Tales of the Underground: Velocity - 10. Chapter 10

Imagine if Darkseid had figured out Superman was Clark Kent or if the Joker figured out Batman was Bruce Wayne, well that’s what basically just happened to me. Okay fine, maybe I’m being a little overdramatic, but in the moment I swear that’s how it felt!

“Elijah!” I shouted looking down at him. I was at a loss for words. I could feel my face turning redder and redder with every passing moment. Finally I got my hand under him enough to push him off of me.

“Oh don’t be such a baby. So you like dudes? Who cares.” Stephanie said almost taunting me that she was in on our little secret.

“Who else did you tell dude?” I attempted to stand up but Eli grabbed my arm and hung on for dear life.

“No one, I swear.” Eli was really pulling on my arm now. Finally I gave in and sat back down. He hurried back onto me, and buried his head into my neck. “She dug it out of me.” He was almost talking from behind my head at this point.

“Stop goofing around man” I tried to push him off again but he wasn’t budging. Stephanie walked over to the chair in the corner, and watched as I struggled to gain control of the situation.

“She kept saying I had to stop talking to you” I could barely even hear him “She told me you’d break my heart if I didn’t” his voice began to shake “so I told her about last night.” He finally stopped squirming around and pulled his head off of me. I couldn’t tell if he was about to cry or scream.

I placed my hand on his face “You’re such a pushover Eli” I smiled to let him know I wasn’t completely mad at him.

“So you’re not mad?” he looked relieved and yet like he could still burst into tears. I could tell it wasn’t completely his fault, yet I couldn’t help but feel at least a little betrayed.

I leaned my forehead against his “I’m a little pissed” I confessed “but I guess it could be worse.”

“Gotta love when young love works out.” Stephanie teased, I forgot she had been watching us the whole time.

I pulled away from Eli and turned toward her “Okay one, don’t use that word and two, when will you ever learn to just mind your own business?” I snapped

Eli leaned in towards me “Love, love, love, love, love…” he kept taunting, I leaned in and gave him a kiss to shut him up. “Wait, want to know a secret” Eli jumped up with excitement in his eyes.

“NO! Elijah don’t!” Stephanie screamed jumping out of her chair. Whatever he was about to say, it was gonna be good.

Eli was now standing on the couch bouncing up and down “Stephanie did used to have a crush on you!” he yelped “but she said you’re too much of a douche now.”

“Elijah!” she interrupted

“The best part is now she’s moved onto having a huge crush on Jacob Palmer!” Eli took one final bounce and let himself fall to the couch. “There, now everything’s even.” He exclaimed looking at me with the same mischievous grin from the other day. I love when he gets devious.

Stephanie sat back down on the chair and stared at me “You’ve only been hooking up for 2 days now, and you’re already rubbing off on him.” I felt Eli lay back on top of me. “So help me god, if you tell Jacob I’ll kill you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at all the irony, what in the hell was happening? I mean Jacob wasn’t bad looking by any means. He had clean kept dirty blond hair and nice hazel eyes. On top of it all he had a brain and wit like no other. “I won’t. I have to admit the way you two were fighting this afternoon I never would’ve guessed you liked him.”

Stephanie relaxed a little bit “What can I say, I like a guy with some fire to him.”

Eli popped back up “Stephanie has a crush! Stephanie has a crush!” I slowly joined in with his chant. We were both screaming so loud I thought for sure his mom was gonna come down and yell at us.

Stephanie rolled her eyes “Lovely, now there are two of you.” I could tell she was happy to see Eli so giddy. In retrospect I really should’ve known she would be the first to learn our secret, I just wish he had given me a little more time to adjust.

Elijah started to rapidly poke me in the side “So do you think you could hook it up?” any hopes I had of a quiet and peaceful night cuddling with him were completely off the table at this point.

I slapped his hands away “I don’t know” I sighed “Jacobs been in kind of a mood lately, he just has a lot going on right now.”

Eli slammed his head against my shoulder “UNACCEPTABLE!” He screamed “We’ll find a way.” I wrapped my arm around him and tried to get him to settle down.

“You worry about us” I said pulling him in close “After all. You’re not out of the doghouse yet.” Eli finally relaxed and let himself snuggle against me “I’ll talk to Jacob and see what I can do.”

Stephanie began to get a little restless “What exactly are you gonna say to him?” Concern slowly began to creep into her eyes.

“Just some stuff” Suddenly the energy Elijah was using to bounce all over the place, transferred to me “Like that you’re madly in love with him and want to carry his babies.”

Eli began to giggle “Why do you have to make things so disgusting?” As the night was progressing I swear we were only getting closer, even if he had let our secret out of the bag .

“UGHHHHH” Stephanie groaned standing back up “Your boyfriend’s gonna ruin everything, I hope you’re happy Eli! You get your childhood crush and I get jack shit!” So we are dating I thought to myself.

“Correction, your childhood crush.” I piped in

Eli wiggled a little bit “Confession time, you may have been my childhood crush as well.” he hid his head back into my neck. The second I heard those words my heart jumped. The whole time he’s been into me and I just sat there oblivious! I’ve never felt so stupid!

I knocked his head off of me “Awww” I landed another kiss on those irresistible lips “I’ve always thought you were cute too.”

Stephanie started walking around the room so she didn’t have to watch us anymore. “UGH, get a room already!” We both couldn’t help but blush when she said that. “I’m lucky I got here when I did! I have no idea what I would’ve walked in on if I was any later.”

Eli immediately went back to his safe place between the couch and my neck. “Don’t say that! You’re gonna make Jamie uncomfortable!” he screamed into the cushion.

Once more I knocked him away from my neck “What you don’t think I can handle the birds and the bees?” I joked

“It’s the birds and the birds for you two, you moron” Stephanie finally had enough of walking around and sat back into her seat.

Eli’s face began to blush again and he let out a groan of concern

I ran my hand up and down his side “I’ll figure it out when the time comes”

“That’s it” Stephanie shouted standing right back up “I’m out of here.”

I stood up and Eli let himself fall to the couch “I better hit the road too, it’s getting late”

“A few more minutes!” he whined

“I wish I could, I really do. But I’ve had a long day and I’ve got another one tomorrow.” I said trying to express that I meant every word of it.

Eli sat back up “Hold on, come here for a quick sec.” I walked over to him and he jumped up into arms and landed a big slobbery kiss on my cheek.

“OH! ELIJAH!” I screamed whipping away all the saliva he had left.

We said our goodbyes and Eli walked us to our bikes. Stephanie took off with a quick goodbye. I think she’d had enough of our cutsie couple antics for one night.

Eli started swaying back and forth “Am I really in that much trouble for blabbing?” He tried his best to create the best puppy dog face he could come up with.

I slowly started peddling away “Oh yeah, but you’ve got more than enough time to make up for it.”

Tomorrow’s race is for you Eli.