Chapter 10: Thomas

27.04.20

Because no one can stop me, mwhahah.

Your favorite song to listen to at the moment?

P.s: I changed the cover of the book to fit the story a little better. And for those of you who have been following me for a while, you know how indecisive I am with story covers 😂😂

What do you guys think of the new one? A yay or a nay?

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*Thomas's pov*

It didn't happen, it didn't happen, it didn't happen.

The sense of denial hit me like a truck and I told myself if I kept repeating that it didn't happen, then maybe it hadn't.

Yeah, maybe it was just a stupid dream or my dumb imagination. But then I'd remember Eli's bright pink lips that were inches away from mine and remembered fighting the desire to kiss him.

Nope, didn't happen. Nada.

"Sir?" said a voice, snapping me out of my trance. I looked up and saw a lady in front of me.

"Oh, sorry," I mumbled, mentally snapping myself. I scanned her items. "That'll be 15 dollars and 99 cents, please."

When she looked for some change, I helped her bag her groceries.

It was like my hands were moving but my mind was elsewhere, thinking about something else, thinking about someone else.

I felt guilty, like I had done something wrong, as if the desire to kiss a boy was... Wrong. It didn't feel right. It didn't sit right. It was as someone came up to me and told me that I was from another planet, or, or that I was adapted (though, I wish someone did).

I've never thought about kissing a boy and now it just made me feel weird.

"Thank you," smiled the lady. I smiled back.

Eli.

I wish I could punch myself.

What had the bike accident done to me? It was as if Eli broke his bike and I broke something else. Something that I couldn't see. Something that couldn't be seen but only felt.

Or maybe I didn't break anything. Maybe I've always been somewhat broken and I just hadn't realized it until now.

Nope, can't be it. I was straight and nothing could bend me. Not the bike crash, not Eli, not solid ice cream in a pot, nothing.

I was not, and will never be-

Eli.

I pushed the memory of his blushing cheeks away from my thoughts.

Eli.

I ignored the way his bright blue eyes made me feel.

Eli.

Fucking Eli and his snobby attitude, and his perfect blond hair, and his flawless pale skin, and his weak, frail body, and his dainty, frail hands, and his stupid cheating boyfriend and damn it-

Eli.

I told my consciousnesses to shut up.

I continued to scan items, greeting customers and helping them bag their groceries. It was getting dark and there were less people coming into our store. I took the chance to start studying for tomorrow's exam.

That's right.

Stu-dying.

I pulled out my notebooks and started solving equations.

"Homework?" Said a voice.

My boss gave me a sympathetic smile, the one who thought my name was Leo.

I shook my head, nibbling on my pencil.

"Test."

He didn't mind me studying at work, as long as I cashed out the customers when they came to my cashier.

"You should get some rest, Leo. You're getting terrible eyebags under those eyes."

I gave him a wry smile, the best I could do in my state.

"Yeah," I murmured. "I will."

The rest of the night went by quick. My boss said that he'd close down the store and that I should head home. It was 11:00 p.m when I left.

When I arrived, Molly was already asleep. Elle was at the living room table with a calculator, gnawing at her own pencil before scribbling something down into her notebook.

Telling by the look on her face, she was either calculating our next rent fee or her student loan.

"Hey," I said in a raspy voice. She looked up and the wrinkles between her brows disappeared.

"Hey, how was work?" She smiled.

"Fine." I poured myself a glass of water. "You okay?"

She gave me a tired nod. Her hair was tied in a messy bun and strands of hair fell over her ears.

"College sucks," she blurted.

"High school ain't better, sis."

We both looked at each other's pitiful state before laughing. But our laughter slowly vanished.

"What are we doing?" she sighed, tilting her head back.

"Surviving," I said. "We're doing a hell of a crappy job at it but hey," I shrugged. "We're still alive."

Elle looked like she was about to cry. She sucked in a tight breath.

"So how was school?" she asked in an attempt to make a normal conversation.

I almost kissed a boy.

"Great," I lied. "Jayden and Rhys got in trouble for being 'inappropriate' in the school hallway."

Elle laughed. She loved Jay and Rhys almost as much as I did.

"Did they get in trouble?"

"Nah, Jay flirted his way out of it. You should have seen the secretary's face when he flashed her his grin."

She laughed. "His confidence scares me."

"Likewise. Anyway, you should get some rest, you look like a zombie. I'll finish whatever you're calculating," I said. "Is it rent?"

She hesitated but nodded. "Plus the water bill, groceries, and all that boring stuff. It's fine, I'm almost finished."

"I'll do it," I insisted gently, but she frowned. "It's fine, I was always better than Math at you anyway."

She rolled her eyes but I guess she was too tired to argue. She got up and I took her place, and Elle tousled my hair.

"You're a good kid, Thomas, you know that?"

"Hmm, say that again so I can record it."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, heading up the stairs. She stopped for a second, turned towards me and bit her lip.

"Hey, Tommy?"

"Mhm?"

There was a long pause.

"Do you miss them?"

I was surprised by her question, but my first instinct was too laugh.

I opended her notebook filled with scratches and scribbles.

"Fuck, no."

***

After our Math test, Rhys ran up to me with an excited grin on her face.

"I think I made a girl friend thanks to you!"

"Well, you're welcome," I said, even though I didn't quite know what she meant by that.

"Do you know Willow?"

"The tree?"

"No, dummy, the girl," she said. "You helped her with her locker the other day, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"She came up to me this morning asking about you. She was blushing and everything!"

"That's great."

Rhys put her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing. "That's great? That's all you have to say?"

"Oh, jolly!" I tried.

Rhys groaned.

"Come on, a girl is interested in you."

"Since when did you become cupid?" I laughed, giving her a gentle nudge.

"You're not happy," Rhys said, seeing past my smile. Damn it. Girls and their scary intuitions.

"I am, I'm flattered, really," I admitted. "But like I said before, I don't really have time for a relationship. You know that."

"You sound like dating is a chore."

I shrugged. "Maybe it is."

"Girls aren't dustpans or brooms," she hissed.

"No, they're more like puppies. They need attention and food. Lots of food."

Rhys smiled, straightening her back. "And chocolate."

"Point proven," I implied and her smile vanished.

"Look, Tommy, I know you're not looking for a relationship but it's not a bad thing to have fun. It's okay to be a teenager sometimes. Jay would agree. He's worried about you. I'm worried about you," she said. "Your life isn't work, work, work."

"Tell that to the guy who collects our taxes."

Rhys glared at me and I sighed.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll talk to Willow."

"Or maybe she'll talk to you," she beamed.

I looked up and saw Willow, the girl with silky black hair cut to her shoulder and a shy smile walk over towards us.

"Good luck," Rhys whispered, but I'm pretty sure Willow heard her. Before I could say anything, Rhys pranced away.

"Hi," smiled Willow, tucking her hair behind her ear. Well, she is really cute.

"Trouble with your locker again?" I smiled.

"Knocked on the lower corner twice, worked like a charm, just like you said," she smiled back. "I was um, I was wondering if I could maybe get your number? We can maybe go out and eat something. If you're free, of course. Rhys told me that you're always busy and that you're like a crippling old man stuck in a teenage body and-"

She stopped, turning bright red. "S-S-Sorry, I didn't-"

I laughed. Rhys better say her prayers.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," I said. "Here, give me your phone. I'll punch in my number for you."

She gave me her phone with a wide smile.

"So you aren't busy?" She asked, hesitant.

"I can always find time." I glanced towards her. She was pretty, no doubt about that. "I can definitely find some time."

She blushed with a giggle and I gave myself a mental pat on the shoulder. Oh Thomas, you're such a womanizer.

I gave her her phone back.

"I'm Willow by the way."

"Thomas."

She bit her lower lip with a small smile. "So... I'll see you around?"

Her eyes brightened with hope.

"Text me."

She nodded, gave me a shy wave, before hurrying to her group of friends. They started whispering and squealing, glancing at me as if I didnt have eyes or a brain.

Then they headed to the bathroom altogether. Yup. That's right. All four of them.

I never understood why girls did that but shrugged. When I turned around to head to my next class, I saw Eli staring at me. Flustered, he turned on his heel and ran away.

I blinked.

Is it me, or did it look like he wanted to strangle me?

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A/N: please don't forget to leave a vote for our womanizer, Thomas ;)

Btw, should I put up a cast chapter with photos of the characters like I do with most of my books? Or do you guys prefer your imagination for this book?

Let me know 💫