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Your body could be done but your brain could still be cooking, like a baked good! Like my mom making apple pie! Okay… yeah, sure, I guess it’s good for your grades, but maybe not good for your friends that miss you. Hopefully the rest of them get to see you more than I do lately. Yeah, that’s really not convincing, but it kind of seems like you’ve made up your mind. Is there really nothing I can do about it? Should I just… I don’t know, leave you alone or whatever?

Why are you making me crave an apple pie so much when I don’t have enough money to order one or even bake one? You’re so rude, Timothy, my stomach has never felt emptier. Summer will come up sooner or later, yeah? Then everyone will get to see me more. No! No, no you don’t have to - I mean - it’s weird, Tim. It’s just weird and complicated and you don’t need to be part of it, it’ll just drag you down. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you in my life somehow, okay? I’m just not that great at talking about stuff.

It’s okay if my legs don’t make squeaky songs like a grasshopper’s, though, right? Oh, yeah – my favorite dress is a green polka dot one I have that has a hole in the hem and is definitely not the best, but I love it anyway. So… Tim’s like a green polka dot dress? That makes sense, I think! What’s first most? You’re right, yay! Unless I get a crazy growth spurt this summer before I go up a grade then I’ll always be behind their pace. Oh! We should look it up, even though I’m not good at CPR like you are!

That’s totally fine! Bug noises make me think of crickets anyway, and I so don’t need more of those in my life, you’re perfect just making Melanie noises. Yeah, that’s a great example - polka dots are adorable and great and you can feel amazing in it, and still know it isn’t exactly cool. Also, how have I not seen that dress by now? I feel like I’d remember it. The first most evocative instrument? Probably the piano. When a really good piano player plays, it’s like every key they press does something different to your heart. Beast, if you get a growth spurt, I’m quitting.

Um, excuse you! They’re also great plain, or in rice krispies, or in hot cocoa; and I bet I could think of more uses, too, but generally you make a list of three when you’re trying to prove a point because anything more than that you might overwhelm the person you’re arguing with. But Melanie’s a cheerleader, maybe they’d want to do it together once the newness of Auradon has worn off? Well, Kelsey’s a bit of a tomboy, I think she’d be more into soccer or something than cheering or tourney. You should sit next to me and make sure I don’t get distracted by books! Or by my boyfriend, he’s pretty distracting, too. You can complain about it to me as much as you need to, for as long as you need to, I promise. I don’t know, Liv, I don’t want to get your hopes up too much, but Tim’s always been a pretty romantic guy. Do you think there’s any chance that he might just be in love with the idea of being in love, or do you really think Zoe might be the real deal for him? People can think they’re in love and then fall out of it because they just don’t have enough in common, it doesn’t have to be like… toxic and bad to end. Zoe not crying is nice, though, you’re right about that. Well… I mean, I always sort of expected it to be me and David in the end. I’m really glad it’s not, but I suppose I wouldn’t have been too shocked, and I would have just let him down gently? I don’t think that it would change how I felt about Olly at all, but Beast, it would help me know not to say or do anything to lead him on, you know? Not that I’d ever do that on purpose, but people don’t always think too closely about what they’re saying to a friend if they don’t realize that they need to.

Wouldn’t matter how many things were in your list, B-Dog, I’ve never had a good marshmallow that wasn’t in a s’mores and nothing on earth could change that! I’ve had them plain, rice krispied, hot cocoaed, and more, but unless it’s melted between chocolate and graham crackers I feel like I’m eating laundry lint. I guess they have a few years of high school left for Melanie to get Stella into a cheer skirt, huh? And plenty of time for Kelsey to make a soccer team too, if she wants one. Ha, if you’re getting distracted by your boyfriend, I aint gonna stop you. It’s good that one of us is getting it. Well..thanks, Becca. I HOPE she’s not the real deal for him! Tim deserves way better than Zoe like, what, just because she’s cute we’re going to overlook the fact that she’s all wrong for him? Damn. And if she isn’t the real deal, he’ll figure it out on his own; he’s a romantic but he wouldn’t want to hurt a friend, especially one who just got hurt, so he’d end it and voila, pain be gone! But see, whether it changes how you feel about your sig other or not, whether it changes how you feel towards the confessor or not, that kind of proclamation changes something. It changes the way you talk to each other, it makes you censor yourself before leading someone on and... I don’t want that with me and Tim. I like him the way he is, I don’t want him thinking about everything he says before he says it to me like it needs to pass some test. No, I couldn’t handle that; I just want everything to go back to the way it was, but it won’t, so I wait it out. Until they’re married, and then I quit.

Your legs are like super short, so I can imagine that it’s extra hard for you. Um, what? A horse is like, way fatter than a boy part, it doesn’t go up inside of you, that’s just cray cray. You could ride side saddle like the old fashioned ladies in Anne of Green Gables and stuff, though. Ugh, I wouldn’t want the pressure to get married – like, I’d prefer to stay with Mason as long as I can before I’m supposed to look out for like, some other boy instead of him. Can you not do splits? They’re super easy, I can try to teach you the stretching to be able to do it.

They’re longer than my torso is, like, ratio-wise! So believe it or not, my legs could be shorter! I know horses don’t go inside you, yuck, but that was a thing people believed, and it did apparently pop hymens, even if that’s like so not a real or good indicator of “virginity” - side saddle is cool looking, though, pretend you’re a fancy lady riding through town in hopes of finding a rich husband and ....well, you get the idea, it’s fancy! I get not wanting to leave the sibling but eventually you guys have gotta start looking for people or there’ll be no one left! You’ll be like the last two animals who didn’t get on Noah’s ark! You can teach someone how to do the splits?! Because YES PLEASE.

You think I’m cooler than Tim? Oh my gosh, I’m super super flattered, but I don’t know, isn’t that kind of sad? I thought he was your favorite person – I mean, I’d never forget that Trevor’s my favorite person already just because I love Stella a lot now, too. I love the music, too, like the part in See You Again by Miley Cyrus where she taps the drum twice as fast for emphasis, that part always makes me more hyper than I am during the rest of the song. Would I be the tallest girl around? There must be someone taller than me, I just don’t know them, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. CPR WORKS ON SAWDUST? So could you use it if a person swallowed sand at mermaid lagoon too or something?

You might be! I’m still trying this getting-to-know-you thing so I reserve the right to change my mind, but you show promise, young grasshopper. Tim’s still my favorite person, but I dunno, that doesn’t mean he’s the coolest. It’s like how my favorite piece of clothing isn’t the most stylish, technically, or even the one I wear the most, but it’s the one I love the most, if that makes sense. Different categories. Uh...sure! I don’t really listen to Miley but drums are awesome and super evocative, the second most evocative instrument, really. EH, Princessephone is kind of a glamazon and I’m pretty sure her new step-sister is also like the 5′8 to 5′9ish zone so you’ll always be tall, Kid, but not the tallest, no. I HAVE NO CLUE I WAS JUST GUESSING. Clearly I’m not the person to have around in case of emergencies!

No way, it can still help now, your brain’s not fully developed until you’re like twenty five! Don’t underestimate the power of classical music. Uh… like, studying at your place by yourself? Yeah, of course, if that’s what you want. But that means there’s something to worry about if you’re telling me not to worry about it. What did I do? Or what did your body do to you to make you not want to hang out with me?

What?! No way that 25 thing is right, I refuse to believe it! I’m done growing, I’m all grown up, I’m boring and done and nothing is ever going to surprise me again, it’s impossible! Studying at my place by myself, yep. It’s how the best students get made, you know, shutting themselves up alone and forcing themselves to study because it’s the only thing to do and everything else is boring.... and I’m starting to bum myself out but the smile I get when report cards come will be worth it. Drat! Why did I teach you to speak Girl?! Just, seriously, Tim, it’s nothing to worry about. I don’t secretly suddenly hate you or anything, okay? I promise. 

Aw, but you sound like you’d be a human marshmallow, which seems adorable to me! Maybe the squad has enough people on it now and she doesn’t need me? Although she hasn’t gotten any of the new girls to join, I’m surprised she didn’t try a bit harder to recruit Maya or Kelsey or even Stella for a new, exciting ‘wow’ factor. Not that the cheerleaders aren’t already very wow already! I’m sure I’d think they were if I ever actually watched them when I’m at tourney games. Well — I’m sure that some of what you’re saying is true; if Tim had known about your feelings for him, he might have made a different choice than he did. But I think saying they don’t like each other at all might be a bit of a stretch. I think that applied much more to David and Zoe than it does to Zoe and Tim; the former just looked at information on paper for what seemed like it would be a good match, Zoe and Tim are at least rooted in friendship. Maybe not everyone in Auradon has to be true love the first time, you know? I mean, I certainly hope that my relationship is, but maybe Zoe and Tim are just what each other need right now, and you’re what Tim needs to be happy forever? I don’t know for sure, and I wouldn’t want to like, meddle with what they have going on if they think it’s something that makes them happy, but I also want you to be happy too, you know? Do you think it would change your friendship if he knew how you felt? Not with any expectation of breaking them up, just… to get it off your chest?

Marshamallow aren’t great except in s’mores, who would want to be just a lone marshmallow if you don’t have chocolate and graham crackers to go with you??? Stella is too busy being Melanie’s new best friend and showing them how to sword fight to cheerlead, and Maya throws tomatoes at the cheer practice so I’m guessing she’s not the kind either - did Madison really not try to get Kelsey, though? She seems the easiest to get along with. Maybe next time you’re at a game you should try watching! They’re pretty good, I guess. Saying they don’t like each other at all is keeping me sane. It’s also some pretty heavy denial - I’ve written people falling in love enough to know what it looks like, and if I’m right, they’re pretty deep into each other and that’s just....great for them, I guess, but I don’t know, I always thought when I got to see Tim fall in love with someone, it’d be with me. But he’s happy and everyone’s glad Zoe’s not going to cry us all to death, so what can I really do except complain about it to you? Nothing, right? Because if I do, I’m a crappy friend which... I’m kind of being anyway but...ugh. I don’t know, Becca. You’re lucky, you and Oliver started liking each other around the same time. But me and Tim would be more like if one day, after a long friendship of you not liking him and him giving no indication of feelings, David told you he was in love with you this whole time. Like...what would that make you feel?

Cowboy boots are way comfy! I mean, people ride horses in them, they have to make them comfy so that only your bum hurts from the saddle! If your feet hurt too that just like, wouldn’t be fair at all. Or if you drink light beer but like, one time a girl on the squad compared it to pee and since then it’s supes unappealing. Happy people don’t do lots of bad things; I don’t have a husband to shoot but I’m like, way too happy to shoot anyone. Um, it shouldn’t be a headsmash phase, are you sure you’re doing it right? Stuff becomes a habit though after like, a month, so maybe you’ll get more into it soon!

Yeah, horseback riding sounds like the least comfortable thing anyway; not to the point where it got rid of girls’s virginities like all the wives’s tales used to say, but enough to get like butt sores and stuff, which does not sound cute. I don’t think I could ride a horse unless it was, like, a pony. I would say maybe you should get a husband to not shoot, but one of the cool things about being non-royal girls is no pressure in that deparment, or at least, less, but like YOU CAN DO A SPLITS, how do you not have a boyfriend?! Eh, I usually quit before exercise becomes a habit but I’m hoping.

Oh — but familiar can be nice, sometimes, too! I know I’ve been super into new and exciting lately since Stella got here but I still love when I get to have time with just me and Trevor, too; it’s my favorite kind of familiar, it’s like being at home. Waterfalls is definitely on there! It’s a little sadder than a lot of the songs but I found a remix so I can forget that the words make me want to cry a little bit, and it’s totally fine! I am, mom said I had a crazy growth spurt and that if I wasn’t careful I’d catch Ryder soon, how weird would that be? Oh, so your dad understands! He doesn’t want to eat friends, too, but hopefully he knows that you can’t deny the delicious! I won’t actually choke, but um, just in case do you know CPR? Mom tried to teach me once since I hang out with the Lost Boys a lot and they’re a little dangerous but I can’t do it on myself!

Yeah, that’s exactly what familiar feels like - being home. But eh, I’m having fun with this getting-to-know-new-people-better thing. I can’t believe I thought Tim was the coolest kid in the kingdom when there’s a girl with a fun remix of Waterfall on her playlists! I always thought music was the more emotional part of songs anyway - lyrics can be cool but, like, it’s the music that makes you feel things. I would love it if you caught up to Ryder, oh my Beast, then it wouldn’t be just me that felt like a munchkin around you, but like, the entire kindgom. Don’t worry, kid, I know how to CPR. Gotta make sure no one breathes in too much sawdust at the house and like, faints. I got you.

Oh, uh — do you want to come over and study? People say that listening to classical music while you’re learning helps you remember it better, I could play piano for you while you do your homework so that it sticks or something. Hey, you’re still my best friend, you have a place in the squad if you ever want it. You just… I don’t know, kinda seem like you don’t want it. Did I do something wrong? Prom’s so far away, we’ve never gone that long without making time to hang out before.

That’s, like, Baby Einstein music for toddlers, Tim; I know I’m short, but come on, it’s too late for classical music to aide my devolpment. I’m probably better studying at my place, you know how easily distracted I can get by the dogs. Oh, Tim. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, okay? I’m just going through a thing, I guess. Maybe I’m on my period. Who knows?

Hey, that’s awesome; I’m glad people are appreciating you and volunteering to go, that just means they all have good taste. Sure, if you Zap while you’re out there I’ll watch them all. I’ll even replay them on your story like seven times so that it almost feels like we were there. But seriously, though – are you busy this weekend? We could go for a walk or the park or like, whatever. It just feels like it’s been ages since we got some quality Timlivia time in, I don’t want you to think I forgot about you just ‘cause I have a girlfriend now.

Mhm, that’s one interpretation. I’m pretty busy this weekend, though. Been hanging out with more people, and I realized my GPA was way lower than it needed to be so I’m actually kind of doing homework too, and I volunteered more time at my dad’s shop. Looks like you’re just going to be stuck hanging out with Zoe and your girlfriend squad, sorry. Hey, I’ll see you at prom though! Probably, if your face isn’t affixed to hers.

Is hanging out with a dog not an adventure? They seem like they’d be really unpredictable in a cute way, of course. Does the wilderness have waterfalls? Did I ask that already? I can’t remember. You’re our friend, not our babysitter, if we get lost its our fault and not yours, I promise. I always bring gummy bears everywhere I go, how did you know? Do you want a different animal shape? Or are bears okay? I get kind of sad when I have to bite their heads off so I make everyone eat them all in one bite, though, I hope that’s okay. Sure! I have a fun Melanie Mix ready at all times anyway, I play it every morning when I’m getting ready for school.

It’s not an adventure when you’re also hanging out with Tim. Then it’s just...familiar. Or at least, it is to me since, you know, I do that a lot. Or used to, I mean. The dogs are predictable enough when you get to know them all one on one, but that takes time. There are waterfalls, yes! Make sure to put Waterfalls on your Melanie Mix because it so doesn’t fit on my playlist but I love it. Sorry, sorry! It’s hard to shake the babysitter vibe sometime, but you’re taller than me, so that at least makes it easy to remember. Um, because gummies are amazing? I love the bears, honestly - once I found gummy crickets at some weird market and Dad flipped out, so since then bears have just been safer. You can choke back all the bears you want, Mel, just make sure not to, you know, actually choke! Sweet! Looking forward to hearing and not judging your musical taste.

Well, why stop at just feeling like you’re in the Wild Wild West – we can dress like we are, too! There totes aren’t enough occasions to wear cowboy hats and boots around here, it could be like, a theme hike or something. Kind of like a theme party but less calories ingested in alcohol! I don’t need to work out more, I guess, but it’s like a constant thing, I have to maintain staying in shape. And it’s fun! After a while you get used to it and you like, want to do it all the time because exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy. Yay! I’m happy to come along, this is going to be so much fun.

A theme hike? That’s definitely different, Mads, I’ll give you that. Is hiking in cowboy boots comfy? Cause I’ll do it if it doesn’t pinch my feet too much, I like the plaid shirts and the big hats too much not to take a chance for them. Hey, alcohol isn’t that much calories if you, you know, drink it straight. Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people don’t shoot their husbands! I don’t know, I’m way too at the early stages of working out, I guess. It doesn’t make me happy yet, it makes me want to smash my head in a locker. How long does the head-smash phase last? Because I want abs.

If you dress properly, it’s not that cold, I swear! You’d be an adorable little snow angel, don’t you ever forget it. No, no, I don’t mind at all – I mean, now that Madison’s seen me trip in the hallway over nothing and thus realized I will not be joining the cheerleading team under any circumstances, she’s been a lot more fun to spend time with. I think I could definitely find you a few of those! I actually just read this really cute one about a couple who are working as costume characters at a theme park, and in the end a princess ends up with the boy dressed like a chipmunk – spoiler alert, oops, but you know how predictable these things are! Is it not getting any easier, then? They seem sweet together, especially after seeing him pine for Gwen and her get her heart smushed by David, but well… I can’t even imagine how it makes you feel, I’d be crushed if it were say, Cassie and Oliver instead or something. 

Whenever I go into the cold, I’m more jackets than I am person - maybe I’ll go try it out in the summer when it’s, you know, not cold enough to kill me, and see what you mean. I’m almost surprised Mads didn’t try to train you to, you know, not trip on air and get you to be a cheerleader anyway, but I guess she knows how to prioritize. The Princess and the Chipmunk, that’s a new one; I’ll take it, thanks, Becca. Sure, sure, they seem sweet together, and I want to be so happy for him, I really do, but it’s hard when you know you could be making him so much happier... and it’s not like they even like each other! It’s a classic filling-the-void, it’s such a trope and happens in so many stories, and I haven’t seen anything from them that makes me believe they’re in “real” love and it just sucks. And heck, if they fall into real love, that’s even worse. I don’t even... I wouldn’t even know what to do. I’ve been in love with Tim all my life, I’ve never even looked at other boys except to, you know, gauge their body types to write about them. You’re so lucky your dude liked you back right away and that you’ll never have to know how incredibly sucky it feels.

Eek, sorry, Liv! As much as I’d love to spend time with you, hiking is so not my thing. I only like the outdoors when there are lanterns or snow angels involved, most of the rest of the time I’m much happier staying indoors with a good book. If you get back and you want to jump into the Enchanted Lake and cool off, though, I could always go read out there for the day and keep you company when you get bacl?

‘Skay, Becs! I know if I want a day with you the outdoor angle isn’t the best one to take, especially because I’d rather die than do a snow angel. That sounds WAY too cold for my blood. The Enchanted Lake idea sounds pretty dope, though. Haven’t hit the waters in a while but it’s finally warm enough - you mind if I bring Madison along? Assuming she doesn’t duck out early to find her bro, anyway. And hey, if you brought a romance book rec, I wouldn’t hate that. I haven’t read a new one in a while and I think my creativity is running real dry with this whole Zotim-thing-killing-me-everyday-thing.

What a fab idea! Way too many people around here don’t get enough exercise, and hiking’s a great way to do it without even feeling like you’re really working out. If you’re still looking for people to go with you, though, I totes volunteer. Masey-Mace has been super busy lately, and I know he feels bad when I’m home by myself just working on new cheers. 

Yeah, I don’t know, I just like stretching my legs sometimes. And sometimes I’ll get lucky and see a weird little rattlesnake or something and feel like I’m an adventurer in the Wild Wild West. I wouldn’t think you need more working out though - you’re a cheerleader, your leg muscles must be hard as a rock and supple as silk! - but you’re more than welcome to join, yeah. You work on cheers all the time, you could use a break. Besides, not everyone gets the fabulous Madison all to themselves, I count myself lucky.