Walking Out of Stride

Chapter Six

NOTE: PLEASE don't bind with bandages, you will hurt yourself.

Caleb threw another pebble at Elijah's window.

Please be home. If Elijah wasn't here, there was nowhere else to go. Chailyn and Kirelle both lived too far away to walk from here and the buses were no longer running. He knew he was more likely to get an answer if he rang the doorbell, but it might be one of his parents, and then he'd have to explain his arm. Things were bad where he was, but foster care would be worse.

He waited a few moments. He threw another pebble.

There was a click from above his head. The window shuddered, then opened. Elijah poked his head out. His hair was disheveled and Caleb could barely make out his face in the darkness of the late evening, but he'd never been happier to see someone in his life.

"Caleb?" Elijah stage-whispered.

"Can I come in?"

Elijah pulled back inside, then popped his head out again. "I'll come get the front door."

He shut the window. Caleb hopped back over the fence and went around to the front. He bounced on his feet and tucked his hands under his armpits to warm himself up. It had to have been below forty degrees and he was only in his short-sleeved undershirt.

It wasn't long until Elijah was at the door.

"Are your parents up?" Caleb whispered.

"Yeah, but they're in their room. What's --"

"Please, can I come in? I'll be quiet. I swear."

"Yeah." Elijah stepped to the side, gently taking Caleb's arm to lead him in. Caleb flinched. Elijah jerked his hand away.

"What's wrong?"

Caleb looked up at Elijah, his head lowered but eyes raised, trying to hide behind his hair. He swallowed and held out his arm. Elijah hissed through his teeth.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Caleb said quickly.

"Come into the bathroom with me," Elijah said simultaneously. "The light's better and I can help you clean it up. You can explain to me up there."

Caleb nodded and followed Elijah up the stairs. When they reached the top, the older boy peered to the left, in the direction of his parents' room. The door was closed and there was no light beneath the bottom crack.

"I think they're asleep, now," he whispered. "But be quiet just in case."

Caleb nodded, silent.

Elijah turned the other direction and ushered Caleb into the small bathroom. He closed the toilet and sat on the lid as Elijah dug through one of the cabinets under the sink. When he stood back up, there was a cloth in one hand and a bandage in the other. He ran some water over the cloth and sat on the edge of the bathtub, gently taking Caleb's arm.

Caleb hissed softly when the hot, wet towel touched his skin and Elijah started cleaning off the blood dried around the wound. It slowly softened and melted away. Caleb still didn't speak.

"What happened?" Elijah murmured. He didn't look at Caleb's face, and Caleb was so grateful. He didn't want his... whatever Elijah was, to see the tears in his eyes.

"My mom --" he started.

"Your mom did this?" Elijah's interruption was angry, vehement. Caleb flinched.

"Sorry," he whispered, gentling his voice. "Go ahead."

"We got in a fight because I got detention. I finally stood up to Mrs. Reed and she was pissed."