Ghosts from the Past...
"Hello, you've reached Izzy's cell, please leave a message at the beep."
"Izzy I need you, but you're at college. Something's happened. I don't know what to do. Call me back as soon as possible. Eli."
Out of breath Eli held his phone in his heads praying she would call back. After calling Jeremy five times and no responses he prayed to death his other best friend would answer. Not ready to see him again, five letters, one word, one person. The knocking continued on the door as Eli hid behind the kitchen counter with his back against the wood. Taking a breath as he crawled to the back staircase to the basement, Eli slipped downstairs, coming back up and opened the front door, "Sorry I was downstairs."
The person in front of him hadn't changed much except he didn't have such a rugged young out of college look and a ring on his finger. Swallowing a lump in his throat Eli looked at him trying not to slam the door in his face.
"You seem to be doing well."
"Yes, thank you so much for checking up on me two years later."
"Hey I took care of you when you need someone the most!"
"Oh really! You did?"
"Yes I did, DO YOU NOT REALIZE HOW BAD YOU WERE BACK THEN?"
"(PROFANITY YELLED HERE)! WHERE WERE YOU, WHEN I WAS AT MY WORST. I'VE HAD NIGHTS WORST THAN YOU'VE EVER SEEN."
"TELL ME ABOUT ALL THE TRAGIC NIGHTS YOU'VE HAVE, WHAT ABOUT SEEING THE HAUNTING IMAGES OF A DOMESTIC ABUSE BY A FATHER TO HIS TEENAGE SON."
"HOW ABOUT LIVING THE ABUSE! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME, YEAH I NEVER CONTACTED YOU AGAIN, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN I WOULDN'T UNLESS YOU MADE CONTACT FIRST. SO SAVE THIS SHIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE. YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST GO, YOU ABANDONED ME JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE I EVER COULD SAY I LOVED AS A FAMILY OR FRIEND."
With that Eli slammed the door on him and slumped against the back of it attempting to keep the tears from escaping. Throwing his head back the familiar song that originally was girly but Our Last Night's cover of Maps by Maroon 5 started to play.
"Hey Eli sorry I couldn't get your call I was in class, I'm currently in the bathroom what's going on?"
"Declan," he choked out and the tears slowly slide down his face in a gentle stream.
Izzy was sitting in the corner of the bathroom on the phone with Eli, helping him. Eli explained that Declan had taken care of him after Luke had beaten him to a pulp and tried to say that his son attacked him. Declan seemed like an actual father to him, however, after he never checked up on him Eli erased that and told himself he would never again talk to him. Eli talked about how pissed he was when he saw Declan pull into the drive way for abandoning him, but Iz could tell that he was happy that he saw Declan in his tone.
The two said their goodbye as Iz had to go back to class and promised to talk to him later that week and watch next week's contest. Eli had received an email telling him he had to do a cover of a pop song for this week's entry and he would send it in himself, so he had to record it. Normally he would ask Iz to, however, she was at college hours away. It was quarter to nine and Eli wasn't ready for work.
Pulling into the garage around nine fifteen he clocked in and asked what he was supposed to do today. Mindlessly going through the motions the day seemed to fly by and by eight he had finished the last customer's car and called them to let them know it was ready to be picked up. Walking out to his truck, Eli noticed a piece of paper stuck in his windshield wiper. Seeing the name on the paper he almost just chucked the letter on the ground and drove away, but what Izzy mentioned earlier caught him before he could just forget about it.
On the way home Eli stopped by the medical center in town and asked when Luke was going into surgery. He was told by the end of the week that he was just being watched and made sure he would be ready for surgery sooner than later. So with that information, Eli returned home to pay the bills and cook himself dinner. He was once again, alone. He didn't want to remember the last time he felt truly alone. After eating dinner Eli got on his longboard with his guitar in hand and skated to the cemetery to visit his mom and show her his new song he wrote for her. Yet it wasn't clique and about her, he just wrote it in her memory as it was his life.
"My foot slips from the edge, I feel like I'm falling. Nothing's holding me up, the support beams broken. I'm falling faster with each breath I take...I try to run, but I'm left standing where I started. Every time I make a move, it's in the opposite direction. I'm falling and there's nothing I can do to save myself..."
He began explain to his mom that he hadn't gotten that far in the song and that Declan came back to which left him with mixed emotions about how to feel about him coming back into his life at the moment. He talked about how Luke was going into surgery for a kidney transplant by the end of the month next week and how Luke had managed to drink to the edge of life. Eli sat next to her grave strumming random chords, chord progressions, and strings as he thought over the conversation, or yelling match that went on earlier.
Strumming muted strings and counting himself in, "1...2...3... Where were you," He screamed, "when I was at my worst? I've had nights worse than you've ever seen." The stopped and shook his head. It sounded better when he screamed it off the top of his head. He placed the flowers he picked up on the way and placed them around her grave and cleared the dead ones away. After talking to his mom for another hour he got up and began to walk home not feeling like using his long board. Tired, is all he felt. He worked over time today, he had to go over to the Kings house sometime during the week to record his music video with Mr. King as he was the one who got Izzy into what she loved to do.
He chose to the song Maps, originally by Maroon 5 and use Our Last Night's version for the video. He got home and he just wanted to collapse on his bed; however, when he did manage to lay down he felt himself wake up the total opposite of what he wanted and felt. He hated that his two best friends were at college, but he couldn't do anything than get used to being alone again it seemed. Luke hadn't talked much to Eli before he went to the center leaving Eli alone once again to be the adult. He was eighteen, but he didn't want the title of adult just yet.
Thoughts kept him awake all night and just as he could close his eyes Eli's alarm clock went off and he had to get ready for another day at the garage fixing people's cars. Yawning he grabbed his old worn out pair of jeans and he shirt he had to wear before he grabbed a quick shower.
Grabbing the toast as it popped out of the toaster and trying to button his shirt, Eli raced around the corner of the kitchen and caught his side on the granite counter top. Trying not to swear or spill the juice in his hand, he carefully set the glass down and lifted his now fully buttoned shirt to examine the damage that was done. A bruise, funny he hadn't seen a bruise on his body in such a long time, two months or so. Ever since high school ended things around the house had changed and with Luke gone it was good despite everything else.
Finding his keys in his shoe he picked them up and slid the shoes on racing out the door to his truck and to the garage. Getting to the garage his boss immediately called him into his office and right away Eli knew this couldn't be good. He started off with a sigh and Eli couldn't force himself to sit down. Eli knew that this meant he screwed up and was about to lose his job. He didn't try to cry easily, but life hasn't been kind to him so he had a harder time trying to keep his composure in bad situations.
"Eli, you're a good kid and all."
Eli couldn't bite his tongue, "Save the crap for someone else, tell it to me straight."
He shook his head and then looked back at Eli explaining that the garage couldn't afford to stay open with all the workers and if he didn't release someone they would end up going belly up. Eli's boss explained that he would be paid out the rest of the week until the end of payroll and his last check would be sent to him in the mail and he could go home.
Eli took his hat off and threw it at the floor leaving it since it was a hat he got at work and stormed out of the office pushing past the older men standing watching the scene unfold. He needed a steady source of income and now this happened to him. Punching the door frame as hard as he could once he was in the parking lot Eli just kept punching it for a few minutes until he came back to his sense and realized the immense pain his knuckles were now in. Bloody, bruised, and cut up he got into his truck and drove. He had no idea where he was going he just needed to get away.
The familiar ringtone caught Eli's attention and he picked up his phone without thinking about anyone else than the other person on the receiver. The voice sounded worried as a close friend of his.
"Yo, Eli you alright man, I heard about what happened and if you need a job my dad surely could get you one anywhere you wanted. I'm coming home this weekend for a break and Izzy will be coming home to we both have the weekend off."
Eli smiled at the thought of his two best friends coming home and he needed this phone call to help him calm down. Today was Wednesday and by Saturday he hoped to have the company of his friends again, even if it was for a short time. Eli headed home and gave Jeremy's dad a call asking if he was still coming over today to record the video. Getting a confirmation Eli walked into the local drug store looking for stuff to wrap around his knuckles after his mindless anger accident. The guy at the counter eyed Eli as he looked for bandages. An unexpected person walked into the store and wandered around until he found the isle with the gauze in it. Eli was standing looking absent minded at the wide variety of different brands of stuff wondering what was best. The stranger picked up a box and handed to Eli and walked away before Eli could mutter out a thanks or even recognize who it was. The man knew who Eli was; however, Eli had no clue who this man was and the man knew that. That's what hurt the stranger the most. He walked out of the drug store not even buying the medicine he needed. He saw someone he never expected to.
Seeing his son in person for the first time since, she gave birth overwhelmed him. He had the same black hair and hazel eyes as himself, Eli must have gotten his height from him too. Noticing the busted knuckles made him furious. He knew he couldn't come into his son's life yet. His "father" had called the stranger once Stacy passed saying that by Eli's twenty-first birthday if Eli had not found out who his real father was, the man could contact Eli. He knew Eli's father was going into surgery for a kidney transplant and wanted to pay for the whole thing, but that could elude to Eli finding out about him to early and he promised himself he'd pay Eli back for that.
Eli wondered who the stranger was, for a moment as if his eye's deceived him, the man looked like an older version of himself. Not taking another moment to think about it, Eli found everything he needed and went to check out and head home before he had to make the drive to the King's house.
The stranger went to the hospital that Luke was at and talked to Luke Carter's doctor about how if Eli couldn't afford to keep up with the hospital bills he was to be immediately informed. The doctor was shocked about who was in the room saying they would pay for this man's procedure. The stranger knew nothing of how this man treated his son and if the stranger knew all the horrible actions against Eli Luke acted on, he would murder Luke. Stacy back then, never told him she was married and he believed she was single, except when she told him that she was pregnant she confessed everything. He told her that no matter what he wanted to see his son even if it meant waiting years.
When Eli pulled up to the King's house he was greated with Mrs. King. She welcomed Eli and he told her that Jeremy said that him and Izzy were coming home this weekend. Filled with joy she hugged Eli making him feel uncomfortable. He went into the studio in the basement and began working on playing the song. Eli had been practicing the song since he found out he just wanted to have it in his long term memory before playing to be recorded. Not paying attention, Eli got lost in his music and Mr. King took an opportunity and recorded Eli when he began to sing and Eli nailed every solo, riff, and note.
Hitting the intro chord progression, then the first word, the whole thing was magical as Eli seemed to be transcended into another world as he played. Once Mr. King had gotten his video, he disappeared leaving Eli to keep "practicing" as Mr. King went to start editing the video. Eli looked up when he heard a door close over the sound of the strings vibrating through the amp. The room was sound proof so no one could hear out, but was someone just in here was the question. Eli looked at the time after playing some other songs and a few originals. When Eli went upstairs around six, Mr. King appeared from his office with his computer telling Eli to sit down and watch the video he made of Eli's performance.
Eli was amazed at the producing skills the King family had, despite Mr. King's later occupation change, he was still an amazing producer. Eli and Mr. King sent the video into the show and then he asked Eli to stay for dinner and he felt like he couldn't say no to Mr. King after all he's done for Eli. Mrs. King had made chicken alfredo, as she remembered that it was one of Eli's favorite meals.
"Hello, Eli dear, how is everything going? I saw your performance on that new television contest, and you were the best and I'm not saying that because your friends with my kids." Mrs. King said laughing.
He gave a slight chuckle and looked at his food. Swirling the chicken in the alfredo sauce he looked back up and said, "Thanks and it's going good, my dad's getting ready for his surgery and the job at the garage is good for now."
Lying about the job, Eli felt satisfied with his response and began to eat as he sat next to the two adults feeling extremely awkward. He remembered coming here one day and not really remembering what happened and he was afraid they knew something that they should not. Eli's phone ringing pulled him from silence and he excused himself to go answer it.
"Hello?"
No response, just breathing and static, as Eli was about to hang up a voice spoke, "Eli?"
"Who's asking?"
" Jeff. I just want to know you look so much like your mother and I wish you the best of luck in this competition. I saw you on the first week and can't wait to see how you do this next week. I own a record company out on the West coast and if you don't win or you do win, I'd love to have you as a part of the company, I see a lot of talent in you. I hope to talk to you more after the competition, you can call the company at the number provided on our website, Gold's Records. Have a good night or day."
With that the Jeff guy hung up and Eli felt like his voice was familiar, but couldn't place it, so he opted to forget about it and go back to dinner. Apologizing for the call, Eli sat back down and finished eating. The King's seemed like they were such a young couple compared to their ages. Eli volunteered to help clean up the dishes with Mrs. King as Mr. King had to run out halfway through dinner with an emergency call from the hospital and the door of the house suddenly opened causing Eli to flinch.
The melodic voice and the raw voice of Izzy and her brother filled the kitchen causing Mrs. King to almost cry. Eli refrained from running up to Izzy and hugging her despite every fiber in his body telling him too. He greeted Jeremy and when Izzy came over and hugged him, he hugged her back and said hi. Eli knew the next song he was going to do for the contest at the exact moment if the rules for round three would allow it. His friends came home earlier than the weekend and boy that made Eli's day. A smile fell upon his face and for a small moment he knew these people were a part of his family, a family he had never really had.