The Taunting (College Life #1)

Doug's match

Elizabeth's P.O.V-

"Do you want the rest of that?" Jill asked me, pointing a black fingernail at my cheesecake.

"Uh, no, it's all yours." I slide the saucer across the table. She snatches it up, plunges her fork in the cake, and moaned once the sweet dessert hit her tongue. "Hungry, are we?"

"Very." Her mouth was full.

"Yeah, keeping secrets would make you hungry." She stops her fork in midair, the piece of cheesecake slides off the fork, onto the plate.

"What are you talking about?"

I lean into her, not wanting to bring the entire coffee shop into our conversation.

"I saw you, last night talking to Daniel."

She swishes up her eyebrows, "When?"

"In his room, don't play dumb." I scowl.

She laughs, "I wasn't, it was a genuine question."

"What were you two talking about?"

"None of your- wait, how did you know Daniel and I were talking? Fuck me, were you spying on us?" She points the fork at me.

I gasp, my words tumbling in my mouth, "Are you insane! I would never- ever- do that. I was just walking by and saw you two talking?"

"Oh really? So, you didn't stand at the doorway and listen to our conversation?"

"I may have stopped for a split second."

"Which constitutes as spying, Eliza. What Daniel and I were talking about is personal, and it isn't my place to say." She takes a bite of cheesecake; I take the plate away from her. "Hey, give that back!" She screeches.

"Not until you tell me what is going on. Daniels a good friend of mine, I would want to know if he was in trouble or not."

She shakes her head, "He's not in trouble, E. There isn't a mob after him, Tuco isn't trying to kill him."

"Looks like someone has been watching Breaking Bad. Besides that, is he really ok?" I worry about people, mostly Daniel. We haven't spent much time together, but he was the first person here to help me out. I'm sure he knows that something is going on between Andreas and me, but he hasn't said anything. He's a good friend, I just want to make sure that he's safe.

"He is, trust me." I slide back the plate.

"I also saw you two kissing, what was that about?"

Her cheeks flush, "He was just saying goodbye to me."

I roll my eyes, "Mhm. When I say goodbye to Doug, I don't kiss him on the lips, mostly because Carlee would whoop my ass, but most importantly, we are friends. Are you and Daniel's friends? Don't tell me to mind my own business, you were the one that would stalk me with questions on Andreas and me."

"We are. . .kind of dating, I'm not so sure. After the Halloween dance, we've been texting, that's how it started. Then at the football game, we got more into talking, and all I could think about was having sex with him, so we did. I wish we would have waited, but I couldn't help myself, you've seen Daniel. Just a piece of sexy chocolate that I want to li-"

"Ok! I get it, he's hot."

She smiles sheepishly, "Anyway, we've been making out a lot, and when he's done with track practice, we meet up and talk. Things aren't official."

"I think you two would be cute together."

"Of course." I watch her as she scarfs down the cheesecake, not letting up to breathe.

✏️✏️✏️✏️

Damn, this stadium is huge.

Rows and rows of seats are piled with people, and in the middle of the stadium are gold and blue mats, and upon them are wrestlers.

It's a tournament, match after match has been going on since this morning. Doug doesn't compete until 2, which is in 10 minutes. We can't really see him, since we are so high up.

"Where are we sitting again?" My mother asked.

"In section B, which should be up ahead." Monica points out.

We walk down the mini-steps, moving through the crowd until we reach section B. Bridget and my parents go in first, followed by Andreas, Carlee, Monica, and then me.

"How many people does he have to go up against?" I lean over, asking Monica.

"Uh, I think 10 or so. As he wins each match, he'll move up the board." She points to the large board with all the faces of the people that are competing today. "Eventually, he beats all of them, he'll face off against the champion, and if he wins, he'll go to state."

"Damn, can he keep up his stamina?"

"Yeah, he can. Doug is a tough guy." She assures me.

I don't think I could be fighting people all day. I know I sound crazy saying that since I did kickboxing, but that was for a couple of hours a day, not lasting the whole time.

My neck leans over, looking past the many heads until I see Andreas. He's talking to my mom, probably explaining to her how everything works. He's got on a UC Berkeley t-shirt and jeans. The shirt is tight, showing off his pecs and back muscles. God, he drives me insane.

For the past 2 days or so, he hasn't been talking to me, and I don't know why.

I think I may have scared him off in the kitchen, the story was probably too much for him. My mouth should have stayed shut.

When I see him in the hall, he runs into his room. At the dinner table, he'll eat his food quickly, say good night to everyone and leave to either his room or out the house. When he came home last night, I smelt a faint perfume on his clothes, and I swore I saw lipstick on his cheek.

Has he moved on? Found another woman to mess around with, someone who's more experienced and has less baggage.

I haven't been pushing him, no coming off as needy, that's not who I am. But I am seconds away from clawing at his back, making him tell me what's wrong. If he doesn't want me anymore, he could tell me to my face I can handle it.

I think.