elude // jahseh onfroy

5 - persistence

Nora

There's fifteen minutes left before Ski's party starts and none of my friends are willing to come. Taylor and Chris are playing paintball tonight, which means they can't accompany me to the party. Since they are my only female friends in college, I decided to ask one of my guy friends to go with me.

Eliyah's name appears on my screen and I quickly slide my finger across to pick up. 

"Hey, Yah," I say, a smile forming on my lips. I met Eliyah in my first Stats class and since then, we've been inseparable. I'm sure there's a rumour about us dating, but it's nowhere near from the truth. 

There was a time where I had a crush on Yah, but over the months I kind of got the vibe that he didn't feel the same way about me.

"Yooo, Nora! How's my favourite girl doing?" Eliyah shouts through the phone as if he hadn't heard from me in weeks. 

"I'm bummed out 'cause I wanna go to this party and... Well... Chris and Tay are away," I start, stopping when I hear a laugh on the other line. 

"You want me to go with you, is that it?" he asks. I can almost picture him smirking at his phone right now. I glare at my open wardrobe, still unsure if I've picked the right outfit.

"Yes," I say, rubbing my temples at the amount of outfit options I have.

"Where's it at?" he asks. I take out an emerald-coloured dress, frowning at it when I remember it's barely-above-knee length. I need something more flirty.

"It's my neighbour's party."

"That ain't bad, then." 

"D'you think you can get here in fifteen?" I ask, wondering if I will be ready in fifteen. My eyes shine in delight when I find a velvet crop top from last summer that I've been searching for since I moved. 

"Wow, was I the last person on your list?" Yah scoffs, making my eyes widen from his retort. 

"No! You were third, actually," I say, my cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Eliyah chuckles in amusement.

"I'm only joking. I'll see you in fifteen, then," he says. 

"See you," I reply before hanging up the call. 

I let out a deep exhale, my attention shifting to my mirror. I let out a gasp when I realise I almost forgot to blend my contour. I really need to make a good first impression tonight and I can't afford looking like a clown. 

In the next fifteen minutes I managed to change my outfit three times before making up my goddamned mind. Why do I care so much about this party? 

I jump from my bed when the doorbell rings, darting downstairs to not keep Eliyah waiting. 

"Noraaa!" Eliyah sings before enveloping me into a hug. 

"Someone's excited to see me," I giggle, breaking the hug to meet his gaze. He's dressed like the stereotypical skater boy with a pair of basketball shorts and a Vans tee, but it really suits him. His jet-black hair is ruffled as if he had just gotten out of bed.

"I haven't seen you in like... Four days," he beams, pinching my cheeks playfully. 

"That's a long ass time. Should we get going?" I ask, my eyes setting on Ski's house across the street. People are starting to show up with their friends and bottles of booze, their loud chatter audible from my front door. 

"Yep. Ready when you are," Yah says, giving me his arm. I beam at him, linking arms with him before he escorts me across the street.

"Wow, this place is full," I mumble, taking in Ski's mansion from the outside. A large marble fountain decorates the entrance of the ivory house, people pouring inside the building like ants.