Lies

Chapter 8

"Eli?" I whispered as if he could hear me. I was frozen in place in complete shock. What was I witnessing?

I bent down to touch Eli's lifeless body and pressed a hand to his cheek. I put my hand on his neck and there was no pulse.

My whole body shook and I let out little sobs. I sprinted out of the room as fast as I could to find help. I collided with Oliver as I was running.

"Please," I said through sobs, "Oliver come help!" I grabbed onto his wrists firmly.

"What? Calm down Lily!"

"J-j-just come here!" I pulled on his hands and ran through the halls back to the classroom that held Eli's body.

I couldn't breathe as I walked in, I felt like I was going to faint. I wanted to believe that this hadn't just happened, because it didn't feel like it was possible that Eli was...dead. I continued to lead Oliver into the room. I grasped onto his hand in fear, digging my fingernails into my skin holding onto the bottom of his hoodie.

I walked to the desk and pulled him behind.

"Look," I croaked out. "We need to get help!"

"For what?" Oliver said.

"L-look!!"

"Lily, there's nothing there." WHAT? What? What is he saying? I thought. I looked back at the ground and Eli was still lying there.

"Don't you see him?"

"See what? There's nothing behind the desk. What's wrong Lily? What happened?"

"No. No, no, no. Don't you see him. Don't you see Eli?"

"Who's Eli?"

"He's in our class!"

Oliver held onto my face and looked at me in the eyes."There is no one named Eli in our class." He said.

"W-w-wh-what? What do y-you mean?" I said tears streaming down my face as he pulled me into a tight hug. I felt distraught. Why didn't he see Eli? Was I imagining him the whole time, or just right now?

After hugging for a while, I pushed him away and dashed out of the school. I pumped my arms and ran as fast as I could.

My head was spinning I felt like I was going to puke. He's not real? Is anything real? WHAT'S HAPPENING?!? 

When I reached my house I didn't even think about my dad being home.... but he was.

"LILY."

Oh no.

"You are gonna get it. You thought I wouldn't know about this?" he said while pointing to the hospital bill from when I went with Oliver.

"I'm sorry dad!" I said with tears streaming down my face. I was crying because of Eli and because I was so scared. How could I be so stupid to go to the hospital? To let Oliver see me faint, or when I was at my lowest. 

I was slapped in the face causing me to fall face first into the cold floor. I tried getting up putting my shaking hands on the floor to help push me up. I was stopped when I felt a kick right in my stomach followed by more and more, I squeezed my eyes shut wishing I was dead. "Why don't you just kill me! I can't live with this anymore! I hate it, I hate you!" I shouted feeling like I was at my breaking point. 

"Maybe I should, then I won't have to pay that stupid 5 thousand dollar hospital bill!" My dad spat. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

I didn't care about anything in this moment, so I said what I had wanted to say for a long time. "I hate you, dad! You're a PATHETIC, alcoholic, coward. I HATE YOU," and I immediately regretted saying it...