When I got to my room, I already knew I couldn't get myself to sleep. The memory of Elias's death incident was still playing in my head like a movie. My brain was basically a broken projector stuck on the worst horror film ever made. Tears rolled down my chin non-stop. I looked in the mirror and didn't see a brave orphan; I saw a soggy raccoon.
"Elias..." I was sobbing softly. "Why did you leave me all alone in this world where nobody cares but you?" I hugged my pillow, which was now roughly 40% saltwater. "Elias, I will not forgive you. You didn't tell me anything. Why did you keep secrets?" Seriously, a mysterious disc? What was I supposed to do with that, put it in a DVD player and hope for a workout video?
And then, the guilt hit me like a flying brick. "But, your dad is not really what you told me he is. He's a sex-hungry man who just devoured a young girl the age of his daughter. Such an irresponsible and inconsiderate man." I felt like the world's biggest traitor. "And I'm really sorry, Elias. I was a fool letting him into me, something you never got to taste." My inner voice was screaming: Julia, you literally just had a 'moment' with your dead boyfriend's dad. You are officially the main character of a scandal people whisper about in grocery stores.
"Ohhh Julia.... Julia.... Are you such a fool? So vulnerable?" I kept sobbing till I fell asleep on the rug. Yes, the rug. Because apparently, I was too dramatic for the bed.
The knock on the door startled me. I jumped up like a toasted marshmallow. I ran downstairs to unbolt the door; it was Mrs. Graystone. She was back from work with Jane. They looked like they had just stepped off a runway, and I looked like I had been living in a dumpster.
"Welcome ma," I greeted her and carried her bag upstairs. I was trying to be the perfect, invisible help. But Jane—bless her cold, expensive heart—couldn't let me breathe. Jane looked at me like I'm trash and said to me, "You're not letting me carry my bag myself, are you?" I stared at her. Is she for real? Does she think my hands are made of gold or is she just allergic to luggage? Before I could say something accidentally-funny and get myself fired, her mum turned to her in bewilderment. "Jane...?? Excuse me?? She's not your P.A. Your hands are still strong, so carry it yourself." Score: Julia 1, Jane 0, I thought, doing a tiny victory dance in my brain. She turned to me. "Follow me dear," she said. I smiled to myself and saw the angry look on Jane's face. If looks could kill, Jane would have turned me into a pile of ash right there on the carpet. She stormed to her room, probably to go complain to her designer shoes.
I went with Mrs. Graystone to her room. Once we got there, she ordered me to sit down on her bed. She looked at me without any expression readable. My stomach did a somersault. Was she going to ask why I was blaring the TV? Or why I looked like I'd been wrestling a grizzly bear? I was scared and also confused at the same time. She started.
"Julia dear, can you tell me everything that happened that night?" she asked, looking at me directly in the eyes. Her gaze was like an X-ray machine. I felt like she could see the disc hidden in my bra, vibrating against my skin.
"I... I... I..." I was stammering. My brain decided to take a vacation right when I needed it most. The scenes, they started playing in my head again. "That night... I was with Elias. He asked us to go for a stroll. I didn't refuse that because he'd never asked before. I thought, Hey, a walk! Romantic! No villains involved! How wrong I was. We decided to go for a walk on Yellow Duke Street. We got some ice creams and some other snacks. We were going to the movie mall to watch a movie. I was thinking about popcorn, not pistols. Elias looked happier than ever. We never saw that coming.
We almost got to the mall, just a few steps away, when a car stops in front of us. It was one of those cars that just screams 'I am carrying bad guys.' They asked to speak with Elias. I was scared, but he told me he would be back. He gave me something I was unable to figure out what it was—a hard substance or so. But I never knew what it was. I was too scared to look, so I put it in my pocket. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Ask for a receipt?
I was still waiting for him when I heard a gunshot close to their car. He shouted at me to run. I couldn't do that. I couldn't leave Elias there and run away just like that. I'm a small girlfriend, not a track star! I heard another gunshot and ran towards the car they had carried Elias to. I saw him lying down, blood dripping from his head. They had hit him. I tried carrying him up; I wanted to take him away, but then they came—a shot and white in his chest. I felt the sob rising in my throat again. "I couldn't make out the words he was saying. I guess he was trying to tell me to hide the stuff he gave me. I couldn't bear to see him die... I was calling for help, but before people could come, those villains already left the scene... When the police came, they said he was already gone. It was too late to save Elias. My poor..."
"What did he give to you, dear?" she caught me short just before I could finish whatever I was saying.