For, Elliot

10

"I'm sorry, what?!" I ask, not sure if I heard Adam right.

"They said that Mr. Chesterfield was gracious enough to donate his scholarship to me. Chesterfield is Elliot's last name, right?"

For once my mind goes blank. I try to think back on the first day I saw him, met him, even talked to him.

It never occurred to me how little I knew of him.

—————

I sit in math class, and I can barely pay attention to anything. My mind is buzzing, refusing to shut down.

I drove to Elliot's last night after the news. Nobody answered the door.

By the time the bell rang at the end of the day I was sprinting down the hallways to the parking lot.

I take off down the road at a good 40 mph until I see that all-familiar blue house. I'm surprised to see a mint green mini car parked in the driveway, and I remember it's the one that picked Elliot up from school. Are his parents home?

I park in front of the house along the curb, and when I knock on the door I hear footsteps.

The door opens. "Hello?" A small voice asks.

Before my eyes I see a slender woman with curly grey hair — probably in her 60's. She wears a floral dress that ends at her ankles, a yellow apron, and short black heels. She looks like a housewife from those tv shows.

"Can I help you?" She asks

"Um." I say, debating whether I should just come by another time. "I was just wondering if Elliot Chesterfield was home."

"Ohhh!" She exclaims. "Are you one of Elliot's friends?"

"Um. Yes." I say a bit too slowly.

"Come in, come in. Don't be shy. I made a late lunch right now. Are you hungry?" She asks as she leads me to the kitchen.

"I'm fine. Thank you." I say scanning the room for Elliot. He's nowhere in sight.

"Well then, could I interest you in a lemonade?" She asks then.

"Um. Yes. Thank you." I say trying to buy myself some time.

She smiles, going off into the fridge and coming back with a glass and pitcher of lemonade. She hands me the glass, a colorful straw stuck in it.

"Thank you." I repeat

"My pleasure. I'm Elliot's grandmother if you didn't know." She says in an apologetic tone. "I tend to forget the introductions. You can call me Rory."

"It's fine. Um." I say awkwardly. "I'm Issac—Issac Silverman. I go to school with your grandson."

"Oh how nice! How's he doing? Hopefully that boy is doing well in school."

Before I could even answer the door opens.

"Grandma? I'm home!" A voice calls.

Elliot's voice.

I freeze.

I hear footsteps start walking down the hallways towards the kitchen, and it takes a while before he notices me. "Grandma? They didn't seem to have any more lemons at the supermarket. There's only so much lemonade you can make—"