13 Envelopes
pairing: reader x lin summary: After graduating from UCLA, you would find any way to escape having to go back home. Lucky for you, your Aunt Jasmine Cephas Jones had organized a way for you to have the adventure you’d never gotten to have before. You’re ready to take her up on the offer. warnings: rpf (naturally), mentions of teen pregnancy a/n: this is all exposition (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5)
Envelope #1: An Escape Plan
You were sitting in the LAX airport, unable to believe how crazy this was. You'd received the letters from your aunt (fourteen of them, to be exist, but the thirteen letters were stuffed into one big envelope) with orders to open them in order two years ago – never finding the time until now. At least, that was the letter attached to the stack of envelopes claimed you had to do with strict instructions to not open the first envelope until you were on the plane. The envelope also contained almost five  thousand dollars in cash and a plane ticket to New York City and a single key as well as a bank card. She'd told you to leave your phone at home as well as your laptop and camera and to only bring what you could fit into your backpack. You'd done your best to fit at least two weeks of clothes and the essentials into your bag while waiting to board your flight.
Reading over the letter that had accompanied the bight blue envelopes again, you struggled to understand the point of this exercise. Your aunt Jasmine had always been a wild card, but this went to a new level of wild. Still, you followed her instructions to the letter including leaving your cell phone at home despite a deep desire to run back and grab it. She'd said not to bring anything extra, not even cash because she'd be taking care of that. Naturally, the idea of you having any spare change laying around for this kind of last minute trip was laughable – your parents had been teen parents who struggled to provide and while they'd managed to get their college degrees, it had always been tense.
It had only gotten colder since you'd left for UCLA to secure your degree in English. After getting your bachelor's, you realized you didn't want to go home to where your parents were fighting over everything and knowing it was all your fault for existing. They wouldn't have been forced to stay together if it wasn't for you. So you went back to school and that had been when the envelope had arrived. You'd ignored it in favor of obtaining your master's. Now you wished you'd opened it before going back to school for your master's – perhaps you'd be in far less debt if you had.
While it wasn't fair to Aunt Jasmine to get angry that her life went a way that enabled her to organize all this all the drop of the hat, you couldn't help but feel it. Still, you eager to escape the tense situation at home that you had been putting off returning back to. The former high school sweethearts were now bitter with each other and you going to UCLA was putting a strain on them. After graduating, you need to get away from what you've dubbed 'the war zone' and so this summer seemed as good a time as any to finally put Aunt Jasmine's crazy scheme to work. The minute you got on the plane, you opened the first envelope to find Aunt Jasmine's neat handwriting explaining out step one.
Honey bun,
I know that your parents have been having issues at home and that you've been caught in the cross fire of it. Which is why I've organized this experience for you. You always said you wanted to travel, so I've arranged everything. You won't have to worry about money – all that's been taken care of for you. The key you have is the key to an apartment that my friend owns in Brooklyn. I met her through a musical that was so incredible, you'd have to see it to believe it! Her name is Pippa and she's quite eager to meet you (I promise I only used your name when talking about you to her – I know how much you hate that nickname).
When you meet her, she'll have the access code to your debit card. I took care to make sure it was put in your name – it's your own account. Even I no longer have access to it so I'll have no idea if you decide to ignore everything I've laid out for you and go your own way. It's fine if you do – this is designed to be your choice, after all. But I hope to see you in New York City soon. If I do see you in New York City, I'll assume you've decided to follow the path I've led out for you. While I'll do my best to stay out of the way of your journey, I can't promise I'll entirely stay away from your journey!
By the way: do not open envelope number two until you've gotten to the address I've given you in Brooklyn!
All my love,
Aunt Jas
You wondered what she thought when you hadn't shown up for two years – perhaps she'd thought you taken the money and used it for your education. Or that you'd simply spent it on rent. You examined over the debit card with interest – she'd given you no way to access the funds as of yet. According to her, some woman named Pippa (who names their daughter Pippa, you wondered) would have the access code to your card. Your heart sank as you realized Pippa might not live in the apartment to which your Aunt Jasmine had given you the key to anymore. Perhaps you should've put Aunt Jasmine's envelopes to use two years ago.
It was too late for what ifs and should'ves, however. You were already on the plane and there was no turning back at this point. You wished even more now that you had ignored Aunt Jasmine's suggestion of leaving behind your phone and laptop. It was still sitting on your dresser in your cramped, undersized LA apartment that you'd rented out as a place to escape the war zone.
Your LA apartment was an entire country away now that you'd landed at JFK, the hustle and bustle of the New York City surprising you and taking you aback. Aunt Jasmine had always lived in New York City, but she always came out to California whereas you stayed there. Your parents never had enough to pay for a way to New York City, after all. And now you had to find your way to Brooklyn to see if that apartment that your Aunt Jasmine had set up was still waiting for you.
