Okay, so clearly Mira wasn't the only one who had missed the event, because from Arbor's words, it sounded like they had as well. "Same, only because there hasn't really been much of a freak out in Lincoln City for a while and I'd like to see everyone panic over a severe storm warning." Apparently the school went into full lock down mode? She wasn't even aware that was something the school could do, unless all these new investors and the remodel played a part in that.

"Apparently the police showed up too, and demanded no one leave town. So, at least we'll have some entertainment in the mean time." Placing a few carton's of blackberries in her bag, Mira pushed back a yawn. She wasn't a fan of waking up early on her days off, but it was the only way she felt like a functioning member of society. "Why'd you miss it?"

Arbor had gotten in late, fully intending to show up for the school event, but he had loose ends to tie up before leaving his LA living behind. His podcast on an official hiatus now, all of the meetings they had scheduled canceled or over with, they stood near the apples, turning a particularly red one over in their hands, debating buying it as if it was the most important decision of their life.

"It did, didn't it?" They responded, apple carefully placed back atop the stack, their gaze shifting to Mira, studying her expression. He had heard the bare minimum about what had gone down, and couldn't say he cared enough to ask for more details. "I hate I missed it."

could the reason everyone seemed to believe every word that came out of his mouth, be that he believed every word that came out of his mouth? every little dig that seemed to leave mira's lips, michael had a response that did not give anything away. and no one was that good, not if they're lying, right? eyes narrowing as he turned the conversation back on her, she pushed her hair out of her face and didn't break eye contact as she did. "well, i'm helping save lies, you're what? praying for them?" normally, she wouldn't throw the whole medical worker hero complex bullshit around, because the surgeon's she worked under did it enough for everyone, but michael had always irritated her and she just wanted to see him frazzled. the second his hands found her shoulder, she didn't hesitate to shrug him off, her body leaning away from his touch incase he tried it again. "did mother mary ever teach you about consent?" was it because he was a man or a religious figure that he felt it was okay to touch her? sighing to calm down, mira counted to three in her head before continuing. "what brought this whole thing on, by the way? you never struck me as the religious type before."

the  complexity  ,  the  reason  that  nobody  would  probably  ever  follow  mira's  thought  process  was  that  ,  michael  in  a  way  ,  was  what  he  pretended  to  be  .  there  was  no  separation  between  who  he  wanted  to  be  and  what  was  reality  ,  his  goodness  all  just  a  tribute  to  what  could  have  appeared  to  be  his  conscience  .  "  i  think  you're  asking  all  the  wrong  questions  …  so  interested  in  me  …  it  makes  me  really  worried  about  you  ,  mira  .  are  you  happy  with  all  the  choices  you've  made  in  your  life  ?  "  and  the  crease  in  his  forehead  is  so  gentle  and  so  light  that  it  feels  like  a  genuine  ,  caring  ,  compassionate  enquiry  .  it  was  so  hard  to  tell  with  michael  ,  what  side  of  the  line  you  fell  on  and  when  it  would  all  flip  upside  down  .  she  was  right  about  the  work  it  had  taken  him  and  the  dedication  that  it  required  to  get  to  where  he  had  .  it  was  no  easy  thing  ,  no  flippant  choice  that  you  could  just  throw  away  …  to  most  .  "  i  really  appreciate  your  concern  for  me  …  but  you  don't  need  to  worry  ,  "  he  reaches  out  ,  his  hand  lightly  touching  her  shoulder  ,  a  reassuring  squeeze  ,  "  i'm  going  to  be  just  fine  and  my  faith  will  get  me  through  all  the  tests  that  life  has  to  offer  me  .  if  i'm  rewarded  for  that  ,  it's  just  part  of  mother  mary's  plans  for  me  .  "

which classmates do you regret not getting to know better?

Hmm, there are a lot of people I wish I had gotten the courage to get to know in high school. Recently I've found I like spending time with Zeppelin, and wonder what it would have been like if we started talking sooner. Same goes for Kiara. @zeppclin @kiarajyshi

setting: after the alumni event tagged: rhys carter @rhyscarter

it had been a long day. mira had just gotten through with her shift, and all she wanted after picking up her prescription from the drug store was to go home and take a long bath and then pass out. seriously, fuck fourteen hour shifts. but the hospital was seveirely understaffed and even if she wanted to complain about it, they didn't have enough employee's to make the change. and it's not like her charge nurse would care enough either.

yawning deeply, the raven haired woman tried not to fall asleep where she was standing as she waited in the line of, what felt like, a dozen other people in town that had all just gotten out of work and were picking up their prescriptions as well. letting her eyes close for a second, she heard someone cough behind her, to clearly get attention and she opened them again to move forward. only this time when she opened them, she saw a familiar face nearby. "rhys?"

kind of funny, to see him in the place they had once worked. almost poetic. finally able to grab her order, she thanked the pharmacist and then made her way over to her old coworker. "hey stranger, i didn't realize you were back in town."

for a moment, mira had forgotten who the other woman's father was and why she would need the alumni even to be considered a success, and then reality came back down and simply nodded her head. "i doubt the festivities would have been quiet for long, considering everyone and their mom posts any inconvenience online. it only takes on person to let the cat of the bag, right?"

mira couldn't help but feel thankful that social media, while popular in high school, hadn't reached the peak it is at now. if it had, she was certain the secrets of that night would have been spilled ten years ago.

"and no, no contact from the cops yet. i wonder if i'm immune to this whole thing since i wasn't actually at the event." she was hoping that was the case. the idea of being questioned wasn't really ideal. "what about you? anything?"

isa hadn't planned on making an appearance at the farmer's market that afternoon. it seemed that around every corner was a new member of the class of 2014, their small town made even smaller by the don't leave town police order. and though isa was reaping the benefits, her social calendar more full than ever, there were also some downsides.

like the fact that she was expected to operate as if everything was business as usual when asked about that night.

the new night, not the old one. the reunion night.

"it was certainly... something," she acknowledged carefully, placing a reject pepper back into the pile from whence it came. isa had very high standards when it came to produce. "sadly, now that word has spread about the end of night festivities, i'm not sure that we can classify the evening as a success. have the police sought you out yet? it seems as though everyone from the class of 2014 will need to be reinterviewed."

her dark eyes watched him, taking in his pleasant smile and relaxed demeanor and she couldn't quiet the voice in her head that screamed FAKE. michael had been playing games for years, and it seemed most of her old classmates had fallen prey to them without much of a fight. it made her wonder why they couldn't see clearly. and why she didn't trip over herself and fall to her knees in front of micheal like so many other clearly did. her brows rose slightly at his words, at the closest she was sure she'd ever get to some sort of confession. okay, she could keep up. "and how long do you intend stay in this character?" she asked him, sitting at an open seat across from where he was. she could be relaxed too. "i mean, took a lot of work to get here, right? a lot of effort? how long before you get bored and try something else?" how long before even this facade starts to crumble and he has to reinvent himself? "you know, i'll give it to you, you could probably get at least an emmy for this performance."

"  i  don't  have  anything  else  to  be  …  sorry  to  disappoint  ,  "  his  shoulders  rolled  with  ease  ,  the  shrug  and  small  smile  going  hand  in  hand  .  he  was  the  picture  of  innocence  ,  his  good  looks  always  offering  a  sort  of  radiance  that  was  left  behind  …  easing  people  into  a  false  sense  of  security  .  michael  hadn't  done  anything  wrong  since  he  had  returned  ,  his  behaviour  perfect  and  very  aligned  with  his  new  religious  beliefs  .  it  had  taken  five  years  to  become  a  priest  ,  no  small  feat  .  achieving  his  new  life  had  taken  time  ,  dedication  and  effort  .  it  was  much  more  than  he  had  ever  offered  to  a  lifestyle  before  .  "  hmm  ,  you  got  me  ,  "  something  slightly  unnerving  ,  always  a  hidden  side  to  him  ,  persona  encompassing  all  the  elements  of  the  sun  and  moon  …  constantly  turning  one  way  and  then  the  other  .  his  lips  twitch  into  that  signature  smile  ,  softness  apparent  along  with  those  gooey  light  brown  eyes  .  "  i  like  playing  different  characters  …  especially  in  interesting  stories  ,  "  wasn't  that  what  everything  was  about  ?  the  characters  you  could  play  ,  the  stories  you  could  tell  .  michael  had  never  wanted  a  boring  life  .  he  had  a  thirst  for  more  …  but  mira  already  knew  that  .  she  had  always  had  a  way  of  resisting  ,  not  wanting  to  get  absorbed  into  his  orbit  .  he  didn't  like  that  .

mira tried not to smile at cherry's comment. why? because she didn't want to seem cruel or unkind to agree that the people that came back to lincoln city probably weren't the smartest of their graduating class. and it's not like she wanted to make people that stayed here, people like herself, feel any less... but it was a funny quip. pursing her lips, she ducked her head to hide any semblance of a smirk. "more curious then anything. who decided to return, what state they were in." for example, she had heard chris's brother had returned, and mira could only imagine all the shit kai was mentally dealing with being back in the town his brother went missing. and maybe she would be a little sad if she didn't get to see that meltdown in person. "what about you? anyone you wanted to be reunited with? or didn't?"

she  found  that  funny  .  she  probably  shouldn't  have  ,  but  she  did  .  heh  .  a  warm  breath  leaves  her  lips  as  she  tips  her  sunglasses  up  onto  her  head  ,  resting  on  her  messily  shaken  out  locks  .  she's  looking  at  mira  ,  "  a  few  people  missing  …  the  ones  with  brains  …  "  sarcasm  .  it  didn't  seem  to  be  a  question  of  intelligence  when  it  came  to  why  people  had  returned  …  curiousity  killed  the  cat  .  what  would  kill  the  class  of  2014  ?  "  unfortunately  ,  most  people  look  the  same  ,  "  whether  that  was  because  she  wished  they  looked  better  or  worse  was  questionable  .  she's  grabbing  something  random  and  throwing  it  in  the  recyclable  shopper  that  her  mom  had  forced  onto  her  as  she  was  leaving  ,  whatever  recipe  that  is  meant  to  be  made  likely  not  going  to  go  to  plan  when  she  returns  with  anything  she's  thrown  inside  .  "  anyone you wanted to see ? "

who is your least favourite classmate?

I am not about to air out my dirty laundry for the whole of Lincoln City to see and comment on. So, I'll just say, they know who they are.

mira took one look at cherry and couldn't stop the thoughts that ran through her head, mostly, that this girl looked like shit. sure, the sunglasses helped shield her eyes from the world, but mira was still able to see the bags under them. probably hungover, that seemed on brand. but she wasn't going to judge, no, that bad habit of her's was long gone. "isn't that our m.o?" she questioned, as she began to fill her disposable bag up with some ripe apples. "it seems like almost everyone is back in town..." and she was trying to see if cherry was happy about that or not. "any one look worse then when they left? or better?"

the  news  hadn't  settled  well  with  cherry  but  most  things  didn't  ,  the  minimal  inconvenience  that  occurred  seeming  to  knock  her  for  six  .  this  had  done  more  than  that  and  she  felt  like  there  was  a  flashing  red  button  that  she  needed  to  find  ,  a  way  to  eject  herself  from  this  situation  and  from  her  life  once  and  for  all  .  at  times  ,  it  felt  so  intensely  that  she  wanted  to  leave  herself  behind  that  she  became  even  more  rooted  where  she  was  .  she  would  drown  in  her  own  sorrows  before  she  ever  found  a  way  out  ,  before  she  ever  opened  her  eyes  to  the  reality  that  the  world  kept  on  spinning  .  she's  grabbing  things  for  her  mom  for  dinner  ,  begrudging  and  obviously  hungover  ,  large  curved  red  tinted  glasses  over  her  eyes  which  have  bags  under  them  ,  dark  in  colour  .  she  rakes  a  hand  through  her  hair  seeing  mira  …  "  yeah  ,  crazy  bullshit  just  like  everything  that  happens  around  here  .  almost  like  the  second  we  all  get  together  ,  it  all  goes  wrong  …  "  she's  clearly  bitter  about  it  ,  not  trying  to  hide  the  way  her  tone  tightens  .  she  blames  everyone  but  she  also  blames  herself  .  how  did  they  end  up  here  again  ?

setting: one week later tagged: open @classcursestarters

Mira seemed to be one of the few that hadn't been in attendance at the alumni event the week prior. She had a 14 hour night shift and couldn't even think about calling out considering how short staffed the hospital was right now. But she had heard about what happened through the grapevine, and honestly, she was kind of sad she had missed out. Everyone in her graduating class comes back home and suddenly there is drama in Lincoln City again, and she wasn't there to watch it all unfold.

But it sounds like the cops wanted to keep everyone around. Apparently they had found something that had belonged to Chris? She wasn't sure but it sounded like this cold case might not be so cold anymore.

Entering the local farmers market, Mira headed over to the fresh produce booth to shop around. As she was inspecting the peppers, she was surprised to meet the gaze of someone she hadn't seen since high school. "Oh, hey." The raven haired girl greeted, trying not to revert to the awkward teenager she was the last time they saw each other. "Heard about the alumni event, sounded crazy."

setting: one week later, as a cafe tagged: kiara joshi @kiarajyshi

mira smiled softly at her friend as she brought over their order from the pick up counter, sitting down opposite kiara at their usual table. it had become a routine of sorts for them, meeting up at least once or twice a week to catch up and chat about their lives. "i don't know about you, but i kind of can't wait for everyone who moved away to be able to leave town again." at this point in her life, some of the only people that were actually important to her were ones that still lived in lincoln city. regardless of what happened in the past, she loved her home town. it's why she never left. "how have things been going at the school? did the event last week at least convince people to enroll their children? or did the cops showing up demanding everyone stay in town have the opposite reaction?"

there was something about the library that mira loved. she knew there was so many apps now that you could download that had audiobooks or digital library books available at the touch of a button, but it was different in an actual library. walking down the rows and looking over dozens of books she might never have humored otherwise, making conversation with the librarian as she checked out. it was just something that made her calm. currently she was looking for a horror book that she had yet to devour when she passed dozens of children and their parents walk past her, the only person left behind was michael geary. the second coming, or so he wanted people to think. she pursed her lips as she looked him over, much more outspoken then she was in high school. "volunteer reading to children at the library, kinda on the nose." michael always struck her as someone who was trying to put on a show, so what was this for? "i bet you had fun being the big bad wolf?" she couldn't help but feel that michael always seemed feel like the wolf impersonating the grandmother. always lying in weigh to strike his prey.

open / @classcursestarters

for  many  ,  it  was  an  uncomfortable  experience  .  on  the  other  hand  ,  michael  appeared  to  be  thriving  in  his  newfound  role  as  the  second  coming  of  religion  in  lincoln  city  .  for  the  first  time  ,  he  was  getting  along  with  his  father  (  who  may  have  still  doubted  this  new  leaf  too  )  and  seemed  to  be  a  very  respectable  member  of  society  .  it  had  only  been  two  weeks  but  he  left  nothing  but  good  omens  in  his  wake  ,  the  brightness  that  he  cast  almost  making  people  forget  the  darkness  of  what  else  was  going  on  .  michael  never  spoke  of  chris  ,  never  thought  of  him  …  tried  not  to  get  too  tangled  up  in  his  association  with  the  night  in  question  while  they  waited  for  police  to  ask  them  again  ,  what  had  happened  .  on  this  particular  day  ,  he  had  just  finished  his  reading  at  the  library  .  a  line  of  happy  children  and  parents  filtering  out  as  he  leans  against  the  wooden  table  that  was  set  up  beside  the  spot  he  had  been  occupying  .  he  was  nothing  but  full  of  lovely  ,  kind  deeds  for  the  ever  deserving  community  that  surrounded  cursed  devils  lake  .  "  i'm  sorry  to  say  that  you  already  missed  the  reading  … it  was  one  of  my  best  renditions  of  little  red  riding  hood  …  "  fingertips  walking  across  the  table  momentarily  as  he  settles  to  sit  ,  "  or  did  you  just  come  to  see  me  ?  "

“Who do you notice more when you walk down the street? Men or women?” Both. I thought everyone did.

MEET MIRA GAUTHAM. SHE IS 27 YEARS OLD LIVING IN LINCOLN CITY, OREGON AND WORKING AS A CRITICAL CARE NURSE.

Statistics

full name: mira gautham

nickname: em

age: twenty-seven

date of birth: august 1st

zodiac: leo

hometown: lincoln city, oregon

current residence: lincoln city, oregon

extracurricular activities: newspaper (anonymous), science club, st. mary's loving heart

gender identity: cis female

pronouns: she/her

sexual orientation: demisexual

faceclaim: anya chalotra

Before

Mira grew up with certain expectations, one of them being that she would go to school, get her degree, and find a job that would allow her to achieve a level of comfort her parents worked tirelessly for. Her parents owned one of the major furniture stores in town, and while it paid the bills and allowed them to raise Mira with certain comforts, they still had to struggle unlike many of their neighbors. So all she heard when she was a kid, is that some day she would become a doctor. The first in the family. As a young girl she accepted the fact. When her second grade teacher asked her what she wanted to be, and to write it down on her dream board, she put doctor. In seventh grade when she went to a job fair, she didn't consider any of the other options, she just went right up to the one the medical professional was speaking from and stayed there for hours. When she was in her junior year of college, her mother had her sign up for seminar classes at the local community college in order to beef up her college applications. She never really thought she had any other options, because her parents made it clear she didn't. Because she was so concerned with making sure she was living up to her parents expectations, and make a good impression on her teachers and future college application reviewers, she did not try hard to socialize. In fact, her social skills were incredibly poor, and often what her teachers brought up to her parents during parent teacher conferences, or on the back of report cards. Mira did not know how to connect with many of the kids her age. She often played with dolls by herself during indoor time, and at recess would either sit alone near the playground, or be pulled into group activities just to end up the butt of a joke. When she made it to high school, her inability to connect with kids she had been attending the same school as since she was five immediately cast her as a weirdo. And outcast. High school was when she realized her future was not up to her parents, and she could choose a different path if she so chose. And after numerous talks with her school counselor she realized she didn't want to be a doctor. She was, however, very gifted in both math and science, and thought perhaps some job in the medical field might be an option, if nothing else struck her fancy. This was also when Mira became an observer. She had a hard time connecting with those around her, so instead she watched. And slowly, she began to pick up on people's secrets and lies. Things they wanted no one else to see. And she saw everything, because she was invisible. With this knowledge she began writing anonymously for the school paper. Every time the group would meet for the next issue, she'd find the editor after everyone else went home to receive her assignment, and soon she became the official voice of the school's gossip and advice column. She didn't go to the party because she wanted to do the dares. She went there to find out who was doing dares, and any other information she could find. But she wasn't expecting the night to go how it did, or to essentially be lumped into a tragic event with a group of people she was certain did not know her name.

After

After Chris disappeared, Mira watched the effect it had on most of her classmates. How many of them seemed to break and wither and suffer, and in that moment she was silently thankful for the emotional distance she had with most of them. Of all the times she desperately wished for a best friend, this was the moment she was thankful she didn't have one. Mira graduated high school with good grades and an acceptance into a state school. She smiled as her parents told her they were proud of their future doctor and bit her tongue from saying that was not in the cards. She went to college and spent the whole first semester spiraling about opening up to her parents about how uninterested she was in following their dreams. That paired with the sudden freedom to do and be whoever she wanted, without having to constantly report to her parents, had her almost failed out of school. Her parents found out when she was forced to show them her grades, and after a yelling and tears, her voice was finally heard. It was not necessarily agreed with, her father still to this day mentions how she could have been a successful surgeon, but with guidance from her counselor Mira joined the nursing program and was able to find some happiness in her career. Unlike most of her classmates, Mira did not move away from Lincoln City at the first opportunity. She stayed in town, got a nursing job at the hospital, found an apartment she could afford and adopted a cat. She still see's her parents frequently and has since gone to therapy to help work through the bouts of social anxiety she developed over the years. If you were to see her today, you might not recognize her. Mira doesn't think about Chris often, which is surprising as it sometimes feels the town hasn't moved on. But when the invitation came in the mail, she couldn't help but look at her life and think, I wouldn't be mad shoving my accomplishments in the faces of my old classmates, and watching them crack in front of me once more. She is certain most of them haven't dealt with the trauma of Chris disappearing, and she is oh so excited to have a bit of entertainment again.

Wanted Connections

the school yard bully (-). everyone has a bully and mira had multiple. people called her weird or creepy and that didn't change as she got older. pranks became more subtle but more hurtful and these people found their daily enjoyment through making mira's high school hell. (open to 2 people)

the science partner (+). they sat at the same lab table during biology and mira had expected to do all the work. however, this person was able to hold their own and together they earned the highest grades in the class. there is a mutual respect there, and perhaps they even convinced mira to join the science club.

the grieving patient (+/-). mira is a critical care nurse at the hospital, and she see's many patients daily, but this person is someone she really feels for. perhaps they aren't an actual patient but someone in their family is and so mira has seen them visiting her patient numerous times.

the one-time thing (+/-). they both stayed in town and as mira came into her own, she was able to find a confidence she lacked in school. these two met a few years back one night at a bar and after reconnected over numerous drinks, they slept together. mira keeps saying its a one time thing but keeps finding herself back in their bed.

Taken Connections

chris wilder (+/-). the boy who lives on. chris has always lived on, even if he disappeared ten years ago. mira had no positive or negative feelings regarding chris, but she definitely is curious about what was going on with him the night of the party and why he was so willing to jump in a dark lake without a second thought. was he self sabotaging? if so, why?

iris argylle (+). the editor in chief. there is only one person who knew that mira was apart of the newspaper, and that was iris. after every meeting mira would meet with iris to get her assignment, and after a while both girls realized the information mira was collecting about her fellow classmates could be useful. mira was one of iris's main sources of information when she was collecting blackmail material on her fellow party goers after chris disappeared.

kiara joshi (+) the adult best friend. kiara and mira happened to see the same therapist, and found this out a few years ago when they ran into each other in the waiting room. recognizing each other from high school, they ended up reconnecting and forming a close bond. kiara is one of the first people mira has actually been able to call a friend, especially after working on her own internal issues. it's nice, to have a connection with someone who doesn't judge her based on who she was as a child, and she feels like she'd finally found a friendship she has seen in movies.

rhys carter (+). the old coworker. mira worked at the local drug store in high school as a cashier. her parents were adamant she had a part time job to develop a good work ethic young. rhys worked the cash register across from her and after many shifts together, began to bond during their downtime. somehow their conversations were either always incredibly deep, or stupid. no in between.

michael geary (-). the person of interest. in high school, mira spent most of her time observing people, michael being one of them. unlike most of their peers, she was able to see through his facade and called him out on it. he doesn't like that he can't manipulate her, and she doesn't like the games he plays.

peter masley (+). the oblivious crush. mira sat behind them in freshman history class and when they were kind enough to let her use their pencil during the first week of school, mira developed a deep crush on them. it lasted all throughout high school, but she never got the courage to do anything about it, and this person was completely unaware. she still thinks about them to this day, and a part of her is hoping to run into them and potentially finally act on those dormant feelings.

noah park (-). the secret best friend. this person was one of the only friends mira had growing up. maybe they met in elementary school or were next door neighbors and were able to find common interests and have fun, but when they got to middle school everything change. mira was dubbed the weird girl and this person didn't want to be publicly associated with her. when she was younger mira didn't care that their friendship was kept secret, but looking back on it as an adult, she knows that wasn't what she deserved.

zeppelin cardoso (+). the late night talker. whenever mira gets through with a shift that ends in the middle of the night, she finds herself going to the same restaurant and being waited on by the same person, zeppelin. sometimes they're both so tired they dont speak at all, and other times they have some of the most enjoyable conversations.

Extras

pinterest || playlist

“It’s just, I never met anyone I could laugh with.”

While You Were Sleeping (1995) dir. Jon Turteltaub

I’m actually really fun once you get to know me (takes 3-4 years).

tag dump.