(cadi!) spent a week in a dusty library;

[FRANKLIN ANTONIO JONES]

Franklin usually knew at least one person no matter where he went. Not, you know, in the sense that whenever he stepped out of the house, he was greeted by a long lost friend, but there was normally someone within a few hours’ drive that he had known at some point in his life. Every time the band had a different place to play a show, his parents (with whom he often kept in touch) would usually advise him to look up so-and-so, to arrange some sort of coffee date. Most of the time, he made excuses to get out of it. He wasn’t really a fan of taking time out of his day to “catch up” with someone who he didn’t remember. His parents had remarkable memories when it came to the people they worked with; they always knew who lived where, no matter how insignificant they were or how long ago it was. It was like his parents’ minds were a database of official resumes. He couldn’t blame them, though. His mind was filled with even more irrelevant information. Anyways, for the first time since setting out on the Fame Is Infamy tour, he actually took his parents advice and looked up someone he wants knew. She was an old girlfriend- a relationship that hadn’t lasted long, simply the duration of the filming (with some rekindled passion come publicity time), but he was certainly curious nevertheless.

And so he’d spent the day enjoying himself for once, drinking coffee and going on a walk with someone he found he still enjoyed even after being apart for so long. She’d given him her number and advised him to call her before he left town, which was pretty much code for “you’re gonna get lucky before you leave” and as much as he wasn’t really that type of guy, he wasn’t exactly opposed. At all, really. Any girl that he had his sights set out on currently were more than likely not interested. He was sort of ridiculously awkward and good for short term relationships when there was nothing better to do in a situation like theirs, but these girls on tour… They had the world at their feet. Something he had already seen. He could show them things, but he couldn’t experience it with them. So he wasn’t nearly as thrilling of a candidate, he supposed.

But he did alright. He daydreamed a lot, which was pretty nice.

Frankie had no incentive to return to the tour base, because the band wasn’t playing tonight and he wasn’t sure what was going down. After the whole “Gossip Queen” incident (which he had luckily avoided- his friends, however, weren’t all quite so lucky), tension was high and people were on alert, curious to know who it was. Everyone was ridiculously pissed off, and rightfully so, and so things were just so insane that the last thing he wanted to do was subject himself to that kind of stuff.

He’d passed a library when taking the public transportation up to his destination, so on his way back, he jumped out a few stops early for the sake of checking it out. Franklin adored reading. It was something he’d always resorted to when he didn’t have anything else to do, and let’s face it- he lived in a fantasy world. One where every guy got the girl in the end and there were happy conclusions and books seemed to help level him out a bit, because they were more… Real. They explored the psychology of characters so much better. And yet, at the same time, they filled him with that sense of euphoria that he always longed for while watching movies. So he was glad for the opportunity to grab a book or two to read in the bus while everyone was exploring Texas, something he didn’t totally care if he did or not.

Plus, there was something about the atmosphere of libraries that he loved. They were so nice and peaceful and cool and filled with people who just loved to read (with the exception of some teenagers who mostly just needed to do some last minute studying or homework or something, but a lot of them were just using the internet, now, which was less accurate but faster and less obnoxious). He managed to kill about fifteen minutes browsing before coming upon a book he’d heard of but never actually read, and retreated back to the lounging/reading area with couches and coffee tables. He dropped his bag on one of said tables before falling back onto a loveseat, respectfully keeping his feet off of the furniture, but making himself comfortable either way. Satisfied, he cracked open the book and began to read.

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[ARCADIA PENN MCCARTHY]

No matter where we are or what time of the day or night it is, we are never truly alone. Deep within ourselves exists an alternate version of who we are, a twisted mirror image if you will, that reflects our very nature, all the while standing as a virtual polar opposite for the way the world sees us day in and day out.
For some of us, this person represents who we'd like to be, the ideal person we'd want to become in a perfect world or in another lifetime. For others, this person represents what we fear becoming, the soul that's lost control or the person hurdling down the wrong paths.

Cadi was now seeing both. She could see a confident, proud woman, standing on her own two feet, wearing what she pleased, being exactly what she wanted to be. On the polar opposite side she could see herself hiding from the world, receding into herself and forever loosing sight of who she wanted to be, all because of a stupid boy she'd let herself get caught up in, and right now Arcadia Penn McCarthy was sitting on the fence in between the two versions of herself.

Day and night, those persons were there, staring at her, watching her, living inside of her and in her dreams, her thoughts and her ideas. This person, this doppelganger, is always there (for everybody) and even though many try to deny his or her existence, people are too haunted by this ghost and they're merely caught in a footrace, trying to outrun their mirror image, just holding on until it overtakes them. Cadi had been seeing herself in a different light lately. After her incident with David months back her self image had changed. Her sweet, cuddly side had somewhat dimmed and her strong thoughts that “there's good in everyone” had faded a bit as well.
Arcadia had decided she would not recede into herself. She would not turn into that other self she saw when she had looked in the mirror only days after the whole thing. She was better then that, more then that, and she would never let herself become a hermit.
She had been thinking about it and come to the conclusion that what this image does,is it makes all of us, every living human being, a cold, calculated study in opposites. Whether we're chasing our shadows or trying to flee them, we're still defined by them. Because, like it or not, our doppelganger reveals more about who we are than any persona we put forth in front of the world. After all, we can control our smile, we can change our words and we can alter our appearances. All of those things can be as false as broken promises written upon counterfeit bills. But our doppelganger, our shadow self, is something we can't control and it never mirrors what we show the world, just what lies underneath.

Cadi had chosen today to wear something a little less conservative. She tugged on a short denim skirt, paired it with a dark belt, and a tight top that exposed a peek of skin across her midriff. The top was decorated in little dark rhinestones, which accentuated her chest. Arcadia and topped off her red floppy locks with a tweed brown hat, and fit her feet into a pair of tall crème colored heels that matched the ruffled clutch she carried at her side. In an outfit like this...where was she going? A party? A date? No, the library....
----
Arcadia had been sitting at the mahogany table for nearly thirty minutes, Nose deep in a book when the man walked in. At first she didn't notice him, she was in the zone but when his familiar figure passed by a second time it caught her eye. “Frankie!” she beamed, saying his name aloud. The woman behind the counter glared harshly in Arcadia's direction and shook her head.
Feeling like a scolded child Cadi dropped her gaze, but patted the seat next to her, giving Franklin the invite to take a seat next to her.

OUTFIT

[FRANKLIN ANTONIO JONES]

Franklin heard his name being called, so he pulled his nose out of the book he was reading and twisted his torso around to search for the source. The moment his gaze fell on that head of long, red hair, he beamed, sitting up straight. It was no secret that he loved Arcadia McCarthy. Not necessarily in the “hey, let’s make children” way (or, at least, not completely), but he adored absolutely everything about her. She was the real reason he joined up with the band, anyways. That, and the opportunity was great, but she had been the deciding factor. She was such a great person. Breathtakingly beautiful, stunningly charming, and with a gorgeous voice to boot. He respected her beyond belief and he’d be lying through his teeth if he tried to claim that his heart didn’t race a little bit every time he was in her presence. That probably explained the shit-eating grin that spread across his face as he quickly tossed his book next to his bag on the coffee table and rushed over to where she was seated, flashing the librarian keeping a wary eye on them a charming smile.

He slipped up behind Cadi and wrapped his arms around her, with great difficulty due to the fact that she was sitting in a hardback chair. Frankie didn’t remove his grip right away, either, merely moved his arms up so they were wrapped loosely around her neck, his chin on her shoulder. “Well hey, Beautiful. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” He grinned, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. “Whatcha reading?” There was a harsh shushing noise behind him, and he picked his head up to notice that the librarian was not their biggest fan. In response, he merely pulled his arms back and settled down in the seat next to Cadi, perched on the very edge.

Franklin clasped his hands together, grinning. He lowered his voice to a whisper and continued, “Did you know that in 1895, the largest metropolitan public library was founded in Boston?” He was full of odd facts like that. Nothing relevant, but things he found interesting and stored in his brain for later usage. Normally, he whipped out facts when he was feeling awkward and wanted to strike up conversation. He rarely felt awkward with Cadi, though. He just liked to think that she genuinely wanted to know. He glanced around the library again, before leaning in, grinning mischievously.

“Come sit on the couches with me,” he requested, holding out his hand to her, “It’s more out of sight of Agatha Trunchbull over there, and it’s comfier. You chose the uncomfy place. C’mon, we can even cuddle, if you’d like. Or you can sit on the other side of the area, if that makes you more comfortable, although I can promise you that I do not emit any sort of foul odor.” Hopeful, he jerked his head in the direction of his bag. “We can read our books together. Or I can tell you more facts about libraries. Or I could tell you a story.”

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[ARCADIA PENN MCCARTHY]

Cadi had been reading and when her eyes tired of words she let them wonder about, spotting a darker corner of the library, the section cast in shadow, her previous thoughts came twirling in.For there to be any shadow, there must be light and, be it the light of the sun or the light of truth, it cuts through the airs we put around ourselves and only shines on what is actually there, the lights from the windows made this particular shadow, but in it she could see the vision of herself that had made her think so deeply.

Even when Cadi was at her loneliest, she never tried to run from her doppelganger nor did she try to catch her. Instead, she tried to talk with her, find out what she has to say, learn from the shadow she casts in her own mind and find out what it says about herself as a human being. ---Obviously, talking to yourself in the middle of a library would be an action that would cause some strange looks cast her way, so cadi kept her dialogue in her head, even though her reflection is like staring into murky water, it's still the most honest answer a person can get. More honest than friends, more honest than her family and certainly more honest than her opinions of herself.

When her thoughts came to a screeching halt due to the name she called, interrupting her own thoughts, it was like a dream, the ideas quickly left just as swiftly as they had come and now the red-head was focused on a pair of nicely toned arms, wrapped around the back of her chair and her middle. Franklin placed a kiss on Cadi's cheek, called her beautiful and placed himself next to her, rattling off little known facts. “Did you know that in 1895, the largest metropolitan public library was founded in Boston?” he spoke. Cadi chuckled. "No wonder I like you." the smile on her face only widened when he pointed out the couches and asked she join him. When the librarian hushed them it was apparent Franklin wanted to escape her gaze.

“It’s more out of sight of Agatha Trunchbull over there, and it’s comfier. You chose the uncomfy place. C’mon, we can even cuddle, if you’d like. Or you can sit on the other side of the area, if that makes you more comfortable, although I can promise you that I do not emit any sort of foul odor.” Arcadia chuckled, "She actually does kinda look like Ms.Trunchbull" She covered her mouth to hold back any loud giggling that may try to squeeze out. Also, the little fact that Franklin had used a Matilda reference made Cadi mental add "cool points" to his profile in her mental filing storage.

Arcadia quickly gathered her things and followed him to the empty couches, letting him sit first and she wedged herself between the large green pillow on the couch and his hip. "I think you actually smell rather pleasant." she grinned, pinching his arm. “We can read our books together. Or I can tell you more facts about libraries. Or I could tell you a story.” The last part of his words caught her attention. "OOH STORY TIME" she clapped. crossing her legs in a dainty, lady-like fashion and placed her hands in her lap. "Tell me a good one." she nodded, tilting her head onto his shoulder.

OUTFIT

[FRANKLIN ANTONIO JONES]

Franklin couldn’t help but silently laugh when Arcadia responded to his random fact. “Well, if that’s all I’ve got to do to win you over, we might as well just get married, ‘cause I’ve got plenty more where that came from.” He smiled charmingly, offering her a playful wink to show that he was kidding. Because he was, for the most part- but hell, if he ever did get married to her, he’d be the happiest guy in the world. Not that he was expecting it or anything, no. But it was a nice thought to entertain, though he tended to abstain from such fantasies when it included people he was close to. It didn’t always work, but he definitely tried, which was what counted. Anyways, he was always thrilled when he received praise of any sort from her. That was something he strived for, no matter how sad it was. He always enjoyed it when someone enjoyed his fun facts because he was full of them- no matter what subject was brought up, he normally had something to say about it. He’d spent a fair chunk of his life reading random books and articles and he was remarkable at retaining information. A lot of the time, those facts came out like word vomit when he was particularly uncomfortable. But when he was around people like Cadi, he did it because he wanted to, and thought they might like it- so it was a relief when they confirmed that they did.

He grinned, noting mentally how cute she was when she laughed. “She does, doesn’t she? Thinner, though. I’m a little afraid for my life right now, though, not going to fib.” When she stood, Franklin lead the way to the couches, settling in the spot he’d previously been seated in. He was quite pleased to see that she was taking a seat next to him, so he immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against his side. A light laugh slipped from his lips at her enthusiasm to his storytelling offer, and he scrunched his nose up playfully. “You’re the cutest person I’ve ever met, you know that? God, sometimes I don’t know how to handle it.” He nuzzled his nose into her cheek, then released her, shifting in his seat so that one of his legs stretched out behind her back and the other remained on the floor.

Franklin patted his chest then held out his arms again, inviting her to snuggle back up to him. “A story, then? I can do that, Love. What kind of story? Romance? Thriller? Horror? Do you want it to be happy or sad or edgy? Fiction or non-fiction? Tell me what you want and I can deliver. I promise to blow your mind with my story telling skills.” He paused a moment, noticing her outfit and how… Little it covered. Swallowing harshly, he forced his gaze back up to her face, the boyish smile on his face growing in intensity. “Get comfy, c’mon. Cuddle up, my chest makes a warm pillow. Try not to fall asleep, though.”

And then, with an even brighter smile, he added, “And I do smell remarkable, don’t I?”

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[ARCADIA PENN MCCARTHY]

"Oh can we?" She smiled. "Where else am I going to find a husband who knows the most random facts, is an amazing cellist, and compliments me all the time? I think we'd better go write our vows." Cadi grinned, tilting her head to peck him on the cheek. He really was quite adorable, and though marriage was pushing it, she felt connected to the boy in a way she didn't with others. He understood her and that was plenty for Cadi.

The two eyed the woman behind the counter. She had a large nose, snake-like eyes and a bun wrapped tightly atop her head that strecthed the skin on her face backwards and into an extremely unflattering appearance.“She does, doesn’t she? Thinner, though. I’m a little afraid for my life right now, though, not going to fib.” Cadi grinned, and silently followed Franklin.When she stood, Franklin lead the way to the couches, settling in the spot he’d previously been seated in, when she wiggled in next to him, Frankie's arm immediately wrapped around her shoulder,and he flashed a smile, pulling her tight against his side. A light laugh slipped from his lips at her enthusiasm to his storytelling offer, and he scrunched his nose up playfully. “You’re the cutest person I’ve ever met, you know that? God, sometimes I don’t know how to handle it.” He nuzzled his nose into her cheek, and the girl's small giggle escaped her lips once more, his words bringing a blush to her cheeks

Franklin patted his chest then held out his arms again, inviting her to snuggle back up to him, and she took the invite quickly. She adjusted her body to fit perfectly within his arms and she ignored the glares the two got from the Librarian when she walked by to "check" on them. “A story, then? I can do that, Love. What kind of story? Romance? Thriller? Horror? Do you want it to be happy or sad or edgy? Fiction or non-fiction? Tell me what you want and I can deliver. I promise to blow your mind with my story telling skills.” His eyes moved downward and shot back up quickly, slightly confusing Cadi but she shrugged it off when his voice broke the silence again. “Get comfy, c’mon. Cuddle up, my chest makes a warm pillow. Try not to fall asleep, though.”

"Pssh, but you're such a wonderful pillow how ever will I manage to keep my eyes open?" She teased. "You'd better give me an awesome story to keep me up." She added. "Um...How about Romance AND Horror tied into one?" Cadi nodded, agreeing with herself that it would be the perfect type. "And somewhere within your story you've got to include a unicorn"

And then, with an even brighter smile, he added, “And I do smell remarkable, don’t I?” Arcadia's lips upturned all over again and she extended her neck, placing her nose along side his neck taking a whiff. "Just splendid dahling!"

OUTFIT