DRABBLE FOR MY LOVELY IMOGEN.
“None of it was ever worth the risk but you are the only exception.”
Everything felt like a blur after the two traded numbers and agreed to hang out; Imogen was a mystery to Eli but in the best way possible. She was quirky, adorable, and everything Julia wasn't but deep down - he knew she looked identical to his former girlfriend. The girl he fell in love with, the girl he fought with to a peak, and eventually blamed himself for her death - even if it was never truly his fault. Eli’s ex-girlfriend left in the middle of the night; dressed in all black on a dark purple, twelve-speed mountain bike. Julia’s favorite. She was doomed from the moment she took off to go back to the Hell she called ‘home’.
As soon as Bullfrog pulled his Mustang away from the school, Eli let out a heavy sigh as his hands covered his face, while the man drove next to him - glancing over to make sure Eli was going to be okay. "What happened, Kiddo?" Bullfrog asks in his concerned tone; he has a right to be with everything going on. New meds, new bipolar one diagnosis, learning his son has psychosis and delusions.
By the time the teen can speak, Eli's face is flushed red and he looks over to his father with wet warm cheeks. He cracks a smile, however, and it sends his father into a worried tailspin. "I met a girl today and you'll never guess who she looks like..." Eli spoke softly, his voice cracking from having cried so hard into his hands, but before he can follow up he begins to sob again quietly for a few moments.
Bullfrog can tell; he knows from Eli's reaction to meeting her but - is she really a person or just someone in his son's mind? "Dad, her name is Imogen Moreno, and she looks like Julia; she could practically be her twin. They're different but she looks so much like her that I feel like I'm given a second chance here!" Eli's father is shocked; for once, he’s totally shocked that his assumption was right. He can't find the words to say and all he can do is listen to his son because he sounds so - excited. Happy. In a purely genuine sense of the word. Bullfrog can tell Imogen is definitely real or his son would not be like this. Not at all.
"Is she coming over anytime soon?" Bullfrog asks curiously with a furrowed brow, his tone light despite the fact that he was feeling some concern. "Son, I love you, but I don't want you getting hurt like you were over Clare and of course - Julia. This new girl is not someone inside your head, right?" He adds, Eli gives him a baffled look then wipes his tears away. Despite the fact that the tears were from happiness, he still has that numbness from too much sudden crying, that anyone would get from sobbing so heavily.
"I'm positive and maybe, I'll have to talk to her, but I am hanging out with her soon." Eli admits, swallowing hard as another grin finds its way onto his lips while he softly sighs to himself. Feeling like maybe he's truly accepting that he'll never go back to Clare, that Julia is gone, but this new girl in his life - she had given this boy some hope that he desperately needs. "I saw Imogen sitting there, I stopped and had to look twice, and then I got the same feelings I had when I saw Julia the first time; but it was different this time, too. I feel lucky and happy that Imogen's somehow at Degrassi and I found her. I hope she's not with anyone else, you know?" Eli rambles, picking away at the black nail polish on his right hand out of nervousness as he thinks about the possibility that she wouldn't be single.
"I'm happy and all for you, still you need to slow it down and be her friend first; I wouldn't be a parent if I didn't say this parental shit sometimes. I want you to be happy but start slow, don't jump right in, or you might end up hurt. Your mom and I can't lose you because you're our only kid and if you were gone - it would crush us." Bullfrog explains, patting Eli on the shoulder as he drives carefully down the street to their house. "Now wipe the tears away; if your mother sees you like this, she'll get worried, and call the damn Hospital over it."
Eli laughs, wiping off his cheeks the best he can yet he knew his eyes would be red and watery when he went inside. "Good idea; thanks, Bullfrog!" Eli finally said after doing what he was told to do. "And yeah, we'll take it slow, she's worth taking my time on and I want to get to know her. She's fascinatingly quirky and the most unique yet beautiful girl I've met in a really long time!"
"Good for you, Eli; I'm proud of you. Let's go inside before CeCe gets worried that somethings wrong - you know how she's been lately."
"Yeah, let's go."