#now to do Mousey moo

[rickw-210-blog]

'Ricky/Starry' - Ricardo Sanchez @rickw-210 - Admitted for having a mental breakdown, after a suicide attempt, it was believed that Rick had murdered his wife and unborn child as well as 4 other people.. He actually gained extremely bad amnesia from his attempt. He tends to be fairly innocent and avoids contact with people. He is not allowed to be alone and if found alone must be escorted to his room. He must take his pills for depression and should be forced to sleep within his bed then within his blanket pile. But he is usually forced to have to go therapy and hypno therapy

@azurelakeasylum

[noisyquokka]

Fairytale Kisses

pairing: Jisung x Fem!reader

genre: Floffity floof floof, my buds

length: 2.4k

warnings: N/A unless Jisung interacting with a child is dangerous... nahhh.... unless...

Gist - When you planned a night out with your best friend, you didn’t expect to forget about babysitting your cousin. You didn’t expect to kiss your best friend either but that’s a tale for another time...

A/N: Alright so to begin with, this was supposed to be Jisung’s birthday drabble but uhh... see, my imagination got the best of me so this is longer than I expected it to be. SO!!! If you guys enjoy this and want a part 2, let me know because I have a little more up my sleeve! Plus, Jisung with a child would be the sweetest shit ever I legitimately wanna cry :’)

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"Spongebob?"

"No."

"Bubbles?"

"Nope!"

"Oh, oh, I know! Moomin!"

"Very good guess, muffin, but you're wrong again!"

Your little cousin pouted, nuzzling her face into your back. You smiled to yourself, tapping away at your phone screen. There was no denying how much love you held for your cousin - the youngest of your family - what with how often you babysat for your aunt. You always enjoyed watching her, today was no different. Well, besides your special guest.

"Can you just tell me? My thinky box is broken." She said, shuffling around so she was standing in front of you. A chuckle escaped you, staring up at the 6-year-old playing with her pigtails. The simplicity of a child's mind.

"Don't tell me you forgot about your favorite character!" You hinted, brows raising in surprise. The child threw her head back, sticking her bottom lip out in deep thought. A small gasp shook her tiny body and you locked eyes, a hint of a gummy smile on her face.

"Sung Sung!?"

Her eyes filled with hope as she observed your features, waiting for any sign that her answer was correct this time. Initially, today was supposed to be a day spent with Jisung going to the movies and just hanging out. And it would've been had you not forgotten about watching the child in front of you. Luckily Jisung wasn't appalled at the idea of bringing her along with you as it was quite obvious how much he loved her from the first time he met her. You lifted a finger to your chin in thought.

"Hmm, I don't know... let's find out!" You replied, tapping on Jisung's contact. After a few rings, the call connected and your cousin squealed with delight at the sound of your best friend's voice.

"Sung Sung, when are you gonna be here?" She asked, hopping in front of you excitedly. Sometimes you wondered if she enjoyed Jisung's company more than yours!

"I'll be there in just a few minutes, sweetpea. Can you wait for me?" He asked, voice muffled over the speakerphone. She nodded in response and you laughed, listening to her squeals of happiness.

"That's an affirmative, Ji! We'll be seeing you."

"Alright."

The call ended and your little cousin made her way back over to you. She continued to dance around the living room, slipping under your legs that were propped up on the ottoman, and finally pouncing on the couch beside you.

"Where is Sung Sung?" She asked, standing on the cushion to peer out the window. The question sounded more like a demand. As if the boy should've been there already by some sort of magic spell. You set your phone down, sitting up next to the impatient little girl.

"Why don't we go and wait outside for Sung Sung? He should be here soon!" You said, standing up. Before you could move away from the couch, two little arms flung over your shoulders, climbing onto your back. On instinct, your hands grabbed for her legs, supporting most of her weight so she wouldn't fall. Once she was comfortable, she pointed towards the front door.

"Onward, trusty steed! We must welcome our King Sung Sung at the entrance to the castle!" She said it so seriously that you almost believed you were apart of some fantasy universe. Until those giggles resounded throughout the room once again, emitting nothing but beautiful and happy vibes into everything around her, including you. Imitating the sounds of a cow, you raced through the house with your little cousin clinging to your neck.

"Why are you mooing?" She giggled, causing you to stop and glance over your shoulder with furrowed brows.

"Wha- don't you know about the magical moo-cows?"

"Nooo," more giggles, "I don't believe you!"

You gasped in mock hurt, walking down the hallway as you spoke.

"Well, you should! These special moo-cows carry special little girls all over the kingdom on adventures and they help welcome royal guests."

You felt her cling tighter to your waist with her legs, adjusting herself on your back.

"Do they help welcome Kings like Sung Sung?" She asked, squealing inwardly as you stopped at the front door. You nodded, opening the door to the warm air of late Summer. Just on queue, Jisung skated up the street as you made your way outside.

"Sung Sung!"

Jisung's eyes widened at the sight of your little cousin, hopping off his skateboard at the end of your driveway. Jisung was your best friend, that you were sure of. But for the past few months, you noticed the shift in your emotions; the shift that would change things indefinitely. You were crushing on Jisung.

Now just because you noticed them didn't mean you did the healthy thing. Unless stuffing them in the deepest crevis of your mind and ignoring them was healthy. But even that was hard because frankly, Han Jisung did a lot of things that made your heart rate pick up. Right now was no exception. You watched as your little cousin ran up to him, that mousey voice repeating Jisung's nickname like a mantra. He bent down to pick her up and she squealed once more.

"Hello, my little peanut." Jisung beamed, resting her on his hip. She smiled from ear to ear, wrapping her small arms around his neck. You knew how much adoration Jisung had for her, so much so that you swore you'd never seen him interact with any other child in the same nature. That little girl had Jisung wrapped around her tiny finger and vice-versa.

"Aren't you going to welcome your King inside?" You asked, prompting your little cousin to hide her face in the crook of his neck. Jisung could feel his heart explode in his chest at her actions, so simple yet so sweet.

"Aww, have you been keeping watch over my crown? You know it's very important to me." He said and she nodded. The three of you made your way inside, Jisung making a B-line for the living room with the pint-sized child still in his arms. As soon as he sat down she was gone, running off to fetch her King's glorious crown.

"You know, she adores you more than Prince Eric!" You said entering the living room, drinks in hand. Jisung chuckled, taking the soda you offered him.

"What, nooo... You think so?"

You smirked at his hesitance, cracking open your own drink. Before you could answer, the sound of tiny footsteps across the wooden floor resounded through the house. Your little cousin bounded around the corner, the crown she had made for Jisung in her hands. Without warning, she pounced on his lap and Jisung let out a grunt, handing you his drink.

"Are you using me, King Sung Sung, as a jungle gym?" He bellowed, holding her small body above him. All she managed to do was squeak in surprise, cackling at how low Jisung's voice was.

"That's not King Sung Sung!" She exclaimed as Jisung placed her back on his lap. You watched as he played along, rubbing his stomach.

"Ah, you're right, peanut. I'm not feeling so good." He stared at his hands, rubbing them on his jeans. The child studied his every move, seemingly confused.

"Do you have a tummy ache? Are your eyes being controlled by tiny minions?" Jisung found himself close to breaking character when she pulled a silly face, but he remained calm and collected.

"No, no. It's my hands..." He said, showing her the palms of his hands. "I think it's taken hold of me, I can't control it!" Closer and closer his slender fingers crept towards her sides. You watched as she seemed to connect the dots, springing up to run away from the boy. Her attempt was futile and before you knew it, those contagious giggles filled the room, enveloping you and Jisung in pure bliss.

"Stop! Stop!" She squealed, trying her best to escape Jisung's merciless prodding of her sides. "Magical moo-cow, de- defeat the monster!"

You knew that when your best friend played with your little cousin, he always pulled you into the antics. So naturally, you were keeping your distance to save yourself the stomach ache. But how could you let your precious little fairy be defeated by the big bad tickle monster? You set your drink on the coffee table and armed yourself with an accent pillow, taking a swing at his left side. Jisung obviously wasn't expecting that! His wide eyes stared back at you, mouth agape as you held the pillow up once again, attacking the boy a second time.

"YOU'VE MET YOUR MATCH, TICKLE MONSTER!" You exclaimed, mooing aggressively. Your cousin had sat up and grabbed her own pillow by now, joining you in the battle with soft wallops and a war cry that sounded close to baby Groot.

"YEAH YOU MEANIE! GIVE US BACK KING SUNG SUNG!"

"NEVER!!" Jisung howled, falling off the side of the couch with a thud. You stopped, waiting for him to pop his head over the armrest but he didn't. Did he actually hurt himself? You shuffled to the opposite side of the couch, looking over the side to find... the hardwood floor.

"Ji- AHH!"

In an instant, Jisung had hopped over the back of the sofa and onto you, trapping you under him. His fingers found your sides with ease and you wished you would've kept bashing him with the pillow because you already felt your abdomen screaming for mercy. The little girl had resumed her soft wallops on Jisung's back but you knew that he wouldn't let up on you. You were one of the most ticklish people on Earth and he was eating up every second of your laughter and pleas to stop.

"I'll stop once you apologize for whacking me with those hard pillows!" He said, not backing down in the slightest.

"Oh pl-ease, tho-those are the so- softest pillows I own!" You replied, sucking in breaths every time his fingers dug into your skin. If Jisung was anything, it was relentless! Your arms did their best to fight off his attacks, to no avail. There was no way you could keep this up! Your sides were already cramping from how sensitive your waist was.

"C'mon, Y/N!" He teased, chuckling at your squeals, "It's the King or the Queen!"

Did you hear him correctly? King or Queen? Last you checked you were playing cow! You couldn't bother to worry about it right now, though. You were in a bit of a predicament! Finding your upper arm strength, you shoved him off of you, his back landing on the couch cushion behind him.

"You're right!" You said, grinning down at him. "And the King seems to have been defeated." Jisung smirked back, pulling you forward by the arm. It was that moment that your mind started screaming.

Oh... This is close...

Very close.

Your opposite arm had landed right beside Jisung's head, propping you up just enough that you weren't nose to nose with him. What made you freak was how he was handling this close proximity; way too well! The smirk on his face had faded, turning his expression soft. His brown eyes stared into yours, slightly hidden by his unruly hair. If he still wasn't holding onto your forearm you would have swept those strands from his line of sight but it did make him look softer. So much softer... SNAP OUT OF IT, Y/N! God forbid you had to complete some sort of 'don't crush on Jisung' challenge, you would've lost years ago! Hell, you were breaking now! His gaze fell to your lips for a split second and, oh boy... you wondered if he could hear your heartbeat pick up. Maybe he did because he cocked his head, blinked twice, and pulled you closer. Before your brain could comprehend those actions, Jisung had captured your lips in a sweet and delicate kiss.

Do you pinch yourself now?

This was actually happening!?

Your best friend? Kissing you?

After a few moments, Jisung pulled away. You rested your forehead against his shoulder, keeping your eyes closed out of embarrassment. You don't know why you were embarrassed. Maybe because of how much you enjoyed it. Or maybe it was because you knew he didn't really mean it.

"Eeewwwwww!"

Both you and Jisung looked towards the sound of the small voice. Your little cousin sat on the ottoman right in front of you, her nose crinkled in disgust.

"You just kissed a moo-cow!" She giggled, sticking her tongue out. You glanced down at Jisung, who was already smiling at the little girl. He sat up with you, leaning forward to pick her up and place her on his lap.

"Do you know why I kissed the moo-cow, peanut?" He asked her. Your cousin shook her head, jutting her bottom lip out.

"Well, you know how fairytales go! To break the curse, you need a true love's kiss."

Say what now!?

"But, I thought moo-cows were common. They help greet royal guests," The child poked her cheek in thought. "And you're King Sung Sung. Princes are the ones that break curses!"

You weren't even a part of this conversation, you were just there! Quite frankly, you liked it that way. You didn't know how to respond to any of what was happening anyway. Jisung had kissed you without a word! What did it even mean? You hoped it wasn't going to be one of those 'I kissed you, now let's ignore that for the rest of our lives' situations. On second thought, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea...

Jisung gasped at your cousin's words, shaking his head.

"Is that what you've heard? Tsk, tsk, tsk!" He took the crown from her hands, placing the mass of sticks and orange silk flowers on his head. Perfect. "Kings are much more powerful than Princes. And if you see a magical moo-cow, that's not always a good thing."

"What! Why?" She questioned, her brown eyes darting between you and Jisung. Yeah, why!!! You were as confused as she was.

"There are evil wizards in this kingdom that curse others, turning them into animals! Y/N just happened to be one of those people." He said, shooting you a smile. That beautiful smile... The child blinked, seemingly confused before she shrugged.

"Ok, well... can we go for ice cream now?"

You let out a breathy laugh, shaking your head.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet, muffin." You reminded, hearing her whine in protest.

"C'mon, you wanna grow up to be strong, right?" Jisung asked, standing up with the little girl in his arms. A sheepish nod was the only answer he received. "Then you've gotta eat right! We can't defeat evil with just ice cream!"

"Of course we can!"

Oh, that was a good try on her part. You grabbed your phone off the table, slipping it in your pocket.

"Then, let's get going!"

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I genuinely enjoyed writing this and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! If y’all want a part 2, let me know 💗 I’ll most likely post that on Ji’s birthday!

[bubblegumbi-tch]

GET TO KNOW ME!

I was tagged by the lovely @otsukaresope thank you!(and yes, I copied and pasted yours and changed my answers too)

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people. (lol you know i’m not tagging that many people)

THE LAST: 1. Drink: Mango Juice 2. Phone call: My dad 3. Text message: My dad again 4. Song you listened to: There Was A Rapper by Dizraeli & the Small Gods 5. Time you cried: looooord I have no idea, I cry all the time.. i think it was like two or three days ago..

HAVE YOU: 6. Dated someone twice: No 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: No 8. Been cheated on: Not that I know of 9. Lost someone special: Hasn’t everyone? 10. Been depressed: I guess 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: Yes, only once, I learned my lesson.

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12. Blue or any variation on it 13. Yellow/Orange 14. Very dark pink/red/purple kinda colour if you know what I mean

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. Made new friends: Yes, surprisingly 16. Fallen out of love: lol i’ve never even been IN love 17. Laughed until you cried: Probably yeah, i used to do it a lot more than i do now though sadly 18. Found out someone was talking about you: I found out a guy wouldn’t shut up about me because he liked me if that counts.. 19. Met someone who changed you: I don’t think so, no 20. Found out who your friends are: I already knew who my friends are 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: Yes

GENERAL: 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: All of them I’m pretty sure 23. Do you have any pets: Omg, yes! I have two cats, a dog, two budgies, a bearded dragon, a tortoise and two chickens! 24. Do you want to change your name: When I was little me and my best friend went through a phase of wanting to change our names, but of course we never did. 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: My family all came to see me and then my parents took me out for a meal in the evening. 26. What time did you wake up: Ugh 7am to pack up from camping and come home, it’s the earliest I’ve been up in ages! 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Messaging my friends and trying to sleep. 28. Name something you can’t wait for: Hixtape of course and also to get my flipping uni accommodation confirmation so I can start planning my room! 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: About 30 seconds ago, she’s in the kitchen 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: I wish I was more confident and sociable (I’m a lot better than I used to be but it’s still something I’m working on!) 31. What are you listening to right now: Nothing, although I’ve been recently rediscovering Yoongi’s mixtape, specifically The Last... It’s making me emo af. 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: Yeah I know of so many Tom’s 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: My menopausal mother (sorry mum) and my over helpful, dithering grandmother (put them both together like now and i want to take a long walk off a short pier)  34. Most visited website: I guess here or youtube

LOST QUESTIONS. I JUST PUT IN RANDOM INFO ABOUT ME 35. Mole/s: A few like flat big freckle ones but none that i would really call moles because they aren’t raised?? How do you even know what’s a mole and what isn’t? 36. Mark/s: oh man my knees are basically made of childhood scars, I also have a big scar on my arm from when i broke it, and various other tiny scars across my body, and a few bits of discolouration on my back from when i got sunburned really badly once 37. Chilhood dream: I wanted to be a vet 38. Hair color: My natural hair colour is like a light mousey brown, but at the moment it’s henna red 39. Long or short hair: uhh short i guess, it’s in a bob that’s grown out a lil 40. Do you have a crush on someone: Not really 41. What do you like about yourself: I like my long, naturally curled eyelashes, and that I am quite an accepting person (at least i like to think i am) 42. Piercings: One in each ear, and my nose 43. Blood type: I have no idea, i tried to find this out before i went to korea as they believe the blood type=personality traits thing, but it seems to be actually quite hard to find out if you don’t already know.. 44. Nickname: Meg, v occasionally Meggie or (if you’re my mother and trying to annoy me) Meggie Moo 45. Relationship status: Single 46. Zodiac: Aries 47. Pronouns: she/her 48. Favorite TV show: Gosh I don’t know anymore, I don’t watch as much tv as i used to. I recently finished binging Skins (uk) though because i never got into it when i was a teenager 49. Tattoos: No, but i would like to get one one day 50. Right or left hand: left handed! (fun fact a lady i used to work with told me this is a sign of the devil and looked at me reproachfully lol) 51. Surgery: No cosmetic surgery, but i broke my arm pretty badly when i was 9 and had to have two surgeries to fix it and i still have a numb section down my right arm to this day from nerve damage! 52. Hair dyed in different colors: I have only ever dyed it red/coppery either with henna or proper dye 53. Sport: man i am the least sporty person you will ever meet! I was pretty good a hockey in school though and i enjoyed tennis and badminton too. 54. There’s no question here so fun fact: I currently have diamond shaped sunburn patches all down my arms from a lace-up armed top i was wearing yesterday, i’m such a fool. 55. Vacation: I would literally love to go anywhere and everywhere in the world, but right now I’m kinda feeling either Hawai’i (blame bts) or Florida 56. Pair of trainers: Do converse count as trainers? Because I live in my converse.

MORE GENERAL:

57. Eating: Nothing Right now, but i need to go make myself some lunch.       58. Drinking: Again nothing, someone get me some tea!

59. I’m about to: Go say hi to my grandma who has just turned up, then maybe go over to my dad’s and watch game of thrones with him 60. No question here either so another fun fact: I have hypermobility in some of my limbs, just like Jin does (his wiggly fingers) so my knees bend backwards (i think Jin’s knees do this too actually), which freaks some people out! The downside is apparently it’s awful for my joints, I’m such an old lady! 61. Waiting for: My uni accommodation! 62. Want: So many things, love, money, a job, MY UNI ACCOMMODATION 63. Get married: Eh, maybe if the right person comes along, although i think it will be v different from a traditional type of wedding eg i hate how traditionally the bride is given from man to man and takes the husbands name, I would like to mash our names together to make a cool new name for us both... idk i guess i would just have a more feminist/egalitarian version of a marriage/wedding if i get married. 64. Career: Uuugh I don’t even have a job at the moment, and i doubt i will even when i finish my degree lol oh the hopelessness of adulthood

WHICH IS BETTER 65. Hugs or kisses: Hugs 66. Lips or eyes: Both?? I guess lips if i HAD to choose. 67. Shorter or taller: It doesn’t make a difference to me bc im short as hell anyway so anyone i date it always gonna be taller than me no matter how short they are... 68. Older or younger: i would prefer older but i guess so long as it’s not too much younger i wouldn’t mind so long as they are mentally mature enough. 69. No question here: Then you’re gonna get no answer. 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: nice arms i guess 71. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive 72. Hook up or relationship: Relationship preferably, but all i ever seem to get are hook-ups! 73. Troublemaker or hesitant:  I guess troublemaker so long as it’s not damaging

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. Kissed a stranger: Yes 75. Drank hard liquour: Yes 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: I lost a pair of sunglasses recently.. 77. Turned someone down: Yes 78. Sex in the first date: I haven’t actually properly dated anyone in ages.. 79. Broken someone’s heart: Not that i know of 80. Had your heart broken: Yes, but not by a romantic partner, just a best friend, they can do that too unfortunately.. 81. Been arrested: No although apparently i once when i was 16 i got blackout drunk and started hammering on a police car door (with the policemen inside) and they had to get out and tell my friends to take me home or they would arrest me (im so goddamn embarrassed about that)  82. Cried when someone died: Of course, who doesn’t? 83. Fallen for a friend: No

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. Yourself: i have nothing else to believe in so, YES 85. Miracles: I don’t think so 86. Love at first sight: Again, I don’t think so 87. Santa Claus: Of course, what are you saying?!?!?! 88. Kiss in the first date: Yeah why not if i like them enough 89. Angels: No

OTHER: 90. Current best friend’s name: I don’t think i have just one, but i guess my oldest friend and friends i se the most are Jenny and Hannah 91. Eyecolor: Green/blue/turquoise, it depends on the light (yes im THAT white girl, fight me it’s a thing) 92. Favorite movie: Ah man i couldn’t tell you i just don’t know sorry!

Tagging: @aw-yeah-jimin @grandpa-yoongi @sopehope @seoulsistersopi and i guess anyone else that wants to do it!

[itsthebeatingofhishideousheart]

Be My Friend (written somewhere in 2011)

     The all too familiar sound of the shutters rolling up told Sally Dean that she was late. Again. Why couldn’t she just get here on time? It didn’t seem to matter what time she got up, what time she left the house or if she took a train or a bus. Sally sighed and braced herself for a Skeletor attack.     “Nice of you to join us, Miss Dean.” Sally flinched and stopped in mid-jog across the shop floor; she turned and prepared herself for the barrage. Miss Middlebrook, always Miss Middlebrook and never a first name, glared at Sally over the top of horn-rimmed spectacles. She believed that familiarity bred contempt so she refused to be on first name terms with her staff but, right now, she had skipped contempt and gone straight to disgust. And now she stood there, skinny hands on bony hips, looking as if a sneeze would blow her down.     “I’m sorry, Ske . . . Um, Miss Middlebrook.”     “I doubt that since you manage to be late every day.” Sally felt a small flower of anger begin to bloom in her chest.     “It’s not my fault, Miss Middlebrook.”     “Then whose fault is it, may I ask?”     “Yours, Miss Middlebrook.” Sally’s voice was level and totally free from sarcasm, but Miss Middlebrook blanched anyway.     “And what exactly do you mean by that?” Her voice was cold, close inspection would probably have shown chips of ice being spat across the room. Sally gave a small sigh, in for a penny in for a pound.     “You know I have trouble getting here for nine. I asked you weeks ago if I could have the 9.30 shift and you said you would let me know. How long does it take to make a decision?” Sally Stared at Miss Middlebrook, not even daring to breathe. Miss Middlebrook’s lips twitched and then she raised an eyebrow.     “Well, if you’ll excuse me I think I need to change the rota. You should have reminded me sooner.” Sally stared, open-mouthed, at Miss Middlebrook’s retreating form.     “Holy shit” whispered the shocked young woman. Another head raised itself above the counter and grinned; Tanya Peters stood up and waited until the door to the office had closed before she started her victory dance.     “Oh, my giddy God! I can’t believe you just did that!” Her voice was high pitched but barely above a whisper. Sally couldn’t believe it herself; she swallowed and walked in a daze to the locker room to put her things away.     When the clock finally rolled around to 1pm, Old Skeletor rolled the shutters back down and dismissed her staff for lunch. Sally and Tanya took the back door out of the shop and crossed the car park to the burger van. After retrieving two cheeseburgers with everything, they dashed back into the shop and went to the staff room. A girl was sitting at the table. She was thin with mousey brown hair, thick glasses and a pockmarked face.     “Hello. Sorry, I’ll move so you can sit and eat your lunch.” Tanya gave a haughty snort and dropped into the empty chair.     “Thank you. I’m Sally and the stroppy moo there is Tanya.” The moo in question wasn’t listening; she just gave another snort and started on her burger. Sally dragged another chair to the table to allow the girl to have a seat too.     “I’m Sam. Nice to meet you both” said the girl. Sally smiled and nodded before eating her own burger and trying to include Sam in the conversation even though Tanya ignored her.     The shutters once again rolled down and the shop was closed for the day. Sally leaned against a counter and tugged off her boots.     “Why do I wear these? They rip my feet to pieces” she muttered. Sally followed Tanya to the locker room; they grabbed their things and then left again by the back door. Old Skeletor was left to cash up and lockdown. Sam was standing outside and Sally wondered how she had got out here so fast but then she noticed Sam had no bag or coat. She must have gone straight from the shop floor and outside.     “I’m off. See you tomorrow, Sally.” Tanya turned on her heel and strode past Sam, not even sparing her a glance. Sally sighed and shook her head.     “I’m sorry about her. She hates everyone, don't take it personally” said Sally, She put on a posh accent for the last few words and winked at Sam. The small girl smiled and blinked behind her thick lenses.     “I was wondering if you’d like to come back to mine for a drink and you can tell me how things work in the shop?” asked Sam. Sally opened her mouth to refuse but Sam looked so lost and lonely, she obviously only wanted a friend. Plus, Sally still felt a little guilty about Tanya’s rudeness.     “Yeah, okay. I’ll give you the lowdown on Old Skeletor.” Sam’s smile was so bright that Sally immediately felt better about agreeing to go.     Sam lived in a one bedroom flat a short walk from the shop but they instead went into a nearby park. They perched on the swings and talked about anything they could think of. Old Skeletor, where they lived, schools they had gone too, men that had passed through their lives and then vanished. It was a pleasant evening that passed quickly and Sally only left at midnight because she had work the next day.     “Sally, I just wanted to say thank you. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. Thank you for being my friend.” Sally smiled at Sam, the girl was so earnest but there was sadness behind her words. Almost as if she were saying goodbye instead of see you tomorrow. Sally waved as she set off on the long walk home but she didn’t mind. She planned on having a chat with Tanya in the morning and then maybe they could all go for a drink after work.     The next morning, Sally managed to get in with plenty of time to start at 9.30 which put Old Skeletor in a much better mood. Sally didn’t really get the chance to speak to Tanya properly until they went for their lunch break. Once they were seated in the staff room, Sally decided that now was the time.     “Have you seen Sam today?” Tanya raised her head and stared at Sally, a frown creasing her brow.     “Who’s Sam?” Sally sat back in her chair and bit her lower lip, trying not to get angry at Tanya.     “The new girl? She was in here yesterday while we had lunch; you were really rude and ignored her the whole time.” Tanya swallowed a mouthful of food and continued to frown at Sally.     “What are you talking about? There wasn’t anybody in here yesterday. You spent the whole break chatting away to yourself so I just let you get on with it.” Sally gaped at Tanya, she hesitated a moment before pushing away from the table and striding out to the shop floor. Old Skeletor was filling the scarves; she turned at Sally’s approach.     “I’m sorry to bother you, Miss Middlebrook but I was wondering what happened to Sam?”     “Sam who?” Sally closed her mouth; she had never heard Sam mention a surname.     “I’m not sure, she never said but she started yesterday. I thought she would have been back in today . . .” Sally stopped when she found that Old Skeletor was staring at her in the same way that Tanya had.     “Miss Dean, nobody else works here. It has always been just the three of us.” She turned and went towards the shutters; it was time to open again. Sally stood in the middle of the shop and frowned at her shoes in confusion.     It seemed like a week had crawled past before the shutters came down again and Sally was able to leave. She grabbed her stuff and dashed from the shop so fast that Tanya didn’t even realise she had gone. Sally hurried through the streets and found the park that she and Sam had sat in the night before. On the opposite side of the road was the block of flats that Sam had pointed out.     “What number did she say?” muttered Sally. She didn’t relish the idea of going from door to door in a huge block of flats after dark and asking for Sam. Sally jogged across the empty road and ducked inside the block, a small snippet of conversation floated back to her. Sam had mentioned that her mother was in a wheelchair and, from the looks of it; this block had no lift so they had to be on the ground floor. Sally smiled and pushed through a set of double doors to the right and, steeling herself for a lot of embarrassment, she knocked on the first door.     Four doors in and Sally’s knocking was rewarded by a petite brunette in a wheelchair. She cast her eyes skyward and sent a small thank you to whatever was up there.     “Hello, my name’s Sally. I was looking for Sam?” The woman looked her up and down for a moment before wheeling herself backwards and beckoning Sally to follow her. Sally closed the door behind her and followed the woman down a short corridor and into a small living room. Sally sat down on a rather shabby looking sofa and looked, expectantly, at the brunette.     “How did you know Sam?”     “I met her at work. I was worried when . . . Wait, how did I know Sam? Is she okay?” asked Sally, suddenly picking up on the past tense. The woman sighed and wiped her eyes.     “Sam killed herself. She was just so lonely and people never understood her. They made her life a living Hell. All she wanted was someone to be her friend.” Sally swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat and gave a shaky sigh.     “I’m so sorry. She seemed fine when I left her yesterday.” The woman’s head snapped up, a look of total confusion on her face.     “I don’t understand. We buried Sam yesterday, in the Hillside Cemetery. She hung herself over two weeks ago.”

    Sally walked through the gates of Hillside and wiped the tears from her eyes. Mrs Holmes, that had been Sam’s last name, had shown her a photo. The girl was definitely the same one that she had spoken to. Sally had made some excuse that she couldn’t now remember and had dashed from the block and made for the cemetery.     “Two rows in and six across” muttered Sally. She followed the directions until she came to a freshly covered grave with a small, plastic marker with Holmes wrote on it. Sally managed a smile at that, Sam had talked about Sherlock Holmes and how much she loved his mysteries. Sally took off her jacket and laid it on the grass and then she sat down on top of it. She felt she should say something but what was there to say?     “Hello, Sam. I just wanted to . . . Ah, Hell. I don’t know what to say. I think I’m going nuts. I know I saw you yesterday but nobody else did. I can’t believe I had that much fun with a ghost!” Sally smiled as she remembered how much her face had hurt after all the laughing and then she heard Sam’s voice in her mind, those last few words.     “Thank you for being my friend.” Sally smiled through the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She placed a kiss on her fingertips before pressing them against the earth.     “You’re welcome. Sleep well.” Sally stood up, shook the grass from her jacket and headed home.

[itsthebeatingofhishideousheart]

Sometimes we don’t get what we want until it’s too late but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have it.

     The all too familiar sound of the shutters rolling up told Sally Dean that she was late. Again. Why couldn’t she just get here on time? It didn’t seem to matter what time she got up, what time she left the house or if she took a train or a bus. Sally sighed and braced herself for a Skeletor attack.     “Nice of you to join us, Miss Dean.” Sally flinched and stopped in mid-jog across the shop floor; she turned and prepared herself for the barrage. Miss Middlebrook, always Miss Middlebrook and never a first name, glared at Sally over the top of horn-rimmed spectacles. She believed that familiarity bred contempt so she refused to be on first name terms with her staff but, right now, she had skipped contempt and gone straight to disgust. And now she stood there, skinny hands on bony hips, looking as if a sneeze would blow her down.     “I’m sorry, Ske . . . Um, Miss Middlebrook.”     “I doubt that since you manage to be late every day.” Sally felt a small flower of anger begin to bloom in her chest.     “It’s not my fault, Miss Middlebrook.”     “Then whose fault is it, may I ask?”     “Yours, Miss Middlebrook.” Sally’s voice was level and totally free from sarcasm, but Miss Middlebrook blanched anyway.     “And what exactly do you mean by that?” Her voice was cold, close inspection would probably have shown chips of ice being spat across the room. Sally gave a small sigh, in for a penny in for a pound.     “You know I have trouble getting here for nine. I asked you weeks ago if I could have the 9.30 shift and you said you would let me know. How long does it take to make a decision?” Sally Stared at Miss Middlebrook, not even daring to breathe. Miss Middlebrook’s lips twitched and then she raised an eyebrow.     “Well, if you’ll excuse me I think I need to change the rota. You should have reminded me sooner.” Sally stared, open-mouthed, at Miss Middlebrook’s retreating form.     “Holy shit” whispered the shocked young woman. Another head raised itself above the counter and grinned; Tanya Peters stood up and waited until the door to the office had closed before she started her victory dance.     “Oh, my giddy God! I can’t believe you just did that!” Her voice was high pitched but barely above a whisper. Sally couldn’t believe it herself; she swallowed and walked in a daze to the locker room to put her things away.     When the clock finally rolled around to 1pm, Old Skeletor rolled the shutters back down and dismissed her staff for lunch. Sally and Tanya took the back door out of the shop and crossed the car park to the burger van. After retrieving two cheeseburgers with everything, they dashed back into the shop and went to the staff room. A girl was sitting at the table. She was rail thin with mousey brown hair and thick glasses.     “Hello. Sorry, I’ll move so you can sit and eat your lunch.” Tanya ignored her and dropped into the empty chair.     “Thank you. I’m Sally and the stroppy moo there is Tanya.” The moo in question wasn’t listening; she was staring at her mobile phone and eating her burger. Sally dragged another chair to the table to allow the girl to have a seat too.     “I’m Sam. Nice to meet you both” said the girl. Sally smiled and nodded before eating her own burger and trying to include Sam in the conversation even though Tanya ignored her.

    The shutters once again rolled down and the shop was closed for the day. Sally leaned against a counter and tugged off her boots.     “Why do I wear these? They rip my feet to pieces” she muttered. Sally followed Tanya to the locker room; they grabbed their things and then left again by the back door. Old Skeletor was left to cash up and lockdown. Sam was standing outside and Sally wondered how she had got out here so fast but then she noticed Sam had no bag or coat. She must have gone straight from the shop floor and outside.     “I’m off. See you tomorrow, Sally.” Tanya turned on her heel and strode past Sam, not even sparing her a glance. Sally sighed and shook her head.     “I’m sorry about her. She hates everyone, don't take it personally” said Sally, She put on a posh accent for the last few words and winked at Sam. The small girl smiled and blinked behind her thick lenses.     “I was wondering if you’d like to come back to mine for a drink and you can tell me how things work in the shop?” asked Sam. Sally opened her mouth to refuse but Sam looked so lost and lonely, she obviously only wanted a friend. Plus, Sally still felt a little guilty about Tanya’s rudeness.     “Yeah, okay. I’ll give you the lowdown on Old Skeletor.” Sam’s smile was so bright that Sally immediately felt better about agreeing to go.

    Sam said she lived in a one bedroom flat a short walk from the shop but they instead went into a nearby park. They perched on the swings and talked about anything they could think of. Old Skeletor, where they lived, schools they had gone too, men that had passed through their lives and then vanished. It was a pleasant evening that passed quickly and Sally only left at midnight because she had work the next day and it was getting bloody cold in the park.     “Sally, I just wanted to say thank you. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. Thank you for being my friend.” Sally smiled at Sam, the girl was so earnest but there was sadness behind her words. Almost as if she were saying goodbye instead of see you tomorrow. Sally waved as she set off on the long walk home but she didn’t mind. She planned on having a chat with Tanya in the morning and then maybe they could all go for a drink after work.

    The next morning, Sally managed to get in with plenty of time to start at 9.30 which put Old Skeletor in a much better mood. Sally didn’t really get the chance to speak to Tanya properly until they went for their lunch break. Once they were seated in the staff room, Sally decided that now was the time.     “Have you seen Sam today?” Tanya raised her head and stared at Sally, a frown creasing her brow.     “Who’s Sam?” Sally sat back in her chair and bit her lower lip, trying not to get angry at Tanya.     “The new girl? She was in here yesterday while we had lunch; you were really rude and ignored her the whole time.” Tanya swallowed a mouthful of food and continued to frown at Sally.     “What are you talking about? There wasn’t anybody in here yesterday. You spent the whole break chatting away to yourself so I just let you get on with it.” Sally gaped at Tanya, she hesitated a moment before pushing away from the table and striding out to the shop floor. Old Skeletor was filling the scarves; she turned at Sally’s approach.     “I’m sorry to bother you, Miss Middlebrook but I was wondering what happened to Sam?”     “Sam who?” Sally closed her mouth; she had never heard Sam mention a surname.     “I’m not sure, she never said but she started yesterday. I thought she would have been back in today . . .” Sally stopped when she found that Old Skeletor was staring at her in the same way that Tanya had.     “Miss Dean, nobody else works here. It has always been just the three of us.” She turned and went towards the shutters; it was time to open again. Sally stood in the middle of the shop and frowned at her shoes in confusion.

    It seemed like a week had crawled past before the shutters came down again and Sally was able to leave. She grabbed her stuff and dashed from the shop so fast that Tanya didn’t even realise she had gone. Sally hurried through the streets and found the park that she and Sam had sat in the night before. On the opposite side of the road was the block of flats that Sam had pointed out.     “What number did she say?” muttered Sally. She didn’t relish the idea of going from door to door in a huge block of flats after dark and asking for Sam. Sally jogged across the empty road and ducked inside the block, a small snippet of conversation floated back to her. Sam had mentioned that her mother was in a wheelchair and, from the looks of it; this block had no lift so they had to be on the ground floor. Sally smiled and pushed through a set of double doors to the right and, steeling herself for a lot of embarrassment, she knocked on the first door.

    Four doors in and Sally’s knocking was rewarded by a petite brunette in a wheelchair. She cast her eyes skyward and sent a small thank you to whatever was up there.     “Hello, my name’s Sally. I was looking for Sam?” The woman looked her up and down for a moment before wheeling herself backwards and beckoning Sally to follow her. Sally closed the door behind her and followed the woman down a short corridor and into a small living room. Sally sat down on a rather shabby looking sofa and looked, expectantly, at the brunette.     “How did you know Sam?”     “I met her at work. I was worried when . . . Wait, how did I know Sam? Is she okay?” asked Sally, suddenly picking up on the past tense. The woman sighed and wiped her eyes.     “Sam killed herself. She was just so lonely and people never understood her. They made her life a living Hell. All she wanted was someone to be her friend.” Sally swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat and gave a shaky sigh.     “I’m so sorry. She seemed fine when I left her yesterday.” The woman’s head snapped up, a look of total confusion on her face.     “I don’t understand. We buried Sam yesterday, in the Hillside Cemetery. She hung herself over two weeks ago.”

    Sally walked through the gates of Hillside and wiped the tears from her eyes. Mrs Holmes, that had been Sam’s last name, had shown her a photo. The girl was definitely the same one that she had spoken to. Sally had made some excuse that she couldn’t now remember and had dashed from the block and made for the cemetery.     “Two rows in and six across” muttered Sally. She followed the directions until she came to a freshly covered grave with a small, plastic marker with Holmes written on it. Sally managed a smile at that, Sam had talked about Sherlock Holmes and how much she loved his mysteries. Sally took off her jacket and laid it on the grass and then she sat down on top of it. She felt she should say something but what was there to say?     “Hello, Sam. I just wanted to . . . Ah, Hell. I don’t know what to say. I think I’m going nuts. I know I saw you yesterday but nobody else did. I can’t believe I had that much fun with a ghost!” Sally smiled as she remembered how much her face had hurt after all the laughing and then she heard Sam’s voice in her mind, those last few words.     “Thank you for being my friend.” Sally smiled through the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She placed a kiss on her fingertips before pressing them against the earth.     “You’re welcome. Sleep well.” Sally stood up, shook the grass from her jacket and headed home.