Maggie Crawford

29, Beaumont, Interior Designer

[maggie-crawford-blog]

judenolans‌:

“Thanks. You flatter my ego,” Jude said, laughing out loud, attracting the attention of a few men sitting some seats down, but he didn’t care. His attention was on Maggie and they were having a good time. “That actually sounds wonderful. I’ve never really had an entire house to decorate for Halloween for — I might get super carried away.” That is, if he stayed in Beaumont that long. There was still no telling. A part of him itched, as nice as the locals were and now Maggie here too, to get back to his New York life. “I promise with all my heart to try and prolong my stay as much as I can. I mean, we were meant to leave by August, but that doesn’t look like it’ll be happening since we’re not even halfway done with the record. So good news, you’ll see me around a bit longer.” 

For once, Maggie didn’t mind that the men were staring at them, let them look at her laughing for what felt like the first time in ages. “Me neither,” she nodded. “I mean you saw my place in New York didn’t you? It was like a small room with a toilet in the closet, definitely not worthy of a haunted house or guests at all for that matter.” Grinning, she could tell they were on the same page. Getting carried away was her specialty, she had a habit of running with ideas, even if they weren’t fully planned out. “Please do,” she nearly begged. This town was so lonely already, but knowing he was here now, that excited her. “Beaumont looks good on you,” she declared, taking a sip of her drink. “I think you should stick around until at least Christmas.” 

[xoxoholly]

It was a 45-minute drive to the Whole Foods in Nashville, but it was worth it. If Holly had to look at any more greasy, over processed food at the local bodega, she would’ve been sick. Here, the atmosphere was clean, the salad bar was mouthwatering, and just about everything else was pleasing to the eye (or nose or ear). Holly was in her element here, admiring all the organic wares. Although some, one could say, were a tad too organic.

“What in the world is that?” She couldn’t help but say aloud, the thing too bizarre to have warranted quiet viewing.

[maggie-crawford-blog]

Maggie was not the type to shop organic, in fact, the whole place made her uncomfortable. But with her mother’s worsening condition this was a last ditch attempt to help her body fight just a little harder. Thank god she wasn’t the one picking up the tab.  “I believe that is fancy ass honey that rich people claim can cure all things,” she said matter of factly, grabbing an $80 jar of the stuff and putting it in the basket. It wasn’t on her list but she’d read about it helping with digestive issues and figured she might as well add it to the other crap she was buying in the name of good health. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

“...so I guess what I’m saying is, I’m looking for a job,” Maggie sighed as if she’d run out of breath and gave the other person a weak smile, glancing down at her shoes. “Got any leads for me?” 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

judenolans‌:

“Green juice, especially if there’s kale in it, tastes like rat’s ass,” Jude commiserated. “And hell, we’re all gonna die anyway right? Might as well enjoy some coffee and Dr. Pepper while we’re at it,” he said with a shrug. He’d battled heavier addictions in his time, and he was definitely no paragon of health; but life without vices was a boring kind of life to him. 

“Excellent. I will dress up and try to pass myself off as a late-stage teenager,” he said with a chuckle. “Or hey — I’m renting a pretty big house. We could turn it into a haunted house. Imagine all the possibilities.” 

“It’s definitely my idea of a good juice, I prefer apple, or fruit punch,” she smiled. “That’s probably a better way to look at it. If I know anything lately it’s how short life is,” Maggie gave him a weak smile, referring to her mother though she hadn’t told him about her yet. She’d never really been one for vices or addictions, not for any moral reason so much as a lack of interest. Taking a sip of her drink she figured her occasional adult beverage was the closest she’d get.  “I can see you being a mature 17,” she laughed. “Oooh, that sounds fun! I’ve always wanted to go to a spooky halloween party,” Maggie wiggled excitedly in her seat. “We could make tombstones with all the people in town’s names on them. And serve creepy snacks that look like body parts.” She was getting carried away already, and so help her if Jude didn’t put a stop to it she’d design an entire party. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

The sun bears down on you and people are gathered all around the wheel for an exciting chance to spin it. You may get is a great prize or a not so great outcome, but you are a brave soul who fears nothing. You set the wheel spinning…the seconds tick by agonizingly as the wheel turns…stopping now…

And the result is in…

You have won a year’s supply of Marshmallow Peeps. Well, aren’t you the lucky one. Every week, one of these bad boys will be delivered to your door, for a year. Let’s hope the onset of diabetes is slow.

[maggie-crawford-blog]

judenolans‌:

Jude spotted the blush on her, and thought it was cute. “Yes,” he answered with an equally awkward laugh, because well, running into someone you used to be intimate with long ago could be like that. “I feel special. Very special,“ he nodded, and took a sip of his own drink. What else was there to say to that? He could almost joke that he was available if she ever got the itch, but there was no way of saying it without making things more awkward, so he let it be.

"Definitely sounds like a bad idea. What were you thinking, Maggie,” he said, with a fake-serious affect and a shake of his head. He would give up his caffeine when he was well and truly dead.

Her joke made him laugh, the kind of laugh that brought out the creases in his eyes. “You know, I initially planned to leg it out of here once the record was done, but who knows, I might stick around for a couple of months afterwards. I’m curious what a Beaumont Halloween would look like. You guys do Halloween, right?” 

“Well you should,” she blurted out awkwardly. She’d never planned on sleeping with anyone other than Tommy Lee in her life, but when Jude came along she found it impossible to say no to him. As much as Maggie would deny it if asked, she’d do it again in a heartbeat.  “I was thinkin’ I ought to try being healthier,” she shrugged. “Turns out green juice is gross and I wasn’t meant to be a runner, so I went back to my coffee and soda.” She’d always wanted to be the kind of woman who ran marathons and drank healthy smoothies, but it just wasn’t her, not that she knew who she was really.  His laugh made her smile and she remembered all the times they’d lay together laughing after one of them had said something ridiculous. “Course we do Halloween! I mean there are lots of churchy folks around but that doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate with candy and costumes,” she shook her head, chuckling at him. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

CUTE

C- crush?I don’t really have one. Unless you count my undying school girl crush on @judenolans haha. U- 3 biggest wishes?My marriage to work out, my mother to get better, to find some kind of career here. 

T- time you woke up?9:30 am. E- easiest person to talk to?It used to be Tommy Lee, but now I don’t really know. I don’t talk to that many people these days. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

cindy-eggers‌:

“Sound as old as you want bro, I don’t discriminate,” she said, skipping into the backyard. It was nice alright, but she’d already said that. Probably multiple times, but well, it was an apt description. Cindy admired the hot tub, not that she was actually going to hop in or anything. That would have been straight out of a porno or something like it… and she wasn’t working, so there would be none of that. “Maybe that’s how I got lost, huh? Like, there’s a portal on your property somewhere, and I fell right back into the present day,” she jokingly mused  — now there was an idea for a story. Had to write that one down, so she pulled out her phone and quickly typed it out. Just in case. “Closest thing I get to this these days is my cousins’ kiddie pool, and I ain’t about that life, man.”

“Good, but I like to pretend I’m a mere 25,” she joked following her in the backyard. In any other town it might seem strange to have someone you’d never met show up and take a walk around your backyard, but in Beaumont that was just hospitality. “It wouldn’t surprise me,” Maggie snorted a chuckle. “We have an above ground pool that we used to set up too. We had the best pool parties when I was a kid. I wonder what happened to it,” she pondered, taking a drink from her water bottle. “We can dip our toes in the hot tub if you want,” she offered, getting more tempted by the minute. The hot tub had always been one of her favourite places. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

judenolans‌:

“Wait a minute—” A third notch? Did that mean what he thought it meant. “So I’m the second?” he asked, finger pointing at himself, incredulously. It couldn’t be.

 It was funny, the more time he spent in her company, the more he remembered things about her. The dimples from her smile, the way her voice kind of hit a high note after a question, all the things that time had erased and made him forget how fondly he’d felt. Yeah, he’d probably do just about anything for this girl (except maybe sleep with her again — no need to go messing things up between her and her husband now). “No one should ever give up caffeine. I would jump in and hold an intervention for you if that were the case,” Jude said with a laugh. 

“Next on my list….dunno. I put my band’s stuff on hold when I came down here to work on this album, so I guess going back to that when I return to New York, working on our own material as fast as we can to get it out there, get touring again. I miss tour life probably even more than I miss heroin, shit.”

“You’re the second,” she told him with a slight blush, taking a sip from her drink trying to hide her embarrassment. “Do you feel like you’re part of an elite club?” she joked awkwardly, not mentioning that he was also the last person she slept with, and since him she’d been relying on herself.  

“It was a really bad idea,” Maggie agreed. “I’m not like a coffee addict or anything, but just the effort it took to avoid it was way too much work.” Chuckling at his remarks about holding an intervention, she couldn’t help but feel a bubble of affection for him. Things were long over between them, but she’d be lying if she said she wouldn’t enjoy another night beside him.  “I hear touring is a lot better for you the heroin, so that’s good,” she smirked. His life seemed so exciting compared to hers. She had no job, no prospects of one, no relationship, and her life consisted of taking care of her dying mother. “But I hope you won’t go back to New York too soon. It’s kind of cool having you around town now.” 

[beaumontrpg]

A-Z Quick Meme 💫

Reblog this post if you wish to participate in this meme hour, on the character you wish to receive questions on, tagging additional characters if you would like them to receive it too! Please note, you have until Tuesday, 11 p.m. GMT to send out this meme (48 hours). Answering the memes you received has no time limit. Have fun!

Remember to send asks to everyone who reblogs!

Keep reading

[maggie-crawford-blog]

itskiararichards‌:

Kiara tried her very best to clear the shock from her face but nodded as she sat across from Maggie’s seat. “I’m doing well. Things are good right now. How-uh- How are you doing?”

“That’s good,” she nodded. “I’m okay. Just back in town for a while,” Maggie said awkwardly, not knowing if Kiara was one of the many people upset with her. “How are your siblings?” 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

Let me show you what I'm made of Good intentions are not enough To get me though today and this life.

[maggie-crawford-blog]

judenolans‌:

He chuckled at her joke. “If yours is a poorly made romcom, then mine is a shitty American remake of Trainspotting.” At least his past had felt that way. He no longer identified with Mark Renton as much as he used to. “But hey, I just have this…I dunno, gut feeling, that everything will turn out alright for you. Call it a hunch. I hope you invite me to the second wedding when you guys do make it up,” he said with a big grin, necking his beer.

A short silence elapsed between them, but it was made nevertheless loud by the other patrons in the bar. Still, he felt just fine sitting side by side with her like this. A true friend here in Beaumont. Who in the world would’ve thought he would have found her here? A small world, indeed. “It was hell on earth, but somehow, by a miracle, I managed to make it. I still get the odd craving now and then, don’t get me wrong, but I just go walk the dogs or order enough junk food to put me in a coma,” he said, punctuating his words with a laugh.

“I’m kinda glad I’m not dead, too. Still got a lot of stuff left I wanna do.”

“At least yours has adventure,” she offered, taking a drink from her glass. It was nice to just talk to someone for once, without feeling like she owed them an apology. “You’ll definitely make the guest list. Our first wedding wasn’t much of a wedding so if I ever get married again it’s going to be an event. But I hope your gut feeling is right because I’d rather not add a third notch to my bed post, y’know?”  The noise of the bar almost drowned out her thoughts as she sat with him. All those nights together  and here they were sitting in her hometown having another one of their conversations. It still felt a little surreal, but in the best way possible. “I once tried to give up caffeine and that was pretty hard, so I reckon drugs are quite the best,” she smiled. “Food coma is a good coping strategy,” Maggie smiled, taking another drink then motioning for the bartender to bring her another. “What’s next on your list?” 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

sebfoster‌:

He whistled at her confidence of being that far away from death, imagine knowing you had another good 50 years. Crazy. “Damn, you must like actually care about your health and the future and shit. Good for you,” he replied with a few short claps. “I’ve reckon I’ve got, like, four years left, maybe six if I’m lucky. However, I’m trying desperately to get that down to two. I wanna make sure I go before I accidentally catch the ugly.”

Maggie couldn’t help but chuckle. His remark catching her a little off guard. “I do what I can, but like I said, God willing.” She knew that her death was largely out of her hands but wasn’t in the business of discussing her beliefs with near strangers. “I don’t think you could catch the ugly if you tried,” Maggie smiled. “But I suppose six is better than nothing,” she glanced down the hall, hoping to see her mother, a woman who would be lucky to have six months. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

judenolans‌:

“Exactly, see! He rejected them because deep down, he still thinks you guys have a shot at working it out. It might take time, Maggie, but I think you guys will get your happy ending.” He shot her a warm smile as he drank. Of every girl out of the countless of dozens he used to hook up with in the past, this girl was special, and he wished nothing but good things in her life.

Once he had finished his and Indiana’s little saga, a part of his life that left marks on him to this day, he went quiet for a bit. “Yeah, I’m still sober from it,” Jude nodded. “I still smoke weed, and do other things from time to time, but I’ve been clean off heroin for…3 years and 9 months now. Wow, didn’t even realize how long it’s been.” He felt vaguely proud of himself for that achievement. “She was such a key to me getting better, too. If it wasn’t for her, shit…might be dead today,” he said with a careless shrug. It was the truth.

“I really hope you’re right,” she told him, sipping her drink. It was hard to imagine what Tommy Lee was thinking or feeling and she felt beyond clueless when it came to rectifying their relationship.  “Sometime my life feels like a really poorly made romantic comedy,” she remarked with a snort.  The silence didn’t bother her one bit. Usually she’d feel the need to fill it, but with Jude there was a kind of contentment there that she seldom found with others. “I’m glad,” she told him sincerely. “That must have been really hard.” She’d never done drugs, not even smoking pot or experimenting like most of her peers, but she imagined they must be a habit that was hell to kick. “Glad you’re not dead too,” she added with a slight smile. She needed all the friends she could get at this point. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

tcmmylee‌:

Despite now being aware that she had returned to Beaumont, it still felt strange to see her. Unnatural. Had Eddie even opened up the place before Maggie left, or was it new to her? He couldn’t quite remember. Everything felt different — and he wondered if she felt that way too. If she felt like the town had moved on without her. 

“Sure,” Tommy Lee managed a smile, watching as she emptied the packets of sugar into her coffee. He could have remembered that. He liked his black, no sugar — and he’d always teased her that she drank sugar with coffee. “How’s your ma…things lookin’ any better?” He still hadn’t managed to stop by — something he was beginning to feel guilty about. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her at all in the past seven years, he had, but it felt strange stopping by now that he knew Maggie would be around. 

It felt surreal to be sitting across from him, like this was some kind of strange dream. But sure enough, when Maggie dug her nails into the palm of her hand under the table, she felt it. This was real and so were they.  The mention of her mother made her stiffen a little, clearing her throat and tucking her hair behind her ear. “No,” she said calmly. “The cancer has metastasized and the treatments aren’t working as well as they’d like them to,” she explained, numb to her emotions as she spoke, as if the words had no meaning. She knew if she stopped to think about their meaning she’d fall apart. Now wasn’t the time to fall apart though, not when she wanted to keep it together long enough to apologize to him. 

[maggie-crawford-blog]

judenolans‌:

“He’s seeing someone else?” Jude asked, surprised. “Look, whoever she is, it’s probably temporary. Take it from me, a guy. If you’re still married and he hasn’t served you papers yet, he still loves you, still wants to be with you. This other girl — she’s a nobody. Just a shallow replacement of you for the time being. I’d bet all my money on it.” It wasn’t that he was just buttering her up or giving Maggie false hope, Jude truly believed this to be the case.

“I did, yeah,” Jude replied, following with a series of nods that almost made him resemble a car bobble toy. It was his own fault for bringing it up, because he suddenly didn’t want to dredge up memories of Indiana again. Not that she was ever far from his mind. “We never expected it to happen. She was this crazy…free spirit, and I was even less into the whole idea of it, of marriage. But…she was my whole world, man.” That last part became increasingly hard to say, the blonde feeling a lump form at the base of his throat. Why was he feeling this way, three whole years after the fact? Time hadn’t made it easier. 

“But I loved her, and she loved me, and that was that. We were just these crazy, reckless kids. I proposed to her with a soda tab for a ring and she scoffed at me and said I was ridiculous… but then Christmas 2015…something changed. She said ‘fuck it, let’s do it’. We went to Town Hall the next day and signed all the papers. It felt like a rush, you know? It felt right. Like life had just begun, all those cliches.” He took a long drink from his bottle. 

“We were crazy about each other, but we were also just crazy, period…I had just got sober off of heroin after so many years of trying, she was working through her own mental issues…and on top of all, well…I don’t have the cleanest record for staying faithful…hooked up with one random girl too many and she had enough.” 

“She seemed to think it was serious when I met her in the doctor’s office last week,” Maggie said quietly, wanting desperately to trust Jude and believe him. “It’s not just that he hasn’t served me papers, he rejected the ones I sent him,” she added, taking a sip of her drink. She wanted to believe that it was just some shallow fling, but the memory of Yolande’s face was stuck in her mind. How she talked about them as if they were a package deal still rang in her head.  Listening, Maggie could sense it was hard for him to talk about and she almost regretted bringing it up. Nodding along she listened closely, surprised by how much his story resembled her own. “I know that feeling well,” she told him. “Tommy Lee and I did the same kind of thing. It made me feel like I was finally an adult, like I was in control of my own life and we were going to take on the world together.”  “That’s rough,” she remarked when he’d finished the story, her heart aching a little for him. He’d been through so much that she just couldn’t imagine handling. Addiction wasn’t something she was familiar with but the idea of it had always scared the hell out of her. “But you’re good now?” she asked. “I mean with the heroin, are you...?” she trailed off, not knowing the right word to say.