A Collection of Compositions

[Alisha]

Here, in no time specific order, I will post any little pieces I write about my characters. So, feel free to read them and send any feedback, good or bad, to my inbox. If any of your characters has been miss represented or mentioned and you would like these parts changed/removed, just ask. I will also link to profiles if you wish.

Note: Some of these blurbs will be set in the future and even though I write them, there is no guarantee that the events mentioned will actually occur.

Enjoy!

[Alisha]

Date Written: April 17th, 2012
Date Posted: April 17th, 2012
Date Set: A rough time frame of June - August 2012
Location: Riverside, California.
Date Last Edited: --
Completion Status: Undefined.

Characters:

Noah Everdeen
Eli Everdeen
Alexia Howard
Emma Everdeen

-

Noah shoved his hands into his hair, gripping the brown stands tightly in his hands. He really wanted to bash his head into the brick wall that stared at him from across the room. Why did this have to be so damn hard? He knew why, but he just wished it was a little easier. Moving on and leaving his performing days behind him was what was best for his daughter. He didn’t want Sophia to have a dad that was gone or busy 350 days of the year. He didn’t want to be the guy that brought home gifts to try and recompense for the moments and memories missed while he was out on the road. If she didn’t have a mother, then she would need her father even more.

This is how Noah came to the conclusion that he had no other choice but to quit the band. He didn’t need to hold them back, and the other members didn’t have a family or children to think about. He hadn’t told them about his decision yet, and the news was weighing on him greatly. He wanted to make sure his replacement was chosen before he made it official, however this had become an incredible feat in a short amount of time. Noah was a perfectionist, and he needed Chris’ replacement to be nothing shy of perfect.

The door to his office opened, and Noah quickly closed the manilla folder he’d had open on his desk. He sighed a little when he realized it was just his cousin Eli, a tupperware container in hand. Leaning back in his chair, he watched as Eli tossed the container on his desk and plopped down unceremoniously in the chair across from him. He eyed the container and raised a brow at Eli in question.

     “Aunt Allie told me to bring it over to you.” He said in explanation, pulling out his cellphone and tinkering on it as he spoke. “Says you’ve been spending too much time in here and eating too much take-out. It’s your favorite.” Eli looked up from the screen briefly, shaking his head. “Dude, you look like shit.”

     “Shut it.” Noah said, chuckling. He reached over to grab the plastic container, opening it and taking a big whiff of its contents. Noah opened the desk drawer and pulled out one of the many plastic-wrapped forks that had been collecting there. “I know, this whole thing with the band is stressing me out.”

     “Haven’t found your replacement yet?” Eli asked, not looking up from the screen of his phone. “Haven’t you been at this for nearly two months now? There’s gotta be someone here that remotely meets your standards.”


Noah shrugged, his eyes on the food in front of him, and took a huge bite of the food. “My mom s’best.” He exhaled while chewing the tomato flavored noodles. With a swallow, he responded to Eli’s question, “Three. No, haven’t found anyone. They’re all so inadequate.”

     Eli scoffed, “You’re setting your standards too damn high, cous.”

Noah rolled his eyes. Of course he wouldn’t understand. This band was practically his baby, almost as much his child as Sophia was. The work he’d put into it couldn’t be wasted. He wouldn’t let just anyone be a part of the empire they had created. Whoever joined in had to be special.

     Eli suddenly looked up from his phone, and eyed Noah. “You’re looking for a guitarist, right?”

     “Yeah?” Noah replied, the lone word a skeptical question. “Why? You know someone?”

     “Maybe.” Eli said, “My girlfriend. Well, I call her that but she refuses to face the reality of our situation. I swear, she needs to just give in already. Anyway, she plays guitar. She’s really good, amazing even. She one of those people that knows they have talent, but just dismisses it because of the crappy people in this world.”

     “Get to the point, Eli.” Noah interrupted, a smirk on his face. He took another bite of his spaghetti as his cousin continued.

     “Sorry, as I was saying. She’s not in a band or anything, but she’s got college plans. I could ask her if she’s interested.”

     “I dunno, Eli. I need someone who can commit.”

     “Just give her a chance. She needs someone other than me to tell her she’s good.”

     “What’s her name?” Noah asked, setting down his food and picking up a pen.

     “Alexia.”

Noah looked up from the yellow pad to look at Eli. “The Howard girl?” He asked, chuckling. “She’s intimidating. I’m pretty sure Emma is scared of her. She referred to her as a preppy bitch at that valentines party thing. She wouldn’t shut up about it.”

     Eli smiled. “She can come off as a bit... strong.” Eli said, “She’s actually not that bad once you get to know her. She’s kind of like Spencer, actually.”

     Noah grinned, “Perfect. Talk to her about it.” He scrawled her name down on the pad and leaned back in the chair with his food again. “You can give her my cell number. We’ll set something up if she’s interested.”

     With a grin, Eli nodded. “Thanks, I think this could be great for her.”

     “Yeah, yeah.” Noah said, waving his hand, a hint of a smile making its way onto his lips. “You can thank me if she’s actually any good.”

-

[Alisha]

Date Written: April 15th, 2012
Date Posted: April 18th, 2012
Date Set: April 2006
Location: Seattle, Washington.
Date Last Edited: April 18th, 2012
Completion Status: Complete.

Characters:

Noah Everdeen (16 years old)

-

"You're just a small bump unborn, in four months you're brought to life,
You might be left with my hair, but you'll have your mother's eyes,
I'll hold your body in my hands, be as gentle as I can, but for now your scan of my unmade plans,
A small bump in four months, you'll open your eyes"

-

     “What do you mean, I can’t see her?” He yelled, trying to push his way past the very uncomfortable doctor only to be blocked once again.
     “I’m going to have to call security if you don’t calm down, Mr. Everdeen.”
     “This is bullshit!” Noah asserted, shoving his finger in the doctor’s face. “I brought her here!” He knew that it wasn’t really the doctor’s fault, but in his frantic state, he would lash out at anyone who tried to get in his way. She was in there, the girl who was carrying his baby, and something was wrong, very very wrong. It was too early.

     “Noah!” His mother called, jogging down the hallway in her heels. When she reached the two, she grabbed her son’s arm and tugged him back a few steps. “What happened?”

The sixteen year old boy looked at his mother, his fear finally shining through in his eyes. When Noah was scared, he lashed out. When Alison wrapped her arms around him, smoothing down his unruly brown hair, he forced his eyes shut in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. Noah buried his face in his mother’s neck, holding her tightly in an embrace. What if she didn’t make it? What if the baby died? What if they were already dead?

It was no secret that Wendy Spencer led a risqué lifestyle. She didn’t go to school, frequented the high and college parties, and hung out with a group of people known for using and dealing hardcore drugs. It was common knowledge that she didn’t care about her own life, let alone the life of anyone else. But foolishly, Noah believed that if he gave her a solid place to stay she would hold everything together at least until she had the baby. He knew she didn’t want to be a mother, and had no intention of forcing her to be one. Noah didn’t believe in abortion though, and when he found out she was pregnant with what was he pretty sure his kid, he couldn’t bear the thought of her killing it.

It had been good for a while, Wendy was no longer a fixture in the party scene and she went to her doctor’s appointments. Even if she wasn’t happy with the situation, the girl promised she would try and do better. For a few months, their system worked with few flaws. But soon, she began to go stir crazy. The outings with Noah no longer satisfied Wendy’s need to be out in the world, doing reckless things. It wasn’t long before she began questioning the reasons why she had decided not to terminate the pregnancy. Wendy didn’t want to be a mother. She wasn’t cut out for it. She had to think of herself in this situation.

Wendy began sneaking out in the middle of the night, ignoring her doctor’s instructions. She drank. She began doing drugs. She hid these activities from Noah, until tonight, when he awoke to her shrill scream coming from the room right next to his. When he entered the room and saw her doubled over on the edge of her bed, the red-stained sheets surrounding her. He didn’t notice the bottle of alcohol on her nightstand, his eyes only focused on that vibrant red color. When she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, and spoke the words, “I’m sorry.” It all went blank.

Noah blinked a few times, shaking his head a little. His mother was shaking his shoulder and waving her hand in front of his face. He cast a glance around him before turning his attention to her. She sighed. “You’ve got to stop that, you’re starting to scare me, kid.” She told him.

Noah then felt the burning in his eyes, he must have been staring at something, likely the wall. He didn’t even realize he'd been unresponsive; he was too lost in his thoughts. They were in the waiting room, and Noah didn’t feel any better than before.
     “What time is it?” He asked.
     “A little past one.”
     “It’s been six hours. Why haven’t they come to tell us anything?”
     “Relax and let the doctors do their work, Noah. We’ll be notified when there is anything to tell.”
     “How are you so calm? I don’t get it.”
     “Someone has to be calm around here; it’s my job to help you.”

The conversation was forgotten when a group of doctors approached them, wearing grim expressions. Noah and his mother stood up, and the trio stopped in front of them. Alison put her arm around Noah’s shoulders, squeezing his arm lightly.

     “Miss Spencer sustained great blood loss from complications in the pregnancy. The patient suffered internal injuries…”
His heart beat rapidly in his chest.
     “…hostile environment for the fetus”

Noah could only zone in on bits and pieces of what the doctor had to say.

     “distress…”

Is the baby okay?

     “emergency surgery… damage… further complications”

At this point, he wanted to just shake the man and force him to give a straight answer.

     “Unfortunately… miscarriage-”

What? No, no, no, no, no… He chanced a glance at his mother, who was watching him with tear-filled eyes. My baby is dead? My baby is dead.

Noah felt sick; he could feel the bile festering like flames in the pit of his stomach, fighting its way up his throat. He couldn’t be here any longer, he needed to get out, and fast. Now. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head, muttering a nearly silent, “Oh god.”
     “Noah, honey.” His mother soothed.

He shook his head, shrugging off her arm. He needed to be gone. Out of this hospital. Out of this town even. He couldn’t be here. It was all gone. All of the plans he had made, they were gone. His baby was dead. He strode away from the small group, eyes all over the room following his hasty exit. He couldn’t breathe; the pain was like a vice around his lungs and heart, the pressure enough to make him want to fall to his knees. His mother called after him, and her voice only made him walk faster and faster until he was out into the night. The cool air did nothing to soothe the ache.

Noah practically ran to his car, fishing his keys out of his pocket with shaky hands. He took a shuttering breath and shoved the key into the lock, surprisingly getting the door open on the first try. It was the ignition that served to be a problem for him. The tears blinded his eyes as he attempted to start the car, finally getting to start on the fifth try. Alison ran out of the hospital’s automatic doors just as Noah back out of his parking spot and sped off into the darkness. He didn’t know what he was going to do, or where he was going to go, but he knew one thing, Seattle was not the place for him. Not right now.

-

"You were just a small bump unborn just four months then torn from life.
Maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why."

-

Song Credit:

Ed Sheeran - Small Bump

[Alisha]

Date Written: December 20th, 2011
Date Posted: April 19th, 2012
Date Set: Roughly February 2012
Location: Riverside, California.
Date Last Edited: April 18th, 2012
Completion Status: Complete.

Characters:

Spencer Thompson
Noah Everdeen
Christian Moore
Seth Jameson (NRC)

-

Spencer trudged up the stairs, her band mates in a line behind her. She could hear them whispering in distaste, but she didn’t care. Not one bit. She had finally found a place of her own, one which she absolutely adored. Sticking the key into the door of the small house and kicking it just in the right place, it popped open. Walking inside, the redhead spun in circles before turning to her friends.
     “What is that smell?” Seth said.
     “Is that blood?” Chris followed with, walking over to a stain in the carpet.
Noah just looked at the girl, his brow furrowed. “Did you blow all of your money on booze and cigarettes?” He said, “You don’t have to move out, you know. There is plenty of room at the house.”

She just rolled her eyes, the boys didn’t see what she did when she looked at the rather dank and dirty place, located in a old and run down building on Millberry Lane. She didn’t see it as the gross place her friends did. Spencer saw the potential it held, this dirty apartment could become the first place she would call home in a very long time.

Seth continued to walk around the rather large living room, peering at the various things strewn about. “No, seriously.” He said, “I think something died in here.”

Spencer sighed, shaking her head. “Shut up, pipsqueak.” She said, ignoring the fact that the boy wasn’t all that younger than she was. “I’ve got crews coming in the morning to rip everything out and clean it up.”

     “Where did you even find this place?” Chris asked, leaning against the grimy wall.

     “An old woman owns it, well, used to.” She said, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s just been sitting here for years, she and her husband used to rent it out but nobody’s been here in a while.”

     “Did he someone die in here?” Seth asked, walking back down the hallway. “Maybe a bum was living in here.” He called after him.

     “I’m going to fix it up.” She announced. “I’ve got the money to do it, and it’s not being spent on anything but mindless self indulgence.” To be honest, Spencer was tired of being a floater. She found herself wanting to settle down, maybe cut back on the partying and nameless sex. Well, maybe not that, but she thought it would be nice to actually have somewhere to call her own.

Noah looked out of the dirty window, a grimace on his face. He knew that Spencer could handle herself, but she was a girl and she would be living alone. Even though Riverside wasn’t a particularly bad place to live, creeps were everywhere. “You might want to put bars on these windows.” He joked, chuckling.

Spencer rolled her eyes. “Would you guys just stop bashing on my place, already?” A rather girly scream came from one of the back rooms, distracting everyone in the room.

     “Seth?” Chris called, pushing off the wall with the intention of going to find their youngest band member. He didn’t get the chance to do that though, because Seth strode down the hallway, shaking his head.
     “You need to get the mice thing taken care of, stix.” Seth said, shuddering. “Can we get out of here, now?”
     “Fine.” She replied, “You’re such a baby.”
     “Have you opened the closet?”
     “No...”
     Seth laughed, “Let’s get out of here.” He opened the creaking door, and stepped outside, the rest of the group following him out.
     “So, what’s in there?” She asked him.

-

[Alisha]

Date Written: Approximately November 2011
Date Posted: April 19th, 2012
Date Set: Part 1: September 27th, 2004. Part 2: September 27th, 2006.
Location: Seattle, Washington.
Date Last Edited: --
Completion Status: Complete.

Characters:

Noah Everdeen (13/15 years old.)
Emma Everdeen(9/11 years old.)

-

Noah would never forget the day his life was shattered into a million pieces for the first time. This was no simple event that was deemed important in a young boy’s mind, no. This was something he wished that would never happen to anyone. But, the simple but tragic fact was it happened every single day to people all over the world, just as unexpected as this one.

He had been sitting on the sofa, watching television. The doorbell rang, and his mother hurried towards it from her place in the kitchen. It was early evening and she had been cooking dinner.

Allison opened the door with a smile that faltered a bit when she saw the uniformed soldiers, one being her neighbor’s husband, the other a member of Ryan’s convoy. The pair had grim expressions marring their features and she knew immediately knew something was very, very wrong.

     “Mrs. Everdeen, we regret to inform you that your husband has…” One of the men said.

     “No.” She cut him off, the tears already forming in her eyes. “No, no, no.” The other soldier handed her a letter and Allison opened it with shaking fingers.

Mrs. Allison Everdeen,
On the evening of August 4th, 2005, Captain Ryan Everdeen and the rest of his convoy began a special op mission along the Afghan border. Upon facing an unexpected gunfire, your husband and his team tried to escape the ambush, but Everdeen stayed behind in order to ensure his team’s safety. Unfortunately, this decision cost him his life

The piece of paper fluttered to the ground, she couldn’t read anymore.

❖

Noah fingered the strings on his guitar, a small sigh escaping his lips. It had been a long day, the anniversary of his father’s death. He remembered the day he had received this guitar, his twelfth birthday.

A knock on his bedroom door brought Noah out of his thoughts, it was his birthday and his father wasn’t able to make it home in time. He had reenlisted a couple months prior and was stationed overseas. Noah sighed when his mother stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

Noah sat up in his bed when she sat beside him. “I know you’re upset that your father couldn’t make it home, but were going to make your day special anyway.”

     “I don’t want to do anything without Dad.” He said quietly, picking at a loose thread on his comforter.

     “I know, sweetheart,” His mother told him sweetly, “But Emma put a lot of effort into your gift. It would make her sad if you didn’t go down and see it.”

Noah rolled his eyes, but nodded. He was such a softie when it came to his baby sister, this was known by the whole family. When it came to Noah, Emma was his favorite. Noah followed his mother down the stairs at a slow pace, but when he turned the corner into the living room that pace faltered for a moment.

A huge smile lit up Noah’s face to see his father sitting in their living room. He ran into his arms, hugging him tightly. “Dad! You made it!” He said excitedly to his father.

     “Of course I did, son.” Ryan said. “It’s your birthday. Ready for your gift?”

Noah nodded excitedly, placing himself on the sofa. His father left the room for a moment, and Noah sat, his leg bouncing with his excitement. His parents always gave the best presents.

Ryan came back in, holding a brand new acoustic guitar. He placed it in Noah’s outstretched arms.

     “Happy Birthday, Noah.” His parents said together.

He was no longer as broken as he had been at the news of his father’s death, but he wasn’t as happy as he could have been. Here he sat, just strumming out a song. He had no idea how his mother made it through today, the first year she had just locked herself in her room and cried her eyes out. That one had been especially hard on him because he was unable to help her.

Emma just walked into his room, without knocking and he gave her a look. Emma had been nine when their father died and, at first, she hadn’t understood that he would never be coming home. The revelation had been hard to deal with, she stopped dancing, reading, doing anything she loved to do. Eventually she had been coaxed out of her sorrow, and began life again.

Noah never let anyone see how tore up he had been after his father’s death, except Emma. He was the oldest, and took it upon himself to be strong for everyone else. Emma plopped down next to him on the bed and placed her head on his shoulder.

Her sniffle caused Noah to place his guitar down and wrap his arms around her. She burrowed her head into his chest and placed her arms tightly around his neck. “Is it ever going to get any easier?” She asked, her voice muffled by the fabric of his t-shirt.

     “I don’t know, Em.” He said quietly, “I don’t know.”

-

[Alisha]

Date Written: April 19th, 2012
Date Posted: April 20th, 2012
Date Set: August 23rd, 2012
Location: Riverside, California.
Date Last Edited: --
Completion Status: Complete.

Characters:

Mason Everdeen
Cybill Grey

-

He wanted to ignore what seemed to be the constant ring of his cellphone, but he answered this call because it was from his mother. Mason could never say no to her, everyone knew it. It was everyone else that he’d been ignoring all day. No calls from other family members and friends had been taken.
He cleared his throat as he answered. He was sitting on the staircase in his house, eyeing a picture on the wall.
     "Hey, Ma."
     "Hello, honey." She replied, obviously trying to sound cheerful. "How're you doing?"
     "I'm fine, Mom. You don't need to worry about me."
     "I'm always going to worry about you, Mason. You're my son. You aren't alone are you? Do you want me to come over there?"
     "Yeah, I'm alone. But there's no need for that."
     "Sweetheart, it’s your birthday, try and have some fun. You shouldn’t be alone either."
Mason remained silent. It was hard for him to enjoy this day, his birthday. It had been hard for four years now. He had lived. Conner Samson didn't. Conner never got the chance to have another birthday.
     "I know what you're thinking, but he wouldn't want you to sit around beating yourself up for something that couldn't be helped."
     "How would you know, ma? You barely knew him."
     His mother sighed. "It was an accident, son. You never could have known."

A knock came from the front door, alerting Mason that he had a visitor. He dreaded opening the door and socializing with the person who was on the other side. "Look, I've got to go. Someone's here."
     "Okay, I love you. You’re going to have to stop blaming yourself someday, you know."
     "Love you too, Mom. I'll talk to you later." He chose to ignore her words.
     "Mason, life is for living. Celebrate it. Don't waste it trying to fix the past."

Mason swallowed, ending the call. He was about to rise from his perch on the stairs when the door opened, bathing the otherwise dim room in bright light. He tensed, wary of whoever the visitor was and how long they would be there, but relaxed when he saw that it was only Cybill in the doorway.

     "Mason?" She called into the seemingly empty room.
     "Up here." He mumbled. Her eyes followed the sound of his voice.
     “What are you doing up there?” The brunette asked, removing the sunglasses from her face and pushing them onto the top of her head. She closed the door and started up the stairs.

Mason again remained silent, unable to find the drive to form words. He set his phone beside him on the stair when she sat down next to him, her shoulder brushing his. Cybill watched him with concerned eyes.

     “You didn’t answer your phone… the three times I called you.” She said.
     “I know.” Mason replied softly.
     “Why not?”
     “I don’t know.” He wasn’t trying to be rude or shut her out, though he had intentionally ignored her calls. It was her, really. He just knew that he would be in a foul mood today and didn’t want to drag her down with him.
     “Is everything okay?”
     “I’m fine.”
     “You aren’t fine, Mason. There’s something going on with you. Usually I’m the one who has to ignore your calls.”

She had him there. He finally looked at her, a frown plastered onto his face.

     “Okay, you’re right. I’m not fine.” He admitted.
     “What’s going on?”
     “It’s my birthday.”
     “I know that…” She said, her tone conveying the obviousness of his statement. “What? You’re upset because you’re nineteen now?”
     “No.”
     “Then what is it?” He could tell that she was starting to get impatient with him. He let out a sigh.
     “Today isn’t a very good day for me.”

Cybill made a motion with her hand, her way of telling him to just get on with it.

     “Well, four years ago today, my best friend and I were out on the track and he got into an accident. He didn’t make it.” It took him a while to get the words to leave his mouth, they hurt to say. It was difficult for him to think about that day, let alone talk about it. His eyes had drifted towards the picture on the wall as he spoke, and Cybill followed his line of sight. Her hand found his, offering him comfort without saying a word. Maybe it would it would be easier for him with her around.

     “Is that him?” She asked, “The redhead?”
     “Yeah.”
     “You were a hot fifteen year old.”
This caused Mason too chuckle softly, shaking his head. She was always checking him out, always.
     “Pedophile.”
     “What?” She said innocently, “You were. Don’t deny it. And that uniform… damn. Motocross gear is hot.”
     “Do you know how much those things make me sweat? It’s kind of gross.”
     She groaned, shaking her head. “That’s not gross at all.”
     “You’re a freak.”
     “You should be happy that I find what you do to be a turn-on.”
     “I guess so.” He couldn’t help but smile. She had effectively distracted him and he hadn’t even realized it.
     “It worked.” She said happily.
     “Yeah… forcing me to think about sex with you if definitely a good way to distract me.”
Cybill rolled her eyes, using her free hand to shave his shoulder half-heartedly. “Don’t act like you weren’t already thinking about it. Face it, I’m always in the head of yours in some way or another.”
     “That’s true.”

They fell into silence again, and Mason’s thoughts drifted back to Conner involuntarily. He blamed himself for what happened to his friend, even though he couldn’t have done anything to prevent the events that occurred that day.
     “I’m sorry about your friend.” Cybill said after a few minutes of silence.
     “Thanks. He was a good friend.”
She smiled, standing up and pulling him to his feet. “Come on. We can’t have you moping around on your birthday. So, we can either spend it naked or I can drag you to some stupid party or club and dance all over you. Which would you prefer?”

     “I’m all about instant gratification.” Mason said. He pulled her further up the stairs, making the choice quickly, a teasing smile on his face.

-

You had me at hello.

[Alisha]

Date Written: April 20th, 2012
Date Posted:
Date Set:
Location: Riverside, California.
Date Last Edited: --
Completion Status: Incomplete.

Characters:
In order of appearance:

Mason Everdeen and Cybill Grey
Noah Everdeen

-

“Yeah, Cybill.” Mason said, his annoyed tone hushed in the hallway they were standing in. “I slept with her. Do you want me to go into specific details for you?” He could see her rage growing with every word he had said, and he wasn’t going to lie, it was kind of hot. The girl pushed her hands into his chest, shoving him into the wall. Just as she raised her hand, most likely to slap him, he grabbed her wrist in his hand. “When are you going to get over it, baby? This was over four years ago now.”

“I’m not going to get over it if I have to see her ugly face every time were at your mom’s house, Mason.”
Mason rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, it’s not like I can do anything to change that. She’s dating my brother. We’re bound to run into her occasionally.”
“Whore.” She muttered, yanking her arm away forcefully when Mason had tried to hold her hand.

Mason’s expression softened a little. He knew that Cybill didn’t like Alegrah very much, well maybe a lot much. Seeing the girl’s face pressed her buttons, wielding the power to send her into anger with just one look. He’d noticed that she’d been especially bad lately, when anything female looked at or spoke to him. He had grown used to her antics and fits of jealously over the years, but with as often and at the magnitude these spats had been occurring, he was starting to get a little tired of it. “What’s gotten into you lately?”
The glare that had begun to abate came back at full force. ”What are you implying?”
“I’m saying that this-” He gestured to her, “has been happening a lot more often lately. When are you going to start trusting me? I love-”

“Everything okay back here?” Noah asked, raising a brow, and effectively capturing their attention.
“We’re fine.” The pair replied in unison.
“Cole said food’s almost ready.” With that and a shake of his head, he left the pair alone.
Cybill turned to follow Noah back outside. “Cybill,” Mason said, grabbing her arm to stop her from leaving. “Stay here. We’re going to talk about this.”
“Let me go, Mason. I’m not in the mood.” He didn’t, causing her to let out a frustrated sigh. She turned towards him anyway.
“Well, I am. So were going to talk about it. What’s going on? Did I do something?”

She looked away from his gaze, focusing on anything but his face, his actual face anyway. She stared at a picture of him on the wall. Why didn’t he get it? Mason could tell she had something to say, but it didn’t look like the words were going to come out, at least not without a little coaxing on his part.
“You did something, alright.” She said, her words a sarcastic mutter.
“What is it?”
She let out her breath in a huff. “Do we have to do this right now?”
“Yes.” He said firmly, he wasn’t going to let her walk away this time. “Cybill, I love you, but this has to end now. I’m kind of hanging on by a thread here. You don’t trust me, you’re always accusing me of ridiculous shit I either didn’t do or didn’t realize I was do-”
“I’m pregnant.” She blurted out, her own eyes widening with the admission.
Mason’s eyes matched hers in an instant. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“You’re pregnant?” Mason asked, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. It made sense now, the onslaught of accusations he’d been facing. She was getting territorial.
Cybill bit her lip and nodded, holding back a smile. “You aren’t pissed?”
He looked at her like she was crazy. “What? Of course not, I think it’s great.” He paused, “Are you?”
Cybill shrugged, “I haven’t been really sure what to feel about it.”

Mason took a moment to look down at her still-flat stomach. She couldn’t be all that far along, she wasn’t showing at all. Or maybe he just hadn’t been paying enough attention. He took a step closer to her and placed a tentative hand on her tummy, his eyes back on her face. “We made a baby.” He said softly. Cybill raised her arms to wrap them around his neck, finally letting a large smile spread across her features.

He let out a happy chuckle and wrapped his own arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. Pressing a kiss to her lips, he let it linger, selfishly trapping her between him and the wall. A throat cleared at the end of the hallway, though, forcing Mason to remove his lips from hers to look at the intruder. What was with his family? “Yes?” He asked, his voice conveying his annoyance.
Kacie chuckled, shaking her head and muttering something about her brothers being horndogs, which caused the boy beside her to blush. “Mom’s looking for you.” She said, “Just thought I’d warn you before she caught you getting naked in her hallway.” With another laugh, she took the boy’s hand and led him away, “Come on, Lucas.”
“Shit, your mom.” Cybill groaned.
“What about her?”
Cybill gave him an incredulous look. “I swear the woman is psychic. She’s going to know just by looking at us.”
“Then we’ll just tell her.” Mason said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Her eyes widened comically. “No! No we won’t!” She shook her head. “I’m serious Mason. I don’t want to tell anyone yet.”
“Okay okay, fine. We won’t tell anyone. But why not?”
“Because I don’t want your family all over me, being all, ’That’s so great, Cybill! When are you getting married? Let’s go plan the baby shower!’” The girl rolled her eyes and made a gagging sound, complete with the finger gesture, earning a chuckle from Mason.
“I understand.” He said, pressing a kiss on her lips. “So, when are we getting married?”
Cybill smacked him on the arm. “We’re going back outside now.”

-

“Hey!” Sophia yelled, hurriedly standing from her beach towel, which was placed in the grass near the pool. She had been playing with her Barbie doll, but was interrupted by the two boys she was about to chase after. They had both just soaked her with their super soakers, and this little girl was not happy.

The two boys ran away, both laughing hysterically. “Julian! Kam!” She screamed, “I am going to get you!” Sophia ran after the boys, who had a considerable head start on the girl. She didn’t care. Her feet pounded on the pool deck, her damp curly hair flying behind her.

“Sophia!” Noah yelled, causing the little girl to halt, her eyes searching out her father. They found him standing her grandmother by the back door. “What did I tell you about running near the pool?”
Sophia frowned, her shoulders sagging a little. “Sorry, Daddy.”
“Come here.” He said, waving her over.

She was sure that she was in trouble now, and all because of those stupid boys. She slowly walked towards her father, stopping a few feet in front of him. He knelt down, so that he was eye level with her. “Why were you running near the pool?”
“I was trying to catch up to Kam and Julian. They sprayded me with their squirt guns.”
“What were you going to do once you caught up to them?”
Sophia shrugged. “I didn’t get that far yet.”
Noah smiled, “How ‘bout I help you out a little?”
Sophia nodded eagerly, and listened to his plan. She was to hide around the corner with the garden hose-a much more sufficient tool, her father had claimed- and he would do the rest. A few minutes later, the seven year old waited, hose in hand. Noah came running around the corner, one of the squirt guns in hand, and two yelling boys in tow. Once they had rounded the corning, she squeezed the nozzle full force, pelting the boys with the freezing water. All three children giggled hysterically until she released her grip on the hose and ran away.

Noah chuckled as the boys ran after her. “Hey! Stay away from the pool!” He called after them, with a shake of his head. Kids, they never listened.

-

“Are you feeling okay?” He said. He was bending over from his standing position to look at her face. “It’s pretty hot out here.”
“I’m fine, Tad, for the eighth time in an hour, I add.” Molly asserted, with a teasing roll of her eyes. He was always fussing over every little aspect of her wellbeing, which really was sweet, but she didn’t want him to have to worry all of the time. She knew that this pregnancy was wearing on him; it was wearing on them both. But, she wasn’t about to terminate a pregnancy, killing a baby that was already growing inside her, even if the risks were scary. It was out of the question. At first, he tried to get her to take a different route. Molly knew the options, but that wasn’t what was going to happen this time around. Eventually he accepted her decision, and had taken it upon himself to watch her every move.

“Can I get you anything?” He asked, unable to keep the concern from entering his eyes.
Molly thought for a moment, “I would kill for a cheeseburger.” She admitted, more for him than anything else. Though, a cheeseburger did sound really really good right now.
Tad gave her smile, pressing a kiss to her lips. “I’m on it.” He said, “You want anything, Jayde?”

The red head smiled, shaking her head. “No thanks.” Once the man had walked away, she let out a tiny chuckle.
“My husband is crazy, isn’t he? The worry has driven him insane, I know it.” Molly asked her friend.
“No, he just cares about you. I think it’s cute.” Jayde replied. “I wish I had someone to dote on me like that when I was pregnant with Kameron.”
Molly smiled. “It is pretty sweet.” She said, her eyes drifting to Tad, who was standing by the grill chatting with Cole. “It’s a little much at times though. Sometimes he won’t even let me dress myself. But whatever makes him feel better, you know?” She looked back at Jayde, who laughed.
“Well, you are huge.” She teased.
“Hey!” Molly replied, her mouth dropping open, before giggling herself. “I know! I’m a cow. I can’t see my feet anymore.”
“Molly, shut up. You’re beautiful.” She said, rolling her eyes. “You already look like a supermodel when you aren’t as big as whale.”
Molly narrowed her eyes at her for all intents and purposes sister in law. “Has he proposed yet?” She asked, changing the subject.

Jayde groaned, shaking her head. “No! It’s driving me crazy.” She eyed her boyfriend. “I don’t know what’s taking him so long.” Jayde had accidentally found the ring while cleaning the house, but hadn’t said anything to Cole. She didn’t want to ruin any plans he might have had. The problem was, she found the ring four months ago and not a word from Cole had been said about any proposals. It was killing her not to ask him. “Maybe he’s having second thoughts?”

Molly scoffed, shaking her head. “My brother may be an idiot sometimes, but he loves you. I can tell you that much. He’s probably nervous, or waiting for the perfect moment or something. If that’s the case, he’s going to have to realize that the perfect moment isn’t going to come.”

“I’ve been dropping hints like crazy!” She said, “I think he’s choosing to ignore them. I don’t need it to be perfect… at this point I just want get it over with already.”
“Well, it will come. Just hold out a little-” Molly ended her sentence prematurely when Tad walked over, a plate of food in his hand and a bottle of water under his arm. He set the plate down on the table.
“Who’s holding out?” He asked, smirking.
“You are.” Molly said, narrowing her eyes at him.
He looked at her innocently, “I am not!” He was.
“Whatever you say.”

Tad stayed for a few more minutes and the three chatted before he was called away by the boys. Molly watched him as he walked away, letting out a small groan. “He’s totally holding out.” She whimpered.
Jayde laughed.
“Either my monstrous belly and growing thighs are grossing him out, or he’s too scared to touch me. Either way, I’m about ready to just tie him down and force him to have sex with me. Goddamned hormones.”

-

Alison stared down at her phone before letting out a scream. “Oh my god!”
Noah and Mason stared at their mother. “What is it?” Noah asked. Both of their phones vibrated simultaneously, and the brother’s both pulled out their phones, giving each other a questioning look. What popped up on each of their screens also began popping up on everyone else’s too. Nearly everyone at the family barbeque had gotten the same text. A picture message.

It wasn’t soon after that everyone was chatting away, excitedly talking about the new information. It was widely known that the curly-haired blonde Everdeen girl was currently at school in New York, attending one of the best schools in the U.S. It was also common knowledge that a certain boy had followed her there less than a year later, for no reason other than that he couldn’t be without her. But, even though the mass text Emma had sent out should have been less than surprising, it still shocked everyone there.

It was Noah who got her onto the phone first.
“Oh look. I know, I told you they’d be calling-” Emma spoke to whoever was with her. “Noah?”
“Hey, baby sis. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’m so thrilled!”
“Good luck with the ol’ ball and chain. To be honest, I always thought I’d be married before you. After all, I’m the one with the kid. I better still be the one with a kid-”

“Is that her?” His mother called from a few feet away, rushing closer to him. “I want to talk to her. Give me the phone-”
“Wait a sec, Ma-” Noah said, holding the phone away from her.

“She’s already going crazy, isn’t she?” Emma said with a small giggle.
“Yeah. Momzilla has arrived.” This earned another laugh from the girl.
“You better just give her the phone.”
“Fine. I’ll call you tomorrow, or we’ll Skype. Soph wants to see you.” With a chuckle, Noah finally handed the phone off to his mother. “You’re so impatient!”

“Shooossh.” Alison was bubbling with excitement when she was finally given the phone. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so happy for you! Tell me everything! Let me talk to Malachi, no wait, just put it on speakerphone.” Alison spoke enthusiastically into the phone, walking into the house. Noah shook his head and went to go build a plate of food for Sophia.

-

“How’s it going?” Kacie asked, attempting to peer over his raised knees, which were propping up his sketchpad, only to be blocked once again. Lucas gave her a look, one that conveyed a very firm, ‘not happening.’ “Oh come on!” She whined, “You’ve been keeping this one from me for weeks now! Just a little peek, pleeeaasse?” Kacie puffed out her bottom lip in an effort to pressure him to give it up. He wouldn’t budge.
“You aren’t seeing it until it’s done.” Lucas asserted. With a very exaggerated sigh, Kacie plopped down on the bed in her old bedroom, covering her eyes with folded arms. Lucas let out a little chuckle at her expense. Kacie uncovered her eyes and lifted up on her elbow to glare at him and stick out her tongue. Yes, she went there. She wasn’t above acting like a child sometimes.
“It’s worth the wait.” He said after a few minutes of Kacie staring at the ceiling. She didn’t look at him, or even acknowledge that he had spoken. He was probably right. For some reason, Lucas Howard was almost always right when it came to their arguments, as few and far between as they were, but that was highly due to the fact that Kacie was an impatient and nosy girl. It infuriated her to be wrong, but it wasn’t so bad when he was right. He didn’t throw it in her face like others did.
“I know.” She mumbled a minute later. “But you’re always working on it when I’m around. I can’t help but be curious about it.”

Lucas just smiled, turning his attention back to the detailed drawing in front of him. She couldn’t see it until it was perfect. He worked on it when she was around because he preferred the live reference rather than just a picture, even if she rarely sat still enough for him to get the perfect shadowing on the panes of her face. It had been really hard keeping it from her with as much time as they spent together, but it really was worth it. He just hoped that she would like it when it was finally done, rather than think he was a complete creep for drawing her face pretty much non-stop for over a month.

“Hey.” Kacie said, getting his attention. “Why don’t you put that down and come kiss me?”
His eyes widened, automatically looking for the door, which was closed. “Uh..”
“Lucas, come on. The door has a lock if you’re worried about it. And we’re adults- they expect us to be doing a lot more than that.” She rose from the bed and he quickly closed the book, placing it in the chair he had just vacated. Lucas placed a tentative kiss on her smiling lips. That wasn’t enough for the girl, so wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. “I mean it, kiss me.” She demanded. His arms instinctively wound around her waist.

It wasn’t long before all thoughts about being caught and the fact that they were in her mother’s home were forgotten. Soon, she had him completely absorbed. She loved when he got like this, when he forgot about his insecurities, when he became bold and just unleashed it all, but she had to get him going first. It was when she straddled him that he pulled away to breathe, shaking his head slightly. Her hands were on either side of his head to hold herself above him, her long brown hair like a curtain around them, the tips tickling his face. Lucas’ hands were frozen where they had just traveled underneath her shirt.

She could tell that he was starting to clam up, so she shifted her weight onto one arm and ran her free hand into his hair. His blue eyes watched her. “You’re such a gentleman.” She said softly. “But sometimes you need to keep it from holding you back.” The hand that she had placed in his hair slid down to his check, and she lowered her wait onto him, earning a tiny growl and his tightened grip on her skin. “Just let it out, Lucas.” She said, her voice a breathy whisper. “Give in.” Those last two words were all it. He gave in alright.

-

[Alisha]

Date Set: Roughly June 2021
Completion Status: Incomplete


“Why is the line so damn long today?” She sighed, a groan ready to escape her lips. If there was one thing about Cybill Grey, it was that she was horribly impatient. She had been this way ever since he first met her, ten years ago. It only seemed to get worse when she was pregnant, and her impatience matched with cravings? Mason was left fighting a futile fight to keep her content and stress free. Cybill? Stress free? Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“Honey, it’s three pm on a Friday, everyone just got paid. It’s going to be a bit of a wait.” He soothed, running his thumb along the back of her hand.
She rolled her eyes. “If you would have driven a little faster back from San Diego we could have beat the rush.” Mason chuckled, shaking his head. That move earned him a glare.

As much as she loved making a scene, for some reason, today she didn’t. She just wanted to get the hell out of the bank as soon as possible and off her feet. They, along with her back, were starting to hurt. Cybill remained silent for a few minutes, until she bit her lip and looked at Mason. He knew that look.

“What?” He asked, laughter in his eyes.
“Do you love me?” She asked. She wanted something.
“Of course I do. What is it?”
“The baby wants Jamba Juice.”
“You don’t even like Jamba Juice.”
“Well, this one didn’t get the memo.” She replied, gesturing to her growing belly. She was about five months along now, and absolutely beautiful.
“Does it have to be right now?”
“Yeeess.” She sighed, “This line is getting ridiculous, and I’m pretty sure that guy up front is going to take a while, he looked pissed.”
“Why don’t we just go together? We can come back later or tomorrow, when it’s less busy.”
She shook her head. So stubborn. “I don’t want to have to come back. I just want to get it over with.”
“Fine. I’ll be back in a few minutes. You want something with strawberries, right?”
Cybill nodded, giving him a large smile. Mason returned her smile, and leaned down to place a kiss on her lips. “Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone.” He teased, and left her behind in search of her fruity confection.

The nearest location was only across the street from the bank, so he planned to be in and out rather quickly. It only took him a few minutes to drive to the other side of the street, and make his way into the shop. But, he received a call while he was in line.
“Hello?” He said into the receiver, balancing his phone between his head and his shoulder so he could fish his wallet out of his pocket.
“Hi Daddy!”
“Hey, Ellie bear! How’s my girl?” He said to his five year old daughter.
“I’m good, Daddy. I miss you. When are ya gonna comes home? How’s Mommy? Did the baby get out of her tummy yet?” She fired the questions at him, ever the talkative little girl.
“Sweetheart, you’ve got to slow down.” At this point, he had made it to the counter, and quickly spoke his order to the cashier, flashing a smile in her direction. “I miss you too, and Mommy is doing great. She’s a little cranky.” Ellie giggled.
“Likes when I don wanna get up in da mornin?”
“Exactly like that. Your little brother isn’t going to be here for another four months, honey. After Halloween.”
“Ooooh. Auntie Emma says I gots to let Logan talks to you now. I love you, Daddy!”
“I love you too, Ellie. Hey, buddy….”