Re: David and Eli
At that, David laughed. For all the rockiness that comprised their siblinghood, for all the bad things that they'd done to one another, there was one thing that David could always count on, and that was his big brother's ability to cheer him up when he was down. It would've been handier when he was younger, before the thick skin to teasing had developed and before he'd learned to just let things roll off of his shoulder, but now? Now it wasn't so bad. Still, times like this, times like now, he was just as grateful as he would've been then. “Says you,” he muttered with a smirk as he took another drink. “You aren't the one who lost their actual legitimate proof that there was a ghost in the Harris Manor, though.”
Another shrug. “I had a hunch. It paid off.” Thank god it had, too, because David's fragile confidence probably wouldn't have been able to handle that much public humiliation. “Yes. Because the GM's totally called one another and said, 'hey some kid named Elliot has a bet with his brother over this game, let's make him face some public humiliation!'” A smirk crossed his face.
“She's not a bitch,” David insisted. “She's a good person, okay? But it's okay...” he chewed on his lip and sighed a little bit. “It's okay,” he repeated, mostly for himself. “If she's happy with him, she should be. I'll get over it.” Wounded pride sucked, but he knew that he'd get over it. He always did. David was a resilient person.
Shrugging his shoulders, he frowned. “You don't have to do that, all right? It's okay.” He shrugged. “I'm not going to spend my time pining over her anyway. I'm not the kid I used to be, you know?” Maybe ten years ago, David would have desperately pined. But the world had taught him that there were better things to do with his time, even if most of it was spent alone. He was okay with the situation. Really. “It doesn't bug me that she's with him. The thing that's bothering me right now is that I actually got my hopes up again. Just thought that maybe...” he shook his head and chuckled. “It doesn't matter. I just should've known.”
Arching his eyebrow at his brother's suggestion of a Grand Central tour, David chuckled. “What is this, the Dating Game?” he joked with a small roll of his eyes, his smirk belying any frustration he wanted to put off. “Seriously, bro. I think I'm gonna be all right. She's just some chick, right?” He shrugged. Now if only he could mean it.