Lia James
"What the hell, Eli!" I grab his arm, and pull him towards me.
"Wha—Lia? What are you doing?" He shakes my hands off, confused.
"Is he trying to play some game or something? Because it's not funny. All of this isn't funny." I know I was probably being ridiculous considering I pushed Andrew away, but running away like a coward was no way to solve this problem.
"I'm assuming we're talking about Andrew." He crosses his arms across his broad chest. The wind was blowing his dark brown curls away from his face.
"Where the hell is he? It's been two weeks." I put my hands on my hips, breathing in deeply.
"Okay, first of all, according to what Andrew said, you didn't even want to speak to him let alone make eye contact with him. So, why are you acting so concerned?"
"Oh, my bad." I said with a bit of sarcasm. "I just thought we would be able to talk this through once I thought about everything. You know, like mature adults."
"I don't think this is the time or place to be yelling at me, Lia." He gestures to the whispers and stares we were getting from our fellow students in the lunchroom.
"Okay, then stop squandering." I cross my arms, jut my hip out, and tap my foot on the ground.
"I'm not squandering." He paused. "Wait, what does that mean?"
"It means wasting time you neanderthal."
"It's not an insult if I don't know what it means." He winks at me, and I hold back from punching him in the face.
"You're still stalling."
"What could I possibly be stalling about?" He raised an eyebrow, like he had nothing to hide.
"Okay, if you're not stalling, then tell me where Andrew is." He face hardens, and he bites his lips in nervousness.
"Obviously you're hiding something from me." I pointed out his sudden hostility.
"Okay, fine! But you can't tell anyone...like ever." He pulls me toward a more secluded area. You know, one that was not filled with noisy high school students. He chose a spot by a large tree, and he leaned up against it casually.
"So, you know where Andrew is?" I assumed since he made the extra effort to pull me aside.
"Well, not exactly."
"What does 'not exactly' mean?"
"It means that I don't know specifically where he is, but I know that he's done this before."
"He's done this before? When?" I interrogated him slightly. He gave me the look that said 'chill out'. I tried retracting my claws a bit.
"I'm not obligated to say, Lia. That's all Andrew's business. I'm just his best friend, not his secret spiller."
"Okay, well can you at least elaborate so I'm not worried about where he is?"
"You shouldn't be worried, Lia. Aren't you mad at him?" He pointed towards me in a mocking manner, and I shoved his hand.
"Shut up Eli! Just explain."
"Fine." He sighs. "There was a time before Eastwood High, back at Harrison Prep, and something bad happened."
"Like...how bad?"
"Like bad, bad. Fuck, Lia, just let me explain." He says defensively and I put my hands up.
"It was a very bad situation, and he didn't know what to do with himself. I've never seen him like it before...ever. But he went away, and he said he needed to think about things. He was hurt and angry, and I thought he would be back. But he didn't turn up until about three months later."
"THREE MONT-" He puts his hand around my mouth.
"What's happening here, isn't as bad as what happened back in LA. But, he is still hurting and angry. So, he just needs time to cool off. He will be back."
"How do you know that?" My face displayed a bit of melancholy.
"Because he came back the last time, didn't he? This wasn't as bad. He will come back. He has to." He was saying it almost like he was trying to convince himself more than me.
"I'm just worried that he's going to get into trouble because of me. And I'm going to end up feeling guilty, because I caused him to be like this. I made him feel like shit." I bowed my head, unable to look at Eli in the eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't beat yourself up other this. Look, Andrew knew what he was getting himself into when he decided to go after you to spite Mason. I guess he didn't know that he would develop feelings along the way."
Wait, what?
"Feelings? Andrew developed feelings? There's no way." I felt like laughing.
"Well, he hasn't flat out told me, but when he's around you, he's happier. When he looks at you, every girl is screaming because they want to be looked at like that. He worries about you too, just as you do with him. You two belong together, Lia."
"I don't think so." I haven't told anyone about my feelings for him, and I wasn't about to spit it out in front of the whole school at lunch.
"Yes you do. Deep down you know it's true. Sure, Andrew has his highs and his lows, but he still likes you. Whether or not he's admitted it yet, we all know the truth."
He makes a valid point. But still, I'm a bit hesitant.
"So, is he going to be okay? Like out there...alone?" I asked Eli nervously, changing the uncomfortable subject.
"To be completely honest, I don't know. He goes off the rails when his anger gets the best of him. I just hope his rage doesn't make him do something stupid. I'd hate for him to get in trouble with the police. It's terrible for him, and his parents, and his job."
"Job. What job? Andrew is loaded, why would he be working?"
"Well, he does have a job. I think it's because his parents always handed things to him as a kid and he wanted some sense of stability on his own."
"So, what kind of job is it?" I asked.
"He's a model."
My heart almost dropped out of my chest. I didn't realize that modeling was his job, I thought it was more of a hobby.
"Wait, wait, wait. That's his job? I thought it was more of a hobby, but he's making it a full blown career?"
"I think he wants to keep it low key because of all the gangs and things like that. He's worried that they will find out who he is and come for him. But, he loves it. His mom got him into it when he was four years old and he's loved it ever since."
I'm swooning so hard right now, I might have drooled just thinking about him.
A Calvin Klein model maybe? Hell yes.
Wait! Lia, no! Stop! You're supposed to be mad at him! Broke your heart, remember?
"Earth to Lia?" Eli waves in my face. I snap out of it almost immediately.
"What? What happened?"
"I just asked you about Mason. Has he forgiven you yet?"
I look over to his table, the table that I used to sit at daily, and received multiple glares and stares from my ex-best friends. They were all whispering to each other, and I assumed it was about me. Clearly they have nothing better to do than talk shit about me.
"Does that answer your question?" I gestured to the cluster of friends that hate me.
"Very clearly." He smiled. "So, actually, I was thinking maybe you would want to hang-" Eli was cut off by my boyfriend, as he approached me with a smile.
"Hey, beautiful." Ian gives me a short hug.
I can already sense Eli's pupils burning circular holes into my head. I turn around, and he looks between the both of us, clearly confused.
"Eli, this is my boyfriend Ian Rivers. Ian, this is my friend Eli Madden." I introduced them, and they shook hands civilly. I was happy that Eli wasn't going ballistic.
"Boyfriend?" He looks at me, almost like he was hurt.
"Yeah. Since a few days ago." Ian moved closer to me, encasing me with one arm against his chest.
Eli shakes his head, before walking away sadly. I looked back at him with question.
"What is his problem?" Ian looks down at me.
"He's probably just shocked. I'll talk to him." I already know why he's upset, though. It's because of Andrew. He wants us together. But, sometimes life doesn't work out that way.
Andrew's not here, and I'm not happy with him right now. End of story. I've moved on.
"Ian! Ian! Ian!" His friend Wyatt comes racing toward him. "Blue Devil is live streaming right now! Come on, you gotta watch it!"
"Really? What's he playing?"
"He's playing Star Wars! Come on!"
Ian looks back at me.
"Nerd." I insulted him, and he gave me a devious look. Like I was going to pay for that comment sometime soon.
I follow him back to his table, where a large computer set up was set on the lunch table. I sat down next to Ian, and in front of Sage who was playing with her violet hair, chewing a piece of gum.
"I feel bad for you, Sage. You know, having to deal with this." I pointed to the boys whose eyes were glued to the computer screen.
"Boys will be boys." She rolls her eyes, jokingly.
"I think what you mean is, nerds will be nerds." I told her, and we exchanged smirks.
***
It was a few days later, and Eli hasn't called or texted me yet. He hasn't even talked to me in school.
I get it. He's mad that I'm with someone else because he thinks Andrew and I are 'meant to be' or something like that. But you can't force relationships like that. Andrew hurt me, and he left. I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to come to me. I'm going to do things that make me happy.
And if that's dating Ian Rivers, then so be it.
This is the first time Eli has stopped talking to me. Usually he's all understanding and sincere when talking with me, but the way he looked at me when he found out about my boyfriend, it was sad to see. He was devastated.
Maybe there's something more to him just thinking that Andrew and I are 'meant to be'. Maybe they've talked about me in the past, and maybe they've said some things that are important. Whatever it is, I haven't heard it so it can't change my perspective of Andrew if I don't know.
Despite all of my friends practically hating me, I still have Ian. I still have his friends Wyatt and Sage, who are actually really fun to be around. Sage and I would always complain about how Wyatt and Ian would debate on Avengers or talk about the possibilities of Darth Vader never going to the dark side.
They've been here, and they are still talking to me so obviously something is going right with them.
But anyways, San Diego was a bit cooler today. It was windier and I suspected that it would be cooler tonight with mine and Ian's date. So, I decided to wear some light wash jeans, and an off the shoulder long sleeve shirt with white and light blue vertical stripes. For my shoes, I decided to go with some Keds because I wanted to wear sneakers, so that nothing will slip off my feet while we were walking, but I also wanted something super cute. Lina would be proud of my outfit choice for tonight.
Okay, Lia. Way to make yourself depressed.
I did a double check at the mirror, making sure my mascara wasn't clumping or my lipgloss hadn't smudged on my face. Giving myself a thumbs up in the mirror, as lame as that sounds, I went downstairs.
Mason and Lina were out their friends, who also used to be my friends, so they weren't home. Aunt Alex was making dinner for herself on the stove. When I walked over to the kitchen , she was scanning over a cookbook on the counter.
"Hey." I made her know of my presence.
"Hey. Oh my gosh! You look so cute!" She gushed over my outfit, and I smiled.
"Thanks." I paused. "I'm heading out tonight, so I'm not going to be back until probably around curfew."
"Okay, so like around eleven?" I nodded before she continued. "So, what's the deal?"
"What do you mean?"
"Where are you going?"
"Oh!" I laughed. "I'm going on a date."
Aunt Alex nearly dropping the butter knife that she was currently holding, and it almost gave me a heart attack.
"A date? With who? Is it Andrew?" She interrogated me, and I had to take a step back for some breathing air.
"Yes it is a date. But not with Andrew. Andrew is currently missing in action."
"He's not around?" She asked, and I shook my head as an answer.
"I'm going on a date with Ian Rivers. He also happens to be my boyfriend." Aunt Alex gasps.
"Boyfriend? When did this happen?"
"As of a few days ago. He's super sweet and nice."
"So, what about Andrew? Do you still have feelings for him?" She made her way over to the stove, stirring the concoction in the metal pot.
"Yes, I do. But Andrew left, and I'm not sure when he's coming back. And I'm not going to wait for him. Plus, Ian asked me out prior to that whole fiasco, and I felt it was wrong to leave him in the dark. So, I decided to give it a shot. I'm willing to see where this relationship could go."
"You are so mature." Aunt Alex tells me. "I'm so proud of who you became as a person. Your Dad would be so proud."
"Yeah, he would." I smiled, missing my Dad a bit.
"Well, I'm going to invite some friends over since all my kids are going out places." She dips her finger in the pot, tasting it.
"Well, you have fun." I tell her before walking to the door.
"Wait! Lia Rose James! Don't move a muscle!" Aunt Alex makes her way to the front door.
"Do I need to sit you down and have the sex talk with you, or did your Dad beat me to it?"
"Well, he beat you to it. But the good thing is, you don't have to worry about that. For a long time."
"That's good to hear." Aunt Alex sighs. "Have a good night."
I give her a long hug, before pulling away and walking out the door. I was about to walk down the front steps, but I tripped on something and kicked it to the ground with a clink.
I'm left dumbfounded, and I walk to the grass, where I had kicked it and I picked it up, observing it.
It was right at this moment that I had gasped. And it was loud.
The Guitar Keychain. The one I had gave Andrew for his birthday. The one that he had put on his car keys and never took off.
There was so many questions and not enough answers as to why Andrew's keychain was here.
Was he here? Did he come to the door but was hesitant about knocking?
Did he want to come see me? Why did he chicken out? Why couldn't he just knock?
Andrew has to have been here. He had to.
He was planning on knocking on my door to come talk to me. That means that he's willing to fix our relationship, and he isn't just going to walk away.
I got excited at the feeling of him being here, and the butterflies in the stomach intensified. But there was also a feeling of sadness mixed along with it.
Andrew is still gone. I still haven't seen him in almost three weeks.
I am sad that he's gone but there's still a bit of hope. Hope that tells me that Andrew was here and he wanted to talk to me.
He wanted to see me.
And I wanted him to come back. For good this time.
~*~
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