all that glitters is not gold. [a.p.]

three

AN: FUCK I've not updated in literally 600 years but I'm back from hibernation, maybe. Forgive me if my writing skills are shaky for a while. I'm a lil rusty.

Bitch, Get Off Me- Oddy Nuff da Snow Leopard

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I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. I also had fallen asleep on the couch. Again. I sat up and stretched out my aching limbs. A half-smoked blunt was laying on the coffee table, so I lit it up and smoked it, my pain quickly drifting away.

My phone rings and I recognize the number. Caroline, my roommate from college. She hasn't talked to me since graduation day, much less called me. I hesitate to pick up.

"Hello?" I answer anyways.

"Harlow! Is that you?" Her shrill voice screams into my ear.

"It's me." I reply bluntly.

"Great!" A pause. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out to lunch today?"

"Today? Isn't this a bit short notice?" I debate on hanging up and blocking her number. But I don't.

"Well, it's just a spur of the moment thing. You know how I am!"

Yes, I do know how she is. She would always bring different guys to our dorm after going to a party. "It was just a spur of the moment thing, Harlow. Get over it." was her favorite excuse.

"Uh... alright. I guess." I regret it immediately.

"Cool! There's a restaurant I've been wanting to try.  It's called Theo's Pizza. Meet me at the one in Metairie at noon!" She hangs up before I can tell her that's literally where I fucking work, and I'd rather not eat lunch there.

I throw on a pair of leggings and a cropped sweatshirt, and start to head out the door, but then I remember that my car is still at Theo's. I call an Uber to come pick me up, praying that the $5 in cash that I have will be enough to take me a couple minutes down the road.

The Uber gets there, and the driver is a man in his mid-fifties. He gives me a peculiar smile as I get into the backseat.

"Where to?" He stares at me through the rear view mirror.

"Theo's Pizza. The one just down the road."

He takes off, continuing to glare at me even more than he watches the road. I fold my arms over my chest and look down at my phone.

"We're here. Don't bother paying me, honey." He says, turning around to me. He reaches his hand out and lays it on my knee. I panic and shove it away, opening the car door and making a new line for the restaurant.

Once I'm inside, I walk to the front counter and peer into the kitchen. I see Aristos in the very back. My heart jumps at the sight of him, and my mind is flooded with memories of last night. I can feel my face flush.

He looks up and sees me, a little bit of confusion in his eyes, but he looks happy to see me nonetheless. He walks to the front, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Why the fuck are you here?" He asks, looking me up and down quickly before meeting my gaze.

"My bitch ass college roommate invited me to lunch. She told me to meet her here and hung up before I could say something." I roll my eyes, looking into the dining room to see if she was already sitting down.

"I go on break in like ten minutes. You come to the back room and meet me, and we can ditch and go smoke a blunt or sum'." He smiles and returns back to the kitchen. I do my best to hide my smile as I go to find a table.