Chapter 3

　　The surprise as she pushed me away from her caught me off guard. She looked at me like I was some sort of alien to be honest. Damn woman! What would it take to make you happy? First you want me to talk, and now that you hear my voice you look like you want to slap me into another dimension. What is going on with that? I should have just kept my mouth shut.

　　“Did you just..? Did you..? It’s okay..?”

　　She wasn’t making much sense, but at least she stopped crying. So I just shrugged, stood up and walked away. It was not like I was going to try and talk to her while she was all hysterical and not making sense the way she was now.

　　I listened to her voice sounding after me all the way up to my bedroom where I closed the door, and then smacked myself in the face. I forgot to get food and I was seriously hungry for a change! So back through the door that led to the underworld, and one step at a time into hell…

　　“What the fuck Eli?”

　　I could tell she was furious by the way she shook. She wasn’t happy about me talking. She was mad. See, I knew it. Not speaking keeps you out of trouble. I shrugged and went to sit down at the table, grabbing a slice of pizza, and getting to know it better right away.

　　“So you can talk?” she asked as she sat down right across from me, trying to make the eye contact I was trying very hard to avoid.

　　“Yes.” It was plain and simple.

　　“Then why? Why would you not speak? Why would you let me pay for the therapist?”

　　So that was what it was about? Just the money? Not the fact that you have been to blind to see what was happening right before your eyes? Hey, maybe I needed that therapy? Maybe I needed someone to talk to? Maybe you should have spoken to me from the get go instead of pawning me of on the nearest therapist, while you barricaded yourself in your room and not coming out of there for months? This is what is on my mind and that is why I don’t speak to you! Don’t you get that? But instead of voicing my mind I gave another of my infamous shrugs.

　　“So you’re not going to answer me?” she said, fuming at the ears, her nose wiggling a little bit like it did when she was getting seriously pissed off with someone.

　　I just shook my head in reply.

　　“No! You are going to talk! Right! Now!” she spat the words. The eyes from earlier slowly coming back, but this time with anger and not sadness.

　　“No!” I screamed. Where did that come from? Then, calmly I sat back into my chair and continued eating my pizza.

　　“You know what? You are the most ungrateful person in the world. Don’t ever talk again if that’s what you like, but I will no longer drive you around. I will not buy you clothing. I will not make you dinner… Unless you ask. And not with a pen and paper. Not by making weird faces and shaking or nodding your head. If you want something you will ask, and if you don’t you can go without it.”

　　Her chair scarped backwards over the floor, making my teeth hurt at the sound of it. Then she turned her back to me and walked out of the kitchen. I could hear every step as she went up the stairs, as if she was deliberately trying to walk as hard as she can just to annoy me and get me to yell something at her, but I kept my composure. Then… The slam of the door.

　　“Damn woman… It’s not like the door did anything to you,” I muttered into my pizza which was all of a sudden the most terrible tasting thing I have ever put into my mouth.

　　***

　　And the sun had the amazing pleasure to wake me… Sun? School? I’m in bed!!!

　　I jumped up of bed, tripping on the skinny I just threw on the floor last night and almost hit my head on my desk, but there was no time to even think about it before I was on the move again. I wasn’t late. I was late-late and I knew it! I had to be at least… What?! An hour late for school!

　　The Emily The Strange clock above my bed did not lie. No way was it lying! And my mom didn’t wake me… And she screamed… And oh my gawd! She kept her word I saw as I looked out of the window to see that the car was no longer parked in the driveway.

　　“Nothing good comes from words Elijah! How could you be so stupid?” I mumbled as I pulled on the skinny jean from yesterday and trying to get my hair flat by pulling a black beanie I hated over my hair, but it would have to do for today.

　　Within the next five minutes I was dressed and running to school as fast as I could, which was almost seven blocks away from my house. Needless to say I’m not the best athlete, so by the time I reached the school I was almost two hours late, out of breath and in front of a closed gate!

　　It took me another ten minutes to walk around the school to the place where the stoners climbed through when they wanted to bunk, slide through it and head my way towards class, which was…

　　“Mrs. Sanders!?” I said out loud as I looked down at my roster.

　　Mrs. Sanders was the one teacher I never liked. She taught history, which I hated. She wore polka-dot dresses which I hated even more. And to top it off, she disliked me, and I hated her just a little bit for that as well. And to top it off I was at least 15 minutes late for her class, and she would never give me a pass like Mr. van Leer probably would’ve done.

　　So instead of heading off to class, and ignoring my failing grade in History, I made my way over to the old apple tree, and perched myself against it, pulling out my journal and starting to write in it. It was better than facing Mrs. Sanders in any case, and to be honest, I really did need some time to catch my breath a bit. In fact I was more tired than I even thought I could be. The thing with my mom last night was really too much for me to handle in a way. I just closed my eyes for one moment to rest… Just one moment…

　　“Elijah?”

　　I heard the voice, but I didn’t want to open my eyes. I wanted to remain in the field on the farm, far away from all the problems, and people. A place where I could continue to breathe and speak without the worry of anybody seeing hearing me or judging the words coming from my mouth.

　　“Elijah? Wake up,” the voice said again, and slowly I opened my eyes; allowing the sun to pierce my eyes.

　　Blinded I slowly got up, getting used to the bright light and the view of…

　　“Blake?” I couldn’t catch the word before it popped out of my mouth.

　　“I didn’t see you in class?” he asked, a worried frown developing between his brows, which made him look super cute.

　　“I was…” and then I remembered that I didn’t speak. At all. Ever. Period.

　　“It’s lunch,” Blake mentioned if I couldn’t have guess that with him being right beside me.

　　I shrugged, actually just wanting him to leave me alone.

　　“Are we back to you not talking now?” he asked as he sat down next to me, leaning over to wipe a bit of my fringe out of my eyes, exposing me to him, making me feel vulnerable and making me want to run for the hills.

　　I merely nodded. I wasn’t planning on speaking ever again… Although that might have to change at home when I become too starved to live any longer.

　　“Why don’t you talk to me? Talking actually helps you know,” Blake asked, bringing himself in even closer to me.

　　“Would you like to sit on top of me?” I almost asked, but caught the words before they could form and shrugged. Why could this kid not just leave me the hell alone?

　　“What do you have there?” He reached out to my journal that must’ve fallen to the ground while I was sleeping. Apparently my reflections were still great, since I snapped the book from under his hand and pushed it into my backpack before he even had a chance to really see what it was.

　　“Okay, I get it. You are private, and you don’t like to talk, but you are going to have to talk to me some time. I won’t give up. I’m no quitter.”

　　He smiled his awesome smile at me, and if I wasn’t on the ground already, I would have been sitting on my ass at that very second. He then stood up and walked away.

　　Look back! Look back! Look back! My mind screamed in agony as Blake walked away from me. Then, almost as if he heard me he turned around and looked back, flashing one last smile before he walked away and disappeared from my view.

　　The rest of the school day went by without having any classes with Blake. Before I knew it the bell rang and I started packing my stuff away, eager to get home, my stomach grumbling when remembering it hasn’t yet had breakfast or lunch. My stomach had to wait however as I tried to stand up from my chair and a hand pressed me back into my seat.

　　It was Alice, and she looked a little bit mad. What on earth could I have done?

　　“Stay away from Blake. He’s mine,” she spat at me. Now look, she had always been a pretty girl, with brains and a nice personality, but at this moment I barely even recognized her.

　　I gave her a frown, clearly showing her I had no idea what she was talking about.

　　“The only reason why anybody would try and talk to you is because they feel sorry for you, but I see you for what you really are. A freak!” Alice said loudly before she turned around and walked out of the class.

　　Gosh, that was something that I would never in my life had expected. Alice had always been nice to me, and now she apparently feels sorry for me. Who would’ve guessed that she had a very mean girl hiding inside of her? I would never have guessed that in a million years.

　　I just shrugged as I took my backpack and ran out to the parking lot where my mom always picks me up, just to remember that she wasn’t picking me up anymore. Feeling like an utter failure and freak I begun walking the way home, not looking up as cars with other students passed by me. Not hearing the hooting behind me. Not seeing some of them slow down to watch the freak of nature walking on the sidewalk. I just walked, knowing that nothing was ever going to be right again, just because I decided to open my mouth and talk. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut from the get go, then everything would’ve been fine. Blake would not have noticed me. My mom would be picking me up from school, and Alice would be the nice girl with way too much brains again.

　　By the time I came home my mom’s car was already standing in the driveway. Damn! She probably drove right past me and let me walk all the way! What if I was raped on the way home and she just didn’t care about it? Damn women!

　　“Elijah!” I heard my mom calling as soon as I opened the front door. I didn’t really feel like a confrontation, but then again, it wasn’t like I could just completely ignore her, so I walked toward the kitchen, finding her sitting by the table. And right across from her...

　　“Dad…” my lips formed the word, but no sound came out.

　　“Hi buddy!” my dad yelled and jumped up, running over to give me a hug, but I could not bring myself to hug him back. Why now? Why was he back? So many questions running through my mind and each and every one of them left unanswered since I couldn’t bring myself to say them out loud.

　　“Elijah. Jason. Could you both please sit down?” my mom’s voice broke the reunion between son and father. “We have a lot to talk about.”

　　“I called your father last night and asked him to help me. I can’t live with you anymore Elijah. I can’t help you any longer. I have tried over and over again for four years. You have been shutting me and your father out for years now. We don’t know anything about you. Be barely know what you sound like. I’m at the point where I won’t even be able to recognize my own child’s voice if he was screaming for help,” she said and broke down again. Gawd! What was it with this woman and all the waterworks that she was performing? Mom never actually cried. Last night was the exception, not the rule. She NEVER cried! And here she is putting on the best show ever in front of my dad.

　　“What your mother is trying to say is that we know you can speak. You spoke to her last night, and I’m here for a few days to help.” His smile told my mother that he was a guardian angel ready to help, but his eyes were locked on mine and I could see the cold cruel inside of them. I could not be fooled that easily.

　　“Please Elijah… Just help us to help you…” my mother mumbled through the snot and tears creeping down her face. Damn, she might be attractive, but this is a view that would not land her a man.

　　“I think you should go up to you room now Elijah. I’ll come and talk to you a little bit later,” my dad said, trying his best to bring some love into his cold, dead blue eyes.