exoskeleton

“What are the scientific studies on how long one can survive on free coffee alone? Do we know those statistics? Is no one funding this? Seems like a waste.” He leaned back in his chair with a smirk and watched her fill up the mug. There was something about her that screamed delicate, like a fawn. Her smile was kind and while his instincts told him he could probably take advantage of that kindness, that wasn’t what he was about. Even in dire straits, he didn’t think he’d have it in him. Instead, he waved a hand. “I mean, I’m not going to say no if you insist, because I really am circling the drain here, but I might have been a tad bit misleading with the whole broke bitch comment. I have some money. But I also just moved here and I’m living in a way-overpriced shitty motel in Hemlock Docks at the moment and I don’t have a job yet so it’s gonna get dicey soon. But I can afford a burger.” He sat forward, propping up his chin. “Speaking of. I’m pretty sure you’re the second vegetarian– vegan?– I’ve run into in the span of, like, two days. Is that a Crescent Harbor thing or? Am I going to get jumped if I order meat? That’s not the way I want to go out, you know.”

.

She hummed in feigned thought at the question. “Well the survival rule is 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. But, I’m not sure what the exact study is on coffee yet. You may have to be our guinea pig,” she joked. She let out a gentle laugh, before she pulled the pot back once the mug was full. She nodded as he clarified, listening as he explained his situation. “Oh? Where’d you move from?” she asked, suddenly realizing it was probably none of her business, her own nerves suddenly taking over for a moment. “But, y’know, save your money for the overpriced motel,” she said, shaking her head. “Or maybe you’ll need another burger later. You never know,” she said. “Here? Probably not. I can’t make any promises for anyone but myself, though. I’m just vegetarian, but the vegans I can’t make any promises on. Not a requirement around here, you’ve just been lucky enough to find the vegetarians that hang around, I guess.” She set the coffee pot down on the empty corner of the table, and pulled out her pad of paper from her apron pocket. “So? A burger, then?” she asked, giving him another look over. “It comes with lettuce and tomato on the side, but do you want anything else on it? Ketchup, mustard? Some guy ordered peanut butter on his burger before. So, you know, I guess whatever goes.” 

Sam always liked spending time with Amelia – it never failed to put him at ease in a way not a lot of things could. It was fascinating to watch her and figure out how her brain worked, considering its wheels seemed to turn entirely differently than his own. It was also fun to see her freak out over things like these, only to talk her back down because ultimately – these were not things Sam ever thought about. If he wanted to buy a dozen boxes of strawberries, he would. Not even thinking twice about whether or not he’d rob others from their chance. He’d pay for them after all but seeing Amelia worry about it was almost a little grounding – a learning experience. One of many that had accompanied him for the years he’d known her by now. “Damn right! You paid for them – you eat ‘em,” he added with a raise of a brow, his words underlined with a pointed index finger waving around. “Good call. I’d say I could help but…I guess you wanna keep your kitchen in one piece, huh?”

As they settled, Sam let out a breath. It felt good to just sit and let the sun hit his face after the long winter and he allowed his eyes to close for a moment before they blinked open again behind his signature red-tinted sunglasses. A gasp escaped and he sat up a little again. “You’d let me starve? Just like that? Shit, Landry…I know you’re a lot of things but I didn’t think you were heartless after all,” he told her, sulking a little though he was aware she knew about his antics by now – knowing better than to take him seriously. “I’ll be nice,” he promised, holding out his pinky for her to seal the deal. An excited beam washed over his features the moment Amelia unpacked the food and Sam was quick to accept the sandwich and chips. His brows shot up and he snorted before crinkling his nose. “Fuck horseradish,” he huffed under his breath, shuddering as he placed the sandwich down and started unwrapping it. “I appreciate it though. The guy knows what he’s doing so this is gonna be good,” Sam added, rubbing his hands together before his expression fell and he looked back at Amelia a little panicked. “Not that you suck at it or anything! Just – god, keep the horseradish out of my business.”

.

While Amelia knew her own weird anxieties were probably a little too much too often, they were hers to deal with. Sam didn’t have that kind of problem, which she often wondered what it’d be like to just, not care so much. She admired that in Sam, though, and always appreciated when he did extend it to her as much as he could. His encouragement made her smile. The tension in her shoulders rolled out. “You’re right,” she punctuated it with a nod. “Of course, I’m sharing them with you, though, so I think out of everyone you came out the winner.” she teased. She thought it over, Sam helping, and she shook her head. “I mean, I’d accept any help, but I guess since the apartment’s a rental, I’d like to keep it in one piece, yeah,” she affirmed with a sharp nod. “I’m already going to lose out on my security deposit, I don’t want extra cleaning fees. I’ll do my best to keep it under control. You can help eat the pie if it turns out. How’s that sound?”

She rolled her eyes at his feigned offense, letting out a soft laugh. She was used to this with Sam, friendship with him made things like this all too familiar. “You’ve finally uncovered the truth. I’m a mean person to the core,” she furrowed her brow, over-exaggerated and goofy. But as soon as he followed it up by agreeing to be nice, her face immediately softened. she gave a wide grin and linked pinkies with him. “Thank you,” she said letting go of his pinky to hand off his food to him. She didn’t take any offense to his statement, Amelia knew she sometimes tried to experiment with things, and very few of those combinations went over well. “It’s fine,” she said with a laugh. “No offense taken. I still feel guilty for it, so I promise no new food experiments for a while. I will follow recipes as closely as I can for now.” She held up her hand, three fingers held up tight together. “Scout’s honor.” She unwrapped her own food, and took a bite, a satisfied hum escaping her. She let her eyes wander over the orchard and the farm. “What do you think about farming? I think I’d like being a farmer.” 

❛ Shut up, it’s not, ❜ he chuckled. ❛ Or well, yeah, I guess, but I keep forgetting she has money. ❜ It just felt good having Lily, when eh really didn’t think that was possible, especially with how Ian had tried to play Bash to get him away from his daughter. He did want to laugh up in the old man’s face because it hadn’t worked but, he knew that was a terrible idea. ❛ Yeah she’s not talking to her parents right now at all… Which is a little sad but like, I can’t blame her, ❜ he shrugged, sipping on his coffee slowly as a smile crept up on his lips. ❛ I am. I’m happy. ❜

One of his brows raised when Amelia seemed to push away the question by kicking one back at him. ❛ Mhm, ❜ he smirked a little before rolling his eyes. Bash didn’t know Sam that well but he knew he was friends with Amelia and also Lily and that he was a fun guy. ❛ Come on, he’s pretty cool or am I wrong? Don’t you hang out a bunch? ❜ he kept on asking, tilting his head a little to the side with his eyebrows raising. He just wanted Amelia to find someone. She was the sweetest soul he knew, and she was beautiful. So she definitely had plenty of choices, right? Whether she was aware of it or not. Taking another bite of the food Bash questioned his sister again. ❛ You’ve never had a crush on him? ❜

.

“You do?” she asked, her brows furrowing. It seemed like a strange thing to forget, but she supposed there were plenty of times she forgot just how much money Sam had, and they’d been friends for so long. Lily just seemed different, though, someone who knew how to be rich. Bash knew her so much better, and she knew his word and his feelings on her were the ones that mattered, really. At his mention of her not speaking to her parents, she nodded in agreement. She respected the decision after everything, at the very least. “They’re not good people,” she said simply. “It’s good she’s trying to distance herself, isn’t it?” 

“He’s cool, yeah. We do hang out a lot, but that doesn’t mean anything,” she said, with a smile. His follow up question took her by surprise, the bite of food she’d taken in getting caught in her throat for a moment. She cleared her throat and shrugged. “I mean, I don’t know?” Amelia could probably count the amount of crushes she’s had on one hand, it hadn’t ever really been her focus, but she knew that Sam had been a featured player on that list. She set her fork down, and crossed her arms in front of her. “I mean, he’s great. I’m not blind, I know he’s, good looking, or whatever. But, he’s one of my best friends, it’d be weird. Plus, I’m very happy just being a dog mom, with me and Maude. Two ladies just reading their five-cent mysteries and going camping when the mood strikes.” 

@florasummers​

"Maude, come!” Maude, who had been roaming around the lakeside, came trotting back over to the girls. Amelia patted the towel she’d laid out in front of them, for the dog to lay down. Amelia scratched behind her ears. She dogeared her page in the book she’d brought along with her, before stretching out for a minute, letting her eyes wander for a minute. It was probably too cool outside to stay much longer, but the fresh air was always something she needed any chance she got. She didn’t exactly want to head out so soon. She turned to Flora, a gentle smile forming on her face before she broke the comfortable silence. “Okay, tell me you’re working on something important so I have an excuse to pull out the spare blanket so we don’t start freezing in the next five minutes. I don’t think I’m ready to go home yet.” 

At her question, Sam immediately reached up to lower his sunglasses, blinking at Amelia in a rather exaggerated manner before his mouth opened to let out a gasp. “Too many strawberries?!” He shook his head, long strands of hair swinging around and falling into his face as he did. “There’s no such thing, come on.” He peeked to get a look at the container, his arms crossing as they came to a halt. “You paid for the, right?” Sam tilted his head. “She’ll get the fuck over it - what if you had a whole family to feed? That’s on of anyone’s business or maybe you just really fucking love strawberries. They don’t need to know we’ll have like two containers each,” he teased with a smirk, clearly joking in an attempt to ease her mind. It was funny sometimes, to see how worked up Amelia could get over small details like these when she’d done nothing wrong at all - Sam often wondered what it was like to care so much.

As much as he liked to pretend though, Sam felt utterly content in the moment. The orchard was beautiful, blooming and the spring sun finally coming through. “Fine, bossy pants,” he huffed and swiftly joined her in sitting down, crossing his legs as he reached up drag a hand through his unruly hair. He clapped his hands, a grin spreading as he made grabby hands into her direction. “Whatcha got? Gimme! Or do I have to bully you for once in my life?”

.

She laughed at herself as soon as Sam argued on her behalf. She knew that she got worked up over little things so easily, something like the cashier just giving her a look would have sent her spiraling for hours if she’d been on her own. But, Sam was good at getting her to mellow out, which was something she appreciated in him. Maybe she was being silly, and unreasonable, but the fuck-you attitude felt better than worrying more than she needed to.  Maybe once she was home, she’d go over the whole thing in her head again, worry about it later, but for now she as fine to let it sit on the back burner. “Okay, you’re right. It’s none of her business, we can enjoy our strawberries in peace,” she said with an exaggerated nod as if too affirm the statement. She bit into her strawberry, and chewed for a moment, happy for a small second of peace. “Maybe I’ll make a pie or something with one of the containers,” she mused, humming in thought, even though baking was never her strong suit.

Settling down into the grass felt comfortable. It was probably getting a little overgrown, but that made it easier to sink into. Her eyes hardly strayed from the trees with the apple blossoms coming in heavily. She rolled her eyes at the name, and pulled out the container of strawberries she’d opened. “Please, if you start bullying me, then the free food stops.” She set it between them, before digging into her own tote bag. She handed off a wrapped sandwich to Sam, and an individual bag of chips. “The sandwich was not made by me,” she clarified, hoping it would bring him a little ease of mind to know she hadn’t steered him wrong. “Freddie at the diner made it. I think it’s some sort of chicken thing? I don’t know he said you liked it. I wanted to make sure I didn’t accidentally start another horseradish fiasco.”

   ❛ Yeah well… Guess it doesn’t really work like that— but I got their rich daughter, so… ❜ Bash trailed off, letting out a scoff paired with a smirk. He sounded like some gold digger, when in reality he often forgot Lily possessed the amount of money she did. Sure, he felt bad sometimes for letting her pay for most things because she thought he didn’t have a job but it wasn’t like it hurt her wallet to buy him food when they went out to eat and things like that. 

    To think he’d get any information about how Nate was doing from Amelia was stupid. He was also glad his sister wasn’t dragged into any of it by her founding family friend. ❛ Good, ❜ he said simply, stuffing some food into his mouth, pausing for a moment as he chewed despite usually having terrible manners at the table. He was thinking. ❛ Wha’bout you and Sam? ❜ he asked suddenly, looking up with a small smile on his lips, playing with the work between his fingers as he cocked his head a little to the side suggestively. ❛ At the Valentine’s gala? ❜

.

Amelia rolled her eyes, but let out a soft laugh. “Clearly, that’s all you care about,” she teased. She didn’t know Lily all that well still, knew that things were complicated when it came to Bash’s arrest months ago, but if he was still with her, then it was only fitting to give her a chance. “I’m glad you’re happy with Lily. I just don’t know why you’d want to get mixed up with the family anymore after everything. I hope everything stays good, and you guys put some distance between you and her family.” She sat up in her seat a little straighter. “I just want you to stay happy.”

It was something Amelia had no interest in, all the founding family drama. It included Lily’s family, her only stake came when it came to her siblings, but everything else just seemed pointless and stupid. She was happy to be there for a friend who was hurting, but past that, she wouldn’t get dragged into it. She’d leaned down to take another bite of food when Bash posed his question. “What about me and Sam?” she asked, incredulously. She looked up at him only to be met with his glance and the clarification. She felt a flush crawl over her neck. “It’s Sam. We went as friends,” she insisted. “If I didn’t go with him to things like that, I don’t know that I’d ever get out.” 

@landryleona​

“Okay,” Amelia said, pausing at a rock, and pulling her pack forward off her back. She glanced at the map of the area, her brows furrowing. “So, don’t freak out, because I totally know where we are,” she reached into her pack and fished out a granola bar. She held out the granola bar out to her sister, as an offering, as if it would calm any worry. “I think we took a wrong turn back there, maybe two.” 

She glanced up at Leona, trying to give her a convincing grin, before her eyes turned back to the map in hand. The confusion settled back over her face. “There should be a creek, like, right down that way,” she threw a glance in the direction, seeing no creek in sight. “Do remember seeing any signs back there?” 

trigger warnings: parental death, injury

Full Name: Amelia Landry Nickname(s): Ames Age: 25 (almost 26)  Date of Birth: May 15th, 1995 Zodiac: taurus ☼ sagittarius ☾ virgo ⭫ (yes my little forest nymph has two earth signs in her big 3 baBY) Height: 5′10, a tall bitch Sexuality: a mystery

full stats/about

 Zay looked back at the three covers before smiling in agreement. Space was the only choice, what was he thinking? “You’re so right,” he stated, putting the other two back. “It’s like, we already live on Earth so why read Earth stories?” Zay scoffed playfully and began flipping through the pages. The artwork was detailed and it appeared to have a good storyline, at least at first glance. “That sounds pretty sick, Landry,” he looked over at her. “I don’t know what the Odyssey is, but it sounds pretty…odd,” he stuck his tongue out in jest.

.

She smiled at Zay’s excitement, and nodded in agreement. “Exactly. It’s more fun to see it in space. Lots of room for crazy things.” At his comment, she laughed, rolling her eyes teasingly at the pun. “It’s very odd. It’s a story from ancient Greece. The original has gods, witches, monsters. A bunch of guys get turned into pigs, and things like that. This one just is set in space, so like, aliens and stuff. I’m explaining it badly, but it’s a fun read. No martial arts, though.”

   Bash narrowed his eyes and gave his sister a sly smile when she trashed his taste in coffee, as their whole family would do. Even living in New Orleans, he’d never had the typical coffee everyone else drank there. He guessed it was fair they bullied him but they were also wrong. Black coffee, not diluted with anything, was amazing. ❛ Overwhelmed by work or something else? ❜ he asked casually but also curiously as he sat down and took a bite of the omelette after carelessly placing a couple of pieces of bacon on it. Bash was the opposite of overwhelmed by his job. To be fair, he always managed to get jobs that didn’t require much or at least were still fun. Working at the diner seemed a whole lot worse. It as a little weird going back to dealing, again lying about it. He knew it was only a matter of time before someone, probably Leona, figured it out again and tried to get him out of it but he’d hopefully quit by himself before then. He’d find something… Even though he was quite content with what he did for the time being. ❛ Yeah I’m good, ❜ he smiled with a nod. He was happy.  ❛ Had a bunch of desserts, got kinda drunk… ❜ Bash chuckled but ended up trailing off, snorting a bit and casually throwing a glance over at his fridge but then looked back at Amelia while clearing his throat. It was nine in the morning, he couldn’t drink now, not with her here. So, he took a sip of his coffee instead. ❛ To be fair, Quinn punched Nate like a few months ago, ❜ he said, pointing his fork towards his sister for a moment while he chewed. ❛ I dunno…  ❜ Bash muttered musingly, letting out a sigh. ❛ Bet he’s going through something, just don’t know what the fuck what. These foundin’ families are fuckin’ weird. ❜

.

She frowned at his question, more towards herself, taking too long to really think the statement through. Two jobs, both serving were getting to be overbearing, but she knew there was more. “I don’t know,” she finally said, sighing. “Definitely work,” she said with an affirmative nod. “But, I guess I just feel… stuck? Is that like a thing?” It wasn’t often that her accent slipped out, always more around her family, but here it seemed to cling onto her words thickly. “I mean, like, does your job make you feel overwhelmed?” If she was being honest, she had no idea what Bash was up to anymore when it came to work. It wasn’t her place to question her brother, or prod or poke issues that were probably better left untouched. But, he had to make money somehow, and even if she didn’t need to know exactly how, she wanted to find some way to relate to it. But, as he spoke about the gala, about being good, there as a relief that came. “I’m glad,” she said, taking a bite of the waffle. “It sounds like you had a good time. It’s nice to see you happy.”

Bash’s explanation of the situation didn’t make anymore sense to Amelia than she already knew, even with some added information. “I don’t get it,” she said. “And people thought we were a lot to deal with. Either way, It’s embarrassin’ to see. Especially somewhere like the gala. A bunch of idiot rich people with too much time on their hands.”

Location: Valentine’s Day Charity Gala 💖

@amelialandry​

While Sam always felt a little out of his element at events that bordered on the more official side of things – gala’s in particular – he was also trying to treat it like any other party he went to, meaning he enjoyed pushing himself into the limelight and the endless booze that came with the handy little red band dangling from his wrist. It swayed around as a very excited looking, slightly disheveled Amin approached a not so very excited looking, put-together Landry and he beamed at Amelia as he held out a glass of champagne towards her. “There you go, extra bubbly – obviously,” he joked as he turned to stand next to her, giving her shoulder a nudge with his own, though he pulled a face when they weren’t leveled the way they usually were but he had to lean up slightly, to land a hit. “Are you ready to let loose? You think I can get you to get down on the dancefloor later?” Sam’s words were teasing, challenging the way they always seemed to be with her as he grinned back at his friend. “You look nice by the way – I didn’t think you were gonna dress up after all but…it’s a nice dress. We match!” He noticed excitedly, comparing the light pink color and yellow-lavender details of their outfits. “Kinda proud that wasn’t even planned, not gonna lie.”

.

Events like this weren’t exactly Amelia’s thing. An ocean of people that all blended together, it made her anxious. But, she had the assurance that Sam would hang out with her, even if it was made under a teasing threat. As soon as he was back next to her, champagne in hand, she grinned back at him, her gaze having to turn down a bit in her heels. She hated her heels. She took a sip of her drink, and rolled her eyes at his nudging challenge. “Please, I’m always the life of the party,” she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder dramatically, letting out a laugh at her own clear joke. “Dance floor though, you’ll really need to sell that on me first.”  His compliment, though, pulled her attention, her own cheeks heating under a small blush. “Thank you,” she said with a grin. “I’m just trying to show you up, really get all the attention on me, because you know how much I love that.” Her tone was sarcastic and teasing. She looked over their outfits, suddenly letting her excitement match his. “We do! I don’t know if our minds being this in sync is good or bad though. At least our aesthetic is perfect.” She paused for a beat, her eyes scanning the crowd before turning back to face Sam a little more fully. “I’d apologize for salting your game, and forcing you to hang out with me here, but I did just see one of the league guys from the bowling alley, and if I have to talk to him, I will die and come back and haunt you forever. So, thank you, really you’re saving both of us.” 

When Amelia rose up a little, Sam did the same, as if it’d change much considering they were the same height. It caused his lips to twitch into a half-grin and he let out an alarmed gasp when she had the audacity to shove him, making him throw up his hands defensively. “The questions is, why would I not,” he reasoned. “To be fair, you got some tough competition out there. And plenty at that,” the young man teased, going along with the joke he’d started, mainly to mess with her. At her next jab though, he pulled his brows together and leaned over the counter a little. “Way to hurt my feelings. Are you trying to kill me by giving me another case of milkshake face? I can’t down three of those. But I mean – two bucks. Damn…,” he trailed off as if he was genuinely upset, looking down in a rather dramatic manner, brushing a strand of his long hair back behind his ear with a deep sigh. “Not that you don’t have a point, you know but I gotta at least try to keep up some kind of standard,” he joked. “I still say I’m gonna down two and feel fine,” Sam concluded, extending his hand towards her as if to seal the deal.

Sam almost felt a little bad when he brought up Nate – he was well aware that Amelia wasn’t one to get in the middle of things anyways, let alone when it was founding family related. It wasn’t this time around, not at all, this was indeed very personal but he understood her hesitation. He sighed but let it go. He wasn’t here to drag the mood or be difficult. He’d mainly come here to enjoy a late-night session of milkshakes and fries while keeping Amelia some company. And to not feel so alone – but he kept that detail to himself the way he always did. Her words felt good though, he’d needed the validation. Sam didn’t consider himself a good guy by any means but he’d like to think that he gave a fuck about a selected few and Nate had always been one of them. It hurt him to know that it didn’t go both ways but Amelia and the Landrys in general were friends who’d not once let him down in the past, so maybe he should just stick to them – far removed from the founding family bullshit he had to deal with at times. Sam appreciated the sincere nature of her tone but was also thankful when their conversation shifted and he let out a full laugh at her words. “That is prime TikTok material – are you kidding?” He urged, grinning at her widely as he took another sip of his milkshake, humming in confirmation before swallowing. “I’m telling you now – it would’ve gone viral. I’m not even kidding,” Sam continued to tell her, his expression way too serious before the amused glimmer in his eyes gave him away and he laughed. “I’m not sure I can but I might try. Or maybe I could even profit, too – gonna write a book exposing you and the way you cut me out of your life after the fame got to your head and make it a bestseller or whatever. I don’t know yet, I’ll have some time to think of something though,” he warned.

.

She bit back a laugh, the soft jab pulled a roll of her eyes. “You’re right, for the seven of us, it’s a constant battle for the top spot. But, the torture of this hanging over my head, I don’t know how I’ll make the cut.” she let out a dramatic sigh. The two threw jabs back and forth, it was a dynamic she didn’t have with many people, that teasing competitiveness only coming out for a select few. His response to it only pulled a snort from her, the joking insult to his ego was only solidified as he met her with dramatics of his own. “Fine, I take back what I said. Only because I hate to bruise your ego like this. But, five dollars is still my limit. Mostly because that’s what I have on hand right now.” She extended her hand and shook his, giving it a sharp, short shake. “Deal.” When it came to the mention of Nate, Amelia almost felt guilty brushing off the details, but she was never one to push too hard when it came to talking. It felt intrusive. Always erring on a side of caution, if Sam or anyone wanted to share, they would. She liked straightforward, she liked honesty, but it was personal, and something she wouldn’t fully understand, so she did the best she could to just give him some kind words, words that were true to her at the very least. He was one of her closest friends, practically another Landry. 

She rolled her eyes at his insistence of her going viral on TikTok. “Oh, yeah, TikTok fame is exactly what I want. But my dreams of being the next Carly Demilo, or whatever her name is, are dashed. Just forever Crying Girl.” Her jaw dropped in faux shock as he threatened her with a book exposing her. “Wow, and here I thought I could trust you. I make you milkshakes, and this is what I get?” She shook her head before she leaned in to take a sip of her milkshake. “Honestly, I wish I had some good gossip in my life to help you out. Not really going to be an exciting read when you write a whole book that’s just ‘she goes camping a lot’ and ‘she wanted to be a park ranger at one point in her life.’ Not exactly a thrilling story, Sam. Maybe just stick with a callout post on Twitter.” 

One of her customers came up to the counter to cash out, and she gave Sam a quick tap on the arm as if to say One second. Her tone turned overly pleasant as she went to help him out, and left to clean his table. When she returned to Sam, she checked his current milkshake state. “Ready for round two or do you just need a little more time to chill. Remember, five dollars is on the line.”

“Consider it written in stone for generations and generations to read – or well, until I change my mind,” Sam teased with a cheeky grin as he tilted his head at her, letting out a laugh as they joked around with each other. “Since when is being fun a crime? If anything, they should tip you extra because we’re keeping them from falling asleep and face-planting right into their pancakes,” he pointed out, yet an almost apologetic smile tugged on his lips. “Wow – five? that’s all my dignity is worth? I’m fucking offended, Amelia! I would’ve thought you’d offer ten bucks at least,” he told her before his own brows mirrored her waggle at her suggestion and he gave her a sheepish smile. “Are you that sure I’m not gonna make it because…we’ve been there but maybe now I’ll try harder not to get sick just out of spite. Since you know – I don’t know what I should be more offended by. You thinking I’m not gonna stomach two milkshakes or you starting with a goddamn five dollar bet.”

Sam hadn’t brought any of this up to get reassurance, let alone to be complimented but Amelia was one of his closest friends and he felt like she could tell from a mile away that he wasn’t feeling as okay as he tried to pretend anyways. His milkshake face usually gave him away as it was. Pulling a face when Amelia asked for a name, he pondered but felt his anger rise again. “Nate fucking Blackwood,” he said, yet he tried to keep his voice down. It almost made him angrier – the fact that he was still trying to protect his name despite what he’d thrown at him. With the shift in their conversation though, Sam felt himself cool back down and he took a long sip of his milkshake as if it’d help the case. He snorted, thankfully just in time to prevent anything to shoot through his nose and he grinned back at her in amusement. “Oh man – that’s the worst. You know I never had any pets but shit…that’s gotta be bad if it made you ugly cry,” he sympathized, though the mental image alone made his lips quiver as he tried to suppress a laugh. Now that he’d seen the videos with his own eyes, Sam was finally feeling a lot more like himself again. He wiped at his eyes with how hard he’d laughed and sat up a little straighter now that the fries were served. Thanking Amelia and already helping himself, he nodded excitedly. “It’s so much better when it’s a bunch of people! We’re gonna kill it,” the young man replied immediately. “You know what? You might be right but what’s gonna stick around and stay viral? It’s never the dance videos, Amelia. It’s always the memes.”

.

She stood tall, as if the teasing compliment had gone right up to her head, only for her eyes to narrow, before reaching across the counter and giving him a playful shove. “Why do you tease me like that? If I’m not the best Landry, then what am I even doing?” she joked, knowing full well it was not at all her goal, or even remotely true. She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, your dignity is only worth, like, two bucks, I’m being incredibly generous here.” She took another sip of her milkshake, almost to punctuate her own ability to win against him in that contest. “Sounds like you’re scared, trying to psych me out because you know I’ll win. It’s okay to back out, Sam, just admit you’re afraid I’ll beat you.” 

Amelia didn’t keep up with a lot of the founding family drama, it wasn’t her place, and even though she had Sam, and she had Kit, she could separate them from it, until things like this. She nodded unsure if it was something to do with the actual family drama, which she would have no bearing to speak on, or if it was just them. “Got it,” she nodded, a lie in the simplest form. “I stand by it, then. He’s the shitty friend, not you. He screwed you over, and made you feel bad. You deserve better.” She held his gaze for a moment, trying to push her own sincerity through to him, until she felt her own skin crawl at the eye contact, she laughed it off and turned her attention back to the phone. “She just whines, and it devastates me. She was totally fine, I overreacted. She ended up comforting me because I was so upset.”  Even as he teased her, she simply rolled her eyes. There were very few people that Amelia was okay with this kind of teasing, and Sam, being one of her closest friends, practically another Landry, was one of the exceptions. “Well, I guess living on as ‘Dog Mom Meltdown’ is better than some memes out there. I guess I’ll take it. I’ll try to remember you in my fame and fortune, but I make no promises. I hope you can forgive me.” 

@landry-august​

What next? she signed at August from her place on the floor sat in front of the sea turtles tank. She tucked her camera back into her bag, before pushing herself off the ground. She brushed her jeans off before fully meeting August’s gaze. It was a habit that Amelia had with August, dragging him around with her on her days off as much as she could, and even though she preferred the outdoors, there was a strange comfort to an aquarium, especially during the winter when she didn’t have as much luck outside, it felt better here than most other places. The blues and greens off the water always seemed to make things a little calmer. She pulled out a pack of candy from her bag, holding it up as an offer, before pulling the small map they’d been given at the entrance out of her pocket. “Sharks are that way,” she pointed down the hall. “Otherwise we can go check out the otters?” 

It wasn’t often that Amelia actually bought much at the market. Maybe a container of blueberries if they seemed good despite being so out of season, but mostly whatever looked fresh that her few extra dollars that week could carry for her. But, the week’s deal had interested her enough to make sure she’d keep enough money on hand for a couple meal bundles. 

“Okay,” she asked, she picked up a bag of cranberry orange muffin mix and a bag of chocolate chip muffin mix, before holding them up to the person next to her. “Which seems like the better option? Cranberry orange sounds healthier, doesn’t it? While a chocolate chip seems like it’s the fun one? I mean, it’s a muffin either way, so it’s not healthy. But, you don’t want to make a bad choice and end up with something you hate, you know? Which do you think would be the better option?”

Sam’s goal was never to keep Amelia from doing her actual work but to get her attention for as many times as he could during his visit which meant that a quick stop to chat was all he could ask for. Thankful for their quiet surroundings though, Sam followed suit and looked around, grinning when he realized that the other customers were going to be fine without Amelia for now and he snorted, shrugging. “And that is why you’re the best Landry – duh,” he exaggerated with a snort. “I mean, am I gonna have the worst tummy ache of my life? Absolutely. Is it worth it though? Absolutely!” He exclaimed, bringing a hand down on the counter for emphasis and causing a customer turn their head with a disapproving frown which resulted in Sam shooting them an apologetic, sugary sweet grin before turning back to Amelia, immediately rolling his eyes disdainfully.

Dark eyes peered up at the sincere reminder and a hint of a smile spread over Sam’s features again. He gave a shrug, shaking his head. “That’s what I thought too but I guess I was wrong about that,” he added, taking a sip of his milkshake and for a moment he was sure that it was, in fact, working its magic. “You’re the best,” Sam told her, genuinely appreciative of his friend before a grin spread across his lips and he snorted. “The more embarrassing the better – so I can give you shit about it for the rest of our lives,” he joked before his brows pulled together. “Full on? Like ugly cried?” The young man teased, accepting the phone back from his friend with a challenging beam before he let her go. He scrolled through the videos, snorting and laughing to himself, his shoulders still shaking with a chuckle when Amelia returned. “Those are incredible, Amelia! I’m surprised you haven’t gone viral yet. We gotta make a dance video for one of those, too. Maybe we’ll get TikTok famous!” He mused as he reached for a fry, looking back at her expectantly. “Oh! We could do one with all three of us, those always land, right?”

.

She knew there wasn’t always leniency, and Amelia didn’t often give herself that break when there wasn’t time, she could make Sam wait if it was necessary. Still, his words pulled a roll of the eyes from her. “I’m going to demand that goes on the record. The Best Landry,” she teased, giving a dramatic hairflip despite her hair being tucked back into a ponytail. She held back a laugh as Sam drew the attention of the other customers, giving them both a sheepish smile. “You’re going to cost me tips,” she teased, giving him an exaggerated frown. “It’s fine, we can place bets on who gets sick first, me or you. Frankly, all my money, all five dollars is on you. But, if you want to place some high bets, like I don’t know, a thousand, we can really make it interesting,” she waggled her eyebrows at Sam, before snorting out a laugh. 

Amelia sighed and shook her head. She didn’t like to mince words, or lie, but Sam had never been anything but a friend, kind and good to her, and she felt defensive. “Well, personally, I don’t know this ‘friend’ of yours, but I do know you, and him making you think you’re a shitty friend sucks. You’re not. You deserve a lot better, Sam. Who is he, do I need to have a word with him?” She felt her cheeks heat up as he spoke, lording her own humility over her like that and gave him a narrow-eyed glare in faux offense, before slipping a laugh from her lips. “Full on ugly cried. She whined so loudly and was so dramatic about it, I felt awful.” When she came back to the front, with the plate of fries, she laughed. “You me and Kit can come up with our own TikTok dance, I’m sure it’s easy enough, right? We can make sure it’s something I can actually do. Although, I’m pretty sure you and Kit will manage to get TikTok famous, meanwhile I’ll just be a meme crying over my dog. I’ve accepted my fate.”

“Oh, I’d murder a fish for sure and I’d spend all my money replacing it and hoping you won’t notice. The guilt would eat me alive, Sam would get pissed because our plumbing would get all fucked up with fish carcasses, and eventually I’d come clean to you that Franklin - I’d probably name them Franklin - was actually Franklin the sixth. You’d forgive me, we’d be fine, but I’d have to live with being a fish killer and you’d never buy me anything organic again.” They shook their head with a sigh. “A rock is much better. Might also help me to remember to give a heads up whenever I bounce for a bit.”

.

Amelia laughed at the way Dy spoke about the timeline that would have formed had she actually gone through and gotten them a fish. It was accurate, Amelia knew that. “Well, Franklin and his five brethren will just have to exist in another universe. Alternate universe Amelia will have learned her lesson.” She gave a nod at the thought, but after a beat, she shrugged. “Well, if Shelley works as a reminder, then I think this counts as a good gift, I’m taking a win here, because it was an L for the others. I’m always happy to pet sit with or without warning. Your heads up can just be dropping Shelley off and saying bye.” She nudged their side lightly. “I don’t need explanations for needing to dip. Though, I am happy to guilt trip you if it means you bring me back something cool each time you leave for too long.”