chasing the future

Olivia Thorne | Twenty Studying at Maxwell College Have Not

[taryn-oakley-deactivated2015072]

What do you plan on doing in your free time?

[o-thorne-blog]

Seeing if I can get some work, and really just relaxing. This semester's been so full on, I need some down time. Do you have any plans?

[o-thorne-blog]

I am so ready for actually having free time now that summer's here.

[a-disalvo-deactivated20140826]

What kind of essay can you even write for maths?

[o-thorne-blog]

A very, very bad one. You should see the crap I'm writing right now. Does making the font really big still work in college?

[anon-01234]

An English major, I am not. Although…I am quite good at bullshitting things. Perhaps I can be some service to you, m’lady.

[o-thorne-blog]

Ah, now that's just disappointing. What major are you doing if it's not English? Oh boy, I wish it was that easy to bullshit Newton's law of cooling but unfortunately it is not, unless you have any ideas...

[anon-01234]

Math major, huh?

What kind of essay do you have to write?

[o-thorne-blog]

A mathematical history behind the principles of calculus, with a focus on integration. Not sure how one writes about numbers with words but it seems that's what I'm supposed to do. You aren't an English major with a keen interest in essay writing by any chance?

[felicia--disalvo]

I’m guessing since about the time they demanded that a criminal justice major take philosophy or a business major take chemistry. Basically, they want to extend our stay as long as possible and suck the life out of us.

[o-thorne-blog]

Trust me, as soon as I'm done with this degree I'm so out of here. I am not sicking around to do another degree which I'm sure they're trying to get us all to do. Not only do they want to suck the life out of us but I'm sure our paying fees also has something to do with it. Though, whoever decides on the course guide should be kicked in the shins.

[o-thorne-blog]

Since when do you have to write an essay in a maths major? I thought I was rid of essays forever... Looks like an all-nighter in the library for me tonight. 

[juniperthelionheart]

Just Another Sea Fair | Rebecca & Olivia

[juniperthelionheart]

Rebecca didn’t usually waste her time with social unequals. But it was summer and the people she usually tried to align herself with had either gone home for the summer, or were too busy having fun to be bothered. But Rebecca Marks was used to spending her time alone and she was used to plotting. What she had started to realize, however, was that plotting and planning didn’t always work out and spending too much time alone led to a loneliness she hadn’t yet expected. She’d foregone the Ferris Wheel, much as she wanted to ride it. When she was at the top, looking over the California coast, Rebecca felt almost happy. Though it was only once a year, she hoped she’d be able to capture that again before the weekend was over.

When Olivia came over, she raised her eyebrow, swallowing the instinct to say something scathing. “Yes, the text messages,” was what came out of her mouth, though what she wanted to say was Of course the text messages. Are you an idiot? But even Rebecca knew she didn’t want to start an issue here and she let out a slow breath that sounded more like a sigh as she crossed her legs.

She raised another brow at Olivia’s comment. “I have to agree,” she said with a smirk. “Obviously someone cares a bit too much about what we do.” She ran her hand through her hair and scrolled some more through her phone. “I think it’s utterly ridiculous, though. Why should anyone care what this anonymous person thinks? They’re probably some social pariah sitting in their parents’ basement.”

The truth was that Rebecca was a bit unhappy with hers. For the first time, she recognized that being like Violet wasn’t making her happy and it seemed that this anonymous person texting wanted her to continue. They weren’t telling her to do the right thing, though she didn’t exactly view it that way. But she wasn’t about to tell Olivia that she was upset about the lack of empathy this person displayed, for it was obvious that everyone had the same thing.

"Not really," she said with a shrug and a smirk. "It’s nothing new and it’s not like this person knows anything about me. If they did, they wouldn’t have said that." She let out another breath. "Who do you think most of them were about anyway?"

[o-thorne-blog]

Olivia wasn't sure why it was she was talking to Rebecca Marks of all people, when she should've been spending the time at the stalls of the fair and playing games. But Rebecca was being a lot nicer than she usually seemed to come across. Though, Olivia hadn't completely let down her guard for now. 

Olivia shrugged at the comment. Clearly the person cared a bit too much about what was happening around town but she wasn't that surprised, with some of the attitudes around. "I think there are a lot of people who care a bit too much about what other people do." Olivia let out a little laugh at Rebecca. "Well, social pariah or not, it is ridiculous. And it doesn't help that everyone won't stop talking about it up near the stalls. Trust this anonymous person to ruin one of the best nights in this town." 

Olivia nodded without really knowing what Rebecca was saying. It's not like she'd paid that much attention to which text was about who, let alone knew which one was Rebecca's. "I can't pick them to be honest, not that I'd really care to. We're all entitled to our privacy. It's interesting though, if the person who sent them doesn't know anything about you, and I don't think I know anyone who would do this, then who did?" 

Olivia paused in thought, then bent down and grabbed a rock off the beach. She was irritated at the stupid disruption to her night, but more than that she was irritated that someone had read her private letter and knew about how she was feeling right now. She raised an arm and threw the rock into the ocean, skimming it across the waves and watching it bounce three times before falling into the water. She turned back to Rebecca, almost forgetting she had been there. "I used to skim rocks down here with my family when I was younger," she said, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I assume you had more high end entertainment as a kid." The thought of money made Olivia frown, it had been at the forefront of her mind far too often. 

[kingkostan-deactivated20141110]

What’s not to believe? Seems like every jackass in this town can’t just accept it when things are going well. I just want to know who the hell it was.

[o-thorne-blog]

I'd be a little worried for that person's safety if you found out who it was. You seem quite angry about it. I'm guessing you were less than happy about the response to your letter?

[felicia--disalvo]

Or we could not react at all. I mean, that’s exactly what whoever sent them wants us to do. Why give them the satisfaction of freaking out? Unless the freaking out involves the destruction of their property or kneecaps. That I could get behind.

[o-thorne-blog]

Let's do that. I bet whoever sent the texts would really hate it if none of us freaked out. I guess I better stay on your good side if I want to keep my kneecaps. I could always borrow my brother's hockey stick if you needed a hand with the destruction side of things. Although, I wonder how we could figure out who sent the texts...

[brivoskian-deactivated20140609]

I could care less, I just think they should mind their own business. But what do I know, apparently to them, I’m an idiot, so. 

[o-thorne-blog]

Oh I'm definitely with you on that one. I never knew it was so hard for someone to mind their own business. Well, a lot of people can't see past the fact that I don't have as much money as them. It goes both ways.

[a-disalvo-deactivated20140826]

Confirms what I’ve known since day one.

[o-thorne-blog]

Oh back to day one? You sure do catch on quick. I think it took me a little longer than that.

[felicia--disalvo]

The vaguest threat of interrupting the status quo for even a weekend is clearly a threat that needs to be punished by being a complete cretin. Unfortunately, being a complete cretin doesn’t actually narrow down the suspect pool in the slightest.

[o-thorne-blog]

It's kind of saddening really how many complete cretins we have in this town. Although, I guess there's nothing we can really do about that. And there's nothing we can exactly do about this text thing either, except react. Which is what everything seems to be doing right now.

[juniperthelionheart]

Just Another Sea Fair | Rebecca & Olivia

The rides had lit up the darkening sky and there was a slight breeze that caressed her bare skin. The blonde let out a sigh as she dug her feet into the sand. So far, Rebecca Marks hadn’t decided if she was enjoying the Sea Fair. It had been something she’d enjoyed since she was a child, begging her father to ride the Ferris Wheel with her. But now, here it was, the second day of the Sea Fair and she found that it wasn’t nearly as exciting as she’d hoped.

She was sitting on a chair near the ocean, her finger scrolling through the texts that she’d gotten earlier. Her brow had risen at the thought that someone had read the letters and she let out a sigh as she thought of her own. Rebecca believed that she had to get ahead, believed that it was what she deserved, but even she could acknowledge that choosing to be like Violet didn’t actually make her happy. Her hair fell in waves against her shoulders and she dug her feet into the sand harder, ruining the pedicure she’d gotten two days before. When she looked up, she saw Olivia nearby and she rolled her eyes.

Rebecca had already run into Olivia once and though she knew that the annual festival was a ceasefire, she couldn’t contain her ire at the other girl. She’d never known her well, but Olivia had always rubbed her the wrong way and the fact that she’d been studying math only made the blonde think that the other girl was too nerdy. She idly wondered if befriending her could lead to better math grades, but threw the thought aside. Spending time with such a social unequal was unlike Rebecca and the payoff wouldn’t be worth it this time.

Still, she was bored and her phone was filled up with all these text messages from the anonymous sender. She let out another sigh. “I take it you’re unhappy with the response to yours?” she called out.

[o-thorne-blog]

Olivia had always loved the Sea Fair. Since she'd been little her parents had taken her and let her run around on the beach and eat plenty of sweet, sticky foods. Which, in any young childs eyes, would be described as the greatest thing ever. Even though she'd since grown up a lot since then, the fair was still a highlight for Olivia. And now she got to watch her younger siblings enjoy the same things that Olivia had enjoyed when she was their age. Besides who could say no to the lit up stalls and rides that peppered Main Street at this time of year. Olivia definitely had never been able to say no to the fried Oreos.

The fair had always been a nice, almost truce to the animosity between people either sides of the divide in town. Of course it was even more welcome now, with the animosity only getting worse after Violet's death. 

Olivia walked away from the donut stall and joined the crowd, licking the sugar off her fingers from the hot jam donut she'd just consumed. She'd found herself letting go and enjoying the fair like she'd used to. Having been on a few rides and eaten more than her fair share of unhealthy foods, the cryptic text messages she'd received earlier had completely slipped her mind. She paused for a moment, looking around to figure out where next to go when she caught a snippet of conversation. "Who do you think wrote that letter?" Olivia shook her head, not wanting to get into the immature texts that most people seemed to have received. She then realised that most people around her were talking about it. Sighing, she escaped from the crowd and onto the beach, in an effort to get the texts to slip her mind once more. She'd only just reached the beach when she heard a voice call out to her. Looking up she met eyes with Rebecca Marks. 

Olivia raised her eyebrows warily at the girl. While she didn't really know Rebecca well, she knew what she was like. And she wasn't sure if she could be bothered to have a conversation with the girl. Shrugging, Olivia walked towards Rebecca, gesturing to her phone. "You mean the text messages?"

Olivia shoved her hands into her pockets and looked out towards the sea. "I don't really care to be honest. Just wondering who had the time and motivation to go swimming for a box with all our letters in it. And it's not like their response to mine even meant anything," she turned her head to Rebecca to address her. "You unhappy with yours?"

[juniperthelionheart]

I can. There are too many people in this town with nothing better to do than involve themselves in things that don’t concern them.

[o-thorne-blog]

Any more than zero is too many. They've just ruined the great tradition behind the letters by poking their nose in.

[felicia--disalvo]

I can. It’s basically the one weekend of the year that the likelihood of people killing each other drops below “highly likely” and people are never going to be happy about that.

[o-thorne-blog]

Oh of course! How dare things be a little more peaceful around here. It's not like it would be a welcome change or anything...

[brivoskian-deactivated20140609]

Whoever it is, is honestly quite jealous of everyone and should learn to shut their mouths. Which by the way, envy green is such an ugly color. 

[o-thorne-blog]

I'm not sure if I'd count jealousy as the reason behind all this. Probably just a misguided person who thinks that they can manipulate people around here... In which case they should shut their mouth