The Boy Who Played With Fire

Chapter 2

How The Hell Did I Get Here?

TW

Elias was going to be late. He was fine with that though. He was currently waiting in an alley, smoking a cigarette. His phone buzzed again; another text from Andrew asking where he was. He disregarded the text and continued to wait. It was a Friday night. They would come. They always did. He smiled when he heard the familiar clicking.

An hour and a half after the party had started, Elias walked through the door.

"Eli!" Andrew slurred when he noticed the dark haired boy enter. "You're here!"

"I'm here," Elias said.

Andrew came over and hugged him. "God, you reek of gasoline. Did you shower at the gas station?"

Elias just kind of stared at him. How was he supposed to answer that? 'Sorry I'm late, I was busy committing a heinous crime.'

"Go upstairs and shower, the party will still be here when you're back." Andrew shooed him up the stairs.

Elias quietly made his way up the stairs and to Andrew's bathroom.

"Josh, I'm serious," a girl's voice laughed, "let's go back downstairs."

"C'mon, we're having fun," Josh's voice slurred from Andrew's room.

Josh had a girlfriend. Her name was Brooklyn or Brooke. Elias was fond of her. She had always been nice to him. She was a sweet girl, she was just dating an absolute prick. Because Elias was fond of her, he knew what she sounded like, and she didn't sound like that. Her voice was... different than the girl's in the room.

"Josh, stop," the girl had stopped laughing, she started sounding more desperate. Elias had a very bad feeling about what was about to happen.

"Why, don't you like me?" Josh asked.

"Of course I like you, but I don't want to do this now and especially not here," the girl laughed again. "I think Andrew would have some complaints about that."

"Andrew won't mind," Josh assured her, "he's had worse happen in here."

The girl laughed.

"Prove it," Josh said.

"Prove what?" the girl sounded confused.

"Prove to me you like me, Clare," Josh repeated, sounding more intense.

Elias walked into the room before things could get any worse. Josh and the girl, Clare, were sitting on Andrew's bed. Elias kind of recognized Clare. He had a few classes with her but they weren't friends.

"Sorry, I didn't realize people were in here," Elias said awkwardly, "but, can you guys leave, because no one is supposed to be in here and I need to shower, so..."

Elias would've kept rambling on about anything in order to save this girl. He wasn't sure why seeing as he didn't really know her but he knew she didn't deserve this. Elias wasn't sure if it was adrenaline or if his hatred for Josh trumped every other emotion.

"Get out of here, freak!" Josh stood up and started towards him.

"Nice hair cut Brooke, I like what you did with the color. Oh, wait, that's not Brooke. Where's your girlfriend Josh?" Elias countered.

"It's none of your business," Josh spit out.

"It is when you're trying to pressure someone into sleeping with you who clearly doesn't want to." Elias crossed his arms and stared at Josh.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Josh hissed, clearly pissed off. "Get out of here."

"Josh, it's fine, we should go." Clare stood up and started for the door.