Read Antidepressants :: Elle - Part 1

Not all perfect couples are everlasting.

Elle sat down in her seat and set her belongings down beside her. She couldn’t wait for her party tonight. She’s been planning it for the last couple of months, probably since the end of her junior year.

Ever since their senior year started, Elle’s party is all everyone’s been talking about. It’s where things always go down and change how the rest of the year will go. Whether it be fights or hookups, Elle’s party is always life-changing for most people that attend. People only noticed this trend after the second party, which made more want to come for the next. It even affected Elle’s life. During the first one she threw back in freshman year, she hit it off with Edwin, the current president of the Robotics Club. He’s not a typical nerd that doesn’t know the ins and outs of women. Edwin is the type of guy that would greet or be greeted by anyone he knows whenever he’s walking down the hallway. He’s the type to carry books for a girl and actually know the contents of each one. It’s as if he’s an acrobat, walking on the tightrope that is the fine line between both extrovert and introvert.

Ever since that night of the first party, Elle struck gold by meeting Edwin. They’ve been dating ever since and the whole school sees them as the power couple of the seniors.

The bell rang as students were still funneling in from the hall and filled in the seats. Once the silence entered the room, the teacher started taking attendance, calmly reading each student’s name and waiting for them to say something back. Elle pulled out her phone, not trying to hide it and using it in plain sight. She opened the group chat titled “Party Planners.” It wasn’t always titled that, it was just changed recently from “Le gang.”

Who’s coming to help me with the party?

Tiff

i am!!

Riri

Right here

Jazz

Just need a ride

Lili

Gonna be skipping my meeting for it

Geo

Imma help with the lifting

Sofia

Emmie

I’ll be coming

Elle noticed that not everyone in the group chat replied to her. Elle put her phone away as the teacher has already begun his lecture.

Class was halfway finished and Elle still hasn’t gotten a notification from her phone yet. She took her phone out again and checked the group chat. It was still the same from when she put it away. Why isn’t he saying anything? Elle thought to herself. She decided to text him privately. She opened the chat of Edwin.

Elle

Babe, are you coming to help later?

Elle locked her phone but still kept it in her hand. She considered herself a patient person when it comes to texting and didn’t always rush people when they didn’t reply quickly. At least, that’s what Elle thinks.

She paid attention to the class until it eventually ended with the ring of the bell. Students already had their bags strapped on before the class ended. Elle opened her phone again in hopes that she got a reply from Edwin. Though she still got nothing from him. An entire class period went by and he still hasn’t said anything.

The school bell rang yet again as students walked to their next class of the day. Elle slowly headed to her class with her phone in her hand and her head down, looking at it.

Elle

Babe?

Hellooo

She sent a couple texts to Edwin to make sure he gets notified. Elle put her phone away again. She couldn’t stop thinking of him, now that he’s not saying anything. She was worried about Edwin. What if something had happened to him? Or what if he’s just ignoring her? Elle didn’t know if she should be mad or troubled about this.

Elle sat in her second class of the day, English. Sat next to her was Marie, or as her friends called her, Riri. The way the classroom of her English class was arranged had desks paired up together so that two people sit together, basically elbow-to-elbow. They each kindly greeted one another as they made eye contact. “You feelin’ okay? Lookin’ kinda down, girl,” Riri asked with some concern. “Don’t tell me you’re startin’ to feel stressed from plannin’ the party,” Riri continued.

“It’s Ed. He hasn’t replied to any of my texts,” Elle replied.

“Maybe his phone is just dead. Or maybe he forgot it at home,” Riri said.

“I hope it’s nothing too serious.”

“Hey, what do I bring later on? I’m always forgettin’,” Riri asked Elle whilst trying to stray her away from the topic of her boyfriend. Riri knew that bringing up a different subject to Elle is what calms her down. Her closest friends knew that about Elle. She needs to avoid thinking too much about the bad things in life to really think straight.

“How could you forget what to bring? Next time, I might ask Geo or Jazz to bring the stuff if you’re that forgetful,” Elle coldly answered.

“You’re sayin’ I’m forgetful? This is the last party of high school, Elle. There isn’t going to be a next time,” Riri said. Elle tried to hide the fact that she didn’t realize that. She threw so many of these parties that she thought that they would happen every year. Or so she hoped.

“Well this doesn’t have to be the last party of our time in high school. We could throw another one at the end of the year. After our graduation. Yeah, it’ll be great! We could use it as a farewell to everyone that’s heading off to college,” Elle said as these thoughts just came from the top of her head, not really thinking that she would say it before she opened her mouth.

“Yeah, I assumed that there would be one at the end of the year,” Riri somewhat agreed with Elle’s idea.

“Hey, don’t get off topic here, we need to talk about tonight. Bring the stuff that’s gonna make the party a party,” Elle said, lightly hitting Riri.

“I’ll bring more than what I usually bring. It is our last Halloween party after all.”

“You’re the best.”

Riri met Elle back at the first party years ago. When people came, they brought chips, dip, drinks and other sorts of food. But when Riri walked in, the place became lively. Riri’s brother has a dealer that he often meets with. He would always get more than he needs from him, so when he and his friends are high off their minds, Riri cleans up and takes every last bit that’s left. Ecstasy, Adderall, cocaine, even weed. Her brother would buy lots of weed. Of course, Riri wouldn’t be giving these for free at the party. She would make a good amount of cash at the end of each one just by selling them to her peers.

“Still 10% for me,” Elle said.

“Of course,” Riri replied.

Second period just finished, and another hour and forty-five minutes went by without Edwin texting Elle. She looked back at her phone to the chat log of Edwin. It remained as it was earlier. Elle was past the point of somewhat worried about her boyfriend. She became furious at him for not saying anything for basically half of the day.

Students flooded the corridors as some headed to the cafeteria while some went to hang out in classrooms of their favorite teachers; it was lunch time. Elle stomped through the hall with an expression on her face that would scare a ghost.

People that knew Elle saw her and were about to greet her until seeing how pissed she was. No one bothered her, but they just stared as she was on her way to find Edwin, wherever he was. She asked other students nearby if they saw him around. Bitterness rose from her voice as she asked each person of the whereabouts of her boyfriend, which only made them answer quickly as they were afraid of her. Where is he? she thought over and over in her head.

“You looking for Edwin?” a one person asked as she was walking. “Yeah,” Elle replied with a stern look. The person that asked point down one hall without saying anything. Elle looked toward that direction and found the back of her boyfriend facing her, along with his group of friends, all gathered into a circle talking to each other. He couldn’t see that she was right there. Edwin was a somewhat tall guy with caramel skin and hair that’s an even darker brown. His body type was lean and fit. His muscle definition could be seen from a mile away.

Elle silently headed to him, a little bit relieved, but still mad at him. As she got closer to him, she saw that he was holding some textbooks, maybe three or four of them. As she inspected what was in his arms, she looked at his see-through bag to find that there were still books in there, some of which were the same as the ones he was currently holding.

“Ed!” Elle loudly said as she was right behind him. He turned around and looked down to see her in the eyes, “Hey.”

“Why haven’t you been replying to my texts?”

“You, uh, texted me?”

“Since first period, dipshit.”

“I didn’t get any texts. My phone was, uh, having bad connection this morning.”

“Well now that I have you here, are you gonna be helping me out later?”

“Uh, I can’t really help you guys,” Edwin looked to the side quickly then back to her. “I can’t really go to the party tonight either. I have to, uh, watch my baby cousin tonight.”

“What? You could’ve told me earlier or even days ago!” Elle was furious.

“I was only told today, though.”

How could he have been told just today about this when he said his phone connection wasn’t working earlier?

“Fine then, don’t come tonight. I’m sure other guys will see that I’ll be alone later on, then who knows what will happen,” she said, trying to call his bluff. There was a silence between them. Edwin hadn’t said anything while Elle waited for him to give a response. But none was given.

Elle turned around and walked the other direction. They say the best way to get someone’s attention is to ignore them. Before turning the corner, Elle looked back at Edwin and his group, just to see if anything would happen. She hoped for him to come to her and continue the conversation, or do something, like apologize. But Edwin stayed where he was and continued to talk to his friends.

Elle was disappointed in Edwin. She thought it would become one of those scenes she’s watched in those romantic movies where the guy comes running back to the girl and makes everything up. But not everything happens like in the movies.

As Elle watched him socialize like she never even walked up and talked to him, she saw something in the group that seemed different. Were they wearing different clothes? Was someone missing? No, it was the opposite. There was someone new in the group. A short stature and short hair were the noticeable features. At first glance, they looked like just another boy. But their face was way too feminine to be one. Elle knew almost all of the seniors and juniors in the school, but she didn’t know this face. They did look a bit young to be hanging around seniors.

Elle watched a bit longer until she saw them talk to each other. This short person was too touchy with Edwin to be one of his friends. As she watched them talk, they looked towards Elle’s direction, as if they were talking about her. Elle immediately walked away, fully turning the corner and didn’t look back. Who was she and why was she so close Edwin? She pulled out her phone and opened the chat for Cindy.

Elle

Hey flower I need a favor

Cindy

What’s the favor?

Elle

Do you remember recording someone with short hair?

Cindy

Ellie, there’s a lot of people in this school with short hair

Elle

It’s a girl I think. Maybe a freshman or sophomore

Cindy

Thanks for narrowing it down. But I don’t remember everyone that I film