Eliza

"Did something happen before I came?" My best friend asks as she bites into a slice of the pizza that I'm sure is laced with Theo and I's bacteria. "Or is that just his usual angry self?"

"That's pretty much his usual angry self," I answer, a hint of bitterness littered in my tone. "But something did happen."

"I felt the tension," she tells me.

"We were watching a movie, in my room."

"What movie?"

"Cinderella."

"Romantic."

"And we almost kissed."

"I wish I could gasp and tell you how surprised I am. But then I'd be lying," she says calmly, as she takes her last bite.

"Funny," I mutter, as I take a seat on a stool. "It was a bad idea," I think aloud.

"What was?" Olivia asks as she pulls up a stool next to me.

"Asking him to watch a movie. Just... Everything."

"Why, because you didn't quite kiss yet?"

"No, because we were about to kiss in the first place. I don't know him Olivia. I really don't. All I know is his name. Everything else is a puzzle piece to me, a puzzle piece that he's not trying to fill in. And now I've got myself into this stupid position where I've known this boy for less than a week, and I'm already wanting to kiss him."

"Okay but so what?" Is the response I get. "Some people become attracted to each other the moment they lay eyes on each other. That doesn't make them, or you, any less of a human. And maybe it didn't happen today, but he's living with you, Eliza. You've still got plenty of opportunities."

"You really think he wants anything to do with me after the way he just stormed out of here?" I question rhetorically.

"I'm sure that was because of me. I mean, it was right after I brought up your mother..."

"Regardless, it was rude. He didn't even greet you."

"Am I allowed to call him a jerk now? I mean, I've met him and I think it's imperative for me to come to my own conclusion of him now."

I look at her, my face portraying nothing but despair. I wish she wouldn't come to that conclusion. But that seems to be the only option for her.

"In all fairness, he wasn't so bad before. He was actually quite... Friendly. Like, he smiled. And laughed," I finally say.

"Wow, that makes him such a great guy!" She screeches, and I roll her eyes at her use of sadistic sarcasm in this situation. "And by the way, what was all that with the pizza?"

"We had an argument right before you came about who should get the last pizza. He obviously decided that you should," I joke, a small smile creeping on my face.

"Married couple much? I do have to say though..." Her voice drifts off.

"Go on."

"After hearing that, and seeing the way he was acting... I think he might like you."

"Go on some more."

"Well, it makes sense doesn't it? He's angry because he didn't get to kiss you. Boys are way worse drama queens than girls when they don't get what they want. And the argument about the pizza, he was venting his frustration to you because he's probably as unsure as you are about this whole thing. Did you guys mention it after it almost happened?"

"No, we just sat in silence eating."

"And who initiated the kiss?"

"He did. Well, he leant forward, and then so did I."

"So wait a minute... Why didn't you kiss?"

"Because the pizza arrived."

"Are you kidding me?" Shock exasperation is written all over my friend's face.

"What?"

"You rejected him."

"What are you talking about? I did not reject him."

"You didn't kiss him because the pizza arrived? The pizza, Eliza. You know as well as I do that the pizza man would have rung the doorbell about four times before giving up."

My eyes wander around the entire room as it hits me that she is right. I know that now, just like I knew it at the time. It was literally a 'saved by the bell' moment. But why did I need saving?

"So what's the real reason you didn't kiss him?"

"I don't know. I guess I just... Wasn't ready. He was nice at that point but I can't base his whole character off of one moment. I didn't want to kiss him and then regret it. And then, how he was just acting. Whether he's angry or not, he could have at least tried not to be such a child about it."

"Yeah, but... You did reject him Eliza. It probably stung his ego."

"Why are you defending him all of a sudden?" Annoyance becomes my dominative emotion at this point. What happened to 'don't get sucked in by him, Eliza'?

"Oh trust me, I'm not. He's still a jerk, and you can do so much better than him. But, I can't lie, and all I'm saying is that his past circumstance for God knows how long hasn't been the best. He probably had the biggest dent in his ego already, and you probably twisted the knife, and created a monumental hole by not kissing him because your pizza arrived. He probably just feels stupid."

"So you're saying I should talk to him?"

"I think you shouldn't talk to him at all. But I know you want to, so maybe when you can see his mood has died down. If that ever happens."

"So not today then?" We both stifle out small giggles, but behind the laugh there is a pinch of despair. Not speaking to him today is going to do nothing but make my head become absolutely splattered with thoughts all heading in different directions.

"But Eliza, I do want you to remember that you can do so much better than him."

"It's not even about that. He's probably feeling so awkward. I don't want him to feel like he's unwelcome here."

"Well, doesn't he already? From your mother?" Before she gives me the chance to answer her question, another one shoots from her mouth. "Does he have a problem with her then? Because him leaving at my mention of her definitely proves that."

"He probably just feels uncomfortable with what you said," I say hitting her playfully, causing her to rub her arm as if I inflicted pain on it.

"What?" She laughs.

"It was so nice of Rosanne to let you stay? When I clearly told you she tried to kick him out already."

"I remember that now. But I really wasn't thinking of that at the moment. It just slipped out," she argues.

"You can't exactly blame him for leaving, when he probably didn't know what to say. He knows my mother's not a fan of him."

"I wonder why," she mutters silently, but all of my senses being on overdrive at this point causes my ears to pick up on her sly comment, resulting in me hitting her again.

"Okay, that one actually kind of hurt." She laughs.

My mysterious roommate takes up most of our conversation for the rest of the night, even though everything that could possibly be said so far has been said. Repeated ideas are thrown into the air, along with groans of despair and frustration at not knowing what to do, or what to think. Olivia makes the spontaneous decision to sleep at my house once she decides that she's too tired to drive home.

Morning falls and our ravenous throats cause us to make a trip to the kitchen as soon as we brush our teeth. My mom is already there, doing her usual routine of clicking buttons on her computer, and drinking coffee.

"Morning, mom."

Olivia and I both take seats on the kitchen counter, as my mom looks up from her computer screen.

"Hey, honey. Oh, hi Olivia. How are you?" Her voice reaches a melody much higher to how it usually sounds.

"I'm good thanks, Rosanne."

"She came over last night and was too tired to drive home so she slept over."

"Yeah, that's fine. Where's the-" I get the feeling of what her next sentence is going to be... Or more so, who it's going to be about. The ending is cut off, however by the heavy footsteps that pound on the stairs, and eventually stop once Theo shows his face. He is wearing the same gray tracksuit he wore yesterday, and the muddy shoes that he arrived here with.

"Hi, Theo," I say quickly, hoping to convey the message to him that I don't want any awkwardness between us. Or Olivia. Or my mom.

"Hi," he grumbles, which sounds almost as if it is forced.

"Um, are you going somewhere?" My mom asks, but doesn't look at him.

"For a walk."

"Where?" She persists.

"Anywhere."

The tension in the room makes me all the more tired, but the thought of Theo going for a walk actually relieves me. Maybe some fresh air would help him to get some insight into what is going on right now. Or not going on. And he could actually realise that I'm just as baffled as he is.

He continues walking to the door, before my mother's shout for him to wait stops him in his tracks. He turns around as slowly as a robot, his face displaying no enthusiasm whatsoever. My face displays concern at why exactly my mom decided to call him back. I internally pray that she doesn't shower him with insults to upset him before he leaves. Instead, she reaches into her purse that sits in front of her laptop, and after a little rummage, she brings out a set of keys. After removing one from the set, she throws it at him viciously.

"So you don't knock," she simply explains.

He catches the key with both hands, and doesn't look at it, or her as he places it in the pockets of his joggers. I don't even get a chance to look up before I hear the slam of the front door, and subconsciously slink back in my seat. I share a look of annoyance to my mother who responds with an innocent "what?" She closes her laptop in an instant, and stands up, putting her mug in the sink.

"You guys make yourself some breakfast, I'm going to pack for the gym."

Olivia nods, but I am too fascinated by the air to give some sort of response. She stands up and heads for the stairs, leaving the two of us in the kitchen.

"Yogurt?" I say to my best friend whose eyes light up instantaneously.

"Yes," she whispers, emphasising painfully on the word.

I open the fridge and pull out two peach flavoured Chobani's, and grab two spoons from the cabinet beside me.

"So where do you think he's going?" Olivia asks, as she lifts the top of the yogurt.

"That would require me to know him," I respond, feeling a slight sting in my own affirmation that I don't know him at all.

"What if he doesn't come back?"

"Shut up," I fire at her, realising the possibility of that occurrence being very high.

"Eliza!" I suddenly hear transpire from the top of the stairs to the bottom. "Eliza!" She repeats, the volume of her voice so loud, I'm thoroughly surprised it doesn't cause cracks in the ceiling.

"What, mom!" I shout back, perplexed by her sudden yelling.

"Did you take my bracelet?"

"What?"

"My bracelet. Did you take my bracelet? The one that you bought me for my birthday last year."

"Mom... Why would I buy you something, and then take it for myself?" I ask, stifling a small laugh.

"Does it look like I am joking around with you? That bracelet was very expensive, Eliza."

"Yeah, I know mom, you just said so yourself: I bought it."

"So did you take it?"

"No, of course I didn't. Have you looked everywhere?"

"I don't need to look everywhere Eliza, it was on my bedside table. Right next to me. I never change where I put it, and it's not there."

"Well, maybe it dropped."

"It didn't drop, Eliza. I looked on the floor and it's not there. And there's nowhere else it can be, because I promise you it's always on my bedside cabinet."

"Okay, well then, that's a bit weird. Did you wear it yesterday? Maybe you dropped it at work."

"Yes, and then I put it where it rightfully should be. I don't understand, how can something just disa-" her speech stops, and I watch as her face switches into the definition of anger that is so intimidating, I can feel my blood desperately trying to drain its existence from my body.

Without even saying anything, she turns right back around to the stairs, leaving me confused for a slight moment. I look at Olivia, who looks just as puzzled as me, before the actions my mother is about to take finally hits me. My mouth forms into an 'O' shape as I race to the stairs, and up it. Once I reach the top, I turn into the right, where I see the already open room, with her inside turning it upside down.

"Mom, what the hell are you doing? Theo didn't take it."

"And how do you know that?" She shouts, as she rummages through each drawer beside the bed.

"Because, just-why would he? He knows he would get caught, and you would just kick him out."

"You're damn right I'll kick him out. Once I find that bracelet in this room." She frantically searches inside the wardrobe, and under the bed, but comes back out defeated each time.

"Mom, just go back to your room and look. I'll help you."

"It's not there, Eliza." She is looking in the bathroom now, opening the mirror that stands above the sink. But, again, with no luck. She comes back out, and looks under the duvet on his bed, and then the bunch of pillows. My eyes wander around the room as I wait for her to end this hopeless search, but a loud "hm" causes me to look at her. She is holding something up to me, which happens to be none other than the very bracelet she is looking for. My heart sinks as my mind becomes flooded with different possibilities as to why the bracelet is in his room - but only one conclusion makes sense.

"Mom-"

"He's out."

"Mom," I try again, not knowing what I am actually trying to say.

"He. Is. Out."

I breathe heavily, anger seeping through my veins. Why on Earth would he be so stupid as to steal something from my mother? My mother, who he knows hates him.

It doesn't make sense.

I look at her, knowing already how serious she is. But despite the fact that he clearly misused his time here, and my trust, I can't just let him get back onto the streets again. He's cleaned up these last few days; it will all be for nothing if he goes back to square one.