5 : Obscured
Scilius smiled when he first walked into the classroom, seeing the familiar grey form sitting in his usual chair. However, once he saw Elliot's snout, Scilius grew a look that matched. Elliot was still upset, and not smiling.
Scilius was hoping that he could hear something encouraging from Elliot when he sat down; a greeting, a wave, or something, but instead he got nothing. So, he tried to force something out of Elliot.
"Hey, Elliot."
"Hey," he droned back at Scilius. Cecil kept a wary eye on both of them.
"How have you been?"
"Fine." A lie that not one of the three believed.
Scilius couldn't get Elliot to keep a conversation rolling, until he asked the right question.
"Are you excited for the tournament Saturday?"
"I know you are." Elliot hissed back.
"Well, yeah I - "
"Not for the math, of course," Elliot interrupted him, "You're just excited to be so close to Maryan's pants."
Scilius couldn't muster anything to respond. He couldn't say anything that wouldn't be a lie, that is.
"I didn't mean to - "
"She's not going to like you. And if she does - "
"Elliot I'm - "
"how long until you break up with her too?"
"Elliot!"
"Scilius," Shchrodinger called out, interrupting their argument, "and Elliot, is there a problem?"
"No," they both hissed in an audible whisper.
Scilius and Elliot didn't talk to each other until the lunch bell had rung. Scilius had tapped him on the shoulder as they walked out of English.
"Elliot," he said in a friendlier whisper.
"What?" Elliot said more defensively.
"Can we talk?"
"No." He said instinctively.
"Elliot please."
Elliot kept walking down the hall for a few seconds.
"Elliot."
"Fine, we can talk."
Scilius followed him to the spot by the staircase, where Cecil had been sitting. He stood up when he saw that Scilius was with him.
Elliot told Cecil to give them a minute to talk, and after protesting for about a minute, Cecil finally walked away from the arched corridor, staring Scilius down as he passed.
"Okay, what." Elliot blurted out after taking a deep breath.
"Elliot, what they hell is wrong?"
"What's wrong? What do you think?"
"You gave me permission to - "
"Of course I said you could date her! What was I supposed to say? If I said otherwise you'd think I was a bitch."
"I wouldn't think - "
"And then you'd walk off, after asking me out, having me over, and then fucking dumping me for no reason, and not even to my face, by the way, but I'd be the fucking bad guy!" "It wasn't for no - "
"And you said we could still be friends. I would've been happy with that, with just being friends, but you couldn't even keep that promise."
"What do you mean? I've been trying to be friends with you, but you won't talk to me."
"You're not willing to be my real friend anymore."
"Yes I am."
"No you're not." Elliot said, with a tired breath.
"But, I - " Scilius saw Elliot start to walk towards him, stopping him in the middle of talking.
Elliot, with his nose turned toward the ground, reached up his arms and tried to jump into a hug, not eagerly. Scilius saw him do this, and in his head remember Elliot jumping into that forced kiss, and instinctively, put two claws out to stop Elliot, backing his own snout away with a blush.
Elliot stood frozen for a second, while Scilius was astonished. Tears were forming in Elliot's eyes.
"You're afraid of me. Afraid that I'll make a pass on you again. You're just like Cecil." Elliot trudged his way to the stairs and sat with claws covering his eyes.
Scilius looked as Elliot cried silently. That's why he was mad? He walked up and sat next to him.
"What do you mean," his tone was much calmer, "I see you two hug and sit together all the time. He doesn't jump, not like I just did."
Elliot dried his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"Cecil used to, until I told him to stop. In sixth grade," Elliot slowed down to think, "I had a crush on him, and I kept trying to kiss him when he wasn't suspecting it."
Elliot made himself giggle a little bit. "He explained to me why I couldn't... do that, and why he didn't want to, and why I couldn't tell mom and dad. He told me to find someone else."
"And you didn't?"
"I did, until he dumped me."
Scilius put his snout down.
"No, I didn't find anyone else for a while, not any that liked me back. I could've handled it, but Cecil refused to be near me for a few months after that. He backed away from me every time I was within two feet of him. Until... until I told him it was making me unhappy."
"Then... he and I made a point of being closer, and I tried not to make it too awkward. And everything was fine, I was happy. That was last Summer, and then I saw you sitting in the courtyard, in our old spot, and you started, or I thought you started, liking me."
"Elliot, I'm sorry."
"Why, Scilius? If you didn't want something serious - "
"That's not - I... did."
Elliot laughed, half-heartedly. "You did? Breaking up isn't something you do for a serious relationship."
Scilius swallowed his pride.
"I did until I realized you were a dude."
Elliot gave a more genuine laugh. "The fuck are you talking about."
Scilius smiled too. "When I was still blind, I thought you were a girl."
"How?"
"You..." Scilius thought about what to say, "sound like a girl."
He sat, waiting for Elliot to get offended, but instead he roared with laughter.
"You're, you're really serious?"
"Yes."
"When did you - "
"Literally, I didn't notice until I was at your door, to pick you up."
Elliot laughed again.
"Elliot,"
He turned to Scilius.
"I'm sorry," Scilius said, before pulling Elliot into a hug.
"Th - thanks, Scilly."
Scilius felt overjoyed. He thought, for all the trouble, the end might be near. He and Elliot can be friends, and everything would work out for the good. Everything is good, better, even.
When they backed away, Elliot gained a guilty look. He checked his watch, and started running down the steps with his bag. "I'm sorry," he said exhasperatedly.
Scilius couldn't catch up to him before he rounded a corner, but could swear he heard Elliot mumbling "Maryan," as he ran.
The bell rang soon after.