MIDNIGHT SKY .ᐟ
ᰋ. ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ chapter five ⎯⎯
❛ drew did. ❜

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"sorry about them," drew murmured, his voice barely audible as the club music grew louder and louder by the minute.

saige perched herself on the barstool as he leaned on the counter, leaving a gap between them, as though their skin touching was something fear-inducing and risky.

"for what?" saige asked, tapping her nails on the counter.

drew hesitated, unsure why he was apologizing for their friends' behavior; they were obviously just messing with him. "nevermind." he muttered, shaking his head, and gesturing toward the bartender to get his attention.

saige couldn't help but laugh at his response, drawing his gaze. she gave him a small smile, her eyes flicking between his features.

his eyes were especially beautiful, but saige discerned a kind of emptiness in them that made her heart clench. they were devoid of emotion, filled with pain. he looked... tired and heartbroken.

saige frowned at that, and she couldn't help but wonder why they broke up. the article that madison sent her had not revealed anything exclusive so all she knew was that it was daniela who broke up with him and had publicly admitted to doing so, as well.

before she could say anything to him, the bartender's voice cut through their silence, asking for their orders. drew made his request while saige only asked for water with lots of ice.

"you're not drinking anymore?"

her brows furrowed in amusement, and she pointed to her head. "if i were to drink any more, this would explode tomorrow," she giggled, her vision unfocused for a moment.

drew gave her a lazy smile. "i was late for thirty minutes, and you're already buzzed, huh?"

saige pouted. "why were you late anyways?"

he stared back at her, amusement evident in his grin. she was surprisingly talkative, given that they'd just met in person tonight. "i, uh... fell asleep. "

"bummer," she sighed. "also, i'm sorry if i kind of... forced you to come here with me? i don't know... it was probably weird to ask you to. i swear i'm not usually like this. also, i am drunk, that's no question. but hey, that didn't mean i wouldn't like it if you were gonna come with me. i just figured, like... you know, it's weird. i'm weird. sorry, i'm talking too much, aren't i?"

drew let out a chuckle. "yeah, you're definitely wired. you should come sit with us. austin ordered food."

"if that's what makes you happy," saige teased.

drew blinked, clearly taken aback by her response. "it's not—"

"i know, i know. i was kidding," saige laughed bitterly. he didn't even have to finish his sentence for her to know he was downright rejecting her. he was still loyal to daniela, even though they were no longer together.

sucks to be you, saige.

drew let out a deep sigh, and he shifted on his feet, placing his head in his arms that was resting on the counter. "what the fuck are you doing, drew?" he mumbled, mostly to himself.

saige couldn't quite hear what he said, so she casually sipped on her iced water, not seeming to mind that drew was currently having a minor existential crisis. a heavy silence fell between them after that.

"i'm sorry," he finally spoke, his voice soft, almost apologetic. "i think i'm just tired."

"don't worry about it!" saige immediately said, a little too eagerly. "i'm sorry, i didn't mean to joke around like that. it's not like we're close or anything. i just... i don't know, i— do you wanna head back to the table?" she jumped down from the barstool, hoping to drown in a whirlpool that had suddenly appeared on the dance floor. but then a hand gripped her arm, holding her back. "the hell!" she slowly turned to look up at him, her face scrunching in confusion.

"i'm sorry," he repeated. "i... didn't come here looking for anything new, with you or anyone, for that matter." even though saige was slightly intoxicated, his words still hit her like a brick. "i'm still... trying to get over her." he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

saige blinked at him, her head spinning slightly. she leaned in a little closer, smiling drunkenly, her words slurred but sincere. "i get it, drew. i really... really do," she tilted her head, her eyes glassy. "i'm not... trying to push you. i'm just... here, you know?" she giggled softly, the buzz of alcohol still in her system. "can you even understand me right now? whoopsies, all i hear is this womp womp womp in my ear." her laugh was light, almost careless, as she tossed her hair back.

drew paused, his expression softening. saige wasn't judging him. she wasn't pushing him for answers or reciprocation of her energy. she was just... there. her drunkenness didn't cloud the sincerity in her eyes.

"you really are something," drew murmured. it tugged at her heart. she was feeling all sorts of things just from one single sentence.

"hey, i'm not something, i'm someone," she corrected him, waving her hand dramatically. "look, i know we just met and all, but... i'm here for you, okay? you don't have to do anything or be anything. if you want someone to talk to, i'm... here. but i feel like i should put it out there that my workdays are monday to thursday, but only in the morning. so, you'd better hit me up." her words tumbled out without much thought, her drunken state making her more verbose than usual.

deep down, she knew this night was going to end badly. badly, as in, she would be an embarrassment and would never show her face again.

but then drew snickered, clearly amused by how much she'd had to drink. "alright, you're drunk," he shook his head. "i'm surprised you can walk a straight line."

"of course," saige replied. "speaking of straight, you know that alligators walk in a zigzag pattern while crocodiles walk straight? or is it the other way around? i don't know. so, like... i just had a thought that if an alligator was chasing you, would it help if you run in zigzag as well? that way he'd have trouble catching you or no?"

for the first time that night, drew let out a throaty laugh, and she felt her cheeks warm. "okay, let's get you back to our table before you start making even less sense than you already are." he shook his head once again, his lips curling into a small smile. the edginess in him had eased just a fraction, and for a second, it felt like they were on the same level—no expectations, no pressure.

just two people who happened to meet under strange circumstances.

saige nodded, a bit too enthusiastically, almost losing her balance as she pushed herself off the counter. "right behind ya!"

drew only glanced back over his shoulder at her, his expression a mix between interest and something softer. she was still a little too tipsy to process everything he'd said, but that was fine. for now, it had felt like she needed someone who would let her be messy and chaotic without a care in the world.

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MESSAGES  |  UNIT 309 GANG
╭・␥ 📱 ★﹒active now

participants:
madison bailey   ⤑   bailey bailey bailey
raella king   ⤑  #1 directioner
saige halley   ⤑   certified matcha hater

TODAY 12:31 AM

#1 directioner
SAIGE
WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU
SAIGE

bailey bailey bailey
dude you better respond or istg
i'm calling the police

#1 directioner
ARE YOU OKAY?
PLS REPLY

TODAY 12:59 AM

certified matcha hater
guys chill out
i went home

bailey bailey bailey
OH THANK GOD

#1 directioner
YOU WENT HOME?
AND DIDN'T BOTHER TELLING US?

certified matcha hater
I'M SORRY
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE A PARTY-POOPER

bailey bailey bailey
dude you should've told us!!!
you almost gave me a heart attack
we're heading home in a few minutes

#1 directioner
ALSO
HOW DID YOU GET HOME?
CLINE SAID YOU WERE DRUNK

certified matcha hater
I WAS

#1 directioner
SO WHO DROVE YOU HOME?

certified matcha hater
drew did

bailey bailey bailey
WHAT?!

#1 directioner
WHAT
I THOUGHT YOU SAID DREW
WAIT
YOU DID
WTF

bailey bailey bailey
I DIDN'T KNOW HE SHOWED UP

certified matcha hater
he did
for like an hour

#1 directioner
WHAT
HOW IS IT YOU JUST MET HIM TONIGHT
AND ENDED UP IN HIS CAR BY THE END OF THE NIGHT
DAMN GIRL
GET IT

bailey bailey bailey
YOU BETTER GET YO MAN

certified matcha hater
bro he literally just dropped me off
also the capslock is givin me a headache
😫
promise i'll tell ya'll bout it
tomorrow at bfast
love u both
pls get home safe

#1 directioner
WHAT IN THE MOTHERFUCK
but ok
love u saige

bailey bailey bailey
CLIFFHANGER BRO
but okay
lock the door because we brought the spare key
goodnight!

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INSTAGRAM  |  PRIVATE
╭・␥ 📱 ★﹒active now

participants:
drew starkey   ⤑   @drewstarkey
saige halley   ⤑   @lovesaige

TODAY 1:15 AM

lovesaige
hey, drew! thanks for dropping me off.
drive safe :)

drewstarkey
no problem.
it's kind of my way of making up for all
the shitty things i've said earlier.

lovesaige
oh, you mean when you single-handedly
crushed my self-esteem?
it's all good, i'll recover
some day 💔

drewstarkey
sorry about that.
but i feel like i'm being set up here?
why is that, huh?

lovesaige
relax, i was kidding
but seriously, no hard feelings
i completely understand

drewstarkey
thanks.
and seriously, too, i had a great time tonight.
you're good company.

lovesaige
oh? 🤭

drewstarkey
don't let it get to your head.

lovesaige
too late

drewstarkey
🙄

lovesaige
so... since you had such a great time,
wanna get lunch tomorrow? ;)

drewstarkey
you should probably sleep now.

lovesaige
right after you say yes to lunch

drewstarkey
tempting...
but no.

lovesaige
wow
first you deny me?
then you deny food?
tsk
you wound me

drewstarkey
just keeping it friendly.

lovesaige
hey!
friends eat lunch too, you know?
we could bond over soup 🍲

drewstarkey
soup?

lovesaige
yes, soup.
perfect comfort food for two totally
platonic friends
wouldn't you say so?

drewstarkey
fine.
but only if the soup's good.

lovesaige
don't worry, i'll make sure it's so good :)

drewstarkey
should i be concerned?

lovesaige
maybe

drewstarkey
great.
looking forward to it already.

lovesaige
noon tomorrow?

drewstarkey
sure.

lovesaige
goodnight, drew!

drewstarkey
you too.

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