UPTOWN GIRL, alex p. keaton

x. clean cut kid

⇰ 𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕓𝕪 𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕠

ARABELLA LOOKED OVER to Leo fixated on the sculpture outside of the museum before heading back up to Carnegie Hill. She tilted her head to him amused and couldn't help to mimic his gaze to the sculpture as well. "You're trying to find some meaning to life that isn't there in practically everything in the museum. Art doesn't have to be entirely philosophical in that way," She explained beside him.

Leo smiled over to her to tuck the young girl under his arm and continued to look at the piece. "Must've been a hassle to have you in any literature class growing up," He mentioned to have her not help to laugh in agreement.

Arabella stopped for a moment to reflect on her youth prior to joining the profession she had now. "Teachers adored me actually. Thought I was a genius, the attention was really annoying when all I wanted to do was just pass the class with the least amount of effort possible." She nodded over the small memories of her high school in particular. "Maybe I was a bit of a hassle actually."

He nudged her along to kiss the back of her hand softly. "C'mon, you can tell me all about it on the drive back."

»»————-　♔　————-««

October, 1986

SHUTTING HER LOCKER loudly in annoyance, Arabella leaned against it frustrated. Seeing the Pom Poms that were still tied around her wrist caused for her to heave a deep groan in annoyance over this and she opened the locker again. Her friend and co-captain of the squad at the time, Gina, looked over to her throwing this short fit on her way out of campus. "What did Reagan do now?" She joked.

Not having the heart to be funny right now, Arabella only looked over to her friend to recount the tale to her. "Mr. Rodney gave us this bullshit class conversation recounting Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea and decided that my contribution didn't pertain to the actual assignment to then give me—" Arabella held up the piece of paper to her exasperated. "A D- ! I have to give him an essay now on the stupid metaphors used in the piece now. Three pages due in two days, it's not fair!"

Gina looked to her confused, not seeing her friend receive anything less than an A- on any assignment or exam since she'd known her. "Well what did you say exactly?"

Arabella slightly frowned in regret to toss the paper back into her backpack. "Oh, I just, y'know, quoted Hemingway."

Gina continued to look over to her confused as she looked down to the floor guiltily. "I don't see anything wrong with that? That would've gone along with the assignment."

"I told him that the conversation would essentially be meaningless considering Hemingway himself once stated: 'There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter to bleed.' Analyzing any of his pieces is simply pointless in my opinion," She further explained.

Now hysterically laughing over the audacity she had to speak this to a superior had Arabella now find some light on the subject to laugh along with her. Gina held her shoulder tightly with a small grin. "I'm sure he'll change the grade for you, it'd be breaking some law for the undercover brain of the academy to receive a failing grade."

Arabella couldn't help to smile proudly over this. "I mean, you're not wrong."

»»————-　♔　————-««

HOLDING LEO'S HAND tightly on the steps of the townhome, Arabella couldn't help to soften over the sight of him before her. Kissing her quickly he smiled up to her pridefully. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Alright," Arabella responded back to kiss him again, lingering enough before rushing up the steps towards her home. Taking another look over to him behind her, she spun quickly to shut the door behind her. A warm feeling suddenly rushed over her as she couldn't help to smile over the nature of her relationship. It was a feeling she hadn't felt recently despite her prior circumstances in romance. The new budding emotion now being fueled only left her romantic of the prosperities that came with it.

Seeing her mother helping to pick up the dinner table, Arabella set aside her coat to help clean alongside her. Looking over to her daughter doing this willingly had Genevieve smile over to her. "How was Leo?" She immediately asked, judging by the expression on her face that the date went wasn't anything less than perfect.

"Sweet as ever if you must know," Arabella responded to carry off the dishes towards the kitchen.

Her mother laughed over the comment to raise a finger to her knowingly. "You know the last time I think you were this happy to actually be dating a boy was with— Oh what was his name?" She quickly snapped her fingers to have Arabella quickly grow embarrassed over the relationship she was about to mention. "That's right, Randall Samuels. He was getting his master's if I remember correctly in political science."

"Saw him the other day actually. His wife is quite sweet," Arabella mentioned rather casually over her ex being brought up. This statement was true considering, despite the circumstances of the break-up, the two kept in good communications with one another to allow for the friendship to stay intact.

She turned over to notice her mother gaze far off over the very comment towards something relating to marriage. The three girls knew their mother slightly hopped she'd raised them properly enough to get themself situated with someone of respect. She'd somewhat received less of this blow on her end because of the amount of education she received that made her parents think she'd never find someone to marry.

Most of the additive pressure was placed on Diana in this category since she was the star of refined taste and etiquette. It worried Genevieve to cause her to be restless some days that the three of them would hopefully find themselves a husband before they were thirty.

Though Arabella still had the hope of breaking this ideal as a child and, with all due respects, expecting to be able to do this successfully now as an adult.

Arabella smiled over to her mother hopefully. "Could be attending a wedding next year, you never know?" She suggested.

Her mother sighed in content over the very idea to have Arabella pleased with seeing her mother happy over something as simple as this. "It would be a sight—"

"Arabella are you home! I need your help again, Diana isn't any use!"

"Hey! I'm trying my best! You could've bugged Dad in that case!"

Genevieve and Arabella couldn't help to laugh over Stacy and Diana now screaming at each other to have their sister now rushing over to mediate the situation instead.