Bedside Manners

[ tori → char ]: yayyyy ok!!! [ tori → char ]: i had my water should i do more tequila or shots?

[ char → tori ]: neither option sounds like a good idea

[ tori → char ]: that's true [ tori → char ]: no don't leeeeave me

[ char → tori ]: some of us have classes still tomorrow [ char → tori ]: i can talk to you until i fall asleep

[ tori → char ]: i dunno it's kinda late but i don't have a plan for tomorrow [ tori → char ]: what're you up to?

[ char → tori ]: i'm sure you'll find something. you always do. [ char → tori ]: i was finishing up an assignment, probably going to sleep soon tho

[ tori → char ]: this one's on the bus line [ tori → char ]: i'm not drinking and driving i'm safe [ unsent ]: i can't afford anything else

[ char → tori ]: well that's good [ char → tori ]: are you sticking around there much longer?

[ tori → char ]: ok fine is this better [ tori → char ]: i only have eyes for you [ tori → char ]: no its a small bar and she's got the good seat

[ char → tori unsent ]: i mean it would if we were still together [ char → tori ]: lol yeah that makes it all better [ char → tori ]: i'm surprised you aren't at some swanky bar

[ tori → char ]: if it makes you feel better i stopped even thinking about him when i started falling for you [ tori → char ]: because i'm at a bar and i'm still drinking and there's whiskey

[ char → tori ]: i know you mean that as a compliment, but it's still really weird to say [ char → tori ]: can't you drink next to someone else?

[ tori → char ]: that was before i knew i liked girls too bby [ tori → char ]: oooh ya gonna be someone's rich girlfriend? [ tori → char ]: no she's a total attention hog and that's my thing

[ char → tori ]: like that makes it any better [ char → tori ]: lucky them then [ char → tori ]: ah i see. so why are you still hanging around her?

[ tori → char ]: thank god you're too pretty to become lame [ tori → char ]: will it? [ tori → char ]: oh like she's got on a beret and she's doing the accent and sprinkling in french words [ tori → char ]: she's not bad but i'm pretty sure shes' from like arizona or something

[ char → tori ]: says the girl that used to give him moony eyes [ char → tori ]: salary wise, yes [ char → tori ]: is she going to become your new bestie?

[ tori → char ]: ew ew ew pls don't grow up to be a mini julian he's sooooo laaaaaaame [ tori → char ]: aw don't be miserable i can cheer you up [ tori → char ]: i went alone but there's lots of people i made a new friend her name is charmaine and she's pretending to be french

[ char → tori ]: no one is lamer than julian, so rest assured, i have no plans to be anything like him [ char → tori ]: it's misery that'll be worth it later so it's fine [ char → tori ]: what do you mean she's pretending to be french? [ char → tori unsent ]: is she cute?

[ tori → char ]: omg yor so right your so responsible [ tori → char ]: you study so hard you gotta give that ucte brain a break! [ tori → char ]: i'm at a bar it's not really a party [ tori → char ]: i will ask you tomorrow morning if you don't think i'm serious but i so am

#text: 001 #charlotte not putting in any stock to the last text

[ char → tori ]: i do plenty, don't worry. the last thing i need to do is be like my brother [ char → tori ]: besides i have plenty of time to be miserable and boring once i'm in med school [ char → tori ]: alone at a bar or did you go to the bar with people? [ char → tori ]: okay

[ tori → char ]: its a tequila shot inside a whiskey sour and i've had like 5 [ tori → char ]: aww babeee is school making you stay in all boring [ tori → char ]: i hate that for you come out here

[ char → tori ]: i think you need some shots of water next then [ char → tori ]: it isn't. i just have to do actual studying at some point. [ char → tori ]: can't just party it up every night. are you by yourself or with people?? [ char → tori ]: ask me that again when you're not drunk 🙄

[ tori → char ]: no calis disgusting [ tori → char ]: it's fine tho [ tori → char ]: i've invented a new drink called tequilisky [ tori → char ]: how're you doing babey?

[ char → tori ]: i don't think say everything is fine while also calling it disgusting is very convincing [ char → tori ]: wtf is tequilisky? [ char → tori ]: i'm fine, not living it up like you apparently tho

[ tori → char ]: um obviously [ tori → char ]: who else would it be?

[ char → tori ]: idk [ char → tori ]: figured i wouldn't be hearing from you [ char → tori ]: is everything okay?

tori→char || ~7 years ago

tori: hey babz tori: hows school going? tori: california is bo-ring tori: i missssss you

[ char → tori ]: ??? [ char → tori ]: are you drunk texting me?

Victoria shrugged. To be fair, it was absolutely in her nature to want the spotlight on her. She couldn’t help it; she was a star. Or, meant to be a star. A star in the making. Charlotte probably knew the science word for that. Charlotte had always been a nerd, in the cute rom-com sort of way. And gossip was a powerful motivator–it was what she and Robin had in common, most of all–but Victoria had another idea. “Maybe she wants to live vicariously through us, since her husband’s a big nothing.” She whispered these words, even though Robin wasn’t in front of them, just to be safe. Even Victoria knew it was a bad look to trash-talk the bride.

“Oh, yeah, no it’s totally fine with me.” Victoria couldn’t exactly say she’d hoped for this. The idea that Charlotte might come hadn’t even occurred to her. Not in a weird I don’t want to see my ex way, but she knew Charlotte. She knew the woman was, like, laser focused when she wanted to be. She knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of that focus…and also what it felt like to be somewhere outside the receiving end. She’d assumed Robin was outside that but, hey, maybe not.

Anyway, the point was that this was good. Better than being stuck with some random friend of Robin’s that she didn’t know. Victoria had always enjoyed Charlotte’s company. Enjoyed a little too much, if she was being honest. She wasn’t going to be honest though. She was playing a role. The role of Perfect Bridesmaid, un-distractable. Mostly. She bumped open the door to her room–their room, and finally forced herself away from Charlotte. “Here you are. Home sweet home for the next few days. Here, let me just…” Since she hadn’t realized there’d be two of them, she’d taken up the whole closet and the bathroom and everything. So she went through the room, nudging her stuff to take up half the space so Charlotte could have some room to unpack. “So how have things, like, been?” she asked while she worked.

@dontcallmevicky

Charlotte rolled her eyes, unable to hide the smirk off of her face. It was probably in poor taste to be poking fun at the groom, but it was another old habit that was difficult to break. Even after all this time, the poor schmuck had yet to be able to change either of their opinions about him.

"Well at least Robin's taste hasn't changed," she commented as they stepped into their shared room. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but definitely more than enough to make the stay comfortable. At least it was enough space so that they wouldn't be on top of each other when they did retire to the room for the evening.

Wheeling in her suitcase further into the room, she set it against the wall as she watched Victoria try to make space for her. "Oh, it's fine," she chuckled. "As long as I can hang my dress, it should be okay. I don't mind living out of my suitcase, so you know, take the space you need." It didn't bother her, especially having had lived with the woman once before to some extent.

Taking out a few of her essential toiletries from her bag, she rifled through her suitcase for things she'd need. "Oh, you know," she started off saying and shrugging. "Busy. This is probably the first break I've taken since I started my residency, but it's been good. I, uh, got matched with a hospital close to where my mom is, so I've been able to see her more often."

"What about you?"

#001

Once Robin was gone, Victoria knew she could let her arm off Charlotte but, strangely, she didn’t want to. It was one of those things where it just felt so normal and right. Not to mention, she knew Charlotte wouldn’t sugar-coat her opinions on anything. That was a comfort, seeing as some of the other bridesmaids were newer friends, and hadn’t reached the shit-talking phase yet. At least, not with her, which was what mattered.

“Yeah, no, I’m honestly, like, shocked there’s two beds,” she joked, gently using the arm around the other woman to steer her towards the stairs. Victoria made no effort to help pick up any bags. That was not her thing. “If you’d asked me, I would’ve expected her to scatter a bed with rose petals for us.”

Not that she would’ve objected. Not with Charlotte looking like that. Feeling like that under her arm. Victoria’s stomach did a little flip–totally old habit, definitely nothing there–and she wondered if she should make some space between them. She didn’t do it. “If you wanna switch I won’t take it, like, personally or anything. You can see if Alex minds. Or I can switch.” She paused. “Or not. It’s whatever, you know?”