In the Name of Love

Beguiled

Nicolas's POV

I was walking away from the school to go back to hospital to see Eli when I notice a coffee shop.

Must be new, I noted, I had basically memorized the path to the hospital since I go there so often. I walked inside to see a girl standing at the counter.

"Can I have a double shot of espresso and a cold mocha with some extra whipped cream?" Eli loves whipped cream.

"You look worried," she says, as she shoots the whipped cream into the mocha.

"I'm finding out if my friend is going to be discharged,"

"What happened?"

"Eh, kind of personal,"

"I get it, my brother is gay, he got beaten up for it, I wasn't open about it till years after,"

"Actually, Eli, my friend, his dad, he found out he was, um, genderfluid, he beat him up,"

"That's sad, hey maybe I can meet you again, help your friend,"

"Yeah, my name is Nicolas,"

"My name is Brooklyn, here is my number,"

"Thanks,"

I head over to the hospital and find out that Eli is being discharged tomorrow after school! I am overjoyed with happiness, this is the best day ever!

*meanwhile...*

Eli's POV

I lay in the hospital, praying to get out of the hell hole I've been trapped in for what feels like ages, though it's only been a little less than a week. You know something's wrong when an atheist is praying. I need a break, so I get up to take a walk around the halls. I see this guy who probably had the same idea as I did, but I can practically see the girls hanging around him and he reeks of popularity. He looks familiar, but I don't know if he goes to our school or not. He waves at me, and I didn't want to be rude, so I said hi back.

"Hello! Didn't think I'd see anyone else in these halls."

"Yeah, I needed to get out of that room."

"What's your name? I'm Freddy."

"I'm...Eli."

"Do you do art? Because I think I saw your work in the gallery, it was really good. That is if you go to Miranda over here, because you may just be a completely different Eli who doesn't go to that school."

"I do go there, so thanks. Obviously I haven't been there in a few days, because I'm here." Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought?

"I like going down there sometimes, it's cool seeing other people's art especially since I can't art myself. I'm just on the football team." Oh, he was one of those guys.

"Wow, that's a surprise...not. I thought you would be a jerk like those other guys. I've never been so happy to be proved wrong."

"Yeah, they're pretty bad."

"Why do you hang out with them anyways?"

"Because it's what people assume I should do? I don't really know. Why are you here? If you don't mind me asking."

"I...got beat up." I said, not giving the whole story, it would trigger too many memories.

"That sucks. My sister's sick. I've been with her all day, after school. I love being with her, but she's not getting any better, and it hurts to be reminded of that every minute of the day. She knows, but that doesn't stop her from being super energetic, which I guess is good."