Saving Elliot ©2015 Sydney Wray

Chapter 18-Mysteries

I was dressed in a suit when my father left the house, then quickly changed into a T-shirt, red shorts, and tan sandals.

With one glance into my mirror, I tousled my hair which left it in angles. Hailey liked to run her hands through my hair for some reason, so there was no point in having it combed down.

I was going to surprise her at her house with mango smoothies, one of her favorites, and spend the day at the beach.

Damion, knowing my plans without mentioning them to my father, was already back from driving him to drive me.

I asked him to bring me to The Shack. They had the best smoothies.

"Well, look who it is." Jaxx announced while I walked in as she wiped down a blender. "Mr. Plan-canceler."

I laughed, leaning on the bar. "Sorry, Jaxx. I was with Hailey."

Half true. I had just made up with her and wasn't in the mood to spend the night with Jaxx.

She squinted at me. "You have to make it up to me."

"Deal." I laughed. "Anyway, can I get two mango smoothies?"

She nodded, scribbling it down. "Coming right up. What are you plans for today?"

"Going to surprise Hailey at her house with smoothies, and spend the day at the beach. What about you?"

But she didn't respond, only pressed her lips into a firm line and cocked her head. "Spend the day with her?"

"Yeah," I half-nodded, "Everything okay?"

"You don't know." She didn't say it like a question.

More teenagers entered The Shack clothed in bathing suits while laughing at something that probably wasn't that funny.

My smile started to slip. "Is she okay?"

I began to jump up, before she put her hand on my arm.

"Elliot. Stop. I'm sure she's fine." Jaxx soothed.

I was confused. "Then what don't I know?"

Jaxx paused, and I watched her reach into her pocket and pull out a folded piece of paper.

She handed it to me. "She stopped by this morning."

I took it with trembling hands, a bad feeling forming at the pit of my stomach.

"I'll give you a moment." She said, but I barely heard her over the pounding in my ears.

I walked to a vacant set of chairs in the back, sitting down and unfolding it.

Two pieces of paper. I started to read the first one in the front.

Dear Elliot,

Writing this is incredibly hard to do, please believe me. First off, I want you to know I am truly sorry and did not plan-

I stopped reading, squeezing my eyes shut. My breathing was becoming ragged, and my brain cloudy. I shook it off, forcing my eyes back on the page.

-this. I was accepted and given a scholarship into an elite Art school in New York City. My mom and I are going there now. Nothing is as hard as leaving you, and I want you to know that. Don't forget me.
~Love always, Hailey.

My mouth parted in shock. She was gone. No, she wouldn't have left without a proper goodbye. She wouldn't have. This must be a joke. A joke played by Jaxx herself.

I looked over at Jaxx, hoping for one of her playful grins to tell me it's a joke and Hailey wasn't leaving.

But she only looked at me with sadness and bit her lip.

I didn't bother looking at the next piece of paper, just shoved myself up and stormed out.

I didn't wait for Damion to open my door, just got in and barked, "Down town L.A."

He eyed me in the mirror, but only merely nodded and pulled out from under the palm tree's shade.

My leg jumped nervously the entire way. This had to be a joke. Hailey wouldn't have done this. She just wouldn't have, and I had to see for myself. To prove that she didn't leave. Because she didn't.

Once Damion pulled into the center of the town, I threw open the door and jumped out with her letters clenched in my hand.

I based my steps on memory as I weaved around people to Hailey's house. I imagined her sitting peacefully at her kitchen table, looking up with shock as I barged in.

She would hold her hands to my face, assuring me she would never leave me that way.

I finally reached her door, exhaling quietly as is noticed the flowers at the door were still planted.

I knocked, smiling. I knew she wouldn't have left. This was just a big joke. No one answered it after a few moments, so I knocked again. My heart beat thudded. No answer. Silence.

"They left this morning." A voice said behind me.

I turned around, not wanting to confirm it. A little boy with a soccer ball in his hand stood there with a raised eyebrow. "Who left?"

"Hailey. And her mom."

I blinked, not processing. "What?"

"I'll miss her," he said, looking sadly at the door and bypassing my shock, "She read stories to us and painted."

I turned away from him, opening the door and surprised to see it unlocked.

I froze, looking around me. Everything that had been here yesterday was mostly gone. The kitchen table-gone. Rugs and paintings that adorned the floors and walls were also gone.

I swallowed, jogging into Hailey's room, but only stopped and stared instead.

Everything was gone, except one frame on a night stand and her bed stripped of sheets.

I slowly stepped forward, taking it. It was the picture of Hailey on my back at the beach, both of us laughing while her outstretched hand captured the moment.

No. No, she wasn't gone. Did she know I would come here? So she left this for me?

This didn't make any sense. I felt myself crumbling to the floor with her letters and frame in hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt like I was in a dream. Like, my thoughts were racing too fast for my body to process. A strange feeling, really. Oh yeah, of course I called her. Eleven times, and every time it told me the number was out of order.

All I remembered that day was slowly getting to my car, Damion throwing me a concerned look, driving home and climbing to sit ontop my bed.

I wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed until I finally built of the courage to read the second half of her letter.

A tiny message was scrawled in bubbly, perfect handwriting on the top:

I've started them with you, now it's your turn to finish. Xx~Hailey

At first, a wave of anger seethed through me. What kind of person leaves someone that way? But while that thought stormed through my mind, sadness overlapped it.

I blinked at the list of bullots below.