Chapter Text
“No– it’s this guy I knew in school, he’s really nice from what I remember,” Maya mutters as she applies her dark lipstick in the mirror, her lips pulled over her teeth making it hard to talk. “Yeah, I’m down.” Fergus responds, getting up from the floor and moving towards the other side of Maya and Cora’s shared room. The three are sprawled across the rather spacious room, all getting ready for their loosely planned Saturday Night.
Maya is sitting on the floor in front of a tall mirror stuck inside of her wardrobe. Next to her, Cora is bent over digging through Maya’s pile of clothes looking for an outfit to wear. The bed creaks as Fergus drops down on top of it, an unlit joint sitting between their lips. “Mind that bed,” Maya warns; “those planks are shite.” Fergus quickly quips: “Yeah you’d know, wouldn’t you slut. Bet you’re bouncing up and down all night on this bad boy.” They sit up and wink at the girl, who’s rolling her eyes in the mirror, before lighting their joint.
“Speaking of sluts… Coco…” Maya pops her lips together and glances up at Cora. She scoffs and nudges Maya’s back with her knee. “Oh c’mon Cora! You haven’t gotten with anyone since we got here. I thought this was gonna be your slut era, babe.”
“Ugh, no… I don’t know, it just feels weird…”
“Is this about Gideon? Still? Are you serious?” Maya gawks, and Cora pauses sheepishly, “Cor, that was fucking forever ago. Get over it.”
“Leave me alone, Maya. It’s tough, okay?”
“She’s got a point, darling.” Fergus drawls as smoke floats out of their mouth, “Gideon was months ago and you haven’t even tried to find someone new here. Don’t you think it’s time?”
Cora sighs deeply at her friends’ confrontation. She knows they’re right, but her heart beats faster at the thought of even attempting to open up to someone new. Contemplating silently, she buttons up her oversized shirt, leaving way too many undone for it to be a practical outfit. “Maya can you give me your black eyeliner please? The glitter one,” Maya reaches the pencil out; “Here, babe…” Cora sits at her desk, using her small mirror to do her makeup. She tugs on her eye slightly, dragging the dark black pencil across her waterline, happy to have moved on from their prior topic of conversation. However, her mind lingers as she continues doing her makeup on autopilot. Flashes of her ex-boyfriend’s face cross by, and she remembers how heartbroken she was her first few months in Rome. She recalls the sadness; all the nights she spent in bed while her friends were out partying, getting high and watching ‘Gilmore Girls’ on repeat to distract herself.
“Oi,” Fergus’ fingers snap in front of her face, “Wake up.” Cora flinches, nearly poking her eye with the eyeliner; “Fuck off.” She swats their hand away and looks up at the ceiling, blinking to stop her eyes from tearing up.
“So who’s this guy again Maya? Is he gay?” Fergus questions before returning to their seat on the bed. Maya cackles; “Far from it, mate. Hate to say it,”
Cora turns to her friends, watching as Fergus becomes more and more enamoured by how Maya braids her long blonde hair. They don’t blink, and they’re swaying along to the movements of their friend’s fingers through her hair. “Jesus Fergie, you’re stoned.”
“His name is Josh, he’s really sweet. He’s in a band with his mates and they’re performing at Il Sotterraneo tonight.”
“Oooh! I’ve wanted to go there for a while now.” Cora adds.
“Yeah, I matched with him on Hinge yesterday and he recognised me! Isn’t that mad!”
“Fabulous, babe…” Fergus whispers, eyes hyper-focused on the girl’s fingers weaving between her locks.
“Sound,” Cora says as she closes her mascara, “Are they any good?”
“I’d say so. We can always leave if they’re shit, can’t we?”
“There’s a rave I wanna go to tonight – we can just go there after?” Fergus says and moves over to where Cora is still sitting at the desk. “You’re so gorgeous… What are you gonna do with your hair tonight?” They lean down and kiss Cora’s head lightly, making her smile.
“Thanks boo, love you,” Cora replies. Fergus makes a dramatic kiss sound in response.
“Should I just leave it down? I’ll wash it tomorrow so it can get messy tonight,”
“Yeah, do. Stick some volume in it though, my hairspray’s over there on the thing,”
“Love.” Cora states, walking over to Fergus’ collection of rubbish on Maya’s bed.
She moves to the large mirror now free of a focused Maya, and quickly brushes through her brown waves. When she leans her head forward and starts spraying product in her hair, a loud but rhythmic knock sounds on the door. Maya creates a gush of wind as she rushes to the door, swinging it open to Max holding out a large box of cans for her to take. She struggles to carry it, and quickly moves to drop them on her bed. Max slaps Cora's ass playfully as he beelines towards Fergus’ spot on the bed.
“Fergussssss,” he elongates the word, “Gimme some of that,” Fergus passes Max their half-finished joint; “Thank you baby girl, I love you…” the boy coos. “Shut up, here’s the lighter.” Fergus can’t help but smile warmly at him, yet slaps a hand to Max’s crotch to pester him.
“Ow! You bitch!” Max exclaims in feigned pain, “So where are we going?”
–
“Name?”
“Maya Kim, plus three”
Biting her lip, Maya smiles up at the tall bodyguard. Hands are linked behind her back, she rocks back and forth from her heels to her toes. Her three friends wait patiently behind her, eager to get into the buzzing venue. They could hear the loud music thumping out of the door like a beckoning siren’s song.
“You’re good. Go in,” the bodyguard nods his head towards the door, where another bouncer is standing, stamping people’s hands. The group gets their hands inked and heads inside, Maya instantly reaching behind her and grabbing Cora’s arm so as not to lose her. The blonde turns to Cora and they both squeal out of excitement. Fergus and Max follow close behind.
A heavy, warm air hits the group as they carefully walk down the sticky stairs. When they reach the bottom of the steep staircase, dark fog engulfs them. It takes their eyes a moment to adjust to the change of lighting, hues of red and blue cascading over a crowd of people. The low stage has instruments cramped on top of it, only an arm’s reach from the front row of concertgoers. Mostly students are stood by a waist-level metal barrier keeping them at a distance from the stage. The air is filled with anticipation for the band’s eventual appearance, whilst a DJ in a small booth next to the stage is playing music to keep the crowd satisfied. Making a beeline for the small bar in the back of the room, Cora glances behind her to keep her friends in sight. She smiles and waves at groups of people she passes and recognises. They struggle pushing through to the front of the bar, but eventually get their chance to order. Cora takes the lead on flirting with the bartender, hoping for cheap drinks.
“Ciao! Could I get two double vodka sodas please!” she shouts over the loud pop music blaring from the speakers. She’s standing balanced on the metal foot-rail lining the bottom of the wooden bar, leaning over on her forearms to get as close as possible to the bartender. “Sì principessa!” The handsome Italian takes his time pouring the drinks, despite the rush of people. He asks Cora a question as he sprays soda into plastic cups, but she can’t hear him.
“What?!” she yells. He beckons her closer with two fingers, smirking. Cora pushes up onto her tippy toes as the guy moves towards her. Their cheeks graze before he speaks directly into her ear; “Are you just here for the gig tonight?” He doesn’t move back, and Cora takes her chance.
“I can be here for you if you convince me you’re worth it,” she flirts.
“Alright, alright… These drinks are on me if you come see me after my shift.”
“When are you done?”
“After the gig. I’ll be here.”
“Deal.” she grins.
He moves back and stirs the drinks with two short straws, before looking up at Cora and winking at her. She beams at him, and sticks her tongue out playfully. A hand reaches out from beside her and takes one of the cups, while Cora takes her own. Spinning while she takes a sip, she never breaks eye contact with the bartender whose name she has yet to find out.
“God, I fucking hate doing that,” she mutters into Maya’s ear as they leave the cluster of people circling the bar.
“Whore,” Maya quips, laughing at her friend’s complaint.
The crowd around the stage is dense, but Maya sets her heart on pushing her way to the front. Cora gets dragged behind her, apologising to people in their path. Almost tripping over her own feet twice, and after spilling some of her drink down her shirt, the two girls reach the barrier towards the right side of the stage. Maya whoops, and starts dancing to the music, still holding Cora’s hand. She eases into the beat of the music, swaying her hips and letting her head tilt side-to-side. Occasionally sipping their drink, the two friends dance and sing along to the music together. Their smiles widen once Fergie and Max join them, their respective drinks in hand. Bodies touch and the room gets warmer while the group gets carried further into the rhythm. The atmosphere and the alcohol engulfs them into a static haze with every new song they recognise.
Cora’s eyes catch a dark-haired guy leaning against the wall next to the stage, just a few metres from her. At first she glances away, trying to avoid awkward eye contact, but quickly flicks her eyes back up. The pale man’s focused gaze is still on her, and her dancing slows slightly in response. Cora takes this as her opportunity to study him. His thick curls fall perfectly around his face, a sculpted strand folded over onto his forehead. The leather jacket fits his square shoulders perfectly; he must be warm in here. Underneath, Cora sees a hint of skin, before her eyes fall on a white vest, and his outfit makes her wonder if he’s in the band. Begrudgingly, her eyes drag back up to his face, which is now bearing a sly smile. The man tilts his head at her, and his tongue follows his bottom lip in a teasing manner. Cora quickly turns around completely, attempting to cover up her intense look at the stranger. She looks down at the ground as she feels her ears get hot from embarrassment. Her feet are planted firmly on the floor, now only her shoulders swaying slightly side-to-side. Looking at the empty cups on the floor and dancing feet around them, the music goes quiet in her mind as unease fills her thoughts.
“Josh! Oh my God!”
Cora’s thoughts are interrupted by Maya’s squeal. Taking off from the dance floor, the blonde rushes towards her old friend. Cora’s head lifts and turns over her shoulder to look in their direction. Her friend’s arms are wrapped around the neck of a tall man, his hair covering most of his vision. Josh, she’s guessing, he’s cute. Her, Fergus, and Max, all push past the barrier and walk over to the pair. Cora ignores the eyes she feels burning into her back.
“This is my good friend Josh!”
“Hi mate, Max, nice to meet ya,” Max says, shaking Josh’s hand politely.
“‘Ello darling!” Fergus says in their mock-British accent.
“Heya, I’m Cora!” she gives him a one-armed hug, turning her head and once again catching the eyes of the brunet. She feels pulled into his gaze, naturally gravitating towards his dark eyes and wishing to fall into them. When she pulls away from the hug, Cora can’t seem to drop his intense look. Josh notices their eye contact; “Oh! This is Eli, our frontman.”
Josh beckons towards him, and the group turns to Eli for another round of introductions. Maya once again rushes in for a hug from the singer, wrapping her two arms around his neck and holding on tight. Cora moves a step back, wary of being the next to introduce herself. Even in his hug with Maya, Eli's eyes were stuck on Cora. Weirdo, Cora thinks to herself. Nevertheless, she introduces herself, but she doesn’t hug Eli.
“I’m Cora,” She shakes the man’s hand, an awkward air threatening their introduction.
“Eli, nice to meet you.” He replies curtly, and gives her hand a short squeeze.
Cora stands back from him, and whispers to Fergus that she’s getting another drink at the bar. Once again, she feels Eli’s dark eyes on her back as she walks away. He watches her disappear deep into the crowd.
Elbowing strangers in her path, Cora makes her way back to the bar. But instead of trying to score another free drink, she avoids the flirtatious bartender from earlier that night. The student orders another double, wary of pushing her limits. She awaits her drink patiently, this time feet planted firmly on the floor instead of the railing. Her Instagram feed keeps her mind occupied after her awkward encounter, until a sudden sound pulls her from her trance. The speakers project the mic’s squeaky feedback and a light strum of guitars catch Cora’s attention. The crowd cheers.
“Good evening Rome. We’re Inhaler, enjoy.”
Drumsticks clap together four times, followed by guitars playing a fast-paced riff. Cora looks up from her screen, pocketing her phone and grabbing her drink. She moves away from the bar, and towards the back of the crowd. On her tippy toes, Cora attempts to look over the sea of heads, and takes a sip at the same time. All she can see is Josh’s upper-half – he’s on the left side of the stage expertly playing his electric guitar. As the drums kick in, Cora’s head starts bobbing up and down to the beat. Then, the rugged voice of the frontman enters the song, and she falls from her toes onto her flat feet, almost stumbling in the process. Blown away by the sudden sound, her heart starts beating fast, and Cora immediately makes her way through the crowd. Her hand covers her drink as she holds her elbows out wide, trying to squeeze and push by the large pile of strangers.
The crowd wasn’t massive, but it was a struggle to get through. She spots Fergus sticking out above the crowd, and then sees Maya bouncing up and down by the barrier. Her arm reaches out from between bodies, hoping one of her friends would guide her through the last few dancing people. Between a wall of shoulders, her eyes catch those of the bassist. She looks at him helplessly. Straightfaced, he winks at her and takes a step forward on the stage. He catches Maya’s attention, then nods behind her towards Cora. Her friends realise what he’s pointing to, and she soon feels Max’s strong hand pulling her to join them. Max pats her shoulder and smiles down at her; she smiles back. Her eyes follow the ground and travel up to the kind bassist, thanking him with a warm smile. The boy winks again, this time with a smirk dancing on his lips.
The chorus of the song kicks in, and Cora feels that now-familiar gaze on her. She refuses to give in to the frontman, and looks around the stage. The bassist – her saving grace – has a mullet she would compliment him on if she knew him. Josh, with a focused face, turns slightly to keep in time with the drummer, who scrunches his face in concentration as his head goes side to side with every drum hit.
His eyes are still on her, even on stage.
In retaliation, Cora closes her eyes. The flashing lights hit her eyelids, making her hazy. She lifts her drink and moves to the beat, feeling the music and the alcohol course through her veins in a perfect symphony. The guitars flow together perfectly, and the bass keeps time so heavily; low notes thumping in her heart. Her ears perk up as the chorus ends.
“When I need attention,” Eli belts.
“Have you in a tenth of a second,” he does an impressive run.
Cora’s eyes find those that have been stuck on her the whole time. Her dancing slows, and she’s almost stilled completely under the hot gaze. Eli smirks as she stares at him, then smoothly winks. But she doesn’t let up, and plays the man’s sleazy game. Cora’s dancing continues, but she turns towards the bassist instead. She lowers her lids and takes her bottom lip between her teeth slightly. The musician catches her flirtatious gaze and nods to the music. His eyes scan her up and down. Cora moves to lean against the metal barrier, and Maya excitedly screams and hugs her. The two girls jump and dance, and the bassist watches with a playful smirk. Cora notices him glance over at Eli, who was glaring at the two’s eye contact, and his smile breaks subtly. However, when he sees Cora’s undivided attention on his hands playing the bass, he turns his gaze back to her.
The boys continue their playing, the girls don’t stop dancing, and Cora’s cheeks are red hot.
–
“I’m Cora! You’re really good!”
“Ah cheers. I’m Robert, you’re a good dancer.”
“Thank you!” Cora laughs. Stood on the barriers, she’s leaning over towards the bassist, similar to her position at the bar earlier that night. Robert finishes setting down his guitar and walks over to a beaming Cora. He wraps a lanky arm around her shoulders and gives her a hug, her arms follow his lead and fold around his torso; “Sorry I’m so sweaty!” Robert jokes. Cora laughs again and glances over at Eli, standing with his back turned to the pair.
“Can I buy you a drink?” Robert asks politely.
“Of course, love.” Cora flirts. He smiles down at her.
Cora looks to her friends, who are all in deep conversation with Josh and the band’s drummer. Robert appears at her side and takes her hand lightly, in order to lead her through the crowd. As she almost disappears between the bustling group, Cora leans her head back to look at the mysterious singer. Standing alone on the stage, hands in his pockets, he watches Cora leave with his head tilted back and a cigarette between his lips. She lets the sweet bassist lead her to the bar. Before he can ask her, she gives him her order: “Just a single vodka soda, please. Thanks,” The student feels her head spin as she looks up at Robert, watching his lips intently as he orders their drinks. His fingers still lightly graze hers as they wait. While they are at the bar, people pat his back, or put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze. They shake his hand or give him a fist bump, all congratulating him on his gig. Cora stays silent, just examining the boy. She’s intrigued by him. This isn’t going anywhere… just making friends.
Robert hands Cora her cold drink as he sips his overfull pint. As she takes the cup, her eyes meet those of the flirtatious bartender from earlier that night. He smiles and moves to beckon her over, but Cora smiles awkwardly before quickly whipping her head around. She lets Robert lead her again, and they head towards the door. The boy’s arm hangs loosely at his side, stretched back slightly towards the brunette. Cora notices his kind gesture and takes his hand in hers. Rob doesn’t look at her, but she smiles up at the back of his head nonetheless. Dates cover the back of his white t-shirt, and Cora takes her time to read them all. The Libertines. Her green eyes scan the locations, recognising some and unknowing of others.
The two reach the stairs, and the cold breeze hits Cora hard, her lightweight shirt not accounting for much warmth. Reluctantly, she keeps a hold of Robert’s hand as they near the doors. They reach the top, Robert smiles at the bouncers, and they leave the stuffy club and are swept into the chilly darkness outside. With the girl still behind him, the bassist scans the groups of people smoking and chatting. Cora notices how he only slightly tightens his lips in focus, but otherwise keeps a neutral face, just as on stage. Robert strikes her as a confident man, but one that’s calm about it. He doesn’t seem to boast, but you can tell he’s always aware of exactly what he’s doing.
Head turned to the right, Robert raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t move any other part of his face. “There they are,” he states. Cora feels her hand chill when Robert suddenly drops it, and it takes her a beat to process the sudden loss, but she soon follows in tow. Arms crossed to conserve body heat, Cora steps up to the group to also find her friends. Josh and Maya seem deep in conversation, only coming to a slight pause when she takes a hit of her peach vape. Fergie and Max are in a passionate fast-paced debate with the band’s drummer about something or other, and Cora smiles. Cora stares at Robert’s back as he shrugs his jacket on.
“How’re you doing?”
A nonchalant tone comes from the figure next to her. She turns her head towards the sound, and sees Eli leaning against the brick wall of the venue. Robert moves over to join him, and Cora isn’t sure whether or not to follow suit. She looks at the singer’s hands, noticing him delicately rolling a cigarette. Caught in a trance, she can’t stop staring at the gentle action. His hands are rough, but he’s expertly winding the white paper between his fingertips as if it’s the simplest thing he’s ever done. Some tobacco hangs off the end, and he uses his forefinger and thumb to carefully pull out a few strings without ruining his cigarette. Cora’s focus is broken when he lifts it to his lips, yet she can barely pull her eyes away from him as he wets the edge with his tongue to stick the paper together in a perfectly imperfect roll. She blinks quickly, lightly shakes her head, and meets his eyes.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
The right corner of Eli’s mouth lifts slightly as he bites back a smile at the girl’s behaviour; the unlit cigarette dangles from between his lips.
“How’s your night going?” he rephrases.
“Oh! Yeah, it’s good… it’s going great. Yours?”
“Yeah, sweet, no complaints.”
Robert butts in: “Woah! Yeah! My night is so totally awesome! Thanks so much for asking!” His mock American accent makes Cora laugh, and Eli huffs out a tiny chuckle before hitting the back of his right hand to Rob’s chest.
He turns the palm of the same hand upwards, silently asking his bandmate for a lighter. A small blue lighter is planted in his hand, which then retracts back to his face as he adjusts the cigarette in his mouth. Cora stares again; Eli lifts up the small object and presses his thumb to the sparkwheel a few times before it eventually fully lights. His left hand holds steady in front of the flame, making sure it doesn’t go out. Its orange glow reflects against his cupped hand and illuminates his face. Focused, Eli stares at the end of his cigarette as it starts to burn. The flickering light cascades dark and uneven shadows onto his face; his cheekbones suddenly look more defined than before, and his furrowed brow looks sharp. Coming up to his mouth, he spreads his middle- and forefinger, taking the cigarette between them after taking a long drag.
“Do you smoke, Cora?” Robert interrupts.
“Casually, I guess, yeah…” Cora sputters out.
“Oh-” Eli mutters whilst still inhaling, “Here,”
His slightly pursed lips blow the smoke into Cora’s face, blurring her sight of the man for a moment. When it clears, she sees him holding his freshly lit cigarette towards her.
“Cheers,” she makes eye contact with him. He’s not much taller than her, but his gaze alone could make her crumble to his feet. Attempting to keep her composure, Cora puts the cigarette between her lips and inhales, handing it back to Eli before she could even blow out the smoke.
“Keep it.”
Cora looks towards his eyes, but he’s already pulling his baccy pouch from his coat pocket before she can offer it back. “Thank you.” she says genuinely, brow slightly furrowed at his kindness.
Before falling back into a daze watching Eli’s hands, Cora moves to look at Robert. He’s already staring back at her when their eyes meet, and he smiles at her warmly. She smiles back the same way, before placing the straw in her drink between her lips and taking a sip.
“You looked like you enjoyed the gig,” Rob comments to her.
“Of course I did! You lot are brilliant!”
“Aw, stop, thanks. I could tell,” he flirts.
Cora laughs, feigning embarrassment; “Oops… you liked it though – I mean… clearly.” She holds her half-empty cup up to his eyeline.
When she lowers it, Cora glances towards Eli, who had been silently rolling his new ciggie during the two’s conversations. As had become a habit during the night, his eyes are already on her. Again, his tongue follows the edge of the paper, and Cora cannot find the strength to pull her gaze away again. From the corner of her eye, she sees Rob lifting his pint to his mouth and chugging half of the glass. Cora starts turning her head towards the scene, but her focus stays glued to Eli’s actions. It isn’t until the bassist lowers his glass again that Cora manages to tear her attention away from the other boy. Concerned, she creases her eyebrows at Robert as he wipes the line of white foam from his top lip.
“I’m getting another drink. Do either of yous want anything?”
“Just another pint, please mate.” Eli replies. Cora shakes her head politely and takes another drag of her – Eli’s – cigarette.
Robert nods, eyes slightly hazy. He brings his hand to Eli’s shoulder and pats it, before walking away behind Cora and disappearing out of her line of sight. She peers over her shoulder at her friends, all of them still engrossed with the band members. A shiver runs up her spine and down her arms; she presses them tightly to the side of her body in a poor attempt to stay warm.
“Are you cold? Do you want my jacket?”
Cora snaps her head towards Eli, his sudden offer taking her by surprise.
“No, no, don’t worry. I should’ve brought a jacket, it’s my fault.”
“No, here, I really don’t mind.” Eli chuckles as he places his cigarette between his lips and shrugging his leather coat off. Cora tries to protest the offer, but Eli insists.
“Come on, I don’t want you dying of frostbite on my watch.”
“Fine… but don’t blame me if you get cold.”
Eli holds open the jacket by the shoulders, allowing Cora to switch her drink from one hand to the other as she puts her arms in the sleeves. He takes time to adjust the leather on top of her shoulders, and folds the collar down for her. It makes Cora smile fondly; “Thank you,” she sinceres. He winks as a response. These boys love to wink, she thinks.
The two take a moment in silence, looking around at their friends, now all huddled around in one big circle yelling over each other.
“Do yo-” Cora starts.
“That-” Eli says at the same time. “You go,” he offers.
“Do you think Robert’s alright? He was chugging half a pint five minutes after buying it,”
“He’s alright, don’t worry. He gets nervous around pretty girls.”
Cora nearly chokes on her inhale from her cigarette, and coughs up smoke right as the words leave his mouth. Needless to say, she’s taken aback by his smooth compliment. But unwilling to admit loss to his game, she brushes it off and quips back.
“Is that why you were staring at me all evening then?”
“Pfft, no I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, you were, mate. And I heard you singing that first song… those words were targeted.” Cora points playfully.
“Right. Not at you though,”
“Ah yeah, sure. I saw you watching me go to the bar with Rob. So jealous,”
“You wish,” Eli tilts his head back, tongue in cheek. He looks Cora up and down; “Who would blame me if I was? Look at you, like.”
Heat rises in Cora’s chest as his words settle. Flattered, her cheeks warm, and she can feel how red her face looks.
Thank God it’s dark.
“Aha! Are you blushing?”
Fuck.
Looking up through her eyelashes, Cora looks at Eli in childish annoyance. She contemplates how to respond to his comments, conflicted between letting him win or continuing his game.
“You’re lucky I’m even talking to you, y’know.”
“Why’s that, love?”
“After your creepy staring contest from earlier. You couldn’t keep your eyes off me,” Cora quips. Eli’s use of the pet name almost stumps her again, but she bites through his taunting. Her words seem to make him stumble slightly; he huffs and turns his head to the side, looking anywhere but at Cora. A smile grows on her face when she notices a hue similar to hers appear on the man’s freckled cheeks.
“Who’s blushing now?”
Eli lifts his head and chuckles; “Shut up. Don’t act like that’s not the reason you were flirting with Rob– to make me jealous.”
Staring into her eyes, he takes a long drag from his cigarette, and Cora does the same. They don’t break eye contact as they inhale, and their respective clouds of smoke mix when they exhale in sync. Their shared gaze is competitive and flirtatious – Cora’s left speechless. Eli squints a little, challenging her. He takes a breath and is about to speak, when the two are interrupted.
“Here’s your pint,” Robert appears behind Cora and hands Eli his drink. The same arm extended to Eli then falls on Cora’s shoulder casually. “Oh, is that Eli’s jacket?”
“Yeah. Cora got chilly,” Eli speaks to Rob, but his eyes stay on Cora’s. She drops his gaze to look up at the kind boy next to her. “You doing okay?” she asks Robert.
“Of course I am! I’m in Rome, we had a great gig, and you let me buy you a drink. Nothing beats this,” he takes a swig of his drink.
“He loves the rockstar life,” Eli chimes in, he reaches a hand up and pats Robert’s shoulder; “Don’t ya, Bobby?”
“Can’t deny it…” the bassist matches his friend’s playfully sarcastic tone.
Cora beams at the boy’s banter and asks; “Am I just a groupie then?”
“Darling, you’re so much more than that,” Eli saunters in a fake posh accent.
“Of course not, you’re our… Secretary of Satisfaction!” Robert adds, mimicking Eli’s voice. Cora laughs loudly, grabbing the attention of the others around them.
“What kind of party is happening over here then? Ménage à trois?” Fergus jokes.
“Wanna join?” Robert quips, making Eli choke on his beer in shock.
“They can’t, they’re going out with me.” Max states confidently. Cora’s eyes widen, and Fergus turns their head towards Max. He stares at the group for a split second before realising what he had said; “No! No! Not like that! I meant we’re going to a rave! Like they’re going out, like, out to a party with me!” His recovery isn’t smooth, but it is effective.
Moving on from Max’s hiccup, Robert asks where the two are going out.
“It’s this place, like, 20 minutes from here called ‘Perfect’. Do you guys wanna come?” Fergie replies.
“Yeah, sick! I’d love to, actually. Cora?” Rob proposes to the girl still held under his arm.
Cora and the rest of the group agree – all except for Eli.
“C’mon, it’ll be fun. We're good people!” Cora explains. The moody singer hesitates, finishing the last of his drink. The group starts walking down the cobblestone street. “And otherwise I’ll have to give you your jacket back… I thought you didn’t want me freezing to death tonight?” Her jesting makes him contemplate for a moment, and eventually he begrudgingly agrees. “Right, your good people… right, right,” Eli teases as he rolls her eyes at Cora. She wiggles out from under Rob’s arm and reaches out towards the other boy’s hand, wrapping her fingers around his slim wrist and tugging him forward. Robert forces a laugh before lighting the cigarette in his mouth. Cora notices him pushing the hand that was previously around her shoulders deep into his coat pocket; she wonders if her rejection stung him.
The three follow a few metres behind the rest of their friends, and Cora’s hand doesn’t leave Eli’s wrist. Silence falls over them, only the sound of breathing exchanged between them. Cora can feel Eli’s skin against hers like a sunburn. Her cheeks feel hot again. She worries if her hand feels clammy on Eli’s bare arm. His skin is smooth and warm, despite the biting breeze hitting them in the alleyway. The jacket heavy on her shoulders smells like him; like cigarettes and worn leather, and the collar slightly of shampoo.
[VOMIT WARNING: no graphic descriptions; tw for mentions of burping, hiccuping, vomiting, and dry-heaving.]
Suddenly, Rob stops in his tracks, dropping the half-burnt cigarette to the ground. Cora’s hand flinches away from Eli’s at the sound of Rob burping. The man bends forward, placing his hands on his knees and his head drops downward.
“What’s up?” Eli asks, walking over to his bandmate and laying a hand flat on his back, supporting him.
“Nothing, nothing…” Robert takes a number of deep breaths.
“Do you need anything?” Cora keeps at a safe distance from the boys, but remains worried.
“No, no, I’m all… good-” Rob can barely push his sentence out before he turns away from his friend and throws up.
“Oh shit, alright, mate,” Eli sputters out, moving a step away from the drunk man. “What should we do?” Cora thinks out loud.
“I’ll take him back to our bus, don’t worry. You go catch up with the others, Cora.”
Cora ignores the shy pinch in her chest at the sound of her name from Eli’s mouth; “God no, no way. I’ll go with you.”
Eli goes to contest her, but before he can speak Robert starts stumbling back the way they came. No words are spoken but, in his expression, Eli admits defeat to Cora, turning to hold Rob steady as they walk. Cora jogs to catch up with them, reaching for her phone in the pocket of Eli’s jacket. She texts Maya;
Cora: Rob threw up so we’re gonna go back to the bus with him but have a good night and stay safe ily
Walking only a few beats behind the two musicians, Cora pockets her phone and looks at Eli. His focus initially on Robert’s uneven footing, he looks back at Cora as if on cue. Their eyes meet for the umpteenth time that night, and the girl’s stomach twists nervously. It shows on her face, the subtlest wince appearing in her expression. Eli notices, and his gaze softens. He lowers his head ever so slightly and looks up at Cora, and his eyebrows raise in question, silently asking if she’s okay. A soft smile is given his way as she nods assuredly. Lips softly pursed, the corner of his mouth turns upwards, hardly noticeable in the dimly lit street – but Cora notices.
Their walk back to the venue is mostly silent, the quiet remains uninterrupted bar Rob’s occasional dry heaving. Despite its dramatics, their stroll has been quite peaceful. By the time they almost reach their destination, Cora is walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Eli. She reasons it to herself by believing they’re sharing body heat. Robert declared himself done with vomiting a few minutes prior, and is walking zigzag across the path with his head up, looking up at the stars. Contrasting Rob, Eli’s eyes are glued to the ground as he kicks a round rock as he walks, cigarette in hand. He’s the first to break their silence as the building comes into view;
“You didn’t have to come, y’know.”
“I know. I just wanted to,” Eli stays quiet. “Was that okay?” Cora adds.
Turning to face her, his eyes immediately fall on hers; “Of course it’s okay… I just don’t wanna bore you, or keep you away from your friends, or anything like that,” Eli’s speedy ramble brings a smile to Cora’s face and she shakes her head. “Are you actually joking? This is far from boring.” A small laugh escapes Eli’s mouth as the pair smile at each other.
“You guys are cute.”
The unexpected interruption startles both of them, their heads swinging to look at Robert, eyes still to the sky. His hands are hidden in his pockets, and his footing is more stable than before. A soft smile lies on his face, yet he refuses to make eye contact with neither Eli nor Cora. Eli scoffs, and Cora stays quiet, lowering her head.
“What? Are ye surprised I just said that? You’re blind,” Rob doubles down.
“What are you on about, man? How drunk are you?” Eli jokes, clearly attempting to lighten the mood. Cora fakes a laugh in support.
Robert finally looks at the two, and dragging his feet along the stones he mocks them; “Come ooooon… You’ve been flirting literally all night, like,” Eli and Cora go silent again. Rob continues: “Noooo, don’t worry lads. Honestly. I’m not bothered,” His theatrics continue; he cups his hands together and holds them out towards the girl. “Cora, honestly, you’re stunning. But I saw you and Eli eyefucking before the gig, I’m not at all bothered.” he reiterates. His hands come up to his chest as he makes doe eyes towards Eli; “Eli, man, just go for it honestly. It’s quite embarrassing watching you pine–” Rob’s speech is cut off by Eli wrapping his arm around his neck and pulling his head down, rubbing his fist over his skull and shutting him up. They both groan and yell as they play-fight.
Cora stays stunned to silence, intently watching the boys’ obnoxious behaviour. Shock distracts her from digesting Robert’s words, but she does feel bad for him. Eli lets go of him and shoves him away. Cora finally speaks: “Rob, I’m sorry, though,” They make eye contact, “Ah stop, you’re fine. It’s not that serious, we’re good.” They exchange kind smiles, but the awkward air remains.
“Home sweet home.” Eli mumbles as the street ahead comes into clearer view. They arrive at the brightly lit car park behind Il Sotterraneo, and make their way towards a green minibus. Again, their walk was silent, but this time Robert stands between Cora and Eli, separating the two.
Robert groans as he pulls the heavy van door open, collapsing onto the steps and crawling inside. “I need to sleep!” he exclaims. The other two watch him disappear down the narrow walkway through the bus but, to Cora's surprise, Eli doesn’t follow him. He takes a sharp inhale before turning on his heel and facing Cora.
“Do you wanna come in?” he tightens his lips after the spontaneous invite.
“Uhm, I mean– are you sure? I can go home if you just wanna sleep,”
“God, no. I can’t let you walk home alone this late…” Eli drops his previously confident gaze to his shoes, softening; “Come in, I’ll make you some tea to warm you up.”
Cora’s heart can’t help but soar at the man’s kind offer, and nods gratefully at him. He climbs up the steps first, then turns and reaches out a hand for Cora to take. Helping her up into the van, a smile grows on Eli’s face. Cora wonders what he’s thinking. “Thanks,” she whispers.
The band’s bus isn’t big; but it’s decently spacious. To the left of the door are four regular coach seats, and across the aisle from them is a small cabinet with a sink. Cora looks further down the bus to see Rob climbing into a bunk, noticing 2 bunk beds on either side of the bus. He silently pulls closed the curtain that divides the bunks from the seating space.
“There’s toilets down past the bunks, by the way. Just in case.” Eli comments, pulling off his shoes and leaving them by the door. “Cool…” Cora responds, rather bewildered by the band’s living situation.
“So…” she starts, “You guys are living in here while you’re on the road?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Well, it depends on the city and the dates and everything, but yeah. We have a day off tomorrow so they got us all hotel rooms, but I’m gonna be honest… I was just too lazy to drag Rob there,”
Cora laughs at the man’s explanation; “Fair enough.” A beat passes. “I’m sure this is the rockstar lifestyle you expected, isn’t it?” It’s Eli’s turn to laugh; “Yeah, definitely… Take a seat wherever, by the way,”
Cora follows his lead by untying her Vans and setting them next to his boots. As she turns back to Eli, she sees him spinning the bus chairs around to face each other, as if in a booth but missing the table. She sits down facing the musician, leaning her back against the wall and placing her tired feet on the seat next to her. Closely examining him, Cora stares quietly as Eli fills up a small plastic kettle with water before placing it on its stand to boil.
“Thank you… Eli,” she says quietly, as not to disturb Robert’s sleep.
“How did you find out about tonight?” he asks, ignoring her thanks. His arms move quietly but quickly as he takes two mugs and two teabags from the cupboard above his head. Cora spots a small collection of snacks and cutlery inside it and smiles, her mind comparing the bus to her and Maya’s small university accommodation.
“Maya, my friend that was there tonight. She knows Josh from school or something?”
“Oh! Is she the one off of Hinge?”
Cora laughs; “She is, yeah. They seemed to get along well earlier,”
“Indeed, yeah, yeah…” Eli takes a deep breath, “–And we did too apparently,”
“Apparently…” Cora sighs, heart filling with remorse for Rob.
“Hey, don’t worry about Rob. He’s fine, I promise.” As if reading Cora’s mind, Eli turns to look her in the eyes as he makes his promise.
“I feel bad, though. Like, I was flirting with him and I let him buy me a drink and everything. Just for me to make him feel ignored,” Cora adds, rethinking her choices.
Eli turns his entire body around to face her, before taking a seat opposite her. His legs are spread and he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Sternly, he says: “Cora… you’re okay. You haven’t done anything wrong, alright?”
Despite his comforting reassurance, Cora continues, whispering: “Is that why he got so drunk tonight? Because he thought I was flirting with you?”
Running his hands through his hair, Eli sighs; “No, no, that had nothing to do with you. Trust me, alright? He just does this sometimes,”
Holding her gaze for a moment, Eli attempts to reassure Cora. She takes in his words and thinks over them. Eyes still glued to Eli’s, she purses her lips and scrunches her nose in thought. Her breath is held, and their eye contact turns into a staring contest depending on trust. Cora’s eyes look between the man’s left and right eye, but when his eyebrows raise in a look of assurance, she blows out her breath.
“Fine… I trust you.”
“Good,” Eli’s serious expression turns into a playful grin.
“What are you smiling at now?” Cora asks. A smile stretches onto her face, mirroring Eli’s. The kettle switches off, signalling the water is boiled, and Eli stands up. Slightly shaking his head, he turns his back to Cora. She sits up straight and crosses her legs on the seat, amused at what Eli’s smiling at; “What?!”
“You’re blushing again.”