Trading Post

Chapter 3: Ryder slowly pulled open the apartment door.   Standing in the hallway with a crooked grin and a paper bag tucked under one arm was Marshall.   “Well, look who’s alive.”   Ryder immediately relaxed.   “Marshall.”   His best friend raised his arms dramatically.   “I know. Try to contain your excitement.”   Ryder laughed despite himself.   Marshall had always had that effect on people. He wasn’t particularly tall, rich, or impressive, but he possessed an endless supply of confidence and energy that somehow pulled others along with him.   The two had been friends for nearly six years.   They’d met during a miserable part-time job at a grocery store and somehow stayed close ever since.   Unlike Ryder, Marshall never seemed bothered by uncertainty.   He approached life as if everything would work out eventually.   Sometimes Ryder envied that.   “Get in here,” Ryder said.   Marshall stepped inside immediately.   “Wow.”   “What?”   “This place somehow looks exactly the same.”   “It’s been three days.”   “Still.”   Marshall looked around the apartment dramatically.   “The same couch.”   “Yep.”   “The same TV.”   “Yep.”   “The same depressing cereal.”   Ryder glanced toward the bowl on the coffee table.   “It’s good cereal.”   Marshall snorted.   “Sure it is.”   The two settled into their usual rhythm almost immediately.   They talked about the upcoming trip.   The cruise.   Avalon.   The giant Amazons.   Marshall was every bit as excited as Ryder appeared to be.   In truth, perhaps even more excited.   Though for very different reasons.   “So,” Marshall asked while grabbing the remote, “you nervous?”   “A little.”   “A little?”   Ryder shrugged.   “I’ve never left home for something like this.”   “Fair.”   “And Avalon isn’t exactly a normal destination.”   Marshall grinned.   “No kidding.”   The conversation drifted naturally.   They discussed giant cities.   Amazon culture.   The cruise ship.   Food.   Excursions.   All the things Ryder hoped to see.   As Ryder spoke, genuine excitement crept into his voice.   For the first time in years, he looked forward to something.   Marshall noticed.   That alone made the entire plan worth it.   Because Marshall knew something Ryder didn’t.   This trip wasn’t random.   Not even close.   Months ago, Ryder had casually filled out a promotional contest form online and promptly forgotten about it.   Marshall had never forgotten.   When he learned the contest had ended, he’d quietly purchased two cruise tickets himself.   One for Ryder.   One for him.   Separate rooms.   Same deck.   Same sailing.   Then he’d slipped the “winner notification” into Ryder’s mailbox and acted surprised when Ryder announced he’d somehow won.   The entire thing had gone perfectly.   Ryder had absolutely no idea.   Marshall intended to keep it that way.   At least for now.   The secret sat comfortably in the back of his mind as he listened to Ryder excitedly speculate about Avalon.   Then Marshall’s eyes wandered.   Something caught his attention.   The partially opened suitcase near the front door.   Specifically, something visible near the top.   His grin widened.   “Oh?”   Ryder immediately knew that tone.   It was never good.   “What?”   Marshall pointed.   “Packing everything?”   “Mostly.”   “Everything everything?”   Ryder frowned.   “What are you talking about?”   Marshall stood and walked toward the suitcase.   Before Ryder could stop him, Marshall glanced inside.   The grin instantly became much larger.   “Ohhhhh.”   Ryder froze.   His stomach dropped.   Marshall looked back.   The expression on his face was pure trouble.   “No.”   “Oh yes.”   “No.”   “Oh yes.”   Ryder already knew what Marshall had seen.   The package.   The overnight protection.   Heat immediately rushed into his face.   “Don’t.”   Marshall held up both hands.   “What? I didn’t say anything.”   “You were about to.”   “I wasn’t.”   “You absolutely were.”   Marshall failed spectacularly at hiding his amusement.   That made it worse.   Much worse.   Ryder groaned.   “Can we not do this?”   Marshall leaned against the wall.   “Do what?”   “That.”   “You’re going to have to be more specific.”   Ryder buried his face in his hands.   Marshall laughed.   Not cruelly.   Never cruelly.   But definitely with the satisfaction of someone who knew he’d found an opening.   “Relax.”   “It’s not funny.”   “It kind of is.”   “It’s really not.”   Marshall’s grin softened slightly.   “Hey.”   Ryder looked up.   “It’s not a big deal.”   Easy for him to say.   Marshall wasn’t the one feeling embarrassed.   The subject always made Ryder uncomfortable.   It wasn’t something he discussed.   Certainly not something he wanted brought up right before a trip.   Especially a trip involving giant strangers from another culture.   “Can we change topics?” Ryder asked.   Marshall shrugged.   “Sure.”   But something in his eyes lingered.   A spark.   A thought.   A possibility.   The kind Ryder had learned to be wary of.   Because whenever Marshall got that particular look, it usually meant some idea had taken root.   And ideas were dangerous.   At least Marshall’s ideas were.   The conversation moved on.   Movies.   Cruise excursions.   Avalon landmarks.   Everything seemed normal again.   Yet Marshall occasionally glanced toward the suitcase.   Toward the partially visible package.   Each time, that same thoughtful expression appeared for just a moment before vanishing.   Ryder noticed.   It made him uneasy.   “What?” Ryder finally asked.   “What what?”   “That look.”   Marshall blinked innocently.   “What look?”   “The look you’re doing right now.”   “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”   “Marshall.”   “Ryder.”   “You’re planning something.”   Marshall laughed.   “No I’m not.”   It was a lie.   A complete lie.   And for perhaps the first time all morning, Ryder’s excitement about Avalon was joined by a different feeling entirely.   Concern.   Because if there was one thing he knew about his best friend, it was this: Whenever Marshall claimed he wasn’t planning anything…he almost certainly was.

I was laying on the bed waiting to be changed as i looked up to you i get a bit unsure when asked if amber could come in the room to watch me get changed. Part of me was nervous as ive only had adults in the room to change me and wasn't sure how i would feel to have my younger cousin watch but figured i would have to get used to it eventually. So i nod my head a bit that it was ok for amber to come in.

Pampers baby fresh all the way!!!   Joey

Jut got off work, and my new Sprogs diaper game in took a shower and wet it once i love how Sprogs looks and feels but I may be in the minority but I’m not a fan of plastic backs I prefer Clothback, it feels nice still, and I despise sticky tapes as I do not do #2 in my pants and have to shimmy it down every time I have to go #2 and the bottom tapes keep sliding off and digging into my thighs (but that’s just a problem I have with all four tape diapers) Gonna see how much it can absorb (unlikely to fill most of it as its capacity is insane) and see how much it can swell based on the product description 

After moving to a new town where valeria hopes to attend college now that she is 18. She knew she needed to find a place to rent even if it ment having to get a room mate as she couldn't afford to live on a college campus. Valeria searched alot of places that were for rent but nearly every single one she either applied for or got the chance to even look at had turned her away. It was becoming a struggle as most just didn't take her seriously or tried to claim she was a lost child which she was not even after showing them her id that states she is a legal adult, they just didn't want to understand or believe it as she couldn't help that she was small for her age and what didn't help she had a baby face making it hard to look like she was an adult.  But after what felt like weeks of looking for even a room to rent that valeria was starting to lose a bit of hope. Until she found a room that was for rent and after contacting the guy to inquire about the room they had met in person to go over the usual rental information and for the right price i had agreed and signed the contract even if i didn't exactly fully read it as i just needed a place to move in to. Today had finally arrived for me to finally get all moved in to my place even if it was to live in a room in a guy's home. I didn't think i have much to worry about as after meeting the guy nearly a week ago he was really nice and easy to talk to. Moving in to his home would be easy as i didn't really own much stuff as part of me wondered what the room would look like as i had only seen very few photo's since the guy told me he was in the process of fixing it up but that he had a temporary room that i could use in the mean time.