“Oh, ummm, I can find you later Kayla.” Talisa said as she started to take a step backwards.
“Is this a friend of yours, Kayla? Hi, I’m Sara.” Sara said walking over and extending her hand out. “That’s Mallory, Ellie, Chloe, and Steph.” Who all waved. “This little guy is Jordy, and then that’s Gavin over there with Mallory. I assume you know Kelli.” Sara added
“This is my friend Talisa. She always comes to visit me after gym class.” Kayla said.
“Are you coming to Kayla’s after school too?” Sara asked
“Oh- Couldn’t. I mean, I have to work today after school. So, I couldn’t possibly.” Talisa said a bit nervous speaking to people so popular.
“Oh, that’s too bad. Well, you’ll be at the party tomorrow, right? We can always talk more then. Since you’re one of Kayla’s friends, we are sure to bump into each other.” Sara said
“I-I couldn’t impose, and I wasn’t really invited so,” Talisa said.
“She’d love to come,” Kayla said, grabbing Talisa’s arm and pulling her closer.
“Bring any friends you’d like, Kayla, really,” Chloe said encouragingly as Sara nodded
The world was still spinning for Kelli, who had been jumbled about by Kayla, quickly grabbed Talisa and pulled her towards her. Her first instinct was to snap at Kayla for being so careless and thoughtless as to her care. But she knew it wasn’t intentional, and she was very much out of her comfort zone today. She figured she would give her a pass and bring it up later.
She needed to make sure Kayla understood nothing had changed between them. She wasn’t about to let her little sister get a big head. Kayla was still the little sister between them, and she would make sure she understood that fact. She had seen girls get sucked into the draw of being with a popular crowd, and it went to their heads.
“Kayla!” Kelli said as loud as she could, causing Kayla to look down and then take a step back, seeing how Kelli was practically being shoved into Talisa.
“Sorry, Kelli,” Kayla said
“I still can’t believe how little you are, Kelli. I mean, you’ve always been so much taller than me. When Kayla told me what happened, I didn’t believe her. I mean, if anyone was going to get Smallara, I would have thought it would be me or Kayla. Never would I have thought it was you. You’re practically perfect.” Talisa said as Kayla nodded.
“It was a shock to the family. Kelli’s good at practically everything that doesn’t involve a joystick.” Kayla said, trying to hide the slight annoyance in her voice. She loved her sister but always hated having to hear how perfect or great Kelli was at something. It had been the story of her life. How effortlessly great Kelli was at practically everything.
Even now she couldn’t shake they were all just friendly with her because she’s Kelli Wallace’s guardian. They weren’t beating down the door to be friends with her prior to Kelli being a little. As while they had all been nice to her and looked out for her. In the back of her mind she kept htinking this wouldn’t last.
“Sucks you have to work, Talisa, but we understand how that goes. Ellie and I work today at the theater. Ellie’s dad was all you need to work to learn responsibility. So, she got a job at the theater. I just applied for solidarity and to hang out. We always work at the ticket booth, so it’s not bad.
“Yeah, we see you guys when we go to the theater every week for the special,” Talisa said.
“You never told me that, Kayla,” Sara said. “You should have introduced yourself,” Sara added.
“There’s always so many people you know,” Kayla said as she lightly kicked Talisa as subtly as she could.
“I think Gavin and I are going to class because I want to practice after. I skipped out on Monday, so I’m a day behind. Next time, though, Kayla.” Mal said before stopping as she walked by Kayla. “Don’t let the Tamara’s of the world talk to you like that,” Mallory said before turning around to Stephanie. “Steph, we’re going,” Mallory said as Steph closed her locker and ran up behind Mallory.
“I thought Mallory didn’t like Steph,” Kayla asked as soon as Mallory had left.
“Steph is the only person Mallory knows in their next class. I feel like they are warming up to each other ever so slightly. I was kinda hoping Steph would come with us, though. We could have worked on your and Kelli’s D&D character.” Sara said.
“Excuse me? My what?” Kelli said, causing the girls to laugh.
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Nice of them to be kind to talisa. And Kayla being supportive of her is a good sign too, though she should have taken that stance as soon as she showed up instead of saying they’d talk later. But man is Talisa too blunt lol read the room a little when it comes to Kelli. You wouldn’t say “man of all the people to be a quadriplegic I would have never expected it to be you” to someone that basically lost the abkty to do everything they wanted to do in life and become completely dependent on others. I think that’s the issue I really have woth smallara victim treatments, nonafflicted can’t empathize with them. It’s be a cool side story for a smallara victim to hang out with someone physically disabled for a bit just to have them laugh over how similar things are to a degree
Kelli’s right about keeping Kayla grounded through all of this, too. Kayla might get too sucked in once her confidence goes up and become a bitch lol I’d hate to see that
It’s so funny how Kelli and Kayla basic have the same insecure feeling towards one another at this point but haven’t had a moments to talk about it. Kelli feels like she’s the low class sister now that she is a little and lost her life and is jealous of Kayla and afraid she’ll treat her differently, more than she’s letting on. Meanwhile Kayla thinks they’re only being nice to her because she’s Kelli’s sister and guardian and is jealous or Kelli’s accomplishments prior to becoming a little and is insecure about being friends with people popular because she thinks it’s only cause of Kelli. Looking forward to them discussing this at some point, either in private or when hanging out with sarah and Jordan. Gotta be open for this stuff to work.
Bro couldn’t have said it better myself lol totally agree with this
Thanks! I guess from the flipside of things, I keep forgetting they’re teens so a lot of this stuff probably isn’t at the forefront of their minds. like I can’t really say I was very empathic as a 16 year old but developed it more as I got older. And I think kayak and talisa are just straight shooters to a fault with certain things so maybe they don’t think too much before they speak. Just trying to look at things from both sides but still, a lot of concern for Smallara victims mainly cause they’re Kind of just told to accept it like it’s nothing when it’s a huge deal in reality, especially for people under 25
“Kayak and Talisa” lol.
But yeah, kids be kids, they don’t seem to mean any harm, infact she was likely trying to be more supportive.
“It’s be a cool side story for a smallara victim to hang out with someone physically disabled” I try not to self-plug here, but, in my Smallara Fan fic “Triplets” on DA I’ve just introduced Nessa who’s Cai’s best friend and is also an Aboriginal girl in a wheelchair, I haven’t done much with her yet but she’s gonna be a Major recurring character. They have the kind of relationship where she could say “be the bigger person” and he’d respond with “stand up for yourself” but the point of including her is to highlight similarities.
I blame my phone for the typo lol and I’ll need to check it out. Was originally reading this on DA until I found out this was further ahead on here.
Yeah my phone’s responsible for all my typos too.
I hope you like it, Nessa only just debut at the end of the last chapter so I haven’t done anything with her yet.
(I’m assuming you’re the new watcher I got earlier feel free to make any comments there if you have any thoughts about the work)
1) I think there is a difference in what Talisa is saying to Kelli versus saying to just a person in general. She has a established relationship with Kelli. Which would be factored in.
As you mentioned in your reply to Vader the fact they are 15 also would factor in. Not that everyone young is abrasive or unempathetic. But it is more difficult sometimes to kind of pull back layers of knowledge and experience people have as adults and then view it as they would at 15. There are many things i said to people at 15 I wouldn’t say today.
2) They do certainly have same insecurities from different viewpoints that’s quite astute. Which is similar of life. As most people feel worried or insecure about the same things they are just coming at the insecurity from a different perspective often times and that slight difference in perspective can make it seem like you are alone or that it is unique when when the fact is it is the same problem many others are having as well.
Kayla has been probably struggling with living underneath Kelli’s shadow for much of her life. Which probably only exacerbates the problem and feeling she has.
Whereas Kelli its very much new ground for her to be living in Kayla’s shadow in in away.
1) Was just thinking about talisa and Kelli’s relationship in my reply to lethal. I forget they’re closer than was originally depicted. Talisa probably is sad for Kelli more than we’ve seen in both the side story and the main story.
2) the nice thing though is that they’re sisters. Very close sisters from what it appears, too. They should be able to just talk about it eventually. It’s probably weird cause of the new dynamic but if they want to have a good relationship it’ll need to happen eventually. Especially if Kelli is gonna want to live a more fulfilled life with Kayla and help build her confidence
1) Ya know, for “the most popular girl in school” Mal seems to have a few more places with 0-1 friends than I would expect. That was my Highshool experience and I was closer to Kayla and Talissa popularity wise.
2) Inviting random people to her friends’ party was a bit rough, but Chloe backing Sara and Kayla up made sense for the character.
3) “You should have introduced yourself,” yeah, I’m sure you’d love every random customer getting overly friendly with you.
4) Kelli making a mental note of what she’s not liking here, with plans to bring it up later was good to see.
5) Talisa expressing surprise at Kelli getting smallara, suggesting that it’d make more sense if it was herself or Kayla was rough to read, can’t imagine that being nice for Kelli to hear either.
6) Mal ordering Steph to follow her was in hilariously in character
7) Kayla being Jealous of her sisters former “perfection” was nice to read, always good to see a little getting something over their guardian, but her belief that Kelli’s the only reason they like her still seems sad.
8) Sara getting a job just to hang with Ellie is still wil to me lol.
4) makes sense in the grand scheme of things. Probably doesn’t want to embarrass Kayla in front of the popular group and probably want to make sure she has Kayla’s full attention
5) completely agree. If it came from someone else I’d think it’s a back handed insult, but knowing how talisa feels about Kelli thus far, it must be sad for her too.
7) I agree but wish it wasn’t at Kayla’s expense. Like I wish jordan got higher grades than sarah or gavin became a focal point of greater importance in a conversation vs Mallory. Something like that. Kayla’s just got enough confidence issues, she doesn’t need comparing herself to her sister to be one of those tho gs holding her down
4) yeah, but it’s nice to know a little is able to hold her guardian accountable without fear of refocussing. And obviously Kelli wouldn’t embarrasse Kayla infront of her friends, she would’ve hated Kayla doing the same to her.
5) Definitely could be seen like that, she was intending a compliment, or reassuring gesture.
7) I’d love to see those two also win over their guardians, however with what’s been established it seems unlikely, Sara is a straight A student and Mal would happily leave any situation she worries may “go to Gavin’s head”
Kayla however makes more sense and it’s normal for Siblings to compare to one another.
4) true. I do wish Littles had more of a way to do that. It makes me wonder more about smallborn training as it seemed implied the ones born in the facilities and raised there are trained to know what’s acceptable and unacceptable behavior from a guardian, so I wonder if they have some ways to manipulate or reprimand guardians physiologically to a degree.
7) Jordan’s best chance is in Emily’s class lol but I’d imagine Sarah would never accept getting a grade worse than jordan as being fair and that it would be done out of spite against her and she’d change classes. Though if that did happen and Jordan did get a better grade in a different course, I’d love to see what happens there.
1) Mal got the bad draw on scheduling also the classes you are taking can also have a factor. Not everyone takes the same electives.
Sara and Ellie also probably made more of a point to try to get into the same classes. Where Mal could have just taken her schedule as it came. Becuase she is the most popular its easy to find people to talk with andhangout with even if the class doesn’t have anyone your close friends with.
2) Sara didn’t invite her she just assumed she would be there and said well you’ll be at the party basically as its a very popular event so a bunch of people are invited.
Kayla was the one who kind of answered for Talisa saying she’d love to come and then Chloe was the one who basically said bring whoever you want as your part of the group now.
3) Well they go to the same school so it would have been like a connection point. Like “Hi Sara or Ellie I’m talisa from whatever class. is what I think Sara was getting at. They didn’t need to act like total strangers.
4) I thought you would like that point.
5) That doesn’t seem that surprising though. Kelli was advertised as the girl who had it all. So you don’t think the person who basically has the world at there fingertips is going to get the literal worst card draw possible in life.
It also could come down to personality and how Kayla and Talisa and her friends generally talk as well. They could just be more cut to the chase people. So to them its not shocking or surprising to just say what you mean as opposed to bundling it up and hiding it forever which is something you have faulted Sara for is not speaking her mind or her feelings. So to have you call out someone for literally doing that is a bit funny.
6) It was very in character for Mallory to have that response.
7) When you’re beaten down like that socially and feel you have little self worth. That is how people can feel though. It could also be why Sara gravitated towards her as she could relate to her and doesn’t want someone feeling how she felt.
8)Why is it weird? Its pretty normal here for friends to get a job with their friends.
1) “its easy to find people to talk with andhangout with even if the class doesn’t have anyone your close friends with” that was very much my point, I assumed she’d have made a handful in this class. Also it applies to me that Sara usnt counting Gavin as “a friend in that class” even if he’s doing a remedial version of it, he’d still be in the room.
2) OK, but I maintain Chloe backing up Kayla inviting her was in character.
3) That’s fair enough, though I’m still of the mindset “you don’t talk to me at school, imma assume you don’t wanna talk to me out of school” but These girls may think differently.
4) I did.
5) I wouldn’t say i was Calling Talisa out my issue was more about the lack of self worth Talisa was showing, suggesting she “deserved” it more than Kelli would have, poor thing should think better of herself. And I do think it’d be rough for Kelli to hear, because I couldn’t imagine her wanting any suggestion of Kayla going through what she is.
My issue with Sara’s concealing information was her intention, she did it for manipulation purposes, lying and giving half truths to trick and deceive what she wants from Jordan, also refusal to give information he literally asked for without good reason. Only giving true information when it suited her and manipulated him further, more than just “not saying her feelings”.
7) I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her she was valued with or without Kelli.
8) maybe ita an American thing, or a city thing, it’s awesome when you and a mate get the sane job here, but rarely, if ever, would someone apply to a job just cause a mate already has it.