All In | ✓

Eight

 By Friday, Elisica caves and sends Troy a message. He reads my message on Monday and responds on Wednesday.

"You hurt him, I kill you." Elisica points a pencil at me as I read Troy's message. I glance up and notice the ghost of a smile on her face.

"Do you still hate me?" I ask, setting my phone aside.

"As much as I hate to say it, I don't." She leans back in her chair and crosses her arms. "I do still dislike you though. You're not out of the red zone quite yet."

"I'm in the orange zone, I'll take what I can get." I grin and pick my phone back up, pondering over what to say to Troy.

"You're not in the orange zone yet," Elisica corrects.

"Yet."

"Do you want me to go back to hating you?"

"No! No, don't do that." My smile drops into a frown. "We were doing so well."

"What's this we business you're talking about?"

"Well I think I've done something right if you've stopped despising me."

"You haven't done shit-"

"That's such a lie, Eli." Chase yoinks Elisica's phone and starts perusing the apps. "Hey, what'd you do to-"

"I deleted it."

"You didn't even-"

"You were going to ask what I did to Subway Surfers," Elisica interrupts, holding a hand out and wiggling her fingers. "Now give me back my phone before I stab you."

"I will do no such thing! Oh, you've got a streak with Troy!"

"Get off of my Snap."

"Why don't we have a streak?"

"I will make wind chimes out of your teeth if you don't give me back my phone right now."

Chase places Elisica's phone in her outstretched hand, sighing. "You're really violent, you know that?"

"It's part of my charm."

"Your charm might drive people away from you."

"Well he doesn't seem to be driven away by my threats so I think I'm okay."

"Aw, you were worried about me going away!" I rest my chin in one hand and grin at her. "Don't worry, I'll still be here no matter how much you try and make me leave."

"Sadly, he doesn't seem to be driven away by my threats," Elisica corrects. Chase chuckles as I frown at Elisica.

"You don't mean that."

"I do though. Wow, imagine that."

"I'm hurt."

"I will hurt you."

"No you won't."

"You got a good explanation lined up for when I do?"

I shrug in response. "You like me too much."

"Last I checked I didn't give a flying fuck about you"

"So you've been thinking about me."

"No, I've been thinking about Troy," Elisica says, standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want to go see if the library has the book I want."

"She's been thinking about you," Chase whispers, our eyes trained on Elisica's figure.

"She has?" I whip my head towards Chase, my cheeks heating up. "I was- I didn't mean- I meant- I was joking!"