Pushed Aside

Homecomings and Talks

Elliot's POV

"I don't want to go home." Zay tells me as my parents drive to the airport. I turn towards him, my eyes focused more on our hands entangled between is than where we were going.

"Why not?" I ask him, staring into those green eyes that have become to mean something a little more to me.

"We have to go back to the real world and our lives. And stupid people that I don't like at the moment." He tells me and I raise my brows, trying to figure out who he means.

"Who don't you like?" I ask him and he sighs softly.

"I do like them. Beth, Syd, Brice and Ares. They all tried to tell me to be patient and to not rush you and to understand what you were going through. I just was too stubborn to listen." He tells me bringing a little at his actions, but that's not the part I'm stuck on.

"Wait, wait. You're telling me Ares was on my side?" I ask him, the words falling from his lips not even sounding right.

"He was. In terms of me being patient. But, knowing him he would probably try to kill you if I had told him what I thought had happened." He says thoughtfully and it's as if that's not something that I should definitely be afraid of.

"Did you tell him?" I ask, not really nervous but I have a healthy amount of respect for the man that looks like he could break my jaw without even trying.

"No. Even though I was mad at you, I don't think anyone deserves that from Ares." He says.

"And you're friends with him?" I ask, not trying to sound rude but this Ares guy sounds like one scary and dangerous dude. Even though Zay used to play one of the most dangerous games I know, that doesn't mean I'm exactly comfortable with them being friends. But of course, Zay snorts at my question.

"I'm not ignoring your feelings, I swear I'm not it's just.... Ares would knock someone out with one swing of a bat that he can pull form no where. But he is also the sweetest softest person I know. You just have to get him to like you." He tells me and it puts me slightly at ease.

"That's going to be hard isn't it?" I ask him and he just looks at me form the corner of his eyes.

"I wouldn't hold your breath." He tells me and I sigh before shaking my head. I turn to look out the window and I find the car pulling up to the airport, the car stopping outside the doors. The four of us get out of the car, me and my dad opening the ruck to get out bags as my mom and Zay say goodbye to each other, sharing a secret laugh before I walk over to her.

"Thanks for letting me come." I tell her, wrapping my arms around her small figure. Her arms wrap around my torso to hug me back? her lips at my ear.

"Of course, Elliot. You're always welcomed to come back home. Take care of that boy, and make sure he's taking care of you this time. I love you." She tells me and I pull back to smile at her, telling her I love her back before a beefy arm is thrown around my shoulders and I turn to the right to see my dad there, tears in his eyes that I know he won't acknowledge.

"Glad you're finally leaving again. Gives me more time to miss you." He tells me and I give him a bear hug like he did for me all those years.

"Aww don't worry, old man. I'll be back to eat up all the food and get on your nerves." I tell him and he laughs loudly, clasping my shoulder with his large hand.

"I look forward to it." He tells me and I smile at him before I turn and grab my suitcase, my other hand reaching out for Zay and he wastes no time in skipping his hand in mine softly. I wave my hands at parents before taking a hold of my suitcase once more and we walk inside the building.

We're finally going home.

Together this time.

✨✨✨

The flight was long and there was an annoying snoring man on the plane, but Zay and I are finally back home.

Since we both drove here, we ended up in different cars with the promise that I will be over to see him either later tonight or tomorrow morning. I have to go talk to someone first.

I honk lightly at his car that turns left instead of right and he blows me a kiss as the two of us drive out of each other's sights. The ride in quiet and it doesn't feel like long at all before I find myself in the parking lot of my apartment. I turn off the car and reach for my keys, popping my trunk before I close the door and head towards the back of my car.

Once I have my suitcase in hand, I close my trunk and walk towards the stairs, picking up my luggage in my hand before I go up the stairs, stopping once I get to my floor and then the door of the apartment I've called home for a while.

I take my key out of my pocket and I turn the key in the knob, unlocking the door before I get inside. I close it behind me and I walk through the hallway, stopping at the highway where I find Mike sitting on the couch, a game on the TV but his gaze staring at the wall.

"I'm home." I say aloud and he jumps, whirling around to see me standing behind him and his face breaks into a hesitant smile as if he's not sure he's allowed to be happy or not.

"How was the rents?" He asks me and I shake my head form side to side.

"It was good. I got some good home cooking. A few new stories. And then one the third day Zay somehow found his way to my parents doorstep." I tell him and I watch as his face both pales and flared up at once. "Thank you."

"You aren't mad?" He asks me, looking at me in whole but also hope, and I know that as much as I was hurting, Mike and I rarely ever fight and we usually go home together, always.

"Oh I'm still pissed. But you're my best friend. I know you wanted me to be happy but I need you to remember that I know my happiness better than anyone." I remind him before I crouch down and open my bag, reaching inside to grab a wrapped up brownies that I charmed security into letting me take home since I wasn't leaving the country.

"Is that...?" Mike asks standing up form the couch.

"Mom says you're lucky she loves you." I tell him, tossing him the double fudge brownies that he always begs my mom to make whenever we're down there and he kisses the food dramatically before looking back to me.

"I'm sorry for being a shit best friend. You know I love you like a brother Elliot. We good?" He asks me, and I see the bags under his eyes and the redness in them. It's clear that this has taken just as much as a toll of him as it has on me, and while this won't be easily forgotten, I'm the first to admit that everyone makes mistakes.

"Yeah. We're good." I tell him and for the next few hours we talk about me and Zay, the true story and at the end of it all I find myself smiling. After all the tears and hard times and doubting, it finally feels like everything is coming together.

~~~~~~~~
I'm about twenty minutes ahead of schedule already. I hope it stays like this because I don't really want to fall behind schedule and then give up like I did yesterday. If I stay like this I might be able to have this book finished by tonight. We'll see.

Thoughts?

Comments?

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