YELLOW HEARTS

JOE playfully rolled his eyes. “ sure, ‘moral support’, if that’s what you need to tell yourself - but deep inside you know you just want to let loose and party the night away. “ although he was teasing, joe really had been making an effort to get his sister to socialise a bit more, live a little. not that he himself was a party animal or anything, god no. but he did worry about his sister sometimes. most of the time. little too much, actually. he didn’t want her to be missing out on anything, so he tried to get her to engage as best as he could. “ at least try not to look at your phone the whole evening, okay? or i’ll have no other choice but to confiscate it. - what book did you download anyway?”

kay smiled at her obvious excitement. he was glad she didn’t comment on his one-sided conversation with this dogs. ❝ yeah, go ahead! they’re really friendly. watch out for thor though, he LOVES to lick faces. ❞ he gestured to the slightly larger of the two dogs, who looked up at him and wagged his tail when he heard his name. ❝ yeah, that’s right, buddy, i’m adding that to the rules, no licking strangers’ faces. ❞ belatedly, he realized he was doing it again and turned back to the girl to salvage his reputation a little. the whole town didn’t need to know that his dogs were his biggest confidantes. ❝ the other one is helios. and i’m kay! nice to meet you… ❞ he trailed off, waiting to hear her name. 

JOE quickly muttered some excuse to the stranger who soon hurried off and turned to face his sister, a smile forming on his lips. “geez, i’m glad you came and interrupted before i could make a complete ass of myself.” wouldn’t have been the first time, to be honest, just as this wasn’t the first time margo had saved him from public embarassment. “but i had a good reason to ask that now completely horrified stranger where he was going! i’m stuck in a dilemma situation here, mags!”, he explained to her, over dramtically as always, while putting on his signature bright yellow gloves. “your brother is an old man now who’s supposed to talk about…mortgages and, uh, tax-stuff and…adult things with the other dinosaurs in the town hall metting. i was just wondering whether or not i can smuggle myself into the youth of ellingham for one more year and i was going to base my decision off where that person was going.” with a deep sigh, he looked around himself, as if he was searching for another sign to tell him where to go - but his eyes landed on his sister and, as she pulled down her beanie, he noticed that she was dresses as if she was prepared to stay outside for a while. and - was that a bit of makeup even? he grinned. “but - now that you showed up, clearly dressed for the winter bash, i have an excuse to be there if one of you youngsters tries to cast me out to the town meeting. thanks a lot.” with that, he gently booped her nose before starting to walk towards the general direction of the winter bash. “so, big night, huh?”, joe nudged her with his elbow, “really proud that you decided to go out tonight.”

WHEN: nov. 14, 2019 16.22 WHERE: outside the grocery store WHO: open

kay crouched down on the pavement, placing a hand on each of his dogs’ heads. ❝ okay boys, you know the drill: no barking, no sniffing strangers, and no giving me the puppy eyes, alright? we have a cupboard full of treats at home, so there’s no point begging me to get more. and I know it’s exciting and snow is the weirdest thing ever––you know how much I love it too, but that doesn’t mean you have to bark. a little tail wagging and panting goes a long way. ❞ he scratched their chins and petted them for a few seconds. ❝ yes, you are so good! you are the best! I love you so much. am I going to break my rule and buy you more treats because, I’m a huge pushover? yes I am! you two should be ashamed of yourselves, for taking advantage of me like this. quit! being! so! cute! ❞ kay heard a noise behind him and quickly straightened up, a little embarrassed at being caught talking to his dogs.

it was weird this year, a very weird situation. joe found himself torn, unable to decide which event to attend. was he a proper adult-adult or could he still fit in with the youth of ellingham? he’d turned twenty-five only recently, and the town hall meeting specifically invited those over twenty-five. - but did that include twenty-five as well? would he even feel comfortable there? but what if he was already losing touch, minute by minute, with the party crazed teens of the town? his head started to hurt from overthinking, not an uncommon phenomenon, and joe decided to do the only logical thing in this situation: ask someone else where they were going and then awkwardly tag along. “ excuse me ? sorry, um, weird questions but where are you headed ? “

“Oh, thank god,” Talia sighed in relief before letting out a small laugh and slightly shaking her head. “My dad bought me a console and some games in the hope that it’d get me to invite more people over, but to be honest? I’m a much bigger fan of my board games, my set of chess and my books. I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to playing video games, though. If we both suck at it, it might actually be fun.”

“ yes ! me too ! except the dad buying console bit- but you basically just describe me, i’m all for the nerdy lifestyle- not that i’m calling you a nerd or anything and not that being a nerd is a bad thing, i myself actually am a nerd and i feel like its really come into its own cool thing now especially with how the movies glorify it these days. . . “ margo slowed down as she realised how yet again she had lost control of her lips. “ i’m rambling. sorry. but i’m totally down with video games ! ”

WHEN: November 16th, 2019 @ 22:57. WHERE: The Winter Bash. WHO: Open.

“I got my parents to babysit Leo for this?” Talia frowned as she watched another partygoer getting sick not too far from where she was standing. Scowling in disgust, she grabbed the straps of her backpack tighter as she stood up from the tree stump she was sitting on, and started moving away from it. Walking a few paces before realizing she wasn’t being followed, she turned around, raised an eyebrow and grinned. “You coming? I’ve got an empty apartment for the night, and plenty of video games.”

margo never really liked big grand social gatherings, they weren’t that bad when you’re with the right people but the town’s annual winter bash was not particularly one where a recluse would find herself. she had only come really to support her friend, this was jeremy’s party and it was great and everything, it just wasn’t really margo’s scene. she had found a place to lean on, a tree that on the outskirts of the central party area. she was thinking about some advanced study she should be studying instead of being here when a voice brought her back to the present,  “uhhh. . .i don’t really play video games but i’m a fast learner ! i mean i think i am- i hope so anyway” an awkward chuckle fell from her lips. 

introducing . . . MARGO WHENHAM !