The Skeletøn Bøy

FØURTY-FOUR

++ C H A P T E R | F Ø U R T Y - F O U R ++

"Elliott!" Brent shot out of the dingy plastic chair, eyes wide as Elliott walked into the police station. His eyes were trained on the tattoos decorating her arms, and the way she looked in leggings and a tee shirt. A sight he had never seen before, and it made him tongue tied for a moment.

She's safe. She's alive! He moved towards her, not waiting for her to realize who had called out her name.

Elliott looked at Brent, her breath stuck in her throat. The cop in the front seat had said nothing about her friends, and she hadn't bothered to ask. The thought of hearing the words, they're dead caused her mouth to stay shut.

Before she could talk, Brent wrapped his arms around her, tugging her close to him. She waited a beat before returning the hug, relaxing in his embrace. She could feel the tears begin to fall as she buried her face in his chest, breathing in. Elliott was unhinging at the fact that perhaps no one had died.

Brent pulled away, his body protesting at the fact that it wasn't holding Elliott. He struggled to keep his hands to himself as he looked at her bare arms. Bare! His mind echoed. He saw the tears and immediately tensed.

"Are you hurt?" He grabbed her shoulders, looking her over.

"No, I thought you were dead." She hiccuped into her hands, allowing the tears to fall freely. "I really thought you were dead, Brent. I accepted it, and seeing you here makes me think I'm hallucinating all over again. Am I?"

Brent cupped her face in his hands. "No, you're not hallucinating, Elliott. I'm really here, alive. Everyone survived, unharmed. Well, except for Natasha. She did die..."

Elliott's eyes snapped up to his. "Dead? Natasha?" She didn't know how to react to this news, and felt her chest constrict. "Why-"

"Elliott, don't you dare feel an ounce of sympathy for her. Natasha didn't like you, Elliott. She was merely interested in gossiping about you. I'm sorry you never caught on."

Elliott flinched at how blunt Brent was being. "But how are you? She was your girlfriend. Oh my gosh, she was your girlfriend and you're asking how I'm doing-"

"Elliott," Brent's voice went soft. "I was over Natasha long before tonight. You, my little pretty boy, you took her place. I really care about you, Elliott. And I know that things aren't ideal right now. And I know you aren't really up to terms with your gender. But I'm okay with that. I'm okay with being friends."

Elliott stared speechless at Brent, her mouth open, catching flies. She didn't know what to say, or how to react. Brent likes me? Brent?

For a moment, she let herself imagine a world where things weren't so messed up. A world where she could be a normal girl, going on dates like in the movies. Of course, Elliott knew this was all a hoax; things like that didn't happen to girls like her. But either way, seeing Brent in front of her with a worn smile made everything seem possible.

"Elliott!" Her head whipped around to see Mat running towards her, and for a moment, what Brent said left her mind. She untangled herself from Brent's hold and ran towards Mat, engulfing him in a bear hug. She felt the tears return all over again at the sight of her baby brother, alive. Breathing.

"Ellie, I thought you were gonna die! I really really thought you weren't coming back!" Mat cried into her shirt, gripping her waist tight. "I wasn't ready to lose you."

Elliott buried her face in Mat's hair. "I would never leave you, Mat. I love you. I love you so much. I promise I'll be a better sister, okay? I'll make everything okay."