Chapter Seven
Elsie
The past
Since my parents moved into this town and my mother birthed me, I was homeschooled.
They always told me that people around us aren’t nice but I disagree.
Clayton is the nicest person I have met besides my parents.
At least my father is nice with me but he definitely looks scary to others, his words are rough-edged because of the heavy Russian accent.
My parents always fascinated me, how they met and fell in love. They’re completely different, yet they are like the puzzle pieces me and mom do together. They complete each other in a way I wish to find in my future love story.
Clay has been my friend for two years, since we met we have been inseparable. I never met his parents, everytime I ask him to let me see them atleast, he shakes his head.
“Come on, Clay. Maybe they will be nice and I get to tell them of all the achievements you do.”
“No, Elsie, I do not care about their approval. They’re sick minded and I won’t let you near them.”
He pleaded with me not to ask about it again, and I never did.
When I made him meet my parents, my mom was so excited to know him.
She prepared a nice dinner and dad helped her.
I still remember how Clay stood on the front door, he stood tall, confident, but I saw the way he kept touching the hem of his shirt as if scared that it’s not enough.
Mom crushed him into a hug as dad stood behind her nodding with a slight smile towards him.
While we were eating dinner, my mom asked about his parents and I watched as he slowly chewed, biding time.
“I’m an orphan.” he lied.
My dad’s eyes narrowed as he kept inspecting Clay. They don’t think I notice how my mom subtly holds his hand tightly and his eyes glance over to hers. His gaze softened but there was still a slight edge.
Eventually, Clay visited everyday and I let him eat whatever he likes. He sometimes just comes through the back door at night, bruises up and silently walks into the shower and then sleeps beside me without a single word.
I really want to help him.
“John, stop it.” Mom slaps dad’s arm.
That gets me out of my thoughts as I realize I have been hovering the spoon over my cereal bowl. Today, I will finally try going to school. I’m 10 years old now and I have persuaded my parents to let me out. I want to explore the world more and be with Clay at school.
My dad chuckles, shoving a macaroon into his mouth. Mom loves baking them and experimenting with all the flavors, she doesn’t let me eat many of them because of the amount of sugar.
“I have spent an hour and a half trying to make this, and you’re just vacuuming the plates!
” Even if frustrated, she looks sweet with her short straight platinum blonde hair swaying as she speaks.
She rolls the ‘r’ everytime she speaks. My mother is French but she moved out years ago, the accent just slightly pops up here and there.
Dad eats another one, holding her gaze with a smirk. He likes to make mom frustrated sometimes.
She huffs, reaching behind her and starts to unlace her apron. A hand reaches and stops her, Dad wraps his arms around her front, whispering something in her ear then plants a quick kiss to her cheek. Her cheeks flush as she rolls her eyes.
Dad walks over to me with a smile as he kisses my forehead, taking a seat on the stool beside mine.
“Ready to go, bug?”
I nod, hopping off the stool as I head towards the front door. The fog keeps thickening as the years pass by, leaves crunch beneath my feet as I hold my bag and hop in dad’s car.
Dad gets out of the house, putting on his jacket as mom waves at me with a smile but I can see the hesitation in her eyes. She would like me to stay in the safety of our home and I consider if I should change my mind.
No, Clay has no friends at school and I want to be with him.
The car parks in front of the school. It doesn’t look like much, more of an abandoned place.
Dad’s hands tighten on the steering wheel as he looks at the school.
I have been sitting silently for a few minutes, not making a move to get out and dad has been waiting patiently.
The comfortable silence breaks. “Bug, listen to me.” His voice softens as he faces me.
“You don’t need to go if you don’t want to.
If you don’t like the teachers online, I can easily find better ones for you. ”
I don’t like that they always keep me protected, I need to stop being weak.
I stay silent as he holds my cheek, turning my head to face him. “I know you’re scared and you have every right to be. No one deserves you. Me and your mom are here for you, okay?” He assures me, waiting for my decision as a tear slips down my face.
He grabs the wheel “that’s it, we are going home.” I grab him arm with a smile. I need to be a big girl. “Dad, I want to go.” I make every effort to sound convincing.
He looks into my eyes for a bit and sighs. “Alright,bug. But whenever something happens, don’t even hesitate a second to reach us. I will pick you up in a minute and you won’t set foot again here, understand?” I nod as I lean over and hug him. “Love you, dad.”
He hugs me back tightly. “Love you too, bug” he waits till I pull away.
I grab my bag and get out of the car as I walk towards the entrance.
He calls out to me, resting his hand over the car door.
“I sneaked some macarons in your lunch pack.” I look over my shoulder at him as my eyes widen.
The kids probably would laugh at me. “Dad! Don’t embarrass me.
” I whisper yell but I couldn't help but giggle when he winks at me.
He drives off and I take a deep breath and walk in.
The air feels thicker, the wall paints are chipped.
No one is around except for a few who glances at me as I walk by through the hallway.
A board is hung at the end of the hall, chalk handwriting reads each class and their duration.
But the board seems untouched for a long time as some of the chalk has faded away.
Clay is two years older than me so I can’t go attend his classes.
I just have to survive through mine and hopefully we will meet at lunch break.
I head towards my current class as I find it empty, except for a group of girls at the end of the classroom.
My steps falter, hesitating. They’re talking and laughing, which seems nice.
I step inside and sit down on the front desk, organizing my stuff.
My purple notebook with a yellow butterfly on the cover that my mom got for me.
I feel more at ease as I wait for the teacher to come in. Someone taps my shoulder and I look over to find a brunette with her hair in a ponytail, her other friends behind her.
“What’s your name?” She chews on gum.
“Elsie, what’s yours?”
“Donna” she answers then points out at every girl, introducing them to me and I grin. We talk for a bit and I can’t seem to shut up. Telling them everything about me and they listen attentively. Maybe making friends isn’t that hard.
I realize the more I talk, they’re looking at my bag and belongings. I don’t comment on it, maybe they just like them. Stacey grabs my notebook, flipping through the pages as her blonde pigtails sway.
They invite me to sit with them and I can’t help the joy I’m feeling, my parents would love to hear more about my new girl friends.
After our class, they walk out and I quickly grab my bag, following them. They’re walking beside each other ahead of me, talking, and I’m in the back. They don’t make way for me, it's okay, maybe there is no space for me.
I bump into them as they stop abruptly. “I need to fix my hair in the restroom.”
“Donna, we need to grab our things from the lockers.” Stacey rolls her eyes.
Donna seems upset that no one will accompany her.
“I will go with you.”
The girls look at me then at each other as Donna smiles “really? Okay, come on.” She grabs my hand and leads us away from the others.
Once we get inside the restroom, I look at myself in the mirror, my hair is braided to the side, light gray sweater, black skirt and gray tights. I feel confident.
Suddenly, my side collides with the wall beside me.
My arms reach to steady myself as I look up and see Donna standing in front of me with her lips curled up in a snarl.
“You really thought that just because you’re rich, we will take you in with big arms outstretched, huh?
” I shake my head frantically “oh, no, no, I didn’t mean to make you feel that way, I-“ her legs kick into my side as she bends down and grabs my braid. I wince in pain, grabbing onto her arm trying to ease it as the rest of the girls come in and lock the door. They’re all grinning.
“Please, stop, I wasn’t trying to be rude.” Donna slaps me across the face as Stacey mimics me while the third girl laughs.
Tears spilled down my cheeks. “I-I just wanted us to be friends, w-what did I do wrong?” I plead
“Wow, she’s pathetically alone.” Stacey scoffs
“Are you crying for rich mommy and daddy to come help you?”
They grab my bag, take out all my stuff and run out of the restroom giggling. I stay on the ground, hugging my legs to my chest.
I’m not sure how long I stayed there. Grabbing my empty bag as I walk out of school silently, not daring to look at anyone.
“Elsie?” A voice I recognize too well calls out.
He stands in front of me, taking me in. His gaze lands on my dried tears and slightly reddened cheek, his jaw clenches. His thumb brushes under my eyes. “Who did this?”
He doesn’t ask me why I’m suddenly in school. No, he asks me this.
We sat in the courtyard at the benches, his water bottle in my hand as he insisted I drink some. I told him everything that happened and why I’m here. He listened to every word and nodded every once in a while.
“Clay, am I pathetic or desperate?”
He chuckles, “I can think of a hundred words to describe you right now, and trust me, none of them contain pathetic or desperate.”
Clay sneaked in at night and slept over as we watched a show together. When I woke up, I decided to stay home without explaining why to my parents and they didn’t pressure me to explain but dad looked murderous.
Clay left early in the morning while I’m asleep as usual. I flip over in my empty bed, something grazes my arm under the pillow. I sit up and reach underneath.
A piece of neatly folded paper is hidden.
It’s a handwritten letter with one hundred words describing me.
You’re beautiful.
You’re lovely.
I grin.