Eli Goldsworthy Moving On

Eli Goldsworthy Moving On ~5~

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Author's Note

The more comments, fans, and votes I get on this story, the faster I will update. Second update today. If I get enough comments and votes, I'll update again today.

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The next day in school, Eli didn’t see Serena until before English. He was leaning against her locker when she rounded a corner talking to some boy. She was smiling and laughing, they separated before she came to her locker.

“Hey,” Serena said, she leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

“Who was that?” Eli asked, trying to hold the jealousy from his voice.

“That was Jamie, a boy from my Chemistry class, we’re partners for a project.”

Eli nodded slowly, letting the jealousy leave him. “Ok, so you wanna have a movie date after school? My parents won’t be home until late and I thought we could hang out.”

“Why do you want me there when you’re parents aren’t?” Serena asked, amusement dancing in her multi-colored eyes.

“I didn’t mean we’d do anything, I just meant . . . I mean,” Eli stuttered. Why was she always making him do that? She made him stutter even when she wasn’t around. No one ever made him second guess himself the way she did.

“It’s fine, I’m just messing with you.” Serena grinned. “Sure, I’ll come.”

Eli took Serena’s hand and they walked to class together. They arrived moments before the bell sounded, Serena planted a soft kiss on Eli’s lips before leaving to her seat. Eli turned to see Claire, looking at the scene, stunned.

Eli only shook his head and turned around. Did Claire expect him to be lonely and sad the rest of his life?

Mrs. Dawes began class. “I thought since today is Friday we can all use a relaxing day to sit back from the first week of school. So, I got the play, Julius Caesar, to watch. You kids can rearrange your seats if you’d like.”

The kid next to Serena moved, so Eli quickly stood to make his way to her, but Claire slid into the seat before he could. “Hey, Serena.” She smiled, innocently at the both of them. Eli chose the seat in front of Serena instead, giving Claire a dirty look.

Serena looked between the two of them and sat back, she put in her headphones, blasting out some screamo song. She put her head down on her desk, obviously wanting to stay out of the two’s argument that was inevitable.

“What are you doing?” Eli asked, staring at the girl he used to love . . . and still did, but only a little.

“Saving a girl from you,” she replied.

“Serena doesn’t need saving,” Eli said, venomously. “We’re fine.”

“Did you tell her all of your little secrets? Julia, Fitz, everything? She should be the judge of what happens, I wish I could’ve gotten out sooner. If only I had known how crazy you were.”

That comment hurt him, badly. Eli didn’t know what to say after a pause, he said, “I told her everything. You know what else? Unlike you, she stuck around when I needed her most.”

Claire sat back. “Stay away from her, Eli.”

The bell rang, to Eli’s relief. He shook Serena’s shoulder and she looked up. “You two done?” she yelled, her iPod was too loud. Pulling out one of her earbuds, Eli smiled at his girlfriend.

“It’s time to go.” Serena stood and looking at Claire, Eli put his arm around her. She was a few inches shorter and fit into his side perfectly. She smiled, wrapping her arm around him.

“Bye, Claire,” Eli said. Serena nodded in her direction and they left.

*

Claire ran up to Eli as he waited on the steps for Serena. “Leave her alone, Eli. I won’t let you do that to a girl again.”

“What?” Eli said, he was looking up at Claire confused. Eli had momentarily forgotten their previous conversation.

“I won’t let you manipulate her the way you did to me.” Claire stared at Eli hard, she had yelled and now people were staring. Eli took Claire’s upper arm in a light grip and started to walk down the stairs with her.

“Can you not start?” Eli said.

“Let go!” Claire said, jerking away.

“Hey!” a boy came over yelling. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Eli said. “We were just talking.”

The boy, Jake, pushed Eli and he fell back onto the ground. “Stay away from her!” Eli was blinded by the anger, it was fueling him. First, Claire had left him alone when he needed her most. Then, she tried to ruin his chance of moving on. And she had the audacity to send her new beau on him.

Eli stood and pulled his fist back. All the anger and betrayal he felt he put into that punch he landed in Jake’s eye. Jake fell back and howled in pain. He stood up and swung at Eli, hitting him square in the jaw.