Like Real People Do [🗸]

16. wander

big chapter 👁

***

After late nights spent watching concerts or passing around a mocktail or pouring out secrets about exes, Elliot and I seem to have elevated to some level. We're less hesitation and silence and evading topics and more smiles and nudges and sometimes sentences that roll off the tongue like flirts. 

So, naturally, when Elliot Wu shows up in my dorm room at the insane time of 6:30 AM, a grin appears on my face before it falls and I ask him what the hell he's doing in my room at this time. It's the weekend, and I have no classes today, so really the day is mine.

Or, according to Elliot's plan - the day is ours. He perches on the edge of my bed. Basil's taken a flight to Brooklyn for the day to, in his words, "meet with old friends and all that shit", so we have the room to ourselves. 

Anyway, Elliot's plan is half-given away by his backpack, camera slung around his neck and massive, magenta water bottle. "So, I was thinking," he says, thigh pressed against mine, grin wide. "How about we explored the city?"

"The city?" I yawn.

"Yeah," Elliot says, eyebrows rising. "Cambridge." He's all bright and glowing and I have to blink once more. 

"You have any places in mind?" I ask, pulling on my socks. 

"Not one," Elliot replies, grin unfailing. He nudges his shoulder into mine. "That's the charm of adventure!"

"Man," I say, rubbing my chin and pretending I'm capable of saying no to him. "I don't know." 

"We'll get food," Elliot says, knee knocking against mine.

"Sold," I reply, and I'm on my feet in moments, running my hands through my hair and slipping around my room to grab things. "What do I need to pack?" I ask over my shoulder. 

"I don't know," Elliot says, tilting his head to the side. "I mean, it'll only be a day. Maybe one change of clothes? And then a water bottle." I grab a random t-shirt and a pair of shorts off my floor and stuff it into my backpack. There's a little pouch on the side of my backpack that I slip my water bottle into. 

"Done," I say, slipping my backpack over my shoulders. 

Elliot's lips twitch.

"What?" I ask.

"Well," he says, "I didn't know if you wanted to explore Massachusetts in Star Wars pajamas but I have no problem with that if you do."

My eyes drop down to my clothing, the tiny Yoda prints staring back up at me. My face burns. "Shut up." I make a gesture for Elliot to turn around. "And look away." His grin widens but he complies and I slip out of the pajamas, tugging on a black tank and gray shorts.

"Alright, now I'm done." I say. Elliot removes the hand covering his eyes and claps his hands together. "Good. Then we can go."

With that, we slide through the door of my room and I lock it behind me. Our shoulders brush as we meander about campus. "So," I start. "Why didn't you just come at 10 or, you know, some normal-human time."