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Gabbi and Livia decided to be each other's dates to the admissions party towards the end of the school year. Ever since the argument between Gabbi and Eleanor and the tension (not the good kind) between Elliot and Livia, the two had felt like they were back in junior year when it was just the two of them hanging out.
They were both slightly glad to be bad to their old ways, minding their own business and staying out of drama. The girls were grateful to be hanging out a lot anyways because they would be going to separate schools in the Fall and wouldn't see each other as much.
The two of them walked around the admissions party, people watching as they often did when they were stuck at parties with no screening rooms.
It wasn't the greatest party to people watch at. Everyone's phones were taken away, so they were stuck doing everything from sucking faces with each other to get high out of their minds. Livia and Gabbi mostly took in the scenery, walking by a group of people surrounding a friendly fight, cheering the two fighters on.
Livia could hear Elliot commentating, whooping into a microphone. "Yeah! Yo, we got Mayweather..." One of the shirtless guys had almost knocked the other to the ground before he recovered and came back with a swing as he stood up straight again. "Yo, we got Mayweather-Logan part 2.0! I'd be very mad if this ends like that!" He turned around to see the reaction of the very large crowd that had gathered around behind him.
Elliot's eyes caught Livia and Gabbi walking by, the two ignoring the fight as they saw no reason as to why people fought for fun. "Yo! Yo, Liv! Wanna get in here with me for a round?" He pointed at the girl as he caught her attention. "You could do all the punching if it'll make you feel better."
Livia didn't stop walking as she made eye contact with the boy on the soap box. "You're crazy, Tanners!" Livia shouted, using her hand to make the 'crazy' gesture by her head in case he didn't hear her.
"I'm only crazy for you, Browning!" He yelled with the mic still below his mouth, his words echoing across the grounds, followed by some feedback. People around them, including the fighters, stopped to cover their ears until the screeching over the speaker died down. "Sorry, y'all," Elliot apologized, focusing back on the fight in front of him.
The girl scoffed and turned away to smile, not wanting him to see the effect his words had on her. Livia couldn't hold her grudge against Elliot very well, she just wasn't that kind of girl. She was still pissed at what he had done, but after everything had calmed down some after Valentine's Day, Max's "polyamory" wasn't a big discussion among the people she normally hung out with. It also didn't help that Elliot could be charming as hell when he wanted to be.
Although the anger towards Elliot had mostly dissipated over time, the events that he had been a part of still didn't make her want to be anything more than acquaintances like they always had been. Before Valentine's Day, Livia thought they were even becoming friends, but Elliot messed that up, and Livia didn't think they would ever become friends given his loyalty to Max.
So Livia ignored her feelings for the boy, and had to act like she didn't notice him when they passed by each other in the hallways on the way to third period. They met eyes once in a while, but Livia never made conversation and Elliot knew she wouldn't engage with him if he tried to say something.
It hurt both of them, but Livia believed what Gabbi had told him: give him some time and he'd hopefully come around. Hope. That was all she holding onto anymore when it came to Elliot.
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Later in the night, most everyone had hit the dancefloor, confetti and balloons all around them. Gabbi and Livia had joined Russ and Drea on the floor for a while, before taking a break and getting drinks.
Gabbi left to get the drinks, leaving Livia to find seats for the two of them, which she did over in a corner. In front of her on the dancefloor, Elliot's eyes found hers. She watched as he danced to the side of the floor and when he was in the clear, made his way over to the table she sat at.
Elliot pulled a chair out and sat down, immediately talking before Livia could oppose to Elliot sitting with her. "Liv, it's been killing me not talking to you."
Livia was taken aback by Elliot's forwardness. Inside, she wanted to tell him she felt the same way, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. The girl was still put off that he was hanging out with Max.
"Sucks for you then." She tried to act unamused by his words, watching the people on the dancefloor with her arms crossed, leaned back in her chair.
Elliot squeezed his eyes shut, flattening his hands on the table. "Look, I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but do you have to be so mean?"
The girl bit the inside of her cheek. She knew she didn't have to be so cruel to him. But a part of her was hoping that it would help him come to the realization that he shouldn't be friends with Max quicker. She was being a bit more petty and selfish than she knew she needed to be.
"I guess I don't have to be mean, but I'm not gonna act like your friend either."
"Fine, fair enough." Livia could hear the sound of Elliot's chair sliding back over the music as he stood up quickly. "I really do care about you, Livia. And I may not be perfect, but I am starting to learn what's up," he announced over the loud music.
Elliot's words sounded genuinely sincere to Livia. And she could feel the hope growing in her. It had seemed like he had been less attached to Max since Valentine's Day, hanging out with other people once in a while. And he definitely wasn't perfect. But Livia was happy that he was beginning to really understand what her issue was.
"Good, I'm glad." She told him the truth, her bitchy facade falling. "You know where I'll be when you're ready."
Elliot smiled down at the girl, and Livia couldn't help but smile back before Gabbi approached them, scaring the boy back to the dancefloor.
He was happy they had made some progress and that they were on talking terms now. The Tanners boy knew what he had to do, he just didn't know how he would do it. But later in the night, he would finally get to see just how shitty his best friend truly was.
