Eat.

I don’t think you know what real love is until you see it with someone else. For years, I’ve been in love with my best friend, and I know it sounds cliche but it’s true. I love her and I have been for years but the problem is that she is in a relationship with someone completely wrong for her. This man being named Mario, I liked Mario, he seemed nice for the first few weeks and I thought he would be the one for her but he changed drastically, so I hated him. He called her names and I’m pretty sure he’s hit a few times but what was I going to do? I had no proof but I couldn’t call out on his bluff.

I watched as she walked towards the table smiling, I smiled back and motioned her to sit next to me. When she did the worry of her being with someone not good for vanished, she was safe here with me, at least until her boyfriend would come over and continue his torment on her.

I smiled as she sat down next to me, nibbling on her chocolate and crossing her legs, "Hey you."

I nod, "How goes it?"

She shrugged, "Usual. I think I might be a fifth year senior."

"Why is that?"

Ellie digs in her bag and pulls out a crumpled piece of paper, revealing that she has an F in physics, "That's why."

I laughed, "How are you failing Physics? I'm passing that motherfucker with an A and you're barely passing."

"That's because I can't sleep with my teachers so that they give me a good grade." She smirked

I rolled my eyes and yanked her dark hair playfully, "I'm getting real tired of your shit, Elizabeth."

"What are you gonna do about?"

"Tell your dad because he would go gay for me." I grinned

I winced when I felt that she kicked me under the table, making me curse and giving her a playful menacing look, "You little- oh great, here comes Dunderhead."

She smacked me on the leg and looked at me with pleading eyes, "Be nice."

"I'll behave. I won't be nice." I growled.

"Hey sugar," Mario smiled, leaning over the table and kissing Ellie on the lips.

I should be kissing her. I gritted my teeth

"Haner."

"Dick." I smiled, popping a chip in my mouth as I watched his smile turn upside

"You better watch it."

"Shit man, you're right. I'm really afraid of a four foot motherfucker."

Mario rolled his eyes and paid attention to Eli, who was still eating her chocolate bar, "Jesus Christ Elizabeth, haven't you eaten enough?!"

Her face turned bright red and I saw that she took the food away from her mouth, looking away to hide the fact that she was holding back tears. Her face wasn't the only thing that was red. I could feel the blood boiling in my face, I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands so tight that my knuckles were red and a vein was about to pop. Elizabeth put a hand on mine and she looked up at me again with pleading eyes, telling me silently not to pick a fight here.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, relaxing my fists and trying to cool down. When I did, I looked over at Mario and spoke to him through clenched teeth, "Don't you have something else to do?"

"Yeah I do, I have to go retake a math test." He gets up and walks past me and towards Ellie, kissing her again and saying, "See you later Oink, try not eating so much, it ruin your figure."

I bit my tongue, this motherfucker better walk fast. When I was sure that he left I looked over at Ellie, her chocolate was now on the table, melting away because of the heat of the five hundred children in this lunch hour, "Are you really going to take that shit from him?!"

"It's not like I can do anything about it." She grimaces, poking at the chocolate that was beginning to puddle in the wrapper.

"The hell you can't! You can dump his ass!"

She looked away and frowned, looking at the floor and playing with her hands, "It's not that easy."

I rolled my eyes, "The hell it isn't, it's just five words, I'm breaking up with you."

"But, I just can't okay, it's hard."

I huffed and looked at her, remembering the plans that the guys and I had, "Hey the guys are going to a movie, you wanna come with?"

"What movie?"

"Psycho."

She scrunched up her nose and grimaced, "I heard that movie sucked."

I laughed, "Are you coming or not?"

"Is Val going?"

"Val always goes, and Lily is going too."

She took a breath of relief and smiled for the first time since Shithead left, "I'll go."

“Good,” I said, “Because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”

Ellie rolled her eyes and began poking at the melted chocolate again, “I should’ve eaten it.”

“Yeah, you should’ve devoured that shit. There are hungry children in Africa who would love to know what chocolate tastes like.”

She sighed, “I know, it’s just...I don’t know;.”

“Listen, if you aren’t going to break up with him at least tell him to settle the fuck down with the insults.”

“They aren’t insults...”

“Well they aren’t pet names. What kind of sick bastard calls his girlfriend fat, piggy, and oink? Hell, I hate Sarah Jane but I never went as far to call her things like that!”

Ellie sighed and looked at her binder, picking at the edges that already had the plastic coming off, “If I promise to talk to him about it, will it make you feel better?”

I shrugged, “A little.”

“Then I’ll talk to him about it. Don’t you worry your pretty little head.” She smiled as she patted my hair.

I jumped, giving her a playful glare, “Don’t touch the do, Parker.”



Driving to the movies with Ellie felt like old times. It was like there was no annoying boyfriend on her ass and it felt like my best friend was normal, which made me happy and relaxed. When we got to the movie theaters, everyone was waiting outside, Val with Matt, Lily and Zacky, and Johnny was all by himself, the only one who wasn’t here was Jimmy which was weird because he was the one who planned this.

“Hey assholes,” I greet, “Thanks for making me sit alone today.”

“No problem Gates, it’s the least we could do.” Matt grinned

“Where were you guys?” Ellie asks

“Going out to eat, we felt like asking you guys but we saw that neither of the two of you were in the lunchroom so we left without you.” Johnny shrugs.

“I was late.” I shrugged back as we entered the theater to buy tickets

“Who’s late for lunch?” Zack finally blurts out

“Oh look! He speaks!”

He rolls his eyes, “Shut the fuck up, I’m saving my voice.” Smirking, Zack looks at Lily, making her face turn red.

“What for?” Matt asked, a confused look on his face

“He’s expecting a fuck tonight!” A sudden voice said from behind, we all turn around to see Jimmy walking in with Loraine hooked onto his arm like a goddamn tick. I heard Ellie scoff behind me.

Loraine and Ellie hated each other, much like, how Mario and I hated each other. I nudged her lightly, signaling her to behave.

“Garcia.” Ellie muttered

“Parker.” She replied, they both exchanged smiles, neither one of them sincere but both were polite.

“Ladies, ladies,” I begin, “Let’s go get tickets and watch this stupid ass movie, shall we?”

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around Ellie’s shoulder as we walk up to buy tickets.

And by the way, Ellie was right about the movie. It was awful, the plot had somewhat of a twisted, split personality disorder kind of thing, it was so bad that Loraine left in the middle of the movie, claiming that there was somewhere she would rather be.

When the movie ended, I couldn't be any happier. But as we were walking out of the theater Matt got a call from one of his friends Doug saying that there was a party at his house and that he had to get his ass down there. Well, his words, not mine.

The party was typical. Loud music, underage drinking, people fucking in rooms that they aren't supposed be in. Good ol' fashioned high school parties. I was in the kitchen, drinking beer when I saw a familiar head. I squinted my eyes and put my beer on the table, walking towards the familiar head. That's when I realized that it was not only one familiar head but two familiar heads.

"Loraine! What the fuck are you doing?!" Jimmy screams, dropping his beer and watching his girlfriend and Mario having at it on the couch.

They both pulled away quickly, looking at each other with horrified looks.

"Hey what's with all the screaming-"

Ellie looked at Mario with a blank expression. I gritted my teeth as I noticed that tears began to swell up in her eyes, "How could could you do this?"

He didn't respond, instead he pushed Loraine off and he walked out the door, Ellie not far behind, yelling and sobbing as she questioned him why he did it.

My hands clenched up as I watched the door close, I turn around and bumped into Jimmy, whose hands were also clenched and his eyes were saddened, "I just thought…"

I grimaced and patted him on the back walking back to the kitchen to get myself a new beer.



At lunch the next day, the guys and I were talking about the movie. They were all saying how great it was and I looked at them like the were crazy.

"Are you fucking kidding me? That movie is the worst movie I've ever seen." I scoffed, taking a dip of my soda as Zack opened his mouth to disagree.

"Dude, you're crazy, I thought it was great. I mean, who would've thought that he was pretending to be his mom. It's crazy."

Matt rolled his eyes, "No no no, I agree with Gates, okay? That movie's plot was stupid and twisted and fucked up. Who masterbates looking through a keyhole."

"I could give you a hint." Johnny laughs, taking a sip of his soda and giving me a look.

"Fuck you, short shit." I grumbled, throwing chips at his head.

"Hey guys," Ellie smiled, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to me.

"Hey El, I guess it's really sunny outside, isn't it?" Zack mocked, pointing at the sunglasses on her face.

"Fuck you, Zacky." She mumbles, sticking out her tongue.

"Hey Ellie," Jimmy says, talking for the first time the whole day, "I'm really sorry about what Loraine did."

She smiled lightly and shook her head, "It wasn't your fault, Jim. I talked to Mario about it yesterday and," she took a shaky deep breath, "It went really well."

I looked at her suspiciously and began to wonder what happened last night. Why was she wearing sunglasses when the sky is cloudier than ever? Why does she sound so nervous and why does she flinch all the time? I swallowed hard and reached for her face, raising the glasses up slightly. Elizabeth gasped and pulled the shades back down. I felt my face turn red, I didn't see it all, but I saw enough.

"Wait till I get my fucking hands on that little-"

I get up from my chair and run to Mario, he looks at me with wide eyes. I grabbed his shirt and lifted him without a problem.

"Do you think you're going to get away with what you did?" I seethed, shaking him with every word, "I swear on everything if you ever fucking raise a hand to Elizabeth ever again I will find you and I will fucking end your life, do you understand?"