stranger things have happened

✍︎︎

"so i'm your boyfriend now?" drew asks, stuffing his hands inside his back pockets. the harsh wind of the shoreline nipping at his face, making his cheeks and nose red from the windburn. waves crashing behind him, his shoes taking up sand as he walks along the coast; the moon shining bright above the two.

"only if you want to be," elle replies, stopping in front of the boy and turning around so that the wind can finally stop making her eyes so teary.

the coat jacket that he ever so kindly gave to her is wrapped around her shoulder blades and enclasped by one dark button. her fingers red and cold as she holds her heels, the legs and top pieces poking into the bare flesh of her thighs as it sways in front of her.

stepping forward, he reaches up and pushes some flyaways back behind her ear.

nuzzling into his warm but callous palm, she sighs in content as his thumb rubs the apple of her cheekbones.

"i really, really, want to be," drew softly states, bringing up her face as he leans down. his eyes never leaving hers— well only to glimpse down at her plump lips that were caught between her teeth.

"oh, yeah?" she taunts him, her intoxicating fruity perfume wafting in his nose as she leans up on her tippy-toes.

"yeah," he smirks back, his lips hovering over hers. "you wanna be my girlfriend?"

"yeah," derrielle nods, feeling herself connect her lips with his.

he kissed her soft but passionate, worried that she'll disappear under his touch now that she's finally his girl.

she kissed him hard but with a certain tenderness, that was uniquely her. the swarm of butterflies in her abdomen making her mind all fuzzy yet elle swallows her nerves, doubts, and fears, and gives him everything as they exchange an open-mouth kiss.

drew's lips part against derrielle's, his tongue sliding along the velvety seam, seeking an entrance that she's more than happy to grant. his expertise causing absolute havoc; wet and warm as he explores her mouth; deepening the kiss that has elle dropping her shoes into the eroded sand-dune, freeing her hands just to clutch his hips.

sighing through her nose, all she could focus on is him: his intensity like raging fire; his body shielding hers against the harsh wind; his mouth kissing her beyond contempt; his hands.

oh, his big, strong, decorated hands.
how they cup her face like a gentle hug, like he was afraid of never holding her again, like he couldn't believe this night —this exact instance— to be reality.

drew finally pulls away, nipping and dragging her bottom lip.

their lips glistening under the radiant glow of the moonlight; both throbbing and swollen from the heat that just transpired.

"damn," he says, his blue eyes glinting a deeper shade as her cherry-red lip springs back to place. a toothy grin appearing, smile lines forming on his face, as he laughs under his breath.

"what's so funny?" elle giggles under her breath, her eyebrows lifting in a questionable stare.

"nick owes me twenty bucks," he gushes, biting his lip.

"don't we owe him a new set of eyes?" her nose scrunches up as she purses her lips together; their hands still on each other. "why does he owe you anything?" a breathy scoff slips out of her mouth.

"he didn't believe that I could make you my girlfriend," drew shakes his head. "but here you are, as my girlfriend."

"that's right," elle grins, taking her hands away from his hips and wrapping them around his neck. "and as my boyfriend, you are required to spin hug me," she adds, quickly jumping into his arms.

✍︎︎

four days later, drew and derry are still going strong— in secret, of course.

nick, being the only one who already knew about the two, was pleasantly surprised that they were now dating. he knew that something would happen, his intuitions are always correct but he had this faint feeling of doubt— like everything is too good to be true.

maybe nick is a pessimist. even he'll admit it.
or maybe, just maybe, his intuition is always correct.

he would never tell drew nor derrielle. it's not his place. besides, he'd rather his best friends on set be happy with each other than sad apart from each other.

tonight, july fifth, twenty-nineteen is the most anticipated premiere of the year. season three of netflix's stranger things.

some of the outer banks cast members were invited to the party, in order to show a sense of the growing community of being a part of netflix's performing family, those castmates being: chase, madelyn, jd, rudy, madison, nick, and drew.

elle was invited, courtesy of her long-time friendship with natalia dyer and her job as the company's screenwriter.

apparently, every big name in hollywood was invited.

sure, elle got pictures with the winona ryder, ethan hawke, and uma thurman. and she was also introduced to dacre montgomery and sadie sink by madelyn and chase— both of who worked on the show beforehand.

but she never expected him to show up— especially with her.

perched upon a black leather barstool, derrielle drinks her vintage shirley temple. her short, yellow satin dress wrapped tightly around her frame, the high slit showing off her thighs and legs. next to the girl, is her boyfriend, drew, chatting with jd and dacre about something. he's wearing dark grey slacks and a light yellow polo.

they didn't mean to match. honestly. drew was going for "dwight schrute" vibes and derrielle was going for 'beauty and the beast" vibes. but damn, did they look good together.

"no fucking way!" a voice yells behind the couple's backs, startling the writer as she tries to get another drink from the busy bartender. one that she's awfully familiar with. "ellie, is that you?" grimacing, she quickly eyes drew and lowers her hand back down on the wooden countertop before swiveling in her chair towards the speaker.

cody christian, standing there in a classic white dress shirt and black pants with a smug smirk on his face. massie edwards clutching to his arm like she is his personal tote bag, wearing a skin-tight, black, long sleeve dress that revealed a lot of back and plenty of side-boob.

"you know i hate that nickname," derrielle throws a fake smile their way. "what are you doing here?"

"well, all american is getting picked up by netflix, i thought you knew?" he sips on his beer as he lifts his eyebrow in a cocky manner.

"believe it or not, i don't have time for you anymore," the writer in yellow dismisses him, turning back around in her chair to receive another drink from the bartender— but, of course, he isn't done. he never is.

"oh yes," cody rolls his eyes, "you're too busy hanging out with wannabes. congrats on the future flop by the way."

"those wannabes," she does bunny-ears around the word, "have more talent than you ever will."

"c'mon, ellie, don't be like that. i hope it doesn't flop, but we all know it will," massie adds, throwing a disgusted look elle's way.

"did you hear a skank talking just now?" she turns her head to drew, who shrugs no, "yeah, i didn't think so."

"bitch," mason mumbles under her breath.

"whore," elle replies outright, smirking as massie just scoffs, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek goodbye, and walks away.

"are you done?" cody scoffs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"are you?"

"listen, i just wanted to congratulate you on the future flop." he holds out his hands, laughing at how timid his ex gets at his rudeness. "you were never a good writer."

"wrong," drew butts in, completely and utterly done with this conversation. "all of that was wrong." he turns his chair, putting his left arm on the countertop behind elle and subconsciously spreading his legs— automatically asserting his dominance over cody and protection over his girlfriend.

"i'm sorry, who are you?" cody finally acknowledges the actor's presence.

"drew starkey, i don't think we've met," he leans off the back of his chair, holding out his hand.

cody grudgingly shakes it, noticing the somewhat large audience surrounding drew and elle that were just now tuning in because they sensed the tension.

"cody christ—"

—"yeah, i know a scumbag when i see one."

an assortment of snickers can be heard from either side of drew, neither elle, jd, nor dacre couldn't believe the insult that he said so casually.

"excuse you?" cody tilts his head, stepping up and closer to drew, giving his drink to a nearby server.

"you heard me," drew chuckles under his breath, his fingers flying to the brass ring on his index. he barely scoots off the chair, his feet grazing the floor. "if i'm not mistaken, you're the asshole who lost her?"

cody chuckles darkly, coming to eye level with drew before quickly glancing over to elle. "don't waste your time with her, bro. just like how she writes sex scenes, her performance in bed is mediocre at best."

"watch your mouth," drew spits, standing up and completely towering over cody. instantly, elle, jd, and dacre stand up as well, ready to control the heated conversation before it gets violent... or worse, it gets captured on video and posted to the internet.

"i mean, she's washed up drew!" he adds, not backing down from the obvious commotion he is causing. "you gotta admit, just like her personality, her pussy is dry as fuck!"

it all happened too fast. too fast to control. it was then that the two of them realized they had no control over any of it. one second drew and cody was sharing insults back and forth and then the next drew had to be pulled away by both dacre and jd; cody bent over, holding his hurting mouth— apparently drew tore his lip open; and poor elle, embarrassed, right in the middle of it.

✍︎︎

fez speaking!!

woowwww.
cannot believe that happened.

a lot happened in this chapter.
it is a long one anyway. [1800 words]

so to recap:
1. they are dating. fucking finally. hallelujah.
2. derrielle has a lot of connections, especially considering that she knows natalia dyer.
3. derrielle only drinks shirley temples.
4. fuck cody christian and massie edwards.
5. don't fuck with drew or his gf.

thank you for 18K, it keeps growing every day and i'm so fucking thankful for the influx of interaction with this book. i hope you are loving it as much as i am. ironically, drew posted today, sooo i'd like to think that i manifested it. lol.

love y'all <333.