The Outcasts | e.d

SEVEN

E L I S A

"Why don't you go take Liam for a walk? Maybe go to the park with him?" That's usually what my mom says when my step dad wants his way with her. I know better than to leave Liam here alone, and since it's Friday it wasn't a big deal since I had no homework.

I nodded and my mom smiled at me, but I could see the fear behind her smile. I was never certain of why she was so scared of having sex with him. Maybe he hit her after, or maybe his "cumming face" was horrifying beyond belief.

I quickly walked into the living and began putting Liam's stroller together.

I heard a very calm, "Rebecca." That's when I knew I needed to pick up the pace-

"Rebecca!" I quickly scooped up Liam and put him in his stroller. I waved to my mom as she walked down the hall.

She looked so petrified.

I struggled to get the stroller down the front steps but I eventually got the job done. I gave one quick look back to the sickly green house before I made my way left on the side walk. "I wa mama." I sighed in annoyance and said, "mama's busy Liam." In order to keep Liam busy I gave him my phone to play on.

In order to get to the park we always have to go through the rich part of the neighborhood. Gentrification I think is what they call it. So many good people lived here. So many people that had no where else to go lived here. These 'richies' could have gone anywhere else, hell they could've gone to a rough patch for all I care, but they didn't have to make these good people lose everything they had. We reached the end of the block where a house once held most of my childhood memories. My best friend lived here, Andy. He hated if you called him by his birth name, 'Andrea'. He left for two reasons, one was because the bank took their house away, and the other was because his family kicked him out. Andy is transgender, so once he came out to his family he was forced to go live with his grandparents in Arizona where they said they would 'make sure' he knew he was a girl.

I still remember that when his family would fight he would run away and come over to my house, this was before my stepdad. We would hide in my room until the morning when he'd have to go back. I wouldn't see him for the rest of the day. He'd come back the next day with bruises all over his body.

I haven't heard from him since.

Once we reached the park I immediately felt like an outcast.

The way I was dressed , the color of my hair, the faded green stroller with the broken front wheel, with a mixed baby in the front.

My mom used to date a black guy.

Never heard from him once she started showing.

People stared at me, they scrunched their eyebrows at me, probably wondering what we were doing in this part of the neighborhood. I quickly made my way over to a bench near the back of the park. I took Liam out of his stroller and let him play with the sand in front of me. I always admire the beauty of his innocence, he doesn't notice the white people staring at him, he doesn't know what's going on at home, he's just so god damn clueless.

You're literally jealous of a two year old.

I rolled my eyes at the voice in my head when a strand of now purple hair caught my eye. I noticed the way he was so calm and collected. I hate him. He's so damn confident and-

Is he buying weed?

I scoff at the pill bottle he puts in his pocket as he makes his way towards the street. I don't know what came over me but I found myself walking towards him, now running since he was about to cross the street. Once I caught up to him I slapped his back. He turned his head with lighting speed it actually took me back a little. The anger in his eyes softened once they landed on me. He rolled his eyes as he said, "what the hell is up with you and punching my back, is it a fetish of yours?" I roll my eyes at his growing smirk, but that's quickly replaced with anger once I see him take a blunt out of his pocket.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?! There are kids around and the cops could see you-" Ethan shut me up by putting his hand over my mouth and walking extremely close to me. "Elisa?" I murmured a 'what' from under his hand. "Do you think I give a shit about those kids or their money leaching parents?" I shook my head no. He slowly removed his hands so his right hand was on my cheek. He glanced at my lips than back up to my eyes. I suddenly felt the need to close my eyes and lean in. "What are you doing here anyways?" Ethan asked. FUCKING HELL. "Oh my god!" I ran back to the park where Liam was, but he was no where to be seen. "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god-" my hyperventilating was put to a stop when Ethan grabbed my face with both hands until I was facing him. "Elisa. Use words. Actual words that aren't 'oh my god', what did you lose." I glanced at the green stroller. Ethan picked up on what I was saying because he let go of my face and said, "Jesus Christ Elisa, please tell me you did not lose a baby." My eyes grew wide.

Did I just lose my brother?

I began running all over the park yelling, "Liam!" It was getting late and I couldn't find him anywhere. "Ethan what- what do I do? I just lost my fucking brother, my moms gonna kill me- what if he gets sold to a family? I mean if they're rich I guess it's ok but-" I was cut off once Ethan began running over to the edge of the park. On instinct I ran after him only to see him holding Liam in his arms.

I'm pretty sure I just shit my pants.

"Holy shit! holy shit!" I scooped Liam out of Ethan's arms and held Liam tightly. "Oh my god- oh my god Liam don't ever do that again I was so worried, shit I'm sorry." I was so overwhelmed with relief that I pulled Ethan in for a hug too, to the point of where we were having some group hug. "Thank you Ethan holy shit thank you." Ethan chuckled as he kissed my forehead. "No problem, I just saw some random kid near the trash, and he didn't have any parents around so I just figured." I chuckled as we dispersed from our group hug.

I kissed Liam's cheek as we made our way back to his stroller. "Wanna go get some ice-cream to celebrate you not losing your brother?" Me and Liam nodded our head eagerly.

As I was pushing the stroller, Ethan put his arm over my shoulder as he kissed me forehead and whispered, "I don't think you're invisible Elisa, even if you want to be, I see you."

I'm not sure why I made this chapter so long lol sorry.