Again (Brandy Jeffus)

Mick's for his alcohol problem.
    "I see you've already moved on huh, Bonnie?" Mick sneers as he brushes his hand across his forehead. "I didn't know you were such an easy lay, especially since it took me almost a damn year with you! But I bet you don't mind sloppy seconds now do you officer?" Mick laughs mockingly and glances at Eli.
    Tears fall at the character assault. My face flushes hot and I feel sweaty all over. This can’t be happening. This is too unreal.
    "Alright buddy, it's time to go. You need to sleep this off alright?" Eli struggles with remaining calm. I can see his forehead wrinkle, as if he is glaring at Mick behind his sunglasses. Eli's crossed arms are tensed, the muscles standing out. There’s no way of knowing how long Eli can keep it professional. I don’t know if he can dislodge himself from the personal feelings in this situation.
    Eli makes a move to grab him but backs up quickly as Mick swings. Everything is a blur as Eli wrestles Mick to the ground with his arms behind his back. Both of them are cussing.
    "NO!" I cry out. I step forward as Mick starts grimacing in pain, "Stop Eli, you're hurting him."
    Eli ignores me as he starts reading him his Miranda Rights. He handcuffs and stands him up and Mick groans in pain.
    "Stop, Eli! You can't!" I grab Eli's upper arm.
    "Not now, Bonnie," he growls. Beads of sweat cover his forehead and his vein on the side of his neck bulges out. He pushes Mick to the side of the house toward the patrol car.
    "You should listen to the bitch," Mick spits out.
    Eli pushes him hard and he stumbles. Eli yanks him up and shoves him in the back of the car. He slams the door with frightening force.
    “You can't arrest him, Eli! Just let me call his assistant. Please!" I’m hysterical. Neighbors have come out to gawk.
    “Back up, Bonnie!" he yells stabbing the air with his finger. I stop suddenly. Eli has never screamed at me like this before.
    "He’s going to sleep it off, Bonnie," he says, this time in a lowered tone, "He is publicly intoxicated and last time I checked, that’s still against the law. So quit trying to do my job!" Sweat is coming down his red face. He lowers his arm and turns around.
    "He doesn't need to go to jail though," my voice is whiny, desperate. I know its bothering Eli that I’m taking up for him, but I can't help myself, "Please Eli. He needs help, like rehab help."
    "Jail will be help for right now, Bonnie," he turns and faces me, "Why do you care so much huh? Why is he so important to you?" I know what he wants to ask: Are you still in love with him ?
    “I just want him to get help, Eli. It's partly my fault why he's gotten so bad. I enabled him too long with his drinking. I don’t want him to get in legal trouble. He doesn’t need that with his career. He just needs help and I want to help him.”
    Eli scoffs, "Well, that's noble and all, but maybe you've forgotten you have a new life here. You never ," he spits the word out like it was venom, "gave me the time of day when we broke up. Never . Yet with this pig, it's different?"
    A fresh wave of tears fall. My breath hitches in my chest. Things are unraveling way too fast. It needs to stop, go back to how it was. I shake my head, "Eli, things were different back then. I love you so much; I don't need Mick like I need you. But I have to do what feels right. I just want to help him out as a fellow human being, ex-boyfriend or not. Please Eli."
    Eli shakes his head and gives a strained laugh, "Whatever, Bonnie. You do what you want. I don't need this drama. Your boyfriend will be in city lock up until he's sober."
    With that, he climbs into his car and slams the door. I sink to my knees as he drives off. My heart feels like a hundred pounds and it physically hurts, wrenching into itself. What was going to happen next?
    ***
    "Hey dude is that a picture of your girl?” Eli looked over at his new friend and roommate.
    He shrugged, “Not exactly, she used to be.”
    Johnson walked over and peered at the picture Eli was holding, “She’s pretty.”
    “She is. More than anyone I know,” Eli felt a lump growing in his throat, Great just what I need, to pansy out in front of this dude, he thought. He put the picture back in his drawer and lay down.
    Part of him wished he would die out here. If he died, then he wouldn’t have to worry about coming back to the real world, the one where he and Bonnie no longer existed. If he died then he wouldn’t have to wonder how she was on the