THERE SHE GOES

( Q&A: CHARACTERS AND AUTHOR )

H A L L I E

— Q: Girl, you good?
A: ... Depends on your definition of "good."

— Q: Not a question, but I really wanna hug her.
A: "She" would prefer if you didn't. But, uh... thanks for the offer, I guess? I'm just not much of a hugger, sorry. (unless it's STANLEY BARBER—)

— Q: Honestly, I want you to be happy.
A: Not a question, but uh, thanks. I want me to be happy too, but life works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?

— Q: What do you think you'll do if they find Sydney?
A: Depends on whether she's dead or alive when they find her. I mean if she's dead, obviously I would be crushed. Heartbroken. Devastated. All of the above. But if she's alive, I really don't know. Surely she can't live her life normally after killing Brad, right? It's gonna be hard to find some type of compromise... damn, why are all of my questions so depressing?

— Q: Gal, what was u thinking reading Syd's diary?
A: I wasn't thinking. Look, I didn't KNOW it was her diary at first, I thought it was... a very sad handwritten book. Anyway, I regret it completely, and it doesn't matter now anyway because it's vanished into the abyss and we're screwed.

— Q: If you weren't playing the cello, would you play an instrument?
A: Huh. Good question. For me, cello is my favourite by far, and I could never imagine switching from that; it'll be nice when I get back into it once I'm feeling better! But maybe if I had to pick another, I'd try not to stray too far... perhaps the violin? Or double bass? (Those things are HUGE)

— Q: Converse or Vans?
A: For me, Converses all the way. It's pretty much the only thing I wear. But for Stanley, it would have to be Vans because he rocks them... don't tell him I said that.

S T A N L E Y

— Q: How much do you looove Hallie?
A: I love her almost as much as I love Bloodwitch... ALMOST, but she's getting there.

— Q: Can we be friends?
A: Hell yeah, we can! I don't really have many friends, so... maybe when my dad's away, you can come over and we could vibe to Bloodwitch together?

— Q: What's your relationship with Hallie after Brad died?
A: I don't think anything's gonna happen for a while. I mean, we're both really upset about what happened, so I don't think now is the right time to ask her out or anything. But if Brad hadn't... you know... died... then who knows? We almost kissed. I'm sure of it. At least I think we did... that wasn't the marijuana, was it? Someone pinch me.

— Q: Your style is top notch!
A: Thanks, my dude... *puts on sunglasses and finger guns*

— Q: Would you rather not have a car or never listen to Bloodwitch again?
A: Oh, that's easy. I'd trade the car for Bloodwitch any day! That piece of shit belongs to my dad anyway, so...

— Q: Favourite memory of Hallie?
A: Oh wow, there are so many... I've gotta admit, that night I spent at Hallie's house when we listened to music was just the best. I love the moments where she lets go, you know? She's just completely unfiltered and relaxed, but she's also being herself — still stubborn and logical — and that's great, because that's who she is. It's hard to pick just one memory though. She keeps surprising me with even more moments that I never want to forget.

— Q: Would you do anything different with Syd and/or Hallie?
A: I wish I'd plucked up the courage to ask Hallie out a LONG time ago. But then again, I don't know if she would have said yes... I mean, fuck, would she even say yes now? I— I guess— maybe? What a thought. As for Syd... I genuinely like her, I really do. And I think she came along at a certain time in my life where she just clicked into place perfectly. But it wasn't meant to be like that with us, which I'm totally cool with, since I think we're better off as friends. And then Hallie crept up on me after years of thinking to myself it was time to get over her...

S Y D N E Y

— Q: Now you have magical powers, do you think you'll attend Hogwarts?
A: I don't know if I'd call them "magical" but with my luck I'd get pissed off, and soon there'd be more than one Headless Nick... if you get what I mean...

— Q: And if so, what house will you be in?
A: Fuck, uh... the angsty one? Where would you sort me?

— Q: And which friends will you make there?
A: Bold of you to assume I'll make friends at Hogwarts.

— Q: Favourite DS game?
A: Definitely not LEGO Harry Potter! Uhh... lemme think. When we were kids, all Hallie ever played was Animal Crossing, but I actually enjoyed — don't laugh at me — Nintendogs. When I was a kid I really wanted a dog but never got one, so it was kind of like a substitute, I guess? And Hallie barely played it, so it was basically mine.

— Q: What would your superhero name be?
A: The Kinetic Klutz (featuring her trusty sidekick, Thigh Zits!)

— Q: Board games or video games?
A: Board games are in the basement... video games, I guess.

C A L V I N

— Q: Do you want to start a relationship with Ryder?
A: HONEY, of course I do. But I don't think he... swings that way, you catch my drift? I mean, I like other guys too, but Ryder's just... I dunno, he's Ryder? A gay can dream...

— Q: HOW DID THINGS GO WITH RYDER AFTER THAT NIGHT?
A: AHH DON'T SCREAM AT ME!! And they went okay, I guess. Under the circumstances. We were having a really nice time for a while, spying on Hallie and Stan in the corner 👀 and then Brad went and fucking died... I don't even get what happened. I didn't hear a gunshot or anything? Anyway, Ryder and I couldn't find Hallie, so we tried to wake Stan up and he ran off, and that left us on our own. That reminds me, I still haven't texted Ryder since that night to check if he is okay...

— Q: Favourite Evanescence song?
A: WAKE ME UP INSIDEEEEE—

— Q: BRO who hosted your favourite party of all time?
A: OOH GOOD QUESTION! And I have just the answer... okay, so I once went to this laser tag birthday party when I was a kid (before Hallie moved here) and it was WILD. We were running around in the dark going PEW PEW at each other and I was zooming down the slides with my lil' gun, and then I was so fucking hyper that I threw up when we ate birthday cake afterwards... but it was so worth it, and I was completely unfazed! (Bet you expected me to say some teenage house party, but NOPE!)

— Q: Favourite art medium?
A: Chalk pastels are pretty cool. Pottery is a pastime that I really enjoy as well, but did I take it up only because I was horny for Patrick Swayze, looking like a motherfuckin' SNACK with his beautiful hands massaging that clay in Ghost? The answer... is probably yes.

— Q: What is Hallie's funniest habit?
A: From being friends with her for years, I have noticed that she will stare into people's soul when she's trying to figure them out... and when you're not used to it, it can be pretty unnerving. But it's pretty hilarious watching people sit there uncomfortably as she just analyses them in her head, but doesn't realise that she literally looks like 👁👄👁 (not to mention she practically invented the death stare)

— Q: If you could change one thing about Hallie, what would it be?
A: This question is more for personality traits, but honestly there isn't a thing I would change about that pessimistic, sarcastic, stubborn little son of a bitch, because she's MY son of a bitch, you feel? However, I sometimes wish I could take away her pain — specifically her SVT. I've witnessed her episodes more than once, calling the ambulance on some occasions, and it's really tough to watch her feeling so helpless. So yeah, if I could, I'd make her as healthy as a horse.

D I N A

— Q: What do you think happened at the dance? Will you REALLY miss Brad?
A: I have no idea. I just feel so confused and scared right now, it's really hard to get my head around all of it. And I get that Brad is... was... a dickhead, but he was still my first, you know? I would never wish death on him, and I'm pretty sure I will never unsee the way he died that night.

— Q: You deserve the world hunny. 🥺
A: Aww, so do you hunny!

— Q: Are you seeing Mrs. Cappriotti too?
A: I probably should... I mean, I think she's gonna have long queues of people, but it would be nice to talk to someone professional about what happened.

— Q: Can I hug you?
A: Oh my God, of course you can! There's so much love here... *sends you a virtual hug*

— Q: Is Syd as short as she looks?
A: Shorter than that! Unless I'm just really tall?

— Q: Alcoholic drink of choice?
A: I think I'd like to go classy and say champagne. It's a celebratory drink, so you can have fun! 🍾🥂

— Q: Did Brad have any good qualities... honestly?
A: I admit, looking back, that he definitely did some questionable things. I certainly wasn't on good terms with him when he... passed. But like I said before, that can't erase the shock and sadness I feel about how he went. As for good qualities... I guess he had a nice smile? Honestly it's hard to reflect on, because I'm so fucking done with boys.

R Y D E R

— Q: Are you releasing new music any time soon?
A: Yeah, dude, thanks for asking! Stream our new EP 'Bowling Bonanza' by The Flans on Spotify for clear skin.

— Q: Nothing to ask but I like you better than expected.
A: Thanks bro... if I could brofist you right now, I would.

— Q: Are you into boys?
A: Who isn't into boys? I MEAN WHAT—

— Q: Date Calvin.
A: Challenge accepted. W-wait, WHAT? STOP TRICKING ME, AHHH!

— Q: Do you have a secret sketchbook?
A: No, I don't. That would be pretty sketchy, don't ya think?... I'll go home now.

— Q: Did you actually like Hallie?
A: Yeah! Just not in the way that I thought I did. Okay, dude, here's some life advice, so buckle in: it takes unexpected turns. I mean, I like how she's kind of organised and gets shit done, you know? That's a pretty cool thing. But whether we were an item... that's a whole other story. I think I knew it wasn't gonna work the moment I saw that Stanley guy staring at her when we went bowling. One of them needs to grow a pair and make a move, because damn, I felt like a third wheel! What I will say is that I think Hallie handled our questionable date really well, and I was kinda surprised by how maturely we left things. Mad respect for her.

A U T H O R

— Q: How did you stay motivated to write this book?
A: Honestly, it beats me! I kind of started this book very spontaneously, and I was surprised by how much love and attention it got from you lovely readers. Your feedback was one of the things that kept me going! But I also listened to the There She Goes soundtrack on Spotify (shameless self-promo, my username is @/brightlybyers if you wanna check it out *wink wonk*) since music helps me when I write.

— Q: Once again, not a question but I loved this and thank you.
A: You're so sweet, thank YOU! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it, because it was just as much of a joy to write.

— Q: How long did it take you to have enough of the basic part of the story to start writing each chapter?
A: It will usually take me a few days, because I like planning from start to finish before I write (but if I'm excited/impatient, I'll try and get halfway through planning the story). Right, so usually when I plan a story, I have the chapters broken down with bullet-point details of what I want to happen. For me I always have to complete this fully before I can start actually writing the story, and having that plan helps keep me inspired, because I'm not going off-track and I know what I want to write. And it's totally okay to change little details along the way! It's just a great framework to start out with.

— Q: Any advice for someone trying to start writing fanfiction?
A: Well, first of all, good luck! I hope you have fun with it. And in terms of advice, I would urge you to search for originality when creating your characters and the plot. You want your protagonist to be unique and memorable, as well as the story. It can be really simple little thing, but they honestly make the difference! Also, give them a personality outside of their love interest. And on that note, don't drastically change the personalities of existing characters for the sake of your plot — find ways that your characters can complement or clash with them.

— Q: Do you take pride in emotionally tormenting people with the lack of Stallie content?
A: Oh, yes... but only because I know things that you don't. 👀

— Q: You do know you made me cry a lot reading this, right?
A: Apparently I did, yeah. Please don't cry... *slides you a box of tissues* QUICK, RYDER, do something gullible so the readers will laugh!

— Q: If you were a superhero, what would your powers be?
A: I think time travelling would be pretty cool, except my only fear would be that I'd accidentally cause someone I loved to suffer because of a past event I changed. So if I could time travel, I wouldn't change anything, it would be more a case of being a witness to historical events or eras I wasn't alive in... maybe I'd pay a visit to my parents when they were little kids, because it would be so bizarre to see them at a time when they neither knew each other nor of my existence in the future.

— Q: What's your favourite thing about Hallie?
A: Ooh, there are a lot of things! But if I had to pick it would actually be one of her flaws, which is her inability to see just how sensitive of a person she is. She's often hard on herself for being a "robot" or "too blunt" to people, and feels bad about being that way. But people like Stanley, who are comfortable in their own skin and are shamelessly themselves, really help her feel okay about it and see it as more of a pro than a con. It's kind of her character development I guess; watching her become less closed off over time to let other people in.

— Q: Favourite scene in the whole book?
A: The Clair de Lune scene, where Hallie and Stanley are listening silently and they hold hands. Not to honk my own horn, but I just think it was such a beautiful moment which didn't need any dialogue, and it was an opportunity to really show this mutual love and care they have for each other, even if someone doesn't always show it... *glares at Hallie*

Thank you for your questions!

If you missed out, don't worry...
comment any burning questions you
forgot or didn't get to ask before,
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