Hiding Behind an Open Door

Chapter 4

(TW: Self-harm)

The reunion is about to begin and everyone is excited. Well, everyone except Elisa who is stressing. But they don't look like it, or so they thought.

"So are we ready?" Anthony asks.

"No, not yet," Sophie says. "How are you both ready so fast?"

"Well, when you have a family like ours, you have to be dressed and ready quickly because the host might want help. And it's also just good manners in our family," Elisa explains. Sophie signals Anthony to leave, and he does.

"Are you okay?" Sophie asks.

"Yeah, of course, I am, why wouldn't I be?" Elisa says.

"Honey, your hands are shaking," Sophie says. Elisa hides them. She walks over to them and grabs their hands. "You don't have to do this, you know. You can just say that you don't want to,"

"I know, but I'm already dressed so...," Elisa says. They both laugh. "I'll be fine, I promise," Sophie nods.

"I know they're lying. God, I wish they would just tell us the truth." Sophie thought.

The group is outside the gymnasium when Elisa starts to feel something familiar, something too familiar.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick. You guys go in, all be there in a sec," Elisa says. Everyone goes in except for Sophie. She decides to follow them.

They go into the bathroom, pick up a key, take their jacket off, and start scratching the key onto the skin, only taking parts of the first layer off. They put the key down, put their jacket back on, look up and see Sophie. "Shit." Elisa thought.

"I knew you were going to do that," she says walking over to them. "Baby, you shouldn't have come if you knew this was going to happen,"

"I know, but I also knew that you would be worried the whole time, okay?" they say. "Go back in, I'll be right there. I just have to clean myself up a bit,"

"Okay," she says, walking away.

Elisa starts to walk into the gymnasium but stops, "I can't go in there, not yet. I'll go on the roof. I just have to let Sophie know."

Elisa: I'm gonna go up onto the roof.

Sophie: Okay, what's wrong?

Elisa: Nothing, just have to calm myself down a bit, okay? Don't worry, I'm fine.

Sophie: Promise?

Elisa: Promise. Let the others know.

Sophie: Okay, love you.

Elisa: Love you too.

They go onto the roof and sit down on the ledge. They hear some laughing and then, "Oh my god, not again," from Ian.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Anthony says, chuckling.

"Yeah, just need some time alone," Elisa says.

"Baby, let's go home," Sophie says.

"No, it's fine," Elisa says.

"Oh really? Why are you then on the roof? Again??" Ian asks. Elisa sticks their tongue out.

"I don't want to be here. Please can we go home?" Sophie says.

"Fine," Elisa says, standing up. "Where's Anna and Hazel?"

"They're still in the gymnasium," Anthony says.

"Okay, can you say bye to them for me?" Elisa says.

"Sure," Anthony says.

Elisa and Sophie walk home to Elisa's parent's house and when they arrive they just watch movies and cuddle the whole evening. The others are having fun the entire night, they come home at about 2-3 am.