The weirdest part, Ashlee decided, was how quickly everything went back to normal.
It was almost exactly the same as the start of last year. Ashlee had talked with her friends over chat about their plans for the school year, what was going on in their life, and so on the night before. She’d shopped for new clothes: she’d found a brown jumper dress with a teddy bear face on it, cute socks, and a blouse to layer under it. She’d studied over the summer, as normal.
Coming back made the past few months-- may be over a year-- before they were allowed back on campus seem like a strange dream. There hadn’t been a brace on her back for the longest time, and only a few people were wearing face masks. Too normal. It felt surreal.
But today was September 1st, and that was the first day of school.
But she was glad. She was glad to see that mixture of architecture from an assortment of eras, the slippery lacquering, the cheesy signs of Boston Terriers, the scattered lockers. She didn’t realize how much she was going to miss it, but she did.
After fishing her locker combination from her jumper pocket, she made sure that she found the right locker, and fumbled with the lock for a moment. Even back then, the locks could get a little tricky. But in a heartbeat, she heard a distinct click, and she was able to swing it open. From there, she slid her new backpack-- the pastel pink canvas one with cats on it and a white pom-pom keychain hanging from a zipper-- onto the ground and began placing her belongings into her new locker. Her binders, her books, her lunch for the day, some essentials such as an umbrella. After that was taken care of, next were some decorations. They were allowed to decorate the inside of their lockers to some extent, so she brought some things as well. A mirror would be useful, in case she had to wait to get her makeup done in the bathroom. A photograph of the cheer team, tucked into the door of the locker.
She was here a bit early, she knew, so once she was done, she had time to hang around a bit. And for that, she was grateful.
Yumeno Hajima Ring Ring
Morning of September 1st (open)
What Ashlee described as a surreal dream had been an ongoing night terror for Teddie Boyd. But if there was any proof he was finally awake, it was standing in the school hallways on September 1st.
((Teddie Boyd pregame debut))
Teddie took in that fresh school air, arms spread wide as he basked in the hustle and bustle of students walking to-and-fro. He had a look of total bliss on his face, and he even felt a smattering of tears well up behind his shut eyes. If it wasn’t for the unwelcome intrusion of a face mask every few people, a painful reminder of the reality that had passed, he would've felt truly relieved.
He made his way to his locker, passing by the familiar sights that he had missed so much over the past year. The Boston Terriers in particular had filled him with joy; he had been so relieved that he hadn’t lost the role of the school mascot during his forced isolation. Even as another student’s nearby sneeze caused him to flinch with a twinge of anxiety, he felt gratitude that that time was finally over. Even if he was still getting back to his old self, the cacophony of the student halls washed over him like a cleansing wave.
As he made his way to his locker, the first familiar face of the new school year greeted him, her own locker neighbouring his own. “Ashlee!!” he called out, jumping towards her. When he realised what she was wearing, he smiled even further. “Oh my god, twinsies!” he remarked, pointing at the face on her jumper before spinning around to reveal the fire breathing bear on the back of his hoodie.
Of course he could claim twinsies with any bear he wanted, by virtue of his name, but the coinciding outfits just made geting one of the cheerleaders (and one of the cutest at that) as a locker neighbour all the sweeter. He had worn his casual ensemble because, as much as he wanted to dress up for the first day back at school, he had just wanted something a little bit easier to put on. But as the energy crept back into him, he had a good feeling he’d be able to dress up a little fancier tomorrow.
“Ok, so, tell me everything: how was your summer?”
((Teddie Boyd pregame debut))
Teddie took in that fresh school air, arms spread wide as he basked in the hustle and bustle of students walking to-and-fro. He had a look of total bliss on his face, and he even felt a smattering of tears well up behind his shut eyes. If it wasn’t for the unwelcome intrusion of a face mask every few people, a painful reminder of the reality that had passed, he would've felt truly relieved.
He made his way to his locker, passing by the familiar sights that he had missed so much over the past year. The Boston Terriers in particular had filled him with joy; he had been so relieved that he hadn’t lost the role of the school mascot during his forced isolation. Even as another student’s nearby sneeze caused him to flinch with a twinge of anxiety, he felt gratitude that that time was finally over. Even if he was still getting back to his old self, the cacophony of the student halls washed over him like a cleansing wave.
As he made his way to his locker, the first familiar face of the new school year greeted him, her own locker neighbouring his own. “Ashlee!!” he called out, jumping towards her. When he realised what she was wearing, he smiled even further. “Oh my god, twinsies!” he remarked, pointing at the face on her jumper before spinning around to reveal the fire breathing bear on the back of his hoodie.
Of course he could claim twinsies with any bear he wanted, by virtue of his name, but the coinciding outfits just made geting one of the cheerleaders (and one of the cutest at that) as a locker neighbour all the sweeter. He had worn his casual ensemble because, as much as he wanted to dress up for the first day back at school, he had just wanted something a little bit easier to put on. But as the energy crept back into him, he had a good feeling he’d be able to dress up a little fancier tomorrow.
“Ok, so, tell me everything: how was your summer?”
"Smile. The world's not ending just yet."
-
ViolentMedic
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- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:53 am
A few lockers down, Marshall was not initially basking in the presence of his fellow man at all. He was instead concerned, deeply and intrinsically, about the state of his locker.
[Marshall West: Pregame Start.]
He was, instead, shuffling his binders and notebooks into the correct order as he placed them into his locker. He had pens, more than enough to ensure he wouldn’t run out of ink while taking notes, and in multiple colours. A tidy lunch, a bottle of water, and a small bag with band-aids—sometimes the nurse’s office was just too far—and a bottle of sunscreen to stop him from baking in the sun. He tucked his class schedule and after-class study schedule into the front-most binder before picking up it and another notebook—both with blue spines to designate them as his English notes—before his eyes swept over the locker one more time, in case he’d forgotten anything after a year of simply ordering all his study materials at home.
A sneeze nearby made him frown, instinctively reaching for the mask in his pocket. He’d been vaccinated, but he wouldn’t risk getting ill on the first day of school. COVID, flu, whatever. He was behind enough—not having access to the school library or live help had been detrimental—without falling prey to germs, and while he might have gotten away with the sniffles pre-COVID, he wouldn’t get away with it now.
As he looked around, trying to find the source of the sneeze so he could judge if they were ill or not, he instead noticed—alongside the call of ‘twinsies’--familiar people in the crowd, both decorated in bears. Marshall looked down briefly at his own plain, long-sleeved shirt and slacks. Had he missed a trend? Was Teddie pedalling a new school mascot? No, they could never have a live bear on the field.
More importantly, Ashlee was lacking the contraption she’d been wearing before the pandemic hit. Furthermore, it was important to catch up with those who shared the sporting field, and cheerleaders and mascots were practically brothers-in-arms with the players, or it’d be like an old-time army with no man on the trumpet hyping them up.
Marshall closed his locker—with more force than what was strictly necessary—and having lost whoever sneezed in the crowd, he instead marched over to Ashlee and Teddie while putting on a wide grin, planting his feet down beside them and raising his hands in greeting.
“Ashlee! Your back brace is gone! Are you returning to cheerleading?” he asked, voice as usual a few degrees louder than what was strictly necessary. “And Teddie! Hello! It is good to see both of you, or anyone, in the actual flesh!”
He continued beaming, as if his mouth were wired to stay that way.
[Marshall West: Pregame Start.]
He was, instead, shuffling his binders and notebooks into the correct order as he placed them into his locker. He had pens, more than enough to ensure he wouldn’t run out of ink while taking notes, and in multiple colours. A tidy lunch, a bottle of water, and a small bag with band-aids—sometimes the nurse’s office was just too far—and a bottle of sunscreen to stop him from baking in the sun. He tucked his class schedule and after-class study schedule into the front-most binder before picking up it and another notebook—both with blue spines to designate them as his English notes—before his eyes swept over the locker one more time, in case he’d forgotten anything after a year of simply ordering all his study materials at home.
A sneeze nearby made him frown, instinctively reaching for the mask in his pocket. He’d been vaccinated, but he wouldn’t risk getting ill on the first day of school. COVID, flu, whatever. He was behind enough—not having access to the school library or live help had been detrimental—without falling prey to germs, and while he might have gotten away with the sniffles pre-COVID, he wouldn’t get away with it now.
As he looked around, trying to find the source of the sneeze so he could judge if they were ill or not, he instead noticed—alongside the call of ‘twinsies’--familiar people in the crowd, both decorated in bears. Marshall looked down briefly at his own plain, long-sleeved shirt and slacks. Had he missed a trend? Was Teddie pedalling a new school mascot? No, they could never have a live bear on the field.
More importantly, Ashlee was lacking the contraption she’d been wearing before the pandemic hit. Furthermore, it was important to catch up with those who shared the sporting field, and cheerleaders and mascots were practically brothers-in-arms with the players, or it’d be like an old-time army with no man on the trumpet hyping them up.
Marshall closed his locker—with more force than what was strictly necessary—and having lost whoever sneezed in the crowd, he instead marched over to Ashlee and Teddie while putting on a wide grin, planting his feet down beside them and raising his hands in greeting.
“Ashlee! Your back brace is gone! Are you returning to cheerleading?” he asked, voice as usual a few degrees louder than what was strictly necessary. “And Teddie! Hello! It is good to see both of you, or anyone, in the actual flesh!”
He continued beaming, as if his mouth were wired to stay that way.
There was the indistinct chatter of many voices talking at once, groups of friends greeting each other properly for the first time in months. So Jessica put her headphones on to block it all out. They had all been forced apart by a growing pandemic and an admittance that no one had been prepared for a modern pandemic. Everyone had been sent home and forced to see out the rest of the year from home, it had been tough for everyone to go through. They had all been forced through a neverending period where every day was exactly the same, you would wake up, log into your laptop, sit through classes on Zoom, eat, doom scroll, sleep and then repeat it all again. It was easy to forget what day it was and a few times Jessica had found herself doing exactly that. To try and alleviate the problem she had invested in a lot of training equipment and set out an exercise routine.
She went for runs, used her hangboard, lifted weights, anything she could think of to keep some form of fitness because with everything on lockdown and the national parks closed she couldn't do any climbing. It meant more time hiking and skateboarding and while she had seen a considerable achievement in her skateboarding ability nothing could fill the hole not being able to climb had left in her. It was tough being without her main passion, plus with the school closed she was unable to take part in volleyball as well. The team had kept in touch, of course, they had a group chat and talked regularly but it wasn't the same as being able to see each other in person and actually practice, so Jessica was looking forward to that.
As she made her way through the hallways of John Endecott Memorial Academy Jessica kept her mask up over her nose and mouth, it was a mask with a flag of Montana design and she didn't like it, but her other mask had been put in the wash so she was out of options. The worst of the pandemic was supposed to be over, but she had still been anxious about returning to school. It was a lot of people all gathering in one place. It could have been classed as paranoia but Jessica saw it more as a choice of prioritizing her own comfort above everything else. She gave it a few days and then she would be walking around like normal as if nothing had ever happened.
The first step on that path was to put all her things back in her locker. That was the first thing she wasn't looking forward to. Her locker neighbors were Ashlee and Teddie, who were both...loud she guessed was the best descriptor. They were both loud in personality and fashion choices, and while there was nothing wrong with that, it wasn't for her, she didn't particularly enjoy it. They both also made an effort to be friendly, which she wasn't keen on either. It meant there was a good chance they would ask her what she had been doing over the lockdown, when Marshall moved on to join them Jessica considered not bothering with her locker and heading to class instead. But she didn't see much use in carrying around a book on zoology when she had math as her first period.
So she made her way to her locker and while she was certain her silent approach was going to be a success she hadn't remembered to account for the fact that the lacquered flooring of JEM's corridors could get incredibly slippery and instead of a stealthy stop she instead slipped and had to slam her hands into her locker to avoid faceplanting it. Feeling her face going red Jessica busied herself with the lock and her bag and hoped none of the other three tried to ask if she was okay.
She went for runs, used her hangboard, lifted weights, anything she could think of to keep some form of fitness because with everything on lockdown and the national parks closed she couldn't do any climbing. It meant more time hiking and skateboarding and while she had seen a considerable achievement in her skateboarding ability nothing could fill the hole not being able to climb had left in her. It was tough being without her main passion, plus with the school closed she was unable to take part in volleyball as well. The team had kept in touch, of course, they had a group chat and talked regularly but it wasn't the same as being able to see each other in person and actually practice, so Jessica was looking forward to that.
As she made her way through the hallways of John Endecott Memorial Academy Jessica kept her mask up over her nose and mouth, it was a mask with a flag of Montana design and she didn't like it, but her other mask had been put in the wash so she was out of options. The worst of the pandemic was supposed to be over, but she had still been anxious about returning to school. It was a lot of people all gathering in one place. It could have been classed as paranoia but Jessica saw it more as a choice of prioritizing her own comfort above everything else. She gave it a few days and then she would be walking around like normal as if nothing had ever happened.
The first step on that path was to put all her things back in her locker. That was the first thing she wasn't looking forward to. Her locker neighbors were Ashlee and Teddie, who were both...loud she guessed was the best descriptor. They were both loud in personality and fashion choices, and while there was nothing wrong with that, it wasn't for her, she didn't particularly enjoy it. They both also made an effort to be friendly, which she wasn't keen on either. It meant there was a good chance they would ask her what she had been doing over the lockdown, when Marshall moved on to join them Jessica considered not bothering with her locker and heading to class instead. But she didn't see much use in carrying around a book on zoology when she had math as her first period.
So she made her way to her locker and while she was certain her silent approach was going to be a success she hadn't remembered to account for the fact that the lacquered flooring of JEM's corridors could get incredibly slippery and instead of a stealthy stop she instead slipped and had to slam her hands into her locker to avoid faceplanting it. Feeling her face going red Jessica busied herself with the lock and her bag and hoped none of the other three tried to ask if she was okay.
Ashlee turned around and smiled, gently waving.
“Hey Teddy, hey Marshall,” she said. “Funny that we’re paired together and two of us dressed to dress in theme, right? Maybe Marshall should wear a teddy too.”
It was, honestly. Teddy and teddy, someone not named Teddy but wearing a teddy. It was hilarious. No pressure if Marshall didn’t want to be a teddy, though. It would just be funny if he did.
“Anyways, uh, my back’s healing up nicely, so I should be back on the field soon. It’s nice to see you both in person. It’s nice to see anyone, right? And, my summer was nice, actually. It’s been so nice to go out more often nowadays.”
It was, really.
Ashlee heard a slipping sound, and looked to see Jessica slamming her hand against a locker. She frowned.
“Hey, Jessica, are you okay?”
“Hey Teddy, hey Marshall,” she said. “Funny that we’re paired together and two of us dressed to dress in theme, right? Maybe Marshall should wear a teddy too.”
It was, honestly. Teddy and teddy, someone not named Teddy but wearing a teddy. It was hilarious. No pressure if Marshall didn’t want to be a teddy, though. It would just be funny if he did.
“Anyways, uh, my back’s healing up nicely, so I should be back on the field soon. It’s nice to see you both in person. It’s nice to see anyone, right? And, my summer was nice, actually. It’s been so nice to go out more often nowadays.”
It was, really.
Ashlee heard a slipping sound, and looked to see Jessica slamming her hand against a locker. She frowned.
“Hey, Jessica, are you okay?”
“Awesome! Glad to hear it!” Teddie replied to Ashlee’s mention of her back, beaming a big ol' smile.
Truthfully, he had completely forgotten about her crippling spinal injury. Not that he didn’t care, he cared the crap out of it at the time, in fact. There had been so much going on, though, and so little ability to juggle sympathy for everyone. It was really, really tough to care when you were trying just to get out of bed in the morning, and not just because people did not appreciate that 8 a.m. was far too early to do anything.
But nevermind that: ancient history, not something to think about. Ashlee’s flexible spine (which was a fun thing to consider) was another sign of how much better things were.
Teddie turned his smile beam towards Marshall, blasting him with happy vibes in a smile-beam-counterattack. Marshall was as...volumetric? As he ever was. Teddie didn’t think volumetric meant that, as science was one of his better subjects, but fuck it Marshall was fun. He looked like he’d be great at hugs, with his stocky build, but whenever Teddie had tried before it had just turned into a rather stiff affair. And not the sort of stiff affair he usually liked, either. Yeah, he could make dick jokes. Who was going to stop him?
There was also the lingering fact that he didn’t think they were supposed to be hugging still, or maybe he had heard someone obnoxious caution against it at some point. Even though the pandemic was over and they were all vaccinated, some people were just overly cautious. And that was fine, except it kind of wasn’t? Because it was over, so let’s all move on with our lives?
Well, it didn’t matter what people thought. It was ancient history, not something to think about. He’d hug Marshall another time though, as Ashlee brought his attention to the fourth party that Teddie had just sort of glossed over up to that point.
“Hey Jess-!”
Ah.
God Fucking Damn It.
“He-hey. You know. You don’t have to wear that mask.”
Truthfully, he had completely forgotten about her crippling spinal injury. Not that he didn’t care, he cared the crap out of it at the time, in fact. There had been so much going on, though, and so little ability to juggle sympathy for everyone. It was really, really tough to care when you were trying just to get out of bed in the morning, and not just because people did not appreciate that 8 a.m. was far too early to do anything.
But nevermind that: ancient history, not something to think about. Ashlee’s flexible spine (which was a fun thing to consider) was another sign of how much better things were.
Teddie turned his smile beam towards Marshall, blasting him with happy vibes in a smile-beam-counterattack. Marshall was as...volumetric? As he ever was. Teddie didn’t think volumetric meant that, as science was one of his better subjects, but fuck it Marshall was fun. He looked like he’d be great at hugs, with his stocky build, but whenever Teddie had tried before it had just turned into a rather stiff affair. And not the sort of stiff affair he usually liked, either. Yeah, he could make dick jokes. Who was going to stop him?
There was also the lingering fact that he didn’t think they were supposed to be hugging still, or maybe he had heard someone obnoxious caution against it at some point. Even though the pandemic was over and they were all vaccinated, some people were just overly cautious. And that was fine, except it kind of wasn’t? Because it was over, so let’s all move on with our lives?
Well, it didn’t matter what people thought. It was ancient history, not something to think about. He’d hug Marshall another time though, as Ashlee brought his attention to the fourth party that Teddie had just sort of glossed over up to that point.
“Hey Jess-!”
Ah.
God Fucking Damn It.
“He-hey. You know. You don’t have to wear that mask.”
"Smile. The world's not ending just yet."
-
ViolentMedic
- Posts: 1414
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:53 am
“No, thank you! I have no articles of clothing decorated in bears, nor a reason to purchase one.” Marshall planted his hands on his hips. “If it were terriers, that would be a different matter. Then it would be a matter of school spirit! But of course you two are already the personification of that.” He nodded seriously, then said, “My summer was good, but I’m happy to get out and return to school. It is much easier to work with people around!”
Marshall continued beaming at them both. Teddie’s cheer made him determined to continue feeding back that energy until they succeeded in creating a free energy source from it. The attempt was interrupted by a clunk, as nearby Jessica Romero nearly clunked her head on the lockers.
And yet Teddie’s first was concern was the mask. Not the obvious danger.
“Nevermind the mask!” Marshall barked, raising a finger as if to shush Teddie. “It is Jessica’s decision to be vigilant, and an admirable one! That is not the issue here!”
Marshall used the finger to instead point at Jessica’s feet, a stern and concerned frown on his face.
“You must consider better footwear! The floors here are slippery, and you will be at risk of injury until you find shoes with proper grip! You will end up like Ashlee, unable to do her sick flips!” He raised his hands again, fingers curled up in dramatized anguish. “Think of the sick flips, Jessica!”
Marshall continued beaming at them both. Teddie’s cheer made him determined to continue feeding back that energy until they succeeded in creating a free energy source from it. The attempt was interrupted by a clunk, as nearby Jessica Romero nearly clunked her head on the lockers.
And yet Teddie’s first was concern was the mask. Not the obvious danger.
“Nevermind the mask!” Marshall barked, raising a finger as if to shush Teddie. “It is Jessica’s decision to be vigilant, and an admirable one! That is not the issue here!”
Marshall used the finger to instead point at Jessica’s feet, a stern and concerned frown on his face.
“You must consider better footwear! The floors here are slippery, and you will be at risk of injury until you find shoes with proper grip! You will end up like Ashlee, unable to do her sick flips!” He raised his hands again, fingers curled up in dramatized anguish. “Think of the sick flips, Jessica!”
Oh, she hated this.
Jessica wasn't and had never been a big talker. It just wasn't who she was or how she was wired. Unless it was something she felt passionate about, she would speak when spoken to or when she thought she had something to offer the conversation but the way the conversation had developed, with her at the center of it, was the worst thing that could have happened. That was her train of thought as she pulled her headphones down. The problem was threefold, first, Ashlee asked if she was okay, the second was that Teddie didn't like her wearing a mask, and the third was that Marshall was exceptionally loud, when he spoke she felt like she was stood opposite a megaphone. All three of them had combined to shine a spotlight on her presence at the lockers.
After Marshall had finished raising his hands Jessica pulled her head back and away from him. Not really sure what to make of the display. "Uhh yeah?" She replied, the distinctive rasping tones of her voice emanating from her mouth for the first time since she had entered the school. Marshall's energy was a bit too much for her, it was all bright-eyed and wide smiled. She wasn't really about it but she couldn't hate the guy for being passionate.
"I'm fine, just slipped, and I don't really feel comfortable taking my mask off," She said, turning her attention back to her locker. "So, sorry I guess."
Jessica wasn't and had never been a big talker. It just wasn't who she was or how she was wired. Unless it was something she felt passionate about, she would speak when spoken to or when she thought she had something to offer the conversation but the way the conversation had developed, with her at the center of it, was the worst thing that could have happened. That was her train of thought as she pulled her headphones down. The problem was threefold, first, Ashlee asked if she was okay, the second was that Teddie didn't like her wearing a mask, and the third was that Marshall was exceptionally loud, when he spoke she felt like she was stood opposite a megaphone. All three of them had combined to shine a spotlight on her presence at the lockers.
After Marshall had finished raising his hands Jessica pulled her head back and away from him. Not really sure what to make of the display. "Uhh yeah?" She replied, the distinctive rasping tones of her voice emanating from her mouth for the first time since she had entered the school. Marshall's energy was a bit too much for her, it was all bright-eyed and wide smiled. She wasn't really about it but she couldn't hate the guy for being passionate.
"I'm fine, just slipped, and I don't really feel comfortable taking my mask off," She said, turning her attention back to her locker. "So, sorry I guess."
(Wendy Kennedy: Pregame Start)
Wendy’s locker was at the end of the hallway. She stuffed her backpack with the essentials she’d need for the first half of the day. Her math and English textbooks, her lunch, and her notebooks. She kept her pencils in a pouch on the side of said backpack. It had been nice to get back into the swing of things since the pandemic hit. She kept a mask just in case, at her mother’s recommendation.
As Wendy made her way up the hall, she spotted some familiar, friendly faces. Fellow anime fan and friend Ashlee, and nice guys Marshall and Teddie. They appeared to be talking to another girl. It looked like Jessica, one of the sporty types. Looks like she wasn’t taking any chances, since she still has a mask on, not that Wendy saw anything wrong with that. Wendy eagerly wanted to talk to her friends, so she hurried over.
“Uh, hey everyone,” Wendy said, “What’s going on?”
Wendy’s locker was at the end of the hallway. She stuffed her backpack with the essentials she’d need for the first half of the day. Her math and English textbooks, her lunch, and her notebooks. She kept her pencils in a pouch on the side of said backpack. It had been nice to get back into the swing of things since the pandemic hit. She kept a mask just in case, at her mother’s recommendation.
As Wendy made her way up the hall, she spotted some familiar, friendly faces. Fellow anime fan and friend Ashlee, and nice guys Marshall and Teddie. They appeared to be talking to another girl. It looked like Jessica, one of the sporty types. Looks like she wasn’t taking any chances, since she still has a mask on, not that Wendy saw anything wrong with that. Wendy eagerly wanted to talk to her friends, so she hurried over.
“Uh, hey everyone,” Wendy said, “What’s going on?”
“Oof, don’t remind me,” Ashlee said, smiling.
She honestly didn’t mind the reference to her little accident. At least, not too much. It was really a mixture of dumb luck and stuff she could have been more careful about. Injuries were common among cheerleaders, especially among flyers, so honestly? It was a matter of time before something happened, in retrospect.
Still though.
It did not help quarantine to have to worry about her back, not one bit.
She leaned forward, to talk to Jessica a bit more.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s been a while for all of us, so it’s easy to forget how slippery the floors are. And, uh, I would wear one myself just for fashion, honestly! It looks cool. I’m just enjoying not having to wear one for the time being.”
Her eyes lit up. She waved.
“Hey Wendy! We’re just chatting. What’s up?”
She honestly didn’t mind the reference to her little accident. At least, not too much. It was really a mixture of dumb luck and stuff she could have been more careful about. Injuries were common among cheerleaders, especially among flyers, so honestly? It was a matter of time before something happened, in retrospect.
Still though.
It did not help quarantine to have to worry about her back, not one bit.
She leaned forward, to talk to Jessica a bit more.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s been a while for all of us, so it’s easy to forget how slippery the floors are. And, uh, I would wear one myself just for fashion, honestly! It looks cool. I’m just enjoying not having to wear one for the time being.”
Her eyes lit up. She waved.
“Hey Wendy! We’re just chatting. What’s up?”
“Yeah, and those are really good points Ashlee and Marshall are making, but you don’t have to, you feel me?”
Teddie just sort of quirked the eyebrows to acknowledge Wendy’s arrival, because he was far too focused on convincing Jessica that she didn’t need to shove that mask in his face. Because the pandemic was over, and let’s move on with our lives?
Ok, obviously he hadn’t expected to not see anyone wearing a mask today, as much as that would’ve been nice, but he just kind of hoped he could go more than ten minutes in the school building before he had to stare at someone (who was otherwise pretty cute!) with a great big "Hey the pandemic happened" reminder.
“I’m just saying, we’re all here back at school. Everyone's had a shot. I've had a shot, you've had a shot, we've all had a shot! Let’s all just get on with our lives and put shit behind us, yeah?”
Yeah, he was starting to sound a bit pushy, he could hear it in his voice. And he knew that he couldn’t force people to not wear masks, and the pandemic was still a thing that happened and it wasn’t like people would just forget about it and move on.
But couldn’t they just do exactly that without complaining about it? Was it so much to ask?
Teddie just sort of quirked the eyebrows to acknowledge Wendy’s arrival, because he was far too focused on convincing Jessica that she didn’t need to shove that mask in his face. Because the pandemic was over, and let’s move on with our lives?
Ok, obviously he hadn’t expected to not see anyone wearing a mask today, as much as that would’ve been nice, but he just kind of hoped he could go more than ten minutes in the school building before he had to stare at someone (who was otherwise pretty cute!) with a great big "Hey the pandemic happened" reminder.
“I’m just saying, we’re all here back at school. Everyone's had a shot. I've had a shot, you've had a shot, we've all had a shot! Let’s all just get on with our lives and put shit behind us, yeah?”
Yeah, he was starting to sound a bit pushy, he could hear it in his voice. And he knew that he couldn’t force people to not wear masks, and the pandemic was still a thing that happened and it wasn’t like people would just forget about it and move on.
But couldn’t they just do exactly that without complaining about it? Was it so much to ask?
"Smile. The world's not ending just yet."
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ViolentMedic
- Posts: 1414
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:53 am
“I only say it with admiration for the sick flips. I envy the ability, minus the severe injuries,” Marshall said seriously, nodding, before returning his attention to Jessica.
“No apologies are necessary for your vigilance! Do you want an address for a store with good grip shoes?! It’s cheap!” The value of thriftiness was not to be underestimated, and Marshall was already opening one of his notebooks and turning to the back to write down the address of a decent store before he’d finished talking.
Another person was here, Wendy Kennedy. The crowd was becoming immense. It was enough to make Marshall emphasize more with Jessica, as after so long without crowds it was feeling quite claustrophobic. Nonetheless, Marshall waved briefly with the hand he was using to retrieve a pen.
“Hello! We are talking about the dangers of unsafe footwear! ...And also bears!”
Pen now retrieved, Marshall displayed a stern frown in Teddie’s direction for his interference, and gestured at him with the pen.
“Teddie, you’re the one lingering on it! Jessica didn’t tape her mask to your face! It is not a choice that affects you!” He scrawled down the address of the shoe store. “And some people can’t have shots because of medical issues or mistaken beliefs that vaccines microchip us, and regardless of potential stupidity those people must be protected!” He tore the page with the displayed address out of the book and, still focusing his stare and frown at Teddie, pushed it in Jessica’s direction without looking.
“No apologies are necessary for your vigilance! Do you want an address for a store with good grip shoes?! It’s cheap!” The value of thriftiness was not to be underestimated, and Marshall was already opening one of his notebooks and turning to the back to write down the address of a decent store before he’d finished talking.
Another person was here, Wendy Kennedy. The crowd was becoming immense. It was enough to make Marshall emphasize more with Jessica, as after so long without crowds it was feeling quite claustrophobic. Nonetheless, Marshall waved briefly with the hand he was using to retrieve a pen.
“Hello! We are talking about the dangers of unsafe footwear! ...And also bears!”
Pen now retrieved, Marshall displayed a stern frown in Teddie’s direction for his interference, and gestured at him with the pen.
“Teddie, you’re the one lingering on it! Jessica didn’t tape her mask to your face! It is not a choice that affects you!” He scrawled down the address of the shoe store. “And some people can’t have shots because of medical issues or mistaken beliefs that vaccines microchip us, and regardless of potential stupidity those people must be protected!” He tore the page with the displayed address out of the book and, still focusing his stare and frown at Teddie, pushed it in Jessica’s direction without looking.
"Uhh."
The situation Jessica had found herself in hadn't improved any as the others continued talking. It bounced between Teddie and Marshall as they went back and forth over the fact she was wearing a mask. It was not a situation she relished. She wouldn't have felt comfortable with the conversation to begin with, let alone when she was the subject of it. Marshall was also writing down the name of a shoe shop that he was insisting she visit to buy new footwear, and as he lectured Teddy he ripped a page out of his notebook and handed it to her.
Jessica took it because what else was she supposed to do and politely glanced at it before shoving it away into a pocket. Marshall seemed well-meaning enough but was also far too boisterous for her, when he spoke it sounded like he was trying to make an announcement to the whole school. Meanwhile, Teddie was pushing for her to take her mask off, which, despite the fact it was the ugliest mask she owned she didn't want to do. She knew it was stupid as like he said they'd all had the vaccine when it had been rolled out, or they all should have had it. But she was wearing the mask for her own comfort than anything else, she felt better with it on, so while she felt slightly bad that her mask made Teddie uncomfortable and hated the attention on her, she wasn't budging.
"I know that," She started, looking at Teddie and Marshall before glancing away. "But I don't see why I have to take it off."
The situation Jessica had found herself in hadn't improved any as the others continued talking. It bounced between Teddie and Marshall as they went back and forth over the fact she was wearing a mask. It was not a situation she relished. She wouldn't have felt comfortable with the conversation to begin with, let alone when she was the subject of it. Marshall was also writing down the name of a shoe shop that he was insisting she visit to buy new footwear, and as he lectured Teddy he ripped a page out of his notebook and handed it to her.
Jessica took it because what else was she supposed to do and politely glanced at it before shoving it away into a pocket. Marshall seemed well-meaning enough but was also far too boisterous for her, when he spoke it sounded like he was trying to make an announcement to the whole school. Meanwhile, Teddie was pushing for her to take her mask off, which, despite the fact it was the ugliest mask she owned she didn't want to do. She knew it was stupid as like he said they'd all had the vaccine when it had been rolled out, or they all should have had it. But she was wearing the mask for her own comfort than anything else, she felt better with it on, so while she felt slightly bad that her mask made Teddie uncomfortable and hated the attention on her, she wasn't budging.
"I know that," She started, looking at Teddie and Marshall before glancing away. "But I don't see why I have to take it off."
“Well,” Wendy said, “I don’t think it’s a bad idea to keep a mask. You can never be too careful.”
Seems Teddie was griping about Jessica choosing to keep a mask post-pandemic. Wendy would rather not deal with this kind of “mask vs no mask” debate, but she couldn’t blame those who kept wearing them. She had heard that some people were still testing positive to the virus. Sure, she was vaccinated, but there was also the possibility of the virus mutating to the point where vaccines wouldn’t work. At least, that’s what she’d heard.
“Anyway, I’ve been alright. Did some more drawing, watched a lot of anime. Oh! And I’ve been getting into a series called Tower of God”, Wendy said to Ashlee.
Seems Teddie was griping about Jessica choosing to keep a mask post-pandemic. Wendy would rather not deal with this kind of “mask vs no mask” debate, but she couldn’t blame those who kept wearing them. She had heard that some people were still testing positive to the virus. Sure, she was vaccinated, but there was also the possibility of the virus mutating to the point where vaccines wouldn’t work. At least, that’s what she’d heard.
“Anyway, I’ve been alright. Did some more drawing, watched a lot of anime. Oh! And I’ve been getting into a series called Tower of God”, Wendy said to Ashlee.
“Tower of God? I think I’ve heard of that one. It sounds interesting, but I haven’t picked it up yet.”
It was true. By the sound of things, it was an adaptation of a manhwa adventure story about a boy climbing a tower to rescue a friend. Ashlee had overheard people talking about it, and saw conversations about it on Discord. There were a lot of jokes about the number of betrayals that apparently went on, so she had to watch it to get context. It seemed to be a long read, but there was an anime adaptation out now, so.
Maybe she could watch some with Wendy? Depends on how far in she was.
“I’ve been meaning to get into it, though.”
Turning to Jessica, she added:
“I think it’s fine, though, if you’re more comfortable. It may take a while to get used to not needing to wear it, right?”
She giggled. She knew that it would take a while for people to get used to the idea of not needing to wear a mask.
It was true. By the sound of things, it was an adaptation of a manhwa adventure story about a boy climbing a tower to rescue a friend. Ashlee had overheard people talking about it, and saw conversations about it on Discord. There were a lot of jokes about the number of betrayals that apparently went on, so she had to watch it to get context. It seemed to be a long read, but there was an anime adaptation out now, so.
Maybe she could watch some with Wendy? Depends on how far in she was.
“I’ve been meaning to get into it, though.”
Turning to Jessica, she added:
“I think it’s fine, though, if you’re more comfortable. It may take a while to get used to not needing to wear it, right?”
She giggled. She knew that it would take a while for people to get used to the idea of not needing to wear a mask.