160 - close quarters

[AVERY ELIZA MADDOX]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] live in my house i'll be your shelter ( WORDS ) 572 ( TAGGED ) AMBRIELLE/FEMI ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Avery sat on her bed, in a comfy pair of yoga pants and a coral fitted v-neck tee, her laptop perched on her knees as she stared at the problems for her online economics homework for what seemed like the millionth time. She had her notes next to her on the tiny twin bed LCU expected her to sleep in until at least the end of the semester. Typically she would be sprawled out on her queen size bed at home, but she usually slept huddled against the wall, because it was cold, and the heat in the dorms almost always made them unbearably hot at night. She glanced back and forth between her notes and the screen, trying to resist the temptation to procrastinate by checking her Facebook. Avery knew she shouldn’t be procrastinating this early in the semester. There was still a lot of work to be done. Beyond the typical “syllabus week” antics, classes moved quickly and the work already seemed to be piling up. Hence, Avery was attempting to be proactive. She knew her family would be disappointed if her grades dropped while she was pledging Zeta. It did get a bit stressful at times, managing pledging Zeta with school and the work she did on campus. She also wanted to try out for the cheerleading squad in the spring. Thankfully, her roommate Ambrielle, was also pledging, which was nice, since they could lean on each other when they needed to. Avery flopped back into her pillows and stared at the ceiling for a moment before diving back into her homework. The demand curve, she remembered, slopes downward, because they both started with the letter d. That meant the upward sloping line was the supply curve. Price was on the vertical axis, and quantity was on the horizontal one. There was a dot at the intersection of the two curves, labeled E, which she was supposed to find, along with the mysterious P* and Q*. There were also two equations. But which one to use? Why did economics have to be so confusing? This was supposed to be basic stuff. Avery didn’t even want to take the stupid class anyway. She was going to be a kindergarten teacher, what good would knowing about business and economy do her in life? Still, Avery cared about her GPA, so she bit her lip and picked an equation at random, until she realized she didn’t have price and quantity to plug into it…she picked up her notebook and flipped through the pages until she found a similar looking graph. She remembered then, that to solve for P* and Q* she had to set the two equations equal to each other and then solve for each one individually. That’s why there were two. At least, that seemed right. Avery tore a blank sheet of paper from her notebook and copied the math problem as well as the graph. She recalled that the professor said something about being able to draw and understand graphs, not just the concepts behind them, would be important in this course. While she worked on the problem she sang along with Top 40 radio, which was playing in the background. Like a good and sociable freshman, she had her door propped open, in theory to invite her hallmates to come in to chat. When she heard someone enter the room, she looked up from her work, ”Oh hey!” BEST ROOMIES EVER! (:

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics (i'll cover you from rent)

[AMBRIELLE LYNNA EALY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border-radius: 2em; -moz-border-radius: 2em; background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/14e9a45.jpg), width: 400px; height: 400px;] You're guaranteed to run this town Woah, Mona Lisa, I'd pay to see you frown He senses something, call it desperation Another dollar, another day And if she had the proper words to say, ( She would tell him But she'd have nothing left to sell him --------------- ! ) words: 606 tagged: TAL Notes: nopes. Running a hand through her hair, Ambrielle sighed. She had a ton of homework to do, and she felt swamped. She hoisted her bag higher onto her shoulder and groaned. She hated how heavy the bag was when she had her books in it. She had just gone to the library to do some referencing. It had taken her longer than she had anticipated, but she didn’t have much planned for the rest of the day, so it didn’t bother her. What did bother her was the way the aide had treated her. She found herself frowning at the rude way he had spoken to her. She shivered against the chilly wind and ducked inside Prentice Hall. She didn’t care for winter. It was usually pretty mild here, but it was still a far cry from the summer weather. She loosened her scarf and relaxed her shoulders. She felt a sense of warm safety inside the dorm that was inexplicable. She ambled toward her dorm slowly, thinking about what life would be like when she moved into the Zeta house. There would doubtless be less drama, she was sure of that. Most of the Zetas were sweet, and tried really hard to get along with one another. They made her feel less alone here. She felt a pang of homesickness before she shook it off. She knocked hesitantly on the frame beside the door before she entered. She knew it was her room too, but she didn’t want to startle her new roommate. She felt that it was polite to give Avery at least some privacy. She grinned at her roommate. “Hello there,” She spoke softly. She wasn’t very big on speaking loudly, though she had a big family. At her house, the guys competed over who could speak the loudest. It was usually a madhouse. She had always just tried to blend in and make up for their voice levels by speaking as quietly as possible. “What are you up to?” She inquired as she moved to her small desk. She hated how cramped the rooms were. She sat her bag on the desk, removing her coat and gloves. “Man, I’m not used to this weather yet.” She commented. Her family usually went south for the winter. They had family in Texas that invited them over. It was another reason that she felt lonely. Her family wasn’t even in the state anymore. She was literally alone. She went to removing her books from her bag, tidying up her workspace. She didn’t like leaving things messy, just in case people stopped by. She liked to project an organized, put together front. Finally, having that done, she flung herself into her bed with a groan. She wasn’t sure why it made her feel better, but it did. “I had an interesting encounter at the library,” She confided. She buried her face in her pillow and resisted the urge to speak negatively about the guy she had met. She wasn’t sure how her friend would react. She didn’t know if Avery knew the guy. She sat up and crossed her legs, looking around the room consideringly. “I think we need more color,” She laughed. She loved bright pinks and oranges, but she figured her roommate would object. She wasn’t quite sure of the girl’s taste yet. She didn’t want to risk offending her. “Or pictures,” She nodded. She loved hanging pictures. It made the place feel more like home. Her room at the family house had been an explosion of pink and frames. She knew that would be overboard here. She almost laughed, trying to picture it. coming soon. ♥ ♥ ♥ template by hay shay ! @ caution 2.0 LYRICS BY PANIC AT THE DISCO Image by Marissa at Caution 2.0

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[AVERY ELIZA MADDOX]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] live in my house i'll be your shelter ( WORDS ) 544 ( TAGGED ) AMBRIELLE/FEMI ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Avery smiled, glad that unlike the horror stories she’d heard from some of her friends about their roommates, that she and Ambrielle had gotten along quite well and that they had a lot in common. Granted, a lot of her friends had stayed in Texas for school, and they had drama with their roommates following rush. Rush at most of the big Texas schools was extremely competitive, much more so than it was at LCU, and more often than not it resulted in heart break for quite a few girls who had their eyes on the top houses and didn’t make the cut. Thankfully though, she and Ambrielle had been able to easily avoid that problem, having chosen the same house. It had been nice to have someone to try on outfits with and talk about the stresses of rushing, and the two had quickly become fast friends. ”Oh, you know, just some Econ homework that unfortunately won’t do itself, even though I’m been staring at it for at least a half an hour hoping it would do so,” Avery sighed, though she was happy that Elle was back and would be able to distract her for a little while. Having someone to talk to would definitely make getting the assignment finished a lot less painful. Avery nodded, ”Oh I know! It’s so chilly here!” she said, a bit of her Southern drawl coming out. She’d been surprised how quickly it had started to fade the more she talked with people, it wouldn’t be long until it was barely noticeable, she guessed. ”What I wouldn’t give for some Texas sun right now…laying out and getting a natural tan…so much better than crawling in one of those cancer boxes. They make me claustrophobic, plus you totally have to shower when you get out of them because the lotions smell so bad,” she added and crinkled her nose at the thought of the smell. It was difficult to describe, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant, both sweaty and reeking of chemicals at the same time. She’d take the sunshine any day, and she usually avoiding tanning beds by sweeping on a good bronzer. ”An interesting encounter?” Avery raised her eyebrows and shut her lap top, setting it aside and grabbing one of the throw pillows on her bed. She sat up and crossed her legs, leaning forward, ”Do tell! Oh please, does it involve any cute boys? Cute nerdy boys? You know I’ve heard that nerds make the best boyfriends because they won’t cheat on you!” she grinned. Avery loved “girl talk” and was hoping for a good story. One could say she was something of a gossip, though only rarely did she intentionally tell people things she had overheard. They just couldn’t help spilling out of her mouth. She glanced around the room, Elle was right. It really could use more color. The obnoxious fluorescent lighting made everything else look drab in comparison. ”I totally agree! Maybe later this week we could make a trip to Target or something and pick up a lamp or two with cute colorful shades and a rug?” she suggested. ”And I’ve been meaning to hang some pictures. I can’t lie and say I haven’t been avoiding it though. I’m worried they’ll make me homesick,” she confided. BEST ROOMIES EVER! (:

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics (i'll cover you from rent)

[AMBRIELLE LYNNA EALY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border-radius: 2em; -moz-border-radius: 2em; background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/14e9a45.jpg), width: 400px; height: 400px;] You're guaranteed to run this town Woah, Mona Lisa, I'd pay to see you frown He senses something, call it desperation Another dollar, another day And if she had the proper words to say, ( She would tell him But she'd have nothing left to sell him --------------- ! ) words: 1031 tagged: TAL Notes: nopes. Ambrielle groaned. “I heard Econ is a killer!” She commented. There was no way that she would ever make it through that class. She didn’t even want to try it. “Maybe if we both concentrate, we can convince it to just disappear.” She grinned. She was in the mood to blow off some steam. Watching Avery do homework probably wouldn’t help much. Elle drew her hair back into a ponytail and stretched. She was sore from her run this morning. Elle loved running. This morning she had taken a new route along campus. She had somehow found a way to make the run even longer. “Maybe one of our future Zeta sisters has taken Econ?” She ventured. “I’m sure someone would be willing to help!” She knew that the Zetas were more than willing to help one of their own. It was one of the reasons she was so drawn to the sorority. The active members were so sweet and caring. When they did charity work, they actually had their hearts in it. One of the things she disliked the most about the Alphas was that they only cared about the charity aspect because they wanted to show the Zetas up. “I heart that!” Elle laughed, her eyes crinkling with pleasure. “My whole family is down there.” She confided. “I’d like some of the Texan cuties right about now, too!” She giggled. Elle covered her mouth with her hand. She hadn’t meant for that to come out, but it was too late to take it back. It wasn’t as if it weren’t true. “I don’t understand what people like about fake tanning,” she shuddered. Elle herself had never done it. She couldn’t explain it, but she was afraid of the tanning beds. “Not to mention the fact that somebody was there sweating not even five minutes before you!” She complained. Her sister swore by tanning, not that she needed it. Her entire family was a little bit darker skinned than most. Usually her family members were darker than her. They spent much more time out in the sun than she did. “My sister told me that one time the attendant forgot to spray down the bed before it was her turn. The entire bed was coated with lotion.” Elle couldn’t even picture the look on her sister’s face. She herself would have been horrified. It was one thing to put on your own lotion, but something else altogether to have to lay in someone else’s. Elle sighed, searching for the words to begin. “Well.. I tried to check out a book.” She started hesitantly. She wasn’t sure if her roommate would know the guy who had helped her. She wasn’t sure if she liked the guy. “I needed it for a paper I have to write for my Pediatrics class. Well, anyway, the book refused to scan. The guy all but yelled at me in the library in front of everyone. I was literally in tears. I’ve never been in a situation like that before. He was making fun of me. He kept saying that I thought I was a saint.” She frowned. Elle had no idea how the guy could even guess that she thought that. “I tried to solve the problem by getting another book. He even made fun of me for that!” Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were blazing, remembering the humiliating scene. She would do anything to take back the tears she had given up. “The librarian didn’t even seem to care!” She said indignantly. She knew that some kids thought they were above it all, but apparently this one really was. “I think I would have welcomed a cute nerdy boy hitting on me over that any day,” She sighed wistfully. She wasn’t very outgoing, but she knew how to flirt.. Well, she thought she did. She was sure her fellow Zetas would be horrified at her version of flirting, but she was sure to improve. The more one did something, the better they got. That’s what she had been told. Elle was delighted when Avery agreed with her. She couldn’t have picked a better roommate for herself if she had been given a choice. She genuinely liked Avery. They had so much in common, and were both pledging Zeta on top of it. She had heard that some of the girls had been paired with Alphas. It must have been horrible. She hadn’t heard so many complaints about sleeping arrangements since she had shared a bunk-bed with her sister in the early years. “I would love to do that! Target has some of the cutest stuff! Maybe we could even stop at Bed Bath and Beyond?” She enthused. She knew the room would be infinitely more inviting that way. “I know what you mean about the pictures,” She agreed. “Though, I’m homesick already without them.” She tried to still the empty feeling in the pit of her stomach, but it wasn’t working. She would learn to acclimate eventually, but she knew it would take some time. She wasn’t used to being so far from her roots. “We could get some pictures framed while we’re out.” She offered. She always liked it more when the pictures were framed professionally. She knew that they would only be here until they became active members, but they could probably use all of the stuff in Zeta house too. Elle sat up on her bed and looked around absently. “So, do you know when our next event or anything is?” She asked. She hadn’t really been keeping the things the pledges had to do in her planner. She had just been floating along with Avery whenever she mentioned a mandatory outing. She knew it probably didn’t look all that good, but at least she made up for it with the charity work. She never stopped doing that stuff. Usually if she wasn’t with her Zeta sisters, she was doing something to help another person. If she wasn’t doing either of those, you could be sure it had to do with her actual coursework. She wasn’t one to skimp out on her responsibilities without a very good reason. coming soon. ♥ ♥ ♥ template by hay shay ! @ caution 2.0 LYRICS BY PANIC AT THE DISCO Image by Marissa at Caution 2.0

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[AVERY ELIZA MADDOX]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] live in my house i'll be your shelter ( WORDS ) 920 ( TAGGED ) AMBRIELLE/FEMI ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Avery nodded at Elle’s comments about Econ. ”Yeah, I mean…I don’t really know how the economy works, but I know it sucks, and that seems to be all that really matters.” She smiled though, not wanting to seem so negative, she added, ”But at least we’ll both always have jobs. It’s not like people are going to stop having children any time soon. Even if the ‘costs’ outweigh the ‘benefits,’ I mean, look at those girls on Teen Mom. It’s not like they made the conscious decision to have kids, but someone is going to have to teach them and take care of them when they’re sick.” Avery shuddered. She hated that show. She felt bad for the kids who were involved in all of it, and she despised seeing the girls on the show in the tabloids for drinking and other irresponsible activity unbefitting of mothers. If they were going to decide to keep the children and not put them up for adoption, they needed to realize that they no longer came first, but second to their children’s safety and happiness. Avery smiled when Elle mentioned asking one of the Zetas. She hadn’t even thought about that, but was sure it would be a really good idea. Economics was a fairly introductory class and she was sure a lot of people had probably taken it to meet one of the general education requirements. ”That’s a really good idea, actually. Thanks Elle!” Avery grinned as Elle talked about her family. Clearly they were important to her and made her happy, which Avery could relate to. ”Really? Well that’s great! We’ll have to meet up over any long school breaks! I’m excited to head home, but at the same time, I know I’m going to miss everyone here at the same time,” she laughed, ”You just can’t win. When you’re one place, you want to be at the other, and when you’re there you want to be back where you were.” She paused, not really sure how much sense that had made. ”I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but you get it, right?” she said and laughed. Avery sighed dreamily and fell back on her bed when Elle mentioned the Texas cuties. ”I hate the fact that guys here don’t all walk around in cowboy boots. Pair cowboy boots and a pair of straight leg jeans and you can make any gal swoon! Not to mention, guys’ butts look 50 million times hotter when they’re wearing cowboy boots…” Avery grinned devilishly. She could talk about cute boys all day and be fine with it. ”Not that I’m an ass girl,” she laughed, ”Definitely more of an abs girl. Abs and v-lines,” again, she sighed. Avery crinkled her nose in disgust when Elle told the story about her sister and the lotion. ”Gross. I’ve only ever been in a tanning bed for a few occasions. Like one year before the Winter Ball, it was freakishly cold and too cold to tan. But still, I never trust them to wipe down the beds, I always ask for stuff to do it myself.” Avery listened and nodded as Elle talked about her encounter in the library, which was not nearly as happy as Avery had hoped it would be. Her features distorted to a sadder expression. She shook her head back and forth whenever Elle described how the boy had yelled at her. ”What an asshole,” Avery commented. ”There’s just no reason for people to treat their peers like that. Like, maybe you don’t like your job, but it’s your job. I definitely don’t like every person who comes into the athletic center, but you can bet I’m still polite and courteous. Did you get his name? You should report it to his supervisor. He needs to learn that he can’t treat people like that.” Avery paused a moment, ”We’ll go to the library together next time, and find us some cute nerdy boys to sit with.” Avery winked, hoping to cheer up her friend, not wanting her to dwell on some douchbaggy guy who would probably never amount to anything anyway. Happy to change the subject, Avery smiled as Elle lit up about decorating their room. ”Oh definitely! Bed, Bath, and Beyond has so much cute stuff! We can make a day of it! I know after a stressful week I could totally use some retail therapy.” Avery loved shopping. She didn’t always have a ton of money to go shopping as her parent’s kept her on a reasonable budget with a little wiggle room for some luxuries, but she would tag along on any shopping trip regardless. ”Oooo, that would be so pretty!” Avery chirped, excited about the idea of having pictures framed professionally. Avery’s face twisted into one of strained thought as she tried to remember exactly what they had to do for Zeta this week. Unable to recall for sure, and not wanting to lead Elle astray, she would need to consult her planning. ”Hang on a minute…” she leaned over to get her planner off of her desk, too lazy to get up and go get it. Her planner was her saving grace. It was color coded for all of her classes and clubs and work, and helped her to keep her head on straight. She opened it and flipped through the pages for this week. ”We have some sort of surprise event on Thursday at 8 PM and then Friday our fundraiser ideas are due.” BEST ROOMIES EVER! (:

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics (i'll cover you from rent)

[AMBRIELLE LYNNA EALY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border-radius: 2em; -moz-border-radius: 2em; background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/14e9a45.jpg), width: 400px; height: 400px;] You're guaranteed to run this town Woah, Mona Lisa, I'd pay to see you frown He senses something, call it desperation Another dollar, another day And if she had the proper words to say, ( She would tell him But she'd have nothing left to sell him --------------- ! ) words: 1098 tagged: TAL Notes: nopes. Elle giggled at her roommate’s comments on the economy. “It probably won’t affect us all that much,” she agreed. Because they would work with children, Elle and Avery would have a constant source of income. On top of that, Elle would work in the medical field. Even if she wasn’t practicing as a doctor, there would always be another job waiting for her. “I sure hope people don’t stop having children,” She wrinkled her nose. She wanted to have three children, herself. Ambrielle herself hated the show Teen Mom. Most of the girls were so irresponsible that they still didn’t know how to change a diaper, even months after having their kids. “If I ever have to watch another episode of that,” Elle commented. “I might actually shoot myself.” She lifted her fingers to her and mimed pulling the trigger. She closed her eyes and let her tongue loll out of her mouth comically. “I don’t even like the show about the toddlers that compete in pageants,” It was true. She felt like the children in the show were taken advantage of, and exploited just so everyone around them could profit from it. Shows like that made her physically sick. “Any time!” Elle enthused. She loved feeling like she had helped her new friend. It gave her a glowing sense of satisfaction. “In fact, I’m willing to go with you when you ask, if you want.” She offered. “I need to talk to Emmy about some fundraiser ideas for the shelter.” She smiled sweetly. Her fundraiser that she was putting together had a lot to do with the shelter. She worked there as often as she could, and could tell the place was struggling financially. It was one of the best resources that the unfortunate had available to them, and she felt the need to protect it. Listening intently, the freshman agreed with everything her fellow pledge said. “I would so love that!” Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “It makes perfect sense to me!” Elle loved that her roommate understood her. “I love people in general, and it’s hard to be away from those that are closest to me,” She inserted. She was very close to her family, but she had made close friends at her charity functions, as well. It was a sort of catch twenty-two. There was no way that she could have everyone together in one place. The thought was a nice one, but it just wasn’t feasible. “Where in Texas are you from?” Elle inquired, raising an eyebrow. She wondered if she was from the same place as her family. Elle was from the south, but she hadn’t been raised there. She had no trace of an accent. “I know exactly what you mean.” Elle giggled. Elle had only ever been in one serious relationship, and then it had been a summer thing. Their families parted ways for the year, but they always found their way back to each other for the summer. Though things hadn’t ended well, Elle didn’t harbor any bad feelings for the guy. It was hard to hate on a guy with such thick southern charm. “I’m definitely a fan of that!” She hooted. Though Elle didn’t go out of her way to meet and hit on guys, she was definitely interested. She could talk about the attractive ones for hours. Usually she didn’t go for the conventional type of good-looking male, but she sometimes did. Elle smiled and nodded to Avery’s explanation of her tanning bed routine. She filed it away as important information should she ever decide to venture out. “I’m kind of afraid to tan,” she admitted sheepishly. “I’ve heard that most people who tan frequently get skin cancer from it,” She hadn’t really voiced her fears out loud before, but it was true. She had never tanned before a dance in her life. Most of the other girls showed up glowing and fresh faced, but Elle just sported her light natural look. “I insulted him,” She wrung her hands. “I feel really bad about it. I know that he started it, but I didn’t have any excuse to insult the poor guy.” She told her friend. Elle was weird about things like that. She hated to hurt anyone’s feelings. “No, I didn’t get his name,” She frowned slightly. “I’m not worried about it anymore. I’m sure that his supervisor knows how he treats people.” He lips turned up wryly. If he had spoken to anyone else like he had to her, there was no telling how many complaints his supervisor must have gotten from students. There had to be a reason that he was still working there. Maybe he had a mental instability. “I would love to scope out cute nerdy boys at the library with you!” She laughed openly. “We could even take them as dates to our next party!” Her eyes danced with merriment. What she said had a grain of truth in it. If she met a cute nerdy boy, she wouldn’t hesitate to invite him to a mixer or a party. Elle was quite pleased with her roommate’s reaction. “I heard that!” She agreed. “Maybe we can go Saturday or Sunday? Maybe during the day when we’re both not busy?” She suggested. Elle worked at subway to make extra money for the things she wanted to spoil herself with. Everything she absolutely needed was paid for by the settlement her family had received from the accident. She went shopping often, buying new outfits and little odds and ends. She might not be as rich as some of the girls here, but she most definitely considered herself comfortable. She certainly wasn’t surviving on Top Ramen and Kool-Aid. Taking out her planner, Elle listened intently as Avery told her what was going on. She penned in the events and gave a satisfied smile. “I wonder what’s going on Thursday?” She asked. She knew that there was no way Avery could know, but she couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t worried about Friday. She had had most of the things for her fundraiser planned out for ages. The only parts she had left were cementing details such as the venue. Elle was something of a perfectionist, and she couldn’t help but want to control every detail of an idea. She was very attentive, and followed directions down to the letter. She always felt that it was good to have at least two back up plans for everything. It had taken her a considerable amount of time to get her fundraiser ideas this close to complete. ♥ ♥ ♥ template by hay shay ! @ caution 2.0 LYRICS BY PANIC AT THE DISCO Image by Marissa at Caution 2.0

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[AVERY ELIZA MADDOX]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] live in my house i'll be your shelter ( WORDS ) 1015 ( TAGGED ) AMBRIELLE/FEMI ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Avery nodded when Elle said she hoped people didn’t stop having kids. ”I know! I know I definitely want two, a boy and a girl. The boy first of course, because every little girl should grow up with a big brother to watch over her. Especially once she’s old enough to have to heart broken.” Avery could truly speak from the experience. She and her older brother had always been close, even if they did tend to ruffle each other’s feathers every once in awhile. Austin had always been there for her, even if it meant getting suspended from school for decking a guy for getting to hands-y with her when she was in her cheerleading uniform. She appreciated Austin so much, she knew she didn’t want her daughter to grow up without having that, to the degree that Avery would consider undergoing the genetic counseling and fertility treatments to make sure it happened that way. She chuckled, ”I know it seems like I have it all planned out, but I definitely don’t want kids for awhile. I mean, I would like to be engaged by the time I graduate, but I don’t want kids for even awhile after that!” Avery frowned slightly as Elle talked about Teen Mom, but laughed when she mimed pulling the trigger. ”I know, right? They’re just so obnoxious. I got suckered into watching a marathon of it at 3 in the morning once. Absolutely horrifying, but in that way where you kind of can’t look away…” Avery shrugged when she mentioned the show Toddlers and Tiaras though, ”I agree that it gets very excessive and some of those moms are totally wacko,” she explained, ”But I guess it’s almost normal for me. I never did pageants, but I had a lot of friends who did. It’s a realllllly big thing where I’m from.” She perked up when Elle said she would go with her to talk to one of the Zeta sisters. ”Would you really? Thanks so much! That really means a lot to me!” Avery gushed. ”I know I shouldn’t feel this way,” Avery laughed, ”But I just get so nervous around the sisters. I want to make sure I don’t do anything wrong, and I’m just waiting for them to tell us to strip down and wrap us up in saran wrap to go to a fraternity party or something like that. I’ve just heard to many stories about Greek life down home and it makes me all nervous.” Avery paused. ”So it’s would be really nice just to have a friend there to help set my mind at ease. So, thank you,” she said with a smile. Avery nodded in absolute agreement with what Elle said. She would definitely look forward to their visits to one another, and she would love to play hostess and show Elle around her hometown, or the small amount of town there was to Sweetwater. ”I’m from a real small town called Sweetwater? It’s by Abilene, sort of in central western region?” she tried to explain, but she wasn’t great with giving directions or geography. ”Where’s your family from?” Avery nodded when Elle voiced her fears about tanning and cancer. ”Oh definitely. Cosmopolitan even has this whole Practice Safe Sun campaign! I think it helps now too that spray tans have gotten better. They don’t leave people looking like oompa loompas anymore…well, most of the time anyway,” Avery said and then laughed. Avery could tell that Elle felt bad about having insulted the rude boy at the library. ”Aww, honey, bless your heart. You couldn’t have helped it. He was being rude to you, which clearly made you emotional; you couldn’t have been totally in control of yourself and what you were saying. Besides, from the way he treated you, he probably didn’t notice and he was probably more caught up in himself and who he was going to torment next, to be honest.” She paused, ”I wouldn’t think another thing about it.” Avery grinned when Elle agreed to accompany her to the library to look for some cute nerdy guys. She laughed at the idea of taking them to a date party at Zeta, but she wasn’t serious about it at all. She would find the guys, flirt with them, maybe let them buy her coffee. It would make them feel good. But the date party would be another thing entirely. Avery’s mother had always taught her that at least in public, while she was young, her goal should be to be with the best looking guy who still took good care of her. Her mother was proud of the Maddox family genes, and she certainly wanted to have goodlooking grandbabies one day. They would find the cutest nerds at the library, but Avery knew her mother saw her more with the likes of the Lambdas for their athletic prowess, or the Omegas, for their money of course. Her mother was a strategizing woman. Avery knew her parents loved one another, but she also knew that her mother had a good feeling that her had was going to have a promising career when she agreed to marry him. Avery understood that, now that she was in college. Avery nodded her head, ”Yeah, that sounds good! How’s around 3 on Saturday for you?” she added, glancing down at her planner. ”I work at the fitness center in the morning, but I have all afternoon free.” She shrugged again when Elle wondered what the event count be. ”I don’t know, but I’m sure it will be fun! I hope we get some Zeta stuff soon! I mean, I know we can’t wear letters until we’re initiated, but I think we can wear stuff with the words Zeta Tau Delta spelled out on it!” Avery enjoyed being a part of a group. In high school she’d had rally girl and cheerleading gear to wear, and now that she was in college, she wanted nothing more than to have Zeta gear to wear out and about on campus. She couldn’t wait to get letters. BEST ROOMIES EVER! (:

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics (i'll cover you from rent)

[AMBRIELLE LYNNA EALY]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border-radius: 2em; -moz-border-radius: 2em; background-image:url(http://i54.tinypic.com/14e9a45.jpg), width: 400px; height: 400px;] You're guaranteed to run this town Woah, Mona Lisa, I'd pay to see you frown He senses something, call it desperation Another dollar, another day And if she had the proper words to say, ( She would tell him But she'd have nothing left to sell him --------------- ! ) words: 949 tagged: TAL Notes: nopes. “Oh that sounds lovely!” Elle commented. She had never really thought about the older brother concept. It was true that she had older brothers, but they had never had to be placed in those types of situations. Elle never really had boy problems, and she couldn’t say that she needed much protection. She tried to stay on the good side of everyone, though that was nearly impossible here, and she had just started not very long ago. It seemed that things were destined to change here, though she didn’t yet know if that was a good or bad thing. It made her nervous, to say the least. “Engaged by the time we graduate?” Elle was surprised by that. She couldn’t fathom getting married that soon. “I’m not judging you,” She smiled softly. “I’ve always envisioned meeting a guy, being best friends for a while, and then dating. After a few years I think I would be okay with getting married, but it’s so terrifying!” It wasn’t that she was afraid of the institution of marriage, or even the responsibility. She was afraid of disappointing her future husband. Elle nodded in agreement. “Ugh!” She ejected, expressing her dismay. “I would hate to have to watch a marathon of that show.” She shook her head in disgust. It was incomprehensible to her how people put themselves through such atrocities. She didn’t even know why they would make a show like that anyway. It only rewarded irresponsible actions of teenagers by making them famous for it. It wasn’t as if being on that show was embarrassing, they got tons of publicity, and money. “I guess I can see that.” [//b]She told Avery. She still wasn’t so sure about it. Though she didn’t grow up where Avery did, most of her friends had done pageants, too. She didn’t feel like there was a good side to it, but she was in no position to tell Avery what she needed to believe. “I know exactly what you mean!” She laughed. She felt a bit timid around her future sisters, simply because she wanted to make a good impression so badly. She hadn’t been accepted yet, and doing the right things to get in was still one of the most crucial things. She tried to blend into the background as much as she could until it came to charity and her grades. That was where she really shined. “Oh, I heard Greek life was treacherous, at best!” She nodded. Most of the stories she had heard were full blown horror. She couldn’t imagine going through some of those things just to get accepted by a group of girls who might turn around and backstab her. “My pleasure.” She told her friend. She actually liked Avery, and wanted to do anything she could to help her if she needed it. She didn’t feel the least bit put out when her roommate asked anything of her. “Sweetwater sounds nice, just going by the name.” She grinned. Growing up in a place like that sounded romantic, to say the least. “My family is mostly from Austin. I’m afraid you know all about that city.” She shrugged her shoulders. Her family wasn’t rich, but for the most part they were comfortable. She had nothing to complain about, and loved “Do they really?” Elle cocked her head to the side. She had assumed that Cosmopolitan was all about how to look fashionable. She had never really picked up the magazine. She had skimmed the cover on occasion when she was out at the grocery store, but never more than that. “I don’t really use spray tans either, but that’s because I lacked the funding.” She smiled sheepishly. Until she had gotten her job at subway, things had been tight. Now she was free to do as she wanted, for the most part. Elle felt a lot better when Avery insisted it wasn’t her fault. “Oh he noticed, all right.” She chewed her lip. “He made fun of me for crying,” She looked around the room blankly, trying not to remember exactly how it had come about. She had had enough thinking about the kid today. He wouldn’t even give her his name! Why should she put so much thought into something that clearly didn’t even make his list of top ten moments of the day, or something. Sighing, she pushed herself up from her bed. Moping wasn’t really getting her anywhere. She grabbed her iPhone from her purse and scrolled through her contacts. She didn’t really know why, but the motion made her feel more secure. “I have the afternoon off as well!” Elle smiled. She worked weird hours at subway, but she wasn’t about to complain. She got most of the good times off, and got to spend quite a bit of time doing the things she wanted to do. “Oh I’m sure it will be too,” Elle had no doubts that the Zetas were all about fun and sisterhood. She didn’t really feel all that nervous about it, but it was still nice to know what she was going to be required to do. “I hear ya,” She agreed with Avery. She wanted her letters more than anything else, but she would be just as happy with something that spelled the words out. It would make her feel like she belonged. And hey, what was wrong with a nice pink tee-shirt that said Zeta Tau Delta Pledge on it somewhere? She failed to see why it would be against the rules. Elle had never really felt like she belonged to a group before, other than her high school. So it was nice to get that feeling. Refreshing, even. ♥ ♥ ♥ template by hay shay ! @ caution 2.0 LYRICS BY PANIC AT THE DISCO Image by Marissa at Caution 2.0

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