#oasisau

The beaded curtains bristle against each other, chiming together as the soft summer wind flew through. A distant ray of light shone past the slivers between them, casting directly atop your sombre face. Your wired earphones were tangled around your neck, weaving through the locks in your hair. You stirred in your sleep, waking up with a stretch of your legs. With the initial blurriness waning, you fluttered your eyes open. The eggshell popcorn ceiling was the first thing you usually woke up too.

You sat up, letting out a deep yawn. You stretched your arms towards the ceiling, alleviating the stiffness in your joints from slumber.

It was a Saturday. This meant one of two things. Firstly, the state of the dorm was bound to be an utter mess. Secondly, it didn’t matter because another party would commence anyway. Benders weren’t uncommon at your university. In fact, they were welcomed.

You turned to your left, noticing the small bump underneath a duvet. You let out a small sigh of relief. You were safe in the knowledge that your roommate Michelle, would be passed out for another couple of hours. But that also meant that she would be grovelling on her knees asking for help on the mid term exams. She was kind to you, at least.

You shimmied out of your bed, slipping your feet into your UGG boots whilst sliding your specs on. You adorned your brother’s hoodie that stretched to just halfway to your thighs. You didn’t bother with pants as you escaped your room, tiptoeing. You carefully closed the door, sighing in relief as it hadn’t creaked like usual. You began your trek towards the common room, mentally preparing for the heaping mess that would be left behind.

As expected, mountains of trash scattered the area. You were lucky that your name wasn’t on the list to clean that week. You stretched your legs to pass through the dormant beings, a few snores erupting from their throats at the slight brush of contact. When you reached the kitchen, you began to rummage through the cabinets that housed the shared snacks.

“Are we fucking serious,” you whispered to yourself. Each cabinet that you opened was bare. Not a single crumb was left behind. You pinched the bridge of your nose; eyebrows knit in frustration.

You walked back to your room to dress up properly. A pair of worn-out low rise flared jeans that Kim lent and your trusty adidas sneakers. You shouldered a tote bag that encased your textbooks, pencil case and notebooks. If you were going out to get breakfast, you might as well study. - ★

The café wasn’t the busiest on a mid-Saturday morning. The small shop was situated in a convenient area. It was surrounded by dorm flats and university owned buildings. Most students by now had taken the day off, sleeping through their hangovers only to douse their livers with even more alcohol later in the night.

You ordered your usual. A coffee and a pastry. By now the middle-aged barista had recognized you.

“It’s hoodie girl!” He would say, raising his hands up in excitement.

You took your usual seat in the corner of the café. Walls were made of brick, littered with framed paintings in saturated pinks and oranges. The lights glowed a warm yellow, the sun illuminating most of the area. Seats were either made of wood, or like the one you were currently occupying, a plush maroon leather-bound couch chair that sunk slightly lower than usual. The scent of roasted coffee and freshly baked pastries wafted in the air like a warm embrace. It was your favorite spot for a reason.

As you patiently awaited your order, you began splaying out your books onto the table, opening them up to where you last left off. You adjusted your glasses as your eyes skimmed the material. You already had a good grasp on the papers that your lecturers had assigned. You were simply revising to retain the information like a sponge.

After a small while, your order was served. You took a break, placing your pen down as you began chomping away through the pastry, taking sips of your beverage in between. You peered through the windows, watching as people walked by. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself. Thoughts ran through your mind as you picked apart each figure you had laid your eyes upon.

That was until a familiar figure had caught your attention.

“Don’t come in, don’t come in, please don’t come in,” you repeated in a hushed tone. You slowly curled into yourself as the man in question began to strut his way towards the door of the café, swinging it open. The chime of the bell rung, alerting the barista of a new customer.

“Noel!”

The barista left his station, walking towards Noel with arms splayed out. He captured the brunette in a sweet embrace, planting a friendly kiss on his cheek.

“How’s your lil’ brother, aye?” He asked, hands now resting on his hips. Noel grinned.

“R’kid’s doin’ alright,” Noel replied. “He’s still always up to no good though. He’s a big boy now. Can’t stop him,”

The barista chuckled, patting his shoulder a few times. He returned to his spot behind the counter, leaning forward.

“What are ya’ after?” He asked, crossing his arms.

Noel tapped his chin a few times as he examined the menu above on the wall.

“Just a peppermint tea for me,”

The barista nodded, immediately flicking the kettle on. As the water boiled, Noel’s eyes began to examine the interior. He didn’t seem like a regular. If he was, the barista would’ve known his order, and you would have seen him more often. As you studied his posture, he began to slowly turn in your direction.

“Shit,” you muttered, instantly lifting your hood back on. You closed your books, looking out the window so he couldn’t catch your gaze. You cringed when you heard footsteps approach your table.

“Hey,”

You didn’t turn around. You cleared your throat, pretending you couldn’t hear him as you looked out the window.

“You’re that bird I slammed a door on!”

You grimaced, crossing your arms. The seat in front you squeaked.

“Aye, come on now! At least let me apologize to ya!”

You finally turned to face him with a frown on your face. Your brows were furrowed, your expression wrinkled.

When he finally saw your face, he grinned a toothy smile. He let out a soft chuckle, running fingers through his shaggy brunette hair.

“There you are,” he muttered gently. The sheen from the sun obscured your eyes, the lens of your glasses more translucent than clear. He lowered his head, attempting to see through. When you adjusted them, he lifted his head back up, chuckling once more.

“Haven’t seen you before,” he tilted his head slightly.

You sniffled, nodding.

“I don’t party,” you mumbled, shifting in your seat. He hummed, nodding. He leaned over, peering at the numerous textbooks you had scattered on the table. His eyes lit up when he noticed the subject.  

“You do commerce?” He took one of the textbooks, opening it to the first page. Textbooks were lent which meant you had to put your name on a small nametag list on the front.

“So that’s your name!” He beamed. You grimaced again, tightening the grip you had on your arm. You just wanted to study in peace.

The barista searched for Noel with the cup of tea in his hands. When he noticed the back of his head, he smiled.

“You know hoodie girl, Noel?” The barista piped up, placing the tea in front of him. Noel gave him a quiet ‘thank you’, looking up at him with a slightly confused expression.

“Hoodie girl?” He smirked, raising a brow.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, sighing softly. The barista let out a small giggle.  

“She just wears the same ol’ hoodie, is all,”  

Noel laughed with him, nudging his arm slightly. With your focus on your textbooks, you hadn’t noticed the small wink the barista gave to Noel, his grin evident. The barista went back to the counter, welcoming a couple.

You reopened your textbooks, ignoring the fact that Noel was seated in front of you.

“So… You partyin’ tonight?” He asked. He wasn’t looking at you anymore. His lips were pursed as he poured milk into his tea. His tone was slightly muted, almost as if he was genuinely asking if you were attending. You winced.

“Is it at my dorm?” You bit your lip. Hopefully it wasn’t going to be at your dorm again. He let out a small laugh, nodding.

“If by your dorm you mean, OUR building. Then yes, it will be at OUR dorm,”

You froze. You don’t think you’ve ever crossed paths before. You shook your head, clearing your throat. He smiled when he noticed your slight hesitation.

“Nah,” You adjusted your seat, mumbling. You sat up properly to flick through your carefully prepared notes. “Midterms next week,”

Noel rested his cheek against his fist, his elbow now atop the table. He watched you carefully, his eyes focused on your fingers that were trailing down the page. He gulped.

“Yeah, I’m not going either. I went last night just cos I knew I’d be busy for midterms,”

You simply nodded, paying him no attention. He leaned in closer, attempting to meet with your gaze. When you locked eyes with him, you blinked.

“What?” You scoffed. Noel only laughed, leaning back into his chair. His hands were raised in the air.

“Sorry, birdie. Just wanted to know what your eyes looked like,”

You narrowed them in suspicion.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You questioned, looking up at him. Your hood was still on from when you tried to camouflage yourself. He shrugged with a smile lingering on his face.

“Don’t know. Just wanna see what ya look like,”

Before you could oppose, his hand neared your face. He whispered a small “Can I?”. You nodded softly without thinking. He gripped onto your lenses, his fingers slightly brushing your temple. You looked away at first when your glasses were pried off, slightly embarrassed at the fact that you allowed him to do that.

“Look at me,” He murmured. And for some reason, you did.

You glanced at the soft smile that curled at his lips; his squinted eyes wrinkled at the edges. You noticed that his eyes did that whenever he smiled. Your eyebrows shot upwards quickly, attempting to elicit a response from him. He cleared his throat, shaking his head.

“Sorry,” He grumbled. “Didn’t mean to stare,”

You rolled your eyes, looking back down at your notes. You squinted. You were far sighted so the words were all blurred. When he noticed your struggle, he placed your glasses in front of you. He muttered an apology through a small laugh. You put them on, sighing in relief as you continued to review your notes.

“Am I distracting you?”

You returned your gaze back to him. His head was slightly tilted with a small frown. You looked at him in disbelief. Was he really feeling bad?

“Uhm, kinda yeah,” You mumbled.

“If I study with you would that help?”

You stared at him for a moment. This wasn’t like high school where boys pretended to be interested in you. You were sure that University would be vastly different. You raised a brow in caution. You weren’t sure what his intentions were, but you didn’t want to risk it.

“I prefer to study alone,”

You didn’t dare look at him. You heard him heave slightly. Probably out of annoyance.

“Fair,” he responded.

“Sorry,” you cut him off.

He took the last gulp from his tea, excusing himself.

You turned your head upwards at the squeak of the chair. He stood up.

“I understand, don’t worry,” You didn’t expect him to smile as if it didn’t bother him.

 “People would just flock around me and distract us more,” he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. You felt a pit in your stomach form. You really didn’t mean to embarrass him or anything like that. You just felt it within your bones that trouble followed him.

“Though my lot don’t really visit the library much,” he scoffed to himself. “They’re not really the studying type,” his fingers acted out quotation marks, causing you to huff in amusement.

“Here,”

He ripped off a piece of paper from a fresh sheet of notepad. He jumbled through your pencil case for a pen, quickly jotting down something. He handed you the piece.

“This here is me Myspace tag if you’re ever wanting a study buddy,”

Before you could retort back, he was already nearing the door, waving a goodbye at the barista. You held the ripped paper in your hands.

“What a weird guy,”

- ★

You were situated in front of your computer screen. Textbooks stacked beside the bulky machine. You had gone home after a couple of hours of study, feeling confident for your exams. You opened up your excel sheets but felt slightly burnt out. You had been working on an assignment that was due soon, but you were almost done.

You thought about revising once more, like the crazed student you were. When you opened your textbook, a piece of paper fell out.

“add me, noelyg”

You held the paper between your fingers, staring blankly at it. Every fibre in your body fought against adding him. You weren’t the most prejudiced person, but you knew the kind of people he hung around. Party addicts that enrolled into school to get wasted and forget about assignments. It wasn’t your crowd, but you were lying if you denied the want to party.

You eyed those couples in the corners of the dimly lit room. Sucking at each other’s faces as if it didn’t make you wet. The thought of being pushed up against a wall, being taken without a care in the world. High or drunk. You reminisced the obscene stories Kim would relay to you. Sleeping with 2 randoms in one night, just for the thrill of it all. You wanted that. No, you needed that.

But there wasn’t enough time. Enough time to feel like you were comfortable enough to let yourself go without thinking twice about an assignment you needed to hand in. It was the curse of enrolling for a conjoint course. Always needing to work on assignment after assignment.

Your grip on the paper tightened, slightly crinkling the paper. You slammed it onto the table, opening AOL to message Kim.

spookygirl92: kim, kim kimkimikkimkmikmkkim

spookygirl92: kim, kim kimkim

spookygirl92: kim, kim kimkimikkimk

kimkat: WHAT!!!!!!!!!!1111

spookygirl92: u will never guess who gave me their myspace username lol

kimkat: noel?

spookygirl92: wtaf how u know lol

There was a small period of silence. You chuckled at the thought of Kim losing her mind.

kimkat: HOW THE FKKKK DID U DO THAT??? LOL I JUST GUESSED COS IT JUS WAS SOOOO UNBELIEVABLEEEEEE

spookygirl92: u know that one café I go too all the time?

kimkat: ya

spookygirl92: i was there and he just rocked up n then sat at my table lol

kimkat: bich i told u he wants u

spookygirl92: no

kimkat: what did he do doe

spookygirl92: he does the same course as me so he walked up and saw the textbooks i was working on and asked to study with me

You didn’t think to mention the fact that he took your glasses off to look at your eyes, properly. It hadn’t crossed your mind as something worth to tell Kim.

kimkat: and then?? surely u said yes?

spookygirl92: i said no lol

There was silence once again.

kimkat: bich u are pissin me off.

spookygirl92: huh?? what did i do???

kimkat: HE WAS ASKING U OUT??????

spookygirl92: yup he def was. cos study dates r soooo romantic!!!

kimkat: don’t chat to me, bes. i’m not fuckin playin around. this man isn’t jus gonna rock up to some randum girl thats in his course and ask to study with them…. he don’t even know u… u just have that raw sex appeal

spookygirl92: i forgot to mention that he slammed a door on me arm lol

 kimkat: what. ok fuck dis guy hes a cunt

spookygirl92: no nono he apologised at the café and allat

kimkat: yup he want u!!! go on!! add him and make him ur bich!

spookygirl92: rnt u alrdy?

kimkat: again with the lesbian allegations babe… but ya i am ur bich ;)

spookygirl92: lolololol also r u busy tn… there’s another party n i was thinkin of goin back home for da weekend.. i’m boreddddd

kimkat: as much as i would love to fuck u raw n silly i can’t……

spookygirl92: hm… das ok what u up too

kimkat: do u remember that dripping with good looks french boy I shagged like two weeks ago?

 spookygirl92: yupz u had to tell me every gruelling detail!

kimkat: ya so like… he’s taking me out on dis weekend extravaganza!!! he wanna take me out n stuff

spookygirl92: wtf??? thats so fkn sweet???

kimkat: right right??? like im soooo wet jus thinkin bout it uggghhhh wish u had that too bes… why don’t u have a romantic weekend with ur new study mate… imagine like… ur studying and he comes up behind with a hard on and u feel it on ur backkkk

spookygirl92: ok lets calm down!!! haven’t even added him lol

kimkat: let a girl dreammm… but trust me… he wants u soooo badddd… told u those popular guys loveee nerds hehehehe

spookygirl92: whatever

kimkat: ok i gtg he hereee byeee bessie love u

spookygirl92: byeeee love u too hav fun!

- ★

You were bored out of your mind playing solitaire. You hadn’t downloaded anything else remotely entertaining on your computer. You promised yourself that it was for schoolwork only. You needed the space for all the assignments you needed to do. So now, you were playing solitaire, alone in your room on a Saturday afternoon.

You groaned, leaning into the back of your chair with hands in your eyes. You pressed hard. You turned to your closet, attempting to piece together the clothes you had. You were at the point where you considered attending the party tonight. But you knew no one. Maybe Noel, but even he wouldn’t be there. You sighed, looking back to the cards you had splayed out. You closed off it, directing your cursor to open AOL.

You hadn’t done it in a while, but you began scrolling through random chatrooms. The best thing about AOL was you could remain completely anonymous. You could chat to random people from all over the world, but you remained in your country’s servers. Didn’t want to risk getting a virus.

Hundreds of chatrooms were online. You weren’t interested in chatrooms that housed multiple people. You saw it as cliques that already had a formed bond between each other. They would just kick you out if you randomly joined.

As you scrolled, your eyes finally pinpointed a chatroom with one singular person.

“Why not,” You whispered under your breath, clicking onto it.

guitarbadboy29: hello?

You snorted at the username.

spookygirl92: hi

guitarbadboy29: a/s/l

spookygirl92: 20, F, UK u?

guitarbadboy29: 21, M, UK

spookygirl92: lol we’re almost the same

guitarbadboy29: haha ig we r

You considered clicking off, till the random messaged again.

guitarbadboy29: what u up too?

spookygirl92: uhhh was playin solitare but ig im talkin to u now wbu?

guitarbadboy29: studying lol

spookygirl92: oh rlly? what u studying

guitarbadboy29: commerce ergg kill meeee

spookygirl92: o srs?! same here lol tell me about it

guitarbadboy29: haha its hell but… idk i guess its good for my future and allat…

You smiled at your screen.

spookygirl92: wouldn’t have guessed that a bad boy that plays guitar would be doin commerce… u in a band or summat?

guitarbadboy29: hell yeah im in a band, ms. spookygirl

spookygirl92: oh fuk yea!!! what band u play in?

guitarbadboy29: hmmmmmmmm idk if I wanna reveal that jus yet… idk u

spookygirl92: ok mysterybadboy… tell me more bout it

guitarbadboy29: wellll we play a lot of classics yk we dont have our own music… but i wanna play my music that i made but my shite frontman thinks its rubbish

spookygirl92: whaaattt?! that’s silly… surely u can convince him?

guitarbadboy29: i could yeah.. idk he plays the music that makes all the birds scream and take their tops off or whatever but idc bout dat

spookygirl92: lol u must be smokin hot then xD

guitarbadboy29: don’t i know it haha

You couldn’t help but giggle. There was something in the way this user messaged. Maybe it was the fact that you were around the same age, or maybe the username that he presented himself as was silly.

spookygirl92: what music do u play then?

guitarbadboy29: hmm when its what i wanna play i usually play beatles numbers or…. stone roses and lush

spookygirl92: ?!?!?! u like lush???!!!

guitarbadboy29: yea haha i went to a gig of theirs while back

spookygirl92: omg… maybe we were at the same gig then? i went to one too

guitarbadboy29: maybe it was fate that we were meant to meet on here then :)

spookygirl92: u flirting with me?

guitarbadboy29: maybe…. ;)

A smirk curled at your lips. You hadn’t been flirted with so nonchalantly in years. Let alone online.

spookygirl92: u crazy

guitarbadboy29: am i? all lush fans are pretty, i might’ve seen u in the crowd

spookygirl92: u included?

guitarbadboy29: yeah i’m proper fit me

spookygirl92: oh my~ u play guitar and u like lush? might just have to marry ya

guitarbadboy29: yeah? im a big ring guy… adding another wouldn’t be bad

spookygirl92: do u take em off when u play guitar?

guitarbadboy29: nah. birds love it, but i take it off when i like em too

spookygirl92: oh id appreciate if u did… don’t want em to get stuck somewhere lololol

guitarbadboy29: u flirting with me?

spookygirl92: maybe… ;)

The door of your room burst open. You cursed to yourself, closing the tab at a rapid pace as your roommate Michelle waltzed in. She had heavy bags under her eyes that were accompanied by a smirk. She ignored you for a moment, rummaging through her school tote bag and drawers.

“Have you…” She muttered, trailing off slightly as she continued to ravish her side of the room. “Have you seen my assignment paper?”

You turned around, the chair squeaking violently beneath you. You shook your head.

“No, sorry,”

She halted. She turned to you, her eyes flickering to the screen.

“Are you… Doing the assignment?” She whispered through bated breaths. You looked at her with playful suspicion. You realized what she was hinting at which caused you to sigh heavily, nodding. She stepped towards you, soon plunging to her knees with her hands clasped together.

“My liege…” She started. “Help… Me…” She grasped onto your shoulder, falling dramatically to the floor, her face almost biting away at it. You let out a nervous chuckle. You took her hand in your own, urging her to look back up at you. The sun shone brightly, casting its rays against your back angelically.

“Okay, sure,” you grinned. She clasped at her chest, gasping out a breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding.

“Oh, great heavens, thank you!” She sung your name in high praises. She stood back up in a flash, pulling you forcefully into a hug that dug your face into her chest. You pushed her off, letting out a genuine laugh.

“Alright, alright!” you swatted her away, adjusting your now angled glasses. “How about we go off to the library, hey? Say, later tonight or tomorrow?”

She finally stood back up properly, assessing your suggestion with a clasped hand at her chin. Her eyes trailed along the ceiling as she hummed softly.

“Not tonight, there’s another party,”

You narrowed your eyes in slight annoyance. Another damn party. Probably at your dorm level once again.

“Probably tomorrow if I’m not fucked,” she giggled. You pinched the bridge of your nose, sighing deeply.

“Why don’t you join in this time? I never see you there,”

You shook your head in slight disappointment.

“Cos, I know no one,” you responded, resting against the back of the chair. She gasped in mock offense.

“Hey! You know me!” she pointed at herself with an index.

You raised a brow.

“Do I?”

She rolled her eyes, smacking you on the shoulder playfully.

“Hey! We’ve gotten to know each other quite well! Surely, I’m more than just the girl that begs you for help with assignments, aye?” she grinned softly, raising her brows up and down.

You had to admit; she had become a bit of a friend. When she’d go down to the vending machine, she’d bring your favorite snack along with her. She’d often toss it at you when you weren’t paying attention. She was easy to make laugh, fun and charismatic. Maybe an annoying sleeper, but not anything a pair of headphones and a calming album could remedy.

You gave her a tight smile, running fingers through your hair.

“I mean… I don’t know, Michelle. I’m just not someone who parties much,” you protested.

She nodded, humming a bit more as if she was pondering something so particularly interesting.

“But you’ve gotta at least party once! It’s university for god’s sake! You’ve got to live a little!”

Her words hadn’t gone out the other ear as it usually did when she spoke about partying. It lingered in your mind as you genuinely began to think about it. Your eyes looked beyond her figure, wandering to the door of your dorm. You closed your eyes as your head lulled slightly. As you let out a debating huff, you looked back up at her.

“Sure, but I’m not entertaining any spliff,” you scoffed as crossed your arms. Michelle almost lunged at you, pulling you from your chair as she gripped tightly to your wrists. She raised them up as she cheered, hollering your name repeatedly.

“Alright-! Jesus!” you snatched your hands back to your side, gently rubbing at where she had her killer grip. She held her stomach as she cackled.

“Can’t believe you’re actually havin’ it!”

You shrugged with a small smile.

“Yeah, yeah,”

Michelle waltzed out of the room with an evident grin plastered on her face, leaving you alone in your shared dorm. You wiped your face with a palm as you sighed heavily. You slumped in your chair whilst looking up at the familiar ceiling with pursed lips.

When you sat up, you remembered the chat with ‘guitarbadboy29’, cursing under your breath as you realized that you had left him hanging. Your hand reached for the mouse, clicking onto the tab once more.

“Oh, he hasn’t responded,” you muttered. A small pang of disappointment sunk at the bottom of your stomach. You shook your head as you pushed away at your desk.

“Might as well find an outfit…”

taglist: @dykwimean @highflyingcami @s4dsongg @rkidmanic @alicehighflyingbirds

They were so loud. Just too loud.

You were genuinely thinking of filing a noise complaint, but then all eyes would be on you. You’d be the one that got everyone in trouble. The one that stopped the music, the fun, the drinking.

It wasn’t your ideal first year living at a dorm at a well-known University.

Your roommate was tolerable at least, but she was just the same. She partied too much and rushed her assignments. As a result, she would constantly ask you for help. It’s how it always was.

Ever since high school, you were the resident textbook smart girl. Glasses pushed all the way to the bridge of your nose, hair tied for convenience, and clothes that you borrowed from your older brother when he moved out.

You cared about the way you looked. Of course you did. All young adults did since fashion models, music and movies became all the rage in the 60s. But you were far too engrossed in your studies to even care.

You sighed, shutting your door completely as someone barely dressed ran through your hall with a beer in hand. You were studying for a final you had next week. You assumed that others would be doing the same. Your dorm housed students that studied the same major as you. But you were dead wrong.

In the back of your mind, you knew that almost everyone would be knocking at your door to ask for help.

You appreciated the attention, but that’s all you were known for.

No one really asked you out to parties, and no one was interested in you enough to care to do so. You hadn’t made many friends other than your roommate who was forced to dorm with you. Though, that didn’t matter to you as much. You were here to learn and to better your knowledge on the career path that you chose to pursue. So, you kept your head down, typing away at your computer on an excel sheet.

It was like clockwork to you. The assignments weren’t as challenging as you had hoped, but you knew deep down that you were shooting yourself in the foot.

Your course had flown by to the middle of the year, where your mid-year exams were dated. It was fine, you weren’t necessarily nervous, but you wanted to do good.

Names were usually plastered on billboards to congratulate students for attaining high achievements. Your name was top of the list, as per usual. But you wanted it to stay there. You planned for it. And with the roaming party goer’s that were currently populating your dorm, you assumed that it wouldn’t be too hard.

After hours of numbers, note taking and rereading the syllabus; you leaned back in your chair, stretching your arms towards the ceiling. You let out a strangled groan, feeling joints crack at every movement. You stretched your neck in a circle, heaving out a long huff.

You pushed against your desk, a loud squeal from your chair resounding in your average sized dorm room. You shook out your limbs, taking a sip from your water bottle.

“Could go for a snack…”

Luckily, your building housed a few vending machines that worked half the time. You rummaged through your bag, retrieving the small coin purse your mother bought you for Christmas.

You zipped up your hoodie, tossing the hood over your head. You adjusted your thick rimmed glasses with a pointed index. Now standing at your door, you took a deep breath.

“Just pass through,” You muttered to yourself. “Pretend you’re not even there,”

With one fell swoop, you opened the door.

The once muffled music had now ascended into a crescendo of instruments, baffling your poor ears.

The beat of ‘Dota’ by Basshunter was assaulting you left, right and center. You just wanted a bag of chips. Maybe even a cheeky chocolate bar. A simple crisp or sweet treat to treat yourself from the productive night you forced yourself to do. You were lucky that no one had run into you at this point.

You walked out into the hallway, making sure that the coast was clear. You sighed, hoping the half-naked figure wouldn’t run into you, spilling beer all over your favorite hoodie.

You began to walk through the long hall, sighing heavily as the bass began to thump its tremors into the walls.  

Every level held a living space for students to chill or engage in conversation with others. For now, it had transformed into the state that most house parties were usually in. Red cups littered the floor, the tables and the shared kitchen counters. Bottles upon bottles of different kinds of liquor wafted in the air, assaulting your nose. You began to push through sweaty bodies, slightly regretting your choice in rewarding yourself.

As you finally made your way to the door that led to the stairs, someone had burst through, causing the door to slam into your arm. You let out a yelp in shock, feeling the pain radiate. You hissed; your brows knit in annoyance. When you looked up to see the source of your pain, a pair of icy blue eyes stared down at you.

“Watch it, you wanker!” You growled, holding your arm to support its now limp state.

His slightly awestruck eyes examined your face, slightly shielded by the big hood. He noticed the sheen from your glasses that obscured half of your face. He gave you a small smile, his shoulders lifting momentarily as he let out a huff in amusement.

“Sorry, birdie,” He mumbled. He stood still, blocking your way.

You grumbled, pushing past him as your shoulder crashed into his. As you squeezed your way through, he turned around, following your figure that was rushing down the stairs through others that were behind him.

His gaze was instantly averted; a pair of hands had squished his head to plant a deep kiss onto his lips. When his eyes opened, he smirked.

“Didn’t think you’d come, Noely,” a woman’s voice rung through his ears. He was moved to the side, his back hitting a wall. He wrapped his arms around the girl, his lips catching her own once more.

“C’mon, Megs, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” He mumbled against her lips.

She chuckled. “Really? Didn’t think you’d come… Since you’re in that ‘study mode’ you mentioned,”

He tightened his hold on her, hoisting closer into him, smirking. He licked her bottom lip, causing her to shiver out a soft moan, whining against him.

“Missed ya,” He whispered. A hand trailed down from her waist to the bottom of her ass, gripping tight. She giggled, pushing into him. Her own hand found its way to his already hard cock, clasping down gently. His eyes fluttered closed, a deep moan escaping his agape mouth.

“Shall we?” She murmured, circling a thumb over his sheathed arousal. He bit his lip, grinning.

“More than happy too, love,”

★ ★ ★

The vending machine was jammed. Again. The packet of crisps that was meant to twirl its way out was now stuck.

You groaned, slamming a fist into the glass, then a kick to the side.

“Can I not just have one good thing tonight?!” You yelped, wiping your face with your hands. You groaned again.

“Stupid fucker!” You kicked the machine again, causing the coil to twirl momentarily, releasing the crisps from its hold. You gasped, your eyes wide as you scrambled to snatch it out.

You held it up, kissing it multiple times in pure happiness. You dared to slot in a few more coins for a chocolate bar, but you decided against it. Far too risky.

You stuffed the crisps into your hoodie pocket, dreading what was to come.

The trip up the stairs was far easier than you had imagined. Everyone invited seemed to have arrived. You scurried up, hearing the music’s once drowned out noise elevate the closer you got. You panted as you finally made it to the front of the door.

You prayed to yourself, begging to not have a repeat of what had happened previously.

With your eyes shut tight, you swung the door open.

Luckily, no one was blocking the way. You once again traversed through the crowd once more, weaselling through hungry couples, wasted pot heads and passed out drunkards. You thanked yourself for slipping your comfy UGG boots on, knowing they’d be sticky by the end of the night.

With a gasp of relief, you made it to your room. You twisted the knob, finally encased by the cool breeze your window let in. The music was muffled again, allowing you to sink to the floor with your back against the wood. You fished out the packet of crisps, shaking it up towards the ceiling with a small smile of accomplishment.

You peered towards your computer, hoping no one had waltzed in unwelcomed to mess with your work. You eyed your screen, sighing in relief as the same excel sheet was still open.

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” You murmured to yourself, saving your document before closing it.

You sat back onto your chair, shuffling closer. You opened ‘AOL’, checking to see if your best friend was online.

[turn sound on | ignore the fact that it says 12:00PM]

[spookygirl92: u there, kim?

After a small while, she began typing.

kimkat: yah, how’s it goin’ bessie?

You grinned softly. It was fairly late in the night, nearing 12 AM. Though, you knew the party outside would continue to rage till the early morning.

spookygirl92: could be better, lol. there’s a party happenin outside, can’t sleep.

kimkat: why don’t u join in them……. lolz

spookygirl92: why the fuck would I join em? i know none of em’ and i don’t have the right attire for it either…

kimkat: u still wearin ur brother’s hoodie or summat?

spookygirl92: …

kimkat: yep, u still haven’t gone shoppin have ya?

spookygirl92: I’m too busy!!! What else am I meant to do?!

kimkat: well how are ya gonna get the boys when u look like one!

spookygirl92: that doesn’t matter kim…….

kimkat: ur gonna get lesbian allegations again babe

spookygirl92: there’s nothing wrong with that

kimkat: didn’t say there was…]

You paused for a moment, sighing deeply. Your best and seemingly only friend was this gorgeous girl called Kim. You had met her in in your early years, soon forming a deeper bond in middle school. As you grew older, she began to flourish into this ‘Myspace’ dream. Boys flocked to her like moths to a lamp, ignoring you from the side. It didn’t matter to you really.

It was just so fucking cliché.

kimkat: anyways… seen any guys u like over there?

spookygirl92: no… like I said kim im too busy

kimkat: nawww surely there’s at least a lad over there that’s caught ur eye? hm?

spookygirl92: …

spookygirl92: no

kimkat: come on!! they don’t have to be single hehe

spookygirl92: ur a mess

kimkat: u love me

spookygirl92: unfortunately

It was quiet on the other end for a while. You stared at your screen. You turned your body to face the door, the music still at the peak of its existence. You ran fingers through your hair; you got another notification.

kimkat: yk, it’s rlly hard to find someone after uni. i could come by and help u scout hehe

spookygirl92: it’s fine, and i gotta study. mid terms

kimkat: sighhh u and ur obsession with being on those billboards… it’s rlly cool btw. hot even hehe

spookygirl92: ?

kimkat: jus sayin, bes. guys like them nerdy. Trust me.

spookygirl92: yah cos every guy that asked me if u were single was actually pining for me. ur so right!!!1

kimkat: i’m srs. boys at school were missin out. i would know lol

spookygirl92: hm.

kimkat: who’s the most popular boy at ur uni?

You thought for a moment, then grimaced. It was that damn idiot who almost broke your arm.

spookygirl92: this guy named noel gallagher or summat

kimkat: omg wait i know him

spookygirl92: yah?

kimkat: he’s the one dating that meg girl… she’s so popular on myspace rn it’s crazy lol

spookygirl92: srs? noel’s here at my dorm. he’s at the party

kimkat: oooo u should makeout with him hehehehe

spookygirl92: r u nuts?

kimkat: only jk~ unless yk u wanna

spookygirl92: kim. he has a girlfriend and he’s obviously into girls like his girlfriend.

kimkat: u never know… u never know…

spookygirl92: ur gross

kimkat: mwah

kimkat: either way, u gotta get out there! shag some lads and make ur uni years memorable!! that’s what uni’s for babes

spookygirl92: idk kim, i think that’s just u

kimkat: but i’m still gettin high grades… and getting high, and getting shagged. it’s all apart of the uni life… u gotta do it

spookygirl92: yah whatever… i’ll see…

kimkat: that’s the spirit! anywayz I gotta go. test tmrw love u

spookygirl92: yeah alright, sleep well. love u too

kimkat: mwah

With Kim gone, you decided it’s better to try than not. You threw your hoodie off, hanging it neatly on your desk chair. You removed your sweatpants, flicking off your boots then carefully lining them up. You sighed, hands on your hips as you shook your head.

You grabbed your portable CD player and wired headphones. You thought maybe if you drowned out the music with your favorite album, ‘Spooky’ by Lush, you’d fall asleep. You plugged your headphones in and slipped in the album that you retrieved from your bookshelf.

You curled up into yourself, wrapping your body in the cool duvet. The summer heat was atrocious, but you managed with the taped-up fan that would alternate from your bed to your roommate’s bed.

Somehow, slowly but surely, your eyelids fluttered close. The music from your player began to lull you to sleep despite the booming bass that battered against your walls.

And by some miracle, you were dreaming.

You were lucky to have a dedicated photographer. Amelia or ‘Mel’ for short. You sat next to her in class when you mentioned your band, ‘Bliss’. You had been so excited to exclaim the news when you scored your first gig. Mel had promised that she would be the photographer, something she believed would be perfect for her school project.

So, when she entrusted her brand new ‘Sony’ digicam to post the photos on your Myspace, you knew that from her perspective, they were perfect.

Almost as perfect as meeting that boy. That older boy. Noel Gallagher was his name; you just can’t forget it. Especially when it’s been spinning around in your mind like a drill whizzing in through your skull.

It didn’t matter that his younger brother was the band that performed before yours. It peeved you that Noel wasn’t apart of the band. His brash younger brother with the personality of a peanut was the front man. You remember talking to Noel at the bar, a pint in his hand as he chuckled at your comments about Liam.

“That’s R’kid,” He spoke fondly, taking a sip with that unforgettable grin.

Your heart fluttered at the memory, holding yourself as you lay awake at night, kicking your feet and giggling. His voice was rough, but not loud and obnoxious like his younger brother. He was just your type, but you hadn’t gotten his username. He didn’t even have one.

You plugged the digicam into the computer your mother had bought you for Christmas. The PC whizzed about with a warm hum, making bleeps and bloops as it connected. File explorer opened, revealing loads of unrendered images with unrecognizable file names.

You clicked the first one.

“Fuckin’ mint…” You muttered, chuckling to yourself.

You clicked on more, mentally taking note of what you wanted on your page.

Flipping through the photos allowed you to reminisce from the night. Far too many drinks, sweaty bodies and a slight ring in your ear that resounded endlessly. Just one of the many great experiences performing at a gig.

‘Bliss’ was the band you formed. Your guitarist and drummer were your older brother’s mates, and your bass player was your best friend, Erin. It had always been your dream to be in a band. Being surrounded by music and instruments sealed your fate. Music coursed through your veins, which is why the late nights out on Saturdays for gigs were allowed by your parents. As long as your solid ‘A’ remained stagnant.

You created a file, labelling it as ‘Bliss gig 3’. You dragged the selected photos, transferring them into the new file. With a big grin, you sighed in relief.

“I wonder if she took any photos of…” You began clicking through the files again, your face in close proximity with the bulged screen.

“Aha-!” You exclaimed, biting your lip as you revealed the gold mine.

“Thank you, Mel… My savior,” You muttered, clasping your hands together as you looked up to your ceiling, wagging them slightly. As you flicked through the photos, your eyes began to squint, your teeth baring into a grimace.

“These are all of Liam!” You huffed in frustration.

You leaned into your chair, crossing your arms in defeat as you blew the fringe away from your eyes.

Maybe Mel wasn’t a saviour after all.

Bright and early, you rubbed your eyes. Your tote bag was slung over your shoulder like a medic carrying a body in the battlefield. You walked past student after student, till an eager face approached you.

“Great show! Seriously!” A short, stocky young man gripped tightly onto his backpack, braces parasitically stuck to his teeth. You gave him a small smile, nodding your head.

“Thanks,” You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, your voice meek. You weren’t used to the praises from people that you didn’t know too well. It was refreshing, but also guiltily validating. It made you feel like a celebrity. And that, was class.

“I mean, just fuckin’ mint! I mean, you know just… Your voice is something else! I mean-“ He stuttered, spluttering through fits of saliva that generated through the lisp.

You kept nodding, letting out small huffs of nervous laughter. The boy just kept going, till a familiar someone closed in, looming behind him.

“Fuckin’ something else, is she?” His voice bellowed, causing the shorter one’s mouth to zip shut. Your eyes trailed up, your frown apparent.

The poor boy turned around as he stepped away slowly.

You crossed your arms with a heavy sigh. You didn’t know why Liam was rude at school. At gigs, he was a jolly little fella, kind even. Despite his brash demeanour, he was always so caring before, during and after performances. He would always ask if you needed anything. Water? He had a cup prepared ages ago. A pint? He’s already got one clasped in either hand. Was it the alcohol? The peanut brain turning off, maybe?

Whatever it was, his personality at school was estranged and unwelcome.

“She sounds like a dyin’ bird mate. Didn’t know what you ‘eard last Saturday,” He smirked, ignoring your presence. You shook your head, thanking the boy before walking off.

Liam only chuckled, slinging an arm around the boy’s shoulder, muttering something as his cackle echoed throughout the halls.

School had droned by like an easy summer breeze. Math, English, Art, History and to end the day sweet, Music. You often stayed back to toy around with the piano to scribble chords down in your lyric notebook.

As you began to jot down more possible lyrics, a voice beckoned out to you.

“Psst-, oi!” It called out. You lifted your head towards the sound, squinting as you saw Liam standing at the door with his hand grasping the knob.

“What now, Liam?” You scoffed, shutting your notebook. You immediately shoved it into your tote bag. You crossed your legs as you leaned against the open piano.

He walked in, closing the door behind him till the latch clicked. He made his way towards you, stopping at a reasonable distance.

He leaned against the piano, looking down at you with a small grin.

“Did Mel give you the camera?” He asked, fidgeting with the piano keys. You nodded.

“Yeah, I’ve got the photos,” You dared to close the piano onto his finger but decided against it.

“Well, send ‘em. I ‘aven’t got all day, woman,” He moved onto one of the drum sticks on the side, pretending to pound on invisible drums.

“Relax, Gallagher.” You stood up, slinging your tote bag onto your shoulder. It caused your torso to bend slightly from the sheer weight it possessed. “I’ve got them all downloaded onto my computer, I’ll send ‘em when I’m home,” You assured.

“Sound,” He hummed.

His attention shifted when you began to adjust your tote bag, eager to leave. He was quiet for a moment as you began to walk towards the door.

With your hand clasped onto the knob, he spoke up.

“Saw you chattin’ up me brother,”

You froze, your grip tightening.

“Oh yeah?” You shuddered, praying to the Gods that he hadn’t noticed.

He smirked.

“Oh yeah,” He drawled out. You cursed under your breath as you heard him walk closer. “Heard you asking for his Myspace and allat,”

You turned around to face him. You wanted to slap the smirk off his annoyingly chiselled face. It was irritating just how pretty he was. What a waste.

“Yeah, I did. So what?” You were really trying to sound unaffected, but Liam was the king of being a cunt. He was a skilled annoyer. Annointed at birth, like all younger siblings were.

He cackled, wiping his mouth with an open palm.

“Maybe I could convince him to get one, yah know, to talk to yah,” His tone was laced with that god forsaken sarcasm that their teachers absolutely despised.

“Cool,” You simply stated, turning around again to leave. “I’ll send them over when I get home,”.   

As you walked away, you could hear Liam’s giggle haunt your ears. It was the kind of giggle that made the coil of impending doom wrap around your stomach. A feeling that wasn’t quite right. Either way, you shook your head to waver the looming negativity away. You didn’t want it to sour the rest of your evening.

Band practice wasn’t scheduled on Mondays. It allowed for you and Erin; members that were still in high school, to complete assigned homework. It was rare for your classes to hand out more throughout the week, giving an almost perfect schedule for both musicians.

Your notebook was splayed out onto your desk. It was large enough to house both an adequate amount of workspace for studying, your computer and a lamp. You began tapping a pencil against your bottom lip, as you thought hard on a question that you were currently working on.

Just then, a message popped up on your screen.

XxLGxX: u gonna send them photos or wat?

You looked up, sighing. Your pencil fell atop your notebook with a soft tap.

xyour//nx: srry I forgot, sending now

You clicked away as you attached the files into the messaging box.

xyour//nx: happy?

You picked up your pencil again, only to drop it once more when another message appeared.

XxLGxX: where r the photos of ur band?

Your head twitched backwards as you grimaced slightly, your brows knit in confusion.

xyour//nx: eh?

XxLGxX: can u read? i thot u were ms queen of english or summat

You scoffed.

xyour//nx: i can read u cunt, im just confused. y do u want them?

There was a brief pause, till you saw him typing again.

XxLGxX: wanna post em. charity, ya know? gotta give the smaller bands a chance to be under the spotlight

You frowned, aggressively typing away.

xyour//nx: go fk urself

He began typing but you closed the chat, huffing in frustration. So he was annoying online and offline. You regretted clicking accept on his friend request ages ago.

For a small while, you hadn’t received a message as you continued to work on your homework. You finally got the question after about 10 painful tries. You stood up, pushing your chair away from your desk as you stretched.

“Snack time!” You exclaimed, standing up. You left your bedroom, waltzing over to the kitchen as you rubbed your hands together. You were home alone that night, and dinner had already been devoured.

After picking your poison, you walked back as you hummed the tune from the piano drabbles you developed in the music room.

Just as you walked in, the sound of a new notification sounded through your speakers. You frowned, assuming it was Liam nagging again.

You laid out your snacks as you took a seat, shuffling closer to the computer. You opened your browser, clicking on the notification button.

However, it wasn’t a message from Liam.

“No fuckin’ way,” You muttered.

You clicked approve.

Then, a message.

noelyg: Hey!

You sat there, stunned.

noelyg: Hope this isn’t so sudden, but I just wanted to make an account to ask for the photos from the gig last Saturday. Am on the road, so I was hoping if you could send them quick? It’s alright if not! Thanks, Noel.

You had never sent them any faster.