She’d went into the city to get a few things she needed before college started back, when hunger got the best of her on the home. Stopping at some random cafe, she went to order a sandwich to take away when she did a double take - making sure that she hadn’t just imagined the familiar face. Walking over to her, Michaela put on her almost patented smile. “Hey, I didn’t think I’d see you here. Did the hunger get you too?” It was a bad joke, yes, but those seemed to be the only ones she was capable of making.
it took a moment for the anxiety to pass as she returned her half-finished application to it’s hiding spot, but once it passed it was almost as if she was back to her usual self - almost. if there was anyone that could make the pressure she felt subside even just for a moment, it was probably her sister - even if she had come here to get away. ❝ hey! ❞ she responded, a genuine smile washing over her features. ❝ didn’t think i’d see you either. i was just looking for someplace different. ❞ at the mention of food, she realized just how long she had been sitting there, & how good it actually smelled. ❝ i suppose i could use something to eat though, too. ❞
Despite being a blonde, Alice wasn’t dumb. “Well that’s a weird menu if you’re only here to order food.” She declared. Alice understood if the other girl wanted space, but she didn’t need to lie about things. “Oh yeah, the sandwiches are pretty tasty, but I’m always here for coffee and cake. Sometimes coffee cake.” She giggled at herself.
❝ yeah, well. ❞ she shrugged, pushing the paper farther from herself as if the distance would make the other girl somehow forget. lily didn’t owe the girl any explanation, anyway, & she wasn’t about to give one. ❝ i’m not into coffee. ❞ she said, scrunching up her nose. she could almost taste the bitterness of it at just the mere mention. ❝ trying the cake couldn’t hurt, though. thanks for the suggestion. ❞ talk about awkward.
she has a nerve to ask him what he’s doing here, especially in the way she is. troy feels as though wherever he goes or whatever he does, he has the authority and deserves to do so and to him, lily asking this is questioning that. “uh, rude. this is my regular coffee place. what are you doing here?” he says it as if lily is the one out of place here, and he does so without even thinking ― it’s imbedded in his brain. “to be fair, we’re not exactly studying the same thing, hun, and i live a busy life. so at least i thought we’d go the summer without seeing each other. why? did you want to see my face sooner?”
was she being rude? she didn’t think so, but she didn’t want to argue with him either; as ridiculous as it is she does somehow feel like this is his place and she’s intruding. ❝ sorry. ❞ it’s almost inaudible when she says it, as if she isn’t sure why. maybe it’s how guilty she feels about everything already, or maybe it’s just because this is the way she’s always been with him. ❝ i’m not doing anything. ❞ she shrugged, which was true - there was no way she could apply here now and risk running into him again. avoiding moments like these was probably in both of their best interests. it was awkward and she still didn’t know how to deal with it. ❝ it’s not like that. i just didn’t think i’d run into you here. ❞ or anyone else for that matter.
𝖎𝖎 — HE’D SEEN HER A HUNDRED times this summer . he should recognize what she looks like by now . still , it’s always a quick lapse before he recognizes the girl as his sister . steering clear of the lockhart house had it’s advantages and disadvantages . but still –– finding her in a cafe twenty minutes from their house seemed rather odd . however , he had gotten here to early for leo to be arriving soon –– so he figured one conversation wouldn’t kill him . ❛ hey . ❜
on the list of people she would have liked to run into, he was definitely not very high; nothing personal, but you would have to be blind not to see the tension between the siblings, & the fact that she was trying to avoid her family at the time only made that tension worse. it took her a minute to realize he was actually talking to her, seeing as they hardly ever spoke to each other. ❝ uh, hi. ❞ she said, offering a small, awkward smile. she hesitated a moment, not really knowing what to say. ❝ do you want to sit down or something? ❞
𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐄 the girl , but maybe he should , considering that’s usually how it goes in ashcroft . still , he smiles making his way to her . ❛ hey , lily , ❜ comes the amicable greet . though , it doesn’t take much to see the lockhart girl doesn’t look entirely happy as it is . or maybe he’s seeing too much . ❛ how is everything ? ❜
she looks up at him, forcing a smile on her face and hoping that it looks real enough. ❝ hey ❞ it isn’t that she’s not happy to see him, but this was neither the time or the place she would have chosen. ❝ i’m fine, I just wasn’t expecting to see anyone here. ❞ not anybody who mattered anyway. making sure to return the paper to it’s hiding spot in the most inconspicuous way she can before motioning for him to sit down. ❝ what brings you here? ❞
“what are you doing?” ethan asked curiously, having walked up behind her and witnessing her push something under her notebook when some old dude walked by her.
❝ course work. ❞ she shrugged, keeping the sheet of paper out of his view. was it just her or was this lying thing starting to come easier now? ❝ I could ask you the same thing. ❞
running into an ex is never a problem for troy simply because he does not care what they now think of him. they gave him what he needed for the period he’s was them and now that he’s done with them, it doesn’t matter. does he care about them in general now? no, not really. so seeing his sort of recent ex being rather inconspicuous he doesn’t feel bad or as if he shouldn’t approach, he takes the seat opposite her simply to be a pest. “well well, didn’t think i’d be running into you so soon.” it’s been four months, troy.
the voice nearly made her jump out of her seat. she probably looked so suspicious, but he hadn’t bothered to see what was going on in her life for the past four months, so why should this time be any different? ❝ what are you doing here, troy.❞ her tone of voice wasn’t exactly warm and welcoming, but it wasn’t unwelcoming either. ❝ it’s only been four months and we go to the same school. ❞ went would have been more accurate, but she wasn’t exactly willing to volunteer information, ❝ what, did you think I would disappear or something? ❞
Alice had been going around town, with the same kind of motives. After being kicked out of college, she knew she had to do something to occupy herself with and if that meant looking for a job then that’s what she was going to do. As soon as she was given an application form, she sat next to the stranger and smiled lightly.
“Seems like we’re going after the same thing, huh?”
she hadn’t expected the company, nor could she decide if it was welcome or not, but at least it wasn’t someone she knew particularly well, or someone who was likely to report back to her parents. ❝ no. ❞ a lie. looking back and forth nervously between the other girl and the sheet of paper in front of her. there was no way to cover this - no lie she could think of off the top of her head to get out of the situation, so instead she changed the subject. ❝ have you ordered yet? i hear the sandwiches are really good. ❞ also a lie seeing as nobody had ever mentioned this place to her, but hopefully the tactic would work.
he hid from his family — that seemed to be all he ever did. even if it mean the was going to travel across the country just to get a bagel. however, dakota had stumbled upon the cafe. he assumed no one would find him there. that’s how he ended up sitting in a corner booth, eating alone. it was a moment into a mouthful of scrambled eggs that he realized noticed the girl. green orbs absorbed sight of her every move, making the blond curious. dakota was quickly to approach her, but quietly. sitting down beside her, he made himself known. “what’re we hiding?”
she was so far into her own little world that she wouldn’t have even given him a second glance had he not come to invade her personal space. but now, knowing that he was onto her little scheme, it was all she could focus on, making it impossible to continue. " i’m not hiding anything. “ she retorted, knowing good and well that that was a lie. “ and even if I was it’s none of your business. " oh, yeah. She was real smooth at this lying thing, but at least the last bit was true. it was none of his concern, nor anybody else’s here for that matter, but she still felt bad lying about it.
there was no way she could ask her family for help. it was soul-crushing just imagining the looks of disappointment on their faces when they found out what she was hiding let alone actually seeing them. no. if she was going to do this she had to do this on her own; learn to be independent, and independence started here, in a cafe just far enough out of the way that she wouldn't run into anybody she knew. hopefully, filling out a job application and inconspicuously pushing it under her notebook every time somebody walked by,
[ MUSE # 49] ●● is that TAISSA FARMIGA? no, that’s just LILLIAN 'LILY' LOCKHART, the 22 year old FEMALE who is UNEMPLOYED. some say they’re INDECISIVE AND SARCASTIC, but their family and friends will swear they’re FREE SPIRITED AND CLEVER . when i think of them, i think of 80's rock music, staying up late for a midnight snack, procrastinating until the last minute. i wonder if HER family knows that SHE DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE ●●
Hello everybody! I’m Gloom, and this is Lily. I haven’t really got her fleshed out completely, but below you can find a list of things I’ve got going so far. I’m really excited to be here and to plot with you all, and you can feel free to send me a message or just like this if you have any ideas/want to plot.
Lily was always what people would expect of a girl like her. A little bit superficial, entitled, a little bit of a wild child and overall not very grounded, but she's also been fiercely loyal and protective; a good friend and someone you would want on your side if things went wrong.
The type of girl to procrastinate until the last minute. Not the friend you would count on for things like showing up on time, carpooling you to work, or copying notes in school. She's more the friend you hang around because she's down for anything and makes you laugh like nobody else does.
This isn't to say her life has always been easy. Her carefree attitude has gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion. Experimenting with things she shouldn't and waking up not knowing where she is, and it's ruined plenty of relationships, especially romantic ones. The word commitment just isn't in her vocabulary. Not when it came to school, not when it came to love, not even when it came to her own interests. She's bounced around her whole life trying to figure out who exactly she is and what exactly she's meant for.
Lily has skated through school with pretty average grades. Nothing extraordinary which was fine because she always assumed things would come naturally for her.
Once college started she realized how wrong she was. The stress and the anxiety of not knowing what she wanted to do or who she wanted to be started to build up until she was no longer the fun, free-spirited girl she had always been. The only thing she could think to do at the time was to drop out and find herself, as cliche as it sounds.
Lily is terrified of anybody, especially her family, being disappointed in her and has kept her failure as under wraps as she possibly can, but it’s not easy and the truth is bound to come out any minute.
