Stephanielenox - Tumblr Posts

stephlenox‌:

Steph didn’t like coffee, she loved it – and after a semester where she’d spent more time studying in coffee shops than library carrels, it was a hard habit to break, spending those hours she wasn’t at work or otherwise occupied at one shop or another. That afternoon, she’d brought her sketchbook, the one she watercoloured in when she was home and used pencil in everywhere else, the lyrics to a new song pulled up on her phone. Sipping at the remains of her latte that had long-ago gone cold, she smiled warmly as she looked up and saw who had approached her table. “Please, like I’d let you sit anywhere else. Pull up a chair and tell me how you’ve been since your last Kilwin’s visit.”

Aiden must have been too distracted that he didn’t even recognize his friend. He sat down across from her and began talking. “Well, school is finally out for the summer so that’s going to be nice. Although, they might ask me to come back to help teach the English class for all the students that failed it this past school year. Other than that, I’ve been just hanging out at home, playing with my dogs, nothing new. How about you? How has your lettering been going?” he asked. He took a sip of his warm soy latte as he put the rest of his stuff down on the table. “What did you order?” He glanced at her cup, but couldn’t make out all the acronyms written on the cup.

stephlenox‌:

Steph didn’t like coffee, she loved it – and after a semester where she’d spent more time studying in coffee shops than library carrels, it was a hard habit to break, spending those hours she wasn’t at work or otherwise occupied at one shop or another. That afternoon, she’d brought her sketchbook, the one she watercoloured in when she was home and used pencil in everywhere else, the lyrics to a new song pulled up on her phone. Sipping at the remains of her latte that had long-ago gone cold, she smiled warmly as she looked up and saw who had approached her table. “Please, like I’d let you sit anywhere else. Pull up a chair and tell me how you’ve been since your last Kilwin’s visit.”

Aiden must have been too distracted that he didn’t even recognize his friend. He sat down across from her and began talking. “Well, school is finally out for the summer so that’s going to be nice. Although, they might ask me to come back to help teach the English class for all the students that failed it this past school year. Other than that, I’ve been just hanging out at home, playing with my dogs, nothing new. How about you? How has your lettering been going?” he asked. He took a sip of his warm soy latte as he put the rest of his stuff down on the table. “What did you order?” He glanced at her cup, but couldn’t make out all the acronyms written on the cup.

stephlenox‌:

Setting down her cup, Steph pushed a stray pieces of hair from her face as Aiden sat and got right to it. There was no beating around the bush with him; at least, not with the everyday things, and she couldn’t say she minded in the slightest. “Ooh, summer school,” she said, raising her brows. “Better than sitting around or do you need the break?” She, personally, hadn’t had a break, not a real one, since before she turned eighteen – always working or in school, even during vacations, and so she couldn’t say she knew what it was to need a break, or rather, to need one badly enough to take one. “I need to come over and visit the dogs, though, it’s been too long.” It was no secret that she was incredibly fond of all dogs but especially those belonging to her friends. A faint blush crept into her cheeks at his question, but she shrugged and said, “Honestly? I haven’t really had time to do much lately.” Turning around her notebook she showed him what was there – the outlines of the words looking for a little bit of hope these days. “Oh, you know, whole milk and an extra shot, the usual. You mix it up this time?” she asked, gesturing vaguely to his cup.

Aiden grabbed his pen and twirled it around his finger. Sometimes it was hard for him to sit down without playing with something. “I mean, I don’t know. I have never taught summer school and I know those kids don’t want to be there. I’m trying to figure out a fun lesson plan for them to enjoy everything from Shakespeare to Fitzgerald,” he continued on. “I can’t imagine how annoying it must feel when the rest of your friends are all out having fun on vacation and you’re stuck in a classroom.” He took a couple more sips of his coffee. Microsips if we’re being honest here. He’s made the mistake of burning his tongue one too many times. “You definitely should. They miss you. I’m sure they’re sick of me making them do tricks for my pure enjoyment,” he joked. He looked at her notebook, admiring even just the pure silhouette of each letter. “I don’t know if I told you before, but you really have a niche for lettering. You should sell that stuff at the shop or online,” he suggested. Aiden was the type of person who rooted forall his friends, especially those he considered close to him. “If I got that, my stomach would just melt apart in an instant,” he stated. “No, I got my soy latte. You know I can’t mess with milk. I tried almond the other day and I honestly don’t get how people enjoy that crap,” he chuckled. “Tastes like watered down coffee.”

stephlenox‌:

Setting down her cup, Steph pushed a stray pieces of hair from her face as Aiden sat and got right to it. There was no beating around the bush with him; at least, not with the everyday things, and she couldn’t say she minded in the slightest. “Ooh, summer school,” she said, raising her brows. “Better than sitting around or do you need the break?” She, personally, hadn’t had a break, not a real one, since before she turned eighteen – always working or in school, even during vacations, and so she couldn’t say she knew what it was to need a break, or rather, to need one badly enough to take one. “I need to come over and visit the dogs, though, it’s been too long.” It was no secret that she was incredibly fond of all dogs but especially those belonging to her friends. A faint blush crept into her cheeks at his question, but she shrugged and said, “Honestly? I haven’t really had time to do much lately.” Turning around her notebook she showed him what was there – the outlines of the words looking for a little bit of hope these days. “Oh, you know, whole milk and an extra shot, the usual. You mix it up this time?” she asked, gesturing vaguely to his cup.

Aiden grabbed his pen and twirled it around his finger. Sometimes it was hard for him to sit down without playing with something. “I mean, I don’t know. I have never taught summer school and I know those kids don’t want to be there. I’m trying to figure out a fun lesson plan for them to enjoy everything from Shakespeare to Fitzgerald,” he continued on. “I can’t imagine how annoying it must feel when the rest of your friends are all out having fun on vacation and you’re stuck in a classroom.” He took a couple more sips of his coffee. Microsips if we’re being honest here. He’s made the mistake of burning his tongue one too many times. “You definitely should. They miss you. I’m sure they’re sick of me making them do tricks for my pure enjoyment,” he joked. He looked at her notebook, admiring even just the pure silhouette of each letter. “I don’t know if I told you before, but you really have a niche for lettering. You should sell that stuff at the shop or online,” he suggested. Aiden was the type of person who rooted forall his friends, especially those he considered close to him. “If I got that, my stomach would just melt apart in an instant,” he stated. “No, I got my soy latte. You know I can’t mess with milk. I tried almond the other day and I honestly don’t get how people enjoy that crap,” he chuckled. “Tastes like watered down coffee.”

stephlenox‌:

“Yeah,” Steph said, nodding. She hadn’t thought of it like that, but Aiden was right – this wasn’t a normal teaching job at an odd time; summer school had its own unique challenges. “I mean, I think it’s great that you want to make it fun, but there’s only so much you can do about being stuck in a classroom when they’d rather be anywhere else, you know?” Not that she’d had any personal experience with summer school, but she could imagine. These days, though, she was glad to be back in classroom – or at least, glad to be working towards a job she could actually see herself growing old doing. “Maybe if you had them compare movies and books? There was that Gatsby movie, right, and there’s lots of Shakespeare adaptations …” Not being a big movie person herself, she was far from an expert, but if there was one universal rule in high school, it was that when the video cart came out, class just got a whole lot better. She smiled at his reply, shaking her head – “Well, I’m glad they miss me, I miss them too, but I’m sure they’re not sick of doing tricks, even if it’s just for your amusement. Anyway, when I visit I’ll make them do all the tricks for my amusement, so it’s not like things will be that different.” Shaking her head more firmly, she took the notebook back, flipping it closed and laying down her pencil. “So many people do this, so much better than I do … I don’t think anyone would want to buy anything I’ve made.” That modesty hadn’t stopped her from her most frequent gift, as Aiden well knew, but actually making money on her hobby? Steph couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Instead, she chuckled at his reply, and assured him, “I know, I know, you’re a totally dairy-free zone. But I don’t know about this hating almond milk thing. I kind of like the sweetness.”

“You know, I didn’t think of that. That’s a pretty good idea. I can ask Matias for help too or something. I know he’s a film professor or something. I’ll have them watch the movie adaptation of Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio. Girls still swoon over him, don’t they?” He was grateful that Steph made the suggestion. To be honest, the thought of having to make his year long lesson plan fit into a couple months worth seemed impossible at this rate. It felt like a lot of pressure. He was a new face to the high school and he was scared that students would just hate on him. Most students said he wasn’t intimidating, maybe because he was one of the youngest teachers or just that he tried to have a friendly relationship with his students. “Well, I’m sure they’d be glad to see you. A fresh face. If you want, I don’t know if you hate the beach, but I was planning on taking them to the dog beach so they can interact with other dogs.” He was saddened when Steph said that no one would buy anything she made. “I would make sure your whole store was sold out if you sold your things,” he admitted. Sure, he probably didn’t need all those prints, but they would probably make good gifts. “You could make custom ones and sell them for people to give as gifts. You’re talented, don’t doubt yourself.” He was trying to make her feel better about the thing, but maybe he should stop. “Sweet? You know there’s only about 7-8 almonds per cup of almond milk. That means less than 50 almonds in each carton. They’re ripping you off. I love oat milk though. That stuff is dangerous.”

stephlenox‌:

“Yeah, you definitely don’t want to be asking me for movie help,” Steph said with a laugh. “But yes, I think DiCaprio in that movie is pretty timelessly swoon-y. And the girl who plays Juliet–” she sighed, shaking her head; she could remember the members of a band and when an album was released, but somehow actors and actresses’ names never stuck the same way. “Anyway, she’s swoon-y, too. So that’s definitely a win. But I think quality has to be more important than quantity, anyway, especially when you have such limited time – understanding one or two books really well, you know?” She didn’t know if the time constraints were pressing on his mind or she was just taking a shot in the dark, but it felt worth saying either way. “I definitely don’t hate the beach,” she assured him. “And the dog beach is one of my favourite places in Wilmington; well, one of my favourite places I don’t actually visit that often, because it’s a little weird without a dog of your own, but that sounds like a pretty perfect outing either way.” Ducking her head as he went on, she shrugged halfheartedly. The truth was, it sounded like an awful lot of work, setting up a store, taking commissions. Now, lettering was something she did for herself; for her friends. It was an escape, and a kind of therapy, too. It wouldn’t be that if it was a business, too. Sure, she might get the same kind of creative joy, but it wouldn’t be the same, and maybe she’d rather keep things the same than make money that way. “Okay, well, clearly you’re the non-dairy milk expert here. But I hadn’t ever heard of oat milk.”

“Honestly, I’m just as terrible at movies as you probably are,” he chuckled. He honestly didn’t watch many movies, maybe because he grew up being so invested in books. He felt like he was entering another realm, another kingdom, an escape from the harsh reality without his parents. “Oh, she was such a babe. I remember having a huge crush on her in high school. I was sad when my English teacher stopped playing it, but I also understood because some of my classmates were being extremely inappropriate about it.” He sighed. “Yeah, that’s a great idea. I honestly haven’t thought about that. I figured it’d be easier and like you said, we’d definitely get more in depth with the books.” Aiden knew he had to follow a certain book list for his students to read, but he wondered if he could ask the head of the English department if he could diverge off the list a little and bring some more modern books that might cover the same topic. “Oh, yes, I’ll definitely take you the next time I go. Honestly, it’s okay if you go without a dog. I don’t think people mind. People bring their dogs there to socialize and the beach is off leash so it’s not like most people will notice.” Aiden was a regular at the dog beach, long before he even adopted his own dogs. He was a dog person and there was nothing more exciting than a dog running up to you. “You haven’t? I don’t know how to explain it, but let me start off by saying it definitely does not taste like oat meal. It gives a good creamy flavor without all the consequences of dairy.”

stephlenox‌:

“Yeah, you definitely don’t want to be asking me for movie help,” Steph said with a laugh. “But yes, I think DiCaprio in that movie is pretty timelessly swoon-y. And the girl who plays Juliet–” she sighed, shaking her head; she could remember the members of a band and when an album was released, but somehow actors and actresses’ names never stuck the same way. “Anyway, she’s swoon-y, too. So that’s definitely a win. But I think quality has to be more important than quantity, anyway, especially when you have such limited time – understanding one or two books really well, you know?” She didn’t know if the time constraints were pressing on his mind or she was just taking a shot in the dark, but it felt worth saying either way. “I definitely don’t hate the beach,” she assured him. “And the dog beach is one of my favourite places in Wilmington; well, one of my favourite places I don’t actually visit that often, because it’s a little weird without a dog of your own, but that sounds like a pretty perfect outing either way.” Ducking her head as he went on, she shrugged halfheartedly. The truth was, it sounded like an awful lot of work, setting up a store, taking commissions. Now, lettering was something she did for herself; for her friends. It was an escape, and a kind of therapy, too. It wouldn’t be that if it was a business, too. Sure, she might get the same kind of creative joy, but it wouldn’t be the same, and maybe she’d rather keep things the same than make money that way. “Okay, well, clearly you’re the non-dairy milk expert here. But I hadn’t ever heard of oat milk.”

“Honestly, I’m just as terrible at movies as you probably are,” he chuckled. He honestly didn’t watch many movies, maybe because he grew up being so invested in books. He felt like he was entering another realm, another kingdom, an escape from the harsh reality without his parents. “Oh, she was such a babe. I remember having a huge crush on her in high school. I was sad when my English teacher stopped playing it, but I also understood because some of my classmates were being extremely inappropriate about it.” He sighed. “Yeah, that’s a great idea. I honestly haven’t thought about that. I figured it’d be easier and like you said, we’d definitely get more in depth with the books.” Aiden knew he had to follow a certain book list for his students to read, but he wondered if he could ask the head of the English department if he could diverge off the list a little and bring some more modern books that might cover the same topic. “Oh, yes, I’ll definitely take you the next time I go. Honestly, it’s okay if you go without a dog. I don’t think people mind. People bring their dogs there to socialize and the beach is off leash so it’s not like most people will notice.” Aiden was a regular at the dog beach, long before he even adopted his own dogs. He was a dog person and there was nothing more exciting than a dog running up to you. “You haven’t? I don’t know how to explain it, but let me start off by saying it definitely does not taste like oat meal. It gives a good creamy flavor without all the consequences of dairy.”

stephlenox‌:

“There’s no one as terrible at movies as me,” Steph said, shaking her head. “I know, like, maybe five movies, and half because they were my parents’ favourites.” It was surprisingly easy to let this fact slip out, but as much as Steph missed both her parents, it was Ben who was causing her the most heartache these days. “But if you’re a close second … you definitely want to get a little backup, and Matias would probably love to help out.” Funny how she knew this about a man she’d hung out with only a handful of times, but there were some people it didn’t take very long to get a sense of, and he was one, or maybe it was just that she’d heard enough about him from Harlow that her suspicions were easily confirmed. “Kids can be inappropriate about anything, though.” She’d scrubbed enough graffiti from the Kilwin’s bathroom to know this for a fact, not to mention everything she’d seen when she was back in high school herself. “How long are your summer classes, anyway?” she asked, unable to remember if he’d mentioned and she just hadn’t been paying attention. “I know it’s okay, it’s just–” Steph shrugged. She’d been thinking about getting a dog of her own for a while now, but she couldn’t do it until she was sure she could really afford it. Not to mention, she wasn’t about to leave a dog home alone all day while she was working and, come August, in class. “I guess it’s just a little more fun when you’re actually there with a dog.” Laughing softly at his description, she teased, “Do you even like oatmeal?” Then, spreading her hands, “I might just have to try it, though.” Not, of course, that eating dairy was a concern for her, but it never hurt to know what options were out there.

“My parents only allowed me to watch Disney movies because they were worried that I was going to get brainwashed. Yeah, I think I’m going to need to get Matias to help me. Maybe I’ll bribe him with donuts or something. I’ll bake him something since he enjoys baking so much,” he laughed at the thought of himself baking anything. The last time he tried to bake, he forgot to set the timer and his donuts turned into ashes of dough. He sighed thinking about summer school, but realized he should be grateful for having a job and also that he would be making a little extra money over the summer. “It’s a month and a half. They’re there for about four hours every day with an hour lunch break in between to do whatever they want. So it’s not too bad, but I wonder how they’re going to act because they’re forced to be somewhere they don’t want to be.” Aiden smiled at Steph, “Yeah, it’s okay. Well you can borrow my dogs to take them to the beach if you’re ever bored or not working. I’m sure they would love to be taken to the beach more often. I feel like I don’t do it enough.” To say that Aiden loved his dogs was an understatement. They were practically his children based on the way he spoiled the both of them. “I actually have oatmeal almost every day for breakfast. It’s so good. I love making apple pie flavored oatmeal. It’s honestly the best. You really have to. Maybe I’ll bring you some next time I buy another one. If you don’t like it, I’ll disown you as my friend.”

stephlenox‌:

“There’s no one as terrible at movies as me,” Steph said, shaking her head. “I know, like, maybe five movies, and half because they were my parents’ favourites.” It was surprisingly easy to let this fact slip out, but as much as Steph missed both her parents, it was Ben who was causing her the most heartache these days. “But if you’re a close second … you definitely want to get a little backup, and Matias would probably love to help out.” Funny how she knew this about a man she’d hung out with only a handful of times, but there were some people it didn’t take very long to get a sense of, and he was one, or maybe it was just that she’d heard enough about him from Harlow that her suspicions were easily confirmed. “Kids can be inappropriate about anything, though.” She’d scrubbed enough graffiti from the Kilwin’s bathroom to know this for a fact, not to mention everything she’d seen when she was back in high school herself. “How long are your summer classes, anyway?” she asked, unable to remember if he’d mentioned and she just hadn’t been paying attention. “I know it’s okay, it’s just–” Steph shrugged. She’d been thinking about getting a dog of her own for a while now, but she couldn’t do it until she was sure she could really afford it. Not to mention, she wasn’t about to leave a dog home alone all day while she was working and, come August, in class. “I guess it’s just a little more fun when you’re actually there with a dog.” Laughing softly at his description, she teased, “Do you even like oatmeal?” Then, spreading her hands, “I might just have to try it, though.” Not, of course, that eating dairy was a concern for her, but it never hurt to know what options were out there.

“My parents only allowed me to watch Disney movies because they were worried that I was going to get brainwashed. Yeah, I think I’m going to need to get Matias to help me. Maybe I’ll bribe him with donuts or something. I’ll bake him something since he enjoys baking so much,” he laughed at the thought of himself baking anything. The last time he tried to bake, he forgot to set the timer and his donuts turned into ashes of dough. He sighed thinking about summer school, but realized he should be grateful for having a job and also that he would be making a little extra money over the summer. “It’s a month and a half. They’re there for about four hours every day with an hour lunch break in between to do whatever they want. So it’s not too bad, but I wonder how they’re going to act because they’re forced to be somewhere they don’t want to be.” Aiden smiled at Steph, “Yeah, it’s okay. Well you can borrow my dogs to take them to the beach if you’re ever bored or not working. I’m sure they would love to be taken to the beach more often. I feel like I don’t do it enough.” To say that Aiden loved his dogs was an understatement. They were practically his children based on the way he spoiled the both of them. “I actually have oatmeal almost every day for breakfast. It’s so good. I love making apple pie flavored oatmeal. It’s honestly the best. You really have to. Maybe I’ll bring you some next time I buy another one. If you don’t like it, I’ll disown you as my friend.”

stephlenox‌:

“Brainwashed by everything not Disney?” Steph asked, giggling a little at the idea. Her parents hadn’t been big into Disney for the reverse reason – despite the generally good morals in their content, everything Disney was more than a little interconnected. There was a movie and a doll and a t-shirt and a hat and an enamel pin and, of course, everything at the parks had on offer to boot. It was a marketing empire neither Lenox parent had any interest in falling prey to. “Brainwashed to do what? Worship Satan and say yes to drugs?” The teasing lilt left her voice as she nodded agreement. “That’s a good idea. He’s a good baker, too.” This, she knew firsthand – having received a few deliveries of I felt like baking and I know you’re busy so please eat these muffins/brownies/loaf bread baked goods the first few months after New Year’s. “At least they aren’t getting there at seven or eight in the morning like they’d have to during the regular school year?” she offered. Still, a month and a half was both not very long and also the majority of summer vacation – barely enough time to learn anything, she assumed, but also long enough that students were unlikely to feel like they’d gotten any summer vacation at all. Her face lit up at Aiden’s offer– “Really? I’d love that, honestly. Just don’t blame me if your pups start liking me more than they like you – the dog beach being the way to the dog’s heart and all that,” she finished with a teasing grin. “Wow, that’s such a … responsible breakfast,” she said with a chuckle. For her part, Steph survived on coffee and toast, or sometimes a granola bar eaten on her way out the door. “Now, now, there will be no disowning over non-dairy milks, no matter the outcome.” She couldn’t help but smile, though, at the mental picture of Aiden bringing a cup of milk over to her apartment.

“Yeah, my mother was such a huge Disney fanatic. She pretty much made my room her Disney dream room. It’s because my dad didn’t let her have her own space for Disney so she figured she’d make a Disney nursery. I’m surprised I don’t hate Disney so much.” Although Aiden really didn’t watch as many Disney movies as much, maybe it was because it made him think of the trip his parents were going to take him on, the trip that got cut short, Aiden still tried to hold onto the good memories. It was what his parents would have wanted. Aiden refused to step foot into Disneyland though, viewing it as some curse, a curse that took away the two most important people in his life. “I honestly don’t know. I think my dad was ready to let me watch something that wasn’t Disney, but my mom was definitely alpha and he was definitely beta,” he laughed, remembering the loving dynamic of his parents. “Yeah, he is. The amount of times I’ve called him asking stupid questions about baking is ridiculous. I’m surprised he didn’t just scream at me for being so dumb about this. You would think that being an English teacher means that I can read and understand recipes. Well, I really can’t.” There have been times where Aiden forgot to set a timer or even prebake the oven and he’d just put his baked goods in there, wondering why they werne’t cooking on time. “Well, that’s true. I think we start at ten  and end around two or three so it shouldn’t be bad. Maybe if they bribe me with food, I will consider letting them out early.” He hoped he’d be allowed to do that, but he knew there would be parents and fellow faculty coming into his classroom with pitchforks. “Well, if they love you more than me, it just means that you have to come over to see them more often and then we get to hang out. So I think it’s a win win for all of us. I mean how can anyone not love you? You’re a great friend.” He laughed at her comment about him eating responsibly. “You should see what I have for dinner then. Boiled eggs.” He joked. He definitely enjoyed take out too much and had no patience when it came to those things. The amount of times he practically ripped the boil egg in half just trying to rip off the shell was humorous. “Okay, fine, I won’t disown you, but I might reconsider how often I visit you at work.”

stephlenox‌:

“Brainwashed by everything not Disney?” Steph asked, giggling a little at the idea. Her parents hadn’t been big into Disney for the reverse reason – despite the generally good morals in their content, everything Disney was more than a little interconnected. There was a movie and a doll and a t-shirt and a hat and an enamel pin and, of course, everything at the parks had on offer to boot. It was a marketing empire neither Lenox parent had any interest in falling prey to. “Brainwashed to do what? Worship Satan and say yes to drugs?” The teasing lilt left her voice as she nodded agreement. “That’s a good idea. He’s a good baker, too.” This, she knew firsthand – having received a few deliveries of I felt like baking and I know you’re busy so please eat these muffins/brownies/loaf bread baked goods the first few months after New Year’s. “At least they aren’t getting there at seven or eight in the morning like they’d have to during the regular school year?” she offered. Still, a month and a half was both not very long and also the majority of summer vacation – barely enough time to learn anything, she assumed, but also long enough that students were unlikely to feel like they’d gotten any summer vacation at all. Her face lit up at Aiden’s offer– “Really? I’d love that, honestly. Just don’t blame me if your pups start liking me more than they like you – the dog beach being the way to the dog’s heart and all that,” she finished with a teasing grin. “Wow, that’s such a … responsible breakfast,” she said with a chuckle. For her part, Steph survived on coffee and toast, or sometimes a granola bar eaten on her way out the door. “Now, now, there will be no disowning over non-dairy milks, no matter the outcome.” She couldn’t help but smile, though, at the mental picture of Aiden bringing a cup of milk over to her apartment.

“Yeah, my mother was such a huge Disney fanatic. She pretty much made my room her Disney dream room. It’s because my dad didn’t let her have her own space for Disney so she figured she’d make a Disney nursery. I’m surprised I don’t hate Disney so much.” Although Aiden really didn’t watch as many Disney movies as much, maybe it was because it made him think of the trip his parents were going to take him on, the trip that got cut short, Aiden still tried to hold onto the good memories. It was what his parents would have wanted. Aiden refused to step foot into Disneyland though, viewing it as some curse, a curse that took away the two most important people in his life. “I honestly don’t know. I think my dad was ready to let me watch something that wasn’t Disney, but my mom was definitely alpha and he was definitely beta,” he laughed, remembering the loving dynamic of his parents. “Yeah, he is. The amount of times I’ve called him asking stupid questions about baking is ridiculous. I’m surprised he didn’t just scream at me for being so dumb about this. You would think that being an English teacher means that I can read and understand recipes. Well, I really can’t.” There have been times where Aiden forgot to set a timer or even prebake the oven and he’d just put his baked goods in there, wondering why they werne’t cooking on time. “Well, that’s true. I think we start at ten  and end around two or three so it shouldn’t be bad. Maybe if they bribe me with food, I will consider letting them out early.” He hoped he’d be allowed to do that, but he knew there would be parents and fellow faculty coming into his classroom with pitchforks. “Well, if they love you more than me, it just means that you have to come over to see them more often and then we get to hang out. So I think it’s a win win for all of us. I mean how can anyone not love you? You’re a great friend.” He laughed at her comment about him eating responsibly. “You should see what I have for dinner then. Boiled eggs.” He joked. He definitely enjoyed take out too much and had no patience when it came to those things. The amount of times he practically ripped the boil egg in half just trying to rip off the shell was humorous. “Okay, fine, I won’t disown you, but I might reconsider how often I visit you at work.”

stephlenox‌:

“You know, I can’t say I blame your dad for having held the line on that one,” Steph said, visions of Disney wallpaper and shelves and shelves of Disney figurines swimming in her head; even if that wasn’t exactly what Aiden’s mom would’ve done with her Disney space. “And I guess there are worse dreams to have pressed on you.” She’d seen the pressures of parental dreams and expectations wreak havoc on many of her classmates in high school, particular the girls on her teams who were running because it was fun or because their friends were, not because they wanted to be a track star or make it to the Olympics some day. Chuckling, she said, “Yeah, my mom was the boss in my house, too.” Maybe that was why she’d always felt closer to her father growing up, but then again, the reverse had been true for her brother. Pushing aside thoughts of what might’ve been, she shook her head gently. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him angry. I’m not sure he gets angry. Besides, I think your baking dumbness has to be less annoying than whatever else he has to deal with.” Unless college students had changed a great deal in the past six years, she was sure there was plenty of idiocy there to go around. “You gotta save the bribes for the last week– or last few weeks of class,” she said, laughing. “You get the baked goods, they get their education, nobody snitches.” At least, that was how it would work in an ideal world. Swatting her hand at his compliment, as if that would make it disappear, Steph shook her head. “I think you’re biased with this great friend stuff,” especially because he was right, they could stand to hang out more, “But I certainly wouldn’t complain about more facetime with you or the pups.” In fact, it sounded like a pretty great idea. “No,” she gasped, her aghast expression only a slight exaggeration when he went on to mention his typical dinner. “Come on, I know you’re not the best cook, but you’ve gotta have something more interesting than that. And as for visiting me at work, you really don’t have to do that as much as you do, anyway.” She’d never claim she didn’t appreciate his company, especially when things were slow in the afternoon, but hanging around so much delicious-smelling dairy couldn’t be entirely fun for him.

“Yeah. Apparently he suggested that I could just sleep in the room with them so that we could all bond, but I’m sure my dad knew it was her way of trying to sneak her way into creating a Disney room. I swear it was like a five year old lived inside my mom’s body,” he laughed. Disney brought his mother so much happiness. In his eyes, she was a real life Disney princess, without the whole aspect of needing a man to rescue her. His mother shined bright in his eyes, the brightest star in the night sky and that’s how he chose to remember her. Every time he missed her, he’d look up at the stars at night and try to find the brightest one. It was his way of acknowledging that she was still there watching over him. “That’s true. I mean I could be his college student and annoy him about films. I feel like I should hide the fact that I’m not a big movie fan away from him. He might disown me as a friend or something,” Aiden laughed. Aiden enjoyed TV shows. He could bed in bed all day watching Netflix, but something about movies just didn’t feel the same. It didn’t have the same appeal, although there were many people who would argue otherwise. “That’s actually a smart idea. Let’s just hope they give me actual brownies and not weed brownies because that could end really bad. I’ll make sure to share some of my bribery with you,” he laughed. “I mean of course I’m biased. I mean we are friends so it’d be weird if I wasn’t biased towards my feelings about our friendship. Yeah and I’m sure the pups would love to have more company around too. I can only afford so much doggy daycare. I’m grateful the lady there gives me a phenomenal discount considering I’m a regular. I considered letting them come with me on vacation, but they don’t like car rides to the vet let alone a long plane trip.” Aiden laughed at Stephanie’s reaction to his dinner. “Hey, it’s filled with protein. Add a little seasoning and you cannot go wrong with it. I honestly could eat eggs every single day. I would make fried eggs but I hate dealing with oil and having to watch the egg. I like simple meals. Honestly, I should invest in a crockpot, maybe I’ll be a better cook. And, you know I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do. I come because I want to, not because I’m obligated to. Plus, it’s nice to not be cooped up in my apartment.”

stephlenox‌:

“You know, I can’t say I blame your dad for having held the line on that one,” Steph said, visions of Disney wallpaper and shelves and shelves of Disney figurines swimming in her head; even if that wasn’t exactly what Aiden’s mom would’ve done with her Disney space. “And I guess there are worse dreams to have pressed on you.” She’d seen the pressures of parental dreams and expectations wreak havoc on many of her classmates in high school, particular the girls on her teams who were running because it was fun or because their friends were, not because they wanted to be a track star or make it to the Olympics some day. Chuckling, she said, “Yeah, my mom was the boss in my house, too.” Maybe that was why she’d always felt closer to her father growing up, but then again, the reverse had been true for her brother. Pushing aside thoughts of what might’ve been, she shook her head gently. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him angry. I’m not sure he gets angry. Besides, I think your baking dumbness has to be less annoying than whatever else he has to deal with.” Unless college students had changed a great deal in the past six years, she was sure there was plenty of idiocy there to go around. “You gotta save the bribes for the last week– or last few weeks of class,” she said, laughing. “You get the baked goods, they get their education, nobody snitches.” At least, that was how it would work in an ideal world. Swatting her hand at his compliment, as if that would make it disappear, Steph shook her head. “I think you’re biased with this great friend stuff,” especially because he was right, they could stand to hang out more, “But I certainly wouldn’t complain about more facetime with you or the pups.” In fact, it sounded like a pretty great idea. “No,” she gasped, her aghast expression only a slight exaggeration when he went on to mention his typical dinner. “Come on, I know you’re not the best cook, but you’ve gotta have something more interesting than that. And as for visiting me at work, you really don’t have to do that as much as you do, anyway.” She’d never claim she didn’t appreciate his company, especially when things were slow in the afternoon, but hanging around so much delicious-smelling dairy couldn’t be entirely fun for him.

“Yeah. Apparently he suggested that I could just sleep in the room with them so that we could all bond, but I’m sure my dad knew it was her way of trying to sneak her way into creating a Disney room. I swear it was like a five year old lived inside my mom’s body,” he laughed. Disney brought his mother so much happiness. In his eyes, she was a real life Disney princess, without the whole aspect of needing a man to rescue her. His mother shined bright in his eyes, the brightest star in the night sky and that’s how he chose to remember her. Every time he missed her, he’d look up at the stars at night and try to find the brightest one. It was his way of acknowledging that she was still there watching over him. “That’s true. I mean I could be his college student and annoy him about films. I feel like I should hide the fact that I’m not a big movie fan away from him. He might disown me as a friend or something,” Aiden laughed. Aiden enjoyed TV shows. He could bed in bed all day watching Netflix, but something about movies just didn’t feel the same. It didn’t have the same appeal, although there were many people who would argue otherwise. “That’s actually a smart idea. Let’s just hope they give me actual brownies and not weed brownies because that could end really bad. I’ll make sure to share some of my bribery with you,” he laughed. “I mean of course I’m biased. I mean we are friends so it’d be weird if I wasn’t biased towards my feelings about our friendship. Yeah and I’m sure the pups would love to have more company around too. I can only afford so much doggy daycare. I’m grateful the lady there gives me a phenomenal discount considering I’m a regular. I considered letting them come with me on vacation, but they don’t like car rides to the vet let alone a long plane trip.” Aiden laughed at Stephanie’s reaction to his dinner. “Hey, it’s filled with protein. Add a little seasoning and you cannot go wrong with it. I honestly could eat eggs every single day. I would make fried eggs but I hate dealing with oil and having to watch the egg. I like simple meals. Honestly, I should invest in a crockpot, maybe I’ll be a better cook. And, you know I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do. I come because I want to, not because I’m obligated to. Plus, it’s nice to not be cooped up in my apartment.”

stephlenox‌:

“I don’t think you have t be five to love something with your whole heart, even something as seemingly juvenile as Disney,” Steph said quietly. She might not be a fan of anything to quite that extent, not even her favourite bands, but she found the idea of such unbridled enthusiasm admirable; brave; the kind of thing that gave life meaning, and wasn’t that what anybody wanted, anyway? At Aiden’s assumption, though, she shrugged. “I certainly didn’t,” she said, though of course, that didn’t mean Aiden would have to do the same. Besides, it wasn’t just movies that Steph didn’t really enjoy, it was sitting still in front of the TV screen – unless, of course, she had a friend by her side to keep her company. If she was going to sit around, she’d rather turn on music and letter or watercolour, and even that wasn’t something she did every day. “I’d hope they’d know better … and they wouldn’t want to waste their stash on their teacher,” Steph said, giggling at the idea of Aiden high in front of his students nonetheless, unlikely though the scenario was. Narrowing her eyes at him playfully, Steph didn’t even try to argue with Aiden’s logic about friendship bias. “There’s nothing wrong with eggs,” she agreed, “but boiled? For dinner? Please tell me you’re gettin’ somethin’ more substantial for lunch, at least.” Though for her to lecture about getting proper meals was more than a little hypocritical, when her lack of appetite lingered even now, over six months since her brother died. “Well, I can understand not wanting to be cooped up,” she said with a grin – unless she was visiting with friends, she rarely spent any time at hers anymore.

“Yeah, you’re right. I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I meant it more in the sense that she had the joy and carefreeness when she talked about Disney, like all her worries didn’t matter. Like you know, when you were a little kid and you didn’t have much to worry about, no bills, no career, anything,” he tried to explain himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to seem defensive, I just didn’t want my choice of words to come off the wrong way,” he finished. Aiden laughed at the thought of his students actually giving him weed brownies. “Yeah, that’s true. Although they always ask me what drugs I’ve experimented with and I cannot fully disclose that kind of personal information. I don’t need parents yelling at me for pushing their children to do drugs or whatever.” He honestly was one of the worst cooks. He probably could have auditioned for worst cooks in America or something at the rate he was making food. “Ummm...I sometimes eat the hot lunches at school because I get too lazy to pack my own meal. I know I should meal prep. Maybe I should get an Instapot too. I’m just not good at making things taste flavorful, you know? I just honestly don’t know how.” He wasn’t trying to sound negative, but he knew he wasn’t good at those things, which he wasn’t afraid to admit. “Yeah, I think I need to find a new hobby to enjoy or something. Or I should start by cleaning my place up. I was thinking of building a little dog house for my dogs.”

stephlenox‌:

“I don’t think you have t be five to love something with your whole heart, even something as seemingly juvenile as Disney,” Steph said quietly. She might not be a fan of anything to quite that extent, not even her favourite bands, but she found the idea of such unbridled enthusiasm admirable; brave; the kind of thing that gave life meaning, and wasn’t that what anybody wanted, anyway? At Aiden’s assumption, though, she shrugged. “I certainly didn’t,” she said, though of course, that didn’t mean Aiden would have to do the same. Besides, it wasn’t just movies that Steph didn’t really enjoy, it was sitting still in front of the TV screen – unless, of course, she had a friend by her side to keep her company. If she was going to sit around, she’d rather turn on music and letter or watercolour, and even that wasn’t something she did every day. “I’d hope they’d know better … and they wouldn’t want to waste their stash on their teacher,” Steph said, giggling at the idea of Aiden high in front of his students nonetheless, unlikely though the scenario was. Narrowing her eyes at him playfully, Steph didn’t even try to argue with Aiden’s logic about friendship bias. “There’s nothing wrong with eggs,” she agreed, “but boiled? For dinner? Please tell me you’re gettin’ somethin’ more substantial for lunch, at least.” Though for her to lecture about getting proper meals was more than a little hypocritical, when her lack of appetite lingered even now, over six months since her brother died. “Well, I can understand not wanting to be cooped up,” she said with a grin – unless she was visiting with friends, she rarely spent any time at hers anymore.

“Yeah, you’re right. I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I meant it more in the sense that she had the joy and carefreeness when she talked about Disney, like all her worries didn’t matter. Like you know, when you were a little kid and you didn’t have much to worry about, no bills, no career, anything,” he tried to explain himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to seem defensive, I just didn’t want my choice of words to come off the wrong way,” he finished. Aiden laughed at the thought of his students actually giving him weed brownies. “Yeah, that’s true. Although they always ask me what drugs I’ve experimented with and I cannot fully disclose that kind of personal information. I don’t need parents yelling at me for pushing their children to do drugs or whatever.” He honestly was one of the worst cooks. He probably could have auditioned for worst cooks in America or something at the rate he was making food. “Ummm...I sometimes eat the hot lunches at school because I get too lazy to pack my own meal. I know I should meal prep. Maybe I should get an Instapot too. I’m just not good at making things taste flavorful, you know? I just honestly don’t know how.” He wasn’t trying to sound negative, but he knew he wasn’t good at those things, which he wasn’t afraid to admit. “Yeah, I think I need to find a new hobby to enjoy or something. Or I should start by cleaning my place up. I was thinking of building a little dog house for my dogs.”

stephlenox‌:

Nodding as Aiden explained what he’d meant,  Steph gave a little smile. She was glad he’d clarified, because that wasn’t what she’d understood from his words at all; not that she’d thought he’d meant it in a bad way exactly, either, not when it was clear just how much he loved both his parents, even (and perhaps especially) now, so long after they were gone. “Makes sense,” she said simply, then, as he went on, shaking her head, waving away his apology. “It’s okay, really, I’m glad you explained. Anyway, it must be nice to care about something like that.” She could only imagine the example it had provided for a young Aiden. Her own parents had liked certain albums or certain movies, but never quite to that extent. “Really?” she asked. She couldn’t imagine having asked her high school teachers that kind of question, but maybe that was just her. “How does the conversation even get around to that topic?” A burst of laughter escaped at his next statement – “Wait, you voluntarily eat high school cafeteria food?” She’d always packed a lunch from economic necessity, but that didn’t change the fact that she much preferred her mother’s sandwiches to the mystery meat on offer. “Either the food’s gotten much better since I was a student, or you’re much lazier than I thought you were,” she teased, grinning. “You could always take a class,” she suggested. “Or watch lots of those youtube tutorials, they tend to be pretty straightforward.” Shaking her head as he went on, though, “On the other hand, it sounds like you’ve got a bunch of new hobbies to pick up as it is. I bet the dogs would love a little house.”

“Honestly, I don’t even know, those children are really curious. They’ve asked me about my love life too. They are so keen on setting me up a Tinder, but don’t they know you have to be eighteen to even have one? I don’t need my students going around catfishing people,” he laughed. It was interesting how much his students were curious, but maybe they just wanted to learn something that wasn’t English. “Um, well, it’s that or buying fast food, I don’t know which one is worse. I mean technically I’m saving money because I don’t get charged if I eat at the cafeteria. Hey, sometimes they bring in pizza from the shop down the street. They provide variety,” he couldn’t even finish explaining himself without laughing. “Yeah. I probably should. I don’t know why it never crossed my mind that I could watch cooking videos on YouTube. All I ask is that they don’t get all Gordon Ramsay on me because I won’t be able to handle that,” he laughed. He nodded in agreement. “I don’t even know where to start. I need to meet someone who’s good at construction. I don’t want to end up nailing my own hand into the house.”

stephlenox‌:

Nodding as Aiden explained what he’d meant,  Steph gave a little smile. She was glad he’d clarified, because that wasn’t what she’d understood from his words at all; not that she’d thought he’d meant it in a bad way exactly, either, not when it was clear just how much he loved both his parents, even (and perhaps especially) now, so long after they were gone. “Makes sense,” she said simply, then, as he went on, shaking her head, waving away his apology. “It’s okay, really, I’m glad you explained. Anyway, it must be nice to care about something like that.” She could only imagine the example it had provided for a young Aiden. Her own parents had liked certain albums or certain movies, but never quite to that extent. “Really?” she asked. She couldn’t imagine having asked her high school teachers that kind of question, but maybe that was just her. “How does the conversation even get around to that topic?” A burst of laughter escaped at his next statement – “Wait, you voluntarily eat high school cafeteria food?” She’d always packed a lunch from economic necessity, but that didn’t change the fact that she much preferred her mother’s sandwiches to the mystery meat on offer. “Either the food’s gotten much better since I was a student, or you’re much lazier than I thought you were,” she teased, grinning. “You could always take a class,” she suggested. “Or watch lots of those youtube tutorials, they tend to be pretty straightforward.” Shaking her head as he went on, though, “On the other hand, it sounds like you’ve got a bunch of new hobbies to pick up as it is. I bet the dogs would love a little house.”

“Honestly, I don’t even know, those children are really curious. They’ve asked me about my love life too. They are so keen on setting me up a Tinder, but don’t they know you have to be eighteen to even have one? I don’t need my students going around catfishing people,” he laughed. It was interesting how much his students were curious, but maybe they just wanted to learn something that wasn’t English. “Um, well, it’s that or buying fast food, I don’t know which one is worse. I mean technically I’m saving money because I don’t get charged if I eat at the cafeteria. Hey, sometimes they bring in pizza from the shop down the street. They provide variety,” he couldn’t even finish explaining himself without laughing. “Yeah. I probably should. I don’t know why it never crossed my mind that I could watch cooking videos on YouTube. All I ask is that they don’t get all Gordon Ramsay on me because I won’t be able to handle that,” he laughed. He nodded in agreement. “I don’t even know where to start. I need to meet someone who’s good at construction. I don’t want to end up nailing my own hand into the house.”

stephlenox‌:

“What love life?” Steph teased with an innocent expression. “Legality aside, though, you’re definitely makin’ the right call on tinder. Making connections is one thing, but if you actually want a relationship …” she shrugged; not believing the app was the right place for that goal. “Obviously you should do whatever’s easier, cheaper, and tastes better, though I guess maybe those three requirements might be mutually exclusive,” Steph said with a brief laugh. “But you’re right, a free lunch is a free lunch,” and not anything to scoff at in her book. “I’m pretty sure even Gordon Ramsay can’t get all Gordon Ramsay on you in a pre-filmed tutorial,” she teased gently. “Actually, no you don’t. Need to meet someone, that is, I mean –” Steph shrugged, a tentative smile on her lips. “My dad, um, he was a carpenter. I used to spend Saturday mornings visiting job sites with him. I might not be able to build you a real house, but a dog house?” She shrugged again. “That I can definitely help with. Even keep you from nailing your hands to anything, too.”

“The one that clearly doesn’t exist,” he responded. Of course, Aiden was having some sort of friends with benefit relationship with Greer, but he liked to keep those things to himself. He didn’t want word spreading around or people judging what he or his friend chose to do with their bodies. “Yeah, and also, it’d be weird if I came across my students’ mom or something. Although, I would be really weirded out because most of them are in their forties already and I definitely am not one to date someone that could be old enough to get a senior discount,” he joked. Aiden wasn’t very good at the whole relationship aspect. Maybe it was because he was closed off when it came to a lot of things or that he hasn’t really connected romantically with someone in a long time. “Yeah, but I think I should definitely learn how to cook. I need to treat my body better if I want to live a healthy life,” he acknowledged. His drink was getting bland by the second with the ice melting so quickly due to the summer heat. “Oh, well, I would surely appreciate your help. I’ll try to cook you something or let you hang out with the dogs or give you a gigantic tip when I visit you at work.” Aiden wasn’t the best at asking for help and especially accepting help from others, but he considered Steph to be one of his closest friends so he didn’t see any harm in a little help from her at least.