Work in Progress

Chapter 12: Not Interested

*ELI'S POV*

I lay down on my couch and stare at my hand. Well, today was a rollercoaster to say the least. I turn my head and see the pan on the floor beside my bag where I dumped it. At least I got a pan out of it. I laugh again thinking how stupid and smart it is. Jacket boy definitely wouldn't have thought of that.

I frown as I remember who did. I stare at my hand again. I didn't think she was capable of actually hurting someone. Well, actually I don't know what she's capable of. It's not like I've been spending my time getting to know her or anyone for that matter. Why do I care what she does with her life? I groan as my hand starts hurting again. Did she notice my panic attack? If she did, she probably thinks I'm weak now.

Letting out a deep sigh, I get up and start making dinner. That doesn't matter. She can think what she wants. I don't care. I shouldn't.

***

The next two days posed a different challenge. I couldn't take any notes -- not that I took a lot anyway-- but still, it would've been nice to have the choice. Kate offered to share her notes with me. I think she felt guilty because she kept looking at my hand. I just can't wait for this day to be over and be the weekend already.

Over lunch, I went to the cafeteria to buy a sandwich since I couldn't make one myself. I was about to head to the yard when King of the Jocks stopped me by shouting from his table, "Hey freak! How are you gonna finger your girlfriend without a hand?" His whole group laughs loudly.

"I may not have a dick and lack a hand but I'm still better at sex than you," I say and his friends go "ooooooooohhh." This is why he's so easy to mess with. His friends will cheer at any good comeback no matter who says it. I shake my head and make my way to the exit, noticing a certain pair of green eyes following me.

***

Finally, classes are over. I decided to drop my bag at home and put on a fresh set of clothes. Then leave again to take a ride to town and visit the local bookstore. I've visited often enough to make the lady who runs it fond of me. I asked if I could park my bike in front for a while so I could check out the nearby park. She easily agrees that a walk around town was a good idea.

It was near sunset when I found myself in the middle of a short forested track. I take a slow breath in. Ahh, the golden hour is truly the best time of day.

"I said leave me alone!" Someone shouts from a distance.

I roughly breathe out. Who the hell is disturbing my quiet time?!

Just a few feet ahead of me I see a man trying to come on to a woman. I'm not really in the best of shape but I can't just leave someone being harassed in the middle of the forest (technically it's a small forest but same, same).

"She says she's not interested," I say standing next to the woman.

"Mind your own business," the man says clearly annoyed that I arrived.

"As a matter of fact she is my business. She's my--" I look at the woman and realize it's Sam, her eyes wide in fear. "--friend." I finish, stepping forward and putting myself between her and the man.

"O-hooo~ and what are you gonna do about it? Punch me with that hand?" He says mocking me and looking at my injured hand.

"No," I say, stepping my right foot forward. "I'll punch you with this hand!" With that I swing my left hand straight at his nose.

He clutches it as blood starts dripping but before he could fight back, I grabbed Sam's hand and started running like hell.

*SAM'S POV*

Eli was holding tightly to my hand as we ran from the man who was harassing me. I've always walked along that path but that was the first time that happened. I was wishing so much that someone would come save me but I never in a million years would think it would be Eli. Still, the moment she came to my defense, I immediately felt safe.

She pulls me in a sharp turn and I feel my back hit a tree. She was breathing heavily as she looked around the corner to see if the man had followed us.

"Are you ok?" She looks at me, her face so close I could see the sweat forming above her lips.

"Yes, thank you." I breathe out, looking anywhere else.

"What were you thinking?!" She says suddenly angry and stepping back. "It's not safe to walk alone especially if you're a woman!"

"It's not even that dark yet!" I shout back, feeling defensive. "And what were you doing walking alone? Last time I checked, you're a woman too."

She looks at me surprised, the anger in her eyes slowly fading. "You're right." You bet I am!

"See you." Wait, what? I grab her shirt as she walks away. She looks behind, feeling the tug. I couldn't get myself to tell her that I was afraid to be alone. I will never admit to Eli Torres that I'm afraid. But sensing how I felt, she takes my hand and started walking. We continued like that for a while in her slow pace until we reached a convenience store. She led me to a seat and pushed on my shoulders to sit down while she went to the refrigerators. After paying at the cashier she motioned for me to leave and I noticed her stuffing a cigarette pack into her pocket. We stood outside for a while as she struggled to pull out a straw from its plastic and ended up pulling it with her teeth. She stabbed it into the drink she was holding between her right arm and body then offered it to me.

"No thanks," I say. I've let her do enough for me.

"Okay," she says and takes a sip, letting out a satisfied breath after. She looks at me again and says, "Just take it," and puts the pink drink in my hand.

Watching her drink made me realize I was thirsty as well so I took it without objection this time. "Is this strawberry milk?" I ask, tasting the liquid.

"Yep," she says as she stabs a similar bottle I didn't notice she was also holding.

"See you," she suddenly says again while walking away.

"Wait!" I quickly step in front of her. Eli looks at me with a bored look on her face. "I--..." She raises an eyebrow waiting for me to talk. "I don't have a ride. Jane was supposed to pick me up an hour ago but she hasn't texted me back. That's why I was at the park."

I can see her struggling to think of what to do. After a moment, she breathes out a sigh and says, "C'mon."

We walk for a few blocks, me walking a few steps behind. Every now and then I would glance at her hand holding the milk drink thinking how warm it felt in mine. I spot her bike parked in front of a bookstore.

"Wait here," she says, taking my empty drink and going inside the store. Through the glass windows I could see her talking to an elderly woman who looks at me and waves. I wave back with a smile. Eli comes back with a helmet which she hands to me and proceeds to unlock her bike. She gets on but immediately gets off again, which confused me until she took off her jacket and hands it to me.

She shakes it to catch my attention since I was too distracted staring at the tattoos that wrapped her arm all the way down to her bandaged hand and all the way up to her sleeve. I wonder how far it goes.

I look at the jacket and say, "I don't need it."

"Yes, you do. You're wearing a skirt. Unless you want to sidesaddle? Either way you should still use it."

I hand her the helmet and grab the jacket then tie it around my waist. I didn't trust that we wouldn't fall given that Eli only had one good hand, which was probably hurting too from punching the guy earlier, so the more stable we were the better. She puts the helmet on me before I could object then got on the bike. Once I was seated, she tells me to hold on before she pedaled away.

A/N: I probably won't be able to update again til the weekend. Until then, comment, vote, follow :)