Don't Stand By Me (COMPLETE)

INTERLUDE EIGHT

A few years ago...

Elvis stared at the thick manilla envelope in his hands, gripping it tightly. He couldn't bring himself to open it, knowing that its contents would likely change his life forever - and Kiara's. Since her eighteenth birthday a couple months prior and she had been subsequently booted from her group home, Elvis' parents had been delighted to house her in his brother's old room - but only for a short while, Elvis. We can't have her turning into a moocher now, can we? The timing had worked out well, with his brother returning to Los Angeles for his second semester of his freshman year, but he would be back in the summer and Kiara would need to be out before then.

Which led to the envelope Elvis was currently gripping like a life preserver, keeping his head above water.

"What's in the box?" Kiara exclaimed, leaping out of literally goddamn nowhere before cackling at her own joke.

"That doesn't work when it's an envelope." He deadpanned, but his voice shook, giving away his tension.

She frowned, "What's wrong? Oh God...your parents are kicking me out, aren't they? I said I was sorry about the egg incident! They said it was okay!"

"No, Kiara. They're not kicking you out...I..." His voice shook, "This is from NYU."

Her eyes widened in realisation, "Oh." Then her face crumpled, "Right. Yeah. College."

His hands began to shake violently and he held the envelope by his side to try and mask it. He couldn't muster up the words to express to her what was going on so she began to steamroll him.

"It's okay, El. You have to put yourself and your future first! NYU is an amazing opportunity for you-"

"Ki, I got my acceptance letter a week ago."

"And yeah, it'll be scary here by myself but I'll be okay! You can't put your life on hold because you don't want to leave me behind - wait. What?"

Elvis held up the envelope, pushing it into her hands. She eyed it warily, glancing between him and the envelope.

"That's yours."

"M-Mine?"

Elvis smiled awkwardly, "I sent an application away for you. And started the process for an academic scholarship."

"So this...?"

"I didn't open it but...it's for you."

"El...why on earth did you do this?" Her eyes watered as she stared at him breathlessly.

"You really thought I was going to leave you behind? My dream is to get out of this town...with you."

"I never...I never thought I could..."

"I know. Which is why I did it. I believe in you, the fact that you're going to do amazing things."

"You're some fucking sap." She snorted, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, the envelope still clutched tightly in her fingers.

He reached out and touched her shoulder gingerly, "I would never leave you behind. It's me and you against the world, Ki. No matter what."

Her eyes darted between him and the envelope again.

"No matter what that says, you're coming with me." He said firmly, "We're in this together."

"I'm scared."

"Me too. Shitless. But at least we'll have each other."

She nodded, eyes now fixed on the envelope, "Okay. Okay."

They sat together cross legged on the floor in the middle of Elvis' kitchen as she spent ten minutes psyching herself up to open the envelope. And the pair screamed and squealed as Kiara read the words Congratulations! I'm pleased to inform you that...

In that moment, in the small space of the cramped kitchen, it felt like the entire world was at their feet, waiting for them.