One Note Symphony • •

[pippa elise quatrello]

Pip was unbelievably nervous about her date night with Perry. They’d been spending more time together sure, but this felt like an actual, real date, and that terrified her. She’d never been on one before. Her life had hardly allowed for romance or dating. Guys who had taken any kind of interest in the past had been sleazes, thinking she was easy or even a damn hooker when she didn’t have a roof over her head. Since she closed the door on that part of her life, no one seemed to look twice at her. Not that she could blame them. Aside from being cleaner, not a great deal had changed. She was still bones with bird’s nest hair. She was even doubting tonight, wondering if she had read into it all wrong and was going to make a complete idiot of herself when Perry came to pick her up from the hostel to take her to his place for dinner. Ashley kept reassuring her when she caught her fidgeting, but it didn’t work. It hadn’t worked all day.

Ashley had helped Pip choose the dress from the thrift store up the street. It didn’t quite fit perfectly, but Pip refused to take any money from the woman who had already done so much for her to buy something from a boutique or department store. The straps slid off her shoulders from time to time, but she figured she could pass the style off as a loose fit. It wasn’t too dire, just one size above what she usually raided the rails for. Ashley had also attempted to tame Pip’s unruly blonde hair, but it had very quickly started to kink and curl again, no thanks to Pip teasing it with her fingers whenever she was still for too long. She was scolded for it as Ashley did something other than thumb smudged kohl eyeliner around her vibrant blue eyes, but that still didn’t help calm Pip’s racing nerves. What if tonight went horrifically wrong? She liked Perry a whole lot, but her past was the stuff of bad dreams. She’d gone as far as to imply she’d had a rough time growing up, but she hadn’t outright told him that she’d slept on the streets for a number of years, or broached any of the horror stories she had behind the scars that were now totally on show in the tiny black dress. Maybe this was all an awful idea. He was going to run away and never come back to the hostel again.

Each time Pip tried to distract herself, she was guided back to her room behind the welcome desk. She wanted to do something, be it greet people arriving, or clean up the common area, but no one would let her. Ashley was on hand to grab her by the arm and threaten to lock her up like Rapunzel if she didn’t sit still. The others laughed and teased Pip like the family she considered them to be, but still nothing made her feel better. Her fingers once again found her half wild hair and she twisted and pulled at the locks, knowing full well it was close to looking like it’s usual messy mane again. Pip couldn’t help it though. It was habit, and her hair had always been an unmanageable dull blonde. Whatever she did to it came with a side of frizz. When the knock came on her door and Perry was there, she was both ready to run to him and ready to hide from him. Instead she just about managed to swallow her nerves and greeted him with a grin. “Hi. I’m ready. I’m good. Are you?” She babbled, only shutting up when she realised he hadn’t even said a word to her yet.

• • •

TAGGED! Percival Harrison Collins
WORDS! 635!
OUTFIT! Petrified Pippa!
LYRICS! You Hear A Song - - - Cassadee Pope
NOTES! <3

[Percival Harrison Collins]

Perry wasn't a shy man by any standard of the word but he didn't go out of his way to make friends either; not normally. He liked people well enough but he would much rather be in a kitchen than out there with the crowds, mixing and mingling. He did his part for the charities that his aunt and uncle were patrons of but otherwise he sent money and apologies for missing the event. He was becoming a bit of a recluse in the social scene and Perry couldn't find it in him to actually give a damn. He'd never really been comfortable in the spotlight of those events where everyone was on display and practically welcomed ridicule or gossip. He gave them nothing to gossip about except that fact that he once again, wasn't there.

Perry had only ever gone to those things when his uncle couldn't and his aunt needed a date. He would accompany her, make small talk as he'd been taught to and then slip away whenever he could and hide outside for a few minutes. His aunt always knew and she always gave him a few minutes before going after him. He wasn't a fan of all the glitz and glamour of these nights. Aside from the fancy turn of the century brownstone house and the fact that he had a dozen or more lawyers and accountants at his beck and call, Perry was pretty lowkey. He preferred band tees and ripped jeans, his Converse or Martens and his taste in music was not what anyone would consider reputable. But he also had a huge heart and a need for most simple things. He could have lived without the huge fancy house and all those people looking out for his best interests as long as he'd had the massive kitchen that his aunt had installed for him when she realised he loved to cook.

He filled his time with that for the most part and kept up all of the things his aunt and uncle had loved in life. He didn't want their memory to fade just because they weren't with him anymore. And even in death, his aunt was still trying to get him out there in the world. At least this time, her meddling worked and he'd met Pippa. It had taken quite a bit to get her to agree to a date with him but when she'd finally said yes, he'd planned to cook her dinner at his place, surprise her with flowers and treat her the way he thought all women should be treated; like a princess. Perry grinned when she burst through her door like a whirlwind, obviously nervous. "Absolutely. You look beautiful, Pip." He told her when she finally realised he'd not said a word yet. He held his elbow out for her to take, knowing he should have brought her flowers with him but he'd wanted them to be a surprise when she walked through the front door of his place, something she could enjoy for a little while instead of shoving them in a vase and leaving them behind.

♦ ♦ ♦

Tag || pippa elise quatrello
Words || 522
Clothes || Dashing Dude
Music || I'm Coming Over --Chris Young
Notes || <3

[pippa elise quatrello]

Pip was thankful for everything she had. A roof over her head felt like some kind of miracle in itself, but the fact that she was paid to look after the hostel was something she still pinched herself over. Money, even a dollar, was like gold in Pip’s eyes. She saved as much as she could, only spending it on necessities and one treat when something caught her eye at the thrift stores in the city. Whenever she spoke to her brother she checked to make sure he didn’t need anything before she thought of herself. It didn’t matter that Jimmy had a family who would look after him now; she was his big sister and it was her responsibility to make sure he was okay. Pip wanted to buy him things if he needed them, or give him money because the football team was fundraising. She had coped without money for plenty of time and she wasn’t the type to care about it now. Pip knew that if she ended up back out on the streets tomorrow, she could make it. It was also that thought that stopped her from going wild or getting too settled with the life she had. She knew how quickly a fairytale castle could come crumbling down. It had happened once before.

Yet, she remained ever optimistic. Her mom used to always say ‘if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry’, and Pip saw the strength in that. She had been at the bottom of the barrel, looking for a way out, but even then she had founds moments of merriment because she had to. She had been a kid on the streets with no chance at a future. If Ashley lost this hostel then Pip would lose everything, too. She had no high school qualifications, and all she knew how to do was survive a cold night. It was why she was confused about why a guy like Perry wanted to spend his time with her. Her nerves were in overdrive. She was nothing, just a girl with nothing to show for her life, and a dog who kept her company because she fed him the scraps from the take-out she lived off. Perry might not know about her past, but surely he could see she was all bones and ice white scars on still healing skin. Pip was a lot better from what she had been when Ashley found her that fateful night, but she still worked on improving herself; making her elbows less sharp, finding something to help heal the old cuts on her legs and arms from too many accidents in the dark. It couldn’t all be changed, but trying made Pip feel better.

Pip let out a loud, bellowing laugh at his compliment before slamming her hand over her mouth and blushing hot scarlet. She composed herself, let the words form in the back of her throat and then removed her hand from her face. It drifted to the old bag with its worn shoulder strap, twisting the shredding faux leather around trembling fingers. “Sorry, that was rude.” She said quietly, still unable to look up at him while her face was glowing. “But I feel like a malnourished lion in drag.” It was an exaggeration, but Pip felt like she was acutely aware of everything, from the frizz in her hair, to the slightly too-big dress with its slippy straps now. She hesitantly took his elbow, pausing only because it took her a moment to realise what he was doing, and allowed him to lead her from the hostel that she now understood had become her safety net. “You should know that I don’t date. Like, ever. At all.” She stammered, letting her eyes flick from the handsome man at her side to the sidewalk, to the sky above them. “So, feel free to….I don’t know…drown me if this is a disaster.” Her heart was racing, and she was glad he had offered her his elbow because her hands were hot and sweaty; not attractive in the slightest.

• • •

TAGGED! Percival Harrison Collins
WORDS! 687!
OUTFIT! Petrified Pippa!
LYRICS! You Hear A Song - - - Cassadee Pope
NOTES! <3