What’s Up His Butt?
Elle watched Nero walk into the classroom. Whatever he and Amo had been talking about had made him pissed. Geez, I thought he was pissed earlier.
This time, Nero was fuming. Elle thought she should probably be a little scared. When he started to take his seat right in front of her, he gave her the look of death. Okay, now I am a little scared.
She had no clue what had gone on between them in the hall, but something told her she probably didn’t want to know.
After Mr. Evans assigned everyone Beowulf, they started going around the classroom, reading a scene aloud by playing popcorn. Elle honestly wasn’t paying attention; she was too preoccupied thinking about what Nero was so pissed about.
Nero’s look of death brought a memory to her mind.
Elle and Chloe left their science class a bit after the final school bell rang, waiting to let the crowd die down. Elle had noticed Chloe had started walking a step behind her, but still halfway at her side. Every day since they had started to become friends, she felt her edge over more and more at her back. Elle understood why—hell, even her head stayed down to the point where she needed to use Elle to guide her anyway.
Elle didn’t mind being her guide. She knew it was hard for Chloe to show her new markings. Elle would have been the same way. The cuts still looked red and nasty, but they were healing better every day. Elle just wished her mind would begin to heal.
As Elle walked down the hallway, she saw Sebastian and a senior doing something fishy. Sebastian handed over the money while the senior handed over a small bag. Elle figured they thought they were being sneaky doing it in the back hall when all the teachers had checked their minds out for the day an hour ago.
When the deal was done, Sebastian looked around as the senior left with his money. Elle quickly turned her head, afraid Sebastian might have seen her. She guessed he hadn’t when he didn’t come after her.
She was closer to the doors when she had to take a sharp turn to get out of the halls and reach the front. When she took the turn, she felt a huge whack on her face. She swore she heard her nose break from the hit. Elle was whacked so hard she fell back on her ass. Reaching for her nose, she could feel the blood rush down her face, soaking her shirt.
Elle looked up and saw Chloe frozen in place and Sebastian standing over her with a huge-ass biology book in his hands. Elle was terrified by the look on Sebastian’s face.
“You need to fucking keep your eyes to yourself, bitch.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything. I don’t care what you do.” Her hands and arms were now saturated in blood.
“What the fuck did you just say to me? You don’t care what I do?” Sebastian reared the book back in his hands as Elle covered her head. She felt a smash on her forearm and prayed it wasn’t broken, either, because of the sound she’d heard.
“Keep your fucking mouth shut, the both of you.”
Elle looked up. She was sick to her stomach that he would go for Chloe. Exactly as she’d feared, he reared the book back again, this time toward Chloe.
“Noooo!” Elle moved to grab his leg and was happy when she didn’t hear the book connect.
“Don’t you tell me no.” Sebastian raised the book back a third time.
Elle managed to get her arms up to cover her again when he smashed her same arm. By the sound, she knew it was as good as broken from the second impact.
Sebastian finally left, satisfied with what had taken place. Elle didn’t even care about her arm when she looked up at Chloe’s crying face. The tears were illuminated red on the right side as they slid down her slashes. It was worth it to her…
“Elle, it’s your turn. Elle.” Elle was brought back by the sound of her name coming from Mr. Evans.
“My turn?” She was starting to become embarrassed when she saw everyone staring at her, especially when Nero turned around.
“Yes, Chloe popcorned you.” Elle couldn’t believe someone had picked Chloe. They probably wanted to hear her stumble.
Elle was grateful when Chloe moved over and put her finger at where to start reading. Elle began reading immediately, not wanting to make a bigger scene. When she popcorned Nero, she decided to follow along this time because she was afraid of the same thing happening again. The class actually flew by for the remaining time now that Elle had decided to get into the story.
The bell rang and Nero actually walked out of the classroom. For some reason, she’d thought he would wait for her. Elle and Chloe packed up their things and walked out to see Nero, Amo, and Vincent leaning up against the lockers, talking. Elle walked over toward them, feeling Chloe following behind.
As soon as Elle got there, their conversation came to an end. Nero nodded his head at Amo and he started walking. Nero was still mad, and he wasn’t trying to act friendly. Elle decided not to care, and subsequently she went to follow Amo.
Chloe walked beside her. Although she was still somewhat awkward, she was getting the hang of it. Elle also thought Nero would walk beside her, but he didn’t do that, either. She turned her head back and saw he was walking beside Vincent today.
Elle was starting to get mad at herself. She didn’t know why she cared so much, but she did. She had actually been getting used to him walking with her and holding her hand. I don’t miss holding his damn hand. Elle decided to get that out of her mind.
“What’s up his butt?” she heard Chloe whisper.
“I don’t know. He was fine before I walked into English. The moment he walked in, though, he flipped a switch and turned into a different person.” Elle kept it at a whisper, as well. The halls were noisy enough to block out anything they said. Besides, they were walking a few feet in front of him while they walked a few feet behind Amo.
“He’s probably bipolar, Elle. You saw the look in his eyes yesterday with Sebastian.” She was probably right. Whatever Nero had, however, he needed to be on medication for his problems.
“I bet you’re right,” Elle whispered back. “He has to have something wrong with him. No one is that perfect and good-looking without having a screw loose.”
* * *
Nero heard Vincent laugh and asked, “What happened?”
Nero kept his eyes on Elle in front of him.
“Nothing.”
A moment later, he watched Elle turn around. That’s fucking right. He figured she would be confused as to why he wasn’t walking beside her, holding her hand. He didn’t want to fucking hold her hand right now; he had barely been able to contain himself from punching Amo in the face earlier. He had gone for it, then he grabbed his shoulder instead.
He had been prepared to fight one of his best friends over a stupid girl, and it hadn’t even been Amo’s fault. Although, he didn’t give two shits about moving. No, instead, he let her hug and kiss him.
“Really? Because, by the look of her face, I think there might be a problem.” Vincent was still smiling. Nero thought he was enjoying the show.
“She did something I really fucking wish she didn’t.” Nero thought he would confide a little in Vincent, who was the ultimate woman killer. Vincent not only slept with girls their age, but girls much older than them. Nero was almost sure he’d even slept with some girl’s hot mother.
“Just talk to her about it. Girls love that shit. Tell her it really hurt you, and that she needs to say sorry by sucking your dick. That’s what I would do.”
Nero shook his head at his friend. The guy was crazy. There was no way Nero would talk to her first. She needed to figure out what she had done on her own. Nero wasn’t going to give Elle the satisfaction of knowing it had hurt him.
“No, man, I’ll enjoy watching her crawl back to me.”
Nero made his mind up. She will crawl, and she won’t fucking do it again.
Nero looked over at Vincent when he spoke. “A piece of advice: that girl will never crawl to anyone. You’ll be lucky to get that girl on her knees, period.”
“If I’m lucky enough to get her on her knees, why would you say she needs to say sorry by sucking me off?” Nero kept his eyes on Elle. The girls were whispering. He figured Elle was talking about him. About how much she misses me already.
Vincent’s laugh drew Nero’s attention. “I said if it was me, man.”
Now Nero’s head was filled with the image of Elle sucking Vincent’s dick, which only made him even more furious. He was glad they’d finally reached the girls’ classroom; he couldn’t look at Elle any longer. Walking behind her was torture; it was hard not to look at her ass, thinking about giving in and talking to her just so he could kiss her again and grab it.
Nero watched Amo wait by the door while Chloe walked in the classroom right before Elle turned again, looking him in the eye. Nero stared back like he didn’t give a shit, then he watched Elle stomp into the room.
Nero looked at his crew, who were laughing and shaking their heads. Nero was on the verge of giving them a lesson or two. He ran his hands through his hair.
“Let’s go.” This is going to be one long-ass day.
* * *
Elle went to her seat, not believing the way Nero was acting toward her. He can’t even tell me bye!
Once they were settled, Chloe asked her the question Elle had been waiting for. “You okay? You’re, like, zoning out now.” Elle knew Chloe always worried.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Chloe. I’m just a little tired from work.”
Chloe nodded and their class began, bringing Elle back to her memory from earlier. She had been forced to get her nose reset and her arm had indeed been broken. That was another day she had learned a valuable lesson. Don’t look anyone in the eyes.
Unfortunately, Elle wasn’t the only one who had learned a lesson. From that day forward, Chloe had started completely walking behind her. Elle welcomed her there. She was glad to become Chloe’s armor.
Calculus flew by and Elle hoped Nero’s mood was no longer sour. Something in her even wondered if she would find them in the hall waiting for her.
When she exited her classroom, she didn’t know whether she was grateful to find them there or unhappy. She looked at Nero’s still-pissed-off face and came to a conclusion. Very unhappy.
This hall break went the same as the last. Nero continued to walk behind her, next to Vincent, when he was more than capable of holding her hand. That was what was driving her mad. Her hand itched to be held by his, whether she wanted to admit it or not.
They were close to the Spanish door, and still, Nero refused to talk to her. He’s acting like a child.
Elle really hated the whole silent treatment thing.
She watched Amo do as he usually did; stand beside the door. She knew he hadn’t opened it because that would force her to go in and not talk to Nero.
Chloe walked in the classroom, and Elle’s feet told her to walk in, as well, but her mind told her otherwise. Elle decided to turn around instead and face Nero.
“What is your problem?” She looked straight at his green, scary eyes, wishing she hadn’t said it.
She saw Vincent smile and walk toward Amo, leaving her to deal with Nero alone.
Nero calmly asked, “What do you think my problem is, Elle?” She didn’t like his calm voice because it didn’t match the way she knew he felt.
“I don’t know what your problem is, that’s why I’m freaking asking.” She tried to mimic his calm voice.
Nero was quick. He grabbed her arms and scooted her away farther from the others’ ears, placing her against the lockers. What is it with him and shoving me against things?
Nero lowered his head to speak in her ear, keeping his hands on her arms to lock her in place. “My problem is simple, Elle. I have a problem with you having no trouble saying thank you to someone else. I have a problem with you wrapping your arms around someone else. And I have a big fucking problem with you not minding kissing someone else. Not one fucking time have you done any of those things to me without my asking, or just doing it because you want to, not because I want you to.”
Elle listened to every word Nero said to her. She had never considered he was mad at her, much less that he could be mad at her for that. She hadn’t even thought about what she was doing to Amo; she had simply been elated Chloe was safe and sound.
Nero looked at her face for her reply, but she didn’t know what to say. She had been caught off-guard.
“I-I wasn’t even thinking. I was happy that he brought Chloe there safely.”
“Why do you think he did that, Elle?” His eyes were becoming even more furious.
Elle knew, but things were different between them. “I know, Nero, but I don’t like Amo.” She turned her head away; she couldn’t look at his eyes for this. “It’s not easy for me to do those things when I’ve never done them to someone I like.”
She heard Nero exhale before he grabbed her chin to look at him. “I don’t want to see you ever touch another guy again. You can kiss and hug your father and brother, but if I find out you’ve touched another guy—I don’t give a shit who it is—they won’t live to let it happen again.”
Elle swallowed hard and nodded her head. She believed him. She couldn’t believe she was going to say it. “I’m sorry.”
She thought Nero was waiting for something, yet then he kissed her. It was a hard kiss, and she let their tongues meet for a brief second before he pulled away.
“I’m still pissed, but we’re going to be late for class.” He let her go, and she pulled away, going into the classroom. She blushed and ran in the room when she saw Amo and Vincent smiling. This time, Amo held the door open for her.