Psychotic Kids '-' Eli Moskowitz

Restraint

So, Eli and I have mostly been hiding out in his game room for…. A while. I’m doing okay, I guess. I’m eating, Eli makes sure of that. We mostly play video games and watch movies, we’ve also been skipping school. Mrs. Moskowitz doesn’t notice, she’s at work all day. We haven’t said a lot, there were the nice comments every now and again, but I was letting Eli be for now, I didn’t wanna go nuts on him.

“Holy shit!” I exclaimed while scrolling through instagram on my phone

“What?” Eli turned his head away from his computer for a few seconds to look at me

“It’s the All Valley. They’ve completely revamped it” Eli just shrugged, going back to his computer. I was invested “They’re introducing a skills competition, kata, board breaking, and weapons display- holy shit they’re breaking up boys and girls”

“Wait what?”

“There’s gonna be a separate girl’s division” I reiterated “Two- Two All Valley Champs. And they add up all the scores at the end and that dojo wins overall” 

“Holy shit is right” Eli nodded “Your dad’s gonna be pissed off, you’re the only good girl he’s got”

“Only girl at all, you mean” I chuckled. As if on cue my phone started ringing, my dad’s face came up on my phone, I threw my phone across the room, but obviously it was still ringing “He hasn’t stopped calling me!” I groaned

“You’ve been gone for a few days Harles, maybe he’s just worried about you?”

I gave Eli a deadpanned look before pointing at the phone just as the beep for leaving a message went off.

“Hey kid, it’s me again. You really gotta show up for practice today. There’s all this new shit about a friggin girl’s division, we need you back here to win this thing for us. Call me if you get this”

The voicemail ended, and I was still staring at Eli with the same ‘yeah right’ expression. Eli just nodded, slumping back into the couch and turning back to his computer. My phone started going off again and I actually screamed, Eli laughed at me a little making me take a lighthearted swing at him, which obviously he dodged easily.

“Hey harley, it’s Miguel-”

“Oh shit-” I instantly jumped off the couch to find my phone, quickly answering it “Hey El, hey what’s up?” 

“Hey uh….. You hear about all the changes with the tournament?”

“Yeah just now” I nodded “Why?”

“Well, your dad wants to go to the highschool and find some girl’s to recruit, I-I don’t wanna go with him alone” Miguel stuttered

“No” I answered almost instantly “No, because you know he’s gonna be all on my case about missing practices-”

“Harley please! Please please please I’m begging you, if he doesn’t have us this is never gonna happen” Miguel begged, and I started to feel bad “Did you actually even quit Eagle-Fang?”

“I- I dunno” I sighed “This is all so stupid. I don’t wanna devote the rest of my life to picking up my dad’s lost pieces”

“I know, and I don’t blame you,” Miguel chuckled. “I’m in the same boat honestly. But please, just come with me?”

I sighed, I had my phone on speaker so Eli was hearing all of this. I looked over at him for guidance, he gave me a smile and a nod, encouraging me to go, and that was all I really needed.

“Alright fine” I sighed “I’ll be there”

“Thanks Harley, I owe you” Miguel thanked me before quickly hanging up