A/N: Last part of this chapter is sponsored by Taylor Swift's Nothing New :) breakdown time!
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Name: DollyLlama
Posted on: October 4. 5:03pm.
Message: hi :)
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October 4. 5:11pm.
DollyLlama is now online.
UndeadFox is now online.
UndeadFox: YOOOOO
DollyLlama: YOOOOOOOO
UndeadFox: you got the app after all!!
DollyLlama: FOXIEEEEE
UndeadFox: LLAMAAAAA
UndeadFox: wait why are we calling each other that when we know real names
DollyLlama: so we dont accidentally doxx ourselves here and the algorithm behind this app doesn't spy on our secrets
UndeadFox: ok conner
DollyLlama: >:O
DollyLlama: fiNe bReE
DollyLlama: anyways I was too curious and had to see this for myself lol
DollyLlama: i think Alex and Fred both have accounts on here but idk what they are
UndeadFox: It's better if we don't know so we can make a guessing game out of it lol
DollyLlama: LOL imagine if they became online friends like we did last year unaware that they were already friends—
UndeadFox: and they got together /j
DollyLlama: naur are you shipping them? lmao
UndeadFox: Nah it was just a joke
DollyLlama: "oh, so it was a joke"
DollyLlama: "saying this, he casually threw aside a large rock" /j
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Name: LilacBerry
Posted on: October 4. 5:56pm.
Message: btw i forgot to say this earlier but the bakery at the corner now has a student discount for the blueberry muffins :)
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➔ Name: BlueInk
Commented on: October 4. 5:58pm.
Message: FR?? I love those muffins wowo
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October 4. 6:00pm.
BlueInk is now online.
BlueInk: woo thanks to your message I got the blueberry mmuffins :)
LilacBerry is now online.
LilacBerry: ooooh ive found someone who likes them too :)
BlueInk: yeahh theyre exsquiste (cant spell)
LilacBerry: ppl usually like chocolate lmao
BlueInk: yeah
BlueInk: Okay uhh the bus just shifted and i may have squashed the muffins
LilacBerry: oh nooo
LilacBerry: youre on the bus?
BlueInk: yeah I was doing Something
BlueInk: you cant tell online strangers everything yanno ;)
LilacBerry: true lol i dont hv a very high sense of self preservance
LilacBerry: preservation wtv cant english
BlueInk: I mean we do go to the same school lol
LilacBerry: lol
BlueInk: and ooh omg I just realised sth
LilacBerry: mmhm?
BlueInk: you're berry and im blue
BlueInk: Together we make
BlueInk is typing...
BlueInk: Blueberry :)
LilacBerry: ohhh i somehow never realised thatlol
LilacBerry: that's cute!
BlueInk: it is!
BlueInk: Guess I'll call you Berry from now on :)
LilacBerry: awww :)
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Name: DollyLlama
Posted on: October 4. 9:14pm.
Message: nEVER GONNA GIVE U UP NEVER GONNA LET U DOWN NEVER GONNA RUN AROUND AND DESSERT YOI
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➔ Name: BlueInk
Commented on: October 4. 9:22pm.
Message: Omg dude my first post here was supposed to be a rickroll too
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➔ Name: TrueQuill
Commented on: October 4. 9:23pm.
Message: Ah yes, dessert you. You have been pudding'd! :)
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➔ Name: UndeadFox
Commented on: October 4. 9:35pm.
Message: use spell check ;P
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➔ Name: DollyLlama
Commented on: October 4. 9:36pm.
Message: yall MEAN >:(
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You have a new message from Freddie.
"hallo Alex wyd?"
Sent: 9:40pm
Received: 10:04pm
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Alex peered at her phone. Fred liked asking what she was doing whenever he had free time. One might find it annoying, but Alex wasn't really bothered. After all, she'd known Fred since kindergarten.
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October 4. 10:04pm.
Alex is now online.
Alex: Nothing much lol
Alex: scrolling and seeing what the youtube algorithm gives me
Fred: lol youtube
Fred: I just watched some... antkeeping vids
Fred: dont ask lol
Alex: Well antkeeping sounds fun
Fred: I think I'm now unnaturally versed in the differences between termites and ants. hate those flying things tho
Alex: Thankfully we're past that season... right?
Fred: Yup
Fred: The beginning of oct doesnt count summer... right?
Alex: Even tho we all got smacked with a heat wave during the summer
Fred: don't remind me of global warming
Alex: :(
Fred is typing...
Fred: So speaking of youtube you wanna know what obsecure topic i watched a 1h documentary on
Alex: spill
Fred: russian ice skating
Fred: I'm captivated and horrified by the industry
Alex: Oooh
Alex: (only knows Yuzuru Hanyu)
Fred: the legend himself
Alex: Dani told me she lost it when he announced his retirement and opened his yt channel
Fred: ooooh ur frds with danielle?
Alex: Fred. We all sit together at lunch
Fred: Ik but she seems shy idk
Alex: but yeah anyways we're friends :)
Fred: :)
Fred: Anyways back to the russian skaters
Fred: according to this vid I watched, the coach is absolutely brutal on the girls, restricts their diet, pushes them to the limit just so they can do their jumps [insert technical skating jargon that I am not familiar with]
Alex: At least you know the word jargon lol
Fred: I am revsing my vocab :))
Fred is typing...
Fred: And it's crazy how the generations change so quickly. like those girls win and stun everyone, they grow up and puberty kicks in and their bodies change, and theyre immediately replaced by a new, younger girl
Fred: its like theyre fighting against age. Against GROWING UP
Fred: Which is just Mental to me
Fred is typing...
Fred: imaging relying on low body weight over sustainable technique
Fred: The harm done to the young people
Fred: Sorry im just realy into it
Alex: No worries lol I know you're passionate about sports
Fred: Lmao if coach was like "once you reach 15 you can no longer jump that high and ur permanently banned from basketball tourneys" whats the pointttt
Alex: I dont do sports but I also get what you mean? Like it's the gifted kid burnout syndrome that goes around online
Alex: so many people were the "smart kid" growing up but they dont know what to do after that so...
Fred: UGH life isnt only about your youth!!! if you screw up your body when youre 14 youre gonna have chronic back pain for the rest of ur life!!!
Alex: You're right, burning yourself out early isn't good. You've still got a long life to live
Alex: (and then there's me, I feel like I peaked last year sighhhh)
Alex: Like I don't know what to do now... feels like everyone expects so much of me
Fred: Yeahh thats tough... everyones eyes on you etc etc
Alex: yeah and I feel like I'm letting everyone down...
Fred: I think if you do things at your own pace, it's good enough
Fred: like we dont want burnout
Alex: yeah I guess...
Fred is typing...
Fred: Sweet Sixteen more like Stressed-out Sixteen
Fred: sorry for the joke just wanted to lighten the mood
Alex: LMAO stressedout sixteen... sadness sixteen... it's me..
Alex: It feels like I'm never grown enough, always trying to catch up to somebody
Fred is typing...
Fred: Alex Bailey
Fred: as a person who knows a lot of people,
Fred: youre one of the most mature kids in our year group
Fred: :D
Alex: But what if I'm not?
Alex: What if I'm not the smart kid everyone thinks I am? What if I'm just stupid and impulsive and sentimental and hung up about an old building?
Fred is typing...
Alex: What if I'm not talented at all? Like, they say I'm a "leader" but I feel like Im just making mistake after mistake, and it's like I never grew up at all....
Fred is typing...
Alex: If I'm nothing, will people still like me?
Fred is typing...
Fred is typing...
Fred is typing...
Fred: Even if you're nothing, I'll still like you
Fred: because you're my friend!! :DD
Fred: always have
Fred: (and I don't believe youre nothing!)
Fred: lol
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Alex couldn't help but muffle a giggle. Of course Fred panicked when he said something mushy. Despite her insecurity, warmth filled up her heart.
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Alex: awww Freddie [heart]
Fred: [heart]
Fred: yeah so highschool sucks but at least we have friends!! woohoo!!
Fred: Now imagine a big cheesy smile on my face :)))))
Alex: I'm imagining!
Fred: are you LOL
Alex: yup! :D
Fred is typing...
Fred: Ohh btw is it late for u ?
Fred: since you actually have a decent sleeping schedule
Alex: Ohhhh it's alright
Fred: sorryy if I took up ur time
Alex: Nah nah it's cool
Alex: I don't mind it when you initiate convo (bc I don't think I'm the type to initiate convo lol)
Fred: :)
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And that was it for the night. Alex mindlessly scrolled through her YouTube recommendations, her heart still a bit heavy from the earlier conversation. She put on her earbuds and laid down on her bed. Another school day ahead of her. Another day of pulling herself together, orchestrating her body like a puppet master pulling the strings.
"And my cheeks are growing tired
From turning red and faking smiles
Are we only biding time until I lose your attention?"
Alex let the soft, melancholic melody lull her to sleep. Her chest gently rose and fell in time with her breathing.
"... Will you still want me when I'm nothing new?"
Alex felt like she had to exceed herself again and again. She had to be at her best no matter what so she wouldn't disappoint everyone. She had to be brave, impressive, capable. She had to be everything.
"You'll still want me...
... when I'm nothing new."
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A/N: By the way, blueberries and blueberry muffins have always been a Frednielle thing ;) you can check the baking sale chapter of FOTR.
I think it's important to note Alex's arc. For so long, she's been a quiet bookworm on the sidelines, but she's suddenly thrust into the spotlight when she saved something she loved. And she's still around the same circles of people because she lives in the same neighbourhood with them.
Reading canon, I always felt like there was a dissonance between TLOS1-2 Alex and Fairy!Alex. I know she matured quickly because she's finally in her element, but I didn't like how her two love interests only liked her after she went through a "glow up". I wanted somebody to like nerdy, quiet, bookworm Alex for a change instead of the cool, powerful, fairy Alex. (Is that why you guys liked Fredlex back in FOTR? Lol.)
It's also important to note that while Fred has feelings for Alex, he emphasizes their friendship first because from his point of view, Alex doesn't want romance. (So he friendzones himself before she can lol.) There's a reason why none of the twins are aware of his feelings because he actively hides them (other than the twins being as dense as bricks).
Anyways the Russian ice skating drama video Fred was referring to is this:
https://youtu.be/ydLDPmuevKg
My friends and I got strangely into the drama during the 2022 Winter Olympics (while being big Yuzuru Hanyu fans).
Thanks for reading as always! :)