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“I couldn’t be a school’s top hockey player and a good student at the same time, Elijah. It’s amazing.”
“Has King eaten yet?” he asks to my surprise.
“No…why? Do you want to feed him?”
“I thought this time I could be the one holding him, maybe.”
“What has gotten into you? A good student and not afraid of snakes? What happened to Elijah?”
“Both of those statements are a bit far-fetched. And I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about the things I’m afraid of most, and trying to work around them, I guess.”
I stand up and pull him down the hall with me to King’s terrarium. He’s sleeping under a wooden bridge, his face snuggled into some moss. I open the latch and reach in to grab him, unfurling him from his sleeping curl as I do.
Elijah sits at the edge of my bed, his hands out and slightly shaking. Slowly, I let King sniff Elijah out before letting him ease his way into his hands and wrap around his wrists.
“You’re a natural,” I say, ignoring his slight tremor as King tries to sniff his neck.
“Ready?” I ask King and Elijah, holding up a mouse.
Elijah nods, his eyes never leaving King’s head. I dangle the mouse in front of King, who immediately smells his prey. He stretches his neck out, his tail still curled around Elijah’s wrist as he takes the mouse from my hand and gobbles it down.
I pat King’s head. “Good little snake.” Then I pat Elijah’s head. “Good little Elijah.”
“Do you still like Harry Potter?” he asks, watching King slink back into his arms.
“I do, Mr. Slytherin.”
“I thought you said I was a Hufflepuff.”
“Times have changed you, man. Times have changed you.” I take King back and guide him back to his terrarium.
“I saw that the whole series is available to stream now, if you want to rewatch them with me.”
“Seriously? Yes, oh my god. I have an assignment I need to finish first. Do you mean right now? I haven’t seen them since high school.”
“Okay, meet me in the theater in 90 minutes. Is that enough time?”
“Yes!” I squeal, remembering what happened the last time it was just us two in the theater.
After about two hours of homework, I run over the catwalk to the theater room, feeling bad for keeping him waiting. I open the door to see the theater screen is paused on the first second of the movie. Strung across the theater are twinkling fairy lights and a thick comforter draped over the front leather couch. Elijah sits up from his seat and waves a bowl of popcorn up in the air, beckoning me towards him.
On the small table beside the couch is a platter of strawberries, popcorn, and sodas. I think my heart just melted.
“Elijah! I’m so impressed,” I say, sitting down beside him.
“Stop saying that like I can’t do the bare minimum,” he groans, lifting up the comforter for me to snuggle up next to him. I give him some space, afraid that I won’t be able to control myself if I get too close.
He pulls a lock of my hair and inhales deeply. I give him a side look like he’s crazy, but I like it.
“You smell good, what? Eat your strawberries. They’ve been sitting out for two hours. I don’t want them to get mushy.”
“Yes, sir.” I grab them as he turns the first movie on of the series. I think I love online school.
Of course, I drop a strawberry on the blanket. It splatters across the pristine white cotton. He reaches over and pops it into his mouth, wiping away the rest of the moisture with his hand. “You’re going to make me wash another blanket, Taylor?”
“Shhh,” I say as the first scene starts.
After exactly two hours and 32 minutes the movie credits play, and we haven’t said a word. He crosses his arms as he looks at me. “Slytherin, huh? Yeah, fuck you, too.”
