Hey guys! So here's chapter 3!
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WARNING: Cliffhanger at the end...
Chapter 3
*In Eli's Back Yard*
"Let's start from the part when Eli, I mean Romeo, drinks the poison. And by poison I indicate dragon fruit vitamin water." Adam commanded.
"You make it sound so girly." Eli complained.
"What? Dragon fruit?" Adam asked.
"Yeah, I get like images of big pink fruit in my mind. Like pink bananas." Eli supposed. I sighed.
"Let's just rehearse!" I complained.
"Fine." They both agreed. Clare was sitting pessimistically in the corner, watching.
"In five, four, three, two…" Adam started. I interrupted.
"What is this, iCarly?" I asked. He laughed before he turned the camera on and hit record. I settled down on the soft, vivid green grass and laid my head down. In closing my eyes, I started to listen more closely to the world that encircled me. The birds chirped, the light breeze rustled the leaves, the occasional car slowly coasted down the street. Eli sat down beside me and stroked my face, then took a sip of his vitiman water. I sat up to stare into his eyes as I grabbed his arm.
"Romeo! You drank the poisonous dragon fruit beverage! No!" I said dramatically. Eli flung his arms into the air.
"I can't work under these conditions!" he yelled/laughed. I smirked at him. "Vi, only I'm allowed to smirk like that." He reminded me.
"Oh yeah? Try and stop me." I said. He smirked, too, and grabbed the water gun off the blanket. He sprayed me with it, ice water splashing on my face, neck and chest.
"Eli! You're dead!" I laughed, running over to the garden hose and picking it up, then rotating the knob furiously. I sprayed Eli with it, and he attacked me with the gun. Adam had taken off running for the screened in porch on the back of the house.
"Every FTM for himself!" Adam called. Everyone was laughing pretty hard. Well, everyone except Little Miss 1985 over there. Yes, Clare was leaning against the back steps, looking bored as hell.
"I'm gonna get you Casey!" Eli yelled. I laughed and sprayed him.
"No chance Goldsworthy!" I called back, running around the yard. He chased me, and me, being the klutz I am, tripped in the mud that had accumulated on the ground and tackled Eli to the ground. We both laid there laughing at iur foolish act for a while, but once it got old, we just stared into each other's eyes. Holy shit, his eyes are beautiful!
"Careful, Vi." He murmured, brushing my bangs behind my ear. I could've kissed him. I really wanted to kiss him. But I couldn't, not with Clare standing ten feet away.
"Well," I started, trying to climb off of him. "I need to change my clothes." I said. Eli jumped up and then proceeded to help me up. Once we were both on our feet, I was trying to hide my blush. But even thirteen years of acting, I couldn't convince my cheeks not to turn an obnoxious bright pink.
"We'll be right back." Eli said, steering me into his house.
We snuck in the back door, but weren't ready for what we saw next. It was Cece Bullfrog and Nick all watching us out the kitchen window.
"What the hell?" Eli asked. "Were you spying on us?" He demanded. I smiled.
"Hey Cece, Bullfrog." I said. Cece hugged me in an awkward way so that she wouldn't get mud on herself.
"Little Casey!" Zach said, greeting me with a fist bump. Him and Drew were close, so I was little Casey, not Casey. Casey was my brother's nickname.
"Um, Vi, you can grab some of my clothes, and change in my bathroom.
"Cool, thanks E." I said, making my way up the stairs. But I stopped half way so I could hear the conversation.
"Baby boy, just tell it to us straight." Cece said kindly. "Are you sleeping with Violet?"
"Please! If I was sleeping with her, you two would know it! You'd hear us!" Eli scoffed.
"I doubt it." Zach said. I heard Eli step forward, his voice growing defensive.
"You think I couldn't make her scream?" Eli practically growled. I fought a laugh.
"Well, I'm trying to be reasonable. I mean, I've seen you, and let's face it…you're not the biggest fish in the sea if you know what I mean." I could practically hear the rage boiling out of Eli.
"You mother f-" Eli started, but I cut him off by calling,
"Eli! I need help!" I ran up the stairs and lingered in his room, waiting for him. I stripped down into my boxer shorts and black sports bra, both things Eli has seen before.
"Vi, what's up?" He asked. I shrugged.
"Don't think you can make me scream, huh?" I asked. He smirked.
"Maybe someday, we'll see." He replied, walking into his closet. I flopped back on his bed and stared up at the DEAD HAND poster on his ceiling.
"Here!" he called, throwing me a pink NIKE duffel bag. I was aalmost afraid to look inside of it.
"What's this?"
"Some of Julia's stuff."
"Julia never owned a pink duffel bag, Eli." I replied. He sighed uncomfortably.
"It's Clare's."
"Oh…OH." I gasped.
"We only did it once." He replied.
"She's a Christian nut! How'd you manage that?" I exclaimed. He laughed.
"She managed it truthfully."
"SHE wanted sex?" I gasped/laughed. He rolled his eyes and pulled his dirty t-shirt off.
"Once!" he laughed. I decided to be the best friend and now the girl who was madly in love with him…for now.
"So…" I said as I riffled through the scary 80s clothes. I felt like I was looking through a time capsule. "Was she good?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice even and struggling to not rupture into laughter. He looked at me.
"We are soooo not having this conversation." He said. I laughed.
"Did Clare steal these clothes from a museum?" I questioned. He sighed and took the bag. He dug around in it until he threw me a few pieces of cloth.
I held them up. There was a pastel floral skirt, a lavender v-neck, a necklace made of brown leather strips and feathers, a pair of brown flats and a clump of different colored string bracelets. I must've looked horrified, because he laughed at me.
"What?" I asked. He laughed harder. "WHAT?"
"Those aren't Clare's, their Zach's ex's. I dare you to wear those clothes. I DARE you." He said, raising an eyebrow playfully. Then he grabbed his shampoo and was out the door, into his bathroom. I was frustrated, because I'd never turned down one of Eli's dares before, but I really didn't want to wear the skirt. Then I had a brilliant idea. I got dressed in the clothes, admiring myself in the mirror. Eli had changed and showered, and was now walking back into the room, patting his hair with a towel.
"Hey, E." I said. His mouth dropped when he saw me.
"You look beautiful!" he gasped.
"Don't sound so shocked." I said playfully, while I dabbed on some lip gloss that I'd had for the Romeo and Juliet thing. I then brushed on some of Clare's mascara, pink eyeshadow, and gold eye liner. I had to admit, I did look okay.
"Wow." Zach said, coming into Eli's room.
"I know." Eli breathed, his eyes fixed on my chest where I showed off a bit of my cleavage. I hit him in the arm and waltzed out of the room and back into the yard.
The truth was, I hated the way I looked in these clothes. They weren't me at all. But, I decided I'd try them for a while.
"Hey guys," I said. Clare was staring at me, mouth open. Adam knew right away what I was doing.
"I swear to god, Violet." He mumbled as I walked past him to lie down on the blanket. Eli emerged from the house a second later, wearing a gray v-neck and a pair of kakis shorts. I couldn't help but notice that he wasn't wearing his guitar pick necklace and ear piercing. It was still summer, even though school had started, and we were trying to soak up as much sun as we could before the harsh Toronto winter hit us.
He came over by me and we laid down on the blanket. I noticed he'd swapped his pink vitamin water for a coke zero.
"I would do the countdown, but apparently that makes me Freddie Benson, so I'll spare myself." Adam said, sarcasm leaking from tone.
"Adam!" Eli and I said together.
"Let's just go!' Adam suggested. I both agreed and he pressed record. Eli took a sip of the soda and I sat up.
"Romeo! You drank the poisonous coca cola beverage! No!" I said dramaticly.
"There is just one thing I must do before I die, my Juliet." He said. Then he leaned in.
I remember that his breath smelled sweet and of peppermint. My best friend was about to kiss me. But this was a stage kiss. It had no meaning. Eli slowly pulled me in, taking me carefully in his arms and pressing his lower lip to my upper. We kissed for what felt like forever, but I later found out it was only nine seconds.
Eli then let me go and we stared into each other's eyes for a second. I didn't know what my eyes told him, but his were different than they'd ever been. They were softer yet excited. They were the eyes he had when he was with Julia. It was as if I could see into his soul.
And then he dropped to the blanket, closing his eyes, shutting me off from his soul.
"Star-crossed lovers? Not for long! I'll see you in the after life, Romeo!" I said as I picked up the water gun and "killed myself". I also fell onto the blanket.
"Cut! That was awesome you guys!" Adam said, lowering his camera. Clare had a look of determination in her eyes. She walked over to where Eli and I were now sitting and sat down on his lap.
"Eli, baby, let's go to that movie later tonight." She said, trying to sound seductive. I hid my pain with laughter and smiled. Eli nodded in excitement.
"Yeah! Vi, you've gotta come!" Eli said happily. Okay, he was definitely changing. Fine. She could play that game. Change Eli's way of dress. I could deal with that. But no one messes with Eli's personality. And I can tell you one thing: If she keeps changing him, there'll be hell to pay. And I don't mean that metaphorically.
*At The Movies*
"Clare baby, I'm gonna go get some popcorn." Eli said.
"I'll come!" Clare and I both said, then glared at each other.
"You know what, E, I'll go get that popcorn for you." I said.
"I'll come." Clare offered. "Elijah dear, why don't you wait here with Adam?" Adam shrugged and Eli agreed to wait with him. Clare and I made our way out of the crowded theater. I started toward the snack stand, but Clare grabbed my arm and pulled me back behind the steps.
"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded.
"You think I don't see it? You're in love with Eli!" She shrieked angrily. My mouth dropped open.
"Are you kidding?" I asked.
"I see it in your eyes, Violet." She growled. Okay, so now she's staring into my eyes…creepy.
"Look, I don't know what your problem is but-" I started before she cut me off.
"My problem is that YOU are trying to steal MY boyfriend away from me! I finally get him back, and now you're trying to steal him!" She said. I was suddenly bored of her annoying accusations.
"Look Clare, I like you. I think you're really nice. But you're acting immature."
"I'M IMMATURE?" She shouted. I groaned.
"Clare! You're being paranoid!"
"I already lost him once, I'm not gonna loose him again!" She said.
"You lost him? Try broke his heart! You ripped it out of his chest and threw it in the trash! You crushed him! Sure, he's bipolar! But he can't control that. You're a bitch! You CAN control that! God damn it!" I shrieked. She looked genuinely surprised. People were starting to stare.
"You're the one who got pregnant when she was like fourteen, right?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.
"And? My son is the best thing that ever happened to me! It doesn't matter how he got here!"
"I'm not surprised your parents kicked you out. I mean, I know you live with your big brother, so I assume they don't talk to you anymore. Probably not even a card at Christmas time." Clare said, shaking her head in pitty.
"You wanna know why I live with my brother? It's because my parents died! Okay? Are you happy now?" I yelled. I didn't notice Eli and Adam walk up behind me. Clare looked sorry.
"Violet I-" I cut her off.
"My mother had brain cancer. She forgot who I was. My father worked three freaking jobs to pay for her medical bills. My brother worked his ass off doing the night shift at a movie theater. I was eleven and I was taking care of my mother 24/7. And by the time she died, she didn't remember I was her daughter. She'd forgotten the trip we took to Paris and the way I sang her a song every mothers' day. She thought I was a nurse. She died lying next to her only daughter and didn't even know it." I said.
"Violet-" She tried again, but I just kept going.
"My father's story is a little different. To make up for the medical debt, he took on a job working the night shift at the train station. He was picking up pieces of debris on top of the station's roof and he slipped on the ice. He broke both his legs and couldn't move. He tried to crawl off but the train that was coming came too quickly. And it crushed him." I said. "My brother Huston killed himself because he was gay and got bullied until he couldn't take it anymore! My best friend, Julia! She was like the sister I never had! We could finish each other's sentences and did everything together! She died! She was killed by a truck! You think I don't feel pain? You think I'm just a slut? You're wrong! There is SO much more to me! Eli, Adam, Drew and Kalib are the only family I have. And while you were sleeping with your step brother and hating Eli's guts, I was mending his broken heart! Am I in love with him? You bet your ass! But he's happy with you. I just don't wanna see him get hurt! I love him WAY too much to see you crush his heart again!" I said, tears pouring down my cheeks. Clare, for once, was speechless.
"Violet?" Eli called my name. The crowd around us had cleared away.
"Eli!" I said, surprise getting the best of me. I was sure he'd heard me. "You heard that?"
"Yeah." He said. I put my hand over my mouth and backed away from him.
"Why are you all staring at me?" I asked. My head was spinning.
"Violet, calm down." Eli said carefully.
"Stop staring at me!" I cried, running away from them. I ran out the back door and around the parking lot, to Eli's hearse. I figured I'd be safe here, at least for a little while.
I should've just wanted to be alone. But a large part of me was hoping that Eli would come find me.
And he did.
"Violet!" He called when he found me about twenty minutes later, his voice sounding relieved. He came and sat down in the car next to me. I didn't say anything for a long time.
"Did you mean it?" He asked after what felt like forever. I closed my eyes.
"Mean what? You know the stuff about my parents is all true." I said.
"No, I know. I meant the other stuff. About how you loved me." He said, his voice small.
"Don't hate me."
"Answer the damn question, Violet." He said, desperation lacing his beautiful voice.
"I didn't wanna ruin our friendship."
"Vi," he said.
"And besides your with Clare-" I said before he cut me off by kissing me. I was so shocked I barely kissed him back. When we finally pulled away, I said,
"Yes. Yes I meant every damn word, right down to the punctuation marks."
"I've loved you for so long Vi," he said. "Ever since that party in fourth grade where we played spin the bottle."
"And we kissed." I said, finishing his memory.
"My god, Violet, I thought I'd have to give up on you!"
"Never." I said. "Never give up." He leaned in to kiss me again, but my phone rang.
"Hello?" I asked, answering my brother's call.
"Vi, come to the hospital quick." He sounded panicked.
"What's wrong?" I demanded.
"It's Kalib. He threw up blood and his stomach ach has just been getting worse. They said it may be fatal." He hurried through the sentence.
"I'm on my way." I said.
"What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you on the way to the hospital." I said.
"What's happening?" Eli asked as we started to drive. I took a deep breath, trying to convince myself of the sentence I was about to say.
"Kalib might die tonight."
A/N: DUN DUN DUNNNN! Cliffhanger! Please review and tell me what you think! Love you guys! :)
