Game

Eli's POV

I glanced around the crowd before staring right back at the girl who'd made Tobe leave. She was smirking cruelly and it was beyond me why Tobe even bothered to call her a friend.
I caught sight of the red head leaving probably to comfort her friend. The crowd slowly dispersed when they realized I wasn't going to say anything.
Harlot was still stood beside me, I turned to face him with a smirk, 'don't even start. I got this, dude.'
'She aint exactly falling to your feet, is she?'
I put my hands in my hair pulling at the strands in annoyance. No, she wasn't. She was a difficult one to read and her damn brown eyes were like pools of temptation awaiting me to drown.
'Jamie wants to put another twenty on it.' Harlot laughed as we went back inside, I grabbed a beer off the table and leaned against the kitchen counter.
Harlot stood opposite me nodding his head towards the boy who was getting to know Keira Tate very personally with his hand up her dress.
Of course he did, I shook my head, 'you guys got faith. How much is that?'
Harlot swigged his drink and thought about it, 'Oli, Jay and me bet... eighty quid now.'
Eighty quid. I didn't need the money. I got that amount in my back pocket right now but it was the game that mattered. The fact if I bagged October Donovan, my reputation would soar. And the fact she's a virgin just made it that much better.
'Mate,' Oliver appeared now beside me, his pupils telling us he'd been outside smoking during the confrontation, 'I just heard. Did you know Tubs was a v?'
I suspected it but I was never sure. Her friends weren't exactly known to be biblical figures. Loads of people knew them as the towns slags, especially Keira who'd gone around telling everyone I'd slept with her last year.
I chugged the rest of my beer suddenly uninterested in this conversation. Harlot laughed as he noticed and I flipped him off before making my way outside. If I wanted to bag this bet, I had to make sure that Tobe knew I was around when she was vulnerable. Taking the slow walk to her house, I kicked the ground beneath me. Was I prepared to take this girls virginity?

****

Tobe's POV

It was almost 1 in the morning when I was jumping out of bed to see who my mum was answering the door to.
I strained my ears to hear, wrapping my arms around myself, I only dressed in a baggy You Me At Six shirt.
'It's late.' I heard her snap at whoever was drunk enough to knock of Monica Donovan's door in the early hours of the morning.
I padded out to the hallway and stood at the top of the stairs. I saw my mum's back but couldn't see who was standing in front of her. Taking a few steps down, my mum dressed in her pink dressing gown and her disarrayed hair turned to me with a scowl. She sighed and without saying a word, passed me on the stairs and escaped back into her bedroom.
It wasn't until I heard someone clear their throat that I remembered someone was stood on my doorstep.
Eli.
My face heated up with crimson as I realized my revealing bedwear. I didn't want to draw attention to my bare legs that was on show from the mid thigh down and instead battered myself mentally before descending the rest of my stairs.
'I know it's late-'
'You're telling me,' I bit. I was more angry at the fact he was seeing me in my pjamas than the fact he was at my house at 1AM.
He chuckled nervously and looked behind him before scratching his neck. We didn't say anything and I resisted the urge to ask why he was here. If he was here to apologize for what happened, I wanted to forget it happened.
As his eyes met mine it felt like he knew that too. Instead he shot me a dazzling smile before he spoke, 'wanna go for coffee?'
I was starstruck at his audacity. I let out a breath before casting my eyes to my legs, I looked up and he seemed to stammer slightly which I found a little adorable. 'I-I'll let you change. Is that your car?'
He gestured to the silver car in the driveway and I nodded in a trance. I was still trying to understand him and his intentions.
'It's a manual right? I'll drive.' He said slowly, his eyes were so sincere and I nodded again before grabbing my keys off the hook and tossing them to him. He grinned at me before making his way towards my car.
What- I stopped myself. Did I even want to know? Did I want to know why he was here, why he was talking to me, taking me to coffee at 1AM?
I found my better judgement and common sense disappearing as I was overcome with the handsome boy.
Which was exactly why I didn't question anything or hesitate as I ran up the stairs to throw the first pair of skinny jeans I could find and putting a bra on underneath the shirt.
I didn't bother check my hair or make-up and ran back down the stairs to join Eli in my car.

****

I was laughing so hard I was afraid my coffee was going to escape through my nose. I put my hand over my face in case it did and continued to laugh hysterically. We were hushed due to the late hour and the bored, tired people in the 24 hour Starbucks.
We were sat at the back on the comfy armchair, the window beside us showing nothing but the few flickering car lights and the stars.
Eli sat across from me, his jacket thrown on the back of my chair while his white button up was behind his, his tank top the only thing that covered his inevitable toned upper body.
It was warm in here and I put my feet up on the chair laughing into my knees as Eli continued to tell me about his embarrassing fear of cats.
'I'm being deadly serious here and you're just laughing.' He was smiling but his tone just made me laugh more.
'Cats are cute. I have two.'
'Keep them away from me if I ever go to your house.'
The idea of him being in my house seemed so far fetched but then again I never knew I'd be sat opposite him at 1.30 in the morning having coffee and having a fun conversation.
I fiddled with my mug on the table a grin still spread on my face. Eli was quiet but I felt his eyes on me. It was unnerving.
'The party-'
'Was fun.' I answered and gave him a look that told him I didn't want to talk about it. He smiled pathetically though and I knew I wasn't getting out of this conversation. I was beginning to understand if he wanted to talk about something, he would no matter whether you wanted to listen or not.
'I don't think you should be friends with Bonnie anymore.'
I shrugged, 'her behaviour wasn't new. I just wasn't expecting her to say it so loud.'
Eli reached across the table then and to my astonishment, he took my hand that was previously tracing the pattern on my mug. His grip was tight but gentle and I avoided his eyes at all costs.
'Seriously, she sounds like a bitch.'
I was still looking at his hand intertwined with mine, his hands were big and his fingers were long. I hadn't realized I was asking it until I heard myself, 'do you play bass?'
Damn that stupid Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging movie that clouded my brain when the appropriate thing to say would be anything other than that.
Eli chuckled and flexed his shoulders, I bit my lip.
'Not really. I play guitar but not in a band or anything. Why?'
I didn't peg Eli as a guitar player. Didn't all the rich popular guys play trombone or something?
Guitar was sweet, thoughtful, calming. Eli wasn't any of those things - was he?
Before I could answer, he was grinning, 'honestly Tobe, something I think you're half girl, half turnip.'
Wide eyed, I cringed before bursting into laughter with him.