wisteria lane's finest

[wisterialvne]

cnthelane​:

Charles had been keeping a fairly low profile since the Valentine’s Ball. Or more accurately since he’d been sporting two fairly nasty black eyes when his brother had decided to attempt to break his nose at their family’s annual event, he’d failed but the shiners were a good back up. Selfishly he’d been perhaps the only one in town glad that the suicide note had shown up, because despite the fact that he’d had to listen to his mother’s fretting that it had been found at their party, it had rather distracted everybody from the obvious tension between the two brothers. And it had maybe left the assumption that the discovery had been the thing that had kept the youngest Ashworth from any public appearances recently. Except that couldn’t last forever, he’d had to remerge at some point. And that some point was apparently when the paper boy couldn’t get the local rag to his porch. He longed to spit out What? Never seen a black eye before? when he noticed the stare. But that was not the Ashworth way. “Would you believe me if I said I wrestled a bear?” He joked, forcing a laugh that sounded easy. Honestly, if you took into account just how angry Andrew had been, the story was semi-true.

@wisteriastarts​ 

Though she’d barely spoken to the man, Nora knew who he was. It was hard not to know the Ashworths, really, whether it was Emily’s side of the family or Samantha’s. They were central to everything in the neighborhood, it seemed, and Fairview by extension. Plus, after everything that happened after the Valentine’s Day ball... Nora would’ve had to be oblivious not to at least know Charles Ashworth by face and by name. Nora had been going for a morning walk -- too tired for a full run -- when she noticed him standing on the porch by himself. She hadn’t meant to stare. But clearly, by the man’s joke, she’d made herself a bit too obvious. “Normally, I think I would. But if anything, I would’ve thought you got it while helping load up a truck after the ball, or something. That is what happened, right?” If it had been anything else, Nora missed it... for better or for worse.

[wisterialvne]

sloanemlx​:

While her interactions with Sam were limited, which would be putting it nicely, Sloane didn’t have much of an opinion towards the other woman. Was it better to be indifferent? “Maybe that’s the key, we all need individual therapy and some group therapy sessions.” The latter would turn probably turn into some sort of screaming sessions sooner or later through. Sloane shrugged, “this is obviously my opinion, but with the way everything around here seems to be going I think you have to hold on to the peace. It feels like the shoe drops every other week or so at this point.” Maybe the shoe had already dropped and the ripple effects hadn’t hit them yet. Then again, every time they were getting back to normal another thing just had to happen. “Just a little regret for missing the ball, I love a good excuse to dress up, but otherwise I’m on the same page as you are. Though I guess I’m hoping the shoe doesn’t drop for at least another 6 months.”

Sloane seemed like the kind of woman that Sam would want to get to know. She was polished, put together, but she still seemed to understand that life wasn’t fully worth living without having fun every so often. “I don’t see how it could hurt. -- Unless it started airing out some dirty laundry that we’d all rather keep out of the public eye. But my life is pretty much an open book, so...” That’s what Sam would’ve liked to tell herself, anyway. She wasn’t quite sure if it was actually the truth. “It does. But I think the real trick would be learning to make peace amongst the chaos. -- Sometimes it seems like there’s barely anything left to hold onto... so maybe it’s time that we start looking to make some, ourselves.” At the mention of the ball, Sam nearly froze. “You haven’t heard, then, have you?” she asked. “About Rose’s note?”

[wisterialvne]

sloanemlx​:

OPEN: @wisteriastarts​

“You know, it’s nice to see you and it’s nice to not be delirious.” Sloane grinned, taking a big bite out of the donut in her hand. It was good to be back home, especially after weeks away. It was nice to miss the drama, though a part of her had wanted to be there, at least to enjoy a night out with her friends and with everyone around. They had needed it. A nice break. At least until it had all gone bad. “I swear this town needs therapy,” she mumbled. Sloane waved it away, maybe she didn’t need to bring it up. “Anyway, how’s life? You know, besides the whole messed up town, again, thing.”

Sam never truly knew what to think around Emily’s friends. While her sister-in-law may have had less-than-pleasant things to say about her, Samantha truly held nothing against the woman’s friends. She wanted to find a place for herself in the neighborhood... and while it wasn’t the easiest thing to do, Sam did not give up easily. “I’ve always said everyone needs therapy, but maybe you’re right. We might need some bigger group sessions, with the way everything’s going down.” Sam took a sip of her coffee before placing it back on the table. “Life is... surprisingly boring, outside of this. I can’t tell if that’s a good thing, or if I should be sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And yours?”

[wisterialvne]

benquello​:

Well, he had hardly expected her to take him seriously but it was nice of her to say that she didn’t think he was a dumbass. One resident out of the entire population, finally, the respect he deserved as a sleuth! He shut his mouth, possibly for the first time ever as he listened to what she was saying and although a part of him really wanted to relax and believe all was well in the world, there was a certain air of mystery on the lane that told him that would never really be possible. He would always be thinking about something and it wasn’t the sensitive emotions of the families that were around them. 

“Fine, I’ll wait,” he tells her, although he probably doesn’t mean until he’s DEAD. That wouldn’t be as satisfying, “Anyway, have you seen my new Instagram post? 29 likes. I’m shredding it up.”

She could tell that he was caught off guard, and Blaire found her smile growing, enjoying the moment of surprise and silence that she’d managed to get out of Ben. It was definitely not an easy feat. To be honest, if someone asked her to do it again, she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to replicate it. “Thank you. You’re really doing all of us a service,” she joked. At the mention of his most recent post, Blaire took out her phone to check his profile. Pulling it up, she liked the most recent post without giving it much of a look-through or much thought. “Make it thirty. -- I didn’t see it before, but I liked it for you. Hope it starts to take off.” She put her phone back in her pocket. “Please tell me you’ve been up to something other than these conspiracies of yours, Ben...”

[wisterialvne]

distvrbia​:

Elias was the older sibling but Nora always took it upon herself to look after him anyway. Sure, he was a protective older brother, but these days? She was definitely the more rational one. She was more stable than he was and that was becoming more and more apparent. He just hoped she hadn’t noticed, though she supposed her very presence in his home was enough to tell him she had. “Nothing interesting. Same old, same old.” He regrettably had no news for her about work as he’d just been going through the motions of it all. Sore throats and ear aches brought on by the sudden turns in temperature outside and coughs and colds from germs circulating through the community but nothing that came close to Peyton’s illness. The grand scheme was against him and the guilt was slowly crushing him. He didn’t even know how much- it was a wonder who could, it would probably be Nora or Piper. “Yeah, Pipes and Emily are so close, they were running around in diapers together. Thick as thieves, now. I’m glad she has someone that isn’t a hormonal boy, if I’m being honest. The only other kid I’ve seen around is always talking about boobs and I would feel great if he was far, far away from P.” P could have been Peyton, but the kid was a creep so he wouldn’t wish him on his ex wife either. 

She knew that she could come across as cocky -- pushy, even -- when it came to her brother. But Nora truly felt like she was there to help, and that the only way to help, sometimes, was to give her opinion... even when it wasn’t asked for. Plus, no matter how much they annoyed each other, she felt certain that she and her brother would love each other at the end of the day. “Well, that’s boring. -- Though I guess we could all use some ‘boring’ these days,” she chuckled nervously. “That’s good, though. She needs someone to talk to that isn’t her pushy aunt or her mom and dad. And the entire Ashworth family seem to have good heads on their shoulders. But would it really be that bad if she did have a boyfriend? She’s eighteen -- I think she’s smart enough to handle herself.” 

[rpmemes-galore]

all things cooking / baking … sentence starters

“Catch that, it’s boiling over!”

“How spicy can I make this?”

“You want to be my taste-tester?”

“Could’ve used more seasoning.”

“Do you need a hand with supper?”

“Everything’s better with chocolate.”

“Too many hands in the kitchen, out!” 

“Want me to teach you how to make this?”

“Have you ever cooked a day in your life?”

“Oh no… it said teaspoon, not tablespoon.”

“No, no, no you’re going to burn it like that!”

“I never would’ve thought to bake it like that.”

“Just keep stirring ‘til your whole arm falls off.”

“Can you teach me how to cook this properly?”

“That’s so much icing. It’s like a tower of icing.”

“Salt is not a prime seasoning, you need more.”

“You don’t know the basics of cooking, do you?”

“That’s going to be so dry if you cook it like that.”

“Would you mind dicing some of those up for me?”

“There were supposed to be cookies, not charcoal.”

“I’ve never cooked anything this complicated before.”

“How much spice did you add? I cant feel my mouth!”

“I don’t know how you’re supposed to hold this knife.”

“You could give Gordon Ramsay a run for his money.”

“You’re actually tearing up… it can’t taste THAT good.”

“It tastes good, but the aesthetic could use some work.”

“I’m tempted to sign us up for one of those baking shows.”

“Come here, I’m going to show you how to plate this fancily.” 

“Not even kidding, you need to open a restaurant, this is amazing.”

“Well, we’re out, so I guess we’ll have to make some substitutions.” 

“I don’t think I should be trusted with the sharp things. Or the hot things.”

“They couldn’t believe it wasn’t made by professionals… you might need to bake more.”

“So, the grinder broke while I was seasoning, so now this has four ounces of pepper on it.”

[blackcatrph]

** sickness sentence starters.

“  you  need  to  rest.  ”

“  have  you  eaten  today  ?  ”

“  i  made  you  some  tea  and  soup.  ”

“  i’m  fine,  it’s  nothing.  really.  ”

“  listen,  you  need  to  lay  down.  ”

“  please  listen  to  me.  ”

“  do  i  need  to  force  you  to  the  doctors  ?  ”

“  i  hate  chicken  soup.  ”

“  i  can’t  just  lay  about  in  bed  all  day  !  ”

“  it  hardly  hurts  anymore,  honestly.  

“  you’re  burning  up  !  ”

“  lay  back  down  right  now.  ”

“  i  have  things  to  do  today  !  ”

“  i’m  just  dehydrated,  that’s  all.  ”

“  i  will  lock  you  in  your  room  if  you  don’t  stay  in  bed.  ”

“  let  me  take  care  of  you.  ”

“  you  don’t  have  to  do  everything  yourself.  ”

“  i  don’t  need  your  help.  ”

“  i  ran  you  a  bath.  ”

“  tell  me  how  to  help  you.  ”

[wisterialvne]

benquello​:

“Ah, but what could be better?” he quips in response, knowing too well that for once he’s probably talking sense in comparison to the normal gibberish that flows right off the tip of his tongue whenever his mouth was open. “If it’s a fake note then it’s the perfect set up with no new casualties and if it isn’t then it’s already passed off the suspicion to someone else or maybe even seems too-good-to-be-true enough that it’ll be brushed off as fake evidence forevermore. Sometimes the simplest plan is the best at getting your own way, Blaire. Look what they’ve done, whoever they are, got the whole town talking and theorising about the Ashworths instead of a potential killer or bizarre suicide chess match where someone decided to nab the note before they left. It’s pretty perfect.”

Benjamin Abello may have been a big mouthed idiot but he wasn’t actually stupid. He was a science student turned ameatur detective in that moment and he would of sworn to high hell that he was right about his thoughts; nobody would go this far, test the waters this much to conceal doing nothing wrong. Would they do this just to get back at that blonde haired hellishly good looking family alone? Well, he couldn’t possible know that but the guess he hazarded was a no. It was a classic Sherlock Holmes diversion, of course! 

“Listen, Blaire, I know you think I’m a regular dumbass but I’m actually semi-intelligent and painfully self aware, so if I’m the next one to get offed just remember, this is all definitely some kind of intertwined Fairview plot,” he whispered, as if he really expected someone to come along and make sure he was the next one to bite the door. Did he know too much? Technically, he knew nothing at all. Maybe that was what was so dangerous about the words coming freely from his mouth.

Yeah, it could be better. We could all stop obsessing over this and just... move on, Blaire wanted to say. But she knew better, and bit her tongue, holding back from unleashing all of her frustrations onto Ben. “But why even set them up? There’s no reason to. And if you’re going to set someone up, why pin them for a murder? It doesn’t take that much to ruin a reputation here.” Blaire let him continue. “I think we just need to leave this up to the police. We’re not detectives, and I don’t want to act like I’m Nancy Drew when I’m not. When there’s something worth knowing, we’ll know it. Until then, this is just causing harm to both the Ashworths and the Moores.”  The neighborhood wasn’t known for its kindness, but that didn’t mean that Blaire didn’t feel compassion for her best friend’s family. They’d gone through too much, and adding this latest round of gossip wasn’t helping. “I don’t think you’re a dumbass. I think you overthink things. You try to find a problem with everything you see. And I just don’t think life’s that complicated outside of, like... movies.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “If you’re next, I’ll write a eulogy, have it published in the paper, give it at your funeral, the whole nine yards. I’ll even say I’m sorry. But until then...”

[wisterialvne]

cnthelane​:

closed starter for @wisterialvne​ (nora)

In all honesty, Piper hadn’t been planning on running into Nora at the hospital. It wasn’t that she was avoiding her friend, no matter how much it might have seemed as though that were the case, it was just that she hadn’t been planning to run into anybody at the hospital. Damn those Rhodes siblings - the two very people she’d been trying to avoid seeing there the most - it was only so long before one of them stumbled upon her. “Okay, I know I’ve been the worst since the ball,” She said, chewing on her lip nervously and hoping that making it seem as though she’d popped over to Fairview Memorial to see her sister-in-law would be the perfect excuse, “But it’s not just with you. I’ve kind of being hiding away from everybody. Turns out when you’re on the verge of forty drinking like a twenty-one year old means you blackout and don’t remember whatever embarrassing crap you said or did.”

Even though Nora loved her job, some days felt particularly long and endless. Today happened to be one of those days. First, a family came thirty minutes late to their appointment and tried to tell Nora that she was wrong for telling them that she couldn’t fit them in for the rest of the day. Then she was stuck either in team meetings, or seeing patients back to back... and she barely had time for a coffee break. It was a pleasant surprise, though, to see Piper in the hallway. Nora finally had some time to herself, too, so she could actually stop for a bit and talk. But that was when it hit her. Piper was at the hospital. “Hey, no worries. Life gets busy, I get it. -- is everything okay? Are you okay? Where’s Peyton?” She felt the panic growing in her chest, though she tried not to show it on her face. “We can talk about all that later... what’s going on?”

[wisterialvne]

benquello​:

he was honest to god, probably in his element. what could be better? maybe it was just his inept social capabilities but there were no nerves and fears splintering his brain yet. he loved a good mystery, a good conspiracy; even though he still hadn’t managed to figure out that envelope of murder mystery clues he’d bought off amazon prime six months ago. it was far too complicated, but this… sure! he was totally going to figure out why a random suicide note was at the britannion and why a middle aged woman was either murdered or killed herself for apparently no reason ! detective ben abello, at your service. blaire could be his watson – if she didn’t kill him as soon as he opened his mouth.

“i’ve come to realise you’re right and my dad is probably just a dick and not an alien but, i have some definite theories on this one and i’m pretty sure it ain’t over until the fa– med– i don’t know, is that phrase offensive now? fuck it. it’s not over until the lady sings, that works…” he rambled on, dark eyes darting around and half focused on her. considering his passion for science he definitely wasn’t a conversational or even social genius, “what if it’s not a rumour? it’s her suicide note, apparently so it should at least say why. everyone would want to know why,” ben points out but there’s something about the words that shows he doesn’t really believe any answers lay in the note.

“the note was found where the ashworths were so they’re definitely not suspects, of course someone would want to frame the most perfect people in town. like, did the note planter not see every movie ever? way obvious,” he explains, raising his drink to his lips. “which means that there’s only really a few options, one; fake note to piss off the ahsworths and ruin their street cred. two; legit note that someone feels bad about hiding. three; the killer wrote the note and made sure to find the perfect opportunity to put it out there so everyone would be talking shit about the ashworths and rose and suddenly it looks like a real life suicide someone didn’t want explained. right?”

Ben never seemed to be on the same page as Blaire. He was far too ‘out-there’ for her tastes, and seemed to think that everything fell into some conspiracy or another. She didn’t like how easily he seemed to jump to conclusions, and she felt that she was far too much of a pragmatist to ever agree with him. Still, she wanted to be polite, and he wasn’t someone she truly disliked. Maybe Blaire disliked how far off the track his train of thought could get. But Ben, himself, wasn’t a bad person. “See? Sometimes things are just... simple. Parents are assholes, shooting stars are just shooting stars... and aliens aren’t coming to invade our homes.” At least he was agreeing with her.  “It probably does say why. Or it’s a list of things she wishes she could say to people she cared about. Her family. We don’t know what it says, though, because the police won’t tell us,” she frowned. “Just because we want things doesn’t mean we get them.” Blaire didn’t wan to think that anyone in Fairview killed Mrs. Moore. It was a tragic incident, but it couldn’t have been a murder. “I don’t know, Ben... maybe one of the Ashworths did have the note, and it got mixed up in their things. But why ruin the Ashworths by involving them in a potential murder case? There’s got to be a couple thousand things that a person would try before going that far.”

[wisterialvne]

“I mean, it’s crazy, isn’t it? How would it even end up there, if someone didn’t bring it to the party?” Blaire asked, the incredulity showing both in her tone and on her face. She still didn’t want to believe in any conspiracy theories. The simplest explanation was probably the most likely. But still, it didn’t make sense for Rose’s note to be found at the Brettanion, and with all the theories flying around, she at least had to consider them. “I just wish all of this could be over, though. This is only going to make people talk more about her, and... isn’t it awful to spread rumors about dead people?” 

[wisterialvne]

peytcns​:

“Understandable.” Peyton said, amused by the other’s comment. “You’re right, you’re not old like dad is. You’re like the definition of the cool aunt, Aunt Nora.” The younger brunette reassured. “It was, super delicious and I had a couple of bites of salmon to make sure Mom didn’t feel so bad…she’s been really sad lately and I didn’t want to make it worse. Since, dad and I usually cooked…yeah.” The teen felt herself slipping back into her rut of sadness. “I mean, if we order her something that I casually place in the fridge later and I can just say you ordered it, I think we’ll be in the clear. Good idea.” She advocated, with a nod. “I…I know….it’s just that, things are just…not the same anymore. And dad’s house, doesn’t feel like my house. So it’s like, really hard to be there, especially with Mila. It just makes things, feel, more real than I’m ready for.” Peyton revealed, speaking more to the snow on the ground than making contact with the other. Her parents’ divorce was at the forefront of her life and yet the absolute hardest to talk about.

“Hey! He’s not that much older than I am,” Nora quickly responded, only afterwards realizing that she’d called herself old in the process of defending her brother. “But, uh, I’m gonna have to have you put that in writing. That way whenever your dad tells me I’m annoying, I have proof that I am, in fact, cool.” She felt her smile start to fade as Peyton spoke about her mother. Nora knew all too well how painful the past few months had been for Piper. “You’re a good kid, P. You know that, right? -- And don’t worry. We can just tell her that I came over, we started chatting, and I got hungry and ordered enough food for all three of us. She won’t suspect a thing.” Nora bit down on the inside of her lip, trying not to overwhelm her niece with words of support or smother her in a hug. “That’s all completely normal. Seriously. I totally get why you feel that way. -- It’s a lot to deal with. What can I do to make all of this... easier?”

[wisterialvne]

distvrbia​:

Eli loved Nora and wouldn’t trade her for anything. She was his only sibling after all, but sometimes, she acted more like the older sibling which drove him crazy. Still, she has proven to be an effective buffer with Peyton and Mila thanks to her staying with him and not hating Mila’s guts like everyone else that his daughter knew. “Okay, I get it, I’m working too much. Don’t worry, I’m cooking.” He gave a short nod to the house next door. “P is next door, I think Emily’s kid is over there with her.” 

Groceries in hand, she followed Eli’s direction to help unload his car. As much as she hated to admit it to him, she was glad that she’d moved to Fairview. Being so far away from her brother felt... odd. And knowing that he was going through everything that he was, and that Peyton and Piper might need her, too, only made Nora more certain that she’d made the right choice. “I mean, I get it, work’s always important,” she conceded. “How is work these days, anyway? Any interesting cases to report?” At his head nod, she glanced over at Piper’s house. “Good, I’m glad. She could use a friend, y’know? Are they close?”

[wisterialvne]

cnthelane​:

“She doesn’t like you?” Piper asked, her brow furrowed as though the very thought was enough to confuse her. She of course was aware that there were some parents that weren’t fans of their in-laws, one only had to ask Tom Erikson just how he felt about his daughter’s ex-husband before he started ranting about how he had clearly always been right about Elias, but the Rhodes had been so welcoming - had considered her one of their own from she’d entered the family that it had never seemed like a problem for her. And with how much she knew that Emily got along with Mrs Ashworth…well it was just shocking that she could find anything wrong with Sam. “Oh no, I am,” She hurried to assure the other woman, although most of the truthfulness in that statement was due to the alcohol flooding her blood stream, “More than I thought I would actually.”

“I’m sure she likes me fine. But I’ll never be Emily in her eyes,” Sam confided in the woman, unsure if Piper would be able to keep the information to herself. It didn’t matter if she told anyone, really. Anyone with half a brain cell could see that Sam paled in comparison to the golden couple down the lane. And as much as Sam hated doing it, she kept trying to please them anyway, hoping that some day they would at least make her feel like she truly was part of the family, instead of a perpetual outsider. “Good. I can only imagine that things have been so rough lately -- but you look good. And Peyton looks so happy tonight. Did she come with anyone? Did you?”

[wisterialvne]

cnthelane​:​

When Charles had seen Sam’s outfit for the night, the very same one that coordinated with his own, he’d felt a twinge of disappointment. Of course she looked beautiful, he was aware that she could wear a potato sack and still be the most gorgeous woman in the room, but it wasn’t her. It was his mother. All his mother. Or maybe even something Emily would have worn. But not Sam. He watched her as she looked over herself, his own head tilted back as he swallowed a gulp of his wine. Yes, his wife was right in her assumption that she was not the only one finding the event they were supposed to be co-hosting particularly painful. However, as her eyes caught his, he let out his first genuine smile of the night and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer than was strictly appropriate for their formal surroundings. “I’ve been assure we have at least twenty more minutes before the honourable Mr and Mrs Ashworth arrive,” He said, smirking as he pressed a kiss to her temple. That he would not be able to do when the elder Ashworths walked through the door.

Sam didn’t feel bad about changing up her outfit for the night’s event. It was annoying, of course, but it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. If she could get away with not being on her in-laws’ bad side for a night, Sam was pretty certain she’d do pretty much anything. Not that she was desperate to impress them. But having their eyes on her constantly, feeling the heat of their glare burning holes into the back of her head like she was some specimen under a microscope, knowing that they adored Emily without the woman having to do a damn thing... it was too much to deal with. Especially on a night that was supposed to honor the dead. Leaning in as Charles pulled her as closely as he could, she felt herself letting out a deep breath. “I suppose being late is perfectly acceptable, as long as you’re fashionable about it?” she asked. She returned his kiss by kissing him gently. “What ever will we do with all this free time we have?”

[wisterialvne]

moorebethany​:

Beth was probably overestimating the strength she had to attend an event like this after what she’d been through. The walk inside brought an overwhelming weight on her shoulders that she almost turned around and ran back out. For a moment, her shortness of breath seemed to be getting the best of her but all it took was one look at Blaire and her nerves settled. She smiled confidently at her friend, the compliment making her feel better too. “Thanks, I tried. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve felt like myself and this was a good chance to do so,” she responded, a soft chuckle escaping her. “A bit nervous but I’ll be fine,” she added on, silently taking in a deep breath and exhaling. 

“I’ve got to say, the Ashworths have really outdone themselves,” she commented, taking a look around, in utter awe. “What would you like to do first, my lady? Shall we waltz across the room, steal some champagne?” she proposed in a dramatic tone before laughing. Clearly, she was finding a funny way to ease off her nerves, too. “Now on to the real question… what did I do to get so lucky and have you here with me? I mean, I’m sure you had a line of suitors.”

As much as Blaire wanted to focus on being supportive to Beth, she found her thoughts wandering as the other woman spoke. She couldn’t think about how hard this was for Beth, or what she might need then and there. All Blaire could think about was how stupid it was that she’d asked Beth to the ball in the way that she did -- as a support, instead of a real date. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Tonight’s about having fun, and if anyone makes you nervous at all, just say the word, and I’ll give them hell for you.” She found herself smirking at Beth’s comment. “The Ashworths always outdo themselves. It’s like they’re in a cold war with themselves from the past, always trying to one-up what they did last year, even though nobody would complain if they did literally the same thing. -- Not that I blame them. They do a good job. At everything. That’s the only reason I’m annoyed.” Blaire laughed. “Champagne sounds great.” She squeezed Beth’s hand, ready to walk over to one of the servers passing out the drinks, when her friend’s question made her freeze in place. “Do you want the ‘I’m a supportive friend and I’d do anything for you’ answer? Or do you want the real answer?” she joked.

[wisterialvne]

peytcns​:

“Yeah, but you’re not me and blocking her, um, well it would make things worse and kind of complicated. More complicated than it needs to be right now.” Peyton reasoned, her eyes falling mostly to the ground. The block button held a lot of power in her mind and the last thing she wanted was a fight with her dad or her parents fighting about her or about Mila or a fight that Peyton would likely have with her dad. “It’s more complicated than that…it’s all just a mess! It’s not something I can just, stop doing. I’m all my parents have and they need me.” The brunette mostly squeaked but the irritation was more prevalent. “That’s the problem, I don’t know what I need. Sure, they’re adults! But so am I and they need me too. Like, I have my parents, my Aunt Nora, Brooke and they’ve been everything to me, especially right now but outside of like, me needing things, I have no idea. I’m just trying not to flare, Blaire.” The teen exclaimed with a sigh. But it was the truth, the stress of everything could cause her to flare up which would mean bed rest, missing school, future dates with Brooke, the whole works.  “I know you’re trying to help, I do.”

Blaire frowned. “If you block her, how’s she going to know? Mila doesn’t seem like the type to stalk your social media and try to get in your head. Or just... unfollow her? If she gets mad about it, tell her its your account, and you have a right to see what you want to see.” Peyton cared too much about what Mila thought, in Blaire’s opinion. The ink on the Rhodes’s divorce papers was barely dry, and Mila swooped in to try and take Peyton’s mom’s place. If the woman was offended by a literal teenager unfollowing her, the woman had bigger issues than Blaire thought. “Okay, okay. So... take a deep breath. You’re starting to get upset -- and if you start crying, your makeup’s gonna run.” She put a supportive hand on Peyton’s shoulder. “You aren’t responsible for grown-ass adults, okay? They make their own mistakes. You’re eighteen... don’t you think you deserve a little more freedom to just care about your own stuff?”