The Religious & The Damaged

48

Joseph

  I walk into school, Elias by my side as I follow down the crowded hall.

  He shrugs off his coat and shivers at the sudden temperature change—his body adjusting to the warmth.

  "God. It was freezing out there." He says.

  I open my mouth to speak but a sudden weight on my back stops me, and I jerk forward as my hands instinctively take the legs that wrap around me because I know it's just Kelsey.

  "Hey, Kels." Elias greets her.

  A giggle slips from her lips. "Hi, Lias."

  I follow Elias into the stairwell, and Kelsey drops from my back. I shove my hands into my pant pockets.

  Elias takes a cigarette from Nick, and I stand awkwardly next to him.

  I still don't feel comfortable around Elias' friends, other than Kelsey, obviously.

  I know none of them are very fond of me but put up with me for Elias, and that's my fault for being such a jerk; for making everyone as miserable as I was.

  I'm still miserable, but now I have some sense of human decency.

  I can't help but hope that one day they'll forgive me for Elias' sake.

  I know he wants us all to get along, and that's why he still brings me around them.

  All I can do is try.

  "We should have a sleepover this weekend." Kelsey says, and it breaks me from my trance.

  "We can't have it at mine. My mom works early on weekends." Nick says.

  "Yeah, same." Kelsey adds. "Spence?"

  Spencer takes the cigarette from between his lips to speak. "Nah. My parents banned sleepovers at my house from last night."

  "Right."

  They all seemingly look over at Joey in sync, and my head turns, like the sight of them doing it forced my head to follow.

  She looks to each of us—a blank look on her face, then it turns annoyed.

  "Don't look at me. You know how my mom is." She says, her voice full of sass.

  It sort of scares me.

  "Lias?" Kelsey speaks.

  I look over at Elias, and he looks at me, then at the group.

  "We can't use my apartment. Sorry."

  I furrow my brows. "Why not?" I ask, my voice low.

  He looks at me with a moment of silence, then says, "I figured you wouldn't be comfortable, and they don't all know you're staying with me."

  "I don't want to get in the way of you being with your friends. I can just go home-"

  "What? No. No. You're not going back there."

  He seems frightened by the idea of me going back home, and it makes me feel bad for bringing the idea up and that it has gotten to that point where he worries about that kind of thing.

  I gulp lightly, a single nod of my head. "Okay, then I'll stay while they come over." I say.

  "Are you sure?" I nod. He smiles. "Okay."

  He looks in front of him, and I turn.

  "Actually, we can use my apartment." He says.

  "Fuck yeah. Okay. I'll bring the drinks, and Nick, you can bring the snacks-"