Elia (EDITING)

Chapter 74

Not edited!!!

Nathaniel.

"Speaking of the devil." I look outside to see Elia standing outside the store with some girl. The girl rides on her bike and rides away. The second he spots the car, I try to look away, but totally fail. I could see the hurt and panic that becomes clear on his features.

He must have debated on what to do, then after a while, after I park the car he walks back in the shop.

"Why are we here again" Xander asks, wrath in his voice.

"I'm sorry. Leo wouldn't let me bring the package tomorrow on my day.

"Yeah. It's better if I don't exit the car."

"No, we talked aboutthis, I could I carry the boxes alone." Or face him alone?

"Okay. But if he tries to do anything I don't like, I'll snap."

We take the boxes out of the car, each with two. The second I enter the store, I couldn't help but realize I am in the same room as he is. I pretend to be oblivious and make my way to Sean's counter.

"Sup man."

"Hmmm, brought in the boxes?"

"Yeah, uh, can I have the keys of the store room?"

"Yoh, El dude. Keys?" El... I called him that. His chair sounds, and I hear his footsteps closer, at the mean time I look at the store room door, remembering the things we did in there.

I snatch the keys without even looking at him.

Xander and I organize the four boxes, and I took I box I am supposed to take home. We exit the store, without any drama and that is not what I wanted. I was hoping Elia would say something at least- anything.

"Nathaniel... Xander." I mentally curse when he calls Xander's name, because knowing Xander and how angry he is now- this is not going to end up well.

"What the fuck do you want!? I am in no mood to speak to you!" Xander's voice screams hate as he addressed the short boy still standing by the store door.

"Just listen please-"

"Listen!? You want me to listen..."

"Xander, just leave him." I try to pull Xander's hand to make him walk again.

"I'm sorry I was-"

"I am telling you one last time... I. Am. In. No. Mood. To. Speak. To. You."

"Just listen please..."

And the next thing I see is Elia on the ground, and Xander slurring curses and hateful words while kicking Elia in the gut. I rush to pull him away, but he keeps screaming and hurting him.

"....my right! I was the one who was supposed to do that not you asshole... I wish I never met you..."

"Xander! Please stop! He is not worth it!" Xander finally stops after he kicks Elia in the ribs. My heart sinks while watching him curled into a ball and shaking.

"You heard that Elia... you are not worth it! You're not worth anything at all.

Xander pulls his arm form my grip and makes his way to my car. In that moment, my eyes refuse to leave El's figure. I can tell he is sobbing. And judging by the way he was kicked, it'll be safe if he goes to see a doctor.

I debate on what to do, to help him or walk to my car and drive home and pretend this never happened.

And my coward self makes up his mind. I give him one last stare, before I follow Xander to my car.

It's the next day that hell broke loose. Sage could have run out of stories to tell her cheerleader friends, and had to out Xander. The good thing which is not really good but good again- is Xander didn't show up for school today Someone posted it online this morning, so he knew how bad it was going to be if he was to show up.

What surprises me, is Elia walking into English class with a binnie on and no sign of bruise or pain. He walks to sit next to me, and immediately takes out some books from his bag. Meanwhile, I pretend to be concentrating on my phone.

"Mr Sandas, put that phone away and Mr Clinton, no hats in my class unless it is freezing cold." I look at Elia- in order to see if that punch he got did leave him with a bruise, but what I see totally shocks me, more than all of the surprises I have faced today.

Elia's- once long hair- that at times he would tie at the back is no where on him. What has replaced that hair, is very short hair, of about a centimeter long all cut the same length, and not styled at all, just there sitting on his head.

It's when he looks at me that I see that I see how it has changed him. He looks way younger but ironically, bolder. He looks away and tosses the hat in his bag.

"Why did you cut your hair?" He scoffs and smirks my way- though in a very sarcastic way.

"What I wanted. So, you're talking to me now?"

I open my mouth to talk back, but the words don't leave my mouth. He nods, smiling wide that the silver balls on his teeth show. "I thought so too Nathaniel."

The way he loved his hair, he wouldn't even let a scissor near his head. So now, the reason why he cut it, I know has nothing to do with the fact that that is what he wanted. Unless-

"Don't worry-" he starts. "Just incase you think this is all about anything to do with you... don't. Because, it has nothing to do with you."

I nod. I try as hard as I could not care. But my mouth had other options.
"Where you hurt... from yesterday?"

"I'm fine." He simply says and finally looks at the board.

***

"Oh God! I knew it... Xander is gay!?" Julia says.

"Obviously he is, his friends are gay, so it automatically makes him gay."

"Garreth isn't"

"Yeah, he's still on the road to discovery."

"Oh God! I think they had a threesome..."

"Obviously." I sigh covering my face. "Right Nathaniel?"

"You sit with us, you're not supposed to say that Mira." Garry says looking at some girl who I have seen around the table.

"I'm curious... did you know that he was gay?" She bats her lashes turning seductively to Garry. "Are you gay?"

"Does it matter!?" he scolds back.

"He's being defensive, they totally had a threesome, that's hot!" the girl Mira says. "Right Jake... or was it an orgy with you?"

"Who the fuck are you by the way?" Jake looks at her disgustingly. "Garry is she your girl?"

"Just had one-night stand with her, now she thinks we are dating." Garry chuckles.

"At least you know my name!" Mira exclaims turning away from Garry as annoyed as I bet she could be.

"Yeah, whatever."

I sigh and rest my head on the table, but I underestimate the impact as my head lands with a loud thud. I groan and sit back up straight.

I miss Elia.

Very, very much.

And there is no way I can change things because it is all my fault.