When Izzy and Rae got back up to their dorm room Izzy was still fuming. She started pacing back and forth by the closet and pulled her phone out before holding it to her ear with an impatient huff. Rae wasn't entirely sure what was said between her roommate and their RA and she definitely didn't know what to do with such a frazzled Izzy. Yes, they'd grown close after a few days of living together but to be honest Rae didn't think Izzy was capable of feeling anything other than happy and cheerful. The news was still a shock.
In an attempt to calm the room as a whole Rae walks over to her record player and decides to put on Roll With It. As the song starts she looks over her shoulder to find Izzy giving her the closest to a warm smile her face can muster. Rae lays herself onto her bed and lets the music seep in past her skin, fat and bones until it softly rings through her entirely. Her eyes close and her breathing evens.
"Arnold!" Izzy yells into the phone, breaking Rae from her calm. "I don't care what you and the lads are doin'…Yes I'm angry! Stacey is my RA!...thank you!" she puts her phone down with another huff before looking back at Rae who is now sitting up in her bed.
"Ya goin' to Chop's then?" Rae asks hoping the disappointment that she'll be left alone isn't too evident.
"No, we're goin'. It's only just gone nine and I don't think ya want to be here anymore than I do. He'll be pickin' us up out back in a mo"
There was no use arguing with Izzy, she was determined. The girls spent the next few minutes changing out of their pajamas. Izzy ended up in a yellow, floral-print crop top, high waisted denim shorts, and white sandals. Rae took a little more time making up her mind. She held up a black Oasis t-shirt and a grey skater dress contemplating just wearing both together. But was a nice night out so showing some skin would be both understandable and comfortable. She tossed the t-shirt aside and slipped into black leggings but they only went down to her knees.
With the top half of the dress resembling a t-shirt style and the skirt coming to mid-thigh it was a casual look but still very flattering for Rae. She shook her hair out and let it lay carelessly. She'd been putting more effort in her appearance ever since she realized that her body could and did look good in clothes that weren't just band tees and jeans or leggings.
"Oh, I love that dress Rae!" Izzy said once she finished putting her lip gloss on. Her hair was now in two braids and all the upset from earlier was inching away by the minute.
"Thanks Iz. You sure the guys won't mind I'm comin'? They don't know me is all." Rae asked while lacing up her black converse. She may have been trying harder with her appearance but she wasn't losing who and what she was.
"'course Rae! They're gonna love ya!"
When the girls walked out to the parking lot behind their building Chop was already there, leaning against his red GT Mustang in an oversized pale yellow t-shirt and jeans, cigarette dangling from his lips. As soon as she saw him Izzy skipped over and wrapped her arms around Chop's waist. The gap toothed grin that broke across his face made Rae smile. She knew how head over heels Izzy was for her boyfriend but to see the feeling more than returned made it that much better. Before Rae could even register what was happening, Chop was releasing Izzy from his arms and making his way over to her.
"You, m'dear, must be Rae!" Chop said as he wrapped his arms around a shocked Rae. "I've heard all about ya"
"Is that so?" Rae gave Izzy a questioning look as she lifted her own arms to pat Chop's back. His oversized t-shirt made him look far more skeletal than he really is. Rather than being caged between bony arms Rae could feel the strength in Chop's biceps as he held her, even the ridges in his abdomen as he pressed closer to her. Izzy was definitely a lucky girl.
"My girl loves ya and any one good in her book is good in mine." he says with a toothy grin.
The car ride to the lads' was a good few minutes since the lads lived in an apartment off campus. Izzy, though in a much better mood, had informed Chop about how Stacey behaved towards the hall meeting. He seemed just as upset as Izzy which surprised Rae a little considering he didn't know Rae. She was still getting used to the fact that there were kind people in the world. Though Izzy mentioned taking to Stacey, she caught Rae's eye in the rearview mirror and decided not to elaborate on what exactly was said.
Rae wasn't sure what she was expecting when she entered the apartment but this was not it. There was a massive tv on one of the walls, a record player in the corner, and two couches surrounding a coffee table. The living room was about the same size as the girls' common room. Since there wasn't a door separating the living room and the kitchen there was a bunch of beads hanging in the entranceway much like the kind you'd see at a psychic reading or something. The walls were an olive green and the couches a dark brown. How three lads in Uni could afford such a big apartment, Rae hasn't even seen the upstairs yet, was beyond her.
"Here ya are," Chop smiles as he walks back from the kitchen with drinks. A beer for himself and Rae and some fruity drink for Izzy.
"Thanks Chop." Rae says before taking a swing.
She's on the couch opposite Izzy and Chop. Izzy sitting cross legged and Chop with his arm draped over his girl's shoulders, remote in hand as he flips through the channels. Since their couch is pressed against the stairs they don't see the figure that starts making its way down but Rae does. Well, they must hear the way his shoes bang against the stairs but they don't pay any mind.
First it's the boots and jeans she sees, then has it comes further down she sees a black…Oasis t-shirt? Then she's making eye contact with the most mesmerizing brown eyes she's ever seen. The whole face is pretty freaking spectacular if she's being honest. Before she even realizes she's staring he runs a hand through his fringe and starts making his way back up the stairs. Shit! Way to go Rae.
"Get ya grumpy ass down here Finlay." Chop shouts, never taking his eyes off the tv screen.
"Soz dad." the guy on the stairs mumbles.
He breezes through the living room and goes straight for the kitchen, the beads clanking angrily in his wake. Chop just shakes his head and Izzy looks at him concerned. Rae suddenly feels unwelcome. She doesn't want to make anyone uncomfortable so she makes to get up when the front door opens and a blonde lad wearing glasses and a polo comes in with a smile on his face and bags in his hands.
"Food's here!" He says as he closes the door behind him. "You must be Rae."
He puts the bags on the coffee table and holds his hand out for Rae to shake.
"I'm Archie." he grips her hand gently before turning to kiss Izzy on the cheek. There's a banging from the kitchen that draws Archie's attention before he looks to Chop. "Still in a mood I'm guessing?"
"What you think?" Chop says with a scoff before hopping off the couch and digging through the bags, setting up all the Chinese food containers across the coffee table like a buffet. The smell makes Rae's tummy grumble and reminds her that she hasn't eaten since that grilled cheese at lunch time.
Izzy comes to sit next to Rae and rubs her shoulder against hers. "Chop told Archie to get a little of everything cause we didn't know what ya'd like."
"He didn't have to. I don't want to be a bother." Rae instantly regrets her words. She isn't that insecure girl anymore, people are allowed to do nice things for her. She is deserving of good things.
"Don't be silly, ain't like the foods gonna go to waste!" Chop says before popping a bit of sweet and sour chicken into his mouth.
The meal passed with pleasant conversation between Archie, Chop, Izzie, and Rae while Finn sat on the floor facing the tv. He's tried to take his food up to his room at one point but Chop told him not to be rude. Rae's discomfort was either obvious or the others were just feeling bad about Finn's behavior because they kept throwing her apologetic smiles. Thinking back to the bits of conversation Rae heard when Izzy was on the phone with Chop she wonders if maybe the girls had interrupted an important night the lads' had planned. The atmosphere seemed pretty laid back and go with the flow so she's still confused why Finn was being such an arse.
Suddenly Rae's phone starts ringing, bringing everyone's attention from the tv to Rae. She mutters an apology before heading out the front door to take the call. Chloe's name is on the screen causing Rae to smile before plopping down on the front steps.
"Hey Chlo."
"Rae!" she shrieks so loud that Rae has to hold the phone away from her ear. "Guess what?"
Even though Chloe was only going to Uni an hour away the girls hadn't seen each other in almost a month since Chloe's family went on holiday towards the end of summer, only coming back the day before Chloe was due at Uni. They still made sure to call each other a couple times a week to make the separation a little less awful. Ever since Rae's four months stay in the mental home Chloe gets worried if they go too long without speaking, hoping if they talk even when they're apart that she'll be able to notice if Rae starts slipping into old habits again.
"Wha?"
"If you'll have me I was hopin' to come up to visit ya for the weekend."
"'course! Just lemme ask Iz first, yeah?" Rae was sure Izzy would say yes but didn't want to jump to conclusions.
"Great! Look I gotta run but I love ya babes. Good luck with classes tomorrow!" Chloe says before hanging up.
Rae's about to get up and head back in the door opens and closes behind her. She waits for whoever is behind her to say something but all she hears is the sound of a lighter. She looks over her shoulder to find Finn lingering behind her. As she looks down she sees an ashtray by her feet in the grass and realizes she's in his spot.
If it were someone else Rae would probably apologize or at least say something before going back inside but considering how Finn's been all night she doesn't see the point in trying to talk to him. So she just gets up, passes by him without getting near him, and goes back in the apartment.
"Hey, Izz. That was my friend Chloe. Would it be okay if she stayed with us this weekend?"
"Yeah Rae!"
"Know what," Chop says "we're having a party this weekend and Izz was gonna crash here. Ya friend and ya can crash here too. We got two couches."
The smile on his face assured Rae that he wasn't just saying it to be nice, he really did like Rae already and was expecting to like her friend just as much.
"Wait, ya having a party the first weekend of classes?"
"Course we are!" Chop says before getting up to get them all more drinks.