Work Text:
2005
Six-year-old Paisley Houndstooth moves into the neighborhood. Her family has the largest, greenest backyard down the road, perfect for her to work on her gymnastics. In school, she does well in science and social studies, but she’s behind on her mathematics and cannot read. The teacher assigns a classmate, Alexis Reed, to help her with math. When their parents realize the girls only live two houses away, they start up playdates in the backyard to coincide with tutoring lessons.
Another classmate, Olive Doyle, is found reading a complex storybook to Paisley during lunch hours rather than eating. Another conversation is had, and another playdate is set. Especially since Olive lives in the house between Paisley and Alexis. Tutoring and playdates go through, and the three girls are best friends.
2008
Eight-year-old Olive’s eidetic memory is a curse when she brings up something on the playground that Paisley’s mom has just bought and constructed. Their classmate neighbor – two houses down from Paisley on the other side – Fletcher Quimby has recently joined their troop. Olive accidentally mentions something that Alexis said last year. It was an offhand comment, but it hurt Fletcher when they sat together in the cafeteria. Olive hadn’t meant to let it slip, but it’s out in the open now.
2011
Eleven-year-old Chyna Parks and her fourteen-year-old brother Cameron move into the house between Fletcher and Paisley. Since her dad’s a cop, she watches as some neighbors walk to school and some neighbors ride the school bus whereas she and her brother ride in the back of a patrol car. At school, she quickly befriends Olive after an awkward introduction.
“… dynasties include the Shang, Tang, Xi, Ming, and San Huang Di Wu.”
“Wow. You’re a walking encyclopedia, aren’t you?”
“I have an eidetic memory.”
2014
Paisley is fifteen and ‘needs’ a boyfriend to bounce off after her miserable breakup with Gibson. He made her feel dimwitted and miserable, but Fletcher is different.
“I thought being an artist was what people didn’t have any smarts… I want to be an artist, Fletchy.”
“Hey, you’re better than an artist, Pais.”
2015
Relationships come and go as they do. Paisley and Fletcher were together for eight months before going their separate ways. It was amicable. Paisley went onto dating Chyna. Lexi snatched up Fletcher to try and understand the meaning behind the relationship, but they lasted merely three weeks. After Fletcher, Lexi tried seducing Olive into writing her poetry for English class.
It worked moderately. The poems Olive wrote for Lexi to turn in always warranted a C and, on occasion, a B minus. For a month and half a week, Lexi decided Olive simply didn’t do well in that subject… until she saw Olive’s grade for the same assignment: A plus.
“What the hell, Livvy? How are you doing so much better than me!?”
“You’re seducing me, so I’ll write your poems,” she answers matter-of-factly. “And I’m writing enough for you to pass, so you’ll keep giving me affection.”
“… clever, clever girl.”
Once Lexi passes the class, however, she breaks up with Olive. The other girl was already expecting it.
2018
Paisley tries to copy Lexi’s old trick of seducing Liv, so she can help her write her thesis. When Paisley fails to understand the questions that her instructor has on said essay, she breaks down and breaks up with his ‘girlfriend’ of eight days. Liv isn’t surprised.
Lexi even tries to go back to her old tricks, only using them on Chyna to pull a few strings on learning instrumental notes. It doesn’t work quite as well, and their ‘relationship’ lasts six days. Turns out, Chyna and Liv are roommates, and they talk a lot.
2020
Paisley Houndstooth and Lexi Reed marry in February. Liv is invited as Paisley’s maid of honor, though she’s seated elsewhere from the bridesmaids during the reception. Paisley’s mom walks up to their table once they’ve cut the cake.
“I love your sash, Darling. Holland Houndstooth. And you are?”
“Liv Doyle, Ma’am,” she replies courteously, “This is my girlfriend Chyna, and her boyfriend Fletch.”