i'm sorry i bit you...

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇  𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐄  𝐀  𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐌  smile  towards  the  girl.    “  i’m  glad.  ”    she  had  never  been  one  for  socializing.  elizabeth  dreaded  the  balls  her  father  would  force  her  to  attend.  not  just  because  of  the  corsets  but  because  of  the  lackluster  company.  she  hadn’t  really  met  like  minded  people  until  she  moved  to  elias.  she  was  thrust  into  the  public  because  of  her  famous  race  car  driver  husband  which  elizabeth  didn’t  mind.  it  forced  her  to  get  out  of  a  comfort  zone  she  hadn’t  realized  she  was  living  in.  

“  thank  you.  i  have  my  husband  to  thank  for  this  cool  name.  however  ,  i  like  to  believe  my  maiden  name  was  just  as  cool.  it’s  wonderful  to  meet  you  lilo  pelekai.  ”    elizabeth  smiled.    “  you  come  here  often  as  well  ?  ”    she  asked,  her  heart  tugging  a  bit  hearing  that  the  girl  came  here  alone.  it  was  Elizabeth’s  choice  to  do  so  given  se  liked  the  solitude  from  time  to  time  but  was  it  the  girls  choice  ?    “  they  do.  i  believe  it’s  because  they  don’t  understand  it  they  way  you  and  i  seem  to  do.  ”

...

“I don’t think I’ll change my name if I get married. Unless it’s something really cool. Or Presley, then everyone would think I was related to Elvis.” Lilo wasn’t sure if she even wanted to get married. She wasn’t very into boys, or girls for that matter. She could appreciate cute people without liking the idea of kissing them. The whole concept of relationships still grossed her out, but maybe the right person could change that. And if not, she would remain perfectly happy single forever. It didn’t sound bad to her. “What was your maiden name?”

Lilo nodded, heaving the tiniest of sighs. It was nice to talk to someone who seemed to get it. “There’s a lot of things people don’t seem to understand.” She was used to thinking differently than mostly everyone she met. As weird as her friends could be, she still felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb at times. Maybe it was in her head. Lilo didn’t mind being different, she just wished more people would try to empathize sometimes.

“HM,” MOLLIE SAID AS IF SHE WERE THINKING on it, before grinning. “I probably would have bought you lunch anyway, but I’ll accept the undying gratitude.” The smile on her face didn’t tell if she was joking or genuine to Lilo’s dramatics. “Throw in some undying friendship and we have a deal.” Now, there was a joking look on her face. “It’s your pick, where do you want to get food?” She had enough money from John to spare a meal. Plus, she’d never leave one of her friends in a bad situation. 

...

“Good. You were going to have it whether you wanted it or not.” Lilo hummed in thought, a thumbing through a mental list of all of the restaurants and fast food places in walking distance. She wasn’t craving anything specific, and she didn’t want to spend too much of Mollie’s allowance. “I mean, we could save some of your money and buy groceries to make our own food,” she suggested. “Maybe homemade pizzas? With pineapple.” 

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇  𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍’𝐓  𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓  when  the  ocean  had  become  a  place  of  solace  for  her.  in  a  way  it  always  felt  like  the  love  she  held  for  it  was  a  feeling  she  had  been  born  with.  when  her  father  would  go  abroad  on  on  ships  elizabeth  always  begged  him  to  tag  along  -  if  only  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  vast  body  of  water  she  loved  so  deeply.  what  probably  drew  her  most  to  the  ocean  was  the  freedom  tied  to  it.  elizabeth  was  never  one  to  be  confined  to  a  gilded  cage.  

the  woman  nodded  some.  it  was  unfortunate  what  had  happened.  knowing  what  she  knew  now  elizabeth  didn’t  think  there  was  a  way  to  prevent  it.  it  felt  as  though  this  war  was  always  meant  to  be  waged  it  was  just  unfortunate  that  elias  was  caught  in  the  crossfire.    “  i’m  okay.  ”    at  least  she  believed  to  be.  she  had  been  considered  lucky  considering  so  many  had  lost  their  battles  yet  she  had  come  out  victorious.  she  shouldn’t  have  felt  guilty  but  her  own  husband  ,  a  powerful  being  ,  lost  and  she  won  with  swords  alone.    “  i  was.  i  come  to  the  ocean  when  i  need  peace  of  mind.  it  soothes  me.  you  are  not  bothering  me  at  all.  ”    she  assured  the  young  girl  with  a  smile.    “  elizabeth  mcqueen.  you  wouldn’t  mind  keeping  me  company  here  would  you  ?  you  seem  to  appreciate  the  ocean  as  i  do.  ”

...

“That’s good.” Lilo might not have been the most empathetic person, but she didn’t lack the ability to care for people she didn’t know. She would hate for anyone to be suffering, especially after something so unpredictable and tragic. “Me too.” The corners of her lips pulled up into a small smile. The ocean felt more like home than any house ever could. She spent many days on her father’s surfboard before she was too young to even crawl, cross legged and giggling as they took over the waves. She must’ve known how to swim before she could walk. She’d never understand why some people were so afraid of the sea; sure it was big and unknown, but the rest of the world was too. At least there was peace among the saltwater. 

“That’s a cool name. I’m Lilo. Pelekai,” she added after a second thought, realizing the woman had given her full name. “Of course. It’s nice to not stand here alone for once.” Not that she minded so much, but Lilo had always been a lonely person. Even now that she had friends, the loneliness lingered. It wasn’t that she was afraid of being alone, she kept herself company, but it could be nice to have someone to talk to sometimes. “I’m glad you love it so much. So many people take it for granted.”

mavis twisted her face as if she was giving it serious thought. tapping her chin as well to push the tease further then ending with a dramatic sigh. “i guess i can lend you a dollar or two, sweet little ol’ adorable soul.” mavis replied with a mischievous smile, “only if i’m allowed to grab a bite with you? if not all bets are off and this dollar is all mine.” she winked knowing good and well if lilo hadn’t the time for lunch with her she’d still give her friend the money but it was worth the shot.

...

“I guess I could consider it,” Lilo joked, ever so grateful for her friends. It was sad to think she had missed out on friendship for so long, but she found comfort in the fact that she now had the best friend group she could ask for. “I’ll buy lunch next time, okay? Maybe.” Probably not. “Where do you want to go? You pay, you choose.”

Victor had been going to get himself a hot tea from StarBucks when he heard a familiar voice. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder with a laugh that was the most genuine laugh he’d had in days. “Pickled mango girl! Hello,” he reached to pull his wallet from his pocket with a grin. “Oh stop that. I can spare five dollars for you to get yourself something to eat. Here.” He passed her the money with a grin. “How have you been?” He was relieved to see that she was ok after the insanity of the past few weeks.

...

Well, she’d been called worse things. Lilo grinned. Of all the things to be remembered by, she would take pickled mangos happily. “Thank you, you’re my hero,” her grin softening into a grateful smile, she took the bill and slipped it into her front pocket. “I’ve been fine. It’s kind of gloomy around town, still, I wish everything would go back to normal... but I guess that fits the Halloween vibe. Speaking of, I still need to find my costume. Are you dressing up?”

The last thing she’d expected was for someone to sit down next to her while she was lost in her own thoughts. Working in the hat shop had taught her to be kind and smile at people. Remember, ‘You never know when someone is going to need it.“ That’s what her mother would say, followed by ‘it encourages customers to spend more money’. So she put on a fake smile, one that was a little forced around the edges, but a smile none the less. 

“Oh Lilo. Isn’t it hideous. I intend to help out because someone has to clean up after this shambles, and it will serve as a good diversion-..”she felt selfish just going on about her plans.. "Oh my..” “How are you feeling?” “I hope your home is alright”

Lilo nodded slowly. It was hideous, but at least it was over. She didn’t have much of a personal attachment to this town. Aside from the people she cared about here, Elias didn’t mean anything to her. Her heart was still in her hometown, in the house she grew up in.

“I’m okay,” she said, honestly. It was a little unnerving, everything that had happened, but she had handled it surprisingly well. Seeing monsters waltzing around the city destroying the buildings didn’t compare to seeing police officers on her front step as a child, informing Nani that their parents weren’t coming back. “Oh, my home is fine. I boarded up the windows.” Not that that would stop some of those bloodthirsty creatures, but she was confident in the job she’d done. “Yours didn’t get beat up too bad, did it?”

       VIOLET EYES WIDEN IN SURPRISE  with  the  girl’s  words ,  not  so  much  the  request  as  how  honest  she  is  about  the  possibility  of  never  returning  the  money .  many  may  have  found  it  a  complete  lack  of  manners ,  but  aurora  thought  it  was  a  bit  endearing  and  so ,  with  a  small  smile ,  she  nodded  her  head .  ❝  of  course ,  but  on  one  condition ;  you’ll  have  to  let  me  eat  with  you .  i’m  a  little  bit  hungry  myself ,  ❞  the  princess  confessed  with  a  giggle .  ❝  don’t  worry  about  paying  me  back  either ,  it’s  all  good .  what  are  you  in  the  mood  for ,  dear ?  oh ,  by  the  way ,  i’m  aurora .  ❞

...

“Really?” Lilo’s eyes lit up. She always enjoyed company. She was a social person who had... a bit of a hard time getting along with others, but not for lack of trying. “I’m so hungry I could go for anything right now --- Chinese, pizza, Mexican, baked goods... ooh, doughnuts sound really good. I think I could eat a whole box.” Her stomach growled just imagining the taste of a creamed filled, chocolate glazed. “We could go to the Lucky Cat if you want.”

Logan sighed at her dramatics. He’d adjusted to his role in the friend group. He was always making sure the girls were safe and take care of. They always seemed to be getting into trouble and while he wasn’t much better, he had more experience in getting them out of it. “No need to guilt me, Lilo. We can just go grab lunch. I’m hungry anyway.” He pointed back to Mama Odie’s where he was headed. 

...

“But I want to guilt you. It makes my life more fun.” Eyes following his gesture, she nodded with excitement. Mama Odie’s was one of her favorite places around town, she loved the atmosphere and food, but she often opted out of eating at restaurants. It was cheaper to make sandwiches at home. “Look, since you’re being so sweet, I’ll be sweet too and get water, so you don’t have to pay for a soda.”

   ‘ oh absolutely, ’ he replied immediately. her enthusiasm was charming. it made his own smile grow fonder, eyes looking over her costume. in turn it made him feel embarrassed by his. he shuffled in place before nodding to get his mind off of things – until her next question did just that.

   eyes looked over the booths, stevie released a low hum as he thought over his options . . there was no other one. he had nothing better to do. might as well make a new friend while he’s here. ‘ s – sure, ’ came his weak reply. damn his nerves. ‘ whatever you want to do or prefer. we can . . see if they have pretzels ? those are always good, with some dip too. don’t worry though, it’s on me or we can go halfsies. won’t let you get away with paying it all though, my mom would actually throw a fit. ’ – plus i’m trying to impress you, but for some reason that didn’t make the cut. 

“Yes, pretzels!” Irene was quick to agree. “Pretzels sound so good right now.” She hadn’t realized she was hungry until this moment, thinking about warm, salted, twisted bread --- or maybe cinnamon and sugar, that was always a good option. Either way, her stomach was practically growling at the idea.

“There are some things moms don’t have to know,” she joked, though she told her mom everything. Lilo was supportive and unjudging, and Irene wasn’t enough of a rule breaker to cause her gray hairs. “But we can do halfsies, if you insist. I know there’s a food stand this way,” she turned to the left and motioned, “what I don’t know is if they have pretzels... maybe we can check it out and go from there?”

        THE OTHER GIRL’S TALE MAKES HER EYES  go  wide ,  a  mixture  of  surprise  &  enthusiasm  appearing  on  katrina’s  face .  ❝  their  own  silly  constellations ?  that  sounds  like  a  lot  of  fun ,  i’ve  never  heard  anything  like  it !  ❞  it  made  her  wonder  if  she  possessed  even  half  of  the  creativity  necessary  to  come  up  with  such  things ,  not  to  mention  remembering  them  by  heart .  whatever  those  constellations  were ,  they  must  be  important  to  irene .  ❝  i’d  love  to  see  them ,  yes .  go  ahead ,  ❞  kat  encouraged  with  a  nod ,  turning  her  attention  once  again  to  the  night  sky .

Irene nodded, glad Katrina didn’t think it was weird --- or at least, didn’t seem to. She wished she had been able to get to know her grandparents, Lilo had always spoke so highly of them. The made up constellations was one way she could feel closer to her extended family she’d never met. “That one,” she motioned to the general area in the sky, “to the left bottom corner of the Big Dipper. Do you see the circular shape with the two pointy triangles a little above it? It’s a little hard to make out until at first, but that one is Old Lady With A Chihuahua On Her Head. The name... it speaks for itself.”

“My love is a lot, Jeri. You should get used to that now in case you make this throw.” Effie laughed, her shoulder giving Jeri’s a soft bump. She had never been athletic, and oh, how Momma Dani had tried. But she was okay with it - because she knew she had people she could count on to be athletic for her. It was truly win-win for all involved.

“Oh yeah? So, statistically speaking, and I hate it to bring it back to this, but if you can’t manage it, we can find someone who can make this throw for me?”

“Our odds are looking better and better, my dear.”

“Never let anyone limit your love, Effie.” Jeri bumped her shoulder back, eyeing the game before them. She’d like to pretend she knew what she was doing, that she had a logical approach to winning, but she was really winging it --- like most things in her life.

“Am I really that easy to replace? Break my heart, won’t you?” She pushed her lower lip into a pout, but her focus was soon turned back to the game. Eyes squinted, she took a deep breath and went for it.

philemon was deliberately trying not to be seen, head kept lower and book raised and open hiding his displeased expression. minding his own business, he was counting down the minutes until he could return home. it was vital for him to stay unseen, although it was harder in these circumstances. perhaps he had chosen the wrong location?. amber eyes now poked over the top of his book studying the auburn damsel, a sigh escaped his lips; she was alluring and covered in sugar, should he tell her? 

“You have something-..” he pointed politely at her lips. 

Lifting a finger to blue lips (lipstick, not lack of oxygen) Jeri only laughed when she felt the sugar that had stuck to them. “Ah, oops.” She was not one to get easily embarrassed. Brushing off the powder the best she could without smearing said lipstick, she shrugged a shoulder. “Can’t eat a funnel cake without expecting to make a mess somewhere. If it wasn’t my face, it’d be my clothes.”

   her words make them roll their eyes playfully, hazy smile stretched over their face. they were . . sort of listening but also sort of not. alessi’s eyes weren’t even meeting hers but still, they nodded away like they were. getting on jeri’s bad side was definitely not on their list of things to do tonight. ‘ who knows, ’ a genuine response. they lean against the nearest wall, stomach churning. the serious topic was definitely killing their buzz. they needed to fix that, immediately. ‘ i’m honestly not sure – what i am sure of though, i need another drink. you in ? ’

“Of course I am.” A drink would only make tonight more fun. Jeri wasn’t much of a partier; she didn’t like the atmosphere of bars and clubs, though the music and the lights were exciting. She’d dealt with her birth mother getting wasted enough to never want to go further than a buzz herself. But a buzz? A buzz was fair game. “Are they actually serving those here?” She asked, assuming they’d have to sneak something in.