#oceanfrontowen

Birdie has two “first impressions” of Owen: One when they were kids, one when he walked into Fusion and sat at her bar. 

Little Birdie:

Sasha didn’t come today even though Stu said she would be here. She was here the last time I came and we played with my barbies and colored on white pieces of paper until Stu came and got me to go home.

But she didn’t come today, so Stu said Chris would get his brother to play with me. His brother, who isn’t Will - cause Will is nice. He says hi to me and sometimes he’ll ask me about my coloring even though I can tell he doesn’t really get it. But Chris isn’t getting Will, he’s getting Owen… who I have never met or seen before. He’s like the ghost brother to the Selznick or something - or at least that’s what I always tell Stu.

I’m halfway done finishing my third drawing by the time Owen finally comes into the living room. His hands are in his pockets and I can tell Chris made some kind of deal to get him to come sit with me. He’s quiet, so I ask him his name and he doesn’t answer right away. We both know I know it, but Owen oblides and even asks me my name. So I tell him, “I’m Birditta.”

I put my drawings to the side and walk up over to him, hanging my hand out to shake his, “Nice to meet you,” I say. Owen hesitates but eventually he shakes my hand and mumbles something. “Come on!” I say, pulling him along, “Lets play.”

Adult Birdie:

I’ve always found it strange how time changes things. How people grow apart or lose contact even in a place like Virgina Beach. I shouldn’t be surprised though that Owen and I didn’t keep in contact, I barely talk to Chris and he’s Stu’s best friend. 

Not to mention, there’s no chance that a kid who let a girl make him play barbies would ever want to be assosiated to her as an adult. Right?

So, I’m a little caught off guard when I see him walk in. His hair all ruffled up, as it should be, he looks like he hasn’t shaved or bathed in days, the misery I remember seeing in him as a kid still lingers (maybe even more now) in his eyes. As I walk up to him behind the bar, I almost expect him to remember me and my kid antics, but he doesn’t. Which, truthfully, I am relieved he doesn’t. Clean state for all of us right? 

“What can I get you?” I ask him and when he leaves that decision up to me, I whisk him up a whiskey on the rocks. 

I’m about to post a (stupidly long) biography for Kristen here and in the process of writing it, I realized that Owen and Kristen could probably make some delicious plots!!! Basically: she used to be addicted to heroine and she’s an escaped convinct etc etc. 

As the product of a reclusive childhood that involved time spent mostly in the company of the written word, it should not have been all that surprising that Jane and nature were not exactly on a first name basis. They might not have even been on speaking terms. She had never really bothered to find out.

Until now.

The Adams siblings had always been firm believers in writing what you know. And gaining experience to understand what you write. Thus, Colin had decided that they should go camping. For experience.

The only problem? Neither of them had ever been camping. Or slept outside. Or pitched a tent. But it couldn’t be that hard, right? You just had to buy the necessary equipment and read the directions. Should be easy.

Except Jane had absolutely no idea what to buy. As the last hour she’d spent wandering around Selznick Outdoors seemed to prove. Before entering the store she had honestly had no idea that there were so many varieties of tents. And now she’d seen thirty.

All of which had different features and boasted different assembly methods. Already slightly panicked, Jane was completely awash with relief when she spotted an employee.

“Hi,” she said with a nervous smile, approaching the man. “Could you help? I’m trying to buy a tent and there are so many choices and I don’t know which one to buy? I’m going camping with my brother and he sent me to pick one out but there are thirty different options and I don’t know which one I need. Normally I would just research it online but that wasn’t helpful either because apparently the article I read was written for experienced campers and I was completely lost.”

the event hasn’t taken place yet, but i am going to let you all know these pictures were taken during this event

birdie and chase - BUT how cute are they?????!! precious little snowflakes 

birdie and colin - we need to talk about these two!!!! 

Thanks Jane, or whoever in the office, for having written the article already about Selznick Outdoors. In every other paper in the world, the writer and photographer go together, but thank Daily Press cause somehow it knows Annie will just love the visit to Selznick Outdoors. If only Will worked there, her life would be 1000 times better right now.

She pulled up and she was still praying Chris would be there. He said he would, but there had been a hint in his voice when she called that anything could happen and Annie wasn’t quite fond of the probabilities. 

Letting out a sigh, she parked her car, got her gear and headed indoors. Upon arriving to the front desk, she found it empty, “Wonderful,” she mumbled under her breath and then hit the bell, to let whoever was in the back know they had company.

It had been just a few short weeks since Seth had moved out and in that time he had already managed to spend almost every waking moment at his sisters’ house. The only problem? His sisters themselves were rarely ever present.

For a guy who practically lives on his phone, one would think Seth would remember to call before just showing up. But no. He never remembered. Instead he stood outside, hammering away on the front door before remembering both his sisters were probably at work.

Luckily, it was at exactly that time that Owen Selznick walked out his front door. If there’s one thing Seth had always had, it was impecible timing. Er, for some things. Maybe not catching his sisters though.

At the sight of Owen, Seth leaped off the front porch and sprinted across the lawn calling, “Hey, Owen!” as he went.

He had almost made it across the lawn when the garden hose suddenly materialized (but why are they always the same color as the grass?!?!) and Seth’s shoe caught on it, sending him flying. Seth stayed down only a moment before hopping back up and continuing his pursuit.

He slid to a stop in front of Owen, a huge grin on his face. With a small wave of his now green tinted hand, Seth said, “Owen, hey. Are you busy? I thought we could hang out or something? Bro it up?”