Adelia let out a soft hum, thoughtful as she swirled the root beer in her can. “You know… that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about pineapple on cheese,” she said with a quiet smile, lifting her toothpick like a toast before popping the last bite into her mouth. It was cheesy and sweet and maybe a little weird—but still good. Sort of like this night.

She didn’t expect the deeper note in Eliot’s reply—Some people are just tabs to be forgotten. It struck her in a place she hadn’t realized was open. That quiet little drawer of herself she didn’t let many people peek into. She watched him slide his phone from his pocket, his fingers moving with casual ease. And when he held it out to her, contacts list open, she didn’t hesitate.

She took the phone gently from his hands, brushing her thumbs over the screen as if it was a more sacred act than she had words for. After typing in her name, she hesitated before adding a simple message below it:
“Root beer and reckless optimism. That’s me.”

Handing the phone back, her fingers lingered for half a second longer than necessary—just enough to be felt, not questioned.

The intercom buzzed, and she instinctively looked up too, lips quirking in amusement. “What a formal way to say, ‘[i]Please clean up your mess and go home[/i].’”

As Eliot turned to help tidy up, Adelia moved alongside him. She plucked a few crumpled napkins from the table, nudging discarded cups closer to the trash bin with practiced efficiency. It reminded her of cleaning up after family dinners—after the kids had passed out on the couch and her parents were too tired to notice spilled juice on the counter.

Old habits.

When Eliot returned to her side, she met his smile with one of her own—gentle, steady. The kind of expression that didn’t scream for attention but rather invited closeness.

“Well,” she said, brushing a stray hair from her cheek, “I was planning to wander back to my dorm. But I’m totally down for some waffle house if you are?” She tilted her head in question. She hadn't entirely gotten to make friends with her dormmate. It was more of one sided greeting that was met with a dead stare. Anything was better than going back right now. “Lead the way, Eliot. I’ll follow—so long as it’s not to another armchair ambush.”