Chapter 11

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Elliot

Waking up and not knowing: a) where you are, b) how you got there, and c) why you are being spooned by the cute barista from your favorite coffee shop is probably the making of an alcoholic. 

Problem: I don’t drink.

So why do I feel like I got black-out drunk?

I shift a little, trying not to disturb the poor boy behind me. He was squashed between the couch’s back and my back, both arms tightly wound around my waist, face pressed against my neck. Realizing the compromising position I was in, my body betrayed me and I felt heat rush up my neck and display-- to my dismay-- on my cheeks. 

It’s fine. He hasn’t woken up yet. I tell myself as I quickly tune my hearing to truly see if what I was telling myself was-- in fact-- true. 

He should still be in REM according to the flickering motion underneath his eyelids-- no need to wake him then. I attempt to move one of his hands off of my lower abdomen but he only pulls me closer to him.

Give me strength.

Eventually I gave up, craning my neck around to study his face. Bleddyn’s mocha hair draped down his face, outlining his jaw and angular bone structure. He was beautiful.

I couldn’t help my smitten self. Supervillians can get smitten. It’s not as rare as you’d think.

My brain began buzzing, trying to avoid thinking about the man behind me, or more importantly, where his body grazed mine. It settled on digging up memories of before.

The body-swap ray-- that seemed important. I shifted uncomfortably, that still doesn’t explain why I woke up here with no memory. If the ray had-- in fact-- worked why did I not look into who Erebus was? Why did I not write anything down? And by all that is holy, why the hell am I the little spoon?

I feel shifting behind me. He can’t be awake, if he wakes now, he’ll be groggy all day, he’ll feel horrible. No you, go back to sleep, finish out the cycle. I went to Evil Medical School, dammit! I know what I’m talking about.

I was done pretending that I cared about my dignity.

I felt Bleddyn’s arms tense around me and felt his head removed from my neck, I sat up as he did and we blankly stared at each other.

His mouth shot open, obviously trying to find the right words to express, and failing to find them.

I couldn’t say much, I was speechless myself.

“Uh,” he finally began, “hi?”

I smiled at him, “Hello yourself. This is certainly an interesting position we have.” Indeed it was, I was basically still in his lap. His face turned crimson as he took in our position; however, he did not move.

Bleddyn scratched the back of his neck, refusing to make eye contact, “Do you by any chance remember how we got here?”

“Can’t say I do,” I respond, my eyes flickering to the clock against the wall reading seven A.M. 

“Oh shit,” Bleddyn apparently saw the clock too, “Today is Monday, isn’t it?”

I nodded as the man almost threw me off him and began to run into what must have been his bedroom.

“I have midterms in two hours. Oh shit, I haven’t even started studying. Bleddyn, why do you always do this to yourself?”

Ah yes, the dreaded midterms. I remember those from grad-school, I haven’t had to do one in years and that, my friends, is beautiful. However, the now man-child, who was priorly cuddling with me on the couch, was scurrying around his apartment trying to not only change clothes but retrieve stacks, on stacks of books.

Then it set in: Monday, the lab, the interns, possibly unchaperoned.

For some reason, my stupid brain forgot that it was in fact, not my day off/weekend anymore and I had actual research to complete at the lab for the job that pays my bills. I began hurrying to put on my shoes and jacket that seemed to be strewn across one of the chairs. I glanced at the clock, we only had thirty minutes to get to the university before the lab either was set aflame or might be in need of fumigation over the break. The times were dire indeed. 

Out of nowhere, a book was shoved into my face, “Will you do me a solid and quiz me as we head to my first exam? The sample questions are on page 79 for the semester.”

I open the book and stare at the pages, “I may butcher these words but I will, the Classics department is on the way to my lab anyway.”

Bleddyn

We were almost running down the street, Elliot spitting questions at me every thirty seconds in hopes of getting a response between them. I got most of them which was a relief.

The best thing about all this was that my easiest exams were first, the harder ones would start Wednesday. 

I didn’t even want to think about the fact that I had woken up on my couch spooning the love of my life with no memories of the night before.

Mental breakdown after the tests, Bleddyn. 

Soon enough we were in front of the Classics building and Elliot and I had to part ways.

“Listen, I’m still just as confused as last night, so here is my number,” Elliot shoved what looked like a business card into my hand, "call or text me when you’re free. We can get coffee.” 

I could only nod. 

Was this Doctor Nihilistical, AKA Elliot Veal, asking me out?

Oh this day was getting better and better.

After I watched him run across the quad to one of the many science buildings, I made my way into the building and to my classroom where we would be testing. 

Once I grabbed my seat, I began scanning the room, searching for Chloe’s familiar face. I didn’t see her, which was odd. Especially since it was ten minutes till the exam began and Chloe was always there at least thirty minutes prior.

As the hand ticked closer to the exam, my anxiety only grew. Chloe is not the kind of person just to skip, you can say a lot about her, but she cares about her grades and her reputation (especially with the teachers in the Classics department).

But then the test was being placed in front of me and I was given no other option but to focus on the next two hours of getting a passing grade.

I’ll just text her after class.

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