Elijah

"What?"

"I know you heard me, Whitaker.", he says.

"Oh.", I say, not knowing what to say. The impact of his words didn't hit me then, my mind completely blank.

"That's all you're going to say?", he says, his voice trembling slightly.

I remain silent, not knowing what to say.

"I know this is too much to take in at once, but just remember that I'm sorry. If you need anyone to talk I'm always here.", he says tentatively.

I continue remaining silent, my head throbbing.

What does he mean by this? That he knew about Mr. Val's intention all this time? That he knew that he would go to any lengths to get his hands on my inheritance?

Wait a second. Mr. Val? MR. VALENTINE?

The line goes dead, as I grab my hair in frustration. I should've figured this out sooner. It was so obvious! AM I growing dumber by the second?

My brain begins working again, the implications of what he said finally hitting me.

He knew the reason why we went through so much shit.

Sorry, what I went through.

He KNEW ALL this while and yet couldn't bring himself to say anything about it sooner. He knew all along and chose to help me get out of that abandoned store. Why would he do that when he could've just told them that he's their Boss's child? We could have avoided that traumatizing night.

So does that mean he wants the mine too?

Does this mean that he's the same surface-level suave man like his father? Was the whole point of our friendship, or acquaintance-ship, just to get a hold of my mine?

Was all of this just for money?

I get so angry, feeling betrayed by him.

Sure, he doesn't owe me anything. He doesn't NEED to be nice to me. Regardless, it still hurts.

I drop the beeping phone, stricken by his actions. Everyone around me, Jess, Elijah, even my parents, everyone who actually matters in my life, put on a façade only when they want something from me.

Why is everyone so selfish?

Selfish? Is that what they are? Are they just being human? Using people for their own good, not giving a shit about their action's consequences? Is it okay for me to get angry at them? Or am I overreacting?

I walk up the stairs, as if in a trance.

Not one real person in my life. Not once have I felt more lonely than I am right now. I fall onto my bed, tears rolling down my cheeks. I stare at the ceiling, my mind wandering everywhere and nowhere at once.

What am I going to do about the mine? What will I tell Jess? Should I just cut off Jess and Elijah from my life? Even when they matter so much to me? Will I die alone? Will Mr. Val kill me? Will my entire life get ruined by this darned mine?

I will not let it ruin my life.

I wipe the tears off my face, the back of my hand wet with my tears. This mine, my inheritance is what they're after. If I give them what they want, will they finally leave me alone? Will I finally get my chance to go to LA?

I will not let this stupid little mine ruin my entire future. If they want it that bad, I have no choice but to give them what they want.

And that is exactly what I am going to do.

***********************************

17th September 1970

Thursday

I am going to get my hands on the mine papers.

Whether it's to give it to Jess or to have it for myself, I haven't decided myself. But I need it regardless.

After all, it is rightfully mine.

I get ready for school, despite not wanting to. However, my responsibilities call for me, the Council as well as the Fest. I received call upon call, reprimanding my absence for almost an entire week. I admit it, I deserved it, but with all this drama in the past few days, I could care less.

Now that my arch enemy has shown himself, [despite sounding dramatic it is true] the election is a complete waste. I don't need to hold a murder-themed party after all. And to be totally honest, I am glad I don't have to do it. Now that I think about it, it was a terrible idea with no relevance to my goal back then.

Stress does push you to do all sorts of crazy things.

I skip down the stairs, refreshed from the twenty-hour sleep that I had yesterday. The hours of adrenaline-driven events that had taken place the previous days, pushed me to sleep like a corpse yesterday. It has been years, almost a full decade, since I had slept like that.

Honestly, good sleep does better the rest of your day.

I wish Mother a good morning, her face being all smiles. Even she looked well-rested, despite having to wake up early to send off Father. She informs me that Father promised to get us souvenirs and that he's sure that he'll miss us. I smile, wondering if she got possessed by some kind old spirit overnight.

This woman's mood swings are as violent as that one ride in the fairs that we hold every year. You know the one that does a huge three-sixty?

Never mind, that was a terrible comparison.

I walk to school in the sweltering heat. It's crazy how the weather here is so inconsistent. Rains for an entire day, only for the next day to be bright and sunny. Seriously, meteorology in this town is totally whacky.

After a long walk, I finally reach school. Luckily, the bell hadn't gone off yet, and I hurry to my class, feeling kind of glad to be back.

I hate to admit it but I did miss school.

*************************************

𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘫𝘢𝘩

I pace the grand hallway, bile rising up my throat. I didn't mean to let things get this bad. I genuinely like her for christ's sake. I shouldn't have kept it from her for so long.

Eli, think.

All you've been saying for the past minute, is 'I'. If you truly gave a shit about her, you wouldn't have done something outrageous like this. If you actually liked her you wouldn't have kept this from her for so long. You LET her friends and family get tortured. What makes you think that this is forgivable? Any sane person wouldn't forgive you.

But she isn't any person. She's smart and kind, a picture-perfect girl. Surely she'd understand my situation?

What situation, Eli? Your oh-so-terrible relationship with your father which you hid from her all this while? The same father who tortured her for the mine? A mine that you were taught to want since you could form sentences? Do you actually think you deserve to be forgiven?

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" I mutter to myself angrily, my heart writhing with guilt.

You have had so many chances to redeem yourself Eli, yet you chose not to. Why? Because you were worried that you would blow your cover. Selfishness isn't going to get you anything Elijah, regardless it is furniture or your favorite toy. Why didn't you tell your father's minions to stop that night? Why didn't you just open your goddamn mouth?

That's right, you are a selfish prick who knows nothing less than to use people.

Tears prick my eyes, as droplets begin falling down my cheek. I stare out the window, the same window that I talked to Lena about that night.

Lena. What a gorgeous girl. She deserves so much better.

Is it my fault that she just so happened to be an heir to George Whitaker?

That terrible man did nothing but exploit and use people, including my father's family. He treated them like absolute dirt. Thankfully, his children, those with a good head on their shoulders, cut him off.

Unfortunately, Lena just happened to be his descendant.

She just so happened to be the reason why I feel so happy these days.

She just so happened to be the sole heir of the mine that rightfully belongs to my family.

Despite my strained relationship with my father, I fully believe that the mine is ours.

I don't know the specifics, but there was a violent conflict between the Whitakers and us, one that involved multiple gunfights. However, the fights died down a decade or so before my father was born. This was when Grandma used to be in her fifties, still single and ever so beautiful.

Grandma always talked about this hunky man, a man who she thought was 'The One.' She used to say that the only reason she enjoys life so much is solely because of this man and that she hadn't married because she had been waiting for the right person to come by.

However, this man just so happened to be the eldest son in the Whitaker family, George.

She described his youthful beauty, a handsome forty-year-old man with dark hair. She said that she was bewitched by his looks, his smile ever so radiant. She used to describe her escapades with this man, talking about him even in her death bed.

After her death, my father broke the truth to me.

George wasn't single. At that time he had been married to a Mary Whitaker, mother of three children. He had continued to cheat on his wife, ignoring his fatherly duties. His children grew to hate him, much to his absence. And what did he do during the said absence?

He slept with Grandma.

Poor Grandma. She was so besotted by him that she refused to see the red flags in her relationship. All the secret letters delivered to her doorstep, all the secret smiles, all the hushed dates to places where no one could see them, nothing could possibly change her mind about this man.

He kept this up for four years. Soon enough, Grandma began expecting a proposal. Anyone would, especially after such a long relationship. Moreover, she was expecting, pregnant with George's child. Worried about the scandalous rumors spreading around her, she decides that she's going to ask him to marry her, albeit being unconventional.

She prepares a romantic evening, a full spread full of George's favorite delicacies. As she proposes, his face contorts with anger. He says that he regrets spending all this time with her, especially when she has gotten so clingy. He then continued to break up with her, even after Grandma begged him to stay for their child's sake.

I wish that was all he did.

Rumors continued spreading as Grandma's tummy continued growing bigger and bigger. People began ostracizing their families, calling all types of terrible names. But Grandma chose to keep the child, not because she had to, but because she still loved George. She hoped that once the baby was born she could get back with George.

However, people withdrew their investments from our family's business, and slowly we became dirt poor, broke to the point that we couldn't even afford two meals a day. But we managed the two meals with the help of our family's mine. Despite the mine being old and dug up, it had enough gold to keep us afloat.

However, George managed to buy the mine from us, even when it wasn't up for sale. He blackmailed us, threatened that he'd burn us alive if we didn't sign the transfer papers. And so the mine began being passed down the Whitaker family.

Father always told me this story before going to sleep, ensuring that he instilled hatred towards the Whitaker family.

However, I don't think that he's being completely honest with me.

He always told one perspective of the story, never mentioning what had driven him to go to such lengths to get the mine from Lena. Like sure, it belongs to us rightfully, but you're well off right now. You could buy their houses in a blink of an eye. Why do you want a musty mine, one which barely has any gold left?

I sigh and gaze out the window.

Father never trusted me. That's why he made me change schools.

Transfer? Yeah right.

I got into all this trouble for not keeping my grades up.

I have always been a good student, but after Grandma's death I just wasn't the same. I kept flunking tests that I studied for, despite putting in more effort than usual. I tried and tried, and as I kept failing, I just stopped trying.

Father definitely did not like that.

That and the fact that all my old friends were from the "wrong crowd", whatever that's supposed to mean.

Anyways, he forcibly told me that either I get it together or I pack my stuff and get ready for public school. Obviously, I couldn't give less of a shit and ended up in that dingy school.

Honestly, I expected the new school to be a total bore, but that was only until I laid my eyes on her.

Lena.

She was absolutely breathtaking, chatting with that friend of hers, smiling ever so radiantly. That was when I think I fell for her.

Obviously, I didn't realize it back then, considering her just another pretty face with no intellect. But as I got to know her, running into her ever so often, I began realizing that, maybe just maybe, that I liked her.

A lot.

That was why I ensured she was safe during all the blackmailing that my father had orchestrated. But I failed to realize that seeing her loved ones in pain would hurt her even more than going through it herself. I failed as a friend, as a person who cared for her.

And for that, I am going to repent. I am going to beg for her forgiveness, even if I know well enough that I don't exactly deserve it.

At least I won't regret not trying later on?

I pace the hallway, nibbling on my cuticles.

I need to make this grand, or at least heartfelt. I need to apologize. I can't manage to lose her. She's the best thing that has happened to me in a while. I should not lose this.

Father or not, I am going to prioritize her safety and happiness over his.

Money, ego, family, all if it comes after her.

She makes me happy.

Tear begin spilling down my cheeks, crying for no exact reason. Not knowing whether this is out of sadness, happiness or guilt, I let it fall, letting the pain wash over me.

I ignored her for so long, praying that distancing myself from her would help me. I thought that it would help me stop thinking about her so often, wanting to touch her. I thought that if I ignored her long enough, she would begin hating me too.

But she didn't.

She still tried talking to me, consoling me, being a good friend to me when no one else could bother asking me how my day went.

Yet I never could bring myself to break the news to her. That the cause of all her agony is because of me and my father.

How could anyone possibly forgive that?

I decide to take a shower, knowing that it will take my mind off of things.

I need to stop being so emotional. If father were here, he would definitely say, "Stop crying, Elijah, you're a grown man."

I always resented him for saying that, however in this particular instance, I think I should pay heed to his words.

Only a clear mind can help me think of a way to get Lena to forgive me.

*******************************

After spending a mind-numbingly boring day at school, I begin heading to the library, deciding to spend the rest of the day there.

I skip down the street, my good mood almost seeming never-ending. I did well at the Fest preparations today, while the Council members just spent the entire day complaining about my long absence. But even that could not ruin my sunny mood, happy to just be back at school.

I walk to the library, feeling the bright sunshine pierce my eyes.

Afternoon walks are so icky. They get me sweaty and the humidity ALWAYS frizzes my hair.

However, I never managed to complain about it, nothing deterring my good mood. It almost felt scary, like the quiet before a storm.

I ignore it, thinking that my paranoia is setting in.

I walk into the library, twirling the keys in my hands. I switch on the lights, however nothing happens. My happy mood quickly turn into fear, my paranoia taking over me.

What if that impatient Valentine decided that he had enough of waiting?

That he needed the mine papers quicker than Jess had told.

Cold sweat drips down the side of my eyebrows, my heart thudding heavily. "Hello?", I say, my voice trembling against my own accord.

Upon receiving no response, I laugh at my own stupidity, knowing that even if someone was there, there's no way in hell are they going to respond. If they did, they'd give away their position while ruining the element of surprise.

Trust me. I am speaking from experience.

My hands tremble as I reach for the door handle, trying to get out the same way I got in. But my hands fumble, the sweat making it far from possible to get the keys into the key hole. Before I managed to get the key to work, I see a face standing in front of me.

I scream as loudly as possible, letting my fear take over me. I scream and scream, my throat burning from doing so. My lungs yearn for air, yet I continue screaming, knowing that I won't have a chance at escaping if I stop. Adrenaline pumps through my veins, heart beating faster than ever.

"Lena.", I hear a man's voice yell.

Fear constricts my throat, comprehending that voice as Baldy's.

I let out a sob, begging, pleading for my life. I know for a fact that if Baldy had a chance, he would rip me apart. I sob and sob, letting the salt water roll down my cheeks.

"Lena, Lena, it's me. It's Elijah.", the voice says, fairy lights turning on, casting a warm glow in the cozy library.

In a different instance, I would've appreciated its beauty, but right now, all I felt was fear.

And anger. Lots of anger.

Waves of anger wash over me, my mind blanking out. Emotion being the only thing leading my actions, I walk forward, slapping Elijah across the face. My palms sting from the impact, definitely scarlet, if only for this wretched lights.

I break down, the stress from the last few week's events hitting me all at once. I sob, hitting him in the chest, banging at his chest.

He was the cause for everything.

"I trusted you, you fool. Why did you have to go and ruin everything?", I yell, my voice hoarse from all the screaming and crying that I seemed to be getting better at lately. He sobs too, catching me by surprise. He doesn't say anything, his eyes glinting with emotion.

His hands move behind my back, enclosing my body with his arms. Despite him being the very source of my despair, his warm body was somehow comforting.

Critically thinking back, I was definitely not thinking straight. [let me have my moment]

I relax in his arms, feeling awfully safe, despite the surging emotions in my heart. The audacity of this man to think that I'd ever forgive him is surprising actually. However, one side of me kept saying, what if he had a reason for this? What if he didn't mean to do this to me? What if-

No Lena, stop. This isn't what I want.

I come to my senses, [finally] and push him away, angry at both myself and him. I am furious that I let him fool me and I am beyond furious that Elijah thought it would be a oh so ever cute idea to hide the fact that his family was, maybe just maybe, the reason for my recent agony.

"Lena, I can expla-", he begins, before I cut him off.

"Listen here, Elijah. You smooth talked me all this while, pretending to be a nice friend of mine- Wait are you even my friend? Am I even a friend to you? Or am I just a source for your stupid little gold mine and however much cash you need? Is that what I'm to you? Is that all?", I yell, my voice rising and dipping with emotion.

"Lena, I understand how you feel but-", he says, before I cut him off again.

"Elijah, whatever silly excuse you have, I don't want to hear it. Nothing can, or will, excuse you letting those men-", I say, while he speaks over me, disregarding whatever I had to say.

"Lena, I'm so so so sorry, but I need you, I beg you to listen to me. I know what I did was terrible, but I need you to listen to my side of the story. At least-",he pleads, voice trembling with his emotion. His luscious lashes coated with tears, he blinks multiple times, when he sees my cold expression when I say, "I'm sorry too, Elijah. I am sorry that I let myself be friends with such a jerk like you.", I say, walking out the door.

I could feel his eyes on me, never leaving my back as I stalk out the door. I expected him to call out for me, to say how much he wanted me to forgive him, but I get nothing.

Not one single word.

He let me walk away, and just like that, I managed to lose yet another friend of mine.

*****************************

After a nap, and a long sob session, I feel better.

The only thing I manage to conclude from today's events was that to never trust myself when I'm way too happy. Happiness often, almost always ends up with me having a terrible night, something that I don't want.

I sigh and turn in bed, just confused by the overwhelming amount of pressure on me.

I need the mine papers, but how do I get a hold of it?

It's the source of literally all my problems.

If I find it, all of this will get over. I can finally return to my boring yet stress-free life. I miss it, to be completely honest.

That's when an absolutely outrageous idea pops into my head.

I could always break into my parent's lockers. I mean, it's not impossible to do, but it is quite impossible to get away with.

But given my history, I have already committed like two crimes.

I mean, it's not impossible.

But the problem that stands here, is firstly, I have no idea which locker or whose locker in which they hid the papers.

Father has a locker in his office. But given the fact that he strictly doesn't talk about his work, or what he does, or where he works for the matter of fact, I have no idea what I should do.

Mother has a locker hidden somewhere in her father's house, somewhere in the countryside. Despite me not having a single memory of where the locker in our maternal home is, I vaguely remember my grandmother talking about it in her death bed.

Given that I was seven while that happened, memory may not be the best thing I can rely on.

Secondly, the fact that I am a legal adult means that if I do get caught, then I could easily go to jail for a decade or two, depending on the person who catches me.

Oh did I mention, my parents are a huge suck-up for tight security.

No, I am totally serious.

They are huge control freaks, and given that they are both pretty well off financially, it's not a surprise that they have such tight security. I am talking metal lockers, four security guards hidden somewhere with a complex lock.

Those are not the specifications, that's just me guessing how bad things can get.

Anyways, I don't think that this is logical, or even remotely responsible.

I mean, I am legally an adult. I can't risk my goal to move out by getting a criminal record.

But how can I possibly risk dying as opposed to a criminal record?

I mean, yeah Mr. Val promised to not kill me, but he did promise me torture. And in my opinion, or in anyone's opinion that actually matters, that is way worse.

I would rather get shot in the head than get my fingernails plucked out one by one, while some bald motherfucker interrogates me on where the mine papers are.

I sigh, pacing the floor, confused as to what is going to be my next step.

Should I just say "fuck it" and break into their lockers? Or should I try manipulating Mr. Val with the help of his son?

Man, this is way too much for a high school kid to handle.

Calculus seems like a joke compared to whatever this is. Maybe I should convince Mother to visit her family home for her birthday?

Yeah that sounds sensible.

She goes there to celebrate, and I sneak in and take the papers. That is if it is indeed there of course.

It sounds like a foolproof plan to me.

No, I am lying, there are gaping holes in this plan.

What if I don't get through the security or whatever booby trap that Mother has set up? What if some crazy alarm goes off and I ruin Mother's birthday?

Trust me, angry-Mother is already terrifying but angry-Mother-on-her-birthday is worse.

I am totally not sarcastic. [that is obviously sarcasm I don]t understand people who thinks otherwise]

When I keep trying to figure things out, or actually just figuring out how I am trying to commit a crime, I hear Father's voice yell from downstairs.

"Lena come downstairs, we have a special news for you.", he yells,

I sigh, rolling my eyes. Last time they said something like that, it was a letter saying that we had a Church-members-only gathering that Wednesday.

On a Wednesday.

Who hosts a gathering on a week day?

And who attends it? Mother apparently thought that it was wonderful that all the "Children of Christ" were meeting up. She spent hours baking an outrageously humongous apple pie, and managed to salt it instead of sugar it. Turns out that Father had mislabeled the jars, and the rest of the evening was spent by people downing punch to drown the salty aftertaste in the backs of their throats.

I stumble downstairs, already fed up.

I swear to god if it's something as bad as that time, I fume.

Hey Lena, be optimistic. What if it's your college acceptance letter? What if you somehow, magically, managed to win a lottery?

Urghh who am I kidding?

I head downstairs, and see Father and Mother standing near the telephone, a stern expression on their faces.

Uh oh. This does not look good for me at all.

This is the look that indicates my imminent death. This was the look they had when they found out that I snuck out. My heart begins thudding, terrified about what's about to come. I take a huge gulp of air, my lungs somehow requiring more oxygen than usual.

"Lena..", Mother begins.

Sweat drips down my back, palms wet from the immense amount of salt water that my body manages to produce.

"Lena, we are going out of town for your Mother's birthday.", he says with a deep sigh.

Shit, not when I just managed to formulate a plan. Universe, what makes you think this was okay?

"But school-", I managed to let out, trying to form an excuse to not go out of town.

"Lena, we are going out of town and that's that.", Mother says with a finality in her voice. My shoulders slump as I process the news.

Oh great, yet another obstacle in my already foolproof plan. "Where are we going, Mother?", I ask, praying that it wasn't anywhere boring.

"My father's house, Lena.", she says in disgust.

Oh.

The universe is on my side after all.