thank u, next

“i suppose that could explain it.” julia had only assumed ariel had meant she grew up along the beach, or perhaps on a boat. little did she know. “i just had big ol’ lake eerie. which is definitely not cozy. ever,” she laughed. “but boy, does it make all this shine in comparison. but the dreariness makes the heart fonder. and the fluff cozier. ”

Cher nodded, “ Totally real. “ she answered, matching her enthusiasm nearly beat for beat. The smile on her lips couldn’t help but grow as soon as she had agreed. “ You are a total lifesaver right now. “ she replied as she clutched her hands together in excitement. “ We should totally pick you out a new outfit to wear. “ she thought aloud. It wasn’t like there was anything wrong with what the girl had been wearing but, Cher could never pass up an opportunity to do some shopping. 

Eric couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed for the stranger.  He knew if he was in her place he probably would have been mortified. Curiosity got the best of him as he peaked over to catch a better glance of the girl on the floor. Once her eyes meet his own he felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. She was beyond stunning. Not that he was about to just blurt that out to someone that he had just met. 

Like the proper gentleman he was, he helped her steady herself, letting out a soft chuckle to help lighten up the mood just a tad. “ You might want to point that out to someone, that could be real dangerous. “ he replied, shooting her an understanding smile in the process. “ No need to apologize I get it. “ he reassured her gently. “ Are you here alone or are you waiting on someone? “ he asked, secretly hoping that it would be the first one.  “ You could always come over and join me.. I mean the chairs over here are much more stable. “ he promised with a playful grin. 

almost as if they are already in sync, she senses his reaction to locking eyes with her. and she feels it too. 

“if i snitched on everything that seems to stop working in my presence, i would have no time for anything else,” ariel explains through a smirk and an amused eye roll. she’s always had a knack for blaming inanimate objects for her misfortune ; triton forbid that she ever simply owns up to being clumsy. her heart lunges forward as eric smiles at her and it takes every inch of self control to keep it from showing on her face ( and it only becomes worse at his invitation ). she can’t help it. in that moment, she feels sixteen again. 

cady nodded along. “oh? yeah?” she chuckled, not believing him for a second. unless he was in some elite ice scream business, he was far from telling the truth. his obvious struggle that followed tickled her humor even more. she was so busy laughing that she barely caught his comment. “only half a point? that’s just rude,” she tried to maintain a serious face. it was hard not to crack a smile. “i deserve a whole point. there’s no half points in life.” she crossed her arms in defiance. “i demand a recount.“

          HIS EYES REMAIN glued to the rear view mirror as lizzie continues driving, unable to truly believe that this was actually happening. they were really in the middle of a high speed car chase, straight out of fucking fast and the furious or something along those lines. he was never one to make pop culture references – that was dustin’s job. his was never understanding them. he shoots an incredulous look towards lizzie, as if she’s just told him that he’d turned into a toad within the last five minutes.

                         “they’re tracking me ?”

          he chooses now to stick his head out the open window, like a dumbass would, to get a better look at the incoming SUV. “shit, lizzie, they’re gaining on us.” there was panic evident in his words, squeezing at his heart with every breath he took. “oh my god, are they going to kill me ? is that what’s gonna happen ?” he grips the arm rests tightly, staring straight out the windshield, refusing to even glance toward the car that followed them. 

                          “lizzie, if they’re after me, shouldn’t i go with them ? are you going to get in trouble for helping me ?”

lizzie’s grip on the wheel tightens. she recognizes the confusion & fear in landon’s eyes. vividly, she can remember how her mind spun when her parents tried to explain to her what was going on. to prepare her the best they could for what’s to come. truthfully, lizzie doesn’t think any amount of preparation could’ve gotten her ready for the hell they were going to put her through ; she imagines it’ll be the same for landon. or worse. they both seemed to be sensitive and lacked a grip on their anxieties. 

she remains quiet for awhile, lost in her own head as she focusses on the road. she can hear landon speaking but his words don’t seem to actually click on her brain until he mentions something that’s hard to ignore.

“they’re not going to kill you,” lizzie promises quietly. blue eyes become apologetic as she turns her head towards landon for just a moment. “but they are going to catch up to us,” she explains. “they do this for everyone who remembers.”

Steve reached across the table, holding his hand out towards him. “ Steve, nice to meet you. “ he replied, before taking a sip of his coke. He was never much of a coffee person and much preferred soda or energy drinks to give him the caffeine kick he needed. 

landon: i wasn't allowed to watch tv growing up

landon: i never understand any of your pop culture references dustin

dustin: go watch the backyardigans landon

dustin: and don't come back until you appreciate pablo for all that he is

landon: am i supposed to know who pablo the penguin is

landon: flammable. birth. receipt.

landon: oh my god, dude. d u d e.

landon: what the fuck

dustin: okay first of all watch your mouth

dustin: second of all, that's all a birth certificate is

dustin: a birth receipt

“aren’t you cold?” peter asks, his brows knitting together as he shoves his gloved hands in the pockets of his jacket. “the water’s gotta be freezing. though, i think if anything, i’m more of a fall guy. in the summer, i’m always over-heating, but in the winter i’m always freezing. but fall’s the perfect mix between the two, y’know?”

          HER SHOULDERS LIFT in a shrug, her own startling blue eyes shifting to gaze out at the sea. that was the last thing she remembered of her previous life – being out at sea with her blabbermouth of a king. “i’d prefer the prettiest pearl the ocean has to offer, but i suppose a sand dollar would work as a consolation prize.”