Hey, Can I Touch Your Pants?[ON HOLD]

15~The Whole Ugly Incident

RENNA'S POV

Nini was already waiting outside of Mrs. Price's office when we arrived. She'd been fiddling with one of her key chains before she spotted the two of us. She almost looked relieved to see Elliot by my side. That is... before her eyes landed on our entwined fingers.

I pulled my hand out of Elliot's and awkwardly wiped it on the back of my jeans. I tried to ignore Elliot's hurt expression, in my peripheral. After a beat, Elliot cleared his throat and centered his eyes on the cheap linoleum floor.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, only the faint humming of the secretary's computer disrupted the quiet. 

"Why do you think we were called in?" I wondered aloud.

Nini cleared her throat. "I can guess why I'm here," she pressed her fingertips to her chest with a sheepish look. 

"I'm the one who called the police."

Images of Bryce's red, swollen face flashed through my mind, reminding me of the slander he screeched as his parents pulled him away from the scene. My heart ached for his parents, thinking how they must have felt when they saw the police car waiting outside the school's gates. I felt nothing for him.  

How could I after all that's happened?

"Oh," was the only response I could manage, but I doubt she even heard me.

"Well, you see... When I found out about Bryce confronting you in the courtyard, I was all the way across campus picking up a missed assignment in Mr. C's." She explained dramatically, waving her arm in an arch. All I could do was look at her with raised brows as she rambled on.

Her voice softened, "Nana... I panicked. I didn't know all the details. You could have been alone and he could have gathered his buddies to gang up on you. He could've had you cornered in some deserted hallway... I had no idea of the severity of the situation. I was going to just pull the fire-alarm, but that damn bald-headed excuse for a teacher reminded me that the last time I did that I had detention for two weeks."

She sighed, taking hold of my hands. "And so, I called the cops. I mean it's not like I was being irrational. You had an emergency restraining order placed against him, for fvck's sake! Not to mention--"

"Nini, I get it."

I squeezed her hands. "It's okay. I'm alright. I was with Elliot..."

I trailed off as I raised my eyes to Elliot's. His hands were in his pockets and his somber expression had morphed into a crooked smile. I returned it with a smile of my own.

"Oh, God! Don't tell me--" Nini cut herself off, but she'd already ruined the moment between us. 

What the hell?

I shot her a confused look as her hands whipped up to cover her mouth. 

"Tell you what?" I inquired.

Hands still over her mouth, she narrowed her eyes at the two of us. Her glare flicked back and forth between Elliot and I before it settled on him. He had the same bewildered expression as me.

All of a sudden, Nini's arm shot out and wrapped around the back of my neck, effectively putting me into a rigid headlock.

"Ouch! What the hell are you doing?" I cried.

"No! What the hell are you doing? Why are you making googly eyes at that skeezebag?" she yelled under her breath. Her arm around my neck squeezed as she ranted. "Nana, this is why I told you he was not to be trusted. He'd screw anyone, no, anything with a vagina and a pretty face!"