Frenemies For Life

Chapter 10 - Babysitting

"Excuse me?" I ask him kind of hoping he was just drunk and didn't know what he was asking of me.

"You wanna ask questions about Haley?" I ask just to make sure I'm not hearing things.

"That's what I said isn't it! What are you deaf?!"

"What in the world has gotten into you Eli? I may not have known you well before but I know you were nothing like this. I mean I know that losing Haley has been hard-"

"You know? What do you know Carrie? You didn't even like Haley and refused to talk to her when she wanted to talk to you in the hospital. How can you understand what I'm going through?! Gabby and I are grieving the loss of some one who was important to us.

"What exactly did you lose Carrie?! The loss of an enemy?" He asks stepping closer to me with an expression on him that I'd never seen before. "What exactly do you know Carrie! It's not like you ever cared about Haley, let alone hurt because she's gone."

With his last words my head snaps up and I give him a cold stare that I'd been trying to hide for a long time. His face falters when he lays eyes on my cold gaze but then quickly goes back to his angry expression. I take a step forward putting only about an inch between us and making his angry gaze turn into a curious and uncomfortable one.

"You think I don't hurt?" I ask him in a hoarse whisper that I know is only audible to him. "You think I didn't lose anything? Anyone?" I ask him more anger spilling into my words making me raise my voice a little at the end.

"I-" He starts but I don't let him come close to finishing as I grab him by his shirt and pull him down so that he's forced to look me straight in the eye.

"You have no clue. No idea what I lost when I lost Haley. You don't know me Eli, and you haven't even bothered to try." I say now with my normal cold voice. "Don't act like you know me because you've heard all of these rumors about me around school; and don't yell at me and claim that you know what I do or do not feel because you don't know me in the slightest. If you want to ask me questions fine, but don't you dare act like you know everything there is to know about me."

I let go of his shirt and step back putting as much space between us as possible but he steps up to me and grabs my hand suddenly but not in a way that was rough or aggressive. His gentle touch stops me in my tracks and all I can do is stare at his hand grasping mine. He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it and follows my eyes to look down at our hands.

"I'm sorry." He says so quietly that I almost don't hear him. "I-" He starts but stops when his voice breaks and tears begin rolling down his cheeks.

I begin pulling my hand away but find him gripping it tightly and then releasing it realizing what he had done. He reaches up and wipes his eyes and runs his hands down his face wiping away the tears that hadn't moved past his eyelids. It's then that I smell it and I step way back very quickly because it's the smell that I dread at my house.

He gives me a confused look and tries to step toward me but I take another few steps back sending him a clear message. He goes into his sweatshirt pocket to pull out his keys but his flask falls to the floor as he pulls them out. His eyes shoot up to me and he sees me eyeing the flask with more fear than rage which surprises both of us; but unable to look anymore I turn around and stand there trying to find my head again.

"Are you drunk Eli?" I ask not even turning around when I hear him bending down and picking up the flask while slightly stumbling.

"I've had a little-"

"Are you drunk?" I ask turning around and giving him the 'don't lie to me or you'll regret it' face.

"I've had some drinks." He says quietly.