Over Sparkling Memories

Raj Kumar. 40. Oceanside. Doctor. Lux Hill. 35. Downtown. Vet.

[brookheimers]

Jess, people don’t change. If someone’s broken, they just stay broken.

[blackwomenrule]

[777777777y-deactivated20190701]

[noblexeloquencexwriting-deactiv]

Most people thought she was insane for her job choice. Teachers were fleeing their jobs like rats from the Titanic. It gave the school system a bad reputation most of the time. "It's a very heart filling job for those that you do get through too, but yeah... it's a lot. All those hormones, all those know-it-all thoughts. The tensions run very high where authority is concerned." She laughed, "He does as long as I don't try and tell him that vegetables are good for him. He doesn't believe me."

[oversparklingmemories]

Lux nodded their head at Karington's words because it made sense. "I am sure it is rewarding to know that you are making a huge difference in people's life." They added as years from now they were certain that Karington's students would come back and thank her. "The hormones might be a lot to handle but at the end of the day it all matters." Lux replied as she wished that she had that sort of legacy sometimes. "Nobody truly loves vegetables, we just trick ourselves."

[noblexeloquencexwriting-deactiv]

"Oh, that is very productive of you. I hate running errands on my day off. I much prefer trying to enjoy my day. I am very stuck to routines though so I do make an effort to at least walk outside, walk past the hospital, and get the same coffee as I do every day..." They lifted their cup up and nudged their head in that direction as if proving a point was necessary.

[oversparklingmemories]

"I wish I could avoid them, but sometimes they need to be done." Raj said as he knew he could only put certain things off for so long. Eventually they just piled up and things became harder than they had originally even needed to be. "It is good to get out of the hospital."

[hcppilyneveraxter]

Zach had been perusing the shelves of the downtown bookshop searching for something new to read when his saw his cousin Lux across the shop and waved. They must have been deep in thought because they did not see Zach whatsoever and he spent the next couple of minutes trying to get their attention without disturbing everyone else. "Yeah! It's about time. I've been trying to get your attention for a while now." He said with a warm chuckle. "What's up Lux? You're a million miles away." Zach observed tilting his head attentively.

[oversparklingmemories]

Lux sent their cousin a small smile. She knew that he was right and she had been lost in thought. That seemed to be the new normal for them now. It was just the only way that Lux seemed to be able to get through the harder days. It was better than feeling like they were drowning. "I guess moving here wasn't as instantly healing as I had hoped." Lux said as they still had all the trauma to unpack. Turtle Bay seemed like a good idea and she was happy that she came, but Lux was still struggling with everything.

[hcppilyneveraxter]

"Yeah, that's fair." Scott said nodding in agreement. "For a town of this size, somehow we really lucked out with some incredible doctors." he admitted with a chuckle. "Anyway what areas were you looking to work out? What're your fitness goals? Maybe we can develop a regimen tailored to help you achieve some of those goals." Scott offered

[oversparklingmemories]

"Well, in my case the town lucked out because this was one of the few places that offered to let my family live here." Raj said as moving to the states had been complicated from what he remembered. "Well, you see that is the problem. I don't know enough about this to have that many fitness goals, apart from being healthier in general."

[turtle-runner]

"No it's not no worries. Angel say sorry." she told her daughter who just mumbled a quiet sorry. "Let me do something to make it up. Can I buy you whatever you're looking at or get you a coffee or something." she said hating to be seen as that mom who ouldn't control her kids.

[oversparklingmemories]

"I accept your apology." Lux told the child as they really hadn't been worried about it. She had nothing against children in general so it wasn't a huge idea. They understood kids were still trying to figure out the world. "You don't have it, it is quite alright. Nobody got hurt."

[turtle-runner]

"More or less. I've also barely been here a year." she said with a shrug. She wanted to go out more but she felt weird going out alone and she didn't have many friends here. "Any suggestions for someone on a budget."

[oversparklingmemories]

"Fair enough then." Raj replied as sometimes it took time to find the best places. "Well, there is a lot of good scenic places around here. Most of those don't cost money at all. I like going down to the pier to just hangout sometimes."

[turtle-runner]

"Just move to the music forget everyone else exists." she said to him as the music picked up.

[oversparklingmemories]

"That I can do." Raj said and just hoped nobody was watching him. He did not want to be the town's laughing stock.

[reneebrandxn]

Gabriel finished cleaning up one of the tables before heading over to the table and pulling out a notebook. "What can I get started for you?" he asked as he looked up from his notepad.

[oversparklingmemories]

Lux let out a small hum as they weren't sure. "What appetizer do you recommend? I must admit I have never been here before." They said as they had just been in the mood to try something new.

[reneebrandxn]

"Awww, sweetie," Elena cooed, grabbing his arm and giving it a squeeze, "You'll learn. It's all about taking chances. Here, why don't you let me order for you."

[oversparklingmemories]

"Okay, sure." Raj said as the worst that could happen is he didn't like the drink. It seemed like a pretty safe chance for him to make. "Order whatever you think I might like."

[sweetcatastrophes]

Simon had sort of half-assed his attempts at writing, only getting a thousand useless words down that were in no particular order. He didn't actually think a walk along the pier would clear his head or find some language, but he did it anyway because it was at least out of the house. He'd learned to find something in those wandering moments at his sister's house, even if he didn't know what the something was.

The voice that called out was met with an amiable shrug. "I enjoy the rain, too. It's the wind that gets me. Thanks for the warning, though."

[oversparklingmemories]

Raj had never really been a fan of rain personally, so he couldn't say that he could relate to Simon's point of view. "I hate being wet." He said as it seemed that whenever it down poured there wasn't a way to avoid it. Raj had been caught out far too many times without an umbrella. "Wind is annoying in it's own way as well." He added in agreement.

"I think I would prefer if it was nice out all the time." Raj said with a small chuckle. He of course knew that the environment depended on rain, but that didn't mean that he needed to like it.

[noblexeloquencexwriting-deactiv]

Karington nodded and let out a dramatic exasperated sigh for effect. "Oh, yeah. I am the Principal of Turtle Bay High... I deal with quite a bit of behaviors throughout the day and try not to laugh at them as they pretend to be adults... not yet, babies, not yet. And then when I go home at the end of the day, I have a three year old who demands all my attention."

[oversparklingmemories]

Lux let out a laugh. "That sounds like quite the difficult job. I do not envy you." They said as they still remember what they were like in high school. Everyone thinks they know everything when they are that age. It was hard to explain to teenagers that they didn't actually have all of the answers. "I imagine your three year old at least listens to your advice sometimes."

[noblexeloquencexwriting-deactiv]

Willow was grateful for all the times that someone controlled a situation for him, but it definitely made it hard in the real world when things changed and there was no way to stop it. He never learned those necessary coping skills. He adapted much easier in the hospital setting though than he did out here. "Are you off today?" he chose to ask.

[oversparklingmemories]

"I am which is nice." Raj said as it was the first time in a while that he actually had a decent day off. More often than not Raj agreed to work the shifts that nobody else wanted to. He was pretty much married to the hospital. "I was planning on running some errands, but I will see how that goes."

[noblexeloquencexwriting-deactiv]

"Hospital food would be fine but I've heard they do not add any seasoning. It's all plain. I personally live off of parmigiano and jalapeños. I don't think I would survive without those things..." He sounded very sincere and very dramatic about the whole thing, but after a long pause, a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips to prove that he was joking. At least partly. He did eat those things quite often, but not on everything.

Javier looked toward him and looked him over. He was almost unsure if he could believe him or not. Why would he be happy about spending lunch with a stranger? He chose to shrug it off though. He could be paranoid sometimes. "I guess that do be true, and a man has to eat."

[oversparklingmemories]

"Even then, I wouldn't want to live off it." Raj replied as it wasn't ideal. In general he found that anything made in masses tended not to be great. The hospital wanted to save money so it didn't use the best ingredients. "Personally, I think if I had a long hospital stay I would have people sneak food in for me." Raj said as he knew some of his patients did that.

Raj nodded as he was pretty laid back. He was trying to be more social, so this worked out in a way. "That is the best way to look at it." He added as he was sure that it would be alright.

[noblexeloquencexwriting-deactiv]

Logan wasn't really surprised that they had never met. Honestly when he did live here full time, he was a reckless and hyperactive teenager. He was busy with the chores, gymnastics, and school. By the time he turned eighteen, he was enlisting and gone. "Understandable. Aside from being a kid and growing up here, I was gone a lot. Came back on leave but those were only six weeks or so before I was gone again. Lived here all my childhood and I'm just now really experiencing the town for the first time..."

[oversparklingmemories]

"Since moving back I haven't met too many people outside of the hospital." Raj admitted as he didn't get out much. When he did, it was usually with friends from the hospital, so even then he didn't meet a lot of new people. It just was not something he had ever been that good at, even when he was in school. "I can understand that. I feel I am learning about new places in town all the time. Someone is always surprising me."