A/N : I need a favour, your power-stones I am to fight someone & they will be a decent weapon !!! /Silly
18th of January
(Elijah's pov)
On the way back to the parking lot Arthur asked. "Son, have you ever visited his grave ?"
" Why would I ?" I asked rhetorically "I hate him, everything he was, thoroughly disgusts me" i continued, the sincerity in my voice even surprising myself
"Because son, you can't always pretend like that night doesn't exis-" he said. "I don't pretend like that night doesn't exist." I snapped a little too quickly
We let the serene silence of the graveyard engulfed us
"Sorry, I'm tryna quit smoking." I apologise sincerely.
" No, no I should be apologising, your dear old dad, Alexander isn't a topic you like talking about" he replied
"Just, someday the past will come back and it will bite"' he continued after a moment of thinking
"Honestly…" I started hesitantly, " it already has" he froze at that.
" What do you mean by that ?" he asked with a gleam in his eyes telling me he was plotting something violent.
"someone,found some of it out." I responded with a feigned indifference.
"They blackmailed me into breaking up with Claire,"
I sighed softly, "he probably told everyone by now."
"Shit." He cursed. "Elijah what are you going to do about it ?" he asked softly
"I don't know." I replied, that was a bit of a lie I had the slightest hints of a plan
"Do you want me to handle it ?" He asked genuine concern bleeding from his voice.
"Nah, I got this" I hummed while reaching into my pocket in search of a cigarette.
We fell into a comfortable silence, the graveyard was quiet but not deafeningly so. We continue passing by graves.
"Tsk, how'd you manage to quit these so easily?" I asked after sometime, the hopeless search in my pockets for a cigarette long given up on.
" Quit what ?" He asked, allowing the shift in conversation.
"Smoking, How'd you quit so easily" I asked as we stepped into the parking lot
" Son , it was the hardest thing I may have ever done, but I did it because of Vivienne." he spoke in a voice layered with too many emotions to unravel.
"She was sickly and frail, the doctors said she mightn't survive if I smoked around her." he said softly the fear he once had bubbled back to the surface.
I patted his shoulder to comfort him "Uncle, that was… you made the best decision." I definitively said .
I removed my hand when we arrived in the lot, walked over to my bike before swinging a leg over it as Arthur walked over to his car.
The sounds of his car starting was the go ahead to roll out of the graveyard.
The ride to the place I had called home for so many years was silent. The fact that my cousin,the one I consider my little sister, could have died at any moment when she was a baby sunk into my stomach uneasily.
Slowly letting my mind wander I soon arrived at Arthur's home, my home.
Memories occasionally flashed to the forefront of my mind as I cruised along the town.
The time James got into a shopping cart to go down the hill brought smile to my lips
Soon the journey to the house came to an end
Marie stood at the door, a calm mask hiding a magma hot rage underneath. So I swiftly parked in the driveway and hopped off the bike
"Elijah Russ Watson,why wasn't I told you'd be visiting ?" she barked
"Well, I wanted to surprise you and the kids" I replied, an easy smile formed on my face, she didn't see it, but she definitely could hear it.
Arthur hopped out of his car, his form into a pitiful attempt of a poker face , he walked up beside me.
"Hey love!" He greeted a small smile forming on his face.
"Arthur, why didn't you tell me Eli would be visiting ?" She demanded. "Eli wanted to surprise y'all ." He answered almost instantly.
Her hands shot to her hips and shot me a withering glare, which I ignored.
As Arthur and I were walking up to the door, her look of 'you're about to get a scolding' grew until we reached the door.
"Elijah Russ Watson you better have a good explanation for not visiting," she started "7 months, SEVEN MONTHS, since you last visi-" my eye met her's.
She paused, definitely noticing the mess of emotions coursing through my eyes. "Elijah, we worry for you. I don't want you shutting everyone else out again." she added after a moment of pause.
"I haven't, not intentionally but I've been swamped with work and stuff I have had to sort out" I attempted to explain, it was a weak excuse but it was true.
We went up the steps of the porch, and I hugged the woman I saw as my own mother, before walking inside the place I called my home.
"What do you have in the bag ?" she asked with curiosity lacing her voice, after she finally noticed my bag
"A couple of peace offerings," I chuckled softly, "and a thank you gift for Arthur, for keeping that me coming up a secret." I continued as I slipped into the kitchen, my family following not so far behind.
The room fell into a comfortable silence as i unpacked the bag
"Where's the kids ?" I asked genuinely confused.
"It's Tuesday !" Arthur chortled, I tilted my head at that , "so school" Arthur elaborated, making me feel slightly stupid.
"It's been a long day" I grumbled as I pulled my helmet off and placed it on the table.
"Elijah, you look like you haven't slept in a week !?" Marie exclaimed is mild horror at how exhausted I looked
"Vanessa is upstairs, she got into a fight and sent home" Marie informed in an exasperated way.
"Not again…" Arthur groaned, "what happened this time ?" he asked.
"She won't say" Marie sighed, Arthur looked at me with a pitiful and pleading look.
"I'll go up and talk with her. " I said plainly "thanks son, " owe ya one." He drawled lazily.
I pulled the helmet out of the bag, spun towards the stairs and rushed up them.
"Yo V, where ya at ?" I called out " I got a present !! " I tried to coax
" ELI !!!" she squealed in excitement " I'm in my Room" I continued into the hall and walked till I reached a door that was slightly ajar, had a 'DO NOT ENTER' sign on it , which I promptly ignored.
Kicking the door open, I barreled into the room. "V !!! " I shouted , "I heard ya got into a fight, did ya win ?" I asked in a mock scandalised tone .
She froze like a deer in the headlights, "I did…" She said quietly, probably feeling like I was about to scold her
"Did ya win ? " I asked, I had no doubt she did but it's always better to check. "I did," she responded in a confused manner.
I placed my former helmet onto her desk, "right before I interrogate you, this ol' thing is yours." I chuckled, "it's my old helmet, it saved my ass back in that crash." She stared at it like it was a priceless treasure
I ran a finger over the long gash that cleaved straight through the visor and helmet, the image of the piece of shrapnel that would have taken my eye at best, was still seared into my mind.
" It is also a reminder" I started, the seriousness in my voice evident, "never go onto a bike you're not ready for, without any gear, the scars on my back and legs can attest to that." I chuckled grimly
The room fell into a silence
"Right I got off topic, sorry" I apologise, " why'd ya get into a fight ?" I asked
" Evan tried to get one of my friends to go out with him, she said no." She started a bubbling rage dripping from her voice. " He didn't take no as an answer, when she tried to walk away he grabbed her , so I socked him in the jaw!" The hate in her voice, as she spoke about what happened ignited something in me.
"Right…" I hummed softly "I'm proud of you kid" I said genuinely "but this ain't over someone like that need a hard lesson." I started calmly .
"Where do you reckon he is around about now ?" I asked, facade of calmness not failing me for once.
"He deals, so probably behind the abandoned Cinema" she answered. "Got it, he won't be a problem for y'all anymore" I chirped.
I patted my old helmet, ruffled her hair and said "I'll be back in a bit." Before swiftly storming away.
If she said anything I didn't hear her, that's how lost I was in my thoughts.
Re-entering the kitchen I walked over to Arthur who was sitting on a chair by the island, enjoying a glass of the scotch, "how much ya drink ?" I asked calmly
"Just a sip, why ?" he drawled lazily. "Gotta introduce a punk to the taste of his teeth." I said bluntly.
" Shit, what exactly did Vanessa tell you ?" He asked a hint of alarm, I slid into the chair next to him
"Some fucker named Evan tried to get one of her friends to go out with him, wouldn't take no as an answer." I responded, anger barely veiled in my voice.
He placed the glass onto the counter and said "We're taking my truck." I looked at him as if he was stupid, "No, you're gonna arrest him, ima give him free dental work. "
" Marie, we're going out, take my truck to pick up the kids."
###
January 18th
(Claire's pov)
I awoke my mind a mess still, "fuck sake" I muttered it was dark using my hand I searched for my phone, finding it I grabbed it and instantly turned it on.
Getting blinded by the brightness, I mutter a couple curses. I opened my eyes slowly and read the time '10:26'. My lock screen was riddled with notifications from my friends and Elijah's friends swiftly unlocking my phone. I scrolled through them.
I sat up lazily and froze, it was a chain of messages from James, Elijah's best friend.
It read: 'ELI BROKE UP WITH YOU ????'
'SOMETHING IS LIKE SERIOUSLY WRLNG, HE WAS PLANNING TO PROPOSE TO YOU LAST TIME WE CHATTED !!!'
'WRONG*'
I wasn't thinking when I responded 'He what ????'
I wasn't expecting a response any time soon so I stood up , only to be interrupted by my phone letting off a quiet ding, looking back it was James it seemed he was waiting for me to respond.
It was a screenshot of the latest text exchange from Elijah and him
Dated From a week ago, It read:
'James, I'm so nervous what if she says no'
'Eli that girl love you more than literally anything '
'idk gang I don't know and it's fucking with me'
'I can't help but worried I want it to be perfect, we're going on a walk through the park we had our 1st date '
'ts is really fw me I want it to be perfect, but like what if it ain't ?"
'ELIJAH '
'FFS it doesn't have to be perfect, she LOVES you, YOU LOVE her'
'i don't doubt she'll say no'
I re-read the texts in the screenshot for what felt like a couple hundred times .
'james tell me this is real'
'Swear it on everything and anything'
'its real, on everything and anything'
"The fuck is going on" I whisper to myself in the dark, there's too many secrets swirling about and I didn't like it.
It reminded me of my mother, especially after dad's death.
She took his death surprisingly easy after the funeral, she started going around and bringing men around, her boss was the most frequent person. Not even a week after his death she tried getting me to call her boss, Wayne "dad" . I always refused.
Shaking my head to clear those thoughts I returned my focus onto James, he was rambling.
' btw do u know where Eli is ?' he asked .
'cause IDFK where he went and I'm kinda worried '
'Prinnston' I replied mechanically
'Claire, ik it's late but do you mind if we hopped into a call ?'
Instead of responding I just called him.
"Yo !" He greeted
"Hi " I responded
"Right , explain everything you want too" he said
"We were walking through the park, he seemed strange" I started. "We stopped at a railing by the river and," I paused to sigh, " he. He said , in another world he would have proposed , but this one isn't that one, and that we are done."
"S-Shit that, that was heartless" James said, a mix of horror and
shock dancing in his voice. "But that. That doesn't sound like Elijah." He said " something is up , and I want to get to the bottom of this."
" I'm in ." I responded .
" W-what ?" He asked "I hate secrets, a delightful gift from my mother ! " I spat sarcastically .
" Your mother ? He asked, " you never really spoke about her "
" She was sleeping with her boss when my dad had cancer, then tried to force me to see him as a father figure after dad died." I spat " I hate her "
" Christ, you sound like Elijah rambling about how much he hates his mother!!" He laughed "right back to business, I'll find out what's going on from Elijah when he gets back."
" In the meantime " he started " I'm going to sleep goodnight Claire" before I could respond he hung up.
I sat there in a haze of emotions, most prominently confusion. The need for a drink, mostly forgotten, returned like a shitty horror movie villain.
"Elijah , what the hell are you hiding. " I muttered as I walked through the living room and into the kitchen.
I flicked the light on getting briefly blinded for the second time this night and walked to a cabinet, I grabbed a glass .
"James is his oldest and closest friend, closer than I was in some regards. " I thought out loud " so he probably knows everything about Elijah's past but then why stick around with a murderer, fear ? " I said as I grabbed a cup
"No, he doesn't seem to fear Elijah in that way, so then why ?" my thoughts began bouncing ideas each more and more stupid.
"Is it some sort of misguided sense of loyalty ?" It seemed like the most likely answer
Walking over to the fridge, I opened it to search for a drink,I grabbed a carton of chocolate milk and emptied it into the glass.
Wandering back into my room I placed the glass onto my night stand.
I grabbed my phone to continue down what felt like the Nye Endless line of notification .
I stopped at one that made me almost gag, it was from my mother and it read:
'I heard you broke up with that worthless boy, I have a date already arranged for you.'
I responded almost instantly, 'fuck off, I'm not your corporate pawn.'
'I will NEVER go out with anything associated with you.'
She took a minute to respond. 'YOU WILL GO TO THE DATE WITH HIM OR ELSE'
'What will you sleep with your new boss to get a promotion ? Or cut my allowance for not calling one of the pigs you call a man father ?'
'CLAIRE DAVIS YOU WILL GO OUT WITH THIS MAN OR SO HELP ME GOD.'
'stfu, i see watching paint dry a far Better waste of time than going out with whoever you try to sell me off too'
Before she could respond I blocked her.
I chugged the chocolate milk and slammed it back onto the night stand. I was far too angry to go back to sleep so decided to watch YouTube for the rest of the night.
The end.