a_littlefaith | (no subject)

There are days when Beth misses Maggie so much it physically hurts, an ache in her chest that just won't seem to go away no matter what she does. On those days, she needs to get out of their apartment, she needs to find a new place, somewhere she's not surrounded by boys, and she needs to spend some time with one of her girlfriends. It isn't that she doesn't love them, because she does, she loves every last one of the men in her life, but when she's looking for the sort of affection she shared with Maggie, it's someone like Olive she has to spend time with.

It's not like anyone can replace Maggie, that isn't what she's looking for at all, but it's similar enough in a way that eases the ache in her chest. Her experience with other women is just different and it's important in a way she hadn't quite realized until Darrow. Until she was taken away from her sister and Carol and Michonne.

Olive would love Carol, she's sure of that. Beth has never known anyone like her, someone who's overcome so much, who hasn't let it break her down, who's built herself up stronger than before. There's a lot of Carol Beth really relates to and she knows Olive would find her just as incredible as Beth does.

So it's Carol and Maggie she's thinking of when she texts Olive and asks if she wants to meet up, get some coffee or maybe get a pedicure. Just anything to spend a little bit of time with one of the women in Darrow who have come to mean so much to her.

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The days blend together in the summer. Even without classes to attend, Olive has a ton of things to keep her busy, lots to plan and pursue. She keeps moving. Some days, though, some days are for doing nothing at all. Mostly that means stretching out on the couch or the floor and reading or watching movies, painting her nails and singing off-key at Duckie. Today it means a text from Beth and a quick reply (hopefully, like, not too quick, but what does that actually even mean?), suggesting coffee at a little café close to the beach. It's cute, it's quiet, and the pastries are amazing.

She's there half an hour later, give or take a few minutes, waving as she approaches. "Hey!"

"Hi!" Beth answers with a bright smile when she sees Olive, lifting her hand in a quick wave. She doesn't miss school right now, because having a little bit more free time gives her the chance to do stuff like this, see the people she cares about so much in this city.

"I've never been to this place before," she admits, looking up at the sign for the café. "It looks pretty cute."

"It really is," Olive says. "And it's one of those places where, like, you cannot go wrong. Everything's so good." She'll probably, come to that, end up bringing home a bunch of pastries for later. For Eduardo, sure, but also just, like, for herself for later.

Stepping forward, she pulls open the door for Beth, smile warm. "I'm so glad you texted. I needed a break from all of the nothing I was doing."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to be done school and to be able to just do nothin' again," she admits with a laugh as they head inside. "I mean, I love my classes and I really love my job, but it was a lot of work, y'know?"

She's sure Olive understands. She's even busier than Beth, though, she has way more on her plate, and there are times when Beth isn't sure how she manages it all. Sometimes even just with work and school she feels a little like she's running around, blind and crazy.

"God, I know," laughs Olive, "it's a relief just to be done. And..." She pulls a face. "Kind of terrifying at the same time. Next year's my last year, at least of undergrad. So that's a lot." And she's the idiot who decided she needed a double major. And to write grad school applications while planning a wedding.

"I'm trying not to think about it, though, you know? Just, like, enjoy the summer."

"Jeez, I feel like I'm still so far from the end most of the time," Beth admits with a laugh. She knows what she's doing is different, that it'll really only take two more years before she's certified to be an actual teacher, but she feels like she's already as prepared for it as she can possibly be. That's not how it works, especially if she wants to teach in a school, she has to learn how to prepare and control a classroom, but she loves teaching. She wants to be doing more of it already.

"But, yeah, enjoying the summer feels pretty important," she agrees. "I told my friend Noah I'd learn how to surf with him." She's prepared to be terrible, but she thinks it'll be pretty fun.

"Hey, that's awesome." Olive grins, glancing away from the menu over the counter at that. "I should probably know how to do that. I mean, I grew up, like, half an hour from the beach, but I never actually learned. Always seemed farther than that." That's the thing about being inland. She knows the beach was never actually that far, but it felt like it, living somewhere she could drive up a hillside and look out over a valley, riding past orange trees on the way to school.

"That'll be fun."

"I think it'll be fun until I plant my face in the sand," Beth says with a laugh, looking at the menu, too. It smells good in here and her stomach gives a little rumble in response.

"I've never been real graceful," she admits. "I just look awkward when I try to dance and I feel like surfing probably requires some sort of balance I just don't seem to have." She has rhythm, she can play music, but definitely no grace. That's the sort of thing she's never been able to learn.