small town living

sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

[prxvinciallife]

He loved spoiling the hell of that kid. Andrew was drawn to kids, almost protectively. He wanted to protect them from how shitty life could be. He was young once. He was naive and dreamed about being an astronaut and a firefighter. Now, he’s just trying his luck with his beautiful and pure neighbor next door while he entertained fresh 21 year olds and feeded alcoholic’s their addiction. Andrew tried to balance out his sins with some good deeds. Brielle’s smile was infectious and he couldn’t help but shy away from her complimenting remarks.

It was only right that he teased her just as much.

“Good thing I have the union on speed dial,” he chuckled. Curtains were harmless. They were as simple as.. Pie? Andrew couldn’t use that analogy in a bakery, it would be too corny. Plus, Andrew was truly no good at baking. He followed directions well, anything more than that was doomed. He had reached down for the rods, looping the curtains’ rings through.

“Ha, I wish. Nothing really… I discovered podcasts. It’s a crime no one’s told me about how funny they could be sooner. I got a new microwave, nothing special,” he shrugged, turning around to wink at her. “Barbie, you’re my only interesting lady friend. Don’t worry about that. What about you? Meet any Ken dolls?Anything exciting?”

Brielle took a seat once again, sipping at her coffee. It felt so easy to relax and just be when Andrew was around. She was so thankful for his presence, so happy that he’d been her first friend in the neighborhood. And not just because he helped her out so much around the shop. “I’ll just pay them off with cake and I’m sure they’ll turn a blind eye,” she teased. He made putting up curtains look so easy, which it probably was in all honestly, and she felt a bit useless for not being able to do it herself. However it had been an excuse for him to hang around for a little while, and she was always grateful for one of those.

“Podcasts, really? I haven’t listened to them, but maybe I should. I’m definitely more of a music type of girl, so I can’t say that I’ve ventured out.” Brielle had always associated podcasts with talk radio, but anything that Andrew said was good was usually worth checking out. She made a mental note to listen to some later, and then maybe make a special trip over to the bar to share her thoughts. “And what exactly happened to your last microwave that you had to get another one, mister?” Bri couldn’t help but smile at his comment, glad that she was special to him. Andrew was a cute guy, and, as weird as it was to admit, she didn’t really like the thought of him cozying up to another girl around town. “Oh no, you are definitely the only Ken doll in my life. Unless you count the creepy guy at the grocery store who always asks me out. Then yes, I have met someone.”

[prxvinciallife]

Already three minutes into this blind date and Mariana was dreading ever agreeing to come. Not because it was going horrible, well not just yet, but because it was hard. Dating was fucking hard. Now, Mariana worked hard all her life. She never settled and never planned to. The woman seldom shied away from a new project, but personal relationships were hard. She practically tore herself apart when she had said yes to her friend when not really wanting to say yes. Too nice, too selfish, what was she afraid of? Why was she being so resilient?

This was different though. In this case, she would have actually just attempted to avoid her problems by running away from them. Mariana Reinado gave her word though, and that meant a lot. So, she put on her big girl shoes and really tried to make this work at least for the day.

Luckily, the world was in her favor and an ice cream vendor was there that afternoon. She lead her date through the park, admiring the trees and open land and nature in general. “Ah, I’m a journalist. Freelance, really. I go where the stories go and usually there’s someone wanting my scoop. I might start a blog,” she joked. “And you?”

Adalyn was a very organized person, and everything in her life worked very systematically. She lived her life based on a plan that she had determined was the best way for her to navigate adulthood, and the next step of the plan was to settle down with someone. Or at least attempt to, if this date was any indication of how successful her love life was. As much as she would have loved to jump ship and call it a night, she knew that there was no chance of her finding the one if she couldn’t stick with a date for more than five minutes.

She followed closely behind her date, surprisingly enjoying the fresh air that the park provided. Adalyn supposed that journalism was a respected industry to be in, depending on what publication a person worked for. “Ah, I see. And what type of stories do you write exactly? Politics, current events, fashion?” Her tone made it clear that the last option was the least respectable, only one step above working for something trashy like Buzzfeed. “Sounds exciting. I thought the only people who blogged nowadays where teenagers.” A small chuckle tumbled over her lips, signaling that she was at least partially joking. “I work in Corporate Communications. Basically I manage the company’s image, make sure there’s nothing but positive things for journalists to report on.”

[prxvinciallife]

If he were to be monitored by someone more authority, surely they would have seen some boundaries be broken. Still, Daniel was one of the best. His methods were a bit unprecedented, to say the least. He was the boss at his practice though. Everyone knew Daniel had his reasons and at the end of the day, he had the most visitors from recovered past patients. Daniel began clicking around his computer, already making the report for today’s file. “As usual, Ms. Howard continues to be stubborn..,” he typed out. “Let me know if you want that ruined too,” he clicked his pen in her direction.

Then nodding at her snarky response, he only allowed a small smirk to pull at his lips. Vanessa tried so hard to get under his skin but he had made it a goal to not be bothered by it. He was not going to break over a defiant detective. The man swiveled his chair to face her, clicking his tongue.

“Well then. Bad news, you’re going to need at least another three weeks of physical therapy. Hear me out, don’t start barking at me until you hear it all,” he narrowed his eyes. “Good news is that you’re on track. Your soft tissue is healing really well, it shows that you’re taking care of yourself… but while you’re thinking about getting back on the field - I’m thinking about long term. You know, making sure everything is perfect so nothing can surprise you in the future.” 

Vanessa rolled her eyes as he filled out his report. She could only imagine the notes he’d written about their sessions together, and figured that the vast majority of them were far from pleasant. She could only hope that she had the opportunity to write her own notes about him when this was all said and done, and she’d make sure to be just as charming. “No thanks, I think I’ll just try watching this one spoiler free.” The joke was on the doctor, as the internet had already told her most of the twists and turns that the viewers encountered while watching the show. There was no way for him to ruin this for her, not this time.

She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for his ‘professional’ opinion. As expected, it definitely was not what she wanted to hear. “You cannot be serious,” complained Vanessa. “There is no way that I need another three weeks of this bullshit. You’re just trying to suck every last penny out of my insurance that you possibly can.” God, what she would’ve given to just be able to storm out right now. “Doc, that’s all well and good that you’ve apparently got my best interest at heart, but I think I know what the right move for me is. So let’s cut the shit and just get me out there asap. I’ll be totally fine, spend a week working the desk before I make any arrests. And you’ll never have to see me again, so it’s a win win for everyone.”

[prxvinciallife]

Nadia could talk about the arts for her life. She couldn’t even imagine her life without the theater. In another life, she most likely would have found her way back to it. She was born with the privilege of having theatheratic parents. It was meant for her one way or another. Except this life didn’t quite leave for anything else, so she needed to work on that. Nadia had spent a grand amount of time attempting to successfully succeed her parent’s roles in the town’s theater. Now, that she achieved that. She had to achieve another goal, or else Nadia grew too depressed about being stuck in the same routine.

Something new. Something scary.

Relationships fit each category. Her family truly was the only personal contact she had, and even that was sparse. She smiled softly, taking one last look at the busy group, busy and supervised group and lead Kyra out the door into the quiet hallway. She was leading them out through the side doorway. She wanted to grab a few things from her office before they headed out.

“I just need to grab my jacket and my wallet before we head out,” she turned around, knowing the hallway was already empty. She began walking backwards to face her, “How’s the tour working for you? It could drag a bit for parents.” She slowed before reaching her destination, turning to open her office’s door. Nadia opened her office and scanned to search for her belongings. She cringed a bit at the sight. Her office was fine, nothing personal though.

As a superior, she had a lot of space. Framed production posters lined the plain walls, there was a small couch, in the corner and of course her large desk, guest chairs and companion black cabinets. “Okay, I’m set,” she confirmed, more for herself than to Kyra. She lead them out, locking her office before walking down the stairs to the exit. “Oh, shield your eyes for this. Eyes need to adjust to the sunlight and all,” she warned.

Kyra followed the other woman down the hallway, glad to be getting a break from the loud chatter of rambunctious middle schoolers. In truth she really wasn’t the type to go out on a lunch date with someone. She was much more inclined to set a date at a bar, where she could drink her face off should the person she was spending the evening with be particularly boring. There was also the potential for a one night stand, which would be hard for her to accomplish during an hour lunch that required her to return to work afterwards. Yet Kyra was surprisingly optimistic about the meal ahead of her, and the person she’d been spending it with.

“Oh, the tour was really interesting.” Kyra replied, leaning against the doorway of the office. “Definitely not a drag.” She would have been lying if she said she’d been paying attention the whole time, as her interest was more on the tour guide than the tour itself.  But the parts she’d heard had been extremely entertaining, and she’d be sure to share her thoughts with her class the next day. Kyra observed the office, soaking up the space. “It must be nice to be the boss. This makes my classroom look like a real dump.” It was much neater than Kyra’s typical environment, considering the fact that she thrived in dysfunction, but it seemed oddly fitting for Nadia.

“Let’s rock ‘n roll then,” she said, following her once again. Kyra did as she was instructed and shielded her eyes, but the light that flooded in when she opened the door was even brighter than expected. “Oh fuck.” The words left her lips at a louder volume than intended, and she was glad to be out of earshot of her kids. “This feels like waking up with the worst kind of hangover and having someone turn on all the lights.” She was thankful as her eyes slowly adjusted to the obnoxious glare of the sun, although she was still squinting slightly while she walked. “So have you always been interested in theatre? Or were you just lured in by the fancy office and the opportunity to give tours to kids?”

[prxvinciallife]

It was refreshing to be able to take a breather next door. Especially when time just flowed with her. Conversation never halted with the two of them. If work didn’t disrupt them, they probably would never return to do their job. He shook his head immediately. “Ah, no. I’ll hopefully see the kid later on, I’ll just take your day old ones. Leave the fresh ones for your customers. What kind of guy would I be if I didn’t let anyone else in the world try the best sweets ever made?”

Liam whipped around to find the exact rod and curtain leaning on one of the corners of the wall, looking pathetic. “I got you, don’t you worry about it, Barbie,” he pitched. A bar could wait a little more without him. No wonder his Yelp reviews were a mix of good and bad. He winked at her before hopping over to the station. He grabbed a nearby chair and climbed on top of it to begin working on it. It’s something his sister had him do a million times when he helped her move into her new home. Maybe, he would take advantage of his handy man skills and use them in a job where he doesn’t feel miserable to come into.

Brielle was always thankful for some company, but Andrew’s company was the best. She could have a cafe full of customers and somehow feel lonelier than when it was just him and her sitting and talking the afternoon away. “Oh my god, you’re too sweet. I’m gonna get a cavity just from hanging out with you, Karsten.” She made her way behind the counter, boxing up his order and making sure to throw in a few extra goodies. Even though he wouldn’t care, she spent an extra minute making the box presentable and aesthetically pleasing before placing it on one of the tables for him to take when he left.

“You know, if I’m gonna have to put you on my payroll if keep helping me out like this. The labor board is gonna come after me if they find out how much you do around here.” Brielle watched him work for a moment, mostly to ensure that he didn’t hurt himself on her watch. Not that he’d ever given her a reason for concern, but the last thing she wanted was for something to happen that might deter him from visiting her as much in the future. “So what’s new in the life of Andrew Karsten? Any exciting new developments? Or interesting new lady friends?”

[prxvinciallife]

Vanessa on one hand is irritated by how peppy he was. It amused Daniel, certainly and if she wasn’t going to drop the negative attitude for their appointments then he might as well retaliate. Two could play at that game after all. Despite the obvious negligence present between the both of them, her visits were one of his favorites. It gave him the opportunity to be sarcastic in all its glory.  “Walt dies at the end of season five. There, now you can waste your time here,” he said with a smug smile.

He leaned back, fixing his posture and made himself comfortable to observe the stack of folders currently on his desk. “Well, let’s see…. your last x-ray hmm…  well, do you want the good news or bad news first?” He sighed, biting his lip. He turned to his desktop to login and check into the woman’s files. Daniel truly just asked the question to prepare himself for whatever vile remarks were going to spew out of Ms. Howard’s mouth. She spoke just like someone in the field of work and sometimes, Daniel made sure to get them a private room for her stretching routines and procedures in order to not bother the other patients.

Vanessa inhaled deeply, irritation filling her body. She closed her eyes for a moment, her hands clenching into fists. This asshole. First he ruined her day, and now Breaking Bad. “Whatever, dick. Everyone says that Walking Dead is better anyway, so I’ll just have to start watching that instead.” Truthfully a small part of her did enjoy this back and forth, but it was much easier to be annoyed with him than ever acknowledge that. “You better hope to god that I don’t find some sort of yelp for rating doctors, because I will bring this whole practice down with just a few keystrokes and stories about our sessions.”

Realistically any news that wasn’t her being released from treatment would be bad news for her, so it didn’t really matter what he started with. “Why don’t you tell me whatever is gonna piss me off the most, and we’ll just go from there,” she suggested, leaning back in her seat. “Unless the good news is that I can go home early and don’t have to see your ugly mug, in which case you should start with that.” Vanessa knew that that wasn’t a possibility, and she’d be stuck her doing some dumb stretches that she was fairly convinced he only had her do so that she looked like an idiot.

[prxvinciallife]

Mariana immediately got the feeling that Adalyn was going to be a little hard to impress. She was gorgeous, por fin. She made sure to make a mental note about checking her who the person was. Honestly, she had only learned about this potential date through her friend by jokingly murmuring “Help a girl out” to which her friend did take seriously despite Mariana’s arguments. Apparently, it wasn’t acceptable anymore to spend her free time at home binge watching reality television and junk. So, here she was trying her hardest to not waste her time and at least allow this to go decently.

She had actually tried with her outfit today. A nice blouse tucked into some nice suit pants and some heels to pull it all together. She pursed her lips and forced another grin for her sake. “Um, I think there’s an ice cream stand around the park. We can walk around, this park is actually really pretty when children aren’t invading it,” she pitched with a hopeful glance. “Do.. you like ice cream?”

Adalyn had to admit that this other girl was attractive, but her looks would not be enough for her to coast through this date. She took a moment to just be thankful that she hadn’t been paired up with some obvious weirdo, or some schlub who was falling apart at the seams. Mariana had already proved that she wasn’t perfect, but at least she wasn’t one of those girls who showed up in yoga pants and acted like she couldn’t move past whatever sorority she’d been a part of. Adalyn’s friends often told her that she was too picky and needed to be more open minded, but she wasn’t about to apologize for having standards.

Truthfully the idea of getting ice cream sounded extremely childish, but she was hungry so she chose not to complain. “Yeah, that sounds fine. As long as we don’t have sit deal with a bunch of screaming kids, I can do the park.” Adalyn wasn’t one of those bitchy child haters, but her idea of pleasant afternoon definitely didn’t include having to put up with strangers’ irritating children. She supposed that she should start the overdone first date talk, simpering, “So, Mariana, what exactly do you do?”

[prxvinciallife]

“Pretty name,” she mumbled. Kyra. What a name. She wasn’t going to forget Kyra for a while. In a sea of kids, she was very grateful to have found Kyra. Kyra had the most stunning brown eyes. Kyra had quite a smile. Also, Kyra had a nice handshake, good grip and everything. Jesus. The woman had both eased her nerves and created some more for Nadia to bare. These tour visits were always a bit hectic but nevertheless needed to get done.

Nadia smiled at Kyra and stepped a bit closer, acting nonchalant as she pretended to get nearer so she could hear Kyra better. She averted her eyes to focus on the room full of small children and adults put tilted her head towards Kyra to hear her better. “Ah, thanks. I like to see some youth inspired by the theater, hopefully some find their passion for the arts and whatnot,” she responded. Those moments where she witness a child just in awe of everything the tour informed them of, those were the highlights of her job.

The Hope Theater should provide hope. It’s what her parents instilled in her and it’s a message she’s always valued and taken to heart. At the mention of a cafe, her eyes lightened up and she practically whipped around to face the woman.

“The cafe next door? To die for. They serve some meal there too. I’m sorry if it seems like I’m jumping at the chance to go have lunch with you there but I am,” she laughed. Nadia quickly turned to tell one of her employees about her departures. “We have about 40 minutes until the matinee, we could sneak out the back door now if you’d like?”

“Thanks, luckily my parents had decent taste.” She chuckled at her comment. If Kyra remembered correctly, this woman had introduced herself as Nadia at the beginning of the tour. And, while she didn’t know much about Nadia just yet, something about her was intriguing, calling out to her and drawing her towards the stranger despite being in a room full of people. Maybe it was just physical as the woman was extremely good looking, but she couldn’t help but feel like her interest went beyond that.

“Oh, we’ve definitely got a dramatic group on our hands, so I’m sure a lot of them will love it here.” Kyra couldn’t help but blame the popularization of cell phones for the never ending drama that plagued the middle school. In her opinion these kids didn’t really need to have smart phones as they could be spending their time outside enjoying life, but instead just went home and texted each other the gossip they’d heard at school. Every new rumor started a big thing in the classroom, and she’d quickly learned that she had quite the group of actors on her hands. “These kids live for drama, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a few new regulars.”

It came as a relief to Kyra that Nadia hadn’t been offended by her forwardness, as some tended to be. But more so she was just glad that she didn’t have to dejectedly walk into the other room and eat pizza with the kids, especially after having already made a comment to one of her colleagues that she intended to get to know the tour guide just a few minutes after their arrival. “That sounds amazing, honestly. And I would be completely and totally offended if you hadn’t jumped at the chance.” She winked after her last comment, then quickly turning to get the attention of one of the other teachers and waving to signal that she was leaving. “Lead the way.”

[prxvinciallife]

The camaraderie the two business neighbors shared was something Andrew didn’t take lightly. Both of them became acquaintances quite quickly when the bakery began its business. Andrew had welcomed Brielle and her whole staff to a nice night out. He could do that when the bar did so well, thanks to him. He managed that bar every week from noon to midnight and even longer if he hosted special events or certain nights. Such as traffic light mingles and holiday celebrations. If the party was getting started early in the evening, Andrew always made sure to send the drunks next door to put something in their stomachs.

“Oh, c’mon Brielle. You’re too pretty to be an alcoholic,” he winked, teasing of course. Already, his spirits were lifted. He didn’t want to be a broody asshole that morning and the blonde was just the trick for it. Andrew stepped back to look at the display of goods, feigning interest and puzzlement as he overlooked every option.

“Hmm… a batch of chocolate chip cookies to take home to my nephew,” he nodded off with a grin. “How are you doing, Bri? Any maintenance you need help with?” He asked, desperate to prolong the conversation. Anything to not go back to the bar so soon, he said to himself. Yeah, right. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket then proceeded to drop a twenty dollar bill into the tip jar.

While Brielle was no stranger to change, it did have its difficulties. Moving to this town on a whim to start a business had meant that she hadn’t really known anyone except the realtor, but Andrew had been so pleasant and welcoming. At first she’d been a little nervous that having a bar next to a bakery might scare off customers, but somehow it did just the opposite. Just meeting him had been enough to reassure her that this wasn’t a terrible decision, and she was grateful that have such a great business neighbor.

“Oh when I take out these fake teeth and remove this wig, I look the part.” She joked back. Having Andrew around made the little shop seem brighter somehow, and his visit was already the highlight of her day. “I actually have a batch of those in the oven right now, so if you don’t mind waiting I can give you fresh ones.”

She walked over to the coffee maker, pouring two cups before heading around the counter to offer one to him. “I’m doing great, especially now that I have some company. And how are you?” Brielle took a quick look around the little bakery, trying to see what needed to be done. She didn’t want to burden him with her work, but there were some things that she just couldn’t seem to get done. “Um, I’m not tall enough to hang those curtains over there, but one of my guys that work this afternoon should be able to do it so don’t worry about it.” She rolled her eyes at his tip, then flashing him a quick smirk. “That exact same bill is going to be your tip the next time I’m at the bar.”

[prxvinciallife]

It certainly was not rare for his clients to absolutely hate his guts. Like, every professor and mother said out there: “I’m not here to make friends, I’m here so you can move ahead.” Daniel knew better than to take it personally though. The majority of his clients have just gone through a traumatic and a very upsetting experience. People needed patience and confidence to do his job and those were two traits he did not lack. It was his job to lift these people up after all. People were in pain, people were miserable, people were angry but then there people who were grateful and hopeless and he had a part of that. That was grand for him.

Then there were people who were a pain in the ass. Vanessa was no exception. He departed from the front desk with his stack of folders of patients he was going to be seeing today. Daniel tucked them beneath his arm and made his way to the detective in his office who was most likely already frowning. He entered with a beaming smile. He had been right, ha!

“Wow. Look at that long face. We haven’t even started yet, Ms. Howard! Usually it takes fives minutes for the scowls to start. How are you feeling?”

She shouldn’t have been there, really. This was all some dumb perp’s fault, because he hadn’t had the common courtesy to shoot her in the vest, but had instead gone for her leg. The doctor told her that she had been lucky, because the bullet had missed this and hadn’t damaged this and her bone would heal and yada yada yada. Quite frankly Vanessa thought that it was all bullshit, and hippy dippies like Dr. Pike were a scam who made money off of poor fools who really thought a variety of stretches could make them better. In her opinion it would’ve been easier to just give her some pain meds and send her back to work, but apparently that wasn’t how things worked.

Vanessa rolled her eyes as Daniel entered the room. He was just doing his job, but did he have to be so damn annoying in the process? “I feel fan-fucking-tastic, Doc. As always I am ready to return to work, just waiting for you to sign my forms and let me be on my merry way.” She offered him the fakest smile that she could muster, although her annoyance showed through. “Quite frankly I don’t even think we need to do this today. I mean, if I’m gonna waste my time I’d much rather do it watching Netflix. Gotta finish up Breaking Bad.”

[prxvinciallife]

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. It would be an understatement to say Mariana was constantly late. It was a vice she’s been guilty of… for her entire existence. The people in her life have grown accustomed to date their rendezvouses half an hour before the actual time because of her reputation. Mariana, simply, had places to be. People to meet, blah blah. The interview she had planned before her blind date ran longer than expected putting her on the road later than she desired. While she dreaded blind dates, Mariana took giving her word very seriously.

It’s how she found herself cursing in Spanish as she sped to the location. Finally she found a parking spot, switched her lounging flip flops to her small heels on the gravel as she rushed out of her car. Rushing to the bench park, she sounded winded as she greeted the surprisingly cute woman already there. “Hi, so sorry I’m late. Traffic… was crazy. I’m Mariana, you’re Adalyn, right?” She smiled, reaching out her hand. Talk about a good first impression.

If there was one thing that drove Adalyn up the wall, it was tardiness. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she was obsessed with arriving places with time to spare, but she’d always considered someone showing up late as a sign that they didn’t care. On some level she knew she should’ve been more understanding; people had things going on, some of which were probably perfectly valid. She just couldn’t bring herself to let people think that they could waste her time, but it was, like many other things in her life, something that she was working on.

Strike one, Adalyn thought as she closed her planner and placed it in her purse, not sure she totally bought the traffic excuse. She stood, shaking the other girl’s hand and forcing a smile. “Yes, that would be me,” she said in a voice as pleasant as she could muster. She withdraw her hand quickly, letting it fall to her side. “I’d be lying if I said I’ve ever done this before, so I’m not quite sure where we go from here.”

[itsglvmarous]

If anyone asked if she had any addictions that could hinder her ability to live, Nadia would admit that she did. And that was coffee. She never resonated with a character so much like Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. It kept her running. And today was no different. Her theater was her pride and joy… and her life. There wasn’t much outside out the famous Hope Theatre where their town centered their performances around. She’s faced frantic mothers over recitals and major tour stops and well funded theatrical productions, but today she was facing her toughest crowd yet — a group of middle school graders. 

Ever since this job was dropped on her, she had forgotten all about a childhood. But reaching out to the community was dire in a time when ticket revenue was tipping downwards a bit. SHe had even slipped on a simple navy shift dress and some small pumps to seem professional. They’ve found that if enough kids were inspired by the venue, they would run home to tell their parents. One last sip of her latte and she was soon supposed to meet a frantic group of pre teens to finish off the tour. 

Simple enough, all she had to do was lead them down the endless hallway to actual backstage area where they could see the orchestra section, the rows of seats and all the logistics to running a show. Everything was going well when until she slightly faltered upon her eyes landing on one of the teachers? How could someone be so beautiful? It had to be a parental chaperone, geez. Fortunately, she was able to get her shit together before anyone noticed.

The tour ended with a complimentary lunch of pizza and junk in their large green room where fortunately, they all rushed to immediately. Luckily, she was able to catch her breath and make her way over to the woman who caught her eye. “Hi, nice to meet you,” Nadia swiftly said, raising her hand.

[prxvinciallife]

Fields trips were some of Kyra’s favorite work days, yet the bane of her existence at the same time. She loved the opportunity to get out of the stuffy environment of the classroom, to be able to explore and teach with something other than a textbook that most kids didn’t even bother to open. It was an exciting change of pace, even if it only occurred once every few months. Of course, there were the downsides to field trips. At least within the walls of the classroom she didn’t have to do much corralling, but outside she was constantly having track down the kids who thought it was acceptable to wander off. She was dealing with obnoxious kids making an ass of themselves in front of their host, throwing fits because they didn’t like what was for lunch, or just ignoring everything that was going on around them with their eyes glued to their phone. All in all it just meant that the day was going to be a lot more work for her, which was always a downer. Because of all this she simultaneously looked forward to and dreaded field trips, and today was no exception.

The tour had been a good one, but Kyra would be lying if she said she hadn’t been ogling the tour guide the whole time. She was pleasantly surprised when the woman approached her at lunch, and she greeted her with a smile. “It’s so nice to meet you, I’m Kyra.” She shook her hand, all the while reminding herself that the girl’s eye were not hidden in her dress and that her eye line should reflect that. “Thank you so much for the tour, the kids really seemed to love it.” With so many other chaperones and the kids busy eating for a while, she figured it wouldn’t do any harm to get a little more face time with this woman. “Would you like to grab something to eat? I’m always down for pizza, or there’s a little cafe next door that I think we’d be able to sneak away to for a bit.”

[itsglvmarous]

When life got tough for a majority of fresh 21 year olds, they turned to the impression that the best way to cope was through brooding at a bar. While this generally was true for anyone hoping to rid their problems at the bottom of the glass, he expected that behavior more from people suffering a midlife crisis. On another day, maybe he’d just do some reading or some other work he had overdue at the counter loving to piss the customers off who demanded his attention. Expect, he got word that it was the week after midterms and he was definitely not anticipating those visits so he made the decision to open later.

He had spent the day before babysitting his nephew anyway and he definitely needed a chance to sleep in. After he showered, he ran some errands and when afternoon he had realized he hadn’t even eaten yet. Why not stop and get a nutritious breakfast with his next door neighbor? Andrew told himself that the reason he visited so often was because he adored supporting locally owned businesses. It was definitely not because he wanted to see the cute blond behind the counter. 

He smiled to himself as he parked out back where already, the scent of freshly baked cookies and pastries were already greeting him. He walked through the front entrance, removing his sunglasses from his eyes. The energy difference between Brielle’s business and his was impeccable. “Where’s my favorite Betty Crocker?” He called out not too loudly as he neared the counter, careful to mind the customers.

[prxvinciallife]

Owning a bakery was proving to be quite the challenge, but one that Brielle embraced. Perhaps it was the frequent phone calls from her father asking when she was going to throw in the towel and come home that fueled her fire. Maybe it was the fact that by some miracle she always remembered to turn off the stove and hadn’t yet managed to burn the place to the ground. Or maybe it was the fact it seemed like she was actually pretty damn good at this, and people really did like eating her food.

Her morning at been spent at the bakery, cooking and making minimal changes that she endlessly obsessed over. Even though it had been open for a while now, Brielle couldn’t help but feel like there was always more work that needed to be done in order for the place to be complete. She was constantly tweaking the menu and moving things around, never quite satisfied with the way things were for more than a few hours. The sound of the bell on the door chimed and alerted her to the arrival of a new customer, and she looked up to see a familiar face.

“Well look who it is! Did you bring me a beer?” Brielle joked, offering him a smile. She brushed the flour off of herself as she walked over to stand across the counter from him, not wanting to look a total mess. Andrew was a pretty cute guy, and, while they were only friends, she couldn’t help but want to impress him. “What’ll it be today? On the house, of course.”

[prxvinciallife]

if there was one thing vanessa hated, it was being forced to complete tedious tasks in order to please someone else. getting hurt on the job had been something that she had always known would be a risk, but it had still been shocking when it happened. it was admittedly pretty scary and hurt like a bitch but, as far as vanessa was concerned, it was all said and done as soon as the wound started to heal.

her chief, however, had a very different idea, and that was why she was currently sitting in her physical therapist’s office, quietly complaining under her breath. the numerous doctors she was expected to visit before she was reinstated was absolutely ridiculous, and somehow more stressful than dealing with criminals daily. her fingers mindlessly played with the hem of her shirt as she waited, and she couldn’t stop herself from repeatedly rolling her eyes. “this is such a fucking waste of my time.” vanessa grumbled.

[prxvinciallife]

dating was the bane of adalyn’s existence, a constant thorn in her side. in theory she should’ve liked going on dates as it could’ve been compared to interviewing for a job, which was something that she excelled at. there was just something about sitting around with a stranger and trying to find things to like about each other that always felt so awkward and trivial to her, and it usually wasn’t long before she found a reason to toss the person aside.

but she was trying to change all that; she was going to change all that. allowing herself to be set up on a blind date was a big step for adalyn, and she hoped that she wouldn’t regret it. currently she had set up shop on a bench where they were supposed to meet, and was meticulously noting the details of the next day in her planner. in adalyn’s world there never seemed to be a second to spare, so she couldn’t think of a reason to not be productive while she sat there. she tapped her foot as the time passed, her heel clicking against the sidewalk. please don’t let this be a mistake, she thought.