His Girls…
"I'm sorry," Fiona sniffled, attempting to hide her face behind her long and straight curtain of brunette hair. Her usual shimmery blue eyes were reddened, swimming with tears and evidence of salty water in trails down her rosy cheeks. Her blue blazer was crinkled and her khaki skirt was wrinkled, both obvious signs that the usually pristine Fiona Coyne was not feeling like her usual self tonight. That and the tears she was shedding in the face of her two best friends at this very moment.
"Hey, don't be," Eli said softly, placing a friendly and gentle hand on her knee. He cast a sympathetic smile. The poor girl's mother was on house arrest all the way in New York, and her normally wealthy family was losing money rapidly from mistakes Laura Coyne had made.
Imogen softly ran a brush through Fiona's straight and silky locks, knowing how the soft bristles of the brush calmed her friend. Her left hand rested lightly on Imogen's shoulder and she wished there was something more she could do to help Fiona. "We're here for you. Through everything, we're here for you, Fiona." Imogen promised before gently running her fingers through Fiona's dark tresses.
Eli sighed sadly. He knew that, in this dimly lit room that was Fiona's living room, Fiona felt all alone in this loft. Holly J had come home for the weekend to keep Fiona company and to visit her parents, which she was doing right now. "You'll get through this, fighter. If you can get through the things that you've gotten through, you can definitely get through this." He scooted down the couch from Fiona and Imogen, wanting to give the girls some space. He knew Fiona's true feelings for Imogen, after all. He was not one to get jealous, accepting that he and Imogen were better as friends and that was what made the both of them happier. Fiona and Imogen would be good together; he had admitted that much to himself.
"No, don't do that! Don't scoot away from me!" Fiona cried, throwing her arms around Eli's neck and hugging him tightly. "Please, don't do that. Please, don't abandon me, like all the others." To Eli's horror, his best friend began crying once again. He shot Imogen a desperate look over Fiona's shoulder, only to have it shot right back at him from Imogen's returning expression.
"It's okay," he consoled her, hugging her tightly around the waist, and Imogen quickly wandered over to the two of them and wrapped her thin arms around Fiona as well. The three best friends held each other, knowing Fiona was terrified of something she may not be necessarily telling them.
As if on cue, Fiona lifted her tear-streaked face from Eli's shoulder and smiled sheepishly. "I'm so sorry, Eli. I didn't mean to-"
"It's alright. Really, I don't mind, but…is there something else you're not telling us?" Eli asked skeptically, causing Fiona to slowly slide her arms away from him and turn to Imogen.
Imogen shrugged. "I guess we just want to know exactly why you called us at midnight needing us to come over right away. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love spending time with you, but was there another reason?"
"I'm moving." Fiona mumbled, her face twisting in sudden anguish as she buried her face in between her shaking knees.
Eli and Imogen each put a gentle hand on her back, Eli gently rubbing up and down in soothing motions. "What did you say?" Imogen whispered, afraid to hear Fiona's clear statement. She almost regretted asking Fiona to repeat it, but her and Eli both wanted to know.
"I'm moving!" Fiona repeated loudly and clearly, her knees and arms trembling. She sobbed quietly and refused to lift her face from its hiding spot.
Eli froze beside Imogen, Fiona being in between them. "Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. There was no way, was there?
Fiona nodded shamefully.
Imogen's eyes watered up.
Eli's heart felt, literally, beaten up. His girls were crying.
"Well," Imogen stammered softly, "At least you get to go back home…you can make new friends at least, and get into a great college, and I know how much you love New York." She desperately attempted to expose to bright side of the situation they were facing, if there was one.
Eli nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we'll keep in touch, Fiona. Besides, you can visit, right? I mean, Imogen and I will both be at U of T, so you can visit almost anytime." He just wanted Fiona to feel better, but her shaking shoulders indicated that that was not happening anytime soon.
"You don't get it!" Fiona exclaimed, exposing her exasperated and tear-streaked face before standing up and walking out to her fire escape. She sat down and shivered in the cold, wrapping her arms around her crossed legs. Curling into a small ball, she leaned against the chilled black railing and let her sobs rack her body. The bitter wind nipped at her face as she stared out into the city.
Eli and Imogen shared an incredulous look before slowly standing up from the couch to enter the fire escape. Eli quietly sat down on the steps next to her, wishing he could do something to help. Imogen, following, gently placed her hand on Fiona's back as the cold wind nipped at her face.
"Fiona, please come back inside. It's too cold out here!" Imogen pleaded. Her hand rubbed up and down Fiona's shaking back as her sobs became more apparent.
Eli, frowning, gently nudged his best friend, causing her to glance up at him slowly. When he saw her face, he teared up himself. "Fi, it's going to be okay. Just tell us what's wrong."
Fiona nodded and attempted to straighten out her tangled brown hair when Imogen shook her head and began to gently and comfortingly do it for her. "I-I've always had trouble making friends. When I first c-came to Degrassi, I had nobody. I only had Holly J because she was dating my brother. Even Declan I hardly see anymore, since he's busy at Yale and Holly J is doing the same. Now, my mom's in serious legal trouble, and I don't even know if I'll be able to pay for the Frostival anymore! I'm so sorry, guys. I always feel like a failure." She cried, burying her face in her hands. Her soft cheeks burned with the marks of tears and shame flared in her heart.
Eli sighed deeply and turned Fiona's face to his. "I know how that is, not knowing if you'll fit in or not. But, Fi…you've overcome so much. You can do anything." He opened his arms and Fiona fell into them and sobbed brokenly. Smoothing down Fiona's hair, Eli saw Imogen's stricken face over his shoulder. He knew, he just knew Imogen harbored feelings for the crying girl. However, when he saw her gentle brown eyes tear up, his heart clenched and he softly said, "Come here, Imo," and Imogen scooted over to him and buried her face in Eli's shoulder. Eli moved so he could be in the middle of the girls, each of them sobbing on his shoulders.
Fiona gasped lightly when she felt Eli's fingers intertwine with hers, but she realized it must have been in a brotherly way because he was doing the exact same with Imogen. He was just trying to comfort his best friends in the face of something as hard as separation. "I really don't want to leave you two. Degrassi is the first place I've really felt stable for a while now."
Imogen sniffed from her hiding spot in Eli's shoulder as she felt Eli's arm wrap around her more tightly. Both she and Fiona were wrapped up in his arms and holding his hands. "Fi, I know how you feel. Ever since I was eight years old, I've been the freak. You guys are the first people to make me feel…accepted. Even my own mother left me and my dad when I was ten years old. I've never felt close with anyone besides you two and my daddy." She felt Eli place a gentle kiss in her curls as the wind chilled the three teens' bones.
"Girls, let's go inside, okay? Fiona, Imogen and I will stay until Holly J gets back, alright?" Gently standing up, Eli led Fiona and Imogen into Fiona's loft and back onto the couch. Popping in a movie, Eli handed each girl a blanket and held them close for hours on end.
And, as the fire in the fireplace blazed on, Eli knew in his heart that he would always take care of his best friends, of his girls.