Motionless Crowd Read online

  She turned around slowly, with a perplexed face, "What?" I sensed anger, bloodlust, and a lot of confusion.

  "I...it's just we...accidentally spent the night on the roof...a-and it was raining...and uh....we're both really wet and I don't want her to catch a cold...and-" my face was warm with embarrassment. Talking to adults was not my specialty.

  She gave big laugh. A really loud, obnoxious, laugh, "Alright alright! I'm pretty sure she'll wake up in a few minute. This isn't the first time she's slept on the roof." She gave a loving, motherly smile, something my mother never gives me.

  "Wait why did...you....did you check on us last night?" Was she not worried of what I may potentially do to her daughter?!

  "No...I didn't see the need to. I trust you."

  "Do you ship us?" I grinned.

  "Do I what ya?"

  "N-nevermind...I'm going to accompany Ellie...um...talk...later." I left awkwardly and went back to Ellie's room. When I arrived the spot where Ellie had been was replaced with a wet spot. I stepped into the room with one eyebrow raised. I sensed danger from my right side where the door was hanging open. My alert was on the ready. A figure emerged from the closet, just as I predicted. With speed, Ellie pushed me down to the floor and I quickly wrapped my leg around hers and turned the positions around. Now on top of her, we breathed heavily with smiles on our faces. Her hair still wet with the rain water. Her clothes were soggy and mushy to the touch, with the lingering smell of coffee.

  "Good morning," I said with glee. She pushed me over onto my back and placed her head on my chest.

  "I thought you already left!" She looked at me with a worried face, with bits of irritation.

  I closed my eyes, "Why would I leave you, if I don't even want to leave?" I squeezed her nose, forcing the snot to come dripping out. "You should take a shower." I said quietly.

  "You should take one too...you must be cold." She responded earnestly.

  "I don't feel comfortable doing that in someone else-" my phone cut me off with a long, vibrate that could be heard from the silence of the room. I whipped my phone out, "I have...fourteen missed calls and fifty text messages..." My phone vibrated again, a call from mom.

  "You should get that," said as she stood up, stretched, and then looked outdoors to the now mushy sandwiches. Ellie went through the window and picked them up.

  "Hello?" My mom said through the phone.

  "Hey..." I knew I sounded exhausted.

  My mom cleared her throat, "Where the hell have you been?!" Her voice was so loud it attracted Ellie's attention, "I've been worried sick! You don't come home! You don't call! You don't text!......You don't come home! Where have you been!?"

  "I fell asleep on Ellie's roof..." I whimpered.

  "What. Were. You. Doing?!" I could hear Ellie giggling on the roof as she picked up the scraps of last night.

  "We were just talking and...stuff...no dirty stuff! I promise...." I could feel my mother's angry glare through the phone, "Besides her mom was here so I...couldn't have done anything anyways."

  "Next time tell me where you are!" I held my phone away from my ear, avoiding the loud voice of my mother. Ellie came through the window, mouthing words at me.

  "What?" I squinted at her. She walked beside me and whispered into my ear.

  "Ask her when you're leaving," she whispered quietly.

  "Mom?" I waited for a response. There was none, "Mom," I continued, "when are we leaving?"

  "Sorry Hon, someone was talking to me. Hm...maybe in a month or shorter...they're setting things up at the moment and it's a long process. You actually know what I heard the other day? The process isn't that long-" She was going off track.

  "Ah mom! Got to go! I'll be home later, alright?" I hung up the phone, but when I did my phone took me to a notes list, it was titled Ellie and my bucket list. I suddenly remembered last night and all of the goals we had set out.

  #1.) Become a magician and enter America's got talent

  #2.) Sit on the roof together

  #3.) Have ferocious snowball fight where we get all wet and cold

  #4.) Warm up by the fireplace after a big fight

  #5.) Eat a giant candy bar together by the fireplace

  #6.) Stay inside, watch movies, drink Apple juice and have a lot of fun

  #7.) Try the new hamburger place on the corner of the street

  #8.) Ellie wants to cancel number 7! Make her like hamburgers!

  #9.) Dance to Ed Sheeran's songs with an amazing girl

  #10.) Build a blanket fort!

  #11.) Build an opposing blanket fort and have a pillow war!

  #12.) Experience cancer and live through it

  #13.) Make Ellie smile everyday. Do. Not. Fail.

  #14.) Develop a good friendship with Ellie so that she'll never forget me

  #15.) Be the best person that Ellie will ever have in her life

  #16.) Give Ellie one of my hoodies

  #17.) Buy more than 10 hoodies

  #18.) Ellie will steal all of my clothes...

  #19.) Become rich to buy more clothes for Ellie to steal

  #20.) Listen to Ellie's mixtape (She’s still working on it.)

  #21.) Have a candy bar dinner

  #22.) Talk about everything!

  #23.) Tell Ellie that she is adorable every single day

  #24.) Become a superior wizard to show my power over Liz the Wiz

  #25.) Learn a teleportation spell

  #26.) Let Mrs. Ellie sleep

  #27.) Wish her sweet dreams

  #28.) MAKE her tell me goodnight

  #29.) Kidnap Ellie mwahaha

  #30.) Get a cup of tea and do our homework together

  #31.) Finish our homework (Yeah right.)

  #32.) Never do homework again

  #33.) Never do work again

  #34.) Never do anything ever again

  #35.) Learn Ellie's middle name

  #36.) Destroy Ellie in chess

  #37.) Make Ellie my Valentine

  #38.) Push Ellie into a pond after a long date

  #39.) Get muscles and show Ellie

  #40.) Go to her house right onto her front steps every single day

  #41.) Make Ellie mine

  #42.) Prove that I like Ellie

  #43.) Love her.

  #44.) Be with her for the rest of my life

  #45.) Hear her voice everyday

  #46.) Dance with her in the rain

  #47.) Eat s'mores with Ellie

  #48.) Go on a road trip with Ellie

  #49.) Introduce Ellie to my old friends

  #50.) Kiss Ellie on the nose

  #51.) Bite Ellie on the ear while she is sleeping

  #52.) Catch frogs with Ellie

  #53.) Go camping with Ellie

  #54.) Fall asleep while watching the stars with Ellie

  #54 part 2.) Kick Peri's butt

  #54 part 3.) Eat garlic knots with Ellie

  #55.) Take her to prom

  #56.) Roll around in her scent

  #57.) Drink a cup of tea together and stay up all night

  #58.) Go see Wicked with Ellie

  #59.) Spend a whole day on a swing set

  #60.) Nibble on Ellie's collar bones

  #61.) Keep biting her even if she says to stop.

  #62.) Wear overalls together

  #63.) Walk in the rain together

  I looked at the list we created, "Ellie.." she looked at me as I looked at her, "Do...you remember this?" I showed her the giant list we've created.

  "We...made this last night..." She became mesmerized by the list, "There's already a lot crossed off...and some of them are like impossible to do."

  "Hey! We have a month! We can do it hopefully." I tried to reassure her after I revealed my own doubt, "I'll come back too! I'm not leaving forever. Have some faith." I gave her a little nudge. She responded with a smile.

  "Why does it say you'll kick Peri's butt? You are not touching my double rex rat!" She punched me in the arm with a wild sw
ing. I put my arms up defensively and with fear.

  "Wait wait wait! I- Wait Ellie!" She continued punching me until I fell onto her bed. We both ended up laughing like two complete losers.

  "What are you two doing?" A familiar voice came from the open door. "What are you doing to my sister?" Sarah said jokingly. She wore a red long sleeve shirt and slim blue jeans, her hair in a ponytail and stood with her arms crossed and her weight on one leg.

  "Sarah!" Ellie basically pounced on her sister. Ellie let out a purr as she began babbling about last night, describing my moving and The List. Sarah gave me a sly grin.

  "Mom made breakfast, you should go get some. I want to talk to Ted alone." Sarah gave a smile to Ellie as she left the room but then her face then became serious and full of passion. "What's your plan? What are you going to do with my sister? Don't you know you're going to hurt her? Don't you know-"

  I cut her off with a raise of my hand. "Don’t you think I thought about that? Its not about the pain I'll cause, its about the memories I'll leave behind." Sarah stopped, her eyes became wide with disbelief. "My plan...is to finish the list that Ellie and I created. If I can't finish it by the time I leave, I'll come back and I'll finish it and if I don't finish then, I'll come back again, and again, and again." I gripped Sarah's hand, "Help me, help her. All I want is for her to remember me and be happy," my voice became distant, "Before I leave."

  "All you want is for her to be happy with you." Sarah looked at me in the eyes, "This is unrealistic and you know that. Don't lead her on just to hurt her," She broke off my hold and grabbed my collar. "You have to be realistic."

  "If I live realistically then what's the point of living?"

  She let go of me with a grunt, "If you hurt her, I will beat your face in."

  "Well, you might as well do it now, because pain is a given in a relationship with me," My eyes wandered to the window, "But one thing's for sure. I like her, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make her happy. Although that's not saying much because a useless piece of crap," I chuckled.

  Ellie walked into the room, "Sarah didn't you hear me calling?" Her smile slowly faded away as she noticed our standoff. She walked to her sister's side, "Is something wrong?"

  "I'm not giving up,” I said to Sarah, “and you should make sure I don't. Make. Sure. I. Try. My. Hardest." I walked out the door then popped my head back in, "Ellie let's get some tea." Ellie looked around confused but she nodded her head. I grabbed her hand, and then left her sister alone to think.

  Her hallway was colored in a dark yellow, covered in family pictures and baby photos. I could feel a question about my little incident with her sister coming on. "What were you talking about?" She asked as we walked down her stairs.

  "We were just talking about a certain cutie I met when I got to this state. She's insecure and she's not really a people person." She gave me a deathly stare.

  "I hate this girl." She replied abruptly.

  "Even if this girl was the girl walking with me?"

  "Especially because it's the girl walking with you." She looked off to her left to avoid my smiling face. I shoved my body into hers. My face was millimeters from hers and I was smiling like an idiot.

  "Stop it!" She said as she gave me a firm fist to the face. She followed up her punch with a kiss on the cheek. "Dumb bunny."

  "Bunny?!"

  "Because you're so innocent and cute," I reached the bottom of the stairs beside the wet and adorable girl, who was now blushing, hopefully with the thought of me and not some rat.

  "Innocent," I pondered the thought of me being innocent, "You're crazy. I'm not even close to anything relating to innocent." She gave me a little giggle as we entered her kitchen.

  "You two seem to be having fun." Her mother said as she set a plate of eggs on the table. Her mother had streaks of white hair, probably from the stress that Ellie and her siblings caused.

  "Ellie!" A voice exclaimed and amplified as Lilah, Sarah’s daughter, entered the room. She spotted Ellie and ran into an embrace.

  "Hello Lilah! Do you remember Ted?" Ellie gestured to me. As the tiny three year old's eyes fixed on me I gave a little wave and an attempted smile.

  "No." She said bluntly.

  "Ouch. You don't remember me? I played with you for like...a long time when I came over to your house." I put on a pouting face. Then I shrugged, disappointed and dissatisfied, and took a seat at the table with my arms crossed.

  "I think you hurt his feelings," Ellie said with a giggle, "Let's try and cheer him up."

  "What we going do?" She said in baby talk.

  "Let's tickle him!" Ellie had a scary demonic look full of lust. Ellie walked by and jabbed her finger into my side. I winced at her touch and quickly grabbed her arm. As soon as I had a hold of her I felt a similar touch on my other side. I looked over to see Lilah poking me. I gave them both a smile and slipped out of my chair smoothly, dashed through the living room full of brown furniture and pictures of the family. The two girls chased after me wildly, yet coordinated. They began to close in on me, Lilah on my right, Ellie on my left, and a couch straight ahead. I attempted to dash away, but was quickly met with a red blur.

  "Get him Lilah!" Sarah shouted. In an instant Ellie and Lilah jumped on top of me. Ellie constricted my hands with the weight of her body. Her knees rested on my arms, making it almost impossible for me to wiggle them. Sarah sat on my legs with her own weight, while they left Lilah free to touch me with her childish hands. From there the torture commenced. The fingers of Ellie and Lilah stabbed deep into my sides almost like needles as they jabbed into me and I cried out in laughter.

  "N-no, no wait stop! Please! I! I beg of you! Mercy!" I squirmed at each touch. Ellie smiled at my distressed face and bumped her forehead against mine. "I hate you!" I cried out. She simply laughed at me and continued stabbing me with her gentle hands.

  "Alright alright that's enough! It's time to eat." Her mother came into the room to save the day. I gave her mother a look of gratitude as the girls released me from their hold.

  After breakfast the day was a blur. In fact the whole month was slipping out of my grasp. Everyday was spent with Ellie, and before I realized it the list was almost done.

  I looked at the list on my phone with the shining sun glaring on my screen. The summer breeze blew around me as I closed my eyes. I relaxed against the wind, knowing that the sun was brightly reflected off of my pale skin. As I enjoyed the sounds of nature in her backyard a pair of warm arms formed around my neck, followed by a warm embrace by a coffee scented dress. I turned my head to see a teenage girl with an endearing smile.

  "What are you doing out here all alone?" She asked as she began nibbling on my ear. Her lips smacked on my right ear. Each wet nibble made me shiver. I quickly grabbed her face and ceased the nibbling from continuing any longer.

  "I'm just wondering how we did so much in so little time." I replied as I squeezed her cheeks together.

  "Maybe because we're totally cool!"

  "Its probably not that..." I scratched my head, "What are we going to do after we finish the list?" My face became slumped.

  "We don't need to worry about that. I don't want to talk about it." She sat down, setting her sturdy back softly on mine.

  "We're a couple aren't we? Shouldn't we talk about this? It's almost time for me to leave...and..." My thoughts became as distant as my word.

  "Can you stop?" She asked with an irritated voice.

  "I'm leaving in a week!" I felt as though my shout could've been heard by the world. I looked down at the ground as she bit her lips. "And it seems like you don't even care."

  "I do okay!? I do!" She began shouting and yelling inaudible words to me as a heated argument, that I have been awaiting for weeks, finally erupted. Then she said it. The words that I've been dreading, but always expected. "I think we should break up."

  I gritted my teeth and looked away, "Right. I'm leaving and it'll be hard for you." My heart sank as I said those words.


  "Stop putting words in my mouth!" She yelled with lots of anger, "Just go...please."

  I turned my body around and pulled myself away. 'Not the way I wanted to end that,' I thought to myself. I looked at the text on my phone. It stated: Its time to go. Your Chemotherapy is scheduled at 2PM.

  "I'm sorry Ellie." I whispered almost silently as the wind blew over my words. The walk home was painful and full of regret. Thoughts full of how I should have handled the situation filled my mind. My mother stood at our doorway.

  "Hey buddy." She walked over and gave me a hug, " How you holding up?"

  "Dying just a bit." I chuckled sadly to myself, "I've already packed some things." We held a long pause as my mother stared at me with a worried face.

  "I've already put your things in the car. So....are you ready to go to the hospital, then?" She gave me an earnest smile.

  "Yep." I gave a huge sigh, "Mom?...I'm sorry."

  "No no no...it's not your fault Ted." Tears ran down her face.

  "You have to stay here because of me...you have to stay here....and you can't have your job." She hugged me tightly and gave me a peck on my forehead. I stepped into the car and slumped in my seat. The familiar memories zoomed past the diner where I ate burgers with her, the park where I tossed her into a pond, the giant tree that she and I slept under while listening to music.

  In a blur every one of those memories morphed into the hospital room that would be the place where I die. Days passed as I sat in bed, watching my phone. Notifications blinked from the thousands of death threats sent by Sarah. I tossed my phone to my feet and laid my head back. I rubbed my head, which was now bald, pondering the thoughts of telling Sarah. I closed my eyes and heard a knock at the door.

  "Come in." I said. A tiny figure suddenly appeared at my feet, I looked up to see a little girl. I gave her a smirk, "Hello Lilah! What are you doing here?!"

  "I come s-see you. Y-you no hair!" Her toddler speak was as hard to understand as always. She rushed up to me and gave me a hug. "I miss you."

  "Yeah?" I became a little happier, "I missed you too!"

  "And I thinks Ellie miss you too." My smile faded, slowly morphing into a fake smirk.

  "Yeah? How is she?"

  "She's pretty terrible." Sarah walked in with a threatening face. Rage filled her eyes, "It's like you didn't even remember what I told you. Now I have to beat a cancer patient's face in." She gave me a little chuckle then came in for a hug. Lilah even joined in. My smile slowly came back.