❝THAT HEART OF YOURS WILL NEVER CHANGE.❞
In which Freja Barrett, an enthusiast for all things supernatural, makes the life-altering decision of reconnecting with an old friend in the midst of her mission to prove the existence of zombies.
[iZOMBiE...
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"EARTH TO FREJA."
If only Freja Barrett got a dollar every time someone spoke those exact words — sometimes with fond amusement, other times with raw annoyance — she certainly wouldn't have been living in the small, albeit cozy apartment where her brother's stern tone rang. She had always been emphasized for the wild imagination that ran free despite attempts to put restrictions on it, described as a creative, active child, even as an adult. For some, perhaps she was a little too much; hard to comprehend, what with all the theories and rambles and enthusiastic ideas flowing out of her mouth as soon as the introductions were out of the way — sometimes even before any hands got to be shaken. For some, she was a ball of sunshine whose unquenchable thirst for more and more knowledge was nothing short of inspiring.
"Present", she muttered absentmindedly, chewing on the strings of her hoodie as she sat cross-legged on her old, worn couch with her laptop resting in its typical place: on her lap. It wasn't until the strings were snatched from between her lips and the screen of her laptop gently shut that the woman looked up at Elliot with a frown etched on the creases of her forehead and a scoff accompanying the judgmental glare.
"You still do that?" he noted at the picked-on strings with a shake of his head before making a lavish gesture at the countertops in Freja's kitchen, where a large paper bag waited patiently. "I brought breakfast, so get off your ass and keep me company", his voice was demanding but nothing short of fond, just like the nudge he gave her shoulder before rolling up the sleeves of his shirt and heading for the kitchen. Rising from the cushions with a grumble, Freja supposed that if her successful, busy brother found the time and money to bring his baby sister breakfast, she could at least sacrifice some of her own morning for him, much like she was used to doing.
It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his effort, but it did cause a pang of inadequacy in her own chest — even if Elliot and their mothers were merely boundless support for the youngest Barrett, it was no lie or secret that the woman was struggling to find her place in the world. At least, that was how they saw it. In Freja's personal opinion, stopping her psychology studies to start researching supernatural, presumably non-existent creatures, instead, wasn't impulsive or shortsighted. Nor was she lost — she was curious and following her heart, and that couldn't be so bad. Though, she couldn't deny that while Elliot was planning a wedding and interning for some big company, her most exciting news to share at family dinner was reading her first e-book ever. She wasn't the one to stop by the other's apartment with breakfast, yet.
Adjusting the reading glasses sliding on the tip of her nose, Freja leaned against the countertop while Elliot dug out the package of donuts, coffee for him and tea for his sister, the line-up earning a chuckle from her. "All those cake tastings haven't been enough?" she inquired tauntingly while picking out the donut with the most sprinkles on it, and while drawing a sip of his stark black coffee, Elliot snorted at her jabs. There were quite a few differences between the two; whereas Elliot was the coddling big brother, who took responsibility and tried to shield his younger sibling from the cruel world, Freja was the carefree dreamer fighting for a better one. When it came to humor, showing affection or politics, however, they were united.
"More than. But I figured a salad wouldn't go a long way with you", Elliot defended himself before quirking an eyebrow, "and luckily I have a fiancé who likes cake almost as much as you." He had always been the kind of the guy to fall in love easily, although it seemed that this time, it was for good — after years of dating, he had proposed and with the wedding already around the corner, Freja was over the moon for his hopeless romantic of a brother. They were opposites on that front too; while she wanted to have faith in the concept of true love — it was, after all, the most believable thing she had studied in the past years — she found herself too preoccupied for a relationship. Perhaps it was about a struggle to commit, but it was easier to insist otherwise.
They fell into their routine effortlessly — laughing about something their mom had done earlier that week, discussing Elliot's new job and Freja's lack of one. As much as she loved what she did, at the end of the day, she had given up a promising future in psychology, to instead spend years on research that most deemed worthless — of course, she believed that one day, it would come in handy, and when it would, she'd be prepared. But that didn't remove the fact that rent still needed to be paid, and she needed something to fill her days, other than obsessively reading lore and trying to get people on her side, with not much success. There was a thin line between ambitious and foolish, and she had spent years trying to tiptoe on it.
Perhaps that was the ultimate routine of them all: trying to convince not only her family and friends but herself that it would all be worth it, that one day, her big break would come. Little did she know, one day was closer to becoming concrete rather than remaining an abstract concept to throw in the air at family dinners.
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Author's note
This is the most introductory introduction I've ever written and I'm not sure it's a good thing?? But it shows where Freja's at right now, a bit of a mess but she's trying to make it work. Kinda like me and this fic, tbh. But, I have big plans and a lot of chapters already ready so I can promise that it's gonna get a lot more interesting very soon!
Also, I cast Sam Page as Elliot, which you might have caught in the (actual) introduction chapter. I do also have face claims for Freja's two mothers: Marian is played by Melora Hardin and Willa by Nicollette Sheridan. You can find them (and a lot more info) in my Meet My OCs book, but since Elliot is going to have a bigger role throughout the story, I included him in the introduction!
Anyway, fingers crossed this fic doesn't crash and burn + thank you for reading! x
