Warning: I don't even know anymore bro.
Eli's Point of View:
"I don't know, Darce. With what's happening at your place, I'm not sure if I should stay there." I said slowly, looking at Darcy, who exhaled deeply.
"Well.. Will you at least consider it? I mean - if its that bad here with Clare around, I'll make her stay away." Darcy suggested. I shook my head.
"No. Its okay, Darce. I'm gonna be going home today anyway, but if I ever need a serious place to crash at, I'll come to your place." I said with a smile. "Probably only because Jenna is driving me crazy."
Darcy laughed softly at that,
"You know, one of these days, KC will find out about that and all hell will break loose and you'll possibly die. You do realize that right?" Darcy said with a small smile. I chuckled.
"Yeah, but I doubt me and Jenna's little affair will last that long anyway, she's driving me crazy." I said. Darcy smiled again.
'So.. Are we back to being friends again?" Darcy asked, her hand out stretched for a handshake. I smirked.
"Of course. Like brother and sister. And brothers and sisters don't handshake, they hug." I said.
Hearing the word hug, Darcy wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly, murmuring,
"I've always wanted a little brother, especially one as little and short as you." Darcy teased, grabbing my cheek and pinching it.
I squirmed from her grip and rolled my eyes.
"Nice short jokes, Darce. Real nice." I joked. Darcy laughed.
After telling her I'd see her at lunch most likely, I said bye to Darcy and walked into English.
I immediately took notice of Clare sitting in her seat, writing something down on paper. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at her.
I wasn't about to push away the thought of thinking she was cute.
But god dammit she is.
I took my seat in front of her and noticed that for once I was here on time for class, I turned around in my seat and stared at Clare.
I couldn't exactly make out what she was writing since her handwriting was a bunch of scribbles across the page.
"What part of "leave me alone" did you not understand? Especially since you said it." Clare said while writing. I scrunched my eyebrows up.
"Wow, I didn't know it was a crime to stare at people, Clare." I said sarcastically. Clare looked up at me and rolled her eyes.
"Actually it is. Its called stalking and being a creeper." Clare defined quickly for me before returning to her writing, I craned my neck to get a better look.
"Watcha' writing there, Clare?" I said in a sort of sing song voice, Clare groaned and looked up at me again, dropping her pencil on the paper.
"Two can play at that game. Since you don't want me in your business, don't be in mine, okay?" Clare asked. I scoffed."Fine by me, freak." I sneered at the freak part, Clare was a bit taken back from me calling her a freak since she was getting adapted to me calling her Clare, but gained her composure back and started writing again.
Ms. Dawes entered the room and I hadn't even realized that the bell had rung for the class to began.
"Okay class today- Mr. Goldsworthy? Will you please face the front of the class? I'd prefer if you would look at me rather than Ms. Edwards. I do realize that she's prettier than I ever will be, but that doesn't mean you can stare at her all period." Ms. Dawes teased with a smile.
I heard numerous snickers across the classroom and I sunk down in my seat, my cheeks bright red.
I was embarrassed as fuck.
Ugh, fuck you, Clare.
Clare's Point of View:
"Oh god, it was so freaking hilarious, Clare. You should have been there, Bianca was slapped right across the face! Can you believe that?" Alli chortled.
I faked a laugh and a smile and pretended to know what Alli was saying and agreed with her.
Because to be honest, I had no clue what she was even saying, trying to keep up with Alli was a difficult task I had to deal with daily, she usually ran her mouth off to Fiona, but.. Fiona is still in the hospital, in her comatose state.
Suddenly, Alli stopped her rambling and groaned.
"Ugh, great. Look who's coming our way." Alli groaned. I turned around to see that Drew was coming towards us, looking nervous.
Drew approached us and attempted a nervous smile."Hey, Clare." Drew said lowly. I smiled.
"Hey Drew. What's up?" I asked casually.
"Uhm.. I was wondering if I could sit with you guys for lunch?" Drew asked nervously, fumbling with his hands.
I looked back at Alli, who gave me a "don't do it" look. I shrugged and looked at Drew, patting the chair next to me.
"Sure, Drew. Have a seat." I offered. Drew smiled slightly and it seemed genuine.
I then noticed that he didn't have a lunch with him.
"Why don't you have a lunch? Do you want some of mine?" I offered, showing him my half eaten sandwich, before Drew could answer, Alli scoffed."I'm sure he doesn't need your food, Clare. I'm sure his stomach is satisfied by the munchies he probably got, probably ate a whole bag of chips. You know how stoners are." Alli sneered. I gasped and scowled at Alli.
"Alli!" I hissed. "Be nice!"
Alli just merely shrugged at me before returning to eating her salad.
I looked at Drew and gave him a sympathetic look.
"I'm so sorry, Drew. Alli can be.. You know." I said loudly, hoping Alli would hear.
Drew sighed and shrugged, standing up."Its okay, Clare. I'll just see you around. Bye." Drew said before grabbing his backpack and exiting the cafeteria, I turned around to face, Alli.
"You know, you could have been nicer, the guy finally interacts and that's how you treat him?" I spat. Alli sighed, putting her fork down.
"You don't know him like I do, Clare. You don't know the kind of crap that he does." Alli said, I rolled my eyes.
"Well, for one thing, he's got a better personality than his best friend over there." I said, pointing my sandwich over at Eli's table where he was sitting quietly next to was definitely off about him.
And that did worry me.
Eli's Point of View:
Home.
What is home?
For most people it's a place to live with loved ones.
For others, like Clare, it's a shelter until you're eighteen.
For me, it's a living nightmare.
I dreaded having to go home after school today, but I had too, it had to happen. I couldn't avoid, Bullfrog forever.
Eventually he'd find me and when he ever does, it'll be worse than what I'll get at home.
"Eli?" Jenna asked quietly. I blinked out of my daze to realize that Jenna was looking at me, I could feel her hand on mine under the table.
"I was wondering that when you come home after school today we can.." Jenna began, but I shook my head.
"I'm going home, Jenna." I said.
Immediately Jenna's face fell,
"What do you mean? You can't stay at my place longer?" Jenna asked desperately in a hushed voice.
"I have to go home, Jenna. I've been gone from there for two weeks. I can't stay away any longer. I'll get in trouble." I said. Jenna rolled her eyes."Fine.. But can you promise me that you'll at least come over a lot? You know I don't wanna be alone." Jenna asked softly, her blue eyes wide with hope. I sighed."Yeah, I promise, Jenna." I said.
Jenna's blue eye's lit up and she giggled.
"Thanks Eli! That makes me so happy!" Jenna exclaimed.
"What makes you so happy?" KC asked, I leaned over to see that KC had taken a seat next to Jenna and slid his arm around her shoulders, before I could come up with a quick lie, Jenna covered me."Eli told me that he'd do my math homework for me, if I find him a date for next month's dance." Jenna lied smoothly. KC chortled.
"Eli? A date? That's funny, babe. Everyone knows that Eli doesn't want a serious relationship, everyone knows that he likes to be a bachelor." KC teased.
Many others at the table laughed too, I joined in as well.
Although, what they didn't know and never will is that I actually want a stable relationship.
Like what I had with Julia.
Before that was taken from me.
Like everything else in my life.
After school, I took the long way home, I wanted to collect my thoughts, think over what I would say to Bullfrog.
No doubt he'd be pissed beyond belief, but maybe I could sit him down and we can talk, like actually talk about the beatings and we could have an understanding relationship.
I only hoped for that and I knew that would never happen.
But I could only hope.
I reached the front door and took a deep breath before turning the knob and entering the house.
The house was dead silent, I heard nothing besides the slight buzz from the television which was on mute.
I carefully climbed the stairs to my room and threw my bag in the corner of my room. I noticed that my room was the same it looked before I left, besides a white paper on my desk. I grabbed the paper and started to read Cece's messy handwriting,
Dear baby boy,
By the time you read this, I'll already be gone from home. I'm so sorry that you had to come back here to find me gone, I know that I said we'd always go somewhere together, far away from your father, but I lied.
Honey, I had to leave, I couldn't stand it anymore. Last night, your father forced me to have sex with him, he raped me baby boy. I couldn't stay here anymore.
But please remember that one day, we'll meet up again and I'll take you with me everywhere.
You're my only son, my only child and I love you more than anything in this whole world, I love you not the imposter you who is a drunk and has affairs with other people's girlfriends, yes, I know about Jenna, you and Drew never do talk quietly anymore.
Babyboy, I love you. Please remember that.
I'll always love you and now I have to dash before your father comes home even more drunk.
Goodbye sweetheart.
Love always, Ce- Mom.
So Bullfrog was telling the truth there, Cece did leave me-us.
I noticed how she was gonna write Cece, but wrote mom instead, like that would make everything magically better.
I feel nothing from this letter, no sadness, no anger, nothing.
I knew this would eventually happen, Cece leaving us for something better than a abusive husband and a fucked up son.
I couldn't blame her for leaving though, if I were in her shoes too, I would leave.
"So you got a stupid letter from your mother?" Bullfrog sneered, I quickly spun around to find myself face to face with my father, who was scowling at the letter in my hand.
"The stupid whore left me nothing, nothing at all. The bitch." Bullfrog spat, I wanted to badly nail him in the face for talking shit about Cece, but decided against it.
It would only get me in more trouble.
"So, where have you been?" Bullfrog asked with a firm voice. I shrugged and grabbed my bag, and opened my drawers, pulling clothes out and putting more in my bag.
"Where do you think you're going?" Bullfrog asked, his voice angry. I looked at him.
"Away from you." I sneered before returning back to the bag and shoving more clothes inside.
"If you think you'll be going back to that Christian family than you have another thing coming, you little asshole. You're not going anywhere." Bullfrog roared. I scoffed.
"Yeah. Like that will happen. Just fuck off, Bullfrog." I sneered, this is the worst I have ever said to my own father.
Then he did the worst to me.
Picked up a baseball bat from my closet and slammed it hard into my chest, knocking me down.
I screamed out in pain, my broken ribs hurting badly.
Although Bullfrog didn't stop there, he started hitting me harder with the bat. Slamming my stomach.
Slamming my back.
Slamming my head.
He even kicked my stomach a few times.
Then I felt glass cut into my face when I realized that he threw a glass cup on my face.
"YOU IGNORANT PIECE OF SHIT. THIS ALL ENDS TONIGHT. ALL OF IT." Bullfrog screamed.
Then he came forward to end my life.
I didn't even care.
Drew's Point of View:
I reached around in my backpack, feeling for a Ziploc bag filled with weed that I had bought after I left Alli and Clare at the cafeteria, but I couldn't find it.
"Drew? DREW? Dude, listen to me. Look at me!" The Adam Voice screeched. I lifted my head up quickly and scanned the room, suddenly I saw him.
Adam.
He was right there in front of me, in his usual plaid shirt, blue jeans, black converse and beanie that he always wore.
"A-Adam?" I whispered.
"Adam" looked at me desperately.
"Don't go thinking I'm alive or anything dummy. I'm still dead." Adam clarified with a smart tone.
"Oh." I sighed, my hope of him actually being alive falling.
"But Eli might join me in this death." Adam whispered. I scrunched my eyebrows together.
"What.. What do you mean? Is he going to die?" I asked quickly.
"Drew. You and Clare are the only ones who know about Eli's abuse, you need to contact her right now, Eli's hurt badly right now. He's close to death, I could feel it when I was watching over him." Adam told me in a strained tone. I gasped.
"Clare knows?" I exclaimed.
"She knows everything man. Eli's a total truth nerd when he's drunk. But please call Clare and let her know about Eli, she'll find a way to help him out." Adam begged. I shook my head.
"I don't have her number, A.. Adam." I stammered. Adam rolled his eyes and groaned.
"Well then call, Darcy. She's the closest thing to Clare." Adam informed me. I raised an eyebrow.
"Darcy? Why Darcy? I highly doubt she'll answer.." I trailed off. Adam groaned."We don't have enough time! Just call her, Drew. Do the right thing. Save Eli. Save him for me. I don't wanna see him dead, as much as I'd love to have him here with me, its not his time. Not yet. Just please, Drew. Drew, please." Adam begged, tears rimming his ghostly like eyes.
I sighed, forgetting about the Darcy and Clare connection and I pulled my phone out, searching for Darcy's name in my phone, hoping I still have her number…
Clare's Point of View:
"Well, isn't this nice? A nice happy family dinner." Helen said with a smile as me, Helen and Darcy sat at the dinner table together.
We ate in silence, not speaking a word to each other, when suddenly, Darcy's phone starting blaring some Ke$ha song, Darcy looked confused as she pulled the phone out.
"Why would Drew call me? He never calls." Darcy said confused.
"Darcy, please don't answer. This is a family dinner. We don't talk on phones during dinner." Helen asked Darcy, but Darcy didn't listen, she answered and more confusion was on her face. "Woah woah woah. Slow down, Drew. Okay, what? Eli's gonna die, what?" Darcy exclaimed, her face confused.
I quickly shot up from my chair and Darcy followed suit.
"Okay, I'll be there soon, Drew. Just meet me there." Darcy said quickly, she then hung up her phone and I stood in front of her.
"Wherever you're going, I'm going too." I said sternly, Darcy raised an eyebrow."Why would you be-" Darcy was quickly cut off by Helen who was by our side.
"Whatever it is, I'm coming too." Helen intervened.
Despite that soon Eli's secret about his father's abuse was about to be revealed, my heart was racing, I cared more about his life than that stupid secret.
I just wanted him safe and alive.
That's all I want.
Darcy and I practically ran up the steps to Eli's home, Drew was already by the door, pacing around, waiting for us.
"Where is he?" I exclaimed to Drew. Drew shrugged."I-I think in his room. I'm not too sure." Drew stammered, I threw the door open and raced up the stairs, with Darcy on my heels, I looked back down to see that Helen was hugging Drew tightly and asking him what had happened and that he needed to tell her.
Truth will be out tonight.
I reached out to the closest door and threw it open, only to find splatter of blood on the carpet and on the walls, I looked down to see Eli laying on the ground, bloodier than Fiona had been a couple days ago.
I rushed forward towards him, while Darcy screamed.
"Oh my fucking God! Who did this?" Darcy exclaimed, I looked back at her and sighed."His dad, Darcy! His dad has been hurting him- abusing him!" I finally confessed to Darcy, first Darcy was in shock, but seconds later she was beyond furious."I'm gonna find that fucker. Stay with Eli, Clare!" Darcy shouted before rushing from the room.
I bent down towards Eli and gently placed his head in my lap, I started to wipe the blood from his face and brush his bloody hair back.
"Its gonna be okay, Eli. Okay? You're gonna be fine. I won't let you die." I whispered and bent forward to kiss his forehead, I felt tears rush down my face and splatter on his as I bent forward.
I couldn't believe that I was crying over Eli Goldsworthy possibly dying, but yet I could.
Seeing him like this has made me realize that, I did have true feelings toward this guy as much as I always liked to ignore or deny them.
I always promised myself never to fall head over heels for a guy, but here I was.
Head over heels for a guy close to death.
Minutes later, I watched as the paramedics put Eli onto a gurney and load him into the ambulance, Drew had also called the police before we got there. The police had searched the house, as did Darcy to find that Eli's father had escaped once he saw Drew walk onto the property.
"So many things might have gone differently if you had told someone, Clare." Helen scolded me. I sighed deeply and wiped the tears from my face.
"I know. I'm sorry." I whispered.
I felt arms embrace me and I thought it was Helen, but as I opened my eyes I saw that Darcy was hugging me closely.
And I didn't pull away.
I didn't wanna pull away from protection and possible love.
Because it can always leave.
And I don't want it too.
Thank you guys for the awesome reviews! If you could do the same for this chapter, I'd be SO HAPPY! (: