Taking Off

Chapter 24

Once inside his room, Elijah decided to try and call his mother again. He wouldn't be able to sleep, anyway. However, after trying three times with no answer - not even his dad answered - was he avoiding him? - he gave up and threw the phone on his bed.

He sat at the edge of his bed, head in his hands, not sure what else he could do from all the way across the world. His mind pinged with an unrelated idea. He wasn't even sure where it came from, but he figured he may as well indulge it, since sleep was still eluding him. He picked his phone up, scrolled through his contacts, and pressed the call button.

"Hello?" Alex said, once he'd picked up.

"Alex! Hey. How's it going?" Elijah asked.

Elijah could almost hear the smile in Alex's voice when he said, "Elijah! It's going great! How is it down-under?"

Elijah smiled, not realising until now how much he craved the company of someone who actually liked him. "Yeah, it's cool. We've done some really awesome things."

"Sounds excellent. Tell me more."

Elijah hadn't been wanting to really talk about himself, but he found, once he started explaining things, his mind started to relax. Speaking to Alex made him forget. So Elijah told him all that he'd seen and done, and Alex listened, only interjecting to say something ridiculous every few minutes. 

"That's insane. Can't believe your best friends with spiders now. Never would've thought," Alex said, something crackling on his end of the line, like he was opening a bag of crisps. 

Elijah chuckled. "Me neither. But...I guess Tia helped me out."

The crackling stopped, and Elijah could imagine Alex sitting up, abandoning the bag.

"Tia...helped you? That loser?"

Alex's tone made Elijah cringe. "Okay, she's not a loser. I don't know where everyone got that idea."

"Um...from you."

"What? What are you talking about?"

The crackling started again, and Elijah had to wait a few moments for Alex to respond to him. His friend started crunching, the sound grating on Elijah's ears.

"Mate, where'd you go?"

Alex cleared his through, swallowing before finally getting back to the conversation. "Sorry. I was just shocked. Hey, didn't I tell you you were going to fall in love with her?" His voice was light, but there was a note of confusion in there.

"Please," Elijah rolled his eyes. "I'm not in love with her. I've just learned to tolerate her. Kind of had to."

Alex laughed. "Are you sharing a bed yet, or what?" Heat filled Elijah's cheeks, completely unbidden. Why was that question making him uncomfortable?

He stuttered, "Oh, come on - I mean, what, no." There was silence on both ends then. It stretched on for a full ten seconds, before Elijah finally said, "But - I mean, what did you mean about the loser comment? You got it from me?"

The munching started again. "Duh. You don't remember?"

"Don't remember what? What did I do? Call Tia a loser?"

Alex laughed again. He seemed happier now. "Not only that."

Elijah shook his head. "You're delusional, mate. I've never done that."

Alex continued like Elijah hadn't spoken. "It was like – what – around May."

"What was? I did something to Tia?" Lightning struck in Elijah's brain. "Wait, is that why - is that why she hates me?"