echo // hemmings [completed]

thirty-four | wednesday

—January 23rd—

On Thursdays through Tuesdays since Riley passed away, Michael ate dinner alone at around eight in the evening. If he was feeling motivated he would cook himself up a meal, maybe some macaroni and cheese. But if he was feeling under the weather he would just heat up a frozen dinner or boil some instant noodles.

However on Wednesdays, he would set up the kitchen table and go all out. It was the days that Drew used to insist that they must have dinner together. He said he was raised in one of those families where everyone did everything together and frankly, Michael had a very different experience in his home. Yet it had become a routine for him now, he become accustomed to looking forward to those Wednesday night dinners where the two of them would chat about things like school and girls and friends.

But since Drew had also passed away, he had begun to make extra servings of pasta and found himself setting up an extra seat for someone who wouldn't be coming home. Rowan found out about this heartbreaking habit and decided to join Michael for his weekly dinners. They usually just sat and said awkward things to lighten the heavy mood, but recently they had started talking about Riley and Drew and they had begun to form a deep friendship through their joined mourning. They also discussed their plans with Luke and how would they continue, which often led to arguments about morals and lying, but always resulted in no change to their current situation.

"How are things with Luke?" Michael asked, handing Rowan a plate of spaghetti.

"Fine," Rowan said, beginning to twirl the noodles around her fork. "He kissed me today."

"And?"

"I kissed him back."

"And it was?"

"Good?" She answered uncomfortably before looking Michael in the eye. "What do you expect me to say?"

"I mean how did it feel? Was it like... Real?" Michael said, struggling to find the right word.

"Of course it was real Michael. It wasn't a dream, that's for sure," Rowan told him.

"That's not what I mean," he sighed. "How did it make you feel?"

She put down her utensils as she tried to describe the sensation. "I'm not sure. Warm? I don't know. I guess I felt... Never mind, I don't know how to say it." But Rowan did know how she felt when Luke kissed her. When his lips met hers, she was struck with passion. His kiss made her feel loved. His kiss made her feel wanted and adored, but she wasn't willing to share that with Michael.

"Oh," was all the boy could respond back with. He had asked her to get a better grasp of the dynamic between the two of them. He wanted to know how their relationship was progressing and whether or not Rowan could truly replicate the love Luke shared with Riley. He tried to think of other questions to ask her during their meal and Rowan was trying to think of ways to hide her true feelings on the situation from Michael.

And outside the building, a tall woman with brown hair reaching down to her butt steered her silver rental car into the parking lot.

After touching down from a 19 hour flight from Raleigh to Sydney, Olivia Kerrington wanted nothing more than to collapse on a bed and grab a snack. However, she did not come here for leisure time and she sure as hell did not come here for site seeing. She came here for a purpose and a reason and she would not rest until she fulfilled that purpose and reason. After dropping her belongings off at the hotel and grabbing some fast food at a drive-thru, she drove down to where Drew stayed.

But before entering, she had to give herself a pep talk in the car. She told herself not to get too emotional and not to be scared. She planned on walking in, talking to his roommate, collecting Drew's stuff and leaving. Then she would visit Rowan and have a nice long chat before going hopping onto her flight home.

She took several deep breaths before exiting her car and making her way into the building. She was so anxious that she didn't even notice a certain friend's car parked two spaces away from her own vehicle.

After going in, she buzzed and expected her brother's roommate to answer. But what she didn't see coming was someone else's voice on the other side.

"Hello?" Rowan said, her voice slightly distorted from the machine.

"Rowan? It's me Olivia. What on earth are you doing here?" Olivia said, a little taken back by the surprise.

"O-Olivia?" The short girl stuttered. She hadn't heard from Drew's sister in months and ever since the incident, she had told herself she would call Olivia. But she kept telling herself "tomorrow," and then "tomorrow" became weeks, and then here the two of them were, neither knowing what to say to the other.

"Can I come up?" Olivia requested. Rowan didn't reply to her old friend's request, but silently buzzed her in. 

When the older girl arrived to her brother's apartment she had problems taking the scenario in. She found herself creeping back into the state of denial she lived in for weeks. The state of mind where she thought that Drew could walk in at any moment happy and safe. The state of mind where he would swing open that door to his apartment and tell her things were going to be okay.

But instead, a tall boy with purple hair greeted her with Rowan by his side. By the boy's pale complexion and nervous expression, she recognized him as Michael, the roommate Drew fondly described as an "amazing, but very introverted guy who was as white as a sheet and as timid as a leaf".

"Olivia," she said, sticking her hand out for Michael to shake. 

"Michael, it's nice to meet you," he told her, while awkwardly proceeding to shake her hand. He then stepped out of the entranceway and gestured for her to come in. And Olivia gladly did so, taking in the scent of burnt oregano and olive oil.

"Sorry for coming in unannounced," she said as she scanned the room. The living room was cluttered with hoodies and papers thrown across the couch and on the floor, but the kitchen was spotless and seemed to have been cleaned recently. "Did I interrupt your dinner?"

"No, we just finished," Rowan assured her. The short haired girl made eye contact with her friend and immediately became vulnerable as she was overcome with nostalgia. "I missed you," she said sadly.

"I missed you too." The two girls smiled and embraced each other tightly, but the warm moment was short lived as they both knew that there was business to tend to.

"I'm guessing you're not here to eat some of Michael's famous spaghetti," Rowan joked. 

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "I wish I was, but I came here to gather Drew's things and then I planned on heading to your place. But I guess this saves me the car trip." Olivia clutched Rowan's hand. "We have a lot to talk about."

-

a/n: love me some spaghetti

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