Eliott Price Should be Dead

twenty six - drowning

I drop the pen on the reception counter and spin on my heels to leave. The lady says goodbye but I don't acknowledge her. I signed the papers.

Outside, I run my fingers through my hair and skid my shoes against the pavement. I stare up at the sky and take a deep breath, secretly wondering what it would be like if my biological parents were doing the same exact thing and wondering where I was. Maybe they know and don't care.

An hour later and I'm back at Ivan and Jackie's house. My goal is to wiggle past Ivan and/or hope he isn't home so I can just hang out with Jackie or something. I anxiously knock on their door and Jackie pops her head out. 

"Oh fuck," she mutters to herself when she sees me, pulling the door open all the way.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to you, with Ivan and everything," she apologizes while eyeing up the scars and bruises on my face, "I really didn't think he would be so angry. I'm not sure why he acted this way."

I shrug and run my finger along my face lightly, feeling the puffy bruise and the pain associated with it. "I'm okay, don't worry. I would get angry too if my little sister kissed someone... but, uh, not that angry."

Jackie's posture shifts and she slumps her shoulders while letting me slip inside the house. "I'm really glad that he didn't mess things up for us," she smiles while placing her hand under my chin to examine the bruises again.

"Us?" I mutter while she examines my face.

"Yeah, us..." she reiterates as her eyebrows furrow and her eyes lock with mine. She gently brushes my bruise and leans in to kiss my forehead. "Do you want anything to eat?"

I stand there with my eyes straight ahead, wondering what just happened. "I'm... I'm good," I finally respond a few seconds too late, Jackie already pulling food from the refrigerator.

I rub the back of my neck and listen to the sounds of people walking upstairs, the ceiling creaking every few seconds. "Is he, um, Ivan, home?"

Jackie nods and points upstairs. "Is that a problem? We can quick leave..."

I shake my head. "No, no, it's fine," I smile and walk into the kitchen, sitting down at the table while Jackie puts soft pretzels into the oven even though I said I wasn't hungry.

"I just want to say sorry for behaving the way I did the other day when we were drunk. I like you, a lot, obviously, and I'm so happy the feeling is mutual. I didn't want to give the wrong impression by kissing you there for the first time while drunk," Jackie suddenly explains while sitting down across from me.

"The feeling is mutual?" I ask, but it sounds more like a sentence. Jackie just smiles wide and reaches out to grab my hands from across the table.

"I hear someone down there... I know who it is. Tell him to come up here, I gotta lay some ground rules," Ivan shouts from the top of the stairs. He takes both Jackie and I by surprise.

Jackie's eyes widen and she lets go of my hand, shooing me towards the staircase with her hand. "Go, go, he's not gonna hurt you again."

I act nervous and nod quickly while hesitating a few moments before heading up the stairs. I don't see Ivan so I wander down the hallway, peeking into the two open doors until I find him in the second one.

"Hey, bitch," he smirks and holds his cigarette at the open window.

"Your fucking sister thinks I'm into her. She's all touchy-feely with me and I'm doing nothing to reciprocate it," I anxiously explain to Ivan because I'm not even sure what I have gotten myself into or what signs I accidentally gave her.