welcome to the show

mallory, eighteen, london no matter how hard to look to the future, you can never shake the past

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Could anyone direct me to a library?

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Ahah. Oh gosh, Swedish is cool - du har aldrig hört någon tala svenska? väl här du går. Exactly! Maybe she’ll come visit, she’s dropped hints a few times in her letters ahah. Sounds like a plan. Oh gosh, you don’t know what you’re missing, but I know what you mean, where I lived it was very Greek-food-only kind of thing. Oh good, I hope they say yes.

[mallory-grace]

Wait did you just...? Oh my god that sounded like the coolest thing ever! What did you say? Already? She must miss you a lot. That would be nice to meet her though. And it would be good for you as well, of course. I've probably missed a lot, haha. Is a lot of the food they serve here new to you then? I'm still adjusting to what the call the stuff here but you would have to adjust to what they serve just in general.

[littleloonylyra]

The flu is simply awful.

[littleloonylyra]

Hm, I’m not quite sure! The nurse said it was the first she’d seen of it, but I’ve been holed up in my room so hopefully that’ll stop it. It wasn’t very pleasant, really. Being sick is always so dreadful. Thank you, Mallory! I’m feeling quite wonderful at the moment, so hopefully it has passed.

I’m glad you were thinking of it too! Oh, why thank you. I imagine you’d look quite lovely in feathers as well. Really? I don’t find it too bad. I’ve been told it has all but magical healing abilities, though, so I’ve been eating it up fit to burst.

[mallory-grace]

Hopefully I won't get it. i'm not very good around people when I'm sick. All grumpy and confused really. it always just makes me so drowsy and out of the loop. That's good! Getting better after being sick is actually really nice. I think it is at least.

Thank you! Living in London I saw some pretty interesting clothing choices, feathers were in style a few years ago actually. My parents always tried to get me to have it when I got sick but I just refused and had medicine. 

[ryder-samuels]

A Friendly Game || Ryder&Mallory

[ryder-samuels]

Ryder scoffed and raised an eyebrow at the blue-eyed girl. “I was born ready,” he said, a grin breaking across his face. The boy’s usual pre-sport adrenaline had begun to kick in, and he quickly caught the ball under his right foot. “I’ll go that way,” he told his friend, gesturing to the distant set of goals on his left. With a smirk, he began dribbling it straight down the field, slowly at first, but then he gradually picked up the pace.

[mallory-grace]

She hadn't been prepared for his sudden movements and Ryder was already picking up speed by the time Mallory's reflexes kicked in and she started racing for set of goals the boy was headed towards. She cursed herself for not stretching as she felt the muscles in her legs work. Her hair was coming undone and it was getting in her way but her competitiveness pushed her faster; she picked up her pace and she reached the goal.  

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Could anyone direct me to a library?

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

I’m sure you’re just fine, and you’re just being modest. Yeah, but when I was growing up some people spoke English to me, some spoke Greek - my mum even spoke swedish. But they encouraged me to take English in school so if I travelled language barriers wouldn’t be a problem. She is, I think you’d like her. Ahah, I’ll bring a spray bottle to freshen you up. They’re more or less the same thing, you’ll like it.

[mallory-grace]

Haha, thank you but I really am terrible. Swedish? That would of been cool, I like Swedish accents actually but I haven't heard anyone speak the language. It's a smart thing to do and really practical. Sometimes knowing just a little English can save you when you travel. I think I would, I wouldn't mind meeting her. Thank you! It sounds exciting. Living in England I wasn't exposed to a lot of foreign food, like authentic stuff, and now I'm looking forward to it. 

[theperksof-solitude]

Why are girls still wearing shorts?

It’s fucking 50 degrees outside, but on some damn pants. 

[mallory-grace]

It's not that cold. Haha, you've only experienced American winters, haven't you?

[this-night-is-almost-over]

I'm so hungry..

[this-night-is-almost-over]

Exactly! Every night I come back from the cafeteria and I’m so hungry! Honestly, how can we do homeworks with our stomach this empty!

[mallory-grace]

It's a bit silly. I don't really understand the logic but there's not much we can do about it. I just wish we could have some toasted cheese because I had that at home all the time but I haven't had one since I've been here and now I just have a craving for it.

[mallory-grace]

HCP Task

001. What is your full name?

Mallory Violet Grace.

002. How old are you?

I am seventeen years old.

003. Where were you born?

London.

004. Where do you live now?

I lived with my Aunt in Manchester but right now I’m living in Maine at a boarding school.

005. Do you have a job? If yes, what is it?

No, I don’t.

006. How do you feel about high school?

I don’t mind it. I like learning and high school is a place where you can learn a lot of different things.

007. Are you excited for college?

Yes and no. I’m excited about being able to explore more things I'm interested in but the prospect of moving out of high school, which is an environment I'm so used to, scares me.

008. How are you right now? Be honest.

I'm… not doing too good. Everything is so stressful and it’s hard to keep up. I feel like I’m holding my breath. I feel fragile right now.

009. Where do you want to be right now?

Nowhere. I just don’t want to exist.

010. What is your greatest strength?

A few years ago I probably would have said my speed reading but now I’d say I'm pretty good at lying, actually.

011. What is your greatest weakness?

My feelings, most of the time.

012. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why?

I would change who I am, but I’ve already done that. Or I'm trying to.

013. What is your favorite thing about yourself? Least favorite?

I like that I can keep things inside; it makes my situation a lot easier. My least favourite thing about myself would be … well, everything.  

014. Who do you miss and why?

I miss my mum. I always miss my mum; she was the only person I could trust.

015. What is your favorite memory?

When my mum taught me to read. She let me sit in her lap and taught me how to read my favourite picture book.

016. What is the best thing you’ve ever been given?

The Christmas my mum died, her present to me was a locket that I wanted. It was the last thing she ever gave to me.  

017. Describe yourself in one word.

Quiet.

018. What is your biggest regret?

Being born. That sounds so predictable it's almost embarrassing. 

019. When was the last time you had your heart broken?

Just before I left London. I visited my fath- the man I thought was my father and he told me he killed my mother, my father and those girls because of me.

020. Do you have any phobias?

Not really.

021. Favorite song at the moment?

Matilda – alt-j

022. What is your dream guy/girl like?

I can't really picture them but I guess they would be funny and sweet and kind and wouldn’t mind if they carried most of the conversation. They would accept me and not blame me for what happened. They would love me for me and I would never have to pretend when I was around them.

023. Name something you can’t live without?

A hair tie.

024. Who or what makes you happiest?

Being alone makes me happy.

025. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Rude or disrespectful people. I don’t fancy violence either.

026. Morning or night?

Night, it’s much more quiet.

027. Who is the last person you were with?

Ryder.

028. Where do you see yourself at the end of the school year?

Hopefully back in Manchester or at least out of here.

029. In a year?

I don’t know, I don’t think about my future much. I don’t see myself as having much of a future.

030. In five?

It’s the same, I have no idea. 

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Could anyone direct me to a library?

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Ahah, if you think that’s hard you’ll have trouble with the rest of the language. I’m just very glad that I took english in school otherwise I would’ve floundered around here awkwardly until I could speak the same language as the rest of you. Yeah - she’s my grandmother. Oh gosh, I can’t wait for it! It’ll be amusing to see you all cooped up in your rooms with the air conditioners on. Yay! I’ll go ask them later on and get back to you about it. Really? Have you ever had yiros? They’re like kebabs. That’s greek.

[mallory-grace]

Yeah, probably. I'm useless at other languages. I took German and Spanish and only just passed and I can't even remember anything I learned while I studied them. Oh yeah, that would've been a bit awkward and now to mention hard! Language barriers are so difficult sometimes. You're grandmother sounds really lovely. And when I come to classes I'll be the one in dresses and shorts complaining about it. It should be fun. Wonderful, I'm excited. Yiros? No I don't think so. I've had kebabs, like the ones wrapped in bread but not Yiros. It sounds interesting. 

[ryder-samuels]

A Friendly Game || Ryder&Mallory

[ryder-samuels]

At the sound of a familiar English-accented voice, Ryder’s head turned and he grinned at the girl making her way down the hill. “It’s cool, don’t worry,” he called back, his voice getting softer as she came closer. He shoved his hands in his back pockets as he walked over to the line of soccer balls that had conveniently been left at the edge of the field after the last sport class. “You look a little nervous,” the dark-haired boy noted, looking back at his friend. “If it makes you feel better, I’m not as brutal as those girls you played. I’ll even go easy on you,” he added with a grin.

[mallory-grace]

Mallory stood and bounced back on the balls of her feet, eyeing the soccer balls with uncertainty. This was a bad idea. She turned to look at the boy once he spoke and tried not to let her nerves completely break through the surface. She had no idea she looked nervous. What had given it off? She decided not to address it in the hopes he wouldn't dwell on it too much. "Funnily enough," she started, smirking as she spoke. "I was going to say the exact same thing to you Ryder." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear that hadn't stayed in the hair tie. She walked over to the line of soccer balls and gave one a light kick in Ryder's direction. "Are you ready?" she asked. 

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Could anyone direct me to a library?

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Yeah, γιαγιά and I have been sending  eachother letters - she even attaches photographs sometimes so I’ve still got that. I can’t deal with the cold, it’s so awful. Nah, I’d rather walk around in a sundress and all that (although you’re probably used to the cold and I’m used to the heat, you know?) Yeah, I guess so. I definitely will ask, I won’t know unless i do. Oh, it’s hard to explain wow. It’s nice though, maybe they’ll let us out and I can take you to taste shitty restaurant food.

[mallory-grace]

Yιαγιά? That is the hardest worst I've ever had to pronounce, it is a member of your family? But that's really nice, it's really good that you're family is doing that for you. I don't know how I'm going to fair around the warmer days here, I have no tolerance to I'm just going to be the most annoying person when the weather gets warmer. I would like that, it does sound nice. I don't know why I haven't had any Greek food before. 

[littleloonylyra]

The flu is simply awful.

It’s quite possible that I’ve had enough chicken noodle soup to turn into a chicken.  I wonder how feathers would look on me.

[mallory-grace]

Is the flu going around? That doesn't sound good. It sucks being sick, doesn't it? I hate it. I hope you feel better soon though, having the flu is atrocious.

Oh my god Lyra, all I can picture now is you in feathers. To be honest you don't look that bad. But I don't know how you eat chicken noodle soup, I can't stand the stuff.

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Could anyone direct me to a library?

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Thank you! Yeah, I don’t know, I suppose I’ll get over it. Yeah, I much prefer summer. Not particularly, but thanks for offering. It’ll eventually pass … until then, do you think they’d let me go into town and try and find a Greek restaurant? Obviously it’d be nothing like home but maybe. Eh, I don’t know.

[mallory-grace]

It's alright. It does take some time, it's gonna be okay. I don't really mind, I guess I like colder weather. Sweater weather is my kind of thing. Once you adjust it should get easier, ya know? Oh, I hadn't thought of that. You should ask, maybe they will. It wouldn't hurt, I mean if it helps you adjust then maybe they'll let you go. I've never had Greek food, what's it like?

[hoelographics-blog]

[mallory-grace]

Back home they used to call me 'selfiesaurus'.

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Could anyone direct me to a library?

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Mmkay, I don’t know how I haven’t managed to stumble across it yet ahah. Oh, I’m fine. Just feeling a bit homesick, you know? I want to go swimming but I think it’s too cold.

[mallory-grace]

The doors are nothing special and are usually closed so its not like they make it obvious but once you get there once then you'll remember it. Oh, I'm sorry you feel homesick. It is a bit chilly, but I'm from England so it's not too bad but it's only Autumn. Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?

[coffeebeanscoffeeschemes-blog]

Could anyone direct me to a library?

Or a swimming pool …

[mallory-grace]

The library is on the second floor of the main building, I think?

Is everything alright, Lenka? You look kinda down. 

[this-night-is-almost-over]

I'm so hungry..

Am I the only one to have noticed how our meal portions are small?

[mallory-grace]

Yeah I noticed they were a bit smaller, bit inconvenient really. Don't they know this place is full of starving teenagers?! I don't know about you but I could easily put away twice as much as they give us and then have room for more. 

[mallory-grace]

This place feels so big, it's actually kind of scary.

[freshly-heather]

Snooping questions always pay off. Yeah, that’s why I prefer not expecting anything, or you know, expecting the worst. Then you don’t get let down. You’d think they’d know, being specialists and all of that. I guess not.

Oh shit, you got to have tips? I bet that helped a lot, yeah. Nah, no worries about that, the title fades fast enough around here. It’s not like you came in in the middle of the year or anything, either. Yep, 100% American. I mean, if you count out the fact that my parents are latino. But I was born in LA, raised in Santa Cruz. So I’m still a Cali girl, basically. Well, it’s still in the opposite side of the continent, but I’m guessing it’s less far than for you. You’re from the UK, right?

[mallory-grace]

I've always just thought like that, trying to find a silver lining. I'm a really positive person anyways so trying to find the good things in the bad or even expecting things that could get my hopes up just come naturally to me. I think most specialists kind of lose the whole point of helping people, especially teenagers, because their head has been filled with all this technical bullshit that they try all these complex things out on us. I don't think they understand that the simple stuff is what some people need.

Well the main one was get a map but I can't read maps and asking for help works around here apparently  Memorizing your surroundings in unfamiliar places was one that helped me the most. Lucky me I guess, I still missed the first day introductions but you're right, the whole new girl thing is fading fast. California? I've always wanted to travel over there. What's it like? Yep, born and raised in London. It is pretty far away but I'm not missing it as much as other people are missing their homes.