vanilla // lrh

two

"Jesus Christ!"

I turn from my reflection to the doorway, where Mia and the tan boy with the big hands welcome themselves into my home.

"Who in the hell lives next door?" Mia hissed, tossing her Coach purse onto my couch, slinging her body in similar fashion to follow.

"His name is Mike," I explain, turning back to my mirror, clipping on my silver hoops. "He's not a bad guy."

"If he could turn his 1990's gay emo music down, then maybe he wouldn't be such a bad guy." She mocked, kicking her fishnetted covered legs onto the table.

I was so used to Mike's music that I hardly even noticed it anymore, the electric guitars and screaming of teen angst became a constant background noise, that I oddly found comforting.

Ignoring Mia's remark about my across-the-hall neighbor, I turned back to them, noticing how nice the tan boy was dressed.

"Let's go already!" I smiled, glancing at the tattoos along the boy's arm, then back to Mia's eager eyes.

"Yay!" Mia clapped, leading the three of us out the door.

"Who even listens to that nowadays," Mia mumbled underneath her breath, as we passed Mike's door.

My heels clicked with every step as the three of us walked down the stairs, and out the door. We were greeted by the painfully familiar late October winds, and I instinctively clenched the leather of my jacket.

"So, El, Calum is from New Zealand! How cool is that?"

"Australia, actually," Calum corrected, politely though, he was very polite. "But I've been around here so long most people can't tell much."

"When did you move here?" I ask him, trying to interest myself in the bland conversation, to avoid the painful silence.

"I've been in America nearly all my life," He explained, as the three of us reached the end of the block, as I wondered where the car was. "Just moved to Chicago in April."

I knew I should ask him why he moved, where he used to live, but the topic at hand did the opposite of peak my attention, so I settled with a small "hmm."

"Where's the car?" I asked, as we turned the second block.

"Actually, my mate's house is right up here." Calum said, the Australian spice spilling out of his words.

Calum and Mia stopped walking at a big black door, nothing surrounding the door but a single window and the bricks of the building that it was connected to. The door looked misplaced, almost as if the building shouldn't have anything on it but graffiti; it didn't look like a home.

Calum drew his fist up to the door, forcefully knocking three times, sort of in a pattern.

The door swung open, the strong scent of sweat, alcohol, and marijuana filled my nostrils, as a muscular boy with a mess of curls spilling out of his scalp stood in the doorway.

"Ash, mate!" Calum, exclaimed, wrapping the muscular boy into a tight hug, although the boy didn't seem to enjoy the hug too much.

"Yo, uh, hey, man," The boy said, slightly stumbling over his words, as Calum pulled away.

The boy looked as if he was staring at me, but the jet black shield created by the sunglasses that framed his face hid any hint of where exactly he was looking.

"This is Mia, and her friend uhm-"

"Eloise," I introduce myself, taking in my lower lip with my teeth.

"Everyone's fucking welcome!" The boy, Ash, I assume, hollared, opening his frame to allow us into the house.

I could tell by the way the toxicity laced through his words, that he had had too much to drink.

The familiar melody of a Fall Out Boy song danced throughout the apartment.

There wasn't too many people there, a few were sitting around the living room coach and coffee table, some people playing strip pong in the kitchen, and a couple making out on the wall between what looked like two bedrooms.

I began to scan the room for possible takers to numb my lonely night, but no one seemed to spark my fancy, then again, after a few drinks, anyone would.

Maybe I could get Calum or Ash to take me home, if I couldn't find a better suitor.

I made my way toward the group of people in the living room, and took a seat next to a girl with purple hair, a fluorescent green ring hanging out of her nose.

"Hey, you wanna play?" She asks, and I nod quickly, giving her a friendly smile, even though I had no idea what the fuck I was playing.

The purple headed woman began to shuffle a deck of cards, but is interrupted the slam of a door, and the removal of the music.

All eyes shot up to the bedroom doorway, where a tall boy with pajama pants stood, arms crossed over his chest.

He had his lips tucked into his mouth, and his eyes were darted across the room toward Ash, who's dimpled intoxicated smile began to shrink.

"Luke, loosen up, c'mon and have some fun!" Ash grinned at the tall boy, stepping closer to him.

"I'm trying to study, you drunk," The boy hissed. "Some of us are in school for more than just to party, you prick."

The anger laying underneath his words might as well have been painted on the walls, his jaw clenched, head tilted upward.

Ash chuckled, chugged the beer that he had in his hand, and turned away from the lanky boy in the doorway, as if the way the boy lashed out on him didn't happen.

I couldn't help but stare at the boy in the doorway, the way he tightly gripped his lips with his teeth, and the slight flex of his bicepts from crossing his arms together, he was pissed, and it was making me warm in all the right places.

Just then, his eyes locked on mine, and I froze, hoping he didn't catch me staring at him.

Instead of his eyes growing with the usual lust, he rolled them to the back of his head, turned around, and slammed the door behind him.
.

.

.

.

i hope people are actually reading this I am so excited !!!!!!!! if ur reading this ily pls give me feedback !