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“I was in private school, but my father decided it would look good for his campaign to have a kid in public school. You know, so he can be relatable. I just wanted away from the rich fuckboys.”
He raised a brow. “Your dad has a campaign?”
It was my turn to laugh. I loved being among people who weren’t part of the political circus. “My dad is your congressional representative. But he’s hell-bent on world domination, so everything is about appearances and his latest campaign.”
“Cool. My dad is a piece of shit.” Eli kicked a rock out in front of us.
We veered off the sidewalk onto a path into the woods. The voice in the back of my head reminded me of Eli’s reputation with the ladies, but the high I was on pushed any concern about being alone with him in the woods to the side.
We talked shit about our classes and classmates for a while before we came to a clearing that was obviously frequented by the youth in town. In all the time I’d lived here, I never knew this place existed. There were a couple of guys I recognized from school already there, knocking back beers. Eli greeted them with a fist bump and gave a brief introduction.
We hung out for a few hours, various people coming and going. When it was getting late, I announced I needed to head out. Eli walked me back to the school where I had asked my mom to pick me up. He waited with me. I offered him a ride home, but he said he lived close enough to walk.
My mom sped up in her Mercedes, cursing me for interrupting her tennis match. If she noticed I was high, she didn’t mention it, and I did not try to hide it.
* * *
Now:
“They used to call you Katie?”
I shrugged. “In public school, that was the name I went by. I was ‘Kate’ until that point. They started calling me Cee after college.”
“And you and Eli have been an item since you were fifteen?”
“I mean, we were best friends. But that’s a story for another day, Serge. I need to get to sleep so I can function tomorrow. We both know Connor will have me up in an hour.”
“Spoil sport,” he huffed.
Six
“Get up here and tell me about being best friends with Eli.” Serge leaned over his bed into mine.
I scowled. “I’m not getting in bed with you, Serge.”
“Oh, princess, don’t be a pervert. It’s just to tell me my bedtime story. I promise not to grope you or anything.”
Knowing he would not leave me alone if I didn’t entertain his demands, I relented. “Promise me you have clothes on,”
“I have shorts on.”
“Like real ones or boxers?” You could never be too careful with Sergio and his clothing choices.
“Real ones,” he chuckled. “Get up here.”
I crawled up onto the top bunk next to him, stealing a pillow from under his head before returning to my story.
Then:
I don’t know when it happened, but Eli and I became inseparable. If one of us was into shenanigans, the other was along for the ride. People often asked us if we were a couple, but that wasn’t how our relationship worked.
Looking back, I can see what they saw. We were always flirting and always together. If we skipped class, it was together. If we were eating lunch, it was together. We shared a locker despite being issued our own separate ones. Parties? Never separate. He was my ride or die before people even used that phrase.
We had a, “you go, I go”, pact. And I would’ve literally died for him.
Eli continued sleeping his way through the females of our class, and it only ever bothered me when one of those little bitches tried to push me out of the picture. But he was my best friend, and no one came between us.
I don't have many memories of high school because Eli and I had a shared favorite activity. That activity was drugs and alcohol. Freshman year was just weed and booze. I’d drink to the point of blacking out and, being a solid best friend, he’d make sure I made it home without injury. He’d get so high before school that I had to kick him to get him to the next class.
