bonita, bonita

“It’s fine, Oakley! Don’t worry,” Pia told him lightly, shaking her head at his words as she stood up. “I wasn’t exactly paying that much attention myself. So, you’re good,” she told him giving him a sweet smile. “You okay? Clocking out for the night huh?”

          ❛ WOULD YOU MIND A BIT OF COMPANY? ❜  keon ducked their head low, arms splaying wide to suggest that they’d quite like to sit in what was now the only available chair left in the coffeehouse.  ❛ no pressure. but i’m kind of in a bind & it’d be a trek and a half if i had to abandon ship now & go to the library. so. i’ll even buy you a treat for any spare generosity. ❜ they then offered a genuine smile, clutching their binder to their chest in the hopes that their pleas had won the person over.

Pia had decided to stop in for a drink after work with a few friends. She’d already been there for a little over an hour and was making her way up to the bar for a second glass of wine. Until, of course, someone knocked into her, spilling beer over her and another person. “Shit,” she murmured, reaching for a napkin. They mumbled an apology and when she looked up, she noticed a familiar face beside the drink spiller. 

“Ricky!” Pia grinned enthusiastically, smiling at the younger man as she wiped the spilled beer from her skirt. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you?” She questioned, brown eyes intent on the man as she spoke. 

          HIS INITIAL REACTION WAS TO CLENCH HIS JAW AND curl a fist, but at the sight of pia perez presenting a familiar smile in his direction, ricky’s irritation was quick to subside. his ill feelings simmering into a type of fondness he’d held on reserve ever since their first meeting at the flower shop. ❛ it has been a hot minute, hasn’t it, angel? ❜ he agreed, wiping what had spilled on his hand onto his jeans, not the least bit considered anymore about how he was going to need to throw his clothes in the wash when he got home. ❛ i’m good. more than good … what about you, hm? anyone buying you flowers lately? ❜

For once, Lauren’s weekend schedule had been blissfully empty. Two solid days off from work at Grocer’s Groceries and a very serious promise from her mom that she was free from any and all babysitting duties – and what had to happen? All of her closest friends were busy. After scrolling through her contact list for the bajillionth time, it was pretty tempting to succumb to the siren song of the couch in the family room and just binge whatever latest reality crap was available on Netflix, but Lauren was more bullheaded than that. She had to do at least one productive thing with her weekend before she turned into a lazy, sweatpants-wearing lump. Which was exactly how she found herself making a solo trip to the local farmer’s market. The midday fall weather was the perfect in-between, allowing Lauren to wear not only sunglasses, but a comfortable sweater as she shopped. She wandered through the rows of vendors, a reusable bag of goodies already hanging from her arm when she found herself sucked into the stall of a fruit vendor. Picking through a bundle of grapes, Lauren couldn’t help but taste test a few… and then a few more. She only paused her obvious snacking when someone sidled closer, making an embarrassed flush color her cheeks. “It’s not what it looks like,” she argued automatically, only giving the other a quick glance. “I’m gonna pay for the ones I already ate, too. Scout’s honor.”

Walking through the market, she was dressed as casually as was usual for her. Jeans, heeled boots and a fitted sweater - all perfect for the mid-fall weather. As she was walking, a small bag filled with wine and artisanal cheese in her hands, she noticed a familiar figure. A young woman she’d met briefly at the Halloween festival.

As she made her way over to say hello, she couldn’t help but laugh at her words. She smirked in amusement, looking between Lauren and the grapes. “You don’t have to convince me. But...I am curious to know how you’re going to pay for the one’s you’ve already eaten? Do you know the value of each individual grape?” she asked curiously, though her tone was light and friendly. It didn’t matter much to her at all whether the young woman did or not. 

          NURSING A GLASS OF WHISKEY, RICKY KEPT TO HIMSELF for the better part of an hour. winding down after a long day of grease stains & customers who thought they knew best ( both drug related & not ). the way he was closed off from the rest of the drunken crowd more or less intentional when he cracked his neck, rolled his knuckles –– eventually downing the rest of his drink before he left a bill beneath it, enough to pay for the liquor & tip. he then stood from his bar stool, hitching his jacket off the counter. though in the midst of putting it on, he accidentally nudged his elbow against another’s, a domino effect that inevitably resulted in beer spilling on his hand & sleeve. 

“Ricky!” Pia grinned enthusiastically, smiling at the younger man as she wiped the spilled beer from her skirt. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you?” She questioned, brown eyes intent on the man as she spoke. 

Pia couldn’t help but relax a little at his smile. This didn’t have to be awkward, she just had to chill out. Although, she wasn’t the chill kind of person. “That’s good,” she replies rather genuinely, her smile no longer awkward as they speak. She watches him, as discreetly as possible, as he turns and orders an apple cider. She sips from her own as he speaks, hiding a flustered smile behind the cup. When he turns back around Pia isn’t surprised to see a shit-eating grin on his lips and shakes her head. So they’re going to talk around it; that’s fine with her. “Oh, no, no. I’ve just been busy. Working you know? I am a lawyer,” she teased back, giving him a brilliant smile. She was trying to distract herself from thinking about that night and how good it had been. “Besides, I’d only be able to avoid you for so long in this town anyway. If that was something I was going to do,” she chuckled, smirking a little over at him. She had been avoiding him but she wasn’t going to admit it.

Sebastian decides not to break any boundaries ( as if they both already hadn’t broken them all ) and keeps his distance, the grin on his face not faltering as he looks down at her, chin high. “ Okay, madam lawyer. If that’s your case, then I guess there’s not much else for me to say, huh? ” He pulls his shoulders back in defeat, pursing his lips. He takes a moment to check up on their kids before his attention is back at her. “ Oh, so that was something you thought about? Gosh, don’t go breaking my heart like that, Perez. ” Sebastian fakes a hurt expression, brows furrowed as he places one hand over his chest. “ I thought we had something special, you and I. ” The man says before the grin is right back on his lips, keeping their eye contact while he slowly sipped on the warm drink in his hand.

Once Pia realised who it was that she’d run into, she smiled widely. “Bex!” she exclaimed, happy to see the young woman. She chuckled a little at the other woman’s words, giving her a bright smile as she nodded. “Are you sure?” she questioned, letting her eyes drift over Bex’s outfit curiously and suddenly realising it’s not a costume, as she’d first thought. Still, it fit the halloween vibes very well. 

She laughed then, grinning playfully at the other woman. She shrugged easily. “I did. I just wasn’t feeling like dressing up this year. Plus, I was more focused on my children’s costumes, you know?” she replied lightly, eyes flicking towards her kids, checking on them quickly before settling back on Bex. “And how are you?”

          “ pia !! ” bex mimicks her enthusiasm. it wasn’t that she wasn’t not happy to run into the older woman, but she simply wasn’t nearly as happy in general than she was. she tended to be a bit more on the gloomy side, hell even when she was happy. “ ah, yeah. don’t sweat it, dude. ” she assures the other with more of a genuine smile. she didn’t care too much about potentially ruining the dress. not only did she have stain remover back home, but she also still wore a few shirts that had stains on them from years ago.            she glances over at where pia looks, taking in the sight of her kids. the sight brings another little smile to her face. ugh, kids. she doesn’t hate them, but personally, she couldn’t imagine having them. she could hardly take care of herself. “ yeah, yeah, of course, ” she acts as if she could relate. “ they’re… cute. what are they this year? ” she could observe herself, but for the sake of conversation, she looks away & instead is looking to pia for the answer. “ i wasn’t even gonna come to this thing… decided last minute to stop in.” huffing out a breath when she hears that question, she wonders if anyone even ever tells the truth when asked how are you. “ me? oh, i’m good. gucci, as the kids say. ” she chuckles somewhat awkwardly at that. “ i’m not nearly as drunk as i prefer to be, so really, i’m not great… is there a bar somewhere around here? ”

She couldn’t help but laugh a little as Bex agreed with her. She shook her head a little, settling her gaze back on the other woman. “Don’t worry, I know you don’t have kids. I just meant it seemed more important to sort theirs out then worry about trying to come up with something for myself,” Pia amended, giving her a light, friendly pat on the arm. “Mateo is a dinosaur and Elena decided to be a zombie princess,” Pia told her with a laugh, shaking her head at her kids. It seemed as if the days of family costumes were done. 

“Oh?” An eyebrow rose curiously. “What changed your mind about coming then?” she asked curiously, head tilting a little as she looked at the younger woman. A knowing smile graces Pia’s lips then as Bex speaks, telling her how good she is. “Mhm. Well, that’s good to hear. And, I’m actually not sure. Probably? I can’t imagine Mayor Levi would make the event alcohol free...” she mused. 

The Halloween festival was in full swing and Pia couldn’t help but smile as she watched Elena and Mateo in their costumes having fun. She had decided not to dress up, instead focused her energy on the kids costumes and she was glad she did. She was in a simply jeans and cream sweater combo, the heeled boots, boosting her height as they always did. She had been surprised to see so many other adults in costumes though; she preferred celebrating Día de Meurtos. 

She kept an eye on her kids as they tried to apple bob, making her way towards a stand selling hot cider. The line was long but finally she got a warm spiced apple cider, sipping it eagerly. She was so focused on not burning her tongue that she ran right into someone and cringed. “Oh, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, shaking her hand off the few hot drops that had landed on her. “Did I get any on your costume?” she asked, finally realising the person in front of her was dressed up rather wonderfully. 

@mapleviewstarters​

          brown eyes are browsing the many faces, masked faces & costumes that the mapleview population were sporting tonight. she was apart of the few that didn’t bother dressing up in a costume although the black dress she chose to wear tonight could be mistaken for some sort of witch or something. not that she minded not fitting in, because bex certainly didn’t. if anything, she preferred to not when most of her life she’d been an outsider. happily so.            her gaze is cast off to the side when she collides with someone   the suddenness of it causing her brows to furrow, irritation setting in quickly until she sees who the other person is. she eases some. pia was harmless & already, bex knows it was an accident. “ yeah, ” she states, her hand brushing at the spot where the cider spilt on it. “ it’s alright, it’s just a dress. ” she huffs a little laugh & shrugs a shoulder. “ not gonna stain or anything either   you’re good, man. ” bex assures pia with a small smile. “ see you skipped out on a costume this year, too. ” 

She laughed then, grinning playfully at the other woman. She shrugged easily. “I did. I just wasn’t feeling like dressing up this year. Plus, I was more focused on my children’s costumes, you know?” she replied lightly, eyes flicking towards her kids, checking on them quickly before settling back on Bex. “And how are you?”

The Halloween festival was in full swing and Pia couldn’t help but smile as she watched Elena and Mateo in their costumes having fun. She had decided not to dress up, instead focused her energy on the kids costumes and she was glad she did. She was in a simply jeans and cream sweater combo, the heeled boots, boosting her height as they always did. She had been surprised to see so many other adults in costumes though; she preferred celebrating Día de Meurtos. 

She kept an eye on her kids as they tried to apple bob, making her way towards a stand selling hot cider. The line was long but finally she got a warm spiced apple cider, sipping it eagerly. She was so focused on not burning her tongue that she ran right into someone and cringed. “Oh, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, shaking her hand off the few hot drops that had landed on her. “Did I get any on your costume?” she asked, finally realising the person in front of her was dressed up rather wonderfully. 

@mapleviewstarters​

     OPHELIA’S  PROFESSION  COMES  IN  HANDY  during  times  like  these,  her  closet  already  filled  with  various  costumes,  some  more  successful  than  others.  this  year  she’s  dressed  up  as  cruella  de  vil,  simple  black  dress  underneath  a  warm  faux  fur  coat,  simple  design  but  elegant  nonetheless.  her  hair  is  tucked  underneath  a  wig,  partly  white  and  partly  black.  river  is  dressed  in  a  warm  onesie,  black  spots  on  a  white  canvas,  ears  on  top  of  his  head  —  ophelia’s  little  dalmatian.  she  would’ve  put  more  thought  into  their  costumes,  but  time  runs  out  so  fast  when  you’re  a  mother.

     ophelia’s  so  happy  to  see  pia  that  she  can’t  even  find  herself  to  mind  the  few  stains  on  her  new  coat.  «  don’t  worry  about  it,  »  she  chuckles,  «  actually,  spill  it  all  on  me.  i’m  kinda  looking  for  an  excuse  to  go  home  anyway.  »  it’s  half  a  joke  —  it  had  been  a  long  day  and  little  river  is  still  nowhere  near  done.  «  are  you  okay  though  ?  »

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” Pia insisted, waving her off. The warm apple cider hadn’t done much damage to her hand at all. She focused on the other woman then, a bright curious smile on her features. “Now, why are you trying to go home? Not into town events?” she asked with a light chuckle.