S.A.D || a cordae story!

11™ [ 𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘬! ]

[ sorry if this preview seems a little mundane/boring. i mentioned in my other books that i was going to start using sneak peeks/cliffhangers more often so i can get more writing out to you guys. enjoy! the rest of the chapter will be coming soon enough <3 ]

Ella

My stomach gurgled loudly, making me scrunch up my face in discomfort. Slowly my eyes opened one by one and my brain began to process my surroundings. I remembered watching a movie on the couch but got confused on how I ended up back in my bedroom. 

Then I sat up. Cordae.

"He must have carried me up here.." I mumbled to myself. My mind flooded with thoughts like if he were still here and if Nick came back and saw us together.

I was about to go rush downstairs and see, but I needed to freshen up in case he was still here. I would die of embarrassment if I went around musty and with morning breath and my hair looking like a bird's nest.

I swung my legs over to the side of the bed, letting my limbs wake themselves up and regain some feeling in them. After a few moments, I got up and stumbled my way to my joint bathroom, where I quickly tied my hair back and did my daily morning routine. 

Because of the possibility of Cordae still being here, I made sure to put an ample amount of toothpaste on my toothbrush and scrubbed my teeth and tongue furiously in tiny, repetitive circles until my wrist hurt. Rinsing my mouth and wiping off the excess water, I used my favorite facial cleansing scrub and lathered my face and let it sit for a few seconds, so it can really penetrate the layers of my skin.

As I was about to rinse, I heard two knocks on my door, loud enough for me to hear from inside the bathroom. Before I could even ask who it was, Nick just blatantly opened the door and walked in my room. I playfully groaned and rolled my eyes. "How are you gonna knock and then just burst in here anyways?"

"Cause I can," my step-brother answered simply before plopping down on the bed on his back.

I sucked my teeth. "You don't have no sense of privacy. What if I was naked in here or sum'n? What would you do then, hmm?" I replied challenging him. I didn't wait for his answer because the faucet was running loudly and I needed to wash this stuff of my face. 

".... you hear me?" the last part of Nick's sentence floated through the atmosphere of my room as I turned off the sink. "No, I didn't. What'chu say?"

"Good," he said, completely ignoring my question.  I exited the bathroom and rolled my eyes. "Nigga what did you say? You only making me more curious by not telling me."

He sat up from my bed and shrugged. "Hm, nothing. Nothing that you're ever gonna know anyway." Before I could say anything he interjected again, "By the way, Cordae is here and so is Alysia." 

I tried to fight my lips from curling up in excitement but it was no use. He stayed the night? He could have went home as soon as I fell asleep but he didn't! My heart fluttered at the thought.

"Well why ain't you say anything earlier? Got me keeping him waiting and everything!" I exclaimed, rushing to my closet and pulling the double doors open. I needed to find something cute, but extremely casual to wear, to make it look like I didn't do much to prepare. I'd make a mental note to come back up here and shower when he leaves. 

My arms paused midair when I processed that Alysia was here, this early in the morning, after we haven't spoken recently. "Wait.. what's Alysia doing here?"

"I'on know, you could always ask her yourself when you get down there." He stood up and stretched his back, a faint cracking sound echoing through my room. "I'm finna go eat. I'll see you down there." 

I didn't say anything but nod in his direction, as I pondered what shirt to wear, or if I should wear a sweatshirt instead. 

Almost ten minutes of indecisiveness and creeping anxiety later, I pulled on an oversized t-shirt I had bought while shopping online. Fixing the bottom part of my black leggings, I made sure my lips looked glossy and moisturized by applying a layer of Vaseline and my favorite clear lip gloss. 

As I descended the stairs, my anxiety continued to rise, and my mind raced with all the possible reasons Cordae could give when I asked him if and why he slept here. I also contemplated Alysia's unusual behavior of her showing up to my house unannounced and our apparently estranged friendship. All of these thoughts caused me to sweat prematurely and my hands to get clammy.  Calm down Ella... it's literally nothing. Calm down, I tried to tell myself. 

When I reached the bottom of the steps into our merged kitchen/living room, I had noticed something that made my eyebrows furrow in confusion and irritation, and my heart began to pound, rattling my chest.