A/N: heyy guys. I know it probably sound like I'm making up excuses, but I'm not. I haven't been fast on updating lately because my bird that I've had since before I can even remember died last week. And then school started. Not a fun week. At all. And I didn't want to take my anger and morbidness (not a word, I know) out on this story, but I guess I did a little. Don't worry no one important dies or anything. Just- read and review (: Oh and uh, this chapter is a little gory. Ha, uh sorry.
JESS'S POV
The second Eli walks out of the house; I turn off the T.V and begin to breathe heavily. Usually I'm better at holding in my feelings. Usually.
But being alone is the worst. I see him everywhere. Nathan. God, I miss him. He's staring at me accusingly.
"Why didn't you save me? Why do you let him do this to me?" He growls at me, whipping his light brown curly hair out of his face.
"Nathan!" I cry, "I tried! I was so young, Nathan! Eli wouldn't let me help you! Please, Nathan! You have to believe me. Don't go!" I plead, standing up as his edges begin to waver.
"It's too late, Jessica. Goodbye." He says coldly, his green eyes ice. He disappears completely, and I fall to the ground, completely defeated.
"I know." I whisper into the empty room, my eyes stinging. I swallow past a growing lump in my throat. I did that to Nathan. I didn't kill him, but I could have stopped him from killing Nathan. I refuse to even think his name. He's taken so much from me. I refuse to remember him. But sometimes, I can't escape the memories.
Nathan was working on Morty when I approached him. He looked up and smiled.
"How's Morty working?" I asked him.
"Good. I'm a little worried about him though. He broke down right in front of Ms. Parker. Talk about awkward. She kept telling me how I 'couldn't just fix it' and she kept insisting the she drive me to the repair shop. It took me an extra hour just to leave because she didn't think I would make it home safe." I smiled when he said that. Ms. Parker was like the mother that he had taken from us. I shook my head trying to forget about him. Nathan had gotten away from him. We were safe. Were being the key word.
"I bet I could fix him." I smiled cockily. He raised his eyebrow and smirked, causing his curly blondish brown hair to fall into his green eyes.
"Damn, Jessica, you're too confident for your own good." He laughed.
"Hmm, I wonder where I got it from." I smirked back at him. He was one of the cockiest people I knew. He scoffed and tousled my hair playfully.
"I know that you got that damn sarcasm from Elijah. Where is that kid anyway?"
I frowned, "Hey, watch the hair, watch the hair!" I moved out of his way. I smiled deviously and pointed towards Eli, who was sitting under a dead willow tree in the front yard. While his head was turned to look at Eli, I jumped on his back and messed up his hair.
"You're cruisin' for a bruisin', little girl!" he shouted at me as I ran way from him. He jumped on me and we fell to the ground, wrestling and tickling each other. Suddenly the sound of a car door slamming alarmed us. Nathan sat up. "Go get Eli. Run as fast as you can and hide. No matter what happens don't stop hiding. I'll take care of this." I looked at him with worry flooding my face. He- he couldn't be here! We got away, we were safe! Why? Why does this have to happen to us?
He smirked at me, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Listen, after this we'll go see Ms. Parker and you can pick out the movie. I promise. Now, go, get Eli!" He yelled after me as I ran way shakily. Eli was napping under the tree and I had shaken him furiously screaming, "He's here Eli! He found us! Wake up!" His eyes shot open and he took my hand, pulling my into the back yard, just as I heard him yell at Nathan
"Where the hell are they?" He was slurring. Drunk. As always.
"I'll never tell you! They're safe, and you're never going to take that way from them! Not again, not this time!" Nathan yelled back protectively.
"You're going to tell me, or I'll kill you!" he yelled back. I remember tears flooding my eyes at that moment. I knew he wasn't joking. As me and Eli ran into the shed, our hiding place in the backyard, I saw Nathan being shove into the back yard after us.
"Where?" His tormenter yelled. I heard Nathan scoff as Eli pulled me to the ground.
"Get down!" he hissed at me. But I didn't understand. I was only eleven. Eli stood over me awkwardly, holding me down. At the time, he was only thirteen. Nathan was nineteen. So young.
"I'll never tell!" Nathan growled at him. Another ear splitting noise filled the air. I peeked out the window in the shed. Nathan was on the ground, holding his jaw in pain.
"Nathan!" I yelled, trying to run to him, but Eli kept a firm grip on me.
"Nathan told us if he ever came back we had to stay down. Nathan can take care of this. He has once before, and he can again." He hissed again. I nodded, tears rolling down my eyes. I wish I didn't listen to him. Then maybe thing would be different.
I listened to them fighting outside for nearly an hour, screaming and trying to help every time Nathan was hit too hard. Eli would just pull me down, a pained look in his faraway gaze. I watched at he pulled out something shiny.
"Eli! That's a knife! Eli! Eli, we have to help him! Damnit Eli, let go of me!" I screamed. Eli just held me down, tears slowly filling his eyes.
"Nathan! Nathan!" I screeched," Nathan, he has a knife! Look out!" I cried and fell to the floor in defeat, gasping for breath. Eli loosened his grip on me and I shot up, running to the door. I flung it open and watched as he approached Nathan, a devious smirk on his face. He rushed forward suddenly, and Nathan let out a horrible scream. I fell to the ground and covered my eyes. I felt Eli rush past me and stayed in the same spot, curling into fetal position. No, no, no, no, no, no ,no no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I repeated in my head. I heard a mischievous laugh and looked up to see the person who stabbed Nathan shuffle out of the yard, as if he didn't just stab one of the best, the only, things in my life. I ran over to Nathan and looked at him. He was clutching his stomach. He looked up at me, his green eyes tortured.
"Jessica, Elijah." He coughed out "please, get out of here. Go somewhere safe. I need you to."
"I'm not leaving you here!" Eli and I screamed in unison.
Nathan looked at us, his eyes blank and glazed over. "It's too late for me. Go. Now" He demanded. I hugged Nathan and Eli joined me. "I love you" we both muttered to him before turning and running into the forest, tears running down our cheeks. "I love you too." I heard him cough before closing his eyes, for the last time ever.
I open my eyes and punch the couch. I hate remembering. I can't even cry anymore, I am positive I ran out of tears after that happened. One of the hardest things I had to do in my life was leaving him and jump into Morty. Nathans car. The car he loved so much. The car that we were going to drive in to see a movie. The car that held so many memories. A large black pit-bull walks up to me and licks my cheek.
"Vicious, do you ever miss him?" I ask the dog before pulling him into a tight hug. He whimpers, as if to answer my question. I sigh and walk into the kitchen to feed him. I know the Nathan I saw was only my conscious. He would never talk to me like that. But I would take anything he had to say, just to hear his voice again. Even if what he said was 'I hate you'
Vicious eat the food hurriedly, his blue eyes ravenous. I pet his head and walk towards my room. I hope Eli comes home soon. I don't think I can hold it together for much longer.
ELI'S POV
I scoff at the person who said that to Clare. He had short light brown hair. The same shade as Nathan's. I gulp. For some reason, I can't stop thinking about him and I need to make sure Jess isn't like this too. He's staring at Clare like she has two heads.
"D-d-d-d-d," She stutters, her eyes going huge with remorse. The guy let's out a sort-of laugh scoff thing.
"Declan." He helps her, a smile brightening his face. Clare gasps and runs up to him, giving him a huge hug. I mash my teeth together. I don't like watching this. I look down at my hands, anger heating up my face. When I look up there still hugging and he laughs. Then he shakes his head and his eyes go wide, as if he just remembered where he is and, more importantly, what time it is.
"Clare, its kind of four in the morning." He scoffs. Clare's eyes widen and she pulls away from him.
"Oh, uh, its, uh, um, err-," She stutters. I smirk and walk up next to her.
"Why, yes, yes it is." I reply to the guy. Declan. That's his name. Clare gapes at me and when I look at Declan, he's gaping at me, too. Then his lips turn into a knowing smirk. I narrow my eyes. What the hell does he know?
"Clare, do you know this guy?" he practically laughs. I'll give you something to laugh about. I do not like how giddy Clare got when she saw him, or how he is looking at her now.
She blushes, "uh, yeah, this is uh-," she stutters again.
"Eli." I cut her off, growling. Declan smiles at me.
"Declan." He pulls his hand out of his blue blazer for me to shake it. I glare at it. He looks at me expectantly for a few seconds. I feel Clare nudge my arm and glares at me. I scoff and shake his hand.
"Pleasure." I mutter.
"So, why exactly are you two here, at four in the morning?" he put's emphasis on those two freakin' words and it makes me want to hit him. He is smiling widely at Clare and she is blushing furiously.
"We uh, I mean, I uh, Err, Eli uh" Clare starts again. I groan and roll my eyes.
"Please, we could ask you the same thing." I retort. Declan wiggles his eyebrows, which, by the way, look like freakin' caterpillars. Okay, they're not that bad, but whatever.
"That's a good question." He smirks, "I just flew in from New York to visit my sister, and, whilst driving got hungry. So, I came here." He raises his eyebrows defiantly, "And, now that we got that out of the way, you can answer my question." Jesus, this guy is asking for a punch in the face.
"It's none of your business." That was Clare. Whoa, who would have thought she found her voice? Declan and I both raise our eyebrows in surprise. She looks down at her feet, her cheeks flushed.
"Uh- sorry, um, I'll see you at Degrassi, Declan; it was really nice seeing you! Come on Eli, let's go." She mutters quickly, pulling on my arm and dragging me out. I scoff at her.
"You two have fun." Declan chuckles, shaking his head. Clare burns up even more and tugs on me harder, pulling me out of the store completely.
"Whoa, St. Clare, when'd you develop this superhuman strength?" I smirk sarcastically. She pushed me into Morty, not answering. "Usually it's the guy opening doors for the girl." I laugh at her angry expression. Even fuming looked good on her.
"Just drive." She growls, sitting in the seat next to me and awkwardly clicking her seatbelt on. I raise my eyebrows and try to keep from chuckling. I begin to drive and after about an hour the roads turn into familiar dirt paths. Clare's eyes widen then she squints, unable to see past the headlights in the pitch-black darkness. I finally take notice of the song playing on the radio. I Have to Go Return Some Video Tapes by Breathe Carolina begins to play. I smile and bob my head to the beat. This is Jess's favorite song, or at least for the moment. She always changes it every week. I only think she likes about the first half of it, but it is still a good song. I see the house appear and hear a familiar raspy bark sound from the drive-way. As we get out of Morty Clare screams in horror when a familiar black shape pelts after her and pushes her to the ground.
"Eli! Help! It's trying to kill me!" She screams, kicking about shouting as if she was being ripped to shreds. I can't help but double over. "Vicious!" I call between howls of laughter, "Heal!" The shape immediately gets off of Clare and sits obediently in front of me, panting with his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, his ice blue eyes looking up at me innocently. Clare stands, brushing herself off.
"Eli, this is so not funny." She growls seriously, which cause me to howl louder. She bites her lip and then begins to laugh just as loud as me. "That thing is a dog?" she cries between hiccups of laughter, "I thought it was a horse!" she almost falls over.
"His name is Viscous." I say when I catch my breath. "He's my dog,"
"I had guessed that much! Of course you would own a hellhound!" She snorts. I can't help but laugh. Vicious was anything but his name. He was practically just a giant puppy. I pat his head and lead Clare up the familiar steps up to the familiar red door. When I approached I heard the sound of guitar riffs and things being knocked over and loud screaming. My eyes close tightly and Clare grabs my shoulder tightly. "What's going on in there?" she yells, but all I can think is don't let go. Please, don't let go. I know what's really going on in there. I sigh and open the door, preparing myself for the disaster Clare would have to witness when we entered.
A/N: Mwhahaha another cliffy. Oh, how I enjoy these. They make me want to write faster (: anyways, what do you think? Do you like Jess? What do you think of Nathan? Who do you think killed him? What do you think is on the other side of the door? Oh, and yeah, I don't own Degrassi or the music I used in this. And you might notice how random the music is. Yeah, I know its random, but its usually what im listening to while im writing, so I just put it in there xD. Okay, well im gonna go write the next chapter :D