ARE WE LOST FOREVER?

GOLDEN CHILD

“No, look at this, Natural Killer Cells act as both innate and adaptive immunity. That means we'll have to make a review sheet that has—”

“Shut up!” Elias groaned and stretched his whole body on the ground like a feline. He groaned again, louder this time, before sitting up on the floor. “It has been nearly five hours and the only thing you guys are talking about is enzymes and immunity. I thought this is going to be fun.”

“Come on Elias, we played Minecraft before starting the review sheet and it's been only three hours.” Matt countered, going through his notes to look for the article about NK cells. His bed was covered with loose white sheets and books.

“Only for like half an hour, and even before that you two were talking about Vaccines and Immunization for hours. I thought we will eat pizza, binge watch Marvel movies and play video games the whole day.” Elias complained, resting his head on the bed and poking Matt in the thighs with his fingers.

“Well, you thought wrong.” Selena pushed her framed glasses up her nose and turned to show Matt the article about NK cells from the book. “I told you right when we came that I'm here to study and not to play games. Be grateful that I allowed you guys to play Minecraft. Plus no one invited you to join, you came here uninvited.”

“I don't need invitation to visit my best friend.” She rolled her eyes as he said that and looked for other articles on NK cells

“Okay you two, lets not fight about something stupid today.” Matt requested, highlighting a few paragraphs on the page he was reviewing about the NK cells.

“Why you guys are so obsessed over this stupid course? We're seniors now, don't you think we need to chill out and not care about our studies this much.” He pushed from the ground and threw himself on the bed rolling over their notes. “Lets have fun... not late night movies and pizza at your place fun, but like real fun. I want to crash into a party uninvited, get drunk, smoke pot, dance naked and vomit in the front lawn. I want this year to be crazy.”

“Not everyone is you, Elio. Some people can't chill out because this courses are their shot at a good college. Not everyone has father's money saved up for the college fees.” Selena said in distaste because she often felt like it wasn't fair of her dad to promise that he will only pay for Elias's college fee. “And neither all of us are golden child.”

“f**k off, it's not my fault that Dad agreed to pay for my college fees and buy a yacht instead of saving for your college fund.” Elias clenched his jaws. He hated it when she called him a golden child because deep down he knew that his father was wrong for agreeing to pay only his fees and not hers. “And it definitely ain't my fault that you're stupid and suck at everything you do.”

“Elias—”

“Stop playing the victim all the time and be thankful for all the things you are getting from them without giving them anything in return.” Elias added, cutting Matt. He then turned towards his friend and continued, “This is the last year of High School, we need to do some crazy s**t. Ignore her.”

“Then go and do that instead of destroying my notes.” She pulled her notebooks from under him, but he kept rolling over them. “Seriously Elias, this is not funny. I'm losing my s**t, so get the f**k up and stop being the spoilt little brat you are .”

“I don't get it, what's your f*****g problem with me?” He stood up and asked again when he saw Selena clenching her jaws, “What?! If you have complains call dad and rant at him, not me. I'm not making the decisions on his behalf.”

She rolled her eyes and looked at Matt who was looking at her with the same pity in his eyes that one has when they see a wounded animal. It wasn't anything new, she had seen that before from him and his mother. She knew that both Matt and his mother knew it all about their family. Matt was their next-door neighbor for fourteen years before he and his mother moved to the apartment building after they found out about his father's affair.

“Okay guys, calm down. Please!” Matt requested, “My mother is working in the next room.”

“Sorry,” Selena apologized and once again dropped her head down to focus on the work. Her eyes were glistening and she could feel her throat closing.

“I'm sorry too.” Elias looked around the room for a few seconds before clearing his throat. “I'm going back home. You two can go back to your work, sorry for wasting your precious time.”

“Elias, wait, we are almost done. We can play Call Of Duty after this is over.” Matt offered but when Elias ignored him and left his room, he had to run after him.

“Geez, Elias, why do you have to be a kid?”

“You don't have to be bothered by me. It's okay. You can go back to your work.” Elias opened the front door and stepped out, with Matt following him behind.

“Really dude… why you actin' like an ass?”

Elias opened his mouth to answer when his eyes found the very familiar face coming down the stairs and his anger accelerated out of the roof. He clenched his fists and flared his nostrils. Matt too turned back to see who he was staring at and his face turned down in confusion, but he was quick to act and stop Elias from stepping toward the boy.

“Whoa! Hey, besties didn't know I'll run into you here.” He said while climbing down the last few steps. “What a small world this is, don't you think?”

“What do you want, Gomez?” Elias questioned, “And What are you even doing in this building?”

“Oh, I'm sorry, my bad. I forget to mention that I moved to Everdale.” He said casually and took a seat on the steps. His elbows rested on the steps behind him and a little smirk played on his lips while he looked up and down at the two boys in front of him. “And Everdale High.”

“Moved?” Matt asked, unsure if he was telling the truth or just messing with them.

“Yeah, moved is when some—”

“I know what it means.” Matt cut him off and exhaled loudly. After spending hours reading about Enzymes and then managing the twins, he was way too tired to deal with another problem. So, he turned at Elias and asked, “Are you coming inside?”

Elias rolled his eyes before answering, “I don't want to be a bother.”

“God!” Matt groaned and just then the front door opened, and Selena walked out.

“What happened?” She asked and that's when she saw Victor Gomez sitting on the stairs casually, looking at her with a raised brow. “Wow! What..? How..? Is he real? Wow, Okay! Seriously not doing this today.”

She walked back in without saying another word. Victor looked at the door confused and asked, “Who is she and what does she mean?”

“That's my sister, asshole. The same girl you shoved down after we busted your ass in last year's game.” Elias said with poison laced in his words.

“I did that,” Victor looked confused, staring at the wall behind them thinking it may bring back memories from the game last year. “I don't remember doing anything like that. Anyway, I'm wholeheartedly sorry about it.”

Both Matt and Elias looked at him with sharp eyes, finding any hint of sarcasm behind them. Victor Gomez wasn't the type of person who would apologize to anyone, they have seen it themselves. So it was hard for them to believe his words.

“You're sorry?” Matt blinked his eyes dramatically.

“Ew… Matt, I told you not to do that. It does not look cute on you.” Elias punched him in the arms playfully before turning his head towards the captain of Lake High. “And of course, you don't remember shoving my sister on the ground.”

“Look I really don't remember shoving her, still I'm sorry, for doing that. Can you call her back, so I can apologize to her directly? I don't want a cute girl hating me.” He winked at them with a suggestive smile.

That was it, Elias clenched his fist and stepped forward, he pushed Victor back who was still laughing and was about to throw a punch when they heard a thickly accented voice from upstairs.

“Mijo, are you down?”

“Si, Nana,” Victor answered and stood up, pulling himself away from Elias. “I should go back, I'll see you two around.” With that, he ran upstairs without looking back.

“What is happening?” Elias asked in frustration. “Why out of over two thousand students in Lake High, this asshole has to move to Everdale?”

“Forget about him and come inside,” Matt grabbed his elbow and tried to pull him inside but Elias pulled back. “Elias?”

“I'm not in the mood to play anything. I should go home now.”

“But Elias—”

“Matt, if I come inside I'll probably fight with you or her again,” Elias said, shaking his head at the thought of letting his anger out on Selena or Matt. He knew the punching bag in his father's garage would be a much better option. “Please drive her back safely. I saw in the news that after 7 it's going to rain heavily.”

“Okay, I'll after we finish with assignments.” Matt exhaled tiredly before continuing, “She didn't mean it like that, I hope you can see that.”

“Bye, Matt.” Matt nodded his head as Elias went downstairs.

Coming out of the building Elias found the grey angry clouds covering the whole sky. Even the winds were chiller than on other days, and the occasional lightning and thunder were reminding the people about the heavy rainfall that was scheduled in a few hours. He went inside his car and drove back to his house in silence.

Soon enough he pulled into the driveway and parked behind his father's SUV. Instead of going inside the house, he used the remote in his car to open the garage and went inside. His mother's Toyota was in there at the front and on the other side was a door that opened inside what Elias called his den.

He switched the lights on and stepped inside. On the right side of the room was a black punching bag hanging from the roof and a pair of red boxing gloves on the top of a small wooden cabinet behind it. Elias went towards the cabinet, but instead of putting the gloves on, he pulled down a few drawers looking for something.

Finally, in the third drawer from the top left, he found a pair of bandages. He wrapped them around his hand and without wearing the gloves, started punching the bag. It wasn't just Victor and Selena in his mind while he punched, there were more things, things that he didn't even want to say out loud.

Like every other time, when he used the punching bag to get rid of the anger burning inside him, this time also he lost the track of time. His body was glistening with sweat— half an hour ago he got rid of his shirt. Sweat beads were covering his forehead still, he wasn't tired at all. He was feeling freer and freer with every punch he hit.

“Elio!” Selena said as she entered the den from the back door that was connected to the house. He stopped and turned his head in the direction where Selena was standing by the door frame with a paper bag in her hand. “I am going to have dinner, they didn't know you were back so they already are. Do you want to eat or should I put the food in the refrigerator?”

“Put it in the fridge, I'm not hungry.” He picked up his shirt from the bean bag and went towards her. “What is this?”

“Some sweets from the bakery, I thought it would act in my favor when I ask for forgiveness for being a b***h. I know it's not your fault. You are just their favorite child, I don't even think they wanted me.” She answered, offering him the bag.

He smirked, “You don't have to apologize, I was being a d**k for no reason. But I'm not giving back these sweets. Also, they would have returned you if they didn't want you. I know I would have.”

“Asshole!”

“b***h!”

“Okay, but just to let you know these are all processed sugar.” She pointed out, as he crossed her and went towards the drawing room.

“Let me live.” He retorted while walking inside the room. His parents were talking about something and when the twins entered, they both stopped. “What happened?”

“Nothing darling,” Mrs. Knight answered with a pulled smile that he knew was fake. “You are all sweaty, go take a bath before dinner.”

“I will, but tell us truthfully what's going on between the two of you. You both looked like you were arguing about something serious.” Elias answered, sitting down on the sofa.

“Elias, it's nothing serious. You two don't need to worry about it, okay?” Mr. Knight said, coming closer to Elias and patting his back. “We'll let you know if something is wrong.”

“Fine, don't tell us.” Elias rolled his eyes and jumped on his feet before going upstairs to take a bath. Mrs. Knight also left for her bedroom after that.

“Good night, Elena.” Mr. Knight said, “Please put the leftovers in the fridge after you eat.”

“I will, and good night.” He smiled and kissed her on the cheek before turning back.