practically perfect

It was another typical Friday night in Dayton and Melody received an invite to yet another sketchy party. She didn’t know the guy from anywhere in particular, but she was aquaintances with a couple of his friends. Running on nothing but booze in her system, Melody was getting drunk quickly and had yet to find a familiar voice. After getting hit on by a couple of losers, Melody rolled her eyes and walked away – in search of anyone with half a brain cell to talk to. She wasn’t drunk enough for that. As she walked away, she heard one of them call out, “Fuck you, bitch!” Enraged by the lack of respect, Melody yelled back. “Fuck me? No, fuck you. Limp dick asshole,” she hollered out, walking further into the crowd and feeling herself collide with another body. “Shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay? I’m a little bit wasted and those fuckboys wanted to fight me, but I’m more of the ‘storm off’ type,” she replied, looking into the eyes of the other person. She was dazed and empty feeling, her face starting to look more sunken as the days went by. Anyone who knew her would suspect something of being wrong with her, but she refused to acknowledge it.

Josie had just been on her way home and decided to take the long way around. Her ear buds were in and she had on soothing music. It had been one of those days. The sort where her chest had been tight and it was hard to breathe for hours at a time and even skating hadn’t taken her mind off of it. When the girl ran into her, Josie looked over completely shell shocked that she hadn’t even noticed the party going on beside her. Looking over with wide eyes, she pulled out one earbud so she could hear what the girl was saying. “Are you alright?” Josie asked the girl softly, not sure how to process all that was happening.

“Maybe I’ll remember to bring a jacket next time,” Mckenna replied with a tiny smile. It was just as hard to parse sincerity from people when he was sober as when he was drunk, only he cared so much less when he was wasted and swallowed up every bit of goodwill without question. Things were different now and he especially didn’t want anyone’s pity. 

He rubbed his arms, massaging his goosebumps and the scars that followed his veins up to his elbows while he fell pensive and quiet. Mckenna knew all about destroying big things after dedicating years of his life to destroying the biggest thing he had: himself. Had he stopped? Mckenna liked to think that he had but he’d never been a good judge of anything.

“Kinda, I guess. It’s a really good workout and punching something has a little more oomph to it than throwing ice. I dunno, I guess I just like the way it feels,” he admitted.

“I’d be glad to show you if you wanna try it. It’s really not that complicated and it might help.”

“Maybe. If not, lost and found is always stocked full of them. Unless you’re a germaphobe. I don’t know how people can just wear other peoples clothes without at least one wash between.” She knew she was starting to ramble. It was a habit her mother wasn’t fond of. Her father used to tease her for it in lighthearted fashion but mother always knew best, didn’t she? It seemed like Mckenna understood that.

Josie felt stupid for opening up to him like this. She didn’t open up to anyone because her problems were miniscule. She had a life most people dreamed of. Reaching up, she tightened her half pony until it was slightly painful. Josie bit her tongue to keep things quiet. To keep her information in. This kid didn’t need a run down of her troubles when he clearly had his own. 

“Nothing wrong with that.” Josie said with a small shrug attached to the comment. She skated backwards, needing her feet to be doing something. 

At his offer, she paused before nodding slowly. “I’d like that. You’re upstairs often?”

Kelan had been certain he’d been talking to one of his regulars, not that he had many, so it was really a dumb thing to assume. But the presence felt familiar until he realized it definitely wasn’t as the blonde looked at him with a horrified expression. “Oh shit! Um… This is.. well it’s a sex shop. It’s kind of a hidden gem of Dayton, oddly enough.” He started to explain until the fact that the initial panic on her face still hadn’t seemed to fade. “A place to hide? Uh yeah we have the movie theater or the play room, or my office if you want to hide out back in there.” He said as he grabbed the keys off the counter and made his way out from behind the counter to show her the way to his back office. His office was probably the best option, although he couldn’t guarantee that it was completely devoid of sex objects. He was still learning what half the objects in his office were. Like the apparent sex swing he’d been using as a chair for the last month. “Does this work?” 

“Can’t people just buy this stuff online?! Jesus.” Josie whisper screamed as she tried to find some sort of place to hide. She could just sense the cameras following her and didn’t want to wait around like a sitting duck for them to find her. If she was caught in a place like this... well, that’d be the end of any civility her family had with her. Josie wasn’t a bad kid but no child of the biggest hotel franchise owners in town were going to have their picture posted on the front of a magazine stating they were in a sex shop. As he listed the options, the blondes eyes grew wide until she finally nodded. “Office! Office works. You have a movie theatre? Do people jerk off there? Oh my god.” Josie didn’t think she wanted to know about anyone who frequented that movie theatre. Or a play room. She had a feeling it wasn’t a room where people could play video games. She’d heard of fifty shades of grey. And, though intrigued, she had an inkling she was not the sort of person those play rooms were for. Looking at it, Josie guessed it was her best option. “Yeah... yeah... until I can figure out how to get out of here without being photographed. I uh... thank you.... is that a sex swing?” Except she didn’t say sex. She kind made a er er noise with her lips and hoped he understood.

Arinta hadn’t previously had the chance to really talk to this girl before. Was she new to town? Had she been here for a hot minute? Being gone for a few years, she honestly had no idea who came and went. She was still trying to catch up with anything she might had missed when she was away. Somebody like Josie perhaps wasn’t a typical type of person the young girl would vibe with, but she was kind and very helpful. “Alright, alright. I gotcha. Just…wasn’t expecting you to say that kinda shit,” she let out a chuckle as she did what she was told. Should she be cussing in front of her little cousins? Nope. To be fair, they heard enough cussing through their own mother’s mouth every time her and Ari had their lovely headed arguments. “Josie. Arinta, but just call me Ari.”

Josie didn’t exactly know anyone in town unless they were in the higher social circle. Her parents believed that she wasn’t meant to mingle with those below them but, honestly, Josie couldn’t have cared less now. After meeting some of the Dayton residents, she was hooked. She may have been too shy to reach out to everyone herself but she was willing to make friends. If others could see past her upbringing, that was, and gave her the chance. “Yeah, my mother would probably kill me if she heard me speak like that.” She crinkled her nose a little but there was still a smile on her face. “Ari. It’s nice to meet you.” Josie continued pulling the other around the rink and smiled over at the younger girls, “You’re a nice cousin. I don’t think anyone in my family would actively spend time with one another unless they had to.” 

Alec ran his hand through his hair when he notice the girl blushing. “I’m just pretty clumsy, I’m sure I’m going to fall on my ass at least five times today.” He chuckled lightly before taking her hands. “Oh trust me, I will make a fool of myself. But you look great out on the ice, like you’re meant to be there or something.” He wondered what it was like to spend his whole life doing something like Josie had with skating. He was lucky if he kept a hobby for a couple months. “How old were you when you started?”

“Everyone falls. You’re skating... on ice.... Even pros fall. It’s not exactly meant to be stable ground.” Josie admitted with a small shrug. Falling on the ice was probably the only thing the blonde didn’t worry herself over. Then again, as the boy had pointed out, it was like she was meant to be gliding on ice. “Thanks,” she replied softly. Now it was her turn to run a hand through her hair, “It feels like the only place I really belong. I know thats silly but.. it’s the only place I ever actually get anything right.” Josie skated backwards a little before moving back towards the divide between them. “I’ve been skating since I was about three but really taking classes and competing since I was six.” She paused, “You know I don’t bite. You should come out here...”

Casper was by no means the best Christmas shopper. His gifts to his family often including socks and maybe a shot glass or a key chain or something. What do you get your family who can afford whatever the hell they want all the time anyways? How many holiday’s had been ruined by him trying to get his mom and sister gifts that they had already wanted and bought for themselves weeks prior. So the little things were all he let himself consider most of the time, but that day he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t found himself distracted by some of items in the electronics section which was how he’d found himself looking at speakers when the girl asked about her gift ideas. “Wait who me?” He asked, looking around, almost certain she’d been talking to someone else until he realized they were the only two in the aisle. “What would I want from a younger sister?” He asked, looking her up and down, and trying to picture his own when he pictured her. He was about to respond when she continued, gritting his teeth at the oversharing going on in a Best Buy. “I can tell. Honestly, if that’s how he’d feeling.” Cas mused as he reached out and picked up a pair of Hello Kitty headsets. “I say you get him what he deserves. Act like a pussy. Receive like a pussy.” 

Josie already felt ashamed for having spoken so irrationally. First, this boy was not someone she should just be complaining to. It was unfair to put all that onto someone else. Second, Josie shouldn’t speak ill of people who weren’t there to defend themselves. She was simply still worked up over a comment her brother had made on Thanksgiving and her hurt had manifested itself into momentary frustration. It wasn’t right of her to do so and she knew her cheeks were flaming. If her mother had heard her, oh boy. Things would have gotten ugly very fast. Josie had to remind herself that she had an image to protect. Even though no one gave a shit about what she did, she was meant to act like her family expected her too. Josie looked at the Hello Kitty headphones and giggled for a moment before cutting herself off. “You know, I never understood that argument. Calling someone a... you know.” Josie tilted her head as she grabbed the box from him. “Now, if you’re saying that word in reference to the cat, I get it. But if you mean it as being weak, well, I think you should learn a little more about female anatomy. Besides, aren’t men supposed to be constantly begging for... that? Why do they knock it and call other people that word when they can’t live without it? Unless you’re gay. In which case, I take it all back and again repeat you should learn a little more about female anatomy.” Josie rambled, “That being said. This is an excellent choice and you’re right. He deserves something silly like this.” 

He gave her a sideways look when she bulldozed through the topic of her family. He wasn’t an expert on much but Mckenna liked to think that freedom and families was something he knew intimately. Josie reminded him of the other kids in Beverly Hills. Only a fraction of them lived lavish lives like a Jenner while most of them were just balled up with insecurities packed behind a sunny veneer, much like himself.

He toyed with the draw strings of his shorts, he too less than willing to talk about his folks. There wasn’t that much to talk about considering that he hardly knew them, but he didn’t want to make it look obvious that he was dodging the question of where he’d gone.

“I dunno, I didn’t think they’d follow me but here we are.” A half-truth. He knew they would. There wasn’t a question about it. He just didn’t know why he came back.

“It’s a boxing tournament for charity. I don’t think I’d win but getting sucker punched for kids sounds right down my alley,” he said, tone twinging on sardonic. “I have a really good relationship with my mom, actually. She’s like, my best friend. It’s just… y’know. She can be a bit much. And I guess, I don’t know, I’ve grown up is all and I don’t think she gets that.” Or cared, really, but he was trying not to think poorly of his mothers intentions.

Josie didn’t know much about the boy beside her but one thing was for certain: he must have understood. There was a look in his eye that told her he got it. That he knew what her sad little rich kid life was like. Josie normally would have thought that she’d put up more walls when someone looked at her like that but, seeing his understanding and being desperate for any sort of real affection, Josie felt her walls begin crumbling down. But she said nothing...

“Guess we’ve both got a bit of a family issue. My folks don’t care where I am and yours seem to care too much.” Josie smiled slightly before ducking her head again and giving a slight shrug, “If you ever need a place to hide, the rink is always open.”

“So is that how you get your stress out, then? Letting people punch you and punching back?”  There was no judgement in Josie’s voice, only curiosity. “I used to go to this therapist and she told me to throw ice at a wall because I didn’t let myself feel anger and this was a way to release.... it didn’t exactly work though. I seemed to just ache for more. The ice wasn’t big enough.” Josie flushed, “Sorry. I don’t know why I told you that. I just uh... I guess I just get it. If that’s your release, I mean. Part of me feels like if I destroy something big enough, I’ll never stop.” 

The girl nodded and gave a small tug on her skirt, a nervous habit of hers, “That’s nice. That you guys are close. But, yeah, it can be difficult when you need space. Or... I’m guessing it can be difficult. Overbearing when you’re just trying to find yourself in an already suffocating world.”

Mia’s dad may not have been the nicest person, at least to her and her mom, but her mom is one of the sweetest people she knew, and she was the one that taught her to be as kind as she was. She had her influence as she grew, it was one of the reasons why she tried to be always kind, “Well, your family should spend some time with my mom and I, maybe our kindness will rub off on them,” she smiled at the girl, “Alright, I won’t turn down the offer, let me just put my ice skates and I will join you.”

Josie wished that her family could be kind. That they could beat their stereotypes of the cold rich people. She also wished that she could defend them better than she did but it was near impossible. How did you defend those who clearly only thought of themselves? It was difficult. “Maybe... lock them in a room with you guys and maybe they’d learn a little bit about how others behave. Could be nice.” And she ached for it. A world where her parents gave a shit about her and her brother wasn’t always trying to beat her at something but, in the end, they were who they were and nothing would really change that. Unfortunately. “Sounds great.... um I’m Josie, by the way.”

Aurora made her way closer to the fellow blonde and pulled in to grab her by the hands. “Oh, of course! I don’t mind holding onto ya,”  she replied, not caring that she needed the extra assistance. She nodded her head as she heard the advice being given to her. Alright, keep your balance, don’t lean too far back, the goal was not to fall on your butt. If the young girl could perform original songs at her beauty pageants and cheer to a packed football field, she could learn how to skate on an ice rink. “I’m Aurora! Nice to meet you Josie,” she added on in a cheerful manner. 

Josie nodded carefully. She, herself, had always been a bit nervous about touching someone she didn’t know. It wasn’t that she had any trauma with touch, it was just that she was already so awkward and what if her palms were sweaty or she made an accidental move that the other didn’t appreciate? Thankfully, she had gloves on and skating was something she knew well so there would be no moves that she was unsure of. “Nice to meet you as well.” Josie began skating backward, carefully. “Alright... so its pretty much like walking there’s just uh... blades on the bottom of your feet. It helps if you don’t over think it and sort of start to feel the groove. So we’ll skate around like this for awhile until your body starts to get used to it.”

Arinta was happy to see that Josie was open to helping out her and her little cousins with the basics of ice skating. The other girl could have gladly just left after she was done with her time on the rink and gone off with the rest of her day. Instead, she was taking time out of her own schedule to show the three of them skills and tricks that they have yet to figure out on their own. All of the information being given to Ari was super helpful. “Clench your butt?” she said outloud, chuckling to herself. That was a thing that figure skaters did? If it worked, it worked!  She looked over and saw her cousins holding onto the wall and she locked eyes with the blonde, inching closing to her as she grabbed onto her hands. “Your wish is my commend, master of all things skating.”

Josie knew she came off cold. She didn’t mean to it was just a force of habit. One of those be seen and not heard things. She also wasn’t used to so many people wanting to know about her or actually talk to her. Josie had been sheltered in her high society world for so long that she was almost positive everyone else thought as low of her as the rich folk did. It was slowly hitting her that not everyone was as unkind as she first believed them to be. “Yes. Clench your butt. Not too much though because it’ll throw off your balance.” Josie giggled again at the others shock. It was a really funny thing to think about and then say out loud. Especially to basically a stranger. “As much as I uh... appreciate the title, you can just call me Josie.”

Thomas had almost always loved watching people do what they were good at. His husband was spectacular with the dogs, and his parents used to be splendid with his horse (until they passed, obviously). He tended to become entranced and sometimes he didn’t realize it until it was too late. “Well… Y’do got a point there. Can’t really argue. But, I’m sure ya know what I mean. Hell, I trip over my own two feet sometimes.” He admitted. It probably wasn’t a good thing, but hey, what can he do when his insomnia and nightmares acted up? “Of course! And it’s really not a problem! Dumb question, but are ya able t’do th’ Tonya Hardin’ thing? Th’ Triple Axle? Or are ya still trynna learn that?” He knew a lot of figure skaters still were learning that, and failed. “Oh, I’m Thomas by th’way. Thomas Angels-Hennessy. Y’probably seen me ‘round b’fore. Kinda th’ local police officer.”