Chapter 3: The Secret

My head was still reeling from the events of the previous night. I hadn't gotten sleep because every time I tried to close my eyes, all I could see was Elliot and then Patience looking at me with a heartbroken expression as well as everyone else in my life. This was all messed up.

Why did he cry out loud?

I groaned in irritation and pulled at my hair.

"Are you okay?" Neil asked, his eyebrows had arched up in both worry and question. "You look like you haven't slept at all and we have that big debate today with the Rise guys, I hope you didn't forget that."

I groaned again, of course, I just had to go and forget one of the biggest events the school had which meant planning and talking and oh gosh. I didn't want to be here and I didn't want to see Elliot or Patience because I had no idea how I was going to look her in the face and lie after what I did last night. This was all his fault, he shouldn't have done that.

But you shouldn't have given in too, my subconscious just had to go and say what I was trying so I had not to admit even to myself.

"Luke? Hello, is anyone there?" Neil snapped his fingers in front of me and I seemed to finally snap out of my daydreaming.

"Huh?"

"Are you sure you are okay? If you're not feeling well then we can get you permission to go home. Patience and I can deal with everything here."

I wanted to say that everything was fine and that he had nothing to worry about when I spotted Elliot turn the corner and begin heading our direction. "You know what, you are right. I should get some rest because I'm definitely not feeling okay," I said as I grabbed Neil's arm and pulled him in the opposite direction of Elliot and to the guidance counsellor's office.

"Tell Patience that I was sick and I'll call her later," I added as we stopped in front of the guidance counsellor's office and Neil knocked. There was a quiet `come in` and we both entered.

Ms. Wells was sitting at her desk. "Good morning boys, how may I help you?" she said smiling. She was a young woman who was at least the same age as Ms. Celestrial from the looks of it, her hair was left hanging over her shoulders and her green eyes always held a warmness to them that made you want to tell her everything about yourself.

"G`morning Ms. Wells, I brought your favourite student," Neil said beaming as he pulled a seat and made himself comfortable. "It seems he's caught something, just look at how awful he looks." He pointed at me and I rubbed my neck in embarrassment.

Ms. Wells looked at me and there was concern written on her face. "Luke, you don't look great. Why didn't you have your parents call you sick?"

"I thought I would feel better," I said and realised just dumb I sounded as soon as the words left my mouth. "But I guess I should have had mum call me in sick." I was still standing, not wanting to sit because every time I was in her office, I got flashbacks of all the times I spent in the therapist's office when I was a kid and I didn't want to relive those memories.

"That's all right, I'm glad Neil brought you in before class started and you had to endure anymore," Ms. Wells grabbed a sick note from her desk and started filling it in. After she was done, she handed it to Neil who was glad to take it. "Give this to his teachers and as for you," she turned to face me, "I will call your parents and let them know that I sent you home because you aren't feeling well."

I nodded and Neil stood up still beaming. His crush was so obvious that I wondered if Ms. Wells just intentionally pretended not to notice how much he liked her. He used any chance he got to see her and it was pathetic to say the least.

"Thanks Ms. W, I'll make sure he goes home," Neil said and I mentally rolled my eyes as I left her office.

"Could you be more desperate?" I asked once we were both out of her office and he was walking me to my car. "Really, I could feel the desperation oozing from you the entire time."

"Shut up, am I not allowed to appreciate the fine and sexy specimen that is Yvette Wells?" Neil asked.

"How about having a crush on someone your own age?"

Neil rolled his eyes in response. "Just go home already and make sure you call me when you get there. I need to make sure you make it in one piece."

"Uh-huh." Was all I said before I got into my car and drove back home, no doubt mum was already worried. I pulled out my phone and just like I thought, she had already called me five times already. I sighed and called her before putting her on a loudspeaker.

"Hey mum, sorry I missed your calls but I'm on my way home now," I said when she answered. "No need to worry, it's nothing serious and I'm sure Daniel is home so you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure? Do you need me to get on the next flight back home because I will do it," mum said.

"No need for that, like I said, it's nothing serious. Just enjoy your retreat with your co-workers and have lots of fun."

There was silence from her end and for a second I thought he had cut the call but then her voice echoed through my car. "Should I call your dad to come check up on you?"

"No, don't get him involved. He'll probably tell me to take better care of myself and scold me and I don't think my headache can take it," I said flatly. "I have to go now mum, I'll call you when I'm home." Then I hung up and focussed on the road, willing my thoughts not to go to how messed up my family was.

******

I don't know how I managed to fall asleep but when I got home, I immediately went to my room and locked myself in before I took a cold shower and passed out.

But when I woke up, I was surprised to find someone sitting at my desk. My room was dark so I couldn't make out who it was. Was it Daniel? How did he get in because I had locked the door or maybe it was Neil? Must be him.

"Neil?" I asked groggily as I tried to switch on the lamp next to my bed.

"Try again," the person said and their voice sounded familiar but I just couldn't place it because I was still sleepy. "Thought you would never wake up."

I finally had the lamp and froze, Elliot was facing me with that signature expressionless face of his. "What are you doing here and how did you get in?" I asked, wanting to get out of bed then quickly realising that I was only wrapped in a towel and nothing else. Fuck.

"Your brother let me in, said you locked yourself in your room and then gave me a spare," Elliot shrugged and placed his hand on his knees and cupped his face which made him look like a kid. "You look alike, though he looks more like your mum and you more like your dad."

What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Did Daniel give him a tour of our house? I was going to kill him when he left and why the hell did he let a stranger into our house? For someone who was that intelligent, he sure acted dumb as hell most times. Explains why he ended up dropping out of college just after spending three months here.

"I saw the pictures in the living room," Elliot replied to my internal questions which freaked me out. "I told him I was your friend and I brought you your homework and he didn't ask many questions after that."

"Hmm… thanks but can you leave now?"

Elliot sat up straight and sighed. "This is what I get for trying to be nice, I get kicked out." He leaned back on my chair and racked his fingers through his hair in agitation. "Fine whatever, I just came to ask why you ran away when you saw me. What did I do?"

Crap, I didn't expect him to ask me something like that, heck, I was doing my best not to think about yesterday and he just had to bring it up. "I wasn't running away from you, I wasn't feeling okay," I said and got out of bed then made my way to my closet where I pulled put a pair of grey sweats and a hoodie and quickly put them on. "I was going to have Neil tell you I wasn't going to make it for our study session but I forgot."

"I guess that's cleared up," he said but his words sounded anything but. He knew the reason I ran away from him and for some sick twisted reason, he wanted me to say it. He got up and started walking towards me then stopped when he was just an arm's length away from me and then he leaned closer, "I hate liars, but since it's you, I can overlook it because I couldn't stop thinking about how your lips felt. Next time, I won't let you run away from me so easily" He pulled away from me and straightened up and then walked out of my room.

I was left both speechless and utterly confused. What game was he playing it and why me?

*******

"Hey babe, how are you feeling?" Patience's voice rang through my ears and I smiled, having missed the familiarity of her voice. "I wanted to come over but mum called about something that she said she had told me but hadn't and so I couldn't make it."

"It's okay, I feel much better now," I replied and sat at the edge of my bed. I had spent an hour pacing back and forth trying to get a grip on everything that had happened but the more I tried to make sense of it, the more I got confused and so I ended up calling the one person who I knew would always get my mind off things that troubled me. "How did the debate go? Since Neil hasn't called or posted anything concerning it, I assume you guys lost?"

There was a sigh and I knew I was correct. "It's like when you aren't there nobody wants to listen to what I have to say and Neil kept typing away on his phone so much so that he messed up when it was his turn," she said. "I really missed you and I wish you were here because I could really use a hug right about now."

I wish I was there too because maybe then I would be able to fully get my mind from my thoughts and just embrace her in my arms but it was too late to go out and Daniel wouldn't allow it either. I was under strict rules never to leave the house after 11pm during a school night

"I'm sorry I let you down but Neil told me he had it under control and that he was going to help you set things up."

"When has Neil ever helped with anything, really? I asked Lynn but after she saw Neil and how he was frantically typing away on his phone, she left with tears in her eyes and I had to do everything alone which sucked.

Poor Lynn, liking someone who didn't like you back really hurt and I still couldn't believe that Neil, my best friend, hadn't noticed it all along.

"I'm really sorry, I will make it up to you and Lynn because Neil is an arse and he should stop playing around with girls the way he does when there is someone who clearly likes him."

"It's okay, I just wish Lynn could move on from him and find someone else, someone who will like her for who she is.

Patience and I talked for another hour, just catching up on everything that had happened but there was that guilty conscious tagging at me, wanting me to come clean and tell her that I had cheated on her with another guy no less. I wasn't sure how she was going to take it because the last boy that cheated on her, well, let's just say we don't talk about him for a good reason and I didn't want to turn into him. I was royally screwed.