7 Reasons Why

Chapter 7:Part1

Probably after all this you thought what else could there be to lose ! The whole school detested me including teachers and the one and only person who stood by my through everything was gone 'for good' I failed to give her that one thing she asked for in exchange of all those infinite favours she'd done for me !
But there was yet something I wasn't ready to lose but I lost it anyway .
I had this hope - my last hope to get some news about Elina , I decided to attend Sharon's party . Now let me be very clear . I had no plans to date her . I couldn't force that on my sexuality but I was really worried about her . I had tried everything in my power . I had called , texted , emailed , voice mailed but no reply .Obviously , her family had taken good care that she is absolutely alienated !
The last time we met which seemed like ages ago , she got completely drunk and tried to kiss me and I had to push her away . I swear I didn't make her drink ! She arrived at my house all drunk . She could hardly walk . I let her fall into the sofa and she talked her heart out . She had gone to a bar with another girl who dropped her by . Elina found it safer to stay with me instead of going home like that . I had never seen her that drunk . I was of the opinion that she'd done that because I made her turn desperate for love .
She kept saying that I probably loved her but I was not saying it . I was heartbroken . I wanted to help but how ?
"I'm sorry dude but I cannot do this ."... That's when I knew she was still not over me . I probably forgot to tell you this earlier . Well Elina wasn't use to drinking as much as me . Just a few pegs and she was high . I felt so helpless and depressed but deep down I was glad I hadn't given in .
I decided I ought to have a talk with her and the party was an opportunity I wouldn't get ever again .
The Eliot house was a two - storey bungalow with a well maintained garden as I mentioned earlier. I drove there and I must say I was damn nervous !
The front door was unlocked for guests to come in which led to a large hall gleaming with party lights . At one end of the hall there was the staircase leading upwards and on the other side , the kitchen and dining room . The sofas had been pushed back towards the walls to make space for the gathering crowd .
The Eliot parents were out for official work (at least that was what I was told ) although I didn't see what work a priest could've outside church for more than two weeks but I dare not question ! Hence there was no restriction .
There were tables laden with drinks and some people were smoking weed too .
I realised I had no business here except a talk with Elina . All set and done I would leave but where was she ? I scanned the hall through the crowd that stood in scattered groups but she was no where to be seen . I thought I should ask Sharon but she was such a di*khead ! While I took a round in search of Elina , I found somebody else instead . He was the last person I'd expected to see here .
Brian Dekins stood by the drinks table gazing around uncomfortably . When he saw me , he gave a bright smile . It felt like he was relieved to find me there -indeed he was !
"Hey !"
"Hi...Brian?"
"I look like somebody else ?"
"Oh no you don't ! I just asked . How ya doing ?"
It felt weird talking to him after so long but I couldn't simply leave him and go .
"Oh I'm fine . "
"Well , what you doing here ? You look more like the security guard of the drinks !"
"Oh no I'm not . As you see there's a party out here and I was invited I happen to be Eddie's best friend so I came and here I'm ...stuck... "
"Who's Eddie? "
Sharon's boyfriend . "
Brian never had the habit of giving a straight answer . You may think the way he replied was rude but that was just his way and I didn't mind since I knew .
"I see...so where's this Eddie ?"
"Obviously with Sharon . She wouldn't let him go anywhere else so naturally I'm alone . That b*tch!...Are you invited too?"
"Yeah but not by Sharon . I was invited by Elina ."
"Elina? The elder sister ?"
"Yeah . You've any idea where she is ? I've been searching for her . "
He raised an eyebrow , "California, I guess . "
"Sorry ?"
"California. "
"But the party ....why there ?"
As far as I know that's where Mr. and Mrs. Eliot took her . She is supposed to live there ."
Now that he said it , I realised that both the Eliot parents had disappeared with Elina .
"But why ?"
"Sharon said she would be attending college there . They've a grandma living there and Elina would live with her . I heard she is gay and she fell in love with some girl . Sharon found out they tried kissing each other . Her parents wanted to save the family honour so they took her far away . I heard they confiscated her cell phone and other gadgets to keep her kind of aloof . They would be back within a week . "( who cared if they would be back! )
"But she hasn't completed high school yet ..."
"As if California doesn't have high schools . Seriously Perrie? "
I just couldn't form a suitable reply . I was too stunned . I fell into a trance . 'Sharon's such a b**ch !' I can't really say how she knew . Probably Elina thought she could trust her with this much . Drinks had simply brewed up her feelings . But Sharon had to ruin it ! She simply loved to put her sister into trouble !
"Ahh...you okay?"
"Yeah ....yeah I'm fine . "
"It's been a long time we met . "
"Yeah. Where have you been ? "
"It's a long story . You know my dad's in the army and my mom fell sick and the doctors wanted her to get treatment in a hospital in Manchester so I had to go . There was nobody else ..."
"Oh I'm sorry . Is she fine now ?"
"Yeah . In peace . The operation was supposed to save her but....it killed her. "
"Oh I'm so sorry ! "
"That's fine ."
"But you left school. "
" Yeah I had to . I was away for nearly a year and when I came back they wouldn't take me in . Some vacancy issue they'd mentioned . "
"And your dad -he is fine right ? I mean with so much happening ..."
"Oh well ...I don't know..."
"You don't know?"
"Well it happens you know . I'm all used to it now . I haven't heard from him for months . Army people hardly get to communicate with their family . I last saw him in mom's funeral and he was simply devastated . I felt really bad but I was helpless . After that we hardly talked . He would drop a voicemail at times saying he was fine and asking if I was doing good or not ...and that also  came at leat 4 months back . The worst part , I can't even be sure if he's dead or alive..."
I didn't want to press him on the subject anymore . If there's anything I understood , it's the feel of absence of a family . And I must say I felt really sorry for all that I'd thought about him . I recall how at times when Brian and Mrs. Dekins used to freak out when they heard bad news from the army camp . Mr. Dekins was a brave commander . He had betrayed death multiple times .
"Oh don't say that ! He'll be fine . He must be busy . He will certainly call as soon as he's free . You can't expect him to check in from the battlefield ."
"It's been a long time ...I understand he's a busy man but if he was alive ,wouldn't he bother to check on his marooned son ? Probably dead ...or half dead ...coma or anything ...", his voice simply trailed away and he sighed heavily .
"Are you kind of busy or anything ? I mean I don't want to look like the 'security guard of the drinks' . If you could just give me some company..."
"Oh sure. "
Then we fell into our usual books- obsessed conversation . It felt like we'd never parted . People seem so different when you judge them from a distance . I realised Brian had never changed . He was that same old cool introvert. He simply struggled to be a part of the nerd group .
"You drink ?"
" Yes . "
We picked up a cocktail each and , "cheers ." Elina manged to stop me smoking but I hadn't promised to give up drinks yet . Though I was much less addicted now but I did drink .
We continued chattering . When I told him I had been reading Harry Potter , he was overjoyed .
He told me he waa reading Percy Jackson . I hadn't felt as happy as I did then in ages ! "Man finally you did ! " When he was here , I literally kept begging him to check out the Olympian series and now here he was!
When we were finally done discussing magic spells , demigods , death eaters and titans and bla bla , I found we were already on our third drink .
I looked around and realised the crowd had cleared up to some extent . Few people were leaving and few headed upstairs .
Sharon announced , "Guys the party isn't over yet . If you don't have hopeless parents to deal with , feel free to use the rooms upstairs . ", with that she went upstairs .
"Damn that was rude ."
"Sharon is always rude . "
"Well guess we've a lot to talk about . Let's find a room . "
"Yeah fine . "
Okay I don't want to sound romantic or anything but I really wished he would talk . I had lost everything and he was the last person I'd like to lose now (even though I couldn't expect any love anymore ) . Its just that I had loved him once and now he had come back to me , hadn't he (at least we could be friends )? I really wished we could talk love . Just a few hours with him had brought back all our sweet memories but...
"But before that please don't mind , I'll take another shot of sazerac ." He didn't really ask me to do the same but I was used to drinking and I did not see why I shouldn't be doing so now .
"Oh then I'll take bane . "
Why Sharon had asked us to come upstairs , I never knew but we figured out it was no point standing there all alone with a couple who were making out on the couch with all sorts of 'sex noises' . I tried not to look at them and followed Brian upstairs .