lizzieyeun-blog

[lizzieyeun-blog]

aera

“I have no idea why I bought an apartment this spacious but the realtor who led me to it months ago said I couldn’t beat the market value so—here I am!” Aera laughs, moving boxes of fabric and other items out of the way to make a path for her daughter to walk and take a gander at her home away from home. “You know, there’s an extra spare room that has your name on it. You could live here and it’d be like a sorority house! But with just us.”

“It’s beautiful! Your realtor has a good eye.” But months ago? Lizzie’s smile is a bit more forced than it would be in another situation, but she’s trying to match her mom’s enthusiasm. “That’s really sweet of you to offer, but I already moved all my stuff less than a year ago, and I don’t think I’m ready to do it again yet. Moving is a lot of work! I wouldn’t mind coming and spending some nights with you though.” Dad had said something along the lines of not having to choose between parents, but it already feels a bit like she’s being pulled in two directions with no sign of stopping. 

[lizzieyeun-blog]

jaeson

nico

 he recognizes that he’s been too blunt,  but it’s not quick enough to take back.  truth be told,  he doesn’t know if he would if he could,  anyway.  he’s quiet,  tries to shrink himself when talk turns to his brother.  as good as he was getting with talking about dylan,  it still hurt. it particularly hurt now,  when he’d ripped the wound back open in some pathetic attempt to make his mother understand why he pulled back so much.  it didn’t work ; not really.  nico doesn’t dare say that he’s taken a few things from dylan’s room since the funeral,  it wouldn’t do much good.  and lizzie’s outburst does more than anything he could have even almost uttered.

he wants to apologize,  but it dies on his tongue before he can even almost form the words.  wants to say sorry for pulling her from her life  —  she’d be in london,  were it not for them  —  or a sorry for not being gentle with his words.   “at least he’s trying to be here.”   it’s not an attack on lizzie,  not meant to be an attack on their mother,  either.  but maybe it is the latter.  he’s still quiet,  adjusts in his seat to make himself even smaller,  debates actually going home after all.  but he nods at the statement,  at the prospect of going through the rest of dylan’s things and packing them away ; not everything,  never everything.  but enough of it that he’s not as loud of a presence in the house.   “next week at the earliest.  i can do most of it,  if you wanna help mom.  can take pics of things i wanna save,  so we can make sure it’s not something someone else wants.  dunno.”   he’s staring at his hands,  not at his father or his sister and still completely unable to form a proper apology.

“Elizabeth,” Jaeson began, his voice soft as he spoke. “I know you cleaned it. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that, so I said nothing. I saw you were cleaning up after him just like you’ve always done. He was your brother, but I didn’t want to empty out his room yet because… I wasn’t ready to let go. I don’t know if I will ever let him go fully, but I am ready to take those first steps of healing, and I need you to, as well.” He rose up out of his seat and walked to the chair where Lizzie sat and knelt down in front of the chair, sitting on his haunches and looking up at her. “Elizabeth Jane, you have been the glue that’s held this family together since Dylan passed. Even before, you were always running after your brothers, making sure your mother and I had everything we needed. You’ve always been the perfect daughter, and I never once questioned it. But I don’t want you to feel this pressure to always be that. I want you to be free to be imperfect. I know you will always love this family and you have always put us first. We will always love you, no matter what, [my darling girl]. But I want you to put yourself first now, because you have to live your life. I’m stepping in to do what I didn’t before, and I know I deserve to be called out for that. I have things personally I am working on, and it’s not going to be easy. But I will do what’s right. So please. If you want to shout at me, shout at me. Let it all out, both of you. But I don’t want you to worry so hard for me– for us anymore. The worry will always be there, I know that. It’s in your nature. You’re a caring person. Both of you are. It want us to be truthful and honest. And open. I want this house to be home and not just your parents’ house.” He then glanced over to Nico. They had already spoken about unrealistic expectations that Jaeson once had for him.

“Son, I know you came to speak to your mother. I saw the cupcakes and the flowers. I saw you leaving, and when I asked she didn’t tell me what happened, not exactly. I won’t pry where it isn’t welcome, but I want you to know that I see you making an effort, and I am proud of you for that. I’m sorry it didn’t go well, but you tried. And I will try, too.” He looked between the two of them. “ I’m going to pull out all the stops to keep this family together. I would like for that to be under one roof, but I also know you’re not children anymore, and you’re free to live out your lives and move out when you’re good and ready. Or stay here as long as you like. Whatever it is that you want. I’ll always be here. And I won’t be lonely. Hopefully your mother and I will see eye to eye again soon, and I still plan on getting that border collie. We have so many friends, too. Friends are something like family we choose, right? As for Dylan’s things, there is no rush to get it done. I would prefer for it to be when you are both ready to do it together. I’d like to salvage a few things as well. The rest we can donate. But take your time.” He wanted to get up and hug them both, but he also wanted them to have the opportunity to speak out and get their frustrations out.

Her laugh at Nico’s words is wet this time, much closer to tears than an actual chuckle as she buries her head in her hands, only looking up when her dad comes over. Lizzie’s never been afraid to speak her mind or to have her laugh be the loudest in the room, but it’s like a switch has been flicked to small and fragile mode as he sits in front of her and looks directly into her eyes. It only takes a few words — you have been the glue that’s held this family together since Dylan passed — and the dam breaks ; not slowly or just a trickle, but all at once, a sob engulfing her that only seems to grow stronger as he continues, months of bottled up pain pouring out all at once as her dad says the exact words she’s been needing to hear. The endearment in Korean doesn’t help, a fresh wave of tears overwhelming her, and it takes everything in her just to be quiet enough to hear him as he continues to speak, hand over her mouth to try and muffle the sobs emanating from her very core. It’s difficult, but she manages to nod in agreement when he says they should wait to go through Dylan’s things. “I- I’d never dream of making you do that alone, Nic. Going through memories alone is just painful, but doing it together should make it bit easier. I think.”

She turns back to her dad, slightly hesitant and with tears still streaming down her face, but he’d said to let it all out, to shout at him, and her barriers are already so far gone that ( even though it’s less of a yell and more of a tearful ramble ) she does. “I- I’ve just felt so alone. An- and I know that you lost your son and Nicky lost his other half and it’s so much harder for you both than it is for me but it — it hurts, dad. It hurts so much. I love you guys more than anything in the world, and I would make the same choices and sacrifices again in a heartbeat, but it sometimes feels like I’m up against a brick wall that grows taller with every stone I take away. I don’t know — ”  I don’t know how to help you all heal, I don’t know I would do if I lost you, I don’t know how to live my own life or if I even can  “ — I don’t know what to do, anymore. Me, who’s known since I was seven years old exactly what I wanted my future to look like. And any time I think of what Dyl would say if he saw us like this, unable to all be under the same roof, I- I want to scream and cry and curl up in my bed and never come out.” She pulls her knees up underneath her chin and wraps her arms around around herself. “So. That’s me being honest.”

( @moonschildren )

[lizzieyeun-blog]

jasmine

 jasmine  nodded  and  she  laughed  slightly. “honestly  ,  you  don’t  need  to  worry  about  me  being  hit.  it  was  an  accident.”  she  smiled  softly. hearing  the  girls  offer  ,  jasmine  nodded  for  a  moment.  “yeah  ,  i  wouldn’t  mind  a  walk  to  your  car.  saves  you  trekking  back  here  for  it  later.”

“Sounds good! It’s only a block or so away.” She started walking, making sure to keep a steady pace that the other could match. “I’m guessing that you’re in high school, right? Have you been enjoying the break?”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

jaeson

nico

he wasn’t particularly keen on going home  —  going anywhere,  really  —  but family meeting,  he was told.  and despite not wanting to talk to his mother again,  there’s enough guilt in him that forces him out of the house to go and take part in the actual family,  even if he doesn’t really think he’s a part of it at present.  nico’s comfortably slouched in the opposing corner of the couch,  hands in his hoodie’s pouch,  the actual hood very much over his head.  his mom isn’t there and he’s oddly grateful for this fact.  he debate’s asking his dad if she’s coming,  but he doesn’t,  instead just eyeing him until he starts to speak.

they’re separating.  his brows crease and he chews on the inside of his lip.  he wants to be sad or surprised ; he’s only surprised.  he listens to him talk,  list off how they had been distant and didn’t see eye to eye.  part of him wonders if he’s in part to blame  —  his mother did call him jae’s child,  did give up on him before she asked to meet him.  he doesn’t ask that either,  because he doesn’t want to know.  he’s had enough beatings,  physically and emotionally,  he doesn’t want another one right now.  

she moved out,  it might not be permanent.  he nods,  listening still as lizzie interjects at parts,  listening as jaeson talks about being there.  and nico tries his hardest to wrap his very tired brain around it.  he looks at lizzie,  tries to gauge how she feels about the whole thing,  before a selfish part of him speaks up.   “does that mean i can move home?  ‘til she’s back.”

Jaeson had a feeling this would hit Lizzie the hardest, and he hated it. He hated not having a better answer for what was happening, but the truth was that he barely grasped what led his wife to storm out. “I’m so sorry. I know it’s hard, after everything that’s happened. But I promise you both that I will do everything I can to fix this with her. We just needed space from each other. But whatever happens, this family is not falling apart. Sometimes, we realize we need something different in our lives, and that’s not wrong. What I do know is that I will never need anything that doesn’t include you, or you.” He glanced between Nicolas and Elizabeth. Jae didn’t want to paint Aera in a bad light. The last thing he wanted was for his children to feel like they needed to pick and choose sides that didn’t need to be chosen. He wanted a united family, despite this… rough patch. Area had taken it upon herself to leave, however, and he wasn’t going to excuse that either.

“You can. You can move back and stay as long as you want to at any time, son. I was sleeping in your old room for a while, but the things you left are undisturbed.” Jae looked to Nicolas, dipping his head in a nod. It would benefit Nico to move back home, especially if he was between jobs. And having both kids under one roof would lessen the blow of what was happening, but he kept that to himself. “I will also talk to your mother about clearing out Dylan’s room. But before I do that, I want to talk to you both about it. I know that when he first passed…” It was hard. Jaeson forbade everyone from tampering with anything in the room, and now it had become something of a mausoleum of memories. “…No one was allowed to mess with it. For selfish reasons. But it’s time to start healing. As much as it hurts to face it, he would want that for us. We don’t have to do it straight away. Over time. And you’re both welcome to discuss what you’d like to do with his things. Among yourselves, or with me. I’ll always love him and carry him with me in my heart, but you two are my priority now. You two are here with me, and I’m so grateful for every day I have with you.” He looked up at both, feeling his sight getting blurry, but he blinked back the tears, keeping his composure as best as he could. 

Of course she wants him home, of course she’ll welcome him back with open arms, but what Nico said hurts ; what hurts even more is that she knows he’s not joking. It takes their mom leaving for him to feel like he can come home — if that’s not a sign of how broken their family has become, she doesn’t know what is. The entire situation makes her feel like a dam about to burst, and it’ll only take one drop for her walls to break. That drop falls when dad starts talking about Dylan’s room.

“No one was allowed to mess with it?” Her laugh is sharp and bitter, cutting through the room like a jagged knife. “What, so you think that the mess he left behind that morning just magically disappeared? That it’s just happy coincidence that there’s not a speck of dust in there, that all his dirty laundry got washed and folded in his dresser by itself?” Now the tears are welling up in her own eyes, though it would be impossible to tell if they are due to anger or grief. Perhaps both. “I started cleaning his room the day after I moved back in. While the rest of you were off doing god knows what, I was picking up the pieces. We’re your priority now, yes ; but you — all of you — have been my priority since day one. That includes mom, and I - I can’t — ” She stops and tries frantically to reign herself in, to get back to being the perfectly composed and supportive daughter and sister, but her deep breaths are still ragged and the hand she rubs her eyes with is still rough. “Never mind. Forget I said anything. We can start going through his stuff whenever you’re ready, Nicky. I’ll help mom pack up what she wants too, so neither of you have to see her.”

( @moonschildren )

[lizzieyeun-blog]

jaeson

Post Order: Jaeson ➡ Lizzie ➡ Nico

Jaeson sent out texts to both of his children the day after his and Aera’s argument. Her things were still at the house, but he didn’t want this to take either of them by surprise. He’d gotten little to no sleep, and as tempted as he was to numb himself with his usual dosage of prescription drugs, he needed to have a clear head for this. Okay, maybe he took half of an antidepressant to calm his nerves. He sat on the couch until Lizzie and Nico were ready for the information he was about to share. It felt like he’d aged ten years overnight, but he would do his best to pull through this. He had to.

“I’m going to be transparent with you both. Your mother and I are separating.” He was up front, but continued to explain. “We have been distant. From you both. From each other. We stopped speaking like we used to– and even before that, we were distant. I was always working in Boston. Your mother went on trips for her business as well. Essentially, you were on your own quite a lot, and once Dylan passed, things got worse. I buried myself in work to avoid reality, but I speak only for myself when I say things changed for me. I woke up to what was happening, who I was becoming, and where I was headed. Unfortunately, your mother and I don’t see eye to eye on a few things. So we need time apart to think and decide what’s best for each of us.” He breathed deeply and cleared his throat. He spoke quietly, doing his best to keep the pain in his words in check.

“This doesn’t mean it’s permanent. It means we need space apart. So she has decided to move out. I will remain here, and I need you both to know that everything I’ve said to you from the moment I decided to turn around and be here, I have meant. And I intend to continue that. If you ever need anything at all. A ride to or from somewhere, a little cash until payday, food, simply my presence. Please call or text or just show up. I know I’m late on the whole… being a dad thing. An actual dad. But I’m here for you both. I need you to be clear on that.” His eyes rose up to look between the faces of his children. He loved his wife. But he made these two wonderful human beings, and if he was forced to choose, it would be no choice at all.

Lizzie’s in the armchair across from her dad, legs tucked underneath her as she leans against one arm. The last time she can remember a ‘ family meeting ’ being called was when dad had found a ding on his car and wanted to know what had caused it ( she’d been in her car with the twins and was laughing so hard that she hadn’t realized how close she was until it was too late ). What’s even stranger is that mom isn’t here yet, but she does run late sometimes, so Lizzie doesn’t think too much of it. Then their dad starts talking, and all the thoughts she’s had about the entire situation being a bit ominous come rushing back. 

“Wait. I- I’m sorry, what?” Yeah, they’ve gone through rough spots, but separating? She pulls her legs closer, curling back further into the chair. He’s still talking, something about it not being permanent, about being their dad and being here for them, but she still can’t quite wrap her head around the fact that mom is leaving dad ; she had hoped that after Dylan’s funeral they could come together and support one another, and even though they didn’t, she hadn’t realized it had gotten this bad. 

It takes her a moment after he’s done to say something, still trying to figure out how to respond to the news that their family is literally breaking apart. “I- I mean — ” She falls silent and pushes her hair away from her eyes, then looks at her brother to see how he’s taking it. 

( @moonschildren )

[lizzieyeun-blog]

jaeson

Jaeson smiled. “I guess we’ll see then.  And of course he does! He takes after his old man, and I look great in everything.” It was a joke, of course. As much as he wanted to see his son dressing a little more professionally, he also knew that he was much more casual than Dylan was, and that was okay. Little by little he was learning more about things that could change, should change, and should simply be allowed to exist as they are. “She’s right about that. And you look like a trillion bucks tonight, darling. You always do, but especially tonight in your element. You take after your mother in that regard.”

Lizzie giggled at his confidence, though in her eyes, it was completely founded in truth. “Oh, you totally do.” Her head ducked bashfully at his compliment, though it couldn’t hide the smile on her face. This conversation was quite possibly the highlight of her night, and definitely meant more to her than any level of performance ever could. She wanted to talk to him longer, but she caught the eye of someone else across the room when she looked back up, and all the other things she had to take care of before the evening was finished came rushing back to the front of her mind. “I actually have to talk to the conductor for a moment, but I’ll find you and Mom and Nico afterwards, okay? Love you!” She reached a hand out to squeeze his lightly, and then she left, slim figure easily maneuvering through the crowd.

[lizzieyeun-blog]

nico

he can’t stop the guilt that blooms,  try as he might.  he wants her to be happy,  wants her to to follow dreams or whatever else is out there.  even if he’ll miss her ; even if he needs her,  because he always will.  and he can’t spend the rest of his life stopping her from living hers.   “don’t say you’re not going.  you  —  you might feel different in a year.  or next week.  or,  i’unno,  any time before you have to decide.”   dylan would support her ; that’s all he can repeat in his head,  that his brother would be ecstatic for her,  because that’s how family is supposed to be.  and for once,  he’s actually trying to be like his brother,  instead of being selfish.   “might resent us if you stay and you miss out.  think that’d,  uh.  that’d suck,  you know?”   he wouldn’t survive losing another sibling permanently.  if she resents him for staying,  he could lose her.  if she follows her dreams,  maybe she’ll come back.  less permanent.   “i should,  uh,  head home.  ‘m thinkin’ i’ll walk,  if that’s okay.”

It’s exactly what she was afraid would happen when her family found out ; he’s closing off from her, pushing her away, trying to convince her to put that future first. But her family has always been more important, and always will be. “Resent you, Nicky? Do you really think I could ever — ” She stops, pressing her lips together tightly and blinking away the tears threatening to ruin her makeup. “Never. Not in a million years.” Her earlier euphoria from talking with her dad is gone, vanishing like fog in the morning sun. Countless hours preparing for this concert and now look at her — nearly crying in the parking lot after some thoughtless gossip exposes the secret she’s been hiding for almost a year. “I … if you’re sure you don’t want a ride. But text me when you get there, yeah?” She closes her eyes and breathes deeply, wanting to try and end their conversation on at least a little bit of the high it had reached earlier. “Thanks for coming tonight. And for trusting me enough to tell me about you and Jamie ; I’m happy for you two, I really am. I — ” A tear finally escapes, though it’s only allowed to run down her cheek for a moment before she brushes it away. “I love you. No matter what happens, and no matter what I decide, I’ll always love you. So, so much.”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

nico

 nico listens to her,  reserving a repeating of the question at the tip of his tongue,  in case she opts not to reply to that.  he feels guilty for being a reason she stayed,  feels guilty for the fact he doesn’t want her to leave.  and that’s enough motivation for him to at least try to get himself composed,  eyes looking anywhere but at her,  some in vain attempt at pretending he’s unaffected.   “we’re all fine now.  look,  we gathered for a whole event.”   one where he didn’t speak to his mother,  sure.  but it was a step forward.   “and you didn’t say if you wanted to go.”   and for him,  that’s enough evidence that she does want to go,  despite not saying it outright.  his tongue pokes against the side of his cheek,  hands pulling at the edge of his suit,  a singular nod to his head.   “i won’t tell dad about it.  or mom.  promise.”   his voice is detached,  but that’s for the best.  better he act like it doesn’t hurt than react ; that’s never done any good for anyone in the family.

We’re all fine now. As though one evening spent sitting near each other was enough to heal months of distance. Her laugh is bitter, though that’s the only reaction to his statement she allows herself. “I wanted to, Nico — ” she really really had wanted to “ — but that stopped being important the moment I got the call about Dyl being in the hospital.” She’d spent weeks waiting on that letter, checking the mail every morning in case it came so she could surprise her family with the good news. But then, within minutes, that dream of her future had come crashing down, along with everything else in their lives. “Thanks, but it doesn’t matter if they know anymore. I mean, I technically still have another year to decide, but I- I’m not going.” It’s a split second decision, one that has something inside her screaming that she’s throwing away everything she’s worked for and ever really wanted for herself, but the look of anguish her brother’s trying to hide is more than enough to tip the scale.

[lizzieyeun-blog]

nico

 he nods at her request for help,  hands busily playing at the edge of his suit jacket when she goes to get her things.  he’s half in his head about the whole thing,  but people talking pulls him out.  nico doesn’t claim to understand the musically inclined,  doesn’t understand the super important words they say for the most part.  but he’s smart enough to understand this,  even if it makes him question everything.  turned a spot down.  something royal usually means to do with england.  there’s a chance she was leaving  —  and despite the words turned down being present,  he can’t shake the feeling that she’s still going to leave.  no matter how much he doesn’t want it to,  it creates a tight feeling in his throat and chest,  biting his bottom lip.  

his eyes go to her when she speaks,  any sign of a smile that used to be there completely obliterated.  he wants to ask her about it,  but for both of their sake,  he bites it back while they’re still inside the venue.  last thing either of them needed was him embarrassing her ; he did that enough without intent.  he helps her to the car,  mind still running a mile a minute when he finally stops and decides on something to say.   “you were gonna leave.”   it’s quiet and broken,  a little too much for his liking,   “do you still want to?  are-are you going to?”

The walk to her car is agonizing, filled with quick glances from the corner of her eyes and tension growing with every step. Then he speaks, and she can’t quite bring herself to look at him, focusing instead on the back of her car. “I … I got the acceptance letter the day after Dyl’s funeral. They asked me to finish studying there, in London, but I told them we’d had a family emergency and I wanted to complete my masters here before deciding.”  It’s not an answer to his question, not really, but she’s the older sister, the one who’s supposed to comfort and protect and the tremble in her brother’s voice is evidence enough of how much she’s hurt him and she wants — no, needs him to understand. “Then I moved back in, and dad started working even longer hours, and mom threw herself into running the boutique, and you moved out after months of barely talking, and I — ” her voice catches and she looks into Nico’s eyes for the first time since they came outside. “I was needed here. Still am.”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

noelle

* // –––– 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐃 to be emptier than usual. on days like those, noelle didn’t mind. “it’s nice out, right?” she hummed. she kept her gaze straight as she spoke. it’s so quiet, so peaceful that she almost refused to break the silence. she tossed bread crumbs to the ducks that waddled in front of them and sighed. “sorry if this is boring. i was really in the mood to just relax today.”

Lizzie’s eyes were closed as she leaned back, one arm draped over the back of the bench. “Honestly, it’s nice to be able to just sit quietly and soak in some sun. I mean, summer's finally here, so why not take a bit of time just doing nothing?” She opened her eyes slowly at the noise of the ducks eating then pushed her hair away from her face. “Did you bring enough of that delicious looking bread to share with anyone other than the ducks?”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

skylar

“How about if we ever do it, I’ll buy you a drink after? You need to stay hydrated, especially after taking some cute pictures. It’s like… the law or something.”

“That sounds lovely. I think I have your number —” She reached for her phone, scrolling through contacts until she found what she was looking for. “Yep!” She smiled as she returned her phone to her bag. “I should probably head off now, but text me when you have time so we can get together, okay?”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

michaela

“Thank you, and if I don’t, teaching’s my back-up plan which isn’t a complete loss.” For a brief second, she considered asking Lizzie if she had a back-up plan before deciding better of it, fearing it would come across as doubting the other’s talent. “Is it where you want to end up?” Which seemed more apt in her mind than if something was close. Granted, she could never picture herself moving away from her family permanently, but if she was given the chance to do something amazing elsewhere, she’d take it and move back later. “I mean… I’ve always wanted to see what else is out there in the world, even for a little bit.”

Is it where you want to end up? Lizzie chewed her lip as she thought about how to reply to a question that's been bothering her for months. “I … I think so, yeah. It’s a wonderful opportunity, and there’s a lot of outside factors that make Boston the best choice, so yeah, it is what I want.” The confidence in her voice doesn't quite match what she truly feels, but what she wants is to take care of her family — any other desires are and always will be secondary. “I’m not too much of a traveler, but I can understand wanting to experience new cultures and places. Where would you visit if there was nothing stopping you?”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

jasmine

jasmine  watched  her  and  nodded.  she  was  glad  that  the  girl  would  join  her  for  coffee.  “oh  i’m  not  a  fan  of  starbucks  really.  swear  they  just  give  you  crappy  coffee  beans  or  they  just  fill  their  frappes  with  pure  sugar.” she  commented  as  she  ran  a  hand  through  her  hair. “so  ,  i  was  thinking  one  of  the  independent  cafes  ,  but  we  can  go  to  starbucks  if  you  want  to.”

“Well, you’re the one who was hit, so whatever you want is good with me! And, honestly, as long as I get an iced coffee I’m happy, so an independent place sounds perfect.” Lizzie smiled, though her face lit up a moment later as she remembered the reason she had been out and about in the first place. “Do you want me to drive? I was actually just on my way to where I parked my car, so it’s nearby if you don’t feel like walking in this heat.”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

ivy

she  starts  to  chew  the  gum  ,  surprised  by  how  relaxing  the  action  brings.  sweet.  ❛  just  gym.  it’s  got  me  completely  exhausted  ,  ❜  she  sighs.  also  some  asshole  dude  giving  her  a  hard  time  while  she  exercises.  but  ,  she’d  rather  not  get  into  that  ,  ❛  people  can  be  a  little  obnoxious  in  there  ,  ya  know.  ❜

She winces sympathetically at the other’s words. “Yeah, I get that ; kinda hard to focus on getting in shape while some jerk is hogging the machine. One of the reasons I prefer running instead of going to the gym, to be honest. That, and I just like being outside. Were you working towards something in particular, or just staying in shape?”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

emma

“Alright. Next time you come over to my place, I’m making you one or several orange dreamsicles,” Emma said with a smile. “I’m definitely not huge on partying… or big crowds in general. You’re lucky I think you’re great, otherwise I’d be home on the couch watching some true crime shows. That’s my kind of party,” she mused. “I’m honestly surprised your parents let you throw a party like this. My dad would’ve been livid. I mean, not like people are being crazy or anything, just… they never let us have this many people at home all at once, I guess.”

“Oh, yes please! That sounds wonderful.” Her eyes widened and she put a hand on her heart at the other’s words. “Aww, Emma! That’s one of the sweetest things anyone’s ever said to me — seriously. And I am lucky ; lucky that you decided to come!” Lizzie took another sip of her drink, still smiling. “Well, I guess they think since I lived on my own for a while I’m responsible enough not to ruin anything. And my parties aren’t normally too crazy — though I may or may not have gone a bit wild in my first year of college. Still, that wasn’t at home, so my parents don’t have to know about it when approving any other parties.”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

jaeson

“That’s easier said than done, but I’ll do my best.” Jaeson realized that he really was beating himself up over it every time he thought about it. He didn’t want the kids thinking he was doing all of this solely out of guilt. Lizzie kissed his cheek, and Jae smiled. “You are ruining nothing, my dear. Let’s go find everyone else. I saw you invited Jamie Callahan. It seems he knows everybody already! Except your mother, I think. Small world, hah! And your brother’s acting a little skittish, but I think it might be because he’s wearing a suit for once. So make sure you tell him he looks good. Maybe we can persuade Nicky out of those hoodies little by little, hm?” 

“Really?” Lizzie paused, not quite sure how to deal with that information, then shrugged. “Perks of living in a small town, I guess.” She smiled at the mention of her brother. “I haven’t gotten to talk to Nicky yet, but I saw him for a moment on stage and almost melted — I didn’t think he’d actually wear it! And of course I’ll tell him he looks great, cause he does, though I don’t think it’s gonna be something that happens again very soon. It’s probably easier to dance in sweats than a tux, and I can hardly remember the last time he didn’t have a hoodie on.” She laughed gently. “Then again, I’ve always thought Nico looks great in everything, even sweatpants. Guess it really is like Mom says: some people make custom designer clothes look like they came from walmart and some people make jeans and a simple t-shirt look like a million bucks.”

[lizzieyeun-blog]

nico

 “that settles it,  then.  ‘m going to as many as i can.”  he’s still not sure how many that’ll actually be,  given schedules.  but he wants to try,  some sort of payback for all the times she was there for him or dylan.  particularly him,  since the death of his other half,  but he doesn’t say it.  doesn’t want to bring it down,  so he keeps a smile on his features,  biting his lips back to keep from laughing just a moment later.   “yours are much more official,  even if they are school related.  very,”   he puts his pinkie up,  silently implying it’s all fancy.  granted that just about anything would be fancy to him.   “i promise,  once school’s back up,  i’ll invite you to any and all of’m.  you have my word,  non rule maker.  even though i’m pretty sure you did make that one.”  his eyes narrow playfully,   “still have my word.”

She chuckles at his method of expressing how fancy her events are, and then again a moment later at his raised eyebrows. “All right, fine, maybe I made that up. Though I’m pretty sure the only reason mine seem more official is cause musicians have to wear matching black while dancers get to wear cool costumes or sweatpants. And I’ll hold you to that ; expect plenty of annoying texts asking for updates once school starts.” Even though she raises a hand to cover her mouth, she can’t quite hide the yawn that escapes. “I’m a bit worn out, to be honest. Would you mind actually helping me bring stuff to my car? Just give me a sec to go grab it.”

It only takes her a moment to gather her things, and she’s walking back when she hears a couple of the second violinists talking in the corner. “Yeah, I heard she turned down a spot in the Royal Philharmonic ; a waste of talent if you ask me. I mean, you saw how good she was tonight.” She rolls her eyes, ignoring how they freeze when she walks past. Once she turns the corner, however, she’s the one who freezes — there’s Nico, standing where he couldn’t possibly have missed hearing them and fuckshitfuckshitfuckshitfuck — then she catches herself, closing her mouth and plastering on a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ve got everything! My car’s just out back, so c’mon.”