass door, trying to open it...i-i can't make out his face...I'm gonna watch him. Maybe he's just some random customer who didn't hear about the curfew..."

"2:40 am: He went away, my phone has no signal out of nowhere. I'm not sure what's happening but have you ever felt like you were being watched? The lights in Carl's Jr flickered back on but no one's inside, I'm staring at my car. I have a baseball bat in the back..thank God my shitty nephew left all his sports crap in my trunk but should I risk going to get it? I don't know. I'm scared, I'm not sure if it's all in my head or it's outside. -a pause, the sounds of shuffling- I'm going to get that bat...what if that guy wanted to rob me? Or worse?? What if he's he reason for the curfew? What if he's some mass killer an-- no. I can't let my anxiety get the better of me. It's probably in my head I didn't take my meds it's in my head. -softly- it's in my head it's in my head...I need to get that bat or I'm dead..."

"2:45 am: -out of breath- I saw-- I saw the tank! The tank from earlier! I got my bat, the tank...police! Military! I ran to my car...I unlocked it and slide inside, it took me all of two seconds to find the clutter in the backseat. I thought it was in my trunk thank God it wasn't because the thought to open my fucking trunk didn't even--

Whoa!! Wh-- -static, cutting out before going dead-

"They shot the tank! No...wait no not..fuck the tank fired a gun a tank gun! And...fuck, they hit something /in the sky/ there was something up in the clouds -static- and it was huge!! I'm starting to calm down, okay okay, -taking in a few shaken breathes- there was this...the tank fired okay! The bullet hit something in the sky, it took up most of the sky! I...it looked like clouds but it wasn't, when it flashed I saw a bunch of military personnel everywhere. Where they the ones trying to get in? I don't know. I'm hiding under a table with my bat but I can't see what's happening through the window and I don't know if I'm making this up or not I've never experienced anything like this. It has to be real, right? It has to be..."

"3:15 am: More people, they're coming to the doors and pounding on the windows. Why? It can't be the military! But I can't see them I can only hear them, I'm still under this table I haven't moved. The tank hasn't fired again but a siren went off about five minutes after. I got another alert on my phone, it says to stay indoors that there's a tornado??? There's not a fucking tornado!! There a military fighting North Korea or something outside!! God okay I need to calm down, I'm not sure who Im screaming at...God the pounding is so so loud. I'm going to go into the back maybe I won't hear it. I need to get out of here I should have left with Roger. I hope Roger is alright...okay, wish me luck to..whoever finds this, I'm going to run to the back and hide in the dry storage."

"3:37 am: I'm here! I'm hiding...I'm freaking out a little, but I'm alright...I jumped up and ran to the back. I didn't even look out the windows, God I'm so afraid. I'm holed up in this tiny little closet thing but the door doesn't close all the way and it's so dark, I'm not even sure who I'm talking to anymore. I'm going to die I know I'm going to die, I'm --

A window just broke. They're coming for me. They're going to kill me. Why else would they pound on the windows? I can still hear the pounding -voice cracking in fear, static-"

"4am: -whispering- I'm terrified they're moving around, I'm not going to die. I refuse. I'm going to beat the living hell out of these fuckers with my bat and run to my car! I'm going to go out the back door, it's an easy lock! I just turn the little knob and it opens. It's ea-- They're getting closer, I hear them right out the door. I'm goin-- -soft creek of a door, distorted screaming-"

"4:12 am: I'm in my car! I beat the shit out of them! They got me a few times, my eye hurts like a bitch but I'm not stopping!!"

"4:50 am: -out of breath- my car stopped working! I'm running! It was fine, I was five minutes from my apartment. -takes in a few breathes- then I heard this loud humming and this light! It was so /bright/!! It was like the sky was on fire!! Then my car just stopped...it just STOPPED!! No reason it came to a stop and i ran but I just stopped so I can record this. I see my apartment complex, my legs are so sore an-- -humming, static- oh my, the LIGHT oh my GO-- -Loud humming, tape cutting out-

"Unknown time: -broken up, static- where am I? I'm so afraid...I can't open my eyes...-cutting out-"

That's the last of it, I woke up at 8am on Sunday. I'm not sure what's happening...After listening to all the tapes I tried to recall anything but just nothing. My neighbor brought my car back, he told me he found it down the road and it's got a huge dent into it. He said I ran into a tree...I guess that explains my bruised up arms and legs? I'm not sure. I drove to my work and my manager told me that we don't start the twenty four hours till next week? She told me I locked myself in the building, my chef wasn't there and left at ten and that these guys broke in to rob the place? And that I beat the hell out of them with a bat.

I don't know what to believe...I guess that makes sense? But I have...I have Snapchat of me and Roger that night with times on it and a recording of us. I called him but he also says he left at ten. My manager says the people pounding where probably customers or something but why would they show up when it wasn't twenty four hours??

There are so many holes but maybe I'm crazy, maybe I did black out, but...I never record when I black out...my therapist says I blacked out too, there are reports in the newspaper about the robbers stealing from the Carl's Jr as well and claimed that the guy who was smoking outside was /killed/ by these people. They found his body mangled and without any blood in the dumpster, who drains their victims blood? This isn't Lost boys!

I check my texts, the only one is one claiming a tornado had touched down where a build was that looks more like a bomb was dropped on it. I drove by it and it was...a mess but I guess a tornado can do that. Last I checked Facebook and texts between me and my room and there were none. I asked her...I asked her what happened,

She told me I came home around 8am when she was up getting ready for work and she helped me bandage up my legs. She said I was crying and shaking, my eyes were even bleeding and red, I wouldn't say anything to her and just went to bed. I don't remember. She said I slept through all of Saturday...the sheriff came in and tried to wake me but I guess he couldn't wake me up and I kept screaming all day. I'd wake up, scream and go back to sleep.

My therapist thinks I forgot to take my meds for a few days since I was so caught up with things and stress just..cause an incredible break down. I got my license taken away and my cars in the shop...my manager gave me a week off. I guess maybe all they're saying is right, it makes sense..I'm just a little out of it maybe. I probably did black out, my therapist is going to talk to me about it more. I'm going to show her the tapes maybe they'll help...but...

The only thing that really has me confused though...My eyes, they were brown. In all my selfies, they're brown. In everything, they're brown. I just looked at myself in the mirror.

They're green.

#reddit #nosleep #scary #story