Down In Flames ✢

✢ FIVE.

the ride ; drake ft. the weeknd ✢ take shelter ; years & years ✢ saint pablo ; kanye west 

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With textbooks pressed tightly against my chest, I slid the strap of my backpack off my shoulder and twisted myself so that I could easily grab my schedule out of the front pocket. The position was an awkward one that probably made me look like something between a contortionist and the star of an Exorcist movie, but I couldn't be bothered to worry about my appearance when the issue of finding my class occupied most of thoughts.

The only lectures I had been early to were ones that I slowly realized were actually the wrong room number while the ones that were indeed the right room number, I had arrived to ten minutes late. The merciless stares of judgment were my main motivation to put my nose to the grindstone and find Miller 405 before two o'clock.

My pace quickened as I walked down the concrete path, practically being shoved off the sidewalk from the sea of rushing students. Their negligent bodies bumped against mine and left me stiffening myself just so I wouldn't fall over from their harsh impacts. A sudden collision hitting my left side caught me off guard and pushed me off the pavement completely. Contempt was written all over my face as I locked eyes with the perpetrator, my disdained scowl meeting his satisfied smirk.

"Why do I keep seeing you everywhere?" I asked begrudgingly, purposely digging my elbow into his stomach as I moved back onto the asphalt.

"You're just lucky, I guess." Bennett shrugged with a broad smile, clearly taking no offense to my question.

"You might want to brush up on your definition of lucky." A laughed unwillingly escaped my lips as I walked away, my focus back on the paper in my hands.

I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye and tried to hide my amusement once I realized he was trailing behind me. With a subtle eye roll, I turned back to the document and continued to scan it until a shadow hovered over the words, blending the silhouette in with the dark-colored font. It drew closer and closer until the majority of the words were blocked out of view. I looked up and locked eyes with a smiling Natalie.

"Elis, finally!" She practically squealed once she saw me. "And... Bennett?"

Her eyes shifted between the two of us quizzically before they landed on mine with more intensity than before. I responded with a small smile, also doing my best to imitate Bennett's relaxed shrug from moments ago.

"So you guys really hit it off the other night." She whispered the sentence low enough for only me to hear before regaining her normal tone. "Is that why I couldn't find either of you after the party? I spent like twenty minutes looking for your ass."

"Twenty minutes? I'm so sorry, Nat, it was so crazy. I —" My explanation was cut short once Bennett stepped forward, physically inserting himself into the conversation and bumping my arm in the process. He remained silent, but his intimidating aura that filled the air made a statement loud enough for me to hear. He wanted me to keep quiet. "I had to head home early. I wanted to tell you, but there were just so many people and it was getting late. How was the party, though?"

"Crazy." She breathed, shaking her head to accompany her short reply.

"Let me guess, the Chewbacca guy actually made it into the pool with only minor injuries?" My eyebrows raised expectantly, sarcasm lacing my words.

"You didn't hear?" Her face contorted into a look of genuine surprise. "The party got cut short because a girl passed out."

"Oh, yeah, I was still there when that happened." I answered vaguely. "She's okay though, right? I saw the medics and everything, but they left with an empty gurney so I just figured she had too much to drink."