in which a journalism major with one too many secrets meets a loosely-moraled detective.
bellamy blake x o.c (alternative universe)
started: february 25, 2018
finished: tbd
(cover by @dovecrles )
"caught my breath on the coast / i've been going through a change / i might never be sure"
•••
@lenaforlemons
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life hack: when stuck in traffic on your way to your new home, take a bomb ass picture
•••
All Lena Lemon knew about her new roommate was her name. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Lena knew that this wasn't a good thing. All of the episodes of Law and Order: SVU that she had binge-watched over the years had taught her several useful life advisements, including how to fit her car keys between her fingers like Wolverine and not to take candy from strangers, and yet all those lessons had flown over her head and out her window with Lena's newest flighty decision. An Ebay ad spotted, a quick negotiation of rent prices, a phone number exchanged, and Lena was suddenly packing up her entire life (which wasn't much, if she was being honest) and moving to another country.
She thought that was a bit of an exaggeration, really. She was moving to Vancouver, not Tokyo or Milan. Not far from her current home of Seattle, Washington. But far enough.
Lena's chipped-red Volkswagen Rabbit, way past it's expiration date, had stuck out the journey so far. She was only a half hour or so away from the city, already in Canada and past the border, and now she started to really worry. Lena had been too preoccupied with stuffing cardboard boxes labelled in her scribbly handwriting into the car, and then driving said car waaay too many miles in one day, to fully think over who she was meeting. A new roommate. Supposedly only a year younger than herself, 19 to Lena's 20, and a college student at the University of Arkadia, where Lena's request for a transfer from University of Washington had just gone through to. Supposedly being the key word.
Lena turned up the radio loud enough to send the bass rattling her collection of coffee cups in the center console in order to drown her thinking out. One of her New Year's Resolutions was to act impulsively, and even though it was July, that was exactly what she was going to do. King Krule's psychobilly songs melted into the background as Vancouver's landscape came into view. And, damn.
A mix of green forests and beautiful bays and silver high-rise buildings met Lena's eyes, and she couldn't help the breathy sigh she released as the GPS directions on her phone led her through the city. The apartment building was just off campus, but close enough that Lena could walk to the Walden School of Journalism with ease. Sleek skyscrapers gave way to brick buildings, hipster eatery's, and biking lanes, until Lena's phone signaled that she had arrived.
Pulling near the curb, beneath a green tree, Lena threw the car into park and sat with her hands on the wheel, not moving. The building in front of her was modernized but still simplistic, and blended in perfectly with the cobblestone streets and pub across the way. Lena had already committed to this; it was way too late to turn back. A fuck ton of gas money and downloaded Spotify songs to turn back.
Lena pulled her keys out of the ignition and stepped out of the car. The night air was cooling quickly, even though it was summer, and she threw a plain black jacket over her road trip attire of jeans, a white crop top, and converse. The sound of Lena's sneakers squeaked up the front steps and she headed up two flights of stairs before reaching her apartment, B166.
Heart in her throat, she rapped on the blue door three times and then wrapped her arms around her like a safety blanket. A part of Lena braced herself for the person to open the door to be a perverted old man, and as the door knob began to turn she resisted the urge to cower.
It swung open, and Lena was (pleasantly) surprised.
"Octavia Blake?" she asked hesitantly. The girl in front of her was beautiful, with bright blue eyes and long black hair. She grinned, and opened the door wider.
"I'm guessing you're Lena Lemon, my new roomie? Come on in!"
(author's note: i realize how crazy short this is but i really just wanted to get her move out of the way!! hopefully this book will be a cute little reprieve from my two other angsty novels)
