I'm Afraid of Never After

[Naia Reeve Pelletier]

Finals meant that Naia spent more hours in the campus library than at the quaint apartment she called home. She only had one left on Friday morning, but she was cramming like crazy for it, not wanting to take any chances when it came to all the hard work she had put in the rest of the year round. Still, there was only so much a girl could take and for Naia it came when she woke up with her head rest atop her textbooks and a dead leg. Stretching out, her jade eyes fell on the large clock over the archway to the section she had been camped in since class had finished just before lunch. It was later than she planned to be here until, but there was nothing that she could do to change that now. Naia gathered up her things slowly, placing the books in her bag and checking out the new ones to take home and look over tomorrow when she could do all of this in the comfort of her apartment and her pyjamas.

She couldn’t wait for all of this to be over and for summer to come. Once school was out for everyone her brothers had vowed to visit her and she missed them terribly. She also hoped to spend a bit more time with her friends, like Zoe and Reese. The pixie haired criminologist only saw him around the university campus from time to time, but they did chat still. Some were conversations about nothing of too great an importance and the rest were just polite pleasantries in passing, but Naia already knew that she liked hearing what she had to say. It was interesting, even if she didn’t understand all that much about chemistry.

Most of the lights were out in the classrooms and the offices. The corridors were only dimly lit and Naia fixed her hair and adjusted the strap of her bag as she walked, not used to the eerie silence of the long, deserted corridors that were usually constantly packed with students and the hustle and bustle of the college lifestyle. Still, she had her bed calling her now and Naia couldn’t wait to get to it either and slip off into a night of pleasant dreams where finals were not her top priority. The week would be over soon, but until there this daily slog would continue and her mind would be filled with case studies, names of men she had never met but knew all about and several other things that she hoped would prove beneficial when this final exam rolled around. Her hand closed around the bar to push the main door open when she heard something coming from the stairwell. Her eyes narrowed in confusion and she tilted her head to the side, wondering what it was making such a crash at this hour of the night. Curiosity got the better of her and she turned around, jogging back the way she came until she reached the turn for the stairwell, those pale green eyes of hers widening when she saw the figure sitting at the bottom, looking worse for wear. “Reese?! Oh my god, are you alright? What happened?”

[/color] She dropped her bag to the floor and crouched down next to him, her eyes filled with worry as she reached out to check him over, looking first for any blood.
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TAGGED! Reese!
WORDS! 604!
OUTFIT! Summer Cutie!
LYRICS! Since You’ve Been Around - - - Rosie Thomas
NOTES! <3

[reese morgan webb]

Finals, last minute assignments and practical experiments that seems determined to go wrong just because they could; Reese was not enjoying this week. It had been a bad week for his BMD too, and the late night in the chemistry labs had been to make up for the work he had fallen behind on because of the extra trips to the gym that he needed to squeeze in for the extra physiotherapy sessions. He knew things weren’t getting any easier and they never would, but he was also too proud to lessen the pain by succumbing to the doctor’s wishes of using crutches or a cane to help him get about from place to place. If he did that he would have to admit to there being a problem and he had managed to keep his condition a secret from everyone so far and he had no plans of that changing any time soon.

Jotting down the notes in his chemistry journal, Reese proceeded with his reaction experiment long after everyone else had vacated the labs for the night, many of them taking off for a drink or two in the city to celebrate finishing the projects they were working on. Reese hoped that this would be his last experiment as he poured the reactor into the beaker and then moved to monitor the results. He wanted to get home and maybe coerce his little sister into watching a movie or two with him before he turned in for the night. Sometimes, relaxing and just hanging out with Rhi was enough to keep his mind off of the pain and the disease that was slowly crippling him. That was exactly what he needed tonight, at least.

Luckily, the results were what he needed and he quickly tidied everything away, leaving the desk as though he hadn’t been there in the first place. The typing up of the report was something he could do tomorrow. He had the format of it saved to his laptop so it was just a matter of filling it all in, which was nothing more than two hours of work in the library at some point. Once his things were tucked away in his rucksack, Reese turned out the lights and began to make his way back down the corridors he knew so well. His legs were hurting damn bad, but he just had to deal with that until he got out of the university now. Turning towards the stairwell, Reese took his time, clinging to the handrail so tightly that his knuckles were white as he grimaced, forcing his legs down each step slowly. He only had half a dozen or so left to go, when the weight he placed on his left leg caused it to buckle beneath him, the pain intense enough that he lost his grip and his footing. He tumbled and bounced down the last lot of steps, landing in a heap at the bottom, groaning and waiting for the ache all over his body to subside. He heard the footsteps approaching, but couldn’t get up in time to act like everything was cool and then he heard the familiar voice of the pixie haired Canadian. If it was Naia, then she was less likely to believe that things were fine, but that didn’t stop him from trying. “I’m fine. I just slipped.” He grumbled, forcing himself to sit up at least. He rubbed his legs as though they were just a little sore instead of downright agonising, not wanting her to realise that there was something much bigger behind his fall.

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 622
Lyrics- I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD
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[Naia Reeve Pelletier]

Naia was naïve still in some ways, but she wasn’t stupid. Beneath the sweetheart exterior was a smart, intelligent and occasionally fiery young woman who had been through more than most people would think if they just looked at her. She didn’t have the issues others who had been in her situation had and she didn’t believe in using the darker parts of her past to validate anything that she did or any mistakes that she might make along the way. One thing she could do well, was detect when something wasn’t quite right. Maybe it was a natural skill or maybe she had picked it up from having four brothers who had, at times, hidden things from her for as long as they could until she had been able to either piece together the truth or pry the secrets from them with cookies and small surprises.

That was why the second she saw Reese at the bottom of the stairs she knew that there was something off. More often than not, when she bumped into him, he looked pained or distracted and if he was sitting down he’d be rubbing his leg and if they were walking then she’d occasionally detect a slight limp or hobble in his step as they parted ways. He put it down to cramp and left it at that, quickly making a joke and then changing the subject. At first Naia just thought he didn’t like being perceived as weak, but now she was starting to think there was more to it, especially when her jade eyes fell on his hands, clutching at his calves again. Naia knew a leg injury when she saw one and she felt foolish that it had taken so long to spot this in Reese when she herself had been through enough to confine her to a wheelchair for over a month and then crutches for another three after that. She was no nurse, but she knew the signs well enough to have spotted them by now. “Cramp again?”

[/color] She asked coolly, hoping to trip him up on his lies now that she knew they had to be nothing more than that. Still, her eyes checked him over, making sure he wasn’t hurt severely. There were no cuts or pouring blood, so that was a bonus, even if he clearly wasn’t okay right now.

“You’re not fine.”[/color] Naia said, raising her eyebrow as she examined the rest of him for anything that looked bad. Her eyes fell on his legs and the hands massaging them and she sighed, resting her hand on top of his to catch his attention. “Reese, what’s going on?”[/color] She asked softly, hoping that he would just tell her so that she didn’t have to try and push. She understood people’s need for privacy, but not when it came to something like this and the last thing she wanted was for him to hurt himself badly and have it be because of whatever it was that was affecting his legs.
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• • •

TAGGED! Reese!
WORDS! 543!
OUTFIT! Summer Cutie!
LYRICS! Since You’ve Been Around - - - Rosie Thomas
NOTES! <3

[reese morgan webb]

He really should’ve known better. It was only a matter of time before someone caught on to his illness and he had been hiding it for far too long now. How Rhi or his uncle hadn’t noticed anything strange was beyond him, but maybe he was just a better actor than he originally thought. Shame it was too late to change his major now; he probably could’ve sailed on through drama with skills like his; not that he particularly enjoyed lying to the people he cared about so much. Reese just didn’t want any fuss or for anyone to worry about him.

And then Naia had to come along. She seemed to be the first person to notice that his legs ‘cramped up’ a lot and while she was nice and apparently remained oblivious, Reese ought to have known better than to think that she would continue to shrug off the pain she often saw him in. There could only be so much before she started to wonder why he would cramp up so often and then came the questions that Reese wouldn’t have been prepared for and right now, as he sat at the bottom of the dimly lit stairwell, he realised that if he didn’t think of something fast that she would piece together the bits she knew to conclude that there was something medically wrong with him that had absolutely nothing to do with cramps. He hardly knew her that well, but he did know her enough to know that she wasn’t stupid. Naia was the kind of girl who cared, regardless of how well she knew a person, and they were the hardest to shrug off.

”Yeah, I just lost my footing with it.” He lied through gritted teeth, hoping that she would buy it and move on with the rest of her night. What was she still doing here so late, anyway? He was fine, apart from his BMD and a little ache where he had bounced off the bottom step, but she wouldn’t buy it until she had given him a good looking over, it seemed. His brown eyes watched her as she examined him from where she sat, concluding nothing, it seemed. He jumped at the feeling of her hand on his and his eyes stared down at it for a moment, taking in the silver claddagh ring she always wore and the neat fingernails that were unpolished but tidy. “There’s nothing going on. Don’t worry about me, Nai, I just fell. I’m a little clumsy.” He said, forcing a smile but remaining on the floor, not trusting his legs to remain loyal and support his story right now. No one had caught him out like this before and he just wanted her to believe him and let him go back to the secrecy of his condition like he had always done.

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 504
Lyrics- I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD
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[Naia Reeve Pelletier]

Naia hated seeing people hurt, especially those who she cared about. She might have only known Reese a short while, but he was still under that category of people. She liked him, liked hearing him talk about the things she didn’t understand and she enjoyed his company, regardless of how brief it was given their hectic schedules as the school year drew to a close. What she didn’t like, however, was being lied to and she knew right now that Reese was only acting like there was nothing wrong when there really was.

She sighed, sitting down on the floor instead of crouching; her ankle was starting to ache from holding all her weight and seemingly, Naia was the only one not stupid enough to aggravate such an injury. She always took care to make sure her ankle was good. After a long day of walking around the city she would rest it up, ice it just to be cautious and start each morning with a few gentle stretches that she had been told to do during her physiotherapy days back in Nova Scotia. The last thing she wanted was to put herself back in hospital and through more surgery. She shook her head and then flicked her light green eyes up to look at the man before her. “Reese, I have four brothers so I can tell when a guy is lying. I also know what a crippling leg can look like in someone.”

[/color] It wasn’t noticeable from afar, but Naia’s ankle was still badly scarred from the surgery and she remember vividly what the pain was like. It may not be the same thing that was causing Reese so much distress, but she still recognised the signs.

She glared at his attempt to brush it under the carpet as ‘one of those things’ and pushed herself to her feet, re-adjusting her bag and smoothing her hair back into position before holding her hand out to him for support. “Come on then. Stand up and let’s get out of here.”[/color] She met his eyes with a challenging twinkle in her own and then offered her hand again. “If there’s really nothing wrong then you should have no problem standing up.”[/color] She explained, knowing that this was the only way to catch someone out when their pride was leading to stubbornness. Like she had told him just a moment ago, she had four brothers and she could do this sort of thing all day without relenting or growing tired of it. Right now, she wasn’t going anywhere until she knew what was really going on and had made sure for herself that Reese really was okay.
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• • •

TAGGED! Reese!
WORDS! 484!
OUTFIT! Summer Cutie!
LYRICS! Since You’ve Been Around - - - Rosie Thomas
NOTES! <3

[reese morgan webb]

In the time he had known the pixie haired criminologist, Reese never thought for a moment that she might be hiding secrets of her own; at least not when it came to physical health. She was always so cheery and friendly and in his experience people who had suffered injuries or who had disorders like his own were far from that. The waiting room to his physical therapy was always full of sour faced patients and their partners who tried in vain to encourage them week in and week out. How they were able to stand by the people they loved through all of that was something Reese simply couldn’t fathom.

His eyes innocently glanced over Naia’s pale legs, looking for any noticeable signs of injuries. She only said one tiny thing, but it appeared to be heavily implied that she was talking from her own first hand experiences. He actually knew so little about her that it felt weird to be sitting here, finally caught out on his condition by a girl he knew the bare necessities about. Reese never thought anyone could be so good at reading him, especially not when he had done so much to keep Rhi and Nate clueless, which they seemed to be still. What could he tell her though? He wasn’t comfortable telling her the whole truth now, especially not when they were sitting at the bottom of the university stairwell.

Reese’s dark eyes followed her as she pushed herself back onto her feet and offered him her hand. He knew that the only way he could get up was to take it and then probably lean on her for support. There was no way he was driving home tonight either when his legs had taken a bad turn like this one. He should’ve known better than to hide it for so long without telling a soul. He sighed, shaking his head as he looked down at the floor. He felt ashamed to need her help for something so simple and couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze as he reached up for her hand, gripping it tightly to pull himself upright. Even then he didn’t let go, grabbing onto the staircase with the other to steady himself. The pain was still intense and he needed more than just her tiny, delicate hand to keep him moving now. “Nai, I can’t…” He grimaced, his jaw tight as he struggled to stay in this position with hardly any support now. His knuckles were white and he was scared of crushing her hand as he willed his legs not to cave in beneath him again, for reasons of his own pride. “I need to sit down.” He hissed, still struggling to remain in control right now. He didn’t want to collapse again or hurt Naia.

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 495
Lyrics- I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD
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[Naia Reeve Pelletier]

Naia hated seeing people in pain, but she couldn’t understand how some people could be too proud to admit when they were in agony. It was clear to her now that Reese was one of those people and that he was in considerably pain that was caused by something a lot more serious than cramp. She didn’t like that she had to push him to get him to actually knock some sense into him; there was nothing wrong with asking for help from time to time. She understood not wanting the sympathy of strangers or of those who simply knew him; she had been there herself twice. The first time had been after her mother had abandoned them and forced Naia to grow up several years before she ought to and the second was after the accident with the pothole that had ruined her ankle and stopped her hobby of dancing, leaving Naia with very little by way of releases; it may have been the thing that had drawn her to New York and a city so very different to the small town she called her home.

She had seen too many people trying to hide things in her life; her father when he couldn’t cope, Sky when he was having nightmares regularly, Dominic when he was cutting class. She had grown good at reading people and picking the lies from the truth. That didn’t mean that people didn’t catch her own from time to time and suck her into a believable lie that she either was too blind to see or simply didn’t want to see. Right now though, she had seen too much to believe Reese’s tale of leg cramp or another clumsy fall. Maybe if it hadn’t been the lie he had delivered several times to her then it would be a different matter, but it wasn’t and Reese would have to do something better if he intended to trick her this time.

Naia was a little relieved when Reese did seem to give in just enough to accept her hand. She didn’t want to see him in pain like this and she didn’t want to make it worse, but she needed him to confront the truth of the matter and actually admit that he needed some help, even if it was just now. She hadn’t known him long, but she already wanted to help him however she could. Wincing, she bit her lip as he gripped her hand and she steadied herself as he pulled himself up. He needed a little more help than she was expecting him to and she took a moment to balance herself out, noticing the pained expression on his face now. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

[/color] She said softly, moving closer and slipping her arm around his body, taking most of his weight on her small shoulders. It would be a struggle, but she could do it; she was a lot stronger than her delicate pixie appearance suggested, thanks to the physiotherapy and younger years of dancing. “Come on, there’s a bench just outside the main doors. Lean on me as much as you need to, Reese.”[/color] She said with a compassionate tone, taking the first step and almost dragging Reese with her until they were outside, the fresh air and the bench a salvation for both of them.
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• • •

TAGGED! Reese!
WORDS! 595!
OUTFIT! Summer Cutie!
LYRICS! Since You’ve Been Around - - - Rosie Thomas
NOTES! <3

[reese morgan webb]

Reese’s problem was that he didn’t want to be a burden. He didn’t want to be the reason why people cancelled plans or put their own desires second, just to try and make him happy or try to make him feel better on a bad day. His whole life he had been the big brother who looked after Rhi and the nephew who could take of himself and his sister in the big city once they had moved out of the family home. He didn’t want that image to fade and he didn’t want anyone to know the truth about his condition in case they thought he was incapable of being that guy they all knew and trusted. He didn’t want to let anyone down or disappoint the people closest to him. He wanted to keep everyone happy and in the dark for as long as he could, passing off pain as cramp or sprains until his voice was hoarse or the day came when he couldn’t get out of bed without needing help.

If some ethereal being had asked him a week ago who he thought would discover his secret first, his answer would not have been the pixie haired criminologist currently supporting him as he stood. If Reese had to choose anyone it would’ve been Rhi or Nate and even then it would’ve been a choice begrudgingly made by the shaggy haired chemistry student. How she had been able to figure him out worried Reese; if it was obvious to her, then why hadn’t anyone else been able to catch him out on his lies before now? What made Naia so different from everyone else that she could see the truth when no one else could? She wasn’t even a medical or nursing student to say that she recognised the condition in him. It baffled him to say the least.

He didn’t want to crush the girl, or knock her over, but he did need to lean on something or someone. Reese was a little startled when she managed to take his weight as easily as she did. For a tiny, fragile little thing, Naia seemed to have a reserve of strength that she had kept hidden from everyone, Reese included. They had only been in the company of each other for several minutes today, but already Reese could tell that he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets from people. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled, leaning on her as they walked. His legs were feeling a bit better from the relief Naia provided, but he felt pathetic and ridiculous being unable to walk on his own without any support. When they got outside, he practically collapsed on the bench, but he did feel better; the episode was passing now, but he didn’t think Naia would let it go so easily. He looked up at her and nodded slowly. “Thanks. I probably would’ve been there a while.” He said reluctantly, though he was grateful to the pixie haired woman.

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 525
Lyrics- I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD
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[Naia Reeve Pelletier]

Given the state Reese was in right now, Naia couldn’t understand how no one had noticed this sooner. She didn’t know if he told anyone about what his condition was, but for people to walk by and not put the pieces together the way that she had just seemed to imply how ignorant some people could be. Did Reese have friends who were oblivious to this? Family who hadn’t caught him in pain before? Maybe she was just more observant than most since she had spent her childhood trying to keep her brothers out of trouble, questioning and pushing them whenever she thought they had something to hide. Maybe it was just a part of the maternal side that she had been forced to develop after her mother had up and left them without so much as a word.

Naia lived to help people by now. She had done it since she was just a kid and now it was something that shaped her life and her dreams. She wanted to help people, change lives and help repair broken homes. Unlike some people she had experienced it first hand, taking on the stresses and pressures that no one her age should have had back then. She may not know what Reese was hiding, but she was determined to find out, if it was only to offer him someone to talk to, or call whenever things were bad and he needed a hand to get to or from campus. She drove most days anyway and had no problem picking others up; she did it for her other friends if the weather was bad or they had too many books or equipment to comfortably walk to their apartments.

“Don’t be.”

[/color] She strained out, focusing more on keeping them upright than holding a conversation. Reese didn’t need to apologise, she didn’t see it as a burden. Once he was settled on the bench, Naia took a moment for a deep breath and to stretch her shoulders and back out. She needed to take a second to recover from helping him outside, but it wasn’t like he had done any damage to her; she’d carried her brothers about when they were kids and her physiotherapy had involved a lot of weights to strengthen her mobility and what she could handle on her pinned ankle. “Don’t mention it.”[/color] She waved his thanks off with her hand and smiled at him before sitting next to him and smoothing out her dress. “So, do you want to tell me what happened? I can be pretty persistent.”[/color] She asked, trying to keep the situation light and less like an interrogation. She wanted to help Reese and hoped he let her; first of all by opening up and telling her the truth.
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TAGGED! Reese!
WORDS! 501!
OUTFIT! Summer Cutie!
LYRICS! Since You’ve Been Around - - - Rosie Thomas
NOTES! <3

[reese morgan webb]

Reese had worked hard and put the effort in to make sure that no one ever grew suspicious of his illness. He’d tease Rhi into getting him things from the kitchen if he didn’t think he’d be able to make it. He passed limps off as cramps or clumsy little accidents that he had been known for his whole life. He had lived a life of half-truths for a number of years now, passing physiotherapy appointments off as trips to the gym and hospital visits as library sessions or generally just spending time away from the apartment he shared with his sister. Reese was pretty lucky that Rhi wasn’t a student like him, because it meant that she’d never find out when he had been fibbing about studying or friends. He didn’t enjoy lying to her, but he didn’t want her to feel like she had to look out for him either, when he was big brother who should be taking care of her.

He wanted to ask Naia so many questions and find out what exactly he had done that clued her in. He had told the same stories to other people before and they had just gone with it, but she seemed to see right through the lies with great ease. It also seemed like there was no way that she was going to let it go unless she had some more specific answers and Reese felt like he had no other choice but to give them to her; it might be the only way to buy her silence on the matter, though he doubted that Naia was the kind of person who would stoop as low as blackmail. Taking a moment, he reached down to massage the ache away from his legs before turning his head to look back at the dark haired surprise sitting next to him. “I was diagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy when I was eighteen. It means the muscles in my lower body will keep getting weaker and weaker until eventually I’m trapped in a wheelchair.” He kept the explanation simple, choosing to omit the nitty gritty details that the doctors reeled off to him on a regular basis. “I have really bad episodes of spasms in my legs, mainly my calves; you’ve seen them when they hit me. Most days I can be fine, but other times it seems chronic. Tonight was one of the worst relapses in a while.” The pain was easing now, but he knew that he’d be limping until at least tomorrow morning; the episodes took a lot out of him.

Reese didn’t like talking about himself, so he quickly tried to find another topic to switch to. “So, how exactly did you know I was lying? Everyone else just thinks I’m a terrible klutz.” He threw her a small smile as he sat back against the wooden back of the bench, turning slightly so that he was facing her more. “What is it that makes you able to see what no one else could?” He still didn’t know how he felt about someone knowing his secret, but it had been the first time he had ever actually spoken about BMD to anyone so it was bound to take a bit of getting used to.

Tagged- Naia!
Words- 551
Lyrics- I’m Not Okay by My Chemical Romance
Clothes- Over here
Notes- xD
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[Naia Reeve Pelletier]

Naia could understand why people hid certain things; to protect those they loved, but she still found herself questioning them endlessly until they gave enough answers for her to accept it as the best option. Half of the time she didn’t mean to be rude or come across as insensitive, but she saw things from a family perspective and found herself asking how she would feel if she was the sister, daughter or mother in those circumstances. Still, she wasn’t going to break the lie and run off to tell anyone and everyone about the secrets; she was curious, but she wasn’t interfering.

She was a patient girl and a great listener who could happily help out anyone in need, even if they really just needed to rant and rave about a bad day. Naia didn’t have all the answers and there were plenty of people smarter than her, but she did have a big heart and all she ever wanted to do was help people in any way that she could. As Reese spoke, she sat there quietly with her hands folded in her lap, processing the information he gave her bit by bit. Once he was finished, she nodded her head, slowly taking it all in and piecing it together. It sounded awful and she couldn’t begin to imagine how much pain he must be in and how inconvenient such a condition must be, especially when Reese had his whole life ahead of him. “How have you managed to hide it from everyone else for so long?”

[/color] She asked softly, her light eyes filled with sympathy. Naia didn’t think she could do something like that and she didn’t know if she ought to be shocked or impressed, though she felt a little of both right now.

She noticed how he changed the topic, but she didn’t say anything. Instead she smiled and shrugged lightly. “I have a knack for reading people. It also doesn’t hurt that I have four younger brothers who have tried to lie to me their whole lives when they didn’t want me to know something. I got pretty good at noticing a person’s tells.”[/color] She explained softly. Looking up at him, Naia let out a gentle laugh and shrugged again, dropping her hands back to her lap. “I pay attention to people. I always have.”[/color] She offered, knowing no other answer to give him. It wasn’t often that people asked her such questions and she had never really spent that much time thinking about it. “How are you feeling now? Do you need a ride home?”[/color] It was getting late and she was pretty certain both of them could do with some dinner and relaxing after spending so long on the college campus, cramming for finals.
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• • •

TAGGED! Reese!
WORDS! 592!
OUTFIT! Summer Cutie!
LYRICS! Since You’ve Been Around - - - Rosie Thomas
NOTES! <3