Post by Amanda Parker on Feb 2, 2011 9:10:53 GMT -5
The full name's amanda eloise parker, but most people call me amy, manda, amanda please?, manda panda (reserved for shell-belly). In case you couldn't tell, I'm a chick. I came into this world kicking and screaming on new year's day, and seventeen years later, I still haven't stopped. Back then, I lived in Malibu, California. I'm a Caucasian dealing with the stress of eleventh grade.
eye color :: brown
hair color :: brunette, though she'll occasionally add streaks of blond
height :: 5' 5''
weight :: 136 lbs.
body type :: curvy
likes :: grunge fashion, bold colors, songwriting, film, food, old horror films (Nosferatu, anyone?), Hitchcock movies, shopping sprees at bargain basements
dislikes :: Romances (romantic comedies are okay, as long as the comedy overshadows the romance), reading (she'd rather see pictures play out on a screen), homework (takes away from filming time), stockings lacking in tears, legitimate sport sneakers (e.g., Nike, Reebok, etc.)
habits :: spits out whatever happens to cross her mind (whether someone else is talking at the moment or not), spacing out at random intervals, tapping her heels, making snap judgments
flaws :: prejudiced, persnickety, avid spender (as soon as she procures some cash, she burns through it), hardheaded, egocentric, clumsy, reckless
positive attributes :: creative, spontaneous, outgoing, friendly, passionate
secret(s) :: She spent the better part of two years infatuated with Asher Rinehart
pet peeve(s) :: anorexic twigs, when anything mainstream (that isn't alternative) plays on the radio (the exception being a few Lady Gaga tracks), when people trail off in the middle of sentences without finishing their...
personality :: Manda's accident prone. Legit, there is a cot in the hospital with her name stenciled on it. She's cracked her head open, broken her arm, fractured her collar bone... pretty much everything. She has scars all over the place, except for on her face. Each scar has its own story, and she's learned a lesson from every single one of them.
Does she write songs? Hell yeah. Songs, poetry, whatever you wish to call it. Songs are supposed to be poetry set to words, but that definition was lost at the beginning of the twentieth century. Now, songs are anything with a beat and lyrics. Most songwriters write about things like sex and drugs and money just to sell. She, on the other hand, sees the art of songwriting for what it is. It's a way of letting out your feelings, of self expression. You can say anything in a song, but disguise it so that your listeners really have to think to figure out what you're getting at. That's who she wants her music to reach: the thinkers. It's a way of reaching it out to her kind.
While she does write songs, her true passion is film. That's all she does in her free time. But the interesting part is why. She likes being able to convey a message without saying it flat out -- through demonstration. She likes being able to capture a feeling, rather than spell it out in words. When she watches a decent movie, she gets chills. She feels that, since living is what they do every day, it is easier for people to relate to things being acted out -- being lived. Words on a paper are just that: words. But to see is something else all together.
FOOD. ohmygodohmygodohmygod. This stuff is her bestest friend in the world. Her parents never have to worry about her going anorexic on them because she can't go five minutes without eating something. She has a metabolism, thank God, and if she didn't, she'd probably just exercise the fat off. She wish supermodels would share her outlook. Even the popular kids. All of them that run around bone thin make her want to shove pie in there faces and scream, "EAT, YOU MORON!"
Is she a depressed emo kid all the time? Yes. Does she act like it? No. As a matter of fact, you'll usually know when she's most depressed because she'll be bouncing off the walls. She read somewhere that when you smile, your body releases an enzyme that makes you happier. Therefore, she has this philosophy that if she acts super-hyper-crazy when she feels down, it'll cheer her up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but she always tries. Fair warning: she can be pretty crazy when she gets in one of these "moods".
mother :: Alice Parker, 43, freelance hair stylist
father :: Kevin Parker, 44, owns a chain of fast-food restaurants creatively named "Too Chicken"
brother(s) :: Brett Parker, 19, freshman at DePaul University
sister(s) ::</Rochelle>none.
step-relations: :: none
other relatives :: none
pets :: a female border collie named Maisy
background check :: When you're living in Malibu, California, it isn't the coolest thing to be the kid of a fast-food tycoon. A fair amount of the other kids were the product of a successful business person, lawyer, banker, accountant, architect, computer nerd... even some children of retired rock stars or actors who used to be big, but were no longer and had no problem putting their kids through public school. Of course, those were the rich kids who dominated the scene. Since Too Chicken was a popular restaurant, Manda's family was pretty well off. Well off enough that Manda could, potentially, get anything she asked. However, the position of vapid cretin had already been filled in her family -- by her brother.
It wasn't always like that, of course. Back in the diaper days, Manda and Brett were two peas in a pod. In fact, Brett was the one who coined the nickname, "Manda". He had trouble saying the "A" sound at the begging of her name when he was little, so he just called her "Manda", and it stuck. Manda preferred it to all her other nicknames (until the invention of Manda Panda, which came way later) mostly because that was the period of time when Brett was like Manda's god. She utterly adored him. During that time, it seemed like the adoration was mutual. Whenever the family would up and go to the beach, Brett would hold Manda's pudgy little kid hand and walk her up to the water. He'd even lift her over the crashing waves. He called it "wave jumping". Manda would kick her little feet and laugh.
Up until Manda was in third grade, the Brett/Manda duo was inseparable. They would always play together at recess, even when the other kids tried to drag Brett away. When that happened, Brett would recite his mantra of, "If Manda can't play, then I can't either." Because of that mantra, Manda was dragged into more than her fair share of kickball, dodgeball, and even football games. it was good experience, though. She grew up to be a tough cookie. Anyway, everything changed when Brett entered fifth grade. Which, as I mentioned earlier, was when Manda went into third. Now that he was an "upperclassmen" (at least, by elementary school standards), there was more pressure on him. And, as it turned out, Brett was quite the looker. He was flooded with all kinds of attention, from boys and girls alike. He no longer went out of his way to hang around with little Manda, and she was thrown by the wayside.
She spent the next three years going it alone. Third grade? As I already said, she was tossed by the wayside. The rest of the year, she stayed antisocial. Fourth grade? At lunch at the designated "Mexican" table. Since a lot of Mexicans worked in her father's restaurant, she knew a smattering of Spanish phrases, so she could toss off a halfhearted reply if the Mexicans ever tried to speak to her, but she never joined their conversations. Considering she wasn't fluent, she probably couldn't have, even if she wanted to. Fifth grade was the same. Even though her brother had moved on to the middle school the previous year, his shadow loomed over her. Every time Manda met a new teacher, they'd ask her, "Hey, aren't you Brett Parker's little sister?" And the rest of the kids in her class would reminisce about "the good old days" when Brett was still an elementary student.
Sixth grade brought about changes for Manda. She came home one day and Brett caught her. Asked if she wanted to come to the beach with him. Apparently, he and a couple of guys were headed out to catch some waves. Manda blanched at the thought, but agreed when Brett promised she wouldn't have to surf. She was also excited that she got to hang out with Brett for the afternoon. Or, so she thought. Then they arrived at the beach, and Manda found out she was supposed to be a distraction for one of the other guy's little brother, who happened to be in Manda's grade. Coincidentally, another kid in their grade was out surfing with the other guys -- Asher Rinehart. The whole time Mitchel was talking to Manda, she would nod, mutter an occasional "Yeah", and incessantly stare at the tan, surprisingly buff for his age Rinehart boy. He was quite possibly the most beautiful creature Manda had ever seen.
The next day, Brett asked if Manda wanted to come to the beach again. This time, she jumped at the chance. But not for Mitchel. She was secretly hoping Asher would be there. And so it went for the next couple weeks. Then Autumn rolled around, and the water was too cold for surfing. Manda reverted back to her antisocial ways, though Mitchel wouldn't stop following her around. Manda decided to humor him. She let him follow her around, and pretended to listen when he spoke, but really, she daydreamed she was back on the beach. She crushed on Asher Rinehart from a distance until summer break. Knowing the water was warm enough for the return of the surfers, Manda walked to the beach (yes, it was in walking distance of her house) that first Monday off. Sure enough, Asher Rinehart was there. However, the crowd he hung out with had thinned out quite a bit. All the rich kids were vacationing off in Hawaii or the Bahams or whatever. Not only had the crowd of guys thinned, but also the crowd of supermodel gorgeous girls that usually swooned over them on the beach -- the types of girls Asher was more likely interested in.
Unfortunately, Mitchel's family hadn't gone anywhere. He came right up to Manda, grabbed her hand, dragged her over to sit on his towel, and started talking. And wouldn't shut up.
Before they were five minutes in to their one-sided conversation, who should walk over but Rinehart himself? He looked straight at Manda and asked, "This guy bothering you?"
Manda could only stare wordlessly at him.
She probably could have said something, if only Asher were wearing a shirt.
Asher tossed his perfect hair and glanced over at Mitchel. "You mind if I borrow your girlfriend?"
Suddenly, Manda found her tongue. "I'm not his girlfriend."
"All right then." Asher held out a hand. "I'm kidnapping you, and Mitch, you have no say in the matter."
Awestruck, Manda took his hand. His fingers closed around hers and he pulled her up. Asher asked her if she could surf. Manda admitted she couldn't even stand upright on a board (not that she'd tried, but she imaged that was how things would play out). Asher said it was no problem. There was plenty of room on his board -- he could spot her. After blushing profusely, Manda agreed. Next thing she knew, she was wading out in the water next to Asher Rinehart. He held the board steady for her while she climbed on, then did so himself and helped Manda to stand. Once she was upright, he placed his hands on her waist to hold her steady. There was quite a bit of wobbling, but just as Manda felt herself start to tip, Asher tightened his grip and held her to him. He laughed in her ear. "Relax. Just copy me." A few internal "ohmygodAsherRinehartisholdingme"s and deep breaths later, Manda was balancing on a surfboard. Asher loosened his grip, but didn't let her go. "See?" There was a smile in his voice. "You're getting the hang of it."
Of course, the board tipped then, dumping the both of them into the water.
That summer was the most blissful of Manda's brief existence. Asher successfully taught her to shred (after many a wipeout), and Manda would used her "daughter of owner" discount to get Asher almost free chicken from the restaurant. Every day, weather permitting, they'd surf and chicken picnic on the beach. On rainy days, Manda would pop in the old horror films and have marathons. Never mind the fact that she'd seen most of them five times already. You could never have too much Frankenstein. Then, the month before school started up again, the Rineharts went on a cruise. Manda would write songs, sleep, watch movies, and eat. It wasn't the most exciting life, but it was comfortable, and it kept her happy. She kept dreaming what it would be like on the first day of school, when she saw Asher in the hallway (translation: she imagined him snatching her up and planting a big, fat kiss on her).
First day of school rolled around. Manda spotted Asher on the opposite end of the hall. He was talking with a group of his friends, leaning against a locker. A brunette girl who had to be at least a year older than him walked past. At the time, Manda called it a trick of the light, but later, she decided that yes, Asher definitely stuck his foot out in front of the girl. She fell to her knees. Asher and his boys had a laugh when Asher quipped, "Hey Rochelle. I heard you were taking a trip." Then he shrugged off the locker and headed down the hall, toward Manda. Feeling a spark of excitement, Manda said, "Hey Asher." He brushed right past her like she was invisible. Being the quick-witted girl she was, Manda realized that Asher had her -- she just wasn't cool enough to be seen with on school grounds. Her heart cracked a little. To ignore the pain, Manda thrust herself into the first task she could think of -- helping the fallen girl collect her books. The two got to talking, and right then, an epic friendship was born.
Shell and Manda have been besties ever since. They invented their own funky eyebrow waggle and everything. Even though Shell moved up to the high school the next year, she and Manda kept in contact. They would hang out after school, and every day they couldn't do that, they would IM each other. The next year, when Manda was a freshman, she picked debate as one of her electives so she and Shell could share a class. They often ended up on opposite sides during those debates, which gave them plenty to talk about. When the bell rang at the end of the class, they would walk out of the room arm in arm, still arguing. They even both took jobs at Too Chicken. Amazingly enough, they became employees of the month one after the other. Yes, work was completed with the two of them behind the counter. They would make competitions of it. Manda's other elective was Video Production, which sparked her love of film. She'd often ask Shell to start in her school projects, as her best friend's bubbly personality was perfect for the camera.
Fate decided to rain on the parade before Manda's junior year of high school. Asher and Rochelle moved away. To the same place. Chicago. Ironically enough, that's where Brett had ventured for college. Manda was halfway through her school year when her parents dropped the bomb. "Guess what, honey? We're moving to Chicago!"
They claimed it was to start another chain of Too Chicken. Manda had a creeping suspicion it was because they wanted to be closer to Brett (who was a Blue Devils lacrosse start and freshman law student at this point).
role play sample ::The shuffling soon turned into singing. Not a full-out opera, just a morning greeting, but it still held a hint of the voice Shell hid from the general public. Manda cast a quick glance over her shoulder to a mumble a return of the greeting before becoming immersed in her title browsing once more. Not to be ignored, Shell skipped over to the couch and plopped down next to Manda. Manda elevated her hot chocolate to absorb the shock, then returned the eyebrow waggle Shell was giving her with a laugh. It had taken months of mastery, to the point where now that she could execute it properly, Manda felt like one badass ninja. Shell continued on to ask the rhetorical question of whether or not Dora was still on. At least, Manda hoped it was rhetorical. If she was browsing movie titles, the answer should have been blatantly obvious. Just for the laughs, she said in her best Spanish accent, "Aah, si. Buenos días, mi hermoso cuate!" Manda knew a small smattering of Spanish phrases, most of which she looked up in case they decided to mock Dora on some random date. And it helped her not to feel inferior when Shell switched to French. Seeing as she'd come from France, Manda's roomie (and freaking twin) did that a lot.
After flashing Shell one of her patented teasing grins, she took a sip of her hot chocolate. Making a face at it, she sloshed the liquid around in the cup, then held it out to Shell. "Want some? It's muy delicioso." Rather than sitting there staring at her roommate while she decided whether or not to sip the soda, Manda returned her attention to the On Demand menu. She'd made great progress over the past minute or so... she was all the way in the Bs. She stopped the cursor over the title, Beverly Hills Ninja, then turned her head to exchange glances with Shell. "Grasshopper," she began, in a Japanese accent even worse than her Spanish one, "if we watch this film, you may complete your training." She clicked the title to read the movie synopsis. It was about an old Japanese legend of the Great White Ninja, and how when a white foreigner appeared on Japanese shores, they thought he surely was the one. Then he grew up to be fat and uncoordinated. "Oh, I've heard of this!" Manda gushed, grabbing hold of Shell's wrist with her free hand (and dropping the remote in the process) and jumping up and down in her seat. "I think this is the movie Chris Rock became famous was for. And the ninja that gets hired to tail the white guy is supposed to be cute." Manda shrugged. "It could be good." She then proceeded to unleash the full power of her puppy-dog pout on Shell.
________________________________________
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
hey. my alias is emmy / e-girl, I'm fifteen years old, and I've been slashing for almost five years. I heard about you guys through betch please -- been here since the beginning, and let me say, NO CHEATERS HERE.
