All In | ✓

Thirteen

"Hey Jack." Hudson grabs my shoulder as I toss a textbook into a locker. "Shouldn't you ask Elisica out sometime soon?"

"I know you all want us to get together, but Elisica still doesn't want to date me," I answer.

"I'm pretty sure you're wrong."

"And I know I'm right."

"You have no earthly idea- hey Elisica!"

"Hey." Elisica lifts a hand in greeting and leans against the locker next to me. "What's up, Hudson?"

"Can I talk to you?" Hudson steps around me and grabs Elisica's wrist. "In private?"

"Yeah, of course." Elisica brings Hudson into the now empty library. I close my locker and spin around to lean on it, watching the students pass by me in pairs or trios.

"I thought Hudson was gonna come talk to you." Jaxon leans against the locker next to me. "Did he not?"

"No, he did, but now he's talking to Elisica," I explain. "I think they'll be back soon."

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"What's up, fuckers?" Darren slams his hand on a locker, making both me and Jaxon jump.

"Didn't we tell you to stop doing that?" Brendon walks up and smacks the back of Darren's head. He snickers and leans on the locker.

"So, Jack, a little birdie told me that you and Elisica went on a date." Darren wiggles his eyebrows. "Should we be expecting a heartbroken Elisica sometime soon?"

"You're such a dick." I rest a hand on Darren's face and shove him backwards.

"We're back!" Hudson exclaims, strolling out of the library with Elisica in tow.

"You want to go hang out with us?" Brendon asks. "It's been a while since we've hung out as a big group."

"I've gotta go." Elisica pats my shoulder and smiles at me. "See y'all tomorrow."

"Bye Eli!" Hudson waves as she walks away.

"You're not even going to say goodbye to your girlfriend?" Jaxon shakes his head and pats my hair. "You're such a bad-"

"We're not together," I groan. "Now shut up."

"Hudson!" Jaxon whines, reaching his hands towards the black-haired boy. Hudson shakes his head and bats Jaxon's hands away. "You're all so mean to me."

"So can we all hang out?" Darren pulls his phone and starts tapping away on it. "It's been too long since we've done something together."

"I actually have something really important to do with my family tonight," Hudson says. "So I can't do anything. I'm sorry."

"I'm going to annoy this guy for a few hours then go home." Jaxon pokes Hudson's cheek, smirking. "So I'm not available either."

"I never said you could come over."

"Pretty sure you said at one point that I can just walk into your house."

"I'm doing something today!"

"Yeah, at supper time. That gives me plenty of time to irritate the crap out of you."

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"Man, they really do bicker like an old married couple," Brendon comments. Jaxon and Hudson pause their argument to shoot a deadpan look at him.

"Last I checked we were sixteen," Jaxon replies. "So not old and not married."