Chapter forty-five | Jittery kid

I fidgeted in my seat as I waited for her arrival. She jumped into the driver's seat of her car and buckled up. Giving me a mischievous smile, she wiggled her eyebrows in a teasing manner.

I didn't pay her kidding any heed as I looked out of the window.

Pulling out of the driveway, she hummed the tune from the radio.

"What did the doctor say about your sprain?" she asked out of blue, giving my wrapped ankle a small glance.

I huffed and crossed my arms. "I need at least one more week of rest. I didn't want to miss more, so here I am with my crutches," I muttered.

She rolled her eyes at my last statement with an amused smile on her face. "You are such a nerd."

We drove in silence as my thoughts went to our date night almost one week ago.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Cynthia?" I asked, feeling my nerves acting crazy.

She smiled in response and tilted her head. "Very romantic, Eli," she teased, stepping closer to me.

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly and averted my eyes. "I am not good with flowery words and poem things. So, straight to the point, will you be my girlfriend or not?"

She jutted her lower lip out adorably and blinked up at me. "What if I say no?"

Even if I knew she was teasing (hopefully), a slight panic settled in the pit of my stomach. I tried to act playful and rolled my eyes.

"Then it looks like I wasted my time here. Bye!" I yelped as soon as words escaped me, rubbing the sore spot where she had pinched me hard.

"Calm down, violent lady," I muttered.

She just narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to me. Connecting her lips to mine, she sent my mind on overdrive.

My eyes fluttered shut, and my hands enclosed her waist.

"Is that answer enough?" she whispered, pulling away from my lips.

I collected my mush of mind and gulped at her stare. "Seemed more like a physical relationship, Ouch!"

Jolting back to the present, I felt her shaking my shoulder. Cynthia's brown eyes gazed up at me with a questioning look as loud noises of the school parking lot filtered through my ears. "Are you fine, Eli?"

Her concern made me smile as I moved my head no. "Absolutely," I muttered and waited for her to help me out.

Handling crutches was hard.

She opened the door for me and handed me the crutches. Wobbling a bit, I got up to my feet.

Students stared up at me with interest, while their lips moved, forming words quickly.

Connor was quickly by my side, helping me keep my balance. Navya and Andrea were swiftly making their way towards me, with their hands entwined.

I passed a curious look towards Navya, which she smartly ignored.

I adjusted the bag over my shoulder as eyes followed me walking (or more precisely, jumping).

Someone unfamiliar stepped in front of me, blocking my path. Giving my ankle a look, he spoke his words loudly. "Dude, how did that happen?"

I gave him an odd look and raised my eyebrow. "I got my ankle sprained while I was out for a run."

His mouth turned to a small o shape as Connor pushed past him, making space for me.

"Get well soon!" he shouted after us, making me nod my head.

Why do people say that? It is not like I can control when to get well? If it were up to me, I wouldn't have gotten a sprain in the very first place. My mind snarked.

"You know, there were many rumors when you disappeared right after your date," Connor said, putting the last word in quotations.

Andrea jumped in with an excited look on her face. "Yes! Many assumed that you changed school or moved away."

"Some said that you got kidnapped during your date," Navya added with amusement.

Cynthia nodded as I gave her a questioning look. She pursed her lips tightly as she tried to speak her next words with a calm face.

"My favorite rumor was the one I heard in the locker room. A few girls assumed that we had kinky sex on our first date, and I injured you during that process."

Red grew over my pale skin as everyone around me laughed at my expense. I rolled my eyes at their reaction and made my way towards my locker.

As I placed the contents of the bag inside the locker with Cynthia's help, Connor leaned beside my locker door.

"I am curious. What kind of sex did you guys have?" he muttered as if in great concentration.

I gave him a horrified look as Navya kicked his shin. "Why the fuck are you interested in my sex life?" I questioned, sounding alarmed.

He gave me a cheeky grin with a slight grimace. "As I said, curious."

"Are you sure you are not interested in Eli, Connor?" Cynthia teased, making me give her a troubled look.

Just before I could muster any type of reply, brown hair filled my vision. My face formed a scowl as Cassandra placed her lips against Connor.

Connor happily obliged, but feeling our heated glare, he pulled back quickly.

I could feel Cynthia's grip tighten around my hand as her warm eyes gave her a sharp glare.

As Connor whispered something in the girl's ear, he walked away with a giggle. I didn't miss the way her eyes lingered on me for a moment, making my jaw clench.

While Connor was fooling around with girls (much to my disdain), Cassandra was one of the worst girls he had indulged himself into.

Not only she was clingy and weird. She appreciated everything about Connor, even the way he breathes (not lying, she actually said that once).

"Can you please choose someone else, even for a fuck? She is annoying and can't stop flirting with everyone. Connor EVERYONE!" I emphasized, pointing towards me.

Cynthia nodded in agreement, with her annoyance shining through.

Connor gave a pout at my words. "But Cassandra and I have an agreement!" he said in a mock whiny voice. "Elias, are you jealous that I am getting some, unlike you who is practicing celibacy once again."

For a moment, the whole hallway turned silent. I could feel stares prickling the back of my skull as whispers of my name echoed.

Picking the heaviest book from my locker, I threw it at his face, knocking his head to the side. His fits of snickers came to a halt, and he threw me a glare.

"What the fuck, dude! You could have ruined my perfect face!" he exclaimed, making Cynthia giggle.

"Cynthia, make your boyfriend earn the value of a pretty face!" Connor complained, pointing towards her.

Navya lightly slapped the upside of his head. "You need to be pretty to be valued, Connor," Navya mocked.

Connor scowled at her words as Navya smirked his way.

Andrea smiled and took the book from him. "Don't worry. You are not pretty but handsome," she said, handing the book back to me.

Navya turned and pointed a glare towards Andrea as Connor showcased a triumphant expression.

Grabbing Andrea's hand, he placed a kiss on the back of her palm. "This handsome knight is here for your service, my lady," he spoke in a fake British accent, adding a wink at the end.

Navya wrapped her arms around Andrea's shoulder and kicked Connor in his shin. "She is mine. Get lost."

Connor turned with a mock-hurt face and placed his eyes on Cynthia. I narrowed my eyes and wrapped my arms around her waist before he could say something.

All of us erupted in hearty laughter, noticing his fake pout and mock hurt expression.

My eyes flickered towards something behind him.

Jacob was staring towards us, with a look of longing in his eyes. His eyes met mine, and instead of hardening in hate, they filled with assurance.

Giving me a nod, he averted his eyes towards the group of his friends.

Involuntarily, my hand tightened around Cynthia's waist. At the insignificant gesture, she smiled and connected our lips.

I was ready to forget the world around us, but the bell rang loudly, making me groan. Cynthia giggled at my reaction and pecked my lips.

"See you soon, Eli," she whispered near my lips, teasing me with the slight movements.

I nodded in a daze, watching her walk away with Andrea. Navya lightly tugged at my shirt, asking me to move.

As I got comfortable in my seat, I gave Navya a questioning look.

"Are you and Andrea dating?"

Navya bit her lips nervously and scrunched her face together. She shook her head no as her warm brown eyes darkened. "We are still in the experimenting phase. I am not sure if we are compatible enough."

I opened my mouth to question more, but the teacher walked in.

I was frustrated by the time lunch break rolled around. Hushed voices followed me everywhere as varied words slipped through their mouths. I wasn't one to get bothered by rumors, but lately being the epitome of discussion was tiring for my mental health.

Many sentences followed me around, with some actually affecting me internally.

"A nerd and a high school cheerleader? Cute, but they won't last long."

"I heard she is just using him for sex."

"He was a virgin. What else did we expect from a nerd?"

"What did Cyn even see in him?"

"He is such a weirdo. Leeching off Cyn's popularity."

"I heard she is cheating on him already."

My breathing was heavy by the time I reached the cherry red doors. Someone was curtsy enough to push the door open for me. I murmured a small thank you and made my way towards the table.

Eyes followed my awkward movements, making my jaw clench in annoyance.

I am not a fucking animal on display! My mind screamed.

Navya rushed to my side and helped me settle on the seat. A small hush fell in the room as the lunch door was thrown open with a loud bang.

"Eli?" I heard her before I could turn.

Conversations ensued once again as she hurried to my side. Cynthia placed a hand on my shoulder and gazed down at me with her gorgeous cocoa eyes.

I could literally feel my annoyance melt away as my eyes met her worried ones. All the words got washed away as she grasped my hand and took a seat next to me.

Gosh! I was turning into a love-struck teenager.

You are a teenager in love. My mind provided a cheeky tone. Great, now my mind was being sarcastic too.

"Eli, are you okay?" Cynthia's voice asked, penetrating through the fog of my thoughts. "I heard you tripped in the class. Did you hurt your ankle?"

I blushed as the event from the end of the last class came into my mind. I fucking fell on my ass in front of the entire class as they enjoyed themselves at my expense.

By betting on fluorine's electronegativity, I could say that someone tripped me.

I was weird watching such a drastic change with my status. While a few weeks back people rushed to talk to me, now they didn't even bat a lash my way.

My eyes scanned the empty table, not missing the way Aaron and the rest of the runners had abandoned it after I started dating Cynthia. Even if Michael said against it, the monosyllabic responses from Aaron were answering enough.

With a sigh, I stopped analyzing the way this school's hierarchy worked because it seemed beyond me.

"I am fine. Don't worry, Cynthia," I reassured.

Slowly but surely, the creases of worry disappeared from her face. With a small smile, she lightly brushed her lips against my cheek and leaned back.

"Your mom gave me a lunchbox for both of us. It is hummus and veggie wrap. It is healthy, just like your mom said," Cynthia said, placing two boxes on the table.

Connor leaned in and snatched a box, making Cynthia glare towards him.

He gave her a cheeky smile and winked towards me. "You love birds can share your food. You are still in the honeymoon phase."

"You can have it. I am not sure if it is edible if mom made it," I muttered.

Connor stopped mid-motion and then stared at the roll suspiciously. Cynthia's chuckle broke the small animate silence.

"Your dad made it," Cynthia provided, making relief flicker through my face.

Her words were the only sign needed for Connor to vacuum the roll in a second. Acting quickly, I snatched the second box and kept it away from his hungry reach.

I turned my head around to find a very disheveled looking Andrea and Navya walking towards us, hand in hand.

Cynthia wiggled her eyebrows, making obscene hand gestures. While Navya just rolled her eyes playfully, Andrea bit her swollen lips nervously.

The slight hum of conversation around us swallowed the silence on our table. Everyone on the table was busy in their world.

Finally done with rolls, Connor looked up towards the googly eyes pair of girls and then towards Cynthia and me.

"Why the fuck am I the only one single on this table?" he voiced randomly, gaining everyone's attention.

"Feel what I felt," I mocked him with a punch on his back.

Everyone nodded in agreement, making him glare towards me.

He gave a mock pout and ran a hand through his strawberry blond hair. "Hotness like this shouldn't stay single," he boasted.

Wiggling his fingers between Cynthia and Andrea, he spoke his next words with any care of the world. "Do any of you want to dump these idiots for this?" He gestured towards his body, hitting on our girlfriends the second time today. "Both at the same time will work too."

Both Navya and I kicked him under the table, making both Connor and me wince.

Laughter erupted on our table witnessing my reaction as happiness flowed between us after a long time.