Oblivious

22 // Smiling slightly

Tartle
(v.) to hesitate while introducing someone because you have forgotten their name

-Elijah-

Slamming my locker shut I lean my head against it and groan.

Elora stills hasn't answered me and I texted her before practice started.

It's the end of practice now and I don't know whether no response is a good thing or not.

"The girls are nice right?" Taking a seat on the bench I wait for a response. Phone in hand, knee bouncing.

"What girls?" Meeks turns to face me, leaning back against his locker, eyebrow raised.

Fuck. I can't remember their names.

"The one Dalton is friends with, blonde and her friend." I nod my head in Nils's direction who turns to face me, pulling his shirt over his head.

"You mean Marls and Dan?" Clicking my fingers in his direction I nod my head. "Yeah them, they're nice right?"

Valentin whips Ajax with his shirt as he steps out of the shower. Casey scowls at him and gives him the finger.

"I suppose so why?" Dalton rubs a towel over his blonde hair before slinging it around his shoulders. "Elora's gone shopping with them."

Casey whacks me across the head and Valentin raises his eyebrows at me suggestively. "Ooo worried about the girlfriend are you?"

Turning in his direction I scowl at him, knee still bouncing, tapping my phone against my leg. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Sure she's not." Dalton rolls his eyes and turns to put something in his locker. His tone says he definitely doesn't believe me.

I don't understand why.

She's not my girlfriend. I don't like her like that. She's not my type.

"You know I don't understand why your hiding it." Valentin takes a seat next to me on the bench as he ties his shoes.

"I'm not hiding anything. She's not my girlfriend." It comes out harsher than I intended but I'm getting frustrated that they all think I'm lying when I'm telling the truth.

"For real?" Meeks arches a brow like he doesn't fully believe me. "Seriously."

"But you like her though right?" I narrow my eyes at him, confusion washing over me. Of course I like her. She's my friend.

"I wouldn't be friends with her if I didn't." Casey whacks me across the back of the head again, my hand shoots out to hit him in the thigh.

Dalton, who's standing opposite me deadpans me. Meeks rolls his eyes and sighs. "I mean like like dummy."

"Like like? What are we 5?"

"Don't avoid the question." Valentin hits me with his shoulder and stands up to grab his things.

"No I don't like like her."

"Liar." Casey smirks at me, whispering as he walks past.

"Cool."

I narrow my eyes at Meeks's back, who's now facing his locker and pulling a shirt over his head. "What's that supposed to mean."

He shrugs and bends down to pack up his stuff. "We'll if you don't like her that means she's not off limits right?" He looks up at me through his lashes and I feel the sudden urge to whack him.

My stomach churns and clenches together. Hands turning into fists. Does he like her?

"Do you like her?" It comes out harsh and this time I mean it.

Meeks shrugs again and ranks a hand though his brown hair. "I don't know."

"It's a simple question."

Valentin bumps shoulders with mine again. "Jealous?"

Am I?

No. There's nothing to be jealous of.

Then why does the thought of them together make me want to kill someone?

Maybe it's because we're friends. I feel protective. Yeah, that's probably it.

"I think I could like her." Meeks goes and takes a seat next to Valentin to tie his shoes. Smiling slightly like even the thought of her is making him happy.

"Fanculo." It's harsh again. But I feel angry.
(Fuck)

At least I think it's anger that I'm feeling. I've never felt like this before and it's definitely not cool. Nowhere near cool. My stomach is tied in a knot and my throat feels tight. My fists feel heavy and I just want to swing. I don't really care what I hit.

"Fuck does that mean?" I roll my eyes at Ajax and pack my stuff into my bag. "Means cool in Italian."

"You speak Italian?" It's Dalton that asks the question. "Not fluently."

My phone buzzes and I don't think I've ever opened it so fast.

Elora: nearly finished. Hope practice was fun.

My lips curl at the punctuation. I type out my response ignoring the conversation going on behind me.

Elijah: I'll be there in 20 to pick you up.

Elora sends back 2 thumbs up but I'm too busy pulling on my shoes to leave to reply.

I say bye to the guys and practically speed walk to my car.

My stomach is still tied up.

What if she likes him back? She did say he was pretty.

She also said she found me prettier but that's besides the point.

It doesn't matter if she likes him back anyways. She's not my type. Right?

~

Guys is it confusing if I refer to the guys as their last names??