𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

iii. feel alone.

     

      JAMES ARRIVED home around 3:20 with a bag of candy and a cigarette between his lips, he quickly tried to finish it before taking it out on an ashtray he had set up outside where he sometimes sits and reads or either writes. He opens the screen door and then knocked on the door, using the rhythmic secret knock. The door unlocked and he quickly opened it, shutting the door behind him. "I brought a movie, that's why it took me longer to get home," he said when El exits her room.

"What movie?" She asked as she stood there for a second. "Uh... Halloween, with Jamie Lee Curtis. Think you'll get scared." He smiled and El quickly shakes her head. "Can we open the candy?" She smiled widely and he sighed. "Just one each for now and then we wait for dad... my dad." He quickly added and El just nodded.

The two now sat on El's bed, each eating a lollipop as El tried to read a draft of James' book. "So... the princess... dies, and another princess takes over for her?" El looked at James and he nods. "Uh, Leah was blood, but Penelope isn't but it doesn't mean that... she isn't replacing Leah, you know?" He said and El just slowly nodded her head then glanced down. She points at the elastic around James' wrist, "is that... your friend's?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah. I guess you can say that..." He played with the blue hair tie and looked at El. "A really good friend." He smiled and she smiles back before looking away. He doesn't usually wear it, not with her around, he usually has it on the dashboard of the car his dad got for him, well it was an old car but still good. He cleaned it out himself and it's his and his only. "What time is it?" El asked and James looked at his wrist watch. He sighed.

"Six..." He looked at her and she frowned, her brows furrowing at that. They waited a little longer, moving to the livingroom at some point where they watched a movie. El had her teddy bear and was leaning against James' arm like she usually was as the boy held a can of Coca-Cola in his hand.

The radio went off and El quickly ran over, "L-A-T-E." She turned around slowly and looked down. "Late." She says and James sighs. She reminisced in her mind the day she found the box, with the container and Eggos in it as she went over and sat down next to him on the couch.

James was sitting on El's bed as the girl sat in front of the tv. "Don't sit so close, you'll get glasses." He tells her and she just moved back a bit. "Dad." He sighed when he heard the knocks. "Unlock the door." He says but she doesn't, he keeps knocking. "El." He says and she kept still.

"El." He said sternly and she looks at him. "He was late..." She says and he sighs. "Whatever," he mumbled, looking at the television. "Please, will you open the door? I'm gonna freeze to death out here." El unlocked the door after they heard him call that out. James isn't surprised when he came to El's closed bedroom door, "hey, kid. Open up, would you? I got, uh, stuck somewhere, and I lost track of time. James, are you in there too? Please open the door. I'm sorry. El, or James, would you please open the door?" Jim said through the door and James looked at El who took out her blindfold. He sighs, knowing what that meant.

"Alright. I'm just gonna be out here all by myself, eating all this candy. I'm gonna get fat. It's very unhealthy to leave me out here. Could have a heart attack or something. But, you know, you two... do what you want." Jim called out and James rolls his eyes, his dad can be so dramatic. "I'll give you some peace and quiet..." He tells El who just nodded softly. He exits the room as she skipped through the channels, he shuts the door behind him. "She's just... upset and needs a bit time alone, dad." He tells Jim and went to go sit next to him.

"Pass me a milkyway." He held out his hand and Jim puts one into his hand, sighing. "I'm tired. She has the candy I bought in the room with her." He says as he looks at his dad who only nods. "She'll be fine, just... give her time." He shrugs, standing up from the couch and walking to his room.

He paused when the phone rang, "um... I gave some friends the phone number, hope that's okay..." He said and Jim just sighed and stood up. "Don't stay up too long." He tells him as James went over to the phone hanging on the wall. He answered and leaned against the wall, "hello?" He said and he heard a sigh in response. "James, Jamie, Jammy, I-I messed up! Well, sh-she did." It was Steve. He gave a confused look. Jammy?

"Harrington?" He said as he leaned his back against the wall now. "Yes, yes, it's me! Hi, how is your night? Nancy said you couldn't come, why not? I wanted to see you..." Steve said and he sounded a bit drunk it sort of concerned him. Sort of. "Oh, well... I-I mean, I just been so busy as of lately, you know? Um... I-I had plans tonight." He said and Steve made a disgruntled noise at that.

"With Loony Hansen?"

"Her name's Luna." James crossed his arms, feeling a litttle... pride at how bitter and jealous Steve sounded. Maybe he can keep up this little charade. "Whatever it is, I don't care... hey, can I crash at your place or something?" Steve said suddenly and James glanced around the cabin. "Uh..." he trailed off awkwardly. "Sorry. I-I'll just stay home... I'm sorry, I just feel alone." Steve sighed and James pursed his lips together. "I can... come over instead." He said quietly and waited.

"If-If you want..."

"Okay, well, I'll be there in ten."

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

   

  

  

authors note i love pizza bites :)