Chapter Twenty-Two

❝The human face is, after all,

nothing more nor less than a mask.❞

Who the hell was this guy?

     That was what went through Theo's head seeing Travis Porter for the first time. As if the fight he started with his best friend didn't show Travis's true colours — which was a quick-tempered, self-centred asshole — it was how he brought himself around people that irritated Theo to the bones.

     He oozed cockiness and superiority, like he truly considered himself the king of the beach. His posture was good, but almost too good: shoulders back and chin held high, in a way that made him look down on others. No doubt he'd been this town's version of a football star; the golden surfer boy, if that was the equivalent. That also explained his smugness over the championships like he had won it already.

     But it was that greedy look in his eyes as he took in everyone's stares. That arrogant, shit-eating grin that said I can get everything I want in the tips of his fingers.

     And he wore that look best when he looked at El.

   "Careful, you're staring," Zach muttered, nudging him.

     His glare shifted to his friend. "I'm just wondering if their idea of a volleyball game included an unsolicited make-out session."

    El and Travis had been at it for too long, and Theo was finding it hard to keep the volleyball to himself and not throw it at the douchebag's face. Because if he did, it would hurt El, too, considering the fact that their faces were attached to each other.

    "Hey," Daisy clicked her fingers in front of them. "Save the action for the bedroom, guys."

     Theo shut his eyes in pain for a moment. Imagining them in the bedroom was much, much worse.

     Travis finally released his hold on her, and El pushed him back firmly, her cheeks tinted red. But she didn't so much glance at Theo, nor at the others, like she was embarrassed. Travis, however, gathered her close at the waist and didn't bat an eye.

    "Jealousy looks ugly on you, Clementine," Travis tsked.

     Daisy flipped him the finger.

     When they were finally settling the teams for the game, it seemed that they met a predicament. They needed one more player.

    And Travis had his sights on someone.

    "Come on, Jeff, it's just one game," he taunted, leaning against one of the poles that held the volleyball net. "Don't be a pussy."

    "Travis," El warned.

     The fifteen-year-old fumbled with the hem of his black T-shirt. Theo knew Jeff could be shy when it came to meeting older teenagers, but Travis particularly left him shaky. "I think I'm alri — "

    "You're not planning to stay bony forever, are you?"

    "Easy, Travis," Theo cut in sharply. 

     Travis almost looked startled that someone, had spoken up, let alone Theo. In fact, this was the first time he actually acknowledged Theo or Zach's presence.

     He shrugged. "If Jeff won't play," he paused ever so slowly, looking behind Theo's shoulder with a malicious glint in his eyes. "He can."

     Chase's blue eyes widened with fear at the shift of attention. Ridden with the fact that this was his first encounter with Travis and vice versa, one would think Travis could care less of him. But Theo knew people like Travis — he'd been like him, after all — and he knew that if Jeff wasn't buying into Travis's taunts, then he'd have to find another target.

    "No." Theo stood his ground. "He stays out of it."

     Travis knew what he was doing. He was messing with his little game.

     So Travis played his only upper hand.

    "What do you think, babe?" he smiled keenly, bringing El closer to his chest. "Should we play three against two? That's unfair, isn't it?"

     Theo glanced at El, whose eyes widened at being the one to play judge. He didn't like that Travis was forcing her to make the decision. But no matter how much they disliked him, they couldn't do jackshit about it. He was still El's boyfriend — the word made Theo sick to the stomach — and they had to make this work. 

     Unfortunately, Travis was aware of that, too.

    "Come on, Jeff, it'll be fun," she smiled, but her eyes said, just do it.

     In fact, everything about El's appearance looked almost contradictory. She was leaning against Travis's chest, but something about her posture was off. Her arms were slackened by her sides, as if she didn't know where to put them. And her body seemed rather stiff against Travis's; a fact one would typically ignore when they saw her bright smile.

     Did she always looked uncomfortable being around Travis's arms?

     Theo's eyes narrowed even more at his steady grip on her hip.

     Jeff read between the lines and muttered a half-hearted agreement.

    "Great." Travis grinned before throwing the ball at Jeff, who stumbled and caught it with an oof! as it hit on his chest. "Let's play."

***

    "He does realise that even though he's older by three years, doesn't mean he can boss us around, right?" Zach muttered under his breath. 

     The volleyball game had reached its half hour, with the following teams: El, Trav and Daisy against Theo, Zach, and Jeff. He didn't really think it was fair, since the other team were clearly accustomed to many outdoor games before. But there was one interesting detail he found from this: El's young co-worker wasn't originally from here. That explained his milky white skin in comparison to the others' bronzes.

     Maybe that was why Theo had trouble taking his eyes off of El.

     He'd seen El in countless shorts and sleeveless tops before, which even though was still just slightly bearable, was in the norm. But never in a bikini.

     And so help him God.

     Zach nudged him.

     He blinked. "Did you say something?"

    "Eyes on the prize, I see." A smirk grew on his friend's face.

    "What?" He fought hard to keep his face stoic. "What are you — "

    "The volleyball, dumbass. What were you thinking?"

     Zach definitely knew what he was thinking. Theo smacked his head and the blond continued on his diabolical cackle.

     A little crowd formed to watch their spectacle. And he realised, surprisingly, that El, Travis and Daisy made a pretty good team. Like they were used to it. 

     An odd feeling shot through Theo; it wasn't jealousy, not exactly. But it was knowing that there was a part in El's life he had yet to discover. A past that she hadn't shown him. A past he was desperate to know.

     Then there was that smile — quite different than her others. It was sort of dazed, like she had woken up after a dream. Like it was something she hadn't felt in a while.

     Her eyes locked onto his across the net, and his breath faltered.

     How could her smile be the brightest thing he'd ever seen? How could her smile have the power to make his heart ache for its touch? And how could her smile be so raw in its beauty, so unfaltering, that he might fear he would never see it again?

     If he could sketch that —

     The volleyball smacked onto his head hard.

     The force of it made his body stagger back, and Zach and Jeff both rushed to help him stand outright. Blood came rushing inside his head, and amongst the shock, he could feel the bruise starting to bloom. 

     Fuck. It hurt.

    "Got your head in the clouds, Theo?" Travis said nonchalantly. But the tone of his voice told him that it had been a deliberate hit.

     It wasn't like he didn't see it coming. During the match Travis had tried to sabotage him a number of times — anything to humiliate him or make the game harder for him. But Theo had willingly accepted that. If he could prevent Jeff from being a target like he had with Chase, then he would do it.

     This one, though, was the last straw.

    "Dude, what the fuck?" Zach let out. "Was that really necessary?"

    "Not my fault your friend there was distracted." To further prove his point, Travis brought his arm around Eleanor's waist, resembling a wolf staking his claim.

     Do not give in. Do not give in.

    Theo had never so much as glared at someone as he did with Travis. 

    "Alright, let's tone down the testosterone," Daisy casually said. Her tone was playful but there was a guarded look in her eyes that, unlike El who was puzzled, knew exactly what had happened. "Trav, I know you're a bit rough these days, but I'm pretty sure getting your head out of your ass would help smooth things over." 

     He choked down on a laugh. Only Daisy Clementine could get away alive after insulting Travis.

    "Fuck you, Clementine," Travis only muttered.

    "What have I been saying all these years? It's a definite no."

     The group then dispersed, with Daisy sneaking a glance at Theo. It wasn't like her usual glances, wild and uncaring; it was a calculated one, and he saw for the first time the sharp intelligence in her hazel eyes. Theo didn't react, not wanting to give her more than he'd shown. She was a figure of El's past and present — a grey area at this point.

    "Theo," El started, her voice sounding like it came from a distance, but a roar amongst the wind, "are you okay — "

    "Babe," Travis cut in. "He's fine."

     Eleanor's lips downturned even more, and Theo hated the sight of it. "He has a giant bruise on the side of his head. And you put it there, Trav." She shifted back to look at the blue-eyed boy, her face a concern as clear as day.

    "El," Theo murmured, trying to hide the pain only for her sake. "I'm fine." 

     He also didn't want apologies to pour out of El's mouth when it was actually Travis's fault.

     Fuck. Now he was thinking about her mouth.

    "See? He's fine, it was an accident, like Daisy said." She didn't actually say that. Theo's anger resurfaced, but imagine his surprise to see Travis looking furious as well. But why? He'd won, hadn't he? "Let's go, Lenny."

     Ah, he realised. He'd called her El.

     A nickname only Theo had for her.

     El kept frowning, her expression clearly saying she didn't want to fucking go, Travis. But her boyfriend may just be a blind idiot, for what he did next was to grab her hand and tug it until she moved with him. She lingered, but with the force of Travis's grip, let him pull her away.

     When Theo and Zach were left alone, the blond whipped his head. "Are you just going to let him walk away like that?"

    "Don't." The only reason he didn't start a fight with Travis was to not cause stress that would only land on El. "He's not worth it."

    "But is she?"

     Theo glanced at his best friend. His friend who could easily read him as he could read the other. His friend who knew the truth that Theo wouldn't — couldn't — admit.

    "I can't," he said quietly. "I can't."

     Just then, Jeff came strolling back, an ice pack already on his hand. He didn't even realised the boy left, but Theo had never felt more appreciation for him than he had at that moment. 

    "I'm really hoping this doesn't become a habit and that our friendship is co-dependent on me bringing you guys ice packs for injuries from Lenny's boyfriend," Jeff admitted in a rush, cheeks flushed.

     Theo let out a laugh. "I hope so too, Jones." He pressed the pack on the bruise, wincing. "Chase didn't see what happened, did he?"

     He'd left Chase at Anchor's with Wanda, another co-worker of El's, who earned Theo's trust after taking care of El during her breakdown. He didn't want his brother to witness anything bad happen, which he was sure of when Travis had looked at Theo with spite. 

     Now that it did actually happen, he only hoped that Chase, however smart the kid was, didn't think it was Travis's fault. He was annoyingly overprotective of Theo, almost as Theo was with him. And he didn't want Chase to worry or start a fight. Or worse, find another reason to stay when he was due to leave in a couple of days. 

     A couple of days. The news came very abruptly. He received an e-mail from his parents — no subject, no context, no nothing. Just two first-class tickets to California.

     Theo didn't know what to do with it yet.

    "I don't think so," Jeff frowned. "Lenny managed to calm him down when he got too curious."

     He closed his eyes. "How is she?"

     Jeff loosened a breath. "Len's strained, I guess, like always when it comes to Travis's troubles." A pause. "I've never seen him angry as much as he was with you, though."

     He opened them. "Is that so? Has no one ever talked back to that fuckface before?" Surely the Tool had been in other fights with guys who were less patient?

    "No, not really."

     A sudden question popped on his mind. 

     Did that include El as well?

    "Whatever, man." Zach had left briefly to pick up the fallen volleyball and threw it between his hands. "As long as Lenny's still with him, he's still sticking around."

    "You think she's coming to the socials?"

    "To use the opportunity to show her off? Hell yeah."

     Since finals were approaching, the Championships were hosting a socials, where every contestant could bond a little bit more before the last few rounds, which was going to be intense. It was more or less like Zach's housewarming party, but more professional.

     That being said, he hoped everything would be fine. With her.

     Because if he fell prey to his ceaseless thoughts about El being in trouble...

     Then he didn't know what else he wouldn't do.

A/N:

Daisy and Travis's relationship is so interesting. I want to dive in deeper for that.