Eli Cullen gets Lucky

05

Part 5: the accident

TW: internalized homophobia, it's not super obvious but it's there.

"I can't explain it, he's just the one I want to be around, you know. Like I could listen to him talk for hours on end, and I want to know everything about him. I want to know about his biological parents, how got all his scars, I want to know why he's so afraid to let people in."

*****

It's been a week since our tutoring session, and I have yet to talk to Eli. "It's sounds like your in love Lucky." Bella says, sitting on my bed while we do homework together.
"no, I can't be he's definitely straight." she looks at me then says, "has he told you that?" I shake my head, "you said he has a photo of himself and another guy maybe they were dating."
"No way the photo was dated in 1929, so it clearly wasn't him, probably a great grandfather or something."
"All I'm saying is that you should shoot your shot, because you never know."
"Yeah maybe, now what's the equation for slope intercept form?"

*****

It's been a week, Jasper keeps telling me to talk to him, but I don't know. I'm still worried about getting too close with him, people like us aren't ment to be together. I dont have to do much to get ready for school, I just shower and get dressed, in my regular crew neck, skinny jeans, boots, and of course my black trench coat. The roads are icy so Roalise and Emmett go to school with me in my forest green keep. First period is very boring, lunch is too. Next I have art with Lucky. As soon as I walk in I notice the seating arrangement on the board, great I'm beside him for the next 2 months.

"Looks like we're table mates!" he says smiling, he looks nice today, he's wearing a red shirt, a jean jacket and a nice pair of boots. "I guess so." I say taking my seat, and pulling out a book to read instead of paying attention, "Okay class since we have new seats I thought we'd do another partner project!" the teacher says, I can feel Lucky staring at me, I keep my head down so I don't make eye contact. For this project we have to make an art piece inspired by a certain era, and the other has to write a short essay about the piece and share it with the class. We get to work on our own separate things I plan on doing a music piece. Towards then end of class I get a text from Edward (bold is edward italics are Eli):

I need you to drive Lucky Swan to the hospital.
Why? What happened?
Bella was in an accident
Oh... is she okay? What happened ?
Yeah she just needs to get checked out for a concussion, I'll explain everything later.
I'll get him there, but may I ask why I have to be the one drive him?
You sit beside him in class dont you?
Yeah but how did you know?
Alice, I'll see you soon
Should have known. See you in a bit

I turn to Lucky, "Lucky, I don't want you to worry but Bella was in a small accident, with Edward, and she wants me to drive you to the hospital after class". he looks at me, clearly very worried, "what? is she okay? what happened?" he asks
"I don't know, I think so, but when the bell rings I'll take you to see her, and I'm sure she'll explain everything."

The ride to the hospital is quiet, I play some music, and Lucky looks out the window, I feel bad for him, Bella's the most important person in his life

*****

I go to  hospital with Eli, I know I said I wanted to talk to him more, but not like this. I go see Bella, she's okay, just a bit banged up. We get to meet Carlisle, Eli's uncle, he clears Bella to leave, she asks if she can go and try to find Edward before we leave, I say yes of course, and tell her that I'll be waiting outside, I can't stand to be in this hospital any longer.

Outside I wait on the bench, I start to think about the last time I was in a hospital, when Jay died, they were my best and only friend. They lived beside us in Phenix, the day we moved in, they brought us cookies and we ended up taking for hours. After that I made a few more friends but none quite like Jay. But then I came out, I told my friends one day at lunch, that I was bi, they all got super uncomfortable and made jokes that I was trying to sleep with them, one of them even called me a few slurs before going to another table, a few days after that Jay told me they were non binary and wanted to go by they:them pronouns, our friendship only grew stronger after that, but a few months they told me, they had cancer, leukaemia, but the doctors were hopeful they got it in time. They went through rounds and rounds of chemo, and when they lost their hair, I saved my head too. When we finally thought they were better, they were at the best they had been in a long time. But one day we were at the mall shopping for Christmas presents. When all the sudden, they just dropped, and passed out. I called security, they called 911, after hours of waiting the doctors told us, that they had 36 hours, and to say our goodbyes, they did everything they could but their body just wasn't strong enough.

"You're thinking about your friend right?" Eli says sitting down next to me I nod my head, "they worry about you sometimes, says you need to move on. It's not healthy to hold onto to so much sadness," I look at him, wiping my eyes, "I disagree though, I think you are doing as well as you can be right now, life's tough and you're dealing as well as you can." he says passing me his handkerchief. "How did you know all that, about Jay, I mean?"
"Loved ones stick with us," he says I have no clue what he means, and I'm honestly quite confused, and creeped out, "Anyways I have to get going, I'm sorry about Jay they were a good one. Give Bella my best." he says rather suddenly before getting up and rushing back inside, just as Bella walks out, "ready to go?" she asks, "yeah," I say looking back the doors Elijah just walked through, "let's go."

Published:December 7 2020
word count: 1125
Chapter 5: the accident