Elenora's Point of View
After Dante told me I would be going back for testing mostly everyone at the dinner table assured me that it was a good thing and I didn't have to worry. I wasn't worried about the test, but it was a good excuse to go upstairs. I spent so much time crying that my head throned and my chest ached. When I finally hit the bed I fell into sleep immediately.
The next day came and it was not fun either, the same look of concerns across my brother's faces. I wasn't sure if Toni told them about yesterday, but it wasn't hard to tell from dinner with my eyes red and puffy from crying. I was sitting eating some toast and eggs. I took my fork and stabbed into the yolk, letting it slowly run out over the toast and onto the plate. I slowly at my egg and used the buttered toast to soak up the yolk, but no matter how hard I tried the yellow stain remained on the crisp white plate. I just continued to move my fork around the plate until I saw a hand reach out for it, I expected it to be Matteo coming back from his shift but it was Toni instead.
I look into his eyes and see a look of pity. "Hey kiddo. You finished" I nod and set the fork down on the plate. He finished reaching for it and takes it to the sink and turns the water on, washing off the rest of the yolk and the crumbs that remained before sticking it into the dishwasher. He comes back around to fill up his coffee mug and looks at me with a closed lip smile. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I wish I knew how to make it better"
"I'm doing better than yesterday" I say forcing myself to give him a smile.
"Better is amazing" he says "I have to get to work" he says walking away before turning back to me. "Want to try something with me?"
"I guess" hoping this isn't me having to explain to anyone about yesterday.
"I think it would be nice if we both thought of simple things each day we can be happy we accomplished. My goal today is today is to make you smile. Like a genuine one, not to make one of us worry less. You don't have to share yours but that is mine" I'm surprised at what he suggested but even more surprised by his goal. I don't think he is going to accomplish it, but it makes my heart warm at the thought. It's been a while since someone cared that much for me.
"I will think it over for my goal" I say then I turn to see Nico walk through. "I should get going too" I say getting up to follow Nico out to the car. Just like yesterday he turns on the music and we drive in silence, but this time as I get out he actually walks with me to my testing room.
"Good luck. I-I had to get to class yesterday" he says so quietly I could barely hear what he was saying. I stood there a while, plying with the twins bracelets that I was still wearing. I looked down them and out of the corner of my eye I see him twisting the ring on his finger, and his other hand pulling the strings of his backpack, gripping them so tight his buckles have turned white. I can tell he wants to run out of the hallway. I realize that yesterday, really wasn't him being rude and leaving me but the fact that being out here really stressed him out. I get that, being in a place this loud is tiring. I can never quite be calm, always staying alert to see if any one of the ghosts of my past might be lurking. I don't know if it's his ghosts that make him this way or just the general crowd, but I think I understand.
"No problem. Thank you for walking with me today. It means a lot" I say. He waves before he starts to walk away. I turn and open the door to the testing room. This time there are a lot less people, and there are free response booklets set out. Clearly I did too well yesterday to just skate by, because this seems to more intensive. Looks like this is going to be a long day of writing.
***
After a few hours I'm done and it feels like my hand is about to fall off. Luckily Federico said he was already on his way so I won't have to wait long. As I'm walking out I'm not quite paying attention so when someone starts to talk to me I jump out of my skin. "Hey Einstein"
"Oh hey Finn" I say relieved to see it's him. "Why Einstein?"
"Oh" he laughs "sorry, I saw you in the room for AP placement testing. If you score well for your age yesterday they move you to this today. They want you to stay in your grade but take harder classes to build your transcript for college applications"
"Oh that makes sense" I say while walking down the hall to the exit. We walk a little ways down the hall before he breaks the silence.
"You know I'm sorry, if I'm coming off a little strong. Just wanted to welcome you to the school, but I get it if I'm just overwhelming you. Just let me know" he says, looking a little worried and maybe a little disappointed. It didn't feel bad, but I thought he was nice and just having someone to talk to outside of the family drama and people who are constantly worrying is nice.
"Don't worry, I'm just not that talkative right now. I do appreciate you inviting me yesterday but I was hanging out with my brother yesterday and well I didn't have any way to let you know that"
"Is this your way of asking for my number, because if so I will happily give it to you" he say jokingly, but being misinterpreted made my face heat up. He steps in front of me to pull the door open for me to which I say thanks. As I reach the bench I sat at yesterday I slow down my walk.
"Well my brother should be here soon" I say shifting my eight back and forth between my heels and toes, "it was nice seeing you"
"Yeah you too" he says and walks over to the other bench and takes his back pack off to sit down. I was confused at first, since yesterday he left in what I assume to be his car. So why today was he here. I stand up and walk over, he put in his headphones so he doesn't quite notice me yet. I hesitate turning around, as if looking for a reason to stop, but against my better judgment I finish walking over and tap him on the shoulder. He pulls out his headphones of looks up at me with a smile.
"Can I sit?" I ask hesitantly. He answers by sliding over and letting me sit on the side of the bench closest to where I was standing.
"I thought you drive to school?" I say, mentally slapping my forehead for that being what I said to him first.
"Oh yeah usually, but my older brother is back from college and so we need to share the car. My dad is picking me up in a little bit" I nod, but then he pauses, "wait how do you know I drive?"
"Oh" I say realizing I sound like a stalker, "saw you leaving yesterday but was too far away to say hi"
"Don't worry didn't think you were a stalker" he said reading my thoughts. He follows this by tapping his shoulder gently against mine, which earns him a quiet laugh.
"Yeah and I wouldn't have banished you to this bench if I knew you were also waiting for a ride" We sit there and he hands me one of the ends of his head phones and we listen to music for a few minutes before Federico pulls up in his car. I stand up, pulling the headphone out of my ear. "Thanks for the music"
I start to walk and open the car door to get in. "Hey Elenora" he says smiling, but then he looks past me "Finn?! How are you?"
I look between the two confused until I realize they played basketball together two years ago when my brother was a senior. Finn must've been pretty good to have made varsity as a sophomore. "Good, how about you man?" He says as he leans down to look through my open window, across to Federico.
"Good, just taking my little sis home? What happened to your car, why are you waiting around?" He says putting his arm on the back of my seat
"Oh brothers in town, dad is just leaving now to pick me up" Federico nods along to this.
"Hey why don't I drop you off?" My brother says, to which I turned wide eyed in his direction.
"Oh it's out of your way, I don't want to be a bother" Finn say taking a step back from the car and shaking his head.
"Nonsense besides I can drop you off at the train station to take you back if you don't want me to drive you all the way, at least that way I can save your dad a trip"
"Thank you" he says as he starts to get in the back seat of the car. Once he's buckled in Federico pulls out of the parking lot.
"So how'd you two meet?" My brother starts to interrogate us, not even a second later.
"He helped take me to my testing room yesterday" I say
"Thanks, I'm glad someone has by baby sister's back. Nico sure doesn't" he says as a joke, but it just aggravates me.
"Well Nico had to get to class for extra help in the morning, if not I'm sure he would've taken her. Did he today?" Finn said, and I smiled glad he was in my side with this.
"Yeah he took me today, I know we would've if he could yesterday" Federico nods and then starts to ask Finn some things about how the basketball team is doing this year which I tune out. After a little bit we make it to the station.
"Thanks for the ride" he says to Federico before turning to me, "hopefully I see you next semester. Maybe, hopefully, even sooner if you want to hang out. If so" he pulls out a piece of paper, which I grab, "here's my number"
He waves as he gets out of the car and walks away. Maybe Toni was right, maybe setting a goal would be good for me. My goal for the day is to not close myself off, maybe take a chance. I look down at the piece of paper, pull out my phone and save his number. Even in Chicago right before I left no one made me feel hopeful because I closed them off. Before it felt like I was in the middle of the ocean on a raft alone, but now that I actually look up I can see a ship in the distance.
"So you and Finn" Federico says questioningly
"No comment" is all I say in return.
***
Author's Note
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Please vote if you do, what do you think of the characters.