SOUTH !

apollo: honestly!! we can't have bad vibes over here

apollo: why of course, miss scott

apollo: i don't think it's stupid, but i think anyone who tells you that might be

apollo: come onnnn, just once? for me?

lynds: exactly right

lynds: maybe they are, maybe they aren't

the past few days at work had been a little overwhelming for apollo. between writing college recommendations for students and making sure all of his students had their schedules for the next semester in order, he’d hardly had time to breathe. after a full day of meetings, he realized he hadn’t ate anything since this morning. the trek from the guidance office to the teacher’s lounge was a relatively long one, considering whoever designed the school figured that guidance counselors must not need the teacher’s lounge as much as the history teachers ( seeing as that was the wing the lounge was in ). he was hardly paying any attention to anything around him, just solely focused on whatever food he was sure mrs. baker had brought for the faculty today, until he heard someone call his name. he looked up, instantly coming face to face with none other than lyndsey scott. “oh, wow, lynds? what are you doing back here?” he couldn’t even begin to attempt to mask the confusion on his face, the way his brows furrowed at seeing the familiar blonde stalking the halls of the high school once again. “i do work here, yeah. i’m one of the guidance counselors. but to answer one of your many questions there, yes, i like it. more than i thought i would, at least.” he brows furrowed together even more until the memory of group projects with lynds popped into his mind, brimming him with laughter. “god, no. i said goodbye to group projects after you royally screwed our world history one in mrs. baker’s class. haven’t done one since,” he teased. it wasn’t exactly the truth, as he’d done plenty in college, but it didn’t hurt to mess with lynds just a little bit.

is that lyndsey he sees in line to order coffee? he can’t be sure because it’s only the back of her head, and, god, how embarrassing would it be if he approaches the wrong person? he steps in line behind the person and is slightly more sure, so he decides to speak up, “lyndsey?” it’s not like he’s never seen her before but how can he be sure by the back of her head? he knows her but he doesn’t know her that well. he’s not sure he knows anyone in stowe that well anymore - maybe apollo, but that’s an entirely different situation. he speaks softly again - only about ten seconds after his ‘lyndsey?’, “this is totally weird, but if you were thinking of sitting and staying for awhile, i’d love to catch up?” lately, bennett has been going on a ton of limbs - asking all of his old friends to have coffee or dinner with him. it’s not a bad thing - just a change for bennett.

it has long become clear to lynds that, on any given morning, she isn’t really awake until she’s had a cup of coffee — two, on her worst days. in line at the coffee shop, she stares upwards at the menu at the top of the back wall. why she continues to look every time, she’s unsure. she only ever gets one of three things: coffee with extra extra cream and extra extra sugar, a caramel macchiato with extra caramel, or hot chocolate with cocoa sprinkled on top. it’s really never a hard choice. but she likes looking at her options, wondering what it would say about her if she got a drink like a flat white or a dry cappuccino. she’s humming quietly to herself when she hears her name — she cannot help it when her nose wrinkles at hearing her full name — but she turns around to see who it could be. the voice wasn’t instantly familiar, but she beams with recognition at the sight of bennett. her voice is excited, not quite shrill, when she says, “ bennett, ohmygoshHI, it’s been forever ! ” without a second thought, she nods her head, blonde curls flying around her face. “ let’s do it — lemme just get my drink ? and tell me what you want, my treat. ”

apollo: yes exactly!!! people who don't believe in karma are probably the same people who pick up pennies even though they aren't heads up

apollo: i will be sure to keep any antics to the most minimal of illegality just for you

apollo: why hide the romantic side of yourself??

apollo: yesssssssssss just embrace it

lynds: they're just asking for trouble !!!! all the bad vibes !!!!!

lynds: how kind of you, dearest apollo

lynds: because it's childish and stupid, so i'm told

apollo: well, it's good to know you believe in fate, that's one thing we have in common

apollo: probably no one? definitely not the lynds i remember from high school, at least

apollo: ah okay so high school lynds was a bit of a romantic huh?

apollo: uh yeah, to be /broken/ duh

apollo: come on, keep up

lynds: fate and karma are totally real and anyone who disagrees probably already found their bad side

lynds: it's still holding mostly true. too many anxieties about doing anything wrong. hot chocolate, however, is an exception

lynds: still am. just better at not letting it show. i think.

apollo: hell yeah, i can't wait

apollo: ha, no you're right, we really don't know each other that well

apollo: but fate has given us the opportunity to get to know each other, which is like you said, great

apollo: i will take full responsibility if we get caught

apollo: come on, you don't think she'd be a little excited that you're breaking the rules?

lynds: perfect thank you !

lynds: fate's done us a solid

lynds: wonderful. who'd think i'd ever commit a crime anyways ?

lynds: mmmm unless there was a prince charming involved in the sudden rule-breaking ? probably not

apollo: well that i can definitely agree to

apollo: never?? really?? you must not know me that well

apollo: aw baby’s first illegal act, i love it

apollo: i think high school lynds would be so proud

lynds: wonderful. i'll come with secrets aplenty

lynds: i mean, do we really know each other well ????

lynds: not like — ugh that sounded bad

lynds: we /didn't/ know each other well and now we're getting to know each other which is great

lynds: if i get a criminal record, i'm blaming you

apollo: wow you’ll have to let me in on some of those secrets if i’m getting on this ferris wheel with you

apollo: what can i say, i’m a scandalous guy

apollo: see!! we’re covering all the bases here, now we just have to enact our plan on saturday

lynds: i can only promise one secret for every revolution of the ferris wheel

lynds: i never would have guessed

lynds: it's going to go perfectly, i feel so criminal

lynds: smuggling ! or bribery !

apollo: oh it holds secrets?? is that why it’s so big??

apollo: well i have decent experience with lying to get booze into the football stadium at school so i got this

apollo: just keep your scarf pulled up over your mouth so we don’t give anything away ;)

apollo: it’s mostly just kids trying to be cool, don’t worry lynds, we’re all still inherently good people

lynds: one hundred percent that's right !

lynds: >:O scandalous

lynds: i can do that. it'll serve two purposes: silence AND warmth

apollo: wait. lynds you genius, that might work

apollo: we just can’t act suspicious or someone will catch on

apollo: i think there was an incident a few years ago that involved a hot drink and did not end well, hence the ban tbh

apollo: people can be pretty shitty and ruin it for everyone else

lynds ( unsent ): this might be the first time anyone has ever called me a genius and i'm a little surprised it's come from you

lynds: my puffy coat holds many things including secrets. hot beverages can now be one of those things

lynds: i can't lie with a straight face so if you do all the talking, we'd be solid

lynds: probably. hopefully.

apollo: i think i can manage a peppermint hot chocolate

apollo: but staying warm might be hard, idk if tommy will let us take drinks on the ferris wheel

apollo: though i could just bribe him to let us, that way we don’t have to chug them or let them get cold

lynds: we could smuggle them on under my very large puffy jacket

lynds: no, that'd be wrong to do

lynds: you really think we won't be able to bring them on ? we could even promise to not throw them off. that'd probably be why they'd be banned, i think

ellie: aren't you a little old to believe in that crap?

ellie: are you gonna tell me santa's real too, or?

ellie: then find someone else

lynds: aren't you a little too young to be such a cynic ?

lynds: sorry that was mean

lynds: i'm sorry i didn't mean that

lynds: and okay, i will

apollo: okay okay! i will go with you under one condition

apollo: you let me buy you one of those overloaded funnel cakes

apollo: or some other food item, whatever your heart desires

lynds: hmmmmmmmmmmmm

lynds: how about a peppermint hot chocolate ?

lynds: and THEN we go on the ferris wheel

ellie: karma is a scam

ellie: you know what's not though? cold hard cash

lynds: the universe is totally watching everything we do and acts thusly

apollo: i feel like this is not a fair trade-off, lynds

apollo: shouldn’t i be offering more here?

lynds: i think you're underestimating just how much i love ferris wheels

lynds: i just don't like going on them alone !

ellie: hm

ellie: a thousand favors, huh?

ellie: what about a thousand dollars?

lynds: i mean, if you really needed it ?????? i could ???

lynds: i'm just saying

lynds: i'll owe you a thousand favors