for every situation, there is a suitable line from a song ♪

I nearly got a heart attack when I saw the message from Polyvore saying that they wanted to shut down the weekend club! Some of you guys were quick to take action, making announcements so that they wouldn't get rid of the beloved group.
If I haven't emphasized this enough:
you girls are simply amazing <3
 
But how have you all been????
 
My months of leave have been far too long, I'm sure.
I log on every now and then to check up on the few notifications here and there. However, my return to roleplaying is still to be determined.
 
Junior year is coming to a close, but I realize now that there is still so much on my plate--I will hardly have time to sit and breathe. I'm excited though, but to give you guys an idea...
 
June;
_School lets out next week! Woohoo!
_that same week, I start doing prep work for the summer program I'm teaching for
_week after, the summer program starts! yay :) that means sailing and teaching little kids to sail
_last week of june, i will fly out to Minnesota for a competition
 
july;
_more sailing, more teaching (Mon-Fri, practically all day)
_my cousin's wedding on the beach in the middle of the month
 
... and then factor in my AP homework; the things i must do for college applications; hanging out with friend; eating and sleeping--
needless to say my summer is jam-packed.
 
I have probably said this before, but I do intend to write a story for Char to wrap up loose ends if I plan to extend my leave for awhile longer. It may not be quick, but I do hope to get it done before the month is through <3
 
I truly and sincerely miss all you girls, and I hope we can stay in touch. Hit me up in my messages, or in the comments! I will be on the next few days, looking forward to any replies. I promise :)
 
Lots of love,
xoxoxo
Jayne

To my lovely Polyvore girls,
 
Well, I'm sure this is nothing new to you guys, but my participation hasn't been spectacular--in all honesty it has been far from it. Since winter break back in January, everything has taken off'; I hit the ground running and it feels like a marathon with little chance to take a breath.
 
I have no problem with keeping myself busy, but it has certainly cut into my leisure time.
Some of the things coming up for me next month include my SAT and a sailing instructor certification course. They require a lot of studying and preparation... in addition to my regular school work and volunteer projects.
Whew!
After all that, I will be focusing my attention on taking AP tests, researching colleges and scholarships, and (hopefully) getting my driver's permit (at last!)
 
All in all, I thought it was about time that I officially call a hiatus.
 
I apologize to all my girlies at MMN and TWC for failing you guys. I miss you all and I miss the groups, I really do. I hope you guys can save me a spot in the future, if I ever come back. If not, I completely understand.
To my gals in TWC, you guys are incredible. I am leaving New Temple in your hands and I trust that you guys are capable for keeping the group on its feet. I'm so appreciative of what you have done for the group. <3
 
Message responses may be sparse, but if you shoot me one I will try to reply as soon as I can.
 
Love you all,
xoxo
Jayne

This should have been done ages ago.
In knowing who Charlotte is as a character, I realized that you have to know the people in her life. During these past few months I have been dwelling on all these people in Charlotte's life, who they are and how they relate to her story.
 
I developed these biographies, and believe me, even I surprised myself. Unconsciously I've been building up these people into who they are... I was astounded to see how their lives unfolded in front of me.
 
I hope you understand better who these new characters are... and even find a new perspective on some old ones. I know I did.
 
I really have the anticipation that you guys might read these. It may take a lot of patience, but it should give some more insight on Charlotte's story--I know I have been very brief, skipping through months to catch up.
With these petty details laid out, I am expecting that a story should follow up soon.
 
xoxoJayne.
 
~
 
Cassidy Crooker, 19
Being brunette is alright, but blondes always have more fun. Cassidy’s catchphrase in life has always been, “You only live once.” She grew up in a small Michigan town but she was exposed to the world, unlike most teenagers in her area. Her father was a traveling businessman and he loved nothing more than for his only daughter to tag along with him on his trips. Cass experienced the country frequently when her father flew her out to a different city almost every weekend. She quickly developed a sense of adventure and inquisitiveness. Her dyed blonde hair and bi-curious sentiment are only a few attributes that make up her bubbly persona.
Cassidy got hooked on modeling early on in her life when her mother used to drag her to auditions as a teenager. Being daddy’s little girl, she was able to sway her father into letting her move into a New York loft to pursue her career with Burton’s Model Management. She is optimistic and generally outspoken, never one to be shy.
In recent months she has taken a step back from modeling to test the waters of college life in Verona. However on the weekends, she returns to the city where she still has her loft and modeling responsibilities. Although rambunctious she is loyal to friends, her beliefs and her duties.
Model; Candice Accola
 
[first encounter with Char: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=28424486
Charlotte started out believing that Cassidy was going to be her enemy. In reality, Cass was her best ally.
Cassidy had history with Isaac in her early modeling years. However, when Isaac found out that his girlfriend was bi-curious he viciously turned on her, refusing to accept it. She easily brushed it off but maintains a bitterness for Isaac Brians for being so close-minded.
http://www.polyvore.com/im_finding_every_reason_to/set?id=29652928
Cassidy and Charlotte grew to become friends during their work at Burton’s Model Management. During the summer months, they banded together to tackle go-sees as a team. They exchanged modeling knowledge and experience; together they began to enhance their careers. Off the clock, the two of them would explore the New York night life or spend Sunday afternoons watching reruns they missed during the week. Gradually they are becoming very comfortable as modeling friends.]
 
~
 
Damon St. James, 18
Growing up in California, Damon found himself wrapped up in a life of reckless partying and antics. But what made him different from the others in his social circle was that he was humble about it. Although he was involved in the events, Damon preferred the outer edges of the chaos. He precariously balances between being a wall-flower and a partier. It is not that he is shy; he is simply a man of few words. He is that seemingly brooding boy that everyone wants to know about, but most have trouble cracking that shell.
When it comes to relationships, Damon likes to keep things physical and surface level. Digging through the layers of personality has never been his cup of tea. He’ll have brief relations with a girl on occasion, never anything permanent because he can never fully trust them.
He once pursued modeling, but since moving to New York he has discovered his passion for business and advertising. Damon’s past with Monroe is slowly drifting away from him as he loses touch with the people he hung around with for a short time. He is not one to worry about status too much.
Model; Paul Wesley
 
[Charlotte and Damon grew up in Los Angeles together. Char’s family adored him from the moment she introduced him to them. He’s always had a special place in their hearts and vice versa. Whenever he wasn’t at his own home, he was always with the Warner’s being their "adopted son."
Char and Damon were incredibly close to one another. They always thought of each other as siblings growing up. He has always had a sort of brotherly love for her. Whether he does it for her family or for himself, he feels the need to protect her. When Charlotte ran away to New York, he followed her. He thought it was love, but they weren’t able to make the relationship last long. They soon realized that their friendship was what mattered most.
Damon knows Charlotte inside and out, better than anyone. They are friends and that’s all they will ever be.]
 
~
 
Isaac Brians, 19
Like most families on the Upper East Side, Isaac comes from money. His father works on Wall Street and his mother is from a long line of old Manhatten wealth. He has grown up with the best of everything to say the least and would expect nothing less. He is aware of his apparent good-looks and often comes across as smug and arrogant. Isaac is a complete bastard and is the very definition of a spoiled brat at times. He is used to the cars, the girls, the parties, everything.
But there are two sides to every person. His stand-offish personality is only a front to intimidate the average person. If a person takes the time to look past it all, he will give his heart to them. Isaac will love a girl like no other but he is easily jealous as well. He is protective of his possessions and girls are no exception.
Isaac holds on to what he has and wants what he can’t have.
He likes a good challenge if anything. Which is why he took up modeling.
He attended Monroe, flying under the radar for much of his time there. After graduation Isaac went off to Verona with the rest of his classmates. But he grew tired of being a student and dropped out in October to live in the city and pursue modeling full-time.
Model; Ian Somerhalder
 
[http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=16943218
Isaac has always been a toy to Charlotte, even from day one.
She’s cheated on him and has broken his heart one too many times. But Isaac likes a challenge. He can’t help but go back for her time and time again.
When Char is broken, he takes the time to put her back together again. When she doesn’t love him the same, he lets her go.
Although he can be quite the ass, Charlotte has become his Achilles’ heel. He can’t explain the gravitational pull she has on him, and no matter what he does, he can’t shake the thought of her.
For once, he is having trouble knowing how he is going to get what he wants]
 
~
 
David Branson, 19
Born in London. Took his first steps in Dubai. Learned to ride a bike in Japan. Had his first kiss in New Zealand…. The extent of his travels his endless.
The Branson family has never been shy about excursions. Ken Branson is a leading entrepreneur with businesses in every continent. Cambree Branson joins her husband wherever his work takes him. She raised David herself and taught him to be the perfect son. She raised him to be well-rounded and genuine. Not only is his cultural knowledge vast but he is also a skilled soccer player, guitarist and formal debater. From the outside looking in, many people believe that Cambree never loved her son. Rather, they believed that she was training him.
David has always been a kind and humble teenager growing up. He has the best intentions, always polite and is never one to be negative. He is almost perfection.
But David has never known what life is like when you actually settle down. He has never been in one place for more than three months permanently. Never has he had the opportunity to stop to get to know the people around him nor the inner workings of a place he might call “home.”
He may try and believe that he belongs somewhere, but he has never known the feeling.
All David has ever known is traveling. Traveling. Wandering… wondering.
Model; Marcus Hedbrandh
 
[http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=29895624
Charlotte and David met in an airport in Rome. The flirtatious banter was between two strangers. A one night stand… that’s all it was supposed to be.
However, things took a different turn. Char’s few days in Rome were spent talking to this boy, falling for this boy. She was intrigued by him, and David was set on pleasing this American girl.
Their relations did not end in Rome. For awhile the two of them called long distance, skyped on weekends and had an ongoing email conversation.
A few days in New York were moments of bliss before David was whisked back to his temporary home in Europe. Besides a few days of physical contact, the two have never gone beyond a few bases and electronic conversations.
Charlotte is infatuated and is full-heartedly believing in what she believes is something more than what she could ever hope for.]

Today was such an amazing day.
 
Loving family.
Delectable food.
and plenty of happiness and joy.
 
I received a good amount of presents,
but the best present was putting a smile on the faces of my parents, brother and my friends with the things I picked out for them. That's always the most gratifying part: showing that you really know what they like.
 
I would just like to wish everyone a very happy holiday. May your new year be filled with happiness, good health and plenty of memories.
 
To all my poly-friends, you guys are the best bunch of people that any girl could ask for.
 
@withlovealice @vampire-weakend @little-red @lalasparkles @little-miss-rae @emgeemtee @lovelygabriella @bohemiandollface @kirkland @cestlula @lemonade-lagoon and anyone else i may have forgotten <3
 
I love and appreciate you all.
 
Best wishes!
xoxoJayne

Introducing: Delilah Collins
http://www.polyvore.com/twc_delilah_collins/collection?id=1077395
 
December 22nd
 
It was a soft pitter patter to start off with.
 
Rain, I thought to myself.
 
Damn, December. It was always so cold. The heater was out, so that didn’t help in the least bit. I tugged my ragged comforter snug around my shoulders, but I felt another pull counteracting my motion.
 
I squinted slightly and a tuft of dark curls peeked out at me from beneath the covers.
 
I closed my eyes again and let out an inaudible sigh, curling up closer to the boy in my bed. His arms lay across me briefly until he reeled back, shifted away and fell back into his snoring state. My arms lingered on his shoulder, grazing the sharp blades.
 
I shivered in the coldness of the morning, in the loneliness I felt.
 
And that pitter patter came back, stronger this time.
 
It was a pounding in my head.
 
I held my head, massaging my temples thinking that it was the beginning of a hangover.
 
“Delilah, open the door.”
 
I pushed myself up on my elbows and glared at the door. It quivered with each knock, the hinges so rusty and in need of repair. “Delilah,” it spoke to me again. Beside me, the dark-haired boy didn’t budge an inch. The door continued to shake impatiently.
 
My feet slid to the floor, navigating random articles of clothing. Curiously, I picked at each one, selecting an oversized flannel that hit mid-thigh. The floorboards creaked slightly as I tiptoed towards the door that had now become quiet.
 
I undid the lock. Click. Squeak.
 
It only opened a crack under my touch, enough to see the weary face of my aunt.
 
“Delilah, the shop opens in two hours and I need some help with the pastries,” she directed. “I need you in the café soon.”
 
I nodded mutely.
 
Her eyes searched my face before turning away. “You can show him out the back door,” she said. “I don’t want him coming through the shop.”
 
I nodded again, but she was already heading down the stairs to the coffee shop. Watching her disappear, I then turned around to find that the boy was still sleeping. He had not moved even in the slightest. I walked all over the room, picking up the scattered pieces of clothing one-by-one. A sock hung on the doorknob of my closet, a pair of boxers slung across my dresser, a t-shirt at the foot of the bed. I gathered them into one ball and dumped it over the boy’s head.
 
He awoke with a start, sitting up with a jolt. His wild eyes looked about the room and he was undoubtedly trying to remember where he was. Silently I slipped into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind me.
 
I heard rustles in the other room but drowned them out with the sound of warm, running water. Shrugging out the flannel shirt, I stepped into the shower and just stood there letting the warmth comfort me.
 
I waited until I heard the door faintly click shut. Once I was sure he was gone, I shut off the water and wandered back into my room dripping wet to prepare for my day.
 

 
The afternoon boat was crowded today, but I managed to squeeze myself in a tight corner seat for the ride. My thin hips fit quaintly but knocked against the side of the vessel every time we hit a wave. I rubbed my sore hips tenderly, holding tightly to a bag of day old croissants that I was saving for Tom and Jerry.
 
There was a lot of commotion as we pulled up to the dock. Ropes were being thrown about and anxious passengers scrambled off glad to be home at last.
 
I could feel New Temple heaving a sigh of relief, welcoming its children into its bosom like a compassionate mother.
 
A few stragglers were talking of ice-skating this weekend. The creek near Home Base had finally frozen over according to rumor. I sat listening for details, but the last of them wandered off in the direction of the bungalows.
 
The boat had come to a halt and only Anthony Cromwell remained, preparing the boat for another trip back to Dublin. He was so preoccupied with his duty that he hardly noticed that I still remained. I stood up and clambered up onto the dock. I did not see a point to waiting around anymore.
 
Plus I’m sure Tom was getting quite antsy at this point.
 
“Della,” Mr. Cromwell called out to me suddenly, “would you mind untying that green line before you go. I’m heading back for another round before it gets too dark.”
 
I stared at the cleat on the dock. There were a few lines of rope tied around it. I reached out to unhook one of them, my hand hovering cautiously.
 
Was this the “green” one he was talking about?
 
I shifted to another rope hesitantly. Was this the “green” one?
 
“That’s the purple one,” Mr. Cromwell corrected kindly. “The green rope is the one to the left of it.”
 
I felt my cheeks growing suddenly warm. After untying his boat quickly, I helped him push off into the waves of the Irish sea once more and went on my way hurriedly. Only when I reached my bungalow on the outskirts of Home Base did I slow to a stop.
 
Chirps came from inside very meekly and I grinned to myself pleasantly.
 
I dusted the snow off my worn boots and pulled my army jacket off of my shoulders, dropping it beside the door. Tom and Jerry greeted me with a chorus of clashing melodies. My fingertips brushed against the bars of the birdcage and the two perched nearby, angling their heads at me curiously. I set the croissants beside my record player, delicately placing a vinyl.
 
I quietly listened for the beginning notes of ‘You’re the One I Want’ while unrolling the top of the paper bag. Humming softly to the chorus, I pulled the pastries from the greasy container tugging flaky pieces to feed to the hungry Tom.
 
It was peaceful.
 
It was quiet beside the notes flowing from the player.
 
I chewed on a piece of a croissant, dropping a generous piece into the cage. Jerry pounced on it quickly before Tom could get to it. Half a pastry remained and I eyed it, feeling my stomach growl hungrily.
 
I contemplated eating the rest of it, but I glanced at
my reflection in the mirror, seeing the hipbones poking through my skirt. I folded the top of the greasy bag and tucked it away for another time. Another day perhaps.
 
Tom and Jerry and quieted down into a soft whispers, content with their meal for the time being. I looked about my one room bungalow left in disarray from last weekend. There was a still a sock and a glove left over from my last “visitor.” Plopping myself atop my bed, I observed the glove as if it were some mysterious treasure. The fingers were twice the size of mine… I would return it, but I couldn’t quite remember to whom it belonged to.
 
I can never quite recall who my “visitors” are. They come for the night and leave as soon as the sun rises. Sometimes they say ‘thank you,’ other times they leave wordlessly.
 
The glove and the sock joined the other miscellaneous things in a box beneath my bed.
 
Maybe one day they might come back for them… one day, I thought to myself wishfully.
 
~
 
Delilah has been a figment of my imagination for quite some time now, and I have really been dying to flesh her out. Believe me.
My other character, Elspeth Stone, never worked out for me. I didn't have much inspiration for her.
But then I came across model, Merethe Hopland and I was so inspired to make a New Temple character out of her.
 
Delilah could use a bit of explaining though.
She’s a quirky character, typically abandoned at birth like some New Templers. She was raised by her aunt, Clary Stone. Clary is the step-sister of John Stone, a founding member.
Delilah is a New Temple child, but not a lot of people know her because she is very shy and quiet. Actually, she is so quiet that she hardly speaks—most people think that she’s mute. Although she is not mute, she is actually colorblind (cue the scene with Anthony Cromwell).
During the week she lives above her aunt’s coffee shop and works in the shop when she’s in Dublin. On the weekends, she will return to New Temple like everyone else, but keeps to herself mostly. Delilah is the definition of a wall flower at parties.
The only reason she attends parties is to find a guy to bring home with her for the night.
The brief company helps her with her abandonment issues.
 
I feel a sense of attachment towards Delilah, and I have a little bit of a storyline planned for her.
Hopefully I will get another story up for her soon.
I would love to introduce some new character into her life, so my [twc] girls, feel free to let me know if you want to collaborate on a story.
 
I’ve been dying to get involved with you guys <3
 
I hope you enjoyed the story :3
 
xoxoJayne

December 21, 2011
 
Dear Polyvore,
 
Life.
 
High School.
Friends.
Ex-friends.
Boyfriends.
The past.
 
Can't live with it all. Can't live without it all.
 
While the days pass by painfully slow,
the months fly by as if they didn't even happen.
I am only left with the memories.
 
I had my first boyfriend... that was fun.
But it came to an end as quickly as it began.
 
The break-up triggered a self-realization and definitely a lot of tears.
 
I did some writing during the past few months, but unfortunately nothing poly related.
My writing came in the form of letters.
It's really incredible what a letter can do for the things you don't want to say out loud.
 
... But enough of my life crap. haha.
 
I am on winter break until January 3rd and I hope to make the most of it, as always.
I published one Charlotte set and I hope to follow it up with a few more (maybe a few more explanations)
Haha, i realize that I haven't been the best story teller when it comes to my [mmn] stories.
 

I hope all my poly friends have been doing well.
I love receiving PMs so don't be afraid to pop me a message :)
 
Alex [@vampire-weakend] had the idea of having pen-pals and I really love the thought of doing that.
I might consider doing that, would anyone want to do that with me? Quite possibly?
 
Be sure to read my latest Charlotte story.
 
I will be in touch.
 
xoxo
Jayne

characters mentioned: Lyla (@the-wild-things) and Gabby (@lovelygabriella)
 
[August, Orientation]
 
Cassidy kept insisting that I should expect the worse from my roommate.

And so I was wary.

I was expecting everything. And I do mean everything: a kleptomaniac, a braniac, a foreign-exchange student… not saying that there is anything particularly wrong with any of them.

I stared at my door noting that ‘Charlotte’ was printed neatly on a name plate beside it. Above ‘Charlotte’ read ‘Lyla.’ Lyla. The girl destined to be my roommate had a beautiful name, I would admit.
 
I inhaled. Here is to my apartment life out the window.
Hello, college dormitories.
 
I let myself into the room, fully bracing myself to meet ‘Lyla.’
 
Exhale.
 
Boxes and suitcases were placed about the room with ‘Lyla’s’ belongings, but nothing had been removed from them yet. The stark white walls were lonely and bare. Sunlight reflected off the pale color emphasizing the emptiness, a glaring flaw already.
But everything was surprisingly peaceful. Outside the sounds of student life were only murmurs from my second story room.
 
Even more surprising, I was alone. It was quiet.
 
I sighed, and placed my Louis Vuitton on the vacant bed across the room from ‘Lyla’s.’ As my bag made contact with the memory-foam mattress, the reality became real at last: I was home.
 
This home needed life, a pulse of its own.
 
I peeled open one of my bags carefully, digging through all my belongings. I pushed aside a jar of Los Angeles sand and brushed past a few loose photographs until I found my iPod speakers amongst everything else. My iPhone clicked into place and I let the notes drip out one by one.
 
Music drowned out the noise from outside and I let myself get lost in the lyrics of Jessie
J. I let my keepsakes spill across the desk beside my bed, setting myself to work on my boxes delivered earlier that day.
 
I let the clock tick onwards and busied myself by emptying boxes of belongings.
Clothes went there.
Pictures hung here.
Shoes tucked away.
Boxes flattened.
Everything was a motion without feeling. It was easy.
It was easier for me.
 
I was humming the chorus of ‘Abracadabra’ when the door clicked open. My vocal chords were vibrating as I hit climax of the song, and I spun on the toes of my flats to Jessie’s rich voice. A petite brunette stood in the doorway, watching me curiously.

I slowed mid-spin.

“Hey, I’m Charlotte,” I offered lamely.
 
She dealt me a charming smile in return. “I’m Lyla. It’s good to meet you,” she said.
 
My feet kept me standing very still where I was, but my eyes were moving so quickly.
 
I gave Lyla a once over.
I glanced around the room to assure that I hadn’t left a mess.
I looked back at Lyla.
I smoothed the body of my skirt.
I peeked up at my roommate who was now walking into the room.
She placed a few more bags upon her bed across the room silently. Self-consciously I rushed over to my speakers to reduce the volume of Jessie’s strong vocals.

Lyla hadn’t said much but I was assured at once that she was no kleptomaniac.
A braniac?... perhaps.
A foreign-exchange student? Who knew.

I peeked over her blazer clad shoulders, trying to find a hint, a clue, something to give me a glimpse of who she was.
I tangled my hands in one another nervously and chewed at my lower lip while she was turned away.
I was shit with introductions I realized.
Just my f ucking luck.
 
F uck.
 
“Is that the latest Burberry?” I asked, eyeing a piece that seemed to glow like a gift from God.
 
“It is,” Lyla nodded, turning to look at me, “I did a bit of modeling for the brand a season or two ago. They still send me samples on occasion.”
 
I gawked.
My heart pounded slightly.
Angels were singing… okay, well that was a bit of an exaggeration if any.
 
“You model?”
 
“More like a designer actually,” she kindly corrected.
 
I laughed lightly, relief flooding through me.
A thrill washing over me.
 
“The designer and the model… I think we should get along just fine,” I grinned giddily.
 
How lame of me.
It is only natural when all doubts are diminished and expectations are succeeded.
And who could blame me for ending up with a roommate such as the one that was settling into the bed right across from mine…
 
[September&&October]
 
The month proceeded as I might have expected:
A blur.
 
Orientation drifted to classes.
Classes drifted to routine.
Routine drifted to boredom.
 
But that boredom was the least of my concerns.
 
Gabby found me just down the hall from her own dorm room.
She insisted on weekly bonding sessions so that we wouldn’t let college life sweep us away so quickly.
Manis and pedis, television marathons and late-night gossip session were integrated amongst homework loads and lengthy lectures.
Gabby brought me a sense of comfort in the new routines brought on by Verona. We roamed the campus, losing our way on occasion but always finding our way back. With an adventurous ambition, we wandered through the first weeks of college life.
I had not seen much of my old classmates beside the occasional glance in the Circle or across the lecture hall. Gabby was the only thing that remained unchanged in a world of changes.
 
And then there was David…
David enrolled in Verona as he had promised…
His arrival was delayed by an incredible interning opportunity in France.
My heart dropped to the floor at the news, but he assured me that he would be there before I would even realize it.
November seemed like a long ways off before I could see him once again.
My heart craved for him to be with me. My heart long desired to be beating alongside his.
I wanted him, as crazy as it sounds.
Our relationship was peculiar, I realized.
It was something I grew to accept because nothing about it was normal.
Above it all, I still wanted him.
His blue eyes, his slight British accent, the warmth of his arms…
 
Damon shook his head when I drew it out for him.
As a friend for all these years, Damon told me that this was not going to last for long.
He said David and I didn’t know each other well enough.
Three days in Rome, skype conversations and a few days in New York were not enough, Damon insisted.
I told him ‘no.’ I told him to have a little faith. Over coffee and bagels, Damon would not give in to my defenses.
 
I just told him that he was sleep-deprived and close-minded from campus-life.
 
On the weekends, Cassidy and I would venture into the city by cab to go about our business with the agency. Go-sees were a rare occasion, and our lives as models were becoming strained by our school schedule. Living on campus was taking away from our ambitions…
We swallowed hard every weekend we returned, fearing the worst each time.
It would be the day when Mrs. Burton would dish out an ultimatum.
We felt the pressure each time we were late, or each time we had to be absent because of class.
 
Cassidy and I caught rumor that Isaac dropped Verona to focus on his career part-way through October.
Isaac spent his time roaming the European circuit rather than “wasting away his time in a dilapidated hell-hole.”
“It really doesn’t seem like that bad of an idea,” Cass mused one day while returning to Verona from a weekend escape.
 
I scoffed and rolled my eyes as if it was such a foolish thought, but I couldn’t help but believe in the truth of the statement, deep down.
I continuously pushed the thought from my mind, refusing to even think of quitting Verona.
 
I needed Verona.
I wanted Verona.
 
But at the same time…
Everyone was pursuing their own lives.
Cameron, Summer, Damon, Gabby, Ceci and Liz…
 
And again I found myself wondering where I was going…
I was always wondering, always wandering.
Sitting on the edge of the Lake in the late October air and I breathed in deeply. When I exhaled, I watched my breath unfolding in clouds of moisture like cigarette smoke.
 
I pulled a pack of Marlboros from the depths of my purse and twiddled with one between the tips of my gloved fingers.
 
Debating.
 
Debating.
 
Always debating.
 
Playing with each single thought in my mind.
 
I eyed the unlit cigarette in my hand before flicking it out in front of me.
The momentum carried it across the pier where I was sitting and sailing over the edge into the Lake.
 
Unfortunately it didn’t eliminate any of my indecision.

[remembering sunday by all time low]
 
Some time from way back when...
 
It was like looking at the Grand Canyon.
 
You stand there looking upon such a sight and your breath just escapes you. Breathing becomes a difficult thing when you’re busy comprehending the things before you.
 
Verona was no joke.
 
No.
 
Verona is no joke, I thought to myself as I stood there confounded.
 
The campus sprawled out in front of me, a landscape of greenery and antiquity. Beyond the distant borders of the campus lay woods, acres of it as far as the eye could see. I was on an island drifting away from our Manhattan home land.
 
My sweaty hand grasped the handle of my Louis Vuitton hoping that I wouldn’t stumble over the edge of the canyon.
 
Knowingly it would be a long fall down. Yet here I stood, scared shitless, but excited as ever.
 
College at last.
 
I had an envelope bearing my dorm key and room number that was in need of good use. Grabbing the bulk of my belongings I wandered towards a building nearby. It looked like the dorms… at least it was the best guess I had.
 
I walked along the path past students bustling with moving boxes while others rode around on their bicycles and skateboards. They came dangerously close to scratching my Vuitton making me more nervous than I already was.
 
I broke away from the path, trying to walk purposefully toward one of the campus buildings. It was quieter over here but there were still footsteps nearby assuring me that I wasn’t completely alone.
A breeze brushed across my shoulder briskly and I shivered in the autumn chill. I pushed through it, easing my way onward until I reached the building I had been aiming for. I slipped my hand through the handle and gave it a gentle tug—and I came face-to-face with my first freshman mistake of the year.
 
This was the language building.
 
I stepped back to my dismay. Perhaps I should’ve been blushing furiously in my dismay, but on the contrary, I laughed.
 
I was laughing heartily.
 
I set my bag down and gladly giggled gently.
 
I was hopelessly lost. And I just laughed to myself.
 
It felt freakin’ amazing.
 
This was college! This mistake just made everything simply click. I was swept to a surreal fantasy and back again. It was as if I had been holding my breath and I was finally letting it all out.
 
It was exhausting.
 
I simply lay myself on the lawn in front of the building, suddenly drowsy. It was soft and inviting and there really was no other place to rest my head. My Vuitton lay abandoned by the building, leaves were probably sticking to my skirt and I was somewhere, who knows where…
 
“Are you alright over there?”
 
I bolted upright, alarmed at the sudden voice. My shoulders eased at the sight of blonde waves and a gentle smirk walking towards me through the leaves. Cassidy still managed to strut as if on a runway, even on grass in five inch stilettos. Leave it to her to be a full-time model even when she wasn’t.
 
“I thought some poor soul had died in the midst college chaos,” Cass whimpered worriedly as she stood over me.
 
I laughed, patting the ground beside me. “I was admiring the sky.”
 
She looked at me, genuinely concerned and confused. “Are you smoking a joint over here all by your lonesome self?”
 
I shook my head. She guffawed at me in disbelief.
 
“College is already getting to your head, and we’ve hardly begun,” Cass sighed. She hovered a few seconds more before breaking down and taking a seat beside me. “Sky-watching, huh?”
 
“And thinking,” I murmured.
 
“Thinking? About what?”
 
“Trying not to think.”
 
“That make’s complete sense…”
 
I pushed all my weight onto my elbow, leaning up to look at Cassidy. “I’ve been thinking too much lately. Thinking… worrying… I’m too f.ucking nostalgic.”
 
“So I’ve noticed,” she remarked in response.
 
I flopped on my back again.
 
“This summer was fun.”
 
“Psh, lucky you…” Cass muttered sarcastically. “At least you got to escape the city. I was trapped all summer by the New York heat.”
 
“I’m sorry I had to abandon you.” Flashbacks of being home with the family flooded my mind. Memories of the beach house with everyone in California were sensations I just couldn’t shake.
 
“You know I can’t catch cabs as well as you do,” she continued, pulling me from the depths of my mind. “I was late to half my go-sees, missy.”
 
“You cannot blame anyone but yourself,” I chanted in the best Buddha voice I could manage.
 
Silence. I looked up to find Cassidy glaring at me, and I held my hands up innocently.
 
“I only speak the truth. You can leave if you don’t want to hear what I have to say.”
 
“Can’t.”
 
“Why?...”
 
Her hands fell across her face as she let out a loud and very annoyed groan. “My roommate is a psycho b.itch.”
 
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out to.
 
She peeked at me through cracked fingers, “And this is the part where you tell me how much you hate yours too so that we can complain and get to room together instead.”
 
“Umm, well…” I trailed off, picking myself up from the grass and leaves.
 
“Charlotte Warner. Stop playing in the leaves and go meet your roommate already—what have you been doing all this time?” Cassidy went on, lecturing me as if she were my mother.
 
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” was all I could manage through giggles.
 
“My roommate’s ‘privacy schedule’ and the fact that I haven’t found one good guy to make-out with yet,” she pouted. I offered my hand to help her get to her feet, before picking up my belongings.
 
Cass linked arms with me, dragging me in the direction of the actual dormitories. She continued to rant about every possible fault with the school, but I just zoned out, letting her lead me.
 
I was preoccupied with my thoughts. Preoccupied with putting them to rest.
 
At last… at last.
 
--
 
[I'm plain ol' awful. I feel like I fell off the edge of the earth and now I'm clawing my way back.
life happened. life's been happening--I guess that's the easiest way to put it.
I will publish a better explanation and perhaps another rambling story within the next day, but just know that I glance at Polyvore everyday, even if only for a second.
<3 xoxo
more soon. I really really hope.
stay tuned!]

-meg&dia
^^I'm a big fan of their music right now. They have a great sound--but that's just my opnion.
 
But anyways!
Hello, hello, hello to my lovely [mmn] girls!
it's been awhile since I've written.
 
Today was one of those days where I managed to finish my homework at school. So here I am at home, brainstorming ideas for the college years. I have a story or two planned out, including reunions! Anyone want to be apart of that?
 
Coming soon? I hope!
--but for now, Story Time!
 

 
friday, august 26th;;
 
Sigh.
 
Summer.

Sigh.

It was a sigh like the gentle breeze of the Pacific Ocean, I thought to myself quietly as I rolled a pair of shorts in my hand. The denim was soft from wear, and the sand still stuck in the cuffs fell gently to the floor. Each grain just a remnant of Los Angeles.

Hannah had insisted that we go to the beach every single day while I was there. Her daily routine was never complete without building a sand castle or two. Her smile was priceless. And her distraught cry when a wave washed away our progress was just the same. If I had a dime for every time that happened…

I tucked away the pictures of Hannah and her toothless grin, bearing a shovel in her hand.
Teagan wasn’t as camera-friendly. A tuft of his hair could be seen in a corner here and behind something there—but never an actual, smiling photograph.

I laughed to myself, feeling the gentle breeze on my shoulders as if I were back in California.

Summer nights came and left without taking the time to smell the roses. And here I was, packing my apartment for Verona. Time had a tendency of being a pain in my a.ss sometimes.

And speaking of time, I was supposed to be checking into my dorm soon.

I glanced at the screen of my gleaming, new iPhone only to meet the laughing faces of a very tan, very happy-looking couple playing in the surf of Long Beach: me and David. He held me securely upon his back, my arms wrapped around his shoulders.

‘David,’ I was squealing as he splashed through the water.

‘I thought you weren’t afraid of water,’ he said jokingly.

‘I’m not!’ I said, ‘I just don’t want you to drop me!’

‘Like this?...’

Gabby had stolen my phone because we were ‘disgustingly adorable’ and needed a photo to prove it. After David dropped me, I was prepared to kill Gabs if she let my phone drop in the water.

And so the picture remained since the days at the Schuller’s mansion.

It was also the last time I had seen David.

After Long Beach, he had to return to Rome to tie up a few loose ends before his semester at Verona. We said good-bye in the LAX airport as we parted ways—his for Rome and mine for my mom’s house.

12:49am, my phone read.

Verona was pulling me away from my thoughts.

The idea of college always seemed a far away ‘someday’

… yet here I was.

“Umph,” I grunted, lifting my last suitcase down the stairs of my apartment.

This was the last time I would be walking down these stairs.

I set my bag near the rest of my boxes in the entry hall, and walked back to the living room. The floors were bare and the furniture sold and gone. My New York dwelling, nothing but a hollow shell. It was heartbreaking, but I swallowed back the tears and forced myself to smile.

I would be back one day, overlooking Central Park just the same.

Same old, same old… those were the days.
 

 
The cab driver pulled off the main highway and onto a private looking road. I had been watching the towering buildings of New York longingly, but now they were obscured by a curtain of trees. I shuddered against the leather seat of the car in surprise.

I was used to the concrete jungle, but being in an actual forest was kind of daunting. Specks of sunshine were leaking through the foliage and upon the ground littered with leaves. As we drove further and further from the highway, everything grew quieter.

“Are you sure we took the right turn?” I piped up suddenly.

“I’m just following the GPS, lady,” the gruff driver responded, “Beats me. I’ve never driven down here before.”

I peered down at the Verona brochure in my lap, comparing the prim and proper campus with the sprawling mass of trees in front of me.

I looked out the window again, with side eyes. When I was ready to admit that we were lost, a gate stood at the end of the road. It was tall, grand, and certainly old with age and majesty. On one of the posts was a metal placard that read “Verona University.”

We drove through the gates and were greeted by the sight of the administration building.

I held up my pamphlet, comparing the cover to the actual sight.

The picture didn’t do it justice…
 
~~~
 

pardon the cliched story.
it was mostly a catch-up sort of thing.
 
but enough about me...
I want updates on how things are going with the rest of you.
xoxo
jayne

Two weeks ago...
I was basking in the sun. I was making the most out of my last week of camp with my friends. I was sailing around in 20mph winds just for the fun of it. I was enjoying myself.
 
One week ago...
I spent all my time indoors doing summer homework I stupidly procrastinated on. But hey, consider it practice for the school year! I stepped foot on my campus and saw my friends for the first time in awhile. I got the classes I wanted, and I sighed heavily, knowing that it was going to happen anyways.
 
... the first day of school.
 
Monday was my first day of my Junior year. Oh, boy.
I'm an upperclassman sure, but being indoors 8 hours a day is not how I like to spend my time.
On the brighter side of things, I am liking all my classes (for the time being). But the homework is certainly no walk in the park because it takes so much time.
 
My schedule includes three APs and one Honors class. On top of that, I'm taking a journalism class that starts at 7am compared to the normal 8am start time.
Call me crazy for waking up at 5:15...
Hopefully it's worth it.
 
Thought I'd update you guys,
and clear out my drafts in the meantime.
 
A couple more premade sets coming your way in a few minutes.
Like Charlotte starting out in Verona, I want a clean slate.
 
Junior Year baby!... and i am prepping for the big stuff to come.
 
My darling MMN-ers, Charlotte stories to come hopefully by the end of the week.
Verona!
 
xoxo
Jayne