Duplicitous (F.C)

Distorted Reality

Calliope's point of view

        As I wake for the day, a smug grin falls onto my lips as I feel the weight of Felix's arm resting upon my waist. Moments of dancing on bar tops, mingling with newfound friends, and getting wasted with the boy I adored begin to replay in my mind. It's only been a few days in Oxford, but I feel like I've lived a lifetime. Part of me wondered if my experience would have been altered if Felix had never almost crashed his bike into me on the first day of classes. It would remain a mystery until the end of time.

        I mindlessly trace the outline of the tattoo on Felix's arm. He didn't have many, which made me wonder if the two he did have along with the eyebrow piercing were done out of rebellion, or if they did have a meaning towards them. "You sleep alright?" He shifts his body closer to mine if that is even possible. "As good as a girl can sleep on a twin-sized bed with an absolute giant." My face was inches from the wall now that he had moved closer. "To be fair, I think they do it for that exact reason." That and the fact they had to supply hundreds of them.

        He lets go of me to sit up, the sheets barely covering his abdomen. "Have you had an English breakfast before?" I've always heard of them, but my first week before moving in has been a blur. "It's been on the agenda." He smirks before jumping up from the bed. "Well, we have to fix that." He grabs my hands, pulling me from under the sheets. "What about our classes?" Felix shrugs his shoulders as he throws on a t-shirt from his dresser. "I'm sure they won't miss us."

        My promise was to never neglect my studies while I was here, but I also craved the spontaneity that Felix was so willing to show me. It's what my father would've wanted... right? That there was a life outside of books and studies, and I haven't truly embraced it until today. "Unless you want to attend class, we can reschedule." He respects my hesitations. "It's only one class." I assure him as I put my jeans from yesterday back on. "Besides, I could use something to get rid of this hangover." I'm slightly startled by my appearance in the mirror.

        My eyeliner and mascara crept past my waterline, making it hard to tell if I needed more sleep, or if it was just the fact that I slept in my makeup last night. My hair was on the verge of looking like I had a bird family of five living in there. "No more drinking with Farleigh." Felix chuckles, wrapping his arms around my waist. "To be fair, you look like every girl who discovered makeup in year 8." I playfully push him away from me. "Very funny."

        He places a kiss on my forehead, pulling me back into him. "Some girls here still haven't gotten out of that phase." We both chuckle at his jab at Annabel. "Here." He hands me one of his jumpers from the closet. "Figured you want something that doesn't wreak of alcohol, and it's sort of clean." It's the same jumper I wore on the first day we met. "At what point does this become mine?" He chuckles. "It's my favorite, so probably never." I pull the jumper over my head. "You think I'm that special, to lend me your favorite jumper?"

        Felix playfully rolls his eyes at my accent before grabbing my tote bag from the bed, making sure to put in a couple of his necessities. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, love." That had become my favorite thing about living here; being called "love" in a British accent made my heart grow eight times bigger. "Shall we go get some breakfast?" I nod, intertwining my arm with his.

~Oliver's point of view~

        Today has probably been the worst day yet of tutoring with Farleigh. Everything I said, the pair managed to make me look like an absolute mug. It didn't help that I didn't get to study last night. The Christmas party had gone until four in the morning, or at least the drunken trio didn't make it in until four in the morning. Which is probably why he showed up in sunglasses and spent little to no time on his attire this morning. It's what the Americans deem as "Casual".