"Ely! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Petey's desperate voice whispered through large parking lot. "Where are you going, Ely?"
The seventeen-year old was panicking at his friend's behavior and was equally annoyed his pleas were being ignored. Petey had been co-coerced into sneaking out of the foster home they lived in by Ely and he wasn't surprised she was once again breaking her promise to behave. Ely was his best friend and the love of his life. Except she didn't know it yet. No matter how crazy her ideas were he would always give in to her and do what she wanted. Tonight was no exception as Ely had heard her favorite wrestling company was in town for a sold out show.
She had cornered him after supper and told him of her plans to sneak out and get into some 'rumble' show with the money she earned over the summer. Before he could deny her request, Ely hugged him excitedly and all the good sense was immediately knocked out of him. In the foster home there were seven kids and Ely was the oldest, beating him by two years. She was the only girl and at nineteen she was the most exciting and beautiful person he ever met. Even as a tomboy she had an air of femininity that he treasured, especially because she was so painfully oblivious to it.
"Be quiet, Petey, or they'll hear us." Ely spoke in a hushed tone from a few paces away. They were in the parking lot of the Boston TD Garden Arena and Ely wanted to get a closer look of the equipment trucks. He thought it was a stupid idea. When they realized they wouldn't be able to watch the show, Ely had figured there had to be a way to sneak in the building and was looking for a good way in.
"I don't get why we're even here, Ely!" He whispered back, nervous as hell.
"Dang it, Petey, I told you already. Wrestling is my dream." She grabbed his arm and steadied him. A cold breeze hit the parking lot and Petey stuffed his hands in his pockets. He watched her tuck a loose strand of hair under her cap. "I need to find a way into it. If I can just talk to someone in the company I know I can get a job. "
"But why do you need to work for this company? Why can't you live with me in Mrs. Clarence's home along with the other kids?" He sniffed. He hated when Ely threatened to leave. "I ain't a kid no more, Petey. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence are really kind but they can't afford to take care of me without the government funding, as hard as they try. I'm a legal adult now. You will be soon too; you can't depend on them forever."
Petey kicked a small rock with his bottom of his shoe. "I know. But maybe I can find a job and take care of the both of us. That way we can always be together."
"Dang Pete, you know I gotta figure some stuff on my own. Since my parents died all I've ever wanted was to prove myself worthy for 'em. I have to follow my dreams." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I know you're always going to be there for me."
He blushed. "You're my best friend, Ely."
"You too, Petey. Now come on, I want to see if we can sneak in through the back."
He followed her deeper into the private grounds of the arena and looked nervously around as they got closer to the trucks and trailers outside. "I don't think we should do this."
"Don't be a willy-nilly. Oh my God, Pete! It's John Cena's truck. Oh my God, I'm freaking out!" She squealed in excitement and Petey shook his head.
"Who the heck is this John Cena guy anyways? I never heard of 'im." He folded his arms over his chest to keep warm. He had been rushed out of the house and didn't even get the chance to get his lucky gloves or hat for that matter. Ely – on the topic of clothes – never dressed with thought. She had faded jeans that fell loosely over her lower body and just rested over her hips thanks to his brown leather belt she borrowed. She was wearing an over-sized long sleeve navy shirt and a warm vest over it, the same vest that hid any traces of womanhood from her body. She looked like a scrawny teenager from the bad side of town. Ely carefully tucked her dirty blond hair under a cap which conveniently also hid her breath taking eyes. When she stared at him with those eyes – the color of a warm Caribbean emerald sea – he was awestruck and always experienced the urge to dip into them more so than anything else.
Her lips were round and perfect but no lip gloss ever adorned them, nor any make-up at all. Ely didn't want to be a 'girly girl', and she begrudged any woman that was - by referring to them as "dumb birds". She wanted the respect of any man and demanded to be treated as an equal. In school and in the neighborhood she was the girl that would whoop ass if someone even looked at her kids wrong. Her kids being the foster home kids. They were all orphans and all understood the loss of not having a real family, which (ironically) bonded them unconditionally.
Petey admitted, Ely was one tough sonofabitch. Nobody saw her as just a girl, except maybe Mrs. Clarence who would always give her womanly things like dresses and sweet smelling perfume. He shrugged. He didn't care none that Ely was different then the other girls, he respected her for it, even if she did get black eyes more often than not.
"Petey, come here…" He grudgingly walked over to where she was, in the mouth of a truck. "Help me open this, I want to look inside."
"Aw no way, what if someone sees? I don't want to go to no jail Ely!"
"Come on, just help me. Petey, I can hide in the truck and then travel with them from place to place." She said in wonder. "Just imagine, I can finally achieve my dream."
"Are you out of your doggone mind, Ely? You can't travel with them, they're famous!"
"Come on, Petey. I got all I need in this bag here." A look of determination crossed her face. "I left the rest of my stuff for you, including my leather jacket. You're the man in charge now."
Petey's jaw fell. "What! You planned this all along?" Petey's mind was scrambling to understand. "You tricked me into helping you so you could leave the foster home!"
"Pete, I'm nineteen. I'm not legally bound to the home; I don't even get no support money anymore. If I don't do this, I'm going to bleed the Clarence's dry. They love me but they can't afford it. I gotta do this."
"This is wrong." He said stubbornly. "You could get into trouble."
"I always get into trouble. This will be worth it. And when I'm making money I can support you, Pete. Give you everything you've ever wanted."
"But all I want is y-" He stopped, looking away with embarrassment. "Please Ely."
Her voice softened. "Pete, I'm too old for you. I know you think you like me but…"
"No…" He said stubbornly. "Don't. So what if I'm younger?"
"Pete you're not the one for me. You will always be my best friend, my brother… but I have to do this."
He sniffed. "Fine. There is never any arguing with you. But don't let me have to say 'I told you so.'"
She waved him off. "I won't. I am going to get a job with them. Are you going to help me or not?"
"Yeah, I'll help you but you better keep in touch. And if it doesn't work you have to promise to come home."
She clapped her hands. "Thank you, thank you. I promise I will! Now come give me a hand."
Petey walked over to the truck and helped her as she attempted to open the back door. There was a thick rope which he assumed would open the door if they pulled hard enough. "Here, pull this." The door creaked and shuddered as they slowly parted it open.
"Shh… someone could hear."
"The door has to open!" Petey said frustrated.
"I know, Petey."
"There." He looked around nervously. "What now?"
"Now I go in and wait until they arrive at the next location."
"You're going to last there for a whole day?"
"Yeah, I got clothes, food, a flashlight and a book. What else do I need?"
Pete shook his head. "Sounds dangerous. What if they don't open the truck?"
"I'll yell until they do. It's Cena's truck, they will open it."
"What if they arrest you?"
Ely laughed in her care-free way causing Petey to frown. "Why would they do that? It will work out Petey, relax."
"I'm relaxed, I just worry about you."
A door closed in the close distance and a voice rang out. "Hello? Anybody there?"
"Shit." Ely muttered. "Go Petey, run!"
"Ely…"
"Go Petey! I'll be fine. I have to hide."
The same unfamiliar voice approached. "I can hear someone. Hello?"
"Ely!"
"Go!" She smiled at him warmly and walked deeper into the darkness of the truck. "Bye Petey."
"Bye Ely."
He wished Ely good luck. If anyone could get what they wanted it was her… he just wished he could do it with her. But he had an obligation to the other kids now, and the Clarence's.
"God be with you, Ely." He grabbed her mitten that fell on the floor and grasped it tightly. "I will miss you." With that, Petey ran. Ran past the trucks down to the outside of the Arena property, down to the main road, where he waited heartbroken for the bus home.
Author's Note:
For more check out my profile, I will be uploading this and the second chapter of Ely's story tonight. I hope you follow me into the third installement of the series. Thanks again FanFic world.
L Boogie V