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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2018 19:32:14 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 19:32:14 GMT -7
Christmas break was finally here. Last night felt like it lasted a million years after her huge fight with Toby. Kinsey still felt sick about that. She and the younger Ravenclaw has never had such a serious argument with one another before and it did not end well last night. They’d both stormed off, upset at the other for not understanding their point of view. While Kinsey desperately wanted to make things right with him, the fact that her longest friend refused to believe her or trust her cut like a cut with a knife. It would take longer than one night for her to be able to talk with him about it.
So when she wokr up that morning, she picked up Shadow and made her way to the Common Room, sitting in a corner with her back to the dorms and the door. If Toby hadn’t left yet, she wouldn’t have to see him. If her happened to see her ... welll Kinsey doubted he’d want to talk to her. Not after last night.
The good thing was, it was hard to not smile when playing with the kitten. Shadow was growing bigger every day and he was becoming more and more fun to play with. She chucked as she gave him her complete attention, not paying attention to anyone in the room or the time or her growling stomach. All she wanted to do right now was he distracted.
@riley
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 23, 2018 19:57:21 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 19:57:21 GMT -7
Riley knew that everyone who was going to be leaving the castle would be doing so after breakfast that day, so he skipped breakfast that morning. He sat on his bed as his roommates, one by one, except an American boy, who was also staying for the break, carried their trunks down and left for home. He read. He read for what felt like hours, and probably was. He glanced up at the clock after he finished his chapter. It was just before noon, everyone would have boarded the train that was leaving by now, which, he knew, would have included his sister and his fiancee. Maybe it was rude of him into to directly tell anyone that he wouldn’t be joining them for the Holidays. But he didn’t want to cause a fuss, or, risk them deciding to stay with him. He wanted some time to himself. This was the best way, he thought, to get that. Plus, he knew Kinsey was staying. And he couldn’t say that knowing she would be here didn’t play into his decision.
When he realized that people would already be gone and the common room would he empty, he left his book on his bed and ventured down with the intent to kill some time before going to lunch. He had skipped breakfast, he was starting to feel rather hungry. When he walked down, he saw Kinsey there on a chair with her kitten on her lap. He smiled, the sight of her being there was getting rather familiar. “Hey, happy break.” he greeted her.
@kinsey
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 25, 2018 16:11:55 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2018 16:11:55 GMT -7
Kinsey was happily messing around with the kitten, glad to have the distraction. Without Shadow, she knew that she would sink into some sort of depression. Without him, she wouldn't be able to focus on anything happy right now. Her brother wasn't speaking to her, neither was her oldest sister. Riley was engaged to the worst person possible and Toby ... Toby didn't want Kinsey to talk with him. He was too busy chasing after a girl who was using him. She couldn't stand that.
When she heard the familiar voice behind her, Kinsey spun around, the smile still on her face. "Happy break," she echoed, even though she wasn't quite expecting it to be true. She was sure she would have happy moments, but this break was likely just going to show her even more what she'd lost. At least, that's how it felt right now. "Where are you going?" Kinsey asked, realizing that he probably didn't come down here for her. He didn't even know she'd be in here, did he?
@riley
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 27, 2018 18:27:26 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2018 18:27:26 GMT -7
Riley could say that he wasn’t happy to see Kinsey sitting there. It was a relief, actually. He knew that Priscilla wasn’t here to walk in on them. They were alone, they were able to spend time together without having to think about what the next term would bring, without having to worry about what the summer would bring. “I was going to head down to Lunch early, probably be the first one there. I skipped breakfast so I didn’t have to say goodbye to Priscilla…” he admitted, mumbling the last part a little bit, fully realizing how awful that had to make him sound. She was his fiancee and he was out right avoiding her. “What are you up to? Just playing with Shadow?” he asked.
@kinsey
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 28, 2018 17:03:03 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2018 17:03:03 GMT -7
Kinsey nodded. Riley's answer wasn't particularly surprising since it was almost lunch time. She'd started to turn her attention back to the kitten in front of her when he explained that he skipped breakfast to avoid Priscilla. Her eyes widened, but she didn't want him to feel bad about it, so she confessed her own secret to him. "I did the same thing to avoid Toby," Kinsey answered softly, feeling guilty even as she said it, but it was the truth. After their fight last night, she hadn't wanted to see her best friend ... well, her ex-best friend. The tears came back to her eyes and she turned to face the kitten so Riley wouldn't see them. She nodded at his question. "Yeah, playing with Shadow to keep me distracted," she said without thinking, wanting to facepalm when her own words registered. She was saying too much and needed to stop. She didn't want to make Riley feel bad for her. She didn't need that right now, on top of everything else. She didn't want his pity.
@riley
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 28, 2018 17:20:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2018 17:20:46 GMT -7
Riley raised his eyebrows when she said that she also skipped breakfast to avoid people, but specifically Toby. Riley knew that she and Toby were good friends. “Why? What happened with Toby?” he asked, sitting on the arm of a couch nearby the chair she was sitting on. He could spare a few minutes, he could spare all of the time in the world for Kinsey, the woman he secretly (but also not so secretly) loved. “Well maybe I can help distract you a little? We’re both here for the break and it seems most of our house left with the rest of them…” he said with a shrug and a smile. He liked the idea of finally being able to really spend some time with Kinsey. He had missed her so much more than he would articulate. “Would you want to come get lunch with me in a little while?” he asked her. “Shadow can come too… if he wants. I'm sure we can find him some...tuna... or milk... what do cats actually like?" he asked.
@kinsey
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 28, 2018 17:34:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2018 17:34:48 GMT -7
Kinsey could sense Riley's eyes on her when she admitted that she was avoiding Toby. She bit her lip when he asked why, knowing that was the question that was coming next. In her periphery, she saw Riley sit on the couch nearby and she glanced over to him. "We ... had a fight. He likes this girl, but she's using him. Like, she's making him do her homework and making him think she likes him, but she doesn't. I sensed her intentions and I told him and he ... doesn't believe me. He thinks I'm being dramatic, like Diana said last year," which was part of the reason why that accusation hurt her so much. "He thinks I'm making it up because i "don't like her" but I just don't want him to get hurt and now we're not talking and it's just all wrong." Honestly, it was another relationship she'd ruined. Like her and Dustin and Diana, she felt like she'd lost Toby and it hurt. "Sorry ... I didn't mean to dump that all on you." Riley didn't need to listen to her problems anymore and here she was, dumping them on him.
When Riley offered to help distract her, Kinsey looked over at him with wide eyes. A small smile grew on her face at the idea. "I would really like that Riley," she answered. If anyone could distract her from losing her best friend, it would be Riley. Or maybe Joe, but he was gone for the break so he couldn't. She nodded when he asked if she'd like to get lunch with him, her smile widening. "Yes, please." She chuckled a little bit as she glanced down at Shadow, who was rolling around on the floor. "He'll eat almost anything I give him, but I think some milk would be good for him right now." She looked back up to Riley. "When do you want to leave?"
@riley
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 15:42:06 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 15:42:06 GMT -7
Kinsey explained to him what happened with her and Toby and Riley just listened and at the end, he blinked. “Wow that’s a lot.” He agreed, “I’m sorry that it went over the way that it did. I’m sure Toby will eventually come around and understand that you only meant to help. I’m sorry he doesn’t believe you.” he hated that she and Toby were fighting. He liked that she had Toby when she could have him. “Don’t apologize, I’m happy to listen.” He insisted.
Kinsey seemed to like his invitation to spend some time together over the next week and a half while they would be alone together for the break. He figured they should spend as much time together as they could, he knew they both wanted to. “We can go down whenever you want to.” he said with a shrug. Lunch didn’t start until noon, and then it would go on for an hour or so after it started, there wasn’t much of a rush. “I just didn’t want to sit in my room anymore.”
@kinsey
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 16:04:27 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 16:04:27 GMT -7
Riley was such a good listener. That was one of the things that started up their friendship all those months ago. He listened to her when she was scared and sad and he was smart enough to give her a hug and just let her cry with him. She used to appreciate that she could tell him everything, no matter what it was. Now, she felt like she was intruding somehow, like telling him about her fight with Toby was something he wouldn't care to hear. However, he listened as always, truly listened and when she was done he said exactly what she needed to hear. She nodded slowly when he said that he was sure Toby would come around eventually, finishing by telling her not to apologize. Why was he so good? He was so easy to talk to. Kinsey smiled over at him, "Well, thank you for listening. I think I needed to get that all out." He probably could tell that, but still. Kinsey wasn't going to second guess what she said to him.
She smiled at him when he said they could go down whenever. "Let's just go now. Shadow seems a bit hungry." The kitten finally caught the string and was now trying to get it in its mouth. Kinsey laughed as she stood up and picked him up as well, turning to face Riley. "I'm glad you came out. I'd almost forgotten you were still here." Ha. Kinsey hadn't forgotten that by a long shot, though she wasn't entirely sure where he'd been and hadn't felt like it was okay for her to look.
@riley
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 16:12:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 16:12:00 GMT -7
“I’ll always be there to listen, Kins.” he promised her. He was still trying to work out exactly how he was going to be there for her always, but he really wanted to be. He didn’t want to be with anyone else. She decided she wanted to go down to the great hall for lunch now and he nodded, standing up from the couch. While they walked out of the common room she told him that she was glad that he had come out of his dorm and that she had forgotten that he was staying, he raised his eyebrows, he didn’t believe she really had forgotten. “Ouch Kinsey, that hurts. You forgot me.” he teased, shaking his head with a laugh as they left their tower.
@kinsey
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 16:18:06 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 16:18:06 GMT -7
Riley promised he would always listen to her and Kinsey smiled. "Me too. If you ever want to talk," Kinsey answered back. She felt pretty confident in the fact that Riley would listen if he knew she needed someone to talk to, but she doubted he would come to her if he needed to. He seemed to always want it in, or maybe he had someone else he talked to about his problems. Kinsey was slowly coming to the realization that he hadn't ever had much to confide in her about. Other than his ability, but that wasn't a hard thing to talk about, she didn't think. It was a little sad, but she knew she couldn't force him to tell her things, despite the fact that she wished he would.
She laughed when he teased her, "Well, you were hiding up in your dorm. How was I to know you didn't change your mind at the last second?" she asked, nudging his shoulder with her own as they walked. This was nice and felt comfortable. She wished things could always be like this between them, not just when his fiance was gone.
@riley
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 16:41:19 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 16:41:19 GMT -7
She teased him about hiding up in his dorm and he continued to laugh, and then he shrugged. “You could have came up and checked.” he told her. He actually would quite have liked if Kinsey came to see if he was still there. He always liked to see Kinsey, but he was excited not for their interactions over the coming week to be planned ones and not just chance encounters. “I wouldn’t have left without telling you…” he added, though, it felt weird to say, since he stayed without telling his fiancee. He really was an awful person, and being with Priscilla and listening to his family was tugging at his moral character more and more each day. Riley used to think of himself as a nice guy, a moral guy, someone who always did the right thing and was nice and polite to everyone… well… almost everyone. “So what did your family think about you staying for christmas?” he asked her. He wondered if she stayed because he had said he was going to stay. Because she had stayed and was missing christmas with her family, he’d be sure to get her a gift, he decided.
@kinsey
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 16:51:09 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 16:51:09 GMT -7
Kinsey's eyes widened as he suggested that she could have checked. "I didn't even think of that," she answered. "I'll keep that in mind for the rest of the break." Even when they'd been dating, Kinsey didn't think she'd ever looked for Riley in his dorm room. Not that she couldn't have, it just felt invasive and she wasn't sure if he would want her to. She then laughed a little, "I'd say you could come and check on me, buuuuut I'm pretty sure that wouldn't go over well." They all knew that boys weren't allowed in the girl's dorms, which was what made Kinsey think she was funny.
Riley said he wouldn't leave without telling her and Kinsey smiled over at him. "That's good to know." He was making her feel so special, just like he always did when they were dating. She missed him. Missed being together all the time and how comfortable it always was when they were dating. He asked about her family and Kinsey shrugged, "They are a bit disappointed, but they didn't try to argue with me on it. They said that we had to do something together at the festival." Which was much better than a few weeks of awkwardly trying to interact and the guilt when her older siblings didn't show. "Did you end up telling Lydia and Priscilla?" She asked, wondering if that was why Riley hid in his dorm that morning.
@riley
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 16:59:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 16:59:48 GMT -7
“Yeah I don’t think I’m going to try that.” he admitted with a laugh when she suggested that he come and look for her. Boys weren’t allowed in the girls dorm. He had never tried it himself, but one of his roommates had once during their early years and it had been quite funny to witness. She explained that her family was a little disappointed but would see her at the festival and he nodded, “That’s nice.” he smiled. That was one of the good things about the festival, it was a chance to see family over the break, not that he would use it as an opportunity for such. He loved the festival. He loved the freedom of getting to go to Hogsmeade everyday if he wanted. “We should go check out the festival together…” he said, maybe a little awkwardly. He wasn’t exactly asking her on a date, but it felt like he was. “If you want…” he added quickly. She asked about his family and he shook his head. “No, I didn’t tell them. I suppose they’ll find out when they can’t find me on the train.” he shrugged.
@kinsey
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last online May 14, 2024 19:35:01 GMT -7
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Dec 31, 2018 17:10:39 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2018 17:10:39 GMT -7
"That's a shame," Kinsey teased, shaking her head as she pretended to be disappointed, but she really wasn't. She knew they were almost the only people left in their house, but that didn't mean Riley wanted to deal with the consequences of trying to get into her dorms, unless he was just going for her attention. She wouldn't make that an issue though. She'd come out early, just in case he wanted to do things with her. She nodded, "I think it'll be a lot easier to see one another at the festival than all break long." She'd already explained why she wasn't going home though, so she expected Riley to understand. At his suggestion, Kinsey smiled over at him, nodding enthusiastically. "We should! That would be lots of fun, Riley." Doing anything with him would be fun, that wasn't a surprise at all. "... you want to, right?" What he wanted mattered to her too. "Are you sure you'd want to be with me at the festival? Don't you think they'll look for you there ..." Kinsey wanted to spend time with him. She wanted to do everything with him that she could this break, but she didn't want to hurt him. She bit her lip as she looked over at him, nervous about what he would decide. He was the one who was engaged and not available. These kinds of decisions were his.
@riley
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