aewinty

[aewinty]

When we meet again (pt. 1)

Paige Bueckers x reader

Ever since you were a child, basketball was like second nature to you. At a young age, you were intrigued with the sport; whether it was the actual activity or your parents’ praise when you scored the winning goal.

And so, your parents were thrilled when you asked to enroll in an academy dedicated to the sport. But really, it was inevitable for you to excel as your parents were prominent figures in the activity during their pastime. Since then, outlets named you as the young child prodigy from the powerhouse couple of basketball.

The thought of living up to their expectations stimulated you to do even better than before. As a young child, you embraced the constant attention you received, striving to be the apple of the internet’s eye. And it worked. Your family dominated several headlines with consistency.

Although others on your basketball team saw the sport as something they did in their spare time, you didn’t. The sport was your worth, your dedication; one could even say that it was your entire existence. And honestly, they wouldn’t be that far from your actual thoughts.

The year of 2018 would be the first time you ever saw Paige Bueckers. She was one of your teammates on the 2018 USA Basketball Youth Olympic Games, a year older than you. You could see the root she stemmed from and the dedication was apparent. The both of you grew closer as a result of the shared interest. It wasn’t only on the court that you guys hung out, rather it was every second of your day; whether it would be a simple walk to practice or sharing snacks after basketball drills.

You treasured the friendship you had with Paige. She pushed you to do better and in return, you guided her when she needed help. Throughout the Olympic Games, the both of you maintained the strong friendship you had.

You couldn’t say the same once you returned to high school, though. While Paige attended a school near home, you went to a high school that specializes in athleticism. As a result, the relationship that you once shared became strained. Both you and Paige attempted to re-strengthen the already frayed bond, but it just didn’t help.

And if it wasn’t bad enough, your parent’s once gentle approach turned to slightly malicious criticism.

“You can do it” turned into “Why can’t you just do it?”

“Good job” became “They almost stole your ball. That can’t happen next time.”

And “let’s go celebrate and get Ice Cream” evolved to “hurry up and practice for your next game.”

The constant pressure you received from your parents got to your head, building an extra wall between you and Paige’s bond. Your parents saw Paige as a distraction towards you, like a little tick in your head that you couldn’t just flick away. They demanded you to leave her, which you followed without question. Your parents knew best for you - of course.

Paige’s calls went unanswered and her texts were left delivered. Even when you responded with a scarce reply, it was always dry or one word giving a random excuse on why you couldn’t talk to her.

Throughout your highschool career, you consistently dominated the court, outranking your peers each game. Your parents constantly pushed you to do better and you followed suit, soaking in their criticism. And by the end of highschool, ESPN ranked you first of your class.

By the time college decisions rolled around, you already knew where you were going to go. Committing to UConn was an easy choice. Following the legacy of your parents was an easy choice. However, as your basketball career grew, so did the media’s attention of you. Constant headlines of your highschool performance took over sports sites and the thudding pressure began to build up.

Y/N L/N commits to the University of Connecticut

The young star, Y/N L/N recently shared that she chooses to attend UConn, following her parents, Y/M/N and Y/D/N. Not only has L/N’s parents’ career skyrocketed during their time at UConn, but it fueled their draft to the NBA and WNBA, creating their powerhouse family! As the 2021-2022 year quickly approaches, fans are left to speculate: Will Y/N be able to continue her parent’s reputation?

Y/N L/N responds to the debate on her college decision

During a conference, it was revealed that Y/N L/N committed to UConn for two reasons. The first is that her parents decided it was a good opportunity to continue their legacy. The second, is that L/N simply believes that the college will provide her with a more professional playing experience. When asked about the current UConn basketball team, Y/N L/N responds “I haven’t looked at the current team’s roster, but I believe that I will be able to adapt to their playing style quickly.”

Y/N L/N and Paige Bueckers reunite following Y/N L/N’s commit to UConn

For over a year, debate of which college Y/N L/N will choose following her highschool basketball career have spread, only further fueled by her increasing statistics. Now that L/N revealed that she committed to UConn, there seems to be revived excitement over the former Team USA duo, Y/N L/N and Paige Bueckers. For those who don’t know, Paige Bueckers, a current UConn women's basketball athlete, played basketball in Team USA, alongside rising star, Y/N L/N. The coincidence that the pair will reunite in UConn seems to have sparked netizen’s excitement.

Iloveaespa - Their connection during the Team USA games was ON TOP. I can’t wait to see how their connection has grown since then at UConn!

-> Poopypaigebueckers - I saw in another article that Y/N hasn’t looked at the UConn wbb roster yet?? Does she even know LOL

-> KKArnoldissoamazing - I don’t think they’ve even talked since Team USA lol I haven’t seen any of their interactions since then and bc of the distance between their schools, it’s probably unlikely that they have crossed paths since?

Cwbbnews - Can’t wait to see them together on court again! #paigebueckers #Y/NL/N

———

Paige kept an earbud in her ear as she followed her teammates out the locker room. Her teammates discussed the new freshmen who were joining the team, although Paige paid them no mind.

“Yea I heard there apparently was another girl who ranked first of her class like Paige.” Nika said, nudging Paige in the process.

Paige crinkled her nose, laughing at the brunette. “We all know I’ll be better”. She joked.

Nika strugged, pushing the door leading to the court. “Really? I saw some of her games and she’s really good, maybe better than you even.”

“What’s her name? Maybe I’ve played against her before?” Paige asked, trailing closely behind Nika.

When she entered the room, Paige’s eyes snapped to the only motion on the court, heart thudding as she watched you shoot the basketball.

“I think her name was Y/N L/N.”

Swish

The basketball fell through the net, bouncing on the floor as you turned around at the sound of your name.

———

A/n: Part 2 soon (hopefully but probably not until after all my exams)

#paige bueckers #paige bueckers x reader #uconn wbb #paige bueckers x oc #uconn women’s basketball #uconn huskies #nika muhl #nika mühl #fem!reader #hi guys it’s been 2803 years

[aewinty]

not letting yall forget this picture 😭

i love this woman so bad

[aewinty]

What We Learned from Flying a Helicopter on Mars

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history – not only as the first aircraft to perform powered, controlled flight on another world – but also for exceeding expectations, pushing the limits, and setting the stage for future NASA aerial exploration of other worlds.

Built as a technology demonstration designed to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, Ingenuity performed flight operations from the Martian surface for almost three years. The helicopter ended its mission on Jan. 25, 2024, after sustaining damage to its rotor blades during its 72nd flight.

So, what did we learn from this small but mighty helicopter?

We can fly rotorcraft in the thin atmosphere of other planets.

Ingenuity proved that powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds when it took to the Martian skies for the first time on April 19, 2021.

Flying on planets like Mars is no easy feat: The Red Planet has a significantly lower gravity – one-third that of Earth’s – and an extremely thin atmosphere, with only 1% the pressure at the surface compared to our planet. This means there are relatively few air molecules with which Ingenuity’s two 4-foot-wide (1.2-meter-wide) rotor blades can interact to achieve flight.

Ingenuity performed several flights dedicated to understanding key aerodynamic effects and how they interact with the structure and control system of the helicopter, providing us with a treasure-trove of data on how aircraft fly in the Martian atmosphere.

Now, we can use this knowledge to directly improve performance and reduce risk on future planetary aerial vehicles.

Creative solutions and “ingenuity” kept the helicopter flying longer than expected.

Over an extended mission that lasted for almost 1,000 Martian days (more than 33 times longer than originally planned), Ingenuity was upgraded with the ability to autonomously choose landing sites in treacherous terrain, dealt with a dead sensor, dusted itself off after dust storms, operated from 48 different airfields, performed three emergency landings, and survived a frigid Martian winter.

Fun fact: To keep costs low, the helicopter contained many off-the-shelf-commercial parts from the smartphone industry - parts that had never been tested in deep space. Those parts also surpassed expectations, proving durable throughout Ingenuity’s extended mission, and can inform future budget-conscious hardware solutions.

There is value in adding an aerial dimension to interplanetary surface missions.

Ingenuity traveled to Mars on the belly of the Perseverance rover, which served as the communications relay for Ingenuity and, therefore, was its constant companion. The helicopter also proved itself a helpful scout to the rover.

After its initial five flights in 2021, Ingenuity transitioned to an “operations demonstration,” serving as Perseverance’s eyes in the sky as it scouted science targets, potential rover routes, and inaccessible features, while also capturing stereo images for digital elevation maps.

Airborne assets like Ingenuity unlock a new dimension of exploration on Mars that we did not yet have – providing more pixels per meter of resolution for imaging than an orbiter and exploring locations a rover cannot reach.

Tech demos can pay off big time.

Ingenuity was flown as a technology demonstration payload on the Mars 2020 mission, and was a high risk, high reward, low-cost endeavor that paid off big. The data collected by the helicopter will be analyzed for years to come and will benefit future Mars and other planetary missions.

Just as the Sojourner rover led to the MER-class (Spirit and Opportunity) rovers, and the MSL-class (Curiosity and Perseverance) rovers, the team believes Ingenuity’s success will lead to future fleets of aircraft at Mars.

In general, NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions test and advance new technologies, and then transition those capabilities to NASA missions, industry, and other government agencies. Chosen technologies are thoroughly ground- and flight-tested in relevant operating environments — reducing risks to future flight missions, gaining operational heritage and continuing NASA’s long history as a technological leader.

You can fall in love with robots on another planet.

Following in the tracks of beloved Martian rovers, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter built up a worldwide fanbase. The Ingenuity team and public awaited every single flight with anticipation, awe, humor, and hope.

Check out #ThanksIngenuity on social media to see what’s been said about the helicopter’s accomplishments.

Learn more about Ingenuity’s accomplishments here. And make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[aewinty]

So I found Aaron Bushnell's reddit and went through his comments/posts. That young man was well read and stable as they can be. Nothing in his writings pointed to someone who was "unstable" or "brainwashed".

He held leftist and anarchist ideals. He belong to the ACAB subreddit. He recognized the evil of the US Military even though he himself was a part of it. He hated TERFS and called out fatphobia. He understood the dangers of white supremecy and the evils of capitalism.

He had a cat. He liked the show fleabag and played elden ring.

Apparently in his will he wants to leave any money in his name to palestinian relief funds. He was trying to find a new owner for his cat.

Rest in peace Aaron Bushnell. The world won't forget & we sure as fuck won't let the media paint you out to be some crazy conspiracy theorist who had no idea what he was doing.

[aewinty]

[aewinty]

[aewinty]

aidyn ♪ on X: "It pains me that people genuinely just see these names as numbers. Each name belonged to a life, a life that Israel took. Do not stop talking about Palestine." / X

[aewinty]

IMPORTANT

If you read my Clarisse fics, please read under the cut.

I recently discovered a few things about the pjo cast; about Rick Riordon and Dior Goodjohn. If you did not know, they're zionists. Rick Riordon was quite clear on his blog, and Dior Goodjohn has posted pro isnotreal things on her twitter before deleting them after getting backlash. Supposedly she apologized for it, but I've seen nothing of the sort. I found plenty of screenshots of her supporting isnotreal, but none of her apologizing. She's still posting about isrealnot, claiming a neutral stance which is just as harmful.

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." - Desmond Tutu

I've had time to wrap my head around all of it - Ik some of you may see that as "dramatic" but as mentioned, a few times, briefly before on my blog, I'm Palestinian. All this stuff is bound to be more personal and emotional for me.

Me and my family were already planning on canceling our disney+ subscription when the term ends (so soon I think), and I will not be watching pjo. At first I thought "I'll just pirate pjo, I have my ways." But now, I'd probably get too sick to watch it. The same sick feeling I got last night when I discovered Dior Goodjohn was a zionist.

Listen, I get not being able to let go, but at the end of the day, where are your priorities? Dior Goodjohn fucked up, big time. And I'll be honest with you, I don't think an apology is coming anytime soon; It'd be nice if I can eat my own words one day, but if/until then, I'm done supporting her and the show.

No more free advertising from me, which means no more Clarisse fics. Thank you all for the support I've gotten, you've been great readers. Of course I'll still be writing for my other characters, but Clarisse is definitely being put on hold as of right now.

If you have a problem with my decision, too bad. There are plenty of other Clarisse authors to follow, I promise you that.

Have a good day.

[aewinty]

from river to the sea

[aewinty]

Just an update -

I don’t plan on finishing any of the works I’ve posted before besides the Jenna Ortega one. Reasoning for this is because I honestly don’t have the time to

Lately because school started back in September I am more focused towards my studies and genuinely don’t have the time or motivation to write anything. I also don’t have an interest in Jenna Ortega’s works anymore because I don’t have time to watch any and that era of me js passed .

Regarding the Jenna Ortega fic, it hasn’t been touched since I posted the teaser tbh and honestly it might take weeks for me to even edit it so I wouldn’t expect something coming from that very quick .

In the future, you MIGHT see me writing for other people but probably not anytime soon .

Thank you for reading my posts and I love you guys ❤️🍉

[aewinty]

Mashup of my fav series and idol 😭😭

PILOT • WINTER ୨୧ ONLY YOU

-> cw : POC!!!, fem!reader , nonidol!au, ghostface!minjeong , stalking , infatuation , swearing , mention of nonidol!hyeju , peeping tom , taken!reader , mention of nsfw scenarios

this was an ask ! whoever req you’ve now gotten me hooked thank u LOL , i’m trying to get to all asks srry! also know this fic has like everything so pls read with caution

minjeong waits, sitting in the bus stop, watching all the randoms passing by as she reads their body language, checking to see if any of them are you. she knows you walk by at specifically 06:10.04

your dark skin being followed by the buzzing street lights and headlights, she was too infatuated with everything you do. the way you drag your feet when walking by the bus spot, the way you make the same nose scrunched smile at her

or the way you lay your tongue on the lemonade refresher straw you buy every thursday. your two toned lips moving off the straw when you’ve had enough of the pink lemonade ref-

maybe the little details was enough to get minjeong a fucking restraining order, but she only found out these features because you’ve done them just once.

minjeong remembers every characteristic about you, by watching you just once. minjeong has studied body language in her early days of elective courses, knowing every detail about you just by the way you talk to your best friend

which her name is son hyeju, she lives approximately 46 minutes away from you, she recently dyed her hair a full black-

…

maybe it was too much, but the issue was minjeong knew everything about you except you. let minjeong rephrase, she knows everything about you except the unfiltered you.

minjeong would stay up, contemplating if finally talking to you was enough for her to finally rest her eyes at the sharp hour of 3 a.m. she knows she’s losing sleep at the thought of you, there’s an empty feeling towards you

she knows how wrong she knows every private detail about you, but there’s always guilt. guilt that she know how your last relationship was.

fuck it

“y/n!”

you whipped your head towards the standing woman next you, wearing a black blazer with a flawless white tee under it, topping it with blue straight legged jeans. the way her hair was a messy brown bob thar was so familiar, though she doesn’t ring any bell in your mind

how the fuck does she even know your name?

you squint, though it was perfectly fine to see with all the street lights shining on her pale and small face.

“sorry do i know you?”

minjeong felt instant panic build in her body, keeping a kind poker face. she opened her mouth only to let in a gasp before replying back

“yeah…i uh went to highschool with you”

minjeong looked at you, your face was filled with concern. you cocked your head to the side looking at minjeong, trying to register where you’ve seen her before. you eyebrows furrowed before looking at once more.

“y/n right? i mean i was an underclassmen, so you probably didn’t see me much. but yeah, i went to highschool with you.”

minjeong hoped that stringing on the lies would help you believe it, she bit her lip before raising her eyebrows hoping to get some empathy points if you “didn’t” believe her

you gasped, the face not fully registering but it’s a face you’ve seen at least once in your lifetime. “oh my god, i do remember you! how are you?”, you said lying out of your ass just to find conversation.

“i’ve been well, you probably don’t know my name, i’m minjeong…kim minjeong”

you gasped again, hoping she really did know you and wasn’t bullshitting or think you were someone else.

“no, i really do remember you!” you looked at her with complete embrace, minjeong was taking this moment to take you in, with you wearing a business casual skirt that was way too short and a shirt so tight, it pushed up your breasts.

“yeah! i live right across the street to the new condo.” minjeong replied, that was the truth for at least once in a while.

minjeong really does live across the street specifically to the condo you just moved in. “coincidentally” she sees you walk around in your condo dancing, cooking, sleeping or touching yourself to the disgusting videos you watch on twitter or other websites

however, she never came up to you.

“really? i literally live in the new condo! i just moved in about a month ago.”

minjeong already knew that too, god you are so gullible and sweet. it’s almost enough for minjeong to buckle at the spot

“me and my girlfriend just started working around the condo too-“

minjeong didn’t mean to but the word “girlfriend” was needed for an interruption

“you have a girlfriend?” minjeong face dropped, her lips in a visible distasteful position. the thought of another women putting their hands on you, hugging you, touching you…even fucking you was irritating minjeong

you noticed minjeongs demeanor completely changed, you stared idly back, having a weird feeling that maybe that information wasn’t needed to be told or explained but something about her made you feel thrilled to.

“yeah, i mean we’ve been together for a while now. we met at my work, she’s been on vacation for-“ you stopped mid way, your mouth hanging open before giving a warm smile…you’re supposed to be “acting” like you know her. not that you do.

minjeong nodded before staring at the sidewalk towards your guys located abodes. silence and crickets taking over the scene before minjeong held her hand out to the direction you were going to walk.

“at least let me walk you to the condo?” minjeong smiled so sweetly, something about her made your brain twitch but at an easement. you weren’t heightened to be around her, she just seems like a trusting person.

you smiled politely back, silently saying yes to her proposal. walking to the condo, you guys made small talk.

minjeong now knows the name of the two british shorthairs who lay on your bed when you aren’t home, she knows that you hate cold showers

she already knew that, seeing steam sway behind you every time you open the connected jack and jill door.

she also knows where you work, the missing hours were your house is unoccupied is because of a job…i guess it’s good to say, minjeong will stay around you just a bit more

taglist - @wintersgff , @punchiviahye , @wintersera , @minjeongswife , @pinkhwacherries

a/n : it was lowkey rushed bc i already have the 1st of only you done 😭😭, but here is a playlist that i’ve made to help the understanding and mood of this fic

#winter #scream #aespa winter

[aewinty]

And if I said BADA LEE and the guilty challenge.. would I be the prisoner

#bada lee #taemin #taemin guilty

[aewinty]

Amazingg

I watched Wednesday with my mom : )

#wednsday addams #jenna ortega #enid sinclair #wednesday

[aewinty]

You guys think I should call American soccer football or soccer in my Jenna fic? Bc I know they’re technically the same thing

#jenna ortega #jenna ortega x fem!reader #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega x you #wednesday

[aewinty]

Ooooohh gee I've never gotten so much love from a writer before 🥹

Sorry I haven't commented on it, my WIFIs been out

Loved the writing and you 👀

-🐭anon

Aww I’m so sorry I got this message a month later, i wasn’t checking my inbox and lately school has been so bad 😭😭

It means a lot when you send these msg thingies ❤️❤️

Love you tooo!!

[aewinty]

Right 😭 why she rawdogging the peel I heard peel can be dangerous sometimes but idk

Please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks Jenna Ortega eats kiwis like bloody psychopath ?

I love her, I really do but who in their right mind eats the kiwi’s skin?

[aewinty]

Amazing this portrays their characters so well 🤞

Let The Light In |5|

Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Chapter 5: Shit-faced

Summary: It's been weeks and Tara was still avoiding you, but that doesn't stop you from looking out for her

Warning(s): Swearing, smoking, mentions of underage drinking, intoxication & panic attack

Notes: I reaaally hope this suffices. I tried my best, I swear. I think this is the longest chap I've done for this series so far (5,162 words, usually it's right under 5k words) Shoutout to @iamnodens for giving me some inspiration. Sparked an idea for a plot-line I wanna pursue

Masterlist|Previous Part|Next Part

Anika saw you check your phone for the millionth time that night. “Come on, this is supposed to be a movie night. Not ‘check your phone a million times’ night,” Anika spoke up. You faced your phone back down. 

“Sorry,” you mumbled. Anika looked over at you then back at the TV before speaking again. “Who has you so anxious?” She asked and you rolled your eyes. 

“No one,” you say in a dry tone before grabbing the popcorn bowl and shoving a handful in your mouth. Your roommate let out a doubtful hum before turning her attention back to the TV.

Your right leg began to bounce as your thoughts once again led you to an overthinking spiral. It didn’t take long for you to think of the worst. You didn’t want Tara to never talk to you again. As much as you hated to admit it; along the way you started to enjoy Tara’s company. 

There were times where she could brighten your mood when no one else could. Tara may not have known, but the weekend you were in Brooklyn you were having a panic attack when she messaged you.

Texting back and forth with Tara seemed to eventually calm you down. You would never forget that moment, and although the younger Carpenter had no idea how much she had helped you, you knew. 

“If you bounce your leg any harder you’ll put a hole through the floor,” Anika remarked, pulling you from your memories. “Sorry,” you muttered back.

“Don’t be…what’s got you like this huh?” You start to play with your fingers. You sighed, debating whether or not you wanted to open up to Anika. 

“It’s just that– girl from before still hasn’t talked to me and I guess you were right; it’s a hundred percent getting to me.” 

Anika raised her eyebrows at you before responding,“She really must be if you’re admitting you were wrong. Have you tried confronting her about it?” 

You let out a frustrated huff. “She always swerves away from me. I sent a text but I don’t wanna seem desperate.” You looked at Anika to see her giving you a deadpan look. “What?” You asked, feeling clueless.

She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose before answering. “Okay, listen up. I know you have never been a bright communicator, but come on. Only sending one text? At this point you might as well just corner her if you refuse to send her no more than that,” she chuckled dryly.

You sat there, genuinely considering that as an option. Anika watched as you thought about it and started to shake her head at you. “Y/N…no. I didn’t mean to literally corner her.”

“Fine.”

—

You patted your hands dry in the restaurant’s restroom. You looked in the mirror—making sure you were put together before walking out—but then suddenly saw a familiar face in your reflection. It was only for a moment but in that single moment you felt your breathing grow ragged, heart racing and stood frozen. You tightly gripped the counter, closing your eyes and murmuring to yourself. 

“He’s not here. He’s not here. He’s not here. It’s all in your head. It’s all in your hea—”

“Y/N?” You heard. You exhaled and turned to face the voice.

No, no, no, no…Why is she here?

“Tara.” You replied, you were on the brink of tears as you tried to control your breathing. She quickly noticed the state you were in and carefully walked up to you. You took one step back, moving away from her. She looked at you again before gently placing a hand on your bicep.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Tara asked you in a gentle voice.

“Fine.” You murmured before quickly walking out of the bathroom. You ignored the worried glances you received from Henry and Anika, walking outside and leaning against a pillar. 

You tried everything; you closed your eyes and focused on your breathing, you counted, and even tried the three three three rule. But nothing was working. You felt your right hand creep up your chest as it subconsciously gripped it. Your knees felt weak, as if they would buckle from under you. 

You fumbled in your pocket for a cigarette and lighter. You held the smoked cigarette to your lips, breathing it in and out. Your free hand’s fingers anxiously tapped on your thigh as you smoked. You felt like the world would collapse from beneath you, nothing to catch or save you. You started going down another spiral when suddenly you heard someone. 

“Hey…” You looked to your left to see Tara once again. 

“I swear I didn’t know you were gonna be here. Sam and I just decided to eat out since it’s not everyday she gets off from both jobs.” Tara said, moving to lean beside you.

“That’s nice,” you replied, putting out your cigarette and throwing it.

“Yeah…it is.” Tara smiled to herself as she said that. “Are you doing a little better now?” She asked you with a light nudge to your shoulder as she looked up at you.

“I guess.” Was all you answered with. Tara slightly nodded, before looking back ahead. 

After a couple minutes of silence, you finally spoke up. “Why’ve you been ignoring me?” You asked without looking at her, your voice quiet. You looked down at your shoes, both hands in your pockets.

“I haven’t been…” Tara trailed off. She knew she was. She was fully aware of it. But, she wasn’t ready to tell you why.

“Yeah…okay,” you sighed, lifting yourself up from the pillar.

“See you around, Carpenter.” You made your way back into the restaurant. Tara stayed outside a little longer before going back to her own table.

You both glanced at each other from across the room while the other wasn’t looking. 

—

You sat on the random couch while wearing a grumpy expression. Henry had, once again, dragged you to another party. The place was too crowded, sweat was everywhere, the burning smell of the alcohol was stronger than usual—to you at least—and Henry had gone off to God knows where. You just wanted out of this frat house.

The only thing keeping you sane was the company of Anika and Mindy. You didn’t talk to Mindy much in high school but she seemed cool. Anika and her were discussing couples costumes for halloween when suddenly you heard your name.

“What do you think, Y/N?” Your roommate asked as she sat in her girlfriend's lap on the love seat beside you.  

“What do I think about what?”

“You think we could rock a zombie bride and groom for a couples costume this year?” Mindy asked for Anika.

“Yeah, you’d guys be awesome for that,” you answered in a monotone voice. You didn’t look at them as you spoke, staring off at a random spot in the room. Suddenly your eyes caught something that made your breath catch in your throat.

“Y/N? What’s the matter?” Anika asked. Mindy also furrowed her eyebrows at you, but then all their answers were answered when they followed your eye line.

There Chad was with his tongue down Tara’s throat.

There was no reason to have cared as much as you did. There was no reason the pain in your chest should be growing. There’s no reason for this to hit you as hard as it did. You and Tara weren’t dating, you didn’t like her—no, you didn’t. You couldn’t. You were just caught off guard. Yeah, that’s it. You never thought about Chad and Tara together so you’re just in some form of shock.

What about the chest pain? The feeling of your heart being ripped out–

Heartburn. 

It was just heartburn, that was all it was. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Suddenly you felt a hand touch your arm. You lightly flinch before looking to your left, seeing it was Anika. Why did they both look at you with such pity?

“Hey, how about we call it a night, yeah?” You nodded.

After Mindy and Anika kissed each other goodbye, you two started to make your way out before a thought told you to reach into your pocket. Empty.

“I think my phone slipped out of my pocket while I was sitting on the couch,” You told Anika and she waited in the car as you went inside to get it.

By the time you got back to the couch somebody was already sitting, and of course it had to be Tara. “Looking for this?” she smugly asked, pulling out your phone and showing it to you.

You let out a sigh of relief before trying to reach for your phone, but the minute you almost grab it, Tara pulls it back behind her back.

“Tara, not right now.” You really weren’t in the mood for this. 

You sighed as you saw multiple stains on her shirt. “Someone’s in a mood,” she remarked, still looking up at you with a smile you couldn’t quite read.

“I’m not—” you sighed again, “—you have stains all over your shirt by the way. You’re a complete mess right now,” you murmured the last part, sitting down next to her trying to reach for your phone behind her but she’s quick. She pulls away again without thinking before responding.

“You know you pronounce your R’s in a funny way? Like, you say stuff like shirts and shorts but when you say them they sound the exact same. And then it’s, like, which one is it?” Tara rambled on. 

You sat there, silently listening to every single word. You couldn’t help the slight smile that grazed your face. It was nice hearing her voice again after so long. 

“Then I remembered you’re from Brooklyn, and you know what that means?”

“No, tell me,” you said, wanting to hear her ramble for a little longer.

“Brooklyn accent. So, that’s why you do that cute thing with your R’s!” You suddenly felt heat rush to your cheeks. Cute? Tara had used you and cute in the same sentence. She is completely plastered. 

“Tara! Ethan and I are gonna play beer pong!” You both looked over to see Chad calling from the other side of the room. 

You looked back at Tara, “I should go. See you, princess.” You got up, but suddenly felt a hand gently grasp your wrist. You looked down at her as you stood. She opened her mouth for a couple seconds before shutting it.

“You probably need this,” Tara pulled out your phone and placed it in your hand for you. The amount of contact she was giving you caused a flutter in your chest. 

“I’m probably gonna head home,” she slurred. You bit the inside of your cheek as you grew concerned about her going home on her own in the state she was in.

“Mindy said you drove with Chad?” 

“Mm, yeah. He doesn’t mind me driving myself home though. He said he’d—” she hiccupped, “—get a ride with Ethan.”

“Well I do mind. You’re too drunk to drive Tara.” She just stared up at you as you spoke. “You can stay over,” you lightly sighed as you offered your hand to her.

Tara bit her lip as she continued to stare up at you, but after a beat of silence she took your hand—not without tripping, causing her to fall into your arms.

“You okay?” You asked in a soft voice, and she simply nodded her head as she continued to look at you.

Tara had so much to tell you, but she stopped herself before she could.

You both walked out to your car—Tara clinging on to your arm as she walked like she had two left feet. You never thought Tara Carpenter could be any more clumsy than she already was, but here you were. 

You opened the car door, “Sorry that it took so long.” 

“I see you didn’t just bring back your phone,” Anika remarked, not hiding her knowing look. You strapped Tara in the backseat, making sure she was comfortable, before going to the driver’s seat.

“She’s too drunk to be her own ride, so I offered,” you responded. You gave Tara one last glance from the rear view mirror—which didn’t go unnoticed by Anika—to see that Tara was already passed out. You started to pull out and made your way to your apartment. There wasn’t much talking on the ride over. The only sound coming from the car was the music, but even that was put at a low volume. You tried your best to avoid the holes so Tara could sleep fine. You cursed your government for not using your taxes to fill holes with more cement. 

By the time you got to your apartment Tara was still sound asleep. You told Anika she could get a head start and that you would catch up with her. After she left you got out of our seat and walked around your car to open the door to Tara’s seat. You placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Tara…we’re here,” you whispered in a soft tone. Tara only shuffled slightly but never opened her eyes. You lightly squeezed her shoulder, “Come on. We’re here…”

You slightly shook your head.

“...You’re so lucky I live on the second floor.” You scooped her up and she subconsciously nuzzled her head in the nook of your neck. You carried her up the apartment stairs, and once you got to the door you knocked with your head—since your hands were obviously full at the moment.

That night, you didn’t mind sleeping on the couch.

—

Tara woke up with a pounding headache, causing her to groan as she slowly sat up. She rubbed her eyes, yawning. Suddenly everything came crashing down on her like a tidal wave.

“Shit shit shit,” she looked around for her phone. She couldn’t believe how stupid she was. Sam was going to kill her for sure—if she was actually home? Yeah…she’s going to kill her for sure. 

It didn’t take long for her to realize where she was. “Fuck, not again,” she groaned into her hands. 

If Tara had a nickel for everytime she woke up in your bed she would have two nickels—which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. Before she could retrace her steps there were two knocks on the door. 

“Come in,” She said and you opened the door slightly, peaking your head before fully coming inside. 

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I see you’ve, uh, woken up.” You awkwardly stood with your arms crossed.

“Yeah…”

Tara turned her head, closing her eyes and letting out an inaudible sigh before turning back to look at you. “Listen, I’m sorry this is, like, the second time. You shouldn’t have to take care of me while I’m shitfaced.”

You slightly pouted out your bottom lip, faintly shaking your head and waving her off. 

“No problem.”

After a moment you finally break the awkward silence, “Why do you do this?”

“What?”

“This? Go out to parties so often, and have drink after drink?” Tara furrowed her eyebrows at you, not understanding where you were going with this. 

“What do you mean by that?” She asked, feeling offended by the question. 

“I just mean, don’t you get tired of it?”

Tara let out a faint scoff, “I like my life, thank you very much.” She now sat up a little straighter as she looked at you from where you stood. 

“I didn’t mean it like that. Come on, Tara—you know that.” 

“No, I don’t actually,” Tara got up from your bed, making her way to the door. She reached for the handle but you blocked it.

“Stop it, Y/N.”

“No, you stop it. What’s your problem, Carpenter? You really think I wouldn’t notice you ignoring me?” 

Tara opened her mouth to speak but you quickly cut her off. “You even changed your seat in history. How is that nothing?” You hated how vulnerable you felt right now. The hurt was noticeable in your voice.

“I– I just need space…” Tara sighed, running her hands down her space.

“What—why? ...Did I do something?” You asked, feeling yourself grow smaller as she looked back at you. 

Tara saw you staring down at her like a lost puppy. She hated what that was doing to her. She hated how you were able to make her feel things so easily. 

“No! No, I just need space, okay? Not everything’s about you!” Her raised voice caused you to flinch and take a step back; Tara hated herself at that moment. 

“Okay,” you replied in a quiet voice. 

“Y/N I didn’t—”

“If you need anything, Anika’s up.” 

Before Tara could say anything, you were gone. 

—

You knew very little about the person who now sat where Tara previously did. Tara either paid her to switch or the woman really just didn’t mind. You haven’t introduced yourself to her yet.

You heard her name being called once; Charlotte. You were too stubborn to actually ask her for her name. It didn’t take long for Charlotte to pick up on your silence. Truth be told she noticed you in class before. So when Tara approached her about a seat change, she asked no further questions and agreed.

“Hey,” Charlotte finally spoke up one class. “I’m Charlotte, by the way.” You turned your head slightly to look at her. There was no denying her beauty. 

“Y/N,” you simply responded before turning back to your notes. Charlotte turned back to her own work while she mustered her next words. 

“So, you’re not much of a talker huh,” she nervously chuckled. You looked at her from the corner of your eye before averting your stare back to your notes. “I guess,” you murmured.

Throughout class you resisted looking back at Tara, and occasionally Charlotte would miss something so she would politely ask you for your notes, which you then would silently turn your papers for her to see.

You kept your head down and didn’t meet her gaze as you did this, but if you did you would have seen her warm smile; in a way you felt it.

After class you heard footsteps running up to you. You turned around to see Charlotte. “I just wanted to thank you for the notes,” she told you. 

You spared a faint smile before responding, “No problem.” You watched as she took out a little piece of paper and handed it to you. When you took it you could see numbers written on it. 

“I’d love to thank you over a cup of coffee or even dinner or something. That’s my number, so you can call or text whenever you want.” You lightly nodded at her as you looked at the paper.

“See you around, Y/N,” she smiled at you again before taking off. 

“What do we have here?” The voice causes you to jump a bit, before rolling your eyes when you see the culprit. 

“Geez, Anika. Quit sneakin’ up on my like that,” you sighed as you two started walking.

“Maybe if you were more self aware, you would notice your friend being right next to you,” Anika commented. 

“Whatever.”

“Anyways, who was that?”

“Just some chick from my history class,” you said in a nonchalant manner. 

“Does she happen to have your…interest?” She asked you with a quirked up eyebrow. 

You thought for a second before answering. “I guess.”

“ ‘I guess’? Gee. How descriptive.” Anika remarked sarcastically. You rolled your eyes at her, adjusting the strap of your bag.

“I don’t know, okay? I’m still figuring some shit out, but maybe I do.” You shrugged, you and Anika taking a turn.

“By ‘figuring shit out’ do you mean, Tara?” She asked knowingly. That made you do a double take at your roommate. 

“That’s ridiculous,” you scoffed dramatically. 

“You know I overheard that argument you two had, right?” 

“I don’t know exactly what you heard but it’s not what you think,” you sighed, eyes looking everywhere but Anika. You hated when she was right.

“Really? Cause’ it seems like she’s the girl that has you so worked up.”

“Stop it.” You said with annoyance in your tone, growing slightly flustered from being called out.

—

You sat at the seat across from Charlotte . You both eventually had decided to go out on Friday night for dinner. You figured it wouldn’t hurt to take up her offer. So, that’s where you were; sitting in a diner with her across from you. 

Your hands rested on your lap as you listened to her speak. She had cinnamon skin, gorgeous hair and dark brown eyes. You couldn’t help but admire dark brown eyes; they were so easy to drown in. 

“So, enough about me. What about you?” She suddenly asked.

“What about me?” You echoed, taking a sip of your milkshake.

“I want to get to know you. Right now you’re just the quiet girl who I sit next to in history, and cute at that,” she winked at you. 

You lightly blushed at the compliment before replying. “I don’t really know what to say. Mind giving me some starter questions?”

“Okay, you got any siblings?”

“Yup. Two brothers, Stephen and Oliver.”

“You like them?”

“Tolerate’ em.”

She let out a giggle before continuing. “Are you the oldest or youngest?”

“I’m in the middle, actually. Oliver’s the oldest and Stephen’s the youngest.” 

You soon found out she had two sisters and two brothers, both her parents were doctors, and her favorite color’s purple. As the night went on you two found out a little more about one another. It was nice just talking. You weren’t sure if this was a date but the thought hung around in your head.

Would it be so bad if it was?

You walked the city’s streets with Charlotte, your jacket hung from your arm as she hugged her own closely. 

“This was really nice, I’d love to do it again sometime,” She spoke up.

You looked at her then back at the ground, a small smile starting to graze your face. 

“Yeah…that’d be nice,” You said genuinely, before she stopped at an apartment building. 

“Well, this is me.”

“I’ll see you around?”

“Of course,” she smiled at you, placing a kiss on your cheek.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” she said before leaving. 

You stood there, slightly stunned from the kiss. It was no secret that it had been a while since you’ve been in a genuine relationship. 

Maybe—just maybe, Charlotte could be the one to change that. 

—

The next day you went to work your shift. You passed the time like you usually did; if you weren’t serving customers you had music in your ears and cleaning counters that you’ve already wiped down a hundred times before that same day.

The bell above the door rings, but you don’t look up as you say, “Welcome to The Coffee Club.” Your voice was monotone. 

The person stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw you. It wasn’t until they were shoved to the counter by someone beside them that you looked up. 

You opened your mouth as you lifted your head, but quickly shut it as soon you saw the person.

“Oh. It’s you.” Your voice wasn’t laced with bitterness or rudeness, just a slight shock from seeing her here. If your voice was not a give away of that then your expression definitely was. Your eyes were widened a bit, your eyebrows were raised and you almost looked…flushed? 

“Uh, what can I get you?” You asked, clearing your throat and trying to sound unfazed by her presence.

“Um, just a…” Tara trailed off as she suddenly forgot what she came here for. Mindy looked between you two.

“Hot chocolate?” You finished for Tara. All Tara could do was nod at you. 

“And I’ll have a hot coffee; milk and sugar please,” Mindy spoke up, breaking whatever staring contest you and Tara had going on.

“I’ll, uh, get on that right now.” You put your pen behind your ear. Tara and Mindy sat at a table nearby as you prepared their orders. 

“What was that?” 

Tara groaned at her friend, holding her face with her hands. “I don’t know. I had completely forgotten she works here most days,” she answered, her voice coming out slightly muffled due to her hand still covering her face. 

“You’re still giving her the silent treatment, aren’t you?” Mindy asked even though she already knew the answer.

“Well, I uh…kind of made it worse…”

“How?” Mindy asked, slightly dragging out the H while furrowing her eyebrows.

“We had a bit of an argument last week,” Tara answered, the memories of that morning painfully flashing through her mind.

“About what?”

“I snapped at her over something really stupid, and—God I can’t stop thinking about her face when I did that.” Tara let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding in. 

“By snapped, what do you mean, like, you yelled at her or something?” Tara sighed and nodded, looking away—feeling ashamed of herself.

“I think you two just need to talk, for real this time.” 

“I don’t want to—” She inhaled, looking down at her hands. 

“Don’t want to what?”

“Hurt her again…” Tara answered in a quiet voice. 

“Tar, listen to me, you’re one of the best people I know, and you can be gentle when you want to be. Just be you,” Mindy told her honestly.

“Maybe when you two finally make up you can make that dream you had a reality and make out already—”

“Mindy!”

Before Tara could say anything else, you walked up to the table with their drinks.

“One hot coffee with milk and sugar, and a hot chocolate,” you repeated their order. Mindy said thank you, and so did Tara—not without Mindy kicking her under the table to do so—before taking a sip of the steaming hot drink.

The mug covered her eye line, so she didn’t see you sneak a Strawberry donut with sprinkles—or as she likes to call it, a Homer Simpson donut—in front of her. By the time she did notice you were already gone.

You had a habit of disappearing without saying goodbye. 

When Mindy and Tara finished, they made their way back to the apartment. They walked into the apartment to find Chad and Ethan playing Resident Evil four. 

“You’re still playing this game?” Tara inquired, pulling off her jacket and throwing it somewhere. Mindy let out a slight chuckle before making her way to the kitchen.

“All. Fucking. Day.” Sam replied, coming into the living room. 

“I don’t blame them. Have you seen Ada?”

“They haven’t gotten up in seven hours.”

“I got it,” was all Tara said, before walking away.

Five seconds later she came back with a spray bottle.

—

The doorbell rings, interrupting you mid sentence as you were on the phone with Anika. 

“Hey, I gotta go. Talk to ya later?” You said your goodbyes to each other before walking up to the door. You weren’t sure who could be visiting but whoever it was was growing impatient. 

“Alright, alright! I’m coming,” you called out, walking up to the door. 

You finally unlocked and opened it to—unexpectedly—Tara. This took you by surprise which was evident from your expression. There wasn’t much to go off from but Tara’s known you long enough to read even your littlest details. 

“Hi.”

“Hi.” There was a beat of awkward silence before Tara finally spoke up again.

“Can I come in? I need to talk to you,” she told you. You responded by opening the door wider, letting her inside the apartment. 

Her eyes wandered around the room before landing them back on you. You quickly averted your gaze, realizing you have been staring at the younger Carpenter a little too long. 

“Been a while since I’ve been here,” Tara said, sitting down on the couch.

You let out a dry chuckle before responding. “You’re telling me…” 

Tara noticed you were still standing, choosing to lean against the wall rather than sit near her. Just then, she remembered why she came here.

“So, what do you want?” You asked unkindly. 

Tara took a second to muster what she wanted to say. She didn’t want to mess this up. She didn’t want to say the wrong thing this time. 

She didn’t want to hurt you again.

“I’m sorry.” 

“What?” You raised an eyebrow, not expecting an apology. 

“I’m sorry for yelling at you, and I’m sorry for blatantly avoiding you for the past few weeks,” she said in one breath. 

“Wait—I wasn’t expecting an apology. I thought you were gonna yell at me again or something,” you poorly joked with a dry chuckle. 

“That wasn’t my best moment,” she said with shame in her voice. She could never forget your face that morning or how you backed away from her as if she would hurt you. 

You looked down at your shoes, considering Tara’s words. You should get your revenge—make her pay for the past few weeks. But instead you decided against it, for whatever reason, you decided against it. Maybe it was her voice as she spoke, maybe it was the bags under her eyes, or maybe it was just simply her. Whatever it was, it caused you to let her off easy.

“I’ll accept your apology on one condition.”

“Anything,” Tara replied, a little too quickly. 

“Stop avoiding me,” you said in a softer voice, and you slowly began to take the seat beside her. 

“Deal,” Tara promised, looking at you.

“Pinky swear?” You held up your pinky, for her take.

Tara couldn’t help the smile that grew as she took your pink in hers. 

“Pinky swear.” 

“Now that you’re not avoiding me anymore, you wanna go over last class’s notes?” Already moving on as if she hadn’t been giving her the silent treatment for the past for weeks, and you weren’t still curious as to why.

Your pinkies unlocked, Tara missing the contact.

“Well, you know how much I looove doing that,” Tara sarcastically answered. 

“Ha. Ha.” You got up from the couch, “I’m gonna go get my binder. Give me like two seconds.” You said before rushing away to your room like a child who was having a playdate, rushing off to grab a toy for you and your friend to play with. 

Tara couldn’t stop smiling to herself at the sight of you. It had been far too long since she’s seen you one on one like this. She hated to admit it but she missed you more than she realized. Now that she was thinking about it, she missed a lot of things about you; your smile, your voice, your humor, how you lit up a room with just your presence, even that fuzzy feeling you gave her.

Oh.

Oh, Mindy was right. Tara had somehow found herself crushing on you.

“Fuck.”

-----------

A/N: Platonic!Chara>>> (dw gonna do that justice later)

I wonder who R saw in the mirror...

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