A/N: not a challenge. this rp was from soooo long ago but i’ve been busy, so not able to finish before. first encounter with @nathaniel-schreave after interviews (thanks claire). there’s going to be a super short second part with max rp soon. this fic is long, like 3.5k words. Hope it’s decent lol. enjoy and forgive typos. ft. nate and @aubrey-schreave
The palace had been built one hundred and fifty years ago give or take. A good amount of time for some, but in reality, when compared to worldwide structures, the building was pretty new. It held enough history to fill a couple of books though. About the late Kings and Queens. Selections. Remodeling. Scandals.
I was in the middle of taking a walk around the first floor when I spotted someone down the hall--a confident stride on the young prince that made me smile. I debated in my head if I should approach and ultimately decided to go for it. Sneaking up on conversations between my parents and going out in the middle of the night had earned me an ability for silent walking.
Start with your heel, end with your toes. “Hey there, Hot Wheels.”
Nate jumped and turned around at my words, leaning over as a hand reached for his chest. “Oh my god, Logs.”
“Relax, I won't hurt you. Cross my heart,” I vowed, without a second thought drawing an invisible X with my finger. An old habit I was impressed to see easily make a comeback.
He gave me an unimpressed look. “That’s also what you would say before you tackled me but whatever.”
I blamed his old height on the matter, accusing him of taking things from me and placing them out of reach, but he only stood closer, staring past my head and saying, “I’m still taller.”
That led to brief bickering and then he explained how he was going to see his mother. Always a mama’s boy, he didn’t bother to say otherwise. Trailing off, unsure of where to lead the conversation after that, I scratched the back of my head with a sheepish smile. “I um, guess that means you’re busy though, so,” pointing back at where I’d come from, I got ready to leave. “I should let you continue.”
He shook his head. “No, no, you’re fine. My mom is probably busy doing something... Have you talked to Brooks at all?”
“Unfortunately,” I muttered. “He was the first one I bumped into.” I fixed a fake smile at the memory. “Such a delightful conversation.”
We joked about his brother’s natural state of annoyance for a while, but eventually, silence settled. Wanting to avoid an awkward pause, I decided to board the one subject I’d told myself I wouldn’t get into. Ever since Quinn’s mention of it, I had a hard time ignoring the thought. Maybe getting it out of the way would be best.
“Quick question: Do you...think this is weird?”
That seemed to catch him off guard. “What’s weird?”
“Having me around again...here... now…”
He raised his eyebrows. “No, it’s fine, it’s nice having a familiar face around. Like...you know me,” a pause, “well, me when I was 10. But you know what I’m like. I was shocked to read your name when I picked it since you never seemed to like us.”
Didn’t seem to like them? “Yeah, you got me again. I’m just here for the logs...I will admit I was a little worried you would be upset though.”
“I’m not upset whatsoever.”
“Alright,” my shoulders relaxed as I took a deep breath. “Okay then. Let’s catch up. How about a walk with ‘truth or dare’ to make it interesting.”
He returned my smirk and crossed his arms. “Try me.”
After revealing he was still scared of the wrath Mallory could bring upon someone, he said his biggest fear would be something bad happening to a loved one, which wasn’t that surprising. When we resumed walking and he asked for my answer, I didn’t need to think much about it.
“Disappointing my parents.”
“You can’t disappoint them, you are THE LOGS,” his voice boomed and I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Logs doesn’t disappoint.”
Maybe not yet. “I did tell you I don’t know what I’m doing, right? Because I don’t and my parents aren’t aware of it.” Didn’t mean the clock would stop ticking. Most of my classmates had things figured out somehow by the end of high school. A dream in mind. A goal.
Nate stopped walking at that, reaching for my shoulder and saying not everyone had their life laid out in front them and that was okay. I knew that much to be true, but it didn’t make me feel better. Others aspired to be something. To do something.
Nate would be King one day, one of the other Selected a Queen, and everyone else? They already seemed to have something too. Musicians, future lieutenants, actresses, models, artists. I, the girl with the plan, barely had one. I wanted my own name. Being Lance Teasdale’s daughter didn’t cut it.
Hoping Nate didn’t think I needed more reassurance, I joked about at least having two back up plans now with the Selection. If you can’t pull off movie director there’s always a chance to be Queen, of course.
“Okay,” he took a moment to consider what to ask as we decided to finally continue the game and I picked truth. “Um... what’s the /real/ reason you stopped coming here?” I hadn’t thought my choice through apparently.
Playing it cool with a shrug, I focused my sight ahead. “The logs lost their quality.”
“The real reason. We’ve always wondered this.”
“What makes you think there’s some other reason?”
“Well,” he shrugged, “we asked your dad one time and he just said you didn’t really want to come back. Also, not to ask again, so we never did. We were all sad because we thought you hated us.”
Hold up a second. I stopped dead in my tracks and frowned at him. “Wait, that’s what he told you?”
He nodded. “Yeah.. is that not right?”
“I never said I didn’t want to come back,” what was dad thinking? “I told him I was busy with school and I didn’t have-” I pursed my lips trying to find some sense in his words before letting anger take over. My dad had been the reason I’d stopped coming to the palace initially. His betrayal. The fights that were no longer hidden from me when I found out… we’d managed to get over the oath he broke because he never did so again, but for him to have no regard for what he’d implied on my unwillingness to return was not okay.
For once, I shoved aside my excuse about school. I shoved aside my rule to never admit any of my decisions back then had to do with him. With him cheating on mom. For once I just said, “You know what? No. I just didn’t want to travel with him, so I told him I didn’t have time for trips anymore. He shouldn’t have made it sound like it was your fault.” I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. “Quinn didn’t tell me about this, I’m sorry…”
Nate seemed upset on my behalf. “Oh no, I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.”
Had dad known I was lying about not going with him because of school work? Did he decide to lash out at people I considered my friends because of it? Suddenly, it made more sense for Brooks to think it was his fault I stopped coming to the palace. Him telling me nobody wanted me around and then my father saying I didn’t want to come back anymore wouldn’t seem like a coincidence to him even if it was.
A lot of things happened around the year I found out about dad’s affair. It was a rough time in the house and though we pulled through it, different problems they wouldn’t always explain to me arose. In the end, the Teasdale household became a mess of ups and downs from that moment on.
“Why are you not all mad at me? He made it sound horrible.” He had no right to make it sound like that. I’d forgiven him, partially because he’d never done it again and partially because mom had always drawn a line between their marriage and him being my father. But this? It was a wrinkle on what I’d considered a truth about him. I considered him a sucky husband, but never a bad father.
My thoughts were still trying to wrap themselves around the new information when a set of arms surrounded me. “We were little, he probably didn’t mean it that way.”
I didn’t move for a moment at the unexpected hug, not being the best with them half the time, however, not feeling the need to push him away immediately as he kept talking. “Besides, that was-- Oh my god,” his laugh echoed in my ear, “over 5 years ago. Wow, we’re old…And hey, when you got selected we learned that you obviously didn’t hate us. After all, you signed up to come back and actually live here.”
I laughed a bit too. “I’m still sorry.”
“It’s fine...”
I smiled slightly and let myself hug him back. “You know, I convinced myself you guys wouldn't care and my dad basically made sure you did.”
He pulled away and looked down at me. “But it’s fine now because we know you don’t hate us.” His brown eyes tried to reassure me as his hands rested on my shoulders. “It’s okay.”
I let it go for the moment and started walking again. It was a good idea to get the conversation out of the way, even if it brought a million new questions for my dad.
“Truth or dare?” I prompted but gave him no chance to answer, knowing I could use a distraction. “Dare? Perfect. Go get some of Mallory's mascara.”
Nate’s head fell back as he groaned at the ceiling. “What are you going to do? Put it on me?”
“Not sure, but she'll be pissed when she can't find it.” I added a dramatic voice in, “It's the moment to face your fear.”
“Why do you have to…ugh, fine.” He turned around to storm off but then stopped. “Are you going to follow me?”
I grinned. “I'm not wearing heels.”
Mallory’s door stood before us. The entry point to the belly of the beast.
The youngest princess had never liked me and I never understood the why. As I found myself contemplating if that would change during my stay in the palace as a Selected, Nate muttered next to me, “do I have to?”
I smirked, pleased with my idea. “Conquering fears, Nate. Think of that.”
He rolled his eyes and opened the door slowly, only a small crack revealing the edge of a bed inside. He immediately turned back and whispered, “Logs! Don’t make me, she’s sleeping!”
Afternoon nap. I bit my lip to hold back a laugh at the distraught look on his face. Offering a shrug and a shake of my head, I silently told him I couldn’t help.
“But…” he tried again, “Uh... I can’t go in there. I will get yelled at if she wakes up.”
I rolled back and forth on the heels of my feet. “Then don't wake her up.”
Finally, he gave up on fighting and walked in. He didn’t use the heel-to-toe technique, but his steps were silent enough against the carpet. Once he made his way to the vanity at the end of the room, he started going through the drawers as quickly and carefully as possible. I could hear him complain under his breath that she had too many things before his hands shoved a million different products into his pockets and he dashed out of the room. I covered my mouth not to laugh. Nice going, Nate.
“Logs, I’m mad at you.”
“Did you just steal all her makeup?” I snickered.
He opened his mouth. “Yeah, wasn’t that what I was supposed to do?”
I crossed my arms. “Empty your pockets.”
He got out about 10 different tubes from each one and shrugged. “She likes her makeup.”
Picking up the one mascara tube, I showed him, “This would have sufficed.”
“But then she wouldn’t notice,” he pressed. “Can we just put this all in Max’s room so I don’t get in trouble.”
“Appreciate the adrenaline, Wheels,” I teased as he ran off to a different room. It had to be Max’s since he threw the tubes all over the floor. The door was shut not too quietly before he ran back over and took my hand to get me moving.
“Let's go!”
A laugh escaped me as I was dragged along the hallway and then the stairs like our lives depended on it. Maybe they did. Thankfully, I could keep up and not fall on my face as he held to my hand. “I’m not sure this counts as conquering fears, you know?”
“I don’t care,” his feet quickly ran down the stairs. “Oh shoot, I still have to visit my mom, wanna see her?”
I kept grinning. “Yeah, sure, I haven’t seen her in-” my foot slipped on a step and I clung to his arm to avoid rolling to my death. My butt was halfway to meeting the marble floor. “Woah.”
He quickly reached down to help me. “Way to go, clumsy.”
“Excuse you,” I took a moment to catch my breath and stood up correctly, “running on stairs is inadvisable and does not connect to clumsiness. These flats aren’t made for this sort of stuff.”
He gestured to his own shoes. “And my business ones are?”
I busied myself with fixing the skirt of my dress and ignored his comment with a smirk. “You mentioned seeing your mom?”
Nate was pretty sure the Queen was in her usual hang out place, the Blue Room, so that’s where we headed to.
Once in front of the engraved door, he knocked softly, asking, “Mother?” Through the door, we could hear a “Come in darling.”
The Queen looked as regal and beautiful as ever, a delicate gown that reached the ceramic floor draped over her legs as she sat on her sofa with a smile aimed at her eldest son. That is until she saw me doing the expected curtsy, calling her, “Majesty.”
“Oh my,” she squinted, “is that Clove?”
I smiled politely at her, pictures from the old magazines I’d been reading flashing in my head. Three. Never eliminated. Zuni. “It is. A pleasure to see you again.”
She got up and walked over to hug me. “You’re so much older, it’s been too long, sweetie.”
I chuckled, hugging her back. Over years of visits to the palace because of dad, she and mom had become some sort of friends like I’d done with Nate and Quinn. “Yeah, it’s been a while. My mom sent her regards.”
At that, she placed a hand on her heart and it reminded me of Nate earlier in our encounter. “Oh, how is your mother? Is she doing well?”
Nate stood there awkwardly as I nodded at his mom. “Yes, she’s doing well. She was the one who encouraged me to apply actually.”
“Oh she’s such a lovely lady, I should message her soon.”
“I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.”
A genuine smile graced her features as she assured me she’d do so and proceeded to ask Nate if he was okay. The prince was quick to say he was fine when she mentioned he looked tired. I suggested he might need some beauty sleep in reference to Mallory but he gave me a warning look with a fake laugh.
“Oh, funny one... Clove.”
I half snorted, trying to hold it back. Nate had always tried to appear more proper when around his mom. “Yes, my humor usually receives praise...Nathaniel.”
The Queen looked between the two of us, giggling. “Did you just call him Nathaniel?
I smiled again at her and spared Nate a teasing glance. He rolled his eyes as I replied, “Just trying it out. I never hear it nowadays.”
“Well, that’s very kind of you,” she said. I chuckled.
“I’m glad you think so. I hope the stay of thirty-five girls won’t be too...perturbing for you.”
She assured me it hadn’t been too bad so far and I remembered more of the magazines I’d read over. “I've heard your Selection had its own dramas.”
Now she was the one laughing. “Just a couple too many. What do you expect from a group of girls all fighting for one guy?”
Nate rose two eyebrows in silent question. He probably hadn’t thought of girls fighting over him. ‘All is fair in love and war,’ did not become a quoted phrase for no reason, however. Ignoring his reaction, I kept the conversation going with his mom, hoping to get further insight on what she thought. “A lot of girls don’t seem to like each other and I can’t say I’m surprised, but I expected peace to last a little longer.”
“Well, a lot of the girls seem famous so they might know each other already.”
Fifty-one percent of Higher castes.
I perked up at the Queen's words. “Yes, I've noticed... was it like that last time as well?”
“I think so,” she nodded, “I wasn’t one of them though, I just grew up in a small town in Zuni.”
“Yes, I recall…” More information came to mind. The Queen had received a lot of the media’s attention at the end of her Selection as both an Illean and /prince/ favorite. “Your parents were doctors, right?”
“Why yes, they were,” she admitted, shocked by how I’d know such a thing. “You've been studying up, haven't you?”
“Uh…” I pushed the suspicion aside with a laugh, even if I noticed Nate giving me a baffled look. Stalking his mother was hardly a good way to earn the prince’s heart. “Just stumbled upon some old magazines, your Majesty. I got a little curious about last Selection when I realized that'll be my life for however long I manage to stay here..”
“Oh, how sweet of you, I'm sure you'll stay here long enough.” She winked. I felt a little guilty for lying, but kept my smile on, despite Nate’s serious gaze. I’d run more numbers. Forty Eight percent higher castes in the last Selection. The percentage had increased 3% just by adding one more person and balancing out the Threes and Twos, this time Twos being the predominant caste of the pair.
“Um, I think it's best if we go, mother,” Nate began, walking over to me. “I can always talk to you another time.”
I offered one last nod of thanks to the Queen and spared him a glance when his relentless staring didn’t waver. “It was a pleasure talking to you as always. And don't hesitate to contact my mom, she'll be happy to hear from you as well.”
After one more ‘darling’ on her part, we walked out. Nate was not too happy.
“You don't talk to us for 7 years and all of a sudden you know everything about my family? What the heck?”
“You’re making it sound like that’s not information other people know,” I mumbled. Everyone could pick up a magazine and stumble upon the information… somewhere around issues thirty and thirty-five of the old Illea Weekly.
“I know, but like, I know you and saying that stuff is just... weird.”
So he was suspicious. That was understandable, but I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. “It’s not weird... I was just striking a conversation. Your mom has always been nice to me before.”
“She's the queen. Of course she's the nicest woman alive. But what's up with you acting all different?”
He was clearly annoyed, but I couldn’t tell him the truth. Not yet at least. For starters, I wasn’t even sure how I’d approach the subject. ‘Oh, you know, just trying to figure out some conspiracy theories that involve your dad. I have lame math as proof.’ Great way to start a romance with your childhood friend. “I’m not acting that different.”
“Yeah, okay,” he said, crossing his arms. I could tell it wasn’t.
Daring to reach for his arm, I pressed gently to get his attention. “Look, I’m sorry. I was acting weird, and I know this is stupid to ask considering…” I let go of his arm, clenching my jaw. “My absence. But I can’t really explain yet. I’m not even sure there’s something to explain. However, I need you to trust me on this. I promise I’ll tell you eventually,” I drew an X over my heart like earlier with a hopeful glance. “Cross my heart? For real this time. What do you say, Wheels?”
A second passed. Two. Three… Then he resigned, drawing an X as well, his gaze stern. “Okay fine. As long as you promise to tell me.”
I nodded. “Thank you. It’s a promise, don’t worry... one last dare to make it even?”
He didn’t even give it a second thought. “I dare you to go find Max and have a full conversation with him without cracking a smile or laughing. You just stand there.”
“Oh really? You think I can’t take the heat of Mr. I-like-older-women?”
“No, you show too much emotion when you talk.”
I narrowed my eyes at him but smirked. A couple of things had changed. “Okay, I accept. You should know I’ve learned a few tricks over the past years though. We’ll see who wins.”
A/N: not a challenge! takes place a day after challenge #1. rp with @@quinn-schreave (as always thanks graceee, was fun). around 2k, enjoy <3 hope writing doesn’t suck. I’ll be writing some more ficlets in the next few days.
My mind had been racing ever since my discovery--or at least my mild suspicion of a discovery.
During breakfast, I glanced around the room every now and then wondering which of us were here out of chance and which out of choice, but soon I'd started questioning if anyone was by chance at all. /Probably not./
It was a weird concept to wrap my head around. Part of me still asked itself if maybe I was thinking too much of things, searching for something that wasn't there. Logic kept pointing out possibilities, however, searching for reasons of why it would make sense for it to be true and thinking of ways to find proof.
To take my thoughts off the subject for a while, I decided to visit someone I hadn't seen yet. Maybe after some time off, I'd be able to think clearer and decide if I was being paranoid or reasonable.
Once in front of the room, I knocked on the door and waited for it to open. After a minute passed and no one replied, I tried again, adding, “Earth to Quinn, you there?”
Again no response. I was thinking of coming by later when I heard her voice on the other side, singing to invisible music. Headphones, I figured, thinking of my own mother's attempts to call out for me when I had them on. Recognizing the song, I poked my head in with a smirk and sang the next verse.
She was pretty much having a concert of her own, which I had to admit I'd done myself sometimes. She moved around the room, half dancing before turning around in my direction and jumping at the sight of me.
“You scared me!” She yelled, over the music, catching her breath. “Clove? Oh, my gosh!”
I only took a small step inside to do a deep, dramatic curtsy and looked back up at her. “The one and only.” Reminding myself of Brook’s confusion over our voices a few days ago in the library, I paid close attention to her pitch and pointed out, “I’m glad to hear your voice is still indeed unlike mine.”
“That's a bizarre way to greet someone.”
I waved her comment away. “Nothing, you just helped me win an argument.”
She put her headphones on a dresser. “With whom?”
Take a guess, I said with my eyes, shoving my hands in my pockets. “I held hope he’d be less annoying now but I was mistaken.”
“Brooks?” she grinned, “I'm not surprised.”
“It wouldn’t kill him to have some sense of decency,” I grumbled, looking around the room for a moment before smiling back at her. It was simple, yet still nice and like her. “But anyway, long time no see, huh?”
She let out a laugh. “Very long time. Last time I saw you, you were still talking about how much you hated boys, but here you are.”
“Hey, I never said hated, I said.... not appealing in that way yet.”
“Ah, the throws of prepuberty.” She flopped on the bed and patted the space next to her. “Let's catch up, little one.”
“You’re not that much older,” I said with an eye roll, but walked over to her and sat down anyway. Quinn had one of those faces that didn't seem to age much either. “Not much has changed...”
“I wouldn't say that. But I would say things are starting to go in reverse.”
I gave her a puzzled look. “What do you mean?” Then attempting to joke, “Is it because I'll be around again to make things better.”
“Kinda,” she admitted, her expression hard to read as she looked up at a wall again. “I think a lot of us have changed.”
My smile faded a little at that and I stared at a random spot ahead too, pursing my lips for a moment. “Things have changed…But so far I've been right about my return.”
She laughed. “Why'd you enter the selection?”
“It's been awhile and I needed... a new space to think. Might as well go with something I know, right? Besides, maybe Nate is boyfriend material now.” It was my turn to laugh shortly at myself. For some reason, it felt embarrassing to admit something like that. “It doesn't seem he missed the logs to his wheels though, which I guess is what I'd hoped for back then...” I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and Quinn seemed confused.
“You hoped he wouldn't miss you?”
“Well…” I let my back fall on the bed with a sigh. “Not exactly? I mean, I didn't want you guys to be upset with me…” I explained, frowning at the ceiling, “but I figured you wouldn't really care--" Nate had Jace, Brooks hated me and Quinn always seemed to know how to deal with things. "It was upsetting for me, but also good because then no one would get hurt.”
A pillow landed on my face. “Of course we cared. You leaving was like, the end of our true childhood. You should've seen Brooks, he was a mess.”
I moved the pillow off my face with a laugh. “Oh sure, I bet he cried for days.”
“He was so upset. He thought it was something he had said. I think that was the summer he became a bit more quiet, more reserved.”
Resting on my elbows to lift my head from the bed, I noticed her expression was serious. He hadn't appeared quiet to me though. “Wait, that wasn't a joke?”
Her serious expression was replaced by a silent question of: are you stupid? “No, of course not.”
“Don't look at me like that. It just doesn't sound like something he'd do. He was probably happy I wasn't around anymore.”
She smiled mischievously. “I can guarantee you, he was not. With you gone, he had no one else to bicker with. He tried with me for a bit. He got shut down pretty quickly, though.”
When she laughed I took the pillow from her and sat up to hit her with it. “Yeah, well he can shove whatever opinion he has now down his throat because I don't care. And he probably just missed making things impossible.”
“I don't even remember what you two used to fight about.”
“I don't know,” I said, distracting myself by brushing invisible lint from my dress while Quinn leaned on the pillow she'd placed in her lap. “Whatever he could think of. He had that constant theory that I was in love with Nate. Or whenever something of his disappeared, he always assumed it was me. I'm pretty sure it was Max.”
“First of all, he was probably jealous. Second of all, Mal probably told him that.”
I scoffed, giving her a ‘yeah right’ glance. “Why would he be jealous? He was the one that never wanted to play if I was there.”
She rolled her eyes. “He was a young boy. He was mean to you because he didn't know how to talk to you.”
He didn’t? I pressed my lips together, wondering if maybe Quinn was right, but then I remembered him being young wasn't an excuse not to apologize for being rude. “Maybe, but it doesn't matter if he was seventeen or six. He was a jerk and he's not owning up to it.”
“He owned up to it plenty while you were away. I'm not even joking when I said he thought he had done something. He was convinced. Dad threatened therapy.”
I wasn’t too sure about that, but I tried joking about it, the corner of my lip lifting slightly as she began to laugh. “I already bumped into him and I don't see him reformed.”
At that, she looked shocked, her interest peaked. “Seriously? What was he like?”
“For starters, he can't recognize your voices, but that's of little relevance to me. As for what he was like, still rude and looking for something to argue about. Oh, and he also tackled me while he was at it.”
Her eyes widened. “You've got to be joking.”
“This time not really, no,” I blew a curly strand of hair off my face, “he even said I was trespassing? Which makes no sense since he knew I was a Selected and he was the one tackling me, not the other way around…” My brows furrowed at the thought of him believing my reluctance to come anymore was on him. “Honestly, I can see why he would think my sudden decision not to come around was his fault, especially considering our last conversation back then, but I doubt he'd be upset about it. I pictured more of a ‘yay, she's not coming again’ party.”
She leaned back against a bedpost. “What'd he say?”
“You mean back then?”
“Yes!”
I made a face and leaned on the opposite bedpost, crossing my arms. “Something stupid.”
“He says a lot of stupid things, I want specifics.”
“In short?" It was stupid to feel upset about it too since it had been a long time ago. In reality, I wasn't too hurt by it and we were young, but I still wanted an apology. Or an explanation. Anything considering... "He said nobody wanted me here.”
“He didn't mean that.”
“Right.” I pulled up a leg on the bed. “Well, it doesn’t matter if he did or not. He said it. Not that I believe it, or not entirely, but he crossed a line. If he thought that’s why I stopped coming, he’s not doing a good job at being any nicer.”
“Well if you had just come back in general, he probably would've tried. However, you came for his brother. You've brought out his inner six-year-old.”
I frowned, not understanding how me technically coming because of Nate was relevant to our issue. “You’re making it sound like he had a crush on me.”
Quinn fell down laughing. “He probably did! Oh my God, you're an idiot.
My frown deepened at her cackling. “You can’t be serious, we’re talking about Brooks.”
“Okay, well, he never said it, but he showed all the signs. He was a little boy, it'd be crazy if he didn't have a small crush on you.”
Well, he had no decorum to treat his crush. “You’re right, who’d be crazy enough not to love me?” I smirked and she rolled her eyes.
“Oh, hush. You were practically his only option.”
“Jeez, such a confidence booster you are.”
A bright smile came alongside her shrug as she chirped, “It's my job.”
I shook my head and smiled too, reaching for another pillow to hit her with. “I have to admit I missed this.”
She tilted her head. “Missed what?”
I shrugged, searching for words. “You know...being around here. It's oddly nostalgic--in the good sense of the word.”
“It's kinda weird you're back. The reason you're back, really.”
“Is it?” I mumbled, awkwardly looking away. I knew it would be weird myself, I’d been dreading how weird it could get, but so far it had turned out okay.
“Well sure. It's just funny. I always thought you liked Nate.”
I cleared my throat. “Why does everyone think that? I'm not even sure myself.”
“Well, when you were little you seemed fond of him.”
“I was- or am...but I'm also fond of you. Fondness doesn't necessarily mean I'm in love it just means I care about that person or have fun with them.”
People always assumed if a guy and a girl were friends it meant they liked each other. I’d always disagreed. Wilson was my closest friend and even though he once admitted he thought I was pretty--granted, with the hugest blush I’d seen back when I was a freshman and he a middle schooler--that sentiment had dissipated into something platonic as we got older. I’d never outright said it, but I even thought of him as a younger sibling sometimes. Neither of us had real ones after all.
Hot Wheels and Logs were nothing but friends as little kids, playing around the palace without a care in the world. After I stopped coming to the palace, however, I’d changed the rules. Now I came back only to change them again. Chewing on my cheek, I continued.
“It's been a few years, I don't even know how it'll be. Maybe he won't like me as much now... Sure, we handled a 5-minute conversation pretty well, but actually spending time together? He could potentially think I’m not that interesting anymore.” What had I been thinking about coming here?
It was strange, being so worried about something so simple. I’d avoided worrying about stuff like that for quite some years. I only worried about what I was doing with my life, not how horribly I could mess up a possible friendship. The only friendship I needed to take care of was Wilson's.
Now at the palace, I was concerned by trivial things like those again. Maybe it was because like I’d told Quinn, I’d missed it. The friendships I’d made here. The carefree spirit a childhood memory brought, barely tainted by the truths of being fully introduced to the real world. The palace was giving me a glimpse at a part of that again and I wanted to hold onto it. That meant I had to care.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, I stared at the ceiling. “This was a terrible idea.”
“You had a conversation with me and Brooks just fine. Don't fret so much.” Quinn was quick to remind me.
“I think you meant to say I had an argument with Brooks and a pillow fight with you.”
She hit me with a pillow that I was quick to hold onto. “And it was all done with ease.”
“You know, logic is usually on my side, but you guys really screw it up,” I smirked.
“I'm so sure.”
I attacked her with my pillow once more after a sigh. “It's good to be back.”
is there one tag that if you see in a fic you are like nevermind not reading lol cos I only have a few but curious what other people think when it comes to fics
Haha yessss
For me it was always omegaverse not my thing at all but one of my favourite writers wrote some about my favourite ship so I have dabbled briefly I’m sorry to myself there 😭
Mpreg nope never gonna happen for me
Modern day normal AUs? Not my thing, boring. Someone would have to hard recommend to make me read.
As far as hard limits go there’s no such thing for me however haha
(My worst thing with fics is that if it’s not rated Explicit I won’t even click on it, I’ll read mature if a friend heavily recommends it’s, I’m so sorry lol)
I feel annoying by posting this again.. But I just wanna know if anyone read chapter 7 ☺ it was a bitch to type out.. twice. And I wanna know if its even worth it to continue writing. ❤❤
