Beast Beloved

Chapter Four

"It will be every Tuesday and Thursday after school and continue for two hours." Miss Davis explained how the tutoring system worked, "There will always be a couple of seniors around to do teaching, but the number of other students there to learn will vary day to day."

Eli took the form she gave to him.

"Fill it out, and drop it in to me by the end of the day."

"Can I start today?" Eli stuffed the form into his book, and noticed the strained expression he earned from Miss Davis in doing so. He silently took the sheet back out and straightened it.

She smiled at him. "Of course."

As he left her office he was ambushed by Sinclair. "It's lunchtime"

Eli frowned at her. "Did you follow me?"

She rolled her eyes. "What were you meeting about?"

He noticed she didn't answer his question. "I," Eli paused a moment, but couldn't think of any reason to hide it, "I'm signing up for the student tutoring thing"

"You can't just study at home?"

"If I could I would" Eli recalled the disaster that had been last night's 'study' session. He hadn't even gotten the homework finished. "Even google can't help me"

Sinclair led them to the same cafeteria spot as before. Eli watched her take out her lunchbox and fiddled with his own plastic fork before speaking. "You wouldn't happen to know any places around here that are hiring, would you? Like weekend work, that kind of thing?"

Sinclair titled her head. "Give me your phone"

Eli frowned at her outstretched hand, but handed it over.

"I may know a place" She tapped away at his screen for a moment, "I can drive us by after school."

"That would be great" Eli said eagerly, "Ah, wait, no, I have the tutoring thing so –"

"We can go after that" Sinclair handed him back his phone. "I put my number in there, and we're friends on every social media you have on that thing. Except BoyZone."

"I don't have BoyZone" Eli scowled at her.

"You're on BoyZone?" Phoebe giggled.

"What's that?" Cameron asked.

Eli hardly spared Cameron a glance, but shot Phoebe a look as she sat down. "Sinclair's just messing."

"It's cute" Phoebe smiled, unconvinced by him.

"Seriously, what is it?" Cameron pulled out his phone. Eli saw the web browser open up. Acting on instinct, he snatched it from his hands before he googled it.

"It's nothing." Eli glared at Sinclair.

Cameron stared at his empty fingers, then looked at Eli with a slightly shocked expression. It was as though he couldn't believe Eli had taken his mobile off him. "What?"

"That-" Cameron reached for his phone, his arm was a blur in Eli's vision.

Eli's arm moved by itself, putting Cameron's phone out of reach. Cameron's eyes narrowed. His hand was reaching into empty air, and he was half out of his seat. His gaze moved from the phone, now too far away for him to get, and settled on Eli's face with a piercing intensity. A shiver raced down Eli's spine. He was reminded of the domineering asshole he'd met the other night, and then he was reminded about his ridiculous response to that asshole.

His shoulder prickled.

Eli shifted uncomfortably, and moved the phone into Cameron's outstretched hand. Cameron wrapped his fingers around the phone, as well as his wrist. The slight pressure around Eli's wrist reminded him acutely of being pinned down, and the command that had been in Cameron's voice.