Confessions Of A Wallflower

It wasn’t long until she was dangling from a net with an arrow from her knee that she realized what had happened. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she raised a brow at Audrey fucking Abbott. “Congratu-fucking-lations, Abbott, you’ve just made a few Projects back at St. Mary’s gasp and applaud you for what you just did.” Eyeing the girl as she moved towards her, taking all her items from her, she squirmed around in the net before growling at her. “You do know that I hold a power for a few hours before it leaves my system, correct? And I’ve been stalking everyone all day to see where they were going and what weapons they had. Didn’t peg you for a clever gal. Not too clever to know how my power works, however.” Ellie utilizes the intangibility power that she had replicated from Adela about an hour ago, meaning that it would wear off much later. Falling right through the net, she lands on the floor and grunts, pulling the arrow out but keeping her hands in the air. “Look, you have my items, you shot me in the fucking leg. What can I really do at this point?” Raising her brow, she held her hand up but kept the arrow in her hands tightly. If anything, all that Ellie would have to do was shove the head into Audrey’s throat to make her shut up. “You don’t want to hurt me, you want me to go, yet you’ll leave me out there to be hurt from a Program? Or –.” Cutting herself off as she heard something zoom in the background, she jumped towards Audrey and pressed her up against the door. Throwing her slightly bloodied hand on her mouth to suppress her breathing, she held her breath and then turned her body to the side. “Shhh,” she breathed, pulling her hand from her mouth as she moved towards the door. Immediately then, a Program breaks down the door that they were in and Ellie throws the arrow with as much force as she can. Except… it was like the Program was expecting her to do as such and so it grabbed the arrow, crushing it into little pixels. Furrowing her brows together, she turned to Audrey. “Fucking do something, Katniss Everdeen! You have all my goddamn weapons!”

The notion of being on screen for the world to see what she had done leaves a sour taste in her mouth. Surprisingly enough, amid the blood and gore of Project Play, to be put on display for all of St. Mary's to see was one of her largest qualms. But she doesn't allow herself to contemplate the issue too much, or dwell on Ellie's surprise for too long. There was no use. "I--" Dumbfounded, Audrey feels small. Not because another rich legacy girl was mocking her accomplishments, between Montgomery and the rest of the legacy crew, she was used to it. But because it was a solid reminder that Audrey could accomplish very little perfectly without Breanna by her side. Breanna, who would have known every little factoid and pattern within the virtual reality. It was a punch to her gut, a reminder of the woman she both loves and dislikes with equal passion. But her mouth shuts at her words, that is, until she is shoved against the wall. The taste of blood against her lips sends a shiver down her spine, but she keeps mute in her stance. Shuffling with her items, Audrey attempts to think of a way to send the program flying. The guns? The knives? The notion that she was being watched, or that she couldn't do this without Breanna left her feeling incompetent, allowing her to abandon all thought and reason. As the Program begins to shuffle over, her pulse begins to rise. Squinting her eyes shut, Audrey locates an arrow in her pouch and slings one right in its centre, only for the arrow to dissolve. Eyes wide, she instinctively grabs Ellie by wrist. She had an idea. "R-Run... Seriously, run!" Audrey insists, pushing Ellie's form forward as she sprints her out of the building, slamming the door shut. "We can't -- we can't stop it unless we do something different. It's like they're programmed to attend to our natural instincts."

She had been wandering for quite some time now, looking for the best vantage point to know what was happening around the town – the highest point. Ellie had been lucky enough to find herself some supplies which included two throwing knives attached at ankles, a handgun attached to her hip as well as extra magazine clips, adrenaline on the other side of her hip, as well as two phantom blade swords that crossed at her back since she was scaling a wall. Upon reaching the top, a smile curled at her lips as she spotted a project attempting to slink around the corner. Crouching down, she creeps on her toes and follows them for a while, not wanting to show herself until she’s found something good. It takes some time until they come up towards a building where the project looks around before entering the building. “Well, well, well. Have we found ourselves a hiding place already?” Chuckling to herself, Ellie hops off the building and holds onto one of the railings that pulls down to the ground before she lands onto her feet. Kicking the door open, she pulls the swords from her back and swings them in her hands. “Well, well, well. What the fuck do we have here?”

To say that Project Play was not Audrey Abbott's expertise was an understatement. She excelled in three things; anonymity, archery, and animal loving. Well, four if she included a certain brunette scientist. But much like her furry creatures, Audrey did not rely on plans or logistics, but on instinct alone. And while that may not count for much, certainly it would be enough to scrape her way onto the top three somehow. Moving along the city, Audrey maintained every bit of her stealth, avoiding the highly populated areas and keeping a keen eye on her surroundings. Every ajar door, every stench -- she paid attention to every little thing, and that is what kept her from the tight grasp of another project thus far. Still, she knew that she could not win without trying to stake her claim. With a state-of-the-art long bow and arrow, mechanically designed to send a paralyzing electric shock throughout the received, and a number of less useful items she had wrangled, Audrey set out a plan. Well, more like a plan fell into her lap which she went along with. Somewhere within the afternoon, she caught sight of Ellie Montgomery, one of the many intimidating legacies who made it a point to ignore her useless existence. But around her, at least, Ellie wouldn't have any s-gene advantage. And she, the anonymous wallflower, had every single advantage in terms of, well, being overlooked. Earlier in the day, she had set out a trap of sorts. Something she had learned from ole grammy Abbott herself when wrangling together farm animals. Using a net she had uncovered, she laid it flat on the sidewalk and concealed it by busting every light within its close radius. The ends of the net had magnetic hoists that would clasp together when triggered. Carefully walking about the city, luring Ellie in with her movements, she feels her heart drop against her chest. She didn't want to hurt her. Despite all her vices, she was just a lost girl like herself, trying to make it through St. Mary's unscathed. But she had to survive, at the very least, and she was out of options. As Ellie pushes through the door, Audrey falls back into her instincts quickly and does not hesitate to string a bow out and strike it against her knee. Immediately after, Audrey turns her attention to the mechanical triggers, eyeing it for a few seconds before effectively hitting one magnetic hoist, the angle making it possible for it to hit the other three. The net immediately wraps around the young girl, trapping her within its confines long enough for Audrey to move forward. Apologizing seemed only hypocritical at this point, so she simply lunges forward and pulls the gun from her hip. "I don't want to hurt you." Audrey immediately reassures her, save for the single bow that paralyzed her to the ground. Removing what remained of Ellie's belongings through the net, Audrey dowses them over her form before slicing through the net and releasing her. "Please... Please go." She insists for Ellie's sake, now unarmed and without any powers to rely on.

Despite the fact that the two of them had been somewhat estranged throughout the years, Breanna always knew that Audrey would have ultimately looked out for her. It happened time and time again when she felt totally and completely alone - Audrey was there by her side. Normally holding out a rabbit and trying to converse, but she was the only person that tried the way she did. And Breanna appreciated that - though the words would never be uttered to Audrey. Instead, she bought the girl new bows and arrows, she upgraded her computer, and tended to her wounds when the girl was hurt. Breanna was always an emotional person, but saying the good emotions to Audrey was… impossible. “It’s a fact, Audrey. You’ve been in Project Play already and you react the same way each time. I don’t understand the Projects - it’s like a surprise each time.” Shaking her head, her lips pressed together and she raised a brow as Audrey pointed the arrow to her. She never missed her target, Breanna knew that, and as such she didn’t even flinch when the arrow zoomed past her ear to Audrey’s target. “You never miss,” she says in a matter-of-fact tone, her facial expression remaining calm. Walking towards the side, she punches in her information and the hologram disappears around them. “You’re good at what you do, Audrey. You’re asking me what you’re going to do? You do what you always do: Go with your gut. You’ve always used my prep books as paper weights, anyways. What’s the point of trying to prepare when you’re so accustomed to winging everything?” The words came off a bit more bitter than she had expected, but that was Breanna Wentworth for you. Either way, the words were genuine for her: Audrey had something she was great at that was useful for Project Play. She needed to use that. “Are you allowed to bring in weapons? I’m working on a new design of bow and arrows with a paralysis toxin. The paralysis lasts only a few minutes, but it would be enough with your agility and your precision.”

"That was different..." Audrey reasons placidly, thoughts of the previous project play during her third year within St. Mary's plaguing her mind. It was a horrific experience that put her in the edge of death and placed her in Hearst's electric chair for twelve hours once she lost. But even then, the situation was winnable for it was in an environment she was somewhat familiar with; the wilderness. Everything was put to the test, including survival skills. And while she did not win, she had the chance to had it not been for her own insecurities. But what about now? A virtual reality where nothing was what it seemed? Most would listen to Breanna's bitter comments and hear only the coldness to it, but after years of knowing the ins and outs of Breanna Wentworth, Audrey was highly aware that she was trying to be comforting. Such action sends a weak smile across her face, attempting to squash it in fear that she would send Breanna running for the hills. "No... No, it's a virtual reality setting, I think." She answers after a pensive moment, glancing back down at her bow. "Hearst and his directors are in charge of what we are and aren't supplied with." Taking her eyes away from the bow, she feels the weight against her chest lighten at the sight of her. How did she accomplish such a stronghold grip on Audrey's heart? She doesn't think much of it; however, it just wasn't her style. Instead, a sweet smile occupies her face. "But it's definitely appreciated, Bre... So deeply appreciated." Tilting her head sideways, she extends the bow and arrow. "Here, you should give it a try."

After the announcement of Project Play, Breanna had been pacing back and forth in her lab until she had thought about the precise words to say to her roommate. Suffice to say, she didn’t have a plan for ‘used-to-be-best-friend-but-still-sometimes-best-friend-but-hate-sometimes going into Project Play’. For years, she desperately tried to distance herself from Audrey, yet she now found herself worrying about the girl. Especially after their last conversation… And, of course, the girl would be in the weapons training room. “Audrey.” Her voice was tight and she moved towards the bow and arrows - she had been developing a type of bow and arrow that had the ability to release a toxin that targeted the brain for paralysis. She had been wanting it to steer towards her bigger experiment of the gasses, but placing a liquid form of toxin within the arrows was something easier to do - it didn’t have to target humans/Non S-Gene Carriers. Much easier. “Oh, get over it. You’ve been in this school long enough to know that the possibility of you being drawn for Project Play are even to everyone else.” 

Target acquired... The words funnel instinctively into her mind as the holographic soldiers bustle along the large, virtual training room. Set to the highest, most difficult setting for posterity's sake, her grip tightens along body of her bow as she slings an arrow through numerous hurdles and shoots the target right into the head. It was like clock work, something she could do in her sleep. It didn't take any of Breanna's calculations for her to accomplish, just her body. But would it be enough for her to avoid Orion Hearst's wrath? She wasn't the most agile, nor the most manipulative. But she had one stark advantage she had yet to realize; her anonymity. Most would ignore her presence due to sheer carelessness. Perhaps that's all it would take for her to skim her way into the top three. Stopping in the midst of her training session, her dark eyes snap across the room and land on Breanna's. The overwhelming urge to break the space between them and throw her arms around her is one she fights. "Thanks for the moral support..." Audrey whispers underneath her breathe, eyes suddenly revitalize as she aims right past Breanna's right ear and aims her arrow right into the hologram coming from behind her. "What am I going to do, Bre?"

Pursing her lips together, she shuffled a bit in her spot and pushed hair away from her face - a nervous tick often done when she felt the heavy atmosphere around her. Things with Audrey, however, had often been this way and Breanna ended up saying words she knew she was going to regret. But she was impulsive with her words, never thinking before the slew of them came falling out. “I always do it for me.” It was true, she was selfish, and she knew this about her. However, who was looking out for her in St. Mary’s? Surely not a wallflower who knew only of her pets. “How could I even think of you?” Breanna attempts to make the words seem like she believed them, topping them off with a hateful glare towards Audrey. The truth of the matter was that Breanna did think about Audrey and perhaps the only person who she thought of was her because where everyone else was Subjects and Experiments, Audrey Abbot was just that. Audrey Abbot. Ex-Best Friend. Scoffing at the next string of words that leave the woman’s lips, she stares in disbelief. The mission had ran through her mind, a million miles an hour, and she still couldn’t figure out why the hell it had to be Audrey. “I didn’t plan for it,” Breanna seethed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why would I possibly plan for the outcome of having my power only working around you?” Distaste and disdain laced around her words, yet just a millisecond passed after them and Breanna felt the regret. Blowing out a shaky breath from her lips, she pulled her gaze away from Audrey, not wanting to meet her eyes anymore. This was getting too much — she should go back to the confines of her lab where she was safe. Away from the woman who caused a whirlwind of emotions within her. You don’t believe that. Breanna almost laughs because there was no plausible outcome of the world where Breanna Wentworth didn’t need Audrey Abbott. It was almost sickening how dependent she was to her and she hated every moment of it… or perhaps she was telling herself she had to hate every moment of it. “You left me once, Audrey.” Clenching her jaw, she closed her eyes and let out another shaky breath of air. “I don’t have people in my life - except for mama and daddy. And you. You were once there. But you left, Audrey, you left and it hurt. And I don’t want to go through that again. I won’t go through that again.” Opening her eyes, she lifts her gaze and meets the other’s. Breanna was anything but strong - she was weak and hid behind the abundance of data and facts. Having Audrey back into her life — fully — would make the world a better place, yes. But losing her would cripple Breanna the same way that it did once before. “I— I don’t want to need you,” she admits, brows furrowing together as she shook her head lightly. “I— I don’t want it. I don’t. I don’t.” But I need you, and I know there’s no way I could make it without you, either. 

Audrey could feel Breanna's wayward emotions coursing through her veins. The capability of one bossy, domineering, elitist scientist to force Audrey's composure into piece was a frightening one. Admittedly, she herself found it difficult to endure such strong, irrational emotions. Because while she relied heavily on intuition and instinct to guide her actions, she ensured that those emotions were of the rational nature. There was nothing rational about Breanna though, let alone the complexity of their relationship. The instinct to reach between the infinite space between them grows stronger with every passing syllable that falls from Breanna's mouth. But she manages to stomach her instincts for both of their sakes, resolving to a different approach. "You made me leave. Humans are naturally predisposed to being the weaker species. Survival of the fittest is the only way for nature to progress. It's illogical, they shouldn't exist..." Audrey reiterates in summary the many hurtful words that Breanna would dispel about humanity. How could she stand by someone who thought that she, and the people like her, were meant to be lab rats and test subjects? How could she love someone who hated what she was? "I am every bit as human then as I am now. And if I had the choice, believe me, I would be so blissfully human back in Texas. With my family, with my pets -- maybe even meet a nice girl, settle down... I want peace, I want people to feel like we are all equal, regardless of one gene that may make carriers stronger. I believe that all of this is crap, Breanna, and you didn't have to think the same to stick with me. But you tried shoving your opinion down my throat and I couldn't let you do that."

"He had a respiratory problem, Audrey. Meaning that it was more painful for him to be breathing but you couldn’t possibly know that because you don’t know the anatomy of animals and you couldn’t even be bothered to check on it. I had noticed his labored breathing for three weeks and since you never approached me about it, I took matters into my own hands.” Pressing her lips tightly together, she held her head up. The two of them had been roommates and as such Breanna had to get used to animals bouncing around their room and as a child, she honestly always wanted on. Audrey was the only one who ever knew that. Now, she brushed it off as wanting a dog for experiments. “That would be out spite, Audrey, which — isn’t that above your whole ‘nice girl’ act?” Uncrossing her arms, her hands move to the pockets of her lab coat. “There is a plausible answer to every question and situation, Audrey. Life is about statistics and there is a way to be prepared for everything that comes you way.” Letting out a breath of air, she stared away from Audrey, only meeting her when she whispers her words. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she closed her eyes and rubbed her thumbs against the pads of her fingers. “Maybe I do, Audrey. Maybe I don’t want anything to do with you.” Breanna’s voice is strained, but she squares her shoulder and lifts her chin up. “That was a long time ago, when I needed you.” Clenching her jaw, she pulled her gaze away from Audrey and looked onto the floor. It was a lie, Breanna still yearned for the two of them to be friends as they once had been - but so much time had passed. So much had happened. Despite the two of them being roommates, Audrey hadn’t been there. It was the same thing as Breanna not being there for Audrey. They were once best friends, but now they were no more. Looking down at the chubby dog, she gave a weak smile and pushed hair from her face. “You better get your dog, Audrey. I might take him and experiment on him like the evil scientist I am.”

Stuttering at her words, Audrey's dark eyes flash with guilt and insult -- she loved her pets, every single one of them over her many years. They were her constant companions, apart from Breanna, who didn't require words. Actions and breathes said more than thoughtless words ever did. "You did it for you." Audrey whispers accusingly. "You didn't do it for me -- you never even" You never even think about me before you think about you. "An act?" She asks, baffled by the concept of it. Being kind in heart and spirit wasn't something she did for praise or admiration, she did it because she didn't know anything else. Then again, she knew nothing but to love and be loved by Breanna Wentworth, but she seemed to be handling the loss well enough. "And were you ready for what happened on that mission, Bre?" Audrey denounces with a level of dissatisfaction. Planning was never Audrey's strong suit, everything was simply intuitive -- from the way she pulled on her bow and arrow to the way she felt around those around her. Audrey never required statistics, or plans, or words to know what to do, she always just did. "Did that possibility fall somewhere under your microscope, or in line with your rows of statistical data? That what was missing from you and I was each other?" On the outside, it would appear that she took to the silence and serenity of isolation, but she despised every second of it without her. After all, there was no way she could ever make it without her. "You don't believe that." The hot whispers falls from her lips. Their lives were not just intertwined, they were glued and bound together by history and innocence. Audrey's life ended where Breanna's began, a relationship of symbiosis and interdependence that could not be written off at Breanna's whims. "You don't want me to go." Audrey insists a little louder this time, partly out of desperation and partly out of frustration. "You still need me, I still need you, I -- Bre, please, there's no way I could make it without you."

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.

"Bon Jovi? That’s adorable. I used to jam to him with a friend of mine before he passed away." Letting out a light chuckle, she presses her lips together. "Kale has a peculiar taste, gets some getting used to. I liked it baked." Scrunching her nose upwards, her gaze moves downwards and she starts scanning and walking to find the pet. "… in all my years at St. Mary’s and then being out in the field… I never would had suspected that I would be here looking for a cute little animal. I always thought I’d be some amazing weapons trainer - which I will be."

"I'm a Southern Belle, appreciating classic rock is as embedded into my soul as cornbread." Something about her demeanor put her in great comfort, was it that commendable smile or her general reputation for being bright and bubbly? "Everyone has a "take it or leave it" mentality when it comes to my pets." Shrugging absently, she walks beside her in comfortable silence, finally settling on a choice topic. "I'm an archer." Audrey mentions conversationally, timid t first but she regains her confidence as she tugs on her bow situated across her shoulder. "We should... Uh, we should train together some time. I'm -- I'm pretty good." Except she wasn't pretty good, she was excellent -- in all her years in St. Mary's, all her records show that she had never missed a single target. Ever. As if she was naturally predisposed to hitting a target.

"I replaced your dogs with that chinchilla and two hamsters - plus, it was for science! They helped speed up the process of what I was making, and now the gas that I’m making is hitting its final stages," Breanna explained, as if it justified the deaths of her dogs. Truly, it was a few months ago and she didn’t know why Audrey still hung it over her head. "It’s to make sure that you’re prepared, which you obviously aren’t. Look at you. In chapter six I write that you should carry around a treat and toy that means something to your damn pets so that they’ll come to you instead of running away. If you read that, your pudgy dog would be here with you now.” When the girl thanks her, however, Breanna freezes once again and she pulls her gaze away from her. “Don’t think too much of it.” Pressing her lips together, she can feel the hot liquid start to form in her eyes and she pulls away from Audrey when she finishes fixing her collar. Turning around, she shook her head and let out a hollowed laugh. “I’m a scientist, that is what I do. Poke and prod until it’s impossible for people to stay, right?” Letting out a bitter laugh, her hand moves to her eyes and wipes them, looking up to keep the tears from spilling. “Well you know what? It’s who I am. How I work. And maybe I don’t need the people that break so easily.” Like you, who was supposed to be the rock. Clearing her throat, she turned around to face Audrey, her head shaking. “I don’t want you there, Audrey. I don’t even want to be near you.”

"At the expense of Stevie Nicks, thank you for asking by the way." By all means, the loss of her elderly Shiba Inu was a painful experience, but the way in which Breanna so insensitively spoke of it was what truly twisted her heart. "If I burned your preparedness books in the name of science, would that be justifiable?" It seemed that Audrey often switched between rival, friend, and rival at the same time. "You can't be prepared for everything." Audrey mutters lowly, stumbling on her words ever so slightly. "Life isn't as clean cut as you think it is. There isn't a magical formula or an algorithm for the things life throws your way." Perhaps she was being harsh. Certainly Breanna's preparation skills made her an asset -- but it irked her that she tried to control the uncontrollable. The slew of salt water tears forming in the corner of Breanna's eye is enough to send a wave of unfathomable guilt through Audrey's body. Where was the line of limitations? She didn't know. All she knew was that her best friend's glances of complete and utter judgment were enough to tip her over the edge of the scale. "You don't mean that." She whispers, voice barely audible as her dark eyes meet Breanna's. "And even if you do... There was a time when you wanted me, too." Strangled voice remaining steady, she shakes herself out of her stupor as her dog, McJagger, comes trotting back with a filet mignon so proudly hanging from his mouth.

"Oh, don’t be so dramatic. It was a little push." Rolling her eyes, her arms crossed at her chest before giving Audrey a blank look. "Oh, I’m sorry that I have quite an extensive knowledge of things and that I took some time out from what I normally do to write a preparedness book on what to do when your animals run away from you."  Huffing air from her mouth, she pressed her lips together. "Just remind me next time to not think of you." When Audrey brings up her father, she let out a sign of irritation. "Jealous, me?" Scoffing, she shook her head. "They would have ended up in the lab table anyways, poked and prodded." Shrugging her shoulders, she dropped them and gave Audrey a somewhat apologetic look, which quickly wiped away as soon as Audrey fussed with her collar. It was almost like old times, the girl reaching over and making sure that Breanna looked perfect and a dull, unfamiliar ache hit her. "… I’ll make sure to do that next time."

"Where have I heard that before? Don't be so dramatic, I was just testing out bio hazardous products on your dogs. No big deal."  Audrey mocks with air quotes for added effect. "You write preparedness books for every scenario, regardless of who or why." Pausing for a split second, she falters into an endearing smile. "Thank you for thinking about me." She concedes with a gentleness to her voice that could not be faked. Thoughtlessly, Audrey slips from her typical filter with a comment harsher than she intended -- "That's what you do, Breanna, put everything under a scope, prod it until you make it impossible for them to stay. You don't just experiment on things and people, you test their limits before they break." And before they break up with you, comes the after thought. But within moments she realizes the harshness of her words. True words, of course, but words that could be uttered in a much nicer way. With a low chuckle, she releases her collar. "Don't. That's what you have me for." It was a bold thing to say, perhaps even thoughtless, but she was the heart of their little tandem.

"If you had even skimmed over the book I wrote for you earlier then you wouldn’t be in this mess.” The condescending tone was evident in Breanna’s voice, irritation lurking just right around the corner. Pushing the girl away from her, she dusts her lab coat off and gives her a sideways glance. Being around Audrey Abbott was something she still wasn’t accustomed too, as most of the time she’d turn in her heels and ignore the girl as if she weren’t anything. But the connection they had on that mission… it stayed with Breanna and maybe it was something that she had liked. Belonging. Something that needed her besides her laboratory. “But your mutt went into the kitchen. He’s probably shifting through all the raw meets and eating it like the pudgy thing that he is.”

"You don't have to shove me," Audrey grumbles underneath her breathe, staggering to regain her posture. "And your book was as long as my chemistry textbook. Equally mind numbing, too." It was uncommon to hear Audrey speak ill of anyone or to anyone, but she knew Breanna Wentworth like the palm of her hand. It seemed that it was Audrey's role in their estranged relationship, constantly pushing the girl emotionally until she caved to her advances. Why she did it, she didn't know -- although she knew it had more to do with gaining Breanna's attention than she would ever admit. "Are you just jealous because Papa Aldrin never let you have a pet?" Audrey comments with a blight smile shining in fondness. "I'm sorry." She concedes with a sense of rationality, reaching forward and thoughtlessly adjusting the collar of her lab coat. "You should use a special spray before you iron your coat, it helps take the creases out more."

And I’m sure teaching is nowhere close to his strength. But enough of my personal opinion on Com— Mr. Shepherd. [He stops himself from saying anything further.] Okay. I’ll say that’s just for now, though. Who knows? You might find something else. [He nods shortly with a smile, in a respectful way. He doesn’t have the eloquence to convince someone to believe in themselves. People have their own speed on getting out of the self-doubt. Force-feeding them only makes it worse.] I aspire to be, still yet to become one. [He chuckles awkwardly.] It’s no big deal, Ms. Abbott.

It's like that saying, isn't it? If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. (Pausing thoughtfully, she offers him a companionable smile) I can cook. Mostly Southern cuisine; gumbo, fried chicken, corne pone, cobbler... (She was hungry just thinking about it. Then again, Audrey was the sort of woman who could put her food away in an instant) Do you eat any of that stuff? (Shrugging absently, she tucks her bow back into her backpack) Personal growth never stops, right?