( FAYE )

amidst the motel rooms dim glow, sadie and i bustle around attempting to become the picassos of doing makeup.

i hold a plain, sleek black dress against myself. "is this too much?"

sadie grins like a cheshire cat and puts down her mascara wand. "way too much, how dare you"

i roll my eyes. "thanks"

i drape the dress on the bed like an artwork before confronting my nemesis: liquid eyeliner.

it squirms and slithers away from my aim, leaving jagged lines. "why does eyeliner hate me?" i groan.

"let me try" the redhead chuckles.

she steadily applies it on me, causing me to grin. "eyeliner kneels before you"

a slight smile grazes her lips. "yes it does"

it's not until i open my eyes that i realise how close our faces are. there's merely a gap remaining, her warm breath grazing my skin.

neither of us move. her eyes trail down to my lips, and back to my eyes.

then, the phone rings; fitting to my luck.

"hi!" the familiar voice beams through the telephone.

i recognise it immediately, the clerk.

"oh, hello!" i grin, receiving a puzzled glance from sadie. i mouth clerk towards her.

"sorry for calling so late. i wanted to say, if you have time while you're here, maybe we could go out sometime? i was gonna ask earlier but-"

"ofcourse!" i interrupt, waving my hands around with enthusiasm, leading sadie to mouth a what? at me.

"great! so, i was thinking we could check out this nightclub tomorrow, it's pretty nearby"

i almost gasp, mouthing can i invite her to sadie, rolling my eyes when she just lays me another confused stare.

"actually, uh, wait... what's your name?" i nervously chuckle.

a laugh is heard from the other end of the line. "elysia"

"elysia... we're actually heading to the club tonight, would you wanna maybe join us?"

sadie raises her brows.

"oh... yes! yeah, i would love to" the girls smile is audible.

"great! okay" i attempt not to squeal, prompting sadie to scoff.

"so... motel clerk" sadie grins, receiving a chuckle from me.

"yeah, i guess"

the redhead nods. "she's pretty"

"she is... can you zip me up?"

with a hum, she stands behind me, our closeness palpable.

i sneak a glance at the mirror infront of us, averting my eyes once they meet hers.

she brushes my hair to the side, carefully working her fingers to guide the zipper upwards. her hand lightly brushes against my bare skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

"done" she mumbles, her heels clinking against the wooden tiles as she steps back.

"well" i turn around with a grin. "lets go"

— ★ —

the place thrives in a symphony of neon lights and thumping bass, casting vibrant hues that paints the walls, the floors, and the bodies that sway to the deafening and obnoxious music.

"where's elysia?"

sadie shrugs. "no idea. you go find her, i have to head to the washroom"

"what?" i yell over the music, causing sadie to laugh. "i can't hear you at all!"

"bye!" she strides away towards the bathroom, causing me to sigh and begin my manhunt.

my eyes dart around the room, minutes passing and still no sight of elysia.

eventually, i give up. pouting as i take a seat on one of the bar stools. the bartender approaches me, and i manage to decline his suggestions.

i observe the myriad of souls lost in dance, each person bearing their own desires. the dance floor, illuminated by the gentle sway of bodies, becomes a stage for their intimate narratives.

some move in pairs, their gazes locked, entwined in the serenity of shared secrets. others sway alone, their solitary presence a soliloquy, yearning for connection.

lost in the view of others, i almost overlook the poke on my shoulder.

"hey" the melodic hush against my ear startles me.

"hi" i face her as she takes a seat on the stool next to mine.

"it's so loud" she enunciates her mouth movement, making it easier for me to hear.

i chuckle. "i know"

she waves the bartender over, ordering drinks for the both of us.

i decide not to refuse.

the pounding music drowns out our attempts at conversation. we lean in, shouting in each others ears, only to have no idea what either one of us are saying.

i can hardly hear myself think, let alone hear elysia.

"i love... this song!" she yells, her voice barely audible.

"yeah, me too!" i yell back, although i'm not entirely sure what she said.

we both burst into laughter, our heads thrown back, and our voices merging with the cacophony around us.

the alcohol has definitely had an effect on us.

elysia leans closer, her lips moving rapidly, but i can't catch a word she's saying. i just grin and nod, hoping she didn't ask me anything important.

suddenly, she pulls me by my hand, dragging me towards the crowd.

( SADIE )

sitting isolated in a dimly lit corner of the club, i observe elysia and faye dancing with one another.

jealousy courses through me.

faye had spent the entire night with her, and i can't help but feel left out.

the sight of her with someone else ignites a pang of insecurity within me, despite the fact that we're just friends.

i can't tear my gaze away, even though i want to. the world around me seems to blur as i focus on the two of them.

i watch as they inch closer and closer to eachother.

i watch as their bodies sway in harmony, barely apart anymore.

i watch as elysia leans in, closing the gap between us.

i keep myself from faye for her own good, i know i'm not good for her. but now, as i watch someone elses lips on hers, all i want is her.

( FAYE )

as elysia breaks the kiss, desire floods her half-lidded green eyes, her gaze intensifying as she draws me closer by my waist.

"this is so unprofessional of me" she whispers into my ears with a light chuckle, sending shudders through me.

out of nowhere, a hand yanks me away from the brunette, pulling me aside.

"we need to leave" sadie insists.

confused, i free my arm from her grasp. "what's going on?"

she shoots me an intense glare. "i'm not feeling well, the music's making my head spin"

i look back and notice elysia observing our conversation with intrigue.

"alright, let's go" i sigh.

— ★ —

"what happened? are you still sick?" i leisurely raise my hand towards her forehead, feeling her temperature.

"no" she breathes out, closing the room door behind us.

"that was an excuse to get you away from her" she clenches her jaw, crossing her arms.

still feeling the effects of alcohol and the abruptness of our departure, i slightly slur my words. "what... what do you mean?"

"elysia" her voice trembles. "you were all over eachother. i had to drag you out of there"

"so what? we're not together anymore. you can't be mad about this"

"no, we're not" she swallows hard. "but we're here together, as friends. just us. this weekend is supposed to be about us"

i raise my brows. "that doesn't mean i can't have fun! i'm spending time with you as well, we still have another day"

sadie takes a deep breath.

"you avoided me the entire night. it's like i stopped existing to you, like she was the only one there"

"you cannot be mad at me right now" i bite the inside of my cheek.

"yeah? why not?" she narrows her eyes.

my gaze remains fixated on her. "are you serious?"

she doesn't respond, shrugging her shoulders.

after a moment, i exhale. "okay"

i walk towards the bathroom, pushing against her side in the process.

i gaze at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, gently wiping away the last traces of mascara, while a muffled rendition of "my love mine all mine" plays softly in the background.

i dispose of the used makeup wipes in the trash, taking a moment to compose myself before turning the doorknob.

the red haired girl lies in the darkness, blasting mitski on her portable speaker.

"hi" i murmur, reclining beside her on the cold sheets. the air conditioning here does its job utterly well.

she sighs and rolls over. "hey"

"i'm sorry" i whisper.

we lay face to face, the only light emerging from the distant bathroom.

her hands rise to gently swoop the hair away from my face, chuckling under her breath when it falls back into place.

without prior notice, she leans in towards me.

our lips briefly meet before i hastily draw back, breathing at the same pace at which my heart is beating.

she says nothing, nodding in understanding before turning over again.

"goodnight, faye"

★ authors note ,,

my love is mine all mineeee i lovr my my mineee nothing int he world belongs to me but my love. mINE ALL MINEEEE