Ellianna
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When I got home from school my mom was already gone to her retreat. I had to ride the bus home since Colin and everyone else were leaving straight from school to the lake house. I guess I could've asked Shane for a ride but I didn't think it was worth it. since everything that happened at Colins birthday I had stayed true to my word and kept my distance from Shane. He was happy with Julia and I was happy for him, even if it hurt me to see them holding hands in the hallway. I missed him we hadn't hung out since things changed . he was fun to be around, he made me laugh and actually understood me. I still saw him every day at lunch and in chem but it wasn't the same. we didn't joke around or talk about serious things like we used to we had turned into aquatinces instead of the best friends we once were
As soon as I had put my stuff down from school I decided to take my mind off the way things changed by deep cleaning my room, then it was dinner by myself, I sat at the table alone realizing this was my spring break until my mother returned on Monday night. I showered and then began to get ready for bed, when I received a phone call. I stared at the caller id in disbelief , there was no way he was calling me on a Friday night. I debated not answering but then decided against it and pressed the little green button and put my phone on speaker. "Shane?" I asked confused, I could hear the buzzing of his car engine in the background. "Ellianna thank god you answered." my face furrowed in confusion as I sat down on the edge of my bed. "yeah? is everything okay?" I asked while looking at the clock on my wall. it read 11 pm. "I have a huge favor to ask you. just know im only asking because I don't have a choice." I couldn't help it I was worried about him, I was little scared for him, no scratch that, I was terified to know what was going on. " I need to stay at your house tonight, is your mom already gone? I promise ill leave in the morning like first thing." my brain was working overtime to process al the information that was being thrown at me. "Shane its fine. my moms not here, whatever you need is fine." I assured him, we may not be best friends at the moment but I still deeply cared for him, if he needed my help of course I would be there for him, especially when he had been there for me.
"thanks Elli I appreciate it." he told me, his tone of voice relaxing a bit. I heard the engine of his car cut off. "are you here already?" I asked I heard the door of the car slam shut. "yeah is that oaky." I looked down at my old teeshirt, sofee shorts and socks, I told myself it didn't matter it was just Shane. "its fine ill be right down." I hung up the phone and walked downstairs, I took a deep breath and opened the front door, and there he was. his face swollen on one side, a slightly bleeding scratch on his fore head and his left arm scratched up and red. I just stood there in the door way staring at him not moving to let him inside. "im okay, I promise."He tried to assure me. "what happened to you?" I asked as I moved away and allowed him to enter the foyer and close the front door. "my dad, I got in fight with him, he was drunk." he admitted to me, I was shocked, one because Shane finally admitted something about his home life to me two because, Shane was standing in front of me beat up. It was strange seeing him like this. not strong, not confident, not himself. I didn't know what To do, so I went against what I had been telling myself for the past three months and did what my heart told me to do, which was wrap my arms around him. I think he was surprised but still he responded by wrapping his arms around me too. "I'm sorry Shane." I told him in a whisper. "its okay really, im fine, I just needed somewhere to go, I normally go to Colins but-" he stopped talking and broke away from me. "Normally?" my heart was racing was his dad like this a lot? then I remembered something that happened, the first day of school when I went over to Shanes to study. When I opened the front door that day and Shanes dad was drunk, he threw a briefcase at Shane and then I ran out. when he got to the car Shanes knuckles were red, his lip was busted.
"your dad hits you a lot doesn't he?" Shane looked down at the tile floor, defeated, this Is what he had been trying to hide, this is the part of him he didn't want me to see. "yeah, he drinks when he's upset and he gets violent, but I can handle him, and if I can't I leave. like I said I normally I just go to Colins." I just stared at him, I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think. "you see me differently don't you?" he asked me, I looked up into his brown eyes. I shook my head, "No, your still the same person, if anything I see you more as a person." I gave him a soft smile, every word I was telling him was true. "you do?" I nodded my head. " you know all the ugly stuff I've been through, don't you still feel the same way about me?" I asked him, he took a minute to contemplate. " yeah, if anything it made me feel more connected to you." I felt a twinge in my heart, he felt connected to me. " I miss you Shane." The words kind of fell out of my lips, I didn't mean to say them, but I was glad I did. he cocked his head to the side, he could've pretended not to understand what I meant, but he did and he knew there was no point in hiding it, finally he felt like there was no point in hiding from me. "I miss you too Elli." he said softly, with his perfect crest white smile, that smile almost made me want to cry, not because it made me sad but because I hadn't seen it in a while, at least not meant for me like it was now.
"um I was just about to go to bed, if you want you can sleep on the couch in my room." I offered up knowing If I kept staring at his smile I would do something stupid. "Yeah that sounds good, I've gotta leave for Jefferson in the morning by like 10am." we both started walking upstairs. "your still going?" I asked a little confused on how that would work if he and his dad were at odds. "yeah im just gonna drive my own car there my dad can do whatever the fuck he wants. " we entered my bed room I headed to the linen closet in my bathroom to get blankets and a pillow for Shane. "oh okay." I responded as I passed the bedding off to Shane, he quickly made himself a little bed and I turned down my own bed. Shanes phone dinged. "who is it?" I asked realizing that it probably wasn't my place to say anything. "Julia, she's just saying goodnight." Shane typed a message back on his phone, I snuggled under my covers waiting for Shane to do the same so I could shut my lamp off and sleep. "does she know about your dad?" he shook his head as he got under his covers. "no, please don't say anything to her." how did Julia not know, that was his girlfriend and last time I checked they did everything together. "who does know?" There was a brief bit of silence. "you and Colin." he told me reluctantly. "that's all?" I questioned. "yeah and I would like to keep it that way the last thing I need is to be sent back to live in Jefferson with my aunt. so please don't say anything to anyone." he seemed a bit panicky asking this of me, it was so different from the confidence I was used to. "Shane I won't say anything, I promise." I assured him in the calmest voice I possessed. "okay thank you." I smiled as I flipped off the lamp. "goodnight Shane."
"goodnight Elli." as I drifted off to sleep, I felt comfort. I knew what had been bugging Shane all these months, I felt closer to him than ever before, although I didn't want him like I used too. he had Julia now and maybe that's who he was meant to have. someone so undeniably perfect and positive. but still having him here was great, just having him in the same room as me made me feel safe and I hoped I made him feel the same way.
