you and i

6

Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. At least that is the textbook definition.

For Angelo it meant something more; it was like tugging a war, but neither of them letting go. You pull with all of your strength as does the person on the other end. It is a bond created to balance one another out and Angelo never trusted someone other than his parents before.

But there in front of him was the one person that he found himself having a tug of war with; the one person that he is growing to trust after a few short days. He was so much in awe with all of this that he was left speechless as he stared into Elliot's dark eyes.

"Can I show you something?" Elliot asked which snapped Angelo out of his daze. "Yeah sure" He walked up to his house leading Angelo with him and unlocked the door. They both stepped in as Elliot punched some keys into a machine next to the light switch that closed the gates in the front.

Angelo watched as the two ends of the gates folded together and made a clicking noise as it shut "Wow, you have some high depth security around here. Is it to ward off people like me?" Angelo asked as he scoffed and looked around the house in amazement.

"That is a general idea" For a second Angelo stopped his observation and gave Elliot a funny look. "Did you just make a joke?" Since he wasn't expecting a reply, it surprised him when he made that kind of remark.

"I guess I did..." There was an awkward silence, but it passed over quickly when Elliot began giving him the tour of the house. They passed through the hallways as Elliot gave brief descriptions of the rooms.

"So, you have a library, café, and pool room all in your house?" He was still looking at all of the small details put into the house as he asked this.

"Yes, and on the second floor is the bedrooms which as you can imagine with the patterns you have seen so far, is huge with ample space"

"Wow..." Angelo was mesmerized, to say the least. He has never been inside of a wealthy person's home before, and he actually thought that it was quite interesting.

There were so many rooms and the detail put into each item within the rooms were fascinating as well. But he wasn't sure what the point was to see all of this. Even if they are in good talking terms, they aren't friends or anything close. So, he didn't understand why Elliot let him in the house and gave him the tour, but he didn't know when the right timing was to ask so he waited for a while longer.

Suddenly Elliot stopped talking and didn't move. His back was still facing Angelo since he walked in front of him to give him the tour.

"It's sad, isn't it?" Angelo didn't even bother questioning him. He knew that he would explain himself if he just let him speak. "This house...no matter how big and amazing it is with the many rooms and jaw-dropping fixtures; it is just an empty purchase. There are so many materials and things that a kid would draw as a fantasy. Yet sadness is all this house can ever bring. As you can already tell by now, both of my parents are away"

Elliot never opens up about his family and how he feels about them, but he felt that it was only fair since he knows about Angelo's parents. "And I've spent so much time alone in this house that I came to realize that the wealthiest homes, have the poorest families. We are never together and when we are, we do not speak to one another"

This is when he turned to face Angelo and looked at him in the eyes as he exhaled a long breath.

"You're right about me being the rich kid, but you're wrong when you say that I do not understand everyday struggles" He paused allowing Angelo to really take in what he has just said.

"When I heard you talking to your parents and calling them mom and dad...I felt envious. For me calling your parents that are signs of a warm loving family, but I have never once even thought of my parents in the same way you think of yours, I call them father and mother which to me sounds so distant And I am sorry for listening when I shouldn't have, but I wanted to know what it was like to have a family"

When he was done, he watched Angelo's expression. His dark brown eyes looked at him calmly and for a second it was like he was emphasizing with him and really trying to understand who he was.

"Y'know, I hated you so much when you were there by the cemetery. But then you opened your mouth, and it was like you knew everything about me; how I was feeling and why I felt the way I did"

He stepped a little closer which made Elliot tense up a bit, but he didn't move away. "You're wise and I never knew how anyone could develop their thoughts the way you do, but I think it all depends on where they originated from, family. And I was so wrong about you, but I'm glad I was. I know that the deal was for you to help me, but I think there is more to it than that. I think that along the way, you're going to be helped too"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, you're a genius. You don't need me to tell you that"

Now when they look at each other the feeling of curiosity was now mixed with interest. But they couldn't stay like that for long when they both jumped at the sound of the grand clock signaling that it was half eight in the evening.

"Well, I better get back before Mike kills me"

"Okay....I'll see you tomorrow?" Elliot asked with a small voice making it sound like a question instead of a promise. "Well, I better get back before Mike kills me"

Angelo frowned at him as he sighed.

"Next time say it with confidence" When Elliot opened his mouth, Angelo stopped him since he knew that he was going to try and apologize then try it again like he was told.

"No, no, no don't say it again, you'll have a lot more chances to say it anyway, but yeah.... see you tomorrow"