All I Need

Chapter 50 - Bender

Alexander

My life would have been so much more simple if I had just decided not to become friends with Elias Torres at the beginning of freshman year.

But alas, here I was standing outside of the guest bedroom he was staying in.

I raised my fist to knock on the door and then a thought crossed my mind.

If I hadn't met Elias, I wouldn't have ever hurt anyone as terribly as I did.

I wouldn't have become a bad person.

Of course, I didn't blame him for any of this. I took it all upon myself. If I ever wanted to leave this lifestyle and start anew, Elias would tell me to run and never look back.

It was just tough to think about the person I could have become. I could have gone to college for music production like I planned to. I could have written songs and become a singer. I could have found a nice girlfriend or boyfriend to settle down with. I could have made my Abuela proud.

Instead, I've spent the last three days hatching a plan with the Vitale family to sneak into the King mansion and ruthlessly murder Nathaniel and all of his men.

Including Kaia.

I would make sure she felt the pain she inflicted on Elias.

For the last three days, he's been cooped up in this guest bedroom occasionally emerging to grab another bottle of alcohol when he finished the last one he took. He wasn't doing well. He wouldn't even talk to me when I tried. He wouldn't even let me come into the room and see him. It was that bad.

Elias's mental health was more fragile than anyone realized. His self-confidence was lower than it needed to be. He blamed himself for everything bad that happened in his life. He constantly worried whether he was enough, or if he even deserved to be loved.

This always happened whenever his life became too much to handle. Elias would drink until he couldn't see properly, and then he would stay in a dark room all day and sleep so he didn't have to face reality.

He either did this or went on a bender, and I considered this the better option of the two so at least I could keep an eye on him.

Even though my life would have been a lot more simple if we had never met, I wouldn't have it any other day. The friendship I had with this guy was worth anything he or his father put me through. He took care of me as much as I took care of him. We were family.

"Elias?" I finally knocked on the door. "Open up I need to speak with you."

No answer.

"Let me in, Elias." I knocked again. "I need to make sure you're okay. Then I'll leave you alone if that's what you wish."

Still, no answer.

"Hello? Are you even in there?"

Nothing.

This was when I began to panic. Every other time I knocked and called for him he answered. He either told me to go away or fuck off, but this time there was absolutely no sound.

He was probably passed out, but I worried he might have drank too much. I always try my best to talk it out with him. I would come to his room every hour to see if he would finally let me in but he never did. I would tell him to stop drinking but he wouldn't listen to me. He never listened.

I thought I would have to break down the whole fucking door to get in, yet when I turned the knob the door creaked open. I was scared to find something really horrific.