Light As A Feather

Chapter 3

                  

Chapter 3

I haven't seen Elly Jacobs in three days since school resumed on Monday. I'm angry at what happened, but now I am starting to worry. At first I was so mad that I didn't even want to talk to her. Now I think I will text her after the bell rings signaling the end of the day. My teacher drones on while I become more and more anxious about talking to Elly. Will she be mad that I haven't texted her since Friday? Will she even respond? What if she's hurt? Finally, the bell rings and I jump out of my seat. When I get to the hallway I pull out my phone and text her.

Hey Elly, you haven't been at school?

Man, way to be captain obvious in that text. I look up and see people all rushing to get somewhere. Actually doing something with their lives. My phone buzzes.

I didn't want to go. Besides, you couldn't have been that worried...

Yup, she's mad because I didn't talk to her for days.

I was worried...I was just angry. You slept with Rob after I told you that you shouldn't do it. Why would you say you didn't want to with him and then go do it.

A few minutes go by. The halls are mostly empty now.

I don't know Declan, I do know that it really messed me up and I don't even want to leave my bedroom.

I don't understand, how does she not know why she said yes? She consented, so she must have wanted to. Even though I'm mad I want to see her and make her feel better so I ask where she lives. If she is close I'm gonna go see her. She messages me back and says that her house is the blue one by the dollar store downtown. I decide that isn't too far and walk out of the school.

As I'm walking I see Ben across the street. I wave him over to me, I like to have people to talk to while I walk.

"Hey dude, where are you heading?" I ask Ben.

"Just going to hang out at the park for a bit. What about you?"

"I'm going to check on Elly." Ben gives me a weird look. He probably knows I that I like her, I'm usually pretty obvious about when I like someone not like Robs gives a shit. He will fuck anything that breathes and seems interested in him.

"I noticed she wasn't in school, she seems like the type to never be absent." Ben laughs. He's right, every time that I've been in school so has she. I feel like it is a big deal for her to be missing school. I stay silent for the rest of the walk, even when Ben leaves I just wave.

I get to Elly's house and look around. Dark blue paint peels on the side of the house, the porch is white or used to be, it's two stories. It looks like maybe at one point it was beautiful. I knock on the front door and wait. A woman opens the door and looks at me with a blank stare, her eyes are hazy and brown hair is in her eyes.

"Hi, my name is Declan. I am here to see Elly."

"I'm her mother, Tara. Hi."

She stands there for a moment staring at me. "Elly, some boy named Declan is here for you!" She yells, then she smiles and closes the door.  Well that was weird. I turn and sit down on the steps to wait for Elly. It seems so long since I have seen her, I miss her.

I hear the door open and a quiet voice. "Hey, Declan." I turn to face her and she looks awful. Her hair is frizzy, dark rings under her eyes, red eyes. She is wearing pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Elly trudges over to me and plops down. She looks at me and bursts into tears. I fully panic, what did I do? Holy crap. My body takes over and I reach out and pull her to my chest, her whole body shakes as I hold her.