You Don't Judge (Peyton)

[Deleted]

Feb. 18, 2025

Kinsey had some pretty hard times during the past year, but during the past few days she'd definitely reached an all-time low. First, those terrible nightmares were tormenting her almost every other day now, messing with her perception of reality and her views of how other people saw her. Worse than that, she legitimately lost Riley. Before Valentine's Day, she knew that he loved her, that he wanted to spend his time with her whenever he could. Now he was avoiding her and she knew it. She didn't blame him either. She'd asked him to do the unthinkable, to leave his family and all his expectations in favor of her. Could she be more selfish? Kinsey didn't think so. His stupid engagement party was this weekend. Maybe it would get easier after that, but she doubted it. Kinsey now spent most of her time either with Toby or Joe. The two of them were so good to her right now. She really didn't deserve them, but at the same time she appreciated that they weren't leaving her on her own. 

However, today she just wanted to get away from it all. She wanted to leave Riley and Toby, Joe and Priscilla behind. She wanted to forget everything and just pretend that life wasn't as hard as it really was. So she was making her way outside. To the fresh, cold air. She froze when she saw a familiar figure in front of her. "Peyton?" Kinsey called, realizing in that moment that she hadn't seen her sister in ages. 

@peytonbainbridge

[Deleted]

The only talk of the school was the engagement party between Riley and Priscilla, that was all that anyone talked about. Everyone was invited, or mostly everyone. Peyton had gotten an invite, probably because Lydia was her friend and put in a good word for her, but who knew. She wasn't attending; she wasn't about to support the guy that broke her sister's heart. She was for family, now and for always, there was no way she was supporting someone that wasn't for that. Though, she was sure that Lydia would beg.

Peyton was outside in the courtyard, walking with another classmate when she heard someone call to her, and she turned around, taking in the state of her older sister. She turned to the other girl and told her to go ahead, slowly walking closer to the sister that seemed to be avoiding everyone, including herself, and she smiled. "Kinsey, hi..." came her soft words as she pulled the books in her arms closer to her breast.

@kinsey

[Deleted]

Kinsey smiled at the sight of her younger sister. Even though she hadn't seen Peyton much lately, she loved her. Peyton was always so happy and cheerful. She could always lift Kinsey's spirits, which might have been part of the reason why Kinsey was eraching out right now. She had so few things to be happy about right now, but she could relax a little with her sister, couldn't she? 

"Hey Peyton. How are you doing?" It felt like a ridiculously awkward questions, even more so because they were sisters and Kinsey was asking it, but Peyton seemed to be stressed or something. "Sorry I ... haven't seen you much lately." Yes, Kinsey felt guilty for it. In her defense, she had a lot going on, but that didn't mean she should forget her younger sister. 

@peytonbainbridge

[Deleted]

Peyton had been growing closer to Kinsey since last year, and she was enjoying it. Because of her sister's ability, she usually alienated herself from the rest. And while she would forever be closer to her fellow triplets and potentially Cara, she had enjoyed spending time with her older sister. Now with Diana and Dustin both gone, it seems like family was vital to the young blonde.

After learning from her sister that Riley had broken up with her, it seems she was being pushed away even more. Having not really seen or spoken to the older girl for a while now - running into her was a breath of fresh air. And with the engagement party for Riley and Pricilla growing closer, she wanted to be there for her sister during this time.

'Hey Peyton. How are you doing? Sorry I ... haven't seen you much lately.' Peyton smiled softly, shrugging her shoulders, "You've had a lot on your mind, I don't blame you. But I've been great - what about you?" she questioned.

@kinsey

[Deleted]

At least Peyton wasn't angry at her. That was definitely a relief to Kinsey. She felt so guilty for avoiding her sisters, especially this last year. Ever since everything happened with Riley, she drew into herself even more than beforehand. She just felt weird about everything. She felt weird walking down the hall and talking to anyone. She knew her sisters would be defensive on her behalf so she didn't really want to tell them everything that happened with her, especially when Riley was involved.

She nodded thankfully. "Thanks Peyton. I'm glad you understand." She shrugged when Peyton asked how she was. "It depends on the day. I haven't been sleeping too good lately," she admitted. "But classes are going okay so that's good. How are your classes?" Wow, why was this conversation so awkward. Kinsey felt bad about it, but she didn't know how to fix it.

@peytonbainbride

[Deleted]

Kinsey was glad that she understood that she knew that there was a lot on the mind of the brunette. And honestly, there was. With what Peyton knew - which was little - was that a lot had happened since she last truly spoke to her sister. Peyton knew when her sisters needed space as if it were written in the air around them. That's why a lot of time, Peyton herself kept to her books and her studies so that others didn't feel pressured to speak with her - she knew how talkative she was."You haven't been sleeping? Is it cause of R--you know who?" she questioned, a little worried for her sister. Less sleep meant less functioning, and less functioning meant that Kinsey's studies could suffer. She smiled, "My classes are good. I've been having such fun, especially in charms."

@kinsey

[Deleted]

It wasn't hard to see Peyton's concern for her, so Kinsey tried to smile to reassure her, but that was harder when her sister asked about Riley. Sure, she didn't finish his name, but Kinsey's breath caught as she thought about him. She couldn't seem to stop thinking about him. Ever since he left her on Valentines Day, and especially with his engagement party coming up. "Kind of. I've also been having a bit of a problem with nightmares, so that's a bigger problem than him. It's getting better though." That was a lie, but Kinsey wanted her sister to believe it. She didn't want Peyton worrying about her. "I'm glad your classes are going well. What's so good about charms?" Maybe they could just talk about the good things in Peyton's life instead of the difficult ones that were taking over Kinseys'. 

@peytonbainbridge

[Deleted]

Peyton noticed the change in demeanor that her sister displayed, the way her face turned to one of pain, and she frowned, looking down at her feet. "Sorry," she breathed out seconds before her sister answered the question.

She mentioned nightmares, and her attention moved to look at her once more. "Nightmares? What kind?" she questioned, sure she wasn't someone that could interpret dreams - but perhaps Kinsey should go to someone that could.

She shrugged her shoulders with a smile, "I don't know - I simply love charms. I love using magic to cast spells, big and small." she giggled.

@kinsey

[Deleted]

Kinsey shook her head when Peyton apologized. "No, you don't have to be sorry," she insisted. She didn't want Peyton to feel like she had to be careful about what she said when she was around Kinsey. It was only natural that she would mention Riley. Riley had been such a big part of Kinsey's life just months ago. It was hard to not mention him, or even just think of him, constantly. 

Peyton seemed really interested in the nightmares, but Kinsey wasn't quite sure what to tell her. "I don't know? They're all the exact same. I just run into the same people and they all hate me, and make that pretty obvious." She didn't go into a lot of detail. Peyton didn't need to know about ALL of Kinsey's problems, especially not ones like these. 

She smiled as her sister talked about charms, "Well, I'm glad you're loving that class. Do you have a favorite spell?" It was nice to see Peyton so happy. 

@peytonbainbridge

[Deleted]

Kinsey told her that she didn't have to be sorry, insisting really about the whole apology thing. Peyton couldn't help it; if she felt bad...she had to address it quickly. It was just within her nature. But piqued her interest, swaying her away from her apologies, was her sister's revelation of nightmares.

'I don't know? They're all the exact same. I just run into the same people and they all hate me, and make that pretty obvious.' Peyton frowned deeply; she didn't want to pry into her sister's nightmares, into her problems. Kinsey had always been someone that held back from oversharing, but she wanted to ask. What people? Who hated her?

She smiled, glad that her sister had asked about charms, and she shook her head. "No...I think they're all my favorite. It's hard to pick just one..."

@kinsey

[Deleted]

It was definitely a bit of a relief that Peyton wasn't questioning her about her nightmares, though Kinsey was also a little surprised by that. Peyton always seemed to like studying dreams and figuring out what they meant. However, to Kinsey, her dreams were entirely clear. In her mind, she could never measure up to Riley or Lydia or even Priscilla. Apparently the only person she thought was on her level was Dom, which was a sobering thought indeed, considering how he tormented her. Still, she wasn't about to tell her little sister the details of her dreams, especially if Peyton wasn't going to ask about it. 

She smiled when Peyton admitted that all the spells were her favorite. "Spoken like a true Ravenclaw. Oh, wait ..." Kinsey teased, hoping she could lighten the mood a bit. She knew she'd been hard to be around lately. Maybe that was another part of the reason why she was having those nightmares. She was living quite negatively. "Honestly though, quite a few of your study habits and things make me think we should have been in the same house." She wasn't upset that Peyton was a Hufflepuff, but maybe it would have been nice to have one of the triplets with her. 

@peytonbainbridge

[Deleted]

'Spoken like a true Ravenclaw. Oh wait...' Peyton laughed, the mood lightening just a bit. The thought of her sister's nightmares dwindling for a moment. It was true; there were times when people questioned how she had been chosen for the Hufflepuff house instead of the Ravenclaw one. She never had an answer for them, not like she could ask the sorting hat.

There was a reason for her placement, and she had to believe that it was a good one. Plus, she was sure others could have been placed in other houses as well, but the hat picked a specific one. "Guess I'm a Ravenclaw at heart," she said truthfully, a small giggle leaving her lips. 'Honestly though, quite a few of your study habits and things make me think we should have been in the same house.' Peyton smiled at her sister, "But then who will look after the other two?"

@kinsey

[Deleted]

Kinsey was glad that she was able to make Peyton smile and laugh. She didn't want the entire conversation with her sister to be a sad or negative one. She wanted to make sure that Peyton was doing well. Kinsey smiled when her sister admitted that maybe she was a Ravenclaw at heart. "You would have made a good one in reality, but you're a good Hufflepuff too, so I guess that's all fine. As long as you're happy," which Peyton was. She was the kind of person who cared about her family and wanted to make everyone else happy, and herself was a cheery person. It was one of the things Kinsey loved about her sister. "I guess you're right. It's good that you can take care of them. They need you." 

She stretched, suddenly thinking they should do something. "Hey, are you busy? I was thinking about maybe going to the kitchens for a treat. Do you want to join me?"

@peytonbainbridge

[Deleted]

'Cause I feel like I can do anything when
My head is spinning and my feet off the ground
When I can't stop dancing like no one's around

The relationship between Peyton and Kinsey had always been a weird one. The older girl had always distanced herself from her family because of her ability. Her inability to touch had always affected Peyton, seeing as she was a hugger. But slowly, as Cara and the others left Hogwarts, the two had gotten closer. She almost feared when Kinsey herself graduated in the coming months. While she would have her two other sisters, something about not having the older siblings there was heartbreaking. But she didn't let it bring her down. It wouldn't ruin her relationship with her other siblings, seeing as she spoke with Cara through Owl. The only siblings she never really talked to were Dustin and Diana.

Kinsey mused that as long as Peyton was happy, that was all that mattered. Not which house she was in reality or at heart, it all fell upon happiness. And Peyton couldn't agree more. The young girl beamed as the girl said that it was good that she took care of them, and she nodded. 'Hey, are you busy? I was thinking about maybe going to the kitchens for a treat. Do you want to join me?' The blonde shook her head, "I'm free. I'd love to join you!" she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm and a huge bright smile upon her pale face.

@kinsey

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Deleted]

It was nice, seeing Peyton smile again. Not that Peyton wasn't normally smiling. She was actually a pretty cheerful girl most of the time. Kinsey just didn't feel like she did much to help her sister smile lately. So Kinsey smiled back, reaching forward and taking Peyton's hand as she started to try to pull her to the kitchens. "Great! Let's get going then. I'm really excited to have some sweets, now that I'm thinking about it." 

@peytonbainbridge
(wanna close this one out and we can start something in the summer?)