Five Steps Away

Chapter 15

The next day, I walk to school (deciding that I kind of like the cold, and that I'll drive my car after winter), going to my locker first thing in the morning to drop my books. I look to Elijah's locker to check if he's here, but my head swiftly turns to the school entrance when I hear someone call my name. I find Elijah pushing through the double doors looking at me, walking my way with a smile on his face and a fresh cut. Something's off, but I can't put my finger on it.

"Hey," he says once he's reached me.

"Hey lemme see the new cut!" I say. He does a spin, showing off his fade, and then when he faces me I catch it. A deep purple bruise under his eye. My smile falters.

"What happened to your eye?" I ask.

His smile turns forced. "I hit it on a cabinet door." I don't question him further, doubting he'd actually wanna tell me the truth. Instead, I hold his hand and intertwine my fingers with his.

By 2nd period, I've already thought of hundreds of ways how he could've gotten the black eye, ranging from a fight (unlikely), to having fallen off a balcony (he doesn't have a balcony). I'm so deep in thought I don't hear the bell ring till' someone bumps into my chair.

When I do, I get up, grab my books and head out.

I barely even notice Elijah standing in front of the classroom door waiting for me until he grabs hold of my hand. "Hey." He says, spinning me to face him. I look up at him.

"You know, you don't have to pick me up in between classes, you're gonna be late." I say.

"I know, it's just that my next class is right next to this one and I figured..." He trails. I smile at him before thanking him.

The hallway slowly empties out and Elijah and I walk to my next class. He drops me off, pecks me on the lips then walks to his own class. I watch him leave, still however worried about how he got that black eye.

This boy will be the death of me.

Throughout 2nd and 3ird period he's the only thing I think about, concern parading my thoughts like clouds.

At lunch, Elijah and I sit at our usual table with Lily and Thomas. We chat, all four of us like we've been friends for ages. Elijah places his hand on my thigh underneath the table, making me feel like he's here with me, and that I'm special. It sends a flutter of butterflies off in my stomach.

Ten minutes before the end of lunch bell rings, I catch Jenna in a hoodie and shorts, sitting with a guy from her business class. They're laughing loudly, seeming to be having the time of their lives. I haven't spoken to her in so long, and I start to think that she was serious about never talking to me again.

The more that I think of it, the more I kind of understand her point of view. It's like me with my mom, I knew logically that she cared for me, but I needed her to show it to me to be reminded that she does. I haven't reminded Jenna of how much I care about her in a really long time, and ultimately, that's probably what drove our relationship to the edge.

"Hey, you ok?" I turn to see Elijah look at me worriedly. I take a second to think of what I want to say to him.

"...You know that I care about you, right?" I ask. His face relaxes, and a calm little smile lands softly on his face.

"Yeah," he says. "You know I care about you too."

I nod, smiling. "Yeah."

At the end of the day, I meet Elijah at his car where his playlist is already on, and he starts the drive. It takes me about 5 minutes to realise that he's on a different road that definitely does not lead to either one of our houses. "Where are you taking me?" I ask.