Thanks to me review from last chapter. Cookies to you!
I'm getting to the good part...
Elizabeth stood on the side of the road. The rain was coming down in sheets, soaking through her silk top. The water would soon completely fill the potholes and there would be no telling them apart from the rest of the flooded road. She took a few steps back. A slight stream trickled over the rocks around the road. She had spent too much time and effort dodging puddles this far to let some run-off ruin her heels.
According to Elizabeth's cell phone, the one for which she waited was due approximately three minutes ago. She should have ensured her phone wasn't fast long ago…it only made her look like a fool. When he came, he'd wonder why she was so wet. "Oh I was waiting for a while. No, you came on time. My phone is just a bit off…" That would be a great start to their evening. The urge to break her phone was brewing; it made James appear the type of guy who thought nothing of tardiness.
Lightening flashed in the distance. One…Two…Three…Four…The thunder rolled along the horizon. By Elizabeth's count, there were only more storms to look forward to weather wise. Luckily, she wasn't waiting for sunny skies. James was so much more reliable…
"James…" Elizabeth whispered into the wind.
"Elizabeth Swann." His voice was clear as the day wasn't. Yet there was no car and no footprints. He grinned at her as he crossed his arms behind his head; his clothes were perfectly dry.
"I'm sorry I'm wet…but my phone was fast and I waited..." Elizabeth bowed her head.
"Look it how wet you are! I thought you were smarter than this…I thought I could count on you too."
"I could go in and change…if that'll make you happy."
"Forget it. You've already wasted enough of my time with you idle waiting and besides that's my favorite top of yours. Such a pity you had to go and ruin the best thing you had." James ran his fingers down her side. Elizabeth shivered.
"Right, you are so needy. You and your stupid feelings wreck everything." He tightly grasped around Elizabeth's slender waist.
"I said I'm sorry."
James' car sparkled against the drab afternoon scenery. The color of the rushing water was in determinable from the long hanging clouds and the trees blended in with the gusts of wind and the deluge. He stroked the driver's door. "Shame you'll dirty my seats…I can't wait to explain the stains are from the girl I love so's disrespect."
"I'm not worthy…"
"All you do is whine, whine, whine."
James pulled the door open and Elizabeth scuttled in. She attempted to make as little surface contact as possible, but the seat was too small…either that or she was too big.
"Damn, you're fat. My poor seat…"
"I…!"
The car drove straight down the road. Both driver and passenger were silent. They passed a few buildings. Elizabeth's eyes hopped from her boyfriend to the businesses that flew past.
"Thought we were going for food, fatty? I can't be seen in public with you. To think you're wet on top of your other glaring ugliness…I should have left you to drown on that corner."
"Thank you."
"You can thank me by cutting out all that teeth clattering. You are so annoying."
Elizabeth consciously held her mouth shut. What an embarrassment she was…
The car stopped in a clearing. Some low-lying trees fenced the area in, but aside from that, their car was the only sign of life.
"No one will see who I'm with way out here. It's sad too…I had high expectations for this evening. Then I saw you. Way to burst my bubble, Elizabeth."
"I did my best. I wanted you to be happy. I wore your favorite outfit and stood just where you asked."
"Your best, huh. That's about as good as anyone else's worst, which is precisely why you are always failing…"
"I'm a disgrace. I only ever let you down. Leave me…I deserve to be alone."
"It's a good thing for you I'm such I nice guy. I can tell you for a fact I'd never do half the things you do to your friends…Why not go for a walk? The weather is perfect for you."
Elizabeth hastily exited the car. James was already so many steps ahead of her.
"Forget how to open a door or something." James poked her in the ribs.
"I tried…"
"….your best. WHICH SUCKS." He slapped her across the face. "Oh no, now you are going to cry, cry like you always do."
Elizabeth touched her palm to her redden cheek. "I'm not crying…"
"Then why is your face wet? Don't lie to me." James' fingered fondled the back of her pants. "Didn't I say we are going for a walk?"
Elizabeth followed his yanking. They took a few steps, but a sharp drop hindered their progress.
"So much for that idea…way to dash my last resort. Ahh…whatever…" With his free hand, James' clutched the back of Elizabeth's neck and brought their faces together. His lips smothered hers, but she remained as if his very touch drained the life from her body. As the kiss wore on, Elizabeth's muscles went limp. She was a leaf in the wind…then her neck gave out and she lunged forward. Elizabeth fell into James. Their mouths broke apart and he slipped backward. Unable to catch him, Elizabeth watched as James flew off the cliff.
"Elizabeth, how could you? After everything you betrayed me…you killed me."
Elizabeth sat up screaming. Her chest was near the point of bursting, the sheets beneath her were soaked and her throat stung worse than the result of a swarm of angry bees. Only when her lungs could take the oxygen deprivation no longer did the yelping cease. Elizabeth's coughing was almost on par with the shrieking. As soon as she could control her body, she smashed her face into the sofa cushions and tugged the throw over herself.
There was a pounding at the door and then the window. Elizabeth shook. James was coming to get her once and for all. Why was she afraid now? This was what she wanted- no deserved…
"Elizabeth!!" The pounding halted as the voice called. She gripped the edge of the cushion and focused her eyes on the voice. It sounded angry, but…maybe it wasn't James. She'd have to listen closer before letting her guard down even the slightest…
"Elizabeth, are you okay? If you don't-"
Elizabeth peaked over the sheet. Somehow- someway she knew this voice. The knocking continued and she emerged further from her hiding place.
"I'm so worried about you…"
Through the slits in the blinds, Elizabeth saw a boy with dark, wavy hair. One hand pulled at the hair and the other knocked. If her waning memory was to be trusted, this same person got in her way in school. How many days ago had that been? How many eternities had passed?
The boy scratched the back of his neck as Elizabeth dragged open the door. His eyes searched to the side.
"Uh? Hi? Can I help you?"
"Elizabeth!" His mouth curved into a smile. "Ahhh…that should have been my line."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. For a transient moment, this boy was familiar. She had been at the receiving end of his gaze before. Those deep eyes that drew in the sun's last rays…He touched her on the shoulder, but their eyes still didn't meet.
"I just wanted to say how sorry I am…"
"For what? Have you hurt me?"
"Hurt you?! I wouldn't say that…I'm guilty of a more ambiguous crime- a failure of sorts."
Elizabeth's mouth slowly open, but she snapped it shut before any words could escape. She stepped aside to allow him passage. Will gently closed the door behind him, leaving them in twilight.
"How are you holding up? If it's any consolation, you don't look any more spacey than usual…maybe tired…and a bit out of it…but still beautiful."
"Usual? What's usual? Am I not acting right?"
"Actually compared to the relative 'right' for this, I'd say you've nearly hit the bull's eye. That's a little reassuring."
Elizabeth paced over to the sofa, picked up a pillow and sat. "So...what?"
"Well…" Will sighed. Elizabeth shifted the pillow and crossed her legs. Her head followed him as he walked to the other end of the sofa and sat down.
"Why are you here, Will?"
"Have I ever not shown up?"
"…"
"Sorry. I'm…I'm here because I want to be there for you."
"But why? I never asked for this."
"It's a friendship thing."
"Oh, not another word of it then, you don't want to be my friend."
"I don't mind much."
"Well, I do. I have enough guilt as it is."
Will's eyed widened. "You needn't concern yourself with anything you've done- at least between us."
"It's not what I did…more like what will happen…indefinitely…"
"Oh."
"But I let them down…how can you just sit there like that? Yell at me! Punish me!"
"I don't really think you hurt anyone- anyone else that is."
"Um…yeah. I killed some friends and am en route to letting a whole lot more down. If that's not hurting anyone, then you and I must have a vast difference in what hurt means…and I've never done anything the least bit painful to myself…on the contrary, my mindless self-indulgence is like the big cause here."
"People make their own choices. You chose what you believe to be best at the time and they did the same. We don't always make the right choice, but in this case, I think you did…It is just a shame that one time you-"
"What the hell, Will! Don't you think you are being a bit on the evil side? They're dead! Have some compassion…."
Will raised his hands. "I'm not implying anything, but maybe that was a bit on the insensitive side…Sorry…I just didn't want you blaming yourself for something completely out of your control."
"Oh I'm not blaming. I'm accepting."
"You should be grieving…"
"Grieving? Why do you find it necessary to tell me what I should be feeling? Who made you the god of emotional responses?"
Will frowned.
"I didn't think so…which means you are a know-it-all. Do this, Elizabeth, feel that when whatever happens! I'm sick of it! I am not retarded."
"Maybe it's the same thing that makes you think you know what my motives."
"You are easy to read since you are so damn predictable. Can't you just let me 'grieve' in peace?"
"Sure, but I don't want to. Friends should be predictable; you know who you can count on that way…"
"There's that should again! You should shut up!"
"I'm sorry. You're right. My belief that my views are right does not give me the right to force them on others- nothing does. You have to make your own choices."
"Now I have to do something…that's a step above should, right?"
"I hate arguing with you…"
"You're the one who came here."
"You let me in."
"Like you admit, you are predictable as an old donkey. Not appeasing you would have given me a bigger headache…"
"And you'd feel better if you were alone?"
"I wouldn't have to talk or be bothered."
"We don't have to talk. You started this conversation…let's just sit here."
"The mood is shot."
"I'm sorry if I cause you any pain."
"You've said that like every time we met. Take the hint."
"Then I'm the one who is failing…"
"Will?"
"I hate when you hurt. I can't stand to think of you sitting alone feeling god knows what about everything."
"I've heard this before…I'm not hurting. There, you happy?"
"I guess I'll have to be…Though you not hurting-"
"You just won't give me any choices, will you? I feel like I fell into a nightmare and everywhere I turn more monsters with sharp teeth and claws wait to devour me. I have to run my biggest races yet knowing my boyfriend and two of my best friends won't be there to cheer or greet me…Do you know what that feels like? As deep as you think you are, unless you are here, you can't imagine…So in terms you understand: I'm not fine, but I don't need you hovering around giving me advice from your happy little world."
"Elizabeth."
"Yeah?"
"I don't know what it feels like to lose someone I care for…because I was never given that choice. I don't remember what it was like when those people were with me…"
"Memories are overrated. Wanna trade? After a few hours of a thousand needles jabbing you, you'll see what a jerky remark that was."
"Sorry- I didn't mean to make your grief seem lesser. You are not alone."
"I want to be alone…"
"I know."
"Then why don't you leave?"
"Cuz you don't want me to."
Elizabeth scratched the sofa's fabric with her nails. James couldn't enact his revenge if Will was around. She deserved the sorrow, but since she was a coward…
"Hand me that text book." Elizabeth pointed to her Literature book, which lay open under the coffee table. Will grabbed and handed it over.
"I still have some essay questions to finish. And I have to review everything since my brain hates me."
"Just howl if you need some answers."
Elizabeth scribbled at the notebook paper beneath the tip of her pencil, periodically flipping through the pages of the short story. Why did this book suddenly make more sense than chemistry…?"
"What are you reading?"
"Just reviewing some formulas…I was like 'okaaay' on some of those problems today. You know what I hate most?"
"Reading?"
"Close, but no-"
"The fact that you are reading now?"
"Getting warmer…"
"People who throw out the end piece of a bread loaf?"
Will dropped the book and burst into laughter.
"You're only laughing at yourself. You've said that…on more than one occasion."
"Quoted for truth too."
Elizabeth returned to her English homework. During their guessing game, a marching band had moved into her temples and now every time she wrote a letter the cymbals bang. She pushed the book aside.
"Finished?"
"Head hurts."
"Yeah, I'm usually done when the head rebels too."
"I wasn't aware you even started."
"That gets back to my earlier question."
"We're not starting this again…"
"Bread, Elizabeth, bread."
"You were reading thus bored, so you never know…"
"The correct answer….something along the lines of classes that make me read to understand the lessons. But I like bread more."
Elizabeth snatched her chemistry book. "I need to focus here…"
"Shutting up."
"Put the TV on or something."
"No way! How could you focus?"
Elizabeth didn't look up again. She had to find a way to reenter the land of elements and equations, but all these symbols weren't exactly flinging the gate open. Should she ask Will? He did finish their project after all… Didn't she confirm most of those answers?
It made no sense. How did she come to be sitting here? Why wasn't she working through the equations that lay before her? Maybe if she went for a run….
Elizabeth stood open, dropping her books to the floor. "I'm going to run."
"Is that your answer for everything?"
"My mind's been through like the whole wash cycle. Can't you give me a break?"
"For you, two breaks: how about no running and no school work?"
"Very funny…why are you always getting in my way? I mean you're like don't do this and those thises are the things I need to do…"
"I'm out to thwart you. You caught me."
"What time is it?"
"Huh? Time...after ten."
"No, wow…"
"Still want to run?"
"Matter of factly-"
"Dumb question. But then what?"
"Is there a point here?"
"Why not come over?"
"Oh…so you did want something. Makes sense that you stuck around then…"
"Don't make me kidnap you."
"You wouldn't."
"I might." Will smirked.
"You are that fly that forever flies around your head. What if I don't want to?"
"Then I wouldn't be here…"
Elizabeth stacked her books. "I need to grab my school bag and some clothes that don't belong in a hazardous waste dump."
"Take your time."
In her room, Elizabeth grabbed a pair of jeans, running shorts and tops for various occasions. These went into her track bag along with her purse. She slung her school and track bag over her shoulder and without looking back padded down stairs to where Will waited.
"You ready?"
"If we're leaving, let's just let out of here…"
Will touched Elizabeth on the shoulder, but she pulled away. This was her home; she was more than capable of finding her way out on her own.
Thanks for reading. And you know you want to review XD Thanks in advance.