Reagan had been idly sitting in one of the tables on the far back of Annaâs, observing as she was so prone to do and liked so much. She had not brought her sketchbook today, which meant her eyes were wandering around the diner looking for something. She just didnât know what. Having spoken to Briar as soon as she came in, she had been wondering why her friend was in such obvious distress, she didnât like it very much. As soon as Reagan saw a window of opportunity, she slid off her seat and approached the blonde. âBâ I really need to talk to you, itâs really urgent, so maybe we can go outside for a couple of minutes?â
Briar came to a quick halt upon being stopped by her cousin. All her cousins from her mother side of the family were much younger. So when they moved and Briar got to meet Reagan, she was very excited. Finally someone closer to her age would be around. It didnât any help from their dads for the nice little bond to form between the girls. âUrgent? --Is everything okay?â she asked concerned as she looked at the other. âcome on, letâs talk outside.â the blonde said, taking the otherâs hand as she lead her out the front door. âDid something happen?â
     Pushing the door open to Annaâs diner, Nora was assaulted with the smell of breakfast and a blonde girl who seemed probably more willing than most to grab her a cup of coffee. âSureââ Nora said with eyebrows knitted together, âblack okay? No cream, nor sugar, just plain coffee,â she told her as she walked over to sit at the only available seat on the counter and groaned as she had seen Mrs. Frances sitting there, the last time Nora had been in that position, the woman had chewed her ear off about her late husband and she was not in the mood today. However, as if she was waiting on Nora to sit down beside her, the woman started to run her mouth, telling her all the stories she had heard before. âMrs Frances, please, itâs time you move on maâam, we all heard your great stories about Mr Frances, but I can honestly say for everyone, that weâre done,â Nora said, as gently as she could, which wasnât pouring kindness, but it seemed to get the point across and the lady got up from her seat and moved on to harass other costumers. âI swear to God, if I hear one more time about Mr Frances, Iâm gonna dig him out of the grave and leave her at her doorstep. Fuckinâ Jesus.â
âComing right up.â The blonde said as she went to get the coffee for her. Finally, she had something to do and wouldnât feel bad about leaving the old lady by herself. Briar couldnât believe her ears as she placed the coffee in front of the woman. Did she really say that to Mrs. Frances? No one else ever said anything. Like Briar, many just nodded as the old woman went on and on, or simply made up an excuse so they wouldnât have to listen to her. âWow,â the blonde said, only after Mrs. Frances had moved on to another seat. âimagine having to listen to that every day. Iâm pretty sure sheâs been telling me he died two months ago for the past six months. Can I get you anything else?â
     Coffee runs on the way to the school were usual for her and Annaâs was probably the only place in Edens Town where Caroline stopped and stayed for a few more minutes than usual when she didnât have breakfast at home. Her order was always the same, french toasts and bacon and eggs, too much food on Annaâs standards which was why she always wrapped some of it to go, which ended up being her breakfast for at least another two days. Pushing the door open and being greeted almost immediately by Briar, Caroline frowned slightly, walking a few more steps until she reached a seat on the counter. âIâll have the usualâ but are you okay?â Caroline looked at her for a few minutes, the blonde was all her mother, except for her fatherâs blue eyes. Caroline felt for her, not pity⌠but something. âYou look a little bothered,â bothered wasnât exactly the right word, but was the only one Caroline had managed to find.
âIâm better now.â Briar said, motioning over to where Mrs Frances was sitting. With Caroline being a regular at the diner and someone that Briar had grown close with over the months, she got to hear the blonde complain about a few customers. She didnât like to complain often, especially since she understood that sometimes people just need to vent. But doing it too much would get anyone tired, especially someone that was just trying to do their job. âIâll put your order in. We really should just have these ready for you at this point.â she said, chuckling lightly.Â
Jamie didnât keep himself busy with a construction work that day, but with some paperwork. Owning his own business was a chance, and he was proud of it but bills and management? It was a true nightmare. And what would be better than some food to get away from it for a couple of hours? As he walked in Annaâs dinner, the man barely had the time to take a seat: the waitress was already at the table, greeting him right away. âUh⌠Iâll take a coffee, then!â he said, as he frowned, surprised by how rushed she looked. âAnd pancakes. With maple syrup? Or whatever you want, honestly.â Trying to understand why she was apparently looking for something to do right away, he asked, âIs everything alright?â
âCoffee and pancakes, okay. Would you like some sausage on the side, or bacon?â she asked, writing the other down quick on her notepad. âIâm good --just need something to do.â Briar assured with a smile. She looked over her shoulder, the old lady had found another victim to tell her stories to, which honestly made her feel relieved. Sometimes she really did wonder if the womanâs kids still visited her. Maybe she was just lonely. Damn. â--Lemme get you your coffee.â
Finn had just walked through the door when the young woman looked over anxiously. He slid into a booth and she was immediately there, offering him coffee. âUh-â Finn blinked a couple times, âYeah, coffee and a water would be great. I have no idea what I want though.â He came to the diner often enough to have a regular order, but he didnât feel like eating the usual chicken wrap. He was craving something unhealthy. He wanted his fatherâs Scottish cooking, but the man was out of the country for the next couple weeks.
âAre you alright?â He asked. The police uniform usually made people uncomfortable with that question, but he always tried regardless. âTheyâre not working you too hard, are they?â
âNo no, Iâm good.â Briar smiled. She was used to some of her fatherâs coworkers coming to the diner. Annaâs was definitely a townâs favorite and a nightmare during peak hours. âThe menuâs right there if you need a couple of minutes. Iâll get you your coffee and water in the meantime.â The girl before walking away. Seeing the old lady move onto another person made her sigh in relief. There was no one she could listen to her for another minute. After a couple of minutes, Briar walked back to Finnâs table with a glass of water and the coffee he asked for. âAre you ready to order yet or do you need a couple more minutes?â
Art had been coming into the diner more frequently as of late for his lunch breaks, figuring that if he was going to take an hour out of his day to get food that wasnât being brought to him, he was going to go to a place that had a wide variety of things to choose from. He had hardly sat down when he heard the womanâs voice, glancing up and letting a grin spread across his face when he recognized her. âHey, Briar. Old lady over there causing trouble?â he asked with a laugh, picking up the menu. âI donât do coffee â Iâd be bouncing off the walls if I did â but I will take a Dr. Pepper while I figure out what else I want.â
âYou have no idea.â she said, chuckling lightly. Briar was happy that it was a friendly face, someone that she could easily look busy with --even though he would have her working a bit. âYea, we wouldnât want you bouncing off the walls.â she chuckled lightly as she got him the soda he asked for and placed a menu in front of him as well to help him decide. However, she was definitely not going rush him. Briar hoped that while she was with him, the old lady would get bored and leave. She had finished her food a long time ago anyways. âHowâs work? Is it any busy over there today?â
The diner was pretty slow, save for a couple of people. They were regulars, some of which loved to talk about their lives. Usually Briar didnât mind it, but this one old lady had her there for a good twenty minutes talking about her late husband. The first couple of times that the woman talked about it, Briar listened and felt for the old lady. But months later, it was the same story and the same woman crying as she spoke about her late husband. Briar didnât want to be rude and leave her there all by herself, but she also didnât know what to say. She had run out of things to say. The door of the diner dinged as someone walked in. She quickly excused herself, feeling guilty for feeling relieved, but she couldnât stay sitting there any longer. âHi -- please tell me you know what you want. Hell, Iâll even get you some coffee right now.â as long as she looked busy.Â
For somebody who she had witnessed firsthand blow all of her money on booze and cigarettes, Helen Callahan had a lot of shit. Marley couldnât believe the amount of things that littered the little two bedroom she hadnât stepped foot into in ten years. Her memories of the house were bare-boned and sad, and even if there were room for the good memories, as few and far in between as they had been, there would be no room for them among all the clutter. That wasnât her reason for the yard sale, however. No, that was simply the first step in getting the house in selling condition. Clear it out, put it on the market, and the minute it sold, and the keys were handed over, Marley was out with it. It was the last thing keeping her in this place.
Sheâd just come out of the house with another box at her hip, laying out the items on the slowly baring table and noticing, from the corner of her eye, an item being picked up from it. âWhatever it is, Iâll take twenty bucks for it.â None of this junk was worth much, anyways. Marley, however, looked up out of curiosity. Her heart stopped, briefly, at the sight of the necklace. The one her mother had worn around her neck every day, that she never took off, even to sleep. âOh, that actuallyââ isnât for sale. But Marley held her tongue. ââŚwill only be ten. You drive a hard bargain.âÂ
@edtstarterâ
One of Briarâs favorite things since moving to Edens, it was to walk around. She was so used to the city, it was actually nice to walk around town and see the different scenery. When she pictured a small town, this was definitely the sort of place that she had in mind. It felt like a little community, every one seemed to be pretty much acquainted with each other. It was kind of cool. Although she definitely did not like her ânew girlâ title. Thank god she didnât come while she was still in high school. At least her little sister would eventually grow out of it.Â
Upon seeing the yard sale, the blonde decided to stop by and take a look. She always found the little things that people put up for sale quite interesting. Unlike things at the store, everything had its own little story. Her hazel eyes fell upon the jewelry -- a necklace. It was quite pretty, not her style but definitely something that if she owned, she wouldnât put for sale. The girl looked up upon hearing the voice and smiled. âOh --no, sorry. I was just looking at it. Itâs very pretty.â she responded.Â
He hadnât had to look for a job in nearly eight years. Griffin wasnât even sure he had any applicable skills at this point. Industry knowledge was so oddly specific. His âemployment historyâ was just modeling agencies coupled with anecdotes about being flown out to L.A. and New York. Not the most promising record of work ethic for the small businesses of Edens Town. Nevertheless, Griffin was accustomed to having expendable income and he needed a job if he was going to keep that up.Â
He had approached the employee with a humble nod and introduced himself. âGriffin Holloway. You might know my folks? Or my brother? I just moved back to town a couple weeks ago.â He gave the other person a winning smile and a tilt of his head. Hopefully his teenage days of raging parties and petty vandalism were a distant memory in this town. âSo, if youâre hiring, it would really help me out. Iâve got a resume, if you want to give it to whoeverâs in charge.â
@edtstarterâÂ
Her shift had been going pretty steady so far, Briar couldnât complain. It was busy enough that she wasnât completely bored, but she was also not running around. It was definitely the kind of shift that she liked. The blonde finished cleaning up some tables when the man approached. He looked more like someone that she would run into in the city than the typical Edens Town guy. Definitely too handsome, too. âI donât know if weâre hiring, but I can definitely pass your resume along.â the girl said with a smile. âIâm Briar, by the way.â
âSorry man, sorry Iâm still the reigning champ!â Levi hopped up on the ski ball machine for a second to flex before laughing as he saw the owner eyeing him. Granted he had been coming here for his entire life so they wouldnât really kick him out but it was still a bit funny to act out when he wasnât in his uniform. That and he got joy that his Pacman score was still the top one and he made his way towards the food kiosks, settling himself down with a triumphant smile. âWouldnât it be sick if you could just make money from playing arcade games? Iâd be the actual best at it. Screw a basketball team, the department should have a police department vs fire department arcade tournament. God, Iâm a genius.â
Briar couldnât help but chuckle lightly as she watched the grown man celebrate his undefeated score. She had to admit that it was quite impressive that no one in the town had a high score, especially considering that her gen z were such hardcore gamers. But then again, her generation preferred console games. âI am pretty sure that you can, Levi. All you gotta do is open up your own Youtube channel and upload your videos. If it goes viral, you could make a ton of money.â she suggested, although she doubted that he would leave his day job. âThatâs definitely a good idea, though. Talk to the others, Iâm sure some of then would be down. I know my dad would.â
Briar is the oldest child of Brandon and Brianna BennettÂ
The first couple of years of her childhood she spent it in a studio apartment. Her parents were only teenagers when she was born and didnât have much help from their own parents.
She spent majority of her time with her mom. They were each otherâs best friend while dad was away working multiple jobs. He left home early and returned so late -- but sometimes the little girl would stay up as long as she could so she could see him before sheâd go to sleep.
As the years passed and both mom and dad started working, they slowly found themselves in better living situations and Briar got a lot more of the things that she wanted. Still dad was always out working. He missed some of her ballet recitals, school performances, even arrived late at a couple of her birthday parties. Her mom tried to make up for it and help her understand that daddy needed to work. And she did understand, but it always broke her heart when he wouldnât be there.Â
When her little sister was first born, Briar was really happy. Most of her friends had younger sisters, so she wanted some as well. Despite the big age gap between the two, she loved everything about being a big sister. She loved to take care of her, play with her and take tons of picture to later post online.
In school she was always a bit of an overachiever. She loved to dance, the arts and did fairly well academically. She made a lot of friends because of her warm personality but didnât always get invited to the parties because her dad was a cop.
Briar changed a lot after her motherâs car accident. The girl stopped going out, preferring to stay home with her sister instead. She broke up with her boyfriend because anything that made her feel happy also made her feel guilty. She stopped talking to a lot of her friends. And she could barely look at her father without crying. He became a ghost of himself.Â
She decided against going off to college for now. Briar didnât feel ready and she knew that her dad needed her around. Since momâs passing, she had taken over the house doing some of the cooking, cleaning and taking care of Baylee. She knew she didnât have to, but this was what she wanted to do. As much as he told her she needed to go to college and do things that people her age were doing, she couldnât do it. They all needed each other right now.
Convincing her dad to move was hard, but they did it. They packed their bags and moved to Edens Town to start a new life. A small town life was exactly what all of them needed. There were no memories of mom here, they couldnât have to constantly face those pitiful looks that everyone gave, her dad wouldnât be putting his life on the line day in and out, and they had family here.Â
The past nine months have been better than she expected. Her father was actually going out and she see a gleam of happiness in his eyes, her sisterâs anxiety was a little more under control and she even made some new friends. She still missed her mother so much and often felt guilty when she found herself actually feeling happy. She knew that her mom wouldnât want her to be sad, but itâs just so hard.Â
PERSONALITY:
Sheâs very warm and loving-- people could always compared her to her mother. Briar is definitely the type that would put others before herself.Â
She is an overachiever and a bit of a people pleaser.Â
When it comes to her emotions, she is very private and keeps to herself when sheâs feeling low.Â
Since the death of her mother, sheâs been feeling really lost and has no idea what she wants to do with her life.Â
EXTRA:Â
She has a weed pen -- which she hides from her father. She doesnât want him to know that she smokes.
Sheâs literally the mom of the group, making sure that everyone is okay.
Briar doesnât voice it but she low key holds resentment towards her dad because he put work before the family. As much as she understands that he didnât have much of a choice, it still bothers her. Especially when she sees how he is with Baylee now. She wishes they were that close too when she was growing up.
She loves to sing and sometimes she goes to the open micâs -- but only when sheâs feeling ballsy
