#feralghostwrites

"I don't get it," she blurted. Maybe it was the slight liquid courage from the glass of wine or maybe it was due time for Penny to speak her mind. She had always been an observer, a quiet force that took in everything around her. It's what made her a good journalist. Unbiased, unwavering, on the outside looking in. But this wasn't a piece she was writing nor was it something she could continue watching for much longer without weighing in. Penny's gaze met the other's and she knew she couldn't swallow back her words now. It was too late. "I just... I don't get why you're with them. Y'all don't even seem happy. You don't seem like you're in love. What's the point?" Or, perhaps she only saw what she wanted to.

early mornings on set weren't a new occurrence for mallory. sure, she was midway through season one of this new show she'd been signed onto, and as a recurring supporting character, the 12-hour days were more often than not. she should be used to this. these early mornings were more tolerable, however, with a full night's sleep. and mal would've been lucky to say she even got a wink.

the night before replayed over and over again in her mind - scripts tossed casually on the coffee table, cherry's red hair draped over the back of the couch as her head fell in laughter, mallory's knee brushing against her co-star's as the space between them seemed to get smaller and smaller. it was a common night in for them, going over lines until their eyes were blurry. over time, lines turned into dinner, dinner turned into wine. last night turned wine into a kiss, which spiraled into a vision of that red hair hurrying out the door.

what bothered mal the most was the rush of all of it afterward, how she didn't get a chance to apologize or say her peace. they were coworkers and - more importantly - they were friends. friends don't kiss, bottom line, end of story. explaining just how wrong it was that she did that and take ownership was sure to fix things. mentally going over what she wanted to say to cherry kept her up last night, and she was determined to get it fixed before they'd have to film today. after setting her bags down in her trailer (and downing her coffee to get her brain in order), mallory walked across the studio lot to a trailer familiar to her - one marked 'cherry valentine'. one deep breath in, then out, then a knock.

sam didn't consider herself a grinch by any means before tonight. sure, most christmases were spent working on briefs in between family dinners or catching flights from the city to her hometown, but she really did love the holiday. there really was nothing more like surprising her husband with some ugly tie clip and cufflink combo he asked for, or acting like her mother-in-law was a great cook. on second thought...the more she thought about it, the less enthused samantha got this time of year.

tonight just seemed to be the icing on the cake. clark's law firm was hosting a christmas party at a hotel downtown, a soiree that called for black ties and fancy champagne. that part, at least, samantha could get behind. hair curled and half up, emerald cocktail dress hugging her body, there was never an occasion like this that sam would pass up. the two had just arrived, arm in arm, and before the lawyers could even think about refreshments, clark raised a hand to wave at a close acquaintance somehow perfectly across the way.

phoenix. just the sight of her made sam's blood boil, though you would never be able to tell it on her face. keeping her cards to her chest was literally her career. her hand subtly tightened around clark's bicep, and although she tried to, she could not take her eyes off of her. the other woman was like a cold that sam couldn't shake - but clark was fond of phoenix, spoke warmly about her and praised her accomplishments whenever he could find a way to bring her up. it didn't help that she was tall, gorgeous, with eyes that could pierce you with how blue they were. all normal things for the other woman to take note of.

"chit-chat can wait until after cocktails, babe. no need to-" before she could finish her thought, sam was waving to her own colleagues that she recognized in the crowd, muttering to him through gritted teeth. her gaze remained on phoenix, even while clark pulled them both over to her. she had her own magnetic field, it seemed, and the married couple were (unfortunately for sam) drawn into it. a tight-lipped smile followed as they unwillingly approached. "hi, good evening."

“strangely enough, i don’t think it’s particularly fair that i should have no say in who i spend the rest of my life with.”

“you get used to the rumours after a while. best to just ignore them.”

So much had changed in only a few years. Jenn went from a free loving spirit discovering herself to suddenly being the matriarch of the small family consisting of her and her younger sister. The loss of their mother was tremendous, but all Jenn could really do is be there to pick up the pieces. Now instead of staying out all night and picking fights for fun, she was spending her evenings cooking dinner and making sure her sister did her homework. Life was different, but she did her best to keep the best parts of herself still intact. She didn't let go of her hobbies - still roller skating each chance she got and participating in derby with her team. Still cooking way too much and baking when time allowed, which was a hobby her sister preferred. There were times it felt like her younger sister was taking care of her, but she was doing her best. 

It was an afternoon off and she was roller skating in the park. Headphones on, music blasting, there was even a little pep in her stride. That is until she quickly swerved out of the way of a child crossing her path. Losing her footing, she came to a crashing halt into someone else and flew back onto the concrete. Inhaling sharply, she felt the pain in her hands that rubbed against the ground. "Shit. I am so sorry," she began to apologize through her pain. She looked up at the pedestrian and suddenly the world stopped. Out of all the people to run into, how did she manage to run into her? Suddenly memories of before came crashing in. All the impossibly fun and chaotic nights spent together, the fighting, the kissing, every emotion coursed throughout her all at once. For someone who usually spoke too much for her own good, she was rendered speechless as she hopelessly looked up at her.