#and when she was trying to learn she probably accidentally fried salad

[a-master-procrastinator]

@mmigrainee said that Auletta looks like the type of person who would fry salad, and she is so right. And since this picture now can't leave my mind, you'll have to suffer it as well.

[curls-cat]

“The mountains are calling and I must skedaddle." + jakeming for the writing prompts if it isnt too late?

(also posted on AO3)

Jake is meeting Charming for lunch. They haven’t made plans or anything, but, well, it’s Thursday, and for a few months now, they’ve both sort of happened to be getting lunch at The Blue Plate Special on Thursdays, and it’s become a Thing. Or maybe just a thing, no capital T.

It’s a beautiful day, as far as February goes. It snowed a few days ago, and the sun is shining bright and cold, making the snow sparkle. If you don’t look too closely at the edges of the road, where things are mostly mud and gravel, Ferryport Landing looks picturesque. The Blue Plate Special, too, looks like a diner straight off a postcard, all chrome and glass and bright red paneling.

Jake parks the jalopy and gives her a loving pat on the hood on the way out. It’s amazing that she’s still running, despite everything that his mom has put her through. Now that he’s home more often, he’s started giving the car more regular tune-ups, and he thinks, if he plays his cards right, he can get her up and running again. He’ll even do it the long way, instead of just using a spell or two. His mom would like that.

Inside, Jake is hit with a blast of hot air, and he looks around for Will, unwrapping the scarf from his neck. The heat in the jalopy still isn’t working, and he’s bundled up well against the cold.

There’s Will, seated at the far end of the counter, up by the far wall and the little hallway that leads to the bathrooms and the kitchen. Jake gives him a bright smile and heads over to join him.

Will smiles back at him. It’s a much more reserved smile, but of course it is. Will would never be so uncouth as to show his teeth when he smiles. It’s a genuine look, and that’s what matters.

Jake hangs his coat up on the wall next to Will, stuffing his scarf, hat, and gloves into one of the pockets. The coat, hung directly on top of Charming’s, is getting into Will’s space a little bit.  Will gives him a brief, aggrieved look, then says, “I ordered you a coffee.”

Jake wonders, ever so briefly, if he’ll ever be able to think of coffee without thinking about Briar. Maybe not. Today is a good day, though, so he smirks a little at the way Will has to sit on the side of his stool to keep from getting coat sleeve all up in his face, and sits down next to him. Their shoulders brush. Will is even warmer than the rest of the room, and Jake finds himself relaxing into the accidental touch.

Maybe he leans into it, a little, but he’s not thinking about that. Every interaction with Will feels… tentative, fragile. Like Jake is handling something precious, and if he goes into this too roughly, if he even tries to name it, that will be the end.

Will has a plate from the salad bar in front of him, and Jake snags a tomato off of it, mostly succeeding in not getting dressing on his fingers. Will makes a face, but doesn’t say anything.

Jake orders, and their food comes out at the same time. (Does this officially make them regulars? Probably.) Will got an omelette, even though it’s well past breakfast time and the afternoon cook, in Jake’s opinion, is not nearly as good at hash browns as the morning one. Jake picked something random off the burger menu, and it comes out hot and greasy and far too tall to fit into the average human mouth. It appears to have both avocado and a fried egg on top of the patty.

Jake may have made a mistake.

Will laughs a little in disbelief at Jake’s food, but he still takes the offered bite. Juice dribbles onto his chin, and Jake tries hard not to stare at it.

Instead, he says, “You’ve got a little, um,” and points, reaching out and drawing back tentatively with his own napkin. Then, when Will just looks at him, he very carefully wipes off Will’s lower lip and chin. Their skin doesn’t touch, but it still feels very, very intimate.

This is when Snow appears.

Jake knows it’s Snow because Will looks at the door and goes stiff. He’s managed, somehow, to learn Will’s expressions, and that one, caught between longing, fear, and something angry? It belongs to Snow.

He’s not jealous (and even if he was, he wouldn’t dare name it so), but he does ache for Will every time he sees that look.

Jake draws back the napkin and turns to look at Snow. He gives her the best smile he can manage.

“Hi, boys,” she says, even though she’s only looking at Will. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

They’re broken up, they’re never getting back together, Will told him so right before he made it abundantly clear that he never wanted to talk about it again, and Jake still feels like he’s in the middle of a private moment, so sure that he’s never going to be able to compare to a love that’s written into the very fabric of your existence.

Will is saying something about the diner. It sounds inane and stilted, and Jake doesn’t process it properly.

He has to get out of here, has to escape the tension between Snow and Will, has to let them have this again--

“Well,” he says, loudly and abruptly, interrupting one of them--both of them, probably-- “the mountains are calling and I must skedaddle!”

He pushes off the counter and stands, then reaches around Will for his coat, trying to keep his face stiff and ignore the fact that Snow and Will have finally stopped staring at each other to look at him, baffled. He’s definitely blushing. Stupid german blush gene.

“You haven’t even started eating,” Will says. He sounds… disappointed?

“Too bad, gotta go, I’ve got--important. Y’know. Things. To do.”

“In the mountains,” Snow says slowly.

“Yup,” Jake says He stuffs his hands into his gloves. One of them goes on backwards, so he pulls it off and tries again.

“In February,” Snow says, still sounding confused and a little concerned.

G-d, did her seriously say that? What a dork. Will’s definitely not going to want--

Well.

Anyway.

He gets his gloves on properly and starts wrapping his scarf around his neck. “When the call for adventure hits, you’ve gotta listen, y’know?” he says, trying to sound cheerful and nonchalant instead of awkward and uncomfortable and desperate to escape. Maybe he’ll just wrap his whole face in his scarf.

“Can’t say I’ve ever experienced that,” Snow says, She’s eyeing him oddly as he wraps his hat over his face, as if she can’t figure out just why he’s acting like this.

“You can’t wait half an hour?” Will asks, and he’s switched from confused and disappointed to almost sad.

Honestly, did neither of them feel the way their tension was filling up the whole building, suffocating everyone else? And now Will wants him to sta? For more of that? No thank you.

“Nope, must go right now, gotta visit those… mountains. Y’know, all those mountains. Calling me.” Jake gestures vaguely in the direction of Mount Taurus.

Which also happens to be the direction of his house.

His blush fires up stronger than ever.

“I wish you’d stay,” Will says, still sad.

This wish coincides with their waitress, a woman Jake has never taken much notice of but who’s here fairly often (of course she is, it’s her job), comes by to offer to top off their coffees.

Jake, very abruptly, takes off his scarf and gloves and sits back down.

Oh, dammit.

He glares at the waitress, whose nametag reads Maureen B and says, “Only until the end of lunch, right?”

Maureen B, formerly Blue Phara, AKA The Blue Fairy, gives him an apologetic smile and says, “I’ll comp your dessert, honey.”

Will and Snow both look confused, but Will also looks less mournful now, and they’re still not staring at each other like that, so Jake guesses he can stay.

Not that he has much choice about it.

He eats a french fry in the most resigned way possible.

“So no mountains, then?” Snow asks. Her tone is a little teasing.

“They can wait, I guess,” Jake says. He looks out the window longingly at his car.

Will eats one of Jake’s fries, absently, looking at him like he’s trying to figure something out.

This is what clues Snow in. Jake sees because he’s still sitting three quarters of the wrong way around on his stool, looking at Snow and Will. Snow watches Will take one of Jake’s fries, watches Jake watch it. She looks at the bite taken out of Jake’s burger, and Jake can almost see her remembering Will saying “you haven’t even started eating yet,” can see her understand--

“Am I interrupting something?” she asks.

Here’s the thing: Jake likes Snow. He’s kind of mad about the way she treated Will, sure, especially in the wake of how long Will waited for her, and how she wasn’t willing to do the same. But he likes her. She’s funny, she’s a good fighter, she’s great with his nieces and even with Pinocchio and Puck, who are both difficult in radically different ways. He wants to be her friend.

But he also very much wants to tell her to go away, and to stay away from Will. It’s not jealousy, exactly. That would be simpler. Instead, it’s, sure, a little jealous, but also protective, because Snow hurts Will every time they’re in the same room, just by being there, and by their not being together. And on top of that it’s just awkward.

So he doesn’t say yes, doesn’t tell her to go away and let them have this thing, this casual almost-accidental meetup that Jake would never dare call a date.

Will, though, is giving Snow an apologetic smile, and Jake catches himself staring at it.

His mouth almost drops open when Will says, “A little, actually. It was good to see you, though.”

Snow glances between them, at Jake looking gobsmacked and probably more than a little hopeful, joyous even, and then over at Will, who isn’t looking at Jake but isn’t looking at Snow, either, anymore. She gives them both a sad little smile.

“Right,” Snow says. “I think Rapunzel’s here, anyway. Bye.”

She leaves, and Jake turns around on his stool so he’s facing the counter again. He maneuvers a bite out of his overlarge burger and wipes the grease off his chin with the same napkin he used for Will’s. He takes his time chewing.

Then, “You didn’t have to do that,” he says. “Send her away for me, I mean.” He looks at Will out of the corner of his eye.

Will is calmly spreading jam on his toast. He looks at Jake, though, directly at Jake, and Jake turns towards him without meaning to.

“Well,” Will says. “I wanted to. This… I mean… it’s our lunch, isn’t it?”

Jake leans into him, because their arms are touching again, and Will-- Will chose him, over Snow, over that line Bunny wrote into the core of his being, Will chose-- well, not Jake, not exactly, because what Will chose was distance, and agency. But every second Will isn’t looking at Snow and is looking at Jake, that’s a moment that Will is giving Jake. A moment that Will decided to give him.

“Yeah,” he says with a small smile. He’s looking at Will out of the corner of his eye again, but it’s not surreptitious this time. It’s shy, and maybe just barely flirtatious. “It’s ours.”

[frighthouseofalighthouse]

I'M GONNA DO IT TO EM' ALL ASKS THAT YOU REBLOG TONIGHT TILL 10 AM TOMORROW.... DO THEM!!!!

Hey, you had to do it to ‘em! Here they are starting with the most recent.

“Weird asks that say a lot”

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Coffee mugs because you can use them for everything. Teacups are too small for a proper cuppa.

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Chocolate bars always.

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Bubblegum, which I miss so much. I haven’t had it in over 2 years bc of my braces

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

I didn’t go to public school but all the adults who dealt with me said I was sociable and tried to get everyone to do the group projects but no one listened so I ended up sitting alone reading and quietly doing the project.

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Glass BOTTLES make it taste superior.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Pastel boho preppy goth best describes my style.

7. earbuds or headphones?

Earbuds, but only rubber tipped ones. The plastic ones never fit in my ears. Also headphones never cover my whole ear right. :/

8. movies or tv shows?

TV shows keep my attention span better.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Brewing thunderstorms.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

None. But trampoline if I had to pick.

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

Scrambled eggs, peanut butter toast, and some kind of fruit.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

My main one is Things You Love. My one for writing is Queen And Country, and my other two favorites are Summer Songs and A Queen Knows How To Fight A War.

13. lanyard or key ring?

Key ring, lanyards get in the way.

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

OH MAN. To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Fahrenheit 451, The Grapes Of Wrath, and The Handmaid’s Tale were definitely my top 5 in English class.

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Curled up sideways in an armchair with my legs slung over the arm. Sitting normally sucks.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

Either pair of my black boots, or my pink floral Skechers that I wear to work.

18. ideal weather?

60 degrees, cloudy, windy, with a chance of rain.

19. sleeping position?

On my right side, arms around a fluffy pillow, one leg out straight and the other drawn up with my knee to my chest.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Laptop. I’m trying to exercise my hand and wrist so I don’t tire as quick of notebook writing, though.

21. obsession from childhood?

History, Nancy Drew books, Harry Potter, and ghost stories.

22. role model?

The person I am but don’t think I am.

23. strange habits?

Pulling my shirt collar up over my nose and mouth/putting it in my mouth and chewing on it.

24. favorite crystal?

Amethyst, my birthstone! Close second is blue goldstone. (Have you ever seen it? It looks like the universe. I have a worrystone made of blue goldstone and it’s one of my prized possessions.)

25. first song you remember hearing?

Something from church probably. Outside of church probably one of these: If I Had A Hammer // Peter, Paul and Mary, Puff The Magic Dragon // Peter, Paul and Mary, Scarborough Fair // Simon & Garfunkel, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald // Gordon Lightfoot.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Sit in the shade.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Drink tea, read, and play either Pokemon or Nancy Drew and the Clue Benders Society on my 3DS.

28. five songs to describe you?

The Pines // Roses & Revolutions, I Am Here // Pink, Walk Me Home // Pink, Call Home // Heathers (not the musical), Traveler’s Song // Aviators

29. best way to bond with you?

Talk to me about history, crime, musicals, books, or tv shows

30. places that you find sacred?

Natural swamps. Libraries. Old, overgrown gardens. Anywhere historic. Pine forests at dusk. Anywhere under a clear night sky.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

A plaid shirt, black leggings, and black boots with dark neutral lipstick and a black choker.

32. top five favorite vines?

Fre she vocado, BENTLEY NOOOOO, uhhh I sure hope it does, the one of Lin Manuel-Miranda trying to brainstorm, and this bitch empty YEEt

33. most used phrase in your phone?

Idk how to find this out

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

Idk if this is just a local thing here but WOW ITS NATURESTONE

35. average time you fall asleep?

12-1 nowadays.

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

I can haz cheezburger

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

Depends. Suitcase for things like my laptop that are better protected than in a duffel bag, but duffel bag otherwise because they’re easier to carry.

38. lemonade or tea?

TEAAAAA

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Both please

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

My house? We had a safe word when we did math. It was “quokka.” If we got overwhelmed we’d say it and then stop and look at pictures of quokkas.

41. last person you texted?

My friend and coworker.

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Jacket pockets.

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

Cardigan or hoodie

44. favorite scent for soap?

Lavender

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy. It takes me a bit to get into fantasy books usually, but sci-fi is hard to follow and superhero is mostly predictable.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Fuzzy pants and a t shirt

47. favorite type of cheese?

Muenster, parmesan, or goat cheese

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

Raspberry

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

“I have no country to fight for. My country is the earth, and I am a citizen of this world.” - Eugene V. Debs

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

A weird local political ad a couple years back.

51. current stresses?

My recent breakup, an overnight shift I work on Wednesday night, and trying to find time to go out to a corn maze with my friend.

52. favorite font?

Baskerville or Georgia.

53. what is the current state of your hands?

Covered in small cuts and scrapes from work, nails picked short, black nail polish mostly peeled off.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

babysitting job: Kids suck never have more than one. Retail job: being on your fee it hardddd

55. favorite fairy tale?

Beauty and the Beast or Rapunzel

56. favorite tradition?

Looking at Halloween decorations

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Cutting, being manipulated by my dad, and letting other people make me believe I wasn’t good enough (still working on that one)

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

Writing, puzzle-solving, singing, and calligraphy

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“Oh shit waddup”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

One of those preppy gothic private school animes with a dark secret lurking around the corner

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

Book: “Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance. You have to work at it.” - The Handmaid’s Tale. Movie: “It’s not about deserve. It’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” - Wonder Woman. TV Show: “I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself.” - Doctor Who.

62. seven characters you relate to?

Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Remus Lupin, Richard Gansey III, Blue Sargent, Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury.

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Same five that I said describe me.

64. favorite website from your childhood?

Webkinz and the old American Girl site circa 2009.

65. any permanent scars?

One down my chest from heart surgery as a baby, lots from self harm on my arms/legs, some on my left knee from falling as a kid, and one on the back of my right heel from being pecked by a goose at the fair when I was 11.

66. favorite flower(s)?

Sunflowers, roses, and dahlias.

67. good luck charms?

Myself.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Ranch anything.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

Jellyfish have no brains and no heart.

70. left or right handed?

I’m third generation left handed!

71. least favorite pattern?

Vertical stripes.

72. worst subject?

Math.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Wendy’s fries and chocolate frosty.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

7. Usually I just ignore it because I have a “high pain tolerance” (which means I like to put myself through minor pains because I think I deserve it)

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

Age 5. I was trying to blow up an inflatable ball and it came out.

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

ALL POTATOES EXCEPT POTATO SALAD

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Violets.

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Neither, both suck equally.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

Never had a school id so I guess the license

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Earth tones for me

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

...They are literally the same thing

82. pc or console?

PC

83. writing or drawing?

Writing. I absolutely cannot draw.

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts, talk radio is so obnoxious.

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie. The clothes are easier to take on and off. I used to accidentally rip polly pocket clothes all the time.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology. I like it because it explains things, it’s creation stories, its origins. Fairy tales are just fantasies or cautionary tales.

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cookies.

87. your greatest fear?

Rejection, drowning, and clowns.

88. your greatest wish?

To be a semi-successful author and historian.

89. who would you put before everyone else?

My mom.

90. luckiest mistake?

Not succeeding in killing myself!

91. boxes or bags?

Bags.

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Dim lamps if they have yellow bulbs. I hate white lights. And also fairy lights yes please.

93. nicknames?

Ellie, Ell, Little Lion, Lioness.

94. favorite season?

FALLLLL

95. favorite app on your phone?

Tumblr, Spotify, or Instagram.

96. desktop background?

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

6.

98. favorite historical era?

Revolutionary War-era America or late Victorian England.

THIS GOT REALLY LONG AND I DONT WANNA HIT THE TEXT BLOCK LIMIT SO IMMA DO ALL THE HALLOWEEN ONES SEPARATELY, MAYBE IN THE MORNING.

[peaches-of-1]

The College Crush ~ Chapter 2: Week of Welcome

Black!MC x E’Dawn

< Previous | Next >

“I’ll be fine, mom.” You said for the millionth time.

No one really supported you in going to Korea not being completely fluent in the language, but you knew enough to get by. Anyways, you knew that enough would know English to help you if you needed it. There were a lot of people from all over the world going to Korea now for a number of reasons. You were going for music. You knew what you wanted to do and were going to work for it.

You wanted your own life. You wanted to make your life as unique and exciting as possible. Even though you weren’t sure about the specifics, you were willing to take the chance.

It seemed to have worked out as you sat under the stars with Hyojong. You two had hung out a lot during this first week of school and were friends. Maybe it’d be something more, but all romantic notions were probably in your head.

“Hey, (Y/N)?” He asked, looking up at the stars.

[7 Days ago]

[11:30am, Monday: INTERNATIONAL LUNCH]

You held the flyer in your hand. The International Lunch was soon, and you were starving. The only thing you had eaten was a rice cake since the Run for Rice Cakes event passed by as you walked to class this morning. It was two people in club shirts who tossed rice cakes to all freshmen they passed by if they chased the golf cart they were in for at least a minute.

Being the slightly competitive person that you were, you decided to run. It was a new spin on the tradition of giving rice cakes to new neighbors. It was nice and thoughtful, but still. It wasn’t that filling. Your stomach growled as you stepped into the cafeteria lobby.

A familiar face waved towards you. It was that guy who helped you find your classroom in the library on Friday. Kim Hyojong. He smiled brightly at you and you waved back. Some girl in a blue skirt put a hand on his shoulder and asked him something.

“Is that the girl the boys keep talking about?” Hyuna asked E’Dawn.

“Yeah. Her name is (Y/N).”

She widened her eyes, “Wow, that’s a pretty name!”

Hyojong nodded, “Sure is.”

“Hi, Hyojong-oppa!” You exclaimed brightly, making him smile. Then you bowed before you asked, “Have you eaten today?”

“No, I woke up late and missed breakfast. At least we’re about to eat soon. How about you?”

You shook your hand, “Sort of. I got a rice cake this morning and ate that, but nothing else.”

He frowned, “You need to take better care of yourself.”

“I could say the same thing about you, oppa.”

The older boy couldn’t help but nod, knowing he had been bested. The girl with black hair nudged Hyojong with her elbow.

“Oh, this is my friend Hyuna-noona, head cheerleader for our football team among other amazing things. She’s older than me, but we’re still pretty close.”

You bowed low, “Hi. Nice to meet you! You’re really pretty.”

“Aww, thank you. I’m going to see if we’re ready to go in.” She said and turned to go talk to someone else, playfully spanking Hyojong before leaving.

He looked back and his hands flew to protect his bottom from another attack, and she laughed. He smiled at her and called her a mischievous big sister.

A question formed in your head, and you asked before you could stop it, “Do you have a crush on her?”

Hyojong blinked and looked at you, “What? No. Gosh, no.” He started to laugh. “We’ve known each other for years. She’s like a big sister.”

A warmth of embarrassment spread across your cheeks, “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He said.

“So, you work with new students, huh? What made you want to do that...this?”

He opened his mouth to speak when Hyuna called his name and waved him over. “I need your help getting everyone in line.”

Two of the guys commanded that people line up by grade. As you lined up in front of a girl dressed in green, a guy wearing red plaid pants bumped into you. He swept his light brown hair out of his face and apologized the same time you did. You did it in English though.

“You speak like an American. The way you say ‘Sah-ree’ like that.”

“Cuz I am.” You replied simply.

“Oh, really?” He then continued to speak in English which threw you for a loop. “I was born in New York. Moved here when I was 5. I’m Vernon, by the way.” He held out his hand to shake.

You smiled and shook his hand, “(Y/N), and that’s amazing! I just got here recently. Umm, two weeks ago? I studied Korean for a year during school so that I could come here on scholarship.”

“You must be really smart then.”

“More like extremely lucky.”

He covered his mouth as he laughed. You two listened to Hyuna and another girl tell everyone where to sit. The cafeteria was wide and decorated in reds and blues since they were the school colors. Blue tables and red chairs. Columns had red and blue tiles stuck onto their curves.

“(Y/N), you wanna sit next to me?” Vernon asked after both of you had gotten your meals and moved towards the tables together.

“Uh, sure.” You replied.

You guys were sat at one of the many tables set up in the section labeled for the International lunch. There were a lot of people who came to this university, who had taken test after test and paid so much money just to be able to go to a college where they just barely knew the language.

Vernon pulled out a chair for you, and you thanked him. He even pushed you in after you sat. He sat to your left and his plate had a cheeseburger and fries on them and a small cup filled with ketchup. You had a salad piled high with all sorts of vegetables with dumplings on the side.

The conversation with Vernon was interesting, mostly learning about each other’s lives in America and experiences in Korea. You two talked about old TV shows that played when you were kids, only stopping for a speech by the head of the New Student committee. He welcomed you in several languages trying to make everyone feel more at home.

He made sure we knew that we could always talk to someone on the committee if they had any questions about anything. They had all sorts of people on hand, so one of them was bound to know something in everyone’s native language. If not, then they’d default to English or Korean to communicate. Then he told everyone to enjoy their meals.

Hyojong couldn’t help but notice that you were speaking with another freshman in English and laughing. Even during the speech, the boy tapped your shoulder to whisper something into your ear. You nodded and replied. When he laid his head on you shoulder, you just smiled and looked at him, not moving him from his spot.

When Minho stopped speaking, everyone clapped and the New Student committee got food of their own before sitting down and mingling with the new students.

“E’Dawnieee!” A girl voice called, “I need your help over here!”

“Coming!” He had to sit with the sophomores and with the very touchy Seulgi who had called him to help her explain some things.

He kept glancing at you and saw Yuto, Kino, and Wooseok approach and introduce themselves as E’Dawn’s friends.

You were confused, “E’Dawn? I don’t know anyone by that name.”

“He helped you find your class the other day? Blonde? A few freckles? Cute and a great smile?” Yuto explained.

“Oh, Hyojong-oppa.” You looked around for him and saw a beautiful girl with black hair holding on to his arm. “Yeah, I know him. Do you want to sit with us?”

They nodded and sat down in front of you. They introduced themselves to Vernon and you three began a conversation in English. You weren’t too confident in your Korean just yet, so you did your best to follow what was being said. You tried to understand why you disliked Hyojong being held by that girl so much. Her name tag said Seulgi.

That was probably his girlfriend then. Ever since meeting him, you knew that he had to be dating some lucky person. You were glad for him having found someone he liked but kind of sad it wasn’t you. It made sense, though. They were in the same colors and you were just some American freshman. Korean’s tended to like lighter girls, anyways.

“(Y/N)? Are you still with us?” A hand touched your shoulder.

Your face darted up and met with Wooseok’s face first and then turned to the source of the voice who was calling you, Vernon.

“Uh, yeah?”

“Are you coming to the English expo tomorrow?”

Yuto added, “It’s a great chance for you to get to know other people who can talk to you in your native language.”

“You can meet others who can probably help with your Korean if you want it.” Kino said before he shoved a few dumplings of his own down his gullet.

After thinking about it, you nodded, “Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll have to show up later though. I have a class until 3 and will probably grab something to eat before showing up.”

Vernon smiled, “Good. I’ll be there too. I wanna know if there’s anyone like me there to make friends with.”

“I can always practice my English.” Wooseok said.

Your phone vibrated and you saw your next class started in 15 minutes. Picking up your things, you told the guys goodbye. They offered to walk you, but you told them to finish your food.

[11am, Tuesday: ENGLISH EXPO]

Grabbing a large cinnamon roll from the on campus cafe, you booked it to the conference room where the English Expo was. It was for all students, and it would be nice to hear your language again. Also, there was a large part of your heart that wanted to help non-native speakers get better with pronunciation. That way, they’d be more sure. Maybe you’d even learn some other languages while there too.

You were just so excited about all the possible interactions that you accidentally bit your cheek. It wasn’t too hard, but you were quite tentative about chewing for a few minutes until you finished the sweet.

There were flags of several countries where English was the main language: the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and of course, America. After getting your card swiped, you went into the room and heard a plethora of accents speaking the language you grew up with.

You felt very at home and very happy. People stared at you, but that was only because you were the newest person to enter. There was a sort of game going on. If someone spoke anything other than English that wasn’t just trying to figure out the translation, then they got a circular sticker put on them.

You grabbed a sticker sheet and went deeper into the room. Quickly, three different people of various races came up to you and started asking you questions. You seemed so obviously American, so you helped them with pronunciation while getting to learn about them.

At some point, Hyojong came in. You waved at him, and he hugged you.

“(Y/N)-ssi, how are you?” he asked in English.

“I’m doing well. Oh, I found out something interesting about you yesterday.”

“Did you now?” He scratched his scalp, “What did you learn?”

You smiled, “Your friends call you E’Dawn. I sat with them at the International lunch. They said you were your friends, but I didn’t know because you introduced yourself as Hyojong.”

“Well, yeah. I’d rather you call me by my real name.”

“Is E’Dawn only a thing your friends can call you? I thought we were friends, sort of.” You playfully pouted and teased him.

The look of embarrassment on his face was so adorable, “You are my friend! How can you say you aren’t my friend? I let you call me oppa even though we just met.” Hyojong spoke the last sentence in Korean.

You stuck a blue sticker on his face, “English, oppa~”

A familiar face entered the room and he was looking around for someone. Brown hair and tan skin dressed in the school uniform.

“Vernon, over here!” You called out.

As you waved your hands, he smiled and made his way over after grabbing a sheet of stickers. Hyojong wasn’t too happy that you were calling for a new boy after scolding him, but he was really glad that you had made a friend already.

He hugged you, and you smiled while introducing him to the others you were near. Lisa was the only one you knew since she was one of your roommates wearing a green skirt and had her orange hair tied in a bow.  Kunpimook went by BamBam and wore red pants while his friend from home was in pink with the name Jackson. The oldest was a flat-chested girl named Amber who you really liked in blue pants.

You all talked in pretty fluent English. Some of them had lived in Korea for so long that they had forgotten some of the language this Expo was based on, but it was easy to converse when their memory kicked in. You all ended up exchanging numbers and creating a group chat for speaking English and just because you all clicked so well.

[6pm, Tuesday: HOME PLUS HANGOUT]

Since there were a lot of international people, the school figured there might have been some things they couldn’t have brought from home. Even some kids who just lived in Korea but weren’t going home anytime soon who forgot something they needed. School buses and personal cards went to the event at Home Plus for students to get whatever they needed for their dorms and other living quarters. They all got a school discount for participating which helped a lot.

You hadn’t had time to get toilet paper and wanted something that worked for your bottom. You held up two which were basically the same price and had similar advertising, but one was softer than the other. Did you need softer toilet paper or something firm?

“Well, your booty is firm enough, don’t you think?” E’Dawn popped up with a smile, making you laugh.

“So, you’ve been looking at my bottom?”

He blushed and grinned, “Maybe. Anyways, the soft one is still strong and is my brand of choice. Get that one”

“Awesome! Thanks for the advice.” You put the softer toilet paper into your basket and returned the other one to the shelf.

Hyojong reached out his hand, “Do you want me to hold that for you?”

“I can manage toilet paper and a couple of snacks, but thank you.”

“I still wanna hold something for you...how about this?” He grabbed your hand and beamed through a rising blush.

Your blush was hidden by melanin, but it was there, “Yeah, I guess that’s fine, but don’t you have to y’know do your committee stuff?”

He shrugged, “I can do that while hanging out with you.”

You smiled and felt a head on your shoulder. Turning to see who it was, a new smile appeared when you saw Vernon being the dork he was.

“How’s it going?” He had his own basket full of mostly food and a couple of ribbon ties.

“Goin’ good. Why so many ribbons?”

Vernon signed and lifted up his basket, “I lose them way too easily, so I thought it best to stash up on them.”

You laughed. Hyojong greeted Vernon and began to talk as you three continued to search for other things that you might’ve needed. Hyojong was called away by someone else, and you two finally let go of each other’s hands. It wasn’t until you guys were in the medicine aisle getting some stuff “just in case” that Vernon lowered his voice to ask you a question.

“So, are you and E’Dawn dating? You guys were holding hands, so I thought--”

“Oh, no. We’re just friends.”

He smiled, “Good, cuz I like you.”

“Aw thanks, I like you too.”

“No, (Y/N), I have a crush on you.” Vernon kissed your cheek. “We should get moving. They’re calling for buses, and we haven’t checked out yet.”

He held his hand out to you, and you grabbed it. You two went to checkout with your head reeling. Like, it just didn’t really make sense just yet. He liked you? Like, like liked you. Romantically. He kissed your cheek. You were holding his hand. Like, you had just been holding E’Dawn’s hand because you were friends.

It was something you did in the states with your closer guy friends, and they never read anything in to it. You knew that some people would have, but you never thought that this would be the outcome of it. You weren’t sure how you felt just yet.

“Vernon? Um, I’m not sure if--”

“It’s ok. Take your time. I will wait for an answer and respect whatever it is.” He hugged you and you two got onto the bus.

You fell asleep, and Vernon woke you up when you were back on campus.

[11am, Wednesday: CLUB SIGN-UPS]

You had class during the Monday sign-ups, so you made sure to come to one today. The only thing was that you weren’t sure what you wanted to do. Maybe the English club? Lisa approached you with a girl with dark red hair.

“Hey, (Y/N). this is my friend Rosé. She knows English, too.”

“Hi, Rosé, nice to meet you!” You said in English too. “Have you guys decided to sign up for anything?”

Lisa spoke up, “Actually, we wanted to know if you wanted to join the dance team with us. They were actually going to send someone to recruit you because they think all black people know how to dance, but I thought it better if I did it.”

“I mean. I can’t dance, per say, I have rhythm.”

“That’s all you need. So, how about it?”

You shrugged, “Sure. Why not? I think it’d be fun, especially if I’m doing it with you guys.”

Rosé clapped, “Yay! Let’s go to their booth then! I’m excited! They say it’s sort of like training to be an idol, but a lot easier. Still, a few idols have been chosen from dance teams. Oooo, what if one of us get chosen?”

The three of you laughed, and Lisa shook her head, “I doubt that I’ll ever be good enough to be an idol. I’m struggling too much even learning Korean.”

“But you’re so pretty!” You said. “They’d be idiots not to ask you to be part of a group. Also, I heard you freestyling the other day by the cafeteria. You’ve got an amazing flow.”

“Awww, thanks. You’re too kind, (Y/N).”

The super chipper girl with her pastel hair in a low ponytail clapped when she saw you girls approaching, “So you decided to sign up after all! I’m so glad! I’m Jeon Jiwoo, and we’re always looking for ways to make out team more diverse. We usually dance at football games, but we also have a season for competition.”

She went into the whole spiel about what the dance team did, the prices, the skills you’d be learning. She said there were some things that you girls would need to buy from them like shorts and a club shirt. There were three different dance clubs, girls, boys, and co-ed.

All three of you decided to go for both the girls and co-ed groups. After writing down your emails, the girl said that you’d get an email with a video of the dances you needed to learn along with the proper music files.

“Also, if you’re serious about the co-ed team, find someone to practice your partner work with since you will be doing partner things in the co-ed team. It’s no good if you’ve got the moves but not the chemistry.”

All three of you nodded and thanked her before deciding to get something to eat together.

Vernon saw you leave and was curious. First year students could sign up for only two different clubs since the coursework would be quite rigorous and they didn’t want too much taking you away from studies. He approached the girl who was talking to a taller guy.

“Um, hi?”

“Hi, are you curious in signing up for dance team? We have a group for boys and a co-ed group if you’re interested. Taehyung here is in the co-ed with me.”

The black haired man smiled and bowed, “Call me J. Seph. All groups are limited to 20 members, so the more competition, the better!”

He bit his lip and thought about it, “Did that black girl just sign up?”

“Oh, yes, and we’re super glad. She signed up for co-ed too.” She said in a way that it was obvious she knew of his feelings for her. Why else would he have asked such a question?

“Yo, J. Seph!” Hyojong called, giving him a hug and smiling. “You guys get a lot of sign ups? Oh, hey, Vernon.”

“Hi. I guess I’ll sign up for co-ed too.”

“Awesome! Just write your name, phone number, and email here.”

Hyojong asked, “You signing up for dance team?”

“Yeah, (Y/N) was just here and signed up. I’m crazy for her, and it sounds like fun. So why not? I’ll see you around, hyung. I’ve gotta get to class.”

Vernon left and Somin approached with a box, “Here you go, E’Dawn. Yours was one of the first outfits we got. I’m so glad we decided to pre-order this year. Last time it was a mess.”

“Thanks.” E’Dawn smiled. “Do you know what themes we’re doing yet?”

Somin shook her head, “Not yet. We’ll get it sooner or later.”

[4pm, Thursday: SWING DANCING]

Leaving the International lunch today, E’Dawn called your name. He hadn’t been able to sit with you again today, but he really wanted to talk to you. You waited for him to catch up and greeted him.

“I was wondering if you were going to the Swing Dancing lessons today. I’m going with all my guy friends, so I thought it would be good to ask my girl friends. I mean, my friends who are girls. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I get it. And umm, sure. I don’t think I’ve met all your friends, so it’d be great for all of us to get to know each other. You could have just put it in the group chat, and I would’ve seen it.”

He pouted slightly, “I know, but I wanted to ask you in person since we’re in the same place right now. I’m glad you said yes. It’s at 4 in the conference room right there, so don’t forget.”

You didn’t, but you were almost late because you couldn’t find your Mary Jane’s among all your things since you still had not fully unpacked. They were with your extra notebooks, and you would never know why. The swing dancing would take place outside since it was such good weather.

There was a brick wall and a school journalist asked if he could take pictures of you since you actually dressed up for the lessons. Many of the other girls and guys were just and their school uniforms or casual clothing. It kind of made you feel awkward, but you were comforted by Hyojong’s smile.

“You look beautiful, (Y/N). I’m glad I decided to keep my dress pants on instead of changing to jeans.” He said as everyone circled up in pairs while the two instructors were in the center.

Vernon came in late, rushing as it seemed he had just come from something. He waved at you and paired up with a lonesome female. When you were being told the position to get into, E’Dawn didn’t say anything, but his blush was obvious.

You smiled, “Don’t be nervous, oppa. It’s just me.”

He gave you a thankful smile and relaxed a bit. You two did some simple movements just trying to get used to how each other reacted before it was time to switch and repeat with the next partner. Vernon wasn’t too far away, and you couldn’t help feel comforted when his hands weren’t clammy like the last three guys.

“How are you today?” he asked.

“Doing great. I’m so glad your hands are dry.”

He gave you a confused look and you told him not to mind it. Instead, you two started doing the simple triple-step, triple-step, rock step that was the basis for swing dance. You were sort of amazing how easy it was...until he stepped on your foot.

“You’re supposed to go right first. Ow!” You said while limping a bit. “It’s fine.”

“Walk it off. You’ll be ok.” The female instructor said.

After recovering, you had just three seconds before moving on to the next person. All through the night, it was a fun little lesson. It helped you feel more confident in your body and you felt like you had gotten closer to your two guy friends. Lisa was there too, so she suggested you guys get something to eat afterwards.

You said you had to get some work done and decided that you would eat lunch with her tomorrow instead. Then you could eat off campus if time permitted it.

[7pm, Friday: PAINT PARTY]

You had only one class today, and it was cancelled since your teacher wanted to see their son who was working at one of the events today. It was the Puppy Love event where college kids got to meet adoptable dogs and play with them. So you decided to look around campus for a bit and meet up with your friends in the campus Game Room.

“Lisa!” You called and she hugged you.

Rosé was there too, and so you two hugged as well. You asked how they were going with learning the dances so far. Lisa said she wasn’t sure if she was even that good which made your other friend gasp in shock.

“You’re such a liar!”  Rosé said, “(Y/N), she learned the dance in an hour. All of it!”

“Yeah, but what’s the use of knowing the dance moves if you can’t even do them well?”

The rosy redhead looked at Lisa completely shocked and confused, “Are you kidding me? Dance, dance right now, and you’ll have everything down perfectly.”

Lisa was shocked, “What? Right now? Fine, fine, fine. Play the music.”

She stood up, and you looked away for a moment to watch Rosé go through her phone to find the music. Suddenly you felt a pull on your upper arm and Lisa was asking you to do the dance with her too since she was kind of embarrassed to do it by herself.

Being the good friend you were, you decided to stand next to her and do the moves as best you could. People watched as you two performed and soon enough even Rosé joined along with other people who were auditioning for the girls’ dance team.

The next thing you knew, you were dressed in all white and being checked into the paint party event. You, Lisa, Vernon, Amber, BamBam, and Rosé had gone as a group and put your stuff in Vernon’s car. Lisa was in a white long-sleeved crop top with the outline of paisley print in black, white ripped shorts, and black and white sneakers. Rosé was also in a crop top that had bands going around her waist with white boots and distressed jeans.

Vernon wore a regular plain white t that had fake buttons on the shoulders, white cargo shorts, and some old white tennis shoes. Amber had on a tank top and loose basketball shorts while BamBam had a t-shirt and white sweatpants on.

As for you, you had on a plain white shirt with the definition of aegyo on the front, white shorts, and a pair of flip flops that you’d take off before the party started. Your hair was in a protective style to make washing everything out easier. Everyone had towels, and Lisa had brought a pair of goggles. You wondered if you would see Hyojong here.

Hyuna looked amazing with her black hair contrasting the white oversized tank top she wore with white tennis shoes and white fishnets to match. It was one of the requirements on the flyer.

She handed out bags filled with neon paint to everyone else part of the University’s entertainment Society.

“Here’s your bag, E’Dawn. Do you know if (Y/N) is coming?”

“I’m not sure, but I hope she does.” He was in white shorts as well, and a tank top with the school logo on it. It was the same one Hyuna was wearing, but in the correct size.

His tattoos were on display, and he had no idea how you felt about tattoos. You two hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk one on one since this was one of the busiest weeks for him. Maybe if you made the co-ed dance team, he’d get to see you more. Hopefully, he’d get a chance to talk to you tonight.

Hyuna smiled, “Don’t worry. You’re both really awesome people, and you’ve gotten along great so far. Just talk to her some more, and I’m sure everything will turn out fine.”

E’Dawn smiled, “Thanks, noona.”

“Oh, there she is now. Go give her some paint.” She shoved her friend towards you until he moved on his own.

He was kind of sad to see Vernon there with you, but you guys were friends. So far, all of you were just friends. Maybe tonight would change that, hopefully tonight would change everything. Hyojong put on a huge smile and called out your name. You looked at him and waved, moving to hug him, but remembering you weren’t in America. Instead you stopped yourself and simply greeted him.

Hyojong’s heart was in his ears. Were you just about to hug him? If so, why did you stop? Either way, it took him a good ten seconds to recover and hold out the bag to you guys.

“Since you’re here early, you guys get some paint of your own to spay each other with! It’s non-toxic. Just don’t get more than two so that we have enough for everyone who wants some.”

Everyone grabbed some paint and tested it on each other to make sure it worked. Based on the huge pink spot dripping from Lisa’s shirt, it worked. You stayed and talked with Hyojong.

With a smile on your face, you asked, “So, you’ve been involved with everything this week, huh?”

“Yep. Well, as much as possible. Since I’m part of the co-ed and boys’ dance group, it’s best for me to get my hours now instead of later in the year.”

Your eyes lit up, “You’re in the dance team? I signed up for tryouts! Not sure if I’ll get in either of them, though.”

He scoffed, “I’m sure you’ll do great. Didn’t you see the comments on the video?”

“What video?”

Hyojong took out his phone to show video of you and your friends from earlier dancing. It was on the school’s own channel. From the amount of Korean that you could read, the comments said that “black noona” could dance really well. Some said that of course you could dance, you’re black. You chuckled.

“I had no idea they put it up. I thought it was just gonna be part of the weekly montage thing I saw on the school website. Oh my gosh.” You covered your mouth and called your friends over and say it already had 1k views.

After watching, more people had arrived and the sun was taking a header as it turned to night. This was going to be a good way to start off the weekend. While Hyojong was talking to you, he asked what you were into. You told him and asked him the same. As he spoke, you couldn’t stop looking at his eyes even as he turned his head to hand out paint to others.

“I’m sorry.” You said, interrupting him, “But your eyes are beautiful. Like, I’ve never seen eyes as dark as yours, and it takes my breath away.”

Your cheeks instantly got hot as you saw his shy reaction. He looked away and scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. That must’ve been the wrong thing to say, and you went into fixing mode.

“Oh jeez. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just wanted to let you know that they were really nice. It came out so cheesy though.”

Hyojong smiled, “No. Don’t apologize. I’m glad you like them, and I really like the way you said it. You’re such a sweet girl, (Y/N).”

Your heart was beating quickly when you felt a hand grab yours. Turning your head, you saw Rosé, “Vernon wants you, but he’s being a huge dork. People are starting to fill in, and we don’t wanna lose you.”

“Oh, ok. I’ll talk to you later, E’Dawn. If you can mingle, come find us! We’ll be near the front.”

[2 Hours later]

The music was amazing and you had gotten drenched in several colors of paint, mostly blue at this point and time. Thirty minutes ago, it was mostly yellow. Your bottles from earlier were completely empty and tossed into a nearby trash bin. Amber had BamBam on her shoulders while they danced to the music. Someone who went by the name of Ten had Lisa on his shoulders. They had bumped into each other and started speaking Thai to each other instead of Korean, so they just had to be friends.

Vernon had offered to lift you up, but you were too shy and didn’t want to be a perfect target for repurposed water squirters. They were submerged in huge buckets of paint and aimed at innocent college kids who would soon be drenched in some random color, pink, blue, or yellow. A lot had gotten in your ear earlier, and it wasn’t much fun. The next time you saw it being pointed your direction, you hid behind Vernon.

The blacklights were turned on and the audience glowed. Your bare feet felt the earth mixed with paint and becoming mud but didn’t mind the sensation too much.

“Ok, ok, ok! Listen up!” The DJ spoke into the microphone, “Quiet. Quiet! We have a few special guests from the co-ed dance team here to have a dance battle with a couple of you who are doing tryouts! Oooooo”

“Oooooo” the crowd replied in suspense.

Five girls in paint covered outfits along with five boys who were drenched as well. The girls had their hair pulled back and only three of each paired up. It was the girl who was at the booth whose name was Jiwoo with a guy you knew as J. Seph, a girl named Momo with a dude named Key, and a cutie named Minzy whose partner was Zelo. Somin and Hyuna stood on the sides next to Hui and Hyojong.

They did a two minute dance together that captivated you. Then some of them switched out to be only the guys. E’Dawn looked really confident up there. He even did a dance number with Hyuna and Hui. Vernon was pulled away by a girl with long black hair and curled bangs.

When it was only the girls performing, the same girl came and got you, Lisa, and Rosé to come up on stage after wiping your feet and shoes. Hyojong held your hand and asked how you were doing.

“What’s this?” You whispered.

“Surprise tryouts. Only the most promising are chosen to do it during events, and with your video going viral today, we had no choice.” 

“But Vernon wasn’t--”

“He’s your friend, so we put him at the same standard as you girls. You’ve practiced the co-ed dance with him, right?”

You nodded, “Yeah, but--”

He smiled, “Then don’t worry about it.” squeezing your hand to reassure you.

In groups of three, and one group of four, the impromptu tryouts happened with someone paired up with someone who was already a member of the dance team. Lisa, Vernon, and Rosé did amazing jobs, and then it was your turn in a group of four partnerships. You were nervous since you only really knew how Vernon’s body moved when dancing, but you just had to go with the flow.

The dance was over in a blur. You barely remembered much after doing your final pose, but looking at Hyojong, you did a great job. He gave you two thumbs up and you all bowed. Vernon hadn’t been in your group, but held your hand as they had all the ones trying out bowed together.

An hour later, the party was over and everyone dispersed. Vernon couldn’t stop talking about how amazing you had been up on stage as everyone got stuff from his car and dried off before sitting.

“Like, I didn’t know you could move like that! I saw the video, but your stage presence, oh my goodness! You should be in a girl group, dance line. I’m calling it now.”

Your cheeks were on fire as you replied, “Both of them were way better than me. And you were fantastic too!”

“To be honest,” He used his towel to wipe away some dripping paint. from behind his hair. “I only signed up because I saw that you had. It’s a lot harder than I thought it’d be, but I’m glad you’re helping me a lot.”

After biting your lip, you responded, “I-it’s not a big deal.”

The girls in front of you looked at each other and said that they’d get a ride home on a bus while Vernon drove you home. Your eyes went wide.

“What?”

“Sure, ok.”

You looked at him then back at your roommie and friend, “Are you sure? Are there even buses running at this time?”

Lisa looked at her phone, “There are two more before midnight, so we’ll be fine. College kids have a discount anyways.”

Rosé agreed, “Totally. You two have fun!”

And they ran off before you could protest. What the fuck?

“Are you ok with riding home with me alone?” He asked, something seductive having crept into his voice.

You couldn’t stop the pounding in your heart, but you weren’t sure if it was because you’d be riding home alone with a really cute and flirty boy or what.

Nodding, you answered, “Um, um, yeah. It’s ok. Hehe, I have to ask Hyojong something first.” You were about to go find him which a voice called out to you.

“(Y/N), you did great up there!” It was Hyuna. “You’ll get emailed the results tomorrow before midnight!”

That was your question.

“Oh, ok, thanks! Have a nice night!”

She paused and looked at you and Vernon, raising her eyebrows, “You too.”

Why did she have to say it like that? Oh goodness. So, you got in the car and Vernon closed the door for you. He had picked you and the other girls up from your apartment earlier, so he put it into the GPS. Then you two were off and listening to music.

You didn’t know that E’Dawn had seen you get into the car and drive off, not sure if he had missed his chance with you already. He had meant to ask you to go to the stargazing event tomorrow night with him since he already know you were going. He wanted it to be a date.

He’d have to remember to text you after he helped clean up a bit. Then opportunity knocked, and it sounded like a text ringtone.

You were a bit too nervous for a simple car ride home, so you didn’t sing along at first. Vernon asked more about your home life. Did you have siblings? Favorite things and why? That sort of stuff. He told you the same things and showed you pics of his little sister who was super adorable.

When you two got into your parking garage, he told you to text him when you got to your room. You said you would and he opened your door for you. As you stepped out to meet him, he asked if you had fun tonight.

“I did. I wasn’t expecting tryouts to happen like that, but I’m glad that they did. There’s still some questions I have, but I can text Hyojong about them. You were really amazing up there, Vernon. Also thanks for driving me home.”

He grabbed your face and kissed it, “No problem. I really do like you, (Y/N), so I would do absolutely anything for you.”

“Um, thanks. Goodnight!” You quickly got into the elevator and pressed the button to take you to the right floor.

What the hell was that? Was he actually into you? You told the girls while you ate midnight ramen and they asked how you felt about it as well as telling him about wht happened earlier in the week. You didn’t hate it, but you just weren’t sure if you wanted Vernon to be more than a friend. They asked about E’Dawn, and you got a weird feeling. Not bad, but different.

“I don’t know, either.”

“Well, know! Figure it out!” Rosé said. “Do you want to date? Or do you want to focus on studying? No one can decide that except for you!”

Lisa nodded, “She’s right, you know.”

“Ok, ok. I’ll figure it out.” You said, much more on your plate than just noodles at the moment.

Were you really doing this? Were you really getting all dolled up to go stargazing with Hyojong? You didn’t try this hard yesterday when you were hanging out with Vernon, but he was also going stargazing. Wait, no. It was a group thing. You just said that you would share E’dawn’s blanket with him.

You weren’t even trying that hard. Not like you had spent an entire hour deciding if you were going to wear jeans, shorts, or a skirt and you only got it between shorts and jeans. You sighed.

So maybe you had a crush on Hyojong. You sighed and laid back on your bed.

“It hasn’t even been a whole month, and I have gotten myself into a Korean love triangle!” You said.

Vernon liked you, and you liked E’dawn, but you also sort of liked Vernon, and you also had no idea how E’dawn felt about you. You touched your lips and remembered how Vernon kissed your lips last night. He didn’t push too much and it was gentle. You shook your head and stood.

“Clothes.” The stargazing started at 8, but you could show up at any time.

Still, it was best to get there early to get the best spots and make sure there were spots still available. Even though it was an RSVP, there was no actual limit to how many people could come. You finally came up with an outfit that you were happy with. Cutout leggings, alien themed top plus suspenders, and black boots. Also a jacket if it got cold.

It was 6:33pm and Rosé wanted to do a roomie mukbang with you and Lisa for her viewers because they were surprised to see a new background in her last stream. That lead to them being curious about her new roommates. So, you set out your outfit and joined the others in the living room to eat a lot.

So, E’dawn jumped around his room in the morning when he realized that you saying yes to sharing a blanket with him was real. You actually said yes! It was a weekend, but he had some homework he wanted to finish before getting ready for tonight. However, when the time came to actually pick out his outfit, he had no idea what he wanted to wear to impress you in a casual way.

He would bring an extra jacket for you, no hoodie. Girls loved to wear guys’ hoodies. Ok, so he chose his pink hoodie with green alien outlines on it for you to wear just in case. For himself, though. He didn’t want to hide anything from you, so he picked out a mint green succulent shirt to wear with dark blue jeans and some black and white trainers.

The other guys in his apartment plus friends had signed up to go as well, so they all piled into three cars to save on gas.

It was a nice night, but the mountain was kind of chilly. There was a concession stand set up in case any of the college kids got hungry and didn’t want to have to wait for their order to get there. The two groups got there around the same time and checked in with the sponsor before finding a place to sit. Everyone sat with who they said they would in the group chat.

No alcoholic beverages were allowed, so the boys brought a lot of sodas and water in their cooler and the girls were assigned food. A bunch of boxed lunches and convenience store sandwhiches since they were told to eat before coming here. You still had a lot of feelings to work though. You wanted to ask how E’dawn felt about you, but you were way too shy and it was way too awkward at the current moment.

Vernon was sat on the blanket next to you with a friend of his named Minghao and asked if you could see the Big Dipper. Some time later, him and Minghao went to go find someplace to pee. The buddy system was required in this unfamiliar place made even more unknown by the darkness. You realized Vernon was gone for a while even after his friend returned, so you tapped E’Dawn’s hand.

“I’m going to go find Vernon and make sure he’s ok.”

“Ok. Hey, do you have feelings for him?” He asked before he could help himself.

You looked away and spoke honestly, “Maybe. I’m not sure right now. I’ll be right back.”

“I’m coming to look for you in 15 minutes.”

You two nodded to each other, and you checked near the bathrooms and called into them. No one was there except some couple in the nearby bushes who were fucking. You just ignored them and went to where the cars were parked down the hill.

“Vernon?” You called just loud enough to be heard a few cars away.

You looked at the plates to find his car and were not very happy to see what was going on the side of it. His face was smushed against the face of some other brown-haired girl completely unaware of their surprise viewer.

“Oh.” You said at a regular volume, making them jump apart. “I’m sorry. Vernon was just taking a while, so I just came to check. You’re doing fine. I’ll leave you to it.”

Tears threatened to spill, and you’d be damned if you let him see them. He ran after you and caught your wrist.

“Hey, I’m sorry.”

“You said you liked me! You kissed me last night, Vernon! It was the second time you told me that you like me.” You yelled.

He didn’t look the least bit regretful, “It was the second time, and you ran away! I wasn’t getting anything from you, (Y/N). You didn’t give me an answer about how you felt, so I moved on.”

“IT HASN’T EVEN BEEN ONE FUCKING WEEK, VERNON! Don’t I get to think about it?”

“I just don’t have time for that.” The fuck boy replied awkwardly shrugging off your feelings.

“Clearly!” You said, spitting venom. “You know what? It’s fine. Go finish making out with your plain ass Reverse Harem Protagonist! I don’t care!”

You walked away, no longer feeling the right to cry but wanting to anyways. You were just so pissed! Betrayed! How could he? No time for thinking? Forget that shit. Your mom called you before you were too far up the hill, so you talked to her a bit.

Hyojong looked nervously at his watch. It had been 13 minutes. Two more, and he’d go looking for you. Not even a second later, Vernon came back and said that he and his friend were leaving, some plain looking girl on his arm.

“Where’s (Y/N)?”

“I’m not her babysitter.”

Lisa spoke, “But you kissed her last night.”

Rosé asked, “Who’s she?”

“Monika.”

“It’s Leslie.”

“Leslie. Whatever. We’re going.”

And they were gone. E’Dawn wanted to punch his face so badly but decided to go look for you instead. He heard your voice near the bottom half of the hill sitting on a bench. You were wiping your face and pretending like you weren’t crying as you spoke on the phone.

“I’m fine, ma. It’s just the weather making me a bit stuffy. It won’t last long. I’ll call you tomorrow, ok? Love you.”

He saw you hang up and heard you curse under your voice. You looked at him and looked away before cursing again.

“I know enough English to know you’re lying. It’s not the weather is it?” Hyojong asked.

You shook your head. He knew it. Vernon must have done something to hurt you, or you would’ve been back already. He asked what the mean boy did to you, and got a small chuckle out of it. You told him what happened, and he had never wanted to punch a human so badly before.

“I liked him just enough, he strung me along just the right amount to where I feel so fucking betrayed. Not just by him, but by my heart. How could I be so stupid!”

Hyojong held your hands, “You’re not stupid! Stupid people don’t learn another language and move out of the country for college.”

“You sure?” You gave a bitter chuckle.

“And I know we just met like a week ago, but I know you’re a smart girl, (Y/N). Not just in language, but I saw your books. You’re very smart. Emotions are dumb and they blind you to obvious things, but that’s ok. You’ll bounce back because that’s what smart girls do.”

He used his hoodie sleeve to wipe your face and then gave it to you to put on since he noticed you shivering.

He looked out, “Whenever you’re ready to go back up, I’ll be ready.”

You nodded. After calming yourself down and being thankful for the darkness, you stood and said you were ready. The two of you walked back to the others in silence, using your dimmed phone lights to help find your way. They asked what happened, and you shook your head. E’dawn shook his head, letting them know that they’d be informed later.

You two sat down again and looked at the stars. His fingertips touched yours and you smiled, not thinking too much of it. E’Dawn asked why you came to Korea instead of some in state school.

“I wanted my own life, a life that’s as unique and exciting as possible.” You began. “I’m not even completely fluent in Korean, so no one really supported me. Still, I knew there’d be enough people here that knew English if I needed it. I knew what I wanted and I was gonna work for it.”

He was admiring you and your honesty. You were a genius to him, a bit of madness, but still very hard working. Dedicated. You were absolutely perfect. Why could Vernon not see that you were the stars themselves?

You continued. “A life that I defined, no one else. I wasn’t even sure about the specifics, but I was willing to take the chance.”

His hand was now completely on top of yours, “Has it worked out so far?”

Hyojong saw that you smiled in spite of the horrible past few minutes and noticed you looking at how your hands were together.

You nodded, “I think so.”

“Hey, (Y/N)?” He asked, looking up at the stars.

“Yeah.”

He kissed your hand, “I’m really glad I met you.”

A huge smile crossed your face, “Me too.”

Your phone buzzed. Lots of phones buzzed and pinged. It was your e-mail, from the dance team! It was 11:59pm. Someone liked suspense. You and your friends circled up and opened it at the same time. You guys read the list for the co-ed tearm first. Lisa was on there and Rosé was on there. Vernon was on there. Two girls who were part of last night’s surprise tryouts, Jennie and Jisoo, were on there too. They all cheered.

You weren’t on there.

E’Dawn grabbed your phone, “This can’t be right! I thought--” A grin came upon his face and handed you your phone back, “You didn’t read the whole email.”

With a confused face, you looked through the email again. There was a section for “Spotlight Dancers” Your name was on there next to Hyuna, E’dawn, Taemin, Momo, and Key. They were like the best dancers! That was just for the co-ed team.

Lisa’s name was in the “Spotlight Dancers” section for the girls’ dance team next to Momo’s and another girl’s. You were so happy! You made both teams! You asked E’Dawn what a Spotlight Dancer did and that meant you’d get more stage time and be more important during competition season.

You were so happy that you hugged him but quickly stopped once you realized what you were doing, but you were glad when he pulled you back in. Even when the ruckus of all the contenders getting their results died down, he put his arm around you as you looked up at the stars together.

Maybe Vernon didn’t work out the way you thought it would, but you were more sure about your own feelings for Hyojong. A bit more sure about his for you too, but you didn’t want to talk about it right now. Later was better for now.

[la-appel-du-vide]

Day Five:

04•06•18

Today was my first time ever at Universal Studios! I was really excited going into the day because A - Harry Potter EVERYTHING. And B - It’s super fun to ride new rides. You have no idea what to expect and that’s exciting.

And the day definitely lived up to expectations.

Kind of a rocky start having to get up super early to make the drive up in LA traffic. But once we got there things got better. Dad had accidentally shipped our tickets that he ordered to the wrong address. He was trying to talk to somebody about how to print new ones with his confirmation code, and they ended up talking him into upgrading to VIP tickets. (He’s easily swayed, spontaneous, and he REALLY hates waiting in lines hahah.) It was expensive, but well worth it for us! Made our day totally awesome.

Once we got our passes, we were let into the VIP lounge, where we had access to a continental breakfast and snacks throughout the day. We ate, and then headed out to one of the most fun days ever. Our passes gave us immediate entry to all the rides in the park. Since Universal doesn’t have fast passes like Disney, I was expecting to spend a lot of time waiting in lines. But no! Dad’s awesome. We could walk on to any ride, even Harry Potter which always had a two hour wait.

We definitely started there. Walking through Hogsmeade Village was surreal. They did an incredible job paying attention to detail while building it. It felt like stepping into the movie set. As a kid who grew up with Harry Potter books for best friends, I was just in awe. And then we saw Hogwarts. Equally amazing!

The main Harry Potter ride takes place inside Hogwarts. We were eager to get on. We walked through our VIP access line past all the people waiting in line and it was pretty sweet. The whole line walks you through Hogwarts - the moving portraits, Dumbledore’s office, the Great Hall with floating candles… wow. So cool. And THE RIDE. 😮 Absolutely incredible on another level. That first ride had us all shook. You fly on an adventure with Harry Potter to the Forbidden Forest, play quidditch, escape a dragon, face spiders, fight dementors… all of it felt totally real and so cool. One of the most impressive rides I’ve ever been on. We all got off of it with the same reaction. Wow.

Then we rode the other Harry Potter ride, which was just your basic roller coaster. And basic it was…. so short. Wouldn’t have been worth it if we had had to wait for an hour haha.

Then we headed down to the lower level to hit three other big rides before our studio tour. We started with The Mummy, which was a really fast roller coaster in the dark. Intense, and fun. Next was Jurassic Park. This thing is like a super-sized Splash Mountain, with an 84-foot drop. We ended up sitting in the front, and I had to sit on the side too. After the first little drop, I was already soaked. And that only got worse after the big drop. All the hard work I had put into my hair that day was ruined. 😂 Aubrey and I were definitely the most soaked. Everyone else walked away pretty dry. But Dad sure got a kick out of laughing at us. “You got a little wet. 😂😂😂” Freaking Dad. 😂 And finally we rode Transformers. I’ve never seen the movies so I didn’t have a lot of context, but the ride was freaking awesome. It was my favorite in the park, other than Harry Potter. Universal just does such a good job of making you believe that you are actually in the movie. I felt like I was really riding a transformer. There were moments that my heart totally dropped out of anxiety that we were really going to smash into the ground. Ahhhh it was so fun! Mom didn’t ride it with us at first, because it said you may not want to ride if you have a fear of tight spaces, but we convinced her it wouldn’t bother her and she rode it immediately after with me and Aubs. And she loved it too. Killer ride.

We had a tour scheduled for 12:15, so we made our way back up to the upper level. We had a little extra time, so we rode the Simpsons ride. It was a virtual roller coaster, and it was cool, but not my favorite and I’m not really a fan of the Simpsons anyway. That one was hard for mom’s claustrophobia for sure.

We headed back to the VIP lounge to meet our tour guide, Robert. We grabbed some more snacks while we were there, and then headed out with him and our group. It toured out that the first part of the tour was just him walking us through the park and taking us on rides and shows. We weren’t sure we wanted to be stuck with them and would probably rather just do our own thing, but the ride he chose first was Despicable Me, so we figured we might as well ride it. It was another virtual roller coaster type of ride, and it was cute. We got to turn into minions for a few minutes. (;

Afterwards, we went with Robert over to the Animal Actors show. It was so cute. They showed off all the animals they train for movies including dogs, cats, raccoons, guinea pigs, chickens, pigs, and birds. They did lots of cool tricks and it was really funny. When the show was over, we even got to meet some of the actors. (;

At this point, we decided to leave our tour group and meet up again with them later. We walked through The Walking Dead attraction, which was kind of like a lame haunted house haha. They got us a couple of times, but mostly it wasn’t that impressive. Then we went to a show called Water World. Our VIP passes got us into priority seating which was awesome for such a busy show. This was a stunt show that involved jet skis, boats, an airplane, fire, explosions, high dives, and a lot of water. The actors were super entertaining and the show was fantastic.

When the show was over, it was time for lunch. Our VIP Experience came with a buffet lunch in the Paris part of the park. It was so good. So many choices. Everything we ate was fabulous. Chicken fingers, steak, fries, salad, pasta, cake pops, crepes, cookies, chocolate-dipped strawberries… I want to go back to that buffet rn. While we ate, we were greeted by characters like Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, and Dracula.

Then it was time for our Studio Tour with Robert. Anyone in the park can take a studio tour, but since we were VIP, we got to do their tour plus a few extras like: walk on a hot set (meaning a set currently being used and filmed on) for Superstore, drive past the set of The Voice, tour the Universal prop house, walk on the Metro street set which has been used in tons of movies, TV shows, and commercials like every Spider-Man, Gone Girl, American Ninja Warrior, and more and walk around the plane crash set from War of the Worlds. It was such a cool tour, and we learned a lot about filming and movie-making. We also got to do the regular tour stuff, like see the set of Jaws and Psycho, a couple 3D experiences for The Fast and the Furious and King Kong, seeing the set of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and more. Probably one of the coolest parts of the day. Didn’t see anyone famous, unfortunately, since Robert said they saw Chris Pratt on one of their tours last week!

After the tour, we were on our own again. Started by getting a Butterbeer from Hogsmeade, which I didn’t like much, but that was expected. The frozen one is definitely better than the drink one though. Then we went into Ollivander’s to watch a wand choose it’s wizard. It was just like the scene from the movie where Harry gets his wand. Super fun. I wanted to buy a wand, but it was just crazy expensive and probably not worth it haha. I did end up buying a Ravenclaw keychain (#RavenclawProud) and a Hogwarts notebook. Then we had to ride Harry Potter again, since we were there of course. (;

Next up was a Special Effects show. That was a fun one too, where they showed us how they create a lot of different special effects. We had fun hosts and enjoyed watching the show.

Our day was quickly coming to an end. We went to watch the Hogwarts night light show, which was similar to Disney World’s with projectors lighting up the castle, just not fireworks. Still pretty to watch, just short. But magical nonetheless.

After that was over, my parents and Whitnie were done for the day and wanted to go home. Aubrey and I wanted to ride some more rides, so we told them we would be quick and meet them at the exit. We started with Harry Potter one last time, but while we were in it, the ride stopped, leaving us hanging almost upside down for a few minutes, hahaha. When it started going again, it was still malfunctioning, so we were looking at a blank wall instead of the video we usually see. Because of that, they let us go on it again. So we ended up riding it four times! Perfect. Then we ran down to do the Mummy again, and finally ended with Transformers.

Such a perfect, fun day. If you’ve never been to Universal, put it on your must-do list next time you’re in the Anaheim/LA area. ⭐️

[milkpretzels]

48 Recipes for 2017 (1/2)

r In my attempt to come up with 12 different cuisines I’d like to try making for 2017, I accidentally came up with 24. I picked 4 for each, even though this only leads to 48/52 weeks each year I’m fine with that, it gives me wiggle room or an off day. Here’s the first year!

I randomized the list so here’s what I’ve got! Feel free to tell me your favorite dishes/recommendations  if you have any and I’ll work them in.

January 2017: Vietnamese - Kinda funny that I’m starting with this one, as I probably know the least about it other than pho and banh mi; the former of which I’ve been craving for weeks and the latter of which I’m.... not a fan orz.

1. Bò Kho- Because who would I be if I didn’t start off 2017 with a beef stew 2. Phở - Let me live alright........  3. Canh Bap Cai Nhoi Thit - Stuffed cabbage soup, as cabbage is something I’ve learned that I like in the past year or so. Will probably combine with next one to fit 4 in one month 4. Gỏi cuốn - Spring rolls, which is leading me to realize: Considering I’ve never been a pork, shrimp, or seafood person, I might have to start looking into vegetarian recipes more often. Will probably replace pork with chicken and avoid/omit seafood :S

Febuary 2017: Swedish - I’m not gonna lie, I know next to nothing about Sweden too. Hey tho isn’t this an opportunity for me to learn more about these cultures? Although, it seems like a lot of these seem to call for lingonberry jam on the side, not something I foresee being available in Bing so I might ask my mom to go to IKEA and send me some up (also subtly planting the idea of going to IKEA forwhen she goes furniture shopping for her new apartment huehuehe)

1.  Köttbullar - Swedish meatballs...... listen. Will hopefully make these for myself on valentines day 2. Jansson’s Temptation - Apparently a christmas dish, will probably swap anchovies out for capers.  3. Ärtsoppa - Yellow split pea soup 4. Pitepalt - this one seems a bit too simple, but hey. Scandinavian food. I found a recipe that calls for bacon so that should at least be nice.

March 2017: Greek - oh fuck yes im gonna eat bread with olive oil at every goddamn meal. ive never been a huge fan of olives but for the sake of authenticity i’ll probably keep them in at the first recipe. 1. Tzatziki - I always thought this was an Israeli invention but im not surprised it’s greek. a childhood classic 2. Greek Salad - Will probably go with the leftover tzatziki ill inevitably have LOL 3. Moussaka - i’m kind of neutral about eggplants but this is a staple and looks pretty damn good 4. Baklava - i have a feeling this wont come out great when i make it and thats okay LOL

April 2017: Argentinian - A close family friend grew up there, and my brother spent a year teaching English here, which is why I want to include it here.  1. Asado - i dont know how i can pull off barbeque in a tiny apartment but apparently it’ll be a crime not to include this argentinian staple 2. Carbonada - did you guys kno? i love...... stew 3. Choripán - sausage is a weird thing that i ignore my usual dietary choices for, i blame my parents. plus i have such a weakness for street food (well, it’s not street food if you make it in your kitchen but you know what i mean) 4. Chimichurri - Realistically? I will probably make this with the asado, since spring break is in april and i doubt ill be cooking thatweek

May 2017: Soul Food - Distinct enough from american food (another month), I’ve never really been south of the Mason Dixon Line. I have at least 2 friends who I know would recommend/swap out a recipe for me here. 1. Hushpuppies - these look........ amazing...... (im gonna toss scallion in. let me live) 2. Black eyed peas & Cornbread - 2 for one because these are both “mom” foods in a way and i’m not sure if either would entirely satisfy my hunger on their own 3. Chicken and Waffles - okay feel free to drag me but ive never had this there i said it (deep frying is also a process that scares me but all of 2017 will be filled with fear so) 4. Oxtails with gravy - maybe throw some collard greens in? idk man

June 2017: Moroccan - I had to actively balance the overlap between Mediterranean and israeli foods here too.  1. Chickpea Stew - coriander seems to be a popular spice in moroccan food! 2. Lamb Tagine - I knew I had to include lamb, it was between this and kebabs, but I’ll save those for later hehe 3. Chicken Marrakesh - again, more chickpeas!  4. Maghrebi mint tea - It’s odd to consider tea it’s own recipe, in the middle of summer no less, but I think the cultural significance makes up for it

July 2017: Colombian - rip to my crush on the immaculate alex carillo. see you space cowboy.... regardless i wanted more central and south american cuisine  1. Arroz con coco - simple yet elegant?  2. Empanada - im just praying i dont butcher it yaknow 3. Sudado de Pollo - speaks for itself here 4. Bandeja Paisa - I feel like this is one i will probably make with/eat with friends

August 2017: Filipino - I texted claude and got a response back within seconds this was the easiest one to find dishes for 1. Lumpia - excellent 2. Pancit - cabbage, chicken, noodles hell yes 3. Chicken adobo - this speaks for itself 4. Sisig - Claude mentioned lechon but i don’t really look forward to pork.... why am i such a picky eater...... anyway im always a fan of sizzling meat

September 2017: Cajun - This is really just me admitting that I want more of the holy trinity (green bell pepper, onion, celery) in my life  1. Po’ Boy - Sloppy roast beef sandwich? 2. Brochette - Some form of skewer, will have to find a specific recipe 3. Gumbo - Will have to make sure I can get okra for this? 4. Jambalaya - Crystal’s favorite! The one she made was fantastic and Iwant her recipe

October 2017: Italian - I originally split this into two months, emphasizing on pizza and pasta. after some strong encouragement and scorn (??) i’ve decided to look up other italian dishes and make the second month “american food” 1. Risotto - I accidentally made this once and i want to do it justice, in the name of milan 2. Bruschetta - Pat and Caroline have made really good bruschetta several times so perhaps ill hit them up 3. Sicilian - This is vague because I’m gonna ask andrew! one of my favorite biochemists and culinary aficionados  4. Gnocchi - I have a feeling this is gonna be a pain in the ass but i love it so it’ll be well worth it

November 2017: Persian - I’m expecting a lot of rice pilafs and saffron here 1. Kebab - chicken? lamb? the world’s my oyster, i just wanna do something classic here 2. Ash-e jow - I’ve never had barley soup but i do love both of those things! 3. Fesenjan - Same reasoning but pomegranate soup! 4. Tahdig - crunchy fried rice 

December 2017: Ukrainian - This one is timed nicely because Polina’s birthday is the 17th! I’ll probably convince her to cook with me each time hehehe 1. Chicken kiev - another classic 2. Varenyky - Ukrainian variation of pirogi (I decided to leave polish food out of this mix) 3. Holubtsi - The beautiful cabbage rolls I’ve grown to love, like tamales but you also eat the outer portion 4. Green borscht - sadly, i’ve made borscht and didn’t like it (beets aren’t my thing) but this version doesn’t contain beets!

[existentialstatesofmind]

Weekend Fun

Clare: smiled innocently. "I've played with change and real bills before but that's kind of risky. If I lose, I have to explain where my money went to and why I have nothing to show for it. If I win, I have to hurry up and spend the money, and hide whatever I buy. Gambling's a sin you know." She giggled because of course she didn't really believe that. Clare just stared at them when they said their mom had played with them before and ended up in her bra. In a way she thought her life would be so much easier if she had a cool mom. Or dad. Eli had both. But most of her friends' parents were as strict as hers or worse. Then again, it would be really gross to play strip poker with your mom! "Oh. I didn't think about Emi being in the pool because Dakota told me she's afraid of the water." Clare explained smiling sheepishly. "Nothing dangerous, got it. I just don't want to ruin anyone's fun or cause problems." She thought it was cute how Stacy was part of their family, she could understand that since Stacy had been dating Dallas a long time already. But it was all the more reason why she didn't want Stacy to think she was getting special treatment. Clare was quiet while Dakota and his family took turns talking to their grandfather on the phone. She couldn't help laughing when Emi said she wanted a pony though she covered her mouth to muffle the sound. She was a little confused by all the talk of sperm donors and arranged marriages. Then Clare realized 'the sperm donor' was Dakota's father. She couldn't blame him for thinking that way from what he'd told her. "I have friends whose parents cultural and religious beliefs include arranged marriages, I think it's awful." Clare said quietly. "So you're lucky he's going to let you take over the company without one." Dakota seemed happy his future was secure and she knew it was important because of Emi. Once her jacket was on, Clare smiled at Dakota as he described Monica's bag and his grandpa's company. "No way! That was all you? The waiting list to buy one is full! I've heard a lot of kids at school complaining about it and who could blame them, the design is really something." She gushed. Clare nodded and grinned when Dakota kissed her cheek. "I hope you like designing." She had just sat down in the SUV and started to fasten her seat belt when Dakota's mom said they had to order something that cost at least $10. Her parents had taught her to respect all adults and follow their rules. Clare bit her lip as Stacy and Dakota described the chores they'd had to do as punishment. If she got in trouble, she would do as she was told. Clare knew Stacy was right though. Doing the dishes or cooking, or laundry for the Anderson family wouldn't be the same as when she did it at home. "Yes Ma'am. I'll order something moderately priced." She gulped and automatically reached up to clutch her cross necklace when Dakota's mom said she would have to sleep in his room if she didn't. "You don't own any pajamas? What do you wear instead?" Clare squeaked glancing over at Dakota. He shared a room with Emi so at least he didn't sleep naked. Clare gasped when she was told Emi would be sleeping in Kelly's room and she'd have to share a bed with Dakota. Her face turned red. She was not comfortable with this at all. It would ruin their friendship. If her parents found out, they'd assume the worst and really punish her. Clare wouldn't be disrespectful though. When they reached the restaurant, she got out of the SUV along with everyone else. There was a short wait time and then a waiter lead them to a couple of tables they'd pushed together for their 'party'. Once she was seated, Clare picked up a menu and began scanning it. There weren't any prices listed! She shot Dakota a horrified look. "How're we supposed to know what to get?" She hissed. Well salads and soup were out, they were too cheap. Clare didn't want to order something expensive like steak or lobster either. The waiter took their drink orders and left. When he came back and it was her turn to order, Clare asked for an appetizer, the Bloomin' Onion, and Coconut Shrimp. Clare silently prayed that would be enough but not too much. She normally wouldn't have ordered two things but she was scared the shrimp might be under $10. It was probably going to be way too much food for just her but hopefully they were allowed to share?

Kota: nodded at Clare. "I know the feeling. If we were to gamble and lose we'd be ok we can say we spent it all on food. We'd get in trouble, but not as much for winning. "Oh, life preserver. She doesn't mind if she's in a life preserver, but she needs to know how to swim and can't wear one in a kiddie pool or she'll be made fun of." he explained. He listened as Clare spoke about his family and smiled at her. "I am lucky. I get that grandpa doesn't want me to marry a girl who's just in it for money and since I'll have my name everywhere when I take over, it'll attract unwanted attention." he explained. "I probably have to date girls that grandpa picks out for me if I don't have a girlfriend by then. It's not like I'll be a player, he'll set a meeting with a girl and we'll learn about each other, if she doesn't interest me or I don't see a future with her it ends. The girls he picks will be my age and rich. They're parents will be the owner of a company that will benefit from the marriage due to the merging of the companies and besides if I'm to date someone he's picked out I'm getting a prenup." he shrugged. "If I picked her like if we started dating and we'd get engaged, we would ignore the prenup." he shrugged and listened as she mentioned the waiting list. "Yea, we're trying to put them on shelves, but the waiting lists are too long. It seems that once we finish one list we get another with at least 100 names on it. I'm only in charge of MB right now so I have to watch the product and answer calls about it." he sighed and looked at her. "Let me see your phone?" he asked and looked at it as they walked out the door. He took her case off and quickly ran to his room only to grab a case for her. "Here, I finished the design a month ago. This is a beta." he said putting a MB phone case on her phone. "Monica got the bag because I accidentally broke hers.I was helping her and when I lifted it, the strap broke. I had the MB one in my locker and told her I got it as a present. She didn't ask, but when people asked about it she pointed out the logo and the company on it. If anyone asks how you got the phone case just tell them you're beta testing and it'll be coming out in June. The waiting list is also online." he said honestly. "I just sent in a design for a hoodie last week, I'm going to beta test it." he smiled at her. "I'm designing other things mainly when Emi and I draw. I'm in drawing classes with her on Thursdays after school starting next week." he explained as they drove. Once heard Clare ask what he wore to bed, he licked his lips. "Boxers." he, his brother, and Stacy answered in unison. "We all wear boxers to bed. Stacy knows because she had to do laundry one weekend." he pointed out. The minute they got to the restaurant and seated, Kota listened as Clare ordered and licked his lips. "Sweetie, we normally share the appetizers besides, they're not a meal. You need vegetables, a side, and an actual protein such as steak and lobster or one or the other." his mom said and looked at the waiter. "We only want three Bloomin Onions but leave the shrimp." she said. "We can get both?" Kota asked. "Yes, you can get both." Kelly laughed a bit and he shut his menu and leaned over. "Dom got a burger and fries." he whispered. "There are no prices because mom wanted it that way. You can request menus with no prices at some restaurants or go to the really fancy ones that have no prices on any of them." he added, then ordered a steak and lobster with mashed potatoes and broccoli for himself and chicken fingers for Emi along with a Sprite for each of them. "Kota what are you doing with your money from Murder Bunny?" Dallas asked. "Well now that my future's settled, I don't really know. I don't have to save up for college since that's already paid for." he shrugged and looked at Clare.