Chapter 25...What He Wouldn't Give
And he found a piece of paper left behind on the stage as Eli walked off smiling and stuck it in his front pocket of the jeans he wore. Earlier that month the first song off his album had been released. Everyone knew who Eli's real father was and Eli was finally getting along with Jeff. Things were looking up for Eli. No one believed Eli as he told about his life thinking he was some shallow ass looking for the sympathy of others when the news of Luke's condition came into the media. Then when the death came around the hears of the producers of the competition show and pictures of Eli attending a funeral people's eyes opened even if it was after the contest had already ended. Sure Eli resented his father ever since the death of his mother back when he was sixteen, but looking back at everything now, Eli was nineteen and had an important question to ask himself. Would he follow in the footsteps of this famous biological dad or would he make a name for himself without his biological dad's name haunting him like a ghost.
Today was the anniversary of Stacy's death. Three years ago Eli had a stable foundation upon which he knew everything was to be. In a moment of seconds his life changed in ways he could never have imagined. From the words, "I am sorry for your loss." To the countless threats and words that spewed from Luke's drunken lips. The abuse he took, the sleepless nights, the countless mental battles he faced by himself and now three years later Eli had a direction for his life. With and without his friends, who were with him when he needed and couldn't always be there for him, Eli never gave into the thoughts that told him to give up. He never quit on himself.
With Jeff, Eli's biological dad, never knew of Eli's situation and the gratitude he had towards his offspring even if he conceived the kid by adultery, he never would have looked back. A broken kid, in a broken home; he smiled and knocked on Eli's door that morning. By the time Eli met Jeff it was too late to do anything against Luke due to having him buried six feet under the ground. In Jeff's hand was a letter that would make Eli smile and could change his future.
Eli groaned sitting up from the bed in his room, as he now lived with Jeff ever since he found out who his biological dad was. Smiling as he entered Jeff wished his son a Happy Birthday causing Eli to blink a few times. He kind of forgot what today was as his birthday became obsolete over the last couple of years. Noticing two small white envelopes in the man's hand Eli smiled and quickly the doorbell rang and someone had entered the house. The familiar red dyed hair caught his attention followed by Jeremy's voice. His best friends and someone he as cheesy as it sounded began to unconditionally love was enough for Eli to almost cry. A tear threatened to fall as he gave a nervous chuckle out of habit and Jeff handed him the birthday card and the other envelope.
Eli knew one of the envelopes contained a birthday card and that was enough to push Eli over the emotional edge. Breaking down Izzy hugged Eli. Struggle to keep his composure he wiped the tears and read the card. After that he opened the other envelope.
And he read.
"Dear Eli Carter,
Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you of your admission in Full Sail's Class of 2020.
Your acceptance is evidence of the Admission Committee's confidence in your potential, as well as recognition of your fine scholastic achievement and unique personal qualities. We believe you will have much to contribute..."
"I told you dork that you'd get in." The wise words from his red headed best friend.
"You can thank me now for making you send in your application now."
Eli smiled and laughed at the comment Jeremy made.
Getting out of bed Eli made his way to hug Jeff and thank him for everything, then moved on to hug Jeremy and Izzy. Izzy. She would always hold the spot in Eli's heart as his first love and best friend. She was now dating Officer Declan's deputy, Bentley. Jeff left Eli and his friends to catch up for a little only to remind Eli he had to be dressed by ten because he had planned something for Eli.
Once Jeff exited the room Eli begged his two best friends to give a hint on what was planned; however, as soon as he mentioned it the other two looked the other way and turned the conversation to something else. Shortly after that his friends told him that they had planned a surprise for Eli later in the day once he was free from Jeff.
Leaving his room Eli grabbed a nice shirt and his best jeans and ran into the bathroom so he would be ready to leave at ten like his biological father told him to be. True to his word at ten the two piled into the sports car and Jeff began to drive into the town Eli grew up in making him involuntarily shiver. Eli wondered what they were doing and after they drove across town Eli knew where he was headed. He hadn't visited his mom in a while.
"I know I miss her like crazy and I feel like she would want to be here for you today so Happy Birthday Eli, let's go eat breakfast with your mother and the girl I loved."
Eli smiled slightly and told himself no more tears. Getting out besides her grave he noticed there were fresh flowers and he looked up at his dad.
"Did you do this?"
"I come every week and I replace the flowers and I make sure the grave is cleaned off. Eli I know I wasn't there as your father, but please trust me. I loved Stacy and you even if I legally couldn't see you."
Getting better at trust people a genuine smile appeared on his face, "I trust you and I loved my mother more than anything. I must be a bad son for never visiting her."
A hand fell upon his shoulder causing him to look over at the man next to him. Jeff told Eli the words he wanted to hear. The two sat down and acted if Stacy was sitting right next to them. They talked about their lives and Eli told his mom some things and Jeff waited in the car to give him the privacy. Telling her about her now late husband left Eli emotionless, but that changed once Eli began to tell her about how his life had changed since then. He moved in with his true father, attended his now uncle Declan's wedding. Jeff was granted custody of Eli after Luke's death and Eli knew Luke would leave nothing to him in the will so everything worked out in that situation.
Wiping a single tear Eli got up and walked back to the car hugging his father and then asked where they were going next. Jeff drove Eli to the King's house and reminded Eli that he had a busy day tomorrow so he had to be home for dinner. Groaning but smiling since he felt like Jeff truly cared about Eli he agreed to the condition and was instantly met with a blindfold as he stepped out of the car. A giggle allowed Eli to know exactly who was behind the temporary blindness.
"Everyone hide." Jeremy said as he watched his sister bring their best friend through the front door. The last time Eli had a surprise party he freaked out, but seeing the guy change for the better over the year made the two siblings sure he wouldn't repeat his actions. Izzy turned on the lights giving Jeremy a thumbs up before he ducked behind the couch. Untying the blindfold, a chorus of Happy Birthday's rang out leaving a shocked Eli.
Many people he knew smiled and Eli wanted to freak out, but this time things were different. He pulled his two best friends in for a hug and someone took a picture. Sure Eli was famous, but he would be nothing if he had never met these to influential people. If he never had bought a longboard and then rode it that day, he would never had met the girl with red hair and her brother.
"I don't know where I'd be without you guys in my life." Was the only thing Eli said for the rest of the night to the two of his friends as he wanted to have fun with his friends for the first time since they got home from college. He knew he was about to have a pretty busy summer ahead of him getting ready to head off to college and learning the ways of the music world. He had a choice of following in Jeff's footstep or creating his own name. In that moment with his friends the question he didn't know how to answer was answered. Anthem Falls was back together and Chester replaced Jackson in the band as he went off to another band during the hiatus. They had just released their first single off their album that was yet to be named.
The party was alcohol free and Eli noticed that and smiled thanking his friends. No one at the party seemed to mind as people knew that Eli lived with an alcoholic abusive father and no one judged him for that they all accepted it and moved on. People Eli was familiar with slapped his back and said Happy Birthday and then went back to socializing with their friends that were at the party.
The first hour of the party was a little boring due to everyone eating, but after the food was gone the party moved outside and it was hot out so people were in the pool and having fun. Eli was standing in Jeremy's bathroom looking at the scars he had accumulated on his chest and back from the broken glass of beer bottles.
"Hey no one's going to judge you." A soft voice said.
Letting out a breath of air, "I know it's just they remind me of my past and I know I've moved on. But the scars are still a part of me."
"I know so that's why you haven't received your birthday present from Jeremy and I."
"What is it?" He asked curiously.
"You'll find out soon enough and Jeff is okay with it and trust me it's something you've wanted. Thanks to Jeremy's information I picked it out and you just have to trust me on it and everything okay?"
Eli smiled and said he trusted her. Leaving his shirt in the bathroom and he grabbed a towel the two headed downstairs and joined a game of pool volleyball. And around four the party winded down and by five Eli was in a car headed somewhere blind folded once again. Once they got to the tattoo parlor Eli knew sort of what they got him once he heard the word tattoo but he was absolutely clueless to what Izzy had picked out. Eli had a scar from a huge fight with luke that ran across his collar bone half way and Izzy had picked a tattoo saying that would cover the scar up mostly so only if you looked closely you'd see the scar otherwise you would see a tattoo.
Sitting in the chair Eli blinded still by the bandana put his faith into his friends and let the tattoo artist work his magic. About two hours later the tattoo was completed and a bandage was placed over it and Izzy was given instructions on how to take care of it until it was completely healed and that was so Eli couldn't see it yet.
They took Eli home as they had promised Jeff they would return Eli home for dinner around eight at night. Jeff had his personal chef make Eli's favorite dinner, Chicken Alfredo.
"So did they let you see what the tattoo was?" he asked.
Eli shook his head no and they sat down to eat his birthday meal.
"Thank you for everything Jeff."
Jeff smiled at his son and they continued to eat having a conversation about Eli's big day tomorrow and he asked Eli if he had an answer to the question everyone was waiting to hear. The person across the table nodded and told his father that he would have to wait like the rest of the people and find out tomorrow during the interview when he also told them the name of this bands album. They finished dinner and Eli went to bed around nine that night and Jeff had to do laundry before he could go to bed.
He grabbed the dirty clothes Eli left for him in the hamper in the bathroom Eli used and then grabbed his pile off the floor of his room and saw a piece of paper sticking out of a pair of jeans and waited to throw those jeans into the wash machine. He made sure all of their clothes could be washed in this load so he would only have to do one tonight. Looking at Eli's door he smiled and threw all the clothes in and held on the jeans that he saw the paper sticking out of.
Jeff picked the note out of his jeans that he found the night of Eli's most recent performance before he threw them into the wash with the rest of Eli's clothes. His son went to bed that night early due to having a monumentally busy day tomorrow. Unfolding the paper, he read it to himself only reading the last couple of words to himself out loud.
"and this was the story of what he wouldn't give. -Eli Carter"