ADDICTED | j.p x oc

19

After failing to persuade Eleanor to go to bed, James ended up staying on the couch with her to ensure she didn't do anything stupid.

Once a few moments of awkward silence passed, El walked into her room to retrieve her mothers letter and plonked it in James' hands. He gave her a confused look, "Read it," she muttered, sitting back down next to him. He obliged and took a while to read through it silently, not saying anything until he was done.

"This is why you've been in a bad mood all day?" he furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

El nodded, "You wanna know a secret?" she looked at him out the corner of her eyes, "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

She sighed and leant her head on the back of the sofa, "Everything. Going home at Christmas. My mother, mainly." Her drunken state made her words slurred and unfiltered, confessing things to James that she would never want to say in her right mind.

"Whats she like?"

"You've seen her," she said while grabbing the bottle back and taking another sip.

"El, please stop drinking," his concern overruled his confusion of her previous statement. He saw a lot of her now, and can't remember the last time she'd gone longer than a day without drinking.

Being stronger than her, James succeeded in the wrestle to get the bottle back and poured the remainder of the liquid down the sink. "Now who's the fun sponge?" she grumbled.

"You're scaring me," he'd tried his best to tread lightly around the subject, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult.

The events of the day mixed with the alcohol, amplified Eleanors anger, causing her to let out a humourless laugh. "ITS NOT YOUR JOB TO BE SCARED FOR ME!" she shouted, "YOUR NOT MY BOYFRIEND, we're barely even friends," and with that she stormed off into her room, not quite managing to walk in a straight line.

She heard James shout, "FINE," from the common room, before copying her actions by storming into his room and slamming the door.

***

The dynamic between the group of six became incredibly awkward over the next few days, none of them knowing why El and James were ignoring each other. The friends were now unable to have a normal conversation without the two heads muttering spiteful comments under their breath.

In a free period one after noon, almost a week later, Marlene, James, and Peter were sitting at their usual spot in the courtyard, under the tree.

"Can you just apologise to her?" Marlene pleaded.

James huffed and crossed his arms like a stubborn child, "Why should i have to apologise?!"

"Well El never apologises. Anyway, you two argue everyday, then get over it a minute later. What's different this time?" Peter attempted to reason with his friend, knowing his pleads were futile.

"Its not an argument! We just aren't friends," The dark haired boy shrugged, "We never were, we just have mutual friends,"

Marlene and Peter exchanged eye contact, knowing it was hopeless trying to change his mind so decided not to linger on the subject, until the dark haired girl appeared on the other side of the courtyard. A head of infamous dark blonde hair at her side.

***

Eleanor tried to remain engaged in the conversation about Evan's family, but found herself losing focus due to the lack of caring. However at the sight of the head boy sitting under the tree with two of their friends, El's face suddenly showed a lot more interest than before.