I was to be transferred to another school, my aunt eventually told me, and I would be living with my uncle — her cousin — and his wife and kids. She said it would probably be best for the both of us, give us some time to cool off and come back together again so we wouldn't have to feel so suffocated living under one roof. But I knew there was a much bigger reason why she was doing this.
The school she transferred me to was much farther from the cafe Eli worked at, and not even close to where my uncle lived. Sure, her given reason was also plausible. I guess, I just couldn't help but feel bitter about it as she talked about it.
I couldn't even lift my head, as she spoke with a slight shake in her voice, forcing herself to swallow her breakfast while I refused to touch mine. I hated her. I'm sure she knew. I'm sure it hurt her. I just couldn't bring myself to think of her in a sympathetic way. Not that I couldn't. I just really didn't want to. I was just being stubborn with my kindness.
Ugh, I hated this.
But... she was also right. It would be better for me, too, to get away from her. But why did it have to be just for a while? Can't it just be forever?
When I arrived at my uncle's house, carrying my only suitcase as I got off the taxi, I was greeted with much pity hanging in the air. It bothered me, just how much there were that I swear I could see it if I looked up at the sky. Still, this was much better, I hope. At least, I wouldn't be yelled at everytime I made a minor mistake.
His daughter, however, greeted me with an air of fallacy. Images. She seemed to understand them as much as my aunt did. I'm guessing that's why she approached me with the widest grin I've ever seen anyone could muster while giving me a hug too tight for comfort. She greeted me enthusiastically, and I hoped she wouldn't be as abusing as my aunt. I looked to my uncle as soon as she let go of me, and I hoped he didn't love her too much, either.
And, somewhat, I hoped I didn't have to learn to love them as much either. Honestly, what was wrong with me?
My room was much like the one I had at my aunt's, and my school quite like the one I used to go to. Though, for sure, my late arrival would bring additional attention to me, technically I don't see how that could play out on the long run yet. Speaking of attention, mine definitely wasn't working properly as I walked down the halls, down to my classroom and towards the door. It felt like I was in a new world, but I wasn't quite as energized yet to explore it.
That was, until I bumped into someone standing right in the doorway.
"Ah! W-what the..." I muttered, stepping back and looking up at the person I had run into. First thing I noticed was the fact that they were facing me. Second was that they were frozen. Third, that he began shaking just as my gaze almost reached up to his face, looking at me with wide, familiar eyes and lips that twitched, not knowing how to react. My eyes followed what his did as I recognized him. "Eli?"
He remained shaking as he raised a hand, his lips finally lifting as he smiled with uncertainty at me. "H-hey... Hannah... How..." he began to ask, but then he faltered, and so did his hand, as his fingers slowly curled, and his hand fell to his side. His eyes looked down as if to avoid mine. "... Sorry."
Who knew? Here I was, quite literally having run into the last person I expected to see in this new school of mine. And here he was. Eli... avoiding my eyes
It might not do much to try and make him look at me now, and I knew that. So instead, I just gulped once and maintained my gaze on him as I went on. "Looks like... I have a lot of explaining to do, don't I?"
He finally looked, and I smiled weakly. His lips twitched again, but this time, looking like he was preparing to say something. But, he acted before he spoke. I gasped, and my eyes widened, when his arms suddenly went around me, pulling me into a tight embrace of relief and desperation. "A-actually, I..." he paused. But I waited. His voice came out shaky, but something inside me told me to wait and hear what else he had to say. Whatever that something was, it was right. "I'm really, really glad to see you again. I thought I'd never... I'm sorry, Hannah."
My smile tightened into a guilty one as I eventually returned his embrace. "... I'm sorry, too. I guess, I really should have been honest with you from the beginning."
He chuckled, and then pulled away, and I saw his teary eyes for a moment before he wiped them away. "Well, then... Shall I take you on a tour around your new school?" He spoke, the usual enthusiasm slowly coming out of his voice again.
I smiled, finally having heard it again after what seemed like such a long time. I hummed, and then Eli led the way.
YOU ARE READING
The Boy From Everywhere
Romance‼️RATED MATURE FOR MENTIONS OF ABUSE‼️ "You were my one chance at a normal life..." He was a boy who had taken too much jobs but speaks too little about himself. She was a girl who had wandered too much but left too little hope for her future. Their...
