Valentine's Cupcakes [Annie, Fin, open]

[Annie Holmes]

Valentine’s Day. Only THE best day of the year. Ever. There was red everywhere and people exchanging things, and smiling, and red! One freckled redhead was sitting at a table surrounded by trays and trays of cupcakes. None of them for sale. All of them free. Each and everyone one baked and painstakingly decorated by the girl who sat beaming behind them.

None of them were exactly alike, but that’s the way Annie Holmes rolled. She already had her mind made up for college and she had a year and time left before then. She wouldn’t go to a traditional school, but culinary school with a focus on baking. Ace of Cakes, being one of her favorite shows (even though Duff didn’t do cupcakes) she got a ton of ideas about it. The books her sisters and fathers had gotten her, all the practice she had making them constantly. It was her thing.

But Valentine’s Day… it was a perfect excuse. Any holiday was really, but Valentine’s particularly, and she’d spent a great deal of time making sure it was going to be perfect for everyone at Gould. Everyone would get something. Well. Everyone in her lunch period who bothered to come over anyway. Those who didn’t she could hand out the cupcakes after school, she supposed, but it would be better if she could give them away now.

It was times like these that, for a brief moment, the tiny teen wished she had bothered to learn how to talk. There were ways, feeling the vocal chords of others as they spoke, then feeling her own as she mimicked. But she hadn’t, so could only eat her cupcakes and hope someone came over to enjoy them with her. All…several…hundred.

[Finlay Eddelman]

Finlay was not happy that it was Valentine's Day, because he felt too much pressure to perform, to woo Delilah right out of the arms of the more forward Nero. He thought she liked Nero better, anyway, because what girl wouldn't like a guy who was open about his affections? And Nero liked her horror movies, whereas Fin felt more than a little queasy watching most of them. Actually, scratch that, he had nightmares non-stop since their movie marathon the night of the dance. He didn't think Delilah would be all that impressed by that little bit of information, though, so he hadn't said anything.

Not that he hadn't done anything for Valentine's Day, of course he had! He had knitted a little bear, had almost added a heart to it, but thought better of it. He didn't want to scare her, after all. But he did want her to know he liked her. Sort of. Maybe. Okay, maybe he was a little afraid to admit it. The worst she could do was say no -- and that was a bad enough outcome that he was reluctant to reveal his feelings. But then if he didn't say something, Nero would definitely win. What an annoying bind to be in!

He slowed to a stop as he noted a table surrounded by cupcakes, manned by a vibrant girl with red hair. He signed a clumsy greeting to her, grinning. How very like Annie! He adored that about her, that she loved to create as much as he did. She was cute and fun and happy -- and was clearly relegated to little sister status in his mind.

"You must have spent all night on those," He commented, attempting to sign the same. He knew she could read lips, but since he could sign a very little -- not very well, but a little -- he always practiced his signing with her. She had taught him what little he knew, anyway, so that he could understand when she signed to him. It wasn't necessary that he sign to her, but he felt that he should make an effort, even though his effort amounted to little more than 'cupcakes night long?' At least he was trying...

[Annie Holmes]

The bright smile turned up a few knots at the site of Fin. Her cupcake-knitting-tattoo-loving-clumsy-awkward friend. Occasionally she would leap upon him, arms wrapping around his shoulders and legs locking at the ankles around his waist. He was one of the few people her very short legs could get around. But she loved him. Dearly. While she might be “little sister” to his mind, he was second best after David Bowie, and Iman had dibs on the latter.

“I did!” she signed back, making sure to go slowly so that he could understand her. While normaly her fingers flew through the signs when she was speaking with her fathers, or sisters (both of whom had already made the “escape” from California. Amy to early college and Ace with the peace corps. Temper or no, she’d do great.)

“I do not think that many people know they’re here for them though.” Regardless of the statement she didn’t seem particularly sad about it. Eventually people would know. They would see that the cupcakes were sitting there, and obviously the tiny teen wouldn’t be eating them herself. At least, not all of them. There were several heart dotted wrappers on the table in a neat pile by her left hand.

“Take one!” She signed in a very insistent manner.

“Tell me you have had a good day.” a pause, and a plaintive look. “Please. Or I will be sad.”

[Finlay Eddelman]

Fin did not hesitate to pick up one of the beautifully decorated cupcakes. "It seems a shame to eat them," He told her, not signing this time because of the cupcake in hand. If it was a cupcake that Annie had baked then of course it would be delicious; she was the cupcake queen. She had even given him the pattern for knitted cupcakes that he had so studiously practiced all last month. He was not disappointed; the frosted cakes were simply divine. It was a shame that nobody else was taking them, though people undoubtedly didn't quite realize that the pastries were there for their pleasure.

"You need a sign," He told her, "So that people will know." He did not have his bag on him, or he would have ripped out a piece of paper and done up an impromptu sign for his friend. Maybe someone else had a piece of paper. They were in a school, after all, and some people actually did their homework during lunch -- a horrifying prospect, to be sure, but entirely true!

"I guess it has been okay," He admitted, "So no need to be sad." Nothing bad had happened, after all, Dee hadn't rejected him because he hadn't told her his feelings. So unless one counted an inability to confess to a crush as bad, well, nothing bad had happened. Some people might say it was bad, but he honestly couldn't. It hadn't been good exactly, but definitely it wasn't bad. "Your cupcakes really made the day for me." He added with a grin, picking up another one and waving it at a random passerby. "Hey, free cupcakes!"

[Annie Holmes]

It always helped when someone enjoyed what she did. Every artist had their thing. And every artist had some weakness. If their work wasn’t well accepted then it was always a crushing defeat. Even if only one person hated it. Feelings ran deep in the world, and some people were more affected than others. Not all artists, exactly, but enough to make it a stereotype and Annie was not one of the exceptions. Her feelings ran deep and she wore her heart on her sleeve.

Or in this case, on the front of her dress.

Her friend was right, though, she did need a sign. It wasn’t something that Annie would have thought of herself. Since her sisters had left, Annie was feeling more and more lonely, but she’d never admit it. Not to her parents and not to her… friends.

The mild admission that Fin’s day hadn’t been going quite as he’d hoped, though he wouldn’t say it aloud anymore than Annie would. But facial expressions spoke a language all their own. She couldn’t hear the tone in his voice, but the way he shifted told her more than any vocal chords could. The last though, that her cupcakes helped, was a truth that no one could deny.

Cupcakes.Fixed.Everything.

The passerby snagged the cupcake from Fin with a grin to the girl and a muttered, “Hey thanks!” before he passed the word on to someone else.

Tapping Fin on the arm to catch his attention, Annie lifted a hand palm facing her to tap her lip and move it down in an arc so her palm was face up. “Thanks” the gesture said. Then more movement as she asked him what he was up to that evening. Did he want to go with her to the set while her dad fitted extras with costumes and she ogled Bowie.

[Finlay Eddelman]

Fin laughed at Annie's enthusiasm for Bowie. No, he did not have plans. He might have gathered the courage needed to ask Dee to hang out and paint -- but was that really so courageous, when they normally spent their free time that way? She was nowhere to be found, though, and he wasn't entirely sure she had even shown up to school. Maybe he would call her and ask if she was feeling well, check to make sure she hadn't fallen back into her old ways. That would be a shame, if she had, because she had been trying so hard to stay clean.

"Sure," He agreed, "Should be fun." It was a chance to see Bowie, after all, how could anyone turn down the opportunity? And he liked Annie's dads -- especially Ernest, because he was another creative type and was interested in unique and self-expressing fashion. So quite apart from the thrill of meeting a musical genius there was also the chance to admire her dad's costumes. Sure, they were not always -- or even usually -- the sort of thing Fin would wear, but they were always interesting. And even when they were completely normal outfits, the fact that Ernest made them himself was simply impressive.

He grabbed another cupcake, trying to entice anyone who walked by to stop by the booth. It didn't take long before students were crowding around, jostling one another for a free sweet. There was nothing that got to people like the word 'free'! Fin stepped around to the other side of the table so he could continue conversing with the diminutive girl. "Your dad won't mind, will he?" He looked down at her, attempting to sign his question while he spoke. He didn't think either of her dads would mind, though, they seemed to really spoil their daughter.

[delilahamello]

It had been a good morning so far, classes were the same mundane things that they usually were, but there was just this feeling in the air around her, it was nice. After the meeting on the boardwalk, Nero had snagged Dee for a quick sugar filled breakfast before they had headed towards school. While the morning and plans for later that afternoon with Nero were nice, she wanted to spend some time with Fin as well.

The dark haired former party girl made her way from her last class towards her locker. She couldn't really leave the roses Nero had given her in her locker all day, they would die quickly, so she carried them with her, tucked gently into her bag with the blooms visable for air. She knew Nero liked her, and she did like him back...but was it the same way? He was fun, full of life, colorful, open about everything, really sweet. But was that what she wanted?

Or did she want sky, kinda awkward, who had not said anything about having feelings for her, but showed it when he looked at her? Or how he made her heart skip when he was near? It would have been an easy choice if he would have ever stepped up and just..said something. But he hadn't, and that made her unsure if he felt anything.

Dee walked into the cafeteria, looking for her friend, and found him over toward a table loaded with more sugar. Yay! She waved so that Annie would see her, De did not sign at all, so she did what she could for the other girl. Usually that meant scrawling notes on a notebooks back and forth. "Hi..." She said from behind Finlay's back, her hands resting on his waist gently. She slid around, giving Annie a grin before turning those big blue eyes to Fin, practically begging him to say something.

[Annie Holmes]

For all their apparent differences, Annie liked Delilah. Loved her style of dress and how it screamed “look at me!” in a very similar what that Annie’s own did. While Annie had never been a ‘party girl’ she had, as she would call it, her drug of choice.

Cupcakes.

Lifting her own hand, Annie waved back at the raven haired girl and grinned her own grin. Dee would eat cupcakes with them! Though communication with the other girl was often much slower than when other people knew how to sign, Annie didn’t mind. It was all about what was being communicated, not how. As far as the tiny teen (well they were both tiny, but Annie was an inch shorter without her heels on) Dee was good people.

Even if she liked Fin. Annie was well aware that her feelings would never be returned in the same way. She was the perpetual “kid sister”. People liked her, but they didn’t like-like her. And that was okay. It was less of a distraction from her life plans, and she did have them. They would be done and she would have her bakery. Maybe she wasn’t as single-minded as some people, but she did have her hopes and dreams same as every one else.

Picking up a cupcake she proffered it to her blackhaired friend who was busy sort-of hugging Fin, but had a moment to grin at her. The gesture was plain, though Annie couldn’t talk, “Happy Valentine’s Day” it said.

[Finlay Eddelman]

Fin jumped when Delilah approached from behind. He was pleased to see her, but at the same time much more tense than when it had just been him and Annie. He was never entirely relaxed in her presence, even when they were doing nothing more exciting than hanging out; after all, they had faded out of one another's lives once, was there really anything keeping them there this time?

"Hey!" He greeted his crush in a short, breathy tone, removing himself from her grasp so that he could turn to look at her properly, "Happy Valentine's Day. I ahhh I ummm I have something for you, but it's in my locker," He added, turning very scarlet at this admission. He was rather glad to be facing away from Annie at that moment, because although he was unaware that she felt anything for him, he still felt as though he ought to give any romantic presents in private, away from prying eyes. And anyway, she had made cupcakes and he hadn't done anything for her. He felt guilty about that; maybe he would try and make something for her after school, give a cupcake to one of his ready made bears to hold or something, and then bring it along when they went to squee over Bowie. Not that he would admit to squeeing, but if he had to do it, might as well be over Bowie. Or maybe over Desmond Dekker or Laurel Aitkins, he would more than happily and unrepentantly squee over any of the leaders of the early ska movement.

It was then that he noticed the flowers. "Nice boquet." He tried not to sound unhappy about them, but it was really hard, because he had a suspicion he knew who those flowers had come from. "I guess you have plans for tonight."

[delilahamello]

Dee grinned at Annie as she waved back and offered her a cupcake. She walked over and hugged Annie, hugs were universal and one needed no words for them.

Fin greeted her with a Hey, and he slid away from her hug/touch thing. She was a little disappointed in the removal until he spoke. "You didn't have to get me anything Fin.." She had told Nero the same thing during breakfast. All she had really wanted was for Fin to return how she felt, as he once had. She did, however, know that anything Fin gave her would likely be made by himself, and sometimes, those were worth more.

She was surprised that either boy had made a deal out of Valentine's day really, the entire world had missed her 18th birthday 2 weeks ago. She had honestly expected her parents to ignore it, same as they did for everything related to her, but her friends, guys..whatever you would call them? She also didn't speak up about it after, why bother.

She was in the middle of wiping a bit of ice off the edge of the cupcake with her finger and licking it off said finger when Fin noticed and asked about the flowers. "Yeah, I guess...I don't know what is supposed to happen..but I didn't have any other plans for tonight when he asked...." She said quietly, looking up at him. *I wanted you to ask me for tonight...god ..please...* She thought to herself as she looked up into his hazel eyes.