Second Semester Blues... [Tag: Jen] on Cascade Hall

Lizzie Lavine

May 23, 2007 7:40 PM

Second Semester Blues... [Tag: Jen] by Lizzie Lavine

The return to Sonora earlier that term had been good for Lizzie. Aside from going nearly stir-crazy at home in New Orleans after returning from her all-too long stay at her aunt and uncles', Lizzie hadn't been doing much before returning to school. Honestly, another day in Baton Rouge, and surely someone would have gotten seriously hurt. Thankfully, the entire ordeal was over with before the New Year, which she spent in New Orleans with her brothers (and Melanie), Hopkins, and the Phillips Family. It had been fun, but John and his family left on the 3rd, leaving her to her own devices.

Her devices, it turned out, were neither productive nor helpful. Lizzie spent the remaining days of break outside, running, practicing quidditch; anything to distract her mind from that stupid, stupid boy. Ash just wouldn't leave her mind, and the monotony of the break didn't help distracting her at all. Even with the Christmas ball and all those ridiculous "eligible boys" being thrown at her, Lizzie still had Ash on the mind, and it was driving her crazy.

So she sat at breakfast on an early Saturday morning, brooding. Again. Lizzie had a bowl of oatmeal sitting in front of her, piping hot and laced with warm honey, something she would have thoroughly enjoyed any other time. This time, however, she just lost her appetite in the midst of her thoughts. Giving up on eating at all, she shook her head and yanked out a review book for the upcoming CATS exams. Lizzie sighed resignedly, and began highlighting.

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Jennifer

May 26, 2007 11:16 PM

Karma's awful, isn't it? by Jennifer

Jennifer Zucchero’s life had followed a very well-ordered routine since she had returned to Sonora, summed up for the most part by classes, studying, quidditch, and Jake, occasionally interrupted by dealings with various other friends. She actually felt a bit guilty about that, particularly with regards to her roommates, but, eh, she could always make a more concentrated effort eventually.

Still, she wouldn’t have thought that she’d neglected any of them enough to completely miss a drastic change. Apparently, though, she’d been more preoccupied than she’d realized, which was apparent as soon as she entered Cascade that particular morning. Either that, or the apocalypse was coming, or she’d fallen down a rabbit hole, none of which were pleasant options to think about.

“So, Lizzie, cramming for the CATS?” Jennifer asked with a smirk, sitting down across the table from her friend. “You know, if you’d been studying continuously, like we’re supposed to, then you wouldn’t have to work as hard now. You do look incredibly enthusiastic about this, you know.”

She probably shouldn’t be talking, as she’d also been studying fanatically, but it had been a year-long process. And, of course, it was most satisfying to make fun of Lizzie about anything and everything, particularly as Jennifer was still slightly bitter about the whole interference with Jake thing, but that had sorted itself out (just as Lizzie had predicted, even if it would have happened much sooner otherwise) and, for the most part, Jennifer was happy with life. “So, what’s been up with you? How’re things going with Ash, now that you’ve stopped being idiots, or at least you had the last time I’d heard?”

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Lizzie

May 26, 2007 11:34 PM

Yeah, it's not a good friend of mine... by Lizzie

Lizzie was just turning the page of a new section of her review book, Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Quick Guide to Incantations and Pronunciations, when she noticed Jen in her periphery. With another resigned sigh, she looked up from the book to her friend. Karma, it appeared, was keeping her word. Jen seemed positively glowing with happiness, of all the Merlin-forsaken things. Maybe it was the absurd hour of the morning, but Lizzie still couldn't help but feel the overwhelming annoyance. Jen was happy, and Lizzie clearly was not.

"Yeah, yeah," she finally responded, ignoring the sly comment about not studying all year long, which she had, "I'm just feeling a little pressured. And annoyed. And stressed."

A moment passed, and Lizzie looked back down at her review book. The page was staring back up at her, mockingly. That review book, she decided, was out to get her. Seriously, it seemed as though the book was sent by Aunt Rose to torture her studies as well as social life. Lizzie sighed, and forced herself to look back up at Jen. She caught the last bits of what Jen was saying, but not much else.

"Oh, yeah... Well, it's sort of not going at all," she said, putting a hand on her forehead, "I've barely seen him at all this term, and I mean, I can understand with Stephen being like, his best friend and all, but... it's still annoying."

Another beat passed, and Lizzie blurted out, "I mean, Javon got six CATS, for Merlin's sake, and he's a professional quidditch player! I have to do well on these... I just- Merlin, I have to get Ash off my mind, because otherwise I'm going to lose it."

Whatever's left of it, anyway, she added mentally, predicting her best friend's response. Lizzie sighed again, and slammed the book's cover shut. She was tired of all this studying and boy business. It was dragging her down, and most importantly, it was hampering her abilities to do what Lizzie did best- have fun.

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Jennifer

June 04, 2007 3:06 PM

Why, imagine that by Jennifer

Jennifer’s good humor faded as she watched Lizzie. It was mean, after all, to poke fun at someone who appeared miserable, and her best friend certainly had that going for her. “Yeah, I know what you mean,” she said after a minute, glancing down at the review book as well. “I think we’re all kind of feeling that way. That’s the purpose of these tests, after all. To drive you completely mad.”

Something still felt off, though. Even with how important the CATS were, Jennifer still didn’t think Lizzie would have been that stressed out by them alone, unless her aunt had managed to completely brainwash her over the break. So when the other girl admitted that things were not going well romantically, Jennifer was not the least bit surprised.

She listened in silence to the rest of her friend’s mini-rant, trying to figure out which was the bigger problem, CATS or boy. Finally, she decided that, while CATS were the more immediate issue, the Ash problem had been going on for longer. Besides, there wasn’t that much that could be said about the former besides ‘well, then study.’

“Oh, Lizzie, guys are idiots,” she began, as consolingly as possible. She did feel a twinge of guilt about Jake for a minute, but figured he would have understood. It was just something that one had to say, after all. “I mean, you know that. Although if it’s so bad, maybe you should just give up on him.”

She felt slightly disloyal saying that, but it was the truth. She didn’t know how long Lizzie had been complaining about Ash, but it had been going on forever, and her patience with Lizzie’s problems had decreased now that she didn’t have her own to jointly complain about. She did manage to keep that fact from showing, though. “I mean, I’m sure John would just love to have you back,” she finished with a slightly evil grin.

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