Tragic

Chapter Fourteen: Attention

Hunter

I couldn't sleep last night. All I could think about was how difficult it was to keep my eyes away from Elliot for an entire class period. If it had lasted even one second longer I would have broken. Even though I never glanced in her direction, I could sense her presence everywhere. It's always like that when she's in the room. I felt physically ill when the bell finally rang.

Today is worse. She never came at all. I know for an absolute fact Elliot is serious about attendance, so it's a rare occasion when she doesn't show. Although it may seem like a bad idea, I can't help but go to Oliver's office after class. I need to know that she's okay even if it draws attention to me.

As I'm about to step inside his doorway, a small orange basketball flies at my face. I barely have time to catch it before it lands straight into my nose.

Oliver laughs loudly and then stands up from his chair. "Nice catch, man. Where were those reflexes the other day?" He grabs the ball from my hands and motions to the basketball hoop nailed above his door. "I've been working on the logistics, but I haven't got it down yet."

He bends and moves the small garbage can underneath it over a few inches. He holds up a finger before quickly moving back to his chair and shooting again. This time he sinks the shot and it lands perfectly in the can below. His arms fly up in victory. "Finally! That took me all morning to get right."

I laugh, retrieving the ball and passing it back to him. "I'm glad your morning was productive."

He bounces the ball on his desk and smirks. "It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it."

I grip the back of my neck nervously and then take the seat in front of him. "Is Elliot okay?" I ask the question quickly before I get a chance to change my mind.

His smile fades almost immediately and the sick feeling in my stomach intensifies. "I don't know, man. She was so upset last night she wouldn't even talk about it." He pauses for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought. "I mean, she usually tells me everything. I hate the fact that I can't help her."

I struggle to swallow the lump that forms in my throat. I have to keep the conversation going even though I'm positive it's because of me. "What do you think it is?"

After another moment of contemplation, I see his neck twitch and his expression turns darker. "I don't know, but I can promise you one thing. If I find out some fucking guy is messing with her..." His voice trails off, and he clenches his fist. "I'll beat him within an inch of his life—and then I'll make him fucking apologize for it."

I nod slowly. "Yeah, man. I'm with you there." It's more than a struggle to keep my voice even but somehow, I manage.

***

By the next day, Elliot's name is all I hear in the hallway. Rumors about her health have caught like wildfire and everyone speculates about where she's been. Some of them even started up a collection in her name. After all, how can a kingdom run without it's queen?

My personal favorite is that she ran off with Judah and is currently spending the week at Cornell. If I didn't live twenty feet away from her, I would have drove down there to see for myself.

By noon I've talked myself out of faking sick for the rest of the day to go home and see if she's okay. The sight of her strolling down the hall after lunch period quite literally takes my breath away. By typical Elliot standards, she looks flawless, but her eyes seem somewhat hollow to me. Her smile isn't as bright as it usually is, and it kills me.