Tales of the Underground: Crestfallen - 39. Omnes Pro Uno

This whole time I thought I would be the one to breakthrough to Eli, to help him begin to heal, to bring him back. Yet life has a funny way of putting back together what it’s broken, a funny way of uniting two souls who have lost almost everything.

Jayden stepped back and wiped the tears from his eyes. I saw him silently nod to Eli before giving me a quick peck on the lips and scurrying away in attempt to catch his bus “Gee, love you too J!” I teased, watching him dart through the emptying halls.

“Love you!” I heard a small voice echo back

I looked towards Eli and smiled “If you tell anyone about this!” he began, doing his best to toughen up.

I slowly started to walk back towards my locker, making sure to bump him as I walked past “I like that side of you.” I poked “It’s part of the reason I look up to you.”

He scoffed but quickly followed behind me “So you still think I’m some sort of role model?”

“Now more than ever.” I nodded “Life isn’t perfect, and heroes let you down, but mine…when it comes down to it…you’ve been there for me.” He shook his head and went to speak but no words came out “I’m sorry about this morning…I…I didn’t mean it. You just...I was scared.”

“Scared?” he echoed, not understanding.

I nodded and leaned up against my locker “Scared you wouldn’t change, scared you wouldn’t accept what a bad place you were in…scared you would hurt yourself.”

“Oh” he deeply sighed “I guess…” he paused to think it over “I still have a lot of fight Aidan…I’m still breathing.” He let out, surprising even himself “I’m breathing.” I saw life ignite in his eyes “I’m alive.”

I couldn’t help but giggle as he began to work through all the shit he had been running from “Yeah you are!” I encouraged with a laugh. I took a deep breath and was suddenly hit with the reality of the mountain ahead of him “We’re not going back to the underground.”

“I..” his thoughts trailed off and seemed to slowly get lost in them.

“I know…you feel like you’re close to Jamie down there, but trust me, you’re not.” Mixed emotions swirled in his eyes and I reached out and lightly stroked his arms “Trust me.”

He exhaled a deep breath and let himself slide down to the floor “I..what…” he shook his head once more “the deal.”

Deal? I mowed over in my mind “the one with my father?” I offered

He lightly let out a sigh as I saw pain engulf his eyes “I need that deal Aidan.”

“Why?” I gently poked joining him on the floor

He looked to me and shook his head “Last night…like I said it’s not the first time okay?” I nodded lightly, encouraging his confession “I…I…” his voice broke as he thought it over “I’m an addict Aidan…I can’t stop.”

I let him lay his head against my shoulder as he began to slowly broke down once more “Addicted to?” I gently led.

“Alcohol at first.” He muttered as his breathing grew heavier “then your dad…he offered me…he promised so much more.”

I felt disgust grow on my face as I listened on in horror “Wh-what did he offer?”

“Pills” Eli shook his head, trying to pull himself together “Anything…xanax…ativan…valium.” More tears fell from his eyes as he listed off the pills “Anything to numb it.”

“I…you..we…”I felt tears begin to fall from my own eyes “they have rehab centers….we can get you to a good one…I…I’ll make my father pay…he has to.” I clutched my damaged left fist and slammed it against the locker, doing my best to ignore the pain “I’ll kill him for this.”

“No” Eli breathed shaking his head once more “It’s not his fault…it’s mine Aidan…it’s my own problem to fix…I’ll find a way without the deal.”

He went to stand up but I grabbed onto his arm “You can’t do this on your own!” I exclaimed, trying to gain strength “You…you’ve got me and Jayden now.”

He lightly pulled away and ruffled my hair “Jayden’s got his own hills to climb.” He looked down and forced a smile, beginning to show strength “and you need to be there for him, not me.”

“I can be there for you too.” I jumped up, trying my best to imitate my mentor’s strength “You can’t do this on your own…what if…”

Eli reached out and patted my arm “I have to try.” He nodded to me in approval “It’s alright rook, I’ll come to you if I can’t.”

“How do I know you will?” I shook in doubt.

“You don’t” he sighed starting to walk away “but I guess it’s about time I start setting a good example.”

I felt another tear began to fall from my eye as I watched his outline disappear around the corner. I took another second to compose myself before finally heading out to the car. The following week saw a big change in Eli, I mean he still walked around straight faced and angry, yet there was something different about him. Something new…something fresh, in many ways the old Eli was coming back, but in many ways his losses still held him back. Every now and again I would catch him and Jayden talking at their lockers, or in the halls between classes. Their friendship, the bond they we’re building…it was something I don’t think I could explain. They just understood one another, and the pain they we’re both struggling to push through.

Before I knew it my brace came off and I was right back into the thick of it. Practice, practice and more practice! It sounds like hell, but god damn I’ve missed it! In fact I spend the whole weekend at the gym, training, preparing…dominating. I was reborn and ready to show what the hell I was capable of! As Monday night fell on me so did the wrestling spotlight. I took a breath stepping towards the mat in the center of the gym and looked up into the crowd to the usual suspects, my friends, my family, my boyfriend, and my mentor. I nodded ready to get going…it doesn’t get any better in this.

I looked towards my opponent mean faced and ready for my first taste of action in weeks. The second the bell rang I hit the ground running, showing off all the moves Jack and the boys had been teaching me. This wasn’t just about returning to the mat, it was about proving to my team that their belief in me was worth it. The match went by in the blink of an eye seeing me and my opponent neck and neck. Takedowns, escapes, reversals…you name it and the two of we’re doing it. I looked to the scoreboard as we approached the last 20 seconds and felt my heart begin to beat faster as I saw I was down by 3 points. I dug deep, cautiously waited a few more seconds then attacked with a strong take down. 2 points I thought to myself beginning to breathe even heavier. “10 seconds!” I heard one of my teammates scream as I tried to take some sort of hold. The familiar hunger for glory began to fill me as I realized just how close to winning the match I actually was. Yet my arms and legs began to shake as fatigue set in, I took one last look at the wrestler on the mat and let go. I winced as the last bell rang, and dejectedly made my way to the bench. “14 points to Summit High, 13 to Bellmont.” The scorer’s table announced.

As I walked towards one of the chairs my coach grabbed onto me and pulled me close “That’s exactly what we needed from you kid! You kept us in this!” He lightly slapped me on the back of the head “I want to see you bring that shit every match!”

“Jack” I called out taking my seat “Whys he so happy?” I poked “I lost.”

Jack smirked and shook his head “We still get to keep your points numb nuts.” He reminded “Most importantly you narrowed the margin a bit more and opened it up for Xavier to get us the lead. You were going to go for a pin at the end before you stopped yourself weren’t you?” I shrugged and lightly nodded “but you laid off because you knew a reversal would put us in a hole.” I nodded once more, starting to understand my coaches’ words “So then there you go.” He laughed “You played a team game instead of trying to be the hero. That’s what wrestling is about, that’s why we recruited you.” He reached over and gave me a shove “Keep growing kid, you might just become the best damn wrestler this schools seen.”

I felt a new type of confidence take over me as I began to see a new side to things. I don’t need to do it all…I don’t need to be the one to carry them. I looked around the bench and smiled, we’re a team…we’re only as strong as our weakest link. I relaxed a bit more and enjoyed the rest of the matches, finally truly feeling like I belonged. The matches only got closer and closer until finally we lost by 3 points. As I looked to the scoreboard I couldn’t help but feel like I wanted more out of myself…like I was capable of better than I had done, but Jack reminded me I was still learning, I was still growing, and tonight…well it was a huge step in the right direction.

As I threw on a sweatshirt I felt the only person I was comfortable touching me latch around my shoulders “You did great tonight!” he yelped, landing a kiss on my cheek “Ew! You’re sweaty!”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his innocence “What’d you expect?”

He shrugged and attempted to push me “For you to always be clean.” He teased, as everyone else joined us on the gym floor.

“You’ll be in the WWE in no time!” Henry taunted, forcing Jayden out of the way “Then you’ll get to do a real swanton bomb!”

I shook my head and laughed “Remember when we used to try those on the trampolines as kids?”

“Yup!” Ivy exclaimed “And you almost snapped Henry’s neck doing that stupid ko move!”

“It was an RKO.” I corrected, pushing Henry out of the way so I could see Jayden.

“You would be one of those kids.” I heard Eli mumble from behind me, he forced a smile as I turned around and pushed a brown rectangle into me “here, this is long overdue.”

I shot him a confused look, and quickly ripped off the top of the box. The red jacket seemed to glow from inside of it, as the golden trimming stuck out like…well real gold! “My jacket!” I exclaimed, barely being able to talk.

Eli bit his lip and nodded his head “Yeah, you earned it tonight.”

I quickly grabbed onto it, letting the box fall to the floor “Why?” I forced out, still staring at the small details. From the wrestlers on the back to the A. Taylor embroidered on the front…it was perfect.

“I don’t fully get wrestling, but you looked good out there, you looked smart.” He flashed a genuine smile of approval and looked down at the jacket. “You weren’t just thinking about yourself, you were thinking about your team, and that’s what makes a varsity athlete.” He instructed “We’re all for one, and one for all around here, never forget that.” I nodded, threw off my sweatshirt, and quickly threw the big letterman jacket over me. “You’ll grow into it.” He laughed, noticing how big it was.

I couldn’t help but let out a proud smile as mine seemingly matched the one he was wearing. “Now I have to earn the titles like you have on yours!” I exclaimed pointing out the ’16 embroidered on his left sleeve to indicate that the hockey team was the 2016 state champions. He shook his head and opened his jacket, pointing out new stitching on the inside near the top “A. Taylor”. “What?” I poked, not understanding. I quickly opened my jacket and looked in the same spot to find that “E. Warren” was sewn in.

“All for one.” Eli reminded, making his way to the door. I smiled at the varsity jackets most appealing secret.

“Alright, that was cute and all, but what the hell did that have to do with titles?” Henry interrupted “You’ve gotta get all 4 years on that bad boy!”

I shook my head, understanding Eli’s silent message “You’ll get it one day.” I laughed, still looking at it.

Championships only get you so far…but mentors…friends…they’re what matters. I bucked shoulders with Jayden and laughed. This means so much more to me than winning ever will. The glory I’m searching for…fighting for…it’s right here next to me.