✧*̥˚ gunshot glitter *̥˚✧
valerie casablancas x elijah hewson
chapter two || 🎬🤍🦢

❝ id probably still adore you with your hands around my neck or i did last time i checked! ❞

from the first moment valerie had laid eyes upon gracie abrams in 2019 at a bernard college open day, she knew the girl was trouble. sweet, but wicked. the smallest twitch of the girls lips and valerie knew she was in for a long night. much like tonight.

drink after drink was being passed into her hand as the singer just grinned at her and bobbed her head to the music. gracie was probably one of the only people valerie actually enjoyed going out with, while she happily got the girl a drink, she would also make sure val was okay the whole time.

gracie scrunched up her nose and smiled at her as she handed her yet another cup filled with campari and soda, "you're gonna get drunk and you're gonna like it."

valerie laughed loudly at this, "was that a threat, ms abrams?"

"of course!" she grinned, clicking her drink on the girls before bobbing her head to the loud music. val shook her head before her eyes went wide as gracie shoved her drink into her chest and put her phone to her ear.

valerie was trying to coax answers out of her friend, but gracie put her finger up, making the girl's jaw drop. val gave her a fake dirty look, resulting in the pointer finger gracie had been pointing to quickly turn into her middle.

when she hung up, she grabbed the drink from valerie before downing it, "okay, so you know tucker?"

valerie thought for a moment, trying to remember the man. she had heard gracie mention him previously, but the pair had never met, "the gay one who fumbled emma chamberlain?"

gracie sighed, they had been over this many times before, "he's not gay, but yes the one who fumbled emma!"

"okay... what about him?"

"so, he found out i was in the city and i said we should meet up! think about it. you're both single... hot people. this is the perfect setup."

valerie was confused as to how gracie got to this point, making her mouth open and close multiple times as she blinked cluelessly, "i'm not going anywhere near that man. he thinks he's harry styles and paul mescal all in one and i'm not into british people... or the irish or australians or gay men."

gracie's cheeks flushed red at the mention of the irish man who she had hooked up with last year and had been in sort of situationship with since. she flailed her arms around, not apologising to the poor man she had slapped in the meantime, "for the last time he is not gay. you can't say that to him when he gets here."

"fine, he's not gay." she rolled her eyes, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips, "he just takes it up the ass every other day."

"are you done?" gracie asked, raising her eyebrow at the twenty two year old.

valerie tried to not smile, she really did, "does he have a glittery pink butt plug?" before the words left her mouth she burst out laughing.

"okay, i'll be back in five minutes. don't do anything stupid." gracie pointed an accusing finger at her, making her throw her arms up.

"okay, mom." she watched as gracie left, "don't do anything stupid." she mocked as she walked towards the bar.

"can i have a can of diet coke please?" she smiled at the barman who nodded and handed the can to her before she payed, "thank you."

valerie opened the can before turning her body around and leaning against the bar. she took in her surroundings for the first time that night until her eyes casted upon a vaguely familiar face.

shaggy brown hair. not that tall. leather jacket. she could make out dark eyes - not sure of the colour, she was a little far away.

oh, my God.

the asshole from earlier on. the one who ran out in front of her car.

oh. my. God.

before even thinking about what she was doing, her feet were on the move. she didn't know what she was going to say, whether she was going to scream at him about the dangers of the road or whether she was going to bully him for the small tear on his leather jacket.

"i know you!" she called over the music, leaning against the chair he was sat across from.

the man whipped his head up, confused as to where she had come from. he was supposed to be meeting four of his friends here and he was positive she was not one of them. he sighed, "oh, not right now." he mumbled, hoping she caught the hint.

valerie looked to either side of her before looking him up and down, a crease between her eyebrows. weirdo. "okay! anyway... i almost ran you over earlier today!" she ignored his weird remark, sure he was just a guy too stuck up his own arse to realise what he said.

"what?" he furrowed his brows, searching her face for any trace of resignation. it wasn't until he stared into her soul for what felt like three minutes - in reality it was a couple seconds shy of three minutes, "wait- yes you did."

she smiled shyly as if she wasn't the one who told him, "yeah... sorry about that! i hate driving, like, a lot. not my strong suit."

"yeah, i can tell." he laughed.

she stuck her hand out, "i'm valerie! you can just call me 'val' getting called 'valerie' is very scary."

he clasped his hand around hers, shaking it firmly, "i'm elijah."

valerie nodded, smiling brightly at him, and shivering as she pulled her warm hand away from his cold one, "such a formal name. i assume you also drink tea in your free time?"

"is it because i'm irish?" he asked, and her eyes went wide.

"can i be honest?" she asked, sliding into the chair she had been previously leaning over. she crossed her legs over one another, knowing exactly where his eyes were gonna follow. his eyes dropped to her tan legs, and she had to cover her smile as she placed her small bag on the table, "i couldn't even tell. you're very... fancy aren't you? i thought irish people were more... i don't know yippidy?"

his smile dropped, and she wondered if she should've kept her mouth closed. she gulped.

"oh!" elijah spoke quickly, making her feel slightly bad.

"did i offend you?" she asked, a pout on her lips and a worry filled crease between her eyebrows, "i didn't mean to."

he couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at valerie's face. he didn't know this girl, but he knew if she was to cry he would crumble to pieces. maybe it was the dark green of her eyes or the light she carried with her. either way, he didn't want her to get upset.

"i'm not offended." he assured her, making her let out an over dramatic sigh of relief and her smile to come back to her face.

"okay, good! because i was about to flee the scene." she giggled, "and it would not have been pretty."

elijah scoffed, "just as unpretty as you almost killing me earlier on?"

now it was her turn to scoff. she leaned back in her chair and gave him an awful look, "shut up! i didn't almost kill you! i barely touched you. you're being dramatic and no one likes a drama queen!" said the queen of drama.

"you literally just said 'i almost killed you this morning!'. as an opening sentence."

"bitch?" she sneered, "i said i almost ran you over. nothing about killing you. don't twist my words."

"sorry!"

"thank you." she tried to hold in her smile, but failed once she saw how his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

"are you always bossy?"

"are you always a bitch?" she shot back faster then she could stop herself, "i didn't mean that!" valerie said, slapping both her hands over her mouth.

elijah laughed loudly at this, leaning back in his chair and clapping his hands. something about the way her eyes would widen anytime she said something slightly rude was quite endearing.

"am i being mean?" she asked, "i'm trying to be nicer. my friend grace - well, my friends grace and gracie; there's two of them and my friend belle, said i should be nicer because i'm too mean, so, i'm trying really really hard not to be a... cunt?"

"why are americans so afraid to say the word cunt?" he questioned her.

valerie wasn't sure. she wasn't allowed to curse until she moved out - sure it didn't stop her when she was in school or with friends, but if her mother even heard her utter the word 'shit' she was grounded for days and well her dad couldn't say anything because he was julian casablancas and what could he honestly say about her cursing?

"i'm not afraid! i just- fuck off." she crossed her arms over her chest, "you make it hard to be nice."

"same woman who almost killed me by the way, ladies and gents." he held his hand up, speaking into a fake microphone.

she rolled her eyes, "die."

"i thought you were trying to be nice?"

she glared at him, "i am! you're making that very hard. you know you're wrecking my stat! i went a whole week without taking shit about anyone, and then... boom here comes you. you almost put a dint on my car, and now you're sitting here making fun of me."

the pair were silent for a moment. valerie was trying to think about what she was supposed to say, think and do next and elijah was just staring at her, trying to take in every detail on her face as if she was about to disappear before his eyes.

"can i repay you for almost running you over?" she asked, placing the tips of her fingers on his knees. she probably shouldn't have, but the fact he didn't immediately jerk away made her feel as though it was fine, "and for imposing on your night?"

elijah opened his mouth to answer just as his phone flashed with a text from his friend, "ryan and i walked in and saw you with a girl. dw we'll let you cook ‼️ don't fuck this up." he let out a sigh as he read the words before shaking his head and smiling at girl, "sure."

"amazing!" she clapped her hands together excitedly before putting her bag over her shoulder and grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

he would have been lying when he said his smile didn't drop when he realised she was an inch taller than him in the heeled boots she was sporting, but who was he to say anything?

i've been in charge of every ticketmaster war me and erin need to go through and ive secured them every time and now its erin's turn to get inhaler tickets on thursday... im so nervous