i hate it here

Amelia Wilson 29. Teacher. once a precocious child.

[salemroots-deactivated20241206]

emma     was     usually     prepared     with     espresso     when     amelia     came     in.     her     little     espresso     machine     for     the     place     was     sitting     there,     untouched     from     the     lack     of     people     today.     it     took     her     a     moment     to     realize     it     was     amelia,     a     small     smile     grew     on     her     laps     and     she     gave     a     dramatic     sigh.     "i     think     i'm     mourning     daylight     savings     time     ending,"     emma     replied,     truthfully.     she     always     hated     this     time     of     year,     when     everything     got     dark     at     5     pm     and     the     sun     didn't     come     up     until     what     felt     like     8     am.     "that's     why     i     wore     black     today."

[castlcscrumbling]

amelia knew it would've made more sense to give emma the heads up that she was coming in for something specific. her friend probably would've had the book all ready to go by the time she stepped inside. unfortunately, this had been a spur of the moment decision and she hadn't had a chance to give the other woman a heads up. "can't believe you opened up," she replied, easily slipping into the fake dramatics. "should've taken a personal day." she rested her elbows down on the counter, chin then moving to her hand. "just leave a sign on the door that says you'll be here when the sun is out again. i'm sure everyone will understand."

[n0rthernattitude]

"if you say it three times every store in town will start playing their christmas playlists," he warned with a shake of his head. normally, dom only saw mia during the holidays. it had become a bit of a running joke, actually, that as soon as the kids went on winter break, he'd run into her at the grocery store or the coffee shop or the library and they'd fall into their old routine of hanging out, watching whatever movie was playing at the drive-in or grabbing dinner at rory's restaurant up until last christmas. it wasn't quite like the song. he'd outgrown his high school crush on her. but that didn't mean he didn't still think about it every now and then.

dom stood up and tucked the horror movies he'd picked up under one arm, crossing them loosely over his chest and raising his eyebrows. "i'm okay." he was, mostly. dom was doing what he'd been doing the last time they'd spoken: working at the shop and watching bad reality tv with his roommate. the most exciting thing that'd happened to him recently was that he'd been adopted by a cat. "i'm still bumming your netflix account," he said with a shrug, eyes drifting from her face to the books in her arms. "just some light reading, huh?" he kept his tone neutral. this was fine. this didn't have to be awkward. though if miss newbury took any longer it might get that way. "what brings you home?" because that's what salem was whether mia liked it or not. their hometown. always would be.

[castlcscrumbling]

despite herself, she smiled in response to his comment. growing up, she had always wished that she'd been able to do that. lighten the mood in a way that didn't come across as an anxious coverup. instead, she'd been the quieter kid on the side. making sure the group had a good time as things went on around her. "i'd end up exiled. how dare anyone risk christmas pushing halloween to the side by starting too soon?" even though so much of the history crowds came to see every year didn't really happen where they were, the town had always rallied together for the fall season. while christmas wasn't really their hometown's thing, it seemed to somehow become theirs. every year had been two old friends falling back into friendly patterns until the most recent holiday visit when she'd let herself get a little too comfortable. something she'd only allowed herself to give into knowing she wouldn't be running into him on random monday afternoons at the library. thanks, universe.

amelia nodded along as he spoke, knowing that despite the sirens going off in her head, she did care about how he was. he'd been one out of a handful of their group that she'd felt had actually been a friend. "just don't mess with my algorithm and we'll be fine," she attempted as a joke. her eyes fell from his face to the children's books in her arms. Here we go. "i actually, uh, got a job here. well, not here here as in the library, but here as in in town." sharing the update with random neighbors had been easy. they all assumed she'd come back home for a job on purpose. it had been her family, and the few friends she had kept in closer contact with, that she had a hard time admitting it to since they'd understand that it wasn't her decision. "was a few weeks late for the start of the school year, but we're on a good path now. just wasn't as prepared as i could've been, so the library's keeping my classroom library stocked while i figure out my plan to rob the bank in order to get all of the books we need." hopefully he wouldn't think twice about her being here for a month without reaching out.

[salemroots-deactivated20241206]

setting: the local bar.

it   had   been   a   long   day   for   sorin,   and   their   body   ached   but   in   a   weird   way   also   felt   warm   and   happy.   it   was   because   sorin   had   spent   13   hours   in   the   sun   riding   horses,   fixing   fences   and   reigning   in   cattle   but   everyday   even   though   sorin   felt   old   after,   they   felt   alive.   it   was   their   calling   and   what   made   their   soul   happiest.   sorin   looked   up,   raising   their   glass   to   the   new   comer.   "another   day,   another   dollar,"   he   said,   taking   a   sip   of   his   whiskey

[castlcscrumbling]

Amelia wasn't usually one to stop somewhere on the way home from work, but with the chaos of her day, and the fact that she didn't want to head home just yet, she decided to stop in for a drink. Hopefully she'd be able to people watch and stay somewhat hidden. As she made her way over to an empty stool, she wasn't surprised that the person beside her opted for conversation. Home sweet home. "I can't tell if you're drinking from a rough day or simply a long day," she commented as she got herself comfortable. Most people made that kind of comment with a negative connotation, but the guy didn't seem to be too upset in the moment. "Either way, you're here, so I guess you had the same idea most of us did. Grab a drink to unwind."

[n0rthernattitude]

who: mia + dom (@castlcscrumbling) where: salem library

it was movie night. sure, they could just as easily have found something on one of the various streaming services they all shared, but sometimes, that took up so much time and they argued so much that tensions got high. so, when it was his turn to pick what they watched, dom often stopped by the library to pick up a couple of dvd's instead. he had a couple of slasher flicks in hand as he waited in line behind old mrs. newbury, impatiently checking his watch as she asked the librarian's opinion on yet another beach read she'd picked up off the new releases shelf. a sigh fell from his lips, foot tapping against the floor, free hand combing through his hair. why wasn't there a self checkout for the library yet? that would make his life so much easier. just as dom was contemplating his life choices, he turned to glance over his shoulder for one of the other librarians. they really needed some kind of bat signal for when one of them was being held hostage by a patron with too much time on their hands. he turned a little bit too quickly. the person behind him was closer than he'd anticipated and in the movement, he sent his dvd's and her armful of picture books to the floor.

"shit," dom said, immediately dropping to a knee to collect their fallen belongings and backtracking. "i mean, sorry. didn't know you were right-" when he looked up through his hair to look the person he'd knocked into in the eye, he was caught off balance and dropped the books again. amelia wilson was the last person he expected to see in the salem library on a random monday afternoon. "mimi?" he was still holding her books. he held them out wordlessly.

[castlcscrumbling]

building up her classroom's library was going to take time. that was what she told herself every time she ended up wandering the local library in order to check out a few new books and swap out the old ones. while it was a lot more work for her, it also gave her the excuse to spend more time secluded in her corner of the library. from her favorite spot, she was able to people watch, but stay out of everyone else's line of vision so as not to bring on random small talk. yes, i'm back. it's great to see you too. oh, just down at the elementary school. they were comments she'd quickly grown tired of. while everyone else around her seemed thrilled to return home, or adamant that they'd never leave, amelia wilson hated that she was stuck in her hometown. all it did was make her feel as if she hadn't changed one bit. as if all of the growth and work she'd done to truly figure out who she was as her own person had been left behind.

when it was safe for her to check out her armful of books and head back home, she snuck onto the back of the line. instead of focusing on what was going on around her, she kept her head down, eyes scanning the list of titles she had in her phone to double check that they were all in her arms. she hadn't realized how close she'd gotten to the person in front of her until they'd turned around and caused everything to go tumbling down. the voice was what she'd recognized first, causing her to freeze where she was. her first instinct had been to turn around and book it in the opposite direction. maybe she had thirty seconds to a minute before he put two and two together and caught on to who exactly he'd bumped into. she hadn't told a lot of people she'd moved back, but he was one of the select few that she went the extra mile to dodge. keeping in touch with him had been much easier when she knew she'd only be in town for a few days. "i guess it's a little too early to say merry christmas, huh?" silently cursing herself for the world's dumbest comment, she reached out to take the books again. "thanks." what was she even supposed to say? sorry i didn't give you a heads up? it's not like she was obligated to fill anyone in on her plans except her family. instead of allowing the spotlight to steady on herself, she put a focus on him. "how are you? did you finally get super pissed at everything being on different streaming services and angry-cancel them all?"

[salemroots-deactivated20241206]

setting: emma's bookstore.

the   owner   of   the   shop   stood   behind   the   counter,   her   eyes   down   casted   as   she   dooled   in   the   order   of   an   order   that   was   suppose   to   be   picked   up   30   minutes   ago,   her   softly   hummed   to   herself   completely   and   utterly   in   her   own   world   when   a   book   was   put   onto   the   counter,   she   jumped,   her   cheeks   flushing.   "oh   i'm   so   sorry!"   she   exclaimed,   dropping   her   pen.

[castlcscrumbling]

more often than not, amelia found herself wandering around the library or the book nook. while she was the stereotypical definition of a book worm, most of the time the books she looked for were for her classroom or a specific student. since she'd noticed the way emma appeared to be in her own world, mia had opted to take a lap around the store and look for the specific title on her own. anything to not disturb. but when she'd come up empty-handed, she reluctantly made her way back up to the front counter. "i'm sorry! i didn't mean to scare you," she easily replied, holding her hands up in a mock surrender. "everything okay?" it was always in her nature to check in.

[castlcscrumbling]

⊹₊ ⋆ ( natalia dyer, female, she/her, 29 ) i think amelia wilson just walked by! wow, they really are a natalia dyer lookalike! they’ve been here in salem for her whole life, and seem to hang around beans coffee shop a lot. i heard they’re a 2nd gradeteacher at salem elementary school. when asked to describe themselves they’re likely to say rolled up sleeves of an oversized sweater, only falling apart alone, the smell before the rain, tendrils tucked into a woven braid, & highlighted passages in paperbacks.

Basics:

Name: Amelia Jade Wilson

Nickname(s): Mia

Birthday: September 13th 1995

Age: 29

Sexuality: bisexual

Occupation: 2nd grade teacher

Positives: meticulous, reliable, supportive, kind, proactive

Negatives: controlling, withdrawn, defensive, melancholic, reticent

MBTI: INTJ (architect)

Biography:

born and raised in salem, the eldest of three, amelia felt like she'd been destined to a life of 'eldest daughter syndrome' from the start.

when she was 8 years old, she woke to her mother kissing her goodbye. her questions were all met with a simple instruction: "take care of your siblings," so that's exactly what she did. for a while, mia assumed her mom would be coming back, but at age 13, she accepted that that wasn't going to happen.

her entire life, amelia was focused on the two younger ones. she helped with homework, kept them on a schedule, showed up to sport games, dance recitals, and every other extracurricular in between.

in high school, she went through all of the motions of what she assumed was a typical high school girl. she dated a boy on a sports team (even if she secretly hated him sometimes), got the very best grades she possibly could, and floated between cliques while staying loyal to her select few.

for college, she stayed as close as possible so that she could commute to classes and still be around to make sure her siblings stayed on their right paths.

it wasn't until the youngest had gone off to college that amelia finally allowed herself to grow. she left salem for new york, hoping it'd be somewhere she could truly find herself. she did well for a couple years, working two jobs to make ends meet, but she'd never been one to shy away from work.

even while away from home, she kept in touch with her siblings through texts, calls, and facetime to make sure they were okay.

a year ago, she was let go from her teaching position in new york and began struggling even more in the city she thought was her new home.

about two months ago, she officially accepted the position at salem elementary and now finds herself right back in the childhood home that she fought so hard to get out of.

amelia is currently just a teeny bit bitter, but she still pretends that everything is fine. if she were to drop the weight of the world from her shoulders for even a second, she's sure the entire thing would come crashing down. who takes care of the person that takes care of everyone else?

Connections:

since she lived there forever (minus the time in ny) i would loooove some childhood friends, exes, or even enemies!!

teacher buddies?!

possible current hookups/no strings?

unlikely friendships!!

genuinely would just love anything and everything. while she's a human espresso, she's incredibly loyal and generous!

[djotime]

Natalia Dyer as Annie Chestnut (2023) dir. Jac Cron