I’ve tried calling Elija five times, leaving three messages asking where he was. I texted him about a million times.
Me: I’m at your place, where are you?
Me: Your mom said dinner was ready, what’s the holdup?
Me: Come on, Elija. Please answer
Me: Your dad said we won’t wait any longer but I’m too anxious to eat. Please just tell me where you are so I can relax.
Me: Come on, Elija. I feel sick already.
Me: I survived dinner but I feel horrible for your mom. She must’ve spent a lot of time preparing this meal and I could barely stomach anything.
Me: Okay forget about me and forget about your mom. Where are you?
Me: Kai went out to look for you.
Me: No one can reach you and it’s hard not to freak out right now. Did I do something?
Me: I hope you’re ignoring me and not dead in a ditch somewhere.
Me: Shit, that was a horrible joke but I cope with humor. Only made things worse rn though.
Me: It’s been an hour, I can’t reach the guys so I’m coming to look for you myself
Me: Please be okay.
I send the last message at the same time as the doorbell goes off. I jump to my feet, same as Elija’s parents and we all head to the door. The past one and a half hours have been tense as all of us were quietly worrying about Eli’s whereabouts. Personally, I’m sick to my stomach, especially with my last meal having been so recent. I really tried to finish my plate and not make a scene.
Robert reaches the door first and my short ass can’t see past him.
‘Who are you?’ the man asks.
‘I am here to pick up my daughter,’ a familiar voice replies. Oh shit. Robert steps aside, looking at me questioningly while still blocking me from my mother’s view with the door. I nod softly before stepping around him.
‘Mom, hi. I didn’t know you were back already,’ I say, smiling as if I were happy to see her.
‘Yes, I figured that when I couldn’t find you at home,’ she replies coldly. That’s how I know I’m in trouble. When this woman doesn’t try to pretend we’re a perfect family even in front of others.
‘How did you find me?’ I ask with a chuckle, trying to diffuse the tension. I step further outside to get this whole conversation away from the Mongrows. Their son is missing so the last thing they need is my drama.
Luckily, my mom follows my lead, getting a few feet away from the door herself.
‘That is beside the point. Your father and I give you all the freedom you want, only asking for you to do good in school and this is how you repay us? Whoring around on a school night instead of studying?’ my mom snaps, making me gasp. I’ve never heard her use such vulgar language and my cheeks heat up, knowing Elija’s parents are witnessing all this.
‘Whoring around?’ I ask.
‘That’s right. You know what I found in your trash, don’t you?’ my mom asks.
‘You went through my trash?’ I whisper, trying to keep up. My mom found our used condom, didn’t she?
‘That’s right. I knew something was wrong with you. I thought it was drugs, that you got in with the wrong crew but it’s just a guy that’s been distracting you. Guess what, that is over. If you don’t keep up your end of the deal then neither will we. Get in the car, now!’
‘What are you talking about?’ Me doing drugs? What the hell? Humiliation crawls beneath my skin and tears are stinging my eyes. God, I hope we’re out of hearing range of Eli’s parents.
‘Your report card came. Your GPA has dropped,’ my mother says as if it were the worst thing imaginable. My grades? That’s what she’s going on about. I don’t know if I want to laugh or cry.
‘It’s still above average,’ I try to reason. ‘I’m allowed to have a life beyond my studies! She would have understood that and you know it!’ Cheap shot to bring up the woman’s dead sister, I know. I just feel like she’d be so disappointed if she saw my mom and me right now and it breaks my heart.
My mother’s palm hits me right across the face without warning, making my head snap to the side. My hand flies up to hold my stinging cheek as I gape at her.
Meanwhile, my mother straightens her clothes as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened. Then she looks at me, calm, cool, and collected.
‘Close your mouth, Florence, before you catch a fly. Nothing happened.’ My jaw snaps shut but I don’t answer.
Turns out I don’t have to since a soft hand settles on my shoulder from behind while a tall figure steps in front of me.
‘It’s time for you to get off our property,’ Robert tells my mother. She tuts but leaves without further protest.
‘Are you okay, Sweetie?’ Amelia asks but something else has captured my attention. A certain dirty-blonde guy staring at me from the sidewalk.
He looks pale even in the dark and I can make out dark stains on his white shirt from where I am. Stains looking suspiciously like blood. My heart starts racing while my blood freezes and I know something is wrong.
The guy starts walking towards me, looking distressed.
‘Jamie?’ I ask shakily. Please no more bad news, I think. I can’t handle anything else right now.
‘I’m so sorry. He didn’t see the stairs and we couldn’t warn him. I- He fell and then there was all that yelling and the blood,’ he starts rambling only for Robert to interrupt him.
‘Jamie, slow down. Who fell? Where’s Elija?’ he asks though I think we all know that answer.
‘In the hospital. Elija’s in the hospital. He had a fight with Joe and fell down the stairs. He hit his head really hard,’ Jamie tells us as tears stream down his face. My heart aches for how devastated the happy boy I know looks right now but I don’t have it in me to comfort him. Not when so many questions and worries cloud my own mind.
‘We went to the hospital with him but we didn’t have a phone and someone needed to tell you. He’s not awake yet, I’m so sorry,’ he adds, sobbing now.
Amelia pulls him into his arms, trying to comfort him while Robert talks to someone on the phone. Probably Kai, I think strangely calm. Kai has the car so it makes sense to call him. We need a car if we want to go to the hospital. The hospital, where Elija is. Elija got hurt. And I don’t seem to care.
This all feels like a dream. Like it’s happening to someone else and I’m just observing it through a screen. I can’t hear the others talk anymore. I can’t feel my heart pounding and don’t even notice it when I’m being led towards the street. I obey quietly when someone helps me into the car and even though I see my hands are shaking, I can’t feel a single thing.
