Plot Twist

man who is, once again, alone.

"No," she whispers, still on the phone. "This can't be happening - he was better, okay -" Her eyes turn suddenly to me. "Mom, I'll call you back when I leave." She puts the phone gently on the counter, staring straight at me the whole time.

"You knew. You knew, and you didn't tell me," she whispers, unblinking.

"I did know."

"You knew, Elias! You knew, and you spent a whole night with me and you didn't tell me!"

"I couldn't! What would've happened if I had told you?"

"Stop trying to defend yourself." Ice-cold words, desperately trying to hold it together. And then she sobs, and her facade breaks.

"I liked you, Elias."

I can't say anything - I'm paralyzed, fearful that if I open my mouth again, she'll attack me, accuse me - it brings back memories of the bullies, and...

And then, quietly, "Will he be okay?"

"You know I can't tell you."

"Tell me."

I've always had a good poker face, been good at lying, hiding. But now, seeing her like this, I break down too, and then there's two of us, sobbing and crying over the cafe counter.

I'm sad because I've lost her, the closest thing to family, and she's sad because she's almost lost a part of her family.

My outline, sopping wet with fallen tears, reads: 7:53 a.m, Elle gets call from her mother, breaks news that her father has had a relapse of his cancer.

"I have to go. Elias, it's been fun." She doesn't mean it at all. "I mean it."

"Elle, how can I contact you?"

"Why would you want to?"

"Elle, I still care, okay? I still care, and even if I didn't, I want to know how the film turns out."

She shakes her head, hating me, hating me but knowing how much I care. She hands me her phone. "Put your email or whatever in, and I'll contact you."

I type it in carefully.

"Thanks for the coffee, and the company." Ice-cold.

"Thanks for last night," I whisper, just audible enough for her to hear as she turns on her heel and walks out the door of the little cafe on the corner.

And I'm left here, wondering why on earth the the worst things happen to the best people.