Twelve Steps to Love

10 | all is fair in love and war

Coming back to school has been an unfortunate reality to say the least. Dev and Lexi patched things up, which of course I'm happy about, but they're acting as if they've been apart for years and it's beginning to get nauseating.

And with Eli nowhere insight and the view of my best friend being pushed against the locker becoming more disturbing by the second I take my leave and wander the halls in hopes of running into someone who I can talk to without getting annoyed.

I had just turned into a different hallway when I see James Daniels with a bruise decorating each side of his jaw. His bruises remind me of my bruised knuckles, causing the slight throb to become more noticeable than before.

Now if I were smart, I'd avoid eye contact and turn the other way. But my pride and stubbornness is one for the books because I know I wouldn't be able to do that even if I tried.

So I walk with my head held high, and I don't flinch when he hits me with his mega watt glare. I hit him with a smug look of my own, making the situation worse by a landslide but I can't help it. I watch as he starts stalking towards me, causing me to stop in my place and wait for him to stand in front of me.

"Can I help you, James?" I ask in a sickly sweet voice as I lean against the lockers and watch his jaw twitch.

"Your guard dog stepped in too early, babe. We missed out on a hell of a lot of fun because of him, what would you say to a rematch tonight?" He asks in a voice that although sounds nice enough, his eyes deceive him. And I can tell he's got a lot more planned then some spiteful sex.

"First of all, I'm not your babe." I say in a deadly tone, as my face looses all traces of fake friendliness and a fierce glare takes it's place as I stand straight. "And second of all, Elijah has nothing to do with us 'missing out on some fun'. The only way I'd ever touch you if with a ten foot fucking pole. So do us both a favour and stay the hell out of my way, because if you don't that bruised jaw will be the least of your worries."

I'm about to walk away when James pulls my arm into a painful grip and leans his face uncomfortably close to my own.

"Word of advice, babe, be careful with who you threaten. You wouldn't want to piss the wrong person off."

"I didn't threaten a person." I say in the same deadly tone he just used on me. "I threatened an asshole."

And with that I rip my arm out of his nasty hands and walk to the nearest bathroom to make sure I haven't just added another bruise onto my body.

~~~~~

After I make sure there's no bruise on my body, as of now anyways, I finally decide to check to see whose been spamming my phone for the last ten minutes.

(8:15am) Elijah: Are you at school yet? 

(8:17am) Elijah: Lexi and Dev said you were just with them, where are you? I want to go on a morning coffee run ;)

(8:20am) Elijah: Camila? 

(8:21am) Elijah: Camillllllaaaaaaa?

(8:22am) Lexi: Where the hell are you, Cami? Eli is low-key freaking out.

(8:23am) Elijah: The warning bell is about to ring, where the hell are you? Did you go home?

(8:25am) Elijah: Camila, what the fuck?

Rolling my eyes with a tiny, undeniable smile on my face I respond to Lexi to let her know I'll text Eli before I finally respond to him.

Camila: Damn, Elijah. A girl can't go MIA for ten minutes without becoming a missing persons anymore?

Elijah: Not you, no. Where are you?

Camila: Bathroom. Want a detailed report as to what I've been up to?

Elijah: Not even a little bit. You're late to first by the way.

Camila: Good thing you're already there then, huh?

Elijah: You think I'm going to help you sneak in?

Camila: I know you will. Especially if you want to know about my ten minutes of being a missing persons before the bathroom called to me.

Elijah: Fine.

Of course, I wouldn't be telling him about James grabbing or threatening me. I didn't need to be running to anyone for protection, not even Eli.

If things got out of hand he'd be the first to know, but in the mean time I'm going to enjoy toying with James.

I contemplate what I think James would to do me and how I would retaliate as I navigate the halls in search of my math classroom. Luckily I'm only three minutes late so even if I am caught, the likelihood of punishment is slim to none.

Arriving to class, I peek in to see that the teacher isn't even here yet making a smile grace my face as I make my way to my seat in the back beside Eli.

"You didn't help me sneak in, Elijah. So you won't be getting any confessions from me anytime soon." I say as I approach our desks and take my seat.

"You didn't need to sneak in, and I thought friends told each other their secrets, Camila." Eli says in his sexy voice as he leans closer to me and pierces right through me with his hazel orbs.

"Friends?" I ask with a devious smirk. If this is how he wants to play it then I'm game.

"If we're not friends then what are we?" He asks with a devious smirk of his own as he leans on his desk causing his muscular arms to appear that much bigger.

"You could have at least added the benefits part in there, you know. But if you wanna downgrade back to friends then that's fine." It's a lie. It wouldn't be fine, but I know this is all apart of a game he's playing. And even though I don't know what the hell is going on I intend to win.

"Is it?" He asks with a knowing smirk. Of course it's not fine, but he's going to be the one to say it.

"Yeah." I say with a shrug. "I could always call Drew up, and I know you probably have your own line up of girls pining after you, don't you Elijah?"

"Oh, you could call Drew up?" He questions with eyes that are beginning to storm which causes me to smirk. "You think he could make you feel better than I could?"

No. "I wouldn't know, would I?"

I watch as he fists begin to clench and unclench and his jaw tightens. I roll my eyes at his behaviour and finally stop the bullshit.

"Why'd you start the game if you couldn't win?" I ask.

"Because I have a nasty habit of underestimating you." He answers honestly as he slowly relaxes.

"I wouldn't go back to Drew, you know. Even if we fuck this up." I say after a few moments of silence. I suddenly feel bad for throwing Drew's name around like that, it was fighting dirty.

"I know." Eli murmurs as our teacher walks in and starts distributing worksheets. "You don't have to explain, I shouldn't have friendzoned you, even if it was a joke."

"Haven't you heard, Elijah?" I ask as I grab my sheet and look to him with my signature smirk. 

"All is fair in love and war."