#GUESS WHO BROKE HER PHONE AND GOT LOCKED OUT OF HER ACCOUNT 5-7+ WEEKS AGO (COULDN'T BE ME)

[ni053791]

❄️ ❄️ ❄️

[vampyrly]

: / i need any help and/or validation for a situation im dealing with

ok heads up this is going to be potentially very long to read and get through, like possibly 10 minutes at most but it is detailed and information heavy, i dont want to leave anything out

if anyone knows me/knows me on twitter and has seen my tweets where i've detailed the bullshit my roommate has done in the past you'll know i dont particularly like their presence based on their immature and gross antics. well ladies and gentlemen just when i thought they couldn't possibly sink any lower as a person, they pulled through the shit olympics and won gold.

my roommate has a cat, they had it prior to moving in and on their account the cat has been by their side 24/7. it is very attached and has most definitely developed a form of separation anxiety because of this. there hasnt been an issue with how often they stay with their cat up until recently... their girlfriend got her own apartment and over the past few months my rm has been staying with her 24/7. as in, is practically never in the apartment. they only come back to refill their cats food/water and is immediately out the door again. occasionally they will sleep overnight but after that they are back out the door.

as anyone who understands cats or animals in general would realize, this is essentially neglecting a cat, one you have gone from being with every day, to essentially never seeing. and this was not gradual, it was a damn near sudden change. you can probably imagine this is putting a lot of confusion and stress on the cat. over time, the cat has reacted more physically. they have become prone to crying by the door, biting the gf's toes, glaring at her (i guess), and such.

now, about a week ago, the cat had bitten my roommate incredibly hard to the point of drawing a lot of blood. apparently this was so traumatic to the rm that they now refuse to even be in the same room with the cat (there have only been a handful of times where they've slipped into the room to grab an essential and shimmy back out) so much so that they brought an air mattress, set it up in the living room, and is now temporarily sleeping there. no, im not joking.

now im not going to go into detail about why this buildup from the cat occurred, i think it should be pretty obvious already why, but to my rm, they fully believe this behavior is aggressive and unusual. as in, this cat had malicious, negative intent to do harm on its owner. its owner which, up until months ago, they were so attached to and clearly loved. as a friend has pointed out, this isnt signaling aggression. this is signaling a need to get attention in any way possible. their own cat had scratched them up so bad to the point they almost had to go to the ER, but it wasnt because the cat was aggressive, it just thought it was playtime! the case is different here yes, because unlike my rm the friend actually takes care and gives attention to their cat, so this was a very rare occurrence. simply put, this cat is lacking so much stimulation, attention, and basic interaction that this, to me, felt like a last resort. because clearly, the constant cries of sadness wasnt doing anything for them. they're currently in the process of rehoming the cat and will permanently ditch it on the 28th. thats still another 5 fucking days of this cat being in these neglected conditions, and thats not counting when this started, which was 17th, 18th if were being generous on account of me misremembering the date of events because who can blame me so much has already happened its becoming difficult to keep track.

a cat that they up until this point loved and gave attention to as apparent by them claiming she is for emotional support, is being thrown out of their life without remorse over one instance of """aggression""" (dont make me explain why it wasnt again.)

my roommate knows full and well that they have every ability and every second on their hands to bring the cat with them to the gf's apartment but guess what? they simply choose not to do so! i guess those toes getting bitten was so traumatic because oh yeah may i add, the girlfriend is a massive enabler of the roommate and sees absolutely no issue to the actions they are taking in response. i doubt they even tried to properly warm the cat up to a person who is a newcomer to the relationship. im sure they both think in their heads that this is the most responsible thing they can do as pet owners and that they're such good people for rehoming a cat they cant take care of anymore. yes, nothing more responsible than neglecting an animal that needs social interaction as much as that one in particular is in dire need of. responsible pet owners would have never let it escalate to such a point, i'll have you know.

my roommate has done a lot of bullshit that has made me want to pull my hair out, but at the very least, it didnt involve a living creature. this however draws a line as i refuse to stand for animal neglect simply because im an outsider and have no direct say in the situation. i've taken as much action as i possibly can, phoning and texting and emailing as many people as i possibly can. i hesitate to say this is straight up animal abuse because as firm as i can be i try to give people the benefit of the doubt BUT. i will say that every single person i have relayed all of this info to thus far has told me that this is grounds for animal abuse.

yesterday i ran into my rm and they told me "heyyy sorry about her crying constantly, its just not possible for me to be in there whatsoever!" and when i asked if they have someone refilling the bowls and litter on their behalf they said "nope just me" ????????? simultaneously on the same day i said fuck it, i am going to break out the secret key i have to their room to check on the cat. yes i have a key to their room, i have never used it until now and if you want to ignore everything thus far to give me some shit about trust or whatever consider: i dont fucking care. as it turns out the food and water bowls are the type that automatically refill. so, hmmm. theres that part out of the way, but of course, you cannot put in a machine to automatically interact with a cat on the level of a human. as for the litter, i couldnt see since i didnt step more than a foot into the room as to not impede boundaries on the cat and i didnt want my roommate to suddenly come home to me knees deep in their shithole. it was probably in the closet but then how is that being cleaned? those automatic cleaning cat litter boxes dont come cheap and i know damn well they cannot afford one. and may i just add as a tidbit, the room has a sitting scent of pee. though seeing as how gross my roommate can get im betting its just them and not the cat. also that room was cold as fuck. were at 60-70s right now in terms of weather right now it does not need to be that cold......

here is a video i was able to capture. i mounted my phone on a monopod in order to get a scope of the room without stepping in too far.

i decided that the least i can do at the moment is to head out to dollar tree and get a toy or two so i can at least provide some amount of stimulation. before i left, i checked on her again.

she was just laying there, keeping her distance, and didnt lurch at me whatsoever. i came back with a feather wand and played with her for a couple of minutes. she responded a little to it, but for the most part she was peering out the door wondering where the hell her so called responsible owner was. i took my sweater off and let the cat sniff it. i have zero relationship with this cat, infact its the first time i've ever properly seen it as it is locked in the bedroom 24/7.

now you may be asking yourself, why is this cat locked away in a room 24/7 like rapunzel locked in her tower and not roaming freely in the open apartment? i too would like an answer to this! i rarely spend any time in the living room but even if i did i have NO issue with it chilling in there.

someone i phoned did bring up a good point that for AS to consider a legitimate case of abuse or even do anything, there'd need to be no food or water. so essentially, unless you're straight up physically harming an animal outside of their headquarters they dont fucking care. want to be proven further on that? my rm actually did speak with AS at the start of bite-saga. surprisingly they werent 100% truthful, and, get a load of this, they told them that the cat potentially has a virus, and that they need to be quarantined the entire 2 week period. thats some lying bullshit if i've ever heard some!!! not only that, just a few hours ago i peeped the girlfriend had the vet get back to them about lending a muzzle!

SO. heres the current situation as of today and what will occur to tomorrow: i finally phoned someone who is going to drop by the apartment tomorrow, potentially with another person (these are not random people, im simply keeping their status as anonymous as possible to maintain their privacy) to check on the cats conditions. they'll also call AS again and nudge the rm in a way where it seems AS needs them to expedite the surrendering process sooner than later. i cant imagine another 5 days of this going on, but theres only so much that can be done that doesnt involve me straight up catknapping the poor thing and rehoming her myself. this is the condition of the cat as of a few hours ago:

if i were someone uninvolved and saw this, i would have assumed she were a stray that broke into the room........

i try not to be petty and villainous, but a line has been crossed and the disgusting mistreatment of an innocent creature is a crime i refuse to allow be sweeped under the rug. if theres any benefit to living in a relatively small town, its that everyone knows or at least recognizes everyone. far too many people already get away with animal abuse, at the very least i can make as many people here as aware of their antics as i can. is that wrong to do? should i not air all that i can out about them? im so tired and exhausted. i've lost so much sleep over this and im probably going to lose a lot more. thanks for reading.

[chimswae]

Chapter 16

Foreword:

Some stories are better left unsaid.I couldn’t change anything for the world, although the fame part of this industry is tough to handle.Do i have a life? Yes I have my fans.Do i have friends? Yes the members that I cherish. Do i have love? No I have to let go.Life always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow. But do i have any tomorrow?

Pairing: Jimin x OC (Other characters: BTS, OCs, Lee Taehwan)

Genre: Idolau, Fluff, Romance

Word Count: 2, 486

Author Note: I crosspost this story from my Asianfanfic account. Mind you, clicheness OVERLOADS

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Chapter 16:  There goes, freedom of choice

“Hush hush don’t make noise, they are in deep slumber” Jin hissed under his breath signaling others to stop shuffling their feet or making any kind of voice that might wake the lovebird up.

“I am not making any noise, you have been talking non stop” the younger boy scolded his hyung with a deep frown.

Unfazed Yoongi pushed the older boy off from the front door, pushing the key into the hole and within a second the door clicked open. Others let out a low snort disagreed with his action but of course Yoongi was ignorant to the core.

“Yah Min Suga.. Get back here” as soon as Yoongi opened the door and stepped inside everyone got cold feet not knowing how to react. They might be witnessing something unexpected or more like they expected that thing however being a nosy sonyeodan, they still wanted to see it with their naked eyes.

Hoseok clasped his hand together followed with a holy prayer “Dear lord, please don’t let us witness any naked human being inside. Even though we may still sin after watching hentai , we are not ready to see the real deal inside. Amen” he chanted it all over again while following others entering the room.

If Jimin found out they invaded his space without his consent every single soul in this room would be dead by dawn. Reaching for the light, Yoongi turned it on only to be welcomed by a sleeping Jimin and Yeoul under the thick duvet.

Judging from the clothes scattered on the floor, their assumption was right.

“So they had sex” Jin facepalmed dramatically.

"Dont be dramatic when you expected this" Namjoon scolded.

“This is wrong, Jimin hyung will be mad if he finds out we are here” Jungkook flushed at the sight and quickly exited the room. The golden maknae could not stop his racing heart since it was his first time to see a grown up man and woman under a duvet together when it was crystal clear why they’re under the duvet in the first place.

What a wild imagination you got there Jeon Jungkook.

Taehyung nodded in agreement “Chim would not like it. I am following Kookie…” with that he walked out leaving the hyungs inside.

“Okay I swear this is not my fault, I told you I can wait until they are fully awake to get my phone. This is your idea Jin hyung” Hoseok flailed his arms and whispered dangerously low. They did not want to wake the predator up, carnivore Jimin.

Jimin stirred in his sleep, pulling Yeoul close to his body as the four men froze in their spot while watching the younger guy closely. His head perked up after hearing such commotion in the room “What the hell…” he lowly groan.

“Shit..”Namjoon mumbled lowly, nudging Hoseok side urging him to take his phone quick so they could leave the room at this instant.

“Park Jimin wake up, we need to head out in few hours. Your written statement is much needed to fix the mess” unbothered Yoongi shook him up with his foot.

His eyes shot open as soon as he realized the voice he heard did not come from his dream, the members were in his room for real to witness his after sex urm face, just what were on their mind? Jimin pulled the duvet carefully covering Yeoul’s bare body, and he slowly turned his head to face the wolf pact.

“Finally you decide to open your eyes”

“I thought you are up for another round” Yoongi snickered sarcastically.

His brows burrowed deeply, as he dangled one leg out giving the latter a light kick on his calf earning a low grunt from him. “Bloody hell, why are you guys here? Get out!” he jeered.

“Ughh it is Jin hyung ideas, he wanted to use the reason of taking my phone just to check on you” Hoseok exclaimed.

“Hey hey don’t push the loads on me. It is not just me all of you are dying to know too” he called in annoyance.

“I don’t give a damn whose idea this is. So leave before you embarrassed Yeoul” Jimin glanced at sleeping Yeoul hoping that she would not be awake. Knowing Yeoul, their presence would cause her to lock herself in room for days.

“Guys lets leave before Yeoul wakes up, you don’t want to scare her” Namjoon reasoned. He gave Jin a hard stare tugging mommy Jin out the room before he argued. Guess, bickering was his real talent after all putting his misery in dancing behind.

Giving Jimin an apologetic look, Hoseok lips pursed into a slight pout before leaving the room with his phone.

“Okay Yoongi hyung are you planning to leave or not?” Yoongi lazily approached Jimin as he bent down to match his height.

With a playful smirk, he patted the top of his head “You could have tell me that you need a private moment with Yeoul. Great job Park Jims, guess you are still alive” he cooed.

Jimin gawked at the older boy disbelief as he watched his body disappeared from his vision, shutting the door close “Crazy hyungs” he exasperated a deep sigh. His attention was back on the sleeping girl in his arm, the smile returned on his face.

‘Gorgeous even in her sleep’ he mentally groaned with a big fat smile on his face.

A flash of memory of their intimate session gushed into his mind. It felt too good to be truth,and most importantly it was not just a mere dream. Yeoul and him were officially back together just like they used too.

--------------------

  Hello this is Park Jimin,

First, I apologize for stepping out late when I am well aware of the rumor that has been circulating around causes an uproar and has tremendously affect Bangtan’s image.

Most importantly to my baby armys, I feel regretful and apologized to everyone who has been upset by my huge mistake. I am sorry for disappointing you Armys. I have no words to excuse myself.

I, Park Jimin is admitting to all the rumors to be true. Park Minyeol is my biological son.

Five years ago, I dated a girl whom I loved dearly. As a result of our careless rendezvous, an innocent kid was born. What was done could not be undone but I regretted our immature decision five years ago for breaking up without knowing the existence of the baby. I deserved to be punished.

Through this incident, I once again offer my apologies to my parents, my company, my members, our lovely Armys who have been supporting and believing in me since day one, and not to forget to the one i scarred the most Na Yeoul and Park Minyeol. I have let everyone down and hurt everyone.

I know a mere word is not enough to fix a broken heart but to make up for all the damages done to everyone and to return everyone’s support, I will continue to work hard to become a good son, a better version of Bangtan Sonyeodan’s member, and a good father to Minyeol.

I will reflect on what I have done again and I promise to become a better person in the future.

Thank you for the overwhelming support from lovely Armys, please continue to love us. Please do not blame others because I am responsible for all the troubles experienced by the members. I am sorry again for betraying your trust and breaking the promise that we made together. I hope you will continue to support and love us.

To my members, thank you for staying beside me. I promise to be a better friend in the future, thank you and I love you.

Lastly, I hope you will support and respect my decision and to love Minyeol and Na Yeoul as much I cherish them.

Thank you and I am sorry. I wont be tired to say this all over again.

Sincerely, Park Jimin

 Yeoul’s tears cascaded down upon reading Jimin heartbreaking written apology posted on the internet. And once again, Jimin and BTS names were trending on every social medias platform. Frankly speaking, Jimin was in no position to apologize but the perks of being an idol he had to get it done no matter how absurd it sound.

His parents was well informed ever since the rumors broke and they showed warm support for Jimin and Yeoul even though it shocked them at first. His parents had already met Minyeol and took a liking of the little boy so did to Yeoul. Jimin was grateful that he had the support from his family and friends in this tough situation. That was all matter.

Feeling remorseful, Yeoul wiped her tears away as she sat on the bed quietly reflecting on everything that happened this past few weeks. She never dreamed of being reunited with Jimin again after their heartbreaking farewell. But, fate brought them together. Park Minyeol was the key to their relationship. Without him, they would not be having this dramatic reunion.

“That fool, he was not the one who suppose to apologize” Yeoul murmured, sniffing a little. She must be crying a little too much that she planned so she had to stop crying before the guys came back and bombarded her with questions.

Just how Jimin told her, she refrained herself from reading the comments on the internet. She was positive that most it would be positive but some negative comments could not be halted. There were people out there despised the idea of Jimin dating a plain girl like her let alone having a child together.

This was one of the rare cases in the industry. Most of idol scandal would be related to dating or lawsuit so considered Jimin’s scandal as one of the worst one.

Everything happened for a reason.

She rose to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. Yeoul decided to stop moping around and cooked something for the hungry boys once they got back. Rummaging through cabinets, Yeoul was looking for cooking supplies but to her distaste it was filled with ramen.

“Ugh don’t they cook” she grumbled in annoyance.

Pacing back and forth in the room, Yeoul finally came to a decision. She must go out for grocery shopping. It wouldn’t hurt right even for an hour?

In this circumstances, would it be possible that people recognized her.

She shook her head frantically in denial “Im not an idol, no one knows me please don’t get ahead of yourself Yeoul” she puffed her cheeks.

Yeoul inhaled deeply as her fingers typed a quick message to Jimin before leaving Bangtan dorm. She dressed comfortably and made sure to be careful with her surrounding. For some reason Yeoul feared that people would recognize her so along the way to the nearest store it felt super draggy.

The sight of the white building few meters from where she stood got her excited for no reason. She entered the building with a wide smile and took the shopping cart. There was a group of girls around her age were staring at her way, Yeoul ducked her head quickly and made a sharp turn to the left.

Grabbing all the items in her list while trying to keep herself out of people’s radar was not an easy job. From time to time there would be people scrutinizing at her as if trying to figure out who she was and it mortified her to the core.

Yeoul pushed her shopping cart passed the CD section and coincidently there was a group of high school girl lurking around the area. She overheard their conversation that caused her to slow down.

“Have you read Jimin oppa’s confession?”

“Yes Yes about the kid! He really admitted to it! I cant believe that”

“Do you think that is real? I mean that is very suspicious what if oppa did that because of the company”

“Ugh that would be horrible. I cant believe Jimin oppa slept with a girl and had a baby”

“Did you see the girl?”

“She is plain”

”Super plain for Jimin oppa” they laughed loudly and coarsely.

She grazed her teeth together holding back the anger in her ‘Rude kids’ now she regretted for using that path as her way to the counter. After she paid all the stuffs she bought, she exited the market making her way back home with hope she would not encounter any miserable human being who made comments on Jimin’s life and hers.

Come to think about it, Yeoul sucked in remembering unfamiliar road, now she was losing it. She had no idea where she was. Yeoul scanned the area around her, just an hour ago she was sure that was the exact path she used from the dorm to the grocery store.

Biting her lower lips, she tried to concentrate and remember every single details on the area just in case she forgot. Yeoul stood there for 10 minutes with no answers, then frustration took over her mind. She mentally cursed herself for walking alone without waiting for the boys to get home, now she deserved to be punished.

She clutched onto her phone contemplating whether to give Jimin a call but Bangtan was still practicing for their upcoming concert. With heavy heart, she decided to wander aimlessly hoping to find a sign of hope in the middle of the road or anywhere.

Yeoul used GPS in her smart phone and diligently followed the path shown by it as it would direct her back to the grocery store. That was the only way to find her way back home, she had to start from scratch then problem settled.

Footsteps behind her snapped Yeoul out of her trance, she glanced over her shoulder to witness three young ladies tailing her. Waves of panic pounded through her temples, and she could feel a sick feeling churning in her belly.

As she quickened her pace,the footsteps behind her sped up to match her pace. Her heart began to beat faster. Were those girls following her? More to the point, who was following her and why?

‘This wont do..’ she made a sharp turn to the right, and she blamed herself for choosing this quiet alley. Out of all days, why did she make such a bad choice today? Yeoul slowed deliberately and spun around which startled the girls at first.

“Why are you following me?” she inquired. Even though she scared of what awaits in front of her, she had to get over this for the sake of her sanity.

“We are right. You are Na Yeoul” a girl with bang smug. Her smile was disturbing and for so many reasons, Yeoul felt something was not right. The auras from these three were too dark, full with hatred and vengeance.

Oh oh here comes trouble.

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This work belongs to  Chimswae © 2019. All Rights Reserved

[killjoy-loveit]

Hack This Part 9

A/N: You may or may not know the drill by now, but here it is anyways: this is in 1st POV (like my other stuff), I hope it will be 10 parts (if it isn’t I will make it very clear), and I would also like to clarify that everything written in this story is complete fiction. When mature content starts it will be denoted with ***

Summary: Reina almost loses hope for receiving the file, and her feelings are laid bare.

Word Count: 2,175

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 10

Bonus Scene

Profanity/MATURE CONTENT Warning!

***Do NOT read if you are uncomfortable with sexual content!

    I didn’t hear from Noah for two weeks. Two weeks. The only option was to assume she got caught and for some reason that left my stomach in knots. My one chance of getting Z’s file was obliterated, just like that, and it was killing me. Now I would have to find some other way to get to it, if there even was a way and this wasn’t just some hopeless fools errand. I think I might have to get Z involved, it might be the only way now, as much as it pains me to admit.

    “Z?” I call out, stepping into the living room.

    “Yeah?” He answers back, sticking his head out from the archway of the kitchen.

    “I need to talk to you.”

    Z moves out of the kitchen hesitantly. “This doesn’t sound like a good thing. Did I do something wrong?”

    “No, no. Nothing like that, Z. It’s- it’s something I did. Something I need your help with.”

    A frown replaces the unease on his face as he makes his way over to me, taking my hands in his. “What is it?”

    “I--.” I get cut off by the abrupt ringing of my phone. Pulling it out of my pocket, completely prepared to silence it, or shut it off entirely, but the name lighting up the screen made me freeze. In that moment I forgot about Z’s presence, hurriedly answering the phone and pressing it to my ear. “Noah?”

    “Thought I was dead didn’t you?” Her snarky tone came across the line.

    “Yes, actually.” I murmur, looking up at Z’s face at the squeeze from his hands.

    “I got the file. It took longer than I thought it would. I slipped into the mailbox of your apartment ten minutes ago. That’s it, the life debt has been repaid.”

    I whisper into the phone. “Thank you.” The line went dead.

    “Why was Noah calling you?” Z questioned, tilting his head.

    “She-she was doing me a favor, I guess.”

    “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “So, um, what were you gonna tell me?”

    “It can wait, there’s something I need to do now.” I say, slipping my hand from his and rushing out of the apartment.

    The file had everything. Everything. Names, numbers, amounts, locations, how much of the debt has been paid off, how much is left, and every job Z has ever worked. It was a crazy amount now, that much was for sure, what with the interest rates being extremely high. The time it would take to gather the amount to cover this debt would be a while, especially if I didn’t want to draw any attention to us. I would need at least three weeks to accomplish this, and that infuriated me because I just wanted this over and done with.

    For the past week and a half I barely left my room, only leaving to get food and energy drinks. And then I was right back at the computer, coding until my vision swam. I couldn’t think, couldn’t focus on anything but finally getting this done. The relief it would be, how amazing to be free once again. For him at least, there was no way I’d be let go without a fight, they’d probably rather kill me first. This was the one thing I could do for him though, give him freedom from this life, the freedom to live how he wanted now.

      I was about halfway through hacking into a very-well off businessman’s bank account- he wouldn’t miss a couple million dollars, not with how much he had stored away. When the door to my room burst open, revealing Z who looked quite frustrated about something. He stood there for a second, his eyes locked onto mine, and appeared quite domineering in the small doorway. Then he moved forward until he was right in front of where I sat, towering over me.

     “I got a call from Noah.” He finally said after what felt like hours.

      Panic rose in my chest, she wouldn’t tell him about what I’d asked her to do would she? As if he could sense my thoughts, Z laughed, nodding his head lightly.

     “She asked me if that file had been able to help with my situation. I didn’t know what she was talking about at first, but then she kindly explained it to me.” Z turned, his feet carrying him across my room. He kept going like that, pacing in order to piece together his thoughts so he could form a coherent sentence. “You had her risk her life to get my damn file. Why? Why was it so important, Reina?”

     I froze in my seat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Z this upset about something I’ve done before. “I-I needed the file, Z. Your file is practically your life, and she said you saved Jongup’s life and for that she owed you. A life for a life!” I cry out in a weak attempt at an explanation for my actions.

     His head snapped towards me, and he stalked forward, his stare burning holes into my skull. “A life for a life? This isn’t 17th century B.C.E, normal people don’t live by those rules anymore! She could have died, Reina! Do you understand that?” Z shouted, the veins in his throat making an appearance and letting me know just how upset he was.

     By this point I was getting frustrated, tears had welled up in my eyes due to this frustration. “I know what could have happened! I’m not an idiot, Z. But when it comes down to it, the question to me was who is more important? Some girl I don’t know, or the guy who saved my life? It’s a no-brainer! Not when the guy in that question makes me feel safe, and makes me feel happy for the first time I can remember in years! To me, your life was more important, can’t you see that?” Tears streamed down my face as I spoke, the internal dam I built keeping them at bay having broke at his crushing words.

      Z froze, my words sending him into a stupor. “Wait, wait. What? Could you please repeat that?”

     “Which part? The part where I said you make me feel safe and happy? Or the fact that I find your life is more important?”

     The anger faded from his face, a small smile appearing. “That’s it. The part where I make you feel safe and happy. Really?”

     I let out a short laugh, choking softly on my tears. “How many times will I have to repeat myself? Yes, you make me feel safe, and happier than I have been in years. You-it’s so stupid, but you’ve become my sense of security, and you make me feel at ease, comfortable. I trust you. God, I’m such an idiot for admitting this.”

      I spin the chair around, not wanting to face him after baring my feelings like that. Hands on the back of the chair spun it back around to face him. His eyes were intense with some unknown emotion, it was a fire burning deep in them, seeming like it might jump out and swallow me whole. I kind of wanted that, for the fire in him to burn me up. What would it be like to be consumed like that? Would I cease to exist the second the fire’s put out? Or would I emerge a new person, a phoenix from the ashes?

     Z reached down, pulling me to my feet. “I can’t believe you feel that way.” He breathed out. “Because, damn, you make me feel almost the exact same way. You made me realize that I am not who this life made me become, you help me with that every day. Just with a smile or your snippy comments. Fuck, you make me so happy.”

     Without any warning his lips were pressed against mine the second he stopped talking. The kiss started slowly, a gentle pressure against my lips. Then it turned heated, his tongue slipping into my mouth to deepen the kiss, his hands gripped my hips, pulling me closer to him. A soft sigh escaped me when he finally broke from the kiss to take a breath, but he didn’t pause long, his lips went right to my neck not a few seconds later. My hands lifted up to thread through his hair, bringing his face back to mine. Our eyes met and I felt that connection I already had with him get stronger, pulling us closer together.

     “Take your shirt off.” I whispered, a faint blush rising to my cheeks.

***

     There was no hesitation from him as he yanked his shirt over his head, but then he smirked at me, giving me a heated look. I knew what he wanted- my shirt off as well. That was something I could do, the material slipped over my shoulders, leaving me in my bra and jeans. Then just like that we were once more attached at the mouth in a heated kiss. There was no real battle for dominance in this, just a sense of the two of us working in tandem. I was becoming impatient though, the fire boiling in my veins and pooling in my nether regions making me needy.

      My hand slid down his torso, coming to rest on his crotch, giving it a quick rub to which he bucked his hips in response. With that simple action, everything seemed to fast forward. One minute we were standing there making out with our shirts off, and the next we were both stripped naked laying haphazardly on the bed. His hands were exploring my body, squeezing, pinching and caressing, while his mouth made its own exploration with licks and bites. Of course I was going through the exact same exploration process with him, I wanted to know what made him tick. No, I needed to know what made him tick.

     With a particularly harsh pull of his erection, he let out a hiss, hips bucking up into my hand. “I need to know how far you want to take this… I don’t know how much more I can take.” Z grunted, his lips leaving my neck.

     I released his cock, my hands coming up to cup his face, making him look at me. “I want you. All of you. Right now.”

      All trepidation of this situation left him, and warmth filled my chest at his worry for me. Though that warmth soon disappeared as his fingers circled my clit, and one pumped inside me. A moan slipped from my throat at his ministrations. After the addition of a few more fingers, he determined I was ready. As he hovered over me, lining himself up with my wet heat, a look passed over his face. One that showed concern, happiness, and, I think, serenity. It was brief and quickly replaced once again by lust, but I knew what I’d seen.

     I cried out at his first thrust, hands clutching his shoulders desperately, willing myself to adjust quickly. “Move.” I panted out after a minute passed of him keeping still as a statue. Just like that the spell was broken, and Z began fucking me in earnest. His hips snapping into mine, driving me deeper into the mattress. Breathless moans were all I could manage at this point, with my head tossed back on the pillows, eyes half-lidded as I kept my gaze locked on his face. An assortment of grunts, groans and curses left him as he sped up, pounding harder and deeper into me.

     “F-Fuck! Right there!” I cry out as he hits my g-spot.

     He continues to fuck into me, hitting that one spot just as I asked, causing my orgasm to come crashing down on me without warning. My body quivers and shakes, muscles clenching around him as he continued to buck into me, trying to find his release. It didn’t take long either, not with the added constriction of my orgasm urging him on. Z shifted over so he was lying next to me, the sounds of our heavy breathing being the only things to fill the silence.

      My eyes shut instinctively as exhaustion washed over me. I hadn’t been taking proper care of myself recently, too focused on fixing Z’s situation. Sleep would be really good right now, and I had almost completely drifted off when I felt a cool, wet cloth on my body. I opened my eyes in irritation, upset that such beautiful sleep had been taken from me. But I couldn’t really be mad at him, he was just helping, trying to make me feel more comfortable.

     “Come on, let’s go to sleep.” He murmured after he put the cloth back into my bathroom, crawling into bed beside me. His arm wrapped around me, pulling me to his chest, and I knew then, I would have no trouble staying asleep. I nuzzled my head into his chest, letting his warmth envelope me, and promptly fell asleep. 

[thatwriterchickrachel]

Mysteries at Midnight - 16.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Relationships: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng; Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe; Chat Noir/Ladybug

Characters:

Chat Noir (Miraculous Ladybug)

Ladybug (Miraculous Ladybug)

Alya Césaire

Adrien Agreste

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Nino Lahiffe

Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)

Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)

Madame Bustier (Miraculous Ladybug)

Chloé Bourgeouis (Miraculous Ladybug)

Nathaniel Kurtzberg (Miraculous Ladybug)

Lila Rossi (Miraculous Ladybug)

Additional Tags:

dance au

Ballroom dance

College

Grown up AU

Royalty AU

Language:English

Read on Ao3 Chapter 1                        Chapter 2 Chapter 3                        Chapter 4 Chapter 5                        Chapter 6 Chapter 7                        Chapter 8 Chapter 9                        Chapter 10 Chapter 11                      Chapter 12 Chapter 13                      Chapter 14 Chapter 15

Chapter 16 - The Afterglow and the Undertow

Summary: Marinette isn't the only one with a guest

“I feel bad for the delivery guy,” Marinette said as she began to unpack the three bags of food the guy had delivered. “Next time, Alya, we are meeting him down stairs.”

“Holy crap.”

Marinette looked up to see Alya in a fit of giggles and Adrien blushing slightly in embarrassment.

“We may be slight, but we can eat a lot,” Marinette giggled, trying not to let embarrassment eat her alive. She turned and got three plates and began to open everything up, calling for her friends to come and get what they wanted.

Marinette stood aside, a glass of juice in her hand as she watched Alya begin to pile her plate, Adrien staring in disbelief. Adrien shot Marinette a look of shock as Alya grabbed a fork and carefully walked back to her spot on the floor with the coffee table.

“Don’t you dare get food on that fabric, Alya,” Marinette warned as she picked up the last plate. Marinette noticed that Adrien only had a small amount of food on his plate and she frowned.

“Is everything okay? Do you not like Indian?”

“N-no, it’s great. I love Indian food,” he said, staring at his plate as he put some rice onto it.

“Adrien,” Marinette said, staring at him until he met her eyes. “Please, don’t be shy, eat as much as you want. Don’t forget, I have pastries and bread filling my freezer. No-one goes hungry in a Cheng house,” Marinette added with a smile.

“I-if you’re sure.”

“Adrien, if you don’t at least double the content of what’s on your plate,” she said, looking at the tiny portion, “I will personally force feed you until you get so fat you can never be a model.”

Adrien met her eyes and she was trying to hold her best serious face but Adrien began to laugh and Marinette broke with a smile. “Really, Adrien, it’s fine.”

“Yeah, this girl learned from her mother and you know how much that woman cooks and how good she is. Adrien you have to come ‘round one night and have Marinette make you dinner, she is so talented in the kitchen. She’s just good at everything,” Alya called to them and Marinette felt her cheeks burn. That woman was going to get a punch in the face, Marinette resolved.

“I have no doubt,” Adrien said with a smile as he finished putting food on his plate and showed it to Mari who nodded in approval.

Marinette filled her own plate and sat back where she had been before, the bottle of juice in her hand so she and Adrien could have refills whilst Alya continued to work on her bottle of wine.

“So are you feeling better, Mari?”

“Huh?”

“You seemed pretty upset earlier, I don’t blame you. But you missed dance class and I thought you never missed dance class?” Adrien asked as he scooped a forkful of rice, careful not to spill any on her couch.

“O-oh, yeah. I guess I just needed some time to myself,” she said, hoping it sounded believable.

“Well, here,” he said, shifting to the side and pulling a thin folder from under him, handing it to her. Marinette tried not to blush as she realised why the folder was warm, instead focusing on opening it and feeling all air leave her lungs as she saw the intricate careful designs of her idol. Sure, the copy was black and white and there was a watermark on each page, but it was inspiring.

“T-thank you,” Marinette said after a moment. “Looks like I’ll be able to get some work done this weekend after all.”

“But you were going to design for Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Alya whined.

“I still can, but I do have a course to pass, you know. I mean, yes, I’m worried about them and their real identities getting out, but we all have studies, you know? I doubt they are dealing with them very well.”

“That’s true,” Adrien replied thoughtfully.

“Anyway, I’m staying in tonight, but if I make some decent progress, I’ll be able to see Nino tomorrow night,” she smiled and Adrien looked at her in surprise.

“Y-you’re going out? To the club? Where we know Volpina has been?”

“I don’t want to think about it like that,” she explained, but in truth, that exact thought had been running through her head in the last few hours. “Plus, I promised Nino weeks ago. This is his first time DJ-ing for the dancers, I wanna be there to support him.”

“Mari, you only want to go to learn some more moves,” Alya replied shaking her head.

“That’s not true!”

“M-moves?” Adrien echoed and Marinette felt her cheeks turn pink.

“I, um, I like to dance and last time, well, I, um…”

“She was drunk and got some cute dancer guys to teach her moves,” Alya smirked and Marinette widened her eyes, hoping the metaphorical daggers she was sending might actually pierce through Alya’s inebriation and knock some sense into that girl.

“Alya,” she hissed but Adrien just gave a small smile.

“That sounds like it would have been a lot of fun,” he said, seemingly unperturbed by Alya’s statement. Marinette felt a small wave of relief.

“I did learn some good moves,” she replied before focusing back on her food. The other two did the same as their food slowly went cold. The music played around them, Marinette’s mixed playlist switching from Jagged Stone, to something lighter, and then something ballroom before switching back to some pop-punk covers. The three ended up talking until mid-evening when Adrien received a call from his driver about heading home.

Marinette tried not to let out a yawn as she stood up and cleaned their mugs from the tea they had turned to drinking.

“Marinette, thanks for letting me stay,” Adrien said and Marinette turned to see him leaning against the bench top behind her in the kitchen.

“Oh, it was nothing, really. You saw how much food we had,” she added with a smile.

“If you’re free this weekend, let me know and we can hang out,” the boy said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Okay, but at your place for a change, right?”

“Exactly,” he chuckled before looking at his phone in his hand as it lit up. “Gideon is down stairs, guess it’s time for me to go. Alya, do you need a ride home?” he asked as he headed to the door.

When she didn’t respond, Marinette and Adrien turned to see Alya slumped against the couch, breathing deeply, her glasses askew.

“It’s okay,” Marinette sighed with a tired smile. “She’s done this before. I’ll wake her and she’ll stumble to my bed and pass out in no time. I’ll walk you down.”

“Your bed?” Adrien asked as he watched Marinette pull on a cardigan.

“It’s just easier,” Marinette shrugged as she held the door open for him. She shut it behind them and wrapped her cardigan around her waist before following him down the stairs. “We’ve known each other so long, it’s like sharing a bed with a sister,” Marinette explained.

“Huh, I didn’t know people actually did that,” Adrien replied.

“Why did you think my spare room was so trashed when you first stayed over,” Marinette asked with a nervous laugh.

“I didn’t think about it,” Adrien said after a moment. “So what are your plans for the night?”

“Well, I’ll put Alya’s drunk ass to bed and then maybe design. Madame Bustier said Ladybug and Chat Noir are doing the tango, so looking up references will be fun. I’ll work on my project tomorrow. Thank you for bringing me those copies,” Marinette said as they reached the entry doors.

“It was no problem really,” Adrien replied but there was something in his tone.

“You sure? It doesn’t seem like…”

“Y-yeah, just bargaining with my dad is frustrating is all,” Adrien sighed. He put his hand on the door and turned, flashing Marinette a smile. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow then. Goodnight Mari.”

“G-Goodnight Adrien,” she said as she watched him head down the steps to the waiting black car. Frowning, she made her way back up to her apartment and locked the door behind her, picking up her phone to check the time only to see her Ladybug account had a message from Chat Noir.

[ChatNoir:] Are we still on for tonight, m’lady?

Crap. Marinette shook her head at her phone, typing her response before walking over and giving Alya a nudge.

“Hey sleepy head. Get up or else you’ll mess your back up,” she said, her voice rather motherly. Alya just grunted in response and Marinette shook her head, poking her friend in the side until she groaned in annoyance.

“Mari, let me sleep,” she whined.

“I will, just not on the floor. Come on, you can borrow and pair of my pyjama pants,” Marinette said as she grabbed Alya’s arm and tugged her to a standing position before helping the girl stumble to her room.

~~~~~~

[Ladybug:] Sorry Chat. I’ve got a friend staying around and can’t get out. Tomorrow. I promise.

Adrien sighed as he threw his phone onto the seat beside him. He was worried about her, that was for sure, but if she was spending a night in, then at least she was safe. Marinette was safe too and not alone. Sure Alya was passed out, but she was still there.

Adrien was left on his own though, like too many other nights. He asked Gideon if he would be able to drive him out in an hour and the driver nodded, dropping Adrien off and driving away. With a sigh Adrien took the elevator up to the top floor and opened the door to greet Plagg. The cat followed him to the kitchen, meowing and winding around his ankles, almost tripping him up until Adrien put down the bowl of cat food, wincing at the smell of camembert – Plagg’s favourite.

He went into his room and threw some clean dark clothes on his bed before going for a hot shower. When he stepped out, he shook his hair out and watching in the mirror as it fell into place of someone more familiar than his well-groomed self. He let Chat’s trademark grin slide on his face and took it away just as quickly when he realised how out of place it looked on the face of the model. Without the mask and with that smile he looked like some weird random who didn’t really fit in, but it was the opposite for Adrien, even if it didn’t always feel that way.

As Adrien got dressed, he thought about how everyone seemed to accept him wherever he went. He often had wondered if it was because of his name and his fame; but then he met Nino. Nino didn’t care for the fame like others seemed to. They had just sat together at the open day and Adrien had made a rather terrible joke about something the speaker had said, and just like that, Nino became his friend. They began joking and laughing and spent the day chatting and hanging out, Nino never once mentioning Adrien’s claim to fame and he greatly appreciated it.

Adrien pulled on a black shirt and ran his hands through his hair, about to apply his cat ears, when someone knocked on his front door. With a frown, Adrien hurriedly neatened his hair and went to answer it, his heart nearly stopping when he saw a mask.

“Hello Adrien Agreste,” the girl almost purred. She had brown hair and two plaits down her front that faded to orange. Her mask was orange, similar to his Chat Noir mask, only the ears went up past her hairline and she wore a fox-tail necklace.

“Volpina,” he breathed and the girl blushed.

“You know my name? I’m flattered,” she replied, fluttering her green eyes. “May I come in?”

“Uh, um, sure,” he floundered as he stepped aside to let her in. She wore a peplum dress which appeared to be a bit too small for her as Adrien noticed the way the cuffs on the sleeves seemed to tighten around her upper arms as she took off her coat. The top of the dress was orange like her mask with a dark peter pan collar which Adrien recognised from his father’s line. So she was pretty well off, he realised as he shut the door and followed her.

“Would you like a drink or something?” he asked and she shook her head.

“No thanks. I came to talk to you about something,” she said as she sat on his couch, her jacket slung over the back. She patted the seat beside her and Adrien slowly moved to it and sat stiffly, not letting himself relax until he knew exactly what she wanted with him.

“Wh-what did you want to talk about, Volpina?” he asked and she smiled.

“I would like to tell you my true identity, but not tonight,” she said, reaching for his hand. He let her take it, but kept his body rigid.

“Then why did you come here?” he asked before swallowing hard to bury the squeak he was sure would come out his throat. He had to keep his nerves in check, he reminded himself.

“I wanted to ask if you got my note,” she said coyly, fluttering her eyelashes as she ran her other hand up and down his. Her behaviour was more than a little over the top, he thought. She must really be desperate to impress him.

“N-note?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” she replied with a smile and Adrien nodded slowly.

“Y-you’re V,” he said. “That makes sense, I guess. V for Volpina,” she nodded. “Unless your real name also starts with V?”

She smiled at him. “You’re eager, I’ll give you that, sweet Adrien, but I’m not here to tell you that tonight.”

“So, um, what did you mean… about Ladybug being a fake?” Adrien asked after a moment, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze. She seemed to appraise him, whilst simultaneously adoring him and he found he would rather be in a sea of screaming fans.

“Oh, that will all come to light soon. I just wanted you to know that she is misleading you. She isn’t the perfect little doll everyone thinks she is.”

“Well, I know that,” Adrien said. “I mean, she’s human, she’s a student like me, like us. We have classes we have assignments, we are human, we are flawed,” he said with a shrug but she gripped his hand tighter, forcing him to meet her eyes.

“No!” she hissed. “You don’t understand. You are perfection, like me, we are excellence. We are above the others; don’t you see? She is a fake, a fraud. She is pretending to be something everyone wants when she is not.” Volpina’s green eyes were almost blazing and Adrien was a little surprised at the intensity of her tone.

“You will see, Adrien Agreste,” she murmured, looking away from him. “You will see the truth and then we will rise, we will be the strongest couple the world has ever seen, on the dance floor and off.”

Adrien opened his mouth to reply, but a sharp knock at the door caught his attention. He got up, leaving the girl on the couch and opened it to see Gideon standing there, looking tense and a little worried.

“Gideon?”

“Adrien, you left your phone in the car. I wanted to make sure you were-” Gideon’s eyes floated to the girl on the couch and he lowered his voice. “Adrien, who is this?”

“This is… a friend,” he replied and Gideon frowned.

“So you will not be going out tonight then?” the man asked, but he said nothing more on the topic of the girl.

“Um, well, no, I guess not,” Adrien said after a moment. “S-sorry to put you out. Thank you for bringing my phone up.”

The driver just grunted and bid him goodnight before stalking off, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Adrien just watched him, confused but not saying a word, unable to say anything due to his guest.

“Who was that, Adrien?” Volpina asked from the couch.

“Oh, um, just my driver. I left my phone in the car,” he added with a mumble as he put it in his pocket and returned to the couch. Volpina shifted closer to him once he was seat and put her hand in his again, leaning closer.

“You’ll see, my sweet Adrien. Ladybug is a fake and you deserve better,” she hummed, leaning on his shoulder. Adrien, feeling incredibly uncomfortable, suddenly got up claiming something about going to the bathroom and all but ran to his salvation, locking the door behind him and leaning against it with a sigh.

This was the girl who was threatening Mari and Ladybug. The girl who for some reason wanted him, well, he reasoned with himself, he knew now. She wanted him to dance with her, to be her partner on the floor and off. Everything he wanted with Ladybug, he realised as he stood and ran some cold water before splashing his face.

But he wasn’t like Volpina. He wasn't blackmailing and threatening others to get what he wanted. If Volpina wanted to win him, she would have to do it the right way. But Adrien wasn’t supposed to know so much, he remembered as he towelled off his face.

But maybe… maybe if he could convince her to come back, that he was on her side, she might confide in him, tell him her plans.

Adrien nodded to himself, taking a deep breath before leaving his room.

[brophyblam]

Iceberg Theory Third Place Winner: “Everything is Alright” by Derby Reeves ’17

August 4th: Day 1: Please, anywhere but here.(1) 

September 30th: The room was silent as I sat back down. (2) 

October 31st: No one asked. (3) 

______________________________________________________________________

(1)  Dear Me, The first day of school has always scared me. The new classes, new teachers, and almost inevitably, a new school. I know Mom tries to keep us in one place but her jobs always seem to have a different plan. Every time she tries to lay down roots, it just gets harder when her company pulls them up. The few friends I manage to make always come and go, so why bother getting close anymore? Mom seems to think I need friends for senior year, and I can’t see why. I mean, I’m leaving for college soon anyways and I’ll never see them again. Plus, not like anyone here would want to be friends with me. Mom drops me off in this new public school in the middle of nowhere and I’m already terrified to make eye contact with anyone outside of the car. I put my head down and plow past the crowd, clutching my bag as I make a beeline for my first class. When the teacher calls my name, I swear every pair of eyes in the room is glued to me and time stops. I stare at my desk for the rest of class as I listen to whispers of “Who the hell is that weirdo?” or “What is he wearing?” or “What a loser.” None of this is new. I don’t mind it anymore, really. On the way out the door, the teacher tells me if I “want to be successful in her class, I’m going to have to participate.” Great. I turn to leave and see five heads quickly swivel around as my audience disperses from the window of the door. I know what’s waiting as soon as I step out there. Please, anywhere but here.  Sincerely, You

 (2)  Dear Me, Please remember to never talk again. To anyone. Or anywhere. Remember when I said Ms. Levi told me I had to participate to “be successful” in her class? Well, maybe I shared a little bit too much. I know the assignment said to “be honest” but for God’s sake there’s a line. She didn’t tell us she’d be asking us to read them, but I knew at least she would see it, and that’s reason enough to shut my mouth. She didn’t need to know about Dad, or the counsellors, or the therapy, or the tens of prescriptions. It was just supposed to be a simple paragraph about myself. What unholy inspiration caused me to turn in a four page synopsis of my life struggles? I mean, I might as well have just stood up and shouted “I’m depressed!” and rolled up my sleeves! No, what I did was worse. I was honest. I said it all. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. The room was silent as I sat back down. Sincerely, You 

(3)  Dear Me, I was thinking about how this used to be my favorite holiday back in Oklahoma. Even the year I broke my foot because I was convinced my Spiderman costume gave me the ability to climb walls was better than this year. Of course, the last few years have been much more dull; too old to trick or treat, but too young to not look sad while passing out candy to the elementary school kids on the block. That’s how it goes; you have your fun, then the younger kids get their turn. Of course, the typical choice of celebration for high school seniors is a house party. Mom works tonight and I told her I planned on staying in. She seems to be getting more concerned about me. I mean, after the teacher sent the note and the new counsellor appointments, how can she not be? Of course I lie and tell her I feel so much better. The counsellor seems to be buying it too. The meetings are shorter and way less boring. Mom has plenty to worry about, least of all should be me. I insisted I would go out, I just wasn’t invited anywhere. No one asked. Sincerely, You

_______________________________________________________________________

November 24th: It’s much more comfortable in the dark. (4)

December 1st: I’ll kill myself. (5) 

January 2nd: I might do it. (6)

 (4)  Dear Me, I never cared about Thanksgiving. It seems really nice for people with big, happy families. Our neighbors practically begged Mom and me to come over. I guess they had noticed how stressed my mom had been lately. We walked over to their house, one spot to the right and $200,000 past ours. When we got there, I wanted to crawl out of my skin. A new relative at every turn, asking my name, how old I am, where I’m from, my life story. Everyone looked sideways at us, biting their tongues to stop the most obvious question from falling out: “Where’s your family?” After an uncomfortable 45 minutes of meaningless small talk, who I can only assume is the father of the host is wheeled into the house. Everyone flocks to him and lies about how young he looks, how they knew he’d make it this year. Once everyone has said their hello’s, he points to me and my mom and asks, “Who the hell are they?” I can feel my face turning bright red as his daughter quietly tries to explain. Before she can finish, he blurts out, “Well why ain’t he here?” I feel sick to my stomach and stumble into the kitchen. I vaguely hear Mom behind me whisper an “I’m sorry” before I run out the side door and find myself in their yard. I plod across the grass and back to my house where I promptly lock myself in my dark room. Of all things, he had to mention Dad. I hear Mom come in the front door and sit at the kitchen table. A silent gloom hangs over the house as Mom cries onto a picture frame. I sit silent on my bed. It’s much more comfortable in the dark. Sincerely, You 

(5) Dear Me, Thank God for winter. Back in New Mexico, the weather was constantly a miserable 90 degrees. Minnesota made me love the snow, so now that the first powder of the season has stuck to the streets here in Pennsylvania, I feel some semblance of joy. I watch the days on the calendar slowly tick by as 2016 comes into its last month. School has been fine, and it seems like people have forgotten about September. Of course, still no one talks to me. But that’s fine, I’ve been able to focus on my schoolwork and applications to college. Scholarships have been a big worry, considering the hoops Mom has to jump through to make rent; college is a fiscal monster of biblical proportions in comparison. For the moment though, everything is alright. Soon we’ll be on break for the holidays and I can relax a little more. Mom seems concerned about what I’ll fill all my free time with, even when I tell her I’ll just be home, “reading or something.” She keeps asking me to talk to this girl in my English class. Her dad went to Mom’s office a few weeks ago and somehow got to talking about their kids. I find it laughable that Mom thinks I can just walk up and talk to this girl who probably hasn’t ever noticed me when I can hardly manage a regular conversation with her. I’d completely disregard the notion if she would quit reminding me already. I mean, I’d love to try, but I wouldn’t know where to start or what to talk about. If I have to talk about dumb stuff like school or hobbies or, God forbid, family, I’ll kill myself. Sincerely, Me 

(6)  Dear Me,  You’ll never hear me say it again, but Mom was right. Annie came up to me after class asking if I was the kid her dad told her all about. I asked her what he possibly could have told her and get this: she said, “Come find me at lunch and I’ll tell you.” Of course, I didn’t. How was I supposed to talk to her while she’s sitting with her friends? But after school she found me somehow and asked me why I didn’t find her at lunch. I stumbled through an explanation about not wanting to butt into her circle of friends before she stopped me and offered to drive me home. I stood silent at the offer before finally accepting when she started considering retracting. The drive was mostly quiet, but what was she expecting me to say? Our only conversation piece is English class, but I’m silent on account of September. As I’m praying she’d forgotten all about it, she turns to me and says, “You know, I thought it was really brave of you to write that English piece. Most of the kids in that class have mush between their ears and no sense of sympathy. I really hope none of them gave you a hard time.” Of course, I lied and stuttered out that they hadn’t. She saw straight through the facade and decided to drop it. As I was stepping out of the car, she handed me a torn corner of a notebook page and said, “Text me!” I think I stood in my driveway for 10 minutes as the snow collected on my shoulders, staring at the ten numbers. I spent an hour staring at my phone, trying to decide how to introduce myself. I settled on “hi.” It’s not a great start, but I guess I tried. She responded seconds later and suddenly I found myself in a real life conversation. I guess this was as surprising to her, because she shot me with an “I didn’t know you knew this many words.” Maybe I’m being too positive, but this could be a good thing. I’m afraid of being too optimistic, but if she wants to hang out more, I might do it. Sincerely, You. 

_______________________________________________________________________

March 5th: I’d never be saved. (7)

May 24th: My last goodbye. (8)

(7) Dear Me, I know I haven’t written anything to you in a long time. Ever since Annie and I started going out, life has been a whirlwind of emotions and events. I mean, I went to a school dance last week. Most everyone asked me what school I went to, and Annie made every last one of them feel bad about not knowing someone at their own school. She introduced me to her friends, only for me to forget their names the next day. Mom couldn’t believe it when I brought a girlfriend home, considering the last time I even had a friend over was Oklahoma. Even better, I’m actually going to college! La Salle gave me enough money for it to be feasible to pay tuition. It’s nice that I won’t be too far from Mom in these coming four years. I know she worries and the last thing she needs is to be tense about how I’m doing for eight semesters. Annie hasn’t heard from NYU yet but she’s really hopeful, and my fingers are crossed for her. When I read back through these letters, I can’t believe where I am compared to where I was in November last year. I think I have Annie to thank for that. She saved me when I thought I’d never be saved. Sincerely, You 

(8)  Dear Me, We knew it was going to happen. I mean, we started dating just a few months before college. Graduation is finally here and that means school is done. Of course I’ll be home all summer but Annie’s family goes to New York every June and stays through half of August so we clearly wouldn’t be seeing much of each other anyway. Last week she called me crying about how we’ll never see each other again. I think she was mad I didn’t cry. Of course I’m sad, it’s just not a surprise. Like Mom used to tell me every time we had to move, “All good things must come to an end.” But somehow, it’s ok. I saw her today and insisted on talking about it. For the first time ever, I think I did most of the talking while she quietly sobbed and listened resignedly. She knew we wouldn’t last, but that doesn’t mean what she gave me won’t make all the difference for the years to come. Today, once I walk down that aisle and get my diploma, it’s all over. I don’t think I’ll keep writing after today is over. As they say, the worst is over and the best is yet to come. So consider this my last goodbye. Sincerely, You