The Inceptive Flame⎪✓

❨26❩

♀︎

Standing in this cramped space with the one guy I find attractive, is incredibly difficult for me. He is cleaning the blood off his fingers currently, both of us are quiet in the hopes of not getting caught by the teachers roaming the hallways just outside the door. The fight really shocked me and somehow I'm still in this frozen state of mind, not really able to make sense of it. 

"Are you friends with Alec and them?" I ask, breaking the silence. 

Elijah looks at me through the mirror, a shiver rakes my body by his intense eyes, "I don't know if you can call them friends of mine, no. They're pretty solid when there is trouble with the jocks though."

Crossing my arms across my chest, "So you basically asked them to beat up those guys for you?"

"No," He scoffs in anger. "Caspar started shit like he always does, they were there when he threw the first punch."

"Come on, Elijah," I stress. "You clearly beat him up at Relly's party."

His eyes widen in surprise by me knowing, "He told you that?"

"I heard him say it to you out there and it honestly makes a lot of sense, I have heard some stuff about you."

"Well then, you surely know me more than I do. Please do tell, Dakota, inform me of all the wrongs I have committed," He snaps, turning around to face me as he dries off his hands. 

"Don't give me that attitude," I sneer. "It's not like you tell me anything, and your obvious angry responses every time you see him are a dead giveaway. Are you trying to tell me that you haven't touched a hair on his body before today?"

"What is it to you?" His voice raises harshly, but he is still careful so the teachers can't hear us. "Why do you even fucking care what happens to him? It's not like he treats you with respect."

"It is a whole lot to me, when I'm being blamed for what happened to him!" 

Elijah steps forward and gently grabs my chin in his warm hand, he is studying my wounds and I try to get my breathing under control from how close he is, "Is he the reason you're all bruised up?"

"No," I whisper unwillingly, it's so hard for me to be near Elijah. It feels like he understands me without saying it, the honesty in his eyes is too obvious and it makes me want to share. 

"I never meddle like this, love," He starts and caresses my cheek lightly. "But I need to know, who cut you?"

"I fell down the stairs," The lie slips so effortlessly from my lips, but the aftertaste it leaves in my mouth is horrific. It feels disgusting to lie to him all of a sudden. His green eyes meet mine again and I know he doesn't believe me, his eyes flicker to my lips and before I catch myself I'm looking at his, too. 

"Dakota," He warns and my mind catches up to what we're doing. Shaking my head I step away from his touch, it leaves me cold and confused but we can't start anything right now. 

"I have got to go," I say, he catches my wrist in his hand and his thumb caresses my heated skin. 

"You and I both know that I don't believe your lie for a second," He starts with a small saddened smile. "You won't appreciate it if I dig, it's okay. But if you're ever worried for your well-being, then seek out the help. You are entitled to your youth, love, don't drag yourself down with responsibilities." 

The well-known sting behind my eyes, warns me of how close to home his words hit. It is obvious that he knows what's going on and I know he has dealt with or is dealing with something like my situation. 

Smiling at him, I open the door and check if the hallway is clear. No teacher is in sight so Elijah and I creep out of the restroom, just as we are about to release a sigh, Mr. Tristy comes storming in our direction. He only spots me and I back into Elijah's body, pushing him into the restroom and closing the door behind him. 

Not knowing what to do with myself, I lean against the wall and Mr. Tristy catches on to my weird act. "Ms. Moore, have you seen Elijah Black anywhere?" He asks, obviously annoyed that he has to ask me out of everyone else in this school. 

"No, I have not."

"Then why are you protecting the restroom door as if your life depends on it?" He inquires with a raised eyebrow. 

"I'm not?"

He steps forward to grab the door handle and I panic, "Wait!"

"What?" He spits. 

"You don't want to go in there."

He crosses his arms, "And why is that?"

"Because I just took a huge fucking dump, now are you done questioning me?" The words tumble out of my mouth before I can catch them, Mr. Tristy looks absolutely horrified before he leaves me standing in the awkwardness that is my life. 

Not knowing what to do with myself, I walk away from the door and Elijah sneaks out quickly. He falls into step next to me and throws his arm across my shoulders, his laughter horrifies me completely. "You're a real one, love. I don't know a lot of people that would sacrifice their reputation like that to save my ass."

"I can't look him in the eyes again, ever," I murmur in shock.

"The two of you can't stand each other as it is, don't worry about him," The smirk on Elijah's lips distracts me from my misery and I allow myself to laugh along with him. Now Mr. Tristy has yet another grip on me but it doesn't matter, I got Elijah out of trouble. All of us know this school only cares about the drama for a day, tomorrow everything is forgotten, which is why we fought so hard to ensure he didn't get caught today. 

"At least the facial expression I got from him was worth a little bit of my mortification, he was just as appalled as me, maybe even a bit disgusted," I laugh and Elijah hugs me against his body by my shoulders. 

He smiles down at me, "Thank you, love."

Reciprocating I nod my head with a smile, "Not a problem, it was only a small sacrifice of my entire reputation after all, but who cares?"

"I definitely don't," He winks at me and the butterflies have officially returned. This man is doing something to me and I can't help but enjoy it.