章 38: 38.

Elliot lay in his bed and stared at a picture of Sheree he had pulled up on his phone. Ever since he kissed Julia earlier in the week, he had been racked with guilt. A feeling had settled over him that made him feel like he was trapped inside himself. He felt like he could only witness his life. He tried to continue as if he didn't feel bad about the kiss, he even sent flirty texts to Sheree when he got reception. After a few days however, the guilt, combined with the trapped feeling, made him avoid texting her. He hadn't spoken to her at all in 3 days. He thought about how she would react when he told her as he stared at the picture.

He heard his bedroom door opening and sat straight up.

"Where am I right now?" Sheree asked herself aloud as she walked into his bedroom.

Elliot's mouth hung open when he saw her. She noticed him sitting on his bed and froze in the doorway.

"Elliot!" She screamed and ran toward him at full speed.

"Sheree?" Elliot asked as he stood to meet her embrace. Her sudden appearance had stunned him.

When she reached him and tried to hug him she hit a solid barrier and stopped a few inches away from him. To Elliot it looked like she was standing in a bubble made of red electricity. He reached toward her and realized that he was enshrouded in blue electricity.

"Is this what I've been feeling, what is this?" Sheree asked, thinking out loud.

"You've been feeling strange too? Wait, is this even real right now?" Elliot asked as he rubbed his chin.

"I think it's the same thing that happened after my fight with Caree. Wait, how's your dad?" Sheree asked.

"He's improving. The last time I saw him he was sitting downstairs yelling at the tv," Elliot answered.

"That's good, so I guess the only thing left to figure out is why we can't touch each other," Sheree said and pounded on the energy barrier around her.

"It's probably because of me. I did something," Elliot said and sat on his bed.

Sheree's eyes narrowed, "something like what?"

"I kissed this girl I used to have a big crush on," Elliot said, he stared at the floor as he spoke.

"You...oh...," Sheree said and sat as close to him as the electricity fields would allow.

They sat in an awkward silence until Sheree finally spoke up.

"I thought we were happy, what happened?" She asked, now looking at Elliot.

"We are, I didn't plan for it to happen, it just did. It's hard to explain," he said as the room around them darkened.

Sheree looked around and began to worry. They were still sitting on his bed, but now they were sitting outside.

"Where are we now?" She asked, and sat back on the bed.

Elliot looked up and his eyes widened when he realized what they were seeing.

"This is where it happened. I think we're about to watch what happened," he said as they watched him and Julia walk out of the house.

"She's holding your hand, you let her hold your hand?" Sheree asked. It was more of a statement than a question. With the statement being 'that hand belongs to me and you know it.'

Sheree watched the evening unfold closely as if she was critiquing a performance.

"Oh so she did know you had a girlfriend," she said when Julia asked Elliot if he was single.

When Julia distractedly stared off into the sky Sheree said, "that really was an amazing scene though," as she stared at the starry sky as well.

"To see that look in your eyes is heartbreaking for me, do you still love her?" Sheree asked when Elliot and Julia locked eyes.

"No, I was just caught up in the moment, she is nothing more than an old crush" Elliot said.

"Well, do you really love me, because that's the way you look at me?" She asked and turned her attention back to the scene in front of her.

Elliot wanted to answer her, but he saw the trap. How could he look at her the same way he looked at Sheree, and have it not mean the same thing? So he either loved them both, or he didn't love either of them. He decided to just close his mouth and let her vent.

"Is that Adele playing? Oh she's laying it on thick," Sheree said when the song started.

Elliot wanted to agree with her, but again decided against speaking.

"Of course she has an amazing singing voice," Sheree said, shaking her head. "At this point I wanna kiss her."

Elliot chuckled at her comment and she shot him a look that made him drop his head.

Sheree listened to the words Julia sang carefully.

"So this was a goodbye. She was in love with you and this was her way of saying goodbye. You know what, I'm not even mad at that," Sheree said as Julia and Elliot kissed in front of her.

Elliot couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had expected her to snap and lose control.

"How can you be so calm and understanding right now?" He asked, feeling like it was a bad idea, but doing it anyway.

Sheree looked at him. To his surprise she had tears in her eyes.

"I just know what being in love with you is like. It's overwhelming, and all consuming. You wanna run from it, but it's somehow the greatest feeling in the world. I can't be mad at her for needing to finally show you those feelings," Sheree said and wiped a tear from her face.

Elliot dropped his head again, this time however it was in relief. He had become so burdened with guilt that he never considered Sheree would forgive him. He took her hand in his and kissed it.

"Thank you for being so wonderful," he said and interlocked his fingers in hers.

"You're touching me. We can touch!" Sheree yelled and dove on top of him.

Before Elliot knew what was happening she was kissing him all over his face. Her hands started lifting his shirt and touching his abdomen. He responded by lifting her shirt, and then a thought hit him.

"Can someone walk in and see us?" He wondered aloud.

"I think we're in some kind of dream world, but just in case take us somewhere else," Sheree said before she started kissing him on his neck.

Elliot concentrated, as best he could under the circumstances, and the scene around them changed. They were now on a beach and the sun was rising. Sheree looked up when the scene changed and was amazed at the new view.

"Oh you romantic idiot," she said and kissed him deeply.

The red and blue energy barriers that surrounded them, merged into one large purple barrier that enshrouded them both.

"What was it you said you were gonna do the next time you saw me?" Sheree asked, already knowing the answer to her question.

"Let me remind you," Elliot said as purple electricity sparked in his eyes.