| torn up

~ chapter 45 ☁️

Little does he know that it's not necessarily a bad thing to be known as this. And plus I've only known two girls to describe him like this in all the years I've been at my school for and even then it was in the context of their group as a whole with the question being 'if you had to date one, who would it be?'

Truthfully, most of the girls do swoon over Eli, in the exact same way they go crazy over his two best friends too. They're all known to be troublemakers as well as being insanely handsome and girls nowadays seem to just love that combination. I guess there's something about those signature, black skinny jeans matched with a bad attitude that just really gets their blood going, you know? Hence why even though the group does keep relatively to themselves, they're still really popular within the student body.

'You literally just called me a Walmart Alexander to my face and now you're telling me to calm down?' Eli jeers, a scowl resting on his plump lips as he lets out a big puff of air.

'Not in such words, I didn't.' I argue, trying to defend myself even though I did mean exactly that in some ways, it's just funny to tease Eli like this sometimes because I'm usually always the flustered one coming out of our conversations. 'I mean it's not really that bad when you think about it.'

'What do you mean?' Eli spits, still looking disgusted as to how him being the smaller, less violent but more angrier version of his best friend could possibly be seen in any sort of positive light.

After seeing how genuinely almost stressed out he looks at the possibility of his reputation with girls not being as sleek as he may have thought it was, I decide to just spare him already. Not without releasing an airy laugh at his state of vexation and his tense figure first though, having to bite my lip to stop myself from continuing when he shoots me a fiery glare in response.

'Well, most of the girls at school think you, Haider and Alexander are attractive, right. And like some of them actually think they have the biggest chances of like becoming boyfriend and girlfriend with you out of all you boys. You're not like Alexander where a lot of girls are scared to even sit next to him and just resort to admiring from afar. But you're also not as big a player as Haider in their eyes whose seen with a different girl each week.'

He pauses for a moment to actually take in my words, mouth set in a thin line as he nibbles on the corner of his lips in thought. I can tell this recent development of information has neutralised him, that familiar and arrogant look once again returning to his eyes. I watch with caution when he eventually lets out a long hum of agreement before turning to me with a lopsided grin.

'Is that so? Are there any particular names of these apparent girls who want to get with me then that you're willing to give up?'

'Nope, I'm not outing anybody.' I immediately decline with a laugh, shaking my head and teasingly wagging my fingers at him.

Noting the gradual stopping of the car and the rumble of the engine change, I shift my attention to the window to see we've finally reached my home.

'C'mon, just give me one name, babe.' He purrs in a lazy drawl, making my heart skip a beat with the unexpected and teasing nickname as he parks the car, switching it off before turning to face me. 'If someone out there wants to fuck me, it's only fair I get to hear who so I can decide if I want to act on it or not.'

'I don't think so, you can work it out yourself.' I scoff in response, rolling my eyes at the true intention behind his curiosity in my words- trust Eli to always go around chasing whatever skirt he lays eyes on first.

'Besides, I mean it should be obvious enough with the amount of girls fawning over you.' I can't help but add on in the now dead silence of the night now the car has been turned off, almost struggling to look straight at Eli now his attention is fully focused on me.