Safe Place

12

AIDEN

"Can we go to a beach house for the weekend?" Eli asks as we walk around the campus.

"You want to pay all that money just for 2 days?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why not?"

"Eli. I swear to God, please stop wasting your money on stupid things."

"That's not stupid! Just imagine jumping in the cool fresh ocean water right now." He looks at me with crossed arms.
I really do want to be at the beach right now. It would be a nice distraction from school and everything going on.
"Fine, I'll go." I finally accept.
"Okay so it will be me, you, Zara, Sophie and Zara's friend Mae." He counts with his fingers.

Zara's going. I'll see her in a bathing suit again. That is exactly what I need right now.
"Why are you smiling?"
"I'm not smiling."
"Ooo Aiden's blushing over his little girlfriend."
Girlfriend...what? No. She is not my girlfriend.

"We are friends! Just friends." I almost shout at him.
"Her rubbing herself on you isn't very friendly of you guys."
His words remind me of last night. Her squirming around to get comfortable on my lap practically killed me.

"She was sitting on me to clean up a cut on my face. Do not start right now."

"You didn't see it as that." Eli snickers as we walk back inside Elwood prep.

"She was just helping me. Cut it ou-" I'm interrupted with someone. Someone that I never wanted to see ever since things ended last year.
"Hey Aiden."
"Victoria?"
She greets me with a peck on my lips as if it's a normal thing she does.
"Don't kiss me, touch me or even breathe the same air as me right now."

"Come on, babe. Don't be like that." Victoria moves closer to me as Eli awkwardly inspects her.

Her short black hair hits me in the face. "I missed you."

"You cheated on me." I squint at her.
"It wasn't like that." She kisses me again on the cheek slowly moving down to my neck making me uncomfortable.

"I have a girlfriend!" I sputter out making her pause.
"A girlfriend? You haven't dated anyone since me." She stops kissing me.
She's right, I'm not a dating person. I haven't thought about dating anyone since we've broke up.
Until now. But that's not the point.

"Well. We're very serious, so I recommend you should back away. Right Eli?" I turn away looking at him.
He nods at me catching on.

"Yup. They're like in love. Like insanely in love." He smiles confidently.

"I don't believe you guys for even a second." She connects her arms giving us a strange look.

I wouldn't believe me either. Everyone in this fucked up school knows I don't really date. How do I even prove that I have a girlfriend when I don't even have one to begin with?

"How can I prove it to you then?" I give her a serious look.

"Come to my party with her?"
"And when is that party."
"Tonight. My house."

"Okay. You'll see her." Eli says moving closer to Victoria.

"Shoo now." He waves her goodbye.
"I'm not a bird. Don't talk to me like that."
"You look like one."
"Eli.." I mumble.
"She deserved it."