#chase: thread

Chase had snuck into Marina’s counselor room that she shared with Rose. “Psst” he whispered, as he saw Rose on her own bed sound asleep, “Marina” he added as he gave her a little shake because she was so focused on her book, her shining the flashlight in his face. He put his hand up over his face, “Drop the book, nerd. You can see the constellations” he said, crouching down by her bed. “We’re going stargazing. Jonah said that he was tired. Big baby. The night is still young, and so are we” he continued to say before he heard Rose move. Chase motioned for her to follow, giving her time to put on some shoes. He had a blanket sitting outside and was all ready to go with his telescope out in the field.

Marina loved going off to Camp Harton, whether she was camper or a counselor, it was all still fun. To leave your life behind for the summer and just do what you want with the people you love. She was so invested in the book she was reading, that she didn’t notice Chase come in. Marina flinched for a second and looked up from her book to see her friend’s face. Seeing Chase always made her smile, there was never a dull moment when he was around. “I can’t say no to that.” she whispered back excitedly. Stargazing, how romantic. the thought rudely popped into her head. There was nothing romantic about a couple of pals looking up at the stars together. What an idiot. Marina threw her bookmark in her book, and quickly got some shoes on. She stepped out of the room as quiet as possible once she heard Rose move and linked her arm with Chase’s as she followed him. “Wow, you really came prepared. You sure you want Jonah to miss this? I wouldn’t wanna ruin this special Chonah moment.”

He was happy to be here. Working with kids was a fun time for him, and it was good practice for hanging out with Genevieve in the future. But for now he could also spend the late nights sneaking out and having a good time with his friends while more responsible counselors also snuck out … the camp was kind of a lawless disaster. She linked her arm in his and they headed out to the field, “Jonah was really tired from all the rigorous sex we’ve been having. I said I wanted to go a few more rounds, but he told me he wanted to sleep” said Chase as a loud laugh escaped his body. People were going to start believing him at some point if he kept these jokes up. Chase laid down on the blanket, putting his hands behind his head “so tell me about your book” he said looking over at her.

Marina laughed along with Chase. She wondered how many people actually believe those two were actually dating, it was very believable and very entertaining. “Poor guy just can’t keep up.” she shook her head, playing along with what Chase was saying before laying down beside him and looking up at the sky for a moment. “It was marketed as a Breakfast Club murder mystery, and I don’t know it’s just cause we live in Hastings, but I’m kind of a bitch for the whole labels aspect. The nerd, criminal, outcast. We really missed out on that clique system.” she smiled to herself as she thought about it. Marina wasn’t sure if she would have benefited from it, but it was fun to think about. “But I definitely think the nerdy girl did it. I’ve been reading back and trying to pick up on details, especially during the death scene. I’m telling you, she’s suspicious.” She then turned her attention to Chase, “Oh, speaking of stories, have you been working on any comics lately?”

The thing about Chase and Jonah was that they would act like they were dating even in private. It was a very homoerotic friendship. Not everyone would get it, but luckily Marina did. “I know, and now he’s texting that he wants to be included, but it looks like he’s going to hang with Wren” said Chase, he wasn’t disappointed though. Chase loved his time with Marina, he actually felt really normal around her. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel normal around Jonah, its just that he knows. Which is a different kind of intimacy. “It’s always the nerdy girl” said the blonde with a laugh as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I mean, places in the clique system would have been a lot harder for us. It’s not a gen z activity I don’t feel like” he added, “like we all do too much shit. Like yeah I’m a burnout sometimes, but sometimes I’m a nerd or a geek, or a cheerleader” said Chase, “I feel like the clique system is so limiting and I want to be limitless.” Chase turned to her on the blanket, “It’s actually going really well. But I’m almost at the point where I show Jonah and tell him to critique me. So it’ll be a moment before I let you see it” he added, “I want it to be good when you see it, not just the shitty parts.” Chase cared a lot about Marina’s opinion.

Marina definitely wouldn’t have minded if Jonah met up with them. He was always sweet, and seemed to really come out of his shell whenever he was around Chase, but she also valued this alone time with him. Whenever she was with Chase, all her problems seemed to disappear. It was like they were in their own little world, free of any worries. “I don’t know how they boxed themselves into one clique. Sometimes I think about it for way too long.” she shook her head. “Like if a queen bee wanted to be a cheerleader or wanted to get into theater, would they let them? Would they get kicked from the group?” People like Savannah and Sloane thrived in a clique system, but that was mainly because their ultimate goal was to be on top of the social ladder. Marina always wanted to be number one in everything she did, but that was thing, she wanted to do so much. She smiled excited once Chase mentioned how everything with his comic was going well. “I mean, I gueeess I can wait a little longer.” she sighed dramatically, but she completely understood. Marina did not like to show off any mistakes when it came to her work, especially if she was showing Chase. There was a special kind of happiness that came from Chase complimenting her work. “You ever base anything off of real life events? Or real life people? Kinda like Read It and Weep.” she asked, referring to the classic DCOM.

Chase smiled and got visibly excited, “exactly!!! The whole thing makes no sense!!” What kind of people would even come up with that? It was definitely something built for the Savannahs and Sloanes of the world: people who didn’t do too much but sit there, be pretty, and be mean. People who had teams or other hobbies didn’t have the need or want for cliques. Chase rolled back over onto his back to look at the stars, “No real life stuff, just high fantasy. I don’t want anyone to read too much into it. So everything is from scratch. A universe I have been thinking about for a really long time” said the boy, thinking about how he should work on it more this summer. “I do love Read It and Weep though, we should add that to the movie list for the summer” he suggested, looking forward to more nice moments like this. “I mean we both know I’m not exactly busy. I bet you are, but we can schedule around it” he applauded.

Marina matched his excitement and smiled widely at Chase. Someone understood, it was all just so confusing and she had even more questions about it. But they would just sit in her head until she forgot about them. She turned to her side to look at Chase and poked his arm, sometimes she forgot how strong he was. He was a base after all. “Is there anyway I could get a little preview? Just a sneak peak? Maybe just tell me a little bit about it.” she asked as she wiggled her eyebrows. It must have been super detailed if he had been working on it for a long time, it made Marina even more excited to read it when the time came. She then pulled out her phone and went to her ‘movies to watch’ list, “Read It and Weep. Got it.” Once she placed her phone down on the blanket, she laid on her back and shook her head, “I’ve got a pretty clear schedule, but! My bet with Rosie is finally finished, and I am ready to have a fun summer.” Marina was still having a good time throughout the bet, but there was always a sense of frustration.

He turned to face her, resting his head on his hand. “I can give you a little synopsis. It’s got a strong female lead, with a terrible backstory. But she uses her powers of rage and destruction to help those weaker than her so she stops feeling like she’s a monsters” said Chase, bright eyed. He loved female protagonists, and his comic book was going to be about how the scariest people can be so afraid of what they are perceived as and how they aren’t what everyone thinks. That there’s so much reason behind rage. He smiled when she went ahead and put it into her phone, like they were going to forget. Chase most definitely would as soon as the next small thing came around, he was forgetful at his core. Unless it pertained to people or something that happened, the memory would float away until he thought of it again. “The bets over? Damn. I got so much Marina time this semester because you couldn’t be off doing your thang” he said with a little laugh. “You have to schedule me into your google calendar” Chase teased.

Marina’s expression softened a bit as she listened to Chase. She knew she’d love his story the moment she got to read it, but now she could hardly wait. It felt like something she’d really enjoy, maybe even relate to on some level. Sometimes she felt like a monster herself, that she destroyed everything she touched. Even after these couple of years, she wasn’t allowing herself to grieve properly, and it only made her angrier with herself. She considered herself lucky that she hadn’t ruined her friendship with Chase yet. As excitable as he was, there was level of relaxation that came from being around him. “Ooh I can’t wait to read it! I mean, take all the time you need. But I’ll just be here, waiting oh so patiently.” she said with a small smile. Marina gently hit Chase’s arm and laughed with him, “Just because I’m a free woman now, does not mean you’ll be having less Marina time. My nicely organized google calendar always has spots for you. Unless you’re the one that gets busy this summer, hm?” she teased back.

“Patience is a virtue, and it looks smashing on you luv” said Chase, not sure why he went into british accent mode … but you can’t fight it once the sentence starts coming out. He groaned when she said that he was going to be getting busy this summer, “don’t remind me. Jonah’s going to be busy all summer with Rory, so there’s so much free time. I just … I dunno. If you remember, I am a married man. That ceremony in the forest was very accurate to an actual wedding ceremony. One stop at the courthouse and we’re both taken” he joked as he shoved her a little bit to match her physical energy. “But really, it’s just hard to find someone who understands me like that. Ya know?” he said, not really making much sense. “I’m just tired of people never knowing what I’m talking about, or just focusing on the parts of me that they like” he said. Chase was emotionally exhausted from changing how he was acting just to please the people he was with. Too straight for some guys, too gay for some girls. Too much of a jock for some folks, and too much of a dweeb for others. He didn’t want to fit into their boxes just to spend time with them.

Hearing Chase’s british accent put a smile on her face, she was no stranger to randomly putting on an accent. She definitely understood where he was coming from. Rosie was currently having her epic summer romance with Taylor, but there was still time for these two to find someone to fool around with for the season. “Oh I remember. It was so real they made us kiss right then and there, which I guess I shouldn’t have been too shocked by. Who’s not kissing at their own ceremony?” As slightly awkward as it was at the time, it may have been one of Marina’s favorite LARPing moments. It was all very romantic, the outfits were so pretty, and it just made sense with the plot. It was great! She was looking back and forth between Chase and the sky for a little bit, but once he started explaining, she gave him her full attention. “Don’t waste your time on those people. If they don’t want to get to know all of you, then they’re missing out.” Chase was a very complex guy, but that’s what Marina loved about him. He loved so many things and knew so much. He wasn’t afraid to be himself, and that was admirable, especially since she was the type to get so worried about what others thought of her. “Not to gas you up too much, but every part of you is pretty great. You have a lot to offer. I mean, have you noticed how talented you are? Writing stories, drawing comics, giving oscar award performances with Caspian, being super athletic. You’re really showing out.”

Chase laughed, “ah yes. Our first kiss” he said, thinking about the other times they had kissed. How defeated he had been that day, and she actually made him feel confident for once. Yeah, Chase loves himself. He’s a big Chase stan, but being confident amidst a break up was tough. “You’re just saying that because you’re my wife” said Chase, laughing a little bit, “don’t sell yourself short. Athlete, cosplayer, superior twin and if you tell Rosie i will kill you both in LARPing and forreal, too pretty to exist and be a human so your robot AI must be killer to have such lifelike interactions, not to mention you made me my favorite thing in the world … my scale model of the millenium falcon. So you’re kind of an icon” Chase smiled at her. He was really content just laying out here gassing each other up. It felt like he was on top of the world in the most relaxed way possible. “Not to geek out on you, but I am your biggest fan. I might make a stan twitter once my hyperfixation on stars ends” he added as he rolled over to look up at the sky. “There are planets out tonight”

Chase specifying that it was their first kiss took Marina back to all the other times they had kissed. There was always some guilt that came with remembering that night with Chase. She was a friend to Gabrielle and even though it may have not been the best decision to hook up with Chase of all people, Marina never regretted it. Maybe that’s why she felt that little bit of guilt, because if she went back in time, she wouldn’t change a thing about it. Her and Kyle kept going back and forth at the time, and it made her feel like he just didn’t actually want to be with her. She was fun in the moment, but too much of a hassle to stick around for. It’s not like anything deeper developed between her and Chase either, but she at least expected that. He had just been through a breakup. “I’m your wife because you’re so talented.” she corrected him. “There’s no way I’d just marry anyone, even if it was for the sake of our kingdom.” she laughed. Marina couldn’t stop smiling as Chase spoke. It was nice to know that someone she thought highly of felt the same way about her. Once he brought up the gift she made him, she reached under her shirt to show him the necklace she was wearing. “Funny you mention that, I’ve been wearing this all day.” It was the locket that came with the journal he gave her that same Christmas. That was by far the best present she had ever received. Marina then got up on her feet and pulled him up so they can take a closer look through the telescope.

He had that goofy smile on his face as she showed him the necklace. “That’s my wife” he replied as he took her hand. It was small in his, but she was strong. He was up on his feet and walked over to the telescope, absentmindedly putting his hand around her waist as they took turns looking into the lense. “The stars just aren’t this bright in town, maybe out at Henderson Falls … but not like this” said Chase, his hand resting comfortably on her waist. “I feel like we both shine brighter out here too” Chase added, “I had a camper come up to me today and say that she ships us so hardcore that if we’re not endgame she’s not coming back next summer”. He laughed at the idea. Him and Marina were contact comfort buddies. The kind of friend you call when you need a snuggle, or a feel better fuck. “I didn’t know how to tell her that you’re … otherwise occupied with your Hot Hollingsworth Summer” said the boy with a smile, “you gotta save me a HHS kiss though. Spousal rights”. Chase was happy that she was getting her groove back, he wanted to do the same. Maybe actually kissing someone would get him back on track.

Marina gave Chase’s hand a little squeeze before looking through the telescope. It didn’t even faze her that his hand was around her waist. It felt normal, nice even. “It’s beautiful.” she said with big eyes as she looked up at the sky. Marina laughed along with Chase as he mentioned what the camper had told him. “Well did you tell them we’re already married?” she asked jokingly. They just had such a good relationship, she felt like she didn’t have to hold back who she truly was when she was around him. Maybe the kids could just see the … chemistry between them? Friendship chemistry of course. Marina looked away from the telescope and up at Chase once he told her to save him a kiss. “I mean, just because I’m having my Hot Hollingsworth Summer doesn’t mean I don’t have time for you. What kind of wife would I be?” Without thinking too much on it, Marina cupped the sides of Chase’s face and moved in to give him a kiss. It wasn’t too weird that they were kissing, they’ve done it plenty of times at this point, but there was this feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t really ignore. “There you go, one Hot Hollingsworth Summer kiss.” she said after pulling away, her gaze falling down to his lips.

Kissing Marina Hollingsworth seemed like a smart idea, but it just kind of unleashed something in Chase. It was easy to deny their chemistry when they were just being friends. It had been so long since they had done anything, but when they were kissing he felt a change in the air. He felt a need to kiss her again, he wanted to lay out here under the stars with her and talk about all the things that they loved. Enjoy her really understanding him and all his hyperfixations. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this excited and happy to be kissing someone. Someone he knew he liked a lot as an individual all the time. Things were many shades of gray with Gabrielle. There was always something looming in the distance, but him and Marina were out here alone. No baggage in sight. Easy. Not her, but their connection was easy. Chase reached out like he was going to pull her in by the waist and kiss her again, but instead opted in to tickling her. Sure it was childish, but he just wanted to be in her space, even as a friend.

Marina was fully ready for another kiss. Maybe kissing him wasn’t exactly as simple as she thought. If she had learned anything from the last time, it was that her and Chase don’t just kiss and let that be the end of it. But once he started tickling her, Marina jumped a bit and immediately started laughing. She tried pushing his arms away or at least squirming out of his reach, but that just didn’t seem to work, so she tried to think of something else. Marina tried as gently as possible to push him back onto the blanket, but she ended up falling right with him. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” she said as she laughed in between her words, hoping she didn’t hurt him. She was now on top of him, but that hadn’t fully registered yet. Marina was just enjoying her time with Chase. Sometimes she felt like she never got to have good moments like these. Genuinely fun moments that she was’t going to regret later on … unless.

Chase had the air knocked out of him when she fell on top of him, but he laughed regardless. “Don’t apologize, we are married after all” said Chase, taking the opportunity and pulling her in for another kiss. She was already on top of him, “I want to keep doing this” he said between kisses before he moved his lips to her neck. “I want on the schedule” Chase added as he moved his hands down her body. If they wanted to, it could end after summer or if she wanted it could end after tonight. Or maybe it didn’t have to end. They were both single. They supported each other. They got along. Sure, there were some secrets that would need to come out once they got serious, but he could really see himself with her. Just being dorks all the time.

Without hesitation, Marina kissed Chase back, closing any space they had between them at this point. She moved her head back a bit as he kissed down her neck, a smile forming on her lips as she heard him speak. Who knew what would happen to them after this, but if there was a chance to continue it a little longer, she’d take it. After months of keeping up with the bet, she deserved a good time with a good person. Marina didn’t want to think about what would happen in the future, she wanted to focus on the present, and right now, she wanted Chase. “No one else is on there. No one else has to be either.” Marina didn’t need anyone else if she was with Chase.

Well, this was going better than Chase could have ever imagined. Not only was he making it on the schedule but he was going to potentially be the only participant. Chase was so exited to be there he was honestly shaking a little bit, it might have been the cold air but he was practically vibrating from excitement. “Yeah I’m really cool with that” said Chase, “as long as I get a special color in the color coding system. Of your choosing of course.” Being with Marina just felt right, and they hadn’t even done much yet. “And we’re both smart. We won’t let this affect our jobs or cheer or larping. We can totally do this and it not be weird” he began to ramble, “I mean we’ve done it before, and things have been good.” He was talking so much for someone who should be otherwise occupied, “you can shut me up, please.” He didn’t know why he was so nervous. It wasn’t like they hadn’t had sex before, but things were kind of different now. No one was actively hurting. It was just sex because it was the two of them, and it wasn’t even scary. It was just nerve wracking how much they were putting on the line right now and not even really acknowledging it.

"Oh of course, it just makes it all easier. Maybe a green for you.” When Marina was planning out team bonding events or just writing out ideas for routines and formations for cheer, she had it all color coded as well. Every teammate was assigned a specific color, so Chase already had his own. Things like that came in handy during summer camp when she worked with a bunch of the same people. Marina listened to Chase ramble on, nodding her head every so often. He was right, they didn’t make this an issue last time so they could definitely do it again. This wouldn’t get in the way of anything, they could handle it. Marina didn’t always make the best decisions, but this wasn’t one of those times. She would never want to risk losing what her and Chase had. It was going to be great, she was sure of it. Marina giggled and nodded her head as Chase told her to shut him up. She began to kiss him again, moving down from his lips to his neck.

-fade to black-

Chase moved so that Marina’s head could be on his chest, “I know I said this a lot during, sorry about that I know I talk too much, but you are seriously so beautiful” said Chase. His smile was shining bright as he caught his breath. Sex with Marina was so easy, he felt like he was giving and getting everything he wanted and everything she wanted. “Next time though, we should think about costumes. If we were to … I don’t know. Compose like a summer sex bucket list. You know, I should probably ask if all of that was good before I assume you would want to have sex with me again. That was good for your right? Because it was great for me. I mean top shelf sex. Like I couldn’t even reach type of top shelf. Not that I’m short. Because I’m not a short king. But yeah” he said, honestly not able to stop the words coming out of his mouth at all. He would honestly pay someone to come and duct tape his mouth shut right now. Like stranger out of the woods, absolutely traumatizing for everyone involved, duct tape mouth and retreat. That was a dark thought to have, he didn’t like the idea of someone coming out of the woods. Should he be concerned about that right now?

Marina looked up at Chase with a smile on her face as she laid her head on his chest. The compliments never got old, if anything, it made her more confident during the sex. She shouldn’t have been so dependent on how other’s viewed her, she knew she had to work on that, but it was hard. With Chase, she didn’t have too much of an issue with this. She didn’t constantly questions whether he liked her or not, or second guessed the things she said or did around him. She didn’t have to. He liked her for her, Marina was sure of it. Her eyes widened slightly once he mentioned the idea of costumes. “Yes! I mean, yeah.” she laughed, realizing she sounded a little too excited for that. “Sorry, that’s just something I’ve always wanted to try out, but never been able to.” The smile on her face grew as he kept speaking, she found it really cute. She could listen to him talk for hours. “Oh it was amazing. Top tier sex for me, seriously. In fact, I’m very interested in that summer sex bucket list idea. Do stuff we’ve never done before and see what we like. That could be fun.” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at Chase.

Chase did something he did not usually do, which was think before he spoke. As he ventured into the new territory, he thought about what he wanted. Which also somehow happened to be new territory as well. But here he was conquering lands as he spoke, “If you’re just interested in friends with benefits … I might need um, some convincing. I’m not trying to sound like an ass. So this might come out offensive but I mean it really really well. I don’t want to be boyfriend/girlfriend … fuck that does sound shitty. I mean … I am interested in having a discussion about being monogamous and date-ing but not like hiiiii this is our anniversary type of drip. I’m coming across weird, I just mean I want to spend more time with you and only you and I want to get you flowers and text you late at night but also in the mornings. Long ramble short: I want to have a summer romance and when summer ends we should talk about it. Or we can talk about it in a few days or in 15 minutes.” Chase finished his statement and realized he had been talking very chaotically with his hands. “I just don’t want to share a summer sex bucket list if it means I can’t tell you that I like you as more than a friend, so that’s why friends with benefits like … doesn’t work for me. Also on a theorem level because have you seen any friends with benefits go well? Like ever? In all media it seems to go horribly or they end up dating anyways so why not just cut the shit?” he kind of winced at his final statement, wondering if she could just knock him out honestly so he’d be quiet. He was so embarrassed.

Marina was doing her best to take in everything Chase was saying. It was a lot, but she wanted to hear him out. Clearly there was a lot going on in his mind, and she wasn’t trying to make him confused or stressed out. She made a mental list in her head, trying to go over everything he mentioned. “Honestly I’m not really sure I’m ready to be someone’s girlfriend right now either.” She put a lot of pressure on herself when she was in a relationship, and it would cause her to lash out. Her insecurities and jealousy would get the best of her, and fights were always bound to happen. She needed something less serious, but still something more than just friends with benefits. That’s how she would get fucked over. She put a little too much faith in the friend, but at the end of the day, they were just friends. They didn’t owe her anything, and coming to that realization sometimes hurt. Especially when they fell back to whoever they were with before. It made her feel like she wasn’t good enough, like she wasn’t worth sticking around for. “But a summer romance sounds nice. I know both of us haven’t been in a lot of different relationships, and when we are in one, it seems to be pretty on and off, so I think this is the best thing for us.” she said honestly. “But I do like you, Chase. I wouldn’t risk our friendship just for sex if there wasn’t something there.” There was trust with Chase that ran deep, so being this honest felt good. “I want to have a good summer, with you. But not something so serious where it stresses us out, I’m sick of being all anxious about a relationship of mine. A nice in between, you know?”

Getting their dorm room packed up after one of the greatest years Chase had ever had was a little bittersweet. Part of him thought him and Jonah were going to be roommates roommates for the whole four years. Especially after a few months had gone so well, he thought that nothing would ever change. But it was time to go, and next year they would be living in a house together with their other friends and that was going to be great too. But this was a special kind of greatness, the kind of closeness you get with someone who you spend every day and every night with. The person in the room you come back to after a hard test, a really good shower thought, or a great day. "We've had a lot of fun in here, man" said Chase, vocalizing his sentimentality for living in here. "Just you me and Saphira" he added with a smile, the cat had already been packed up and dropped off to be taken care of by Nana.

Jonah exhaled deeply as he looked around the almost empty dorm room. The past year had been one of the best he ever had, and a lot of it was thanks to Chase. The thought of living in the same room with someone was a little intimidating. He was scared it would be too draining on him, but if anything, it brought the two boys even closer. Chase was someone that balanced Jonah out nicely. His extroverted personality brought that out in Jonah as well, but he also respected when Jonah needed a bit of a cool down. Even with everything going on with Julian, Jonah was able to relax a bit whenever Chase was around. But now they were moving on to bigger things, an actual house filled with their friends. It was different, but Jonah was pretty excited for it. Looking back on his life, he would have never expected to find such great friends. They did more for him than they really knew. "Saphira really was a great roommate." Jonah patted his friend's back as he spoke. "You were a pretty good runner up, though." he said jokingly. "But it doesn't stop, we got all summer to be with each other. You, me, and those summer camp kids. Can't believe we let the twins talk us into that, but if it's up to Hollingsworth standards, it's gotta be great."

Chase was resisting his urge to hug Jonah, because he was being a little ridiculous. They were going to spend all summer together, and even live together next year. It was just sentimental because it was the end of an era, but honestly their friendship was just getting started. They were gonna be on a long life journey together, that was certain. Chase had never had a male friend like this before in his life, let alone a male friend group. "Yeah, those twins. They can talk anyone into anything. Peer pressure is a great look on them" said Chase with a laugh. The four of them had a solid dynamic, and you'd think they'd stress Jonah out. But Chase knew they were total nerds, those Hollingsworth girls. It was only a matter of time before the four of them's common interests reigned true. "We really are going to have the best summer ever, and you've got your girl. I've got ... a literal child. Look at us" he said with a laugh.

"It's those damn debate team skills. It's unmatched." Jonah let out a sigh before laughing. Jonah was very aware of just how intense the Hollingsworth girls could be, but he also did know them before they both evolved. They were pretty much goobers, in the best way possible, of course. Jonah smiled wide once his friend mentioned Rory. It was so good to be back with her, like he was finally complete. But then Chase mentioned how he had a child. A real life child. Jonah never forgot about that one, it lived in his brain absolutely rent free. He looked at Chase with wide eyes and laughed along "We're really stepping it up. Raising that bar for everyone. Who could top that?" He really was going to have a great summer with his bud, he was sure of it. "Oh shit, there's also that New York trip!" he said with such excitement. Jonah didn't get to see Mia as often so he was really happy to go up and visit her as well. She was in a good place, physically and mentally. It was all he could ever ask for. "I can't wait to see your family."

It was nice to see Jonah smile like that because of Rory. Chase was well aware she was the missing piece this year, he was sad that she hadn't followed suit with everyone else and come here. Wren was also clearly missing her all the time. There was a Rory sized hole in both of their hearts, and it hurt Chase to see that. "Yeah, two days until the boys are headed to the big city" said Chase excitedly. They had been planning this trip all year. It was weird to be going home without Gabrielle, but it was going to be nice. Like he was a regular boy who hadn't gotten tangled up in so much stuff. "My parents can't wait to see you, my mom is obsessed" Chase replied, "and also maybe my sister. Please don't pull a Jonah and date my sister" he joked. Chase knew very well that Jonah was more than happy with Rory, and Amy liked everyone who breathed. She and Chase were most definitely related in that aspect.

It felt good to know that Chase's family liked Jonah, especially because he loved them so much. It hurt to know that Chase was separated from them for this long. Even if it were a few years, there were still important parts of his life that he couldn't share with the rest of his family. Sometimes that's how Jonah felt about Mia. The three Keller kids were no strangers to being separated, but it had been years since he had been around his little sister. Jonah tried to look at the bright side when it came to Chase, though. If he didn't move with Gabrielle, the two would have never met. This friendship meant a lot to him, it was one of the most important relationships he had. What mattered most was that Chase was where he wanted to be. Jonah rolled his eyes and shoved his friend gently, "To be fair, I was Rory's boyfriend before I even met Wren." he said with a smile. His friendship with Wren also meant a lot, the whole group was really special. "But I promise, I will not pull a Jonah a second time in my life. Same goes for you. Mia's been asking about you a lot, and it's sus."

Sometimes Chase thought about fate. How funny it was that everything in his life was leading to him moving. From joining cheer because he was an insecure little twerp who wanted to talk to girls, to finding friends who helped him have the confidence to talk to Gabrielle, to the dates and falling in love for the first time. From there it was the pregnancy and the move, all leading up to him getting to meet all these incredible people. People he would have missed out. Part of him thought about how he would have met Jonah somehow anyways. How their sisters were in school together, and that they became friends without them. That he would have met Jonah and been a friendly stranger to him once, never knowing what could have been. He loved that he was a sentimental fuck sometimes, it meant that he could enjoy life more. "I mean, I've always wanted you to be my real brother. Let's make it brothers in law" said Chase with a smile.

Jonah's jaw dropped dramatically, "So Mia gets to live out my dream by marrying you? Yeah fucking right. I will be an absolute monster at that wedding, I promise you." he said before laughing. He enjoyed the friendship he had with Chase. They were able to make little jokes with each other without it being weird, it was always a fun time. "Besides, getting with my sister will cut into your 'that one time in summer camp' fling. You can't fuck with that trope, it's golden." Jonah was all for him and Gabrielle getting back together, as long as they were both happy with each other, but Chase also deserved a good summer. Whatever his friend was down for, Jonah would support.

"I love it when you get jealous" said Chase with a smirk. They were two funny little pals, weren't they. Jonah made an excellent point, "one time at summer camp does sound like a good way to start a story, I can't pass that up. It's way lamer to say one time at my little sister's graduation I spent time with the love of my life and then married his sister" Chase said as he laughed some more. Maybe Chase did deserve to have some fun this summer. It had been a while.

"Well luckily for me, there's been no need to get jealous. You know, since you haven't been with anyone for a while." Jonah said with a stupid little grin. Would Chase get a little sulky from that? Perhaps. But all the clowning going down in their simp nation groupchat was really getting to Jonah. He was feeling all sassy lately with his friends. Maybe it was this little boost of confidence from having Rory back. "We could have been one year deep into a beautiful relationship, but now I'm a taken man. You've missed your chance." he continued on with the joke. "Yeah that one just doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely. They say shit get's pretty wild at this camp. Who knows what could happen."

"Oh I see how it is, we just live the single life together for so long. The if I can't have you no one can trope is about to kick in. I'm gonna have myself a little chat with Rory" said Chase laughing, they were having fun. Jonah had been happier recently, honestly he'd been doing really well all year. Chase faked a shot to the heart, "you're killing me, Keller" he said with a little laugh, "I'll get you one day". Chase picked up the last of his bags, "we've got a week until camp. Games tonight right? I promise to not let you win" said the boy as he took one last look around the room.

"Wow now you're getting all jealous? Hm, I think I like what I see." Jonah smirked at Chase before laughing. Being around Chase just made everything better. Even with everything going on with Julian, Jonah was still trying to keep his spirits up. "I'll enjoy every moment of the chase." Jonah smiled to himself, not intending the play on words. He then nodded in response as he looked around to make sure they weren't leaving anything behind. "Oh thank you so much, I didn't know you were so selfless." he said with a smile as he placed his hand over his heart. "We should have an ice cream run later tonight. Loser pays, and don't worry, I won't get anything too expensive."

Chase was already two games of DDR deep when he went to go and get an icee and wait for Jonah. The texts from Gabrielle had been like that for months, just so passive aggressive with the periods. A boy could only take so much before his positivity wore down. He stared at the texts for a little while longer, taking a look at her instagram where she posted with some guys hand. Figures, she was most likely texting him that she was seeing someone new. Typical. Jonah arrived and he put his phone in his pocket, "You best not go easy on me" he said with a smile. He was happy Jonah was here, they got each other on a very specific wavelength.

Jonah skated to the arcade as fast as he could without tripping over and hurting himself. He loved skateboarding, but it was a dangerous form of transportation, and he was a clumsy boy. Not a good mix. Once he got there safely, he jogged over to Chase with a smile on his face. Out of the two, Chase was definitely getting hit with the worse breakup, so Jonah wanted to make sure he was here for his friend. "Oh. So you're telling me I can kick your ass in DDR? Cause I won't hold back. After all those tiktok dances, I am very prepared."

"You teach a man one tiktok dance and he thinks he's about to join the dance team" said Chase, shaking his head. "Listen up padawan, if you win ... it's because I let you" he taunted. DDR was definitely his game, but Jonah could whoop his ass at pretty much anything else in the arcade. When it came to old style games, they were definitely more Jonah's speed. More time logged on the machines. Chase spent more time gaming at home or playing more long term strategy board games with his family. We all have our strengths. "I mean ... walking into this thinking that you're better than me ... you're basically asking for the you were my brother Anakin and I loved you speech"

"One? We learned at least three." Jonah paused to actually think about the dances they learned. "...Right?! There's no way that was just one." he said more to himself with his eyes bugging out. "I know you're having a rough night, and I said I was going to be a good friend, but now I will not hold back." he promised. Jonah just wanted to prove that he could beat Chase in a game of DDR, but both of them knew that was very unlikely. "Maybe that's exactly what I want." he told his friend with a grin on his face. "That is one of my favorite scenes and I am not afraid to reenact it. The emotion, the range." He did a little chefs kiss motion. "Perfection."

He was aware that they learned more than one dance, but he did like to mess with Jonah. "I mean, it's always a rough night when it comes to her and those fucking texts. Would it kill her to just be positive? Like ever?" Chase said as he took a long sip of his icee. "She's so draining, and for what reason. Like we could just be having a good time. It's been long enough since the breakup that things could be nice. And we have the circumstances to get along, like a small human circumstance." He knew he was rambling, but all the negativity was really getting to him. He did his best to be positive all the time, and he was always the first person to defend her ... but it was too much after all this time. "I mean don't tempt me with a good time. I say we learn the whole script, request it at AMC, and then act it out word for word like how people do Rocky Horror" said Chase as they approached the DDR machine.

"Maybe she doesn't realize she's coming across that way? Sometimes tone gets lost in texts." Jonah was trying to remain positive, but it seemed like this went past just the texts. He knew Chase always tried to see the bright side in any situation, but Jonah knew that would eventually take a toll on his friend. "I know you both have the ... small human circumstance," he said with wide eyes. It had been a couple years and he still couldn't get used to the fact that Chase was a father. "but you both aren't together, at least not right now." He always knew there was the possibility of the two getting back together, that's usually how it went. "Wasn't breaking up supposed to fix or end these issues?" he asked. Jonah would hate to have this many problems with an ex, even after the break up, but maybe that's what happens when you both are parents...? "Dude. Talk about tempting someone with a good time. Now we have to do that." he said with a smile as he stepped onto the DDR machine.

"Right? I thought she would stop suffocating me when we broke up, but here I am freaking out about her still. It's all the shitty stuff from when we were dating, but we're not even getting the good stuff. Like spending time together and the good days" Chase rambled, running his hand through his hair. He laughed when Jonah agreed to his big idea, "I think people would really get into it. I know the Hollingsworth girls would be down, and Wren. All three of them would honestly show up in costume" said the boy, thinking maybe they should actually do it. It would be a little too much fun honestly, "Star Wars is a phenomenon and anyone who wants to disagree just doesn't know what a good time is." The two stepped up onto the DDR machine. Chase obviously won, but Jonah did make him sweat for a moment. "You're getting better, I think those tik tok dances have done you some good" said Chase as he picked up his icee again and took a long sip. "Have you been coming to the arcade without me and working on your DDR?" he joked.

"Dude, I wish I could help, but your situation is very ... unique." It was at least unique to Jonah because he wasn't a parent, unlike Chase. "There's gotta be a way you two can find some common ground, at least for the," he paused to look around, making sure no one was around to hear, "child's sake." Jonah was already up for this movie idea, but the moment his friend brought up costumes, he was completely sold. "Costumes? Now we have to do this. Plus, I think it would be good for all of us." Jonah was aware that he, along with Chase and Wren, were having some kind of relationship issues. He didn't know anything about the Hollingsworth girls' bet, but he had noticed that they seemed a little on edge lately. After playing a round of DDR, Jonah tried catching his breath, this game was no joke. "I think you have an unfair advantage. You've been cheering for years now, and you gotta do all those dances." he let out a laugh and shook his head at Chase's question, "Coming to the arcade without you? Sometimes. DDR without you? Absolutely not. I'm not a monster."

"I'm sure we will find some more common ground once she stops texting like that" said Chase shrugging a little. It was just so hard to be positive around her, she was so draining with all the negativity. He was sure though, in true Chase fashion, that she would come around before he knew it. It was just a waiting game. "We absolutely have to, now that the thought has been born, it would be wrong not to" Chase replied, a big smile returning to his face. He loved big ideas, and getting people together. He wasn't always great with getting those plans off the ground, but he liked being an idea man. After playing a round of DDR, Chase smiled at the victory. "I mean, there's nothing stopping you from being a cheerleader" he teased his friend. Chase would never make Jonah do anything like that, but it was funny to picture. "I'm glad you would never, some things are just special for the boys."

It was definitely interesting seeing his friend in the relationship that he was in. Chase and Gabrielle were no strangers to breaking up and getting back together, but the only relationship Jonah could compare theirs to was the one he had with Rory, since she was the only girlfriend he ever had. They were also used to breaking up and getting back together, but it was for very different reasons. They only had one bad falling out. He just hoped that things would turn out well for his friend. "Well now we have to start reading up on that script. We can't disappoint." Jonah said with a smile. "I knew brining the lightsaber would come in handy one day." To no one's surprise, Chase won another round of DDR. Jonah simply did not have the rhythm his friend had. He was surprised he didn't trip over his own feet while playing. "The amount of injuries I would get? Far too much." he let out a long sigh as he thought of that scenario. "I would never break the bond that we have. I for one, respect this friendship."

Chase unlocked the front door and headed into the house, "Gabrielle, I'm here" he called out as he put his keys down on the front hall table. He headed into the kitchen and smelled what was cooking, "Smells good, where's the princess? Uncle Chase is here" he said with a smile. It hurt his heart to come here the first few times, but this was just routine at this point. Yes, it still ached, but it was getting better. It was different ... knowing that it was his fault.  These visits always made her so anxious. To be honest, most of the time she was doing her best to avoid Chase but when visit times came around, she just felt very vulnerable and she did not like that. Especially when there was no one else at the house. BUt it had been pretty empty in the Hale Mansion lately. "I'm in here." Gabrielle replied to him as she opened up the oven and pulled out the chicken parm she had made. "Right there." She replied and pointing in the direction of Genevieve who was playing her her toy kitchen set up.  "Hello Genevieve, it's your favorite uncle" said Chase with an exited expression as he approached his daughter, "You've been nice to your sister?" he asked. The girl nodded and ran over to him so he could scoop her up. Chase picked her up and spun around a few times before holding her in his arms. "Chicken parm? One of my favorites" said the boy to his ex. Things were definitely weird, but he did his best to ignore them.  Gabrielle placed the pan down on top of the stove to settle as she moved to the cabinet to pull some plates and set the table. She thought that she would be use to it, hearing words like uncle and sister, but it still deeply bothered her. She hated living a lie and lying to her child but it was the agreement. Gabrielle nodded. "Yeah. I know." She replied to him as she moved to the fridge to pull out the parm cheese and some drinks and placed them out before grabbing the last of the things needed to set the table. "It's ready." He would never get over sitting at the dining room table and having her cook for them. It was so weird. He was used to cooking with her, or ordering pizza and sitting around the carriage house. Forgetting about food and just focusing on being together. "Sounds good" he said with a small smile as he put Genevieve down on her booster seat. Chase grabbed himself a drink and headed to the table, "How are your classes? How are you doing?" he asked, to make conversation. He didn't really know what they should talk about. Since going to college and her dad leaving for longer gaps and the older kids being out of the house, she had to do more, juggle more. It wasn't that they couldn't afford someone to cook the meals and watch Genevieve 24/7, Gabrielle preferred to do it herself. Genevieve did day care until Gabrielle picked her up. She hated getting raised by nannies growing up, though they did have one that was part time to help out while Gabrielle focused on school work. Gabrielle put the food on the table, the chicken parm, the veggies and all that and started serving it on plates and passing them to Chase. She kept Genevieves plate infront of her as she began to cut up the chicken for the toddler. "Classes are good. It's still early into the semester, so can't really tell if I like them or not." She replied simply. "I am doing fine. Nothing to complain about."  He took his plate and put it down in front of him. He was glad that she was eating, it was good. Things were good. She was doing better without him, and it was more important for her to be doing well than for them to be together. Chase took a sip of his drink while he waited for Gabrielle to sit down at the table so he could start to eat. "Nothing to complain about is good" said Chase, replying in the same way. Sometimes it was like pulling teeth to talk to her, "Thank you for cooking, it looks delicious."  Gabrielle finished preparing the toddlers plate before putting it in front of her. Gabrielle then took some food for herself before sitting. Gabrielle had a lot of ups and downs but the recent weeks have been more up, thanks to the copious hours of therapy she was forced back into. She kinda ;liked it though. She enjoyed being able to let it all out. Though she was in a good point she wasn't perfect yet, but she was proud of the accompaniments she had achieved so far. "How are your classes?" She asked before she started eating. "No problem. I do it all the time. It's no big deal." She said with a small smile. She hated how much she was struggling to hold up this conversation, but just seeing hom brought up those bad memories of graduation, him dumping her and the painful summer that followed  Chase cut a piece of food and ate it, she really was a good cook. He also missed food that wasn't cafeteria food from time to time. "Classes are good, living with Jonah is good" said the boy, "Jules has been in the room for JuJo time. Did you know that they sit in actual silence for hours? Imagine being quiet for hours? I can't. Sometimes I have to leave the room because I'm worried I'm going to cough or something." At least they still had Juliette in common, not that he talked to her about much. "It's not like they have music on, or a movie. They just have their things and they sit there quietly. I think they might be doing it to drive me crazy, and that they talk up a storm right after I leave. But that's just a fan theory" he continued. Moments like this Gabrielle was glad Chase talked a lot. It filled the gaps at times where she didn't know what to say. "Thats good." She replied as he said he liked living with Jonah. She had a bit of fomo being the only commuter out of all her friends, like she was missing out but at the same time she choose it so she could be with Gene at home. "Yeah thats weird. Whenever She's here she talks." Gabrielle replied simply. She felt a bit guilty, not telling Juliette that after she left her and Stevie became good friends, close friends. Bonding over her absence. "Some people just enjoy the silence, its comfortable." She added in. "Possibly, but I don't think so." But if there were, she would find that pretty funny. "Have you told her that you and Stevie are close?" Chase asked, he was curious. It was one of the benefits of Juliette and Jonah sitting in silence, there was less of a way for him to mess things up for Gabrielle. "I do know she has not talked to her yet" he added. Chase knew how to sit in silence, but he reserved that for when he had alone time. He liked the comfortable quietness when he was by himself, but when he was with other people, the impulse to talk was too strong. "I assume the three of you aren't going to be hanging out anytime soon." Gabrielle shook her head. "I have not, and I rather not." She had this little idea in her head, an idea that of she worked both sides she could get them back together and they would be happy and Gabrielle could feed off that happiness and feel good about something. "Yeah. I know that too." She added in. "She's avoiding her." She added in. She wasn't sure if Chase heard about Juliettes gathering yet, but she knew she didn't want Stevie to know. "I can only do one girl at a time. They got to many issues." "Are you Mrs. Doubtfiring her?" said Chase with a little laugh, "Before you know it you're going to take them both to the same restaurant and keep going to the bathroom so you can switch tables and talk to the other one." The idea was so hilarious to him, an actual smile appeared on his face. "I gathered she's avoiding her. I haven't heard Stevie say anything about her being here. You know how they are. They don't really shut up about each other, and Stevie's still talking to that sophomore right?" he added as he took another bite of food. "You doing girls is a special occasion, round two with Jules?" he teased. It felt like old times, her complaining and him joking. It was a familiar rhythm. "No. And its not really anyone's business who I am friends with or spend my time with." Gabrielle replied back a tad bit defensively. "That would never happen, plus Stevie knows I'm friends with her." She added in as well. "I'm not sure if she knows she's back, but I won't be the one to tell her." Gabrielle said, respecting Juliettes wishes. "I don't know. Probably." She said in response to who Stevie was seeing. In Gabrielle's mind, the other girl was irrelevant, she was just holding Juliettes spot for the time being. Gabrielle let out an awkward laugh because she didn't really know how to respond. Gabrielle continued to eat as she looked up with Genevieve who was holding her food with her hands. "Genevieve, drop it." The girl looked up and let the food drop to the plate before picking up her small fork and using it. Chase noted the defensiveness, clearly he had hit a sore spot. "Yeah, but remember the Juliette/Chanel incident? You know how she is about loyalties and people being honest" said the boy, not backing down. "Definitely let her fly under the radar, but we both know they will be getting back together the second Stevie sees her. I would be shocked if they didn't." Chase was honestly shocked him and Gabrielle had been broken up this long, "The boarding school thing was a blip, it will be like no time has passed" he said, mostly talking about him and Gabrielle. If they got back together, it would be like nothing ever happened. At least, that's what he hoped. That's what happened every other time for them. The difference this time was that he had been with other people in the meantime, which he didn't want to advertise ... but it was a difference. Chase took another bite of his dinner, "She's growing up so fast" he commented. Gabrielle nodded and didn't comment for a moment until Chase was done speaking. "Exactly, they will be back together really soon, and I don't want my friendship with Stevie while she was away to drive a wedge in them getting back together." Gabrielle pointed out. The Chanel incident was different, at least in Gabrielle's mind. "Exactly." She agreed, though she thought he was still meaning Stevie and Juliette. Of course she missed being with Chase but a lot has changed, they weren't the same people they use to be. Chase liked going out and having fun with the boys, partying and such while Gabrielle slowly started to adjust her life to being a full time parent and there was nothing wrong with that. "She's being a brat today. Give it 30 seconds and she will pick it up with her hands again, she's in her testing her limits phase." "It'll play out the way it should, I don't talk to either of them about it. I don't want to rock the boat" said Chase, it was just different because Gabrielle was really close to both of them. Best friends level. It was harder. He chuckled when she called their daughter a brat, "To be fair, I have been in the testing my limits phase for the last three years" he teased her. Chase finished up his dinner, sneaking glances at her when he could. These broken up dinners definitely tested his ability to hold out on her, and he was growing weak. "Yeah I feel you on that" She said with a nod. It was hard for her to play double between them. She nodded. "You got that one right." She said with a laugh. He had been testing limits but so has she. She also finished up before looking at Gene, "You donee baby?" She asked as she got up and took both their plates before moving and taking chases. Chase put his hand on her's as she reached to grab his plate, "I got it" he said as he got up and went over to the sink. He started rinsing off the plates and putting them in the dishwasher, "So, what are your plans for the night? Do I get you assistance? Or are you going to disappear again?" He preferred when she stuck around, but he knew that this was hard on her. It was hard on him too. 

Gabrielle nodded and pulled her hand away, she couldn’t think of the last time her physically touched her. Gabrielle scratched the back of her head. “I don’t want to intrude on your time with her, plus it’s like the only time I get to myself. What do you want? I can stay if you want me too.”  He didn't want to keep her from her only alone time, "No, it's okay. Go ahead and have your free time. That's more important than hanging out with me" he said earnestly. He truly did mean it, he wanted what was best for her. "Go and enjoy yourself, the two of us will be down here." Chase gave her a reassuring smile and put the last of the dishes into the dishwasher before going and scooping Genevieve up. Gabrielle felt a sudden wave of guilt as he spoke. "No its okay. I didn't have anything planned really besides a nap." She said with a shrug. Gabrielle put the left overs in a tupperware and into a fridge. She had a soft genuine smile as she did, this is what she saw their future as before he dumped her, eating a family dinner cleaning it up together, it was cute.  "I mean my grand plans were putting on finding nemo and letting her play with her toys. So you could go nap and then come back when it's bed time?" he suggested. He didn't want her to feel like she needed to stay, he wanted her to, but it was probably for the best if she didn't. "I got this, go get a nap in" he said putting his hand on her shoulder to show that he meant it. Gabrielle smiled softly, "Good thing I can love finding nemo." She said as she walked over and opened the door to the basement."I know you got it. I can always nap to finding nemo." She said beforee she went down the stairs to the play room.  "Sounds like a plan" he said with a smile as he carried his daughter down into the play room. Chase put her down by her toys and she immediately occupied herself with her things. Chase put on the movie and sat down next to Gabrielle out of instinct. "Do you think they'll find nemo this time?" he asked with a serious face.  Gabrielle watched as he put Gene down and she moved and took a seat on the couch, picking up the remote and turning on the the tv and pulling up disney plus. "Hmm. You can never tell, but I'm hopeful they will find him." She sid before turning on the movie.  "Yeah it's always a toss up, you never know if he's going to touch the butt or not" Chase joked as his daughter came up to them and climbed onto the couch to sit next to him. "Come to join Uncle Chase?" he asked, and she nodded her head. Chase smiled at his child, sometimes he forgot that she was even his. They were so deeply entrenched in the lie at this point.   “I mean if it were me I’d always touch the butt.” She said with a laugh. “Though sometimes I’m in the edge of my seat seeing if he will swim away fast enough.” She added in. She watched as Gene climbed up to join them. “She loves the fishies” Gabrielle added in.  Gabrielle pulled her legs up and rested her chin in her knees.  Chase laughed along with her, "Don't I know it" he teased. He knew it was a risky joke, but what was life not on the edge sometimes. "I mean it's always a toss up what is going to happen, but somehow the exact same thing happens every time" Chase replied, watching her body language change. She was clearly guarded, and he knew that was his fault.

Gabrielle let out a tad awkward laugh to his response. “I think they call that movie magic” she said raising a brow. It’s like soul surfer, you know that shirt is coming for her but every time it’s like shock all over again.” She said with a nodd. She let her arms wrap around her legs, she just found comfort this way, holding herself close. She knew by doing this there was no way she would accidentally touch him.

And she retreated into herself more, classic. It was weird just being her friend, and they weren't really even friends. They were exes who managed to spend a decent amount of time together. "Your tik toks have been good" said Chase, knowing that she had been basically @ing him in all of them. He wanted to show he wasn't bothered.

Sometimes she didn't know how to interact with him. It was probably because she didn't really know how she felt towards him. "You watch those?" She said as she turned towards the movie, her cheeks turning red. "Just trying to get my work out there."

Of course he had seen her content online, he was shameless in his continuation of following her. "It's better than ever" said Chase sweetly, putting his hand on her knee and giving it a friendly pat. "You really have come into your own with the designing" he added.

“Thanks I’ve been working hard” she said, her hands instantly falling down to his hand on her knee. “ I mean.. I’ve always been good so it’s no big deal but now I’m just better but like... it’s no big deal.” She said getting a bit flustered, a good flustered too. I’m just trying to get my work out there for the people, not just gene. Her wardrobe is all GHale.”

Her hand on his felt good, but there was something distant about it all. Like they weren't coming back to where they were at for a long time. "Well if you want to get into male fashion, I can come by and bring the boys if you wanted" said Chase, offering to spend more time with her. He hated how empty this house felt.

Gabrielle pulled her hand away, mainly bc her writer thought she wrote eyes and didn’t proofread. “Maybe. But I also have Gino as a test subject, and the other guys in my fashion classes.” Maybe she partly wanted to strike a bit of jealousy in him. “But either way, I think I’ll stick to woman’s fashion, I’m much better at it. Plus I already have three lines in the making.”

Chase laughed, he knew that she wanted him to be jealous, but the thing about Chase is that she basically had to show it to him to make him jealous. He thought back on the time he punched a guy at a party for her, what a wild night. "I see how it is, but none of them have this great of hair" he joked.

Gabrielle shrugged. “I’ll spare your feelings and agree.” She said as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. She snuck a little peak over at him. “I’ll add a hair brush to your Christmas list.” She said playfully

He played offended for a moment, "Okay blondie, you're getting hair dye from me then" he joked. Chase stuck his tongue out at the other girl, and Genevieve joined in. Moments like this, they felt like an actual family.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “When will people accept that I’m staying natural.” She said shaking her head. “Man looking back, dying my hair purple... what a time. Such an impulse. It was actually terrible.”

"It was not that bad, you just needed the change of pace" said the boy, he knew a lot had been going on at that time. It was right before her mom got cut out of all of their lives. He was endlessly thankful for that, thank God.

“It was pretty bad. Totally cringe there.” She said before looking over at Genevieve. “Is someone getting tired over there?” The blonde questioned. With her knees still brought in, she ran her hands down her legs scratching her shins gently. She didn’t know what else to say, she was a poor conversationalist. “Maybe it’s bed time soon?” She added in. When in doubt talk about the one thing they had left in common: their kid.

"In ten years maybe you'll think it was cute again" said Chase, always the optimist. He couldn't help it, he was like a golden retriever. Always seeing the good in things, even if it meant having to wait a while. They sat and watched the movie for a bit before Gabrielle suggested it was bed time for Genevieve, "Yeah, let's get this girl upstairs" said Chase as he looked over to their daughter and picked her up. She loved story time with Uncle Chase, because he does the voices. There is no greater skill in this life than doing the voices during story time. "You ready for story time with Uncle Chase?" he asked excitedly and she clapped her hands. Chase headed upstairs with the girl and took her to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

“Maybe.” She replied with a shrug. She put her attention towards the movie, she herself was getting a bit tired. “Yeah we should.” She said getting up, she watched chase scoop up the girl and bring her up the stairs and she followed. While chase brought her to brush her teeth, Gabrielle went into her room and pick out some pjs and get her bed ready for bed. She pulled back the blanket. Gabrielle put the princess pjs on the bed as she went into the bathroom, “make sure she goes potty before.” 

After Genevive went to the bathroom, Chase brought the child back to her room and helped her get on her PJs. Chase pulled out a story book and started to read to her as she fell asleep. Once she was out like a light, he headed into the connected room and sat down on Gabrielle's bed. "That wasn't too tough" he said, not really sure what to say. He knew he should leave, but he wanted to stay. He liked being here. Sure the house kind of gave him the heebie jeebies, but still. There was this ... feeling of being watched all the time. But that was just his paranoia from living here and genuinely being watched all the time.

Gabrielle went into her room while Chase got her ready for bed. Gabrielle took off her makeup, pulled her hair up on got into a comfy sleep set, a cute spaghetti strap mid daft shit with matching silk shorts. Gabrielle was sitting at her vanity doing her nightly face mask and moisturizer when Chase came in and sat down. "No, she goes down pretty easily." Gabrielle replied to the boy. "She loves her sleep."

There was something nice about Gabrielle actually taking care of herself now. That she wore something other than big t-shirts and old sophie shorts, and that she was taking care of her skin every night. It gave him some piece of mind that she was prioritizing herself. "Don't we all" he said as he rested his hands on her bed, leaning back a little. "What are your plans for the week?" he asked, curious to know what she was up to.

Gabrielle let out a small laugh, almost just in a polite way. "mine?" She questioned. "Nothing really. School, homework, the usual." It was basically her way of saying she really had no plans. "What about you?" She said as she finished her routine before turning in her chair.

"Probably gaming with Jonah, maybe a party this weekend, Striking Vipers show most likely, oh and of course ... homework" said Chase just laying back on her bed at this point. His feet still firmly on the floor. "You should come out with me this weekend, see Stevie perform" he suggested. It would be nice if the two of them were to go out together, maybe they could get back on track.

“Sounds like fun” she said with a smile as she watched him lay back on her bed. Now they were going to smell like him. No. She couldn’t have that. She couldn’t deal with that tonight, a small painful reminder of the nights she now slept alone. “I don’t think I should.” She said bluntly, now she needed to come up with a quick excuse. “You know, with Juliette and Stevie not talking yet. And with all of her friends being there she will probably need someone to hang out with.” Gabrielle said softly.

He knew he was going to get a no from her, but he could at least push it a little. The big thing was, he knew exactly what this was. It wasn't going to be any different from when they dated before. Him wanting to do things and socialize, and her not having any of it. He wanted someone who wanted to not only be places with him, but would have fun and enjoy it too. "Juliette has spent plenty of time on her own, but fair enough. As long as you're keeping her company" he said with a shrug. He wasn't going to fight her on it. 

Gabrielle had changed a lot. She had her party phase where all she did was go out, but when her and chase last dated, she was too depressed and anxious to do it sometimes. But now was different. She closed herself off to a lot of people when her and chase broke up. She didn’t have to many friends to begin with regardless. She thought going out with chase would give people the wrong idea. Maybe she was trying to stop herself from getting the wrong idea. She didn’t even know what she wanted. But she knew that they were both different people now. “I just know the second she find out there is a striking vibes concert she might be upset or something. I know for sure she won’t go anywhere near there.” She didn’t know for sure but she assumed hard in this moment, “but if Juliette ends up not needing me or having other plans I will let you know.” She said with a nod as she got up from her vanity. She moved to put her clothes in the hamper and put her face stuff away.

He knew he had overstayed his welcome, and he got up from her bed. "Just keep me in the loop, I'm gonna head back to the dorm. Might grab some things from the carriage house" said Chase as he walked over to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out the door, "Later" he said with a smile and some finger guns. Very uncool, but very on brand. He just wanted her to know that he cared.

@chasinwaterfalls: single :( not by choice 🤡🤡🤡

DMs: @marinaholly: you okay? maybe a quest can help!

DMs: @chasinwaterfalls: biggest quest I am doing is moving from the couch to my bed

DMs: @marinaholly: :( what happened?

DMs: @chasinwaterfalls: she dumps me all the time, but i think she was actually serious this time, she hasn't talked to me in a few days

DMs: @marinaholly: im sure everything will work out. i can come over if you want?

DMs: @chasinwaterfalls: i am a mess, but please do

DMs: @marinaholly: omw

Chase usually kept a pretty clean house, but there were dishes crowding the sink and bags of trash waiting by the door for him to take out. The maid usually came by once a week, but he had told her to go away this morning. He was too ashamed to have her clean up his mess. He had been watching Bachelor re-runs of his favorite seasons for the last two days, and eating whatever he felt like ... if he did feel like eating. He had sweatpants on and a big baggie hoodie, just becoming one with the couch.

Marina decided to stop by a connivence store and grab a bunch of candy for Chase in hopes that it would cheer him up a bit. She also snuck a bottle of wine from her house, hoping her mom wouldn’t catch on. Though Marina was technically the one to do the breaking up in her relationship with Kyle, she was very familiar with heartbreak. Once she got to the Hale’s property, she made her way over to Chase’s house and knocked on the door. She would have dressed up a bit more, but it was Chase. She was comfortable being around him in the casual clothes she was in.

Chase heard the knock at the door and called out loudly, "ITS UNLOCKED, COME AND MURDER ME!" Chase felt beyond exhausted to begin with. All his friends were so happy right now, and the break ups usually didn't last ... but this one felt more real than the others. He hadn't even seen his daughter in a few days, he had just been absorbed by the couch. "Hey Marina" he said looking over at her, not moving his body at all.

Marina opened the door and noticed how messy the house was. He usually kept it pretty clean, but she understood how it could get to this state considering the fact that he just got dumped. They had been together for so long, this must have hurt so much. She was in a groupchat with Gabrielle and Juliette, but she hadn't mentioned anything yet. It was actually pretty quiet in there recently. Marina made a mental note to clean the place up later. She headed to his room and walked in slowly, "Hello. Deliver for Chase Stephens." she said as she held up the candy and wine. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like death" said Chase, realizing he had not brushed his teeth in a hot minute. "I will be right back, make yourself comfortable in the depression crevice." Chase headed off to his bathroom to go brush his teeth and quickly came back, "Okay now I'm not completely disgusting" said the boy as he plopped back down on the couch, "You want to watch the bachelor?" he joked as he turned the TV off. Chase put his head in Marina's lap, "Thanks for coming over here, the guys just don't get it. They're all way too happy right now."

Marina frowned at her friend and sat down on the couch as she waited for him to come back. "Well we could if you want." she said, trying to keep the mood as positive as possible. "Whatever you want, I'm up for." she nodded once. Marina looked down at Chase once he laid his head on her lap. She automatically began to run her fingers through his hair, it was just something she did a lot to Kyle. "Of course." she spoke softly. "Do you want to talk about it? Or maybe I could talk to her for you? I don't want to make anything worse for you though."

Chase sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair, "I know we're gonna get like ... back together at some point. There was a lot of crying, and she was really mad and I was really mad. I think I did the breaking up in the end, but she definitely started it" Chase rambled, "It just sucks because she just ... she fucking keeps me on the line all the time because she knows I'm going to come back to her". He was weak like that. He loved her so much, and he would do anything for her. It had all just become too much. "It's just bullshit, because when we started dating in the 8th grade, I wasn't really wondering things like if she liked what I liked or anything like that. She just thought I was funny, and that was what made me happy. That I could make her laugh, and I love her laugh. Like I seriously love it, but I just feel like other than that we have nothing in common sometimes. Like there's this huge disconnect."

It hurt to hear Chase say that Gabrielle simply knew he would come back to her. Marina was in a very different situation, it almost felt wrong to try and find some common thread between his relationships issues and hers since she was the problem, but sometimes she felt that way. That no matter what Kyle did, who he hooked up with, she would go back to him in heartbeat. It was just a matter of when he'd actually ask her to be his girlfriend again. She settled for what he was giving her right now. "Don't let her have that hold on you. It doesn't seem right for her to treat you however she wants because she knows you'll go back to her. That's just not fair." she tried giving some kind of advice, but it was hard. "Maybe you both could try getting into each other interests? I mean, if you want to try and fix things with her. Like, maybe bring her to a LARPing session. That might be fun." she suggested with a small smile.

The missing piece of the puzzle was of course that Chase and Gabrielle had a kid together, and he lived there. That's what made it all messy, and made him love her just that much more. Chase shook his head when she suggested he bring Gabrielle along, "She doesn't even like dressing up for sex. Closest thing she'd ever do to Larping is she dressed up for Halloween" he replied. They had argued about it a bunch, and they didn't even do a couples costume. "It just doesn't make sense, because she does the costumes for the theatre department. It has to do with the fact that she thinks her dressing up for me is like ... me imagining her as someone else. Which is bullshit, it's just having sex in a character. It's fun, I'm ... I'm fucking assuming. I haven't gotten to try it. I'm off on a tangent, please just tell me to shut up."

"Oh. She won't even try it out once? I've also heard it's fun. Haven't tried it out myself, but here's to hoping one day I could." Marina raised her shoulders and laughed under her breath. She wasn't sure if her ex would be into that, she hadn't brought it up to him before. "No you're fine. Rosie & I go on tangents all the time. We get so off track, it's insane." she smiled, thinking about how chaotic her and her sister's conversations could get. "Plus, it's good to get it all out. You said you couldn't really go to the boys about it, so I don't want you to hold back." she told him. "Have you ever talked to Gabrielle about this? That you feel like there's a disconnect between you both?"

"What am I gonna do, say hey babe. You don't like anything that I like and that sucks. It's just gonna hurt her feelings if I talk like that, I can just keep doing what I do and slowly showing her stuff until she finds something she likes. Not that it matters right now because we're done currently" Chase continued on. He felt like he was putting a lot of weight on Marina, "I'm sorry for being so angry, I'm just so frustrated and I'm tired of crying. I'm ... I'm ready to be mad" he added.

"Well I know she doesn't have to like the things you like, but she could always be supportive of it? Maybe that's not the word." Marina shook her head, trying to find the words. "Like with Kyle, he's super into music. That's his life. I'm terrible with all of that, but I would always go see him perform wherever it was. Even if it was for the marching band back then, I just liked going for him. It made him happy. I would even ask him to teach me how to play something every now and then even though I knew I wouldn't catch on." she explained with a dumb smile on her face as she thought back on those times. "Our interests or hobbies could be a very big part of who we are, so I get why you're frustrated." Marina shook her head as Chase apologized, "Oh please, I'm the last person you need to apologize to for being angry. If you need to get mad, get mad." That wasn't the best advice, but Marina wasn't very good herself at controlling those type of emotions.

"And that's really sweet of you, but music is cool and entertaining even for people who don't participate. She doesn't want to hear me explain my comic books or show her my action figures" said Chase, cooling off a little. He sighed as he sat up to face Marina, "It just sucks, because in a few days she is going to have some guy over and I'm going to hear about it at school, because that's what always happens. One time they were in the pool and I saw them flirting and whatever right in front of my house. I've kissed three people that weren't her in my entire life, and she's had sex with other people" said the boy, "and then we're going to date again and I'm going to have to think about that, and it's ... it's just all shitty. Do you want to watch a movie? I feel like a movie would make things better. I need to distract myself"

Marina nodded her head as she listened to Chase. She understood where he was coming from, but she always enjoyed hearing people gush about the things they were passionate about, though she kept that comment to herself. This wasn't about her, or making Gabrielle look worse, this was about Chase right now. "So why don't you try getting with someone? Maybe it'll take your mind off of it." Yet again, not great advice, but Marina was naturally a very jealous person and liked to make things even. "We could watch a movie. What do you have in mind?"

He looked at her when she said that he should try to get with someone, he immediately had a horny idiot boy thought about being with her. He shoved that thought straight out of his mind, that would be so chaotic and messy. She was his best confidant, and the only person in town that wasn't Jonah that shared all his interests. They had a LARP campaign together, it was a dumb thought. Chase turned to Marina with a smile, "Why don't we ... simply just watch all the bring it ons?" Chase loved the bring it on franchise, "I have all the DVDs don't worry" he said, getting up and opening up the DVD cupboard, pulling all the disks out. "Obviously I don't own a physical copy of cheersmack, but we don't need to watch that anyways" he added with a laugh as he put in the first disk and came back to the couch to sit next to her.

Marina noticed that Chase didn't comment on her suggestion and she quickly regretted bringing it up. If he wanted to get back together with Gabrielle, it was best to not try and mess anything up. She also couldn't help but feel like a bad friend towards Gabrielle. Marina was definitely closer to Chase, whether his ex-girlfriend knew that or not, but she was slowly getting closer to Gabrielle through Juliette. She didn't want to ruin anything. As he began to speak, she could have sworn he was going to suggest that they do something together, something physical. But he brought up watching Bring It On and it caused her to let out an awkward laugh. She was almost embarrassed for thinking that. "There's never a wrong time to watch Bring It On. We can definitely pass on cheersmack. The only good thing about that one is Imogen from Degrassi and Christian from Dance Academy." she said as she passed him the candy she bought him.

"Stoppp, don't say Dance Academy to me. Now I'm either going to have to watch the sammy death reactions on youtube or watch the whole show over again" Chase said with a laugh as he took the candy and opened it up. "You're the best, you know that right?" he said as he passed her the open box.  "Did you want wine? I also have some here if you don't want to get in trouble with your folks" Chase added as he got up to go get them two wine glasses and the bottle opener.

Marina sank into the couch once Chase mentioned Sammy's death, "Oh god, it gets me every time. But I will happily watch the whole show over again with you. Rosie and I haven't watched it in so long." She looked over at him with a proud smile, flashing her teeth in his direction. "I try my best." she stated before taking some candy for herself. "Nah don't worry about it. It's already out of the house, I've accepted my fate." Marina and her mother had been getting into more arguments lately, whether it was from her constant fights at school or her frequent partying. One more fight won't make much of a difference at this point.

"I cry like a bitch, I will be honest" said the boy, smirking a little at the admission. He put the glasses over by them and opened up the wine bottle, pouring two big glasses. "Are you cold?" he asked as he passed her a glass and held his own, "I have some big blankets". The movie was already playing, but it wasn't like they were really going to miss anything. They had both already had seen it so many times. Chase pulled the blanket up over the both of them as he sat next to her. "Cheers" he said as he clinked his glass to hers and started drinking. He kept thinking about what she had said though, that little voice at the back of his head. Telling him to get even with her, level the playing field. Maybe he should ask her to tell Gabrielle that they did something, that was stupid though. He had gotten caught in that lie last time.

"Aww I'll make sure to bring some tissues so you can wipe your tears." Marina teased the boy, as if she doesn't also cry like a bitch over the character's death. She grabbed the glass and nodded her head in response to his question, "A little." Once the blankets were over them, she unintentionally scooted a bit closer to him. It didn't mean anything, she was just a fan of cuddling. Who could blame her? "Cheers!" she repeated before tapping her glass against his gently and taking a big sip. As she was taking her sip, she noticed the bracelet she gave him for Christmas on his wrist. "Hey, nice bracelet. You get that from someone? They must have great taste." she joked with a grin on her face.

Chase was immediately comforted by Marina sitting close to him, he was just so used to cuddling with Gabrielle during movies if she wasn't chasing their kid around. Chase was taking a sip when she asked about the bracelet, "Oh this old thing? Had it forever, cute girl gave it to me in another life" he teased back. Chase wondered if he was pushing some kind of boundary, he would have acted exactly like this when he was dating Gabrielle. Maybe he would have sat a little further away, but calling her cute was nothing new. He felt like he was making up the tension that was building for him.

Marina's small smile grew as Chase mentioned the girl being cute. No matter how insignificant it was for him, comments like that meant a lot to her. She needed to be told something like that to actually believe it, just for a little bit. Hearing it from Chase felt a little different though, maybe it was just the fact that she was particularly lonely right now, but she tried not to think too hard on it. "From another life and you're wearing it now? She must be real special then." she continued to tease him. "I got a feeling you mean a lot to her too."

"My writer thought it would be good for continuity if I wore it across all multiverses" Chase teased as he broke the fourth wall. "Oh is that so" said the boy as he took another sip of wine, the movie playing out in front of them, but neither of them were paying any attention. He was just making eye contact with her and smiling. He knew that he was going to go crawling back to Gabrielle, but something about this made him want her to come crawling back to him. Something about the way she was looking at him.

"Very smart of them." Marina giggled as she nodded her head. "Mhm." she hummed as she shifted a bit to be facing him more directly. "I get why too. You just seem to draw people in." she said as she looked into his eyes. She should have held back and just continued watching the movie, but she couldn't stop. Part of her didn't want to stop. "It might be the hair, it's powerful." she said with a smile. "Or maybe it's that biiiig smile of yours. Very cute." she told him as her eyes travelled down to his lips.

This was most definitely a signal, and this was his only chance. If he blew this he would never kiss Marina Hollingsworth. Not that he had really thought about it at all until right now, but he definitely wanted to. He wanted to pull her in for a kiss, but let's face it. He's a bottom and a whimp. There was no way this girl actually wanted to kiss him, she was just naturally flirty. So was he. "You have that effect on people too" said Chase, staring at her mouth. He was still thinking about kissing her, but he just didn't have the balls to do it.

Marina found herself inching closer and closer to him as he spoke. Any thought of being a good friend to both Chase and Gabrielle went straight out the window. They were both in weird situations with their relationships. But that was the thing, they both weren't in relationships right now, they were free to do what they want. "Yeah? Do I have that effect on you?" she asked as she looked up to his eyes, their lips almost touching at this point.February 9, 2021

He knew he shouldn't be doing any of this, first things first ... she was a teammate. Second thing, she was his larping teammate. Third thing, she was definitely friends with his ex on some level. Fourth thing, she was one of his closest friends. Fifth thing, Chase put his hand on the nape of her neck and pulled her in to kiss her slowly and softly as he put his wine glass down on the table.

Marina closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers, moving in her closer to him as he did so. She shouldn't have let it get this far, but she was too into the moment to stop. This would be something she'd worry about later, not right now. Marina placed her glass on the table beside his before wrapping her arm around his neck and slowly moving her hand up through his hair.

Chase was sure he should stop, but he couldn't bring himself to. He put his hands on her hips to guide her onto his lap. Chase felt like he should say something, "Is this okay?" he asked under his breath. That was such a stupid thing to say, why did he say that. He was so embarrassed, her put his lips back on hers before she should answer.

Marina placed her hands on Chase's shoulders as she moved on top of him. She was about to answer when he immediately went back to kissing her. It caught her off guard, but she pulled away to speak anyways, "Is this okay?" she asked back. "Should we stop? Do you want to stop?" she asked quietly, her nerves were slowly kicking in. She was worried she was doing something wrong or wasn't pleasing him in some way.

Chase looked up at her and put his hand on her cheek, "You are so hot, it's kinda making me stupid" said Chase honestly. His brain was cloudy from all the crying and sleeping he had been doing for the last few days. His body definitely wanted Marina, that was more than evident. He just didn't want to use her, and he knew he would be with Gabrielle again. "Do you want to keep going?" he asked.

Marina couldn't help but smile at Chase's comment, it slowly eased her tension. She was so fragile when it came to her self esteem. Anything could set her off, but simple compliments fueled her confidence. She needed this kind of distraction anyways, they both did. "Yes, definitely." she said sweetly with the nod of her head before going back in to kiss him slowly.

She said definitely, his whole body relaxed a little. She wanted to do this, and Marina wasn't just doing it out of pity ... well at least not entirely. She put her lips back on his and he moved his tongue into her mouth for a while as they kissed. When their lips parted, Chase knew he was putting his foot in his mouth, "Just two friends, doing very good friend stuff" he replied nervously, "You can shut me up anytime".

Marina cupped the sides of Chase’s face and moved her body up against his as they continued to kiss. She looked at him with a small smile on her face as he spoke again, she couldn’t help but find his nervous comments endearing. “You do this with all your friends? Now I don’t feel so special anyone.” she teased him before kissing down his jaw and to his neck.

This with Marina, it felt like Chases first time all over again. That same nervous excitement, it was an intangible high that he had completely forgotten. He had never done anything like this with anyone. Yeah he had kissed Chanel and ... Thalia. But this was so different. Chanel Hampton was beyond beautiful and very sexy, but that was very transactional. The only rush he had gotten from it was the feeling of getting under Gabrielle’s skin. This? With Marina? It was life giving. “Me and Jonah every Monday night mid clone wars” said Chase, a little out of breath as she worked her way down his neck, letting out a little laugh from the joke and because it tickled.

Marina was quickly becoming more comfortable with all of this. She always felt like she needed to be the best at everything she did, but being around Chase was a breath of fresh air. When she LARPed with him, she never had those worries and that sense of comfort was transferring over to this moment. “That’s some stiff competition.” she continued on with the joke. “But I don’t like to lose.” she told him before sitting up straight and removing her shirt. Marina couldn’t tell how far they were taking this, but her confidence was kicking in again and she didn’t want to hold back. She leaned forward once more to give him a hickey right on the side of his neck.

Chase was going to make a comment about how Jonah is a straight up stud, but when the girl took her shirt off his mind went blank. “Wow, wow” said the boy. He knew it was stupid to say, but he honestly couldn’t control his mouth when hers was on his neck. Chase was aware she was leaving a hickey, but he honestly was going to need the reminder that this wasn’t a dream. “Do you want to go to my room?” he asked as he put his lips on her neck, moving down slowly to the exposed skin.