Eleanor's pov
Today was the day. I planned it for days and now it was time to meet him. I imagined how happy he was going to be when he would see me. Thinking about him made me smile. I couldn't sleep the whole night because I was so excited. Even though we saw each other last weekend when we said goodbye to each other, I already missed him. Nick changed to a different football team and would stay away this whole summer. We were so sad that we wouldn't see each other for weeks since both of us were apart and so busy as well.
One thing we had in common was how passionate we were about the things we loved. He was so focused on being a star player, and I participated in various projects. It was always important for me to keep my record clean and to stand out positively. My family and friends knew how important it was to me to plan everything out and well...,I already planned my whole life: This year I would finish college and apply to the University of Oxford, marry Nick in approximately 6 years , work an own business and have two kids when I'm in my 30s- preferably a boy called Liam and a girl called Amelia.
I looked at my wrist watch every minute to see when the bus would arrive. Finally it was 7 pm. I took the bus and played our playlist the whole ride while looking at the beautiful bracelet he gave me. He got it for me on his last vacation and since then I fell in love with it and couldn't take it off. It looked so unique and he told me that he knew he has to buy this for me since it reminded him of me. The thought of his words made me smile again. Every time I missed him or thought about him, I looked at it and it made me feel stronger.
I could see an older woman in front of me, and it seemed as if she wanted to talk to me. I took my headphones away and smiled at her to welcome her.
" Oh dear, is the seat taken?", she asked while pointing at the seat next to me. " No, please take the seat", I insisted and cleared the way for her. "Thank you", she replied and gave me a smile. She looked very friendly. " Oh wow, that's a beautiful bracelet you've got!", the older woman alleged noticing my bracelet .
" A present from my boyfriend", I hinted proudly and could feel the smile in my face when I mentioned him. " Young love! This is amazing. He must love you a lot. This doesn't look cheap at all", she praised, and sounded so fascinated by it. I felt my face turning red, but not at the fact that she said it looked expensive but at the fact that she noticed how much he loved me. I loved the thought of it. I had to get off the bus at the next stop and said goodbye to the older woman and she just commented:
"I have hope in young love!". What a lovely woman.
On my way to his house, I imagined hugging and kissing him. I saw his face right in front of my eyes and could hear his laughter in my head. There was his house. I stood in front of his house and rang on the door, imagining his facial expression when he would see me. A smile appeared at the thought of it. No answer. I thought he might not be at home, but then I saw his car in the garage so I rang again. The door was opened but when it wasn't Nick standing in front of me, I gasped." Hello, can I help you?", a girl wanted to know. She had black, straight hair and was wearing a black coat which might be the only thing she was wearing.
" Sorry, I definitely rang on the wrong door", I pardoned myself and was about to leave. "Who is it, baby?", someone was calling from the other room. I turned back to them when I recognized the voice, but couldn't believe my eyes who it was. I hoped I misheard what he said and I really hoped my eyes and ears would lie to me this time. This couldn't be true- it just couldn't be! I wanted to open my mouth but no words came out.I planed the whole trip for days, fancied him so heavenly just for him standing there with an unbuttoned shirt and disheveled hair next to another girl. No, no, no that's a nightmare- it's not reality, it just can't be! Nick wouldn't betray me, he would NEVER! I pinched myself hoping I would wake up from this horrible nightmare. I didn't want to be there. My heart was beating very fast, my head was pouting and my eyes were wet. I could feel my whole body shaking. " Hello, who are you?", the girl asked. " Wh..wha..who..wh", I wanted to talk but I couldn't. I just couldn't. My throat felt just so..tight.
"Who are you?", she repeated sounding very serious. " WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?", I fumed getting very loud.
That's not even the way I talk at all but it just came out of my lungs. I didn't know what was happening with me in that moment but I turned to someone I wasn't.
"First lower your voice please, El", Nick finally opened his mouth while he buttoned his shirt.
" I WON'T DO ANY SHIT!", I said getting angrier and louder.
I felt my skin burning like hell. I just felt so disgusted. Who was he? Did he ever love me? Who is this girl? How long has he betray- I didn't want to think about it but I just couldn't get the thought of my head. "SCREW YOU. I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!", I howled and ran away. I ran and I ran even though I couldn't see clearly. My eyes were full of tears. I couldn't process what happened at all. Not even an hour ago I was daydreaming about him. I talked to this older woman about the bracelet and then.. I caught him chea.. chea - I couldn't even pronounce the horrible act in my head because it made me feel so sick. ALL THE TIME he said that he loved me, was a DAMN LIE! ALL THE TIME we talked about our future, was a DAMN LIE! ALL THE TIMES he kissed me, was a DAMN LIE!
I felt my throat getting tight again. It hurt. It hurt so much. I could feel my heart broken into 1000 pieces. 4 years of relationship was destroyed and I could see all our moments flashing in front of my eyes not sure if I wanted to see or forget about them.
Where would I go? Where would I stay? I couldn't think clearly. My mind was everywhere but also nowhere. I couldn't go home. They thought I would spend my whole summer at Nick's house and I couldn't explain why I was coming home earlier. I couldn't move anymore and I didn't want to. I was going for ten minutes in the dark. It was raining but I didn't care at this point. Nothing mattered to me in this moment. I sat at the next bench I have seen. It was a quiet place at a park and no one was in my sight. I hoped it could help me to clear my mind but it couldn't.
I sat there thinking about everything but at the same time I wished I could stop thinking for a minute. I needed a break. My mind was driving me insane.
"Brainiac, is that you?", someone was shouting from a car. Of course I recognized the nickname. I lifted my head when I saw him. Stiles Jones, the older brother of my best friend Lilah. What was he doing here?
"What are you doing here, it's raining", he shouted from his car again as if he just read my mind.
Oh , it's raining? I didn't even notice.. thank you so much, Stiles. "Get in the car", he added. "Don't you have some other chicks to drive around?", I gave as an answer. I saw him driving away. Finally, what did he even do here? But before I could be pleased with the fact he was leaving, he got out of his car going in my direction. Why couldn't he just go away? Didn't he notice that I didn't wanted him here? Didn't he listen to me? Was I a joke to everyone?
" What are you doing here that late?", he reiterated. " Why do you even care?", I asked him. "Don't answer with a question", he replied with a serious tone. "What if I do? Oh wait, I just did", I answered very sarcastically. " I don't have time for this stupid game. Let's go", he tried to lecture me. " I didn't call you to come, did I?", I rebuffed. Who did he think he was ? He looked me in the eyes and hesitated for a second.
"Is everything okay?", he asked and suddenly he sounded so different.. as if he was kind off worried. "I'm fine!", I answered fastly and wiped my tears away. I didn't need pity and especially not from him. "We can talk about it in the car, okay?", he explained and looked straight in my eyes. His blue eyes were looking right into my soul. His blonde hair were totally wet and messy from the rain. " I really don't wanna talk right now.. everything's just so messed up", I confessed while my voice cracked from sadness. I really don't know why I didn't drop one of my sarcastic comments again. Sarcasm was my way to cope with things but somehow company wasn't that bad.
He looked at me again without saying anything. Did I have something on my face? Why was he looking at me? He took off his jacket and gave it to me. I gave him a questioning look. What should I do with it?
"You'll get a cold!", he alleged and offered his jacket again. " I'm standing in the rain for too long now, sure i'll get a cold!", I affirmed. He laughed. What was so funny? " See, that's why I always said you were a brainiac!", he explained while laughing. Brainiac- the nickname he gave me for years now. I suppose he was ten and I was six years old when he started calling me like that. Brainiac is the definition of a highly intelligent person- I took that as a compliment but I'm sure it wasn't supposed to be one. Sometimes I wondered if he actually knew my real name because I've never heard him say it. He called me Brainiac and I called him Macho. "Whatever you say,..Macho!", I hinted and felt a grin on my face. " Do I see a grin there ?", he noticed and smiled widely. " Hah, not because of you", I guaranteed and rolled my eyes. " I don't care, as long as you are smiling again", he divulged and looked me straight in the eyes again. What did he say? Was he actually making sure I would smile? Did the Macho really said that? Maybe he isn't like I imagined him to be. For the record, I actually didn't even know him properly. When Lilah and I were playing as kids he always interrupted and annoyed us. He always seemed as the guy who thought he was the best at everything, so arrogant. He always looked at the mirror and there was no day he didn't use perfume- probably to impress the girls. We were always mocking and annoying each other. When we got older we didn't really talked anymore. Every time I was at Lilah's place he was in his room or not at home. Even though most of the time he was totally annoying, he wasn't ugly.
" Oh look, who we have here!", someone was interrupting my thoughts. The familiar voice made me feel angry and weak again- it was Nick.
"You haven't introduced us", Nick added. What did he do here? Isn't he supposed to be with his chick. Stiles was looking at me confusingly.
"Just go, Nick", I mumbled with a very weak voice. I was so tired of him. He came here not to apologize but to provocate.
"Bravo, you found someone very quickly", Nick commented, applauded and looked at Stiles. He made me so angry. For a minute I forgot about him and the stupid day. I wanted to scream at him but I just felt my throat getting tight again.
" Dude, didn't you listen? Go!", Stiles interfered.
" You had better taste before", Stiles just said and looked at Stiles.
" What the fuck is your problem?", Stiles fumed and stood up.
" Calls me cheater but isn't even better herself. So typical for you, El", he alleged and I could smell the alcohol from far away.
"Do you even listen to yourself? Stop talking when just shit comes out of your mouth", Stiles commented and stood in front of me.
"Hoe", he commented after coming closer to us and spitting on Stiles shoes. Thereupon Stiles pushed him. He seemed so mad that he pushed him very hard and I couldn't even blink before his head fell against the curb. I screamed, I screamed when I saw the blood dripping on the ground. " OH MY GOD! WHAT DID YOU DO?
I looked at Stiles and back to Nick again.
"WE ARE GOING TO JAIL! I CAN'T BE IN JAIL- THAT'S NOT IN MY PLAN! MY RECORD ISN'T CLEAN ANYMORE!"
Stiles was putting his hands in front of his face. " NICK, NICK.. YOU ARE ALIVE, RIGHT? YOU ARE FINE,...RIGHT?", I implored Nick while sitting on the ground. " CALL THE AMBULANCE, CALL THE AMBULANCE! YOU'RE NOT DEAD, NO! HE'S ALIVE, HE'S ALRIGHT. HE ISN'T DEAD, RIGHT?", I was talking to Nick hoping for a reaction. I didn't care if he would insult me in that moment, I just wanted a reaction. I looked up to Stiles waiting for him to say something.
" Fuck", he mumbled and put his hands on his head again...
YOU ARE READING
I know what you did last summer
Mystery / ThrillerSummer holiday is the time everyone is waiting for but what if you're the reason your ex boyfriend isn't alive anymore? Eleanor and Stiles, her best friend's older brother whom she hated before, are part of the murder of Eleanor's ex Nick. The murd...