Finding Myself

chapter five~

Eleanor ran to the bus. Thrill and excitement was just a portion of the things she felt.

There was as also hatered and panic.

But nothing was going to get in her way.

Her feet pounded against the pavement as she ran all the way towards the bus. Slightly out of breath, she began entering the bus, but she stoped on the second step.

She quickly looked back.

She had expected her brother to be running towards her, a gun in his arm. But the town was solitary.

Eleanor ran to the back of the bus.

She sat in an empty chair right next to the emergency exit window; with the luck she had, she wouldn't be surprised if the whole bus were to catch on fire the instant they pulled off.

She was almost as glad to be freed from that suffocating maniac she was forced to call her brother.

Yet as the bus dragged into motion, she almost felt a feeling of regret because she knew that, deep down, she loved  maniac and that he was the closest thing she had to a real family.

Eleanor rested her head on the window as she replayed all that had happened that day.

She had just gotten out of school, Ubel beeping impatiently for her to hurry. When Eleanor had asked him where they were going, Ubel just replied, "home," and shrugged her off. Yet the Polaroid camera at the back seat proved otherwise.

Sure enough, they pulled off at a house that was definitely not home. Eleanor dragged the Polaroid camera, frowning, and she followed Ubel down the basement where a young boy, no older than fourteenth , lay beaten up on the floor. Ubel grinned. Eleanor detested that grin. Ubel grabbed a chain, wrapped it around the boy's neck, and nodded at Eleanor.

Eleanor knew what she must do.

Eleanor approached the kid.

Eleanor noticed the kid was terrified, but there was something else, regret, or, like he thought he deserved this.

Eleanor sat down on the floor next to the kid.

"Why?" asked Eleanor

"Why what?"

"What do you regret?"

"I just... I couldn't say goodbye to her..."

"To who?"

The kid looked up at Eleanor.

"You know, you look just like her. Beautiful brown eyes, Perfect brown hair, no, her hair was not perfect, it was messy, but I loved it like that..." The kid was talking a million words per minute now. Choking down the tears.

"She... She had that hypnotic smile. That smile That made you feel like nothing in the world was ever wrong. she made me smile, always, even when she was crying on the inside. She was beautiful."

The kid looked down.

"She had those promising brown eyes like yours! They always seemed to look sad like yours! You look just like her.."

Eleanor interrupted him.

"Was she your girlfriend?"

The kid tried not to cry. His eyes were red and watery, his brown hair was a surprisingly untouched boy's regular; his hasn't been cut in months or so. It was extremely long for his type of haircut. He did not have glasses, yet he had braces. Navy blue. He was tall, or he seemed tall for a fourteen year old.

The kid took a deep breath, as he looked to the floor and shook his head slowly. "No, but she was, like, my best friend, I knew she liked me, heck, I bet everyone knew that. But I was too stubborn, I, I guess I didn't want to ruin our friendship, but, I ended up friendzoning her really bad, and I think I broke her heart. She was really nice, heck, she was awesome, I... I loved her."

Eleanor nodded. She would've rolled her eyes, but she didn't want to seem rude with someone that is about to leave this world.

"Well, give me a smile. A huge grin, a last one, do it for- um.."

"Her name is Violet." he mumbled

"Well, then give me one last smile as I take a Polaroid of you ok?"

"Ok."

Ubel tightened the chain around the kid's neck.

The kid smiled.

Eleanor prepared the camera, but she felt trance-like.

The way the kid smiled.

It was as if he was not about to get murdered.

His innocent smile.

And the dimples he had.

Those braces enhanced the kid even more.

Eleanor smiled.

Ubel saw what was happening. So he took out his gun.

Eleanor left the trance as soon as the kid replaced his smile by a shuting of eyes, and a quiet prayer.

Eleanor snapped the picture.

At the exact instant the bullet was drawn.

Ubel was bussy fixing the body to make it seem as if the kid committed suicide.

Eleanor shook the Polaroid.

It was a perfect action picture.

The kid's eyes shut, as a hole formed from his upper chest. Blood rushing and sprinkling out. You can even see the bullet coming out of the hole a little bit.

Eleanor started to panic.

She ran out the basement.

Into the streets.

That was all Eleanor got to dream before she was woken by a shuffling in the seat next to her.

Eleanor turned to face a boy.

He was around her age.

He smiled at her, "Hey, sorry for that. The name's Janiel. And before you ask, my parents named me after their ship name. "

Eleanor smiled politely.

"Don't worry about it. My friends call me El. "

Janiel Smiled,"Where are you going to El?"

Eleanor tilted her head a little. "Oh no, I barely met you, you ain't a friend of mine. You call me Eleanor."

Janiel smiled again. "Ouch." He touched his chest where his heart must be, and he grasped at it, pretending to be hurt.

Eleanor then smiled."Well, I still don't know where I'm going to.
I guess it's time to find out."

Eleanor Reached for the Envelope in her backpack, with a massive #1 in the left side, and the words, "Once on the bus" on the right side.

"What's that?"

Eleanor sighed. "Long boring story."

Then Janiel smiled for the hundredth time. "Well Eleanor, today's your lucky day. I got all of the time in the world, and I am considered a very boring person myself."

Eleanor Looked at Janiel in the eyes. "I need to know if you're legit enough."

Janiel frowned slightly.

Eleanor tried not to complain,
she was loving the way he was usually smiling.

"Well then, in that case, open the envelope Eleanor."

Eleanor nodded.

And so Eleanor took a deep breath as she opened the envelope.