All They Told Me Was Just Give Up

Chapter 21

Austin’s POV

“Jesus Christ, where have you been?!” I shouted at Elise as she walked onto the bus at 11 o’clock. She gave me a funny smile and stumbled to the couch and sat down. “Why didn’t you answer any of my texts?”

“Danny said I was too drunk to text” She slurred and then giggled. “I’m not drunk though, I promise.” She laughed again. “Just a little tipsy.” She said holding up her index and thumb in front of her face to show the amount of “a little.” I shook my head.

“You can’t be getting so wasted, you know that.” I said and sat down next to her on the couch.

“But I like it! It makes me happy.” She smiled. “And I don’t want to cry anymore.” She said and laid down across my lap with a giant smile across her face.

“Do you remember why you were sad before?” I asked. Maybe I could get answers out of drunk Elise.

“Oh! That’s easy! My childhood friends died last night and my brothers in a coma.” She said innocent like. Like nothing was wrong with what she had just said. “Austin?” She asked and looked up at me. I had a shocked expression covering my face as I tried to clear my throat to answer her. She sat up on the couch and looked me in the eyes. “I think I want to cry again.” She said and then tears started to flow down her cheeks. I reached my arms out and hugged her and brought her in close to my chest.

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re going to be okay. Everything’s going to be fine.” I said trying to calm her down but nothing was going to work. This was serious and no amount of ‘I love you’s’ or hugs would help.

I carried Elise to our bunk slid her into some sweats and into the bunk. I climbed in after her and closed the curtain behind us. I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed circles into the small of her back with my finger tips and waited until I knew she was completely asleep until I even thought about drifting off to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking the whole time before I passed out about what she had said. Had they only been drunken words that weren’t true or was she telling the truth?