All In | ✓

Sixteen

Jaxon and I managed to grab Hudson's stuff while everyone's out of the house. Hudson ends up coming to school with us just a mere two days after everything went down.

"Hey." Jaxon grabs Hudson's hands as he digs his nails into his wrist. "Don't do that."

"I know it's bad for me, I- I just-"

"Hudson." Jaxon cups Hudson's cheek with his free hand. "Look at me."

"Right," Hudson breathes. He takes a deep breath and Jaxon nods.

"Hey guys." Elisica sits down on the table next to me and nods at both Jaxon and Hudson. "Looks like you guys have had an eventful few days?"

"Not really," I answer. "Just hung out some more than we usually do."

"And we learned that a certain someone has taken to picking Elisica up and dropping her off every day before and after school." Hudson smirks and pulls away from Jaxon's hand. "Isn't that right, Jack?"

"It doesn't mean anything," Elisica and I chorus. Jaxon and Hudson tip their heads and cock their eyebrows at us in doubt.

"Why don't we talk about whatever's happening here instead?" Elisica gestures between Jaxon and Hudson.

"What do you mean?" Jaxon asks. Elisica nods towards their linked hands. They both glance down, then back up, then back down and rip their hands apart.

"That doesn't mean we're together," Hudson replies, his cheeks a bright pink. "We don't want to be together."

"We're just friends." Jaxon shrugs. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"That's a lie if I've ever heard one." Elisica sighs and lets her head drop into one hand. "But okay."

"If anyone here is together, it's you two," Jaxon says, pointing directly at Elisica. "I mean, you flirt with each other on a daily basis."

"No we don't." I glare at Jaxon.

"You definitely do," Hudson jumps in. "To the point where it's almost sickening."

"If anyone here flirts it's you two," Elisica parrots. "Have you seen each other when you have a conversation? You're all smiles and happiness and yay, my boyfriend! is written all over your faces."

"We're not together!" Hudson and Jaxon exclaim. They glance at each other before clearing their throats.

"We're not together," Hudson says.

"Yeah, he turned me down."

"You're not helping!"

Jaxon snickers as Hudson shoves his shoulder.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm new here." A girl walks up to our table, hugging her books to her chest. "And I wanted to- to introduce myself?"

"I'm Eli." Elisica lifts a hand in greeting and grins. "That's Jack, and those two morons over there are Hudson and Jaxon."

"I'm Holly." She smiles. "Is it alright for me to sit here?"

"Of course!" I move the empty chair out for her with my foot.

"Wow, chivalry really isn't dead," Elisica remarks. Holly cracks a smile as she sits down.

"Where'd you move from?" Jaxon asks. "Favorite color? Animal? When's your birthday? What's your best-"

"Jaxon!" Hudson hits Jaxon's head with the spine of a textbook. "You're going to overwhelm her."

"No, it's okay." Holly takes a deep breath before continuing. "I moved here from North High, blue, squirrels, and July fourteenth."