All In | ✓

Four

It's now Thursday and Elisica is still ignoring me. I talked to her on Monday night, and Chase told her what I said soon after that.

"Jack, you're staring."

"I am not!"

"Trying to come up with a strategy to win the bet, eh?" Darren nudges my ribs with his elbow. I smack his arm away and move my attention from Elisica to Hudson, who has taken to zoning out.

"Hey." I wave a hand in front of his face. "Bro. Hud. Buddy. Dude. Dudebro. Hudson. Hudson!"

"Fuck!" Hudson throws his arms up, protecting his face.

"Hudson?" I gently reach over and pull his arms down. "It's just me. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't- I don't think you're gonna hurt me, I just- it's habit. From when I was younger."

"What happ-"

"Don't worry about it." Jaxon smacks my back, exchanging a nod with Hudson. "It doesn't matter."

"Do you all know what happened?" I look around the table. Everyone nods, exchanging a look with one another. "Can someone tell me?"

"I'll tell you later, okay?" Hudson says quietly.

"Yeah. Sure. I'm going to hold you to that, I hope you know."

"I know. What did you need me for?"

"I need help."

Hudson smirks. "Finally admitting it, eh?"

I sigh in response, shooting him a glare. "Shut up."

"If I shut up, then you won't get any help. Are you sure you want me to be quiet?"

"Look, man, are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course!" Hudson glances at the rest of our little friend group. "Not like any of these guys have a better chance than you do."

"Everyone except Jaxon has a better chance than Jack," Chase jumps in, nudging Hudson's shoulder. "You know that."

"But I thought- you said- Chase, I thought you said his chances increased!"

"I said that on Tuesday. Clearly I was very wrong."

"Did you tell Hudson about what happened?" I jab a finger in Chase's direction. "You bitch."

"I told him you groveled to Eli and you got shut down."

"Why do you call Elisica Eli, not her name? Or Ellie?" Darren asks.

"Because that's the beginning of her name, and Ellie doesn't fit?" Chase shrugs. "Duh."

"But she's a girl!"

"Are you Eli's friend?"

"But-"

"Are. You. Eli's. Friend?"

"No, but-"

"Then I know her better than you and I know she's uncomfortable being called Ellie. Now shut up, we're talking."

Darren rolls his eyes but closes his mouth anyways. Chase nods in approval before turning back to me.

"Eli and I are going to fuck around after school tomorrow, would you like to join us?"

"I shouldn't. She'll just go home, and-"

"I'll come too," Hudson interrupts. "She can actually stand me, and if I say that you and I were going to hang out then Chase invited us, she can't complain as much."