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[trepidatious]

[trepidatious]

NATALIE.

          ugh  .  she  grimaces  as  she  finishes  her  drink,  flagging  the  bartender  for  a  fourth  as  she  wipes  her  lips  .  as  a  22  year  old  graduate,  natalie  dreamed  of  the  day  she  would  one  day  return  to  the  place  that  made  her  .  now,  10  years  later,  all  she  wants  to  do  is  leave  .  there’s  no  benefit  in  turning  up  a  failure,  so  instead  natalie  frey’s  turning  up  to  her  10  year  college  reunion  vaguely  intoxicated  .  she  didn’t  want  to  come  .  and  she  definitely  didn’t  want  to  come  alone  .  but  her          “     loving     ”          husband  insisted,  suggesting  she  would  regret  it  if  she  didn’t  show  .   really,  he’d  preemptively  called  one  of  his  many  girlfriends  to  take  her  empty  spot  in  their  bed  while  their  children  sleep  in  the  next  room  .  she  fiddles  with  her  wedding  ring  as  she  waits  for  her  drink,  avoiding  eye  -  contact  at  all  costs  .          ‘     so,  is  this  only  totally  sucking  for  me  ?     ’

during their university days, natalie had always been someone vienna looked up to. she was vocal about her beliefs and ideas and had always seemed to be a force to be reckoned with. vienna, like others who knew natalie, had expected to hear about the other’s ever rising political career. but as election after election passed, it was almost natural to forget about the brunette’s previous aspirations. admittedly, vienna had almost forgotten about the other woman, only remembering her past admiration once blue eyes set upon a somber form. it made her gut wrench, seeing someone who once shone so brightly look so dull. “ i mean, there’s a select few of us who are counting down the minutes until it’s socially acceptable for us to leave. ” while curious to know what happened to everyone else, she had only showed up to catch up with those who she remembered so fondly from her rvu days, but now that that was done she couldn’t deny her instinct to flee. 

[trepidatious]

JANIS.

    never the best with faces , it was almost surprising  to janis how quick she was able to make out who the woman was. with an instant smile flourishing on her painted lips , she had no time for the small talk and politeness that followed with a ten year absence and pulled vienna into a big embrace , almost shoving their drinks together in the process. “ oh my god , you look AMAZING , vi !  “ she exclaimed , pulling back from the woman to get another look at her , someone that used to be apart of her everyday life. “ i almost had to stay home tonight after my kids’ babysitter had to cancel , but thankfully we found another one last-minute or i wouldn’t have seen you !  how have you been , miss olympic winner ?  “

feeling the reddening of her cheeks at janis’ compliment, she hugs the other woman back, a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment written all over her face. if there was one face she had been looking forward to seeing, it had been janis’ as she remembered everything the other female had done for her during their college days in an attempt to get vienna to branch out more. “ so do you! how are the little ones anyways, ” she inquires, remembering their faces from her friend’s social media updates. “ i’m glad you’re here though! it feels like i haven’t seen you in forever. ” and if she were to be honest, was probably true due to her own busy schedule. reminded of her olympic accomplishments, a bashful smile once again finds its place on her place. “ i’ve been doing well! i’ve just been commentating lately but it’s still fun, ” she answers with a smile albeit it not quite reaching her eyes. “ what about you? i feel like there’s so much to catch up on. ”

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ROMAN.

He had been scanning the crowd for his fiancee but, knowing her, it wouldn’t be until the end of the night that he would see her again. She was probably off trying to find Alex or, worse, telling off the dean for his lack of financial transparency, which while a serious issue, didn’t exactly make for the best of small talk. But, Roman knew Desiree could and would handle herself just fine and he couldn’t help but chuckle fondly at the thought.

A familiar voice cut through his thoughts as he took another sip of his champagne and his eyes widened when he saw Vienna, timid as ever, approaching him with a small smile. He broke into a grin of his own at the sight and let out a breathy laugh as his hand smoothed back his wild hair.

“Well they’re certainly missing out. It’s been nice to catch up with everyone, hasn’t it? Hard to believe it’s been an entire decade.”

having spent a good portion of her time at rom valley intimidated by roman and his crew, vienna was hit with a sense of satisfaction once she realized that her usual nerves from being in roman’s presence had disappeared. regaining her confidence, she unconsciously straightened her posture, blue eyes analyzing him as she did so. 

“ it’s definitely nostalgic, ” she concurred. while still unsure about how she felt about the reunion as a whole, still having mixed feelings about everyone she had graduated with, she couldn’t deny the curious part of her that had been satiated once she saw how everyone was doing. some of them had gone on to do great things with their lives, she included, whereas others had ended their potential before it could truly come out. then there were the select few who were married, engaged, or at least happy in a relationship. 

“ if you were to tell me this is what our reunion would have looked like i don’t think i would have believed you. ” not that she ever truly believed a word roman said to her back then.

[trepidatious]

DAKOTA.

caught off guard, dakota’s cheeks began to heat up. it wasn’t unusual for her to be recognized but only after someone had heard her name, not beforehand only because they knew her books but not necessarily her face. it was a nice surprise, though, a definite confidence booster. humbly, she nodded her head as she clasped her hands together in front of her body. “that would be me.” though she wasn’t really allowed to talk too much about the fourth book in her vampire series, she didn’t think it’d hurt any to confirm that she was currently working on it. “i am, yes. ” her tone turned a bit more cheerful. “and i’m about halfway through it, but don’t tell my publicist that. she think i’m rearing on the final chapters.”

grinning at the confirmation that it was indeed dakota mackey standing before her, vienna barely realized the slowly developing clamminess of her palms as she took in the situation. despite often attending mikaela’s book signings and raving about her novels, that always felt different knowing that she was and always would be mikaela’s friend first and foremost. but knowing that she was meeting someone for the first time, someone she admired and respected for taking on a craft she herself could never do, vienna was almost at a loss for words. “ your secrets safe with me, ” she mused, hiding her smile behind her flute of champagne. “ i take it you know what direction you want to take it then? ”

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SALLY.

“That makes two of us,” Sally conceded with a playful wink, “Maybe we can hold each other accountable until we can’t hold ourselves together anymore?” She took a sip of her own champagne, nodding at her question. “Indeed! Gosh, I started the fall after I graduated in 2010 so…Yeah, no I guess that makes ten years this Fall!” Sally was taken aback for a brief moment, realizing that she’d actually been in the classroom for nearly a decade. “It really is crazy how time flies by, isn’t it? It just doesn’t feel like it’s been ten years. Well, I say that, and I’m actively debating popping a Pepcid before digging into all the food.” she chuckled lowly, hoping to put the other at ease. Maybe between the two of them, they could fend through this night together.

letting out a laugh at sally’s words, she nodded along with a playful smirk. “ oh, most definitely. although i’m afraid i probably have a significant head start, ” she confessed before taking another sip from her champagne. “ oh my god, consider this an early congratulations then! ” for someone who had been working in her chosen career for over two decades, it felt surreal congratulating someone for reaching their ten year mark, serving as another reminder for how far they’ve all come since their rom valley days. “ it doesn’t feel real, ” she confessed between chuckles. “ it almost makes feel, dare i say it...old. ” snickering at the thought, she gestures around them. “ what i would give to know the stories that these walls have seen. i once had a friend walk around campus with a condom stuck to her head, but to know she now has a kid? mind-blowing. ”

[trepidatious]

JINNY.

With there being more people around now, Jinny had to engage in more small talk and while she enjoyed it, it got tiring at one point. That is why she was currently standing a few steps away from the champagne table and watching everyone else. It was then that she wondered if her college experience really would have been different if she spent more time hanging out with them. In the middle of that thought, she heard someone speak to her and when she turned to face who it was, she smiled back. “I was considering declining as well but then I thought do I really want to miss a chance to see the Vienna Schuyler?” She gave her a quick hug then. “How are you holding up?”

laughing at jinny’s rebuttal, vienna was quick to pull her into a hug, a warm expression settling on her face. “ and lucky for me, you didn’t. ” sighing at the other’s question, she just shrugged, her empty hand gesturing at nothing. “ a loaded question, ” she remarks with a bitter smile. “ i’m having some highs and lows but seeing you right now is definitely a high. ” while she had been ecstatic to catch up with old friends and meet a few alumni who she admired, there were still a handful of people who vienna could have lived without seeing. while her college years at rvu had been enlightening in their own way, there were still some memories she had locked away in the back of her mind, pretending they didn’t exist unless she was directly asked about them. “ what about you, how’s your night going? ”

[trepidatious]

JESSE.

it has been approximately ten years since jesse has felt this unhinged. as soon as he walks into the doors of rvu he can feel his ribs feel like they’re closing around all of his important organs. even if he recognized some faces, and probably owed some shitty small talk, his priority as soon as he walked in was to head directly to the area where the liquor was being sold so he could maybe try to weigh down his emotions by pretending they didn’t exist. “sorry, were you drinking that? sucks.” he says as he snatches the first drink to come up the bar, “i’ll make it up to you in shitty conversation.”

with the night she’s been having, vienna had come to the conclusion that she was going to need something a little stronger than champagne if she was to make it through the rest of the night. what she hadn’t expected was for her drink to be stolen right from under her. turning to lecture the culprit, her words stop dead in her throat once she realizes it’s just jesse. “ i didn’t think you’d show up, ” she began, raising her hand to signal for another drink. “ how does it feel to, you know, be back and all? ” despite having a sneaking suspicion about what his answer would be, vienna still voiced her question aloud, curious to see if it was going to be a night full of jesse attempting to shut himself away from her. 

[trepidatious]

MERRYN.

she   has   her   eyes   glued   down   to   the   floor   before   hearing   an   unfamiliar   voice   calling   for   her   name.   oh   no,   not   again   –   echoes   in   her   brain,   already   deprived   of   the   endless   conversations   that   go   nowhere.   lifting   her   icy   gaze   from   the   floor,   she   puts   another   faux   smile   on   her   face.   how   the   corners   of   her   lips   ache  every  time   !   she   can’t   avoid   a   conversation   when   the   person   directly   spoke   to   her   a   second   ago. “   the   very   same.   ”   studying   the   other’s   features,   she   continues.   “   but   don’t   be   mad   at   me   because   i   don’t   remember   your   name.      ”

bubbling in excitement as her theory is confirmed, vienna only takes a moment to decide how she wants this conversation to go before deciding to be transparent. “ oh! i’m vienna, vienna schuyler, ” she grins, shyly tucking her hair behind ear. despite having gotten over her shyness throughout the years, there was always something about meeting someone you admired that set her back into old habits. “ it’s honestly such a honor to meet you. i’m a big fan of your work. ” she doesn’t mention how she had been talking about her writing only a moment prior, fangirling over her latest work to some of her old friends. “ i knew you had attended here but i didn’t actually think i’d run into you tonight. ”

[trepidatious]

needing another refill of champagne, vienna makes her way through the throngs of people, her ears occasionally picking up on the different conversations around her. while there were a few people who were catching up with old friends, it seemed a lot of the evening’s conversations revolved around small talk and lighthearted pleasantries. having been a shy girl who was often too meek to really put herself out there during her college years, there’s a small part of vienna who can’t help but ponder what tonight would have been like if she had been more of a social butterfly like a few of her fellow classmates. 

she’s in the middle of fetching another flute, her fingers wrapping around the stem of the glass when she spots what she thinks is a familiar face. hesitantly walking up to them, she offers a warm smile in greeting. “ i’m glad to see you made it. i heard a few people declined the invite. ”

[trepidatious]

TOPHER.

it had been a hot minute since topher had been at rvu. even the scent of the place brought back so many memories – both good and bad. he walks up to the check-in table and gives them his name. receiving a nametag in response (which felt very elementary, but who knows – maybe people really do look like a completely different person ten years later) and placing it on his chest. he takes a deep breath, gazing around at the throng of people, looking for a familiar face. feeling a tap on his shoulder, the curly-haired man turns around. “ oh my god, is that you? ”

spotting topher in the crowd, it’s easy for vienna to make the decision to beeline in his direction. she’d been one of the few to arrive early, figuring that the earlier she showed up then the earlier she would be allowed to leave without being rude. tapping him on the shoulder, she’s grinning before he even turns around, excited to see a classmate she actually remembers. “ the one and only. ” with her grin only getting wider, she takes him in, her excitement radiating off of her. “ how’s my favorite broadway performer, ” she asked, a teasing smile easily replacing her grin. 

[trepidatious]

[trepidatious]

JOSIAH.

JOSIAH took a moment to look up from his phone, trying his best to hide the nerves that were coursing through his body at the thought of seeing old, familiar faces after so long. “ you know, all through college, i always promised myself i was gonna be the one to spike the punch bowl at our ten year reunion. now that i’m here, though, it sounds way less fun than it did back then. besides, there’s already free champagne, so. i guess that makes it okay. ”

vienna snorts despite herself, nodding along to josie’s words as she watches everything unfold before them. “ to be honest, i did too. ” it had been something she had predicted during her last year at rvu, joking that it would either be josie or even roman who would end up spiking the punch bowl if there were one. “ i’m just glad it’s good champagne, otherwise i’d be spiking the punch myself. ” 

[trepidatious]

DAKOTA.

it’s not that dakota was looking for anybody in specific, she would have much rather just avoided everybody like she’d done for the majority of her college days, but she was a changed person now. right? it seemed like her entire personality changed after graduating but once she was walking through the corridors of rvu, it was as if she completely resorted to the introvert she was ten years ago. the words she nervously rehearsed in her head continued on repeat. ‘you are a successful published writer, beautiful and strong. you aren’t who you were, people like you’ ⁠— but do they really? the brunette sighed in defeat. “okay, so i don’t recognize anybody.” she said to the first person who happened to be headed her way. @againextra​

sipping on her second flute of champagne, vienna stands by one of the tables of food, occasionally picking up hors d'oeuvres as she watches from the sidelines. “ i can’t tell if everyone’s physically changed enough for me not to recognize them or if i just know nobody here, ” she mused, turning to face the brunette. “ you’re dakota, right? the one who wrote the vampire diaries books. ” she tries to play it casual as if she hadn’t realized the dakota mackey was only a foot away from her, but as she gets dragged into conversation with the author, she can’t help but voice the question she and other fans have been itching to hear about. “ you’re in the process of writing the fourth book, right? ”

[trepidatious]

SALLY.

As Sally turned to acknowledge the voice, she was a bit taken aback by whom she was speaking to. She knew so many of her classmates went on to do great things, but here she was, talking to a literal Olympian. “Oh my stars…I’m awfully sorry, I hope this isn’t rude but…You’re Vienna Schuyler, right? The Olympic figure skater who works for ESPN?” she inquired, extending a hand out to her, “I’m an elementary schoolteacher and one of my little girls is such a big fan of yours, m’am. It’s an honor and a pleasure to meet you. She’s going to freak out when I get back to school and tell her I actually met you.” Realizing she hadn’t introduced herself, she added, “O-Oh, and I’m Sally, Sally Burns. It’s a pleasure! Sorry, I’m afraid I’m just a bit overwhelmed.”

vienna might have grown a lot since her days at rvu, but there was no hiding the shy little girl she used to be, the very one who would stutter her thanks and avoid eye contact whenever complimented. while her stutter is all but gone, she finds herself nervously blushing for the first time in years, the red hue spreading across her cheeks despite how much she was willing it to go away. “ oh yeah, that’s me, ” she smiles bashfully, a hand extending to shake the redhead’s. “ it’s a pleasure to meet you too, sally. ” and she means it, finding their whole exchange both endearing and refreshing from the other conversations she’s had that evening. “ there’s no need for apologies! everything tonight is so overwhelming, i’m afraid to see how i’m going to act after a few more glasses in me, ” she mused, holding up the flute in question. “ you said you’re an elementary teacher, right? how long have you been teaching? ”

[trepidatious]

closed starter for @poetfm​

having spent the last hour mingling among her fellow alumni, vienna finds herself in the middle of raving about the latest series of poems she’s read, quoting the verses from memory to the collection of people surrounding her. she doesn’t pay much mind to her surroundings, not realizing that there were a few added members to her audience than she had originally thought. after excusing herself from the group, claiming to be retrieving more champagne, she instead takes a detour to the hallway, deciding she needed a bit of a breather before she went back out to socialize. it takes her a moment before she realizes she’s not entirely alone and she finds herself racking her brain trying to place the other’s face. “ wait, you’re merryn, right? ”

[trepidatious]

SALLY.

Sally wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her orange dress, eyes nervously scanning the room. She’d timed her arrival to where she wouldn’t be the absolute first person here, but would certainly be among the first. In her mind, it would probably be best to get in and out. After all, she still had loads of stuff to do before school on Monday. Regardless, she knew better than to dodge in and out without making some polite conversation first. Taking a champagne flute with a small smile, she sighed to the person next to her, “Wow…Everyone looks so…different.”

@againextra​

despite how much she tried to hide it, there was no stopping vienna’s nerves as she entered the venue of the reunion. with a practiced grin plastered on her face, she found herself politely nodding to a few of the people she passed, her mind scrambling as she tried to recall their names. having been one of the more introverted students of rvu, her knowledge of the student population had always been secondhand and tonight’s reunion only cemented that fact. she’s in the middle of grabbing champagne flute when she hears the person beside her speak up. “ oh most definitely. it’s startling to see how much we’ve all changed in only a decade. ”