Knocking On Death's Door

Chapter 13

I walk up the narrow strip of pavement leading to Eli's house and bang my fist against the door, his mom is still working and he's undoubtedly inside doing homework. No answer.

"Eli!" I call, banging my fist against the door again. "Come on dude, I know you're in there!" I hear a crash from inside and roll my eyes.

"Okay now I definitely know you're in there." I stand by the door, tapping my foot impatiently.

"Come on Eli, I know you're mad at me but this is important" the door flies open so suddenly I nearly jump.

"What do you want?" Eli demands, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms like a child. A frown stretched across his face, was he really that angry that I went out with Karen? I brushed off his irritation at me, he needed to know what I'd discovered, that there was a gang roaming the streets of Vancouver County.

"Can I come in?" I ask, rocking back and forth on my toes awkwardly. Eli narrows his eyes at me, he's still leaning against the doorframe and seemingly debating whether or not I'm allowed inside. He sighs and begrudingly, moves out of the way so I can come in. I beam at him and scoot by him inside his house, I wrinkle my nose at the sudden stench of something burnt, I glance over at him, he smiles.

"I may or may not have burnt the mac and cheese I was making" Eli says, innocently moving his foot back and forth. I laugh at his clumsiness and pat him on the back, I'm happy to see some of his anger towards me fading away. I also so happen to notice a plate that has been smashed to smithereens, no doubt what I heard crash to the ground. We walk casually into the kitchen and Eli begins sweeping up the shards of broken plate with a broom.

"So. . . What did you want to tell me?" he asks, very preoccupied with sweeping up the plate. I sit at the tiny table and think about what I just saw.

"Two guys were outside the restaurant I went too" I begin, I notice Eli's expression changes for a brief moment, I wouldn't of caught it if I hadn't been paying very close attention. The look disappears as soon as it appeared and his face returns to normal, he goes back to sweeping up the shards of glass on the floor.

"Okay. . ." he starts, unsure of where I'm going with this.

"And they both had matching jackets on that had crowns and the word 'Kings' written on the back" Eli swivels his head towards me, the dustpan full of plate pieces that he's emptying into the garbage now seems to be irrelevant.

"The gang?"

"Yeah! That's what I'm saying, what if that's the gang!" Eli puts all the glass in the trash and leaves the dustpan and broom by the door. He comes and takes the seat opposite me, he rests his face in one hand, a deeply thoughtful look on his face.

"But, why would they walk around in broad daylight wearing those jackets?" I shrug, I hadn't thought of that.

"Because they're dumb?"

"No Mark, think rationally."

"Well I don't know why, maybe they just wear them in the rich neighbourhoods. You know, because the rich don't pay attention to anyone but themselves" Eli chuckles.

"Based off the rich kids at our school, yes I agree" I smile, still thinking about the Kings. I pull out my phone and go to Google, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"What are you doing?" Eli wonders, standing and coming up behind me to get a peek at my phone. I type in 'Kings' and 'Vancouver County', barely anything comes up. Just their symbol, which is a crown with 'Kings' etched into it. Eli squints at my phone and tilts his head, studying the symbol that Google brought up.

"Well, at least I know you aren't crazy. . . Wait" I elbow him and he laughs, holding his side uncomfortably. 

"Shut up" I respond, turning off my phone and shoving it back in my pocket. Eli shoots me an angelic smile.

"No can do, I am never going shut up" he says, placing his hands on his hips and grinning triumphantly. I laugh, Eli walks over to his burnt mac and cheese and eyes it curiously. Hesitantly, he spoons some into his mouth. He chews for a few moments, a look of pure thoughtfulness crossing his face. I watch him, pushing down the laugh that wants to come up. Eli shrugs.

"Aside from being burnt, it's not half bad" Eli says, he turns to me, gesturing toward the mac and cheese. "Want some?" I shrug and nod, I never ate anything on the date and Eli's cooking was more my style than the fancy-shmancy upper class cooking. Eli grabs two plates from the cupboard and two forks from the drawer below it. He sets the plates on the counter and spoons mac and cheese onto each plates, he hands me mine and then proceeds to sit in the chair opposite me. I spoon the mac and cheese into my mouth, like Eli said, it's not that bad. 

Eli walks over to a tiny stereo his family has set up in the corner of the kitchen, he flicks it on and Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' starts playing, I flinch a little, that was Lachlan's favourite song and to hear it stings. I stay at his house till his mom come's home, we laugh and talk for the rest until she arrives, that's what I call a great way to spend the night.