The Never Book (8/?) - Orlijah

[anyothergirl415.livejournal.com]

Title: The Never Book
Author: Miss. Xander
Rating: Varies from PG-13 to NC-17
Summary: There are a lot of things Elijah has never done. And then he meets Orlando.
Pairing: Orlando/Elijah (my OTP lol), Dom/Billy and maybe others...
Warnings: High School AU, Angst, Fluff, Sex and all that stuff!
Notes: Thanks to my brilliant beta avaro_naeth[Unknown site tag][Bad username or unknown identity: Thank you SOOO much to ]slainte_mhath for the most awesome banner!![Bad username or unknown identity: Previous Links:] Here in my Beta's Memories!!

Elijah gazed at himself in the mirror, hardly believing that it was even him. His hair was spiked – yes, it had actually met a brush for quite possibly the first time ever – and his blue eyes were shown naked and uncovered. Somehow his nose felt empty without the familiar weight of his wired frames.

With a little more begging with his mother he had been allowed to buy a few new outfits from a clothing store called 'Style' where all the popular kids were rumoured to shop. Of course he'd never tested the theory before but he assumed it was true from the way the ripped jeans and faded shirts of the store matched those of the boys at school. Upon entering the shop he'd felt lost abandoned confused but somehow he managed to get a sales lady to give him the time of day and here he stood.

Wearing faded ripped torn blue jeans – that his mother had insisted should NOT have cost 60 dollars – and a light yellow polo shirt that the bouncy blonde twenty-something saleswoman had insisted he looked drop dead gorgeous in. And – if he wasn't mistaken – she had actually been flirting with him. Contacts were obviously doing wonders for him already, though the real test would arrive with the plane from London carrying the most fabulous Eric.

Looking in the mirror Elijah felt a wash of uncertainty, as if he was now looking at someone who was not himself at all. Not too long ago he'd written that he'd never dressed to impress anyone… and yet, here he was – looking at a stranger posing as himself. This suddenly seemed very, very wrong.

A horn honked outside and Elijah mumbled a simple, "too late now" to himself before tossing his back pack over his shoulder and heading out of his considerably boring room. Most things were starting to look dull in his 'new and improved' light.

"Here we go," he swallowed harshly as he left his house and jogged slowly – yes, that was possible – to Orlando's awaiting truck, sliding into the passenger side with a practiced grace.

"Heya Lij… holy fuck!" Orlando's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he turned to give him a morning peck on the cheek. "Damn! You look hot!"

Elijah blushed softly, resisting the urge to push his nonexistent glasses up his nose and make a dive for the door. Maybe this wasn't the best idea? The nerves were building a little too much. "Um… thanks?"

Orlando stared – quite obviously not trying to hide it – for several long minutes before clearing his throat and moving his eyes to the road – only to sneak glances occasionally. "Er… wow… what inspired the change?"

Elijah shrugged, giving Orlando a bright – and hopefully casual – smile. "I don't know. Just felt like being different I guess. You know how it is? Do you like it?"

Orlando made several 'are you serious?!?' noises and scoffs before giving Elijah a long once – twice – over and shifting the truck into drive, "Yeah. It's good."

And for the first time since they had been officially together, Orlando pulled on Elijah's sleeve as they entered the school – taking him to his friends instead of saying goodbye before entering the building.

He introduced him to the group like they had been best friends forever – not boyfriends for awhile. Like Elijah hadn't known these boys his entire life. And they accepted him like he was brand new, like they never had seen the geeky Elijah, like he wasn't just that boy a few days before.

At lunch – as he walked with his tray to his usual table to join Dom and Billy – Orlando called him over, along with the other 'popular' boys. Elijah stopped – in the middle of the cafeteria – looking torn between their table and the one where two of his all time best friends were sitting and waiting for him.

As he sat at the new table – receiving a smile and a greeting from everyone, a press in the thigh from Orlando – his eyes moved to Dom and Billy. They looked hurt, betrayed. Elijah felt like shit. But… at least he looked good.

* + *

Elijah had the small – not really pleasing – victory of grabbing his pink highlighter and crossing off 'I've never sat at the popular table' from one of his first entries. Part of him thought he should be happy to get that one crossed off – after all it was a big deal – and yet the look in Dom and Billy's eyes kept haunting him.

~I've never looked so hot. Until now.

I've never been very popular. Until now.

I've never been invited to parties. Until now.

I've never known all the school gossip. Until now.

I've never betrayed my best friends. Until now.

I've never had so many people talk to me and feel so empty. Until now.

I've never listened to the type of music they do. Until now.

I've never called Dom and Billy and have them not answer or hang up on me. Until now.

I've never been so supposedly happy and miserable at once... Until now.~

* + *

"I'm sooo excited!!" Orlando squealed happily as Elijah and he drove down the highway. They were speeding along at 80 MPH to get to the nearest city large enough to handle British Airways air traffic. About an hour north of Redville.

Elijah nodded – his side pressed into Orlando's and his hand drawing meaningless patterns on his jean clad thigh. Truthfully, Elijah was starting to feel sick. Orlando had spent the last 45 minutes of the drive going on and on about Eric. So much so that Elijah had the indescribable urge to punch the man the minute he saw him.

It reminded him of any entry he had written that morning before the familiar honk of Orlando’s truck had sounded in his driveway.

~I never thought anyone was more annoying than my cousin Stacey at any Holiday event. Then I heard Orlando talk about Eric. I never knew the day would come where I couldn't stand being around a person, yet cringe at the thought of being withOUT them… at the same time.

I've never thought it possible. I guess it is.~

 "Aren't you excited?" Orlando asked cheerily, switching the track on the CD player.

"Thrilled," Elijah said in his most dead pan voice possible.

You'd think Orlando would noticed the lack of real excitement in Elijah's voice, but instead he just launched into a tale of how Eric and he had once taken a random road trip up to Scotland for no real reason but to buy a certain type of sweet in Glasgow.

Elijah was just drifting off to sleep – barely listening to Orlando chatting about Eric's favourite type of food – when they pulled into a parking space. He sat up gratefully and slid quickly out of the truck.

The time ticked slowly by as they stood in the waiting area, Orlando's eyes scanning eagerly over the people every time a group walked up through the terminal. Elijah was just imagining some scene from a movie where Orlando and Eric would run to each other
like long lost lovers – when the man that'd he'd heard so much about was suddenly in front of them.

"Hey Orlando," the infamous 'ex' nodded in gesture.

Elijah expected some hug, a handshake at least, but here Orlando was, his hands dug in his pockets as he nodded casually, like he hadn't just been bouncing with excitement to see this guy. "Hey. Sup?"

"Not much," Eric shrugged and they turned in perfect unison to head out of the airport, leaving Elijah staring at them in confusion. What. The. Fuck?

Eric really wasn't much to look at; Elijah realized as he sat in the back of Orlando's truck and watched his face in the rear view mirror. He was tall – taller than Orlando at least – with shaggy brown hair similar to Orlando’s and dark brown eyes. He had tan skin and
seemed generally uncomfortable with himself, like he had become a man without any warning and was still getting used to the idea.

But Orlando broke the ice by introducing Elijah as his boyfriend. It made Elijah relieved, almost like he had been afraid that Orlando would have kept it secret. And the more he listened to the two have stiff, icy conversation, the more Elijah had to wonder, did Orlando make that stuff up to make the situation sound better?

What if Eric really wasn't that great at all? What if their break-up had been terrible and Orlando hated to even think about it? What if they'd never even done anything of those things Orlando had bragged so happily about?

Elijah glanced down at the clothes he was wearing. Those nice, expensive things, that he'd so desperately needed. Because… he had to be better then Eric. But now he realized that he was probably better then Eric without trying. And he had let himself form and mould for Orlando's sake. He had done the very thing that his mother had warned him about.

Suddenly a little burst of laughter left his lips. Followed quickly by another. Another little burst. Then suddenly he was laughing harder then he had in a long while. What the hell had he been thinking?!? This wasn't him! These nice clothes, styled hair, preppy attitude. This was not the Elijah Wood he had grown up to become.

Eric had turned in his seat, giving Elijah a very confused look and Orlando was staring strangely at him through the rear view mirror. "Everything alright there, Lij?" Eric asked as if they'd been friends for years.

It was amazing how people like Eric always seemed to treat others that were in their 'social bubble' with such ease and grace, and everyone else with such disgust.

"Oh just fine," Elijah nodded, smirking. "I was just thinking about…" his mind flipped quickly through things that would explain that burst of hysteria and finally he settled on something that he figured would be acceptable. "…sex."

Both men had a flash of understanding wash over their faces. Elijah instantly wondered why he would be laughing concerning sex but hey, they seemed to accept it and that worked for him.

But the topic of sex made him cringe slightly. Mainly because of the fact that his and Orlando's sex life was most definitely not happening. They hadn't really done anything since Orlando had pinned him to the wall the day before and dropped to his knees to
pull his already half hard length into his mouth.

Elijah had moaned loudly and tangled his hands in Orlando 's hair, arching up into the mouth. The event happened so rarely, with large spaces in-between that Elijah almost immediately hit with the soft grace of a tongue running over him. Orlando pulling back and blowing gently along his over sensitized skin was enough to make him hit then and there.

Elijah would gladly have repaid the favour but Orlando was off the floor, tucking Elijah in, and down the hall faster then Elijah could even say thank you, or say anything for that matter.

It made Elijah wonder.

"Must be quite the thought process," Eric smirked, laughing lightly. "You're eyes even have a glassy look to them."

Elijah blushed – natural habit – and shook his head. "Oh well I was just thinking… eh… never mind."

Eric laughed and Elijah smiled, looking up to catch Orlando 's eyes in the rear view mirror. He noticed a flash in Orlando's eyes that he'd never seen before. What was that? Jealousy? Could it really be? Well… that was odd…

Was Orlando jealous of Eric or Elijah? Part of him rationalized that Orlando was probably jealous of Elijah making Eric laugh. But the other part – the part that won in the end of the argument – made him think that Orlando was jealous of Eric's flirting with Elijah.

* + *

A slight frown formed on Elijah's lips as he watched the British Airways plane soar off the ground and head into the sky. He briefly felt like he should wave or something, but there was no real reason to do that. It wasn't like Eric could see him. So he walked back to his mother's car, twisting the keys in his hand.

It was a long drive home so he allowed himself to think back on the week. On the reason Orlando hadn't come to the airport to see Eric off. The reason Elijah may not have a boyfriend now. And why he was once more wearing his glasses and regular clothing.

Elijah had decided the day after Eric arrived that he wasn't going to dress to impress him. If Eric didn't like him the way he was, then he'd have to get over it. And if Orlando had a problem with that – then there were obviously bigger issues at hand.

So he'd shown up at the movie house – now showing the second Matrix and Ever After – exactly like he used to be. Orlando looked surprise but Eric greeted him like nothing had changed. It was then that Elijah decided Eric was not a threat. Eric was only… a friend. This was good, Elijah was actually starting to enjoy his company. He saw the little reasons why Orlando must have found him so appealing.

At one point Eric pointed out that Orlando acted a lot different then he used to in England and Elijah was curious enough to ask how so. "Because… he would never normally date someone like you in England . Not that you're bad… it's just… he always dated the most
popular kid until he got expelled for…" then Eric trailed off and wouldn't continue when Elijah pushed the topic.

Then came the night before Eric left… and Orlando snapped. Apparently he was jealous of both boys and the friendship they were quickly forming. It wasn't Elijah's fault that Eric was so nice and that he enjoyed hanging out with him. Dom and Billy weren't speaking to him so it was nice to have someone to chat with. Orlando hadn't been very good at that recently.


The three were at dinner and Eric and Elijah were chatting happily about a book they both enjoyed. Orlando hadn't read it and was stabbing so hard at his potatoes that a piece flew across the table and landed right in Elijah's water glass.

He looked up at him, frowning. "Something wrong Orli?"

"Oh no, I'm perfectly fine," Orlando spat, stuffing a chunk of potato in his mouth.

"Um… okay," Elijah nodded, going back to talk with Eric.

Then Orlando slammed his fork down on the table and pushed himself out of his chair. "No!! No I'm not fine!! Not that you seem to care!"

Elijah and Eric watched him leave before Elijah sighed and stood. "I'm just gonna…"

"No worries," Eric smiled, waving his hand dismissively.

"Orlando!" Elijah called after his boyfriend, running to catch up the long strides of the older man.

"What?" Orlando venomously whispered. "Shouldn't you be in there discussing whoever the fuck with Eric?!?"

"What's your issue? I thought Eric was your friend," Elijah looked confused.

"Yeah and I thought you were my boyfriend!" Orlando turned to him, pulling his keys from his pocket. "But maybe I was wrong thinking that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Elijah frowned.

"Maybe you'd be happier with Eric," Orlando growled, turning to his truck.

Elijah did the first thing that came to his mind, he tugged on Orlando's arm, spun him around, and allowed his fist to connect with the other boy's jaw. Both stood there in
surprise, shocked at what had happened so unexpectedly. Then Elijah whispered. "If I have to act a certain way to please you… if I have to be a different person to make you happy… then maybe I would be happier with Eric."

And then he spun on his heels and stalked off.

As Elijah drove home from the airport, tears began to build in the corners of his eyes. It was starting to hit him that the best thing that had ever happened to him was at the point of being over. He had to pull the car over as a sob escaped his lips. Would he ever be content with life?

Comments

[valiantfan.livejournal.com]

The link didn't seem to work and I would love to start this from the beginning! Help!

[anyothergirl415.livejournal.com]

hmmm... the link didn't work? Okay let's see.... try this: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=avaro_naeth&keyword=The+Neverbook+by+anyothergirl415&filter=all
and if that doesn't work... let me know and we'll work something out!

[valiantfan.livejournal.com]

Works! Thanks! I will now work my way through and catch up!