The Other Side [Eli Shane x Reader]

Chapter 1

My name is [Y/N] [L/N]. When I was six years old, my mother died of heart complications, my father died in a car accident, and I met my best friend, Eli Shane. Now, I'm fifteen, and I live with my aunt, Remi, and everything seems fine and dandy. However, my best friend is missing. And I have made it my mission to find him.

This story starts two days after Eli Shane's birthday. It was a Monday as his birthday had fallen on a Saturday this year. I had gone to the Shane house on Saturday for a family celebration. And because I've been his best friend since practically forever, I went. I always went to a family gathering or family outing. And he seemed to be acting strangely all throughout the party.

Like he was contemplating on something. And part of me knew it was about me. But what? For two days, I've been thinking about it, and now, I had to find Eli at school. And talk to him about whatever this was. But when I got to school, he wasn't at his locker. Instead, a note was taped to my locker.

I'm sorry.

I knew it was from Eli. Because it was his handwriting. I took it down off my door. Obviously, I thought it was a part of our tradition. The Monday after one of our birthdays, the birthday brat (that's what our parents decided to call us for this tradition) would pull a prank on the other one. And just like ever year on his birthday, he left a note similar to this and he was gone.

And he always steered clear of me for a good hour to ensure he doesn't face my wrath of whatever childish thing he did (silly string, spray cheese, pie in face, paint, etc etc.).

However, when I opened my locker nothing came out.
Nothing sprayed me and nothing fell on me.
Absolute nothing.

Had Eli really forgotten to prank me? I sighed to myself as I got out my books for first and second period: AP European History and Honors Chemistry. My other (and only other) friend, Sophie, came skipping up to me.

"Where's Eli?" she asked me as she spotted me at my locker.

"Hi, to you too, Soph." I replied closing my locker door shut. "And I don't know where he is."

"He's probably off somewhere nursing a hangover." She replied.

I knew it was a joke (because Eli would never drink), but that didn't stop me from saying, "He's not like that, Sophie."

"It was a joke, [Y/N]." she told me. "I know he wouldn't drink or do drugs."

My shoulders slumped and I let out a sigh. "I know. I'm just on edge. It's not like him to miss school or to not text me when he's sick."

Sophie rolled her eyes at me. "You're acting like he forgot about you or something. He didn't forget about you, [Y/N]."

"And how can you be so sure?" I retorted.

"Because he's never forgetten about you, and he never will. Because you two... because that's what you are." Sophie said as she clenched her fists.

I noticed this because while she was talking she was waving her hands animatedly through the air with wild hand gestures. They were so wild that you could see everything her hands did, but in an emphasized state.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her.

"Because the two of you are that close. I figured the two of you would eventually get together! Not one of you forgets the other! If he did forget you, it was probably because he didn't want to upset you. He probably told himself he forgot to tell you this important peice of information to spare your feelings. In fact-." she didn't get to tell me anything else as the bell rang signaling it was time for first bell.

**

I made it through my first day of no Eli in years in a relatively maintained manner. And by that? Well, I didn't get hammered with evil cheerleaders and horrid jocks or get swept up in plastic drama. Yeah, I used a Mean Girls reference. Anyways, the day went by much faster than I thought it would with no Eli. But no Eli did mean I didn't have a desk partner in three blocks or a gym buddy.

And since it was the end of the school day (and I had nothing), I decided to go to Eli's house to ask his aunt where he was. I rang the bell of the Shane house. I knew his aunt had the day off as she has done the same thing each year after his birthday. She always took his birthday and the day after off from work, and when his birthday fell on a weekend day, she took the Friday and Monday off.

His aunt answered in an apron. Was she just baking today? She looked down at me with something in her eyes I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Hi, [Y/N]." she told me as she brushed strands of her dark hair (which was greying in several hairs) that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear.

"Is Eli sick?" I asked her.

"Um, what?"

"Is Eli, your nephew with intense sass and dark hair, sick? Like contagious sick, need to remove toxins sick, or sick of me sick?" I asked her.

She rolled her eyes at my unnecessary emphasis. "Wait. He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me? Tell me what?"

She rubbed her temple in what seemed to be annoyance. "Oh, Eli, you should have told her."

"Told me what?"

"He's away at boarding school. He said he was going to tell you. He left this morning." Why do I get the feeling that is a lie?"

"He didn't tell me anything. Thank you." I told her before leaving to my house (that is next door).

I opened the door to my house to be met by Jet and Jit, two magical gastropods that can fly (Hoverbugs). They landed on my shoulder. Jet chirped at me (like a bird).

"He left. He left me. He forgot. He forgot about me, boys. He forgot." I told them.

Jit nuzzled into my face while Jet frowned at me. I couldn't tell Eli about Jet and Jit, but he couldn't tell me he was leaving. He was leaving me behind.