Unwanted Companions and Pacts
After school finished, Eli and I walked to Chance café in silence. The bell tinkled as we walked in and Eli went behind the counter, fastening her apron on. I slid into my favourite booth, the furthest to the right of the café, and took out my Trigonometry textbook, working on the exercise that was set as homework while Eli served customers.
The incident with Tyler was left unmentioned for the rest of the day during lunch and double Chemistry class. Eli nor I mentioned Tyler, let alone anybody else associated with him, including both Wes and Jordan. Eli told me she had long gotten over Tyler less than halfway through the summer and I had believed her. But watching her freeze in his presence every time told me differently.
"You're doing that wrong," someone said from behind me.
I jumped in surprise. Turning around, I saw Wes standing behind me, looking down at my mathematics homework.
"Excuse me?" I said.
"You need to use the cosine rule, not the sine rule," Wes said slowly, as if explaining to a child.
I looked back at my working out. I wasn't really concentrating on what I was doing as my mind was still preoccupied with the image of a heartbroken Eli, trying to smile behind the tears covering her face that summer night.
"Oh," I said distractedly, erasing my working out.
Wes slid into the booth I was occupying, sitting across the table in front of me. I raised an eyebrow at him as he sat there so casually, as though we did this every day. He smiled at me as he crossed his hands in front of him on the table.
"Since when did we become buddies?" I asked him, giving him a pointed look.
"Can I not sit next to my project buddy?" Wes replied innocently.
"No, the coffee incident yesterday said enough," I glared at him.
He laughed heartily in response, like he was reminiscing on some good old joke said a long time ago. I gave him a weird look and looked around the café- were there no other tables he could sit at?! There was only Eli and Jordan behind the counter. There was a man in a suit by one of the small tables, a latte in front of him as he furtively typed into his laptop. There were also two guys in their mid-twenties sitting by the window discussing something, both grasping cups of mango smoothies. One of them was discreetly checking out Eli, glancing at her every few seconds in the hopes she'd look back by 'coincidence'.
"Jordan," Eli called. Jordan jumped in surprise, looking over at Eli quickly. "Could you grab a few more caramel slices from the back fridge?"
"Sure," Jordan replied quickly.
"Obvious, isn't he?" Wes replied, smirking after his friend.
"What is?" I questioned.
"Jordan," Wes only replied simply.
"What about Jordan?" I asked curiously.
Wes looked over at me and smirked but said nothing, "You're less observant than I gave you credit for, Kitty."
"Hey!" I replied indignantly. My fingers were just twitching to slap that smirk off his face. It was really infuriating, that smirk. He said nothing in response. "Whatever, where's your girl for the day, anyway. Or should I say- girl for the hour."
"Oh, so you noticed that," he said, smirking my way.
"Well it's not everyday someone asks for a carb-free coffee," I commented. "Oh wait, in your life, it does apparently."
"Are you jealous?" Wes asked, still damn smirking. Don't his mouth muscles get tired or something? Or does he work them out too?
"Jealous of what?" I demanded. "That I don't spend my time in the presence of those lacking intelligence to make myself feel better?"
"No, I mean jealous of my choice in female company. It's okay, you can be my girl tomorrow, or the day after that, or even the day after that. Really, I'm not fussed."
"You're unbelievable," I shook my head.
"I know, I'm often told that by most girls actually,"
I picked up my pen, pointedly ignoring him.
"Why do you just study all the time?" Wes commented. "You should learn to have more fun, relax more."
I gritted my teeth at him, looking up. "Why are you here?"
"I'm always here with Jordan," Wes replied, feigning hurt that I hadn't noticed before.
"No, I meant here," I pointed to where he was sitting.
"Oh, did you want me to leave?" Wes said, still feigning hurt.
"How do I put this nicely- yes," I snapped. "I want to study."
"Okay then," he replied, his grin stretching even more, if possible. "Since you put it so nicely, I'm definitely staying."
I sighed in frustration, returning to my homework.
Wes leaned back, unaffected. I swear, anything I said just seemed to bounce off him, leaving no trace behind.
"So you really-," he started again.
"Bane," I said warningly.
"Okay, geez, what's gotten your panties in a knot."
"You," I replied, rubbing my temples.
"Trust me, I'd be the one unknotting your panties," he winked.
I face palmed myself. Was there something mentally unstable with this guy?
"Okay, how about I study with you," he said in a reasonable tone.
I raised my eyebrows at him, "Are you capable of shutting your mouth for, I don't know, more than one minute?"
Wes grinned, not responding, to prove his point. He pulled his bag up, taking out his Trig books and opening them to today's exercise. It was, surprisingly, quiet for the next half an hour.
My mind started to wander to what Eli had said yesterday, that guys who hung out with Tyler had to be just like him. In front of me was living proof. However, Jordan wasn't like that. Kind, warm-hearted Jordan couldn't be like that. I looked at Jordan behind the counter as Eli told him a new incoming order. Eli turned back to the customer as Jordan started to make the order. He grabbed the milk carton and snuck a quick glance at Eli. As he grabbed a glass mug off the counter to pour the hot chocolate into, he snuck another quick glance at Eli.
I dropped my pen onto the table in shock. Wes looked up at me curiously.
"He likes her, doesn't he?" I asked him, keeping my voice low, still looking at Jordan.
Wes looked at my line of vision and tensed a bit.
"Is it that bad?" he asked, still tensed.
"What do you mean?" I asked, bewildered.
"You seem horrified," he said indignantly. "There's nothing wrong with Jordan."
"I never said that," I defended. "I was just surprised, that's all." Wes gave me a skeptical look.
"For how long?" I asked. How did I not notice this before? I've been here sitting in this café for over three months now.
Wes said nothing. I turned to look at Wes, "Did he start working here for her?"
Wes pressed his lips together.
"Well?" I asked again.
"Why do you seem so interested in who he likes?" Wes finally replied.
"Oh, I don't know," I said sarcastically. "Maybe because she's my best friend?"
"I can't go giving away all my best mate's secrets, now can I?"
I opened my mouth to respond. Before I could, he said, "That was rhetorical." I glared at him.
"Okay, I'll tell you if you answer me this," Wes compromised. "Do they have a chance together?"
I bit my lip. The words Eli spoke rung in my mind, Yeah, but anyone popular, funny and hot probably has some other dark side and I'd rather not be involved in that again.
Wes set his jaw into a hard line. I don't know what I expected, but I certainly didn't expect him to be so defensive of his friends. I wondered if he was defensive over Tyler, too.
"What's wrong with Jordan?" Wes demanded.
"Nothing," I replied hesitantly. "In fact, he's a great guy any girl would be really lucky to have."
"Then what is it? Unless you like him?"
"No-" I tried to say.
"You know Cath, Wes, it's bad for business if you two are sitting here not ordering anything. People will get the impression they can sit here and flirt without ordering anything," Eli said, walking past, holding a slice of cake on a tray.
I immediately shut my mouth, waiting for her to go past. If she knew I was discussing her love life, she'd drown me.
"You stay," Wes gave me a look and got up.
"Where are you going?" I demanded. "Take your stuff with you if you're leaving!"
Wes smirked back at me and winked, "Nope, I'm buying you a drink."
I sighed, what kind of hole did I dig myself into?
By the time Wes come back, Eli had gone behind the counter and through the back door. I was now glad for the loud chatter of the two guys next to the window and the new customers who had arrived a few minutes ago, gossiping away.
"Okay then what is it?" Wes demanded once again, sliding into the booth.
"She's just not ready for a serious relationship, especially not after-" I shut my mouth, biting my bottom lip at having said too much.
"Not after Tyler," Wes finished for me.
"Of course you'd know," I replied a bit too harshly. "He probably boasted about it to all his friends."
Wes lowered his eyes to the table, fiddling with the sugar sachets on the table on his right. He said silently, "Even to Jordan." I stayed silent, not knowing what to reply to that.
Just then, Eli walked by, placing a blueberry smoothie in front of us both.
"So," Eli slyly smirked at both of us. "What's going on here?"
Before I could make up something, anything, for the first time I was glad Wes beat me to it.
"Well, Kitty agreed to by my girl for the next three days," Wes casually replied, taking a sip of his smoothie.
"What?" I exclaimed, choking on the drink.
"Why does he get to call you Kitty?!" Eli demanded, pouting.
"He doesn't," I turned to him. "Stop calling me Kitty."
"Geez, so fussy," Wes replied. "My Kitty, better?"
I glared at him.
"If he gets to call you Kitty, I get to resume that nickname," Eli exclaimed.
"No," I protested. "No one is called Kitty."
"Yeah, she's my Kitty, back off," Wes smirked.
"What's going on here?" Jordan showed up from behind Eli. "What's wrong, Kitty?"
I threw up my hands in frustration. They all laughed as I scowled at them.
"Okay so we get off in half an hour," Jordan said. "Want to go do some planning for the Medea essay so we can have a head start for the weekend?"
"Sounds good," Eli smiled. Jordan seemed to glow at the praise. The bell tinkled then and a customer walked in. Both Eli and Jordan resumed their posts.
I glared at Wes. He threw up his hands in a defensive pose, "Hey, at least I distracted her from the topic."
I pressed my lips into a thin line. "I'm not your girl, I'm not Kitty and I certainly am not and do not plan to be your Kitty. Besides, that's Bridgette's job."
Wes dropped his grin at that. "You know I never, you know -" he started.
"I don't really care what you do with who or what," I said, put off by what happened a few minutes ago. Wes looked taken aback at my sudden stiffness. I hated the nickname Kitty. It brought up bad memories. A flashing light, a screech.
Wes flashed me a smirk, although I could see the slight hurt beneath his façade of conceitedness. It almost made me feel bad, but then I remembered that this was Wesley Bane I was talking to. "Kitty is being a defensive lil kitty."
I sighed in frustration, not knowing what else to do.
"So, when do we start setting those two up?" Wes said excitedly, looking at where Jordan and Eli stood.
"Look, I'll admit that I think Jordan is great for her, really," I said. "But-"
"But you don't want her to get hurt again," Wes completed for me. "Jordan is nothing like Tyler, I swear."
"No, I was actually going to say I don't want to see Jordan get hurt," I said. "Ever since that thing happened with Tyler, Eli hasn't had one serious boyfriend, she only has flings. She finds a guy, spends a lot of time with him over the span of one week or even less, they have some fun, and she's out."
"What, so now she's become like Tyler?" Wes demanded.
"No!" I said angrily. "She picks her guys carefully. She doesn't find a guy who's been waiting for her for two years, plays with his emotions, gets what she wants and then cheats on him in front of his face and dumps him in front of everyone. The guys she goes out with know what they're getting themselves into."
"Okay, point taken," Wes replied, his jaw still set in a hard line. I was still mad at his comment.
"I think Jordan should just be a good friend to her for now until all this whole Tyler thing dies down," I sighed. "She wasn't always like this. After she gets over it, I'm sure her and Jordan would be really great together. I just don't know how long it'll take."
Wes said nothing. A silence fell between us that seemed to stretch infinitely. We both drank our smoothies.
"So, did Tyler know about Jordan when, you know..." I said hesitantly.
"Yeah," Wes said quietly. "Jordan tried to stand up for her. Tyler just laughed. He thought Jordan was just being a goody-two-shoes and some hero trying to save the day."
"I don't get why you still hang out with him then."
"We can't stop him from hanging out with the crowd, you know," Wes replied obviously. "It was Jordan and I against them. We were overruled."
"So you just went along with it?" I asked in disbelief.
"Well, no," Wes said, shifting uncomfortably. He was picking at the sleeve of his grey hoodie. "Jordan was the one who sent her that text from Tyler telling her to meet him at that party. He stole Tyler's phone, sent it and deleted it."
My mouth dropped but before I could say anything, Wes immediately interceded. "He didn't know Eli would confront him about it in public! He just wanted her to know that Tyler wasn't being as faithful as he told her. He was jealous and hurt and wanted to help out Eli."
I slowly closed my mouth. I couldn't really think of a response to that.
After a few minutes I finally said, "He really likes her that much, huh?"
"He can't shut up about her," Wes rolled his eyes.
"So..." I changed the topic, smirking. Wes looked up, a befuddled look on his face. "How did you know my favourite was blueberry smoothie?"
Wes opened his mouth quickly, shut it and opened it again, "I only give the best to my Kitty."
I raised my eyebrows at him. Before I could comment, Jordan called out, "Okay, stop flirting, you two and let's go!"
I turned to respond but Jordan had already turned to put away his apron in the back room, Eli joining him. I finished off my smoothie before standing up to pack my books away.
"Oh, and Kitty, you better not tell Eli any of this stuff or else," Wes said, his eyes gleaming.
"Or else what?" I raised a challenging eyebrow at him.
"Or else," he only replied simply, throwing his bag over his shoulder before walking over to me. He stopped right in front of me. He was a few inches taller than me. I could feel his breath on my face, mingling with my hair. My breath caught as he inched closer, his chest pressed against mine. He lowered his face to mine, his nose skimming my cheekbones.
"I'll make you fall for me," he whispered.
"Good luck," I tried to scoff, but I didn't seem to have enough breath to pull it off. What a stupid threat. Was that honestly the best he could come up with? Yet, his eyes were dangerously darkened. What was with the intensity of his stare?
"Ahem," Jordan coughed loudly from behind us. I sprung away from Wes. But he stayed where he was, appearing unaffected as always. He smiled innocently at Jordan.
Eli walked around from behind the counter, her apron gone. She gave me a small smirk, a smirk that said 'oh we have plenty to talk about later'.
"Let's go!" I threw my hands out animatedly, my cheeks slightly flushed.