ILLUSION, ELI HALE

three | derek the embarrasing dad

"I heard that video game developers make shooting games so that young teenagers in our age range, such as yourself, are less desensitized to killing and death. They're molding you into the perfect soldier. Don't be surprised when they come knocking at your door, Eli."

Nadia laid on her best friend's bed while Eli was sprawled out on her lap, playing one of those horrendous animated fighting games on the console connected to his television. Nadia despised them. So much killing, blood, and shooting, not to mention the blatant racist people on voice calls. She was surprised how it was catered to people younger than thirteen.

"They're molding your mom into the perfect soldier," Eli responded quite quickly before going back to the game at hand. Gunshots and yelling, both from her friend and the television filled the bedroom despite her annoyance.

Nadia plucked him on the temple. "I hope you lose."

"Ow!" He exclaimed. The boy turned his head in her direction and stick his tongue out. "I hope your mom loses."

Tenth grade had begun to roll around. It was a few days before Halloween, and Nadia and Eli were supposed to be brainstorming on what they wanted to dress up as. Last year, Nadia helped him and his father give away candy as Dorothy from Kansas. Despite her push for him to be the Tin Man, Eli had insisted on going as Toto.

It was evident that neither teenager had an idea because Eli went straight to his game while Nadia was on her phone, editing some photos to post on Instagram. Selfies at that. Yes, she'd become that person she hated. There were still remnants of the bitch squad in her veins.

She posted her photos: a carousel of her and Eli hanging out at their house. The first photo was a selfie of herself with a funny face because she loved the way the sun shone on her eyes, the second was a candid of Eli as he played on his game with his tongue sticking out with concentration, and another selfie of her as she gave a thumbs down and lastly a meme of a dog pole dancing because obviously. Set with the caption: we're better than u and a hand-heart emoji.

Nadia made sure to block her entire family from that account: both immediate and distant cousins, just to avoid the drama. If her gossip-loving aunties figured out that she was hanging out with a boy, her mother would know, and then so would Nathan, then all hell would freeze over. And bye, bye Eli.

As the boy played his game in her lap, Nadia ran her fingers through his voluminous hair. Long hair suited the boy quite nicely as through the years she'd known him, this haircut was the best out of all of them. She began weaving her hands through his hair, beginning to braid his luscious locks. The boy paid no attention to her actions, as this was a common thing.

The duo was quite touchy with each other, that was clear. Since ninth grade started, the boy and girl were glued to the hip—holding hands and giving each other hugs, flying kisses, and piggyback rides outside. To Nadia and Eli, that was the way they showed affection to each other. Of course, others would take it the wrong way.

Nadia was sure that many guys didn't ask her out because they thought she and Eli were dating. But that wasn't a bad thing. Most guys at this school were not her type. They were obsessed with sports and the fanciest car to drive. She was never that shallow. As for Eli, his short brunette best friend scared away most of his suitors. Nadia didn't mean to, per se. Sometimes her blunt comments and eye rolls were taken the wrong way.

"You'd make a great SpongeBob," Nadia commented as she mindlessly ran her hands through his hair. She winced at the television to which Eli and his team had taken out a dozen soldiers. Virtual blood splattered on the player's screen as if the game was 3D.

"What about me gives short and square?" Eli questioned the girl.

Nadia frowned. "Well, due to that comment, now you're giving Squidward."