Love, Eliot

Hold the Line

The overcast sky loomed over me as I made the short walk to the cafe. My earbuds sat snug in my ears with a familiar playlist blasting into my skull.

Puddles of rain littered the concrete sidewalk and I narrowly avoided soaking my shoes. Putting up with wet socks for the rest of the day would be a nightmare.

Before I could make it to the warmth of the cafe, one song trailed off and into another.

The intro to Any Way You Want It caught me off guard and I stopped in my tracks. During the break, I removed the song from my music library but not from this playlist.

Drew's playlist remained untouched.

I sighed and pulled out my cracked phone. A picture of Josiah lit up the screen, I sighed and then entered the music app.

The song's name appeared along with the album's image; I watched as facts about the album scrolled across the screen.

Released in 1980. I sucked in a breath and released it with a smirk creeping onto my lips. Eliot1980.

I wanted to believe Drew put thought into the username, but I knew it was far more likely he glanced over to his wall and threw something together.

A username that couldn't give him away even if I figured it out.

Before I could lose myself down that rabbit hole, I hit shuffle and continued walking to the cafe.

A kid with bright blue hair held the door open for me as I entered. I nodded in his direction and weaved through the crowd of students picking up their daily caffeine fix.

I claimed the last vacant table with my red sweater and joined the line of exhausted students.

The cashier, Jenny, smiled when she saw me. After the wait, she typed in my order.

"Morning, Cassie."

"Hey," I returned her infectious grin. Her doodles populated the walls and after a few weeks, the university commissioned her to paint a mural where the fountain used to be.

"Same thing as usual?" She asked, already preparing my order. I had become a creature of habit, choosing the same drink whenever I could.

"Always," I slid my university card to her side of the counter and checked my messages as she swiped it.

"Be there in a minute." Before I could respond, another message appeared, "I love you."

I bit my lip and started typing while Jenny set my drink on the counter. Then, I took it back to my corner table and settled in.

After a long break, university life felt comfortable and familiar. With the play rapidly approaching, Ms. Wright required daily practice.

I had never been so sore.

I savored the first sip of my coffee and watched as the rain poured outside; anyone who thought the storm passed would have an unpleasant surprise.

I knew heading back to the dorms would mean getting drenched by the rain.

While I would dread the walk home later, at that moment, I sat in the crowded room with nowhere else to be.

Until I saw him.

Drew sat across the room with Rosemary. Her streaked red hair earned several lectures from Ms. Wright but after a few days, they came to an agreement.

As long she dyed her hair back to brown by opening day, Ms. Wright would hold her tongue.

It was an agreement we all benefited from.

I peeled my eyes away before either of them could sense my gaze. The last thing I wanted was another round of awkward conversations.

Rosemary would barely speak to me until I cornered her outside of the theater. By then, she and Drew had reconciled and my attempts to reach her were met with radio silence.

Friendships were so fragile.

The thought prompted me to steal another glimpse of Drew. He sipped his coffee with a sideways grin pulling at his cheeks. The steely silence between us grew with each passing day.

Maybe that was how our friendship was meant to end, not with a bang, but a whimper.

My attention split when the bell above the entrance chimed and Josiah walked in. The raging storm soaked his grey-blue hoodie but he smiled when his eyes met mine.

Josiah weaved through the crowded cafe and took the seat in front of me.

"Looks like you made it before it started pouring." He pushed wet strands of hair out of his face.

"Just barely," I shifted in my seat and focused on Josiah, "How was your test?"

He rolled his eyes. "Mrs. Camp decided to use material that wasn't on the study guide."

"That should be illegal."

"Tell me about it," Josiah reached across the table and placed his hand over mine, "Anything crazy happen today?" His hands felt like ice but I didn't mind.

My eyes wandered past him.

"Not really." Heat rushed to my cheeks and I pushed aside any nagging concerns.

Rosemary had asked me to stay away after we discovered Eliot's identity. I blinked and three weeks went by without contact, except for the occasional nod at rehearsal.

Josiah noticed the difference in my expression. He followed my gaze to the table across the room, "Still not talking?"

I shook my head and sighed, "No, and I'm starting to think we never will."

He didn't know the whole story, how Rosemary felt uncomfortable with me anywhere near her new dedicated boyfriend.

My best friend.

A friend who let me walk away. I wasn't sure whether to be thankful or sad for Drew's compliance.

Months had passed since I discovered he was Eliot and I still struggled not to say something.

Anything.

Josiah rubbed the top of my hand, "I'm sorry." The softness in his eyes eased the ache inside of me.

"It's alright," I gave him a reassuring smile. "Ready for the movie?"

He checked the time on his phone, "Yeah, we should get going before it starts pouring rain again."

I finished off the remainder of my coffee as Josiah ordered a drink for the walk to the theater.

Then, a familiar song poured through the cafe speakers and caught my attention. I glanced over to Drew and forced myself not to be disappointed when he didn't return my gaze.

Why would he?

I shut my eyes and pretended that I never discovered the truth.

That we were meeting later that day for cold pizza and cheap beer.

When I reopened them, I let reality sink in.

I forced myself to focus on Josiah; how he patiently waited in line and turned every so often to wink in my direction.

He made me happy.

But still, my heartbeat matched the quick tempo of Hold the Line as it played above the cafe.

****

The cafe buzzed with energy.

Drew's dark brown eyes remained fixed on Rosemary's enchanting smile and never wavered, not until Cassie walked out the door.