queen cobra | eli moskowitz

chapter four.

Eli watched Isabella leave, her playful "See you tomorrow, partner" still ringing in his ears. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips as he walked home with Demetri. They didn't say much on the way back, but Eli's mind was buzzing with thoughts of the new girl who had brightened his otherwise mundane day.

When they reached Eli's house, his mom was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She looked up and noticed the unusual smile on her son's face. "Hey there, Eli. You seem awfully happy today. What's going on?"

Eli shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Nothing, Mom. Just a good day at school."

Demetri, never one to miss an opportunity, grinned mischievously. "Yeah, nothing much. Just a new girl being all friendly with Eli."

Eli's face turned crimson. "It's not a big deal," he mumbled, trying to brush off the comment.

His mom raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further. "Well, I'm glad you had a good day. Dinner will be ready soon."

The boys headed upstairs to Eli's room, where the walls were adorned with posters of sci-fi movies and superhero comics. As soon as the door closed, Eli couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

"Isabella is so cool, Demetri! She's smart, funny, and she actually talked to me like I'm a normal person. And she even called me cute!" Eli gushed, his eyes lighting up as he recounted his interactions with her.

Demetri, sitting on Eli's bed, looked skeptical. "Eli, don't get your hopes up. She's pretty, give it a week, and she'll probably be with Yasmine and her group."

Eli shook his head, unwilling to believe it. "No, Isabella's different. She doesn't seem like the type to care about that stuff."

"Trust me, Eli," Demetri said, his tone more serious. "Pretty girls like that aren't just nice to guys like us for no reason. Remember she said she wasn't that smart? She might be being nice so you can do her work or something."

Eli frowned, Demetri's words seeping into his mind. "You really think that's why she's being nice?"

Demetri nodded. "I'm just saying, be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt. We've seen how people like Yasmine treat us. Don't let Isabella use you."

Eli sighed, his excitement deflating like a punctured balloon. "Maybe you're right," he said quietly, staring at the floor. He didn't want to believe it, but Demetri's words had planted seeds of doubt in his mind.

As they played their video games, Eli's phone buzzed with a notification. Shortly after, Demetri's phone buzzed as well. Isabella had followed them both on Instagram. Demetri glanced at his phone and smirked. "Speak of the devil."

Eli nudged him playfully and immediately followed her back. Curiosity got the better of him, and he started scrolling through her profile. He didn't know she did cheerleading, and he found himself impressed by the photos of her in action. While scrolling, he accidentally liked an old picture from several months ago. Panicking, he threw his phone onto the bed.

Demetri laughed and tried to calm him down. "Relax, Eli. It's not the end of the world."

Eli took a deep breath and picked up his phone, his heart still racing. When he went back to her profile, he saw that she had just posted a new story. It was a picture of a book. He recognized the words on the page—it was "The Host," the book he had recommended to her. A warm feeling spread through him, and he couldn't help but smile.

Then, another notification popped up. Isabella had liked one of his pictures. His heart skipped a beat, and he felt a glimmer of hope pushing through the doubt Demetri had planted.

Demetri noticed the notification and raised an eyebrow. "Looks like she's taking an interest in you."

Eli blushed. "Maybe she really is different," he said, more to himself than to Demetri.

The next day at school, Eli felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. He saw Isabella waiting by their chemistry class and waved at her. She smiled brightly and waved back, and they walked into class together, chatting about their homework and the latest sci-fi movie Eli had seen.

During the lab, Isabella was just as engaged and eager to help as she had been the previous day. Eli found himself relaxing, enjoying her company and the way she made him feel important. But in the back of his mind, Demetri's warning kept replaying.

"So, what do you like to do for fun?" Eli asked, trying to get to know her better.

Isabella smiled. "Well, I do cheerleading, but I'm sure you know that already since you liked my cheer picture from last year."

Eli's face turned bright red. "Oh, um, yeah, sorry about that. I was just scrolling and—"

Isabella laughed, waving off his embarrassment. "It's okay."

Eli chuckled nervously. "Are you going to join the cheer team here?"

She shrugged. "Probably not. The season has already started, and Miguel drags me to do karate with him. I kind of like it though."

Eli's interest piqued. "Karate? Really?"

"Yeah, you should try it," Isabella suggested. "It's a great workout and a lot of fun."

"I'll consider it," Eli said, genuinely interested.

They continued talking until it was time to part ways for their next classes. Eli felt a growing connection with Isabella and was looking forward to lunch.

At lunch, Eli met up with Isabella, Miguel, and Demetri. They found a table and settled down to eat.

Miguel turned to Isabella. "Sensei Lawrence said we need to meet at the dojo right after school."

Isabella nodded and then turned to Eli. "Hey, you should join us."

Miguel's eyes lit up. "Yeah, Sensei Lawrence is incredible. He teaches us real karate, none of that watered-down stuff. You'd love it, Eli."

Eli was seriously considering it, but then Demetri chimed in. "I don't know, Eli. Karate isn't really our thing. And do you really want to get beat up for fun?"

Eli's confidence wavered. "Maybe you're right."

Isabella noticed the shift in Eli's demeanor and felt disappointed. She shrugged her shoulders, trying not to let it show. "Well, if you ever change your mind, you're always welcome."

Lunch continued, but the conversation had lost some of its earlier excitement. Isabella chatted with Miguel about their latest karate session while Eli and Demetri ate quietly.

After school, Eli walked home with Demetri again. The weight of Demetri's words hung over him, but he couldn't shake the thought of joining Isabella and Miguel.

"Do you really think karate is a bad idea?" Eli asked as they walked.

Demetri nodded. "Yeah, Eli. It's not our scene. We're better off sticking to what we know."

Eli sighed, feeling torn between his desire to try something new and his fear of failure.

That night, as he lay in bed, Eli thought about Isabella's encouragement and Miguel's excitement. Maybe trying karate wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. But for now, he decided to take it one day at a time and see where things led.