I slept for another few hours and finally got up for good. Unfortunately, it was about 6 pm and I was nowhere near tired by this time. Due to it being very, very close to November, it was already dark outside and I was not about to head home. Levi was sprawled out on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV, Serena at his side, absently watching the channels change.
There was no sign of Holden, but that hardly surprised me. He never stayed around for long.
“It's a disaster in here,” I remarked. They both looked up at me simultaneously.
“She lives,” Levi said quietly and I grinned, noticing the reference. He just looked sad, though. It was apparent he was still upset about it.
“It's Holden's job to clean up, since he was the one who threw the party and everything,” Serena stated. “But, of course, that's not what he's doing at all. He's down at the music store looking for his own record. I swear, if I ever meet a more vain person...”
I sat down next to Levi and Serena and we passed the time mindlessly, watching TV shows that only deteriorated our IQ. A few hours later, Serena took Levi home and then headed off to bed herself. I was not in any sort of mood to be sleeping, so I chose to stay down and half-watch television shows.
It was an hour after that that Holden came home. He opened the door and sat down next to me, sitting silently for only a little while.
“Oh, come on. There has got to be something better on than Say Yes to the Dress,” he exclaimed, exasperated at my choice of television show.
“If you can find something better, then suit yourself,” I said, handing him the remote.
Holden flipped through the channels, searching for something better. Unfortunately, TV at midnight was all infomercials and 80's shows and Holden finally resorted to shutting the TV off.
“Fine,” he said. “But we are not just going to sit here all night. I know you aren't tired and neither am I so we're going to go do something.”
“Like what?”
“No idea. That's the fun, isn't it? Not knowing?”
“I would argue that's what isn't fun about any of it, but if you want to think that way, feel free.”
“Oh, come on, Darcy Elizabeth.”
I groaned. “Don't you start calling me that too,” I scolded. Now more than ever, I hated my name.
“Fine. We don't have to do anything. I was just suggesting it because it's boring here.”
“Hey, I never said no.”
“So you'll go?”
I glanced up at the stairs where Serena was asleep. I contemplated what the worst that could happen was and then made my decision. “Yeah, okay.”
It was extremely dark as we drove around town and honestly it kind of freaked me out a bit. Holden was driving aimlessly when he got curious.
“So, Elizabeth, where're you from?”
“California. I'm not quite used to the cold yet. It's always so rainy and wet.”
“You should see England. This place is a desert compared to it,” he said and just like that I was reminded of who he was.
“How'd you even get famous?” I asked, genuinely curious. “I mean, I understand why. It's because you're insanely talented, but I don't understand how.”
“Luck and a lot of hard work.” He pulled off to the side of the road and parked, turning to me. “Sorry if this feels a bit awkward. I just didn't want to drive and tell you the story. It seemed kind of wrong, considering that I'm already a not-so-great driver.” I informed him that it was fine and that he didn't need to explain his motives to me.
