Hooked on a Feeling

“Olivia!” Annalise called, walking through the house. “Olivia!”

“What!”

Annalise followed her sister’s voice into her room, which was a disaster. Clothes and books were strewn everywhere. The only clean area was the bed, which is where Olivia sat with her laptop and a textbook open.

“Homework still?” Annalise asked.

Olivia nodded glumly.

“Rent’s due next week.” Annalise reminded. “Make sure to take it out for me.”

Olivia’s half of the rent was covered by their parents, seeing as the apartment was cheaper than dorming at McGill. Olivia would take it out in cash from the bank account she shared with her parents, and would give it to her sister so that Annalise could write a check that would immediately clear. Most of Olivia’s spending money came from working part time at the Reference desk in the school library. But for some reason, today Olivia looked a little nervous.

“I may be a little short.” She admitted.

Annalise frowned. “Why?”

“I, uh, had to buy something.”

“What was it?”

“Nothing. It’s fine. If it’s that big of a deal I’ll take it out of my paycheck.”

Annalise crossed her arms. “If you spent it on – “

“Oh, my god. That was one time. Leave me the fuck alone.”

Annalise threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Go ahead. Do what you want. When you end up having to quit school because your life spiraled out of control, let me know. I can finally move to Morocco.”

“Then go to fucking Morocco.”

Annalise turned around. “I’m going to Tavern. Make sure you go out too. It’s a Saturday night.”

“Speaking of life spiraling out of control.” Olivia muttered. “Haven’t you been there almost every night this week?”

Annalise shot her sister the nastiest glare she could muster, which after nineteen years Olivia was mostly immune to, and stomped down the hallway. What was making Olivia to touchy tonight? Besides, it was her God-given right to worry about her baby sister.

Annalise pulled on a hoodie printed with her high school crest and headed for Old World Tavern for, okay, the fourth night that week. But one of those nights was pool league. That didn’t really count. Besides, she only went out so much because she had nothing else to do.

When she got to the bar, it was the usual Saturday night. Meaning that it was a mix of regulars and whoever had stumbled their way in the door.

Annalise quickly spotted her Saturday night crew, an odd assortment of daytime bartenders, graduate students, and professors who she had befriended. Annalise hugged each of them in turn, and went to get a drink.

“You okay?” Andrea asked her when Annalise returned. “You look sad.”

“I got in a bit of a fight with my sister.” Annalise admitted. “It was stupid, really. It’ll be okay.”

Andrea looked concerned, but Annalise focused on an argument that was going on between Tim and Vincent.

“That’s the direction Marvel is going though.” Tim insisted. “Just the movies. Look at Iron Man. Douche bag with a heart of gold. Amazing Spiderman. Douche bag, heart of gold. Uhm…not The Hulk, really.”

“In the comics, Captain America is a douche bag.” Annalise offered.

“Chris Evans Captain America is too.” Vincent interjected. “Rah, rah, rah, America! He just pretends to fumble over it. Which for some reason you find adorable.” He added with slight disgust at Annalise.

“Uhm, excuse you, have you looked at Chris Evans lately?”

“Speaking of.” Andrea murmured, eyeing someone who had just walked in. “Annalise, this one’s right up your alley.”

Annalise turned around to see Lars. He smiled and gave her a small wave, before walking over to the bar. Annalise blushed and turned back to her friends.

“I take it you know him.” Tim smirked, looking at her blush.

“Hey.” Vincent frowned, watching. “Isn’t that Lars Eller?”

“Yes.” Annalise muttered.

“How the hell do you know Lars Eller?”

“I don’t know. I met him in the park the other day. Then he turned up here. He just keeps appearing.”

“Does he know that you’re a fan of les habitants?”

“No. Because I don’t have his stats memorized like you. Now, please, don’t embarrass me.”

She turned and disappeared, heading over to where Lars stood to greet him properly.

“Do you think she knows he has a girlfriend?” Vincent asked.

Tim shook his head. “Douche bag with a heart of gold.” He muttered.

“He doesn’t have a heart of gold.” Andrea muttered.

“No? Can’t you see how he looks at her? He at least recognizes how special she is.”

~*~

Annalise ended up getting a little drunk that night. Lars offered to walk her home, just to make sure she was safe. Annalise protested, but when it became clear he wasn’t going to let her go alone, she relented. She said goodbye to her friends and bundled up to leave. Most of the walk was silent. Annalise looked up at the sky as she walked.

“I love stars.” She said. “Did you know, we measure the movement of the universe by the speed at which stars move away from us? And that we measure by the shift in light color from blue to red as things move closer or further from us?”

He looked down at her and smiled, a little bemused. The words were spilling from her drunken mouth like a child. “How do you know that?”

“I studied science at school.” She said. “Biology. But, really, all science interests me.”

“Really?” he said softly. “I didn’t know that.”

She nodded. “I know all kinds of things.” She stopped. “Oh, we’re here.”

Lars looked at her building.

“Thank you.” She said. “For walking me.”

He smiled. “It’s no problem. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

She started for her steps.

“I have a girlfriend.” Lars blurted out. Annalise paused and turned to look at him. “I…you should know that.”

Annalise gave him a small smile. “I know.”

“How?”

“I can just tell. The way you talk to me, keep me at a distance. But it’s okay. We’re friends, right?”

She went up the steps, shot Lars one last smile, and went inside. She walked up to the third floor and unlocked her door. The house was dark, and Olivia’s keys weren’t there, so she must still be out.

Outside, Lars tugged angrily at his hair as he walked back the way he came. <<Could you be any more fucking awkward, Lars?>> he hissed at himself in Danish.

Annalise leaned against her door for a minute. “Damn it.” she muttered. “The good ones are never interested.”

She could still be friends with him, right? She did enjoy his company. And he was just so different than she was, but at the same time there was something that just drew her to him. Something other than the muscles that rippled under his tight t-shirts.

She went into her bedroom, pulling her shirt over her head as she went. On her bed sat a rectangular case and a note.

This is what I spent the money on. It’s our 6-month Roommate Anniversary.
Love,
Olivia

In the case was a brand new pool cue.