Eat Fresh

Morning before - Elias

Elias hadn't been able to do the following, be at the shop, be with friends (not that he had any to be with), or go to anything fun. Anything fun, most likely included Olivia's fundraiser. All Elias could do was go to school, and read. Normally his parent's punishments made sense, but Elias was an adult now. Besides living at home, Elias could take care of himself. His parents doing this just cemented his idea of them, they only care about him when he does something they don't like. But, Elias was too afraid to move out. His parents would probably shoot the idea down, and then shoot Elias. So, Elias obeyed them, and stayed locked in his room whenever he wasn't at school. It wasn't like Elias couldn't roam around the house, he just preferred the security his room brought. He'd lay in bed, and when he got bored of that he'd do homework, and when he got bored of that he'd grab a book and attempt to read. This would go on for hours until a maid would knock at his door and announce dinner was ready. Of course neither of his parents were ever home for any of the three major meals. So, Elias would sit quietly in the living room watching whatever cartoon his younger sister put on and eat his dinner. This cycle hadn't really been altered in the majority of Elias's life, besides his earlier birthdays when his parents cared enough to watch him blow out the candles. 

That morning was no different, it was Saturday so normally Elias was allowed to sleep in. But his phone was buzzing on his nightstand too many times to go back to sleep. Reading the name "Olivia" didn't make Elias feel any better. The texts were simple, telling him to stay home that night or face the consequences. Elias hadn't thought about the fundraiser since Diego brought it up a couple nights ago. Diego said he wanted to see him there. Elias knew Diego couldn't have meant it in the way he wanted it to, but his heart fluttered at the possibility. Not that Elias would even get the chance to find out, being grounded. Scrolling through Olivia's threatening texts Elias didn't even bother reading half them. He just watched the words go by, and once the clock read 9:00, Elias began getting ready for the day. 

"Why do you never let me meet your friends?" Elias's sister, Benny but Bernadette to everyone else, asked as they watched the usual morning cartoon. 

"Never have any to let you meet," Elias replied. Taking a mouthful of cinnamon oatmeal Benny thought it over.

"But what about the friend you told mom and dad about? The one you stayed with the other night?" Benny said, cocking her head to the left. In Elias's eyes, Benny was still five years old playing with worms in the mud. Five year old Benny would never have asked questions like these to Elias though, just if she could stay outside a bit longer. 

"Why do you need to meet my friends? You have plenty of your own."

"Because anyone who hangs out with you deserves a pat on the back."

Elias didn't pay attention to Benny's last comment, mostly out of spite. He wasn't not popular growing up, but the people he did associate with he never considered his friends. He never hung out with them, besides at school or events, and Elias always felt paranoid around them. Diego was the first person Elias wanted to be around, he actually looked forward to working with Diego everyday. 

"Well who was your friend at least? Maybe I know them?" Benny asked. Elias often admired how Benny could get her way, finding loopholes to get her questions answered. Whenever there's an event she didn't want to go to, she'd find the best excuse and not have to go. Elias didn't want to continue talking about his personal life with his sister, but not answering would make things more awkward than they were. 

"Diego," Elias answered, Benny seemed satisfied with the answer.

"The person Olivia's dating right?" Elias nodded, wincing the slightest at Olivia's name. Benny didn't like Olivia either, growing up she was always told by Olivia to "dress more feminine" or be forced to become Olivia's makeup doll. "Will he be at the fundraiser tonight?" Benny asked again, moving her bleached hair out of her face to look at Elias. 

"Yes, now stop asking questions." Elias said, picking up his bowl and leaving Benny in the living room. Elias never liked answering questions about his personal life, but now the answers could get in more trouble than he'd like. 

The day had passed by quickly, more quick than Elias thought it would. His parents had gotten home a few hours ago to get ready for the fundraiser. He hadn't talked to them since he got home the day he got grounded, and today was no different. But when he heard a knock at his door he wished it was one of them knocking. He wished his mom would come in and sit on his bed, telling him that he could go to the fundraiser. Or his dad coming in to tell him that he could work at the shop again. But it was just Benny. She had finished getting ready, so she was wearing her nicest dress, a long green dress with intricate stitches along her body, and held two masquerade masks in her hand. 

"You look great! Did you need something?" Elias said leaving the door open and walking back to his desk. 

"You'd never lie to me right?" Benny asked. Her dress flowing after her as she moved into Elias's room.

"No?" Elias replied, Benny never asked questions bad enough to lie about before. The fact she'd ask this made Elias nervous.

"Ok well-" Benny began and walked over to the chest at the foot of Elias's bed to sit down. "Judging by the way you acted earlier, you're not telling me everything about Diego."

Elias's nerves were validated, and then began to squeeze at his lungs. He'd never talked with Benny about whatever this was. His apprehension just seemed to confirm whatever Benny had in mind. 

"I knew it! You like-"

"-Not so loud!" Elias whispered and stood up, his seat no longer feeling comfortable. "I don't like Diego, if that's what you were going to say." 

Benny just gasped with delight, clearly not believing Elias. 

"Well are you two secretly dating or something? Is Olivia just a front?" Benny began to ramble. 

"We're not dating." Elias said when Benny looked at him for a reply. The brought a look of disapproval to Benny's face, and a feeling of disappointment to Elias. 

"Well why not? If it's because of mom and dad, you're an adult I'm sure they wouldn't-" 

"Diego isn't rich of course they would care." Elias snapped, regretting it but not apologizing. Benny looked at him, eyes squinted as if trying to see if Elias was lying. 

"If he's not rich then how come Olivia's dating him?" Benny asked, one of the few questions she asked Elias didn't have an answer for. So, he just shrugged. "Well that's not a good answer."

"That's that answer I have for you."

Benny knew better than to push, at least Elias hoped she did. She just sat there looking at Elias. 

"Well," Benny began, finally ending her silence. "I personally think what mom and dad don't know won't hurt them." She said as she walked closer to Elias's desk, putting a gold and black  mask, with feathers accenting the eyes, front of him. "Maybe me and my girlfriend will see you there?" Were Benny's final words as she left Elias holding the mask in his hands.