Birthday Blues (AJ)

[Deleted]

Set back July 16th

Phoenix stared into the pond without seeing anything. His hair was matted, his eyes dull, and the purplish bruise that he'd gotten barely two days before was still dark and swollen around his cheek and eye. He'd barely been eating, or sleeping, since he was expected to do that alone now.

It wasn't the fact that Oriel had hit him that he was so upset. Well, that was part of it, but the biggest part was the fact that they weren't allowed to see each other now. Without Oriel, Phoenix could barely function. He'd been having panic attacks, tossing and turning at night (or just pacing around for hours on end trying not to freak out from his anxiety and loneliness). His appetite was all but vanished, so he'd been losing some of the little hard-earned weight he'd been putting on for the last several months.

Working was probably the only thing keeping him sane. Working, and walking around, trying not to coop himself up anywhere that he might feel trapped and alone. Phoenix desperately needed someone to talk to, but he just... Didn't know where to go. Gryphon didn't live on campus anymore, so Phen really felt alone. His eyes began to water as he took a deep, shuddering breath for probably the thousandth time.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

Going down to the pond was still slightly painful. It was a reminder of Travis, of the blonde empath who had swooped in and found his way into her heart. It reminded her of the good times they had, but also that she shouldn't have let things go as far as they did on Halloween night. She was so in love with him, the kind of love she'd read about in the classics. And so she gave herself to him, in the most intimate way possible when she wasn't ready because of all that she'd experienced with her power. And Oliver... She wasn't over it at that point and she was still working through a majority of it. It was hard to think about the times she and Travis spent down here, laying in the grass by the water.

But here she was, on her birthday of all days. And there he was. Phoenix.

"Phen," she said softly, but loud enough for him to hear. Her voice wasn't incredibly loud naturally anyway. She came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. It'd been a while since she'd seen him, or Oriel for that matter. "I've missed you."

She had a book under her arm and was in one of her favorite floral dresses she'd bought when at the mall with Angie. It was white with a gorgeous flower pattern, colors swirling together, and a brown belt around her middle. If there was anyway she wanted to spend her birthday, it was relaxing.

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Phoenix didn't expect anyone to come see him. There were a couple people that came and went while he was there, but none approached him, and he was too far in his own head to notice them anyway. So when AJ said his name softly, he barely stirred, lifting his eyes and looking around as though waking from a dream. "Hmm...?"

The hand on his shoulder normally would have made the skittish pixie jump, but he just blinked and looked back at her over his shoulder with the unbruised portion of his face showing. "AJ?" he croaked, and immediately blushed, hiding his face from her as he turned back to stare at the water. He didn't want the pretty girl to see him like this, ungroomed and with dark circles under his eyes. "I... I've missed you too. It's... Been a while."

Phoenix took a deep breath and glanced at her again, trying a small smile. It barely formed on his lips. "S... Sorry, I'm afraid I look like a mess," he told her quietly. Phen did a quick, harmless look down her before glancing back up. "You... Look really pretty," he murmured. "Sp... Special occasion or d'you always dress that nice?" He scooted over a little in case AJ wanted to sit, although he almost wished she wouldn't, because surely she was going to ask questions that Phen didn't want to answer.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"Hey Phen," AJ said again when he'd turned his head to look at her, but then he'd turned away rather quickly, responding to her, but staring at the water instead of facing her. "It has. I feel like that's partly my fault. I've been...dealing with stuff." More like Oliver and the reprecussions of what happened between them back in Minnesota.

He'd finally looked at her once more and AJ caught sight of the other half of his face, which was bruised. She inhaled sharply. "Well, we know I've looked like a mess many times, so its alright," she told him, trying not to cringe at is obvious injury or fire questions at him. She didn't want to make Phoenix uncomfortable. Today was one of the many days she didn't feel like a mess, at least on the outside. "Thanks," she mumbled. "Uhm, sorta, actually. I'm eighteen today." She shrugged. It wasn't entirely a big deal or anything. I mean, she was an adult apparently, but she didn't feel any different. Besides the phone call from her parents wishing her a great birthday and receving a box of hardcover novels in the mail from them, she'd mostly just been hanging out on her own. Her and Addie had gone to the bookstore and gotten some tea, but the other brunette had to go to work shortly after and so AJ was on her own again, hoping to find some peace by the pond with a book.

She felt strange standing over him and so she sat down next to him, legs crossed in front of her as she smoothed out her dress.

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Phoenix had been too lost in his own problems to notice if his friends were going through their own troubles as well, AJ included. He felt like a bad friend, having not spoken with her for a while; she was quite special to the pixie, given she had forgiven him for his horrible behavior the first time they'd met. "Don't worry about it," he said softly, still looking at the water. "I've... I've been doin' the same. Stuff happens."

He winced as he heard AJ inhale, and prepared for some rapid-fire questions that he wasn't ready to answer, but thankfully, she didn't question his bruise. "You? Really?" Phen replied, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "You're pretty naturally. You'd have t'physically try not t'look nice." He meant that as a friend now, whereas their first encounter (which he shuddered thinking about) he'd just wanted it for himself. What had he been thinking? He was distracted with her explanation. "It's your birthday?" Phoenix breathed, eyes going a little wide. "I didn't know! Happy birthday." He tried to muster as much energy into it as he could. "You're an adult now." That was a pretty big deal for him, back in the day. There had been some times where he wasn't sure if he'd reach that age. "Done anythin' t'celebrate yet?" If not, Phoenix could try to think of something, but well... He was in pretty bad shape for partying for or anything.

He looked into the water again and sighed before brushing his hand against the still-sore injury on his face. At least AJ was sitting and not asking questions, he thought, although it was probably only a matter of time. "What have you been up to lately?" he asked meekly.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"Yeah...it does," AJ agreed. She knew that Phen didn't want her to ask about his face, but AJ was worried and had to bite her lip to keep from asking. She knew she didn't like to be pressured to talk about things she didn't want to and so that helped her not ask about it. "Thanks." And it was sincere. AJ was a simple person really. She didn't wear much make up, just brushed her hair out and put on a nice outfit. There were so many other things to fill your day with rather than standing in front of the mirror.

"Yeah, it is." She shrugged. "Guess it's supposed to be a milestone or something." She'd never really been that into celebrating occasions such as her birthday, at least since she became a teenager. She just liked to keep things simple. Hang out with a few close friends. Her and Oliver just used to go to the bookstore and then the ice cream shop next door back home in Minnesota on her birthday and that tradition had always been enough for her. At the thought of her old best friend, she felt her mind start to spin again.

"Not much. I just went out with tea with a friend before she had to go to work." And honestly, that was fine with AJ. "I thought I'd just treat myself, you know. Put on a cute dress and sit outside with a good book, before it gets cold again."

She looked over at him, studying the bruise on his face, trying to make herself look away. He just kept firing questions to keep the attention off of himself, a tactic she knew all too well. "Working, reading...therapy." Maybe talking about something she was going through would help him open up.