Now, Then and Inbetween

00

but that was when i got to know mr. "change of heart"

R U T H  P O V

6 years ago

"Mom, can I eat some of the batter?"

My mother poured the last of the ingredients into the bowl and grabbed the mixer. She turned around and looked right at me with a stern look on her face, her long black hair flipping around. "You know it isn't good for you, honey. It's got raw egg in it and I still need enough to actually create the cake."

"But mom, it's so good," I whined, banging my head on the table. Last time I ate some of the batter was about a year ago, when I sneaked some into my mouth when my mom wasn't looking. I remember how it melted in my mouth like a delicious piece of creamy chocolate.

She did a full one-eighty, so fast I was afraid she might get whiplash and narrowed her eyes. "How do you know it's good?"

My head snapped up straight and my eyes widened. "Uh, I- uh-"

The doorbell rang and I immediately stood up. Hell yes, saved by the bell.

"I'll get it!"

Something about my mother that I always kind of disliked was that she was very strict, and could be a little controlling over small things that other moms would deem insignificant. Don't get me wrong—my mom definitely has her moments of loosening up—but when it comes to the people she cares about, she only wants the best for them.

I ran to the front door and opened it up.

A scruffy looking boy in beaten up clothes stood on the porch. We were about the same height, or maybe he was a little taller. His dark brown hair was a lot more outgrown than other boys in my grade. His skin looked almost sickly pale. I couldn't help but notice his vibrant blue eyes that were placed behind long eyelashes. That's really the first thing I noticed about him—his eyes.

I stared at him for longer than I would like to admit.

"Hello," I said.

The boy stared at me with wide eyes before responding. "H-hi."

He was darty eyed, looking around as if it was the first time he'd ever seen the world. His nervous demeanor was a bit unsettling, but I kept my cool.

"What's your name?"

"E-Elias."

I fidgeted with my sweaters sleeve, unsure of what to do. "Wow, cool name!"

The look in his eyes as he stared at me was all sorts of things. It was shy, happy and also a little shocked—like he couldn't believe I just said that to him, that I really thought that.

"I'm Ruth, by the way," I smiled awkwardly.

"Ruth, who's at the door?" Mom's footsteps rang for a second before she came into view in the hallway and her eyes immediately set with worry.

"Hello," she said. "What's wrong, boy? Are you okay?"

"Uh-"

She stepped in next to me and her eyebrows furrowed. "Where are your parents?"

Elias physically hesitated before replying silently, "I don't have parents."

My mother looked shocked at the revelation, and something seemed to click in her brain. "Why don't you come in?"

For the next few hours, Elias was quiet. He didn't speak a lot, only when he was directly asked a question he knew how to answer.

There was something off about him in the way he was sitting at the table. His posture was as stiff as a board and his eyes refused to relax, almost like he didn't want to be here and realized that ringing the doorbell was a huge mistake.