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 Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 5:02 pm
To be fair, Brooklyn really knew nothing of baseball, and…now that she had sat through one, she…could honestly say that she still knew nothing and that it was kind of boring.
Luckily, Elliot’s team won and that was exciting, she had cheered right along with Atticus and followed the boy to go and congratulate his friend.
…Their friend?
She had stayed at such a comfortable temperature during the game what with the jacket and the fact that she had gotten to hold hands with Atticus the whole time, but now that it was over, now that they were going to see Elliot…
Brooklyn really hoped that meant that there would be food soon. The half of a granola bar had been fine at first, but by now she was hungry, and the smells wafting from the food trucks and stands wasn’t helping her to stop her stomach from emitting loud sounds, and she was just glad that they were in a crowd and maybe Atticus hadn’t noticed.
…Hopefully he hadn’t noticed. Guine Wanted to get this posted for my journal! No rush <3 mwah
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Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 5:17 pm
Atticus had noticed, but he was being polite and not mentioning how he could hear her stomach. The game was almost over, and he wanted to make sure Elliot had a chance to get some hotdogs as well. But he was also used to holding off on eating until he absolutely had to. It was a habit he was trying to break, especially now that he had food available for whenever he wanted it.
With just the borrowed blanket over his shoulders, he’d held onto Brooklyn’s hand to help fight the chill in the air, but didn’t regret giving her his coat. Besides, he had an excuse for why his cheeks were a little red as he stood by the dugout and waited for Elliot to pack up his things. Maybe it was better this way, because now his matching shirt and eyeshadow purposefully worn to cheer on Elliot’s team was more obvious.
“You did so good, Elliot. Everyone did. Congratulations,” he smiled to the other boys on Elliot’s team, giving them a little wave as they also collected their things. Normally, he would have gone into the dugout to help Elliot and the team pack up any loose balls or put away bats and helmets, but he didn’t want to leave Brooklyn.
“We’re so hungry,” he laughed softly, but waited patiently and out of the way of the others.
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2022 3:39 pm
Elliot laughed; he was dirty and red-faced from the exertion of it all–or the chill–but he was visibly in good spirits. “You could have gotten something to eat, you didn’t have to wait for me! –Hi, Brooklyn! What are you two–”
He paused and squinted contemplatively at both of them. “Since when did you two know each other?” Whatever curiosity or confusion was short lived; he seemed pleased that he didn’t have to do the introductions himself.
“I didn’t know you were coming today, Brooklyn. I would have introduced you to my parents. I promised her a hot dog if she ever came to watch me play, she’s the one I met at the corner store. Come on, let me go drop these off with my dad, we can go get in line.”
Elliot smiled at both of them, visibly pleased to see them even if he was worried about how cold they looked. “We should get some nachos, too. The cheese is always extra warm. How have you been, Brooklyn?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2022 6:49 pm
“We are so hungry!” Brooklyn piped up, following Atticus’ lead, and hoping that it wouldn’t sound quite as pathetic as it did in her head. “Hi Elliot, um. We met…I don’t know. I got her a little while ago, maybe half an hour? But, Atticus had nice makeup so I complimented him and then we talked about you and…now here I am.”
She hesitated and gave an almost sheepish smile. “...Hungry, as usual.”
The thought of meeting his parents made her stomach turn a little and she hesitated. “Um, nachos, absolutely, that sounds good…and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come to the game that you invited me to I um. Wasn’t allowed to leave the house but. Now that I’m in the schools dorms things are better and um.”
Brooklyn wasn’t the type to overshare, but…this felt different. To still be holding the hand of someone who honestly saw her, who could understand where she was coming from…and not be in a position of authority…it was different with Cara, it was a whole other vibe but…
To have this and then to see Elliot, another person who saw her…saw her stealing food and had bought a whole pizza for her to try and get her to stop…
It was suddenly far too overwhelming. “Um…If you…wanted I could get in line while you talk to your dad or…or whatever.”
…She knew that she wasn’t the best of influences, and if he could explain her away by saying he met her at the corner store…she doubted that his dad would want her hanging around him.
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2022 5:19 pm
“I wanted to wait for you,” Atticus chirped, always happy to see Elliot, even if he was dirty and sweaty and red in the face. It was a very nice look on him, if Atticus was being honest. It made him look like he really put his whole heart into what he was doing, which Atticus knew he always did.
“His parents are really nice. His dad let me borrow his sunhat,” Atticus gestured to the very nice hat he’d been wearing, as if that was going to stop him from getting more freckles. “They were sitting just a couple rows behind us.”
Atticus turned to wave to Elliot’s parents. He’d been sitting with them until Brooklyn showed up and met him over by the fence. But Atticus also liked to stand by the dugout and offer Elliot whatever words of encouragement he could when it was his team’s turn to bat.
It took a moment for Atticus to remember what Elliot was talking about, but it didn’t take long for the story to click into place. “Oh!” he gasped, because he felt like he should have realized she was the girl he’d talked about, but he also just assumed that Elliot helped a lot of people no matter what.
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2022 9:33 am
Asher and Oliver were easy to stop in the crowd; they were wearing Elliot’s team colors, and Oliver had a similar sunhat to Atticus. And, they both waved back as soon as they saw Atticus. They were gathering their things but also didn’t seem like they were in much of a rush; they were there to support Elliot, not to crowd him when he wanted to hang out with his friends.
Elliot waved back to them enthusiastically, but his attention quickly returned to the two. “I’m glad you could make it to this one Brooklyn. You won’t regret it, the food’s great. Dad’s got my money, so I’ll be real fast,” he promised. “I’ll be just a second,” he said quickly, and rushed up to see his parents. They talked for a moment and Elliot passed his back to Asher while Oliver pulled out his wallet and passed over a few bills, his cell phone, and a jacket. Asher gave a quick half hug and Oliver squeezed Elliot and kissed atop his head before he leaned back and fixed his hair.
They waved again to Atticus–and Brooklyn now, too–and then began to shuffle back towards the car.
Elliot hurried back to the two and enthusiastically gestured for them to follow him towards all the food.
“They’re going to go drop things off at home but if we want a ride back, dad’ll come pick us up. You too, Brooklyn. Come on, I’m so hungry. I’ve been smelling those hot dogs all game. Did you have fun? I know watching games isn’t for everyone. I think it’s more fun to be playing, but,” he laughed, eager to feed his friends as much as he was to feed himself.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 5:38 pm
Brooklyn watched as Elliot’s dad’s both waved at him…at all of them and she hesitated slightly, wondering if they would really allow her to hang out with the two if they knew that…well. She was a thief some of the time.
Her mind was thinking on that, wondering and worrying when she realized that she was being talked to and she tried to get her mind to focus on the conversation. “It wasn’t bad. I mean. I didn’t have a really good idea of what was going on, but it looked like fun, and it was easy to cheer when Atticus cheered so, I knew when good things happened and all that.”
She gave a small, almost forced smile, still feeling a little shaken after the whole…being the girl from the corner store thing…
“...You’re sure it’s okay if I hang out with you two? I mean…this isn’t going to get you into trouble? I don’t…I mean. You’re too nice for me to get you into trouble or. Drag you down or whatever.”
Her stomach growled loudly though, and she was going to get her hot dog, if she had to vanish from their existence afterwards, she could do that. But. She was going to get her hotdog.
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 6:26 pm
Atticus didn’t understand what Brooklyn was talking about. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with her. And what was she talking about getting the two of them in trouble?
He wanted to compliment Elliot on his game. How he helped make a double play at least three times, and his sacrifice ball he hit to the outfield managed to get two runners home, even if he got out, himself. Atticus had learned a lot about baseball over the few years of watching Elliot play. It was a lot nicer to be able to sit on the bleachers instead of hope that food was dropped underneath.
But he didn’t want to think about that. It was in the past and he just wanted to spend time with Elliot and his new friend now.
“I don’t mind if you hang out with us,” Atticus assured, reaching over so he could take hold of Elliot’s hand, which was warmer than his own. But he’d given up his coat and was okay with that as long as Brooklyn was warm.
“You should just be yourself,” he said with a gentle smile, hoping she wasn’t saying those things as an excuse to get away from them. Oh… was she one of those people who were upset about boys being together? Atticus glanced over at Elliot’s parents. He was still smiling fondly, but wondered if that was why she was acting strange now. Or maybe she was just nervous around them, although she didn’t seem nervous when it was just the two of them watching the game.
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2022 5:54 pm
Elliot tilted his head as he guided them towards the food. “What are we going to get in trouble for? We’re allowed to buy food. And it’s a public park, we can sit at any of the tables we want to.”
He probably knew what she was asking about, but he didn’t see any reason to make a big deal out of it. There wasn’t any reason to draw extra attention to it. He pretended like he didn’t hear her stomach growl, and squeezed Atticus’ hand. “If you’re any bit as cold as Atticus is, it’s best we get something warm soon! Be yourself, Brooklyn. Nobody’s going to give you a hard time right now. Least of all my parents. I’ve never had a friend they didn’t like. So you don’t have to be worried. Honest,” he reassured, and smiled again.
“We didn’t get to know each other really well before. So you can hang out, I’m sure we’ll find something in common. Like, what do you want to do for fun? Or want to do when you grow up, or what are you up to?” he asked, and rocked on his heels as he took his place as third in line. It was moving fast, so he trusted that they’d get their food soon.
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2022 6:05 pm
Brooklyn rubbed her arm and shrugged. “Being myself isn’t really…the best way to impress adults, if you catch my drift. Like. Myself isn’t someone that most feel good families want their sweet, kind, baseball playing, coat giving kids to hang out with…”
And she really…liked these two and wanted to hang out more…so.
“I’ll figure out how to act but…I’m glad I didn’t have to go and introduce me to them…or, whatever.” Grimacing, Brooklyn glanced between the two. “...Uh. I just want..to not go to jail or juvie, I guess. I don’t know. It might be cool to learn to sew, there’s a nun at my school who makes clothes and things, and she has an interest list for those who want to learn…like, I like drawing when I can, so…maybe if I can get good enough I could have a dress shop or…something. I don’t know. It’s.”
She chewed her lip and shrugged. “Not something I think about often, but it sounds nice when it’s said out loud.”
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 6:27 pm
Atticus was still confused about what Brooklyn was talking about. She didn’t want to end up in jail or juvie? He tried not to seem startled by her voiced concern, but his hand squeezed Elliot’s a little tighter anyway. He wasn’t afraid or anything like that! Just worried. What did she think she was going to do that would result in things ending up like that?
“I like to draw, too,” Atticus shared with a smile, making sure he kept his eye on Brooklyn so she didn’t feel left out. He didn’t have to look at Elliot because he was holding tightly to his hand and that was all the connection they needed to know exactly where the other was.
“And my dad is really good at sewing. Maybe he can help you with… anything you’re struggling with. Or even just starting,” he suggested, because that was why they were friends, right? So they could help each other out. And if she was Elliot’s friend, that meant she was his friend, too.
“Oh, but he’s pretty old school about things, so he sews all by hand. But he’s really good with patching things up and doing embroidery. He’s had to patch me up before. Oh, I mean, I got a cut on my shoulder, and he used some butterfly stitches on me, and then fixed my clothes. I mean, I bet he can teach us all a lot of things.”
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2022 7:15 pm
Elliot swung his hand and Atticus’ a bit as they walked, and he seemed glad that the line was moving quickly enough. He was hungry! His friends were hungry! Starving! And cold!
“He’s better at stitching things back together than my parents, and there were a few years where they made my Halloween costumes for me. I think that’s really neat, you should definitely do that, Brooklyn. Atticus is a really great artist. I don’t know a whole lot about artly things, but I think it’s really cool. But, you know, just because you have to do things to survive doesn’t mean that’s being yourself, you know? It’s not the same, when you have to fend for yourself or you get stuck in a hard position. You still seem nice, and creative, and hardworking.”
She hadn’t made Atticus cry or bullied him, and he cared enough about her to share his jacket and blanket so that counted for more than Elliot would say.
“You should think about the future. I mean, I know you’ve still got a few years until you’re an adult and all, but I think you should take the opportunity to have fun and explore your options. I’m really big on planning though, so maybe I take all of that too seriously. I just want my friends to be taken care of, and I want to know how I can support them.” He smiled, and it easily reached his eyes. “Even if it’s just feeding them hot dogs and nachos when they get hungry.”
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2022 7:51 pm
They sounded amazing, honestly. “And you really think they’ll let you be friends with me? Because, I’m going to end up really…I mean. It won’t be too much of a stretch if they decide I’m a bad egg, I’ve been told it all my life but, you two are getting my hopes up that maybe an adult will approve of me for once!”
She hoped so. These two…were honestly the nicest people she had ever met. Feeding her, giving her a jacket…people just weren’t that nice in real life yet…here they were.
“If you have any tips in order to best impress your dads, please let me know them…I…don’t think I’ve wanted any adults to approve of me this much before. It…it’s kind of strange.”
The nachos and hotdogs were almost there. Just one more person in front of them, and then?
Then they would feast. She looked to Atticus after a moment. "You're an artist? We should...I don't know. Make something together sometime. If you'd want! It could be fun."
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2022 8:02 pm
Atticus smiled brightly at her and nodded. “I would like to make something with you. I’ve been making some jewelry recently. Just beads on string, but I’ve had fun,” he promised.
He stayed close to Elliot, still beaming with pride for how good of a job he did at his game. And he’d never felt like he needed to be anyone but himself around Elliot. He seemed to do that to a lot of people.
“Just be yourself. I mean… they’re really easy going, and they’ve been through a lot, too. I think they’ll understand more than you know. I know I um…” he paused and glanced over at Elliot again, offering him a sympathetic smile.
“I wasn’t someone a lot of people liked to be around. It’s… it’s a long story, but things are better now. Elliot was kind to me when he didn’t have to be. His parents were super nice, too. I think you just need the right people in your life, like I did.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:20 pm
“My parents are great,” Elliot said, in such a genuine way that it didn’t feel like he was bragging about them. He just really loved them, and he was proud of them and he loved talking about how great they were. “They don’t need to be impressed, just be nice. If you’re having a hard time, just tell them. They’re both teachers, so they have access to a lot of resources, and they’ve seen a lot of kids from a lot of different walks of life.”
He rocked on his heels as he kept an eye on the person ordering in front of them. “My dad was on his own when he was in high school. Like, homeless. Vagabond. He got kicked out,” he said absentmindedly. “But he had a really good friend to look after him, and snuck him into his house to let him live with him. He’s said before that he doesn’t know what he’d have done if he didn’t have a friend he could rely on and help him. So he understands. I mean, they both do. They’re really patient, so I try to be, too. I don’t want to think that somebody out there could be alone and just need a friend to help them get through a hard time. I might not be here if my dads didn’t have each other. And I don’t mind if I’m just a footnote in someone else’s story, it’s not about me. But the important thing is making sure that they get to stick around to have a story, you know? And a good one, hopefully.”
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