x.Chasing Sunshine

[KERFUFFLE]

Naww, that's really cute.

That's cool. It does help if you have decent ones. Like, my friend once found a set at her house and I'd found out afterwards that they were Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen branded ones, so no wonder they were awful, and she had to hold them in my hair so long to make them stay in that she burned my hair. Bad curling iron experience.

"I know. We were just unlucky," he replied softly. He was glad when she laughed, though, as it instantly lightened the mood. "Thats alright, he said. "Really that time was my fault because we could have swerved around it for now and just talked about the future instead like it wasn't really happening," he smiled. "But instead I'll tell you my logic for why I agree with you on how many. Six is clearly too many, as wonderful as it was, I know from personal experience that sometimes it was rather a lot to handle. And my cousin is an only child and all the worse for it [yeah, don't you just hate only children? xD If you say yes, you're in trouble], and though I'm pretty sure our baby could never be like him, you never know. So, you know, more than one but less than six- but probably not five, either, that's quite a lot still." He chuckled and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"Sounds good," Caden replied, smiling slightly. He then motioned for her to go ahead. "That's a good point, actually." He'd never really thought of the idea of plane clothes, but he realised it was probably quite a good idea, especially for a long flight. Considering you'd probably have to change after that long a flight, it made sense just to wear something comfortable. He wasn't quite sure what the room arrangements were, but he picked up his bags anyway to drop them off and at least change his shirt, if nothing else.

(Haha, it wouldn't be that bad, and I think it'd be pretty funny.)

"Oh, okay. I won't pry, then, and I'll just say I hope you figure things out," Kara said, finishing off her drink and setting the glass on the bar counter for the bartender to collect it again.

 

[Penguins.]

Mary Kate and Ashley! I loved them before they became anorexic drug addicts. But their clothing line was terrible.

And I absolutely HATE only children! They're all awful! xP

"Four seems like it would be a lot too," Avery said, squeezing his hand back. "Especially if they were all young. That would be a lot to handle, I'd imagine. I hope we don't have quadtruplets or anything. My parents said that dealing with triplets was hell because there was so much going on."

"I think we're sharing a room," Cassandra said. There was one room, and by the looks of the unmade bed and scattered items, it was in use by Lucille and her brother. Then there was a small bathroom and another sparsely furnished bedroom.

Keegan laughed slightly. Her answer was to be expected, but he was also the kind of person who would have answered her questions honestly if she had asked them. He told her that as she finished her drink. When she was done, he asked "Would you like another drink? I might get one for myself."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Yeah, I did, too, actually. I can't even remember what their show on the Disney Channel was called anymore, but it was good

Thanks. xD

"Yeah, I think so, too," Brandon agreed. He laughed a little a the thought of having quadruplets. "Oh, god, I hope not, too," he chuckled. "We'd be run off our feet." It was unlikely. But, then, so was triplets, and it had happened to Avery's parents. "One at a time is preferable, I think." Since they were on the subject of the future, and since they were having what he felt to be a nice conversation, he wanted to keep it going, and he asked her, "And.. Well, I wanted to ask you about getting married, too. I know we want to, but I wondered if you'd thought about where or what kind of wedding you wanted."

"Okay," Caden replied, following her in. He set his bags down. He said, "I'll just change my shirt, in that case, and I'll wait for you outside after that, if that's okay." Swapping shirts was fine in her presence, as far as he was concerned. He searched for a shirt in his suitcase and pulled his old one off over his head and quickly replaced it with the other one, then left her to change.

"Oh, okay. Thank you. I'll have a pear cider then, please," Kara said gratefully. "And when you're done, since you don't mind, I'm quite curious about the complicated story of your engagement."

 

[Penguins.]

I actually liked their books. And that movie when they ran around New York.

You're very welcome.

Avery shook her head. She hadn't thought about it too much. She knew she wanted something small, and that was it. "I want something low key," she told him. "Nothing too fancy. And with only the people we know well in attendance." As an after thought, she added, "And outside. Somewhere outside. Or we could elope." The last comment wasn't completey serious, of course.

She hadn't expected him to change right there, but she didn't think too much of it. She was, after all, used to seeing people change all the time. When he was done, she searched for some clothes. It had been pretty warm outside, so she put on a pair of shorts and a loose t shirt, and instead of her usual pair of heels, she opted for a slightly more comfortable pair of flats. After brushing through her hair, Cassandra decided she was ready. "Okay," she said, once she was back in the kitchen/living room area. "Are you ready?"

He nodded and ordered her drink as well as one for himself, though he picked a simpler vodka and orange juice. After he had taken a few sips, he told her what had happened. (I don't feel like typing it out)

 

[KERFUFFLE]

I remember the movie. They probably didn't have the books quite so commonly here, though. And I don't really think I read those kind of books when I was younger, anyway.

Brandon nodded as he listened to her brief ideas. He smiled and said, "That sounds nice to me." He chuckled as she suggested the idea of just eloping. Of course, if that was all she wanted, he would have willingly complied but somehow he wasn't convinced that she was completely serious about that. An outdoor wedding sounded really nice, though

Caden nodded and opened the door out of the apartment for her, before following out behind her until they were outside. He looked around and smiled as he thought about how he was looking forward to explore the city a little bit. He said to her as they walked, "Thanks again for inviting me here, I really appreciate it."

Kara listened while he told her the whole story, occasionally sipping her drink. "Wow," she said at the end of it, not quite sure what else to say. "So what are you going to do? Or haven't you quite figured that out yet?" She wouldn't blame him if he hadn't. She'd have no idea what to do.

 

[Penguins.]

They were in some other movies too, I think. But I can't remember. Our library was overflowing with those books so I always got one.

"And it should be warm outside," she continued. Now that she was thinking about, more ideas kept coming to her. "Maybe summertime, because we met in summer. Or even spring or fall so it's not too hot outside. I don't where I would want it outside though. Have you thought about it?"

"You're welcome. It's nice to have some company anyway, when eveybody else is busy doing their own things," Cassandra replied as she looked around. The city really was beautiful; she was in love with it already.

Keegan shrugged. "I should tell her," he said. "I don't know how or when. She's just so happy, you know? I wouldn't know what to do."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

There was one where they were only really tiny babies that my parents always mention.

"Well, no, not so much, actually. I think it's because I know how important the wedding is to the bride. I'd quite happily go along with what you wanted," Brandon replied. "But I did think about it being in a warmer part of the year. Especially because we'll both be old enough by then, and it'll be much nicer. I guessed that you might have some better ideas than what I could come up with, I suppose. I really do like the sound of a wedding outside.

"It is much nicer than travelling and looking around by yourself," Caden said. He didn't mention that he was glad she liked his company, he thought she'd probably guess that. He knew how much they both were used to travelling by themselves, and so they both understood that sometimes it was nice to have someone else to be with. He looked at everything as they walked through the city, and he smiled. "It's lovely here."

Kara looked thoughtful. "If it was me, rather than have to tell them that I didn't want to marry them, I'd do something that made them not want to marry me anymore, personally. So that they didn't have to know that I never loved them as much as they thought I did. But I guess everyone's different."

 

[Penguins.]

Full House? That was a tv show though.

Sorry for disappearing. I went to do some SAT prep. Do you have to take that?

"I wouldn't want to have total control of the wedding. You'd have to have some say," Avery said. "We can plan out all the details after we're officially engaged, I guess. But outside and small is all I have so far."

"It really is," Cassandra agreed. "I wish I could've come sooner. There looks like there's so much to do and I really don't know where to start." She liked having him there and it was nice talking to him. She did occasionally get to travel with some of her friends in the company but that didn't happen most of the time and she usually had to look around by herself.

Keegan thought about what Kara said. It made sense but he still wasn't sure what he would do. "Lucille's too smart," he said. "I think she would realize I didn't love her anyway. Besides, I don't know how to show her she shouldn't marry me. I don't know what I'd do."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

That'd be the one. I forget these things.

That's alright, I've been busy anyway, and then I watched a program about bears. No, we have things called SATs but they're just tests for 14 year olds. I'm doing GCSEs and A Levels, so they're probably more equivalent to that. But most of them aren't until June. When are you taking?

When do you go back to school, by the way?

"I know, and I'd want to feel a part of it, too. And I also figured you weren't the bridezilla type, either," Brandon chuckled. He then thought to himself about when they would become engaged. Of course, that was something he wasn't planning on sharing with her, but while they were on the subject he wondered and went over the possibilities of when or how he might like to ask her to marry him.

"It never really struck me as the sort of place you'd go for sights. I mean, obviously there are the canals but it's not spoke of as beautiful in the same way as somewhere like Paris or Rome, really. But I like it," Caden observed as they wandered through the streets. It was an interesting place, and it had a unique feel to it unlike a lot of other cities, one that he couldn't quite put his finger on, really. As they walked he glanced sideways at her for a moment. Really what he asked her was pretty much unrelated to anything else they'd been talking about, but the thought crossed his mind and he wanted to speak it. "Listen, do you know what you're doing for dinner? Are you eating with your brother?"

Kara nodded. Somehow she thought a girl would tap onto that kind of thing more quickly-- after all, it was she who'd thought of it. She shrugged and said, "Well, I have really no idea how to help you. I can only wish you the best in keeping it as mess free as possible."

 

[Penguins.]

The SAT is just a college enterance test. The other one is the ACT and some schools accept either but a few only ask for your SAT score. You take it in either spring of 11th grade or fall of 12th depending on how many time you take it because you can take it as many times as you want. I'm taking it for the first an hopefully last time on the 22nd. It's supposed to be incredibly hard to get a perfect score but I just want at least a 2100.

Tomorrow, actually. xD I have yet to clean my bag and plan my clothes or the week.

"Well, you never know," Avery said. "Maybe on the day of the wedding, I'll be so paranoid about making sure everything runs smoothly that you might not even want to marry me anymore." She didn't foresee that happening. After all, she had never understood why some brides worried so much about everything on what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of their lives.

"I think it's the culture of the city, really," Cassandra said. She thought about his question and shook her head. "I don't think I am. I mean, I have no idea where he is or when he'll be back. We should probably find food for ourselves later."

Keegan laughed. "Well, thank you for that. I don't know how possible that is but maybe..." His voice trailed off. The cleanest way would be to just tell her of course, but it was also the hardest to do.

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Oh, okay. Well, we don't have a college/uni entrance exam. They look at our GCSE and A Level grades, which also serve as employment qualifications, and also at what other out of school activities we do. That's always what swings it, really.

Ah, me too. I'm so unprepared! And unwilling, I should add xP

Brandon smiled in amusement at the very thought. He leaned over and took her face in his hand, stroking his thumb across her cheek gently. "Although I can't imagine you being like that in the first place, I can promise you that no matter what you could possibly do on our wedding day-- or before then--, nothing could ever make me not want to marry you there and then," he told her softly. "I love you too much and you make me too happy for that to happen."

"I think so, too," Caden replied. To her second comment, her reply to his question, he offered, "Well, I could take you for dinner somewhere nice, if you like. I'm sure we can find a good place to eat."

Kara said, "Well, you don't have to completely break it off with her, do you? I mean, you could tell her you're having second thoughts about the engagement, that you're not ready for marriage, but that you still like being her boyfriend or something." Of course, these were all just suggestions, every person and case was different, and she wouldn't know how Keegan's fiancee would take to that. "That is, unless you're not sure you still want to be her boyfriend."

 

[Penguins.]

Yeah. Colleges look at other things besides your SAT score, but it's a HUGE factor. Some schools accept lower scores, some say they don't have a "cutoff" but it's pretty much understood that if you want to go to Princeton or Brown or any other Ivy League or Tier 1 school, you're going to need a pretty decent score, around 2000 at the very least. I'm aiming for a 2150ish, but I'd be happy with a 2100.

So, how was your day?

"You definitely trust me too much," she said, although it went both ways. She probably trusted him just as much if not more than he trusted her. "You make me very happy too, you know. Just being with you lifts my mood. I know...it may not have seemed that way last night, but, it's true."

"I would really like that," Cassandra smiled. "But you can't take me anywhere nice when I'm dressed like this. I think anywhere will do, but we can discuss that later. We just ate, after all."

Keegan shrugged. He hadn't really thought about that. Maybe they could still be together, but would it be awkward for them? He wasn't sure. "I guess it would depend on how she reacts. It's worth a shot, I guess," he told her. "But have you ever been in a relationship where you can actually envision some sort of future together? That's not what this is."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Ah, okay, I see, so it's really rather important. Good luck with it! Ours just works on grades, and so for Oxford or Cambridge, you're expected to have As and A*s in at least all the subjects you need for your course, and probably no lower than a B for the other subjects you had to take.

It was okay, actually. Our History assessment is finished, so it's just normal lessons again, which I love, and even art went well. I'm pretty relaxed about it all, really How about you?

"I doubt it. There's very little you could do to completely betray my trust," Brandon told her, giving her a gentle kiss since he was close to her. He smiled at the fact that she'd thought that maybe last night may have changed the way he thought about their relationship, that maybe she loved him a little less or he couldn't make her happy. "I know. And last night means nothing for us. In fact, I'd worry if everything was too perfect all of the time. It's when you get through it that shows just how strong your relationship is. I mean, look at us now."

"You look fine," Caden said. "You're a model, the kind of person who looks better in pajamas than most people could look when they're at their best," he chuckled. "But, yeah, you're right. I was just thinking about for later, just because I thought of it then, and I thought I'd better ask before I forgot it again."

"Oh, I see," Kara replied, nodding knowingly, "I guess in that case that might just be leading her on, if you don't feel like you can see a future with her." She had to giggle a bit, and she asked him, "How drunk were you, in that case?"

 

[Penguins.]

Ugh, that sounds SO MUCH EASIER. The SATs are brutal. And I figured out I'm going to have to take the ACT too, because my top choice school requires the SAT with 2 subject tests or the ACT with writing, and I don't know how well my subject tests will be, so I'm going to send in all my scores.

Awful. :/ Work is already excruciating.

"That's true," Avery said, about their relationship. "I'm glad that we didn't let that mess with us. I'm glad that we do have a strong relationship because...because I really don't know what I'd do without you."

"I still wouldn't want to go to a nice place dressed like this," Cassandra shrugged. "So until we're hungry, do you want to just walk around?"

Keegan thought about how to answer her question. "Well, I was drunk enough to propose, I guess," he said. "I don't really remember much, other than the fact that I woke up with what might have been my worst hangover ever."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Well, I'm not so sure about it being hugely easier, necessarily. GCSEs are two year courses in about ten subjects, and you have to get at least a C grade in Maths, English and Science to progress. You then do three, four or five A Levels which work similar to degrees because there's a lot of independent studies. GCSEs and A Levels are made up of coursework, and exams in all the subjects, and the results are given to you in August, and you get a certificate for them and such. They're not like a test grade, they're the grades you kind of carry with you all your life. I mean, at the end of the day they probably all equal the same amount of work, either our system or yours. Still, good luck with all yours. Sounds like hell.

Oh dear. Well, art's come back for me. Woohoo :/ Still, we're gonna get through it. I'm holding onto the fact that I have a term left, whereas every other year group in school has two.

Brandon smiled tenderly and carefully pulled her from her seat and into his arms, just feeling the need to be closer to her. There was something in her pause to gather the words that made him feel like she'd almost imagined it happening, something which he knew he wouldn't be able to stand. There would be many men, he knew it, who would just turn and run in the situation they were in, no longer wanting anything to do with it with a baby in the equation. But he wasn't like that; nothing could make him want to be away from her, and he couldn't stand thinking how heartbroken she would be if he vanished from her life when she needed him the most. "If there's one thing in life that you can be absolutely sure of, Avery, it's that you'll never, ever have to be without me," he told her softly.

"Well, okay, if you say so," Caden replied simply with a slight smile. He nodded at her question. "I guess so. I mean, I don't really know much about the city, so I can't think of a place I've heard of that I know I want to see."

"As a quick digression, in case you're ever got a horrible hangover again, a burrito does wonders for the headache," Kara replied, sipping her drink. She was interested in his story, because very little happened in her life that was worth talking about. She had lived with just her dad all her life, never seeing a trace of any of her other family, and finding it difficult to make friends in school. She always found there was little to talk about when it came to conversations about her.

 

[Penguins.]

That just sounds complicated and confusing, actually.

Hahaha, well good luck though. You'll be fine, I'm sure. I think my AP Psych class will be the death of me. It's so interesting but we're required to take an insane amount of notes which slows down reading. I really don't mind right now though because I'm in such a good mood, haha.

"I know," she replied, hugging him. "At least, I know that now. It was stupid of me to even worry about it. You would never do that to me. I just wasn't thinking." She kissed him again, for a considerably longer time than before. The thought had crossed her mind a few times last night but today had taken away any doubts.

Cassandra nodded. She wasn't quite sure what the city had to offer either. She was going to say something when she felt a slight raindrop. Then another, and another. "Did you feel that?" she asked, looking up at the sky. She hoped if it was going to rain it wouldn't be too bad. She hadn't come prepared for any type of wet weather.

"A burrito?" He laughed. "I've never heard that one before but I'll keep it in mind next time. I've tried lots of other supposed hangover cures but none of them have ever worked for me." He took another sip of his drink and asked her, "So where did you live before you lived here?"

 

[KERFUFFLE]

It is, to be honest. Trying to get my parents to understand the choices I have to make for school is rather difficult.

Well, I know I'll do my best, so whatever happens, I'll be pleased. Your Psych class sounds really interesting, actually, from what I read on Tumblr. History and Science are like that with taking notes, it's a pain sometimes, but I don't mind it so much in History because it's so interesting.

"I understand why you might think it," Brandon replied, "Especially after last night. But now you know that I'll be here for as long as you'll want me. Which is a long time, I'd hope." He smiled reassuringly at her and kissed her back, holding her tightly, as though if he loosened off even a little bit, she would slip away, or at least things would fall back to how they were the night before.

At first, Caden hadn't felt anything, but soon the raindrops became a little more frequent, and he could feel a few falling onto him. He put his hand out and looked up. "Yeah, I did, and I can't say I was expecting that to happen." He wondered where the big rainclouds had come from, it had been pretty nice weather before then.

"Yup. I read an interview with Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters and he said that's how he's always kept the hangovers at bay," Kara chuckled, " So I tried it, and I'd say it works pretty well, actually. It's probably a personal thing as to whether it really works or not, but it might be worth a try." In reply to his question, she said, "Well, I'm actually from Holland, but my family moved to the States when I was pretty young. We lived in Ohio for a while, until my Mom left, and Dad could no longer afford to pay the rent on his own. Then we went to Illinois, and he and I lived by ourselves on the outskirts of Chicago. I moved back here just to see what it was like and to take a break away, since I'd earned enough money to take a trip. It was also an excuse to finally really use the Dutch my Dad had taught me alongside English when I was small."

 

[Penguins.]

I totally get it. I think the only thing my parents know about the SAT is that I need a good score.

I have to finish reading Chapter One later, but I can't decide if I want to do it after my AMSTUD reading or before... And it's only 4 o clock. Blehh

"I'll always want you with me," she said after pulling away from the kiss. She shifted her weight slightly to what was a more comfortable spot for her, and she hoped for Brandon as well. "Can we just stay like this for a while?" she asked, enjoying how close they were. She had missed this and didn't want to let go of it so soon.

Cassandra frowned as the rain began to pour down. The people in the streets seemed to be getting less and less as the rain became more intense. "We should go inside," she said, looking around for somewhere to go. She took his hand, leading him to the first place she saw. Once inside, she found out that it was a small bookstore and it was considerably less crowded than the coffee shop next door.

"I just wouldn't know where to get a burrito in the morning," Keegan laughed. "It's great that you're bilingual. I mean, I know English and enough French to get around the country, but I wouldn't say I'm fluent."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Yeah, I think my parents barely understand what year I'm in at school sometimes, and how that works. As for GCSEs and A Levels, they know what grade is good, and that's about it.

Wow, it sounds so weird when you say it's only 4. I forget the time difference sometimes.

"Definitely. I'd like it if we can, too," Brandon replied, equally enjoying the closeness, and quite content to stay that way with her for as long as possible. He absentmindedly twirled a few strands of her curly, red hair around his fingers gently as he held her. It was the quiet, close moments like this that he really found himself completely stuck by how beautiful he thought she was, and how lucky he was to have her. In reply to what she'd said before, he smiled and said, "Well, I'm glad about that, because I'll always want you to want me with you. Truth is, I can't even imagine a single day knowing I wasn't yours anymore."

Caden had followed her into the first place they'd found to shelter from the rain. He looked around and observed where they were for the first time, a small book shop where they appeared to sell a lot of old, second hand books, even first editions of classics and such. Those were the best kinds of book shops, and he found himself looking at several already that took his interest.

"Well, that's true, I suppose. Here, it's not so easy. But in Chicago there's usually one place open early enough. Either that or you eat one just before you go to bed. But that all depends, that can lead to trouble if you're too off your head to even stand up straight," Kara chuckled, and she had to agree that he had a point. She nodded. "I think I was really fortunate to not only have a Dutch father but also that he felt that he should teach me to speak the language. I mean, when you're a baby you just pick it up without knowing, so it's easy."

 

[Penguins.]

I always forget if you're five or six hours ahead of me. I can never really remember.

"You'll never have to imagine it, I promise," she replied, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "Unless you want to. But I don't think you do." She lifted her hand to ruffle his hair lightly, enjoying their proximity. They were perfect for each other; she was sure of that.

Cassandra had left his side, allowing herself to get lost within the shelves. After gathering a small pile of books, she sat down in a corner of the shop from where she could keep an eye on the weather as she flipped through her finds.

"Yeah," Keegan agreed. "It's supposed to be a lot easier to learn languages when you're younger. If only my parents were bilingual. It would be amazing to be fluent in two languages."