Elijah's POV:

I was causally waiting by my locker pretending to get something out of it while waiting for Madison to get to hers. Most people in here don't use their lockers a lot and neither do I if I'm being honest, but Madison likes to use hers as I seemed to notice since she doesn't like to carry much in her hand but the book that she needs.

Eventually I decided to text her to fasten the process as 10 minutes have passed and she still hasn't been here, plus some people were starting to stare at me suspiciously.

"I hope you like the gift I left you in your locker"

Thank god the chocolate bar fit through the small openings or else I would've had trouble getting it inside and Madison would start questioning. I had no plans of letting Noah know of my doings, as far as he knew, I was trying to approach Madison personally and he was only trying to help get us closer. I plan to keep it that way.

Within a couple of minutes Madison showed up and as she opened her locker a wide smile started to show on her face. She took out her phone and started texting.

"Chocolate with strawberry filling?" it was seconds before I received her text.

"Best combination, especially for us" I smiled at my phone.

"The chocolate alone did it for me so thank you"

"So it seems like my suggestion did you well"

I turned my face to look behind me and found Mason leaning over my shoulder and looking at my phone.

"Didn't anyone tell you that it's rude to invade someone's privacy?" I backed away from him getting my phone out of his sight.

"You're welcome" I added a winking emoji and sent the text.

"Oh we're past that, after all I know your dark secret"

I looked up from my phone and found him smirking at me.

"So I have a dark secret now?"

His smirk grew wider "Oh yes you do"

"And what would that be? Please enlighten me since I seem to be kept in the dark from my own secret"

"You like your own brother's best friend, if not in love with her"

I huffed at him

"I am not in love with Madison, nor do I like her"

I turned to Madison's locker to make sure she didn't hear anything, luckily for me she left.

"Then why are you secretly texting her?"

I faced him once again.

"I just want to get to know her" I shrugged.

"Why am I even bothering to continue this conversation when I have nothing to prove to you" I continued.

"You want to bet that you actually like her but just don't know it yet?"

"Okay, what are we betting on?"

"If I win I want you to admit loud and clear that you like her" he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"You're cocky"

"And you're a coward who won't admit his feelings"

I rolled my eyes at his childishness.

"Fine and if I win no fooling around with girls for a whole week"

"Too bad you won't win to see that" he stuck his tongue out.

I shook his hand and sealed the deal, huffing at his silliness.

"So how are we going to do this?"

"You'll see when the time comes" he winked and left to go after a girl.

When is this guy going to grow up? And why am I even friends with him?

I shook my head at him as I watched him trying to go after the girl over and over again while she blows him off. Now that seems like something.

She seems like a nice girl, something different from the girls Mason goes after usually. A blob haircut, brown hair, brown eyes, completely different from Mason's blonde model girls. She somewhat reminded me of the younger version of Madison. Maybe she's exactly what Mason needs.

I got them both off my mind as I watched them disappear from my sight, and went back to texting Madison while exiting the campus. My day was short today so I decided to hit the gym.

"So what are you doing right now?"

"In the library studying, or at least trying to" she replied a couple of minutes later.

"And why is that?"

I got into the car and asked Max to drive me to my destination.

"A certain person keeps interrupting my study session"

I let out a small laugh.

"Do you want me to stop texting you then?"

Please say no

"No it's alright, I got distracted already"

I let out a small yes to myself.

Max was looking at me in the rear view mirror confused and worried that I was talking to myself so I decided to control the small gestures. He probably thought I was going crazy.

"I guess I'm sorry then even though I'm glad you want to keep talking to me. So tell me a secret, something no one knows about you?"

A minute passed, then five and I was left anxious waiting for her reply. She was probably trying to get some studying done while talking to me so I excused her.

I started tapping by feet against the ground of the car waiting but was stopped my Max speaking to me.

"We're here"

I looked around and just realized that the car stopped and was parked by the entrance of the gym.

I thanked him and told him to go home to his family, the gym is a few blocks from home so I could manage on my own.

I got out of the car and headed for the door but ended up taking a seat on the steps by the doors at the sound of my buzzing phone.

"Isn't it too early for this step?"

I smiled, she was using my words against me now.

"Then how about we make a deal, you answer my question and I'll tell you whatever you want in return"

"We seem to be doing these a lot, but fine, you tell me your name in return"

I laughed, I knew she'd bring this up.

"Except that"

"Damn it! Then anything else except that, literally anything?"

"Anything, you have my word"

"Yup"

She took a few minutes before replying and when she did it was a really long message.

"I'm thinking of going to a psychologist, maybe talking about everything that went on with my life. Maybe getting a professional opinion would help because I think that the way I'm handling things aren't going well with me. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I think not knowing who you really are helps. It makes telling you my secrets easier. I just feel close to you for some reason, like I've known you my entire life, so I guess I owe you one for not telling me who you are"

It felt like I was taking a hit to my stomach, my heart, and my whole body. Her words broke me in two different ways.

I was lying to her, she felt us knowing each other when we actually do, and then there's the whole therapy thing.

She was broken and maybe the nightmares had to do with it, but what if she finds out my lie? Would it break her even more, maybe her heart this time and not just her emotions?

I wanted to tell her everything, right now and then, but I couldn't. I need to find out what I want and the reason out of this, and then I'd tell her everything. The whole truth. I might lose her for my mistake that I even realize I'm doing right now, but something just tells me that would be all worth it in the end.

Even if I lose her forever.

The last sentence kept repeating itself in my head over and over again, just like I kept convincing myself that it was worth it.

"What is that you think you're handling wrong? Did something happen to you?" I replied, convinced of what my heart was telling me.

"Oh no mister, you asked for a secret and that's all you're getting. So let's just pretend I never sent you the last text and you hold up to your end of the deal. After all you owe me an answer to whatever I'm going to ask you right now"

She turned this from deep to playful in a matter of seconds, yet I couldn't get her words out of my mind.

Still I admired how she's handling this, if it were me this subject would've stayed with me the whole day, if not even a week.

So I tried to do the same thing she did and I put on a cheerful forced smile for myself.

"Fair enough I do owe you an answer, so ask away"

"What's the class that we take together?"

I laughed, hard. Things seem to be backfiring at me.

If I tell her the truth, I am on her list of possibilities, but at the same time there are over twenty people in that class. She might not suspect me, at least not in the meanwhile, but she also might.

It took me a solid five minutes to decide, and I decided I was going to tell her the truth. It was bound to get out sooner or later, and if the sooner happened then so be it.

"Creativity and Innovation"

I don't know whether she was thinking about it or not, but after that the subject was changed and we spent almost an hour talking and jumping from subject to the other getting to know each other.

I enjoyed talking to her, the hour went by in bliss, and I got to know new things about her.

Eventually we had to stop, she had to go home and I had to start exercising. I went in to the gym and started doing my usual workout spending the whole time rethinking of Madison's deep words over and over again.

I need to find a way to find out what happened to her, what's causing her nightmares.

Two hours later I was done, showered, and on my way out while checking my phone.

I had a couple of missed calls and some texts left, all from Mason. This time he wasn't waiting for me outside though.

"Meet me at the address I left you, and I won't take a no for an answer"

Okay this seems urgent, I just hope it's not another one of the parties of his.

I called an uber and headed for the address he texted me.

Turns out it was actually a party. I groaned, cursing at Mason, and went inside.

I started looking for him and eventually I found him, him and Madison.

What in the world is going on? Are they on a, date?

"Eli, buddy, you finally made it!" he smiled and it made me even more angry if possible.

"Excuse us Madison for a second, but my buddy and I need to have a talk"

I nodded at Madison and grabbed Mason's arm, forcefully dragging him aside.

"Slow down on my poor arm"

I hit his arm back to his side.

"Ouch, this is going to leave a mark on my beautiful arm. What is wrong with you?" he rubbed his arm faking pain.

"You asked for your arm and I just did what you said. And what is wrong with me seriously? What is wrong with you!" I was furious.

"I'm here on a date, I finally convinced Madison to go out with me. I told you no one could resist this body"

I rolled my eyes at him

"And out of all of the places you could've taken her, you chose one of your damned parties?"

"Well I always go to them"

"How did you convince her to go out with you?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

Madison has always been a tough nut to crack, plus she would never go out with someone like Mason.

"I used my charm on her, just like I always do. No one could resist" he smirked.

Now I'm really thinking why I became friends with him.

"It didn't work before on her and it never would, so what did you tell her?"

"Oh come on, my charm always works"

I pretended to be leaving.

"Fine, I told I needed her help to make someone jealous. God, you're such a kill joy"

"You mean the second girl to turn your charm down?" I teased.

He looked behind me and there was a certain emotion in his eyes that I've never seen before. I followed the direction of his sight and found the same girl he was going after this morning.

My instinct was right, this girl is going to be something for Mason.

"Okay stop the lovey doey staring and focus here. Why would you bring Madison when you have a lot of girls on call?"

"What staring? I don't know what you're talking about?" he huffed

"Answer the question Mason" I gritted the words through my teeth.

"I- you better watch out for Madison there, someone just gave her a spiked drink"

I turned to glance at Madison and of course there had to be a red cup in her hand.

"This is all your fault" I pointed at him.

I left him and when for Madison, taking the cup out of her hand.

"Hey what are you doing, this is my drink?"

"Never trust anything that anyone gives you around here, you never know what's inside of it"

"Now you just sound like my dad" she bickered and left me.

I groaned and went for the corner of the room where there were some chairs and took a seat next to Mason's girl.

"Hi"

"Hey" she smiled "I hope you know you're friend is a jerk"

"Trust me, right now I do" I sighed

"So do I" she mimicked my action

We spent the rest of the party seated and watching Mason and Madison dancing their night away as we glared at the both of them together.

Mason seems to be getting out the worse of us, both of us actually.

"You like him don't you?"

"I do, or did, but then when I saw him going out with one girl after the other and each time hurt me worse, I figured he would never be interested in committing to someone like me, someone opposite to what he prefers. Plus he isn't the committing type so I should probably work even harder on forgetting him"

"Don't, just give him some more time. He likes you too, but this is all new to him so he doesn't know how to deal with it and time is what he needs. It might hurt but trust me it will be worth it in the end. Aside from all of what he does, he is a good guy"

She nodded.

"I'll think of it, thank you though"

I gave her a small welcome and headed to the backyard where it was much more quiet and less painful for me.

I took a seat on the edge of the swimming pool and dipped my legs in the water, getting my jeans socked up but feeling a little better.

God why was this bothering me so much?

'This isn't a real date' I kept repeating to myself but then the image of them dancing and Madison smiling and looking happy took over.

"Eli"

"I'm not in the mood to talk Mason, go finish your dance"

He ignored me and took a seat next to me, smiling.

"You want to know why I chose Madison?"

"Maybe" I muttered.

"To get the jealousy out of you"

I looked at him confused.

"You're just too blind to see what everyone else sees. You like Madison and that's why you got jealous and mad when I brought her here, just like I said before"

"I don't-"

"Just stop the denial man, why can't you admit your feelings and work with them?" he interrupted me "You get jealous when she's with someone else, you enjoy talking to her, you get grumpy if a day passes and you don't get to see her, and you've never bothered chasing a girl because of what you believe, yet here you are doing it?"

I thought on his words for a couple of seconds before realizing he might be right.

"Okay you have a point, I think I might be starting to have some feelings for her"

"Now that's progress, I'll take it. But now you got to figure out what you're getting out of what you're doing and if it's heading somewhere"

I nodded silently.

"I think I know what do next for now, I have a project and I'll use her help as an excuse just until I figure everything out. Maybe it'll help me"

"Maybe it will, so does this mean I win the bet?"

I laughed.

"I guess it does"

..................................