The Sun And The Stars •completed•

The War Path

The shrill sound of a phone ringing woke Eli up. He slowly opened his eyes in the darkness of the bus. He was leaned against the window with Audrey's pillow, legs across the seats; something that Audrey didn't mind since she was using him as a pillow. He managed to push himself up slightly, making Audrey groan and bury her head further into his chest. 

"Phone," Eli said sleepily, then cleared his throat and spoke up, "Audrey, your phone." Audrey groaned again and wrapped her arms tighter around him. 

"Who the hell isn't picking up their damn phone!?" A gruff, agitated shout came from near the front. Audrey groaned louder in response, finally pushing herself up and falling over to the other side of the bus. She rifled around in her bag until she finally found her phone, squinting at its bright glare in the darkness. 

"Hello? Yes, it's me." Audrey's voice was hushed. Eli sat up a little straighter and attempted to listen in. "No, what do you mean?" Audrey's voice spiked with panic. "I-I'm almost there. I got a bus here, you don't understand." She brought her voice lower again, "Can't you get more? Please, I- Hello?" Audrey sat in silence for a minute before lowering her phone in shock. 

Eli watched her face with a frown. She stared at the seat in front of her, completely lost. "Audrey? What's wrong?" As soon as he spoke, Audrey started to cry. They were silent tears, rolling seamlessly down her cheeks, illuminated by the screen of her phone. 

He quickly got up and sat next to her, carefully placing a hand on her back. "What happened?" He asked softly. Audrey wiped her tears away with the sleeve of his sweater she was still wearing. "The pills are gone." She choked out, "He got raided or something." Audrey took in a shivering breath and continued to stare at the seat in front of her. "I'm done."

"I'm sorry." Eli tried to say sincerely, though a large part of him was relieved. Audrey looked at him, and Eli, having adjusted to the darkness, could see the red rims under her eyes. "No you're not." She said stiffly. "You didn't want me to do it." 

"Aud-" 

"Poor, naive Audrey. She knows nothing about the world. Poor, sick Audrey. She only wants what she can't have." Audrey imitated someone that Eli didn't know. But he could tell that something was bubbling, that her blood was boiling. "Why can't I just be Audrey?" 

"You are." Eli said as forcefully as he could. 

"No, I'm not." Audrey snapped, "I'm never just Audrey. Because of him." 

Eli felt his heart start to race. "Who?" 

"I'm gonna kill him." Audrey said through gritted teeth. "I'm gonna kill him."

****

Audrey didn't bother showering. She tied her hair up and looked in the mirror. The bags had started to gather under her eyes, and she wanted to cry again, but she wouldn't. She splashed cold water on her face and felt along the arms of Eli's sweater. 

With a shuddering sigh, she took it off and walked out of the bathroom. Eli was waiting outside, leaning against a wall, waiting anxiously. "Here," Audrey said coldly, holding out his sweater. Eli reluctantly took it. Audrey squinted into the sunlight as she briskly walked past him to the bus. She pulled out her suitcase and wheeled it back to the sidewalk. 

"Where are you going?" Eli asked exhaustively. 

Audrey set her jaw and gripped her suitcase tighter. "We both know this is my stop, Eli." 

"It was your stop. Why are you still getting off in Ohio?" Eli was blocking her path, feebly holding his sweater as if it wasn't his, as if he didn't want it any more. Audrey looked up at him with a scathing glare. "I'm going to see my Dad." She tried to say casually, but her voice betrayed her with its wobble. 

"Your Dad?" Eli frowned, "The Dad you haven't seen since you were three?" 

"That's the one." Audrey put a hand on her hip, willing Eli to move out of the way. 

"Why?" 

"He lives in Sheffield. According to google maps that's about a half hour from here." She didn't tell him that she had looked that up a long time ago. That she had only found his address after being bored enough to go through her Mom's mail, and seeing an envelope with a childcare check, return address and all. Instead of confronting her Mom, she'd written it all down and kept it safe, unsure of what she wanted it for. Until now.

Eli looked around nervously, hands gripping onto his sweater. "Hold on." He said, rushing off to the bus and pulling out his suitcase and bag. "What are you doing?" Audrey called over to him. Eli looked back at her, "I'm coming with you." He said, pulling his case over to her. 

"No." Audrey said as he stopped in front of her. 

"I am." Eli said, in a stronger voice than he was used to using. Audrey, too tired and rage filled to argue, conceded. The two of them put their belongings in lockers at the station, where they'd retrieve them in a few hours. At least, Eli hoped it would only be a few hours. He wasn't exactly trusting of Fathers. 

They rode in the cab in silence, Audrey looking intently out the window, as if she were counting down the minutes until she would arrive. Eli gulped, getting more and more nervous as the time passed. "Why do you want to see him?" Eli asked, not being able to find a reason why he'd want to see his Dad. 

Audrey continued to look out the window. "I want him to see what he did to me." She said in a monotone, as if her mind was somewhere else completely. 

"What he did to you?" 

"It's his genetics." Audrey responded, tears in her voice. Eli could tell she was holding them back, that she didn't want to cry in front of her Dad. This was something Eli could completely understand. Not wanting to cry in front of people who had hurt you. Not wanting them to know they got to you. Not wanting to be weak. 

"It's hereditary, and the only reason I'm sick is because he carried the gene for it." Audrey took in a breath and shook her head. "He wasn't sick, he just carried it. Then he gave it to me, and then he left." She practically spat out the words, hate spewing from her every pore.

When they arrived at the house, Audrey felt a new wave of emotions come over her. The house was small but pretty, with white trimming and a green door. She stepped out of the car, feeling shaky, but refusing to show it. Eli walked behind her, trying to convince himself of something that he wasn't sure was true. Not all Dad's are like him, he made his mind repeat it over and over.

She got to the door, and paused momentarily. For a shining moment, Eli thought she might not do it. But, she did. She rang the doorbell twice and rapped on the door rampantly. Audrey stepped back as she heard the pounding of footsteps. A man opened the door, tall and dark. "Can I help you?" He asked pointedly, obviously annoyed. 

"Nice to see you too, Dad." 

((Next chapter is going to be a big one!! I am slightly scared to put it up, I am not one of those Authors that likes to hurt their characters. I want my babies to be happy!! But, this is important, so gotta stay strong. Thanks for the reads and AMAZING comments and votes! Much Love, Tia. xx))