Being Shot

P h o t o #20 - Eyes Like Blue Ice

P h o t o #20 - Eyes Like Blue Ice

My legs shook lightly as I tried to sit unmoving on the plush recliner placed right in the middle of Cooper Appollo's ornate living room. All eyes, at that moment, were on me and my flat-ironed hair, courtesy of my over excited grandmother this Friday morning. I could barely fathom that my unmanageable curls could be turned into such shiny, straight strands. My grandmother really was a miracle worker sometimes, even though by Tuesday I realized that this whole "change my hairstyle everyday" thing was a total bust, and the biggest part was that I still couldn't figure out why.

But my hairstyle wasn't the only thing that had everyone's attention at that very moment. What was so worthy of their awareness was the fact that I had finally decided to mention my upcoming birthday this Saturday.

Kayla's gleaming eyes were a mixture of pleasure and surprised. "Birthday?!"

I nodded shyly, unsure as to why they were making such a big deal out of it. Sure, every year my grandmother and I would go out and she'd buy me a small gift when I would constantly insist that I was fine with just going out to dinner together at a local restaurant. My grandmother would never have it though, always getting me a wonderful present that I was thankful for, even if I knew that we shouldn't waste any money on something like expendables, what with her medical bills and all. She still puts up a front and acts as if everything is fine.

Taking a deep breath, I willed myself to look at the five people in the room with me. I watched as Kayla excitedly nodded and talked to her brother as Parker wrote down arrangements in his notebook, all of them squished on the longer dark leather couch with Jonas in the matching recliner next to it, obnoxiously annoying the crap out of Kayla while she tried her hardest to ignore him, all while Elliot sat on the love seat next to me, sipping at the Dr. Pepper in his firm grasp.

Yup. He was pissed about something again. I could tell by the look in his eyes. Whenever he was upset, the light brown in his eyes seemed to swallow the green, making them darker than they usually appeared.

I thought back to his behavior all week long. He was more distant that usual, holding onto an angry look at everything and everyone. Now, I knew that Elliot is usually like this, but lately he'd been different. His face seemed to have thin, dark film over it, a sense of utter defeat in the air surrounding him, and I wondered how no one else was seeing it like I did. I've been contemplating ways I can ask him about it, but it's just no use. We're not close. We don't even know the first personal thing about each other. And yet we see each other everyday.

How sad.

I peeked at him through my lashes, noticing how darkened the circles under his eyes were. How his usual frown was there, and how at the same time it wasn't his usual frown. He looked just plain exhausted, and it took every cell in my body not to just tell him to go home and rest. I may not know what's been going on with him, but I knew what a sleep deprived person looked like after many of my nights of anxiety fueled insomnia. But those were another tale for another time.

"Wait! Doesn't that make Elliot younger than Emmy?" Cooper chimed loudly, his sugary coffee-colored eyes directed towards Elliot.

My eyes narrowed as I turned my head to where Cooper awkwardly sat with an equally unnerving smile since we had left school, next to his sister and Jonas on the ground by the milky white and grey stoned fireplace. As I watched the boy, I couldn't help but notice the uncomfortable feelings emanating off of him as he stared at his tired best friend who sat next to me.

That was another change in behavior that I had noticed during the week. Something had obviously happened between them, and I knew it was none of my business what-so-ever, but I still wondered what was going on with everyone in the room with me.