EVERGREEN, elijah hewson

why are sundays so depressing?

A/N: I was really stumped on ideas for the filler chapter between this and the last so just decided to scrap it. I'll mention the day before but it was just a plain old walking day, not very eventful.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
"why are sundays so depressing?"

IT WAS THE END. EDEN HALE WANTED TO JUMP OFF THE BUS YET AGAIN.

Saturday had been the usual: walking, campsite. She had stayed close to Min-Hee during the entirety of the walk, learning all that should could about her. They'd met a horse (a chunk of Robert's hair was eating by it), Ryan had accidentally dropped his water bottle down a cliff, the campsite was plain and dreary. Eden and Elijah had barely spoken to each other since the shared sleeping bag experience. She had escaped by morning, made her way back into the other tent without making a sound, leaving Elijah confused and alone.

They entered the minivan one-by-one, all in a shared silence. No one wanted to acknowledge the finality of all of this. No one wanted to think about getting back to The Centre then disappearing off to different countries. Everything was happening too quickly.

Mr Sahni filed in The Anarchists, then another group of girls, returning each of their phones. The small group of girls ran right to the back, sitting down on the five seats and laughing together. They were in a better mood than Eden. She felt sick, tired and maybe the faintest hint of happiness. She had done it. Six days of pure walking. She'd completed something. She had an experience under her belt, and she could present it on CV's and applications for the rest of her life.

Elijah was the next to enter the bus. He watched his boots land upon the dark blue ground, glanced towards Mr Sahni who was smiling to himself, then at Mr Orman who was getting the van ready to drive, watched the girls sat down at the back talking through fond memories.

It was so stuffy. Too warm. His body had somehow acclimatised to the frigid weather. The warmth of the van should've been a welcome relief but instead it was just reaffirming the fact that this was over.

Eden sat down at a window seat. She pulled out her selection of snacks and earphones from her pocket. She shoved the buds into her ears and put on a Spotify playlist, anything to escape reality. Watching out of the window at the green fields, she tried to ignore Elijah. He settled beside her. Didn't even ask if he could sit there or anything. Just simply sat. No words, nothing. He opened his book and started to absent-mindedly scan his eyes along the vast array of words. He couldn't concentrate on understanding how the sentences joined together, or where he even was in the narrative. Pretending that he was doing something, that's what he was doing.

Robert and Belle sat together. Of course. They were on the two seats in front of Elijah and Eden. Belle was crying into Robert's arms once they sat down, tears rolling down her cheeks as he comforted her. He kept whispering, "I love you, we'll be fine, okay?" Anything to stop her from looking so distraught.

Min-Hee and Ryan were next. Min-Hee sprinted for the window seat. Ryan was already giving her that lovey dovey look and they hadn't even said a word to each other.

Josh looked somewhat pissed off that he'd been ditched by his mates. He worriedly glanced around, realising that there was only one seat left.

Next to Mr Sahni.

He gave Elijah a glare. "Please," was all he could mouth before Mr Sahni patted the seat beside him. Josh plonked himself down, still gazing straight at Elijah for help. There was no use. Mr Sahni started to ask him about his favourite parts of the expedition. Josh was quick to mention anything to embarrass the other boys, a way to get back at them. From Elijah's asthma attack to the horse trying to eat Robert's hair. He was speaking very loudly.