You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side ((Dixie))

[Raelee Gray]

"Are you trying to torture me, Rae J.?" Dixie looked up at the blonde over her portfolio of designs that she had been furiously working on. Rae held two hot to-go cups of Starbucks coffee; the steam unfurling above the white caps.

"No…?" Rae replied slowly, confusion in her voice as she sat down on the chair in front of Dixie's desk, "I just thought you'd want some coffee, D." The childhood nicknames were rarely used anymore, but at the same time, this new crisis rather called for a familiarity that they both could recognize and hold onto. It was a foundation for Dixie to be able to lean on Rae, and it was a way for Rae to feel grounded. With the record label taking off, Rae hadn't had more than a couple of seconds to breathe. There were problems that Dixie was dealing with that were ten times worse, though, and so she didn't complain. Besides, it was a nice type of busy. Rae was enjoying it some.

"I can't have caffeine…" Dixie said bluntly, her eyes brimming with tears. Rae frowned and set the coffee cups down on the desk in between them, as Dixie continued; "I can't have caffeine, or alcohol- which I could really use right about now- and I can't smoke, which I don't anyway, but I couldn't if I wanted to!" Rae laughed, even though she probably shouldn't have, at the preposterous idea that Dixie would actually pick up a cigarette. Dixie looked hurt at Rae's laugh, but sighed and returned to her sketches instead of lashing out at the blonde. She couldn’t find the venom inside of her to do that. She was tired, exhausted, and she just didn't want to deal with anything at the moment. Rae watched her best friend shake as she tried to shade in something on her design. She was worried about Dixie, but she knew there wasn’t anything she could really do. She needed to know how things went with Adam, though, and by the looks of it: they didn’t go too well.

"Dix…why don't we go get something to eat?" Rae asked softly as she looked over her shoulder, pulled out her wand, grabbed Dixie's cup of coffee, and turned it into hot chocolate. She capped the cup again and then handed the designer the cup with a small smile. Dixie looked up at her, the tears threatening to fall, and then with a sniffle, she nodded, took the cup and stood from her seat. She wore a simple black, high waisted, pleated skirt. Her white button up top had an oriental feel to it, buttoning at the neck and leaving enough room to show her black leather choker with a single teardrop pearl hanging down from the centre. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant twist, and her high heels (Jimmy Choo silk satin pumps) gave her an extra two inches to her already tall height. She looked very classy, and Rae envied how Dixie could pull it off but she couldn't. Rae stood as well, casting a quick glance at her outfit. A brown, knee length, cotton dress, a green silk vest, knee high brown high heeled boots, and a long black pearl necklace. Her hair was curled easily and clipped back. She looked completely different next to Dixie, who looked like she was royalty. "Let's eat at my place," Rae said as she looped her arm through Dixie's and led her to the back stairwell for apparition.

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie loved Rae's cottage. The two girls had grown up in mansions, three stories tall with over 20 rooms. When they were younger they had decided to live in smaller houses, houses that were big enough for them and their families – not overbearing and too huge. Dixie had wanted a smaller house because she had seen way too many scary movies when she was younger. The people in the big houses always died first. While Dixie and Adam's cottage was the perfect size for them, and their new incoming baby, it had at times felt too big still. Dixie wanted absolutely perfect, and she doubted she would get that until the baby came into the world. Rae's cottage on the other hand was the absolute perfect size for her and her alone. She had a small, cosy, living room with a couch, two arm chairs, a television, and a fireplace. Down the hall from the living room were three rooms: Rae's room, the guest room, and the bathroom. The kitchen was where they entered, and she had a small table beneath the windows and the rest was resting nicely in its place. Dixie felt immediately at home in the small cottage.

"Home sweet home," Rae sighed happily as she dropped her purse off on the counter in the kitchen and then kicked off her boots, walking around barefoot on the wooden flooring. Dixie stood and set her purse down beside Rae's, but she didn't take her shoes off. Rae opened the fridge and pulled out some things to make sandwiches with as Dixie sat down at the table and watched her silently. "You know who's been around here quite a bit?" Rae asked offhandedly as she opened the bag of bread and set four slices down on a plate in front of her. Dixie tilted her head, having no idea who it might be. Rae ran in a different circle than Dixie did, but that was okay. They weren't supposed to do everything together. Then again, Dixie hadn't been doing anything since she found out she was pregnant. She hadn't felt like it. Rae looked up and smiled bashfully at Dixie before answering her own question, "Clay Daniels." Dixie felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen at the sound of Clay's name coming off Rae's lips. The way she said it, it sounded like… the sweetest nectar to her. Dixie stood from her chair and walked over to Rae, who was spreading mayonnaise on the bread, avoiding eye contact.

"Rae…Rae…RAE!" Rae jumped, dropped the butter knife, and finally looked at her best friend, "Spill!" Dixie hadn't felt so excited about something in awhile. It was as if her ability to be happy at all had been sucked out of her. She needed Rae's prospective love life to make her happy. Rae chuckled and shook her head slightly, bashfully again, god that was weird. Rae was never bashful. Sure, she wasn't as outgoing and comfortable with herself as Dixie, but Rae was comfortable enough not to ever be embarrassed by something. She never blushed and if you complimented her… you were lucky if you got a shy smile. But to be extremely bashful and blush at the sound of a name? That was something quite un-Rae-like. If Dixie was feeling more like herself, she would be saying Clay's name over and over to get Rae to be a shade of crimson. She wasn't feeling too terribly cruel, though, and so she just waited for Rae to explain why Clayton Daniels was spending time over at Rae's cottage.

Rae shrugged nonchalantly, that bashful smile still on her face and a red colour creeping up her neck as she placed cheese slices on the bread; "I don't know… we ran into each other at the Three Broomsticks the day that I finished my label. I wanted to celebrate, but you were at work and Weetz at school, so I celebrated with him. He had some celebrating to do, too. He just moved in down the street," Rae held up her hand to prevent Dixie from speaking too soon, "Anyway, he came to the studio about a week later, and he's been coming over for lunch or whatever when he has a free moment. No, I haven't been to his house yet… and it's not like we're seeing each other…" She eyed Dixie warningly and then placed some ham on top of the cheese. Dixie would surely take this and run with it. She was bound to. Rae would be surprised if she didn't.