Cypress Alley

Chapter 18

I woke up to the sound of clattering next door. Taking a peek behind my poster, I found Eliza perched atop a pile of books, papers, and other assorted objects. The window was being pried open and Eliza was attempting her second escape. She looked like she had plans to break a couple of bones, so I cleared my throat forcefully. She didn't flinch.

"Seriously, Eliza?" I asked loudly. She immediately froze and leaned back as if to assert her innocence. She then proceeded to topple every single object from the stack to the floor – herself included.

"Seriously, Elijah?" she asked, part in mockery and part in anger.

I held my hands up defensively – not that she could see anyway. "I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. Now go away."

"I'm not going anywhere, and clearly, neither are you."

"Why are you even talking to me?"

I thought about this. Maybe - just maybe - there was a small part of me that wanted us to be friends again. It'd have to have been a small part, though: a minuscule, sub-atomic section of my mind... possibly. To be truthful, the main reason I was speaking to her was that I enjoyed taunting her.

After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again. "Did you get my phone?"

"No, Eliza. I was sleeping. And who's talking now-"

"Elijah. I need it."

"Uh-huh, and that's why you're being such a jerk to me."

I watched her make a rude face as she hastily shoved the books back into her roommates' drawers.

"Also, I'm pretty sure the chemistry textbook does not belong to your five-year-old bunkmate," I offered.

Eliza sighed and placed the textbook on the next bed over.

"I'm just trying to sort this out."

"Well, I don't want to sort this out. I've been working my socks off and I still have no leads."

"Because you're following the wrong person."

"I know I was, OK? I've tried to find new suspects and I did and I have been investigating other people, but I'm at a dead end. And now it's Saturday, and normally I'd have so much time to do all sorts of things and I'd be able to investigate, but I can't. Because guess what. I'm stuck in this stupid room, for the entire stupid day, and I can't do anything! And I have no one to help me!"

Technically I was her fault that she had no one to help since she was constantly shutting me out, but I wasn't going to be the one to tell her.

"What about your bestest friend in the whole world: Jane-Rose," I said sarcastically.

Eliza grimaced. "There are some people you just don't want to be around."

Wait, what? "Hold on a second. You were-"

"It doesn't matter. It really just doesn't matter, OK? I'm so frustrated and... ugh." She let out a muffled yell of frustration.

"You know..." I started. I'd had a small change of heart. And besides, I missed her... even after all that has happened.

"What?"

"You could just ask the one person who started this investigation with you and stuck through with all your antics from the beginning."

"Spare me the speech, Elijah. I don't know..."

"You know, I'd be glad to, you know," I was struggling to voice it. "Be – I can't believe this – Old Dotson again?"