ELLIOT

The next morning after getting permission from Mrs Wilson, I visited mom at the hospital. When I entered her room, I found her sitting on the hospital bed with her back leaned against the wall. Dressed in a hospital gown, her face was the slightest of pale, but her bubbly cheeks were as cute as ever. Her silky, dark chocolate brown hair was pulled into a loose bun and her green eyes complimented the smile printed on her face when she met my gaze.

However, I knew something was wrong. I could see it on her expression when I sat down on the chair beside her bed and held her hand.

"Hey, how are you?" She asked, softly.

"I'm okay. And you?" I smiled.

Mom tried to smile. "I'm okay, but I have some bad news."

My smile faded as I couldn't bring myself to prepare for this bad news.

"I lost my job at the cafe," she said, gently.

For a long moment, her unbelievable words echoed in my ears as I sat in silence. It was when she placed her hand over mine, I blinked twice to snap out of my daze.

"I'm really sorry, dear. We don't have much money left and I really don't know what to do. I'm not allowed to leave the hospital for another two days and I don't know how I'm going to find another job in such a short time."

"Mom, hey, don't worry about it. I need you to rest and take a break from this hectic life of yours. I'll find a job and work instead of you," I assured, my heart aching.

"But Elliot, what about school?" She asked, worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'll just drop out," I replied as if the school I had worked so hard to get admission into had no meaning to me.

Nothing else had a meaning to me when it came to mom's safety and happiness.

"What? No!" she protested, rapidly jerking my hand off hers.

I frowned. "It's okay mom,-"

"No, it's not okay. Elliot, that school was your dream," she argued, sternly.

I sighed and took both of her hands in mine before giving them a light squeeze.

"You are my life mom. My whole world. Nothing matters more than your happiness and safety. Nothing. And I'm willing to give up everything for that," I confessed, gazing into her beautiful green eyes. The color I had always wanted. Instead, I got the same eye color as that monster.

Mom's expression softened. "Even your love for Rachel?"

"My what?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts as I tried to let mom's question process through my mind.

Mom looked at me with a knowing expression. "Come on, dear. You are my son. I know how you feel. I can see your love for her."

I rapidly stood up, my heart beating extremely fast and my pulse jumping. Mom looked at me with a worried frown. I uncontrollably shook my head in protest.

"No. No way. Never. I'm not in...love with Rachel." Even the word love sounded incorrect coming out of my mouth.

"And even if I was, it wouldn't matter, because she is going to end her life after graduation anyway. Leaving each and every person who has ever cared about her, heartbroken," I snapped, anger boiling inside of me.

"Does that include you?" She asked, carefully.

"Yes. Yes, it does," I replied, genuinely.

Mom's frown remained while I sat down again and cupped her cheeks in the palms of my hands. "Look, mom. I care about Rachel. I care about her a lot, but there's no chance of ever being any sort of love between her and me. Friends, love and all of those things have never mattered to me. You are the only one who matters something to me. When I've gotten us out of this poverty and all this difficulties, I'll focus on love and friends, but right now you are my top priority."

"Okay?" I looked at her with a stubborn expression.

Defeated, mom sighed before nodding.

Smiling, I pulled her in for a hug, but when her arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly, I fought the urge to break down. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tightened my fists and for a moment tried to imagine Rachel's reaction after telling her that I was leaving.

She'd be happy.

~

After returning to school, I sat in the library thinking over life. Yep, that's exactly what Elliot Waters was doing at the moment.

I had informed Mrs Wilson about my financial difficulties and because of that I was leaving the school. She wasn't happy about it. When she asked "What about Rachel?", I told her that there were many geniuses at this school who had way better tutoring skills than I did. Thus, her grades would turn into straight A's in no time and she would be able to graduate. She didn't need me. She was better off without me.

I told Rachel my story and I knew that every time she would see me, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from thinking that I was born by rape. Just like I couldn't face her without the thought of her killing her dad with a gun crossing my mind. That's the thing about judging. Even the most generous and kindest human beings in the world couldn't help to judge others. That was one of the perks of life.

I left before Mrs Wilson got the chance to say anything else. I know what she was going through, because no one else understood the fear of losing someone better than me. I wished I could stay and help her and Rachel, but I had to help my own loved one. Someone who meant the world to me.

Sighing, I pushed the thoughts away and stood up. I had to pack and get out of here. The sooner I left, the faster could I go look for a job. And the less would it hurt to think about the fact that I wouldn't be a student here anymore. I walked quickly through the hallways, sprinted up the stairs and into my dorm. However, I was in such a hurry that I didn't realize when I crashed into a skinny figure, leading us both to go crashing down on the floor.

The body that laid underneath me was frozen and I think even my heart stopped for a second. When apple red hair tickled against my face and the scent of strawberries and cinnamon entered my nostrils, my heart thumped loudly within my chest.

"God, you're so heavy," Rachel growled into my ear, her breath tickling against my hair.

Gently, I lifted my weight off her by raising myself on to my hands. I bit my bottom lip as I gazed at Rachel's closed eyes and calm expression. When my gaze stopped on her lips, the memory of our kiss last night came rushing back. Her lips were so cold, but in the most amazing way against mine. She didn't kiss me back. I didn't expect her to. Because that kiss meant nothing.

The kiss was more like a silencer. I needed to silence Rachel before her thoughts and words reached to something beyond crucial. However, just for a moment, I enjoyed having her lips against mine.

When Rachel's hazel eyes fluttered open and met mine, she looked at me with a curious expression.

"Um...you okay?" she asked, gently.

I shrugged. "I....don't know."

"Where have you been?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side, a frown crawling up to her lips.

"I was at the hospital to visit mom."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah. She's fine."

"Then why are you frowning like a sad puppy?" She tried an amusing smile, but I ignored it.

"I just...can't stop thinking about...you," I confessed, bluntly.

Astonished, Rachel's cheeks turned into a shade of pink while her eyes stayed glued on mine.

"You showered in freezing cold water. I thought you had a fever." I placed my palm on her forehead.

She scoffed, shooting me a "are you serious?" look. "You packed me in five blankets in the middle of the night. Trust me, I'm fine."

"Aww, are you trying to say thank you?" I grin, amusingly.

She smirked. "Nope."

"Now, get off!" She pushed me off her so I laid next to her on the floor.

We laid next to each other while gazing up the the ceiling. It seemed as if Rachel and I had found a liking towards this plain, empty white ceiling.

"I just came to tell you that I can't study with you this evening. I'm going back to my house today," she informed.

Curious, I glanced at her.

"Aunt Bella told me that I need to pack up my things from my bedroom, because the house has been sold to another family. I haven't been there since....yeah, you know," she glanced at me, hoping I understood.

I nodded, reassuringly.

"You...you really don't want to go, do you?" I asked, carefully, my gaze lingering on her.

Rachel sighed and moved her gaze back to the ceiling above us. And then as I assumed, she shook her head.

"I really don't. I k-killed my dad there. I don't think I can ever return to that house," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as if she was trying to fight a mental war in her head.

"I'll come with you," I said, softly.

"What?" She glanced at me, rapidly.

I smiled, reassuringly. "And when you break down I'll hold you. As long as you want me to. Okay?"

Silently holding her gaze on me, Rachel slowly nodded.

I couldn't tell her now. Sharing my news about me leaving this school could wait. I just wanted to hold her one more time. Rachel herself and her broken pieces. I wanted to hold all of her, until she was okay. Not forever, because Rachel could never be okay forever, but at least for a moment. And sometimes, being okay just for a moment could reduce a big amount of pain.

~

"You're leaving?!"

"But why?!"

"What about Rachel? She needs you."

That evening, I sat with Will, Madelaine and Skylar on a couch together in the library. Clearly, telling them that I was leaving in a quiet place like the library wasn't such a good idea. Some students looked at us with confusion clouding their faces. However, my three shocked and angry friends didn't care at all.

I sighed. "You know that woman who came for a visit a week ago?"

They nodded. "You mean your sister?" Will asked.

My both fists tightened under the table and my jaw twitched. "Yeah, she wasn't my sister."

All three of them raised their brows while looking at me with puzzled expressions.

"She was my mom."

And just like that, they stared at me with gaping jaws, deeply shocked.

"Mom was an orphan and lived in an orphanage. She was...raped when she was fifteen and once more 8 years ago. She had me at fifteen," I informed, swallowing hard.

Their faces went pale as they all stared at me with shock, sympathy, concern and horrification.

"Shit, bro, we're so sorry. We had no idea", Will said, horrified.

"Elliot," Skylar began as she wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulder after sitting down next to me on the couch.

"And last week, the day she left from the visit, she had this type of panic attack where she lost control of herself. Thus, she ended up cutting her wrist," I whisper, through a clenched jaw.

Palms covering her mouth, Madelaine gasps loudly while Skylar hugs me tightly. When she draws back, she looks at me with a frown upon her lips.

"Is she okay now?" She questions, gently.

I nod. "Yeah. She has been spending a few days at the hospital, but she's better and is getting discharged tomorrow."

Skylar smiled in relief and the paleness across their faces slowly starts to fade.

"But the reason to why I have to leave, is because mom lost her job and I want her to take a break from her hectic life. I'm going to work instead of her. That's why I'm dropping out of school to find a job. And as for Rachel needing me, well, she doesn't. There are many others students who could be way better tutors than me. She'll be able to graduate without my help. And after that, nor can I or anyone else decide what she wants to do with her life," I concluded.

"Have you told Rachel?" Will asked.

"Not yet. I'll tell her as soon as I can," I replied.

"You really aren't changing your mind are you?" Skylar smiled, sadly.

"I don't have any other choice here, guys. You all have been great friends to me. And I appreciate you guys a lot. I hope we can still stay in contact," I responded, truthfully.

They all nodded in agreement.

"Of course." Skylar smiled, attempting to conceal the sadness across her face, but even though hard she tried, I saw it clearly in her ocean blue eyes.

Skylar Patterson. My first friend. God, I was going to miss her. I was going to miss everything about this school. Everything. Especially the redhead snake. My cute little idiot. I briefly smiled to myself by the thought.

"Before I go back to my dorm and start packing, I need to tell you guys something. It's about Rachel," I said.

"Is she okay?" Will asks, worriedly.

Meanwhile, Madelaine and Skylar looked at me with inquiring expressions. Additionally, concerned and fear dominated in their eyes.

After everything that happened when Madelaine exploded of anger towards Rachel, the three of them still cared. They cared a lot.

"Everyone knows that Rachel's parents died on the 1st September of 2017. Another thing that happened is that she shot her dad with a gun," I informed, holding my breath.

Just as the words slipped out of my mouth, Will, Skylar and Madelaine's face went extremely pale as if they were staring at a ghost instead of me. They sat frozen on the couch for a long moment before Madelaine sobbing broke the silence.

"Shit," Will whispered, palms over his mouth and his face turning a lot paler than a few seconds ago.

When Madelaine burst into tears, a terrified Skylar took her side and pulled her against her chest, hugging her tightly. And then it was almost as if Madelaine was hit by a realization slap.

"Her dad was so close to her. I...I didn't even know and I said so much shit to her," she sobbed, disgusted by herself.

"You guys didn't know so it's not your fault. You had every right to say those things to her. She wasn't treating you fairly. You guys were scared and made mistakes you badly regret," I assured.

"But, Madeline, you need to get her back into your life. Don't give up on her yet. Apologize and let Rachel apologize to you. Try to be her friend again. Will, I'm not sure if she'll be ready to be friends with you again, but she might want Madelaine back," I added.

While Will's face creased with disappointment and sorrow as he clenched his jaw, Madelaine nodded while wiping her tears.

"I will. I'll try my best. I'm never giving up on her. She was my sister and she always will be. That bond will never break between us," she confessed and exchanged a smile with Skylar before Skylar gave her a kiss on the cheek.

By the sight of them, I, just for a moment, wondered what it was like to be in love.

When I was walking through the hallway sometime later, Skylar voice calling for me made me stop in my tracks before turning around. I saw the short blonde girl walking towards me with a smile across her face, her dimple forming on her cheek. She wore a pink t-shirt with white shorts, her hair tucked behind her ears.

"You're going to give up your dream and future for your mom?" She asked, stopping in front of me.

I smiled, softly. "When mom found out she was pregnant at fifteen, she gave up her whole life by deciding to keep me. What I'm doing is nothing compared to what she did."

"You are one amazing human being, Elliot Waters. The world needs people like you," she admitted, taking my hand in hers and giving it a light squeeze.

I smiled, because I was happy to meet Skylar. My first friend. The first person who cared about me other than mom. And it felt good to be cared for by another person. I had learned that the more people who loved you, the more loved did you feel. I had always only had mom. Rachel Adams had so many. For God's sake, the whole school loved her. And I knew they still did.

"Thanks, Skylar, for being a friend and a sister. Keep smiling and being weird," I told her, pressing out a goofy grin.

She nodded while grinning widely. "And you, just keep being yourself and this isn't goodbye, right? I'm expecting a call from you twice a week," she commanded, folding her arms across her chest and trying a stern expression.

"Okay, boss," I chuckled.

And then I pulled her into a tight embrace, our arms around wrapped around each other until the sun fell out of the sky and I wondered how many hours I had left standing on the grounds of my dream school. Every hour, every second and every moment mattered. And tonight, I wanted to spend some moments with the redhead snake. I wanted to read the pages of her story. How she broke. Slowly and silently, yet so, so, painfully.

****************

Which character would you like to see more of?

Vici

Skylar

Madelaine

Will

Lucy

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