Stolen Jerseys / ✓

2.09: chapter twenty-eight

S C O T T

Connor was up in seconds. Before I could actually process that Elle was at my apartment, Connor had bolted up and raced to the door, throwing it open before I could get half-way across the living room. (Or, push him away from the door so he couldn't embarrass me).

"Elle!" Connor called happily, leaning against the doorway. He grinned ridiculously and turned towards me, wiggling his eyebrows, "It's so great to see you!"

Elle nodded slowly, eyebrows furrowed together, "Okay," she agreed, "is Scott home?"

I didn't give Connor a chance to reply. I skidded to a stop next to him and pushed him out of the way, laughing when he stumbled to the side and landed on his butt. Connor groaned and mumbled something about how much that hurt, and I just rolled my eyes, stepping out into the hallway with Elle and shutting the door shut behind me.

I grinned awkwardly at Elle, and she just smiled back. I wasn't sure what to say at that moment; everything Jay, Connor, and Edi had planned to ask her out wouldn't work now. I couldn't exactly fly an airplane through the hallway of the apartment to ask her out.

"Sorry for, like, just showing up," Elle said, and I just brushed it off, "I just wanted to apologize for my dad. He can be a little too protective sometimes."

Truthfully, the conversation with Elle's dad hadn't been too bad at all. He had subtly said that he had a bunch of guns in his house, but he also gave me the confidence boost to ask Elle out. Without him, I probably still would've been stumbling around the topic of asking her out. So, really, I was kind of grateful for the conversation with him.

"It was fine. My balls are still intact, so don't worry," a smirk spread across Elle's face and I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck, cheeks flushed red, "you, um - you know. He didn't cut them off or anything."

"That's good."

I cleared my throat, an awkward silence settling between the two of us. Elle opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off, a thought coming to mind. A grin split across my face and I rocked forward on my heels.

"Do you have a minute?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow, "I have something for you."

Elle smiled at me and I smiled back, taking a step to the side to open the door. Elle walked in and I heard Jay and Edi shout 'hi's' to her, and Connor mumble something about how he's never opened the door for her again. I snorted and followed Elle inside, kicking the door shut behind me and flicking the lock.

"We'll be back," I said, putting my arm around Elle's shoulder and leading her across the living room, "I got a surprise for her."

A wicked grin broke out on Jay's face, and I took that as my cue to speed up my face, "By surprise he means his d - "

From the corner of my eye, I saw Edi lunge forward and smack his hand over Jay's mouth. My cheeks flushed an even darker read than before and I cursed under my breath, ignoring the grin on Elle's face. I just ducked my head down and opened my bedroom door, flicking on the light and leading her inside.

Elle plopped down on the edge of my bed and I frowned, looking around and realizing that I probably should've staightened up a bit. My bed was a mess of crumpled sheets and piles of clothes, and the floor wasn't much better. It was kind of hard to tell where the floor started and where the clothes ended.

I mumbled an apology and Elle laughed, promising that her room wasn't better. I laughed and dropped down, lifting up the side of my comforter to poke my head under my bed. Miguel hissed at me and ran out from under my bed, disappearing inside my closet. I sighed and glared at where he had just run from; Miguel had a habit of hiding himself in the messiest parts of my room.