Hearse Driver: Feel Nothing
Degrassi Community School loomed up in front of him as the former hearse driver stepped out of the bus. He leaned on his black cane, hand gripping the fake gold skull. A nervous, weary look crossed his features and Eli drew in a deep breath. âGet it over with.â he told himself.
Clare kissed her mother goodbye and quickly got out of the car. She sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was the first day back from break and she was already late. Biting her bottom lip, she glanced around. Perfect, she thought sarcastically. Iâm the only one around. Clare swiftly climbed up the front steps of the school, then pulled open a heavy glass door.
Once she was inside the building, Clare began the walk to her locker. She was halfway there when a security guard entered her line of vision. Before the guard could see her and write her up for being in the hallways without a pass, Clare turned on her heel. She wasnât sure where she was going, but anywhere had to be better than here.
The petite girl had just rounded a corner when she realized that she wasnât the only person that was present in the hallway. Clare turned her gaze towards the ground, only to see that the person had a cast. She bit her lip and shut her eyes. This couldnât be happening right now. Clare wasnât able to be around Eli at the moment. She was still harboring feelings for the guy, but it wasnât the right time for them to be together. Eli needed help, and that was why they broke up.
She still felt bad for leaving him in the hospital room, but Clare hoped that it made Eli realize that he needed to get better. Although she tried not to show it, she cared for him deeply. Clare opened her eyes and trailed her eyes up to the personâs face, only to be met with a pair of mesmerizing green eyes. No doubt about it, it was Eli.
âEli. Hey,â She said breathlessly, trying to disguise the fact that she was nervous. Clare contorted her face in an attempt to smile and lighten the mood. Needless to say, she failed miserably. Her expression quickly faded and Clare began to look around the hallways; Taking in the chipped paint on the walls, the lockers covered in stickers, the scuffed floors. Anywhere but at him.
She couldnât look at him.
Eli was glad he was doped up. He felt like a zombie, and probably looked like one too. It was the medication that heâd been taking. Mind numbing meds that made him a docile, good boy. They also took out all the creativity he had. At night, heâd be staring at his notebook, pen in hand. Nothing would come out of his mind which made him furious.
âHi.â Eli finally spoke, glad that nobody really was here yet. The halls were oddly empty for the first day of school. Eli turned and shut his locker. He wanted to crawl inside of it but this had to happen eventually, didnât it? âHow was your summer?â He looked detached, and his voice sounded as though he were very far away and not a few inches away from Clare.
Eli had thought about their relationship all summer long. Heâd spoken to his doctor about it, and thatâs where the meds came in. The meds worked for a while, but he wasnât feeling it. For his parents sake, he would take them. Be a good boyâŚEli blinked the ironic thought away. âHave a good one?â He was talking to Clare as though she were a stranger, someone he hadnât known as well as he did.
Now he didnât know what else to say. Eli glanced around wishing he knew more people here than Adam. Someone had to rescue him from this awful, awkward feeling. âWriteâŚanything?â Eli asked awkwardly.
Clare raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly confused. Something was up with Eli. He wasn't acting like himself. She felt a sudden wave of guilt wash over her. Was she the one that did this to him? Clare pushed the thought away. Surely Eli had more important things to worry about than her. She felt conceited for even thinking about it.
"It was... alright. Uneventful." Clare answered his question politely and to the point. This was officially awkward. "And yours? Do anything exciting?" She managed to choke out, before coughing to fill the silence. Clare was not really used to dealing with ex-boyfriends.
Clare wrapped her arm around her shoulder bag and tugged it back up. She finally took a good look at Eli. He seemed different, but not in a good way. Clare had wanted him to change, but not like this. "No. Didn't really have any inspiration," she answered. "But I'm sure that you wrote a few good stories," Clare said, sending a shy smile in his direction.
