#What is Mocha Cyclone?

[studies-notes]

Tracker Cyclone Mocha Update Live

Cyclone Mocha Update Live: Coastal People of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar are Depression About Cyclone Mocha.

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What is Mocha Cyclone?

[lieutenantfloyd]

What I think Top Gun characters would order at a coffee shop

Rooster: Blended lemonade, maybe an iced coffee if he needs the caffeine.

Hangman: Is too "manly" to order anything, but secretly hopes someone buys him a cake pop or a rice crispy bar.

Bob: Apple Juice and a lemon loaf.

Phoenix: Iced americano with vanilla syrup.

Maverick: Chai latte and an almond croissant.

Coyote: Blended strawberry lemonade and a bag of turkey jerky.

Payback: Flat white with almond milk.

Iceman: Earl Grey Tea with a splash of whole milk.

Cyclone: The darkest, most bitter black coffee you can imagine. Adds a pack of madeleines to his order when he knows Maverick will be around.

Warlock: Iced chocolate mocha, or a matcha frappe when he's feeling fancy.

[14carrotghoul]

Fic Pride Weekend

Rules: Post your favourite line or passage from as many of your published works as you’d like. Let yourself feel proud of your creations! Tag as many people as you post snippets, so your fellow fic friends can be proud, too.

Thank you to @cha-melodius for tagging me! Have added so many of y'all's wonderful fics to my list from this tag game so I wanna see what y'all are proudest of! Tagging @read-and-write- @dumbpeachjuice @sherryvalli @cultofsappho

@happiness-of-the-pursuit @suseagull04 @indomitable-love @tintagel-or-cockleshells @welcometololaland

@orchidscript @xthelastknownsurvivorx @inexplicablymine @junebugclaremontdiaz @myheartalivewrites and anyone else that wants to share their personal favorites!!!!

Déjame Ver Cómo Es Que Floreces 

[...]Thirdly, and most importantly, the music that’s playing is his music, not some flowery French waltz. These are songs that he’s heard since before he could talk. Songs that remind him of Saturday drives with his dad hunting down their favorite flavors of Helados at several grocery stores (mamey for his dad; pecan for himself). Of cleaning with his grandmother when she babysat until she dropped everything to watch her novelas. Smearing masa on corn husks until his fingers went pruny on Christmas Eve. Raucous birthday parties that are responsible for his well-earned anxiety near bouncy castles.

Solo Déjame Estar Junto a Ti

Alex nods decisively and says, “H, you are my choice and the absolute love of my life. I love you and I love your heart and I love your mind and I love the way you’re about to freak the fuck out when I say you have bewitched me, body and soul – ” he pauses because Henry’s chest positively heaves with a sob “ – and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.” His smile widens and he opens the box. “Henry Fox, will you marry me?

True Blue

Henry wades further into the ocean, the Ionian lapping gently against his ribs before he tugs Alex closer and cradles him, whispering poetry in his ear, all sun-kissed skin and besotted smiles; his own private sun tucked safely in his embrace, nourishing him with his endless blaze.

Henry helps. Of course he helps but he's not always enough to cut through his cyclone of a brain; he hasn't been around when he fucks up and cracks under the pressure and spirals into panic attacks and unwise pulls of Maker's Mark straight from the bottle. Henry is there, holding him and helping him breathe and it makes him love him so much more for staying and fear far more deeply because eventually everyone leaves. Henry insists he never will but he doesn't get it he doesn't get it he doesn't get it. He is so alone and he is never alone - not as long as he's getting secretly photographed by fellow students at the library or being blasted on Fox News as their latest scapegoat for everything wrong with America or taking selfies with a barista when all he wants is a triple shot mocha and a fucking break.

Impossible to Ignore, Impossible to Ignore 

His brain is a perpetual maelstrom of immigration law and prayers in Nahuatl and stupid shit like Fergie singing the national anthem. It never shuts the fuck up. However, just being in Henry's presence makes everything else fade away. Wait… FUCK.  Henry looks away, alerting Alex to the fact that he's been staring at him in silence like a total weirdo. For good reason, though, because even though he never entertained the idea that he's into guys, Henry's face - even when exhausted and gray - is inarguable proof of a higher power. Like aurora borealis or the first time he heard Dreams by The Cranberries.

A Love That Haunts the Land [I am particularly proud of the bonkers plot and characterization in this, especially Pez and Raf, but also Nora's introduction below fills me with so much fucking joy]

Alex lives with his best friend/ex-girlfriend/sister-in-law Nora, who Henry meets for the first time while half-naked (and not the half he would've preferred).  She waltzes into the flat with a mischievous glint in her eye, slides onto the couch with them, and steals the remote for their sound system without saying a word. A few seconds later, she's blasting “WAP” and brutally murdering whatever shred remained of the mood while Henry clutches a throw pillow between his legs and begs desperately for the ever-so-elusive release of death. "Do you, like, mind?" Alex yells over the mantra of there’s some whores in this house.

two homes (side by side) 

His deep laugh kicks with the power of a bucking bronco, taking the whole room into hysterics with him – especially if the little ones are around (and they are always around). Abuelo Alex warms the space and fills it with grand and irreverent energy. He weaves tales so magical the kids don't believe him until one of them will chirp, “Is it true, Grandpa Henry?” And he nods sagely, if only to hear them gasp with delight.

Tiempo de Vals 

Before they call it and head back, Alex warns, "FYI, June has a crush on the other guys in the court that aren't related to her. So - you know - you're in the danger zone." "That won't be a problem." Henry blushes again (seriously, does this guy have a condition?) which makes it harder to believe him. "June's not the type of person I'm interested in, and she knows it." Alex half-jokes, "Why not? Are you racist or something?" "I'm gay," Henry answers with an amused huff. Without missing a beat, Alex kisses his teeth in mock disappointment and drawls, "Dodging the question, I see." Henry rolls his eyes and can't help but smile. "You're a menace." "Well, you're not beating the racism allegations with that attitude."

[partnersrelief]

Cyclone Mocha: Hasun’s Story

Photo: A Rohingya woman with a young child walks through a destroyed community near Sittwe, Myanmar. 

Hasun is Rohingya and father to 3 children: A 10 year-old, 7 year-old, and 3 year-old.

He shared that his community near Sittwe, Myanmar received information about the cyclone and flooding. The village administrator suggested evacuating to a safer place but didn't say where to go. Some people moved to other villages where they have relatives. Hasun said they didn’t have any relatives to go to. He and his wife didn’t know where to go with their three children, so they decided to stay home. On Sunday the 14th, around 12 pm, the wind started, and it became stronger and stronger. He was aware that the storm was very powerful and realized that he couldn't stay home anymore. There had been some cyclones before, but this time it was so strong.

Suddenly, more water came in quickly with high speeds and washed out his wife and mother-in-law.

He is not sure what time his family decided to leave the house. It was flooding outside; they were trying to get out of the village. Suddenly, more water came in quickly with high speeds and washed out his wife and mother-in-law. The water reached up to his neck. He managed to escape with his three children, but he couldn't save his wife and her mother. His wife's dead body was found hooked on the barbed wire fence. She was thirty years old.

He said some people wouldn’t have died if there was no barbed wire fence. Because of the fence, they had to choose a different route to escape, which took more time, and resulted in many lost lives. Some people tried to break the brick wall on the other side of the airport, later some police helped them break it, and they were able to escape from the flood.

His children are living with a family in another village, and the youngest child is always crying for their mother. Now, he is living in his village beside the road. Almost every house was destroyed in Sittwe, so it is hard for people to host another family. Now, the most important thing that they need is rice, food, and shelter.

The stories from our Rohingya friends whose entire communities were destroyed by Cyclone Mocha are heartbreaking to hear. The crisis caused by this natural disaster was gravely compounded by the dire conditions that Rohingya families endure under the Myanmar government.

We are called to bear witness to our friends' experiences as we stand in solidarity with them. 

Please join us as our team rapidly responds to the urgent relief requests from Rohingya communities in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha.

Donate Now

[stnews24]

A cyclone in southern Asia is threatening one of the world's largest refugee camps : NPR

A cyclone hitting Bangladesh and Myanmar is threatening one of the world’s largest refugee camps. AYESHA RASCOE, HOST: Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes in Bangladesh and Myanmar ahead of a tropical cyclone there. (SOUNDBITE OF WIND BLOWING) RASCOE: That’s the sound of wind gusts, some of which have been clocked at 135 miles an hour from what’s been named Cyclone Mocha. The…

[swldx]

RNZ Pacific 1305 14 May 2023

7440Khz 1259 14 MAY 2023 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO= 34333. English, QRM=CRI(?) cochannel het. s/on w/bellbird int. until pips and news @1300z anchored by Peter McIlwaine. A new political poll suggests labour and green party have the numbers to form a government at the election if Te Pāti Māori joins the coalition. National has already ruled out working with the Te Pāti Māori and doesn't have the numbers to form a government with ACT alone. Auckland aggravated robbery. Cyclone Mocha, packing winds of up to 210km/h, could bring sea surges of up to 4 metres affecting more than 2 million people directly in its path, most of them in Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin states. But many more could suffer as the storm moves inland from the Bay of Bengal, the United Nations Satellite Centre has warned. Astronomers have discovered what they believe to be the largest explosion ever detected. The explosion is more than 10 times brighter than any recorded exploding star - known as a supernova. So far it has lasted more than three years, much longer than most supernovae which are usually only visibly bright for a few months. Sports. @1303z trailer for an RNZ program. @1304z Weather Forecast: cloudy with showers, some heavy. @1305z "All Night Programme" anchored by Peter McIlwaine. Backyard fence antenna, Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 35°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 0759.

[nature-godsgardenofeden]

development of the storm Mocha - in the Bay of Bengal - from May 10 to 11. The storm is headed for landfall in Myanmar and Bangladesh on Sunday, May 14. The pink swirl to the east of India is the tropical depression becoming Cyclone Mocha. Note the zero line of latitude; that's Earth's equator. And note the storm below Mocha - south of the equator - spinning in the opposite direction from Mocha. This effect is due to Earth's rotation, and what's called the Coriolis effect. Image via the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read: Cyclone Mocha headed for landfall in war-ravaged country

[labyrinth-runner]

Hold My Hand Ch. 2

Synopsis: Jag! Reader realizes she has to try and apologize to Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson for getting off on the wrong foot.

Word count: 3200~

Warnings: Mentions of death (We are solving a crash case)

Pairing: Beau “Cyclone” Simpson x Reader

You could hear the wind whistling in your ears. Panic settled in your chest at the realization that the airplane you were flying no longer was closed. Wind whipped at your chest, threatening to rip you from your seat. You closed your eyes tight, hearing the alarms in the background informing you that you were losing altitude. The scent of smoke tickled your nose, alerting you to the fact that your wing was on fire. You tried to scream, but it was trapped in your chest. The alarms blared louder and louder as the hard deck came racing towards you. Your hand wrapped around the lever for ejection, but nothing happened. You tugged and tugged. The alarm rang in your ears-

You woke with a start, sitting up straight in bed. Your breathing came in pants as you took stock of your bedroom around you, your hands fisted in sheets that were wrapped around you.You gently released the sheets. Reaching over, you turned off the alarm on your side table. 

6 am. 

You hated having to wake up earlier than normal to account for going to a different base. Swinging your legs over the side, you got out of bed, running a hand through your sleep-tangled hair and groaning when it got caught in a knot. You padded towards your shower, knowing that the only thing that was going to get you through today was a hot shower to start and then breakfast from Spill the Beans on your way in.

The familiar lighthouse of one of your favorite coffee shop stood like a beacon of hope on your Tuesday morning.  You were about to order your go-to, a La Vida Mocha and a French Toast bagel with agave and vanilla spread, when you thought that maybe you could use this as a proverbial olive branch to the Vice Admiral. You didn’t know what kind of coffee he was into, so you just got him a Hot Cinna-bee, because that was your go-to conversion drink for anyone who was new to Spill the Beans, and a plane jain bagel with plain cream cheese. 

With the coffee and bagels in hand, you walked into his office, placing your offering on his desk.

He raised a brow at you, putting down his pen. “What’s this?”

“Breakfast,” you replied, plopping down into the chair you’d waited in yesterday. “We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, so I thought I’d bring in a peace offering.”

He looked at the coffee and bagel in front of him. “So you brought me breakfast.”

“Only a monster says no to bagels and coffee.”

“But you don’t even know my order.”

“I made an educated guess.”

He peaked in the bag, a slight tug to the corner of his lips. “A plain jane?”

“No muss, no fuss.”

He took a sip of the coffee. “Cinna-bee?”

“Well, how’d I do, Vice Admiral?” You raised a challenging brow at him.

“I prefer La Vida Mocha,” he said before taking another sip of his coffee.

You shook your head, taking a sip of your coffee. “I wasn’t big on bagels when I lived on the East Coast, but for some reason, a bagel and coffee just brings me back home.”

“Nothing beats a bagel from New York or New Jersey, just over the river,” he agreed.

“You’re from the East Coast, too?”

“Mhm. I miss the beaches, sometimes. These are fine, but-”

“No gulf stream,” you replied, eyes alight to find someone who got it.

“Exactly. You know, my dad would do the polar plunge every winter,” he replied with a shake of his head. “That was when we lived in Newport while he was going to the War College.”

“So the Navy’s in your blood,” you replied, pulling apart your bagel to eat it in pieces.

“You could say that.” He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I suppose I should set you up with your own space here.”

“You don’t want to keep sharing a desk?” you asked with a smirk.

“Unless you plan on bringing breakfast every day...”

You felt heat spread in your cheeks. “I don’t plan on needing to extend another olive branch, Vice Admiral.”

“Cyclone.” He replied, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “You can call me Cyclone.”

You scrunched your nose up a bit. “I’ll try to remember that.”

He got up, coming around the desk to you. “There’s a conference room down the hall that you can claim. It has a white board and a cork board. I’m not really sure what a JAG needs to do their job.”

You suppressed a laugh. “Ah yes, a white board and a cork board. Truly, the only things I ever wish I had when I was doing my job.”

He narrowed his eyes at you. “3B. It’s all yours.”

You gave him a small, playful salute on your way out. “Thank you, Cyclone.”

The conference room wasn’t anything to write home about. There was a white board on one half of the front wall, and a cork board in the other half. In the middle of the room was a long conference table with chairs around it. A projector was in the ceiling. You knew it wasn’t an updated conference room, you’d seen the tech in those. This just reminded you of one of the study rooms in your college library back in the day.

No matter, it was functional and you had a job to do. Reaching into your briefcase, you pulled out your case file and began to organize the photos on the cork board so that you could see the whole crash. Then, you uncapped a white board marker and stood back. 

You sighed. “What’s my angle?”

You wrote your defendant’s name on the board in script. You wrote innocent next to it. You really wanted to follow it with a question mark, but you didn’t. A person was innocent until proven guilty, and you had to remind yourself that. You still weren’t quite sure what to do next, so you made a timeline of the pilot’s flight, trying to see if something happened during the time he was in the air. It all looked like a jumble of numbers.

Taking a step back, you sat on the conference table, your feet swinging as you took it all in. The photos were gruesome, but it was hard to marry that bad of a crash with the flight data. 

“Hard at work or hardly working?”

You turned to see Warlock leaning against the doorframe, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“Little bit of column A...” You tilted your head and groaned. “Maybe Column B.”

“Have you ever flown before, Lieutenant?”

You shook your head.

“So this is all pictures and data with no context,” he said with a resolute nod. “I’ll have him clear his afternoon to show you the crash site.”

“Who?”

“Cyclone.”

You swallowed a lump in your throat. You didn’t want the Vice Admiral to see you struggling this hard to do your job, especially since you were trying to appear more competent than yesterday. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure he’s busy.”

Warlock waved you off. “He’s just set to talk to some Cadets about the Top Gun program. I can handle that.” He pointed at your data. “That’s more important.”

“Alright.”

He nodded, turning to leave. He paused. “You know, the two of you want the same thing. You want to do your job, and he wants you to be able to do your job and be able to help the pilot. He’s not your enemy.” Satisfied with his nugget of advice, he left you there.

Your shoulders drooped forward. You hadn’t viewed Cyclone as an enemy. Not really. However, you weren’t confident at how well of a working relationship the two of you could have given that you were just different people. Your short breakfast had given you some hope, though. And, you couldn’t deny that you wanted Cyclone to like you. Not just because he was a superior officer. No, your need for Cyclone’s approval was deeper than that, and you didn’t want to admit it. You’d never had a crush on another officer before, and you weren’t quite sure this was the time to have that happen. This case was already hard enough. Crushing on Cyclone would only make it harder.

The majority of your time after lunch was spent in anticipation of touring the crash. You tried reconstructing the scene on your white board, but Warlock was right. It was hard to picture it without walking the topography yourself. You couldn’t see what surrounded the area.  A headache was already starting to come on as you sat back on the table, rubbing your temples with your fingers.

“That’s not very promising, Lieutenant.” 

Your eyes flicked over to see Cyclone in the doorway, arms crossed in front of him as he looked at your data. “Does anybody knock on this base?”

The corner of his lips tugged up ever so slightly. “Warlock said you could use a field trip.”

“I would hardly call it a field trip.” You replied, watching him walk towards the middle of your boards. He stood directly in front of you, back to you as he looked at them. When he turned, he was standing almost between your knees. 

He cleared his throat and took a step back. “I have a jeep waiting.” 

You nodded, grabbing your phone and shoving it into your pocket so that you could take videos. 

He walked quickly and with a purpose. You knew he wasn’t the type of man who would idle in a place. You took two strides to his one as you attempted to keep up.

You’d expected there to be a driver in the jeep, but it was just the two of you. He kept his eyes trained on the road, or at least you assumed he did because you couldn’t see with his sunglasses in the way. You could barely have a conversation over the hum of the jeep and the wind in your ears, and if you could, you didn’t know what you’d say. Not only were you driving to the sight of a plane crash, you were driving to the site where a person had died. There was a solemnity to the trip that made you feel more uncomfortable than the heat of the day. You unbuttoned the top two buttons of your shirt to give you more air, feeling like you couldn’t breathe. 

The Californian desert spread out in front of you like a sea of sand. The grass was dead from the drought, turning it into a straw-like entity. Cyclone drove the jeep up a hill. As soon as the car crested the top, you could see the crash site.

Debris was strewn haphazardly as if a toddler had taken the plane and shook it empty its contents before throwing it against a rock face. The nose was smooshed into it, and one of the wings rested ten feet behind the rest of the crash. The ground was still scorched from where the plane had caught on fire.

You let out a low whistle. “It’s amazing that one of them walked away from this.”

Cyclone’s expression was blank as he scanned the site, hands on his hips. “It’s not the worst I’ve seen.”

You bit your lip. You’d forgotten that the Vice Admiral had flown for years before achieving his rank. No doubt he’d seen things, maybe even experienced them himself. “So, does anything look out of the ordinary?”

He took a few steps towards the crash, peering into the cockpit. “The seatbelt is intact.”

You tilted your head. “Isn’t it supposed to-”

“In really bad crashes, like this one, the response team would cut the seatbelt to get the pilot out as fast as possible. This one’s not cut, so the seatbelt wasn’t on properly when they got here,” he replied.

“Maybe the pilot undid it himself before he died?”

Cyclone shook his head. “You’d never undo that. If you went to eject, you wouldn’t be strapped in, and the weapons system operator sustained head trauma in the flight so he was gone before they hit the ground.” He squinted at the wreck and shook his head. “Something about this is off.”

“What is it?” You were struggling to see what he saw and that irked you.

“I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of crashes in my time. This... this is different.” 

“Foul play?” You asked on instinct.

“No. At least, not on the part of the pilot.” 

The sun dipped down over the dunes on the horizon, warm reds and oranges bathed Cyclone in a warm amber glow.

“We should go, Lieutenant. It’s getting late. The desert gets cold at night.”

Almost as if on cue, you found yourself shivering at the mention of the temperature. He reached back into the backseat of the jeep and pulled out his bomber jacket, offering it to you. You shrugged the worn leather jacket over your shoulders. Closing your eyes, you drank in the sandalwood scent that washed over you as he turned on the jeep, pulling back onto the road.

“Do you want to get a drink?” He asked, driving back a little slower than he’d driven to the site.

You thought back to the wreckage, thinking back to your brother’s crash. You swallowed the lump in your throat. “I could use a drink.”

He scribbled an address down on a piece of paper and handed it to you. “See you there.”

When you got to the bar the Vice Admiral had sent you to, The Hard Deck, you were confused. The beachside establishment didn’t seem like his typical haunt. You’d expected.... well, you didn’t know what you expected, but this wasn’t it. The voices of drunken Navy officers drifted to you over the sand. Peeking in through the window, you quickly spotted the Air Boss at the bar already nursing a whiskey. With a shrug, you walked in and joined him.

“I’ll have one of whatever he’s having,” you told the woman behind the bar. 

She raised a brow at Cyclone. “Didn’t think you’d have company, Vice Admiral.”

He shot her a look. “She’s just visiting.”

You didn’t know why, but his comment stung. You took a swig of the drink the bartender put in front of you, letting it burn all the way down. “Do you come here often?” You nodded towards the bartender who’d already moved on to another patron at the end of the bar.

“If you’re asking if I’m an alcoholic, Lieutenant, the answer is no. But, Penny’s bar is a particular friend to our service men and women so I like to support her business,” he explained, leaning back to look at you.

Casually, you tried to look at the signs around the bar, deciding not to scrutinize him back. You listened to the music playing from the jukebox. The sounds of pool balls clacking against each other. The laugh of the people around you. You couldn’t quite force yourself to be as jovial as them. You thought back to your conversation at the crash site.

“Not to talk about work after hours, but you mentioned seeing a lot of crashes. Have you ever crashed?” you looked down at the ice in your glass, swirling it around to avoid looking at him.

He downed his whiskey and raised a finger to Penny for another. “I’ll need at least one more drink if we’re going to talk about that.”

Your brow furrowed as a silence settled into the space between you, broken by the clink of the glass as Penny put it down in front of him. He looked deeply into the glass like it held all the answers at the bottom.

“I was in Iraq,” he eventually began. “Back when it started as the War on Terror. With a name like that, you just assumed that you were doing the right thing. You didn’t question why we were there. At least, I didn’t during that first tour. When I got there, I’d only flown in training. Nothing’s truly deadly, and you’re not flying for your life.” He took a sip of his drink before turning to look in your direction. He didn’t look at you, but rather he looked through you. “Everything looks the same when you’re flying over stretches of desert. Our mission was to take out a band of insurgents in a hideaway. The mission was fine. It was the trip back. We got hit by a sandstorm. It was like being trapped in a snow globe that someone shook up. When I finally got visibility, I was heading straight for a rock face and I had to eject. My parachute deployed a little later than it should have and my landing was rough. My wingman saw the crash and a helicopter was close by for a supply run. They picked me up hours later, injured from the fall and almost dehydrated.” He flicked the purple heart on his chest. “It’s how I earned that.” He shook his head. “It’s still not the worst crash I’ve seen.”

“What was that like?”

He tapped his Bronze Star. “That’s a story for a different day, Lieutenant.” 

“Why do you do it?” you asked, leaning in. “If it’s so dangerous-”

“Lieutenant, if those ‘fly boys’ that you hold in such low regard didn’t fly, then you’d have ground support dealing with those missions. They’d be risking mass casualties to take the tower when a targeted air strike could minimize loss and have a better success rate. Those fly boys save lives.”

“By risking theirs.”

“It’s the job of the military to risk everything for everyone else. It’s my job.”

“You fly a giant ball of metal in the sky at death speeds in a way that almost certainly means death if you fail.” You couldn’t understand why anyone would want to do that.

His lip twitched slightly. “So maybe we’re all in it for the adrenaline. My life amounts to months of planning, but it comes down to split-second decisions.”

You shook your head, taking a sip of your drink. “I’m beginning to think you like it that way.”

He finished his drink and slapped enough money down to cover both of you. “DIdn’t get to where I am by being idle.”

“I’m not idle, Vice Admiral.”

He smirked. “Never said you were, Lieutenant. See you tomorrow. And for the record, I’ll take a habanero and jack cheese bagel.”

You watched him leave, a laugh breezing between your lips. 

You finished your drink and went home. It was still fairly early, and you weren’t quite tired. To be honest, you weren’t quite sure you wanted to sleep right now, worried that you’d have another nightmare. A quick glance at the clock let you know that it was almost time for the local news, so you decided to watch the daily round up of news stories while you sank into your couch.

The local news anchor was starting in on a story about puppies being found in the playground of an elementary school when a banner flashed across the screen: Breaking News. Your brow furrowed as you watched the anchor touch the piece in his ear, eyes wide.

“We have breaking news coming in about a military plane crash in the desert.” The screen cut to footage of a plane falling out of the sky like a meteor, fire spreading across the wings as it hurtled towards the ground. The plane exploded upon impact. Your eyes scanned the sky on the screen, looking for the tell-tale sign of a parachute that the pilot had escaped the inferno. There was nothing.

“Shit.”

[nialledfromfics]

The Dating Game | Chapter Eight

~~

Joey awoke later that morning with a splitting headache and the wet tongue of a tiny dog licking at her face. Her eyes could hardly open; puffy from her crying and unable to adjust to the brightness of the sun streaming in through her bedroom window. Rolling onto her other side in a quiet yawn, Joey wasn’t surprised to see that she was alone, she half expected Niall to leave before she woke up considering she had done the same to him weeks back. But it still caused an ache in her chest as the thoughts of being in his arms, feeling his body against hers and the calming steady beat of his heart, came rushing to her head. 

She let out a sigh as Sadie started to whine, nudging at Joey’s cheek with her cold little nose. “I guess I should get my pathetic ass up now, huh?” she said to Sadie, pulling the pup into a hug and kissing her on top of her head. “How about we go for a walk? I could use some coffee and a big fat glazed donut.” 

The dog started to jump around on the mattress at the mere mention of one of her favorite words, and Joey giggled as she sat herself up, combing her fingers through the mess of her red hair to tame it back. Slugging her body out of her comfy bed, Joey hopped into a quick shower and got herself dressed before she headed out of her apartment with Sadie. The little dog happily trotted along as the two walked through their neighborhood and down the street to the quaint bakery and coffee shop that Joey loved to frequent. She knew the head barista well, and as soon as Joey would walk in, the polite young lady would have her order already in the making. They also allowed small dogs on the premises, so that was another plus for Joey. 

Paying for her medium mocha latte and her oversized glazed donut, Joey took a prancing Sadie back outside the shop to sit at one of their patio tables along the sidewalk. Sadie sat at Joey’s feet, watching pedestrians walk by as Joey picked off pieces of her breakfast and quietly ate. Her mind was still reeling; going over what had happened with Ross, how she had been so blind and so stupid to fall, yet again, for a man’s charade. Peering down at her half eaten confectionery, Joey cradled her forehead in her hand. She almost couldn’t describe how foolish she felt, even more so knowing that Niall had seen her in the state that she was in that night. She was nothing but a joke.

Why was finding someone so hard? Why was dating built to be this medivel structure of constant torture, where you find yourself trapped and falling for things that you shouldn’t, only to be disspointed over and over? Relying on friends or family to constantly lift you back up and get you going again. Joey not only felt like an utter fool for how she had been roped into Ross’ scheme, but also a burden to the people she cared about most. She had to get out of it. She had to figure out how to just be happy alone, because that was all she was ever going to have. 

Herself and Sadie. 

Peeking down at the little dog, she tucked some hair behind her ear and ripped off a piece of her donut. “Should we head to the dog park?” she asked her sidekick, feeding her the treat. Joey gathered up her things as she stood up, making sure to have a good hold on Sadie’s leash before they started to walk a few more blocks down towards the neighborhood dog park. 

The young woman mindlessly scrolled through her phone as she let Sadie play with her buddies for about 20 minutes, until the last bit of her coffee was cold and she felt that it was time to head back towards their apartment. The wind had begun to pick up, billowy clouds shifting overhead to cover the sun and they had only made it halfway back when Joey felt a vibration in her back pocket. She yanked her phone from her jeans and glanced at the screen as it rang. 

Niall. 

Joey’s brows wrinkled. Niall rarely called her. Only a handful of times since they had known each other, their correspondence typically was done through texting or even the odd facetime. Pulling in a deep breath, Joey answered the call and put the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Jo.” 

She tipped her head down, her stare watching Sadie’s little legs go a mile a minute as the dog walked next to her. “Hey.” 

There was a slight pause on his end of the phone and Joey peered back up as she stopped to cross a street. “I just wanted to call ya to see how you were doin’...” 

Niall’s voice was low as he spoke, almost teetering on a whisper and with the wind picking up around her, Joey could barely hear him. “I’m, uh,...I’m okay,” she replied, “just out taking Sadie for a walk.” 

“Oh..oh, that’s good.” 

“Thank you...for last night, for...being there and everything,” Joey then added. “It meant a lot to me.”

“Of course, petal,” he said, “but uh, so, there’s other reason that I’m callin’,” Niall paused, clearing his throat, “I wanted to let ya know that...I’m gonna be headin’ to London tonight–”

“What?” Joey said loud into the phone, not sure she had heard him correctly. “Sorry, the wind is blowing like crazy out here.” 

Niall chuckled. “I’m gonna be goin’ to London tonight for a few weeks. Gotta, um, get some work done on me album.” 

“Oh,” Joey breathed out, her shoes halting on the sidewalk. 

“So...I’ll give a ring when I get back into town, yeah?” 

Chewing at her bottom lip, Joey peeked down at Sadie who was staring up at her in confusion. She nodded her head, as if Niall could even see her and started to walk again. “Yeah, of course.” 

“Cool,” he mumbled, “I’ll talk to ya later, Jo.” 

“Bye, Niall. Be safe.”

Hanging up her phone, Joey’s mind went crazy, thoughts whirling around like a cyclone in her head. Why was he going to London all of a sudden? Why hadn’t he told her before that he was going? Was it really just for work? Was it her? Was it something she did, said, didn’t say? 

A billion different thoughts and emotions crashed through her all at once, she couldn’t even grasp onto one single decent one if she tried. It was like a handful of sand, the grains slipping through her fingers and she had no idea how to stop it or what was really going on. But one thing she knew for sure, it looked like she was going to have to get used to being by herself, and the next few weeks were going to be as best as time as any to do it. 

•

Joey coasted through those next couple weeks like she was on some kind of autopilot. And not the good kind of coasting where everything was easy and flowed without a hitch, oh no, it was the disastrous kind of coasting like the world was whizzing past her at high speed and her reflexes couldn't keep up, as if her brake lines had been severed and she had no ability to stop. She just went through the motions; day in and day out, not thinking, not hearing, not talking, not feeling much of anything. 

She went to work and pretended like everything was fine, smiling through Alexis’ boring rambling before classes started, and barely replying to Carter’s few texts that he had sent her. It just didn’t seem to matter to her. Joey had thought that it was going to be easy, she had been single before and other than a lonely night here and there, it never phased her. But this was a far cry from just a lonely night, she felt entirely, all-consumingly...alone. 

And mostly because she hadn’t heard from Niall at all. 

Not a text, not a call, not an email or facetime. He also wasn’t using his social media as regularly either, so creeping on him wasn’t helpful or even a solace. She had no lifeline, no tether or connection to him and she wondered if maybe that was on purpose. Maybe he was just busy with work, or maybe...he had grown tired of their friendship, of her. Joey knew she could very well be acting overly dramatic about the entire situation, two and a half weeks of no communication wasn’t that big of deal, but something inside her just felt strange. It was all so peculiar and she really didn’t know what to make of it. 

Joey had barely left the apartment outside of work, camping out in her living room with Sadie and a folder of papers to go over. Catching up on whatever new crime documentaries had popped up on Netflix, stuffing her face with any carbs and sugary treats she could get her hands on, while dwelling on her less than ideal situation. Not only had she been treated poorly and been royally fucked over by a guy that she had hoped was different, but she was also forgotten by one that she knew was different. And that made everything that she was feeling, just that much worse. 

Nearing the three week mark that Niall had left LA and went to London, Joey woke up every morning hoping to see a text from him that he had landed back in town. Of course she was bitterly disappointed each time her eyes blinked open to see a blank screen. Alexis, on the other hand, wouldn’t stop texting her. Every night she’d send Joey something, a stupid joke or just to check up on her, and every time Joey would leave her on read. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to her, it was more that Joey didn’t want to talk to anyone. She was still sulking in her misery about how bad she had been played by Ross, how the ordeal had dredged up feelings from her past and with Niall up and leaving unexpectedly, she just couldn’t get over how lost she felt. And that in turn made her feel like a complete idiot. Something she very much did not want to admit to Alexis. 

That following Saturday was like any other Saturday for Joey. She took Sadie to the dog park late morning, grabbed herself some lunch on the way back home and as she wrestled with the little dogs’ leash that had gotten wrapped around her back leg while stepping up to her front door, she was surprised to see a fairly large box sitting on her door mat in the hallway. Joey wrinkled her brows, peeking over her shoulder as if she was going to catch the culprit who had left the box before she picked it up with a shrug and headed into her apartment. 

“What could this be, Sadie?” Joey mumbled as she slid the box up onto the countertop in her kitchen. Taking a moment to unhook the bouncy little pup from her leash, the young woman hung it up next to the door and took off her light jacket before stepping back over to where the box was waiting for her. It was long and sort of thin, but upon checking the label, Joey wasn’t sure who or where it had come from. The only thing it had printed on it was her name and address. 

That in itself should have been suspicious, but she was curious and grabbing a pair of scissors from her junk drawer, Joey carefully started to open the box. Her heart flipped in her chest as she peeled away at the cream colored tissue paper. Inside was the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. 

Blush pink and white roses surrounded by colorful wildflowers. 

Lifting the flowers from the box, Joey held them up to her nose and inhaled deeply, immersing herself in the fragrance of the mixed bouquet before she noticed a small card attached to the inside lid of the box. She gently laid the flowers back down and plucked the card from the cardboard and opened it. 

      “Just thinking of you, 

                                    Love Niall”

Joey’s lips fell to a part before she swallowed hard, her eyes becoming hazy as she lifted her stare from the blurry print of the tiny card in her hand to the flowers laying on her countertop. Wildflowers. She should have known. A smile tugged over her lips, the first genuine smile that had graced them in the last three weeks and for a split second, she felt good. Like really good. 

Finding an old vase hidden in the back of a corner cabinet, Joey slipped the flowers down inside with some water and arranged them slightly before setting them right in the middle of her small dining table. It was the perfect spot for it, she could see it from whatever room she was in and it gave her place an instant brightness, a light that she really needed. She was still perplexed as to why she hadn’t heard from him at all, but the flowers, the thought behind them provided her with a smidge of comfort. 

•

Later that evening, after Joey had settled into her pajamas and consumed nearly a whole pot of spaghetti, she was just about to curl up on her couch with Sadie when there was a knock at her door. The small dog jumped up from her place on the sofa barking as she ran towards the sound. “Shh, Sadie,” Joey scolded her, following her over to the door. “That’s enough.” 

Easing the door open, the redhead was brushed to the side as Alexis barged into her apartment. Joey pushed out a breathy chuckle and slowly closed the door. “Hey,” Alexis blurted out, turning to Joey and hooking her hands on her hips. The young woman let out a soft sigh and scraped her teeth across her lips. She knew by the slight scowl on Alexis' face and the tension in her shoulders, that the avoidance of her best friend might have caused a bit of an issue for the blonde girl. 

Rubbing over her arm with her hand, Joey peeked down at her bare feet, not really sure what to say. “Hey,” was all she could get out in a low voice. 

Alexis pushed out a groan and Joey glanced up at her, watching her shoulders slump forward in a defeated eye roll. She had already given up, never one to hold a grudge towards Joey for too long and the blonde spun around on her heels and started to walk over to the dining table. “Oooh flowers,” she mentioned as she got closer to where the bouquet was set up, “these are gorgeous. From Ross?”

Joey winced upon hearing his name out loud and she crossed her arms over her chest in a quiet huff. “No, Niall,” she told her with a shake of her head. 

“Niall,” Alexis mimicked with a wrinkle of her brow. She bent over slightly to sniff them. “Interesting…”

Tipping her chin up slightly, Joey’s eyes stayed glued to her friend as the blonde turned back around to face her. “So, what’s up, Lex?” 

“Really? You’re gonna ask me that like you don’t know why I’m here? I wanna know what the hell has been going on with you lately!” Alexis started, pushing out a sigh as she held out her hands towards her friend. “You’ve been so distant and weird, even at work. We’ve barely talked or hung out, you’re ignoring all my texts...is there a reason you’re avoiding me?”

Joey swallowed hard at her friends’ obviously frustrated words and she dropped her stare. “I dunno,” she muttered towards the floor, faintly shrugging her shoulders, “I’ve just been feeling off the last couple weeks. Just needed to be by myself, I guess.” 

“Are you okay?”

Rolling her eyes in a low huff, Joey shuffled over to where her friend was standing by her kitchen table and pulled out a chair, plopping herself down. Her gaze remained focused at her lap, but she could see the shadow of Alexis situating herself into the chair next to her. Joey took a moment to gather her breath before she spoke up again. “I slept with Ross.” 

“You did?” Alexis replied, her brows pulling in by the tone in which Joey was emitting, “That’s...good, right?” 

Joey shook her head, peering up at her best friend. “It was horrible, Lex, one of the worst experiences of my life and afterwards he told me that he had a girlfriend, a girlfriend! And that he pretty much just sleeps around with a bunch of different girls whenever she’s out of town. He was just using me.” 

“Oh God, Joey. I’m so sorry.” 

“No, it’s not your fault.” 

Alexis pulled her face in. “I set you up with him,” she scoffed, “I am somewhat to blame, but I honestly didn’t see him as being that big of a douchebag.” 

“I don’t blame you at all,” Joey said, tucking some hair behind her ear, “I didn’t see it coming either. He was so...nice and charming and smart, like, there were really no red flags, that I noticed anyway. But...I dunno, I guess it just...fucked me up a little bit. Kinda...pulled me back to being with Jake.” 

“Oh shit,” Alexis whispered with a sympathetic slump of her shoulders. 

Joey shook her head slightly. “I mean, I know it's nothing compared to what Jake put me through, but the feelings that I felt, it just-...it shot me right back to-..to him, to being with him.” Alexis reached out and rubbed her hand down the slope of Joey’s upper arm, the red head peering down into her lap. “Thank God Niall came over that night and took care of me, ‘cause I don’t want to even think about what could’ve happened if he hadn’t been there.” 

“Wait,” Alexis paused, narrowing her eyes at her friend, “Niall came over? That night after you slept with Ross?” 

Joey nodded. “Yeah, he came over and I was a total mess, crying like an idiot, trying to drown myself in a bottle of gin but he was just...really sweet and listened to me and just held me all night and, I dunno, it was nice to have that.” 

“Well, I’m glad he was there for you,” Alexis stated. 

“Me too.” Glancing up at Alexis, Joey noticed the slight smirk adorning her lips. “What?”

The blonde raised a brow. “Joey, sweetie…why didn’t you call me?” 

Joey’s mouth parted. “I...dunno, I-...,” her eyes shifted away from her friend as her answer jumbled off her dry tongue. “it was late and Niall, he…he was the first person to pop into my head, I guess.” 

Alexis’ head fell to the side. “And he was able to make you feel better?”

“For the night, yeah,” Joey said, catching the girl’s stare again. “But these last few weeks, I haven’t been able to shake these overwhelming feelings I have about what happened. I just feel so…stupid.” 

The blonde rolled her eyes in a low sigh. “You are not stupid,” she told Joey, raising her brows, “just like I told you with Jake, Ross is complete trash. Joey, he doesn’t matter at all. And he never deserved you.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Joey chuckled. 

“And hey,” Alexis went on, reaching over to rub the petal of one of the white roses, “you got these beautiful flowers from Niall to cheer you up. How’s that for romantic?”

“There is no romance behind those flowers,” Joey snorted.

Alexis pushed out a groan, throwing her head back to her shoulders. “For the love of God, woman, are you blind?”

“No.” 

“Than what it is gonna take for you to see that this guy is fucking in love with you?” she said,

Joey shook her head, peering over at the bouquet sitting in the middle of her table. “He’s not in love with me.” 

“Yes he is,” Alexis insisted, “I haven’t even met the guy yet and I know he has feelings for you.” 

“Were just friends,” Joey replied in a soft voice, looking back over at Alexis, “besides, I haven’t even talked to him in weeks. He’s been in London, doing...whatever it is that he’s doing, I’m sure I’m the last thing on his mind.” 

“These flowers beg to differ,” the blonde scoffed, slapping her palm down on the table top, “listen to me, I can tell just by the way that you talk about him, by the way your face lights up any time his name is mentioned or when you see his text come through your phone. I have never in my five years of knowing you, seen you this way with anyone.” 

A sigh left Alexis’ lips and she leaned closer to Joey. “I can tell by the look in your eyes as we sit here talking about him right now that you have serious feelings for this guy, Joey, and if you don’t put your fucking big girl panties on and tell this man how you feel...well...I just won’t be your friend anymore.” 

Joey pushed out a giggle. “Oh that’s mature, Lex.” 

The blonde gave her a shrug and Joey sighed lightly, plopping her elbow up on the table to cradle her cheek in her hand. “I just feel...I feel like I’m done, Lex. Done with dating, done with men, done with dealing with their bullshit and I dunno, maybe I just need to be alone, ya know?”

Alexis sat back in her chair, her stare falling over her best friend. She could feel the hurt in her heart, see the pain behind her eyes and the only breath of relief she noticed within Joey was the moment Niall’s name got brought up. That told her all she needed to know. “Maybe you’re right, Joey,” she began, catching her friends' sullen stare, “maybe you do need to be alone, but I just want you know, that friends...they don’t cuddle each other all night long in bed. Friends don’t send friends flowers for nothing. And when I look at you? I can see that you have more feelings there than just being his friend. You should tell him how you feel.” 

Joey lowered her gaze to her lap, Alexis’ words resonating through her and causing a knot to tangle in her tummy. “Just think about it, okay?” Alexis went on, “You might be surprised…”

•

Four more days passed before Joey got the text that she had been impatiently waiting on for the past three weeks and a half weeks. She had just gotten back from the grocery store, bags still sitting unpacked on her countertop when she heard the tone go off in her purse. Grabbing her phone from the pocket of her bag, Joey sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as her eyes glazed over the single text Niall had sent her. 

N: hey love , I’m back in LA . Hope you’re doin okay 

Joey felt her heartbeat start to pick up in her chest. And it wasn’t until that second, that Alexis’ words really started to churn in her head. She had attempted to shut Niall out of her thoughts, to forget about the flowers he had sent her, to how he had made her feel that night, to stop worrying so much about if he was ever going to contact her again. But the moment his name popped up on her phone screen, it was like everything else disappeared. 

She felt an inkling of warmth swell through her bones like a bleeding fire. She felt a sliver of happiness expand from the tips of her toes to the apples of her cheeks. She felt like the past nearly four weeks hadn’t even happened, that it was but a faint memory and everything was slowly going back to normal again. The way he would look at her, his blue eyes swimming over hers, the way he would touch her, the heat of his skin wrapping around her body as if it was the only thing that could keep her warm. The way he made her laugh, the way he made her feel alive and real and good. She felt complete when she was with him. Whole and absolute. And just like a strike of lightning, she felt this wave of unconditional longing for Niall, a hunger, yearning and consuming her body and her soul. Her entire ethereal being wanting to be filled with him. Just him and only him. 

And all of that, it made her stop and really think. Maybe Alexis was right, maybe she had a point. Maybe through all of the waiting, the searching, the wondering...maybe she really just needed to open her eyes and admit what was going on deep down inside her: she had full on, mind altering, body crippling, devastatingly real feelings for Niall. 

She was in love with him. And she didn’t know what to do with that. 

Joey sat on her heavy hearted revelation for another five days. Five long, excruciatingly frustrating days. She hadn’t heard from Niall apart from his first text to her when he had gotten back in town, and that bit confused her as she was certain he would have wanted to hang out or get some dinner or something along those lines, but that invite from him never came. Joey could have invited him herself, but the nerves coursing through her body every time she went to shoot him a text were unbearable and she knew that to be able to move forward with Niall, she would definitely have to tell him her feelings first. 

And the only way to do that was in person. 

•

It was a rainy Sunday evening, the sun had just begun to set and Joey had spent the entire day pacing around her small apartment, weaving between her furniture and over her dog who kept getting underfoot, gearing herself up for what she was about to do. Niall had no idea she was planning on stopping by his house, but Joey had seen just an hour earlier from an Instagram post of his, that he was indeed home and was watching golf on TV. It was the perfect time. He was most likely alone, Chris usually up at the bar on weekend nights and he wasn’t in the midst of writing music or anything that she could distract him from. 

But trying to calm her nerves was the least of her worries. 

The entire car ride to his house, Joey went over in her head at least a million times what she was going to say to him. Her best plan? To just spit it out. Tell him point blank that she had feelings for him and that she wanted to be with him and she really hoped he felt the same. It seemed easy enough, but it was probably the most daunting thing Joey had ever done. She had never felt for anyone the way she felt for Niall, and to just...air all her thoughts and feelings out there for him to see, to rebuff, it left her panicky and sweaty and just a downright mess. 

But the red haired girl pushed past the lump that was settling in her throat as she pulled up in front of his house. Parking out by the side of the privacy fence, Joey got out of her car and  pranced through the drizzle of rain to his gate, entering in the keycode. Making her way to his front door, Joey stood on his stoop, finally out of the rain, and attempted to fix her waves of long hair that had stuck slightly to the side of her face. She inhaled deep, hoping the jitters of her fingers would stop as she tucked them into her palms and hung them idle at her sides. 

Swallowing hard, Joey eased her eyes closed, replaying the words she had prepared over in her head one last time before she slowly reached up to ring the doorbell. Her heart was beating in the back of her ears as she waited for him to answer the door, it seemed like hours, and after only a handful of seconds, the door swung open. 

His light blue eyes locked instantly with hers and it felt like there was no more air to breathe. Like all of the oxygen had been sucked from the atmosphere, replaced by rose dust and fairy floss and glittery night stars. Her chest stopped, her lungs purging and her heart swelling, a heat stinging across her skin at the sight of him and that gorgeous smirk that was spreading over his mouth. 

Holy fuck, she was so in love with him. 

“Joey?” he greeted, his brows raising in surprise as he dragged his stare down the length of her body. “Hey!” 

Joey bit the growing smile off her lips. “Hi, Niall,” she replied, forcing herself to take in a breath, “Can I come in?” 

Niall reached up to rough his hand through his hair as he peeked over his shoulder. Joey’s eyes fluttered as she kept her gaze glued to him, a dreamy haze enveloping her. She cleared her throat as he looked back over at her. “Uh, yeah, sure,” he said, stepping back and widening the doorway to let her into the foyer. “It’s good to see ya.” 

Joey pulled her hair over her one shoulder as she stepped closer to Niall. “It’s good to see you too,” she told him, her voice soft as she forced herself to dive quickly into the reason she was there, “actually I’ve been kinda thinking about things.” 

“Oh yeah?” Niall said, his head tipping to the side slightly as he planted his hands on his hips. He drifted his eyes over hers, seeing the slight apprehension and a tinge of concern came over his face. “You doin’ okay?”

Nodding her head, Joey peeked down at the floor and carefully pulled in a sharp breath. “Um, so…” she paused, scraping her teeth across her bottom lip as she caught his stare once more. “There’s something that I needed to tell you–”

“Babe!”

A high pitched, bubbly voice came bounding into the room, attached to a beautiful skinny blonde who walked right up to Niall and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Oh…hi,” she said to Joey. 

But the redhead was left wordless, motionless, breathless. Her heart seized to beat in her chest, dropping like a rock to the pit of her stomach as that lump in the back of her throat felt like it had burst, a trillion little shrapnels of glass slicing down her esophagus and filling her entire midsection in blood. Glancing from Niall to the pretty blonde hanging off of him, Joey fought to keep her chin from trembling. 

Niall could see the change in Joey’s face, see the color drain from her cheeks as her pouty lips fell to a drooping part. Her hazelnut eyes were wide as saucers, stuck on the girl next to him and Niall swallowed hard before bowing his head to nervously run his fingers up through his dark hair. “Uh...Joey, this is Lila,” he mumbled, peering back up at Joey. Her eyes were on him now, darting anxiously across his face as he spoke. “Lila this is...my friend, Joey.” 

“Hi, Joey,” Lila chirpily greeted in her British accent, “it's always nice to meet Niall’s friends.” 

She had a soul stealing, brightly white smile and the face of a goddamn model and Joey wanted nothing more than to burst into tears at the sight of her. Swallowing hard, Joey held back her urge to cry, forcing a less than mediocre grin on her face. “Yeah, n-nice to meet you too.” 

Lila shifted her attention over to Niall. “Hun, we better get going if we are gonna make those dinner reservations.”

Joey watched as Niall nodded his head. “Yep, yep, um...I’ll be right there.” 

“Okay.” Lila grabbed around Niall’s chin and turned his face to hers, pushing a kiss to his lips before walking off back into the kitchen. 

Moving her stare away, Joey folded her arms over her chest and choked back the tears that were readily filling the brims of her eyes. Niall stood there, hands stuffed down into his pockets just staring at her, not knowing what to say or what to do. His heart was thumping in his chest, a sweat breaking out over his forehead and he dipped his tongue out to run across his dry lips. After a minute of excruciating silence, Joey finally brought her eyes back up to his. 

It nearly knocked the breath from him. 

“I should...I should probably go,” she whispered. 

“W-wait…” Niall stuttered, “um, I thought ya needed to tell me somethin’?” 

Pressing her eyes closed, Joey faintly shook her head and forced a smile. “You know what...it’s not important.” 

“Joey…”

She spun around, stepping towards the front door. “Have fun,” she mumbled, not even looking back at him. 

“...Joey…” 

Opening his front door, she remained quiet, needing to be out of that house as quickly as she could before she collapsed on his floor right in front of him. Just as she stepped through the threshold with the door inching closed behind her, she heard his soft voice whisper out one last little plea.

“Jo…”

And that was all it took for her knees to buckle and the tears to roll down her cheeks.

[itsworn]

2017 Street Rod of the Year Runners-Up

Bruce Conwell’s 1949 Cadillac, built by Chris Carlson Hot Rods, has been named the 2017 Painless Performance Products/STREET RODDER Street Rod of the Year. Read all about it at hotrod.com.

In the process of selecting Conwell’s Cadillac for the prize from our list of 100 winners from events throughout the year, we picked an additional 10 runners-up, presented here in no particular order.

1940 Ford sedan. Owners: Mike & Marcia McAuliffe, Moraga, CA Mike and Marcia bought the car four years ago and drove it for a couple years before making the move to have it completely rebuilt by Brandon Flaner and his team at East Bay Speed & Custom. That’s when it went from black with a mohair interior and mild Flattie to 1950 Merc Everglade Green with a two-tone tuck ’n’ roll interior and a French Flathead with Navarro heads and triple Stromberg 97s on a Cyclone intake. Wide whites are paired with 16-inch 1940 Ford wheels with flipper hubcaps. Custom mods include the Crestliner steering wheel and 1946 truck gauges on the inside, and reshaped sheetmetal, modified hood trim, 1940 Merc bumpers, and 1941 Studebaker taillights on the outside. See video and more photos at hotrod.com.

1940 Ford coupe. Owner: Gary Zaborowski, Riverview, MI We don’t know why they call Gary “Boogie Man” but his 1940 is called “Impact” because it makes one; plus the former 9-second drag car hit the wall at 167 mph at Milan Dragway. After that it sat for six years until Gary bought it and started the five-year rebuild in his home garage. Show car body mods include the filled hood, hood scoops, and peaked fenders. The legendary Bill Hines built the door hinges as a gift. The frame is handbuilt 2×3 tubing with a Mustang II frontend. A fuel-injected 485hp LS3 packs the engine compartment. American Racing Salt Flat Specials and Mickey Thompson rubber fill the fenders. The candy red over gunmetal gray was shot by Boogie Man. See video and more photos at hotrod.com.

1932 Ford pickup. Owner: Rob Purcell, Harriston, Ontario, Canada Nothing says hot rod better than a hopped-up Deuce pickup with a wicked mill. Attitude comes from a 3-inch chop accented by shortening the bed by 14 inches. It sits on Deuce ’rails with a heavy dose of PPG black gloss and power added from a 341ci Desoto Hemi wearing a Gear Drive log intake topped with a squadron of Holley 94-series carbs. See video and more photos at hotrod.com.

1950 Lincoln. Owner: Fred Provenzano, Massapequa Park, NY It’s rare to see a 1950 Lincoln, let alone one that has undergone the full custom treatment. Starting with a well-balanced chop, the body was shaved and treated to a lustrous coating of PPG black cherry pearl. Inside the team at GilliN Auto Interiors filled the business office with fully handcrafted appointments using Ferrari-grade leather in a double-stitch diamond pattern. See video and more photos at hotrod.com.

1932 Ford roadster. Owners: Carl & Jeanne Booth, Rochester, MI A great formula is keep it clean and simple looking. Starting with a vintage Downs body it was covered with Henry Ford’s “Any color you want as long as it’s black” PPG paint. While the motor may look traditional it is really a modern LS3 topped with a FAST Inglese EFI induction. The chrome front suspension is from Pete and Jakes, while Wilwood provides the stopping power. Inside tans seats carry traditional rolled and pleated fabric inserts. Classic Instruments monitor the motor and Wheel Vintique steelies are wrapped with Coker Excelsior tires. See more photos at hotrod.com.

1934 Ford sedan. Owners: Brad & Lori Woosley, Louisville, KY Color, stance, and attitude are three of the elements that make you stop and pay attention to this sedan. A perfectly executed chop gives it the look while a coating of PPG gloss adds style. A Super Bell front axle with hairpins and Ford 9-inch rear with triangulated four-link ground the power coming from a 383ci Chevy V-8. Steelies from Wheel Vintiques and Coker rubber complete it. See more at hotrod.com.

1929 Ford roadster. Owner: Robert Hill, The Villages, FL At first glance this car appears simple, but upon closer inspection you’ll find torsion bars hidden in the framerails and some extraordinary fabrication by Steve’s Auto Fabrication in Jamestown, Indiana. A stock 1953 flathead provides power to the rear Rally America wire wheels wrapped with Coker Excelsior tires. Custom Mocha Tan paint on the gennie body keep things subtle while inside S&W gauges fill the Lobeck gauge cluster. The car captures postwar hot rodding perfectly. See more photos at hotrod.com.

1933 Willys roadster. Owner: Vaughn Veit, Buffalo, MN Vaughn Veit is something of a 1933 fan with a collection of every body style of 1933 Ford. This rare Willys is one of his non-Fords, and probably the rarest. He told us there were only 71 Willys roadsters built that year, and less than a handful remain in the United States. The car was discovered in California and built from rusted parts at Roy Brizio Street Rods. The old-time Ford Flathead has Navarro heads and intake, with a pair of Stromberg 97s on top. Underneath, the Art Morrison chassis modernizes the ride. The Sid Chavers interior blends traditional and contemporary. The painted wheels are one-offs built by Curtis Speed. See video and more photos at hotrod.com.

1959 Cadillac. Owner: Larry Hanson, Gig Harbor, WA What could be cooler than cruising the main drag of Reno, Nevada, in a mile-long 1959 Cadillac? Larry bought the car 17 years ago from the son of the first owner who had died. It had been parked for 28 years under a carport. The rusted Cadillac was torn down for a frame-off rebuild and most of the sheetmetal was replaced. Bob Salstrom helped with much of the heavy lifting. Now the candy purple 63 Series Coupe De Ville looks and ride better than it ever did, powered by a beautifully dressed 454 engine with a 4L60 transmission. The interior combines modern elements like digital gauges and a contemporary steering wheel with classic two-tone tuck ’n’ roll Naugahyde. See video and more photos at hotrod.com.

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan. Owner: Matt Martinez, Thornton, CO It’s all black and that was the initial attraction. From the laser-straight body to the black leather Impala bucket seats and custom console the car is all black. Under the hood an LS2 is dressed in traditional black attire, looking much like a vintage small-block. It rides on a Street Rod Garage chassis with Wilwood brakes and QA1 shocks and the entire package was stunning enough for this car to win the coveted Tri-Five of the Year Award. See more photos at hotrod.com.

The post 2017 Street Rod of the Year Runners-Up appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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[studies-notes]

Cyclone Mocha Update Live: Coastal People of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar are Depression About Cyclone Mocha

#cyclonemocha #cyclone_mocha #Cyclonemocha2023 #cyclone #Mocha

Visit our website and informed for stay safe.

[partnersrelief]

"Most children cannot go to school."

For many families, this last month has been full of back-to-school shopping,

Class supply lists checked off.

Backpacks stuffed full of little one’s favorite-colored notebooks and cartoon erasers.

First day of school pictures full of cheeky grins snapped on front porches.

The joy and nerves of a new year of school.

For thousands of Rohingya kids, these moments often never come.

The Rohingya are a minority Muslim ethnic group in Myanmar that have long been told by those in power that they do not belong.

In 2012, they were stripped of their citizenship and experienced widespread violence in Rakhine State. Subsequent military operations led to a mass exodus of nearly a million people to Bangladesh in 2017.

The majority of those who stayed in Rakhine State were placed in internment camps. They are restricted from access to jobs, education, and are not allowed to move freely about. When they leave, they face copious military checkpoints where they risk having their few possessions confiscated, bribes demanded of them, and brutal attacks.

Going to school takes on a whole new meaning when discrimination is a constant shadow over every aspect of your life.

In Rakhine State, Myanmar, and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, we’re supporting local communities so more kids can know that first day of school joy and pursue their dreams of becoming teachers, doctors, scientists – a future generation that can support free and full lives for their community.

An incredible group of local teachers are behind making this vision a reality. Teachers like Hafsa*, who is a 4th grade teacher for 30 students in a village near Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh. She has been teaching for five years.

“I started teaching because I like teaching and I enjoy teaching children.”

Cyclone Mocha wreaked havoc on her life and community. Her home was flooded, along with her school. “The schools have been flooded, (making them) muddy and damaged. Some students' houses were also damaged, and some students lost their books.”

Even before the cyclone, many families were struggling. “Most of the families in this village are poor…most children cannot go to school because they have to work for money.

Some children started to smoke and drink and became addicted, this is the reason I chose to teach and became a teacher.”

Every child should know what it means to live a life of freedom and belonging.

To dream big dreams and pursue them in a classroom full of friends.

One of these students is Zyihadu. “My grandparents are Rohingya, but I was born here.

"I am happy to go to school, it is fun to meet with friends and play. And I like learning new things."

When I was young, I couldn’t go to school because we are poor, I started to go to school at 10 when we had free school.”

A close-knit community brings joy to his life. “I like my village; I am happy living here. I like playing here, the playground I play at is beautiful. I have good friends.”

Our friends at One Day’s Wages are putting love into action and matching every dollar up to $15,000 so that oppression and discrimination do not have the last word for kids like Zyihadu.

Click here to donate today, doubling hope for Rohingya kids and making sure they can dream big.

Thank you for making their future shine brighter.

*pseudonym used for security.

[partnersrelief]

For the dads.

Photo: A father with his child in a migrant community near the Thai-Myanmar border.

1.

Disaster

strikes. We respond. Thousands of families lost everything in Cyclone Mocha. So we are compelled to do more than just offer condolences.

Give $25. Your gift gets matched. Two families have the relief of knowing where this month’s meals will come from. This is how it works. Join us.

2.

Meet

some of the GED class of 2023! Behind each portrait is a story of overcoming challenges and the impact of conflict to pursue the dream of completing their education. Like Khin Oo's.

“I grew up in a poor family in Moung Noung Township, Myanmar...This is my first time in Chiang Mai and I am the first in my family to go anywhere...One day my mother said to us, “If you love me, you should try to study. No matter how hard it is for me, I am satisfied if you can go to school...” ​​Then I tried the GED program entrance exam and I passed. When I told my mother about the GED and that I wanted to go, my mother was very happy.” ~ Khin Oo

We're excited to see what the future holds for each of them!

3.

Wide

smiles. Laughter. You’d never guess these kids are in one of the most desolate and dangerous places in the world. When you support the safe space in Al-Hol, you make this joy in a dark place possible.

Photos: Some of the fun and games in the childly-friendly space in Al-Hol, Syria.

4.

Borders

impact lives. We see it over and over. If you’re looking for a good read that explores the history of how borders have affected people in the regions we work, we recommend Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe.

Photo: A father and his son in a migrant community near the Thai-Myanmar border.

5. 

Hugs

provision and practical advice - dad's help us navigate the purchases of first cars and first homes - and hold our boats steady when they rock. Whether in times of war or times of peace, we are thankful for all our dads who use their super powers for our good. As we celebrate fathers this week, we want to remember and honor brave fathers that risk everything to protect their children in the middle of war zones. Our hearts, and prayers, are with you this Father's Day.

Your friends at Partners.

[partnersrelief]

The numbers are in.

Photo: Children outside the mobile hospital you supported in Syria after the earthquake.

1.

132,613

is the number of people you helped in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. 46,403 is the number of people you provided food to. 9,994 is the number of people you brought medical assistance to. Numbers alone don’t tell the full story of each individual helped. But they do give us reason to celebrate the collective impact of our community. Thank you for responding rapidly to this crisis with love in action.

2.

Last week

we shared Saw De Htoo’s story. Now meet some of the hero health workers running these clinics. Earlier this year our team ran refresher trainings for 55 health staff as, well as delivering medicine to the clinics they run. So when more kids like Saw De Htoo are sick, they’ll be ready and waiting to help.

Photos: Training and monitoring the village health worker team.

3.

Double

the reasons to support our ongoing response to families affected by Cyclone Mocha. A generous friend of Partners is matching all donations to our emergency relief fund! As a member of our monthly giving community, you already help fuel our relief efforts getting critical food, medicine and shelter to communities in crisis. But if you'd like to reach even more families left extremely vulnerable after losing their homes, livelihoods and loved ones, your additional gift will be matched for twice the impact.

4. 

Water

is life in any community. But when we asked this community in conflict-affected Kachin State, Myanmar what their most immediate problem was, access to clean water was absolutely number one. Watch what they did to solve this.

5.

One graph

speaks volumes. This is the cumulative number of airstrikes recorded since the Myanmar Military coup in February 2021.

This trajectory is why our work is more important than ever.

Source: The Telegraph (warning: contains disturbing content)

6.

Summer

is here (for our northern hemisphere friends) so enjoy this delicious icy Thai treat, Itim Kati, brought to you by The Longest Table.

Ingredients

350ml coconut milk (freshly squeezed if available) 1 teaspoon vanilla ice cream powder 1 tablespoon whipping cream 7 tablespoons sugar Salt Peanuts to garnish

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until homogeneous. Taste to get the desired sweetness. Reduce and add sugar as needed. Pour into container, close lid and put it in the freezer for 4 hours. After freezing, bring it out to blend until smooth. Then put it back in the freezer for another 6 hours.

We love sharing numbers that paint a picture of your impact. But even more so, imagining the smile on the face of each child your love has reached. Thank you for going above and beyond, month after month, for them to live a free, full life.

Your friends at Partners.

[partnersrelief]

Four hour walk.

Photo: One of the seven remote clinics you help support in Karen State, Myanmar.

Friend,

When Saw De Htoo arrived at the clinic, a four hour walk from his home village in Karen State, Myanmar, his whole little body was swollen and his Mom and Dad, like any parents, were deeply concerned about their boy.

Photo: Saw De Htoo when he first arrived at the clinic.

Access to healthcare has long been a problem here, where decades of war has meant minimal investment in the health system. Add to that the escalating conflict following the military coup and too many parents are faced with few options for help when their kids are sick or injured.

This makes the health projects you’re backing in this region all the more critical. Partnering with the local Karen Department of Health and Welfare, you help supply seven clinics in remote areas with medicine, equipment and support for staff and operating costs.

The health workers at the clinic were able to diagnose Saw De Htoo with a kidney disorder called Nephrotic Syndrome, and admitted him for treatment and monitoring until the swelling reduced. Discharged 6 days later with the necessary medication to continue his recovery and a date for a check-up, his parents left extremely grateful that their little boy would be ok.

Photo: After 6 days of treatment and monitoring, it's time to go home.

Images like this one of Saw De Htoo happy and healthy again are what we’re all about. Last year over 6,000 kids like him received care in these clinics that has given them a better chance at living a free, full life. Because every single one of them matters.

We hope it brings you joy to see and hear of the precious lives you’re bringing care and hope to in conflict-ravaged Eastern Myanmar.

Also this week...

1. 

This

is what we’re all about. 3,379 families helped so far with items like rice, tarps, rope and bamboo for building shelters, and other food items. Rapid emergency relief in a time of crisis. The United Nations and others are calling for more help, and we need all hands on deck to meet the needs.

Photos: Some of the villages affected by Cyclone Mocha receiving rice and tarps.

2.

Resilient

is an understatement. Deep in Karen State, our relief team last week met with an amazing community of displaced families who have been hiding close to the front lines of conflict for some time. Through thick mud, heavy rainfalls, intense heat and humidity, carrying supplies on trucks, boats, motorbikes and backs, our team brought exactly what they asked for: tarps, mosquito nets and medicine; provided by you. These are the essentials when the bombs come and they’re forced to flee their homes.

Photos: Relief supplies being distributed to displaced villagers in Karen State, Myanmar.

3. 

Music

is healing. Especially in this community in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq, where it was banned from 2003 until its liberation from ISIS control. Our local partner, the Sustainable Peace Foundation, is running the ‘Arts for Peace’ project, which uses art therapy to help students process and heal from the trauma they’ve experienced. Frances, a player of the oud instrument is part of the project and shared:

“Now is the time to send musical notes to people as messages of security, peace, and reassurance, and to show the world that music is the language of treatment for the victims.”

Photo: Frances plays the oud as part of the 'Arts for Peace' project.

Reconciled communities living in peace. The sound of that is music to our ears.

Thank you for being a song of hope in conflict zones, month after month.

Your friends at Partners.

Donate Now

[partnersrelief]

Love on all fronts.

Photo: Damage from Cyclone Mocha near Sittwe, Myanmar.

Last week was heavy for our friends in Myanmar.

1.

Five

days without any food. That was the reality for some communities left devastated by Cyclone Mocha. Against all odds, it’s you, our incredible community, that was first on the scene in some villages to help fill the gap and keep over 7,420 tummies full until large-scale help arrives.

Photo: Rice being distributed to families impacted by Cyclone Mocha.

2.

Grateful

are the families you supplied tarps to, giving them some relief from the rain after losing their homes to the storm.

Photos: Tarps being distributed to families who's homes were destroyed.

3.

Airstrikes

are continuing in Myanmar, but so too is the practical support you keep bringing to communities forced to flee. We can’t overstate the lengths it takes to reach families hiding in the jungle, or the relief it brings to parents who haven’t received any other support to help feed their kids.

4.

Happiness

in every kid’s heart. It’s what we long for. It’s also how our local partner Inhalation of Hope described these photos from the trauma care center helping kids who’ve been affected by the conflict in Sinjar.

“Education, entertainment, guidance, sports, friendship, psychosocial support, and many other activities inside a center of one family. Here in this center, you will find a family consisting of 45 kids returning back to life together." ~ Inhalation of Hope

Photos: kids affected by conflict experiencing the joy of play.

5.

Share

this email with others. You are an integral part of this good news. When you tell your friends about your love in action, it builds trust for our work and multiplies hope for conflict-affected children and their families.

Share Now

You’re a light on a hill in a field of darkness. Keep shining.

Your friends at Partners.