"Look, we don't have to be close, okay?" It hurt Beatrix a bit to say it, for some reason.
"Well, I want to. Is that so bad?"
Was he warming up for a confession? She needed to get out of here.
"Yeah, I mean no, not necessarily. But I don't want to." She started walking around him.
"Why?" He asked, watching her leave.
"It doesn't matter, goodnight."
Inwardly, Beatrix was screaming as she reached her room. As soon as she shut the door, she slumped against it, covering her face.
That conversation shouldn't have happened.
-
River walked the school's halls, the lunchtime bells ringing.
Students were streaming from classrooms, desperate for the relief from stressful lectures and tests.
One student, however, stopped in his tracks; he had spotted River.
River, oblivious to the other man's gaze, was wondering what Lucy had made him for lunch. He just hoped it wasn't a ham sandwich.
He was mildly surprised when Elias stopped him, standing in his way by using his body as a barrier. He was somewhat aware of Elias, Charlotte's parents had mentioned him a couple of times. From what he understood, Elias was a former friend of Charlotte who Charlotte had fallen out of touch with. River is naturally wary of anything that may disrupt his plans, so he looked into Elias.
However, looking at Elias now, he had obviously overestimated him. The boy seemed immature and unsure of himself, slightly fidgeting as he put on a tough front. He would be no trouble to River.
"You're River?"
"Yeah, what's up?" River asked casually, he just wanted to eat his lunch.
"I heard you're living with Charlotte." A jealous streak flashed through his eyes.
"Yup, so what?"
"Are you guys, like… together?" Elias said sourly, failing to appear fierce..
"Nope." Not yet.
"I'm just saying, you should stay away from her." Elias said reproachfully.
"We literally live in the same house." River rolled his eyes.
Elias steadied himself to continue the exchange; his petulant behavior was strange to watch, especially considering Charlotte's parents' praises of Elias.
"Elias?"
Speak of the devil, River thought.
Beatrix was uncomfortable, she didn't particularly want them interacting.
She herself had realized that Elias likely wouldn't interfere with her much. All she had to do was block him and stop seeing him at school, and he was stumped. He did seek her out a couple of times, but they were lame attempts. He seemed to be ashamed of his one-sided crush.
He was much more pathetic than the book let on, and it amused her a bit.
"Is everything okay?" Beatrix would prefer this conversation didn't develop any further.
River ignored the question.
"Do you want to eat with us?" River asked Beatix, now ignoring Elias. He was persistent, she had to give him that.
"No." Beatrix continued.
"If everything's good, I'm leaving. Bye." She swiftly left. She was worried about them interacting, but since it seemed she had nothing to worry about between River and Elias, she'd rather not spend more time than needed with them. Especially considering it hadn't been long since she and River had that awkward argument.
Right after she left, and River was preparing to do the same, Elias turned to him quickly.
"Do you like her?"
River stared at him for a second, then simply smiled and left. That wasn't information he needed to know.
He walked away, heading for his usual spot.
River sat next to Theo outside, his lunch in tow.
The rest of their friends all skipped together to go play around. The lone good students, River and Theo, didn't join them.
"How's it going?" Theo said, partially rhetorically.
"I dunno, it's alright." River had trouble hiding his troubled mood. His plan wasn't going smoothly, and it was bothering him.
"Is it?" Theo stared at him.
River didn't answer.
"Is something wrong with that girl? I told you to be careful."
"I'm surprised you like her in the first place. I never would have guessed you were the masochistic type." Theo continued.
"She obviously doesn't like you, dude. I don't see it."
"I know. And I don't like her, okay?" River finally responded.
If there was one person he was going to tell his true feelings to, it was Theo.
"If anything, I hate her. She has everything I've never had."
"You hate her?" Theo was surprised.
"I mean, yeah, why shouldn't I? Till the moment they died, my family had nothing, and they were constantly miserable because of it. She's never known anything like that."
"She's a spoiled brat." River continued, but his tone was strange, with no edge to it.
Theo narrowed his eyes, disbelieving.
"I see."
They both sat in silence for a bit, neither of them really knew what to say. Theo stared at River, judging all of his movements.
"I hate her, okay?" River finally said. He looked uncomfortable and strangely guilty, as if talking badly behind a friend's back.
"Sure you do."
"I do!"
-
It seemed like the study sessions would never end.
And this one was particularly painful. Beatrix already disliked studying with River, and this one was extremely awkward.
Normally, she wouldn't mind having a bad relationship with River. But after that argument, sitting in a silent room with just the two of them was painful.
River didn't seem to have given up on his goal, however.
"So."
Beatrix didn't answer.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be pushy back then."
Beatrix still didn't answer.
"I want to get to know you, but it wasn't fair of me to be so forceful."
"So, yeah. I'm sorry." He finished talking.
After a moment of silence, just when River had given up, Beatrix responded.
"Okay."
River smiled at her, but didn't push his luck. They soon focused on studying, like
nothing had ever happened. But River seemed to pull back on his plan a bit. He was more reserved and didn't try to flirt with her.
Beatrix was relieved, but there was another sort of emotion she couldn't quite identify.