Elis POV: Sofy has been acting kind of iffy lately. I don’t know…maybe it’s just me. Ever since I surprised her with Ana the other day, she’s been acting strange. Sofy keeps on bringing me everywhere with her and Ana. I’m not complaining or anything, I like hanging out with Sofy and her sister is really nice, but if I haven’t seen my sister (if I had one) in a long time I would want to spend time with her and her alone. When we do hang out she rushes me out of the hotel to leave, and we always leave through the back of the hotel not the front. I think she’s hiding something from me…
“Hey Eli are you ready yet? We have to go!” I hear Sofy say from the room door.
“Almost!” I reply.
Since Sofy is temporarily in a new room with her sister, I’ve had the room to myself. To be honest it doesn’t really affect me at all. Most people would feel lonely, but not me. I guess since I’ve been seeing so much of Sofy lately during the day, it’s good to have some alone time. I usually just read and listen to music. It’s really relaxing. Of course I miss Sofy, but I don’t have separation anxiety or anything; and it’s good for her to have some alone time with her sister.
As I walk toward the room door I see Sofy who is wearing a black v-neck and a white short skirt, on the phone. I try to listen in on the conversation. It’s really hard to understand though because she is practically whispering. It must be private.
All I could make out is “Why?”
She noticed me observing her and quickly hung up.
“Oh you’re ready to go. Okay well let’s get to it then.” Sofy said awkwardly.
“Sofy where’s Ana and are you okay?” I ask.
“Ana’s waiting in the car in the back and I’m fine, why do I look like I’m not fine?”
“Ya you pretty much don’t” I comment.
“Well I am. Now let’s go.”
“Sofy I’m hungry. Why don’t you call Ana and we have breakfast here at the buffet?”
“NO! No I mean. The breakfast here… uh stinks.” Sofy replies uneasily.
Wow she is a really bad liar. I just go with it anyway and walk to the back.
As were walking to the car I turn my head to Sofy.
“You know Sofy I’m going to find out sooner or later.”
Her face went pale.
“What do you mean find out?” She asks nervously.
“What you’re hiding.” I add.
Her face is emotionless as she entered her car.
I say my greetings to Ana and we drive off.
“Where are we going anyway?” I hear Ana ask from the back seat.
“I don’t know where do you guys want to go?” Sofy retorts.
“Wait a second. You didn’t even plan what we’re going to do today, yet you rushed me to get dressed quickly?” I comment.
“Well I-“
“Sofy oh my gosh look!” Ana says while pointing outside the window to a Toys R Us.
“Remember when mom and dad would take us there when we were younger and we would play with all the toys until we got kicked out?” Ana adds.
Sofy nodded and starts to laugh which causes Ana to laugh as well. Everyone is laughing but me.
“Eli how many times would you go to Toys R Us when you were smaller?” Ana asks.
“I’ve never gone.” I reply.
Ana gasps in shock. Sofy wasn’t really shocked since she knows about my childhood being tough and all.
“Sofy we have to go! Eli has to see it!” Ana states with excitement.
“Do you want to go?” Sofy asks me.
“Sure.”
At Toys R Us
When I walk inside I feel my eyes widen. I feel as If I’m in a child’s dream. There are toys everywhere! Ana automatically runs to the Barbie aisle and reminisces. Sofy joins her and they both are laughing and remembering things from their childhood together. I let them have their moment and decide to walk off by myself to explore the rest of the store.
Wow, the name fits this store completely. This store has every toy ever made. As I’m walking out of the Crayola aisle, I see a bunch of little girls in an aisle across from me squealing. I decide to go and see what the big deal is.
There all surrounding a section of the aisle so I can’t really see what the toy is. One of the little girls turns around holding a box with a doll in it.
I read the label on the box and feel my heart stop beating. It’s a Zayn doll.
The little girls begin to leave the aisle satisfied. I walk up to the section of toys in the aisle where they we’re all standing, and see all the One Direction dolls that are there. They have Zayn, Liam, Louis, Harry, and….Niall. I pick up the Niall one and just stare at it. The Niall doll is kind of scary looking which makes me chuckle. Memories begin to flood in my mind. I can’t take it and begin to run to the store’s bathroom.
I lock myself in one of the stalls and begin to cry. Why am I so weak? Why does this affect me so much? I can’t be in this store any longer. I get out of the stall and wipe my tears. I try to calm myself down take deep breaths.
I walk out to look for Sofy and Ana. They’re still in the Barbie aisle.
When I walk up to them, I see how there laughing and looking at the Barbie dream houses.
“I always wanted that one! It has three stories and a t-“
“Guys I have a terrible headache can we go please?” I interrupt Ana.
I feel rude interrupting them, but if I stay here any longer I will break down. I’m trying to hold back the tears right now, just talking to them.
“Eli, I have some pills here I can-“
“Can you just drop me off at the hotel, I just want to sleep it off you know?”
“Eli I can’t just leave you in the hotel by yourself you-“
“Sofy I’m almost nineteen years old, I think I can handle it.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?” she asks.
“No it’s fine. Spend some quality time with your sister.”
Sofy looks at Ana and then back at me.
“Okay, let’s go.” Sofy says doubtfully.
At the hotel
The whole ride to the hotel, Sofy kept on telling me to not roam the hotel and to stay in the room until she got back. She wouldn’t answer any of my questions of why she wanted me to stay in the room so much, so I just stopped asking and agreed.
Right when she dropped me off at the back of the hotel and left, I ran to the room and began crying.
I take out the friendship bracelet from the night stand drawer and hold it tight in my grasp. I never really got rid of the friendship bracelet. How could I?
When Sofy went to sleep on the day I threw it away, I quickly went to the bathroom and got it back. She doesn’t know that I still have it.
After crying for what seems like hours but really has only been half an hour, I get the cleaning storage closet key, which is also in my night stand and begin to walk out of the room.
I just need to be alone in a place that I feel most comfortable in. Even though the memories that bring me the most pain occurred in there, I still find it comforting.
With the bracelet in my left hand, I unlock the storage closet door with my right hand and walk in.
As I enter I hear a familiar voice that makes my breathing stop.
“Eli?”
I turn around.
“N-niall?”

Notes