choices so problematic

They got me, fam.

[shouldnt]

Titanic theme song vs. ghetto titanic theme song

[funkidrops]

[eclipsebykimlipmp3-deactivated2]

this is the kind of wholesome content this website desperately needs

[trystanthorne-archive]

if dionne has to live vicariously through us for her love life, who am i to not be a whore for her? i'm just being a good best friend ❤️

[americas-least-eligible]

They really opened FA with “IT IS A FULL BLOWN SEX SCANDAL” like ma’am, it’s not a sex scandal until my MC is caught being spit roasted by his nemesis and bodyguard in the courtyard lmao lemme show you what a real scandal is

[mskinkyafro]

hErE tO pRoTeCt yOu, nOt tO bE yOuR fRiEnd 🙄 That’s fine, I’m asking you to be my lover, respectfully.

[atlasira]

i am such a stubborn person i don’t know how i’m gonna handle wolf bride.

like these people kidnap mc, and she is kicking and screaming and literally fighting for her life, and then when all is said & done they’re like “oh we had no idea you didn’t know what was going on. it’s really your moms fault tho since she should’ve told you. not our fault you were freaked out :/“ like!!!!! EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!

mc’s hollering and self defense tactics didnt clue you in that she was afraid and confused??????? you didn’t get one inkling, one sliver, one tiny bit of a hint from her confused outrage that maybe you guys were acting idk pretty fucking weird?!?!

[takemyopenheart-deactivated2021]

🥰

[thefirstcourtesan]

“Say you’re mine” is one of those romance novel sex scenes tropes that I love. I love the passionate possession in the right context. I also love Simon Montjoy.

[iwantcarats]

The Edenbrook nurses watching all the residents’ lives fall apart from the nursing station

[heauxplesslydevoted]

My MC may be jobless in a few weeks but she’s fucking a rich white guy who’s absolutely whipped for her so...she’ll be aight 😌☺️

[heauxplesslydevoted]

Us: Hey Pixelberry, can we maybe make it official with our LIs?

PB: Threesome, you say??? 👀👀

Us: No, I want Bryce to stop referring to me as a friend and–

PB: Okay, so you want more gratuitous and sex scenes that do nothing to advance the plot?

Us: No, we just want to–

PB: ~kInKy~ 🔥👅🍆

[nazariolahela]

Bryce/Jackie stans: Please, please, PLEASE let Bryce/Jackie call us their boyfriend/girlfriend. We are literally BEGGING you.

PB:

[kingliamsbitch]

gosh he really is so fucking perfect like how

[hiirunakaarchive]

me, an angst lover: pb youre a whole bunch of COWARDS!! give me TEARS, DESPAIR, absolute PANIC in their eyes when they realize—

pb: danny dies, leaving sienna absolutely broken at the idea of the two of them never being given a chance. yet she cant grieve because two of her closest friends are achingly close to dying from the same cause that killed her lover. bryce lahela, infamous for his confidence and incredible skill as a surgeon shakes for the very first time at the mention of you being in grave danger, all while operating on another one of his close friends whose life is entirely in his hands. bobby also dies, leaving behind his family and more specifically, a fifteen year old daughter. this means he will never be able to buy her that car he was talking about for her sixteenth. if youre romancing ethan, he regrets pushing you away and wishes he couldve loved you the way you deserved, hating the fact that it took you literally dying for him to realize that. raf was well on his way to starting anew and pursuing a different life in brazil yet saved your life, putting himself in the position you should have been in and taking the spray meant for you. he didnt spare sora a single thought while this was going down which, if youre romancing him, means that he still loves you immensely. so much that he was more than willing to risk his future for the sake of yours.

me:

[ratanslily]

tna mc (to sam): we should keep boundaries and stay away from each other

tna mc: oooooooh what if... i hooked up with sam jk jk unless...?

[rneliflua]

there’s a large grey area between “this creator is a misogynist/homophobe/racist” and “this creator did not fully think through the implications of some of their writing choices” and it would be nice if people would stop to assess where in the scale between those two cases their criticism applies, instead of going for a hard zero on the first option all the time

[choicesruinedme]

Easy (Part 1/?)

Book: My Two First Loves

Pairing: MC (Esme Price) x Literally everyone, probably

Rating: T, for this part at least

Summary: Tequila shots, stare-downs, and a little more attention than she bargained for...

-- -- --

“This looked like it went from zero to one-hundred, real quick,” Esme commented under her breath, surveying the rapidly unfolding mess that was Gunner Hayes’ Back-to-School Rager.

Red cups were strewn about on the marble flooring, streamers haphazardly hung from the staircase bannister in the foyer, and more than half of the 2020 graduating class filled the grand rooms of the Hayes’ “modest” mansion, with Mr. and Mrs. Hayes on a couples’ retreat in Bora Bora for the weekend, blissfully unaware of the inebriated teenagers roaming their halls.

“It’s lit!” Iris exclaimed, clapping her hands together and bouncing into the kitchen.

“Iris, honey, not the wine coolers; you know you drink them way too fast because they taste like candy, and then you end up with a nasty tummy-ache,” Ava chided, scurrying after her.

Esme, Mason, and Lauren followed suit into the kitchen, to the massive island in the middle, over-crowded with liquor bottles of varying sizes and colors.

“Yeah, Iris, sweetie,” Lauren chimed in, a half-smirk on her lips, “please don’t turn tonight into a babysitting job I clearly will not be paid enough for.”

Iris pouted, and Ava slipped a red cup into her hands, smiling softly.

“Here, it’s a vodka cranberry. Start with this for now, okay?”

Mason nudged Esme gently with an elbow. “Something to drink?”

“Um, maybe a beer?” Esme shrugged noncommittally. “Sorry, you know I don’t drink enough to know if I have a preference.”

Mason smirked, heading towards the fridge, “One extremely-enthusiastic beverage, coming right up! Babe?”

“Whatever you’re having,” Ava replied, moving to stand next to Esme. “You look cute tonight.”

“Oh?” Esme glanced down at her outfit – dark skinny jeans, a white, cropped tank top, and a camo jacket tied around her waist. “Thanks. Didn’t really put much effort in, if I’m being honest.”

Ava kept her eyes locked on Esme’s, as she reached out and brushed a stray hair from Esme’s forehead, sweeping it behind her ear in any easy and affectionate gesture. “You look totally hot. Sure you’re not trying to impress anyone?”

Esme swallowed and willed herself not to steal a glance in Mason’s direction, while simultaneously trying to convince herself of her own response, “Who would I even want to look good for?”

The corner of Ava’s mouth turned up slightly, but she leaned back and away from Esme against the granite countertop, crossing her arms as Mason strode up next to the two of them. He offered each of them a bottle of Heineken, then slung an arm around Ava’s shoulders. “What’re we talking about?”

Without missing a beat, and without breaking eye contact with Esme, Ava responded, “How cute Esme looks tonight.” Esme flushed, busying herself with taking a sip from her bottle. “Don’t you think she’ll be turning heads all night?”

Mason smiled softly, “Yeah, you look nice tonight, Es.”

Esme couldn’t help but notice Mason tighten his arm around Ava’s shoulders as he complimented her, and she didn’t quite know what to make of it.

“Alright, guys,” Esme huffed, embarrassed. “Can we please talk about something – literally anything – else?”

“How about the fact that the cheerleading funds are being unfairly redirected to support the football team?” Lauren interjected, glaring pointedly in Mason’s direction.

“Aw, come on,” Mason groaned, throwing his free hand up in defense. “That’s totally alleged!”

“I’m just saying,” Lauren pursed her lips. “One minute, we’re being told that we can expect a new shipment of foam mats in the next month, and the next, we’re being apologized to with no new mats and the sore sight of you guys training with brand-spankin’-new speed hurdles.”

Esme found herself tuning out the voices of her group, instead continuing to survey the groups of her peers scattered throughout the house. In the main living room, the sectionals and sofas had been pushed back to allow for a makeshift dancefloor, with the flatscreen television playing looped graphics to match the steady bass of the music thumping out of the surround sound speakers. The French doors leading out to the backyard were opened, and Esme could see even more people milling around the pool and patio. The floral, pungent scent of marijuana mingled with sweat and body sprays settled over the partygoers like a light fog.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Mason scoffed quietly.

Esme, pulled out of her reverie, followed his disdainful glare. Her stomach fluttered, involuntarily, as Noah Harris wandered into the foyer.

“Who even invited him?”

Noah’s unimpressed gaze roamed over the sea of teenagers briefly, before finally settling on Esme. She perked up, giving a tentative wave, “I did.” Noah smirked, making his way over. “Is that a problem?”

“Hey, troublemaker,” Noah said coolly, approaching the group.

“I resent that,” she shot back, crossing her arms. “Looks like you decided to show up after all.”

Noah’s eyes raked over Esme’s small frame smoothly, too quick for her to determine whether or not he was checking her out. “I had a feeling it’d be worth it.”

Esme was grateful for the dimmed lights as a blush colored her cheeks under his intense stare. She was able to catch her breath, admittedly in relief, when Noah turned his attention briefly to her group.

“Evening, Esme’s friends,” he nodded.

“Noah Harris,” Ava addressed him, not unkindly. “Thank you for gracing all of us with your presence.”

“I aim to please,” Noah bowed slightly, smirking.

“What do you want to drink?” Esme offered, moving towards the kitchen island, grabbing an empty plastic cup from the stack.

“He’s fully capable of pouring himself a drink,” Mason interjected, his brow furrowed and his hardened eyes on Noah.

“Oh, don’t be like that, doll,” Ava chided, shrugging off Mason’s arm, moving to join Esme at the island. “How about a round of friendly shots?” She reached behind a bottle of Jack Daniels and plucked a small stack of plastic shot “glasses”. Without waiting for an answer, she set the cups in a row and drummed her fingers together excitedly.

“What do you think, Esme? Tequila?” Ava smiled wickedly, reaching for a bottle of Patron.

Lauren passed around a bowl of lime slices while Ava filled each small cup. Esme picked a lime slice from the bowl and handed it over to Noah, who put his hand on hers over the bowl.

“Careful,” he leaned in conspiratorially, his eyes shining, “tequila makes my clothes fall off.”

Esme snorted and shook her head, swatting him on the chest playfully. “For the sake of everyone here, let’s keep the nudity to a minimum.”

“To us,” Ava cheered, raising her shot glass in unison with the group. “The graduating class of 2020.”

“If all of us graduate,” Lauren muttered pointedly, eyeing Noah. Esme narrowed her eyes, but he didn’t cast Lauren a second glance, just smirked and shook his head, toasting his shot.

Ava continued, “May this year be filled with all of the badassery and recklessness a senior year should!”

“Cheers!”

Everyone downed their drink. Esme’s eyes squeezed shut and her nose scrunched in distaste as she forced the shot down her throat. She shook her head forcefully, moving to suck on the lime to abate the burning in her mouth.

“Bleh,” Mason frowned, tossing his empty cup into the trash bin as Ava whooped.

“Hated that,” Lauren tossed the whole lime slice in her mouth and bit down.

Noah silently gathered Esme’s empty cup and tossed theirs into the bin. She smiled up at him appreciatively, “Thanks. I’m glad you came.”

“Yeah?” He leaned his elbow onto the counter she stood against.

“Yup. Wasn’t sure you’d be… up for it,” she didn’t have to look at her group of judgmental friends for him to understand what she meant.

“Yeah,” Mason agreed. “Doesn’t seem like your kind of thing.”

“And what is my kind of thing, Jennings?” Noah asked, sardonically, not moving away from his spot by Esme. “A shady basement in some halfway house? Some deserted back-alley? Prison?”

Mason scoffed, “You said it – not me.”

“Believe it or not,” Noah said, his eyes on Esme’s, and her eyes on his. “I’m adaptable.” He smiled at her, adding, “And I bribed my parole officer for a night out.”

Esme shook her head, stifling a giggle. This is what she liked about Noah – how easy it was for him. In her world, this small bubble, maintaining her image of a straight-A student and vice-captain of the cheer team, dealing with a nearly absent dad-in-mourning and a misguided sister with pure intentions, her ever-looming and suffocating feelings towards Mason, her desire to keep fitting in with a group of girls she was slowly realizing she had nothing in common with… it was all very much not easy.

“So, it’s true then?” Iris asked, eyes wide. “You were in jail?”

“Iris,” Ava chastised, her gaze falling on the bottle in Iris’s hands. “And when did you get that wine cooler?!”

“Are you even surprised, Iris?” Mason asked, his question clearly rhetorical. Esme shot him a disapproving glance, but his attention was on Noah’s lax, yet imposing frame, as it had been the moment he walked in. “It’s the image he tries so hard to put out there, isn’t that right, Harris?”

Noah straightened beside Esme, crossing his arms, but his demeanor remained light and amused as Mason continued.

“The motorcycle, the leather jacket, the whole ‘lone wolf’ act,” Mason shook his head. “Iris shouldn’t feel bad about asking. It’s exactly what he wants people to think.”

“What is your problem, Mason?” Esme pushed off from the counter, moving so that she was facing Mason. “Seriously, cut it out.”

“And what image are you trying to put out there, Jennings?” Noah countered, placing a soft hand on Esme’s shoulder, easing her back. “Star quarterback? Golden Boy, son of Principal Golden Boy? Boyfriend of the cheerleading captain, which – don’t get me wrong, looks great and all, but – is a little cliché?”

Mason’s jaw ticked.

“It’s why you wear the Letterman’s all the time, right?” Noah gestured towards Mason’s sports jacket. “Gotta remind everyone who’s on top.” Noah stepped closer, his hand on Esme’s arm, moving her just slightly behind him. He lowered his voice, so that his message was heard clearly, “Or is it yourself you keep trying to convince? What are you trying to prove?”

Mason took a step forward, his fists balling at his sides. Noah noticed, glancing down, scoffing as he shook his head. “See what I mean? Whose point are you proving when you’re so quick to start a fight to ‘defend your honor’ against some criminal nobody?”

Before Mason could take another step, Esme moved to interject, but Ava beat her to it, pulling Mason by the arm and putting herself between the boys. “Alright, easy now, tigers,” she said coolly, “It’s a party, not a boxing ring, so gloves down. Besides, you’re both making Esme uncomfortable, right, hun?”

Everyone turned their attention to Esme, who shrunk back involuntarily with embarrassment. “I—I’m not… it’s not… you guys are just acting dumb,” she said, cursing her voice for sounding so small, so lacking of the confidence Ava’s always projected. “Especially you, Mason.”

“Esme, I—” Mason started, moving to reach for her.

Esme stepped back, grabbing onto Noah’s sleeve, “Let’s go get some fresh air. It’s too warm in here.” She relished the apologetic look on Mason’s face as she turned towards the French doors, pulling Noah outside.

Esme pulled in a lung full of the cool, fall air, plopping down on an empty lounge chair by the pool. She blew her breath out through pursed lips, puffing away strands of hair that had begun to stick to her face.

Noah chuckled, taking a seat next to her. “Sorry ‘bout that in there.”

“Why?” She asked. “He was the one being a dick. They were all being dicks.”

“Yeah, but,” Noah raked a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to put you in a predicament. Or embarrass you.”

“You didn’t,” Esme huffed, crossing her arms. “Ava just loves to treat me like a child.”

“You make it easy for people to want to take care of you.” Esme glanced sideways at Noah, who had the corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. “It isn’t a bad thing.”

Noah sighed, shifting so that he was laying across the lounge chair, one hand behind his head. He tilted his head up towards the sky, his eyes roaming across the constellations. The corner of his white shirt rode up slightly, so that a sliver of his hip peeked out behind the fabric. It was at this moment that Esme realized that the tequila had kicked in, a warmth spreading throughout her body, starting and blooming at her cheeks.

“You really don’t care what people think about you, do you?” She asked, leaning forward towards Noah, her chin cupped in her hands and her elbows on her knees.

“What’s the point?” He chuckled. “Especially now. In a few months, I’ll never see any of these people again.”

Esme deflated slightly, “You’re gonna leave?”

“You aren’t?” He countered, turning to face her.

“I… I dunno. I guess I haven’t thought about it as much as I probably should.” She sighed, the realization of her own words settling in a ball in her stomach. “What about Mackenzie? And my dad? They don’t understand one another. I can’t even imagine the tension at home if I were to leave.”

“Seems like a pretty sad reason to stick around,” Noah remarked, no hint of judgment in his voice.

“Sure, but,” her words spilled out, uninhibited, “how would I be able to even focus on a life of my own when I’m so worried about my family? This life is all I’ve ever known and Mack and my dad are all I’ve ever known, and, yeah, I mean, we held it together for a long time but that was before my mom died, and to be honest, I don’t know if they’d be able to handle another loss—”

“You’re not dying,” Noah clarified. “You’re growing up. You’re building a life for yourself.”

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Do any of us?”

Esme breathed out through her nose, matching Noah’s gaze and, consequently, wilting under it. She could hardly stand to be the subject of his intense, concerned focus while sober, let alone while somewhat intoxicated. She buried her face in her hands, willing the tears pricking at the corner of her eyes not to fall. She heard him shift, and she peeked through her fingers to see him mirror her position, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

“It’s alright to be afraid,” Noah said softly, putting a hand on her arm, but making no move to pull her hands away. He allowed her to continue to hide as he went on, “My point was that your opinions and your feelings about yourself matter way more than whatever bullshit anyone else thinks or says.”

After a beat, Esme dropped her hands, sighing as Noah smirked. “I’m curious about the bullshit you have to say, though…”

“About you?” He chuckled.

“About me,” she nodded, leveling her gaze at him. She waved her hand in an attempt to seem indifferent. “I get that it ‘shouldn’t matter’ and all that, but I still want to know.”

“I’ve told you what I think about you,” he countered, his brow quirking.

“Okay, but I’m buzzed and I’d thrive on the attention.”

Noah laughed then, throwing his head back. Esme’s hazy, lustful eyes fell on the curve of his throat as her own smile widened.

“Alright, Price,” he conceded, shaking his head. “I’ll bite. Only once, ‘cause I like you.”

Before she could process what was happening, Noah gently grabbed Esme’s chin as he pitched them both forward. Her breath caught audibly as his eyes searched hers.

“I think that you need to stop comparing yourself to Ava, Lauren, whoever else in your group of girlfriends that you think you don’t hold a candle to, because it’s the only thing stopping you from accepting how great and beautiful and individualistic you are.”

Esme felt her cheeks grow impossibly warmer, and wondered if Noah could feel them, too.

“Do you want to kiss me?” She blurted out, her own inebriation catching her off guard.

Noah chuckled again, his eyes trained on hers. “You want me to kiss you?”

“I mean, obviously,” she slurred, furrowing her brows.

“It’s tempting, Price,” he started, but instead released her chin and leaned back on his lounge chair comfortably. “But I’d like to take you on a real first date before that.”

She could feel herself pouting, and he laughed again, placing a hand over his heart. “Hey, I may be a criminal, but I’m still a gentleman!” Esme rolled her eyes. “Besides, it’d be nice for you to make that request when your head is completely clear.”

She huffed, falling back against the lounge chair, her knees knocking into his. Ava’s upside-down frame filled Esme’s view once her head hit the seat.

“If it’s requests we’re making,” Ava smirked, one hand on her hip, and the other held out expectantly, “Accompany me to the little girls’ room, Esme?”

-- -- --

A/N: So, here’s the thing - I used to write a ton of fanfic when I was in middle/high school, a decade ago, so putting myself out there again is a little more than unsettling. I’ve had this story, this dialogue, in my head all night last night, though, and I found it so easy to write every character’s interactions. Hopefully y’all enjoy it.