Swish

.30

My grandmother and Eli fit together like two peas in a pod. 

One moment, I was being embarrassed by old stories about me running around naked through the front yard, the next he was spilling his guts to her about his hopes and dreams. 

It would've worked as a distraction, too, if that night were normal.  Instead, we had been bombarded with random phone calls, text messages and social media requests like never before.  Or at least, I would have, if my phone were working.  I got all that from peeking over Eli's shoulder after he let me log into my accounts through his phone. 

I had never been more relieved to have private social media across all platforms than I did in that moment.  On the upside, our band fan page was going out of control with new members, and our Youtube videos were blowing up.  Seeing the brighter side?  Being optimistic?  Yeah, I could totally do that.  

"I think it's time I retire to sleep tonight, you two.  You got a room for the night, right?"

"Already ahead of you on that one.  I booked it while V was in the restroom a few hours ago.  I assumed you didn't want to go back to the school tonight, right?"

Powerful flutters attacked my stomach as I realized he had actually booked us a hotel room in the same hotel my grandmother was staying. 

We had been eating pizza and trying to take our thoughts off of the mind-fuck events of the evening, decompressing after everything had happened and just...getting to know each other. 

I had learned all about my grandfather, who hadn't been able to come because of his heart condition but I would be able to see him again for the first time in years once I took my first proper trip to New Jersey to visit them. 

I learned about some of my second and third cousins, great aunts and uncles that were part of my extended family that I had never even met before, and I was slowly starting to become angrier and angrier at my father, who had kept this entire family away from me, isolating me so that he was the only thing I could have and depend upon.

Suppressing a yawn, I took in my grandmother's tanned glowing face and noticed the bags had become more purplish and mottled beneath her eyes, a sure sign that she was tired, and agreed wholeheartedly that we should pack it up for the night. 

"Of course.  No use going back to campus to face the wolves so soon, anyway.  We'll meet up for breakfast, before you fly back home?"

"Of course, dear.  You two just...have a good rest of your night, even if it didn't start off the right way."

I gave her a swift hug and Eli followed suit, his arm hanging low due to his injury that he sustained, something that he still hadn't brought up, nor the circumstances surrounding what had happened and why, but I was going to try and get to the bottom of it once we were quietly ensconced in our hotel room, if he was willing to talk to me, that is. 

He scooped up my hand on his good side, rolling his bad shoulder in circular motions as we navigated the hotel lobby. 

"That feeling okay?  We can grab some ice for it once we get our key card?"

"No, it's fine.  The trainer said I just tweaked it and to make sure I move it around and stay warm, alternating hot and cold compresses but it honestly feels like I just bruised it and it's sore.  It's nothing, really."

The lengths that he was going to in order to try and make me agree with him was...concerning at best, because it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself that he was fine, but I wasn't going to pry.  I wasn't the world's biggest fan of basketball what with my father's entire life being the focus of the sport, so I definitely didn't know damn near anything about sports injuries.