My Best Friend's Brother (ON HOLD)

4. Elias and Emery's Fight

"-a child." I hear Emery shout as I pull the Jeep door open. Christ, it's only seven.

"Well at least I'm not a selfish bitch." Eli spits back at his sister.

"Eli." I can't contain my gasp as my hand freezes on the buckle of my seatbelt.

Eli doesn't look at me though, instead staring daggers at his twin. The muscle in his jaw twitches before he suddenly throws the Jeep into reverse and backs out of the driveway.

The drive to school is excruciating, and as much as I'd like to know what's going on, I know better than to speak.

When the Jeep finally come to a complete stop, I jump out, feeling able to breathe again. Emery immediately hooks her arm with mine, dragging me toward the school.

When I glance back at Eli, his eyes soften, only slightly, from glaring daggers at his sister's back.

"He's such a jerk." Emery growls, yanking the door into the school open and stomping inside.

"What uh," I pauses to fumble with the combination on my locker. "What are you guys fighting about?"

"Nothing." She mutters, tolling her eyes before looking through her locker.

I reach for my physics book. "It doesn't seem like nothing."

Em freezes, glancing at me before looking back into her locker. "He likes this girl."

"Oh." I attempt to remain casual. Not like my heart was just ripped out and sent through a paper shredder. No biggie. "You don't like her?" My nail suddenly becomes interesting when her locker closes.

Emery sighs. "I do. Which is why I told him they shouldn't date. I'm not willing to lose my friend or my brother when they break up."

I nod like I understand, but really I don't. What if they stay together. My gut twists uncomfortably. "Who is she?" I find myself asking as we walk toward my physics class, her trig class being further down the hall.

"No one you know." Em snaps, obviously tired of my prying. "Sorry," She says quickly, rubbing her temples. "It's just been going on all weekend and I'm sick of it."

"I get it." I clear my throat, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear before turning back to my locker. Stupid heart. The sad part is I knew something like this was coming, I could feel it and yet, a small part of me hoped just maybe...

"Vi," Emery says, making me try to rapidly blink away my tears. "You can do so much better, yeah?" She gives me a small smile full of pity.

"Yeah." I nod, my heart breaking. "I know."
But alas, the heart wants want it wants. And my heart currently wants a very specific six foot, green-eyed, soccer player.

-

"Hey." Eli easily slides into the seat next to me, he leans in a little to close and when he speaks his breath fans the shell of my ear.

I have to physically stop the shiver what wants to run down my back.

"Hey." I whisper back to him, keeping my eyes focused on a the odd equation at the front of the classroom. Freaking physics. "Are you having a better day?"

I risk glancing up at him and notice his eyes have narrowed slightly. "What did she tell you?"

"Nothing," I shrug, starting to write the equation down but my pen is suddenly snatched from my hand.

"I'm not playing around." He huffs, handing my pen back to me. "What did she tell you?"

"She told me about your crush." I whisper and I see his face visibly drain if all color just before he gulps. "And that she didn't approve."

"What, uh, what," He starts to stutter and I can't help but stare at him like he's lost it; I've never seen him like this before. "How do you feel?"

His intense gaze dude my lands on me, causing me to suddenly forget the whole 'I'm excited for you' lie I had been practicing.

Is he asking because he knows how I feel about him and is concerned about hurting me? Or is he asking because he wants a friend's opinion?

"It's none of my business." He blinks at my terrible response which is no doubt soaking in jealousy. I just really don't know how to respond, the truth I out of the question.

Somehow I don't see the response 'I feel crushed that it's not me' going well..

"I think it does, I mean..." He suddenly huffs, his eyes looking exasperated.

"It's cool, I guess." Winging at just how terrible it sound.

Eli's entire, tensed body deflates in a dejected manner. He spins himself forward quickly, leaning to grab his physics book from his bag. Scoffing slightly as he does so.

"I prepared myself for a whole lot of reactions but I gotta say, I didn't see that coming." The muscle in his jaw jumps, a physical manifestation of his anger.

"Eli,"

"No," He yanks the book open and angrily starts to write the assignment on the chalkboard down. "I get it, it's not a big deal."

"It is. I insist, reaching for his hand. "You want your friend's opinion and I can't give it to you." His writing stops. "I just do t have all the details."

"What?" He asks, looking at me again, frowning.

"She just told me you have a crush on someone and that she didn't approve. I know she's expecting me to side with her and you want me to side with you, but I just don't know enough about it." I tell him a half truth. "As long as it's not someone like Blair I think I could be happy for you." There's not  an ounce of truth in that statement but even the angel on my shoulder waves it off.

Eli stares at me for a long time, processing, squinting, and studying. My heart starts to race it the intense assessment of both my statement and my face. Suddenly, he cracks a grin. "She's nothing like Blair."

"Then I'm happy for you." I laugh, genuinely, at the cheesy grin on his face and only when I remember that it's not for me really do I stop. "What do you like about her?" I question, wanting to know what's so special that she caught his attention.

Eli hasn't dated much, his last relationship actually ending on a surprisingly good note. It was before I realized my feelings for him, so I can't say I noticed much about her.

"Everything." I see a blush work its way up his neck, his hands moving to scratch a sudden itch on his head. "Wow, that's pathetic." He laughs at himself shaking his head.

"No, it's cute." I say, turning back to my physics text, praying for the bell to ring before my heartbreak shows.

"Yeah?" He questions and I confirm with a nod.

"Yeah."

***
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