ava ruiz.

she was only seventeen — oh, why are girls in songs always seventeen?

[averettruiz]

holstad, lou.

      it’s a rarity that he finds himself here , even though he walks with the lacklustre of an aimless wanderer he’s hardly ever excited to go anywhere apart from the roller rink alone . summer finds an empty pantry and cravings from something sweet , even in the dead of summer where heat hangs thick in the air , a thin film of humidity slick over exposed skin . but he never feels warm , not really , and he’d decided approximately twenty minutes ago that hot chocolate was the only cure for that nagging , annoying , hollowness in the space between his ribs and his heart . ‘   thanks .   ’ a barely audible drawl as he slides the cup towards himself , cautiously blowing against the film of froth that sits atop the drink . it smells suspiciously like caffeine , but in spite of the flagrant bitter edge that wafts towards him , he brushes it off as his own stupid paranoia , the thought of having to clarify is enough to regret purchasing the drink altogether . when the liquid hits his tongue it’s enough for him to wince , letting it pool in his mouth before he forces himself to swallow it down . ‘god.   ’ a gut reaction unable to be stifled , the cup is set down and pushed back towards her before an explanation is even offered . ‘   uh i ordered hot chocolate . this is … not … that .   ’

She’s so ready to clock out, that as soon as she’s finished handing him the drink, she’s ALREADY tuned him back out. Ava’s leaned against the counter, wrists pressed against the lip of it, digging carefully tied friendship bracelets colored murky by pool water into the flesh of her hands — which clutch a pencil, filling in delicate number lines in her ULTIMATE SUDOKU book. She looks up as the cup is slid across the counter back towards her, and the numbers she’s figured out float out of her head and up towards the yellow toned fluorescents on the ceiling. Mood lighting, she’d been told, to keep a calming atmosphere. It just made her sleepy. No one else was in the cafe, and so instead of putting on her best customer service voice and remaking it, her face hardens. “ You ordered a mocha. ” She says plainly. “ So I got you a mocha. If you’d like to order another drink, I’d be happy to make it for you if you get back in line. ” And pay for it again, she thinks, though she doesn’t say it, as eyes flicker away from him and back to the book.  

[averettruiz]

detler, jack.

         he’s always appreciated early mornings, as fresh as the first blanket of snow in winter ; overexposed and causing him to squint , an easy feat for eyes eager to lull themselves closed reeling back towards rest . serenity cascades through the windows that span across the walls , sunlight peeking it’s sleepy head from the clouds every now and then . a yawn falls into a dopey smile , nodding his head . ‘   best friends . tell her i said that , she’ll love it .   ’ he grabs the cups from her grasp , stacking them in the right place , briefly forgetting that training her’s part of the mandate of his job . the whole idea seems way too fun for it to be considered any type of work . ‘   they go here . easy access that way .  ’ he makes a reaching gesture to show how the cups are within arm’s reach now . ‘   i am going to pretend you didn’t say that . c’mon ave , open mind ! plus , actually doing stuff makes the time pass faster .   ’ a promise coats his saccharine tone , walking the tight rope of responsibly cool, whatever that means . 

She notices quickly how adeptly he moves to fix her mistakes, and marks it down for later. The ability to do things SHITTILY with the reassurance that the customer ( always right, Jack had reminded her ) wouldn’t be impacted was, truth be told, a godsend. It lifted the pressure off her back, and, therefore, any desire to actually kick her ass into gear. It wasn’t that she was lazy, per se. She always did her homework, and tinkered with random appliances stolen from forgotten corners of their home — alarm clock gone unmissed in the age of the iPhone — and things picked up from Goodwill. Ava had already finished her summer reading assignments for next year. SENIOR YEAR of high school is what loomed over her, not some stupid job in a coffee shop. A forehead finally free of acne and teeth finally free of braces had left her with a newfound energy to rejuvenize her social life, and while she liked Jack ... hanging out with her MOTHER’S friends wasn’t exactly at the top of her list to become cool. Neither was making lattes all day. “ I don’t have to do stuff, ” she reminded him. “ I could like, bring a book or something. Sit in the back. Or just like — ... ” She’s quiet for a beat, trying to figure out how exactly to present her dream scenario. “ Not come. A case of let’s not and say we did, you know? ” Another beat. “ Or like, say we did to ... Odette. Say I did, if we want to get into specifics. ”

[averettruiz]

@cloudedwrath / THIRTEEN MINUTES AND TWENTY FIVE SECONDS — that was exactly how much time was left in her shift. She’d been counting, eyes flickering between the screen of her phone and the analog clock on the wall. She’d managed to spend at least an hour and a half in the bathroom, meekly telling Jack when he’d questioned her absence that she’d had ‘ feminine problems ’ ... something she would most definitely do more than once a month. She’d messed up the past two orders, giving a latte to someone ordering n Americano and a chai to someone who’s asked for espresso. Before that, she’d had a streak of three successes, though ONE of them had been a request for tap water. At least it was an improvement. The boy in line, the only person in the café at the odd lull post lunch had ordered a mocha — or was it a cappuccino? — and she hands it to him proudly, then shifting her attention to counting out the singles that had been placed in the tip jar earlier in the afternoon. SHIT, had he ordered a mocha? Maybe he wouldn’t notice. “ Just let me know how everything is, ” She chirped joyfully, no matter how fake it was. Her cheeks hurt from one too many polite smiles. 

[averettruiz]

@cloudedwrath / She didn’t want a STUPID job in the first place. But with the weight of the school year lifted off her shoulders, she no longer had any sort of shield to hide behind when Odette came to remind her that she needed to begin working. WELL — that and Kai had finally begun to agree with the sentiment, and not immediately come to her defenses when she asked. Or really, moreso demanded: she was, in fact, her mother’s daughter. But now she sat at five in the morning in the coffee shop, an hour before opening, still rubbing sleep out of her eyes after late July nights faded to mornings left her unwilling to get out of bed. “ I know you guys are like, friends. ” She said, lifting one of the coffee cups she  had been tasked with stacking. “ So like, ” She placed it back down on the table, not in the correct spot as she pondered her request. “ We’re, ” She motions back and forth to the two of them, voice loud over the hum of the coffee makers starting up. “ Basically friends. So if I were to like, not ... do stuff, you could like, THEORETICALLY lie to my mom. ” A pause. “ Uh ... Odette. Don’t tell her I called her that, though. ”

[sunnydaledaily]

#friendship

[msjessicaday]

[twilightly-blog]

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) dir. Jamie Babbit

[melvera]

[yenvengerberg]

Runaways Season 2 Meme: [3/3] Wardrobes » Gert Yorkes

[riverlarking]

[janployshompoos]

[averettruiz]

STEFAN COWELL.

     EYES NARROW. there’s irritation to be felt, and initially  –  there is. but as she goes on, what is located is AMUSEMENT. lips quirk, a chuckle stifled.  “  never been to juvie.  ”   a correction. and a miracle, too. she hits the nail on its head with her latter comment, one that should’ve been taken into account when making the first. his mom did throw the whole of her bank account at whatever situation he presented her with. whatever to get stefan himself out of her sight. sure, juvie would’ve been a  SURE THING  –  allowing irene swann a fuck - load of time free of her son. but the consequences that would ensue a smear on his record… she might’ve sacrificed a house void of stefan, but in the long run  –  it’d been the RIGHT MOVE. he knew it, too. every decision she made, and how they all related to him, he could decipher and pick apart with an expertise that made you wonder if it was all a simple PROJECTION.   “   i’m sure she would.   ”   he continues.   “   the one percent gets off on that sort’a thing. problem - solving.   ”   stefan’s not snobbish, and certainly not struck by vanity, but he knew it was  EASY  :  shining a light on others’ financial situations, poking at their insecurities and wants  –  items of luxury which they could not afford. sometimes it was superficial, like a new phone or tickets to a concert. other times, it was rooted into their very being… clothes on their backs kissed with holes, and food on the table scarce. he doesn’t think he’s better because he has it, money, but it’s  RIGHT THERE  –  a means of provocation presented to him, patiently awaiting his use.   “   not ‘sum you could relate to, is it.   ”   he gives her a once-over, deliberate and vacant.

She’s halfway prepared to work by herself as he’d suggested, ignoring further provocations — the correction of his own lack of time spent in juvenile detention, the added retorts involving just how rich he was. But then, after a pause — not something she could relate to. Head snaps up from eyes fixated on stack of paper, and she can already feel the slow creeping nature of shame washing over her. She shouldn’t be hurt like that: struggle was never a reality during her time in Black Spring, and childhood memories of time spent in the backseat of a car or gleefully picking candy from convenience stores before they got to the next motel were clouded with youthful ignorance. She knew now, what they really meant, but she still thought of them as FOND things to look back upon. Now, at least, she was comfortable: Kai spoiled her slightly, but her mother demanded it stop there. There was a certain air of privilege she was ignorant of — she’d never HAD to work, the clothes on her back were always clean and her belly was always full. But in comparison to other Black Spring residents, and Stefan especially, she might as well have been jingling a can of coins on a corner. “ What’s that supposed to mean? ” She asked, tone aggressive and accusatory as she turns to face him. She knows what it means, and she can already feel some sort of argument that would get her sent straight down to the office brewing in her. Stefan would be sent there too, but there’s even MORE anger at the lack of repercussions she knows he’ll face. His mother’s power guided school officials with a steady hand — Ava would most likely have another fight waiting for her when she got home. 

[averettruiz]

*eyes emoji*

[averettruiz]

DAPHNE WALKER.

the  plan  had  been  to  see  a  movie  …    alone  .    those  plans  had  been  dashed  before  she  had  even  gotten  the  chance  to  get  her  ticket  ,    instead  she  was  looking  at  another  girl  :    A  CLASSMATE  .    didn’t  she  know  that  daphne  didn’t  talk  to  the  others  ?    she  preferred  the  company  of  herself  ,    not  finding  a  good  enough  reason  to  spend  any  time  with  anyone  else  .    their  concerns  &  interests  didn’t  mean  anything  to  her  .    she  could  rarely  find  it  in  herself  to  care  about  anyone  ,    not  anymore  .    the  bubbly  younger  girl  they  had  grown  up  with  had  disappeared  &  what  was  left  was  this  shell  of  her  .    eyes  lower  to  look  at  the  tickets  &  they  narrow  in  consideration  before  she  speaks  ,    ❛     the  tickets  aren’t  even  the  more  expensive  of  things  here  .    they  get  more  money  out  of  concessions  .    ❜    her  response  isn’t  exactly  a  no  .

She’s quiet for a moment, after having expected rejection. Now a response has to be crafted — but Ava speaks more with a shoddy glue stick job than a hammer and nail, and she bounces back quickly. “ Kinda messed up, if you ask me. That Mickey Mouse is holding AMC at gunpoint so they have to charge us an arm & a leg for snacks. ” Another bite of her Twizzler, and then another thought springs into her head. “ I’ll share my Twizzlers. Smuggle them in, very Indiana Jones. I’m pretty great company too. ”

[averettruiz]

STEFAN COWELL.

     back home  –  wherever home would be  –  stefan wasn’t  APPROACHED.  in most places, those chosen by his mother  (  he thinks it’s a deliberate move on her part,  )  the new kid is avoided, feared. he didn’t have to work very hard to keep people at bay, though he didn’t mind going the extra mile, either. HERE, to black spring natives specifically, the guy with a bowie and black combats wasn’t the most terrorizing image. it was the fucking black rock witch. and for that reason, amongst many, he despised her.  “  pretty sure it is.  ”  he counters. and she goes on  –  for all eternity it seemed.  “  yeah? some of us like it that way. so, why don’t you scram… solve x minus y all on your own. think you could handle that?  ”  his tone is hostile, but a smile flashes by  –  theatrics put on for the passing teacher. he couldn’t be BOTHERED, really, and he usually never could. but with two weeks left until summer break, even stefan feared the possible suspension. he wouldn’t hear the end of it, all summer long. so, he plays nice  –  ish.  “  i could care less about failing, hermione.  ”

Annoyance is evident on dainty features, and she flicks eraser shavings off her desk to distract herself from it. “ Wow, sick literary reference, Stefan, I didn’t know they had the Harry Potter books in juvie ! ” Mock excitement is put on in her voice, through she doesn’t match his smirk — and eyes glare into him so deeply it wouldn’t have mattered if she had a smile ear to ear. If he wanted to drag himself down, FINE, but he wasn’t taking her with him. She turns back away from him, attempting to keep her head held high as number two pencil scratches her name across the top of the page. And then, under her breath: “ I’m sure your mom would get a real kick out of paying to get you out of summer school. ”

[averettruiz]

ODETTE RUIZ.

STARTER FOR AVA RUIZ ( @idlesuns )! 

     USUALLY LENIENT, but not tonight, odette lets out an exasperated sigh as her daughter whines. though she never had a  CURFEW  herself, one was promptly instated when ava reached the right age, and it remained the same to this day. maybe extending an hour, or two, when deemed appropriate, but never going  TOO FAR BEYOND  what was initially decided. ELEVEN PM. on the dot. you text, you call  –  if you need a ride, you contact kai. NO EXCEPTIONS.  “  ruining your life has always been my favorite thing to do.  ”  odette shoots back to an argumentative teen, her tone nothing short of mocking. 

At this stage in life, melodramatics seemed to be Ava’s middle name. While she’d certainly been whinier in previous years, and more inclined to give ridiculous requests — a newfound sense of self-proclaimed maturity rendered the younger prone to allowing her argumentative streak to shine through. Like mother, like daughter. The brink of adulthood was something she was teetering on the edge of, and a tiny countdown to EIGHTEEN lay in pastel blue sticky notes on her desk. “ I didn’t SAY my life. I said my social life. ” Of which Ava’s was minimal, naturally. But a fresh diet of John Hughes movies and modern teen classics had given her the insatiable urge to go on late night adventures, a hallmark of what she considered to be the genuine teenaged experience. “ I’m seventeen. That’s basically an adult. I can DRIVE, and you’re treating me like I’m riding a tricycle. ”

[averettruiz]

gath, kristine.

Expression brightens slightly at the other’s words, and she smiles back at Ava. “ Okay, okay. I’ll trust you on that — you better not be lying, ” she jokes, smirk twisting lips upwards. And then suddenly their faces are inches apart and Kris feels warm, feels the heat starting to move up her neck. She swallows, feeling very aware of Ava’s face near hers, and part of her wants to just lean forwards and kiss the other. Luckily, Ava’s face breaks into a grin, and it saves Kris from any potential misguided decisions. “ Sure ! I want a slushie, anyways, ” brunette replies, pushing herself off her own swing. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest still, and she’s thankful that the blush she felt rising didn’t make it to her cheeks.

THERE’S MOMENTS OF comfortable silence shared between them as they make their way out of the park’s entrance, and onto the tiny side street that lead to it — where Ava promptly balanced on the curb, one foot in front of the other as carefully as she could. After another moment, she speaks, tentatively and yet all at once: “ How did you know? ” A beat, and she can feel nervousness building up in her. She’s never been nervous like that, not talking to Kris. Things were comfortable between them, and they always HAD been. But now — palms were sweaty, and she yanked down on her ponytail, snapping elastic around wrist to cover the warmth that travelled to the back of her neck. “ Like, that you were GAY, I mean. Is there a checklist you have to FOLLOW ... or ... ” She smiles, indicative of a JOKE, but it doesn’t reach her eyes as she hops off the curb and settles into matching stride with the older.