#i read 2 of my old term papers again so i could have accurate classroom dialogue for this

[raleighcarrera]

after class

ride or die | colt kaneko x mc (ellie wheeler)

‘part of me wishes things were different. we could’ve met at college… pushed each other in the classroom…’

colt & ellie are classmates at langston. for @rodappreciationweek day 2 (colt day!)

tags: @choicesarehard, @lovehugsandcandy, @pixeljazzy, @theeccentricbibliophile, @troublemakerinspace, @dancingboba, @zigtheeortega 

~10.5k words | M (18+)

colt surveyed the classroom as he stalked through the front door, late, his eyes eventually coming to rest on the last available desk. naturally, it was in the front row of the room, worsening the low level of irritation he already had simmering. 

great. just what he’d been hoping for, at 8:30 in the morning, on the first day of the fall semester. he huffed as he made his way over to it, dropping unceremoniously into the chair. so much for coasting through syllabus week, or sleeping through the morning classes his advisor had recommended. at least he’d made it in before the professor. 

he cut a bored glance to the left and caught sight of the girl sitting next to him. she looked way too perky for the early morning hour, sitting up straight in her seat, notebook already open on her desk. the charms on the bracelet adorning her wrist jangled together when she lifted her reusable water bottle to her lips and sipped from the straw. 

8:30 AM and she wasn’t even drinking coffee? what a weirdo. 

colt’s eyes slid down and lingered on her legs, crossed under the desk. the shorts she was wearing provided ample view of smooth, brown skin, and he smirked at the way she was bouncing her foot before forcing his eyes away. when he looked back up, he noticed she was looking at him, too.

his eyebrows arched, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards. before he could say anything, the professor walked in, pulling the door shut behind her. the girl beside him flushed red all the way to her hairline and averted her eyes guiltily, looking back toward the front of the room as though the lecture had already started. 

colt grinned to himself and leaned back in his seat, pleased as punch. maybe this early class wouldn’t be the worst thing that ever happened to him, after all.

“good morning, everyone,” the professor said, dropping her things on the desk at the front of the room and immediately moving to pass out the syllabus, working her way up and down the rows of desks. “i’m dr. morrell. welcome to law and psychology. the purpose of this class is to examine the ways both industries intersect with each other. over the course of the semester we’ll explore issues relevant to understanding human behavior from the perspective of law and psych and the contributions of psychology as a behavioral science to legal issues.” 

the girl sitting beside him was already taking notes. colt scanned the syllabus as the professor dropped it onto his desk, grimacing when he caught sight of the grading breakdown. two exams, two papers and a group project? surely no hot girl was worth subjecting himself to that.

“i’d like a few of you to provide some examples of where law and psych intersect so that i can get to know you. who wants to go first?”

out of the corner of his eye, colt saw the girl’s hand shoot up. of course.

“go ahead. what’s your name?”

“ellie wheeler,” she answered, “and psychology often intersects with the law when it comes to false confessions. a majority of false confessions occur because of the psychologically manipulative interrogation tactics police use, like the guilt-presumptive reid technique.” 

“very good,” dr. morrell praised. “we’ll be covering the psychology behind false confessions extensively before midterms. anyone else?”

his hand raised before he was even aware of it. “colt kaneko. isn’t ellie ignoring that false confessions are also born from a system that doesn’t take into account dispositional vulnerabilities of suspects? like not requiring a lawyer for juveniles or those with behavioral or personality disorders -- you know, the groups who actually provide a majority of false confessions.”

the professor’s eyebrows raised. colt could feel ellie staring at him in disbelief from where she was sitting beside him. “certainly,” dr. morrell agreed politely, “we’ll be exploring a variety of studies that explain how social pressures, personality traits and potential conduct disorders intersect with police interrogations and confessions. but this is great insight.”

she crossed to the other side of the room to call on another student. colt turned his head and caught ellie’s eye -- she was still glaring at him, looking pissed off and, honestly, even hotter for it. 

when he grinned at her, she huffed under her breath, still obviously annoyed. her gaze snapped back to the syllabus, and though he continued to sneak glances at her for the next ninety minutes, she didn’t look his way again.

she hung back to talk to the professor once they were dismissed, but colt wasn’t about to linger in a lecture hall, even if it meant scoring a chance to talk to the only girl who’d actually captured his attention at college so far. 

the thought of having to wait until thursday to see her again was... unwelcome. as he made his way to his next class, he wondered why he’d never seen her around before. if she was a psych student it seemed strange that they’d managed to go a whole year without having a class together; the program at langston wasn’t that big, and for most of his freshman year he’d seen the same faces, give or take a few, in each of his classes. now, on the first day of his sophomore year, he’d recognized most of the people in law & psych, too. but not her. 

hopefully she’d changed majors and wasn’t just taking law & psych to fulfill a requirement. having her around was going to make the program a lot more interesting -- none of the other people in his courses ever challenged him, and he’d honestly gotten sort of bored picking apart their points all the time. she was a welcome change of pace, and he was surprised to find that he was actually looking forward to her inevitable payback for shutting her down in class. 

colt got to his social psych class with enough time to have his pick of the seats. he slipped into the back row and pulled out his phone, scrolling through the messages he’d missed since last night. a few minutes later, the sound of someone pulling out the chair beside him made him lift his eyes, and a wide grin -- one that he knew well was too obnoxious for even the latter half of the morning -- took over his face when he saw who it was that had sat down next to him.

“hey,” he greeted, nodding at ellie. “looks like you copied my schedule.”

she regarded him with barely suppressed disgust. “my advisor picked these classes. i registered late and got locked out of everything.”

huh. that was exactly what had happened to him, but in all actuality, he’d completely forgotten about the deadline to register for classes. “are you new to the program? why haven’t i had any classes with you before?”

she looked at him like he was insane. “uh, it’s my first day? i just started here.”

okay -- that wasn’t exactly fair. like he was just supposed to assume she was a freshman, when both classes he’d found her in were two-hundred level courses? “shouldn’t you be in intro to psych, then?”

ellie rolled her eyes at him. he watched as she pulled a second notebook from her bag, setting it on the desk next to her water bottle. “i have an accelerated course load,” she explained, “i started over the summer. i’m in the pre-law program? you do undergrad in just three years and then law school for the next three. psych is just one of my minors.” 

so -- she was brilliant. figures. he’d had a feeling.

“well --”

she turned away as the professor walked in. colt rolled his eyes as he started droning on about the course, walking through the syllabus at an agonizingly slow pace. like he gave a shit. the girl sitting next to him was infinitely more interesting.

“...so our first unit will explore social psychology as it pertains to consumer behavior. can anyone name an example of psychology impacting consumer behavior? let’s see... colt. how about you?”

the sound of his name startled him into paying attention again. “uh... packaging? and presentation. grocery store layouts are designed to push certain products so everything from lighting to shelf position impacts consumers on a psychological level.”

“sure,” the professor nodded, “but what about in a social context? anyone else?”

ellie raised her hand. “there are lots of studies that show salesperson interaction can significantly affect consumer behavior. oftentimes the social pressures of the interaction can impact purchasing behaviors significantly.”

“you’re absolutely right. now, if we expand on ellie’s observation...”

colt looked back towards her and found ellie shooting him a smug, self-satisfied smile. well. if that was the way she wanted to kick off the semester, then... color him even more impressed. 

he nodded back at her. game on.

*

tuesday afternoon came around quickly enough. the class pattern at langston meant that most students had the day off on wednesdays, so colt’s roommate was already pregaming when he got back to the dorm, getting ready to go out later that night.

logan tossed him a beer as soon as he took his jacket off. “hey,” he nodded at him, “there’s a party at backyard tonight. wanna go?”

colt shrugged, cracking the tab on the can and lifting it to his lips for a sip. “i guess. who’s living there this year?”

“i think the lacrosse team,” logan answered, though his voice sounded distracted, his eyes were on his phone. “there’s people going to howl too, though.”

“whatever,” he said, dropping down onto his bed, kicking off his shoes, “we could always start at the bar and go to backyard after. i don’t care.”

a thought occurred to him as he drained the rest of his beer, leaning over to set the empty can on his desk. trying to keep his voice casual, he asked, “do you remember where we used to party when we were freshmen?”

logan lifted his head and smirked at him. “we didn’t used to party anywhere. i went out and you sulked in the room.”

colt rolled his eyes. “i wasn’t sulking.” he just hadn’t wanted to be at school. at all. colt spent most of his freshman year trying to figure out how to get kicked out of college and sent home to l.a., not that it had done him much good. 

“if you say so,” logan hummed, setting his phone aside and heading to the fridge for another beer. colt shook his head when logan looked back at him curiously. “why’re you asking, anyway?”

“no reason,” colt answered too-quickly, averting his eyes when logan’s look turned suspicious,��“just wondering.”

logan leaned against his desk, his expression morphing into one of disbelief. “dude. come on.”

colt’s jaw clenched as he grit his teeth. then he sighed and said, “fine. there’s a girl in the psych program i wanted to talk to.”

logan’s face split into a boyish, excited grin. “dude,” he said again, but this time he sounded delighted, “seriously? i’ve only been waiting, like, an entire year for this. what’s her name?”

colt rolled his eyes at him. he should’ve anticipated this reaction. “forget it. it’s not a big deal. if we run into her we run into her --”

“colt,” logan sighed, “you know you could just invite her, right?”

“i don’t have her number. and anyway --”

“okay, whatever. we’ll just find her. i think most of the freshmen should be at the rugby party, we can walk there after the bar. dude, this is so awesome. i’ve always wanted to be your wing man.”

“well, can you try to calm down?” he leaned back on the mattress, shrugging his shoulders. “i don’t even think she likes me.”

“yeah,” logan laughed, “i’m sure you were really nice to her.”

“shut up,” colt mumbled, “it was -- whatever. i’m going to take a shower.” 

logan’s enthusiasm didn’t waver; if anything, it only got worse as he kept drinking. he bothered colt about what he was going to wear for twenty minutes until colt finally gave in and let logan pick from his shirts.

fortunately, he was at least moderately buzzed by the time they made it to the bar and met up with the rest of their friends. even more fortunately, logan started talking to a girl as soon as they got there and left him alone to first survey the crowd for ellie -- no luck there -- and then start slamming back shots.

he lost track of time talking to some girl who knew a surprising amount about cars and soon enough it was approaching midnight and he was drunk, waiting until logan came up for air from where he’d been kissing the girl he’d met in a corner of the bar to remind him about the party.

“oh yeah!” logan said excitedly, one arm wrapped around the girl’s shoulders. she was leaning on his chest, giggling drunkenly at nothing. “christina’s a freshman, too, she said she’d bring us by. maybe she knows the girl you like.”

“dude,” colt said, shaking his head, “come on.” the small group of people they’d met up with at the bar walked with them to the rugby house, where the guy at the door recognized the girl logan had been making out with and waved them all in without a second glance.

the house was full of people he didn’t recognize, which probably meant that most of them were freshmen or people on the rugby team; painfully loud music made it almost impossible to hear logan, even when he leaned in and screamed into his ear, “is she here?”

colt looked around, but he didn’t see ellie anywhere in the living room. he shook his head. “i’m gonna go get a drink,” he called, weaving through the crowd of bodies and walking off into the kitchen, alone.

he bypassed the keg and went straight for the bottles lining the counter. he was pouring vodka into a cup he’d already half-filled with tequila when someone bumped into him, jostling his shoulder.

colt turned around and came face-to-face with ellie, who was unsteady on her feet, brushing her hair out of her face where it’d suddenly fallen into her eyes. she looked different than she had in class yesterday -- the top she was wearing was low-cut and lacy, her shorts tight and short enough to show off the same long, tanned legs he’d been eyeing in the lecture hall. 

she smiled when he finally met her eyes. “oh. it’s you. hi!” she chirped cheerfully, her voice loud and over-excited. the fact that she was being so nice to him meant that she’d probably had a few. her eyes were unfocused as she looked him over, though her gaze sharpened when she stopped on his face again. “what’re you doing here?”

he shrugged, leaning against the counter as nonchalantly as possible. “my roommate wanted to stop in.” colt felt his lips pull into a grin despite himself. “didn’t think i’d see a girl like you in a place like this.”

ellie pouted prettily at him. “what’s that s’posed to mean?”

he laughed. of course she had to be a cute drunk. “you’re just such a goody-two-shoes. i’m almost impressed you made it out at all.”

her arms folded under her chest. colt focused all of his energy on keeping his eyes on her face. “i am not a goody-two-shoes.”

colt took a long sip from the cup in his hand. that he was able to swallow the alcohol straight without gagging immediately proved he was probably too drunk for this conversation. “sure you’re not.”

“i’m not,” she insisted, “i’ll prove it. let’s take shots!”

he glanced down at the cup in his hand, mentally judging how much was left. then, he held it out to her with his eyebrows arched. “okay. if you can finish this you’ll officially have impressed me.”

ellie confidently snatched the cup out of his hand, lifting it to her nose. then she wavered, squinting down into it. “what is it?”

colt grinned at her again. “tequila.”

“it smells like vodka.”

he shrugged. “it’s vodka, too.”

“you’ve been standing here drinking vodka and tequila mixed together? without -- without, like, soda? or juice? you’re a sociopath.”

“look, if you can’t handle it, no worries. maybe we can find you a white claw or something.”

ellie huffed, squinting at him before resolutely lifting his cup to her lips and knocking back the liquid left in it in one gulp.

he pursed his lips together to stifle a smile, and then a laugh, once she started coughing.

“ugh! that is awful,” ellie exclaimed, pushing the empty cup back into his hands, “how can you possibly drink that? no wonder you’re like -- how you are.”

his friends found them in the kitchen before he could ask what she meant. logan clapped his shoulder and asked, “hey, are you ready to go? chase and sean are already at backyard.”

the girl he’d brought with him squealed excitedly when she saw ellie, throwing herself into her arms for a hug. “ohmygod, you should totally come with us!” she exclaimed, “i’ll walk you back later. please, el?”

logan’s face lit up. he elbowed colt hard in the side until colt glared at him and stepped purposefully on his foot. 

“sure,” ellie shrugged, “let me just tell my roommate.” she glanced at colt, the corners of her mouth lifting. “i’ll meet you guys outside?”

he nodded, probably faster than he should have. “yeah.” the longer they all stood there, the more likely it was that logan would say something to embarrass him, anyway. 

there were people drinking in the front yard when they went outside, but he felt like he could breathe a little easier out of the crowded kitchen and living room. as soon as christina pulled away from logan, he turned back toward colt and asked, “soooooooo? was that her?”

“yeah,” he admitted begrudgingly, “but don’t say anything.”

logan held a hand to his chest, wounded. “it really hurts my feelings that you think i’d be so uncool. dude, i want you to get laid.”

colt rolled his eyes. “i don’t need any help getting laid.” and it wasn’t like he was looking to sleep with her and never call her again.

“i know, but --” ellie and one of her friends came out the front door, walking over as soon as they caught sight of them. the girl ellie had brought with her started talking to christina as logan led the group down the street, and colt was surprised when ellie hung back and fell into step with him, at the back of the group.

“so -- you been over here yet?” he asked, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans.

“nope. but riya said all the upperclassmen hang out at backyard.” 

colt snuck a glance over at her and had to suppress a smile again. “that your friend?”

“uh huh,” she nodded, “we’ve been best friends our whole lives. it was, like, a dream come true when we both got in.”

“cool. well -- backyard is usually pretty fun, but the lacrosse team is living here this year so we’ll have to see if they can hang.”

“who’s your friend?” ellie asked abruptly. when he looked over at her again, he saw that she was staring at logan. he’d recognize the look on her face anywhere. he’d seen it on tons of girls’ faces before. 

ellie was biting her bottom lip.

“that’s my roommate,” he answered stiffly. “logan.”

“he’s really hot,” she murmured thoughtlessly, almost to herself. the sound of her voice was soft, each word starting to slur together. 

colt rolled his eyes. he quickened his pace to catch up to some of the other guys.

“hey!” ellie huffed, and he heard the sound of her shoes on the sidewalk as she rushed to be beside him again, “wait up.” 

the off-campus housing that had always been a party spot had gotten the name ‘backyard’ for said impressive feature; the grass was packed with undergrads when colt and everyone else made their way outside. as soon as they found chase and sean, one of them passed him a lit joint, which he accepted gratefully, thinking there were few things he might’ve liked more, at that moment, than being too high to think about any of the things that were bothering him.

ellie appeared beside him suddenly. “you smoke?”

he stared back at her blankly, and then took another hit. “weed? yeah.”

“oh.” she blinked, looking from him to chase and back again. “can i try it?”

chase shrugged at her. “be my guest,” colt said flatly, passing her the joint and leaving her with the group, walking over to the keg.

logan jogged over while he was filling a cup. colt passed him the first one and went to get another. “so? how’s it going?”

he rolled his eyes. “she’d rather talk to you. it’s whatever.”

logan frowned at him. “i’m obviously not going to --”

“i literally don’t care. it’s fine.” colt walked away before logan could continue. he had only a moment to scan the backyard for someone he actually wanted to talk to before ellie popped into his field of vision again.

“are you mad at me?” she demanded, frowning at him. 

“nope.” the girl from howl who’d talked to him about cars for an hour was waving at him from over by the fence. colt pushed past ellie to go talk to her again. “i owe you one,” he grinned when he approached, “you saved me from an unbelievably awkward situation.”

the answering smile she sent his way was wide -- all teeth. “then you should come home with me.”

he blinked. colt racked his brain, trying to remember if she’d told him her name. “do you live on campus?”

she nodded. “in south. but my roommate’ll be sleeping over here with her boyfriend.” 

if she lived in south, she was probably an upperclassman. unfortunately, that didn’t bring him any closer to remembering her name. 

he squinted at her, then ducked his head, as bashfully as he could manage. “i forgot your name.”

admitting as much was a risk, but it paid off -- she only laughed at him, and then said, “olivia. so? you wanna get out of here?”

more than anything. he nodded, reaching down and threading his fingers through hers. “let me just tell my roommate.”

she let him tug her over to where logan was standing with the rest of their friends. “i’m leaving,” he said, clapping logan on the shoulder. logan frowned at him for a moment before he caught sight of olivia, and then he grinned widely.

“nice. see you later.” 

colt nodded at everyone else before they left, pointedly not scanning the crowd for one last glimpse of ellie. 

he was a fucking idiot for thinking he should pursue something there in the first place, probably. whatever dumb little crush he had on her because she’d impressed him a couple of times had to go.

fortunately, he’d already found another way to occupy his time -- even if it was only for tonight.

*

he was late to law & psych again on thursday, and everyone in the room was sitting in the same seats they’d taken on monday -- which meant the only open desk was in the front, again, next to ellie.

she shot him a deeply unimpressed look when he slunk into his seat and dropped his head in his hands. like she had on monday, she seemed wide awake and much too excited; she was drinking water again.

“hi,” she said pointedly, like he was ignoring her or something.

colt arched an eyebrow at her. “hi?”

ellie huffed. “where’d you disappear to on tuesday?”

“uh...” he rubbed at his eyes, still feeling exhausted. “just went back to campus, i guess.”

she looked almost... embarrassed, not that he understood why. professor morrell called everyone to attention before she could say anything, and though he really didn’t give a shit, he still turned back to the front of the room, slumping down in his seat as he went.

he did his best to pay attention for most of class, but found himself zoning out for the next hour -- pretty much sleeping with his eyes open. the only part of the lecture he actually caught was five minutes before class was scheduled to end, when dr. morrell said, “and before we go, i’ll assign the partners and topics for the first project so you guys can get started over the weekend, if you want.”

yeah, that was exactly how he wanted to spend his weekend. he rolled his eyes as she started passing out readings. though he was only half-paying attention, he did realize that she was working her way clockwise around the room... and everything slowed to a stop when she paused in front of his desk and said, “ellie and colt. your topic is false confessions. i look forward to seeing your presentation.”

he probably should’ve seen that one coming. it was par for the course with his life, honestly -- just his fucking luck. 

he flipped absently through the reading she’d given them and then sighed, handing it to ellie. 

“don’t look so thrilled,” she said as she took it from his hands. “come on. we can work out a schedule for when we’re going to work on this.”

they headed toward the building they had social psych together in, side-by-side. ellie kept her eyes on the reading as they went, and he took advantage of the fact that her gaze was averted to study her in turn, analyzing the expression her face calculatingly. 

“i’ve read this study before,” she said finally, “this won’t be that hard. we can split the lit review and then i’ll work on the analysis and you can do the conclusion.”

“okay,” he said, a little startled by the way she seamlessly doled out orders. “sure.”

ellie snuck a glance up at him, then, and he didn’t look away, even when she caught him staring. her cheeks were a little flushed when she drew in a breath and said, “okay. do you want to work on it this weekend?”

“that’s fine.”

they crossed the quad together in silence. as they neared the building their next class was in, she hesitantly started, “so -- your roommate...”

colt tensed, but otherwise didn’t say anything. the expression on his face soured when, a moment later, ellie continued, “is he single?”

try as he might to force his face blank, he could feel his look of distaste twisting further into a scowl. “i guess.” at least he’d been drunk the last time she’d subjected him to this.

ellie either didn’t notice his attitude or didn’t care to comment on it; she breezed right past the dark tone of his voice when she said, “cool, because my friend riya -- from tuesday? -- thinks he’s really cute, and i think they’d be perfect together. but she had this awful breakup last spring and i don’t want to set her up with just anyone, so --”

his sneer cleared as she kept blabbing, and he slowly tuned her voice out in favor of the pounding of his own heart. so she hadn’t been asking for herself.

that was... an interesting development, for sure. for sure.

“colt?” he shook himself from his thoughts and looked back at her. ellie frowned at him, her eyes narrowing. “were you even listening to me?”

“yeah, your friend. bad breakup. high school drama.” he shot her a winning smile as he opened the door for her, following behind her and letting it swing shut in the face of whatever underclassmen were coming in behind them.

“maybe we can all do something this weekend,” she suggested, as they made their way down the hallway to the classroom, “get drinks or something after we work on the project?”

“definitely.” fuck. that answer had probably come too quickly to be considered cool, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed by ellie -- she was looking at him from under her eyelashes, smiling shyly. 

she looked really pretty. fuck. 

she followed him to the back of the room again even though they were right on time today and there were plenty of open seats. he wondered what the fuck she was doing when ellie slid into the same desk she’d sat in on monday; she clearly wasn’t a back of the classroom type of girl. but here she was.

“give me your phone.”

he startled. “what? why?”

“so i can give you my number?” again, the look on her face seemed to suggest he was the biggest idiot she’d ever had the displeasure of talking to. “how else are we going to find a time to work on the project?”

colt passed it over wordlessly, watching while she plugged her phone number in and then texted herself before handing it back. “thanks,” he said stupidly, with no idea why. 

“just try not to ditch me again.” the look on her face had him feeling weirdly guilty, like they’d gone to the party together, or something -- like he hadn’t left her with all of her friends. he suddenly wondered how much she actually remembered, if she saw him leave hand-in-hand with olivia or not. 

try not to act like you want to fuck my roommate, he thought to himself, the words on the tip of his tongue. 

before he could put his foot in his mouth, the professor called class to attention. he sat in silence for most of the next hour and a half, until he answered a question and ellie said --

“actually, colt’s forgetting that schemas related to behaviors are known as scripts, and a widely different concept.”

“they’re actually not a different concept at all,” colt said, before the professor could correct her, “they’re a deviation of the same concept on a technical level but operate in pretty much the same way where modification and therapy are concerned.”

“colt’s correct,” the professor said, shooting them both a strange look before walking back to the board at the front of the room, “which brings us to next week’s reading by abelson. we’ll be discussing chapter four in more detail on monday...”

he turned and smiled smugly at ellie. she looked just as deeply annoyed with him as ever, seething at her desk. 

never one to quite know when to stop, he couldn’t resist leaning in and whispering, “maybe you shouldn’t have skipped intro to psych after all,” gratified by the way her hands clenched into fists and how she stared him down with the dirtiest look she could muster. 

suddenly the semester had gotten fun again.

*

working on their project together went surprisingly well. much better than he had expected it to, given their track record.

but ellie was smart and sharp and witty in a way that felt like something he’d been waiting for without outright searching for it. 

admittedly, he’d caught himself staring at her more than a few times, his eyes mapping the curve of her neck when her head bent low into his textbook, which was used, and therefore free game for her to mark up with highlighter. 

they were probably sitting too close for the library. all the private rooms were taken when they’d first arrived, so they’d found a table in the upper level of the atrium, and though it was sort of secluded in the back corner by the windows they were far from alone. 

but that didn’t stop his mind from wandering. 

“look at this study,” ellie said suddenly, sliding a piece of paper under his nose and forcing him to tear his eyes away from the dip of her cupid’s bow, “what kassin says here about compliance will be an important point for us.”

“god, aren’t you tired yet?” he was almost impressed. it’d been hours. “look around. it’s dark out. you have to at least be hungry.”

ellie’s lips pursed into a thin line. she sighed, but begrudgingly admitted, “okay, i’m a little hungry.” 

his grin widened, toeing the line between obnoxious and charming he so often straddled. “we made really good progress.” well. she had, at least. “let’s call it for tonight. come on, it’s friday.”

she wavered for another minute, but he knew he had her. it still felt like a victory when she finally nodded. “fine. we did make pretty good progress. maybe we can meet up again on sunday?” 

he stared at her as she stretched in her chair, arching her back and raising her arms above her head. “sure. are you going out tonight?”

ellie’s lips twisted into a grimace, and she shook her head. “i wasn’t planning on it. i have a meeting with my advisor early tomorrow morning.”

“on a saturday?” someone sitting at one of the other tables chose that moment to shush them, loudly, and he twisted around to glare at them over his shoulder as ellie packed up her books and stood. he only looked away to follow her out, though she waited until they were in the stairwell to talk again.

“yes, on a saturday. i just want to make sure i’m staying on track.”

colt arched his eyebrows at her as he held open the door to the lobby. “it’s the first week of the semester.”

“well, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared,” ellie huffed, stepping smoothly past his arm and striding to the exit, “school is really important to me.”

“okay,” he said, trying to stifle the smirk that was threatening, “so if you’re such a goody-two-shoes, how’d you wind up missing the deadline to pick classes? doesn’t seem like something that’d just slip your mind.”

ellie’s smile dipped while they made their way back across the lawn. “um.” her voice was suddenly much quieter, and he watched one of her shoulders lift in an unsure shrug before she stiffly continued, “my mom. she’d been sick for awhile, but... over the summer -- she died. i honestly just forgot about registering.”

“fuck,” colt sighed, before he could stop himself and think for a second about what he was saying, “i’m an asshole. i’m sorry, i didn’t --”

“please,” ellie said, already shaking her head, “you couldn’t have known. but... that’s what happened. and i totally had a meltdown when i realized and i seriously almost just deferred a semester to get around it, but i guess everything wound up working out.” 

he was surprised to see her sneaking a glance up at him as they walked. immediately, he averted his eyes. “i guess,” he allowed, decidedly ignoring the strange and unfamiliar feeling that was abruptly squeezing his chest tight, “but, still. that really sucks. i’m sorry.”

“don’t be,” she murmured. her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. ellie cleared her throat, her voice a little brighter when she said, “hey -- do you... want to get dinner? um, if you’re not going out or anything.”

as if. she was the only person who’d been able to get him to go out since he fucking came to this stupid school. “yeah. i mean -- i’m not. so that’d be cool.” maybe he still had a shot at impressing her. “actually, can i show you something? do you like tacos?”

“oh.” she looked surprised, both by his agreement and his suggestion, but despite how floored she seemed she still smiled in a way that lit up her whole face, and he was amazed to notice that she had a dimple he’d somehow never seen before right now. “i love tacos.”

ellie didn’t say another word until they were both sitting down on the edge of the roof, styrofoam takeout boxes balanced in their laps, so he had no idea what her opinion was on any of it. 

she’d remained coy while he led her to his favorite off-campus hole-in-the-wall, quiet when he’d dragged her back to the biology building and forced her up five flights of stairs, silent save for a pointed raised eyebrow when he shoved his shoulder into the door marked roof access - custodial staff only until it popped open and they emerged out onto the roof, easygoing but still a little cautious when he led her over to the edge and sat down with his legs dangling over the side of the building.

now, she had pineapple juice dripping down her thumb as she cradled her al pastor in her hands, giving him carte blanche to stare at her while her own eyes looked out at the city. 

he was desperate to know her take on it all, and frustratingly close to demanding well?! before she eventually spoke up and put him out of his misery.

“this is a great view.”

colt finally diverted his gaze to his own tacos. “don’t tell anyone about it. it’s a secret.”

“that’s a funny way of saying breaking and entering.” 

he rolled his eyes at her, gently shoving his shoulder into hers. “what they don’t know won’t hurt ‘em. besides, we’re not doing anything wrong.”

ellie shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. “i’ve never done anything like this before.”

“we can leave, if you want,” he offered. “i just wanted to show you the city.”

“no.” colt watched her shake her head rapidly, and then ellie leaned in and bumped her shoulder back against his in return. “i didn’t mean it like that. i guess i’m just -- trying to explain. why you think i’m lame.”

he frowned. “i don’t think you’re lame.”

ellie laughed, ducking her head and poking at the styrofoam container in her lap. “you don’t?”

“no. why, because you’re not out tonight? i’m not, either.” in fact, he could probably count all the nights he’d been out since he’d moved in last year on one hand. 

“not only that.” she paused thoughtfully, stopping to take a bite of her taco. “because i take school so seriously, i guess.” 

colt set his food aside to lean back on his palms, looking out over the city. “there’s nothing wrong with wanting to do well. you’d be, like, my parents’ dream child. i’m sure they both wish i’d take this even half as seriously as you do.”

her head turned, and he caught a glimpse of her soft smile out of the corner of his eyes. “did you miss the deadline to register for classes on purpose?”

he nodded. “i’ve been trying to get kicked out since i got here. it’s harder than you’d think.”

ellie laughed. “why would you want to get kicked out? most people would kill to be here.”

“well, i’m not like most people.” colt pushed the toes of his shoes against the loose edge of the roof, silently debating the rest of his answer. “i never wanted to go to college. but shipping me out here so i’d be out of my dad’s way is the only thing my parents ever agreed on.”

“where’re you from, again?”

“los angeles. but i’ve been with my mom ever since my folks split in denver. my dad -- it’s complicated.”

she was quiet. he wondered what she was thinking. after a moment, she said, “i’m from l.a., too.”

colt’s eyebrows arched high. “really? small world.”

“nothing was the same after my mom got sick, though. my dad never let me out of his sight. it got to a point where being home felt like being in prison.” ellie hesitated, her eyes still on the skyline. “part of me was so relieved to come here that i still feel guilty about it.”

“you shouldn’t feel guilty. it’s your life. you should get a chance to live it.” his brow furrowed as he turned to look at her fully, staring at her profile where she was half-lit by the lights dotting their campus. “you deserve to make your own decisions.”

“i know.” ellie closed the container in her lap, then set it aside. she dusted off her hands and finally tilted her head to look at him, a small smile playing at her lips. “that’s the part i’m most afraid of. not -- taking these chances, and doing all this stuff. but -- messing it up. not doing enough, you know? letting... this opportunity to finally be myself pass me by.”

“yeah.” of course he knew what she meant. that was pretty much what he’d spent the last year doing. “well, you should get out more, then. do all the shit you always wanted to do that your dad never let you try.”

“like what?”

he laughed. “fuck if i know. i thought a girl like you would have a list all ready to go.”

“well...” colt glanced down and saw that she was biting at her bottom lip, like she wasn’t sure she wanted to say whatever was about to come out. “i’ve always wanted to learn to drive.”

*

“okay.” his left palm spread over hers from behind, and he fanned his fingers out on top of hers, gently pressing her hand around the lever. “this is the clutch. it’s how you shift gears.”

ellie shifted from where she was straddling the bike in front of him. he felt her fingers wiggle underneath his, and saw her head bob with a nod. “got it.”

his right hand curled over hers, gripping the handlebar. “this is the throttle.” colt shifted their hands to the lever beyond the handlebar. “and this is the front brake.”

she hummed, her bare arms warm against his. the parking lot he’d left his bike in was deserted, except for the two of them -- they were pretty far on the outskirts of campus, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of everyone getting ready to go out on a friday night. “what about the back brake?”

colt’s right foot gently kicked hers. “feel the lever down here?”

ellie’s sneaker fumbled around, the heel of her shoe kicking him in the shin before she found it. “uh huh.”

“basically, the right side of the bike is for accelerating and braking. the left side is just to switch gears.” 

“this seems a lot more complicated than a car.”

“hey, you want to learn to drive, don’t you? this is the best i can do right now.” but maybe if he ever made it back to l.a. with her, he could show her a really good time. “look, i’ll handle changing gears, okay? you just worry about the throttle. and brake when i tell you to.”

“but how will i know when to accelerate?” her voice sounded a little worried, like maybe she was starting to have second thoughts. he kept his right hand held firmly over ellie’s, moving it to the handlebar before pushing his fingers through hers.

“i’ll give you a squeeze. don’t worry, i’m not gonna let anything happen to you.” 

the words left his mouth before he could even think about them. he blinked at her, a long moment of silence stretching between them. ellie leaned her back against his chest, her thumb stroking the side of his hand. 

he had the sudden urge to kiss her.

“you have a helmet, right?”

colt jolted out of his thoughts, then slid off the bike to pull it out for her. “yeah, of course. here.” it was a little big on her, but it did the trick -- he pulled it down over her head with a grin, endeared by the way she posed playfully once it was on. 

“how do i look?”

“like a total babe,” he answered honestly, pulling his jacket off, too, before handing it to her. “here. better put this on, too.”

“why?” she asked, but she was obligingly slipping her arms into it. like the helmet, it was way too big on her, but unlike the helmet, the sight of her inside of it stirred something within him that he had trouble ignoring. he reached out and settled the jacket on her shoulders more firmly. 

“in case you fall. it’ll protect you.”

“i thought you said you weren’t going to let anything happen to me,” ellie hummed, staring at the way the sleeves of the jacket hung down over her knuckles. in the low light of the dark parking lot, it almost looked like she was blushing a little. 

“i’m not, but it doesn’t hurt to have an insurance policy.” colt reached out and slid the face shield on the helmet down, over her eyes. “come on.”

ellie got back onto the bike from the left side, just like he’d showed her. she really was smart -- probably even too smart for this stupid school -- and quick, too. her hands found the handlebars straightaway, and he moved snugly up behind her, his arms keeping her close. 

their joined left hands pulled the clutch. he shifted to thumb the kill switch with his right hand, and the bike jolted to life beneath them, ellie jerking with it. colt leaned in toward her ear even with the helmet in the way. “relax,” he said, raising his voice a little to be sure she’d hear him, “i know what i’m doing.”

she still squeaked a little when he let the clutch out and the bike slowly started to roll forward. “colt --” her voice was panicked. “help, what do i do?”

“just like we talked about,” he encouraged, “put your feet up. then hit the throttle.”

ellie drew in a deep breath. he could feel her along his chest, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. after a moment, she revved the engine, and then they were off -- a little unsteadily, but in a straight line, at least, heading down the length of the parking lot.

“oh my god! oh my god, i’m doing it. oh my god!” 

she was too cute for her own good. the excited tone of voice she had made him grin unabashedly into the air behind her, and he leaned back a little to give her more control, impressed by how smooth her handle on the bike was, for her first time. was there anything she wasn’t fucking good at? 

“okay,” he said finally, once they started to run out of space, “both breaks, then your left foot. you’ve got it.” he pulled down on the clutch for her, and then ellie easily halted the bike to a stop. he exhaled a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, but there’d been nothing to worry about -- she was a natural.

“wow,” she gushed, practically jumping off the bike, turning around to face him and throwing the helmet off, “i can’t believe i just drove a motorcycle! i can’t believe you do that every day.”

“you did pretty good,” he praised, “for your first time. a few more lessons and you’ll be a pro.”

“really?” now her cheeks really were flushed, rosy and delighted as she beamed at him with pride. “you’d let me drive your bike again?”

“if you want.” thank god they were alone. if logan could see them he’d be insufferable. even colt could admit this was wildly out of character for him, but he would’ve given anything, just then, to keep her smiling like that. “you wanna see what she can really do? i’ll take us for a ride. all you have to do is hold on.” 

“definitely,” ellie grinned immediately, pulling the helmet back on. he’d expected to have to convince her a little more, but -- maybe there was more to her than he’d thought. 

a dangerous prospect, given how much he already liked what little he knew. 

he waited until she was secure behind him before tearing out of the parking lot and away from campus entirely, taking empty side streets until they were on the highway that’d lead them out of the city. ellie’s hands stayed warm around his waist, and after a few minutes, she leaned her cheek against his shoulder, too, settling something peaceful in his chest. companionable quiet stretched between them while he drove, as fast as he could, just so she’d laugh with exhilaration like she did when he got them into the triple-digits.

eventually he pulled over in a random, deserted park. there weren’t any streetlights in this part of the city, so it was dark, and he could only barely see ellie when he killed the engine and she pulled off her helmet to look at him curiously.

“so?” he asked, “how was it? everything you’ve been waiting for?”

“totally.” ellie grinned at him, so widely her dimple popped out. “i know it sounds cheesy, but tonight... is the most i’ve ever felt like myself. do you know what i mean?”

he was starting to. everything had felt purposeless before she’d showed up here. he’d wanted nothing more than to coast through the next few years, if he absolutely had to.

now it all felt different. because of her.

she was the piece he’d been looking for, something he hadn’t even known he wanted but now was desperate to make his. ellie was sharp and beautiful and headstrong, all the things he needed to fit into the void he was suddenly hoping she’d actually be interested in filling.

“it’s not cheesy if it makes you happy,” was what he settled on, swallowing some of the sudden intensity that was slowly taking him over. “you’ve held back for long enough. you should do whatever you want.”

“you’re right.” ellie’s eyes slid over to meet his, and she smiled at him through the dark, her expression soft and sweet. 

colt’s heart thumped loudly. that urge to kiss her was back again, stronger than before. he wasn’t usually the sort of person that resisted an impulse, but part of him was terrified of pushing for more than she was comfortable with, scaring her away with his intensity. he knew he wasn’t the kind of guy a girl like her could handle.

but maybe he didn’t know her as well as he thought he did, yet. ellie leaned in and pressed her lips against his, without warning, surprising him still. colt’s eyes went wide with shock before they slid shut and he kissed her back, twisting on the bike to slide an arm around her shoulders and yank her in as close as she could get.

ellie’s arms, still covered by the fabric of his leather jacket, wound around his waist. she kissed shyly, like she was worried she might be bad at it, but let him take the lead -- and eventually her mouth opened up under his and she shivered in his grip and gave back as good as she was getting, until his mind was blank and the only thing he could focus on was her, under his hands.

they both pulled away at the same time, struggling to catch their breath. she was looking at him like he assumed he must’ve been looking at her: in complete shock, her eyes wide. “wow.”

“yeah.” there was a sarcastic quip on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it in favor of studying her face some more -- her cheeks were as flushed as her red lips, which were slowly starting to curve up into a gentle smile. “you ok?”

“um, that was my first kiss,” she admitted, ducking her head. the few strands of hair that weren’t pulled back into her ponytail fell around her face. “i’m probably not helping on the whole you thinking i’m lame front, huh?”

his brain felt like it was short circuiting. “you -- i -- for real?”

“okay, it’s not like i didn’t have options,” she started defensively, rushing to explain, “it just never felt like the right time, and i was waiting for something special, and -- this felt special to me.” her eyes flashed, as though she was waiting for him to start making fun of her at any moment. that was probably fair -- he’d definitely thought about it. “i like you.”

“i like you, too.” probably more than he should. definitely more than he’d ever set out to like anyone, when he’d packed up all his shit and agreed to give this stupid college thing a try. 

but she was a distraction he felt was worth the risk. 

the expression on her face transformed into something cautiously pleased. “you do?”

“you’re kidding, right? ask logan -- this is the most i’ve left my room in three semesters. i’ve been losing my mind trying to impress you.”

her eyebrows arched. “really? it sure hasn’t seemed that way to me.”

“well -- you were giving me mixed signals.”

he smirked as her expression turned indignant. “i was giving you mixed signals? you went home with that girl!”

colt winced. he was really hoping she hadn’t noticed that. “i thought you were asking me about logan for yourself.”

ellie stared blankly back at him. “oh my god, you’re an idiot.” 

“we’re both idiots,” he corrected, rolling his eyes at her. 

just as she opened her mouth to bite back, a loud roll of thunder cut through the stillness surrounding them. “shit,” colt sighed, “we should --”

rain started to pour down in heavy sheets, immediately soaking his t-shirt through to the skin. ellie yelped, fumbling for her helmet while he quickly started the bike up again, waiting for her to squeeze her arms around him before speeding back to campus as quickly as possible.

*

the foot traffic in his building was minimal -- they’d managed to find the sweet spot in the middle of the night where everyone who’d gone out to party was out already, and it was too soon for people to be coming back, so they had their run of the hallways when they rushed inside. 

they both laughed breathlessly as they raced up the stairs and into his dorm, dripping water all over the floor.

“god, sorry about your jacket,” ellie said, stripping out of it and leaving it on one of the desk chairs, accepting the towel he passed over to her with a smile. 

“it’s fine,” colt said, rubbing his own towel over his hair. “sorry about your -- everything.”

ellie dissolved into giggles that tapered off when he pulled off his soaked t-shirt and flung it into the corner of the room where the rest of his laundry was waiting. 

she was staring.

“see something you like?”

the sound of his voice appeared to startled her into looking away, and she laughed again, more nervously this time. “don’t be a dick. you know you’re hot.”

“maybe, but i wanna hear you say it,” he said obnoxiously, his grin widening. “do you think i’m hot?”

ellie drew the towel in her hands around her shoulders, pursing her lips at him. “i think you’re smug, arrogant, obnoxious and wasting your potential.”

if it were at all possible, his grin grew larger. “and?”

she sighed, rolling her eyes heavenward. “and you’re obviously very hot.”

“thank you,” colt said primly, “was that so hard?”

ellie rubbed the towel around her down her arms again before whipping it off and smacking him gently with it. “your ego doesn’t need any more compliments from me.”

colt caught the towel in his hand and used it to tug her in closer. “maybe,” he allowed, dropping his voice as soon as she came near, “but you’re the only one i actually wanna hear them from.”

she blinked at him. her eyes dropped to his mouth. 

slowly and deliberately, he wound the towel around his hand, pulling ellie in the last few steps it’d take to close the distance between them. she stumbled forward, reaching out and resting her hands on his arms. 

colt locked eyes with her, trying to read her gaze for a sign that he should stop. but there wasn’t one.

he bowed his head and pressed their lips together again, softly at first and then, when she didn’t step on his foot and elbow him in the stomach, a little more boldly, firmly working his mouth against hers. 

ellie slid her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, pushing her fingers into his wet hair and angling him in deeper. for someone who’d only just had her first kiss, she had killer instincts -- something he was already looking forward to exploring. 

if he’d been waiting for a sign that she was the missing his piece his life had needed, this sure felt like it, or something close to it. she was both the type of girl he’d never go after and exactly what he’d been unknowingly wanting for a long time all rolled into one devastatingly sexy and infuriating package. for as long as colt could remember, he’d assumed there was something unsavory about the way he couldn’t bring himself to consider anyone else he met an equal -- like maybe there just wasn’t anyone else as smart, interesting or determined as him, but... ellie somehow managed to be all that and more. 

they had a surprising amount in common. even more surprisingly, that felt like something positive, instead of a curse. 

he settled his hands on the small of her back and pulled her in closer, fascinated by the way his thumbs touched as his hands caged her narrow waist. the urge to get her underneath him on his bed swelled until it was no longer ignorable, though just as he started to walk her back over to it, the door to the room swung open abruptly.

they sprang apart as logan stumbled into the dorm. he looked surprised to see them, but then a wide smile lazily overtook his face and he said, “woah, sorry. i can come back later.”

colt glared at him, but it didn’t stop logan from looking between the two of them with his eyebrows arched meaningfully. “yeah, you should --”

“it’s fine,” ellie said loudly, cutting him off. “is it still raining outside?”

logan blinked, seemingly noticing ellie’s damp hair and colt’s bare chest for the first time. “oh. no.”

ellie squeezed his hand, looking back at him questioningly. “walk me home?”

he exhaled, already nodding as he moved to find a new shirt. “yeah. one sec.”

“good to see you, ellie,” logan nodded, still grinning at the both of them even when colt rolled his eyes and started dragging her towards the door, “come back soon, okay?”

*

ellie shivered the whole way back to her dorm, making him wish he’d grabbed his jacket again before they left. it was mostly quiet while they walked, though the closer they got to the freshmen buildings the louder campus became, with the night getting late enough that people were finally starting to make their way home from the bars. 

“so much for my meeting with my advisor tomorrow,” ellie said when they slowed to a stop outside of her building, her jaw cracking with a wide yawn. he shrugged at her, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

this was new to him. part of his brain was insistent that maybe what they’d just done could technically count as a date, though that thought was admittedly a little uncomfortable to confront. 

he didn’t think he’d ever been on a date like this before, or, at the very least -- not one that he’d cared about quite so much. 

but then she smiled at him, and provided a momentary reprieve from his over-analyzing. “this was fun. maybe next weekend you can help me try something else new.”

colt licked his lips and smirked at her. “i have a few ideas.”

ellie immediately caught on to his implication and flushed pink. the way she smiled softly as she glanced away was almost worryingly cute. “we still have to finish our project.”

“i know. i’m not gonna leave you hanging.” he continued to stare down at her even as her gaze flit around the small section of campus her dorm was tucked away in, looking out over the lawn in front of her building and back to him again.

“you mean that?”

“yeah.” ellie finally looked back at him, then, and caught his eyes. he felt one corner of his mouth lift despite himself into a lopsided smile.

“you’re not gonna get kicked out of school?” something like vulnerability shone in her eyes.

“well -- not before next weekend,” colt answered obnoxiously. 

he was hoping to make her laugh, and she did. she reached up and hit his shoulder. “i’m being serious!”

“i know you are.” he paused. getting kicked out of school had always been step one of the plan. if his fucking parents weren’t going to take him seriously, he was going to have to make them -- that started with putting college in his rearview mirror, one way or another. 

changing course at this point felt like a weakness.

but she looked pretty hopeful.

“look,” he sighed, “what do you want me to say? i can’t predict the future.”

maybe it was crazy to even think about putting everything on hold for someone he’d literally just fucking met, but there was no denying the way his pulse sped up anxiously when she frowned and ducked her head to stare at her toes. 

“i’m not trying to start something that’s just going to set me up to get hurt,” ellie said. 

she had a point. he should probably let her get away now, then -- there was no guarantee he wouldn’t hurt her; in fact, it was probably a safe bet he’d do just the opposite. his life wasn’t structured to accommodate a girlfriend. 

...but maybe it was time he learned to adapt.

there were few things colt could promise her with certainty that he wouldn’t break them, but there was one thing he had absolute control over. “okay. you want me to promise you i’ll stop trying to get kicked out of school? it’s done. i promise.”

ellie blinked. she looked stunned, as though he’d said the absolute last thing she’d been expecting to hear come out of his mouth. “really?”

“sure.” the look on her face was soothing, a reassurance that despite how new all of this was to him, he wasn’t completely bombing. “as long as you’ll keep making it all suck less.”

everything had seemed markedly less annoying since he’d met her, just a week ago. classes were fun again with someone on his level to argue with, someone whose buttons he could press effortlessly and who always reacted so perfectly when he did. weekends were filled with promise, an opportunity to do something other than sulk in his room suddenly on the horizon.

time no longer felt wasted or like it was dragging at a snail’s pace -- at least not when she was around. now he was desperate for it to slow down, so he could spend even just a few more minutes talking to her, learning her viewpoint on anything and everything, figuring out what made her fucking tick.

...getting her to sigh in that sweet way she did when their lips touched.

“i think i can do that,” she smiled, setting an unfamiliar warm feeling loose within him. optimism, his brain helpfully suggested. maybe the rest of the semester won’t be that bad.

maybe this college thing had its merits after all. 

[rebel-band]

Track 6. Always Tomorrow

The rain always had a soothing rhythm to Yoo-mi -- regular drumming against the sill, rumble of spring thunder somewhere in the grayish clouds -- but it rarely made him sleepy, rather more likely to venture into another marathon of focused guitar practice. At the moment he was, however, nowhere near a guitar, and stared blankly through the raindrop dotted window in the computer corner of the library, trying to force his brain to work on an essay. The words of course didn't come, at least not in the volume exceeding the minimum 300. Instead he did write down in a notebook a set of new chords to try out at home.

"You're more than welcome to come in tomorrow to use the computer," the librarian's polite yet tired voice broke the silence, and Yoo-mi checked a small pixelated clock on the screen.

He still had some time before the shift today but without a computer there was no way to add anything else to up the grade. "This is for tomorrow. Can I just print it?", he said defeated. The woman nodded, although she glanced at the clock on her way back to the counter.

Yoo-mi quickly gathered his things as the printer spat out short of 2 pages of his homework. This would need to suffice, he wasn't counting on a good score anyway. He apologized for the delay, then quickly shoved the paper into his bag. The librarian waved him a goodbye.

Quick change of shoes and a sheepish stare of two girls from class B in the locker room later, he was heading home, thinking about the first couple of weeks of school.

It was new turf and so new rules. Not wanting to fall into a cliché he had been, he obviously fell into another one. But it was far better to not be liked for being the tough and stand-offish guy than the poor fucking orphan. Another day tomorrow to prove the point.

He didn't really have much time to dwell on the drama that was his class life, and frankly didn't care much for it, as long as it didn't escalate to violence. But so far name calling behind his back was all they ever did. After all, this was a different kind of school than his mid school. A school with kids getting scholarships, playing team sports and in bands, planning festivals, trips, and study groups.

It was tough on Yoo-mi for a different reason. Getting back into the right habit, after almost a year of setting your own rules and schedule, was demanding, especially with a job on top of it. Although, he had to admit Kotarō was a surprisingly flexible boss. Unlike the jobs Yoo-mi had had at 7eleven or with the delivery runs from the fish market, he could choose his own hours at Blackbird and actually got scolded already for overdoing it with the number of shifts per week.

And it's not like Kotarō didn't want to pay for it, he was just genuinely worried about Yoo-mi working himself to an early grave, as he had put it more than once. Which is why they made an agreement he'd never be working Sundays, to give each new school week a fresh, well-rested start.

But what could you do when it was not only the money that was great on the job. It was the music part of the business that he enjoyed the most.

Every other week, Yoo-mi had met new musicians going through Blackbird. He'd helped them set up before gigs, learning the ropes firsthand from technicians or just the guys playing, if theirs was a small indie band. He played music together on sound checks and practice sessions. He learned new tricks from old seasoned bluesmen. Somehow, it didn't matter to anyone where he had come from or who he was, how many years he'd been playing and how he'd first started -- as long as their common language was music, there was no misunderstanding. They treated him like an equal.

Last week, Kate had even asked Yoo-mi to join her band on a demo. After the visit in a studio, he couldn't sleep all night from the excitement. And so five thirty in the morning he'd actually called Kobayashi to thank him for being so stubborn and insisting to meet Mika in Tokyo in the first place.

"I owe you this life." There wasn't a different way to put it.

"You owe it to yourself," came the reply from the old man.

A feeling of relief had washed over Yoo-mi then at the words, like a wave. For the first time he thought that maybe, just maybe, it was true. He deserved to decide on his own terms that this was what he wanted to do with his life.

They kept silent over the line for a while, early morning seagulls singing their song against the wind and waves, and Yoo-mi realised how much he'd actually missed the sound of the sea. He booked a bus ticket for the following Sunday shortly after.

He needed to feel the sand in his toes on the cold empty beach again; to hear the roar of the ice-cold ocean and the ticking of the clock in the warm kitchen. He needed the right people to brace for June ahead.

At this very precise moment, however, he needed to hurry.

Just as he dug out a compact black umbrella from his bag, he noticed Hikaru at the end of the corridor by the door, black gig bag on his back. He shuffled in place, switching the gaze between the phone and the view outside.

Life had a habit of throwing them in each other's way since that not exactly first but definitely more personal encounter in the music room. Yoo-mi wasn't exactly sure what to make of it but to his own surprise, here was another person in his life that he wasn't annoyed by. Maybe because Hikaru wasn't pushy or loud but he still had some nerve.

Like on that Monday after the music room meeting, when Yoo-mi ran into class at the last minute. Hikaru was still busy chatting with the class rep, and that other friend from their group. The clock rang nine and the teacher arrived soon after, and only then Yoo-mi noticed a small packet in a paper envelope on the desk. A handwritten note said "Welcome to Tokyo". There was also a doodle of an angry Godzilla holding a guitar. Inside the envelope was a set of new Gibson strings. The set Hikaru later refused to take back when confronted about it.

Or some days later, when Yoo-mi left the class to, again, eat lunch alone on a bench in the corridor, trying to avoid the unfriendly crowd and finally read the latest YG. He could hear Hikaru's group of friends joke loudly about his mom's stress cooking, and enjoy their time together over food. Then suddenly the fun stopped with loud gasps. At that moment Hikaru walked out of the classroom and handed Yoo-mi a tier of those traditional looking bento boxes filled with food.

"Mom made these to share," he said like it was the most obvious thing on Earth, and sat down by Yoo-mi with a magazine of his own to read. His smile, kind and radiant, voice genuine, even the way he said "mom" not "my mom", made it feel inclusive. Yoo-mi immediately recalled the feeling of home he'd had the first time he sat down at the table in the beach house.

"You grab some too," he offered his own lunch in return. And so they kept the ritual going once a week at least -- a surprising ray of sunlight peeking through otherwise dark clouds of Yoo-mi's class life.

These things took courage, Yoo-mi knew, judging by the sheer number of jaws dropping open and heads peering out the classroom at their sight every time. While he was used to people staring for most of his life, it was admirable for Hikaru to put himself into that weird spotlight willingly. Yet somehow, Yoo-mi had a feeling he actually enjoyed this small rebellion against their class.

"It's not gonna stop anytime soon," he said, finally catching him by the door. Hikaru startled.

"Man, why did I think riding was a great idea today," he groaned hugging his bright purple and orange longboard closer.

Yoo-mi smiled, then handed him the umbrella. "Keep it. Go home. See you tomorrow." The cold and damp air hit him in the face as he opened the door to leave.

"What? Wait!"

He could hear quick steps on the wet gravel and soon Hikaru bumped into him with the umbrella.

"I can't let you walk back in the rain," he protested, juggling the helmet, longboard, bag, and umbrella in his arms. "I live close by, I'll be fine."

"But you're gonna ruin the guitar."

He grimaced at the thought and trod closer to get the gig bag under the umbrella too, almost prodding Yoo-mi in the eye in the process. "It really makes more sense for you to hold it," he grinned apologetically, handing the umbrella back.

Yoo-mi sighed, then checked the time on his phone. "Guess I'm walking you home then."

"Guess you are."

They walked swiftly side by side, two pairs of chucks -- black and red -- peeking from under the umbrella and getting wetter by the minute.

"How's business?" Hikaru asked with the Osaka phrase and a shy smile, and he almost got it right with the pitch.

"So, so," was the standard answer, of course, and Yoo-mi thought how surprisingly accurate it was at this time of his life.

"I should have taken the hard case, I know, never thought it's going to rain that much. And it's just easier to ride with the gig bag. It's lighter," he said.

"It's a bad idea altogether."

"It's fine, I've got good reflexes. And I don't bruise easily," he laughed, "Do you skate?"

"No." Hikaru looked disappointed with the answer. "I used to surf, though."

"That's pretty neat," Hikaru beamed. "Hajima surfs too, he started last summer. But then he broke an arm in August," he glanced sideways biting slightly the right corner of his lower lip.

"Happens to the best," Yoo-mi shrugged, recalling his own bruises and bumps on the steep learning curve.

Maybe he should rebook the bus ticket for Saturday night, he thought suddenly, and then surf straight at dawn. It was May, sure, the ocean's gonna be fucking cold but he could catch some good waves already. Who knows, maybe even beat Murasaki to the first heavies before the season. He smiled at the thought.

Then he caught Hikaru staring at him with a grin. "You really enjoy surfing. Just thinking about it, right?"

He had a keen eye for observing people, Yoo-mi had to give him that.

"Is it better than guitar?"

"Please," Yoo-mi shot him a look, one eyebrow arched. "It's just a different kind of rush."

They walked in silence for a while, then Hikaru drummed fingers against the longboard. "Can I ask you a private question?"

Yoo-mi tightened the grip on the umbrella.

"And you don't have to answer," he added with a gentle smile.

"Fine." But would it be?

"Were you supposed to be a senior this year?"

Ha, so that's what this was about.

"I just thought I'd ask, everyone's dying to know," Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"What's the stakes pot right now for that one?" Yoo-mi asked and, though surprised at first, Hikaru grinned back.

"Almost 2,500 yen."

"Let it rise to 3,000, you bet on mid year, we split the cash."

Hikaru didn't even try to hide the chortle that got out of his mouth.

"I'm serious," Yoo-mi shrugged, grin on his face, "It's easy money."

"Well, tough luck, I'm not betting on any of these," he shook his head with a smile. "So what happened? Did you drop out?"

Yoo-mi ran a hand through his hair and, though the evening was quite cold, he felt a sudden hot flush crawl up his ears. He cleared his throat. "Never really started."

Hikaru's blue eyes widened. "Oh. A ronin year, huh?"

The irony of the term didn't escape him. Waif. Wanderer. Walkout. Exactly who he was. He looked away. "Something like that."

"Must've been nice, less stress with the entry exam."

Not the first one, Yoo-mi thought bitter, and felt a shiver up his right arm. He shook the umbrella to get rid of the feeling.

Hikaru paused in his steps for just a second, then aligned again with Yoo-mi. "Why didn't you attend the opening ceremony?" he asked, dropping the previous subject completely.

This was only slightly less of a mess to talk about. "They didn't let me," Yoo-mi grumbled in reply, shoving a hand into his pocket.

Hikaru titled his head. "The school? Why?"

"Didn't think I'd be a good fit."

He thought of the rejection letter full of niceties, which stated there was more applicants than the school could admit, that some candidates had "stronger personal traits" and "extracurricular credentials", and that a "particular school the student attends is less important than what the student does to develop his strengths" -- all in all, good luck and good riddance.

It was shitload of crap as far as he could tell. His score was good, he knew it. Only his social background wasn't really a picture painted as nicely as they'd like to.

If it weren't for the Black Thunder that was Mika and her quick intervention; the way she openly threatened the school board to send investigative journalists to expose the issue of denying education to someone in a "vulnerable social standing", he wouldn't be able to attend at all. Although he didn't really appreciate her calling him vulnerable, in any sense of the word.

"That's harsh."

"It is what it is," Yoo-mi shrugged. "Someone I know helped out, so, here I am."

"And why at this time? Did you finally join a club?"

Yoo-mi shook his head. "Homework. Needed a change of scenery. And a dictionary." A computer too but that was kind of harder to admit.

"Language barrier?"

"No," Yoo-mi made a face, eyes narrowed, scanning him for mockery. But there was none, his blue eyes open wide with interest at what he was going to say. "I was born in Japan. I just suck at writing. Words in general."

Hikaru smiled. "You're good at guitar, that's just a different medium to say things."

Yoo-mi couldn't agree more.

"You still in the music club, huh?" he pointed with the head to Hikaru's guitar.

"Yea, don't really have anyone else to play with," he chuckled, hugging the longboard closer again.

The tone wasn't calling Yoo-mi out but he felt a strong knot tighten inside his chest. "Shit. Sorry, busy month."

"It's OK," he smiled a weary smile back.

"No, it's not. It's just that...I'm getting a guitar." Why did he even feel the need to explain? "Needed the cash so worked a lot of extra shifts."

Hikaru perked up on the spot. "Electric?"

"Saito 622."

His mouth fell half open. "So modern. That's unusual."

Yoo-mi raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just thought you more of a Jazzmaster or Mustang type of guy," he shrugged.

"Is that what you wanna get yourself?"

"I'm still looking for one I'd like. I may get it for my birthday in October."

"Yours is a Hummingbird, right? You might wanna get another Epiphone for starters."

"We'll see how I'm with money. There's all that stuff you want to buy with it, pedal boards and custom pickups, amps. Never used one of these before so don't even know what I'm looking for. Man, when gear acquisition syndrome hits like that, I envy you having a real job."

"I can ask if they need more help."

"Maybe over the summer. I'm usually so beat after school I can't get my thoughts together, not to mention remembering someone's orders. I don't know how you do it, to be honest, school and work, and pretty okay grades so far."

Yoo-mi sighed, "Not much of a choice really," then looked away.

Hikaru paused for a while. "Why'd you go for a Saito?" he asked, again with a gentle smile.

Why did he?

It was a fucking grey day when he first played it, after the exams at Bad Boss Guitars. The label on its display said "colourful sound". That's what it was like, really. Sparkly and vivid. The strings drew him close with every strum.

"I liked the way it sounded. Couldn't stop thinking about it since," he turned away, suddenly embarrassed with his own words.

"Love at first sight then," Hikaru snickered in reply.

As soon as they reached the third house on the quiet street, he stopped. Yoo-mi looked at the small white building with a red Mitsubishi Colt on the driveway and maple trees along the fence. For a second he wondered if he's going to catch a glimpse of Shanyao at this house, though she and Hikaru didn't look remotely related. Maybe the name was a coincidence after all.

"Do you want to come in?"

With a nervous swallow, Yoo-mi shook his head. "I have work." And shitload of trust issues, he didn't add.

"Right. And mom would't let you out until after dinner. She'd want to adopt you straight away looking like that," he chuckled at Yoo-mi's hair damp with rain, and fixed his own curl clinging to the rim of the glasses, "Got terribly overprotective since I started high school."

Before he could notice Yoo-mi's brows gathering in at the statement, he peeked behind Yoo-mi's back, and groaned. "Oh, Ants! How'd you get outside the fence again."

Yoo-mi turned his back to notice a red and white corgi run towards them, and before he could do anything, muddy paws landed first on Hikaru's then on his own shins in an excited greeting.

Hikaru whined a "Sorry," but Yoo-mi just waved it off, handing him the umbrella, and crouched down to greet the dog too.

"You're a clever boy, aren't you," he patted the completely wet triangle head and the fluffy ears, "Yes you are." The dog yapped, delighted. "He probably dug a hole somewhere along the fence."

Hikaru tilted his head with eyes wide open, "Do you have a dog?"

"Used to live with one for a while. She kept digging her way out to go to the beach," he snickered. "Now there's just this stray cat that keeps coming back to my place."

"I have two."

"Busy house."

"Always is." He pushed the dog through a gate. "Let me know when the guitar's there. Maybe we'll catch up then," he added with a small wave goodbye.

"You should come over," Yoo-mi blurted out before Hikaru stepped out from under the umbrella. He stopped immediately. "I'm not one to break a deal. I'll teach you how to use an amp, if you want."

"Yeah?" Yoo-mi had never seen a smile that big.

"Yea," he smiled too.

And one so contagious.

It took Yoo-mi 45 minutes to walk back home, by which time he felt like he was wading ankle deep in water. He changed quickly, tossed the shoes and the blazer on the radiator in the bathroom, and was down in Blackbird 20 min before his shift to warm himself with a cup of coffee.

Monday evenings were always slow, so Sado appreciated his earlier arrival and some last bit of company before finishing his shift. But then Yoo-mi was left alone in the warm outpost among the storm that was Blackbird with a hot mug and a book for the rest of the day.

Week later, during a Wednesday lunch break, just as Yoo-mi was getting up from his seat to leave the class, he was stopped by Hikaru's whine.

"God I need something sweet, help me out you guys."

It wasn't precisely directed at him as Hikaru's eyes darted from Yoo-mi to Hajima to Motoki, from over a can of cherry Coke that he chugged probably half of in one go as soon as the teacher left the room.

"And the Coke's somehow not enough?" Hajima gave him a disbelieving look, and he whined again.

"Physics drains my brain so hard I could drink a tanker of Coke and still fall from lowered sugar level."

"More likely into a coma," Yoo-mi interrupted him, hovering a 7eleven Dorayaki over his head.

"O, thank God, a chocolate one," he tried grabbing it but Yoo-mi moved it out of reach.

"Lunch first," he replied, making a pause between the words.

Hikaru groaned, looking around for support.

"Don't look at me, I agree completely," Hajima shrugged.

"And I'm not looking for trouble," Motoki laughed, raising both hands up.

"Fine, if you stay," Hikaru looked up at Yoo-mi with a grin, then moved the chair to make space for him.

Yoo-mi looked at the other guys. Hajima smiled and took out his bento box from the bag, while Motoki was clearly trying not to grin himself.

Was this a bet too, Yoo-mi wondered for a second, trying to make him join them for lunch. He sighed.

All four of them sat down comfortably with food. Well, all three of them. Yoo-mi bounced his foot against the floor, and felt his throat dry out in a second.

Where was this going? What do you say? What should you say? Thoughts raced through his head, chased by a wave of unpleasant memories, as eyes darted to the door.

"How's the guitar?"

Hikaru's calm voice from over a magazine he was browsing grounded Yoo-mi firm in present again. His blue eyes smiled with reassurance.

Guitar. That he knew well. That he could talk about. "Good." Yoo-mi let out a quiet exhale. "It's gonna be there in the next two weeks."

"Did you get a new one?"

It felt strange when Hajima asked something other than the usual school related stuff. He held strong eye contact and looked genuinely interested.

"Yes."

"Guitars are expensive, right?" he addressed Hikaru, who simply replied with a theatrical sigh, "Same with baseball gear. Pay and cry, every single time."

"But it must feel good to get a bag of cash like that in hand," Motoki laughed in reply.

Yoo-mi was getting the guitar in installments, nevertheless, he couldn't help but snort at the bag-full-of-cash image. "If you've earned it, yeah."

"Did you learn at school?" Hajima asked. "Ten-chan learned all by himself," he grinned.

Hikaru hid his face behind the magazine but Yoo-mi noticed a blush on his neck.

"I'm self-taught too."

"See? It's nothing special," he appeared back, rolling his eyes.

Hajima just shook his head. "Do you miss Osaka?" he asked Yoo-mi.

"No." And it wasn't a lie. Nothing good ever came out of there.

"Not even the takoyaki?"

"OK, maybe that."

"Yea, they don't make it here that good," Hajima snickered, "I've been once. We had a weekend family trip when I was 12, went to see the Tigers play. Have you ever been?"

Yoo-mi shook his head with a grimace. "Not really a baseball fan."

"I forgot you've been to Koshien already," Motoki addressed Hajima with a mouthful of katsu, and he beamed, clearly happy with the memory of visiting the stadium. "I only ever been to Kansai to visit my great aunt in Amagasaki, and that was frigging dull. Do you know where that is?"

Yoo-mi hesitated for a second, foot tapping in place. "I was born there."

"Really?"

"Haven't been since I was four."

"And I thought you moved a lot," Hajima pointed at Motoki, who simply nodded.

"Born in Iwata, then moved to Saitama, then finally to Tokyo three years ago," he counted on the fingers, "Did you also move because of your dad's job?"

Yoo-mi's expression tightened at the mention of that stereotypical family setup.

"Oh my God, will you look at that!" At exactly that moment, Hikaru choked loudly on a sip of Coke and threw the magazine on the desk towards Motoki, pointing over the text a bit too enthusiastically.

As the guys leaned over it and tried to work out what he meant, Hikaru sent Yoo-mi a small smile.

"What is it?" Motoki finally asked him, fed up with looking for clues.

"There's going to be another Trinity Ruin season."

Motoki rolled eyes at his friend. "Duh, we've known that for 2 months, genius."

Yoo-mi looked at Hikaru who had this innocent smile on his face now. "So...he always so overjoyed about these things?" he asked the guys, playing along, and saw Hikaru nod just ever so slightly, eyes smiling in approval.

"Yea, he's such a geek sometimes, get used to it," Motoki snorted.

"You can't blame me, it's a great series," Hikaru shrugged with a smile.

"Did you watch that special released lately online. I feel like it was just a filler."

"Didn't have Genma in it, it's not the same. I think he's the best addition to the cast really since Maki."

The conversation then moved to some other series, and they were all surprised by Yoo-mi's lack of knowledge of these things. Sure, he's known about Pokemon, Mario or Gundam, mostly from all the crap sold at Donki in Dotombori, but he'd never had a chance to enjoy it and so didn't really care. Guys here, on the other hand, seemed like they could dwell on it for hours, and they completely forgot what they were asking Yoo-mi in the first place.

The diversion wasn't maybe subtle but it worked, and he was genuinely grateful he didn't have to explain himself the first time he'd ever tried to make friends or whatever it was he was doing here.

Not that he ever really could.

"Nice act there," he addressed Hikaru as they were going through the empty classroom during cleaning duty, and he curtsied to Yoo-mi's amusement. "How did you know?"

He pulled at his collar. "I googled how'd you have an official Korean name if you were born here. Sorry."

Yoo-mi crossed arms over the chest and frowned. He never knew anyone who cared so much to be this curious. Tapping foot in place, he decided it wasn't maybe too big of a deal.

"Whatever, don't worry about it," he said, though made a note to search for his own name to see what results come up, just in case.

Hikaru shuffled in place, then made that face of his again, biting the right corner of the lower lip. "I'm sorry he's...gone."

Yoo-mi shot him a look, both eyebrows raised. "Why? Not my fault dad was a dick who bailed."

To his surprise, Hikaru snorted at the words, albeit rather joylessly.

"Sorry," he said again, checking himself, hand scraping over the face. "Jesus, I'm going to make that into a t-shirt. Mine's gone too," he added, as if to apologize for his behaviour, and tried to be casual about it, but the tremble in his voice gave him away, and there was a ghost of pain in his smile. He immediately took the dustpan to empty it to the bin of nothing.

Yoo-mi took in his slouched posture and the empty stare, and felt a painful lump in his throat. Loss, whatever the kind, was never easy to deal with. "Thanks for sticking up for me," he said after a while, and Hikaru just nodded. "You still free Saturday?"

His face immediately relaxed. "Should I bring anything?"

Yoo-mi smiled. "Well tuned strings and attitude."

"Are you two princesses done? 'Cause some of us have a life outside cleaning duty," Suzuki slid into the classroom with a mop. "Set up your lousy date like normal people, on the phone."

Yoo-mi gave her a cold stare.

He also saw Hikaru move a step away from him with a nervous swallow.

"Man, right, I don't have your number," the blue eyes widened and he reached to his pocket for a phone.

Suzuki groaned, and went back to the corridor to drag in a bucket full of water, not waiting for them anymore.

"I'll help," Hikaru rushed to lift it for her, sticking his phone into Yoo-mi's hand.

It was one of these newer smartphones, set in a vinyl phone case in what Yoo-mi thought probably all colours of the rainbow. There were multiple characters from an anime called Hyper Foolish something something, judging by the logo, and a lucky cat phone strap attached to it.

Yoo-mi looked at the new contact page on the screen. It wasn't the first time he's exchanged numbers but there was usually a very clear utilitarian purpose to it. Something you do so your boss can call you or your landlord.

It was the first time he'd had a chance to share his number with...a friend?

He was surprised that out of all words possible his brain so easily fed him exactly that one first to describe what it thought this was between him and that geeky kid over there. Then again, there was accord between them, some unspoken agreement. Like rhythm they both were comfortable playing.

It was probably the closest thing to friendship he'd ever experienced. For most of his life, people were either indifferent or simply hostile towards him. But the longer he stayed in Tokyo, the more people in his life seemed to like him, although he still wasn't used to the feeling of being liked.

Did K. ever really like him?

The question flashed in his mind for a fraction of a second, like that one flickering green neon in Dotonbori. An unwelcome cold shiver followed, Yoo-mi automatically touched the back of the neck, and froze in place.

But then a chime on Hikaru's phone brought him back to life, and the feeling was gone as fast as the memory that had caused it. He wrote down his last name and the digits, then clicked Save.

"Gotta go, before she kills me," he threw a look at Suzuki crossing the floor with a mop and an angry face, then returned the phone. In a couple of seconds, he moved out of her way and out of the classroom without a goodbye.

"Why do you still hang out with him? He's a bad influence," she huffed.

"Please, tell me, what exactly it is that he did wrong? Other than calling everyone out on their bullshit," Tennoko crossed arms over the chest, and she grimaced. "It's not his fault people like to gossip. And he's actually really cool."

"Oh he's soooo cool, he's so great," she mocked.

Tennoko felt his chest tighten as his breath hitched for a second. He braced for a hurtful slur to drop, even if jokingly.

"You sound like such a hopeless younger brother right now, seriously," she threw her head back rolling her eyes.

Tennoko sighed with relief.

"Well, you'd know," he teased back, "Suzuki Natsumi's your sister, right?"

She straightened up and tensed on the spot. "How'd you even..."

"Anyone remotely interested in music knows her. Rumour is, a successful interview with her is a deal maker for any indie band that wants to get out there. She predicts trends with absurd accuracy," he grinned.

"Yes, she's famous for that," Suzuki rolled her eyes again.

"She finished this same school."

"And never even got to university, yet everyone's talking only about her," she pressed her lips into a tight line. "Or of him. Why is it always about the weird things. Why is it that no one ever cares about--"

"Professionalism? Hard work?"

She let out a long, low sigh. "No one is talking about that."

Tennoko smiled at her. "Hello? Best entry score of the year? Captain of the winning mid school team in the prefecture Ekiden championships?"

Suzuki blinked rapidly, and a small blush crawled on her cheeks. "You heard."

"They are talking. You're just tuned to the wrong buzz," he grinned. "What do you say? Give him a chance? You didn't think I was cool, when we met."

"I still don't," she stuck out a tongue in jest, and Tennoko made a face. "Okay, Tomomi likes you so you're not all bad. And you've got good taste in music," she elbowed him to the side.

"So does he. Well, at least I think so."

"Yeah, surf rock and metal, not my style."

Tennoko grinned. "I'm thinking more indie and electronica for some reason."

[littleindigochildx]

Savvy and Zee: pt 2

Savanna arched a brow as the woman spoke. Who was this Lilith Zelda was speaking of, and why was her name so terrifying? “You are in Limbo... That’s where I live.” The seven year old tried to explain. “This is my house. I live here with my mommy and my big brother, Timmy. Sometimes my daddy stays here too when he an’ mommy are gettin’ along.” Victoria and Declan had a complicated relationship. It seemed Declan had his hopes set on getting back together once he was released from prison, but Vic knew it was no longer a possibility. They’d keep it civil for the children, but it was time for them to close this chapter of their lives. Working things out was no longer an option. That ship had sailed and no amount of sweet talking (coming mostly from DC) was going to change things.

Now that some of Zelda’s questions were answered, Savanna had some of her own to ask. “Who’s Lilith?” She looked up at the curly haired woman with her bright blue eyes. “Ya said...What in Lilith’s terrifyin’ name...Who is she an’ why is her name so terrifyin’?” The seven year old furrowed her brow. “Does she live where you do?” Savanna’s eyes widened. Until now she had completely overlooked the fact that magic was real. It had to be, otherwise Zelda would be stuck on the pages of her new notepad. She wouldn’t be standing in the child’s bedroom.

“Zelda...Where did ya come from? Where is yer home?” Savvy asked. She took notice of the woman’s features and how they softened. Zelda Spellman was a hard woman to read. Savanna still couldn’t figure out whether or not she was evil. She wanted to believe her new friend was a good person (or witch), but there was something about her that made Savvy cautious of her. Perhaps she could be dangerous, but Savanna didn’t think she was there to cause any physical harm to herself or the rest of the Deschaine family. “How long do ya think ya get’a stay here?��� The little brunette quipped.

Savanna wasn’t aware of it at the time, but Zelda had been sent there with a purpose. She was there to save Limbo from something unexpected...Something the seven year old didn’t see coming yet. Zelda was their savior, but neither one of them knew it yet.

“If yer gonna hang out in Limbo for a while...We’re gonna need ta get ya some regular clothes.” Savvy loved Zelda’s clothing, but it definitely wouldn’t help her blend in in such a small town. Victoria probably had something that would fit the witch, but their taste in clothing was definitely different. “Want me ta find ya somethin’...Or can ya use magic?” She still didn’t know how all of this worked. She only had Harry Potter to reference, and she wasn’t sure how accurate those movies were to Zelda’s world.

---------------

With all the excitement of Zelda’s arrival, Savanna completely overlooked the fact that she had school in the morning. Her day started at 3am, so by the time Victoria came in to officially wake her, the seven year old was exhausted. “Get dressed, butterfly. We can’t be late today.” Vic told her youngest before heading to Timothy’s bedroom to wake him. Zelda’s presence was still unknown to Victoria. Savanna thought it was best to wait until after school to introduce her new friend to her mother.

“I forgot I have’ta go ta school….” Savanna groaned. ��Yer gonna have’ta stay here an’ wait for me. Ya can’t come cause school isn’t for grown ups... Not unless yer’a teacher.” The seven year old explained. She was less than thrilled about having to leave, especially when she was so exhausted, but she knew Victoria wouldn’t let her stay home. Not when they just got back from winter break.

“Unless…” The little one smirked as she brushed her messy hair from her eyes. “...I got’an idea!” The wheels were turning in her overactive mind. “...Do ya trust me?” Savanna asked with a mischievous expression. She was definitely cooking up something. “Ya might need’a use some magic though.” The little brunette warned. In order for her plan to work, Zelda would need to make it to Palm Valley Elementary and she would need to play along with the plan Savanna was about to share with her.

“Mommy won’t let me take the day off, but if you came ta school ta pick me up…” Savvy’s grin widened. “We can tell um yer my-- my aunt.” This is where Zelda’s magic would come into play. Savanna knew the school would try to contact Victoria to make sure the woman picking her daughter up was actually family. Zelda would need to intercept the call and forge a note in Vic’s handwriting so Savvy could get out of class. “I’m gonna need yer help for this, and we need’a make sure I’m back before the busses come. If I don’t come home with Timmy, my mommy is gonna be very worried.”

Savanna proceeded to tell Zelda her plan in further detail. The goal was to skip most of the school day so she could show Zelda around Limbo… Maybe even get to take a peek into the witch’s world… If that was even possible. As long as she was back on time, Savvy didn’t see how anything could possibly go wrong. It wasn’t like she’d miss much in terms of work. This week was more about reviewing older material and catching up on work than it was learning. Who cared if the seven year old missed a day? Savanna certainly didn’t.

---------------

An hour later, the little brunette finished getting ready and was off to the bus stop to head to school. Zelda knew what she was supposed to do. Savanna hoped she’d follow through with it. She was stuck in a world she was unfamiliar with and the only person who knew who she was, was a 2nd grader. What other options did Zelda really have? Clearly she was there for a reason and getting home meant fulfilling whatever request Savanna was about to ask of her. They went over it a dozen times before the little girl left. Zelda was to pick her up for a dentist appointment at 9am. The forged note would do the trick since the handwriting was an exact match to Victoria’s, and the number provided would go directly to Zelda if the school had any questions.

---------------

Savvy watched the clock. Each minute passed more slowly than the last. The seven year old was nervous… Not because she didn’t think this was going to work, but because she was worried they might not make it back in time for her to catch the bus home with Timothy. That wasn’t the only thing she had to worry about though.

While she was getting ready for school, Timothy wandered into her room and took the notepad she forgot to hide again. He needed paper for a school assignment and Savvy always had more than one notebook laying around. He didn’t see the harm in borrowing one. What he didn’t realize was the power it held. It looked like an ordinary notebook. The only thing that made it special was the fact that it had Savanna’s name on it. Timmy shoved it into his book bag without her knowledge, making a mental note to return it when he got home. He only needed a couple pieces and he knew she wouldn’t miss them.

---------------

The classroom telephone rang at 9 o’clock on the dot. It was the front office asking the teacher to send Savanna down with her belongings. Whether she’d be back or not was unclear, so they didn’t want her to leave her things behind. “Good luck at the dentist, Savvy.” Her teacher said as she handed the child a hall pass and sent her on her way. This was actually going to work. The little girl thought to herself as she made her way down the hall. She could already see Zelda sitting in the lobby, ready to sign her out. “Aunt Zee!” Savanna grinned, playing along with the story they made up. She needed to make it believable. “I’m ready when you are.” She told the curly haired woman.

So there were no similarities other than their eye color, but Zelda’s performance was good enough that no one questioned her relationship to the Deschaine’s.

Once Savanna had been properly signed out, she and Zelda were free to go. They had to be careful wandering around town since Limbo was small and the odds of running into someone Savvy knew were high. “Maybe we should start with you showin’ me where you live.” The little girl said. She wasn’t even sure if that was feasible. If it was… Would Zelda be taking orders from a child? “Do ya know how ta get back home?” Savanna’s expression softened hoping Zee wouldn’t be stuck in Limbo forever. That was not her intention when she created the witch in her imagination. She didn’t know something like this would happen.

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While Zelda and Savanna were contemplating what to do with their day, Timmy was still in class. The students were assigned the task of coming up with their own creative story. The eight year old pulled Savvy’s notebook out of his book bag and opened it to a blank page. “A creative story…” He spoke softly to himself. Timothy inherited the creative gene from Victoria, just like Savanna, but coming up with stories didn’t come to him as naturally as they did for his little sister. “Maybe if I draw’a picture…” Sometimes it was easier to come up with a story when he had a visual, so Timmy began to draw.

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“What is that?” Savanna asked as her blue eyes widened. The sky ahead of them was getting dark and rain in Limbo was rare. “Zelda…Look.” She pointed out. The clouds were an ominous grey, like a storm was coming, but it wasn’t exactly a storm they were headed for. It was a creature from Timothy’s imagination. Everything he put down on paper was starting to come to life. He had no idea of the danger he was putting the town in. “Is that--” Savvy began. For the first time in a long time she was actually scared. She had seen this beast before but she couldn’t remember where. In her dreams? In a movie? ...That’s when it finally hit her. “--The mind flayer!” The seven year old gasped. “He’s real?” Savvy questioned in disbelief. How was all of this possible? The mind flayer was a fictional monster from a show she and Timothy had seen on Netflix. How did it end up in Limbo?

“We got’a stop it, Zee.” The little brunette told her. “We need’a stop it before anyone gets hurt.” Savanna didn’t know if Zelda had the strength or the power to fight such a creature, but they had to try. It wasn’t in her nature to back down from a fight. She was a Deschaine. Fighting back was in her blood.

“We’re not gonna be able ‘ta do this alone. I think we’re gonna need some help…” Savvy spoke again after a few minutes. She had an idea. “We need’a go back ‘ta my house. We need’a get my notebook.” She didn’t know it was with her brother, but her reasoning was simple. If the notebook she drew in brought Zelda back to life, surely it had to work again. Maybe she could draw up a creature powerful enough to defeat the mind flayer (Timmy’s version of it) before it destroyed the whole town. “We’re gonna need some’a yer magic.” The seven year old’s eyes met Zelda’s briefly. “Do ya know anyone who can help us?” As brave as she tried to be, she was worried. This wasn’t the world she was familiar with and she wasn’t going to be able to save Limbo without Zelda’s help.

[compunctionjunction]

70 horrible questions

I was tagged by the lovely @1of1prism thank u my guy <3

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? Maybe better than some people but probably also worse than a lot of people lol. Sometimes I go to people’s houses and I’m like ???what is this “communication”. Also depends on the day and parent. i have an entire tag devoted to my dad lol

02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? I dunno probs my mom or one of my friends 

03: Do you regret anything? Lots

04: Are you insecure? "My insecurities have insecurities” tho tbh i’m gettin pretty good. 

05: What is your relationship status? Single and not ready to mingle

06: How do you want to die? in control and ready 2 go

07: What did you last eat? cream of chicken soup... chocolate frozen yogurt... caramel pudding....... I just had my wisdom teeth out.......give me real food......

08: Played any sports? Never, in my life. The audacity.

09: Do you bite your nails? Ahuh! Sometimes!

10: When was your last physical fight? ive never been in a 2-way fight but the most recent 1-sided one was probs in gr 6 when one of my friends (aha) dragged me across the classroom by my hair lol

11: Do you like someone? No :\

12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? try 72 hon

13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? lol trump (im not changing ur answer sophie cause its accurate lol) also anyone who aligns w him and rn all the conservative MPs for being dicks and a lot more I’m full of hatred rn 

14: Do you miss someone? i miss being able to eat real 

15: Have any pets? my sister has 2 ferrets :\ but she moved out so no

16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? my face hurts

17: Ever made out in the bathroom? made out a cheque to my haters (just kidding i have no money and no haters i just was trying to be funny. im sorry. i need humour right now.)

18: Are you scared of spiders? i mean i think it depends on how dark it is and how big the spider is tbh 

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? i dunno i’ll need an informed consent form

20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? :\ 

21: What are your plans for this weekend? first i gotta recover and then i gotta finish like 5 papers and hang with people and have a sleepover and hang with more ppl and watch a bunch of tv

22: Do you want to have kids? How many? I want to give birth to 0 kids tho I am still undecided on adoption etc. I’d probs be a rly good godmother tho like im just sayin. @1of1prism @purewhiteflames​ ;)) 

23: Do you have piercings? How many? no piercings as of yet tho i wanna get my ears pierced i think. but my dad disapproves of anything like that so i’d probs have to wait to either move out or be financially independent lol

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? rn? english, women and gender studies, most things involving research-based papers where i have free reign over the topic 

25: Do you miss anyone from your past? lotsa ppl tbh

26: What are you craving right now? food........that i can eat........ chickenmelts........hamburgers......pizza........pasta......... :’(

27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? prob lol but do i care

28: Have you ever been cheated on? we’ve all been cheated on.......by the system.....

29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? that would require having one

30: What’s irritating you right now? my goddamn jaw and people eating food I can’t eat in front of me. my parents had mcdonalds yesterday. you know what i had. a milkshake. my sister brought home bacon wrapped scallops. I haven’t had scallops in like 2 years cause they’ve doubled in price and the one time we have scallops let alone frickin bacon wrapped scallops (like what the hell what kinda fancyass lunch) I cant FRICKIN eat it. Oh but I can smell it. I can hear u crunching on these foods. “Mmmmm!” ya shut up.

31: Does somebody love you? Do you know how popular I am? I am soooo popular. Everybody loves me so much at this school.

32: What is your favourite color? black and hot pink together

33: Do you have trust issues? ...........why are u asking..........what will u do with that info.......

34: Who/what was your last dream about? NO FREAKING JOKE!!!!!! i HAD A FRICKIN DREAM WHERE DANNY DEVITO CAME TO MY HOUSE WITH THIS LADY AND THEY TRIED TO BUY MY HOUSE AND MY MOM WAS LIKE “no..” AND THEY WERE SO MAD AND DANNY DEVITO TRIED TO STEAL THE HOUSE KEYS BUT I CAUGHT HIM JUST IN TIME like what kinda fake tumblr text post but it’s real i really dreamed that. I honestly can’t believe it. I would doubt it myself except I told someone abt it right away when I woke up. so now i will never forget.

35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? my mom and this nurse because I woke up in a cot after being high on laughing gas and some other drug and steroids so not only did I wake up and I didn’t know where I was and no one was there and there was like an hour gap in my consciousness but I was coming off a high LOL

36: Do you give out second chances too easily? definitely not lol I give 2nd chances on rare occasions but as a general rule if u break my trust I won’t trust u in the same way again lol “trust is like a mirror. u can fix it if it’s broke. but u can still see the crack in that mother fucker’s reflection”

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm forgive i guess

38: Is this year the best year of your life? well not politically or in a global sense but in terms of like self-growth and stuff I’m doing pretty well so far I’m doin pretty good. workin hard... having fun.. loving myself.. 

39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? i have never in my life sullied my lips with someone else’s bacteria-laden lips

40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? n.........o

51: Favourite food? chicken pasta alfredo, chicken pie, chicken vol au vents, chickenmelts, eggs benedict, um, double chocolate fudge tart from dufflet... hmm, Sophie’s dad’s lasagna and also pasta al fuerno or whatever that’s called like yum, uh.. it’s really easy to list these off when i CAN’T HAVE ANY OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also poutine, and I also rly like Subway (ham and cheese on italian herbs and cheese bread with lettuce, onion, pickles, and mayonaisse, toasted...) 

52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? kind of but I tried to explain it to someone once and they were like ??????what ur saying makes no sense and contradicts itself and i was like ya probably lol

53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? watched a bad tv show my parents were watching and drank a giant mcdonalds milkshake and iced my face

54: Is cheating ever okay? honestly who am i to judge ur relationship and forgiveness and stuff but like imo if someone cheats on u they don’t respect u as an equal in that relationship or probably as a human

55: Are you mean? i can be a bit of a dick tbh but most of the time when i say something mean in my head im like “why is my mouth saying//why are my fingers typing these horrible ass things??”

56: How many people have you fist fought? well ive never used my fists on anyone but 2 people have punched me in the stomach does that count lol

57: Do you believe in true love? at the same time, i wanna hug you, i wanna wrap my hands around your neck, you’re an asshole, but i love you... so much i think it must be true love, true love. it must be tru-e love, no one else could break my heart like yo-o-o-o-o-o. yo-o-o-o-oh, oh-o-o-oh (No)

58: Favourite weather? either when its foggy and tranquil or when its like 23-25 degrees and sunny but also there’s some clouds so it’s not like direct hot sun on u but it’s still warm enough to wear shorts

59: Do you like the snow? i like when it’s snowing and quiet and peaceful and i like lying down in the snow and having that feeling of hearing everything kind of muted? but ya i hate slush and ice and stuff 

60: Do you wanna get married? not really but i might for tax benefits LOL

61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? No, get that shit away from me

62: What makes you happy? lots of things especially seeing other people happy and genuine

63: Would you change your name? Maybe tbh it’s something i’m thinking abt right now cause I’m not a super fan of my name but maybe not officially and I also don’t wanna start shit with my fam I think my mom would be upset lol 

64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? ya cause they don’t exist lol

65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? well thats nice cause I like him too but what’s with this “opposite sex” bs like i know what u mean but like 

66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? like seriously it’s not a real thing sex and gender are both constructs it’s a spectrum, a range. my buddy. pal. listen. (also ya i like to think anyone in our friend group but like probs john cause I can be scathing with those guys but as if i’d ever be vulnerable around them LOL)

67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? like ur gonna keep going with this. ur gonna keep doing this. thats fine. but i can give u some reading. like i have all these pdfs if ur interested. no joke. and if pdfs are unaccessible to u i also have a bunch of youtube links. like hon. (my dad)

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? wow i dont even know if i can tag u back @1of1prism cause if im being honest i think it was @purewhiteflames oops, yikes!!!

69: Do you believe in soulmates? no but i do think there are people that u are much more compatible with than other people

70: Is there anyone you would die for? i dunno we’ll see if/when it happens lol

I’m not gonna put anyone else through this so you can say I tagged u if u wanna do it but like lol