"For you? Besides, hmm, I don't know, getting away for the weekend, sitting under the sun, and being waited on 25/8, what's in it for me?"
- Roman
The car ride home that night was silent, I mean, if it wasn't for the sound of the tires rolling across the road I'd go insane. Nathan knew I was confused, but by how silent he was, I guess he didn't have any intentions on clarifying a thing.
I could easily say something but, what is there to say? He kissed me in front of all of our friends, and it kind of made me angry. Only since he made such a big deal about my feelings towards him, and now, here he was being more sexual than I had ever been to him.
Nathan was a hypocrite, and he was going to have to break this silence, because I for one wasn't going to.
X
"Peri ... Nathan! Come to the kitchen I have something to tell you!" A voice called, and I knew it could only be our mother. As I exited my room upon her command, I started to think about what this something could potentially be.
She hasn't been been to work since the last time we've spoken, so it wasn't a promotion. Even though I'm pretty sure that that's what she could really use right now because she's so stressed out over it. It'll come eventually, it has to.
"Yes?" I asked, meeting up with Nathan in the kitchen. He did a complete 180 at the sound of my voice, and we held eye contact just for a few brief seconds. "Is it big news?"
"Kinda, I know how much you guys have been worrying about all of your important tests and such, so I thought, since I'm overwhelmed, and you're overwhelmed, how about we all go be overwhelmed together on vacation!" She ran on, her voice increasing when she finally arrived at the big reveal.
I turned to Nathan with a smile, him to me as well, since my mom didn't know what the fuck she was talking about. Neither of us have big tests coming up, in fact, November is one of the easiest months of our school year. Yet, we scored a vacation, for literally not doing anything.
"Right! Oh god, history has been killing me, so many quizzes." I groaned, throwing my fingers over my eyes for effect. Nathan then piggybacked on my statement, conveying the same message.
"History? I have Physics and English to worry about ... man, the homework!" He exasperated, nodding at my mom when she shot us a sympathetic smile. I sort of feel bad for playing her, but then again, who can turn this down?
"I know, I know, this weekend, since it's a five day weekend, I was thinking that we could drive up to the Hamptons." Mother told, pointing over her shoulder as if it lied right in our front yard. "We can stay there, and I'll even let you bring one friend."
By now my mind was racing with all of the possibilities I might have when in the Hamptons with someone else. Farrah would enjoy it, but, she might want to sleep the entire time. I would invite Sammie but she's more of a let's-rough-it-out-in-the-woods type of girl.
The other obvious choice was Eli, but I doubt that he would want to miss that whole sister tradition thing that he does every Monday. He especially wouldn't miss it for a girl who he's not even dating. So, after I put all of this into consideration, the only other reasonable option was one person, and one person only.
X
"Please, it'll be fun, I'm sure that you can look at girls while we're sitting by the pool." I plead, pulling onto Roman's arm like a begging child. He refused to go with me on this break, only because he hates Nathan's girlfriend, who he no doubt would be bringing.
"No, Peri, you know that my ears are very sensitive, hearing her for just one second is enough for the entire week. But you want me to sit through five days of it!? No." He shook his head.
I let out a sigh and leaned up against the locker next to his. With my arms crossed, I stared at him putting away his things, hoping that he would miraculously cave. "For me?" I added, and those two words immediately caught his interest.
He closed his locker and stepped over right in front of me. With his hand positioned just by my head he leaned in. "For you? Besides, hmm, I don't know, getting away for the weekend, sitting under the sun, and being waited on 25/8, what's in it for me?"
I was confused, looking into his green eyes, I couldn't exactly tell what he actually meant by that. I'll admit that I did see something in his eyes that I usually never do, it causing the usual forest green color to go noticeably dark.
"What did you have in mind?" I ask innocently, hearing the deep chuckle that I know all too well. Roman has so many things in his mind, that it was foolish for me to even ask him to voice them. "I'll do anything, I just don't want to have to go and third wheel all weekend."
Roman backed up away from me, and that caused me to release a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding. Why is it that I can't find my breath whenever he's that fucking close? "When we come back, you have to be my date" He concocted, a satisfied look upon his face. What?
"I don't follow."
"My stepmom is taking me and my sister out for dinner. I'm sure you remember all of the stories I've told you about her, right?" Roman asked, a disgusted look on his face. He's right, because I do remember them, each and every one.
There were some stories that he didn't really want to tell me, I guess because they were too sensitive, and he couldn't come to terms with them yet. I understood this and gave him his space, and I have yet to bring it up, or, even ask a single thing about that woman.
"Of course, um, yeah, I'll go, but you didn't have to ask me like that. I'll go regardless, you can choose something else." I tell, not trying to give him pity – he hates that – but also not trying to be too careless.
"No I'm fine, this is all I want, at least for now." He smiled, and placed his fingers on my upper arm. Slowly but surely, the boy ran his fingers down my arm, and formed a soft grip on my wrist. There, he pulled me into a hug, I'm guessing he really needed one at the moment.
I took no time hugging him back, listening to him whisper thank you in my ear. I squeezed him tighter in response, and then a light tap was felt on my shoulder. Breaking the hug, I turn around while keeping one of my arms wrapped around his neck.
It was Eli who had tapped me, and I wondered why Roman didn't say anything since he surely saw him coming. "Oh hey, Eli, I'm sorry I couldn't meet you in the parking lot. Nathan and I actually walked here, so it completely slipped my mind." I explain.
"No, it's fine, I see you two are getting along mighty fine this morning." He joked, referring to the fact that we were still holding onto one another. Roman and I both laughed, before letting each other go, which made things a bit awkward.
"Yeah, I was actually talking to him about this weekend, I'm going to miss you." I told, touching his upper arm for a quick minute. "But I'll be fine, you'll be having fun with your sister, right?"
Eli slightly furrowed his brows and looked at Roman weirdly. "Mmhmm .... what's going on this weekend?"
"Oh, uh, Peri and I are going to the Hamptons with her family. I'll make sure to take good care of her for you." Roman tried, because we could both see that Eli felt a little weird about us two going away together. But he needs to realize that Roman is a friend, I think, he has nothing to worry about.
"Well in that case yeah, I'll miss you, how about you come over my house today after school?" Eli invited, it coming out a bit more forced than what I had expected. This time, it was my time to lower my brows, because what the fuck was happening here!?
"Why?" I ask, kind of already knowing what he had in mind.
"So we can do things we won't be able to do while you're away. Things that require a bed, two people and a remarkably fast tongue and finger."
What Eli said left me shocked, because he's never insinuated something like this so clearly before. Especially not in front of other people. I could tell that Roman was uncomfortable, he usually is whenever Eli talks about what kind of activities we engage in.
"Sounds ... like a plan," I nervously chuckle. "how about you walk me to class."
Eli held out his arm so that I could walk underneath of it. I felt more in the mood to walk with Roman than him honestly, because lately, everything with him has been so sexual. But never the matter, that can easily be fixed, I mean I'm sure that this is only occurring because of how he feels about my best friend.
It's obvious that the two are insanely jealous of one another, which I would never have thought to happen. But, what I can't grasp my head around is, why would Roman be jealous of Eli? What does he have that Roman so badly wants as well?
X