S C O T T

"What the fuck are you actually doing?" Connor asked, leaning forward and poking my menu.

I growled and pulled it closer to my face, slouching down in my seat to stay hidden, "Shut up and - er, look for something to eat."

I peeked out the side of my menu and saw Elle off to the side, talking to a girl behind the counter. I turned a bit to the left, bringing my menu with me, and eyed her out of the corner of my eyes. Out of all the crappy restaurants in Toronto - out of all the restaurants - she had to show up at the same one as me.

Elle turned towards the exit and I sighed, dropping my menu back down onto the table. It wasn't that I was particularly mad that she was at the same restaurant. I was just still annoyed with what she said earlier, and I wasn't in the mood to talk to her. I didn't want to hear her offer me lessons again.

I looked up, making sure that she had left. Big mistake.

Elle turned the second I lifted my head and her eyes locked on mine. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and, for a split second, I thought about ducking behind my menu again. But I didn't have time. She smiled and started making her way through the crowd, waving off a confused waitress as she walked to Connor and I's table.

I didn't have time to do anything - like bolt out of the restaurant - before Elle appeared next to my table. She cleared her throat and smiled, and I gave her a small smile back. Connor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, eyes locked on me. I bit my lip and suddenly his eyes went wide in understanding.

"Hi," she said, lips drawn up in an uncomfortable smile. She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned against the edge of the sparkling table, "What're you doing here?"

"Eating," I deadpanned. Elle's face fell and I felt guilty, because I had been a bit rude. I sighed and scratched the back of my neck, frowning slightly, "like - it was a new restaurant, so Connor and I figured we'd try it out."

Elle smiled and turned to Connor, "I'm Elle."

Connor grinned wickedly and flashed me a smirk before turning back to Elle, "Oh, I know. Scott's told me a lot - "

I was saved by whatever Connor was going to say but someone shouting his name. I leaned forward and saw Kelly grinning and waving towards us. I laughed as she made her way towards us, ducking in between people and muttering out a lot of apologies. She groaned and stopped next to our table, eyes landing on Elle. She furrowed her eyebrows like Con had.

Instead of saying anything, Kelly just bumped Connor's shoulder and said, "Move, asshole" prompting him to slide over in the bench. Connor laughed but reluctantly slid over, cheeks stained red. I smirked at the two.

Silence fell over us and I looked over at Kelly, who discretly nodded her head towards Elle. I turned and saw Elle; she was still standing by the table, an uncomfortable expression on her face as she waited to see if she should stay, or go. I had seen a lot of sides of Elle Monroe, but uncomfortable and unsure was a new one.

"Oh," I said awkwardly, scratching the back of my head and ruffling my hair, "this is Elle Monroe, and that's Connor - " I pointed to a grinning Connor, and then Kelly, " - and that's Kelly."

Kelly smiled up at her, blue eyes sparkling, "Nice to meet you!" she said, and another genuine smile broke out on Elle's face, "Sorry if we're keeping you from eating."

Elle shrugged, "It's fine. I wasn't eating, anyway. My friend just got a job here, so I came to visit her."

Before I could say anything (even though I didn't really have anything to say. The silence was just killing me), Connor piped up and said something that made me want to lunge over the table and stab him with my fork.

"Eat with us then!" he cheered, winking at me, "We haven't ordered yet and the waitress already hates us, so it's not like she'll mind if we add on another addition!"

Elle bit her lip, "Are you sure..?"

Kelly and Connor agreed instantly, and then all eyes were on me, waiting for my response. Part of me wanted to say no; I didn't want Elle to intrude on dinner with my friends. I didn't want her to bash my hockey skills, or say something about giving me lessons again. I just wasn't in the mood for something sarcastic.

But on the other hand, Elle had a genuine smile on her face and seemed happy that Connor had invited her. Elle hadn't stopped smiling, and I hadn't seen her genuinley happy, without a sarcastic thing to say, since the first time I met her. And, even if it was something new, I definitely liked this side to her.

So I nodded, "Yeah, sure."

Elle paused, seeing how Connor and Kelly were taking up the full side of their bench. I ducked my head down and blushed, sliding over until my shoulder bumped into the wall. Elle laughed and sat down on the bench next to me, the smallness making our knees touched. I flushed even harder and unwrapped my silverware, trying to ignore how close we were forced to sit.

No one said anything until the waitress came back, glaring at the two new people we had added. I laughed and quickly ordered my drink, unable to supress my laughter when she mumbled something about how 'annoying' we were when Elle changed her drink order two times.

"Someone's getting their drink spat in," Connor sang when she was out of earshot. Elle laughed and Connor smirked, nodding his head to the girl next to me, "in case you didn't get that, it's you. She's gonna spit in your drink."

I scoffed, "She only hates us because you practically hit her two times."

"You're an idiot," Kelly laughed, flicking Con's temple. He pouted and crossed his arms defensively, shooting us a mock-annoyed look, "if anyone's gonna get their drink spat in, it's you. I wouldn't be surprised if she's come over and gives you the wrong drink on purpose."

Elle smirked, "Or accidentally spills his drink on him."

Kelly leaned forward and high-fived Elle, "I like her!"

I frowned slightly, looking at how easily Elle got along with Connor and Kelly. It seemed like every time I talked to Elle, she had something sarcastic to say, or another comment to make. She just always had something to say. But with Connor and Kelly, she was joking and laughing and just being easy to get along with.

It wasn't fair.

I glared and listened as Elle told them a story about how she had gone to a restaurant and accidentally tripped a waitress. I liked this side of Elle - a nice, joking, bubbly side. But it wasn't fair that it came on when she was around my friends and not just with me. Why couldn't she tell funny stories with me, instead of offering me lessons at a sport I was already good enough at?

"Pucker up, buttercup," Connor said, tapping me in the forehead. I rolled my eyes and was knocked out of my thoughts.

I glared at my best friend and slapped his hand away, "'I'm pretty sure you used that out of context," I mumbled, picking at my napkin, "pucker up is what you did when you kiss someone, dumbass."

Connor smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, "I mean, if you want to - "

"I don't," I cut him off quickly, blushing bright red when I saw Elle leaning back in her seat, laughing loudly.

"All right, all right. Offer's always open, though."

I flipped Connor off and we ordered our food quickly. I laughed when Connor took a sip of his drink, winced, and decided that she had definitely spat in it. I smirked and leaned back in my seat, smiling fondly when Kelly sighed dramatically, grabbed his straw, and dropped it in her drink so he wouldn't "die of thirst", as he said.

I kept grinning at my best friends. Connor and Kelly could deny it all they wanted, but it was so obvious how they liked each other. They kept fighting over who's straw was who's, and that each of them kept backwashing. I laughed and caught Connor's eyes, who flashed me a wide grin.

"So, Elle," Connor started, leaning against the edge of the table. I leaned back and watched as his grin grew, "as I was saying, Scott's told me a lot about - " I cursed quietly and slammed my foot into Con's ankle, "holy - fuck. Scott!"

I gave him an innocent smile and scratched the back of my neck, playing it off like I hadn't kicked Connor so he would shut up.

Yes - I had told Connor a lot about Elle. Most of it, though, was relating to how annoying she was, and all the sarcastic comments she had said. I had spent hours ranting about her, and I didn't need Connor twisting my words around and making me sound like a complete ass in front of Elle. Plus, Elle was being nice. I didn't need Con to ruin that by telling her of my rants.

"You're my best friend," Connor said, brown eyes narrowed into slits, "but I don't feel like playing foosties with you."

Elle smirked, "Ah," she laughed, patting my shoulder, "that's what you two have been doing all night, huh?"

"They do it all the time," Kelly added in, a huge grin on her face. I blushed again and looked up to see Connor's face was bright red, too, ears tinged red, "you get used to it, eventually - no. Cut that. You never get used to how weird these two are."

I scoffed, "I'm not the wierd one here! At least I'm not sharing my drink."

Kelly snorted at that and rolled her eyes, running her hands through her blonde hair, "At least I'm generous."

"I am generous," I defended myself. I turned to Elle and nudged her in the arm, making her direct her light eyes towards me, "right, Elle? Aren't I a really generous guy?"

Elle laughed, "Well," she drawled, lips drawn up in a teasing smile that made me roll my eyes at her, "I guess you could be considered generous."

"Great, great," Connor said, directing his attention back to Elle. Connor grinned and leaned forward, placing his head in his palms. He gave her an innocent smile, "so, I know your dad's the coach of the Marlies and all. But how did you and Scott meet?"

I furrowed my eyebrows - I had already told Connor the story of how Elle and I first met. I didn't say anything; instead I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms, waiting to see how Elle was going to tell the story of how we first met. (I prayed her would leave out the part about how I had fallen on my ass).

"Scott was, like, staying after for extra practice," Elle started, and Connor cooed, leaning over to pinch my cheeks, "and I was just coming in to see if my dad was in there - you know, 'cause he's the coach. Well - yeah. Anyway, I came in just in time to see Scott fall and bust his ass."

I cocked my head to the side, the smile dropping down slowly off my face as Kelly and Connor erupted into laughter. I had hoped Elle would leave that part out, but she just had to add it. And now she was smirking and laughing and I was pretty sure I was flushed red again. She always had to add a sarcastic comment.

"Such a Scott thing to do," Connor sighed, lips twitching up into a grin, "he's a bit of an idiot, 'case you haven't noticed."

I grimaced and shot him a glare, "I swear to God, Connor," I threatened, leaning forward. Con just grinned at me, "I'm going to kill you."

"That's a lot of paperwork."

"Worth it."

"You're both idiots," Kelly said, nudging Connor's shoulder, making him bump hers back, "but, damn. It's getting late and I have school tomorrow."

After paying the bill and bidding our waitress a goodbye (which she didn't return), we started making our way out of the restaurant. Connor walked Kelly to her car, seeing how it was unsafe for her to go across the parking lot by herself. I laughed and fell into step with Elle, an awkward silence falling over us.

"Your friends are nice," she laughed, and I nodded in agreement because if Connor and Kelly were anything, they truly were nice, "thanks for letting me sit with you guys. I know it was like a friend thing, but you know. It was nice."

I shrugged, "No problem. You helped save me from a night of just Connor."

I stopped by my car and gave Elle a small smile. I still thought she was a bit annoying, and too-sarcastic. I was still mad about her comment earlier, and planned on saying something eventually. But tonight - with a nice, genuine Elle - it was something better. She was actually tolerable.

There were just so many sides to her. I had realized how many sides she had in a matter of days. But the problem was, she switched so quickly.

"I'll see you tomorrow at practice," I said, fumbling to get my keys out of my pocket.

"All right," Elle said, lips drawing up into a small smirk, "remember to work on those turns. Busting your nose again would hurt."

And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving me glaring at my car window.