The Opposite Of Negation | Editing Slowly

23 | ≠ innocence

When I was little, a young bubbly girl, I never believed people were actually mean. Or bad, per se. I always thought people turned out to be so because something made them bad. And maybe that is true, maybe their family or friends did influence them. But I have met people who have broken out of their bad habits, learning to be a better version of themselves. So what is it that makes people just so mean, just so inconsiderate to anyone's feelings? Who exploit people's weaknesses just to gain something out of it?

All these thoughts go through my brain as I stare at Elliot from across the counter. His friends are back, he himself is back, as he has been for the past week or so every single day. Every day has been a new favour to do. Sometimes he wants food, sometimes his homework, other days to clean his table more times than required. Two days ago he borrowed my car. He brought it back with my gas tank empty and the inside of the car filled with trash.

And with the way he's smirking at me now, I will myself to be ready for another bad day in a series of bad days.

"Hey, Ali. Care to show us to our table?" he says. I bite my remark about how he has literally been coming here since way over a month to find his own table and nod wordlessly, slipping out from behind the counter. I walk past them and towards their table.

"Could you pull our chairs out to help us sit?" his voice comes from behind me, and I can practically see the evil smirk on his face. I sigh and nod, pulling out each of their chairs and helping them to sit.

"What can I get you?" I ask in a monotone voice, by now used to taking their orders. All of them smirk, naming their orders and the final free muffins for all of them. I nod and go back to the counter, sending the order to the kitchen, where Mia is.

Mia still doesn't know Elliot is in town. She's always in the kitchen, and whenever she does come out, Elliot is long gone by then. I have bittersweet feelings about it, kinda bummed that she hasn't seen the person she hates more than anyone in this world. But on the other hand, I'm also happy because when she knows, hell will break loose. When she'll know, Nathan will know about the favours, the humiliation and it will kill me. I was supposed to learn, I'm supposed to say no, and the fact that I can't makes me feel more ashamed than anything I've ever felt.

"Earth to Bumper!" I jump when I see Eli snapping his fingers in front of my face. He's looking at me with a curious smile, hair unmade. I wonder if they've just got off practise. Nathan has been busy with his project with Noah for the past week, hardly coming to the Bakery. I miss him terribly, but at least he doesn't know about Elliot, right?

I look at him with surprise, "How long have you been standing here for?"

His lips lift into a small smirk, "I tried calling you maybe five times. Daydreaming about my best friend?"

I force a laugh, forcing my spirits to rise so that I can look normal in front of Eli. But it doesn't work, his smirk morphing into a frown. I keep the smile on my face, still trying my hardest not to let anything out, but it hardly works, his frown deepening. My eyes flit over to Elliot subconsciously and he follows my gaze, turning around to smirk at the asshole who is now looking back at the both of us and smirking wide.