Reckless Abandon • •

[andrea spencer harding]

Andy didn’t enjoy the holiday season. Christmas had never been a good time for her. It had been Christmas when she had discovered that she was adopted. It was winter break when she finally cut ties with her extended family after feeling like the odd one out for years. It didn’t matter that her birthday fell in the middle of Christmas and New Year, so she could use them both as an excuse for one big blow out party. Plus, she hated feeling cold and after living her life in San Diego winter in New York was a new form of torture for the tall blonde. It wasn’t like Andy needed another reason to be snippy about something, but she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity either. Her colleagues now were used to hearing her complain about the weather, the holiday crowds, and the nightmare of the festive season. In turn, she had to put up with listening to all of their plans and force polite smiles when they gushed on and on about their families. Andy wasn’t going home for Christmas this year. She had made a quick trip for Thanksgiving, staying just long enough to eat and be part of the occasion and then flying back to New York City to continue with her life. Christmas though held too many rotten memories for her to put herself back in the family home. She’d much rather spend it alone with a meal for one that have to grin through the tedium of a big dinner and family niceties. She joked with her brother that she had to live up to her role as black sheep of the family or else they’d recast her.

Andy might have been something of a Grinch, but she was still young, and she was still in need of some fun. It was the end of the week and she had booked herself a long weekend away from the offices of The New Yorker. She wouldn’t be elbows deep in research until next Wednesday, making sure that no one was posting any false claims in their articles or getting their dates mixed up. Andy loved her job, but there did come a point when she needed an escape far beyond what the swimming pool could offer her. It was much too cold to take a dip into the ocean and whilst she did encourage a polar bear moment at this time of year, it wasn’t something she was going to make a fond habit of. So, she had to do the next best thing; put on her party dress and hit up a night club or six. Since Nell’s schedule was pinned up week to week in their apartment, Andy already knew that the small brunette was going to be free that night and the following day. It seemed like the perfect time for a night on the town, for both of them to let their hair down and act like they were back in college once more.

She fired off a quick text as she closed up her computer for the day, letting Nell know about the plans that couldn’t be changed, backed out of, or anything else remotely similar to bailing. Andy said her goodbyes to the people she could tolerate at work and then made the trip back home, through the wintry streets as she cursed out just about everything she hated along the way. The hot shower the moment she got in was a blessing, one she could have stayed in for hours if she didn’t want to grab something to eat before she got ready for the night. Andy threw her pyjamas on whilst she was killing time. Once she had eaten, Nell was home, and it was time to get ready, she’d dig out a party dress, but before that a pair of plaid pants and a faded school shirt would suffice. Microwaved leftovers substituted as a meal, but Andy had no real desire to cook and she doubted Nell would be in the mood to prepare anything either from what they had left in their cupboards and fridge. She scoffed them down whilst watching a re-run of Rules of Engagement, mindlessly watching the show just to pass the time rather than anything else. It was all just something until she heard the key in the door signalling Nell’s return to their apartment, and then Andy could drag her friend into the planning for tonight.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 745!
OUTFIT! Blue Babe!
LYRICS! National Anthem - - - Lana Del Rey
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

Nell hadn't been big on Christmas since she was a child. All she had ever wanted was her daddy back and when that prayer went unanswered she figured Santa wasn't real and that was the end of it. She accepted the gifts from her aunt and uncle but wouldn't take any that said they were from Santa. She didn't want anything from the imaginary man. It didn't take more than a couple years in her aunt and uncle's custody for them to stop putting gifts from old Saint Nick under the tree. And these days it was just too painful to go home for the holidays. Her brother would drive up with their relatives for the week and Nell would force Andy to tag along for the dinner and then they would leave a few days later for another few months.

Nell didn't mind. She worked like a fiend anyway, always trying to get ahead. And with this promotion, she was working even more. But she refused to complain when she was forced to work a double because someone on the following shift didn't call in. She didn't need the money but the kids they took care of on the ward needed stability and Nell would give them that. Of course now, if she wanted to pass a shift along, it was within her power to do so. Her new position as the lead of her shift on the pediatric ward came with some perks; even if she didn't always use them. Tonight though she was working her regular shift and would be back home in time for dinner.

And then she got Andy's message and her mood brightened drastically. Her shifts were a little crazier than her best friend’s but they always made time when the other needed it and Andy usually did around this time of year. So she finished up her rounds and her paperwork, said goodbye to her fellow nurses and chatted quickly with the ward doctors about specific patients before saying goodbye to them as well and heading out to grab Subway before heading home. She needed it now and when the night was done, she knew she would be craving it; she always did. Traffic was as usual, its own kind of hell but Nell sang along to the stereo as she drove with a snail’s pace back to her shared apartment. “I brought Subway for before and after.” She called as greeting when she walked through the door. “Eat, don’t, save it for later. I don’t care. I need a shower. You look hot. Are you planning to wear that out?” She asked with a grin and a wave of her hand after she’d tossed the bag on the counter and headed towards the bathroom. She was in and out in record time and wrapped in her fluffy robe. “Okay, so what’s the plan?” She asked when she remerged to eat and hear all about the night Andy had planned for them. Knowing her friend, they were going to have a long and memorable night.

Tag || andrea spencer harding
Words || 512
Clothes || Pretty Party Dress
Music || Take On The World --Sabrina Carpenter
Notes || <3

[andrea spencer harding]

Andy’s only plan for Christmas was to clear her desk while she had the chance. The paper wasn’t going to close for a week, but her workload would become a hell of a lot lighter while most of the reporters took some time to spend with their families. It would give her a chance to tidy things up, finish up loose ends that had gotten lost when bigger things had come her way and had taken priority. It was the only time of the year she would have to do this, since the rest of the year whizzed by with non-stop stories and news flooding through the offices and piling up if she turned to look the other way for more than five minutes. Andy was one of the few in the office who wasn’t taking any extra time off in December. She didn’t care if people made humbug jokes or called her Scrooge. She had her reasons, and those reasons were rational ones as far as she was concerned; she just wasn’t about to share them with the rest of her colleagues when it was none of their damn business.

Andy’s attitude could still be as bitter and as cold as it was when she was a teenager. The only difference now that she had matured was that she could use it to be a hell of a lot more manipulative when she needed to be. Very little had changed about her from San Diego, to Stanford, to New York, and Andy was well aware of that. She was too proud now of who she was and where she had come from. It was nothing to do with her family, but rather her role as the outcast. She enjoyed loathing it, but Andy would never admit to that. It was far easier for her to play it sarcastically, to bitch and put up a fight. It might be the reason why she had so few friends in her big world, but Andy didn’t care, or at least she didn’t let it show. She insisted on liking everything the way that it was.

Vegging out on the sofa was something Andy rarely did. She had never been lazy as a child and it wasn’t something that had developed in adulthood either. If she wasn’t waiting on Nell then she certainly wouldn’t be sitting around now eating take out and watching the television. Normally she finished work, went for a swim, and then found something else that needed her attention. “After. I’m destroying my health kick with whatever the hell they put in this crap.” She waved the take out container at Nell before shoving another forkful into her mouth. The Subway for later would certainly save time searching for the perfect take out after the alcohol had taken hold and the heels were starting to hurt. “Yeah, my penguin pyjamas always get me an invitation back to a hot guy’s place.” Andy smirked, washing down her food with a bottle of pomegranate juice. Stretching out once more to polish off the rest of the leftovers, Andy looked back at the TV while she spoke to Nell. “Marquee, dancing, cocktails, shots, cute guys if there are any, more dancing, possibly more clubs if Marquee sucks, no stupid Christmas songs, and then home, Subway apparently, passing out. Any more questions?” She arched her eyebrows and then looked at her friend.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 574!
OUTFIT! Blue Babe!
LYRICS! National Anthem - - - Lana Del Rey
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

Nell could take or leave Christmas if she were being honest. She hadn’t gone back for any holidays since she left Stonewall. And she didn’t have a single plan to go back ever. There was nothing but pity left in that town for her and her brother. Alex stayed much closer to home than Nell did, calling New Orleans home these days but even he didn’t hop in the car and drive the four or five hours to Stonewall to visit their family. Aunt Josie and Uncle Rick drove those hours instead. But Nell was a different story. She retained the accent but she never wanted to return to Louisiana at all and that accent was the only way people even knew she was from the South. Alex took trips to New York to see his baby sister. Their aunt and uncle took trips north to see their niece. Thankfully, they understood where Nell was coming from and didn’t pressure her to visit or do anything she didn’t want to.

Despite all that, Nell was close with her family. She made frequent calls to Stonewall and was constantly sending text messages her brother’s way. Her aunt and uncle hadn’t bothered getting mobile phones for everyday use since they didn’t leave Stonewall often enough and the cell reception in their one horse town was spotty at best. They had one for their road trips that they kept in a drawer in the kitchen, forgotten until they were packing their bags. Not that it mattered, Alex was usually with them on those big road trips anyway and he used his phone constantly for work. Nell knew because even now they were getting ready to be in New York for Christmas Eve. She already had reservations made for the four of them for dinner that night. Andy had given in to this torture way back during their freshman year and every year following it.

This time of year for Nell meant parties with her best friend. Neither of them was fond of the holiday season, which was why Nell usually took extra shifts, taking only Christmas day, New Year’s Eve and the following day to recover from the night before. She wanted to climb the ladder quickly, not wanting to spend years doing all the grunt work just to retire without getting anywhere. She was full of ideas that would help the wards and she wanted to put them to good use. She was getting the beginning of that chance now. And that was another reason why she was taking a few extra days during the holidays this year. She had more responsibilities now and she could take or leave extra shifts on a whim. “Hmm, you don’t want to know for that one.” Nell said, looking over at the container in Andy’s hands. Nell laughed, shaking her head. “With you, I’d believe just about anything.” She admitted.

The pair made heads turn when they went out together and the attention always amused Nell. And they always dolled themselves up for their nights out. Nell had even said once if they weren’t turning heads, they weren’t doing it right. And she would have put money down on Andy collecting a couple numbers through the night if she did decide getting dressed was too much hassle and wore her pyjamas out. Nell wore scrubs nearly every day so she jumped at the chance to slip into her most revealing clothing and hit the town, even if the weather was against her choices. “One.” She said, finishing off her meal. She hadn’t eaten since earlier in the day and found herself famished after her shower. “How many numbers are you expecting to collect? I think you could at least snag three with those penguins.” Nell teased, tossing her garbage in the bin. 

Tag || andrea spencer harding
Words || 637
Clothes || Pretty Party Dress
Music || Take On The World --Sabrina Carpenter
Notes || <3

[andrea spencer harding]

Despite her pre-existing dislike of the holidays, Andy didn’t see the need for all the hype. She did her Christmas shopping online in September and sent the few presents she bought home to her relatives. She didn’t take part in the office Secret Santa even if it meant she did get nagged and called Scrooge by her co-workers. The only person in New York who received a present from the bitter blonde was Nell, and even then it was sort of handed off early and never mentioned again. Andrea Harding was not someone many people would describe as awkward, but the holiday season brought that out in her. Those who dared questioned it though were quickly reminded that she was ruled by her fiery side; the side that burned.

As far as Andy was concerned, she didn’t need to explain herself to anyone. The people in New York didn’t need to know about her past in California. Her boss only cared about her college education and he was more than impressed with that, nothing else mattered. She barely mentioned her family to people in the office, and the only photograph on her desk was of herself with Nell from New Year two years ago. They were both donning streamers in their hair and looked like the champagne in their hands had already gone to their heads. It frequently got her a number of comments from people who stopped at her desk and chose to look at it. She wasn’t as family-centric as some in the office and she doubted that she would ever be a woman with a desk overcrowded with photos of children and siblings. She told people she wasn’t programmed that way and too many replies seemed to be centred on the idea that she just hadn’t met the right person. Andy found herself biting her tongue then, making an excuse for them to get the hell away from her desk. If they didn’t she might end up putting her right fist against their right eye.

She polished off the last of the leftovers in the container and uncurled her long legs to put it in the bin. “It does the job to soak up some of the alcohol.” She said with a shrug, knowing that it was better to last later into the night than be one of the girls teetering about in her high heels, a giggling mess and falling over on the dance floor before midnight. Andy could worry about returning to her usual healthy routine once tomorrow morning’s headache subsided and she could see straight again. Not that she usually worried too much. Andy worked out enough that she knew she could afford the extra snacks and greasy food here and there without worrying about her hips or thighs like some of the women in the break room. “Depends how high my heels are.” Andy said simply with a light shrug. Her eyes flicked to the clock and she nodded her head towards it. “Speaking of heels, we should probably click ours and get ready.”

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 517!
OUTFIT! Blue Babe!
LYRICS! National Anthem - - - Lana Del Rey
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

Nell wasn’t big on most holidays and given the choice for social interaction, she would have chosen to stay at home over going to a holiday party. New Year’s was of course, the exception but on that single night of the year, it didn’t matter what the plans where or which bar you were headed to, the streets were filled with the party. The year before she and Andy had been on their way to the club and ended up being dragged along with a group of complete strangers to a massive house party that wasn’t just a single apartment, but the entire floor of the building. Now that had been quite the adventure and Nell loved the randomness of their nights out but she wasn’t a fan of the holidays. Though she did keep a small tree and set some gifts underneath it for her family when they showed up but the second they were gone, so was the tree, back into storage for another year. Like Andy, she tossed her gift for the other girl her way weeks before Christmas actually came around, though there was one on the counter by the coffee maker Christmas morning because despite how much she hated Christmas or any “major” family holiday. The things they got each other weren’t anything stellar but they were things the other mentioned they wanted during shopping trips.

And like Andy, Nell didn’t feel the need to explain her actions to anyone; even when she was the only nurse on shift who wasn’t wearing a stupid themed hat. She told the kids she didn’t look good in hats and the girls nodded their understanding while the boys, the older ones denied her claims and the younger ones just thought she was silly for forgetting her Santa hat or Reindeer antlers at home. The only things Nell liked about the winter months were gifts for no good reason, it was a party season and the roasted chestnuts sold on the street corners. She’d developed a particular weakness for those since moving to the big apple. That probably meant she wasn’t as bad about the holidays as Andy was but she was a close second.

“That it does.” Nell readily agreed. There had been many a nights when they sat at the very restaurant at the end of a wonderful night, tossing back the contents of that very container like it was shots at the bar, attempting to fill their stomach for the walk or the cab ride home again. Instead of answering Andy’s remark with another snappy comeback of her own, Nell laughed at her roommate and best friend’s line. “What do you mean, get ready? I am ready! See!” Nell said, posing for the imaginary paparazzi in her fluffy bath robe. She had a dress all lined up for the night laying out on her bed with a pair of shoes in mind to match it but she could joke around before she actually went a slipped into the slinky number. “I think I could pull just as many numbers as you could in that.” She laughed again before shaking her head and moving on down the hall to her bedroom to change. Twenty minutes later she was dressed, her hair and make up done. She was ready to party now.

Tag || andrea spencer harding
Words || 637
Clothes || Pretty Party Dress
Music || Take On The World --Sabrina Carpenter
Notes || <3

[andrea spencer harding]

It wasn’t that Andy didn’t like her family, but it was awkward these days. She supposed things had been intended to be very different to how it had turned out. The way she had been raised she doubted that she was ever supposed to learn the truth about her adoption. However, what was done was done, and it had been done in such a horrible manner that Andy still had dreams about it now. She would wake up in a foul mood and it would often stay that way for the rest of the day, even if she did her best to pick herself up. She had tried her best after being a spiteful teenager, but the truth of the matter was that she couldn’t entirely move on from the truth. It had changed so much and at the same time it had allowed so many things to make sense to her. Andy eventually just wanted to put as much distance between herself and her relatives as she could. She knew it wasn’t her parent’s fault; they had tried their best. It was just too difficult for her to handle, especially when their extended family favoured her siblings for their legitimate nature over her adopted state.

To say the least, it had ruined Andy’s idea of family. The only one she really spoke to these days was her brother, and even with him it was mainly text messages and silly e-mails. She never spoke of her feelings or shared great details of her life in New York. She didn’t want their aunts or uncles knowing about what she was doing in New York City, and they would find out, because Colby would tell their parents when they asked and they would boast the news to their own brothers and sisters, like parents often did. They wouldn’t understand Andy’s dislike for it, or her reasons for wanting to live her life away from all of their gossip and backstabbing. It was why she never spoke about her family to the people she had met since arriving in New York City. It made her life much easier, and while people at the paper thought it was strange that she kept mum about so much of her past, she couldn’t care less about their opinions of her. That much had been obvious from her first day there when she had made quite an impact in the staff room at lunch, choosing to bullshit her stories to her colleagues, keeping it up until finally someone clued in and then everyone felt like idiots for falling for her words.

Looking Nell up and down, Andy rolled her eyes. “As stunning as I think you are, you’re ready for a night in with Netflix, and I want a night out.” She turned Nell around and shoved her in the direction of her bedroom. “The next time I see you, I want you to be ready to lure unsuspecting men into buying us drinks.” Andy said, shuffling into her own room and closing the door. It took the blonde little time to get ready, and within thirty minutes she was zipping up the back of her wedges and smoothing out her skirt. Andy checked that she had everything she needed in her clutch, adding her lipgloss last since she knew it would need topping up later on in the evening, and then left her bedroom. “Yo, nursey-nurse, you ready?” She asked, tugging her top knot slightly more centre and then winking at her own reflection in the mirror.

• • •

TAGGED! Nell Riley Mae Deveraux
WORDS! 597!
OUTFIT! Blue Babe!
LYRICS! National Anthem - - - Lana Del Rey
NOTES! <3

[Nell Riley Mae Deveraux]

These club nights may have happened so often the pair of them were on a first name basis with most of the bouncers in the city but they were still a fun night out. And sometimes a night spent dancing and drinking the sorrows of the day away were exactly what the doctor ordered. Both Nell and Andy had difficult jobs but they were both where they wanted and needed to be. Andy’s promotion to journalist was right around the corner, Nell could feel it. She worked so damn hard for it and deserved it so much. Nell had worked her tail off, too but she’d been lucky enough to have already been offered her promotion. It was nice but it meant more work to be fit into her usual shift which meant she usually brought little things like scheduling home with her. Thankfully, these nights never got canceled. The reasons behind them changed constantly, like tonight’s excursion out was thanks to the holidays being upon them but next weeks would be because it was the New Year and the week’s after that because it was January whatever and that just needed to be celebrated as well!

Neither of them were overly fond of the holiday season but at least Nell saw her family. She loved them, they’d helped her through a lot when she’d been smaller but they all knew she would never see the other side of the Louisiana state line ever again. Too many memories and only a handful of them good, kept her from seeing what other people saw in her home state. She never wanted to think of that pin in the map ever again, preferring to just tell people she was from the state and nothing further than that. And that was only if she were asked about it. Anybody who ever wanted to get to know her on a deeper lever, never even found out about her past. Andy only knew all that she did because they’d been friends, practically inseparable since they were eighteen and freshman at college.

“The weekend nights are not for Netflix.” Nell recited as if she said it too often. As it was she rarely even had Netflix on. It was usually the mornings after these nights out when she wasn’t ready to get off the couch where she finally dragged her ass in the mornings. She wasn’t hung over per se but she wasn’t exactly ready to hit the road for a run either. “Aye Aye captain!” She said, saluting her best friend and roommate as she went back to her room. The downside to the sequined number she’d decided on was the fact that he was so low cut she needed a little help keeping it up. It was nothing a little tape couldn’t handle though and she was slipping her feet into the suede platform pumps when Andy called out to her. “I think you’re going to have some competition, honey.” Nell said opening her bedroom door and stepping out. She ran her fingers through her hair, letting the slight wave do it’s own thing. She already knew that halfway through the night she would be in the bathroom shoving it up into a messy bun that would somehow, thankfully look like she’d done it on purpose and come across as sexy and not a hot mess.

Tag || andrea spencer harding
Words || 598
Clothes || Pretty Party Dress
Music || Take On The World --Sabrina Carpenter
Notes || <3