of course when arden got casey's message she knew where they wanted to meet. she had been inside that venue multiple times, always listening to whoever came to their city. she was sure that everyone knew that if someone played there it meant they were good. casey shook arden's shoulders; he seemed not to believe what was happening. "no freaking way," she blurted out, not believing casey. "shut up," arden brought her hands to her lips. they did it. They were going to play there. "oh my god, we did it," she repeated, hugging casey. "have you told the rest?" she asked once she pulled away from the embrace. "wait, can we go inside? I need to get on that stage and see how it feels."

casey absolutely loved being part of a band and wouldn't change it for the world. registry was his heart and soul - always had been. his creative outlet. his passion. getting to write music with his best friends, sing songs at venues, and produce music was something he'd always dreamed of doing. casey was standing outside of the town's most renowned concert venues waiting for one of his best friends to show so he could surprise her with some good news he'd found out about thirty minutes ago. casey's arms reached out and playfully shook arden's shoulders with a giant smile. "can you guess which band just got booked as a support act to play here soon?" casey couldn't hide his excitement. "we fucking did it, arden!"

as he mentioned how he didn't know how the kids could be half of him, arden furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes moving from the baby to the male. "what are you talking about?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "you're quite good looking yourself," arden simply confessed. denying it would be a lie, and that's something arden wasn't. maybe she could be too truthful at times, but even if the truth could hurt, she knew how lies could destroy a family. "i bet that's one of the toughest parts," she mused. she only had to deal with kids crying when celeste was around, and she knew that the crying stopped soon since casey and coral, and even nate were amazing calming the baby. she hadn't been able to do that as quickly as them. "at some point he'll start sleeping all night, and you'll be able to sleep, i'm sure. but don't believe everything; i know little things about babies," she quickly added. the brunette shook his hand. "nice to meet you. atlas is a really pretty name," she added. "well, do you need anything?" she shook her head. she knew skylar wouldn't mind her talking to someone, but she was working; she still had to actually work.

austin's whole life had changed within the last couple of months and it had a huge impact on austin's wellbeing and where he saw his life going from that point on-wards. austin didn't claim to be a saint by any means but he knew he'd done some fucked up shit in the past that couldn't be easily forgiven. cheating, being selfish, thinking the world of himself and not giving a single shit about how he made other people feel. austin smiled as the brunette leaned down and looked at his son who was in his pram. he hoped that he would stop crying soon when he calmed him down. "right? he's adorable. i don't know how he's half of me." his son looked like him too - mostly with a small mix of his mother's features. "oh yeah! you get use to the crying after the first couple of nights when you can't get to sleep anymore because of it." austin didn't love the sleepless nights but he dealt with them because he needed too. his son needed him to step up and take care of him and that's just what he would do. his hand stretched out to shake arden's as she introduced herself to him by name. "arden? it's nice to meet you. i'm austin and this is atlas."

the café was a popular spot for families, with soft music playing in the background and delicious treats. it was a good place to grab a snack after school. seeing the man pushing the little pram wasn't surprising to arden. "slow afternoon," she mused. in fact, her day probably felt slower because she was looking forward to seeing her best friend that night. "aww," arden couldn't help but take a step closer, holding the books in her hands tightly against her chest. "oh, he's so cute," she mused, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "my best friend had a baby not long ago. i think i can't be bothered anymore by kids crying," she chuckled softly. "hey there, little man, how are you?" she said softly, her voice raising an octave. "he looks like you," she remarked bluntly, looking back at the man. "i'm arden, by the way."

austin was full of regrets about how he'd been living his life the last couple of years. he'd lost the people closest to him, broke people's heart, and all because he'd been selfish and wanted to take revenge on the cards that life had dealt him in the past. cheating on his girlfriend was one thing. breaking a single's mom heart was another. after that whole huge ordeal, he got another woman pregnant after a drunken hook-up session. now, he had a son, who he shared part time custody of with the mom. austin had spent the last couple of months going to therapy and trying to improve his lifestyle and well being to become a better person than he'd been in the past. life was all about improving. maybe he would become who he wanted to be one day soon? austin pushed his pram further into the room as the pretty brunette spoke to him. "afternoon! how's it going?" this place seemed peaceful. he hoped his son wouldn't kick up a fuss within the next couple of minutes and disturb the peace in there. austin's nightmare then came true as his son started to wail from inside of the pram. "i'm so sorry! he's kind of cranky today."

when casey sent her an address and mentioned a surprise, skylar dropped everything she was doing - in this case, writing - to meet her best friend. she had no idea what casey had in store, but as she approached the location and recognized one of the town's most renowned concert venues, she raised her eyebrows at him. "you better not have lured me here just to tell me something silly," she warned playfully, her curiosity piqued. "what have you done?" /@casey--owens

the brunette placed a couple of the new arrivals on the shelfs as her eyes wandered around the bookshop-cafe. it had been a busy morning, and she was grateful for the assistance she had received from her coworkers. at that moment, she found herself practically alone in the establishment. skylar had left to restock supplies, and only two elderly ladies remained, engrossed in their reading and enjoying their warm cups of coffee. the atmosphere was tranquil, and she could even hear the soft music playing in the background, which was impossible during the bustling moments of the day. her attention shifted to the entrance as she heard the gentle chime of the bell above the door. "afternoon," she greeted softly. /open to anyone girls

*✶   about  arden vasquez

name:  arden vasquez

age: twenty2

sexuality: bisexual

relationship  status  :  single

tws: father abuse

arden's upbringing was overshadowed by the dark clouds of domestic turmoil. her parents' marriage, once built on the foundation of love and trust, crumbled under the weight of her father's violence. her mother, who had once believed her father to be the love of her life, was blindsided by his betrayal, both physically and emotionally.

arden grew up in a household where the echoes of her father's anger reverberated through the walls. she watched helplessly as her mother, the epitome of strength and grace, bore the brunt of her father's rage. each blow was a painful reminder of the shattered trust that had once bound their family together.

from a young age, arden understood that trust was the foundation upon which all relationships were built. she witnessed firsthand the devastation that came with broken promises and shattered trust, and she vowed never to let herself become vulnerable to such pain.

growing up, arden cultivated a confident and seemingly effortless presence, a facade that masked the turmoil within. she learned to charm her way through life, winning over audiences with her glamorous stage personality. onstage, she was a vision of elegance and grace, captivating audiences with her wit and charisma. offstage, however, she remained guarded, keeping her true feelings and vulnerabilities hidden beneath a facade of sass and heart.

despite her reluctance to trust others, arden longed for genuine connection and companionship. but she knew that love, while enticing, could be fleeting and unpredictable. for arden, trust was the true measure of a relationship's worth, a steadfast anchor in a sea of uncertainty.

arden's journey to independence was not without its share of family drama. she witnessed her parents' tumultuous relationship firsthand, their constant bickering and betrayal leaving scars that would never fully heal. as she grew older, arden found herself caught in the crossfire of their battles, forced to navigate the minefield of their dysfunctional dynamic.

but rather than succumbing to the chaos around her, arden used her experiences to fuel her determination to carve out a life of her own making. she refused to be defined by her family's drama, instead channeling her energy into her passions and pursuits.

through it all, arden remained steadfast in her belief that trust was the most important thing, even more so than love. for her, trust was the cornerstone of any meaningful relationship, the glue that held people together in times of turmoil. and as she continued on her journey, she vowed to never compromise her principles, holding fast to the belief that true independence came from within.

RACHEL ZEGLER  for Tiffany & Co. 

RACHEL ZEGLER being absolutely mesmerizing at a Knicks game in 2023