After crying for hours and a hot shower, I make my way back to Eli's room. I find that the cramped room is now covered in pillows and blankets. I can hardly see the floor. Eli sits on his bed with a huge grin and Star Wars pajamas. The small smile on my face quickly grows after seeing his pride on the pallet he made just for me. I feel my eyes start to get wet and take a deep breath. There is no way that I'm going to cry for another three hours, I think to myself. Luckily, the urge to cry recedes, and I'm left with just happiness. I throw myself down onto the pillows and land with a whomp! I laugh and Eli joins in. We stare at the ceiling for a while in silence, and I sneak looks at him until we make eye contact, and then we both look away in embarrassment.

A knock sounds at the door, and slowly creaks open. I sit up quickly, leaning on my arms for support. Eli's mom clears her throat and takes in our new sleeping arrangements.

"I see you boys have been getting comfy. I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Josie Weber. You may call me Miss Weber. Here are some clothes that I believe may fit you. Change quickly so I can wash the dirty ones you have on.” She glances at me with less disgust than before and places a neat stack of clothes on a stray pillow. She blows her son a kiss and promptly walks away, keeping the door cracked behind her. “And I don’t want to hear that door close, do you understand me Elliot?” she yells from a different room. Eli rolls his eyes so forcefully that I swear I hear a blood vessel pop.

“Yes, mother!” he yells back. I feel myself blushing hard at the implication and lie face-first into a pillow. Eli’s voice is muffled, however, and I turn to the side to understand him.

“What?” I mumble. He looks at me with annoyance and begins again.