Bad Habits | Herophine #1

II

-Rooted-

Our classes went on to be stressful, specially with the test we had today, after we finished our day I met up with Elijah and we walked to the car after a minute of awkward silence, Elijah finally asked the question I was dreading. "How'd you do?" He asked me, I shook my head feverishly. "No sir, we are not talking about class, we are free tomorrow and I really don't want to think about my GPA potentially dropping." I told him as we matched each other's strides, I sighed. "Damn, that bad?" He chuckled, looking at me and clicking the locks on the car keys. "You're one of the smartest girls here at Pomona, if anyone can ace grammar and syntax, that's you." He complimented.  

"You say that because you're my best friend, thank you, but as sweet as you are and as much as I love you, I don't want to think about it." I turned on the radio and plugged in my phone pressing shuffle on my music, I reapplied my lip gloss as Elijah drove and one of my favorite songs played on the radio. Harry Styles shouted the lyrics to Kiwi and my blood pressure rose as I turned up the volume, I let out a shout of freedom, as Elijah sped up and my hair blew in the wind since all the windows in the car were down. 

Elijah's laughter and my own filled the car as I banged my head along to the song while still in my seat, "I'M HAVING YOUR BABY, IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" We yelled in unison as we got off the highway and onto the familiar street our favorite bar was on. We found a parking spot not too far from the place and I shoved my bag in the backseat taking only my phone with me.

We walked in and immediately were greeted by similar upbeat music playing at the bar and dancing bodies everywhere, rumor had it that the bar was named rooted because of its appeal,  there were actual trees planted in the bar, everything was very earthy and honestly it was a very underrated chill place. "It's packed today..." Elijah spoke in my ear as we made our way to the bar, his hand gripped my wrist to help me get through the dance floor. We finally sat at the bar ordering our usual. "Malibu cocktail for the lady and a Whiskey smash for me." Elijah ordered before I could utter a single word. "You know me so well." I slapped his knee. 

A few hours later, I could feel the effects of the liquor in my system, Elijah decided it was time to go before I bought everyone at the bar a damn drink, —What? I get friendly when I drink— "I love everyone!" I yelled out as we left the bar, turning a few laughing heads as I draped on Elijah stumbling out of the bar with his help.

I felt the cool city air hit my hot liquored up skin. "Faith, stay right here, the car is not that far I'm going to bring it so you don't have to walk. Matter of fact wait inside and come out when I honk." I nodded at Elijah and stay put back inside, but the damage was done, the bit of breeze heightened my tipsy to a hundred and I was out the door like I knew where I was going, as I opened the heavy door I bumped into something cool, rubbery and hard, upon looking up, I saw the most amazing pair of ocean blue eyes I've ever encountered and then he spoke, "Whoa, you alright there luv?" My ears were filled with a melodic British accent that could make anyone swoon. "I'm, I'm fine..." I smiled at the stranger, "Heyyy, you're pretty cute, why do you sound like a scene from Harry Potter? Are you team Slytherin?" I said poking the stranger's cheek and giggled, he smiled, clearly amused, but all I saw was a perfectly straight smile before I passed out in his arms.

I woke up the next morning, with my ears ringing, I opened my eyes immediately regretting the decision, along with the nightmarish sunlight steaming into the room, Elijah's twin bell alarm clock disrupted my precious sleep. "Elijah!" I shouted, purposely extending the 'A' in his name, "Please, turn off your alarm from hell!" I yelled, he immediately came into the room and tapped the small button atop Satan's alarm clock, I rubbed my eyes and Elijah handed me the cure to all my illnesses, coffee. I looked down at my clothes, I was in Elijah wear, "Why am I in your house and why am I in your clothes?" I asked my throat being coated with the warm hazelnut flavored elixir.

"Good morning Elijah, Please, why don't you go on to tell me how you saved me from being kidnapped by a leather jacket wearing creep at Rooted, I would love to know!" He replied making me scrunch my face and facepalm myself. "I did that?" I asked and Eli nodded sipping on his own coffee. "I brought you home with me and texted your sister before she killed you for coming home as drunk as you were." I sighed. "Thanks for saving my ass Eli." I giggled, closing my eyes and recalling the pair of ocean eyes with perfectly prominent eyebrows that I bumped into last night.

I vaguely pieced together what happened last night, I figured that what I most likely bumped into was his leather jacket and that Elijah probably found me momentarily passed out in his arms, "I wasn't drunk, the earth was moving and I couldn't see clearly." I said rolling my eyes, trying to defend my behavior and making Elijah laugh in the process.

"Faith, I'm always down to defend you, but this time, you have no defense whatsoever, I mean all you spoke was about blue eyes and you made me repeat Ocean Eyes like a thousand times after that. Billie Eilish wants her song back babe." I giggled at that. "Okay okay, I'm sorry, yes, I got piss drunk, but you saved me, so we're even?" I said hopeful and Elijah scoffed. "Even?! That's not even square Faith, the girls that I tried to hit on ignored me because they thought you were my girlfriend, so that means you suck as wingman." I finished sipping the coffee in my hands and laughed at how Elijah described the night.

"Who even was he?" He asked me. "I don't know, but I honestly wouldn't mind finding out." I replied reaching for my phone, I wasn't in trouble at home, thankfully. I texted my sister telling her I would be home soon, to what she replied that it wasn't a problem and to say hi to Elijah. "My sister says hi." I told him quickly, "Eli, I need a few things from you." I smiled a full smile and watched him shake his head. "Let me guess, my shower and sweatpants? I got you." I loved him for how well he knew me, I nodded in confirmation and he got me what I needed. I showered and washed my hair as well, I was being haunted by those eyes and I didn't even know who they belonged to, after bidding farewell to Elijah I got in River's car, I smiled at the memory of that brief encounter, while Billie Eilish sang about the anonymous eyes that hypnotized me last night.