ᥫ᭡. CHAPTER NINE!
❛ LA ❜ ━━ ( ig, tt, irl, imsg )

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♪ . . . feather — maeve thatcher

dante.nevarro • 12 min
reminiscing feather mv bts while my best
friend moves to LA like a big girl 😎😎
──────────

user bi panic bi panic bi panic

malaikaaa MY CUTIES
↳ dante.nevarro I LOVE YOU
↳ malaikacollins I LOVE YOU MORE BABYYYY

user ugh before he got killed 😓
liked by creator

maevethatch missin it 😕😕
↳ dante.nevarro mae world takeover incoming!

user real life rapunzel and flynn
↳ user WAIIIIIT

user dante i need you to get into acting PLSPLSPLSPLSPLS

rorysant my fav pretty girl and her accessory
↳ dante.nevarro accessory is INSANE.
↳ maevethatch LMFAOOOOO

user i ship lowk
↳ user bro no m&m 4L

user m&m shippers using one singular piece of evidence that they've even spoken to prove they're in love like 🌝🌝
↳ nicolassturniolo "M&M IS REAL!!!" i shout as they drag me into the asylum
↳ user NICK???

load more comments. . .

✦ REAL LIFE

LA doesn't look like she imagined it.

not that maeve ever let herself imagine she'd get here. it was always a blurry dream, wrapped in a whole lot of maybe. back when her songs were forced into the dark and her existence was shrunk into the idea of what somebody else believed it should be.

but now, she's standing on the curb outside of her new apartment, and it's all real.

she exhales slowly, like maybe it'll ease the rampant beating of her heart in her chest. from next to her, dante just grins as he hoists a box from the trunk of their rental car. "holy shit, how fast is your heart beating?" he questions with a laugh.

maeve cracks a smile, but it's thin and halfhearted. her gaze is still fixed on the building before her. it's tall and white, with palm trees all around the front.

"i feel like i can't fucking breathe," she says, though it's mostly to herself.

dante picks up on it anyway. "of course you can," he says, shifting the box to his hip. "the LA air is just different, y'know?"

she turns to look at him and smiles — a real one this time. it's not even what he says, but how he says it... it's just a comfort. and even though moving to LA has been her dream since she was like, fifteen, the thought of moving away from her childhood best friend is saddening.

they head into the elevator, maeve trailing a few steps behind dante. they stand in silence as it goes up to the 13th floor, just gazing around and taking it all in. maeve realizes she's probably going to take this elevator every single day for the foreseeable future, and that thought excites and terrifies her at the same time.

as they step out, maeve jingles the keys in her hand. they feel strange, and she hasn't held them long enough to get used to how much lighter they are compared to the keys of her parents' house, or memorize the way they fit into the door.

nevertheless, it swings open on the first try.

the apartment smells like fresh paint. there's no furniture yet, just sunlight pouring through the big window by the fire escape, spilling across the hardwood floors in wide, lazy strokes. maeve sets her bag down and walks around slowly.

"i feel like i'm trespassing," she chuckles to herself.

dante, dropping the box onto the marble kitchen counter, glances over at her. "it's all yours, mae," he says. she wants to laugh, or smile, or say something back, but suddenly maeve feels her eyes stinging.

dante doesn't say anything else, instead he steps towards her and pulls her into a tight hug. one arm is around her shoulders, and the other is warm against her back. surprisingly, maeve doesn't cry, but she lets her forehead rest against his chest and breathes in slowly.

it's not just the fact that she's moving far away from everyone she cares about — it's everything that came before this. the reasons she didn't do this sooner.

like the years she spent trying not to take up space, or the silence she kept when her phone lit up with messages that always made her stomach sink. or, the way she'd smile through gritted teeth and tell people everything was great — because it was easier than explaining why it wasn't.

but that's over now.

letting out a deep breath, maeve steps back and forces a crooked smile. "okay, i'm good," she says. "emotionally spiraled for like, two minutes, but now i'm done. i'm pretty proud of that."

dante gives her a mocking smile. "solid record crash-out time," he nods in agreement.

they get to work unpacking, not saying much at first. dante pulls out his small bluetooth speaker and plays music for them to listen to in the background. maeve hums along to l'amour de ma vie by billie eilish as she tears open boxed and slides bubble wrap off of her things, resisting the urge to pop it as she knows it might come in handy later.

she pulls out a picture frame — one of the few she brought with her — and holds it in both hands, tracing her index finger along the edge. it's an old photo, from their junior year of high school, which was coincidentally their last year at the same school before dante transferred to somerville high and left maeve alone to have the worst senior year ever.

in the photo, the two of them are tangled up in a hammock at her family's lakeside cabin. maeve has sunburned cheeks and a popsicle in one hand, meanwhile dante is clearly laughing at something.

meanwhile, dante's unboxing her record player from across the room. "you should put that on display," he tells her. "all your new LA friends will be demanding for my number when they see how sexy your best friend is."

"you're delusional," maeve laughs. dante ignores her, and continues on, "they'll all be so disappointed when you tell them i'm taken," he chuckles to himself.

maeve places the frame on the coffee table — or, what will become the coffee table once the legs are screwed on. she moves onto the next box then, and slowly but surely, the apartment starts to feel less hollow. each object that gets put out holds a memory; some much heavier than others.

"so," dante says, cutting through the quiet as he peels tape from a box labeled bathroom stuff. "what are you gonna do first? after this?"

maeve shrugs, her voice breezy. "i dunno. probably go grocery shopping — ooh! i wanna go to erewhon and buy one of those expensive ass smoothies."

"like you can afford erewhon," dante jokes, playfully rolling his eyes. "realistically, you'll end up in trader joe's and cry because i'm not there to save you."

"oh, definitely," maeve grins. "i'll cry in front of the greek yogurt and then immediately recover by buying four tubs of hummus."

"that's growth."

she snorts, folding an empty box flat using her foot. the movement has become automatic, but right now her thoughts seem to be the opposite. her fingers are still on the cardboard, her smile fading a little around the edges as she asks, "do you think it's selfish? that i left?" her voice is soft as she speaks.

the question hangs between them for a long moment. dante doesn't look up right away. he just continues wrapping the edge of a towel into a neat roll before placing it on the shelf beneath the sink. when he finally does turn to look at her, his expression is unreadable at first, before it shifts into something quiet and steady and maybe a little sad.

"no," he says simply.

maeve searches his face, furrowing her eyebrows. "really?"

he nods, leaning his elbows on the counter behind him. "i think it would've been selfish not to. to stay in a place where you where miserable and had people constantly bringing you down."

she doesn't say anything for a second due to her throat tightening. maeve swallows hard, looking away toward the big living room window walls.

"i just keep thinking about how mad they were about the whole thing, y'know?" she speaks slowly, now picking at a loose thread on her sleeve. "even after i explained everything, it was like... they were still on her side."

dante's voice is calm, but sure. "they're fucking assholes."

maeve lets out a shaky breath and smiles. "yeah. i guess they are."

she pushes a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and moves onto another box, partly to change the subject and partly because sitting still with that kind of vulnerability in the air makes her anxious. the cardboard opens up, revealing a large tangle of wires and the little cactus she thought for sure would die, but apparently has managed to survive the move.

she's about to say something to fill up to space when her phone suddenly buzzes loudly from the countertop. as she gets up and walks to pick it up, maeve hopes it's matt.

she doesn't even realize that's what she's hoping for until her thumb hesitates over the green accept button. something in her chest lifts slightly, ready for the comfort of his voice that she hasn't heard for far too long, but when the screen loads, it isn't him.

it's her mom.

"hi, sweetheart," maeve's mother says, smiling. her dark hair is pulled back, neat and clean, and she's sitting in the kitchen that maeve grew up in. the same white cabinets can be seen in the backgorund, and the familiar mug is in her hand, probably filled with black coffee. there's also the same subtle tension around the woman's mouth, like she's already holding herself back from saying what she truly wants to.

"hey, mom," maeve says, trying to keep her tone light. she prays that her face doesn't give too much away.

dante leans in fron the side, peering into the camera. "hi, mrs thatcher," he says, offering a small wave. they've been best friends since they were in elementary school, and so have their parents, yet dante and maeve are still expected to address the other's parents in this formal manner. the two of them always make fun of it whenever they manage to escape from their family gatherings.

"oh! dante. i figured you'd be there," her mom replies, her voice tight with politeness as she knows she's talking to the son of her closest business partners. "helping with the move?"

"yeah, just finishing up some unpacking," he says, before backing off to give maeve some space, though he doesn't go far.

there's a pause, followed by a sip from the mug. then, "so. you're really all moved in?"

maeve nods slowly. "yeah. just about. got her a couple hours ago."

another pause, and this one feels sharper. "and everything's... alright? the apartment's safe? locks work? there aren't any strange people around, are there?"

maeve almost smiles, not out of amusement but recognition. it's the same familiar rhythm of questions as always, each one more intense and irritating than the last. she knew her mom would hate this, because she hates change, and now it's like she's trying to wrap maeve in bubble wrap from all the way in boston.

"it's safe," she explains. "it's a nice area. quiet."

"mhm," her mom replies, clearly unconvinced. "well, just keep your wits about you. you know how things can get—"

"i know, mom," maeve cuts her off, before pressing her lips together.

there's movement behind her mother, someone walking past the kitchen. maeve can immediately tell it's her father, but she doesn't bother asking. she knows he won't come say hi.

her mom sets the mug down, folding her hands together now. "and you still haven't called your grandmother. she keeps asking about you."

"i will," maeve lies. she hasn't spoken to her grandmother in years, ever since she came out as bi and... well, her grandma just didn't get it.

"and, um..." her mom's voice softens then, but it possesses a sort of rehearsed tone. "i just think it might be a good idea to reach out to kennedy, too. just to... check in. i think she would appreciate it, since you two were—"

"we really have to get going," dante cuts in suddenly, stepping back into frame with an apologetic smile that very obviously doesn't reach his eyes. "boxes everywhere. you wouldn't believe the chaos."

maeve blinks, both surprised and relieved.

"yeah," she agrees. "it's a total mess. i'll call you later, mom."

she barely mumbles a goodbye, ending the call before her mom can say anything else. the apartment feels quieter now, even though nothing has changed. maeve sets the phone down, trying her best to keep her face carefully composed even though she's feeling an overwhelming amount of emotions right now.

dante doesn't say anything, instead he just gives her a gentle and comforting look. maeve exhales, running both hands through her hair. "that was..."

"unsurprising?" dante offers.

maeve huffs a small laugh. "unfortunately, yeah."

✦ IMESSAGE

matt 🧸 ; matt
blondie ⭐ ; maeve

matt 🧸
you make it to LA okay?
sent 10:09 am
read 9:57 pm

blondie ⭐
yesss i'm good!!
sorry it took me so long to respond i've been unpacking and shit all day
and then i went to dinner with the kardashians sooo 😊

matt 🧸
yeahhh understandable
wait what
the kardashians??

blondie ⭐
yaaaas kourtney made me a vegan gluten free dairy free lactose free meal it was #amazing 😍😍

matt 🧸
are you being fr

blondie ⭐
BRO
OF COURSE NOT
LMFAOOOOO
me and dante literally got in n out and watched princess and the frog😭😭😭😭

matt 🧸
ohhhh LMFAOOOO
i wouldn't haven been surprised tho
yk now that you're miss famous and everything

blondie ⭐
okaaaay mr millions of yt subs

matt 🧸
okaaaay miss #1 billboard single

blondie ⭐
ALRRRRRRR
anywayyyyy how have u beeeeeen😄😄😄😄

matt 🧸
i'm good
pretty bored without you tho

blondie ⭐
STOPPPP
your girl has been busy i'm sorry 😔
loved by matt 🧸

matt 🧸
nah don't be
moving to LA is a big fucking deal
kind of makes problems tho 🫤

blondie ⭐
wdym problems...?

matt 🧸
weeeeeell
if you're in LA
and i'm in boston
then you gotta stop asking why i'm not uponeth you
cuz yk that part's kinda your fault

blondie ⭐
BROOOOO
bro you gotta stop i just giggled out loud 😓😓
uuuuugh fuck i really messed up didn't i

matt 🧸
right like you REALLY couldn't have given it another week or so?

blondie ⭐
STFU

matt 🧸
LMFAOOO
i'm kidding dw
you just gotta earn it now ig 😁

blondie ⭐
HEY
THATS MY THING

matt 🧸
not anymore 😎

blondie ⭐
ugh ur the worst
wait
what time is it for u

matt 🧸
like 1am

blondie ⭐
BRO
GO TO SLEEP

matt 🧸
nope
i'd rather stay up texting you

blondie ⭐
oh so i don't have to earn that? 🤨🤨

matt 🧸
nahh i'll let you off this time

blondie ⭐
BOYYYY

matt 🧸
LMFAOOO
jkjkjk

blondie ⭐
jk about earning the texts orrrr the other thing 🧐

matt 🧸
both

blondie ⭐
STOP IT
i'm gonna crash out
don't make me fly back to boston rn 😖😖😖

matt 🧸
no need
i'm coming to LA

blondie ⭐
WHAT
WHEN?
WHY???

matt 🧸
we got invited to the scream premiere
which just so happens to be in LA next week
cool huh

blondie ⭐
WAIT
THE SCREAM PREMIERE???

matt 🧸
yes...?

blondie ⭐
MATT
I'M GOING TO THE SCREAM PREMIERE

matt 🧸
WHAT
REALLY

blondie ⭐
YEAH
JENNA INVITED ME

matt 🧸
ok just casually friends with jenna ortega alr 😭
loved by blondie ⭐
soooo

blondie ⭐
soooo

matt 🧸
soooo
that's cool
we'll see each other irl again
first time since my graduation

blondie ⭐
yeahhh
pretty cool

matt 🧸
will i get to hear a snippet of bed chem then?

blondie ⭐
boyyyy
no chance
it's gotta be a surprise for you just like everybody else
besides i wrote it about chris not you 🤣🤣

matt 🧸
i wonder what rory would have to say abt that...

blondie ⭐
no she approves
it's from her pov you see
yeah i don't just write about my own experiences matt.
feather is actually from chris' pov about his crazy ex
ur so self absorbed wtf. 🫤

matt 🧸
??????????
so you lied to jimmy fallon then

blondie ⭐
ah fuck i forgot abt that
yeah ok it's abt u or wtv 🙄🙄
BUT UR NOT HEARING IT

matt 🧸
bruhhhh
okay fine
when is it being released?

blondie ⭐
ummm
? idk
whenever i feel like it 😊😊

matt 🧸
bro
aren't you supposed to plan this

blondie ⭐
i'm new to the industry i can do whatever i want
see you at the premiere matt 🙏

matt 🧸
you're the worst
see you
night blondie

blondie ⭐
bye matt 😘😘😘😘😘

💿

sorry yeah there's no excuse for me completely abandoning this fic idk why i did that but i'm back now YAYYYY

oh yeah and if u couldn't tell maeve's parents lowkey SUUUUCKK

─ ava ✦