Fuel to the Fire

John closed the door of Eliza’s room and walked down the stairs. He couldn't believe the new information he had just heard, he didn't want to believe it. He didn't know that it was a lie.

Everything about her seemed to either irk him or make him smile. He didn't know what it was about her, but he just knew that something was going to happen between them, that he knew fully well.

“Come on John, we’re going out for a bit. Pat wants us to meet him in his parents basement this time.” Garrett said partially annoyed.

Both Garrett and John hopped into the yellow camero and were on their way to Pat’s parent’s house. When the car was on, they were instantly greeted by the sounds of Ryan Adams. It took John a few moments for him to start talking. “So whats up with your cousin?”

The way John had stated his question made Garrett’s ears perk up. He didn't want his best friend going after his cousin only after just meeting her not to long before. “John don't even try it, you’ve seen her. Plus, a week ago, I didn't even know I had a cousin. She seems like a real challenge. I’d be careful if I were you.”

It was silent for a few minutes before the two boys began to chat about other random things. They both laughed at certain things, but John just couldn't get Eliza out of his head for some reason.

[&Fuel]

Practice had been going smoothly for the five guys. There were a few mistakes, but that's why they practiced, so that they could fix them. There was something wrong though and everyone could feel it in the air around them.

All eyes were on the lead singer, who was looking out the window. When he noticed that of his friends’ eyes were on him, John gazed back at them and shrugged his shoulders. “What is it?”

“How long has it been since you’ve seen Charlotte?” there was a question that John did not expect to hear. There was something that made his stomach plunge when he heard his girlfriends name.

“I don't know, its been about two and a half weeks or so, why? Why are you asking me that?” John asked, getting the slightest defensive.

It seemed to be Jared who always brought John to the reality of his life and the look that he was giving John didn't make the skinner boy happy. “You have a girlfriend John, Garrett told me about Eliza.”

The whole situation seemed unfair to John. He was an adult, he was free to make his own decisions so why were his friends acting like his parents? That seemed to irk him just a tad.

“Jared, so I wanted to know more about Eliza, does that really make me a bad person? Theres nothing wrong with that. Its not like I’m trying to get with her while Charlotte is away or anything like that. Shes Garrett’s cousin and I’m just being friendly.” John stated to his friends.

“There’s a difference between being friendly and not knowing where your boundaries stop John. You don't even know Eliza. Plus, Charlotte is your girlfriend and you love her. You do love her right?” he did love her, he loved her more than anything, he just didn't know from this point.

John looked at his four best friends and didn't say a word. Of course he loved Charlotte, that was a dumb question. “Yes Jared, I do love Charlotte.”

If only John knew that deep down in the back of his brain that there was something pulsing telling him otherwise. Something that would become very handy in future references.

[&Fire]

In the two hours that Eliza had walked around the area she had found out two things. One, that a twenty minute walk from Garrett’s mom’s house was a park and two that unless you had a car you couldn't really get far.

Her feet were killing her and she felt as if she needed another shower. When she opened her bedroom door the first thing she did was collapse on the bed. All the energy she had was now drained, the only thing she wanted to do was sleep.

The knock on her door made Eliza groan loudly. Her legs felt like jelly in the palm as she walked over to get the door. What she got was something she didn't expect, Garrett’s mother. “Hello.”

“Eliza, I know you haven't been here for too long, but i wanted to know if tomorrow you wanted to go out and just get to know each other. Does that sound good to you?” El knew that her mother would get angry if she said no so she agreed. “Oh, and I made you a snack since you’ve been out all day.”

She smiled at her newly found aunt. There was a huge difference between her mother and her aunt. Eliza knew that they were related though, the way their lips curved slightly on the left side when they smiled and also the shape of their eyes.

Downstairs in the kitchen sat someone that Eliza didn't know. She had no clue if it were a friend of Garrett’s or someone entirely different. She didn't hesitate to ask questions. “Who are you?”

The older boy turned around from eating his sandwich with smiling and stood up. “You must be Channing, I’m Trey. I’m Garrett’s brother and your older cousin.”

“Why do most people in this house insist on calling me that, my name is Eliza. No one told me that I had another cousin, that's cool. Then again I didn't know I had any cousins on my mom’s side about a little over a week ago.” the black haired girl looked at the sandwich across from her cousin, picked it up, and took a large it out of it.

“Oh yeah, my mom told me about that. Why don't you like going by Channing? I think its a nice unique name for a girl.” Trey stated after he had swallowed the bite of sandwich that was in his mouth

Eliza didn't feel like having this conversation with a boy that she didn't hardly know. “Thanks I guess, and I don’t really feel comfortable with talking about it. So if you will excuse me I am going to take this sandwich upstairs and then take a shower.”

[&Fuel]

It was evident in the way that Eliza had dressed herself that she didn't care about the party. She wanted to relax, drink a couple of beers, and laugh at all the drunk people that were going to be there. It was all about taking a load off of her chest.

Seconds later as Eliza was putting on her shoes there was a vibrating sound coming from her phone. It was a message from Nikki saying that she would meet her at the shop where she worked in fifteen minutes. She realized it would take ten of those minutes just to walk there, it was time for her to leave the home.

The outside air wasn't too horrendous. She was becoming accustomed to the heat surrounding her. While walking around, Eliza pulled out the pack of cigarettes and started to light one. It seemed like a natural thing to her since she had been doing it for six years.

From the other side of the road, catcalls were being made to the twenty-one year old girl. She ignored them while she was walking, but it still bothered her.

“Eliza, I’ve been waiting for you. Where have you been?” Nikki rolled her eyes in her car as she saw Eliza flicked her cigarette on the ground and then step on it and smiled smally.

“Come on, I don't have a car here so it takes me a little while longer to get places.” the darker haired girl climbed her new friend’s car. “So who is hosting this party?”

Nikki smirked as she began to drive. It irked Eliza that she wasn't getting an answer, but she didn't want to push her luck with her new friend. They had only known each other for a couple of hours, if that.

The two girls then began to talk about other things. Eliza had loved the fact that she was making a friend in this town. She didn't want to have no one to hang around.

It had been twenty minutes in the car and the girls had finally made it to the party. There were cars backed down to the end of the street. It surprised Eliza that there could be so many people in one apartment and she hadn't even seen the inside. “Do you think there will even be enough room for us in that party?”

“I’m a very important person so we will be able to get in and stay in.” Nikki said as she began to lock the car doors and walk away. Eliza followed in suit with her eyes gazing around at the scenery.

Three flights of stairs later the girls had finally made it to the apartment door. Nikki knocked on the door and in a matter of seconds it opened. Eliza looked at the boy in front of her as she saw her friend hug him.

Eliza looked around the hall and Nikki’s eyes widened. “Oh how rude of me, I'm sorry El, Eric this is Eliza and vise verse, but you can call him Halvo, everyone does.”

Halvo’s eyes widened slightly and Eliza wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't staring at the boy. “Well hello there Eliza, its nice to meet you. You’re just as pretty as he described.”

The statement that made the twenty one year old girl confused. Nikki was now pushing her friend into the apartment with a smile on her face. Her mind was reeling with what the guy said.

“What do you mean by ‘you’re just as pretty as he described’?” It was not making Eliza happy that she also wasn't getting an answer. She followed Halvo inside and he smiled at her.

He didn't have to answer her question though. The answer was standing ten feet away from her with a beer in his hand. Of course, it was karma speaking directly to her. “Oh fuck no! This is not going to happen, not tonight.”

Eliza’s anger bar had hit its all time high. She searched for Nikki, finding her standing next to Pat with a large smile on her lips. El tapped her new friend’s shoulder with an irritated grin. Pat saw her and his eyes widened.

“This is the awesome party you were talking about. This is the same party that I’d denied going to this morning. I cant believe that you know them. I wanted to get away from all of them no offense.” She looked at Pat for the last part.

Nikki didn't know how to respond, she just looked at Eliza. There was no time for her respond she was saved by a certain someone.

“Eliza! How’d you get here? I thought that you said you didn't want to come, that there would be people grinding on one another and a bore? How did you even know that this was my apartment?” John said with a smirk clearly present on his lips. He couldn't help it.

If it was bad before, then at that moment it was worse. She was standing in John’s apartment and that didn't settle inside her stomach one bit. “Your apartment? This is your apartment?!”

“Yes this is my apartment, well Garrett and I share it.” John stated confused with where this conversation was going to end. “Whats the --”

John didn't get to finish his sentence though. Eliza’s eyes widened when she heard the familiar tune. It was the one song that she had avoided for years and it was playing now. “Change the song!”

People were starting to stare at the four. It was as if Nikki and Pat were not even in the room. John was just starting to talk again without listening to her command.

“I don't understand what the problem is?” John said, but all while he was talking Eliza just kept repeating those same three words over and over. She couldn't handle this song.

Cover up with makeup in the mirror, tell yourself, it's never gonna happen again. You cry alone and then he swears he loves you. Do you feel like a man when you push her around? Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

“Turn off the FUCKING song!” She didn't wait for anyone’s reply or action. Eliza stomped over to where the music was playing and threw it on the ground. Without knowing where everything was, she ran up the stairs and into the farthest room.

She didn't care about what all those people were thinking of her, they weren't important to her. Tear ducks were forming in the corner of her eyes. It had been a long while since she had been reminded of her past and she didn't like it at all.

John’s orbs were wide with curiosity at the young girl in across the door from him. She didn't know that he was there. The last her saw of her that night was her tears and the cigarette between her fingers.