|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:22 am
Quitting time!
There wasn't really any time she loved more than being able to hang up her apron and get ready to go home. Sure, she loved her job but with as busy as she'd been she liked being able to say goodbye to it just as much. There was still so much to do once she got home, homework and planning, applying for more schools and scholarships.
Still, Harm was getting to the point where a night off wasn't looking too shabby, either. She hadn't had one in a while and with the weather turning back from freezing to something a bit more manageable she felt she could safely spend some time out without feeling like she was going to turn into an icicle. She punched the clock and hauled her bag to the chairs nearest the window, setting up a homework station somewhere with free coffee and wi-fi. There were worse places to do her homework these days - like at home and watch her mom and stepdad make googly faces at one another cause of the baby.
No thank you!
She felt a little better in her street clothes, too, popping behind the counter for a quick cup of tea before she got into the hard core studying.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 12:44 pm
There was something about the feel of a coffee shop that just made studying so much easier. Not to mention when you got bored of reading a text book, people watching was always a must.
Delilah made her way into the little store with a smile on her face. The day had begun to warm up so having six extra layers was not something she had to worry about. Still, she did have several chapters in math to finish for class but those could be dealt with later.
Strolling up to the counter, Delilah glanced around and noticed so one over by the hot water. "Excuse me?" She called out not seeing anyone else yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:44 am
Harmony looked up when someone called out? Where was Rose? She looked around and saw no one but herself up front. They were probably in the back baking or unpacking inventory. Well, crap! The mint haired girl was stuck and left alone by her coworkers.
"Yeah?" She made her way to where the other girl was. "I'm kind of off duty but I can help you. What can I do?"
Thank goodness it wasn't busy or she'd be absolutely pulling people from the back to help out instead of doing it herself. She'd just worked her shift, thanks, and wasn't too keen on working another one so soon. The most this girl needed was a bagel or a latte and that she could do in her sleep so she wasn't worried much about it.
"If you don't mind making it a bit quick? I should be studying, really." she gestured to her books on the open table in the window's light. "Trying to get into college isn't the easiest thing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 11:59 am
Hearing the fact she was off duty made Delilah's eyes go wide followed by a softness in them that seemed to say 'sorry.' If she was off then where was everyone else? Was their suddenly a shortage of staff? Delilah doubted it but she gave a small shrug.
"Just a medium latte is it. Shot of vanilla." Looking away for a moment as she dug out her debt card, Delilah hear the girl mention college. Suddenly her shoulders dropped and she looked back to the female across the counter. "Tell me about it." Her body seemed to suddenly have a weight on her shoulders. "If it's not the demands from school it's parents adding pressure."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 10:43 am
Harmony busied herself making the simple drink and listened with sort of half an ear. She delivered it as BethAnne came out from the back and shooed her away from behind the counter. The mint haired girl shrugged and handed Delilah her drink. It was better to be on this side of the counter now than the other and she was happy to be done. She sipped at her own drink and shrugged.
"Guess it's on the house."
It's not like they were missing a lot of money on a simple latte. She'd given away worse in her time at Espresso Yourself but, oddly, it always resulted in better business so the owner didn't mind and when he did she just paid for it out of her tips. That was the thing about being charming - most people around her ended up happy no matter what side of the coin they landed on.
"And I guess I'm pretty lucky. Mom and Tony haven't really pushed me very hard to go to college. I just kind of wanted to do it for myself."
She was for anything considered normal and, after high school, a normal person went to college if they could. Since she could if she worked hard enough she was going to and really she wasn't going to let anything get in her way. It may not sound like much to anyone else but her dream of being a photographer was important to the girl and if she kept striving she could one day do the sort of photography she wanted to do instead of settling for what they'd allow her to do.
But really, that didn't mean there was necessarily less pressure since her mom and stepdad weren't pushing. She put plenty on herself.
"But yeah, it can be overwhelming sometimes."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:21 pm
Just as Delilah was reaching for her wallet, she noticed a second woman come from around the corner. It only then dawned on her that the person she had asked might not be on duty. While a normal person might apologize, Delilah only gave a shrug as she took her drink. On the house was the best kind there could be.
As she was about to walk away, Delilah caught wind of the last few words the woman was saying. "You are lucky then." The raven haired woman sighed as she picked her own seat just to the side of the window. She loved to be able to take mental breaks and just people watch. "Quite a few people I know have their parents breathing down their neck and nearly threatening them. " Leaning back, Delilah pulled out her laptop but didn't open it. Instead she pulled out what appeared to be a black, leather sketch book. Flipping it open, she landed on the page she was working on. Before starting math homework, she wanted to add the skirt to the lace dress she had been working on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 12:41 am
"I already got into DCU and I have a partial scholarship. It only covered class fees but that's a chunk off my plate. Besides, there's time to get more right?"
Most parents might be riding their children to push them into college and put a lot of pressure on them. Harmony dutifully did this to herself without any need at all for her parents to interfere. Not that Tony would, being her step father, but that was beside the point. The main thing her mother always impressed upon her was the need for college and the opportunities it brought. Even if she didn't really like what her daughter meant to do with her degree.
"I guess I always just wanted to go to college anyway. My mom and stepdad are having a baby and I guess I just want to leave them to it. Family take 2."
Not that she wouldn't love her little baby brother or sister but she wasn't prepared for sleepless night or all the crying. Partying and stretching your wings was part of the college experience, right? She meant to experience it all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 1:46 pm
At first Delilah did not want to respond. The girl had gotten in and had everything lined up it seemed. She just wanted to get more money? It was enough to make the girl sick to her stomach. Why go for more unless you can't pay for anything?
Delilah hadn't gotten any, yet alone gotten into school. It wasn't like she didn't want to go to college because she really did. But it was hard to convenience her family to pay for an education in fashion. When she broke that news, Delilah felt the entire house go cold.
So now she was nearly on her own if that was going to be her degree. But such is life.
"Then dare I ask." Delilah finally chimed in casting an eye over her shoulder towards the other woman. "Do you want to go to college for the sake of going or to avoid the new baby of the family?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 20, 2013 2:30 pm
Harmony laughed; she couldn't help it. The idea that she would need to escape the baby was funny to her.
"Sorry. It's just that...well, I want to go to college. My family's pretty cool. Except Nate, he's kind of a jerk but there's a rule that step brothers are supposed to be jerks, right? No, the baby doesn't bother me but, you know, it's time? Hell! When my mom was my age she had me and a full time job. I think I can handle college and a part time job here."
Harmony was really grateful for her family. Her mom was nothing but supportive of her goals and though she wasn't very keen on the subject matter she knew enough to know that her daughter had her mind made up. Of course, her mom had insisted on a practical fall back so she'd be minoring in business or something. She hadn't quite decided yet.
"I want a degree in photography. I want to be a fashion photographer for burlesque models. The Vargas girl pinups, Bettie Page. It's all fascinating! My mom supports me even though I think she's worried about my major. I really lucked out."
She smiled, shrugging happily at her plans.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 8:56 pm
At the mention of the name Nate, Delilah felt like she knew it from somewhere. But it was blown off a second later as she watched the girl. "Sounds like you have everything planned out then. Going to move out of the house so no one can keep an eye on you when you come home at 3am?"
She was playing off the traditional stay out all night life college students had. If she ever did that, Delilah would be surprised. She loved attention. Hated missing her beauty sleep.
But as she talked about her mother's support, Delilah had to shrug. "You are lucky then. Both my parents think I'm crazy for wanting to go into...well." Delilah stopped looked down at the sketch book she was working on instead of advanced math. "The Fashion industry."
She then glanced back with a smile. "Don't worry. Not a photographer so you don't have to think about me coming after you. But as a designer myself."
Watching the girl, Delilah felt herself asking. "Why the world of burlesque?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 7:44 pm
"Well, I don't know how often I'll be doing that but I'll never know."
She was looking forward to the the college experience, leaving the nest and being able to do things on her own now. Her mother needed to let go and embrace the new family she was creating. In a way, she was lonely for it. She felt like she was no longer necessary. So it was as sad as it was exciting.
"Fashion is a good field."
Harm was interested in fashion. Her stupid uniform aside she was usually pretty expressive with her own sense of style. She knew what she liked and what looked good on her. She thought of the question she was asked and smiled. It was something she'd have to get used to answering, she was sure.
"Burlesque is beautiful." She liked it. "Women were sexy without having to take their clothes off. It's the illusion of sex."
This coming from the virgin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:01 pm
"They say college is a time to find yourself. Should try it at least once I guess." Delilah shrugged. She planned on that once she got there but that was still at least a year away and with a far bit of luck.
"Leave something to the imagination?" Delilah now had her full attention on the girl behind her. "Show a little skin but now your entire left breast? It would be a welcome change to get people back to that. Now it's how little can you but clothes on and get away with."
And that was something in the world of fashion she had to shake her head at. See-through had its place. Its place was not at a funeral or the office. Short was barely there and pants seemed to be a thing of the past if they did not cut off blood flow to the feet.
"It makes you wonder why things like that fell out of fashion. Why pencil then and dressed in nothing became the image of desire." ZaiaFantasy Funny enough, I just went to a Burlesque show two weeks ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:43 pm
Harm was excited to start college and move on with her life, growing up, with her unique world view. She always considered her insight to be a sort of wisdom most other people couldn't see. In burlesque people did indeed get naked but it was more illusion than gratuity. For some reason Harm found it beautiful and fascinating. She grinned at Delilah.
"I don't know. I guess it fell out of fashion at about the same time someone declared stick figures the popular thing. I just...don't get it. I mean, no one looks like that. Designers stopped designing for the common woman."
Sure, she was thin herself, but was proud of the curves in her body. She was proud of her hips and her waist and everything that made her not waif-like. Her mother had pictures of herself when she was younger with her twin sister and her figure became more defined after having children. Now she was just as fit as she ever was after having her baby sister. It sort of gave Harm a reason to hope for her own future. Resilient, that's what she was in her family.
"So, a designer. That could be super cool. I may have to ask you to design some costumes for my photo shoots. My mom and me have a bunch of equipment in the basement for sewing. My mom teaches drama at Crystal so, you know, costumes. We have a wardrobe of them, more than that."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:08 pm
There was a sly smile on Delilah's face as Harmony responded. It made the raven haired one shake her head. "Point made. Though ironically, years ago, stick figures was a sign of poverty. No one who was thin would have been able to afford high fashion."
Delilah was about to ask more about what she had in mind before she had to stop and lean her head to the side. "Your mother is Ms. Rosen. I mean...oh what is her married name again." Delilah pondered out as she looked away trying to remember.
"I go to Crystal and though I don't take drama, I have heard quite wonderful things about her. I didn't realize she made most of the costumes."
ZaiaFantasy I'm so sorry. Life has been nuts...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 2:49 pm
"Darrow." Harmony supplied, finally used to having Tony for a stepfather. "She married Mr. Darrow, the librarian."
It had taken some getting used to for the mint haired girl to be able to accept that Mr. Darrow was the one to sweep her mother off her feet and not the dashing Camelot. It had also taken her a heck of a lot of time to accept that her mother and stepfather were having a baby. She was starting college and was, technically, old enough to be her little sister's mother. She was older than her mother was when she was born, anyway.
"Thanks. Yeah, she wanted to be an actress when she moved here. She had me instead. I guess this is her way of living the dream."
Sometimes she wondered if mother regretted the choices she made.
"We both make costumes. I make them for my photoshoots and she does for theatre sometimes. We trade back and forth when we need to."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
