[ON HOLD temporarily] 𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 | 𝐑. 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐎𝐍

Chapter 04: Blending In

Jeremy entered the kitchen and saw a basket of fruits rested on the counter. He fumbled around the fruits, discovering a "Get Well" card buried in between the apples and oranges. He picked the letter up.

"That's for Vicki," Elliot causally said.

"I thought you don't like Matt.....and Vicki," Jeremy turned towards his brother.

Both of them tacitly left yesterday's event unsaid.

"Only during practice and I won't dislike someone just because you skip schools for her. It's not her fault someone can't fix his priorities," He rebuked, "Not to mention she's injured."

Jeremy lowered his head and scratched his nose in embarrassment, then mumbled, "Can I go too?"

Elliot hummed and led both of them towards the door as he picked up the basket.

Sitting on the hospital bench beside Matt after Jeremy and Vicki had made it obvious that they wanted to be left along, Elliot let out a sigh and broke the silence.

"I told coach that you will be missing this week's practice. Sorry.......It's the best I could go without Tanner going ballistic."

Matt snapped his head towards Elliot in surprise, then said hesitantly, "Thanks. I thought you don't like me."

"I just don't like your perfunctory performance during practice," Elliot bluntly answered.

"....oh...."

"And that I understand how you're feeling."

"What?"

"Seeing Vicki like that," He paused, choosing words to say, "Hurt."

Matt glanced down at his hands and a deep frown appeared on his face, knowing Elliot was talking about the car accident four months ago.

"How do you deal with it? The helplessness and guilt," He asked, looking at Elliot with pain-filled eyes. No one seemed to notice how much he was suffering watching his sister, the only constant person in his life, went from lively to lifeless in just one night.

Meeting his eyes, Elliot showed him a pair of equally distraught eyes but was instantly replaced with calmness.

"I don't," He answered nonchalantly, "I just pushed it down. It isn't the best way but it's efficient."

"Do what you can to push it down because in the end, all they need is someone to lean on. You just need to be that figure until they can stand on their own. After that, we can deal with it however we want."

Their conversation was forced stopped by the sound of door opening, revealing a frustrated Jeremy who stomped away towards the elevator.

"I guess that's my cue to go," Elliot stood up, following behind his little brother after nodding Matt goodbye.

<<<>>>

A week later, Vicki was discharged from the hospital healthy and energetic, not a trace of the attack from that night's party except the white gauze still attaching to her neck, which Matt had firmly insisted.

Elliot and Matt's previous small, sentimental, brotherly conversation was long gone as the former was chastising the latter's another careless mistake.

"Everyone, ten laps then dismissed," Elliot ordered and players began to disperse onto the field, his gaze traveled to Matt and Tyler then added, catching their attention, "Lockwood and Donovan, twenty laps."

"Why?" Tyler questioned, stepping intimidatingly towards Elliot, who was unimpressed by his dominating stance.

"Today, you fumbled the ball three times. You would've made our team lose six points in the game," Elliot narrowed his eyes at him, "And you passed the ball to Donovan, even when the two of you are in opposite team."