Football Boys

Chapter Six

Greyson |

I apathetically turned off my alarm as it sounded and lazily laid there a few moments longer to wait for my phone's back-up alarm to sound a few minutes later.

Moaning as the second alarm was even louder than my clock, I was unexpectedly surprised as I frantically reached over to turn it off.

Slowly opening my eyes, raising myself up to look around and see my clean room, I glanced over at the note from Tyler that I kept close on my night stand.

Briefly smiling, I sighed and stretched with a groan before I pushed at my bed to stand.

Upon standing, my phone's screen lit up once again as it vibrated.

I saw that Ellie was calling me.

Biting my lip, I decided to answer it despite my thoughts against it.

"Hello?"

"H-h... hey man."

Ellie's voice sounded strained and raspy over the phone as he chuckled dryly, giving me a slightly bad feeling.

"Listen, I... I usually have someone to take me to school, but I... he's kind of... I just need a ride. I know you and I don't really click, but I really would appreciate if you could drive me?"

I swallowed, my eyes searching the floor beneath me as concern overtook my thoughts.

He's never sounded like this before.

"Uh... yea, yea, I'll uh—sure. I'll come and get you."

"Okay... thank you," he sighed in relief.

I hung up and deeply frowned as I walked to the bathroom.

...

Pulling into Ellie's driveway, I put my car in park and rubbed my chin as I stared at Ellie's red brick house.

I was taken back as Ellie immediately ran out of his house to jog over to the passenger side of my car, carefully sliding into the seat, wincing.

As he went to buckle his seatbelt, I noticed a slightly purple mark near his wrist, his long sleeve barely covering it as he sat forward to stare at his house.

Curiosity overwhelmed me as I examined at his house along with him; frowning, I formed innocent scenarios of how he could've gotten the bruise, trying not to think of the worst.

...

There was silence between us as I drove, the continuous sound of the purring engine becoming the only audible noise other than my own soft breathing.

Glimpsing over at Ellie as he blankly stared out of the window, I saw him rubbing his wrists and his shoulders, his unusual silence making me raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked back at the road and briefly closed my eyes before coming to a decision to talk to him.

"How're you today," I asked softly, grinning at him.