NO FIGHTING PLEASE

Chapter 7

Things should have gone back to normal. I don’t like this. I’m going to be sick. On someone’s shoes. This was a bad idea. I should hara-kiri myself.

I tried to breathe and regain composure but it was a lost cause.

Raph had called me few days after I had made my inquiries about Elliot to Vinc, and had invited to me for a fire in his backyard—important to mention that that backyard was phoquing huge, contained a pool, and was surrounded by forest.

And Elliot could be there. That’s what my stalking-his-Facebook-page had informed me of at least. His friend had posted on his wall “Gonna go to Raph’s on Friday?” and Elliot had answered “Probably”

And no, my agreeing to come to this party had nothing to do with the fact that CD guy could be here… okay it had everything to do with that.

Though how was I supposed to start the conversation if he was here? Hey, I’m the girl who stared at you at the CD store and bumped into you at the restaurant which consequently led me to stalk you on Facebook.

Very nice classy way of introducing yourself.

I hated this. I was not good with this whole emotion-liking-boys thing. Phoque phoque phoquedy phloqued.

“Azé, you know this isn’t a slaughtering house and you aren’t going to get your head chopped off right?” Vinc laughed beside me.

I looked at him, frowning and confused. “Huh?”

“You looked even more scared then after I made you watch It,” he burst laughing.

“Shut up, clowns are phoquing scary and you know it,” I groaned and kicked his shin, before trying to catch his head in a deadlock so I could throw him on the ground.

Needless to say it was a complete fail on my part, and I was the one to land on my butt.

“Now you look like your normal self,” Vinc grinned down at me, while I glared at him, getting back on my feet.

Emma joined us just then, looking around herself, probably trying to spot Elliot too.

It’s not like he would be hard to see. He was so tall! And so far I hadn’t seen any almost-abnormally-tall guys. There were a lot of people around, a lot I didn’t know since they were going to school with Raph. Vinc seemed to know a lot of them, probably because of hockey and soccer.

“No fighting kids,” she said absentmindedly, still looking around.

“Where’s the fun in that,” Vinc answered his voice filled with mischief and he pushed my on the ground again.

Elliot was nowhere in sight. The minutes passed, and then the hour and I hadn’t seen him anywhere.

Maybe his ‘probably’ was like my mom’s ‘we’ll talk about it later’ which meant ‘no way in hell’. Maybe he wasn’t going to be there…

That made me feel all gloomy...

But still, I had come here, and it would be stupid to sulk for no reason when people were having fun around me. Okay some where throwing up by the edge of the forest, others were crying, drunk, saying they would go to church tomorrow to ask for forgiveness, or arguing with each other over… what? Who knew? Drunks argued for no reasons.

Vinc was talking with a few of his hockey buddies, and Emma was completely engrossed in a conversation with a guy she had talked with once before, I don’t know where, sure thing was she seemed to like him.

I spotted Raph, sitting in a chair by the pool, speaking with a guy and I made my way to him, since I hadn’t talked to him yet.

When I was just a few meters away from him, someone caught me in an almost bear hug from behind.

“Awwwww! Azéliiiiiiie! I haven’t seen you in AGES!”

I managed to free myself from the drunk girl and turn to face her.

Marie-Pier Fortin. Why oh why?

“Hey Marie,” I smiled, though half heartedly.           

“How long as it been,” she shouted, “what, how long? HOW LONG?”

“About oh four years. When you and Vinc broke up,” I simply stated, fake smile plastered on my face.

Vincent and Marie-Pier had gone out together in Sec 2. He was doing referring at one of her hockey game and they had talked and ended up going out together. But it was never anything really serious, and she annoyed me greatly, and not long after, she had annoyed Vinc greatly too.

I had seen her now and then, but never had talked to her since they had broken up. I had kind of figured I was free from her from there…

High hopes for the future anyone?

“AWWW! That’s TRUE! We don’t talk anymore! WE SHOULD TALK!”

Oh god, kill me.

“Azé help me out here,” my saviour asked. I could have kissed Raph just then.

“Sorry, I have to go, but let’s talk another time okay?” I didn’t let her the time to answer and almost ran the last five meters to get to my friend. “What’s up?"

“Green Arrow didn’t become a series regular in season six, did he?”

My mind had gone blank and I froze. I should go buy lottery tickets, really. Right beside Raph, sitting on a long beach chair, was Elliot Roy in all his glory. Why was it that he seemed to look better and better each time I saw him again?

CD guy was here, just a few feet from me and… and oh my god, I was about to have some kind of conversation with him!? I tried to keep my eyes from bulging.

Wait? What was the question again? Phoque!

I scratched the back of my head, frowning a bit and tried to stop staring at Elliot. I looked at Raph. “Huh, what?”

Raph laughed. “We’re having an argument about Smallville’s cast,”

“I say Green Arrow was a regular in season six,” Elliot added.

Phoque. His voice was so hot. Hot damn. When I had bumped into him he had said sorry but I had been too surprise and it was too short for me to have registered it but now I did and wow… I could hear my heart beat in my ears. This can’t be happening, he’s looking my way and he’s sooo hot.

And oh phoque. I realized it. I had to answer to the question. And I knew the answer. Dang it! Why did I have to contradict him the first time we ever talked?

“Huh… season eight actually.” I wrinkled my nose a bit, trying to make an apologetic face. “Definitely not season six. He was just a recurring guest then.”

Elliot frowned, not convinced. “Are you sure?”

I tried not to snort. There was a reason why Raph had asked my opinion; it was not only to get Marie-Pier away from me. “Yep,” I nodded. This was my element, arguing, I practiced all the time with Vinc. And I knew Smallville. “There was no more Lex so that’s when Tess arrived and that’s why Oliver needed to be more present in the show.”

Standing there, I was beginning to feel awkward. Especially with the look Raph was giving me. I tried to slap his arm inconspicuously so he would stop it.

“Coherent reasoning,” Elliot agreed, his face leaning on the side a bit. “I’m still Googling it when I get home,” he added, a corner of his mouth going up.

I laughed a bit, “You do that.”

And Elliot Roy smiled at me, actually smiled. I think I just died and went to heaven… “I’m Elliot.”

I prayed he wouldn’t offer his hand. There was no way in hell I was shaking his hand, not with my sweaty palms.

“Azélie,” I tentatively smiled, keeping my hand bawled tight in my hoodie’s pocket.

“Nice to finally meet you Azélie.”