"Only a week," he murmured to himself as they made their way to the bus stop to wait for Elijah's father. "Just one..."
"You've been at it the whole way, Fox," Rebekah observed.
"I know," Fox replied wearily. "But it's just...it's going to be a long week, and I'm afraid that asshole Park is going to do something to Elijah."
When they arrived at the rectory, Rector Bob engaged Fox and Jackson in a conversation, but the two boys continued to exchange heated glares and engage in verbal sparring. Bob asked them to explain the reason for their fight, and Fox spoke first, recounting what had happened. Jackson immediately began contradicting and changing the story, which sparked a fierce argument between the two. Bob eventually tired of the argument and decided to arrest Fox for all the hits, while Jackson claimed he had been completely innocent.
When Elijah and Rebekah arrived, the rector gave Elijah a disapproving look that made him feel as though everything that had transpired was his fault. Bob then asked the snowhead to explain what had happened, but Jackson's menacing stare caused Elijah to hesitate.
Fox was sentenced to a week of detention and faced a litany of reprimands from his parents, both on the phone and in person when he arrived home and they saw his slightly bruised face. Despite his own troubles, Fox was consumed with worry for his best friend. With Jackson's impending release, he feared the worst - that his friend would take out his frustrations on him.
"I don't think he'll do anything to me," Elijah spoke, trying to assuage Fox's fears. "Not after the way you left him."
But Fox was resolute.
"He'll do something, I can feel it."
Rebekah stood before the snowy-haired boy, placing a comforting hand on his cheek.
"It's only a week, okay?" she said. "And besides, I don't mind. It's not your fault."
Fox hung his head, guilt weighing heavily on him.
"You're going to get scolded because of me," he said, his voice low and apologetic.
Elijah smiled softly.
"But it will be worth it," he said. "I know how to talk to my parents."
Sam's voice cut through the air.
"You're the only one who knows how to do it,
" he said. "But take off that face that screams you're not good enough. You're better than that." He directed his gaze towards his brother.
"That's how I feel," the younger brother said, pulling on the strap of his backpack. "I'm not like you guys." He turned to his brothers and friends. "I'm just..."
"You're an amazing kid that everyone's envious of," Rebekah interrupted him, a smile playing on her lips. Elijah tried to deny it, but it was no use.
"Yeah, you're all that, Layjah," Fox added, walking up to him and giving him a chaste hug. He hated seeing his best friend in such a state. Sometimes, he wished he could be more like Rebekah, able to talk some sense into others. But other times, he knew it was best not to.
As they arrived at the bus stop, a solemn silence fell over the group. Elijah's father's car pulled up in front of them and Fox's parents got out, rushing over to their son and asking how he was doing.
"One week without studying. One week," Tah, Fox's father, emphasized sternly.
"But you know why I did it, father," Fox defended himself. "It was just..."
"A week where you can do many other things," his mother, Val, interjected, her tone laced with sarcasm and anger. "Unbelievable. With this suspension, that's four. And if it happens again, you'll be suspended for the fifth time. And all for..." She trailed off, casting an ungracious look at the snow-haired boy.
Elijah looked down, feeling responsible for his best friend's situation. He understood the attitude of Fox's parents all too well.
Feeling his son's distress, Elijah's father, Josh, put an arm around his shoulders.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Excellent," Elijah replied, though Josh could tell from his tone that he was anything but. He forced Elijah to look at him.
"Elijah, son..." he began.
"This will be the last time you take care of him and defend him," Mr. Tah declared to his son during a heated discussion, in which Fox insisted he wouldn't stop doing what he was doing. "Yes, you will. We can't keep switching you from one institution to another ten times over," he said, pointing his finger to emphasize his words.
"But...Father, I can't stop doing it, and you know that," Fox protested. But his father continued to insist. "I'm not going to do it, okay?" Fox raised his voice, his frustration mounting.
"Yes, you will. And do you know why?" Mr. Tah asked, a hint of superiority in his tone. "Because I'm your father, and you do what I say," he replied, cutting off any further arguments.
Fox looked to his mother for support, but she remained silent. He was angry - he couldn't just abandon his best friend Orleans at a moment's notice.
Here's the revised text in the style of S.J. Smith:
"I'm terribly sorry," Val apologized to Mr. Josh, who glared at Tah in disapproval. Tah also didn't like what he had heard. "But this has gone too far," he said, turning to Elijah. "It's unacceptable and unbearable that my son should suffer for something that's not his fault."
"I understand, Miss Orleans, but your son..." Mr. Josh tried to respond, but Val cut him off.
"He offered to protect him," she finished for him. "He always wants to protect everyone, that's just who he is, and I don't blame him. But you must understand that your son must learn..."
"To be more of a man," Elijah interjected, cutting her off this time. He looked at his brothers, his friends, and especially at Fox, who was still arguing with his father. He felt terrible about everything, about every single thing.
"Where are you going?" his father asked as Elijah began to walk away. "Elijah!"
"Leave me alone!" he shouted, and Josh watched as his son walked away.
He sighed.
"I shall fetch him," Sam spoke, but his father intervened.
"I think it would be better if he were left alone," Rebekah interjected before Josh could respond. "And, Mrs. Groemen, I suggest you carefully consider your words," he added with a serious and slightly angry tone. "Fox!" Rebekah shouted, causing both Fox and his father to look at her. "Enough, alright? Accept that you will no longer be responsible for him."
"But..."
"Just accept it."
Fox acquiesced, and his father instructed him to get into the car, which he did reluctantly.
"I hope you're satisfied," Fox mumbled to his father.
"Let's go," Josh said, and the group got into the car amidst an uncomfortable and tense atmosphere.
As the sun set behind the high mountains, leaving a beautiful orange hue in the sky, he walked on the pavement, his eyes lowered as he kicked stones deep in thought. He wiped his nose and cheeks with the sleeve of his white shirt, tears falling one after another. Among other things, he hated that he could not suppress his emotions, the urge to cry, the desire to be someone different, someone respected, someone who would not be hurt so much.
Raindrops fell on her hair and shoulders, not tears, but the approaching rain.
"Thank you for making me feel like a pathetic crybaby," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain. He looked up at the sky, and noticed the disapproving looks from the people who had taken out their umbrellas. He didn't care. He felt the rain getting heavier and heavier, until it covered him completely. He stopped walking, throwing his backpack to the ground in frustration. He was angry, frustrated, and above all, alone. It was a long way back to his house, and he didn't have anyone to turn to.
He thought about Fox, and how they probably wouldn't be friends anymore after today. He thought about his parents, and how they might never speak to the chestnut's parents again. He thought about Rebekah, and how even though his parents wouldn't say it, they probably thought poorly of him too. He frowned and let out a gasp, tears streaming down his face. He hated feeling like this, like he wasn't good enough. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to shake the feeling.
He sat down on the pavement, burying his face in his arms and feeling the raindrops on his back. Rage and strength surged within him as he sat there, in the rain, reclaiming everything he felt towards himself.
After a while, he sniffled and rested his chin on his arms. That's when he met a pair of dark brown eyes that looked straight into his without blinking. He was about to speak when she beat him to it.
"I listened and saw everything that happened," she said. "Your friends' parents are idiots."
"Of course they're not. I'm the idiot. It's all me."
"Don't go back to that, JahJah," she said, calling him by a new nickname.
"Elijah," he corrected her, but she continued.
"Get used to it. That's what I'll call you. JahJah," she repeated, and her softness made him want to cry even more. No one, except for his few friends, ever spoke to him so kindly that he felt like he mattered to others."Bombom..." She raised his chin with her index finger. "That's enough," she said, telling him to stop crying. "For once in your life, start seeing what you're worth."
"I already have, and I'm not worth anything," he replied, sniffling through his nose. "Melia, is that..." he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
"It's that, what?" she urged him to continue.
"Kill me," he blurted out.
"I'm not going to do that," she denied, and Elijah stood up abruptly, watching her pick up her backpack and start walking away. "I'm talking to you," she said, but he ignored her. Before he knew it, she was standing in front of him, and he was surprised by the fleeting speed with which she had moved.
"I want to be alone," he said, walking past her. But she grabbed his arm tightly.
"What do you want?" he asked, his tone harsh, and she noticed his horror as he looked at her. Her eyes were marked with dark circles, and her veins were visible.
"I'm seconds away from shattering your collarbone," she warned him. "Do you want me to kill you?" she asked, and he replied, "Gladly."
His mouth opened like a wild animal about to attack its prey, and he growled as he pulled back to gain momentum. What he wished for was about to happen, but he didn't realize the consequences of his words.
Be careful what you wish for…