ONE DAY WHEN SHE WAS TWO YEARS OLD SHE WAS PLAYING IN A GARDEN AND SHE PLUCKED A FLOWER AND RAN WITH IT TO HER MOTHER. SHE MUST'VE LOOKED RATHER DELIGHTFUL FOR HER MOTHER PUT HER HAND TO HER HEART AND CRIED "OH WHY CAN'T YOU REMAIN LIKE THIS FOREVER?"
He rolled his eyes when she pulled her hand away. That was something Lucas should have expected if he was honest with himself. âTheyâd really get mad at you for building the most awesome pillow fort Pennbrooke has ever seen? I mean, the worst we have to worry about here is someone coming in and deciding to break in without this oh-so-secret password.â
âIt really is amazing, isnât it?â Plopping down to stare at the ceiling, she smiled proudly. âI donât think theyâd get really mad⌠But I donât think they fully trust me after my last, letâs say, redecoration of the place.â Her hands covered her mouth, her eyes widening lightly as if she was thinking about some big secret instead of the messed up carpet. âSeriously Lucas? Rule number 2: defend a pillow fort with pillows. Maybe, you should rather wonder how to earn back the oh-so-secret passwordâŚâ
âItâs not exactly polite to stare,â Matthew mumbled, shutting the notebook he was studying from and looking up at the other. âSo, what is it? Do I have something on me? Have I been sitting here way too long? Do you just need help or something?â
âOh, no, it was nothing of the sorts!â Giggling at her own thoughts before sharing them with the other, whose annoyed tone she barely noticed, as usual. âI was just looking at the symbol on your book and thought it looked like a snake on a stick. Then I wondered how a snake could keep her balance on a stick. Do you think she just wiggles around?â
âIâll do it tomorrow,â Mani said, sharper than he had intended. He had promised to help the other with some basic DIY that evening, but after heading to the hardware store to purchase the necessary supplies, had been unable to find a seat on the bus on the way home. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he had remained stood the whole way home- and now was suffering the consequences.Â
âYou know what they say though: procrastination is the thief of time.â She hadnât meant to tut the other but sheâd been looking forward to getting her hands on a new project. Besides, Dodie was a âday-to-dayâ type of person, there was no tomorrow in her mind. âIf you donât feel up for it, thatâs fine though. Can I at least start with the painting already?â
âSo? Iâm not your mom. If it hurts that bad then pop a few painkillers and fill up a hot water bottle,â Chloe glanced down at her phone, checking the menu. âThey do seven inch. Is that mini enough for you?â She asked the blonde.Â
âBut youâre my sister?â Dodie mumbled, not sure why the other was so fed up with her. âI donât know... Iâm not a big fan of taking medicines.â That was an understatement. She remembered her mom trying with force almost to give her cough syrup when sheâd caught a cold last Christmas. âNot what I had in mind but uh yeah, sure. Seven inch works. Iâll take a Hawaiian. Oh, with extra pineapple, please!â
âOh, trust me, please was absolutely my best shot,â the young man joked before flashing a big smile and slipping right into their spectacular fort. âI have a feeling my roommate could get angry about this being in the middle of our room, but right now he can just deal with it because we built the coolest pillow fort on campus.â
He held his hand up, offering a high-five before asking, âWhat is the password anyway?â
âFriendliness does get you far, but itâs not going to work every time.â She wanted it to sound like a warning but, unable to hold anything against him for long, Dodie reciprocated his big smile instead. Scooching over to make room for the guy, she nodded vigorously. âOh, yeah, tell me about it. My sisters would probably have a meltdown if I did this to the pillows in our house! Hence why Iâm here.â Excitedly she raised her hand, for once she wasnât the one to initiate a high five, but at the very last moment she pulled away. âToo slow. And I canât just give you back the password. You have to earn it back!â
âOh, sure. Iâll warm it up for you,â Abbey nodded with a small smile. âDo you want anything else, like chocolate or some other snacks.â If there was anything Abbey was used to, it was taking care of people without expecting much in return. She understood it could be hard to be grateful when you were entrenched in your own suffering. Her experiences with her mother had taught her as much.
"Thank you." She managed to get out. Itâs the least she could do for bossing the other girl around. âI want a menopause.â There was a pause, meant for a laugh to escape but all that got out was a sigh. âDo you think we got any icecream in the freezer? I promise Iâll pay back whomever it belongs to.â
âOh god, I donât wanna make it worse,â he cringed. Picking up the pillow, he looked back and forth from it to the female. âI dunno, I kinda like it.â He wore a smug grin, hugging it tightly. âItâs fluffy.â Before handing it over, he raised his brows, âDo I get a âpleaseâ?â
âWell, it already is the worst. But when I laugh, itâs like when I sneeze, everything just runs out faster. Kind of like peeing in your pants.â Dodie never really made a distinction between personal and too personal, which is why she had no trouble oversharing. âHey, no! I found it first!â Her disgusted expression morphed into a pout. âItâs the closest thing I could find to hugging a person. Please, give it back?â
âWhat? You didnât tell me that there was a password when we were building it⌠Come on, Dodie,â he knelt down to the entrance giving a small pout. âIs the password please?â
"Every good fort needs a good password, that's like basic pillow fort 101-knowledge, Lucas." Rolling her eyes, a chuckle fell off her lips. She wanted to be persistent and deny him entrance, but who could resist a pout like that? "Fine, at least you took a guess. Not your best shot but appreciated nonetheless. Besides, you allowed me to build the fort in here, so... come on in.â
If you thought you knew Dodie, then you thought wrong. (or exactly right)
note: everythingâs written from her point of view except from the âA few situationsâ category
 ° B A S I C S ;
name ? Oh, itâs Dodie Grant !
nickname ? Someone called me Goldilocks once.
whenâs your birthday ? I was born on the 27th of June, 1999
birth place ? Mum says I was born safe and sounds and thatâs all that matters. Although I heard her talk with my auntie about the stain on our carâs backseat once.
age ? 18! Yay...
sexuality ? I like nice people but I want to kiss boys đ
preferred pronouns ? You can refer to me as a âfreshwomanâ. Just kidding, you can use she and her
which grade are you in ? My first!
is your current hair colour your natural hair color ? if not, what is your natural hair colour ? Itâs always been this blonde! Maybe a little blonder as I grew up from playing in the sun.
eye colour ? Well, I canât really see them but normally theyâre green!
height ? A solid 5 feet.
what are you complimented on most ( physically & persona-wise ) ? That I make people smile and feel young at heart.
do you have any tattoos or piercings ? Oh no, I definitely donât. Not that thereâs anything wrong with them!
if not, would you like one/some ? Okay, no... MAYBE I donât like them THAT much.
what do you do for fun ? Loads of things! Skipping rope, talking to little babies and kittens, blowing soap bubbles, playing board games, making flower crowns OH- pillow fights! I donât know, just loads of things!
whatâs your preferred clothing style ? Bright colours! And I like clothes that have little doodles or a funny message on them, as well.
left handed or right handed ? Just right.
when free, people will most likely find you ⌠up in a tree (that rhymes hihi)
 ° P E R S O N A ;
how would you describe yourself in five words ? Uh, letâs see... Happy, helpful, honest, Â hearty and... Iâm looking for another word with an H other wise this will seem silly. Hm, high spirited! Does that count?
are you a flirtatious person ? Oh, no. No, no, not really. I get all nervous when I like like someone.
do consider yourself unique ? Yep, everyone is unique and so am I!
are you talkative or rather shy ? I love talking for sure!!
biggest dream ? I really want to help my family out with all their worries. Then maybe theyâll stop treating me like Iâm too young to understand everything.
are you good at keeping secrets ? I really want to say yes, because I get so curious about secrets and I know others wonât trust me with them if they tell me! But some may have slipped my mouth alreadyâŚ
are you happy ? Very!
do you consider yourself book-smart or street-smart ? Books usually teach me things. However, the streets have learned me that the grass is softer to play  on, does that count?
main character trait ? I guess Iâm rather what they call⌠innocent.
worst habit ? I may or may not throw a tantrum every now and then when I donât get my way...
biggest pet peeve ? People jumping the queue.
if your life would have a title song, what would it be ? Forever young!
who do your friends compare you to ? I honestly donât know, you should ask them! Sometimes to Kimmy Schmidt from this TV show âUnbreakableâ
life motto ? Well, on my closet back at home I had this sticker that said:Â âLifeâs too short to wear boring clothesâ. Thatâs something to live by, isnât it?
 ° L O V E ;
are you in love ? Yep. I fell in love with Korrinaâs dog.
do you have a crush ? No, silly! I was just kidding about the dog.
celebrity crush ? Ryan Gosling will always have my heart.
do you believe in love at first sight ? Oh, yes, itâs why Iâm not afraid to make eye contact with people!
thoughts about marriage ? Itâs lovely. I always cry when I see a wedding.
what does your ideal partner look like ( inside and out ) ? Oh... He should be charming and friendly, I guess. Someone whom I can do all sorts of activities with! I hope heâs taller than me and has soft hair... But honestly I donât really care for anything other than his smile.
would you consider yourself a flirt ? Not really... Besides, I think the boy should flirt with the girl, as in the movies, right? Not vice versa?
cuddling or making out ? Cuddling is so warm and cozy!
when i was 18Â i had my first kiss and it was unexpected
make out song ? Make what out?
turn ons/offs ? Uh, are you asking me about a light switch?
best love song ever ? Everything I do by Bryan Adams
dumper or the dumped one ? I have never had a relationship before but I hope neither?!
ever experienced heartbreak ? Not really, luckily.
 ° T H I S OR T H A T ;
tea or coffee ? Tea. Coffee makes me to hyper...
frozen yoghurt or ice cream ? Ice cream! Vanilla preferably.
chocolat or vanilla ? Oh, look at that, I answered a question before I got it! Hihi, vanilla, please.
shower or bath ? You can dance best in a shower. But you can have floating duckies in a bath. So both.
movies or books ? Movies for sure. Iâm too slow of a reader to keep up with the story.
comedy or adventure movie ? Ah, I usually watch the romcoms so comedy it is, I guess. Laughingâs healthier than suspense anyways.
day or night ? Iâm a day person for sure.Â
black&white or color ? Colors!
chinese or italian ? As people, I have no preference really. But when it comes to food, Iâm gonna have to go with italian cause I love pasta.
hugs or kisses ? Hugs!
spring or fall ? Both are lovely! Maybe spring because then flowers blossom. But in fall you can jump around in the leaves...
tattoos or piercings ? Neither please.
money or fame ? Money, that way I can help my parents!
romantic cuddles or hot sex ? Oh, gosh, definitely romantic cuddles hihi.
fair or theme park ? Oh tough one! Iâm going to say the fair.
love or lust ? L.O.V.E.
 ° F A V O R I T E S ;
song lyrics ? "Call 1-800-STEEMER, Stanley Steemer gets carpet (or 'your home') cleaner!" Itâs just such a catchy tune! I canât get it out of my head!
song ? Walking on sunshine
quote ? Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.
actor ? Tom Hanks
actress ? Oh, Iâm not very good with names actually. I only knew Tom Hanks because my mum praises him whenever mentioned. That lovely one from The Notebook perhaps?
movie ? Love actually
book ? Peter Pan
memory ? Oh that story about Halloween from 2000 always cracks me up! With the halo and feathers, oh gosh- and then that pumpkin! *cracks up laughing too hard to talk*
how would your character react if⌠(note: out of character)
if they walk into the shower and see a huge spider sitting right in the middle of it ? Give it a name and make a bit of small talk with it while walking to a door/window to put it outside. Maybe show it off to some people on the way as well.
they found out they won the lottery ? Trust her parents with it completely. Maybe keep a little to buy a popcorn machine.
if they find a someoneâs wallet on the floor which holds lots of cash ? Go to the lost and found on campus, or the police station so that the person who lost it, may get it back.
they hear a knock on their door and when they say âenterâ their ex walks in ? That would completely depend on how they became exes. She might get rather upset/sad though.
if their house was on fire and they had 60 seconds to leave ? what 5 things would they take with them ? The cat, her unicorn onesie, her flower crown, a fire extinguisher and the towel that sheâd used in an attempt to save the cookies in the oven that had caused the fire in the first place
 ° O V E R - A L L ;
when was the last time you tried something new ? Was it that time I tried to dance on someoneâs lap?
would you ever give up on your life if you could save someone elseâs with it ? I actually think so, yes. Iâve got to enjoy life a lot already. So especially when itâs someone close to me and/or who still has his whole life ahead.
are you happy with yourself ? Very! Well, mostly.
what chances do you wish you had taken ? I once had a really good come back but it seemed a little rude so I kept it to myself.
whatâs the first thing you think when you see yourself in the mirror ? Goodmorning me!
âOh no,â he said, making a face. âDid you⌠get your friend?â Her behavior seemed similar to the females heâd taken care of in the past that have been experiencing mother natureâs monthly gift. âYou know, the crimson wave? The crime scene in your pants?â
âCarrie at prom?â The guyâs words triggered her laughter in an instant, her own suggestion only adding to it, even though she'd felt mostly pain just two seconds ago. âOkay, yes that. Now stop! Making me laugh is making it worse!â She flung her pillow at him before settling back in. âOkay wait, donât leave yet, I need that back so I can cuddle it, please?â
If you want to get to know the bubbly Dodie in less than 10 minutes, please prepare for this crash course on the petite blonde. Because weâre taking off in 3, 2, 1...
Dodie is as good as a little child. Thereâs no denying that. Sheâs into all of the games, has a curiousity for the world and is on the innocent side. So throw your sexual innuendos or sarcasm at her and sheâll fall for it.
For her thereâs no danger in the world. Most days are an adventure and she rarely notices peopleâs bad intentions in time.
However if you hurt her, sheâll cry. If you hurt her badly, sheâll be like a little kid who doesnât know what to do. Sheâll shut down or might find someone to talk to, a sort of mom friend if she has one of those.
Even though sheâs usually all happy and smiles and thinks the world is a gift, she can also be very stubborn and she knows how to use her smile to get things done and have people participate in her little schemes or forgive her for almost anything
She grew up rather poor. Enough to have a decent house but never really any extras. So technology is all kinda new to her, sheâll use the computers at the library and make handwritten notes etc.
Not only her view on technology is old-fashioned, her parents raised her rather traditional as well. From her music taste to points of views on political issues. Sheâs not really a big fan of big changes. Sure, every day is âa seize the dayâ kinda day but heavens forbid anyone would tell her that her favourite icecream parlour ran out of vanilla (or something more important than that)
Despite not being up to date with the youngsters these days and her lack of knowledge on sexual activities, Dodieâs a bright kid. Sheâs surprisingly good at focusing when needed to be. Unlike children who get easily distracted. So studying is no problem for her and her grades are averagely good. Thatâs why her parents wanted so badly for her to continue her studies.
Since she loves helping others, with literally anything, her Youth Services major involves around that as well, focusing specifically on youngstersÂ
One of the things she hates most, or that will really set her off, is being called out for acting childish. She wants to fit in and belong and she doesnât understand that sheâs different (which is how she easily survives any haters of sorts).
Add to that, that she might want to act tougher in some situations (and feel terribly/cutely). Especially when around people older than her cause she has great respect for older people, feeling like age brings wisdom or something.
Lastly, when it comes to love, sheâs also rather traditional so she just follows up the cliche movies and dreams of a prince charming on a white horse.Â
Although college might teach her a thing or two and change her... Who knows?
âNu-uh, if you want to come inside, Iâll need the password.â Dodie was just joking, poking her head through the blankets of which her pillow fort was made. âAnd not to brag, but I do have all the comfy pillows and blankets in here.â
     â you have gorgeous curls, how in the world do you not know how to take care of them ? â thereâs a pause & poppy is furrowing her eyebrows as she stares at the other girlâs hair. does she really need damaged hair ? â shampoo strips hair of its natural oils. you should only be using it once maybe twice a week at most if you canât stand the dirty feeling. conditioner on the other hand you can use every time you shower. ââ you know only to shampoo your scalp & condition everything not on the scalp right ? â
âOh, uh, thank you? I- I guess Mother Natureâs been kind to me so far. I usually just have to wash them once for them to bounce right back to life.â A shrug of her shoulders gave away just how little she knew about caring and treating for her hair. Honestly, if the other only knew how many times she used to get twigs and mud and anything else in there and went to bed with it before giving it a proper wash, sheâd probably be horrified seeing her reaction now. âO-okay, thatâs good to know. Yeah, duh, of course I knew that.â She lied, feeling rather intimidated by the otherâs knowledge. âWhy care so much about hair though? Itâs already dead.â Dodie mumbled.
âHey, whatâs wrong,â she asked softly, moving to sit next to her. Her brows knitted together in a worried frown. âCan I get you anything? Is there anything I can do to help?â
âMother Nature hates me.â Dodie whined, her words muffled from saying it into her pillow. Looking up at the other blonde, she knew she had to muster up a grateful smile but she was rather selfish when she had a bad day so it verged some effort this time. âYeah, my hot water bottle ran cold...â She pouted.
âCan you do it quietly? Itâs annoying,â Chloe said, bluntly. She was probably the least empathetic person in the world at the best of times, and for Chloe, the best of times were few and far between. âI only came to ask if you wanted pizza. Iâm ordering in and need to hit the minimum delivery charge.âÂ
âIâm sorry, it really hurts.â The small girl pouted, clutching her stomach. This was not a good moment to get mad at Dodie because either sheâd unleash a tantrum or the waterworks. And neither would be very appreciated by the other, she bet. âOh o-okay. Well, if it helps I can order something, I guess. Do they have those mini-sized pizzas? Theyâre so cute.â
âExactly. Iâm so glad you understand,â Abbey beamed. âI love how unique purple is. My childhood room was painted light purple. I guess makes me a little biased, too,â she smiled, her eyes glazing over slightly at the memory of her childhood room. Blinking a couple times, she offered the girl a smile. âWhatâs your favorite color, anyway?â
âA unique colour for a unique friend.â Dodie agreed, though they hadnât really established any friendship yet. The blonde had a habit of effortlessly mistaking friendliness for something more. âOh, I miss my room back at home a little. Even though itâs really fun I get to completely redecorate a new one, I guess.â With a rehearsed smile, she repeated one of the sales arguments her mum had brought up whenever Dodie had her doubts about college and being away from home. âI want to say I love all happy colours equally buuuut⌠I secretly love pink just a little more.â
â I agree. Itâs funny how every body reacts differently. â Ashanti chuckled lightly, seeing her react to the blood that had probably rushed to her head with that turn. â You at that song, â Ashanti rolled her eyes, looking down at her phone and pulling up the song anyway. â You better be glad youâre a perfect roommate, otherwise weâd be listening to my playlist, â the athlete told her, playing the song on her phoneâs speaker before syncing it to her little bluetooth speaker. â Now are we ready? â
âJust like with tickling!â She piped up, knowing not everyone was as sensitive to it as her. And yet some, were even more ticklish than the giggling blonde that was trying to get out of bed despite the headache. âIt makes me so happy. As happy as sunshine itself. Plus, I get to bust some moves on this.â True to her words, the small girl started moving. It was something between shuffling and wiggling and it wasnât very good but at least anyone could see she was having fun. âNext time weâll play yours! Promise!â She yelled from behind the bathroom door, even though she knew herself well enough to know she liked getting her way. Not her best characteristic. âReady Freddy!â The girl jumped out, dressed in the sportive clothes Ashanti had picked for her. âAre we going for speed or endurance today, coach?â