Both my eyebrows shoot up at this. Seriously? I almost ask him why, but shut up before I make myself look like an idiot. I can’t tell if Eli is interested or if maybe he wants to talk about something else. Better be safe and stay quiet and see what it is he wants as we head home. For all I know, he’s interested in one of my friends and is going through me to find out more about them. I shrug easily and slide my arms through my jean jacket. “Yeah, sure. I’m heading down Maple Drive. You going that way?”
He nods and beams at me as I slam my locker shut and slip my bag over my shoulder. By this time, most of the hallways have cleared, but I can feel the eyes of the remaining students watching as Eli walks at my side. I glance around, hoping that no one will put too much thought into it. I don’t even know exactly what he wants. The last thing I want is people making assumptions before I know what’s happening.
We leave the school grounds and pass the east side of town, walking down the long road that leads to more private residences like mine and Eli’s. Maple Drive is a road flanked by thick foliage and forest on either side, with trees shrouding over the street like a green canopy. People who live along here have larger plots of land for privacy, something James had wanted when he got his space. I didn’t realize Eli lived down here, too.
At first, it’s awkward as hell as we stroll along, and I wish I’d told him no. But after we leave our school and fellow students behind, he starts asking me about my ballet and he tells me about lacrosse. He wants to be good enough to play for high school and then hopefully earn a scholarship for college. The entire time we chat, I can hear my phone going off in my bag. After five minutes of its incessant ringing, I silence it, and continue our conversation, which has switched over to Game of Thrones. I start to relax around him and laugh at his impression of Joffrey, which is pretty spot on, if not a little exaggerated to get the brattiness down.
“Um, Mina? I wanted to ask you something?” Eli stops walking and I join him. I get the feeling that whatever it was he originally wanted to talk to me about, he was about to bring it up.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Um, I was wondering if you... might want to… I dunno, catch a movie sometime?”
At once, I feel my heart pound in my chest. He’s asking me out? Oh my God, I feel so stupid. I didn’t see this coming at all. This is the first time I’ve been asked out, and suddenly, I find my mind coming up blank. What do I say?
“Mina?” His dark eyes look anxious and he shuffles on his feet, looking majorly uncomfortable. I shake myself when I realize I’m pretty much silently staring at him like a freak.
“Sorry!” I tell him and smile, “Sorry I, um… yeah, that’d be alright.” I can feel the blush on my cheeks. Oh God, Becca and Ashley are really going to lose their minds now. Becca will be pissed, most likely, because I’ve never expressed an interest in Eli. But our conversation has been pretty easy so far, and he’s kinda cute. So why not give it a shot?
“Cool.” He looks immensely relieved and runs a hand through his dark mop of hair. “I was thinking maybe this weekend?”
“Yeah, sure,” I say, feeling suddenly insanely shy, “that sounds good.” We exchange numbers, then Eli reaches out and takes my hand and resumes walking. I stroll at his side, my burning face lowered so that it’s shielded by my hair, which falls over it like a curtain. I can’t believe I’m going to go on my first date! I’m excited and terrified at the same time! I’ll ask mum if I can go when I get home, if she’s there, that is…
“I can pick you up tomorrow night. Maybe we can catch a bite first-” he was saying, when the loud roar of an engine cuts him off. We both stop in our tracks and he looks over his shoulder curiously, to see what belongs to that obnoxious, ear-splitting noise.
But I know.
I know exactly what it belongs to, and I feel the blood in my veins turn to ice. Immediately, I drop Eli’s hand and spin to him. “Eli, go-”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
The engine is closer now, and I know he’ll be here any second. “Please, just… run. Go home. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Mina-”
“MINA!”
The huge black and orange Harley Davidson pulls up behind us and I shove Eli away. I turn and see Shay, dressed in dark jeans, a black shirt, and his Celtic Beasts cut and aviators, looking like a scary-ass motherfucker. He turns off the engine, throws his sunglasses aside, and his piercing silver eyes are fixed on Eli. The last time Shay looked this angry was when I was eight and he had found me in the woods with Keenan Mathers. I know he’s about to lose it.
“Eli, please! Run!” I practically shout at him, but behind me, Shay’s footsteps stomp towards us, coming up fast.
Eli looks so confused and stunned, I don’t think he really hears me. He watches Shay with a look of terror on his face, and pales. Before anyone says another word, Shay’s hand flies past my shoulder and seizes a fistful of Eli’s shirt and hauls him off the side of the road into the ditch.
“Shay!” I scream after him and stumble down the incline after him. Shay easily walks up the other side, dragging a terrified Eli with him, and they enter the tree-line. I feel my heart racing and my face is numb as I race after them. I’m scared for Eli. Shay has been a loose gasket lately, and I am petrified at what he might do, “SHAY!” I scream again as I burst through the trees.
My mouth drops when I see Shay pummeling Eli into the ground. There’s already blood sprouting from his nose and mouth, but Shay keeps going. I run forward and try to haul him off, but it’s like his mind is somewhere else completely. I shake him, shove him, and continue to scream, but Shay delivers punch after punch until Eli is motionless on the ground. He’s shouting at him, swearing and calling him names I’d never even heard of before. Blood is spattered on Shay’s fists and covers the forest floor. I’m sobbing hard and I’m worried for a moment that I’m about to pass out. As sick as I feel at the sight before me, I grit my teeth and slap Shay’s face as hard as I can.
Thank God he actually stops.
He blinks, as if coming out of a trance. His fist pauses mid-swing and falls limply to the ground beside Eli’s head. He stares at the body beneath him and starts shuddering violently.
“Shay?” I whisper.
Slowly, he turns his head, and the look on his face has me stepping back fearfully. Shay has never looked at me with such… rage… he’s angry with me. Beyond angry. He’s lost it. Snarling, he lunges at me and grabs my arm, pulling me into his chest with a heavy thud. Fisting a handful of my hair, he presses my face into his leather cut so that I almost can’t breathe.
“What the fuck were you doing with him?! Why was he holding your hand?” he hisses.
“Shay.” My voice cracks as tears flow down my cheeks and I desperately try to think of a way to calm him. “We were just talking-”
“Don’t lie to me, Mina!” he practically growls.
I close my eyes and force my voice to stay steady. “Please, let me call someone to help him-”
“I’ll have it taken care of. Let’s go.” Shay glares at Eli, his voice and ominous. “If you, or any other fucker so much as looks at Mina, I’ll rip your teeth from your skull and cut out your eyes. Fucking got me?”