After texting back and forth for a while, Kiran and Harlow decided to meet up when she was finished her last exam in a few days. He would text her on and off all day and actually could hold a conversation which couldn't be said for most guys at Harlow's university. Bowfield was such a boring city, and mostly everyone living in it reflected that.
They got to know each other a bit over a couple of days and Harlow found him really easy to talk to. She learned he was just taking open studies, and that was honestly a bit weird to her. Why was he taking a fourth year requirement class? Whatever, not really my business.
Harlow spent the next bit of her week studying and taking exams until all she had left was her last one in the late afternoon. Amelia called het up, asking if she wanted to go to the club that night to celebrate and Harlow happily agreed. It had been a while since she had been out and she didn't even have to worry about needing to do anything tomorrow.
After filling a couple hours with some last minute studying, Harlow felt prepared for her Mental Health and Addiction final. Flash cards had become her new best friend recently. She knew the material like the back of her hand, though it was always nice to know as much as possible. It was pretty standard for her to get decent grades; She thrived on the satisfaction of success. Harlow picked up her bag from where she threw it near the door the other day and headed out of the apartment.
On the walk towards campus her mind wandered towards finding a new roommate. It was going to be tough to find someone she could actually live with, she was picky as hell with people. Maybe she could put up a couple of flyers on campus. Sure, it would attract the crazies but maybe there would be a good one in the bunch.
Harlow's sneakers crunched in the fine layer of snow with every step she took heading up to the exam hall entrance. It was chilly out, the air beginning to sting her nose and cheeks. She always liked the cold though. As a little kid she would play outside in snow piles for hours and hours, not bothering to come inside until sundown. After that there was nothing better than a warm mug of hot chocolate to warm her up.
She threw down the hood of her sweater as she walked through the doors, letting the warm air envelop her exposed skin. The exam hall had a few people roaming around, most with a sense of nervousness about them. There were a few exams going on, so when she spotted students that she recognized from her class, Harlow headed towards them.
She leaned against the wall near the exam room where everyone had gathered. They chatted around her about the exam and life in general, and Harlow couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. It seemed so pointless but she had always been left out of small talk and general conversations. Almost like she didn't exist to anyone unless they needed something from her. That was how it always went though, she had always been a bit of an outsider in her own life.
Suddenly, the professor opened the door to her left and students began filing into the room. Harlow pushed off the wall in a quick movement to make her way into the exam. There were thick booklets laid out on each individual desks and she heard a few classmates groan at the sight. Harlow walked up one of the aisles and found a seat to the right of the room. The girl pulled out a pencil from her bag and placed it next to her booklet.
Shit, this really is a dense exam. She chewed on the inside of my lip, anxious feelings gripping onto her chest and stomach. Her eyes glanced around the room as all the other students got settled into their seats and prepared their areas.
The professor wandered up and down the aisles for a bit before coming to a stop at the front of the room. He began to go over the rules of the exam, all pretty standard but necessary to know. After explaining, he glanced at his watch and instructed the room to pick up their pencils and begin. The sound of paper flipping over filled the room and they did just that.
A few hours later Harlow had turned in her exam and was back outside. It had gotten even colder and the sun had completely set. She pulled out her phone to call Amelia. "Hey girl, I just finished up," her breath puffed out against the cold air as she spoke. "give me an hour or so and I'll meet you at Mint."
Mint was one of the only decent night clubs in the city even though the name sucked. It was always a good place to go and vibe with your people and was never too boring.
"I'll see you there, text me when you're on your way!" Amelia squealed into the phone. She was always so excited to go out. Harlow thought it had to do with Amelia's sheltered upbringing, she was always just trying to let her wild side free. "Oh! Are you going slutty or mysterious tonight?" Amelia added on.
Harlow tilted her head to the side in thought as she walked through the snow. "Hmm. I'm thinking maybe a mixture of both tonight." She laughed as Amelia agreed in her ear. As she got to her apartment door, Harlow hung up the phone and popped inside. All the anxiousness she had been feeling for the past week seemed to melt away. No more exams, now it was just time for a little break and a little fun.
Harlow's apartment had gotten messy during exam week, takeout containers and empty coffee mugs stacked high on the counter. she internally groaned at the fact that she didn't have Amelia here to clean anymore. Fighting back a toddler-like tantrum, Harlow filled up a trash bag and loaded the dishwasher to clear some of the mess. She popped a cleaning pod into the dishwasher and pressed the start button, a mechanical whirring sound filling the space.
Harlow was satisfied with the little bit of cleaning she had done and headed to take a shower. Her bathroom was small and cramped, the shower taking up the entirety of the far wall, leaving space for a small sink and toilet. She nudged the pile of clothes on the floor out of her way and turned the shower on hot, letting the steam fill the room. For as long as she could remember she loved boiling hot showers. Maybe it was the feeling of all her failures and anxiousness being burned away under the hot water.
A traditionally long shower was exactly what she needed. Harlow towelled off her body and dressed in a navy blue robe. Knowing she had taken way too long and was running out of time, Harlow hastily applied her makeup and styled her thick curls down her back. Her fingers worked fast to create a bronzed look on her eyelids. Makeup was probably the only creative outlet she had any sort of attention span for. Harlow seemed to just get bored of most things too quickly to become good at them.
Once she had completed her mask for the evening, she picked up my phone to check how long she had before she needed to leave. 19 minutes, not too shabby, Low.
Below the large time on the lock screen was a message notification from Kiran. Harlow unlocked her phone and opened up the message. 'Hey, what are you up to tonight?'.
Harlow smiled to herself, knowing that he had remembered that today was her last exam. 'Hanging out with a friend tonight, sorry!' She quickly typed out a response and hit send, tossing the phone onto her bed as she walked into her bedroom.
Her closet was filled with clothes from top to bottom and others were littered around the room with nowhere to call home. She really needed to go through them and donate what she didn't wear anymore. Pawing through the hangers, Harlow found a strappy burgundy dress and pulled it towards her. Shorter, but not too short. A bit revealing, but left some to the imagination. It would be perfect for tonight.
Careful not to mess up her makeup or still-drying hair, Harlow removed the robe and slid into the dress. It hugged and flared in the right places, but the best part about it was the pockets slit along the sides. She twisted side to side in front of her mirror, making sure the dress looked alright before heading to grab a pair of black heels.
When she was finally ready, Harlow texted Amelia that she was on her way and called a taxi. There was no way Harlow was going to take the train alone at night. Grabbing a worn black jacket and her purse, she headed downstairs to meet her ride.
The taxi driver and Harlow exchanged polite greetings, and after telling him where she was going they rode in silence. He kept the radio off and Harlow was forced to listen to the clunking noise his car made when turning corners and his sniffing every so often.
They arrived outside of Mint and she handed some cash up to the driver, thanking him before she stepped out of the car. A wintery rush of air greeted her, forcing goosebumps up along her skin. Harlow hastily crossed over to the entrance of the club, eyes searching around for Amelia.
Eventually Harlow spotted her standing off to the right, a sparkly silver dress hugging Amelia's frame. She had a smile plastered on her face as she noticed Harlow as well, waving wildly. Someone else was waving beside her too, and Harlow realized she wasn't alone again. Amelia had brought Damian with her.
Great.
• • •
Helloooooo!!
I know I just updated yesterday but I reallllyyyy needed to keep writing today!!
I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think and if you enjoy I'd love it if you voted!
Big love,
Ari