𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐋𝐘𝐍 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘.

            elouise  puckers  those  plump  lips  of  hers  in  mischievous  thought.  corners of  her  mouth  upturned  in  nature  and  her  tawny eyes  sultry  and  squinted. cheeks  growing  warmer  and  blushing  the  longer  she  thinks  of  an  explanation  as  to  how  sexy  his  wiggling  is.  it  just  is.  “i  don’t  know.  i  suppose  if  a  guy  is  good  at  dancing,  it  must  mean  that  he’s  good  at  other  things  too...”  she  admits  with  a  kittenish  smirk,  heart  thumping  at  such  a  bold  statement  —  even  if  she’s  just  making  all  of  this  up  as  she  goes.  she  can’t  help  but  stifle  a  giggle  by  sinking  her  pearly  teeth  into  her  lower  lip.  how  crude.  she  already  regrets  saying  that.   “you  are!  my  standards  are  super  high  now,  all  thanks  to  you.  if  he  can’t  wiggle?  i  don’t  want  to  know  him!”  she  even  playfully  extends  a  hand  to  pretend  like  she’s  swatting  away  some  poor  guy  who  can’t  wiggle.  as  harsh  as  it  looks  and  sounds,  it’s  all  in  good  fun.  especially  as  she  glances  over  at  her  newfound  friend  with  a  dazzling  grin,  elouise  simply  relishing  in  the  adorable  grin  that  is  now  cast  upon  his  own  face.  she  doesn’t  know  what  to  expect  when  they  reach  his  apartment.  though,  the  closer  they  get  to  it  —  the  further  it  dawns  upon  her  that  she’s  actually  here  and  doing  and  this.  going  home  with  some  guy  she  only  met  a  few  hours  earlier,  and  in  a  completely  foreign  city.  his  intentions  are  pure,  she’s  sure.  but  she  still  can’t  help  but  shy  up  at  the  fact  that  he  doesn’t  live  alone.  what  will  they  think?  a  smile  creeps  onto  her  face  as  they  reach  the  door,  deja  vu  washing  over  her  as  the  all  too  familiar  scent  of  cigarette  smoke  and  the  distant  thud  of  mtv  hits  her  in  the  face.  “i’m  from  brooklyn.”  a  gigantic  junkyard.  “it  can’t  be  that  bad.”  she  reassures  him  with  a  stifled  laugh  as  she  takes  in  her  surroundings  within  taking  only  a  few  steps  into  the  noisy  apartment.  the  first  thought  that  comes  to  mind  being;  “boys will  be  boys...”  but  elouise  utters  it  amusingly  under  her  breath  so  as  not  to  worry  him  any  more.  shuffling  on  down  the  hall  until  they  reach  the  threshold  of  what  she’s  assuming  is  the  party  room,  shyly  peeking  over  her  ginger-haired  counterpart’s  shoulder  with  a  gentle  smile.  “hi  everyone!”  she  chirps,  the  smile  that  resides  upon  her  face  only  stiffening  the  moment  she  spots  a  couple  practically  naked  on  the  sofa,  and  she’s  suddenly  feeling  as  though  she’s  walked  in  on  something she  shouldn’t  have.  cheeks  growing  rosier  by  the  second,  especially  at  being  called  axl’s  girlfriend.  that  alone  has  elouise’s  heart  jumping  into  her  throat. 

             “ oh, you don’t even know how sexy it is. ” the brunette playfully purrs, those last two words laced with a burst of adorable giggles that she can’t stifle, not even if she wanted to. his wiggling isn’t something that should make a girl damp between the legs, but rather light up their face with a bright smile and genuine laughter — and that’s what matters most, she thinks. he’s a sweet and funny guy, and she can’t fault him. she can’t even begin to grasp how a girl could ever turn him down like the one that did so only hours prior. “ yeah, you’ve definitely raised the bar. — if they can’t wiggle, then they can forget it. i don’t want their number. ” she jokes, cutely beaming at the sweet chuckle that leaves him. elouise slides down into her seat, getting comfortable for a ride she anticipates to be a lot longer than it actually is — so she’s quite surprised when she sees them turn at the oh so familiar whisky and stop not too far down the street at all. it comes as a relief knowing that he lives in an area that isn’t all that unfamiliar to her, as it is the very moment that she swings her legs out of the taxi and stands on the pavement that it dawns upon her that she’s in a foreign city and has really gone home with some random guy she met only a matter of hours earlier. alarm bells should be ringing relentlessly in her head, but for some reason, she remains calm and collected. simply stuffing her hands into the back pockets of her jean shorts and shooting the redhead a smile as she awaits him to lead the way.

      𝐈𝐍      𝐓𝐇𝐄      𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄      𝐎𝐅      𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑      𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 .      ☀︎♥︎

             “ perfect !  it’ll be sooo much fun ! ” she beams, already looking forward to it. smile lingering just a little while longer as she thinks about how cool it will be to have a pen pal from all the way over in california. not only all of the pretty paper she will get to use, but more importantly, the opportunity to stay in contact with her newfound friend while both being on opposites sides of the country. she just hopes that this little plan of theirs will actually come into fruition. “ i’m sure you will. ” keep it safe, that is. she can only pray that he will. the last thing she wants is some weirdo from the boulevard finding her number and calling her at four in the morning, looking for a good time or something. yuck. “ sure. ” smiling down at the table as she moves to scoot out of the booth they were just seated in, elouise glances up just in time to catch that tiny wiggle of his hips. unable to stifle the laughter that now suddenly erupts from her as she stands from her seat. “ bravo, bravo. ” she gently applauds him for his little dance, though quietly as if not to draw any attention. cheeks aching from just how hard he’s got her grinning. thinking to herself — what a goofball. she wouldn’t want him any other way, nonetheless. “ i think i’m ready now, too after seeing that. ...ready to get your number. ” she teases, a little shocked with what words have fallen from her mouth as soon as they’ve been spoken — but concealing her sudden shyness however as she lets out a laugh and averts her gaze to the floor, adjusting her varsity jacket and double checking she hasn’t left anything behind. 

          “ is that so ?  well, i’m sure i won’t be the only person in the room who likes what they see. ” elouise teases, ever so kittenishly at that. those tawny eyes of hers flicking briefly about the restaurant, eyeing off other girls in the place. some look tired, while others look bored. and it has elouise silently thinking to herself about how lucky she is to be the one sat across from him. listening to him, it tears her heart in not only two — but a thousand pieces upon both seeing and hearing how her words only work to further twist the thorn in his side. that part about her being the only real friend he’s made, it’s enough to make that beating organ centred in her chest sink. urging an innate albeit guilt-ridden “ awww. ” to slip from her lips, for a moment there the brunette doesn’t know what to say in response to such a statement. one so kind in nature, but ironically so bleak at the same time. she finds it difficult to string any words together, but after a moment, she manages to find her footing again. “ we can always talk on the phone, y’know. hell, we could even write to each other !  we could be pen pals ! ” grinning from ear to ear at the idea, a childlike giggle escaping from her. it is a shame that they have to live so far apart, but she feels that they can make this newfound friendship work if they try. thanking him for the paper and marker with a warm smile, elouise quickly albeit neatly writes out her phone number. adorning the plain number by drawing a small love heart next to it and writing ‘elouise’ out in pretty and curly letters, she pops the lid back on the sharpie and slides it, along the her number, across the table and towards him. “ there you go. don’t lose it. ”

             “ yeah, it does suck... ” agreeing with him, it really does. she has really loved it here, it’s been a dream come true. one made even better by meeting him, though. “ i’d love to stay longer but i really can’t. i’m not made of money, unfortunately. ” in fact, she’s far from it as she chuckles with a sort of hopelessness to her now slumped posture. a stirring sense of discontent rising to the sheen of her eyes. “ ——i’ve missed my family like crazy though, so i can’t wait to see them again and tell them all about what i got up to in hollywood. ” she admits, an innocent smile appearing upon pink lips for a fleeting moment before they’re being wrapped around a pretty straw and she’s taking another sip of her strawberry shake. " yeah, i can write it down for you if you’d like me to ? ” a little surprised but flattered nonetheless that he wants her number. it’s almost enough to make her blush as she looks around for something to write on and write with, eyeing off the napkins and kicking herself for not carrying a pen on her. “ sure. ” at first, she’s not sure what to make of it when he leaves the table. thinking for a moment that he might be headed for the restroom or something. she isn’t a fool however, and she knows exactly what he’s up to once she catches a glimpse of him lined up at the counter. smirking, thinking to herself a what sneaky rascal. two can play that game, she decides. she’ll just have to pay him back when he least expects it. trying to pretend like she didn’t see anything in the time that it takes for him to return to the table. “ went and put a dime in the jukebox, huh ? ” she teases with a cheeky grin, playing dumb with him though deeply grateful nonetheless for what he went and did for her. 

            “ you clearly didn’t allow that to get in the way of doing what you’re doing now, though. you’re creating rock n’ roll ! not too many people can say that. ” and elouise finds great beauty in that, how rock n’ roll is rebellion against the constructs that strive to hold us back and make us conform. to be something that, deep down, we are not. “ like it ? i love it. ” she bats her pretty little lashes at him, the grin lingering upon her face a reflection of his very own. “ i’ve never seen anyone dance like that before, so it’s definitely unique. it’s one of the many things that probably sets you and your band apart from all over the other hopefuls here in hollywood, playing rock n’ roll shows on friday and saturday nights, trying to turn nothing into something. you guys are different, but in the best way possible. ” gazing at him, tilting her head the slightest bit to the side in thought. the most subtle of smiles survives upon her lips as she wonders to herself — does he even realise how special what he’s doing is ? call her a weirdo, but she just has this feeling that his band is about to be the next big thing. they have to be. “ thank you. ” a shy giggle escapes her at such an endearing compliment, said eyes twinkling with unstifled delight. “ i'd say the same about yours. beautiful eyes belonging to a beautiful soul. hey, maybe that saying about eyes being windows to the soul isn’t all that far-fetched, after all ? ” smirking, eyes cast elsewhere. the brunette, again, reverting to her coy albeit bashful self. never has she met someone so capable of triggering such undulated emotion, a roller coaster of highs and lows — where the lows don’t get any lower than her displays of shyness, resulting from an exchange of honeyed words that leave her rosy on the surface on the warm from within. she can’t help herself when he’s such an easy person to talk to. “ yeah, it’s a shame. we only got here yesterday afternoon, so... we spent all of today just catching up on sleep, visiting the wax museums and checking out the walk of fame. ” she hadn’t really thought too much of it until now, and a pang of sadness dulls the sparkle in her eye as she thinks about how she won’t get to see downtown LA, or the studios where all of the movies are made, she won’t even get to see the hollywood sign up close ! it’s a bummer, truly. “ but tomorrow... that sounds like a plan. ” smiling with sheer delight at the fact that this may actually be happening, that she might just see santa monica pier with her own two eyes. the small-time singer pops another curly fry into her mouth before washing it down with a sip of her strawberry milkshake. “ i... have no idea. ” sighing, she begins to grow all the more bummed out by the thought. “ this trip itself was sort of a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. i’d love to come back soon, but... i’m not sure entirely i can make that happen.” an ever so rare glimmer of sadness now shining through, even if for a brief second before the brunette wipes it away with a soft smile. there is nothing she wishes more than to stay here longer, it’s just unfortunate that she simply is not in the position to do so. 

             “ oh, so your dad was one of those parents ? under the impression that rock n’ roll corrupts the mind or some other nonsense like that ? ” softly chuckling at how ridiculous that sounds, it definitely rings a bell — growing up with friends who had some of the most conservative parents ever. she’s somewhat lucky that she didn’t have that censorship or repression in her life, but she thinks he’s even cooler for not letting his father’s own gripe with music get in the way of him enjoying what he loves. “ of course i do ! ” utmost enthusiasm in her tone, a dazzling grin spreading so wide that her cheeks begin to ache all over again. loving that adorable laugh of his, especially when it’s all because of something she said. “ most people just stand in one spot or otherwise pace around, but you... you’re all over the place, wigglin’ around. i like it. it’s really entertaining. ” her smile is laced with sincerity and awe, admiring him so much for his ability to put on a real and exciting show. to her, it’s evident that he really loves and cares about what he does. “ they’re indecisive and can’t decide what colour they want to be. ” she jokes, feeling oh so flattered that he would call her eyes cool. she can’t even hold eye contact with him without gently giggling and shyly flicking her gaze elsewhere. “ you’re too kind. the only problem is... i’m not going to be in LA for very much longer. i’ve got my show tomorrow night and then i’m heading back to new york the morning after. ” grimacing, somewhat of an apology in her gaze as she now realises that she may have just strung him into doing something that can’t even happen. “ i’m not doing anything all day tomorrow... but if you’re busy or think you’ll have had enough of me by the end of the night, don’t stress about it. we could always make it happen another time, maybe. ” shrugging her shoulders and brushing her fingers through auburn tresses with a gentle sigh, slight smile lingering upon rosy lips, she just doesn’t him to feel like he HAS to go through with it when he can’t. to drop everything on such short notice — it’s not fair, elouise thinks. “ i’m just being honest with you. there’s not much else to it. ” shrugging again, this time with a cheeky grin lighting up her face as she playfully swirls her straw through her shake. 

             “ so all of the greats, huh ?  you have good taste in music, i see. ” grinning, pearly teeth subtly sinking into her lower lip. he just keeps getting cooler and cooler, elouise thinks. “ i’m a big fan of elvis, myself. a lot of my friends pick on him for what he turned into later on in his life, but... i don’t know. i think he had this star quality that very few people on this planet are lucky to ever have. nobody can put on a show these days quite like he did... ——except for YOU, though. i saw you wigglin’ around on that stage, bustin’ a move. ” a bashful smirk creeps onto her visage, the brunette eagerly anticipating his reaction to such a coy comment. because him ? drawing inspiration from elvis presley ? she can see that now.  “ to be honest with you, i don’t know. i like to think they’re green, but a lot of people tell me they’re hazel or brown. sometimes even blue, as crazy as that is. ” it’s a phenomenon she’s put up with her entire life. “ i think they must just change colour according to my mood. ” laughing, it doesn’t hurt to joke about it. especially when she has zero idea why her eyes do such things. “ i won’t believe it until i see it. ” chuckling, deviously grinning. it’s a little ironic coming from her, of all people. because who would take one look at her and think ‘ she’s trouble ’ ?  that’s right, not a single soul. “ sounds like a dream ! ...okay, maybe not so much the puking part, but the cotton candy and popcorn and riding on rides — yeah ! ” giggling with unfeigned amusement, excitement sparkling in her eyes as she pictures the possibility of actually experiencing these things. her only dilemma is that she doesn’t know if he’s just saying these things to her or if he’s being serious. “ you’d really take me there, though ? ” a soft, childlike look is present in her eyes as her gaze meets his, searching those emerald orbs for an answer. “ well, they’re stupid, aren’t they ? not believing in you... pfft. they didn’t know a prodigy, even when he was sitting right there in their classroom. ” she’s super lucky that from the age of thirteen and onwards, she’s been surrounded by a network of supportive people who have encouraged her to chase all of her ambitions and dreams. even when she was a little hell-raiser, at times. “ they were probably mad because they knew you’d go on to do bigger and better things with your life than being stuck in school until your old and sour like them. ” 

             “ that’s neat !  —— who would you say your influences are ? ” she points a gentle finger at him from across the table, innocently smiling. wondering what kind of music he likes and listens to since it’s something she believes to be quite telling about an individual and their character. that, and she’s also eager to discover if they have any musical preferences that so happen to align. “ different ? ” brows lift, the brunette not entirely sure how to react to a comment such as that, chuckling nonetheless. “ jeez, i wonder what colour they are tonight... purple ? pink ? ” she jests with a devious grin, those ever-changing eyes of hers absently wandering about — in search of their reflection, but the dark and colourless window beside them proves to be of little help. “ but you’re too nice to be the law breakin’ type. ” gracing him with a playful pout, she suddenly grows curious, unable to help but wonder if his own run-ins with the law were as innocent as her counts of disorderly conducts — or if they’re something a little more sinister than that. she chooses not to pry, however. “ oh yeah ?  i would love that. we could be big kids together. ” laughing at the thought, eager with the idea of seeing santa monica pier. a place that to her, much like the rest of this city, has only ever existed in movies and magazines up until now. “ it’s a singer thing. maybe. ” chuckling, not so sure about that when her own keyboardist is absolute hell to get on stage sometimes. “ sounds like your teachers had their work cut out for them. ” she gently teases him, picking up another fry with her fork and popping it in her mouth. already beginning to feel herself filling up off this delicious food and drink.

             “ it has to be fate. you guys are working magic together !  i’m really curious to know who your musical influences are, because what you’re doing... like i’ve said, i’ve never heard anything quite like it before. ” a vast grin adorns her pretty features, pearly whites shimmering as a blend of admiration and awe glaze her ever-changing orbs. elouise is sure that one day someone will be asking him these same questions in return for a monetary paycheck, but for her, simply listening to his answers and learning all of these new things about him is the best kind of payment. it beats money, by far. “ my eyes ?  what could be so interesting about them ? ” raising a surprised brow, the brunette absently bats her baleen lashes at him — though more so out of curiosity along with a small inkling shyness. “ oh, so you were a bit of a troublemaker too, huh ? you don’t seem like the law breakin’ type to me. ” chuckling, suddenly finding solace in her own scandalous confession now that she’s found she may not be the only one to know the feel of cold steel around the wrists. “ well, if you ever do end up back in new york city... coney island is an interesting place, to say the least. there’s something for everyone there. ” she may not frequent the famed location as regularly as she once did, but it will eternally possess a very special place in her heart. “ it’s probably no different to santa monica pier, honestly. ——but that’s one place i’d reeeally like to visit someday !  call me a big kid, but i’ve never stopped loving funfairs, amusement parks and such like. ” bashfully admitting so with an ironically child-like grin appearing on her lips, that grin never dulls as she listens to him, downing a few more curly fries before she’s reaching for a napkin and gently wiping the corners of her mouth. “ yeah ? that’s understandable, though. you’re can’t always be up for a show. ” it’s hard, especially as a front-person. you’re supposed to be the centre of attention . you’re the star of the show ! elouise knows the feeling all too well, but it isn’t often that she allows it to get to her. it’s her gratitude that she even landed herself a set at whatever venue she’s playing that keeps her going. “ gosh, i bet your teachers really liked you. ” tone laced with playful sarcasm. “ i was kind of the same, though. all through elementary and middle school i was a real quiet kid, always kept to myself. but then i hit high school... and things took a turn. i think it’s safe to say that some of my teachers hated me. ” laughing at the fact, she still to this day has no clue how she even managed to graduate in the end. 

             “ really. you’re the first and only. ” admitting so with a slow albeit tiny nod of her head, elouise feels her heart melt the longer she gazes at that candied smile that has taken residence upon his face. wondering how the hell a man can be so handsome. it’s not fair. not fair on her heart. especially when he calls her sugar, of all things. on the outside she may appear calm and collected, but on the inside she’s more like a strawberry ice cream on a hot summer’s day — rosy and melting. “ it’s interesting that you all came together, then. maybe it was fate ? ” she comments, a playful smirk forming on her plumps lips as she lifts a slender brow at him. she’s a big believer in that sort of stuff — things happening for a reason. “ i don’t know about that... ” her, SUPER interesting ? pssh. all she can do is shake her head. there’s very little that’s interesting or exciting about a city girl who waits tables by day and sings songs on a stage by night. she’s horribly clichéd, she feels. but then he’s pushing her for more information, and she can’t help but let slip a defeated sigh. “ 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞. ” eyes wander about the room in deep thought, the singer doing her best to formulate some sort of sugar-coated abstract about where and how she grew up. it’s difficult when for the most part, her childhood was a dark and traumatic time in her life. though, a striver in seeing the best even in the most horrible things, elouise manages to push past all of that and comes up with something for him. “ i was born and raised in brooklyn. new york, obviously. and i grew up in a not so little neighbourhood called bensonhurst. i don’t know if you ever made it out to coney island or brighton beach during your visit to new york... but it’s sorta near there.” consciously erasing the earlier part of her childhood in which she lived in government housing in the dirty and sketchy neighbourhood of red hook, barely getting by on welfare checks and wearing worn and holed clothes provided by the salvation army. “ i spent a lot of my teen years loitering around the beach and the amusement park there. chasing after boys, getting chased by the cops. sometimes both at the same time. ” taking another sip of her milkshake and smiling at the memory, one she doesn’t even know why she’s sharing with him. it’s stupid. though, she can’t help but laugh as she remembers those hot summer nights with her friends — drunkenly running down the boardwalk in their black bikini tops screaming, ‘ get us while we’re hot ! get us while we’re hot ! ’ so naive she was back then. “ i would imagine you’d be about as hungry as a seagull after putting on a show like the one you did tonight. ” chuckling, feeling secondhand his own enjoyment as he chows down on his meal. “ how do you even find the energy to do that ? ” to belt out song after song with a voice as powerful as his, to be constantly running around the stage and on the move, dancing all over the place. have elouise simply stand for two songs in a row and she’s already tired. she can’t imagine both singing and dancing. 

             𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 —— a special warmth. how on earth is she supposed to look at him without the biggest puppy eyes. “ yeah ? no one’s ever told me that before. ” a shy, almost disbelieving smile cracking onto her lips at such kind words. it’s flattery in it’s most superior form when she’s gone so long in trying to be the polar opposite of what her mother became. a cold, bitter and detached woman with nobody in mind but her own self. “ so thank you. ” she appreciates it, she really does. more than she’ll ever let on. “ god, it sounds like you’ve got someone from every corner of the country, just about. ” grinning, finding his band all the more intriguing. “ about me ? i’m not a very interesting person... ” a sheepish chuckle escapes the brunette, her shining eyes trailing off elsewhere in thought she does her best to muster some sort of interesting fact about herself. “ well... i guess you already know that i’m in a band. not a very popular one, but we manage to get by. ” she admits with a tiny shrug of her shoulders, picking up a curly fry with her fork and taking a bite out of it before swallowing. corpus christi are nothing when put next to a band such as 𝐠𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐧' 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬, she thinks. “ oh, you would. ” simply laughing at him, she wouldn’t expect any less from him. not when he has been so generous in so many ways. “ i’ll save the best for last, then.” smiling, pointing at the mozzarella stick with her fork. she takes yet another curly fry and downs it within a few seconds, savouring the salty flavour before she’s taking a small sip of her milkshake.