The Exchange Student, the Pop Prince and the Raffle Tickets

Chapter Twenty Six: A Date with Jesse/ Chapter Twenty Seven: Elaine

TWO chapters for my new fan @Lilbratatude - she's quite cool! 

These are two really big chapters! I thought I would hit you head on and leave you reeling for the next chapter cos after this you'll be dying to know more!

Enjoy! 

Lauren =D 

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• Chapter Twenty Six

It was my second day in America. We had been outside for hours handing out flyers when walking towards us was a hunched over man dressed in black his head and cap low. Jesse put an arm across my body as if to protect me. Instinctively, I shrunk back but the arm wasn't to protect me. 

Jesse jogged over to the man, making me stay where I was. I hadn't even noticed the flyers in the man's hands. At first I thought it was one of Jesse's football mates by the height and size of him but then I heard the words. 

"No, Eli, don't!" 

My body reacted before my mind did. My feet stopped working. 

He was jogging towards me.  

No. 

No. 

I can't handle this. I can't handle him. Not yet... 

I willed my feet to move. I turned starting to walk away. Jesse calling after Eli but I could hear Eli gaining fast. 

Oh please no. 

"Eden, please!" I heard him beg behind me. "Please I just want to..." 

I couldn't help myself. This part of my heart seemed to scream at me to stop walking and to just see. I wanted to know what he looked like, how much had he grown, have him look at me like he did before. I just wanted to see. 

"Please?" He whispered. 

I had to. I had to see him. I had to see Eli. 

I spun my feet around to face him.  

"Eli." I nodded acknowledging him. 

"Eden..." He moved a little towards me, hesitated then decided that he didn't care and moved towards me again. 

But I didn't know if I was ready for such a small gap between us. I moved backwards a little, could I do it? He closed the gap too quickly for me to think about it. I felt the burning sensation that I only got when Eli touched me. 

"I've missed you so much." He whispered in my ear, sending shivers through my body.  

He looked at me from arms length and I got to see the new Eli. 

His face, like Jesse's, was more handsome and had aged with more defined cheekbones but with a messy beard instead of the clean shaven teenager I used to remember. He was a lot taller, his hair shaggier, longer under his cap. His eyes weren't the bright cheeky grey diamonds that used to bore into mine. These eyes were dull, sad. 

I slowly put a hand to his face cupping it to really look into his eyes. 

"God, you look old." I said breathlessly. 

"I've missed you so much." He whispered again. 

I ducked my head away. He placed a finger under my chin to look back at him. 

"Say it..." His breath on my face. 

I couldn't. I didn't. 

"Say it..."