For, Elliot

15

Xavier wasn't in the room when we both woke up, but I knew that he came back. His coat was hanging on the hook and all of his textbooks and bag was gone. He was probably in the library studying and buying a coffee for his hangover.

Elliot was up before me too, and he handed me a muffin by the time I was able to comprehend everything.

"So. Dancing?" Elliot asks with a mouthful. "You still want to take me?"

"Why wouldn't I?." I manage groggily.

Elliot shrugs.

——————

Friday rolls along, and it's the night of the dance. Elliot has been walking around town everyday, and he'll stay there until he returns when I finish classes, but he comes back with nothing in his hands.

"It's nice just looking around." He told me.

I haven't spoken to Adam since the fight. It's felt like ages. I don't need to talk to him, it's not my business to know what's going on with him. It's his own fault that he can't accept a love that I believe is right. Though it shouldn't have led to a place where we can't talk, and it's gotten to the point where he won't even look at me.

I try to catch him at the end of practice, but he quickly ran off before I could say anything to him. I guess there's nothing more I can do other than wait for him to talk and say something...anything.

I get back to my dorm, Elliot trying to teach Xavier soccer moves with my spare soccer ball.

"Use the side of your foot and follow through. You'll have better accuracy." Elliot says trying to coach Xavier step by step.

"No. Stop. I'm done." Xavier says holding up his palms is defeat.

"You're close." I comment. Elliot's attentions snaps over to me, and he flies into my chest, knocking me back a few steps.

"Hey." He says into my shoulder.

"Hey."

This is actually getting to the point where it's normal to greet like this. I step into the room, Elliot greets me like I've come back home from war, and we just kinda roll like that.

"Elliot and I talked." Xavier says sitting at his desk and opening up a textbook.

"Oh?" I say, trying to pry Elliot off of me.

Elliot pecks me before launching off of me, and he makes himself comfortable on my bed, legs crossed with his hands folded behind his head.

"It's nothing important." Elliot says

"Sure it is." I say taking a seat and untying my shoes. "Tell me."

"I don't want to go to the dance."

I stiffen, scared that Elliot was going to break my heart like I did to his. Elliot senses this, and he sits up then, his face serious.

"Elliot just doesn't feel comfortable here anymore. He wants to go back home." Xavier says quietly. He pauses. Then stands up and leaves with his book. The door closes behind him.

"You don't want to come to the dance with me?" I ask

"I do." Elliot says, then he swallows. "I just don't want to go when I know that everyone else will be there...especially Adam. Look, something just kinda snapped inside of me from last night. I'm not ready to step out in the open knowing that something bad could happen. To me. To you." His voice gets a bit panicky, and his fingers start to dig into his arms.