Testing, testing,
I'm just suggesting,
You and I might not be the best thing.
—Haven't Had Enough by Marianas Trench.

———•———

"I'm Clover Han."

Pierce O'Brien stares down at the pale hand 'Clover' extends to him with barely concealed disdain. Her nails are short and painted with blue nail polish but they're uneven like they've been bitten. To him, it's not a very attractive hand.

Clearing his throat, he pointedly looks away from the hand and looks around his surroundings instead. "Okay, but why are we here?"

'Here' meaning the small restaurant located in the infamous dorm, Morgan Hall. Pierce has never stepped foot in it mostly because Morgan Hall has a reputation for being completely rundown and unhygienic (why is there spirogyra growing on the ceiling and walls?) and well, his dorm, Bakersfield has a better restaurant that serves better coffee, but he's here. And he wants to know why.

The girl—Clover—slowly drops her hand. "They serve pretty good coffee here," she says and Pierce notices with a raised eyebrow that she doesn't look too offended despite the way he brushed her attempt at a handshake off. "I don't drink coffee but my roommate swears it's delicious. I believe her."

Pierce rolls his eyes as he follows her to an empty booth. Figures that she'd want to buy me cheap, crappy coffee to pay me back. "Then get me the coffee so I can be on my way," he says as he sits.

The smile on her face dims. "You have to go?"

"Yeah," he raises an eyebrow at her disappointed look. "I'm busy."

Clover sighs but makes no move to get his coffee, he notices. "I see," she says. "That sucks because I was actually on my way to class before we met, and I literally skipped the lecture just so that I can be here for this date."

Silence blankets them for a moment. "...Date?" Pierce clears his throat when his voice comes out higher than it should.

Clover shrugs. "Yeah of course. Why else would I want to buy you coffee after you ruined my shirt? To 'compensate' you?"

"Um, yeah," he nods. "Like a normal person should."

A tinkling laugh rings out in the air and Pierce blinks at the sound. She shakes her head and levels him with a cool stare. "I think with time, you'll find out that I'm not exactly normal."

Pierce stares back at her, astonished. "With time?" What the hell is going on?

"Yes," she replies. "Now tell me your order. Let me buy you your coffee."

Absentmindedly, he rattles off his order (black Americano) and watches as she sashays away from their little booth to get it.

He decides that she's pretty—or maybe adorable is the right word to use. She looks innocent with her brown eyes and omnipresent smile and she's short and slim and her hair is long and healthy looking and she's...she's cute.

And apparently, she wants to go out with him. Him.

He's surprised. Girls don't usually give him the time of the day and the few that do, don't usually last more than five minutes around him. Some say he's rude, some say he isn't fun to be around and many think he isn't worth the time.

And he knows he's those things—he's very aware, actually. He can be rude and he does say whatever he wants whenever he wants and he's sure he isn't worth anyone's time because he has a lot of issues he knows he has to work on first but here's a girl that is looking past the worst of his qualities despite their first encounter. It's a bit unnerving, to be honest. He's not sure he knows how he's meant to react to this situation.

A styrofoam cup is placed in front of him and he sees Clover is back, still with a smile on her face. He eyes her warily.

"Okay, here's your coffee," she says. "I'll leave now."

Again, he's surprised. He's also starting to believe what she said about not being normal. "I thought we were on a date...?"

Clover raises an eyebrow but her smile doesn't waver. "Um. Sorry but I smell like coffee and look like shit," she gestures to the dried stain of coffee on her blouse. "Hardly what I envisioned wearing on a date with a cute guy."

Despite himself, he feels blood rush to his face. She thinks I'm cute? "Then—"

With a smile, she puts her hand on his shoulder and squeezes it. "We can do this some other time. When you're not so busy and when I actually look presentable and I know your name."

She waves and before he can gather his thoughts, she's gone.

He stares at the empty space for a long moment and then looks down at the styrofoam cup. There's a hastily scrawled message on it along with a set of digits.

Text me, stranger—Clover.

He hates it, but he considers doing it for a moment.

Just a moment.

———•———

When Pierce told Clover he was busy, he wasn't saying it to be impolite. He really did mean it.

But now, lying down in the college counselor's office, he wonders if maybe spending his afternoon sipping coffee in the company of a pretty, abnormal girl is the lesser of two evils.

The office is cold and spacious. There's a large couch sitting in the very middle and Pierce lies in it, looking up at the ceiling. From his position, he can see the desk, the nameplate on the desk displaying the counselor's name (Lilian Dinapoli Ph.D.), and a framed photo of a young red-haired girl.

Beside him, Dr. Lilian, a middle-aged redhead sits beside him on an armchair, holding a clipboard. She smiles. "So Pierce. Tell me, how has your week been?"

"Horrible," he sighs. "It's been horrible."

He usually hates these sessions because he doesn't feel like they make him feel any better, but considering the day he's had, he's in the mood to talk; if not to feel better, then at least to make his thoughts make sense.

Lilian, unaware of his inner turmoil, scribbles down a few notes unto her clipboard. "Tell me how your week has been so horrible."

He does. He closes his eyes and tells her about how he's been having nightmares and how he's had a fight with his neighbor because the girl keeps throwing parties when he's trying to sleep. He tells her about how he's finding it hard to concentrate during his lectures because he keeps falling asleep during them and—he hesitates when the image of a smile and healthy brown hair flashes at the back his mind.

He's had a horrible week but his day hasn't been entirely bad, he realizes. His short-lived 'date' with Clover doesn't fall under 'horrible'—strange, yes, but not horrible.

Lilian notices the way he hesitates. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yeah..."

So he tells her everything but not everything. He tells Lilian about Clover; about how they collided and he ended up spilling coffee all over her. He tells her about how he was borderline rude to Clover regarding the situation because he's been having a shit week, but how she smiled and bought him a coffee to pay him back instead of drop kicking him. He tells Lilian about Clover's flirting and how she left him with nothing but her number and a message to text her. Pierce tells Lilian everything he can about Clover—but not everything.

He doesn't tell Lilian about Clover's sunny smile or how rosy her cheeks are or even her saccharine laugh. He certainly doesn't tell her that he thinks she's really cute, and he doesn't admit the fact that she's managed to invade his thoughts after taking up less than an hour of his time.

He doesn't tell Lilian any of this but somehow, he thinks she probably knows.

"That's wonderful!" Lilian beams. "And you're going to text her?"

Pierce shakes his head. "No."

The smile drops from Lilian's face. "No?"

"Yeah," he eyes her warily. He's never seen her look so upset before. "I don't think now is the time for me to get into a relationship."

Lilian rolls her eyes. "I think I should be the one to tell you if you're ready to be in a relationship."

"...Huh?"

"And you're right—now isn't the time for you to be in a relationship. You aren't ready," she continues. "But it is time for you to make a friend."

Pierce sits up. "I don't think that would be in my best interest." Or Clover's best interest either.

"You're young Pierce. You should be socializing with people your own age. You should be out there right now trying to have fun—not here in my office."

He purses his lips but doesn't say anything to counter her argument.

"I think what you need is a friend," Lilian repeats. "Someone that you can vent to about your bad weeks."

"Isn't that your job?" Pierce sighs. "I don't even think you're doing a very good job either. You're more concerned with this girl than my nightmares."

If Lilian hears him, she doesn't react. "Make sure you text that girl and befriend her."

"Right, okay, whatever. And my nightmares?"

"Take some sleeping pills and when you're finally ready to talk about them, talk," Lilian replies, voice soft. "But till then, we'll focus on this girl and why she's important enough for you to mention and not just brush off as you do with everything else."

Pierce doesn't know what to say to that. With a sigh, he closes his eyes and leans his head against the armrest.

He hates that he's not completely put off at the idea that he now has an excuse to reach out to Clover.

———•———

If seduction is an art, Clover believes she's a master. She knows how to weave an image of herself that will lure people she wants into her web of lies and deceit. She knows how to be the kind of significant other they need. She can be sweet, she can be wild, and she can be shy. She just knows the exact type of person to be for the person she wants to get.

She's never quite met someone quite as ill-mannered as...what's-his-name so she's not sure if her confident, happy-go-lucky image is the best one to use to make him fall in love with her but she hopes it is. The ball is literally in his court now. All he has to do is take the bait and send her a fucking text.

"Damn, so you really went through with it?" Jackie, Clover's roommate looks away from her computer to stare at Clover as she bursts into the room. She whistles once she catches sight of her large stain marring Clover's shirt. "I won't lie, I'm proud of Sasha. Didn't know she had it in her to be brutal."

"This isn't from Sasha," Clover rolls her eyes as she drops her book bag on her bed. She doesn't say more as she starts to strip out of her clothes, dropping them unceremoniously to the floor.

Jackie furrows her eyebrows. "So...you went out to break up with your girlfriend—"

"Ex-girlfriend," Clover interjects as she bends down to gather her jeans and shirt, still in her underwear.

"Yeah, her," Jackie waves her hand. "You go out to break up with her a day before you guys have your anniversary and she didn't throw anything in your face?"

"I left before she could," Clover laughs. "Trust me, she definitely wanted to."

Jackie doesn't laugh along. "Then why do you have coffee all over you?"

"My new boyfriend decided to be karma's tool," Clover sighs.

"Boyfriend?" Jackie echoes.

Clover shrugs. "More or less. Look, I have to shower. I'll tell you all about it when I'm out."

Without another word, Clover walks into the en-suite bathroom and shuts the door behind her. Jackie raises an eyebrow at the door, looks to her laptop, and then rolls her eyes at the paused movie on her screen.

"I swear, I don't even know why I bother paying for Netflix," she says, shutting the laptop. She drops it on her desk located at the edge of her bed and lies down. "Having this mess of a roommate is entertainment enough."

It's a short shower. Clover steps out seconds later, wrapped in a large towel, and blinks at Jackie. "Oh, you really waited."

"Of course I did," Jackie scoffs. "You think any movie could be more interesting than your love life?"

Clover huffs out a laugh and sits on her bed. She's never really had friends—more like acquaintances she talks to just for the sake of it—but Jackie is one person she wouldn't mind calling a friend. Considering the fact that she doesn't judge Clover's actions but instead, seems to find them fascinating.

"Long story short, I met a guy," Clover says as she opens her wardrobe, picks out a maxi dress, and pulls it on over her towel. "He's a prick too, by the way."

"Your summary isn't the best," Jackie rolls her eyes and turns on her side to look at Clover. "How can you jump into a relationship so fast? Wait, no; how can you break up with Sasha? I thought you were joking."

"Why would I joke about that?"

"Um. Because I liked her? Plus, honestly, she's way out of your league," Jackie chuckles and ignores Clover's glare. "No offense Clover, you're cute and all but it's true. Sasha is next level beautiful. I thought if y'all were going to end things, she'd definitely be the one to do it."

"Wow Jackie, thanks," Clover sighs as she begins to comb her hair. "Sasha is okay but there was no spark. She...deserves better."

Jackie doesn't dispute the statement. "Okay. So you really did break up with Sasha. How did you then get into another relationship in less than an hour?"

"It's not a relationship yet," Clover says, and then she explains the whole situation to Jackie. "Basically, I just want to break his heart and teach him a lesson," she finishes.

Jackie blinks. She's not a psychology major but she's sure Clover's motives aren't the most...sane. "Couldn't you just have gotten even with him by pouring coffee over his head or something?"

"I don't play to get even, Jackie," Clover rolls her eyes. "That's way too boring for me."

"Wow," Jackie chuckles. "Well. Just putting it out there that he may not even text you and you might never see him again since you don't even know his name and it's a big campus."

"And so?"

"So your little plan will probably not even have a chance of happening."

Clover's phone vibrates with a new notification. She picks it up and she looks down at it to see that she's gotten a text from an unknown number. A smirk forms on her lips.

"I guess my little plan does have a chance of happening," she laughs and turns the screen to Jackie to read the text.

It's a short text but really, it's all the ammunition Clover needs.

i'm pierce o'brien.

———•———

A/N:

Thank you again for reading!

Feel free to tell me what you think. Writing tips or even just...I don't know. Anything really.

How do you feel about Pierce? Or Clover?

Also, lately, I've been taking care of my mental health by writing lighthearted stories offline. The premise of this story is dark in nature and writing it right now seems like a bit of a stretch. I don't know when I'll feel good enough to write another chapter but it's meant to really continue in December, so hopefully by then, I'll get my groove back.

Thank you for your support! You guys rock. Love you & stay safe, yeah?