Noah wouldn’t even look at him, and for once Eli was perfectly okay with that. He was dying of embarrassment. After everyone left the room, he had time to think things over; really think about how everyone saw him in bed with Cameron, everyone knew what they’d been doing and… Eli cringed. Why did he even do that? With a stranger? With someone he’d known for five seconds? It mortified him.

They pulled up into the driveway. Eli was still getting used to it being a house he would come home to for now, and not an apartment. “Do you think—”

Noah closed the car door before Eli finished his question. Eli shut his mouth, swallowed his annoyance and hopped out after him. “Noah.” He caught up to him as he was going into the house, “Do you think dad will have heard back from the lawyers yet?”

“Ask him.” Noah snapped.

Eli watched him storm up the stairs.

“Fun night?” Jenny peeked out from the kitchen, looking at Eli expectantly.

“Eventful.” Eli answered hesitantly.

“We all have those nights,” Jenny offered a sympathetic smile. “Come have something to eat, your dad wants to talk to you before he goes to work.”

Since moving in Jenny had been the easiest person to talk to by a long shot. His dad, and especially Noah were quick to get annoyed at him and just as quick to harshly reprimand any behaviour they didn’t like. Eli could swallow it when it was his dad doing the scolding, but when it was Noah it really ticked him off.

“Morning dad.” Eli greeted him as pleasantly as possible.

“How’s the head?” His dad looked up from the newspaper in his hands as he walked in.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t drinking.” Eli sat opposite him, and Jenny pushed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” She ruffled his hair.

“You’ll be starting school tomorrow.” His dad folded up the paper, “The teachers brought up your grades from the last school. They weren’t good.”

“I’ll work on it” Eli promised. It would actually be possible in this house.

“And your attendance?”

“I can keep that up too.” Eli didn’t have to find his own way to school here either, since Noah had a car.

“Okay then.” His dad stood up. He leaned over to Jenny and pecked her cheek. “I’ll see you later honey”

“Uh, Dad?” Eli abandoned his breakfast and dashed after him into the hallway, “Have you heard anything from the lawyers?”

Familiar annoyance flashed across his dad’s face. “I told you to stop asking me every time we talk.”

“They were supposed to call last night.”

“I’ll deal with the lawyers.”

“So, did they—“

“Eli,” His dad’s tone of voice changed. “Enough.”

Jenny placed a hand on Eli’s shoulder and gave it squeeze after his dad left. “They didn’t call, honey.”

Eli turned to her. “Did dad contact them to find out why?”

“I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon.” Jenny gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it Eli, these things take time.”

Jenny left him alone, and he unhappily sat back at the kitchen table. His dad wouldn’t talk to him about what was going on, all he’d say was not to worry, and that was it. Eli couldn’t help but get worked up about it. If he had to back to the apartment after all this his life would be hell. He pushed away the meal, no longer feeling any edge of hunger, and made his way upstairs.

Eli wondered into his room and sprawled out on the bed. His room was clean and unlived in, the same state it had been in a week ago. The only belongings that were his was a small duffle bag of clothes, and his phone. He’d left it behind to charge when he went to the party.

He pulled it from the stand, and bit his lip when he saw the missed calls. Jackson’s name made his stomach tighten. He’d been waiting for this since he left the house. Waiting for his mom’s attempts to stop, and Jackson to step in. Eli didn’t know if the fact there was only one missed call relieve or terrify him. Jackson wasn’t the type of person who took no for an answer, and he wasn’t the type to ask twice.

Eli tossed the device onto the bed-side table. He stared at his wall, just letting his thoughts mill about and stress him. He rubbed his neck, probed the small bruise and was hit with another wave of embarrassment. “Ugh.” He reached for his pillow and buried his face in it.

“Eli?” Jenny knocked on the door.

“Come in.” He rolled into a sitting position.

Jenny laid eyes on him and giggled. She crossed the room and ran a hand through his hair, “You’re worse than your father.”

“My dad’s hair isn’t long enough for bed head.” Eli disagreed.

“He only got it cut recently.” Jenny sat down next to him. “Anyway, I’m heading into town and I thought you could do with some more clothes and a few essentials. It’ll be a good chance to get a look around the place too.”

“That sounds really good actually.” Eli said, eager. “I’m already going stir-crazy.”

“Great.” Jenny smiled. “I’ll see if Noah wants to come.”

Surprise, surprise Noah didn’t want to. Eli didn’t comment on his absence, but Jenny already heard their little spat when they came home earlier.

“He’s a little hung over.”

“He’s a little pissed off.” Eli corrected.

Jenny reached over and squeezed his hand. “Like I said, we all have those nights.”

The town was big. Not as packed as the place he came from but still a size you could get lost in. Jenny brought them to the nearest shopping centre.

“Once things settle down a bit, we can go get anything you left back at the apartment with your mom.” Jenny said as they walked inside. “but for now I think some distance would do you both some good.”

Eli;s fondness for Jenny rose several notches. He couldn’t help a sigh of relief. At least someone gets it. Clothes shopping with her felt a lot like being a Barbie doll she was dressing as she liked, but it wasn’t bad. At least she didn’t make him wear anything ridiculous.

With full bags of clothes, Eli trailed after her as she browsed through the laptop section of the electronic store.

“What kind are you looking for?” Eli questioned, glancing at the specs of the one nearest him.

“What kind would you like?”

It took her words a few seconds to sink in. “What?”

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “I told you we’d be getting the essentials for you.”

“I don’t think a laptop counts as something essential.” Eli protested, “In fact, I’m 100% sure it doesn’t.”

“You need a laptop for schoolwork.” Jenny dismissed his objections and leaned over the one he was looking at. “Besides, Noah has one. Why shouldn’t you?”

The last part of her sentence stuck inside his head and clung there like a leech. She’d summed up his entire reason for coming here in a simple, offhand comment. Noah got to live like this, why shouldn’t Eli? It’s what finally made him take action and leave his mom. It sounded even more selfish now.

“I don’t want to impose” Eli said weakly. If he really didn’t want to impose, he wouldn’t have come in the first place. The thought stung his conscience.

“This one looks good.” Jenny tapped the machine as if Eli hadn’t spoken at all. “I’ll go pay for it”

Eli couldn’t bring himself to look at the price, and couldn’t help the guilt that lodged itself in his stomach when he didn’t object anymore. “Thank you.”

Jenny reached behind her and gave his arm a squeeze. She didn’t say anything else, but somehow, he felt she could pick on some of what he was feeling.

The laptop rested on the desk in his room with the packaging unopened. Eli pretended it wasn’t there as he unpacked the new clothes.

“Food‘s ready.” Jenny’s voice trailed up the stairs.

Eli put his work aside and trudged down to the kitchen. He was still finding the whole ‘family dinner’ thing strange. He was the last one down, and everyone had already started digging in when he joined them.

“Eli, I was just saying how we went out and bought you new clothes.” Jenny said as joined them.

“Thanks again.” Eli picked up his fork.

“Have you got the laptop up and running yet?”

Both Noah and his dad stopped mid-bite. His dad looked surprised, and Noah looked aghast. “You bought a laptop?”

Eli didn’t know who he was asking until Noah’s gaze turned on him. Eli ducked his head. “Yup”

“Seriously?” Noah scowled.

“Noah.” Jenny frowned at him.

“What’s wrong with me having a laptop?” Eli glanced up.

“They’re expensive.”

“You have one.”

“I paid for mine.” Noah gritted his teeth.

“Noah!” Jenny’s voice rose sharply.

Eli and Noah both flinched, and Noah visibly swallowed his anger. The only giveaway was the hand he had clenched around his fork. “Sorry Jenny.”

Jenny’s expression softened. “It’s okay, but I bought it for Eli as a gift so I don’t want you giving him any grief about it. Understand?”

“Got it.” Noah stabbed his meal.

Eli unease was now strong enough to turn his stomach and ruin his appetite. He played with his food. His phone buzzed. It had been left face up next to him, so everyone saw his mom‘s face flash on the screen. Eli glanced at it, then turned back to his food.

“You should answer that.” His dad said.

“I don’t want to talk to her.”

“Eli.”

Eli flicked his eyes up and realised from the annoyance etched into his dad’s face that he wasn’t making a request. He dropped his fork onto the plate with a huff and snatched his phone off the table. “Hi mom.”

“Elliott.” The voice on the other end greeted.

Eli flinched, he jerked the phone away from his ear and hung up.

His dad’s expression immediately simmered into something more dangerous than ‘annoyed’. Noah just shook his head at him.

“It wasn’t mom.” Eli explained meekly.

“Oh yeah?” Noah spoke up, “You have someone else listened as ‘mom’ in your contacts?”

“It was her boyfriend.” Eli snapped back at him.

Her boyfriend, who Eli had just hung up on. He sank into his chair, swallowing hard as regret bubbled up his gut full force. That was stupid. He shouldn’t have just hung up. He should have made an excuse and then hung up. Now Jackson would be pissed off.

“You two don’t get along?” Jenny questioned, clearly trying to lighten the mood around the table.

“You could say that.” Eli’s stomach was now set in tightened ball, and there was no chance for any more dinner to go in. He rubbed his face as the realisation of what happened sank in even further. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Next time you two talk you can apologise” Jenny said tentatively.

Eli ran his fingers through his hair and tried to calm his erratic heartbeat. “Yeah” he agreed. He stared at his full plate another minute before standing up.

“You’ve hardly eaten anything.” His dad lowered his fork.

Eli turned his back so he couldn’t see whatever face he was making. “I’ve eaten all that I’m going to.” He swiped his food back into their pots. The only sound in the kitchen was his fork scraping off the plate. Eli didn’t have to turn around to know they were watching him and not eating. It reminded him a little of back home.

Even if he’d wanted to break the silence, he had no idea what he could say that wouldn’t get them even more annoyed at him. So instead Eli left the room without looking back. He fiddled with his phone for a long time before hitting the redial. He couldn’t just leave it like that.

He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned back against the door. “I didn’t mean to hang up.”

“Enough sulking, it’s time to come home.”

“I’m staying here” Eli protested softly. His voice couldn’t keep any strength in it.

“You’re coming home. You’ve caused enough trouble with this lawyer nonsense. Do you really think your mother won’t be able to keep custody of you? I’m warning you now, if you draw this out any longer you’re going to regret it.”

“Mom won’t win.” Eli slid down the door. “It’s a bad neighbourhood and a bad school. It’s not like here. Dad’s not worried about losing.”

“Not worried about losing?” A chuckle came through the line, “Elliott he doesn’t give a fuck if you get dragged back here or not. Your mother and I are waiting for you to come home, so get your ass back here.”

Eli bit his lip. “No.”

There was silence on the other end of the line, and then a beep. Eli felt like more of an idiot than before. He shouldn’t have called him back.

Standing up he ignored the tremble in his hands and tossed the phone onto his bed. He plonked himself down at the desk and finally set the laptop up. His eyes stung, and it took him a long time to calm down.

He opened Facebook to find a friend request sitting in his notifications. Kaylen Reed. He hesitated a moment, but clicked the accept button. Apparently, she lived at the boarding house they’d been at last night. Almost against his will he found himself sifting through her friends, seeking out a certain name.

Cameron Harper.

Eli groaned after looking through a few posts. “He’s a total fuckboy” He leaned back in the chair, staring at the half-naked bodies on the screen and the many, many pictures of parties, and different girls on his arm. No guys, he noticed. The girlfriend from last night was the only one near him in the recent posts, though Cameron’s status was still down as ‘single’.

Eli went back to his own page, figuring that was enough stalking for one night.