HIT OR MISS {OPEN}

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

Eli honestly had no idea what he was going to do about his English project now. Perhaps he could just do some drawings – he wasn’t too terrible at it, but also not very good at it. His artistic forte was in painting. It would be the same concept as the paintings, just a lot less nerve-wracking for him. No one would really care if he showed up two weeks from now with a couple of mediocre drawings about a book that half the class probably didn’t even read, like him. He was decent enough at shading, so he wouldn’t have to worry about color. Color was a subject on which one simply did not mess with him. He was far too OCD about getting the perfect hues to blend nicely. If he were to try to use colored pencils, he would probably only end up highly frustrated. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought. He knew Isabella would try to encourage him to do a painting instead. She probably understood his reasoning but wouldn’t agree with his submission to said reasoning. ”Hmm…I could probably do some sketches instead. Same concept – I’m just not as good at that. Besides, people already know I draw…” He looked at Isabella and shrugged. Maybe one day she would convince him to show other people his paintings – today was not that day.

Today was however, a good day for pizza. That wasn’t saying much, though – Eli could eat pizza almost every day of the week without getting sick of it. Excellent choice! he responded gleefully, returning her side hug. He didn’t stay too close for too long, however. He wouldn’t want to get his sweat all over her. He’d been in the gym much longer than she had and consequently probably smelled atrocious. He retrieved both of the basketballs they’d used and replaced them on the rack before walking over to his stuff on the bench. He slung his bag over his shoulder, and folded his sweatshirt neatly in half over his arms. He turned to face Isabella. ”So, are we eating this pizza out or would you like delivery?” he asked, checking the time again. If he ordered soon, most places could get it here before they stopped delivering at 10:30. He knew having most of the phone numbers for the best pizza places in Hadley memorized would come in handy eventually. Now it just depended on what Isabella wanted to do.

He walked back to Isabella, looking around the gym. He wanted to make sure everything was as he had found it. The basketball coaches were pretty nit-picky about the cleanliness of their gym, and he understood completely. It was a great facility, and he’d hate to be the subject of the coaches’ anger. Seeing that all was in order, he offered her his arm. ”So, is there a special man in the life of Miss Isabella Dias, yet? I mean, besides me, of course,” he said, mostly joking. He hadn’t asked her much about what she’d been up to socially as of late, so he figured now was a better time than any. He didn’t get involved in Isabella’s love life unless she asked him to, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be curious.

[ISABELLA MARIANA DIAS]

Whatever Eli decided to do she would ultimately support him even if it wasn’t the course of action that she would have preferred him to take. Not everyone could come out of their comfort zones so easily and keeping that in mind and being patient toward him while he built up his confidence in other areas was no different than what had happened tonight with them playing basketball. Isabella wasn’t much for idly waiting by for things to happen, she was prone to taking the initiative and giving him subtle nudges in the direction that she thought better suited him. It was that protective sibling connection that Isabella had toward Eli at work. It was probably a nuisance at times but she wouldn’t apologize for that just like if Eli did something annoyingly brotherly she wouldn’t expect him to.

It was still so cold out and as much as she enjoyed going out with Eli, it was better and safer not to be out on the roads in this weather. If it was just her Isabella couldn’t say that she would have been too inclined to stay off the roads but when it came to Eli being with her of course she wanted to take the safest route that she could. ”Lets go with delivery. You think your roommate will mind me being over. We can bribe him with pizza.” Besides if they went about it that way Elijah could get himself a quick shower and there wouldn’t be any aversion to being near one another. Isabella preferred making things suitable for all parties involved and to serve the greatest purpose to benefit all. As Eli was picking up she headed over to the bleachers grabbing the book that she had ventured into the gym for in the first place.

Placing her hand in the crook of his offered arm Isabella looked to the ground seemingly studying the richly polished floor. She and Nate hadn’t gotten together yet at that point, Isabella was still thinking about it. There was too much complication involved for her to jump at the chance and she wanted to be fair to him. Giving Eli’s arm a tender squeeze she smiled over at him. ”Besides you… not exactly. Nate asked me out though.” They had been best of friends too for years now, much like she and Eli but there was a different vibe between them and that attraction had finally come into light. It was at an interesting time too. Her eighteenth birthday at the end of February marked the arrival of whoever her father chose for her betrothal but if she got with Nate and the approval was given that inevitability would be extended until she figured herself out. Family responsibility was important to Isabella. "Any girls I should know about?"

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

Eli shrugged at her decision. Whatever she wanted to do was fine with him; he was a rather flexible person. ”Delivery is fine with me. Besides, knowing my roommate, he probably won’t even be in there this early.” With that said, he shook his phone out of his sweatshirt pocket and dialed the number for the closest pizza place that he considered to be of good quality. He placed his hand over the speaker and looked at Isabella. ”Do you want any particular kind or breadsticks or something?” He figured her options would probably be included in what he already planned on ordering. When he ordered delivery pizza, he intended to get enough to last him a few meals. The pizza place picked up on the other end, and he politely asked them to hold for a moment while he got the order straight. More like while he got the order, period.

He began to walk with her and returned her squeeze with a gentle shoulder bump. ”So…Nate, huh? Are you gonna give him a shot?” he asked. He knew that Isabella and Nate had been friends for quite some time. Eli hoped she’d give him a chance. He’d secretly been waiting on this to happen for a while now – not that he’d ever tell Isabella that. Eli didn’t know Nate all too well, but they got along. He couldn’t be too shabby of a guy if a girl like Isabella kept him around. She could be as protective as she wanted of Eli; he was just going to return the favor. The last thing he wanted was for some douchebag to hurt her. She was one of the people in his life that if someone were to upset her, all bets were off. That was a line you just didn’t cross with him.

As for other girls in his life, he was particularly lacking. There was Mallory, but he hadn’t seen her in quite a while. He chose not to tell Isabella this, his better judgment saying that it just wasn’t worth it. ”Girls? Nah. I’m beginning to think I’m too nice to them,” he said with a small shrug. It was a product of his raising. He had been taught to be gentlemanly and respectful to girls. He followed that principle rather strictly, aside from some occasional harmless teasing. He wasn’t about to be mean to girls just to see if it attracted them. Eli figured he’d find a girl that liked him the way he was. ”What can I say? I’m a six-foot tall teddy bear.” He grinned and nudged her lightly. He knew she would probably say something about sticking to the real him before the night was over. He had a feeling she wanted to give him that speech a lot more than she actually did.

[ISABELLA MARIANA DIAS]

Count on Eli to have pizza places on speed dial. Isabella laughed softly, under her breath, at the notion of it. She had assumed that he would just order whatever he wanted. At least until it dawned on her that not only was Elijah too mannered for that but she had also won their little wager. ”Sure, sounds good. I’ll eat whatever you get.” In her mind you couldn’t have it both ways and if she was sacrificing her balanced diet for the night she couldn’t be too choosy when it came to what she was sacrificing it for. Of the two of them Eli was the expert here. He would know much better than her what to get. The quick interjection giving him the green light to make his usual order was followed by her silence, not wanting to make it difficult or troublesome for Elijah to hear the voice on the other end.

There was a lot of noise in her head about Nate. He had a rather lengthy past, the number of girls on it, most of which lasted all of one night, was staggering. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t trust him to be faithful because Isabella did. In fact she trusted Nate with a lot regarding her. What was the main issue was she didn’t want to burden him with all the responsibilities that came with being with her. Isabella’s life was vastly different than that of an American teenager and her parents expected certain things of her that she had always been inclined to oblige. The stipulation of an engagement by the time she was eighteen was one of them. If she started dating Nate it wouldn’t just be some romance, her father would need insurances that it was a permanent arrangement- hence why Isabella hadn’t really dated anyone before. Nate seemed pretty adamant about it though and he knew about her father’s conditions. She just wasn’t convinced yet that he was really ready to take that step and she was terrified that he’d resent her later for letting him go through with it. ”I haven’t decided yet. I probably will.”

The fact that she and Mallory didn’t really get along all that well made it all the more reason why Elijah was best to keep that particular piece of information to himself. She could accept Mallory if he liked her of course but what Isabella wouldn’t tolerate was someone stringing him along. Girls could be stupid. Isabella had been stupid too in the past. She had gone through that phase where the jerk had been exciting for her; in fact she was still slightly in it. A big chunk of her was well aware that that type of guy did nothing for you but offer cheap thrills but she had wanted to enjoy her indiscretions while she could before another responsibility was put onto her. She was growing up though and with that came a maturity of her desires as well. Those cheap thrills were beginning to want to be substituted by something real and solid, something like what Nate was offering her. ”They’re missing out.” She didn’t think he was too nice. His comment about being a teddy bear- she simply couldn’t help herself. Ruffling his hair she leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. ”Don’t you think of changing that either. I like my teddy bear.” If they hadn’t been alone Isabella wouldn’t have done what she had. It would have been too embarrassing, she imagined, and resulted in him being teased which wasn’t anything that she wanted.

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

Eli winked at her to show that he heard her response and gave the person on the other end of the phone his typical order of one large pizza each of pepperoni, cheese, and supreme as well as a bag of breadsticks. He gave them the school’s address as well as the name of the sophomore dormitory, thanked them, and ended the call. ”That should cover the two of us.” As long as half the dorm didn’t come running at the smell of tomato sauce, melted cheese, and various meats on hot dough, anyway. He’d probably just lock the door and refuse to open it for anyone. The only other person that would have any reason to get in there was his roommate Aaron who had his own key. Eli wondered whether or not he’d be in the room tonight. If he was, Eli would gladly share – Aaron was a nice kid. But if not, well, more pizza for Isabella and him.

Isabella’s statement about what she planned to do concerning Nate was short, but Eli took the time to think it over. He, too, knew that Nate had quite a list in terms of girls. He mulled over his response for another minute or so before speaking. ”Well, I obviously can’t tell you what to do, but I would recommend that you give it a chance. After all, he’s a nice guy. I mean, maybe a bit rough around the edges – but I don’t think I’d have to constantly be your guard dog with him.” He cracked a smile, even though he was completely serious. Isabella had obviously dated people before now, and Eli hadn’t always liked every single one of them. He would put up with them because she liked them, but he was always on guard around. If a guy were to ever hurt Isabella and he found out about it (which was more than likely) – may God have mercy on that poor man’s soul. Eli was typically pretty passive-aggressive, but when it came to the people he loved, he would protect them ferociously.

He knew that what Isabella was saying was true – that he shouldn’t worry that it seemed like no girls took any interest in him because he was a good kid. Some days he even believed it. But a lot of the time, the thought mostly depressed him. It hurt him to think that girls wanted guys that were going to treat them like garbage or gum on the bottom of their shoe. Eli, on the other hand, was a perfect gentleman to girls and was even friends with a lot of them. He could hardly count how many times he’d listened to his girl friends complaining about their various boyfriends. Their thoughts made no sense to him – why would they keep going back to the things that are only going to hurt them? As a result of this mysterious dilemma, Eli often found himself in a place called the “friend zone.” He guessed he’d find his way out of it one day. Until then, he would just put a smile on his face, crack a joke, and pretend that typical, modern romantic relationships didn’t absolutely disgust him.

He jumped slightly at her unexpected kiss on his cheek. He laughed quietly, unembarrassed. ”Don’t worry; I don’t think I actually could even if I wanted. But I may be able to call up some grizzly if you ever need it.” He was glad they could be as close of friends as they were without worrying about weirding the other out. He stopped walking for a moment before enveloping her in a giant, still slightly sweaty bear hug, lifting her off the ground for a moment and spinning her in a giant circle. ”In Soviet Russia, teddy bear cuddles with you,” he said in what was supposed to be an attempt at a Russian accent but sounded more like a twangy backwoods redneck. He knew it was a lame thing to say, but if Isabella wasn’t used to his corny jokes by now, she never would be.

[ISABELLA MARIANA DIAS]

Isabella’s own dietary habits were rather strict and regulated but she never judged other’s for what they ate. Most teenagers were prone to filling themselves up with whatever sugary processed nonsense they could get their hands on. While her peers were munching on potato chips she was content with a celery stick. It wasn’t because she was body conscious or had some kind of eating disorder- far from that in fact. Isabella ate things like that because of the nutritional values, it was all about the fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy portion sizes and she had several small meals a day, usually on the go, versus three large ones at the designated times. It was a time consuming process really and took a great deal of dedication to put that much effort into eating but Isabella stuck with it and she was very pleased with the results, not just how incredible her body looked with her exercise regiment but also how good she felt internally, her immune system, the way her skin looked, hair, nails, everything. It was all from taking proper care of herself in all the areas that she could.

His order was rather hefty and Isabella wouldn’t be gorging herself on the meal but she was still going to thoroughly enjoy it. Eli was a growing boy though, it made sense that he could eat that much, well maybe not three pizzas and breadsticks in one sitting but he’d always been able to pack it down. It came from a high metabolisms, Eli burned off almost everything that he ate and then with him being physically active as well it added onto that. He was lucky really and as a result he was six foot at such a young age. Who knew how tall he would grow to be. Giving him a slight smile as they spoke about Nate she knew that the two were friendly with one another. It was nice that there wasn’t much resistance when the thought came about. Lorelei was pretty vocal about her disapproval of the matching, claiming that Nate wasn’t good enough for Isabella.

What Eli said was valid though and no surprise to Isabella. She had always thought that the majority of males were rough around the edges. Even Eli had his moments. It was all a matter of perspective anyway, what might have been frowned upon by one could be viewed as endearing by another. Though it didn’t exactly please her with just how lengthy Nate’s past of lovers was she understood that he was willing to grow out of that phase, for her. Someone that dedicated to another, the devotion shown early on before a relationship even began, needed to be taken into consideration and that was what Isabella was doing. Her and Eli shared a protective nature over one another and it was something that she highly cherished.

”I have no doubt about that.” Eli might have been a supremely sweet young man but if someone was pushed enough or you struck the right nerves no matter how docile a person seemed on the regular, they could turn into a beast to defend what they thought needed to be. A slight gasp of surprise passed her lips as Eli swept her up in his arms spinning her around and exciting girlish giggles from her. She didn’t even mind that he was stagnant with sweat at the moment, his skin feeling cool from it against hers. Once she was back on her own two feet a vibrant grin brightened her features amused with his failed attempt at an accent. ”Teddy bear can cuddle whenever he likes.” She was used to his jokes, fond of them even. Slipping her hand back into the crook of his arm she gave a gentle tug in the direction they’d been going. ”Come on. You need to shower before the pizza comes.”

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

Eli laughed at her response, even though there was nothing remotely humorous about it. “You had better not. I mean, where would that leave me if my number one fan didn’t even believe in me?” He smirked, attempting to look at her flirtatiously through his eyelashes. However, his being six foot one compared to her five foot eight severely hindered his ability to successfully pull off such a maneuver. Instead, he gave her a wide, closed-mouth smile that showcased what was left of the baby fat in his cheeks.

He was pleased that she took even the worst of his jokes in good spirit – even the ones that made most people stop and stare at him like he was some circus sideshow freak. Eli truly enjoyed this side of Isabella – young and care-free. She wasn’t anywhere near as uptight as some people (including even him sometimes), but there had been times in the past where he had honestly wondered whether or not she ever just took a break. Since then, he had, of course, learned that she did, and he loved every second of it. He liked seeing the people he loved happy and smiling, and if he was the cause behind it, that was just even better. Cheering people up was something Eli was quite good at, especially when it came to getting someone to crack that first smile when that was the last thing they wanted to do.

He followed the tug, with a faux sigh of exasperation. “Yes, mom. I mean, they are totally going to be judging me on how I smell.” He knew she was probably just keeping his best interests in mind, but hey, why not mess with her a bit? It was practically his part-time job now, mostly because he knew he could get away with it. Eli figured she probably had a bit of an ulterior motive to it as well. She would probably be in the dorm for a while they ate and spent time together, so that was Isabella’s way of telling him that she didn’t want to smell him the entire time (no matter how much she denied it).

While his brain was on the subject of smells and dorm rooms, he couldn’t help but try to remember if he had picked up his stuff that morning. Chances were, probably not as he had been in a rush, stressed out practically from the moment he woke up. Eli was generally a highly organized, sanitary person, but some days it just fell by the wayside until he got a free moment. It typically bothered him every second between to know that he left a mess somewhere, but those feelings had either been drowned by everything else today or had mixed, making everything seem worse than it was. He knew if there was a mess, that it was probably not huge in other peoples’ eyes, but he still decided to go ahead and take the safer route. “So, I’m just going to apologize now because I honestly don’t know if the room is clean or not.” There wasn’t much harm in being frank with her, and it was better that she was warned now. Worst case scenario being that he let her walk in there, thinking it would smell like roses (or something nice like that) and it actually smelling like dirty socks and B.O.

[ISABELLA MARIANA DIAS]

As playfully as Eli might have treated his statement the truth of the matter was that Isabella was his biggest fan. She never missed a game of his and it wasn’t just because she was a cheerleader on the sidelines either. Being there for those important things in his life was something that Isabella was religious about. His parents lived down South still just like hers were in Brazil so she knew that it wasn’t easy being away from your family. The bond that they had formed over the years was sibling in nature, sometimes motherly on her part, so naturally Isabella wanted to support him through the things that he did. His sweetness was appreciated, making her laugh softly at the failed attempt. ”I’m always going to believe in you.” Isabella assured him.

Isabella was far too used to the way that Eli was to ever look at him like he was an idiot. He was young and still had so much simple goodness in him that it was okay for him to be playful and silly. She was fond of those moments rather than looking down on him for them. Watching someone grow up could be an interesting and scary process. In the past year Eli had gone from a little freshman to a strapping young sophomore. It wasn’t just the physicals that she had the privilege of seeing blossom but Eli as a person as well. He’d been coming into his own one step at a time but sticking to the core of who he was. A lot could happen in high school, people had a way of changing drastically and flip flopping between personalities but he was staying true to himself. Eli was a true Southern gentleman, though he had his moments where he got a little too boyish in his behavior that was to be expected, but he was a great young man and growing into an incredible person day by day.

His teasing was met with a mocking scowl her brows knitted together. ”One must always make themselves presentable even for the smallest of people.” Isabella advised. It had been something that she was taught back in Charms school. The way that one presented themselves, from hygiene to dress code to one’s mannerisms. Isabella’s life had always been about structure. Keeping up with that had been quite the process and even after seventeen, almost eighteen years she still wavered. Not even Isabella was a prefect being, which was why she didn’t expect others to be either. Eli was fine just the way that he was even if he could frustrate her from time to time. Caring about a person shouldn’t have been conditional in her opinion. ”But really, the shower is for my sake, especially if there is cuddling involved.” Admitting that to him was for both of their benefits.

When it came to males, especially teenage boys, Isabella didn’t really expect the level of cleanliness that might have otherwise been experienced in her own dorm room. The previous times she had been in Eli’s dorm though he wasn’t a complete pig so she never had any complaints. Eli was rather self-sufficient she thought but never minded lending a hand when he was pre-occupied with other things. What could she say? Isabella had been raised to be the perfect little wife and those traits had a way of presenting themselves even toward people that were just friends. ”Apology accepted.” Stopping at the door she knew to be his Isabella would wait for him to unlock it before stepping inside and getting a glance at the state of things. It wasn’t too terrible but there were a couple things that she planned to tidy up while he showered. Giving him a small grin she turned toward him, detangling herself from his arm. ”Don’t forget to scrub behind your ears.” She teased, motherly.

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

“Thanks, Iz,” he said, giving her shoulders a small squeeze with his arm. He really did find it comforting to know that someone besides his biological family believed in him. Knowing that he could always count on Isabella for help made being away from home for months at a time significantly easier. He also knew both of his parents appreciated her friendship. It seemed as though every time he got to talk to either of them, they were always asking questions upon questions about Isabella. Eli was under the impression that his parents would adopt Isabella in a heartbeat, if given the opportunity – they absolutely loved her, despite only having met her a handful of times whenever they actually came to visit him in Michigan. He would love to show her his hometown, but he had never asked, figuring that her parents wouldn’t approve of the idea.

If there was one thing Eli knew about her family quite well, it was that she had a rather strict upbringing. He knew about the plan for her future if she didn’t find a suitable beau before her eighteenth birthday – her father would find one for her. Eli found the entire idea insane, but he also didn’t really know much about the cultural background of her family. He couldn’t even begin to imagine his parents trying to arrange a marriage for him – they’d be nervous wrecks. He supposed that such practices were more common in Brazil, but he still hoped that Isabella would find a way to have a say in the decision. He didn’t doubt that she would, and perhaps if she was still with Nate when she turned eighteen that decision would be delayed. He didn’t know all of the details about the ordeal, just the major ones that she had shared with him in passing.

“Okay, fine – but only because you asked nicely. Wouldn’t want flies dropping dead around me, I suppose.” He chuckled, acting as though he was sniffing his armpits. He didn’t get too close, knowing well enough from years of after-practice car rides that there was something very wrong if the smell wasn’t almost overwhelmingly pungent. No roses or fresh rain here, especially not after the numerous hours he’d spent in the gym today between their later-than-normal basketball practice and his pick-up game with Isabella. “Well, in that case, I don’t want to be smelling myself all night, either. You win this time!” he said, holding open various doors for her as they came to him. He had a thing against letting girls open doors for him or opening doors period if he was there and able to open it. Even if his hands were obviously full, he would often still insist on holding the door. It was part of his upbringing that he had learned well between the constant hounding from his mom and both of his grandmas until it became a natural habit. Now he didn’t even consider the other way around to be even a slight possibility.

He unlocked the door to his room and stepped in, flicking on the light switch. He stood in the doorway to make a split-second observation of the situation before stepping in far enough to allow Isabella to follow him. The room wasn’t in too bad of shape, with the only real mess being some scattered papers on his desk and a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on the floor by the foot of his bed. He scooped up the dirty clothes, dropping them in the hamper. He grabbed clean clothes from his dresser and a drawstring athletic bag containing his shower supplies before walking over to the bathroom. He stopped just outside the door and turned around to remark on her comment about washing up. “Don’t I always?” Anyways, make yourself comfortable – if Aaron comes back, don’t worry about it. I’ll only be about five minutes.”

He emerged several minutes later in a clean t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair spiky from his quick towel dry. Eli’s hair dried rather quickly on its own, which led to it always looking messed up because he often took too long to attempt to smooth it out. He dropped his towel and his gym clothes in the hamper, and turned to face his guest. “So, what shall we do while we wait?”

[ISABELLA MARIANA DIAS]

Isabella might have been vastly different in culture but it was those little things that tended to go overlooked. Part of being a well brought up young lady was that you were to be gracious towards any act of kindness even if it did some a little convoluted in its simplicity. Take Eli opening doors for example. In the day and age that they lived in that sort of gesture could have been considered sexist, feminists raising hell for being degraded over the smallest of actions that, nine times out of ten, hadn’t even been a thought that had crossed the person’s mind. There was so much that you had to take into consideration in this generation wondering if it would be taken the wrong way because of over sensitive and vastly differing opinions and views. Eli being a gentleman, to some, could have been seen as condescending. Isabella had been taught that you had to take things in a positive light with people. A sense of transference was the goal, that old belief that if you smile at a stranger that might brighten their day mentality at work. The point being, in Isabella’s odd traditions, she seemed to be more appreciative of others than the average teenage American.

Watching as Eli did a quick sweep tidying up she took another glance around the room just taking everything in. It had been a few weeks since she’d been in his room so more than anything she was looking for changes that might have occurred. Isabella was prone to this, she did it with people as well as places regardless of how little time had passed. She’d done it to Eli when she first spotted him in the gym earlier because she liked to see the subtleties that occurred as he grew. Nothing notable had changed in his room though except for the clothes in the hamper being different than the ones before and the desk was covered with things that hadn’t been around the last time. Moving over to it she wasn’t sure if their was some method to his setup, some organization hidden amongst the seemingly scattered state so she wouldn’t bother to straighten them up. It gave Eli a clear path to move about the room and grab what he needed for his shower with her over at the desk though so it seemed like a good place.

”Okay.” Isabella waved him off not in the slightest bit worried about whether or not Aaron came back. She didn’t know him really, other than him being Eli’s roommate but she didn’t have a problem with the other boy and certainly didn’t mind having a chat with him and keeping comfortable while she waited. Once Eli was off to shower she sat her book down on Eli’s desk and hung her bag on the edge of the chair. The most comfortable place to be in the dorm was of course the bed so she didn’t waste too much time propping herself up on it, back against the wall. There was a magazine nearby as well. As to whose it was she couldn’t tell you but it kept her busy while Eli was away and when the door clicked back open signaling his return Isabella let it rest in her lap to look up and see who it was, unsurprised to see Eli walking through fresh and clean.

Smiling over at him his hair was as adorable disheveled as ever. ”We could decide on what movie we’re going to watch.” It seemed like a good thing to start with while they were waiting. At least that way they could get all the indecision out of the way and fully enjoy their meal without the stress of figuring out what to watch over there heads. ”What are you in the mood for?” Isabella wasn’t terribly picky with her movie tastes. There were some things that she didn’t really care for of course but since it was his room and everything it only seemed right to see what was on his mind, or maybe already available to them for convenience’s sake. Patting the space of bed next to her Isabella scooted over a little bit more to make room for him.

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

Eli shook his head as a dog would after a bath, to rid his hair of the excess water that was slowly beginning to run down the back of his neck. He glanced in the mirror on the room side of the bathroom door, attempting to flatten his already half-dried hair. He didn’t particularly care about the state of it, since he wouldn’t be seeing anyone else besides Isabella and whoever delivered their pizza. He’d deal with it in the morning after he took another shower. As much as he liked being outside and getting sweaty, he enjoyed being clean and presentable. He probably wouldn’t own up to it if asked, but he couldn’t deny it to himself. The main reason was that it made him more confident to know that he didn’t smell like a dead pig in the middle of July in Texas (his aunt and uncle owned a ranch out there – he knew the smell).

Satisfied that he looked well enough to answer the door, he flopped down on the bed beside Isabella, his long legs dangling over the edge. “What are you in the mood for?” Eli considered the question for a moment, but he honestly wasn’t in too picky of a mood at the moment. He reached up to the shelf over his head, searching for a moment before seizing a television remote and an Xbox 360 controller. He turned the TV on before getting up to power up the gaming console and adjust the television settings. Eli grabbed the controller from the bed, toggling over to Netflix. That was one of the things he loved most about going to school here – his parents would actually shell out the eight dollars a month to watch Netflix.

“I think I’ll let you choose this time, Miss Basketball-Star-in-Hiding. Whatever you want to watch,” he replied, offering her the remote. Not giving her a chance to argue the decision with him, he excused himself to go down to the third floor and see if the pizza guy was here or not. Eli figured he’d at least give the guy a break and not make him come all the way up. He grabbed his wallet off his bedside table and slipped out of the room with a small smirk. She’d probably either kill him for leaving no option but to choose a movie or pick something that she figured he’d have to “suffer” through. Growing up with several sisters, he had seen it all – Barbie, Disney (he didn’t mind those, though), chick flicks, and worst of all, The absolutely, god-awful, couldn’t-even-be-spiralbound Notebook. If there was one really good way to torture him, it was to make him sit through that movie alone with nothing to distract him from it.

He took the stairs down to the first floor and stepped outside into the slightly chilly night air. He was still alone, so he decided to lean against the wall and wait. The pizza guy was there within eight minutes, and Eli paid him, even tipping him a little extra because he felt like it. He made his way back to the room, balancing the three pizzas and the breadsticks mostly on one arm, while ignoring random requests to save this person or that person a slice. He walked back into the room, shoving a bit of the clutter on his desk to the side to make room for the boxes. “Ladies first,” he offered, gesturing at the awaiting pizza. He retrieved a roll of paper towels from its plastic package beneath his bed, setting it next to the food. “So, did you make a decision?”

[ISABELLA MARIANA DIAS]

Her mouth straightened into a tight line. Isabella wasn’t okay with the pressure of picking something that they would both like. It did cross her mind to choose something terribly sappy to make Eli sit through it with her, but when it came to petty revenge Isabella wasn’t much for seeking it out on those that she cared about. Just as quickly as it had come to mind she dismissed it. Truth be told Isabella wasn’t all that interested in the romantic genre. She liked to laugh and surprisingly even be scared over watching a simulated notion of love that was usually far fetched, especially for those in the high school scene still. The chances of you finding that one true love were slim. High school was supposed to be about finding yourself so how could you possibly find ‘the one’ when you didn’t even know who you were really?

No choice but to pick something herself as Eli took off to, she assumed, retrieve the pizza Isabella searched through a few titles trying to see what might be of interest. With so many to chose from though it was a difficult task and she couldn’t help but to think it would have been a whole heck of a lot easier if there was a limited selection. Finally settling on one Isabella set it up and reclined back waiting for Eli to come back. The time had flew by while she was roaming through Netflix but once she decided on something it was like each second ticking away took three seconds longer than it should have. If she just laid there on his bed with nothing to distract herself with she was liable to fall asleep, which of course she couldn’t have.

Getting up Isabella went over to the desk and grabbed her book, having lost interest in the magazine when she’d put it down a while ago. She was perched against the edge of the desk reading when Eli came back in, promptly moving out of the way whilst dog earring the page she was on to preserve her place and put it back on the desk, tucked in the back corner and out of the pizza boxes’ way. Taking a paper towel off the roll she shuffled the boxes around to grab a slice of pepperoni and one of the breadsticks. As much as she might not have wanted it to, her stomach betrayed her letting a soft, barely audible grumble sound within. The scent of the pizza triggered her hunger. It was still hot so Isabella blew lightly on it, her mouth watering with the anticipation. ”I did.” She smiled deviously keeping him in suspense for the moment.

Her teeth sinking into the slice of pizza Isabella’s shoulders slumped, eyes closing and moaned, ”Mmmm…” She should have been embarrassed about it but it was Eli and he would understand a craving satisfied. Isabella didn’t like the thought of her craving pizza but the fact of the matter was, she did. Looking over to him a small smile came onto her lips. ”Don’t let me make this a habit. It’s such a guilty pleasure.” Taking a seat on the edge of his bed Isabella didn’t want to prop herself up like before with food. ”Have you seen this one before?” The title read Insidious. Isabella hadn’t seen it herself but the front cover looked scary and who better to have a fright night with than one of your best friends?

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

Eli gave her a suspicious, questioning look in response to her smile. He looked over his shoulder at the TV screen, which had gotten darker due to inactivity. That, combined with the glare from the overhead light, allowed him to be able to make out only a couple of letters of the title at a time, no matter how he turned his head or squinted. He probably just needed his reading glasses. However, the feeling given off by what he could see of the screen and the music playing did not leave Eli with the impression that he’d be laughing much during this movie.

He glanced at Isabella out of the corner of his eye with a laughing smile as he piled three pieces of pizza (one of each kind) and two breadsticks on a triple layer of paper towels. He had at least had the courtesy to use the paper towels, which he would have forgone with anyone else in preference of the food reaching his stomach more quickly. “Don’t worry about it. If I let you become a pizza-eating machine, there’d be less for me. So, it’s a win-win. You keep your cheer body, I keep my edible, overly carb-y goodness.” He took a seat next to the older girl perched on the edge of his bed; however, he was much more relaxed. He sat more toward the middle of the bed, leaning back so that his shoulders rested against the wall. His long legs bent over the edge, with his feet capable of touching the floor. The dorm room beds weren’t very far off the ground in the first place (the bed itself was barely long enough for the rather tall sophomore anymore).

Eli squinted slightly from his seat to read the title, which he could see now without the glare. Insidious. He’d heard about it, but he hadn’t seen it. “Can’t say I have, Iz. So I suppose we can be scared out of our minds together.” With that said, he took a large bit from his pizza, dusted his hand off on the leg of his sweatpants, and reached for the controller. “Anything else you need before I start the movie?” he asked, sitting up and scooting toward the head of his bed so that he could reach around his nightstand to the mini-fridge. Balancing his pile of pizza on one hand, he pulled the door to it open, retrieving two waters. He figured she’d probably prefer it over anything else in there, considering she was already indulging in pizza. He was amazed every day by how she managed survive on what he knew to be “rabbit food.” Eli had never given much thought to healthy eating – his metabolism had always been rather high so weight had never been a problem for him. That, combined with cross country and basketball, gave him the workout he needed. Plenty of cardio and the biweekly weight-lifting workouts in basketball had left Eli with what most people would consider an “enviable” body. To him, it was just normal.

[ISABELLA MARIANA DIAS]

Looking over at him she shook her head, fondly. In his own way Eli was looking out for her in the convenience of his own benefits and Isabella of all people couldn’t blame him for that. Regardless of what he’d said though Isabella knew that he’d have her back on things, even if it was trivial and he possibly thought it was silly. They’d always been good to each other like that and Isabella knew that Eli was one of those few people that she could trust with anything and everything. If she ever thought she needed to tell him about the details of her father’s business, about the Cartel that he dealt with, she was positive that Eli would keep her confidence. It wasn’t that Isabella didn’t trust him with the information it was that it wasn’t a burden that Eli should have to carry so she kept things vague with him on that front. Sometimes she felt guilty for not telling Eli everything like a best friend should but it was in his best interest for more reasons than avoiding a burden. ”So kind.”

It didn’t take her anytime to wolf down her pizza in the most delicate way possible considering what it was. She’d been hungrier than she’d thought and was half finished by the time Eli got himself situated on the bed. ”That’s the idea.” Isabella actually liked that pulse pounding adrenaline rush that being frightened could bring you. Looking at her most probably wouldn’t have guessed it. Maybe she looked the type to be all about the romance and documentaries but horror movies did have a way of exciting her just like any other girl. Isabella didn’t have to worry thought because she had her big teddy bear there to keep her safe from any scare that might pop up on the television. Even knowing it wasn’t real it could still have that effect on people.

She shook her head content at the moment before realizing that she would eventually get thirsty. Eli had her covered though tossing a water bottle her way. He was right about her liking that better than any other sugar filled beverage he might have had in stock. She was just impressed that Eli had water in his dorm at all considering what she usually saw him putting into his system. Once she was finished and the movie was starting, rolling through the credits- it seemed dark. Whatever details lay within the plot its name probably fit it rather well, Insidious. It was interesting how the soundtrack could set the mood so well. Balling up her paper towel, finished, she took a swig of her water bottle and tossed paper towel into the garbage before crawling up toward the headboard. As soon as Eli was finished she curl up with him, snuggled up under his arm with her head resting on his chest, an arm draped over his middle. ”You’re surprisingly comfortable. What’s your secret?” She whispered, a smile lightly lighting her face.

[ELIJAH COLIN MASTERS]

“You’re very welcome. Can’t have me turning into skin and bones, now can we?” he asked, grinning at her and patting his stomach with his free hand as though he actually had a fair amount of fat there. He was honestly still a bit inwardly in awe of the fact that Isabella was eating anything unhealthy. Eli couldn’t think of many other times he had seen her stray from her typical diet of fresh, healthy stuff that had been the cause of most of the trouble Eli got in as a kid. He had always hated vegetables unless they were fried, smothered in cheese, or came to his plate in some other form of anti-healthy. Isabella, on the other hand – he didn’t think he’d ever even seen her eat a piece of chocolate. Maybe that was because he always ate it all before she could make up her mind about whether or not to have any, but still – this was quite an experience for him.

By the time he was settled next to Isabella on his bed and was began to eat his own pizza, Isabella was already half-way done. “Okay, Iz, and I’m the slob here?” He arched one eyebrow at her mockingly. Of course, he was entirely kidding. She was way neater than him when she was hardly trying. The delicacy with which most girls ate would take all of his focus to even come near that level – being a guy was much easier. He could usually get away with most things, like having food on his face or burping, without anyone other than his female relatives making comments.

Eli balled up his own paper towel and set it on his nightstand next to his water. He’d throw it away after the movie. Eli was the type that liked to watch a movie from start to finish so that he wouldn’t miss anything, unless it was something that happened while he was making some comment or another. He typically tried to refrain from that, especially during horror movies. Sarcasm was pretty much how he didn’t get scared out of his mind during horror movies. He leaned back on his pillow so that his neck rested on the top of it and the back of his head was against the headboard. He lifted his arm so that she could lay her head on his chest. When she seemed to be comfortable, he wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. “I eat enough to keep from being entirely solid. I got a reputation to keep in putting all other teddy bears to shame.” He laughed quietly, turning his attention to the movie as the opening credits ended.

He loved Friday nights like these. He and Isabella were cuddle buddies without it being weird or awkward. It was hardly uncommon knowledge that they were very close friends. And yet, some rather less-sensitive guys that he knew from various classes or sports still had the nerve to ask him if he’d ever tried to hook up with her any of the multiple times they’d been in each others’ dorm rooms. His answer was always a stern no, after which he refused to answer any other questions. He may have had a small crush on her when they first met, but that had quickly given way to the siblingly relationship they developed. She was beautiful, no doubt, but he simply didn’t have any romantic or sexual feelings for her. She was simply one of his best friends, just like any of his guy friends. Except that he could snuggle with her without it being totally weird, of course.