corner in your converse.

“Thank you,” Christian managed, though still begrudgingly. He still didn’t appreciate that Adelaide seemed to think her idea of “getting along” was so much better than his, but now that they were stuck at this restaurant together he supposed he would rather fight after they ate, at least. He tucked into the menu for a moment, then shifted the conversation. “I’ve never actually had Chicago pizza in Chicago, you know? I’ve just been to a couple places in the south that try to imitate it, I wonder if it’s as good as people say it is. Seems like a lot of sauce to me.”

     the change of topic is a welcome opportunity to get her mind off the tension that lingered between her cousin and someone she considered a friend. though some of her frustration lingers, addie follows christian’s lead and focuses on the menu. ‘ oh, you’re kidding ! i’ve never had it either. my parents brought me to chicago once when i was a kid, but we only ate healthy things, ’ she says, punctuating the word healthy with air quotes. ‘ and we only spent like, three days here. so it all feels new. ’ a shrug, and a brief pause as addie finishes perusing the options displayed on the menu. ‘ i bet it’ll be awesome, sauce and all ! the reputation has to come from somewhere, right ? which one are you getting ?--- ooh, we should probably split one. ’

As soon as she’s away from Adelaide’s infectious energy, she’s beginning to have doubts. It’s WORSE when she writes down names on the sign up list, littered with different people and various pop-songs and ‘80s ballads. People named Jenny and Aaliyah are singing Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart written in loopy cursive, Damian and Kennedy are singing Britney Spears’ Toxic, and an entire bachelorette party is taking on Country Roads. Then underneath: Elodie and Addie, Start of Something New. In an itty bitty parenthetical underneath, the initials HSM are written in perfect print. The nerves are back, and she quickly finds herself back at the other’s side. “ Don’t let me chicken out, okay? ” She surprises herself by saying it, though with eyes fixated on the makeshift stage in the corner of the bar, she can see why. She needs to do this, so have fun. Let loose, even slightly, without forcing inhibitions down and ending up caught on fire.  

     maybe it’s because addie’s been singing in front of people for as long as she can remember — an audience completely made up of supportive family members, sure, but an audience nonetheless — or maybe it’s because her unwavering optimism assures her that nothing could go wrong, but addie can’t think of a reason why anyone would chicken out of doing something as harmless as karaoke. still, she nods at elodie, a bright expression on her features. ‘ got it. i’ll drag you to the stage if needed, then, ’ she laughs, though addie does mean it. they’ve come this far, there’s no way she’s letting elodie back down from what she considers a mildly uncomfortable situation. especially when she’s not facing it by herself. ‘ besides, it’s not like i could sing the duet by myself so we’d lose our turn and completely miss out on the free fries,’ she adds, and her soft laughter is drowned out by the first notes of a song as a pair takes the stage. ‘ oh, look, they’re starting ! ’

“ I have all that I need to make today a great day ”the sounds of the youtube video echoed around the shared living area. “I am a powerful creator. I create the life I want and enjoy it.” jabari took a deep breath as he shifted his body from the lunge twist into an open hip downward facing dog. he twisted his ankle in the air, letting out a breath as he pushed his body into scorpion. his feet pointed downward as his body bent in a c-form. “I choose to think positively and create a wonderful and successful life for myself.” jabari repeated the mantra as he slowly flipped himself over to a standing position. finishing his morning yoga routine in a simple tree II pose. he took a deep breath, smiling and completing his mantra “I am valuable and will make powerful contributions to the world today.” jabari took a deep breath a closed his eyes, centering his chakra flow to his stomach, visualizing it slowly pushing through his pressure points and giving his body strength. not thinking about how weird it was for someone to be doing yoga in the middle of a living room – while alexa played ocean atmospheric sounds and an iphone propped up on a plant playing a positive mantra. jabari felt another presence in the room so he smiled brightly and turned “morning!! I heard this lil’place in chicago sells real good bavarian rye sunflower bread if ya’ wanna join me”  

         it’s early morning, too early for most of the others to be up, but addie’s biological clock makes it so that at this time, there’s no going back to bed. so, after having a shower that is  blissfuly free of any interruptions, addie makes her way towards the kitchen to put her time to good use, intent on making a grand breakfast for everyone to enjoy. caught up in the lists in her head reminding her of the ingredients she’d need to make enough pancakes to feed the group’s hungry mouths, she almost misses the presence in the living area until a phrase startles addie, nearly making her stumble over her own feet. addie quickly regains her composture, though, and decides to start sorting through the few groceries in the pantry to see what she could possibly cook out of them. as much as she tries to keep it down for the sake of the other, addie’s not the best at being sneaky. she bumps into cabinets three times within five minutes, and accidentally closes the fridge with a little too much force when she realizes the only carton of milk inside is empty. whatever question remained about whether or not her presence had been noticed was resolved when bari greeted her — thankfully, with characteristic brightness. ‘ i’d love to join you ! sounds fun‌ ! ’ addie has no idea what bavarian rye sunflower bread even is, but she’s hesitant to question it. at least it sounds healthy. ‘ i want to pick up some groceries too, since we’re pretty much all out and i was thinking about making pancakes for breakfast. thought people would enjoy it. ’

Judging by the anxiety that ran rampant in her, perhaps Elodie would have preferred the bookmark. However, she’s thankful for the opportunity to spend more time with Addie, one-on-one when not forced into bonding due to proximity. It made her feel more liked, more … accepted, in an environment where she’d expected nothing but painstaking loneliness. She supposed they were kindred spirits in a way, how they were so careful and gentle in their softness. It put her at ease, to know that there was someone else not invested in drama, but in kindness. And so: she believes Adelaide when encouragement is given and a smile, nervous and giggly, passes along delicate features. “ We should do High School Musical! ” She insists, though her eyes flick over the list anyway, absorbing titles she knew some of the lyrics to, at least. “ I mean, if you — if you want to. It’d be kinda funny to do our own karaoke duet of their karaoke duet. Even without a New Year’s countdown. ” Elodie had had to beg to watch Disney Channel, with thorough vetting from her mother and father on each episode and movie. She’d been on a strictly Veggie Tales diet until at least the fourth grade. “ But … no pressure. ”

         elodie’s excitement, a drastic change from her previous hesitation, is enough to get addie to nod at the first suggestion. she didn’t expect the younger to give in so quickly, considering her typically reserved nature. so though addie isn’t completely blind to the other’s nerves, her quick agreement on the song is an attempt to urge her on. to push her limits in a safe and comfortable way that puts neither elodie’s liver nor her skin at risk for any harm. no, adelaide knows that the worst case scenario is that elodie’s a bad singer and even then, it’s still a duet. any possible embarrassment would be faced with a friend by her side, one who’s been singing long enough to have made her fair share of mistakes. ‘ we should totally do high school musical ! ’ addie agrees immediately, and before elodie can object, she’s standing up by the booth and tucking her phone into her pocket. ‘ i think it’ll be great, so i’ll go write us down on the list right away before anyone else snatches that song up. which part do you want to sing, by the way ? your choice. ’

Considering his assertion that he was an adult and, therefore, mature, Christian didn’t react very reasonably to what Adelaide had to say. His pulse sped up again, and he could feel the tide of anger start its course through his veins. “Well, I am right, actually, and I don’t have anything to apologize for,” he maintained, his tone growing cold and expression somehow hardening further. At least, since it was Adelaide, he somehow resisted the usual instinct to raise his voice. He did show her some decency. “I am not apologizing, and I don’t need you treating me like a kid that you have to discipline. Obviously, I’m not going to be an asshole and come for her for no reason, which is getting along in my book, so you better leave it, Addie.”

          adelaide’s learned a lot ever since she started college. from anatomy to good bedside manner, but also, she’s learned about lost causes. she spent her childhood convinced that there was no such thing. that everyone could be saved. addie saw her mother getting children into loving family, her father putting the bad guys behind bars, and developed a rose-colored world view out of it. but then addie went into nursing and was forced to deal with harsher realities, like the stark realization that she was wrong, and sometimes she had to realize that there were limits as to what she could do. christian’s stubbornness is one of them now. ‘ fine, then. i’m leaving it. ’ she feels like he’s wrong, but knows in her heart that no amount of convincing will get him to budge. if anything, it’ll only result in him disregarding the soft spot they both know he has for her, and calling her out as he would with any other. ‘ we have very different views on what getting along means, but i can’t make you do anything. ’

Needless to say, Elodie was worried. Nervous, perhaps, was more apt. She was nervous that things would be weird between her and Addie after the campfire … issue. Admittedly, she’d been a little tense towards Addie since then, not because she expected immediate defense from the other, but because she figured Addie was MAD at her. Like fighting with Christian had been some grand betrayal in a budding friendship. But now, as she nervously picks at the sleeve of her dress, trying her hardest not to be awkward as they entered the karaoke bar and slid into a booth. She was grateful that Addie seemed to not hate her. She didn’t know if she could stand another person in that position. “ I … don’t know if I’m singing, yet, I told you. But I’ll take some of your fries. ” There’s emphasis on that, because both of them know with the slightest bit of pressure, Elodie will crack and agree. Maybe a duet would be less stressful. Marginally. 

         what adelaide views as being quick to forgive and move past any conflict, has been historically labeled by others as some kind of weakness. letting others walk over her, or for some with more radical views, a deficiency in her self respect. whatever the case, addie’s never been one to hold a grudge, especially now when she knows, deep down, that neither christian nor elodie were completely right. by the next day, she’d brushed off the events of the campfire and had eagerly tried to nurse hangovers and diffuse tensions to get friendships back to the point where they had once stood, accidentally disregarding elodie in the process. truth be told, she’s one of the people addie appreciates the most out of the group — a grand gesture like a fun outing feels far more right than a simple apology or a new handmade bookmark for elodie’s Bible. and because grand means grand, addie won’t let elodie spoil it with shyness — they’re going all out tonight. an alcohol-free all out.  addie gasps and places a dramatic hand on her chest as they settle into the booth. ‘ you’re kidding !‌ you can’t come to a karaoke bar and not do karaoke, elodie ! ’ addie reaches into the small purse she’s brought along and pulls out her phone, tapping on the notes app — where she’s curated a list of songs, ranging from britney spears to sound of music. ‘ here, you know if you really don’t want to i won’t pressure you into anything … but i picked out some of their best hits. i think you could kill it with i have a dream. or i could always be the troy to your gabriella. ’ 

he knew addie meant well; that her soft hand and gentle words, directing him toward the skyline, were meant to distract and calm him. unfortunately, it only took one look. one look down and that floating feeling disappeared. now it felt like falling. the queasiness came first, the lightheadedness following shortly after. before he could feel too overwhelmed, spencer decided to shut his eyes altogether and unintentionally tightened his fingers around hers — as if she was the only thing holding him up. in his head, ‘ fuck the skyline ’ was on a loop. but as he stood there is his own darkness, he realized he was missing out on one of the only things that could bring a smile to his face. so he brought himself back into the moment and took in the most beautiful view in front of him. then, he turned to see what she was smiling at. huh, skyline didn’t look half bad either.

he shuts his eyes, and the only silver lining addie can find is that he can’t see the concern etched on every frown line. she’s waiting for something — whether it’s another outburst, a sign of fear, anything. at this point, all addie knows is that she doesn’t know what to expect. however, she gets something better than what she could’ve hoped for, and the moment his eyes open again, she exhales and feels her worries leave her body in a single breath. he’s okay, she realizes. adelaide grins, and it’s pride and joy and admiration all at once. then, growing bashfulness as his eyes linger on her instead of the view behind them, and addie’s the first to look away as her cheeks turn pink. she turns to look at the skyline when he does, one hand still in his and the other wrapping around his waist as her head moves to rest on his chest. ‘ told you it was incredible, ’ she says, her eyes fixating on every detail. the windows in the buildings, the clouds moving across the sky at a relaxing pace, the sunshine illuminating every structure … it’s perfect. part of her wants to take out the camera she’s been carrying, but an overwhelming majority of her thoughts are fixated on staying almost completely still, her only movement being her thumb rubbing circles on the back of his hand, as if reminding him that she’s here.

a normal person might have acknowledged the hurt on the girls face. a normal person would have admitted guilt, would have apologized immediately for finding the brightest light in the world and snuffing it out. but it was common knowledge that spencer wasn’t normal. that he was a selfish, emotionless, stone cold prick. though he did feel bad, way deep down, showing that to addie would only encourage her to keep trying to get him to talk about his feelings. and who would spencer be if he started such nonsense? so he did what pricks do. he ignored her big doe eyes, the ones with tears brimming. he ignored her lips that trembled. “ you’re wrong. you want to go in the fucking box, so let’s just go already. ” and with that, he was walking past her, his hand gripping her arm and practically dragging her along. and his first thought, upon stepping in that glass box? like floating. addie’s voice echoed in his head in the same giddy tone she’d been using all morning. his hand naturally released her wrist and gravitated down, lacing his fingers with hers. but then he looked down.

         she wants to protest, to argue that he’s so clearly scared and tell him it’s okay so he won’t be ridiculous and face his fear with absolutely no preparation. but words fail her, and instead she follows spencer into the box she was so excited to walk into with no objections. he doesn’t want to talk now, so though it hurts addie to see him like this, she respects him enough not to force an unwanted conversation. and then … magic. one hundred and three stories above the ground, addie lets out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and grins at the sight in front of her — upset or not, she can’t deny that it’s wonderful. it’s something out of a dream. ‘ wow, ’ she breathes, and then adelaide feels spencer taking her hand. again, she doesn’t protest, only this time she looks over to give him a small smile — a peace offering, a silent i forgive you, so we can enjoy this moment. addie sees his eyes drift downwards, though, and she can’t help herself — wanting to help is in her nature, so before addie can think her actions through, her free hand comes to tip his chin up to avert his gaze from the drop below and turn it on her instead. ‘ hey, don’t, ’ she gently warns, ‘ you’ve barely looked at the skyline, silly. you’ve got to take it all in. there’s so many things to see, ’ and they both know addie doesn’t really care much about the chicago skyline, but her words aren’t empty — she cares about him, deeply, and is concerned about what would happen if spencer were to look down right away. one step at a time, she thinks to herself.

nothing could have prepared spencer for the look that addie gave him once she realized the truth. and worse than that? the feeling he got in this pit of his stomach as she asked the question they both already knew the answer to. he flinces at the pity in her voice, the way her eyes go wide with worry for him. this was not what he signed up for. his mouth opened but nothing came out. still, the redness of his face and the way his eyebrows scrunched together should have told her everything. he looked past her, where the skydeck attendant was trying to get his attention. ‘ next. you guys are up. ’ spencer tightened his fingers into fists and nodded, eyes flickering back to addie who was still looking at him like she wanted to help him. he’d rather jump from the top of the tower they were in than ever accept help from anyone. “ do i look like a pussy to you? ” he spat, the words coming out sharper than he intended. well… he couldn’t take them back now.

        first came concern. the knot in her throat when she felt like something was off with him, that he wasn’t being his sarcastic, teasing self as much as he usually was. a single, halfhearted joke — that had been it, and that wasn’t him. then came realization. the reason he was off — fear. he was scared of heights, and the two of them were about to step into a glass box over a hundred stories high. he’d accepted an invitation to push his fear to the limit, and he was understandably afraid. and apparently, from what adelaide had gathered, in denial until the last moment. she sees him visibly flinch when she makes that stupid, obvious question. painfully obvious. and concern comes rushing back to addie, and so does worry, and empathy, and guilt. too many feelings than she knows how to handle, all at once, and all she can think is oh no, oh no, oh no. her mind goes blank, and all the emotions rush to wrap a hand around her throat or squeeze her stomach, or sting her eyes — overly emotional, addie has to look away from spencer for a moment to keep herself from crying from how mad at herself she is to have put him in such a situation. but then suddenly, like a slap to the face, it’s shock. ‘ what ? ’ her mind is reeling. she doesn’t understand — all the confusion boils down to a single emotion. she’s hurt. it shows in her wide, glossy eyes, now staring directly into his. in the small step she takes, away from spencer. in the fact that rather than spew some optimistic, motivational speech about how fear is human and okay and absolutely reasonable, and how she’s here for him and will be there through it all if he wants to go through with it, addie’s frozen in place. her world has just slowed to a halt, and for one horrible moment of hurt and confusion, she doesn’t know what to do.

he couldn’t help but give a breathy laugh at her response. she had no idea just how right she was; spencer had no intentions of letting go of the girl once they were inside the box of doom, and it was definitely more for his sake than hers. he couldn’t believe her optimism most days, and today was no exception. addie was the only person he knew that would welcome something so terrifying, and considered it a pleasurable experience. thankfully, the pressure of her leaning against him provides a sense of comfort, and he sighs peacefully when she crosses her arms over his. maybe it won’t be that bad, he thought. they moved along steadily in the line, never letting go of one another, until they finally got close enough for spencer to realize just how wrong he was. he couldn’t help but pull away from addie, backing up out of instinct and subconsciously tugging his earlobe — a nervous tic that only revealed itself when his anxiety was at its peak. “ oh fuck no, ” he whispered, watching a group of kids jump inside the glass box. “ they’re literally jumping, do they have a death wish? ” his question was to no one in particular, because for a moment he had completely forgotten that he was with addie — and that he was supposed to be keeping his shit together for her.

         the arms around her are a welcome presence, and she spends most of the line gently tracing patterns on the back of one of spencer’s hands as a way to contain her eagerness. if it were up to her, she’d be raving about how excited she is to get on the ledge. it’s nothing like she’s ever seen before, a calculated thrill that addie’s excited for. yet something feels off in the atmosphere, and she can’t put a finger on what it is until they’re close enough to peek out the window at those already in the box and spencer’s arms are no longer around her. usually, she would’ve shrugged it off — but then adelaide hears him whisper something barely audible, and turns around to a sight she thought she’d never see. spencer, showing clear signs of fear. she’s dealt with enough patients when interning in hospitals to easily recognize the look of panic on a person’s face, to know when someone needs her reassurance. adelaide’s immediately concerned, because this isn’t a stranger in a hospital — it’s her friend, who doesn’t look nearly as excited as she does but rather like he’s about to pass out at any given moment … and suddenly it hits addie and concern is replaced by realization as she asks a question she already knows the answer to. ‘ spencer … are you scared of heights ? ’

          it’s been a couple days since the bonfire fiasco, enough for adelaide to swallow her pride and forgive both christian and spencer for their childlike actions. not that it was addie they had to apologize to, which was something she’d made clear to her cousin. it’s elodie, the person that got the worst of it all. addie’s liked elodie since they met, as she could see the evident similarities in their personalities. the softness, the shared smiles … it made addie want to welcome elodie with open arms when she joined the group for their road trip. now, she feels guilty, like she’s failed the other girl not only for letting things get as wildly out of hand as they did, but for taking christian’s side in the conflict. a night out felt like the perfect olive branch — an excuse for them to get some time free from the chaos that seems to be so characteristic of their group by now, and a way for them to move past the events of the bonfire and reestablish their budding friendship. as her band’s vocalist, karaoke was one of the first options that came to mind, and addie was nothing short of thrilled when elodie agreed. now, she opens the door to the karaoke bar and gestures for elodie to go in first. ‘ this is it ! the reviews said the food’s good and the karaoke’s really fun, so i’m sure we’ll have a great time. plus, if you sing, you get free fries ! ’

“It may have escalated more than it should have, but that doesn’t mean everything I said wasn’t true and right. I’m not going to apologize for giving her the truth, especially not after she asked for it,” Christian insisted, his expression growing crosser by the second. “I don’t have anything to say to Elodie, and I’d prefer it if she kept her mouth shut too, considering she’s never said anything that wasn’t just completely shitting on me, even passive aggressively.” Hyperbole, of course, but perhaps Christian cared a little more than he tried to let on. (”Perhaps.” Obviously, more like it.) “Don’t do this to me, Addie, I know you just want everyone to sing Kumbaya all the time, but we’re fucking adults we don’t have to like each other.”

         adelaide sighs in defeat as he starts speaking and lets her head drop for a moment, in an attempt to gather her thoughts. he’s always been stubborn, so his reaction is no surprise, but her unwavering optimism had hoped that he’d understand her point and maybe side with her just as she always sides with him. there’s a moment of uncomfortable silence as addie moves to slump against the back of her chair and avoids christian’s gaze, tapping her fingertips on the table as she struggles to find a way to get through to him. ‘ i don’t think you’re right, ’ she states, and her bluntness surprises even addie herself — but she won’t lie and pretend to condone his actions, ‘  nor do i expect everyone to be best friends. but like you said, we’re all adults and because of that, i thought everyone would be mature enough to get along. ’ she’s not used to speaking like this. though her tone is gentle as always, there’s a hint of harshness to the words said — an unspoken grow up, swallow your pride. ‘ an apology is the least you could do, christian. it’s not singing kumbaya, it’s just… ’ not being an asshole. addie thanks god for her filter, and is able to catch herself before saying something that would most likely end this mess of a conversation with a slam of the door. ‘ it’s just being nice. please promise me you’ll at least think about apologizing. ’

he laughed at her response, never failing to be amused by her innocence. he knew flipping off the camera would likely void their photo, which meant adelaide wouldn’t get a photo of herself in the glass box, and that would just be cruel of him. she kept babbling on, and spencer thought that floating felt like the wrong word for it, though he would never say that to her aloud. “ we should definitely go in together, right? ” he asked. not wanting to give away his obvious need to definitely not be alone in that fucking box, he tried to think quickly of a good reason. “ that way, if we fall to our death, you’ll at least get to hold on to me on the way down. lucky you, ” he teased. by now, his grip on her shoulders had transformed to his arms all the way around her, his head resting on her shoulder from behind. he couldn’t remember how he and addie had gotten so close, but it probably had something to do with christian. who, by the way, would kill him for how he was hanging all over his cousin if he was here right now.

          the line starts moving forward at a steady pace, and each step forward only makes addie’s smile grow. she’s beaming by now, radiating excitement, and counting the seconds left until it’s her turn. she tilts her head slightly, enough to look him in the eye when he practically declares that they’re going in together. originally, adelaide was just going to agree. however, his next comment catches her off guard and she turns away so a strand of hair blissfully blocks off her face long enough for the hint of rosiness on her cheeks to dissipate. addie fakes a soft laugh until she’s had enough time to come up with some kind of a comeback, and weak as it is, she goes along with whatever pops to mind first. ‘ actually, it looks like it’d be the other way around, so lucky you, ’ she teases as she gestures at the arms around her. yet rather than imply he should let go, addie does the opposite, slightly leaning into spencer and resting her hands over his arms. ‘ but sure, let’s go in together. it’s almost our turn anyways. ’ 

for a moment, spencer was distracted by the giddiness in her voice and the pet name that fell from her lips. he allowed her to drag him into the building, and immediately they were one with the large crowd. as they boarded the elevator, though, the uneasiness settled right back into the pit of his stomach. squeezing in with about fifteen other people, spencer made sure to put addie behind him so nobody would get any funny ideas. the last thing they needed was to get escorted out because spencer lost his shit on some guy getting handsy. about half way up his ears popped, and turned his head to see if addie had experienced it too. the smile on her face all but forced him to return one, and suddenly the kid next to them started crying. for some reason, it made spencer feel better. finally, they were stepping off the elevator and standing on top of the world — or so it felt. and that feeling? spencer would equate it with absolute terror. but it seemed like it was translating as outstanding to adelaide, so he kept his mouth shut and put his hands on her shoulders as they stepped into line again. giving them a squeeze, he bent over and whispered in her ear, “ think i’ll get in trouble for flipping off the camera? ”

          the elevator ride that takes them upwards is exhilarating. despite her awkward spot, tucked into a corner for reasons unknown to her, addie enjoys it. she even somewhat enjoys her brief conversation with the child who starts crying, which promptly causes her to bend down to their eye level and do her best to comfort them, pointing out sights and birds through the window. after a bit of chatting — and a gift of one of the lollipops she’d been keeping in her purse as a snack — addie feels like she’s done her best, and turns her attention back to their surroundings. ‘ wow, ’ she exhales, as she takes in the view. ferris wheels and the “ skyscrapers ” she’s visited in the past pale in comparison. this is what she imagines the world to look like from heaven. spencer’s hands on her shoulders, leading her to the line, are a welcome gesture that snaps her out of her daydream, and his question elicits a wholehearted, giddy laugh. ‘ you should get in trouble. this is a family location,’ she says, only half joking. ‘ isn’t this view just ... incredible ? i can’t wait to get in the box. it’ll be like floating. are you going in with me or by yourself, by the way ? ’

( * / @adclaide ! ) sweaty palms? check. increased breathing? check. knots in his stomach and tightness in his chest? double check. all the symptoms of his anxiety were in full swing as spencer tried to hide the fact that just the sight of the willis tower made him physically ill. a flashing sign above him boasted that the ledge was 1353 feet and 103 stories up, which effectively drained the blood from his face. he smiled nervously at addie, who wasn’t even paying attention to him as she glanced around at all the sights and people. he would never share his fear of heights with anyone, especially not her. she would either tease him about it until the end of time, effectively sharing the news with the rest of the gang, or she would think he was a chicken shit. he wasn’t sure which was worse. all he knew was that in this moment, adelaide’s eyes were sparkling with wonder and excitement — there was no way he was ruining this for her. so he acted normal, stood in line next to her, and regrettably purchased two entry tickets for the infamous sky deck.

         sky deck. even the name sounds magical. the pictures adelaide found online made it look like something a digital artist would create, some impossible concept rather than tangible reality she could step into. one hundred and three stories, the websites boasted, in a way that made addie impossibly giddy from the moment she read through enough ads (‌three ) to convince her that she wasn’t leaving chicago until standing in a glass case  1.353 feet from the ground. the number doesn’t even feel real, and by the time they’re at the entrance, addie’s bouncing on the heels of her feet. she’s only snuck a couple glances at spencer, and they’re enough for her to see that he’s not nearly as excited about this adventure as she is. then again, people don’t tend to match her excitement, and spencer has never seemed like the type to flash the biggest grin he can muster at the person who sells them their tickets and rush inside, counting down seconds until they’re there. so addie pays no mind to it as they enter the tower, she just lets her fingers encircle his wrist and tug him along behind her. ‘ come on, honey bun, hurry up ! we’ve gotta get the best view ! you can see everything from up here, it’s unbelievable, ’ she gushes, oblivious to the amount of anxiety rushing in the veins of the man next to her.

Christian’s face immediately fell when Adelaide delivered her entirely gratuitous constructive criticism. He didn’t even want to have lunch with her any longer. Especially when she had to phrase it like that, like he was some child who needed to be coddled rather than risk a tantrum. “Oh, come on, Ads, Elodie’s the one that started it. She came looking for a fight, and I gave her what she wanted. She should be thanking me.” Though his words remained firmly casual for now, he felt his heartrate and anger start to pick up. If there was one person he always counted on to take his side, it was Adelaide Castillo, and she was not backing out of it now.

          she sees his face fall, and she feels the sting in her chest that’s so characteristic of the guilt adelaide associates with betraying family. addie knows it’s no more than a petty fight, one she hopes will be resolved soon enough to salvage the rest of the trip, but she doesn’t care for the conflict’s scale — whatever the case, a side needs to be taken, and she’s convinced that the only right thing to do is to side with family. however, that doesn’t mean that christian’s getting out of it unscathed. ‘ i know elodie ... started it, ’ she ultimately concedes, in a feeble attempt to soothe him, ‘ but i wouldn’t go as far as saying she should thank you. and you’re a very intelligent guy. you know that the two of you had had stuff to drink, we all did, so both your judgements were a little clouded. you know in moments like that it’s easy for things to escalate more than they should, and you know that considering the ... ’ person on fire ‘ situation, everything was a little crazy. adrenaline was running, tensions were high, the whole lot. ’ adelaide pauses, before she delivers the one comment she knows he doesn’t want to hear — but someone has to say it, and if anyone’s getting out of it alive, addie knows it’s her. ‘ so i think once you’ve both had enough time to cool off, you two should have a proper conversation. and sooner or later, you both will apologize to each other for all the things you said. i’ll support you through anything, you know that, but i’m not backing down when it comes to that. ’ there it is, she’s dropped the bomb, and adelaide leans back and takes a sip of the water bottle she always carries as she awaits the rant that’s sure to come.