Too Equal For My Taste

Chapter 12: A Boy and a Girl

Elliot didn't like Jake's friends very much, though there was nothing too bad about them. Coolidge was ok, and Connor seemed to be a bit better. Coolidge was too 'cool' as Elliot had to describe it for a lack of better term. Elliot did not have a problem with people who were described as cool, but Coolidge was different. He was the kind of guy with a 'too cool to care' sort of attitude sometimes. He only talked with Jake and Coolidge. Even to Elliot, he would say things like 'whatever' or 'who cares.'

Connor was more talkative. He didn't seem like it, but Connor actually made good company. Better than most guys could hope to get, as Elliot soon found out. He laughed a lot, and soon Elliot found himself laughing very hard at some joke either Connor made, or some joke that Jake tried to make, and Connor continues it to make it funnier. That was what Elliot liked in people, and Connor turned out to be fun. He didn't have the 'too cool to care' attitude, but he did come close. There were many things he didn't enjoy talking about.

The one Elliot liked the most was Jessica. She seemed to be a regular computer nerd, but was good company. Elliot enjoyed her more and more with every passing second he was with her, so that he soon found himself desperately wishing that he could be alone for a second and think about how awesome she was. That was no option though, and despite his wishes, he still talked to her in the back of the Chemistry class. He wondered if he could take things a bit further in a couple months when he got to know her better. Would she be interested?

"I can't believe this stuff," Jessica whispered in an annoyed way. "Whoever made up Chemistry?"

"I dunno; who made up Algebra?" Elliot asked back. "That's one thing I'd like to know."

"Oh, I know, some Persian dude who decided to curse the world with more than it was already cursed with," Jessica answered laughably.

"Well, heads up, period's over," Elliot said happily, looking at his watch. On cue, the bell rang for break, and the students scrambled out. Jessica and Elliot walked out slowly, to talk.

As she walked out of her grade class for break, Sarah spotted Elliot talking happily with Jessica. They were so busy liking each other at the lake; they never really got to have fun talking. Now Sarah regretted having broken apart from him, even though she never wanted to. She thought she could deal with it quickly, but it just worse.

What offended her most was the fact Elliot completely ignored her for weeks now. Now there he was talking with Jessica McCartney in front of her. Did he mean to offend her or something? How dare he have the gull? So, she decided to drop all her plans for break, and stalk them at a distance to see what he was up to. To her complete luck, Jessica got up to get some snacks and hang out with Connor and Coolidge. Sarah grinned happily, but before she could move in on the unsuspecting Elliot, she was touched on the back from behind.

"Hey Sarah?"

Sarah looked behind and saw the one boy she did not want to see, especially now. It was Mark Bane, a year older than her. Mark was a tall kid with very short brown hair, lying flat and matching the hazel of his eyes. He usually wore bright colors, so it was easy to recognize him from a distance. This time though, Sarah was too focused on Elliot. She forced a smile, and turned back to get to Elliot. Mark was not to be put off easily though. "Wait. Want me to get you something?"

"I'm fine," Sarah said absently.

"You haven't eaten anything," Mark said disappointedly. "C'mon."

"What, are you stalking me?" Sarah said, half joking with sarcasm, half serious. "I said I'm fine. I have no problem. I just want Elliot."

"If I do, will you let me get you something," Mark asked hopefully.

Sarah sighed, "Never mind, I'll get him myself."

"Alright, talk to you tomorrow," Mark said, waving to her.

Sarah shook her head, annoyed. He never gave up, and he never got the message. If only she wasn't so nice to him. She really had to get rid of him somehow. She hurried toward Elliot before he could catch up again, like she had no doubt he would've liked to.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Sarah said angrily at Elliot.

Elliot spun round, thinking he heard Sarah's voice. But it wasn't like her to yell at him. Could it be Jessica? Surprisingly, he was disappointed and surprised to see Sarah. "What'd I"-

"What, trying to make me jealous?" Sarah challenged. "Not working! Think about it! Did the lake mean anything to you?"

"Sarah, what're you"-

"You know dead well what the hell I am frigging talk about?" she said, voice getting louder with every syllable so that at the end, she was yelling and carelessly attracting the attention of others.

"No, I don't," Elliot said, trying to be assuring.

"You're just talking with any other girl like it's nothing to me," Sarah said madly, but at least talking more calmly. But all the sadness Elliot could sense behind the anger, he wished she'd yell. It would mask better. Sarah continued, "Don't you give a DAMN!?"

There, she yelled. Now, he wished she'd be calmer. Could he not make up his mind? Still, now she was being unfair. She was accusing him of flirting with a girl, but all this time she was ignoring him. She seemed to be fine. He makes one move, and she turns the entire thing upside-down. Had he not done anything, would she not have flirted with other boys herself? Why were girls always like this? "W-Wait a sec, wait a second. You were ignoring me for a whole week. I talk to one girl, and you blow it all out of"-

"This is about you, not me!" Sarah interrupted.

"You would've done the same thing if another week passed!" Elliot yelled. He hated yelling, but if he didn't, Sarah was likely to interrupt. He had to yell.

Sarah looked so red with anger. It looked as if she could blow fire at any minute. However, she just stormed away angrily. Before this fight could come to Jessica's attention, Elliot retreated back inside to avoid it all. A bit over a week at the school and he faced an embarrassing situation. What the hell? Elliot began to have a sense of foreboding. Things like this in school could turn into rumors. Any school kid knew that, and a rumor like this could be twisted into something worse, and really damage Elliot's reputation.

He didn't like it at the time, but he came to feel grateful for Connor's offer to help. He came right from behind. "What's up? Mind telling me what happened?"

"Yes," Elliot said, turning away.

"Why did Sarah yell at you, man?" Connor asked. "It's not like her. Plus, how'd you even know each other. Aren't you new here?"

Elliot looked over at Connor. Of course, Connor didn't know Elliot and Sarah met before. So he told him, "We met last year on Labor Day weekend at Lake Winnetka."

"And what, you went out or something?" Connor guessed.

Elliot nodded, "Yeah. We did."

"Then why'd you break up?" Connor asked curiously.

"We didn't break up," Elliot said lowly.

"Elliot, there's something you have to learn about the ladies," Connor said, sitting beside Elliot. "Don't end a relationship officially, and they jump all over you the minute you spend more than a minute with a girl.

"Why?"

"Don't ask me," Connor laughed. "How am I supposed to know? Why didn't you just end it?"

"We just sort of ignored each other," Elliot answered, looking down.

"And both of you think it's the other's fault?" Connor asked.

Elliot nodded, "Yes." He hated being asked so many questions, but what could he do? He just met Connor, and he already had an issue with Sarah and Jessica. He didn't want one with Connor too.

Connor got up to leave, but before, looked over at Elliot, "Just so you know. I personally would much rather date Sarah than Jessica. Luckily I have a girlfriend, or I wouldn't be telling you this."

Sarah was also talking to a friend of hers. It was Morgan Janet, in her classes. Morgan was tall, and had long brown hair, but darker skin so it made tan color, and appeared to have a pimply face. However, not many knew this, but the pimples on her cheek were actually freckles and birthmarks. To some guys in the school, she was pretty, and wasn't surprising she hung out with Sarah most of the time.

"What are their problems?" Sarah complained.

"Boys?"

"YES!"

"I dunno," Morgan shrugged. Her voice did not sound like she looked. If one was blind and heard her speak, that one would think she was very pretty with her soft voice.

"It's his fault," Sarah said angrily. "But he has to blame it all on me."

"Boys can never make up their minds," Morgan sighed. "It's a male trait or something. They never admit they're wrong, and when anything goes wrong, they always blame it on someone else, particularly their girlfriends."

Sarah sighed miserably, "Why did Elliot have to act like this?" she asked. "Why?"

"Don't ask," Morgan shook her head. "Which girl knows how guys think?" Sarah shrugged, and Morgan answered, "All of us. Plus, the guys know that about us. They know we know them and they resent that. So, they try to make it look like the opposite, and fail miserably. Know what I mean?"

"Yes, and I regret that fact," Sarah said miserably. "So now what? Make Elliot regret he ever dumped me?"

"Well, I can push him from behind if you like," Morgan suggested. "Make him drop a brownie or something."

Sarah shook her head, "No thank you." She felt resentful towards Elliot, but somehow, pushing him around didn't sound right. She had to do something else to get his attention.