Forever Yours, Elliot

Chapter One

I stared at the obscenely large brick building. It had been my jail for far too long, and it pained me to realise that there was still another long year to go. The students began to congregate on the grassy knolls outside of the school, conversing at ridiculously loud volumes about their summer conquests.

I remembered my own summer, and found myself sighing audibly at my own complete lameness. In fact, I’d spent the entire summer working for my parent’s at their restaurant.

“Ellie!” I heard a familiar voice call, one I had only heard on the phone these past three months, before I had a chance to turn around, My best friend Louise was on my back hugging me to death.

“Louie! Oh man I missed you so much! How was Mexico?” I asked turning to face her, She smiled at me and fluttered her big green eyes. Before she spoke she pulled out her phone and turned it to show me. The background was of a gorgeous Mexican boy and her hugging.

“Is that Carlos?” I asked, remembering our many conversations over the summer about her summer fling, she blushed and flicked her blonde hair back then nodded.

“Oh he was so lovely, opening the door for me, pulling out my chair.” She sighed wistfully “he said he’ll email and call I think I might be in love”

“Love is for saps, but if your happy, then I am” I smiled, putting my arm over her shoulder

“So did you really not do anything apart from work?

“Really. I worked and stayed home, it was boring and torture without you or Ryan here” I admitted, shrugging my shoulders.

“I hear my name” came Ryan’s voice from behind us, his arms landed over our shoulders and he pulled us in to a big bear hug. “Ah three musketeers, back together again, I missed you guys, although I must say, my summer was awesome!

Ryan is my other best friend, and a complete clown. I can’t fault him for his friendship though, he is the most loyal friend that happens to be a boy that a girl can hope for. He’d changed a little over the summer, he was definitely taller, and his once shoulder length brown hair was cut short.

“Oh man, I am so glad you guys are back, no more having to work just to get a little human company” I exclaimed.

We began walking toward the brick jail, bracing ourselves together for our final year of high school.

“So did you hear, apparently there is a new Science teacher, word is, he’s pretty hot too” Louise giggled I looked over at her, my expression a mixture of confused and grossed out.

“How on earth can you have heard a rumour already?” I joked.

“in the car park, apparently Cindy’s mom is friends with the mom of the teacher” she gushed “Man I hope we have him, this place could use some fresh eye candy”

Ryan feigned offense and proclaimed “Hey” holding his hand over his heart “That hurts”

“Relax Casanova, a hot teacher can’t date students, so if anything, he’ll fluster up all the girls and make them all randy for dating… you’re in” I mocked, laughing audibly.

“Well a guy can’t argue that logic now can he” he replied, as we reached our lockers. I smiled, this was the fourth year we’d been best friends, an anniversary of sorts to when we had first met in freshman year. I Opened my own locker and emptied my books in to it.

“So I have English first, how about you guys?” I asked hoping one of them would be with me. Unfortunately my hope was futile, they had all but one class together, and I was only in Science with them, last period.

By the time lunch rolled around I was already past learning, I wanted to go home and play my guitar and forget I needed to formulate a plan, to decide what I was going to do with my life, and felt defeated and it was only the first day.

“Earth to Ellie!” I heard Louise call, I pulled myself out of my thoughts and turned to her

“Huh?” I grumbled, lying down on my arm on the cafeteria table.

“I was just saying that this year, I think we should go to prom, I mean we did that whole ‘we’re better than prom’ thing last year, and I mean this is our senior year…. It’s our last chance”

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, giving her enough indication of an agreement to yip and yahoo quietly. It was august; I still had plenty of time up my sleeve to pull out anyhow.

“Let’s make it interesting then, let’s make a pledge” Ryan proposed, My head flicked to him and I frowned, I hated Ryan’s schemes, I always lost!

“We’re listening Ryan” Louise answered, a little to excitedly

“Okay, well we all have to have dates, and not each other, that would be cheating and the ones that fail have to go to graduation naked under their robe”

I raised my eyebrows

“Naked? As in nothing” I asked, a little shocked

“Starker’s, no underwear, nothing” he cemented, I shook my head

“Count me out then, we all know I always lose these things, and we all know I don’t back out of the consequences.” I remarked, sipping on my juice

“That’s why we love making them! Come on, don’t be a spoil sport now!” Ryan laughed, I shrugged again. Great now I was going to have to find a date, at least I had 8 months.

I had music the period after lunch, and we spent most of it discussing the years curriculum. Music had always been the only subject I’d ever been interested in, generally I was an okay student and passed my assignments adequately, but I knew music was the only reason I still bothered with school. When the bell rung I grudgingly pulled myself up and walked to my last class for the day. Along the way I ran in to what I gathered was a freshman who looked upset and lost.

“You okay?” I asked softly, stopping to reassure her.

“I’m trying to find my English class, but I can’t find it” she said, her voice wavering, threatening to crack at any minute. My heart felt for her, high school was hard enough without being lost. I took her to her classroom, knowing I would be late for science.

When I finally walked in I started to say “Sorry I’m…” but before I could finish, a tall man stood in front of me, he had short dark brown hair, blue eyes that seemed to actually sparkle and a smile that probably had the ability to make most girls weep from giddiness, He also couldn’t be more than 24. I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t most girls and whilst I found him to be “alright” looking, his personality remained to be seen, being a big believer in beauty is only skin deep, if he was a horrible teacher, well then his looks were nothing.

“Late on the first day? Miss….” he questioned, his smiled turning to a thin line

“Elliot Andrews” I said dutifully “Sorry I was helping a lost freshman” I explained honestly.

“Well Miss Andrews, I am sorry, but unfortunately for you I have just been discussing with the class the importance of punctuality, Your act of kindness has put me in a difficult position, and well I am sorry, but you’ll have to attend a detention with me after class” he said turning and walking back to his desk. I frowned and then I did something I never did. I answered back.

“You’re kidding right, you’re making a point out of me by giving me a detention for helping a fellow student?” I found myself filling with anger, jerk!

“Yes, now please take your seat Miss Andrews”

“Idiot” I muttered under my breath, trudging toward my friends that were unfortunately in the front row.

“Excuse me Miss Andrews?” he called out, his voice stern, but with an added hint of amusement.

“I said… ‘Idiot’” I replied more clearly, something about this guy was really getting to me, and I didn’t care if he kicked me out of his class, in fact I welcomed it.

“You just got yourself detention all week Miss Andrews” he retorted “Now sit!

I sat down, scowling in the new teachers direction, what a giant ignoramus. I looked over to the board and saw his name Mr Cartwright. I frowned, Mr Idiot definitely suited him better.

“Now as I was saying, At my last school we had a science fair” I zoned out, anything this ‘teacher’ had to say was of little interest to me. After class finished and my friends headed home I sat sullenly at my desk, angry and resentful to even been in this position.

“Miss Andrews, could you please come over to my desk” Mr Cartwright called, his tone less serious now, I glared over at him and rolled my eyes. I stood up and walked over to his desk, barely holding back the urge to call him an idiot again.

“I need you to name these files with my students names please. Once you’re finished, so is your detention” He said handing me at least 200 files and a piece of paper with names on it.

“There is at least 200 names here” I groaned, frustrated

“Hop to it then, so we can both get out of here faster” he said, looking up at me, a smirk crossing his face. I frowned and took the folders to the nearest desk and dumped them angrily

“Hey, careful with those Miss Andrews, wouldn’t want to have to make you go and get more from the supply closest, it is dark and scary in there” he teased.

“good, hopefully a ghoul would steal me away from this hell hole” I muttered, getting to work on the folders. I had to get this done by 4, or I’d miss the last bus home.

I was only half way done at 3.55pm and I put the pen down, exasperated.

“Mr Cartwright, look I really have to go, my bus leaves in five minutes, and If I don’t catch it I’m stuck a hour and a half walk from home” hated pleading with this guy, it was clear he was a nasty moron, but I also wanted to get home before dark and without getting mugged or beaten up.

“have you finished?” he asked, I looked up at him and he had a large smile on his face, he was enjoying torturing me far to much.

“No” I replied, sombrely.

“Elliot, I told you, that you can go once you are finished. You’re not finished, so you’re not going” he said my name slowly, hooking the L’s on his tongue, my stomach uncontrollably did a small flip flop, argh, this man was insufferable, I felt my face redden with a firey anger.

“You are a pompous jerk. You are seriously ready to risk the safety of a student to make a point?” I found myself blurting out

“I’d hold back on the outbursts Miss Andrews, I’d hate to have to give you two full weeks of detention, besides. I wouldn’t make you walk. I will drive you home, now get back to work” he said, calling me ‘Miss Andrews’ once again, and it surprised me that part of me wish for him to say Elliot.

“Like I will get in a car with you” I scoffed, looking back down at the folders.

“Like you have a choice” he retorted with a laugh.

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