sink in

          out of everyone, the last people she’d expect to run into was her own siblings & it only got worse when she sees that it’s dakota. it was always hard for sonali to lie to the other girl, especially since she’s been closest to her. ❛ they’re— for a friend. peer pressure, i guess ? they made me feel bad, so i just listened. ❜

“your friend? not a great friend if they’re peer pressuring you.” she mumbles, “which friend? and why couldn’t they just buy the beer themselves?” she doesn’t believe sonali. she seems too flustered for the beer to be for a friend. so maybe they’re hers, but why would she lie? “your friend shouldn’t be making you buy them beers.”

“i mean maybe, but it’s also crowded and everything is like..way overpriced. i don’t think so. if anything there’s like..smaller venues, and smaller venues means lower prices. it’s like, tourism or something. i don’t think i have the necessary skills for THAT just yet.”

“i guess, but they’re not gonna pick a smaller venue. at least no big festival like coachella would, maybe a smaller one. but even then i don’t think they’d bring it here. yeah, probably not. you should work on those skills and then work on getting a festival here.”

“Oh yeah I’m sure you’d get loads of people on our side.” Naomi chuckled softly. “Yeah, I’m a veggie so I’d be a bit of a hypocrite if I didn’t.”

“a girl can dream. some people are hard to budge.” she laughs, “yeah, i guess it sorta would be hypocritical. hard to make your case as a vegetarian when you’re polluting the ocean.”

         ❛  is it your goal to make me feel bad ? it’s working.  ❜ the girl says, hesitating to pick up one of the straws after dakota’s comment about the sea animals. ❛ last time i used a strawless lid my drink ended up on my clothes & i’d prefer not having to repeat those past events. ❜

“that’s exactly my goal, my dear sister.” she laughs, smirking to herself as the other hesitates to pick up a straw. “okay, but that’s totally your fault. i’ve never spilled on myself. you just have to be careful, i have faith in you.”

sebastian glances down at the cup in his hand, his eyebrows furrowed. “huh.” he mumbles thoughtfully. her comment reminded him of a photo he’d seen on facebook earlier that week of cute little sea creatures tangled up in plastic and waste, making him feel a little guilty. “well, i didn’t even know those existed … but at least i know for next time.” he manages to muster a smile, though he knows it probably doesn’t reach his eyes. he’s exhausted having just finished work and is praying this coffee will draw up some energy.

“really? i guess they’re not doing that great of a job at telling people about them. but yeah, for next time.” she smiled, noticing how exhausted the other looked. “are you alright? you look like you could drop dead any second. and i mean that in the nicest way possible.”

amelia let out a sigh, quickly followed by a soft laugh. “oh yeah.. definitely! i’m pretty sure i’ll find myself in the er sometime soon but we’ll see. being a college student is definitely something to look forward to.”

“maybe you should get some vegetables in you as soon as possible. a trip to the er doesn’t sound too fun. the way you just described it hardly makes it seem like it’s something to look forward to.”

“i feel like ‘m just far too clumsy for that wide of an openin’ in the lid.” mylori explained, crinkling her nose with a smile. “but, i guess i’ll make a lil’ turtle love me at the risk of getting my coffee all over my new shirt.” 

“you won’t get coffee on your shirt, promise.” she says, a giggle escaping her lips. “hard to say no to the turtles, right? they’re pretty damn adorable.”

“leave me alone, kota. the straw is iconic.” klaus mumbled, shrugging at his sister as he hands his debit card to the cashier at starbucks. “besides, when you’re the one paying you can force me to get whatever lid you want me to get, but today – i get my nice green straw.”

“you already have the cup with the symbol on it. i don’t get why the green straw is necessary.” she crossed her arms, looking up at him. “that doesn’t seem fair considering i’m never going to be the one paying.” she joked, “you’re going to regret that nice green straw when our ocean is destroyed and all the cute little animals are dead.”

          she didn’t want to do what her father told her to do  —  she wasn’t obligated to either.  though all she could hear was her father’s threats in the back of her head & sonali had sadly caved into his words. she managed to sneak a couple of beers from her job & now is rushing to find their meeting spot while at the same time, trying her best to keep the item in her hand out of sight. she’s turning the corner when suddenly she crashes into someone & the bag slips out of her hand. the girl’s eyes fill with panic as she watches the bottles roll out & she’s left there; unsure of what to say next. ❛ i— i..  they aren’t for me.. ❜  she tries to clear her name because again; this isn’t something sonali would usually do. she falls to her knees & quickly puts the bottles back into the bag, ❛ pl-please don’t get me into trouble. ❜

she watched as the beer bottles fell to the floor, swalling the joke about her sister running into her. she follows the other to the ground, wanting to help pick up what had fallen. “i wouldn’t get you in trouble, even if they were yours.” she says quietly, holding out the one bottle she’d managed to grab. “but if they aren’t yours, whose are they? and why do you have them?”

“i was thinkin’ about it earlier. why aren’t there any cool festivals around us? they’re all down in los angeles or whatever. and like..i can’t drive that far. i don’t have much money for that. why can’t there be anything cool here?”

“because los angeles is a cool place to bring a festival. who wants to bring one to halston? even if they were to bring one here, it’d still be just as expensive. you should organzie your own music festival and bring it somewhere close, but at a resonable price.”

Naomi looked up from her place in the queue with a slight smile but also signs of confusion. “Well although I’d be lying if I said the little sea animals weren’t an incentive, I was already planning to go for a strawless lid.”

“glad the sea animals work as an incentive. gotta remember that.” she laughs, shrugging her shoulders. “good. i wish more people would get it.”

“i’m knees deep in laundry and have survived on slushies and red bull’s for the last two days– so if you’re asking if college life’s really that bad.. it is! i couldn’t be happier to be home!" 

“wow, so glad i have something to look forward to after high school.” she laughs, “sounds like a healthy diet. getting all your nutrients.”

taylor was working the prizes counter at the arcade in the movie theater, she stood leaning against the counter, it was a slow day and she was very bored, multiple people walked right past the arcade during the day..she looked down through the glass at the prizes, a slap bracelet for 100 tickets. she picked one up an extra one and started to play with it until she looked up and noticed someone was standing there..”..uh, hi! can i help you? ”

she laughs as she watches the other play with the slap bracelet. “yeah, how many tickets do i need to get one of those?” she jokes, pointing at the others wrist. “seems like a fashionable addition i could use.”