Keep Me Together

[Months Later]

It’s strange how slow time passes when you want it to fly by. The summer was just a faint memory as December neared. Elenia hated school more than ever. Not only didn’t she have Harry to eat lunch with but she had to witness Miri getting picked up by Derek after school.

Life is glorious. The only thing Elenia looked forward to was the evenings she spent with her friend Seth. They had gone back to their routine from before Elenia got to know the truth and before their kiss.

But everything changed December the third. It was just a little action made by a complete stranger. It was a Friday and Elenia was longing for the weekend to start, she was so busy and preoccupied in her own mind that she didn’t notice anything different at the school.

She didn’t notice all the gossip – at least not that it wasn’t about her anymore. Elenia didn’t notice anything different before someone sat down at her usually vacant cafeteria table and disturber her concentration as she read a book. She looked up and came face to face with the new source of the gossip; the new boy.

He didn’t even ask before he had pulled the chair out and placed his lunch tray at the table with a smile playing on his lips.
Elenia stared at him with furrowed brows. “Why are you sitting there?” she asked him. She hadn’t meant for it to sound so rude, but it had and she wasn’t planning on taking it back.

The smile was still on his perfectly curved mouth and his dark brown eyes twinkled a little; not that it had any effect on Elenia. “Is the seat taken?”
“No,” She said and kept staring. “But why did you choose to sit with the loner, first day at the new school? You do know that it will affect your reputation. Or maybe you’re on a mission for some of the ‘popular’ kids?”
“I choose this seat because I felt like it. I don’t care about the high school food chain,” he answered her and started eating his lunch.

“What if the reason I’m a loner is because I’m a junkie?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Look at me,” it was a unnecessary question to ask because she was already staring at him wide eyed. “You are not a junkie, you’re eyes are too clear.”

“Darn it,” she mumbled before she extended her hand across the table. “I’m Elenia.”
“Austin,” he said and shook her hand. “I just moved back.”
“Yeah, you kinda look like the freaks from around here.”
Austin chuckled. “So do you only that you don’t act like them. Tell me, Elenia, why are you the loner girl.”

“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. You always go and ask some random girl in the hallway and be sure to get to know the lie everyone believe.”
“I’ll just wait until you tell me then,” Austin said; he already liked Elenia’s personality.
“What makes you think I’ll tell you?”
“I’m your new lunch partner,” He shrugged. “And I’m taking you to Port Angels to watch a movie tomorrow as well.”

“You are? And when were you planning on letting me know that, Mr. Austin? I’ll have to ask my boyfriend for permission.” Elenia joked.
His smile fell. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”
“I don’t. But I still has to cancel plans with a friend of mine; and ask my dad for permission,” She smiled.
“Oh, okay. I’m good with parents.”

“My dad is a cop,” Elenia worked hard to hide her smile; he would get freaked out. And as she thought, his smile faded. “Ready to cancel yet?”
“No,” he said and grinned. “I’ll pick you up five o’clock.”
Elenia rolled her eyes. “You don’t even know where I live.”
“That is why I’ll walk you home after school,” he said just as the bell rang.
“See ya’ outside later,” Austin waved at her before he walked away disappeared out the doors.

Seth wasn’t really her boyfriend, but she wasn’t planning on telling him about her date; then he would just show up at her place tomorrow at five o’clock and be a hundred times worse than her dad.

~~~
Austin waited as he said outside the main entrance for Elenia after the final bell had rung and he put his arm over her shoulder as they walked away from school. Elenia couldn’t help but grin as they passed Derek and Miri; Derek was staring at them with his mouth hanging open – Miri had to stomp on his food to get his attention.

Elenia snickered and caught Austin’s attention. He looked over his shoulder and spotted the tall blond boy staring at Elenia.
“Friends of yours?” he asked her in curiosity.
“Not exactly, my ex and my cousin, they got together the day he dumped me.”
“Ouch,” Austin replied.
Elenia didn’t say anything else.