Kylie M.

『 zendaya. twenty-three. cis woman. she/her. 』 oh heavens, is that KYLIE MOORE from CHESTNUT DRIVE i see roaming around mapleview? minnie may’s always calling them -CARELESS & -RECKLESS. i happen to think they’re not that bad! they’re a pretty cool CLERK AT STRINGS & THINGS and every time i’ve seen them, they’ve always been +WHIMSICAL & +LOYAL. i hope i see them around again!  』

her reaction to him brings flashback. memories of them partying together, painting, displaying art, staying awake late entangled in each other. god, that summer was more than he expected, yet every year following he brought himself back to new york in hopes of running into her. who would’ve thought he’d run into her in the very place he has been consistently running from. big brown eyes wide as he takes in the beautiful caramel skin of the others, her brown locks making him smile to himself. romeo can’t help but want to run his fingers through it the way he used to. it’s ridiculous but now that she’s in front of him…he misses her . he and kylie are so alike in so many ways, their faith in humanity, in each other, in love. it’s what brought them as close to each other as they were. were…god that word fucking sucks. “pinch for a pinch?” he asks, lips twitching to avoid grinning too wide. licking his lips, the male sighs, cocking his head and taking the femme in from another angle. “baffled. happy. intrigued. my emotions are all over the place, can’t imagine yours. wanna take a seat?” he offers feeling his legs go weak the longer he stands in front of her. old feelings, old memories are flooding him and he’s becoming slightly overwhelmed by it. by her. “school, here?” he twitches his nose up, “you came from new york, here…for art?” his words are slow, stamping each word as he attempts to process her explanation. “i’ve been good.” he smiles, “this is shadow, don’t think you met him. maybe on instagram but you know, i didn’t have him when we were together. i’ve been good though, living.” he chuckles. “are you in a rush? do you have a moment to catch up?”

the softest of laughs escaped her rosy lips at his light playfulness, “pinch for pinch, but not just yet. let’s wait for a little because if it is a dream, i’d like to linger in it for a moment longer.” kylie admitted, softly smiling. seeing those sweet, luminous earthy brown eyes of his, the way his hair tumbled perfectly in front of his face, just inches above his eyes, and his  little grin was almost too much for kylie. she wanted more than anything to take his arms and wrap them around her smaller frame, to be entangled with him in sheets; most of all, she wanted to get lost in him again. they were feelings she didn’t think she would ever feel again, and now that she was in front of him once more..she yearned for everything all over again. the late nights spent talking about all their dreams, the way they found solace in art, memories of laughing at the little things in life, it all came rushing back to her. and it hit her harder than she ever could have imagined because romeo was more than just a past fling for kylie. he had been her first, her everything; even if the time they spent together was short-lived, it felt like they had shared lifetimes together.

❛ see? we working this out just perfectly, ❜ he said and grinned, keeping his gaze locked with hers as she grinned. ❛ who knows, i mean –– we might need it at one point. i suppose it depends on how much trouble we get into, ❜ he added and rubbed his teeth into his bottom lip. ❛ and just letting you now that right away. you might have taken a lot on your hands, ❜ he spoke, the grin on his lips widened and it reached each side. a tiny dimple appeared on his right cheek and he laughed softly, shaking his head lightly as he looked down at his feet as he continued to move forward. todd swallowed and nodded, ❛ yeah, i can imagine. i’m sure you’re going to figure it out though. whatever you decide on going with, is gonna be lucky to have you in their corner. ❜ he smiled softly and nodded, humming quietly. keeping his gaze on kylie, he wondered what went through her head as they spoke.

his smile widened and he chuckled softly when she told him to stop and how she wasn’t cute. he shook his head, as he couldn’t believe that she didn’t think she was cute. he had noticed the way her cheeks turned pink and to him, at least it seemed like she had liked the compliment, and appreciated it, which he was happy to see. ❛ you’re very welcome, ❜ he said and smiled, before letting a soft laugh fall from his mouth. you certainly know how to make a girl feel good about herself, todd. ❛ well… i think women should be complimented every day. especially someone as beautiful as you. ❜ todd was a flirtatious guy and when the male saw someone he thought was pretty, he’d tell them straight out. just like he had done with kylie. luckily for them, the weather was still good as they continued to walk. 

todd watched as kylie took his iPhone, before handing him her own phone. he grinned and nodded as he put in his information and then he opened the camera and smiled as he took a silly-faced selfie, adding it as the contact photo for his contact information. ❛ there we go, enjoy the masterpiece that is my selfie, ❜ he said and laughed, the smile on his lips widened as he held out the phone so she could take it back. todd made a mental note to text her as he got home, as he didn’t want her to think that he wouldn’t text her. or should he wait? do you wait three days to text a girl, whether it’s someone you’d ask out on a date or wanna get to know better? fuck; he thought and shook his head lightly.

as they went through the crowded cafe, todd made sure to stay close to kylie as he didn’t want to lose sight of her. once they got to an empty table at the far corner of the cafe, todd looked at kylie who placed the plate with their pastry down. when she slid into the booth, he did the same, sitting down in front of her. ❛ it’s fine, don’t worry about it. this place is usually quite packed, ❜ he answered and used his hand to wave it off, placing the guitar case on the floor next to the booth he was in. taking his jacket off, todd laid it down on the couch. when she asked what there was to do, he shrugged. ❛ there’s not that much, to be honest. you kind of have to be creative, ❜ he said as he took a large sip of the coffee, ❛ and there is an art museum in town, actually. it’s on main street. are you into art? ❜

" well, you know, hopefully, by the time i end up graduating from school  i won't have this urge to also get into trouble. then i'm afraid i would not be such a good lawyer because i'll end up sitting in a jail cell right next to you guys." she laughed, warmly. it was true that while kylie did attend law school, she was drawn to mischief all the same. she enjoyed doing small things, though, nothing major. for example, her love of painting walls in the middle of the night and wandering back to the 'scene of the crime' the next day to see what others' reactions would be. the next words to come from todd's lips warmed her heart, as she had never had someone say such kind things to her. it made her feel like maybe, just maybe, she could break out of the invisible chains she felt so tied down by. 

when todd complimented her again, her hands came up to cover her face, but a smile remained on her lips, "oh, no, todd. you're going to keep me blushing if you don't stop with these compliments." she giggled, peeking at him through her fingers. for someone that was a stranger an hour ago, todd had somehow made her feel like she had known him for years. he was easy to be around, and when he complimented her, it brought little nerves to her stomach. "you're dimples are the cute ones here, let's are honest." she playfully shot back, lowering her hands from her face, the smile never leaving her lips. as their eyes were locked on each other for a moment, kylie moore realized that this was one the first times she has been genuinely happy in a long time.

she watched as todd made a funny face for the selfie, finding him even more endearing. even if he wasn’t trying to be, todd was incredibly cute. his silliness made her giddy, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. “thank you for giving me the honor of such a masterpiece.” she said between giggles, “i’ll treasure it forever.” kylie warmly assured, glancing down at the picture, softly smiling. it was in that second of time when kylie decided she would not wait three days to text him, but instead text him the next morning. people like todd didn’t come often in life, so she didn’t see why she should abide by some imaginary rule. her brown eyes looked back up at todd, still smiling at him. he really was unlike any other. . 

todd’s smile widened as she exclaimed brightly. he chuckled and looked at her as she said that she was studying law. ❛ so, if me and my band were ever to get in trouble, i could just call and you’d help us out? ❜ he questioned and grinned, keeping his dark-hazel eyes on her. ❛ but yeah, i can imagine. do you want to like help the state or people? ❜ he asked and licked his lips absentmindedly. ❛ for some reason, i see you helping the regular man on the street, not the state. but who knows, ❜ he replied and tilted his head a little to the side. their conversation went smoothly –– kylie was pretty easy to talk to. which was pretty impressive as the they had just met not long ago. when kylie said that she found it hard to believe, and that he could always ramble around her, he let a soft laugh fall from his lips. 

their eyes stayed locked with one another for a good minute or so. good. i promise, no matter what you have to say, whether it’s about music, or the most boring subject in the world, todd, i want to hear everything. as he continued to stare at her, the smirk on his lips softened and turned into a smile instead. ❛ uh, well, thanks. i appreciate that and i might just take you up on that. ❜ todd looked at her who asked if it was okay that she thought he was cute. ❛ yeah, of course i don’t mind. i think you’re pretty cute too, y’know. ❜ 

when she asked if they should exchange numbers, todd hummed softly and kept his gaze on the female. ❛ that’s probably a good idea, ❜ he replied and nodded as he pulled out his phone and opened his contacts app, opening a new contact so that kylie could put her info in. he laughed and blinked, looking at kylie as he had just been kidding about the merch but the fact that she said she could have a couple of ideas before their show, he parted his lips ever so lightly. ❛ alright. do that. i’m sure it’ll look great, ❜ he said and rubbed his bottom lip with his pearly white upper teeth. as they stood in line at the coffee shop, todd turned his head around and looked at kylie, who scanned the menu of all the different drinks they had to offer. todd swallowed and followed her as she stepped up to the counter, putting in their order –– a black coffee, bear claw and a caramel macchiato. when she asked if he had tried it before, he laughed and nodded. ❛ once, ❜ he said and cleared his throat, ❛ it’s a little too much caramel for me. but, it’s not bad. yeah, let’s… let’s find a seat. ❜ 

kylie chuckled at his question, nodding, “ yup! hey, i guess i can be like your guy's personal lawyer or something.” she grinned. “i’m studying the law that helps people, i’m just not entirely sure which kind of lawyer i want to be. there are so many options that i get a bit overwhelmed thinking about it.” she admitted, but the admission was only partially true. kylie didn’t care about what kind of lawyers there were to choose from; that’s far from what she wanted; it wasn’t even a real concern of hers. every class already felt like it was sucking the soul right out of her; she couldn’t imagine putting extra efforts outside of class in terms of being a lawyer. “i guess i still have two more years before i really need to make a decision, but i couldn’t picture myself being the kind of lawyer that doesn’t want to help people.” regardless of the years left, though, kylie knew she more than likely would not be graduating from law school. all she needed was a chance to break free from the chains that held her down, an opportunity to show off her art, some sign to let her know that things would be okay if she went down that path. 

her smile that had faltered  brightened up again at what todd said next. she was happy to hear that he would at least consider talking to her if he ever felt the need to vent or ramble about anything. then, just as she had complimented him, todd was tossing the same compliment her way. the pink hue from earlier appeared on her cheeks. this time, it was darker than before, “oh, stop. i’m not cute at all.” she softly giggled, “but, thank you. i do appreciate the compliment. you certainly know how to make a girl feel good about herself, todd.” she lightly commented, another giggle falling from her lips. 

when the phone was presented to her, her bright smile turned into a warm one as she reached for it, silently surprised he had even agreed to exchange numbers. “here you go.” she offered him her phone, “you add yours, and i’ll add mine.” she said before turning her attention down to the ‘new contact’ section todd had kindly popped up for her. it took only seconds for her thumb to glide across the screen, typing in the info the ‘new contact’ section asked for, handing it back not long after. now she wondered if she could text or if she’d have to wait for todd to text her. did the wait three days before you text someone’ rule apply in this case? she silently asked herself,  deciding that she would worry about that later in the comfort of her bedroom.

With their order already in hand in the cafe, kylie began to maneuver through the crowded place. she was a bit surprised at how busy it was, but she also supposed that it was probably a hot spot during the hour they came to indulge. there was a table at the far corner of the cafe that was empty, so kylie led the way there. placing the plate with their pastry down on the table, she slid into the booth. “sorry, i didn’t think there would be so many people here right now.” she apologized, offering a smile to match the apology. “maybe it’s happy hour?” kylie suggested, before taking a sip of her coffee. “alright, tell me, what is there to do around town? also, is there an art museum around mapleview, by chance?” she asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

romeo was out for his usual run with shadow. leash less and keeping up with romeo, shadow was always romeo’s preferred running mate. with his black hat pulled over his forehead, romeo decides to walk through the park, giving himself time to catch his breath. at the familiar voice, he pauses in his track, looking at the woman whose calling him over. stomach turning in knots, the male continues to make his way over, a gasp falling from his lips as she utters her name. “ky-lie?” romeo whispers pulling his hat from his head and shaking his hair into the usual mess it’s in. “wh-what, hi!” he greets, giddily. “w-what are you doing in mapleview? am i dreaming?” he laughs.

if kylie moore had recognized who she was approaching before she approached them, she surely would have turned in another direction and tried to avoid the situation. not because seeing romeo wasn’t a good thing, but merely because she would have liked to fix herself up a bit more for a reunion involving romeo rhodes of all people. at one point in her life, romeo was the sunshine that brightened her day. he gave her the butterflies kylie had only ever read about in books. as silly as it was, he was truly her fairytale come to life and kylie adored him for that; she always would. while their fairytale did have to come to an end, it was a mutual understanding, for reasons completely out of their control, and kylie never harbored ill feelings over it. seeing him again, especially so unexpectedly, brought her the same butterflies he had brought her the moment their eyes locked at that party years back. “r-romeo?” she whispered, the shock of seeing him written all over her face. “i-i..” she clears her throat, “ s-sorry, just a little caught off guard.” kylie lightheartedly admitted, nervously giggling a little. “no, you’re very much not dreaming. though i must admit, i feel the same way. i feel like this is a dream, and i’ll be waking up soon.” another giggle fell from her rosy lips, “i’m here for school, actually. i, um, just transferred here. i’d say it’s been about a week now?” she explained, smiling a bit. “how, um, how have you been, romeo?”

nodding his head, todd smiled as he looked at the female next to him. ❛ yeah, i think coffee is a common hero to be honest, ❜ he answered and nodded. he then noticed she said that it had saved her from failing a class or two, which made him curious as to what she had been studying. or was studying. ❛ what are you studying? you said it kept you from failing a class or two, which i’m guessing means you’re in school, ❜ he questioned curiously, the smile on his lips growing slowly until it couldn’t get any bigger. as they continued to talk, he noticed how the conversation flowed with ease. kylie was really easy to talk to. as he spoke about the band, he could feel how she looked at him and he laughed and smiled brightly. 

hey now, don’t apologize. todd licked his lips absentmindedly, looking at kylie who said she enjoyed hearing him ramble, which made him chuckle. ❛ i think you might be the only one, ❜ he said and shook his head, the smile on his lips continued to grow. he listened to what she said, about how it was wonderful to see someone find something that makes him so happy & his cheeks turned into a soft pink. todd knew he could ramble about music for hours so he wanted to make sure that he didn’t talk her ears full about stuff she possibly didn’t care about. you should never apologize for that. he kept his gaze on her and nodded, ❛ okay. i won’t apologize for it. i promise, ❜ he spoke, his voice gentle and in a whispering tone. her next words caused him to laugh a little and look at her with raised brows. she thought he was cute? ❛ you think i’m cute, huh? ❜ todd said teasingly and bit his bottom lip.

shaking his head, todd couldn’t believe how someone could be so damn fascinated by it, but he didn’t say that out loud as he wanted his best friend, and seemingly kylie, to continue to be curious and excited about it. ❛ it definitely makes for a funny origin story. if we ever do get big, we can at least tell everyone the story of how we got our name, ❜ todd chuckled at the idea of telling reporters the story of the name. when she said she wanted to come to a show, todd nodded and lifted his hands, rubbing them together excitedly. ❛ uhh, awesome. and we have got a show coming up this weekend, ❜ he said and smiled, happy to hear that she would come and watch them play. the more people their music could be shown to, the better. ❛ we… we do have some merch, not too much and it’s very badly made, so if you have any suggestions on how to better them, please let me know. ❜

as they entered the shop, todd turned around and looked at kylie who spoke about how this had to be what heaven smelled like. ❛ if heaven smells like this, then sign me up, ❜ he said & shook his head, before they went to stand in the line. he turned around and stood in front of her, looking at her as she asked about what he was going to get. ❛ i think i’m gonna get just a regular black coffee. i need that caffeine in my veins, ❜ he said and laughed, ❛ and i’d love to share a bear claw with you, my lady, ❜ he said and bowed his head, before looking up at her with a smirk on her lips. he chuckled and shook his head.

their agreeance with coffee being the hero of many showed when she happily nodded after the comment left todd's lips. her smile only faltered slightly in her smile when she was asked about school, remembering the unfortunate career she felt forced to be in, it always made her a little sad. "yes!" she brightly exclaimed nonetheless, " i'm studying law. at some point in my life, i'm supposed actually to make a career out of that, and it's a little bit of a scary thought." she admitted, sighing a bit. despite having only just met todd, kylie wanted to tell him everything. the conversation was just so natural with him that she had to fight every urge inside of her telling her to continue but to not overstep in sharing too much; she kept the rest of her comments in her head. 

her eyebrows raised in surprise when todd mentioned she might be the only one who enjoyed his rambling, something kylie could not truly see being the case. why would anyone not want to hear it? todd was a true sweetheart, a kind soul, or so it seemed. she couldn’t imagine that in a town like mapleview, nobody else held that same sentiment.” i find that hard to believe, but know that you can always ramble around me. i’ll be here to listen for as long as you let me.”  if other’s didn’t want to listen to todd, that was their loss, kylie wanted to listen to everything he had to say. her brown eyes glanced over to todd momentarily, catching the pink hue that appeared on his cheeks. it only made her smile widen more. she was about to look away when their eyes met once more, “good. i promise, no matter what you have to say, whether it’s about music, or the most boring subject in the world, todd, i want to hear everything.” kylie assured, warmly smiling. it was the light laugh that came from his lips that caused her to also join in with laughter; it was the light kind of laughter, the kind of laughter that comes effortlessly and rarely. “y-yeah, i guess i do.” she admitted, still laughing a bit, “is that okay?” kylie playfully asked.

“oh, hey, maybe we should exchange numbers for the show? if you’re okay with that, that is. if not, it’s okay, tell me where to meet you, when to meet you. I’ll be there.” she paused for a moment, thinking, “hmm. if you give me until your show, then i should have a couple of ideas for merch for spork. i’ll wear one of the shirts i’m going to make for you guys. You can tell me what you think.” she suggested, happy to help todd and his band in any way she could. in all honesty, she wished the weekend would hurry up now. kylie wanted to see todd in his element; she wanted to see pure happiness emanate from him. While this was not entirely a major reason, she also wanted to meet this noah guy. it really did fascinate kylie that someone else out there was as intrigued by a spork as she was, as silly as that was. 

as they stood in line at the coffee shop, her eyes were scanning all the different drinks the menu offered; she laughed at his follow up comment to her heavenly one. “i’ll jot my name down for this trip too. anything coffee scented is heavenly to me.” she joked. listening to his request for black coffee, kylie nodded, stepping up to the counter to order their beverages and the bearclaw. she had decided to get a caramel macchiato, a little bit of both worlds. “caramel macchiato.” she stated when their order was brought to the counter, looking up at todd, “ my secret obsession. have you ever tried one?” she asked, before turning to pick up the plate with their bearclaw on it, “also, shall we find a seat?”

“Hey, I moved here from New York too. From Brooklyn. Small world.” Stef chuckles, smiling at the coincidence. “Ah, it’s got to be around four years now? I like it here. Definitely a good place to raise these two.” He says, nodding towards the twins in the stroller. “Mapleview’s a nice little down. Like you said, definitely different than New York, but I’ve found that it’s different in a good way.” 

“oh, wow! new york buddies! i’m from manhattan.” she grinned, brightly smiling at the coincidence. the world truly was a small place, kylie was learning that every day. she listened as stef spoke about how long he had been in mapleview and what a lovely town it was to raise his babies, it warmed her heart even more to hear the little fact. “hey, i know we just met, but if you ever need a babysitter i’d be more than happy to sign up.” she happily offered, her smile never faltering. “i’m curious, though, has mapleview changed much in the four years you’ve lived here?”

The winter air had a slight chill to it, causing Jude to curl his fists deep into pockets of his denim jacket. It could have been snowing, for all Jude cared, and the male would still treck along the trail, orange leaves crunching underneath his boots. He scooped down to observe one of the flowers. Bringing the poloroid camera from where it hung around his neck up to his face, Jude snapped a photo. He was watching the colors slowly develop when a voice called out to him. “Hey! Kylie, is that your name? Thanks for the reminder. I was beginning to forget what you even looked like behind the bedroom door,” he teased. Jude had been all too happy to have a roommate again. He loathed living by himself, and Kylie made for nice company. “Sure! Mind if I join you? I could go for about fifty cups of coffee right now.”

pure delight coursed through her as her eyes registered who she had just stumbled upon. a roommate like no other, jude had quickly become someone kylie felt at ease around. someone she felt incredibly lucky to be living with. he loved old school rock, she loved old school rock, he enjoyed crime documentaries, and so did kylie, truly it was a roommate match made in heaven for kylie moore.  “oh, goodness!” kylie exclaimed, embarrassed by her mistake. “ i’m so sorry, jude. for both, not recognizing you and hiding away in my room. you know me, if there is a crime documentary on netflix, chances are, i am probably munching on cheese nips and watching it.” she laughed, “but instead of wondering about my face outside the door of my bedroom, join me next time. i have plenty of cheese nips to share, especially with you.” she happily suggested, brightly smiling. the suggestion to come next from jude’s lips only brightened her spirits up, even more, something that showed in the small ‘eep’ noise she made when he asked to join her, “i would certainly not mind if you joined me! i’d love that, actually.” what she wanted to do was reach out and throw her arm around him, walk alongside him like two close friends. Still, being so new to the roommate situation, kylie did not want to cross any lines or make him uncomfortable. “ ooh! idea! what if we snag our coffee and some pastries to go? there is this new crime doc we can binge on netflix if you’re up for it?”

Assured that she wasn’t uncomfortable with his company, Moon’s small smile bloomed into a bright grin. “Cool. Well, I’ll show you the way then.” As the two began to walk, Moon suddenly realized he had forgotten to introduce himself. He was about to turn his head and do so when she spoke up instead. “Uh, kind of. I lived here for about five years about nine or so years ago, but just recently moved back.”

While Mapleview held quite a few fond memories for him, he never saw himself living here again. No, he had been entertaining the idea of moving back to Ireland when his father had passed, and with his mother’s advanced age, he and his sister decided it would be best to be closer to her. “What about you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” While he was terrible with remembering names, he never forgot a face and he was certain he would have remembered hers. “I’m Moon by the way. Forgot to mention that before.”

kylie enjoyed the light breeze that gently passed them as they walked side by side; it sent little shivers up her spine. she listened with great interest as the other spoke, eyebrows lifting a little when he mentioned the amount of time he had lived in mapleview before recently moving back, “oh, wow! so you’re not a stranger to this town at all.” she lightly laughed, feeling more excitement rising within her at that realization. “in a town this small, i must know, has it changed much since you last saw it those many years ago?” the question was a genuine one, kylie really being curious to know how much mapleview truly changes throughout the years. was it really a town stuck in time? her answer would come soon enough, she hoped. 

even though kylie came from a big city like new york, there was something truly enchanting about mapleview. in her life, she had never imagined coming to live in a cute little town like it, yet, look at her now. but if you asked her if this is where she wanted to spend the rest of her life, the answer would be a polite ‘no’ because kylie had always envisioned living in london, england. however, given the current mystery she was trying to solve involving her brother, for the time being, mapleview would be her home. “it’s a pleasure to meet you, moon. i like your name. it’s very unique, and it matches the stars your hazel eyes hold.” she grinned, tucking a few of her curls behind her ear, keeping the same steady pace as they walked towards the cafe. “ nah, i’m not from around here. i lived in new york city before coming to mapleview for school.” she left out the part about searching for her brother (for now). “luckily, i did manage to snag a job at strings & things already. anyway, what about you? what do you do around town, moon?”

“It’s no trouble at all, really.” Stef says reassuringly, offering Kylie a smile. He really didn’t mind at all, and besides, the twins were fine in their stroller for a bit longer. “Oh, that’s very kind of you. I think we can manage that, right guys? He asks, glancing back at the babies, who just babble in return. “How are you liking Mapleview so far?”

the smile was returned with a bright one of her own, kylie being very appreciative of the kindness the gentleman was showing her. “thank you.” she replied, her tone matching the smile on her rosy lips. her heart flutters with happiness when the father speaks to his two babies, practically feeling her insides melt at how sweet the sight of it all was.  they walked in step with each other to the cafe, an easy rhythm for kylie to fall into next to him, “oh, i am very much liking mapleview. it’s a very nice town, filled with even nicer people, though i have had my run-ins with a rude persons here and there. it’s okay; however, i would much rather take the rudeness mapleview offers versus new york city.” she jokingly explained, laughing a little. “ what about you? how do you like mapleview?”

todd smiled at kylie in a friendly manner and he lifted his shoulders, hoping that she didn’t feel too bad about what she had said because honestly, todd hadn’t minded it. right, you are! coffee and tea are the lifesavers of any day. ❛ oh, definitely! ❜ he chuckled softly and shook his head, ❛ i’ve had to drink many a cups to make it through the day, let me tell ya that, ❜ he snickered and bit his bottom lip as he listened to her talk about heroes and not all of them wearing capes at the end of the day. he laughed fullheartedly and nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. ❛ maybe, honestly, not a bad suggestion, ❜ he responded as his gaze stared at the ground in front of them was they walked towards the cafe. 

as he spoke about the band, and where the name had come from, he could feel kylie genuinely listen to what he had to say, which he appreciated a lot. as he continued to speak, he soon realized that he was rambling and he quickly stopped himself. ❛ oh god, i’m rambling – ❜ he laughed and sank his teeth into his bottom lip. ❛ if i talk too much, let me know. i have a habit of rambling when i talk about certain things, ❜ he answered honestly as he glanced over at kylie, them walking next to each other with a mere arm’s length between them. a cast of wind sent goosebumps down his spine and he lifted his shoulders. 

the grin on todd’s lips widened and he laughed. ❛ noah was high and apparently couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that there’s an actual thing such as a hybrid between a fork and a spoon, ❜ he said and looked at her with raised brows. ❛ yeah, a pretty weird origin story, huh? ❜ todd spoke and grinned mischiviously. when she started to ramble, todd shook his head and laughed, rubbing his teeth against his bottom lip. ❛ hey, calm down, ❜ he spoke & laughed, shaking his head, ❛ i get what you mean. and you’re being sweet. you should come to one of our next shows. i can let you know when it’s at if you want. ❜ as he stopped, and she did too, todd looked at kylie with a big grin on his mouth. ❛ i’ve made you blush? ❜ he chuckled and grinned, before he started walking again, heading towards where the cafe was. as they approached the cafe, he turned to look at kylie and smiled as the smell of freshly brewing coffee and pastry filled his nose. raising an eyebrow as she had rushed over to the door and held it open. ❛ okay, that’s a first. i don’t think i have ever had someone open the door for me. why thank you, kind lady. much appreciate it, ❜ he said and grinned as he walked into the cafe; which was surprisingly busy.  

there were a great many nights in which kylie had to have multiple cups of coffee to stay awake long enough to do all the papers for her classes. law school was not really working out for her, not that it completely surprised kylie, seeing as none of her courses could hold her attention long enough. she hated any assignments thrown her way, so often she procrastinated them until there was barely any time left to cram in the assignment. most professors would shake their heads at her because she was incredibly smart, but kylie didn’t care to use her smarts for the subjects she felt forced to take. so coffee had become her hero a very long time ago, and todd’s comment about drinking cups to make it through the day only made her laugh more. “oh, man! coffee has honestly saved me from failing a class or two. then again, maybe i should stop putting off my papers for the last minute. but if i do that, then where is the excitement?” she joked.

the conversation carried on without an effort of either, it seemed, and kylie happily flowed with it. when the subject turned to that of todd’s band, she watched with full admiration as he happily spoke about spork. it was like kylie moore was a blank canvas, and todd’s paintbrush of enthusiasm was painting her life with color, a color that she hadn’t felt in a while. “ hey now, don’t apologize. i was enjoying hearing you ramble, actually. i think it’s wonderful when someone can find something that so clearly makes them happy, as you have found. to fall in love with something so immensely, that’s something extraordinary, you should never apologize for that.” kylie assured with a friendly smile. she wanted todd to know that it was okay to be himself around her, to speak about anything and everything, but most of all, she wanted him to keep that love he had for music burning bright. his passion for his band showed, it was beautiful, and kylie was slightly envious that she could never openly express that same passion for art. “plus, rambling looks cute when you do it.” she admitted, lightheartedly

there was a small burst of laughter that erupted from her red-tinted lips at the story behind how spork got its name, mainly because she was also fascinated by the idea of a spork as noah was, “i mean, i can’t blame him there. high or not, i’ve always been fascinated by that too. like, who the heck thought of that? it’s genius, more than weird, i’d say. definitely makes for a funny origin story.” her cheeks felt as if they were going to burst from so much smiling, yet the smile did not falter with todd’s every passing word; all that she could do was continue to let it grow. she had never been invited to attend anything before; there was a warmth that came with the invitation todd extended to her; it was surely something she would never forget. could it be that kylie moore had made a friend? one that was outside of her family circle? it seemed so, but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions too quickly. “i’d love to come to see your band perform sometime. when is your next show? i’ll be here, joints and all.” she assured, before happily asking, “ooh, do you guys have shirts? because if not, consider me your personal band merch assistant. i’ll definitely be sporting a ‘spork’ shirt for your show.” she grinned.

entering the shop right behind todd, the smell of coffee instantly made kylie inhale deeply, “surely this is what heaven smells like.” she softly sighs, smiling happily, eyes beaming as she looked around the cafe. there was a bit of a line, but kylie was okay with that because it meant she could spend a bit more time with todd, and she was also always very indecisive on what she wanted to order. “what are you thinking of getting?” she asked, taking their place in line. “ohh! would you like to share a bear claw with me?”

“definitely any day that involves me, a box of cheese nips, blankets, and something either scary or funny on my television screen. if i could be a couch potato all day, then that’s what i’ll be. just give my the cheese nips!”

LIFE SOUNDTRACK:

1.) Relefecton(Mulan): “believe it or not, one time, i did tell my parents i wanted to be an artist/film director. my dad responded by sitting me in front of a computer and forcing me to look up law school after law school to educate myself on what a ‘real’ future could be. i don’t know. It really made me see that sometimes you have to hide your true colors to come out successful. success, at least in this instance, being the support of my father. “

2.) Lean On Me(Bill Withers): “the memory attached to this is multiple ones, mainly all my letters sent back forth with a penpal i met thanks to a school project. his name is lane, and he actually lives right here in mapleview! when i’ve felt like i have had no one to turn to, his letters always brightened my day and gave me an outlet to know that someone out there is listening. this means more to me than words could ever describe.”