zahra-burch

[zahra-burch]

luciana was someone who had always been able to calm whatever was going on in zahra's head. truthfully, without luci's friendship her senior year, she wasn't sure that she would have coped. "well, it really is passed time we shared our usual fried oreos," the brunette replies, a small smile rising to her painted lips.

zahra moves a few items from the table to her supply bag and then shoves the oversized bag into her purse. rising from her stool, she moves so that she can loop her arm with luci's. "did you," she trails off, gaze shifting to the popcorn stand, "see the article?"

             ❛     seriously,  a  travesty  !     ❜        luciana  replied.  although,  she  had  a  better  sense  of  her  friend  to  know  that  zahra  wasn't  as  invested  in  the  chair - o - planes.  luciana  was  still  a  bit  detached  from  everything  going  on.  her  brain  putting  up  the  𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐒  to  try  and  protect  herself.         (      to  continue  living  in  her  own  delusion.     )        something  the  two  best  friends  may  have  reached  a  bit  of  common  ground  on.  spiraling  in  their  own  delusions  or  twisted  truths  to  try  and  either  protect  themselves  or  try  and  𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃  something  in  their  lives.        ❛     it's  a  classic,  a  real  cash  grab.     ❜         moving  closer  to  the  other  girl,  luciana  looped  her  arm  with  zahra's,  dropping  her  head  to  rest  on  her  shoulder.         ❛     take  a  little  break  from  face  painting  and  come  walk  around  with  me  a  little  ?     ❜        she  asked,  glancing  over  at  the  girl.  knowing  that  it  couldn't  have  been  helping  to  stand  there  staring  at  chris  wilder's  old  carnival  work  spot.

[zahra-burch]

at taejin's mention of the secret sibling, zahra's hands momentarily still from where they were adjusting one of her brushes. "why do you think the sibling would send them?" she asks, genuinely curious. what had the messages really accomplished? they were strange, sure, and maybe had brought some of their classmates back to lincoln city...but it didn't seem as if they'd done much to bring chris home. if she were sending them, that would be her primary purpose.

zahra's distracted from her thoughts when tae moves in closer. there had been an 'exercise' that they'd done in school, one where you had to step closer and closer to your partner until they broke character due to discomfort. despite her talents being more suited for backstage, her and tae had always won when they'd been each other's partner. blinking, the brunette replies with a simple, "they're all my colour." letting out a breath, she picks up a brush. "fine, but i don't think i'll stop there," she responds, dipping her brush in water before reaching out to hold tae's jaw between her fingers.

“ nick is high on everyone's suspect list right now, ” is he ? taejin doesn't care. he didn't have a problem with the male, but stirring the pot has always been one of his favorite activities. “ but i think it's the secret sibling. i've known the wilders my whole life and this is the first time i'm hearing about that. they're starting to sound like my family. ” the seongs were known for generations of messy affairs, broken relationships, and bastard children. it wouldn't surprise him if he had secret siblings to add along with his half-siblings he didn't care for. pushing his sunglasses up, elbows  prop  themselves  on the table  and tae leans  closer without warning, faces just a few inches away. blown out pupils inspecting the painted butterfly wings. “ green is really your colour. ” leaning back, he hands over the paintbrush he's been playing with, points right against his cheek, and says, “ i want a smiley right here. ”

[zahra-burch]

"maybe," she hums, grateful for the familiar face. mari was easy company, someone who zahra associated with one of her favorite places. not only that, but the redhead was interesting. she'd gone places, done things, lived a life outside of lincoln city. it was something that zahra had always hoped to do before that awful night her brother had gone missing.

a genuine smile comes to zahra's lips at mari's compliment, and she gestures for the other woman to sit down across from her. "thank you. would you like some? i have all different colors. it'll be some extra practice before the tiny ones stop by."

mari really didn't know how she'd gotten to where she was.

both in the grand scheme of things and also... quite literally at that moment.

she'd meant to get an ice cream or something, a sugary treat necessary to keep her perfectly alert given her lack of sleep. instead, she'd gotten distracted along the way. she'd ended up at the face painting station. how? who knows. but it was easy enough to chalk it up to the fact that zahra's friendly face had been a beacon. she'd been drawn there like a moth to a flame.

"i hate to say it, but it's probably for the best," she admitted, thankful for the ease of the conversation. "they seemed shaky back when we were in high school, and i doubt they've been inspected since then."

of course, there were still plenty of other rides that had been around for forever, but one less death trap was probably a good thing.

"i like your-" she gestured at the girl's face paint then. "the gold is a nice touch."

[zahra-burch]

zahra and taejin had spent plenty of time together in this town, at this very carnival. they'd all but grown up in the theater, him performing and her creating art for him to shine in front of. they'd even kept in touch after leaving st mary's...until he'd royally messed things up with luci. lips pursed, she watches as he runs his fingers along her materials, wishing to both swat his hand away for having hurt her best friend and to reach out for a familiar form of contact. at the mention of the facebook message, her grudge is momentarily forgotten, or at least no longer center stage. "who do you think keeps sending them?" because regardless of what name is attached to it, zahra knows that it isn't her brother. not because he's dead, but because he wouldn't do something like that.

staring at the popcorn stand, mindlessly, taejin rubs against the scar on his elbow, itching over the facebook message he received earlier. anything and everything in this town reminds him of his loss. he's lost in another repetition of escapism when he hears a voice speak. it sounds as if the words had been spoken right into his ear instead of feet away. “ you can't be serious, ” he over exaggerates, “ i've been wanting to go on that ride. ” taking a seat on the empty chair before her, he doesn't linger on how unwelcome his presence may be after what happened with luci. fingertips run along the painting materials, brushing against the feathery softness of a paintbrush like a rare antique he just discovered. “ you think i should write a complaint letter or send a facebook message ? seems like thats effective these days too. ”

[zahra-burch]

zahra hums at michael's comment, willing to let him use his money and whatever else to bring back a childhood favorite. "you should. and make all of the chairs a different color, and some with glitter paint," she replies, tone rather dreamy. as michael sits down, bright white teeth doing their best to convince her of his charm, she lets out a dramatic sigh. "as long as you," she begins, reaching out with her index finger to boop him gently on the nose, "promise not to talk about my immortal soul."

for  whatever  reason  ,  zahra  and  michael  had  always  had  a  troubled  relationship  .  they  would  constantly  find  themselves  in  one  another's  path  ,  the  same  circles  ,  seeming  to  have  a  perfectly  normal  conversation  one  second  and  quite  the  opposite  the  next  .  despite  their  last  interaction  ending  so  badly  ,  michael  responded  without  a  second  thought  ,  "  i  did  .  it's  a  tragedy  …  maybe  i  can  start  a  fundraiser  to  get  them  back  ,  "  with  that  gleaming  boyish  grin  as  he  sits  down  ,  leaning  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  .  "  if  i  commission you  ,  do  you  promise  not  to  be  mean  to  me  ?  "  

[zahra-burch]

"you'll have to come round to meet him sometime. i bring him to the shop on wednesdays; he's the vip guest," she mentions, the topic of discussion one that lightens her a bit. at river's response, she can't help but to laugh, her gaze following his hand as he pats his stomach. "that's a good way to celebrate! the deviled eggs were fab that night, but everything else was bleh."

the brunette is sipping at her straw when his question comes, and her expression sours not due to the drink but the thought of that article. "sad," she admits, and it's oversimplified, but the truth. zahra had heard the whispers about river calloway and the convenience of chris' disappearance, but she'd never believed them. perhaps it was because she was too convinced her father mother's husband was somehow to blame, or just that the two boys had once been friends. voice small, she continues, "i don't like thinking of him without his shoes."

River figured everyone would be talking about one of two things at the carnival. The newspaper that was released that detailed parts of the investigation regarding Chris, or the fucking texts everyone just seemed to receive today. And River had made the executive decision not to mention either. That would be on brand for him, right? It's what everyone would expect, that he wouldn't want to talk about the case that was such a big part of his life ten years ago? He didn't want to seem too interested, and then have people questioning that.

So small talk with Zahra was fine, in fact it was welcomed. Chuckling as she spoke about her pet, he nodded. "I'm sure the cuddle was much welcomed." He actually wasn't sure how affectionate her lizard could be, but whatever. "Oh I fully hit up the diner and had a giant ass burger and two servings of fries." He patted his stomach in the process, smile spreading on his face as he remembered the food. "I hadn't eaten much before that even so I was fucking starving." Looking at Zahra, he could definitely tell her mood seemed different then a few weeks prior. "How're you doing?"

[zahra-burch]

setting: the carnival, across from the popcorn stand @classcursestarters

in retrospect, she really should have just decided against running the face painting table this year. the fact that they'd moved it to right across from the popcorn stand, across from where he used to be, should have been the final blow, but the truth was that it was easy money and zahra had bills to pay. adjusting her skirt as she shifts on her stool, butterfly wings painted on her face, zahra spots someone familiar. "did you see that they got rid of the chair-o-planes?" it's not one of the many questions that she'd really like to ask (why his shoes? who's sending the messages?), but it'll do for now.

[zahra-burch]

zahra hadn't missed a carnival since moving to lincoln city as a child. sure, she'd (mostly) traded the rides and games for paintbrushes and little ones requesting superhero masks, but she was still able to enjoy the ambiance. dipping a paintbrush into water and swirling it in the purple paint, she's distracted by a vaguely familiar voice. "what would lincoln city be without its carnival? it's a staple...that and tourists getting food poisoning at the angry crab."

setting: event 3: the carnival tagged: @classcursestarters

Arjun stopped in his tracks as soon as he'd walked into the carnival, taking it all in and feeling a wave of nostalgia for this town he hadn't felt since arriving. It had been so easy to put a wall up between Lincoln City and who he was now. It was still there, obviously, but there was also a childlike wonder clawing it's way over the top. "I don't think I've been to a carnival in...fuck, it's been over a decade. I didn't realize they still did this here."

[zahra-burch]

zahra wasn't one to read the newspaper, but only a complete recluse would have been able to miss the news that had spread through lincoln city. the mention of her interview wasn't what had made her stomach drop, however. it was the thought of chris' shoes buried in the woods and all of the terrible things that such a discovery might suggest.

in short, zahra wasn't quite as enthused about the carnival as she usually was. still, a lemonade never hurt. sipping at her drink and watching the ferris wheel, the brunette looks over her shoulder when river speaks. a small smile rises to her lips as she shifts so that she's properly facing him. "jeremy and i had a nice cuddle once they got us out of there. a little reunion." that night felt like so long ago, even though it hadn't been long at all. "how did you celebrate not dying?" the words taste a bit funny on her tongue given everything, but it's not as if she can take them back now.

who: @zahra-burch

where: carnival

in the past few days, river had felt an internal shift. he had been holding the trauma of this town, of chris disappearing, since he was eighteen. but ever since lux released that article, and he realized someone must have been involved with what happened to chris, he started to feel lighter. like he couldn't blame himself for the whole event, even if he potentially wrote a dare that drove chris into that lake that night.

so maybe he was smiling a bit more. and maybe he was more willing to talk to his old classmates. he still wasn't satisfied, he wouldn't be until he found out what exactly happened to chris, but he was standing a little bit taller. "hey," he greeted zahra, when he saw her in the crowd. "we didn't drown during the flash flood. you're... bearded dragon? gets to keep his mom."

[zahra-burch]

lincoln city wasn't unfamiliar with tragedies. there was chris, of course, his disappearance and according to some, his death always in the back of everyone's minds. most recently, however, there was the kemal family. it was violent, it was gruesome, and perhaps most notably, it was still fresh. zahra hadn't really known the kemal's, despite having gone to school with sanem, so it wasn't as if she could speak to the woman's normal behavior. was the frosty gaze a staple of hers? was it the recent trauma that caused her to appear so distant? at the other's reply, zahra's gaze shifts briefly to the (admittedly still rather crowded) shop. "who was it? i can get them kicked out, if you want," she offers, mostly because she doesn't really know what else to say. zahra wasn't the best at talking about tragedies. usually she'd just burst into tears instead, but it felt a bit odd doing so for strangers. "it's okay. i'd run too," she shrugs, adjusting the strap of her bag.

sanem moved to grasp the strap of her purse like it was the handle of a loaded nine millimeter, knuckles turning the color of paste as fury flared in her cheeks. of course all of this information about chris wilder would come out . . . right in time to force her own case, her own story, onto the precipice of irrelevancy. grinding her teeth behind pursed lips, sanem's stone-cold gaze moved towards zahra's, a callousness she didn't have the strength to mask leaving her gaze frosty and distant. sanem was speaking, sand he was physically here, but mentally . . . she was on an entirely different planet. ❛ someone in there was pestering me, ❜ sanem replied, forcing a lilt to her words so they didn't come out as monotone as her brain wished them to have been. maybe she could grasp one final straw, see if there was a damn person in lincoln city who gave a shit about what SHE had gone through. the tragedy SHE had endured. caused. ❛ — seems that not everyone in this city is enveloped in the recent findings in the wilder case. some still appear to be enamored with my injustice, one i'm still mourning and am in no place to speak on. i can't even go out and have coffee without being badgered.❜ no, that was the entirely the problem. NO ONE was badgering her. lying through her teeth, sanem heaved a sigh, turning her gaze away and looking instead over zahra's shoulder; ❛ sorry for almost crashing into you i just . . . i had to get out. ❜

[zahra-burch]

in truth, it wasn't the first time that her and cherry had physically fought. it wasn't even the first time that they had fought in this bar. cherry's slap connects mostly with the bottom of her face, and she feels her top two teeth cut into the bottom lip, a metallic taste quickly following. it's not bad, just a nick, but zahra lets out a shriek as she snatches the hand that just smacked her and twists cherry's arm behind her back. moving so that the other's face is steadily approaching the counter of the bar, she only stops when she hears her (former) boss let out a loud, "that's enough! not in my bar. take that mess outside." his tone is more exasperated than anything, no true concern there. zahra releases her grip on cherry's arm, shoving the other into the edge of the bar counter as she does so. not hard enough to cause any real damage, but enough to get her point across. "then don't you talk about shit that you know nothing about," she spits back, glare fierce.

if  she  had  been  thinking  straight  then  she  would  have  considered  why  she  was  having  this  conversation  with  zahra  but  instead  ,  her  blood  boiled  .  the  audacity  .  the  way  she  acted  like  she  knew  chris  at  all  .  she  spun  around  ,  "  what  did  you  just  say  to  me  ,  bitch  ?  "  the  tone  really  set  .  reactive  as  ever  ,  a  volcano  always  waiting  to  erupt  ,  she's  charging  back  over  and  slapping  the  other  woman  square  across  the  face  ,  her  fingertips  twitching  as  she  pulls  away  .  "  don't  you  ever  talk  about  me  and  my  friendship  with  chris  ,  "  spat  angrily  .  

[zahra-burch]

"so fuzzy. like little balls of dryer lint," she hums, leaning in until her nose is only a few inches from the glass. one of the orange ones approaches, fluffy fur giving it the vague appearance of a toupée.

"ah, peer pressure. it's getting them younger and younger." an amused smile tugs at zahra's lips, her gaze shifting from the cage to the other woman as she straightens up. "bearded dragon. beardies are the best. they're friendly, and curious, and can live a good ten years." something catches her eye on the top shelf, and zahra shifts onto her tip toes to point at it.

"what about that guy? he looks like fun." just beyond her pointed finger is a red, round frog, aptly named a tomato frog. it almost appears as if its staring at them through the glass. "he's cheap, too!"

"they are fuzzy, aren't they?" elise commented, more to herself then zahra, getting a closer look at all the different rodent options. would this be a better option for willa? smaller, contained, definitely cheaper and to be honest... a shorter life span. god forbid willa's attention span for this creature lessen's over the next few months, to the point that elise is the only taking care of it, she isn't sure she wants it to stick around.

which is a fucked thing to think, but elise had enough stuff to worry about.

"she's nine. perfect age to suddenly want a pet because all of your friends have one." noting the bag of reptile sand in zahra's hand, elise pointed it out. "a turtle?" she tried guessing. maybe a frog? were frog's reptiles?

[zahra-burch]

[zahra-burch]

zahra and her mother had a standing coffee date on wednesday mornings. once the opening rush had calmed down, zahra would stop by before work and the two women would spend an hour or so catching up. there had been a time when they'd catch up over dinner at her mother's house, but zahra refused to even be in the same room as her father mother's husband now.

dressed slightly less flamboyantly than usual, having spent more time on her makeup this morning, the brunette goes to open the door, but it forcefully swings forward before she gets a chance. the brunette is able to step back to avoid the door itself, but not the woman who pushed it open in the first place. sanem's biting words cause zahra to pause, an almost incredulous look on her face. why the hell did she seem so angry? an odd feeling settles within her as the other's tone softens, and zahra glances over sanem's shoulder at the door, but her mom is still busy behind the counter, so it's not like she's technically in a rush. "yeah, you were leaving the shop like a bat out of hell."

open starter : @classcursestarters !!

tabloids were devouring it — ' belonging's of chris wilder's, a case believed to have gone cold ten years ago, found '. . . and sanem was seething with a jealousy that was making her teeth hurt. clutching her phone, she was quick to slam it face down onto the surface of the table she was sitting at, ears burnt scarlet, cheeks almost identical in hue as blood rushed to the apples of them and warmed her skin. chris wilder; the bastard . . . the THIEF of spotlights; both the bane of her existence and object of her desires. sanem quickly stood from where she sat, abandoning a half-sipped cup of coffee and a barely-touched croissant as she slipped her phone into her purse and moved with haste through the room, pushing through the front door of the coffee shop she had been occupying. fury coursed through her like a drug, adrenaline making her nerves stand on their most alert edge, and yet nothing could have prepared her to run into someone on her way out. kitten heels scraped on concrete, balance disturbed as she rocked forward and back, holding her arms out to catch herself. sanem's head flew up, no moment to process, pleasantries long forgotten as angry silver rimmed her eyes; ❛ — excuse me.❜ words icy and sharp, like that of a shard of freshly broken glass, blue eyes burning with an emotion not even she herself recognized. always his tragedy, never hers — no matter how GRAND it had been ( how grand she had made it to be . . . ) catching herself, swallowing her anger with a clearing of her throat, sanem turned her face away before they could read the fine print scribbled in the margins of her features. ❛ i . . . i didn't see you there.❜

[zahra-burch]

zahra had worked at an almost impressive (concerning?) number of local businesses in lincoln city. some of her work experiences had ended on good terms, while others...had not. the pet store just off of main street was a more amicable parting, hence why she still stopped by regularly to pick up supplies for jeremy and say hello to her old coworkers (and the animals)!

blue slushee in one hand and a bag of reptile sand held to her hip with the other, she doesn't realize that someone is approaching until she hears their voice. an easy smile rises to her lips as elise appears, and she lets out a slight laugh. "oh no, i just like looking at these fuzzy little things. they're so cute."

zahra nods at elise's comment, taking a sip from her straw as she thinks about what pet might best suit her little girl. "how old is your kiddo again?"

setting: weeks after the alumni event, at the pet store tagged: zahra burch @zahra-burch

willa had been asking for a pet since they moved back to lincoln city, mentioning how all of her classmates had dogs or cats or hell even birds, and that she wanted one too. elise wasn't about to jump when her daughter demanded it, but she was considering the idea. perhaps as a potential christmas gift?

her grandparents had cats when shew as growing up, and as of right now they seemed much more low maintenance than dogs. it was an hour before her shift started, and she just figured why not look around the pet store and get an idea of what she would potentially need... as well as prices.

turning down an aisle, elise was surprised to see an old classmate. "oh, zahra, hey." she greeted her. zahra was one of the few that hadn't moved away from lincoln city after high school. "are you in the market for a new pet?" she questioned, eyeing the hamster display. definitely cheaper, maybe willa would like one of those? "i'm thinking of getting one for my daughter but... i didn't realize how expensive they could get. Or forgot, I guess."

[zahra-burch]

and just like that, cherry was off, her gaze cold but her words leaving zahra to burn with a mix of hurt and anger. what did cherry know about what her and chris shared? the only reason that they hadn't spent time together before he went missing was because zahra hadn't been brave enough to tell him they were meant to go through this life together, as family. "said like a true friend," she scoffs, not even caring if she's speaking to the other's back. "what does it say about you that you'd rather he be dead than just not want to hang around in this shithole with you?"

it  struck  a  nerve  .  it  wasn't  hard  to  do  …  especially  when  it  came  to  chris  .  "  don't  talk  about  how  chris  might  have  felt  .  he  would  have  never  disappeared  .  he  would  have  never  left  ,  "  snapped  back  quickly  ,  her  eyes  cold  .  she  didn't  understand  why  zahra  always  had  to  get  involved  ,  talking  about  things  she  couldn't  possibly  understand  .  "  you  know  ,  zahra  ,  if  chris  was  around  then  he  would  have  spent  about  as  much  time  with  you  as  he  did  when  he  was  alive  :  none  .  get  a  life  ,  "  as  she  turns  to  storm  out  .

[zahra-burch]

zahra burch police interview, 5/24/24

zahra burch was no stranger to the lincoln city police department. no one who worked there would use the term public menace to describe the brunette, but public nuisance? well...perhaps.

as she sits in the little interview room, not for the first (or likely the last) time, she takes a sip from the sprite can that officer reid had been kind enough to get for her. she knows that his girlfriend often shops at vintage vibe, and that her favorite thing to buy are oversized jackets. usually denim. were they for herself, or a gift for the officer when he was off duty?

trying to picture him wearing a denim jacket, she almost misses his first question. "where were you on the night of christopher wilder's disappearance?"

"i went to the party. i don't know if i was really supposed to, since i wasn't a senior, but it sounded like it might be fun. dante sometimes had these cocktail mixes that were tasty and also kinda lethal," she rambles, either oblivious or just unconcerned with blatantly admitting to underage drinking. "i was supposed to have a set finished for the next morning, but i still had all of the shading and some of the final details to do, so i left once everyone started going off to do their own things. i fell asleep on the stage, and woke up to everyone freaking out about chris being gone." it was a horrible way to wake up, and she bites her lip in an effort not to tear up.

after a moment's pause, officer reid continues. "when was the last time you saw christopher?"

"i saw him at the party. the one at dante's, before everyone split off. he looked like he was having a good time. a little drunk, maybe, but not off his face, you know?" how she wishes she could go back and have spoken with him that night, maybe even told him everything. would it have been enough to change things?

it's the last question that she struggles to answer. "what was your relationship with christopher?"

"we were classmates. i used to see him at the library, when he was tutoring students. we didn't talk much, but he...he always seemed so kind," she swallows, mouth suddenly feeling dry. what was the point in hiding the truth? she had always wanted chris to be the first one that she told, but so many years had passed and while she hadn't given up hope that she'd get to tell him one day, it was almost as if zahra needed to say the words out loud to prove that they were real. "he is my brother," she says, emphasis on the present tense. "we share a biological father, mr. wilder. he just...he didn't know that, because i didn't get a chance to tell him before...everything." god, it felt good to say it out loud. even with all of the questions that might follow, both in this room and in the community. she didn't care anymore. maybe chris would hear them, and he'd come back home.