“My Parents…” Tyler points out. Throwing him a questioning glance like Dane must be stupid not to think of them.
“Mine too.” Elisa chimes in and then reddens when Tyler casts a glance back at her and catches her eye with a soft smile. She tips her head down and pretends to be back on reading her website page.
Something they have in common, I guess. Both come from unbroken homes and parents who are sickeningly in love even though they were all high school sweethearts. Like Dane and me, they are both only children of high-earning and academic parents.
“We know plenty of functioning humans with good relationships. We just need to decide who to interview and in what format….. Do we have a sit-down and take notes interview… a paper questionnaire, or a video interview we can submit as research data.” I flip to the next clean page of the pad and pick up the pen, poised to continue. Laying down my half-eaten sandwich as work takes over.
“Is this how you always are?” Dane asks in what seems to be awed dislike…. “It’s just a shitty school project. We could casually ask for tips and write the damn essay.”
“This shitty school project contributes to my grades… I know you don’t care, but Harvard isn’t easy to get into without my grades being good.”
Dane and I lock glares for a long pause, something static between us as stubborn meets stubborn, and I am surprised he's the first to break and turn away. He leans his head back with a sigh and carries on lounging as though he’s unbothered.
“Harvard?” Tyler cuts in before Dane can make another smart-ass remark, saving us another bickering war. “Nice choice…… I haven’t picked one yet, but it’s on my list.” Tyler sits a little straighter, engaging with more interest than idiot Dane, and Elisa perks up. She always had a weakness for smart people, and I wonder if this is one of those hidden traits in Tyler that calls her subliminally.
“You’re going to college? I just thought you two….” She trails off, embarrassed at saying it out loud and sounding dumb, but Tyler grins at her. Elisa’s face is peeking at him enough from behind her screen that we all see her cheeks deepen in color.
“Just because this loser is anti-school and anti-effort doesn’t mean I am. My grades are pretty good. I want to study law….. I have plans.”
“LAW??” I almost choke on my food and gawp at him as though this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. “Since when?” I can’t see it, especially when he’s sat in a basketball shirt over shorts, all muscles and tanned skin, nursing a hangover with some ray bans.
I have known Tyler since infancy, and not once have I heard him talk about the future, college, or freaking law school. Dane doesn’t seem shocked, so I assume this is genuine and something he's already known about. Not a joke or them trying to fool us.
“Since forever… my dad’s a lawyer… so are my grandfather and uncle. I like it…. I have the brain for it.” He shrugs casually.
“That’s insane….. you wanna study law, but last night were out breaking them and jeopardizing your future?” I just don’t get it at all.
“Hey, don’t lump me in with this idiot. I merely watched… although, yeah, I did get tanked at the after-party. You only live once.” He and Dane fist bump in male solidarity and give a little head nod as though these are the wisest of words, and I eyeroll at them.
Dane catches my snarling laser glare aimed his way and seems instantly uncomfy, picks up his glass, and focuses on watching his ice melt.
“Aren’t you a little too….. frat boy to be a lawyer?” I ask in half jest, half seriousness because the all-American football-type bro Tyler does not scream lawyer to me. Ignoring Dane’s aloofness.
“You realize that I am the standard for most law students. You would understand if you saw how my family kicks back and parties on vacation and the shit my dad did as a kid.” They grin without looking at one other, and I assume it’s because they have shared knowledge of those stories. I know Dane has vacationed with them, too, so there’s no telling what he’s seen.
“I now understand why you two are so in love.” I nod at Dane and get a side head, tilted, eyebrow raise back from him. Not impressed, but he lets it slide without a verbal rebuff while Elisa giggles at my funny and then blushes again, hiding behind the laptop screen. Sometimes, she forgets to be shy and petrified, and you see glimpses of how warm and cute she is.
“What about you?” Tyer leans in, sitting higher to peek at her over the MacBook. Drawn by that unadulterated little laugh of hers. “Elisa? What are your plans?”
She pauses, swallows hard, and raises her face only an inch so all he gets is the top of her eyes and nothing more.
“I want to be a Cosmetic Chemist.” She answers quietly, chewing on her lip like it’s something stupid and mockable.
“A what?” Tyler seems intrigued and leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and inching closer to get a better view of her. It’s getting painfully obvious that Tyler has a new interest in someone previously not on his radar, and he’s intrigued that someone so pretty has been hiding in plain sight. His predatory hormones are firing on full cylinders. I can almost smell the increase in testosterone.
“She makes beauty shit from scratch…. lotions, shampoo… all that stuff. Vegan or whatever. Kayla walks around smelling like a tropical rainforest half the time when she tests it.” Dane pipes in, giving insight I never even knew he had. Shocked, he had even the slightest clue about what Elisa did for fun and wanted to do with her life. I gawp at him. I know he’s observant, but this…. that’s weird. The fact he even notices when I smell of it.
“That’s pretty cool… do you make any stuff for guys? I want to try it.” Tyler is in the charm offensive, and I narrow my eyes at his sudden niceness towards her, suspicious as my mama bear instincts peek out. Wary of why he is so invested after arriving here in such a foul mood.
Yesterday, she was just ‘redhead,’ and today, she has a name that he swore he couldn’t ever remember. I’m onto him…..I know he and Dane have a competitive running list of who can bang more new girls they come across. Elisa is not making it onto that list – now, in the near future, or ever.
“She’s not one of your hoes. Back off, Romeo.” I warn, claws coming out at the mere sniff of him getting amorous with her. Elisa may be blinkered and lovesick over Tyler, but that does not mean I would let him use and abuse her like every one of their playthings. She would be drawn in easily, and the encounter would break her gentle soul.
“Calm down, Koala. I’m just taking an interest, seeing as we all have to be playmates for the next week and work on this together.” He smirks my way, only strengthening my suspicion.
“Finally noticed her, huh… realized our little Leese isn’t repulsive when she comes out of her hair.” Dane mocks and shoves him back with a shoulder push before sitting up, sliding his shades to the top of his head and propping them in his hair. Dane has always been semi-civil to Elisa and sometimes even a little sweet. At least he remembered her name and sometimes acknowledged her presence, unlike some.
“Tyler gets a hard-on for a whiff of a clever girl that’s easy on the eye… our school doesn’t have many. Better hide your brain, Elisa, or he might be dry humping you whenever you turn round.” Dane ducks away from a hand swing aimed at his head from Tyler and shoves him back with a laugh. Tyler, however, isn’t denying anything from what I can see.
“Why do you always lower the tone… stop being disgusting.” I slap at him, stretching across the table as he edges back with a grin to avoid my hand.
“Just stating facts. Tyler has a fetish for the school librarian type…. you know, if you tied your hair up, Elisa…” he jests.
“Enough…. That’s just …. oh my god. Why are you this way?” I flick some of my juice at him from my cup and catch that devilish twinkle in his eye. His headache tablets are obviously kicking in and improving his mood. I don’t know which version I prefer.
Hungover, sulking, and quiet, or this jerk with his constant sexual narrative and cheeky rudeness.
“Says the guy with a severe fetish for step-sister porn.” Tyler shoves him sideways with a hint of warning in his tone, and I choke on the air in my mouth. My eyes widen in shock, and I flush with heat from head to toe.
Coughing into my juice as I catch Dane throwing a serious pissed-off glare at his friend, Elisa dives down and hides behind her laptop with an equally shocked expression, and everything gets very uncomfortable real fast.