Julianne Marie Lancaster, 21, main character
About to graduate in Management, a bachelor's degree at Loyola Marymount College. Her tuition is entirely paid for by her parents, but to pay for her own upkeep she does administrative work at one of Los Angeles' main hospitals. It was a careful career choice suggested by her father as a way to get into the world of Health Care after getting her diploma. With graduation imminent, Julie is faced with the choice of finding an entry-level position in her field of expertise or continue with a master's degree. Of course, neither are mandatory in her current luxury position of being the long-term significant other to Bryce Carson (two years and counting), a last year student with both a glorious background and a bright future. A well-paid job awaits him the moment they press that red-ribboned paper into his hand and if she wished to do nothing but look pretty in a villa by the coast, then that would be exactly what she'd get. But although Julie isn't entirely convinced she'd suit the part of trophy wife, her mind has been filled with the rose-tinted dream of having the perfect family with the perfect children in a lovely house, and when her life seems to scream for that to become a reality, then who is she to say no?
Julie's been a family-oriented girl since she was little. Always lugging dolls around, always fussing over her little twin siblings Eric and Susannah; she'd be the fair-haired girl who'd put on her mom's high heels and use the curtains for a veil as she pretend-married her best friend in an elaborate wedding with all her Barbies and stuffed teddies – including her favourite toy turtle Tortuga Toby – playing the part of revered audience. That dream never quite dwindled, and in her teenage years she, much like most of her friends, really, struggled with the fear of never finding Mr. Right and being alone for the rest of her life. Not that she had anything to complain about where it concerned male attention; Julie had been hanging with the popular crowd all throughout highschool. Unlike her friends, she wasn't part of the cheer leading squad but rather as a striker on the girl's first soccer team, but with it being by far the most successful team the school had to offer it did little to lessen her popularity. She dated here and there, but with her conservative upbringing there was a significant limit to what she could and would not do with the opposite sex. It was probably that which brought her to move out at age eighteen though, and living on her own had been like finally being able to breathe. Mark was in many ways the best roommate – and in many other ways the worst – and in her parents' eyes he could do nothing wrong. While living with a man was unconventional to say the least, at least in her father's eyes, Mark Verona had always been 'that sweet little boy from next door' who Julie had been friends with since she was yea high and therefore her decision received their reluctant blessing. Julie wasn't going to shatter that illusion.
Bryce came into the picture entirely at random, one night while out in the city with some college friends. He wooed her not in the ways of the knights of old, but with a flattery and conviction that had her flustered and charmed all at once. Convincing her that he was right for her wasn't a difficult task and when he called her the day after she didn't even consider turning down a proper date. A second and third soon followed and they all too soon became exclusive. As time passed, more and more of her life began revolving around Bryce, and he continues to treat her like a princess... as long as her opinion doesn't stray too far from his expectations, anyway.
Her study had not been a choice of passion, but rather a logical follow-up after high school. She enjoyed the medical world and with her mother being a nurse and her father a successful business advisor it seemed like an ideal mix – nice and safe and leaving a lot of options for the future. Julie's upbringing had been warm but somewhat sheltered, and the urge to seek what was comfortable and familiar tended to be far stronger than her desire to step out of her comfort zone. She was intelligent enough to breeze through the four years of college without too much difficulty, but with the end in sight the thought of devoting her life to something that has reasonable financial prospects but really doesn't offer the career she could put her heart into, the option of bailing out after graduating becomes all too tempting.
Bryce Rushton, 24
This guy's had everything going for him since the day he was born, at least in the material sense. His father has been working full-time and then some throughout his entire childhood (and before that) and they now have the wealth to show for it. His father, George Rushton, is the CEO of a prominent Estate Agency currently employing over forty agents who cater to the high end clientèle of southern California. They're working to open additional offices in Malibu and Miami, and once he's completed his bachelor's degree in Business Administration he will be set on a golden path from agent to broker to managing one of their newer locations. He is all about appearance, and on the outside he's a great guy: confident, smart, friendly and a great smooth-talker, which naturally comes in handy in his particular career path. Below the surface it's a slightly different story.
Bryce's parents – George and Camilla Rushton – are both in their early fifties. Camilla is a stay-at-home-mom, although that term is being used in the broadest sense. She's a beautiful woman with a refined taste in architecture, fashion and a true wine connoisseur. She doesn't work in the traditional sense but enjoys discovering young artists and helping them become more widely known (she owns an art gallery specifically for such occasions), something her husband calls her 'little pet projects'. It earns her some extra money, although it doesn't by far live up to the amount she spends; fortunately, money has never been in an issue in the Rushton family. Camilla adores attention and surrounds herself with people willing to praise her for her beauty (and willingness to throw money at the people she's most fond of). The Rushton's marriage is not perfect, but they have reached a mutual understanding that works for them both. Camilla's needs are generally not too complicated and though her husband's free time is limited she distracts herself from their relationship's shortcomings with all things money can by – wealth can offer great solace, after all. Though he's never given her reason to believe he doesn't care for her, Camilla sometimes wonders if their initial love has faded, but she's too afraid to ask for fear of knowing the answer. She's turned a blind eye to any signs of their marriage slowly coming apart and although there have been a few occasions where she was practically forced to become suspicious of his faithfulness to his spouse, to the outside world the woman bravely feigns that they are forevermore the perfect couple.
Naturally, the example of his parents' marriage doesn't leave their only son unaffected. Though mostly subconscious, his girlfriends have all shared certain resemblances. Without exception they were all beautiful and never too headstrong or independent. Bryce enjoys being the strong one in a relationship, and his dominant nature meshes well with a more docile girl. But they lacked a certain challenge, for lack of better words and in Julie he has found the perfect mix of complacency, intelligence and mild independence to keep him from getting bored. Indeed, she fits well into his long-term plans and together they dream of a picture perfect family the world would envy.
Needess to say, he isn't too fond of Mark's presence. Not only because he looks down upon him -status is everything, after all - but the fact that his girlfriend socializes and worse, lives together with someone like that is something that just about infuriates him. Not that he'd let on that he's upset with her sharing an apartment with such a social failure of course; Bryce much prefers getting his opinion across by dropping the occasional insult barely concealed as a smug remark. He has big plans for the future involving a house together, probably far away on the east coast.
George and Camilla Rushton, 55 and 51
Kelsey Martins and Selene O'Connell, both 21
They've been a happy threesome since the first year of highschool, and Kelsey, Selene and Julie have shared just about everything throughout their teenage years. These two girls share Julie's general view of the future, with a big diamond ring on their finger as the ultimate goal. Selene has taken a serious step into bagging herself a successful husband; she's recently become engaged to an IT manager. Kelsey is currently dating a pilot twice her age, who has a daughter only three years younger than her. It makes for a complicated situation and she loves to complain about what she regards her 'unfair competition' on their monthly get-together, a tradition that persists ever since they parted ways. They have no particularly high opinion of Mark, who, in their eyes, contributes little to society and has none of the aspects a man should have. Which makes it no surprise that they practically idolize Bryce and often harass Julie with questions on whether or not he's popped the question yet – something that never fails to fill the girl with anxiety. They tolerate Mark's presence but only because he's likely the only person Julie seems to have a strong opinion about, so they keep a wary eye on him to make sure he doesn't interfere with their 'BFF's perfect future.
Rebecca Hinderson, 26
Though Julie's made a few friends in her college years, Rebecca is by far the one she socializes with most – and coincidentally, also a polar opposite to her highschool friends. Described by her father as 'that hippie friend of yours', she has a rather unique lifestyle and before she began attending college she'd spent over a year backpacking through Asia. The stories she shares never fail to intrigue Julie and she looks up to her friend in many ways, sometimes quietly wishing she could just have a shred of her dauntless nature. She's a vegetarian and a fan of classical rock, and the only friend who actually gets along with the members of Reckless Life. She's accompanied Julie to their performances more than once (Kelsey and Selene went once and complained the whole evening about loud music, dubious smells and the floor being sticky with alcohol). The girl has a live and let live attitude and won't easily criticize anyone's lifestyle. Julie sometimes goes to Rebecca for advice, especially when it concerns things she knows Mark doesn't agree with. It's not always easy to get a hold of her though; the girl does so much voluntary work she's practically never home, and you're more likely to find her at the animal shelter than in her own apartment.
Edward Lancaster, 49 and Mariska Hart, 42
Julie's mother is the third daughter in a family of five, who was raised with strong Christian values. Her husband Edward is only religious in name, and as a result their own children have grown up in what can best be described as a laid-back religious way. They are both fairly conservative in their ways, to who family always comes first. Mariska worked as a nurse for a long time, but when the twins were born she gave up her work to look after all three of her children. Eric and Susannah are five years younger than Julie and they're just leaving their most rebellious teenage years. Julie absolutely adores her two younger siblings and they are one of the main reasons why she's always stayed close to her parental home. She visits them frequently and brings Bryce along whenever she can persuade him. Her parents adore him and fail to see any flaw in the man. He is the promise of a steady and bright future for their oldest daughter and Julie loves her parents dearly. Their opinion matters a lot to her and in a way it perfectly aligns with her subconscious desire to pass up on taking responsibility for her own actions. And whilst the Lancasters have been nothing but supportive of the girl in any way possible, her somewhat dependent nature has her unknowingly chase her parents' vision of her future.
George Lancaster has been working for an IT firm for most of his life and steadily made his way up the ladder. He's on a first name base with his boss and they regularly have dinner together, and all in all his life is somewhat hectic, but considerably pleasant. The Lancasters still live in the house where George grew up in (when the opportunity presented itself he bought the house from his mother, who moved to an elderly home but has since passed away) and although their annual income well exceeds the average of the neighbourhood (they are the only family with a swimming pool in the backyard and a large Audi on their driveway) they are happy to remain there and though they are often the subject of envious eyes, they generally get along well with the rest of the neighbourhood.
Eric and Susannah Lancaster, 15
