SUMMARY: Lost in grief, Eli Stabler wanders around Manhattan and unexpectedly makes friends with some teens who may be his salvation from the darkness of grief. Set after Kathy's death in Return of the Prodigal Son but before the funeral planning/no return to Rome scene in OC S1 S1 What Happens in Puglia. (One shot)
CHARACTERS: Eli Stabler, Elliot Stabler, Maureen Stabler, Dickie Stabler, Original Characters
Eli Stabler found himself wandering the streets of Manhattan in a bit of a daze. He had no concept of time or place. No recollection on how he had slipped out from the hovering presence of Dickie, his babysitter for the day. Had no idea of anything. Everything seemed to pass him in a blur. Only the jostling people around him kept him moving.
Your mom died in the hospital. Died. Mom died… the phrase bounced around his head like a ball in a pinball machine. It was all he could hear. It was his only reality. Even days after hearing the words spoken in his father's broken voice, his mind couldn't comprehend the words. He had known something bad had happened as soon as he had seen his father's red-rimmed eyes during the FaceTime call telling him of the plan to bring him to New York. But he hadn't expected THAT. It couldn't be real, could it? His beautiful mother dying in a hospital bed after being blown up by a car bomb in New York City. Who in their right mind would expect that? It was supposed to be a simple getaway. A short trip. A few meetings. A ceremony. A few visits with family and friends. Not this.
Eli was suddenly struck by the gaping hole of her absence. Once they moved to Europe, he was essentially an only child, and with his father away most of the time for work, he and his mother grew close. She was the only person in his family who really knew him, and now, she was gone, leaving him all alone. WHY? He mentally shouted to a God he wasn't even sure he believed in anymore, anguish flowing through him like a tidal wave. He swallowed hard at the sudden ache in his throat and rubbed his stomach as if he could ease the ball of despair that seemed to have settled in his gut like he would a simple stomach ache.
"Hey, you okay?" A voice finally penetrated his spiraling thoughts, and Eli swung towards the man in a thick coat who had touched him on the arm. The lights, the noise and the people flowing around him finally penetrated his consciousness, making him realize that he was somewhere in Times Square. How did he get here? Panic began rising, his eyes searching for some sort of familiar landmark.
Eli swallowed, mentally yelling at himself for getting lost on the streets of New York so late at night like an idiot. Dad is going flip his shit. Maybe Dickie too. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, trying to reassure both of them of this fact.
The man stepped closer to him. "You look a little lost. Maybe I can help. I know this city like the back of my hand."
"Really gotta go. People are waiting for me, and I'm late," Eli threw out as he tried to walk off. As he said them, the truth of his words dawned on him, making him feel guilty for the fact that Dickie was likely going out of his mind at the realization that he had "lost" him. I just hope he didn't tell Dad yet. Dread filled him at the thought. His father had enough to deal with. All he needed was to find a safe place to pull out his phone and make a call. Then all would be okay. Crisis averted. The bird back in his cage.
The man started to walk with him a bit. "C'mon. Let me give you a ride to where you need to go."
A feeling of annoyance rolled through him at the man's persistent concern. What's this guy's deal? He had had enough of the concerned looks from strangers. It seemed like he was surrounded by them every day now; sometimes it felt like he was drowning in them. "Leave me alone," he muttered as he once again tried to walk away.
Suddenly a young, boisterous voice cut through the air, causing Eli to a stop. "Hey yo! I been looking for you all over this fucking place. The next time you say you wanna hang out somewhere, could you please do me a fucking favor and give me a landmark….a fricking neon sign….something more than 'meet me at Time Square'?"
Eli turned to catch a glimpse of the new player in their little drama. He was relieved to see it was a teen, a bit older than himself standing there with a big smile and his hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky, winter jacket. His jeans had clearly seen better days, and scuffed boots and a dingy black and white beanie completed the look. His expectant gaze shifted between the man and Eli, as if to say "play along".
"Sorry, bro! Still trying to get my bearings," Eli replied, deciding that anything would be better than dealing with the other guy who he clocked moving slightly away from them.
"Let's go! I'm starving!" The slightly disheveled teen exclaimed loudly as he came closer. Eli noted he had shifted his approach, so the man who had initially approached him remained in his line of sight.
Still, Eli hesitated, wondering if he was opening himself up to more trouble. Both of the people who had approached him were strangers, and if there was a lesson his father had drilled into him, it was the whole stranger danger thing. He bit his lip indecisive, trying to decide what to do. The fact remained that he was still lost and was not at all confident about moving around Manhattan on his own at night, even with a mapping program guiding him along the way. He knew if he stayed out here, the creep might come back.
The tall, lanky teen was now close enough for Eli to hear him urge in a low voice, "Okay. We need to move cuz the creep-a-zoid is still hovering. So you can either take your chances with him, or you can follow me to a diner where you can call for a ride. It's up to you." With that, he turned on his heels and began to walk off.
Eli's stomach clenched at the thought of being left alone to figure out how to get out of his mess. The grumble of his stomach at the thought of food clinched it. He decided to bite the bullet and take a chance.
"Hey, man, wait up!" He called running to catch up to the teen who disappeared around a corner. When went around the bend and found an empty street before, a bubble of worry began to build.
"Dude, in here," a voice called to him.
Eli spun around to see the teen holding the door open to a classic 24-hour diner. He took a calming breath and took a step inside. Please don't let them kill, kidnap, rob, or hurt me, he kept thinking as he followed the teen who strutted past the counter facing the door. The place felt inviting and warm, but a fissure of alarm went through Eli when he realized that the place was empty except for one or two patrons. His mom had always said that the best way to judge the quality of a place was by how crowded it was. All he could hope was that the emptiness was due to the late hour and not food poisoning or contamination.
As they rounded the corner, he spotted another teen sitting in a booth in the back corner, head down and scribbling furiously in book in front of him. He wore a ratty, over-sized blue hoodie with orange sleeves (Mets colors, Eli's brain helpfully supplied) and a well-worn green and white Jets beanie sat beside him on the table. Eli couldn't help but blink at the mixed sports attire and clashing colors.
"Yo, D!" The cocky teen yelled in a boisterous tone.
Without even a glance up from what he was furiously working on, D said in a measured tone, "B, I'm like three feet from you. You really gotta shout?"
"I've brought home a stray," He stated proudly as plopped down next to the other teen. "Can we keep him…puhleeze?"
"If I find you've got another fucking kitten tucked in your pocket, I'm going to start calling you Doc," D chuckled as he glanced up, a quick flash of concern glinting in his golden eyes as he looked Eli over. "Christ! When did you start snatching kids on your rounds?"
Kid? Who's he calling a kid? Eli felt offended given that the other teen was only a couple of years older than him. He opened his mouth to argue the point before the rest of the words caught up with him causing his mouth to close with a click. Rounds? What the…?
B laughed out loud and said, "Nah…this time wasn't like that. Saved him from some perv."
The other teen nodded as if satisfied, not a single ounce of shock on his face. Eli though… his whole body froze. Perv? That guy? Really? It was a given that he'd been somewhat sheltered in Rome, but he thought he would be able to clock the weirdos no problem.
D glanced up at him with a slightly confused look on his face. "You just gonna stand there or what?" he asked. When Eli continued to hesitate, he shrugged and muttered, "Suit yourself" before turning his attention once again to the sketchbook in front of him.
Eli quickly stripped off his coat and slid into the booth before his legs gave out. "Name's Eli."
"I'm Blaze," B announced before grabbing the sketchbook out from in front of the other teen, earning him a glare. "You can call him Sketch."
Eli's brow crinkled confused. "His name isn't 'D'?"
"Oh no!" Blaze hooted. "That's just what I call him cuz I've put up with his ass for so long."
Sketch snatched the book back and punched him hard in the arm. "Which of us is the one who just got out of juvie, jackass?" With that, he picked up his pencil and went back to working on whatever it was he's working on. Blaze glared at him, rubbing his hand against his bicep.
Juvie? A red warning light started to flash in Eli's mind. If his dad, a cop, ever found out he was sitting with someone who went to juvie, he'd kill him. What the hell did he get himself into? He began to scramble for reasons to leave when a smooth, feminine voice drew his attention. "You're both trouble, so stop trying to pretend otherwise." He turned to see a beautiful woman in her early-20s wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans, and waitress apron. She placed three glasses of water down on the table and leaned against the side of the booths with a wide smile and chuckle on her lips.
"Awww…Mama K, don't you love us no more?" Blaze teased, and Sketch glanced up with a small but gentle grin on his face.
"I don't know… another juvie stint for you, and I might just have to reconsider!" She laughed but a hard look of warning came over her green eyes. Blaze swallowed hard and nodded his head slightly, showing he had heard her warning.
"And you," She turned suddenly and pointed at Sketch who suddenly wiped the smirk off his face. "You're supposed to keep him out of trouble," she scolded, giving him a glare.
"Now, Mama, that ain't fair!" Sketch proclaimed loudly, throwing down his pencil before playfully nudging Blaze with his elbow in his ribs.
Blaze rubbed the spot with a muttered "ow".
"It's not my fault." He shot her an indignant look. "I told the big baby it was stupid. I told him that he was gonna get caught, but his scrawny, stubborn, impulsive ass still decided to hotwire a car with a fricking geolocater system in it and go joyriding through the streets like an idiot. What the hell was I supposed to do?"
Ok. So joyriding. That's not so bad, Eli admitted to himself with a slight relaxing of his muscles. It's not like murder or anything. This still might be okay.
She taps her chin as if considering his point and gives a slight nod with a mirthful sparkle making her eyes shine like emeralds. "Ok. You're off the hook this time," she loudly proclaimed with a smile before giving a playful shove to Blaze's shoulder, "But maybe tie him to something next time."
"Yeah, yeah" Blaze grumbled, "'Nough with told you so's. I've paid my dues. Learned my lesson."
"Yeah, right," Sketch scoffed, "Early release cuz of the 'VID don't count, asshole."
"But now I gotta deal with Vinny," Blaze whined, "And that's worse than doing time."
Sketch and Krissy burst out laughing at the woe-be-gone look on his lean face.
Eli couldn't help but grin at the back and forth but blushed furiously when his stomach rumbled, reminding him yet again that he had yet to eat.
She shot him a gentle smile. "Okay. I think three orders of Special K are in order".
Eli flushed in embarrassment when he realized he didn't have any cash on him. She must've noticed because she patted his hand and shared softly, "Don't worry, honey. It's on the house"
"Thanks," he whispered, eyes tearing at the almost motherly tone. It brought back memories of his mom, causing his heart to clench at the thought of never hearing that tone from her again.
"I'll be back with the food shortly. Wonder what Lou has in store for you tonight." A wicked look came onto her face, and Eli saw the boys' faces drop slightly. She laughed as she swung around, sending the ponytail holding her red hair swishing from side to side. "I'm just teasing! It's Carlos cooking tonight" The boys' faces perked up immediately.
"Krissy, you're mean!" Blaze yelled after her as she disappeared around the wall, heading towards the kitchen. They could hear her chuckles all the way. At the merry sound, smiles spread across the faces of the occupants of the table.
"I take it Lou isn't a good cook?" Eli asked hesitantly.
Blaze got a thoughtful look on his face, "He's pretty decent for breakfast and lunch. But let's just say if we know he's taking the night shift, we find somewhere else to eat for the night."
"Ain't that the truth!" Sketch's face screwed up in distaste. "Do you remember that weird mystery meat thing he made with the lumpy mashed potatoes and the mushy carrots? It was some weird shade of green or brown and tasted like really soft cardboard."
"Blaze's face went slightly green, and Eli felt a bit nauseous at the description. Their eyes met, and the disgusted looks on their faces caused them to burst out laughing, immediately releasing all the tension in Eli's body.
"You actually ate it?" Eli asked with a grimace as their chuckles eased off.
Sketch shot him a hard look and shrugged, "Beggars can't be choosers." He shot a gleeful look at Blaze. "Was a pie night for sure," he continued smugly with a dreamy look in his eye, "Apple crumble. Totally worth the cost."
"Not fair," Blaze groused for a moment before a relieved, smug look crossed Blaze's "But at least I missed having to actually eat Lou's masterpiece. That's the one thing juvie had going for it. Three squares of okay food."
"Ohh…I better go buy me some popcorn," Sketch teased as he leaned back with a big smile, "Just so I can sit back and watch the fireworks when she hears you praising anything about that hellhole." An elated look came over his face. "Please don't stop. Can't wait to see her rain hell down upon your head."
Blaze's dark eyes widened in horror, and he cast a furtive look to make sure she hadn't suddenly popped up. "Shit! I knew I saw something in her eyes earlier." He winced and rubbed a spot on the back of his corn-roll covered scalp. "Last time, my head hurt for days."
"Maybe this time she'll finally whack some sense into you," Sketch joked, a glow of merriment entering his amber eyes.
Blaze opened his mouth, affronted.
Eli looked between the two teens in front of them, seriously confused by the dynamic of this little group that he found himself suddenly a part of. "She's your…sister?" he asked hesitantly, doubting the assertion completely since none of them look at all alike. Not like his gaggle of sisters who look almost like carbon copies of not only one another but of his mother as well.
The two teens looked at one another and after a long moment, they turned to him with a shrug. "Kinda," Sketch replied. Eli's brown creased in confusion at the obscure answer.
"She's like a mothering older sister," Blaze tried to explain with a nod. "You know, makes sure we eat, gives advice, looks out for us...shit like that."
Eli nodded in understanding, thinking it sounded like Mo and Kathleen. "So should I call her Mama K?"
"Nah, man," Blaze said with a chuckle, "That's an inside joke cuz she called herself Kristal when she met us." Eli could tell that there was a whole story to that, but before he could ask, the other teen continued, "Here she uses the name Sarah." He shrugged. "Don't really want to question it, ya know what I mean?"
Eli nodded as he took a sip of his water. Having three sisters he knew that sometimes acceptance was the better part of valor when it came to trying to figure out girl logic.
As if summoned by their discussion, Mama K - Krissy - no Sarah he reminded himself - arrived, plopping plop down two plates of fries and sandwiches in front of Eli and Sketch.
She shot a warning glance at Blaze and said shortly before stalking off, "You'll just have to wait for yours."
Blaze nodded, shooting Sketch and Eli a bit of a worried look at the change from her previous jovial tone. "Do you think she heard what I said?"
"Dude, people in Jersey can hear you when you whisper. There's no doubt she heard you," Sketch replied, shaking his head as he handed Blaze half of his sandwich and turned the plate to allow him easy access to his fries. Each movement was done without thinking; it was clear that this was just something that they did.
"You better hope she doesn't spit in your food," Eli noted with a smile before he joined Sketch in laughter at the wide-eyed look of alarm that crossed Blaze's face.
"She wouldn't?" he whispered, "Would she?" he asked hesitantly to Sketch. "Cuz I'm seriously starving over here." To prove a point, he took a big bite of his sandwich.
"It's Mama! She could do that and a whole lot worse," Sketch crowed, with a grin. This proclamation seemed to spur Blaze to eat faster, as if he worried the food would be taken from him at any moment.
Eli couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "This isn't half-bad," he noted as took a bite of his food, "Maybe I'll get a piece of that pie you mentioned too."
The aura around Sketch suddenly felt heavy with tension, and he calmly dipped a fry in his ketchup before saying in a hard voice, "You got cash to pay for that? If not, you don't ask for nothin' more than what you're getting. You hear me?"
"O-o-ok" Eli stammered in confusion, wondering about the shift in tone. Nervous butterflies began to flit around in his stomach as he realized that he really had no idea who these kids are. He shuffled his feet back and forth. Shifted slightly in his chair in anxiety.
"C'mon, D. Lay off," Blaze urged with a grin, "Be nice to the lost puppy."
Indignation began to rise in Eli at the patronizing tone.
"I'm not…" he protested angrily.
"Lost?" Blaze laughed, his brown eyes alight with merriment. "Oh, yeah, you are. I could spot it a million miles away, and the perv could too."
"I had it under control," he lied shakily, trying not to show how very scared and vulnerable he had been at that moment.
"Yeah, right." Blaze popped a fry in his mouth. "I saw how you had it handled." A wry smile appeared on his lean, dark face. "That guy had almost 100 pounds on you. What were you going to do when he followed you, grabbed you, and hauled you off somewhere? You shoulda thought things through a bit more if you're looking to join us in the ranks of the cast offs and runaways."
At the picture Blaze painted, Eli swallowed hard. He really had no idea what he would have done, and after their recent loss, it would have devastated his family. "Shit," he whispered. His family. He should really call Dickie, but he groaned when he saw his battery was dead. That's what I get for trying to avoid Dickie by playing on my phone all day, he thought gloomily before glancing at the two teens in front of him and asking hesitantly, "Do you have a charging cord that will work with my phone, or is there a charging station nearby?" He'd ask if there was a phone he could use, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember Dickie's number. There was no way he was calling his dad. Uh-uh. No way.
"Over there," Sketch replied, a nod toward the counter area.
Eli got up, and as he started to walk that way, he heard Sketch mutter, "Good catch, B. Woulda been chewed up and spat out for sure…" His ears flushed red in embarrassment at the realization of how out of his depth he truly was in this city. Rome was so different. Felt so much safer.
"You okay?" he heard the familiar voice of Sarah ask.
He turned to face her and waved his smartphone at her. "Sketch mentioned you might have a cord I can use to charge my phone?"
"Sure thing!" She said with a smile. "Head on back to your seat. I'll bring it to you with Blaze's food."
"Thanks," he whispered as he headed back to the table.
"So where you from, Eli?" Blaze asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.
Eli's mind stuttered at such a simple question. It's funny how the loss of one part of a unit changes how you talk about the unit. I can't say parents any more. Nor can I say family…that seems to imply more than two. What do I even call us? He settled on, "We live in Rome."
Sketch's eyes lit up and he muttered, "'Oh Rome! My country! City of the soul!' Lord Byron."
Blaze stared at his friend in disbelief. "Say what? Who the fuck is that?"
"English poet from the 19th century," Sketch replied absentmindedly, popping a fry in his mouth.
Blaze rolled his eyes. "Christ. I know I shouldn't be surprised that you know random shit like that, but still…"
Sketch cut him off, "Don't be jealous of my brain cuz you don't have one."
"That hurt. That really hurt." Blaze grabbed his heart pretending to be wounded, but from the amusement in his eyes, Eli sensed this was a common joke. "Sides, what does it even mean? I hate shit like that. People just need to say what they mean," he continued to grumble around a mouthful of his sandwich. Eli screwed up his face in disgust at the sight of the masticated bread, mayo, lettuce and meat in his mouth.
A sudden whack echoed loudly in the empty diner. "Swallow your food before you talk. That's disgusting," Krissy scolded, seeming to appear out of nowhere near their table where she plopped down a plate in front of Blaze with a thud.
Blaze hunched his shoulders a bit, looking like a scolded puppy. "Yes, Mama. Sorry." he mumbled, rubbing his head a bit with a pained look in his eyes.
She turned to Eli, holding out a white cord and a power bank. "Here you go. There should be enough in the bank to charge you up."
"Awesome! Thank you!" Eli said with a sigh, as he plugged in his very dead phone. He winced at the realization that he'll have to charge it for a few minutes before making any contact.
Sketch shoved his plate aside and stared at Eli in excitement, his face the most animated it's been since they've met. "What's Rome like? What's your favorite place? Can you describe it to me?"
Eli hesitated, wondering if it would hurt to talk about it, but he found in himself an excitement to share the city of his childhood..the place he thought of as home…with the two people sitting in front of him.
Eli took a bite of his sandwich and eagerly shared, "We've lived there for awhile now. Of course, the Colosseum…" he trailed off when it looked as though Sketch had lost interest, paying more attention to his sketchbook instead.
His heart clenched in disappointment, but he happened to glance over at Blaze who rolled his eyes as he put a half sandwich on Sketch's plate and turned his plate towards his friend so the fries pointed towards Sketch. "Keep going. He's listening. This is his thing."
Sketch nodded with barely a glance up from his paper, showing that what Blaze said was indeed true.
Before resuming his walk down memory lane, Eli took a moment to turn on his phone. They all jumped slightly when it basically blew up with sounds notifying him of text messages, missed calls and voicemails. All from Dickie. At least it looks like he hadn't spread the word about his little escapade. Eli winced and said, "I better call him." He slid out of the booth and walked down a bit to get some privacy.
Blaze and Sketch nodded in understanding and went back to their meals, talking quietly among themselves.
Eli took a deep breath and pressed his brother's name in his contacts. "Eli?" A frantic but relieved voice sounded in his ear. "Where the hell'd you go? I turned around after a quick call from Mo, and you were gone."
"I'm…I'm sorry, Dickie" Eli muttered, ashamed at the angry panic he heard in his brother's voice. "I don't know what happened. I just got confused."
His knuckles tightened as a tense silence settled over the pair. Having grown up so far from his siblings, he often found it difficult to relate to these people who by blood were brother and sisters but in essence were little more than distant aunts and uncle. Sure, they had all tried to meet a few times a year, but they weren't at all what Eli would call close. He had seen what close siblings were like in the large Italian families of some of his friends, and most definitely, that was NOT the case in his family. That said, he did love them, and he felt a deep sense of guilt for all the trouble he'd caused Dickie today. He anxiously tapped his foot as he waited for his brother to speak.
Suddenly, a deep breath came through the receiver. "It's okay. Where are you?"
"I'm okay. I'm at a 24-hour diner near Times Square. They've been really nice to me and helped me contact you," Eli soothed, trying to alleviate any concern his brother might still have.
"Good," he sighed, "What's the name of the place?" Eli turned around and read the name off the menu.
"Okay. I'm heading over that way now. It looks like it's close to the subway station, so we'll meet there. I'll text you when I get close by. Don't go anywhere."
"Okay," Eli whispered, shame continuing to eat at him.
"I mean it, Eli," Dickie said sternly, "Don't leave until you hear from me."
"I got it. I got it." Eli muttered. "I won't. I promise, Dickie."
He hung up and went back to the table. "My brother is on his way, and I'll head to the subway station after he texts me."ea
The boys nodded in understanding. "Eat up," Blaze advised. "And you better keep telling him about Rome. He's been antsy since you stopped."
So Eli did. Through bites of his food, he painted the picture of a city with history steeped into every cobble and into every building. He described how it felt to be able to simply glance up or walk past the remnants of Nero's Golden Palace and other pieces of what once was the noble seat of the Roman Empire. His eyes glowed as he talked about enjoying the cafes that litter the area around Piazza Navona and staring at the grandeur of the Colosseum and Palatine Hill after playing futbol ("oh sorry, 'soccer'", he corrected quickly, his face flushing with embarrassment) at Colle Oppio Park.
The whole time, Sketch was hunched over his book, pencil furiously working and nodding. He'd ask clarifying questions every so often, but otherwise, he just let Eli talk. It was nice to think of a happier time, and he couldn't help but look forward to the time of his return to the place where he felt he belonged. He was in the middle of a description of the view from Spanish Steps, when suddenly, Sketch looked up, ripped the page out of the book and abruptly handed it to him. "Here."
Eli trailed off at the sudden interruption and wiped his hands before accepting it. He glanced down in shock, for there on the page was a picture of a boy - unmistakably him - bouncing a soccer ball on his feet with the Colosseum in the background. It was a perfect snapshot of his most happy time, a tangible depiction of an image in his memory. "What…?" he glanced up at him, stunned. A glassy sheen of tears coming to his eyes. "You did this just from my ramblings?" He traced the lines of the dark pencil and stared at the perfect shading that brought a vivid 3-D quality. "Thank you."
Sketch shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich. "It's nothing."
"Like I said, it's what he does." Blaze popped another fry in his mouth. "It's his super power." Sketch punched him in the arm with a laugh.
Eli's phone suddenly went off, notifying him of a text message from Dickie. "He says he'll be at the subway in a bit."
"We'll take you, so you don't get lost again." Sketch shoved at Blaze. "Move it." His winter coat and beanie gathered in his hands, signaling his intent to brave the cold weather.
Blaze grumbled as he was starting to be pushed out of the booth. "I'm going. I'm going. No need to be so rude."
The teens threw on all their winter gear, and Eli carefully put the rolled up picture in the inside pocket of his coat. As they walked out the door, Sketch shouted towards the counter area, "Be right back. Gotta go return Waldo to his people."
Eli shot him a glance and inquired,"Waldo?"
"Don't tell me you don't know 'Where's Waldo'?'" Sketch glanced at him, an eyebrow raised in skepticism.
"Even I know that one," Blaze said, a note of pride in his voice that the other two just couldn't help but laugh at.
"It's a kid's book. Why am I not surprised," Sketch teased.
"Shut up, asshole!" Blaze yelped indignantly, leading the other two teens to burst out laughing as they began their short trek to the designated meeting place.
Having had the opportunity to learn about and see great art in Rome, Eli turned to Sketch and said with a note of awe in his voice, "Seriously. That drawing is incredible! It's like you saw into my mind and took a picture."
"You're lucky he likes you," Blaze said, "That would normally cost you at least $20."
"You sell them?" Eli asked intrigued, eager to learn a bit more about the one who is a bit more mysterious.
"Gotta eat," Sketch shrugged, shoving his hands into his ratty pair of jeans.
"The hustle is real," Blaze agreed with a nod. "We do all kinds of random shit to get cash, especially in the winter."
"What about the diner?" Eli asked, confused.
"Don't like to take advantage," Sketch states quietly, a sad look on his face.
Blaze chimed in, "Carlos…Mama K….Lou…the people who work there… they're good people. Make us free meals with leftover ingredients, but COVID made everything worse." He shoots Eli a meaningful look, "It's why we pay for pie or anything extra. If we don't comes out of their wages…."
Eli stared at the two in shock, and Sketch's earlier warning now made sense. He had known the pandemic and lockdowns had been difficult for people. He'd seen it in Rome too, but since his family had been spared from feeling that economic impact, he'd never even thought about the fact that people could be on the brink of losing their jobs or that kids his age would willingly eat anything given to them out of constant concern about when they would eat again. The realization made him feel slightly guilty for not appreciating his good fortunes. At a loss on how to respond, he huffed a sigh of relief when they finally saw the lights of the subway station. After the trouble he had caused, he was relieved to see that they had beaten Dickie there.
His companions stepped into a nearby alleyway, leaving Eli the only one on the street under the lights of the subway marquee. "Why are we waiting here?" he asked in confusion.
The two other boys glanced at each other, and Blaze cleared his throat. "Look, we're gonna wait here until he shows up, but it's probably best that he doesn't see you hanging out with us."
"Dickie's not like that. He's a good guy. There's no need," Eli protested, offended that they would think ill of his brother.
They smiled at his naivete, and Sketch, the logical, practical one, explained. "Snap judgments. First impressions. They're a real thing. We've been yelled at, chased, harassed, and jumped because of 'em all our lives, so we're gonna wait here to keep you safe and return you to the world you belong to."
"Eli!" A voice cut through the evening. "Eli! There you are!" Eli turned to see his older brother walking swiftly in their direction.
"Before we head out," Sketch said, shoving his hands in his jacket pocket and rocking on his feet. "We want to let you know…" he trailed off, his eyes suddenly getting a far off look. He shook his head slightly, "If there's one thing we know it's loss," he continued, a sad smile and a knowing look in his eye.
Eli stared at him in shock, wondering how he knew, and indignation filled him because how on earth could they possibly understand the magnitude of his loss. The words of vociferous protest building in his chest died suddenly when he noted that the two boys suddenly looked so much older than their years. It made him wonder what they had experienced in their lives…what losses they had experienced.
Sketch's knowing voice cut through his spiraling thoughts…"So if you need to get away from the 'I'm sorry's' and pitiful looks…to talk…or just be around people who get it, our numbers are on the back of the pic."
Eli's throat closed at the offer from the older teen and nodded quickly before tears could fall. "Thanks. I might take you up on that," he whispered as he turned to meet Dickie.
As they began to walk away, he realized that during the time he had been with the duo, he had felt like a normal kid again. It had felt good to be out from the heaviness of the dark cloak of grief that seemed to envelop his family… to have respite in laughter and camaraderie for just a sliver in time. For a second, he seriously considered ditching his brother in order to once again bask in the light and warmth of friendship, and while he knew it wouldn't be possible now, not with Dickie hovering behind him, maybe the bird could fly the coop again sometime soon. It was definitely something to ponder.