Since You - A WWC Spin Off

2; The Outsiders

Eli

"Eli, can I talk to you for a second?"

Mr Malik stops me as I'm about to head out of class. The rest of the students flood through the door, leaving the few strays that are still packing up their things. And Riley Malik.

She's talking to her dad, so I wait patiently for my turn and try to not eavesdrop, but I pick up parts of their conversation.

"I'm picking your mum up from the airport after work, do you want to come?" 

"I'm going over to Madison's." 

"To do what?"

"Homework, dad."

"Will you be home for dinner?"

"I don't know."

"Riley-"

"I have to go to my next class." Riley turns around and looks right at me, a little startled that I'm right behind her listening. She holds her gaze for a second too long before heading out of the room.

"Sorry about that," Mr Malik says. "Eli. How are you?"

"I'm good, Sir. Can I ask what this is about?"

"Relax, you're not in trouble." He searches around for some papers on his desk and hands me some. "I graded your writing. Eli, your poem was fantastic. You have a real talent."

"Oh." I glance down at my work and see the scribbled A+ written up the top. "Thank you."

He looks at me for a while, as if waiting for me to continue talking. He soon realises that I'm not. "What was your inspiration, if you don't mind me asking?"

"For the poem?"

He nods.

I shrug, lifting my backpack strap over my shoulder more. "I-I don't know. Just life, I guess."

Mr Malik studies me. "I was a lot like you when I was younger." He opens up his desk drawer and hands me a book. I read the cover. The Outsiders.

"What is this?"

"I want you to read it. Tell me what you think."

"Is this some kind of extra-curricular thing?" I ask.

"If you want it to be."

I turn over the book and read the blurb on the back. 

"It's one of my favourite books," Mr Malik explains. "I think you'll really like it. If you can write me a report on it the extra grades will look really good on your college application."

"I don't know if I'm going to college," I state.

Mr Malik smiles at me. "Just read it."

I shove it in my bag. "Okay. Thanks, Sir."

"Have a good one, Eli."

I leave the classroom and merge into the hallway, heading for my locker. I open up my bag and take out the book Mr Malik gave me before putting it in my locker.

"What kind of flowers do you think Jordan would like?"

I roll my eyes at the sudden company. "I don't know, Carl."

"See, I was thinking daisies, but Nick said those were weeds and Nick would know. He's given a lot of girls flowers in his lifetime," my best friend says as he leans against the locker beside me.

I shut my locker and turn towards him. "Why don't you just ask her?"

"Nick says I shouldn't have to ask, I should already know. Speaking of." Carl's eyes fly upwards and I follow his gaze to see my other best friend Nick coming down the hall, Lisa Hunting by his side. Nick was on the football team which meant girls naturally flocked to him, and to us by association.