••We'll Start All Over

[Madison Abigail Coltrain]

Like any good turn around, Madison was up with the sun to push herself through the day and prove her to herself she was better than the day before. Once upon a time, she would stay up all night, drinking and getting high with a group of people who were just like her. And then she broke her parents’ heart, her sister’s heart and things changed. Her past wasn’t a secret, but she didn’t go around flaunting it either. It just wasn’t anybody’s business in her eyes. It had been a little over a year now since everything happened and her eyes were opened; she wanted to stay this way for a very long time; which was why she woke up so early. And now her only vices were working out and coffee. So once she rolled herself out of bed, she put on the work out DVD, followed it up with an hour of yoga and hit the shower all before she had her first cup of java.

From there it was two cups before she even left the house, got dressed or did her makeup and hair. She had a schedule for a reason; so she would never let herself relapse. When she went out with friends, she was the sober one getting them all home, even though she was hardly old enough to walk through the doors of any club in New York. But she learned at a young age if you acted like you owned the place, they didn’t ask too many questions. But those helpful hints only helped to make sure nothing bad happened to her friends. She’d had her fair share of black out nights and she was done with them. Checking her watch, she gauged she had some time before she started her shift for a little Madison time and after gathering her phone, bag and keys, locked up and headed out for a couple hours of retail therapy. She didn’t really need anything new for herself but her sister’s birthday was coming up and Madison loved splurging on Jessie. Plus, all the money she made working in the gift shop of the Museum of Natural History was hers to do as she pleased since the deal she’d made with her parents still basically had her under their control until she was five full years sober with not even a drink. She was one year in and not really caring that she had to go to the doctor once a month and have a few tests done to prove her sobriety.

A couple hours later, she stepped out of the last shop and pulled out her phone. Quickly she texted a fellow gift shop employee for his coffee order since she usually picked up for whoever was working with her and headed over to Starbucks. The reply was there by the time she walked through the doors and ordered, paid and collected and continued on her way work. Madison loved her job, she got to interact with all sorts of people and spend time in one of the best museums in New York City; it was great. Walking through the lobby, Madison dropped off the two black coffees to the security guards and headed over to the gift shop and Cash. “Good Morning, Cash, I grabbed some chocolate almond biscotti, too,” she said, spotting him. Setting the coffees on the counter, Maddie went around to the other side and signed herself into her computer and tossed her small shopping bags underneath before taking her coffee from the tray and shoving that into the recycling bin. She pulled her purse off her shoulder; taking out the brown Starbucks paper bag and setting that on the counter before letting her bag meet her new purchases again. ”Sorry, I didn’t think to ask if you wanted anything special to eat from there,” she added, smiling apologetically as she held out the bag for him.

Tag || Cash!
Words || 658
Clothes || Distressed Dress
Music || Maybe Tonight -- The Summer Set
Notes || <3

[Cash August Dillon]

Cash slept with his blind open. It was an old habit and one he preferred to keep. He liked seeing the sun rise through the gaps in the buildings and with the east facing bedroom of his small apartment, it acted as a natural alarm clock for him during the summer months. The daylight woke him around five each morning, and his alarm was set for six, just in case. He preferred having a lazier start to the day, just to take him time and savour the fact that there wasn’t a houseful of men fighting to get into the bathroom first. Usually, by seven he was showered, fed and making his mental plans for the rest of the day. Since it was summer and he had the free time, Cash had picked up some voluntary hours down at the animal shelter. It was a little more chaotic down there than the one he was used to back in Lawrence, but he was still working with the animals he loved dearly. He wasn’t due in there today, but since his shift at the National History Museum wasn’t until ten and he had no errands to run, Cash decided to swing on by and see if they needed an extra set of hands for a few hours.

He was hardly surprised when a relieved face appeared as he knocked loudly on the glass for someone to unlock the doors. They didn’t usually let the public in until around nine, but all the animals had to be fed and taken care of by then and it was hard work when there was only one or two staff on that early in the day. He made polite, quiet conversation with the two older women as they went about the necessary chores and Cash was hardly surprised when he ended up with a few long red scratches up his arm from one of the grumpier cats who didn’t seem to like him disturbing her, even if he did bring food. He still had very faint scars from Lawrence’s shelter running along both of his arms. Luckily they were only noticeable if someone really looked, or if Cash had spent a little long in the sun and caught a bit of a tan. The time passed by quickly enough and his blue eyes just caught sight of the clock in time to make a hasty goodbye and climb back into the beaten up truck that hadn’t let him down once in the years that he had owned it. Sure, it was more suited to Kansas than New York, but Cash didn’t care about appearances; his or anyone else’s.

The young vet-to-be made it to the museum in plenty of time and weaved through one of the busier tour groups to make his way to the shop where he took over from the little old woman who did a few hours here and there throughout the week. She was a little hard of hearing, but friendly enough. Cash helped her gather her things together before she left and then he took the time to organise the postcard rack. It always got messed up with visitors pawing through each image and then sticking them back in the wrong slots. He had just finished tidying them all up when Madison came in with the coffee he had asked for in the text, right before he had climbed out of his truck and walked the block to the museum. “Morning, Madison. Thanks.”

[/color] Cash was naturally a quiet man. He rarely spoke louder than was necessary or rambled on about nonsensical things. Too many times during his childhood had he been reprimanded for that, and even though the woman had been cruel and wrong when she scolded him, it still had a lasting effect on him. Moving back around to sit on one of the stools they had behind the counter, Cash smiled and shook his head. “Not a problem. I had a big breakfast today.”[/color] He took a small sip of his coffee to test the temperature and then broke off some of the biscotti. His breakfast had been a toasted bagel and a banana, but he wasn’t one to make a fuss or complain. It was enough to tie him over until his break later in the day. “So, how are you?”[/color] It was automatic for Cash to go through the polite pleasantries whenever he met someone for the first time in a day. He enjoyed taking the time to listen to people and hear about whatever was happening in their lives, even if he wasn’t the biggest fan of sharing his own news.
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• • •

TAGGED! Madison! <3
WORDS! 814!
OUTFIT! Quiet Boy!
LYRICS! Only Human - - - Tim McGraw
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Madison Abigail Coltrain]

Work was good for Madison. It kept her busy and it meant she had no time once the day was through for any extra hobbies. After the last couple of years, which were rocky at the best of times, having something to fill so much of her time was needed; especially during the summer months. She had wanted to do a summer programme but since she was only going into her freshman year, she hadn’t been eligible for any of the programmes she was interested in. All she had were the books she needed to have read before the first day of classes and her job. Both kept her busy though, and with hardly knowing anyone in the city, it was rare to be invited out on the town.

A small part of her hoped it stayed that way, even after she made friends in her classes. The club scene may have been fun to be a part of but it held too many ways to give in to the old ways and relapse hard. Maddie wanted to turn her life around, not just for herself but for her sister too. She’d spent too much time scaring her family; she didn’t want to put them through it again. The museum was a good place to give herself the fresh start she was after. Plus, she loved being in the Museum of Natural History. The exhibits alone were remarkable, add in the little bits the tour guides knew and added in for the amusement of the younger patrons and it was just plain fun to wander the halls on her breaks. Eventually, Madison wanted to find a place amongst the tour guides but she was quite happy selling trinkets to tourists.

“No problem at all. I was going anyway right, why not pick up for all?” Madison said grinning. Aside from her handful of years being addicted to this and that and spending all her allotted cash on herself for that, Maddie had hardly spent her money on herself. She liked her things but she paid for the quality so she didn’t have to shop a dozen times a week. She may have been a girl who loved clothes, but she was also the type to need to be in the mood to shop. Stopping for coffees was Madison’s way of going back to the old ways, before drugs and alcohol took over her life. “A big breakfast makes me feel a little better for completely forgetting,” she said with a small chuckle.

Brushing her hair from her eyes, Madison scanned the logged tours for the day, doing the math for the busy times. There was always someone wandering through the little shop she and Cash took care of but after the tours it got a little busier and Madison liked to be prepared for those times. “I would be so much better if Jessie would just tell me what she wanted for her birthday but alas she won’t even give me a clue so I have to settle with very well, thanks for asking. How’s your day been?” she asked, smiling as she lifted her coffee to her lips.

Tag || Cash!
Words || 529
Clothes || Distressed Dress
Music || Maybe Tonight -- The Summer Set
Notes || <3

[Cash August Dillon]

Cash was getting ready to enter his senior year of college and it felt like there was more work than ever to be done in preparation for it. He had bought the books, re-read the old texts he knew he needed to brush up on and had boosted his volunteer hours at the animal shelter so he had a little more experience to boast about. He rarely had to worry himself with parties and fitting a social life around his studies since he would always prefer his own company to that of a raging crowd who had enjoyed one too many beers and who had lost their morals on a temporary basis. He didn’t see the attraction in wild nights out or the people who thrived endlessly on them, piling up the regrets like he piled up laundry.

He had been in the city of bright lights and endless dreams for almost four years now, but Cash still felt like he was one of the new faces. He had crossed off the tourist things early enough, but with him only really knowing his way around the places relevant to him, he wasn’t the greatest guy to stop in the street for directions. He didn’t know the best night clubs or bars and on the nights he did go out with the few friends he had made, Cash always stuck to the quieter bars and was usually home at a time most students considered to be early in the evening. Quiet, reserved and often happy in his own little shell, Cash would rather go to bed at a reasonable time and have an early start to his day. It was one of the reasons why he preferred working in the quiet atmosphere of the museum than the bustling noises of a restaurant or bar. At least here he rarely felt frustrated by some of the things he could see during a few hours of work.

“I guess so. I suppose it keeps everyone that little bit happier, too.”

[/color] He commented in his usual quiet tones with just a small, friendly smile. Cash wasn’t the kind of guy who drank several cups of coffee a day, but he did enjoy a few so long as it wasn’t cheap and bitter. The rest of the time he was a water kind of guy, usually always having a large bottle with him, whether it was by his side or tossed on the passenger seat of his truck. It was the simple things that Cash preferred and since he pretty much solely lived off his museum wages it was the cheaper purchases that he went for and he had to prioritise his shopping needs. It was one of the reasons why he avoided the expensive coffee shops most of the time; there were other things he needed. “If you remembered you’d only be putting that little café round the corner out of business.”[/color] Cash often picked up a sandwich from there when he was working and he knew other employees did the same.

Chuckling almost silently, Cash brushed his fingers through his hair and then sipped from his drink again. “I’m afraid I just have the go-to of shirts for my brothers.”[/color] It was the easiest purchase and the one thing the brothers always seem to gift to each other. They never really had any demands or requests for birthdays and Christmas, so go-to presents were really the only way they’d ever make it through the year. “My day has been fine, thanks, but I don’t think I made a friend with Mister Mistoffelees.”[/color] He remarked, remembering the scratches on his arms and putting the cup down to check on them. They weren’t as sore looking as they had been earlier, but the skin was still red and raised slightly, to his dismay. It was part and parcel of his job and he wouldn’t change it for the world, but it still looked worse than it was.
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• • •

TAGGED! Madison! <3
WORDS! 666!
OUTFIT! Quiet Boy!
LYRICS! Only Human - - - Tim McGraw
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Madison Abigail Coltrain]

Madison loved working in the museum. She had wished that she’d gotten one of the coveted tour guide spots but they were taken and honestly, she didn’t know if she even knew enough to be one of the tour guides. She loved the Ancient world. Things seemed so simple back then, and Madison wished it was still that way. She was definitely born in the wrong century. But Madison still had four years ahead of her to figure things out and get a proper job in her field of choice. She wanted more than anything to be an archeologist. And when she found she had one of the best professor’s in the world. She’d read all about Athena Williams, her life and her family. It was inspiring and Maddie wanted to put her new life on track to follow as best she could in her professor’s footsteps. Eventually Madison hoped to have the grades and the skill to be accepted to one of Dr. Williams’ parent’s digs; first, she had to start school though.

But Maddie felt like she was going to do some good in New York. She had a good job, she had a nice apartment and she’d clearly made the grades to be admitted into one of the best Archaeology programmes in the country. She had friends in the group she worked with and that went a long way in helping her. It was safer for her to be around people, which was why she went after a job in such a public place. A pub, bar or nightclub would have probably ruined her and being around all those people in a mall or quaint little shop would have just sent the Nashville native to yell at them all. No, being at the museum was a good choice for her. There were enough people around that it was good but not so many that she wanted to scream. Plus, it didn’t hurt that she was surrounded by history; which was something she loved dearly. “I know it helps me.” Maddie joked, shaking her head. She had to replace all those addictions with something and that turned out to be cleaning, work and coffee.

Maddie sighed, knowing well the little café Cash was referring to. “Oh, I love their Panini’s! So yummy!” She said, acting like the foodie she really wasn’t. Madison ate because she had to, not because she was hungry often. She made sure she had at least a bagel and some sort of fruit with the first cup of coffee for the day, made sure there was a good lunch in her stomach on her break if she was at work, and snacks between the major meals. She had to keep up a healthy and balanced lifestyle. She had no choice and honestly, she didn’t think she would have changed it anyway. “I wish I could just ship off a couple new pieces for her wardrobe but for Jessie, clothes aren’t that big for her. And she’s more country than city.” Maddie said with a shrug. The sisters were like night and day. Madison was a city girl while Jessie was a country girl through and through. Maddie liked to get down in the dirt and dig around while Jessie didn’t like breaking a nail. Madison saw the irony in that but chose to ignore it. She would think of something, she just needed some time. One thing she did know what that her sister’s gift had to come from New York. She couldn’t get her mom to pick up something and slap her name on it. “You took up volunteer hours this morning? Any small doggies needing a good home?” She asked, intrigued. Maddie had two bearded Dragons at home but she was actively thinking about expanding the small family she’d created in New York.

Tag || Cash!
Words || 641
Clothes || Distressed Dress
Music || Maybe Tonight -- The Summer Set
Notes || <3

[Cash August Dillon]

Cash had taken this job in the museum purely because it was quiet, had reasonable times and didn’t push him beyond anything he was comfortable with. If he had been able to get a paying job at an animal shelter he would have been there in a heartbeat, but most of their staff were volunteers aside from the vets themselves and their assistants. Cash wasn’t quite there yet; he still had a year of school to go. However, bills had needed to be paid and his family wasn’t wealthy in any way, so he wanted to support himself with his museum job, choosing to volunteer as often as he could to grant him not only experience of working with animals but also the pleasure of doing something good for them. That had been the reason why he had chosen to study veterinary science in the first place; because he loved working with animals. He probably preferred animals to humans after everything he had witnessed and experienced, but he knew his older brother wouldn’t let him hide away with cats and dogs for the rest of his life. Erik already checked in and looked out for Cash more than he probably needed to, often interfering whenever he felt his little brother needed that push in the right direction. Most of the time it was unnecessary and Cash was just uncomfortable with it, but he knew Erik only did it because he worried and cared. After everything, he couldn’t blame him.

He would admit that he could seem confusing to strangers, but in reality Cash was a rather simple guy. It didn’t take a whole lot to make him happy and while he did keep some secrets under lock and key he didn’t do so maliciously. There were ghosts in his past who he didn’t want to disturb with memories and stories and opening up to people had never been something that came easily for him. He didn’t see those things as flaws though. He thought that sometimes the world could be too honest in what they shared with each other, especially with the unnecessary amount of social networking media that existed. Cash wasn’t a fan and he preferred the natural enigma of life rather than typing someone’s name into Google to see what popped up. Little things like how people took their coffee, if they even liked coffee, ought to be things learnt and not things discovered via Instagram. “I know some students who could probably make use out of an IV of the stuff.”

[/color] Especially around exam time. He saw them chugging back the cups in the library, practically inhaling the caffeine like their lives depended on it.

Grinning, an almost silent laugh passed his lips. The café was a good one and usually his stop if he finished work around the time he ought to eat. So far he had yet to find anything terrible on their menu, but that didn’t mean to say that the day wouldn’t come. “I prefer the wraps.”[/color] He admitted with a nonchalant shrug. The chicken Caesar one was the best he had ever eaten, even if he did often hesitate at the cost of it; it was worth it. Nodding, Cash sort of understood what Madison meant. Laurence was a city on a much smaller scale to that of New York or many other places and Cash certainly didn’t come across as a city boy with his beat up truck and mild temperament. His brothers weren’t like that either. There was a lot of New York’s magic that was lost on Cash and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. He didn’t see the pull of the nightlife, Broadway was just another busy street to him and many of the tourist attractions were just buildings. “I wish I could help, but I only have brothers.”[/color] He admitted with a helpless raise of his hands. There was his mother, he supposed, but she was hardly the kind of person anyone ought to take advice from or look up to. Cash didn’t and he dreaded the day that anyone from his life had the distinct experience of meeting the woman. Nodding his head, a slow grin crossed his handsome face. “There were a few, as always. Depends what you’re looking for really.”[/color] He sipped at his coffee again and waited for Madison to expand the conversation.
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• • •

TAGGED! Madison! <3
WORDS! 734!
OUTFIT! Quiet Boy!
LYRICS! Only Human - - - Tim McGraw
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Madison Abigail Coltrain]

Madison’s family wasn’t Nashville royalty by any means but they had wealth on their side. It was that money that got Madison in trouble in the first place, and it finally got her clean and sober. Hers was a funny sort of tale since she’d never been without self-confidence. She wasn’t the type of girl to think everyone was looking her way but at the same time, she knew she was having a good hair day or just a good day in general and felt good about it. But it was good to be in New York and away from the scene she’d left behind in Tennessee. She was much happier now than she was during those turbulent years. She was working a good job, she was in school and gone back to study a subject that had fascinated her from the time she was small. She may have seemed like she was high maintenance but she wasn’t, not really. She didn’t mind getting on her hands and knees and digging around in the dirt, looking for the remains of civilisations long since gone. She wouldn’t deny she liked her designer things, her specialty coffee but those were the things that replaced the drugs and the alcohol. Maddie was probably spending more money now that she did before but her parents were just so happy it wasn’t going towards getting high or black out drunk so it was something.

She was probably an interesting contradiction but that was who she was. She enjoyed pretty things, looking at priceless art and decorating her apartment with cheap little novelty baubles that made her smile and think about long ago memories. But those memories came with nightmares occasionally and restless nights filled with school work, text book reading and so many cups of coffee it was a miracle the young student didn’t overdose on caffeine. “One of them is sitting right here.” She said, laughing as she poked herself in the chest. If that were a possibility, those nights would see her walking around with an IV bag attached to her somehow and pure coffee being pushed through her veins. It was practically one of the first things she ever told people when she met them. A hello, a ‘My name is’ and an ‘I’m a coffee addict’ along with a soft laugh and that was her introduction speech almost exactly.

Madison wasn’t picky when it came to food. She would eat pretty much everything that was put in front of her. The manners her parents taught her when she was a small child were slowly but surely coming back to her. They went right out the window when she’d travelled down that not so good road of hers. But the food from the little café up the street was fantastic and Maddie habitually stopped for food whenever she was in the area. She would much rather the quaint little café over the big time-y franchised places. “They’re great, too!” Madison agreed easily. She’d tried quite a few things on menu though she hadn’t gotten through everything because she kept going back for her favourites. “It’s alright, thanks though. I’ll probably go to Macy’s or something.” She said with a sigh. Shopping for siblings was always a tough time. Even something as simple as a t-shirt was a difficult buy. If it was the wrong colour, wrong cut or whatever could have the gift, which had thought put into it occasionally, could be tossed to the back of the closet never to be seen again. Madison shrugged because she really hadn’t put much thought into a breed. “I was thinking something small, but not a Chihuahua and nothing that’s really yappy. My neighbours wouldn’t be too fond of that, I’m sure.” She said, thinking it through out loud.

Tag || Cash!
Words || 635
Clothes || Distressed Dress
Music || Maybe Tonight -- The Summer Set
Notes || <3

[Cash August Dillon]

Growing up, Cash’s life had been a mess. There were more boyfriends and step-fathers from his mom than there should ever be and while his dad tried his best with the three boys, the man wasn’t faultless either. Of course, Cash blamed the man for nothing and his mom just got a sigh, short answers and a shake of his head whenever she called him up or told him something. On a more positive light, it had shown him exactly what he didn’t want for his own life and had helped him find what he thought was the right path for him when he was still a young boy. He might still have some issues from those younger years, but Cash knew where he wanted to go in life and while he had classmates unsure of what they would do once college was over, Cash had most of his future set in stone and the rest he would take cautiously when it came his way. He was one kid who could definitely be known for not rushing into anything stupid without thinking it over first. Cash was careful, prepared for most things and definitely took the time before making any big decisions, usually consulting his brothers, too.

Chuckling lightly, Cash shook his head at his co-worker. He had never found himself hooked on caffeine like most students typically claimed to be. He just didn’t think too much of the beverage to make it a go-to thing. “I’m surprised there’s not a student society for it.”

[/color] He joked, shaking his head again before straightening up some leaflets advertising the newest exhibition that was coming the following month. There seemed to be a society or group for everything when he looked at the various posters pinned around the campus. None of them had ever interested him though, and Cash kept to himself mostly aside from group projects, work and the few friends he had in his study group and at the shelter when he volunteered.

Cash couldn’t help but to pull a face. He hated the department stores and the manic shoppers that flooded them the second the doors opened for business. New York was quite the opposite of what he liked and was used to, but the college programme had called to him most of all and the city was far enough away from Lawrence to give him the break he needed from it and the memories it held. He didn’t understand how people could shop like that and he usually put it off until the last minute when he needed gifts, just so he didn’t have to deal with the rowdy crowds who turned into possessed creatures when a sale sign was flashed in front of them. He was a little surprised he had never seen his mother at one, but luckily he knew she only descended to New York at Christmas for two days of unnecessary Christmas shopping. “Good luck anyway.”[/color] He offered, not being a seasoned shopper to offer much else. Now animals, was something different. It was his area of expertise if ever he had one. Cash leaned back, sipping at his drink and thinking about the information Madison slipped his way. Nodding his head while he thought, he shrugged and looked up at her with a friendly smile. “You would be best coming and seeing which one steals your heart with a look.”[/color] He told her honestly, having seen just how many people had found the right pet the second their eyes landed on them. “I mean, there are so many breeds that can be small; beagles, spaniels, terriers….I could go on all day.”[/color] He laughed quietly, knowing that he could easily spend the rest of his shift on this topic.
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• • •

TAGGED! Madison! <3
WORDS! 665!
OUTFIT! Quiet Boy!
LYRICS! Only Human - - - Tim McGraw
NOTES! <3 <3 <3