They've known each other for years. He's liked her from the moment he met her. She's an entirely different story.
Freshman year is throwing them for a loop. When things get low, will the Ducks rely on each other, or will they all break apart?
- or...
"She pointed to a little boy with shaggy brown hair who looked like he was about to fall asleep over his coloring page." ♡︎
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Marlene Finnigan has always been quite... hard to handle. She's always had an attitude, and she has no problem with telling you what you need to hear.
Her brows are usually furrowed, probably for a number of reasons, but there's really no telling with Marlene. She could be confused or angry, or she could be just fine. Her face naturally rests in a grumpy tone.
She has honey blonde hair and brown eyes, and her skin has the occasional freckle and scar. She can't stand having her hair down, for many reasons, so it's usually always pulled out of her face in some sort of braid. She has a really sweet smile, one that shows her teeth and makes her eyes disappear. Her eyes are bright despite their dark color, and they shine when she's happy.
Marlene's mother, Ellie, signed her up for ice skating lessons when she was five, where it was discovered that she had a real knack for figure skating.
One day, on a frozen-over pond near the shabby apartment buildings they lived in, Marlene and her mom were simply skating around. Their noses turned pink as a light snow drifted to the ground; laughter filled the sound around them, little girl squeals and happy giggles.
Every time Marlene - who was seven at the time - would show Ellie a new trick she learned at her lessons, Ellie would grin and cheer, making Marlene feel like the best skater in the world.
Ellie loves Marlene with her entire heart, and all she wants is for Marlene to prosper. She was supposed to become a nurse, but her life hit a snag and she had to drop her classes with only one year left until she became a registered nurse. Her biggest hope in life is that Marlene, no matter what happens to her, will live a grand life.
The pond was surrounded by plant life, but what made it memorable was the giant bur oak tree that loomed over the water. Even in the winter, when the leaves had fallen and left the tree bare, it was still a beautiful sight. The branches grew out far, and drooped down, creating a canopy look. In the fall, when the leaves turned from green to shades of orange and red, if you look at it while the sun is setting, it looks ethereal, almost as if it was painted.
Marlene would try to jump up and snag a tree branch, but she was too short at the time, so her mother would hold a branch down so Marlene could snap off a twig.
They had been at the pond since early morning - the best time to skate in Ellie's opinion, when the town is still drowsy and the breeze is just right - and around noon they became hungry. Marlene really wanted french fries, which were her favorite food at the time.
So Ellie packed up their skates for the time being - she knew they would be back as soon as Marlene had eaten - and they trekked across the snow to a box car diner that was near the apartment. It was still pretty far, and Marlene grew restless and ended up climbing on Ellie's back with the excuse that she "wanted to be tall."
