I listened to Pain by Three Days Grace as I wrote this. It is now permanently associated with Steve for me. Enjoy!
Tomorrow turns into next week and next week into two. Steve can't figure out how to bring it up to Eli, not while they are in class and everyone can see, and since Eli hasn't offered another study session since then he can't use that time either. It would probably be fine to just start talking to Eli like normal again, but another part of him mocks the idea. As inconceivable as it is, Eli could still be upset and that is why he hasn't spoken to Steve. The fear keeps him quiet.
Eli waits and waits and waits. He wants to talk to Steve again, sorely missing the camaraderie, but he wants Steve to be the one to come to him. One thing he has learned thanks to Steve is he doesn't have to be a doormat friend. He doesn't want to be the one to always come crawling back. So day after day he doesn't speak. He tries to not even glance Steve's way, but some days he just can't help it. Near the end of the second week is one of those days, only this time Steve is different. He isn't quietly sulking or lost in his thoughts like the few other times Eli looked. Today he appears rather restless, almost agitated.
Steve fidgets with his phone. He taps the screen every so often, making sure it stays lit up. His gaze is fixated on the text written in the message. 'Take the back way.' His heart beats a little faster. Take the back way. He scratches the back of his hands, one the other, one the other, only stopping when he waits too long to touch the screen and has to unlock it.
Eli eyes him curiously. He feels an urgency to say something, to at least ask if something is bothering Steve, but he decides against it. He holds his ground. He made it this long without caving, he can make it through a spell of Steve acting a bit off.
Lunch comes around and Eli takes notice of the fact that Coach Lawrence is nowhere to be found. Normally he is doing his daily rounds to keep the peace if anyone gets too rowdy during this most unstructured period. But not today. Eli wanders toward a familiar corner, his eye catching on Steve on the way. He pauses and frowns at the sight before him.
Steve stares dead ahead of him, his eyes wide and glassy and his face contorted with fear, like a deer in the headlights. His heart beats like a drum in his ears and each breath is a struggle. There was another text. 'Don't come home.' Don't. Come. 'Stay with a friend.' And now coach is gone. He's gone. He isn't sure he can keep it together for these last few hours.
Eli feels anxiety of his own rise up just looking at Steve. He may not be fidgeting anymore, but this is so much worse. Something is wrong. Very, very wrong. He needs to go over there. Deep in his bones he knows there is no other course of action. But this would break cover. Everyone would stare and wonder if Eli had lost his mind. And if Steve is barely keeping himself together, losing the safety of his cover might just drive him over the edge. So Eli keeps moving, but even though he leaves Steve, his thoughts never do.
The end of the day creeps ever closer and when the final bell rings, Eli rockets from his seat. He isn't sure where to go, he just knows he has to find Steve. He looks into Steve's last class, checks the bathrooms, and as a last ditch effort goes to the gym. There. He is sitting against the wall. Eli lets out a breath, but the relief is fleeting. Steve appears to be in the throes of a panic attack.
Steve shakes terribly, his hands most of all. He can't get them under control, he never can. He can't bring his heartbeat down either, it pounds mercilessly against his chest. He can't get anything to do what he wants. He's losing it. It's unbearably hot, his body sleek with sweat, and with each second that passes the air becomes thinner and thinner until he is choking on air. All of it makes him so light headed.
Eli rushes over and skids to his knees. His eyes dart over Steve's face. "Steve, it's ok. I'm here." He wants so badly to ask what exactly is causing this, but he remembers reading that a lot of the time there is no answer. Moreover, Steve doesn't look in much of a state to answer period. He sees Steve's phone on the floor beside him and grabs it. Steve couldn't put the thing down earlier, so maybe there it something here. He flips through the texts and realization crushes him. His father.
He scrambles for his own phone and dials his mother's number. He presses the receiver to his ear and taps his fingers in a flurry against his knee. "Come on, come on, pick up mother, pick up." On the fifth ring she picks up and he nearly drops the phone. "Mother! Listen, I need you to pick me up early today."
"I thought you had play practice today."
"It was cancelled," his answer is quick and he is surprised by how sure he sounds. Lying was once something he would never have even dreamed of doing.
"Give me ten minutes. I need to finish th-"
"No." Eli clears his throat. "Sorry, mother, but I can't wait ten minutes. You need to get here as fast as you can."
"What? Why? Is something wrong?"
"Yes. Someone is after u-me. I think they are waiting outside the school for me to leave." Probably by Steve's Vespa, wherever he parked it. "And I'm scared."
"I-I'll be there immediately! Will you be at the front?"
Eli jumps to his feet and hurries to the gym exit, peeking through the tiny windows. He can't see anyone from here. "No, I'll be by the gym exit. Text me when you pull up. Okay?"
"Of course!"
The phone clicks and Eli rushes back to Steve's side. He watches him carefully. "Steve." He swallows hard and lays a tentative hand on his friend's shoulder. "My mother is coming to get us, okay? It's gonna be alright."
The seconds click by with painful slowness. Each tick resounds in their heads with the strength and certainty of a death knell. Sixty. Sixty-one. Sixty-two. Even Eli finds it hard to keep cool. No, there's nothing to be afraid of. Steve's father isn't even aware of his existence. Seventy-seven. Seventy-eight. It's going to be okay. He meant what he said and he said what he meant.
His phone dings and he jumps a mile. He scrambles to hit the right button and when the screen lights up a weight is lifted. 'Come out'. He lets out a heavy sigh. "Steve." He looks dead into his eyes. "Can you stand? We can go to my house now, where no one can get us." He only hopes this will be enough to get Steve to go along. A lot of the time people remain frozen during an attack. He won't force Steve, but if his dad really is out there waiting for him then staying is less than ideal.
Steve wobbles to his feet and leans heavily against the wall. His thoughts scream to stay put. Hide. Hide! Hide. Moving targets only get hunted down…killed. Hide. Hide! Hide. Through the fog, his mind seizes on Eli's presence. Eli is safety. Anywhere he goes is just as safe. He reaches out and clings to Eli's arm.
Eli cringes at the strength in Steve's grip, but he does not complain. "Okay, we're going." He leads Steve to the gym door and peeks out once more to be sure. Outside sits his mother's car. He hurries out and flings open the back door. He hops in first and helps Steve in afterward, flinching against the outcry before it ever reaches his ears.
Angie twists around to check on Eli, her eyes widening at the sight of two people in her car. "What the-" Her expression lights with realization. "I knew it. You were still communicating with that carjacking little-"
"Yes!" Eli throws his hands in the air. "You were right, mother. You were so a hundred percent right all along forever. And we can talk all about it later, but not now." He glares her way as he shuts the door. "Right now you drive." He points ahead.
Angie starts and stares blankly for a long moment. "So he's the one in trouble," she says at last. Of course he would be.
Eli sighs. "Yes, mother. He's scared and just needs to be somewhere safe. Okay?" He looks pleadingly at her. "You can ground me from now until the end of forever after this, but I just need you to do this for me."
Angie truly takes in the condition the boy is in. He looks like a wreck and then some. "Alright." She drives.
Eli turns his attention back to Steve and rubs his arm. "Breathe," he encourages, "just breathe, Steve." He tries to demonstrate, breathing in deeply and then out, hoping Steve will do just as he does.
By the time they reach the house, Steve has managed to get his breathing under control, but he is far from fine. Panic still shines clear in his brown eyes. The sight of the house stirs a sense of safety deep within him, but the fear kicks up again as it clicks in his mind that he is not quite there yet. He needs to get there. He needs it. Now. He throws the door open and runs across the yard, heading for the way he climbs the roof.
Eli yelps and scampers after him. "Steve!" He nearly reaches out to grab his friend, snapping his hand back as he remembers that night in the woods. Now the reaction would probably be even worse. Instead he works his way around so he is in front of Steve before saying, "You don't have to go that way. Steve, you can walk in the front door."
Angie stands back and stares incredulously. Has this kid seriously been sneaking up to her son's room the whole time he was grounded? How did she not hear? Was he there the times she went up? Horror twists her face.
Without grabbing Steve, Eli does not have the power to stop him and can simply watch as he scales the building and enters his room just like it was a regular night. Well…at least he made it in. He grimaces as he turns, prepared to face his mother.
Angie stands with arms crossed. "We're definitely talking about that later." Her expression softens suddenly and worry passes over her features. "But is your friend going to be alright? He looked…like a caged animal."
Eli is surprised by her shift, but it is a fleeting emotion that settles into heavy worry. "His parents…they aren't as good as you and mom." That's as much as he feels comfortable giving. "I'm just going to stay with him until he feels better."
Angie gasps. The truth is clear enough. "O-Okay. Go on."
Eli nods and hurries into the house. He makes it to his room in record time, entering to find Steve pressed hard against the wall beneath the window. He almost expected Steve to be under the bed, but this is much better. He closes the distance and takes a seat next to Steve. "You're safe here." It's all he can think to say.
Steve nods absently. "Yeah, safe…" He wraps his arms around himself. "Home."
Eli blinks at Steve. Home? Does he really see this place like that? Even after so short a time. "Hey, what are your creepslayerz plans?" Steve is closer to coming down. A little conversation might be just enough to do it.
"Was thinking about going back to the woods."
"Oh, did you hear some more rumors?" For once he wasn't really listening to the whispers. He slacked on his duties because he was a bit preoccupied with Steve and wanting him to talk to him again.
Steve shakes his head. "It's just…nice, quiet. I haven't done much creepslaying since…" he leaves the thought hanging.
"Me either." Now that Steve has admitted it, Eli more than gladly does the same. "I missed you."
Steve leans his head back and clenches his eyes shut. The weight of the panic and uncertainty of Eli's opinion of him roll off his back and the floodgates open. But for once he feels no shame in his tear stained face. "Thank you so much for this."
"You're my friend. I'm not going to abandon you just because we were fighting. Besides, it was stupid anyway."
"No, it wasn't." Steve shakes his head. "If it's that important to you, I won't fight people anymore, not if it's to make me feel better or to retaliate. Only to protect." He opens his eyes to peer at Eli.
Eli smiles heartily up at him. "You're the best."
Steve smiles softly in return, a spark of life lighting in his eyes. "If you say so." More like a mess.
"I do. And it's true." He holds a fist up.
Steve chuckles and bumps his fist against Eli's. His cheer falters as another uncertainty creeps up on him. "I…I don't wanna go home." Maybe not for a few days honestly, but definitely not today. "Can I stay here tonight?" His mom will be alright, coach is there. But he just can't go back.
Eli senses Steve's fear and he has no reservations in answering, "Sure." Now his mother shouldn't have a problem with it, but even if she does there's no way he is denying Steve. "You can even have my bed if you want."
"That's okay. The floor is enough." He stretches out on the floor with his head by Eli, laying his hands beneath his head. "I just don't want to be alone."
Eli smiles. "Okay." He lays a hand on Steve's head. "I'll be right here."
Ok, I'll stop with the pain now I swear. It's just too much fun. Yes, I'm horrible, torturing poor Steve. At the very least the next one will be light. I honestly can't promise beyond that, I have no control. lol I'm a maniac who needs to be stopped. Also Steve a hundred percent has panic attacks. You can't convince me otherwise. Please review!