Mermaids and Men [mlm]

13. Cut Him Off

Nicki was actually dreading going to school, as he knew he was going to see Elijah... Someone he really didn't want to see right now. Still, he had to. Today was the day that everything ended... The day he cut ties with Elijah.

For good.

Of course, the group of Mermaids and Men was going to keep an eye on the Laachlans, but being involved with them in any way wasn't a good idea at all. It just meant there was a higher chance of the Laachlans finding out what Nicki and the girls are, and they definitely can't have that. Still, Nicki honestly dreaded cutting things off with Elijah. He wasn't really happy about the idea either, but it was for the best.

History can't repeat itself. He won't allow it.

Nicki walked into school Monday morning, still not really feeling like himself, but that was to be expected. Well, not really. He should feel relieved that he's dropping Elijah, because... They don't like him. None of them... Like him. Nicki... Doesn't like him. The Laachlans are people Sirens can't get along with. It's just not how things are meant to be. Abraham and Zorion would... Definitely disagree. But history can't repeat forever.

Nicki headed over to his locker and opened it up, grabbing out what he would need for his first class, and then stuffing them into his bag. Then a voice spoke, a voice that had him nearly jumping ten feet in the air, hand smacking his locker in shock. "Hey, Nicki?"

Nicki quickly turned to look at the person the voice belonged to, knowing all too well who that person was. There stood Elijah, awkwardly messing with the strap of his bag, eyes glancing anywhere but up at the Siren. "Yeah... Yeah, hey. Hey," Nicki nervously greeted, clearing his throat and turning back towards his locker, only to stare into it despite not really needing anything else from it. Elijah shifted from foot to foot, tapping the strap of his bag as he thought about what to say. It was obvious what he wanted to say, but it was just... Hard to bring it up. "Hey listen, about... Yesterday," Elijah began, awkwardly clearing his throat, which caught Nicki's attention. Nicki glanced the man over, seeing that he was no longer in his lovestruck, zombie-like state, which was definitely good. He was back to normal, but that didn't mean he necessarily forgot everything that happened yesterday.

"Look... I don't know how you knew about some... Random chest in my dad's closet, or why you wanted to look in it, but, uh... Um. It honestly really doesn't matter-- I just wanted to--"

"We need to stop hanging out," Nicki quickly cut him off, just cutting right to the chase. Elijah paused, eyes widening a bit as he stared up at the Siren in front of him. "Wh... What?" he questioned. Nicki gripped the door of his locker, practically holding onto it for support. "I said we need to stop hanging out. I don't want to be friends anymore," he said sternly, covering his face with his locker door, that way he wouldn't have to look at the man. Elijah tensed up, glancing everywhere with a frown on his face, really letting those words sink in. "I don't... I don't understand. I know yesterday I was acting really weird, a-and I don't know why I was! I-I don't know why I almost ki... I... Nicki, if it's because of that, then I'm s--"

"It's not because of that, Elijah," Nicki interrupted, finally turning to look at the man, whose eyes instantly widened at the sound of his actual name. He had grown so used to hearing Nicki call him Eli, which... Meant that if he was saying his actual name, then this was something serious. The look on Nicki's face was a mean one, and he didn't understand why the Siren was cutting him off, since it apparently wasn't because of how he acted yesterday. "I don't want you around me anymore, okay? We're not friends... We never were," Nicki said sternly. Elijah stepped back a bit and stared down at the ground, everything finally sinking in. "You... You used me," he muttered to himself, those words causing Nicki to flinch and glance away. Suddenly, Elijah looked back up, revealing to Nicki a very pissed-off and betrayed look on his face; that whole look practically shattered his heart. That shattering feeling only worsened when he... Saw Elijah's eyes glisten with tears.