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TWO, breaking the habit
italics — rues narration
————
my first impression of elliot wasn't the best.
"do you wanna fuck liana?" rue asked. "what?" elliot asked. "sorry, sorry. it's just, like, lianas not here so i don't really know what to say." elliot raised his brows, "oh shit, you're one of those people." he said. "wait what?" she asked. "like, one of those people who can't make their own friends."
he was blunt. really fucking blunt and it made part of me really fucking anxious. it also made part of me intrigued.
"what? no, i'm not one of those people." rue protested. "looks like it." he said. "how?" she asked. he took a hit of his blunt, raised his brows and then looked at her. "well, liana brought you here. liana started our conversation, right? and uh, now that liana's not here ... you're all lost." he tilted his head at her.
"i'm not lost. dude i just met you like five seconds ago! do you expect me to immediately be comfortable and hug you and shit?" she scoffed. "no, i just expect you to not be awkward." he muttered. "i'm not being awkward." she said. "you just asked me if i wanna fuck liana."
"and you avoided the fucking question." she instigated. "i didn't." he said. "you did.. you said what?" she mocked him. "okay, no i don't want to fuck liana." as if saying her name three times made her appear, liana walked into the room holding two glasses of water and hissed. "wow, i'm hurt."
i knew he had a crush on liana. despite the fact that it was painfully obvious, i was also an observer when it came to meeting new people. and what i had observed about elliot was interesting and would be kind of heart warming if i were into men.
i quickly noticed that when liana came around he wasn't so cruel. he was actually enjoyable to be around and i wasn't sure if it was because he felt like himself around liana or if he was changing his persona to get her to like him.
but liana really did seem to like him for whatever reasons that she did, and i was starting to piece together why i would enjoy being around him too.
she walked over and gave one of the glasses to rue and then took a seat on elliot's bed where she squinted at him. "so you don't wanna fuck me?" she asked. "not now," he doubled back. "so, you're straight?" rue interjected. "kinda." he said. "are you gay?" she asked. "kinda."
"so, you're bi." she said. "well, i don't think of it that way." he said. "what do you mean? you've never, like, thought about your sexuality before?" she asked. "not in a particularly rigid way, no." he said. "have you guys fucked? is that a thing?" elliot pointed between rue and liana. "elliot, i'm asking the fucking questions." rue said.
"why did she avoid that question?" elliot looked to liana. in fact, he has been looking at liana the entire time. not only because he felt mildly uncomfortable, but also because she hadn't really spoken the entire time rue was interrogating elliot. "yeah, why did you dodge the question?" liana teased.
"how many girls have you fucked?" rue asked quickly. "like, technically three." he said. "technically?" elliot sighed, "i mean, technically the first girl— it was like, two seconds. it was embarrassing. she probably wouldn't count it." he said. "she would not count it." he followed up.
liana and rue looked at each other with confused faces before rue turned back to elliot. "okay, uh, how many guys have you fucked?" she asked. "43." he said. "are you serious?" she asked. "damn." liana interjected. "i'm kidding, how many guys have you fucked?" elliot tilted his head at rue.
"she doesn't wanna answer that question cause she's kind of a whore." liana muttered, flipping over to the other side of elliot's bed and grabbing a nicknack from his side dresser. "a whore?!" rue and elliot turned to liana. "slut. she's a slut. i was gonna say slut but whore just came out."
"wait, how many guys have you fucked?" elliot asked liana. "wouldn't you like to know?" liana joked. "i would." he said. "how many guys have you been with?" he asked. liana shrugged, "maybe two, three. i don't know." she said. "recently?" liana furrowed her brows. "um, i don't think anyone asked you if any of the girls you fucked were recently."
"you're right, who gives a shit? everyone's a nun." rue watched carefully as elliot perked himself up and reached over to his windowsill. he picked up a tin box and placed it down on his lap, opening it up to reveal a stash of pills, weed, and tabs. rues eyes lit up.
it was in that moment where a lightbulb appeared over my head. for the past couple of days i had been wondering how i could get an unlimited supply of drugs for free. i would have to be a genius to figure something like that out.
elliot looked at rue who was still fixated on his stash of drugs in his lap. "what, you want some?" he asked. liana shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the scene unfolding in front of her but decided not to say anything. "oh, you're my new favorite person." rue smiled.
