Chapter Twelve (pt. 1) [Eli]

The twitch of Owen's lips diminishes his half-assed scowl.

Dean laughs even harder at the slight discrepancy in Owen's expression. Connor Wong and James Lowell join him. I glance at Owen to watch him fight the laughter for just a second, before giving in.

I didn't hear whatever jab Connor threw at him, so I can't find it me to laugh along. But it must have been funny if it made Owen crack the broody front in public.

Not far from us, Trey Coleman is on his feet, telling a story that has the rest of the team crying with laughter. He's definitely the entertainer.

There always needs to be a player to bridge the gap between the new guys and the rest of the team. In my freshmen year, it was Nathan Sullyvan — Natalie Sullyvan's brother, a junior at the time. He went on to be captain the year after that. Coach Hansen chose him because of his ability to get along with everybody and make everyone get along with each other. He was a really social guy.

A lot of people thought that same logic would make me captain in my senior year. But that was before last year.

Linden came after Sullyvan, and he was more like Owen. Great center, completely focused on getting into college. He was no entertainer, but he was the kind of trust-inspiring captain the new guys always yearned to impress. You could say he was Owen's mentor for the past two years, and probably the one who recommended him as captain to our coaches.

The rare open grin on Owen's face fades when a pair of hands clasps around his shoulders. It's the kind of casually intimate gesture that only one person could be confident enough to make.

"Hey, boys," Olivia chirps happily.

Olivia's friends stand behind her, in a somewhat awkward line. Three girls from the drama club I never really knew until last year. Paige, the blonde one, who keeps shooting Owen these longing glances she doesn't even seem to notice she's doing. Rachel, the brunette who made out with Dean last year. Twice. And Kate, the redhead who went with Connor to last year's winter formal, and who hooked up with Trey Coleman the summer before that.

Small town.

"Hey," Dean greets with an easy smile. Rachel smiles back at him.

Connor and Kate look at everything but each other. I think things ended awkwardly between them, after the winter formal. I can't judge. I broke up with my girlfriend of a year last winter formal, after two months of ignoring her.

"Shouldn't you be watching your figure for the season?" Olivia asks playfully, looking at Dean's fries.

"Shouldn't you be minding your own damn business?" Owen shoots back, even though he always gives us disapproving glares whenever we break our diet plans.

"Why you gotta be so aggressive?" Olivia huffs, pulling her hands away from his shoulders. "I'm just making conversation."

"Stupid conversation," Owen argues sullenly.

"Your face is more stupid," she quips back.

"Stupider," Owen corrects.

Olivia smiles sweetly. "Glad we agree," she muses, making her way toward me.

I raise my eyebrows in surprise as she goes right ahead and takes a seat on my lap, facing her brother at the head of the table. She props her elbow on my shoulder casually.

"No chairs available?" I ask.

She grins. "Nope. All full. Also, I like making his nostrils flare." She jerks her head in her brother's direction.

If that was her goal, she must be delighted right now. When I look at Owen, his eyes are focused on me. His glare is clearly meant to scorch me alive.

I roll my eyes. He's ridiculous. But it's no use battling someone who knows he's being ridiculous and still chooses to be like that.

I push Olie off me, gently but surely. "Don't you have somewhere better to be?"

She stands up, blinking incredulously at me. I don't know what offended her more. The blunt rejection, the sudden coldness in my tone, or the fact that I went along with her brother's unfounded whims.

Whichever one it is, the result is the same. She leaves. Paige, Rachel and Kate trail behind her.

When I look at Owen again, he's still glaring. Maybe harder now.

"You couldn't have been nicer?" He glowers.

I roll my eyes again. There's just no pleasing him when it comes to his baby sister, who's really not a baby at all anymore.

The mood stays heavy for only a second after that. All it takes to diffuse the tension is Dean's dumb grin as he shows us all a weirdly curved fry from his plate. Connor and James laugh at his discovery and, from there, the conversation moves on to oddly shaped food.

Just like that, all is well. At least, between Owen and I.

My body stiffens with anxious anticipation as Dean and I walk together to Trig class. Trey Coleman and two other seniors come right on our tail. Dean joins their conversation, but I can't focus enough to make out the topic. I kick into auto-pilot as we move to our seats.

"Where's Mackenzie?"

I look at Dean. "Who?"

"Mackenzie Pruitt's supposed to be in this class, but she's not here," he says.

It's kind of random. Both because I never heard him mentioning her before and because I can't imagine why he would think I know.

Anyone else, I would assume he is somehow, maybe into her. But this is Dean. Sometimes he notices people I don't; sometimes he misses the point of an entire conversation. Sometimes he tells me what's wrong with people before I even notice there's a problem; sometimes he forgets something you told him twice just ten minutes before.

His brain works in strange ways, so I can never really say what's on his mind unless he tells me. Luckily, he's good at telling people what's on his mind.

Unwillingly, but unable to stop myself, I look over my shoulder to the back of the room, where Mackenzie Pruitt usually sits next to Liam Astor. Sure enough, her seat is empty today.

But Liam's isn't.

His eyes find mine as soon as I see him. I turn my head back around so fast I give myself whiplash.

"Do you think she's sick?" Dean asks me, pensively.

I shrug stiffly.

Honestly, Mackenzie Pruitt's health is the last thing on my mind.

I can feel Liam's eyes on me throughout the entire class. It's like a hot bull's eye on the back of my neck. I don't even notice the way I'm shaking my leg under the table until I catch Dean glancing at it every once in a while. I still myself for a second, before it starts back up of its own accord.

My brain keeps trying to take me back to last night at the Ice Arenas.

Stupid.

I fight the memory of my conversation with Liam. That proud smile on his face when I didn't discourage our interaction. When I kept welcoming it.

Stupid.

I can vividly recall that knowing glimmer in dark-blue eyes. The shrewd curve of heart-shaped lips. The obvious signs of attraction.

Obvious, my ass. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I can hardly believe what I did. Whatever I was thinking...

No. I wasn't thinking at all. That's what last night was.

The image of Liam's face hovering above mine with that half-smug, half-charming smile slithers its way into my mind's eye. Worse of all, I get a flash of that look of utter confusion and pure shock as he pulled back.

I have to take a deep breath to keep from physically cringing. Stupid.

When the bell rings, I can't be gone fast enough.

Dean has to run to catch up with me.

"Shouldn't we wait for Owen?" He asks me, looking over his shoulder.

I don't stop walking. "He can meet us there."

Dean looks over his shoulder again, still following me. "Actually—" he stops, "—I think I'll wait."

Fine. I'm not even sure I say that out loud, but I know Dean's no longer following me.

It's absolutely pathetic. And useless. Because I'm running. But, as the pathetic idiot I am, I'm running to the same place the person I'm running from will eventually go as well.

Knowing that doesn't keep me from arriving at The Lodge in record time. While changing inside the staff room, I keep one eye always on the door, expecting it to open. It doesn't.

I go into the dining room, which is empty as it normally is around this time on a weekday. Elliott isn't anywhere to be seen, so I assume he's in his office.

On his way out for his break, Chef Armel tells me a little too brusquely to wash the dishes on the sink. He's been acting much nicer around me lately, but I suspect it has something to do with me having to train the boss's son. Now that Liam isn't here, I can tell my suspicions were right.

Even though there's still two minutes before my shift starts, I grab the detergent. I watch the clock on the wall as I scrub the dishes. When the big arm reaches the six, I expect to hear Liam walk into the kitchen, but he doesn't.

Fuck.

I'm going to have to look at him when he comes. Talk to him. Act like everything is fine. Like nothing happened.

In truth, nothing really did happen.

Still, I can't believe how much of an idiot I was. A dumb, reckless idiot.

And all for what?

Because his eyes feel like a challenge I was always meant to fail? Because his mouth was just there, tempting me to push caution aside for once? Because he teased, and taunted, and flirted?

Fucking Liam Astor flirts with everyone. I have seen him flirt with James Lowell, just to watch the kid blush, even before his summer fling was the talk of the school. I have seen him flirt with teachers just because he can. I'm pretty sure he messed with Natalie in front of me, back when we were dating, just to get a reaction out of me.

That's probably what he was doing all along. Messing with the jock. Flirting with the hockey player to make him uncomfortable. Tug at some internalized homophobic strings. Trying to get a reaction.

It worked. Just not the way he probably planned.

***

Oof, gotta cut this one halfway too. But I'm really curious about what you think so far!

What do you make of this little peek into Eli's open thoughts for once? What do you think we'll happen when he finally faces Liam?

Thank you for reading, and please consider leaving a vote or a comment if you enjoyed this!