the boy who was afraid of the dark

thursday 9:14 am, lucas

  i finally went back to school today.
  i was terrified to face people.

  the boys have been updating me on people's rumours and theories, and people have been speculating about eliott screaming "you broke his leg" and my actual very clearly broken leg.

  also the fact that i haven't been at school since elliott's breakdown.

  but i went today. in william's car with chris.
  he drove all of us to school. the six of us hadn't really separated at all since monday.

  they have all been sleeping at the colloc on the floor or couch in case eliott decides to come back, knowing the colloc is the first place he'd go.

  i never really thought of it as us getting closer until becoming suddenly very aware of everyone looking at us and whispering confusedly.

  but the day went on, and eliott didn't come back.

-         thursday 12:14, lucas

  i was sitting in history, at a table with chris, yann, and arthur, when my phone buzzed.

  i jumped to answer it with elliott's name in my head, but it was a random number.
   but i recognizes the random number.

  it was chad collins' random number.

chad:
hey.

  at first i was disgusted and ignored it. but then my curiosity got the best of me.

lucas:
why are you texting me?

the reply was almost immediate.
chad:
we have a lot to sort through.

  he has a conscience?

lucas:
i guess...

chad:
i'll start. i'm really sorry for taking a picture of you and eliott and threatening to out you. that was totally wrong of me i'm not that kind of guy. and i never meant to hurt you with that brick. it was just supposed to be a harmless prank meant to get eliott to forfeit the match. i'm really really sorry.

  okay, it was normal for a person with morals to apologize. but if they had enough morals to do so? once would have in person.
  i wasn't buying this.

lucas:
wouldn't you have preferred to win fair and square?

chad:
yes.

lucas:
well, okay. thanks, i guess ? i cant say it's okay or i forgive you cause i can't walk. but whatever man.

chad:
right, well. sorry anyways. and uh, tell eliott i'm sorry too. i'm a little scared to contact him back.

  i read over the text with the intention to ignore it, but my eyes traced back over the last word a few times before processing.

lucas:
back? has he contacted you?

chad:
yeah, this morning at like 3 am. he sent me a bunch of paragraphs that just said shit like "perish" and "agony". i was about to ask you if he was doing okay. the last paragraph he sent was all about sharp edges and flying off bridges and shit like that it was concerning.

  i barely processed or thought twice about chad's most recent text before standing up and limping out of the classroom.
  i provides no explanation, but my friends took the hint and came after me.

  the teacher tried to protest but chris just told him it was a family emergency.
  everyone else in the classroom gave each other the look of "i know this is about eliott, do you?"

  once we were out in the hallway, i turned to chris. 
  "i'm afraid he's gonna hurt himself."

  "what do you mean hurt himself? like get hurt out in wherever the hell he is?" chris shook his head, trying to understand.

  "no," i firmly replied. "hurt himself like intentionally harm himself."

  thats when chris' expression changed. it no longer showed confusion or desperate attempt to understand. it no longer showed anything.
  it was completely blank.

  he stared at me for about ten seconds, processing with his emotionless face, before pulling out his phone and typing in a number.

  "william, it's an emergency." pause.
  "yes, it's about eliott." pause.
  "lucas thinks he might harm himself."
   pause.
  "yes, again."