Eliot Conely woke with a start at the sound of his alarm clock. He rolled over onto his side, and just stared. For a few moments, the only two things in the room were the young boy and those four horrible numbers. One- two- zero- zero. Why did he set his alarm for midnight... and why did he sleep with this... thing... on? Everyone online said that it was a really bad id--- Shit! Eliot jumped out of bed and tore the cord out of the wall. Screw safety, he was dead if his mom heard that.

Cursing and running into the bathroom, he grabbed his bag from under the sink and threw in his last few materials. And by material, of course this meant food... and an extra pair of under wear. Finally, he slipped on his shoes and walked to the door, every intention to take his bike and leave. Yet... something stopped him.

Maybe it was the fact that it was pitch dark out there. Maybe it was the fear that he would be the only one to show. Or maybe... well... not maybe, it was the fear that they wouldn’t remember him. They had all know a tiny scene girl who hardly talked. They all would remember (or not remember) little Ellie Conley. And he most certainly was not little Ellie Conley... not anymore.

Eli took a deep breath and shoved his fear aside. He was going to walk out this door. And so he did. He stepped outside into the dark, cold night; nothing but a small bag on his back and a train ticket in his pocket.

A few hours later

Eliot gazed out of the small tinted windows, the dark tunnel flying past him. As the “Smithville Train Station” sign came into view, he couldn’t help but smile. It was as if some one had come up with these town names due to either the sake of being symbolic or just running out of ideas. Unfortunately he would have to walk from here, but it would be worth it in the end.

And it was. When Eli waked pat that sign, “Welcome to Freedom,” the fact that he was in the worst pain that he had felt in... Forever, didn’t matter. He was home.

After a few minutes in Town, Eliot was able to wrap his mind around why he was here- To meet people. It wasn’t to look around, marveling at how this place hadn’t… and had… changed. He wanted to sit down, take off this binder, go to bed, just reminisce for a bit, but he wouldn’t. He refused to stand up the only people he had ever thought of as family.

It took a few minutes longer than expected to get to the restraint, but once he got there, he was bombarded with memories. Twelve year old little Ellie buying a salad, because even then she hated her body, Alice, who’s eyes never had left Eli’s memory, Vinny, who she didn’t really get, but e was pretty cool, and everyone else. They had never left his mind, not even for a day.

He looked around the restaurant and almost ran into an elderly gentleman, “I’m sorry Sir” he muttered, backing up. It was only then that he saw the bright blue hair, and upon further investigation that he noticed her eyes. He could never forget those eyes.... it was Alice (sitting with a girl who he didnt quite recognize) And after a few more minutes, he saw a girl run up to them. He couldnt quite place her either. But she looked very familiar.

And yet… he couldn’t get the guts up to say hi. Instead he stood back for a bit. They wouldn’t recognize him, so it might be a bit… creepy that a random guy was watching the two girls, but for some reason, he really didn’t care.

He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

((Good idea.Let's just stay in the resterant before we go anywhere else. Last Post of the night by me.))

She looks at her motorcycle that she left parked outside. "Oh,surprisingly yea, it is mine had it for a few months now. Got it on my birthday." She saids as she looks at the guy again. She looks at Izzie again. "Come on Izzie,it's fine." She saids before looking at the guy. "I'm really sorry but where have I seen you before?"She saids as she has a confused look on her face. She knows that she shouldn't talk to strangers but for some reason she didn't think he was a stranger. She tilted her head to the side and let all her blue hair fall down on to her right shoulder as she looked in his eyes trying to remeber him. She was never good at remebering names.

"What the hell are you staring at?"

Eliot froze. He had known it was coming. After all, he wasn’t stupid. And yet, he wasn’t at all prepared for this. He had been accepting something a bit calmer. And this girl… this really familiar girl, was just so intimidating. And when Alice talked, well, it was still frightening, even if she was nicer than the other girl. However, he did unfreeze, pretty sure that the dark haired girl probably wouldn’t kick his ass.

He stepped forward and shoved his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. “I… I, Um, I know you guys” He said quietly, reaching up to play with his lip ring, a nervous habit. He looked down at the ground and pulled out the letter from his back pocket, holding it out as if it was important evidence.

(Ah, my last post for the night too. I'm going to wait for some other people to post)

She walks up to Eli and looks at his letter. "Ellie? Oh my God,it's so great to see you!" She saids as she hugs him not knowing if he would see her as crazy or smile. "Roy?" turtle asks as she sees a boy walking into the resterant. She lets Eli go and smiles as Roy walks to them. She waves and can't hind her joy of seeing her family, her real family. She may not be able to see them everyday but those summers never left her mind not even for a second and when they stopped coming she began to forget about them and what they always did in there little beach hut of a house, so she knew she had to do something.

Wow, we have all changed so much but they all make me feel like a baby compared to them.

Eliot couldn’t help but wince as Alice hugged him. It wasn’t only that she had called him Ellie, but he wasn’t used to the contact of another human being. It had been forever since he had been hugged, or even touched at all. And it didn’t help that the girl wasn’t exactly a weakling.

It was when he looked up at Turtle (Ha, who could forget her personality) that he realized what the two thought of him as… a tomboy. Probably a butch lesbian… but most certainly not a boy.

"Um, have you all gone louco?” Eli stepped back at the harsh tone in the girl’s voice. He had nearly been able to place her before, but now it was obvious. For one, Izzie was the only Hispanic-looking one in the group. Sure she had changed, but race was forever. "Maybe I'm the only one who remembers, but Ellie was a short, skinny girl, not a dude with a shitload of piercings." She looked at him with a look of disgust, and he felt his face turn a shade of near purple. "How'd you get the letter that was meant for Ellie?"

He would have smiled at her if it whereat for that look in her eyes. Instead he wrung his hands together and stared at the tiling on the floor. “Just like the rest of you did,” he said quietly, “In the mailbox. I mean, I know I changed a lot, but it’s been five years Izzie” The last part was hardly audible, but he hoped that maybe just calling her by her name might convince her. After all, he really didn’t want to say it out loud. Admitting that he was a guy would be too different. Butch girl was... well it was at least a bit believable. But Ellie being Trans?! No way, Ellie had been far too feminine to be anything like that.

She finally sees Vinny and smiles. She looks at all the people seeing that they're missing two more before their family a complete. "This so amazing...I didn't think you guys would come." She saids as she sits back down in her seat and eats the last bite of her pineapple pizza. Mmmm so good. Where are they? Let's see we need Pirece and Lucy. Then we can head back to our house. She thinks before getting a napkin and wipping her face from all grease.

She starts to hear music, not just music but pretty music. She turns to see a guy playing his guitar ans smiles before turning back to her friends "Wow,he's really good. Isn't he?" She asks as she taps her fingers to the music. She bits her lips from being over joyed just for see them all together again for old time sakes. She remembers then when they were younger as they sat in the same pizzaera talkin g to each other enjoying each others company. While she would kick her feet under the table and the person across from her would tell her to stop kicking them.

"Alright. I get it."

Eli had watched as understanding dawned apon Izzie. He could tell that she wasn’t angry anymore, which was good. But now it was even worse. Things had gone from tense to just plain awkward. And when she turned away, he couldn’t help the tears forming in his eyes. Glad that she was now looking away, he walked over to an empty table and sat down. Stop being such a woman, he thought, angrily wiping his now red cheeks. She’s already disgusted enough.

Hoping that they wouldn’t notice him, Eli looked towards the forming group. They hadn’t really changed too much. Turtle was still just a bit… odd. Alice was still bright and welcoming. Izzie was still just as protective, and frightening. But it was the three boys (well, now they where men) who really caught his attention. Vinnie had never been too… attractive to Eli, but the other two boys where still just as beautiful.

Roy was still too much. He still had those eyes that made Eli want to stare at him forever. There was no denying that 12 year old Ellie had adored him, and yet envied him at the same time. Just like there was no denying that now 17 year old Eli found him insanely hot, and yet hated the fact that he was something that Eli would never be.

“Well, to be honest,” Eliot said, having seen Izzie look over to the Ouija board, “I’m not all that into the game... it’s just a bit... fake.” He smirked, remembering how he used to find the game horrifying. The aspect that the dead were anything but dead terrified him. The thought of ghosts still did. “I think I would prefer to sit with you” He reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes, “Would you by any chance like something to eat by the way? I’m kind of starving.”

Eli watched Izzie reach down and look into her wallet. I can pay for myself, He nearly said out loud. But no, that wouldn’t have done anybody any good. Besides... to be honest, he couldn’t pay for himself. It was no secret that his family had money, and it was no secret (Well not with these guys) that his parents wouldn’t give him any. He might go out and spend it on cigarettes, or worse, hormones. That was what he had done last time. No, Eli was not to be trusted with money. Luckily his mom had left her wallet out on the table, and though the $97 dollars in his bag wouldn’t pay for much, it would do for now.

He took the bag off his back, and rummaged through it, producing a very wrinkled five. “Uhm, I’ll be right back.” He said, moving to get up.

"What’s up homies? I see that you guys decided not to partake in the complete and utter BS that would be transgressing over at the other table." Eli looked up to see Vinnie, and sat back down, not wanting to be rude. However, he still didn’t say anything to the other boy. It was just so... different, and yet, oddly endearing the way that he talked as if he was just trying to be cool.

When Alice came towards the table, he couldn’t help but scowl. He had felt really comfortable with just Izzie. Not out of place at all, despite their earlier transgression. "The Ouija board is bull but still it's fun. Maybe you guys are too old to know what fun is nowadays. You guys are fuddy duddies, come on loosen up. It's summer, carpe diem! What happened to those kids who aren't afraid to do anything?"

Eli stood up and smiled at her, “Well for one, I’m going to eat.” He said, shrugging as if it were an excuse. “And two, I don’t know what kid you knew, but I was terrified of that game when I was little” He grinned to show that he was joking (Though he wasn’t really) and walked over the counter.

‘It’s been over eight hours’ Eli thought, struck by a sudden wave of dizziness as he walked up to the counter. It was a cardinal rule of chest compression that no one was supposed to wear a binder for over eight hours. Pain, trouble breathing, fainting, nasty bruises, cracked ribs; none of it was at all pretty. One or two hours over was fine, but not sixteen. Making a decision, he veered off to the bathroom, deciding at the last second not to risk the men’s room.

When Eliot entered the restroom, he quickly walked into one of the stalls and sat down. It must have been a good five minutes of staring down at that… thing before he finally took it off and changed into a bra, refusing to look down as he did so. It was disgusting.

Eli walked back into the main part of the restaurant, where the others were discussing something unknown to him. Deciding against that food, he walked back to the table, his arms crossed, and he sat back down, unable to look at anything but the wood on the table.