THESE DAYS ARE NUMBERED &WE'RE NOT GETTING YOUNGER, tag; isaac/nick!

I AM A BIRD IN NEED OF GROUNDINGIt was almost that time of day. Closing time. And as per usual, it was one of the busiest times for the book store. Last minute shoppers were rushing around, trying to find exactly what they were looking for before the last cash register closed. Mollie was near the back of the store, reorganizing some of the shelves. People would come in, pick up a book, and then discard of it somewhere else when they decided to go for another purchase. She didn’t mind tidying up, though. Unlike most under-grads, Mollie loved her job. The smell of books old and new was one of her favorite things in the world. And with the new addition of the coffee shop in the rear of the store, the combination of the two scents was extremely relaxing. Mollie had been working at Secondhand Prose since her arrival to Canterbury, nearly four years ago. She’d worked her way up from cashier to assistant manager. Not too terribly bad for a student. She wouldn’t mind staying here as she waited for her art career to take off. That is, if she stayed after graduation. Right now she was at a crossroads, this coming fall would be the start of her fourth and final year, unless she decided to go for her bachelors. As she put the last hardcover book into its place, she heard the door chime at the front of the store. Mollie glanced behind her shoulder, seeing her good friend Isaac walk in. Her lips parted into an easy smile as she held up a finger and mouthed One minute!. She and Isaac had been friends only since Christmas break, both of them staying on campus for their jobs, but they got on like they’d been friends forever. It was hard to find a male friend around here that was as focused on their studies and the passions in life as Zac was. Mollie hadn’t really known before moving here, but Canterbury was a very out there town. More so with the high school scene than university maybe, but it seemed that secrets weren’t secrets for long and parties were a huge draw for new students. She tried to fly under the radar as best she could, and it was easy to do because between work, her art, and school, Mollie barely had time for social events. It seemed like Isaac was more or less the same way. They could go a week or so without talking and pick right up again, like they hadn’t missed a beat. Maybe that was what made Mollie so comfortable around him. Standing up and dusting off her skirt, Mollie did a quick scan of the store. The last customer was on her way out, and her cashier Drake was closing drawer. “Are you ok to lock up?”, she asked Drake as she made her way to the front of the store. He nodded his assurance, and Mollie let out a long sigh. Long day. Walking over to Isaac, Mollie grinned. “I’m so glad classes are out for the summer, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” She took off her work apron and hung it on the peg by the door, she was opening tomorrow anyway. “So what’s the secret plan for this evening? You’ve kept me in the dark all day, and it’s killing me! You know I can’t stand secrets!”TAG | NICK/ISAAC , WORDS | ### , NOTES | outfit HERE!TILLIE AT CAUTION

i'm at a payphonetrying to call home All of my change I spent on you.The day was only just starting for Isaac, it was later in the evening, and stores were closing, and the sidewalks of main street were beginning to fill with the noise of the popular restaurants and bars that were sound on the strip. It wasn’t that Isaac was some lazy college student that decided to spend the whole afternoon sleeping, though most of his afternoon had consisted of sleeping. Isaac was just coming off a stretch of night shifts in the hospital. He was used to waking up early in the evening, spend his whole night from eleven at night till seven in the morning at work, and make his way back to his bed where he would sleep will five or six in the afternoon and do it all over again. This was his first day off after the stretch and he was yet to get accustomed to waking up at the normal hours of the day. Naturally he found himself texting a friend, Mollie, to hang out tonight in hopes that it would give him something to do until he got sleepy. Plus he had yet to see Mollie all summer, since school got out, and was itching to be around her again. He entered to book store enjoying the quaint chime of the front door as he made his way into the shop. It only took him a moment to spot Mollie, it wasn’t hard to pick her out she was one of the few people inside, and the only red head. He gave her a small smile as their eyes met, followed by a dorky wave and a nod as she mouthed to him to wait a minute. Turning away he brought his attention to the books in the store letting Mollie finish up with her end of day process as he waited for her. For only recently becoming friends, the pair had become comfortable quickly. They weren’t attached to the hip, and they actually gave each other a lot of space. Isaac didn’t feel like he needed to see Mollie every day or talk to her all the time to get along with her. They always seemed to be able to fall back into step even when they spent a week or two apart. Mollie understood that he had a busy schedule with school and work, because she was dealing with the same thing. Isaac however envied Mollie’s ability to fly under the radar throughout the school year. She had been lucky to avoid the wave of drama that had shaken up Isaac’s life in the past few months. He hoped that his presence around her would into the drama as well. Isaac ran his hand over a book display as he waited of Mollie to get work. Toying with a few of the of the front covers, careful to but the book back down exactly where he had grabbed it to keep from further demolishing the store. Are you ok to lock up? Isaac turned his attention away from the display as Mollie addressed her co-worker before walking over to him. His grin matched hers as he agreed, “I know, I finally have time to see you again, I feel like I’ve neglected our friendship too much.” Isaac made his way towards the exit of the store waiting for his friend to hang up her apron before they made their way out into the warm night. “I shouldn’t have been so secretive, I only want to hang out, and get ice cream.” He admitted sheepishly. Isaac hadn’t put much thought into his plans with Mollie. Their friendship came naturally, he was sure they would find something to go tonight, if not just walking around town and catching up/making plans for the summer.TAGS: alex/mollie || NOTES: sorry for taking so long!! || OUTFIT: Here!♥thanks

I AM A BIRD IN NEED OF GROUNDINGAs they walked outside of the book store, Mollie silently thanked whomever for the weather. As spring was getting ready to transition into summer, most of the days in Canterbury had been pretty downright hot. And with the heat came humidity, which did not look so good on the girl. Her copper-red hair loved to take any opportunity it was given to frizz up on her and well, that just was not super attractive. The colder weather was really more favorable to her, as well as being her favorite time of the year. Mollie loved to draw outside when it was cold, it kept her awake and alert. But as far as late spring evenings went, this one promised to be pretty great. It had to be in the low seventies and it only promised to get cooler as it got darker.They should have a good hour or two more of daylight though, she figured. Mollie slipped a hand into the large slanted pocket of her skirt and dug out her knit hat. Any excuse to cover her no doubt tousled hair.She adjusted her necklace, and perked up a bit, thankful for the mid afternoon coffee she’d had earlier. Mollie definitely didn’t want to cut the night short.Glancing over at Isaac, she had to laugh. “You look tired. Let me guess, you’ve been pulling a couple of all-nighters at the hospital?” It was one of the things she most admired about him. Of the few other guys she was good friends with, he was the most focused. And it definitely showed, you could tell he was very dedicated to his career, which was always an attractive quality to her. She knew only a little about the few whirlwind romances he’d been caught up in lately, but it wasn’t hard to tell why. Mollie clearly wasn’t the only girl that saw great things in her friend. The words ice cream immediately had her full attention and she clapped her hands together, grinning widely. “Moose tracks?” she asked,a childlike tone to her voice. It was her favorite ice cream, and the first time they hung out, they’d had heaping bowls of it, despite the cold weather at the time. Mollie’s dad was the one that told her it didn’t have to be hot out for ice cream, it was a treat for all the seasons. She smiled to herself at the memory. “Sounds like a perfect evening to me! We need to catch up anyway. I’ve heard a few...interesting things about you lately..” Mollie blushed, never having been one to listen to gossip. And it wasn’t to say she believed any of it, but it was kind of hard not to hear. “I thought I’d get your side of the story before believing any crazy rumors.” She didn’t really have to explain, Mollie was sure Isaac knew what was being said. Honestly, she felt bad for him. He didn’t deserve all the bad attention. Guess that’s what we all get, for living here. And whether it was really true or not wasn’t important to her, when it all came down to it. They had always just been friends since they’d met, and Mollie believed that you don’t judge your friends. Yeah, if they’re being crazy and doing all sorts of drugs or trying to kill themselves, you’d step in and intervene, talk some sense to them. But when adults were making adult decisions, who was anyone else to judge? TAG | NICK/ISAAC , WORDS | ### , NOTES | outfit HERE!TILLIE AT CAUTION

i'm at a payphonetrying to call home All of my change I spent on you.Isaac had never been a fan of super cold weather, he was used to the mild winters of Oxford, and the ones here in Canterbury seemed to mirror those of his home land. However, he still welcomed the site of spring with open arms, Isaac always liked spring and autumn, the transitional seasons were always more full of life and color then winter and summer. So at the moment, Isaac was in his element, though eventually summer would crawl on in, which he of course didn’t mind, it meant warm summer nights out with friends. Much like tonight, He didn’t have much planned for him and Mollie to do. They only had a few hours of daylight left, and he was sure she was tired after work, Isaac just missed her. So as they stepped out into the warm spring air Isaac was filled with a sudden lightness, being around Mollie was effortless. They weren’t trying to impress one another, they already had, they were so similar that they almost seemed to live the same lives. Not exactly, but they had a lot of qualities that they shared. It made it easy for the two of them to just get along, and see one another whenever they felt like it.Of course she noticed, it was just like how he caught the quick reach Mollie made for her had to cover her hair. Isaac didn’t point it out, he knew she didn’t like the way her hair frizzed in the humidity of the air, she had complained about it earlier in the season. “You’re observant.” he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants as they started down the sidewalk, keeping the same pace as Mollie. “Night shifts at the hospital give me time to do a little pre-reading for my classes next year since the lab is usually slow.” It was hard to find other student in town that were as dedicated to school as he was, and also knew how to balance a job. Mollie and he clicked because they both lived similar lives, they understood the stress of balancing studies with work, and picking those over friends. He admired her for that, there were very few girls in town that managed all of that as gracefully as Mollie did. Isaac broke into a huge grin nodding wildly, “Of course! I know you adore that place.” The ice cream parlor had been the scene of their first hang out, and quickly became a ritual of theirs. Mollie had a thing for eating ice cream even on cold winter days, and Isaac didn’t mind it at all. Ice cream was delicious ice cream weather it was hot or cold outside.Isaac’s smile faltered for a second at the mention of Mollie hearing ‘interesting things’ about him, but he was quickly masking his reaction with a sideways glace and a grin on his lips as if though he enjoyed the unwanted the attention. “Oh god, please tell me you don’t believe the rumors you hear about me.” Isaac laughed lightly, he actually didn’t know a lot of what was being said about him anymore, he tried to tune out the gossip blog and cameras. “Well…at least you’re asking for my side of the story as well.” Mollie wasn’t one to assume, at least she was nice enough to confirm the rumors about him instead of judging for things that may not even be remotely true. That was the price everyone in town had to pay for picking Canterbury, you got the attention of the cameras, but you got them 100% of the day whether you like it or not. “I wish I could say I heard rumors about you too, but you somehow managed to stay hidden from all the cameras, but shoot, ask away. What have I been up to?” There wasn’t anything that Isaac had done recently that he regretted, really he knew he could trust Mollie with the truth, and he rather she know his side of the story then just leave everything to question. TAGS: alex/mollie || NOTES: __ || OUTFIT: Here!♥thanks

YOU'RE PLAYING WITH DANGEROUS,,Mollie felt completely happy with life as they walked, matching their paces, towards their favorite ice cream parlor. There was nothing complicated about her friendship with Isaac, nothing under the surface. What you saw was what you got with him, and it made her feel light as a feather. It had been a long time since Mollie had to deal with a guy’s mind games, and she was glad to note that Zac wasn’t that way at all. He also didn’t mind that one of her other best friends was a guy as well. Though they were all rarely together at once, Mollie’s best friends here were Isaac, Weston, and Fiona. All pretty different, but all completely understood her. So when Isaac said that she was observant, it really was the truth. She read his body language and facial expressions just like he read hers. “Always ambitious, even in the dead of the night, that’s the Isaac Taylor I know!” Mollie often studied at work, when it was particularly quiet. Her job definitely made it easy for her to balance her life out. She had never been one to wait until the night before an exam to quickly finish her work. Afterall, she wouldn’t have moved all the way out here if it wasn’t what she truly wanted. And why would anyone throw that away?She automatically picked up her pace as they rounded a corner and Moose Tracks came into view. How long had it been since they’d last been here? That was part of the reason she’d even given the news feeds a second glance, she knew something had to be going on when her and Isaac didn’t meet here on a weekly basis. Mollie couldn’t quite put her finger on the feeling it gave her to think about that. She was never the jealous type, after all they both had other friends. But it was something different she’d felt when reading the rumors around him. The thought fleeted though, when he opened the door. “Thank you, kind sir,” Mollie curtsied, giggling a bit. Just like a child sometimes, she could be. It was the nostalgia of it, really. Her senses went on overload with the delicious smell of homemade ice cream and waffle cones. Moose Tracks was very busy today, with Canterbury’s children lining the old-fashioned bar stools. They had long come to realize the rising popularity of this place, so their usual table was upstairs, overlooking Main Street, and appeared to be, as usual, empty. Waiting for them.“I don’t believe it unless you say it’s true, Zac. It’s not a huge deal anyway. You’re easily the smartest guy I know, and I know you don’t go into anything blindly. I trust you,” her voice trailed off, as they were now standing in front of the giant display case. Everytime they came here, she’d say she was going to try something new, but she always ended up going for her favorite. It was also their signature flavor, moose tracks, hence the name of the parlor. But today she felt like being spontaneous with her ice cream flavor. “Double scoop, coffee, in a waffle bowl, please!” She said to the teenage boy behind the counter, wearing a fifties inspired uniform. Mollie paid the boy and the waited on the side for Isaac to order, and finally their orders to be ready. Because of the heat from outside leaking in everytime the door was opened, her ice cream was already starting to drip down the side of the cone. She licked at it as they automatically went up the stairs to their normal booth by the window. They said for a few moments in easy silence, licking their ice cream before the conversation started up. “A high schooler?” Mollie asked meekly, without a hint of condescension in her voice. “I always knew you were ballsy, Taylor, but apparently they’re bigger than I thought,” she joked, caught up in a fit of laughter. Yes, this was definitely a no-judgement table.TAG | NICK/ISAAC , WORDS | 669 , OUTFIT | HERE!TILLIE AT CAUTION

i'm at a payphonetrying to call home All of my change I spent on you. “You make it sounds like I’m the only one, I’m sure you have a stack of text books behind the counter at work when school is in.” The two of them were ambitious in their studies, it was an understanding that the two of them shared. Mollie was more organized about her studies, where was Isaac had mastered the ability to do his assignments last minute if needed, he didn’t often neglect his work for that. Mollie on the other had was always on top of her work, and finished her projects and assignments way before the due date. Mollie was his check, she and Daniela were two of his more driven friends, they both always found a way to keep him motivated in his school work no matter how tired he was some days. It was comforting to know he had a friend like Mollie whom kept an eye on him, just like he did for her. Their friendship was non-complicated and normal, it was easy and as comfortable as your favorite sweater. Mollie was definitely one of the few friends he could trust in this town with everything, and she knew she could do the same with him. Noting the quickening in Mollie’s step, Isaac picked up his pace to match her. It was adorable to see how excited to go to Moose Tracks, well truth be told he was pretty excited too. The only time’s he ever came here was with Mollie, it just didn’t seem right to come with anyone else. It was the scene of so many hang out and talks between the two that it sort of became their thing. The staff at the ice cream parlor knew them already; they frequented the place so often. However it had been a while since the two had seen each other, and it called for Moose Tracks, the only way to start their evening together. They had quite a bit of catching up to do; Isaac hadn’t heard a peep from Mollie’s life, not even in the news feeds. He envied her ability to elude the cameras. Isaac gave a slight bow as she curtsied, making his way into the parlor behind her. They were instantly greeted with the smell of freshly made waffle cones and ice cream. Isaac moved to stand beside Mollie, the small two story parlor was busier than usual. More and more people were beginning to rediscover their love for ice cream especially now that the nice weather began to roll in, not that snow had ever stopped the pair from grabbing a cone. No matter how busy, Isaac was still going to associate the small shop as theirs. Isaac raised an eyebrow at her words, “Just because I’m smart doesn’t mean I don’t have moments of lapse of good judgment. That’s how I got to be such good friends with you.” He teased before his attention was stolen by the wide selection of ice cream in the display case in front of them. Isaac always bounced around the coffee/cookie flavored ice creams whenever they came, just like how Mollie always stuck with moose tracks. “Feeling adventurous?” Isaac whispered with a grin as Mollie went for coffee instead. Mollie paid, and Isaac placed his order, “Double scoop, one cookies and cream the other cookie dough. In a waffle bowl, thanks.” The same boy nodded taking his order, Isaac handing over his debit card to pay. They moved aside to wait for their ice cream, that seemed to melt as soon as the heat of the outdoors began to hit it. As soon as they both received their orders they moved up to the second floor to their usual booth. Isaac took a few licks of the dripping ice cream before taking his spot across from Mollie. “Oh god.” Isaac folded his arms on the table top before ducking down to hide his face in them. He could feel his face turn red at the thought, even as Mollie joked about it. Isaac knew she wasn’t judging him, but still it was embarrassing to think about now. It wasn’t that he regretted dating Skye, it was just weird to talk about it now that it was over. “Yeah, well I needed to give the town something to talk about.” The answer was sarcastic of course as he lifted his head from his arms looking at Mollie with a sheepish smile. “When I think about it now I can see why everyone was so against it.” It all made sense now, but back then he had been hooked on Skye, she was new and exciting, but new and exciting wasn’t always good, obviously. Isaac went back to his ice cream for a moment, taking a few swipes at it before his attention fell on Mollie again. He was lucky to have someone like Mollie around that wouldn’t judge his life decisions no matter how questionable they were. TAGS: alex/mollie || NOTES: __ || OUTFIT: Here!♥thanks