everyone_takes | (no subject)

Kate's done feeling sorry for herself.

That's a total lie, but she's determined to try and if trying means that she has to lie to herself and others, then that's what she's going to do. She is not above lying in order to feel better. At this point, she isn't sure if it's helping at all, but she thinks it might be. She's out, anyway, out of the hut. There's a towel slung over her shoulder and she has a bathing suit on under her shorts and tank top, lunch and a book in her little bag.

She looks like a totally normal girl ready for a day at the beach. But that isn't where she's going. As she got ready that morning, that had been the original plan, but now that she's actually outside, she's found herself walking toward the waterfall instead. It's big and it's loud when she gets right up close and there's a little part of her that wants to try jumping off the top. Other people have done it, it can't be that dangerous, but it feels a little less normal than going to the beach.

She might be done feeling sorry for herself, but she isn't ready for normal.

"Hey," she says when she sees Harley on the boardwalk up ahead, then hurries to catch up with him. "Hey, come to the waterfall with me, okay?"

Threaded | Flat

I don't know what it is exactly, but over the last couple months here, this place has started to feel more like home. And I don't mean in the whole sense of belonging somewhere or whatever, even though I guess there's some of that, too. It's just more like home now, in that every time I turn around, it seems like some girl needs something from me. I've been keeping an eye on Carla Jean ever since she pulled her gun on me, trying to spot the guy who spooked her and failing, and most of the time, I still don't know what it is Thalia needs from me.

With Kate, though, it's easy. It sucks, knowing what she's lost, because even when family drives you crazy, you don't really want them gone, but I get it. If she doesn't want to be alone, I can give her that. It's not like I'm going much of anywhere anyway, wandering with a tote bag of my own, big enough to keep from looking like I'm carrying a purse around, even though it only contains the sketchbook and pencils I've still barely used. Mostly I just sit places and look, waiting for it to feel like it's okay.

"Yeah, sure," I say, stopping until she's alongside me. "What's up?"