2.0 | Lovestruck

II

Elliot excuses himself from the basketball team, retreating from the gym as he basks underneath the afternoon sun in an odd placidity, the brisk heat of the sun making his supposed trek to the vending machine more grueling than not. He comes to a short pause as his eyes spot a figure right in front of the vending machine, crooning at its deposit pouch with an evident look of disappointment and irritation across her face despite the distance. He quirks an eyebrow as he waits for the female to recede from a fair distance.

That vending machine ain’t even broken… He thinks as he perceives the retreating figure. The fuck..

Fishing out a bill from his pockets, he then dials the position of his desired drink as he anticipates for the familiar thud. Once it does, he bends down to retrieve his drink, but comes into a split surprise upon realizing an additional drink with it. He groans in displease at the thought of approaching an unknown student. But prompts to do so. He’s actually not that much of a bad guy anyway. Maybe if the girls that flocked around him and annoyingly screamed for him during his concentration in court actually complied in accordance to his personal space and likings, he wouldn’t have had to curse the fuck out of them.

“Yo.”

Upon the timbre of his voice, the female flinches, way too hard than Elliot would have anticipated. She turns around in a panic as her tiny hands clasp each other in front of her chest, eyes dripping with confusion and intimidation as she stares at the unfamiliar towering figure before her. “I’M MARRIED!” She squeaked.

“No shit.” Elliot immediately scoffs, but comes into silence upon realizing the event that happened before his eyes. “What?” is what comes out of his mouth shortly after.

“Yeah.. What?” The female asks, looking as dazed and confused as him. She brings up her wrist to re-read the words written across it, and Elliot does the same. “Y-You…” she breathlessly starts. “Y-You have NO idea how embarrassed I was to have the word "shit” tattooed on to me!“

Elliot felt a vein pop inside him. "How is it my fault?! Do YOU have any idea how stupid it would be if people read this shit on my wrist?! People would believe I had a middle-aged woman as my soulmate!” He barked back, and the girl looked visibly pitiful as her eyes over the tattoo on his wrist.

“Well then, I’m sorry! Ma taught me she uses that phrase to scare boys away!” She was just as unrelentless as him, and Elliot found the whole thing quite amusing, in a way.

“What kind of a sane person would even believe a pipsqueak like you would be married already?!”

“I said I’m sorry!”

“Then make up for it, let’s go on a date on sunday!”

“I- wha- sure! Fine! Let’s meet at the park at 4!”

The intermingled tension, frustration and cockiness that slowly surrounded the both of them was stopped by the ringing of the bell. Elliot could see from a distance, how students inside the buildings began to file out to go back to their respective classrooms. The girl in front of him breathed out, face visibly flushed as she began to walk away in a delighted daze. “My name is Astrid. Definitely not married.”

"Hey!! Wait up!" Elliot grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. "Let's have lunch together." Elliot said while grabbing her hand and dragging her away.