new americana starters

He had to admit he was bored. Micah hadn’t envisioned himself as a needy person, but here was, in New York’s broad daylight. He’d gotten sick of the nightlife the city had to offer. It had gotten him connections, sure, so he was less of a man on an island, and more a man with secrets. It was normal at this point, the feeling that crept up beside him. He glanced at the people around him in the cafe. They looked normal enough.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet, and pulled out a twenty. Micah waited, sipping an espresso with cream. Someone passed, and he nudged them with a hand. “Did you drop this?” He asked.

“Hi baby, I’m so sorry…I have to work late again tonight. I know, i know. Your dad is expecting you though, he’ll come and get you. I love you Jade.” Ivy frowned as she ended the FaceTime call, setting her phone on her lap. “I hate disappointing her….” she sighed.

Shopping made her feel better. It had been a while since she had bought herself anything, and after everything that had happened on New Year’s Eve she felt that she deserved a new blouse at the very least. Coming out of the dressing room with the blouse on, she looked at herself in the mirror, turning from one side to the next to try and determine whether she liked it or not. It was different than what she normally wore - but she didn’t know if she hated it. 

“What do you think?” She asked, making eye contact through the mirror, tipping her head to the side. “Can I pull this off or does it look like I’m trying too hard?” She twirled to face them, placing her hands on her hips and striking a ridiculous pose. 

sidewalk

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“I” he stumbled over his next word, biting on his lips to hold back the tears that were forming. They wouldn’t go away. “Break” he breathed out to the photographer, grabbed his hoody from the chair on the way and threw it over his body. He bee lined for the exit, but once the cold air hit him he stumbled back into the wall behind him, eventually crumbling down against it until he was sitting on the icy path outside of the building. His head was in his hands as he scratched through his hair and bit his lip again, trying his best not to cry.

when: a few days after new years

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@newamericanastarters​

With her sprained wrist, it had made it hard for Bella to play her guitar, so she hadn’t done any gigs since the incident on New Years. The girl sighed as she sat on the couch in the cafe with her songwriting notebook, writing something new. Bella looked up when she heard footsteps approaching, a small smile on her face. “Hey, how are you?”

where: nightclub

when: january 5th, 2020

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@newamericanastarters​

He was in a different world in his head as the bass from the music thumped around him. The lights flashed across his face and exposed torso. His shift was almost over and tonight his head hadn’t been in it. Still, he made sure to wink at a bystander and check for any private dance takers before he hopped off the stage. His feet led him on autopilot, routinely to the back room to wash off the glitter and oil and change into something warmer. It was a Sunday, so the club was quiet. He still managed five bills, so he wasn’t complaining. Especially since his head hadn’t been in the game.

He felt like an invalid and he hated it with every breath in his body, which was why Sam had avoided leaving his apartment for a few days following the events of the party. He hated that he couldn’t move around the way he wanted to, hated that there were people who looked at him as if he was physically incapable of helping himself, as if he were a child who needed everything done for him. He was much more appreciative of those who ardently tried to ignore him. Even the few who treated him like a nuisance were preferable, as they mostly mirrored how he felt about himself currently. Most of all, he hated that he’d taken Evelyn for granted. Most days he’d thrown her around rather than appreciating all that she’d done for him and now, Sam felt loss without her. “I think it’s time we threw Evelyn a proper retirement party. Or some sort of funeral. I’d feel awful replacing her without at least doing something nice as a send off, you know?”

Still she knew the other fighters and wanted to be there in support. Lacey worked at Sun Wukong, Edgar’s security company. Alex wasn’t as close to her as some of the others, as Lacey and her crew had been away in France for the past couple years with a client. Still they had bonded over fighting in the underground and whenever Lacey had a fight, Alex was sure to be in her corner. She smiled watching her friend enter the ring her eyes drifting to the person next to her. “Do you have money on the fight? or are you just here for the carnage?” 

Shaking his head from his thoughts remembered he was in a cafe and though it felt distant he could have sworn someone said something to him. “Wait what? Sorry I was in another world” 

He was working on setting up an exhibit, showing off his latest finds in the comfort of the American Museum of Natural History. They had offered to move all of his things in and set it all up for him, but he preferred to do all of his own setup, especially when it came to his work. He took pride in what he did, and he didn’t want to risk someone breaking one of his artifacts, or placing the wrong information with the wrong piece. Hefting a box, he glanced at someone walking by, offering them a quick grin. “Hey, you mind getting the door for me?”

Maeve was still in the process of figuring out her thoughts on what had happened New Years night. She was a constant back and forth, torn between relief and guilt that she had left early and avoided the chaos. If she hadn’t been so tired, if she had stayed just a little longer.. maybe she would have been able to help a few people out. Or tracked down her friends to make sure they were alright. Dwelling in those thoughts, Mae almost didn’t notice the figure approaching the cash register to pay for their drink. As it was, she had to shake her head slightly to get rid of her daze and put on a gentle smile. “I’m sorry, I seem to be a little distracted today.” She murmured, her smile quirking up a degree higher as if hoping that would excuse her behaviour. “Feel free to grab a flower on your way out if you want,” She gestured over to the shelf by the counter lined with vases of a variety of single stemmed flowers. It was a small thing and in no way would make up for the fear she knew people must be feeling right now, but Maeve was hoping a free flower could be the first step to brightening the otherwise tense moods. 

People handled situations differently. That he was well aware of. Some were sitting in their homes, trying to process. Others were checking on their friends, trying to resolve things by talking it all out and exploring all of the possibilities. He was happy to go to the same bar he always went to, have a beer against the suggestion of his doctors, and try to play a game of pool in peace before the drunken frat bros took over the place. 

Picking up the pool cue and taking a sip of his beer, he set the drink down on the edge of the table, casting his gaze to the person on the other side of the table. “You up for a game? And don’t say no. You look like you could use it.”

when: evening

Bella was on her way home from work, the cold air hitting her face as she exited the restaurant. She pulled her coat closer to her, trying to keep herself as warm as she could on her walk home. She bumped into someone, turning around real quick to apologize. “I am so sorry! Are you alright?!”

“I’ve been dreaming about this sandwich since last week.” She said with an appreciative groan as she stared at the masterpiece before her. It had been her favorite sandwich shop growing up, a small mom and pop place that was family-owned and divine as hell. She swore up and down that the people who ran it were magic of some kind, spinning flavor and pure heaven in a sandwich that would leave her salivating at the very thought of it. “Honestly, if I had to pick between sex and eating this sandwich, I’d become a nun faster than you could say, ‘bless you’,” she said, before picking up the object of her affections and taking a big, happy bite. Summer sighed happily, casting her eyes to the sky. “Is it possible to give up people and just live monogamously with this sandwich? Because that’s the road I’m gunning for and I’m not ashamed.”

Sarabeth loved Christmas and another thing she loved just as much is shopping––no matter who it’s for.  Which is why Christmas shopping is her absolute favorite activity because it’s a combination of both. She already had a few gifts in mind: for her aunt was a handbag, her grandmother a pair of pearl earrings, and more. If there’s anything she’s terrible at, it would be figuring out what to shop for men. It’s like the choices are limited to cufflinks, watches, cologne, ties, and shirts. It was quite boring, really.

“Okay, what do you suggest I should give an eighty-five-year-old man who is semi-retired, loves to watch James Bond movies, spends a lot of time reading the business and economy section of almost every paper, and is often dragged to, as he calls it, “boring and stuffy” parties and social engagements by his wife?” She smiled a little. “Last year I tried giving some first edition books thinking he would appreciate and read them, instead he put them in his bookshelf and they are still untouched.”